RURAL

STAN Perkins started sketching out his grand plan for Cammeray Waters while floating several hundred feet above the property in a hot-air balloon.

That was 15 years ago. The 42 hectares of bush and farmland below is now a $5 million conference centre carved out of wombat forest in the Macedon Ranges west of Melbourne.

Stan and his wife Heather were successful urban professionals who decided to get out of the rat race.

They didn’t stay still for long. Once the idea of building Cammeray Waters took hold the Perkins committed themselves to doing the job properly.

Stan’s background in advertising and marketing proved to be invaluable in the early stages of assessing the viability of a high- level bushland conference facility catering to the national corporate conference market.

They identified a growing niche market of medium to large companies requiring a professional, fully equipped out-of-town conference facility for groups of between 15 and 50.

Cammeray Waters was purpose built to service that increasingly profitable market. The business grew quickly from the outset.

Today it has 34 ensuite rooms, three corporate conference rooms, tennis courts, a gymnasium, a pool room, a four-hole golf course and comfortable wood-panelled lounge rooms with open fires.

There is also a 4ha lake stocked with rainbow trout.

“We have kangaroos, wallabies, koalas and wombats on the property, which are a great attraction,” Mr Perkins said. “We are surrounded by state forest. We get snow in the winter.

“What appeals to most people is the isolation. There is no traffic. We have tried to avoid a commercial feel at the same time as having first-class facilities.

“We built this from nothing. It will be an emotional move. We have 35 staff, mostly casual, who are all local women who live within 10km or so of the property. They are all very capable, homely people who know all about home cooking.

“They make everybody feel welcome.”

The Perkins have decided to sell because, both being in their late-60s, they have decided to retire.

“We have trained our staff and we are stepping away from the operation,” Mr Perkins said. “I always wanted to be a landscape painter all my life, and that’s what I’m retiring to do.

“I’ve been painting seriously for about two years and I’ve already 80 paintings, they sell for $400 to $500 each. I love it.”

The owners say Cammeray Waters’ proximity to Melbourne and Tullamarine airport has contributed significantly to its success.

The centre caters for up to 800 guests per month, and the owners say as many as half again are turned away because the business regularly operates at full capacity. The property goes to tender through the agents Elders with a closing date of June 7.

The owners have decided to go to tender rather than auction because they wish to be in the position of choosing a future owner who will care for the property and the staff.