Usnea, A Nature, Art and Accommodation Space

Usnea, our Nature, Art and Accommodation Space, is situated on the Evelyn Tablelands, Tropical North Qld. Here a fully self-contained one bedroom cottage in upland rainforest is surrounded by natural and established gardens, and at 1,160m provides a cool summer and cosy winter retreat. Uniquely the cottage integrates art within and outside. Contemplation, inspiration, privacy and comfort, are all to be experienced, along with exploring our forest and local environmental and historical features. The space Usnea is a lichen that is very sensitive to air pollution and so is only found growing in clean air environments. And it is an essential plant item used by the Golden Bowerbirds on our property to decorate their bowers. Because of this and because it is abundant here in the forest we thought it an appropriate name for our nature, art and accommodation space. The Natural Space Our 61 acre property was purchased by us, Ben and Joan, with the primary purpose of protecting important high altitude (1,160m) rainforest and its inhabitants. A diversity of plants and wildlife reside along this mountain range, the Hugh Nelson Range, which adjoins the large and complex Herberton Range National Park, a Wet Tropics World Heritage Area (WTWHA). We have a number of well established walking tracks on the property, the highlight of which is the Waterfall and Spring Creek Tracks. The Residential Space We are the sole occupants of the property which comprises of a discrete residential area built within the confines of an historically altered section of the forest in order to minimise forest clearing. The forest surrounding the residential area is intact. This space incorporates a number of our own separate living and working spaces including our home, art studio, study/office, and outdoor pavilion. A number of landscaped ‘garden’ spaces using both natural forest features and constructed elements are integrated throughout this residential space. The Usnea Guest Accommodation Space A number of integrated private spaces located at the edge of the larger residential area provide both outdoor and indoor living areas specifically designed for the exclusive use of our Usnea guests. Accommodation: The guest cottage is a discretely separate, private and independent accommodation dwelling. The overall design of the building was primarily determined by the space available within the confines of the forest in order to avoid removal of trees. Within those constraints, the beauty and simplicity of the Japanese aesthetic were influential and applied where possible in the design of the cottage and landscaping. Glass sliding doors open to an inside living space from the timber deck creating a continuous indoor-outdoor connection. It contains a lounge, kitchen and dining area. A small library containing a variety of books and a diverse selection of music CDs should provide adequate reading and music material / entertainment for the length of your stay. The flat screen TV is for viewing movies only, a selection of which is available for you to choose from. A small pantry of essential and not-so-essential items (tea, coffee, oil, salt, pepper, and more) is there to compliment your own supply of food and drinks. Breakfast provisions are also supplied and include bread, butter, jams, honey, milk, yoghurt, cereals, nuts, fruit and eggs. Subject to seasonal and local availability, breakfast and pantry provisions are predominantly organic and biodynamic products. This is a one bedroom guest cottage available for use by two people only. It accommodates a king size bed or two single beds - please let us know which arrangement you prefer. All bed linen and pillows are supplied. A walk-in storage space provides adequate room for your luggage and personal clothing. Here in the bedroom a second wall-mounted flat screen TV is also for viewing movies only, a selection of which is available on an inserted USB for you to choose from. The bathroom has a separate entrance for access from the open inside living space and bedroom. Towels and essential toiletries are supplied. Extra linen, towels and toiletries are also supplied. Garden Space : Linked to the guest cottage is a timber deck surrounded by white rhyolite gravelled court yard, timber screens and potted plants which provide an attractive, private garden entrance to the cottage. The deck area also offers undercover access to the guest cottage as well as the laundry / storeroom, the BBQ area, and an open and comfortable space for the table and chairs. The guest cottage outdoor space also includes a private garden area within which a small Natural History/Art/Writer’s Studio (Wunderkammer) is located. This studio was specifically designed for use by our Usnea guests and contains our growing but still small collection of natural history artifacts, the majority of which are from this property and all of which showcase the many unique and fascinating aspects of this high altitude tropical rainforest/cloud forest. Here a number of reference books, drawing and writing material are also available for guests to use. Guest access Road Access The residential space in this property is accessible from the Kennedy Highway via a well-constructed forested private road, partly sealed and partly gravelled. It is suitable for all short-wheel base vehicles in all weather conditions. The rural property number is very visible and located on the south side of the entrance gate. Forest and Garden Access You are most welcome to explore our forest, sections of which are easily accessible along well established walking trails. Closer to the cottage are our intimate and varied garden spaces, garden ‘rooms’. You are welcome to also explore these but please be aware that they form part of our private residential space and so taking photos is restricted and respect is required. Other things to note Besides engaging with the many features this property has to offer, there are numerous opportunities to experience and places to explore across the Evelyn and Atherton Tablelands. National parks, state forests and other protected areas are scattered across this region as are a variety of cultural and historical places of interest. Walking, cycling, mountain biking, swimming, kayaking, site-seeing are all activities that can be undertaken across the Tablelands. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO TAKE THE TOURIST BROCHURES PROVIDED WITH YOU ON YOUR EXCITING DAYS OUT!