I count Katandra as one of my spiritual homes these days. It's an amazing getaway location for a big group of people who don't feel like a beach break. Situated close to Lamington National Park, accessed via Beaudesert, Katandra is stuck in the middle of nowhere - or, to be more accurate, stuck in the middle of a beautiful green countryside, surrounded by mountains (and, if you go in Spring, flowering Jacaranda trees). The House is fully equipped with everything you need - a kitchen full of cooking and eating tools, clean linen on beds, three showers and toilets (two of each of these are outside the building so winter runs will be a bit nippy), and a library in the den with books, records and videos. All you need to take with you are your clothes, personal items, and enough food and drink to not need to make any trips back into town... because the nearest corner store is a good 45-minute drive away. Mobile reception doesn't exist on any network out this far, so make sure you let any important people know you'll be out of contact apart from the landline phone. There's a fireplace in the den and an outside bonfire spot. My two stays so far at Katandra have been over the new year and in November, and yet we used both fires to keep warm - the lovely mountain air is cool enough all year round. Just down the hill is a little wooden shack and a lovely creek, as well as an old bathtub with a little fire pit under it. If you want to go to the effort of filling the bath and heating the water, the resulting bath time is a little like something out of a dream (just don't forget to put stones in the bottom of the tub to sit on, because it gets a bit hot!). A little further down from the creek is a beautiful olive grove. It took four years in between holidays at Katandra for my friends and I to return, and we were worried that as time passed, we'd overhyped it in our minds... but returning was just as wonderful as we'd expected, if not a bit more. If you're looking for an awesome break from life for you and your friends, I can't recommend Katandra more highly. read more

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