Silky Oaks Lodge The Jewel of the Tropical North
March 2020 A little earlier than planned (thanks Covid), Silky farewells its last guests for a while.
All hands on deck - the dedicated closing team at Silky Oaks Lodge.
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The Silky management team, Angelique and Sonya, cooling off after a successful day of packing up!
Angelique and Graham takefive on a bed of throw cushions.
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May 2020 The lodge is emptied and cleaned, some of the team had a rinse too!
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Out with the old...
Celebrating an empty Treehouse Restaurant with a ham and salad roll.
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August 2020
Ange tending the gardens at silky.
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Sonya enjoying some fresh air while refurbing guest room items.
26 beds were donated to the local Bamanga Bubu Ngadimunku Aboriginal Community, based in Mossman Gorge. These were distributed to members of their community precinct, as well as Indigenous families in need within the Mossman township.
The First Baillie Bed arrived on-site for the prototype room. A momentous occasion!
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October 2020 Andy giving the benchtops some TLC.
November 2020 The Silky refurb team and a few helpers who have been assisting to clean up rooms before the wet season, pictured above enjoying a staff BBQ.
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December 2020 One year to go.
The Silky team came together for a very different type of Christmas party, not knowing at that stage that the following Christmas they will have just welcomed their first guests back.
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The QLD borders open (albeit briefly), allowing Craig to sneak in for some Xmas cheer with the management team.
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January 2021 As 2021 begins, the team gets ready for the serious building works to begin…
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February 2021 The Baillie Lodges project team – James, Hayley, Sara and Joel - visit Silky to start putting the finer design concepts together
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March 2021
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Hayley shows Penny Rafferty (left) of Luxury Lodges of Australia and Phillipa Harrison (right) of Tourism Australia her interior design plans.
Sonya, Craig and Graham with Juan Walker of Walkabout Cultural Adventures.
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April 2021 Craig visits just so he can get in on the high-vis look!
Alf and Laza apply the finishing touches to the spa skylight.
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May 2021
Mary (left) from Pietra Bianca was very happy to be rid of (all 26) stone baths after a year long delay! Meanwhile, the team are hard at work on the spa.
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Framing is underway
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y on the main lodge.
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A panoramic shot of the progress made on the main lodge, with the roof structure being insta
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alled. This photo was taken standing in the location where the new reception will be located.
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June 2021
Alf sanding down the spa doors.
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Andy spray-painting the Garden Retreat bathroom doors.
Alf and Keegs painting the spa.
July 2021
Andy relocating a local friend.
Jill Dean visited Silky for the day, reunited with old P&O colleague Ken Hawkins.
Wine bottle cleaning day at ‘Dan Murphys Finlayvale Rd’, Sonya tests the new doona.
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August 2021 6 months to go.
Progress on the main lodge. This photo was taken from the bar area, the walls are going in.
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The Silky Refurb team enjoy a lunch break (top), Anna and Monica (right) turning the laundry around!
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September 2021
Monica and Anna don their trademark pink high-vis!
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Construction of the kitchen garden nears completion.
Tool time with Keegs and Ange.
October 2021
The team put the tools down to welcome new sister lodge, The Louise, to the BL family.
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Planting begins in the kitchen garden.
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Hard at work cleaning up the lodge surrounds.
November 2021 Words of encouragement from Michael Lalli. The first BLHQ person onsite since the end of June!
The Kitchen Brigade’s first sneak peek of their new setup... taking in that new car smell!
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December 2021 Opening month!
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Restaurant tables come together! The team (including Ange, pictured right) have had a massive 2 days receiving most of the furniture & rugs; and doing a fantastic job!
Kitchen facilities are installed, and finishing touches are applied. Overseen by Baillie Lodges stalwart Tom Saliba (above). The brains trust (heads of department) host a meeting in the Healing Waters Spa (right).
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The team took part in an Amazing Race style adventure to discover parts of Silky they may not have been familiar with, one of their challenges was to show their best yoga pose.
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Filled with new and familiar faces, the team enjoys a welcome beverage on the newly refurbished Treehouse Restaurant deck.
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Run by Juan Walker of Walkabout Cultural Adventures, a traditional smoking ceremony takes place by the Mossman River to ward off bad spirits and make a pathway for a bighter future (below).
New members have arrived, and Lodge Manager Sonya addresses the complete Silky team for the first time (above).
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Hayley and Sara celebrating the first dinner in the new restaurant just before opening (it was Thai takeaway, but the surroundings were magnificent!)
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One day to go, Marky, Sonya and Ange working on their poses to welcome the first guests
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The New Silky
y Oaks Lodge
The Lodge
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Guest Suites
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Opening Day
Opening day - Housekeeping & Guest Services read the F&B Team in their gorgeous new restaurant and
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dy for action, Kitchen Team about to cook up a storm, d Sonya & Ange waiting for their first guests to arrive.
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