Reading retreats
Somewhere to properly disappear into a book — a whole 1903 house of drawing rooms, window seats and firesides, a garden to wander between chapters, and the kind of deep quiet that has become genuinely rare.
A reading retreat asks for very little, and all of it matters: comfortable chairs, good light, a fire in season, and no interruptions. Seven Oaks has sitting rooms enough to scatter a book club or a writing group across the house, then draw everyone back to the long table for lunch.
The whole property is yours, so the quiet holds — no other guests, no passing traffic, just the turning of pages and the garden outside the window. Bring the group, or come as a small party of friends who'd rather read than talk.
Ninety minutes from Sydney, phones fall silent and the day slows to the pace of the country — exactly the conditions a good book needs.
Every gathering takes the whole estate — see the group accommodation in the Southern Highlands that sleeps 26.
- Exclusive use of the whole house and garden
- Sleeps up to 26 — a book club, a writing group, or friends
- Drawing room, morning room and quiet corners with fires in season
- Six acres to walk between chapters
- Two kitchens for easy, unhurried meals
- 90 minutes from Sydney
A garden and grounds to gather in
- A garden setting for photographs — the wisteria arbour and rose garden
- Clipped hedging, sweeping lawns and six private acres
- Mature trees — English oaks, cedars and pines
- A grand gravel driveway and approach
- The rare 1860s heritage corn staddle (granary)
- The heritage water tower
- A full-length stained-glass hall and cedar joinery
- Two kitchens and the long table for shared meals
| Feature | A city hotel | Seven Oaks |
|---|---|---|
| Quiet | Corridors, lifts, other guests | A private house, deep country quiet |
| Spaces to read | Your room or a busy lobby | Several sitting rooms and firesides, the whole house |
| The group | Separate rooms | Together, sleeps 26, gather at the long table |
| Setting | A city block | Six-acre heritage garden, 90 min from Sydney |
| Exclusivity | Shared hotel | One group at a time |
The house & garden
- Is it suitable for a book club or writing group?
- Ideally — the house has several quiet sitting rooms and the whole garden, so a group can read together or scatter and reconvene at the long table.
- How many can stay?
- Up to 26 across house and cottage, capped at the guests staying on site.
Enquire about reading retreats
Tell us your dates and the shape of your stay — we reply personally within two business days.