Gathered Reading Retreat at Bendooley Estate

Overview

Finding the time (and mental space) to turn more than just a couple of pages of your novel before bed seems to be getting harder. But an upcoming experience at the Bendooley Estate — a verdant cellar door and home to the Berkelouw Book Barn, one of Australia's most impressive book shops — is looking to offer guests all the peaceful solitude they require to get fully immersed in a good read.

Held from Friday, July 3–Monday, July 6, this pictorial location 90 minutes from Sydney CBD will become your home of literature, wine and serene Highlands landscapes for the Gathered Reading Retreat. Settling in with champagne and cocktails, you'll also enjoy dinner in the estate's grand, refurbished dining room, no doubt chatting about your favourite reads with your fellow guests.

Following an unhurried breakfast, the next morning belongs to you and your book — just choose one of seemingly countless reading nooks in and around the property. Later, there are organised lunch reservations, chef-led dinners and activities that introduce the charming Bowral and Berrima communities. That said, you're also welcome to stay on the grounds and get entirely lost in a great page-turner.

With this sprawling 200-acre estate home to three distinct venues, guests can choose to sleep in the Homestead, or a short stroll away at The Loft and The Lake House. And with the retreat kept deliberately small in terms of guest numbers and itinerary inclusions, the idea is that everything is optional yet reading time is guaranteed.

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Images: Supplied.