Sunvale at Turon Gates: a luxury retreat in the Blue Mountains
It’s off-grid and eco-friendly but that doesn’t mean guests are deprived of creature comforts at this new addition to the accommodation scene.
Sunny by name, sunny by nature: I’ve hit the jackpot with fine, if brisk, turn-of-season days for a short break at Sunvale, a new lodge at the storied (as they say these days) Turon Gates Mountain Retreat at Capertee, 2½ hours by road west of Sydney.
Sunvale, perfectly private and with views of wooded ridges reaching down to the Turon River, sleeps eight and, in its serene way, shouts “reunion” for family and friends. This is an adult luxury lodge, so no very young kids or dogs; they are welcome at other accommodation on the 2430ha property, which has extensive river frontage, ideal for bush walks (including in nearby UNESCO World Heritage-listed national parks), horse riding, swimming, canoeing and even panning for gold. From October to June, think fly-fishing for trout.
It’s the four-seasons togetherness of Sunvale that I’m visualising. All rooms open to a wraparound deck, so I see lazing on sun lounges in the warmer months; in winter, snuggle around a showpiece fireplace. We need to bring the songs of our lives to foster reminiscences, so crank up the tunes on the bluetooth speaker.
Sunvale is a 6km drive on graded private road from the highway and its presence is marked by a bank of solar panels. We’re off-grid in this eco-friendly property and advised to be wise with power. I’m bracing for an ascetic experience, but how wrong can I be?
Step through the front door and the impression is “wow”. Let’s call it hunting lodge chic. First up, a baronial dining table, with leather-upholstered seating for 10, under a cathedral ceiling from which two chandeliers hang. A large living area with central fireplace (set to light) spills on to a two-tiered deck, with sun lounges, barbecue, table and chairs and indulgent wood-fired tub. Alongside the building, a fire pit and hammock with camp chairs aplenty to circle the wagons and settle in for a night of tall tales and true. The deck is west-facing so the splendour of sunset, aided by purchases from Mudgee vineyards about 50 minutes’ drive away, will stir the soul.
Back inside, the dining-living spine is flanked by four bedrooms, separated by two bathrooms, one with tub. They are large bedrooms, airconditioned and comfortable, appreciated retreats for moments away from the household. Prepare for a good night’s sleep in an oversized bed warmed by electric blanket. Two bedrooms face east and two west, but blinds ensure sleep-ins.
The lodge is on firm foundations, with timber floors and walls, but it has an affinity with sister glamping offerings at Turon Gates and its walls are lined with canvas, inside and out; wardrobes too are canvas and it is a serviceable covering for daybed-sofas. Add touches of rattan and, on the wall, mounted antlers to complete the safari vibe.
Come meal time, it’s self-catering although this is about to change. Guests need to stock up with groceries from home or stores in Lithgow, Mudgee or Bathurst, all within an hour’s drive. However, the lodge is brimming with kitchen appliances and utensils that are the designated cook’s dream. Think: four-burner gas cooktop, grill and oven, three refrigerators, crockery, cutlery, glassware and pots and pans. There’s the barbecue too and, most significantly, a dishwasher. Coffee comes courtesy of Nespresso with supplied pods and a frothing unit.
In the lead-up to my stay I am surprised by the number of people I talk to who remember Turon Gates fondly from childhood. This accords with manager Michael Lunoe’s observation that third and fourth-generation guests are booking in, many with stories of past holidays. The customers have been rolling in since 1973.
The property is a migrant success story. Michael’s parents, Soren and Sonya, arrived from Denmark to Sydney where his dad worked as a chef and his mum in fashion. They purchased the land on which they built Turon Gates – historically inhabited by the Wiradjuri people and a scene of excitement in the 1850s gold rush – as an escape from the city, the family’s “happy place”.
Friends came to camp on the uncleared land, enjoying the fishing and swimming. It became an established hospitality venue with the creation of a camping ground, cabins and, after the purchase of an additional 1500ha, mountain retreats. Glamping tents were added in 2018.
Michael says that half a century ago Turon Gates offered the first true bush experience for holiday-makers west of the Blue Mountains. “Once people arrive here, they get it,” he says. It’s a low people-density experience and he notes that guests could go on the Devil’s Climb walk for five or so hours and not see another person.
Michael and his wife, Alex, now run the property and designed Sunvale according to personal tastes. “We kept thinking ‘if we were a guest what would we like it to be?’,” Michael says. It became a labour of love (if that word could ever be applied) during Covid, with all its frustrations. Much of the timber is recycled from the demolition of an old Newcastle warehouse. Two exquisite bedheads are made from giant sequoia trees that years ago grew in Bathurst with lineage to California. Decorative flourishes are inspired by years living overseas, including in Indonesia.
Improvements in the works will be pre-prepared meals. Michael says it’s one thing for locals to bring their own supplies, another for visitors arriving from overseas, who are part of a growing market.
Within cooee are national parks embracing Capertee Valley, a canyon that rivals the Grand Canyon among the world’s widest. By all means, drive and hike to embrace the spectacle, but if time is of the essence on a short break, Capertee Valley Helicopters, based a few minutes along the highway from Turon Gates, offers flights from 15 minutes to one hour’s duration.
The sun is sinking and a late-afternoon chill descends. That ready-to-light fire requires the flick of a match. I settle in an armchair and watch the flames gather spirit. Just beyond there is an orange-red line that defines the horizon. Time to open the bottle of Turon Gates Mountain Retreat 2022 shiraz, “lovingly” sourced from local winemakers by founder Soren and thoughtfully left on the table. Next mood-matcher on the playlist, Don McLean’s Vincent (Starry, Starry Night).
In the know
Turon Gates is off the Castlereagh Highway between Lithgow and Mudgee. Sunvale is $1175 a night, two-night minimum.
Capertee Valley Helicopters offers flights for two from $250.
Graham Erbacher was a guest of Destination NSW.
If you love to travel, sign up to our free weekly Travel + Luxury newsletter here.
