It’s a reallife secret garden

Enjoy a private lifestyle among ponds, creeks and waterfalls with countless tropical and native plants, writes Viva Hyde

By day, this lush acreage estate provides a haven for native wildlife. Come nightfall, it’s an ethereal secret garden, illuminated by the glow of twinkling fairy lights. The one-of-a-kind property set over five acres of spectacular tropical grounds in Nerang was a true labour of love for its owners, Allison Appleby, and her fiance, Steve Williams.

Marketed by Brad Coyne and Jonathon Patton, of Kollosche, the holding at 332 Gilston Rd comprises an elegant main residence as well as three guesthouses.

It’s a private oasis, but also one that was designed to be shared, with development approval in place for a function facility hosting weddings and events for up to 90 guests.

Heady summer scents waft from waterlilies floating on a large freshwater lake which never runs dry, providing not only tranquil views but also irrigation for the gardens. Turtles bask, dragonflies and native bees hover, and the trill of kingfishers and whip birds fill the air.

“Fourteen years ago I had this vision that the place needed to be developed into beautiful gardens that would continue on from the lake that was already here, and it would be the most incredible place to have weddings,” said Ms Appleby, the owner of Queensland swimwear label, Aquadiva.

“The grounds around the lake were once all just shale, lifeless and dry and covered in weeds. It’s been years of backbreaking work, landscaping and propagating thousands of plants, bringing in countless tonnes of bushrock and logs and elements to make it all look like a natural wonderland I hoped would one day be shared with other people,” she said.

Striking exterior finishes to the main twostorey home include copper cladding, western red cedar and Brazilian quartz masonry. A dramatic porte cochere leads into the light-filled “great room”, a vast living space with soaring ceilings crowned by handwoven bamboo.

The house has four bedrooms and four bathrooms, including a loft bedroom accessed via an internal suspended staircase, and the master bedroom with an opulent ensuite featuring marble vanity, limestone walls, and a sunken bath with lake views.

“That was one of my crazy ideas. When you’re standing in the bedroom, looking down through that bathtub area, it looks like the house is floating on the water,” Ms Appleby said.

Expansive floor-to-ceiling windows overlook the beautiful free-form pool and beyond to the lake, while luxury finishes include underfloor heating to downstairs travertine and limestone floors, a gas fireplace surrounded by granite, and a glamorous bar and teppanyaki kitchen serving a 12-seat dining table.

“Before we built the house, we lived here for a while in the old house and watched the lay of the land and the way the sun came up, and I realised I really wanted to get the house as close to the water as we could afford,” Ms Appleby said.

“I wanted the views to be uninterrupted in every way. The windows are as big as possible, so there’s lots of light. You can sit in the lounge room with the stars and the birds flying over,” she said.

Ms Appleby said the home was designed with its commercial potential in mind, and would suit use as a boutique hotel or wellness centre. Charming guesthouses dotted through the grounds include a selfcontained apartment with a studio; a onebedroom pondside cottage; and a sweet cubby house roomy enough for a sleep-out.

Ms Appleby’s voice wavers slightly as she contemplates moving, but the couple are relocating to Mr Williams’ native England, where they will be married later this year in a 1,300-year-old church.

The property is marketed via an expressions of interest campaign closing August 24.