Blog
Qii House Lorne: Honoured Among Australia’s Best Businesses by AUSBRB for setting unparalleled standards in innovation, operations and customer satisfaction.
Qii House Lorne is thrilled to announce its recent recognition by the Australian Business Review Board (AUSBRB) as one of the Best Businesses in Australia for 2024. This prestigious acknowledgment is a testament to our unwavering commitment to excellence and customer satisfaction. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Steve Hoffman and the AUSBRB for this honour, and we’re excited to continue serving our community with the highest standards of quality and service.
Cultural Exchange with Richard Collopy
Cultural exchange and being on country. I had a recent cultural exchange with Richard Collopy (gadubanud indigenous person from the Otways). It was amazing! For the Gadubanud indigenous people, Nyernilia means something like a deep respectful listening in quiet...
Stayz holiday home of the year awards 2023
Qii House Top 10 Finalist: 7th Place & Such a Proud Moment “WHEN YOUR HOLIDAY HOME FEELS LIKE A MOVIE” “…you better not be pretending your holiday home is in a WES ANDERSON movie again…” Hi Heather, Hope you’ve been well since we last chatted. I’ve got some really...
Holistic Wellness Retreat Of The Year 2023 – Australia
“QII HOUSE HOLISTIC WELLNESS RETREAT OF THE YEAR 2023” - AUSTRALIA We at Qii House are incredibly grateful and proud to be included amongst the Prestige Award Winners 2023. Totally unexpected and I was AMAZED! I was driving through the Otway’s bush into Lorne where I...
Self-guided Forest Therapy Walk
We invite you to take a slow, mindful Forest Therapy meander along The Zaborin Walk, inspired by the Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku “Forest Bathing.” The easeful trail winds through the forest of the Otway Ranges. This lush rainforest haven is known for its...
Infta forest therapy pay a visit
I had Susan & Dieter (directors of Infta forest therapy) stay in Kensho recently. It was great to meet up with them again; they were very impressed as their last visit was years back (pre-Torii). They did the accreditation of the...
Feeding The Local King Parrots
Qii House is home to a pair of Australian King Parrots who frequent the property regularly. If you are lucky, they may come and join you for breakfast, lunch or dinner, and they're more than pleased to share what's on the menu. Male...
A stay at Qii Tiny House – Kokoro
Tucked away deep in the Great Otway National Park, Kokoro offers the ultimate relaxation experience. Surrounded by giant gumtrees, lush ferns and the sound of singing birds, it's easy to unplug from life's regular grind. In the morning, we enjoyed a 20-minute drive...
The iconic Yin Yang Sculpture by Ben Storch
Some words about his Yin Yang Sculpture by its creator Ben Storch “Heather contacted me in 2020 about making a sculpture for Qii House. I proposed a few different designs and Heather picked 'Yin Yang' for the Temple Garden next to the billabong. I owe the concept for...
10 out of this world holiday houses
We are ecstatic to announce that Qii House Lorne has been featured in a recent article in the Herald Sun titled "10 out of this world holiday houses." The article features unique properties from all over Australia and we are proud to be listed with these amazing...
Forest Therapy at Qii House and why the nature connection is even more relevant today
The pandemic causes stress Globally, as of 30 January 2021, there have been 101,561,219 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 2,196,944 deaths, reported to WHO. The pandemic is causing significant physical, psychological and economic distress around the globe....
Three new Tiny Houses coming to Qii House soon.
"Be content with what you have, rejoice in the way things are. When you realise there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you." Lao Tzu… "the secret of happiness you see is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less." Socrates....
Step through the Qii House Torii Gate
“Nature is my religion. The earth is my temple”. Art takes nature as it’s model…nature gets into our souls and finds hidden parts of ourselves”.A torii (鳥居, literally bird abode, Japanese pronunciation: [to.ɾi.i]) is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at...
We welcome Graeme Wilkie to the Zaborin forest walking track
A beacon of greatness, depth and inspiration. One of my most recent pleasurable and memorable adventures was to share the Qii House experience, and to explore the INFTA accredited rainforest Therapy trail on the property with Graeme Wilkie OAM. It was an honour and I...
Destination Happiness visit and discuss Forest Bathing
Forest Bathing in the Otways A BIG THANKYOU to Angie and crew from Destination Happiness tv Channel 9 for such a wonderful show. Very happy to be part of your journey😀. Such a beautiful capture of Qii House and Forest Bathing. Absolutely 💚💚💚. Thank you to Susan...
Indigenous History of the Otways
“We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Gadubanud Country, their Elders past present and future. We observe the ancient Cultural footprint in the lands, seas and rivers all around us.” Aboriginal people have always lived in Victoria, scientifically dated now to...
Sights to Find on The Zaborin Walk
For those seeking a deeper connection with nature, there is a kilometer rainforest Forest Therapy Trail; on the property; “The Zaborin Walk” meaning a place in the forest to ‘sit to forget’. This theme is a derivation of Japanese Zen terminology. Awake in the wild...
Eco Weddings with Qii House by Ivory Tribe
There's something special about escaping life's hustle and bustle to enjoy the serenity that comes with the bush. Outdoor weddings, but in particular, eco-friendly weddings reflect both the beauty in the environment and in you as a couple. Embracing your natural...
Peace Poles
Masahisa Goi (1916-1980) Japanese World Peace Visionary The simple, five-word prayer: ‘May Peace Prevail on Earth’ has been inscribed on more than 200 000 Peace Poles which have been planted in many countries around the world. The prayer bridges religious and...
Divine Goddess Awakening Womens’ Retreat
Beginning on the 3rd May, 2019, a group of 8 women gathered together at Qii House to embark on a 3-Day healing & wellbeing immersion in the ancient Otways rainforest. With Qii House’s serenely tranquil setting, lush green forestry, aromas of the fresh & light...
Lorne property shortlisted for the 2018 holiday rental awards
7 th August 2018: Local property ‘Qii House’ owned by Heather McFarlane-Kolb, was shortlisted in the 2018 HomeAway Holiday Rental Awards in the ‘Unique’ category. HomeAway, the new home of Stayz, announced the national shortlist today. Each year the HomeAway...
Great Ocean Road, Australia – an Ozzie road trip in 7 days: the highlights
Article by Laura Coolen – What About Her (Travel Blog) The last five weeks I have traveled through Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong and what was overwhelmingly beautiful. I have to process the whole trip and just start at the beginning of our journey: the Great...
Great Otway National Park
By Susan Myers and Tim Dolby This national park on the easterly slopes of the Otway Ranges near Lorne and bordering the coast, protects some of Victoria’s most beautiful forests. The vegetation of this 26,000-ha park is mainly wet, temperate rainforests of blue Gum,...
Healing in Nature by Kit-E Kline
Albert Einstein once stated, ‘Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better’. I truly believe this to be true. My fondest childhood memories were ones of me playing in and with the natural world. I was blessed to have a forest literally at my...
Ten nature-inspired practices to de-stress
It’s a crazy week. Everything has to be PERFECT, on-time, on budget – or on credit card! We are on auto-pilot. We cannot unplug... Or can we? I should know. As a driven career woman and mum I juggled all the Christmas balls I had during the season. The in-laws were...
Make your sit spot practice private and intimate
I recently introduced the ‘sit spot’ practice to Shinrin-yoku forest bathers on a guided walk. Curious as to what this means, I explained the ancient practice of finding a place of intimate connection with nature – a place where you learn to sit still – alone, often...
Into the green
By Linda Moon, ND Shinrin-yoku, or “forest bathing”, is a scientifically validated therapy that is popular in Japan, and now being promoted in Australia. Imagine that the sounds, sights and aromas of a forest could heal your body, mind and heart. Not the stuff of...
How to Kick start your Day with Mindfulness
When you first woke up this morning, did you take a deep breath as you opened your eyes? Noticed the water as it made contact with your body whilst showering? Chewed slowly and savouring every bite whilst eating your first meal of the day? And did you notice the...
How to practice gratitude
Gratitude - one of the most talked about concepts and reasons behind people's happiness. Practicing gratitude and engaging in a regular gratitude practice is rather simple; it just takes a reminder to do it every day. Consider putting one on your phone to begin, and...
Qii House lifted my spirits the day I visited
A review by Debra Walker of Seaire Yoga Anticipation builds the closer one gets to Qii House, fuelled by the excitement created by the inspiring website descriptions. A canopy of overhanging trees and an escort of native birds welcomed us as we drove into...
Mind your Stress
Mindfulness has reached our Western shores in a bid to counteract the impact that our rapidly changing, fast paced lives are having on us. Our work, family, and social lives are constantly scheduled by a calendar of events, there is continual rushing around and...
Why it’s important to buy local
While using materials found or fabricated near a building site is an important Green idea today; they help reduce the carbon cost of transporting heavy materials lengthy distances. In a world of quickly depleting resources, Green architects also favour renewable...
Nature Meditation
The Japanese word zaborin means ‘a place among the trees to sit and forget’. This ethereal concept was the simple vision behind Qii house Eco Meditation and Relaxation retreat; the experience and its’ evolution. A whimsical vision that drifts-like- magic high amongst...
The Qii House Renovation
Creative beginnings. “To banish imperfection is to destroy expression, to check exertion, to paralyze vitality.” ― John Ruskin, The Stones of Venice Heather commenced the majority of restorative work in March 2015. She project led a team of local artisans in the...
The benefits of leaving the office behind
Corporate Management objectives must first and foremost be formulated in human terms-the terms to do with quality of life. Some of the key elements of this concept are human health and wellbeing, personal development and self -realisation. People are an organisation’s...
Planning an Eco Wedding – 10 Tips to go Eco-friendly
1. The Ambience Set the tone of your green wedding by choosing an eco-friendly location. If an outdoor wedding is up your alley, choose a location that will showcase the beauty in the environment and in you. If you prefer an indoor location, check out the local...
The Otways – the perfect spot for Forest Qigong
Spring Forest Qigong healing is based on the principle that everything in the universe is energy. You are an energy being. For optimum health, wellness, and happiness, you need to bring your energy into balance, maintain the balance, and keep the energy flowing smoothly.
Surf Coast Places of Cultural Significance Study
Surf Coast Shire initiated the Surf Coast Places of Cultural Significance Study to help find out about the variety of places throughout the Shire that reflect important part of the Shire's history and that are valued by local communities. Here is the entry referring...