Mallee Gum Cottage
Last year as Australia emerged from its first COVID-19 lockdown, Adam, Cath and their two boys were desperate to get Cath’s Mum Sheryl out of Melbourne and up to Canberra to live permanently. The only problem, their relatively small three-bedroom home in Gungahlin really didn’t fit the bill.
So they started looking further afield for something that would suit everyone. Enough space for the kids to roam, for the dog, to grow some veggies and maybe get a few chickens. Stumbling across Mallee Gum cottage was one of the best things that ever happened.
The main house operates as the family home and one of the two adjoining cottages is for Sheryl. Whilst most of her career was as a kindergarten teacher, prior to retiring, Sheryl ran a tearoom in country Victoria and is by far one of the best cooks and hosts you will come across. Cath loves to garden and attempt to upcycle furniture and Adam is very handy when it comes to DIY. Again, Mallee Gum cottage and Gundaroo has turned out to be such a great fit for this family. The adult trio have quickly joined committees and community groups and the kids are playing tennis and cricket as part of the Gundaroo Goats.
The legacy of Mallee Gum
It was important to this family to keep the name and overall style of Mallee Gum. The many positive reviews of previous owners and tenants over the years it has been running meant there were big shoes to fill. After embarking on some maintenance tasks and aesthetic renovations, the Bed and Breakfast (BnB) has just been relaunched.
Having gone online only recently, the property has already attracted strong interest and the family have received lots of support and advice from other businesses in the area. The first few bookings were a great learning experience and have proven to be a lot of fun.
The family are very proud that the property is almost totally off the grid – solar power, an enviro cycle for sewerage and waste, tank water, veggie patch, fruit trees, worm farms and now chickens. A big focus of the BnB is to use resources sustainably and think about the environment with every action. The hosts are happy to loan bikes to explore our village on wheels but everything is within easy walking distance too.
The cottage
In line with a focus on sustainability, nothing in the cottage has really been purchased new. The family were able to source furniture and appliances from existing pieces and some items were donated by friends. The beautiful china and napkins Sheryl used in her tearoom have also come in handy for the scrumptious breakfast baskets that are prepared as part of the offering.
As an alternative to a cooked breakfast, Mallee Gum provides freshly baked scones, homemade raspberry jam and cream for a breakfast treat along with seasonal fruit, yogurt, juice, granola bars and of course tea and coffee. So far guests have really enjoyed the basket which is left at a time of their choosing to enjoy in bed or on the veranda.
The cottage boasts a very comfortable queen bed, along with a mini fridge, coffee machine, kettle, supplies for tea and coffee and its own private ensuite bathroom. There is a new split system to ensure the temperature is just right and extra linen and towels provided so guests can make themselves at home.
The guests who have stayed so far have really enjoyed strolling into the village for a coffee, delicious meal, or sneaky wine before exploring all the region has to offer. With so many wineries, wedding and event venues and gorgeous towns around Gundaroo, not to mention the ability to pop into Canberra so easily, Mallee Gum is sure to have its fair share of visitors over the coming years.
For now Sheryl, Adam, Cath and their two boys feel so blessed to live in Gundaroo and privileged to continue the legacy of Mallee Gum cottage – one of the first and best BnBs in the area.
To find out more or make a booking see Mallee Gum’s Gundaroo featured page here.