The Pebble House-Tarnagulla. Solar powered bush retreat.

THE PEBBLE HOUSE is in TARNAGULLA. It was originally a mud and slab building inhabited by a mining family. The house was renovated in the 60's to become a pebble house, however, it retains many of the original features. THE SLAB HUT (unavailable for booking) is a separate building and more rustic. It was a blacksmith shop and most likely the original house. It was restored to become a basic spare bedroom. It is presently closed for renovations.

BEDDING:
The Pebble House has one double bed, two singles and a chaise lounge. All linen is supplied.

COOKING and KITCHEN FACILITIES:
Full sized gas stove with oven and grill.
Sink with dish cloths, dish liquid and tea towels.
Crockery, cutlery, stove top kettle, pots and pans supplies.
No fridge (Due to solar reliance) though a large esky is available or you could bring your own. Bring ice.
It would be prudent to grocery shop before you arrive.
An outdoor, undercover, gas barbeque is also available.

BATHROOM and TOILET:
Located in a separate pebble building ensuring peace and quiet. It has a bath with an over bath shower. Towels and toilet paper provided.

POWER, HEATING and COOLING:
The house is supported by a small solar system that provides lighting and a radio. Most lights are reliable 12 volt though there are some 240 volt lights and power points for the charging of a laptop, phone or other such device. 240 volts runs on a small 500 Watt inverter and may not be always be available if there is no sun or the power is overused. 500 Watts will not run a heating element e.g.: hair dryer or other larger electric items. There is no TV. It is advisable to bring and ancillary light source such as battery lanterns or LED lights and a torch just in case. Though generally not needed. The house is best heated with the medium cast iron wood heater in the back room. Open fire place in main room for snug ambiance. In summer there are fans but no air conditioning.

PHONE SERVICE: (NO WIFI)
In the past, mobile reception was available either in the driveway, at the top of the ridge adjacent to the house or on the far side of Jack Smith's fire place. In case of an emergency you could wave to the neighbours. (They are friendly).
Times change. Now, if you are a Telstra customer mobile service is available, however you still need not tell your boss, your employees or your children. There is no Wifi.

A FEW CUTS ABOVE CAMPING, NO LUXURIES, BUT EVERYTHING YOU NEED.

ACTIVITIES INCLUDE:
Gold Panning (dry sandy creek at rear of house) Pans provided.
and detecting (of course)
Bush walking.
Melville's caves. (20min)
Wildflowers in spring.
Bird watching
Local markets and collectables.
Wineries
Fishing in the Loddon River at Newbridge and Laanecoorie.
Cycle Tracks
Historical towns and walks
Golf (opposite nine hole golf course)
Photography
Artistic pursuits

The Pebble House lives in the Heart of the Golden Triangle 45 km from Bendigo. Close to Maldon 36km and Castlemaine 44km and Maryborough 37km.

SPECIAL NOTICES:
Given that the house was built for miners to original specifications; if you are over 5ft 3 inches or 160cm tall you must:
DUCK YOUR HEAD WHEN ENTERING DOORWAYS AND VERANDA.

The house is solar reliant so it would be useful to bring a torch or other battery operated lighting for low sun occasions for outdoor lighting or visiting the toilet.

Closest supermarkets are Dunolly: 15km. Inglewood: 21km or Maryborough: 37km.

Tarnagulla Post Office, open business hours week days, also serves as 101 Cafe with coffee and home made cakes in the outdoor area. Newbridge general store has a range of groceries, a café, coffees and liquor licence. Counter meals are available in Newbridge pub: 8km. (please enquire for times and days).

Pets welcome with prior approval. Property is reasonably secured with a dog fence. But cannot be guaranteed for jumpers or burrowers. The property has also been fenced for horses.

Best times to visit are Autumn, Winter and Spring. Summer on high heat days is more challenging though happy campers and bush savvy guests still enjoy the comparative comfort. Spring and summer also attract mosquitoes. Some mozzie coils provided but it is advised to bring personal repellent. Given the bush setting, in summer blowflies like to shelter around the cooler parts of the house so doors must be kept shut to keep them outside. They generally dissipate with activity.

Summer is also bush fire season. Like many places in Victoria, Tarnagulla is a high risk area. It is important to keep tabs on the weather so that you can be prepared. Also make yourself familiar with your environment and develop a plan in the unlikely event of bush fire. Tarnagulla is in the Northern Country zone. In event of a total fire ban day it is imperative to adhere to the advice offered on the CFA website. Leave early. ABC Radio is the emergency station and usually accessible in The Pebble House. There is also the Vic Emergency app available for your smart phone. There is no designated 'safe place' or community refuge in Tarnagulla in case of bush fire, so careful planning and awareness is best.

Free cancellation for extreme weather predictions.

For further descriptions you may like to visit The Pebble House on Facebook.