Mona Farm is a luxurious estate three minutes’ drive from Braidwood’s town centre. Lovingly renovated with award winning gardens and peaceful lake.
Mona Farm is one of those properties that when you arrive you think, “yep this is pretty nice”. But then you explore and discover the grounds. That “pretty nice” turns in to an “oh my goodness!”.
I had the pleasure of staying at Mona Farm during my trip to the Blessing of the Truffle Dogs earlier this year. There are a few accommodation options The Homestead, The Coach House and The Stables.
Make a note now, they are dog friendly! Sadly Harley couldn't join us on this occasion as she wasn't allowed to attend the Blessing of the Truffle Dogs.
Mona Farm is a three minute drive from the main drag of Braidwood. A sleepy historical town located in the Queanbeyan area of Southern NSW, halfway between Canberra and Batemans Bay.
Never in my wildest dreams did I expect such a property to exist in Braidwood.
Not that I have anything against Braidwood. I have very fond memories of the town from when I was a child. At first glance not much has changed since then. But that’s a good thing, trust me. It is an artistic hub with great eats and heritage listed buildings. Lots to love about Braidwood.
Braidwood started as a pastoral town, then gold fever hit in the 1850s. The gold rush saw this quiet but thriving pastoral town grow and prosper.
During this time Mona Farm was established. The main building of the farm, The Homestead, was built in 1853. A large Georgian style house made from convict bricks. It's the showpiece building of Mona Farm and can sleep up to 10 guests.
But that isn’t where I am spending the night. I am staying in the Coach House, built in 1903. This building housed the property’s Cobb & Co coaches back in the day.
Mona Farm The Coach House
The Coach House has been lovingly renovated with no sign of coach or horse in sight. The only reminder of what this building once housed are the original large doors either end of the long building. The abode will comfortably sleep seven with another two single beds on standby if requested. There are three king bed master bedrooms, large kitchen and open space lounge and dining area.
The Coach House Bedroom One
The number one bedroom of the three, and largest by double, is at the entrance of the building. It's also the only bedroom that doesn't have an ensuite. Instead there is a bathroom, like none other I have seen, directly opposite. The down side, it's also the common bathroom if entertaining guests not staying with you. Plus no naked midnight bathroom runs if you are not the only ones staying.
The Coach House Main Bathroom
The main bathroom is enormous. I have never seen a bathroom this big before. You could hold an intimate cocktail party in there if you so desired. Big bath, big shower and big double basin vanity. I would like to say big toilet to keep up with the theme, but that would be strange, normal toilet.
You may notice that none of the windows in the bathrooms have coverings. Rest assured when you visit your privacy will be well taken care of with window coverings. They just didn't make it back in time from the cleaners for our visit. Totally fine we were the only ones staying on the property..... besides another journo..... the grounds manager....... the grounds manager's son..... We all had a good laugh at this and I choose carefully which shower and loo to use during my stay as I'm a prude.
The Coach House Bedroom Two
The second of three bedrooms, or it could be the third. I have decided to call it the second due to ensuite size. The bedroom sleeps three very comfortably, with one king size bed and one single bed. The ensuite is large, bigger than my bathroom at home and that is pretty big.
The bathroom has a full size bath, large shower, toilet and another large double vanity. Nowhere as large as the main bathroom but incredibly indulgent and lovely private space if sharing The Coach House with friends for the weekend. You could quite easily escape for a long soak in the tub without being disturbed.
The Coach House Bedroom Three
The final bedroom also has a king bed and ensuite. It's the smallest of the three and the one that we chose to sleep in, much to the amazement of our host. Why did I choose this bedroom? With the door open we could hear the crackle of the combustion fireplace and also feel its warmth. We were there in winter and it was cold. This room was also the quietest of all the rooms as it was not road side like the other two. Little River Road is pretty quiet, but it does have a trickle of traffic.
The bathroom was as luxurious as the others but on a slightly smaller scale. What happened to the photos I took will remain a mystery, my apologies for that. Even though smaller there was a large fulls size bathtub, large shower, toilet and a single basin vanity.
The Coach House Kitchen
The kitchen was well stocked and large. Plenty of space for a few people to get in and prep food and cook. A normal size fridge already stocked with milk, jams, Vegemite, tomato sauce, bbq sauce, eggs and a bottle of wine.
I was surprised by how well stocked the pantry was, besides staples like sugar, salt, pepper and oil, there was O&G granola, HP sauce, mini one serve jams and Vegemite, T2 lemon & ginger tea and English breakfast tea, plus Map coffee pods. You will also find Maggie Beer in the cupboard by way of her olive oil, aged wine vinegar and verjuice.
A packet of ground coffee and a French press on the bench. Plus a fresh crusty white Vienna loaf from local bakery Dojo Bread. A well stocked fruit bowl on the kitchen table will ensure you are getting your fruit intake.
The Coach House Dining & Lounge
The dining and lounge area of The Coach house is open planned. The long dining table will comfortably seat eight, perfect for entertaining. The combustion stove keeps the place snuggly warm in winter and the big comfy lounges are right in front of it.
Outside The Coach House
There is a large entertaining area to the side of The Coach House. There is a BBQ if you want a break from cooking in the kitchen. It's a pleasant area to relax and look out over the rolling hills surrounding you.
The Rest of Mona Farm
Once you have grown tired of The Coach House there is plenty to explore around the grounds of Mona Farm.
The Homestead Accommodation
The Homestead is the main accommodation at Mona Farm. It has five bedrooms and sleeps up to 10 people. You will find everything you need including a laundry and the kitchen even comes with a butler's pantry .
Other Buildings around Mona Farm
As you walk around the grounds of Mona Farm you will notice the other buildings. The Stables is more accommodation, sleeping another 10 people comfortably. There is also The Cottage, The Old Stables and The Shearers' Quarters, which are in the process of being renovated. At the moment if you were to hire Mona Farm in its entirety the estate sleeps 29 people. Once the other buildings are ready Mona Farm will sleep 40.
There are purpose built conference and event facilities to accommodate group events. The grounds and the historic buildings would be the perfect venue for weddings.
Mona Farm's Lake and Gardens
One of my favourite features of Mona Farm is the lake, it's stunning. What makes it even more so is the bridge, just beautiful.
The gardens are award winning and also stunning. There are secret hedged gardens and rolling manicured lawns. When exploring this was a wow factor for me. You would round a bend or turn a corner and something else would magically reveal itself.
To wrap it all up Mona Farm is simply gorgeous. If you have a look at TripAdvisor you will read some very sad and sorry reviews of Mona Farm. I am sure they were warranted at the time, but not anymore. Mona Farm has a new owner who has the resources and desire to make Mona Farm one of the premier accommodation and event venues in NSW.
They have made a great start with the renovations made to The Coach House and The Homestead. The grounds have been painstakingly brought back to what they were and the rest of the property is in the process of being given a lot of love and care.
It really is a case of stay tuned to see what develops. I know when talking to management there are a lot of wonderful things planned for the property.
Would I go back and stay on my own dime? In a heartbeat and I will be taking Harley with me!
Sara xxx
Belly Rumbles stayed as a guest of Mona Farm, but all opinions remain Sara's own.
Mona Farm
40 Little River Road, Braidwood, NSW, Australia
Tel: +61 2 8001 6182
www.monafarm.com.au
Trisha Velarmino
Do you know where I can find their wedding packages? I am currently hunting for my bestfriend and this looks neat!
Ami Bhat
What a tasteful decor of a property. Not only is it comfortable but it does reflect its heritage. Love the wide open and green spaces. Definitely a good stay option
Nisha
I love these kind of accommodations, closer to nature and fresh air.
The room looks quite big and warm with lots of natural lights.
The bathroom is huge, bigger than my bedroom. LOL!
All the three bedrooms are nice and well done in that place. Kitchen looks well equipped.
On outdoors, loved that tree hugging the wall gently. 🙂
Overall, won't mind spending a week here.
Jitaditya
Lovely property. I love farm stays. It has a very spacious yet empty look. I can say it is even haunting but in a good way. LOL
Raw Wahab
I actually went from “oh my goodness” to "what???" I totally love how the place is designed. The rooms look well appointed and the dining and lounge area look gorgeous! And then I saw the photo of the building from the outside! That's when I went "What???" I'd never have guessed the interior could be just so perfect by just looking at the building.
sherianne
I love this property. It looks like a great place to go with family and reconnect. I would even bake and make family dinners happily in that kitchen!
Danik
I love the look of this place, definitely a place to get away from it all and relax. The room looks modern and has all the mod-cons what one expects but what I love the most is that stone bridge in the grounds. I might look into this and treat my partner when I go to NSW (a region I havent been to yet).
Linda
I love when you get a surprise that goes from “pretty nice” to “oh my goodness”. It is nice to find a spot out with some space around it. Shared bathrooms are not always good for me since I am up a few times in the night. Good thing there are some rooms with ensuites. All of the bedrooms look like they are a good size. The main areas and kitchen look great for a large group staying. And then there are other buildings too! What a great spot to consider.
Marvi
Ohhh.. What a great place to relax! Good to know that the new management has made some great renovations. Mona Farm looks amazing, kudos to the team! 🙂
Sab
That looks like a comfortable stay for a weekend getaway, perfect for some romantic time with your loved one. The gardens and lake views are absolutely stunning, I bet you had an unforgettable time there...