steve99

Anybody got any recommendations on where to (or not ) stay here, just for a few nights early June time?

bridie

Send Snappy a PM as she lives there

ljj

It wasn't brilliant but 've stayed at a lot worst...

Voyages dunk Island $350 a night for a family including breakfast and evening meal and all the watersports etc. when i compare it to the crappy motel I paid $100 for in Gundagai over Xmas I think it was pretty good now Ithink about it!

google it and see what you think. Its normally on www.wotif.com.au too.

LJJ

steve99

Thank you both.

kevinbloomfield

Big4 is really nice - right on the beach and friendly staff. They also own the one at Cairns which is also really nice - Coconut Palms I think?

moneypenny20

There a few in my East Coast Lonely Planet - depends on what you want to spend.

steandleigh

Check out:

www.stayz.com.au

We stayed at "Lilloeet" which is a beach front Queenlander style cottage this September (think it was about $150 per night) and it was lovely, all mod cons etc. Empty beaches, Dunk Island 15 minutes by water taxi, a couple of good restaurants but quite unspoilt by tourist tat etc, so a good stay had by both of us.

Also, if you are camping then we've stayed at the Big4 campsite there last year with the kids (There is camping and cabins) and thats pretty good too. Decent facilties and a nice pool for the nippers).

Have a great break!

steve99

$150 - $250 per night ish, really depends on what your getting for your $ I guess...


"Lilloeet" rings a bell from some of the searches I did on the area, i'll check it out again, Thx.

snappy

Guilty as charged........

We live in South Mission Beach so it depends on what you are after as over all it is made up of 4 sections South Mission Beach, Wongaling, North Mission Beach, and Bingil Bay.

South Mission beach is more residential but it has the Big 4 mentioned above which has nice little wooden villas to crash in but it is expensive in my opinion and the food is shocking in the cafe there ran by the man in the skirt Ian, who should be dancing behind the counter with the prices he charges but instead he's miserable! You also have the Horizon resort which for views is amazing but also free to use so you don't have to pay to stay there to enjoy the views and the fab pool! Food is a bit iffy but they have just gone through a massive staff change so things might be on the up.

Wongaling has a caravan park called Dunk island caravan park offers a few cabins but not height of luxury although it is great if you are into going to the pub as the best one is across the road at Scotties which is also a back packers place although the accommodation isn't that great but I've had many a laughs in the pub! There is also the Mission Beach Resort which is a better option as it has basic accommodation, good pub, and good food (bargain bistro dining menu costs us $54 for the 4 of us to eat all we want from hot and cold buffet style help yourself grub) Also across the road is a yummy pizza place called Cafe Rustica where they cook it as you watch. Down a bit further is Blarneys restaurant which is just a delicious place to go to eat and well worth a nice romantic meal in the evening. Don't go anywhere near the Indian though as it is awful. If you want the best fish and chips you will ever taste then go tot he Hibiscus take away you will not regret it, there is also another caravan park there all of which is across the road from the resort. There are also a few shops there like a small supermarket, clothes shop, internet and tourist info place and the best butcher around - if you go in there ask for Robbo and say Sasha says hes a star as he is plus this has been the only place I can get a nice tasting sausage...and that is not being rude!

North Mission beach has another Big 4 on the main road not as nice as the South Mission one but all the home comforts and North Mission has more shops and a few more resturant and take away places all of which are pretty good mostly recommend Friends and Shrubbery Tavern. There is also various back packers (not sure what they are like though) and another resort Castaways which is meant to be nice although I have only been in there for a cuppa so i can't tell you much about the rest.

Bingil Bay is a residential spot but a nice place to drive to and if you are into the more Eco side of things on the way towards Bingil Bay you will see the Eco resort. There is also another great place to visit called Garners Beach just the other side of Bingil Bay.

If you want to go to Dunk Island I would use the Fast Cat which goes from the Clump Point Jetty on the Bingil Bay road and it can cost around the $25 per person for a quick journey across to Dunk for a day return. You can buy a voucher for around $40 to enable you to use the facitilites on Dunk Island if you don't want to stay there. We did this and had a great day although we now just generally get a lift over with mates and have a few beers at the bar on the beach. People have said though they have altered the menu you get at the resort so it offers little options so it is better to eat at the beach bar (sorry forgotten the new name of it) than at the resort itself on the voucher. They have a fantastic cascade swimming pool which is menat to be for guests only but we used it as we didn't realise until later but unless oyu cause a stir they don't bother you. You also get to use the water sports equipment for an hour or so which is great fun. There is also some great walking tracks on the island and an artist village but we have never been when they are open as I think it's only on a Wednesday.

Don't go on the water taxi as even though it would be out of stinger season I have seen the captain drink too many beers in charge of that boat!

If you want to go to the reef the Fast Cat also take you out there to a lovely sand cay where you can snorkel or dive, we saw Nemo and allt he usual suspects which the kids adored. Plus they pick you up from where you are staying.

The other option open to you is the huge amount of holiday rentals here, look up Ray White or Mission Beach Holiday Rentals as they have heaps around the place with some seriously nice views.

In my opinion South Mission has the best views of Dunk Island and I don't particularly like North Mission as it is full of tourists but you can easily find a nice quite spot on the beach anywhere up here.

There are a few other things you can do as well around here locally, great walking tracks along the coast line down the Kennedy Track and even better Rainforest walks down the Licuala track where they have a great walking track for kids where they follow cassowary footprints.

Also croc spotting runs from South Mission river ramp althought hey pick you up. The man isn't the best of guides but you do get to see the crocs in the wild which is always great fun.

I could go on but if you want to know more let me know as it would depend on what you are after and if you have kids or not, and how far you want to travel.

Sasha

steve99

Hi Sahsa, Thanks for all the info, much appreciated.
I actually booked somewhere last night!
We've gone for the Pandana Beach Front Apartments, staying in the Penthouse, wish hopefully should be nice.
Only there 3 days as we have to do our regular trip to PC and PD so are breaking up the 10days between the 3 places.
Hoping to do the Kayak trip out to the Island and also considering finding out about rafting on the Tully (assume with it being rainforest its not a seasonal thing there?)
Otherwise it will be good food,beer,wine and lots of relaxing... (a bit like it is over this side )
I have heard about Blarneys and its somewhere we will definitely try.
Its not until the end of May that we are visiting, so plenty of time to get things organised.
Were early 30's no kids, so if you think of anything else to do/see up that way let us know.
Cheers
steve

snappy

Very nice apartments, beach across the road, a stones throw away from Scotties, Thai restaurant and a new Greek restaurant in Wongaling.

Definately do the rafting and go with Raging Thunder. Vince the manager used to live across the road from us when we used to rent in Wongaling. That said they are a good firm and it is meant to be the best place to do white water rafting in Australia although the lack of rain hasn't got it at it's best at the moment but by May it should be up and roaring once again.

The Kayak trip is ran by a local couple in South Mission they are very good and offer a great day out...especially if you get a day when the ocean is like a sheet of glass it almost feels like you could walk across to Dunk.

From South Mission you can hire a tinnie for the day and go over to dunk island yourself....well worth it for a cold beer on the beach. You could squeeze in the croc spotting as they start at 4 until 9pm so late enough in the day to do something else during the daytime and finish off with a quick tour.

As you're only here for 3 days that will keep you busy but definately go to Blarneys for a meal, mad English couple run it

Sasha