After a long week at work Mel and I headed out into the Yarra Valley, our destination was the luxurious Magical Nissen Hut. The moment we turned the key, we were amazed at where we were staying. High rounded ceiling, endless lounge space, a full kitchen, and more firewood than we could burn in a week. We even found a few surprises in the fridge that our wonderful hosts Tinne and Pieter had left for us. Both bedrooms have their own ensuite and one even has a hot tub. Your back porch has views of the surrounding nature as you are staying on a working farm in your own private residence. There is even a local butcher two properties over for fresh and local meats.

We were positioned perfectly to see all the local wineries or venture out into the state parks. We chose the latter as we really needed some time amongst the forest. We left early on our second day and caught the sunrise on Mount St.Leonard. It is roughly 30 minutes from the accommodation, but it links to the Toolangi State Forest where you will also find the Kalatha Giant Tree walk and Wirrawilla Rainforest walk. The fresh air, incredibly diverse plant life and native birds helped us find a sense of zen on our entire stay.

We arrived in wonder, stayed in nature, and left in tranquillity. This Riparide is one of a kind that you won't see often.