It would be grossly unfair to say that our stay at La Provence was anything less than perfect. Tom, Delphine, Lucie, Leo (the beautiful, but cheeky, Labrador) and Kevin (the goat)'s reputation as Air BnB 'Superhosts' is a tough mantle to live up to, however, having stayed for 7 nights in this delightfully tranquil, charming and serene house it does not do them justice. Tom, Delphine and Lucie opened up their home to us and clearly love meeting new people and sharing their dream house with others. They all love to have a chat with their guests without being overbearing and are happy to let you relax in peace if that's what you want.
We stayed in the cottage room which was clean, comfortable and had everything that is needed for a few nights away. The property itself has a decent sized fresh water swimming pool with breathtaking views over the countryside and Mt. Warning - perfect for a quiet evening with a glass of something watching the sun set and listening to the wildlife.
It would be remiss of me not to mention the simple but thoughtful continental breakfast laid out in their dining area each morning and topped off with weekend treats such as egg and ham pie (because real men don't eat quiche! :)) and apple turnover happily prepared by the live in chefs (aka Tom and Delphine). Most mornings we shared the breakfast table with the other couples staying in the second room, which may not be to some people's liking but for us we really enjoyed meeting more people and hearing about their travels.
Tom also provided us with a list of the top ten things to do whilst in the area. We ticked off all bar 2 items on this list and having the local knowledge behind us meant we were able to make the most of our time in and around the Gold Coast without succumbing to the 'tourist rat race'.
To summarise, I am truly shocked that a place like this exists where you are 15 minutes from the airport, beach and restaurants but feel like you are in the middle of the countryside. It is fair to say that we arrived as strangers and have left with wonderful new friends. Thank you Tom, Delphine, Lucy, Leo and Kevin - we will be back as soon as we possibly can!