What's Happening at Ba Mack Homestead in May ??

Great News - Our "Red Rattler" Train will be open to take guests from 1st July 2013 !!!!

To Celebrate, we would like to give everyone who stays in our train during the month of July, a 20% discount on their booking.

May is a beautiful time of year with all the wonderful autumn colours.

We have been blessed with wonderful warm weather to date and we now look forward to cooler weather.

We have just lit our fireplaces and we look forward to having lots of bon fires, toasting marshmellows and sipping port with guests.

PS... For all those who have met "Sally" our friendly, outgoing and funny little fluffy dog...... there will soon be the pitter patter of little paws - Sally is due this month !!!!

Julie's favourite link for you to watch this month is : -

Janine Shepherd's Story

Until Next Month -

Baaaaaaaaaaaaa from Julie

Welcome to Ba Mack Homestead

Ba Mack Homestead Farmstay Bed and Breakfast is only a 25 minute drive on a tar sealed road from Mudgee, famous for its wool, wineries, honey and fine food.

Enjoy good old fashioned country hospitality. We invite you to share our beautiful home or our self-contained cottage and hope that your stay with us is a most relaxing and rewarding time.

Julie, Dave and their daughter Trish love introducing you to all the many delights of the country, while still enjoying all the comforts of home.

Learn how to milk a goat, pat a sheep and give a bottle of milk to a baby lamb. Children are welcome to help us catch and groom our horses and then enjoy a pony led ride. You are welcome to feed your food scaps to the chickens and collect thier eggs each day. Pick fresh fruit from our orchard and learn how to preserve (as well as eat) the fruit. Children can learn how to bake something yummy each day for afternoon tea with Julie in the homestead kitchen. As you can appreciate, some activites are however seasonal and some will also depend on weather conditions.

Ba Mack Homestead

Stay with us in our homestead with your own private guest wing. Three large bedrooms, two with queen sized beds and one with two single beds. Private verandah, lounge room, bathroom and sauna. Afternoon tea on arrival, continental breakfast made for you each morning, including fresh homemade bread. All linen, tea, coffee, juice and more are provided during your stay. Complimentary chocs and port left for your enjoyment.

Ba Mack Cottage

Stay in our lovely self-contained cottage with two bedrooms, one with a queen sized bed and one with a single bed and a bunk bed. Full kitchen facilites, wood fire heater (wood supplied) and washing facilites. Afternoon tea on arrival. Continental breakfast is included in your stay, including fresh homemade bread delivered to you each morning. All linen, crockery, tea, coffee, juice and more are provided. Complimentary chocs and port left for your enjoyment

Ba Mack Train Carriage

Opening to take Guests from 1st July 2013.

Stay in our recently renovated self-contained "Red Rattler" train carriage with two bedrooms, one with a double sized bed and one with a single bed and a bunk bed. Full kitchen facilites, wood fire heater (wood supplied) and washing facilites. Afternoon tea on arrival. Continental breakfast is included in your stay, including fresh homemade bread delivered to you each morning. All linen, crockery, tea, coffee, juice and more are provided. Complimentary chocs and port left for your enjoyment

We're very excited to announce Ba Mack Train Carriage accommodation from 1st July 2013

Private verandahs on both the homestead guest wing and self-contained cottage allow you to enjoy the beautiful sunrises and sunsets.

In the morning, wake up to the sounds of the country, learn how to milk our house goat, collect our farm fresh chook eggs and sit back and enjoy your complimentary country breakfast with fresh homemade bread and local produce.

We pride ourselves on our old fashioned country hospitality - your home away from home.

We look forward to your visit !!

About Us

Welcome to Ba Mack Homestead, Cottage and "Red Rattler" Train Carriage

Dave, Julie, their daughter Trish and all our animals would like to welcome you and your family to our farm.

We have 285 acres of fine merino country at Ba Mack Homestead and we run about 400 merino sheep, which includes a mixture of wethers, ewes and rams.

We join our rams with the ewes early May each year and lamb late September. If you are lucky enough to be on our farm during lambing and up until Christmas, there will often be a few lambs and kids (goat ones) that you are welcome to help bottle feed.

Our dream at Ba Mack Homestead is to try to bridge the gap between the country and the city. We love to introduce children and adults to our farm and to show people where our wool and food comes from. We encourage children to milk our goat, collect our chicken eggs each morning and to help themselves to fruit from our orchard. We preserve and dehydrate all our farm fruit, some of the fruit is even made into jam. We also have bees on our farm and bottle our own honey for you to enjoy. We are happy to sell our jam and honey to guests so that they may take home with them and enjoy.

Julie just loves to cook and she makes her own ice-cream, home made cakes and slices. Children are most welcome to join her in the kitchen and learn how to bake.

All our pet animals are very friendly and just love to get a pat and be handfed.

We also offer to give children a pony led ride on one of our beautiful horses. We love to give children their first happy experience on a horse and we are happy to spend as much time with you as you would like to experience this.

So, you may be wondering where the name "Ba Mack Homestead" came from?

Ba is Tibetan for the number 5, which is a very special number for us. Together, Dave and Julie have 5 lovely children (4 are all grown up). It is also the name that Julie called her grandmother; she proudly wears her wedding ring and feels her presence every day. It is also of course the sound a sheep makes !!

Mack is for Mary MacKillop, Australia's first saint. We like to think that Mary has helped us with our dream. Mary's motto was "Never see a need and not do anything about it".

Homestead is because we bought the homestead block of a beautiful sheep property which was well over 1,000 acres in total.

We look forward to sharing our farm with you and we hope that you enjoy your stay with us.

Dave, Julie and Trish

Bed & Breakfast Guestwing

Bed and Breakfast - Homestead Guest Wing, Cottage or "Red Rattler" Train Carriage

Rates per night including Afternoon Tea on Arrival and Continential Breakfast with Fresh Homemade Bread and Fresh Farm Eggs each Morning.

Rates per night: -

Couple Per Night - $200
Single Adult Per Night - $100
Children 3 years and over - $50
Children 2 years and under - Free

**MID WEEK SPECIAL (SUNDAY - THURSDAY NIGHT)**

STAY WITH US FOR TWO NIGHTS AND RECEIVE AN EXTRA NIGHT AT NO CHARGE (EXCEPT SCHOOL HOLIDAYS AND LONG WEEKENDS)

Long Weekends and School Holidays -

Couple Per Night - $250
Single Adult Per Night - $125
Children 3 years and over - $50
Children 2 years and under - Free

Minimum 2 night stay over Long Weekends and School Holidays.

Gift Certificates are Now Available and will receive a 10% Discount on Stay. A great Christmas or Birthday Gift.

Rates include all farm activities. Pat and handfeed the farm animals and enjoy going on a horse led ride on one of our beautiful horses. Learn how to milk a goat and feed a baby lamb. Collect your own chicken eggs and pick fresh fruit from our orchard. Enjoy a ride in the farm truck and a tour of the farm. Please note some activities are seasonal and wlll also depend on weather.

Optional Extras

Full country breakfast with bacon, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, sausages, onions as well as cereal, yoghurt and fresh homemade bread - $20 per adult (children free).

Babysitting so you can go out for dinner, do a wine tour or would just simply like to spend time on your own without the kids - $20 per hour per family, lunch / dinner provided for the children.

School Holiday Dates for 2013:

Saturday, 29th June up to and including Saturday, 13th July.

Saturday, 21st September up to and including Saturday, 5th October.

Saturday, 21st December up to and including Saturday, 25th January 2014.

The B&B Guestwing

Three generous queen sized bedrooms, family room and bathroom are provided in your own guest wing in our home, overlooking the orchard and surrounding views of our 285 acre property.

Your guest wing has its own private entrance and verandah to enjoy the beautiful sunrises and sunsets.

We will only take one booking at a time in the guest wing. Whether you book just the one room or would like to book the three rooms, the guest wing will be yours for your privacy and rest.

All beds have electric blankets.

A portable cot is available if required.

Guest wing facilities include separate bathroom, loungeroom with TV and DVD player. Also private verandah with sauna.

The Self-contained Cottage

Breakfast

A continential breakfast each morning is included in our farmstay charge and can be eaten in the privacy of the guest wing or cottage. Alternatively, you are more than welcome to join our family for this meal.

Continential Breakfast Includes:

* Fresh Homemade Bread with farm honey and jam
* Fresh Farm Eggs
* Cereals or Porridge
* Yoghurt with fruit
* Juice, Tea and Coffee

A full country breakfast can also be supplied upon your request, $20 per adult (children free).

Country Breakfast Includes:

* Fresh Homemade bread with farm honey and jam
* Fresh Farm Eggs
* Cereals or Porridge
* Yoghurt with Fruit
* Bacon, Sausages, Tomatoes, Onions and Mushrooms
* Piklets with your choice of topping
* Juice, Tea and Coffee

Lunch

You are more than welcome to bring along your own provisions for lunch, go into Mudgee to one of the many wineries, cafes or restaurants or if you would like, we are happy to cater for you. $20 per adult, children 2 years and under free. Children 3 years and over $5.00 per child.

Dinner

As our guests, you are welcome to either make your own arrangements to have dinner at one of the local restaurants in Mudgee or our local pub, just 5km away (Thursday to Sunday nights 6 - 8 pm) or join the family for our evening meal at a cost of $40 per adult, $10 per child, free for children 2 years and under.

We promise that you will not be disappointed.

 

When joining our family for dinner, we offer a delightful home cooked meal with a glass of wine or beer, served with homemade bread. Dessert is "Chef's Special of the night" with homemade ice-cream. Tea/coffee port and after dinner mints over an old fashioned game of cards or a board game is always a pleasure.

Special dietry requirements

We are happy to cater to your special dietry requirements. Please let us know your requirements when making your booking.

We invite you to come and taste the peaceful country life we enjoy everyday. Time to just relax and take some time out sitting quietly listening to birds sing while soaking in panoramic views of rolling hills.

If you prefer to be a little bit busier, here are some suggestions of activities close at hand.

On farm

At Ba Mack Homestead we farm 285 acres. Our main focus is to grow fine merino wool and we enjoy introducing you to the delights of our farm.

Our farm dogs enjoy visitors too and you are welcome to meet them. There are also horses, goats, alpaca, chickens, birds and cats to meet and of course there is also our twelve year old pet sheep named "George". This year we have a another very special pet lamb and his name is "Coffee", you are most welcome to help give him a bottle of milk.

You are welcome to walk around our farm and even have a picnic. Children can have a horse led ride, pat and handfeed the friendly animals. Learn how to milk a goat and feed a baby lamb each morning. Enjoy collecting your own chicken eggs and picking fresh fruit from our orchard. Learn how to catch a yabby or fish from our dam.

Children are welcome to join Julie in the kitchen and learn how to bake something yummy for afternoon tea.

Dave loves to take you for a tour around our farm and show you our stock and farming practices.

Please note that some activities are seasonal and will also depend on weather conditions.

In the surrounding district

Mudgee wine tasting, Windeyer gold panning, sofala sight seeing and gold panning, Gulgong Museum, Henry Lawson Centre, Hill End History Hill Museum and old gold mines and gold panning, Mudgee Museum, Burrendong dam, Windamere dam, The Drip, Hands on Rock.

Art galleries, Ferntree Gully, Mudgee Observatory (only 10 mins away), Turon Technology Museum at Sofala, Lue Pottery, Coolah Tops National Park, Wollemi National Park - Dunn Swamp, Munghorn Gap Nature Reserve.

Mudgee speciality shops including Mainly Mudgee Gifts, Whatever, Classic Treasures, Best Creations Leadlight Studio, Mandurah at the Railway.

Other Attractions

The Mudgee Tourist Information website is a great place to find out what's happening in the area, here are a few we think you might be interested in:

Mudgee Wine and Country Tours will take you on a tour around the picturesque villages surrounding Mudgee where you can explore the area's many attractions. Tours for 2 or more people; catering for groups of up to 50 people.

Gold Panning Tours at Hill End - Ted Abbott is an expert on teaching you how to pan for gold, 6337 8251.

Honey Haven - a lovely choice of local honeys, taste testing is provided.

Helicopter Winery Tours and Scenic Flights over Mudgee and Windamere Dam.

Regular Events

Markets - Mudgee
1st Saturday of every month - St Johns Anglican Church
2nd Saturday of every month - Lawson Park
4th Saturday of every month - Mudgee Railway Station

Farmers Markets - Mudgee
3rd Saturday of every month - St Mary's Catholic Church

Miniature Railway
2nd Sunday of every month and each Sunday during the September wine celebration - Cassilis Road

Annual Events

January - Gulgong Folk Festival, Kandos Street Machine and Hot Rod Show

February - Rylstone Show

March - Mudgee Show, Mudgee Short Film Festival, Bylong Mouse Races, Wildwood Jazz, Annual Footcrush Feast at Robert Stein Winery

April - Wings, Wheels and Wine Show

May - Rylstone Colonial Feast

June - Henry Lawson Heritage Festival, Gulgong Gold Cup Races

July - Mudgee Small Farm Field Days

August - Mudgee Marathon

September - Mudgee Wine Festival

October - A Day on the Green

November - Rylstone Street Feast, Huntington Music Festival

For more information on events and local attractions, visit the Mudgee Tourist Information website

We have had many wonderful guests come stay with us, here is what a few of them had to say.....

Peter van der Woude's You Tube - August, 2012

Julie Lee Sye's Blog - July, 2012

Kristin Buesing's Blog - January, 2012

Reviews from guests who booked with us through Stayz

Reviews from Trip Advisor

The Land newspaper ran a feature article on Ba Mack Homestead in their Small Farms liftout.
...Read Article

We made the front page of The Mudgee Guardian when our new train carriage was delivered at the end of June 2012. Plans are to have the carriage renovated and available for accommodation bookings in 2013.
...Read Article

Windeyer is located 300 km north-west of Sydney and 40 km south-west of Mudgee via a sealed road.

From Mudgee Town Clock:  Head towards Gulgong on the Castlereagh Highway for 4km.  Turn left on the Hill End Road (Honey Haven) and continue for 17km.  Turn left on Windeyer Road just over the Grattai Creek at the Grattai CWA Hall.  Ba Mack Homestead is 13.67km on the left hand side of the road (at the top of the hill, just after the steep decent sign) and has a big sign. Look for the red rattler train in our front paddock. If you go too far you will end up at our local pub – have a quick beer if you are thirsty, then turn around and return 5km (at the top of the hill) on right.

If traveling from Sydney and you are interested in a short cut “off the main road” experience – we recommend you take the Aarons Pass Road via Pyramul and Windeyer.  Unless you are a 4 wheel drive enthusiast, it is recommended that you AVOID the Campbells Creek route – which comes up on many GPS systems.