In the sawdust-strewn day-yards leading off the stable block at Copperstone, dust spins in the stream of sunlight that has momentarily broken through the storm clouds. Saddles, seasoned by sweat, sit perched on a timber beam in the wash-bay cross ties, where a black gelding is being hosed down after his dressage session. Across the recycled brick flooring and out past the building’s Spanish-inspired arches, two palms sway dramatically in the breeze picking up pace. Even if you aren’t a horse lover, you’d be hard pressed to find a more idyllic place.

You’d think you’d been plonked in the midst of an Argentinian ranch, with its open pastures sectioned into sculptural forms by blackbutt post-and-rail fencing, their lines bending to the topography of the hill. But we’re just 1½ kilometres from the NSW village of Bangalow at Copperstone: a 19-hectare homestead that’s both a holiday retreat for the Lane family, and the latest addition to The Range Estates, a portfolio of luxury-accommodation rental properties from husband-and-wife developers Emma and Tom Lane.