After wondering whether or not our stay at Ipakey was going to happen due to the terrible bushfires in the Yengo National Park, we were excited to receive our stay instructions from the real estate. The instructions were very clear which is good as the gravel road in can seem at first to go on for a while although after travelling on it a few times its not that far at all. First impressions of Ipakey were ones of delight as the location is utterly beautiful. Nestled in-between the ridges of the Yengo National Park and with no visible neighbours you really do get the feeling of isolation...perfect!
The house itself is great and has everything you could think of to make your stay homely and comfortable. Its basic, but that's what we were looking for. No TV, no WiFi and no phone reception were welcomely received so the kids had to make up their own entertainment. To this end the excellent pool provided many fun family hours of entertainment, especially when the temperature rose over 35'c. With no air con the ceiling fans struggled on a 40'c day but quickly cooled once the southerly appeared.
The only issue we faced was the verandah and outside tables needing a scrub down as they were covered in soot due to a backburn out the back of the property. Other than that we really enjoyed the stay with no issues.
For those who enjoy bike riding, the nearby Boree Track and Finchley Track offer good trail riding. The later also continues up to the Finchley Trig Lookout 8km from Ipakey (no issue for a soft roader 4wd, 2wd might struggle a little). This took us through some of the worst parts of the recent fires in the area (the trail is now safe from falling trees) with the actually lookout offering a glimpse into the scale of the fire with scorched tree canopies as far as the eye could see towards Gospers Mountain. Well worth the drive for the spectacular view noneetheless.
Local services in Laguna were superb with fresh produce available from the Providore and the Great Northern Trading Post offering pub lunches everyday then beautifully cooked dinners and breakfasts on the weekend.
The same can be said for the Myrtle House Cafe in Wollombi whose breakfasts were a highlight.
At the end of our stay we reflected on what a beautiful corner of Australia Ipakey is set in and would love to come back to stay and see the surrounds in another season.