O'Reilly'sRainforestRetreat

Set 3,000 feet above sea level in the heart of World Heritage listed Lamington National Park lies the development known as Mountain Bowers, which covers approximately 4.6 ha in area. 

Hutchies goes way back with the O'Reilly family who are widely regarded as pioneers of ecotourism in Australia and operate this iconic Australian destination. We started working on the site back in 2002 after building the guesthouse and staff units. Then in 2003 we undertook kitchen renovations, and in 2007 went on to build the major award-winning expansion with new cabins and amenities. 

Most recently in 2020 we built the new Green Mountains Camping Area in partnership with the Queensland Government and O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat. The project adds 17 powered safari tents, two with disabled access, 24 campsites including special altitude and basecamp sites, 4 bushwalkers campsites and 21 campervan / camper trailer sites. A new open air communal camp kitchen and gathering area overlooks the stunning McPherson Range and provides a central visitor gathering space complete with fire pint, amenities and a new meeting room surrounded by landscaped ramping and natural gardens. 

Elevated high on steel columns on the side of the mountain each of the forty-eight cabins has unique views from the rear decks with some perched in excess of 8 metres above ground. The luxury self-contained two and three bedroom cabins which feature spacious, contemporary, open plan design, incorporating vaulted ply ceilings, ensuites to all bedrooms, designer kitchens with island servery bench, fireplaces, ceiling fans, air conditioning and redwood timber flooring with extensive glass bi-fold doors opening out to a large entertainment deck with outdoor spa bath.

The original civil works element of the project involved the construction of all new access service roads, complete with supporting infrastructure and street lighting.

From the outset of the project, Hutchinson Builders was confronted with considerable logistical challenges which required innovative processes to be adopted in order to overcome difficulties such as physical access to site, rough terrain, hillside construction, stringent environmental controls, wet seasons and native wildlife hazards. Despite these difficulties, the construction process for this project was completed on budget and to the complete satisfaction of the Client.

2009 QMBA Awards State Tourism & Hospitality Facility over $25M

2009 QMBA Awards Gold Coast Tourism & Hospitality Facility $6M-$25M

2009 QMBA Awards Gold Coast Innovation in Environmental Management

2009 AIB Professional Excellence Awards for Housing $10M-$20M