Helen's holiday house ("OurSecret") at Katoomba currently accommodates a maximum of 4 persons (1 QS bedroom plus a twin bedroom). It is available for tourist rental as advertised elsewhere (for just one couple at present) and for home exchanges that fit our travel interests.

The timber cottage is partly more than a century old in the Australian "Federation" style, is fully furnished and tastefully decorated, and has a modern kitchen and bathroom, TV, town water, gas & electric heaters, plus, if we are travelling at the time a car may be available by arrangement. WiFi Internet access can also be arranged for your visit (BYO laptop/netbook).

The cottage is fully fitted out for guests (self-contained) and is a very popular holiday venue. It has a private garden of mature cool-climate shrubs and flowers. All year Katoomba is a great place to visit, don't restrict your visit to summer. Summer weather here is less humid than Sydney, in Winter there are "Yulefest" celebrations, and Autumn and Spring are especially wonderful with colourful gardens, flowering bulbs, and folk festivals.

The cottage is located on a quiet lane in the heart of the Blue Mountains tourism area. Famous landmarks like Echo Point and the Three Sisters and Scenic World attractions are only a few hundred metres away and the cosmopolitan restaurants, galleries, schools and shops of Katoomba even closer. You can eat out anytime, with any international cuisine you like being available a short walk away. A hundred metres away, Explorer and Trolley buses stop which travel 1Km to connect to the NSW Cityrail network, and also visit all the highlights. The neighbourhood mostly consists of similar cute and well-cared for cottages, and we have helpful, friendly neighbours.
There are modern attractions, golf courses, major resorts, theatres, large-screen cinema, hospital, multinational-cuisine Restaurants, and everything anyone would need.

Getting Here: Transport to Sydney Terminal by comfortable Cityrail trains takes 1 hour 50 minutes, and many local people (Chris included) commute daily. Driving is straightforward from Sydney, following Parramatta Road, M4 Motorway (free), and the Great Western Highway. From Sydney Airport you take the M5 Motorway (toll), then the M7 (electronic toll), then the M4 (free). Outside peak-hours the trip takes about 1.5 hours, but can be up to 3 hours, so using the train is strongly suggested. That's how we start our trip when we travel overseas. The underground stations at the airport connect every 20 minutes to Central (Sydney Terminal), and the country trains start from there about every hour.

Anytime August to the first week of September 2011.
Is is Yulefest Winter Celebration time here. Compared to mountains anywhere else winter isn't cold, since most days will be fine and sunny, even if the wind gets up and some frosts are about. The Blue Mountains never really get white! Even if it (rarely) does, Sydney winter is always comfortable and a short train trip gets you there for a day out.

Open to any dates

France, Lichtenstein, Germany, and Italy would be interesting too. especially if close to trains that can reach Zermatt easily for that wedding!

We are keen travellers. We sometimes travel with, or meet up overseas with our three adult children, but we will let you know if that is a likelihood. We are open to texchange suggestions. Please contact us well in advance as we need to sort out work and holidays.

Home Exchanging is great! We have been graciously hosted in Canada (3 times), the Nederlands, the US, and the UK (twice) and here within Australia. In return we have hosted travellers (home exchangers and tourists) from many countries, and also travelled widely in Australia. We value the wonderful friendships this has made, and exchanging for us is so much more than accommodation. We think it makes the world a better place by linking real people together.

Ideally, we would like to have regular contact with you in advance of the exchange. So far, we have found it a fairer experience on both sides to arrange exchanges with individuals or families, rather than groups of travel companions who are not part of the exchange or hosting contract. We would prefer to rent the cottage to such groups, but please speak with us anyway if that is how you are travelling. We also rent the cottage: http://www.stayz.com.au/5490

Whether or not you exchange with us, please seek our advice early during your planning for an Australian visit, including if you plan to stay with others. We can help you get the very best from your Australian trip, and you can avoid following those ghastly TV soapie stereotypes and discovering the tourist guide and internet information pitfalls that spoil it. We are enormously proud of our wonderful country and our welcoming, multicultural people, and we want you to see us at our best.

Don't believe everything you hear on the Internet, especially about dangerous wildlife! Please ask US first.

We can recommend you to family and friends in other parts of Australia who would love guests and possibly also want to arrange an exchange.

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