Our guest writer, John Ninness, took a short Tenterfield farm stay and was pleasantly surprised. John writes…
Having spent much of my time on a farm as a child, one would think that finding pleasure in farm life again would be somewhat difficult. I was wrong… and I’m happy to admit it!
Desperate to get away from the daily grind, I packed up the family from Brisbane one weekend and headed a few hours south to Tenterfield to the wonderful Donegal Horse and Farm Stay There’s something to be said for getting back to your roots. The fresh air, the crisp cool mornings, the sound of a running creek and the stillness that’s seldom found in city life.
I’m a city dweller these days and while I like the pleasure and convenience of a short stroll to the heart of the city, there’s just something about farm life that keeps calling me back. Can I describe it in words? Probably not…it’s a heartfelt thing…a sense of connecting to with nature and earth again and it truly is something that I miss.
The Donegal Horse and Farm Stay was a not only a memorable experience but in some small way it let me connect again with my past…in a very comfortable five-star setting.
John Ninness, 2019
Greg and Simon’s property is a little gem around 20 minutes south of Tenterfield set between the mountains at Sandy Flat. With a tranquil river meandering through the property, plenty of animals (including two wonderful chocolate labradors – Sally and her daughter Hazel) it’s a great place for kids (and kids at heart) to explore.
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Greg and Simon cooked us up some wonderful tasty country meals that had me wanting more and more of the food. A huge T bone from one of their own homegrown steers, fresh eggs and bacon for breakfast and a coffee as good as you’d find in some of Melbourne’s trendy coffee laneways. Their service was second to none in an environment that, in my view, is probably more pleasurable than many five-star hotels.
But it’s truly the sense of remoteness…the night sky…the silence that makes the Donegal Horse and Farm stay a little gem in the midst of the bush. The sun setting across the mountains, the crystal clear waters of a small trickling river, the glistening drops of dew on the grass in the morning made me yearn for more and more of those simple country pleasures.
Connecting to the country is a worthwhile experience for all of us. It’s a must do from time to time whether you’re a true country guy or gal at heart or you just need to get away from it all.
In many ways, Greg and Simon’s property will provide that connection but, at the same time, it offers a five-star experience in a remote rural setting. It’s a perfect compromise for those of us who yearn to connect to the land once again.
Alas, reality overcomes me now and I must face the city again but I won’t forget my Tenterfield farm stay and the chance to reconnect with the true heart of my country.
Images: John Ninness (c) 2019
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