Countrywide Cottages | Self Contained Great Ocean Road & Pet Friendly Accommodation

Having made several trips to the Great Ocean Road and stayed at various accommodations, I can confidently say that this was by far the most perfect stay we've experienced. The property is beautifully maintained, with easy access to all the information we needed to know about our stay, things to do, and important details to be aware of. The rooms were exceptionally clean, and it was evident that owners, Di & Stuart, had thought of every small consideration to make our stay comfortable.

Our dogs had a great time with ample space and secured yards to play in. Dog beds, bowls, couch covers, and even handmade treats were provided, which was a lovely touch. This is truly a dog haven!

The recreation area, Ned’s Retreat, was also fantastic source of entertainment for us humans. It offered a variety of activities including table tennis, pool, barbecue equipment, and tables, providing us with a fun and relaxing way to unwind after a day of exploring.

After such a wonderful experience, we will definitely be back and highly recommend this accommodation to anyone looking for a peaceful and enjoyable getaway. Thank you, Di & Stuart!

The best dog-loving accommodation I have stayed at by far!!
Di & Stu have created a wonderful retreat to enjoy, relax and recharge! So glad I finally got to experience Countrywide Cottages, after it had been highly recommended by a good friend who has been for several visits previously.
Everything exceeded my expectations, from the beautifully appointed bedroom, bathroom and living area, the fully equipped kitchen, and the hand-made doggy treats. We loved waking up to the sounds of the wildlife and starting our day with our coffee and breakfast while being greeted by the birds and calming view.
It was the first trip away with my new rescue boy, and he had the time of his life zooming around the private yard, exploring the walking trails, playing games at Ned's Retreat, and of course meeting resident alpaca Cookie (even sneaking in a cheeky kiss).
We look forward to coming back again to explore more of what the Cottages and surrounding areas have to offer, as 2 days just wasn't enough!! Thank you so much. L & H

We had a fantastic time at Countrywide Cottages. Di and Stu really had thought of everything to make our stay perfect for both human and pup. We have a very anxious and reactive dog so was great having so much space to ourselves. The cottages are comfortable and the surroundings are stunning. Would highly recommend, and will definitely be visiting again!

We loved our stay at Countrywide cottages. After a very warm welcome from Di, and Cookie the llama, we settled into our lovely cottage. We had everything that we needed and the bushland setting is beautiful. Our pup Millie had lots of fun playing fetch, and herding fairy wrens, in the huge fenced yard. On our walks around the property we saw lots of different birds and enjoyed the daily verandah visits by the King parrots and Crimson Rosellas.

Countrywide cottages is a fantastic, peaceful retreat from the crazy business of the coastal towns. You are greeted by the very lovely Di and Stuart and the cabins are clean and very comfortable. Added bonus of handmade biscuits and birdseed to feed the beautiful birds that regularly pop onto the verandah. Surrounded by bush, echoing birdsong I highly recommend a stay at this beautiful retreat. Dog friendly too, which we love!

Absolutely beautiful! We had the best week ever at Countrywide Cottages. The property is stunning and our dogs had the time of their lives exploring. The owners Di and Stuart are wonderful, and wanted to make sure we had the best time possible while staying there. We will most definitely be coming back with our dogs again for another adventure!

This place is the most peaceful and enjoyable holiday I have had in over 3 years. We always come back to this place, as Di and Stu are great hosts. There attention to detail and friendliness is remarkable. They are always willing to help, and leave goodies out for your furry friends if you bring some. She also gives you a bag of seed for the parrots, who visit frequently, and will feed out of your hand. It was a most enjoyable and relaxing holiday. It is only 1.5 hours from Melbourne, the town is lovely, and the people are all very friendly, unlike in the city. Would recommend this place to anyone, it is amazing. The walks on the grounds surrounding the property, are so peaceful and tranquil as well. Great place to take your furry friend for a walk.

We absolutely loved the cottage. Hosts were really accommodating and nice, they stayed up late to receive us when we were late due to bad weather.
We were invited into a cozy yet spacious cottage with the soothing aroma of lit candles. The cottage was filled with freshener sprays in the toilets and even the trash area.
Loved that we had a fully equipped kitchen with abundant pots, plates, glasses.

My favourite part was waking up to a wonderful backyard and beautiful forest environment.
The alpaca and sheeps were cute.
Great place to bring your pet along. Lots of space for a dog to roam around.

I love staying at Countrywide Cottages, I've been staying there a couple of times a year, with and without friends, for over a decade. Why? The cottages are self-contained 2 or 3 bedroom houses, each with their own secure fenced-in dog friendly back yard. The backyards are surrounded by an abundance of ferns and beautiful gum trees. When you are in your cottage you can't see the other cottages, so you have privacy which is great for those who like to meditate or do their yoga etc on the private deck. Or you can play your music (at a respectful level of course, not at eleven!!!) or watch a movie - loads of DVDs provided - and not disturb your neighbours.
Di and Stu are the hosts and you couldn't ask for kinder people, excellent customer service and they respect your privacy too.
It's a 25 minute drive through gorgeous countryside and dreamy forest roads down to Lorne, where you can enjoy the relaxed beach atmosphere and then have the beautiful drive back to your quite private accommodation. Also, on the drive down to Lorne there is a cafe and several wineries you can visit.
Now the BIG bonus, and most important aspect, about this accommodation is it is super dog friendly; free homemade dog biscuits, dog bowls and day bed are available in your cottage on arrival, and of course the fenced backyard is to give your dog security and plenty of room to play fetch and or sniff sniff around. Further up the property there is also a large pond where your dog can take a dip and you can try and catch a yabby. There is also Ned's Retreat which is an area that has a BBQ, dinning table and chairs, pool table and ping pong table and an "out house", next to a large fenced in grass area for dogs to play off lead. The whole property is 26 aches, there is so much to do and see, that some days me and my dog just hangout there.
I adore beach hopping up and down the Great Ocean Road and this accommodation is my perfect getaway.
Oh, did I mention the wildlife, kangaroos, parrots and cockatoos, kookaburras and loads more. Bird watching is a delight.
Enough said... I just love it all.

Countrywide Cottages is a fantastic dog friendly getaway! I cannot believe it has taken us this long to discover it. We stayed here with our 2 dogs whilst we took part in Pier to Pub in Lorne. Lorne is 30 minutes drive. Di trusted us to leave our dogs for a few hours which was fantastic. We loved that we had our own large, fenced off play area for the dogs, the accomodation (Ferny Reach) itself was clean and comfortable, the kitchen had everything we needed to cook a nice meal of yabbies we caught from the dam and the bush setting made the experience a serene getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life. The set up is great for one of our dogs who is reactive as the cottages are far apart from one another. We can't wait to go back there in autumn!

Our stay at Countrywide Cottages was thoroughly enjoyable. Us two greyhounds and our humans loved everything about the Villa house, from the massive fully enclosed back yard which was perfect for having a wander and a sniff, to the inside which was light, warm, and had every comfort a dog (and their humans) could possibly want. The scenery was amazing with the bush surrounding us which we got to enjoy both from the accommodation as well as hiking around the walking tracks on the property. We also checked out the saloon and had a great BBQ at Neds Retreat, as well as meeting Cookie the alpaca while we were visiting the yabby pond. Our humans tell us that the house itself is super clean, had everything they needed to prepare meals, sleep comfortably, and wash themselves properly. It was also a quick drive to Lorne where we got to have a jog on the beach and a nice lie down. Di and Stuart are amazing hosts, super helpful and friendly. We are very much looking forward to visiting again.

What an amazing place to take a break from the chaos of city life. Di and Stuart are amazing hosts. The Cottages are fresh and clean with absolutely everything you could possibly need for a weekend or a month away. They are tucked away in bush surroundings, with nothing but the sounds of nature. The cottages are extremely dog friendly with a huge fenced yard for them to run and play. I highly recommend a stay at Countrywide Cottages.

We had a fantastic time spending the weekend here. The cottage was well thought out for humans and their fur babies. Our dog had the best time running around in a fantastic fenced area whilst we curled up by the fire.
Furthermore, the cottages are perfectly spaced out - we really didn't hear or see anyone whilst we were staying there over the fully booked weekend.
I would recommend to all my family and friends in a heartbeat who want to escape with their dogs for the weekend.

So peaceful, everything you need to wind down and relax. There may be 4 cottages there, and the weekend we stayed it was fully booked. BUT we didn't see another person or dog the whole time, there is lots of space between cottages, it's so peaceful and private. My two little doggos who are not normally outdoors dogs were outside in their fenced off yard for hours, they absolutely loved it! Feeding the birds was so much fun, dogs also loved watching them. Don't forget to light the fire when you go :) Such a great place, highly recommend!

Me and my family stayed at Ferny and we absolutely loved it. It was the fifth day into our hols and the place was really home away from home... it has washing machine, dishwasher, fully equipped kitchen... a fire place to warm us up! Coming from a city, my 9 year old got to experience farm life and the amazing nature and animals! We saw 3 different species of bird coming to the cottage up close. The Llama was soso friendly and we were so blessed to experience the sheep shearing. Absolutely lovelove the place... my girl can't stop talking about it :-)

Beautiful location and lovely cottage (Ferny Reach). The entire property is magnificently maintained and you feel the relaxation wash over you upon arrival. Generously dog friendly (treats, bed, blankets) with a terrific fenced yard for my dogs who were almost as relaxed and happy as me. The dam is an added treat for water loving pooches. Can't wait to return!

We absolutely loved our stay at Countrywide Cottages with our 2 Doggo's.
The self contained cottage had everything we needed, to just settle in and relax.
Dog bowls, treats and bed all their ready and waiting and birdseed for the beautiful parrots that love to visit during the day.
We loved the beautiful bush surroundings, and the we also enjoyed catching some yabbies in the dam whilst watching our dog take a swim.
Di is a fantastic host and we highly recommend a stay here.

What a fantastic place to stay with your dog. Beautiful cottage. Fully fenced dog yard. Wild parrots on the balcony. Peaceful and relaxing. Comfortable beds and cosy fireplace. Brilliant 👏 10 out of 10. Can't wait to come back.

We had a beautiful weekend. Our dog was so happy to run around and meet all these lovely creatures. She made a friend with an Alpaca and birds. This place is so relaxing and refreshing. We cannot wait to go back.

Our stay at Countrywide Cottages was excellent. We experienced very friendly service from Di and Stuart and booking in and checking out were seamless. Our cottage was very comfortable and spotlessly clean and fresh. Everything was five star from the lovely linen on the very comfortable bed to the top quality utensils in the fully equipped kitchen. We loved that there was a large shower and heated towel rail along with a fan heater in the bathroom. They even had a dog bed and home made biscuits for our dog. The fenced area was huge and kept our doggo very happy. We can't fault our stay and it was by far the best dog friendly accommodation we have found. The setting in the forest was sublime! We are very much looking forward to our next visit.
Thank you Di and Stuart. Lynne, Ross and Leon