A Weekend In The Yarra Valley

I honestly can’t believe that I’m already writing these words, but a couple of weeks ago we celebrated our one year wedding anniversary. Is it just us, or was that not the fastest year ever?

The past 12 months have flown by in a blur of travelling, working, a few family dramas, and mainly laying out some plans and ideas for what we want to do in the next couple of years.

One year of marriage is pretty exciting, but it’s actually not the biggest anniversary we’re having this year, as we will be celebrating ten years together in September. A pretty big milestone for two kids in their mid-twenties if I do say so myself!

So while we wanted our one year anniversary to be special, we didn’t want it to be too extravagant or expensive, especially since we hadn’t even been home from Asia for two weeks!

We decided to head back to the Yarra Valley, where it all happened the year before, and take a couple of days out to just relax, unwind and just be together without thinking about anything else.

There is no shortage of beautiful, romantic accommodation in the Yarra Valley, this little pocket of Victoria is brimming with unique airbnbs, luxury winery stays and adorable cottages to relax in.

We stumbled across the ultimate in secluded cabins at Kangaroo Ridge Retreat.

Kangaroo Ridge Retreat

When I found Kangaroo Ridge on booking.com it definitely ticked all of the initial boxes – private and secluded, away from the noise of the main town, potential for some wildlife sightings, with views over the valley.

During the week before our visit we received a couple of messages from the owners, Rebecca and Simon, who filled us in on everything we need to know about the property, including how to get there, what to lookout for and what wildlife we might spot around the cabins which came in very handy – especially the directions as the retreat is quite hidden away.

Exploring Cactus Country in Northern Victoria

Kangaroo Ridge Retreat actually only has two cabins, located just outside (and above) Healesville and surrounded by both bushland and beautiful panoramic views over the mountains.

One of the best things about the property is that the cabins are positioned so that you can never see the other one, making you feel utterly hidden to enjoy your relaxing getaway.

One side of the cabin, including one of the walls in the bathroom is floor to ceiling windows, offering you breathtaking views from the moment you step in the door.

One of the other great things about the cabins was that you didn’t have to see or speak to anyone! Rebecca and Simon gave us all the information we needed the day before and answered any questions we had about check in, and the cabin was ready and open for us when we arrived, with easy instructions left for us about how to check out.

So from the minute we drove up, we were already feeling relaxed and at home, no awkward drawn out check in situation to worry about.

Everything about Kangaroo Ridge is set up to make you feel relaxed and completely at home. There’s a wood fire to light in the living room, a BBQ on the balcony, a huge spa bath overlooking the mountains of the Yarra Valley, and fresh bread waiting in the kitchen.

If you didn’t want to, you would not have to leave for anything. We plopped ourselves down after our drive, and promptly fell right asleep for an afternoon nap in the sunshine.

5 Things To Do In The Yarra Valley

We can’t recommend Kangaroo Ridge Retreat highly enough for a romantic getaway.

It’s not often I say this, but we actually found ourselves really relaxing. Not paying attention to phones or social media, it was like time didn’t matter and we didn’t have to think about anything.

If you’re lucky, you might even spot some of the locals, with wombats, kangaroos and peacocks all very common in this area.

Kangaroo Ridge Retreat is located about an hour out of Melbourne at 38 Turners Lane, Healesville, Victoria. If you want to make a booking or ask any questions you can give them a call on +61 431 558 247 or through booking.com. Check out their website kangarooridge.com.au for more information, photos and holiday ideas around the Yarra Valley.

Zonzo Estate

The Sunday was the actual day of our wedding anniversary, so we decided to celebrate by inviting our families and bridal party to come back to Zonzo Estate, where we got married last year.

We had a huge lunch with antipasto platters and endless wood fire pizzas, as well as Zonzo’s delicious wines. My mum is not a drinker, but she has literally been talking about their moscato since the wedding last year, so we made sure to buy her a couple of bottles to take home for special occasions in the future!

It was so nice to be back in a very special place for us, with our closest family on such a special day. We topped the day off with a delicious Red Velvet Cake from our original cake designer T. With Cake, and were so full by the end of the day we could hardly move.

Our Best Day Ever

Both Kangaroo Ridge Retreat and Zonzo Estate hold a special place in our hearts, and they’re definitely worth a visit if you’re looking for somewhere to celebrate a special occasion or just enjoy the best of what the Yarra Valley has to offer. you’re interested, you can check out our original wedding post from last year to see all the pictures from the big day,

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