As good as the place looks in the photos, the reality is even better. The house is stunning, retaining all the charm of its heritage while also feeling fresh and modern (and clean: my extremely arachnophobic wife had zero problems during our stay). It rained most of the time we stayed, but that only made warming up in front of the fire all the more satisfying. The garden is teeming with birds, and the family of kookaburras that joined us for breakfast each day was a particular highlight. We couldn't have had a more enjoyable or relaxing time in the hills, and I can't recommend Ray's place highly enough.