For once, an Aussie tiny house where the experience matches the hype

The place

Azaltie, Kangaroo Valley, NSW

Check-in

Lives up to the hype ... Azaltie tiny house, Kangaroo Valley.

It’s hard to go anywhere nowadays without tripping over a tiny house. After becoming popular in the US during the 2000s, the movement has gone global, encouraging people to live simpler, more sustainable lives by inhabiting compact, eco-friendly homes – even if it’s just for the weekend. Tiny Away has been at it since 2018, renting fully-furnished tiny homes to rural landowners in Australia, New Zealand and Asia so they can host stressed-out city dwellers. The aim is to offer urbanites “a place to escape from the city and recharge in nature”. Let’s see if it works.

The look

A (tiny) home among the trees.

Located a two-hour drive south of Sydney near the town of Kangaroo Valley, Azaltie is set on a 4.5-hectare property at the foot of Barrengarry Mountain. It’s a gorgeous spot with dozens of scribbly gums, a tannin-stained lake and an enclosure containing a pair of adorable Shetland ponies with 80s rockstar manes. The 1.5-storey tiny house has been strategically placed so you soon forget that the owners’ main residence is less than 100 metres away. But that doesn’t mean you won’t have company – the resident corellas, kookaburras, parrots, kangaroos and wombats (if you’re lucky) will all make an appearance.

The room

Bedroom with queen bed.

Each Tiny Away home is slightly different but all promise a well-equipped kitchenette, air-conditioning, a queen-size bed, a lounge area and a bathroom with a full-size shower and composting toilet. Although compact, Azaltie’s kitchen has everything you’d need to cook up a storm, including a microwave, induction cooktop, toaster, kettle and even a coffee machine. There’s a thorough handbook explaining how everything works and lots of thoughtful, homely touches, such as candles, dried flowers and potted plants. In Azaltie, the bedroom is on an elevated mezzanine that’s accessed via a ladder but other configurations have the bed downstairs. It’s a setup that creates more space in the living area, but does mean that night-time bathroom visits are something of an adventure (particularly if you draw the short straw and have to sleep next to the wall). Outside there’s a small deck with a barbecue, table and chairs and a fire-pit.

Food + drink

The well-equipped kitchen.

Part of the appeal of a tiny house is that you can self-cater and the kitchenette copes admirably with the chilli con carne I reheat on our first night plus a cooked breakfast made using ingredients from a generously provisioned breakfast hamper that can be ordered in advance for $45. Nearby Kangaroo Valley has a good range of restaurants and I can personally recommend the butter chicken from Valley Curry House.

Out + about

There are plenty of attractions nearby, from the Kangaroo River Nature Reserve next door to a trio of spectacular waterfalls – Belmore, Carrington and Fitzroy – all within a 40-minute drive. For active types, the region is blessed with many bushwalks and there’s a lovely swim spot in the Kangaroo River under the handsome, heritage-listed Hampden Bridge. Wine-lovers shouldn’t miss a tasting in Yarrawa Estate’s manicured garden and history buffs can learn more about the area’s colonial history in the Pioneer Village Museum.

The verdict

It’s easy to be sceptical when a local operator jumps on a global bandwagon but Azaltie is a gem – a cosy, well-equipped space in such a delightful setting you’ll be reluctant to stray far. For once, the experience matches the hype, and this city-dweller does leave feeling refreshed and recharged.

The essentials

Azaltie, 85 Bendeela Road, Kangaroo Valley, NSW. From $250 a night plus a one-off $50 cleaning fee. See tinyaway.com

Our score out of five

★★★★½

HIGHLIGHT

Toasting marshmallows around the fire pit while being serenaded by a frog chorus from the lake.

LOWLIGHT

Occasional traffic noise from the road that skirts the property.

Rob McFarland was a guest of Tiny Away.