Lost World River Retreat

Located in the Lost World Valley on the banks of the Albert River, Lost World River Retreat is a self-contained, 2 bedroom guesthouse that caters for up to 6 people in air-conditioned comfort. Spend lazy days relaxing by the 25 metre pool, explore private waterholes, picnic in nature and stargaze by the fire at night. There's also a playground, fruit orchards, rainforest, as well as a variety of birds and native flora and fauna to enjoy. Come and enjoy getting back to basic! The space The closest town is Beaudesert which is a 25 minute drive away so be sure to stock up on supermarket supplies before you get here. Beaudesert offers a variety of cafes and restaurants if you wish to dine out or pick up take-away. From Beaudesert, it's a 25 minute drive south along the picturesque Kerry Road. Kerry Road meanders through farm land and zigzags the Albert River before arriving at the Lost World Valley. The property is bordered by 500m of river frontage on one side and by a single-lane, no through section of Kerry Road on the other side. You're just as likely to see cows on the road as you are cars. Being on the upper reaches of the Albert River, the water level is sensitive to rainfall. When the river is full you can ride the rubber tubes through the white water, heaps of fun for the whole family! When not so full, it's a great space for a calm dip, a picnic and for kids to explore the varied rocks along the banks. Native animals seen on the property include koalas, kangaroos, platypus, echidnas, goannas, possums, as well as an abundance of native birds, including kookaburras, black and white cockatoos, tawny frog mouths, galahs, kingfishers and lorikeets. It truly is a nature lover’s paradise! Our eclectic flock of poultry includes peacocks, chickens, ducks, turkeys, and guinea fowl. Be entertained as they roam free-range around the property, foraging for worms and insects. Our beautiful goats help to maintain our river slopes. They’re very friendly and love to be patted. Growing seasonally on the property are peaches, plums, grapes, pears, pomegranates, oranges, mandarins, grapefruit, lemons, limes, avocados, mulberries, blackberries, cumquats, figs, olives, pecans, walnuts, macadamia nuts, as well as an abundance of wild mint growing by the river banks. We welcome guests to sample the fruits and nuts from the property. We just ask that you leave some on the trees for our future guests to enjoy. An orchestra of crickets, cicadas and frogs livens the night at Lost World River Retreat. Toast marshmallows in your private firepit. Gaze upwards and look out for shooting stars and passing satellites. We are blessed with clear skies for fantastic star watching. When you've had your fill of nature and want a bit of technology, there's a HD TV with access to Netflix (there is no general TV access). We've recently upgraded to Elon Musk's Starlink satellite wi fi which provides uninterrupted movie viewing. On weekends, Andrew operates a coffee business 5 minutes drive away at Darlington Park camp grounds. Whlist we do provide an espresso coffee machine and ground coffee for you in the guesthouse, you have the option of buying a barista made coffee from Andrew instead if you prefer. Darlington Park also offers free bird feeding at 4pm on weekend afternoons and school holidays (this is kindly open to non-guests of the park, you might consider buying an ice cream from the kiosk in appreciation for the experience.) Guest access Guests have exclusive access to the guest house and its fully fenced outdoor space which includes a private fire pit and covered deck with BBQ for alfresco dining. The pool and other parts of the property are spaces that will be shared with us although we do try to prioritise your privacy during your stay. With 6.5 acres of land and nearly 500 metres of river frontage, there is plenty of room to explore and find your own spot for a private riverside picnic and swim. Our home is a separate stand alone structure. A fence divides the two buildings. We have our own entrance and patio space on the other side of our house. We allow guests their privacy but are usually on site to help you with anything you need. Other things to note While the guesthouse yard is security fenced and the pool fencing is compliant with Australian standards, this is a 6.5 acre property with direct access to the river and the road. Supervision of children is essential at all times. The pool and facilities are available for guest use but are used at your own risk. Please ensure you bring appropriate closed in shoes for exploring the property. We recommend creek shoes be worn when exploring the river. These are wet suit material with a thin rubber sole and can be purchased from BCF for $16. There is no undercover parking available on the property. The guesthouse is a comfortable but compact space that offers verstaility in sleeping arrangements but ideally sleeps up to 4 adults. It offers basic kitchen facilities including a medium sized fridge with small freezer, toaster, kettle, microwave, espresso machine and a plug-in, one burner electric induction cooktop. It does not have an oven however some guests use the hooded bbq in the pool area to cook a roast or heat a pizza. There is also a 2 burner flat top bbq on the undercover deck. There are 2 friendly roosters on the property that crow when they feel like it! Sometimes this is at night time. There are also peafowl that can be very loud during mating season in spring. Most guests love the farm sounds but for those that don't we provide ear plugs. Our goat paddocks are enclosed with electric fencing which will deliver a shock if touched. Please seek permission from owners before interacting with the goats. We're happy to accompany you and provide food if you wish to feed them. Being in a rural location, phone access is sometimes intermittent. The Telstra network has the strongest and most reliable signal and generally works very well. We access the Starlink satellite wi fi system. This is the strongest and fastest wi fi available and generally works very well.