You’ll feel your heart rate slow the moment you arrive at Simpson Cottage – letting the white gate shut behind you and taking in the timeless splendour of the heritage-listed cottage set against the idyllic garden and the sparkling stretch of estuary beyond.
Built by convicts back in 1864 as a holiday escape for a British-born market gardener by the name of George Simpson, Simpson Cottage is arguably one of the most historical holiday cottages in NSW. And though the interiors have experienced a major glow-up, there’s a timeless energy to the place that feels like the echo of decades of happy memories – an intimate history shared by those lucky enough to have holidayed here.
Perched on a sloping corner of cliff above the magical coastal waters of the Bundeena Creek, the bones of the house remain (almost) just as they were back in the 1860s; handsome sandstone trimmed with delicate rows of Paddington lace and punctuated by doorways opening out onto the verandah. Inside, though, things have changed a lot – though still with a nod to the historic lineage of the space. Every item now housed within the cottage's walls has been carefully chosen by co-owner (and self-titled Chief Escape Artist) Tara Larnach, who bought Simpson Cottage back in 2010. Intent on creating a space that reflected the depth of history that Simpson Cottage holds, Tara has worked to meticulously build an environment that sparks curiosity as well as a sense of gentle, comforting familiarity. The three bedrooms are each unique in their energy, but similar in aesthetic; whitewashed walls and hand-built shelves stacked with vintage, carefully placed trinkets. The kitchen is small but perfectly formed, with cupboards groaning with artisanal crockery, baking ingredients and pots of bespoke hand-blended tea. And though the house inside is beautiful, it’s the heavy wooden table at the bottom of the garden that’s the jewel in the Simpson Cottage crown. Spend your morning (after a visit to the local beach) preparing a couple of lunch dishes, then fill the garden table with drinks and friends and stay until the stars begin to appear above you.
Mirroring the interior design, the vibe of the garden is mismatched perfection, with Tara explaining that the outdoor space “thrives on neglect”. Rosemary bushes overflow from terracotta-toned pots gathered in threes along the verandah, and kookaburras make their homes on the vintage benches. And beyond the trees that stretch into the sky and the table that sits between suspended strings of fairy lights, the lawn folds down to the estuary; a constant, peaceful presence that sits quietly reflecting back the sun. You’ll notice it the moment you arrive, and you’ll miss it the second you leave; that gentle body of water that waits like a renaissance mirror, reflecting back your holiday light with an ornate intensity.
As every guest lucky enough to stay here does, Tara and her husband had fallen in love with the cottage when they visited in 2009, and bought it a year later with the dream of helping other people experience the perfect “escape”. Having spent a very magical weekend there thanks to Tara’s careful curation, I can happily confirm that they succeeded.
You can book your stay over here.