This secluded luxury lodge, on the western slopes of the Great Diving Range, sits at the edge of the Blue Mountains. It is one of four homes in the family-run collection of unique stays tied together with Logan Brae Orchard, a 100-year-old boutique and working apple orchard, all full of history and charm.

The Lodge is equipped with everything one could possibly need for a getaway - fireplace, billiards table, plunge pool, outdoor bath and fire pit. It also has its own permanent spa room and a private therapist at your fingertips.

I started the fire the second we arrived - it felt only natural. Jess set the mood with the music and prepared the table for a few rounds of billiards. As the sun dipped west, we moved the party outdoors to the fire pit, a bottle of wine and marshmallows in tow. We warmed our bodies against the fire and gazed at the falling sun for what felt like hours.

Come morning, deck chairs and local birdlife beckon us for a morning coffee, and a cold plunge in the pool reinvigorated us and prepared us for the adventurous filled day ahead. Whilst you’re in this 100 million-year old neighbourhood, take the time to check its collection of leaps, lookouts and lookdowns — Evans, Govetts, Perrys and the like. At any one of these you can perch vertiginously atop a long-drop escarpment of honeycomb sandstone, surveying the endless wilderness of ancient Gondwana. Better still, venture down a cliff path or rock-hewn stairway to bushwalk for hours or days through this World Heritage wonder at Sydney’s backdoor.

After you've stretched your legs, do go visit the local Japanese Bathhouse for a traditional onsen experience, or head to the Jenolan caves - one of the oldest, largest and most incredible cave systems in the world.