Sense Of Place

In the fertile sunshine Coast hinterland, a wondrous garden speaks to the ultra-modern home it surrounds while keeping in tune with the landscape beyond.

- Elizabeth Wilson

The home is hugged by swathes of undulating natives, including white fan-flower (Scaevola albida), golden-coloured Baeckea frutescens, and delicate brown midgen berry (Austromyrtus dulcis) while a bottlebrush (Callistemon ‘Little John’), hairpin banksia (Banksia spinulosa) and a grass tree (Xanthorrhoea johnsonii) add quintessential Australian character. The stone is Maleny bush rock, a type of basalt salvaged from a local construction site. A cantilevered viewing platform extends out across the ridgeline, allowing homeowners Brenda and Randy to immerse themselves in the surrounding landscape.

Approaching Brenda and Randy’s property feels a bit like entering a magical realm. Their 800 metre-long driveway takes you on a journey across a creek, up a hill, through subtropical rainforest, across a paddock, and alongside a cascading waterfall before arriving at a row of lilly pillies, ushering you to the home. “You feel like you’re in another world,” says Brenda.

The 10 hectare (25 acre) property is perched on a ridge in the fertile Blackall Range near Montville, in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast hinterland. Brenda and Randy bought the land – a former citrus and pineapple farm – back in 2010 when they were still living in Melbourne, working in corporate roles. They originally planned to purchase a smaller plot, but when they spotted this block and its amazing views, they were smitten.