Description: Advent House is one of the most attractive buildings for a bed and breakfast accommodation that you could imagine. It was originally built in 1887 as a private residence, was purchased as a dormitory for St Gabriels Girl School in 1920, was used later as a military hospital, and became a B & B in 2000.
We arrived late afternoon and were warmly greeted by owner, Judy Boyle. The property has 5 Queen size bedrooms – two with ensuite bathrooms and 3 with a guest share bathroom. The only room available was one with ensuite so we gladly accepted that. The room was large, painted a bright, but delightful yellow, and very comfortable.
Many B & B accommodations do not provide an evening meal but Judy gives guests that option. We decided to eat in and were delighted with that choice. Other options were to use the Advent House BBQ, go around the corner to the RSL club, or take the car to one of the central city restaurants. Judy suggested we take a drink in the gardens and she indicated a help-yourself refrigerator stocked with soft drinks and light beer. Two other couples were already there so we joined them and traded stories of our travels.
Dinner was a lively and informal affair around the family dining room table. The lasagna and salad, followed by Bavarian chocolate cake, all helped down with a bottle of smooth Australian red wine was excellent. Later we moved into the lounge room for coffee and tea and further discussion on the joys of travel and meeting people from different countries and backgrounds.
We slept very well that night. It was cold outside but the room was warm and inviting. We noted, however, that air-conditioning was provided for those hot summer nights that this region experiences. Breakfast consisted of juices, yoghurt, fresh fruit, cereals, a selection of breads and muffins and a hot dish. We took our selection and sat on the wide front verandah, pretending we were "lord of the manor". It was very hard to leave.
Contact Advent House on adventhouse@hotmail.com or visit the web site www.adventhouse.cjb.net
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