personal blog – Affordable Luxury

Meet Linda: Noosa Avalon Farm Cottages

Meet Linda, owner of the beautiful 30-acre property, ‘Noosa Avalon Farm Cottages’ in Pinbarren on the Sunshine Coast, Australia. The property consists of three cottages, Avalon Homestead, Kangaroo Lodge and an Amphitheatre to enjoy and relax with a step back in time to a simpler lifestyle.

‘Noosa Avalon Farm Cottages’ started as a 30-acre bare paddock 30 years ago, without power, water or even a phone, Linda started it all while living in a caravan with her two children as a single mother without trees or wildlife. The property has now been reforested by Linda herself and enjoys many species of birds, butterflies, native animals including feather tailed and sugar glider possums, lizards, frogs and micro-bats that eat 300 insects every night.

Linda prides herself in the cottages being poison free since 1986 and has been a leader of environmental tourism and education since 2002. The cottages boast 5 kW solar panels and 80% of all buildings and our cottages are recycled and built with pre-loved materials. Each cottage has 5000-gallon rainwater tanks and the property itself has a 60×70 meter lake, 8 metres deep which is home to rare Mary river turtles.

The property is home to friendly cows; Woody, Creamy, Bubbles, Red girl and Bambino, who assist guests in composting their scraps, with extra straps going to the trees for local wildlife to feed on – nothing gets wasted. At the farm, recycling is done wherever they can, with septic systems allowing everything to stay on the property.

“It is expensive to be green, to lock up your land for your dreams of a better world, this is a drop in the ocean, but many drops make the worlds oceans, lakes and rivers.”

“How can you love and protect something, if all you see is cement and bitumen? We have an amazing world let’s look after this beautiful planet as we need the earth but the earth does not need us. I love to share my passion with families, friends and stressed out people to bring them back down to earth. I could not have achieved what I have done without the amazing people that have walked my road with me with there love and support, I thank you all.”

Interested in experiencing the wonders of Linda’s cottages? Click here to book now!

What’s on in Sydney | July

It might be frosty outside but it doesn’t mean you should be cooped up inside! There’s plenty to do in Sydney this July so grab your coats and head out the door. From music festivals to outdoor ice skating, there’s plenty to do this winter!

Australian International Music Festival – Sydney Opera House

The Australian International Music Festival is one the most popular events in Sydney and brings in a crowd from all over the world. The event provides a fantastic musical and cultural experience to Sydney and aims to expand your mind! Talented musicians will be performing at the Sydney Opera House, the City Recital Hall and Darling Harbour!

Winterlight – Parramatta

Winterlight is returning just in time for the school holidays and it’s a magical hub where you can skate, eat and play. Situated in Prince Alfred Square in Parramatta, this winter wonderland is not to be missed. The event will include the largest open-air rink in Sydney for you to skate on and a giant thirty-metre ice slide! After all of the skating, they also have warm winter snacks for you to munch on!

Carraigeworks Winter Night Market

The Carriageworks Winter Night Markets are back and it’s going to be better than ever! At the markets, there’ll be more than 50 stalls from leading Sydney restaurants and bars. This year, the stallholders will be inspired by the theme WILD, which highlights using native and locally sourced produce. As well as all of the delectable delights, there will also be live music and cooking demonstrations!

Ice skating at St Mary’s Cathedral

Throughout June and July, you’ll be able to skate in front of the breathtaking St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney CBD! In the evenings, the park will be illuminated with a glowing hue and you’ll be able to soak in the atmosphere while you skate in an open-air ice rink! Once you’ve tired yourself out, you’ll also be able to warm up with some snacks and hot choccy from the food vendors! If you bring the whole family along, there’ll also be jumping castle, music and much more!

Apollo 11 Exhibition – Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences

The Apollo Exhibition commemorates the 50th Anniversary of the Moon landing! It’s hosted at the Museum of Applied Arts & Science and is displaying over 200 objects. Key objects that will be displayed in the exhibition include items from all around the world! The exhibition will also have a new virtual reality experience where visitors will be able to watch the moon landing from a new perspective!

Bastille Festival

French food and culture are returning to Circular Quay and The Rocks to celebrate the 7th annual Bastille Festival! The four-day event will be home to 100 food stalls that showcase the best of French cuisine! Whether you’re craving raclette, crepes or a glass of champagne, it’s all here! The festival will include a Parisian Foodie Village, a Gourmet Produce Alley and a Mulled Wine Cinema!

Bondi Winter Magic

It might be too cold for an ocean dip but it’s the perfect temperature to go ice skating! Bondi has transformed once again into a winter playground by the sea at Bondi Winter Magic. Whilst you skate around, you’ll have a spectacular view of the ocean and a 22-metre Ferris wheel! Along with this, Bondi Pavilion will also be home to Bondi Feast, a fringe style winter festival!

Need a place to stay in Sydney? We’ve got some stunner apartments in Sydney that you can stay in at Aabode.com

Meet Jo and Jim: Gypsy Willows House and Villa

Meet Jo and Jim, owners of the gorgeous 25 acre property, ‘Gypsy Willows – The House’ and ‘Gypsy Willows – The Villa’. It features beautiful gardens and views; 2 hours from Sydney, and just 3kms from the historic Wollombi village in Hunter Valley Wine Country.

Enjoy a BBQ or glass of wine on the covered entertainment area, gazing out at the peaceful view of beautiful Narone Creek valley and Gypsy Willows own 20 acres of farmland. Horses and cows graze in the foreground and kangaroos visit most days.

The owners? Meet Jo and Jim. Jo and Jim are retired professionals living in Wollombi, after having moved from Sydney. The pair came to Wollombi to visit friends for the weekend a few years ago and returned home having purchased a gorgeous cottage/weekender on top of a hill.

Their young daughter got the pair into horses, but the property that they had spontaneously purchased was unsuitable for that, leading them to sell the weekender in hopes of purchasing something a little more suitable later down the track.

“I wanted to build a house and garden from scratch on virgin land, which we did on our 100 acres, a property we love”

On that same property, Jo and Jim decided to breed gypsy cob horses (those used for pulling gypsy caravans in Britain).

A couple years later, 25 beautiful acres across the road became available…where Jim and Jo built a second home, but this time it lead them into the accommodation business.

I mostly enjoyed developing the gardens, which I do myself – and have contributed to the building of the houses as possible, but my skills are limited, being a “suit”

Can you guess where the name came from?

In struggling to find a name for the accommodation property, they used the connection with the horses as inspiration, and ‘Gypsy Willows’ was born!

We have tried to make the houses as luxurious as we could for country cottages and have tried to include all the obvious little extras including pay TV. We also went for more modern, light houses which we think people are now looking for and which is different from most country accommodation places.

Gypsy Willows is a totally private property, and is not overlooked by anyone. The property is based among expansive valley views, which is home to a large number of eastern grey kangaroos, which graze the valley in a large mob of up to 50, as well as horses and cows grazing Gypsy Willows paddocks.

More generally as a retiree and retired to the country it helps to keep in touch with the world.

I guess you could call the whole thing so far a bit of a hobby and a “labour of love”.

Jo and Jim would love to welcome you to stay at their beautiful home in the Hunter Valley, so get booking as their property has been booked out every weekend since June 2018!

Staying with a larger group? Gypsy Willows – The House is likely to be more suitable for you.

Heading to the Hunter with a smaller group? Gypsy Willows – The Villa is perfect for just that!

Meet Amanda: Wombat Ridge House and Cabin

Have you ever considered quitting your job and moving far, far away to the quiet confines of the Australian bush?

Meet Amanda, from Wombat Ridge House and Cabin, she’s done just that! A lifetime ago (I guess we can say that in this situation), Amanda went to law school and did fabulously well, and had the desire to become a highly paid lawyer.

So here I am in Bucketty, the middle of nowhere, enjoying the Australian bush and sharing it with those who need a break.

That’s how she came to live in Bucketty, the middle of nowhere, enjoying the Australian bush and sharing it with those who are in need of a break. Wombat Ridge House and Cabin allows Amanda to make a living for herself, while also providing guests with a little escape from the crazy crazy world that is outside of the bush.

The property is 26 acres, truly a million miles away but still only 90 minutes drive from Sydney. As a guest of Wombat Ridge House and Cabin, you will be staying in an unspoilt bush gully, your frontyard is Yengo National Park and your backyard is the Olney & Watagan Forests.

Stargaze the dark sky, spot wombats & wallabies, swim in the pool or billabong and enjoy sitting around the fire. Our private lookout has spectacular views of Mt Yengo. Explore Wollombi village, St Albans or the Hunter wineries.

Does this sound like something you would be interested in? Meet Amanda and book Wombat Ridge House or Cabin today! >> https://aabode.com/australia/Hunter-Valley/house-cabin?from=&to=

Meet Rosemary and Russell: Turkey’s Nest

Russell and I liked the idea of working towards an ‘active retirement’, escaping the city to run a small accommodation business.

Meet Rosemary and Russell, the owners of the 15 acre property ‘Turkey’s Nest’! Turkey’s Nest is situated in the rain forest at Mount Glorious, 45 mins from Brisbane and is surrounded by the D’Aguilar National Park.

The little cottage was renovated and was previously a forestry workers cottage. Rosemary and Russell ran the holiday rental while still living in Brisbane, and after five years, sold their home in Brisbane and moved to the mountain. They built a home for themselves and another cottage on the property!

Everything was done with environmental principles in mind – minimal waste, use of recycled materials, eco-friendly building products.

We are privileged to live in a beautiful part of the world, surrounded by nature, and sharing our beautiful lifestyle with our guests. We can still go into the city any time we like to see friends or a show, but we return to the mountain to wake up to the sound of the birds.

The business now consists of two cottages, White Gum and Rose Gum and a self-contained studio apartment, the Macadamia Suite . Russell continues to work from home – part time, the best of both worlds!

Mount Glorious is 650 metres above sea level, sitting at 6 degrees cooler than Brisbane – making the location a much more pleasant summer holiday spot, and delightfully chilly in winter!

Guests often enjoy sitting beside a roaring fire as the mists roll in, looking out on the forest and listening to the sounds of the birds, or walking in the National Park just up the road. The area is popular with bird watchers and wildlife enthusiasts, and is an easy escape for those fleeing the hustle and bustle of city life.

Close to the city, yet a world away!