“Evoking an authentic sense of place, this small acreage garden was designed by Newcastle-based Tim McBurney of Liminal Landscape Design. It captures the laidback rural-coastal essence of Terranora, a town in the Northern Rivers region of NSW, as well as capturing views of the Kingscliff shoreline.

“The brief was to create more usable spaces with a natural, informal aesthetic,” says Tim. “During my first visit to the property it was clear that the gently undulating site, with views onto farmland and out to the ocean, would offer great possibilities.”

When the owners of the property, which they dubbed Carramar, met with Tim, they had quite the wish list. They wanted to incorporate level areas, new gardens, a fire pit zone with seating and a tree-encircled meditation deck. Some requests were substantial, such as a large lap pool to be sensitively designed and perfectly placed; others of smaller scale, such as the inclusion of a new letterbox.

“Natural materials were to be used to evoke the sense that the garden had always been there. Luckily, the rich alluvial soil brought with it many opportunities, including large quantities of stone which could be salvaged and used throughout the garden to imbue it with a genuine sense of place,” says Tim.

“The topography of the site and natural grade of the land gestured to the possibility of outdoor rooms to linger in or move through. Large established trees anchored the site and provided much needed scale against the architecture of the home.

“The movement and flow of space seemed to mark the logical placement of meandering gravel paths and stone steps, as well as swathes of native grasses and groundcovers to evoke the feeling of being immersed in nature.”

Down from the house, the slope also presented the perfect placement for the pool, which Tim nestled into the hillside to capture the pristine coastal views and cooling summer breezes.

“The pool fence was an important design consideration and needed to blend in with the surrounding environment. The solution was to use vertical timber batten fencing, placed within the gardens so that the native plantings would, in time, grow through the gaps making the fence almost disappear,” says Tim.

“Another key feature of the garden was the placement of large stone boulders throughout. These were also used in the construction of the retaining walls, fire pit seating area and letterbox.

“The resulting garden is a mixture of colour and contrast, leisure and reflection, and built and natural forms dancing with a wildness of native grasses that move gently in the wind and offer sanctuary from the busy world beyond.”

The completed garden met the design brief perfectly, winning three accolades for Tim, including Landscape Designer of the Year – Emerging Designer, in the 2023 LDI National Landscape Design Awards.”