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Atmospheric mudbrick cottage - 300m to beach and close to Cowes town.

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Cosy mudbrick cottage.
Cosy mud brick with great outdoor areas to relax
Beautiful outdoor dining setting in a private back yard.
From the lounge, looking into carport.
Kitchen faces east and looks to the fenced in back yard.

Reviews

9.6 out of 10, Loved by Guests
Top 10% of guest reviews in this area
2 bedrooms1+ bathroomSleeps 4

Popular amenities

  • Onsite parking available
  • Kitchen
  • Washing machine
  • Air-conditioning
  • Barbecue
  • Balcony

Rooms & beds

2 bedrooms (sleeps 4)

Bedroom 1

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 2

2 Single Beds

1 bathroom, 1 half bathroom

Bathroom 1

Soap · Bathtub or shower · Toilet · Shampoo · Hair dryer

Bathroom 2

Toilet

Spaces

Deck or patio
Porch or lanai
Kitchen
Kitchenette
Balcony
Outdoor play area
Garden
Dining area

About this property

Atmospheric mudbrick cottage - 300m to beach and close to Cowes town.

Walk to the beach and Cowes town from this, your perfect getaway. With a fenced, spacious back yard, electric heating/cooling and a wood fire - your Grape Escape awaits you! Our place is clean, cosy, private and exceptionally well located.

CENTRAL LOCATION - 900m approx. to main town and 300m approx. to the calm, north facing beach. Convenient yet peaceful.

The Grape Escape is set on a 700m2 approx. corner. Young children are safe in the fully fenced, spacious back yard, which is visible from the living area.

Perfect for your break any time of the year.

Owned by winemakers, this cosy, mud brick, slate floor cottage is a short walk to tje beach and town, and a short drive to the famous Penguin Parade, two wineries and numerous island surf beaches.

You are assured of prompt service and communication at all stages of your booking, as we strive to make your stay as relaxing as possible.

*Accommodates up to 4 people in 2 bedrooms (1 with semi ensuite).
*Natural insulation of mud brick and reverse cycle airconditioning keeps you cool in summer and warm in winter.
*Coonara fire place
*Luxurious leather lounge.
*1 queen bed and 2 single beds (a set of bunks). Doonas, covers &pillows provided. Bring linen or hire for $30 per bed per stay.
* Fully equipped kitchen - just bring food!
*Open plan kitchen, dining and living.
*Bathroom with shower over bath (shower screen door slides open to about 60cm) and toilet, plus separate toilet off laundry. Soa and shampoo provided.
*Washing machine, iron, hair dryer.
*Fully fenced back yard, visible from living area, great for keeping an eye on the children.
*Covered front verandah for extra outdoor living or carport.
*Family games, videos, cookbooks and books supplied.
*BBQ and Bocci set for playing in the fenced backyard.
*Large 700m2 (approx) corner block, you won't feel hemmed in.
*Feels like home!

Stroll to the north facing Cowes beach - voted "Best Beach for Kids in VIC" ... "The water is usually calm. The beach is wide, there's plenty of shade near there's not too far to go to reach the main street." (Herald Sun 4/1/18).

Walk along the beach near our place to the main street of Cowes, where you can enjoy coffee or a meal, whilst soaking up the atmosphere of this seaside village. The Cowes boat ramp is just a minute's drive away too and in good weather, you can have breakfast or lunch right on the beach at the rustic Boat Ramp cafe.

Within a short drive from the Grape Escape are the Penguin Parade, Koala Park, the cute village of Rhyll, indoor children activities, historic Churchill Island, fabulous wineries and some of Australia's best surf beaches.

The island also boasts Victoria's 'Best Beach Rocks' - being Cape Woolamai Forrest Caves, a series of caverns where sea has eroded the low tide the headlands at Smiths Beach have plenty of rock pools to explore.

Phillip Island is a famous perfect summer getaway - yet the Grape Escape offers an equally relaxing experience any time of year. In the cooler weather there is nothing better than an invigorating walk on the beach followed by nights by the Coonara fire with a family game, good book or a good friend!

Tarriffs

Bring your own bed linen and towels - or these can be hired for $30 per bed per stay. Tea towels,bath mat,doonas with covers and pillows are always provided.

Special rates apply for sporting events and linen is included for these rates.

A bond held by HomeAway. Our rental agreement is available on this site and by booking with us, you confirm your acceptance of these terms. We will also email you a copy. Please note that prices and inclusions may change without notice and confirmation of same will be supplied upon enquiry.

We look forward to welcoming you soon for your Grape Escape.

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About the area

Cowes

Located in Cowes, this holiday home is near theme parks and by the sea. The area's natural beauty can be seen at Phillip Island Coastal Reserve and Ventnor Bushland Reserve, while National Vietnam Veterans Museum and Pt Leo Estate Sculpture Park are cultural highlights. Phillip Island Leisure Centre and Phillip Island Wildlife Park are also worth visiting. Discover the area's water adventures with kayaking and scuba diving nearby, or enjoy the great outdoors with ecotours and mountain biking.
Map
Cowes, VIC

What's nearby

  • Phillip Island Coastal Reserve - 2 min walk - 0.2 km
  • Cowes Beach - 3 min walk - 0.3 km
  • Phillip Island Leisure Centre - 3 min drive - 1.9 km
  • Silverleaves Beach - 3 min drive - 2.7 km
  • Phillip Island Wildlife Park - 3 min drive - 3.1 km

Getting around

  • Baxter Station - 73 min drive
  • Melbourne, VIC (AVV-Avalon) - 143 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Hotel Phillip Island - ‬17 min walk
  • ‪Chapel Lane - ‬15 min walk
  • ‪Isola di Capri - ‬16 min walk
  • ‪Nat’s Fish And Chips - ‬17 min walk
  • ‪Pino's Trattoria - ‬17 min walk

Reviews

9.6

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 51 out of 63 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 11 out of 63 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 1 out of 63 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 63 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 63 reviews

9.8/10

Cleanliness

9.8/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

9.8/10

Location

9.8/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified

8/10 Good

Neil H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Good location
Stayed 5 nights in Dec 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

JAMES D.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Excellent home and facilities. Great location. Friendly and helpful host. A very enjoyable experience.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 12 Mar 2026
Thanks so much for your positive review, and for being fantastic guests. We hope to welcome you back sometime soon.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Cathy E.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Very Comfy home
Stayed 10 nights in Mar 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 17 Mar 2026
Thank you, we always want our guests to feel at home, so glad that this was the case for you!
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Selly O.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Wonderful property in a fantastic location , Minutes from the beach and short walk to the shops. Anna is a very thoughtful host with great communication. The house has a very cosy feel , yet has a large enclosed backyard for those with kids that like to run around . A very lovely stay !
Stayed 7 nights in Dec 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 28 Dec 2025
Thank you Selly, it was such a delight to host you and your family. I am glad you found the location and house to your liking, and hope to welcome you again soon.
Archival

10/10 Excellent

Craig T.

Awesome value and lovely owner

The house was very clean and tidy, really good value, would recommend anyone to stay.
Response from VrboOwner on 29 Mar 2020
Thanks Craig, appreciate your positive feedback and hope to see you back again soon!
Verified

10/10 Excellent

BRETT B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great eacape

Great location in a quality cottage
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2020
Response from VrboOwner on 29 Mar 2020
Thanks Brett, it was lovely to have you and your family stay.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Suzanne L.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Lovely house

A great stay. Loved the fire. The house had everything we needed.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2021
Response from VrboOwner on 19 July 2021
Thanks Suzanne for your 5 star review, we loved having you and your family stay. Glad that the fireplace made your winter escape atmospheric and that you had all that you needed in the house to enjoy the break.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Celia H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect spot on Phillip Island

Great atmosphere in this beautiful mud brick home with lovely cool slate floors. Close to all the attractions.
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 2 Jan 2023
Thanks for staying and for your kind review Celia. It was a pleasure to host you and your family.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Sally P.

Cosy home, great hosts, great location.

The house feels like a home, has everything you need. Very clean, and in a great central location. Anna is a great host, she goes out of her way to make you feel welcome. Thanks Anna, you helped make our stay fantastic!
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2018
Response from VrboOwner on 29 Mar 2020
Thank you Sally for your kind comments. It was a great pleasure hosting you and I'm so glad that our home met your expectations and needs. We love sharing our little slice of Phillip Island paradise with interstate visitors such as yourselves and hope to welcome you again sometime soon. Anna.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Mary ann F.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Close to beach

Beautiful large back yard.
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2022
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Arran A.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great

We had a fantastic holiday, great backyard!
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 21 Jan 2023
Thanks Arran for staying with us.. Glad that the large, fenced backyard was a feature of your visit! Hope to see you on the island again soon.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Andrea M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Family Holiday

We spent a lovely week as a family. Great location to go to the beach but also in walkable distance to the main street where all the restaurants and shops are. Backyard is amazing for kids to run around!!
Stayed 7 nights in Dec 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 8 Jan 2024
Thank you Andrea for your kind words. We're so glad the kids enjoyed the large backyard and that the location suited you. Hope to welcome you again someday soon.
Archival

10/10 Excellent

John M.

Enjoyable stay

Everything was fine. Anna is very well organised and we had clear instructions and all the details we needed for a trouble free stay
Response from VrboOwner on 29 Mar 2020
Hi John. Thank you so much for your kind words and 5 star rating. So glad you had a comfortable and enjoyable stay. Anna.
Archival

10/10 Excellent

Genevieve A.

Perfect for the price

Close to the beach and Cowes town, it was quiet, had all the comforts of home and was really well set up for kids. Lovely!
Response from VrboOwner on 29 Mar 2020
Thanks very much for that feedback and glad you found the Grape Escape met your needs. Hope to see you again soon.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Dona E.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

A great place for a family escape

We had a great time staying at the cottage. Lots of things around to entertain the children. A short walk to the beach, a visit to the wildlife park, and you can’t go past the chocolate factory. The cottage is a great size and easily accommodated our family of 4. We spent lots of time playing catch in the backyard while getting dinner ready. Looking forward to coming back x
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2024
Response from VrboOwner on 8 Nov 2024
Thank you for your kind words, Dona. We are glad our home suited your family so well and look forward to hosting you again some day.
Archival

10/10 Excellent

Michelle H.

A nice little charm!

We had a great time! Lovely&quiet corner, yet close enough to the main street&shops&food stores! 3 lovely bedrooms- perfect for our family! The only thing is - no rangehood to get rid of the smell if you cook sausages or food like that.Cookeries need upgrade. Otherwise highly recommend!
Response from VrboOwner on 29 Mar 2020
Dear Michelle, Thank you for your wonderful comments and 5 star rating, much appreciated and glad you found the Grape Escape to be quiet and suit your needs. Appreciate your feedback, we have been advised by tradespeople that we are unable to instal a rangehood due to the very high ceilings and stove location - however the stove is right next to a large window and we find that by opening the window the smell dissipates extremely effectively. We also find many guests prefer to use the barbeque for sausages etc. We hope to welcome you again and thanks so much for your high recommendation.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Kate R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great place

Lovely cottage with everything you need in a fantastic location!
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2021
Response from VrboOwner on 5 July 2021
Thank you so much Kate for your kind words. It was a pleasure to host you and your family and hope to do so again soon.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

marianne b.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great place for a family stay

Lovely home, everything we needed in a great location. Anna was helpful and friendly and we will definitely be back!
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2020
Response from VrboOwner on 9 July 2020
Thank you for your kind comments, it was an absolute pleasure hosting you. Look forward to seeing you again.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Fiona C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

.

.
Response from VrboOwner on 29 Mar 2020
Thanks Fiona. It was a pleasure hosting you.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

EMMA-KATE M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Cosy and welcoming

Well appointed cottage style accommodation with cosy fireplace that was lovely on cold evenings.
Response from VrboOwner on 29 Mar 2020
Thank you for your kind words. Glad pur fire made your stay cosy and enjoyable. Hope to welcome you again soon.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Michelle O.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great cosy cottage

Perfect for a mid winter stay on the island. Great location with an easy walk along the beach into town for coffee and the beach was at the end of the street! Anna was fantastic to deal with and made sure we had everything we needed for a lovely break!
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2019
Response from VrboOwner on 29 Mar 2020
Thank you for your kind words, it was a pleasure hosting your stay. Great to know you enjoyed your winter break on the Island and we hope to welcome you again soon.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Louis A.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Highly recommended

We had a great time at Grape Escape. Located close to all the shops in Cowes & stroll to the beach but in a quiet street, making everything easily accessible by foot. The house was lovely and perfect for a small family or group, and coming back at the end of the day to the fireplace topped things off.
Response from VrboOwner on 29 Mar 2020
Thank you so much for visiting and for your kind words . We're pleased your winter escape was an enjoyable one and hope to welcome you again soon.
From a partner site

10/10 Excellent

A truly beautiful home with the charm from been built from mud bricks with expose timber beams and a

A truly beautiful home with the charm from been built from mud bricks with expose timber beams and a timber ceiling, located on a quiet street, really nice take away shop around the corner and only 900mts from Cowes central. Would recommend and stay there again :)
Response from VrboOwner on 29 Mar 2020
Thank you so much for your kinds words. We hope to welcome you again soon.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Melanie R.

Great stay in a great little cottage

We booked to stay for 3 nights and Anna was super helpful in providing all the information we needed before we arrived, including some extra details on things to do while at Phillip Island. Upon arrival the welcome wine and snacks were very much appreciated :-) The cottage itself was neat and clean and really comfortable with everything we needed. The option to hire linen as well was great given we were on motorbikes. Would highly recommend
Response from VrboOwner on 29 Mar 2020
Dear Melanie, we truly appreciate your kind review and thank you for being such great guests. We hope to welcome you again soon. Best wishes - Anna, The Grape Escape.
Verified

6/10 Okay

Robynne M.

Not what I expected

On arrival the property did not feel welcoming with all curtains closed making it dark and a real chill in the air due to the mud brick walls and slate floors and no sun getting in to warm it up (which could be ideal for summer but was miserable in winter). It was very DIY for the price, ie byo linen and towels so had to make beds on arrival (you do this in a caravan park cabin for well under half the price of this property), byo wood for the fire, if you run out of gas call the company and organise more yourself (on the owners account), and a whole page of house keeping instructions which you do to get your bond back. After a sleepless night due to the cold, (we couldn't leave the doors open to warm the bedrooms due to the mix of guests) we realised there wasn't any milk (UHT or otherwise) or plain black tea bags to start the day with a nice cuppa. Again we had to byo these staples even the most basic accommodation usually provides. If we had known beforehand we would have packed these.The complimentary clean skin wine was a nice touch but some milk would have been more appreciated. And the only shower (a step up over a hip bath) was a really tight squeeze to get into between the small glass door opening and the position of the taps for anyone slightly overweight which made that an unpleasant experience. Not the owners fault but a heads up might have been handy before booking. The decor left a lot to be desired, was it rustic or just old, boho or just trash and treasure, some asian influences which could have been unwanted souvenirs and the 'nana' curtains didn't match anything. I wouldn't even say it was eclectic, just oddments. I think the styling of a property is very important to the overall welcome and feel. It was clean and comfortable and everything worked but I'm not sure it represented great value. Whilst the owner was very helpful, prompt to respond to questions and seems lovely, this property would not be a first choice for future visits. We've travelled a lot and stayed in plenty of accommodation of all standards but this one did not do it for us, sorry!
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2018
Response from VrboOwner on 29 Mar 2020
Thanks for your feedback Robynne and sorry our property did not meet all of your expectations. For the benefit of future guests, I would like to address the issues you raise as there are several inaccuracies. The curtains are drawn as a security measure, as it the case with most self check in properties, offering the convenience to check in at any time. There is a very efficient reverse cycle heater/air con which heats the home up quickly after arrival. We providefirewood for your first night in winter months and extra bedding. Gas is always topped up ready for our guests, we leave the phone number and give permission to call the gas supplier and book to our account in the unlikely event you run out, since the whole island is on bottled gas. I don't believe you ran out of gas so this was not an issue anyway. We do supply tea and coffee, spices and sugar on the open shelves as noted in your welcome letter, sorry you didn't see them. We are glad you enjoyed the complimentary bottle of wine however. In the 12 years of renting out our home and welcoming our own guests, we've not had anyone report problems getting into the shower. We spell out in our property description that there is a step over a small bath to get in. The sliding door opening is around 45cm and a person would need to be more than 'slightly overweight' not to be able to access the shower. However, I will add this detail to our property description, so thanks for the feedback as we agree it is very important the guests know as much as possible before they arrive. It is untrue that there is " a whole page of house keeping instructions which you do to get your bond back". In short, if there is no damage, missing items or excessive mess - bonds are refunded in full. We spell out clearly that BYO linen OR you can hire and have beds made up, which you did not book. Most prefer to save the money and bring linen. Our nearest caravan park is not "well under half the price" - they charge only slightly less than what you paid (which was long weekend rates) for a cabin far smaller than our home with no yard, while ours is nearly 700m2. Decor is highly subjective and a previewing photos on our site before booking is recommended. We do not purport to be a highly styled property and most of our guests, as you see from previous reviews enjoy a clean, cosy house with a fully fenced back yard, be minutes walk to the beach, have space to spread out and feel right at home - all for an affordable price.
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