It’s the birds that you notice first. Opening the white picket fence and walking down the grassy slope to the sandstone cottage, radiant in the reflected afternoon soon, birdsong is everywhere; cockatoos squawk and tussle in the eucalypt branches, kookaburras let out their full-throated hysterics on a nearby rock and sparrows pick at the grass for a snack. This feathered welcoming committee signals that you are not just out of the city, but you are embedded in acres of natural beauty in the heart of Sydney’s Royal National Park.
Living History
Simpson Cottage started its life in 1863 when George Simpson had a family home built for him from sandstone blocks quarried by convicts. Look closely at the walls of the cottage and you can still make out pick marks. This beautifully restored sandstone home does a great job of being both modern and nostalgic. Our bedroom contains classic blank-and-white photos of the area, is lit by rusty oil lamps (rewired to electricity) and decorated with scalloped hanging mirrors but the pure linen and cotton sheets come from In The Sac and Cultivar while other soft furnishings are sourced from Sydney boutique interiors favourite Saardé. In the bathroom is a freestanding tub and open shower with underfloor heating running through to the kitchen. This allows you to indulge in the romance of early settler life without wanting for anything.
We have brought with us a bountiful seafood feast of Balmain bugs, fresh orange roughy and cooked prawns and unloading into the expansive kitchen we also discover a welcoming antipasto platter and bottle of wine (you can purchase wine from the cottage wine cellar if you run out).
Simpson Cottage – with three bedrooms, a living room, dining room and huge chef-worthy kitchen – sits on an elevated position with incredible views across to the sand sliver that is Maianbar, which is just a short drive away. It’s a view we return to across the weekend; from the wooden seating with the prime view to the cottage porch in cane chairs, and the one from the shiny silver barbecue where I sear the bugs before eating in the dining room.
Village Life
Bundeena is located on the Port Hacking River and surrounded by the heritage listed Royal National Park; it is joined to the more famous town of Cronulla by a charming wooden ferry, a service that was started by George Simpson back in the 1880s. We set out to explore Bundeena with a walk along Bundeena Beach and nearby Jibbon Beach, home to some incredible waterfront properties and a legendary surf break.
Back in the coastal village of Bundeena itself we have a coffee at Earth Thingz, a café/beach club/restaurant hybrid with a Byron-Bay-of-yesteryear vibe and a small boutique shop with upmarket chips, chillies and spreads. We stroll past a nautically themed bar up the steep hill to Vinegar and Brown Paper, the quaintly named fish and chip shop.
Later in the afternoon we come back and snag a window table at the Bundeena Community & Services Club, another place that straddles time offering old school club prices and service in a modern setting with views across the water.
Cottage Industry
Exploring the Royal National Park you can hike past Indigenous rock carvings, paddle the Port Hacking River and visit the historic seaside shacks and fisherman’s cottages along the foreshore. But you could also never leave Simpson Cottage.
Owner and designer Tara Larnach has thought of everything.
“We do not see ourselves as owners but as caretakers of a very precious piece of Sydney’s history,” she says. “I feel privileged to share the space with people to make cherished memories here with their loved ones. We envisioned the cottage as an antidote to the stresses of daily life and the perfect way to experience the magic of this unique location”.
In addition to the main abode, the cottage stay offers “the garage” which houses a second bathroom as well as plenty of couches, a TV and most importantly a vintage 1970s pinball machine. Ideal for kids or simply a breakout space from the main house.
The rustic objets d’art and maritime nods are all throughout both the cottage and the garage – historic meat safes, tiny chairs made from the wire cages of Champagne and antique trumpets. It is eclectic but also feels curated because it is a labour of love, sourced by Tara and stylist Hannah Brady known for her work with Sydney hospitality giants, and style mavens, Merivale.
A stay in a cottage or villa offers families to perfect getaway, time together and space to be apart without interruption. And Simpson Cottage adds something special with its storied and perfectly respected history and comforts all set to the soundtrack of that beautiful birdsong.
