A Boat in the Grampians, for nature lovers

Now for something completely different - one foot in civilisation and one foot in the wild! Are you up for adventure, on our yacht, nestled under the open farm shed - with all the romance of an ocean voyage, minus the sea-sickness and storms? KIDS ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT! (for safety 6yrs +) Kangaroos visit daily, emu's abound and the stars on a cloudless night are amazing! If you have a passion for nature, come stay for an unforgettable experience! . PLEASE read everything below - before booking! The space THE BOAT We sailed the lovely yacht 'Shannon,' from Fiji to Australia, through the tail of cyclone Solo and a force ten storm between New Caledonia and Coffs Harbour. Now YOU can have the pleasure of staying on the quaint old boat but without fear of drowning! However...the main rule remains the same on land as it did on water, 'Don't Fall Off the Boat!' In summer, your visit could happen to fall on one of the occasional days of 38 plus degrees. You'll need to be prepared to cope without air conditioning. There are fans above each bed in the boat and one fan in the tent. There's a great airy space next to the boat for rainy day play, a beautiful kitchen and a lounge area with a fire. This space is closed in on 3 sides and open to the east where the boat forms a partial windbreak, although there can still be some wind inside the kitchen/lounge area. The awesome conservatory, however, is a very protected four walled room - THE place to enjoy a coffee on a cool day. The vintage caravan, which is also tucked under the boat shed and sleeps 4, is available for groups of more than 6 people. If your group is 6 or less you can hire the caravan for an additional $100 per night. THE LAND Sandstone cliffs, forest and grassy paddocks surround the hay-shed and boat. Our farming property called, 'Inanna,' is a wonderful place for nature immersion, bird and wildlife spotting. How many baby kangaroos and wedge tail eagles can you spot? Watch the colours change throughout the day on the sandstone escarpment and treat yourself to a well earned digital detox. There is no wi-fi and very limited mobile coverage at 'Inanna.' It's really all about the nature and peacefulness. Snuggle up beside the fire or in the hammock with a book and a complementary bottle of wine, enjoy a game of table tennis, or a board game, a jigsaw puzzle, a ball game in the paddock and the sunset on the cliffs. On a hot day you can enjoy 'Signore Wallaby's Grotto,' which is a spacious shady green bower, with a large enamel cold water bath and ample room to lie on a picnic rug and read, sleep. A favorite night-time experience is observing the stars whilst lying on a blanket in the paddock! We provide all bedding and towels. The kitchen is stocked with tea, plunger coffee, long life milk for cuppas, salt, pepper and olive oil. All the necessary kitchen utensils, pots, pans, cutlery and crockery are provided. There are another set of pots and pans for cooking on the indoor fire-pit, a gas BBQ, a pizza oven (all wood provided) There are two toasting frames to make toast on the 4 burner gas stove. To make your stay even more enjoyable we offer a number of engaging activities and products for you to purchase: - Bush Tucker and Edible Weeds Walk and Talk - An Introduction to Animal Tracking - Collaborative Art for the Whole Family - Amazing Fireside Stories with World Adventurer, Jon Muir - Seasonal organic eggs - Books by us: 'Alone across Australia,' for adults 'Seraphine, Terror of the Desert,' for kids - DVDs by us: 'Alone Across Australia,' PG 'Suzy and the Simple Man,' PG Inanna is a great base from which to explore numerous magnificent walks in the Grampians National Park, local wineries and the affordable Bunyip Hotel, which prides itself on paddock to plate cuisine. Children need to be 6 years and older to stay at 'Inanna,' as they need to have the physical dexterity to walk safely on the boat deck, negotiate the ramp up to the boat and the steps down into the boat. VERY SPECIAL, ECO-FRIENDLY FEATURES OF 'A BOAT IN THE GRAMPIANS' Please familiarise yourself with these as not everyone has the capacity to live this simply. - Wood fired pizza oven - Four burner gas stove top and the fire for cooking during fire safe weather. -Water for the kitchen sink needs to be heated on either the fire or the gas stove. - Small fridge which holds about 10 litres. - Passive water cooled box which is 5-18 degrees cooler than the ambient air temperature. It's a good place to store vegetables. Capacity -16 litres. -The shower is a camp solar heated bag or a canvas shower bag that you can fill with hot water. The shower area is a lovely, private, tropical oasis. - The boat cabin has fly screens on all openings for an insect free sleeping experience. In the kitchen and bathroom area however you may encounter some insects - are you O.K with this? Generally there are very few night time insects. - Electrics - 12 volt solar system. The boat has five cabin lights, three bunk lights and a fan in the private double bed. The kitchen area is lit by a portable lantern. There is a charging station for mobile phones in the boat. There is no 240 volt mains power so you won't be able to charge other electrical devices. Computers will need to run off their own battery power. - Fire wood comes from the fallen trees on the land here and is a renewable resource which we collect and provide for you. -.We don't do rubbish or recycling collection here as we are outside of the council rubbish and recycling pickup. Guests are kindly requested to take their rubbish and recycling with them. We do however have a compost bucket for food scraps and bones can be disposed of in the fire. Wherever possible, we try and reduce our carbon outputs and encourage our guests to do the same . We plant a native tree for every booking in an attempt to sequester the carbon released by the use of the Airbnb. We trust that you will enjoy your eco-friendly experience with us and return home feeling deeply rested, nurtured and inspired. Guest access You will have the entire accomodation to yourself. This includes the boat and the hay-shed, with the undercover kitchen and lounge with fire pit, as well as the conservatory. The conservatory and the boat are respectively the warmest and the coolest parts of the accomodation. The kitchen and lounge can be a little breezy but the fire pit on cool days is well protected from the wind. You will also have the lovely eco friendly shower and toilet area to yourself. As well as these grand spaces you can roam over 50 acres of our land, 'Inanna.' The other 100 acres are not open to public access due to an ongoing feral pest control program, ( rabbits, foxes and cats.) Other things to note Please note: Children 6 years and up are very welcome, as well as non mobile infants. 'The Boat in the Grampians,' is a wonderful experience for families with older children. For family groups we can accomodate up to ten people. It's also a lovely hideaway for private romantic holidays. We ask that all groups sign a waiver form. On arrival we like to give our guests an orientation and safety briefing. FOR YOUR FIRE SAFETY: During summer months we sometimes experience dangerously windy and hot potential fire weather. If you have already booked and your holiday falls on a day that has a, 'Code Red,' Fire Danger Rating, we will help you to reschedule your booking for a safer time. We are surrounded by forest and evacuation may not be possible if a fire is threatening the property. You can find the fire ratings on the Country Fire Authority Victorian Government website.