The Castle
Overview
COVID FREE household in Brisbane. We offer accomodation for stays of 1 month and longer but prefer 1 year. This includes laundry. My past guests have been International homestay students or working holiday guests from Asia and New Zealand. Your room is a small room with a double size bed, clothes drawers, bedside table, study desk/chair, closet, floor or desk top fan, mirror and access to wifi. Wifi weekly fee of $5. Your room is located on the ground floor in our guest flat with your own entrance and small fully equipped kitchen plus a bathroom. There's an air conditioner in every bedroom however there is a small charge if you use your machine daily. In the hotter months, I switch mine on for 10 minutes to cool the room and the oscillating fan takes over after that. We reside in a large house, (260m2 of living space-dual residency), 2 story, 7 bedroom house, (2 residences under one roof) high on a hill with views. Situated 5 minutes walk from parks, shopping, transport, tavern, restaurants and supermarket. In 2014, my family and I moved to Australia from China. I taught Chinese residents "Oral English" for 10 years there. From 2000-2004 (Before I went to China) in Brisbane city, I hosted many adult homestay students from all round the world and thoroughly enjoyed it. My house is situated about 10 + km, north-west of the city centre. Our home is surrounded by nature reserves where you can see and hear a variety of Australian wildlife such as Kangaroos, Koalas, Kookaburras, Lorikeets and many more. It's located just a 5 minute walk to a local shopping plaza, with regular public transport, schools and great eating places. I'm an ex chef, so home cooked meals are quick & delicious. Evening meals are $5 extra. Book in advance. The property has double glazed security windows to make our home quiet as we live on a main road. Our house has insect/security screens. It's situated high on a hill and overlooks a shopping plaza. Our suburb is a very low crime area so many Brisbane residents prefer to live in this area. There are many younger families around us. Many are from all around the world such as Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Malaysian, Indonesian, African, Indian, German, American, British and so on. There are Chinese, Korean/Japanese, Indian and Thai restaurants plus British fast food such as Fish and chips, Subway and take away menus from the other restaurants mentioned all within walking distance. McDonalds and KFC are in the next suburb- 3km away. There's also several Large hospitals just 1.5-2.5 kms from here and there are many parks, playgrounds, kindergartens, medical centres, and great eating places-sit in and take away (fast food chains). We are lucky enough to have nice neighbours and the neighbourhood is safe. Our backyard is a little plain and a work in progress, as I am still renovating my home little by little, so I've yet to finish landscaping it. About me: I'm in my early 60's, divorced man, sociable and humorous. The house is dual living so the upstairs home is privately rented to another family. My flat is next to the guest flat. I live here with my teenage daughter. My two younger children visit me every 2 weeks, they are very cute and aged between 5- 7 years old. We don't smoke and the only person that drinks alcohol is me and another guest... but it's minimal. Smoking is allowed outside in the covered smoking area only. Our favourite places to visit are Aspley Hypermarket, Chermside Westfield shopping precinct and Southbank Parklands along the Brisbane river in the CBD. Southbank is a great place to buy Crocodile steaks or dance with Koalas & has great swimming areas and an artificial beach with a fantastic market street and cool restaurants.
House Rules
No smoking inside. Please either wipe your shoes on the outside door mat or take them off inside the entry door and place them onto the shoe rack. I can provide house shoes if you don't have your own. If you need to have a late night cigarette, then please exit your door, and quietly close insect screen door. Each day when you leave to go to work or school please lock main doors after you as wildlife could enter the house, such as Lizards, Toads, Snakes or annoying flying insects. No Crocodiles, Snakes or Dingos.... I promise. There's also a garden table and chairs under a covered gazebo close to your entry door with ashtray for bad weather. No guests/friends are allowed to stay overnight in your room for security reasons. No loud talking or speaker-phone conversations after 9pm as it wakes my children and bothers the neighbours. There are young families all either side of my home. Speak quietly with each other please. Night time Showers/Bathing needs to be over by 12 (Midnight) remember to turn off bathroom fan and light before you return to your room. If you prefer to hand-wash your underwear, please don't use the bathroom basin and no drip drying of clothes in your bedroom. I do all the laundry in my washing machine, however.... if you prefer to wash your own underwear, then you may use your kitchen tub, or use the red bucket under your bathroom basin inside the cupboard and hang your wet clothes on the outside drying line. There are covered drying lines outside. I wash towels once a week, clothes twice each week, and bed sheets every 3 weeks.
Amenities
Local Amenities
Rooms
Private entry from back yard. North facing Double room, sun block out blind, air conditioner/heat pump (extra charge) and a floor fan. The bathroom is shared with one other student. This room is 1.3m2 larger than the Orient room.
Private entry from back yard. East facing Double room. Double glazed window, sun block out blind, air conditioner/heat pump (extra charge) and desktop fan. This room is 1.3m2 smaller than the Asia room hence a reduction in price.