This was published 13 years ago
Ranelagh Bed and Breakfast, Dubbo review: Room for Her Maj and the Pope
The potential guest list is one of the surprises awaiting Elicia Murray at a country estate.
Country airs ... Ranelagh's Gill room.
'Would you rather be the Queen or the Pope?"
It's not a choice I had contemplated before I phoned to book a room at Ranelagh, a sprawling bed-and-breakfast on the outskirts of Dubbo.
From the photos on the website, the Gill room appeared to be the grandest of the six double bedrooms, with its red silk-draped four-poster bed, antique dressing table and easy access to the billiard room. This, the owner assures me, is where the Pope would stay if he visited Dubbo. Who knew His Holiness was a pool shark?
The Fearon room, on the other hand, is where the Queen would sleep should Her Maj have business in the central west, not least for the convenience of its en suite. It's a close call but the idea of bumping into fellow guests on late-night loo stops tips the balance in favour of the Fearon room on this trip to introduce Plus One to my rural relatives - and meet a few of his.
After tea and cake at the Rock Cake Bakery in Gilgandra, where Plus One's Uncle Kevin declares me "nearly good enough" for his nephew, it's off to Dubbo.
In its heyday, Ranelagh must have been an impressive sight. It was built in 1875 for Joshua Gill, who owned Dubbo's first general store. Judging by its elaborate style, business was booming. The 650-square-metre house, set on almost six hectares, offered plenty of space for his 10 children, too.
The Holy Father would have approved.
These days, the Newell Highway passes the front driveway. What would once have been a gentrified district by the Macquarie River is now an industrial belt dotted with garages, used-car dealerships and farm machinery businesses.
The single-storey butter-coloured brick house sits at the end of a circular driveway. There's also a pool and a tennis court.
The accommodation is "self-hosted", unless you count the cat that darts in when we unlock the door. We navigate a course through a country-style lounge room to the bedrooms, poking our heads into the handsome billiard room. We have the place to ourselves. For now.
In the Fearon room, a gas chandelier hangs from the ceiling and there's a lavish gold-brocade doona on the four-poster queen-size bed.
Her Maj might not be so impressed with the poky en suite: the exhaust fan needs a good clean and cobwebs dangle from the window frame. There's just enough space for a shower and toilet. Instead of a sink in the en suite, there's an old-style washstand in the spacious bedroom.
That night, we head into town for drinks with relatives at the Milestone Hotel, one of the pubs in Dubbo with decent food and a relaxed vibe. When we mention where we're staying, the locals know the place.
"The one near the brothel," says cousin Craig. On our way back, the taxi driver says the same thing.
It's past midnight when we return to Ranelagh. As I turn the key in the lock, the quiet is shattered by ferocious barking. It's coming from inside the house, just metres from where we're standing.
Between barks, we hear a woman's voice urging the beast to be quiet. We enter gingerly, half expecting to be mauled, but after we dash to our room and shut the door, the barking stops.
When I rise to make coffee in the light-filled kitchen the next morning, the source of the racket - a huge black dog - runs in and tries to lick me to death. Its owners - fellow guests who are helping themselves to breakfast from the well-stocked fridge and pantry - assure me the dog will leave me alone in a minute but that's probably a minute too late for my liking at this hour. Not that I don't like dogs - I just wasn't expecting them as fellow guests.
Armed with coffees, I retreat to our room and climb back into bed. The surprises continue a few minutes later when the door bursts open and a man walks in.
"We're still here!" I squeal, as Plus One grabs the doona to protect his modesty.
It's the owner. He swiftly apologises and backtracks, later explaining that he assumed we had already left because our car wasn't in the driveway. (It was back at the pub.)
Asked about the brothel, he confirms that there is a bordello up the road in another historic home. And the dog? There is a pet-friendly policy, which is mentioned on the website but it takes a bit of clicking to find it. He says he usually informs visitors when other guests travelling with pets have made a booking for the same night. In our case, however, the dog owners booked online and failed to mention their four-legged friend.
"I bet they probably got as big a surprise on your arrival as you did," he says.
Dubbo is hardly spoilt for choice when it comes to deluxe accommodation.
Ranelagh, though comfortable, did not quite live up to the promises of luxury, intimacy and romance on its website.
At least Plus One got rave reviews.
Weekends Away are reviewed anonymously and paid for by Traveller.
VISITORS' BOOK
Address Bourke Street, North Dubbo.
The verdict Old-world charm with a few unwelcome surprises.
Price Double rooms from $159 to $189 a night. We paid $189 for the Fearon Room.
Bookings Phone 0408 636 111, see ranelaghbandb.com.au.
Getting there Two-and-a-half kilometres from the centre of Dubbo heading north on the Newell Highway.
Perfect for Visitors with pets.
Wheelchair access No.
While you're there Head to Taronga Western Plains Zoo, visit Old Dubbo Gaol or sample a drop from the area's fledgling wine industry.
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