travel

'This isolated tiny home near the Blue Mountains was the best "mental reset" holiday I've been on.'

If you want to support independent women's media, become a Mamamia subscriber. Get an all-access pass to everything we make, including exclusive podcasts, articles, videos and our exercise app, MOVE.

I have a confession to make: I am not an 'outdoorsy' girl. In my mind, the great outdoors is just a giant, windy room filled with things that want to bite me and flooring that's main objective is to roll your ankle. The last time someone suggested camping, I looked at them as if they told me they'd put a curse on my future children.

However, because I am perpetually burnt out and wanted something to brag about when my colleagues asked "how was your weekend?", I decided I needed a 'mental reset'.

Enter: My tiny home era.

Watch: The Euro tour of your 20s no longer exists. Post continues below.


Video via Mamamia.

Now, full disclosure, I was invited as a guest for this particular two-night stay at Unyoked's 'Vera' cabin near the Blue Mountains. But before you roll your eyes and mutter "influencer perks," please know that I have been a fully-fledged, credit-card-carrying, paid customer of tiny homes in the past.

I've put my own money where my (usually unhinged) mouth is because (according to my loved ones) sometimes, even a city girl needs to touch grass.

ADVERTISEMENT

When you book, you get to pick your level of 'spice'. Being the ambitious, slightly delusional person I am, I went for 'Spicy' meaning the cabin isn't just a casual stroll from your car. Oh, no, that would make it mild-without-onion.

A spicy cabin meant I had to hike 680 metres down a hill with all my belongings, including a bag of snacks that could sustain a small village for a month.

(And yes… eventually, I had to hike back up that same hill and I don't want to talk about it.)

ADVERTISEMENT

They provide wheelbarrows to help with the load, but you do have to carry the weight of your inner monologue questioning every life decision you've ever made that led you to this knee-locking, 45-degree angled moment.

But then everything becomes suddenly lighter when you see your cabin (metaphorically speaking, you're still very much lugging all your belongings (sorry)).

Image of the cabin.My home for 3 days 🥰 Image: Supplied.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Vera cabin is, in a word, breathtaking. It's tucked away on the edge of the Blue Mountains in the kind of isolation that makes you feel like the last person on Earth. I was completely surrounded by greenery, silence and a distinct lack of phone reception. The cabin itself is super clean and feels surprisingly luxurious for a literal box in the bush.

View from the window inside the cabin.My view from my city apartment window is VERY different. Image: Supplied.

Since there's a giant window right next to your pillow, the view is breathtaking. I spent a solid hour just watching the sky change colours, and I even managed to see a storm roll through, which was honestly more entertaining than the show I'm currently binging (Chicago Fire (don't @ me)).

ADVERTISEMENT

Also, there is a bath… outside.

The bathtub outside the cabin.I'm having a REALLY good time (incase you couldn't tell). Image: Supplied.

I highly recommend it, provided you don't mind a few local spectators... Eww. Gross. No! I mean WALLABIES. They just stared at me with that "Why are you in my house?" look, and honestly, fair.

ADVERTISEMENT

Wallabies in the wild.My two new besties. Image: Supplied.

I had everything I needed to cook all my meals (which I'm realising is a crazy sentence to write after talking about wildlife. I PROMISE I did not eat the wallabies). The cabin provides all your cooking utensils, which is great because there was no way in hell I was going to hike back up that mountain for a fork.

One of my many indulgent breakfasts.Nature AND delicious food? Huge. Image: Supplied.

ADVERTISEMENT

I need to hold space for something that I'm slightly embarrassed to talk about. I'm a big coffee drinker. I'm that person that will bring a coffee machine with her everywhere she goes if coffee isn't promised.

However, because I was being "outdoorsy", I wanted to push myself outside my caffeinated comfort zone. I was SO surprised to see that the cabin had a little Moka pot with coffee beans. I've never used one before (I honestly thought they were a decorative kitchen item). Figuring out how to work it and actually spending time making my coffee instead of pushing a button felt weirdly satisfying.

ADVERTISEMENT

Sipping coffee outside the cabin.I <3 the outdoors (and my Moka pot). Image: Supplied.

I became so obsessed with the ritual that I bought my very own the literal minute I got back to the city. My kitchen now smells like a rustic Italian villa, even if my actual view is just my neighbour's laundry.

I actually did a tiny home stay by myself for my 25th birthday a few years back, and I cannot recommend a solo trip enough if you need to remember who you are when you're not answering emails. Otherwise, this is a great option to have a little getaway with your bestie or your partner.

ADVERTISEMENT

I could even use a physical 'Brick' to block my apps if I was lacking self-control. I promise you, I didn't miss being online at all. My time was taken up by the 'low-stakes' drama of off-grid life: Is the fire hot enough? What chapter am I on? Can that baby wallaby tell I've been wearing the same thing for three days?

The view from the cabin during sunset.My new phone background screen. Image: Supplied.

ADVERTISEMENT

I left wishing I'd stayed longer. If you're a city-dweller whose brain feels like a browser with 47 tabs open, go find a tiny house. Just maybe check the 'spice' level before you pack a heavy suitcase.

Mamamia travelled as a guest of Unyoked. All opinions expressed in this article are the author's own.

If you want more from Emily Vernem, you can follow her on Instagram @emilyvernem.

Feature image: Supplied.

00:00 / ???