If you guys are on our Fat Cat’s Cafe Facebook or Instagram page, you would know about our recent trip to Sydney for my brother’s wedding. The end of January saw Sunil and me flying to Sydney for a week, of which four of those days were spent in the gorgeous Blue Mountains. The wedding celebration was a destination wedding with a difference. Instead of flying away to far off places, our small wedding party was whisked away to one of the most beautiful resorts in Sydney’s ‘backyard’ – the Blue Mountains.

A three hour drive from Sydney (give or take the traffic situation), will see you bang in the Blue Mountains. You are suddenly transported from the bustle of downtown city life with its gleaming malls and hipster crowd to a scenario reminiscent of ye olde England. Rolling green pastures are dotted with quaint country inns and even the odd cow (!). The One and Only Resort is located on Australia’s Great Dividing Range between the Wollemi National Park and the Gardens of Stone National Park, within the World Heritage-listed Greater Blue Mountains. As the resort’s website boasts, the actual hotel “occupies just one percent of its own 7,000 acre conservancy.” With a maximum of  only 40 guest rooms, you do the math – the space is staggering.

As we neared the resort, we had to leave our vehicle in the parking lot and  wait for one of the resort’s fleet of jeeps to come pick us up. Keep in mind that is this natural park land and the roads may not be the smoothest but on the positive side… you may be escorted to your room by one of these 🙂

 

 

Since Sunil and I were sharing with my mum, we were put up in a two bedroom villa. The villa had two massive bedrooms each with their own open air rain shower, bathtub, four poster bed and private verandah. And that’s not counting the main hall and living areas fitted with every luxurious bell and whistle you could imagine. There are a total of 36 one-bedroom, 2 two-bedroom, and 1 three-bedroom villas on the property with unfettered views of the sprawling bush from all of them.

 

 

Just look at that attention to detail – every objet d’art, every cushion or throw, even the books in the in-room library were handpicked with care and consideration.

But enough about the rooms… let’s get down to the good stuff – the food! One and Only Wolgan is an all-inclusive resort. Meals and certain beverages (alcohol included) are part of your package. There are two dining areas – the more casual Country Kitchen for lunch and the formal Wolgan Dining Room for dinner. You could order room service but that’s charged extra. The menu is limited but delicious. Bursting with fresh and locally sourced produce, we were never lacking in variety. While one lunch could be a simple platter of cold meats and cheeses, your dinner could be an elaborate three-course affair with dishes such as “Textures of Beetroot” and “Kingfish Carpaccio.”

 

 

If all that food’s got you full up, feast your eyes on what you can do at Wolgan besides eat and sleep…

 

 

 

Sunil and I were perfectly content with our short forays into exploring the bush, swimming lazily in our pool, or trying out the mind blowing spa at the resort. But for those of you who are more outdoorsy and sporty, there are a ton of options to fill your days at Wolgan.

 

You could also choose a guided nature walk or conservation tour, cycle around the area with the free mountain bikes available at each villa, take an archery lesson, play tennis, plan a campfire with stargazing or plan a hike to any of the nearby nature trails. Some of these activities are included in your room rate while others aren’t so please check ahead.

All in all it was an AMAZING WEDDING – an AMAZING RESORT – and you guessed it – AN AMAZING TIME was had by all! There were several instances when Sunil and I looked at each other during this trip and had to pinch ourselves. The service at the resort was impeccable without being obsequious, the luxurious details were everywhere without being over the top and the natural beauty was staggeringly peaceful and calming. Plus at the end of the day, my baby brother got married to the best-est girl! So all in all – a win win win situation 🙂 🙂