Eumarella Shores Noosa Lake Retreat, Queensland review: Weekend Away

THE LOCATION

You've woken up in your cottage to the lapping of water from the lake below. Then, after breakfast of fruit and pastries from one of Queensland's best farmers' markets, you drive a few minutes to the river where there's an electric bike. Pedal at 50km/h with little effort as water breezes cool you down. The bike is parked, and an eco boat is there to explore Noosa's waterways, where some of Queensland's rich and famous call "holiday home". The kookaburras are singing, corks popping and backyard barbecues burning with aromas of blackened lobster. Meanwhile, you're nestled on a pillow, sipping a boutique ale to wash down cheese and crackers you've opened on your gondola-like boat. Back at the lake, you're in a part of Noosa which locals would rather keep to themselves.

THE SPACE

Welcome to the lesser-known part of Noosa, tucked a couple of kilometres from canal-front homes and bustling boutique shopping at Hastings Street. Promotional material for Eumarella says the accommodation is just minutes from the very best of Noosa. Some might argue the point – that Eumarella actually is the very best of Noosa, and that the rest is just minutes away. Lakeside land has been nurtured for generations, and resort has been there for decades. Beautifully kept, there's a distinct Queensland flavour about the stand-alone timber cottages, the wildlife which sits in the tree alongside a deck, and the private lakeside deck from which to launch the kayak you've borrowed from the retreat.

THE KIT

The cottages are far from new, but the luxuries are ageless – from the fluffy towels, modern decor, fireplace and fully-equipped kitchen. The owners seem to have thought of everything and have invested heavily in updates to blinds, beds and bathrooms. The biggest point of confusion will be where to relax – on the bed, the couch, or out on the verandah. Others might be out paddling on the clear-water lake. But why bother exerting all that energy when there are platters to devour?

STEPPING OUT

A weekend at Eumarella should be about discovery. Even if you've braved the knee-deep waters of the lake in one of the resort's canoes, there are other options not far away; options which will require a little less effort, and an opportunity to swap the paddle for a glass of bubbly. Electric bikes for hire from Malu Os on the Noosa River are fun, but the real treat is a couple of hours on the river in a solar-operated boat. The gondola-esque experience is best done with a beverage and pre-dinner snack. Late in the afternoon, keep an eye out for birds in their natural habitat, and Noosa's wealthy set emerging from their backyard banana lounges and swimming pools.