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A significant life event and opportune timing, lead sisters Emma and Deborah to follow their dreams and create a home for themselves as well as a holiday home for others to enjoy, right next to the iconic Farmers Arms Hotel in Daylesford.

Emma and Deborah had been visiting Daylesford on weekends for many years and had always talked about retiring here. When events brought change to their lives, they decided that life was too short to wait for retirement to live in the place of their dreams so they decided to move here permanently a couple of years ago, and have never looked back.

Traveling to different parts of the world over time has highlighted how lucky we are when you get to live in a community that is so inclusive and welcoming. It’s one of my favourite things about Daylesford. It is the loveliest feeling to be away from the usual routine of life, and even if you are only here for a weekend, you are welcomed like a local. We have felt so included in the Daylesford community since we moved here that we wanted to share that with experience with others, even if it was only for a short stay, so when we found this little house on the edge of town, that was once an old miners cottage, we set to making a cosy warm welcoming retreat, with little pieces of character that make it feel like a true home away from home.”

Although Wayward Cottage is only a short walk into town, as soon as you walk in the door you feel like you are in the country. The large glass doors have views out across the garden and straight onto beautiful peaceful rolling farmland. You might be lucky and get a visit from the local cows who like to pop their heads over the back fence and say hello, they are delightful and super friendly.

The space is light and breezy for up to six.  The house has three bedrooms, and a large open plan kitchen, lounge, and dining room. It is super comfortable and has been set up with relaxation in mind. The bedrooms are beautifully appointed with luxury beds and linen, one King bed (that can be split into 2 x singles if needed) plus two Queen beds will suit most groups. Animals have always been an important part of Emma and Deborah’s family and they wanted to create a welcoming space for guests to enjoy with their furry loved ones, so pets are most welcome.

One of the reasons the sisters chose this house was the great location. It sits right next door to one of the best restaurants in town, ‘The Farmers Arms Hotel”. The pub is also pet-friendly so you can take your furry friends and have a meal and a drink in the courtyard, it’s such a lovely way to spend an afternoon or evening. Directly opposite Wayward Cottage is the popular Sunday Market. This is a lovely way to spend a Sunday morning strolling around perusing the stalls, then have a coffee and bite to eat.

Daylesford is also a great place for pets, there are so many interesting walks and a lot of the shops and cafes are pet-friendly. One of Emma’s favourite times of the year in Daylesford is autumn, everything turns a pretty shade of amber and she recommends taking a walk around Wombat hill where there are beautiful lookouts over the town and the prettiest forest, which is like something out of a children’s fairy tale. The Wombat Hill Café is the loveliest spot for brunch or just coffee.

A short walk down the same road backs onto Cornish hill where you will come across one of the original mineral springs Daylesford is famous for, you can take a bottle and fill up. Cornish Hill is a special piece of Victoria’s history in the heart of Daylesford, which was intensively mined for gold between 1852 and the 1950s. It was so named after the Cornish miners whose expertise in deep mining techniques was crucial to the extracting of gold from the quartz reefs running deep under the hill. You can read about some of the history on the signs along the walk and still see some of the original mine shaft openings.

There are always so many things to do in Daylesford, I would recommend stopping in at the visitors’ centre, it’s staffed by local volunteers who love the town and know all the best things to see do and eat and can tell you what’s happening around town whilst you are here. Otherwise, the cottage is stocked with games, books, an extensive catalogue of movies and Netflix ready, so if you don’t want to leave the house you won’t have to! We hope your stay at Wayward cottage gives you a taste of not only the beautiful scenery, food and produce but the welcoming community that will keep you coming back.”