Willow’s Retreat

From tree-top tents to a fully insulated eco-lodge, Willow’s Retreat offers a serene sanctuary for wildlife watchers and wellness seekers alike.

Nestled in a secluded valley, Willow’s Retreat offers guests the chance to disconnect from daily life and immerse themselves in nature. With options ranging from a fully off-grid eco-lodge to private campsites like Glossy Heights, the retreat caters to hikers, horse riders, birdwatchers and those seeking a quiet, restorative escape.

Spanning 50 acres of pristine bushland, pastures, cliffs and walking trails, the property is home to a rich diversity of wildlife, including eastern grey kangaroos, swamp wallabies, wombats, gliders, koalas and over 80 species of bird life. As a designated ‘Land for Wildlife,’ Willow’s Retreat actively contributes to conservation initiatives, collaborating with local wildlife organisations such as WIRES, BirdLife Australia and WPSA to protect native species and restore habitats.

With a longstanding commitment to sustainability, Willow’s Retreat sought to formalise and strengthen its practices by leveraging funding from Destination NSW to complete the Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard. In collaboration with Ecotourism Australia and Tourism Australia, Destination NSW provided eligible visitor economy businesses with free access to the pre-certification tool. This initiative empowered operators to benchmark their sustainability performance, identify areas for improvement and plan for meaningful long-term change.

“We’ve always believed in sustainability, inclusion and conservation – in fact, part of the reason for setting up Willow’s Retreat was to ensure this beautiful, private valley continued to maintain these values,” co-founder Phil Janson explains. “We were expecting these values to be reinforced by the scorecard, and they were; however, it also highlighted the things we can do to streamline our processes and build on our foundations.”

 

The Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard provided Willow’s Retreat with insights tailored to a small, hands-on operation.

“With being a very small team (just the two of us!), our documentation has been minimal, relying on shared decision making and often waiting to discuss options with the other,” said Janson, referring to co-founder Lyndel Taylor. “The scorecard highlighted the things we can do to catalogue and ensure continuity (e.g. preferred suppliers for sustainable consumables), develop business plans that would allow us to outsource and share the load, and gave some useful insights into areas we hadn’t considered.”

 

Achieving a clear picture of their sustainability practices has helped Willow’s Retreat plan future improvements.

“Whilst the scorecard gave us a great starting point, we hope to start the ecotourism certification process soon. As a totally off-grid property, harvesting rainwater and solar-powered, we definitely have an advantage in the sustainability stakes. We’ve also been living without rubbish collection for 20 years, so are well versed in sorting for reuse, recycling and compost,” said Janson.

 

The team’s next steps focus on upgrading systems to improve energy usage, engaging guests in waste reduction, and expanding conservation efforts. Current projects include mange treatment in wombats with WPSA, Tree Troff wildlife watering systems for arboreal species with WIRES, and work with glossy black and gang-gang cockatoos in partnership with BirdLife Australia. Efforts are also underway to gradually replace barbed wire with safe fencing to protect wildlife.

“We also need to expand the detail of this on our website and social media, to fully include our guests (past, current and future!) in this adventure,” Janson added.

 

Completing the Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard has not only validated Willow’s Retreat’s long-standing environmental commitments but also provided a structured roadmap for ongoing improvement. By formally assessing their operations across Sustainable Management, Environmental Impacts, Socio-Economic Impacts and Cultural Impacts, Willow’s Retreat has strengthened both its operational sustainability and its capacity to engage guests in meaningful, eco-conscious experiences.

Through this process, Willow’s Retreat demonstrates how even small, remote tourism businesses can leverage targeted support and certification tools to enhance sustainability, protect biodiversity and provide unforgettable, responsible experiences for visitors.

Click here to learn more about Willow’s Retreat’s sustainable efforts, and book your stay: https://willowsleap.com.au/willows-retreat/

Willow’s Retreat completed their Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard on 7 April 2025 and is a snapshot of their current sustainability practices. The scorecard is not a certification and is valid for 12 months upon completion.

[Images courtesy of  Willow’s Retreat © 2025]

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