Spring Spur

My partner and I stayed at Spring Spur shortly after New Year's Eve. We absolutely adored our time there on every level. The Baird family do an amazing job of welcoming guests and making them feel just at home.
The accomodation was lovely and comfortable, a perfect quiet retreat. There are six rooms which have been cleverly designed to work with the land and built from scratch using family designs (in fact the whole place is really a labour of love). There is not AC, opting instead to cool the rooms overnight and keep windows and shutters closed during the heat of the day. We personally loved this more economical and ecological approach.

The real standout was the communal living space with board games, a record player, and a long table where guests can relax and get to know one another. We came during a particularly busy time, and many food options were shut in the evenings. Lin offered us home made casserole with greens and an amazing salad at the drop of a hat, no questions asked. Breakfasts were incredible too, with fresh produce, fruits, and home made bread.

My partner and I both did an evening ride, and it was gratifying to see the horses so well looked after, with wonderful guides who managed different skill levels with ease.
A perfect time away, and we will definitely return.

Spring Spur / Bogong Horseback Adventures took a group of our staff out for a ride in beautiful Tawonga back in October 22 as part of a work retreat. Everyone had a great time and loved the facilities and trail. Thank you for providing such a great experience!

Memorable experience, the drive, the estate - we’d never seen so many horses on one spot of land, and they were all so healthy and happy. Lin and his wife Alex were so welcoming, the dinners cooked by Lin were better than most restaurant’s quality and exceeded our expectations. We did a horse ride too, and wished we’d done another, we’d like to come back again for a camping trip, or make a tradition of it. The charm is the family run element, and the history of it all, you feel as if you’re part of a story. Any Yellowstone fans will not be disappointed!? The little feedback we’d give, is a bar fridge in the rooms for any drinks or snacks. Other than that 5 out of 5! Thanks Lin & Alex, hope to see you again soon! Gem & Lachy.

My review is based on just the accommodation experience as we didn’t partake in the horse side of the business, but if you’re using spring spur as a base camp I would recommend going elsewhere. The horse riding side may be fantastic… I wouldn’t know.

The views are good and the family hospitable, but $800 for two nights, two bowls of spaghetti, few bits of toast and 6 drinks the value for money isn’t great.
Being told you don’t have air conditioning in early JAN wasn’t ideal, combined with damaged fly screen on the door allowing the mosquitoes in wasn’t much fun either.

If your intention is just for a getaway in the N/E high country area I would suggest staying in Mt beauty/Bright/Myrtleford/Yak instead.

We stayed at Spring Spur for two nights. We booked during peak snow season, mostly because we couldn't find anywhere else to stay. It's very remote, you go down a long, dusty track to get there. It was particularly tough to navigate on the first night. The place is organised around a shared kitchen and dining area, which also functions as the reception and central thoroughfare between the rooms and the carpark. There are six rooms in total, and we booked two of them. Don't expect 5-star luxury, but the basics are covered. The bed was very comfortable, there was an ensuite with a hot shower, there was a heater (welcome in the colder months), some storage for clothes and one had a patio. I could stop here, and it would sound like Spring Spur was nothing special. The big difference with Spring Spur is the hospitality, specifically the host, Lin. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say we bombarded Lin with requests. Lin was always pleasant, friendly, professional, but willing to improve our stay in whatever way he could. As an example, we often needed hot water and expected a kettle in the room, but in lieu of that, Lin or one of the family would fill our Thermoses with water from the kitchen. When our plans changed and we decided to go on a horseriding trip the next day, Lin was able to get it organised with almost zero notice. When I told Lin that one of the rooms had run out of soap, we got a free gift soap, which looked more expensive. What I'm saying is, while the accommodation was basic, these little touches made the service 5-star. Lin and his family will do just about anything reasonable to make your stay nicer. Lastly, the food at Spring Spur is an amazing effort given that it's a boutique hotel. Breakfast is a full buffet, just on a smaller scale. You have bacon, eggs, porridge, juice, fruit and toast. We had dinner one night and it was just great. Wonderful roast chicken and a great atmosphere, like sitting at a family dinner.

Our trip to Spring Spur was everything we needed and more! Thank you Lin and family for making our trip special for my partner's birthday. From stunning views sweeping over the Keiwa Valley looking up to Mt Feathertop, Mt Beauty and Falls Creek, to warm family hospitality by the toasty fireplace and a can do attitude from Lin and his family. I was really impressed at how Lin and his family worked hard to keep their guests comfortable and happy, whilst also juggling their young family. It's a hard task and one they did very well. That would have been enough, but then there was the food and the South African Pinotage. Lin and his family's passion for slow food and wine really shone through, and every meal nourished not just your body, but your soul. I happily drank Spring Spur's Pinotage every night by the fire (made in-house), an incredibly delicious South African red wine variety that you can't find anywhere else in Oz. If you want a place to recharge your body, mind and soul, Spring Spur is your next destination. We will definitely be coming back, Ali & Matias x

Our trip to Spring Spur was nothing short of incredible.

Hosts were terrific and cooked up the most beautiful local produce for dinner.

Spent breakfast meeting the other guests and talking about the local hotspots.

Rooms were comfy and cosy and the farm has an amazing view.

We spent our last night around the campfire reflecting on our time away stargazing.

Highly recommend.

A few weeks ago my husband and I had the wedding of our dreams at Spring Spur. I cannot express how amazing it was. And yes, most people will say that about their own weddings, but wait until you see this place and meet the people at Spring Spur. Lin and the crew worked tirelessly to make our day so special. We had the ceremony on the hill overlooking the valley which has an incredible view and made for spectacular photos. We then moved to the horse stables and had dinner under a beautiful hand built tipi. So many of our guests were so blown away by the food and told us it was literally the best wedding food they have ever had. Oh and the wine, bravo Alex
The accommodation on site was perfect too and meant that we didn’t have to stumble far to get to bed at the end of the night.
We cannot thank Lin, Alex, Cass and the rest of the Spring Spur crew enough for everything they have done for us. Literally 10/10.

We stayed over summer in a group of eight celebrating a birthday with a weekend package (stay of two nights plus a half day ride). There was a lot of back and forth organising a group during a really uncertain time with Covid/Omicron cases rising rapidly but Lin and family were amazing all the way through (including a very flexible Covid cancellation/rebooking policy which was super reassuring). Lin answered all my questions, completely understood the kind of trip I was trying to pull together, and anticipated all our needs.

Once at Spring Spur, none of could believe how beautiful the experience was – really lovely and interesting accommodation, comfy beds, amazing scenery and delicious food. They offered us a great balance of leaving us to our own devices and shaping our weekend via the ride and meals, and supported our group to organise a few extra birthday celebration bits and pieces which were a hit. Swimming in the Kiewa river nearby was another highlight after a hot day riding the beautiful horses. We had a really memorable time and all of us agreed we'd 100% return.

My wife and I attended Spring Spur for one of their all inclusive weekends - and in a nutshell would say it was a great experience. Below is some more detail though and an objective point of view for people considering attending.

Firstly, if you don't know the Kiewa Valley you're in for a treat - its a gorgeous location and Spring Spur's property is equally lovely. The accomodation was very nice - no its not the Langham, but honestly it was pretty darn good. The beds were raved about - and while again they were better then average - it wasn't THE best bed Ive ever slept on, however full disclosure my wife thought they were better than I did - but nonetheless they were more then adequate for a great night sleep.

I thought the number of people they included in the weekend was fantastic. It was 10 (5 couples of all shapes, ages and sizes) It was just enough to make things fun and interesting socially, but not too many that it felt overwhelming for introverts like myself.

The service was great - however I must warn people that it is very casual in nature. It is run by a lovely family and all hands are on deck - mum, dad, baby, grandpa, grandma etc. I think this has both pro's and cons. You certainly couldn't fault them for their kindness and desire to serve guests needs - however people who enjoy a degree of pomposity or regality when staying at accomodation (again like the Langham) you will not find that here. This will either bother you, not phase you, or not even rate a mention on your radar. Whatever your preference thought - the service was great albeit casual in nature.

FOOD: The food in general was wonderful - of a much higher standard than I was anticipating. The croissants were THE best Ive had in Australia - and I particularly loved the "wholesome farm-esque" style food - lots of natural ingredient and home made breads/dips/jams etc. My only issue and the only reason I didn't give them 5 stars was that one of the dinners was vegetarian. For some people this won't be an issue - in fact it will be celebrated - but having canvassed numerous others on the weekend with me this was actually a majority issue for others too - especially considering actually a few of us noted on our dietary requirement forms things like "carnivore", "must have meat" etc. Thankfully the vegetarian meal was relatively nice - but even in our culture the majority of people still want to have some form of meat with their dinner and so the absence of this was a disappointment.

The horse ride was good. I thought it was a tiny bit cautious - if you're an expert rider or after a thrill seek this isn't for you - but in fairness I have been on numerous other horse rides in Australia and they can be far worse and cautious. We were able to do some trotting and cantering - although it would have been less then 5-10% of the ride. However, the scenery was beautiful and honestly for the majority of the group I think it was a good balance of adrenaline - as I think they cater more toward beginner riders on this trip allowing more advanced riders to participate in their extending overnight treks.

Honestly all in all I think it was a very good weekend, and a lot to enjoy - I would definitely recommend a weekend trip if you have interest in beautiful landscape, horses and good food/wine.

We had the pleasure of spending 3 nights at Spring sour as part of our trip to Falls Creek. This is an absolute must visit for anyone wanting to get away and completely relax. The facilities and room are outstanding and Lin, Alex, Kath and Steve who have all built this beautiful homestead over the last 40 years are so welcoming and made our stay so great. Massive thanks to you all and we will come back again and refer all our friends to also come and visit.

Just returned from a stay at Spring Spur and loved it! Beautiful scenery, wonderful gardens to walk through and plenty to do and see in the surrounding areas. I enjoyed one of their wonderful horse rides as well. Staff went above and beyond, super friendly and the accommodation was perfect!

Spring Spur charged my credit card before they were supposed to, lied about the charge claiming it was an Expedia booking fee (there is no such fee from Expedia) and cancelled our stay then refused a refund, then to top it off they hung up on us when we asked for a refund on a stay that never happened!

Edit: Refund was processed after months of trying to chase down the hotel. The stay was booked via Expedia's Book Now Pay Later policy and we should not have been charged until check-in. We enquired about the charge and Spring Spur lied on the phone claiming it was an Expedia booking fee. Also does not change the fact Spring Spur hung up on us when we called for a refund - this rude behaviour by Spring Spur is fact and not defamatory.

A beautiful location, with excellently trained horses, and friendly staff, suitable for ages eight upwards.

The two hour ride included about an hour briefing beforehand, and a two hour trail ride that included opportunities to trot and canter, a shallow stream crossing, with plums to pick along the route, and gorgeous high country to see. Guides will be happy to point out interesting sites, like a local runway, neighbourhood alpacas, and ripe plum trees.

No experience needed for trail rides. I can’t wait to come back.

Stunning natural surroundings. The accommodation was immaculate, warm and inviting. Hosts Lin and Alex were lovely. Food was luscious, hand made raviolli! Warm, welcoming fires and comfy couches after a relaxed ride in the rain. Extra wet weather gear was a blessing. Thanks to Penny, Tarita and Harriet for being our guides on the ride, and so helpful and entertaining.

All round fabulous weekend away.

Great place, friendly and professional family who love their horses and what they do. Amazing food! Will definitely come again for a longer trek

Spent a beautiful weekend at Spring Spur. Felt very lucky to share such a special corner of the world with perfect horses, amazing landscape, great people and every amenity required. All rooms were very comfortable and we were incredibly well fed. Overall a refreshing experience that I would highly recommend to anyone.

Run by a lovely family, so a wonderfully warm family atmosphere, with real country hospitality. Rides to up spectacular mountainous places on healthy, happy and well trained horses. The rooms are classy and as a bonus, all the food is delicious and home-made/grown. The service is superb. Couldn't recommend Spring Spur/Bogong Horses more highly!