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 at Melawondi Spring Retreat in Mary Valley, Sunshine Coast Hinterland.
I’m in the back blocks of the Mary Valley, 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.
Only two hours from Brisbane and just under an hour from Sunshine Coast Airport, this valley is filled with lush green pastures, placid waterways and plenty of country hospitality.
It’s the sort of place where you can retreat from the world and maybe they won’t ever find you – fingers crossed!
Tony and Tanya Fisher moved here from Melbourne with their daughter, and they figured that others might enjoy the same atmosphere that attracted them to this out-of-the-way part of South East Queensland.
Weekend getaway at Melawondi Spring Retreat, Mary Valley
My route to the Mary Valley 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 Luxury Studio which offers both seclusion and luxury. There are binoculars and bird watching guides that beg me to relax on the veranda’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 us 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.
Dagun Growers Market
We head out to explore more of the Mary Valley with plans to fill the car with local produce at the Dagun Growers Market which runs every Saturday from 3 pm at the Dagun Heritage Railway Station.
The stalls are filled with locally grown and organic produce fresh from the farm gate, just out of the oven baked goodies and handmade creations. Expect to see local, fresh-picked and spray-free seasonal fruit and vegetables all sourced from within a 70 km radius.
Where is Melawondi Spring Retreat?
It’s bitumen all the way to Melawondi and you’ll find it at 149 Melawondi Road, Imbil in the Mary Valley, Sunshine Coast Hinterland. Check the website for detailed instructions on how to get there as you GPS may make up stories.
Staying there
Weekends (Friday to Sunday) at Melawondi Spring Retreat Weekends in the Luxury Studio is $295 per night (minimum two nights)
There’s also Studio 149 which is two-bedroom house with full kitchen facilities plus a bathroom and separate toilet. Rates start at $120 a night for two people.
Disclaimer Ed+bK was a guest of Melawondi Spring Retreat
