Boutique mountain retreat loved by celebrities on the market
This award-winning retreat on Tamborine Mountain blends country-chic design, VIP pedigree and serious earning potential in Queensland’s Scenic Rim.
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A boutique mountain retreat that has welcomed a long list of VIP guests has come to market in Queensland’s pristine Scenic Rim.
The Tamborine Mountain property, known as Verandah House Country Estate, is owned by designer Judy and Lawrence Pereira.
The couple bought the rundown B&B compound in the Gold Coast hinterland back in 2022 for $2.5 million. It was then transformed into a secluded child-free holiday spot where the high-profile guests have included the extended Irwin family, Jude Law and a bevvy of sports stars.
Listed via an expressions-of-interest campaign through Sotheby’s International Realty Main Beach agent Blake McDonald, the vast 2ha property has no official price guide. Under Queensland real estate law, agents cannot publish price estimates.
Judy Pereira, co-founder of Verandah House Interiors, has more than three decades of experience as a designer styling homes across south east Queensland, and even a private super yacht. The Pereiras are reportedly travelling and seeking out their next renovation project.
Her creative stamp on the mountain-top getaway features country-chic interiors with eight Ralph Lauren-inspired guest rooms that have fireplaces, bespoke French oak furniture, private outdoor spaces, and panoramic district views that capture Springbrook, Beechmont, Mount Warning, and the Gold Coast skyline.
The award-winning resort is famed for its spa facilities, including a day spa, an infrared barrel sauna, an ice bath, an outdoor cinema, fire pits, and expansive landscaped gardens. There is also a large pool area with an additional fire-heated cedar spa and direct access to the mountain’s walking trails, waterfalls, and nature experiences.
Additionally, the private four-bedroom main residence has 236sq m of internal living space and a communal entertainment lounge in a purpose-built barn, which comes complete with a cocktail bar and covered barbecue area.
Beyond the guest and owner accommodation, added investment in hidden infrastructure includes new septic systems, upgraded water tanks and filtration, the planting of more than 60 trees and manicured lawns.
Verandah House Country Estate received an industry gong last year, winning the 2024 Travellers Awards and a Booking.com guest award for its consistent 9.8 rating.
The owners dish up a private chef, complimentary minibars, custom picnics, and high tea. It has also earned its stripes as a romantic venue for weddings and proposals. Nightly suite rates average more than $1000 in high season.
Positioned within the Scenic Rim – named by Lonely Planet as one of the world’s top destinations in 2022 – Verandah House Country Estate is approximately 30 minutes to the Gold Coast and is surrounded by a thriving food and wine scene.
Verandah House Country Estate at 13-17 Munro Court, Tambourine Mountain is listed with Blake McDonald of Sotheby’s International via an expressions of interest campaign.
Victorian auction buyers will soon receive a piece of information that has traditionally been withheld until bidding reaches it: the vendor’s reserve price. Under new property-sale and underquoting laws, agents must publish the agreed reserve at least seven days before an auction or fixed-date sale. Most changes begin on 1 October 2026 and apply to …
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New detached-home sales fell 10% nationally in August, led by a 27% decline in Victoria, raising concerns about construction starts in 2027.
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Australia’s hoped-for recovery in housing construction is losing momentum before it has had time to close the national supply gap.
Sales of new detached homes fell 10 per cent nationally in August, according to the Housing Industry Association’s survey of major volume builders across the five largest mainland states. It was the fourth consecutive monthly decline.
The fall was broad rather than isolated. Victoria recorded the largest retreat, down 27 per cent, followed by Queensland at 20.2 per cent, New South Wales at 17.5 per cent, South Australia at 10.8 per cent and Western Australia at 8.2 per cent.
Across the three months to August, sales were 19.3 per cent below the preceding three-month period and 7.7 per cent lower than the equivalent period a year earlier.
New-home sales matter beyond the immediate fortunes of volume builders. They are an early indicator of future starts: buyers sign contracts, finance is finalised, approvals are secured and construction follows months later. A sustained sales decline during the middle of 2026 is therefore likely to weaken commencements during 2027.
The slowdown reflects the collision of several pressures. Households have absorbed multiple interest-rate rises, reducing borrowing capacity and increasing the repayment cost attached to a new build. Established-home prices have softened in some markets, weakening the relative appeal of waiting through a construction period. Builders continue to face elevated labour and material costs.
The Reserve Bank’s August analysis showed new-dwelling construction prices increased 1.8 per cent during the June quarter and 5.3 per cent over the year. It attributed part of the pressure to oil-derived building products and other conflict-related costs.
Policy uncertainty can also cause buyers and investors to defer large commitments. But the precise contribution of any single tax or regulatory change is difficult to isolate from rates, confidence, land prices and construction costs. The HIA survey should be read as an indicator from large builders rather than a complete count of every dwelling sale.
The figures complicate progress towards the Housing Accord target of 1.2 million homes. The National Housing Supply and Affordability Council reported 308,000 completions since the Accord began and 244,000 dwellings under construction in the March quarter. Approvals and commencements had improved, but falling sales risk undermining the next wave.
For developers and governments, the warning is that planning approvals alone do not create homes. Projects need finance, viable construction pricing and buyers able to settle. If one part fails, approved supply can remain on paper.
Data box
National August new-home sales: Down 10 per cent
Three months to August: Down 19.3 per cent from the preceding three months
Year-on-year three-month comparison: Down 7.7 per cent
Victoria: Down 27 per cent
Queensland: Down 20.2 per cent
New South Wales: Down 17.5 per cent
South Australia: Down 10.8 per cent
Western Australia: Down 8.2 per cent
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