KING BED with forest views! On forest edge & just 6 minutes drive from spectacular coastline & beaches. Spacious (+11m long), super comfy, self contained, private, peaceful, functional & memorable. The “Lucky Duck Bus” is a stylishly renovated 1977 Mercedes school bus. Connect with nature, tiny house style! Includes outdoor area w/ private hot shower / in-ground bath overlooking the forest, gas BBQ + induction plate. Fast Wi-Fi. *MAX 2 PEOPLE *NO PETS *NO FIRES
The space
MAX 2 PEOPLE (By our local council approval / law.... that really means 2 people, not a couple + a child 2 or over)
NO FIRES / CANDLES
NO CHILDREN 2-12 Years Old
* CHECK IN / FIRE RISK / FIRE DANGER RISK OCCUPATION RULES *
Adherence to these rules terms is not negotiable, Exceptions are not legally possible....
- NO CHECK IN / OCCUPATION of the bus is permitted when the NSW RFS Fire danger rating is "Extreme" or "Catastrophic"
BUSH FIRE DANGER "Extreme" or "Catastrophic" : YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO LEAVE / EVACUATE AT OUR DIRECTION
- ECO-TOURISM in BUSH FIRE PRONE AREA: ** We are a Nambucca Council and Royal Fire Service approved eco-tourism business (a lengthy process!) and that means we have legal obligations in terms of guest behaviour, bush fires, and guest safety and evacuation requirements **
- NO FIRES / NO OPEN FLAMES (such as candles, fires or BBQs) are allowed inside the bus or anywhere on our property, at any time (no exceptions)
- BUSH FIRE DANGER: YOU MAY BE REQUIRED TO LEAVE / EVACUATE AT SHORT NOTICE on our request (or local fire services) and at our direction (or that of local fire services). This may occur in exceptional times of nearby active fire / smoke inhalation danger and/or on days of "Extreme" or "Catastrophic" fire danger (as determined by NSW Rural Fire Service).
- REFUND for FIRE EVACUATION: In the event of a bush fire danger or active fires / emergency that has required you to evacuate the property, you will be given a full refund for all unused nights of your stay. In the event that evacuation is not possible (due to blocked roads, for example), and as a last resort, we have a main dwelling "refuge house" (made from core filled concrete blocks, and with a rooftop sprinkler system).
...... and onto the fun stuff:
If you are looking for something; super comfy, peaceful and quiet, with attention to detail, that is homely and welcoming, more rustic, semi-rural, very unique, memorable, playful and fun, starry views from bed, and located next to the forest (surrounded by the sounds of nature)... with home laid fresh eggs - then we think you will dig us! Check out our reviews :)
This is a 45 year old bus, so she is not brand new nor faultlessly sparkling clean. A bit like the hosts really! :) We clean and re-stock the bus before each and every booking but she has some patina. If you are looking for pristine, white walls, air conditioning, zero chance of bugs.... a hotel room is probably better suited to your needs.
Spacious: At 11.2m long, 2.4m wide and with 2.2m ceilings she's twice the size of a big caravan and with heaps of widows and light. The first thing most people comment on is how much room there is inside.
King Size Bed: Oh yeah.... With a two zone electric blanket to stay toasty warm in winter.
Breakfast Supplies: Fresh eggs, Tea, Coffee, Jam, Bread, Cereal, Milk (ask for non-dairy options if you like).
Kitchenette: 1 x microwave, 1 x toaster, 1 x kettle, porcelain wash basin with electric hot water.
Cooking (outdoors undercover): 1 x Webber baby Q BBQ + 1x induction plate,
1 x electric wok
Drinking Water: Water supply is from rain water in our 90,000 litre tank, and is safe and pleasant to drink (Filtered and UV sterilised)
Shower / Bath: Private, outdoor, covered, in-ground hot Bath / Shower that overlooks the forest.... right next to the bus.
Toilet: Hand crafted artisan ("disco dunny") toilet is 20m walk... this is not shared with any other people. It's for the Lucky Duck Bus occupants only. The toilet has never been this much fun! It's a proper flushing toilet connected to our septic system (so no chemicals, anti-septic, wipes, sanitary products... ie. just toilet paper and human produced number 1s and 2s).
Wifi: FAST, Free, unlimited WiFi (5Mhz 70-140 MBps , 2.4Mhz 20-50+MBps peak 6.30pm-8.30pm)... especially good given the semi rural location.
Mobile: Use WI-FI calling on your phone if you have it. Otherwise, 4G mobile coverage for Telstra/Aldi/Boost only (about 1-3 bars)
Walk 50m to our high-point (just next to our workshop/shed) for 1 bar and sms messages if needed for other networks
Audio: Wireless bluetooth speaker for your audio. Hit mode once and the blue light will flash to pair with your device.
Cooling (summer): 2 x Fans (No Air Con) and lots of windows. A cool shower or bath, in the shade and daydreaming on the forest is also a treat (just turn off the gas bottle)!
Heating (winter): 240v electric heater. (very rarely needed in this ideal climate) + electric blanket.
Fridge: 300L fridge/freezer.
Power: Fully wired for 240v + 12V car sockets (great for an Engel) and USB charging ports... we are grid connected but when the sun is shining our electricity is also provided from our eco-friendly 6kw grid connected on site solar system!
Laundry: On request, we'll do a big load (up to 11kg) of washing for guests staying 3 nights or more (we'll wash and then line / tumble dry for you).
The renovation of this bus from Bathurst School bus and Woolongong tourist bus into the "Lucky Duck" is complete and we love sharing her unique character and style. So, we hope you come, stay, experience, relax, enjoy and remember!
We've also tried to reuse and recycle. For example the large outdoor covered annex structure has also been created with turpentine and flooded gum (hand milled from our own forest) and covered with recycled color-bond. The the bus is powered with our on-site solar panels (when the sun is shining) and we're also grid connected (for 24hr power). Your yummy eggs and fresh herbs come from our happy chickens and garden. We compost, have worms and native bees.
Chill under the outdoor covered area, enjoy our garden (lots of natives), say hello to a chicken, listen to the birds, or head out to explore the nearby beaches and towns to catch a wave, have a fish, go bush walking, grab a cold beer at the tavern, or just soak in a lovely beach side sunrise or sunset.
Adjacent to our 2 acres of Australian sub-tropical rain forest - birds are abundant (bower birds, honey eaters, wrens, lorikeets, king parrots, kookaburras, galas, black and white cockatoos, robins and more), wallabies visit, lizards pass by, along with all the other things the Aussie bush has to offer. You may see some things you have not before!. eg. In late August and September (for about 2-4 weeks) we often have fire flies in the forest, just after dark, for about 20-30 minutes.
A great place for:
- Couples wanting a unique romantic experience
- Friends and Traveling companions (Who don't mind sharing a King sized bed)
- A stop over between Sydney/Newcastle and Byron/Gold Coast/Brisbane
- Workers bored of hotel rooms and looking for something different (with a desk and wifi)
- Sightseeing (national parks, beaches and coastline, cool little towns like Bellingen and Sawtell.)
- Anyone wanting some quiet time out on a semi-rural property
- Beaches and swimming (Valla beach is 6 minutes drive)
- Nature Lovers (Dorrigo forests/treks, waterfalls and streams are lovely)
- Birdwatchers
- 4WDers (easy access to Valla beaches)
- Surfers (ask Simon about the local breaks!)
- Fishing at local beaches
- Forest views
Guest access
Access: Private vehicle only, no public transport. Not suitable for walking or cycling in from the highway.
Gardens: Surrounding the bus and between the bus and car park are open areas and gardens (with lots of natives).
Lawn: Important - Please do not use the lawn in front of the two dwelling houses. Also, please do not approach the neighbors properties or fences. There are some lawn areas that can be used by guests and we'll happily show them to you on arrival.
Chickens: Fresh yummy eggs from our resident chickens! You are welcome to pop into the covered orchard/chicken coop and say hi to the girls!
Forest: Feel free to walk around the forest (with closed shoes and a hat!) adjacent to the bus. It is often wet and leeches are present when this is the case. Wear shoes (really, not thongs or sandals)!
Other things to note
There are leeches when its wet... Bring some decent closed shoes!
No Air Con: During the day it sometimes gets hot and a little humid here (in sub tropical NSW). So, if you're looking to stay inside during hot sunny days in an air conditioned room that is many degrees below the outside temperature - then a hotel room probably suits you better. The new roof (9/2022) and insulation, fans and windows in the bus mean it will be similar to the outside temperature. Under the big outside covered area is shady Taking a cool bath or shower with forest views is a treat.
Summer Symphony Orchestra: It's the real Aussie bush with real Aussie "Cicadas". These are harmless little creatures, but some years (not always, it goes in cycles) in December and early January during the daytime they come out to sing for a mate (or something!?).... and it can get pretty loud! They do stop when it rains and during the night. Also, being next to a sub tropical forest there are the normal Aussie bugs.
Fireflies: If you are lucky enough to be visiting in late August through September you might get to experience the amazing sight of our forest full of native "fire-flies". Rare, trippy, and very cool!
Music: You can play music INSIDE, as loud as the provided wireless blue-tooth speaker that is provided will go. Please keep the speaker INSIDE, so as not to annoys the neighbors (and get us shut down).
Respect: A lot of work has gone into creating this offering so please look after her. All items are inventoried upon checkout and missing items will be charged to the guest – we’re sure you are honest and good people so this won’t be an issue!
Registration details
PID-STRA-2130-3
