If you want to get away from the city on the weekends and don’t know what to do or where to go, why not book your next holiday at Freshwater Creek Cottages? The cottages are just an hour’s drive away to the south-west of Melbourne.
This farm retreat and accommodation is less than 10 minutes from Torquay, with the Great Ocean Road and its beautiful coastal beaches. The cottages are located on a 50-acre property with some farm animals, wild kangaroos and other wildlife roaming the farm and surrounding bushlands. This is a great getaway for urban dwellers who are looking for a short break from work or a stress-free weekend on a farm.
Melbourne is the state capital of Victoria in Australia. It has been named the most liveable city in the world several times.
There are four cottages available for booking. The Lavender, Rose and Willow cottages have two bedrooms each and they are located not far from the entrance to the property. The Woodcutters Cottage has one bedroom; it is located on the other side of the main house, after the chookhouse and away from the other cottages.
Each cottage is self-contained with a kitchen, bathroom and laundry areas. The kitchen is fully equipped. The laundry has a washing machine and dryer. Only the Woodcutters Cottage comes with a personal spa and sauna.
There is an air conditioner and a fireplace in each cottage. Firewood is provided in a wheelbarrow on the front porch that is ready to welcome the tenants. There’s a TV, a DVD player and some DVDs available for tenants who want to have a movie night in the cottage.
With an area of 50 acres, there is no shortage of picnic areas for the tenants and heaps of play areas for the kids. On-site, there is a tennis court, volleyball court and mini-golf area for those who would like to play some sports. Sporting equipment like rackets and balls are provided near the courts.
There is a children’s playground nestled amongst the gum trees and a couple of cubby houses for young kids. The bicycles come in all sizes, from adult to toddler sizes. They are available upon request at the time of booking the accommodation.
The barbeque area is conveniently located outside the cottages with tables and benches. On a beautiful summer’s day, there is no better way to spend the evening than having dinner in front of a rustic farm cottage while staring at the cows trying to push a rusty hay bale ring just a few metres away.
The day begins early at Freshwater Creek Farm. There is so much to do on the farm. Even though you are supposed to do nothing on a holiday, you just can’t resist participating in the farm activities. The farm animals need to be fed early in the morning.
If you wake up early enough to look outside the bedroom window, you should see a group of cows chewing on a bale of hay. By the time you drag yourself out of bed, the cows have finished their first round of breakfast and have moved on to another part of the paddock.
For a reasonable price, breakfast hampers can be pre-booked and they will be delivered to the cottage each morning. Otherwise, you will have to bring your own food or go to the nearest town for meals.
After breakfast at the cottage, you are ready to do some farm work outside in the paddocks to feed the hungry farm animals. The kids should enjoy these activities. The friendly farm owners and staff members will be around to show you how to feed the lambs, goats, chickens, geese and ducks. There are also a couple of horses and pigs in the paddock.
In the morning, there are a dozen or so kangaroos lurking near the bushland beyond the paddocks. These are wild kangaroos, so they do not usually come near the cottages during the day. The kangaroos will show up again in the evening when they are hungry and come out to eat.
Fresh eggs are available for anyone who would bother to look behind the chook house. The nearby fruit orchard is planted with dozens of fruit trees that are laden with different varieties of juicy fruits during the summer months. To name a few, some of the fruits available are oranges, apples, lemons, pears, apricots, plums, nectarines, figs, peaches and blueberries.
Charlie the friendly farm dog and two of his playful mates will sometimes come around for a ball game or just a pat on the head. The billy goats are always happy to see anyone who cares to bring them a handful of vegetables to devour.
| Day 1 | Day 2 |
|---|---|
| Geelong | Great Ocean Road |
| Port Arlington | Bellbrae |
| Queenscliff | Jan Juc |
| Point Lonsdale | Bells Beach |
| Barwon Heads | Anglesea |
| Ocean Grove | Aireys Inlet |
| Torquay | Lorne |
| Point Danger | Apollo Bay |
While staying at Freshwater Creek Cottages, there are heaps of interesting places and attractions in the south-west to visit during the day.
There are many beautiful sandy beaches in the area, like Bells Beach—a popular swimming and surfing spot. There are many great places for fishing and bushwalking. Take a scenic drive along the Great Ocean Road and check out the Anglesea River, Eagle Rock Sanctuary, Split Point Lighthouse at Aireys Inlet, Erskine Falls in Lorne, and many more.
© 2015 lady rain
About the author
Lady Rain lives in Australia and enjoys writing about travels, paper quilling crafts and historical events.
