Artist Hans Heysen made a name for himself with his bushland paintings of monumental, towering gums. His landscapes won the Wynne Prize a record nine times and are based on the views from his Adelaide Hills property The Cedars. Heysen lived on the property for 56 years and his daughter Nora – the first woman to win the Archibald Prize – grew up there. Now, the wilderness retreat in the Hills that inspired the two great artists is playing host to nine off-grid cabins.
Open from August, the cabins from tiny-house company Cabn sit on 30 acres of bushland in Hahndorf, just 25 minutes from the Adelaide CBD. There are traditional tiny homes and not-so-tiny Cabn X cottages – they can accommodate a total of 26 people across all nine cabins.
The eco-friendly cabins run off solar electricity and have been built with care and consideration for the landscape. No trees or shrubs were affected by the construction. In fact, in consultation with the Native Land Council, an additional 1100 trees were planted, along with shrubs and native grasses, to encourage biodiversity.
The cabins are dotted throughout the vast property, so you could go the whole weekend wandering The Cedars without ever running into another guest. Explore The Artist’s Walk, which leads through the spots often depicted in the Heysens’ paintings, or weave through gums on Cabn’s walking and cycling tours through the property.
The tiny homes offer showers, Weber barbeques, indoor wood-burning fireplaces and outdoor firepits. Some cabins are set up for couples, and some for solo travellers, while others have additional bunk beds and can sleep four.
While still having all the charm of a tiny home, the Cabn X houses are not exactly tiny, with a king bed, indoor and outdoor baths and a firepit. There’s also an attached sauna that – in the true Scandinavian fashion – has a window looking out on the landscape Heysen made famous. It’s the perfect marriage of steam and stillness.
The cabins are also decked out with products from the local community like Beerenberg, Ambleside Distillers and Sidewood.
Founded in 2017, these nine newly opened homes bring the total number of Cabn properties in South Australia to 39.
Bookings are open now from $315 per night.
