🌿 Living Guidelines at Berry Springs Farmstay
Welcome to Berry Springs Farmstay — a peaceful, off-grid rural property where our animals, nature, safety, privacy and respect for one another come first. 🌴🐾
Everyone staying on the property — including residents, guests, caretakers and animal carers — is expected to follow the guidelines applicable to their stay.
🐾 Animals & Nature Come First
Berry Springs Farmstay is an animal-focused property. The safety and welfare of our animals always come first.
If you do not enjoy living around animals, wildlife, insects or normal animal sounds, this may not be the right place for you.
🐕 Our dogs may bark when they detect people, vehicles or movement. Our guardian dog is here specifically to alert us to movement and help protect the property and animals.
Do not approach the guardian dog and do not enter animal areas or other areas that are not allocated to you.
Do not feed, handle or enter the enclosure of any animal unless you have permission or it forms part of your agreed animal-care role.
Always close and secure animal gates and enclosures immediately.
🎧 Complete silence cannot be guaranteed. If you are noise-sensitive, please bring earplugs or comfortable headphones/headsets for sleeping.
🐸 Wildlife
Please do not kill or spray frogs, geckos, spiders or insects. They are part of the natural ecosystem of our property, and many help control mosquitoes and other pests naturally.
🐸🦎 Leave frogs and geckos alone where possible.
🕷️ Do not touch unfamiliar spiders.
🐝 Do not spray bees, wasps or unfamiliar insects.
🐍 Never approach, touch or attempt to move a snake. Keep your distance and contact the owner.
If you’re unsure, don’t touch it — ask.
🏡 Privacy, Boundaries & Access
This is a private rural property. Please stay within the areas allocated to your accommodation or role.
- Do not wander around the property.
- Use only designated paths and access points.
- Do not any areas unless authorised.
- Do not enter, walk through or gather around another person’s accommodation.
- Respect the owner’s private areas.
🚫 The owner’s house, verandah and immediate surroundings are private unless access is specifically included with your accommodation or your House Pet Sitter role.
Do not walk behind the house unless that area forms part of your allocated accommodation, designated access route or agreed role.
👥 Visitors require prior owner approval.
If you’re unsure whether you may enter or use an area, ask first.
⚡ Power – ALWAYS Unplug
ALL electrical appliances must be physically unplugged when not in use. Switching them off is not enough.
☀️ Use high-power appliances during sunny daylight hours whenever possible.
⛈️ During storms, unplug electrical equipment when it is safe to do so.
❄️ No overnight air conditioning unless specifically approved.
Finished using it = unplug it.
💧 Water – ALWAYS Turn It Off
ALL taps, hoses and water outlets must be completely turned off immediately after use. Never leave water running unattended.
This applies everywhere, including bathrooms, outdoor kitchens, gardens, irrigation and animal areas.
A forgotten tap can empty a water tank and damage the water pump.
🌙 If you hear the pump running unexpectedly, check immediately. If you cannot find the cause or the pump continues running, contact the owner.
Finished using water = check it is OFF.
🍳 Cooking – OUTSIDE Only
No cooking appliances or cooking equipment may be brought into, stored or used inside bedrooms or accommodation rooms.
All cooking equipment must remain in your designated outdoor kitchen/cooking area.
🔥 Gas cookers and gas bottles must never be stored or used near the solar battery.
This is an important fire, fume and animal-safety rule.
🧺 Washing Machine
🕙 Washing machine use starts at 10:00 AM only.
At 10:00 AM we fill the water tanks and have enough solar power to run the machine.
📅 Please ask the owner the evening before to reserve it for you.
🧴 Bring your own detergent.
💧 The owner will help you start the machine due to the special water connection.
Need to wash at another time? Please use a laundromat in Coolalinga or Humpty Doo.
🚪 Doors, Gates & Toilets – ALWAYS Closed
Accommodation, house and bathroom doors must ALWAYS remain closed. Never leave doors standing open, even briefly.
This helps prevent animals escaping and frogs, geckos, snakes, mosquitoes and other wildlife from entering.
Always close and secure gates and animal enclosures immediately after use.
🚽 Toilet lids must ALWAYS be closed when not in use. Frogs and occasionally other wildlife may enter bathroom and toilet areas.
Flush → check → close the lid.
👟 Outdoor Shoes – OUTSIDE Only
Never enter your accommodation room or the house wearing outdoor shoes, and never bring outdoor shoes inside.
Keep your outdoor shoes neatly beside your door. This is an important hygiene and biosecurity rule.
🕷️🐸 Always check inside your shoes before putting them on for spiders, frogs, insects or other small visitors.
Outdoor shoes stay outside – check before wearing.
🗑️ Rubbish – Remove DAILY
All rubbish must be placed securely in your own vehicle and removed from the property every day.
Do not leave or store rubbish in or around your accommodation, the house, verandah, outdoor kitchen, bathrooms or shared areas.
🍺 This includes bottles, cans and alcohol-related rubbish.
🐾 Food waste and packaging can attract wildlife and may be dangerous to animals. Never leave rubbish accessible to animals or wildlife.
🧴 NO Chemicals or Insecticides
Do not use chemicals, insecticides, pesticides, bug bombs, aerosols, strong cleaners or other harsh products without owner approval.
This includes mosquito and insect sprays, air fresheners, fragranced sprays, bleach, ammonia, herbicides, weed killers, garden pesticides, solvents and paint sprays.
🦜 Fumes are extremely dangerous to parrots and may also harm dogs, farm animals, frogs, geckos and other wildlife.
If you’re unsure about a product: DON’T USE IT – ASK FIRST.
🧹 Cleanliness & Shared Facilities
Please keep your accommodation and any facilities allocated to you clean and tidy.
🧽 Clean the outdoor kitchen and bathroom after use and leave shared facilities ready for the next person.
🗑️ Remove rubbish daily and never leave food waste where animals or wildlife can reach it.
Please leave shared spaces clean after every use.
☀️ Off-Grid Living
Berry Springs Farmstay operates using solar power, battery storage and bore water.
☀️ Please conserve power and use high-power electrical appliances during sunny daylight hours.
🔥 After sunset, use the designated gas cooking facilities instead of high-power electric cooking appliances.
🔦 Keep a headlamp or torch with you at night rather than lighting large outdoor areas.
🦟 Bright outdoor lights attract mosquitoes, moths and other insects. Turn unnecessary lights off.
🏊 Pool Access & Safety
Pool access is not automatically included with every stay. Use the pool only when it has been approved as part of your arrangement.
🕙 Pool hours: 10:00am–7:00pm.
- 🚿 Rinse off before entering.
- 🚫 No diving or jumping.
- 🚫 No running around the pool.
- 🚫🍺 No pool use while under the influence of alcohol or medication.
- 🥤 No food or drinks in the pool or poolside area.
- 🥃 No glass.
- 👙 Appropriate swimwear only.
- 🐾 No pets in the pool.
- 🤫 Quiet swimming – no shouting or excessive splashing.
- 👥 No visitors without prior approval.
- 🧺 Bring your own towel.
- ✨ Leave the area clean and tidy.
👶 Children under 16 must be supervised by a responsible adult at all times.
⚠️ There is no lifeguard. Please use the pool responsibly and follow the property safety rules.
The poolside area is not a general social or gathering area and just for swimming. Please use the designated campfire area for socialising.
🍺 Alcohol, Visitors & Quiet Living
🍺 Alcohol must be moderate, responsible and private. Excessive drinking or intoxication is not appropriate on the property.
🚫 Illegal drugs are not permitted.
👥 Visitors require prior owner approval.
🔇 This is a quiet rural property. No parties, loud talking, shouting, excessive noise or loud music.
🔥 The designated campfire area may be used for socialising when conditions and fire restrictions allow.
Please respect other people’s accommodation, privacy and quiet enjoyment of the property.
🌩️ Storms & Severe Weather
During storms or severe weather:
- ⚡ Unplug electrical equipment before the storm starts.
- 🪑 Secure loose outdoor items.
- 🚪 Keep doors and gates secured.
- 💧 Follow any instructions relating to pumps or water systems.
- 🐾 Animal Carers must follow any specific storm instructions for their animals.
📹 Security & Safety
Security cameras may be used around the property for safety, security and protection of the animals and property.
Keep gates closed and report anything unusual.
👤 If you notice an unfamiliar person or suspicious activity, contact the owner promptly and provide the time, location and any useful details.
🚨 If there is an immediate threat to people or property, call 000.
🚨 Emergency & Reporting
☎️ For a human emergency, fire or life-threatening situation, call 000 first.
Please promptly report:
- 🐾 Sick, injured, missing or endangered animals
- 💧 Major leaks or a continuously running water pump
- ⚡ Electrical problems
- 🚪 Broken gates, fences or animal enclosures
- 🐍 Snakes in accommodation or frequently used areas
- ⛈️ Serious storm or property damage
- 👤 Suspicious or unfamiliar persons
📱 Urgent animal or property issue: contact the owner by BOTH SMS and WhatsApp – 0487 011 958
For non-urgent maintenance, animal, water, pool or property issues, please send an SMS or WhatsApp.
If you’re unsure, ask rather than guess. 😊
🐾 Animal Carers & Pet Sitters
Animal Carers and Pet Sitters must follow these Property Guidelines together with their specific animal-care, access, safety and biosecurity instructions.
Animal welfare and safety have priority. Complete your agreed routines, secure doors, gates and enclosures, and promptly report any animal welfare or safety concern to the owner..
House Pet Sitters and Farm Animal Sitters must follow the separation and biosecurity rules for their particular role.
If you are unsure about an animal, routine or instruction, ask rather than guess.
🌿 Shared Responsibility
By staying at Berry Springs Farmstay, you acknowledge that you have been provided with these guidelines and are expected to follow the rules applicable to your stay.
By respecting boundaries, conserving power and water, protecting our animals and wildlife, and keeping your area clean, you help keep Berry Springs Farmstay safe, sustainable and peaceful for everyone. 💚
📱 SMS & WhatsApp: 0487 011 958