This Breathtaking Sydney Escape Is Perfect for a Weekend Getaway

Welcome to The Detour: your weekly food and travel guide to standout flavours, hidden gems, insider tips and memorable experiences for those willing to take the scenic route.

A blissful mountain retreat 

If city life has started to feel like too much and you’re craving a genuine reset, this Blue Mountains escape could be just the excuse you need to pack a bag.

The Lodge at Mt Kanimbla sits just over two hours from Sydney and is one of three private stays spread across a vast Blue Mountains property. 

I was tempted to keep this peaceful find to myself, but it was far too lovely not to share. 

Almost as soon as you arrive, you can feel the pressure of the city begin to melt away. 

Beyond the gates, the property’s welcoming residents make an immediate impression: local wildlife, free-range laying hens and three rescue ponies wandering freely around the grounds.

Inside, a hamper stocked with local produce and wine awaits. Outside, expansive mountain views create the blissful illusion that Sydney is far more distant than it really is. 

Whether you’re travelling with a group of up to 10 or planning a quiet escape for two, The Lodge offers plenty of room without sacrificing its warm, intimate feel.

The house has two inviting living spaces, both centred around wood-burning fireplaces, along with four beautifully furnished bedrooms: a king room with an ensuite, a queen room and two cosy double rooms. 

The standout for me was the dedicated Relaxation Room, a tranquil nook furnished with floor cushions and designed for reading, meditation or simply switching off for an hour. When required, it can also be stylishly arranged to sleep extra guests. 

But there is plenty more to discover. 

An entertainment room comes equipped with a billiards table and board games, while outdoors there is a stargazing bath, firepit, barbecue and gazebo draped in fairy lights. A sparkling plunge pool rounds out the facilities. 

This is the sort of place where you can spend an entire day doing almost nothing and still feel you have made the most of every minute. 

Read in the sunshine, prepare an indulgent brunch, then settle in for a fiercely competitive billiards match with freshly brewed coffee before raising a glass of wine as the afternoon fades. 

Every detail has been thoughtfully planned. 

Despite being regularly booked out, it felt immaculate – spotless, beautifully maintained and somehow un-lived-in. 

There are little instruction booklets exactly where you need them, easy-to-access Wi-Fi, cute signage that answers questions before you’ve even thought to ask them and a picnic basket packed and ready for an adventure. 

It really is mountain living at its most refined.

And then there are the stars… otherworldly doesn’t quite cover it.

On a clear night, the sky out here is spectacular – and if you’re particularly into astronomy, you can even organise a private stargazing tour on the grounds ahead of your stay. 

I perhaps shouldn’t have been surprised by just how wonderful – and needed – this gorgeous little slice of the world felt. 

I’d actually visited another of the property’s stays, the Woodlands Cabin, a few years earlier for a spontaneous birthday escape and I can confirm it was every bit as magical.

There’s something about Mt Kanimbla that makes a couple of days feel much longer. Maybe it’s the silence, the space or just having nowhere you need to be. 

Whatever it is, it works.

My biggest tip for making the most of the getaway is to plan your meals ahead. 

With a large stretch of the Great Western Highway currently undergoing roadworks, I’d recommend bringing groceries with you so there’s no need to venture back out once you’ve settled in. Trust me, once you’re there, you won’t want to. 

If you do pop out for coffee, you can’t go past The Postmistress Cafe and Store. It’s only five minutes away and genuinely one of the coolest, most authentic little country spots I’ve stumbled across in a while. 

And thanks to those roadworks, there’s another silver lining. 

If you’re heading back towards Sydney, take Bells Line of Road. It’s quicker, prettier and gives you an excellent excuse to stop in Bilpin for apple pie and a little shop on the way home. 

What more could you ask for? 

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The Brisbane hotel that can’t be stopped

The Calile has done it again.

Brisbane’s much-loved Fortitude Valley hotel has landed at number 83 on the 2026 World’s Best Hotels list, marking its fourth consecutive appearance since the awards launched in 2023. 

That also makes it the only hotel in Oceania to have featured every single year. 

Opened in 2018, The Calile has become something of a destination in its own right, thanks to its instantly recognisable subtropical design, resort-like pool and distinctly Brisbane take on five-star luxury. 

But part of its appeal is that it has never really behaved like a traditional luxury hotel. 

Alongside its rooms and restaurants, The Calile has built close ties with local artists, cultural organisations and neighbouring retailers, regularly hosting events and experiences that draw in locals as much as hotel guests. 

‘Being named among the world’s best hotels for a fourth consecutive year means a great deal to all of us and is a testament to the commitment of our staff and loyal guests,’ General Manager Chris Kemlo said. 

Co-owner Catherine Malouf added that the hotel’s identity had always been deliberately rooted in Brisbane. 

‘We didn’t start by asking what a luxury hotel should look like, we asked what a great hotel in Brisbane should feel like,’ she said. 

The World’s 50 Best Hotels’ extended 51-100 list was revealed on Tuesday, ahead of the top 50 being announced in Paris on September 15. 

The rankings are decided by more than 800 independent experts from across the global hotel industry. 

A spa in the treetops 

My favourite retreat in the whole world is about to do another cool thing… which gives me another excuse to visit!

Construction has officially begun on Eden Retreat’s newest wellness experience: a Treehouse Spa for grown-ups, perched high above the spectacular Currumbin Valley. 

And it sounds every bit as fabulous as you’d imagine.

Guests will be able to enjoy spa treatments among the treetops, with uninterrupted views across the surrounding World Heritage-listed national park and little more than birds and rainforest for company. 

The Treehouse will bring couples treatments to Eden for the first time, with side-by-side massages overlooking the canopy. 

The elevated sanctuary will also host intimate sound meditation sessions, guided mindfulness experiences and private stargazing evenings beneath the famously clear Gold Coast hinterland skies. 

It’s another addition to what I still believe is one of the most powerful and special places you can visit in Australia. 

General Manager Ash Martin said the Treehouse was designed to take Eden’s already immersive approach to wellness one step further. 

‘From the moment guests step into the treehouse, they’ll feel as though they’ve escaped into another world,’ he said. 

‘We’ve always believed that nature is one of the greatest healers, and this space has been designed to immerse guests completely in the beauty and tranquility of the Currumbin Valley.’ 

He added that couples treatments had been one of the retreat’s most requested additions for years. 

The Treehouse follows the recent opening of the Eden Vitality Centre and is the latest evolution for the luxury wellness retreat, which combines accommodation, spa therapies, nourishing food and nature just 20 minutes from Gold Coast Airport. 

Construction is underway, with the spa expected to welcome its first guests later this year. 

As someone who already needs very little convincing to return to Eden, a massage in a treehouse overlooking the rainforest should just about do it.