Historic Cottage Surrounded by Natural Beauty

From the minute we arrived at Simpson Cottage, we fell in love with its charm. From the freshly laid chicken eggs left for our breakfast the next morning to the luxurious flax bed linen (which the owner lovingly hand makes) and the wine "library" where you can borrow a bottle and leave some cash if you can't make it out to get your own. Every detail was thought of to make our stay as comfortable and carefree as possible. We could have easily filled our days just hanging out at the cottage and its generous grounds, taking in the views and walking down the private track to explore the nearby secluded beach.
As the weather was in our favour and the national park a stone's throw away we managed to make it out each morning for an adventure with the kids (day 1. we stayed local, day 2 we explored the National Park and took a hike with the kids, Day 3 we stopped in for a paddleboat ride and some lunch at Audley Wier). Every afternoon we came back to the cottage in time to enjoy a platter on the deck with a glass of wine as the sun went down. The kids played in the garden and sketched pictures in the gazebo. It is the perfect escape for busy Sydney-siders whether travelling with kids or as a group of adults, Simpson Cottage ticks all the boxes!
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Things We Did

  • Hike
  • Swim
  • Boat
  • Food & Drink
  • Beach
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    We got up early and took a hike with the kids through the Royal National Park....
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      The kids enjoyed cooling off at Garie beach after our hike....
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        We stopped in to the Audley Boatshed and took the kids on a row boat ride. It was so nice to just take in the nature around us before our drive back to Sydney. The kids skimmed rocks on the lake and followed baby ducklings around on the lawn before we grabbed coffee and lunch at the Audley Dance Hall Cafe!...
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          We filled up on lunch and grabbed a coffee to go for our trip back to Sydney. The cafe has plenty of seating, a gift shop supporting local artists and creatives and a big menu catering to all dietary requirements. It was nice to sit outside and enjoy the view over the lake. The kids ran around on the lawn out front where we could keep an eye them while we finished off our meals. Bliss!...
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            Wander down to the back of the property and you'll find a private track which leads down to a secluded beach. We had the entire beach to ourselves and watched the sun go down while the kids collected shells to add to the collection they found on a windowsill of the cottage....
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              We stopped into the IGA in Bundeena to grab some supplies before heading to our accomodation for the night. The small group of shops are directly across from this beautiful beach so we took a stroll before heading back....

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