Rainforest Ranch

I really needed a break, but left feeling more stressed. The website made the place look amazing, which made the stay even more disappointing. We arrived after a long drive to find no milk or soap in the room, sewing needles on the floor, dust everywhere, filthy veranda screens and a sugar sachet a mouse had eaten. The unit clearly hadn’t been cleaned properly. It was freezing, with just a tiny amount of firewood and everything else damp. The curtains were see-through, there was no curtain beside the bed, and the place was surrounded by other units, so it didn’t feel private. A dog barked from midnight until 8am. We were meant to be able to order dinner on arrival, but that wasn’t available, leaving us 45 minutes from Yeppoon in either direction with no food. Meal packs were available, but management was away and the stand-in guy didn’t know where anything was or basic information, including when we’d get our deposit back. Breakfast was meant to be at 9 but didn’t arrive until 9:30, leaving us rushed to eat before the 10 o’clock checkout. I would never return or recommend the place.

Jean and Warren are very welcoming, and we’ll be back. The cabin was quiet and private, a lovely place to relax and do nothing. If you feel like getting out and doing things, there’s plenty to do too.

The venue was beautiful, but the owners made our wedding day miserable. We held our wedding there in April 2017, and it was the biggest mistake ever. They only folded a few napkins and set out centrepieces, much of which my brother and maid of honour had already done, despite setup costs covering more service than that. They expected the full amount anyway. They gave us all kinds of reasons not to use the space we’d paid for. The male owner was rude and obnoxious, treated our guests like a nuisance, and seemed so worried about missing out that he didn’t stop the bar tab at the agreed amount. Extra bar staff had been promised but weren’t provided, and drinks took so long that guests complained to me. We suspect the owners charged guests for drinks and added the same drinks to our bar tab. The lights we ordered and paid for were wrong. They initially insisted they were what I’d asked for, then checked with their hire company and found out they were wrong, but offered no fix, compensation or help. They just told me it was bright enough, when I hadn’t wanted bright lighting. Cleanup was part of the setup costs too, but they only cleared the bar glasses, I think because they were running out. We were so unhappy that we left a day early. My dad is a muso and played a few songs; the male owner then asked him to come back the next day and play for free. They charged my bridal party $18 for one pack of chips, $73 for something we still don’t know about that only appeared five weeks later, and $55 for an “extra person” in a cabin where only one person stayed, even though it was paid for in full. Tree debris was still in the parking lot and the groomsmen had to move it. One cabin’s AC didn’t work, another had no hot water, and another had a broken TV. Those problems were in separate cabins and made things very unpleasant for our bridal party. I paid half the setup fee because I thought that fairly covered their basic costs, but refused to pay for service we never received, no matter what they screamed at me about in front of their day guests at Sunday lunch. I yelled back and said I wouldn’t pay. Invoices were still coming two months later. I had 90 guests who knew what service we got, plus 20+ family and friends who helped set up and pack up and saw how inhospitable the owners were. They may start out nice, but after you’ve paid in full and arrive for your big day, they seem like different people. They promised far more than two people could handle, and these two clearly didn’t have the competence for it. I’d never go back or recommend visiting or dealing with the owners.

Rockhampton 60 & Better came for a day trip last week with 37 seniors. The road in was truly unsuitable for a coach, so navigating it took ages, and it was a shame we weren’t warned. We managed thanks to our coach driver’s skill, though the meal was only okay. Waiting an hour between mains and seconds was too long.