Catriona heads to Queensland's most accessible island holiday … perfect for everyone.
Until a storm split it in two in 1896, Stradbroke was just one island. North Stradbroke is a beautiful sand island with unspoilt beaches and beautiful scenery. Its three small centres are Amity Point, Point Lookout and Dunwich and they are connected by sealed roads. The south of the island is closed to visitors as it is the scene of heavy sand mining.
You can go there by vehicular ferry, which takes around an hour, or water taxi which takes 25 minutes.
Suzanne and Greg Deed had a holiday home at Amity Point for 12 years and decided to turn what they had into a business. They built the bungalows themselves and to achieve a real island look, imported roofs from Indonesia.
The split log exteriors are treated pine and were handpicked and milled at the same time, giving them a uniform appearance.
Each bungalow has a leadlight porthole window depicting the creature it was named after — Kookaburra, Possum and Lorikeet. They are suitable for families or couples and each has a bathroom, refrigerator, stove, microwave, two televisions and video. The bungalows have thatched bamboo lining, colonial style furnishings and Lorikeet Lodge is totally wheelchair-friendly.
The new swimming pool is quite spectacular. It has a waterfall dropping from the top of a cave, inside of which is a spa. There are three pebble beaches around the pool, two with gazebos.
Guests can fish from the jetty, snorkel along the rock wall and there is a little thatched cubbyhouse for children to amuse themselves.
Even the guest laundry is in a little log hut with thatched roof, and there are gas barbecues outside the bungalows.
