One sunny late afternoon, after driving through some picturesque country roads, we arrived at our beautiful home for the next two days. We were really looking forward to this quirky and unique experience! I mean, where else do you get to sleep in a stationary boat surrounded by the beauty that is Grampians National Park? Upon our arrival, we were greeted by our lovely hosts Suzy and Jon, who are two incredible and kind humans passionate about adventure, wellbeing and sustainable living while having an immense appreciation for the land on which they live. While Suzy gave us a tour of the place, we got chatting and found out that her and Jon had bought the boat “Shannon” in Fiji five years ago and sailed it across the seas to Australia! Knowing this and standing inside the same boat, I couldn’t help but imagine all the nights spent at sea and the memories that Suzy and Jon must share with “Shannon”.

We were all completely in awe of the stunning space we were so lucky to be staying in. Outside the boat, the shed is a large space sheltered yet still open enough for us to feel that we were truly in nature. The glass windows let in beautiful light throughout the day and we loved all the quirky, personal touches around the place. Everything we needed was provided for us - even gaiters to keep us safe from snakes on our adventures! Suzy and Jon also kindly gifted us two gorgeous baskets of their own garden-grown vegetables, leafy greens, herbs and edible flowers as well as some fresh eggs and a bottle of wine! After Suzy left, we spent the golden hour evening preparing a delicious beetroot curry using the beetroots given to us and started a cozy fire in the coffee table! That’s right, and the coffee table turns into a fire pit! As the sunset and darkness arrived, the warm glow of the fire, our candles, some fairy lights we put up and a galaxy projector Nidhi bought along created the coziest ambience for us to have dinner in! After dinner, we sat around the fire and toasted some marshmallows before heading into the boat for some bedtime board games and tiramisu - courtesy of Nidhi!

The next two days were spent lazing around and in the boat, going on walks around the property, seeing cute kangaroos and emus right near our doorstep, going on a super informative and enjoyable 'edible bush weeds' walk hosted by Suzy where we foraged for mushrooms, chamomile and other bush tucker, then using some of that to cook delicious meals and sharing one of them with Suzy and Jon, exploring some beautiful summits in the Grampians as well as trying out some local cafes! We had a jam-packed few days, and I could honestly write a lot more about it!

Staying in this stunning boat and connecting with each other, the land, our lovely hosts and going on adventures was truly one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had, and I cannot wait to come back and stay here again.