One of the things I love about living in Brisbane is the sheer amount of weekend getaway options near the city. Thankfully, my recent trip to the Scenic Rim reminded me just how great they are and inspired me to get away more often. For this trip, I rented a five-acre property on Airbnb in the town of Tarome. As I was soon to find out, this Scenic Rim accommodation offers plenty to do in and around the property.
This weekend I was celebrating my 50th birthday, and rather than complicate things by inviting friends and having a party, I decided just to keep it low-key. Family, mountains, a fire, a few brews and my dog was what I was after, and the Scenic Rim was my first choice. I’d booked the property a couple of months earlier and I was excited to see what our weekend had in store for us.
Our Arrival at Mountview
‘Mountview’ was the name of our four-bedroom house in Tarome, which is a small town about an hour and fifteen minutes’ drive from Brisbane. After arriving, I quickly scoped out the house (which looked more than adequate), although my real interest lay in the property – particularly the two chairs on the hill up the back. Here I was going to crack a couple of beers and look at the mountains while the sun set, with my dog.
Stupidly, I let my cocker spaniel Cookie off leash for a run around the property. As he’s an inner-city slicker who lives in an apartment, I thought he would relish in the freedom of a five-acre run. Relish he did, and pretty soon he got a little too cocky, bailed under the barbed wire fence where the cattle were roaming and rolled around in an epic mound of manure. He also ate it too, I think, as I soon saw him vomiting while bathed in the manure.
Unfortunately, I spent nearly the next hour cleaning him up so he’d be fit to come inside. However, I did manage to squeeze in a quick sunset session, on the chair on the hill, while downing a couple of beers. Check out my video at the end to see this in action.
The House – Scenic Rim Accommodation
After the sun went down, I got a better look at the inside of our abode. Mountview is pretty large and easily accommodates up to six people. On this trip we were five – myself, my partner Nikki, my son Olin, our friend Paula and her son Ruben. We had ample space to kick back inside, but again, I was all about the property and the outdoors on this trip.
So what was on offer? We had a dining room, a kitchen with all the typical amenities, a sunroom, a loungeroom with a flat-screen TV and access to Netflix, Prime and Disney, a front porch with dining options, a view, and even a small back porch. In short, it was more than enough for my weekend celebration, particularly as I just wanted a fireplace and a view of the mountains! (And maybe somewhere warm to sleep).
The Property
After dealing with Cookie’s manure episode, I made my way to the firepit. I was a little startled to see an axe sticking out of a stump by the firepit, but I soon squashed any fears of country axe murders and proceeded to get the fire going.
The firepit is surrounded by a few log seats in an expansive area. The following night I would be playing my ukulele here and singing silly songs under the moonlight. On this night, however, I made a large fire with the wood we brought (and bought) in the local area. Pretty soon the fire was cranking and I managed to get the ladies and the boys outside to join me and Cookie by the fire.
Just a few metres away from the firepit is the BBQ and wood-fired pizza oven. Next to this is a large dining table under a shed, which has plenty of atmosphere. I attempted (but failed) to make pizzas in the wood-fired oven, although the BBQ was certainly put to good use. In the bid to minimise washing dishes, we used the BBQ a lot for cooking and doing this outdoors near the fire was fun.
Other areas of the property included the veggie garden behind the house and the garden at the front, which had a lawn, trees and a lot of bird life. I didn’t spend a lot of time in the front garden but it added enough variety to the place, removing the need to leave the property for the entire weekend. At the very back of the property, near my two favourite seats, was a sparse forest that had a hammock and a swing beneath the trees – more options for a Scenic Rim laze.
Animals
Kangaroos frequent the property, and when we arrived there were a few up the back, but they were fairly timid, skedaddled quickly and we didn’t see them again. Apparently, there are bandicoots on the property too, but I failed to see any. As we were leaving I spoke with the owner Amanda, who said you sometimes see snakes on the property too, although we failed to see any during our stay.
There are also cattle in the adjacent property that will wander over to say hello. Amanda even provides carrots for you to feed them. The cattle seemed used to this, as they were expecting a feed when we first arrived. However, when we went to feed them the next day, they were reluctant to participate and even timid. Perhaps we looked scary, or perhaps it was Cookie who had them on their back hooves.
Little Touches
Amanda and her partner Laslo, who host the property, made sure our stay was memorable, as they left Darrell Lea rocky road in the fridge – which we loved – and a bottle of champagne. There was also a bag of firewood ready to use, and basics like oil, butter, vegemite and tea to make your stay uber comfortable. My partner Nikki noticed the extras in both the bathroom and kitchen, saying there’s more here than on your typical stays. Nice little birthday touches, which made us happy!
Things to do in the Area
Amanda and Laslo also leave you a book filled with things to do in the area, of which there are many. As we mostly stayed on the property for this trip, I won’t mention things we didn’t do. Just know that you won’t be bored should you choose to venture further afield. There are plenty of hikes to do, restaurants, vineyards and bakeries, as well as little artisan shops in the area.
However, I have explored the Scenic Rim region previously on my other blog, and a place I certainly recommend is Summer Land Camels, which is only 25 minutes away.
Our Walk
On our second day, I convinced the boys to embark on a little adventure with me and Cookie to the hills in front of the property. As always, the hills looked much closer than they actually were. We never did quite get onto them, due to barbed wire fences and cattle, but we did have a good wander at the foot of them for a few hours. We walked through fields, crossed a stream, encountered some menacing cattle, found a small lake and discovered the Moffat onion and carrot factory. In all, it was a pleasant little Saturday afternoon adventure, just the way I like them.
Kalbar
One place we did stop at on our way home was Kalbar, which is a small, quaint-looking town about 15 minutes northeast of Tarome. Kalabar is famous for its sunflower festival, which I’m definitely keen to return for. On this visit, we stopped at the café on the main street called Lovett. I had a pie and a coffee, both which were pretty average. Nonetheless, it was a pleasant spot to sit, as we were in the centre of town and it was a good place to people-watch.
Across the street lies the heritage-listed Wiss Bros store, built in 1909, which today sells an emporium of goodies.
Final Thoughts
In all, we loved our stay at ‘Mountview’ in Tarome. The property, as you can see, has magnificent views of the surrounding region, it accommodates for small groups and offers plenty to do without leaving the house. Additionally, Mountview has more than enough creature comforts for a weekend getaway and hosts Amanda and Laslo go out of their way to make sure you feel right at home. So much so, that you’ll likely want to return. We do, and after reading the visitor book, we discovered we aren’t the only ones.
Check out my video below to get a better idea of the property.
A Few Fast Facts
- Mountview is an hour and 15 minutes’ drive from Brisbane CBD and is accessible via 2wd.
- Dogs are allowed on the property but must be kept on a leash.
- The house accommodates up to 8 people.
- The house has cooking facilities, which include a fully equipped kitchen, BBQ and a wood-fired pizza oven.
- You must buy your own firewood for the firepit and wood-fired pizza oven, although Amanda and Laslo will leave you a bag to get started (check with them about this first).
- There are kangaroos on the property, but they left pretty promptly when we arrived.
- You can check out the Mountview Scenic Rim accommodation here, where you can get in touch with Amanda and Laslo for more details.
