When I purchased 99.9 acres of eucalypt and rainforest bushland with a creek in 2018, I dreamed of creating a nature retreat where people weary of concrete surroundings and constant technology could rediscover peace, reconnect with nature and themselves, and remember the childhood dreams that once felt possible.

While planning the retreat I asked my daughter, a Graphic Designer, to create the branding, website and flyers. A draft flyer introduced me to forest bathing, or Shinrin-yoku—the Japanese practice of spending restorative time in nature.

That discovery led me to train with the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT) and become a certified forest therapy guide.

The story behind

I also wanted to honour the land’s First Nations custodians, the Gubbi Gubbi (Kabi Kabi) people, who cared for Country in harmony with nature. Guided by that respect, I began restoring the native bushland as a shared haven for people and wildlife, including kangaroos, wallabies, possums, red-necked pademelons, ten butterfly species and more than 45 bird species. Many of those birds were recorded during a mid-morning survey on a rainforest trail in December 2025—a vivid sign of the harmony I hope to nurture.

With support from “Land for Wildlife”1 and “Back to Bush Environmental”2, we have continued restoring native vegetation and removing invasive weeds.

Today, four distinct trails host guided forest therapy walks, each offering a beautiful setting for experiencing nature’s calming, restorative qualities. A fifth follows the creek, where visitors may see the endangered Mary River cod and, occasionally, platypuses in the swimming holes.

This land was once a gathering place, and my dream is to make it one again.

Come gather here with me.