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She says it's less work than you might think — and provides income stability when times are tough.
Photography Hannah Puechmarin Portrait Davina Bambrick
To start, can you tell us a bit about Bonnie Doone?
It’s a certified-organic beef cattle property west of Monto in the beautiful North Burnett, Queensland. We have 20,000 acres [about 8000 hectares] with gum trees on granite soils and black-soil scrub scattered with Queensland bottle trees. Our philosophy and grazing system is ecological and we love to work with nature and enhance biodiversity. Healthy soils, animals and humans is very important to us.
How did Bloodwood Cabin come about?
In 2016 we built a cabin out of timber from our property with repurposed doors and windows — it was just for our kids and visiting friends. But in 2021 I noticed a lot of urban travellers visiting our region and I realised people were quite frazzled from the impacts of Covid and were seeking retreat. I decided to launch Bloodwood Cabin on Airbnb to offer a place in nature for restoration and reconnection.
How did you go about building the cabin?
My husband harvested sustainably grown trees and sawed the timber, and a friend built the cabin with my brother. It was a fun project. I sourced items from our farm sheds and my antique collection for the styling. That part is ongoing — I love refreshing the cabin as I find new things and old things I forgot I have.
What kind of response have you had?
It’s been incredible and unexpected! We have been booked solid since July 2021. Guests travel an average of 600 to 700 kilometres to stay here, coming from Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast. We also have visitors from central Queensland and overseas, too. Bloodwood Cabin was a finalist for Best Nature Stay in Australia’s 2024 Airbnb Host Awards. We’ve been delighted and surprised by its success.
What kind of guests do you get?
It’s often couples who are having a break from the kids or celebrating a babymoon, honeymoon or birthday. And we’ve hosted plenty of single ladies experiencing a reset. We recently started offering elopements, as I am a celebrant. I love meeting the diverse range of people who visit. Some remain good friends, others visit each year for their annual holiday.
What are they looking for when they stay on Bonnie Doone?
I don’t always see the guests when they arrive, but when I do I notice they are tense and really looking forward to their stay. When they leave, it’s like their whole being has changed — they’re more calm, their facial muscles are relaxed and they are smiling. I truly love that time in the cabin — in nature — provides this transformation. I feel the guests are craving complete disconnection from the busy life of schedules and technology. They seek the quiet of the natural surrounds and minimal connection to the outside world.
What kind of work is involved?
The time commitment is not as much as one would think. It takes two to three hours to prepare the cabin for guests. Communication fits in around daily tasks and social media is a weekly event. I set clear expectations that the experience is quite solo for the guests, however I am not far away if they need anything. It can be as much work or as little as one likes — however, I find the more time and love I put into the cabin experience, the greater the reward.
What are some of the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As bookings increased, the challenge was to keep up with the pace and get support for housekeeping and maintenance.
What advice would you give someone who’s considering setting up a farm stay on their property?
Go for it — if it fits with your skills and desires. It’s also important to genuinely like people and have patience. On-farm stays are very complementary to a farming business and it’s a great income stabiliser when times are tough with the weather. My main advice is to make it unique to your property and values — allow it to ooze your sense of creativity.
For more on Bloodwood Cabin, go to airbnb.com.au.
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