Elise Croker

Have you ever wondered how some people seem to achieve so much more than you ever can? Well, that may be how Elise Croker makes you feel… nurse, mother of four, sheep and cattle farmer, and the style-guru behind not one, but two, boutique luxury accommodation establishments in the Southern Tablelands!

Her first venture, Eldorado Cottage, described as a thoughtfully curated home for the conscious traveller, is a roaring success. Boasting 360 degree views of a spectacular high country working sheep and cattle farm, the fully off grid cottage is stunning and constantly booked out. Her new venture, Mister Munro, promises to be exceptional too, celebrating in style the history of a grand old Victorian Townhouse in Crookwell, once the shop and residence of the local tailor, Mr Munro.

‘How does she do it?’ is the question we all ask? Well, she loves it! People are Elise’s passion. She loves being a nurse and says it feels natural to draw on her intrinsic nursing intuition and nurturing instinct to create spaces for people to feel good in. A born and bred local country girl, she also loves to give others the chance to experience country living and the sense of community in the region’s small towns and villages.

The surprise for Elise in her Eldorado and Mister Munro journeys has been how much she has enjoyed researching the history of the region, the people and way of life. The evidence can be seen throughout her styling, almost every item Elise has used in Eldorado Cottage and Mister Munro is vintage, homemade or previously owned and reminiscent of times long gone. Elise clearly also discovered a real design talent! Drawing on Scandinavian principles, she has used bold colours in Eldorado to frame the outlooks and capture that feeling of being immersed in a rugged environment. With Mister Munro, it’s all about championing the original features, such as the original French doors found hidden in the back shed. In both cases, the result is something beautiful, inspiring and memorable.

To create the perfect getaway for her guests, Elise recommends her visitors to Eldorado stop off on their way in at Crookwell or Taralga to pick up local supplies, such as premium beef from Meat’s a Treat in Crookwell, gumboots for country walks at the Crookwell Footwear Shop, jams from the Taralga General Store, a great coffee from the Grand Ettie Café and bread from The Argyle Inn, then settle in, disconnect and relax. She has mapped out some relaxing bushwalks to take around the farm, complete with a picnic stop by the dam and a sunset vantage point on the ridge. If people want to venture out, she suggests a meal at one of the local eateries, such as the beautiful Laggan Pantry. When it comes to Mister Munro, she is excited to see the workshops offered by the new Ensemble&Co in Crookwell, such as garden design or pottery, as that too will be great drawcard for visitors.

Elise firmly believes that there’s no need to sacrifice culture, good food and wine or style during a visit to the country. We agree! Follow Elise on Instagram at both @eldorado_cottage and @mistermunro to feel part of something special.

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