Want to escape the city without travelling too far? Unlike most colonial houses, Vaucluse House retains the core of its original picturesque estate: 23 hectares to be precise. Not far from the Sydney Harbour frontage are the elegant pleasure gardens; to the sides of the house are the stables and kitchen garden. The south paddock forms a natural corrale with native bush covering the rocky escarpments that provide a backdrop to the house.

In these spaces – which in keeping with 19th century garden fashion clearly separate the decorative from the functional – you are free to wander and relax. Sit on the shady verandah and overlook the picturesque pleasure gardens. Wander around to the kitchen garden to see a range of seasonal fruits and vegetables, from home-grown asparagus and pineapple to the less familiar scorzonera. The Wentworths loved their garden and, as an escape just 30 minutes from the city, so will you.

Read the guide to the gardens of Vaucluse House