Front of House

Your guide to the main house.

Welcome. This page covers everything you need to settle in and enjoy the front section of the house. Read it once on arrival and you will not need to think about it again.

Arriving

Little Anchorage sits at 73 Church Street on the edge of town. Swing the white wire gates open and drive straight up the gravel driveway. You can park on the driveway or pull all the way through to the carport at the rear, whichever suits. The front verandah and entry door face the driveway on your left as you come in.

Getting in

The front door is fitted with a Philips smart lock, so there are no keys to collect. Press the centre of the black keypad to wake it, enter the code from your check-in message followed by the hash key, and the door unlocks. Open it with the original brass door knob. The code is only sent to you through Airbnb and is never published here. When you head out, pull the door closed behind you and the lock secures itself. There is nothing to press.

Wi-Fi

The house runs on Starlink satellite internet, which is quick and reliable for streaming and video calls. The network name and password are in your check-in message.

The smart house

Every room has an Amazon Echo device. The cameras on all of them have been physically disabled and cannot be switched on, so talk to them freely. You will find prompts around the house showing what to say for the lights, aircon and televisions. If you would rather not use Alexa, the standard light switches and remotes work exactly as you would expect. One thing to know: if you flick a light off at the wall, Alexa cannot turn it back on until the wall switch is on again. Leaving the smart lights on and asking Alexa to switch them off is the easiest way to live here.

Television

The televisions are Hisense smart TVs with Netflix, Stan, Prime Video, Disney+, YouTube, ABC iview, SBS On Demand, 7plus, 9Now and 10 Play ready on the remote. Sign in with your own accounts and sign out again before you leave.

Kitchen

The kitchen is fully equipped for cooking a proper meal. The dishwasher sits beneath the benchtop beside the sink, and the drawer under the sink holds dishwashing liquid, a sponge, tea towels, dishwasher tablets and fly spray. You will find coffee pods, tea, sugar sachets and milk in the fridge waiting for you. Drinking water comes from the small tap on the right of the sink — rainwater collected from the roof and passed through a three-stage filter. The main tap and all other taps run on artesian bore water, which is fine for showering, washing and cooking.

Laundry

The laundry is at the rear of the house and has a Haier front-loading washing machine, a laundry tub and a basket. Laundry detergent pods are in the jar on top of the machine. The tall cupboard holds the iron, ironing board, mop and broom. The clothesline is behind the carport, tucked in beside the garden beds. A basket of pegs hangs on the post.

Side deck

The side deck is the best spot in the house for an evening. The barbecue lives under its cover here with tongs, a grill brush, a lighter and BBQ cleaner on the shelf. Say "Alexa, BBQ time" to set the deck lights, or use the switch marked Outside Side Deck on the wall. There is a broom in the corner for sweeping up afterwards. The chiminea is on the deck for cooler nights. We do not supply firewood at this stage, so bring a bag with you if you would like a fire.

The BBQ

The barbecue is kept under its cover on the side deck. Tongs, a grill brush, a lighter and BBQ cleaner are on the shelf beside it. Clean the grill after use and replace the cover.

Bunk bed

The ladder on the bunk bed slips into place rather than bolting on. Check it is sitting securely before anyone climbs to the top bunk.

Security

There is a single security camera on the property, mounted at the front of the house and covering the entry. It switches on a light automatically when it detects movement, so expect it to come on as you arrive after dark. There are no cameras anywhere else on the property and none inside.

Pets and the yard

The rear yard is fully fenced and secure. There is a separate dog enclosure at the back if you need to contain your pet while you are out. The gate latches from the outside.

Bins

The wheelie bins are kept in the carport. Council collection is on Tuesdays. If you are staying over a Tuesday, we would appreciate you rolling them out to the street on Monday night.

Checking out

Check out is 11am. We simply ask that you leave the house clean and tidy. Leave the beds made up — they will all be stripped and remade after you go. Load any dishes into the dishwasher and start it. Towels can be left on the bathroom floor. Leave the smart lights on. On your way out, say "Alexa, I'm leaving" at the prompt beside the entry door and everything switches off for you. Pull the front door shut and it locks itself.