Heeding my own advice from 6 Ways to Beat Post-Travel Blues, my husband and I finally embarked upon our long-awaited horse riding excursion at Megalong Valley Farm in the hinterlands of Sydney. Situated a stone’s throw away from one of my favourite hideaways in Sydney (i.e. the quintessential Blue Mountains), the charms of the mountains beckoned as soon as we alighted from Blackheath Railway Station (one stop north of Katoomba).

The 15 minute drive to Megalong Valley Farm took us through Nature’s backyard with towering cliff faces, thickening forests and broad meadows greeting our every turn. The farm itself presented a therapeutic weekend retreat, its quirky resplendence on full display on a picture-perfect day as this.

The star attraction of the day’s excursion, of course, was destined to be the equine kind. Just as there is no denying that I have a penchant for certain landscapes – lush greens, undulating hills and rugged alpines – invariably the four-legged inhabitants of such landscapes hold just as much intrigue. Well-versed in human engagement and oftentimes regarded as a great healer, horses are the classic gentle giants (some mature breeds can rise to a majestic 7 feet tall!).