6 off-grid places to stay in 2023

More than ever, many of us are trying to make better choices when it comes to sustainable travel. These off-grid accommodations will whisk you away from the demands of the daily grind, and make the perfect base for your next relaxing, eco-based road trip.

Book the car ferry over to Kangaroo Island and head to Oceanview Eco Villas

, a luxury off-grid option based on a 500-acre rural property. Located along the Redbanks coast with views of Nepean Bay, the property has two, two-bedroom villas available, each built using passive solar principles, with 99 per cent of the building materials sourced locally. On colder nights, get toasty by the fireplace which was created by a local stonemason using Kangaroo Island limestone, and admire the cabinetry which was crafted using wood from a single jarrah tree. The all-inclusive stay includes breakfast and three-course dinners made with premium local ingredients.

The idea behind Unyoked is simple: a series of private cabins in the wilderness – often less than two hours away from most capital cities in Australia – for road trippers to reset among nature. The quirky accommodation offering consists mainly of tiny houses on remote properties across the country, each with their own unique charm and amenities. Each listing includes notes on how much phone reception it offers, and how far from the car you have to walk to give you an idea of how remote it is. Not sure where to start? Unyoked Anant

 in Victoria’s Central Gippsland is a solar-powered tiny house overlooking a creek complete with a fire pit and composting toilet.

Bubbletent

 offers a unique adults-only glamping experience that’s all about getting away from it all to sleep under the stars. Located on a 1000-acre working farm in the Capertee Valley (purported to be the world’s second largest canyon), accommodation is offered in transparent inflatable tents. Accessible down an unsealed road, each tent is spread out across the property, offering privacy and seclusion. Tents feature rechargeable lanterns, a compost toilet, sink with pump and woodfired baths. The tents are located in an important bird habitat with binoculars provided for birdwatching, and telescopes stargazing at night from the warmth of your tent. If you’re restless, there’s eco-touring in the surrounding area, or head to nearby Mudgee for wine tasting and gourmet food experiences.

Mention tropical Far North Queensland, and most people immediately think of the Great Barrier Reef; however, the inland rainforest, tablelands and waterfalls offer spectacular road trip opportunities. Use an All-wheel drive to wind up the side of the Alexandra range to reach Daintree Earthship

, a self-contained, off-grid property built into the side of a hill and constructed using compacted earth. The one-bedroom dwelling runs on solar power, with its water provided by a natural underground spring. Along with an outdoor fire pit, there's a plunge pool for cooling off, and the deck offers views over the rainforest up to Cape Tribulation to the Coral Sea.

The perfect base to explore Tasmania’s Great Eastern Drive, Thalia Haven

 rests on the coast of a private 130-acre peninsula on Great Oyster Bay. Solar and wind-powered, Thalia Haven is two kilometres from the nearest road and boasts five kilometres of private coastline, with whale watching during winter and beach hangs during summer. Epitomising off grid-luxury, the property includes a series of four pavilions, each with a king-sized bed, set around a central courtyard. The structure was constructed using recycled wooden beams from an old timber bridge complimented by local East Coast stone. For ultimate R&R, head out to the deck for a soak in the outdoor bath overlooking the coast, or indulge in the wood-fired sauna.

If you loved to climb trees as a kid, recapture that sense of adventure at the Secret Treehouse

: a two-person cabin suspended mid-air in the tree canopy overlooking the valley. The floor to ceiling glass windows, corrugated iron roof and wooden beams in this quirky accommodation are quite possibly the closest thing you’ll ever get to experiencing a bird's eye view, with the outer balcony overlooking Bowen’s Creek Gorge and the Wollemi National Park World Heritage Area. With a spa bath embedded in the floor, a kitchenette, fireplace, and queen bed, you’re all set for the ultimate in luxury stays. Located in apple country near Bilpin, the Secret Treehouse is part of the off-grid Wollemi Wilderness Retreat, which also offers an enchanted cave built into the cliffside, teepees and a cabin.

 

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^{Viva Energy Australia Pty Ltd (“Viva Energy”) has compiled the above article for your general information and to use as a general reference. Whilst all reasonable care has been taken by Viva Energy in compiling this article, Viva Energy does not warrant or represent that the information in the article is free from errors or omissions or is suitable for your intended use.}