Restaurant Review: The Polish Place, Tamborine, Queensland

Posted on November 26, 2015 by Tara

I don’t often do restaurant reviews but the Polish Place in Tamborine, Queensland does also offer accommodation which I hope to try someday. It’s kind of a surreal experience. If you hadn’t just driven up from Brisbane or down from Lamington you could believe that you were in a quaint little Polish village in Europe. Not even the hot, tropical Queensland climate interferes as you are high up enough for a pleasant, cool breeze.

Whether you are staying in Brisbane or the Gold Coast, The Polish Place is just a short drive away. We drove down from O’Reilly’s in time to have lunch here. There’s plenty of birding in the area at Tamborine National Park.

The gift shop is straight out of Poland with some beautiful arts and crafts. I loved the doll collection!

The waitresses wear traditional Polish costumes.

The best seating is outside on the deck overlooking a spectacular view over teh Dividing Range.

My photos of the menu didn’t come out well but you can see more about the cuisine here. My pierogi were delicious and it was all I could do to finish the iced coffee before I was mobbed by Rainbow Lorikeets!

This was the most fun I have had at a restaurant in ages! The brilliant lorikeets put on a great show every time someone gets up from their meal to leave, hoping to steal the leftovers before the waitress can get to it.

The cheeky little devils were all over my iced coffee. I had to hide it under the table while I drank it as it really isn’t good for them. I then put some water in the glass to dilute the leftovers. They were undeterred and still tried to lick the glass clean! Don’t worry, they didn’t get much – I took my photos quickly and gave the glass to the waitress! Next time I’ll order some orange juice for them – unsweetened.

Lodge Review: Banjo’s Retreat, Amiens (Near Stanthorpe)

Posted on November 7, 2015 by Tara

This was a departure from my usual eco-lodge style of traveling although at the end of the day it was much the same for birding purposes. Cobb ‘n’ Co is a group of 4 privately owned cabins that are for rent and can accommodate families or small groups. All 4 are beautifully situated in the bushland villages near Stanthorpe and convenient to Girraween and surrounding birding areas.

Since I needed 3 private bedrooms, I went with Banjo’s Retreat. All cabins are near each other and easy to find if you follow the directions provided. The location is in gorgeous bushland with lots of birds about!

Keep an eye out for birds while having breakfast!

These interior shots require the usual WordPress neck exercise, sorry for that! I don’t know how to make it stop turning the photos like that.

You need to book the cabin directly with the owner in advance, especially if you want a weekend or public holiday. If it’s a slow season you may be able to negotiate a better rate if it’s midweek. It’s worth it to have neighbors like these!

A Few Interesting IHG Pointbreaks For Eco-tourists

Posted on October 27, 2015 by Tara

IHG Rewards has announced next quarter’s Pointbreaks, redeemable from 26 October to 31 January for 5000 points a night. First I’ll embed the map that shows the worldwide Pointbreaks, then point out the ones that can work for eco-tourists.

AUSTRALASIA

A big fat zero for Australia which is par for the course. If you’re birding West Papua or elsewhere in Indonesia you might want to chill out in Bali for a couple days although Benoa is not the best location.

AFRICA

Most people visiting any country in Southern Africa will be transiting JNB on either Comair or South African Airways so the Holiday Inn JNB Airport could come in handy.

SOUTH AMERICA

We have a couple interesting options in Brazil. Both Manaus and Rio Branco are in good staging points for birding adventures. Cucuta in Colombia isn’t super convenient to the Perija area but could be a stop-over. San Jose, Costa Rica and Panama City are also good gateways to the more attractive birding hotspots in Costa Rica and Panama.

A complete list is available so have a look and see if anything works for you!

Lodge Review: Bowra Station, Queensland

Posted on October 18, 2015 by Tara

It may be a long drive out here but Bowra Station is well worth it – it’s a birder’s paradise! Over 200 species of birds have been reported here so try to spend at least 3 days to give yourself a chance to see as many as possible. I can promise you it will be the highlight of your birding trip to Queensland!

Bowra Sanctuary is open to bird watching visitors from March to October each year. If you are coming from overseas, you will fly into Brisbane so make sure you are coming at the right time of year. You should avoid the wet season which is mostly Sept to early March anyways and if the roads flood you won’t be able to get through.

You must book in advance by ringing 07 4655 1238 or email bowravolunteers@gmail.com. They only have accommodation for 15 people in the shearers quarters and separate cabin if you aren’t prepared to camp. If Bowra is full and you can’t change your dates, ask the volunteer on duty if you can stay in Cunnamulla and make day visits. Bring cash as they don’t take credit cards. You can either prepare your own meals or drive 16 km to Cunnamulla to eat. I recommend doing your shopping in Brisbane and bringing your own food, maybe go into town for lunch and internet while the birds are resting.

They have a daily bird call around 5pm at the caretaker’s house so be sure to share your sightings for the day!

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT BOWRA STATION

Birds Queensland

Bowra Wildlife Sanctuary

Australian Wildlife

Outback Australia

Detailed map of Bowra Station

This is the mail box you need to look for.

It was still light when we arrived which was nice as we could enjoy the welcoming committee while driving to the homestead.

The light didn’t last long and we soon got to enjoy the sunset.

Homestead where the caretakers live. Check in here first.

Shearers quarters which has several rooms with twin beds, a fully equipped kitchen and dining room. The toilets and showers are outside.

Sorry about the sideways pic, the WordPress photo editor isn’t working. Since your neck is already getting a work out, why not enjoy this beautiful tree refelcting in the pond just outside the shearers’ quarters!

In future posts, I will go into more detail about the birds as there are sooooo many to cover!

Lodge Review: Lake Coolmunda Caravan Park

Posted on September 23, 2015 by Tara

Lake Coolmunda Caravan Park is the best place to stay if you want a roof over your head. The self-contained cabins are reasonably priced at $85 with an ensuite. The facilities are good – BBQ area, swimming pool (too cold this time of year for us) and lots of birds in the grounds. One thing I would change is that I would have tried to get cabin 9 or 10 so there would be no possibility of a caravan parking between us and the view of the lake! Overall, we really enjoyed it and I am sure we will go back in the not too distant future!

It’s about a 4 hour drive from Brisbane down the Cunningham Highway about 13 km east of Ingewood. The turn off is well marked. The grounds are spacious and accommodate caravans, tents and about 10 cabins. We were in cabin 4.

The rooms are basic but have everything you need. I especially loved the artwork!

Near the office are several aviaries with parrots. Wild birds hang around here too as they get free food from what the captive birds leave behind.

The first bird to greet us was this lovely male Red-rump. There were some nesting Noisy Miners in the tree near our cabin which made us really feel at home as we have Noisy Miners in our front yard trees as well!

We had a beautiful view of the lake from our deck………………….until a caravan parked there. Luckily, they moved to another spot as it wasn’t full. This is why I recommend cabin 9 or 10 because if the park fills up, you will lose your view from the other cabins.

There are picnic tables and a BBQ area where we cooked our steaks for lunch. In Sept, it gets pretty cold at night so we just used the microwave in the cabin for dinner.

There is no wifi at the caravan park but if you drive the 13 km to Inglewood you can use the library wifi for free. They give you a voucher which expires when you use the data, it was plenty for me to just check emails and re-read some bird reports. There are some small cafes, supermarkets and a couple motels in Inglewood if the caravan park is full.

Gotta love a town with a Pale-headed Rosella on their welcome sign!

Free SPG Online Game – Win Points & Rooms

Posted on September 5, 2015 by Tara

SPG is running an online game that for once is open to people other than USA residents! It is free, only takes a couple minutes a day so why not go for it? Click on the link to play, you’ll need an account if you don’t already have one.

Online Prize(s)
• One Free Night Award: 33 Awards available for any SPG participating category 1-5 hotel or resort. Approximate Retail Value (ARV) $171.00. Award will be available in the SPG member’s account within three weeks from the Game Period end date. Award must be consumed by March 31, 2016.
• Starpoints: 561 Awards Available: 25,000 Starpoints: ARV $625.00; 10,000 Starpoints: ARV $250.00; 5000 Starpoints: ARV $125.00; 1000 Starpoints: ARV $35.00.
• Starpoints will be added to member’s account within three weeks from the Game Period end date. Use and expiration of Starpoints is pursuant to the terms and conditions of the SPG Program.
• American Express $10.00 Gift Card*: 165 total Awards. One (1) per winner.
• Amazon $25.00 Gift Card*: 330 total Awards. One (1) per winner.
• Amazon $50.00 Gift Card*: 825 total Awards. One (1) per winner.
*Gift Cards are only available to US residents. Gift Card will be sent via mail to the address member has provided on their SPG profile at www.spg.com. Allow three to four weeks for Gift Card delivery from Promotion Period end date.

Complete T&C’s

Screenshots from the game – my last unsuccessful attempt! Play twice a day and don’t forget your friends & family members!

16 Top Luxury Eco-lodges – Dream A Little!

Posted on September 3, 2015 by Tara

This blog is designed to appeal more to budget eco-travelers as that is how I travel. But it doesn’t hurt to dream a little with this glimpse into how the other half experiences nature courtesy of CNN!

All of them are probably out of my budget but it’s the last 3 that caught my eye, and if I had to choose only one I’d go with Sangha Lodge because of the African Grey Parrots. Now if only I could win the Lotto!

Where would you go if you won a trip to one of these 16 eco-lodges?

A Pleasant Surprise From Club Carlson & US Bank

Posted on August 19, 2015 by Tara

A few months ago, Club Carlson got rid of the best benefit on their US Bank Visa card which gave the last night free on any award booking. Many of us (me included) called in to complain and got 7500 points. Now, they seem to have realized how much they have alienated their customers and out of the blue have emailed many of their customers (Club Carlson’s Twitter says it was targeted) a free eCert valid anywhere in the world!

People are reporting on Flyertalk and other blogs that they either got one for each Club Carlson credit card they have or were left out completely. Luckily, I seemed to make the cut! Clicking on the red Book Today button lead me to the booking page with my unique eCert code and general promo code pre-filled.

I wasted no time in redeeming it for 1 night in Port of Spain, Trinidad which will be convenient for an evening tour of Caroni Swamp, a top birding spot.

As you can see, I just saved $179 if I had been prepared to pay for this hotel or at least $120 for booking an independent hotel. Trinidad is small enough that we can drive to all the birding hotspots such as Nariva Swamp, Aripo Savannah, Asa Wright Centre, Yerette and Caroni Swamp so this worked out very well indeed!

Hotel Review: Hotel Geo, Kuala Lumpur

Posted on August 13, 2015 by Tara

Location, location, location! There are many reasons to choose one hotel over another and in a city, I like to be well located within walking distance of restaurants and have public transportation readily available. Kuala Lumpur is one place where our Aussie dollar still gets a good value so since it was just an overnight, we went for a budget place near the Central Market – Hotel Geo. To maximize mileage earning, I used Pointshound to book it.

I had to laugh when I looked out the window at the Geo Hotel and saw a Birdnest Guesthouse across the street!

Reception was friendly and they showed us where to get the free bus outside.

They have very strict rules about bringing durians, mangosteens and pets into the rooms!

The room was on the small side but the wifi was good so that was really all I wanted after being unplugged for 3 days in Taman Negara.

The best thing was the free bus right outside that makes a loop around central KL stopping at several key locations, one of which was a major shopping centre with a huge food court.

All things considered, Hotel Geo is a nice budget choice if you don’t want to spend hotel points. I think that in less expensive destinations like KL, it’s worth it to just book a budget place and save points for pricier destinations.

Lodge Review: Mutiara Taman Negara

Posted on August 3, 2015 by Tara

The Mutiara Taman Negara is one of the pricier options but in this case I think it’s well worth it as it’s the only lodge actually inside the park. You can get up at the crack of dawn and wander down to the Tahan hide and watch the birds wake up! If you’re in Malaysia for birding, you really need to stay here!

I was impressed even from across the river with the stunning rainforest setting. We took a shuttle boat across (1 ringgit pp) and were greeted by the Mutiara’s staff.

Luggage gets a free ride but unfortunately humans have to walk up the stairs!

We just missed this Bird Count by 2 days which was a bummer. It would have been fun to join in, not to mention there would be some expert birders on hand to help us find the birds. I did ask about hiring a guide but the reception asked for a shockingly high price – 800 ringgits! That is probably what they charge groups and I had been hoping they had birding group tours that anyone could join but that wasn’t the case. You have to already be in a group or pay the full guide fee by yourself. They do have organized night walks that you can join as an individual but we had to get up early for birding so didn’t go out at night.

After checking in, we were given an orientation of the property and escorted to our chalet. They accept all major credit cards and you can charge purchases from the mini-mart and restaurant to your room and pay when you check out.

The chalet is gorgeous! While still having a few mod-cons such as AC and TV (no wifi), it still felt like a rainforest retreat.

We had a nice deck overlooking the rainforest so we could relax and look for birds during the down time.

The grounds are beautifully landscaped with chalets and one building that serves as a backpacker dorm.

The restaurant has both indoor and outdoor seating. We always went for the outdoor tables because of the view and possibility to see birds.

The food was pretty good. It was a bit pricy and some people choose to go across the river but after a hard day’s birding we were glad for the convenience of being able to charge the meals to our room and enjoy a spectacular view.

The hiking trails into the park branch off the footpaths throughout the Mutiara’s grounds. I’ll be going into more detail on other posts.

If you get lost, ask the friendly staff for directions.

The last day of our stay, it started to get busy, probably in preparation for the bird count.

The trolley took our bags back down and we took a boat across with a plan to get public transport back to Kuala Lumpur (covered on a separate post).

Bottom line – we loved this place and I think any birder would too! As an added bonus to miles collectors, the Mutiara Taman Negara is on most major booking sites at the same price. We booked on Rocketmiles and got 4000 United miles!

Miles To The Wild

Create unforgettable eco-tourism and birding adventures using miles & points!

Category Archives: Accommodation