June came out of nowhere again! I was at Christmas dinner, blinked and found myself halfway through 2013 in dire need of some R&R.
Looking for somewhere to warm up, Mr LML and I were very excited to be invited to stay in the Gold Coast hinterland at the O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat & Mountain Villas … we had no idea what a treat we were in for.
Like most Brisbanites I had been up to O’Reilly’s with my family when I was a child to feed the birds and go on the tree-top walk so when we heard we were staying in a deluxe villa with spa on the deck I must admit I was intrigued to find out what is really up the mountain.
To make the most of the weekend we take off after work on Friday and head straight for the hills. The drive to the Lamington National Park is a windy one and we spot more cows than cars on the trip but arriving at our very own villa makes it all worthwhile.
The Mountain Villas are located in a separate area of the property to the main lodge. It’s an exclusive gated section lined with simple, spacious and cosy villas all overlooking the gorgeous valley.
The family friendly reputation of the resort has remained untarnished however the Mountain Villas bring an extra level of luxury that we find ourselves very at home in.
After our late arrival on Friday, we awake to take in the breathtaking view from our balcony and soak up the chance to properly take in the scene.
Our cosy villa has a fireplace, large deck with spa bath, full kitchen and two rooms with ensuites. Enough room for a whole family… OR lots of space for a couple to squirrel away for the weekend.
We venture up to the main lodge for breakfast and are excited to find a full buffet with local produce in the wood panelled setting. The building’s heavy timber beams and panelling really remind you that you are in the mountains.
Although we are tempted to go back and relax by the fire all day we decide to check out the activities on offer. I may sound like a massive nerd or just a child but when the bird man comes walking through the gift shop with some sort of falcon on his arm I find myself saying “Two tickets to the bird show please” without even thinking.
And I’m so glad I did. I’m not that much of a bird person that I would go bird-watching, although if you are keen on it there were plenty of enthusiasts hiking with their zoom lenses in tow, but I really enjoy this show.
Mr LML and I are glad none of our city friends are here with us because we may not have been able to be such kids checking out the beautiful Owls, Kites and Eagles as they soar above us and walk through the seating area during the show.
Being a very cold day, we excuse ourselves from strenuous activities, have a stroll around the grounds and warm up with some lunch at the Mountain Café before we reward ourselves with reading by the fireplace.
If you’re feeling a little more active, there is a lot to do at O’Reilly’s: you can hike, take a Segway tour on one of the trails, feed the birds, take a zip line over the valley and go on a glow worm tours. However if you need to relax you can watch this all happen around you while having a spa on the deck of your Villa. The choice is up to you 😉
In the evening you can stock up on supplies from the general store and cook dinner in the villa, dine at the Mountain View restaurant OR you can book the head chef to cook a five course meal in your villa. We go for option three.
The chef arrives to set up in the afternoon right when we are heading to the Rainforest Bar for happy hour cocktails. Needless to say all of my favourite things are happening at once and I’m not sure how to channel my excitement, but thankfully cocktails in the bar does the trick.
When we return to our villa the table is set, wines and bread are laid out on the table and the smell is absolutely amazing.
We are treated to course after course of delicious dishes. The order goes something like this: breads with a selections of yummy dips; prawns with avocado salsa and balsamic glaze; chicken skewers with dukkah; crispy skin salmon with asparagus; eye fillet steak with polenta cake, blue cheese sauce and vegetables; and poached pears with macadamia ice cream.
OMG we are lucky we are already in the Villa because afterwards we aren’t really capable of walking. There is no way we were going to be able to touch the cheese plate that the chef left for us in the fridge… actually after about an hour and a movie we decide we better not be wasteful. That would just be rude.
Needless to say the next day we are in desperate need of a massage and luckily for us you can see the onsite Lost World spa from our deck. You need to book in advance but make sure you do because it is amazing. The sensational view is a given, but mix that with getting pampered and it is holiday heaven.
Feeling totally blissful, we reluctantly hand over the keys to the villa and make our way back down the mountain and inspired by the wines from our dinner we decide on one more decadent experience – dining at the Canungra Valley Vineyards.
The Vineyards have a beautiful old estate house which is filled with cosy spots to pull up a chair and enjoy a meal, complete with live music on Sundays. It is the perfect end to a perfectly relaxing weekend.
O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat & Mountain Villas offer a range of great packages suited for both couples wanting to escape (and do what Mr LML and I did) or for families looking to take advantage of all of the activities on offer.