The Stylish Ranch Where Friends Gather for Tennis, Trail Rides, and Rosso Cocktails Under the Stars

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Sun-drenched tennis courts, horseback adventures, and long table lunches, this is the art of gathering, ranch edition. Because the new country club comes with better views, better boots, and a wilder kind of welcome. As part...

by Morgan Johnson

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As part of The Venue Report’s Sports Club collection, we invite you to discover Copperstone: a place where matches stretch long past dusk, friends swap racquets for Negronis over ice, and dinner is served courtside under a wash of stars. This isn’t your average country club. At Copperstone, tennis comes with rosso cocktails, trail rides lead to picnic feasts, and the dress code is somewhere between sunhat and saddle boots. Tucked into the hills of Bangalow and built by the team behind The Range Estates family, Copperstone is what happens when European romance melts into Australian earth.

Copperstone sits on 48 lush acres in Bangalow and nails the sweet spot between design-forward and down-to-earth. You’ve got a blush-toned clay court, Argentinian horses at the ready, and long-table lunches under a 100-year-old persimmon tree. It’s the kind of place made for gathering with shady picnic spots, farm buildings straight out of a Nancy Meyers movie, and trees practically begging for a long farm table beneath them. Whether it’s a family vacation, a weekend escape, or a dinner party with friends, it's a place where the backdrop does half the hosting.

Photography by: Sean Fennessy

Tennis, Cocktails, and Courtside Camaraderie in the Heart of Bangalow

There’s something undeniably cinematic about playing tennis at Copperstone. Think Wim Wenders meets Terrence Malick, with a touch of rosso in hand. The court is wrapped in handcrafted stone in the estate’s signature earthy pink, and the surface is tournament-grade Astro Turf. But the real magic happens beyond the baseline.

It’s the rustle of gumtrees, the sunlight dancing off chilled cocktail glasses, and the quiet joy of landing a perfect backhand before taking a slow sip of something icy and red. t’s that old-world idea of sport as a ceremony of connection—no scorekeeping app, no tech distractions, just the rhythm of the rally and the laughter of loved ones on the sidelines.

Serve, Sip, Saddle: How to Spend a Perfect Day at a Ranch-Meets-Resort Hideaway

After your match (or after pretending to keep score), the mood shifts from serve-and-volley to saddle-and-style. The Copperstone stables, mirroring the estate’s architectural finesse with locally sourced Australian hardwoods and Argentinian ranch flair are not just for horse lovers. They’re for city friends who forgot how good it feels to roam, dressage aficionados and picnic-in-the-paddock dreamers alike. A ride through the endless green trails feels like stepping into a novel. Think: Out of Africa meets The Secret Garden, with the added bonus of great boots and even better conversation with your favorite people.

From Court to Candlelight: A Celebration Script for the Discerning Gatherer

(Think destination wedding, wellness retreat, milestone birthday, or your dream “un-corporate” getaway)

10:00am: Morning tennis tourney — teams of two, sunhats optional, rosso cocktails mandatory
12:00pm: Poolside cheer squad + kids dive into vintage board games under striped umbrellas
1:30pm: Long table, linen-draped, locally foraged, family-style luncheon in The Walled Garden
4:00pm: Group ride at The Stables — horses meet humans, laughter meets landscape
6:00pm: Sunset aperitifs by The Sandy Beach or barefoot moments around The Fire Pit
8:00pm: Cozy movie night or nightcap by the Italian velvet sunken lounge at The Pool House

Where Lazy Lake Days and Childhood Nostalgia Set the Scene (Gingham Blankets Encouraged))

Okay, remember when we were children, before bills, Instagram, and “calendar invites” meant anything to us and we could just frolic outside, wrestling with siblings, playing in the water, and eating sun-warmed fruit straight from the tree? At Copperstone’s Sandy Beach, that childlike joy returns in full technicolor. Set along Lane’s Lake, with its gentle shimmer and the occasional sighting of a platypus like something out of a forgotten fairy tale, this is a sacred pocket of nature designed for barefoot afternoons and slow, delicious pauses. Lay out a gingham blanket, pass around sparkling elderflower tonics or a chilled bottle of something pink and persuasive, and let the day meander like the breeze. It’s a scene worthy of a Renoir painting.

Where Bougainvillea Meets Bread Basket

A short walk from the main house, the Walled Garden appears like a secret from an old European novel. A tucked-away courtyard framed by century-old stone, climbing fig, and an enormous persimmon tree that could easily double as the setting for your next life-altering conversation. Grapevines curl toward the sun while you and your guests can linger at the custom-built table, lost in long lunches or deepening conversations that somehow feel more profound under pink bougainvillea. The Range Estates’ approach is simple: let the landscape lead, keep the design thoughtful, and make space for gathering with your favorite people.

Can you picture it? Golden hour in the Walled Garden, cocktails in hand, an acoustic band playing softly against the backdrop of weathered stone and climbing fig.

A Poolside Sanctuary: Robes, Rosso, Repeat

Not every group trip or gathering needs a grand itinerary. Sometimes, the best memories are made barefoot, robe-clad, and mid-laugh beside a mineral pool. At Copperstone’s Pool House, you can indulge in rosso cocktails over midday dips, catch up with stories that swirl in the steam room, and form an impromptu poolside book club with friends. novel in hand.

Start your day with Pilates at dawn, end it with a twilight parrilla feast, and soak in all the slow, sun-drenched in-between. The wellness retreat has everything you’d want; sauna, ice bath, massage room, but what makes it memorable is how it all feels when you’re there with your people. You’re swapping stories in the steam room, taking turns in the cold plunge, and comparing massage notes in between snacks and stretches

And then there’s The Games Room, just off the Homestead. The kind of space you’ll end up in after the spa, after the pool, after someone says, “Should we play something?” No need to pack cards or travel games. Whether you’re here for a family vacation, a wedding celebration, or a weekend escape with your favorite people, you can partake in late-night board games, an impromptu ping pong match, or just hanging out on the beanbags, it's the perfect bonus space when you're ready for a break from the sun.

It’s perfect for a post-dinner wind-down (or late-night fun) with friends, a rainy day with the kids, or that lull in the afternoon when you’re not ready for a nap but not ready to rally either.

After the Match, After the Meal, After the Fire. Where the Night (and the Storytelling) Unfolds

After a long day of matches and celebratory cheers by the firepit, you’ll want nothing more than to sink into something warm, rich, and velvet-lined, and The Homestead delivers. Perched atop the highest point of the estate like a crown jewel, it’s where the laughter from the tennis court echoes faintly through open windows, and the golden light of dusk spills across polished timber and terracotta tile. Gather your family, or chosen family, pour another round, and lean into that cinematic, fireside kind of night, the kind that starts with a shared meal and ends in barefoot slow dancing in the kitchen. This is the heart of Copperstone: high vaulted ceilings, moody corners, and a sunken velvet lounge built for deep conversations and long exhalations.

Every detail, from the Darwin stringy bark timber beams to the antique curios sourced on far-flung adventures speaks of heritage and intention. Texture is a love language here: rough-hewn woods meet buttery leathers, old-world chandeliers cast shadows on contemporary stone. Whether you’re stirring a late-night cocktail at the bar or helping a niece choose a record for the evening wind-down, The Homestead holds you. It’s less a house and more a feeling, an invitation to indulge in beauty, but also to kick off your shoes, to host with ease, to share stories as dusk rolls in and the scent of woodsmoke curls through the air. It’s the kind of space that celebrates you right back.

So why Copperstone for your next courtside celebration? Because some places don’t just host a gathering — they elevate it. Set across 48 acres of lush Bangalow countryside and infused with old-world European elegance, this is a retreat where tennis sets the rhythm, laughter carries on the breeze, and every moment is steeped in beauty and ease. It’s where connection feels effortless, and celebration flows from morning matches to moonlit dinners. Whether you're gathering for a milestone, corporate escape, or just because—this is your match point.

Here’s why it works:

A tournament-class tennis court set against dreamy pink-stone walls
Rosso cocktails and cheering friends under the warm Australian sun
Slow, family-style feasts in the Walled Garden or poolside
Horseback rides through emerald pastures and dressage elegance at golden hour
Wellness retreats and playful poolside moments at the 25m mineral pool
Thoughtfully designed interiors that make every guest feel at home
And of course… space to laugh, roam, reconnect, and play.

Game. Set. Match.
-> Book your Copperstone stay now on Venue Report, for the gathering that will live in hearts long after the last serve.
-> Join the game early and listen to our bespoke Courtside Playlist - a country club escape that may just transport you to the courts of Bangalow while you await your arrival.

Venue: Copperstone / Bangalow, Australia
Photography: Sean Fennessy
Written by: Morgan Johnson

Looking for more courtside content? You're Cordially Invited to the Venue Report Sports Club Collection: