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Bowerbird House~Table Tennis~Huge Lawn~Pet friendly~2 Wood Fireplaces~NBN

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A cozy living room with a brick wall, a leather sofa, a wooden coffee table, and a bookshelf filled with books.
Two wooden chairs facing a lake with distant hills.
A modern kitchen with a brick wall, wooden dining table, and chairs, a refrigerator, and a large window with a view of trees.
A modern kitchen with white cabinetry, a brick accent wall, a large window, and a view of trees.
A modern living room with a red sofa, a black sofa, a wooden coffee table, and a grey bench. There is a brick wall and a large window with a view of trees.

Reviews

8.8 out of 10
Excellent

Highlights

  • Family fun awaits
    Top-rated for families.
  • Arcade/game room
    A rare find - fun for all ages with on-site arcade/game room.

Popular amenities

  • Patio
  • Arcade/game room
  • Barbecue
  • Air-conditioning
  • Pet-friendly
  • Refrigerator

Explore the area

View map
Smiths Lake, NSW
  • Place, Smiths Lake
    ‪16 min walk‬
  • Place, Myall Lakes National Park
    ‪13 min drive‬
  • Place, Forster Town Beach
    ‪32 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

4 bedrooms (sleeps 12)

Bedroom 1

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 2

1 Double Bed and 2 Single Beds

Bedroom 3

2 Single Beds

Bedroom 4

2 Single Beds and 1 Double Bed

2 bathrooms, 1 half bathroom

Bathroom 1

Toilet · Shower only

Bathroom 2

Shower only

Outdoor shower

Outdoor shower

Separate WC

Toilet

Spaces

Deck or patio
Outdoor shower
Kitchen
Garden
Dining area

Add dates for prices

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About the area

Smiths Lake

Located in Smiths Lake, this holiday home is on the waterfront. Sugarloaf Point Lighthouse is a local landmark, and the area's natural beauty can be seen at Bramble's Reserve and Smiths Lake Nature Reserve. Discover the area's water adventures with jet skiing and kayaking nearby, or enjoy the great outdoors with mountain biking and hiking.
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Map
Smiths Lake, NSW

What's nearby

  • Smiths Lake - 16 min walk - 1.4 km
  • Myall Lakes National Park - 13 min drive - 13.1 km
  • One Mile Beach - 28 min drive - 33.3 km
  • Forster-Tuncurry Golf Course - 30 min drive - 34.5 km
  • Forster Town Beach - 32 min drive - 36.0 km

Restaurants

  • ‪Kembali Cafe - ‬8 min drive
  • ‪Bongos - ‬10 min drive
  • ‪The Good Food Store - ‬16 min walk
  • ‪Ripples on the Lake Cafe & Boatshes - ‬13 min drive
  • ‪The Buddha On The Lake - ‬9 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Bowerbird House~Table Tennis~Huge Lawn~Pet friendly~2 Wood Fireplaces~NBN pet-friendly?

Yes, pets are allowed at this property.

How much is parking at Bowerbird House~Table Tennis~Huge Lawn~Pet friendly~2 Wood Fireplaces~NBN?

On-site parking is available at the property.

What time is check-in at Bowerbird House~Table Tennis~Huge Lawn~Pet friendly~2 Wood Fireplaces~NBN?

Check-in begins at 3:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Bowerbird House~Table Tennis~Huge Lawn~Pet friendly~2 Wood Fireplaces~NBN?

Checkout is at 10:00 AM.

Where is Bowerbird House~Table Tennis~Huge Lawn~Pet friendly~2 Wood Fireplaces~NBN located?

This family-friendly Smiths Lake holiday home is located on the waterfront, within 2 mi (3 km) of Smiths Lake and Bramble's Reserve. Sandbar Beach and Cellito Beach are also within 6 miles (10 km).

Reviews

8.8

Excellent

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
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Rating 10 - Excellent. 35 out of 68 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 21 out of 68 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 10 out of 68 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 2 out of 68 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 68 reviews

8.8/10

Cleanliness

9.0/10

Check-in

8.8/10

Communication

9.0/10

Location

8.8/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Such a great property and the discovery of beautiful coastal walks just down the hill via a fire trail made our visit quite spectacular.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Everything was wonderful, kate was very helpful, beds were comfy. We all had a great holiday.
Stayed 11 nights in Dec 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
We really enjoyed our stay! The antique décor gave the place so much character, and it’s just a short 5-minute walk to Smiths Lake. The big private yard was lovely too. The only small downside was that there weren’t basic amenities like soap, shampoo, or napkins—adding those would make the stay perfect!
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2025
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Family friendly getaway

Loved the size of this property - and being pet friendly was an added bonus! Very close to Smiths lake, nice and quiet, beautiful surroundings - very nice!
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 12 Nov 2022
We love how peaceful the property is also, it is a great size for families to gather within. Best wishes to you and your family., and we are pleased your pet was able to stay with you.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

A beautiful setting amongst nature

Very comfortable and spacious. Very good kitchen and amenities. A great area, very scenic. Close to amenities, beautiful location. Loved our stay.
Stayed 5 nights in May 2024
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Stay ! highly recommended

Thanks Kate! We have thoroughly enjoyed our stay at your property. Your place is clean, spacious and well equipped.
Stayed 5 nights in Apr 2023
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great weekend stay at Bellbird

I was working in Tiona and so was looking for a nice place with space for 4 of us for the weekend. Such a great place to stay, nice walk down to the lake and the house was huge! We had our dog there and they loved roaming the gardens. The owner was very accommodating and helped with any questions - would definitely stay there again!
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023
Verified review

6/10 Okay

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Ideal for a group stay as long as they don't mine driving to beaches and shops.

The property is big enough but I feel it need some maintenance
Stayed 7 nights in Dec 2022
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

A pleasant environment

We were very comfortable. The property was well equipped
Stayed 9 nights in Oct 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 12 Nov 2022
We are pleased you were all comfortable and found Bowerbird house, to be well equipped. We look forward to welcoming you & your pets back in the future. Best wishes to you and your family.
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, listing accuracy

Time out

Got to spend time with a few friends good venue for what we were looking for. Very reasonably priced
Stayed 4 nights in May 2023
Verified review

6/10 Okay

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication
No locks for bathrooms.No shmpaoo, body wash etc.TV is not working properly.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2026
Verified review

6/10 Okay

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, location, listing accuracy

Was ok but could be better

We had a great time but that was because our family would have a great time anywhere. Venue was very average and cheaply done. But was comfortable enough.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2024
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Quiet stay

Located in a quiet little town it was lovely to wake up to the sound of nature around. The house was clean however had a musty smell. We solved this by opening all the windows. The bathrooms were renovated nicely however be careful as the floor tiles are very slippery and the showers leak out into the bathroom. The host was very prompt in replies around booking.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2024
Verified review

6/10 Okay

Liked: Communication, listing accuracy

Stay at Bowerbird

Property was overall pleasant. It was the little things that could be improved. Eg towels and bath mats in bathroom very old, no dishwashing liquid in container. No spare toilet rolls.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great family home away from home

This was a great house for 2 families to come together to spend time on the lake. Beautiful setting among the trees, with glimpses of the lake below through the trees. The beds were comfortable, 2 living areas to use and kitchen was well appointed. The outside deck was a great spot for breakfast and dinner. We had kayaks, and found it easier to put the kayaks in the lake around the bend and paddle back to the shore below the house. The hill was steep down to the lake and was difficult with the kayaks, so we secured the kayaks at the shore under the trees so we didn't have to carry them up and down each day. This made the walk up and down much easier each time we went to the kayaks.
Stayed 7 nights in Jan 2023
Verified review

4/10 Poor

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location

Lovely space but some things need updating

Lovely home as a small group of ladies wanted a little getaway. We like to bbq but unfortunately the bbq was non functional and rusted out. So plan B was using the frypans provided. They too need replacing as all of the coating was flaking off. Our garbage bins should also not have been full when we got there. It was a 3 night stay.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2024
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Bowerbird House.

Very comfy home with great yard & well provided kitchen.however,---the need to bring our own sheets & towels was a bit of a nuisance.Both showers leak from below the doors making wet floors.The two single mattresses were very soft due to broken bases, so had to be put on the floor to sleep.There was no soap in dispensers & no rinse-aid in the dishwasher.Plastic cups for the kids would be a good idea.
Stayed 5 nights in Jan 2025
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Lovely peaceful spot close to the water

Our family enjoyed a lovely peaceful holiday at Smiths Lake. The house is in a quiet cul de sac with a lovely bush outlook and glimpses of the water through the trees. It is possible to access the lake from the property if you don’t mind a bit of a walk down the hill - you will get your exercise. Although advertised as pet friendly, the yard is not fenced and there is nowhere to secure your dog outside but as mentioned there is no traffic and our lab was happy roaming around the yard out the back. The house is all vynyl floors though so it is easy to sweep up the hair if you need to keep it inside, no vacuum available to use though.
Stayed 5 nights in Apr 2023
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Family Christmas get together

The house was in a perfect quiet street. House Perfect size with two main living areas, room for adults and kids. Kitchen was very well equipped, it had everything we needed. Maybe a few more plastic cups for kids.. House Dog friendly and ours had a lovely time running around and down to the lake with us. Table tennis came in handy.The only negative side was that the mattresses in kids rooms where some adults and kids slept were in need of replacement ( very tired). Dishwasher did not fully drain on two occassions, including Christmas day, we were able to fix without calling for help, but was a nusiance.On Christmas eve when just about to start up BBQ, gas pipe leading into regulator was leaking very badly, lucky a quick call to kate from Stayz, and she sent someone around within 15 mins to replace. Overall everyone commented that it was a really nice place to stayThankyou
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2024
Verified review

6/10 Okay

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Check-in, communication, listing accuracy
The house was large and clean but it is not a house for a winter stay We froze the first night, the fireplace at our end of the house was blocked so we couldn’t use. At that end of the house no other heating was supplied and the heating at the other end of the house did nothing to warm. Two oil heaters were supplied for the next night which definitely improved the two bedrooms we were using We found the check in process the most onerous we have ever encountered and felt that we treated like we lacked mental ability to know what was required of staying in a rental property and checking in. The full A4 page of detailed instructions of what was required at checkout was again something that we had never encountered. Lacking small details that would be expected in a holiday rental- firewood supplied but no matches or firestarters, body wash /soap or hairdryer Disappointing stay
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 28 Jul 2025
We are always disappointed when we cannot meet a guest’s expectations, our fireplaces keep the house snug and warm over winter, we supply your firewood & long handled lighter. We are pleased that we could supply additional heaters to help, after not being successful with your fire lighting to warm the house. We do also have reverse cycle air con. Our check in requires a phone call for a chat about your stay, we are sorry you found this onerous, most find it a friendly start to their break away, we appreciate all guests are different. A quick read of our information & emails, lets you know what we do & do not supply and assists you with your packing. Our no think departure check list is simple, it ask’s that you leave the property as with all holiday homes, in a tidy condition, wash your own dishes & pop your garbage out & put things back where they belong. We are pleased you found the property clean and wish you well.
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, location
Disliked: Communication

The house was good but the management was terrible.

It's hard to give a fair review as It's a nice old house but the management was terrible. The issue was with the management that was pretty useless when the key snapped in the lock. Obviously a old key which she later admitted and not the first time. Instead of helping us she let us wait outside in the rain for 3h not taking any responsibility on top of that she was really rude and tryed to blame us even though we where several adults saying that it snapped and we didn't do anything out of the ordinary. If I was the owner I would want to be made aware of the lack of her management of the property and the guests. Then again the house was really nice and in a nice location. It has some issues with leaking water around windows but it was really heavy rain .
Stayed 2 nights in May 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 6 Jun 2022
Thank you for your review Lina. We are pleased you enjoyed the facilities provided with you, and the “the house was really nice in a nice location.” Just to be clear on your comments inregards your breaking the key in the lock to the property. This was a solid key that broke off in the lock, when you closed the sliding with door onto this. A bad design we acknowledge, and yes this has happened before & the guests were honest on how this happened. Metal keys do not just break off when you turn them on a lock, unless you are superman🤷‍♀️ A locksmith needed to be called to fix the issue, unfortunately being a rural area we needed to wait for them to arrive. In the intern we had a handyman visit to see if he could assist, while you waited in the dry at the local café and he found you had left 2 doors unlocked to the property and you were able to return and go straight in. We are thankful that no one broke into the property through the unlocked doors, while you were away from the house & that you enjoyed your stay at Bowerbird House.
Verified review

4/10 Poor

Disliked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, listing accuracy

Nice place but needs a good clean.

The house was quite dirty and needed a good clean , ie beer bottle tops in bedroom , the open fireplace was still full of ash , I don't think the rugs has been cleaned or vacuumed in year's ( I did shake them off the balcony myself) and they where filthy , not something I should have to do when paying $600 a night for a family stay. It was made very clear by Kate that we should leave the house clean when we left . We did leave it much cleaner than when we arrived ( not sure why they charge a cleaning fee) sack the cleaners would be a good idea. We did our best to clean with no vacuum cleaner , an old broom , a dustpan that was cracked and no mop. The gas bottle was nearly empty on arrival and when we contacted the management to get more gas there was no reply. There was wood for the fire place but had to borrow an axe from a house next door. These simple oversights make a big difference to a relaxing stay and a disappointing stay and this stay was disappointing. One of the showers was dripping all night resulting in water leaking onto the hall floor which was very slippery and dangerous when someone gets up to go to the toilet at night. Mould on some walls. The front door key was very soft , I can understand that another review said the key broke as it was a cheap key that bent very easily Anyway we expected a lot better when paying a premium cost per night . Nice house but it appears a simple oversight is the fact that people staying in a property expect a certain level of cleanliness especially with a cleaning fee.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 12 Nov 2022
We usually have great comments about cleanliness & will look into how the process went wrong-apologies. The shower has since been repaired and resealed. We had the house keyed alike at all entry points to alleviate issues, as the main door used, the keyhole is near the frame on the sliding door. No locksmith has yet offered a solution, so a new door might be in order. Best wishes go to your family, we hope your pets enjoyed the space.
Verified review

6/10 Okay

Liked: Check-in, communication

Beautiful house, needs some attention.

The house at smiths lake is awesome, big with lots of room to move around. We did experience some plumbing issues the second day we were there, but they were promptly seen to. There are definite issues with the plumbing and bathrooms however. Specifically leaking from toilets and inadequate structures in the showers to stop water going everywhere. After every shower multiple towels were needed to mop up the water, and it did continue to pool through out our 3 days there. So bring heaps of towels. The house is large and great for family gatherings, but the beds and bedding provided are old and musty, so definitely bring your own bedding and pillows. The biggest issue would be that the lake itself is not easily accessible from the house at all, we did not venture down the hill as we were not brave enough. Kate and her team were good to deal with. Overall a nice big house, but in need of a spruce up.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2022
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Family Holiday

We loved our stay at Bowerbird House. It has an excellent layout with plenty of space, a well equipped kitchen and a relaxed atmosphere in a secluded and leafy location. We enjoyed the lovely gardens and had many coffees and chats on the deck which has filtered views of the lake. The surrounding area is beautiful with many wonderful beaches, lakes and forests to explore. A perfect location and house for a family get-together.
Stayed 7 nights in Apr 2022
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Bowerbird guest house

The home is a great layout. Areas for everyone to enjoy and the parcel of land is amazing. Filtered views of Smiths Lake and Sandbar Beach in the distance. Plenty of room to sit back and soak in all that Bowerbird had to offer. Can’t wait to stay again.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2022
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