Now and Zen

With high expectations, we headed out to the Japanese Zen Retreat and boy oh boy it lived up to the hype! From the private lake to the Kyoto Palace-inspired architecture, it was the perfect escape from the hustle.

The two bedroom retreat was nestled in the trees of Crossover, an easy hour and a half from Melbourne. After walking down the gravel path, the first thing we saw was a beautiful bath, set in rock, instantly setting a scene of pure relaxation.  The wraparound deck overlooking the tranquil lake was perfect for our mid-morning cook ups, or a chill afternoon beer with a book. The beds were super comfy, the high thatched ceiling, natural wood furniture and chill vibes made the stay easy peasy Japanesey.

Carl & Renee were the most friendly and accommodating hosts and spared no detail - if we were any more relaxed we’d be horizontal! It was so peaceful, with only the sound of frogs to break the silence, making it hard to leave the property in search of activities.
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Things We Did

  • Cafe
  • Sunset
  • Fish
  • Waterfall
Carl gave us what turned out to be a great recommendation - an antique style cafe with plenty of personality. Iced coffees and scones was a great call....
We spotted the lookout earlier in the day - it was only nine minutes from home and we thought it could be a great option for the iconic duo: Sunset and Red wine. The sky lit up over the valley and it was a doozy!...
After seeing so many fishermen around the area, we decided to quench the thirst and headed to the Alpine Trout Farm. Being a farm we thought it would be a piece of cake but it wasn’t for some (the boys). We eventually walked away with enough for dinner!...
You can’t go wrong with a waterfall walk. Tooronga Falls was a definite highlight - the drive there was beautiful, the walk got the heart rate up and dipping our feet in the rock pools did the trick to cool us down....

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Where we stayed
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