My family and I just LOVED our experience at Mansfield on the Manning - the property as a whole is just spectacular, fronting the river with views across the valley, a dam with abundant birdlife and beautiful trees and flowers all over. Jane and Neil manage a huge veggie garden with abundant herbs which you are welcome to help yourself to. There are plenty of benches and hammocks to sit and enjoy the surroundings as well as a few fire pits to sit and toast marshmallows with a beer in hand. They were even kind enough to invite us to use the pool at the main property (it was 44 degrees on the day we arrived so we were very grateful for this!).

The cabin was just stunning - a main bedroom with ensuite downstairs and (to the delight of our son) a loft bedroom with 2 single beds upstairs - all beautifully decorated with the most thoughtful touches, great prints, cushions and top quality towels and linens. The bathroom was contemporary and again top quality, with Grown Alchemist toliletries. The kitchen was chef-quality, with an excellect cooker, super sharp German knives, microplane grater and more than enough cookware, plates, bowls and platters. Even the wine glasses were beautiful (not the thick cheap glass that often comes with a holiday rental).

The little extra touches were what really made the place stand out - freshly baked cookies and bread in the cabin when we arrived, a box of eggs from the property's chickens, homemade passionfruit butter and milk and Nespresso coffees and T2 teas. There were some board games in the cabin (and more available from the main house) and plenty of books to leaf through. There was a big can of aeroguard under the sink to ward off any mozzies at night, plenty of matches and electric candles to provide some atmosphere. Neil also kindly provided some marshmallows for our son to toast on the fire at night.

Jane and Neil were fantastic hosts, more than happy to chat and tell us about the property. Neil also cooked for us on the day we arrived - a spectacular chicken and leek pie (which was really big enough for 4 but priced for 2), a wagyu bolognese (demolised in minutes by our hungry 10 year old), a delicious cheeseboard with a selection of local cheeses, grapes and crackers and caramel dumplings and local thickened cream for dessert (which were enough to last us 2 nights much to the delight of the boys!).

I haven't enjoyed a weekend break away so much in a long time - I rarely seem to feel that I've had good value, even at the best 5 star resorts. This place was just something else and I can't recommend it highly enough. Give it a try, you won't regret it and will leave feeling refreshed, relaxed and absolutely itching for a 'treechange' to the country.

Thanks Jane and Neil - we'll be back soon!!