BRISBANE’S GRAPE ESCAPE
In a five-star “tent” overlooking a billabong teeming with friendly wildlife, WD’S PHILLIP KOCH falls in love with a Mount Cotton vineyard
Imagine a weekend stargazing from the balcony of your own elegant canvas tent perched on a wooden platform. Or watching the kangaroos and wallabies at play on your doorstep, with just the song of native birds in the background. It sounds like a slice of paradise that should be a million miles away from civilisation, but this incredible glamping resort is just 30 minutes from Brisbane airport and even better, is part of an award-winning vineyard.
Sanctuary by Sirromet is the perfect place for a weekend away for those who really don’t want to do very much at all. Relax and unwind, or drink fine wine and eat incredible local produce at one of the resort’s three eateries.
Spread among the Laguna paperbark trees and scribbly gums, Sanctuary’s tented pavilions (it doesn’t seem right to call these five-star jewels “tents”), set on stilts with private wooden balconies leave you feeling more like you’re in a luxury treehouse.
With amazing views across Moreton Bay and a giant billabong ringed with trees, this recently completed glamping resort at Mount Cotton provides a feast for the eyes, yet is just a short walk away (or golf buggy ride if you’re feeling lazy) from a cellar filled with delicious wines.
The grapes come from Queensland’s 200 million year old granite belt, an emerging grape growing region south of Brisbane, and are turned into a series of award-winning wines at Sirromet, a family owned and operated vineyard.
These include the pinot gris, cabernet sauvignon and verdelho. The Terry Morris signature collection cab sav got a 95 rating from famed wine critic
James Halliday, who gave the same rating to the 2013
Wild Chardonnay, which won gold at the Vienna International Wine Challenge.
The staff are incredibly proud of their wines and are only too happy to tell you how they’re made – before you put your taste buds to the test. Or take the tour of the vineyard and see for yourself.
But you don’t need to love fine wine to enjoy Sanctuary. One teetotaller mate says she’d come back in a heartbeat just for more of the local produce at Lurleen’s – Sirromet’s signature restaurant.
If you want something more casual or child-friendly, don’t overlook the Tuscan Terrace, which serves woodfired pizzas and a selection of alfresco food, or the Cellar Door where you can enjoy breakfast or a snack.