BATHE IN THE BEAUTY OF THE BUSH
WITH LUXURY CABINS AND ONE OF THE REGION’S MOST REVERED RESTAURANTS, THIS ROMANTIC MINI BREAK IS A BREATH OF FRESH COUNTRY AIR
FEW things feel as refreshing as a heatbreaking afternoon storm in the Australian bush. Except, perhaps, watching showers sweep across parched paddocks from the luxury of an open-air bubble bath.
Thunder cracks and the wind ripples a sea of sun-bleached grass, inviting the tiny birds that bunk in the bottlebrush out to ride the current roller coaster.
The alfresco attraction at Grandchester’s Spicers Hidden Vale, reserved for guests staying in its high-end timber cabins, is the ultimate way to appreciate 12,000 acres (4856ha) of bushland beauty.
A screen slides forward to block the breeze and prying eyes, or back to reveal a bigger slice of sky.
There’s a strategically positioned stump to hold the red wine and squirrel treats from the mini bar.
Tucked towards the back of the retreat, about 40km southwest of Ipswich, the cabins also feature stone fireplaces, open double showers, plush king beds and view-framing verandas.
While Hidden Vale has a choice of rooms, suites and Queenslander-style cottages for families intending to bring the flock, these private love nests set the scene for a rural romance.
The bathtubs, for the record, comfortably fit two.
Days can be spent on cheese and wine tastings, picnicking in the paddocks or cooing over bush babies in the onsite wildlife centre – hover over a QR coded activity map for inspiration.
To really up the ante, there are scenic chopper flights.
Somewhere between sunset cocktails and campfires under the stars, be sure to book dinner at Homage.
Any Spicers property could hang its hat on exceptional food, but this is one of the group’s most lauded eateries. Each appetising adventure starts inside the grand homestead at Hidden Vale’s heart, tables surveying the infinity pool and a patchwork of farmland.
That pastoral panorama inspires memorable, multi-course meals peppered with surprises, from lavender-scented cocktails to duck leg “chiko rolls” drizzled in sweet and sour raspberry. Free market garden tours add another layer of appreciation, with executive chef Ash Martin’s team pottering through garden beds where root, stem and all can be commandeered for the plate.
Epicurean experiments centre around a smokehouse and fermentation room, while beehives and orchards contribute to a genuinely homegrown dining experience.
ROADTRIP TIP:
Grandchester is in Ipswich, around an hour and a half drive from the Gold Coast. Allow time for a pit stop at the faithfully restored Grandchester Railway Station, which is open on the first Sunday of each month.