Misty View Cottages offers secluded rainforest hideaways for couples wanting to disconnect from the world, experience peace, tranquillity and privacy so they can reconnect with nature and each other.
Hi and welcome, we are Tony & Shell. Thanks for visiting Misty View Cottages online, the place looks great online and even better in person. So have a read about us, what we do and why we do it. Then book a few nights up here on the mountain with us, you will walk away feeling amazing. There is nothing better than a rainforest escape to reset and relax you. We love what we do, we love our piece of the world and we have created an experience that you will love too.
We met in our twenties in Rockhampton, both kids of farming parents, and before long found ourselves raising our own four children on a cattle property smack bang on the Tropic of Capricorn, three hours west of central Queensland’s largest regional city.
Each day we wake up to the stunning sight of mist rising like quiet music from the orchestra pit of Baroon Pocket Dam, which sits at the bottom of our eighteen acres on the tranquil western slopes of Montville.
We have had many adventures as individuals with extended working holidays in our early 20s to the UK (Shell) and North America (Tony) galvanising us to travel as a family (yes! The six of us!) to different places around the globe and interstate. We have experienced the cultures and geography of New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Indonesia, Borneo and Bali as a family.
With a lifetime of producing beef and developing land we are both very passionate about making our piece of paradise, and the world, the very best it can be.
There are many wonderful things to see and do in Montville and the surrounding areas. Whether you are a keen walker, want to enjoy a lakeside picnic or explore the vast range of local shops and cafes, it’s all here for the asking in this truly beautiful part of the world.
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing custodianship of the land, waters and culture for over 60,000 years. We pay our respects to them and their elders past and present.
Misty View Cottages offers secluded rainforest hideaways for couples wanting to disconnect from the world, experience peace, tranquillity and privacy so they can reconnect with nature and each other.
About the program The Australian ECO Certification program certifies tourism products (tours, accommodations, attractions) with a primary focus on nature. It assures travellers that certified products are backed by a strong, well managed commitment to sustainable practices and provides high-quality nature-based tourism experiences.
Guests are asked of any special requirements at the time of booking and guests with pre existing medical conditions, injuries or disabilities can freely discuss our accessibility options. Customer service training is provided to all staff upon induction on our accessibility procedures and regularly reviewed.
Prior to arrival, we try to find out where they are coming from, whether they are celebrating a special occasion, who they are coming with. This type of information helps us in our marketing but also gives us an understanding of the guest so we can provide a service that fits their needs and exceeds their expectations.
It's our vision to provide a luxurious space for our guests to relax and rejuvenate while fostering an appreciation of the surrounding natural environment and native wildlife.
Misty View Cottages is constantly evolving, we have completed a full renovation of the existing cottages to increase the standard of the experience delivered to our guests. Following that we have built new cottages, designed and created new product offerings, developed packages with local operators and also looked at how our day to day operations and procedures need to evolve and grow with the business.
Misty View Cottages is a very small operation and we have a small but positive impact on our local community and the broader Sunshine Coast economy.
Misty View Cottages supports local suppliers and businesses, actively reducing emissions. We source produce and products from ethical companies.
The safety of guests and staff are essential in our day-to-day operations.
The cottages are for two adults maximum. Any configuration outside of means we are not covered by our insurance. We happily take singles who choose to stay.
Montville is 3km away and we have an assortment of cafes, restaurants, boutique clothing shops as well as a few amazing sweet shops.
Kondalilla National Park is on our doorstep. You have walks from just a few 100 metres to walks that are several hours long. Not only are the walks near Montville but there are the beautiful Gardners Falls over near Maleny which are well worth a visit.
The rate is the same for the singles as couples. A single is offered the same food and accommodation as a couple.
The only dogs allowed at Misty View are service dogs - these are very welcome! We ask our guests to provide the appropriate documentation at the time of booking. A person with disability accompanied by their certified guide, hearing or assistance dog has access rights to public places, places of accommodation and public passenger vehicles when they comply with the identification procedure outlined in section 12 of the GHAD Act. A person complies with the identification procedure by having their identity card available for inspection by a person exercising control of a place of accommodation, public place or public passenger vehicle if asked by the person, and ensuring their dog is wearing a harness or identifying coat displaying the GHAD badge. In accordance with section 12A(2), an accompanied handler must comply with the identification procedure when they make a reservation to stay at a place of accommodation or when they arrive at a place of accommodation to begin their stay.
The privacy is unparalleled in our cottages. Lalique and Ponti are the most private with their own pool areas - naked swimming is not a problem! You cannot see another cottage from yours and you also cannot see the main residence / reception and vice versa. The privacy of our cottages are one of our biggest assets.
It certainly is! The cottages are designed for adults only as not only unsafe for children but we want to make it quiet and restful for our guests.
We try our very best to cater to all dietary requirements. If it is different to the average vegan, vegetarian, lactose free etc just pop me an email and we will make sure there is an ample breakfast for your stay and the evening meals can be slightly altered also.
Our breakfast hamper includes gluten free muesli, bacon, sausages, milk, juice, home grown eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms and halloumi. Shell also makes the bread, yoghurt, jam, croissants, and marmalade and our bees produce the honey. We can amend the hamper to a certain degree for dietary requirements.
We met in our twenties in Rockhampton, both kids of farming parents, and before long found ourselves raising our own four children on a cattle property smack bang on the Tropic of Capricorn, three hours west of central Queensland’s largest regional city.
We struck a deal that twenty years was the maximum time we would spend in beef production before a new adventure would be in order. (We love adventures!)
After sixteen years Misty View Cottages came up for sale and, in 2019, we traded in central Queensland’s scorching summers for the temperate climes of the Sunshine Coast hinterland and haven’t looked back!
Each day we wake up to the stunning sight of mist rising like quiet music from the orchestra pit of Baroon Pocket Dam, which sits at the bottom of our eighteen acres on the tranquil western slopes of Montville.
Bird song and brisk mountain air start the day and then, in under forty minutes, our feet can be scrunching in the golden sands of the Sunshine Coast’s best beaches. Our little Jack Russell’s – Alaska and Paddi – are in doggy heaven when we opt for a day like that.
What drew us to Misty View is its sense of place and space. We provide privacy and comfort, and nature does the rest. Our teamwork has always been our strong point and we work smarter together. Shell loves the people side; Tony loves the project side of running a five star tourism venture. We both have great practical and analytical skills. You gain those quickly on a cattle property where tradies and other services aren’t easily accessible!
These practical and analytical skills have come to the fore as we continue to renovate the entire property in order to create our vision. The renovations have involved everything from designing and building totally new infrastructure for the cottages to, creating new colour schemes and identities for each cottage. Together we diligently plan and design the renovations to ensure they are ecological, logical and durable for guests and the future.
We have had many adventures as individuals with extended working holidays in our early 20s to the UK (Shell) and North America (Tony) galvanising us to travel as a family (yes! The six of us!) to different places around the globe and interstate. We have experienced the cultures and geography of New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Indonesia, Borneo and Bali as a family. Now the children are grown and enjoying their own travel adventures giving us plenty of opportunities to pack our bags and join them before returning to the place we call home – Misty View.
With a lifetime of producing beef and developing land we are both very passionate about making our piece of paradise, and the world, the very best it can be.
For us, making and producing as much food as we can at Misty View is very important. In doing so, we know where your food comes from and what has gone into making it. This is essential so we can provide the highest quality products for ourselves and our guests. You are what you eat, after all!
Our free-range chooks provide golden yoked eggs, and the homemade bread has only 5 ingredients – and very importantly, no preservatives! Our carefully curated breakfast hamper, made largely from local products included our home made pastries, breads, chutneys, yogurt, butter chutney and jams. Our ethos is – made with love and care and no nasties.
There are many wonderful things to see and do in Montville and the surrounding areas. Whether you are a keen walker, want to enjoy a lakeside picnic or explore the vast range of local shops and cafes, it’s all here for the asking in this truly beautiful part of the world.
We hope at the end of your stay at Montville Misty View Cottages you’ll be relaxed and rejuvenated, and we look forward to welcoming you back again soon.
Your hosts, Shell & Tony
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing custodianship of the land, waters and culture for over 60,000 years. We pay our respects to them and their elders past and present. We are privileged to learn from them in the way we care for and share Australia’s diverse nature and culture, and we strive to walk humbly in the footsteps of those who have walked these paths before us.
Misty View Cottage sits on the traditional land of the Kabi Kabi people. The land of these people stretches from north of Brisbane all the way up the east coast to Bundaberg and inland to the Glasshouse Mountains and the Mary Valley .
The Kabi Kabi, also known as the Gubbi Gubbi or Gabi Gabi, are an Aboriginal Australian people who are traditionally associated with the southeastern coast of Queensland, Australia. Their ancestral lands extend from the southern part of the Great Sandy National Park, near Noosa, to the southern regions of the Sunshine Coast and the northern areas of the Moreton Bay region.
The Kabi Kabi people have a rich cultural heritage that includes a deep connection to the land, language, and traditions. Prior to European settlement, their way of life was centered around hunting, gathering, and fishing. They relied on the abundance of natural resources in the region, such as native plants, animals, and seafood.
Contact with European settlers had a profound impact on the Kabi Kabi people and their way of life. Dispossession of land, violence, and introduced diseases took a heavy toll on their population and cultural practices. Like many Aboriginal communities, the Kabi Kabi people faced significant challenges in maintaining their cultural heritage and traditional way of life.
However, in recent years, there has been a resurgence of cultural pride and efforts to preserve and revitalize Kabi Kabi traditions. The Kabi Kabi Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Corporation, along with other organizations and community initiatives, plays a vital role in promoting cultural awareness, language revival, and land management practices.
The Kabi Kabi people have a diverse cultural heritage, and their stories, art, and ceremonies reflect their deep connection to the land and their spiritual beliefs. They have contributed significantly to the cultural landscape of Queensland and continue to strive for recognition, reconciliation, and preservation of their cultural heritage.
Please note that the information provided is based on the knowledge available up until September 2021, and it's always advisable to consult with local sources or organizations for the most up-to-date and accurate information about the Kabi Kabi people.
Misty View Cottages offers secluded rainforest hideaways for couples wanting to disconnect from the world, experience peace, tranquillity and privacy so they can reconnect with nature and each other.
Our goal is to ensure you have the most memorable experience possible while at Misty View Cottages. We look at every detail, large and small to see how we can improve to ensure your stay meets and exceeds your expectations.
We are provide a 5 star experience so you leave relaxed and feeling amazing.
The five stars we consider the most important to us are;
External recognition is fantastic however our focus is on you leaving here feeling relaxed, at peace and ready to step back into life again.
The Australian ECO Certification program certifies tourism products (tours, accommodations, attractions) with a primary focus on nature.
It assures travellers that certified products are backed by a strong, well managed commitment to sustainable practices and provides high-quality nature-based tourism experiences.
The ECO Certification program is a world first and it has been developed to address the need to identify genuine nature and ecotourism operators.
ECO Certification is product-specific— this means that you will need to answer the criteria as it applies specifically to each of your products. This also means that you are able to apply for ECO Certification even if not all of your products are nature-based.
We practice what we preach. What's good for the environment is good for us as humans, therefore we need to ensure our business doesn't negatively impact the environment,
We believe Misty View Cottages and the surrounding 18 acres will be left in an even better environmental state than when we purchased it in 2019. We have regenerated the vegetation to be native, built food gardens and designed the entire experience so our guests feel like they are connecting with nature and having that regenerative feeling we get form being connected to the earth.
Guests are asked of any special requirements at the time of booking and guests with pre existing medical conditions, injuries or disabilities can freely discuss our accessibility options. Customer service training is provided to all staff upon induction on our accessibility procedures and regularly reviewed.
We are currently analysing the information provided to guests and updating our website to support people with other disabilities such as vision impairment and actively encourage bookings from guests with support animals.
Misty View Cottages is committed to ensuring our experience is inclusive and accessible to people with a range of physical, sensory and intellectual abilities.
Prior to arrival, we try to find out where they are coming from, whether they are celebrating a special occasion, who they are coming with. This type of information helps us in our marketing but also gives us an understanding of the guest so we can provide a service that fits their needs and exceeds their expectations.
We also provide the guests with information on the local area, what food, wine and amenities we have here and suggest options for additional services so they are well prepared prior to arrival.
When the guests arrive we chat more about what they want from their experience here, whether there is any information they need on Montville, the region or the Sunshine Coast and if we can be of service in any way to them. Then we provide a mobile contact to each customer so they can speak with us, their hosts Shell and Tony anytime through their stay. At that point we don't see the guests again until they contact us or they are checking out. They have complete privacy at all times.
On check out, we discuss with the guest any areas for improvements they may suggest, address any feedback they have and also be sure to invite them back again. If the guests do have feedback, complaints or concerns we thank them for taking the time to bring it up, then let them know how we can fix it for next time. Responses to complaints are immediate, whether they are in person, over the phone or online.
As hosts we discuss with each other the needs of the guests that are arriving each day including the background we have acquired to ensure we both know what's happening and how we can provide the best experience to every guest.
We have a lot of repeat guests because they love the experience they have at Misty View Cottages and also because we build a relationship of trust with each guest. They know we will fix any issues, respond to any concerns and that we are willing to make changes to improve their experience.
Customising the experience for Specific / Special Needs
Most guests with specific needs will contact us in advance outlining what is required for them to stay. If it’s a wheelchair accessible room, we outline which cottages will be useful to the guest. For other needs we talk through over the phone with the guest or their companion what the layout of the rooms are, car parking and any other information that may be helpful to them during their stay. If needed, we will email information to guests they may require.
It's our vision to provide a luxurious space for our guests to relax and rejuvenate while fostering an appreciation of the surrounding natural environment and native wildlife.
We continually monitor our impact on the environment and what measures we can implement to preserve it further for future generations, while maintaining strong relationships within the local community and sharing knowledge with others. Revegetation of native flora has commenced and is ongoing, along with adding to the produce grown on site that our guests can enjoy directly from the gardens. Misty View Cottages also align with programs such as Reforest to ensure our operations have minimal impact . We love where we live, and we want our guests, family and our community to continue living in this pristine environment sustainably for years to come. We shop to support the local community for produce that cannot be obtained onsite and for local employment. By shopping local it also reduces a footprint in travel for suppliers for us to obtain goods and services, by doing so it retains employment and money in the local community.
Objectives:
The Sunshine Coast was declared a Biosphere by UNESCO in June 2022, joining the existing Noosa and Great Sandy Biosphere Reserves. Together they create a biosphere corridor that stretches uninterrupted along our slice of paradise. Immerse yourself in the beauty of our region while learning about conservation, and sleep peacefully at night at Misty View Cottages where sustainability is a way of life.
A biosphere is an international site of excellence, recognised by UNESCO as an area of natural beauty where people live and work. Biospheres are places, just like our region, where active conservation sits alongside responsible development and people living sustainably.
The Sunshine Coast is the only place in Australia where three UNESCO Biosphere Reserves sit side-by-side: the Sunshine Coast, Noosa and Great Sandy Biospheres -Together, the three biospheres form an uninterrupted biosphere corridor across the Sunshine Coast
Click here for more information on the Sunshine Coast Biospheres
Misty View Cottages is constantly evolving, we have completed a full renovation of the existing cottages to increase the standard of the experience delivered to our guests. Following that we have built new cottages, designed and created new product offerings, developed packages with local operators and also looked at how our day to day operations and procedures need to evolve and grow with the business.
We think of Misty View Cottages as an experience not just a provider of accommodation. Therefore we have considered every aspect of the experience and how the guests journey may look and feel. When we look at anything from the customer's perspective there is an opportunity to make tweaks, changes and improvements. Once these are identified we look at how we can integrate these new ideas with our current product offering. It’s an exciting and rewarding experience implementing small changes and seeing how our guests respond.
An example of something a staff member identified as an opportunity to improve the guests experience was candles. The idea was to create more of a sensual romantic atmosphere for our guests. If you are having a romantic weekend away with a fireplace, glass of wine, fluffy cosy robes then why not add candles to the mix to add to the atmosphere and ambience of a secluded rainforest cabin. Therefore we went out to source candles that had the right fragrance for our cottages, were locally made and could be sold to the guest should they fall in love with the fragrance. We found Lights of Eden, hand poured candles made right here in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland at Maleny. We are so proud to have supported another local business in the area and offered our guests something very special to enjoy during their stay.
Since May 2023, we have really looked at how we approach the marketing of Misty View Cottages. We have identified the core values of the business are providing exceptional private experiences for guests that don't negatively affect the natural environment, while supporting the local community and suppliers within the region. We have also looked at how the Sunshine Coast markets the destination and aligned our values and goals with those of the destination. The actions we have taken are:
We continue to gather data from sources such as Tourism Events Queensland, Visit Sunshine Coast and Tourism Research Australia on consumer buying patterns, travel demands and aviation connectivity to ensure we stay ahead of the industry in marketing, developing new products and improving the experience customers have at Misty View Cottages.
Misty View Cottages is a very small operation and we have a small but positive impact on our local community and the broader Sunshine Coast economy.
We work to ensure we use local suppliers and contractor services for every aspect of our business.
We have built a community of local trades people that understand our vision and goals for the business so when we work together they can feel like they are adding value to the overall experience. This process ensures we develop pride and ownership in our community.
We support the marketing of the Sunshine Coast as a destination, whether it’s through Visit Sunshine Coast’s digital marketing campaigns, cooperative marketing, providing free agent and media familiarisations or getting out on domestic roadshows to showcase the destination we step up time and time again. This is a significant investment in time away from the business and also money to help promote the destination. We feel so strongly about the positive work that Visit Sunshine Coast does that we need to participate and support it.
We market our experience internationally. Since the opening of international borders, Misty View Cottages has engaged an international marketing and representation company in the UK to promote our products and services to international travellers across Europe. This is a significant investment for such a small business which benefits our business and the Sunshine Coast as a destination.
We invest in our community by buying local produce and prefer local suppliers to help build valuable relationships in a mutually beneficial regard, all our resources are sourced locally which strengthens the economy within the community and environmental impacts are reduced.
We package and bundle with other tourism businesses across the region, including Oceanview Helitours and provide recommendations to our guests on local experiences and restaurants. We have an onsite gift store located in the reception area which highlights local supplier offerings.
We are passionate Sunshine Coast residents who ensure every aspect of our small business can have a positive and lasting impact on our amazing community.
Misty View Cottages supports local suppliers and businesses, actively reducing emissions. We source produce and products from ethical companies. This policy outlines the company's objectives when choosing suppliers and contractors
The safety of guests and staff are essential in our day-to-day operations.
We have a number of policies and procedures in place to minimise and eliminate risks associated with our operations which can be found in our Environmental Management Plan (EMP).
