Sixty6 Acres, Sunshine Coast review: The peaceful rural escape on Brisbane’s doorstep

It’s only one hour north of Brisbane, yet this luxury rural retreat offers acres of green space, a sense of escape – and some very cute miniature farm animals.

Sixty6 Acres has six luxury fully self-contained two-bedroom “Quarters”.

An hour north of Brisbane, nestled in the foothills of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, is a place so relaxing and friendly that Ita Buttrose, Pauline Hanson, Gina Rinehart and Cathy Freeman* have been observed happily sharing living quarters with each other.

It’s a place where even our pocket-rocket six-year-old daughter found one or two moments of zen as she explores as many of the 66 acres (27ha) of former caneland that is slowly being transformed by owners Andrew and Joanne.

And, if I’m honest, it’s a place where photographs don’t really do it justice; you have to experience it for yourself.

Occupying a spacious yet relatively small portion of the property are six “Quarters” – freestanding two-bedroom cabins built by a local tradesman to such high standards we seriously considered asking if smaller versions existed as a granny flat option for our backyard.

The light and spacious kitchen and living area make the most of the views.

Inside, we’re greeted by a spacious living and kitchen area, with wood burner and a huge TV, a twin bedroom, and a main bedroom with a large bath taking pride of place beside a picture window that looks onto the full-width veranda, the dam and surrounding bushland.

Bedding is plentiful, pillows are almost too plentiful and there are board games, books and a variety of on-demand TV apps to keep you entertained when you feel like a little indoors time.

But the main reason we’re here is right outside the gigantic sliding glass doors that bathe the living space with light.

There are acres of land to explore – although, since the property is still being established, the majority of it is grass, seedlings and small shrubs, but there is plenty of green space and options for activities. There’s a swimming hole; two mini golf holes; pineapple, sunflower and coffee crops on the way; a dam upon which you can kayak; and, of course, a variety of adorable farm animals.

There are four miniature belted Galloway cows, a miniature horse, two miniature English donkeys, three miniature Babydoll Southdown sheep, ISA Brown chickens, heritage chickens and a brood of Silkies. And over the fence are six beautiful horses that, for many, are the stars of the show. Just BYO carrots.

The main bedrooms have baths beside a large window that looks out onto the verandah and countryside beyond.

Pellets and straw are readily available to ensure the animals want to be your best friends. There are bikes and sports equipment to borrow, as well as three kayaks to tempt you out onto the dam to look for tadpoles and fish.

Andrew and Jo appear to have gone out of their way to ensure your stay is as low-key as possible, with a merciful absence of “do not feed” or “ask permission before use” signs dotted around the place.

With all the activities and interactions with the farm animals available to us, this stay is unashamedly about trying to switch off and being as far away from our city lives as possible. And, given Sixty6 Acres is situated slap bang in the middle of one of Queensland’s most-populated regions, it came as a huge surprise that we are able to do it so easily. There is no need for a five-hour drive west to escape the crowds and enjoy the peace and quiet.

As if to illustrate this point perfectly, we’re paid a visit in the afternoon by some longtime friends who live just 20 minutes down the road near Mooloolaba. We offer directions but they assure us that won’t be necessary, because they have already visited on numerous occasions.

Then, as we pay another visit to Harry the miniature horse, Andrew calls us over for some tips on how to feed the very shy sheep and greets us with an “ah, so you know the Smiths, do you?”, before adding how much they’ve been enjoying the place before we’d ever even heard of it.

The gentle Dallas and Blue were instant favourites.

Here we have a local family who, rather than traipsing all the way down to northern NSW or the Bunya Mountains for their little piece of rural escapism, choose to travel just minutes up the road. We, too, feel that sense of escape during our short stay, but unlike many other farmstays or rural properties, we get to also enjoy being close to everything, and even maintain 5G reception on our phones – there’s complimentary wi-fi in the Quarters should you need it, however.

So, if it’s true escapism you’re looking for, this might not be the place for you. But if you want the convenience of a nearby retreat that gives you every sense of being in the countryside, while still being able to pop down the road for a bottle of wine or dinner at a great restaurant, this is perfect.

Which brings us back to Saturday night. The Quarters have spacious fully equipped kitchens, but who wants to cook when they’re trying to have a relaxing holiday? That said, the fire pits blazing beside the dam nearly convince us to skip dinner and go straight to marshmallows, but we remain strong and make the 10-minute drive to one of the most in-demand dining destinations on the Coast, Piggyback at Palmwoods.

The sheep took a little more effort to get close to.

The property features a dam on which you can kayak or try out a stand-up paddleboard.

Run by the same team behind the ridiculously popular Rice Boi, Giddy Geisha, and Market Bistro, Piggyback is a walk-in-only Asian fusion bolthole off Woombye-Palmwoods Rd and is regularly filled to the brim with salivating locals and visitors alike.

Don’t be put off by the queue, you’ll likely find yourself seated and perusing the extensive menu within a matter of minutes, such is the efficiency with which the place is run.

Maybe it’s also to do with the mouth-watering food that is simply served as soon as it’s ready, so we are greeted with a conveyor belt of lip-smackingly good fare – from ocean trout roasted in tom yum paste to sticky pork belly, and Korean fried chicken to the youngster’s favourite, the crispy calamari – that we all wolfed down greedily. So greedily, in fact, that we are full and out of there within an hour.

Lunch the next day is a far more sedate affair, but no less gratifying.

After a breakfast featuring freshly gathered eggs from the girls on the top of the hill and a final tour of the property to say our farewells to every single member of the Sixty6 Acres menagerie, we wind our way up the hill for lunch at the Mapleton Public House, where “local pub grub” has taken a quite spectacular turn.

What follows is a two-hour exploration of local produce ever-so-skilfully conjured into a variety of surprising and intriguing dishes by head chef Cameron Matthews of Spicers Retreats fame.

Smoked potato doughnuts filled with pork rillette and white vinegar at the Mapleton Public House.

Chocolate caramel crepe with espresso gelato, Pedro Ximenez creme, salted chocolate-caramel sauce at the Mapleton Public House.

The menu changes depending on season and local availability, and on the day we visit we’re treated to sumptuous offerings such as smoked potato doughnuts filled with pork rillette and white vinegar; spatchcock with toasted garlic bread sauce, roasted chicken jus, confit garlic, grilled greens and black lime; and a chocolate caramel crepe that had the three of us battling for the last piece.

The six-year-old’s palate is catered for, with a serving of some of the best fish and chips she’s ever had – there are also burgers available – ensuring she’s well fed regardless of how much of the exciting flavours and textures on our plates she decides to turn her nose up to.

The drive home down the Bruce Highway gives us a major jolt back to our urban reality, but the fact it’s only an hour (for us) nearly makes the interminable roadworks bearable.

*They’re all chickens; members of a brood that also features Dawn Fraser, Margaret Court, Dame Nellie Melba, Ash Barty, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Jessica Watson Elle Macpherson and Kylie Minogue.

The writer was a guest of Visit Sunshine Coast

Sixty6 Acres: Walden Rd, Woombye – has six luxury fully self-contained two-bedroom “Quarters” priced from $400 a night from Sunday to Thursday and $450 a night on Fridays and Saturdays, with a two-night minimum for all bookings, or three nights during school holidays. sixty6acres.com

Piggyback: 1 Koorawatha Lane, Palmwoods – is open seven days from 11.30am to 9pm. piggyb.com.au

Mapleton Public House: 2 Flaxton Drive, Mapleton – is open seven days, with the kitchen closed on Tuesdays. mapleton.pub