Our Story

Your hosts at Earth & Soul Retreat:
Mark Carter & Donna Kennedy

The name of our property derives from the very nature of Donna and myself.
Donna is the earthy one - planting, growing, nurturing.
I am the airy one - singing, writing, spiritual pursuits (Tarot, Numerology, etc.)
Together there is a balanced harmony.

The property at Earth & Soul was originally part of Donna's family farm located at Dunn Road, The Summit. The family farmed there from 1956 and the original farm is still owned and managed as an organic farm by family.

Mark's grandfather, Stephen Harding, was a Soldier Settler at Amiens, not too far from the current property.

We have owned the property now for over 20 years.
The main house, built in 2011, is an environmentally designed, rammed earth dwelling.
We are off-grid, standalone solar.
There are no power lines anywhere on the property.
The closest grid connection is almost 2 kilometers away.

The success of the rammed earth building and the environmental nature of the design has engaged family, friends & visitors through the quiet, warmth and comfortableness of the home such that we have decided to share our living experience with others that share similar values.

Earth & Soul is 300 acres (120 hectares) of lifestyle bush. Only perhaps 20 acres has ever been cleared and the rest is protected endangered vegetation. There are two creeks - Cannon Creek and the Broadwater. Cannon Creek runs, infrequently, through the property and joins The Broadwater on the bottom boundary. Together they join the Severn River. This is the headwaters of the Murray-Darling.

The cabins, exclusively secluded, are situated within an area of the property that I call the Hippopotamus (see the image at right).
Over 20 years ago I locked in this area so, if necessary, it can be cleared.
The rest of the property, the blue area surrounding the Hippo, is all protected, endangered natural vegetation.

Earth & Soul Cabins are situated on the verge of the protected area of the Cannon Creek catchment with easy access to the pristine nature of the plant life, wildlife and granite wilderness of Cannon Creek Gorge and the surrounding area. At the same time we are only 12km from the main town of Stanthorpe and the attractions of the Granite Belt region.

Enjoy your stay.
regards....