The Cottage at Carawirry

The Cottage has a way of drawing everyone towards the same few places.

Morning coffee wanders onto the covered deck. Warm afternoons end with a proper plunge in the pool. Someone runs the outdoor bath as the light begins to soften, and by evening the fire has usually become the centre of things.

Tucked into 250 acres of Carawirry forest near Dungog, The Cottage is a single-level hideaway for couples, friends and families who want room to settle in without losing that lovely sense of being tucked away among the trees.

The Cottage

The Cottage sleeps up to four guests across two separate bedrooms. Each of the two bedrooms can be prepared as either one king bed or two single beds.

That makes The Cottage an easy fit for a couple wanting plenty of space, two couples travelling together, friends who prefer separate beds or a small family.

Please tell us your preferred bed configuration before arrival. All sleeping arrangements must be finalised at least 14 days before your stay so the team can have everything ready for you.

Inside The Cottage, the two bedrooms sit alongside one bathroom with a rainfall shower, a fully equipped kitchen with a pod coffee machine and starter supply of coffee, and an open dining and living space gathered around the wood-burning fireplace. Reverse-cycle air conditioning and ceiling fans keep things comfortable through the seasons, while premium linen and towels, Australian-made toiletries, pantry basics, board games, torches and a few useful forest bits are all waiting for you.

One porta cot and one highchair can be provided at no charge when requested before arrival. Please bring your own fitted sheet and bedding for the porta cot.

Outside, the covered deck opens towards the forest, with a private 4-metre mineral plunge pool, a deep outdoor bath with hot water, a gas BBQ and outdoor dining setting. Nearby, the private firepit gives you somewhere to settle in after dark, while the deck leaves plenty of room to sit, read, talk or simply watch the day move through the trees.

The mineral plunge pool is unheated and stays cold all 12 months of the year. In summer it’s a glorious place to cool off; in winter it’s for the bold, the brave and anyone who has recently discovered cold-water therapy on the internet.

Adding The Nook

The Cottage accommodates a maximum of four guests on its own.

For bookings of five or six guests, The Nook is automatically opened and included in your Riparide price. This separate, self-contained space sits approximately 30 metres behind The Cottage and gives your group a third bedroom, second bathroom and a little extra breathing room. Its bedroom can be prepared as either one king bed or two single beds, and it has a private ensuite, kitchenette and small lounge.

Together, The Cottage and The Nook sleep up to six guests across three separate bedrooms and two bathrooms.

It works particularly well for three couples, a multigenerational family, friends travelling together or anyone bringing people they love dearly but don’t necessarily need to hear brushing their teeth.

The Nook cannot be booked separately. It exists purely as an add-on to The Cottage. For bookings of four guests or fewer, it remains locked and unoccupied, and no one else can book or use it during your stay. Your privacy is protected either way.

Do you have four or fewer guests but still want to use The Nook? Perhaps three people are travelling together and each would like a separate bedroom, or two couples would prefer a bathroom each. Send us a message before booking. Subject to availability, The Nook can be added for $240 per night through a Riparide special offer. The arrangement must be confirmed no later than 14 days before arrival.

Fires at Carawirry

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

From November through to February, indoor fireplace supplies aren’t provided. By then, the plunge pool tends to be making a stronger case for itself anyway.

Firewood, firelighters and a lighter are supplied for the outdoor firepit throughout the year. All outdoor fires are subject to local NSW fire restrictions and Total Fire Bans. If restrictions apply, the firepit must remain unlit. The forest always gets the final say.

Connected… if you want to be

Mobile reception at Carawirry is very limited and unreliable. Telstra generally has the best chance, but even that can disappear entirely.

The Cottage has strong Starlink Wi-Fi. If you need to make calls or receive messages, connect your phone to the Wi-Fi and enable Wi-Fi Calling. It’s the only reliable way to remain contactable here.

Or switch the phone off, wander onto the deck and let the kookaburras handle incoming communications. Also valid.

Beyond The Cottage

The Cottage, its deck, pool, bath and firepit are private for your use. If The Nook is included, that space is private too.

Beyond your own hideaway, approximately 10 kilometres of marked walking and bike trails wind through Carawirry. The waterfall is around a 15–18 minute walk from The Cottage, with creeks, rainforest pockets, dams and an extraordinary mix of Australian wildlife spread throughout the property.

This is a living forest. Wallabies, goannas, kookaburras and smaller forest residents go about their business here. You may also encounter insects, leeches, spiders and snakes. Stay on marked tracks, wear sensible shoes, supervise children and let the wildlife remain wild.

Food and optional experiences

Food, wine, grazing boxes, massages, private movement sessions and other optional experiences aren’t automatically included in your booking.

Where available, we’ll introduce you to our trusted local suppliers. You’ll book and pay with them directly, keeping the whole arrangement local and easy.

A few forest truths

Carawirry is around 20 minutes from Dungog, on the Barrington Tops side of the Hunter Valley. We’re approximately 90 minutes from the Pokolbin vineyards, so The Cottage isn’t the right base if cellar doors are the main event.

The final two kilometres of the drive are along a maintained gravel road. Standard 2WD vehicles manage it comfortably in normal conditions, although very low or modified cars aren’t a great match.

The Cottage is fully self-check-in. We don’t live at Carawirry or wait onsite to meet you. Your space will be ready from 3 pm, with everything you need sent by email before arrival. Checkout is by 10 am.

The Cottage itself is single-level with no internal stairs, making it our easiest accommodation for guests who prefer to avoid staircases. However, Carawirry has gravel driveways, natural ground, thresholds and uneven forest trails. The outdoor bath, pool, firepit and the path to The Nook also require care.

The Cottage isn’t advertised as wheelchair accessible. If access or mobility will affect your stay, please contact us before booking so we can give you honest, practical information about the setup.

Children are very welcome, but they need active adult supervision around the plunge pool, outdoor bath, firepit, creek, roads and wider forest.

No pets, please. Carawirry is filled with native wildlife, and keeping those forest residents safe comes first.

No parties, functions or unregistered visitors. This is somewhere to light the fire, take the long way to the waterfall and remember what a genuinely quiet night sounds like.

If that sounds like exactly what you’ve been looking for… the forest will be ready for you.