Accommodation with a difference.
From tiny houses to houseboats and high altitude campsites, there are accommodation options in the Barrington Coast to satisfy the curious traveller. Check out our list of unique places to rest your head.
Myall River Camp
Live luxe in a tiny house
Here's a golden opportunity to hide yourself in serene, eco-friendly campground resting on the banks of the Myall River at Hawks Nest. The luxe choices here are difficult: do you take a safari-style glamping tent or a rustic tiny house? [Sigh] They're both excellent choices and either way you'll love the tranquillity of nature's playground here.
The glamping tents offer an immediate on-location-in-Africa feel, you'll be reaching for that first Windhoek or Amstel lager in no time. The luxe here is fully covered: dreamy four poster bed, ensuite and sunken lounge overlooking the river. Tip: Reserve all three tents for an exclusive escape for family and friends in a private enclave on the riverfront and practice your best Meryl Streep africaans accent.
For a 21st century eco-conscious getaway, the charm of the tiny houses will match your satisfaction of holidaying sustainably. Small but mighty, these tiny houses tick all your eco demands: solar powered, recycled timber and iron construction, reclaimed windows and repurposed scrap timber. Individually furnished and decorated, the luxe is evident: cosy bed with quality linen, ensuite with hot shower and botanical toiletries. Tip: Don't forget the marshmallows to toast on the outdoor fire pit as you ponder how small an impact you're having on this beautiful landscape.
Forster Houseboat Hire
Aye aye captain
Enjoy a night floating on the pristine waters of Wallis Lake with Forster Houseboat Hire.
Like a mobile holiday house, houseboats are fully self-contained with everything you need for that truly independent holiday experience. Skippering your own boat means that you can go wherever you want, or just pull into a protected cove on Wallis Lake for a swim or some time ashore. Or wet the line and catch your own dinner to be cooked in the fully functional kitchen or on the deck barbecue. Fall asleep with the sounds of the lapping water against the hull knowing tomorrow you’ve got even more to explore on the lake. And you don't even need a boat licence to operate one.
Forster Houseboat Hire offers several boats to choose from. You’ll need to book well in advance as these are very popular in the warmer months in the Barrington Coast.
Barrington Eco Hut
Live the minimalist lifestyle
If you’re seeking a holiday spot away from modern technology and noise, look no further. Barrington Eco Hut is an alluring, off-grid cabin designed purely for relaxing among nature.
Designed with the goal of getting Aussies to spend time in remote, picturesque locations, without disturbing the surrounding environment, Barrington Eco Hut offers guests an escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
You’ll find no phone reception or wi-fi at here allowing you to immerse yourself in the beautiful surroundings. This tiny house is a mere 14 square metres of interior space (less than a third of the size of a typical one-bedroom city apartment!).
Among the eco-friendly features of the cabin are an integrated off-grid solar system, rigid foam insulation that creates minimal air gaps (perfect for the cooler temperatures of Barrington Tops), a composting toilet; and carbon-neutral Weathertex exterior cladding.
Situated high in Cobark, the hut is perfectly located as a base camp to explore the parklands of Barrington Tops. Or simply sit around the fire, gaze at the stars, relax in the hammock, read a book, or just be.
Amaroo Escape
Canvas-covered luxury
Being adults only, Amaroo Escape is the ultimate couples retreat where you can immerse yourself in the natural beauty of our private property set on 180 hectares near Gloucester.
Relax country style in one of our three luxury eco glamping tents with beautiful views of the Manning River and surrounding bushland. Each luxury tent sleeps up to 2 adults in a king bed and boasts a custom kitchenette and ultimate bathroom experience offering every indulgence.
Amaroo Escape is designed to allow the beauty of nature and the landscape to dominate, while providing layers of well appointed luxury.
Kings Creek Retreat
Country-western dreams come true
How about a country-western themed break where you can stay in fully furnished tipis? Kings Creek Retreat is an absolutely unique farmstay experience for small groups from 10-30 people.
It boasts a fully equipped kitchen, barn-sized games room, arcade games, juke box with 7,000 songs, lawn games, swimming pool and wood fired pizza oven.
To complete your country-western getaway you can create your own dream catcher or feather head dress and take to the podium for your own country-western music moment!
Devil's Retreat, Barrington Tops
Have a devil of a time
The Barrington Coast is home to the largest conservation breeding program for the Tasmanian devil on mainland Australia, Aussie Ark. The organisation has a vision of creating a long-term future for threatened Australian wildlife.
To help fund their vision, Aussie Ark have a range of fundraising initiatives like devil adoption, Ark Tours and Devil's Retreat, a 4-bedroom home located just 11km from the Aussie Ark site.
With all of the essentials to ensure a relaxing getaway in the mountains, you’ll find yourself wishing to stay longer. Your stay includes a 2.5 hour “Devils in the Wild” tour of Aussie Ark for all guests, normally valued at $150 per person. Time your stay for the devil breeding season and you might even get to hold a baby joey devil!
The location also gives guests amazing access to the parklands of Barrington Topsincluding the nearby Polblue Falls, Polblue Swamp, Honeysuckle Forest Walk and Devils Hole Lookout.
A great thing about a stay at Devils Retreat is knowing that it helps Aussie Ark on their mission to save Australia’s most vulnerable species.
Polblue Campground, Barrington Tops National Park
High altitude camping
Did you know the Barrington Coast is home to the highest campground in NSW that you can drive to?
So forget the hiking backpacks, compass and snow shoes and instead bring your camper trailer for some comfy camping at the highest spot outside the Australian Alps!
Set amongst subalpine woodland, Polblue is a spacious campground centred around a grassy picnic area, and set away from the main road so it’s perfect for camping with children. The campground has sites suitable for caravans & camper trailers and offers easy access to some of the best attractions in the parklands of Barrington Tops, including the easy Polblue Swamp walking track.
Polblue is also the perfect location to see snow, with regular flurries occurring in the winter months. A solid dump in the 2018 left 10cm of snow at the campground!
At 1500m above sea level the camp is often cold throughout the year so be sure to bring warm, weather proof clothes.
To book your site and check park alerts head to the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service website.
Broughton Island, Myall Lakes National Park
Deserted island escape
North of Hawks Nest, 2km from the coast sits Broughton Island, the only place in NSW where you camp among an active seabird colony with the island a key breeding location for wedge-tailed shearwaters. With only 5 campsites, you’ll feel like you own the island!
Bring your snorkelling equipment and enjoy the crystal clear waters. The waters off Broughton Island are also known as a grey-nurse shark congregating location so keep an eye out for these friendly fish when snorkelling.
Walk the tracks of the island or enjoy some relaxing time on one of the secluded beaches.
Access to Broughton Island is by boat only and you must book in advance through the NSW National Parks website.
Boogie Woogie Beach House, Old Bar
Get your groove on
Voted “the best music hotel on the planet to completely rock your world”, the Boogie Woogie Beach House in Old Bar is a reminder that life can be as simple as in the days of listening to vinyl records.
The Boogie Woogie Beach House is more than music-themed, it’s music everything. There’s a Ziggy Suite, with a mosaic portrait of David Bowie in the shower. The Blondie Family Room features another shower mosaic, along with an Instagram-ready gold bathtub. And the Mix Tape room features a cassette-print bedspread. There’s a record-player in every room and guests are encouraged to grab vinyls from a stack on the wall in the hallway to take back to their room and play.
What really stands out at Boogie Woogie Beach House is the live music scene. It’s been carefully curated and the attention to detail shows. The rooms sit above Flow Bar which hosts live music on their massive deck and draws crowds of locals and visitors too. If you have a rock star hangover, brekky at the restaurant is epic and restorative.
The building has a beautiful history and magical ambiance, being over 100 years old, and is a must visit for any music lover.
