Just outside the pretty heritage town of Braidwood, NSW, lies Mona Farm: 50 hectares of rolling paddocks, dotted with striking sculptures; clusters of beautifully restored historic buildings; a flower-sprinkled woodland; a rose garden; and a lake, complete with hand-built humpback bridge.
Unsurprisingly, it’s a popular wedding venue – but you don’t have to be a wedding guest to stay. I checked in to the Shearer’s Quarters, one of seven accommodation options on the farm, for a luxurious weekend. The corrugated iron exterior and brick chimneypiece aside, I’m not sure those 19th-century shearers would recognise their quarters now, with its sleek kitchen, vast Japanese bathhouse-inspired bathroom (complete with underfloor heating), and glorious cedar-clad hot tub on the deck overlooking Mona Creek.
We explored the extensive landscaped grounds, met the resident pigs,…
