Hospitality

Meals and morning and afternoon teas can be prepared for larger groups with prior booking. Good coffee (and a range of teas) and homemade biscuits are available to guests at any time but for the superb Devonshire tea it is advisable to book ahead to have the scones fresh from the oven.

GIFT SHOP

OPEN 7 DAYS 8.30 -4.30 closed Christmas day

• The shop is well stocked with many products unique to and made on the property.
• We sell dried bunches, dried "stripped" lavender in a range of weights.
• Many different lavender bags of fresh season lavender.
• We carry a wide range of soaps and lavender cosmetics, many of which are made on the farm.
• We also stock china, hats, jewellery, stationary, framed prints, linen, jams and confectionary and much more.
• Essential lavender and rosemary oil is distilled on the farm

ACCOMMODATION

 
Our accommodation is temporarily unavailable. Please check back later or visit www.stanthorpeescapes.com for an alternative accommodation.

Your hosts are Peter and Tere Bonner who like to treat their guests as they would their own friends.

The farm is part of a 4,000 acre cattle property, so as it is a working farm, there are some associated activities and Peter is happy to talk cattle and machinery or football and cricket, while Tere would prefer to discuss craft and books. The area is quiet, tranquil and serene – only the sound of the birds...

  FOR OUR LOCATION GUIDE CLICK HERE

• Children are welcome.
• The accommodation is attached to the house as normal household bedrooms but has a private sitting room with tea and coffee facilities.
• All beds have continental quilts and electric blankets.
• Each room has a ceiling fan.
• The rooms are heated in winter.
• The double rooms have doors to the exterior.
• The rooms are disabled person friendly and are modern and clean.
• If necessary due to dietary problems or specific cookery needs the guests are welcome to use the kitchen.

 TARIFFS

TWIN / DOUBLE
• per room 1 night (2 adults) .............................
• per room extra night(s) (2 adults) ..................
• + 2 children (under 4)
  twin room 1 night ............................................
• + 2 children (under 4)
  twin room extra night(s) .................................
• 1 child (under 4) single bed ...........................
• 1 child (under 4) single bed extra night(s) .....

                                

                                             Babies with own bedding supplied, no charge
                 - otherwise an extra of $20.00 applies.

SINGLE
• per room 1 night (single or double room)
• per room extra night(s)
• + 2 children (under 12)
  twin room 1 night ............................................
• + 2 children (under 12)
  twin room extra night(s) .................................

3 ROOM DEAL
• Maximum of 6 Adults
  up to 4 additional children under 12 - $30.00
  per head, per night (trundle & stacker beds)
  1 night .............................................................
• extra night(s) ..................................................
  

3 ROOM DEAL
• 7 night (6 adults) .............................................
  

WEEKLY RATES
• per room for 7 nights ......................................
  

OVERFLOW
• per night, per extra adult .................................

 
• $    115.00
• $    110.00
•  
  $    90.00    
•  
  $    85.00
• $    50.00
• $    45.00

                                

                              
            

 
• $    100.00
• $    95.00
•  
  $    100.00
• 
  $    90.00

 
•  
  
   
  $    315.00
• $    300.00.
  

 
• $    2000.00
  

 
• $    700.00
  

 
• $    45.00

                           

Family Dinners available on request $25.00 per head. 24 hour notice. 
Full breakfast included in tariff for B&B Guests. Hot breakfast before
8:00am or self-serve continental breakfast by prior arrangement.

Check IN time:  11:00am - Check OUT time:  10:00am

The Farm

The decision to grow lavender was based on an impulse! We knew very little about lavender at all!

We planted a trial plot of 4000 plants at Aloomba in early 1999 after visiting farms in Victoria and southern NSW. In 2001 Peter and I started building our new home and during gaps in construction time we planted the majority of the lavender. Since then we have become convinced of the viability of the Lavender Industry. Over 95% of all lavender used in Australia is imported. The lavender covers 6 acres with approximately 12,000 plants. The planting has continued through the three years as time permits. The lavender is grown mainly for the dried flower market. There is some Angustifolia (true English) grown for its intense blue flowers and beautiful perfume grade oil, but the main production is Intermedia. There are eleven different commercial varieties grown for their specific qualities. Italian (Stoechas) and French (Dentatas) are grown to provide colour throughout the year for the increasing level of tourism. The main flowering and harvest is during early to mid November - so it is a very busy time for the whole family.

We sell virtually all of our lavender and its products through our own gift shop on the farm. From the dried product we sell dried bunches. "stripped" lavender of various weights and we distil our oil on site.

Harvesting begins in mid November and takes approximately one month with 8 pickers. Harvesting is only carried out during the cooler parts of the day, hung to dry for a week to ten days then packaged/ stripped for later use. Oil may be produced from dry or fresh lavender so the still is very busy throughout the harvest period.

As the plants have grown, our harvest (measured in bunch numbers) has grown from 500 bunches from the tube-stock planted in the winter of 2001 to 6,000 in the second harvest; 18,200 the next year and over 25,000 this last harvest with a projection of 35,000 in the following years.

Our choice was to have a small number of angustifolia varieties with a greater emphasis on Intermedia's (lavandins) as they are more robust and yield more oil. The different named varieties have been planted to allow the hand harvesting of the majority of the crop due to slight variations in the time of maturity of the flowers.

We make much of our own product and the business consumes much of the family effort from sewing, weeding, mowing, maintenance of plants, potting, catering, B/B, cleaning, bookwork, ordering, advertising details etc. Each of the family members takes some responsibility for various aspects of the business and without them the viability of the business would be questionable.

We have chosen to take the tourism path with sales of products on site, value adding of the stripped lavender and products as well as distillation of sufficient oil for our own sales. It is not a business to take on part time but is very rewarding with the contact with the guests. The product is so versatile and useful and one in which great pride can be taken. The more we have to do with lavender, the more we respect its qualities of healing and repose. Hospitality Meals and morning and afternoon teas can be prepared for larger groups with prior booking. Good coffee (and a range of teas) and homemade biscuits are available to guests at any time but for the superb Devonshire tea it is advisable to book ahead to have the scones fresh from the oven.


Contacts

Open 7 days (closed Christmas day)
“Aloomba Top”
Mt Lindsay Highway, Liston, NSW 2372
Phone (07) 46861191
Fax (07) 46861221
Email: info@aloombalavender.com.au


Location

We are fortunate that we chose to grow lavender suited so well with our land, climate and proximity to the rapidly growing tourist centre of Stanthorpe and the surrounding Granite Belt. This area is on the border of New South Wales and Queensland. We are in the Tenterfield shire which is also a very popular tourist destination.

Tenterfield has a historic background and beautiful national parks. Our cattle property lies along the Mt. Lindesay road which is the scenic alternate route from Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Since we are only 15 mins from Stanthorpe we provide a short Scenic drive with the opportunity for Queenslanders to visit a genuine lavender farm. We have plenty of space for Coaches and caravans to park and to turn in comfort.

For those who are staying with us in our Accommodation , or those travelling to the area and planning a visit to Aloomba Lavender farm, we have included a printable downloadable map, in Adobe Acrobat© format. The downloadable map is 90KB in size, which on a dialup connection may take upto a minute before it can be viewed.

CLICK FOR MAP  CLICK FOR READER

History

The house block, including the lavender farm, was originally part of the property "Milford" which was first occupied by my great grandfather Daniel Bonner in 1878. Local historians tell us that Cobb and Co coaches travelled through this area from Tenterfield to Maryland and onwards into Queensland on a trail only 200 metres from this house. This was prior to the discovery of tin in Stanthorpe and the later development of the orchard industries. My Grandparents occupied the property "Lincoln Hills" where my father was born. Both "Milford" and "Lincoln Hills" retain in the ownership of relatives.

Most of our property "Aloomba" was inherited from my father, Ted. Who was a renown horseman. We have, in more recent times, purchased extra country. "Aloomba" now covers approximately 4,000 acres. The property has always been involved in beef production and since 2000 has been accredited for export to the E.U. Through the use of individual animal electronic transponders total animal history is on record. Herd management has been greatly enhanced by this system that follows the life of the animal right through to the abattoir where individual data feedback is provided. Martin and his partner Nicole take much of the responsibility for the cattle management.

The growing of Soya beans has played a role in my property development over the years and will no doubt do so in the future. Heavily timbered areas have been lightly cleared and Soya beans grown for 2 years to control sucker regrowth prior to planting of permanent pastures.

Timber control on "Aloomba" is ongoing with ring barking in the early days and more recently tordoning and mechanical clearing proving necessary to assist production of beef. Despite this, regrowth still exists on much of our property. Early descriptions of tree cover in this district indicate that more trees are now growing than when white man first settled. A sustainable timber industry has been evident for many years and although earlier local mills have closed, much timber is now transported by modern transport to process further a field.

Almost 20 years ago we commenced contract spreading of fertilizer in the district with the use of tractors and 1.5 tonne linkage spreaders. The business developed to include the use of a trailed belt spreader for lime and damp organic products. It is now operated by my son Tim and his wife Deborah. Truck spreaders are now used with all the electronic aids of computers, G.P.S., and scales for accurate placement and recording of fertilizer. The business also now has three bulk haulage units to provide efficiency for the whole operation. A benefit of this operation has been the sourcing and delivery of affordable organic products for blending and spreading on the pastures of "Aloomba".            ... Peter Bonner