Guiding principles
At Yeranda I provide a memorable holiday experience where guests stay in lovingly handcrafted, secluded, stone and timber cottages set within a relaxing, natural environment. From the moment a booking enquiry is made to the time guests head for home, my primary aim is to treat guests the way I would like to be treated myself. My cancellation policy is a prime example of this. I understand that life can be complex and personal circumstances can change without warning. Thus, if you need to cancel a booking that has been paid for, I will shift the reservation to a later date that suits you better and if that isn't possible for any reason, I will provide you with a full refund (minus the transaction fee if you paid with PayPal/credit card). I don't keep your deposit - how good is that?
Environmental responsibility
As an ecotourism business I take environmental responsibility and sustainability very seriously. Yeranda is bound by a voluntary conservation agreement with the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, giving it similar status to a National Park. The cottages are constructed from locally quarried stone with recycled and sustainably harvested timbers used extensively throughout. Stone walls provide passive heating augmented by slow combustion heaters in winter that burn locally sourced timber carefully selected to be of poor habitat value for animals. Kalimna and Pindari are off the grid, using solar power for lighting and refrigeration. Electricity for Elouera is currently sourced from Energy Locals, an ethical electricity provider. I use environmentally friendly cleaning products. I buy pillows, mattress protectors and quilts as brand new items however I source linen, games, books and various other items from opportunity shops, friends and family, thus reducing Yeranda's carbon footprint while supporting charities.
Social and community responsibility
I buy toilet paper from the lovely people at Who Gives a Crap. Fifty percent of their profits are donated to help build toilets for those in need in developing countries. Yeranda has supported I AM SOMEONE, the Dungog Antiques Fair (a local charitable event) and the Toronto Royal Motor Yacht Club (NSW Cancer Council fundraiser) through donations of holidays. Kalimna and Elouera Cottages were designed to be accessible to people with limited mobility, enabling wheelchair-bound guests to experience a holiday in the bush. I also provide a welcoming and inclusive environment for members of the LGBTQI community and naturists. Ros and Dave have also donated considerable time and expertise to local community groups such as the Dungog Common Recreation Reserve, Dungog Common Landcare and Friends of Chichester through volunteering.
I acknowledge that nobody truly owns land and we are simply caretakers for future generations. We also acknowledge with sorrow that Yeranda was once part of Country of which the Gringai people and their forebears were custodians for millenia. A place where Aboriginal people lived in relative harmony with their environment and performed age-old ceremonies of celebration, initiation and renewal until they were violently displaced by European settlers.
