During the recent school holidays, we went to Mudgee for a few days and stayed at Wallinga Farmstay. It was just what we needed, to ease back into life, after a pretty rough few weeks of getting sick with, and recovering from, Covid-19.
A short, three-and-a-half-hour drive from Sydney made this trip so doable for a quick two-night getaway.
The last time I went to Mudgee was during my mining engineering university days about 15 years ago… it was a field trip. I remember staying for a night and thinking “If I ever have to move to a residential mining town for work, this would be a great spot”.
And this time, I got to enjoy it so much more and really fell in love with it. Who knew there was so much to do and see?
Staying at Wallinga Farmstay
One of the biggest reasons we loved our trip to Mudgee was because of where we stayed – Wallinga Farmstay. There are a couple of accommodation options there, but we stayed in the gorgeous little two-bedroom cottage (which sleeps six adults). It was such a beautiful cottage… modern yet it still had a “farmy” feel. And it had everything one could possibly need or want including indoor and outdoor games, a kitchen, Netflix, a BBQ, a very modern bathroom, comfy beds, air conditioning and fans, a stocked pantry with staples, and insect repellent.
The hosts, Alina and Mick, and their kids, were so welcoming and made our stay absolutely lovely. They also invited us to do a farm tour with Farmer Mick, and it was a true highlight of our stay in Mudgee. We met the sheep, Bruno the alpaca, Pip – the beautiful little four-month-old lamb, the chickens, and Zoe – the farm dog. And we learned all about the animals, including the yabbies in the dam, the self-shearing sheep, and farm life.
FUN FACT: Did you know that Bruno the alpaca’s job is to protect the sheep from foxes? He hangs out with them all day and keeps them safe. So super sweet!
What we did in Mudgee
Wallinga Farmstay was also the perfect place to base ourselves for the three days we were in Mudgee to explore.
We explored the town and visited some wineries – all very family-friendly, including Lowe Family wines, Di Lusso, Burrundulla, and First Ridge…
Honey tasting (and honey ice cream) at the Mudgee Honey Haven (they also do putt-putt golf there) was also a really fun experience.
For the cheese lovers (like me), we did a cheese tasting at High Valley Cheese Co and bought several to enjoy back on the farm.
And then we had some delicious lunches, including a delicious Italian lunch at Di Lusso, and amazing dumplings at 29 Nine 99 in Rylstone on the way back to Sydney (bookings essential).
We also caught up with friends who made the tree-change to Mudgee a year ago and even had them over to our farm cottage one night. We cooked a BBQ feast, drank some delicious local wine on the deck and watched the sun go down over the paddock as our kids chased a couple of bunnies hopping around and ran around in front of the deck.
There is so much more we want to do next time…
We want to explore the nearby old mining town of Gulgong. Apparently, there is a gold mining experience there for kids. As a mining engineer, that definitely piqued my interest.
We also want to do a bushwalk in the Ferntree Gully reserve near Rylstone and visit the Mudgee Horse Riding Centre and the Mudgee Pool and mini-water park.
And as a food and wine lover, there are of course many other wineries to visit, and the Indigiearth Café and Warakirri Dining experience and lunch at Our Chow are at the top of our list.
Indigiearth is an Award-Winning, 100 per cent Aboriginal-owned café sourcing native Australian foods from Aboriginal communities (from the desert to the sea). And the Warakirri dining experience is a five-course degustation involving Australian native foods and beverages (prepared in a unique fusion of modern techniques with traditional methods). The four-hour experience also includes authentic cultural entertainment, musical and cultural storytelling, botanicals, and rituals.
If you’re thinking of heading to Mudgee for a weekend or during the school holidays, I highly recommend it! It’s a fantastic getaway and very kid-friendly. Do it!!
We had THE most amazing time exploring Mudgee and experiencing farm life. Beautiful breakfasts and dinners, wines and cheeses, catching up with friends, stunning sunsets, games outside, and sheep casually grazing behind us were wonderful experiences.
We will be back!
*Our accommodation at Wallinga Farmstay was gifted to us, however, all opinions and experiences are my own. We loved it!