Mintaro Hideaway

We rented the Carpenter and Jolly Cottages for a family get-together while visiting friends nearby, and they worked really well for us. Morning coffee, afternoon drinks, and dinner were all an easy short walk away. Sue kindly helped with a couple of last-minute requests, and we really appreciated it. Carmel

A lovely little cottage with the essentials, in a peaceful town. The pub, some wineries, and the Mintaro Maze are all an easy walk away.

We took all three cottages for our group and had a great time using them as a base to explore Mintaro and Clare. The common courtyard was pleasant for shared meals, with good shade in December's hot weather. The cottages have the old-world charm that suits heritage-listed Mintaro, and we enjoyed the fruitfulness of the Clare Valley. As with most country homes, expect to share the place with some spiders and insects. I'd recommend Jolly's Rest for its proper kitchen, along with whichever other cottage you need. The other cottages have small, cupboard-style kitchenettes that may do for a day or two or for small groups.

The biggest issue was the heating and getting help. We stayed two nights in the Carpenter spa cottage from July 21 -23 2023, and the key box took about 20 minutes to open. I broke a couple of fingernails trying, then my bloke had a go while I called Sue and the local handyman. Neither number could be reached. Sue had mentioned the wall-mounted reverse-cycle appliance as an option apart from the wood stove, but it only blew air, with no heat. Its remote was in a loose, rickety wall bracket, and both it and the appliance cord were filthy. They were revolting to touch, so I cleaned them with a cloth and detergent. The wood stove was okay for one night, but it was full of ash and there was no brush or pan to clear it. On the cold, wet next day we were running low on wood and couldn't get Sue or Dave to answer. Dave eventually texted after dark on day two. He said he wasn't around, asked if we'd checked the fuse box, which we had, and suggested buying more wood from Clare. We'd just driven back from there through cold rain and darkness, and weren't keen to go out again. A wood seller was unlikely to be open on a Saturday night anyway. With no other heat, we should have had enough wood. The small bar fridge's freezer shelf was almost completely iced over, as if it hadn't been defrosted for months, and there were cobwebs in one bedroom. We knew no food was included, but were chagrined to hear friends in a nearby cottage of similar size and price had fresh milk, bread, butter and jam. We had only a carton of UHT milk. I sent these complaints after Stayz asked for feedback and got no reply from Sue. What's the point of giving guests two contact numbers if nobody can be reached when needed?