Over the past few months, I’ve been thinking about a lot of things. Expectations, joy, vulnerability—if you name something, I’ve probably also thought about that too. And if I’m really honest with myself, for the past year it has been hard to share about my life. No, it’s not because I’ve been having a difficult time (although that was a big reason for my silence during the past few months), but it’s simply because I don’t think I have anything interesting to say.
I struggle to speak about myself because I’m always the one listening and observing, and it feels like I have nothing to share. Feeling like I’m a boring person is a far cry from what people tell me about myself. Yet, I still have the desire to speak and share what I’ve been doing. So let me tell you about the time I visited a garden of wonder.
Just a little over a week ago, my boyfriend and I took a little trip to a place about three hours away from Sydney. Having not done too much exploring in regional New South Wales, I had no idea what I was in for when I was whisked away to Mayfield Garden in Oberon. These were the two things I knew before our date: first, we were going to have a picnic in some sort of garden and, second, it happened to be during their autumn festival.
I’ve got to say, the words ‘autumn’ and ‘picnic’ in the same sentence was exciting. Excluding last year, the previous years before that, I made grandiose event plans for autumn picnics that was meant for my creative community I love so much. However, we all know what happened… *cough* COVID-19.
Anyway, back to the story. As I was preparing for a low-key picnic date in a cute little garden the night before, I packed a frisbee (as you do), my trusty fold-out tray table and a pair of runners in case my feet got tired of the brogue heels I planned to wear. I laid out a picnic-appropriate outfit and went to bed after a rough week with much gladness. But I will say, as much as I was eagerly waiting for the picnic, I was told to expect my beau at the early hour of eight in the morning. Oh, how my sleep suffers.
That should have already been an indicator that the garden we were going to was far away. Fast forward to the next morning, we drove—well, I sat there being the good passenger princess I am—to Oberon. Eventually we made it there and it was incredible.
Cars scattered dust as they made their way onto the property, but not before you could catch a glimpse of the garden in the background. It wasn’t what I was expecting at all, and yes, it was worth the drive. What was waiting for us was an incredible estate filled with warmth and a beautiful array of different colours, scents and activities.
From the moment we first stepped foot into the garden, I was in awe. I mean, we were face to face with a hedge that was at least five metres tall. And that was pretty amazing in its own right. I just had to take a photo.
Pictured: selfie in the garden entryway with an incredibly tall hedge like the ones in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (and an Asian auntie in the background having her picture taken)
It was around noon when we had arrived, so we sat down at the picnic area and began to eat lunch. To my surprise, my beau packed us more than a couple of little lunch nibbles. He made egg sandwiches which I just happened to be craving, rice paper rolls with a really good peanut sauce and cut fruit! This watermelon carver of a boyfriend put grapes on a stick but cut them into hearts and turned strawberries into roses. Yeahhh, he’s amazing. Am I a sucker for a man who can cook? Absolutely.
Pictured: our lunch spread on the grass
Normally, Mayfield Garden is an impressive 15-hectare plot of gorgeous land but during their seasonal festivals, the family that owns the rest of the estate opens up an additional 50-hectare space for visitors to enjoy. Can I just say, I was not expecting a place of this calibre. At this point, I’m just giving them free advertisement, but it is genuinely such an amazing place to visit.
There is just something about seeing God’s creation that melts away all the stresses of life. Everything that we’re not in control of, He is, and that provides so much comfort. Work has been a soul-sucking parasite that has taken all my joy away from me, and it’s just a burden too heavy for me to bear. But escaping Sydney, if only for a little while, was a great remedy.
We explored Mayfield Garden up until closing time because there was so much to see. They had a hedge maze, lavender garden, grassy amphitheatre (which, by the way, was my favourite part) and so much more. While we didn’t get to throw around a frisbee, there was no deficit of sights to see. I loved it.
That’s pretty much it. I just wanted to share this place that brought me lots of joy. I’d love to visit again during their other festivals.
Until next time,
Jaimee.
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