We arrived in Valla ready for a couple of nights of complete relaxation and tranquillity and that's exactly what we received. We were greeted by the excited family dog, Chevy, before settling into the retreat, which is located on a beautiful, large acreage surrounded by tall trees. There's a winding path through the bushland that leads down to the dam at the bottom of the hill.

The hosts left us a hamper basket with some breakfast goodies inside; bacon, fresh eggs from the property's chickens, croissants, cookies, juice and fruit. We cooked it all up and enjoyed our breakfast outside in the courtyard, taking in the warm morning sun before heading out to explore the surrounding area.

Valla itself is a small township with a couple of quality cafes and a gorgeous beach with rocky outcrops. Best of all, there were only a handful of others around. Not far inland is the Promised Lands at Glennifer, which is a stunning location to take a dip in the Never Never Creek.

The hosts also left us a bunch of firewood so we lit the fire, of course, as the sun set on our final night and enjoyed our last moments underneath the canopy.