Gilay Estate on the Liverpool Plains of NSW enables guests to enjoy sophisticated design within the stunning natural environs of a working family farm.
Story Mark Muller Photo Broderick Aitken
A broad, fertile valley washed in late afternoon light flows out towards the horizon. Undulating wooded slopes give way to rich black and chocolate soils on the plains below before lifting up to the gentle lines of the Liverpool Ranges in the far distance.
This is one of the most productive agricultural areas in the world, and its strength and beauty is evident. The bountiful country both informs and is punctuated by an inspired recent addition to the landscape: Gilay Estate.
“From the hut you see almost all of the farm out in front of you,” Sandy Rogers says. “We want people to experience a feeling of authenticity and it’s very hard to capture without it being forced – but then there’s nothing forced about this,” he says of the sweeping views. Sandy and his wife Alex are the driving force behind the development of Gilay Estate, which is beautifully designed and constructed off-grid accommodation set just under the crest of a hill on Sandy’s family property, Colly Plains North, some 11km west of Quirindi, NSW.
This story excerpt is from Issue #156
Outback Magazine: August/September 2024
