Camping, glamping and unique stays are becoming popular choices for holiday-makers as domestic travel booms and usual types of accommodation become booked out well in advance.
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1. Creekside Tiny House at Foxground
Travel agent Peta Godfrey and her partner Jayden Lavington run a tiny house stay on their 50-acre property at Foxground, and are currently booked out until mid-2022.
Ms Godfrey said their grand plan was to setup more "escape pods" amidst their lush subtropical rainforest environment but one pod was plenty for now with an abundance of interest from people wanting to "get out to nature".
"People want to get away from the rat race at the moment, especially people who have been locked in four walls," Ms Godfrey said.
Couples with "fur babies" make up around 90 per cent of bookings to the one-bedroom retreat, she said, which comes with electricity, rain water, hot outdoor shower and plenty of wildlife to wake up to.
Through her day-job, Ms Godfrey said she'd noticed a "boom" of domestic travel since the end of lockdown as people desperately searched for different scenery, even if it was just an hour away.
2. Bus in the Wombarra's
Jewellery maker Quirine van Nispen "inherited" an old bus that once transported boardriders around Australia.
Instead of letting the colourful apartment on wheels rust out in her northern Illawarra garden she chose to spruce it up as a unique and quirky Riparide stay.
The bus sleeps up to six guests with the majority of bookings from families with young kids or groups of friends looking for an affordable stay.
"Kids, they all 'drive' the bus everywhere, they love playing in the garden ... it's uncomplicated, it's just relaxed," Ms Van Nispen said of her glamping-style stay.
"This is a very simple but quirky accommodation and you're in the bush."
The "Peace Bus" is equipped with a kitchenette with running water, a nearby open-air shower and private toilet, and a seven minute walk to beaches.
When you go to a hotel it's so impersonal ... [unique stays] have that personal touch and charm of somebody else's curated space.
- Karen Yellow
3. Scarborough Art Flat
An old miner's cottage with a shopfront on the main drag of Scarborough is a unique stay found on AirBnB.
Owner Karen Yello said the space was very "rustic" with retro knick-knacks about, like an old railway signal and plenty of artworks.
It can sleep up to five guests across three bedrooms who have access to games, books and art supplies if they feel like getting creative.
Ms Yello said the theme "takes people back in time" with her personal touch on the humble abode.
"When you go to a hotel it's so impersonal... [unique stays] have that personal touch and charm of somebody else's curated space," she said.
"The space is humble and comfortable and inspiring, and you get a whack of creativity just by being in the space."
4. London Bus Motorhome
If you have somewhere to go but need your own motorhome, you could consider a converted 1949 red, double-decker bus from London that has literally had millions of people through its doors.
Former UK military man Simon Reynolds brought the bus over to Australia as a business venture when his family moved here for a sea-change in 2002.
For several years the bus was used for events and parties, but now is used as a hotel on wheels and can be parked wherever a holidaymaker wants (within reason) through Camplify.
Mr Reynolds lives in Helensburgh and will deliver the bus to nearby locations - the Illawarra, Southern Highlands, Blue Mountains - as long as the vehicle can be legally parked there.
"I delivery and pick it up, it takes the hassle out for them," he said. "It's had millions of people on it, it spent 18 years in London transport."
The motorhome sleeps eight people, has air conditioning, a kitchen, snorkel kits, mountain bikes, a surfboard and an array of other games and equipment to keep guests entertained.
Mr Reynolds said families and groups of friends make up the majority of their bookings but everyone from elderly couples to international travellers have rented the home.
5. Illawarra Caravan Stay
It's hard to tell from the pictures that an AirBnb in Yellow Rock (south west of Albion Park) is actually a converted 1970s caravan equipped with an outdoor Japanese hot tub.
The pet-friendly accommodation can sleep up to three people and has panoramic views of green rolling hills.
6. Driftwood in Wombarra
Another northern Illawarra stay, Driftwood allows guests to board a beautiful yacht without getting seasick.
Permanently moored on dry land, the harbour cruiser has a private entrance for guests, can sleep up to two people and comes equipped with a kitchen, shower and lounge area.
Other places to look ...
- Hipcamp.com.au has a mix of private property camping sites ranging from basic blocks in the bush with no electricity or toilets, to luxury farm stays like that of The Gums at a Mittagong camel farm.
- For high-end camping experiences GlampingHub.com.au offers an array of bell tents, bungalows and tiny homes in various locations. There's even a converted train carriage at Fitzroy Falls that looks similar to a scene from an old Hollywood film.
- For holiday-makers on a budget, free and low-cost camping can be found on the no frills website FreeCamping.com.au.
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