What it’s like to stay at Anchorage Farm Narooma, a nature-hemmed hideaway on the NSW South Coast bound to make you melt inside.
A stillness has settled over the Wagonga Inlet. Gums frame the horizon like tall custodians of dusk, the water beyond flushed copper and luminous in the waning light. Bellbirds drown out distant car engines. Chickens, absorbed in their small, earnest excavations, peck about the garden. It’s the kind of place that shrinks your everyday worries to their proper size, reminding you how little they matter in the grand scheme of things.
We’re staying at Anchorage Farm Narooma’s Shucker Shack, an annexed van turned tiny home offering a unique nature-hemmed hideaway on the far NSW South Coast. The 40-hectare farm is owned by the Dudley family and is also home to five off-grid campsites, along with three more tiny homes set to open in the coming months. On our hilltop perch, we coax open a bottle of sparkling and pare away at a generous wedge of local Tilba cheese.
Cheers to relaxing at the Shucker Shack.
Everything here feels crisper than usual, as if someone has grabbed hold of the lens of life and sharpened its focus. The produce feels brighter, the horizon vaster, the air purer, the sky darker. Away from the hullabaloo of the city, my mind feels clearer, too. My partner and I tuck into the dozen famous Narooma oysters – fresh as they come – our host Merri Dudley has kindly left in our fridge, and we find ourselves chatting about what it might be like to live here one day.
Where is Anchorage Farm Narooma?
The Shucker Shack sits on a hill with views over the Wagonga Inlet.
Anchorage Farm Narooma is situated 3.5 kilometres from the main street of Narooma, a township on NSW’s South Coast that’s about three hours’ drive from Canberra or five from Sydney. The farm lies within easy reach of all Narooma’s attractions (including its world-class mountain biking trails) yet still feels secluded thanks to its peaceful perch on a hill overlooking the stunning Wagonga Inlet. Around two minutes’ drive away is the popular Oyster Farmer’s Daughter, a much-loved waterfront spot for beer, light bites and super-fresh seafood.
The backstory
Family-owned and operated Anchorage Farm Narooma is welcoming to all.
Chickens roam freely around the farm.
Wake to the peaceful sounds of birdsong.
Anchorage Farm Narooma is owned by the Dudley family, with husband-and-wife duo Brad and Merri Dudley managing the guest-facing side of the accommodation. Brad and his brother Mark inherited the farm when their father, Bill, sadly passed away in 2023. When asked why they decided to open the farm up to overnight guests, Merri says it is a way of honouring Bill’s love of boat building, turning his projects into spaces for others to enjoy.
“Bill welcomed others to the farm and Narooma with a natural generosity and a strong sense of community that left a lasting impression on us, and has helped shape the foundation of what we’ve created here," Merri elaborates.
Anchorage Farm Narooma is readying to open three brand-new tiny homes expected for mid to late 2026: two that have been converted from boats Bill had built and a renovated bus that served as the original Narooma school bus in the 1980s.
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Staying in the Shucker Shack
The Shucker Shack features a firepit and terrace where guests can soak in the views.
Open since January 2025, Anchorage Farm Narooma’s Shucker Shack feels like a warm hug. There is no Wi-Fi (our phones still have reception, however). Furnishings are comfortable but not ultra-modern. But there’s something that feels very homey about it all.
The shack exterior is laden with planks of wood and features a terrace area with two seats and a firepit. Cradled on one side by bird-filled gum trees and boasting beautiful inlet views on the other, it’s a magical place to switch off and disconnect from day-to-day stress.
The bedroom sleeps two and features a small kitchenette.
Small touches make for a memorable stay.
The lounge area is simple and homey.
Step inside the Shucker Shack and you’ll find a clean, self-contained space. Ideal for couples, it is separated into two main areas: a living space with a small ensuite, and a bedroom housing a double bed and small kitchenette, plus breakfast stools overlooking the inlet.
If you’re a stickler for sleek contemporary finishes and flashy design, I suggest you look elsewhere. But if you’re willing to overlook a leaky tap here or there, you’re in for a treat.
Guests can enjoy fresh eggs from the farm.
In the morning, I receive a text: ‘Hope you slept well! I have a fresh sourdough loaf here…let me know if you’d like me to bring it over’. How could one decline? Oven-warm, it is truly delicious. We have to restrain ourselves to just two pieces each so as not to fill up before the breakfast we’ve booked nearby.
Granola and fresh eggs from the farm’s chickens wait on the bench; local cheese and oysters fill the fridge. There are plenty of great places to eat in Narooma, but those who prefer a home-cooked meal can make use of the shack’s electric fry pan, microwave, toaster, kettle and gas barbecue.
Enjoying oven-warm sourdough.
Later, after returning from dinner at Quarterdeck – one of the most popular restaurants in Narooma, we step out of the car to an unexpected delight. Up above, the sky is dark and exceptionally clear, studded with a carpet of stars so dense I don’t know how anyone could possibly count them all. Both our jaws gape open; it is extraordinary.
After a hot shower, we’re drawn back outside again with cups of tea in hand. In the distance, Fleetwood Mac’s Everywhere echoes across the inlet. I’m not sure how long we remain out here in silence, enjoying the stillness, enjoying each other’s company.
The perfect place to find pure peace.
“Guests seem to love the tranquillity, the wide-open space, the wildlife, the views and the sense of peace they feel while they are here," Merri tells us, waving us off as we reluctantly head home the following morning. “Many tell me they don’t want to leave!"
We certainly don’t.
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The verdict
A peaceful, tiny home retreat surrounded by birdlife and gum trees, where phones are gladly cast aside. The Dudley family have created something very special – Anchorage Farm offers warm, heartfelt hospitality with personal touches you won’t find when staying at large hotel chains. I want to tell everybody and nobody about it at the same time.
The details
Address: 360 Riverview Rd, North Narooma NSW 2546
Best for: couples (the tiny homes) and families (the campsites) longing for a grounding return to nature
Price: from roughly $240/night in the Shucker Shack (two-night minimum stay) and $49/night at one of the farm’s campsites
Eleanor Edström is Australian Traveller’s Associate Editor. Previously a staff writer at Signature Luxury Travel & Style and Vacations & Travel magazines, she's a curious wordsmith with a penchant for conservation, adventure, the arts and design. She discovered her knack for storytelling much earlier, however – penning mermaid sagas in glitter ink at age seven. Proof that her spelling has since improved, she holds an honours degree in English and philosophy, and a French diploma from the University of Sydney. Off duty, you’ll find her pirouetting between Pilates and ballet classes, or testing her friends’ patience with increasingly obscure vocabulary.
The Southern Highlands earns its title as Australia’s top country town in the cooler months, and it’s worth every minute of the 90-minute drive from Sydney.
Many Sydneysiders head to the Southern Highlands in spring for the tulips. It’s one of the most stunning spring carnivals in Australia. But the ones in the know come to Bowral in winter.
The first thing you notice at this time of year is the quality of the light. It catches the tangled limbs of the gums and tints the fields, farms and forests a pretty shade of Granny Smith green. And then, a world-class art museum, an impressive network of walking trails, great shops, cosy restaurants and bars and luxury accommodation take centre stage, making Bowral a place you want to linger as the mercury drops.
Just 90 minutes south of Sydney, a Bowral winter getaway is the coolcation city folk desperately need. Here are eight reasons to pack a good coat and head for the Southern Highlands.
1. Check in
Check in to the gorgeous Ardour Milton Park Bowral. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Ardour Milton Park Bowral rises like a hologram in the hazy green light as you turn onto Horderns Road. A $10 million refurbishment of the grand 1910 estate was completed in early 2026, and the beautifully restored hotel now includes 44 guest rooms washed in sage green, cobalt blue and dusty blush. The dining room at Horderns Restaurant continues with a botanical theme – earthy banquettes, floral touches throughout – and a menu that moves with the seasons.
After enjoying slow-braised Cowra lamb and a second glass of red, move to the Polo Bar, which has a fireplace and views across the estate gardens. Build a grazing board from the dedicated Charcuterie Room and take it outside while the light lasts. If the sky clouds over, use this as your cue to enjoy a next-level spa experience at Èliva.
2. Hunt for treasure
Find vintage treasures in Dirty Janes. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Winter is the perfect season to lose an afternoon inside Dirty Janes Bowral. Over 1600 square metres of covered space houses 90 individual sellers of everything from mid-century furniture to industrial lighting, antique silverware, vintage clothing and objects whose previous lives you can only imagine. Enjoy a bit of off-the-cuff banter with your fellow fossickers in between searching for that must-have military jacket or vintage silk scarf.
Around the corner, find the Instagram-famous front door of FoundAntiques, though the real finds are deeper inside. Bring cash, wear comfortable shoes and leave some room in the boot.
3. Slow down in a beautiful gallery
Learn about an Aussie legend at The Bradman Museum. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Ngununggula – meaning ’belonging’ in the language of the Gundungurra First Nations people – is the region’s first dedicated regional gallery, housed inside the sustainably transformed old dairy building at historic Retford Park. The onsite White Cottage Gallery and restored grounds of the former Fairfax estate reward a slow wander. Find a spot to sit in the courtyard filled with rivulets of winter light and enjoy the plaintive call of a currawong carrying across the heritage-listed grounds. It’s one of the best things to do in Bowral.
Add Bowral Honey Farm for a hands-on harvest experience, then continue into town to the Milk Factory Gallery to admire eclectic works by local artists in a converted industrial space. The Bradman Museum also knocks it out of the park. Australia’s largest dedicated cricket museum sits beside the heritage-listed Bradman Oval, where a young Sir Donald Bradman first picked up a bat.
4. A taste of France
Enjoy a taste of France at Lucette.
For a taste of France without the airfare, husband-and-wife team Julien and Romy Besnard – of long-loved Franquette Crêperie – have opened Lucette, a French cafe-bistro with Paris-born chef Guillaume Dubois at the helm. Dubois brings serious pedigree from Michelin-starred kitchens in France and Sydney’s former two-hatted Monopole, and it shows. Start your day with pastries for breakfast and bookend it with boeuf bourguignon for dinner. The chocolate mousse, freckled with Guerande Salt, is the kind of dish that will make you feel smug about the decision to drive south. Join the Sydneysiders dressed in charcoal coats, boots and black tights who’ve already worked this out; the whole scene is worthy of splicing it into an Instagram reel.
Francophiles should also be across Julien’s Bowral Brasserie – led by Frenchman Julien Viel, who also found his way to the Southern Highlands and stayed.
5. Indulge in a tipple
Spend time amongst the local vines. (Credit: Destination NSW)
The drive to Centennial Vineyards passes through a beautiful woodland idyll, the countryside a fuzz of green all around. Inside the Barrel Room, a tasting flight of cool-climate pinot noir, chardonnay and reserve shiraz viognier flaunts how well the Southern Highlands does winter.
This is a region that takes its cool-climate wines seriously, and the pinot noir is one of the stars – a gentle, easy-drinking style with red cherry aromas. Follow your tutored cellar door tasting with another glass of wine in the Terrace Bar, which overlooks the vineyard and manicured grounds.
6. Blend your own gin
Pop into Millsheds Distillery & Bar. (Credit: Mattia Panunzio)
Millsheds Distillery & Bar is somewhat of a local secret. The award-winning small-batch operation produces gin, vodka and liqueurs using Australian botanicals and has picked up silver medals at both the London Spirits Competition and International Wine & Spirit Competition. Beyond the tasting paddle, the hands-on blending masterclass – where you design and leave with two bottles of your own custom gin – is the experience to book, while the terrace bar that wraps around the courtyard is a fine place to settle in afterwards.
7. Go for a walk at dawn
Switch your phone off sleep mode and set your alarm to early. Mt Gibraltar rises to 864 metres just east of Bowral’s main street and offers the best views in town. You will pass a raggle-taggle bunch of hikers on the way up to the summit, all making the same quiet pilgrimage into the crisp high-altitude air. On a clear morning, the bony ridges of the ranges come into sharp relief against the light. The return loop takes roughly 90 minutes. A flat white in Bowral tastes considerably better after completing one of the scenic walking trails.
8. Cosy up by the fireplace
Get cosy in the Berida Hotel’s whiskey bar.
A cosy bar is the perfect complement to winter in Bowral, and there are a few worth committing to. Aspinalls Whisky Bar & Lounge at the Berida Hotel is built for long, languorous evenings. Take a seat beside the fireplace laden with gnarled logs and work your way through a few whiskies and bar bites like Rangers Valley beef tartare, or salt cod and potato croquettes.
At Hickory’s within Peppers Craigieburn, well-dressed waiters in denim and leather move quietly between tables, and the cosy fireplace in the adjoining guest lounge attracts an Escape to the Country crowd.
