Khan Cottage - rainforest, birdsong and views

A stilt house which elevates you to the tree tops, Khan Cottage has a spectacular outlook over the Illawarra Escarpment and its own 135 acres of land. From the wraparound deck, hear the rush of the creeks after rainfall and the raucous call of rainforest birds and kookaburras in sunshine. Swing in the hammock with only the call of the Whip Birds to disturb you. You are looking out over one of the most successful rainforest regeneration projects in the region. South Coast beaches are a fifteen-minute drive away.

Despite our faraway feel, vibrant Berry with its many cafes and shops is a five-minute drive from the house. Seven Mile Beach and Gerroa Beach, boutique wineries and excellent restaurants are on our doorstep. You are also close to Kangaroo Valley and the stunning beaches of Jervis Bay National Park.

We, the owners, do not live on the property which means that the house, its environs, the mown path to the creek and beautiful views are all yours for the duration of your stay making Khan Cottage a very private and peaceful retreat for two to four people. It is located at the foot of the escarpment along Bundewallah Road which is itself a lovely long and rural lane along which to walk. A public walking track up to old-growth rainforest begins just past our lower gate. The cottage is a two-hour drive from Sydney, south along the new Princes Motorway.


Facilities

Khan Cottage is fully self-contained. The accommodation includes two bedrooms: one queensize with its own deck and one double bedroom, both supplied with quality linen and towels. The house is lovingly furnished and maintained and is equipped with a kitchen, bathroom, woodburning stove, gas heater, Bluetooth speaker with an aux cable for connection to your phone. There is no wi fi at the house. Khan Cottage is a place to enjoy its absence. Should you need access to the internet this is available at cafes in Berry where there is also 'in-town free wi fi' available 24 hours a day. Please note that there is a minimum two-night stay and the weekend tariff applies to both a Friday and Saturday night OR a Saturday and Sunday night. Two-nights midweek are charged at $650 (plus VRBO fees). The lower nightly rate applies after the initial two nights.


Khan Cottage's rainforest restoration project

Over twenty years ago when we bought the land, our creeks - like most in the Illawarra - were dense privet, lantana and other weeds. Today they are regenerating Illawarra Subtropical Rainforest, a Critically Endangered Vegetation Community. It is a life-long endeavour to return as much of our property to this endangered rainforest as we can. To do so requires hard work in often unpleasant conditions and we have dedicated countless thousands of hours in labour and many tens of thousands of dollars to ensuring its success. We have been awarded Federal, State and local government grants to assist us towards this end. In March 2020, the property was granted Biodiversity Conservation status by the NSW government. This conservation status was awarded not because of any pre-existing vegetation on the property but because of the rare young rainforest that now stands where at the start of our tenure there grew only privet. Your stay at Khan Cottage enables us to continue financing this project.