BY MARCIA LEONE After months of city living this country girl was craving wide open spaces- in fact the whole family was. So we packed up and headed west to Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley- Australia’s luxury conservation-based resort. Not...
BY MARCIA LEONE
After months of city living this country girl was craving wide open spaces- in fact the whole family was. So we packed up and headed west to Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley- Australia’s luxury conservation-based resort.
Not only did we get the fresh country air and wide open spaces, but we got the ultimate in luxury to go with it. I’ve never had a three day getaway where I felt like I did so much, but totally relaxed at the same time.
Only 2.5 hours’ drive from Sydney in the World Heritage-listed Greater Blue Mountains region, the resort is set on 7,000-acres of carbon-neutral wildlife reserve and offers a quintessentially Australian bush experience.
It was truly the perfect family getaway. We arrived at our Villa and had bikes waiting for us to explore the resort and surrounds. The kids swam in our private heated pool while kangaroos jumped passed and we enjoyed a glass of red by the fire.
Our first afternoon we enjoyed a private Wildlife and Sundowners Drive around the property where we got up close to some of the native animals - the kids LOVED it. We stopped for nibbles and drinks at the lookout to enjoy the sunset. It was truly magical.
The next morning Archie joined the Wolgan Rangers- (yes, they have kids activities!), while I enjoyed a facial at the One&Only Spa.
We also did a Stables Tour - the kids loved it so much that we booked them in for a kid’s horse ride. This was Poppy’s first time on a horse- and I believe the love affair has started.
We also did a guided conservation activity as a family with a guide. I don’t remember the last time we really connected like that as a family while being in this beautiful surrounds. It was so valuable- especially after the fires for the kids to understand the importance of looking after our land.
The dining - whether in villa or at the restaurants is incredible- sustainably sourced from the finest regional and seasonal ingredients.
This place has to be on everyone’s bucket list! We visited a few years ago when I was pregnant with Poppy and we always said we would return- and it was even better than we remembered. Archie didn’t want to leave… well, none of us did!
It’s the perfect combination of remoteness and luxury- truly a magical experience that will reconnect with the outdoors, family and the beauty in this part of the world. VISIT EMIRATES ONE&ONLY WOLGAN VALLEY for more.
