Emerald Springs Roadhouse

Description

Sliding off the Stuart Highway just north of Pine Creek in the Top End of the Northern Territory is Emerald Springs. It used to be just a roadhouse, serving lukewarm coffee and milk arrowroot bickies to passing truckies, before it was closed down and boarded up for nearly four years.

But Dallas and Belinda saw its potential, and on the good advice of supportive and cluey locals, completely transformed Emerald Springs into six landscaped acres of tropical gardens with 40 rooms, a caravan park, licenced restaurant and bar, conference and function facilities and an enormous hardwood deck that begs to be relaxed on.

And that’s only the beginning. Plans are now in motion to construct 10 eco-friendly cabins around Lake Emerald – the property’s lily-covered, spring-fed lake. They’ll match the new Buley Rockhole-inspired swimming pool going in this year.

Stop in for a meal, try the homemade ice-cream or just grab a coffee – with the only cappuccino machine between Darwin and Katherine it’s the best coffee around.

Emerald Springs really isn’t what you expect.