Thala Beach Nature Reserve first opened its doors to guests in May 1998 and since then has never closed. Open 24 hours a day 7 days a week Thala has hosted approximately over 600 000 guests and diners. Originally built By Rob and Oonagh Prettejohn in the 1990s the resort is still owned and operated by the same Prettejohn family. Thala’s journey from a degraded sugar cane plantation to an internationally renowned eco resort has been a passionate story that continues to evolve.
Throughout Thala’s operation ongoing tree planting, weed eradication, habitat and biosphere improvements in combination with ecotourism practices has seen a dramatic increase in native forest, biodiversity and wildlife populations.
Purchased by Rob Prettejohn in the 1970s he quickly set about planting cane and utilising the land as a productive sugar cane farm, as was common in the region at the time.
In the early days sugar cane, watermelons and coconuts were farmed on the property. A section of the property still contains some of the original coconut plantation. The planting of coconuts was ahead of its time but with coconut uses poorly understood by the mainstream at the time and lack of an established industry it was not economically viable.
After a chapter farming the land Rob and Oonagh Prettejohn had an epiphany to rehabilitate the stunningly positioned headland and build a resort heavily focussed on nature to provide a unique accommodation experience for nature loving tourists visiting the area to see The Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest. A vision to create an eco-tourism venture before eco-tourism became the popular concept is it today was ahead of its time.
This aerial photograph was taken in 1985 of the original degraded sugar cane plantation and is compared to a similar photo of present day. After decades of revegetation and forest rehabilitation during and before Thala’s operation the increase in native vegetation is clearly visible.
The Vine Thicket Forest, seen clearly in the original 1985 comparison photo along the beach front of the property (above) , was the only original forested area on the land. This is a unique type of forest that only grows on a thin layer of compost. Once the forest is removed it rarely recovers. At Thala it was left in its natural state and preserved. Unfortunately, this fragile type of forest was heavily cleared as a result of coastal development and expansion elsewhere.
The original Vine Thicket Forest only exists today because in the early 1970’s Rob Prettejohn was growing sugar cane on the property, which had a 1700 tonne assignment. One day he received a ‘Show Cause’ notice from the government to clear some 15 acres of rain forest behind the fore dunes. Rob refused to do so and as a consequence his cane assignment was reduced as a penalty. A poignant example of how public policy has evolved over the last 50 years.
Genuine local species of plants, some of which were propagated locally and some which were encouraged to flourish, were deliberately used in the forest rehabilitation, aiming to expand and enhance the fragile native forest while keeping it in a natural looking state.
Inspiration for the landscape design around the swimming pool was directly influenced by photographing and examining nearby creeks and waterfalls leading to unique native species being sourced, propagated on-site and planted. An approach ahead of its time.
The physical removal of weeds and over planting to outcompete weeds was a long term strategy used to combat invasive exotic plants, and it has paid off. Weed trees are now outnumbered by natives and no longer considered a threat.
“…inspiration for the landscape design around the swimming pool was directly influenced by photographing and examining nearby creeks and waterfalls…”
The construction of Thala Beach Nature Reserve was completed over years of painstaking design and construction to compliment the property. In an era where concrete and glass resorts adjacent to golf courses were the go to for hospitality developers Thala’s approach was unique. Opting for free flowing tropical design and natural materials instead of ducted air conditioning and imported marble the philosophy behind Thala was apparent in the early stages.
Architect Gordon MyClymont worked closely with Rob & Oonagh to bring their vision to life and design a world class resort specifically for the challenging site. Unique challenges including on-site waste management, intermittent power supplies and harvesting water had to be overcome in creative ways for the remote resort to be built and operate.
“Travelling, as pioneers, along our chosen path as eco-developers has rewarded us with a rich sense of achievement. We, since early childhood, have had an empathy for nature. And our vision embraces the use of scientific and husbandry principles to care for natural ecosystems, as well as creating and enhancing degraded environments. In such a way that people and the natural world both prosper and coexist. We are very proud of Thala Beach Nature Reserve and, I believe, it is the embodiment of this philosophy,” says Robert Prettejohn.
The resort was designed and built to fit the headland. The project was not straight out of the box so to speak and involved some visionary thinking and building techniques to enable it to come to light.
The unorthodox approach was occasionally met with resistance from local council and government at the time. Fast forward a couple of decades and these same bodies have used Thala Beach Nature Reserve as a flagship example to gain eco accreditation for Douglas Shire and champion sustainable tourism for Australia on an international stage.
Thala’s build was aided by careful planning to minimise impact on the environment and utilise the skills of talented local tradespeople who had an affinity for nature and were able to pivot and adjust as needed to preserve the environment amongst the job site.
Decorated with grand commissioned artworks combined with tropical inspired vibrance and colour the character of Thala was defined. A tribute to the traveller who finds beauty in nature and appreciates an indulgence in global wanderings.
One of the artworks visitors to Thala will notice on arrival is a large painting of a White Bellied Sea Eagle nest in the lobby which was commissioned to local artist William T Cooper ( 1964 – 2015 ). William T Cooper’s work is held in many collections around the world including The Australian National Library and the New Guinea government. The painting residing at Thala was his largest and almost required a wall being removed from his house in order to move it to Thala when it was finished.
With great excitement and speculation about what was ahead Thala Beach Lodge (as it was known before rebranding some years later to Thala Beach Nature Reserve) opened its arms to its first guests in May 1998. The result was a resounding success! The combination of a strong affinity for nature paired with a luxury eco experience resonated exceptionally well with guests worldwide.
Maintaining the highest eco accreditation from Eco Tourism Australia while welcoming people daily from all over the world is an ongoing challenge for operations that have spanned the last decades.
With the remote tropical location unique problem solving is required to minimise impact on the environment while maintaining a high level of service. Thala has withstood everything mother nature has thrown at it including cyclones and global pandemics and stands stronger than ever today. Thala continues to employ many local passionate staff who are on hand to make our guest’s experience special.
Complimentary stainless steel water bottles, elimination of single use plastics, on site waste treatment, on site water harvesting treatment, solar farm, edible garden and a preference for local suppliers and contractors all contribute to the resilient Eco Tourism philosophy at Thala Beach Nature Reserve.
Rob and Oonagh Prettejohn remain the owners of Thala Beach Nature Reserve and have since been joined by their son Seton Prettejohn as a director.
The Prettejohn family continues to oversee the resort and custodianship of the property. Through their passion for nature, eco tourism and travel a welcoming and unique approach to hospitality is maintained providing a special offering for travellers visiting the area now and well into the future.
Thala Beach Nature Reserve continues to be a fiercely independent, locally owned and operated resort which stands as a beacon of hope for eco-tourism amongst the largely foreign and chain owned resort competitors in the region.
We are here 24/7. Please feel free to call or send us a message for all enquiries.
+61(0)7 4098 5700
