Quarterdecks Retreat

LOCATION Around a 20-minute walk down to the harbour, from where you can catch the shuttle bus that takes you on the Fraser Island day trips. The units are in a gated complex. ROOM We had a villa that had an open plan lounge / kitchen, a separate bedroom and bathroom, and an outside patio. It also came with a secure garage. The villa was nicely decorated and furnished, and was very clean. The bed was large and comfortable. The room had a kettle, fridge, washing machine and drier, and iron and ironing board. Everything you need! FACILITIES The reception is located outside the entrance gate. We didn’t have time to use any of the other facilities. STAFF We met the NZ couple who have recently become the new management for the resort. They were lovely and very helpful. Our thanks!

Having read the reviews which are very mixed I think like many holiday accommodations the villas are owned by independent owners and these owners maintain then to each individual owners standard which makes it difficult and very much pot luck as to what you get. We made a late decision to book on our way back home. The lady receptionist was lovely, She did mention they were new . We checked in and were given our villa key which also opens the large electric gates. We had Villa 25 and were delighted with the standard of presentation. The furniture was well above the standard of most holiday apartments/villas. The bed was super comfy. We had a 2 bedroom Villa, the lounge dining area was huge as was the TV, it had a full size kitchen, full size fridge, cooker and cook top, Plenty of hot water as well. There was crockery and cutlery so very self contained. Lounge has a A/C but what we really liked was the fact the bedroom had a fan and you could open the sliding door at night as it had again a quality screen door. The pool area has a well set up BBQ area and plenty of seating. The only small negatives , the outside court yard area of our villa had a lot of weeds which needed to be sprayed, the other quite annoying thing is that there are signs that say , if you have a large vehicle that does not fit your garage you have to park outside on the street. This is ignored by some of the visitors or residents. We went out to dinner and came back to find a huge 4X4 parked opposite our garage door which meant we had to go door knocking to find the owner and ask them to move it which they did but in the morning when we went to leave it had been parked next to our villa again making it difficult for us to get our car out. As I have stated I think the managers are new , hopefully they can fix the issues others encountered because it really is a lovely place to stay.

We booked for 3 nights, after the first night we found we couldn't lock the back door, so I went to reception to ask to fix it or to be provided a new room. The answer we got was shocking really. Reception's response was "oh you will be fine as the owner has been living like that for ages". When I said we had just bought a new car and I don't feel like it was secure, they responded "the owner has a nice car too, so it'll be ok". I let them know that was an example of security and my main concern was for my two daughters and wife. The response was "its much safer in Hervey Bay than Brisbane". Only after sending an email with pictures of the door and requesting formally did they start trying to find a resolution. We ended up having to stay there unable to lock the back door for another night before they moved us into another villa. I would not recommend this place to anyone, go somewhere else.

Whomever is advertising this as 5 star has clearly never travelled or seen their own accommodation. Our apartment was tired and in need of a renovation. The furniture was old and dated, the “outdoor area” just a small little area to sit with a dirt patch instead of grass. Uncomfortable beds. Carpet worn down and in need of replacement. The pool area is behind a swamp and absolutely riddled with midges. We could not use the pool in the afternoon, as we were completely covered in bites as soon as we got there. In the time we were there the “residents” who live onsite were having some sort of meeting/discussion about the pool filter with alcohol. No way is that a “retreat” vibe. The kitchen was covered in ants that went in the pantry. We stayed away from it. The “retreat” is not close to anything in Hervey Bay. You will need to drive everything, although you can walk to a “beach” close by. And don’t get me started on the unfriendly and unhelpful older female receptionist. This person should NOT work there. When we wanted to make a change in our booking to book a larger apartment (so incresing the money we woukd be paying too), she made rude remarks about our surname and that it was strange and she couldn’t understand it and that it was not a name she had heard of before and that it looked more like a mistake. “Your strange name”. Well, lady, our “strange name” is originally Polish and it has been handed down through generations. We ARE actually Australian, even though you were so seemingly ****** towards us about it, in fact my husbands grandfather was a Polish soldier who helped free The Netherlands from Nazi Germany with that “Strange Name”, in WW2. Respect PLEASE! We won’t EVER be back. This is NOT 5 star by any means.