Go Off-Grid With This Train Carriage Turned Cabin Retreat

When Tara Rowe and her husband Luke spied an old antique train carriage at a junk sale in their neighbouring South Australian town, they looked at it "through squinty eyes" and saw a tiny house in the making.

“It was in absolutely awful condition,” Tara explains. “But it had good bones and the original Oregon floorboards were intact.”

The duo, who have lived with their young family on a 300-acre farm in Coulta, on SA’s west coast, for the last seven years, had always wanted to create some boutique accommodation on their little slice of wilderness for guests to enjoy. With the Greenly Carriage, that dream was able to become a reality.

The spot is close to the famous Greenly Rock Pools and a scenic drive from Coffin Bay and Port Lincoln. With her vision in mind, and having been inspired by the book Cabin Porn, which showcases character-filled cabins around the world, Tara took the plunge and bought the train carriage for $500.

Image credit: The Greenly Carriage | Website

“When we have travelled ourselves, we were always drawn to unusual stays, rather than the usual run-of-the-mill accommodation,” Tara explains. “We wanted to create our own completely isolated, cosy, unique retreat filled with hand-collected treasures to ignite and inspire conversation and creativity.”

The Greenly Carriage itself was once used on the nearby Eyre Peninsula Railway, the first stretch of which was built from Port Lincoln to Cummins in 1907. It has a tag on the outside, with the number NG8412, indicating that it was used as a sleeping carriage for employees originally.

Tara’s goal was to refurbish the carriage, repurposing materials and buying second-hand as much as possible, while adding a “sprinkling” of new pieces from her favourite interiors stores.

Image credit: The Greenly Carriage | Supplied

“I wanted an eclectic mixture of ‘shacky’ finds alongside a hint of mid-century design,” she adds, explaining one of her favourite pastimes is spending hours sifting through antique and second-hand stores.

“I love that feeling of discovery when you find something you truly connect,” Tara says. “I wanted the interior to feel the same. Each piece having lived a life already. Each piece being a talking point.”

Tara chose timber cladding for the interior, using dormant wood sourced or milled within 30km of The Greenly Carriage. She added natural materials like stone and terracotta, and the end result is an off-grid, romantic stay that sleeps three adults and boasts panoramic views over the Southern Ocean, Mount Greenly, Lake Greenly and the rolling countryside.

Image credit: The Greenly Carriage | Airbnb

The Greenly Carriage is completely powered by the sun, with Tara and Luke collecting water themselves. Step inside and you’ll find a warm and cosy space filled with a mix of vintage furniture by local dealers and new pieces by Australian makers.

It’s a pet-friendly tiny house, so you can bring your furry bestie along for the adventure, and there’s a heap of activities within your reach—from fishing, swimming and surfing, to hiking and wining and dining on world-famous seafood.

Beach gear, including beach chairs, an umbrella and towels, is supplied by the thoughtful hosts, along with books, National Geographic magazines and board games in the cabin to keep the tribe entertained back at base.

Whether you're dining under the stars on the top deck, cosied up around the wood-burner inside or gathered around the outdoor fire pit with a glass of the good stuff and a bag of marshmallows, this off-grid retreat—lovingly created by a farming couple with a vision—will give you a South Australian getaway to remember.

Book your stay in The Greenly Carriage here.

Image credit: The Greenly Carriage | Website

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