April last year, after the 1st lockdown in Sydney due to the serious spread of the COVID-19, everything was opened back to normal and the government encouraged people to go support small businesses. For that reason we decided to spend the weekend hunting for autumn vibes in the Blue Mountains Area. The place is called Mayfield Garden, this private land belongs to the Hawkins family.
Originally, the site was a sheep farm, then one member in the Hawkins family whose name Garrick Hawkins started transforming it into a small garden in 1984. We were really impressed with a lot of hard work and efforts the landscaper had put in to build a beautiful garden that has attracted many visitors every year.
It took us 2.5 hours to drive from Sydney to Mayfield garden, that was the peak season when they started the Autumn Festival so the ticket was a bit pricey (35$ per person), normal price is around 20$. A friendly old man gave us a map and informed us that if we want to see the whole place which is 160 acres, it may take up to 5 hours, so we should make sure we return before 4.30 since they close at 5.
There is the Mayfield Cafe’ right at the entrance as I heard that they serve the vegetables from their own garden-bed or handpicked from local partners. We ordered the woodfired pizza and green juices which were both pretty good and fresh.
We were surrounded by gorgeous red and yellow leaves, which gave us the best autumn vibes I couldn't find in the city where I was living. Numerous deciduous trees can be found there, although they are still not that big, but I believe in 10-15 years, it’s gonna turn into a maleficent garden. It's a lovely large garden with plenty of space for many people to walk comfortably. There are many corners in the garden to enjoy a picnic or even for camping overnight, perfect for the family with kids. The majority of bridges, streams and lakes have been constructed man-made. As we look at that, we admire their dedication to creating such a beautiful and expansive garden.
The view from Mayfield's highest point are breathtaking, especially from its northern side looking down to the water garden. From the cascade we walk downward to the temple by foot, unfortunately, the water stream was off and the temple was closed at that time so we couldn’t explore much
We missed out on one of the special features of the Mayfield Gardens, the maze, and regret most that we didn't make it, because I was worried that we'd get lost, and by that time we needed to head back for our dinner with family.
Thank you for spending time on my post! Love!