PROPERTY OF THE WEEK: BOUTIQUE BYRON RETREAT WITH FIVE-STAR RETURNS
A design-led hinterland escape near Byron Bay blends luxury accommodation with serious income potential, as The Brooklet hits the market with a $20 million price guide.
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An exclusive slice of Byron Bay’s hinterland hospitality has entered the property chat.
The Brooklet is a boutique adults-only retreat hidden in the hills around 20 minutes’ drive west of the iconic beach town.
As a getaway, each of The Brooklet’s luxury cabins earns between $800 and $2000 a night, but as a prestige asset, the 47ha estate is expected to fetch more than $20 million through selling agents Kim and Angus Jones of Kim Jones & Co Real Estate.
With a stellar reputation as one of the region’s premier design-led accommodation venues, coupled with its enviable location just outside of Newrybar, the expansive retreat has been turning heads since it opened about three years ago.
Time Out Sydney recently gave The Brooklet a full five-star rating, describing it as a “ridiculously heavenly idyll”. Across all booking platforms, the rural escape has earned an impressive 9.6 out of 10 rating.
Elevated above the surrounding countryside and just down the road from the late Olivia Newton-John’s former retreat, Gaia, this one-time macadamia farm has sweeping panoramic views, total seclusion from neighbours, and a sophisticated level of finishes throughout the personal and communal spaces.
The architect-designed accommodation includes six black-clad self-contained villas alongside two standalone three-bedroom residences, each with its own private pool; The Farmhouse and a reimagined dairy known as The Bails. There is the potential for the next owners to expand upon the existing accommodation offerings, with DA approval for two more villas and an additional recreational space.
Additional wellness perks in The Barn include an infrared sauna, an ice bath, a mineral hot tub, a fully equipped gym, and a full tennis court. There is also a treatment room and meeting space.
The Brooklet Bar is set up for wine tasting with another warming fireplace for intimate gatherings.
Walking trails weave through the property, and organic gardens provide herbs, flowers, and produce for guests to take back to their accommodations.
Bonus infrastructure with the property includes a private helipad, EV charging capability, 270,000L tank water storage and a bore supply for self-sufficiency.
The Brooklet is approximately five minutes from Newrybar with its general store and cafe, eclectic boutiques and future new dining precinct. It is also eight minutes to Bangalow and about 20 minutes to central Byron Bay, its world-famous beaches and lighthouse, plus the Ballina-Byron Gateway Airport.
The Brooklet at 841 Fernleigh Rd, Brooklet is listed with Kim Jones & Co Real Estate with a price guide in the vicinity of $20 million.
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Toorak’s reputation has been built on grand estates, tightly held boulevards and some of Melbourne’s most valuable residential land. Yet one of its rarest attributes is largely hidden from the street: direct frontage to the Yarra River.
Although the river traces much of Toorak’s northern boundary, just over 20 homes in the blue-chip suburb are believed to border the water—and fewer still provide genuine river access. There is no definitive public register of Toorak homes with private jetties, but prestige agents have consistently described them as only a handful.
It is rare, then, for a property offering both river frontage and direct water access to become available in Melbourne’s so-called billionaire’s playground. The newly built Solara on Orrong Road presents precisely that opportunity.
Set on approximately 1,129sqm, the five-bedroom residence descends towards the river, culminating in a private, double-tiered jetty. Here, the Yarra is more than a distant outlook: it becomes part of daily life, offering a place to launch a boat, relax beside the water or travel towards the city from home.
That distinction is significant in Toorak. Many of the suburb’s finest properties offer scale, security and architectural pedigree, but very few combine all three with direct access to the river.
Architecture shaped by the site
Designed by Melbourne studio Alta and constructed by EASTON, Solara has been conceived as a series of interconnected levels descending towards the Yarra.
Rather than presenting as a single imposing volume, the house responds to its sloping site through stepped terraces, landscaped outdoor areas and large expanses of glazing. The architecture gradually reveals the water, drawing the eye through the interior and towards the river below.
The design has earned Solara a nomination in the 2026 Master Builders Excellence in Housing Awards.
Inside, a restrained material palette allows texture, proportion and natural light to carry the design. Stone, timber, glass and finely detailed joinery establish a sense of permanence without overwhelming the river setting.
The principal living area is arranged beneath a dramatic double-height ceiling, giving the room the scale expected of a major Toorak residence while maintaining a strong connection to the garden and water.
Full-height glazing opens the house to its outlook, while multiple living and entertaining spaces allow the property to transition between intimate family use and larger gatherings.
A private resort beside the Yarra
Solara’s principal living spaces open onto an expansive river-facing terrace containing a swimming pool and spa.
The outdoor area has been positioned to take advantage of both the northern light and the relative seclusion of the riverbank. Mature landscaping provides another layer of privacy, softening the architecture and creating the atmosphere of a private resort.
Below, the grounds continue towards the double-tiered jetty.
The residence also incorporates a dedicated wellness area and gym, reinforcing the sense that the home has been designed to provide a complete lifestyle within its boundaries.
Its accommodation includes five bedrooms and six bathrooms, with the principal suite occupying a private domain of its own. The house also provides garaging for four cars—an important consideration in a property of this scale.
Across the residence, the emphasis is less on overt decoration than on volume, outlook and craftsmanship. Sightlines have been carefully managed so that the river is encountered repeatedly, rather than being confined to a single formal room.
A different expression of Toorak prestige
Toorak’s luxury market is often associated with historic mansions and large European-inspired estates. Solara represents a more contemporary interpretation of the suburb: architecturally ambitious, highly private and organised around lifestyle rather than formality.
Its position also places it within a particularly scarce segment of the market.
Riverfront homes have previously appeared along addresses including St Georges Road and Edzell Avenue, although they tend to remain in the same ownership for long periods. Even among these properties, private jetties and convenient access to the water are not universal.
That scarcity separates Solara from other prestige homes that may offer river views without actually reaching the river.
For buyers operating at the upper end of Melbourne’s residential market, the value proposition is therefore not simply the size of the house or its list of amenities. It is the combination of new architecture, substantial land, resort facilities and an attribute that cannot readily be recreated: private access to the Yarra from Toorak.
Solara is being marketed with a guide of $16.8 million to $18.3 million through Jamie Mi of Kay & Burton.
Property snapshot
Address: 803 Orrong Road, Toorak, Victoria
Guide: $16.8 million–$18.3 million
Agent: Kay & Burton agent Jamie Mi
Land: Approximately 1,129sqm
Accommodation: Five bedrooms, six bathrooms and four-car accommodation
Design: Alta
Builder: EASTON
Key features: Private jetty, direct river access, gym, indoor spa and double-height living volume
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