Telegraph Retreat Luxury Accommodation Port Macquarie NSW

Sunday Telegraph - 30th October 2005

Fluffy Robes A Treat In Bushland Cottage

"You know how it is. You and your significant other eat, go to work, sleep get up the next day and do it all again. The weekend comes around, and is swallowed up by chores, activities and, if you're lucky, a small slice of R & R.

Then it's time to rewind the tape and hit "start" again on the recording that is your life.

Fitting the typical female stereotype at least some of the time, I dreamed of storybook romance on a weekend escape.

I could see it all - just my husband and me walking hand in hand along a beautiful stretch of beach, or through a tranquil forest, returning at night to our luxury accommodation to sip fine wine and have a gourmet meal.

We would then soak in a spa bath, or maybe have a massage, later gazing contently into each other's eyes by the glow of an open fire.

Determined to make my dream a reality, I booked us into Telegraph Retreat, a series of three self-contained cottages set in bushland on the mid north coast, about a four hour drive from Sydney.

Telegraph Retreat's accommodation is rated five-star - not an easy grading to come by - and has won numerous tourism awards. It's set on a 3.5ha hinterland property and promises seclusion, peace and quiet and plenty of pampering.

I graded the facilities against my mental checklist: things looked good. Maybe for a weekend, at least, I could make my dream getaway a reality.

When we arrived, hosts Ian and Robyn Whitehead greeted us with big smiles and took us on a tour of the place, showing us where things were and pointing out some of the more important facts, such as how to operate the spa (tick) and light the open fire (tick).

The nearest cottage was a good distance away, ensuring our privacy (tick), and the interior of the cottage was tastefully decorated with polished timber floors, period furniture, and a spacious bathroom with claw-foot bath and scented, hand-made soaps (gotta love the freebies: tick).

All the usual mod cons were there too, with CD player, TV, videos and a gas barbecue. Most important, there were also fluffy bathrobes and slippers (tick!).

I don't know what it is - perhaps I've watched too many movies with glamorous couples swanning about in nothing but pristine white robes - but when I stay somewhere that supplies big white bathrobes, I truly, feel I've made it.

Once we'd been given the rundown, we were left to our own devices. It was a cool but clear afternoon, and we indulged in some complimentary (and tasty) home-made cookies and real coffee, and sat in the swing chair outside, listening to the sounds of the bush.

It was quiet - almost too quiet at first - but slowly our bodies and minds wound down. I had booked each of us in for an aromatherapy massage from the retreat's in-house massage therapist.

I thought it was wonderful - soft music, beautifully scented massage oil and a lovely relaxing massage. My husband enjoyed his, but would have preferred a stronger, more remedial-style massage.

After that, we wandered back to our cottage, lit the fire and got ready for dinner.

The nearest restaurants are a 20-minute drive away in Port Macquarie, so the best option is to eat in. There's a well-stocked kitchen cupboard (you pay for what you use) and barbecue hampers are available.

Alternatively, you can have a home-cooked, three-course meal in the retreat's main dining room.

With my checklist in mind we opted for the three-course meal - by candlelight - before a night-time spa on the cottage balcony. It was one of those clear, dark nights you get only in the country, and we watched for shooting stars.

Next morning, with no traffic noise and nowhere we needed to be, we slept in. We ate breakfast (supplied in the cottage) on the balcony in the warm morning sun.

Being more of a coastal person, I'm not sure how I'd go staying in a bush setting for too long. But if it's total peace, country seclusion and luxury you're after, you'll certainly find it at Telegraph Retreat. "