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★4.9 · 24 reviews

RegenerativeLivestockSoil

Ironbark Ridge

Hunter Valley, NSW · 2h from Sydney

★4.9

Ironbark Ridge is a 340-acre working property in the Hunter Valley run by Tom and Bec Reilly — a former agronomist and a regenerative grazing consultant who left professional services a decade ago to farm this land.

Your stay here is structured, but unhurried. You'll spend your days alongside Tom across cattle rotation, soil health observation and land management — with Bec involved in evening conversations about what drew them here and what the transition actually looked like.

The accommodation is premium. The food is exceptional. The evenings are exactly what you'd hope for — honest, unhurried conversation with people already living the life you're curious about.

This is not a course. It is not a challenge. It is a restorative, real-world exposure to a different rhythm of life — with no pressure to decide anything while you're here.

Duration

4 nights (Thu–Mon)

Group size

Up to 6 guests

Location

Hunter Valley, NSW

Accommodation

Private cabin, on-site

Experience required

None — just curiosity

Physical level

Light to moderate

What you'll explore

Regenerative Agriculture

Soil health monitoring, regenerative grazing principles, land management observation alongside Tom.

Livestock Management

Cattle rotation, paddock management and the daily rhythms of working with livestock on a large property.

Soil & Land Care

Understanding soil health, compaction, water retention and the foundations of caring for productive land.

Everything included in your stay

Premium private cabin accommodation (4 nights)

All meals — breakfast, lunch and dinner prepared on-property

Guided time with Tom and Bec across all disciplines

Evening shared meals and open conversation sessions

All PPE and work gear provided on-site

Pre-arrival information pack and what-to-bring guide

Post-stay debrief session with the Away team

Access to Away alumni network after your stay

Not included

Travel to and from the property

Personal items and toiletries

Alcohol (BYO permitted)

Tom & Bec Reilly

Regenerative Graziers · Hunter Valley, NSW

Tom spent 15 years as an agronomist in agribusiness before buying Ironbark Ridge in 2014. Bec came from management consulting. Between them they've built one of the most respected regenerative grazing operations in the Hunter Valley — and they talk openly and honestly about every part of the transition, including what was hard.

12 Away cohorts hosted4.9 average rating340 acres

"We don't try to sell people on this life. We just show them what it actually is — the good days and the hard ones. The best thing we can do is give someone an honest experience and let them decide."

— Tom Reilly, Ironbark Ridge

4.9

★★★★★

24 reviews

Experience

4.9

Accommodation

4.7

Food

5.0

Practitioners

5.0

Sarah M.

June 2025 · Former Senior Analyst

★★★★★

I'd been in financial services for eighteen years. What I needed was a week with my hands in the soil. Tom and Bec don't sell you on anything — they just show you what the life actually is. By day three something shifted that no workshop ever could have moved.

James T.

April 2025 · Former Project Manager

★★★★★

My company sent me here as part of my redundancy package. I went in sceptical. The evenings were as important as the days — sitting around the table hearing Tom and Bec talk about the hard years, not just the good ones. That honesty is rare. I'm now six months into Stage 2.

Lisa K.

May 2025 · Former Marketing Director

★★★★★

The food alone was worth the trip. But more than that — I left with more clarity about my own life than I'd had in years. Not necessarily clarity about farming. Just clarity. That's the point of Away.

Hunter Valley, New South Wales

Ironbark Ridge is located in the Upper Hunter Valley, approximately 2 hours north-west of Sydney. The nearest town is Singleton. The property is accessible by sealed road and a 4km dirt track — a standard vehicle handles it fine.