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Wild at Heart
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By: Caroline Gladstone, Issue 38 – Autumn 2009
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(Boroka Downs - Grampians National Park, Victoria, Australia)
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ENJOY BIRD-WATCHING AND KANGAROO SPOTTING AT THIS GRAMPIANS LUXURY RETREAT.
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Wildlife spotting is a breeze at Boroka Downs, the boutique retreat on the edge of the Grampians National Park in western Victoria. A mob of kangaroos bounded by at dusk as I sprawled on my sofa, while a pair of emus sauntered past my window the next morning as I was propped up in bed. The animals and birds, especially the crimson rosellas, have returned in force after a dry couple of years. Boroka Downs occupies 123 hectares of bushland, providing each of its five identical villas with complete privacy and superb views of the Mt William and Black Ranges. I had been keen to visit the Grampians ever since I’d seen a brochure cover of two people sitting on a rocky outcrop called ‘The Balconies’, suspended high above a vast expanse of rugged cliffs. Boroka Downs sits in a valley below these towering edifices, seven kms from the town of Halls Gap.
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The ferocious bushfires that swept through the region in January 2006 devastated huge tracks of the park and licked at the edges of the retreat destroying hundreds of the 15,000 trees planted by the original owners. Fortunately good rains came in 2008, and the area is lush and again brimming with wildlife. Hoteliers Julian and Barbara Car opened the eco-friendly Boroka Downs in 2000, after 18 months of careful planning and construction. It had been designed to blend perfectly with the surroundings and to be as self-sufficient as possible in terms of water and power. It was also designed to provide maximum comfort and no small measure of luxury for five couples. Each villa is a harmonious blend of elegance and functionality, designed with the main objective of bringing in the glorious view.
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The semi-circular residences each has an entire wall of glass, comprised of floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding doors, topped by six large windows set into acathedral ceiling. The open-plan spaces have a minimalist bedroom of timber and glass at one end and a large spa bath at the other, while a marble bathroom is hidden behind cool concrete walls and the kitchen appliances are neatly tucked away behind beautifully crafted wall panels. A long comfy modular sofa, a wood-burning stove and TV, DVD, surround sound system and iPod docking station complete the lounge area. Everything is quality from the Smeg gas cook top to the Saeco Italian espresso machine, Aesop bath products and the welcome hamper of local produce and wine.
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However, it’s the environmental practices that make all the difference at Boroka Downs – 100 per cent green energy, solar heated hot water, rainwater tanks and a full recycling system. New owners Ron and Jo Payne have vowed to keep up the eco-friendly principles started by the Carrs and have built an interpretative walking track through the property and have planted dozens more trees,
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Things to do:
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- Halls Gap is 248 km northwest of Melbourne, via Ballarat and Ararat.
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- Explore beautiful Grampians National Park.
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- Wine taste at Seppelts Great Western, Kimbarra Wines and The Gap winery.
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- Visit Halls Gap Wildlife Park.
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- Visit Brambuk Cultural Centre, which traces the Aboriginal history of the area.
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- Have a great massage or treatment at Blaze Rock Retreat.
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- Dine at the acclaimed Royal Mail Hotel in Dunkeld, voted Country Restaurant of the Year in the 2009 AgeGood Food Guide.
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Details:
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Boroka Downs
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