1, Crofters Fold Estate 2. Mistwood on Mount Macedon 3. Romswood Peony Farm (Pic by Ruby Henshall)
Here’s how your weekend will play out…
Your spring girls mountain retreat begins with a trip up ‘The Mount’ on Friday afternoon. The evening is yours to chillax and bond…
Go on a road trip to Mt Macedon.
Mistwood
Check into your comfy abode on Mount Macedon anytime after 3pm. Mistwood is a three bedroom contemporary accommodation with all the mod cons, including a fully equipped kitchen and a BBQ on the deck.
For dinner, cook up your own feast or simply walk five minutes to the local Mount Macedon Hotel for classic pub fare.
Alternatively, the lovely village of Woodend is only a 15 minute drive away with cracking restaurants and pubs, including the famous Kuzu Izakaya (crazy good Japanase – must book in advance), The Victoria Hotel, The Wine Collective @ Macedon Wine Room and the Cravat Club Wine Bar. Don’t want to drive? Get in touch with Trips All Round to pre-arrange a mini bus pick up and drop off.
Over the weekend, you may want to wander two acres of forest on the property. Or it’s just a short distance to the Macedon Regional Park walking trails for a hike and chat session with the girls.
The next morning
Cook up brekkie or walk five minutes to the Mt Macedon Trading Post Cafe. There’s also Mr Macedon, only a short drive back into the village of Macedon.
Mt Macedon Trading Post, Macedon Ranges
From 10am you might want to pay a visit to the small, family-owned Mount Towrong Vineyard, a cellar door that serves coffee, cake and fresh Italian-style fare with a focus on local produce. Or just enjoy your accommodation at Mistwood bonding with the girls.
Mt Towrong Winery is a must do.
Later in the morning, take a stroll through the Gardens of Tieve Tara, otherwise known as ‘The Jewel of the Mountain’.
Spread across 7.5 acres, these stunning private gardens are only open to the public during spring and autumn. The sweeping lawns, lakes, established trees and beautiful spring flower beds make it the perfect spot to spread a blanket and enjoy a picnic lunch, or just walk and talk.
PS. Your admission tickets to the gardens are valid until 30 November, so you’ve got the option to use them when it suits you.
If you plan your day well, there may even be time for a retail shopping session in Woodend before your afternoon activity.
In the afternoon
Woodend is your venue for a unique afternoon of equine therapy. This two hour group session will practice mindfulness and meditation whilst sipping on lovely hot Chai in the presence of horses.
You’ll sit outdoors by a fire, ground your energy, tune into your body and immerse yourself in horse wisdom. A truly serene, gorgeous experience that heals, centres and realigns.
By taking some time to be with calm and healthy horses, every part of you surrenders to the present moment. This is very powerful in helping stabilise your nervous system and leads to a heightened awareness of the present moment. Birds unleash their songs, fresh air invigorates the skin and colours caress the senses, helping to soothe your nerves and relax.
About your facilitator
Rachael has been trained by the Victorian Equine Psychotherapy Institute and is certified in Equine Assisted Learning. She harnesses the wisdom of horses in a facilitated environment to help people explore aspects of their lives that are causing concern or even distress. This certification is highly regarded and considered the most rigorous one that can be undertaken in Australia. Her certification with horses combined with the healing processes and skills cultivated in private practice for the last decade led her to create an equine-based healing experience quite unlike any other. She is also a qualified Kundalini yoga instructor.
Sunday peony immersion
Check out of Mistwood by 10am and start to make your way towards the magical Romswood Peony Farm.
This family-run farm located in picturesque Kerrie (60 minutes from Melbourne) opens its gates on select dates in November for the public to enjoy.
Image credit: Ruby Henshall
You’ll gain free access to stroll in the peony fields and each pick a bunch of five beautiful peony stems in the most stunning of settings. With five acres of established gardens, it’s also the idyllic location to enjoy a picnic lunch or cup of tea. There’ll even be live folk music so you can really make a day of it.
Coffee, gourmet burgers and treats are available at the farm or stock up on sandwiches, pies, homemade biscuits and scones from the Mt Macedon Trading Post cafe on the way. There’s even a cute gift shop stocked with peony inspired products and a plant stall all about the peony.
Find out more about the Romswood Peony Farm Picnic and Open Day events.
Image credit: Ruby Henshall
The final leg of your spring girls getaway takes you on a pretty scenic drive from Kerrie to Pipers Creek. If time, drop by Hanging Rock Winery on the way for a spot of wine tasting.
Aga Jones floral workshop @ Crofters Fold Estate
This amazing weekend away finishes on the most wonderful high, with a private floral workshop on the stunning micro flower farm Crofters Fold Estate.
Crofters Fold Estate is an award-winning artisanal flower farm that specialises in perfumed paddock Peonies and Roses.
It’s also part of the Daylesford Macedon Flower Farm Trail, designed to offer visitors to the Macedon Daylesford region a way to find and enjoy unique floral experiences. The Trail offers on-farm luxury farmhouse “slowstay” accommodation, workshops, tours, quaint road-side stalls and direct DIY farm gate sales for weddings, events and home.
Crofters Fold Estate bee friendly rose and peony farm
Danielle and Ashley farm using ‘bee-friendly’ human scale methods that look after the soil and attract beneficial insects.
Their 1000 or so rose bushes are harvested continuously for six months from late-November to April/May while their Peony season is typically just a short three weeks from late November. The Roses are all fragrant and range in colours from whites through creams to apricot, yellow, blush and coffee. Danielle and Ashley also produce Sparkling wine from a small plot of Pinot Noir grapes and enjoy hosting guests who come to stay at their Farmhouse Lodge.
Danielle and Ash from Crofters Fold
After an introduction from Danielle, your two hour floral workshop begins with local floral designer Aga Jones, using Crofters Fold’s beautiful, bee friendly roses.
The workshop will focus on a rose arrangement made with local and seasonal flowers (you just need to bring along a favourite vase to use).
About Aga Jones
Aga Jones is a floral designer who works from her Macedon Ranges studio. With a background in industrial design and environmental management, Aga began her business Aga Jones Flowers in 2017, designing for weddings and events, and holding workshops to inspire and educate clients about environmentally sensitive floral design.
She applies a zero waste approach to her designs, minimising waste in every way she can. In early 2019, Aga travelled to New York, Rhode Island and Utah to embark on a sustainable floral fellowship, undertaking several workshops and inter-studio experiences to learn from the world’s best designers. Follow Aga on Instagram @agajonesflowers.
Enter to win
How amazing does this prize sound? Don’t miss out on the chance to win this fantastic girls getaway in the Macedon Ranges. Prize drawn on Monday 30 September 2019. Enter now!
Terms & Conditions
To enter, participants must:
- Be 18 years or over and register their details including name, postcode, phone number and email address. Incorrect or incomplete entries will be deemed invalid. Photo identification may be requested.
- The competition commences at 9am on Monday 2 September 2019 and closes at midnight on Sunday 29 September 2019.
- The competition is a game of chance, with the winner chosen at random.
- The winner will be notified on Monday 30 September and contacted via phone and/or email.
- All reasonable attempts will be made to contact the winner. If the winner fails to respond to Macedon Ranges Shire Council’s email or phone call by 9am (AEST) on Monday 7 October 2019, the promoter will reserve the right to select an alternative winner.
- Upon formal acceptance of the prize, the winner has seven days to supply the accommodation provider with a credit card as security in the event of property damages (read Mistwood Terms & Conditions here).
- The name of the winner will be published on the Macedon Ranges Naturally Cool Facebook page.
- Date for this prize is fixed and cannot be changed. If winner is unable to make it at the last minute, the prize will be forfeited and visitmacedonranges.com has the right to redraw or cancel the prize. Prize is fully transferrable. Prize cannot be redeemed for cash.
Accommodation at Mistwood: Check in is 3pm onwards Friday 22 November. Check out is prior to 10am Sunday 24 November. Accommodation is room only. A credit card will be required by the accommodation provider as security within seven days of officially accepting the prize. The credit card will be held as security in the event of damages. Click here for standard Terms & Conditions (http://clarkwillshortstays.com.au/terms-and-conditions/ .
Mindfulness, meditation and chai session: Held on Saturday 23 November between 2-4pm.
Gardens of Tieve Tara Admission: Four adult admission tickets will be supplied to use anytime up until 30 November 2019.
Peony Farm Open Day Admission: Visit Macedon Ranges is not liable for any event cancellations due to weather or unforeseen circumstances. Admission is for Sunday 24 November only and includes entry into the farm and five stems of peonies (per person) picked directly from the field. Additional stems are charged by the farm at $3 p/stem.
Floral Workshop with Aga Jones: Course date is fixed for Sunday 24 November between 2-4pm. All tools and materials are provided.
