Mount Emu Creek Retreat

Mount Emu Creek Retreat is a self contained and eco friendly converted train carriage on a permaculture homestead on Mount Emu Creek (Tarnpirr) just out of Panmure. Take in the beautiful views of bush and farmland from the covered deck and enjoy the abundant birdlife. You might even spot platypus, koala or swamp wallaby by the creek. Mount Emu Creek Retreat is the perfect peaceful stop for couples or solo adventurers when traveling from the Great Ocean Road to Warrnambool or beyond. The space Our place is on Kirrae Whurrung Country and consists of 10 acres of pastured paddocks where our sheep graze, productive food gardens with free ranging ducks as well as native bushland abundant with wildlife. The property stretches out up along the river bank with beautiful views of Mount Emu Creek and farmland beyond. The land here changes immensely throughout the seasons and each season has its own flavour and feel to it. The Train Carriage The guest dwelling is a retired and repurposed wooden 1909 Victorian Railway T van. We have spent the last two years converting it into a tiny house for guests to enjoy. While many modern upgrades have been made, we have been mindful to preserve as much of the original wooden interior and rustic feel as we could. Wooden furniture inside the train, such as kitchen benches and bedside tables, have been made by us from cypress timber, some of which was harvested and milled right here on our property and some of which was brought in from a local mill. The timber cladding on the outside is also cypress and was milled by Ceres Fair Wood in Melbourne. Sustainability It has been a priority for us to create an eco friendly dwelling where all grey water is being repurposed for watering trees, the water in taps and shower is heated via solar panels and human waste is treated in a composting toilet (Green Loo). Wildlife From the verandah in from of the train carriage guests will be able to observe the abundant birdlife including yellow tailed black cockatoos, kookaburras, eastern rosellas, fairy wrens and various water fowl. There is a good chance to spot koalas, platypus and swamp wallaby along the creek. This abundance of wildlife also includes snakes and lizards as well as bugs, insects, spiders and ants. If you are not a nature lover, then this might not be the best spot for you. You may, at times, encounter a lizard or snake on the property. It is your responsibility to keep an eye out. Mount Emu Creek Guest can access the creek and explore along a path by the water. We have an old canoe stationed on the bank that guests are welcome to take out for a self guided paddle up or downstream. Places to Explore Locally Keayang Maar Vineyard in Dixie Crow's Foot Pottery in Panmure Childer's Cove Beach Hopkins Falls Lookout Warrnambool Wildlife Encounters Timboon Railway Shed Distillery Timboon Fine Ice Cream Schultz Organic Creamery and Café Deep Blue Hot Springs in Warrnambool Mount Noorat Crater Walk Privacy The train carriage is located about 50 metres from our main dwelling. Between them sits our productive permaculture food garden as well as taller trees and bushes which creates good privacy for both us and our guests. We spend a lot of our time working outdoors throughout the property, so you may occasionally hear us (especially our five year old daughter). When guests are staying, we will endeavour to keep out of the paddock that the train carriage faces, however there may be times when we need to briefly enter to fix a fence or move our sheep. Our garden and house We love our little wild garden and many visitors enjoy having a wander around and checking it out. If you are interested in permaculture gardening and specifically gardens that are a bit wild, then do let us know, and if we have time, we can give you a little tour. Please don't wander around our garden and house area without talking to us first though. Guest access The paddock in front of the train carriage is accesible for you to explore and there is access to the creek through a gate in the fence. You can take the canoe provided up and downstream on the creek, but being mindful of our neighbours' property and privacy, we ask that you only get in and out of the canoe along our stretch of the creek. We graze sheep in our paddocks, so it is important that gates get closed after walking through them. We ask that you message or talk to us first if you would like to take a walk in our garden or remaining paddocks on the property. If we are home, we are usually happy to give a little tour. Other things to note Distance to nearby towns Panmure 2 mins Terang 16 mins Warrnamnool: 20 mins Timboon 29 mins Camperdown 33 mins Cobden 30 mins Peterborough: 31 mins Port Campbell: 40 mins Grampians 1 hr 16 min Halls Gap: 1 hr 56 mins Ballarat 1 h 52 mins Apollo Bay: 2 hrs 10 mins