PAULA GORDON, Staff Reporter

Tapioca Village Retreat and Attractions can be found on Facebook. - contributed photos

A room at the retreat.

A small sugar pot that is among the historic items on the property.

A view of the building and the greenery surrounding it

St Mary is known to be the birthplace of entertainers such as Capleton, Lady Saw, Ninja Man and Tanya Stephens. It is also known for several historic sites.

Although not historic in its origins, one location that gets a number of visitors yearly is the Tapioca Village Retreat and Attractions. Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Mountains and just 6.5 kilometres north of Castleton Gardens, the village can be found in the community of Devon Pen.

Errol Sinclair, the proprietor for the village, told THE STAR in a recent interview that the word Tapioca means cassava.

When asked why he chose the name for the property he said, "I wanted an unusual name and I wanted something that fits in with country and farming."

Established in 1997, Tapioca has been a well-known camping site. The village, THE STAR understands, is also used for retreats, conferences and weddings.

In addition to its name, the Tapioca experience is unique. It is not your usual resort experience as guests are treated to an array of flora and fauna and even water from a nearby spring.

According to Sinclair, throughout the year the village gets a lot of business from schools who take their children camping, as well as hikers, church groups and families.

"We have a steady trek of persons and we get a lot of repeat visitors. We provide regular guest accommodation for couples and families," he said.

Sinclair noted that prices for accommodation are as low as $6,500 per couple per night inclusive of meals.

In the meantime, THE STAR was informed that the establishment has been making a significant impact on the small farming community by providing employment and development.

Sinclair told THE STAR that in trying to develop the parish, he and other persons have launched a community development committee called the Wag Water Valley Development Committee.

"From that we are helping the district in and around Castleton. One of our first task is to get ecotourism established in the area," he said.

A resident from the community told THE STAR that the village has been bringing much publicity to the community. She said that even recently some doctors from overseas stayed there as they were offering their services at Castleton.