As I was keen to do a walk in the Binna Burra region of Lamington National Park with family and friends, I enquired about staying at Binna Burra Lodge. However, as we were only staying for one night, the only option was the private bunkrooms, which I’ll focus on in this Binna Burra Lodge review. As we were soon to find out, the bunkrooms are a budget option that gives you access to some great facilities!
How to get to Binna Burra Lodge
It usually takes about an hour-and-a-half from Brisbane to Binna Burra Lodge. Not bad considering it feels like a world away. The quickest way to get here is to travel down the M1 until you see signs for Nerang. From here, follow the Nerang Murwillumbah Road, then turn into Beechmont Road before finally turning into Binna Burra Road. Follow this to the end to get to the lodge.
However, we hit some traffic on the way down and our one-and-a-half-hour journey took three hours! I therefore recommend you drive towards Beenleigh, Mount Tamborine, Canungra and then onto Binna Burra Road, which is the way we went home. It’s much prettier this way too, and not much longer.
Parking
For this Binna Burra Lodge review, it’s worth mentioning the parking, as there’s not actually enough parking to cater for all guests if the place is full, which is often. The bummer for us is that we couldn’t check in until 2pm and all the parking by then was taken, so we had to park our car in the public car park. This wasn’t too bad, but if you have a lot of gear (particularly if you’re camping), this is something to consider.
The Private Bunkrooms – Binna Burra Lodge Review
I thought the private bunkrooms at Binna Burra Lodge sounded like great value. $80 for a private bunkroom containing six beds! A part of me was sceptical when I arrived, but upon seeing our accommodation, I was pleasantly surprised. There are four bunkrooms alongside one another in one building that’s conveniently located next to Groom’s Cottage & Bushwalker’s Bar (more on that later).
Each private bunkroom has four USB charging ports and a little table at the foot of each bed. There are also storage boxes for food and gear, which I thought was great. The only slight catch was there were a few cobwebs up on the top bunk areas and there was a huge huntsman right by my bed that I caught and safely put outside. If you’re at all scared of spiders, best sleep on the lower bunks.
Family Friendly
We slept well in all – as our neighbours were quiet and respectful – and it felt cosy knowing we were protected from the elements. There’s also a small floor space at the foot of the bunks which you could play cards on (but we didn’t). And if you’re looking for a family-friendly Binna Burra Lodge review, you’ve found one, as I came with my son, his friend and his dad. The boys are 13-year-olds who loved it. Our neighbours also had some younger kids, who I didn’t hear any complaints from.
Note: no linen or bedding is provided for the bunkrooms, but you can hire linen prior to your arrival. We took our own sheets, sleeping bags and pillows.
Facilities
Cooking
So what facilities do you get access to if you’re staying in the private bunkrooms? Pretty much the same as if you’re camping, which is loads! Firstly, there’s a kitchen, although the only cooking equipment it contains is a microwave, fridge and zip hot water. However, there are several other cooking shelters on the grounds with BBQ hot plates. Note: there is no cutlery, bowls or plates in the kitchen so you’ll have to bring your own.
Fireplaces
More good news is that there are communal fireplaces for use at Binna Burra Lodge. I saw three of these on the grounds and Marty (the other dad) thought he saw one more. It looked like people stuck to their groups around the fireplaces though. Luckily we found a vacant fireplace with the fire going, thoughtfully provided by some tired campers!
We brought marshmallows and the boys had fun roasting them by the fire. If you want to fuel the fire, you’ll need to buy wood from reception. We had no luck finding nearby firewood but we stayed and enjoyed the embers to the last. Other options include private fireplaces at some of the safari tents, which is a great option if you’re staying more than one night.
Toilets and Showers
For this Binna Burra Lodge review I’ll report the toilets are clean (at least when we were there) and the showers have good-pressure hot water. I also thought there were enough showers and toilets to accommodate and there are quite a few basins for hand washing/teeth cleaning. I thought the facilities in this regard were more than adequate.
Binna Burra Tea House
The major restaurant on site is the Binna Burra Tea House, which is a pretty stylish and accommodating option that’s open to everyone. The Tea House is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days a week. There’s a break in between lunch and dinner from 3:30pm to 5:30pm.
As we only stayed here for one night, we had breakfast and a coffee at the Tea House and the service was decent, as was the food and coffee. No complaints here! We enjoyed the view from the balcony and I reflected I was glad it was cloudy today, as we’d had luck on our side the day before with amazing weather on our Daves Creek Circuit adventure, which you can read about here.
The Tea House also has ample seating and a fireplace in the restaurant for the cooler months. I also noticed there were squirt bottles on the tables outside labelled ‘bird repellent’. When I asked what was in it, the waitress told me, ‘water’. So I guess that works on scaring the hungry birds away although I didn’t see any during our morning there.
Groom’s Cottage & Bushwalker’s Bar
The other food and alcohol option is Groom’s Cottage & Bushwalker’s Bar, which is only open on Friday and Saturday. We were here on a Saturday night, but unfortunately we returned late from our walk on Daves Creek Circuit and I missed out on having a beer on tap and a pizza (which I was dreaming about). We did catch it in action during its tail end, and it looked lively and attractive, and aesthetically like a Swiss chalet.
If you’re here on a Friday or Saturday, you can get a range of cheese platters, a deli platter, Turkish bread, olives and there are quite a few alcohol options, as well as soft drink and water. The view from here is lovely, even if there is currently a metal fence and concrete at the end of the expansive grassy lawn below.
A Little History
Groom’s Cottage and Bushwalker’s Bar is named after Arthur Groom, who in 1929 first sighted the place on a bushwalk. He also co-founded Binna Burra Lodge – which was established in 1930 – with Romeo Lahey.
Atmosphere
So what’s the overall look and feel of Binna Burra Lodge like? In short, I’d say it’s tastefully designed and clean. Let me know in the comments if you disagree! The place is not large, nor small and it’s a nice little spot to navigate your way around. I love how the lodge has communal spaces, which bring people together to talk about adventures at the end of the day.
It’s also nicely integrated into the surrounding environment, as you would expect of what is essentially a hiker’s respite!
Rosins Lookout
I’ll mention this briefly in this Binna Burra Lodge review as I’ve stopped at Rosins Lookout both times I’ve visited the area. Rosins Lookout is only a fifteen-minute drive from the lodge, on the way back to Brisbane, and it offers a gorgeous view over the surrounding hills, forests and valleys from a grassy hill. The lookout was named after local pioneer Frederick John Rosin, who was the first owner of land where the lookout stands today.
It’s a great spot to stop and admire this handsome part of the world, particularly as there’s a café across the road named the Flying Bean Café. We didn’t stop here, but it certainly looked popular enough to warrant some investigation, and with views like that, why not?
Thoughts Overall
I thought the Binna Burra Lodge private bunkroom was excellent value. For $80 we got to sleep in our own private room and we used the microwave, fireplace, showers & toilets. We were gifted with a budget blessing which was much needed after our long day exploring Daves Creek Circuit. Additionally, I love how Binna Burra Lodge is five degrees cooler than Brisbane’s sweat pit!
I’ll most certainly be back to check out the other accommodation options with the family (hello safari tents). In all, this was great value. Additionally, the people here were friendly and we experienced decent service.
Facts & Tips
- If you’re bringing your own food, bring bowls and cutlery as well. Additionally, if you’re staying in the private bunkrooms, you’ll need to bring bedding. However, you can organise linen before your arrival.
- Parking is limited, so get here early (if you can).
- Some tips: Daves Creek Circuit is an amazing hike to do. Also, Rosins Lookout is a worthy stop.
- The Groom’s Cottage & Bushwalker’s Bar is only open on a Friday and Saturday afternoon/evening. Check out the website for more info.
- If you’re coming from Brisbane, drive through Beenleigh, Tamborine Mountain and Canungra. It’s much nicer and you’ll avoid traffic if it’s bad.
Enjoy!
