RESTORED COTTAGE OPENS FOR GUESTS AND THEIR PETS
HOME is where the dog and cat is, and now they can enjoy a holiday in Toowoomba too, thanks to the husband and wife team behind a new airbnb.
Animal lovers Michael and Janice Routledge fell in love with the 125-year-old worker’s cottage the first time they drove past the property on Boulton Terrace.
So when the pair discovered it was for sale late last year, it didn’t take much for them to jump at the opportunity.
Together the pair transformed the three bedroom, one bathroom home into a pet-friendly cottage guesthouse with modern amenities.
Opening the house up to visitors from Sunday, the couple appropriately named the sweet abode the Cosy Cat Cottage.
“We have three spoiled rescue cats and two dogs, so we know how hard it is to leave your pets behind when you go on holiday,” Ms Routledge said.
“This means guests can bring their pets along to enjoy the holiday too.”
Taking nine months to transform the stunning colonial Queenslander, every room in the house was refloored and repainted.
The house is one of just three homes on Boulton Terrace that are part of Toowoomba’s Mort Estate Historical Trail.
“We’ve really focused on making it as sustainable as possible, so we’ve fixed things, rather than throw them out,” Mr Routledge said.
“We have friends from Brisbane and Northern New
South Wales, who think Toowoomba is really cold, so we wanted to create a place where visitors from other areas will feel warm and cosy.”
The property’s biggest drawcard is the large Vincent van Gogh-inspired mural Ms Routledge painted in the loft.
The house is is already booked for September.
Visit the website, thecosycatcottage.com.au.