Dear Reader,

It’s 6pm at the Sebel Reef House in Palm Cove, far northern Queensland, and the evening’s complimentary punch bowl has just been placed on the Brigadier’s Bar.
An irresistible concoction of rum, sweet white wine, soda water and tropical fruits like  pineapple and starfruit, it’s served every night at this hour to in-house guests.
In true officer’s mess tradition, guests can also help themselves to drinks from the refrigerator behind the bar, signing chits in accordance with an old-fashioned honesty system.
It’s a great way to socialise and meet others the likes of whom have included best-selling authors Bill Bryson and Robert Kiyosaki, legendary singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, top fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier, Prime Ministers, government and opposition ministers and internationally acclaimed actress Diane Cilento. 
It was Cilento in fact who helped re-launch the swish new refurbishments at the Reef House last November.

Situated at Palm Cove, a lovely beachside village thirty minutes north of Cairns, the Reef House is one of FNQ’s (far northern Queensland’s) most romantic small luxury hotels.  Parts of it are reminiscent of Raffles in Singapore – the white wooden shutters and woodwork, the whirring overhead fans, private balconies and tropical foliage and there’s a breezy Somerset Maugham feeling to the place.  It’s not hard to imagine him in one of the well padded low lying lounge chairs in the Brigadier’s Bar writing a few notes for his next novel.

Like Raffles, it’s undergone a few makeovers since the original Queenslander-style homestead was first built in 1958. In 1972 Brigadier David Thomson acquired the property and operated it as a private residence where visitors were treated as personal guests.  During the 1980’s it was extended and given a face-lift moving it into the glamour category. Now under the Sebel banner it boasts 70 rooms and a fabulous new alfresco restaurant headed up by talented executive chef Philip Mitchell.

Set on a large multi layered wooden deck, this ultra modern dining space overlooks the Coral Sea and is framed by stunning three hundred year old melaleucas. First spotted by Captain Cook as he navigated the northern coastline, their awe inspiring trunks and luxurious foliage are an unforgettable presence.   According to Cilento, it was the Brigadier’s wife who insisted they remain and that the hotel be built around them.  

The new deck is a perfect setting for Mitchell’s sophisticated eclectic dishes, the most popular of which include seared sea scallops with salmon salata and grilled potato bread, crab tartare with cucumber, garlic toast and Yarra Valley caviar and lamb rib with prosciutto torte, pea puree and gremolata labna – they’re all so delicious that it’s hard to choose from the menu. 
As well, you can still dine in great style around the more intimate pool area which has retained its sophisticated yet understated décor and colonial charm.

The new look also extends to many of the bedrooms and suites – fresh white walls are still to the fore while the former blues have been replaced by lime greens and sage lending a laid back tropical feel. Big comfy beds draped with muslin mosquito nets, whirring overhead fans, terracotta floors and fresh white bathrobes add to the effect. Most romantic are the Verandah Spa rooms with big white jacuzzis outside on the balcony, some of which overlook the pool, waterfall and lush garden area whilst others look out over the sea.

The addition, two years ago, of the Reef House Spa – named by Conde Nast Traveller UK as Number One Spa in Australasia and the South Pacific and 10th Best Spa in the World – adds to the luxuriance of the property. 

“Ah, I wish I could make you see the enchantment of that spot,”  wrote Maugham in The Moon and Sixpence  “… a corner hidden away from all the world, with the blue sky overhead and the rich, luxuriant trees. It was a feast of colour. And it was fragrant and cool. Words cannot describe that paradise.”

99 Williams Esplanade, 
Palm Cove  Queensland
www.reefhouse.com.au
Ph: 61 7 4055 3633  Fax: 61 7 4055 3305
Email: info@reefhouse.com.au

return to current postcard