Escape into a rural romance
This luxury Sunshine Coast farm stay is one family’s love letter to life on the land
Watching wild ducks on the lake, sipping sundowners around a firepit and soaking under the stars in an outdoor tub.
Sixty6 Acres owners Andrew and Jo Pitcher have put in the hard yards to transform overgrown cane country into a luxury retreat, but it’s the simple pleasures that are propelling the popularity of their growing farm stay.
“I love sitting on the balcony of the Quarters in the cool of the afternoon and hearing the swoosh of the wild ducks as they come in to land on the lake, or looking through the firepit as the sun sets on the top of the hill,” Jo says.
While it sounds like a scene from The Notebook, this lakefront love letter to life on the land is only a couple of hour away on the Sunshine Coast.
The couple and their three kids – aged 14, 16 and 18 – bought the Woombye property 13 years ago, welcoming their first guests just under a year ago.
“It has been a family passion project, with Andrew’s Dad, Ken, spending three years driving our old blue tractor to tidy up the place,” Jo says.
“Andrew’s parents farmed pineapples around Woombye from the late 1950s and Andrew’s Mum, Claire, is a thirdgeneration Woombye resident and has never had another postcode.
“Andrew grew up swimming in Paynters Creek, which runs at the back of the property.
“Woombye is the perfect location … you get to surround yourself with acres of green space, wildlife and farmyard friends in a luxury setting, but still be within reach of a surf at Mooloolaba Beach, high tea in Montville or an ice cream in Noosa.
“We have been overwhelmed by the response from guests and the reviews we have received since opening in March last year.
“We have enjoyed meeting guests from all around Australia, NZ, as well as Singapore, Taiwan, China and PNG. We even hosted a lovely couple honeymooning from South Carolina who were very keen to see a local platypus (and they managed to spot three!).”
Travellers can choose from one of six two-bedroom country Quarters scattered around the lake, with wood-burning fireplaces, freestanding baths, full kitchens and interiors by The Belle Bright Project, or the newest addition – a cosy threebedroom cottage called The Acreage.
They can borrow inflatable tractor inner tubes to float on the lake, handfeed the mini menagerie of donkeys, belted galloways, horses and sheep, or collect fresh eggs for breakfast from the Chicken Caravan.
“The best of what the Sunshine Coast has to offer is only minutes away, and yet you have all this space on the farm to reset and recharge,” Jo says.
“Kids can explore and have a real, hands-on farm experience, leaving parents to enjoy the luxury of the accommodations.”
Visitors are encouraged to pick their own produce – the hosts recommend pineapple daiquiris enjoyed on the broad verandas.
“Over the past 18 months we have been busy planting 3000 native (trees) as well as pineapples, coffee, citrus, strawberries, sugar cane and ginger,” Jo says.
“We’ve still got lots of other ideas to bring to fruition.”
To book to go sixty6 acres.com