Perched right on the edge of a towering mountain ash forest, Forest Retreat in Upwey felt like a secret hideout just an hour from Melbourne — but a world away from the noise. From the moment we arrived, it was like the trees wrapped us in their own kind of welcome. Liz was already darting between the ferns, my wife taking in the stillness, and me? I just stood there for a moment, breathing it all in, already knowing this would be one of those trips we’d keep talking about.

Morning sauna sessions with steam curling into the cold air, followed by an outdoor shower where you’re so close to the forest you can hear the leaves move. We wandered through the Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden, stopped for coffee at Maria Café in Upwey, and found warmth (and a little magic) at Micawber Tavern’s Christmas in July dinner, a nice surprise we didn't expect to experience, but totally worth it.

By the time we drove away, I had that familiar mix of satisfaction and longing. The kind you get when a place slows you down enough to notice the little things: My daughter's giggle echoing in the forest, the smell of the fire, the way the light falls in the late afternoon. Forest Retreat didn’t just give us somewhere to stay; it gave us the space to reconnect, reset, and leave with a little more than we came with.