Grand Designs "Eco Bush Retreat"

"Callignee Eco Bushhouse" is a sustainable, 100% off grid stand alone home nestled amongst 5 secluded acres of native bushland in the glorious Gippsland region.

Architecturally designed, award-winning retreat featured on Grand Designs Australia.
The space Callignee Eco Bushhouse operates on eco-friendly living principles and is 100% off grid, collecting its own electricity and water.

The space
Staying at Callignee is a magical experience you are unlikely to ever forget. The house design adopts a combination of Japanese inspiration like Wabi Sabi (finding beauty in imperfection), while merging with a distinctly Australian aesthetic, including the prominent rustic corten steel and Australian timbers, while blurring the lines between indoors and out.

The Architecture is most notable for its unique spaces and at times playfulness with an impressive magnesium swimming pool that sits as part of nature with a grass tree overhanging the pool and swimming laps can be viewed from the living room. At certain times of day the pool and windows create shards of rainbows across the internal ceilings, as well as courtyards and a rooftop that can only be truly enjoyed in person.

The regularly altering volumes, with differing heights and levels and sizes, creates a number of distinct spaces for different activities and moods, from quiet contemplation to social gatherings and entertaining. The rich materiality, often herculean in scale, including solid weathered, pier timbers, carved rock sinks and rustic steel, combined with indoor plants, artworks and the beautiful bush surrounds all help to create a one of a kind design and experience.

A 24 hour itinerary in Callignee…
- Upon arrival take a moment to walk around the property and explore the details and spaces. Choose the bedroom that most calls you.
- Take your pick- Dreamy nights in the upstairs queen sized bed with canopy enclosure or slow mornings in the master bedroom sleeping in a King sized bed under the Princess Pier slabs and listening to the birds. Both rooms offer premium linens and towels.
- Walk across the suspension bridge mesmerising the views of the Australian bush.
- Dive right in for a refreshing swim and sun baking on the deck on pool bean bags. If the weather is cold, we still recommend jumping in the pool for a cold plunge and enjoy the sizzling hot outdoor shower to warm you up. Nothing can make you feel more alive then a cold swim and a hot shower. We dare you!
- Open the kitchen canteen window making cocktails or hot teas and enjoy by the pool. It doesn’t get much better then this!
- Cook your favourite delights in a generously sized kitchen with all that you require and sling open the bifold doors to bring the outside in.
- Skip along the large stones across the pond.
- Enjoy a cocktail on the rooftop for sunset with your favourite aperitif.
- Enjoy the roaring fire on the generously sized couch recently reupholstered with throws to make you cosy or why not take it outside- Get the fire pit going, pull up a tree stump, pack your marshmallows and on a clear night gaze on the 1000s of stars to see!
- End your day with indulging in a bath, soaking in the concrete encased bath and views of the garden.
- In the morning we recommend jumping in first thing for a cold swim. It's the best way to start the day!
- Then turn up the romance (or bromance) with a duo luxurious hot shower together in the master bedroom with views of the pool and garden, giving you the feeling of an outdoor shower while still inside.
- Explore the property with the circuit walk viewing the building from all angles and enjoying the banksia trees you find along the way. Keep your eye out for koalas.

Living with nature
Be mindful that Callignee is nestled amongst dense bush, which comes with all of natures gifts from great bird life, wallabies, echidnas, wombats and kangaroos to insects, snakes (over warmer months), spiders and frogs. Of course, we do our best to keep the outside out and the inside in but the World’s can meet so please be mindful when booking.

The Spaces
Callignee is designed so that every room enjoys the North sun.

The kitchen, the heart of the home opens to the North directly connecting the pool and gardens. Giving guests the option to be catered for outside by the pool via its concrete island bench or inside at the unique dining table overlooking the South facing bushland. Blurring the separation of indoor and outdoor living with bi-fold doors in the dining area, the dwelling interior is as minimalist and contemporary as the exterior. The open plan area shares a double sided fireplace.


The home is a multi-level construction with the main bedroom on the lower level showcasing a kingsize bed, leading into an artistic masterpiece ensuite featuring an open glass double head shower that offers minimal privacy - but invites you to become one with the surroundings. The mezzanine level houses the second guest bed and a study nook. It’s a quirky space that takes advantage of the spectacular views out to the beautiful bush landscape.

The twelve meter lap pool can be viewed through a massive lounge window that also forms part of the pool wall and doubles as a cool water feature. (Please note the pool and sitting plunge pool (not a spa) are not heated).

The home is surrounded by hand selected, strategically placed granite boulders, there is a pond with stepping stone access to the home and overhead there is a suspension bridge with access to the top level.

Events
Callignee is available for events, special occasions, 40ths and retreats at an additional cost. Please enquire within. In-house massages also available on request.

Winter Retreat

Callignee is a fantastic place to enjoy winter days and nights as the bush comes to life and the indoor fireplace offers cozy and romantic nights, while the outdoor fire pit offers more adventurous and social options under the twinkling stars. Callignee is within a stones throw of the World Famous Rainforests at Tarra-Bulga National Park, which are at their best over the cooler, wetter months.


Heating

Callignee is a substantial building with large volumes and being off-grid, heating can be a challenge. The floor is hydronic, which we use to take off the chill during winter but we’d recommend bringing warm clothes, Ugg boots and enjoying the cozy sofa in front of the fireplace under our throw blankets, with a wine in hand. Hydronic heating is available during June-July-Aug only and we ask that you use the fireplace during other times to keep toasty and the master bedroom also boasts an electric blanket.

Jungle Escapes Hotels
Linda and Josh also encourage you to explore their other properties.
Luxury Treetop Escapes- Dandenong Range- Which is famous for proposals and micro weddings in the garden glasshouse
Degraves Della Casa- Melbourne CBD- An apartment in the heart of the CBD with a Suspended hanging net in the lounge room.

Why not do the circuit and stay in all 3?
Guest access
Guests have exclusive access to the entire 5 acre property. The property is the only building on the 5 acres.

Inclusions
We offer all our guests complimentary natural shampoo, conditioners and soaps. Our pantry is stocked with a variety of cooking condiments, cooking oils, spices for your use along with a coffee plunger (please bring your preferred beans), Nespresso, instant coffee, tea and herbal teas. Firewood and fire starters are included for your stay and we ask that you collect kindling on the property or if you prefer supply your own.

Resources
Please keep in mind this home is an eco-friendly 100% off the grid home, the property is reliant on solar panels along with our 60,000lt water tank for rainwater harvesting.

We kindly asks guests to come to our retreat with a sustainable mind and attitude and use all the resources economically and take care of our property.
Other things to note
Children at the property
Callignee is a wonderland for children to explore, both the unique and playful house and 5 acres of native bushland. However from a parents perspective there could be many hazards for both parents and children that have never lived in this type of surrounding. "Callignee II" is an architecturally designed home with unique features like ponds and swing bridges and a dam next door that can be very dangerous for unsupervised young children. For this reason we discourage children under the age of 5. Children would need to be supervised at all times. The house also includes quirky features like bolts protruding from floors, uneven pathways, hard finishes and steps with varying widths, so we ask all ages to be alert when moving around.

Pets
We welcome pets. Please note there is a $75 fee per stay and we do ask that pets are strictly not allowed on the couch, soft furnishings, in the pool or in beds. Please note an additional $100 cleaning fee will be charged should this occur to cover our cleaners time. The property is not fenced and please be cautious of snakes and wallabies.

Security cameras
To ensure the safety of our guests and the security of our home, exterior security cameras are installed at the property.

Property improvements and future plans
Enjoy new additions such as new driveway, increased solar capacity to 16.5KW, refurbished oversized couch, new artworks that capture the essence of the property with a mix of Aboriginal and Japanese art, new electric oven and much more, The new owners have ambitious plans to continue taking one of Australia’s best houses to new heights. Some of the projects they are working on include repairs from large to minor, lounge room flooring, as well as more ambitious projects such as finalising the rooftop space, plans for an outdoor sauna and a 3rd bedroom, which would include an additional bathroom. As with all properties, it is a constant work in progress but the owners see it as a masterpiece, albeit rustic, excited for what the future will bring.