We stayed at the Bally Vista & Dalfruin B&B last year for two nights during the Melbourne Cup holiday long weekend. We drove to Bairnsdale from Melbourne on the Friday night and there was a massive storm which slowed our approach significantly. This meant that we didn't arrive until around 11pm that night (we originally planned to arrive at around 8-9pm!) Andrea & Keith were very understanding of our circumstances and waited up for us to arrive so that we could check in and get access to our room.

We stayed in the gorgeous Garden Suite which looks out over the beautiful English-style garden on the property. The suite is a self-contained apartment with a kitchenette. The room is absolutely gorgeous, decorated in a French provincial style. The bedroom was very comfortable. Continental breakfast is provided in the kitchenette, with servings of bread, cereals, jams, milk, juice, etc topped up each day.

Unfortunately, it rained during most of our stay so we couldn't spend any time in the garden, but it was very romantic watching the rain through the glass doors. The lawns did get a bit muddy due to the rain and it was a bit messy walking to and from our room as a result.

Andrea and Keith were both helpful with suggestions about places to eat and things to do around Bairnsdale.

The only negative was that the guests staying in the room directly above our apartment were very loud and clomped around a lot (perhaps they had kids with them). This is hardly the fault of the business but it did mean that we were woken early on the Sunday morning when we wanted to have a sleep-in; it took away from the serenity of the experience that morning and I remember being quite irate about it at the time.

All in all, it is a beautifully decorated and well-kept bed and breakfast, with friendly hosts and in an easy-to-find location. There is lots of street parking if you're driving and the nightly rate is very competitive.

A gem of a find in country Victoria!