2019 was another busy year of travel for Will and I, which meant seeking out some of the most unique accommodation in Australia. As you’ll know if you’ve read my 2018 AirBnB round up, we absolutely love AirBnB and use it frequently when exploring Australia and abroad. There’s so much unique accommodation in Australia to choose from. Airbnb is our go-to for finding reasonably priced, creative options where we have a bit more flexibility than a hotel.
My favourite options for 2019 have ranged from romantic accommodation in the Blue Mountains and Kangaroo Valley, Jervis Bay holiday rentals to accommodation in Mudgee. I can’t wait to see what unique accommodation in Australia we’ll find in 2020.
You’ll notice that all of these options are in New South Wales. Following the recent bushfire crisis, tourism in NSW has really suffered. Check out Lonely Planet’s guide to New South Wales to plan your #NSWrecoverytrip. Consider booking one of these AirBnbs to support local businesses at this difficult time.
1. Wine Lovers Den, Mudgee
We visited this spacious, 3 bedroom house with my parents during a wine tasting weekend in Mudgee. There’s plenty of accommodation in Mudgee to choose from, but this Mudgee Airbnb stood out for us. It reminded us of a smaller version of an antebellum plantation, and was incredibly homely. It’s beautifully furnished, the pantry is well-stocked, and has a sprawling garden. You can stroll into the centre of town in about 20 minutes to grab something to eat and drink. We did this on our second night and visited Roth’s Wine Bar.
If you’re wine tasting in Mudgee, or in other parts of Australia, check out this list of my favourite boutique wineries.
We had dinner at the large communal table before sitting in this Mudgee AirBnB’s peaceful garden. The sprawling garden is a perfect place to enjoy a glass of wine as the sun sets. There’s a BBQ if you fancy cooking outdoors, as well as a wood-burner if visiting Mudgee in the colder months. There was also a complimentary bottle of Mudgee Chardonnay left in the fridge for us, a lovely touch. This is one of the reasons I love staying in unique accommodation in Australia like Wine Lovers Den.
Whilst staying in Mudgee, I highly recommend a wine tour. Amanda, the host, was incredibly helpful and recommended us two fantastic options. We ended up choosing Mudgee Explorer Tours and had a brilliant day. If you’re researching places to stay in Mudgee, I highly recommend Wine Lovers Den.
Check out why you should visit Mudgee for a weekend getaway from Sydney
2. Eco Lodge Retreat, Mount Victoria
It took Will and I over a year and a half before we planned a Blue Mountains getaway, crazy considering the Blue Mountains are only an hour and a half drive from Sydney. We fell in love with this Eco Lodge Retreat in Mount Victoria when searching for romantic accommodation in the Blue Mountains. This eco lodge has been built as a sort-of treehouse in amongst the gum trees, placing it firmly on my list of the most unique accommodation in Australia.
It’s cosy, with a ridiculously comfy bed on the second floor and wood burner, perfect to hunker down with a glass of wine. I also loved the bookcase which has been built directly into the stone wall. There are plenty of board games as well as a small kitchen. We did struggle a little with a lack of utensils to cook a full meal, but the complimentary bottle of wine and breakie options more than made up for it! It’s in a central location so perfect for exploring all this area has to offer, including hikes through the bush, cafes and restaurants. Check out the nearby Pulpit Rock Lookout and the 4.7 mile Mount Piddington loop walk.
3. Zuma Cottage, Katoomba
I visited Zuma Cottage on another Blue Mountains getaway, this time with some of my girlfriends. It was in a great central location in the town of Katoomba, within easy access of restaurants, cafes and lots of hikes and viewpoints including the famous Three Sisters. We completed the challenging 6.6km Ruined Castle walk when we stayed at Zuma Cottage, which I highly recommend. Zuma Cottage was also reasonably priced, especially when split between 4. The cottage is adorable, as it says on AirBnB, ‘Zuma Cottage seamlessly mixes traditional cottage features with modern living’. It’s this mixture of traditional features and modern living that place it on my list of unique accommodation in Australia.
It has a bright yellow door and a small veranda, as well as an outdoors dining area out the back. The décor inside was stylish and homely; I particularly loved the island in the kitchen and the wood and black units. There’s also a wood-burner if you get chilly, alongside electric heaters for each of the bedrooms. The lockbox instructions were easy to follow, so it was easy to get access to the cottage. It was exactly what we needed for our cosy 2 day Blue Mountains getaway.
4. Spiral House, Robertson
Now, if I had to choose only one place on this list to visit again, it would have to be Spiral House, an Airbnb in the Southern Highlands and top of my list of unique accommodation in Australia that we’ve visited. This luxury couples retreat is perfect for romantic getaways in NSW. It’s only a 2 hour drive from Sydney and peacefully secluded, with special luxury touches. Spiral House is part of Cloud Farm Studios, where Celeste and Stephen are resident artists. If you have time, get in touch with them to visit their studio. If you’re thinking about where to stay in Southern Highlands you simply must visit Spiral House.
Spiral House is a miniature home, perfect for two, located on the highest point of the Illawarra escarpment and Mount Murray, with absolutely stunning views over Kangaroo Valley. There’s a completely private outdoor bathtub, and even though we planned our romantic getaway in July (winter in NSW) we still made sure to use the bath, enjoying a glass of Piggs Peake wine as the sunset.
There’s so much to do in and around Roberston on your Southern Highlands getaways, you’ll be spoilt for choice. It was tough to leave Spiral House, with its ridiculously comfy bed, but we squeezed in some hikes and waterfall chasing at Carrington Falls, Fitzroy Falls and Belmore Falls. We also visited the famous Robertson Cheese Shop and the quaint town of Berima for an anniversary lunch at Eschalot.
5. Eagles Point, Callala Bay
Eagles Point, located in Callala Bay, is everything you could want from your Jervis Bay accommodation and more. It’s tough when deciding where to stay in Jervis Bay as there’s so many options to choose from (I wrote about Minerva Cottage in my 2018 AirBnB round up). Eagles Point is a large, stylish holiday rental, a short 5-10 minute walk from the gorgeous Callala Bay. It sleeps up to 5, with 3 bedrooms, so it was perfect for our recent group trip.
It’s spread over two floors, although the downstairs is really just a games room and bathrooms. All three bedrooms, another bathroom, the kitchen and dining area are all located on the second floor. There’s also a wraparound balcony which is the main highlight of this Jervis Bay accommodation option. The spacious hot tub and decent BBQ are located out on the balcony, so it’s a great place to spend your evening.
Eagles Point is a great base to explore Jervis Bay from; there’s so much to see and do. We went scuba diving with Dive Jervis Bay and were lucky enough to see absolutely massive manta rays, and then crashed at nearby Callala Bay before a BBQ dinner. If you’re looking for where to stay in Jervis Bay as a group, you can’t get better than Eagles Point.
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Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through my link, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. As you can see I’m recommending AirBnB as an affiliate. However, I have personally stayed in all of these AirBnBs, amongst many others, and have had genuinely amazing experiences at each and every one.
40 Comments
Suvarna Arora
All of these accomodations looks so wonderful. I have only seen Sydney in East.
World of Lina
Omg what amazing Airbnbs you found there! Would love to stay at the Eco Lodge, looks like the perfect place for me 🙂
jessicamaypascoe
Eco Lodge is just so cosy and perfect for a winter’s weekend in the mountains, hope you get the chance to visit someday
Suvarna Arora
All of these accomodations are so beautiful. Would love to stay someday.
jessicamaypascoe
Hope you get the chance to visit someday
KatieGoes
YOU HAD ME AT THE FIRST IMAGE! All of these accommodations look so beautifully cosy!
jessicamaypascoe
They really were – such cosy interiors!
Olivia
All of these AirBnBs look so dreamy! Definitely great inspo for visiting Australia one day.
jessicamaypascoe
I hope you get the chance to visit and stay in some of them
Menty
Lovely! I definitely want that wine tasting package!
jessicamaypascoe
Ah it was such a good day wine tasting
Melissa Roos
I really like this view of Australia since I’ve been so focused on hostels and budget accommodations. These accommodations are so beautiful.
jessicamaypascoe
They are so stylish, and range in price, some are more affordable than others but they’re 100% worth visiting
Ashleigh Hogan
Oh wow, what unique and beautiful!! Want to try visit on my next trip to Australia
Katherine
I used to live in western Sydney, at the foot of the Blue Mountains, and would have loved to have stayed at the Air BnBs in Katoomba or Mount Victoria that you’ve featured!
jessicamaypascoe
Ah you should try and give them a visit if you can!
Marisa
All of these accommodations look so comfortable and adorable! I will definitely be saving this list for when I go!
jessicamaypascoe
Ah I really hope you get the chance to visit some of them, you won’t regret it
Meghan
Such beautiful accommodations! Thanks for sharing!
jessicamaypascoe
You’re welcome 🙂
Katja Kaven
Wow, these look so dreamy! Love your style of editing as well. Looks like I’ll have to go back to Australia to check some of these out!!
jessicamaypascoe
Thank you – editing props have to go to my hubby!
At Lifestyle Crossroads
All of these places look so stylish! Spiral House would be my first pick! Hope to visit Australia soon!
jessicamaypascoe
I love them all but I think Spiral House is my favourite too 🙂
Albi Mrázová
All of them seem to be very unique. My favorite is perhaps the Eagles point, I really like the style of it
jessicamaypascoe
Ah Eagles Point is perfect for a beachside weekend 🙂
Smita
I’m moving to Sydney in a few months and your post has given me so many ideas! First on my list is the Eco Lodge Retreat in Mount Victoria – sounds so rustic and cool. Can’t wait!
jessicamaypascoe
Oh I’m so glad it’s helpful – you’ll love Mount Victoria and the Blue Mountains
Darina Confidus
Wow, what a relaxing and amazing places to stay! I’m impressed Spiral House, Robertson…
Awesome! Thanks for sharing!
jessicamaypascoe
I highly recommend staying there if you ever get the chance!
maria.estefanyb
Great article. Thanks for sharing these wonderful accommodation tips.
jessicamaypascoe
No problem, glad you enjoyed
Hanna
These are all so stunning! I hope to get back to Aus this December… fingers crossed!
jessicamaypascoe
I really hope you can visit – my parents are due to visit then too so crossing everything!
Sharyn
What great recommendations – I think I like Callala Bay the best.
jessicamaypascoe
Callala Bay was awesome for a group beachside trip – highly recommend if visiting Jervis Bay
Katie Diederichs
The “Wine Lover’s Den” and the “Spiral House” are my two favorites! They look absolutely stunning! What incredible places to stay.
jessicamaypascoe
Spiral House is my not-so-secret favourite and Wine Lovers Den was also awesome! Hope you get the chance to visit soon.
Kelly
These are all beautiful spots! Would love to make an effort to find more places like this to stay vs always booking hotels. Was supposed to go back to Aus in April, but that was cancelled so hopefully next year instead 🙂
jessicamaypascoe
I really hope you’re able to visit us down under next year and I’d highly recommend booking one of these spots for something a bit different to the standard hotels available!