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A weekend away is always a good idea. Except, as was the case for me, you’re leaving just as a storm is about to hit – the usually cruisy three-hour drive from Melbourne to the Grampians threatened by hail, low visibility and 10-centimetre-deep highways. But when arriving at the Royal Mail Hotel in Dunkeld, the anxiety instantly dissipates.
Drive another three kilometres up the road from HQ to the luxe refurbed cottages and you really could be anywhere but sopping-wet Victoria. The standalone bluestone lodges – former shearers’ quarters – sit at the base of the looming Mount Sturgeon, with a vista that stretches far and wide across the Grampians. Wallabies and kangaroos roam the 91-hectare Mount Sturgeon Biodiversity Reserve that the accommodation is nestled in – so keep an eye out.
Refurbished by Byrne Architects, the 1850s-built structures are clad with walnut timber, moss-green drapes and buttery-brown leather lounges that emphasise the raw beauty of the stone walls. A roaring fireplace, custom-built bar and modern bathroom (with a rainfall shower) orbit the plush king bed. It’s hard to move from the slumber station, but you’ll be missing out on the magnificence of the region if you don’t.
A stay in the refurbed cottage is part of the two-night Gariwerd Luxury Escape package. It also includes a tour of the nature reserve – and its resident eastern quolls, fat-tailed dunnarts and sugar gliders – with the conservation team at feeding time; a kitchen-garden tour; a tour of Royal Mail’s 30,000-bottle wine cellar; complimentary transfers from the cottage for dining; and daily in-room breakfasts. And, of course, you’d be remiss to skip dinner at Wickens, Royal Mail’s renowned hyperlocal destination fine diner – and its casual all-day offshoot Parker Street Project. There are also a number of single- or multi-day hikes to discover nearby.
The Gariwerd Luxury Escape package is $1850 for Wednesday to Friday stays, and $1950 for Friday to Sunday stays.
royalmail.com.au
