There are still a few untapped spots in the Central Coast that remain local secrets, one of those is Mangrove Mountain, which is located just upstream from the Hawkesbury River. Geologically the Mountain area is made up of old sedimentary Hawkesbury sandstone deposits and some basalt intrusions, about 1000ft above sea level, with steeply eroded gullies defining its areas of agricultural land use and transport access. This resulted in the area developing by way of several discrete localities and villages.
The Grower’s Cottage is a restored farmer’s cottage consciously designed for recuperation and connection to nature, and its open plan encourages spaciously living. From the moment we arrived, we felt immediately welcomed, and the cottage quickly became our home. The best part? There’s no reception, so you can completely disconnect and drift into slow living. That’s not to say you’ll be bored. Fruit-bearing trees and patches stocked with vegetables meant that we could indulge in home-cooking and preparing the home-grown. An outdoor pizza oven makes it all the more authentic, and you really deserve that gourmet credit. Busy bees are working in the on-site hives to deliver you, fresh honey. That’s not all, and there’s an outdoor stone bathtub amongst the trees to indulge in as well as an outdoor fire-pit to facilitate deep conversations and keep you warm in the months with cooler evenings.
The cottage is thoroughly thought through and was designed with attention to detail. You can enjoy farm life without the labour of maintenance! There’s nothing you need to pack except someone to enjoy it! (in saying that, it’s a place I’d be happy to travel alone!)
Riparide Stories are authentic experiences shared by real travellers (who are handy with a camera). It's like reading your best friend's travel journal - packed with photos, honest reviews and visual itineraries.
