Whispering Trees

The quiet backyard and location were lovely, but the condition of the property was really disappointing. It’s at the end of Billa street, backs onto the bush and has a fire pit, though the yard isn’t fenced. The listing photos are misleading: the upstairs isn’t included, so guests only get the downstairs area. The bedrooms are carpeted, and it doesn’t look like the carpet has been properly cleaned for a while. There was grime on the floors, dust and dirt on the fans, shutters and windows, and cobwebs in every room. The dishes, pots and pans weren’t clean or usable when we arrived, and pantry appliances were in disrepair. Three light bulbs didn’t work, and the gas bottles for the hot water, stovetop and oven were empty. The stove has broken on/off switches, so it’s hard to tell whether an outlet is on, which is especially concerning with a gas appliance. Outside, mildew had built up on the patio near the BBQ and driveway. It badly needs a power wash, and the surface is slippery and unsafe to walk on. We booked through Discovery Stradbroke and had to pay a $1,000 deposit on top of the rental fees. We were told by Dicovery Stradbroke we couldn’t enter until 3pm, even though the usual check-in is 2pm, because of extra COVID cleaning. In our view, the property fell well short of health and hygiene standards and posed a real risk to guests in a COVID or post-COVID environment. Looking back, we should have contacted Discovery as soon as we saw how dirty it was and asked for a resolution, but we didn’t and just made do.

A nice little shack, but don’t be taken in by the photos. Visitors only have access to downstairs, where all the bedrooms are close together. It would suit one family, and the unfenced yard will only work for some dogs.