'I'm calling it. This is the best spot for a solo getaway just minutes from the Gold Coast.'

Two strutting peacocks named Harrold and Colin and dramatic hinterland vistas are not what I'd usually associate with a much-needed weekend reset on Queensland's sun-soaked Gold Coast.

But, as the striking feathered boys freely roam past and I'm handed a glass of Prosecco to mark Peacock O'Clock — gold! — with fellow guests at The Tamborine, a new design-led hotel located on the edge of Tamborine Mountain's eastern escarpment, I am more than happy to embrace this new style of GC getaway.

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Peddly picnics and mountain air.

Earlier, I felt the stress of day-to-day life and solo parenthood leaving my body and busy mind as I left the Gold Coast's coastline and noise behind and made my way up the tree-lined winding roads to Tamborine Mountain.

Though just a 30-minute drive from the surf city's iconic beaches and coastal strip, the hinterland plateau feels worlds away from the frenetic pace of the digital world.

Technically part of the Scenic Rim — voted one of the world's top places to visit by Lonely Planet back in 2022 — Tamborine boasts scenic natural attractions, a thriving food and drinks scene, a slew of inspiring creatives and makers who call the mountain home and, as I discovered, the rare feeling that time has loosened its grip.

And this tired mama is here for it.

After arriving on the mountain just after lunch, I headed to Peddly Picnics in the heart of the village and met affable local Jools, who supplied me with an e-bike, a picnic hamper and blanket and a map for navigating my way around the mountain.

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I'm like an excited child exploring the mountain plateau on two wheels, taking in the clean country air and staggering natural beauty of the ancient rainforest surroundings.

I stop to pop into local galleries and shops and park up at Witches Falls winery for a glass of rosé, which I enjoy alfresco in the warm afternoon sun.

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Peacock O'Clock.

After my solo afternoon picnic, I return to The Tamborine for the aforementioned Peacock O'Clock in the Hub, a beautifully appointed lobby space with soaring ceilings, statement pendant lights, arched windows and cosy brown leather corner seats for lingering longer.

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Whilst other — mostly couples — take their drinks outside and pull up a seat by the fire pits and chairs dotted along the escarpment, I retreat to my room where my upstairs balcony provides an idyllic spot to soak up the scenic view over Guanaba Gorge.

A former 1980s hacienda-style drive-in motel, the 23-room property was reimagined by Melbourne-based friends Gina McNamara and Nina Aberdeen and reopened in 2024.

Every detail has been carefully considered, from divine Leif honey myrtle amenities, handmade ceramics, luxe white waffle robes and a muted colour palette with pops of serene green, setting the scene for a deep restorative sleep.

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SOL connection.

The next morning, after a continental breakfast of pastries, fresh fruits and coffee, I make my way down the mountain to SOL Elements, Australia's first floating elemental bathhouse.

I begin with a Bioenergetic Aromatic Massage, which is a deeply sensory experience. My intuitive therapist incorporates hot rocks, ethically sourced from various locations around Australia, and my thoughts couldn't be further away from school runs, sibling squabbles and brawling teenagers.

Following 70 minutes of drool-worthy — literally — bliss, I'm escorted to one of SOL's two ultra-private Secluded Suites, which has an infrared sauna, ice bath, ritual tea station and a purified thermal mineral bath on the balcony.

The SOL site is deliberately phone-free and I relish the rare opportunity to soak in the silence — with the exception of the sweet song of local birdlife — and wild landscape outside.

In fact, I don't even pick up my book.

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Later, my flow state is disturbed only by my rumbling stomach, so I reluctantly take my magnesium-soaked body back up the mountain to refuel at Picnic Real Food Bar, part of the sustainable food and artistic precinct, North Stores.

I wander into Potta Studios and meet Andrew Moir, a former executive who quit his corporate job to follow his artistic dreams and hasn't looked back.

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His minimal glaze, handbuilt and wheel-thrown ceramics are shipped to clients across Australia and he runs regular pottery workshops from the studio space.

Books and sunshine in a glass.

I spend the rest of my afternoon browsing in Under the Greenwood Tree Bookshop & Art Space, one of the most beautifully curated bookstores I've ever come across, and pop into Loborn Spirits for a tasting.

Whilst teaching me to make a signature Loborn Spritz — aka 'sunshine in a glass' — founder Tom Drewett explains that after 10 years in London, he and his wife Jessi were heading to Sydney when a day trip to Tamborine resulted in a life pivot and tree change.

Missing the convivial neighbourhood bars and quality negronis of London, the mechatronic engineer decided to learn the art of creating his own modern Amaro, crafted from Australian botanicals.

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At the heart of Loborn's bar is a blackbutt timber communal table where guests sip aperitifs crafted from Loborn Amaro No.01, Amaro No.02, Vermouth Red and LOBORN Original Gin.

Outside, a group of local mums enjoy their cocktails while their kids run amongst the trees, a scene which makes me seriously consider a tree change of my own.

Dinner is at lively French brasserie Saint Marthe, owned by 'hospitality lifers' Marcus McKay and Amalia Tambling, who gave their restaurant the moniker as a nod to their former street in Paris.

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The housemade bread and butter are as good as you find in Paris, and I savour a steamy bowl of black mussels in orange and saffron emulsion and fresh herbs paired with a glass of red.

After another restorative sleep and a morning hike on the Witches Falls Circuit track, I linger as long as possible before checking out of my mountain retreat, rested, nourished and feeling inspired and as perky as my new friends Colin and Harrold.

For the first time in a long while, I felt like myself again.

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Other hinterland spots worth knowing about…

You can read more from Amy Mills on her substack, Oh, Boy.

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