“The view changes every day,” Pat, the farm’s caretaker, tells us as we look out over the fields, the donkeys grazing lazily in the paddock beside us and the shire horses, finishing their breakfast, cantering off up the gentle slope of the mountain. In the amphitheatre of the valley, the echo of their hooves is cinematic: a proud, theatrical thunder.
In the time we’d spent at Barranca, the theory had rung true: the sandstone escarpment that surrounds the 1,000-acre property never quite the same shade of amber, the patchwork of trees taking on new forms of green as the sunlight came and went behind early autumn clouds.
Why stay at Barranca?
We arrived mid-afternoon, as a curtain of cloud began to lift and seemed to light the trees from below. The door was unlocked and music was playing through the speakers, welcoming us home. Pat had pointed us in the direction of the creek as we’d pulled into the drive, so we changed into our swimmers and walked for 20 minutes down through the river gums into the deep bowl of the valley.
The word ‘barranca’ means “a narrow, winding river gorge”, and though the houses – four architecturally stunning structures, all glass and timber and tastefully curated designer features – are the main drawcard here, the creek is Barranca’s beating heart. Hand-painted signs led us down through the forest to the wide, rocky expanse – crystal clear water flowing through moss-covered rocky walls. Sunlight filters in through the trees, and it feels like stepping back in time.
Before the accommodation opened in 2022, Barranca had operated as a family-run farm for more than 60 years, and I don’t think much could have changed over the half-dozen decades. With no human-made structures – other than the occasional glimpse of one of the other houses – visible from the property, it’s easy to feel removed from the passage of time and the fabric of the reality we exist in now.
“This place makes me believe in dinosaurs,” my friend said over breakfast, as we watched a wave of grey evaporate into the air to reveal the textured mosaic of leaves and tangled branches.
What are the villas like at Barranca?
Views aside, if these homes were placed in a car park behind a mattress store, they’d still be worth a visit. Tall, slanted ceilings and wide open space create a feeling of expansive ease, and the windows that line the mountain-facing wall flood the rooms with light. In celebration of their surroundings, the houses hero natural materials: floors are formed of butter-smooth stone and the wooden walls that separate the bedrooms from the communal space bring the forest inside. With the view the main feature, decoration is pared back: one statement art piece hangs behind the dining table and sketches of local animals are positioned with tasteful care.
Fluffy robes and slippers wait in each bedroom, the shelf by the sofa is stacked with board games, and the open-plan kitchen is equipped with everything you might need and more (NutriBullet, coffee machine, excellent oven, etc).
Designed to honour their location, each villa is slightly different; accommodating between four and eight guests. We stayed in Willow: an architecturally-magnificent four-bedroom structure sleeping up to eight.
Where to dine near Barranca
Though the Shoalhaven region is home to some incredible eateries – you can read our full guide to the area here – once you’ve checked in at Barranca, you might find it hard to leave. The design of the villas makes cooking here a joy, but if you want to take the load off, we’d suggest ordering a catered dinner from the local catering company Caterina.
With a focus on celebrating local produce, Caterina offers sensational home-cooked food for guests to heat up and enjoy.
On the day we arrived, Andy – one half of the team – delivered our breakfast hamper, excitedly passing over the box of coral oyst mushrooms along with the standard selection of (exceptionally high-quality) breakfast treats.
“Cook these up with some butter and garlic, they’re super-fresh, some of the first of the season,” he tells us. Along with the mushrooms, our hamper is stacked with fresh tomatoes, avocados, bacon, a zesty rhubarb compote, locally-made Greek yoghurt, Caterina’s homemade granola and four perfectly golden blueberry muffins. A loaf of sourdough – made nearby at Kangaroo Valley’s General Store – had been waiting for us on the kitchen bench when we arrived, just another touch of care from the team who clearly deeply believe in how special a stay here can be.
If you’re dining out in the area, Kangaroo Valley is just a 15-minute drive from the farm: home to a sprawling country pub (The Friendly Inn), an award-winning bakery (Kangaroo Valley Bakehouse) and The General Store which does what it says on the tin (everything from big breakfasts to locally-sourced groceries to turmeric-loaded health tonics). On the outskirts of town, you’ll find Osteria La Vallata: an alpine-style Italian restaurant on the corner of Kangaroo Valley golf course. We dined here on the first night, ordered huge bowls of rich, fresh pasta and ate on the verandah as a rainbow appeared in the sky and a pair of kangaroos hopped past the bunkers and up into the hills.
On the last night, Caterina delivered us a gorgeous dinner hamper: a heavy ceramic pot of Greek-style poached chicken with a gloriously feta-heavy Greek salad and a zingy fennel salad jewelled with caper berries. It’s easy to overlook the importance of fresh produce, but when I tell you that the capsicum could have been a dish in itself – so sweet and fresh and rich in flavour – I hope that paints a picture.
What to do at Barranca
It’s possible to lose hours just staring at the view, watching clouds fold in across the trees and eagles glide through the air below the rockface. If you’re in need of activities, each villa is stocked with board games, and the property is home to a network of walking trails that weave through fields and forest.
I’d suggest waking up with the sun: leaving the curtains open to watch the escarpment catch the first few rays of the day. After a coffee (there are Nespresso machines in each villa), walk up the farm track to join Pat as he feeds the animals. This takes place at 8.30am every day, and it’s worth doing at least once during your visit.
Spend your morning exploring the property and swimming the creek, then head back for lunch overlooking the hills. For an afternoon re-set, we'd highly recommend booking an in-room massage before you arrive – a talented therapist will set up a massage bed in your room for an hour of bliss before it’s time for a glass of wine by the fire.
What to do in Kangaroo Valley
Suspended in a bubble of stillness between the Southern Highlands and the Shoalhaven coastline, Kangaroo Valley is as charming as its name suggests. The town itself is a small cluster of heritage-listed buildings on the banks of the Kangaroo River, and the best way to see it is from the water.
We booked an early morning kayak with Kangaroo Adventure Company, and I can’t imagine a more inspiring way to immerse yourself in the area. We paddled under the Hampden Bridge (the oldest suspension bridge in Australia) and down river for two hours, soundtracked by lyre birds and kookaburras, with king fishers dancing on the banks and lizards sunbathing on the rocks beside the rapids. After a hearty pub lunch, Billy (our guide, and the main player in the family-run business) led us on an incredible cave walk – through a spectacular sandstone cave system hidden deep within the bush.
“Me and dad discovered this one day about 15 years ago,” he tells us as we descend into the darkness. And like with Barranca, and the creek that bubbles away at the bottom of the property, there’s a timeless magic about the shared family secret.
****
I can’t help but wonder what it must have been like to bring Barranca to life: to walk along the path formed by generations of your family’s feet, bare and dusty on hot summer days, and fix the sign on the tree pointing towards the creek. To whoever’s fantastical idea it was to build four escape pods amongst the gums and start welcoming the world into this special hidden corner of the world, thank you.
The key details:
You’ll find Barranca Kangaroo Valley at 408 Bunkers Hill Rd, Barrengarry NSW 2577.
Villas start at $950 per night. You can learn more and book over here.
Want to stay somewhere coastal instead? You can check out Barranca's sister property in Jervis Bay over here.
Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, travel inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox.