A light breakfast muesli. Yoghurt, fresh fruit, toast, variety of jams etc. fruit juice, large bottle of water. The hosts offered scones with jam and cream at extra costs which was excellent. Very hot weekend air con was on when we arrived.  Lots of books on hand, board games. Tennis court, beautiful location away from the main house. Host very friendly and left us to ourselves in a perfect location.  A most beautiful retreat and the cottages was of a very high standard. 

The Retreat is a perfect getaway on a lovely property.  Mary and Derek have provided everything that you could possibly need for an enjoyable and comfortable stay and were incredibly accommodating. Would highly recommend The Retreat! 

Just a note to thank you for your hospitality. We absolutely loved staying at The Retreat. It is so beautifully appointed, and your thoughtful touches are very much appreciated.

Have stayed here twice now. Very nice accommodation with a great garden. We used the outdoor fire which was nice. Also great amount of food, tea and coffee provided. Will be back.

Just a quick note to say thanks so very much for hosting me this past week. The Retreat is comfy, cosy, and well provisioned, and the grounds are truly a place of rest and beauty. Every time I opened the curtains in the mornings, I found myself exclaiming with delight, whether at the mob of kangaroos reclining on the lawn, the evolving colours of the tree on the croquet lawn, or the general sense of serenity. Thank you for a restful and productive couple of days. Kind regards, Nicki

Heavenly stay✨ Everything about this little cottage is superb. Beautiful, relaxing, immaculate with a lot of love and care gone in to making guests feel special. Absolutely loved our stay here.

We had a lovely few days away at the property, which was peaceful, clean and cosy. A short drive from Woodend and tucked away on a well-cared for parcel of land that would've kept us further entertained if not for some average weather! Mary was kind enough to reach out to me directly upon discovering we had left an item behind and kindly offered to send via post given we had returned home. If you are looking for a quiet spot to leave the buzz of the city behind for a few days without having to travel too far, we highly recommend The Retreat - it was wonderful.

So beautifully presented and terrific location - loved the peace and quiet, bathtub and tennis court - Great short break, we will be back again.

Thank you so much for your preparation and attention to detail. The Retreat is a credit to you both and will be remembered fondly.

Beautiful location, kangaroos and everything thought of for our stay.

Exceptional!

Thank you for a great retreat in the Wombat Forest. You cater to peoples every need and of the highest quality. Everything is so compact and well-organised. We have enjoyed every moment from the kookaburra’s first welcome (for my husband who is in his 86th Year and the kookaburra seems to be his totem) to the magic and mystery of the surrounding sites. We enjoyed our walks in the forest and the different vegetation and bird-calls to the Bendigo Box/Ironbark Forests. It’s a lovely cottage in a unique setting. Thanks for the work you’ve put in over the years.

Relaxing, tranquil well-appointed cottage, great base for Macedon Ranges ~ We thoroughly enjoyed our weekend stay at the Retreat. The cabin locale was quiet and tranquil within easy drive from Woodend and surrounds. Communication with Mary prior to our stay was excellent and directions for check-in easy. The cottage was immaculate with lovely decor and sophisticated styling. There are many places about the cottage to sit and take in the country air, glorious gum trees and the local kangaroos. Breakfast ingredients were ample for two days, we also used for morning teas whilst sightseeing in the Macedon Ranges. Would definitely stay again.

I surprised my partner with a 2-night stay here to celebrate his special birthday. What a delight to have this delicious cottage all to ourselves, tucked out of sight of others, and surrounded by restful green lawn, hedges, kookaburras, kangaroos and assorted trees and flowers! With everything we could need ready and waiting, including a superbly comfortable king bed, and everything spotless and tastefully appointed, it was so easy to rest and rejuvenate together at the Cottage. I just wish we’d had more time to laze on the sun-kissed verandah with a book and coffee... but what with all the nature walks, cafes and restaurants, antique stores, spas and galleries etc. in this region, we were completely spoilt for options to fill our time. It’s a great problem to have, in this beautiful part of the world! Thanks very much, Mary and Derek. We had a wonderful stay at your property and would love to return another time.

Beautifully decorated cabin, a real home away from home. Kangaroos all around, and plenty of activities on the property. We look forward to going back!

We had an absolutely lovely time at The Retreat. It's a beautiful, secluded space that you can see Mary & Derek have put their heart & soul into. Lovely touches like fresh bread & croissants with a selection of delicious local jams, and a thoughtfully stocked fridge. It was a pleasure staying there.

Our getaway at The Retreat exceeded all expectations. The tranquil cottage setting was private and cosy, providing us with everything we needed for a perfect getaway. A gorgeous bathtub was a favourite. But the Kangaroos and Wombat sightings were a very close second-runner! It was so nice to see how much thought and effort is put into the property. We would definitely recommend staying here and we will be back one day! Thank you Mary!

Beautiful! Peaceful and cosy. The kangaroos were out every window!

This is the most beautiful and clean cottage that we had ever stayed in. So peaceful, a place where you can really recharge your batteries. It is close to great restaurants, walking trails and fishing, everything that me and my husband love. We will be definitely going back again.

The Retreat felt like coming home. We walked in to a warm, cosy house and were instantly taken by the huge bed and claw foot bath. We saw all of the extra details immediately and tried to factor in as much time spent at our temporary home to just be together and enjoy the quiet. We wish we could have stayed longer. So many details were thought of, and we couldn’t have asked for more. We enjoyed the limited sunshine which we know is rare up this way and it just made our stay perfect. We can’t thank Mary and Derek enough. We will definitely return. Alana and Stacii xx