Best Group Holiday Getaways In NSW

There's nothing like stealing some time for a weekend break, loading the kids in the car and leaving the city behind, but what's even better than a little family getaway is a super-sized one! While we love quality time with our own pack, sometimes you need to call in reinforcements. Taking a trip with a group of family or friends keeps the kids happy with lots of mates to play with, you can socialise with other grown-ups and it's so much fun. Plus, you can split the cost of some amazing, upscale accommodation. So pack up your troubles in your old kit bag and wrangle your tribe for one of these group getaways.

Bilpin Country Lodge

Charlie Brown the Shetland pony, Ollie the goat and Denton the Alpaca are just a few of the friends at Bilpin Country Lodge. This true farmstay experience generously accommodates 20 people, surrounded by paddocks of grazing sheep and cows, orchards full of fruit and chickens laying fresh eggs every day. You’ll feel a million miles from the city - but it’s only a 90-minute drive!

Set on ten acres in the lush Blue Mountains, the property is set up for families and packed with fun ways to connect with the breathtaking natural surrounds, including canoeing, bushwalks, swimming, catching yabbies and visiting the farm animals. To keep kids entertained while you soak up the serenity, there’s a playground, table tennis, trampoline, basketball and pool table. Breakfast is included and staples like tea, coffee, hot chocolate and soup are supplied, plus there is a huge kitchen and a BBQ on the verandah. There are also novel additions like a giant spa and open fire.

If you are keen to get touristy, you can venture out and explore all the Blue Mountains attractions.

Sleeps: Up to 20 guests
Location: Bilpin
Price: Whole lodge from $1150 per night for 10-13 guests

Cadogan Country House

Roasting marshmallows under the starry skies. Seeing kangaroos at sunrise. Even witness a calf being born. Country escapes are made of this. In the Central Tablelands of NSW, about three and a half-hour drive from Sydney, Cadogan Country House is a modern retreat surrounded by a whopping 2500 acres of farmland. 

Perfect for groups and families, the house boasts extensive indoor and outdoor entertaining areas and five queen bedrooms with ensuites (and the bathrooms have underfloor heating!) The newly renovated house is equipped with lots of nice mod cons including air-conditioning and Smeg appliances, ​and lots of cosy added touches like a coffee machine and pods, local wine on arrival, Netflix and an open fireplace. To make the most of the unique natural surroundings, there is a large entertaining deck, landscaped gardens, outdoor fire pit and their fabulous feature hedge maze for kids to get lost in! A complimentary farm tour is available to those who are interested during their stay. 

Sleeps: 10 guests
Location: Bathurst Orange Region
Price: From $990 per night minimum 2-night stay

Bundara Homestead

Live out all your Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara fantasies at this stunning property that looks straight out of a scene from Gone with the Wind. Located in Berry, the cute, historic village on the NSW South Coast, about 2 hours from Sydney, Bundara Homestead is an epic estate that accommodates up to 20 people. Set on 14 acres of land, with landscaped gardens, and two dams it’s a dreamy place to get away. 

The pinnacle property of Bundara Farm, the Homestead is a huge, three-storey house with hotel-quality bedrooms and ample facilities in the kitchen - it has two ovens, two fridges and two dishwashers! Plus there’s espresso and pod coffee machines, loads of handy appliances and a barbeque. The generous dining room inside the homestead is the perfect place to bring everyone together, but it’s hard to resist the alfresco dining options at The Long Table, an exotic vine-covered area, and The Stables, for a more rustic vibe. There are several living areas to ensure you won’t be stepping on each other’s toes! There’s a huge open fireplace, a games table and a large TV, a huge games room with billiards table tennis tables. Soak up the ambient country atmosphere on the large verandah and let the kids run wild through the grounds relishing the wide, open spaces. 

Got too many friends? There are two neighbouring cottages you can book in addition to the Homestead.

Sleeps: Up to 20 guests
Location: Berry
Price: $2,200 per night

Hunter Moon Country House

You can count on the Hunter to get some quality goodies thrown in and Hunter Moon Country House will not disappoint. The Hunter Valley is a top spot for a fun, group getaway, and the lure of complimentary wine, olive oil and artisan soaps from local artisans is just the beginning. Set against striking views of the Brokenback Mountain range and neighbouring boutique vineyards and olive farms, this serene 25-acre property, around a two hour from Sydney, sleeps up to 23 people.

There are eight hotel-standard bedrooms, six bathrooms and a well-stocked kitchen with two Coffee Pod machines, and everything you else would need to cook up a storm. The spacious house also has your tech cravings catered for in its a fully-equipped media room. You’ll find Foxtel and Netflix, Xbox, a stereo and Bluetooth sound system (party time!), CD’s and DVDs and free WiFi. If it’s a digital detox your after there are books, games magazines and a cosy fireplace. There’s loads of living and dining space and a BBQ but the clincher has got to be the huge 10 person spa bath and the expansive deck.

The large lawn surrounded by beautiful gardens and views to mountains and paddocks is great for group games, yoga or cricket, and Hunter Moon looks over tranquil dam full of water lilies and wildlife where kids can kayak. You can also try fishing or paddling out in Wollembi Creek. There’s a sensory garden which is home to a collection of extraordinary plants that you can touch, smell, feel and eat and the heavenly aroma of roses, lavender, gardenias, oranges, mandarins, cumquats and rosemary lingers in the air. Look out for horses, kangaroos and wombats roaming the property too. Of course, if you can drag yourself away from the ambience of the estate, you are only a stone’s throw from some of the best wine and food purveyors in NSW!

Sleeps: 16 to 23 guests
Location: Broke, Hunter Valley
Price: From $1,200 per night

The Residence

For a super stylish getaway with everything you could possibly want, this is the residence. A holiday haven on the NSW Central Coast, only an hour from Sydney, The Residence offers a luxurious retreat experience for up to17 guests. This immaculate house is tucked away in the beautiful hinterland, so it’s secluded and serene and there's plenty of room to play. There are five acres of lush gardens to meander through and lull you into a perfect weekend escape, plus a fish pond, outdoor fire-pit, horse paddocks and stables. If you get that active urge, there’s a championship-size tennis court, and an In-ground swimming pool with heated spa, a games room, and lots of space for entertaining. This is a house of wonder and has everything you need inside and out with six bedrooms, four bathrooms Foxtel, Netflix, PlayStation and Wifi, a fireplace and more.

For relaxation and recreation this stunning holiday sanctuary, surrounded by nature and bursting with colourful flowers and rustic charm, has it all covered. Plus Terrigal and the Central Coast’s largest shopping centre, are only minutes away.

Sleeps: Up to 17 guests
Location: Matcham, Central Coast
Price: On Application

Lake David

This classic country estate combines old-world charm with modern touches for a luxury retreat on the NSW South Coast. Set on 40 acres on Lake Yarrunga, and surrounded by bushland and breathtaking views, this little slice of paradise will have you and 17 of your closest friends and family rested and recharged in no time. 

With rooms for up to 18 guests, 6 bathrooms, a huge chef's kitchen with 2 ovens and 3 fridges, Lake David is an impressive residence that makes group travelling easy!  The dining room has a long table so you can all come together to celebrate your epic weekender!  Outside, there is a full-size tennis court, solar heated swimming pool and jacuzzi. You can head to the lake for a kayak down to the lake for a paddle, or retreat to the games room for some friendly pool or table tennis competition. Keep your eyes peeled for visiting wildlife - kids will love spotting kangaroos, wombats, echidnas and native birds around the property.

Sleeps: Up to 18 guests
Location: Kangaroo Valley, South Coast
Price: From $5,500 for 3 nights

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