Glasshouse views hidden in hills
The bushwalking mecca of Beechmont is coming to life with new attractions and accommodation options, but you’ll need to hit a back road to discover its most scenic secret
IT is what’s outside that counts.
Lying in bed watching the rain patter on a glass roof or soaking up the scenery from the bathtub, nothing gets between you and the view at this Beechmont Airbnb.
Stargazer, a shipping container conversion planted in a picturesque paddock, is hot property on the accommodation platform.
I waited months for a booking – still surprisingly affordable – but the cabin’s currently boasting availability from February for travellers looking for a new perspective on the hinterland hamlet.
While the hosts live next door, the two-bedroom space is self-contained and fenced for complete privacy … even in the bathroom, where one wall opens entirely to embrace valley views.
The owners’ bandanawearing wolfhound Caesar is fond of greeting guests, but like the property’s herd of rescue horses, soon melts into the pastoral panorama presented through floor-and-ceiling glass frontage. We may be sliding into summer, but nights are cooler on the plateau, affording plenty of opportunity to swap stories over the outdoor fireplace.
The big timber deck also has a pizza oven.
A rainbow of knitted hot-water bottles and slippers are thoughtfully stashed in the bedroom, or stay snug under the doona and stargaze from bed.
There’s a full kitchen, but if you’d rather let somebody else do the honours, Canungra is 20 minutes away with a top pub, equally reputable pie shop, groceries, retail and restaurants.
Lamington National Park is Beechmont’s main attraction and its most famous walks are just 10-15 minutes’ drive from Stargazer.
We wind past new luxury gated retreat Hazelwood Estate to the reopened Binna Burra Lodge, where the road is hugged by forest giants still scarred by the devastating 2019 bushfires.
Even the shortest of trails is testament to the resilience of this ancient pocket of Gondwana rainforest, where pademelons peep from the undergrowth and giant figs pierce the dense canopy.
We hear bowerbirds and catbirds on a 20-minute taster stroll around the Rainforest Circuit, but more serious hikers might want to tackle the Border Track, part of the Gold Coast Hinterland Great Walk.
Visitors can also discover Beechmont plateau from the saddle, letting Scenic Rim Equine Group do the legwork on a variety of trail rides.