Last month I surprised Alan with three nights at the luxurious Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley Resort for his birthday. It was sensational – we loved everything about this spectacular property.
A picturesque road winds along the river to reach the resort on the eastern end of the valley. The minute you turn into the gates of Wolgan Valley, the phone signal disappears. We’re in a remote part of the Blue Mountains, where ancient Wollemi pine grew undiscovered until the mid-1990s.
And crystal clear Carne Creek cuts a deep gorge through the sandstone valley, where steep cliffs contrast with the gentle curve of the valley floor when it meets with the Wolgan river.
Emirates Wolgan Valley Resort is an ultra-luxury conservation-based property occupying just one per cent of the 7,000 acre nature reserve. The resort is in the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area just 190 kilometres west of Sydney and lies within the Great Dividing Range between the Wollemi National Park and the Gardens of Stone National Park.
The resort has forty luxury villas, each with a private swimming pool, a double-sided fireplace and stunning views over the valley. The Main Homestead offers a variety of dining options including Wolgan Dining Room with panoramic views, the casual Country Kitchen restaurant, and the Valley Bar and Terrace which includes a walk-in wine cellar. A culinary philosophy based on the very best seasonal, regional and, where possible, organic produce from local Blue Mountains growers is also supplemented by the resort’s extensive vegetable garden that provides additional organic produce.
Although Wolgan Valley is a great place for rest and relaxation, we were determined to enjoy as much of the outdoors as possible. The early morning sun rise over the escarpment and kangaroos grazing on the grass just outside the porch of our suite greeted us on our first day of exploration. A stunning vista of mist encircling the mountains is backdrop to air scented with eucalyptus and the morning chorus of magpies and kookaburras.
I can’t wait to go horse riding, mountain biking and hiking around this stunning property and I’m like a big kid – impatient to try everything. If the great outdoors is your taste, you will enjoy Emirates One& Only Wolgan Valley Resort where you can enjoy spotting wildlife, breathtaking natural beauty, four-wheel drive tours, mountain biking, nature walks and horse riding. The resort offers a rare opportunity to experience true luxury in a spectacular Australian bush setting.
Then it was time to hit the spa for the best facial ever, by now I’m so relaxed I’m melting into the table. Too soon it was time to leave. We felt like ‘rock stars’ when our private chauffeur driven Range Rover had picked us up in Sydney for the scenic drive to the resort. But this was nothing compared to the helicopter flight back to Sydney with unforgettable aerial views over the Blue Mountains, then along the Parramatta River, through Sydney Heads before touching down at Sydney Airport – just breath taking!
