This is less than an hour from the city, but it felt like paradise
Sometimes, a holiday isn’t the answer. Endless itineraries and spending hours in transit usually leaves you more exhausted than when you packed your bags.
No, sometimes, you just need to disappear. And a tiny house in the middle of the wilderness with an outdoor bath and a fire pit? Well, that’s exactly the type of disappearing I needed.
I escaped to the Wallaby in Dural, and this was my view first thing in the morning. Supplied/Nicole Douglas
This year has been manic, to say the least. Weekends seem to go by in the blink of an eye, I’m constantly glued to my phone and my sleep is an absolute nightmare. I know I’m not the only one.
In response, Life Unhurried partnered with Into The Wild Escapes for The Deep Sleep Reset, inviting guests to disconnect from the digital drone and reconnect with the quiet resolve of the Australian bush.
So I packed my bags, grabbed my eager boyfriend, and we travelled a little under 45 minutes from Sydney to Dural for a weekend of absolute nothingness.
Into The Wild Escapes have a bunch of tiny houses all over the country. While many of my friends were shocked we chose Dural – which doesn’t exactly sound like paradise – once you’re under the stars nestled in bushland, you feel a million miles away.
Even so, there was real comfort in knowing home was less than an hour away on the drive back, effectively curing any lingering Sunday scaries.
We arrived on Friday night, pulling up to our tiny house just as the sun was setting.
What’s so good about a tiny house?
The first thing you notice, obviously, is the size.
It’s tiny. But that’s the point.
Inside, every detail is carefully considered. We stayed in Wallaby – a six-sleeper featuring a double bed framed by massive glass windows, a bunk bed, and a double bed up in the loft.
Into The WIld Escapes has a variety of tiny homes available to rent across the country. Into The WIld Escapes
While it was just the two of us, we were already plotting how fun it’d be to come back with a group of friends in the summer.
The size of it is almost liberating – there’s no second room to escape to, no television demanding your attention. The composting toilet was initially a worry, but it was perfect, and the shower was huge. A very unexpected treat!
There’s an air-conditioning unit that can heat up and cool down the tiny house, making it extra cosy on those cold winter nights, which was definitely needed in the middle of August.
The stars in Dural... absolute paradise. Supplied
The best part...
The outdoor bath was, by far, the best part of the whole stay.
It took a while to fill up and heat, using a hose and a fire burner – very natural indeed – but once we were in with a glass of wine, it was everything.
We barely touched our phones; we played board games we’d found in the cupboard, had a lovely barbecue, and sat under a blanket watching the stars.
We slept like babies, purely because of the pure silence that surrounded us and partly thanks to a sleep pack from Life Unhurried with a silk eye mask and socks.
Pretty magical! Supplied
It’s surprisingly challenging to take a photo in the dark, but this bath was absolute heaven. Supplied
Spending the days with your loved ones, going on a casual hike or catching a breakfast in town, is wonderful. But just being in your own little bubble in the middle of the woods is something really special.
Life can be so unbelievably hectic sometimes you forget to take some time out for yourself.
But this trip proved it very much can be done – and you don’t have to get on a plane to do it.
The writer was a guest of Life Unhurried and Into The Wild. ‘Wallaby’ is available to book via the Into the Wild Escapes website here. Lead-in rates from $399 per night.
