If you had seen “Ido House” this afternoon when I went out to take photos after a short heavy shower with flying thunderstorms out over the ranges, you would never ever want to leave it! The rainforest and its palms were glistening when the sun poked through the clouds and the views out over the top of the Albert Valley to the Great Divide made the mountains look as if they had been cut out with a knife. And I was there well before sunset, as the clock on the living room wall shows, so I guess I missed out on a fantastic colour filled sunset. But I’d been to this spot many times before there was a home here, so I do know how dramatic the sunsets can be.

“Ido House” is beyond private & tranquil! It is so hidden away on its over 1 acre of wilderness that it can not be seen from anywhere on Beacon Road. An excellent bitumen driveway leads down to this hideaway through palms, huge tree ferns and native trees to a level area where the long and luxurious contemporary home conceals all its best features until you are inside the front door. A long hallway with glass exterior wall takes you past 3 of the bedrooms and the main bathroom to the drama filled living area with its 4.5 metre ceiling and 3 walls of glass. A glass doorway from the dining area opens out to the hidden rear verandah while 2 more glass doors open out to the north facing timber terrace at the end of the home. All 4 bedrooms open out through glass doors to the rear verandah and the outlook right into the rainforest.

The delightful separate cabin with its large space and bathroom with shower over deep tub may not see the far distant views but it feels totally snuggled into the rainforest and the Jacarandah trees in the Spring. Oh! If you happen to hear strange and wild noises in the night, be not afraid! The corner of Witches Chase National Park is just across the little hidden gully below the cabin and house. All manner of furred and feathered creatures live there! That might be the cry of a koala you heard or the howl of a dingo. It could also be quolls fighting or a great barn owl flying out from the wilderness. By day, the loudest noise you will probably hear is the sound of bird song from sunrise to sunset.