Getting off the grid has never been more appealing, with crowded, stressful, overseas family holidays quickly becoming a thing of the past. Intimate farm stays are an increasingly popular choice for families and couples looking to enjoy a calm, rewarding escape in nature, while also supporting local working farms and producers.

On one hand, you can plan a Central Coast farm stay experience featuring a range of friendly animals and wildlife encounters. Alternatively, you and the family can simply enjoy a break at a country property with beautiful, expansive scenery. Whatever regional getaway you feel like, we’ve collected a mix of ready to book options for a quaint weekend away in the Central Coast hinterland.

​​Farm stays where you can meet the animals...

Yarramalong Valley Farmstay

This 50-acre, four bedroom farmstay is located on a site that doubles as an award-winning country wedding venue. Guests therefore enjoy the perfect balance between rustic and luxury. Yarramalong Valley Farmstay is a stunning timber house designed by famous Australian Architect, Richard Le Plastrier. The farm is just one hour north of Sydney, and 25 minutes to the Central Coast’s seaside villages and pristine beaches. One of the quaint pleasures of staying here with the kids for a weekend is the opportunity they get to wake up to sound of cows mooing, collect fresh eggs for brekky, feed the resident ponies, alpacas and sheep, plus toast marshmallows under the stars with your own campfire.

Book this farm stay in Yarramalong Valley

Karinya Farmstay

Escape to the country with the whole family this season at your home away from home - Karinya Farmstay in Dooralong on the Central Coast. Welcoming guests throughout winter, the hosts make sure their 7-acre site is an absolute treat to stay on, featuring ready-chopped firewood for your marshmallow toasting, a children's playground, outdoor pizza oven, plus a heated pool that they keep at an inviting 30 degrees during the colder months! Karinya literally means 'a place of peace and rest' and that's what awaits, with the morning mist rising through the valley and sweeping over the mountains. Guests can even be part of the daily feeding of horses, sheep and cows.

Book this farm stay in Dooralong

Kulnura Cottages

Established in 2017, Kulnura Farm Cottages is a great choice for families. Parents can encourage their kids to get hands on with the daily tasks of running a farm, while also enjoying a proper family holiday, complete with a heated saltwater pool, bbq, fire pit and loft-style accommodation for up to 5 guests. This family-run acreage has resident cows, chickens, horses and goats. The hinterland town of Kulnura has some excellent bushwalks and cycling trails, plus it offers an amazing view of the sunset, which can be watched across the paddock from your private outdoor courtyard.

Book this farm stay in Kulnura

Iris Lodge Alpacas

Baby alpaca alert! As a working grazing property in Jilliby on the Central Coast, Iris Lodge is home to alpacas, Wiltipoll sheep, horses, cows and a Maremma sheepdog called Lola. Guests can experience life on the farm and become acquainted with some of its four-legged personalities, such as the new baby alpacas, or Billy the special guard alpaca (who must be bribed with a banana). Enjoy an afternoon picnic on the deck overlooking the dam and valley, (BYO wine and cheese), then embrace an overnight farm stay in your own self-contained accommodation, complete with a continental breakfast – on weekends you can upgrade this to a breakfast with alpacas experience for $50pp.

Book this farm stay in Jilliby

Mollies Farm Stay

Unplug from the busy rat race and embrace a slice of farm life in the stunning Dooralong Valley, a hinterland gem of the Central Coast region. This boutique farm stay sleeps a family of up to 6 and features a classic Aussie verandah to relax on and look out over the paddocks as the cows come home. All modern cooking equipment is provided along with a bbq, pool, air conditioning – and breakfast is included with your stay. So are the neighbours… alpaca, sheep, goats, three friendly dogs, roosters and more.

Book this farm stay in Dooralong Valley

Amazement Farm & Fun Park

This large property offers a large, fully-equipped farm stay house alongside an amazing family weekend adventure. Discover mazes, farm animals, wildlife, pony rides and mini train rides, giant games and activities all in the one convenient place. Kids will be immersed in hands-on animal experiences as they feed a camel, talk to exotic birds, and pat a donkey. After a busy day exploring, retire to your onsite farm stay accommodation, which features five bedrooms for up to 10 guests. Guests benefit from inclusive access to all the attractions and activities at the park, including a morning animal interaction experience. There’s an onsite café too, with 10% OFF for farm stay guests, should you fancy an early morning brew as the park wakes up.

Book this farm stay in Yarramalong Valley

Farm stays to simply enjoy the countryside...

Myra's Retreat Farm Stay, Somersby

This hidden gem is set on 22-acres of stunning pecan nut orchards that can be enjoyed all year round. Take a walk amongst nature and the local wildlife while taking in the serenity under the canopy of 400 trees. Suitable for two guests, the guestroom joins the main house but has privacy and a private entrance. The room features a queen bed, kitchenette and bathroom, and includes its own private patio with a bbq and outdoor setting which overlooks the dam. Once the sun sets, cosy up around the firepit and take in the still night sky. If you're scared of the dark, the owner's puppies will be happy to keep you company!

Book this farm stay at Pecan Orchards

Lost Ranches, Yarramalong Valley

Tucked away in the Yarramalong Valley there is surprisingly a 50-acre historic farmland, on the site of the original homestead once belonging to the earliest saw-milling pioneers of the area, experience an architecturally designed American style prairie barn. This special site includes a barn, cottage and camping available to book for an unforgettable night spent under the starry sky. All this, just one hour north of Sydney, and you can feel that familiar comfort of Mother Nature. Whatever the season, you can sit in a sun-drenched spot on the verandah, or warm yourself on wintery evenings by the cosy indoor fireplace. 

Book a stay in The Barn or a stay in The Cottage

The Grower's Cottage, Lower Mangrove Mountain

Stay in a gorgeous, restored original farmers cottage, nestled among the sweeping natural beauty of Dharug National Park. Ideal for couples or a few friends seeking to escape the city or daily grind, and immerse themselves in the Central Coast hinterland, an undiscovered regional gem north of Sydney. The Grower's Cottage is perfectly named, as it's surrounded by a garden featuring fresh fruit and vegetables - which you're welcome to pick and cook up a feast with. Think fresh lemons, limes and rosemary and a little pot of honey from ‘The Girls’ who manage the on-site apiary. There's also a stone outdoor bath, modern kitchen and ensuite, plus the Hawkesbury Region literally on your doorstep to explore. If you fancy a tandem bike ride, the cottage comes with one to have a laugh with your partner.

Book this farm stay in Lower Mangrove

Image: The Grower's Cottage, Riparide

Fernbank Farm Stay

If you’re a fan of Married at First Sight, The Bachelor & Bachellorette… you may already be familiar with Fernbank Farm. Not only were elements of those shows hosted at this award-winning boutique wedding venue, but you can now book a luxe country escape to Fernbank for yourself – and you don’t need to get hitched to do so. Choose to stay in either the Heritage House, with its vintage décor spanning four bedrooms, or The Cottage, the original cow milking sheds that have been stunningly renovated into four rooms with an award-winning modern kitchen. If you’re keen to relax in the countryside, you want a room with a view, and The Cottage won’t disappoint. With breathtaking views of the lake, sunsets and manicured gardens, you’re sure to fall in love with this hidden secret on the Coast.

Book this farm stay in Wyong Creek

Somersby Gardens Estate

Whether you are hiking parts of the Great North Walk (this estate has private access to it), or looking for a relaxing escape to the countryside with a group of friends or family, just 50 minutes north of Sydney you’ll find Somersby Gardens Estate. This is a top choice if you are looking for spacious accommodation surrounded by the bush. Both peaceful and private, with 7 luxury bedrooms, your own pool, bbq, and a verandah with a vista, this property is a deluxe way to escape the hustle and bustle of life with the ones you love.

Book this farm stay in Somersby

Artisan Estate Glamping, Somersby

An experience of a lifetime can be found under the beautiful Pecan tree forest while you settle into your glamourous glamping tent. Watch the stars sparkle above as night falls and settle in for the evening and awaken in the tranquil setting of a 400 tree orchard. 

Paradise Botanical Gardens

Stay in ‘paradise’ just an hour north of Sydney. Enjoy the beauty of a wonderfully curated botanic garden right on your doorstep, with this farm backing onto National Park and linking to the Great North Walk. Paradise Botanical Gardens is a 220-acre hidden flora sanctuary, established since the 1970s in the Central Coast hinterland, that also offers accommodation. Cherry Cottage sleeps up to 8 guests, set in the original gardener’s residence, next to a beautiful lilly pond. Or you can opt spend a night at the gardens in a glamping tent, or even BYO tent to pitch up for the full country camping experience.

Enquire with this stay option in Kulnura