Shearwater Beach House

Description

ONE OF THE ONLY PROPERTIES IN THE AREA TO PROVIDE A FULL LINEN SERVICE

Shearwater Beach House is situated in the Promontory Views Estate in Walkerville, South Gippsland. It is a relaxing getaway suited to families, couples and small groups looking for a retreat with spectacular scenery and stunning beaches to explore within the landscape of South Gippsland. It is a spacious newly built home featuring two separate living areas, ideally suited to two families. There is plenty of room to find your own space or gather together. Children are easily entertained downstairs in the open-plan living area, which is next to the kitchen, making preparing meals easy.

Located on the eastern side of Waratah Bay, Shearwater has views across Waratah Bay to Bass Strait and Wilsons Promontory and of Cape Liptrap National Park.

This remote pocket of Victoria offers wilderness adventurers much to explore within spectacular scenery. Situated close to the un-spoilt beaches of Walkerville (2 minutes), Waratah Bay (15 minutes), Sandy Point (15 minutes), Fish Creek (20 minutes) and Venus Bay (20 minutes). It lies 25 minutes from the entrance to Wilson’s Promontory National Park.

It is a place to spend a weekend, a few days or ideally a week to relax, restore and unwind.

Things To Do

If you don’t know Walkerville, it is:

• Thirty minutes’ drive to gateway of Wilson’s Promontory National Park.
• One minute drive to Walkerville Beach. Walkerville South is famous as “Magic Beach” the famous Alison Lester children’s book.
• A great base to explore The Prom Country region- wineries, galleries, eateries.
• Aside from Wilson’s Prom, there are plenty of National Parks to explore.
• Two hours and from Melbourne. Travel time has been significantly reduced with improved roads and overpasses.
• The surf rarely gets too big, so it’s an ideal place to introduce kids to surf skills.
• Explore Cape Liptrap. Harsh and beautiful.
• Visit Fish Creek for locally produced arts, crafts and produce.
• Ride or walk the rail trails throughout South Gippsland.

Amenities

FACILITIES:

In the kitchen you’ll find a stovetop with 4 hotplates, an oven, microwave, toaster and multiple coffee-making options. Pots, pans, knives, bottle openers and all your standard eating/ drinking ‘usuals’ are included. There is also a Webber BBQ, with hood, in great condition with a spare gas bottle.

FOOD

There is a great kitchen to cook in, so we recommend staying-in and cooking up a feast. We invite you to use the basic condiments found in the pantry such as salt, pepper, olive oil, coffee, tea and vegemite. Rubbish bags, dishwasher tablets, glad wrap and other household essentials are included too.

Coffee equipment: DeLonghi Espresso machine, coffee grinder, stovetop espresso pot and 8-cup coffee plunger.

ENTERTAINMENT

There are two televisions - both with DVD players. There is WiFi as well as board games and a small selection of books and magazines.

MANCHESTER

Linen and towels are provided. Beds will be made up on arrival to the number of guests specified in the booking.

BREAKDOWN OF BEDROOMS & BATHROOMS
Master: 1 Queen bed with ensuite and large walk-in wardrobe. Balcony with Prom views. Level 2. Bedroom 2: 1 Large double bed, with access to a toilet. Level 2.
Bedroom 3: 1 Queen bed with shared ensuite. Ground level 1.
Bedroom 4: 2 Sets of double bunk beds (Sleeps 4), with shared ensuite. Level 1.
Bathrooms: 2 Bathrooms, one with a toilet
2 additional toilets
PETS

Dogs are welcome, please keep them outdoors and not inside the house. We have set up a dog bed and bowls for food and water on the undercover deck downstairs. Naturally, we expect you to clean up all dog mess left in the yard. The back and sides of the property are fenced with basic wire fencing. The front is fenced with a large timber fence and gate on both sides. So it allows your dog to be enclosed on the property securely.

MOBILE PHONES & WIFI

Guests whose mobile phone provider is Telstra should find coverage easily inside the house, on both levels. Other service providers are not as reliable, but guests should generally have reception out the front of the house.

You’ll find Instructions for connecting to WiFi in the information folder. PRICING

Shearwater is a large house. It requires between 6 - 8 hours cleaning each stay. Big groups take much longer to clean-up after and use more electricity, water and firewood, so we have set up a sliding price scale. There is a flat rate for up to 4 guests. Each guest above this is an additional $70 per night – this way small groups aren’t excluded and it covers the additional cleaning and utility costs for larger groups.

Before Booking

PRICING

Shearwater is a large house. It requires between 6 - 8 hours cleaning each stay. Big groups take much longer to clean-up after and use more electricity, water and firewood, so we have set up a sliding price scale. There is a flat rate for up to 4 guests. Each guest above this is an additional $70 per night – this way small groups aren’t excluded and it covers the additional cleaning and utility costs for larger groups.

HOLIDAY RENTALS

Holiday rental differs from city living and hotels. If you haven't stayed at a Dufflebird property, or are new to holiday renting, let us know and we can guide you through it.

Shearwater is a spacious house with two separate living areas. It’s ideal for two families to enjoy a holiday together, but equally suitable for a single family or group of adults. It's close to beaches, and all the delights of South Gippsland and Wilsons Prom. On booking, we will send you information detailing everything you can do in the region. We hope you enjoy your stay as much as our previous guests.

Beach House and Rural Area Rental

The following info is an explanation of how holiday rental differs from city living. If you are a seasoned holiday renter, you don’t need to read any further. If you haven't stayed at a Dufflebird house, please read on:

Holiday rentals provide a unique tourism experience: It is a relatively new and emerging industry in Victoria and Australia. It differs greatly from urban hotel accommodation or similar.

If you are new to this experience please call us before booking to discuss. There are aspects of country life that may feel quite different to a large city metropolis experience. Services are different, and when go wrong it can be more complicated to sort out.

The last thing we want is for you to get stuck on something that spoils your experience. If it’s your first time renting an entire house in the country or near the beach, we highly recommend you speak to us personally before booking. We work hard to provide value, and managing expectations is part of that process. And please, after booking, let your group know this information, so they are not surprised.

Here are some things to consider:

TANK WATER 

The house and the entire region rely on rainfall for water supply. If a tap is left on the tank will empty. Please keep showers and water usage to a minimum, and ensure children don't leave taps on.

HOT WATER SYSTEM 

There is no gas supplied to Walkerville, so the owners have installed one of the largest environmentally friendly systems on the market, which is suited to large families. It's a 400lt evacuated tube solar system that's heats up water during the day and also heats up at night with off peak electricity. With 10 adults, if everyone showers in the morning and it is not a sunny day, the solar will be slow to heat it again, and the water may not be hot in the evening. With a full house, you may need to stagger showers.

ELECTRICITY 

Please note power blackouts occur are more regularly in rural areas and take longer to restore. Power surges can trip the fuse box or cause a black out. In the country there is much higher probability a tree falling on a power line.

SEPTIC AND SEWAGE 

Walkerville and the Prom region are not connected to main sewerage system. Septic tanks are easily blocked, so we ask that you DO NOT flush anything that is not toilet paper or human waste, don’t flush sanitary products and disposable nappies.

Insects and wild life: While the house is well sealed, there are more insects and wildlife in rural areas. We do not take responsibility for any injury or loss suffered by the occupants, caused as a result of insects or wildlife in or around the holiday accommodation site: Having said that, we haven’t had a guest injured by wildlife in twelve years. All occupants are to take specific care at all times within this rural area and requested not to approach wildlife under any circumstances.

Mice: To date we have NOT had any mice at Shearwater Beach House. From time to time, there may be mice in some country properties.It is part of rural living. Mice can be difficult to control in the winter months as they are seeking warmth and shelter. We do our best to deter them. Please do your bit by keeping doors closed and sealing all food including dog food. Please note that in winter months rural mice are notorious for attempting to nest in outdoor BBQs. The outdoor BBQ will have been cleaned thoroughly prior to your arrival; however we advise that you burn it hot for several minutes and re-clean the hotplate again before cooking.

WOOD FIRE BOX 

The wood fire is an incredibly efficient heating system and provides a cosy snug relaxing atmosphere. If you are unfamiliar with working one, let us know and we can guide you through it.

PACK UP PROCEEDURE

Unlike hotels, where you can just walk out and everything will be taken care of, in a holiday home there is a check out procedure. It’s fairly simple. We just ask that you would treat the property like you are staying at a friend’s second home or holiday house. You need to leave it as you found it. The house will be cleaned thoroughly after you leave but there is a simple departure you will find in the information folder or on the fridge. ie. Empty dishwasher. Clean BBQ if you used it. Turn off heating and cooling. Close all windows and doors to maintain security and prevent rain and water damage. Remove rubbish and put bins out for collection on the relevant night. Depending on bookings, the cleaner may not get to the property for several days. You'll find instructions in the info folder.

This info is meant purely as a background for those who may not have considered this as part of their booking decision. We'd prefer to have well informed guests who have an understanding of the expectations of country life. The reason many people use holiday rentals, is to experience something new and expand their horizons. Please come with a sense of adventure. In reality, for most guests, none of these issues arise.