Olives, trees and bark

It's puppy love at first sight for Mary O'Brien and family when adopted by two dogs at a country cottage.

You don't have to be dog lovers to stay at Wintarni Olives but if you are, you will really enjoy your break. For two dogless children, Sally and Becky are the ideal playmates. You don't have to feed them but they are always on standby in case you want to run around the olive grove, play fetch or go for a walk.

So our stay at Wintarni Olives Bed and Breakfast, 10 minutes outside Ballarat, becomes an "adopt a dog" weekend, winning over cat-owning kids to bigger four-legged friends. Not surprisingly, the dog owners, Barb and Rob Glass, who live next door, are friendly welcoming types. We had several phone calls with Barb just to sort out what she should leave for breakfast.

We arrive with boxes of food for the weekend but are amazed by the cottage's provisions. There's a bowl of fruit and nuts, milk, olive oil and olive oil dip, crackers, gourmet yoghurts, truss tomatoes, mushrooms, eggs, orange juice and bread.We turn around to see a huge platter of fresh fruit, a box with a variety of teas, ground coffee and, best of all, in the fridge, there's a bottle of local Dulcinea chardonnay, which we open enthusiastically.

Barb and Rob are away in Canada but their daughter-in-law, Belinda, shows us around and makes sure we are comfortable. And, of course, we are, with reverse-cycle air-conditioning, DVDs, classical CDs and a bookcase with something to interest the whole family.

The cottage is well appointed, with a small stove, an oven, microwave, dishwasher and fireplace, which we soon light, not being used to the chillier Ballarat evenings. But it's the extra touches that make us feel at home, such as the bedtime chocolates near our pillows, the dressing gowns and fresh posies.

It's a large one-bedroom cottage and the children sleep in the main room on a comfortable sofa bed and a trundle tucked away in a corner.

They get a kick out of watching the fire flicker while they lie in their beds. And there's a dog at the door; Sally is quietly guarding the cottage. The sheets, towels and bedding are all grander than we expect from a country cottage. The bathroom is spacious and the whole cottage is wheelchair accessible.

Next day, we head to Ballarat to pan for gold at Sovereign Hill and brush up on our history at the Eureka Centre. Later, we wander through the city's historic streets, enjoying a coffee at L'espresso on Sturt Street and a browse through the CD collection.