Originally Posted by
NYBanker
Thanks for posting this. It looks very nice. The fly situation sounds dreadful, however. Did they bother you all the time, or just if you had food with you outdoors?
I will say these high end Australian properties really do food well. Though I've not been to this property, my experience at SOL and one or two others down there was very strong from a culinary perspective. Far more so than nearly any property in the US, IMHO.
Originally Posted by
HKTraveler
Thank you for such a detailed report! The property itself and the food all look amazing. We did the Saffire Freycinet last year and can't wait to try Wolgan for a comparison. We will be staying at the Wolgan for several nights over Xmas. I suspect the property will be full at that time but hopefully not too different an experience. With the fly situation, has that stopped you from any activities other than picnic? And is that really not advisable since that was one of the things I look forward to doing? Also, is there any activities that you would recommend booking ahead other than massage? Thanks in advance!
Regarding the fly situation, it is definitely tolerable but at least for me was a big enough nuisance to take away from my enjoyment being outdoors. Basically, anytime we were outside and either sedentary or just walking, the flies would swarm around us. Unlike mosquitoes which we're used to back home, the flies tended to hover until you shook them off. So for example while we were walking from our suite to dinner, I would have 10-20 flies just hanging out on my shirt that would need to be shaken off. They seemed to like me a lot more than my wife, perhaps my scent was must more enticing to them =)
Bug spray did work with mild results, but not enough to keep them entirely away. I woudln't say that the picnic would not be advisable per se as it would truly depend on your tolerance level. I would say that mine is quite low. In addition to the picnic, sunbathing around the main pool was tough as well with the flies, but hanging out in the pool and hot tub would keep them away. We (briefly) thought about playing some tennis, but decided against it due to flies. Mountain biking and the wildlife safaris were not a problem as we were moving fast enough.
Spa and anything horse-related should definitely be booked in advance (both the free arena ride and paid hores trail activity), but none of the other activities should have any issues booking after arrival.