Notes from the host
Lilypad Lodge in Stewarts Rive
Lilypad Lodge is located atop a hill, in the midst of 30 acres of rainforest and green farmland, with beautiful views of rural Hannam Vale.
This architect designed, timber and glass 2-3 bedroom 2 bathroom house has multiple living spaces, so you can relax with a book in the sun in the glass entry or play a game of table tennis or pool in the adjacent rumpus room.
Whether you're curled up with a hot chocolate in front of the slow combustion stove, or taking the rainforest walk down to the Waterlily Dam, the peaceful surrounds are only disturbed by various rainforest birds or the local wallabies at dawn or dusk.
Two large decks with outdoor dining settings, and a third deck in the paddocks provide a variety of views and different locations from which to enjoy a drink, a bite to eat and some good company!
This amazingly serene location makes for a lovely family holiday, family get-together or couple's escape, or a fun break along the way of a longer holiday!! You can be as busy or as quiet as you want - from surfing and swimming at the local beaches to exploring the rainforest and open fields and leaving messages in the message tree, to enjoying a glass of wine at sunset looking out over the countryside - there's something here for everyone.
The house sleeps up to 5 (3 bedrooms, 4 beds).
From Sydney, the F3 etc highway (M1) will deliver you almost all the way to the door, in just over 3 hours, with sealed road access all the way.
Please read on for more details of house and surrounds....
Inside: Fabulous living spaces and flexible sleeping configurations
Main house: The main bedroom has a queen bed, a private balcony with beautiful forest and rural views, walk in robe and an ensuite with pebble-floored shower also looking out into the treetops. The second bedroom is very large and contains a queen bed and a single bed, a built in wardrobe, and a portacot. The third bedroom contains a set of bunk beds and a built in wardrobe.
The kitchen is fully equipped, with coffee machine, dishwasher, microwave, large fridge / freezer, Kleenmaid oven, gas cooktop, kettle and toaster. There are also some basic food stores and kitchen basics (washing up liquid etc), chopping boards, sharp knives, a good variety of pots, frying pans and cooking implements and food storage and serving platters, as well as the cutlery and crockery basics. A Weber gas BBQ is situated under cover on the lower deck outside the downstairs flat.
Living areas; There are two large living areas - the central open plan living space which includes the kitchen, and the additional large rumpus room / games area. The main living area has a large lounge, slow combustion wood heater, stereo with CD and i-pod dock, as well as a TV / DVD player, some books and DVDs.
The separate rumpus room has air conditioning for hot days and contains the large dining table (seats 8 comfortably) and a pool table, table tennis, backgammon, rummy cub, monopoly and cards.
There are in total three lounges in separate areas, so plenty of places to hang out and relax.
Outside we've got swings for the kids and a large house yard with lots of different areas to explore.
Pets: With timber floors throughout the house, pets are permitted on application. The large house yard has plenty of shade and is fully fenced, with some sections more securely fenced for smaller dogs, and there is also a running line so they can be left in the house yard if you go out. Water bowls and a small crate are provided. They are also welcome indoors, however please do not allow them on the furniture at all. In addition to the main lilypad dam there is a smaller dam near the house which dogs can swim in too if they want (hopefully they won't catch one of the resident turtles!!).
So much to do....
If you want to do more than relax and enjoy the peaceful scenic countryside and each other's company, there is plenty to occupy you.
Farm life: The neighbour's cows sometimes wander up to say hello at the side of the house yard, but to really experience the dairy community, just wander a couple of minutes up the road at milking time in the afternoon to see the farmer and his dogs rounding up the cows and taking them across the road to the dairy.
Fruit picking: In spring / summer you are welcome to pick the peaches, mulberries, lemons, oranges and guava from the trees in the house yard, or visit our 80 tree mango orchard for some lovely big mangoes. There is a blueberry farm down the road where you can pick as many buckets of blueberries as you like for a low cost (seasonal, great for freezing!). They usually open in time for Christmas!
Being only 5 minutes from the freeway means you also have complete access to all that this part of the mid-north coast has to offer!
Beaches and other activities: With a variety of beaches only 15-20 minutes away, visit the sweeping untouched beaches of Crowdy Bay, perfect for gentle surf, beach cricket and fossil hunting, or the various surf beaches around Laurieton. Nearby Kew is home to the Camden Haven golf course, and morning tea at the Macadamia Farm in Lorne is a must for both the food and the views. Surrounded also by several national parks, there are various rainforest walks, falls, and incredible mountaintop scenic outlooks to discover. Waitui Falls is only 15 minutes away up the road.
Timbertown is only half an hour north, which is great for the whole family to explore the days of the early settlers. Consisting of a variety of buildings nestled into the bush, from a blacksmith (live demonstrations!) to a schoolroom, you can explore the lifestyles, pat the bullock train dragging the logs, see a steam mill operating, ride the steam train and even learn to crack a whip!
With various townships close by - Laurieton (15 mins), Taree (20mins), Port Macquarie (30 mins), there are cafes, movie theatres, camel riding, koala parks etc all easily reachable, and the whole area (from Manning River to coast) is well known for its fantastic fishing.
I am flexible with check in and check out times when I don't have another group immediately before or after you. I will discuss this with you in relation to your booking.
Please bring your own linen - this is a main way we can keep costs low for you as it can be quite expensive to supply in the country. Please bring a full set of sheets (top and bottom) plus pillow cases and bath towels. We provide the pillows, doonas, blankets, bath mats and tea towels.
Lilypad Lodge is beautifully suited as a complete get away and to switch off from the increasingly electronic world. We provide over 80 downloaded movies, some DVDs, free TV, Chromecast, as well as the pool table, table tennis, games, activities and swings, as well as Starlink internet. Mobile reception is mixed, with Vodaphone and Optus stronger than Telstra, however the WIFI calling over the internet works well.
T
Hosted byTiffanie Heyman
