Magic in the Woods

No, I am not talking about wizards and witches, whereas it was so idyllic and surreal that I would not have been surprised if Galadriel and the seven dwarfs from snowwhite would have appeared.
I am talking about O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat situated in the heart of Lamington National Park. They have the best walking track map I have seen so far, the numerous walks are broken down concerning difficulty, accessibility, distance and time.

There are several walks and activities offered by O'Reilly's itself if you want to take a guided tour through the forest. My favourite are the Glowworm Walk and the Spotlight Walk, both are in the evening at dark. I really looked forward to seeing the glowworms and I did not get disappointed. It looked like hundreds of tiny christmas lights all over the forest, just miraculous. On the spotlight walk you have to be lucky, a guide will lead the group through the forest and around the resort to spot nightlife in the wild. You never know what you will see and you are part of the experience looking and listening to what is around you. I always wanted to walk the woods at night, but obviously I am too much of a wuz to do so by myself.

The Morning Bird Walk is a great way to start your day at O'Reilly's. Most animals come out in the morning, the birds are singing their greetings to the day and I even got to see kangaroos. The famous Tree Top Walk gave me a bird's eye view as I walked through the forest's canopy and to also fly like a bird I went on the Flying Fox which takes you soaring 25 metres above the ground!


After a long day of walking through and flying over the forest O'Reilly's Lost World Spa is the best place to relax and get spoiled while watching the sun set into lush and wild scenery. Their swimming pool seems to drop into the rainforest! What a view, pause and take it in! That's what O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat is about! My stay was short though, I definitely want to come back and do more walking tracks and a rough bush track as well, but not without getting pampered afterwards! I am bad, you guys, this is the second time I have been to a spa and I'm already spoiled ;-) .

If you want to hire a car in Brisbane or the Sunshine Coast, go to www.alphacarhire.com.au , they have a great prices, pick-up and drop-off service and reliable cars. Thank you Alpha car hire for giving me the opportunity to enjoy this trip without having to worry!