Discover the ultimate country getaway just over Canberra's border

Imagine going away to a holiday home every weekend, driving less than an hour and having enough room for everyone in the family to invite four friends each.

The weekend is spent soaking up the fresh country air, cooking in a gigantic kitchen, and exploring 50 hectares of bush teeming with curious native wildlife.

This has been the reality for Jess and Ant Arena, co-owners of Canberra’s Lala Hospitality Group.

Every weekend they would take off with their three children to their Blakley Ridge estate in Gundaroo and decompress from their busy lives in absolute privacy – without a neighbour in sight.

The original owners built the property in the 1970s to run corporate retreats. The Boolgana Conference Centre, as it was named, featured a 25-bed bunk house, a kitchen that could feed 40 people, and a conference room.

These features appealed to the Arenas when they bought it in 2022 as the unique amenities allowed them the luxury of being able to host large groups for relaxing breaks away in the country.

Jess says she celebrated a milestone birthday here, with 40 people sleeping over.

“It’s pretty hard to find a house where you can have multiple families [stay] and everyone has their own bed,” she says.

But, she adds, “we can have a really fun weekend out there on our own, which is special”.

In 2023, the couple spent six months converting the dated conference retreat into a stunning modern house by opening up the layout and transforming the interiors with bespoke finishes.

They did all of the design work themselves, drawing on their experience of building a number of hospitality venues.

“We went with a really classic colour palette … in keeping with the country surroundings but still with modern touches,” Jess says.

“Getting trades to a rural area can sometimes be difficult but we were really lucky that we had good people who were happy to come out so everything went fairly smoothly.”

Moving the kitchen configuration to the front was a clever move, as it is now part of the open-plan flow and also offers gorgeous view of the dams and paddocks.

Here, stunning natural dolomite benchtops are paired with dark-toned cabinetry and gold accents, while natural-hued timber flooring flows underfoot.

A large matching feature wall housing a wood-burning fireplace sits opposite, helping to zone the dining and living spaces, which enjoy easy access to the 200-square-metre travertine-paved terrace.

In the 25-bed bunk room, other than repainting over the lavender walls they decided to leave the enormous sleepover room as is.

“Mainly, we kept it because it’s … the ultimate kid’s play area,” Jess says. “It’s got a sunken lounge and its own bathroom. Our kids have dance parties and all sorts of fun in there.”

Now listed on Airbnb, the retreat costs $2000 a night on average, depending on the season, and has attracted multigenerational bookings.

“We’ve had inquiries for weddings and predominantly multifamily group bookings,” Jess says.

In the evenings, choosing a bottle of wine from the cellar and enjoying a glass on the external deck overlooking the surrounding nature is a favoured pastime.

“The stars are incredible and the land is beautiful,” Jess says. “The sunsets are amazing.”

Auction 24/11/24

840 Marked Tree Road, Gundaroo NSW 2620

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Guests can enjoy the games room – which is currently set up for table tennis – go bushwalking or ride bikes along the 3.5-kilometre custom-made track.

Trail builders from Iconic Trails in Canberra used drones to map out the terrain. As an active family, the Arenas wanted to maximise their use of the bush without getting lost.

“It’s a great way to get the kids out into nature,” Jess says.

Semi-regular slashing maintains half the property – a mix of flat grazing land and elevated bush – while kangaroos take care of the rest.

Being a weekender, the family did not keep animals, but there are paddocks and horse wash bays. The property includes rainwater tanks holding 165,000 litres.

Blakley Ridge sits about 40 minutes from Canberra Airport or the city centre, and about two and a half hours from Sydney.

Its position less than 10 minutes from Gundaroo Village is a bonus, with the township’s award-winning Grazing restaurant a drawcard for visitors from NSW and Canberra.

Jess says they did not intend to sell the property but they may be moving overseas.

The sleepover bunkhouse will be missed.

“Our kids love it,” she says. “They’ve got their own bedrooms, but they still choose to sleep in the bunk. It’s been way more fun.”

The property is set to go to auction at 5pm on September 2.