Stockyard Creek Cottages Yarn
By John Todd
Stockyard Creek Cottages have steadily evolved to their present form during the past decade.
I first came to Foster some Foster 20 years ago with the intention of becoming self-sufficient in one of the most beautiful parts of the world.
As soon as I saw this particular property I fell in love with it and
found myself buying it that very afternoon.
In those days it was a weed-infested
former dairy farm, complete with a ramshackle house and collapsing fences.
I filled my days clearing blackberries, bracken and ragwort, planting hundreds
of native trees and shrubs, establishing the gardens and looking after my
growing band of livestock.
It didn't really occur to me at the time that I would also have to find a way of
making a living, too, as my vegetable and fruit crops flourished, the lambs fattened and the car fell even further into disrepair.
I tried several different jobs, ranging from my old trade of carpet-laying through to driving school-buses, but whatever I did kept me away from the main reason why I had moved here,
and that was to live and work on my own property.
Then I hit upon the idea of providing somewhere memorable for visitors to the area
to stay, believing they were bound to be just as entranced by the peace and the scenery as I had been.
At that time tourism in South Gippsland was in its infancy. People loved Wilsons Promontory but the only available places
to stay other than caravan parks and motel units were campsites at Tidal River.
I could see the need for cottage-style accommodation and, as I already had the perfect location beside the waters of Stockyard Creek, I decided to
proceed.
Not having much capital I elected to use recycled building materials and the
cottage itself was designed so that it was in keeping with the environment as
well as affording comfort and privacy to my guests.
In 1990 I started work on Blackwood Cottage and, at the beginning of 1991, Stockyard Creek Cottage was open for business.
After three successful years, the need for more accommodation here at Stockyard
Creek had become apparent and so I began on my second cottage in 1994.
Wattle Cottage
was built using the same design criteria that had applied to Blackwood and it
too opened its doors to travellers and holidaymakers in 1995.
Then, at the end of 1996, something unexpected happened, making my paradise
complete.
My partner Kate Fooke came into my life, bringing a bicycle, three
Arabian horses, thousands of books and values very similar to my own with her.
What we offer at Stockyard Creek Cottages is a little different from the mainstream accommodation providers.
Both of the cottages were built from the ground up with thought, enjoyment and
love, and we know that you will feel some of that spirit and peace when you stay
here.
We are not interested in the philosophy of maximum returns as this is a lifestyle for us, and we
would like you to be a part of it for a short while.