These gorgeous mountain chalets pay homage to the Aussie bush

This seven-hectare patch of land atop the Blue Mountains in NSW on the fringe of the town of Blackheath, was, from 1987, the site of Jemby-Rinjah eco lodge, until it burned down in the 2019 black summer bushfires. Sydneysider Angela O'Connell bought the property and painstakingly rebuilt it into a high-end eco-resort, now a member of the exclusive Small Luxury Hotels of the World.

The reservations team send directions including a map to ensure you will find the chalets, which lie along an unsealed road and through a smart set of gates that signal you've arrived somewhere special. It feels in the middle of nowhere, in the best possible way, abutting the Blue Mountains National Park. We are only there for two nights but I never tire of walking between our chalet and the main building, through eucalypt bushland alive with regeneration and the trills and chirrups of native birds.

Sleek yet earthy sophistication with keen attention to detail, and service (from resort "ambassadors") that is highly personalised but never in-your-face. The main building, known as The Library, includes the dining area - a long table scattered with books that reflect the eco theme - and an exquisitely furnished lounge lined with more books. This is where, after a late afternoon bushwalk aborted due to a thunderous downpour, I sit with a glass of wine by the fire, my sodden feet bare and tingling in the toasty warmth. This place would be great in summer, I am sure, but I am loving the cosy-cocoon vibe - a speciality of the Blueys.

There are four double-fronted, timber and glass chalets - more are planned - set privately around the property. The bed is king-sized and at the centre of a generous (and gorgeous) stone and wood and rammed-earth space. There is a sitting area around a wood-burning fire at one end, at the other a kitchen bench with stovetop. The bathroom is equally large, with twin rain showers and a free-standing bathtub set next to a floor-to-ceiling window, so you can gaze into the great outdoors while you soak.

Breakfast is the star of the show and while it is a continental one, "Australian" is the word that might better apply. Amid the line-up of granolas, yoghurts and plump and flaky, locally baked croissants are resin bowls full of bush tucker, some of it grown in the resort's own edible garden. I top my granola with powders of lemon myrtle and davidson plum, macadamia nuts, rosella flower, riberries and quandong. It's a work of art in the bowl.

The restaurants of Blackheath are nearby, but if you want to stay in, a meat platter of steaks and sangers is available for $70, all to throw on the barbie on your private front deck. There's a charcuterie board, too, but we went for the cheese platter, its goodies including pecorino and creamy goats cheese. We also dipped into the minibar for a WA chardonnay, bypassing the 2012 Dom Perignon.

The ambassadors will help you organise your heart's desire, from an in-room massage to fly-fishing to a sunset trail ride ... there is so much to do in the Blueys. But simple pleasures are close at hand: we take the 10-minute walk to Evans Lookout and watch the early morning cloud move like a river through the valley below.

The chalets are a front-row seat to the changing light and weather as it moves across the mountain landscape - from rain and lightning, to mist, to blue sky and birdsong. At this time of year you might even see snow. Rug up!

The writer was a guest of Chalets at Blackheath

Where: Chalets at Blackheath, 394 Evans Lookout Road, Blackheath, NSW

How much: $1300 a night for two, including breakfast and champagne on arrival

Explore more: chaletsblackheath.com.au