Winter Getaway: Blue Gum Country Estate – The majestic location

June has been a bit of a roller coaster ride with everything that has transpired. As a family, we definitely needed a well deserved break to unwind, recap and connect. When the owners, Anton and his wife Tarryn of Blue Gum Country Estate approached me with the offer of a 1-night stay, Stanford became our destination of choice. It was the ideal place to escape to. Stanford is just 2 hours drive from Cape Town but with so much to offer.

Just outside Hermanus, situated in a hidden valley on the Klein River near the small town of Stanford. This beautiful estate is nestled by ancient Blue gum trees. The estate is a working wine and olive farm dating back to 1839, and a well establish private, family-run guest house.

This beautiful tranquil retreat is the perfect location for a couple’s retreat, family getaway or a wedding venue. With its majestic surroundings this little paradise offers a unique rustic yet sophisticated Overberg experience.

Blue Gum Country Estate pride themselves on offering a service of high standard.  Welcomed by the owner Anton, his wife Tarryn and their friendly staff who were helpful and accommodating. The staff’s hospitality and attention to detail was impeccable. Rooms were serviced daily from 08h30. This made our experience wonderful and our stay memorable.

The estate offers 13 beautiful rooms that are all different; each with its own unique decor style ranging from African-Colonial to English country. The main focus is on style, luxury, quality and comfort. Some rooms are more spacious and others more family-friendly. Most have fireplaces for those cold winter nights. Each room has its own private bathroom with bath and shower. It also has a private veranda that opens up to breath taking views of the olive groves, vineyards, extensive gardens and Klein River mountains.

We stayed in the Mountain View Family Cottage which was spacious, cozy and ideal for a family of four. Decorated in soft green earthy tones which give it that English country feel. The burning fireplace kept us warm during the cold evening.

Our cottage was situated close to the restaurant and kids play are, making it the perfect choice of accommodation for us. As a kid-friendly estate, the focus is to make kids feel welcome, comfortable and settled in. Baby sitting facilities are also available on request.

The BARKE restaurant serves a scrumptious breakfast daily from 08h30 – 10h30, this time allows guests to sleep in a little longer. Served both as Continental and hot English breakfast.

A light set lunch is served from 12h00 – 14h30 in the afternoon. The delicious chicken wrap and side salad comes highly recommended. Afternoon tea with coffee and a selection of teas served with lovely buttery scones and biscotti biscuits is available in the main lounge area from 15h00 in the afternoon.  BARKE also serves a family dinner with delicious cuisine from 18h00 – 22h00. The Blue Gum restaurant offers a fine dining experience from 19h00 for adults only.

Thankfully today the weather was sunnier after experiencing heavy rains for the past few days, so we headed outdoors. We enjoyed a walk in the vineyards and exploring the landscapes.

From there we took a short hike up the mountain trail which was led by the one of the estate’s Border Collies, Sky. Sky is so intelligent, affectionate and obedient. He made sure we were on the right track.

The walk was refreshing and although this time we didn’t spot any baboons or rhebok when we walked, we explored the flora. The mountain is a thriving habitat for many fynbos plant species.

There is a swimming pool which is magnificent for those hot summer days. However in winter, you can play a game of tennis as the estate has a huge tennis court or a round of boules on the boule court. Or if you want peace and quiet, wonder around the lush green gardens on the estate and take in the beauty.

Better yet, the main lounge has an extensive library and a selection of board games to choose from. Which leaves something to do for everyone. There you would also find a fully licenced bar and a wine cellar.

Besides the herd of cattle that is grazing the green grass; the outskirts of the estate are also inhabited by various animals.

A troop of baboons live in the nearby mountains, a single male Caracal also roams the mountains. You can spot the Cape Hare early morning and late evenings. And if you lucky you can also spot Porcupines, Klipsringe and Grey Rhebok.

Outside of the estate guests can visit neighbouring wine estates, go for craft beer tasting at Birkenhead Brewery, whale watching in Hermanus or for those who are more adventurous, shark cage diving in Gansbaai.

For the perfect winter breakaway in the country side to get some much needed fresh air from the city life, experience stargazing or magical sunsets; then Blue Gum Country Estate is the place to visit.

Blue Gum Country Estate is currently running a fantastic MIDWEEK WINTER SPECIAL and  WINTER WEEKEND SPECIAL Family.

If I could summarize our stay at Blue Gum Country Estate in one word, it would be “rejuvenating“.  This was a breakaway we needed to get away from the hustle and bustle of life.

Thank you Blue Gum for having us, we will surely be visiting your beautiful estate again in the near future!

*Disclaimer: This post was a trade exchange but the views expressed is that of my own.