Dragonheart B&B - Bamboo Cottage

Free-standing cottage in the midst of the rainforest. Come and share our piece of paradise, surrounded by the world heritage-listed Queensland Wet Tropics and Djiru National Park. Set in 2.6 hectares of private rainforest, Dragonheart is home to amazing flora and fauna, including two cassowaries who visit us regularly. Enjoy breakfast on our deck, overlooking the creek and the forest, while our olive-backed sunbirds put on a display, or listen to the calls of the woompoo fruit dove. The space At night look for Australia’s largest frog, the white-lipped green tree frog. Visit one of our three local beaches, all within 4 km, each unique in its own way. Hike one of the four nearby walking tracks. Take a snorkelling trip to the outer reef, catch the ferry to Dunk Island, take a dip in a mountain stream. Alternatively, just enjoy our pool and hammocks. In need of a yoga session? Feel free to utilise Madeleine’s yoga space, fully equipped with Iyengar yoga props and a stunning view. We are a Bed and Breakfast, so you won’t be able to cook. However, our kitchen is always available to make yourself tea or coffee or to get a cold drink. Make sure you visit our local meeting place, Bingil Bay Café, for lunch, dinner, live music, trivia Tuesday or all of the above. The food, atmosphere and German beer are highly recommended, and you’ll meet some characters for sure. There is no regular public transport to Dragonheart, so you will need to drive to get here. Minimum distance to a beach is around 3.5 km, as is Bingil Bay Café. Mission Beach itself is 10 km. There is a taxi in Mission. We have a few push bikes you can borrow. Bamboo Cottage is a free-standing cottage overlooking the pool from one window, the rainforest from another, and your own private garden from a third. The cottage has a queen-sized bed, separate shower and toilet, and comfortable chairs with a view of the pool and rainforest-clad mountains. It was fully renovated in 2023. In addition to the inside shower and toilet, there is a rustic outside bathroom. We collected the stones used in the shower from Bingil Bay beach. Just check the toilet for frogs before using! The Bamboo Cottage has a ceiling fan, breezy cross ventilation and insect screens but no air-conditioning. Instead, enjoy the natural cooling of the forest and appreciate its smells and sounds. We don’t have television or mobile phone signals, but there is excellent high speed wi-fi throughout the property. Feel free to connect your laptop and mobile phone to our network. Madeleine and Ben are professors of biology (ex Sydney Uni). We live on site and are happy to answer your questions and provide advice on the local area’s attractions. We won’t be in your face, but we will be around. Most of the time we will working in the garden or in the office. Guest access Guests come and go as they wish, use the pool and pool deck, the yoga space, ramble through the rainforest (there is a little bit of a track) and explore the new rainforest we are building next door to Dragonheart on an old cattle property. We have already planted over 4000 rainforest trees. Your stay with us helps us grow more trees. During your stay As we live on the property, we are always here to help with whatever you require. Other things to note Because we are in the midst of the rainforest, wildlife reigns. It is never completely quiet, but what is better than listening to the sounds of the rainforest while lying in your comfortable bed? Melomys (a native mouse), bandicoots and and agile wallabies are common at Dragonheart. We have also sometimes seen the striped possum (and hear them more often), spectacled flying fox, tube-nosed bats and an echidna on the property. We’ve recorded 34 bird species and still counting (mostly because they are so hard to see; we hear them but don’t necessarily see them). There are several harmless pythons and lace monitors in residence. Unfortunately, you may encounter mosquitoes, especially in the forest. We do our best to control them around the house and pool area. If you are new to the area, we recommend you stay at least three nights. Take the time to absorb the vibe. Relax. Soak it all in. Life is hectic enough.