From Kangaroo Flat to Warburton: Popular Airbnb rentals in Victoria

From a straw-bale yurt to a a guesthouse built more than 100 years ago, these are the weird and wonderful Victorian properties travellers are dreaming of escaping to once restrictions ease.

Exclusive: Travel in all its forms might be off the menu for Victorians, but restrictions haven’t stopped them dreaming of where they’d like to take off to.

Airbnb has exclusively revealed to News Corp the incredible homes where travellers are hoping to kick back and relax.

A two-bedroom guesthouse built more than 100 years ago was Airbnb’s most ‘wish-listed’ home in Victoria for the period June to August.

Named “Stone Haven”, the charming home in Kangaroo Ground is just 45 minutes from Melbourne’s CBD.

Despite its age, the residence is well-appointed with a kitchen, bathroom and even hot tub on the deck where there guests can enjoy panoramic views of the Dandenongs.

An impressive two-bedroom abode in Smith’s Gully was also on travellers’ lists.

Located near the Yarra Valley wine region, it’s set on 18 acres featuring horses, goats and native wildlife.

Those hoping to escape were also looking at a home named “The Little White House” out in Emerald.

The stylishly-appointed, one-bedroom cottage has a bathroom set-up where visitors can relax in the tub and look out across the fields.

An uber-cool tiny house in Warburton was also on peoples’ wishlists.

Situated between the Redwood Forest and La La Falls, it features a full-sized kitchen and large bathroom, with mountain views from the deck.

It’s also completely off-grid; powered completely by solar.

Rounding out the top five was the “Alkira Eco-Glamping Retreat”, a straw-bale yurt in Emerald.

Nationally, popular listing types included farm stays, cottages and villas, according to Airbnb.

Pet-friendly accommodation was the most searched for amenity, followed by pool, kitchen, wireless internet and jacuzzi.

And in the last two weeks of August, the accommodation giant also recorded a 23 per cent increase in Australian home searches with at least one child in tow.

“It’s been really heartening to see Australians display such incredible enthusiasm for exploring their own backyard. We’re seeing a lot of demand for nearby stays in regional areas and towns, often places that are driving distance from capital cities. There’s certainly a trend towards longer term stays, as the notion of working from home becomes working from any home on Airbnb,” Country Manager for Airbnb Australia and New Zealand, Susan Wheeldon said.

Dr David Beirman, a tourism expert at the University of Technology Sydney, said the silver lining of the coronavirus pandemic was that travellers were now exploring their own backyards and finding Australia had some “fantastic destinations”.

Dr Beirman said even once interstate and international travel resumed, domestic tourism was still likely to benefit in the long run.

He believed travel bargains to some South East Asian destinations – Australian favourites like Bali and Thailand – would not be as cheap as what they were pre-COVID, with people instead looking to holiday across Australia or in there home state.

“I think there will be some apprehension around international travel generally, and airlines won’t be able to fit as many people on a flight if they’re adhering to social distancing rules,” Dr Beirman said.

“If flights aren’t running at full capacity and hotels don’t have as many quests, it’s likely they’ll look to increase prices.”

He said when holidaying in regional or rural Australia, tourists should make sure they are spending money at local stores and paying for experiences to help local economies.

Originally published as From Kangaroo Flat to Warburton: Popular Airbnb rentals in Victoria