Glauder's Cottage was the perfect place to relax with my husband and three good friends to celebrate his birthday in November.
Being spring, the well-maintained garden was full of flowers, and the view over the valley from the sun room and verandah was breathtaking. I'd love to see the cottage in winter too, as it would be amazing to watch rain roll across the valley.
We had many opportunities to spot and photograph birds from the property; wrens, kookaburras, black cockatoos and New Holland honeyeaters to name a few.
The kitchen contained all the basics we needed - pots, pans, oil, salt, pepper, detergent, knives, spatulas etc. We appreciated the dishwasher which allowed us to spend more time socialising and less time washing up.
Everyone found the mattresses to be very comfortable and firm, an essential for me when going away as who wants to enjoy their holiday on a poor night of sleep? My favourite feature of the house was definitely the sun room, whose main glass doors can be completely folded back and replaced with a pull-out flyscreen, so that you can spend time reading on the couch with a beautiful fresh breeze without a host of flies pestering you. I recommend either opening that room first thing in the morning, or, in the late afternoon, as from late morning to early afternoon, the sun hits the wooden boards by the folding windows and seems to attract paper wasps to inspect the wood, so opening the door during those hours could let them inside (paper wasps are generally not aggressive, but, avoiding stepping on them is a good idea!)
There was plenty of kindling, wood, firestarters and matches available, and one cooler night we had a fire going in the outdoor fireplace with no difficulty. Lovely sitting outside with the fire and chatting together on the comfy outdoor couches.
The road leading to the cottage is unsealed, so long as you drive carefully you'll be fine, though we were glad we rented a more robust and sturdy vehicle for the trip. Pemberton is very conveniently close, so you can easily buy extra supplies with a short trip. We love the Pemberton bakery, if you don't want to prepare every meal yourself you can't go wrong with anything that bakery has to offer, every pie and sandwich is fantastic.
When we visit the south west, we want to immerse ourselves in the environment and get away from the suburban lifestyle. This cottage is perfect for that - total privacy, and a beautiful, natural setting.