Retford Park Bowral

A Victorian Italianate homestead in 'Portuguese Pink', built in 1887 by the Hordern family and later home to James Fairfax, who gifted the property to the National Trust in 2016. Thirty hectares of gardens shift through autumn colour, winter snowdrops and spring peonies, dotted with sculpture and dog-friendly on leash. Guided house tours cover the 16th- to 18th-century furniture, art and textiles. Hearth by Moonacres handles lunch.