Standing in front of a fig tree, wrapped around an ancient rock high on a hill, I feel a sense of total bliss. A forest therapy guide certified with the Japan Forest Therapy Society, Mayumi Kataoka, is leading us through forest-bathing exercises, including a breathing exchange with a Port Jackson fig, and by the time we’re enjoying a Japanese tea ceremony at the bottom of the 1800 sqm garden, I feel completely connected to the forest we’re set to call home for the next two nights.
It’s the perfect introduction to Crane Lodge, an eco-positive luxury retreat near Palm Beach on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. A sister property to the Wild Luxury group’s Calabash Bay Lodge on Berowra Waters, this exclusive-use property is perched so high on the hill we ride a 90m inclinator lift to our front door.
Inside the light-filled building, the huge windows and skylights provide views of treetop leaves dancing in the breeze, while south-facing windows, balconies and decks have 180-degree views of the Pacific Ocean and Pittwater. There are four bedrooms in the main home, including a master bedroom with a freestanding bathtub on an enclosed balcony, a treehouse within a treehouse room across a short walkway, and a room with bunk beds for the kids, plus a studio apartment at the base of the garden.
I’m instantly drawn to an installation above the dining table, where tubes filled with seeds of endemic trees hang alongside twinkling lights. The luminaire, Seed Rain, was commissioned by owner Kim Ellis and interior designer Carole Whiting, and is a collaboration between environmental artist Shona Wilson and industrial designer Celina Clarke. It is just one of the eye-catching original artworks around the home.
In the backyard, beneath huge moss and staghorn-covered rocks, there’s a heated magnesium swimming pool and cedar hot tub at one end of the garden and a fire pit at the other. Windows in the kitchen open onto the outdoor dining area, where guests can sizzle a steak on the BeefEater barbie when they’re not using the two touch-screen Fisher and Paykel ovens inside, or better yet, inviting chef Manuel Affarian of Secret Dining to cook a lavish three-course dinner at home, including his baked kataifi dessert that we’re soon declaring the best ice-cream sandwich ever.
Built with sustainable design and smart technology, Crane Lodge has solar panels and batteries. When it’s not exporting back to the grid or being self-sufficient, it draws on 100 per cent renewable energy from Powershop. There’s an electric vehicle charging point; rainwater is captured for use throughout the property; there’s cross-flow air ventilation to keep things cool; and low-emissivity glass reflects long-wave heat radiation into the lodges for heat in winter and back out again in summer.
Everywhere I look there’s something that I now want in my own home, from the Robert Gordon dinnerware and Turkish cotton Saarde robes to the Quadrant couch by the ethical and sustainability-focused Australian furniture designer Koskela. As for the charging station that rises out of the kitchen bench top? Genius.
By the end of our stay we’ve lost all track of time and feel completely enveloped by our surroundings. A total reset just an hour from the city that has to be felt to be truly believed.
DESIGN 10/10
The original artworks, the lush landscaped gardens, the ridiculously comfortable and sustainable furniture, and the designer kitchen are all perfection.
ENTERTAINMENT 9/10
There’s a Smart TV with subscriptions to all the major streaming services, a cupboard full of classic and modern board games,and lots of places to unplug with a good book.
DINING 9/10
Book the Secret Dining private-chef experience (from $185pp) for a three-course meal prepared and cooked in your home. All you have to do is sit back and enjoy.
VERDICT 9/10
Crane Lodge feels like a secret retreat where you can unplug from the world and reconnect with nature, yourself and friends in treetop luxury style.
Amanda Woods was a guest of Wild Luxury. Stays start at $2200 per night for eight guests with a minimum two-night stay, with low-season and longer-stay discounts available.
Originally published as We Stayed At… Crane Lodge near Palm Beach, Sydney