Cassowary House
Black Mountain Road, Kuranda, Queensland 4872 Australia
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About
#1 of 2 guest houses in Kuranda
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Value
Finding an ideal charming guest house in Kuranda does not have to be difficult. Welcome to Cassowary House, a nice option for travellers like you.
While staying at Cassowary House, visitors can check out Wrights Lookout (2.1 mi), which is a popular Kuranda attraction.
Rooms at Cassowary House offer a refrigerator providing exceptional comfort and convenience.
If you are driving to Cassowary House, free parking is available.
While staying in Kuranda, you can get some delicious falafel at Falafellicious, which is a short distance from Cassowary House.
During your visit, be sure to check out popular attractions like Peter Jarver Gallery (0.7 mi) and Honey House (0.5 mi), which are all within walking distance of the guest house.
Cassowary House looks forward to welcoming you on your visit to Kuranda.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Non-smoking hotel
Room features
Refrigerator
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Good to know
HOTEL STYLE
Mid-range
Location
53Somewhat walkable
Grade: 53 out of 100
30Restaurantswithin 1 km
25Attractionswithin 1 km
Black Mountain Road, Kuranda, Queensland 4872 Australia
Getting there
Rental CarsSee all Kuranda car hire
50Reviews0Q+A11Room tips
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We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
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Arrived here with a written confirmation of our booking for the correct date. pregnant woman had no record of our booking even though it was her name on the confirmation! She could move some woman, a family member, out of the room and it would be ready in 2 hours. Judging by the general air of decay we declined her offer and had to wind our way back down the road to a trusted and reliable hotel in Cairns. You’d think in these difficult times business owners would make an extra effort to welcome guests but not this place!
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Date of stay: July 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
We got stuck in the Victorian lockdown. I tried to contact Leonie via phone and email, but received no personal response. My cancellation via booking.com she refused. Luckily I could gift our booking of 2 nights to friends, whom Leonie told that she had not been able to accept the cancellation because of the commission she would have to pay to booking.com. I know that this is false because I had offered to cover the commission in my personal communication with another host and was told that the host would NOT be charged if they accepted the cancellation. Because of Leonie's refusal to communicate with us directly, her stubbornness or her lack of ability to read the contract conditions in which she had engaged with booking.com, I would recommend people to be careful when booking with this property. There are plenty more hospitable places to do business with.…
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Date of stay: May 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
We stayed for 4 nights in the Catbird Cottage and by the last day I didn’t want to leave! The cottage is located about 10 m from the main house and is absolutely adorable. It is definitely a rainforest experience in that there are bugs and things (seeds and leaves) falling on the roof at night, but there was more than enough provided to keep us comfortable. The bed had a heated blanket, there was a fully equipped kitchen, and we had a beautiful balcony overlooking the rainforest. For one of the days we were there, it rained the entire day, but we were happy to spend our time reading and relaxing in such a cozy space. The property was beautiful, and without even leaving, we were able to see red legged pademelons, musky rat kangaroos, northern brown bandicoots, a white tailed rat, Victoria’s riflebird, Macleay’s honeyeater, black butcherbird, hornbill friarbird, and more, with many of them coming right up to the porch of the main house. The hosts were wonderful. Sue prepared a delicious breakfast each morning and was happy to talk to us about all the local wildlife and recommend birding locations to us. They offered to give rides to surrounding birding locations that were a bit too far to walk to. Both Sue and her husband were extremely knowledgeable, kind, and obviously care very much about the wildlife they live with. The location was also perfect. Black mountain road was a great place to do some birding, and it was about a 25 minute walk from the center of Kuranda, from which you could walk to Barron Falls. It was far enough away from the town though that it felt very serene and secluded. Our favorite part of the stay though was Cornelius, the rooster that lives on the property. He was so friendly and affectionate, and tagged along on our birding walks around the property hoping for some hugs and pats. Overall this was an amazing way to experience the rainforest and the local wildlife, and if you are excited about the outdoors, I would highly recommend it!…
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Date of stay: October 2019Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
We stayed in the cottage which has everything you need to be independent. There is a big refrigerator, a well stocked kitchen, microwave and toaster oven, etc. The bathroom is small but the shower is hot. The bed has a heating blanket to keep the damp out. There is a dehumidifier, all highly appreciated. The cabin was sufficiently clean for being out in the woods. The breakfast that Sue provided was great! An excellent choice of fruit and breads! The dog problem that others described has been resolved and the dogs were kept out of the way whenever we asked to enter the house. The feeder was a bit underwhelming: since only Black Butcherbirds came during breakfast. But we were lucky to see the juvenile Southern Cassowary; time of year seems to play a major role determining, if you see them reliably. It is true that birds are difficult to spot on the property but such is forest birding and with patience good birds can be seen. Knowing some bird calls will help. And Black Mountain Road is definitely good to see birds. …
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Date of stay: August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
My daughter and I recently had a pleasant stay at the Cassowary House. Sue Gregory is a gracious host and her accommodations were wonderful and clean. Our room was surrounded by dense rainforest and was clean and comfortable. Sue made us breakfast each morning before heading out to go birdwatching for the day. The highlight of our stay was the daily visit of the southern cassowaries and Victoria's riflebird. We saw them up-close but from a safe comfortable distant each day we were there. One morning we were late getting to breakfast at Sue's house because we were blocked by a very large adult Cassowary standing in our path Sue's son Rowan was also very gracious with his time and sharing his knowledge of the birds and plants on the property. If you're looking for a comfortable place to see stay with the chances of seeing the Southern Cassowary and Victoria's Riflebird as well as other birds, this is the place for you!…
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Date of stay: May 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
If you want an absolutely delightful retreat in the middle of the Queensland tropical forest, this is definitely the place. If you want a spotless hotel room with free toiletries, no scent of trees, no bugs, tidy parking spaces and where you can't hear the rain on your roof... don't come here. Please don't come here. A distinct part of its charm is the personal sense of being IN the rainforest. The birds are around you, cassowaries can walk through the yard while you are standing there. The owner, Sue, will sit down and talk with you at a breakfast rich with fruits of the forest and an overflowing platter of toast with several homemade jams. We did see two adult cassowaries and one juvenile as well as the Victorian Riflebird that is extremely rare and only found in this small part of Australia. We loved it.…
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Date of stay: May 2019Trip type: Travelled on business
Value
Location
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Room Tip: Try to get the cabin if it is available.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
I booked this along with the Platypus tour way in advance. Your accommodation is in the rain forest amongst nature so don’t expect it to be bug free or noise free. It was exactly how I imagined it to be. We were in the Catbird cottage with a kitchen , sitting area and double bed. There is a toilet with good shower. My wife didn’t like it as there were insects and it was dark ( duh what did you think there would be ) it’s a bloody rainforest for gods sake. It is very dark but there is electricity and lights, sure there are a few bugs but it’s their home what do you expect. I had a great time and loved it. Lots of birds like the Riflebird and don’t forget the prehistoric looking Southern Cassowary which showed up with his two youngsters. Fantastic , the breakfast was amazing with heaps of fruit, eggs, cereals, amazing bread, muffins and hot coffee. Best breakie I’ve had. The tour was great with our Phil pointing out all the birds and finding us tree kangaroos and then the Platypus itself which was the highlight of my holiday. Phil has a amazing knowledge of birds and had me wishing I was going on another tour with him. Anyway my wife didn’t like the secluded site or the noises so we cut our stay short and went to a luxury hotel where my wife was happy at last. I on the other hand sulked for days. I will be back ( myself ) for a week next time. Thanks guys it was great. …
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Date of stay: January 2019Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
2 Helpful votes
Helpful
Our room, in the building above the carport, was basic but acceptable with the essentials (Note: fridge is only slightly larger than a minibar fridge) including dishware, microwave and small table in the kitchen, a small sink and walk-in shower in the bathroom (toilet, thanks to Australian regulations, is located in a clean, well-lit water closet on the balcony), two comfortable twin beds, two armchairs and balcony with small chair and table. In front f the balcony was a lot of dead vegetation and forest detritus with no clearing and little chance of seeing birds, except for a male Victoria Riflebird who occasionally perched on a decapitated tree trunk.. The owner of Cassowary House, Sue Gregory, said she planned to get a gardener in to clean things up The only thing that did bother me was the lack of quiet as the adjacent carport was like Grand Central Station with constant activity all day long. Probably wouldn't matter if you're out all day. The Cassowary (the bigger female as the male was occupied with a nest of chicks in the forest) came to visit two mornings in a row. On the balcony of the main house Sue has a bird feeder so that birds come to visit during breakfast. A musky rat kangaroo seemed to be a regular visitor as well. A generous, delicious breakfast is on offer each morning for $20 AUD/ person. Sue is very pleasant and welcoming as well as extremely knowledgeable, She also provides bird and wildlife tours through Cassowary Tours. I did a private birding day tour with Juin as my guide. It was one of the best birding days I've had in all the countries I've visited. We visited several habitats and saw: Double-Eyed Fig Parrot, Sulphur-Crested Cockatoos, Red-Backed Fairy Wren and at Hasties Swamp (a must!), we saw Ibis, Swamphen Plumed Whistling Ducks, Hardheads, Coots, Grebes, Herons, Cormorants, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Pink-Eared Shelduck & more.On a rainforest walk at Lake Barrine, we saw: Yellow-Breasted Boatbill, Grey Fantail, Golden Whistler, Grey-Headed Robin, Chowchilla, to mention a few and on the way back to Cassowary House, the ever alert Juin spotted some Red-tailed Black Cockatoos. I should mention that Juin, my guide, is not a talker and likes to lead the way without too many questions. This style of guiding suited me just fine because this man really knows the birds! I thought this tour was excellent! I also went with a friend on a private wildlife day tour with Juin. A very patient Juin found us a Lumholtz Kangaroo. We also visited the Platypus Park where we did spot some platypus, then headed off to Granite Gorge Park where we saw the rare Mareeba Rock Wallabies, before we headed off to the golf course where we saw Eastern Gray Kangaroos. This tour was good but Juin's style didn't work for my friend and at one point, while we were trying to spot the Tree Kangaroo, he was talking more to people who were following us than to us.. I did think that that was a little weird, given the price we were paying for a private tour. We did see some birds but I think Juin would have looked for more if my friend (a non-birder) hadn't been with us. Obviously, most Australian mammals are nocturnal (I had already done a nocturnal tour), but I felt that seeing the rock wallabies and the Eastern Gray Kangaroos really made the tour worthwhile. We had a lovely lunch both tours at Gallo Dairyland which also had artisanal chocolates and cheeses. By the way, Sue also offers foreign birding trips through SickleBill Safaris which looked really interesting.. As for Cassowary House, I think a couple of nights would be sufficient as I didn't see a lot of other birds on the property and I really looked..…
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Date of stay: September 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
2 Helpful votes
Helpful
We went to Cassowary House with the hope of seeing the Southern Cassowary (a 5ft tall bird with a blue head and red wattle!) and were not disappointed, finding a Cassowary in the gardens before we had even found our host Sue. Our room was basic but clean, with twin beds and electric blankets to keep the damp at bay (its rain forest!). Great breakfast with home made bread and muffins and assortment of very interesting fruits. Sue is very knowledgeable about the local area and wildlife and very helpful in directing to find things.
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Date of stay: September 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
it was difficult to sleep. there were actually piles of bugs at the sides of the rooms and the corners and something scratching at the screen (bat? really big insect?). granted, i stayed in the guide's room, but you'd think that someone could run a vacuum cleaner through the room every month or so. Others in the tour group also complained about the rooms not being clean and being weirdly laid out. HOWEVER, this is THE place to see cassowaries (plus Chicks!), the breakfast was PHENOMENAL, the owners very nice, the feeders drew in a lot of birds.
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Date of stay: October 2017Trip type: Travelled with friends
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
LOCATION
AustraliaQueenslandKuranda
NUMBER OF ROOMS
4
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Frequently Asked Questions about Cassowary House
Which popular attractions are close to Cassowary House?
Nearby attractions include Birdworld Kuranda (1.0 km), Australian Butterfly Sanctuary (1.0 km), and Kuranda Koala Gardens (0.9 km).
What are some restaurants close to Cassowary House?
Conveniently located restaurants include Petit Cafe Kuranda, Frogs Kuranda, and German Tucker Kuranda.
Is Cassowary House located near the city centre?
Yes, it is 0.9 km away from the centre of Kuranda.