"Yeranda" is the ideal escape destination for those seeking total privacy or a nature based holiday. Three hand-crafted, rock walled cottages are positioned separately on the 140 acre Wildlife Refuge property so your privacy can be guaranteed. The owners, Ros and Kevin Runciman live on the property so are there to offer assistance but also to let you do “your own thing”. April 2007 saw "Noonameena"  added to the line up ...it is just 5 kms down the valley towards Dungog. A 22 acre property on open land but with a magical frontage to Carowirry Creek it will eventually be Ros and Kevin's retirement home (see NEWS section)

 "Yeranda" follows the aims of  Ecotourism Australia and has been a member of Wildlife Tourism Australia and commits to offering an experience which focuses directly on nature. The aim is to consistently meet customer expectations and to run an environmentally  sustainable business. Walking tracks meander through large areas of dry sclerophyll forest and on down to two beautiful rainforest gullies. For those who just want pure relaxation the verandas with a view are perfection. “Yeranda” adjoins Chichester State Forest so there’s plenty to explore if 140 acres is not enough. Noonameena, whilst much smaller in area has the wonderful diversity of open farm land and creek frontage. The bird list (a work in progress!) will be considerably different to Yeranda and guests are invited to help compile a comprehensive list of just what can be seen at Noonameena.

In the cooler months log fires, a good book and a glass of your favourite wine or a hot cup of coffee (coffee plungers in each cottage so be sure to pack your favourite "brew"!) will be all you need to make the most of your urban escape.

 We encourage bookings from our gay and lesbian friends and welcome them to  enjoy all Yeranda has to offer; Ros and Kevin are  happy to host any low key commitment ceremonies on the property. Naturists are welcome at both Kalimna and Noonameena.

Each cottage has it’s own speciality….Kalimna was built with the mobility limited in mind. It suits just one or two persons and is favoured by those seeking a romantic escape.  There is a unique hexagonal , "under the stars" shower house from  where guests are  able to enjoy a view to the Bulga Range. (of course there is a conventional bathroom inside!)  Its popularity was commented upon  so often that Ros and Kev. had to go ahead and build a similar feature shower at Pindari!! 

 Pindari with a slightly larger floor plan; can sleep three or four hence is suitable for a family with teenagers who enjoy the bush or for two couples who want to visit together. Both these cottages operate on 12V solar powered lighting and gas appliances; both have CD players so pack some of your favourites! Both now have out door loos in addition to the inside  toilets.

June 2000 saw the opening of the final owner built cottage, Elouera;  a three bed roomed cottage; ideal for three couples (adults/young adults only) 240V power has allowed the luxury of reverse cycle air-conditioning, full electric kitchen and is wheel chair friendly. An outdoors shower house (in addition to the normal bathroom!) adds to the uniqueness of this cottage. The shower house has a separate toilet (a true loo with a view) and from the shower guests  see the bush to the north and a pleasant garden area to the south….an experience long to be remembered.

Noonameena , purchased in March 2007 and commenced as a tourism destination April 2007 will eventually be the Runcimans' retirement home. Just 12 kms from Dungog at 529 Main Creek Road it is already proving to be a popular place to stay. With 5 bedrooms and a day night divan 10 people can comfortably stay in this spacious country home. The wide verandahs on three sides make for an ideal holiday destination what ever the weather. 

Head for "Yeranda" in the foothills of the beautiful Barrington Tops if you are wanting to get that “little closer to heaven”….only 17 kms north from Dungog; 205 kilometres from the start of the F3 north of Sydney, and a short drive to the Barrington Tops National Park.

Dungog is a small rural town in the Upper Hunter Valley located 241 km by road north of Sydney. It is the main town in the scenic shire which spreads over 2248 square kilometres also taking in the towns of Gresford, Vacy, Paterson and Clarence Town.

Dungog was originally known as Upper Williams and is situated 24 kilometres upstream from the then Navigation Centre, Clarence Town. It was the magistrate, Captain Thomas Cook J.P., who, in 1834 urged the Colonial Secretary to rename the town “Dungog”. Captain Cook considered Dungog to be a distinctive name, the meaning of which is “place of thinly wooded hills” and it’s aboriginal translation is “Tunkoh” or “Tungog”. At that time, there was a Police Station, Courthouse, stockade, barracks and approximately twenty houses in the newly named “Dungog. ” During 1857 Dungog experienced severe floods and these resulted in the drowning of many people and the “Dungog Inn” was used on this occasion as it was on many others, by the coroner to hold his inquiries. In the early 1870’s a John Dunmore Lang visited the Dungog area and he recorded the industries to be cedar getting, tobacco growing, grain production and vineyards. At that time there was also a steam flour mill, a tobacco factory, a few inns, a central place of worship, a public school and a court-house. Now a days dairying and grazing are the main rural industries but a great move towards developing the tourism industry has occurred in the past few years.

Dungog’s proximity to Sydney, Newcastle and the Central Coast means that city folk can reach the area in around  two and a half hours hence making it a favoured holiday destination, be it for a week-end , a mid-week break or for longer. Only 241 kms. by rail and on the main Sydney to Brisbane route visitors have an optional way to travel.

To the north of Dungog lies the Barrington Tops National Park. It straddles the Great Dividing Range and consists of two linked high altitude plateaux rising to 1590m and falling steeply to 400m. The plateau is part of the Mount Royal Range and extends for some 24kms. in length. The Park covers 39325 ha with numerous creeks and rivers flowing either south to the Hunter river or north to the Manning river. Vegetation types are diverse; there is alpine woodland with beautiful stands of Snow gums (Eucalyptus pauciflora). In winter the highest points are snow covered and at other times of the year the weather can be quite unpredictable; violent gales, snow, sleet and thick mist can present hazardous conditions to bush walkers who are inexperienced or unprepared. The area traditionally known as “the Tops” is a marshy plateau of some 6.5km. in circumference immediately behind Carey’s Peak (1545m.) The bedrock of the Tops is mainly basalt which breaks down to form rich soil. The valleys below owe their prosperity to this and to the abundant water supply. The average rainfall of the Barrington Tops is around 1500ml. and much is held in the extensive spaghnum moss swamps on the plateau. As well as the designated Wilderness area and National Parks there are thousands of hectares of land adjoining which are managed by State Forests.

Our property, “Yeranda” adjoins State Forest and consequently our guests have access to these areas. Within short driving distance are forest parks where there are some very nice bushwalks and picnic areas. The likes of Frying pan and Telegherry parks are extensively used for camping. Another popular local destination is the Chichester Dam. Construction on this commenced in 1918 and continued until 1926. To read the history of the building is to be in awe of how horse drawn vehicles carted materials, of how roads had to be constructed to give access and how excavations were carried out with equipment that would, today be scorned. The purpose of the dam was to supply the growing needs of the industrial city of Newcastle. Upon completion the water then had to be delivered, so a gravitation main was constructed from the dam to Newcastle. The original pipeline was 85 kilometres long and 915 millimetres in diameter. The first 14.5 kilometres of the line was made of wood stave, cut from brush box in the timber mill. This pipe was 91.5 centimetres in diameter and was built of 22 wooden staves, tongued and grooved, and held together by steel bands. The rest of the delivery system was of steel locking-bar pipes and lap-welded steel pipes. The dam was built to have a storage capacity of 23000 megalitres of water. Today the dam is managed by the Hunter District Water Board and some beautifully maintained picnic areas make the dam an ideal spot to visit.