Hey, Mr. Warrawee Man, play a song for me
I’m quite sleepy and there’s a place I’m goin’ to
Hey, Mr. Warrawee Man, play a song for me
In the cool St Helens mornin’ I’ll come followin’ you…
For the finest bed ‘n’ breakfast in Tasmania, just look for The Warrawee Man! The chap in the hat points the way to the historic Warrawee guesthouse, on the outskirts of the waterside village of St Helens.
Dashing, dapper and – dare I say it – just a little bit debonair, The Warrawee Man enchants with his moustachioed grin and old world charm. From his handsome necktie to his sensible green slacks, this Big likes to dress to impress!
Warrawee owner Eric Lawson created the giant gentleman in the 1980s, piecing him together from leftover plumbing supplies – and he quickly became pipe-ular with locals and tourists alike.
Overlooking the majestic Georges Bay, the Warrawee guesthouse is an oasis of comfort and class along Tassie’s burly east coast. Despite the luxurious beds and peaceful setting, don’t expect a good night’s sleep – you’ll be too busy peeking out the window at the Big Thing in the font yard.
It’s also a bodacious base for visiting the regions other oversized roadside attractions, such as The Tin Dragon, The Pondering Frog and The Big Thumbs Up..
Warrawee is the perfect place to spend the night – or a whole Warra-weekend!
My Weekend with Wee Man
Bigella, sadly, was unavailable for this trip, so I visited with one of her former beaus – beloved Jackass star, Jason Acuña. Better known as Wee Man, he seemed like the perfect comrade to take to the Warrawee Man.
As a bonus, his petite stature would emphasise the grand stature of the hatted heartthrob.
“Oh Bigs, dude,” Wee Man – perched atop a phone book – chirped as we parked outside the bed ‘n’ breakfast. “We certainly make strange bedfellows.”
“Well, you won’t take up as much of the bed as Bigella does.”
“Yes,” Wee Man sneered, struggling to look out the window, “she ‘s a bit of a bed-hog, isn’t she?”
Ignoring his pithy repartee, I helped Wee Man out of the car so we could take some inspirational photos with The Warrawee Man.
“Dude, I like his top hat,” cheered Wee Man. “Maybe you should get one, Bigs. You know, to cover your bald spot.”
“Maybe you should get a top hat, Wee Man,” I shot back. “You know, so people stop mistaking you for a garden gnome.”
Harsh words hung heavy in the sultry St Helens morning. Suddenly, I understood why Bigella jilted Wee Man at the altar.
“Geez, Bigs, I always thought you were cheap,” Wee Man wheezed, gesturing towards the guesthouse. “But I’m impressed you had enough money for us to stay in a bed ‘n’ breakfast.”
“Bed ‘n’ breakfast?” I chuckled. “Oh no, Wee Man – when I said BnB, I meant Big Things ‘n’ breakfast. Well, we’ve seen the Big Thing, now I’ll get you a breakfast burrito and pop you on the next ferry back to Munchkinland!”
xxxxxx
gentleman
Wee-Man
According to my Gran Warrawee was and still most likely is owned by Barb and Eric Lawson. Eric worked for Bell Bay Aluminium and was an incredible wood worker having completed all the cabinetry and renovations of Warrawee. When Eric and Barb took over Warrawee it was aging in need of considerable work.
Eric built the Warawee man out of plumbing supplies to advertise their BnB which ran first out of the house and then later as they downsized out of the cottage.
Built in in 1904, Warrawee has commanding views over Georges Bay and on to the hills beyond. Set on seven acres, Warrawee is a quiet, comfortable, smoke free house with a cottage style garden and farmyard animals.
Each of the main bedrooms and guest lounge has bay views and also open out to the verandah.