Your summer just got an upgrade: Why Willinga Park is your new South Coast destination
Posted on
An architecturally designed coastal sanctuary, complete with purpose-built on-site luxury accommodation, state-of-the-art event features, wellness facilities and endless natural beauty…? Where do we sign up?
Welcome to Willinga Park, a 2,300-acre tranquil oasis that makes staying on the South Coast a luxurious occasion. How would I know? Because we held our own HerCanberra retreat there earlier this year – and we didn’t want to come home.
The first thing you notice about Willinga Park on arrival (well, after the impressive entrance gates, the sculptures dotted on manicured hillsides and the dozens of horses happily grazing in their paddocks) is the quiet.
Tucked in coastal hinterland five minutes from the beach in Bawley Point – a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Canberra – Willinga Park serves as an award-winning equestrian centre that regularly hosts landmark events (Australian dressage rider Jayden Brown was selected for the 2024 Australian Olympic team on Willinga Park-owned horse Quincy B.), a function centre and a fresh accommodation option for families and couples seeking a South Coast getaway.
After an afternoon of strategy and forward planning in Willinga Park’s state-of-the-art function centre, the HerCanberra team checked into our Pavilions – striking two-bedroom self-contained accommodation built at the top of a hill and boasting sweeping views.
Sleek and modern, the Pavilions have been built with visitors of all sorts in mind, with spacious common areas, kitchenettes, and two bedrooms – each with a large ensuite. A generous balcony extends along the front of the Pavilions, allowing you to dine outdoors or relax in the afternoon sun, looking out at gently sloping lawns, horse paddocks and the mountains beyond.
Before dinner, we indulged in a Campfire Experience, one of the tailored experiences on offer. Stretching out next to the heated swimming pool around a roaring campfire we were served a platter groaning with charcuterie and cheeses and a selection of premium wines from Willinga Park’s extensive list. As the sun went down, we sipped our wine, watched the flames and listened to the cicadas, the smell of the ocean drifting to us on the breeze.
This emphasis on quiet luxury makes sense when you learn that Willinga Park is the brainchild of the late Terry Snow, the businessman, philanthropist and equestrian enthusiast who founded Canberra Airport Group and was lauded for balancing form and function with art and design in all his projects – just look at the plethora of sculptures on display at Canberra International Airport or around Denman Prospect.
Willinga Park is a seamless extension of Terry’s legacy, with soaring architectural shapes married with striking materials like copper, steel and glass and a love of art apparent everywhere – nowhere more so than in the Grand Prix Lounge, which feels more like the reception room of a luxurious mansion than an event space.
With triple-height ceilings and the appearance of a gallery, The Grand Prix Lounge’s long dining table is bookended by a lounge with an open fireplace (for your pre-dinner wine, of course) and a hidden kitchen where a private chef will prepare your three-course meal, with staff ready to drive you back to your Pavilion once you’re finished. If it sounds like heaven, that’s because it is.
The next day I woke up in time for a sunrise swim in the pool joined by the entire HerCanberra team (just kidding, I was alone). If the pool isn’t for you, you can also check out Willinga Park’s full gym facilities, book a yoga session on the beach or even a local guide to lead a nearby mountain hike. Bawley Point’s cafes and beaches are a five-minute drive away and the Willinga Park team are ready and waiting to tailor a range of enrichment and wellness experiences for your stay – just ask.
The Pavilions.
After a morning planning session to finish off our retreat, we toured Willinga Park’s Botanic Gardens – there are, in fact, 10 hectares of the property that have been carefully landscaped to showcase stunning Australian natural beauty – then poured our relaxed bodies back into the car, ready to head home.
Ready to experience the South Coast like never before?
The friendly team at Willinga Park is ready to help. See willingapark.com.au or call 4405 5666.
