Wombat Cottage

We are living the 'Australian Lifestyle' to the fullest.

After Hanging Rock last week, Hubby announced on Tuesday we will be heading to Warrnambool next for the 2009 Fun4Kids Festival. Warrnambool is about 260km south-west of Melbourne and is known as the Great South Coast capital. Fun4Kids Festival is an award winning festival for the last 3 years and is considered Australia's Best Children's Festival. Though I have no idea what it's about at first, it sure sounded very promising. (More of Fun4Kids in the next post.)

This time, we'll be staying 3 nights at Port Fairy, the historic seaside village about 30 mins from Warrnambool, as the distance is too far for a day trip. Yipee! KK and I couldn't wait for Friday to come.

The drive took almost the whole of Friday, with at least 3 stops for toilet and snacks. But I'm all too happy to sit back, relax and enjoy the journey. Driving on and on, with green pastures, blue skies and white clouds all around, I get that familiar 'holiday feeling' coming back to me. These are times when I forget about the bloopers and believe again in Australia. A big, beautiful country with lots of possibilities for a great lifestyle. It's good to be here. It's good to be alive.

The cosy living area

We arrived Wombat Cottage, our accomodation in Port Fairy for the next 3 nights, around 5pm. My first impression of the one bedroom weatherboard house was "old", in perfect theme with the history of the town. I can imagine an elderly couple living there, amongst the flower printed sofas and country kitchen. Yet, we spent 3 very cozy and comfortable evenings and nights there.

The hand quilted bedspread and the wombat mascot

The first thing I noticed was its hand-quilted bedspread and pillow cases. As a quilter myself, I appreciate the handmade uniqueness and character of these quilts compared to store bought ones. Plus the pillows and mattress were so cushy, we were thoroughly warmed and snuggled up in the night. The flower printed sofas and armchair, though old fashioned, were the kind that you sink into and don't want to get up. There were ample cushions and a throw to make curling up there, reading a book by the fireplace, with a cup of tea after dinner, something I look forward to doing eveynight. Also, we were proven wrong about weatherboard houses being of poorer quality than brick houses. Our little cottage was so well insulated and toasty, we hardly heard the rain outside and we could sleep under a thin sheet with no heater at night.

My time to relax

Besides "Cozy" and "Comfortable", there were 2 more essential Cs - "Clean" and "Complete". Wombat Cottage may look old but it is spotlessly kept. And because the owner stays there sometimes as well, the kitchen is well equipped with modern gadgets like microwave, toaster and washing machine, quality crockery, ample linens and even a milk shake maker! I only wished there was a dishwasher and dryer.

The kids playing, what else, Nintendo DS

The cottage also comes "complete" with books, games and toys. I really like staying at accomodations like these, versus motels and hotels, these days. Besides having a character of its own, there are always some books and games in the house, left there by the owners or previous tenants, to keep you and your kids entertained and occupied in the evenings. I like browsing through the bookshelves to see if there are any interesting things to read. The collection of things there can sometimes give you some insights about the owners. For Wombat Cottage, I gathered that the owner, Mike Jackson, is a musician who specialises in children's songs. There are several children's CDs and books published by him teaching kids how to play the ukele. I'm also guessing he's got a daughter cos there are more girl toys than boys'.

KK and the lemon tree in the backyard

Now it has become me and Hubby's dream to own a little retreat cottage like this, in a nice scenic area when we retire.....dream dream dream....