This new wellness retreat in Mudgee is the ultimate reset

Taylah Darnell Taylah Darnell
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Wellness meets wine at this wholesome regional escape.

Tucked deep in NSW’s Central West region, a brand-new wellness offering is inviting guests to slow down and switch off. Nestled just outside of Mudgee, this soothing sanctuary blends nature, nourishment and nurture – promising more than just a wonderful winter weekend away.

Where is the new retreat?

Glenayr Farm has long attracted visitors, thanks to its exclusive accommodation in the heart of an award-winning wine region, just 3.5 hours from Sydney. The working sheep and cattle farm is arguably one of the best places to stay around Mudgee, providing a small but impressive range of luxurious glamping tents and off-grid villas across its 129-hectare property.

Glenayr Farm in Mudgee, NSW
Glenayr Farm in Mudgee has launched an all-new wellness retreat.

But Glenayr Farm continues to up the ante, revealing a new Wild Wellness retreat that promises to launch this regional stay to the top of your bucket list. Officially launched in May 2025, the immersive experience guides guests through a wellness regime that promises to restore balance, clarity and peace of mind.

What’s on offer?

Wellness looks different for everyone. So to make the experience as inclusive as possible, Glenayr has curated an extensive and diverse program that caters to all. Whether you’ve been riding the recent wellness wave or just dipping your toes in, you’ll find something to soothe you, mind, body and soul.

If you’re just getting started, ease yourself in with an infrared sauna session or soak in the magnesium spa. Both offer a variety of benefits, from stress reduction and muscle relaxation to improved sleep and better skin health. Guests can also unwind with communal or private yoga sessions held at The Barn – Glenayr’s new multi-purpose venue designed to host everything from weddings to workshops.

Glenayr Farm in Mudgee, NSW
Retreat to your private villa after a day of pampering.

For those who have been dabbling in wellness for a while (or want to push the limits a little), take it up a notch with a refreshing ice plunge. While requiring a little more bravery, the wellness experience has proven to assist with pain relief, improve circulation and enhance mental resilience.

Prefer to be pampered? Slip into restorative bliss with an indulgent massage or facial, organised specifically around each guest. Afterwards, the property’s peaceful country trails invite you outdoors to reconnect with nature through walking and forest bathing. It’s the perfect way to round out your day of relaxation before retreating to your cosy onsite accommodation for the night.

Woman doing an ice plunge bath
Soothe aching muscles with an ice plunge. (Image: Getty Images/Aleksander Nakic)

Each Wild Wellness experience at Glenayr Farm is elevated by Alpine Spas, who jumped onboard to provide its high-end products that ensure guests enjoy only the best. Zyla Retreats also joined the team to support guests in their wellness journey. Through a range of guided workshops, expert facilitators will assist in reconnecting the mind, body and spirit through life-enhancing techniques guests can take home.

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

AI Prompt

How do I book a Wild Wellness retreat?

Wild Wellness is available to all Glenayr Farm guests, so all you really need to do is book! There are two private villas available, each featuring a king bed, fireplace, kitchenette, wood-fired hot tub and outdoor fire pit.

Glenayr Farm in Mudgee, NSW
The Wild Wellness program is the ultimate indulgence.

Four onsite bell tents provide the ultimate Mudgee glamping experience. Glenayr Farm also recently launched its Accessible Villa, a two-bedroom, two-bathroom space that allows people of all abilities to enjoy the luxurious property.

Once your stay is confirmed, guests will have access to the wellness program and its facilities, including the Finnish sauna, magnesium spa, ice plunge, private treatment rooms and more. Staff will be able to assist with specific requests, including massage and facial appointments. Reservations are open now!

Taylah Darnell
Taylah Darnell is Australian Traveller's Writer & Producer. She has been passionate about writing since she learnt to read, spending many hours either lost in the pages of books or attempting to write her own. This life-long love of words inspired her to study a Bachelor of Communication majoring in Creative Writing at the University of Technology Sydney, where she completed two editorial internships. She began her full-time career in publishing at Ocean Media before scoring her dream job with Australian Traveller. Now as Writer & Producer, Taylah passionately works across both digital platforms and print titles. When she's not wielding a red pen over magazine proofs, you can find Taylah among the aisles of a second-hand bookshop, following a good nature trail or cheering on her EPL team at 3am. While she's keen to visit places like Norway and New Zealand, her favourite place to explore will forever be her homeland.
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Art, wine & fireplaces: 8 reasons Bowral is the ultimate winter getaway

(Credit: Destination NSW)

    Carla Grossetti Carla Grossetti
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    The Southern Highlands earns its title as Australia’s top country town in the cooler months, and it’s worth every minute of the 90-minute drive from Sydney.

    Many Sydneysiders head to the Southern Highlands in spring for the tulips. It’s one of the most stunning spring carnivals in Australia. But the ones in the know come to Bowral in winter.

    The first thing you notice at this time of year is the quality of the light. It catches the tangled limbs of the gums and tints the fields, farms and forests a pretty shade of Granny Smith green. And then, a world-class art museum, an impressive network of walking trails, great shops, cosy restaurants and bars and luxury accommodation take centre stage, making Bowral a place you want to linger as the mercury drops.

    Just 90 minutes south of Sydney, a Bowral winter getaway is the coolcation city folk desperately need. Here are eight reasons to pack a good coat and head for the Southern Highlands.

    1. Check in

    aerial of Ardour Milton Park Bowral in winter
    Check in to the gorgeous Ardour Milton Park Bowral. (Credit: Destination NSW)

    Ardour Milton Park Bowral rises like a hologram in the hazy green light as you turn onto Horderns Road. A $10 million refurbishment of the grand 1910 estate was completed in early 2026, and the beautifully restored hotel now includes 44 guest rooms washed in sage green, cobalt blue and dusty blush. The dining room at Horderns Restaurant continues with a botanical theme – earthy banquettes, floral touches throughout – and a menu that moves with the seasons.

    After enjoying slow-braised Cowra lamb and a second glass of red, move to the Polo Bar, which has a fireplace and views across the estate gardens. Build a grazing board from the dedicated Charcuterie Room and take it outside while the light lasts. If the sky clouds over, use this as your cue to enjoy a next-level spa experience at Èliva.

    2. Hunt for treasure

    couple exploring Dirty Janes bowral
    Find vintage treasures in Dirty Janes. (Credit: Destination NSW)

    Winter is the perfect season to lose an afternoon inside Dirty Janes Bowral. Over 1600 square metres of covered space houses 90 individual sellers of everything from mid-century furniture to industrial lighting, antique silverware, vintage clothing and objects whose previous lives you can only imagine. Enjoy a bit of off-the-cuff banter with your fellow fossickers in between searching for that must-have military jacket or vintage silk scarf.

    Around the corner, find the Instagram-famous front door of FoundAntiques, though the real finds are deeper inside. Bring cash, wear comfortable shoes and leave some room in the boot.

    3. Slow down in a beautiful gallery

    kids posing with donald bradman statue in bowral's The Bradman Museum
    Learn about an Aussie legend at The Bradman Museum. (Credit: Destination NSW)

    Ngununggula – meaning ’belonging’ in the language of the Gundungurra First Nations people – is the region’s first dedicated regional gallery, housed inside the sustainably transformed old dairy building at historic Retford Park. The onsite White Cottage Gallery and restored grounds of the former Fairfax estate reward a slow wander. Find a spot to sit in the courtyard filled with rivulets of winter light and enjoy the plaintive call of a currawong carrying across the heritage-listed grounds. It’s one of the best things to do in Bowral.

    Add Bowral Honey Farm for a hands-on harvest experience, then continue into town to the Milk Factory Gallery to admire eclectic works by local artists in a converted industrial space. The Bradman Museum also knocks it out of the park. Australia’s largest dedicated cricket museum sits beside the heritage-listed Bradman Oval, where a young Sir Donald Bradman first picked up a bat.

    4. A taste of France

    table spread at Lucette bowral
    Enjoy a taste of France at Lucette.

    For a taste of France without the airfare, husband-and-wife team Julien and Romy Besnard – of long-loved Franquette Crêperie – have opened Lucette, a French cafe-bistro with Paris-born chef Guillaume Dubois at the helm. Dubois brings serious pedigree from Michelin-starred kitchens in France and Sydney’s former two-hatted Monopole, and it shows. Start your day with pastries for breakfast and bookend it with boeuf bourguignon for dinner. The chocolate mousse, freckled with Guerande Salt, is the kind of dish that will make you feel smug about the decision to drive south. Join the Sydneysiders dressed in charcoal coats, boots and black tights who’ve already worked this out; the whole scene is worthy of splicing it into an Instagram reel.

    Francophiles should also be across Julien’s Bowral Brasserie – led by Frenchman Julien Viel, who also found his way to the Southern Highlands and stayed.

    5. Indulge in a tipple

    Centennial Vineyards bowral in winter
    Spend time amongst the local vines. (Credit: Destination NSW)

    The drive to Centennial Vineyards passes through a beautiful woodland idyll, the countryside a fuzz of green all around. Inside the Barrel Room, a tasting flight of cool-climate pinot noir, chardonnay and reserve shiraz viognier flaunts how well the Southern Highlands does winter.

    This is a region that takes its cool-climate wines seriously, and the pinot noir is one of the stars – a gentle, easy-drinking style with red cherry aromas. Follow your tutored cellar door tasting with another glass of wine in the Terrace Bar, which overlooks the vineyard and manicured grounds.

    6. Blend your own gin

    Millsheds Distillery & Bar
    Pop into Millsheds Distillery & Bar. (Credit: Mattia Panunzio)

    Millsheds Distillery & Bar is somewhat of a local secret. The award-winning small-batch operation produces gin, vodka and liqueurs using Australian botanicals and has picked up silver medals at both the London Spirits Competition and International Wine & Spirit Competition. Beyond the tasting paddle, the hands-on blending masterclass – where you design and leave with two bottles of your own custom gin – is the experience to book, while the terrace bar that wraps around the courtyard is a fine place to settle in afterwards.

    7. Go for a walk at dawn

    Switch your phone off sleep mode and set your alarm to early. Mt Gibraltar rises to 864 metres just east of Bowral’s main street and offers the best views in town. You will pass a raggle-taggle bunch of hikers on the way up to the summit, all making the same quiet pilgrimage into the crisp high-altitude air. On a clear morning, the bony ridges of the ranges come into sharp relief against the light. The return loop takes roughly 90 minutes. A flat white in Bowral tastes considerably better after completing one of the scenic walking trails.

    8. Cosy up by the fireplace

    Aspinalls Whisky Bar & Lounge at the Berida Hotel
    Get cosy in the Berida Hotel’s whiskey bar.

    A cosy bar is the perfect complement to winter in Bowral, and there are a few worth committing to. Aspinalls Whisky Bar & Lounge at the Berida Hotel is built for long, languorous evenings. Take a seat beside the fireplace laden with gnarled logs and work your way through a few whiskies and bar bites like Rangers Valley beef tartare, or salt cod and potato croquettes.

    At Hickory’s within Peppers Craigieburn, well-dressed waiters in denim and leather move quietly between tables, and the cosy fireplace in the adjoining guest lounge attracts an Escape to the Country crowd.

    Start planning your Bowral escape at visitsouthernhighlands.com.au.