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"Riverbend" Cottage A - Z

Anything "Riverbend" is a very special place to us and we want you to enjoy it, too, so if there is anything we can do to make it even better, please tell us!

Barbeque You supply the charcoal (or heatbeads) and we supply the WEBER. Just be careful with open fire! No barbeque may be lit during total fire ban - check with us for latest information.

Bathroom It's quaint but it's functional! It does all the things it is supposed to do. The cute little frog that's been living in one corner so long it left a mark on the wall may keep you company. And the walk to it is quite romantic on a starry night especially now that we've built a covered walkway. There is a plastic bowl under the wash basin if you want a footbath or simply want to wash your dirty feet.

Beach There is a nice beach of hard-packed sand at the bottom of the property. Walk along the barbed-wire fence and struggle through the last few metres of ferns before climbing down to the beach. Alright, it's not Bondi but it is heavenly quiet and you have it all to yourself!

Boat Ramps We have two, one on either side of the bridge. The one on the village side is newer and offers better parking for your trailer.

Boat, yours Launch it and leave it in the water for the duration of your stay! Anchor it off our jetty and, for extra safety, tie it to the stern of our little motor-sailer. Use our small dinghy to get to and fro.

Boats, ours We have several canoes but we don't hire them out because if there is an accident, your lawyers would be far smarter than ours! However, if you really want to go paddling and haven't got your own boat, you can buy ours (with a guaranteed buy-back plan at the end of your stay). But remember: always wear a life-jackets!

Books There is a motley collection on the shelf inside the cottage and a lot more in the Haus Win by the pond. If you're looking for something more specific, we may have it in our `Library'. And don't be deterred from starting to read a book because you think you may finish it before you leave. Take it with you! It's as simple as that!

Breakfast Hamper It `s enough to get you started. If you need more tea, coffee and sugar, please let us know.

Bush Bashing Our old car was good enough for bush bashing but not so our small Ford Focus! If you want to drive up River Road to Shallow Crossing - and every visitor to this area should! - we can show you how to get there, we can even accompany you, but we can't take you in our own car. It's definitely worth a visit! Sitting with a coldie in one hand up to your hips in water as it cascades across the causeway is what you came here for!

Car Parking Ours is a fairly small car in a fairly large carport, so if you want to get your car out of the sun, park it right behind ours.

Check-outs We don't watch the clock, however, if we have back-to-back bookings we need time to prepare for the next guests in which case a check-out by mid-morning (say 10 o'clock) would be much appreciated.

Cleaning There are some utensils for whatever tidying-up needs to be done. We don't enter the Cottage or bathroom while you're with us.

Clocks & Watches You don't need them at "Riverbend"! You know it's lunchtime when the cruide boat comes up the river. If you're still eating when she heads back downriver again, you know you've eaten too much.

Clothes Hoist Use it to hang up your towels for drying. Don't use it as a shortcut to the bathroom as you may bump your head. Follow the pathway!

Clubs There are several in the Bay: the Returned Soldiers' Club, the bowling club, and the Catalina Country Club. The Catalina Country Club serves a great barramundi and we go there on a Friday night. Care to join us?

Cooking Condiments You need some more ingredient for your cooking? Come and see Padma. If she has it, she happily share it with you.

Cooking Stove It's really just a hot-plate as we deliberately disconnected the stove-part after an unfortunate incident. Better safe than sorry!

Cooking Utensils Some guests do no cooking at all, others never stop. If you're the latter and need some extra utensils, please tell us.

Dogs, ours We have two very friendly Maltese who love to meet and greet you. If you don't like dogs, please tell us and we keep them away from you.

Dogs, yours If you brought your dogs, they are welcome here - but not inside the Cottage! Keep them outside and under your control as there's no fencing. They may bed down inside your car; alternatively, we can accommodate them for the night safely and comfortably in our workshop.

Electric Blanket Autumn and winter are magic at "Riverbend": misty mornings and clear blue skies and bright sunshine during the day. The Cottage is snug and warm at night and to make it even more comfortable, we put an electric blanket on your bed. Just a word of advice: switch it on only about half-an-hour before going to bed and turn it off once you're in bed.

Electric Iron and Ironing Board They're inside the wardrobe. Please use the electric iron with care and always switch it off immediately after use.

Fire If you're here when the fireban is on, you miss out on our singalongs around the bonfire. Mulled wine never tasted better! During firebans, no open fires or barbeques, please!

Footwear This isn't a golf course - yet! So wear sensible footwear to protect your feet from the occasional stick and thorn and watch out for holes.

Games Want to have a quiet night in and play some games? We've put some under the television table and are happy to lend you others. We're even happier to join you! After all, LUDO for two is no fun, is it? (What? You haven't played it since preschool? All the more reason to do so again!)

Gate Closure The bottom gate is your own private entrance. Leave it open or shut it - it's up to you. We will shut it when we know you're settled in for the night.

Golf Well, "Riverbend" isn't a golf course yet but we're working on it. And the rabbits are working on the 18 holes. The good news is that you have to pay no Green Fees - or fees of any other colour! If it's books on golf you're after, there are some under the television table.

Hammocks You find a hammock in the storage bench around the corner. If you look close, you'll find hooks to hang it from between several trees. Put yourself bum first sideways into the hammock, then do a bit of a twist and swing your whole body in. Do the same in reverse to get out. And hold on!

Haus Win (or 'wind house') is Pidgin for a garden or summer house in New Guinea where it is a simple bush material structure in which one may cook, sit around the fire and talk the day away. Our "Haus Win" by the pond is all about sitting around, chatting, reading, or quietly relaxing in the cool breeze coming off the river while staying out of the sun. So whether it's a bit of company you want or a bit of peace and quiet, come down to the "Haus Win". You'll find an easy chair to sit in, heaps of books to read or a board game to play, and a hammock to fall asleep in (or, if you feel energetic enough, you may use the stationary exercise bike or the rowing machine, AT YOUR OWN RISK, of course!). And there are always several dozen ducks to keep you company - or one of us, if you're unlucky ?

Heated Indoor Swimming Pool No, we haven't got one but there is one in Ulladulla and we go there once a week for a bit of aqua-therapy. You're welcome to come along. It's definitely worth the trip which we usually combine with lunch at the local bowling club and a bit of shopping.

Hotwater The 50-litre instant hot water heater should give you all the hot showers you need. The hot water tap is usually on the left but our left-handed plumber put it on the right. And, yes, the shower leaks a bit to the outside of the building (another legacy from our left-handed plumber) but we aren't worried and neither should you.

Housesitting Even though it is our little piece of Paradise, we like to get away from "Riverbend" once in a while, usually to visit Padma's parents in Indonesia. We don't like to leave "Riverbend" unattended and also can't take our two little dogs Malty & Rover with us and so we would like to talk to nice couples who a) like an extended holiday at "Riverbend" and b) like dogs and would be willing to look after Malty & Rover during our absence for anything from three weeks to two months. We don't expect the "housesitters" to do any actual work other than to keep an eye on the place (and keep us informed of anything happening here) and to feed and look after the dogs. In exchange, we offer "Riverbend" Cottage on a much reduced rental which is negotiable as is the timing.

Jetty The first thing you notice is that there are no handrails and that it is high off the ground (which at low tide has no water in between to cushion your fall) so if you're a bit wobbly on your feet or get dizzy just looking at your own toes, please stay on firmer ground.

Locks & Keys Things are safe here! We don't enter the Cottage and there are no prowlers. We're always here and you need not lock the Cottage but if you do, may we suggest you leave the key inside the bathroom cabinet? That way you don't lose it.

Massage Lanny, a professional massage therapist from Indonesia now residing in the Bay, will visit to give you a soothing Balinese massage, natural facial or foot massage. Last time we asked, her hourly was $50. Is there anything better than a good workout followed by a soothing Balinese massage while watching the ducks on the pond from inside the Haus Win aka Riverbend Fitness Club?˜ Maybe there is but you'd have to go as far as Bali to find it! (Yes, we do have an upholstered massage table with one of those cut-outs for your face so you won't get a broken nose as well as a massage)

Movies The Cottage is not quite Cinema Paradiso but the small collection of DVDs should keep you entertained. If it's one particular movie you're after, we may have it in our collection. And if you want to make a night of it and watch something on the big screen, we can do it together in our `Library'. The TV/DVD Operating Instructions are inside this folder and also on the coffee table. Please read them!

Night Lights Home is where you can find your way to the loo in the dark! Since you're new to "Riverbend", we leave an outside light on from around 9 pm (earlier in winter) until just past midnight. There's also a coach light beside the Cottage door which you can be turned on (and off again, PLEASE!) by the inside switch nearest to the door. You may want to switch on the tiny night light plugged into the power point by the kitchen to get your bearings on a dark night. Another night light is inside the bathroom. For other nocturnal acitivities you can use the small magnetic torch attached to the fridge door.

Outdoor Furniture There are several benches across the property (try the one by the treehouse with its inbuilt laptop on which many a good book has been read and many a good letter written), as well as hammocks, swing and folding chairs and lounges which you may take wherever you find some shade and quiet. We also have sun umbrellas but don't leave them out because of possible wind gusts from the river. If you need one, please let us know.

Oysters The Clyde River oysters are much sought after but not by us as we don't eat them. If you do, and you want to try them really fresh, try the ones under the jetty. You find an oyster knife in the cutlery drawer in the kitchen. While on the subject: watch the movie "Oyster Farmer" which was filmed on the Hawkesbury River but looks just like the Clyde (correction: the Clyde looks better ? ).

Power Points The Cottage has five power points: one under the writing table, another beside the electric heater, a third to the right of the dressing table, and two more for the fridge and microwave and electric kettle and toaster. They are all on one circuit with a 16 Amp fuse which translates to a maximum of (16x240V) 3840 Watts. The TV draws 60 Watts, the fridge 100 Watts. The "heavy guns" are the toaster (750 Watts), the microwave (1000 Watts), the electric kettle (2200 Watts), and the electric heater (1970 Watts). Put on the microwave, the kettle, and the heater which total 5170 and you've just zapped the fuse!!! The "trick" is not to run the microwave and the jug both at the same time while is heater is on!

Privacy We respect your privacy and don't come near the Cottage unless invited or absolutely necessary so leave the curtains open to watch the moon or see the sun rise. Feel free to roam the whole seven acres. If you want to join us for a drink on the verandah or just have a chat, please do. We're always happy to make new friends.

Repairs If you find something that doesn't work, please let us know and we'll fix it.

Restaurants The Bay has far too many restaurants to list here. We are no restaurant-goers ourselves so we can't tell you which is good. We like the Golden Lake Chinese Restaurant in North Street for their excellent and reasonably priced take-aways.

River Cruise The Innes Family who operate the only cruise boat on the river are rich enough not to need our advertising but a visit to the Clyde River wouldn't be complete without their lunchtime cruise. The boat boards at Batemans Bay at 11 o'clock for a 3-hour round-trip, with a half-hour stop-over at Nelligen. The cost is $28; and the fish & salad lunch on board sets you back another $12. More if you use the on-board licensed bar.

Rubbish Around the corner from the Cottage is the wheelie bin for all non-recyclable rubbish. Please place paper, cardboard, tins and bottles for recycling inside the olive-green tray beside the wheelie bin.

Septic Tank We are on septic which means everything you put down the toilet must've been eaten first! ? And save water by not flushing after Number One!

Snakes There was even a snake in the original Paradise, and "Riverbend" is no exception! They have their place and their purpose, so if you spot one (very occasionally), don't bother them and they won't bother you.

Telephone So you've brought your mobile phone and find there's no reception by the river. Don't worry! In case of an emergency, you can always use our landline. You can also give family and friends our number (02) 44781081 if they want to reach you in an emergency. If you still want to use your mobile phone, drive up to the highway where you will get a signal.

Television/DVD Player Instructions on how to operate this piece of technology are at the back of this booklet and also on the coffee table. Full marks if you worked it out by the end of your first day! We still long for the days when radios (and later television) had just two knobs, one for ON and OFF, and the other to adjust the volume. Life was simple then!

Tide Tables At very low tide, the jetty is `dry' so look up the tide tables at the back of this booklet to make sure you can get your boat in and out.

Treehouse We have rebuilt the treehouse, bigger, better and more beautiful than before! So when the world's worries drive you up a tree, climb into the treehouse where you can sit high above the river and watch the boats - or time - go by!

Vegetable Garden We have a small vegie garden in the old cut-up water tank by the shed. If you want to get your hands dirty, here's your chance!

Village Life Well, it's not much but it's all we've got: a caf, and another caf, which masquerades as a general store. Both sell pretty much the same. There is a once-a-month Anglican Church service in the old Courthouse, a tennis court, and the Steampacket Hotel a few hundred metres up the highway. Occasionally, the Mechanic's Institute Hall (not my misplaced apostrophe but theirs; or else they only had one mechanic in those days) has a function on or Betty Heycox runs one of her bric-a-brac sales.

Wake-up calls These are usually handled by the resident kookaburras but should you need some heavy pounding on the door because you have to be up at some ungodly hour in the morning, please let us know the evening before.

Walks This may be your chance to rediscover your legs! Walk up the lane and across the bridge to the village. There are also some good walks in the forest. We can show you and also pick you up at the end if you only want to walk one way.

Water Use In the city you simply turn on the tap and water gushes out. Not so here! Every drop reduces the level in the tanks which won't get refilled until the next rain. We could buy water from town but don't want to get any chemicals into our tanks so, please, be waterwise. Brushing your teeth with the water running is considered an environmentally unfriendly act!

Weather Forecast Check at http://www.bom.gov.au/nsw/forecasts/batemansbay.shtml .

WiFi If you've brought your laptop or smartphone or whatever else you use for emailing and surfing the net, you can connect to our Wifi. Select either Bauhn_Wireless or belkin54g depending on which gives you a stronger signal. Bauhn_Wireless requires you to enter the security key wireless; the belkin54g connection requires no password. Neither are the fastest connection in the world but they're better than Morse code.

Wildlife We feed the wild ducks and parrots every morning. If you want to do it, we can show you where to find the feed. In the evenings, we put out some fruits for the resident possum. Not so wild life in the shape of two donkeys and a miniature horse may look at you from across the fence. They're interested in a slice of bread - ONE EACH! - so if you feel generous, just walk over and hold it out to them.

 

 

 

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This was meant to be a short list of helpful comments which has grown into six pages.
You may have to come back another time to read them all!

 

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