The best farm stays in Australia where you can unwind and unplug (when the time is right)
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02.09.2021

The best farm stays in Australia where you can unwind and unplug (when the time is right)

Buffalo River Station

Unwind and unplug at these remote farm stays across the country.

If you’re ready to escape from the hustles and bustles of life to recharge and get back to the basics, into nature and away from the screen, a stay at an agritourism farm could be just the ticket post-lockdown.

Popular in Europe, agritourism allows travellers to spend the night on working farms that grow everything from lavender and goji berries to apples and now Aussies are looking to get an authentic taste of the country. You’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at day-to-day life, which usually includes some pretty adorable farm animals as an added bonus.

From glamping in eco-friendly bell tents at Cubby and Co. in the ACT to soaking in the magnificent landscapes of the 160,000 hectare Bullo River Station in the remote Northern Territory, inspiring regional entrepreneurs are crafting unique accommodation experiences that allow travellers to immerse themselves in low-impact country living.

Here are some of our favourites for you to book once lockdown ends.

Australian Capital Territory: Cubby and Co. 

When Erin Wilson and Daniel Di Scipio decided to set up a glamping farmstay, the aim was to create a getaway that felt a long way from anywhere without being too far from town. Mount Majura Vineyard fit the bill. Although it is just 10-minutes out of Canberra, the Cubby and Co.’s accommodation – which includes two glamping tents and a tiny house – lets guests feel they are all alone amid the vines. It is also an eco-friendly experience, with all the sites powered by solar energy and utilising recycled water and strict waste management systems. 

 

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New South Wales: Highfield Farm & Woodland 

Small-scale farming and conservation come together at Highfield Farm & Woodland, which sits on a scenic plot near the Snowy Mountains (a 2.5hr drive from Canberra). Two-thirds of the property is a dedicated conservation zone protecting endangered box gum woodland; the rest is used as pasture for the dorper sheep raised by owners Louise Freckelton and David Bray.  

Northern Territory: Bullo River Station 

Sprawling over 160,000 hectares of the Northern Territory’s outback approximately 800-kilometres from Darwin, Bullo River Station is known for its magnificent landscapes, from rocky ranges to plains studded with slow-flowing rivers and waterholes filled with water lilies. It is also a cattle station that does things a little differently. Owners Alexandra and Julian Burt are working in partnership with the Australian Wildlife Conservancy to demonstrate that cattle grazing and conservation projects can go hand in hand. 

Queensland: Mount Mulligan Lodge 

Anyone looking for an eco-friendly way to explore the outback could do worse than visit Mount Mulligan Lodge. Perched on a 28,000 hectare working cattle station 160km north-west of Cairns, guests at the lodge can hop aboard emissions-free, electric-powered all-terrain vehicles to explore the dramatic terrain, including the 18km-long sandstone escarpment that is Mount Mulligan. 

South Australia: Hutton Vale Farm 

Located 90 minutes’ drive from Adelaide in the Eden Valley region of the Barossa, Hutton Vale Farm is a sustainable enterprise that produces wool, wine, free-range lamb and handmade goods from their prolific garden. Sister and brother Caitlin and Stuart Angas are the seventh generation to run the farm, and sustainability is built into every aspect of the business, from solar power and water conservation measures to using grazing sheep for weed control. Over 100 acres of the farm are fenced off to allow for nesting and breeding of native animals such as echidnas, and a tree-planting program is creating additional natural habitat. 

 

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Tasmania: Elvenhome Farm 

Guests who check in to Elvenhome Farm’s eco-friendly guest cottage, featuring bamboo floors and artisan crafted blackwood windows, can book a tour of the farm’s orchards and vegetable gardens and learn more about the initiatives that drive this farm, from water harvesting systems to eco design principles. Techniques such as crop rotation and companion planting will be useful no matter how small your vegetable patch is.  

 

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Victoria: Dairy Flat Farm, Daylesford 

For more than three decades the Wolf-Tasker family has run one of Australia’s best-known gourmet retreats, Daylesford’s acclaimed Lake House hotel and restaurant. Now they have extended their operations with extensive restoration and invigoration of a nearby farm.  Dairy Flat Farm now includes a 300-tree orchard, vegetable, herb and flower gardens, an olive grove with 250 trees, a five-acre vineyard and beehives, all of which operate on organic and regenerative principles.

Western Australia: Burnside Organic Farms 

Don’t panic if you arrive at Burnside Organic Farms and see geese on the loose amidst the crops. It is all part of the low-impact farming techniques practiced by Lara and Jamie McCall, honed over more than two decades. The McCalls grow a wide variety of crops on their farm, including honey, capers and avocadoes from more than 100 trees. This being Margaret River, one of Australia’s top wine regions, they also grow grapes for their own winery, as well as tending a market garden that delivers produce to local restaurants.