Nature reigns at the ridgetop retreat of Amaroo, a transformed dairy farm near Bangalow, in the Northern Rivers of NSW.
Story Therese Hall Photo supplied by Amaroo
As evening descends over Amaroo, dark clouds roll in from the south-west. The spot to watch the arrival of this dramatic weather system is a swing seat under a camphor laurel tree in a ridgetop paddock just a few steps away from a cosy stone and timber cabin. Then, just as the storm is about to hit, you can escape into the cabin – or the central pavilion adjacent to it – and warm up around the fireplace.
Amaroo is a small-group retreat, where the focus is firmly on the landscape. Located just outside the charming town of Bangalow, in the Northern Rivers of NSW, it’s a place where you soak up the natural world across a setting that combines big-sky views with pathways threaded through dense rainforest.
Owners Mike and Cathy Tomkins describe Amaroo as “quiet luxury”. Consisting of four cabins and a central pavilion, it gives guests a combination of privacy and togetherness in a bush setting. Rather than the ‘gold taps’ style of luxury often associated with top-end tourism retreats, the Tomkins offer an earthy version of luxury achieved through an embrace of natural materials and a design aesthetic focused on the landscape.
This story excerpt is from issue #165
Outback Magazine: Feb/Mar 2026
