7 Of The Best Farm Stays Around Australia

As farmers flip the way they work and we change the way we take holidays, there is a new crop of farm stays opening up around the country.

From helping harvest produce for communal meals to horse riding, feeding the chooks and learning about sustainable living, here are seven of the best farm stays around the country.

1. Mount Mulligan Lodge, Tropical North Queensland

Guests who visit Mount Mulligan Lodge may not get their hands too dirty, but when they leave it will be as cheerleaders for outback Australia (even though the lodge is technically in the Tropical North Queensland region). The new luxury lodge, which sits in the shadow of the 18km-long sandstone escarpment of Mt Mulligan, has recently undergone an overhaul by the team behind Daintree Eco Lodge and Orpheus Island Lodge.

Synch your stay with the pace of life in the 28,000-ha property and you might find yourself fishing for barramundi, learning about the everyday operations of a working cattle station or doing laps in the infinity pool. Guests at the lodge can find heritage at every turn, from exploring the pastoral history of the region, as well as the Indigenous ties to the land, which date back 37,000 years.

Mount Mulligan Lodge has recently undergone an overhaul (Photo: Jason Lerace)

2. Grampians Nature Programs, Victoria

Part nature workshop and part farm stay, Grampians Nature Programs are hosted on a property owned by Jon Muir, one of Australia’s greatest living adventurers, and his wife, Suzy, a passionate permaculture expert.

This hands-on experience has its roots in sustainable living as, together, the couple share their knowledge of living off the land, tracking down bush tucker and foraging in the forest. They also partner with World Expeditions twice a year to coincide with kooyan (the local indigenous word for the March harvest) and petyan (the October harvest) to host a four-day workshop on organic farming, sustainability and animal tracking as well as collaborative art projects.

3. Bullo River Station, Northern Territory

Interior designer, author and stylist Sibella Court, of homewares store, The Society Inc., has stamped her signature style on this working cattle station and homestead located in the northwest corner of the Northern Territory.

Guests can stay in one of 12 rooms designed with interiors inspired by the palette Court has pulled like a silken thread from the surrounding landscape. The accommodation also includes huts perched on the clifftop and accessible only by helicopter. Pull on your Blundstones and don your Akubra: in between sipping Champagne, swimming in remote waterholes, and discovering Aboriginal rock art, you can whip-crack your way through a day working the land and experiencing station life.

Bullo River was included in the 100 Unique Stays Across Australia in the Unique Outback Accommodation category.

Explore signature style on this working cattle station and homestead

4. Eden Farm Escape, Bilpin, Blue Mountains, NSW

Eden Farm Escape has batted the old-fashioned farm stay concept for six. After rounding one more bend on a narrow road near Bilpin, Eden Farm Escape comes into view. The retreat, which opened in 2018, comprises five beautiful self-contained bespoke cabins set on a 36-hectare patchwork green quilt.

In addition to the Eden Equine program, the evocative landscape promotes another kind of therapy: tranquillity and relaxation. Eden Farm Escape is part of Eden Equine, and, in an effort to lure visitors #backtobilpin, is offering all guests a complimentary equine therapy session with one of its 12 horses and ponies. There are also a number of farm animals onsite, including donkeys, alpacas, goats, sheep, pigs and cows.

Eden is committed to providing a place of harmony

5. Kimo Estate, Gundagai, NSW

Although it’s now relieved of the sound of snoring and excessive cursing, the Shearers Quarters at Kimo Estate, housed in an unapologetically rustic outbuilding, is still full of character, functioning beautifully as a farm stay. The estate, located halfway between Melbourne and Sydney and 10 minutes from Gundagai, will connect country people with city folk who want to stay somewhere with a distinct Australian accent.

While the farm stay can accommodate up to 32 people in its eco huts, cottages and shearers’ quarters, the 110-year-old property is also a working sheep and cattle farm. The eco huts that have slid onsite to Kimo Estate are an exciting option for the conscious traveller, as the high-end cabins are completely off-grid. We love that they are suffused with light and layered with cotton, leather and wood.

JR’s Hut on Kimo Estate was included in the 100 Unique Stays Across Australia in the Unique Regional Accommodation category.

Kimo Estate is full of charm and character

6. Eelah, Maitland, Hunter Region, NSW

Follow the hollow tinkle of cowbells on this 28-hectare cattle property and you will be led toward pastures where fat, happy livestock graze. While the notion of a countryside holiday has been around forever, the idea of agriturismo is catching on around Australia as farmers who have been doing it tough for decades find incentives to diversify and create experiences for hosted guests.

The Eelah guesthouse is located amid rivers of colourful native grasses that flow toward the entrance of this dinky estate, located in Maitland, in the Hunter Region. Stay in a modern architect-designed barn conversion that is suffused with light and features a fireplace and outdoor terrace. The original barn partitions have been reimagined as rooms that sleep up to five guests.

Eelah is located amid rivers of colourful native grasses

7. Burnside Organic Farm, Margaret River

The McCall family behind the Burnside Organic Farm present like a walking advertisement for sustainable living. Hang out with the family on the Margaret River farm for a week and you will want to be them: get your hands dirty learning how to make wine, see how food is grown in the vegetable gardens, collect eggs from the chickens and hear a how-to on harvesting honey.

Light the pot-belly stove in your bush bungalow, take a deep breath and relax with a Permaculture for Idiots book by the fire while you dream of emulating the McCall model of living off the land. The farm has been certified organic for more than 17 years and the family can help you plan your perfect holiday, which may or may not involve pruning the vineyard.

Burnside Organic Farm presents like an advertisement for sustainable living

From cabins to canvas, craft distillers to destination dining, Heathcote locals reveal their eco-savvy passions in ways that resonate with those seeking to travel lightly.

Heathcote , on traditional Taungurung Country in Central Victoria, is synonymous with its garnet-hued shiraz, but wine isn’t the only string to its bow. The town itself is sprinkled with heritage buildings from the gold rush era, and beyond that a growing collection of sustainable gastronomy and eco-friendly escapes. Nearby Bendigo, one of only 65 cities in the world recognised as a UNESCO Creative City and Region of Gastronomy, plates up an astonishing calibre of produce, wine and food for its size. Increasingly the entire region is taking up the challenge, though Heathcote in particular shines with its focus on sustainability.

Pink Cliffs GeologicalReserve — The dramatic landscape of Heathcote’s Pink Cliffs Geological Reserve. (Image: Visit Victoria/Emily Goodfrey)

The eco-stays bringing sustainability to Heathcote

Yellow BoxWood’s safari-style tents — Yellow Box Wood’s safari-style tents are nestled on 40 hectares of bushland. (Image: Emily Goodfrey)

Andee and Lisa Davidson spent years working in southern Africa before settling in Heathcote. “We had a vision of how this could be,” explains Andee. “We wanted a retreat, but one that was off-grid and environmentally sustainable.” Now, at Yellow Box Wood , two luxury safari-style tents are at the heart of 40 hectares of rolling hills and native bush, with kangaroos, wallabies, echidnas, goanna and birdlife aplenty. It’s all solar-powered, wood for the fire is mainly fallen timber, and water is collected on the carport roof. No lack of creature comforts though – en suite with rain shower, espresso coffee maker, comfy seating, wood-burning fire all set to go. There’s also a solar-heated, mineral salt pool in a bush setting, walking tracks, and even a mini bush golf course. On my visit, I put the vision to the test. Cocooned in the plush four-poster bed I can glimpse the stars, while the heater casts a golden glow on the canvas. In the morning, I wake to a blush-pink sunrise, kangaroos feeding and a soundtrack of magpies.

If a tent is not your style, Stephen and Cally Trompp’s carbon-neutral Mt Ida Eco Cabin might entice with its generous deck and farmland views. Inside the cabin, corrugated iron walls as rusty as a shearing shed, gleaming (recycled) floorboards, timber truss ceiling (crafted by Stephen), wood-fired heater and an old-school turntable with a pile of vinyls to spin. It’s fun, and a little boho. “Everything is recycled. The cabin takes maximum advantage of the sun in winter. It’s all solar-powered. Don’t panic, though,” says Stephen, “you can still charge your phone and get 4G reception!” Settle into an Adirondack chair on the deck or pedal off on a mountain bike to suss out the wineries.

A taste of Spain in Central Victoria

Another person with a vision is Evan Pritchard at his Three Dams Estate where the wines reflect his deep love of Spain and of Spanish-style grapes, such as tempranillo. Afternoons in the ‘wine shed’ or cantina are matched with music (flamenco is a favourite), Spanish bites from tapas to paella (with Evan on the pans!) and views to Mount Alexander. Sustainability is also a passion. “You don’t need to buy anything. We decided to be off-grid from the start, but it is a lifestyle change,” he says. “You need to think about it and be careful.” Everything here is recycled, reassembled, refurbished. Evan has an electric car (with solar-powered charger), solar-power for the winery, and even a jaunty little electric tractor/forklift. “I love the idea of all the things you can do using the sun.” Sipping a crisp rosado (a Spanish rosé) with Evan in the sunshine, I couldn’t agree more.

The vineyard redefining sustainable winemaking

Silver Spoon winery — The Silverspoon Estate winery is completely off-grid. (Image: Graham Hosking)

On the other side of Heathcote, Silver Spoon Estate demonstrates sustainability on a more extensive scale. Tracie and Peter Young’s winery, cellar door, award-winning restaurant and their own house are all solar-powered and off the grid. Sustainability is intrinsic to everything they do. The property sprawls across 100 hectares, with 20 hectares under vine – shiraz, viognier, grenache, tempranillo. As the climate has changed, so too has the approach. These are dry-grown vineyards. “We prune for drought. That means lower yields but more intense flavours,” says Peter. The fine-dining restaurant offers sweeping views, a wood-burning fire and a deck for languid lunches. Head chef Ben Hong sources regional, sustainable ingredients and weaves estate wines into the menu – think crispy wild mushroom arancini, viognier-infused chicken breast.

Silver Spoon’s award-winning restaurant.

Heathcote’s other hidden gems

Not all local wineries have a cellar door, but I find local treasures at the Heathcote Wine Hub , a petite 1855 timber church in the main street, lovingly returned to life by Karen Robertson and Carey Moncrieff. “Carey is a scrounger,” says Karen. “He doesn’t throw a single thing away.” He does, however, craft things into something quite special. Heritage floors, light-filtering lancet windows and shelves of regional wines create the perfect ambience for wine tasting. Or order a glass and linger over a cheese platter.

Heathcote is not all wine, of course. Nathan Wheat and partner Vanessa Curtis run Envy Distilling with a committed sustainable ethic – and a serious love of gin. Their small-batch distillery produces grape-based gin, and soon brandy. Distilled water is reused in an ingenious cooling system. All waste is treated on site. They buy excess wine from winemakers to distil and buy recycled barrels. “Distilling with the sun,” as Nathan says. Each Envy gin has its own story. Spicy, award-winning The Dry, is designed to capture the region’s dry, rugged nature. Pull up a stool at the bar (reclaimed timbers and tiles, of course), order a Gin Flight, or kick back with a cocktail and let Nathan share his eco journey.

Envy gins — Sample gins at small-batch distillery Envy.

A traveller’s checklist

Getting there

It’s less than two hours’ drive from Melbourne. The scenic route we take goes past Sunbury, then along a splendid country road through Romsey and the magic, boulder-strewn landscape of Lancefield. Watch for kangaroos on the road!

Staying there

Go off-grid in style at Yellow Box Wood for glamping or try Mt Ida Eco Cabin for a couple’s weekend hideaway.

Eating there

French dishes at Chauncy — Award-winning French restaurant Chauncy.

At award-winning Chauncy , French chef Louis Naepels and sommelier wife Tess Murray have created a tiny, elegant pocket of rural France. Meticulously restored 1850s sandstone building, sun-drenched dining room, impeccable service, a menu suffused with local flavours and thoughtful wine pairings.

Fodder is both cafe and social hub. Chef Mo Pun and sister Lalita serve classic Aussie breakfast-to-lunch fare, though their Nepalese heritage sneaks through.

Playing there

Sanguine Estate ’s cellar door and terrace overlook bucolic vineyards. Its award-winning, dry-grown wines include the distinctive D’Orsa Blanc dessert wine, reflecting the family’s Swiss-Italian heritage. Order a charcuterie board and stay a while. Keep it carbon neutral by cycling some (or all) of the 50-kilometre O’Keefe Rail Trail to Bendigo.

At Bridgeward Grove , learn about the property’s Old Mission Grove heritage olive trees, do a sommelier olive oil tasting, and stock up on sustainably grown olives and oil. Explore the unique landscape, wildflowers and wildlife of pink cliffs geological reserve.

7 of the best farm stays around Australia