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Platypus Bush Camp – reviews, photos

Lot 5 Gorge Road | Finch Hatton, Mackay, Queensland 4756, Australia
Hotel amenities
Platypus Bush Camp
4.0 of 5 stars 9 Reviews
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9 reviews from our community

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London
Senior Reviewer
8 reviews 8 reviews
Reviews in 8 cities Reviews in 8 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
“Idyllic wildlife experience”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 23 March 2010

We stayed in the honeymoon treehouse. This was a unique opportunity to sleep in a hut with no windows or doors, in a mosquito net bed on the edge of a creek. The most amazing moment was getting to the hut in the evening and whiling away an hour watching the fireflies.

If you are afraid of nature or sleeping in the outdoors this is no the place for you. But if you want to get up at 5 a.m. to go platypus watching and the opportunity to go for walks in an amazing national park, this is heaven! We even woke up to a turtle swimming past and saw beautiful blue kingfishers eating their breakfast.

Wazza, who runs the place, is a real character.

No hot water despite what the website says. We loved the fact that you had to put the loo seat down or you might find a frog had taken residence there next time you went!

  • Stayed September 2009, travelled as a couple
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
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Ask Jules_Veronica about Platypus Bush Camp
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Arizona
Contributor
12 reviews 12 reviews
Reviews in 8 cities Reviews in 8 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
“Wonderful bush experience, but felt like we were imposing”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 9 November 2009

My husband and I stayed one night at Platypus Bush Camp. We had originally planned to camp elsewhere, but heavy rains came in and we opted to take a hut at this place so we wouldn't have to keep setting up and breaking down our tent in the rain. Just so you know, there is no electricity at this place (not a big deal to us, but may be to others). The huts are open air rooms on stilts with plenty of privacy. We really enjoyed this, and waking up to the sounds of rain and the birds was a wonderful experience.

That being said, I did have a few issues, although my husband did not feel this way. The guests in the huts get to use the large fully stocked kitchen w/BBQ (you just need to bring your own food). However, when we went to go cook around 6:45pm, the entire staff - which was what seemed like 8 or more people - was in the kitchen cooking. We felt that we were imposing, so we waited for an hour or so until they were done. Afterwords though, very few clean kitchen supplies were left for our use as the staff had yet to clean up. We are pretty easy going though and didn't need many supplies to begin with, so we made do. The staff did make plenty of room for us at the kitchen table.

Just so you know, you do have to clean up your own dishes. The garbage receptacles where you put your waste weren't well labeled in the kitchen (or it seemed that way since it was dark - I don't know), and we accidentally put a piece of non-organic garbage in the wrong receptacle. One staff member was quick to scold us and unfortunately made it seem like we should have known better. Otherwise, the staff was friendly.

There are signs in the shower that say you should not use shampoo and conditioner. I absolutely understand that the whole place is centered around being environmentally friendly, but I really would have liked to use shampoo. Especially considering we spent $100 for the night in the hut. But that's just me.

Last thing - despite one of the rules for the guests is to be relatively quiet (so others can enjoy the sounds of nature), the staff was up late at night and was quite noisy. Oddly, we could also hear the sounds of a large generator, but that was likely from a camper van in the camping area.

I would go back again considering I really enjoyed the open air hut. But next time I would use shampoo in the shower even though it's technically against the rules.

  • Stayed November 2009, travelled as a couple
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
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Whitsundays
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
6 helpful votes 6 helpful votes
“Wazza's Platypus Bush Camp.. The 1000 star Hotel”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 4 January 2009
2
people found this review helpful

After working hard in the last year with no time off... we all decided to head down to Wazza's bush camp for a few days.

I knew we would be in for a challenge with the wet season approaching... but the gorge, the platypus's and the outdoor rain forest shower that Wazza heats up each morning with wood was my draw card to go down for a few days (prepared).

This time we went all out.. by camping it... normally I am your 5 star kind of a girl, so we always take the honeymoon cabin by the stream and lie in bed in our little tree house under our net, watching the stars and the platypus's swimming by whilst making the most of everything under our tree and using the communal kitchen provided (Wazza has 4 of these tree houses scattered around he's property that are made up of a hut with a queen size bed and mosquito net).

In the 2 days that we were there we had a bit of rain. The first night was crystal clear and we had bumped into a couple of other friends from Airlie that were down, they also brought their guitars so a nice evening was had with marshmallows and red wine around the camp fire (which was already stacked with dry wood)...

The following morning was spent surfing the rapids on tires down Wazza's stretch of creek and splashing around the swimming hole, in the afternoon we headed off for a walk to the gorge.. and that's when it started to rain on and off between bursts off sunshine... when we got back we all decided to have a quiet one as most of the campsite had left that day and Wazza had to race poor 'Dog' to the vet as he had chased a Goanna for the 4th time and came off second best once again! so now we were down to ourselves and one other couple.. lucky for us we did come prepared with the 12 man deluxe tent and the portable stove and an esky full of goodies:) we had a dry and peaceful night (even if 4mm of rain did fall).

The last day approached quickly (as it does when you have only 4 days off) and it was time to start packing up which was not to bad as the sun had come out for a few hours.. after loading the car and having a big feast on bacon, eggs and snags we decided to head back for one last splash as Wazza had gone off to pick up Dog so we made the most of our spare time following it all off with one last shower...

On the way home we had to stop off at Pinnacles to pick up one of the best pies in Australia (we could not decide which one to buy so now the freezer is very full:)

I will be back in the next few months to Wazza place but it will be in the tree huts as the weather can be temperamental at this time of year... and I know that I do not have a 4WD to get through the roads but Wazza is always obliging to pick you up from Finch Hatton if the roads are a bit wet.. which is always worth the adventure and experience.

  • Liked — It's Natural aspect
  • Disliked — The expensive airbed that deflated on the last night!!
  • Stayed January 2009
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Check-in / front desk
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask Sailbabe about Platypus Bush Camp
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Holland
1 review
“Hut prices”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 23 November 2008

We had a really nice time. We booked a hut. On the website it is still 75 dollar, but now it is 100 dollars. He told that is already for 1,5 year, but it is still not changed in his website.
But for a real bushexperience. Platypus is the place to be. The bush showers are excellent too.

Stayed October 2008
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Ask WillHolland about Platypus Bush Camp
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sunshine coast
1 review
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“Our Time with Wazza.....Magic!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 3 January 2008
1
person found this review helpful

We are a family of 5 and have just spent our second visit to Wazza's. We camp in his lovely private camping ground right next to the river. this place is a very special place for those who do not wish for the luxuries of a hotel. This place is A-natural....the showers are hot in the late afternoon and they look out into the bush, giving you a feeling of should I say 'freedom'....the swimming pool is a fantastic save and clear river with which the kids thoroughy enjoy. The whole atmosphere is one of privacy, tranquility and the sounds of the bubbling river and nature are to die for...if you do not mind using a torch to use the toilets at night, if you do not mind sharing the toilet with green tree frogs and huntsman spiders then this place is paradise.....if you are not into nature, then avoid Wazza's as this place is not for you!
We love your paradise Wazza and 'Dog'!

  • Liked — Natural
  • Disliked — huntsman spiders
  • Stayed December 2007, travelled with family
    • 3 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Check-in / front desk
    • 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
    • 3 of 5 stars Business service (e.g., internet access)
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