A Rustic Treehouse Cabin Stay at Great Mackerel Beach
A boat ride away, and we were off for a slow family weekend in a rustic Airbnb treehouse cabin at Great Mackerel Beach. No shops, no cars, no agenda—just bush, water, and a home with stories to tell. Here’s what made this off-grid escape one of our most memorable stays yet.
This stay was a paid partnership with Airbnb. a full-circle stay
The first time I stayed in an Airbnb was back in 2013. It was someone’s home in Lake Tahoe—photos still on the fridge, a linen closet that doubled as storage for everything else. The books were all read and underlined, with notes in the margins—like someone had just stepped out and left their thoughts behind. And I loved it. There was something about seeing how someone actually lived that felt more interesting than a whitewashed hotel room.
Since that first experience, I’ve booked all kinds of Airbnbs around the world. Some have been more contemporary—flawless, modern, and meticulous in every detail. Others older, more rustic and personal, where the appeal isn’t in perfection but in how they make you feel—and I have a soft spot for those ones . The kind of stays that come with a little more ease, where real life is more visible. The ones that feel lived in. The places with history and stories.
Cape Mackerel Cabin is one of those places.
GREAT Mackerel BEACH: The perfect weekend getaway
Great Mackerel Beach sits in that rare little pocket of coastline where the national park still feels like it’s holding its own. No cafés. No shops. No foot traffic. You bring everything with you—from your groceries to your wine—and that rhythm of preparing and planning actually becomes part of the experience.
There’s a simplicity to life here that feels instantly grounding. No urgency, no noise. You’re not rushing to get anywhere. The beach is your front yard, the bush your backyard, and the sky puts on a show at every hour. It’s quiet in a way you don’t realise you’ve been craving until you arrive; one that’s increasingly rare.
Cape Mackerel Cabin
The cabin itself is relaxed and full of personality. Family photos on the walls. Kids’ toys tucked into corners. A mixture of furniture that somehow feels like it belongs. There’s a disarming honesty to it—it’s designed to be used, loved, and shared, and feels more like borrowing a friend’s cabin than booking a holiday rental.
It’s got lovely touches throughout (InBed linen, Leif products, etc.), but it’s not a designer stay. Sure, it might be a bit dated and a little cluttered, but you’re not coming here for polish—you’re coming for the charm, the bigger experience, the getting-there journey, the location and the unbeatable view.
The cabin has history. It was featured in Home Beautiful back in 1987, when the original owner—who lived in an old Victorian house in the city—briefed the architect to create something totally different: simple, free-flowing, and fun. A real escape. And while the owners have changed since then, that easy, unpretentious spirit has remained. Think of it a bit like an architecturally built treehouse—it’s very rustic, but the connection between indoor and outdoor makes it charming and unique.
There’s a separate bedroom for adults, and a kids’ room with two sets of bunk beds. The bathroom is simple and unrenovated—functional and clean, but definitely more about utility than indulgence. The details throughout are thoughtful—wraparound decks with a hammock, a well equipped kitchen (think Le Creuset cookware, Japanese knives, a Nespresso machine and wine fridge), and an outdoor shower that’s genuinely one of the best I’ve experienced. If they weren’t running on tank water, I could’ve stayed under there for days.
Every window is an excuse to stop what you’re doing and stare outside. The whole place breathes – and so does your nervous system!
getting there
This isn’t the kind of place you stumble across. You take a boat from Palm Beach, hop off at Great Mackerel Beach, load up a borrowed wheelbarrow, and make your way down the sand to the far end of the beach. Then, it’s a short hike—128 stairs up through the bush—to the cabin. The walk is part of the fun, especially for kids, and gives the whole stay a sense of adventure. To give you an indicator of capability needed to make it up the stairs, my 5-year-old broke his arm the week before our stay, and he was absolutely fine.
We packed light(ish), kept our hands free, and made the journey feel like the first chapter of the story.
WHAT TO DO (or not)
There’s no checklist, no pressure to “see it all.” But here’s how we filled our days:
Swimming.
Pittwater is calm, glassy, and great for kids. The early morning and later afternoon dips were heaven.
Bushwalking
. There are beautiful trails straight from the beach—some with epic lookouts, others that are just nice for a wander around Ku-ring-Gai National Park.
Cooking
Simple, satisfying meals on the deck, like a pizza in the outdoor oven (they taste even better when you've carried the ingredients by boat). Scallops and oysters. Seafood pasta. Morning coffee in the sun.
PADDLING
There’s a kayak and paddle board available, which makes exploring the bay a dream.
Reading. Drawing. Doing very little.
All highly encouraged.
Thoughtfully Rustic: Eco Cabin of the Year
The kitchen is thoughtfully equipped, the bed linen is lovely, and the products throughout the cabin are considered and good quality. And behind the scenes, it’s all underpinned by an eco-conscious setup—from rainwater tanks and filtered systems to renewable power and low-impact cleaning. You’re encouraged to be mindful—of your water use, your waste, your impact. But it doesn’t feel preachy or forced. It just feels like part of the rhythm.
Cape Mackerel Cabin was also previously awarded Eco Cabin of the Year (NSW)—a quiet testament to the way it’s been built and run with sustainability at its core.
Final Thoughts
This isn’t just a holiday rental—it’s a much-loved family escape. A place where things have been added slowly over time. Where the books are read and re-read. Where the details don’t feel designed—they feel lived. It’s unfiltered, relaxed, and real. It’s the kind of stay that reminds you what you love about travel.
