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The Yarra Valley is located one hour away from Melbourne, Victoria in Australia. The valley and the Yarra Ranges are famous for their breathtaking views, powerful waterfalls, amazing hikes, lush rainforests and, of course, the world-famous wineries. All of this makes the Yarra Valley an incredible place to visit and explore with friends, family, or your partner. But to make the most of your time there, you might be wondering where to stay in the Yarra Valley.
Being a resident of Melbourne, I’ve visited the Yarra Valley many times since moving here, I love having such a beautiful place just a short drive from the city. But there is such a variety of places to stay in that area, it can be hard to choose which Yarra Valley accommodation is best.
For me, there is one standout place to stay which offers a stunning Yarra Valley lodge and pool with views across the valley, as well as being situated on a kangaroo rescue sanctuary, so expect to wake up to kangaroos outside your bedroom window and on the lawn while you sip your morning coffee.
It makes sense then that this beautiful Yarra Valley accommodation is called Kangaroo Manor.
I should note at this point that this is in no way paid, endorsed, sponsored or gifted etc. I paid to stay at this accommodation with my own money for a weekend away with my family who were visiting from the UK and we had the most incredible weekend.
Kangaroo Manor accommodation in Yarra Valley
In a rush?
The lodge itself is just outside Yarra Junction, tucked away down a farm track with a private gated entrance, so don’t expect to see any neighbours for your stay! This spot is perfectly secluded and a tranquil city escape.
Kangaroo Manor itself is a large, stone and wooden cabin but with modern fixtures and fittings, including a fully modern kitchen and bathrooms, a flat screen TV and a full dining area.
There are 4 bedrooms and two bathrooms, one of which is the en suite to the master bedroom. 3 bedrooms have queen beds and the fourth bedroom has a single bed/cot.
The master bedroom has a wall of glass doors looking out across the garden where you’ll see kangaroos in the morning.
There is a large wooden deck with seating and pool views, so you can keep an eye on whoever decides to take a dip in the pool! The pool is private and completely yours for the length of your stay.
There is also free parking onsite for multiple vehicles.
The manor itself sits on private property and while the owner’s house is nearby, Kangaroo Manor is surrounded by plants and shrubbery so you feel well secluded. The owner, Louise, mostly lives in the city so she may not be around, but if you do meet her, she’s extremely friendly and welcoming. She told us where it was best to see the kangaroos, and where koalas had been seen recently - we went there and saw koalas - our first TWO koalas we’d seen in the wild!
There is also a couple who live on the property who cover maintenance while Louise is away, but they are there to rescue and rehabilitate the kangaroos so you likely won’t see them for the duration of your stay.
Kangaroo Manor sits on a huge area of land and there are plenty of walks you can take, including down to the river and do a loop across the meadow where the kangaroos are, I suggest doing this walk early in the morning or in the evening to see hundreds of kangaroos! There is a very informative booklet in the lodge which details all the routes, local attractions and nearby shops, restaurants, takeouts and information about the area.
Another bonus of staying at Kangaroo Manor was the two beautiful golden retrievers who belong to the owner. They are the friendliest dogs I’ve ever met and they just love people. The booklet suggests you take the dogs with you when you go on walks as they know the route and will lead you, and they definitely did! We let the dogs take the lead and they took us on the loop and brought us back to the lodge!
The dogs’ names are Gilbert and Sullivan, but called Gilly and Sully for short! They hung out with us the whole time we were in the house over the weekend and sat on the deck while we had drinks and swam in the pool. However, if you’re not a dog fan, you can just let Louise know and she’s happy to keep them indoors in her property for the duration of your stay.
In case you can’t tell from this post already, I can’t say enough good things about Kangaroo Manor and I absolutely recommend staying here for your next stay in the Yarra Valley.
While this property doesn’t come cheap - around $700 AUD per night, this property sleeps 7, so if you’re with a group of people that’s only $100 AUD/£50 GBP per person.
For that price you’re getting so much more than you would for a standard hotel room elsewhere. You’re getting peaceful seclusion with incredible views, amazing wildlife, your own private pool as part of a stunning lodge and your own space to spend time with family or friends in this beautiful house.
I hope this has convinced you to stay here for your next trip to the Yarra Valley. If you’re wondering where to stay, look no further than this beautiful Yarra Valley lodge.
And here are some more photos to convince you!
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Flights: I use Expedia to find great flights and the best deals all over the world, they have regular sales and offers so I always check their website. I also check CheapOair to find cheap deals on round trip flights.
Car Rental: I love the customer service I've always gotten and the variety of options with Rental Cars. But for short notice rentals, I've been using Expedia for the last year, they always seem to have great one-day rates or last-minute rates from the main rental companies.
Accommodation: I prefer the flexibility of booking accommodation with Booking.com so I can cancel or change my reservation without a fee or only pay on arrival for most properties. For longer or more unique stays I prefer AirBnB because you can get the long stay discount, you can also find more unique properties and book experiences with talented locals and businesses. For my budget trips, I always stay in hostels and book through Hostelworld because they have great guarantees if anything does go wrong. If you arrive and your booking is not at the property, they refund the full deposit AND give you $50 extra credit.
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