Here’s a recipe for a beaut weekend. Step one: book a room at Goonoo Goonoo, a former sheep station with beautifully restored cottages, a tennis court, pool and views of the Liverpool Plains. Brilliant.

Step two: reserve lunch at the smartly furnished on-site restaurant where the view, through floor-to-ceiling windows, is even more sweeping and wine starts at less than $50 a bottle (assorted vintages of Penfolds Grange are also available).

The menu keeps things country-comfort simple, with a pasta here and protein there. Braised wagyu cheek agnolotti, for example, in tangy cream-thickened tomato sauce; roasted New England pork loin with sticky jus, blitzed pumpkin and thumbs-up crackling; and a weapon of a sirloin glistening with Cafe de Paris butter, local truffle-topped pommes puree on the side.

Step three: order the terrific macadamia liqueur-spiked baba cake. Dinner? Grab some cheese on your way through nearby Tamworth, and you’re set.

Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.