Rolling Hills

Set against a backdrop of undulating countryside in the Megalong Valley, Rolling Hills is a quaint property on a 25-acre farm just a few moments off the Great Western Highway, and just 15 minutes’ drive from Blackheath.

It’s an unfussy sort of place – there are three good-sized bedrooms, an open plan living and dining room with high cathedral ceilings, and a kitchen looking out over a petite plunge pool and the valley beyond. A fireplace beside the communal dining table is begging to be lit on chilly mountain nights, with an air-conditioner for extra warmth should you need it.

While the digs are modest, the power of this place is that it offers a rare chance to pause and marvel at the serenity. And once you’ve hand-fed the resident animals (there are three horses and five goats in neighbouring paddocks), there’s very little else to do but relax on the spacious deck with a coffee, wander through the pistachio orchard, or collect some eggs from the chooks for the next day's breakfast.

If you do need a little more action, there are plenty of bushwalking trails and lookouts in the vicinity. You can also nick up the road to Alchemy for some topnotch woodfired pizza. Or, make the short trip to Katoomba and put together a grazing spread from Carrington Cellars and Deli for a sunset picnic back at the farm.

Here’s the other thing about this place: on a clear, moonless night, you won’t find a more spectacular night sky. The Milky Way stretches overhead like an endless highway, and you’re guaranteed to spot satellites, shooting stars and the faint glow of Sydney far off in the distance.