Luxury Accommodation Tasmania

Fern House Manual

Find your guide to enjoying Fern below, as well as the answers to a few of our most commonly asked questions.

Welcome to Fern Mt Field, your sanctuary in Tassie’s Western Wilds. We hope that you’ll be able to enjoy the space as a place to take a breath, slow down and relax.

In this house manual you will find a few tips for enjoying the property as well as the local area. We hope that these notes are helpful however please let us know if you have any additional questions.

Fires at Fern

With both an indoor open fire and an outdoor fire pit on site, fire safety is very important, so we’ve noted this as the first item in this house manual. If you do not have experience in lighting and maintain fires we recommend that you utilise the split system heater instead of the indoor fireplace. Please note, no fires are to be lit in the outside fire pit or the indoor fireplace on days of total fire ban.

If you feel confident using the indoor fire you can light this by using some firelighters, dry leaves and small sticks in a jenga pattern up to approximately 20cm high, introducing some larger pieces of wood into the upper parts of the stack. Please ensure that the fire screen is placed in front of the fire at all times and that this is secured with the hooks on each side. You will find firelighters and matches on the shelf to the left of the fireplace. Importantly, please don’t place anything other than wood, paper and firelighters in the fire. The outdoor fire pit can be lit in a similar fashion.

Please note, both fires must be supervised at all times and must be extinguished before leaving the house. The only way to do this is to allow the wood to burn down. Therefore, we ask that you plan and manage wood use accordingly, not adding any more wood in the last two hours before you go to bed or leave the house.

Fern Mt Field – The House

This hundred-year-old depression-era home was slowly and carefully brought back to life by its custodians (Ben and Tess) over a twelve month period. While some things in the house are new, we’ve tried where possible to utilise second-hand materials sympathetic to its heritage. Most items in the house are reasonably straightforward to use, however please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions.

We’ve included some notes below to address a few commonly asked questions.

How do I access the house?

There are two main doors to the house which are accessed by utilising the keys that you will find in the key safe. The key safe is located next to the front door and can be opened by using the code sent in your check in instructions. Please place the keys back in this key safe when you depart and please take care not to lose these keys as there is only one set. The French doors in the master bedroom and the back door are opened from the inside by releasing the bolt locks.

What are the wifi details?

Connect to the wifi network SkyMesh NBN 9dk by entering the password 2bGWTuC7. If for some reason the wifi is not working, you will find the router in the cupboard above the fridge. Please turn this off, wait a few moments and then turn it on again. The wifi should now start working.

Can I drink the water at Fern?

Fern’s water is rain-fed and treated with an industry-standard UV filter, meaning that it is perfectly safe to drink. If you’re not comfortable drinking rainwater we recommend boiling it first.

Please note; as Fern is not connected to town water this resource is not unlimited. To ensure that you have enough water for the entirety of your stay, please keep showers to under four minutes and conserve water elsewhere where possible.

A note about smoking and additional cleaning …

Importantly, we must stress that the house is strictly no smoking. You may smoke outside the house provided butts are extinguished and placed in the outdoor bin, however please note that we do not supply ashtrays. While we feel sure that we won’t have to worry about it, we do also need to let you know that additional cleaning fees are applicable if the house is left unreasonably unclean or if staying on past the scheduled check-out time.

How do I work the movie screen projector?

You will find the remote to the projector on the coffee table in the lounge. To operate this, press the power button and then use the button surrounding the large round centre of the remote to navigate to the streaming app of your choice. You may need to wait a few moments for the device to connect to the wifi, so don’t stress if you get an error message to begin with. Please ensure that you leave this remote behind when you leave as the projector cannot be operated without it. If you would like some extra sound, the JBL speaker can be connected wirelessly in the projector settings. If you have any problems with this device you can access the product manual at this link.

What can I watch on the projector?

You will be able to access Netflix, Stan, SBS on Demand and ABC iView on the projector as well as free to air TV. The required accounts should already be logged in and ready to go, however please get in touch if this is not the case and we can provide further assistance.

Is there a sound system available for playing music?

A wireless JBL speaker is provided for your enjoyment and this can be connected via Bluetooth by pressing the Bluetooth button, then finding the speaker on the list of available devices. You may wish to also connect this to the projector as an additional speaker if you would like to enjoy more volume, although you shouldn’t need to do this.

How do I use the dishwasher?

To use the dishwasher, first place a dishwashing tablet on the top rack (you will find these in the cupboard below the sink). Press the ‘on’ button and choose the appropriate cycle type, then the start button.

Please note; preparation knives and wooden boards must be hand washed, as the dishwasher damages the timber.

How to I work the oven?

The over is electric and can be turned on by adjusting the knobs. Please note, the timer must be on for the oven to work. Some settings are defrost modes and won’t heat the oven adequately for cooking – see a guide to the different symbols at this link.

Is there a cot available?

A portable cot can be provided by request. Please note, we do not typically supply linen for the cot and ask that guests bring their own. Please get in touch with us if you do require cot linen and we’ll do our best to accommodate this.

Does the property have security cameras?

The driveway, rear, front door and front of the house are all monitored by security cameras. We may look back at this footage for security purposes, however we always respect your privacy during your stay.

Is there a laundry available for guests to use?

You are welcome to use both the washing machine and dryer during your stay and you can access the laundry via the outside door next to the outdoor toilet. Laundry liquid and fabric softener are both supplied. If you would like to air dry your washing there is an outdoor clothesline at the rear of the house and you will also find a portable drying rack beside the washing machine. An iron and ironing board can be found on the bench in the laundry.

Other Things to Note

Fern is a sacred space designed for relaxation, quiet contemplation and reconnection. While the kitchen and dining area is perfectly equipped for a sensational dinner, late night conversation and a board game or two, outside guests are not permitted to join you without prior approval (please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions in relation to this).

There is also a strict no parties policy. Any damages incurred as a result of such events will need to be paid in full by the person responsible for the booking. Many thanks in advance for your understanding.

FERN – THE SURROUNDING AREA

Swimming

There are plenty of lovely swimming spots along the Tyenna River and it’s definitely worth a stroll to find one that takes your fancy, particularly downstream of Fern.

However, our favourite swimming spot is just after the intersection of the Humboldt River and the Tyenna River, around 400m from the house. This is the location’s Google Maps coordinates, however you can also read on to follow our directions below.

To get there, walk down the road that you drove to the house on and take the first track to the right (before the Humboldt River bridge). Head down here to the power station and then make your way to the railway line by walking alongside the Humboldt River behind the power station. Turn left when you reach the railway line and follow this track for around 70 metres until you see a faint path into the forest to your right.

Follow this right along until to you come to the end of the track, where you will find some cliff faces in front of you. This is a lovely deep swimming hole, however the shallows are good for a paddle when the river is flowing faster after winter.

Please note, this path along the railway line crosses over the Humboldt River and if you have any concerns with heights we recommend coming in from the other end (from the Tyenna River bridge). If you come in this way, just turn left before you reach the bridge.

Cold Plunge

If a cold plunge is more to your liking than a swim, there is a lovely rock pool located just behind the Humboldt power station. While the water level here varies depending upon the time of year, there is always enough for an icy dunk!

Platypus Spotting

We often see platypuses here in the Tyenna River and there is one spot in particular that we would recommend checking out (approximate location on Google Maps here). To get there, head down the road from the house and take the first track to the right (before the Humboldt bridge).

Head down here to the power station and then make your way to the railway line by taking the track into the forest behind the lean to shelter that you’ll see opposite the power station.

Once you’ve reached the railway line, turn right and follow this track over a small bridge (not recommended if you’re afraid of heights, however). After the bridge, keep your eye out to the left for faint signs of a track leading to the river.

Once you get to the river, keep your eye out for a long, deep hole where there is a big tree lying in the water in the same direction as the water flows. We’ve seen platypus in this particular spot many times, hopefully they decide to show up for you!

TRAVEL TIMES TO FERN MT FIELD

We always recommend checking Google Maps for up-to-date travel times, as these can vary depending on the time of day and traffic conditions.

Mt Field National Park – 10 minutes
Maydena Mountain Bike Park – 9 minutes
Westerway – 17 minutes
New Norfolk* – 45 minutes
Strathgordon – 60 minutes
Lake Pedder – 60 minutes
Hobart – 80 minutes

GROCERIES & SUPPLIES

The closest supermarkets, bottle shops and takeaway food outlets are located at New Norfolk. The roadhouse at Westerway has some essentials as well as takeaway fried food, however opening hours can be limited and the roadhouse often shuts reasonably early in the afternoon/evening. Therefore, we strongly recommend checking these times in advance of travelling to Westerway.

Food & Dining

There are several local cafés listed below. Again, we recommend checking up to date opening days and hours of each;

• Maydena Eats, Maydena
• Possum Shed Café, Westerway
• Mayden Bike Park, Maydena
• Waterfalls Café, National Park

Maydena Eats is the best location for an evening meal locally on the days that it is open, while the Maydena Bike Park also serves evening burgers and beer on set days.

A little further afield (1 hour in good weather) the Lake Pedder Wilderness Village is one of our favourite places to eat and drink that is well worth the drive. We also love the Bush Inn at New Norfolk, which is around 40 minutes’ drive away.

We hope these recommendations are helpful. If there is any specific kind of experience that you are looking for please get in touch and we will happily provide further recommendations.

Enjoy Tassie and thanks again for choosing to stay at our place!

– Tess and Ben

Still Got Questions?