A weekend with Tiny Away

Escaping to nature, detoxing from our hectic, digital lifestyles and discovering nature whilst staying in comfort is what Tiny Away is all about. Sometimes all we want is a getaway, and a true break from all the distractions, hustle and busyness of our general lives.

Tiny Away was a perfect way to spend quality time together with nothing to do bar enjoy nature, cook and listen to the birds chirping, without the interference of the sound of others or traffic. The Tiny Away we stayed in was located just a five minute drive outside of Berry, a very quaint town in Shoalhaven region of the New South Wales. It’s a perfect location for a quick night away from Sydney being only a 2 hour drive south of the city and a ten minute drive to Seven Mile Beach National Park.

True Colours Tiny House

The tiny house we stayed in was called True Colours, located on 5 acres and surrounded with animals such as horses, dogs, chickens, and a cat, a veggie garden, and fruit trees. The property is an equine assisted therapy centre. We were honoured to be the first guests to stay in this gorgeous home. Craig and Sarah have thought of absolutely everything you could need. The house was surprisingly so cozy, but spacious at the same time. The house had everything you would expect in a well equipped kitchen, the bed was upstairs in the loft and one of the most comfortable beds I’ve slept in. There was even little lindt balls left on top of the fresh towels on the bed. The sofa pulls out to a bed that could sleep an extra person. The bathroom was lovely, great shower and a compostable toilet with plenty of fluffy towels and toiletries. Checking in was so easy as well with a key being left in a lock box, Craig had text me the code earlier that day.

What made this place a home were the little touches like spare chargers, marshmallows for toasting over the fire pit, fresh eggs, milk and strawberries in the fridge, bluetooth speaker, nespresso coffee machine and extra blankets. The outdoor area was so lovely to sit out on the deck enjoying breakfast the next morning, listening to the chirping of the birds. We cooked dinner in that night rather than going out. It was so refreshing taking time to cook with the music blasting and singing along without being under time pressure or worried about disturbing neighbours.

Watching the sunset over the paddocks, saying hello to the ponies and wandering up the rural roads with a train track on it reminded me of being back at home.

Sarah and Craig provided a guide of things to do in Berry and the surrounding areas which was super helpful. There is so many things with a hours reach of Berry:

• Jervis Bay
• Seven Mile Beach
• Kangaroo Valley
• Nan Tien Temple in Wollongong
• Kiama, famous for the blowhole
• The charming village of Berry. Berry is famous for its food scene, cute cafes and heritage buildings.

Things to do in Berry:

• Visit the donut van. First thing that comes to mind when I think of Berry is the iconic donut van. People line up down the street for some of these warm, cinnamon sugared, melt in your mouth treats. Worth getting in line for a donut and a coffee.

• Hike to the Drawing Room Rocks. Appropriately named as the top of this hike resembles natures drawing room with tables and chairs made from rock. The start of this bush trial is about a 10 min drive from Berry town. The track isn’t particularly long or difficult but it is steep and very uneven in parts. It’s 4.5 km return so allow 2 hours to walk comfortably and take in the stunning views at the top and along the way. You can see right to the coast from the top and the rolling green hills to the west.

• Drool at the aray of chocolate and cake in The Treat Factory. A few minutes walk from the town centre, slightly hidden, is this gem producing and selling preserves, condiments, old fashioned confectionary and quality Belgian chocolates. The slabs of rocky road are incredible and the peanut butter fudge looked amazing. Alongside the treat factory is the Dairy Bar The Dairy Bar is a Milk Bar Café specialising in producing gelato from South Coast Dairy’s award winning milk and cream. The Dairy Bar serves breakfast, lunch, snacks and treats.

• Cafe hop around the town’s cutest cafes serving some of the best food– Figbird cafe, The Garden Berry, Salmon and Co Eatery, The Berry Tea Shop and Hungry Monkey Berry for incredible burgers. The Hungry Monkey is also one of the few places you can get food at the awkward post lunch time rush between 2-5pm.

• Grab a drink in the Berry Hotel. A countryside pub/ hotel located in the heart of the town with an outdoor courtyard for the summer and fire place for those cooler winter days.

• Peruse the boutiques. Berry has some of the most beautiful artisan and boutique stores selling one off unique items, books, diarys, clothing and jewelry, ideal for gifts. My favourite store was Shady Fig and Bliss and Co had some gorgeous sleepwear, gifts and books.

I can’t recommend a weekend with Tiny away enough, especially if a weekend away from distractions and getting off the grid for a few days sounds appealing, whilst connecting more with those around you. It is a great away to explore around your state, a staycation not to forget.