Tyrconnell Gold Mine & Haggerstone Island
7 days / 6 nights
Begins / Ends Cairns

• Panning for gold in the creek at Tyrconnell

• Discovering flora & fauna on savannah bush walks

• Staying in a disused gold mine, now a stylish bush lodge

• The charter flight over some of the Cape York wilderness

• Dine on freshly caught lobster, retire to a romantic tree house

• The pure luxury of getting so far away from the rest of the world
  

Day 1 - Queensland Hinterland, Tyrconnell Gold Mine, 2 nights

Your hosts will meet you on arrival in Cairns. Andrew Bell and Cate Harley are the owners of Tyrconnell Mine, a unique Australian heritage site about 150km west of Cairns. In the 1870s, settlers streamed into this region to find their fortunes and the visual reminders of their presence remain to this day.

Andrew’s family worked a number of mines in the region until he and Cate started restoration on Tyrconnell. They have renovated the manager’s cottage and constructed new guest cottages very much in tune with the mine’s heritage. Their innovative use of wood and corrugated iron, with polished timber floors and antique items, make your stay an unexpected delight. The rooms have en suite bathrooms and verandahs looking out across the bush country.

Arrive in time for sun downer drinks and sunset behind Mt. Mulligan before joining Cate and Andrew for dinner in their cottage.

Day 2 - Tyrconnell Mine

Wake to the sounds of the bush, as the Friarbirds and parrots come to life. Breakfast can be brought to you in your cottage; otherwise join Andrew and Cate for the full-cooked version.

With the savannah bush country reclaiming the land that miners once poured over, your stay at Tyrconnell is a fascinating insight into the times when Australia was being opened up by brave, and sometimes foolhardy, pioneers.

Take your pick of activities - a picnic lunch beside a waterhole taking in the variety of bird life; a walk along the now abandoned and overgrown access road; time with Andrew learning of the regions history, or relax on your verandah with a glass of Australian wine and enjoy bush tranquility.
 

Day 3 - Haggerstone Island, 4 nights

Early this morning Cate or Andrew will take you to Cairns Airport for your charter flight north to Haggerstone. This stunning two-hour flight takes you over tropical rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef. If you are lucky you may be able to spot a crocodile sunning itself on the beach, perhaps the shadow of a shark in the shallows, or a turtle or manta ray wallowing in the waters just off the coastline.

On Hick Island, Roy Turner will meet you for the boat trip across the channel to Haggerstone Island. After a long morning’s journey you will quickly relax into the rhythm of this remote island oasis.

Accommodation ranges in style from the Robinson Crusoe Beach House to the Tree House built amongst the forest canopy. Each is uniquely decorated with local artifacts, shells, driftwood, and each has a wooden deck with views to the ocean. The main living area is a large timber room, with open kitchen, dining area and library. The garden is a pleasure and much of the produce is home grown. Combined with fresh caught fish each meal is refreshingly simple and totally delicious.

Day 4 to 6 - Haggerstone Island

Lose yourself in island life, Haggerstone is a unique wilderness site and offers unparalleled remoteness and exclusivity. Roy and Anna Turner have made it their home since 1985 and it is one of Australia’s greatest natural experiences.

Roy’s knowledge of the reef, its fish, birds and other marine inhabitants is second to none and a series of day trips will include visits to nearby reefs for snorkeling and catching lobsters, trips to the outer reef where the coral formations finally drop into the deep blue abyss of the Pacific ocean, journeys up the coastal rivers to see rainforest and the land based wildlife and visits to the magnificent silica dunes of Cape Grenville.

Along the way there will be stops to swim amongst pristine coral reefs, fish for your lunch and picnic on freshly caught lobster on uninhabited sand cays.

Day 7 - Return to Cairns

After breakfast, Roy will transfer you to Hick Island for your private charter flight to Cairns.
 

Options & Upgrade

• Stay longer on Haggerstone!
• Children are welcome