Castaways, 36 Cromarty Road - Beachfront house

Wonderful location Enjoyed our meals on the balcony enjoying sea breeze Beds were comfortable and kitchen was well equipped which allowed us nice home cooked meals

Suited us as a family

The real estate were robotic & impersonal, everything was automated. They were curt over the phone & demanding in texts & emails stating & reiterating their expectations & were pretty inflexible in return. Eg: counted two kids aged 3 & 4 as adults & would not allow more than five adults in total due to their ‘insurance’ & the sent continuous automated texts about leaving ‘strictly before 10am’, ‘putting the rubbish bins out to the curb before leaving’, strictly allowed check in no earlier than 2pm etc. On arrival to the property, the neighbour had her blind half open & watched over us a lot from both front & back of house with no fence between the houses & it was easy to assume she was the owner or care taker who had us feeling watched for most of our stay. The views were the water were partial & distant, not waterfront by any means. The access to the beach was handy from back gate & beachside walks were lovely, as was wild life. We saw & heard lots of bird varieties such as black cockatoos, rainbow lorikeets, sea eagles, oyster catchers, pelicans, sand pipers & were lucky to see dolphins off the end of the peer too at dusk. The house was nice enough & had almost everything we needed with a nice back veranda with water views (unfortunately the nosey neighbour often turned up & overlooked it). The house was a split-level design with uncomfortable, steep stairs between the levels that were creaky, shaky & too steep – they looked homemade & needed replacing with an extra step added! Unsafe setup for little kids or seniors. My Mum now has knee & hip pain since using the steps for 3 days that she’s booked to see a physio about! The master bedroom had a comfy queen bed & the other bedroom had a claustrophobic double/single bunk with a rickety top deck. The free wifi was good, but the old, non-smart TV was awful with poor sound & picture quality & no internet or wifi compatibility, so no streaming platforms, just an old DVD player with DVD’s supplied if you wanted to watch old movies. I bought a Chromecast dongle to enable Foxtel or Netflix access, but the TV’s sound quality was too bad to enjoy it. To sum it up: we love the gorgeous bay & wildlife, but the home needed safer stair, a smart TV & privacy improved. The real estate needs to be less focused about the number$ & more warm focused on providing a better customer experience, after all tourism surely pays their bills.

This lovely old school home is a delight in a great location with beautiful wildlife, water views and cafes in walking distance. Bed was super comfy. Perfect for a couple. The places is easy to stay in. Thank you

Superb!

Nice quite spot across a park from the bay. Older style yet comfortable house. Backyard is very boggie, but easy enough to navigate.

The property is in a lovely spot but just not comfortable. Lots of things need simple, easy maintenance that will make a big difference. Outdoor furniture is old and broken, the bunk beds are lose and squeak when the kids move around, no door on the laundry so very noisy when doing a load of washing, flyscreens are torn and doors stiff, creating mozzie chaos, the smoke alarm went off at 2am. Simple, easy fixes that would make the stay much more comfortable, especially for the prices we paid in peak season. Disappointing.

Comfortable older style house set in a lovely location directly on the bay. Very close walk to Soldiers Point Marina where you can get coffee, meals or catch the water taxi. Close walk to a number of bay beaches. Parkland at the back of the house gives a good sense of space and direct access to the water and kids playground. Clean and comfortable. Beautiful sunsets!

The house is set in quiet, peaceful surroundings overlooking the water. Gorgeous sunsets can be viewed off the back deck and through the many floor to ceiling sliding doors/windows that open off the dining/lounge areas. The stars are beautiful at night. We loved laying out on the deckchairs to stargaze at night. Both bedrooms have built in wardrobes with plenty of hanging space. Pillows, quilts and blankets are provided. Pillows are very soft so if you are particular about it I suggest to bring your own pillows. Main bedroom has access to deck overlooking garden. The second bedroom was perfect for our three children with a double/single bunk bed which also has a single trundle if needed for an extra person. The kitchen was well equipped to cook and serve up any meal. There is a dishwasher, stove/oven and fridge aswell as toaster and kettle. Also any cooking utensils for cooking on the BBQ out on the deck (gas provided). There is a small laundry room with front loading washer, dryer, large sink and utility cupboard. The loungeroom was cosy with TV, DVD player. Some DVDs, boardgames and books are provided in tv cabinet. The only downside we had was that the Blueray player that was with the TV didn't have WIFI access so we were not able to use its Netflix, internet access features. So we just watched free to air TV and DVDs. (Some DVDs are provided, not really for children) Overall it's a lovely family holiday house and our family will be back in the future. (Our kids didn't want to leave)

Lovely little place with a cracking view. Situated 1 minute stroll to the park out the back. We found koalas in the trees in the park. Short walk to the marina Care has been taken to stock the kitchen with cutter, crockery and utensils for a comfortable, well catered stay. Kitchen seemed new. Info said to pack cleaning supplies (dishwashing tablets, washing up liquid, toilet paper etc) I did but they weren't needed, so don't buy anything until you see what was there. Lots of stuff for us to use. Pack toilet paper AC worked well to cool the place down. For the real estate agent : cleaners could be a bit better. There was stuff down the couches and plastic rubbish around. Needs a real good vacuum. (bathroom /kitchen very clean) Chairs outside are in need of some tlc. They're rickety and some are broken. We loved it here and we'll be back....

Great location