The past year has turned out to be a year of lockdowns and cancelled holidays. In 2020 it seemed like we may be locked up for good. We were lucky here in Australia, however, and after a while things began to open up again as the authorities managed to gain control over the ever worsening pandemic. As soon as we were allowed to travel within our own state again, we booked a short farmstay in the gorgeous Noosa Hinterland in Queensland, about 2 hours drive north of Brisbane. Our farmstay in the Noosa Hinterland turned out to be exactly what we needed after months of tight restrictions.
Rosecliffe Boutique Farm Cottages
Rosecliffe is a working farm near the town of Pomona in the beautiful green hills of the Noosa Hinterland in Queensland. The 93 acre property sits perched on top of a hill overlooking the stunning Pinbarren Valley, where they breed their Belted Galloway Cattle (very cute!). The owners are big on conservation and have dedicated much of the property to rehabilitation which links up to the nearby Woondum National Park. The result is a place of stunning natural beauty, mixed with farmland in a peaceful and tranquil setting.
Our cottage, hidden and peaceful.
Accommodation at Rosecliffe
Rosecliffe has three farmstay cottages for guests to stay in, all unique and private. We chose to stay in Rosecliffe Tree Tops, their largest cottage (sleeps up to 5) which overlooks the valley. The cottage was perfect for us, with a large living area and kitchen with everything we needed. There are two large bedrooms – a queen room and a second room with another queen bed, single bed and a sofa. The bathroom comes equipped with a huge spa bath and a rain shower (well used and appreciated while we were there).
Outside there is a long verandah with breathtaking views across the valley, equipped with outdoor seating and a barbecue. There is even a fenced area for dogs (yes, they are pet friendly). We were really comfortable here and it was just so peaceful and relaxing. In the morning, we awoke to stunning views over the valley with the cattle grazing right by the cottage.
Their other cottage, Rosecliffe Cottage, is a smaller one bedroom cottage with a sleepout (sleeps up to 4) and looks just as lovely.
Finally, their most unique accommodation is Rosecliffe Bus Stop, an old converted 1952 Leyland Tiger Sydney bus which has been perfectly restored and turned into accommodation. The bus itself is the sleeping and living quarters, while a kitchen and bathroom has been added on, along with a verandah. This is a really unique and interesting stay, with a bit of history added in. The bus also overlooks the llama and alpaca paddock, so you can enjoy your morning coffee while greeting some of the locals.
There is a stunning, natural looking pool for guests to use which is in the most beautiful setting, overlooking the valley and green rolling hills of the Noosa Hinterland.
The stunning waterfall pool
Animal feeding
Rosecliffe is a working farm that focuses on breeding their gorgeous Belted Galloway Cattle, however they have lots of other animals too. Every morning, you can do the rounds with the owner, Nadia, as she goes around feeding the animals. This is fantastic for the kids, and the daily animal feeding is all included in your cottage booking. Apart from their cattle, they have Arabian horses, miniature ponies, two alpacas, a llama called Roshi (all the animals have names), and a big chicken coop with a hen house. You can help prepare the food, feed the animals and collect eggs from the hen house (the kids love this!). The eggs you collect are yours to take back to your cottage for breakfast.
This was Zara’s first time on a farm and she just loved it. She helped measure out the food and stir it up to feed to the horses. She fed hay by hand to the cattle (they all come up to the fence at food time), the ponies, alpacas and llamas. The chickens were her favourite as she could be right amongst them, feed them and then collect the eggs. She was very proud to carry her basket of eggs back to the cottage to cook up for breakfast.
Nature walks
Rosecliffe is connected to the Noosa Trails Network, making it the perfect place to base yourself to explore the 300km of trails around the area, either on foot or by bike. Just walking along the road to the property provides extensive views of the valley and green rolling hills. Zara and I went for an afternoon walk along the trail which borders the property and connects to more trails further along the ridge. It was a nice easy, peaceful walk and Zara loved listening to the birds and looking at flowers she found along the way. We reached a point where we had lovely views back across the valley to our cottage.
Day trips in the Noosa Hinterland
The Noosa Hinterland has lots of interesting things to do and there are plenty of day trips to enjoy in the area.
Historic towns
The nearby town of Pomona is a lovely little historic town where you can get some supplies for your cottage at the local supermarket. There are lots of quaint shops and cafes to enjoy, along with a nice old pub.
Further on is the town of Cooroy, where we found a lovely old antique shop called The Shed @ Cooroy. Zara told us we had to stop there for a coffee (she enjoys a good babycino).
Enjoying a babycino in Cooroy
Further south is the town of Eumundi, another historic town well worth exploring. The famous Eumundi Markets are on here on Wednesdays and Sundays every week. The market is a good size with a bit of everything, including a large section dedicated to local artisans.
Boreen Point
Boreen Point is a quiet little town on the shores of Lake Cootharaba. The lake makes for a fantastic picnic spot and provides a nice sheltered place for the kids to play on the small sandy beaches and splash in the water. When the wind is up it is filled with windsurfers and kite surfers. The weather wasn’t great when we were there but the windsurfers were all out on the water enjoying the windy conditions.
We returned the next day and had lunch at the historic Apollonian Hotel. This beautiful old pub was built in the 1860’s and was relocated from Gympie to Boreen Point in 1987. The wrap around verandahs are perfect for sitting outside with a cold beer and a pub lunch on a warm sunny day. It’s a great spot to have lunch with kids as there is a huge lawn area for the kids to run around on while you watch them from your table. Zara had a ball here running around and working up an appetite..
Lunch at the Apollonian Hotel
Noosa
The main town of Noosaville and the main beach at Noosa Heads are all just a short drive away. Spend the day shopping and dining in Noosa and let the kids burn off some energy at Noosa Main Beach. Noosa National Park is great for walking and seeing some beautiful coastal scenery. Take a boat cruise or a hire kayak to paddle around the Noosa Everglades. Noosa has a lot to offer and it’s very easy to fill in a day here.
Noosa Main Beach
Woondum National Park
Woondum National Park is the place to go for picturesque rainforest walks. Perhaps the most pristine spot is Mothar Mountain Rock Pools, a slice of paradise with cool refreshing swimming holes along a cascading creek amongst the rainforest. We didn’t have time to go here, but the owners of Rosecliffe highly recommend it. So it’s on our list for next time!
The Noosa Hinterland is a beautiful part of Queensland with so much to offer. We loved our farmstay in the Noosa Hinterland, leaving feeling relaxed and revived.
Have you been to Noosa? What was your favourite thing to do?
*Note: This post is not sponsored. We just loved our stay and wanted to share it with you.
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