Last weekend’s adventure took us to a tiny house an hour and a half inland, winding through the lush green hills of the Scenic Rim after a wet Queensland winter. We stopped at the Canungra pub for lunch, missed a turn on a dirt road (as you do), and arrived just as the sky cracked open into an afternoon downpour.
I discovered Unyoked cabins by accident, but after a few busy months of work, it ended up being exactly what we needed. A getaway that didn’t require a long-haul road trip.
Unyoked cabins are situated on regional properties within a 1-2 hour drive from Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane – or in our case, the Gold Coast. Deliberately close to major cities, making it easy for city dwellers to escape for a night or a weekend.
The tiny house off-grid experiences are designed to help us disconnect from the noise of the city and switch off from our busy lives, even if it’s just for a short stay.
Unyoked Tiny House Quick Take
- Location: Kagaru, Scenic Rim (1.5 hrs from Gold Coast)
- Best for: Couples, solo stays, nature lovers, dog owners
- Not ideal for: Anyone who hates ladders, low ceilings, or rustic bathrooms
- Comfort level: Cosy, not luxurious
- Pet-friendly: Yes (select cabins)
- Reception: Yes, at this cabin (not guaranteed everywhere)
- Would we return? Yes, for a two-night stay next time
The Unyoked experience
While the cabins are fully off-grid and feel wonderfully remote, I wouldn’t describe the stay as roughing it.
The kitchen had a gas stove, bar fridge, enough utensils to cook proper meals, and a small cupboard stocked with drinks and provisions available to purchase if you get caught short. The bathroom is compact but functional, with a composting toilet and a hot shower.
Downstairs, there’s a built-in window nook that looks out over the property that naturally becomes the evening wind-down zone. Upstairs is the loft-style bedroom. Our cabin had In Bed linen, memory foam pillows and a Koala mattress, plus a small indoor wood fire for winter and aircon for warmer months, very appreciated in Queensland.
We did have mobile reception at our cabin, but there’s no TV, which genuinely felt like part of the appeal. If you’re set on streaming, you’d need to bring your own device.
What’s Included (and What to Bring)
Included:
- Gas cooktop and cookware
- Fridge
- Linen, pillows and towels
- Wood fire (seasonal)
- Tank water
- Eco cleaning supplies
- Cooking basics and small pantry items to buy
We were glad we brought:
- All meals and snacks
- Extra drinking water
- Warm layers for the evening
- A torch or headlamp
- Our own coffee (the slow drip was beautiful but slow and cold by the time it filled my cup)
- There is a Coles and Woolworths about 15 minutes’ drive away if you forget anything.
Sustainability
Tiny homes, by nature, are sustainable with their smaller footprint and low-impact design. The Unyoked cabins use recycled or recyclable materials where possible for the build. They run on tank water (so be mindful when showering) and feature a composting toilet.
The soaps and cleaning sprays were in refillable bottles, and a quick peek in the cleaning supply cupboard showed they were eco-friendly. They also ask you to take your rubbish with you. We had a bag for the general waste and recyclables, and a small container to take the food scraps home for composting.
Bonus points as the aforementioned In Bed is a linen and bedding brand who have a great reputation for ethical and sustainable manufacturing, as do the mattress and furniture company Koala.
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Adventure close to home (and Dog-Friendly, Too)
Our cabin, Remy, is in Kagaru and took about an hour and a half to reach from the Gold Coast.
This stay wasn’t so much about total digital detox as it was about having an adventure close to home, and being able to bring Charlie with us. Some of the Unyoked cabins are pet-friendly, which made the trip a yes for us.
Surprisingly, our 50kg giant was very much at home in the small space. After a full perimeter inspection to confirm we were safe, she curled up beside the bed and seemed perfectly content in the small space. I loved that the cabin was rustic enough that we didn’t feel like we had to watch Charlie every second to make sure she didn’t lean on a clean white wall.
Sleeping & Space
The window nook was lovely at night, we curled up and watched the sun go down. I did plan on cooking but after a bottle of wine we ended eating snacks and chocolate which in my mind is a complete meal. There is a town with a Coles and Woolies only 15 minutes drive if you do need provisions.
The only downside for me was the bed upstairs; the child in me loved the cubby-house feeling, but the grown-up did not enjoy the lack of functionality in the space.
The roof is low, so you can’t sit up in bed, and the only charging port is on the right-hand side halfway down the bed, so I copped a bruise to the leg when I bumped into my charger in the middle of the night. The bed was comfortable, and I thoroughly enjoyed the soft linen bedding, so overall it was a restful night. It’s worth noting that every cabin has its own configuration, and not all have the cubby house style loft bedroom if that’s a concern.
We woke with the sun streaming through the bay window to a cacophony of kookaburras, magpies, and lorikeets chattering, which was really lovely. Dave got the fire started so we could toast bread for breakfast while I made some coffee. I’m not sure if I was doing it wrong, but by the time the slow drip filled my cup, the coffee was cold, so if, like me, you need a caffeine hit first up, maybe bring your own instant coffee.
Sadly, the stay was over all too soon, just as we started relaxing, it was time to leave. If it’s available (they’re pretty solidly booked but have a waitlist) stay for two days. It took the first night to start settling into the slower pace and switch off.
Would we do it again? When the new cabins open up in Queensland we’re ready.
