Enter our competition to help us celebrate us turning 25! Scroll down now to see how…
Can you believe it? 25 years ago, the unbelievably energetic Shane and Judy opened this business, their vision – a dog friendly holiday spot to surpass all others!
Five years later, it was my turn to throw my hat in the ring. After umpteen years of nursing – racing around Melbourne Emergency Departments, 8 years flying the magnificent skies of WA as a flight nurse with the RFDS and then 5 years of the best adventure yet – working in an Inuit community on the far north of Canada’s Baffin Island, I decided it was time to bring the adventure closer to home. What a boon to find this place before I’d even returned home… thanks to my wonderful sister in law who found it and the enigmatic accountant who INSISTED I took it on, I bought the property sight unseen. What could go wrong…right?
It was still in it’s growing phase then, so it was a bit of night duty at the local hospital to pay the bills. But soon we were up and running. One of the biggest factors in this, was in meeting my darling Stu a few years in. Not only did he turn out to be a pretty amazing life partner, but he ALSO knew his way around the tool shed! That was clever of me wasn’t it! Between us, we’ve since renovated the cottages not once, but twice. We’ve had dog safe fences installed around the cottages, we’ve fixed everything in sight. Have exhibited at every single Dog Lovers Show there’s been. We’ve started up some very popular packages with some amazing people – Ragamuffin Pet Photography for the Sleep and Smile, local artist Jennifer Colbron with the Sleep and Pose. There’s the Sleep and Seek, partnering with Otway Eco tours offering our guests a great deal on the canoe rides around Lake Elizabeth on the search for Platypus. A wonderful Sleep and Stretch, where our yoga instructor takes you through your paces in the privacy of your cottage. Even a Dogustation package, offering transport two and from the wonderful Brae Restuarant, just down the road.
During my twenty years here, I’ve seen families grow…from animal loving little boys to becoming fully fledged Vets and Engineering students! Others who have returned again and again over the years, the little girls now mothers in their own right. And don’t forget the annual Easter Egg hunt that one family returns for each year for the past ten years. So many of you have become friends! What a delightful business this has been to run!
We’ve had impromptu weddings with three weeks notice after the booked venue collapsed. We’ve had the ashes of many of our beloved canine friends scattered in their favourite spots. Dare I say, we’ve even had folks who had given up on ever being able to have a baby, reported back in time that – well yes! And it happened here! How delightful. There must have been more than ten engagements, countless birthdays, bringing the elders of the family on one last holiday.
We’ve had many MANY beautiful dogs stay with their people. Couple of cats. A few horses. Goldfish. A well loved bunny. Even, one little pet mouse (too much information?).
We’ve taken on many charities, supporting them with thousands of dollars in accommodation prizes for their fundraisers. Won a few awards. Made it to the Top Ten in Australia’s Gold List for best rated accommodation for 8 years running.
Our own moving menagerie of critters have proved popular too…chooks, bunnies, guinea pigs, sheep, alpacas etc. Even an emu and his three chicks for a while. But the guests’ most popular by far…the glorious red headed Cookie. What a lovely and full of character alpaca he was. How we miss him still. And don’t mention Lottie Schulze, while we are on who we miss. She was a beautiful dog.
Of course, the Otway Harvest Trail was born during my tenure here. My buddy Dinny Goonan – who’s wine has just made it to the Qantas International Business Class wine list – was the instigator and I have proudly been heavily involved in this great organisation in the intervening 16 years. A wonderful addition to tourism in our region and one of which I am extreemly proud if I may say so.
And here we are, 20 years down the track for me! I can barely believe such a time has passed. Many of you will know that we have put the the business on the market. But don’t worry – we are not going anywhere till we can find the right people to take over and keep this little beauty flying! Maybe that’s YOU???!!
It’s all for you now. You are the ones we are in this for. We can see the delight which you arrive with, the renewed calm as you leave us, the delighted barks from your car as your dogs realise where you’ve brought them, the joyful excitement as your dogs race around in freedom in the huge fenced yards, those sad eyes from the car windows as you leave. We know this place is special and I for one, am so very grateful to have been given this amazing opportunity to be one of it’s custodians for all these years
OUR BIG COMPETITION
So! We’ve decided to reward all you lovely people and give you a chance to win a weekend stay and a beautiful hamper of Otway Harvest Trails goodies! Total value over $1000! Enter our competition to help us celebrate us turning 25!
