Abbotsford Convent & Collingwood Children’s Farm, Melbourne

On a recent trip to Melbourne I had the opportunity to visit the Collingwood Children’s Farm and Abbotsford Convent and see some amazing autumn colours that Brisbane’s trees rarely show.

The beautiful old buildings of Abbotsford Content have been 60% restored and, even as a work in progress, it’s inspiring to know the site is now inhabited with studio and office spaces and venues for performing arts. On the fourth Saturday of each month the convent hosts a Slow Food Farmers’ Market and there are several permanent places to eat such as vegetarian restaurant Lentil as Anything which trades on a ‘pay-what-you-want’ model.

The Collingwood Children’s Farm was also a pleasure to wander around, even on a cold, rainy afternoon, being on a farm, only 5km from the city of Melbourne was a magical experience. The smell and sounds of farm animals and fresh air on the seven hectare site made me feel like I had been transported to another time. It really made me want to slow down and take it all in.

And a big thank you goes to my amazing friends, Sean and Sandy for bringing me to this delightful place!