The space

The room has a super comfortable queen-sized bed with en-suite. It faces a great salt water swimming pool. Our garden is a bit wild but really beautiful and there is adequate shade throughout the day. All the usual amenities are available including a bar-fridge and tea and coffee making facilities.

There is a huge games room with a full-sized pool table and gym equipment. There is a double futon in the games room to accommodate extra guests. Both the main guest room and the games room have cable TV. The bathroom can be accessed without intruding on the main guest room.

Guest access

Our guests enter via the main guest room and have access to the games room and of course the dining room. All the outdoor area is available and there are adequate tables, chairs and loungers around the pool area. The walking track is great for an early morning walk in summer or anytime in winter. The pool is available for use anytime. Pathways are well lit at night. If you have extra guests, the games room can be accessed independently.

Interaction with guests

We are aware of our guests need for privacy, but we are also sociable and willing to interact and share in their experience should they wish. We usually take the time to have a coffee with our guests at breakfast if they’re not pressed for time.

The neighbourhood

The Hunter Valley is where we’re at, great wine, great dining etc. and as we also love the lifestyle, we’re well placed to advise you. But our little town of Branxton is delightful in its own right. We have a good IGA, a reasonably priced bottle shop, a pub and 2 clubs which all serve good food. Great hamburgers, sandwiches, pies, Chinese food and fish and chips are available in the local take-away shops. Some of the best restaurants in the Hunter Valley are within a 15 minute drive. We have a country growers market on the third Saturday of the month at Miller Park and The Sacred Tree Markets on the third Sunday of each month at the old Catholic school. The newly introduced Umbrella Festival in October looks like it will become a great attraction for the town.

There is a sign on entering the town advising drivers that “we have 2 cemeteries but no hospital” but there are adequate medical facilities in Branxton and the neighbouring town of Greta. Many European migrants spent their first years in the Greta Migrants Camp and this makes our community lively, interesting and diverse. Greta also has the BIG fast food outlets

Getting around

There is a train from Branxton to Sydney at least twice daily, but I think anyone staying with us would need their own vehicle. Public transport isn’t great, however we can arrange a door to door bus to the concerts and Rover Motors operate a bus from Branxton on concert days. The local pub offers a courtesy bus. We are 15 minutes from the Hunter Valley Wineries, Singleton, Maitland and Cessnock and about an hour to the Upper Hunter Wineries. We are 5 minutes to the freeway and a bit over 2 hours to Sydney airport. It’s 40 minutes to Newcastle and to Williamtown airport.

Other things to note

We have 2 old dogs (collie crosses) and one mighty ginger Tiger. They are all outside animals (except the cat who has his own rules) He’s not, however, allowed in the guest area. There is a walking track on the property and it takes about 30 minutes to do the circuit. There are usually kangaroos around and the bird-life is awesome.