Fernglen Forest Retreat

The cottage was spotless and so nicely styled inside, with comfortable beds and warm electric blankets. It sits among ferns and gums, with a stunning view. They'd thought of all the comforts, even providing firewood for the firebox and birdseed for the parrots and cockatoos on the bullnose verandah. We had such a good time and plan to return for longer.

The location was lovely, surrounded by forest, birds and flowers, with local parks, hiking trails, and little paths leading to the flowing river straight from the property. But the place itself was filthy when we arrived. The benches and rubbish were dirty, and there was even a cupcake in the third room. That could have been dangerous for my mini dachshund, who was lucky to have good recall and not eat it. We were in the windmill lodge, and I hadn't seen anything saying we'd share the space with other families. The door photo shows the lodge divided in two, so it felt very close, and we could hear even a cough. The couches smelled, there were no coffee or tea cups, only wine glasses, and the beds were my least favourite part. We were all rolling on the springs all night. The water went cold after about 15 minutes. There's only a bon outside, so each time you have to walk out and let the heat escape from the house. With the lack of care and cleanliness, I wouldn't advise bringing your pup or children here anytime soon. The retreat has a lot of potential, but right now it's seriously lacking in safety, cleanliness and professionalism. Hopefully we can come back much later, when it's more comfortable.

The cottage was cosy and the bed really comfortable. I loved hand-feeding the local wildlife and having a spa, and it was lovely to get away from everything in the Yarra Valley.

We were in town for a wedding in Monbulk and stayed one night. The owners communicated exceptionally well. It's a quaint old cottage with lots of character, and the beds were comfortable with modern comforts too.