Q Station Retreat Sydney

"Powerfully Inspiring."

Situated on Manly's North Head, deep in the heart of Sydney's National Park, Q Station Retreat is just 7 miles from Sydney and 1000 miles from care.

Q Station is a contemporary take of the former North Head Quarantine Station. Originally occupied by the Garrigal people, North Head was a meeting place with strong spiritual significance. In the 1830s a quarantine station was established, which operated until 1984.

Migrants suspected of carrying contagious disease were quarantined at the site to protect the local Sydney community from infection.

Originally chosen for its isolation and safe anchorage options, the site today comprises 65 buildings, several archeological sites and spectacular vantage points for viewing Sydney Harbour and the Sydney Harbour National Park.

Now leased and in the care of the Mawland Group, the site has been transformed into Q Station, a place for powerful, rejuvenating experiences to explore the future by connecting the past to the present.

From 2:00 PM

Prior to 11:00 AM

"Escape the ordinary."

Enjoy fresh modern cuisine inspired by cultures that once visited Quarantine Station and prepared to perfection by Q Station's world class chef.

The Boilerhouse Restaurant is open daily for guests and visitors to enjoy breakfast, lunch, dinner, or just a cup of coffee.

Start your dining experience with a drink on the outdoor terrace complete with views of idyllic Quarantine Beach and captivating Sydney Harbour. Move inside where above the open plan kitchen, a mezzanine level offers a heritage style dining area of what was once the old Boilerhouse.

From the restaurant walk onto Quarantine Beach and have a swim before or after your meal. While you enjoy wine and conversation your children can enjoy the beach.
About the chef

Reinhard Roithner, originally from Austria but now a naturalised Australian, is the Executive Chef at Q Station. A veteran in kitchen management, Reinhard joined from Singapore, where he was the Executive Chef at the Sentosa Resort & Spa.

Since graduating from his apprenticeship at Gmunden, Austria Trade School in 1972, Reinhard has gone on to work in 16 countries with well-known international luxury hotel companies and well-known Hotel Management Schools.

When coming to Australia in 1988, he worked at the Southern Cross Hotel and was involved in the opening of the Darling Harbor Hotels, between 1994 and 2000. Reinhard has a great understanding of flavours and tastes and the various cooking styles of different cultures. He is a member of the prestigious Academie Culinaire de France, being counted as one of the exclusive 450 chef members worldwide.

Some of Reinhard's many achievements include involvement in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. He also successfully represented Australia in the Culinary Olympics in Frankfurt in 1992.

Defiance

Season 1 has now closed - watch this space for next season's dates

Relive the moving and inspirational true stories of life in quarantine. Defiance, Q Station's powerful immersion theatre production, takes you on an extraordinary journey through the lives of the people who worked or were interned at the former Quarantine Station as they battled against one of mankind's greatest enemies, disease.

As the audience of an 'immersion' theatre production, you become part of the experience of Defiance. Seated inside the original buildings where the events depicted actually took place, the actors close enough to touch, Defiance becomes a totally engaging and immensely personal theatre experience.

Theatrical productions all over the world go to great lengths to build sets to recreate historic environments but at Q Station the buildings on site are where it all really happened.

Using the very latest special effects technology, Defiance fires the imagination and brings each story, each character vividly to life in a poignant and unique way.

Defiance is a moving and thought-provoking theatrical encounter and definitely one of Sydney's 'must do' experiences.

Showtime
Saturday 2pm & 7:30pm
Sunday 5:00pm

Ticket Price
From $35.00 per person

Defiance is not suitable for children under ten years.

Tours at Q Station Retreat

Spirit Investigator - The Spirit Investigator lets you create a series of interactive experiments designed to detect and record the presence of paranormal activity inside reportedly haunted buildings. Spirit Investigator lets you create a series of interactive experiments designed to detect the presence of paranormal activity, combined with a medium who will try to make contact with the spirits.
Times 8:30pm Friday; Duration 2.5 hours

Adult Ghosty - With more lights, people and noise, our longest running experience must come to an end soon. But for those who want to squeeze it in one more time, we are running them for a little while longer on the quieter nights...

Times 8.00pm Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday & Sunday; Duration 2.5 Hours

This tour is not suitable for children under 16 years

40 days - The original length of time people were supposed to be quarantined for was 40 days. Our 40 Days interactive experience asks the question, 'What would happen if you were quarantined tomorrow?'
Interactive and mentally stimulating, 40 Days is like a board game that covers the whole of Q Station's incredible site.
Times 11:00am Sunday; Duration 2 hours

Family Ghosty - If you are looking for a family activity that's a little different, then Q Station's Family Ghosty interactive experience is ideal. Let nightfall be your doorway into another world as you hear the stories and legends of the former Quarantine Station internees. Our guides on the Family Ghosty select stories just as captivating as the Adult Ghost Tour, however, less frightening for children.
Times 6.30pm Friday & Saturday; Duration 2 hours

Quarantine Station Story Day Tour - Experience the serene natural surrounds while you learn about the day to day living experiences of our early quarantine guests. Hear how passengers were segregated according to their passenger ticket; see the autoclaves used to sterilise luggage and personal effects; experience the inhalation chambers and hear how they were used; visit the hospital and doctors and nurses station; see equipment and conditions. Read the wonderful inscriptions left by early guests.
Times 3.00pm Saturday & Sunday; Duration 2 hours

Wharf Wander - This tour is for those who don't have much time to spare (45 min). Join a guide and grab a brief overview of the history of the Quarantine Station. Find out what's behind the closed doors in the Wharf Precinct and, if time permits, wanter up to the Hospital.
Times 1.30pm & 3.30pm Wednesday, Thursday & Friday; Duration 45 minutes.