Shepherds Story - Simplistic Luxury Cottage, Ross

Shepherds Story is built from the sandstone of the structure that stood here before it, and the restoration has kept things deliberately plain. Lime plaster walls, exposed timber beams, natural finishes throughout. Nothing shiny, nothing trying too hard. Stone walls this thick do something to sound, and the first thing most guests notice is how quiet it is. It sits just outside Ross and sleeps two.



The main house is a single open room, and a cosy one. A queen bed with organic linens sits at one end, made up so that getting into it at the end of a cold day feels like the reward it should. At the other end is a small living space sized exactly for two, with a SONOS and a record player for the nights you decide not to go anywhere. A wood fired heater takes the chill off, which in the Midlands it will, and the room warms quickly once it's going.



The kitchen is compact and properly equipped: two gas burners, a mini fridge and a BBQ out the back. Enough for simple meals done well rather than elaborate ones done in a hurry. Bring good bread, something from the Ross bakery, a bottle of whatever you like, and you're set. There's a french press for mornings, which are best taken slowly out on the verandah while the paddocks come into the light.



The bathroom sits separate from the main house, reached across a covered verandah with a large dining table running along it. Worth the few steps. An oval freestanding tub deep enough to disappear into, a herringbone-tiled shower and a sculptural concrete basin, with limewashed walls. The details have been thought about: waffle linen towels, robes hanging ready. That verandah becomes the centre of the place in good weather, and the dining table is where most meals end up regardless of what the plan was.



Outside, a courtyard and a fire pit, and beyond them paddocks running as far as you can see. The hot tub sits under a covered area, and on a clear Midlands night, with no town glow to speak of, it's the whole argument for coming here. The fire pit handles the rest of the evening, and there's usually no reason to go inside until the cold decides for you. Bikes are provided, and the ride into Ross is short, flat and genuinely pleasant.



The village itself rewards a slow wander. The Ross Bridge is one of the finest convict-built structures in the country, carved in 1836 by masons whose work was good enough to earn them their freedom, and you can still pick out individual faces in the sandstone. The bakery has a vanilla slice with a reputation that travels further than the town does. The Wrinkly Tin will absorb an hour or two if you like antiques, and the Female Factory site down by the river is quietly one of the most affecting historical places in Tasmania. Ross sits almost exactly halfway between Hobart and Launceston, which makes it an easy stop and a better place to stay than to pass through.



This is a small cottage that asks very little of you. No television, no rushing, nothing much to do beyond decide whether tonight is a fire pit night or a hot tub night. That's the whole idea, and it's why people come back.

Interaction with guests:
Please note I will not be available in person during your stay. I have a management team in place to assist guests with any questions or issues which may arise during their stay.

House Rules:
If additional cleaning is required above and beyond what the guest has paid for at the time of booking, this extra cost will be passed on to the guest to cover. Additional costs can be easily avoided by leaving the property in a neat and tidy state and following the check out instructions.

In the event of a lockout which due to the loss or misplacement of the primary key or user error, this
fee will be your responsibility to pay.

This is a premium couples stay. Please, no children.

Note: This property has a kitchenette only. No dishwasher, oven, microwave. There is a two-burner gas cooktop, mini fridge and BBQ.

Note: the bathroom is separate to the main living space. It is access via a covered verandah. A few short steps.

Other details to note:
There is no television, oven, microwave.
The bathroom is detached from the main house but is accessed via a covered verandah.

Neighbourhood Description:
Ross is a Georgian village of about 300 people, roughly halfway between Hobart and Launceston. The Midland Highway bypasses it, so it stays quiet in a way Campbell Town and Richmond don't. Elm-lined main street, sandstone buildings, and small enough to cover on foot in an hour or two.

The Ross Bridge is the main attraction, built in 1836 and the third oldest still in use in Australia. Convict stonemasons carved 186 figures into its arches, and the work was good enough to earn them their freedom. A riverside path runs from the bridge to the Ross Female Factory, the most archaeologically intact female convict site in the country. The Overseer's Cottage there is open daily and free to enter. The Tasmanian Wool Centre on the main street has the visitor information centre and two small museums.

The main intersection is known as the Four Corners of Ross: Temptation, Salvation, Recreation and Damnation, being the hotel, the church, the town hall and the old gaol.

Hobart is about 80 minutes south, Launceston about 60 minutes north. Campbell Town is 12 minutes north for a supermarket and fuel.

A $1,000 security bond pre-authorisation will be placed on your card prior to check-in. Please note that this is not a charge. The hold will be automatically released after your stay, subject to your bank's authorisation hold period, provided no damages or additional charges are identified. Please only book this property if you are comfortable with this requirement.