Australia’s highest non-alpine lodge will leave you on a high

They used to build castles and fortresses on high ground, to better see the enemies approaching and better deal with them if they did.

Here at Spicers Peak Lodge, at 1100 metres above sea level, I’m at the highest non-alpine lodge in Australia. There are no enemies in sight (and I’m not expecting any) but there’s still something instinctively calming about being above it all.

Maybe it’s also the departure from Brisbane’s heat and hustle, having crossed the Great Divide at Cunninghams Gap, rainforest rising along its shoulders and the Darling Downs unfolding to the west.

Up the track to Spicers and we’re now surrounded by the scent of eucalypts and the song of bellbirds. The central lodge is built in the grand style, with a vast space that is first the reception desk and next a huge lounge with a bar at one end and up on the mezzanine level, a games area and library.

The original owners (Flight Centre’s Jude and Graham Turner) happened to buy a job-lot of bluestone that once was ballast for the journey down under from Scotland on cargo ships. The bluestone was put to good use up here in the hills – in the lounge it forms a massive open fireplace that burns year-round, crackling away as you sit back and enjoy the welcome.

Off to the room, which also has a fireplace, if not quite as grand, but it comes with a king bed that can be split to two king singles, a well-stocked mini-bar that’s yours to dive into, generous bathroom with walk-in shower and a private deck, looking out over the lodge lawns that run all the way to the eucalypt forests in the distance.

Time for lunch, and in the restaurant, Spicers hit their straps – seared octopus, a salad, then a cheese course (blue and comte) and an apricot and pistachio tart to finish. Before dinner, we’re off to the firepit above the lodge for Campfire Canapes and a first look from one of the many lodge lookouts, off to the ranges in the distance.

Dinner is a chef-selected seven-course tasting menu, small dishes to start, like a crab beignet, then some kingfish, a venison backstrap and a chocolate pudding to finish. Breakfast is also served in the restaurant and is equally inspired – fresh fruit and pastries, the full breakfast if you like, or something lighter like honey and yoghurt panna cotta and fresh berries on top of some granola.

So much good eating, fortunately there are ways to wear it off – mountain biking on the lodge trails, swimming in the pool, wildlife experiences, tennis, spa treatments and lawn games (perfect place for croquet) and guided or self-guided walks.

It’s the walking for me, first a lap of the lodge plateau with a stop at the Northern Lookout where there’s a swing tied to a straight and strong eucalypt. You can hop on board and swing back and forth as though launching into the void between the plateau and the Great Divide in the distance.

Later in the day it’s a longer walk to Ryan’s Lookout, where the views are long and the Darling Downs disappears into the great beyond. Here, lodge manager Adrian Levy arrives in the four-wheeler with snacks and refreshments and, eventually, a ride home.

It’s quite an operation, but don’t just take my word for it. The team from Michelin, the people who rate restaurants with stars, also rate accommodation with keys.

Tourism Australia organised for them to visit and rate some of our better accommodation. They stay anonymously and stay more than once, awarding one key for “a very special stay” and three keys for “the trip of a lifetime.”

The single three-key winner in Australia was Lizard Island, while 25 Australian properties were awarded one key.

Spicers Peak Lodge was one of just nine Australian properties awarded two keys for “exceptional design, unique character and consistency of service”.

THE DETAILS

STAY
Spicers Peak Lodge, all-inclusive – accommodation, meals, drinks and activities, from $1700 a night. The Lodge is about a two-hour drive from Brisbane on Highway 15. The final access road will be a bit bumpy for a low-riding sports car. If that’s a problem, helicopter transfers are available from Brisbane and the Gold Coast. There is one accessible suite; the main lodge, lounge and restaurant are wheelchair accessible. 1 Wilkinson Road, Maryvale, Qld. See spicersretreats.com

The writer was a guest of Spicers Peak Lodge.