Hill Top Forest Retreat - Southern Highlands

State forest backdrop. 2 hectares of land. Ideal for bushwalking, mountain biking, star gazing, solitude, writing a bad (or even good) novel, cooking, drinking wine and playing scrabble. An ideal southern highlands base for exploring; a lovely, back to basics weekend getaway for friends and family. Cosy but basic old style house with separate writer's studio. The house is rustic. This is not 5 star (but we like it that way). Bring your own sheets and towels. Read this listing before booking! About 8 or 9 out of 10 of our guests, like us, absolutely love the house for its back to basics "rough around the edges" slightly dusty, quirky, country feel and the beauty of the land and surrounding forest. [And the fact that - unlike just about everywhere else - you can stay for just one weekend night and it works out at about $50 a head for four or five people + pets are welcome!] However, we have also had some less enthusiastic feedback from folks that have not read the listing description and were under the illusion that our comfortable and charming but quite basic weekender house operates like a formal hotel or is literally a bed and breakfast. So, please read the site thoroughly and make sure you're getting what you're after...we want you to love the place. Note - Some of the photos are old and from when we bought the place, taken with the usual favourable lighting and with styled throws, quilts etc etc (especially the bedroom shots). They are included to give a spatial idea only and the rooms will not present that way on arrival. Please note that the house is on 5 acres and is divided by gates into two sort of quasi paddocks. While you have free range and we generally won't disturb you at all, we reserve the right to enter the lower paddock and its storage shed (a good distance from the house) during your stay. In other words, you don't have 'exclusive use' rights on the lower paddock during your stay. You'll have the run of the house and the land. Pets are welcome...there is even a pet door. The road is very quiet and your pet should not be in any danger - but the fencing is not reliable if your pet is a real wanderer. Bring your own sheets and towels! Cleaning We don't clean the house to anything even approaching hotel type standards. We basically work on a trust system, so all guests must leave the house in the same state they find it. Please make sure washing up is done...cleaned, dried, put away. Give the house a sweep or vacuum and give the bath and toilet a quick clean when you go. We want you to love the house and come back again. We rely on people to do the right thing. We don't charge a cleaning fee. There is no dishwasher. If you experience any dramas, message or call us any time and we will try to help out. Bring your own sheets, towels, milk, food and bottled drinking water (there's tank water only). There are doonahs, pillows and blankets . You must clean up after yourselves at the end of your stay - see house rules. No cleaning fee applies. The house has only tank/rain water - good for everything but we recommend bringing a few bottles of drinking water - no 30 minute showers please...! The house generally will have all basic items - sugar, salt, cooking oil, tea, soap, detergent and coffee pods etc etc -even dog food [if you forget yours]. Sorry, we just aren't set up to leave piles of firewood at the house, so bring a bag or two, depending on the length (and season) of your stay. Of course pots/pans, plates, glasses and cutlery are all there. We also leave - generally - non organic food in the fridge and tinned food etc - just like the usual weekender. If someone has inadvertantly left some food in the fridge that you think might be past its used by date, we suggest throwing it away, although having a panic attack and leaving a scathing review is always an option too. There's a great general store in Hill Top (5 minutes drive) with food and alcohol and an old school but excellent Chinese restaurant. Mittagong is 15 or so minutes drive and has everything. If the check in/ check out times are a problem, let us know and we should be able to work something out that suits you.