We had a wonderful get-away at the Beach House at St Helens! It was a real escape from the Melbourne grind - peace, nature and a retro "weekender" to reset our body clocks . First of all the view from this beach house is breathtaking – a foreground of lush Australian bush, middle-ground of George’s Bay, with the odd cray boat chugging by, and a background of blue mountains. We could have spent the entire weekend in the deck chairs drinking wine and watching the birds and ever-changing view but the warm autumn weather had us heading to Beer Barrel and Maurouard beaches for a swim. Lucky Helen suggested these two hidden gems, just a 10 minute drive away, because we may not have discovered them otherwise. We had the beach almost completely to ourselves. Helen's suggestions on where to find the best coffee in the village and how to buy fresh oysters straight from the oyster farm were also much appreciated.

We spent many hours just chilling at the beach house; doing a puzzle on the large dining room table overlooking the view, taking multiple naps on the daybed in the sunroom and swinging in the hammock. The house is full of interesting books, music and artwork. You can tell this is a much loved retreat which the owners use. It hasn't just been set up for rental. We would HIGHLY recommend the Beach House at St Helens and hope we can head back there next time we need a recharge.