Accommodation for 10 Please!

One of the greatest organisational challenges of our big driving holiday in March 2010 was finding suitable accommodation for our family of 10 and preferably also for our tall family bus/vehicle. During our three and a half weeks away we drove over 4000km and stayed in 11 different locations.

Four sets of family and friends were very brave and hospitable, insisting we sleep in their homes/tents-in-the-yard. We were overwhelmed at their generosity in feeding, preparing room for us to sleep and making us feel at home.

This left seven cities/towns to secure accommodation. Let me share with you a little of the amazing self-serve bed and breakfast historic home we stayed in at Ballarat.

 One of our children found this house on the internet. We were amazed at the beauty and authenticity of this "B & B" when we saw it online and thought for sure it would have a "no children" policy. However as we scrolled down their webpage (which no longer seems to exist)....it stated clearly "CHILDREN WELCOME". I could hardly believe it! We quickly booked for the two nights we would be in Ballarat.

It was dark and late at the end of a very full and exciting day by the time our GPS finally declared we had arrived! We were all quite eager to explore the house but also rather exhausted. It wasn't until morning that we could fully appreciate the beauty of our new place, particularly the manicured gardens.

With only two nights and one very full day of sightseeing, I wasted no time grabbing my camera to try and capture some of the delights very early in the morning. Above is the front entry, and below, the scene as you enter through the door! Everything seemed of huge proportions, from the ceiling heights to the thickness of the walls. Just around the corner, into the next hallway, you are greeted by the row of hats, my first photo above.

The next three photos are taken in one of the bedrooms.....it was enormous!

Below is a photo of a dresser in another bedroom (and my eldest, trying to stand in the corner out of view as I wander around with camera).

The following two photos are in another huge bedroom which also had a fireplace and the massive cupboard as shown.

The lounge/ dining room, complete with antique furnishings, musical instruments, silverware and toys!

Last, but by no means least, the enchanting backyard.

Complete with veggies, herbs and espaliered fruit trees, in fruit!

Staying in "Cumberland House" was one of THE highlights of our holiday. Delicious food was provided for us to make our own breakfasts and the owners even home-delivered the morning paper.

 It would have been lovely to have had more time in Ballarat to enjoy more of this beautiful city (I was secretly hoping to make it to Ballarat Patchwork) and to snap even more photos! We DID manage a very long day at some well known historic tourist sites, I'll share about that another time.

Shared at The Creative Exchange.