It’s officially winter and there are many ‘cool’ weather experiences to do during this time. Here are 10 experiences we recommend you do when you visit us in Kangaroo Valley to take in the best of winter…

1. Hang out with the Shires

All our Shire horses love a little attention. The Cedars [now barranca} is Australia’s oldest Shire horse stud, established 40 years ago in Kangaroo Valley, and has been dedicated to breeding Shires ever since. The docile and calming nature of the Shire breed is very well-suited for human interaction which is why they love pats from our guests.

2. Go Wine Tasting

Yarrawa Estate is run by a lovely couple, Sue and Mark Foster, who bestow delicious wine and cheese upon you while cracking fresh macadamia nuts and breaking up fights between their boisterous dogs.

Enjoy a selection of their wines in the spectacular beauty of Yarrawa Estate $10pp for a wine tasting & $15 (small)/$20 (large) for a cheese platter featuring a selection of Sue’s homemade delicacies.

Or if you want to just ‘chill’ at barranca, we have a selection of Artemis Wines, and we can highly recommend the Pinot and Shiraz.

3. Feed our farm family

Every morning at 8 am you’re more than welcome to come and help feed barranca’s animals breakfast. Horses, donkeys, buffalos and pigs – if you’re an animal lover, it’s your chance to get up close with our farm family.

4. Enjoy the taste of the country

Local markets are a fabulous way to get delicious wholesome food direct from the farmer. The Kangaroo Valley Farmer’s Markets is on the 2nd Sunday of each month in the heart of the village and they offer varied produce, all locally grown and made, from olive oil to bread, to organic meats.

Not staying with us on a Sunday, don’t worry, the Kangaroo Valley General Store sells lots of local produce daily, and you can get jams, relishes, pickles and cordials from Caterina. There are also the Berry Country Fair Markets on the 1st Sunday, and the Berry Produce Markets on the 2nd Saturday and 4th.

5. Soak up the sunsets

With views of the escarpment from every villa, you can sit and gaze at stunning sunsets for hours. Light the fire pit, pour some wine, add a cheeseboard and you’re set for pre-dinner drinks and the perfect relaxing evening.

6. Savour breakfast in bed

We provide all our guests with fresh sourdough, butter, eggs, milk and spreads. You can also add on the deluxe breakfast hamper that includes things like the most amazing crumpets, streaky bacon, relish, mushrooms, tomato, yoghurt and fruit.  It’s only $80 per serve and is suitable for two guests.

7. Melt away stress with a massage

To help you disconnect and destress, book our spa therapists who specialise in massage, facials and beauty treatments. Each treatment is tailored to you and delivered through a tranquil sensory journey. You can also choose to have your treatment on your villa’s deck, to experience the tranquillity of barranca.

TO BOOK: Call Justine’s Mobile Massages on 0477 861 998 for treatment details.

{Massages are at additional cost and payable directly to the therapists.}

7. Walk up an appetite

Winter is a great time of year to enjoy bush walks. You can walk around the property and down to the creek with as much, or as little, effort as you want to expend.

Another great walk is the Drawing Room Rocks walk. It’s a 45 minute hike to the top of the escarpment and you will be rewarded with two stunning views of the South Coast and Kangaroo Valley. Take drinks and snacks, as the view is so magnificent that you’ll want to spend some time at the top.

8. Build a real wood fire

All our villas have inside fireplaces and outside fire pits. Watching the flickering flames are perfect to help you unwind and relax. And rest easy knowing that all the firewood is sustainable from the property’s fallen trees.

9. Wake up whenever

There’s nothing better than not having to set your alarm clock. Savour the mornings when you stay with us, and embrace not having to rush. To complement our body-supporting beds, crisp sheets and cloud-like pillows in all our villas, we now also have In Essence 360 Diffusers and Sleep Essential Oil Blends in our bedrooms to create a ‘sleep santuary’ to help your drift off into a restoring sleep. When you wake up, is up to you!

10. Uncover historical treasures

Dating back to 1870, Kangaroo Valley’s main street evokes a sense of country charm, with its tea rooms and heritage-listed pub, The Friendly Inn. Discover fascinating colonial history at the Kangaroo Valley Pioneer Village Museum or follow the Kangaroo Valley Historic Village Walk where you can take in the historic Hampden Bridge with its large sandstone turrets.

We’re so wrapped that Qantas has named us ‘A Wicked Wildlife Retreat’ and that we’re on their ‘The Best Family-Friendly Airbnbs in Australia’ list…

Listed in their “These Airbnbs Are So Cool the Kids Won’t Want to Leave” list, Qantas says:

“Skip the zoo and take the kids to Willow at Barranca* in Kangaroo Valley instead, where wombats, wallabies, and wild deer regularly wander. This luxury eight-person home sits on 800 hectares of farmland, offering outdoor adventures aplenty – there’s a freshwater creek for supervised swimming, plenty of bushwalking trails, and an outdoor fire pit for fireside storytelling.”

Stay in Willow

* Willow {pictured above and below} is our a luxury 4-bedroom, 2 bathroom villa carefully designed, like all our villas, to allow you to switch off from this busy world and get back to nature. Perfect for friends and family stays.

Book, and experience, Willow for yourself!

We’re so wrapped that Boss Hunting drove to Kangaroo Valley and stayed at barranca while road-testing the McLaren Grand Tourer. Here are few snippets from their stay before you click through to see the supercar review post…

“On paper, a McLaren GT seemed like an automotive oxymoron. How could a company associated with producing lightweight, driver-focused supercars, enter a market segment flooded with over-fed, numb, highway cruisers? Would that famous chassis be compromised to accommodate interior gimmicks? Or was the GT just a supercar with thicker seats? So, we decided a road trip from Sydney to Kangaroo Valley was necessary to sort the carbon from the caviar.”
– BOSS HUNTING

“With the smell of brakes and rubber lingering in the air as we roared down into the valley and arrived at the entrance to Barranca, we thought it would be a good time to chime in the standard lift kit, dial everything down a notch, and reflect on what a remarkable package the McLaren GT truly is.”
– BOSS HUNTING

Experience the scenic drive to Kangaroo Valley and barranca for yourself!

A three-night stay with us can seem like a whole week away when you take advantage of the best experiences we have at barranca…

Here’s our suggested itinerary. You can do as little or as much as you like!

DAY ONE

Take one of the scenic drives to barranca Kangaroo Valley…

3pm – Arrive at your luxury villa and have a welcome drink on your veranda while overlooking the majestic escarpments that surround the property.

4pm – Walk to the creek for a relaxing dip. A fifteen-minute walk from your villa is an amazing fresh running water creek where you can sit in the natural rock pools. Don’t forget to ‘look up’ into the river gums that line the creek and you’ll see the enormous Staghorns. When you come back rinse off under the outdoor shower.

7pm – Sip on pre-dinner drinks around the fire pit while you watch the sunset over the escarpment.

8pm – Have dinner delivered to your villa. Enjoy a locally sourced, locally made catered lunch or dinner in the luxury of your villa. Our friends at Caterina Catering create unforgettable food experiences using wholesome and organic produce. Sustainable and seasonal, every locally-sourced ingredient creates delicious dishes you will crave once you get home. {Menu requests and orders are arranged before you arrive at barranca.}
9.30pm – Toast marshmallows over the fire pit and under the stars.

DAY TWO

8am – Have breakfast in bed, created from your {pre-ordered} Breakfast Box.
9.30am – Drive into Kangaroo Valley for a coffee and to explore the township.
12pm – Picnic by the creek.

3pm – Explore! barranca is surrounded by uninterrupted bushland and breathtaking escarpment. Follow the marked trails for an amazing bushwalking experience that will take you through untouched bushland. From gentle walks to experienced treks, barranca features kilometres of various grades of safe walking tracks that are perfect for every fitness level. Check with our caretakers about saying hi to our Shire horses as you pass by. You’ll also find walking maps in your villa.

6pm – Partake in pre-dinner drinks, cheese and charcuterie around the fire pit.
8pm – Prepare for dinner to be delivered to your villa.*
9.30pm – Stargaze. barranca lies in a valley all of its own away from the city lights, so on a clear night, it makes for the perfect conditions to look up and gaze at the stars. On a clear night look up, you’ll be amazed. Download the SkyView app on your phone to help you identify stars, constellations, satellites, and more!

11pm – Have the best night’s sleep. To complement our body-supporting beds, crisp sheets and cloud-like pillows in all our villas, we now also have In Essence 360 Diffusers and Sleep Essential Oil Blends in our bedrooms to create a ‘sleep santuary’ to help your drift off into a restoring slumber.

DAY THREE

8am – Feed the animals with the caretakers. Every morning you’re more than welcome to come and help feed barranca’s animals breakfast. Horses, donkeys, and pigs – if you’re an animal lover, it’s your chance to get up close with our farm family.

11am – Discover forest bathing. Forest bathing is not just for the wilderness-lover; the practice can be as simple as walking in any natural environment and consciously connecting with what’s around you. The term emerged in Japan in the 1980s as a physiological and psychological exercise called shinrin-yoku (“forest bathing” or “taking in the forest atmosphere”). The Japanese quickly embraced this form of ecotherapy to counteract their fast-paced, work-obsessed urban existence. Set on 1,000 acres in a rural paradise, barranca is framed by amazing sandstone escarpments that enclose a lush river valley, rich and diverse with wildlife and glorious temperate rainforests, making it perfect for forest bathing.
1pm – Lunch in Kangaroo Valley. Click here to view our preferred places to eat.

5pm – Enjoy a {pre-booked} barranca Botanical Spa Experience
OUR 90 MINUTE SIGNATURE TREATMENT INCLUDES:
* Relaxing foot bath with scrub
* Restoring petit facial – the perfect introductory experience cleanses, detoxifies and energises your complexion. A nourishing mask will be applied and left while you have your massage.
* Re-energising full body massage with gentle back scrub – focusing on areas of concern with this targeted massage
* Rebalancing Native Ginger Tea
7pm – Cook up a feast for dinner in our fully equipped kitchen.

9pm -Enjoy some screen-free time in front of an open fire before going to bed.

DAY FOUR

8am – Get up and go for a walk or run around our stunning property.

9.30am – Create a country breakfast before leisurely packing for the trip home.

11am – This is where we say goodbye, until next time!

{*Meals, services, and experiences are all booked prior to you arriving.}

MID-WEEK COUPLES ESCAPE SPECIAL

Love this itinerary? Take advantage of our $700 a night special rate – now available Sunday to Thursday!
CONDITIONS:
* Minimum 3 nights stay.
* Willow / Ferndale villas – 2 bedroom option only.
* Accommodation only.

So thrilled to see Cedars Stormy George, Australia’s tallest horse, and Helene Scarf, founder of The Cedars Shire Horse Stud at barranca, featured in a recent South Coast Register post. Here’s just a snippet…

In the Southern Coast Register post, owner Helene Scarf speaks about Cedars Stormy George who is officially the tallest Shire horse in Australia Despite his massive size, she says Stormy, as he is affectionately known, is a “gentle giant.” The gelding stands an imposing 19.1 hands – six foot five inches in the old scale or around 196 centimetres to the wither.

A horse’s size is measured in hands (around four inches) – originally a man’s hand was used with the base of the palm to the fingers on top of each other from the ground, just beside and behind a foreleg to the top of the withers (shoulders). Tipping the scale at just over a tonne, he took over the mantle as the country’s tallest horse after his cousin Luscombe Nodram “Noddy” recently passed away, aged 19.

ABOVE: Helene Scarf onboard gentle giant, Stormy George.

ABOVE: Helene with Stormy George (right) and his mother Luscombe Joy.

ABOVE: Stormy George and Scott Brodie during the filming of The Healing.

ABOVE: Stormy George is now too big for his local transport.

Show Horse

And if you would like to see Stormy George close up he will be competing at this year’s Kangaroo Valley Show on February 11-12 in preparation for the Sydney Royal Easter Show in April, where over the years, he has also been a regular competitor. The eight-year-old (who will actually turn nine on October 23) will be competing at the Valley Show on Saturday, February 12 in the Shire’s competition in both the led gelding and ridden classes.

“We will be using the Valley show as a warm-up for Sydney. It is also an opportunity to register points to qualify for next year’s Sydney Royal,” Helene said. “We also thought it would be a great chance for local people to see the nation’s now tallest horse at a local show.

“2022 is the 200th year of the Sydney Royal so it is a big deal competing there this year. And after so many other shows were cancelled last year due to COVID it has been hard to qualify.”

In preparation for the upcoming show season, Stormy has been transported to Helensburgh where he is working with top-level horse trainer Scott Brodie at his equine centre, Horses From Courses. “Scott will just tune him up ahead of the Sydney Royal,” Helene said. “He will be ridden every day and will be in peak condition for Sydney.”

Film Star

Scott and Stormy George actually feature in a documentary ‘The Healing’ which will be screened in Nowra next month sometime. {Read more about it HERE} The documentary was made at barranca with a handful of ex-service people and shows how the program has evolved and works. Stormy played a part in the making of the movie carrying Scott around carrying the huge camera while filming the documentary. “All the while in adjacent paddock Shires romped around offering their encouragement and support,” Helene said.

Meet Stormy George

Stormy lives with several other Shires which form part of The Cedars Shire Horse Stud at barranca. He’s also a workhorse and pulls a sled with his harness collar on.

“He’s just so quiet and placid – a bit of a sook actually. You go into the paddock and he comes up to you and just follows you around,” says Helene. “He always comes up to say hello to our guests and they can feed him and our other animals in the feed up – they love him.”

When you stay at barranca you can feed Stormy and the other shire horses in the morning, which is, as you can imagine, majestic.

Read the South Coast Register post HERE and click HERE to book your stay at barranca.

barranca is completely family-friendly… We have everything you need to keep kids {and you} happy. Here’s just a snippet of kid activities that will keep them entertained and engaged for hours…

We can’t wait to welcome you so you can create family memories, just like so many of our guests – click HERE to read our reviews. Stay on the property and meet the animals or toast marshmallows on the firepit –  or venture into Kangaroo Valley. Here are just a few of our favourite things to do…

Visit ‘Sweet As’

Sweet As Kangaroo Valley has been a ‘must-visit’ destination for all things delicious and sweet for over 20 years. It’s a truly sweet experience. The lolly shop offers a wide range of sweets, cult confectionery, chocolate, gelato, fudge, and gifts. More details HERE

Discover your wild side

Shoalhaven Zoo in Nowra boasts an extensive collection of native and exotic animals, set in amongst the most spectacular natural rock formations and bushland. It’s the perfect spot to cuddle a koala or check out wombats, crocodiles, snakes and four sibling lions. Details HERE

On Your Bike

Hire a bike HERE and visit the new {only opened in May} Pump Track, located north of the Hampton Bridge on Moss Vale Road in Kangaroo Valley. The perfect course the keep kids entertained for hours.

Walk Amongst The Trees

The George Walker suspension bridge is 72 m long and spans a deep gorge and is located at Pioneer Museum Park. Kids love running across the bridge and feeling the swing. Details HERE

Feed The Animals

Every morning at 8 am you’re more than welcome to come and help feed barranca’s animals breakfast. Horses, donkeys, and pigs – if you’re an animal lover, it’s your chance to get up close with our farm family.
Check-in with our caretakers when you arrive for all the details.

Adventure Time

With Kangaroo Valley Adventure Co. you can enjoy guided outdoor adventure activities in the beautiful Kangaroo Valley.  Outdoor activities include canoeing, kayaking, bushwalking, platypus viewing and mountain biking. It’s the perfect way outdoor adventure for friends and family. Details HERE

Babysitting & Childcare

If you need to have some child-free time to dine out, explore barranca; participate in an activity or visit local attractions (e.g. winery) which may not be appreciated by children, get in touch with South Coast Nannies. 

Sleeping arrangements

Ferndale and Willow have two separate bedrooms with two King Singles in each, which means they can have undisturbed sleep while you have some grown-up time. We also have cots and high-chairs available on request.

Have your kid-friendly activities curated for you…

South Coast Experiences can organise the perfect play-package for your family depending on how much, or how little you want to do. Click HERE for details.

summer experiences

Choose from all that barranca has to offer on the property, or we can arrange to have some of our fave experiences come to you, like The Gelato Bike which has 31 refreshing flavours {and donuts}, or Trollyd who uses upcycled airline trolleys {watch below} to serve cocktails with organic, native, wild & foraged ingredients. Perfect for summer!

Your holiday happy place

When you stay with us, you can do as much or as little as you want. Totally relax, or explore and discover. We have a selection of barranca experiences that cater to both {click here} + we also have a ‘curate for me’ concierge service which can combine and design exclusive experiences that epitomis everything Kangaroo Valley has to offer.  Click the button below for more details. Our aim is to make barranca your ‘happy place’.

We’ve partnered with In Essence Therapeutics to ensure you have the best nights sleep when you stay at barranca…

To compliment our body-supporting beds, crisp sheets and cloud-like pillows in all our villas, we now also have In Essence 360 Diffusers and Sleep Essential Oil Blends in our bedrooms to create a ‘sleep santuary’ to help your drift off into a restoring sleep.

about the Sleep Blend

This bedtime blend of relaxing lavender, mandarin, roman chamomile and valerian prepares the body and mind for a good night sleep, reducing the symptoms of mild insomnia by calming a busy mind when it’s finally time to rest. As part of traditional aromatherapy practice, this essential oil blends for sleeping by massaging directly onto the body or through a stylish diffuser. Offering properties similar to a mild sedative, the Sleep Essential Oil Blend helps disrupted sleeping patterns to bring peace and comfort. Sleep soundly and relieve nervous tension, restlessness and mild anxiety with mother nature’s purest essential oils. For insomnia and a poor sleep cycle, this blend is the health and wellbeing solution that will bring tranquillity to your mind and body.

The Diffuser

The 360 Diffuser runs for 4 hours before needing to be charged, and also has an ambient light. We also have an exclusive discount code if you wish to buy a diffuser for your home.

For more details about our Sleep Sanctuary products, chat to our Property Managers when you stay.