This breathtaking escape just outside Sydney is the ideal weekend getaway – and it becomes clear why when you drive through the gate: THE DETOUR

Welcome to The Detour: Your weekly food and travel guide to the best flavours, hidden haunts, insider tips and unforgettable new experiences that reward those who wander off course.

A blissful mountain retreat 

If you’re really feeling it at the moment and desperately need an excuse to get away and reset, you’re welcome in advance.

The Lodge at Mt Kanimbla is just over two hours’ drive from Sydney and one of three secluded stays scattered across an enormous Blue Mountains property. 

And as much as I wanted to gatekeep this beauty, I loved it too much not to share. 

From the second you arrive, you can practically feel the weight of the city lift from your shoulders. 

Drive through the gates and you’re immediately greeted by the property’s charming residents – local wildlife, free-range laying chickens and three rescue ponies that roam the grounds.

Inside, there’s a welcome hamper filled with local produce and wine, while outside you’ll find sweeping mountain views that make Sydney feel much further away. 

Perfect for groups of up to 10 or a quiet couple’s escape, The Lodge is sprawling without losing any of its cosiness.

There are two inviting living areas, each with its own wood-burning fireplace, plus four beautifully appointed bedrooms – a king room with ensuite, a queen room and two cosy doubles. 

My favourite touch, however, was the dedicated Relaxation Room – a peaceful little retreat scattered with floor cushions and made for reading, meditating or disappearing for an hour. It can also be elegantly configured to accommodate additional guests when needed. 

And that’s just the beginning. 

There’s an entertainment room with a billiards table, board games and plenty to keep all ages occupied, plus an outdoor bath made for stargazing, a firepit, BBQ and gazebo area strung with fairy lights and a sparkling plunge pool. 

And when I tell you this is the kind of place where you can do absolutely nothing for hours and still have the time of your life, I mean it. 

Nothing beats lazing in the sun with a book, cooking up a big brunch and wiling away the afternoon over fiercely contested billiards games, freshly brewed coffee and, eventually, a glass of wine. 

Every little touch here has been considered. 

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? 

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.