Corporate retreats reimagined at Mona Farm – a HerCanberra road test

Posted on 31 March, 2025

For years, the HerCanberra Team has longingly gazed at the social media feed from the exquisite venue that is Mona Farm near Braidwood, usually when there is a statement wedding or big event on.

We believed our chances of staying there ourselves were fairly slim, until the prospect of a bespoke and intimate corporate retreat was raised. Our hands shot up so quickly we almost gave ourselves whiplash.

The business benefits of corporate retreats are well-established, from fostering creativity to boosting productivity and increasing staff retention over the long term.

24 hours at Mona Farm? We were packed and ready to leave in minutes.

But if you asked each HC team member, we would probably proudly suggest we are already strong in all these areas. We really are a tight-knit group and we really love our jobs, not gonna lie.

However, after just 24 hours at Mona Farm soaking up a specially tailored program, we have reached new levels of interpersonal understanding, ambition, and gratitude that will fuel us for the rest of the year. There is undoubtedly a little extra pep in our step.

The Woolshed, where we did our retreat “work”.

It turns out that not all retreats are created equal.

Once we committed to the retreat, Mona Farm’s Event Planner Paisley Ross looked at our team and came up with an itinerary which both surprised and delighted us.

But before we get into all of that, can we talk about our digs?

Mona Farm is an historic settlement featuring a large homestead and multiple accommodation buildings, stables, a lake, stone bridge, manicured gardens, and a heavenly grove of elm trees that plucks you straight out of your office block and puts you smack-bang in the English countryside.

Built in the 1850s and located just over an hour out of Canberra, the main Georgian manor, grounds and buildings have been upgraded and extended to create an environment that can only be described as breathtaking.

We stayed in the Homestead, where the ceilings stretched beyond three metres, the corridors went on forever, and there was plenty of space for a spectacular array of modern art pieces, which (not that we want to name-drop too much) included Ben Quilty, Isaac Julian, Dale Frank, Janet Laurence, and Guy Maestri. The entire estate is actually a living gallery with more than 50 major acquisitions, from 3D canvases to a sculpture that looks like a bike covered in candle wax but is actually made of marble.

Mona Farm is a living art gallery

Our first agenda item after checking in and picking our jaws off the floor when we saw our rooms was to hit the converted Woolshed for a workshop to look at the team, the business, the bits in which we were doing well, and the areas in which we seek world domination.

Dion, ever the professional workshop host

We had tables, a whiteboard, plasma TV, coffees on tap and a large space to get creative. Of course, it was far more exciting to brainstorm under a vaulted roof and exposed beams with views to a lake than grey office ceiling tiles. And that’s the whole point.

The team, plotting world domination.

Our colleague and workshop leader Dion Pretorius said, “I host a lot of workshops, and the location can make all the difference – as soon as the team stepped out into the gardens, you could see the busy energy of everyone’s day job melt away.

“Being surrounded by the beauty, nature, and birdsong of Mona Farm inspired us to be ready to think outside the box and dream big. We were able to achieve so much thanks to the wonderful backdrop, fresh food, and wonderfully friendly staff.”

Lunch was ridiculously picturesque

Mona Farm makes its beauty a point of difference – replacing breakout rooms with a sweeping lawn and friendly guinea fowl and horseshoe seating plans with actual horses contentedly grazing.

Which brings us to grazing. After our morning session it was time for lunch. We wandered into the sunlight to see a long table nestled between lavender bushes and shade under large umbrellas with platters of Gourmet Traveller front-cover-worthy food whipped up by the two on-site chefs Keira Madeley (executive chef ex-Bimbadgen and Bill’s Darlinghurst) and Poppy Wilson, the pastry chef.

And utterly delicious

We feasted on free-range chicken, dry-brined for 12 hours then trussed and cooked over local timbers on a rotisserie spit, a Provencal Chickpea Salad, a Caesar Salad, a classic potato salad and enormous fluffy rolls of Dojo bread which brings half of Canberra to Braidwood for their carbohydrates.

Even the butter was exemplary – whipped and topped with pink salt.

Sammy and Erin, meet Luna

Our strategy ideas flowed over lunch along with the wine, and then we had an option of a farm tour to meet the photogenic and placid farm animals with estate manager Marcus Lyons, or to go back and soak up our opulent accommodation. Some chose to rest, while others got up close and personal with the resident horses.

At 2 pm we assembled at another long table under the elms to do something we all agreed we had thought about doing but never actually organised – a ceramics class.

Pottery class, al fresco, which, quite frankly, should be mandatory

Under the patient tutelage of Jo Searle from Clay Studio Canberra, we learned the ancient art of forming bowls, vases and platters from clay, adding textures through lace and botanicals. Not only did we find ourselves flex our creative muscles, but it was tremendously therapeutic and bonding. Each individual worked their own identities into their pieces and everything looked incredible.

Jo patiently shared her techniques with us and we produced some fine items (even if we do say so ourselves…)

Rather than be tired by our long day, energy levels remained high as we washed up and reassembled in the garden around a fire pit for champagne and canapés.

Somehow, miraculously, we had hearty appetites (must have been that country air), and the chefs moved into our kitchen to cook up another feast.

There’s nothing like canapés at sunset by a fire

Seated around a long table in the dining room we enjoyed locally sourced lamb with spiced cauliflower, heirloom tomato (grown in the nearby garden) and a crunchy green bean salad. Dessert was an enormous tiramisu, and for our food-obsessed team, it was a memorable meal.

Dinner was delicious, and largely homegrown

Mere mortals would probably head to bed, but we had better things to do. As the chefs prepared a platter of homemade S’mores (yes, homemade marshmallows, biscuits, and a chocolate mousse topping), we made our way outside to a sky blanketed with stars and the expertise of Jervis Bay Stargazing with French-born astrophysicist Dr Dimitri Douchin and his wife Caroline.

Starry starry night led by astrophysicist Dr Dimitri Douchin and his wife Caroline

Standing by the old stone bridge by the lakeshore and using the high-tech power of a telescope and lasers, Dimitri pointed out stars, planets and constellations so that in between toasting our S’mores, we travelled light years away and gazed deep into the craters of the moon.

Even the marshmallows were homemade

It was an awe-inspiring evening that prompted some deep conversations, given we suddenly became acutely aware of our tiny insignificance at that moment in time.

Full of marshmallow and wonder, we headed back to our homestead, where some showered, others bubble-bathed, and a fabulous sleep was had by all.

The next morning, we gathered around the table for emails, morning conference, and cups of tea. Then breakfast was served in the garden, and we sat in silence with the bird call while we decided whether to eat granola or Portuguese tarts, or both, washed down with fresh ginger and lemon shots. The breakfast spread was, unsurprisingly, magazine-worthy, and we couldn’t help but note that we would be significantly more productive in our work if we could be served such a feast every morning.

How we managed to get through this breakfast feast is anyone’s guess, but we did

There was time for some more conversation and reflection before we slowly packed our bags and made our way to our cars. Of course, nobody wanted to leave, but we managed to take a little Mona Farm magic back with us in the form of Poppy’s vegan banana and choc-chip muffins, as well as a stronger sense of camaraderie and some new perspective into the office.

Perhaps the last word goes to our fearless leader, Amanda Whitley, who started the entire HerCanberra empire from her living room 14 years ago.

“As a small business owner, it sometimes seems impossible to take time out of the day-to-day grind to work ON the business. But it’s incredibly important and something I don’t think can be achieved unless you get out of the office environment and away from the lure of the inbox.

Why do we have to come home, like actually?

“Just a little over an hour’s drive away, a 24-hour retreat at Mona Farm was just what the team needed – the perfect blend of time for focussed planning and serious talk, combined with activities that gave our busy brains time to think about other things, and to simply enjoy each other’s company.”

On behalf of the rest of the team, we adored every second, had to keep pinching ourselves while we wandered around in awe, whispering, “is this is our life now?” and can heartily recommend that any bosses planning end-of-financial-year events consider treating their staff to Mona Farm.

This week, back into the swing of things, we are closer, and more grateful, than ever.

The HerCanberra Team stayed as guests of Mona Farm but would move in tomorrow and genuinely had to tone down their enthusiasm in writing this road test. Ten out of ten, no notes.

Photography by Mattia Panunzio.