A spectacular property just outside Kangaroo Valley has been named the 2024 Stayz holiday home of the year.
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Robinson's Run offers six bedrooms and seven bathrooms along with a games room, cinema room, a 12-seat dining room, swimming pool with heated spa, outdoor bathtub and fire pit, all set on 28 hectares (70 acres).
The home was built after the Black Summer bushfires destroyed the original house on the property, with owners Ian and Shelley Robinson combining the best ideas they had gained through years of travelling overseas.
Mr Robinson said that included providing floor to ceiling glass to ensure every room had spectacular views of Mount Scanzi and the escarpment, connecting guests with the pristine surroundings.
"The focus was on bringing the outdoors indoors and really showcasing Kangaroo Valley and the natural bush environment, because every evening and every morning there's between 10 and 30 kangaroos all around the property," he said.
There is also a strong focus on natural products, including rammed earth throughout the building, and timber from trees that fell during the bushfires, and were milled on site.
There is even metal roofing "so we can hear the rain on the roof at night," Mr Robinson said.
The three-storeys give guests breathtaking views of the sprawling natural landscapes on the home's doorstep.
"It's got a remote location but not too remote, so it still gives that sense of seclusion," he said.
Creating the architecturally-designed masterpiece had to overcome a few hurdles, with COVID-19 hitting soon after construction started.
The first area completed was a building described described as the "executive shed" that was separate to the main house, but offering self-contained accommodation including a bedroom and plenty of glass to allow guests to watch the stars at night or clouds roll in.
"That's the area we stayed in while it was under construction," Mr Robinson said.
The property was completed and ready for guests two years ago, but there were further challenges as rising interest rates meant many people cut back on spending for holidays and short trips away.
"But with interest rates stabilising it's now coming back stronger than before," Mr Robinson said.