We feel like we've walked into a McCubbin landscape as we amble amid the young saplings and tall manna gums surrounding Waterholes Guest House in East Gippsland. Shafts of gentle winter sun seem to guide us along the pebbled edge of the trickling Nicholson River that some 55 km away empties into the vast lakes system at Lakes Entrance. Animal footprints lead us warily up the riverbank. There, at the edge of a clearing, are two Western Grey kangaroos that stand to attention before bounding off into the bush. We had spied their coat of arms’ partners earlier when we surprised a family of emus by the roadside – before they, too, retreated for cover. It’s this pristine wilderness that lures guests to this remote rural accommodation with no television, no mobile phone service, no daily papers, and the only sounds are those of whipbirds, kookaburras and the occasional generator kicking in when the lack of winter sun cuts solar power. Kaye and Bob Munro have lived here for 30 years with wombats, gliders, echidnas and lyrebirds. Five years ago, they decided to share their beautiful property with guests and had three spacious suites built. Each is individually designed and stylishly furnished with hydroponic heating and windows that offer ever-changing landscapes. Kaye pampers with excellent home-style food; her own Swiss muesli, baked eggs and smoked ham or crepes for breakfast; perhaps tomato and capsicum soup with rosemary and feta scones and salad for lunch; and fresh asparagus, tender Gippsland beef fillet or local trout and old-fashioned lemon delicious for dinner. It's four hours by car from Melbourne, via Bairnsdale, or you can opt to helicopter in which also includes a two-hour flight over the region the next day. Full board and accommodation is $420 a couple a night, half-price per single. The guest house is closed for business during July and August, www.waterholesguesthouse.com.au TW

A birthday toast

South Australia’s most singular luxury hotel turns 21 this year. Situated in leafy Stirling - high in the Adelaide Hills, yet only 20 minutes from the city – Thorngrove Manor, with its turrets and royal chambers, enormous four-poster beds and French tapestries, has garnered numerous awards over the years as guests from around the world have been seduced by its fairytale charm. With only six romantic luxury suites, Thorngrove promises a complete escape from the 21st century, albeit with all mod cons. The whimsical charm of this medieval-style hideaway is due entirely to the dedication of hotel owners, Kenneth and Nydia Lehmann. They consider no suite, however sumptuous, finished and are constantly tweaking and refining furniture and fittings (several bathrooms have been recently refurbished). Attention to detail is their trademark - antique stained-glass windows shipped from Scotland, Royal Doulton chimney pots rescued from England, a four-poster bed carved from elms felled during South Australia's Ash Wednesday bushfires - all contributing to the hotel's 'lost in time' allure. A stay costs from $620 a double, including continental breakfast, www.slh.com/thorngrove CM