Penguin & Bear founders - Clare & Ian
About Us
Penguin & Bear is a boutique property business focused on creating comfortable, well managed homes for long term tenancies. While we began in short stay accommodation, our focus has evolved to providing quality rental properties that tenants can truly settle into and feel at home.
Originally launched as an Airbnb venture in Prince Edward Island, Canada, Penguin & Bear has since expanded to Melbourne, Australia. Today, we primarily offer long term rentals, alongside a select holiday property on the Mornington Peninsula.
How Penguin & Bear came to be
We, Ian (Penguin) and Clare (Bear), met in Australia in 2014.
With a shared love of travel and discovering places beyond the typical path, we spent our early years meeting in different corners of Australia, often choosing locally run stays that offered a more personal connection to each destination.
Clare first visited Prince Edward Island for Christmas in 2015 and quickly fell in love with its natural beauty and welcoming community. Ian’s cottage, built just before moving to Australia, became the starting point for what would grow into Penguin & Bear - a business inspired by the places and experiences we value most.
Our Approach
We believe a home should be more than just a place to stay — it should feel easy, comfortable, and well cared for.
Our focus is on providing thoughtfully maintained properties, reliable service, and a seamless rental experience for our tenants. While our business has grown and evolved, our commitment remains the same: creating spaces people are happy to call home.
The Latest - Our blog, Red Sticks
We encourage our guests to slow down, put their feet up and enjoy all the community comforts of island country living. Please check our blog, Red Sticks for all the latest tidbits and stories from the island.
Media:
Journal Pioneer - January 2018
The Guardian - April 2020
https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/lifestyles/local-lifestyles/tyne-valley-pei-woman-starts-project-thank-you-to-help-others-send-cards-of-gratitude-during-pandemic-442505/
CBC - May 2020
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-project-thank-you-1.5547164