A stay at Callubri Station in Outback NSW

New life is being breathed into a family farm handed through generations with innovative practices, a collection of strategically placed shipping containers and some serious upcycling.

I’m jealous. Standing amid the ephemera of 144 years of living and aspiring and upgrading, the dusty, discarded objects crammed into an original shearing shed at Callubri Station, a 11,500-hectare working farm in Buddabadah, about 50 kilometres outside of the central NSW town of Nyngan, look like priceless treasure to a dedicated thrifter like myself. I would gladly take most of it off the hands of owners Angie and Mike Armstrong, but Angie has other ideas.

The huge set of wooden-framed windows leaning up against a wall that were snapped up from a local school renovation are earmarked for a future project (another set is already installed in Angie and Mike’s pretty homestead on the property). The old shearing tools will be styled up as interesting objets d’art. A dust-covered wool-sorting table will eventually host convivial communal meals. Even the shed itself will be recycled, as a wedding and events space when Angie can find the time to get around to it.

Callubri Station’s sustainable practices

In an environment where farming is an increasingly challenging lifestyle to maintain, the Armstrongs are charting a sustainable future by reusing the old and embracing the new.

Mike, whose family purchased the farm back in 1878, subsequently passing it down through four generations, focuses his attention, experience and interest in innovative practices on harvesting crops including wheat (sold commercially to a local flour mill), oats, barley and lupin (much of which will be cleverly buried in covered underground pits and stored in silos to be used as feed and to drought-proof the property in the future).

He also maintains the property’s 12,000-odd merino sheep, which produce proudly non-mulesed fleece certified as part of the Responsible Wool Standard, a voluntary program that addresses the welfare of sheep and the land they graze on.

A herd of merino sheep in Callubri Station, NSW, Australia — Callubri Station’s 12,000-odd merino sheep proudly produces non-mulesed fleece certified as part of the Responsible Wool Standard. (Image: Leigh-Ann Pow)

Meanwhile, Angie, whose ready smile and innate desire to feed people makes her the ideal host, has conjured up a unique boutique accommodation offering through vision, passion and sheer will.

First impressions

I am destined for one of Callubri’s ‘rooms’ when I board an early- morning light-plane flight that cruises over the NSW landscape as it morphs from coastal green to taupe, calico and rusty red, before landing on a lonely bitumen airstrip surrounded by endless expanses of nothing. The final leg of the journey to Callubri Station navigates a flat, scrubby landscape punctuated by the tiny town of Tottenham.

Countryside road in the Australian Outback leading to Callubri Station, NSW, Australia — The journey to Callubri Station navigates the wide open landscape of the Australian outback. (Image: Leigh-Ann Pow)

Angie is on hand as a one-woman welcoming party as we pull up to the Shearer’s Quarters, the central hub for guests on the property, where lunch and dinner are served (as well as morning tea breaks of home baking, referred to as smoko), and the starting point for venturing out around the property on tours and activities (usually after polishing off a freshly baked sweet treat). The structure is one of the many recycled and repurposed pieces that have been utilised on the property, a former Officer’s Mess relocated here following the Second World War to house journeying shearers.

The rustic nature of the building is instantly welcoming and sets the tone for a stay at Callubri, with its seating area of leather Chesterfields, wide coffee table groaning with books and games and food and flowers, and help-yourself kitchen, all adjoining a dining room set with long tables, bentwood chairs and vintage church doors at the end of its long expanse. The space is decorated in country chic, with vignettes of found and vintage pieces, many collected from around the property or handed down through Mike’s family.

Woman in a swing hammock in Callubri Station, NSW, Australia — Decorated in country chic, the rustic nature of the Shearer’s Quarters building is instantly welcoming. (Image: Monique Wye)

The room: The Sky Suites

But I’m itching to see the most celebrated repurposed pieces on the property, a collection of single-trip shipping containers that have been stacked like giant metal Lego blocks to create The Sky Suites.

Approaching the structure, which sits incongruously in the outback landscape, thousands of kilometres from the oceans that these vessels were designed for, I get the kind of frisson of anticipation that is elicited by seeing something totally unique and exciting.

The facade of Callubri Station accommodations in NSW, Australia — Step off the beaten path at Callubri Station in the luxe repurposed shipping containers. (Image: Crooked Compass)

The accommodation block is anchored by a slim 12-metre mineral lap pool (also fashioned from a shipping container), with a central metal staircase climbing past the elevated suites on level one, with their inviting hanging chairs, to the rooms above.

Lap pool in Callubri Station, NSW, Australia — The slim 12-metre mineral lap pool is fashioned from an old shipping container. (Image: Monique Wye)

The interiors belie the utilitarian nature of their foundations, fitted with giant double-glazed picture windows in front of which a wide, downy cushion-topped king bed, complete with tactile cotton linens, has been set. The walls are decorated with arresting artworks, while the bedside tables are fashioned from wood handcrafted by Angie’s dad. The modest kitchenette is well-appointed enough to accommodate the fixings for breakfast, from local French press coffee to homemade granola, freshly baked sourdough bread and pastries, and local milk and OJ, and the en suite bathroom comes with a rain shower and an ingenious drawstring bag filled to straining with essentials that, should you have forgotten to pack them, would require an hour-plus round trip to buy.

The Sky Suite interiors at Callubri Station, NSW, Australia — The Sky Suite interiors belie the utilitarian nature of their foundations, designed to have the effect of lush coziness. (Image: Crooked Compass)

Callubri Station experiences

While it would be easy to fritter away time on Callubri dipping in and out of the pool and soaking up the serenity, the appeal of a station stay lies in the privilege of seeing how those who live on the land exist, removing the subjectivity and allowing for temporary immersion in someone else’s day-to-day.

Sign at Callubri Station in NSW, Australia — The appeal of a station stay lies in the privilege of seeing how those who live on the land exist. (Image: Leigh-Ann Pow)

With cold water onboard, Mike takes the wheel of a 4WD and we head out into the expanse of the property. Tracking along wire fences and through gates that present like a tangle of metal veins on the dry landscape, I’m sure we make for a quizzical sight to the flocks of sheep gathered together in the shade and the kangaroos that periscope above the flaxen grass at the sound of our approach.

As we drive, Mike explains how he ended up returning to the family farm, having spent time working in banking (albeit focusing on rural and farming loans), including in the north of England. It was his desire to work for himself that made him determined to return to Callubri in order to build on the foundations of his ancestors, eventually taking over the day-to-day running of the farm from his father.

Mike was determined to return to Callubri to build on the foundations of his ancestors, taking over the day-to-day running of the farm from his father. (Image: Leigh-Ann Pow)

We pull up alongside a collection of gigantic wheat harvesters being used to complete the tail end of the harvest, which has been delayed and protracted due to unseasonal heavy rains. The bulk of the wheat has already been sent off to be made into high-quality flour for bread production, with the remaining crop being reduced to feed quality.

Climbing into the cab of one of the behemoth machines, one of Mike’s farmhands, an Irishman transplanted to the heat and dust of the Aussie outback, takes me on a lap up and down the wheat field. The stringy stalks swallowed up by the giant rotors in front of me are converted into infinite plump grains that gush out of a funnel behind us at lightning speed. It is loud, hot work and, by the time I climb down again, I have a new appreciation of the real toil that goes into making a ‘simple’ loaf of bread.

In the distance, the progress of a road train that has arrived to transport the grain can be tracked by the pillowy plumes of thick orange and brown dust that float skyward in its wake.

We also stop at a pen where a flock of jittery ewes and lambs have been corralled. Mike explains that the male lambs will be sold in order to maintain a predominantly female flock so that the breeding process is strictly controlled, resulting in contented sheep, good genetics and quality fleece. The intricacies of deadlines, spreadsheets and sustainable practices hint at the constancy of focus required by modern farming.

A truck ploughs through a grain field in NSW, Australia — Trucks arriving to transport the grain leave plumes of thick orange-brown dust in their wake. (Image: Leigh-Ann Pow)

The food at Callubri Station

While Mike’s family heritage largely informs the success of the farming side of the station, Angie’s background is integral to the gracious hospitality experienced when staying at Callubri. Having grown up in Victoria’s Yarra Valley, she was raised on outstanding produce and food.

Angie’s love of making and serving food motivated her to start her own successful catering company, The Cocky’s Wife, after meeting Mike and relocating to outback NSW. The accommodation and events offering she is in the process of building at Callubri Station is a natural progression.

With her small team, Angie conjures up meals that are as flavoursome and considered as any you would find in a top city eatery. Lunch consists of bountiful cheese and charcuterie boards with homemade pickles, relishes and freshly baked bread. Dinner is a communal occasion with sophisticated yet hearty dishes that feature local produce from the surrounding area. With dessert polished off, I pick my way back through the inky outback darkness and a silence so thick I almost feel it brushing up against me. I ignore the window blinds and fall asleep gazing at the stars.

The upcycling ethos at Callubri

Callubri Station's original homestead in NSW, Australia — The original homestead of Callubri Station. (Image: Leigh-Ann Pow)

The next morning, it’s Angie’s turn to play tour guide, walking us around the farm buildings that are scattered close to the Shearer’s Quarters with her too-cute son in tow in his mini Akubra. Old barns are filled with superannuated tools, work-worn saddles and everyday elements that hint at the familial scenes that have played out here for nearly a century and a half: children’s toys, old prams and household items of differing vintages. In another shed, Angie points out stacks of metal boxes that house farm records that hark back to their beginnings; it is a rich archive that she has only just started to work her way through.

We walk around one of the family’s original horse-drawn buggies, which is in surprisingly good condition after sitting dormant for a century. Of course, Angie has plans to restore it. It will join the original Model T Ford Mike had pointed out in a garage the day before; Angie’s dad put it on a trailer and drove it back to Victoria to restore shortly after my visit.

According to Mike, his grandfather was the originator of the upcycling ethos at Callubri, never throwing anything old away – cars, bikes, stoves, wood, farm equipment – believing that a bit here and a piece there could be used to make something workable again. It is a philosophy Angie is happy to embrace.

Nearby garden beds are made out of old wrought-iron beds, in which she will grow produce to be used in the kitchen. There are plans to convert the charming old cook’s hut into a day spa with treatment rooms out back. And, of course, there’s the old shearing shed with its dust-caked glassware, farm paraphernalia and old train seats, all of which I am confident will be stylishly reborn in pursuit of Mike and Angie’s vision of a future for their family and for the farm they love that is built on the rich (if not a little rusty in places) legacy of the past.

Empty bottles and old glasses are ready for upcycling at Callubri Station, NSW Australia — Dust-caked glassware at the old shearing shed, waiting to be stylishly reborn through Mike and Angie’s upcycling. (Image: Leigh-ann pow)

A traveller’s checklist

Getting There

It takes roughly seven hours to drive from Sydney to Callubri Station , or 35 minutes from Nyngan Airport.

Staying There

All-Inclusive packages in a Sky Suite, including all meals and one guided activity per day, start at $745 per person twin share per night, with a minimum two-night booking.

Underpinned by grassroots hospitality and award-winning organic produce, the Central Coast’s gastronomy scene is thriving, with the region quickly becoming one of the best destinations in NSW for epicures.

Revered for its rugged natural splendour and laid-back seaside charm, NSW’s Central Coast has soared in popularity in recent years, becoming a top choice for an affordable slice of weekend escapism for Sydneysiders. Just a short 45-minute drive north of Sydney, it’s the kind of place that, no matter how many times you visit, leaves you with the sense that there’s always more to uncover. But while the ocean pools, bushwalks and beaches have (rightly) taken the spotlight, it’s the Central Coast food offerings which have been quietly simmering in the background.

From fresh-as-it-gets seafood and juicy organic citrus you can pluck yourself, through to regenerative farming and reputable farm-to-fork dining, this coastal gem has become an idyllic foodie mecca. Here are some of the best ways to immerse yourself in grassroots hospitality and gastronomic glory on the NSW Central Coast.

vegetables in a basket at Bells Garden at Bells At Killcare — From picking your own, to farm-to-table, discover the best Central Coast food experiences. (Image: Remy Brand)

Central Coast oyster experiences

From humble grub to opulent delicacy, oysters have ascended into a league of their own. Epicureans are fascinated by them – willing to pay upwards of $35 per dozen (double at some of Sydney’s reputable fine dining restaurants) – and ‘shuck bars’ seem to be popping up at every milestone celebration.

But it’s rare to find places that really draw back the curtain on how they’re farmed and why everyone is mad for these molluscs. The Central Coast , however, is home to several of these venues. With its pristine waters, mild climate and nutrient-rich estuaries, it’s the perfect breeding ground for oysters.

Learn about oyster farming and, importantly, how to shuck them at Sydney Oyster Farm Tours . Nestled on the Hawkesbury River at Mooney Mooney, Sheridan Beaumont and her team offer a hands-on foodie experience where you can feast on dozens of oysters (white tablecloth and all) while wading through the calm waters. You can even bring your own bottle of bubbles to wash them down.

guests in the water for an experience at Sydney Oyster Farm - Central Coast food — Learn tricks of the trade at Sydney Oyster Farm Tours. (Image: Remy Brand)

Elevate your oyster knowledge even further by heading north over the Hawkesbury River Bridge to the Hawkesbury River Oyster Shed . Tour their scenic oyster leases and saltwater paddocks by boat to uncover the distinct characteristics of the Sydney rock oyster and creamy Pacific oyster. They’ve also partnered with Broken Bay Pearl Farm to offer a one-of-a-kind oyster and pearl farming guided tour, showcasing the Central Coast’s very own pearl oyster, the Broken Bay ‘Akoya’. But if you’re simply in the mood to devour a dozen delectable oysters while soaking in the tranquil river views, pull up a chair at the shed. It’s friendly in every sense of the word: pets, families and BYO welcome.

shucking oysters at Broken Bay Pearl Farm — Taste freshly shucked oysters at Broken Bay Pearl Farm. (Image: James Horan)

Central Coast farms to pick your own fruit

While the Central Coast is known for its breathtaking 40 beaches and 80-kilometre coastline, its lush hinterland is equally impressive – abundant with orchards and agriculturally rich farmland. And when it comes to the simple joy of picking your own fruit, the Central Coast is a ripe playground.

Family-owned Meliora Farm at Peats Ridge is an orchard that blends conventional, biodynamic and organic philosophies. Third-generation farmer Tim Kemp and his wife Elise are dedicated to honouring the family legacy by growing a rich variety of oranges, lemons, limes, mandarins and avocados. In late May, roam the sustainable and nutrient-dense property during ‘Pick Your Own’ weekends.

Eastcoast Beverages is another bountiful citrus orchard boasting over 60 hectares of fruit. From June you can learn about the cultivation of high-quality ingredients – like lemons, limes, grapefruit and oranges – by touring both the farm and factory before setting out and picking your own straight from the source. You can also sample an array of citrus-inspired sweet and savoury treats at their on-site cafe, Bambino’s .

If it’s just juicy oranges you’re after, Cedar Farm in Dooralong is a must-visit. Located about 30 minutes north of Peats Ridge, it features 15 flourishing orchards and over 3000 orange trees – with take-home bags during the season (from July) at low prices. Not bad for a fruity weekend haul.

woman picking oranges at Oranges at Dooralong — Pick your own citrus fruits on the Central Coast. (Image: James Vodicka)

Organic dining

What makes the Central Coast hinterland so special is the unwavering respect the communities have for their cherished backyard. Locally owned and operated farms are all striving for more sustainable practices and methods to both enhance biodiversity and reduce environmental impact, each with a heartwarming food philosophy.

The Food Farm in Wyong Creek believes good food is worth both the work and the wait. Devoted to regenerative farming, first-generation ‘farmily’ Tim Eyes and Hannah Greenshields are recognised for their grass-fed, grass-finished beef and pasture-raised, gold medal-winning chickens. With an open gate policy, The Food Farm encourages visitors to swing by and try some of their slow-grown produce at their small ‘honesty’ farm shop. With no staff, you can pick up a few quality cuts of meat and pasteurised eggs, leaving the owing amount in cash or via eftpos.

Keeping the spirit of generational organic farming alive is Fanelli Organics . Nestled in the Central Coast’s scenic and sleepy Mangrove Mountain, founders Eden and Louise Fanelli own over 45 hectares of plentiful farmland and orchards that produce a huge range of organic fruit and vegetables, like purple Dutch carrots, blood oranges, broccoli and Tuscan kale. A true home-grown operation, Fanelli Organics shares its fresh produce with local restaurants and community markets, including the beloved markets at Like Minds Cafe at Avoca Beach every Wednesday afternoon.

farmers holding fresh produce picked at Fanelli Organics — See where your food comes from at Fanelli Organics.

Paddock-to-plate dining

High-quality ingredients go hand in hand with premium dining, and the Central Coast is home to several paddock-to-plate restaurants that showcase its diverse and rich agriculture. Paired with warm, grassroots hospitality, there are culinary triumphs, new menus and revered chefs constantly popping up, putting the local dining scene firmly on the map.

Award-winning Mount White restaurant Saddles is a quintessential Australian dining destination, dedicated to country-style cooking and seasonal produce. Nestled in thick bushland with wraparound verandahs, floral gardens and an idyllic dam, the gourmet homestead and bakehouse is unlike any restaurant on the Central Coast. Here, head chef Reece Collins and his team serve up an impressive breakfast and lunch menu that oozes rustic charm. Pull up a comfy armchair on the expansive deck, listen to birdsong, and tuck into flavoursome dishes like the farmhouse Benedict with honey-cured ham, lemon myrtle hollandaise and Warrigal gremolata, or the hearty beef brisket pie with confit garlic potato purée and rainbow chard.

woman writing in notebook next to a table of food at Saddles, Central Coast food — Taste country-style cooking at Saddles. (Image: Destination NSW)

Delivering a slice of sophistication and luxury to the shores and bushland of Bouddi Peninsula is Bells at Killcare . One of the few boutique resorts on the Central Coast, it’s known for its premium service and five-star suites, as well as its bountiful kitchen gardens that boast an orchard, olive trees, avocado trees, free-range hens and a honey bee hive.

Cameron Cansdell has returned to Bells at Killcare as head chef, bringing his expertise to the casual yet refined menus that feature a raw bar with Oscietra caviar, freshly shucked Sydney rock oysters and Moreton Bay bugs, all served alongside optional matched wines. Sample some of Australia’s best regional wines and standout dishes, like roasted Wollemi duck with grilled leeks, rocket, grilled grapes and 10-year-aged balsamic, or the shareworthy salt-crusted snapper with herb salad and salsa, before roaming the picturesque gardens, wine in hand.

cocktail at Bells At Killcare — Sample incredible wine, cocktails and dishes at Bells At Killcare. (Image: Nikki To)

Plan your next visit to the delicious Central Coast.