In need of a short break or overnight stay, but don’t want the hassle of a long drive? Perhaps a new B&B close to home will offer the perfect respite from the busyness of life.
A new accommodation gem, ‘Inspiring Views’, not only lives up to its mantra, but is also only ten minutes from Wodonga’s CBD.
Margaret Broadway has been welcoming people to her property, Inspiring Views, for years, but it was only in July that she transformed her home into a haven for a broader range of guests.
“I’ve been hosting international visitors, mainly backpackers, through the volunteer work for accommodation exchange programs, Woof, Helpx and Workaway, and they all love this place and the experience they have had.
“I love sharing my special environment with others so it was a natural progression for me to turn my home into a B&B and use my past experience and my skills to continue to do what I love doing and turning that into my livelihood,” Margaret said.
The transformation of the interior of Margaret’s home includes the Romantic Suite – resplendent with King size bed, generous ensuite with shower and bath, kitchenette and dining tables both in the room and on the balcony with the option of a unique outdoor shower; Queen suite and Twin share suite.
Guests can relax in the shared area and sink into leather armchairs or enjoy the warmth of the fireplace in winter or the breezes that flow through the area.
Dining options include travelling back into Albury or Wodonga or making use of the dining area in the ‘chapel’ and the barbecue area framed with leadlight windows.
Inspiring Views is decorated throughout with antiques and other quirky decorations Margaret has collected over the years, but it is outside that the depth of her talent and ability to turn items as varied as old Tullamarine airport runway lights and scrap metal into stunning sculptures that dot the landscape.
A pair of metal wings almost gives flight to an outdoor seat, while a solar powered ‘eye’ overlooks the twin cities of Albury and Wodonga and a glimpse of Lake Hume.
“I have more than eighty metal sculptures and people seem to enjoy looking and discovering the detail and how I have repurposed the materials. My artwork complements the natural environment that encourages people to really chill out. You can actually hear them as they exhale the stress and their breath joins the sound of the birds and the wind and the hum of the bees.”
The motivation for Margaret to share her home comes from a practical level as well as from the heart.
“I had a job in aged care and unfortunately this impacted on a knee injury I had and I ended up having two knee replacements which combined with my age made it difficult for me to find employment.
“I ended up on Newstart, but didn’t want to rely on it and looked into the New Enterprise Incentive Scheme (NEIS) which meant I could learn the skills I needed to turn my life around,” Margaret said.
Through the NEIS scheme Margaret received the equivalent income to Newstart while she undertook a business course.
“For ten months you don’t have to look for jobs or volunteer, but you do have to fulfil strict requirements that show you are on track. It’s great to have the back up and support for the ten months and then you need to stand on your own,” she said.
While the leisure and accommodation markets are very competitive, Margaret believes Inspiring Views can offer more than a short getaway.
“With our air, rail and road transport links Inspiring Views is very accessible and I’d like to have not only people who just want to read, relax and enjoy the environment, but I’d love this to be a retreat for creatives where, even though there is Wi-Fi, they can get away from technology.
“But it is still ideal for an overnight stay, and recently I had guests from Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra and Benalla who were here for the Midnight Oil concert,” she said.
“From the comments and the five star reviews guests have left on the website I think I’m getting the balance just right.”
For more on Inspiring Views B&B, 101 Spring Gully Road, Huon Creek: http://inspiringviewsbnb.com.au/
