3/5 Okay
TALYA M., Melbourne, Australia
24 Jan 2023
Liked: Check-in, communication
Big house but a bit tired
Positives: The house is really spacious and has lots of useful stuff in it. Separate areas were really handy as we had teenagers through to seniors in our group of 9. We loved the back yard for the dog and being able to bring him with us. The outside shower was very useful, and the water pressure was terrific in the Master bedroom. We loved the big main bathroom, huge kitchen, big modular couch in the main living room, big dining room and dining table, and the outdoor dining/ BBQ. Spare fridge was handy, as was use of the garage. Location was not bad, with a park 2 mins walk away, shops a 2 min drive and beach a 5 mins drive. Communication with Bellarine Getaways was excellent - very responsive, friendly, and helpful.
Negatives: We did not know there was no Wi-Fi until a few days before we were due to check in (this has since been updated on the listing). That made things quite difficult with 12 year olds, 20 year olds, and an adult planning to work from home. We probably wouldn't have booked if we had known, but we upgraded our data plans and hotspotted, which mostly worked out ok (apart from hotspot dropouts). The house had been surface cleaned, but really needs a thorough deep clean, dusting, yard clean up, and replacement of some broken/ old bits and pieces (TV remote, kettle, broken curtains, tap etc). The mattresses are all very old and need replacing, some of us got sore backs. The listing also said the master was a 'king' bed (it's a queen). Instructions would be helpful for appliances, and various things to do with the house.
Things to do during your stay: Check out Ket bakery 5 mins drive away for fab coffee, pastries and baguettes. Van Loon's nursery, next to Ket, has a lovely cafe and shop as well. Highly recommend a trip to Port Arlington for fresh mussels and a terrific swimming beach for toddlers/ families. Ocean Gv beach is great fun for surf and there are fabulous amenities at the lifesaving club, including a cafe, great showers/ change rooms/ toilets & lots of parking. The dog beach at OG is also terrific. The estuary at Barwon Heads is nice for calm water swimming on a hot day and for stand up paddling. Burgers at Blackstone and fish n chips at Ocean View in Ocean Gv are both recommended. A stroll around the gorgeous lake at OG is a must. Stop by Kyo (if open) and Tetsu for interesting antiques shopping. A passionfruit sponge from the Freshwater Creek store is always delish.
TALYA M.
Stayed 13 nights in Jan 2023