A family-friendly stay in a uniquely crafted, eco-friendly ‘tiny house’ – for up to four guests – in Lochiel, overlooking a ‘pink salt’ lake. With easy access to South Australia’s Clare Valley and Yorke Peninsula!

Review by Carla Caruso

There couldn’t be more unique accommodation than staying by a pink salt lake, featuring a Loch Ness monster sculpture, in an eco ‘tiny house’.

In fact, the Pink Lake Tiny Houses in South Australia’s Mid North are the only tiny houses by a pink salt lake anywhere in the world.

I stayed at the site back in 2021 and returned there with my family-of-four this year. A lot has changed since our last visit.

Accommodation options:

Last time, we stayed in the original ‘tiny house’, Sakura, which has been there since 2020 and features two loft bedrooms with ladder and stair access.

This trip, we stayed in Peony, which opened in 2021 and has been dubbed ‘the most luxurious tiny house on wheels’. (It has a queen bed on the lower level and two single Japanese futons in the loft room.)

The inspiration for the décor – including ‘washi’ paper artwork – was drawn from Japan, where co-owner Michael Seeliger used to live, and Taiwan, where wife Christina was born.

A third house, Dandelion, has just opened on-site and accommodates two guests in a king-sized bed and two kids in a sofa bed – all on ground level.

Dandelion is the only house with a water-flushing toilet; Sakura and Peony have odourless, fully bio-composting loos.

The concept of the tiny houses is self-contained, ‘off-the-grid’ accommodation. Electricity is generated through solar panels on the roof and stored in a 5-kilowatt battery.

A few of the tiny houses use rainwater collected on the roof and stored in a 5000-litre tank. Shower greywater is filtered and then nourishes a plant bed.

As well, there are now ‘glamping’ facilities on-site, comprising two spacious bell tents (with king-sized, zip-apart beds), a private bathroom, electrical power, and an outdoor fire pit. My kinda camping!

You can also indulge in ‘fully hosted’ packages at the site, which include a Korean-style barbecue dinner, an Aussie campfire with billy tea and roasted marshmallows, and a star-talk experience.

(Please note: the fire-pit isn’t available for use during the fire ban season from November to April.)

The Location:

The tiny houses are situated directly opposite Lake Bumbunga in the small town of Lochiel, located a 95-minute drive north of Adelaide.  

The 15-square-kilometre Lake Bumbunga is a famous local attraction. It’s a spectacular salt-lake that is dramatic due to its seasonal pink colouration and wide expanse.

It’s constantly changing colour, depending on the season, water level, and sunlight. (The lake’s pinkness is said to be at its best between October and February, although there’s an element of pink whenever you go.)

Things to do on-site:

• Take spectacular photos of the pink lake early in the morning and at sunset.
• Relax with a book or listen to your favourite music on the bluetooth speaker.
• Play board or card games with your companions. 
• Sing your fave tunes using the karaoke microphones supplied.
• Watch a movie in wide screen. (Peony is the only tiny house with a projector for this.)
• See the stars of the amazing Milky Way at night and wake up in the country, with birds chirping outside.
• Visit the sculpture on the pink lake – a local tourist attraction called ‘Loch Eel’.
• Enjoy a drink or snack on your house’s private deck, overlooking the lake. (The Copper Coast Meats Bulk Store next door has plenty of snack options, as well as, of course, meat to cook.) 

Things to do Nearby:

The location also provides easy access to the Clare Valley and Yorke Peninsula.

Beyond visiting drink spots like Kilikanoon Wines, Mr Mick or Bond Store Wallaroo, there are many other activities to keep you busy in this part of the world.

This includes exploring Martindale Hall, Mintaro Maze, and Bungaree Station (the latter being the oldest, family-owned, working sheep farm), riding the Riesling Cycle Trail, checking out the historic cellars and impressive St Aloysius Church at Sevenhill, going for a model train ride with Clare Valley Model Engineers, and seeing the Big Blade monument and infamous savings bank at Snowtown.

Get set to make some unforgettable memories!

Location:

13 Frances Terrace, Lochiel, South Australia

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For more information, bookings and all enquiries please visit The Pink Lake Tiny House website.

All photos by James Elsby for Play & Go Adelaide. 

At Play & Go Adelaide we make every effort to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We recommend confirming times, dates and details directly before making any plans as details may be subject to change.

As per all our Play & Go reviews, this is not a sponsored post and our review is done completely independently. All photos are by Play & Go (unless specified).

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