Simultaneously on the edge of the wild yet only an hour from Sydney, this 19th Century sandstone cottage right on the coast makes for the perfect romantic getaway. And if you haven’t been to Bundeena before, here’s your excuse.
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Peering out from the Royal National Park’s dusky greenery, the little village of Bundeena glows with the warm charm of a secluded, out-of-the-way village.
Christina and I have visited Bundeena plenty of times over the years. In fact, for its size — Bundeena’s population stands at just over 2,500 — we have so many connections with this place.
But as our car trundles down the hill and crosses the boundary marking the end of the Royal National Park and where Bundeena begins, excitement builds as we head to Simpson Cottage: our home for the next couple of nights.
The funny thing is, we’ve been spying on this place a bit recently. Not in a creepy way. Simpson Cottage was one of the settings of the excellent 2025 TV drama The Last Anniversary. It’s well worth a watch.
Simpson Cottage, Bundeena
Simpson Cottage has stood here for some 160 years after George Simpson, who was granted land here in 1863, built it using sandstone quarried by convicts. You can still see the cuts and grooves from their tools on the cottage walls.
From the lawn, views out over the sandy shallows of Simpsons Bay towards Maianbar and Burraneer are magnetic and we find ourselves staring out across the water, lost in the vista.
We turn back to the verandah with its wrought iron filigree and push through the great green door of the cottage.
Inside the cottage
Down the long corridor, with doors to the lounge and bedrooms, lights swathed in great linen-covered shades cast the warmest glow the welcome us in.
We explore each room, marvelling at the depth of detail and the way that form, comfort and style have made a home for the perfect Venn.
Each of the three bedrooms has its own personality and feel. Art hangs from the walls, antique sideboards and mantelpieces collect a clever eclecticism of old-world items. From ink wells to champagne cages fashioned into little dolls’ chairs, the longer you look, the more you see.
Cotton reels, old bugles, seashells and old keys, rope knotted into monkey fists, glass floats and trophies.
Interesting books and soft linen fabrics sit on timber chairs, and table lamps make you want to sit down and write like Hemingway.
Anything that builds a picture of texture, of warmth, of a carefully curated yet lived-in quality, is here.
Nothing feels off the wrack and nothing is left to chance.
Kitchen, bathroom and dining
At the back of the cottage, the bathroom takes up the left side and is a modern work of art. The polished concrete floor is heated, which is a lovely touch in winter, and it holds up a magnificent deep-fill bath that stands to one side. Next to it is the luxurious shower with a big rain-fall head.
Along the far wall, the sink vanity continue the cottage’s aesthetic though sparingly, with artwork and dried flowers maintaining the homely yet styled feel.
The row of pegs holding up the dark tan linen towels along the wall reminds me a little of a leather shop or maybe a scene from a jump flick, but the towels are soft and generous, and having so many towels for our stay is a nice touch.
The kitchen is on the opposite side to the bathroom and is fully operational. Unlike other guesthouses or holiday homes we’ve stayed in, this feels like you could live here immediately and long term.
Every appliance you can think of is here at our disposal, there’s even some little pots with different types of teas as well as more than enough coffee pods to get mornings started.
As far as styling goes, as you’d expect, the kitchen hasn’t been left out. Old-world cooking apparatus decorate next to functional modern things. Cabinetry is subtle and where it can’t be (there’s not much you can do with a fridge or freezer), a linen curtain keeps things on the down low.
There’s an abundance of glassware, crockery, flatware, silverware… you really have everything you need. There’s even a glass cloche covering a cheese platter waiting for us in the fridge.
Between the kitchen and bathroom is the dining room; a neat little space with a dining table that looks through French doors to the raised patio and its outdoor fireplace, but more about that later.
The Living Room
Back at the front of the house, the living room is a cosy nook full of squashy sofas and old armchairs. There’s a real fireplace here too that you can get going in the winter months. The hearth is surrounded with yet more detail.
Shelves create stages for all sorts of oddments: little paintings, balls of twine, tiny model sailing boats, lanterns and antlers — no doubt found on the lawn where deer roam at night.
We also discover a selection of board games tucked away here, which makes us realise that there’s not a single TV anywhere in the house. It dawns on us that we haven’t seen everything yet. There’s still the recreation room to explore.
The Rec Room
Back down the path next to the driveway and gate is what we presume was once a lock-up garage.
Now a canny rec room, it’s here you’ll find the TV — and since we’re here, we rewatch a couple of episodes of The Last Anniversary in situ, which is pretty cool.
But even better, you’ll find an original pinball machine in here.
I’d forgotten how much fun these things are to play, even if I’m not much good at them. I think this is Christina’s first time on one of them!
Of course, not even the rec room is immune to the touch of the styling fairies, with elegant touches like the captain’s chair and writing desk decorated with tankards full of paintbrushes and a stack of old books or the side table adorned with a carriage clock, a ceramic and a tiny globe atlas.
Ropes, filament bulbs, artworks and animal hides create depth and texture, and the ‘honesty cabinet’ full of locally hand-crafted ceramics shows just how much we’re trusted as guests.
Pick your ceramic and either pop the cash in the jar or tell the owners and they’ll debit your account. Isn’t trust and honesty a healthy acumen?
There’s even a full bathroom here complete with shower, saving you the trouble of hiking all the way back to the cottage in your moment of need.
The Grounds
The outsides of Simpson Cottage are just as entertaining, enthralling and good looking as what’s inside.
Wicker chairs and plant pots line the verandah, along with a wonderfully aged wheelbarrow and handcart carrying fuel supplies for the fire pit, which is also fully stacked ready to go.
Around the back, looking into the house through the French doors, is the elevated patio and its own brick fireplace. Comfy sofas amongst the flowerbeds make this the perfect evening sundowner spot with friends.
However, on the grass under the gum tree round the front is the picnic table. Strings of fairy lights above make this a magical spot in the evening and by day, the elevated views out across the sparkling waters of the bay are spectacular.
There’s even a little path that wends its way down the shallow cliff to the esplanade and the water’s edge from here.
But it’s no wonder Simpson Cottage was picked for a TV drama; it’s a dressed and ready-to-go film set in its own right.
How to get there
- It’s a spectacular bendy drive down through the Royal National Park to Bundeena, which is the only way by road to get here — from Sydney ~1hr
- From Cronulla, there’s a regular ferry straight to Bundeena and it’s a 10-15min walk to Simpson Cottage — wharf-to-wharf 30min
