Gold Coast Getaways: Byron Bay's secret escape

Behind the Byron beloved by Hemsworths and their hangers-on, a hidden cottage in the hills promises an escape from the crowds and heart-stopping room rates. FIND OUT THE DETAILS >>>

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BEHIND the Byron beloved by Hemsworths and their hangers-on, a hidden cottage in the hills promises an escape from the crowds and heart-stopping room rates.

Woollybutts, a country cottage with resort-level perks, rewards travellers who wander (ever so slightly) off the beaten track to the hinterland town of Federal.

Operating the holiday rental is a long-held dream for owners Nicola Reeves and Ivan Kain, who live next door.

“I grew up in the wilds of country Wales in the UK and Ivan by the sea in Cornwall, so Woollybutts represents a coming together of both of those histories – a country setting near the sea in a uniquely Australian environment,” Ms Reeves said.

Woollybutts is a luxe cottage and pool in the Byron Hinterland. Picture: Hayley Nedland

“We always wanted to open our home to visitors and travellers and bring our 20 years of travelling to bear in one place.

“Northern NSW provides the best of both worlds – a haven to escape the chaos of the city and yet close enough to airports, great restaurants and culture that you’re not missing out.

“When we saw Woollybutts we knew we had found that place.”

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The popular Airbnb listing was originally an overgrown, unloved shack, which the previous owners reclaimed from the wilderness, rebuilding it by hand over five years.

“The local stone walls took three months to build and more than 2000 local rainforest trees were planted, meaning the house and cottage now sit quietly in their environment, unseen from the road and a haven for local wildlife and the people who come to stay with us,” Ms Reeves said.

Woollybutts is a luxe cottage and pool in the Byron Hinterland. Photos must be credited to Hayley Nedland

“When we moved here, we named this place Woollybutts because the word felt so evocative to us – warm, cosy, friendly yet slightly wild and quirky, which seemed to suit both us and the place.”

While Woollybutts has the heart of a private home, it’s kitted out with five-star hotel extras, including Salus bathroom products, Sheridan towels, I Love Linen bedlinen and Nespresso coffee.

“We wanted to offer that level of luxury, without the ridiculous price tag,” Ms Reeves said.

“We love our 18m magnesium pool, deck, loungers and views, all completely private and hidden among 12 acres of glorious countryside.”

The hosts can help with a hit list of local attractions – from exploring Goonengerry National Park to canoeing up the Brunswick River and dropping in for a beer at Wandana Brewery – but curling up in the hammock with a good book is equally beguiling.

“My perfect day at Woollybutts means waking up to birdsong and grabbing breakfast on the veranda under the shade of an old poinciana tree with local sourdough and coffee provided,” Ms Reeves said.

“I’d then take a leisurely drive through the beautiful hinterland villages like Federal (grabbing a Doma sushi box on the way), Clunes, Bangalow and Mullumbimby and stopping at artisan food stores, antique shops and roadside stalls on the way.

“In the afternoon, you could come home to spend golden hour by the pool with a Brookie Gin sundowner and spend the night by the firepit under the starry skies.”

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BARN HEAVEN

Little Red Barn owner Rachel Luchetti says the only disappointing thing about her holiday home is she doesn’t get to enjoy it more often.

While the Sydneysider and husband Gerard Cook built their dream getaway in the hills behind Noosa, the Queensland border closure means it’s holiday-makers waking to birdsong, surveying the scenery from an alfresco clawfoot bath and taking the plunge in a heated concrete tank pool.

“My husband is a builder and he did everything himself – even the tiling,” Rachel says.

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“The idea was to use it as a holiday home a lot more than we can at the moment, and Airbnb it when we weren’t using it.

“It’s a long-term dream to pay it off and have it for ourselves, but we didn’t anticipate it would be so popular.

“It’s booked all the time, it’s been quite amazing.”

Rachel says the barn stay, which is around two and a half-hour’s drive from the Gold Coast, is booked until January – although there’s a chance local travellers can snap up some spots left by interstate cancellations.

Cosy for couples but roomy enough for a family, Little Red Barn sleeps up to seven guests across three bedrooms, with soaring vaulted timber ceilings, light-bathed interiors and some very photo-friendly features.

“People call it Instagrammable but it’s just full of the things that I like – like having a cast-iron bathtub on the veranda,” Rachel says.

“It’s straight off the ensuite and there’s a barn door so you can close it off for privacy.

“We have the concrete tank plunge pool heated all year round.

“You get those pool days that feel like summer in the middle of winter, then you can still put the fire on inside at night, or sit around the firepit.

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“I love the view of the top of the canopy through farmland.

“That’s why people say Little Red Barn is better than in the photos, because you can’t capture that view in a photo.”

The semirural setting is 15 minutes to Noosa’s retail and restaurant scene and five minutes to the quaint market town of Eumundi.

“It’s a balance of beach and country – they call it the golden triangle,” Rachel says.

“There are a few beaches to choose from within 20 minutes’ drive and Eumundi is such a cute little town.”

Rachel recommends a visit to the town’s eponymous markets – running every Saturday and Wednesday, whatever the weather.

“Eumundi also has a really great pub,” she says.

“The Store is great coffee and to pick up some organic produce.”