O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat

We recently stayed at O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat and thoroughly enjoyed our visit. The experience was relaxing, full of adventure, and made extra special by the many activities available for both adults and children. Our kids loved the Kids Club, it was a fantastic way for them to stay entertained while we took in the natural beauty and tranquility of the surroundings.||A real highlight was the zip lining experience with Nathan and Jackie. They were absolutely excellent, professional, fun, and made the entire activity feel both exciting and safe. A big thank you to them for such a memorable experience!||Our villa was very, very clean and comfortable, with stunning views of the rainforest. However, there were a few maintenance issues worth mentioning. The barbecue unfortunately didn’t work when we first tried to use it. While maintenance came eventually and appeared to fix it, it still wouldn’t work properly afterward (which lead to the next point of a lack of cooking utensils and oven trays to cook food). There was also a slightly frustrating moment when I returned from getting lunch for the kids, only to find a housekeeping van parked in our driveway. It took some time to locate someone to move it, which was a bit of an inconvenience.||The buffet breakfast was excellent, fresh, high quality, and a great way to start the day. However, we did notice a lack of variety in the upstairs bar meals throughout the evening, and while the restaurant has now shifted to a buffet service in the evenings, it didn’t quite match the high level of personal service we’ve come to know and love from O’Reilly’s in the past. And also, $6 for a can of Coke! That’s insane! ||All in all, it was a really lovely stay with mostly positive experiences, and we would definitely consider booking again in the future. With a few small improvements, it could easily return to being the gold standard in rainforest getaways.

Wonderful Family Escape in Nature – Highly Recommend! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ We recently stayed at O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat for two nights and had a truly refreshing and memorable experience. Nestled in the heart of the Lamington National Park, this retreat is the perfect destination for families wanting to escape the city and reconnect with nature. One of the highlights of our trip was the Tree Top Walk, which offers a unique way to explore the rainforest canopy, it’s fun and safe even with young kids. We also loved visiting the botanic garden, which is very pram-friendly, making it a great option for families with little ones. While the main hiking trails are better suited for more adventurous walkers, there’s still plenty to enjoy for all fitness levels. The breakfast buffet was surprisingly good, especially considering the hotel’s remote location, fresh, filling, and with enough variety to satisfy the whole family. Lunch at the cafe was simple but decent, with basic options and a lovely view that made the experience relaxing. The dinner buffet was a pleasant surprise too, with a good selection of hot dishes and salads, great for refueling after a day outdoors. The staff were genuinely friendly and helpful, always ready to assist or offer suggestions for activities. While the room was a bit dated, it was still clean and comfortable for our stay. The overall atmosphere was peaceful, and we appreciated the affordable pricing given the facilities and natural beauty around us. If you’re looking for a family-friendly nature getaway, O’Reilly’s is a fantastic choice beautiful scenery, clean mountain air, and just the right balance of comfort and adventure.

Didn't stay at the resort, but went for a day trip! 🦜 Feeding the wild parrots was so much fun, and the property has tons of activities. We loved the raptor show; it was super educational! Overall, a fantastic experience!

Our 3rd time coming here and it never disappoints. Such a stunning view. The beautiful birds come for a feed on the balcony every morning. It's so peaceful being part of nature here but with all the comforts of home. We will keep coming back. Thanks.

As a repeat visitor this place gets better and better. The buffet breakfast was vastly improved and a good variety of dishes. Brendan’s manager's talk is not to be missed as you learn a little about the fascinating history of the place. The walks are clearly sign posted and being given a map at check in helps you decide on what activity you want to do for the day. Relax or bush walk both make for a perfect day. I know for sure that I will be back once again.

Had an absolutely beautiful relaxing time up at O'Reilly's. Staff exceptional and loved all of our hikes. Room was not too bad, bathroom very dated but the views are the best. Probably camp next time because the camping facilities are pretty good. Now for the food - major disappointment. Buffet very outdated, didn't have a choice as it was included in the cost. Meat Meat and more meat and usually overcooked and not appetizing whatsoever. The breakfast was the same. Appreciate that it is probably easier but come on guys for the price the food was pretty poor.

The journey up to the retreat is quite something; you have to have your wits about you, but the views are splendid and it’s well worth the drive. The whole place is quaint and I applaud their decision not to modernise all the character out of it. We were in a Mountain View room, very clean and comfortable with stunning views especially at dawn and sunset. Plenty of parrots hopping onto the balcony to say hello. The cosy library is very interesting. We aren’t normally fans of buffet style dinners but it was surprisingly good, with tasty roast meats. It was the only hotel on our trip that had a dedicated GF area for breakfast, with staff knowledgeable about allergens so well done to them. The manager’s welcome meeting was a nice touch. I experienced the (free) early morning bird walk and learnt an awful lot. Later, we enjoyed the boardwalk through the forest leading to the tree top walk which is great fun. We booked two paid-for experiences; the host was charming and knowledgeable, just three creatures on the wildlife experience - a docile carpet snake, a bandicoot in a cage and some sugar gliders you could feed. Children seemed to enjoy it. The birds of prey experience was more interesting in my opinion; two different owls and a kestrel plus a flying display of a huge bruiser of a rescued eagle. I admire their attitude that animals are not for our entertainment. Sunsets and birdsong at the retreat are out of this world as are the clear starry skies. Just one little disappointment out of all the generally lovely staff; at check out, the lady on the desk barely looked up from her computer or asked about our stay. Maybe just an off day. All in all, a unique experience immersed in nature with an enthralling history.

Helluva drive to get here but once you arrive, incredible. Excellent campgrounds and plenty of beautiful hikes and views everywhere. Very large kitchen/dining, and very clean and modern bathroom facilities for your “camp trip”. We spent our first night dining in the local restaurant which serves excellent pizza. A group of us managed to sit right in front of the upstairs fireplace to enjoy our food, before heading back to the camp grounds to have a few drinks by the firepit, which we had to ourselves before the crowds arrived the for the weekend. Highly recommend to anyone with a family that enjoys the outdoors!

One of my favorite days of the whole trip was our long car trip up into the mountains to come to O'Reilly's. This is a private business that's a welcome center, restaurant/cafe, and lodge with cabin style rooms to stay and enjoy the birds. Everything here is bird-centric and you'll see tons so if you love them, this is a must-stop. We only came for the day and started with a visit to the cafe for burgers and drinks. Even in the dining areas the birds will come up to you. The gift shop is large with lots of souvenirs. The highlight is buying a tray of bird seed, where you'll be immediately inundated with parrots and other birds fighting over the seeds. It's amazing to see them so close up. They have an airplane that tells the story of a crash on the mountain decades ago. They have restrooms as well. From the center, there is a forest walk that's worth it to get closer to nature. At the end there is a botanical garden you can explore, and a tree top walk with bridges pretty high up. On one especially tall tree, there are ladders that go into the canopy to get amazing views of the valley and far off mountains. It's worth the climb! If you're in the area, this is a must visit special place. You can either spend the day, or stay a night or two if you want to experience natural Australia.

This place is amazing! In the middle of a world heritage site and national park is this fantastic resort with all of the amenities. Delicious food, 5star service, hiking trails, beautiful day with a pool overlooking the valley, shopping, a cafe, and nature walks and talks. What an incredible experience to get to stay here.

We came over here from nyc and stayed at O'Reilly's for a few days. The rooms were clean and comfortable. We really enjoyed the hikes around the retreat. The food was great as well. Get the garlic prawn pizza, it's so good that we had the same thing twice for dinner. Some of the wines at the O'Reilly winery were awesome too. The downside is that the WiFi didn't work in our room at all. When we asked about it, they gave us some bs excuse.

Had coffee and cake. Excellent on both counts. Fresh cream. The location is just superb, the cafe is clean and the staff are friendly.

Been coming up here every since I was a little boy, first with my parents. Later as a parent myself , bringing my children . It is so peaceful up here. You can smell the the fresh air of the rain forest, you can feel yourself d stressing from the circus they call the city. You can spread a picnic rug on the lush green grass and just chill. Very peaceful . Didn't bring the walking shoes, this time. They have beautiful walking tracks that wind throughout the plateau . With beautiful waterfalls.

Wonderful location, activities and staff. Imagine waking up in the middle of the forest, and just breathing in the fresh air with the local birds saying hello to you on the balcony. It's almost like a Disney movie! Staff here are very friendly and pleasant. There's heaps of activities to do from Segway to flying fox and of course the treetop walk (climbing the ladder was an achievement!). There's plenty of included activities as well. Food was the let down. I didn't dine in the main restaurant. Mainly the bar, and it was pricey for what it was. Cocktail happy hours were great! Breakfast was substantial and had a large variety. The Lost World Spa is well worth a visit, and their cheese platter was crazy huge!!! Even if you don't go for a treatment, go for a dip in the infinity pool. If you don't want to walk to the infinity pool, you can always relax in the spa overlooking the valley. Amazing!!! Also educational as well with nightly films in the theatre. This place has it all, relaxation, adrenalin, education. Not sure what else you can include (perhaps a better menu).