Magic place by the river reopens in country NSW

One of the most magical destinations for art lovers in Australia is about to reopen to the public. In the summer of 1979, the painter Arthur Boyd and his wife Yvonne bought a property on the Shoalhaven River in south-eastern NSW. He had returned to his native Australia after a decade establishing himself as a major artist in London.

From that 19th-century homestead - Bundanon - he painted the winding river in its many moods. The spectacular landscape appeared in countless paintings in different lights. In flood and drought; at dusk and dawn, the colours change, and you can almost feel the atmosphere in Boyd's many depictions.

In 1993, the Boyds donated the homestead to the nation along with 1000 hectares of land plus 1500 of his own paintings and 97 by Sidney Nolan that he owned. They were accepted on the nation's behalf by the prime minister, Paul Keating.

The homestead is now part of what must be one of the most enchanting arts destinations anywhere in the world. Apart from the Boyds' home, there is, 20 minutes' drive away, the Bundanon art gallery and accommodation in an award-winning 160-metre long "bridge" over a valley.

The art collection contains more than 3000 works, including an extensive collection of works by Boyd himself but also works by Nolan, Brett Whiteley, Joy Hester and Charles Blackman. The collection also includes contemporary work from artists in residence there.

There's too much to show at any one time but the gallery itself is worth a look as an innovative and elegant piece of architecture. Some of it is set in the hill, emphasising the idea that the buildings are embedded in the beautiful landscape. The two complement each other. Setting the concrete structure into the hillside also minimises the risk of fire; fire which came within a kilometre in the 2019 bushfires.

Across the courtyard from the gallery is the charcoal-black Bridge accommodation section which spans the gully in Morton National Park. The 32 cabin-style bedrooms, each with their own bathroom, are more than comfortable but not luxurious. They fit the atmosphere of the place. There's a lot of wood and wide glass to offer a view for the 64 people the place can accommodate, two to a room.

The homestead itself was closed to the public for a $750,000 renovation in 2022, but it's to open again on May 13. The building's renovation has been literally from the ground up. The sandstone walls have been dried of the damp which has permeated over a century.

An ingenious technique was used. A specialist plasterer - a heritage plasterer - removed the plaster up to a metre and a half up from the floor. "He then applied a poultice of pulp which drew out the moisture and the minerals," the collections manager at Bundanon, Jennifer Thompson, says.

It was a bit like putting blotting paper on the wall - the moisture in the stone was drawn out. Holes were then drilled into the stone near ground level and a waterproof resin membrane was injected to create a damp course.

The original plaster was then remixed, with some horse hair added, and the walls were replastered.

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When it's reopened, it will be as it was when Arthur and Yvonne Boyd lived there.

His studio is alongside, and that's open to the public, too. It has his old jumper on a chair. There are brushes he created. Some are made out of the coarse bristles of floor brushes and some are made out of the finest of his daughter's hair.

Fingermarks of oil paint can be seen on the light switches and on the record player. One of the windows is a long slit, about four metres high.

It was sawn out when Arthur Boyd painted a very tall picture and realised he couldn't get it out through the door.

But the landscape is the star attraction.

"I want Bundanon to be accessible to any Australian whose life can be enriched by interaction with Australian creative artists," Arthur Boyd once said.

And so it is.

Getting there: Bundanon is 20 minutes' drive from the NSW South Coast town of Nowra, and two-and-a-half hours' drive from Sydney and Canberra.

Opening hours and tickets: The Art Museum (gallery) is open Wednesdays to Sundays from 10am to 5pm. The Ramox Cafe is open on the same days but from 10am to 4pm. It features seasonal menus that champion local produce. The Homestead is open on weekends, 10am to 5pm. The interior of the Homestead will reopen on May 13. General admission: Adults $18/$12; family $40 (two adults, two youth); members, children under 12 are free.

Staying there: The Bridge accommodation doesn't function like a hotel - you can't book in and out. Rather, packages are on offer, often with an arts theme. Later in May, for example, there is a landscape-painting weekend. It costs $2000 for two people and $1400 for one, but includes fine-dining, a painting workshop and two nights' accommodation.

Explore more: bundanon.com.au