Four-star One MICHELIN Key Outback, 160 km north-west of Cairns, Port Douglas
Mt Mulligan Lodge
Fourteen rooms, tents and pavilions on a cattle station at the foot of an eighteen-kilometre sandstone escarpment, thirty-five minutes by helicopter from Cairns.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.
- MICHELIN
- One Key, 2026
- Rooms
- 14, for up to 28 guests
- Land
- A 28,000-hectare cattle station
- From the airport
- About 35 minutes by helicopter from Cairns
The hotel
A coal town, a mountain and a cattle run.
The lodge takes its name from the escarpment behind it, a wall of red sandstone eighteen kilometres long. The Djungan people, its traditional owners, call it Ngarrabullgan, and the lodge counts some 37,000 years of Indigenous heritage on the land. Gold brought the first prospectors to the district. Coal followed, and a mining town grew up under the cliffs, below a mass of rock said to be as big as ten Ulurus.
On 19 September 1921 an explosion in the Mount Mulligan mine killed 75 men, the worst mining disaster in Queensland. The mine worked on until 1957; today only the ruins of the township remain, and guests can visit them. The lodge itself sits by a weir on a working station of 28,000 hectares, with room for no more than 28 guests and an electric buggy parked at every door.
- Into the old town Guided visits to the historic coal mine and the abandoned township, with quad bikes for the creeks and the goldfields beyond.
- On the weir Paddleboards and kayaks on water fringed with eucalyptus, barramundi fishing, and a fair chance of a platypus at dusk.
- From the air Scenic helicopter flights, and the transfer from Cairns is a flight in itself.
Rooms & suites
Tents, retreats and a two-bedroom pavilion.
Five kinds of room, each with its own veranda and an electric buggy for getting about the station.
- Under canvas Outback Tent Set in the eucalyptus woodland, with king or twin beds; a family tent adds bunks.
- Over the weir Outback Room and Outback Suite Both look across the water to Mount Mulligan and have an outdoor bath; the suite adds a separate lounge.
- For families Outback Pavilion Two bedrooms and two outdoor baths.
Dining
Station produce, all included.
As described by the lodge. Meals and a selection of drinks are part of every stay. Shown for information.
- Main Pavilion Modern Australian with international notes A menu that changes daily, with kangaroo, Bushy Creek beef, barramundi and lemon myrtle
- Sunset Bar Drinks Sunset drinks, with wines, beers and spirits included
- Under the stars Seven-course degustation An Australian menu served in the open
Recognition
Awards and listings.
- One MICHELIN Key 2026
- Robb Report, The 50 Greatest Luxury Hotels on Earth 2025 and 2026
Good to know
Before you go.
- Arrival Check-in from 2 pm, check-out by 11 am.
- Luggage The helicopter takes 15 kilograms a person, bags weighed at check-in.
- Children Welcome; cots and extra beds subject to availability.
- Pets Not accepted.
Getting there
Flying to Port Douglas.
Fly to Cairns, on scheduled flights or by private jet. From there a helicopter reaches the lodge in about 35 minutes; by four-wheel drive the trip takes two and a half to three hours, partly on unsealed road that can close in the wet season.
- Brisbane 2 h 10
- Sydney 2 h 55
- Melbourne 3 h 25
- Bali 4 h 50
- Singapore 6 h 55 long-range jet
Questions
What guests ask first.
- How many MICHELIN Keys does Mt Mulligan Lodge have?
- One. The lodge holds one MICHELIN Key in the 2026 Australian selection.
- How do you get to Mt Mulligan Lodge?
- From Cairns airport, by helicopter in about 35 minutes or by four-wheel drive in two and a half to three hours. In the wet season the road can close, and the lodge advises the helicopter.
- What is included at Mt Mulligan Lodge?
- Every stay is all-inclusive: three meals a day, a selection of drinks and a daily Mulligan experience on the station.
- Can SkyCourtage arrange the flight to Port Douglas?
- Yes. We arrange Business and First Class seats on scheduled airlines and private jet charter to Port Douglas, with one final price, our margin included. The hotel is booked with the hotel or through our booking partner.
Also in Port Douglas
Other hotels worth the trip.
Staying at Mt Mulligan Lodge?
Book the room, then the flight.
Rates and availability come from the hotel itself. For the journey to Port Douglas, a Business or First Class seat or an aircraft of your own: tell us the date and we come back with one final price, our margin included.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.