If you like the idea of feeding birds and animals from the balcony of your luxury rainforest treehouse, The Canopy Rainforest Treehouses and Wildlife Sanctuary in the Cairns Tablelands is definitely for you.
Hidden amongst the rainforest in the town of Tarzali, these luxurious self-catering treehouses offer complete privacy as well as the freedom to come and go as you please.
There are many varieties of treehouse accommodation in the rainforests of Far North Queensland. Most of them are offered within a resort environment with pools, beauty spas and restaurants, but The Canopy Rainforest Treehouses is different.
As self-catering accommodation it feels more like a relaxing home-away-from-home right in the middle of a thriving wildlife sanctuary.
[headline size=”small” align=”left”]the wildlife[/headline]
The wildlife here is definitely a major drawcard.
On a recent visit we found the abundance of colourful birds and playful animals is what made our stay really memorable.
We awoke to beautiful birdcalls, wallabies foraging for food on the rainforest floor surrounding our treehouse and turtles waddling up the bank of the river.
And we didn’t even need to look far from our balcony to see it.
According to the hosts, platypus are often spotted in the river too, either early in the morning or at dusk.
Unfortunately we didn’t see any but we saw many other animals including a shy Lumholtz tree kangaroo.
[headline size=”small” align=”left”]the treehouses[/headline]
Each impressive treehouse is named after an Australian animal and we stayed in the Platypus House. There are only six rainforest treehouses in total and all are fairly secluded even though they all look out onto the Ithaca River.
They are completely surrounded by rainforest with enormous trees and a lush canopy of ferns, making you feel like you really are sleeping among the treetops.
One of my absolute favourite features of the treehouse was the spa bath.
I absolutely loved soaking in the giant spa as the bathroom was high off the ground and had floor-to-ceiling windows looking directly out onto rainforest. You could watch the birds or just soak up (excuse the pun) the surrounds and relax.
I also loved the potbelly fireplace in the lounge area, which created an added cosiness on the rainy weekend we were there. And to be honest, the wet weather added to our enjoyment.
We loved the sound of the rain gently drizzling over the leaves, hearing all the birds after the rain and we especially loved having a reason to use the fireplace in our treehouse.
[headline size=”small” align=”left”]take your time[/headline]
To really experience the Canopy Rainforest Treehouses and Wildlife Sanctuary you need to spend a couple of days as one night is just not long enough.
This isn’t just somewhere to lay your head for the night; it’s the kind of place you go to completely unwind and to soak up the experience.
Since it is self-catering you need to your own food but the rainforest treehouses have a well-equipped kitchen with all the mod-cons including a microwave and a dishwasher.
The main bedroom has a comfortable king size bed and there is also a loft mezzanine bedroom with two single beds for those staying as a family (all bedding is provided).
[headline size=”small” align=”left”]activities[/headline]
We were happy to spend our weekend just relaxing and enjoying the bushwalking trails through the rainforest on the property.
However, if you are looking for something more to do then the hosts, David and Sharon, are more than happy to recommend and book other activities in the local area.
Some of the options include birdwatching tours, a spotlighting tour or exploring some of the sights in the Cairns Tablelands. The village of Yungaburra is also a short drive away if you want to go out for dinner.
[headline size=”small” align=”left”]travel nq fast facts:[/headline]
- The Canopy Rainforest Treehouses and Wildlife Sanctuary is only a 90 minute drive from Cairns, North Queensland (Hogan Road, Tarzali)
- It is set on 100 acres of rainforest for the exclusive use of guests
