We had our stay at The Retreat booked for two years (thanks to COVID), and had the pleasure of communicating with Daryl throughout this time. No question was too silly, and Daryl was always more than happy to make time for us. On the day of our journey to The Retreat, our flight was delayed and we arrived in the mountains in heavy cloud at dusk, to a particularly cool summer night. We had notified Daryl of our late arrival, to which he kindly prepared the property for our arrival, so we did not have to arrive in darkness, lighting us a fire to keep us North Queenslanders warm. I can honestly say, the photographs of the property do not do the true beauty of The Retreat justice, but apart from the obvious beauty, it's all the little things that make this property so welcoming and memorable (right down to the beautiful Christmas tree in the living room). Our only regret is that we did not allocate more time to spend at The Retreat and exploring all that Mount Tamborine has to offer!

The location, the property and the relaxing ambience.

Nothing, it was all lovely.

Suited us as one of the extended family members had to bring their pet, the property had enough bedrooms/bathrooms and we also needed a flexible cancellation policy. Pros: - Property location on side of north east facing mountain slope - Massive deck with roof and large outdoor table/seating/BBQ/fly screens/multiple sliding doors - Rainforest and back deck gardens well maintained - Lots of windows to enjoy the rainforest/mountain views/birdlife - Lots of cutlery/plates/cups/glasses etc (we cooked a lot so appreciated the plentiful kitchen supplies) - Fireplace (logs took a while to burn due to high humidity/moisture) - Fire starters / newspaper / some kindling - Fresh matches (though was fairly damp and not easy to start) - Provision of outdoor mozzie coils - Large main bedroom and en-suite - Lots of potential to be a lot more luxurious/high-end (there will be renovations in Feb22 we have been told) - Very friendly and informative welcome from property manager - Laundry facilities (but did not use)

Cons: - Cleaning not up to standards of other holiday let properties - dusty and lots of spider webs, some leaches - Poor design for accessing bunkhouse (doors to main house close but do not stay closed without locking door - was advised this will be addressed in the renovation ; bunkhouse not suitable for unsupervised young children due to this one way entry and lack of hand rails) - Outdoor walkway to bunkhouse is slippery (some additional grips on surface would help) ; walkway not covered - Bunkhouse needs a refresh as well (cupboard sliding doors do not operate smoothly) - Bunkhouse beds were on wheels and rolled around too easily (lockable wheels would help or maybe some anti slip mats) - Guest towels very old and dank (need to be replaced and kept out of high humidity) - Floors in property could be updated but understand need to be hardy with mud/pets - Main living area could be lit more brightly (or have options for those who like it more atmospheric Vs those who need more light (eg brighter around the dining table - please consider this in your renovation) - Lack of privacy options (eg curtains/screens) for main shower for those not used to having no curtains (my mother in law was very self conscious/felt exposed when showering, which I will know to be mindful of next time) - Front doorway is very cramped. Can be difficult getting in/out of the main door whilst other people are trying to get in/out of the guest bedroom. A deeper entranceway would be helpful with the flow of people. - Guest bedroom (in main house) is much smaller than main bedroom (suitable for children, but consider this if other adults staying here) - Some windows/doors had diagonal bars across them (to prevent going out to what looks like partially built decks). Recommend finish building the decks in front of main and guest bedrooms to increase space and places to enjoy the amazing gardens & view.

beautiful views and stunning location. The fireplace was lovely and cozy.

We loved the views & location, close to all activities & interests.

We arrived to a beautiful house with everything we needed The bottle of wine of arriving was a amazing touch which helped settle our nerves for a wedding weekend Daryl is an amazing host who was on site on arriving making sure everything was perfect and gave a house tour before leaving and was generous enough to let us know if we needed anything to just reach out My beautiful wife had so many precious memories and photos getting ready before our big day which will stay with us forever We can't wait for our 1 year anniversary and will book here again

We loved everything from arriving till departure

Location size and layout. Plenty of space for 6 of us. Superb views and nice and quiet at night. Fireplace already to go and plenty of wood supplied.

The house itself is quite old and a bit run down. Just showing it’s age. But it definitely could benefit from a deep clean and a bit of a refurb. Otherwise it suited us very nicely.

Unusual layout - great for friends and older children. Beautiful gardens and outlook.

Loved it all

Beautiful location and great views. The house was very comfortable and felt like home straight away. Daryl was great at responding to any queries we had and nothing was too much trouble. We all had a wonderful stay including our two dogs. Will definitely be back!

Everything was provided, with a complimentary bottle of Chardonnay on arrival and heaps of information from the host to look around the town. We’ll definitely be back again, highly recommend!