A little bit of Hollywood at Saddle Camp!

This month, our Clubhouse has become home to seven members of the film crew working on an Australian movie called Valley Dogs.

And what a joy they’ve been.

From the moment they arrived, the whole place started buzzing. They’re vibrant, energetic, and the camaraderie between them is something special —

the kind of team we love at Saddle Camp!

They fell in love with everything here: the gentle horses, the gorgeous chickens, the cheeky goats, the home‑cooked meals, the wallabies grazing outside the window at breakfast time, and our family (Dexter and Carson were instant favourites!)

They told us they’d been talking about Saddle Camp to everyone on set — and apparently the rest of the crew were very jealous.

Then came our favourite moment…  One of them asked if he could wear a Saddle Camp shirt on set to represent us.

Within minutes, all seven were proudly wearing Saddle Camp shirts and hats while filming.

Abbey McGill, their Behind‑the‑Scenes Photographer, captured some fantastic shots of the team on set in full Saddle Camp colours.

The film they’re working on, Valley Dogs, is an intense drama about war crimes, nationalism, and confronting the mistakes of your past — definitely one for the adults.

If you’d like to follow their journey, you can find them on Instagram at @valleydogsmovie.

It’s been such a privilege having them stay with us. We’ve loved their energy, their kindness, and the way they embraced everything Saddle Camp stands for.

We’ll be cheering them on when the movie releases.

With love from all of us —Helen, Rob, Blake, Dexter & Carson xoxox

Track Your Rides at Saddle Camp with the Equilab App

Hi! I’m Izzy, a member of the Saddle Camp Team and I just wanted to share an app called Equilab with you.

This is an app that me and some of the other Team Members have discovered to help track and review your rides.

It is extremely helpful and free to use!

It’s also very easy to use; here are some simple steps on how to get started:

1.        Go to your app store and search Equilab

2.       Download

3.       Sign in with your email

4.       Design your profile, then you’re free to use the app!

If you would like to join the Saddle Camp stable group (which we recommend) here is how:

1.        Go to the home page

2.       In the top right corner, select ‘Groups’

3.       Then select ‘discover groups’ and search ‘The Saddle Camp’

4.       Join the group, then you can add the shared horses to your profile!

5.       Press the three dots

6.       Select ‘Shared horses’

7.       Add whichever horses you would like!

We definitely recommend you download this if you are coming for a camp soon, so you can upload videos and notes of your ride, and track your riding as you keep progressing your skills!

See you on Equilab and at Saddle Camp, from Izzy

Your chance to bid in the Silent Auction supporting our Neigh-bouring Brumby Sanctuary

My Neigh-bours at Deep Peace Trust Sanctuary are running a Silent Auction to support their Brumby Sanctuary.  I’m thrilled to be able to offer a Farm Stay experience, but I’m in awe of some of the other items up for auction!  

Especially Tom Burlinson’s (you know, the main man in “The Man From Snowy River” movies) donation of his signed and framed print of him riding Towering Inferno in the movie “Phar Lap”.

Read on, and fingers crossed you’re able to buy it!

“We are so excited to be launching the silent auction. As usual, this incredible community of supporters have been wonderful and over the coming days we will be featuring these amazing items.

We have just 13 days to raise $35,000. Can we make it? Can we make the impossible, possible? With your help and support I'm sure we can.

Andrew is still getting the last of the items listed (which means, if you have something you'd like to donate, it can still be done). From animal communication sessions to hand-crafted soft toys, from luxurious body crème to some wonderful jewellery, from a farmstay to a some fantastic art, there's something for everyone and at all kinds of prices.

Here are half a dozen, just to give you a sense of them.

• One of the coolest items is a framed and signed print from a very limited edition of the actor Tom Burlinson as Tommy Woodcock riding Towering Inferno, who played Phar Lap in the 1983 movie "Phar Lap." This has been donated by Tom himself, and you can see it as part of the graphic at the top of this newsletter.

• There's a copy of Mandy Fanelli's beautiful book Our Brumbies, Our Heritage. I have a copy of this, and I love it. Plus, these are now out of print, so we're lucky to have what's sure to become a collector's item, a keepsake for those who love the High Country.

• Any wall will be perked up by this delightfully whimsical print called Day Job by Australian illustrator Michelle Pike. It's worth a click just to see the animals scribbling on the scribbly gum.

• Want to dress up your ears instead of your wall? How about a pair of designer orange bling drop crystal earrings?

• Does your cat eat too fast? Then you need this very cute cat lick bowl.

• And one of our most popular items from last year is back, a box of greeting cards with ten different prints of original paintings by South Coast artist Mel Rei.

So, click through, have a look, made a couple of bids, and know that you're helping the animals.

And if you can, please share the auction with your friends and families. There's all kinds of gifts and consultations and things to treasure! And you know it will be the gift which keeps on giving. The animals here love and need their hay.

With divine love and deep peace,

Andrew, Billie, Tamsin, and all the animals in sanctuary”

Would you like to be our Neigh-bour?

Just in case you’re looking for a home in the countryside, or looking for a business investment, or side-hustle, I just wanted to let you know about a neighbour property that has just come up for sale.

The one pictured above is just across the road from us.  It’s 10 acres, and has a beautiful self-contained little house already built.  With 2 bedrooms, kitchen, generous lounge area and bathroom.  

Here’s a link to the site, so you can see the gallery and floor plans.

You could rent it out on Airbnb, or Hipcamp (where you can rent your paddock/backyard out to campers), and/or start your own farm of your dreams.

It would be awesome to have you in the neigh-bourhood!

From Helen, Blake, Rob, Dexter & Carson xoxox

Gorgeous day for a swim and a jump at Bombay Reserve.

And then enjoy a freezing cold slushie, and play with a baby goat.  

And meet a horse!

Just 3 minutes away at Saddle Camp.  

From 7.30 am to 7 pm.

Have a fantastic day!

From Helen

Saddle Camp included in “5 Ways to Spend the School Holidays in our Region”

A HUGE thank you to Ryan and Tiina at the Queanbeyan Palerang Tourism Department for including Saddle Camp in their article on

“5 ways to spend the school holidays in our region”.  

They wrote a beautiful piece about horse riding here, our Bush Cafe and Tiny Houses.

And I was really impressed with the other 4 suggestions too!  (Hint, they included Braidwood’s own Oscar’s Donuts and Much Ado About Chocolate).

Ryan and Tiina always amaze me with their creativity in telling the world about Braidwood.  

They’ve put together a Treasure Trail (you’ve likely seen the signs in our area) with physical maps, a website and newsletter with all the latest goss on upcoming Festivals and Seasons (eg the Truffle Season), new Restaurants opening, etc.

To make it easy to plan a holiday the WHOLE FAMILY will love!

Here’s a link to the Treasure Trail.

And you can book in your own Horse Riding Adventure here!

We’ve #FoundOurTreasure, and we can’t wait to share it with you, whenever you have the chance.

Have a great holiday!

From Helen, Rob, Blake, Dexter & Carson

QPRC Article

Breaking News - Passionfruit just gave birth to 2 Gorgeous Baby Boys!🐐

So delighted to tell you that Passionfruit just gave birth to 2 beautiful, healthy, cuddly, playful sweet boys!

We were very lucky that Matthew Yong had just arrived for Work Experience Camp, and wants to be a Vet.

When it became obvious that Passionfruit was having trouble pushing, Matthew donned the rubber gloves, and delivered both babies - while Blake read out the instructions from his phone.

(Thank You Google too!).

Mattew - you’re going to be a SENSATIONAL Vet!!!

Everyone’s doing well, and we’d love you to meet them for a cuddle whenever you have a chance!

We’re here 7 days a week, and you’re welcome anytime.

Passionfruit and her babies will be living in the Feed Shed for the next few weeks, right next to our Clubhouse.

We’ll start milking Passionfruit next week - and the soap and ice-cream making adventures will begin!

Looking forward to seeing you soon,

Love from Helen, Rob, Blake, Dexter, Carson, Passionfruit, Peaches & Kiwi xoxox

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas...

Gift Certificates Available..

Is Your Daughter Begging Santa for a Horse?

At Saddle Camp, she can have her own horse for as long as she stays.

Whether it be a Mini Adventure Ride, Horsemanship Day, Picnic Trail Ride, River Ride, Gymkhana, Show Day, Slumber Party, Weekend Camp, Long Weekend Camp or a 4 Day/3 Night Camp.

You can make her dreams come true by booking her Riding Adventure.  

And I can send you a Gift Certificate so she has something tangible under the Christmas Tree ready for Christmas Day.

You can see all the details, dates and places available for each of the

overnight camps here  

and the shorter day rides here.

You can click here for a quick video of all the fun at Saddle Camp.

She can choose her horse here, and I’ll do my absolute best to make sure it’s hers.  If I can’t, I’ll let you know in case you’d like to change dates to make it happen.

Reply email to ask any questions at all, or call Helen on 0417 456 093.

Wishing you all the Joy & Happiness for the Christmas Season ahead!

From Helen, Cadie, Champ, Axl and Harry xoxox

Slushies at Saddle Camp!

Just in Time for Summer :)

We now have a busily working Slushie Machine, filled with frozen Pink Lemonade.

So when you’re here for a Day Camp, Overnight Camp, or Party, there’ll be an endless supply of Slushies to cool you down.

And if you’re staying in our Tiny House, popping in for a treat at the Cafe, visiting the farm animals, or having a splash at the Bombay Reserve swimming holes, they’re just $2.50 each.

Cool down, relax and enjoy!

For the Parents! Java's Indonesian Ready to Heat & Eat Meals available in our Farm Shop!

Daniar Robinson has recently opened her gorgeous Indonesian Restaurant in town - Java Braidwood.

We absolutely loved our dinner out at Java Braidwood, and Daniar asked if we would like her meals available to sell in our Farm Shop and Cafe!

We now have:

Beef Rendang, Tofu Rendang, Sweet & Sour Pineapple Barramundi, Nasi Goreng and simple Jasmine Rice available here.  

If you’re staying at Saddle Camp, live nearby, or you’re looking for a delicious, healthy dinner that can be tucked away in the freezer for a quick meal after horse riding - then this is a great option.

I’ve made links to each of the meals so you can see the ingredients, and re-heating instructions.

Also, I’m really excited at how it fits in with our “Taste of Braidwood” experience.  I know it draws a long bow, but it fits in beautifully with the origin story of the indigenous tribes that originally lived here.

I read in Jackie French’s book “Let the Land Speak” that the current theory of the original Australian inhabitants is that about 60,000 years ago there was a lot of volcanic upheaval happening around Indonesia.

Jackie wrote a beautiful story about one of the women in a tribe on the coast in Indonesia gathering her remaining community after a tsunami had washed through their village, and a volcano had erupted inland, and suggesting that they take their boats and row South.  

She’d noticed birds travelling in that direction and was convinced there was a safe land mass in that direction.

Just three families were brave enough to trust her instincts, and they rowed through the day, night and another day.

It coincides with the last ice age, so the Indian Ocean wasn’t as wide as it is today.

She wore a necklace of seeds around her neck, bringing the means of producing familiar food with them to get them started in their new home.

About 20,000 years later, their descendants slowly migrated further south, to Braidwood and beyond.

Java Restaurant brings all those famous Indonesian ingredients and flavours together, making these meals healthy, delicious AND an experience of our local History.

PLUS

The beef is holistically raised at Jillamatong Farm (Martin Royds’ farm - famed for his biodynamic, hydrating the landscape, and building soil farming systems).  For more of his details - google search Jillamatong Martin Royds.  There were too many videos and articles for me to choose from!

AND some of the meals are Gluten Free, Nut Free and Dairy Free.  

Easy for Vegans :)

And if you’d like to eat at Java Restaurant - and try all Daniar’s meals served fresh and beautifully presented - see Java Braidwood | Restaurant in Braidwood, lunch and dinner.

Selamat Makan (enjoy the food)!