When you drive in through the gates of Mowbray Park Farm, you can feel the air change. It’s like stepping back to a simpler time. The horses come to meet you at the fence and all you can hear is the light patter of a tractor engine in a far-off paddock. Mowbray Park Farm has a rich history dating back to the early days of European settlement in Australia. All around the property you get this sense of time and history, the modern mixing with the old.
After getting a quick rundown of the plan for the next few days, we decided it was a great opportunity to escape the heat. A swim at the farm pool was wonderfully refreshing and just what the doctor ordered to get ourselves relaxed and limber for a full-on schedule of farm work and activities.
Our tractor chauffeur arrived in the morning after breaky and we loaded up in the trailer to head down the hill to the nursery. There we helped Mowbray Park’s farmer Blair feed every type of animal you could point a stick at. The alpacas, chickens, rabbits, guinea pigs, pigs, goats and donkeys all got a feed courtesy of the reliable help provided by our awesome trusted travellers. We also got hands on with milking a cow, providing fresh milk for the farmhouse.
For morning tea, we made damper over the heat of an open fire. There’s nothing like the taste of crusty home-made damper, cooked ourselves and drizzled with golden syrup, to remind you of the joys of life’s simple treats.
In the afternoon we loaded back in the tractor. This time our trailer was laden with hay and we mustered the cattle who were enticed to follow us around the paddocks with the promise of their lunch.
A hard day’s work demands a big, hearty meal and we got that by way of the bistro at Thirlmere pub. We returned to our cottage and threw on a movie to chill. Fittingly to psyche ourselves up to ride ourselves, we watched Ride Like a Girl, the story of Melbourne Cup winning jockey Michelle Payne.
The next day started much the same. Farmer Blair picked us up on the tractor and once again we headed to the nursery to tend to the animals.
After a BBQ lunch put on by Trusted Travel staff, it was time for one of the big activities we had all been waiting for. It was time to ride the horses! Trusted Travel were led around the paddocks on the backs of our gentle and reliable steeds; our new riders and experienced cowboys and cowgirls alike had a wonderful time.
All good things must come to an end and we rounded out the trip with a beautiful Italian meal at a fancy restaurant in Camden. It was a final opportunity to chat and reminisce about our days on the farm. On the last day, we bid good bye to Mowbray Park and our ever reliable shadows, Archie and Pearl, the farm dogs barked to see us off.
A big thank you to Blair, Jaqui and all the staff at Mowbray Park Farm. We had an amazing time and Trusted Travel will most certainly be back!
