Serenity - Come Away With Me

"Aahh, the serenity"... that's what my husband and I were whispering yesterday morning on the balcony of a treehouse overlooking the sunshine coast.  Ok, it was our treehouse for only just one night, but it was ours and ours ALONE. 

A few weeks ago we were feeling a bit "bogged down", and realised that we hadn't had a night away from the kids in five years, not to mention that our wedding anniversary was coming up.  So there, it was a done deal, destination -  Treetops Montville, Sunshine Coast Hinterland, Qld. 

As we drive into the main street of Montville we are greeted with the open arms and quaintness of the misty hilltop village.  Tree lined and sprinkled with cafes, craft shops, art galleries and boutiques, Montville reminds me of the villages in the Blue Mountains, it's my kinda place.

We checked into our cabin, which is nestled into the natural rainforest on the hilltop overlooking the valley with the ocean in the distance, it's cosy and comfortable.  

Shortly after, a drink and some soothing live tunes were soaked up at Montville Bar & Grill..

(This photo is courtesy of the Montville Bar & Grill website)

before heading down to Chocolate Country, the Montville Art Gallery,  and lastly sipping a much needed cup of coffee at "A Great Read", and lingering over their lovely collection of second hand books ..

I couldn't resist this little shop, The End of The Lane, which had a lovely selection of country and french crafts and gifts..

After we (my hubby) stoked up the fire and had nibblies & drinks back at the cabin, we braved the cold and walked up to the popular  Wild Rocket at Misty's  for dinner in their beautiful heritage three storey A-Frame restaurant.  

The next morning we found ourselves enjoying time alone, eating a relaxed breakfast, soaking up the sounds of nature and reading our newly discovered pre-loved books.  It was such a rare treat to be so self-indulgent, and to have this uninterrupted peace and quiet, although I felt a little guilty (but only for a second, after all we are talking RARE).  If only this tranquility could be bottled and pulled out in times of need....

We decided to do a little more shopping and pick up a few gifts for our lovely babysitters, Nanna and Uncle Scott.  A visit to Nana's Secret saw me leaving with a few gorgeous soy candles and Nana's Magic Hand Scrub, after receiving a complimentary hand treatment (my hands were rescued at last, and still feel fantastic), with ever-patient hubby soaking up the sun on a bench outside..  

And how is this lovely specimen along the sidewalk... the Hoya or wax flower, isn't it gorgeous? They have a lovely perfume, I've never noticed them before..

We finished with lunch at Flaxton Gardens, which offered up breathtaking views out over the valley and to the ocean, along with very tasty food.. 

You'd think we would have been satisfied, but strangely a couple of strawberry tarts and vanilla slices from the Montville Patisserie made their way home with us.   Pulling into the driveway at home, I felt a sense of calmness and anticipation come over me and couldn't wait to get out of the car and into the arms of my little loves.

So now we're back to reality, hope you enjoyed that brief escape with us!  There were a few places we didn't get a chance to check out, but hopefully it won't be another five years before our next visit.  In fact it's also a great family spot, so we will probably bring the kids with us next time for a day trip and maybe even a bushwalk!

And after feely a little guilty and worried for leaving our too littlies at home, we were told that the kids were marvellous..hardly knew we were gone.  Hmmph, well I guess I have to be happy about that.. it was nice to get big long "glad your home" cuddles though.

xSam