Cottage at Lonely Goat Olives, Hunter Valley

Had a wonderful 3 nights here with our two small children between Xmas and New Year and are planning to return again soon. Keith and Elisabeth were absolutely lovely hosts without being intrusive. Very generous breakfast provisions supplied, the outdoor kitchen was fun to cook in, we tried our hand at the pizza oven (with guidance from Keith!), our kids loved collecting fresh eggs from the chickens and picking oranges for breakfast juice and tomatoes from the veggie patch. Lots of little details made our accommodation so comfortable, from the extra portacot provided to the toiletries to the hammocks on the deck to the fishing rods, the list goes on. It was spotlessly clean. For families with small children it is worth noting that the rooms do not adjoin, so we all slept in one room and used the other more as a lounge / tv room (though both rooms have tv). Nothing was too much trouble for our hosts and I’d recommend this place to anyone wanting to unwind for a few days here, the views were nothing short of spectacular, to be enjoyed with a beer or glass or two of wine as the sun goes down!

The positives - the property is set in a picturesque valley, with sweeping views of mountains, dams, and surrounding farms. There’s a nice deck where you can enjoy a drink as the sun sets.

The negatives - the property is advertised as a “boutique, 2 bedroom cottage”. There’s no lounge room. There’s no indoor communal area. There’s no inside kitchen. These are the things I’d expect when I see a place advertised as a “cottage”. At best, the property should be described as “2 motel-style rooms, with a deck, and outside kitchen”.

Each bedroom consists of a bed, bar fridge, small dining table, and a bathroom. The ‘kitchen’ is extremely basic, with a bbq as the main cooking source. There isn’t a fridge in the kitchen, so you have to run back and forth from your bedroom to the kitchen to prepare meals.

If the weather’s nice, you can enjoy the company of your family and friends on the deck. But if it’s raining or cold, you have no choice but to be summoned to the confines of your motel-like room, as there is nowhere else for you to go. If you’re a family with a baby (like we were) and a storm arises, you have no option but to return to your room at 7pm with a plate of food on your lap, silently chewing your food hoping that the crunching of lettuce leaves in your mouth doesn’t wake your sleeping baby. I’m perplexed as to how many families have reviewed this place positively. Other than the surrounding farmland, nothing about this place screams ‘family friendly’ to me. I’d struggle to find anyone who’d find the layout of this place efficient and well designed.

Also, we were here for a period of 36 hours and the owner (who lives about 100 meters away in the main house) came over unannounced three (yes THREE!) times. This was completely inappropriate. We were on-edge all weekend, not knowing when she’d pop up again. We never felt we were able to relax. On check-out day, we packed our bags and left as early as possible to avoid any further interaction. We’ve stayed in holiday rentals for over 15 years, and we’ve never had an owner come and visit unannounced before, let alone 3 times. On one occasion, we were having a very serious family discussion that was getting quite emotional, and low and behold, the owner crept up on us from behind and stayed making small talk for 20 minutes. This isn’t a personal attack. The owner is very nice, but I really think boundaries need to put in place, with paying guests reserving the right to a degree of privacy.

We booked the Cottage at the Lonely Goat Olives farm for one night,whilst exploring the Hunter Valley wine region with our niece, who was visiting from the UK . What a find!

The cottage was beautifully furnished with all mod cons. Our visitor was particularly pleased to have a beautiful four poster bed to sleep in. All of us made use of the hammocks on the back veranda, which provided a very comfortable view of the olive grove, cow paddock and valley below us.

We enjoyed watching the multitude of birds through binoculars which had been provided, along with a bird book to help with identification of our feathered companions

The highland cows were a delightfully quirky addition to a farm, which we were sure would feature goats!

The outside kitchen was well equipped and the owners provided us with some delicious fresh eggs for breakfast, from their chickens.

This peaceful and beautiful place is a secret paradise. We were only sorry we didn't have longer to linger. This wonderful place is not to be missed. If you are looking for a peaceful retreat, to recover from the hustle and bustle of city life then this is the place for you.

Keith and Julia were generous from the first contact. We were feeling very frazzled by the time we arrived on Sunday (due to many late nights renovating at home) and by Monday morning we already felt significantly restored! The property boasts an abundant vege patch, chook pen and orchard that nourished the soul (and palate), a peaceful location and stunning view, all the creature comforts for an excellent nights sleep, and a brilliant wood fire oven! The hospitality was second to none so we felt no inclination to leave the property during our stay. The provisions were ample in every sense. Our only sorrow was staying just 2 nights but we did leave feeling a million bucks better than when we arrived - and looking forward to creating our own little piece of Lonely Goat Olives with 5 olive trees! We’re looking forward to staying again :-)

We had a lovely weekend away with family. The two bedrooms were spacious and comfortable and the outdoor area was relaxing. I loved the outdoor kitchen and the views were stunning. We had wonderful star gazing evenings on the verandah, and I was able to take my dog for walks around the property. Keith and Julia were perfect hosts, available when we needed some help with the pizza oven but respectful of our privacy. We would love to visit in Autumn - it would be stunning.