Queen River Cabin is a light, bright and cheerful three-bedroom house that’s an ideal base for exploring Queenstown with its mining heritage, rainforest walks and thriving arts and mountain biking scenes. The Queen River flows in front of the property and the railway track is right behind it, providing a perfect spot to wave to passengers on the West Coast Wilderness Railway steam train.
The space
On entry you’ll find to the left a laundry that includes a front-loading washing machine and heat-pump dryer, generous bench and shelf space and a spot to hang coats.
Next is the grey-tiled bathroom that features a comfy bath, a shower that meets minimum accessibility standards, vanity with mirrored shaving cabinet and toilet. A sliding door assists accessibility. An additional, separate toilet/powder room has plenty of space for a walker.
The three bedrooms all open off the hallway. The master is carpeted, with a queen-sized bed, bedside tables, chest of drawers and small clothes hanger. The second bedroom is a double, with a chest of drawers. A window and sliding door to the carport make it light and bright. The third bedroom is a carpeted children’s bunk room with storage for clothes, books and toys. All bedrooms feature panel heating. There are electric blankets on all beds apart from the top bunk.
Continuing down the hall you’ll enter the open plan living/kitchen/dining area. Its high vaulted ceiling, sliding doors on two sides, colourful furnishings and contemporary artwork by Tasmanian artists make it a relaxing, family-friendly space. It’s kept warm/cool by a heat pump and ceiling fan. There is a smart TV and plenty of books and board games to enjoy on rainy days.
The dining table is handcrafted and easily seats six. The kitchen features a large fridge, character island bench, microwave, induction cooktop and electric oven.There are plenty of pots and pans and all the usual crockery, cutlery and utensils, including everything you’ll need to bake up a storm.
We have just started a garden that features a mix of ornamental and native plants. At the moment there is no fencing. The close proximity to the Esplanade and the train tracks mean guests will need to supervise children very closely.
Queenstown has several art galleries, and artist residency facilities result in regular pop-up exhibitions. Every second October the Unconformity Festival shines a light on the town, offering edgy art to view and music, food and drinks to enjoy. There are hotels with rich heritage features, the fascinating Pioneer Museum, the Art Deco Paragon Theatre, cafes, the railway station and King River Rafting tours.
A walk around the little back streets off the main street will surprise you with its quirky murals. A visit to the Moonscape Wine Bar with its beer garden out the back is a must. There is a monthly Sunday market in the town hall that features an eclectic mix of offerings local artisans.
If you’re visiting during the colder months, many gardens have beautiful displays of rhododendrons, camellias and azaleas. A steep walk to the top of Spion Kopf provides a great view over the township and surrounding hills, including the former mine managers’ residence, Penghana.
The region around Queenstown and Zeehan is becoming a mecca for intermediate-advanced level mountain bikers. A recently opened pump track – next to the open-air swimming pool – is just a 10 minute walk from Queen River Cabin and is ideal for younger riders.
Strahan is a 40-minute drive away, and if you’re heading to the North West, the Murchison Highway provides scenic views around Lake Plimsoll. The Tullah Lakeside Lodge is a great lunch stop. Turn off to Cradle Mountain or keep heading to Burnie/Devonport.
If you’re travelling to and/or from Hobart, we recommend stopping at Horsetail Falls, the Iron Blow, the café at Linda and of course, The Wall.
Guest access
The whole house is yours to enjoy.
Other things to note
We love the West Coast and look forward to sharing our family shack with you. We made a point of using local contractors and sourcing things locally wherever possible during our build, and we use a local cleaning company.
Queen River Cabin is a work-in-progress. Please make sure you supervise children near the road and train tracks. We plan to erect a fence. We also have plans to add to the garden and add a covered verandah on the town side of the house with outdoor seating, plus a lockable section at the end of the carport for storing bikes.
Registration number
DA 2023/51
