Mount Mulligan Lodge

Character and identity

In the shadow of a sandstone monolith ten times the size of Uluru, this all-inclusive lodge sits on a 70,000-acre working cattle station in Far North Queensland, the outback chapter of a family-owned trio that also covers rainforest and reef. Eight bedrooms across four pavilions read as a polished take on the Australian farmhouse: iron roofs, timber verandas, chestnut tones, brass and stone bathrooms, and private decks with corrugated-iron bathtubs facing the weir. A small live-in team flexes between ranger, waiter and concierge; activities span cattle mustering, helicopter flights, fishing and four-wheel driving. There is no spa.

Who's it for

Bottom line

The reason to come is the landscape and the privilege of being inside it, with eight rooms, a small live-in team and a working station providing the texture. Spend the money if you want the outback delivered with proper cooking, considered design and station activities at your door. Pair it with Orpheus Island or Daintree Ecolodge to justify the journey.