South Long Island Nature Lodge

Queensland, Australia

 

 

 

 

 

 

Description:

South Long Island Nature Lodge is one of the most natural and secluded island "resorts" in the world.

It has beautiful, private waterfront cabins, surrounded by rainforest teeming with unique Australian wildlife. With dozens of uninhabited national park islands, coral gardens and pristine deserted beaches to explore - plus the spectacular Great Barrier Reef, South Long Island Nature Lodge provides a genuine wilderness experience that is one of the most unique ways to experience Australia.

 

The Lodge is the result of ten years research and development - with the aim to create an environmentally friendly "resort" for people who wanted a well organized, comfortable, yet adventurous holiday in a beautiful natural environment - but didn't want to be treated like a tourist, or go without the simple luxuries of modern life.

 

At South Long Island, guests enjoy a perfect combination of light adventure, nature, relaxation, excellent food and wine - with a gourmet chef and hostess to care for your every need. Plus personalized sailing, snorkelling, kayaking and helicopter tours exploring Australia's most famous and spectacular World Heritage Listed region - the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park included in the tariff.

 

 

Environmental / Ocean Ethics:

Our aim at South Long island is to provide a genuine alternative to the over-commercialized, crowded and sterile tourist resorts generally available through travel agents and the tourist industry. Our philosophy is that by temporarily escaping from crowds of people and the normal distractions of modern life, guests really connect with themselves, those around them, and the environment - in a way that helps them rediscover the simple pleasures and natural rhythm of life. This is much more than a normal vacation - it can be quite a life changing experience for many of our guests.

 

We also aim to help preserve the pristine nature of this environment by catering for small groups only, making people aware of the value of preserving such an environment, and being as self sufficient as possible. The Lodge generates all its own power and treats all its own waste water - with a combination of solar panels, batteries, a small generator and natural gas. The most significant factor is that the whole Lodge complex consumes less energy than an average suburban house - simply by careful selection of appliances and fittings - all of which are currently available "off the shelf". The same careful selection applied to every household and industry could almost immediately halve the world's energy consumption.

 

Providing access to the surrounding Marine and National Parks also plays an important role in the preservation of the natural environment. Large areas locked away without regular human access (although often bureaucratically convenient) generally deteriorate quite rapidly - with no active management to control feral animals, weeds and fire - and of course, no public appreciation of their value. Natural areas which generate tourist income due to their natural beauty and public awareness will tend to be valued and preserved by governments.

 

The overall goal of the Lodge is to be a working example of a sustainable business which not only contributes to the well being of the natural environment, but also is not dependent on continual growth in size to "grow" as a business. Our aim is to continually grow by improving the efficiency and quality of our service, operations and facilities, without continually increasing in size - which is not environmentally sustainable and is a mindset that is ultimately the world's greatest environmental challenge.

 

Activities:

The Lodge provides guests with an interesting variety of things to do - based on exploring the natural wonders of this amazing region at a relaxed and comfortable pace - with flexible and personalized itineraries.

 

A five night stay would typically include the following:-

• A two hour sail across Whitsunday Passage for a few hours of swimming and snorkelling off a secluded beach on Henning Island.
• A morning helicopter flight to land on the outer edge of the Great Barrier Reef and Whitehaven beach, followed by an afternoon exploring the rainforest trails around South Long Island.
• A morning kayaking along the tranquil mangrove estuaries into the rainforest of Conway National Park. After lunch, a short boat ride to Pine Island to snorkel some of the best coral in the area.
• A two hour sail through Long Island Sound to a protected beach on South Molle Island, from where a trail leads to a magnificent scenic lookout over all of the Whitsunday Islands.

 

Amenities:

The guest cabins at South Long island are located on the foreshore adjacent to the private sand beach at Paradise Bay, which is only accessible by helicopter - so privacy and seclusion are assured. The limited number of guests not only allows the nature lodge to operate with minimal environmental impact, but also to provide very personalized service in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere.

 

Guest accommodation at South Long island consists of private waterfront cabins perched on the foreshore of Paradise Bay. Each cabin contains a king size bed plus a single bed, a large private veranda with a hammock, table and chairs, a small fridge, electric fan, coffee and tea making facilities, a large modern ensuite bathroom with a good hot shower, toilet and hand basin.

 

The Lodge also owns and operates a 34 foot "Seawind" sailing catamaran, the Wilderness Explorer, which sails each day (except Sundays) to a different location.

 

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