How to get lost where you'll never want to be found



Can you hear that?  It's  the sound of nothing but bird calls floating past on a light breeze while the big-enough-for-two spa fills with bubbles.

I'm in the back blocks of the Mary River Valley at Melawondi Spring Retreat, surrounded by blue sky and gum trees with the occasional wallaby lazily hopping by without a care in the world.   You can feel the serenity.

Tony and Tanya Fisher moved here from Melbourne with their daughter, and they figured that other might enjoy the same atmosphere that attracted them to this out-of-the-way part of South East Queensland.

My route here from Brisbane took me along the Bruce Highway through the country centre of Kenilworth via several interesting stops, so I guess it is a good two-hour drive from the city smoke.




Located high on a hill overlooking some of the 12-hectare property is a spacious one-bedroom studio which offers both seclusion and luxury.  There are binoculars and bird watching guides that beg me to relax on the verandah's oversized day bed while sipping on a glass of bubbly and pretend I am spotting rare examples of the feathered kind.

More my speed at the moment is the big white, fluffy robe to wear before I relax in the spa pampered by a range of spa products.




The decent sized kitchen also has a fridge stocked with an excellent selection of local goodies.  Tanya has made it her mission to find the best local food around, so from rich red rumps to green tomato pickles, briny feta to plum purple figs, you can be sure it's real country produce.





All this is provided so I can whip up a gourmet dinner on the deck barbecue, which I do while we finish off the bubbly.





Although there's plenty to amuse ourselves with as darkness falls, including magazines, movies, and even a star chart, it's the fine cotton weave sheets on the queen-sized bed that demands most attention.




Bright-eyed and refreshed in the morning, I wake to see a few more wallabies wander across the landscape while I cook up the more than ample contents of the breakfast hamper.

We head out to explore more of this part of the country with plans to fill the car with local produce at the Dagun Growers Market.




If you have an interest in art, do not miss the chance to stop at Lasting Impressions Art Gallery in Kenilworth's Elizabeth Street. Celebrating 30 years of sharing art, this major regional gallery is an absolute gem and a delightful browse.



Cost:  Weekends (Friday to Sunday) at Melawondi Spring Retreat Weekends is $295 per night (minimum two nights)

Disclaimer Ed+bK was a guest of Melawondi Spring Retreat