I'm planning to go to O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat later this year with my partner but was hoping to do it on a budget. Has anyone been and can share their ozbargain ways?
I'm thinking of the basic room and just bringing an esky and a campfire gas cooker to use on the balcony to avoid the $55 per person cost for dinner per day. I have no idea if this is what people normally do though or if the owners will dislike this, does everyone just go to the restaurant for dinner?
And don't touch anything
Also, that smell in the toilets? Clamidia.
Would potentially consider going to Revs over Bridies and that's really saying something
Haha should probably clarify, O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat in QLD.
You think?
Hey guys, I'm going to High st on the weekend, where do you think the best parking is?
Try high st
The lower end of High St that is, as most of it is taken.
So the lower end of High St or do you mean the upper end of Low St?
@iforgotmysocks: Actually it is Midway Court, between High St and Low St.
Further down Sinkhole Ave in Levitating Hill.
The FAQ says the villas have a gas BBQ on the deck. So BBQ and instant noodles… weetbix for breakfast.
Yes but the Villas are $371 a night which is a little steep considering dinner isn't included. The studio is $211 per night which doesn't mention a BBQ. There is a verandah which could fit my gas cooker but I have no idea if this is appropriate.
Perhaps ring anonymously and say you have anxiety and like to eat in the room can I bring a BBQ?
All rooms have a refrigerator but could be too small for storing food.
Sounds like a pain to go to as food is expensive. Maybe don't go.
https://oreillys.com.au/accommodation/
God that Studio looks like a shoebox! I hope your partner is frugal too because that room loses the romance
Fair point, but the way I see it is we can spend $320-430 on many other things during the weekend.
You can, but you could spend that and enjoy the room and your time there, rather than being annoyed at your room every time you go back to your room.
Again, depends how frugal your partner is. If they are, great save the cash. If they aren't, the romance will go straight out the window and it might make the weekend pointless.
Choose wisely
So I don't know what the real issue is, and depends on booking dates, but:
Talking about the Villas for $371/night isn't talking the whole story. There are middle-ground rooms you can pick from
And test booking on Booking.com got a Mountain View Room (Queen & Single) for only $413 for 2 nights = $206.50/night…
Thanks for the tips. Cost isn't really the issue, its just that that $28 pizza needs to taste quite good at that price and reviews seem to indicate the food isn't that great for the money they ask.
The mountain view room looks nice but besides extra room it doesn't seem to offer anything, for example cooking facilities or the spa.
At this point I'm now thinking of the rainforest villa and cooking everything using the kitchen facilities in the room.
So romantic having a ghetto dinner at a nice retreat
Where's public BBQ guy for some tips? OP needs to take a cart 😂
No public BBQ around …
But take away McDonald's "restaurant" at Cunungra (may be?)
Yeah, I don't get the "lets go to a destination place and have half the experience"
I don't see why a national park should have an expensive optional extras an a requirement.
Then stay outside the park. Do a crime and stay at Numinbah.
When I went to Yosemite the accommodation, food & beer was crazy expensive and dirty and below standard as it's all run by the same concession but I'm still glad I did rather than stay just outside the park.
Coachella - crazy expensive but the acomodation was nice but a fantastic experience
Zion National Park - almost as expensive but once in a lifetime experience.
Moab and surrounding National Parks - USD250 a night to stay in a glorified tent - no food supplied or available. Still great.
Sometimes you have to go with the experience and forget the cost. I've learnt this the hard way
Stay clear of O'Reilly. I'd stick with Stubbs if I were you.
Unless the accommodation advertises cooking facilities, BYO kitchen is, IMO, not acceptable. It's akin to bringing your own entrees and dessert to a restaurant.
If they do have a kitchen, cooking should be done in it. You may be a tidy guest but if every host is expected to let their guests bring stoves and cook, the worst guest will set the standard and it just keeps getting worse.
Like fine dining, some activities/places are expensive. Perhaps find an alternative and revisit this idea when finances are less restrictive.
Fair point, but why would dinner not just be included in the price then? There are no other restaurants nearby.
Its not that I can't afford it, its just that I often find in house restaurants poor value because they know there is nowhere else.
Some of the review's I've read mentioned packing your own food, but don't really specify if they just had cold or uncooked food which doesn't sound very nice for dinner.
Overall the reviews on the food don't seem good, its either very overpriced and nice tasting or overpriced and poor tasting.
I've read mentioned packing your own food, but don't really specify if they just had cold or uncooked food which doesn't sound very nice for dinner.
It is exactly that or pay for dinner.
It's all part of the experience. It is all part of the cost.
Are you secretly the owner? :P
I would have thought the main experience is lamington national park.
If the reviews are saying the food isn't worth it, I would have thought you should take that advice.
I think bringing your own bit is for bbq lunches. Not so much dinner or breakfast. Might be easier just to pay and forget about it (bring some beers/wine/spirits)
If it’s that bad Don’t Go 😂
There are free BBQs in the picnic area over the road from the resort. You could always cook your food there, it's nice and quiet once the day trippers leave at 4 or 5 too.
Thanks for the tip!
Yes and yes. My wife and I have camped at O'Reilly's twice. It was great. Way cheaper than booking the rooms - less than $20 a night if I remember, maybe 10? I'd have to look it up…. Anyway, campground is 5 minutes walk from the resort - you are basically at the opposite end of the big carpark.
We just walked to the public BBQs each meal and they were really quiet as Frashal said, apart from some birds snooping around.
They're currently constructing an extended campsite, due to open in Sept/Oct. It'll probably be expensive for camping, but cheaper than a room.
They're building a large communal kitchen as part of the site too, so you'll have somewhere to prepare meals. It's a fair drive from the nearest town, so just make sure you take everything you need.
I'd suggest giving them a call and ask when they're taking bookings for the site.
Why don't you budget for a "HOLIDAY" and enjoy your time.
Are you going to hitch-hike there?
What else are you planing on skimping on?
Think of your adjacent neighbours when you start cooking your smelly meats.
Take a library book. Scour through St Vinnies bins for discarded camping gear.
Or simply download rainforest wallpaper on your TV.
Take a drive down to tamborine? Lots of restaurants there to choose from?
Clearly you guys have completely different ideas on what you do at a rainforest retreat.
The last one we went to we went hiking/exploring all day, came back home and cooked together and then relaxed.
An overpriced restaurant is not going to improve on that, it would be a lot more fun to cook ourselves and they have rooms with kitchens. Its not like we are lacking free time and can't cook ourselves.
What you described is a cabin hiking trip.
This is a retreat. Ie. Full service, full price.
There is no service and the price is not that different to other rainforest retreats.
The only difference here is the restaurant situation. I don't see why people think I should go to the restaurant so badly when the reviews are not that good.
The reviews state bringing your own food is the way to go, I don't see why the reviews would be less accurate then ozbargainers who have never even visited.
Hi I wouldn't recommend going up and down the mountain the road is usually busy and takes about a hour to Canungra. I was there recently for a day trip and there are sufficient National Park Picnic Areas to use for eating and preparing food. (Can't remember seeing BBQ there) Use your fridge to store meals that you can pre purchase on your way up the mountain that don't require heating. (Premade salads/Sushi/Cheese Platters/Breakfast Items) Binna Burra Kitchen is 6klm away they are open for Breakfast & Lunch.
Thanks for the reply.
We just went camping at O'Reillys last weekend. The new campgrounds opened last fri. We were the first to sleep in our brand new safari tents. Can't fault it.. all facilities and amenities brand new. $115 p/n sleeps 5.
No open fires allowed on balcony. There's a modern camp kitchen. We brought an electric banquet pan.
Did the 4.5 hrs waterfalls circuit and the tree top walk. Kids did the flying fox. No reception or wifi. No electronics. Great weekend. We hung out at the Lost World Spa retreat after the walk.
Another best kept secret is Sarabah Estate Vineyard on the same road. It's so spectacular and better than the Canungra vineyards.
Bridie O’Riellys? Make sure you use protection.