Overview
The last two years might have been a little lighter on travel adventures than we're used to, but if you're keen to make up for lost time, Visit Victoria has come up with a beaut excuse to escape the city and hit the road again. It's just unveiled its latest touring off-grid accommodation experience championing the regions — a tiny home stay for two by the name of Stella the Stargazer.
Similarly to Visit Victoria's Wine Down Pop-Up Hotel, which launched in mid 2019, Stella won't be tying herself down to just one location. Rather, she'll move between three idyllic regional settings for eight weeks at a time, starting with a sojourn at Maffra's Blue Gables vineyard from Friday, October 14.
Blue Gables Vineyard, Maffra
After its Gippsland stint, the environmentally sensitive pop-up will relocate to a spot along the Great Ocean Road for a couple of months, before seeing out its last leg nestled against the mountainous backdrop of the Grampians in April and May, 2023.
The accommodation itself is a study in simple luxury, the off-grid tiny home the work of Port Fairy-based design and manufacture crew Ample. Inviting you to switch off, unplug and recharge, without forgoing comfort, it's kitted out with a queen-sized bed, complete with threads from Weave Home Australia, Society of Wanderers and Grampians Goods Co.
There's a roll-out sleeping platform that's primed for stargazing, an indulgent shower surrounded by adjustable glass louvres designed to envelop you in the natural surroundings, and a central wood fire that doubles as a hotplate for cooking. Glass sliding doors open onto the modular deck and fire pit, and you'll find plenty of local wares featured throughout; from crockery, to Dindi Naturals toiletries.
Meanwhile, famed chef Alejandro Saravia (Farmer's Daughters, Victoria by Farmer's Daughters) will ensure you're dining like royalty, with guests enjoying a curated welcome hamper, a bottle of wine and breakfast provisions showcasing top local produce. A dinner experience is also available to add on to your stay.
Stella the Stargazer will make her home in Maffra, Gippsland, from October 14–December 15, 2022. She'll then stop in a new location along the Great Ocean Road from February 3–April 6, 2023, before moving to the Grampians from April 17–June 18, 2023. Rates are $330 per night Monday–Thursday, and $390 per night Friday–Sunday.