Mt Mulligan Lodge offers adventure, history, and relaxation in Queensland’s rugged outback. Photo / Morris Group
One of Australia’s newest luxury lodges, Mt Mulligan Station has mustered up the courage to stand out from the herd, writes Jessica Wynne Lockhart.
The first sign that they’ve nearly arrived is the dust. It billows up between the straggly box eucalypts and termite mounds – a wave cresting towards us, warning of their approach. Behind them is a low-flying helicopter, pushing the wave steadily across the dry tropical savannah and straight in our direction.
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Wedged between two large vehicles for safety, I stand in wary anticipation under the blaring sun, sweat trickling down my back.
It’s the dogs that burst through the trees and into the clearing first, followed by two men riding quad bikes. Then, they’re finally here and in a moment, we’re surrounded.
In every direction we turn, there are hundreds of bellowing Brahman cattle and calves, some just days old. Mustered from the far reaches of the 28,000ha Mt Mulligan Station, they moo groans of discontent. But soon, they settle. I move out from between the vehicles to admire their long ears, humps and soft eyes – a bit of beauty in an otherwise harsh setting.
The cattle, though, aren’t the most beautiful thing out here. No, that title is reserved for the eponymous Mt Mulligan, a tabletop mountain that’s millions of years old and 10 times the size of Uluru. Known to the Kuku Djungan people as Ngarrabullgan, its archaeological sites have been carbon-dated back 37,000 years, making it the oldest known Aboriginal site in Queensland and a significant element in Dreamtime stories.
Yet, few people have heard of the geological feature – and even fewer have heard of the luxury lodge that sits at its base, one of Australia’s youngest. Even though Mt Mulligan Lodge opened its doors in 2018, it’s still considered a relative newcomer on Australia’s luxury lodge scene, especially when stacked up against stalwarts like the Daintree’s Silky Oaks Lodge or Kangaroo Island’s newly rebuilt Southern Ocean Lodge. Its challenge? Luring international travellers away from Australia’s white-sand beaches and into an Outback environment.
It’s also its biggest selling point. Mt Mulligan, I determine within moments of landing, isn’t a setting for stuffy sophistication. Instead, it’s the kind of lodge that allows its visitors to get dirty – if they so choose – while learning more about a distinctly Australian way of life.
I’d arrived the day before from Cairns, travelling the 160km northwest inland by helicopter. The lush green of the Queensland coast had given way to muted tones of green and red. Below, long lines of peaks and troughs appeared, like a giant had haphazardly run his fingers deep through clay before allowing it to bake in the sun.
In contrast, Mt Mulligan – when it appears on the horizon – looks like a creation of careful intention. Our pilot zooms up to its face, providing a sense of its scale, before dropping down to the ground, where a cold compress and an equally refreshing glass of champagne await. They’re both much needed in the dry heat.
The lodge, too, is a cool oasis. The main building – a lofty space with floor-to-ceiling windows facing Mt Mulligan – overlooks a weir covered by lily pads, which guests can kayak or stand-up paddleboard on. It’s full of turtles and barramundi (if you catch one large enough, they’ll cook it for your dinner), as well as a resident freshwater crocodile named Anita. She’s harmless, I’m told, but she’s far from the only thing out here. In my generously sized room, I find a pair of binoculars and an Australian as they come wildlife spotting guide, which makes mention of echidnas (precious), azure kingfishers (pretty) and the common Death Adder (uh, hard pass).
Somehow, I’m drawn away from the safety of the plush king-sized bed and out onto my waterside veranda. It’s a decidedly outback tableau. There’s an invented in Queensland “squatter’s chair” (its armrests long enough to rest your legs on) and corrugated iron tub made from a rainwater tank that’s probably big enough for three. But as tempting as it is to spend the next two days trying to make two more friends, there’s food that needs to be eaten. Three courses, in fact. Every night.
With chef Aidan Gibson – of Bennelong, Quay and Firedoor prestige – heading up the kitchen, the menu surprisingly doesn’t lean too hard into the pastoral theme. Instead, it’s light, fresh and filling. Kingfish comes served with corn and a spicy citrus-based marinade, and dessert is watermelon soaked in ouzo and topped with mint granita – the perfect antidote to the heat. By the time I leave, I might be big enough to fill that tub on my own.
The other thing that needs my attention, of course, is the muster. When I check in, Mulligan’s experiences manager Nieve Liveri – looking perfectly on-brand in her Akubra hat – walks me through my schedule for the coming days. The lodge may be isolated, but there’s plenty to do, including tours of the gold and coal mines (and their respective ghost towns) that once operated on the property. Guests can also choose to walk one of the trails that range in length from 2.4km and 11.6km.
However, I’ve arrived just in time for the working station’s biggest event, when its roughly 2500 cattle are gathered in one place.
“I don’t know yet exactly what tomorrow’s going to look like,” explains Liveri. “Each day is a little bit different. Some days they’re branding the cattle, some days they’re castrating them. It only happens three times a year, so even the staff are excited to head out on muster.”
I mentally begin planning my outfit for the day ahead. I envision bumping along in an open-air 4WD, rustling up errant cattle. I immediately regret packing white shoes.
But in the morning, all my Farmer Wants a Wife dreams – which, to be clear, have more to do with tagging cattle than with finding a man who loves his dogs far more than he’ll ever love a woman he met on a reality television show – fade away.
“Wear whatever you want,” says Liveri. “You don’t even have to worry about getting dusty.”
It’s not what I expected, but along with the lodge’s other guests, I pile into a comfortably air-conditioned vehicle to head out to the pasture. As the thermostat climbs, I’m thankful to be in an enclosed vehicle. But when the cattle finally appear, I can’t help but feel a very small inkling of disappointment.
No matter. There are plenty of other ways to get dusty, I remind myself: like the fully stocked self-serve bar in the main lodge; drinks beside the infinity pool overlooking the weir; or – my poison of choice – the wine pairings with the seven-course Dining Under the Stars degustation dinner, just one of the bespoke experiences offered by the lodge. (Other options include secluded picnics, stargazing sessions, guided hikes and taking a tube ride down the Hodgkinson River at sunset).
First, though, I jump in my electric buggy – each room comes with one – to zoom past the grazing agile wallabies and up to the Sunset Bar. Glass of wine in hand, I watch the light change the colour of Mt Mulligan as a trio of budgerigar flirt nearby.
It’s the first of many indulgences to come. That night, I sit down for my degustation with James Egan, who co-manages the property with his wife, Phoebe. As we sit beside the fire beneath the stars, he explains how the lodge’s relative newness means it still has to make a name for itself – but being a young property in an ancient place has its benefits. Like a true teenager of the luxury lodge scene, it’s committed to testing its limits.
Already, Mt Mulligan Lodge stands out with its eco credentials (it was recognised in 2024 as one of the state’s top two sustainable tourism experiences); its range of price points (the luxe glamping tents on the property’s edge are surprisingly affordable); and its family-friendly status (there are even specialised bespoke experiences for children). Next year, it will add to its offerings with a new wellness spa overlooking the weir and a live dinner service over open fire.
On my final day, I have a quiet breakfast beside the pool before Liveri arrives to tell me about my morning excursion. We’ll be ATVing across the paddocks to get a different view of the mountain, stopping at a waterhole for a dip along the way. And yes – I get to drive. Then, she says the words I’ve been waiting for: “Be sure to wear something you don’t mind getting dusty. You’re about to get a little bit dirty.”
GETTING THERE
Fly from Auckland to Cairns with one stopover with Qantas, Jetstar and Air NZ.
Access to Mt Mulligan Lodge is via a 35-minute helicopter journey from Cairns.
DETAILS
mountmulligan.com
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