Snapping up picture perfection
A couple’s holiday turned into a hinterland labour of love where people can get away from the hustle and bustle writes Chantay Logan
PHOTOGRAPHERS Traci Castle and Bernhard Weisskamp went on a two-night holiday and came home with a house.
Wild Sparrow Lodge was a chance find for the young family, who snapped up the sizeable souvenir after spotting it during a staycay at Maleny.
“Peregian Beach locals, we had always dreamt of having a holiday home in the beautiful Sunshine Coast hinterland and experiencing the other living style that the hinterland has to offer,” Ms Castle said.
“It all eventuated when we took our new baby for a weekend away at a property up the road from Wild Sparrow Lodge. We loved the area that much that we started looking on realestate.com.au and then literally drove past a property on the same street with a ‘for sale’ sign and ended up buying that.”
The couple bought the two-bedroom, semi-renovated home with the vision of transforming it into a character-filled holiday lodge.
“We found there was a bit of a gap in the market up here for stylish places – a lot were really old, log-cabin type things that were extremely outdated.
“We wanted to bring a younger vibe to the hinterland accommodation market.”
With their vision constantly growing and the building boom making it tough to find trades, Wild Sparrow Lodge’s renovation turned into a year-long labour of love.
“With Berni being a painter by trade, the first thing we did was paint her completely black,” Ms Castle said.
“We added a sweeping back canopy veranda cover so the massive existing deck could be enjoyed in all weather, and put in a pool.
“Then, of course, no hinterland stay would be complete without both an indoor and outdoor fire.
“We also added a round bath tub to the deck to really soak in the views over the farmlands below.
“We find it just beautiful to sit in the hot bathtub in the rain.”
Hunkered in the picturesque countryside of Curramore, the self-contained Airbnb listing is a 12-minute drive from the epicurean epicentre of Maleny.
“Maleny is a beautiful area,” Ms Castle said.
“It has a lot of local produce and one of the best IGAs on the Sunshine Coast because of its local offerings.
“With Bernhard being German we never travel to Wild Sparrow without a trip to King Ludwigs German Restaurant.
“The food and views are just magnificent.”
Ms Castle also recommends guests visit Gardners Falls, a pristine river with a waterfall and swimming holes.