Rustic, character filled mudbrick home on 3 private acres with saltwater pool in Hurstbridge, Victoria,gateway to Yarra Valley wine region
House • Hurstbridge VIC Australia
5 Guests
3 Bedrooms
3 Beds
2 Bathrooms
4 Car spaces
1 Car available
Primary home
Exchange types accepted
Simultaneous
Non-Simultaneous
Non-Reciprocal & Globe
Hospitality
Statistics
Listed July 2023
Views 1734
General overview
Our rustic mudbrick house has a welcoming warmth that will make you feel at home. Located in Hurstbridge we are just a 45 minute drive or 50-60 minute train ride away from Melbourne city - yet you have all the benefits of the peace and quiet of country living on our large 3 acre property. Enjoy a swim in our saltwater pool surrounded by natural gardens, or relax with a barbeque in our garden entertaining area. The Yarra Valley wine region is close by- with many Nillumbik wineries a short drive up the road and just half an hour to the Yarra Valley region . A golf course and lovely walking tracks can be enjoyed also. Day trips to the Great Ocean Rd and Surf coast just an hour and a half away....
The space
Our house has two separate areas that can be opened up to join through, or closed off to make two self contained accommodations. So great if travelling as two couple or families .In total comprising three bedrooms, two large living spaces, and two bathrooms - one side with large full kitchen and the other a smaller kitchenette. Two bedrooms have queen size beds whilst the third has a cot and baby toys and equipment and a single bed could be added if required. Our main kitchen is large with a double range style oven and is well equipped. A kitchenette with induction cookplate, small fridge and microwave is in second area. A huge barbeque - or small one - are available on the front verandah. Our lounge areas are comfortable and include TV s, spacious soft couches, and wood burning fireboxes for Winter warmth with plenty of firewood available! Our garden is extensive and lovely - we also have a thriving vegetable and herb garden in Spring and Summer. Reverse cycle heating and cooling also available in both open living spaces and fans to cool bedrooms. Our 3 sons are close enough to be on call with any questions you may have during the stay. An lovely outdoor seating area for fine weather with a small firebox, and a solar heated saltwater pool for Summer swims.
Guest access
House is single level with good accessibility and wide doors.
Notes
A review from our new friends in Chiang Mai with whom we have swapped twice............
“This was a wonderful exchange!!!!! Jane and Rowan were very well organized and helpful when were preparing for the exchange. They met us at the airport and showed us around their home before they left for our home in Chiang Mai. They explained the Public Transportation System in Victoria, so that we could use the train and busses to get around. They also left us their car so that we could drive to the train station. Jane had a wonderful garden and we had many fresh herbs and vegetables during our stay in Hurstbridge. The house was beautiful and the swimming pool was an extra bonus. We were very comfortable and certainly would recommend this exchange. ”
Also please note....we have a small non allergenic breed of dog who will not be present on exchanges but for anybody with severe allergies just be aware of this is a concern for you
Features
Washer
Dishwasher
Clothes dryer
Oven
Microwave
Coffee machine
Fridge
Iron
Hair dryer
Heating
Air conditioning
TV
WiFi
High Speed Internet
Bathtub
First aid kit
Wheelchair accessible
Smoke alarms
Fire extinguisher
Bed sheets
Towels
Workspace
Fireplace
Home cinema
Toys
Gym
Sauna
BBQ
Pool
Hot tub
Balcony
Garden / yard
Deck / patio / courtyard / terrace
Covered porch / verandah
Kosher home
Meat-free kitchen
Gated community
EV Home Charger
Bikes
Camping gear
Kayak
Tennis court
Standup paddleboard
Travel Styles
Long term
Weekend
Family
Romantic
Sport and leisure
Foodie
Relaxing
Eco
Culture
Hiking
Accessibility
Step free access
Easy entrance
Single level
Wide hallways
Accessible bedroom
Accessible toilet
Accessible shower
Accessible kitchen access
Accessible laundry access
Accessible parking space
House rules
Suitable for infants under 2
Suitable for children ages 2-12
Pets not allowed
No smoking
Allergens
Cat free
Carpet free
Smoke free
Dates of Availability
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Neighbourhood
Hurstbridge village is a lovely small town- many arty gift shops and cafes, great pubs and restaurants in surrounding district. Lovely bushy/ rural aspect, yet shops and major supermarkets within less than 10 minutes drive and access to smaller but perfectly adequate shopping in the village. Markets to visit, and art studios, tennis courts and a golf course a 5 minute drive away. Local wineries with gorgeous views to enjoy tasting and meals or platters. The train line ends in Hurstbridge with easy access to the city centre and suburbs. The station is a 3 minute drive away
Getting to my home
Having a car would be best to visit us- we are a half hour walk to town about 2 km or 3 minute drive. We are happy to do a reciprocal exchange with our car as well.
Easiest way from airport is by Uber, taxi or car. If we around happy to meet you and pick you up!
Nearest airport
Tullamarine, Melbourne Airport 35 to 40 mins drive
Getting around
Car is great for travelling about and getting to town in 3 minutes or the train station in Hurstbridge will take you straight to the centre of Melbourne.
This was one of our most successful home exchanges in every way. Jane took care of everything for us, from picking us up at the airport after a 23-hour flight to Australia, providing a car for our use, giving us comprehensive information about the area, and maintaining constant communication for every little detail.
But above all, the house – a truly unique gem. A mud-brick house with a wooden frame, stone flooring, and wooden windows. Inside, carefully selected furniture pieces were collected to complete the look and feel of a warm and cozy home.
Surrounding the house is a wonderful garden filled with orchid pots and local plants.
Don't miss it if you're looking for a great place and people near Melbourne!
We offered Jane and Rowan a globe to stay in their home, and their hospitality went above and beyond. They picked us up at Melbourne Airport (in rush hour traffic), offered drinks and a cheese platter while we chatted, and made us dinner to eat after they left! And we were able to use their car for our stay.
We loved staying in Hurstbridge - a quaint small town with lots of cafes - in their mud brick home on a hill in the bush. The house is spacious, unique and had everything we needed for our stay.
We took a day trip into Melbourne on the train, which stops right in town, we visited Healesville Sanctuary (a must-do!) and also drove to the Great Ocean Road to visit friends.
We couldn't have asked for a better stay for the end of our seven week Aussie adventure. And it was delightful to get to know Jane and Rowan.
Such a pleasure to meet with you both Lynn and Pete. Thanks for leaving our house looking delightful and the special bundle of treats. Wonderful!
We have just had the most amazing stay in Jane and Rowan,s beautiful home in a fantastic area with excellent train links to Melbourne . We had great communication between us with a lot of great ideas of where to go and what to see. The home had everything you would need for a relaxing stay . We consider ourselves very lucky to have had such a wonderful exchange and we highly recommend Jane and Rowan,s home for a magical experience .
John and Kay
Jane and Rowan are wonderful hosts, easy to communicate with and very organized. Rowan picked us from the airport and they gave us a run through the house before they left.
The house is beautiful and charming, very spacious and cozy. We made several day trips to Melbourne, Great ocean road and also enjoyed a lot the nearby Yarra Valley. We look forward to hosting you in our house and maybe visit the Oktoberfest together.
We had a fabulous sim exchange (home & car) with Jane and Rowan. They were awesome, guiding us through our first exchange on PLU. Their communication was brilliant and we felt really comfortable with the whole process. Jane and Rowan are the loveliest people you could meet and their home is so unique, spacious and beautiful. We had a wonderful stay and got to do so much in Melbourne. It was the perfect location for everything we had planned in the surrounding area and city. I am just so glad we had the opportunity to do this swap. We were fortunate to be able to meet Jane and Rowan at the beginning and end of our trip and it felt like meeting up with friends. We really hope to catch up with them again on a future trip to Melbourne or here in NZ. Next time the bubbles are on us!
Jane and Rowan are very experienced home exchanger. They are super nice and easy to communicate with and have left everything clean and tidy when they left. We enjoyed introducing them to Bavarian food when they arrived and had a nice chat before handing over house and car. They have made many day trips and showed us areas which we haven’t known ourselves :)
Jane and Rowan were the best guests! They stayed at our second home in Montsoreau and since we were not able to be there, there were a few unexpected glitches at the house, but they dealt with them all so calmly and kindly (and capably!). We absolutely loved having them there and following along with their adventures. If you get a chance, definitely exchange with these two! They’re the crème de la crème.
Oh thanks Lara....it was a dream swap for us and all that we hoped for.....it was great to chat with you and have so many ideas fed to us that made our planning easy!
Our home was in a very clean state when we returned and our plants and veggie garden looked very happy,always a pleasure to have swappers like Rowan and Jane who take care of your home like their own
Jane and Rowan were the perfect house guests and we were so happy that they enjoyed their stay. I think Tilly our cat was just a little bit enamoured with Rowan!! We returned to an immaculate house and some gorgeous surprise goodies. Thank you guys for being such wonderful house guests – you are welcome back any time.
We had a perfect 10 days at Unterhaching in Anita and Matthias' comfortable home with everything you could need. A fantastic base to explore Bavaria. We were welcomed with a wonderful dinner and enjoyed meeting with them and catching up on the first night of our stay. Anita was full of information and suggestions about places we should visit and always responsive to questions and communications both before and during our visit. Their home is warm and cosy and a great spot to come back to after a day of exploring. A great exchange
A great pleasure to have Uri and Aliza stay at our place. Aliza left us a gorgeous artistic drawing of our home that we will treasure. We were away and didn't get to meet but loved chatting and would welcome them anytime .
We had the most delightful stay at Laras house in Montsoreau. A fairytale village. The gorgeous stone house in the heart of the historic district was perfectly located, with a short walk to town and shops and the banks of the Loire. So much to see....a week was hardly enough. Troglodyte homes, cycling by the Loire, chateaux visits, markets and wine tastings. This area is not to be missed! Thank you for your welcoming bottle of wine and the use of your home....we had a fabulous Loire Valley experience!
It was lovely to meet Lynn and Pete and get to know them! They were great guests...looked after our home and car beautifully and left some lovely "thank you" treats. Great exchangers and thanks for the lovely globe!
What a delightful week we have spent at Kay and Johns home in Urunga. Cosy with everything you could want for a truly comfortable stay. Such a beautiful natural area....beaches, national parks, waterfalls. Don't miss driving the stunning Waterfall Way, and visiting the lovely village of Bellingen. The Urunga wetlands and the boardwalk out to the ocean are musts as well. We loved the herbs and veges Kay offered us from her thriving garden. A relaxing and lovely stay. Communication and recommendations were wonderful and easy! Thanks for a great opportunity!
Such a pleasure to arrive home to a beautiful clean house with some lovely treats to welcome us. Highly recommend Kay and John as great exchange guests...it's been a very easy and happy experience
Anita and Matthias and Simon,their son,were such lovely guests. Patient with a couple of hiccups that occurred and we had lots of delightful communication, and hope to connect again before they leave Australia. It was great to meet them...although briefly...before we set off on our trip and we would love more time to chat in Australia before we visit them in Munich! Respectful and organised with all communications ...great guests.
What a perfect stay we had at Maggie and Arons lovely home in Taupo. A beautiful home with everything you could need, so comfortable, and a lovely outdoor area full of fresh herbs and veges and gorgeous plants. Taupo is such a great place to visit....so many things to do and see...beautiful mountains, an incredible lake, water activities, boat trips, geothermal walks and springs. Communication was fabulous and we loved meeting Maggie and Aron and having a drink before we left . The car exchange went beautifully with easy collection at the airport. Highly recommend a stay in Taupo with these lovely hosts.
Our home was immaculate....Maggie and Aron left it better than when we left!!! With a gorgeous bunch of flowers to greet us. Welcome anytime in the future for another swap!!!
Premium
Jane
We are a semi retired couple in our late 50s who love travel and house swapping, and have made some wonderful friends through past exchanges. Jane has been in fashion wholesale and retail and sold her business, Rowan is a mechanical engineer, now part time. We are open to all suggestions and times to travel- please hit us with any offers and we will consider!!! Our calendar shows times we have an empty available house as we are travelling but we are open to any further suggestions at other times
We have 3 adult sons and a new granddaughter. We are open to any suggestions and pretty flexible with times....we will look after your home as you would and look forward to hearing from you
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