Cooma fashion business birdsnest has spread its wings and ventured into the tourism sector proper, opening up boutique accommodation in the town in renovated 1860s-era townhouses.
The successful online fashion house already attracts visitors to its bricks and mortar store in Cooma - and now the accommodation gives them a reason to stay a little longer.
Birdsnest founder Jane Cay was busy on Friday preparing to welcome the first guests to the Nest Stays terraces, which are in Lambie Street, the original main street of Cooma and the location of some of the town's most beautiful old homes.
The renovated side-by-side terraces - one four bedrooms, the other three bedrooms - are tailormade for girls' trips to Cooma.
They are a five-minute walk from the birdsnest HQ at the top of Sharp Street, which makes for a great chance to shop and stay.
But Jane Cay, Cooma born and bred, also saw it as a chance to persuade visitors to explore more of the high country town and surrounds.
"Sometimes these things just pop. Honestly, we found out about these beautiful terraces a week before the auction. So it was a bit spontaneous at the time," she said.
"I think the love of Cooma drove it. I think it's such a beautiful place to come and visit. We're often not the destination as such. We're often on the way to the destination and Cooma is so vibrant at the moment.
"There are so many people in town for Snowy 2.0, everyone's lifting their game and investing in their business. The pub put a great pizza oven and beer garden in. The Thai has just been redone and it's a beautiful restaurant.
"We realise people are travelling to visit us and quite often they're coming in groups so it made a lot of sense to complete that for them.
"But we're only one part of the story and we think this is a perfect opportunity to collaborate with other local businesses."
Birdsnest has gone from strength to strength and now employs 150 people in the country town.
"The store team is a lot bigger than it's ever been," Cay said.
It has also recently opened a private shopping area called The Nest next to the main shop for small groups.
"So you can come with a group of women and have bubbles and sort of be a little away from the hectic-ness of the store, which is great fun but if you've travelled all the way there with a group of people, it creates a private space," Cay said.
Cay and her teams have curated Birdsnest Getaway' packages which are designed for groups of between two and 10 people. They include two nights' accommodation at Nest Stays, a $50 birdsnest voucher per person, and an intimate shopping experience in the Nest Lounge with bubbles, nibbles and a dedicated host.
Cay is excited to be finally sharing the accommodation with the big wide world.
"I'm so nervous," she said, with a laugh. "Even though you've been in business for a while, it feels like a new industry. And we know how to look after people but in that hospitality space, you have to step it up that one level to really give people a great experience."
Bookings can be made here.
