If you know me, you’d know I love plants, flowers and all things nature. My favourite flower is lavender, for the beauty of it as well as the calming effect it has on anxiety and sleep. I love how nature can have so many health benefits for those looking for a more simple and natural living. So when I heard there was a lavender farm near me that would soon be out of season, I had to go! And I had to drag my friends along with me of course!
How Did It Start?
Hunter Lavender Farm is a family-owned farm by a husband and wife who grew up in the country. After years of Sydney’s “hustle and bustle” Marianne and JR wanted to move back to this calming atmosphere, and set up their relaxing lavender farm in Broke, Hunter Valley. They use organic methods of farming so that this business doesn’t cause negative effects on the environment, while producing great quality lavender and lavender scented products! Their online store is open all year round, and during the lavender season you can actually visit the farm to see the amazing floral fields!
Farm Day Anyone?
The farm itself was very picturesque, even when we first arrived before getting up close to the rows and rows of lavender. But then again, I love farms so it’s not surprising that I loved the view. We walked up to this little shed-type thing (aka the entry, café and gift shop for the farm) and bought our tickets. We were given a map of the farm to find our way around the different fields and buildings, as well as stamping each station as we went so that we could get a prize at the end!
As soon as we stepped out into the fields, you were hit with the most amazing scent of natural lavender! I’m not sure what I was expecting, but the flowers were pretty low to the ground, unlike wheat or cornfields. They were still beautiful though, and full of life! We followed the map down to the farm’s friendly bee hive for our first stamp. I think it’s a great idea for Hunter Lavender Farm to also house bees, now more than ever with the declining bee population. More farms should definitely try this out!
We kept walking until we were at the first lavender field. Of course, we had to stop and take a mini photo shoot before moving on. The photos actually came out looking so good for ones taken on our phones! I’ve never been one to like the way I look in photos, but since starting this blog and forcing myself to become the subject in many of my photos, I’ve realised I can actually look lovely when I’m not stressed out by the camera. As vain as that may sound. It has also really helped to have such loving and supportive friends, as well as a partner who will find the beauty in me even when I feel ugly.
There were a few other activities around the farm to explore and check off our stamp collection, like the Lavender Labyrinth and the Serenity Square. I’m sure you can guess what the Lavender Labyrinth is, a winding path made up of lavender rows as the borders with a stand to stamp off your sheet in the middle. The Serenity Square is a beautiful place to sit and relax, talk, eat, drink or do whatever you feel like doing to be happy in the moment. And with the amazing views and surroundings from the farm, it’s a perfect place for such!
So now onto the Farm Shop and Distillery! Now that we had gone around the entire farm to collect our stamps, we were given our prize of a lavender lolly each. I didn’t think lavender would taste good but it was actually a nice complement in a sweet treat! I like to try as much as possible when I visit places like these to get the full experience, so I also bought a lavender lemonade from the distillery. And it was amazing! Again, I never thought lavender could taste this good! I know I’ve technically already bought something from the distillery, but I wanted to take something home with me as well. Especially since I love the smell of lavender. It was a little difficult to choose something though, since everything smelt so good and looked so cute! But I finally settled on a bar of lavender and calendula soap and a lavender-scented heat pack. I’m really trying to work on self-care lately, so I’m hoping this will help.
Sadly, that’s another season of Hunter Lavender Farm come to an end. My friends and I walked back to the car, said a friendly “Moo!” to the neighbouring cows, and left with lifted spirits. After this visit, I’m really hoping to see more farms and similar places, particularly ones that value the environment. There’s just something about these places, especially when you visit with those special people like your friends, that heals something that has been hurting for a while. I guess this will be my new therapy.
All photos in this post were taken by me and my friends.
For more information about Hunter Lavender Farm and their upcoming season, visit https://hunterlavenderfarm.com.au/
The Travel Journal 
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