This PAGE ONLY APPLIES TO FULL HOUSE BOOKINGS, not to Owood East or Owood West bookings.
Guests booking half the house will be provided different information.
Contents:
Thank you for booking Orangewood - we appreciate you had choice so thank you again!
We hope you are looking forward to your stay! You may have booked via Airbnb or Stayz/Vrbo but all the information you need to enjoy your stay is on this page. We find the information too hidden in the apps and not easily shareable with your guests so feel free to share this link. If you have any questions, just contact us via your booking app.
If you are arriving in cooler/winter months, to have an easier drive and allow enough time to get the house warm, we recommend arriving way before DARK! Weather can turn foggy and visibility is very much reduced at night if bad weather sets in. We provide an early checkin after 1pm for that purpose.
Here's our favourite List of Places - Food & Wine & Kid experiences. We regularly update this.
Recommend contacting any venues in advance with bookings to be sure. Winery cellar door visits generally prefer/require book in advance and there are tasting charges these days.
With the introduction of NSW Nov 1 2021 Short term holiday let laws, I am obligated to provide you the following:
If you do have any emergency issues contact 0402 422 771 or the number on the fridge. (Emailing a problem or sending a message via the booking platform apps will only result in delays in response and we would like to get on top of anything early for you so that you have a great time!)
Non urgent issues you can send a message via your booking platform app
Definitely no more than 12 people sleeping at anyone time on the property - council licensing is for 12 to sleep (excludes infants/babies). And no more than 16 visiting the property at anyone time. NSW Govt short term stay regulations as of Dec 2020 enforce this.
By law we must provide you a direct phone number.
Electrician 6368 2184 Laser Electrical Orange
Plumber 0423 619 994 Jeremy, Anything Plumbing
However, before calling any of the above, please contact us first because you may not be able to assess what exactly the problem is, so we can get our local property maintenance guy to come and have a look first. Majority of trade services are NOT 24x7 in the region.
Emergency Services 000
Code of Conduct NSW Short term Let (NSW gov website)
Here's a separate (doc) for Directions that can be downloaded or forwarded on via email to others in your group. Includes where to stop in Bathurst for supplies.
Address is 555 Tallwood Road, Forest Reefs. Maps/GPS sometimes send you via dirt roads hence our directions above. The entry gate is NOT locked, just unclip and unwind chain and open gates. They are kept shut due to the cattle.
Please drive up to front car park and enter up the steps to the BLUE front door. The front door keycode is provided in the Airbnb app check in instructions or I will provide separately a few days in a message in the booking platform you used. The keycode opens the key safe, which then provides a set of keys for you to use to open doors. It is NOT an automated lock - we can't rely upon power and internet out here. The airbnb app and arrival information has optional detailed photo instructions for entry if you need it (not available in VRBO/stayz sorry).
A short list of essential things you need to know before you book/arrive
Bedrooms: Quality Bed Linen provided (Quilts, sheets, pillows, electric blankets, extra blankets, throw blankets)
Bathrooms: Organic bodywash and handwash, Shampoo & conditioner, Bathroom Towels, bathmats and handtowels, septic-friendly Toilet paper
Kitchen: All kitchen cutlery, crockery and pots and pans for cooking. We will definitely stock and provide condiments like Local olive oil for cooking, salt, pepper, tomato sauce. What we don't guarantee, depending upon what a previous guest has used or left behind, are other condiments like gravy, vegemite, sweet chilli sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, stocks, mayo, bbq sauce etc. We do try to keep these things in stock but no guarantees. You'll always have provided, Kitchen towel, Tea towels, Dishwashing liquid and Dishwasher powder, Kitchen cleaning items
Laundry: New washing machine and new dryer. Sink. Drying rack, Laundry powder & Spray Stain remover
Firewood & kindling, Fire starters for the fireplaces when in operation in cooler months.
Welcome Gourmet Hamper (only for full house bookings). Note what is provided depends upon stock availability, or more specifically, if the chooks aren't laying, then there's no fresh eggs (sorry)
Cleaning is done by us (but we would really appreciate you cleaning the BBQ after use and wiping down the kitchen bench, cooker and microwave if you make a major cooking mess). Leaving the place relatively tidy and treating it like your own house is appreciated. All cleaning materials are provided for self cleaning if you need to.
Unlimited Free WiFi, FREE EV Charging but you need to BYO Type 2 Cable
Tissues, Free Tourist Info winery maps, Bluetooth portable speaker, 2 x High Chairs, Torches/Candles, First Aid Kit, Picnic blanket, Umbrella, Shopping bags
Porta cot (sorry we just don't want the responsibility of cleaning it after those baby vomits that invariably happen..been there...done that)
Pool towels (would increase our laundromat costs excessively and unevenly across bookings)
Your own food & drink
Type 2 Cable for EV Charger
Coffee machine - see FAQ below
These are the most common questions that come up:
When can I checkin? Checkin after 1pm. Checkout by 12 noon (ABSOLUTELY NO LATER PLEASE - we need the time to do essential maintenance whilst there is still daylight as we have other jobs during the week!). We provide a generous amount of time so that you can maximise your stay. We deliberately don't take same day back to back bookings. We spend the time on the property to make sure its presentable for your booking (takes at least 5-8 hrs to clean and prepare outdoor areas) so previous guests would have checked out the day before or earlier.
Is the Pool open? Yes it is now open - BYO Pool towels. It is only heated by solar blankets so it will be cool. When it's closed, it will be too cold to use and we use this time to do pool maintenance during winter. If you use it in this period, note it won’t be filtered or chlorinated - use at own risk. Pool opens late November to early April approximately, depending upon weather.
How is the house heated? During the cooler months/winter, we provide wood for the 2 fireplaces which are your main source of heating plus portable room fan heaters for each bedroom and main rooms. When you get the fireplaces going, the house is well insulated and stays warm. Of course you won't be walking around in Tshirts, especially if its 0C outside, so dress appropriate to the climate and bring slippers. We provide plenty of blankets and you also have electric blankets on the beds (please remember to turn them off when not being used and on departure). Ensure you have the portable room fan heaters plugged in to powerpoints marked heating otherwise you could trip the fuses! We’ve upgraded the electricity wiring in the house so that it balances the loads of heating and cooking. If fuses go, you will lose power to a part of the house and you will need to call us to reset fuses in the fuse box.
Do you have a fire pit? No, you have booked a property as stated in the airbnb listing that we don't have one. Why? Because we are on top of a hill and it can be windy. Our grassed paddocks for livestock adjacent the house could easily catch fire from stray embers. The risk is too high and there's no fire emergency service out here! You do have 2 wonderful indoor fireplaces though! (open cooler months only and shut over warmer months when Rural fire service says high fire risk).
How is the house cooled? This is an eco designed 1990's property designed to NOT need aircon in summer with its north south orientation (to be clear, there is NO aircon). It's in the cool climate Orange region and at 965m above sea level, temperature rarely gets above 30c. With all the trees to provide shade strategically around the house and being on a hilltop, it gets night cooling breezes as well. It's double brick and well insulated to keep heat out and as long as you have windows open at night to capture cool breezes and with plenty of floor fans, it is quite comfortable. Read our guest reviews over summers and see what they say!
What to do with Garbage? Please take your rubbish from kitchen and bathrooms down to the bins at the entry gate, and leave bins down at the farm entry gate. If you roll them up the hill to the house and do not take them back, so sorry but we will need to charge you out of the deposit to move them back.Our cleaner is an elderly and physically disabled woman and cannot move them herself, and we would need to pay for a trailer and contract labour to move them back as they are usually much heavier. There's garbage, recycle and 10c bottle return. Would love it if you could separate out the 10c return bottles into the tubs provided on back porch, as in summer the recycle bins fill up quick if 10c aren't separated out (and besides, its not good for the environment!).
Can I move furniture around? Sure, but please move it back to where found inside or outside - our cleaner is elderly/physically disabled and cannot move it back by herself. (We would need to charge you for contract labour hire if this occurs)
Can I charge my EV? Sure, it's provided free of charge for BYO Type 2 Cable. Please ask us to turn it on before your arrival! Note it's not a fast or super charger so it could take awhile. We would love if you could charge after 10pm for cheaper electricity rates, or when it's super sunny outside for the solar panels to kick in.
How much cleaning do I have to do? Hopefully not much as you are on holidays! But we would just ask to leave the house in a reasonable tidy state when you depart but you don't need to clean bathrooms. No need to strip beds, infact we'd prefer if you didn't. Hanging wet towels helps though to dry them before they go into the laundromat bags. It would be much appreciated if you could ensure the kitchen benchtop and cooktop surfaces wiped down including microwave if you’ve made a super big cooking mess. Also, plean clean BBQ after use. The property is only cleaned after you depart, it is not daily servicing like hotels.
Is there a coffee machine? Sorry no, we can't find anyone who can clean one but we do provide (for guests booking the full house, a lovely bag of local ground beans in the hamper), a coffee press plunger and instant coffee for those not so fussy.
Can I order in? No, There is no FOOD DELIVERY service out here. Self-catering only: BYO Food - evening convenience/shopping/restaurants is really only available in Millthorpe, Blayney or Orange 20 mins away. You could procure platters from Millthorpe Providores though!
Can I bring my pet? Sorry no, you booked the property on the condition of bringing no pets. There is no secure fencing and strange dogs in particular will scare off the cattle approaching the water trough which is close to the house. Doesn't matter if its an 'inside' dog or outside dog, old or young. Our family has allergies so we can't share the holiday house with others who want to bring pets. Plus we have a range of wildlife like echidna and kangaroos now visiting the house, and we are constantly evolving the gardens to encourage more native birdlife.
Are there Pests/Rodents? You are staying at a farm and all that entails - so you might encounter unwanted pests like spiders, rats, snakes etc. The house is sprayed regularly to be pest free but we also don't want to overdo chemicals and kill every living thing! This is a large property and we try to keep on top of spider webs etc but apologies if you spot one inside. It doesn't mean we don't clean - we spend easily 5 hours between every booking. Keep screen doors closed to keep bugs out. There's snake repellant pods around the immediate vicinity of the house to keep snakes away.
Refunds for Power Outage from Weather: As long as it's short, and any power outage doesn't last longer than an hour or two, we wouldn't be refunding. There's gas cooking via BBQ, Emergency water in bottles and candles/battery powered lamps if this occurs. If it's out for significant amount of time, then we will partial refund no problems.
Neighbours: Our nearest neighbour house is 400m across the front lawn and driveway so please be quiet on entry/exit. Neighbours are aware that this is an Airbnb and have rights under new NSW Gov legislation to lodge complaints if guests impinge upon their amenity. It is with their permission via council that we are able to share this property with you.
EMERGENCIES? ISSUES? Check the Visitors guide if you have any questions and a contact # is on the fridge for any EMERGENCY issues with property. We can get someone local to come by if needs be.
Lived in, not Luxury! Need to make the point as it does occasionally come up, that this is "pre loved/lived in", it's not luxury but we make every effort for comfort and essential safety first. It's a very large rural property with lots of garden to maintain. We spend significant dollars in maintaining things guests may not see (like roofs, fences, water pumps, gardens, pool liner, tanks etc) as well as more visible items internally like the new fridge, dryer, dishwasher, washing machine etc. We are constantly updating and improving the property without increasing rates. We commit that things will work as intended, looks as per photos and you'll have a great stay and receive value for money - and our reviews reflect that. So, it's no point in a review, saying the 'lights are old', because yes they are - you have booked the property as is/shown on photos. If you want brand new/luxury, this isn't the place for you.
(Month MaxC/MinC). Source BoM (Millthorpe closest Weather station, using all available years of data)
January 27C/12; February 26C/12; March 23C/10; April 19C/7; May 14C/4C; June 10C/1; July 9C/1; August 10C/2; September 14C/4; October 18C/6; November 22C/8; December 25C/10
We are in the cool climate region of NSW due to the altitude above 900m, meaning cold winters, with occasional snow and cooler summers than the coast or Bathurst/Dubbo (they are much warmer in Summer).
https://www.orangewoodnsw.com.au/sleep
It is optional to do a review via the booking platform but we would really appreciate your review within 7 days of departure. If you had issues, communicate with us first, then decide what you want to do with your review.
We strive to deliver you 5 star service and such ratings are critical for us hosts. 4-stars are actually penalising by the platforms - it's just how they work. Anything less than an overall average rating of 4.8 means we start to lose our premium ratings. eg You might give 4 stars in certain aspects, because you never give 5, or you found a few minor things, but then Airbnb rates the host as 'Not good Enough'. Reviews are for future guest bookings, not for punishment. There's no point penalising good hosts from getting future bookings because of something minor or something fixable that can be improved on if the host is advised privately. Give them a chance to fix it!
So we would love the chance to fix any issues whilst you are there because we want you to have the best experience and earn our 5 star rating. Please message us for any questions.
BTW Holiday home ratings are also not representative of Hotel star ratings. You might think that the property is equivalent of a 4 star hotel, but that's not the point of the review system. A 5 star rating means you were happy with your stay based upon the price you paid! And you'll find with us, for what you pay, you get far more than a hotel provides.
We will always aim to give you 5 star reviews as well so that you can get future bookings. Those reviews depend upon cleanliness and adhering to house rules (we try to keep them to a minimum and know what to let go). You would have to be rather disastrous to do anything less than 5 stars, as the host rating system checks any 4 stars we might give guests.
NO PARTIES. Sorry to bring this up, but we do need to remind guests that there is absolutely a 'no parties' policy as per your booking acceptance of conditions and AIRBNB latest party regulations. Any bookings outside of Airbnb, the same policy applies. The policy prohibits: • Gatherings of more than 16 people • Any party or event that is not authorized by the host • All open-invite parties and events. New NSW Holiday let laws as of Dec 1 2020 allow neighbours to make complaints. Neighbours can also lodge complaint directly with AirBNB against the property for which you can potentially be financially penalised as a guest. The same applies to VRBO bookings. Should we detect a party that violates these conditions, we will rate you down on house rules adherence. It's really important that guests respect that this is a home, not an event venue (nor licensed as such) and not setup to take the wear and tear of large functions/parties, nor the amount of garbage generated.
NO SMOKING anywhere on the property. If we find discarded cigarette butts in the garden, this will affect your cleanliness rating by us
Keep the place reasonably clean and EMPTY DISHWASHER ON EXIT. We don't expect you to clean on exit but we would really appreciate if you can wipe down all kitchen surfaces and clean up any big kitchen messes. Also clean the BBQ if you have used it (which should be just normal expectations). If you can do this, we can rate you a 5 star cleanliness rating. If the place is left like a disaster beyond reasonable expectations of a stay OR the place has cooking smells that means we have to do extra work/get air purifiers out to remove smells, there could be additional cleaning charges and your cleanliness rating will be impacted. We do ask that the Dishwasher IS unpacked/turned off and dishes put away when exiting. You've got until 12 noon to exit. Because this is a rural property, it is a safety hazard to put the dishwasher when checking out as we may not get to the house until the next day. A previous guest did this once - the dishwasher went faulty and the water pump burnt out after being on for 24rs straight - we were lucky it didn't start an electrical fire.
KEEP BINS at Entry gate: We find that sometimes guests roll the bins all the way up the driveway to the house. If you do this, please roll them back. If you don't, so sorry but we will need to charge you out of the deposit to move them back as our cleaner is an elderly and physically disabled woman and cannot move them herself, and we would need to pay for a trailer and contract labour to move them back as they are usually much heavier.
No Property Damage: If in the rare occurence this happens, hopefully we can peacefully resolve any issues, then this won't affect your rating. We understand things happen. Most common is a broken window or wine spillage on carpet. We will claim damages on these conditions but discuss with you first.
Damage or Obvious/large scale stains to inside or outside of property.
Carpet damage that requires professional carpet cleaning. The minimum charge by the carpet cleaners is $280 for callout and spot clean which we will deduct immediately if we are not notified in advance. We understand accidents happen but please report carpet damage straight so we get an opportunity to arrange for immediate cleaning. Any guest that tries to clean with their own remedies will most likely make it worse and the charge by carpet cleaners will be higher.
Items missing
Significant mess beyond everyday normal living
Moving furniture back where found. Our cleaner is elderly/physically disabled and cannot move it back by herself and we would need to get additional labour in to move it back. We estimate that at least a quarter of bookings move furniture around and do not put it back - it's a major inconvenience and delays our cleaning duties.
Finally, enough of the rules! Please enjoy your stay and any questions, just message us on your booking App!
ONLY CONTINUE BELOW IF YOU ARE BOOKING DIRECT
(No need to fill out the below if booking via Airbnb or VRBO)