You can enjoy the tranquility of the Australian bush from your verandah, or take a self guided nature walk along marked trails through the myriad of rare local plants and flowers, and experience encounters with dingoes, wallabies, goannas, and frilled lizards.

We are also just 9 kilometres from Lakefield National Park and 22 kilometres from Princess Charlotte Bay, and Lotusbird Lodge is the ideal base from which to explore either.

Lakefield National Park

At 537,000ha, Lakefield National Park on Cape York Peninsula is Queensland’s second largest park. The park is drained by large rivers and contains spectacular wetlands and is home to waterbirds, barramundi and estuarine and freshwater crocodiles. Rivers become a series of waterholes in the dry season but the wet season transforms the park into a vast inaccessible wetland.

Lakefield has a rich and varied landscape with river estuaries, mangroves and mudflats to the north around Princess Charlotte Bay, extensive grasslands and eucalypt and paperbark woodlands on the river floodplains, and sandstone hills and escarpments to the south. Patches of the unusual Corypha utan palm grow in the grasslands on the marine plain.

Gallery rainforest fringes parts of the Normanby and Kennedy Rivers. The park is a wildlife refuge and home to several rare or threatened animals including the star finch, red goshawk, Lakeland Downs mouse and spectacled hare-wallaby.

Recreational fishing and boating are allowed in the park. Size and bag limits apply to barramundi. The Bizant boat ramp provides the best access to Princess Charlotte Bay. Canoeing is not recommended because this is crocodile country. Estuarine crocodiles live in the rivers and waterholes in this park. For your safety, never swim, canoe, clean fish or prepare food at the water’s edge, or camp close to deep waterholes. Be croc-wise.

Princess Charlotte Bay

Princess Charlotte Bay is 450 kilometres north of Cairns on the eastern side of Cape York. It is part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and includes several significant marine zones include shallow water seagrass meadows, dugong habitats, mangroves and nationally significant wetlands.

Being shielded from the south-east trade winds, Princess Charlotte Bay also provides an ideal haven for the keen angler amongst its extensive mangrove river systems, lagoons and offshore coral reefs. Target species include Coral Trout, Red Emperor, Mud Crabs, Barramundi, and larger Mackerel and pelagics.

Bird Week - November 2008

In November 2008 Lotusbird Lodge will be offering a bird week to the dedicated bird watcher. This tour, from Nov 16 to Nov 22, will be conducted by one of Cape York’s most experienced bird guides, Scott Templeton.

Wilderness Challenge will be supplying the transportation, with one of their experienced drivers at the controls of the 4x4 OKA off road vehicle.

This 6 night/7 day packages will be limited to 12 guests, and includes all meals and accommodation and 5 full days of guided bird watching.

• Day 1: Sunday - You will be picked up from your Cairns accommodation (approx 7.00am) for the drive north to Lotusbird Lodge. Lunch will be supplied by the Lakeland’s Coffee House, morning and afternoon teas will be catered for. Arrival at the lodge will be around 5 pm where a traditional Sunday roast dinner will be prepared for you.
• Days 2-6: Full-on birding as dictated by your guide, returning to the comforts of the lodge and the fine dining of its a-la-carte menu. The lodge is fully licensed and has a wine list to cover most tastes. During these 5 days you will be visiting Mrs. Sue Shepard at "Artemis Station" to see her wonderful Golden Shouldered Parrots and the fantastic work she is doing to protect this highly endangered species, also Lakefield National Park, the old Marina Plains homestead and Violet Vale Station for the Red Goshawk..
• Day 7: Saturday - A repeat of Day 1 in reverse, returning you to your Cairns accommodation.

You will need to bring; protective clothing (solar), good hiking shoes / boots, hat, sunscreen, good binoculars and camera. Lotusbird’s cabins are all fully serviced and have soap, shampoo, conditioner and towels, etc.

As these bird weeks are restricted to 12 guests only, a 10% deposit is required to confirm your reservation. This deposit will be refundable up to 1 month prior to departure.

The cost of the tour is $2999 per person (twin share or double) and includes all meals and accommodation at Lotusbird Lodge, 5 fully guided bird watching days, and all transportation ex-Cairns. Single accommodation is strictly limited and will be $3999 per person.

You will need to advise us of your Cairns accommodation arrangements and any special dietary requirements. Both tours are limited to only 12 passengers, so early bookings are essential. Please contact us for bookings or more information.