Kodak Ultramax 400 — Blog

Who doesn’t love a good road trip?

I was lucky enough to go on one in July last year (I know, ages ago) – my first ever with friends! We set off the day after I came back from Melbourne and it was rather spontaneous. We had initially planned on going to Newcastle, but because of a few hiccups we frantically tried to find somewhere else to go away to. Despite the drama and trouble I had to go through, I’m so glad it unfolded the way it did – because we found a lovely Horse Farm Stay in Wyong Creek and it was the best thing that happened.

Wyong Creek is about an hour up north from Sydney. We stayed for 3 days and 2 nights in the grounds of the Forest Hill Arabian Stud in Yarramalong Valley, in a little cottage house that comfortably fit the 5 of us. We found this place listed on Airbnb with instant booking and a very reasonable rate for us university students to afford. Our host Jenny was so flexible and welcoming, even with our last minute request to visit – she definitely made our first Airbnb experience a very pleasant one! I would definitely recommend her listing to anyone that’s looking to have a short getaway from the bustling city – she also has another little cottage that will fit a few more people.

Follow this link for Jenny’s listing; and if it’s your first time using Airbnb, you can sign up with my link for $27 off your first trip!

If you’re not familiar with how Airbnb works, it’s basically a platform where hosts can rent out a private room or entire apartment/house. It’s a great way to really immerse yourself in the place you’re travelling to and chat with your hosts who are locals and can tell you where to eat and what to do. It’s fairly easy to use and safe as well because members in the Airbnb community all have to be verified. My advice would be to read reviews diligently and take note of any cleaning/servicing fees and security deposits. It’s also a good idea to touch base with the host of the listing you’re interested in booking – let them know you and ask them any questions you might have. I found this post and this post on Jemimah’s blog very useful to getting started on Airbnb, so do give it a read!

Upon arriving at the horse stud, we immediately took to exploring the place and seeing the horses – and we loved it; laying our eyes on the vastness of the fields, breathing in fresh air and getting to pet and feed the horses – we even got to help round up some of the ponies (harder than it looks). It was my first time interacting with horses, and I was pretty (actually, very) apprehensive. I warmed up to them though – the horses were friendly.

In the evening we drove to Tuggerah Westfeild, which was about 5 minutes away, in search of groceries and dinner; ending the night back at the cottage house with some booze and telly.

The next morning, our host Jenny very kindly took us on a tractor ride around the stud to feed the horses, and boy, what a ride that was – that’s certainly another way to experience the horse stud.

Afterwards we chatted with Jenny about places we could visit and things we could do nearby, and she suggested hiring boats/kayaks – and so we did! Among the five of us we hired a rowboat and a kayak, then tried desperately not to capsize for an hour. It was fun – and a little daunting –floating in the middle of nowhere and having the lake all to ourselves.

In the late afternoon we took a scenic drive to Forresters Beach where we were treated to the most breathtaking views and a gorgeous sunset. I was so captivated by the colours that the sun, sky, sea and sand came together to produce. It was magical – and absolutely amazing.

See what I mean?

I also shot this trip entirely on film, and I’m so ecstatic with how the images turned out.

***

Later that night when we got back to the cottage house, the night sky put on a jaw dropping sight – a sky full of stars. Naturally, having not seen that many stars before, I went out in the cold to star gaze – lying on the gravel road and staring into space; admiring the starry night sky and basking in awe of mother nature, thinking thoughts and taking in the magnificent sight I was bestowed with. I even saw two shooting stars – and in a true moment of panic, I closed my eyes and wished upon them. Definitely a night I will remember for a long time to come.

After my little downtime session, I headed back in to warm up and we cooked some spaghetti and vegetable bake for supper, and ended the night with some good ol’ cards against humanity. Hilarious.

Our last morning at the horse stud was filled with such reluctance to leave – we were having such a pleasant and fulfilling stay and I was not looking forward to return to reality. After we were all packed and ready to leave, we spent some last moments with the horses, petting and feeding them – and taking heaps of photos of course. Then it came time to bid farewell to Jenny and the horse stud )’:

On the way back to Sydney we made a pit stop in Terrigal for some food and sweets, and I also took the chance to snap some photos down at Avoca beach.

Thank you for making this trip so much fun, my friends xx

A much needed escape; it’s been the most memorable yet.

With love,

Emily.