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Growing up in Noosa, local designer Chloe Tozer says Halse Lodge was everyone’s favourite watering hole.
‘After a long sun-drenched day on Noosa Main Beach, our parents would drag us up to the lodge for a feed, a lemonade, and a game of ping pong.
‘When I became of age, it was the place where I had my first beer and it became the local for my friendship circle and Noosa community alongside nomads and travellers.’
Originally built in the 1880s and known as Bayview, then Hillcrest Guest House after being extended in the 1920s, the Anglican Church acquired the site in 1959 and renamed it Halse Lodge to provide accommodation for mostly school and church groups.
In the 1990s, Halse Lodge evolved into a public guesthouse and backpackers accommodation, but the property was poorly maintained. When COVID hit, the lodge sat dormant for four years, until Chloe Tozer came along.
The restoration of Halse Lodge is now complete. The majority of the property, including several rooms, the bar, and restaurant, opened in 2024, and the final stage, the Rainforest Rooms, are now open for bookings ahead of a December 2026 opening.
Comprising two six-bed female dormitories and one self-contained private two-bedroom, two-bathroom suite, the Rainforest Rooms have increased the capacity of Halse Lodge to sleep 101 people.
The Lodge is still owned by the Anglican Church, and Chloe and her family have part ownership as part of the lease.
Having grown up visiting Halse Lodge, the significance of restoring a local icon was not lost on Chloe, who took every precaution to retain its historic features and ensure its longevity.
‘It’s a real privilege to work on a project that means so much to so many,’ she says. ‘The lodge has a distinctive original character that cannot be replaced. Putting our own take on it without taking anything away from its original beauty was our most important role.’
In the restoration, Chloe embraced iconic Queenslander features and researched colours and materials traditionally used to restore the property’s former glory.
Each building is drenched in a different colour (red, rainforest green, or yellow) to evoke a sense of fun and capture a nostalgic Queensland feel.
‘The colour palette had to be like nothing seen in Noosa — something bright and full of energy — a celebration of happy memories, holidays and sun-drenched days spent at the beach,’ Chloe says.
The newly completed Rainforest Rooms showcase a cooler palette than the wider lodge to blend in with their surroundings, enhanced by wraparound verandahs that blur the line between indoors and out.
‘The feeling of being under the reflective green ceiling makes you feel like you’re underwater,’ Chloe says. ‘It’s cooling and calming and everything you want to feel on holidays.’
These are certainly not your average hostel dorm rooms. Instead of leaking ceilings and a basement kitchen, backpackers are treated to bespoke bunk beds and a stainless steel kitchen with original windows opening to lush rainforest views.
Chloe has ensured the property’s legacy by adding extra insulation, air conditioning, and mould-resistant materials such as cork throughout the buildings.
‘We took no shortcuts with the renovation and worked with professionals to ensure the longevity of the icon,’ she says.
At the same time, the property remains true to its roots. In the central community area, the same ping pong table Chloe played growing up remains, as well as the original piano from the 1880s.
‘While no longer in tune, it is a beautiful mantle that dresses the space,’ she says.
Chloe is proud of having brought the lodge back to life, both for the benefit of international travellers and locals.
The sentiment from locals — many of whom contributed to the restoration along the way — has been overwhelmingly positive. ‘Having locals work on the project was integral to its success, understanding the environment, the town and its people,’ she says.
Listed on the Queensland Heritage Register, Halse Lodge is the only surviving guesthouse in Noosa Heads from the 1920s. The property today provides beautifully appointed accommodation with an affordable price tag relative to the popular tourist area, starting at $89 a night.
Chloe adds, ‘Halse Lodge is special to Noosa because it embodies the laid-back feeling of summer holidays. It’s elevated but casual, warm and inviting. It’s a fun place to meet friends, but more importantly, make friends.’
