Australia: From Reef to Rock

A little known fact about Australia is that actually really large, and is about the same size as continental USA (i.e. without Alaska)! While its cosmopolitan centres of Sydney, Melbourne and Perth are a hit with most travellers, only visiting the cities means you are hardly scratching the surface of its incredibly rich and diverse landscapes. The sheer scale of the country means that there are many naturally isolated and remote places to discover.

Since 2023, I have made multiple trips to Australia to connect with local partners and to take in more of this incredible country in bite-sized pieces. My most recent trip combining two very distinct destinations, literally taking me from the world's most extensive coral reef ecosystem to the home of the oldest living culture in the world.

My journey started off in Tropical North Queensland, home to the Daintree Rainforest. This is the world's oldest tropical rainforest which has existed for more than 180 million years. There is so much natural history here, where prehistoric birds, reptiles and plants still thrive. This is a forest so spectacular, Sir David Attenborough called it "the most extraordinary place on earth." I spent the day with Nicholas, who has been guiding in this part of Australia for more than 20 years, and no one knows this UNESCO World Heritage Site better than him. We walked under canopies of giant fan palms and other living fossils like the Queensland cowry pine. Researchers found the same species in Antarctica, which is evidence of this area and the White Continent being part of Gondwana, the Land Before Time.

We were extremely fortuitous to see a cassowary in the wild! There are estimated to be around 100 individuals left in this part of Tropical North Queensland. A descendant of the velociraptor, it is believed to have been around for more than 60 million years!

From the Daintree Rainforest, we continued north to Cape Tribulation, the only place in the world where two UNESCO World Heritage Sites meet. The sun was beating down harshly and the weather was warm but pleasant, even though it was August and technically winter in Australia. Many Aussies actually head up to Queensland to escape the cold.

While in Tropical North Queensland, I called Silky Oaks Lodge home for a few days. It was my first time staying at a Baillie Lodges property and it definitely won't be my last! It is a luxurious but understated rainforest retreat on the banks of the Mossman River. The restaurant and bar are perched above the waters, and every meal (gourmet and locally sourced by the way) was accompanied by the flowing river. The food at the lodge is also worth raving about. Every evening, I was treated to a 4-course menu paired with Australian wine. Some personal favourites were the wagyu tartare, gnocchi and any chocolate dessert paired with a glass of Pedro Ximenez by Dandelion Vineyards.

What makes Silky Oaks Lodge's location special is that it shares the Mossman River with the Mossman Gorge. Home to the Kuku Yalanji people, Mossman Gorge offered me the opportunity to leaern about the heritage of the traditional custodians of this land. Our guide, Ben, was passionate about sharing his knowledge of the forest, which he claims he is still learning day by day.

While at the Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre, anyone can visit Baral Marrjanga, which is a gentle and even stroller friendly boardwalk within the Daintree National Park with access to the banks of the Mossman River.

On my way from Silky Oaks Lodge to Cairns (the entry point by air into Tropical North Queensland), I spent the night in Port Douglas. From here, I spent a day out at sea at another UNESCO World Heritage Site - the Great Barrier Reef. Although the weather conditions were not ideal, I saw whales, turtles and a lot of fish. For more stable sea conditions, I would recommend visiting in the summer months, although the surface temperature would be a lot warmer!

On my last full day, I took the Skyrail cable car from Cairns to the rainforest town of Kuranda, and the historic train on the way back. This is a great day trip for families, as you can book the Diamond Class gondolas which come with a glass bottom and a bird's eye view of the rainforest canopy! One of the stops along the way also allows a visit to Din Din (Barron Falls).

Leaving the reef and rainforest behind, I flew to the heart of Australia. The journey to the Red Centre is often considered by Australians as a pilgrimage. Both Uluru and Longitude 131 (another Baillie Lodges property) have been on my bucket list for a long time, and I was excited to experience both! The daily flight from Cairns to Uluru made it very easy to connect these two remote locations in one trip. The landscapes changed from the blue and green hues of the coast to the reds of the Central Australian Desert. The view from the plane of the vastness of the land was a great preview of the next few days.

Essentially a small airstrip in the middle of the desert, arriving at Uluru was a breeze. Chris from Longitude 131 picked me up from the airport and within 15 minutes, I arrived at a luxurious desert oasis. While waiting for my cousin to arrive on a whirlwind trip from the US (she could not pass on the opportunity to experience such a stunning lodge when I proposed the idea of joining me on a scouting trip), I got to enjoy the view of Uluru from the terrace of the Dune House, the lodge's main hub where we met our guides for our daily excursions and enjoyed our meals.

On our first evening, we enjoyed sunset and the silence of the desert from the Dune Top, one of the only places where we could see both Uluru to Kata Tjuta.

The next morning, we went for a short hike at the very windy Walpa Gorge which is part of the Kata Tjuta formation. From afar, the "many heads" of Kata Tjuta look smooth; upclose, we got to appreciate all the marks of the physical and climatic processes which have shaped this landscape for hundreds of millions of years.

Due to the heat of the desert, the guided excursions (all inclusive, by the way) usually take place in the morning and in the late afternoon. This allows guests to stay in the shade during the hottest time of the day.

A highlight of our stay at Longitude 131 was the Uluru Base Walk, which circumnavigates Uluru and where we got to learn about the creation stories of the Anangu people. A journey to the red centre of Australia is a must if you are looking to learn about Australia's rich cultural heritage. The area around Uluru and Kata Tjuta is home to the Anangu, the oldest living culture in the world which dates back 35,000 years. What impressed us the most is that there is no written language, yet the Anangu have been able to pass on their way of life purely by oral tradition. They believe that to learn about their stories, you earn the right by travelling here to listen to them. This is something we invite you to experience for yourselves!

As I discover more of what Australia has to offer, I am also opening my eyes to Australia's definition of luxury travel - exclusive access to remote places across a diversity of landscapes combined with warm, unpretentious hospitality.

If you are keen to explore more of Australia, get in touch with us at hello@pudupuda.com to plan your next remote getaway.

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