Bright mornings and idyllic sunsets, breakfast in lush green gardens and a reconnection with nature. Sounds heavenly, feels heavenly. It’s the Hidden Valley Cabins in Australia.

The award winning eco-friendly resort is Australia’s 1st carbon neutral resort and tour company. Located 1.5hrs northwest of Townsville, near Running river on the western slope of the Paluma range in Queensland, the resort is ideal for a relaxing holiday to recharge your batteries. So, what’s new in that? Aren’t resorts supposed to be relaxing retreats for aching muscles and frenzied souls? Well, yes they are but how many resorts which help you in experiencing nature are actually worried about nature and minimally sponge upon natural resources?? Hidden Valley Cabins sure is eco-loving as it operates on 100% solar power and saves 78 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year.

The tour company has purchased carbon credits to off set the green house gases and their resorts are now CLIMATE NEUTRAL. Established in 1982, the resort is continually improving its facilities and its impact on eco-diversity of the region. Now, a stand alone solar system has been installed to run the entire resort 24X7. The system includes: 12 KVA inverter, 90 x 130 watt solar panels delivering 120 volts DC into 60 x 2 volt 1660 amp batteries. The resort is built up of recycled local timber only. The furniture and décor is hand crafted from again local timber.

The buildings are designed aptly to reduce their environmental footprint. Trees and vegetation planted around the resort are mostly native to blend into the natural landscape and encourage the birds and animals to visit the resort.

The area is abundant with varying species of birds, butterflies, wallabies, Lace Monitors, Platypus, nocturnal animals such as gliders and much more. Hidden Valley Cabins is a great area for bird watching and wildlife enthusiasts. The activities available at the resort are offered accordingly so that visitors and guests make the most of the natural splendours of the area without harming it. The resort has received advanced eco-tourism accreditation through Eco-tourism Australia. Other ideas besides solar energy utilization that are employed at these cabins include:
· Power conservation: Resort’s conventional light bulbs have been replaced by energy-saving compact fluorescent bulbs thus reducing power consumption from 2220 watts to an amazingly low 430 watts!!!
· Waste management: Left over food and paper products are converted into compost manure to be further used in resort’s gardens.
· Education: Hidden Valley Cabins actively educates the public and guests on the importance of protecting the environment in order to protect vulnerable species. It works closely with The Australian Wildlife Conservancy aswell.

Thus the resorts offer a complete holistic experience of being in nature, understanding its intricacies and respecting it. The entire stay can change your perspective towards eco-sustainability. So, if this summers you are in a mood to experience the Australian outback tranquility then, Hidden Valley Cabins is the perfect destination to head for.

Via Inhabitat