Destination M — Hotel in Gellibrand Lower

DestinationM & Rehab155 are nothing less than absolutely perfect. A perfect setting, a perfect house, served by perfect hosts. Nearly everything is homemade - from the delicious dried fruits to the cultured butter waiting in the fridge. Everything else is local, all within an hour's drive. The best of all, the food is prepared by an incredible chef, Mark!, and grown to perfect ripeness and sweetness by Matthew!

The expansive views are absolutely stunning and the house is perfectly suited to make sure you're never out of sight of the incredible rainforest, valley, and mountains beyond. There is nothing in the world like spending your morning watching the sun rise behind the mountains from one of the most comfortable beds on the planet. The moment the sky brightens, the kookaburras and magpies start singing, leaving no need for an alarm clock. The only neighbors and houses you'll see are the nearby Wrens, Robins, Rosellas, Cockatoos and their nests. Surrounding the house is a beautiful garden with fresh fruit, herbs, spices, beans, and vegetables. While we were here, we ate several meals entirely picked from the garden around the house. There's nothing quite like walking out the front door and grabbing a few spring onions to munch on. Everything around the house is edible and delicious!

The house itself is perfect in every way. Mark and Matthew have thought of every detail you could imagine, and it's completely off-grid to boot! The drawers are filled with endless herbs and spices - all grown from their garden. There's a SodaStream, hand-powered espresso maker, a milk frothing machine, popcorn popper (paired with their home-grown popcorn!), egg holders, an entire selection of cooking pots and pans (which I don't recommend using - just have Mark cook for you!!), syrups made from home-grown fruit and home-foraged honey, a bbq, and even pizza stones. The bed is unlike any other you'll sleep on - filled to the brim with amazing pillows and throws that'll ensure you never want to leave bed. The bath provides views of the surrounding forest and can probably fit 4!

Mark and Matthew have lived in the area for over 20 years, so their knowledge about the area is second-to-none, so if you somehow manage to leave the bed throughout your stay, they'll make sure you're able to fill it with adventures. Throughout our stay, Matt and Mark were never short of tails about things to do and see around the area. If you have the chance, make sure you wake up early and go for a kayak - it's an incredible way to start the day.

With all of the said, there are only two guarantees in life - you'll die without oxygen, and you'll never want to leave once you arrive. We were planning to come for 4 days and ended up spending a month and a half with Mark and Matt.

If there's one thing you do in your life...

Destination M is the main house on the Great Ocean Road. It has a small cottage (Rehab155) located down in a valley. The property is situated on about 45 acres and the cottage, completely self-contained, is totally secluded yet just a 5-10 minute drive up a dirt track off the Great Ocean Road.||The cottage is 100% self-sustaining with solar power and water collection. Don't worry, it does have a back-up generator. It is set up like a large studio apartment with a king bed, living and dining areas, bathroom with a terrific shower, and a fully equipped kitchen. There is an alcove off the kitchen with a queen bed as well so it could sleep 4 with a modicum of privacy. It has windows on 4 sides. It is fully stocked with games and other goodies and has a lovely outdoor porch area. The view of the valley, trees and open spaces is superb. If it is cold, there is a well stocked wood burning stove.||NOTE - while it is isolated, it has EXCELLENT internet reception. The cottage has WiFi at about 40mbs. That was far better than most Australian city hotels we stayed in! So if you need your "email fix" or to stay in touch, you can.||Matthew, the owner, grows all his own food. He bakes wonderful bread and has all sorts of honey and jams that he makes. On our first night , he prepared pizza for us and brought it down.||This is a great place if you want some down time without being surrounded by tourists coming and going and checking in and out next door. It is on the Great Ocean Road which provides a lot to see and explore. It is about 20 minutes to the 12 Apostles in one direction and the same to Melba Gully in the...

We have just come back from staying here for the weekend and oh my gosh it was absolutely incredible! It is one of the best Air BnB experiences we’ve ever had and we cannot recommend it highly enough!!! We’ve come home feeling so nourished after this trip, while staying there it really felt as though time slowed down. The accommodation is the perfect mix of earthy, eclectic and modern and so clean and every detail has been thought of! There is a luxurious bath and a projector screen and an amazingly comfy bed and it is furnished in a really cool way! Being surrounded by nature with the views across the valley and river was so calming. Was so much fun to kayak along the river and come back and have a hot bath in the luxurious tub and indulge with a local sparkling shiraz and local cheeses with the epic view! Mark and Matthew, the owners/hosts were so lovely and helpful and the pizza they cooked us and all the homemade choccies, dips, poached fruits, marinades etc. they provided were delicious!! We chose to get all the food options - with all our breaky food, BBQ dinner food, cheese platter items, wine and beer provided and also opted to have the pizza cooked for us on the Friday. I would absolutely recommend doing this! All the food is either grown on their property and homemade or from nearby properties and oh my gosh you can taste the difference! We can’t wait to...