Tropical treats in Townsville

It’s not often a secluded tropical island holiday is easy on the hip pocket, but as Jessica Reid found you just need to know where to look.

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PEPPERS SPICERS PEAK LODGE, SCENIC RIM, QUEENSLAND

Located one and a half hour's south west of Brisbane and surrounded by World Heritage listed Main Range National Park, Peppers Spicers Peak Lodge is a luxurious mountain retreat with a focus on fine food and wine.

The architecturally stunning property is Queensland’s highest mountain retreat, offering expansive views of the surrounding wilderness area.

Hot summer nights and city lights

As the weather starts heating up around Australia, subtropical Brisbane heaves even more than usual.

The History of Hidden Vale

The first white settler to take up Franklyn Vale (part of which is now Hidden Vale) was Mr James Phelps Robinson in 1841. He was followed by Henry and Maria Mort, who then purchased Franklyn Vale in 1849 - Maria was the daughter of James Laidley after whom Laidley town was named. The Morts started by running 13 000 head of sheep on Franklyn Vale which was then 384 000 acres that extended from Walloon in the east to Tent Hill scrub in the west, Mt Mistake in the south and Marburg Range in the north. At the time of separation of Queensland from its parent state, the new Queensland government resumed a great deal of leasehold land which included about half of the original Franklyn Vale property. The country north of the Little Liverpool range was transferred to James Laidley, further sub division followed and by 1869 the Morts only had 10 000 of their original 384 000 acres.