My wife, two kids (5 & 2) recently stayed at the Ranger's Cottage. What a wonderful experience!
Our circumstances were quite unique, having lived abroad for 13 years our family was finally repatriating to Sydney. We decided on the Ranger's Cottage as a home base of sorts while we looked for rental accommodation.
The Cottage is fantastic. A spacious one bedroom cottage with a large lounge which comfortably slept our family. Warm even though we had a bit of a cold snap (in June) and well appointed. The surrounds were quintessentially Australian! Our children loved the bush surroundings, the nearby park and walks to the Forty Beans cafe just around the corner.
Felicity, our host, was so friendly and helpful during our stay. I cannot speak highly enough of her. The booking communication where she answered and clarified a number of questions I had was very prompt and detailed. I was delighted with her pre-arrival mail asking if there was specific breakfast choices (like bread and cereal) we'd like in the cottage on our arrival. Once we arrived, Felicity was only too happy to answer questions, give advice on places to entertain the little ones and just to say hi!
Overall I would highly recommend the Ranger's Cottage to anyone looking to experience Manly and Sydney. Being woken up by kookaburras is something I've missed and our stay was the perfect reintroduction to Sydney!