So you want to go off-grid for a weekend—but you’d rather dine out than cook over a campfire. You want a trip away without feeling guilty about your environmental footprint—but you also want a hot tub and air-conditioning. Or maybe you just want to get back to nature—but you don’t want to drive more than an hour and a half out of the city.
Well we’ve found a hidden spot that ticks all those boxes and then some, tucked away in the Gold Coast hinterland just outside Springbrook National Park. Palmer & Gunn is a one-of-a-kind, sustainable tiny house where you can spend a blissful, slow weekend, doing nothing more than enjoying the moment.
Made using reclaimed materials and vintage furnishings—including a claw-footed bathtub and a cute vintage gas stove for you to cook dinner on should you wish—the wee house is completely off the grid, using solar power, creek water and even a compost toilet. Not that you’ll be without a single mod-con—the couple behind Palmer & Gunn have ensured you’ll have everything you could want on hand, from sun-powered air-conditioning and luxurious linen bedding to board games to play instead of missing wifi and phone reception.
Overlooking a burbling creek, you could fancy yourself in the middle of nowhere with just the crickets to keep you company—when really, you’re a mere 20 minutes from the centre of the Gold Coast. If you’re not one for cooking when on holidays, you could head to The Kitchens at Robina or further over to Burleigh for dinner, though we will say eating a chilled meal on the verandah and listening to the cricket symphony is honestly dreamy.
The real drawcard for a stay here however, is the wood-fire heated cedar wood hot tub perched right next to that creek. Fully out in the open, you can use it as a cold plunge pool or wait for it to heat up and take a cosy hot bath under the stars, preferably with a glass of wine in hand.
If you’re ready to leave mobile phone reception behind and spend a weekend with just the trees for company, you can check out all the details on Palmer & Gunn and book your stay right here.
Looking for more getaway ideas for this year? Here are 50 of Australia’s best trips right now.
Image credit: Morgan Kelly and JAY