Creative Retreats Archives - Photo Tips, Creative Photography + Travel Guides - The Wandering Lens

Where Rolling Hills Meet Rainforest: A Visual Retreat at Beechmont Estate

Lisa Michele Burns — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 12:00:52 +0000

Visual Hotel Review – Beechmont Estate, Queensland There’s a place where morning mist drifts through tall gums and the sound of birdsong carries across open paddocks. A place where you can wake slowly, breathe deeply, and let time unfold at a more relaxed pace. Nestled in the hinterland of Queensland’s Scenic Rim, Beechmont Estate sits quietly on a ridge surrounded by ancient rainforest and farmland. Though just an hour from the coast, it’s remote enough to feel off-grid, yet close enough to slip away to for the weekend. I recently spent two nights here with my family, surrounded by nature and good food with a gentle rhythm that brought us back to the joy of appreciating the beauty of downtime and the great outdoors. A Setting That Invites Stillness Set on 75 acres of rolling hills in Yugambeh Country and bordered by World Heritage-listed Lamington National Park, Beechmont Estate feels far removed from city life and invites guests to relax and retreat. Surrounded by open paddocks, ancient Gondwana rainforest, and views that change with the light, it’s an ideal place for a creative reset, hiking, and indulging in some culinary delights. Upon waking on our first morning, we saw kangaroos grazing...

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Creative Escapes – The Coastal Haven of Yamba

Lisa Michele Burns — Fri, 20 Jan 2023 09:48:01 +0000

Exploring the Coastal Beauty of Yamba, Australia Photographing sunrise, hiking, picnicking, swimming and spending your days close to nature. If this sounds like your ideal beach escape, look no further than the quiet, coastal haven of Yamba in New South Wales. Better yet, drive 5mins south to experience the surfers retreat of Angourie. Angourie, meaning ‘tail-feather of a seagull’ sits on the northern edge of Yuraygir National Park, an immense area covering 60km of coastal reserve stretching as far south as Red Rock. This special seaside town is home to surf lovers and sun seekers, providing plenty of space to get away from crowds and soak up the beach lifestyle. It’s many hiking trails and beach options pair with plenty of surf breaks, some suited to beginners, and others like the ‘Life or Death’ shelf break suited for the daring and experienced. This region is actually somewhere my family visited annually when I was a little kid. Spending a few weeks each year with our tiny dinghy, paddling up and down the Clarence River discovering fishing and swimming spots. Having spent most of my adult life abroad, it was such a pleasant surprise to return some 17years later and see...

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Creative Escapes – Eden Health Retreat, Gold Coast

Lisa Michele Burns — Fri, 03 Dec 2021 01:13:11 +0000

Eden Health Retreat – A Visual Hotel Review If you could conjure up the perfect surroundings for relaxation and rejuvenation, what would they be? Perhaps a dash of morning birdsong, a sprinkle of lush rainforest, clouds rolling through a silent valley and the gentle hum of crickets as you drift off to sleep… I’ve found just the place. Cocooned within the Currumbin Valley, just 25minutes from the sun-soaked beaches of the Gold Coast, you can escape the everyday, and immerse yourself in a natural environment that instantly makes you breathe a little deeper. There are also gourmet meals prepared for you, spa treatments, beds that feel like a hug and big, bubble-worthy baths. Eden Health Retreat facilitates that perfect balance between doing absolutely nothing, whilst achieving everything you need. Rejuvenation, wellness, health, relaxation and inspiration. I recently ventured to Eden for a 3-night stay with the aim of boosting a little creativity, exploring the hikes and scenery with my camera plus indulging in some signal free time. Disconnecting from WIFI, TV, all devices and screens except my camera (I can never go without it, especially to somewhere this beautiful)! I wanted to see if the cliché statements like, ‘just disconnect...

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