Would you rather a cup of tea or some home made chocolate to
go with your scone and the best views in Queensland? Why not have both followed
up by a night in the rainforest by your own log fire?
Montville up on the ridgeline of the Blackall Ranges in the
Sunshine Coast’s hinterland offers it all. Traditional English tea-houses cum
antique shops and craft shops including leather goods, woodwork, art, fabrics,
bric-a-brac, confectionary and of course locally made chocolate. And where better to indulge than on top
of a mountain with views so grand you can see the curve of the earth on the
horizon.
The winding roads that snake their way up the mountainside
carve a path through some of the prettiest and greenest countryside the
Sunshine State has to offer. Every so often you burst out of the trees and if
you cast your eyes off the road, you are given a sneak peak of the valley
below, the majestic Glasshouse Mountains that pop up out of an otherwise flat
landscape or perhaps a glimpse of the nearby golden beaches.
This was my third trip into the hinterland and this time it
wasn’t just for an afternoon visit. I’d seen signs on previous visits for
somewhere to stay called Treehouses of Montville and so my wife and I had
booked a single night in a cabin. A private log cabin, complete with a wood
fire, spa bath and a deck that lets you sit amongst the trees and forget about
bricks and mortar, deadlines, bitumen and traffic jams.
When we first arrived at Treehouses of Montville, we were
met by one of the owners, a lady named Danielle. If my only experience of this
place was her friendly welcome and pleasant banter – I’d recommend this to
everyone, but her kindness and genuine warmth was only the beginning of a
memorable stay. Danielle showed us on a map where our secluded cottage lay
hidden deep in the jungle, handed us a chilled bottle of champagne for the
evening and sent us on our merry way.
Ordinarily, I find getting lost a fairly unpleasant
experience, but the few wrong turns we took in amongst the rainforest to find
the cabin only lead us to more magnificent corners of a hidden paradise. A little
cabin here, a lily covered pond there. It felt like a large property and as it
borders the Kondalilla National Park, all you could see was the deep green
forest as though it had no end, celebrated by thousands of cheery birds in
song. At the far end of the property lay our cabin.
The cabin was basic but elegant – exactly what a city
getaway should be. Filled with natural light from the large wrap around windows,
well-positioned and comfortable furniture filled the space, which all centred
around a wood fire. It wasn’t winter but who wouldn’t want to light up the fire
at night and let themselves be hypnotised by the flames while listening to the
crackle that air-conditioning could never replace. Outside the cabin, the
owners had stacked timber for the fire and at the reception we were given a bag
of kindling and fire-starters. Everything had been thought of.
Before we sunk down into a state of deep relaxation, helped
by our chilled champagne and glowing fire, we thought we’d make the most of the
final few hours of daylight and take the short 15-minute walk through the
Kondalilla National Park to the rockpools, topped up by a series of waterfalls.
The walk is not challenging, the path well marked and well trodden by children
and the elderly. And when you reach the rockpools, it’s a social gathering; friends,
families, perhaps a bearded dragon or two as well.
As you look at the falls that feed the swimming hole, it’s a
dense mass of jungle in the background, but as you turn around, the view opens
up. The rockpool lies between two hills and only mid way down the slope
affording you views of the forested valley beyond. If there were no other day-trippers,
you could let yourself imagine you were the last people on earth. I suppose
with convenience comes the crowds.
There are more adventurous walking trails if you were
seeking more solitude, but the light was fading, the fireplace beckoning and the
champagne wasn’t going to drink itself. After an afternoon of scenic driving,
antique shopping, tea sipping and chocolate tasting, it doesn’t take long to
sink into a deep sleep. The melodic rustle of leaves all around you swaying in
the wind, accompanied by the occasional pop and crackle of the fireplace is a
perfect end to a stunning getaway.
Treetops of Montville would be excellent purely based on its
physical features, but it was the human element that made it exceptional. I
tend to try and avoid repeating an experience in case you foul the memory of
the first, but this one might be a rule for the breaking.
