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Review 2374: Owner, Acacia Loft

www.sydneyholidaytours.com.au

Recommended
Review by TimW from UK who is a SlowTrav Contributor

1bed/1bath apartment near Sydney, Australia

When

September 2006, 1 week

Location

Acacia loft is in the Normanshurst suburb of Sydney. Although close to the home of the owner, the apartment is completely self contained, and very private. The balcony overlooks the bush, with many gum trees. This meant an abundance of birdlife, mainly parrots. We really liked the area.

Nearby Amenities

There are a couple of small restaurants (Pizzeria and an Indian), a grocery store, pharmacy, bottle store and a newsagent next to the railway station. Trains are frequent up to Hornsby (3 - 4 minute trip) where there is a large shopping mall and wide selection of restaurants.

The House/Apartment

The apartment is very peaceful, located at the side of, and above the owners property.

The front door opens up onto a well lit entrance hall, which then turns into a spacious open plan lounge with dining area and kitchen on the side. The bedroom opens off from the lounge, and there is an en suite shower room.

Here's a direct link to the Acacia Apartment

Garden

There is a balcony from the lounge, wih views across the pool and onto the bush. There is an electric barbecue on th balcony.

Slightly down the hill, in front of the owners house is a pool, with surrounding patio and a gas barbecue. There is also a small kitchen with fridge and coffee making areas.

Furnishings/Cleanliness/Living Areas

The furnishings and fittings are of the highest order. The apartment was spotless. All equipment is modern and new. A large plasma screen TV inclues cable channels. There is a small hifi and radio unit. There is a large air-conditioning unit, which manages to rapidly cool the entire apartment.

Bedrooms/Bathrooms

The bedroom was excellent, the bed very comfortable with a goose down duvet, which was warm without being uncomfortable.

The bathroom was modern and again the fittings were excellent. The large shower was stylish, and the shower itself powerful and easily adjustable. There was a very efficient washer dryer hidden in the bathroom cupboard.

Kitchen

The kitchen is modern and well planned with excellent equipment - a large fridge, microwave, stove and oven as well as a dishwasher. There is a large variety of pots, pans and utensils.

Problems or Bonuses

The abundance of local wildlife - mostly birds was a wonderful suprise. Waking up to the sound of a kookabura and cockatoos was delightful. The large group of Rainbow Lorikeets were just clowns - we spent many hours laughing at them chattering, squabbling and playing around.

The owners have also included some nice little touches - An example being a set of powerful binoculars and a book of Australian birds - very useful considering the number of birds around. There is an excellent library of books about the area and Australia in general. They also have a set of very up to date "Whats on" guides, and railway timetables.

Agency and Representatives (and price)

Once I had found the apartment through a website, all correspondence was with the owner. All queries were answered promptly and informatively. All information given was accurate, and there were no "hidden surprises". The owners could not have been more helpful in advising us.

The amount paid was more than fair for the sheer quality of the apartment, and included breakfast (The fridge was kept constantly resupplied).

Do you recommend this vacation rental to others?

I would recommend this apartment to anybody - and if we return to Australia, it would be the first place on my list. My main reservations regarding the property were it's distance from central Sydney, but the frequent train service from a station less than 10 minutes walk away meant that this was hardly an issue.

Things to do in this area

The immediate local area was quiet - and this suited us as it was a "wind down" week following a scientific conference. Sydney itself is a vibrant city full of things to do.

The owners of the apartment offer various trips and tours, and have both a four wheel drive and a boat. We organised a day trip on the harbour, and had a wonderful time exploring inlets and bays, before eating breakfast in front of the Opera House.

Another highlight of the trip for me, was the fish market. Not only was I amazed by the variety of seafood on offer, but the meal we bought from the fish takaways was excellent both in terms of freshness and value.

This review is the opinion of a Slow Travel member and not of slowtrav.com.

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