The Treehouse at Carawirry Forest Escape

We could begin with the timber cabin, the fireplace or the morning light moving through the eucalypts. But really, The Treehouse story starts upstairs, at the far end of the wraparound verandah.

Built directly onto an extension of the upper deck, the private bathhouse holds two deep soaking tubs side by side among the trees. There’s no wandering across the grounds and no shared space. Simply turn the corner of the verandah, run the water and settle in—together, or one bath each. A very sensible arrangement, we think.

It’s what The Treehouse is best known for, but there’s plenty more wrapped around it.

The two-storey timber cabin sits quietly within 250 acres of Carawirry forest near Dungog, NSW. Downstairs, the kitchen, dining area and fireplace lounge give everyone room to gather. Upstairs, two bedrooms, a small central lounge and the wraparound verandah sit among the leaves, with the bathhouse waiting at the end.

It’s a beautiful fit for couples wanting plenty of space, two couples travelling together or families ready to disappear into the forest for a while.

Sleeping arrangements

Each upstairs bedroom contains:

– One queen bed
– One double fold-out sofa bed

The two queen beds are made as standard. The sofa beds are only prepared when requested before arrival and are best suited to children.

The Treehouse can sleep up to eight guests, but it’s important to understand exactly how that works. At full capacity, each bedroom sleeps up to four people. There are no additional sleeping spaces downstairs, so the eight-guest arrangement is much better suited to four adults and four children than a group of eight adults expecting separate beds or private sleeping areas.

Each bedroom is separated from the central upstairs lounge by a curtain rather than a conventional solid door. The bedrooms provide their own defined sleeping spaces, but they aren’t completely soundproof.

For a couple, The Treehouse feels deliciously spacious. For two couples, each pair has its own bedroom. For families, the sofa beds give the kids somewhere to flop after a day spent wandering tracks, skimming stones and investigating every interesting leaf along the way.

Inside The Treehouse

Downstairs, you’ll find:

– A fully equipped kitchen
– Dining area
– Fireplace lounge
– Indoor bathroom with rainfall shower
– Access to the private deck, BBQ area and outdoor firepit

Upstairs, you’ll find:

– Two bedrooms
– A small central TV and lounge area
– Wraparound verandah
– Private bathhouse with two deep soaking tubs

The bathhouse

The bathhouse is built onto an extension of the upper verandah and reached directly from the deck. It isn’t detached from the cabin, and there’s no outdoor path to navigate between the two.

Inside are two deep soaking tubs positioned side by side, looking into the surrounding forest. They’re filled with hot water as you would a regular bath—they aren’t wood-fired, shared or communal.

The bathhouse belongs entirely to Treehouse guests. Children must always be supervised around the tubs, verandahs, stairs and outdoor areas.

Fires at Carawirry

From March through to the end of October, we supply the firewood, tools and lighting equipment needed for the indoor fireplace.

From November through to February, we don’t provide firewood, fireplace tools or fire-lighting supplies for the indoor fireplace.

The outdoor firepit has firewood, firelighters and a lighter available throughout the year. However, all fires are subject to local NSW fire restrictions and Total Fire Bans. If restrictions apply, fires must not be lit. The forest always gets the final say.

Wi-Fi, phones and screens

There’s Starlink Wi-Fi at The Treehouse, but mobile reception at Carawirry is very limited and unreliable. Telstra generally performs best, although even that can be patchy.

If you need to make calls or receive messages during your stay, connect your phone to our Wi-Fi and enable Wi-Fi calling. It’s the only reliable way to stay contactable here.

The television connects through the Wi-Fi. You’re welcome to sign into your own streaming accounts—just remember to log out before you wander back into the real world.

Privacy and the wider property

The Treehouse, its verandahs and bathhouse are entirely yours during your stay. You won’t share them, and no one will wander past your windows or across your deck.

The driveway is shared with The Gum Leaf Cabin before the two spaces separate. Once you’ve arrived and settled in, you’re unlikely to see another person unless you head out wandering around the wider property.

You may occasionally hear another guest, a vehicle or the ordinary sounds of people somewhere in the distance. Noise travels differently through the forest, and we can’t promise complete silence. That’s simply the world we live in.

“Total isolation with no sign of another human” wouldn’t be an honest promise. But you won’t get too much more private than these cabins without heading entirely off-grid.

Beyond your own space, you’re welcome to explore approximately 10 kilometres of marked walking trails across Carawirry. The waterfall is around a 10-minute walk from The Treehouse, with creeks, rainforest pockets and an extraordinary mix of Australian wildlife tucked throughout the property.

Wildlife sightings are never scheduled—wallabies aren’t known for respecting calendars—but there’s a very good chance you’ll hear, spot or find evidence of something sharing the forest with you.

Access and mobility

The Treehouse is a two-storey cabin with both internal and external staircases.

Both bedrooms, the upstairs lounge, wraparound verandah and bathhouse are on the upper level and require the use of stairs. There are also steps into the cabin and naturally uneven surfaces around the outdoor areas and wider property.

The Treehouse isn’t wheelchair accessible and may not suit guests with limited mobility or some disabilities. Please consider the internal and external stairs, elevated verandahs and forest terrain carefully before booking.

Children must be supervised around the staircases, verandahs, bathhouse and firepit.

Getting here

The final section of the drive includes approximately two kilometres of maintained gravel road. Standard 2WD vehicles manage it comfortably, although very low-clearance cars aren’t recommended.

Check-in is entirely self-guided from 3 pm, and checkout is by 10 am. We won’t be waiting at the door when you arrive—your space and privacy are part of the experience. Everything you need to find the cabin and settle in will be sent before your stay.

Wi-Fi becomes particularly important once you reach Carawirry, so we recommend taking screenshots of your directions and arrival information before setting off.

A note about your booking information

Once your Riparide booking has been confirmed, we’ll ask you to provide an email address. This is how we send your booking information, directions and arrival instructions.

If you aren’t comfortable providing an email address after booking, please don’t reserve The Treehouse.

Your email address will only be used for information relating to this booked stay. We won’t add you to a mailing or marketing list, and you won’t hear from us afterwards unless you choose to join one yourself.

A few house matters

The Treehouse is for registered overnight guests only. It isn’t suitable for parties, events or additional daytime visitors.

Pets can’t join you. Carawirry is filled with native wildlife, and we’d very much like to keep it that way.

Smoking is permitted outside only, away from doors and windows. Cigarette butts must be placed in the bin—never on the ground.

Only toilet paper and the obvious human contribution should go down the toilet. A blocked drain deep in the forest is nobody’s idea of an adventure.

Please keep noise to a minimum between 9 pm and 9 am and respect the private spaces of other guests when exploring the property.

Who The Treehouse is best suited to

The Treehouse is a lovely fit for:

– Couples wanting plenty of space and a bath each
– Two couples travelling together
– Families with children
– Two small families comfortable sharing bedrooms with their children
– Guests who enjoy outdoor bathing, forest walks and quiet nights around the fire

It may not suit:

– Eight adults wanting separate or conventional sleeping arrangements
– Guests needing completely soundproof bedrooms with solid doors
– Guests unable to manage internal and external stairs
– Anyone requiring reliable mobile reception without using Wi-Fi calling
– Parties, events or groups expecting additional visitors
– Guests travelling with pets

Come for the bathhouse. Stay for the tree-filtered morning light, the fireplace, the wraparound verandah and the rare pleasure of having nowhere else you need to be.