It’s been a while between exhales. About nine months, exactly. But the soft swing of the hammock I’m trussed up in suggests I close my eyes just enough to still admire the dusty-purple sunset, and take a moment to exhale deeply.

The breath out comes as the nine-month-old is being wheeled to sleep around the expansive verandahs of Harvest House. Positioned to absorb the green undulations of the Byron hinterland that unfurl beneath, the hilltop house is a place for moments. Be they quiet, like my overdue exhale, or more convivial in nature.

As much as Byron’s pulsing energy lures with its bars, bongos and beachside gratitude practices, there are times when the hush of the hills beyond beckon. If you’re in need of some bucolic gentleness sound-tracked by morning birdsong and the absence of linen crop tops, a stay at Harvest House is that moment away from life, while still close enough to town to dip a toe in the bustle.

This five-bedroom abode is exceptional in its stunning Nashua location and the thought given to crafting spaces to encourage either relaxation or recreation. But what truly makes Harvest House a retreat from the everyday is that, being run by the people of much-loved local restaurant, Harvest, it is all about hospitality.

It’s a relaxed and genuinely welcoming brand of hospitality that is masterful in its attention to detail. We find the fridge stocked with a charcuterie plate for our arrival and a bottle of bubbles ready to pop. The kitchen-adjacent Harvest Deli pantry serves as a walk-in mini bar, should that bottle of bubbles negate a trip out for supplies. We’re told there’s an option to request a private chef, have groceries or Harvest At Home meals delivered, or join in-house events. You can have a tent erected for your celebratory moments and sleeping spaces are flexible enough to accommodate a gaggle of girlfriends, a handful of couples, or a stampede of toddlers.

Well-equipped for good times, I can imagine myself enjoying a beautiful Harvest-catered soiree in the poolside cabana. I find myself compiling a guest list and puzzling sleeping arrangements in my mind, ready for such a time as I can return to put the house to use for a rollicking knees-up moment. Tonight, though, it’s just the three of us and this rare respite from the usual.

As dusk closes in, my moment in the hammock is welcomely interrupted by the arrival of Damien. “He’ll just come and pop a pie in the oven for you,” was the casual heads up from our Harvest concierge. But rather than a hastily prepped dinner, Damien arrives in starched chef whites and plates a beautiful handmade chicken and leek pie, complete with a side of roast vegetables dressed with iridescent-green pesto, to be followed by a robustly tangy lemon curd dessert. After nine months of struggling to put a rudimentary dinner on the table, I momentarily fall in love with Damien.

It passes, of course, but is replaced by more moments at Harvest House. There’s one by the firepit as we watch the rise of a pearlescent moon. There’s another cosied up on the couch, baby in bed and whisky in hand, taking stock of the year that’s been. And a moment of quiet contemplation in the brisk autumnal morning, hands clasped around a warming mug.

Nestled in my memory sits a snapshot of Harvest House’s mood-lightening rural vistas veiled in a purple sunset – for those times I need to revisit that long-awaited exhale. harvest.com.au/hospitalityhouse