This spacious newly built home is five minutes from Armidale but feels a world away. It is nestled in bushland on a large block frequented by kangaroos and is completely private. 'Summit House' makes a great base for excursions into the four national parks in the local area, plus the city of Armidale. The house can be rented as a two-bedroom or four-bedroom stay. . Visit our friendly donkeys next door, by arrangement. Bring your animals too! OUTSIDE dogs are welcome, as are horses, but check with us first. The house is inspired by American New England architecture and is comprised of two barn-shape buildings with a central connecting kitchen and dining area. Each wing has two bedrooms (one with a king bed, one with two single beds), plus a bathroom and lounge room. The second bedroom on each side is a large loft room with a bench window seat. For bookings of 1 to 4 people, one wing will be closed off and unused for the duration of your stay. Guests will have access to the large deck, kitchen, dining and lounge room, plus the master wing. Bookings for 5 to 8 people will open up the entire house. For parents of young children and those with mobility issues, please be aware that there are short drops off the verandas on both sides of the house, plus stairs at the front and back entry points. There is a steep staircase inside the house up to the loft bedroom with a landing at the top. The loft has a lockable timber shutter in the wall space that can be opened to allow through-flow of air into the room. Parents will need to use their own discretion whether to keep this open or closed if they have young children, and whether they are comfortable renting a house with these architectural elements.

We are just across the road and are happy to assist in anyway. We respect your privacy, and will not visit you unannounced. Please contact us if you would like to meet, to visit the donkeys, or if you need any assistance. We breed Irish Donkeys, and there is often a little baby donkey in our paddock. We also would prefer not to have unannounced visitors as we have a large family of four children, with a lot of comings and goings, so please message first. We'd be delighted to hear from you. There is a piano, board games, children's toys and books for a range of readers at the house. You will find a guide to hiking around Armidale too, as we are keen hikers. Our favourites are Cathedral Rock Track at Cathedral Rock National Park, the Cascades walking track in the New England National Park, Gara Gorge, Wollomombi Falls and Dangar Falls. Feel free to ask us more about this.

There is a convenience store only a few minutes' drive away, plus large supermarkets in Armidale. Go to the Goldfish Bowl for a great coffee and pastry, and try Signor Vitelli's for the atmosphere, fantastic pizza and other Italian speciality dishes. We love the bookstore The Readers' Companion and going to the Armidale Farmer's Markets on the second Sunday of each month. The New England Regional Art Gallery is good for an art fix or light meal.