Thoreau was right when he said, 'sometimes people are dicks'. Ok, maybe he didn't say that, but I'm pretty sure he thought it. And like Thoreau, sometimes you need to raise your middle finger to society and hermit in your own retreat for a while. At least until you start to pine for Netflix.
Your cabin will preferably be in the middle of an isolated forest or on a remote stretch of beach where you never have to see another smug, self-satisfied grin from Gary, that prick from marketing. Or side-eye that girl who thinks her bag deserves to have its own seat on a packed tram.
Even if you don't have your own hidden shack, take some time out and escape (mentally at least) to our round-up of Australia's best shacks, cabins, huts and retreats. And they're not your average shacks with spiderwebs in the corners and fist-sized gaps in the walls. These are classy, modern shacks. Because you're worth it.
A Permanent Campsite in the Middle of a Farm
If you like the idea of camping, but dread setting up the tent, or the smell of stale smoke from the campfire, you'll love Permanent Camping by Casey Brown Architecture. On farmland near the tiny town of Mudgee, you'll certainly get your fill of solitude. And thanks to a simple structure, with just enough glass to keep the creepy crawlies out, you'll feel like your camping, without the hassle.
But what will definitely win you over is the promise of an actual bed, not one you need to re-inflate with a hand pump five times per night...
You can book it for yourself here.
This Couple Built a Greenhouse They Can Live In!
Baracco and Wright Architects' designed Garden House for themselves, to connect the family intimately to the landscape and weather. It is the most basic, minimal of shelters. “It isn’t really a house, but more a kind of semipermanent tent...”
With transparent polycarbonate walls the house virtually disappears into the surrounding vegetation. The architects admit it does get a little hot in summer and cold in winter, but the vegetation will eventually grow to shade the home from the brunt of the summer sun and a fireplace takes the chill off the air in winter.
And for $60,000? Well, as soon as I find a suitable site (And a lazy $60,000), I want one! How about you?
Seclusion with a View
There's something about the unrestrained power of the ocean that makes you wish it would channel itself into destroying society so we can start again already.
No, just me?
Anyhow... enjoy the crash of those powerful waves from this delightful, secluded cabin. Not another soul in sight.
Moonlight Cabin by Jackson Clements Burrows, sits on a beautiful stretch of Victoria's rugged coastline, inside and out it's beautifully detailed and designed to fit the maximum amount of livability in just 60 square metres.
Prefab-ulous
Yeah, I did just do that. But it's warranted. Musk prefab cabin by Modscape is tucked into a bush clearing, making it feel a world away from civilisation. With 360-degree views of the bush, you can feel connected to nature without having to actually be in it (because, ew).
The 'Mummy's in the Backyard, Leave Her the F**k Alone' Room
Sometimes you just need your own space for a bit. And, after a day of unholy nappies, food avalanches and shrill screeches (from Mummy, not the kids), a girl definitely needs her own space for a bit. This tiny backyard room is the perfect bubble of solitude. Close the door, fire up the essential oil burner and put on your favourite whale song track. Because the next hour is all yours, beauty.
This is the room that says, 'Mummy's had a cluster foxtrot of a day. You really don't want to bug her right now.'
Off-Grid Cabin (with a Free Friendly Horse)
Just 50 minutes from Melbourne, this elegantly simple house feels a world away from city life. And that's the point. The compact off-grid home is designed for a simpler style of living. There's even a friendly horse called George who visits, so be sure to bring your carrots.
Pump House was designed by Branch Studio Architects as a completely self-sufficient guest house and a model for compact, off-grid living.
Self-Sufficient Cabin on the Banks of the Murray
Sitting quietly on the banks of the mighty Murray River in Victoria, Australia, with the Snowy Mountains as a backdrop is this prefabricated, self-sufficient cabin. Another one by Modscape, the cabin is clad in old corrugated iron, which gives in an aged look, contrasting with the clean lines and modern proportions of the design.
In such a rural (and beautiful) location and completely off-grid, Tintaldra gets our vote for best place to eschew society/survive the apocalypse.