Luxury Farm Stay with Goats, Sheep, Hens, Firepit, & Eggs near Terrigal Beach

Award-winning hosts. A brand-new, off-grid luxury farmstay with a hands-on Farm Safari – just 10 minutes from Terrigal beach.

WELCOME TO THE FARM
Drive over the wooden twin bridges and wind slowly down Wattle Tree Road, where the gums close in overhead and the light turns soft and green. As our gate swings open, you'll hear it before you see it: the cluck and chatter of hens, the bleat of a curious goat, and Lumière, our cheeky rooster, announcing your arrival to the whole valley.

Welcome to The Spotty Dog at Ferncroft – a brand-new, off-grid luxury cottage set on a much-loved hobby farm in the peaceful Matcham/Holgate valley. Here, you don't just look at the farm. You become part of it.

THE FARM SAFARI
This is the heart of a stay at The Spotty Dog – and the part you'll remember long after you've gone home.

Pull on your boots and join us at feeding time for our Farm Safari. We'll introduce you to every animal by name – then hand you the feed. Watch the goats come trotting over, nudging your hands and bleating for their breakfast, then feel soft noses and whiskery chins as they eat straight from your palm. The sheep follow close behind, a little shyer at first, until they realise who's holding the treats.

Then the egg hunt is all yours. Wander into the paddock whenever you like, meet The Feather Dusters – our flock of busy, chatty hens – as they scratch and fuss around your feet, and discover the day's treasure: warm, freshly laid eggs, still speckled with straw. There's something wonderfully simple about carrying your own eggs back to the cottage for breakfast.

And then there's Babette, our gentle bunny – the quiet star of the farm, and guaranteed to steal at least one heart per visit.

Along the way, you'll hear the stories behind each animal, their names and their quirks (some of the goats are real characters!). Whether you're five or fifty-five, it's a joyful, hands-on taste of real farm life you'll never get in the city.

A DAY AT THE SPOTTY DOG
6:30am – Lumière crows the valley awake. Roll over, or open the curtains to mist lifting off the paddocks and dappled light through the gums.

8:00am – Coffee in hand, step out onto dew-soaked grass and join us at feeding time. Hand-feed the goats, meet the sheep and say good morning to Babette – then head into the paddock to collect your eggs.

9:30am – Fresh eggs for breakfast at the sunny dining table, while the hens wander past the window.

11:00am – Head 10 minutes down the road to Terrigal for an ocean swim, a coastal walk along the boardwalk and lunch by the water.

3:00pm – Back to the valley for a game of tennis or pickleball on our court among the gums – or a long, lazy afternoon with a book and absolutely nowhere to be.

6:00pm – Fire up the BBQ as the light turns golden and the animals settle for the night.

8:00pm – Gather around the fire pit. Toast marshmallows, pour a glass of wine, and watch the stars appear in their thousands above the valley.

YOUR COTTAGE
After a day of farm life and fresh air, come home to pure comfort. The cottage is brand new and beautifully styled: light-filled rooms, warm timber, soft natural textures and quality finishes. Wide glass doors open onto the lawn, so the farm is always just outside.

Two serene bedrooms are made for deep, country-quiet sleep, with hotel-quality linen, premium bedding, plush robes and soft lamplight. Leave the curtains open and wake to dappled morning light, birdsong and the gentle sounds of the farm stirring outside your window.

The lounge invites you to curl up on the deep, sink-in sofa with a book, a cup of tea and a soft throw, while a shelf of board games waits for slow evenings in. The sunny dining nook is made for long breakfasts, lazy lunches and late-night card games – and every corner has been thoughtfully styled so you can simply arrive, exhale and settle in.

A WEEKEND TO REMEMBER
Friday – Arrive as the afternoon light turns golden. Drop your bags, pour a drink and wander down to say hello to the goats before the fire pit is lit for your first starry night.

Saturday – Wake to Lumière's call, join us at feeding time and collect warm eggs for breakfast. Spend the late morning at Terrigal – swim, stroll the boardwalk, lunch by the water – then come home for tennis or pickleball among the gums, a BBQ dinner and marshmallows by the fire.

Sunday – Sleep in. Linger over coffee in the sun. One last visit to the paddock to say goodbye (the goats will insist), and leave feeling lighter, calmer and already planning your return.

UNPLUGGED, BY DESIGN
There is no TV here – intentionally. Without the screens, evenings become conversations, games and stargazing, and sleep comes deeper and easier.

There is no oven or stove – also by design. Our kitchenette is set up for easy breakfasts (your freshly collected eggs!), snacks and warm-ups, and the BBQ is ready for relaxed dinners outdoors. Or let the cafés and restaurants of Terrigal and Erina take care of you, just minutes away. No meal planning, no pile of pots – just time off.

The property is off-grid – solar-powered and rainwater-fed – inviting a gentler rhythm: rising with the rooster, slowing with the sunset.

A TRUE RESET
Everything here has been designed to slow you down. With no screens, no cooking and no to-do list, the days take on a gentler shape. Walk barefoot on the grass. Sit beneath the gums and simply listen. Spend quiet time with the animals – one of the simplest, most joyful ways to be fully present. Read the book you've been meaning to finish. Nap in the afternoon sun. Talk late into the night by the fire. This is a place to breathe more deeply, think more clearly and feel more like yourself again.

PLAY, EXPLORE, UNWIND
- Tennis, pickleball or a sunrise workout on our on-site court, set among towering gums
- Quiet forest walks through the Matcham/Holgate valley
- Fire pit evenings with marshmallows and starry skies
- BBQ dinners under the trees
- Terrigal's beaches, boardwalk, cafés and restaurants just 10 minutes away
- The wider Central Coast – beaches, lookouts, national parks and local produce – on your doorstep

THE BEST OF THE BUSH, NEAR THE BEACH
Morning in the paddock with the goats. Afternoon on the sand at Terrigal. Evening by the fire under the stars. It's the rare kind of getaway where you get the farm, the bush and the beach – all in a single day, and all only around 90 minutes from Sydney.

THROUGH THE SEASONS
Spring – Soft sunshine, birdsong at full volume and the farm buzzing with life.
Summer – Long golden evenings, beach days in Terrigal and warm nights under the stars.
Autumn – Crisp mornings, mild sunny days and the very best fire-pit weather.
Winter – Misty valley mornings, cosy evenings in, and fireside nights wrapped in a blanket with a glass of red.
Whatever the season, there's always something to feed, something to collect and somewhere beautiful to unwind.

EXPLORE THE CENTRAL COAST
Terrigal is just 10 minutes away, with its golden beach, boardwalk, cafés, restaurants and coastal walks. Erina's shops and dining are minutes from the gate, and the wider Central Coast offers beaches, lookouts, national parks, markets and local produce to discover. Explore as much – or as little – as you like, knowing the farm and the fire pit are waiting when you return.

YOUR HOSTS
We live on site, in a separate home away from the cottage, so you enjoy complete privacy and independence – with friendly hosts close by to welcome you at feeding time, share local tips and help with anything you need. Join us with the animals as often as you like, or simply enjoy the farm at your own pace.

LIVING GENTLY ON THE LAND
We rely on rainfall and the occasional water tanker, so during dry spring and summer spells our grounds may look a little less manicured, as we cannot irrigate. We treasure every drop and kindly ask our guests to do the same.

PERFECT FOR
- Couples craving a romantic, unplugged escape
- Families wanting their kids to feed real farm animals and collect eggs
- Friends and girls' getaways with fresh air, laughter and firelight
- Tennis and pickleball weekends
- Midweek resets and slow-living, digital-detox retreats

GOOD TO KNOW
- Brand-new, two-bedroom private cottage
- Hands-on Farm Safari: join us at feeding time, hand-feed the goats and meet every animal
- Collect your own fresh eggs from the paddock during your stay
- Friendly goats, sheep, hens, Lumière the rooster and Babette the bunny
- Hotel-quality linen, premium bedding and plush robes
- No TV and no oven or stove – intentionally, for true rest
- Kitchenette for breakfasts, snacks and warm-ups, plus an outdoor BBQ
- On-site court for tennis, pickleball and fitness
- Outdoor fire pit
- Off-grid: solar-powered and rainwater-fed
- Hosts live on site in a separate home
- 10 minutes to Terrigal beaches, approx. 90 minutes from Sydney

YOUR FARM ESCAPE IS WAITING
Boots in the dewy grass. Warm eggs in your hands. Goats nuzzling for breakfast. Firelight and stars at the end of the day – and the beach just down the road.

Whether it's a romantic weekend, a family farm adventure, a girls' getaway or a quiet midweek reset, The Spotty Dog was created for guests who want to reconnect – with nature, with each other and with themselves.

Choose your dates and book your farm stay now. The goats are already waiting at the gate.