FROM ASHES TO RAINFOREST RETREAT: BINNA BURRA LODGE REOPENS SEVEN YEARS AFTER FIRE
There are some places that hold a special spot in our hearts, and for generations of Queenslanders, Binna Burra Lodge is one of them.
Seven years after a bushfire reduced the heritage-listed lodge to ashes, it has finally reopened to overnight guests.
It is a story of resilience that will warm the heart of anyone who has ever watched a beloved place disappear.
The night Binna Burra was lost
In September 2019, bushfires swept through Lamington National Park in the Gold Coast hinterland.
According to the ABC, the blaze burned about 6,000 hectares of rainforest and destroyed the historic lodge along with 11 homes.
Lodge chairman Steve Noakes had evacuated three days earlier.
He learned the lodge was gone when he saw it reported on the news.
For a place that had welcomed visitors since the 1930s, it was a heartbreaking loss.
A lodge with deep roots
Binna Burra was founded in the 1930s by conservationists Arthur Groom and Romeo Lahey.
Their idea was simple and rather beautiful: give people a way to enjoy the region's ancient rainforest, while encouraging them to protect it.
Noakes told the ABC the lodge has created connections between generations for almost a century.
For many families, a stay at the lodge has been a tradition handed down from parents to children.
That sense of shared history is a big part of why so many people wanted to see it return.
Rebuilding Binna Burra, one setback at a time
The road back was anything but smooth.
The rebuild battled through a global pandemic and a cyclone before the doors could open again.
Noakes said there was "never a question" the lodge would be rebuilt, and that the reopening was a long time coming.
According to the Binna Burra Lodge website, construction of the new lodge began on September 1, 2024, supported by an $18 million Queensland Government grant.
This time, safety has been built in from the ground up.
The new lodge uses concrete structures wrapped in timber, and the site is built to bushfire-prone area standards using core-filled concrete, stone, tin and timber.
Noakes told the ABC that even if a fire did damage the building, its basic structure would remain so it could be repaired.
Gold Coast architect and bushfire mitigation expert Eldon Bottcher added that design is only one piece of the puzzle, alongside vegetation management, firefighter access and a dedicated water supply.
What guests can expect
The new lodge sits beside 30 rooms, made up of accessible king rooms, large and small king rooms, and three large family apartments.
Every room has its own deck and ensuite, and some rooms can be joined to create a two-bedroom unit, handy for families or friends travelling together.
The lodge has a lift for wheelchair access, a dining room with sweeping 270-degree views, and a double-sided fireplace facing the lounge.
Sustainability is woven through the design, with solar panels, battery storage, rainwater collected from the lodge roof and grass-covered roofs on some of the accommodation.
The lodge also says the garden known as Win's Garden will be revived with native plantings and a small pond.
Planning a visit to Binna Burra
If you are tempted, the lodge's website has booking details, along with gift vouchers, which could make a thoughtful Christmas present for a nature lover.
You can also call the lodge on 07 5533 3622.
Lamington National Park is known for its walking tracks and rainforest scenery, so pack good walking shoes and a light rain jacket, as mountain weather can change quickly.
Remember to check park alerts and track conditions before you head out.
A symbol of hope
For the hinterland community, the reopening is about far more than accommodation.
It shows what can happen when people refuse to give up on something they love.
As Noakes put it, the new lodge will hopefully create many more connections between generations, just like the old one did.
After seven long years, that is something worth celebrating.
