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.