This was published 15 years ago
Lorne Bush House Cottages review: Flying visit to the bush
Creature features ... the cottage balconies fill with birds at feeding time.
Robert Upe finds peace but no quiet among the gum trees at this bush retreat.
The yabbies are finally biting and we're hauling them out of the muddy dam one after another. The kids have never seen yabbies, let alone caught them, and there's a lot of fun and laughs on this fishing excursion on the 17 hectares of the Lorne Bush House Cottages.
There's a barbecue on the wooden deck at our cottage but thoughts of putting the little blighters (the yabbies, not the kids) on the hot plate are dismissed and we catch and release instead.
The Lorne Bush House Cottages are five minutes' drive up the hill from Lorne, which is bustling and bursting from holiday weekend crowds, but back here among the gum trees it's as peaceful and relaxing as can be . . . until we unwittingly shatter the peace.
On our deck overlooking hills and eucalypt forest, the rosellas and parrots move in for the seed we have put out. Soon there are birds all over us - they are on on our arms and shoulders vying for every last grain they can get and yet still asking for more. The birds are as much fun as the yabbies.
Lorne Bush Cottages owners Carol and Chris Tully supply the bird seed and all the gear needed to catch yabbies, including string, meat and nets plus advice on the best technique to catch them. (Haul the line in slowly and the yabbies will walk after the bait as it is dragged along the muddy bottom of the dam).
Although it's very hard to beat the sound of the sea in beachfront accommodation at Lorne, this place comes close, especially if you want a bush feel mixed with a beach break. It's an easy drive back down to Lorne so you can go for a surf, wander the shops and drop into a cafe without much fuss, while still benefiting from the bush setting and activities at the cottages.
There's also a one-kilometre hilly bushwalk on the property with views of the ocean and recommendations for other "out-of-town" activities like picking fruit at the Gentle Annie berry gardens and tea rooms (gentleannie.com.au), pony rides for children or riding horses on the beach at nearby Aireys Inlet with Blazing Saddles (blazingsaddlestrailrides.com), and guided canoe tours to find the elusive platypus with Otway Eco Tours (phone 5236 6345).
But the ultimate for many children is the ropes and obstacle course at the cottages. There are tyres to swing on, logs to balance on and ropes to clamber across.
There's also a dirt volleyball court set up with a net, a box of equipment with balls of all shapes and sizes and a cricket set.
The hosts are friendly, approachable and discreet and run their business with a minimum of fuss. There is no check-in on our arrival, just a note at the entrance letting us know which of the six cottages we are billeted to.
We're in the two-storey, two-bedroom "Otway" with cathedral ceilings and mezzanine floor. The other cottages (ranging from two to three bedrooms) can be glimpsed through the trees but there is abundant space between each to give a good sense of privacy.
Cut native flowers and plants have been left in a vase on the kitchen table and the kitchen is well equipped and includes stove top and oven, microwave, a medium-sized fridge and a good range of cups, glasses and utensils.
There are comfortable couches, television, video player, ceiling fan and wood fire in the lounge with timber floors, and a bedroom with bunks and a single bed. Also downstairs are the bathroom and toilet.
The main bedroom with air-conditioning is upstairs and, like much of the cottage, has beautiful bush views that you don't want to draw the curtains on.
Outside, the wooden deck wraps around two sides of the cottage and has an easy-to-use barbecue that ignites first time, a table setting for meals on balmy evenings and a wood box with plenty of paper and logs for fires in cold weather.
If we could only stop those birds from screeching . . . or is that the kids?
VISITORS' BOOK
Lorne Bush House Cottages
Address 1860 Deans Marsh Road, Lorne, 3232.
Bookings Phone 5289 2477, see lornebushcottages.com.au.
Getting there Princes Highway from Melbourne to Geelong, then Great Ocean Road to Lorne or Deans Marsh Road from Geelong via Winchelsea and Deans Marsh. Cottages are located five minutes from Lorne.
Summary Peaceful cottages set in bushland with imaginative activities for children. Highly recommended.
How much From $180 a night midweek and from $440 a weekend for most of the year.
Verdict 17.
The score: 19-20 excellent; 17-18 great; 15-16 good; 13-14 comfortable.
All weekends away are conducted anonymously and paid for by Traveller.
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