Le Petit Palais, Thirlmere review: Little bush palace

WHAT do you call a duck that wags its "tail" and pants like a canine? The answer, at Le Petit Palais, is Teddy. The pet with a duck-dog identity crisis is a perfect fit for this delightful property, with its eclectic mix of French provincial-meets-Australian scrub, with a side of Eastern European style.

Le Petit Palais is set on 4.8 hectares of bushland in the historic village of Thirlmere, about 75 kilometres south-west of central Sydney. Its proximity makes it an ideal spot for a getaway with girlfriends to celebrate my upcoming overseas wedding.

We're met with a warm welcome from our hosts, Sue and Kevin Thomas, who have prepared a delicious selection of local cheeses, aperitifs and champagne. I make the mistake of mentioning I once studied French and Sue, an unabashed Francophile, starts to converse with me, only to be met by an embarrassed silence as I realise how little of the language I remember.

Le Petit Palais has two guest options; we are staying in Mediterranee, a two-bedroom self-contained villa that sits under a magnificent oak tree about 50 metres from the Thomases' house. The villa's interiors are painted in bold, warm colours, the walls enhanced with classic prints and pleasant artwork and the lounges with masses of cushions. Polished wooden furniture, a separate dining area and a bright finish to the kitchen and villa fixtures make it a lovely space to settle in.

French music plays softly and the fire is already lit as we tuck into beef burgundy pies made in the local bakery, Loop Line Pies.

Loop Line is named after the railway line built in 1867, when steam locomotives opened up the region. Today it is used by Thirlmere's Trainworks rail museum, which operates steam trains with vintage railway carriages on Sundays. It's not the only attraction Thirlmere has, though.

After we awake to a crisp, sunny morning, Kevin takes us across the road to the start of a walking track around the Thirlmere Lakes National Park. The five interconnected lakes are among the last undisturbed freshwater lagoons in the Sydney region and although it's too cold for swimming, the surrounding eucalypt forests make for pleasant bushwalking. We spot kangaroos, some with joeys.

On our return we sample milk, cream and yoghurt from the family-run Country Valley dairy, artisan cheeses from Small Cow Farm, ripe, fresh fruit from Mowbray Park Produce, bread from the Common Ground Bakery and eggs from the Thomases' chook pen. With the exception of the muesli, which comes from Byron Bay, the rest of our breakfast is sourced from within seven kilometres of Le Petit Palais. Sue is a passionate advocate of organic produce. But she's not finished with us yet – she's also a trained massage therapist. We each enjoy a heavenly full-body massage and a dip in the outdoor hydrotherapy spa.

Then comes the piece de resistance – an Estonian-style wood-burning sauna. The Estonian community, which began migrating to Australia in 1853, settled in Thirlmere, building poultry farms and businesses. The Thomases have faithfully restored the sauna built and used by the community; guests are invited to detox in its 60-degree heat.