Amy F.
Yelp
Easily the best place we stayed in our month-long Australia adventure!
Graham was friendly and chatty at check-in, very easy going and enjoyable to talk to. He gave us a tour of his gardens while picking some amazing produce for us to cook with our dinner. Tomatoes, onions, and bok choy. He invited us to help ourselves if we wanted anything else, which I thought was really nice. Loaded with veggies for dinner, he guided us to our cottage and shows us the basics (how to use the gas stove and the outdoor jacuzzi). Cell phone number loaded into our phone, he encouraged us to call him if we needed anything, and then disappeared. Our stay was incredibly private, but we felt like we could have really called just about anytime and he would have gladly helped us out with anything we needed. Really.
Now, I had been looking forward to our stay here for about a year, particularly the gorgeous outdoor spa (which exceeded expectations). Plus, in the month before our trip I had pneumonia and took several baths a day, each time thinking how much better it would be outside, in Tasmania. So the moment Graham left I jumped into that huge outdoor tub and just blissed out. The spa recirculates the water and keeps it warm, so you can stay in forever. So nice! And it's so big that two people can comfortably lay back and enjoy the stars (although we fell asleep before sunset both nights, still being a bit sick).
The property is really lovely and well-kept, with walking trails and that gorgeous river running through it.
And the cottages... Lovely! Our studio cottage was very well set-up so it felt cozy and spacious at the same time. The two person shower was a nice bonus :-) And the kitchen was wonderful! Well designed for use, and very well stocked! I made a big dinner our first night, and found everything I wanted and needed without any issues. In addition to bread and eggs, the fridge was stocked with milk, brekkie juice, butter, sausages, and bacon. Plus muesli, cookies, tea and coffee, chocolates, port, pasta, flour, sugar, rice, soy sauce, etc. In rural Tassie everything closes early, and it's really sweet that Graham and his wife have thought to include enough to make dinner in case you weren't prepared and didn't want to drive to one of the nearby towns.
All in all, Tin Dragon Trail Cottages was an inspiration. My mom has been talking about opening a B&B for years and keeps trying to convince me to come do the farming/cooking/horse wrangling and I keep thinking about all the awkward B&B stays I've had and saying "no way!" After this stay, I'm thinking, "Yeah! Let's do this, but let's do this like Tin Dragon Trail and make it super awesome!"
We will be back, hopefully soon!