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DON’T MISS The Rainforest Skywalk is an easy 1.5-kilometre walk right through the rainforest. A cantilever bridge soars above the creek and rainforest, making you feel a part of it. FROM $390; two-night minimum stay on weekends. Gay Alcorn Woodstock 1892 Elaman Creek, address given after booking; 0483 865 051 EV charging THE LOCATION An hour’s drive from Sunshine Coast Airport, this 1890s cottage is within easy reach of the bustling hinterland town of Maleny, yet offers glorious solitude and captivating valley views. THE PLACE A storybook two-bedroom Queenslander looks right at home in its new hilltop locale after being relocated from Brisbane. This is “cottagecore” charm at its finest with dado walls, flax linen, comfy lounges, vases of dried flowers and nary a screen in sight (there is Wi-Fi, though, so BYO if you must). Air-conditioning (in the larger bedroom and lounge) offers respite from Queensland’s hot summers, while a wood fireplace makes for cosy winter nights. Views extend over bushland and paddocks with grazing cattle. THE EXPERIENCE Enjoy crisp country air, collect eggs from the resident chickens and watch prolific native bird life from the front porch, cuppa in hand. The owners’ friendly dogs visit unannounced for belly rubs. Come sundown, roast marshmallows around a firepit beneath a blanket of stars. DON’T MISS Do lunch on the verandah of the pink-hued Mapleton Public House, where Cameron Matthews (a former Spicers Retreats group executive chef) is redefining pub cuisine, utilising produce picked fresh that morning from nearby seasonal and organic market garden, The Falls Farm. FROM $381 a night; two-night minimum stay. Sheriden Rhodes Get more short-break inspiration from Good Weekend‘s 52 Weekends Away round-up: From a mudbrick hut to a tranquil harbourside B&B – 17 perfect getaways in VictoriaJust 90 minutes from Sydney, you can relax in your own balcony bathtub with stunning views: 16 NSW short-break ideas‘More Med than Rotto’: 4 of the best weekend getaways in Western Australia right nowAn hour from Adelaide, you can wake up to giraffes outside your window: great escapes in SA, Tasmania and NT For more travel inspiration, visit our Traveller sectionTo read more from Good Weekend magazine, visit our page at The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Brisbane Times.
