Printable property details
For more information and to book please visit www.mrandmrssmith.com or let us arrange your whole trip, by calling +44 (0)20 8987 4312 or from the USA dial 1 866 610 3867.
Just off Four Mile Beach, Port Douglas
Meryula
- Style
- Indochinese-influenced mansion
- Setting
- Moments from Port Douglas’ Premier beach
The exclusive Beachfront Mirage Estate is Australia’s answer to Bel Air and just screams luxury. Meryula is self-catering of the highest order and has direct access to the peerless Four Mile Beach. The property also has a shared tennis court and driving range so you can refine your serves and your swings. The open-plan interior is a cornucopia of Indochinese, African and European art, and the classic-contemporary rooms have been are dotted with sculptures and other decorative finds. The exquisite garden, replete with flowering plants, has a heated pool which is book-ended by a decadent day-bed and a spa bath. And if you’re a techie, the outstanding sound and media system will ensure you develop a serious crush on this luxury self-catering mansion.
In the know
House style
Indochinese opulence
Grounds
The house is arranged around a stunning tropical garden with towering palms and exotic paperbark trees. There’s a tennis court and golf practice range which are shared with two adjoining houses.
Sleeps
12
Ideal for
Art-loving aesthetes, high-living friends and refined family holidays. Meryula has two neighbouring properties also available to hire.
Rates
$1,200 a night for six guests. Each extra guest will be charged $50 a night.
Minimum hire
There's a five-night minimum stay.
Also
Pets are not allowed and smoking is permitted outside only.
Eating & drinking
Meals are taken at the 12-seat dining table or outside on the rear deck at another 12-seat table. Take advantage of the cutting-edge barbecue on the deck. An in-house chef can be arranged, so there’s no need to be tied to the hob.
Children
Are welcome but beware of the many beautiful (and, undoubtedly expensive) antiques in the house.
Music
The house contains a generous collection of books, board games, CDs and DVDs as well as a state of the art sound and media system.
Provided
All linen, beach towels, handmade soap, L’Occitane bath products, tennis rackets, and six bicycles (two large, two small, two mini) are provided. You’ll be welcomed with tropical fruit and chilled champagne on arrival.
Packing tips
Smart tennis whites, golf shoes and a designer bikini – if you don’t have one, buy a gorgeous Aussie-designed Zimmerman swimsuit while you’re here.
Eco policy
Meryula was designed with natural climate control in mind. The thatched ceilings provide insulation while the ability to open up the house means breezes flow freely through. There is conventional air conditioning and heating should you need them.
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Interior
Bedrooms
Bedroom 1: Airy upstairs master bedroom with cushion-strewn sofa, en suite bathroom with spa bath and a terrace overlooking the swimming pool.
Bedroom 2: Downstairs master bedroom with walk-in wardrobe, en suite and views of a leafy private garden. There’s also an outdoor bath set in lush tropical foliage.
Bedroom 3: Large en suite room with queensize twin beds, fittingly decorated with palm tree fabrics.
Bedroom 4: Bright twin room with single beds and en suite bathroom. Silk pillows and throws are emblazoned with palm trees and add a colourful flourish to the room.
Bedroom 5: Queensize bedroom with colourful throw and cushions and an armchair. The walls are lined with pictures of palm trees. This room shares a bathroom with Bedroom 6.
Bedroom 6: Single bedroom with single bed and use of shared bathroom.
Kitchen The black marble kitchen is fitted with Miele appliances, including an in-wall espresso maker, separate food and drinks fridges and an ice maker. A concealed rear kitchen is perfect for preparing “the one you made earlier”. There’s a drinks fridge and ice-maker in the laundry room.
Living room Open-plan living space with two cushion-covered couches, large coffee table and eclectic objets d’art.
Dining room Open-plan dining area with a 12-seat table. Bi-fold doors fold back to create an indoor and outdoor space opening onto a wide verandah. Dine here, overlooking the garden and pool, at another 12-seat table.
Other There's a study with a lovely antique desk, fax, printer and telephone and a games room with pool table and pinball machine which looks over the tennis court. There is also a gym area with exercise bike, treadmill and weights machine.
Outdoor
Poolside The heated saltwater pool is concealed behind a low wall, giving you total privacy. It has a small pavilion with cushioned day-bed at one end and a covered spa bath at the other. A guest bathroom with shower can be accessed from the pool area.
Gardens
Parking There’s a three-car garage and a two-car carport.
check availability
To check availability and book a vacation rental property please call the Smith travel team on 1 866 610 3867. We guarantee best available rates on all vacation rental properties.
Activities
Best picnic spot
Pad down to Four Mile Beach, which borders the house, with a gourmet, tailor-made hamper put together by Taste on Macrossan, Shop 12 Saltwater, Macrossan Street, Port Douglas (+61 7(0) 4099 5999). For a more dramatic backdrop, rainforest-flanked Mossman Gorge, on the crystal-clear Mossman River, is a 15-minute drive away. Spread out your picnic blanked on the giant boulders at this magical spot.
Best beaches
The white sand of Four Mile Beach is fringed with palm trees and is minutes from the house. During the stinger season (November to May) swimming is only permitted in the netted enclosure.
Best walks
The Mossman Gorge. While you are there, make for Kuku Yalanji Dreamtime, at the entrance of the gorge, where the indigenous inhabitants of the local rainforest offer guided rainforest walks with demonstrations of traditional plant use and identification of bush tucker.
Activities
A day-trip to the Great Barrier Reef is a must. Marina Mirage is tucked away on the inlet and harbours luxury yachts, game fishing launchers and a fleet of small cruise ships, which all moor at 4pm so look before you book. Plump for a smaller boat and smugly avoid the crowds. Divers and snorkelers should head to the luxurious and eco-friendly Aristocat, www.aristocat.com.au, which has hot showers on board and a licence to ‘passive dive’ with Minke whales, the smallest of the baleen whales. Sightings occur mid-June to mid-August.
Kuku Yalanji Dreamtime, Mossman Gorge, Mossman (+61 (0) 7 4098 2595; www.yalanji.com.au). The Kuku Yalanji tribe inhabits the local rainforest and offers one-and-a-half hour guided rainforest walks in Mossman Gorge. Your guide will demonstrate traditional plant usage and identify Bush tucker.
Get that wind-swept look by cantering along a sandy beach on horseback.
Whatever your level of expertise, thee team will look after you on an enchanting two-and-a-half hour trek of the beach and rainforest. www.ridethebeach.com.au; +61 (0) 7 4098 7583.
Take a scenic helicopter ride to remote Aboriginal rock art sites and the outback or try a heli-horse or heli-rafting safari. www.skysafari.com.au +61 (0) 7 4099 3666
Billy Tea Safaris offers personalised 4WD tours to Cape Tribulation, (the only place on earth where two World-Heritage-listed sites lie side by side), the Daintree Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef. Daintree is the oldest rainforest in the world and is home to 20 per cent of Australia’s bird species and 60 percent of Australia’s butterfly species. Ancient trees believed to have been extinct for millions of years were rediscovered here (www.billytea.com.au).
Smith tip
The prized local delicacy in these parts is the mud crab, usually weighing over one kilogram. If you want to really impress fellow guests with your culinary skills and inside knowledge of these exotic surroundings, serve them up a showstopper of ‘chilli mud crab’. Here’s how it’s done. You will need one crab per person. Cut the crabs into segments and crack the claws. Heat some oil in a wok and fry two cloves of garlic, two hot chilli peppers, one tablespoon ginger and coriander root (all finely chopped), then add the crab. Stir in half a cup of water and a tablespoon each of tomato sauce, hoisin sauce, fish sauce and sugar. Bring to the boil. Cover and steam gently for about 10 minutes. Finally, mix in some chopped green onions, halved cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped mint and coriander, and serve with rice, crab picks and bibs.
Eating, drinking and dancing
Cafés
Soul n’ Pepper
+61 (0) 7 4099 4499
This cafe faces a former sugar wharf, is right on the water and is the perfect spot for a casual breakfast before the Sunday market. The freshly squeezed juices and tropical fruit platters are sublime and their signature breakfasts are served in cast iron frying pans.
8/2 Dixie Street, Port Douglas, Queensland 4877
Java Blue
+61 (0) 7 4099 5814
Java Blue serves the best coffee in town and is popular with locals so it’s always buzzing with energy. They serve fresh juices, wraps and sandwiches with a choice of bread.
3/2 Macrossan Street, Port Douglas, Queensland, 4877
Beaches Café
+61 (0) 7 4099 4998
Classic Aussie beach kiosk with plastic chairs and a sand-covered floor. Wander in barefoot and grab an ice cream or tuck into one of their superb burgers.
Cnr Mowbray Street / Esplanade, Port Douglas, Queensland 4877
Restaurants
Nautilus
+61 (0) 7 4099 5350
This restaurant is the most romantic place to dine in Port Douglas, hands down. Under a canopy of towering palms, you are served sumptuous seafood by candlelight. Dinner only.
17 Murphy Street, Port Douglas, Queensland
Salsa Bar and Grill
+61 (0) 7 4099 4922
This charming restaurant, in an old wooden Queenslander building, dishes up tropical, modern Australian cuisine. The vibe is lively yet relaxed and is perfect for lunch or dinner.
26 Wharf Street, Port Douglas, Queensland 4877
2 Fish
+61 (0) 7 4099 6350
2 Fish is a great option for a casual lunch or dinner. The scallops with pancetta are beyond delicious and their speciality is market fish cooked seven different ways.
Shop 7, 20 Wharf Street, Port Douglas, Queensland 4877
check availability
To check availability and book a vacation rental property please call the Smith travel team on 1 866 610 3867. We guarantee best available rates on all vacation rental properties.
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Housekeeping
A complimentary cleaning service is provided for stays of eight nights or more.
check availability
To check availability and book a vacation rental property please call the Smith travel team on 1 866 610 3867. We guarantee best available rates on all vacation rental properties.
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Planes Regular flights are available to Cairns from all major cities in Australia with Qantas (www.qantas.com.au), Virgin Blue (www.virginblue.com.au) and Jetstar (www.jetstar.com). There’s also an international terminal at Cairns.
Sunlover Helicopters,/b> offers airport transfers from Cairns airport to most resorts and islands along the coast (+61 (0) 7 4035 9669; www.sunloverheli.com.au).
Trains You’d have to be an avid railway fan to attempt this journey by train. The business-class-only service from Cairns to Brisbane will take an eye-popping 24 hours and there is no sleeper service (+61 (0) 1 300 131 722; www.tilttrain.com.au).
Local taxi service There's a taxi rank on Macrossan Street or you can phone Port Douglas Taxi (+61 (0) 7 4099 5345). Rainforest Limousine Service offers airport transfers to and from Cairns.
Directions by road It’s a one-and-a-half hour drive from Cairns, along one of the most spectacular stretches of Australian coastline. Take Highway 1, (Captain Cook Highway, northbound) and follow signs to Port Douglas. After the ninth roundabout, turn off the highway onto Port Douglas Road and the Mirage Estate is on your right, just after the Sheraton Mirage.There are plenty of car hire companies at Cairns airport and city, including Hertz (www.hertz.com.au), Avis (www.avis.com.au) and Europcar (www.europcar.com.au).
Set in a lush tropical garden, this stately two-storey house has sweeping verandahs and a thatched Indonesian ceiling
Review
The magnificent Meryula is brimming with an eclectic collection of Indochinese antiques and artefacts, hand-picked by its globetrotting owners. Designed by a two-man team of architects, one local and the other from Sydney, the house is one of three properties built around a central tennis court and golf practice range in a highly prestigious gated estate. Each house can be rented individually or en masse, offering the perfect holiday destination for extended families or groups of friends.
Set in a lush tropical garden, this stately two-storey house has sweeping verandahs and a thatched Indonesian ceilings. The open-plan living space has a twelve-seat dining table, comfy lounge area, sleek black marble kitchen fitted with Miele appliances, and an extra concealed kitchen which can be used for out-of-sight dinner party preparation. The rear deck has another 12-seat dining table and a state of the art gas barbecue.
Meryula has six bedrooms, including two master bedrooms, each with its own bathroom. The upstairs master bathroom overlooks the pool and huge mirrors line its walls. From the comfort of the deep soaking tub you can practically smell the sea breeze. The downstairs master bedroom opens directly onto the pool area and has a private open-air bath surrounded by verdant foliage. The bedroom décor is smart and sophisticated and has a distinctly Asian feel.
There are plenty of relaxation areas, both inside and out, in which to lounge around and take full advantage of the glorious tropical climate. For indoor pastimes the games room complete with pool table and small gym will keep you entertained, as will the generous selection of books, games, music and movies. For more wholesome activities, there’s a tennis court and golf practice range at your disposal.
Soothing water cascades into the enormous saltwater pool which is flanked by two covered cabanas; one with a decadent day bed and the other with a spa bath. Queensland’s premier Four Mile Beach can be accessed directly from the house and the not-to-be-missed Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest are almost on your doorstep. Quite literally on your doorstep, however, is the classy Mirage Resort. Guests are welcome to use their facilities and also take advantage of the world-class golf course. Take a constitutional walk in the breathtaking Mossman Gorge or amble down to the multitude of shops and restaurants in Port Douglas. In-house spa treatments, yoga sessions and a chef can also be arranged for hardcore relaxation. Meryula has all the credentials necessary for a stimulating yet utterly mellow sojourn.
check availability
To check availability and book a vacation rental property please call the Smith travel team on 1 866 610 3867. We guarantee best available rates on all vacation rental properties.
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