Girls getaway in Gloucester

The excitement was growing and the text messages were coming in thick and fast on the Friday morning when the girls were packing and getting ready to drive to Gloucester for a girls' weekend getaway.

This is an annual event: a celebration of friendships, fun and exploring new areas around this beautiful part of the Barrington Coast hinterland. The shenanigans have been going on for 9 years and we all agree you can’t beat the beautiful surroundings, shops and eateries Gloucester has to offer.

We sit back, breathe in the fresh air and soak up the gorgeous views. We talk over the top of each other of course, with hilarious stories of our lives over the past 12 months and wonder how we got so lucky.

These girls-only getaways are great for the soul and are a must-do.

As the girls drove into town their senses were on overload with the views from Mograni Lookout: the amazing backdrop of the Buccan Buccans overlooking Gloucester, and the mountains looking spectacular with their rolling green foothills.

We met at The Roundabout Inn and with a frenzy of cuddles, we sat down to a beautiful lunch cooked from The Kitchen Bistro . I had a delicious meal of crumbed lamb cutlets with salad, chips and tasty gravy. The cutlets are supplied by local butchers at Avon Valley Meats who sell only top quality meat products. For our evening barbecue we loved the artisan sausages (beef with black pepper and Worcestershire sauce) and the huge cattleman’s beef cutlets, you won’t be disappointed.

Our group’s accommodation was just outside town at Kia Ora Lookout Retreat. We were amazed by its scenic location and very happy to call this ‘palace’ our home for the weekend. The property was super clean, with manicured yards and a crystal clear salt water pool that was calling us. The retreat has five bedrooms each with their own bathroom, a large catering kitchen with double ovens and double fridges, so the property is well equipped for groups of up to 10 visitors.

The retreat was perfect for us and there were numerous living areas with eclectic vibes. Verandas surround the house so you can choose sunny or shady, or select which of those amazing views you wanted to enjoy throughout the day. The outdoor entertaining area has a generous dining table, breathtaking views of the green and golden valley and gorgeous festoon lighting that really gave a celebratory feeling to our evenings. It looked truly majestic at night with the lights reflecting from many angles. We all slept wonderfully, the beds and the bed linen are five-star quality, and it's those luxurious things that make a great getaway with the girls.

The sunrise revealed a foggy valley with the mountains peeking through the mist, and as the sun rose the light was mesmerising. A big cooked breakfast on the barbecue saw us ready to tackle our next adventure.

A short scenic drive through Barrington village brought us to Copeland Tops State Conservation Area, about 11km from Gloucester on a sealed road. We’d booked a Mountain Maid Gold Mine Tour with NPWS and we met up with three tour guides and another family exploring the national parks around the region. It was a cool beautiful morning as we walked through the canopy with overhanging strangler figs, red cedar trees and grey myrtles. There’s an impressive Education Centre where we were told the history of Copeland and the goldmine. We got to peek down the old mine shafts, see an old stomper machine and a whirly-gig gold separator in working order.

The walk along a beautifully maintained boardwalk was absolutely stunning with pure water trickling down Copeland Creek and lyre birds singing, all set in the most wonderful natural amphitheatre. We all missed our children as we watched the kids pan for gold, they were so excited when they found some fool’s gold. This was an experience that was really enjoyed by our group and not a usual addition for our itinerary. We managed some wonderful group photographs and connected with the land as we walked through the diverse landscape.

Back in town we went straight to Hebby’s Bakery for their famous pies and sausage rolls, this is part of our getaway weekend tradition.

As we sat and ate our lunch across the road, the Circle Of Friends boutique caught our eye and we couldn’t resist. The shop is fitted out beautifully and we went through racks of beautiful dresses, and pleased to say our group bought five new outfits for our evening activities.

Back at the retreat we relaxed for a couple of hours beside the pool with some local wine and treats.

Soon it was time to frock up for our evening activity which was a wine tour and nibbles at nearby Faulls Ridge Winery. James from Roam picked us up in his taxi bus and dropped us at this beautiful location 10 minutes from town. We were greeted by Debbie the owner who had set up tables for us in the shade under a beautiful big tree, with a stunning view to the valleys that were so green and lush.

Debbie told us the intriguing story behind the winery, accompanied by a grazing board with three different wines and beautiful homemade local products: quince paste, bread and butter cucumbers, olives and of course beautiful black grapes picked fresh from the vines.

James was on time with his Roam service and was very patient with 10 loud laughing girls in the background! On return to our accommodation we watched the beautiful sunset over the Buccan Buccans with a beautifully cooked dinner and local wines. The night was finished off with some singing and late night swims.

Sunday morning came around way too fast and it was time for our breakfast goodbyes. Roadies Café has an amazing menu with plenty of choices: my eggs benedict was amazing and I could hear the other girls commenting on how good the homemade baked beans were. The coffee was outstanding, strong and hot just how I like it. We’ve already started to plan next year’s weekend.

There are many different styles of accommodation available around Gloucester for groups of friends or family. Come see all the beauty for yourself sometime soon.