New South Wales

Dantosa House and Cottage

Blue Mountains From $1200 for two nights dantosa.com Guests, young and old, will warm to the terracotta warriors guarding the front door of this remarkable estate just outside of Katoomba in the World Heritagelisted Blue Mountains National Park. Dantosa accommodates tribe-sized gatherings of up to 17 in the main homestead – with its balcony views over the lake and bedding for nine – and the nearby cottage that sleeps eight. The cottage is the original homestead of this former goat farm. It’s more than 100 years old but the interiors here and in the main house are pleasingly modern. Expect polished timber floors, a restaurateur’s kitchen and fancy gadgets like Apple TV, Miele appliances and built-in coffee machines. A fifth of the 3.5-hectare property is native bush; the rest is elegant parklands and gardens that bloom with daffodils in spring and an 80-metre hedge of hydrangeas in summer. Within the grounds, the young and the restless can shoot hoops, play tennis or boules, go kayaking on the lake and even swim in it in summer. Homebodies can choose to snuggle by the pot-bellied stove in the lakehouse pavilion, soak in the spa bath or poke around the triple-vaulted 8000-bottle wine cellar built into the side of the mountain. (Tastings can be arranged on request.) Dantosa is a handy base for bushwalking in the Blue Mountains – the Three Sisters and Echo Point are only a fiveminute drive away – and for exploring the region’s quaint towns. But there’s much to be said for staying put, too.