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Steven
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Trawool
4Listings
Bush Hideouts is a fantasy project of mine which includes tents, a forgotten garden, a valley, a river, a lagoon and a really average cabin with bats and a leaky cistern, but hey I love it
Ask a QuestionReviews (13)
Lillian
1 Sep 2019
We had an okay weekend at the Nest - the surroundings are stunning, with beautiful bushland, rolling hills, breathtaking views of the stars and cool wildlife.
Having said this, this is the first time I've ever booked with Riparide, and I think that the issue with the site's encouragement of "stories" as one of the main ways of advertising the properties is that the images and texts used are overly stylised, and use a very specific tailored narrative which glamorises all the wonderful aspects of the accommodation without mentioning any of the not so glamorous. This is in no way the owner's fault, however I do feel like the description of The Nest needs to include a few details which would at least more realistically provide an expectation of what to expect.
The Nest itself is beautifully rustic, the timber trusses and columns are amazing and the spiral stairs leading to the bedroom are super cool, the 360 degree view from the bedroom is mesmerising. I booked the weekend as a surprise weekend intending to propose to my boyfriend, and I spent weeks whittling down a shortlist of accommodation trying to find a cosy, romantic getaway with a not over the top, but decent level of luxury.
I have to be honest that The Nest would be awesome for a bunch of mates going away for a summer weekend, but was not so suitable for a couple wanting a cosy weekend away in the country.
For starters, the entire weekend was freezing. We had the fire going the entire time and barely strayed a metre away, as the building just refused to heat up due to no insulation and gaps between the rafters. We slept with 8 blankets on and 4 hot water bottles and in the morning could see our breathes.
A previous review said there was a dripping cistern right next to the bed, this also kept us awake all night. The second night the owner (who is really friendly) told us a way to fix it, which worked for an hour, but for some reason the cistern water level kept going down and every hour we had to get up again and fix it repeatedly. This unfortunately made for 2 nights in a row with no sleep, which didn't make for a particularly relaxing nor romantic weekend. I'd originally arranged a late check out but we ended up leaving as soon as we got up as we just wanted to go home and get warm and have a nap from lack of sleep.
We love camping, and had we been after a no frills, bush stay, The Nest would have been a perfect weekend. I think that the listing needs to say that the toilets are outdoor drop toilets and that the showers are also in a semi-open outhouse.
With the booking fee, we paid over $300 per night, and for this price for 2 adults there is not an unreasonable expectation of a little more luxury, especially given the description calls it an "outrageously luxury cabin".
In conclusion, sharing this price with a bunch of mates, in the warmer months, The Nest would be ideal and a super awesome weekend away.
But for a cosy, romantic, couples weekend, the price and description give you higher expectations than the reality.
Having said this, this is the first time I've ever booked with Riparide, and I think that the issue with the site's encouragement of "stories" as one of the main ways of advertising the properties is that the images and texts used are overly stylised, and use a very specific tailored narrative which glamorises all the wonderful aspects of the accommodation without mentioning any of the not so glamorous. This is in no way the owner's fault, however I do feel like the description of The Nest needs to include a few details which would at least more realistically provide an expectation of what to expect.
The Nest itself is beautifully rustic, the timber trusses and columns are amazing and the spiral stairs leading to the bedroom are super cool, the 360 degree view from the bedroom is mesmerising. I booked the weekend as a surprise weekend intending to propose to my boyfriend, and I spent weeks whittling down a shortlist of accommodation trying to find a cosy, romantic getaway with a not over the top, but decent level of luxury.
I have to be honest that The Nest would be awesome for a bunch of mates going away for a summer weekend, but was not so suitable for a couple wanting a cosy weekend away in the country.
For starters, the entire weekend was freezing. We had the fire going the entire time and barely strayed a metre away, as the building just refused to heat up due to no insulation and gaps between the rafters. We slept with 8 blankets on and 4 hot water bottles and in the morning could see our breathes.
A previous review said there was a dripping cistern right next to the bed, this also kept us awake all night. The second night the owner (who is really friendly) told us a way to fix it, which worked for an hour, but for some reason the cistern water level kept going down and every hour we had to get up again and fix it repeatedly. This unfortunately made for 2 nights in a row with no sleep, which didn't make for a particularly relaxing nor romantic weekend. I'd originally arranged a late check out but we ended up leaving as soon as we got up as we just wanted to go home and get warm and have a nap from lack of sleep.
We love camping, and had we been after a no frills, bush stay, The Nest would have been a perfect weekend. I think that the listing needs to say that the toilets are outdoor drop toilets and that the showers are also in a semi-open outhouse.
With the booking fee, we paid over $300 per night, and for this price for 2 adults there is not an unreasonable expectation of a little more luxury, especially given the description calls it an "outrageously luxury cabin".
In conclusion, sharing this price with a bunch of mates, in the warmer months, The Nest would be ideal and a super awesome weekend away.
But for a cosy, romantic, couples weekend, the price and description give you higher expectations than the reality.
Elizabeth
25 Aug 2019
The nest was in a beautiful location but unfortunately the accommodation itself was a bit of a let down.
When we booked we didn’t realise the rooms were tents, we ended up moving all the beds inside so we could be warm by the fire.
The house had bats living inside, we managed to get a few out but they were swooping throughout the night.
The upstairs room was next to a super loud drip that kept us all awake all night.
The owner was really nice and helpful but we felt the description and price online wasnt in-line with the reality of the accommodation.
When we booked we didn’t realise the rooms were tents, we ended up moving all the beds inside so we could be warm by the fire.
The house had bats living inside, we managed to get a few out but they were swooping throughout the night.
The upstairs room was next to a super loud drip that kept us all awake all night.
The owner was really nice and helpful but we felt the description and price online wasnt in-line with the reality of the accommodation.
Victoria
19 Aug 2019
Incredible weekend away. The cabin had amazing views, everything worked perfectly and it was full of adventure.
The cows, boulders, wombats, birds and towering green hills were definitely the highlights.
The cows, boulders, wombats, birds and towering green hills were definitely the highlights.