Gun to my head, if I were asked to recommend one Sydney staycation for an animal enthusiast visiting from overseas, I’d tell them Tiny Wombat. Not only is this magical tiny home named after one of Australia’s cutest native creatures, it’s also located on one of the city’s most incredible wildlife sanctuaries, meaning you can come face to face with some cute-as-hell Aussie animals before settling in for a hot tub under the stars. All of this, just a 45-minute drive from Sydney’s CBD. Got family visiting from out of town and not sure where to take them? You’re welcome.
Tiny Wombat is one of two tiny homes that opened earlier this year on the grounds of the Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, a lush 35-acre property on the outskirts of the city. While there are a lot of beautiful places to stay in Sydney (and even a hotel inside Sydney’s most spectacular zoo), Tiny Wombat and Tiny Wallaby are the first tiny homes to open inside an Australian wildlife sanctuary. Supported by generous donations and entirely volunteer-run, Hills Wildlife Sanctuary is an organisation dedicated to providing homes for injured or orphaned animals who might not survive in the wild. Tours of the sanctuary (offered to a limited number of visitors every week to maintain a stable setting for the animals that call it home) can be booked as an add-on to your stay, and all funds go towards keeping the sanctuary running and providing care to (cute A-F) creatures in need.
The two tiny homes (operated by Into The Wild Escapes, the people responsible for operating adorable tiny homes and cabins across NSW and beyond) are tucked away in quiet corners of the property, and sleep up to six guests in four comfy, linen-lined beds.
While both tiny homes feature the same amenities (super cute compact kitchens complete with fridges, hobs and crockery, outdoor tables and barbecues, huge picture frame windows opening up into the bush and magnificent wood-fired hot tubs), I’d recommend booking Tiny Wombat for a slightly more secluded location.
We arrived at noon, and after a tour of the wildlife sanctuary (which involved feeding a friendly mob of kangaroos, stroking the resident emus and desperately trying to catch a glimpse of a sleepy wombat, who’d cosied up in her very own cabin), we checked in to our home for the night. Despite being only a short drive from the buzz of the city, the air here is still and quiet and laced with eucalyptus.
After an hour or so spent reading and drinking coffee in the bed beside the window, we picked up supplies from a grocery store nearby and hiked along a fire trail to a stunning rocky outcrop overlooking a deep, tree-studded valley. During the five kilometre walk along the beautiful leafy trail, we saw just two other groups of people: a pair of mums with their bubs exploring the bush, and an (alarmingly adventurous) elderly woman on a mountain bike. When we reached the end of the trail and watched the sun drop behind the treetops, I couldn’t help but feel as though we were cheating the system – still within the bounds of the city, catching a perfect winter sunset and not sharing it with a soul.
When we got back to the cabin, we lit the fire to warm the hot tub and shared a bottle of wine as the stars began to pierce the sky. After dinner, we lifted the lid on the tub and let a halo of steam dissipate into the air – we stayed soaking beneath the stars for over an hour, watching the silhouettes of gum leaves dance in the deep navy sky.
Together, Tiny Wombat and Tiny Wallaby can sleep up to twelve guests, so you can book out both homes for a big group getaway. It’s worth noting that two of the beds in each tiny home are bunk beds, so if you’re booking for a group of adults, four people per cabin is probably the sweet spot.
Keen? You can learn more about the Hills Wildlife Sanctuary here, and you can book your stay over here.
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