australian PLACES...great weekends away in Victoria

accommodation review

WILLOWBANK at TAGGERTY

near MARYSVILLE

Taggerty is about 15 minutes drive north of Marysville - at very pretty drive too, as it leads through the village of Buxton and virtually to the foot of the impressive Cathedral Ranges.

Willowbank at Taggerty is a B&B in a large, landscaped country garden with the swift-flowing Little River forming one of the boundaries. Owners Brian and artist wife Noel live in a specially-built studio and gallery alongside the B&B cottage, so each of the three large ensuite guestrooms is quite separate - and each has a private entry too.

What Australian Places likes about Willowbank is the privacy afforded guests, and attention to detail - Noel and Brian have been her for many years and ensured everything in the guestrooms has the"classy" quality that's often overlooked in lesser places. This means that the rooms are spotlessly clean, furnished with the best linen for the king or queen beds, comfy chairs or a couch, air-conditioning, and have plenty of soft towels and good soaps in the ensuite.

We also like the spacious guest lounge with its open fire and warm, relaxed feel. If you want to mingle with other guests - or have a cup of tea, here or on the broad verandah is the place. You can wander the gardens, amble to the river where a platypus or trout might be spotted, or perhaps browse Noel's gallery - and she might even be hard at work (if you can call it that) on another wonderful watercolour painting.

Guests are invited into the gallery dining room for cooked breakfast, and if you don't want to find somewhere in a nearby town for dinner, then dining-in is definitely the go. Noel is a very good cook - we have already tested this out. In particular, we like the afternoon tea offered, for it comes with expresso coffee and Noel's fresh cakes and biscuits.

willowbank is very close to the walking trails and forest drives of the Cathedral Ranges, and a pretty drive to the lovely town of Alexandra.

WHERE: 29 Coomb Street, Taggerty. A little over 1 1/2 hours drive north-east from Melbourne via Maroondah Hwy through Healesville and over the wonderfully scenic Black Spur.

HOW MUCH: from $180 per couple B&B .

CONTACT: Phone (03) 5774 7503

www.willowbankattaggerty.com.au

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