Wongalinga

The replacement two-bedroom apartment we were offered was very pleasant, but getting there was rough. We’d booked a three-bedroom place for five nights and were first given Apartment Number 1. Mission Beach was having a major weather event when we arrived, with heavy rain, and water from an upstairs leak had pooled across the lounge floor. We used lots of towels to soak it up. The air conditioner in one bedroom didn’t work, and we were told it wouldn’t be fixed because of the time of year, which was especially inconvenient in that climate. There weren’t any coffee cups, and the washing machine showed an error and couldn’t be used during our stay. The apartment was spacious, but with all these problems it didn’t meet the basic expectations of a three-bedroom booking. We asked to move to another apartment of the same standard as our booking, or to other accommodation, and for an appropriate refund. We were offered the two-bedroom apartment instead. Luckily, the weather eased enough for us to leave on our planned checkout date. If it hadn’t, we would have had to find somewhere else ourselves, since the apartments were fully booked and no backup accommodation was offered.

The water got in and soaked everything, and the beds were seriously uncomfortable. What they called a double was two singles pushed together, with a crater in the middle. Some lights didn’t work either. It was expensive for what we got. The owner's claim that the place was child-proof and safe was a joke. The doors had internal latches and external locks, which felt like a real hazard with a toddler. The fire alarm went off for 10 minutes, and the owner gave us no response. The beds and the flooding made the stay miserable. We won’t be back, especially with kids.

We were only planning one night, since we’re travelling up the east coast, but ended up staying two and would have stayed longer if we’d had time. The apartment was clean, comfortable and nicely equipped, with a patio and balcony to sit outside. The pool was great too. We were impressed as soon as we arrived. It’s very close to a beautiful beach with a view towards Dunk Island.

We felt relaxed the moment we stepped inside. The beachfront apartment had everything we needed, and after two nights we wished we could have stayed longer. We’ll be back.