Accommodation review: Stella the Stargazer pop-up tiny home in regional Victoria

CHECK IN

Stella the Stargazer is a mobile tiny house that was designed specifically for the purpose of looking skyward and engaging with the elements without sacrificing comfort, its key element being the "stargazer" bed that slides out like a drawer to allow for Doona-covered observation of the constellations. She was first parked at Blue Gables Vineyard in Gippsland, where the check-in begins with a wine tasting at the cellar door with a view over the neighbouring dairy farm. The sparkling chardonnay pinot gris is a standout and perfect for a pre-dinner drink, the team at Blue Gables then hand over the keys and we head into the vines to Stella.

THE LOOK

Aaron Shields from tiny house manufacturer Ample, who designed Stella, wanted her to blend in as much as possible with the surrounds so he took the traditional Aussie shed as inspiration. It is a building that is simple yet functional, a utilitarian base that is crafted from the bones of an actual farming shed. Shields then added salvaged steel and recycled timber and clever design elements like old glass louvres to create an indoor-outdoor shower, "Roaring Meg" the woodfired stove central to the kitchen and the "stargazer wall", the rear glass wall that opens up to provide a clear roof over the stargazer bed when you slide it out into the elements. Stella is 100 per cent off grid.

THE ROOM

Time-worn shed on the outside, rustic-chic hotel room inside, Stella's interior was designed by Shields' partner Aimee Gleeson whose eye for pre-loved pieces like rusted travel trunks, vintage sun lounges and leather-bound journals and books sourced from Port Fairy Antiques give the interior a retro traveller vibe. Your stargazer bed is packed with throw pillows from Weave Home and Aura Home with bed linen from Pillow Talk in Geelong. With everything open, Stella feels very much part of the elements as the night breeze runs from shower to bed, but if things get chilly she easily converts to a snug and safe night's sleep.

FOOD + DRINK

You can cook yourself, but for the full Stella experience order a dinner pack from Farmer's Daughters' chef Alejandro Saravia, a long-time ambassador of Gippsland's incredible produce. Fire up "Roaring Meg" the wood-fired stove in the tiny kitchen or use the gas stove to heat up your roasted lamb shoulder while you snack on wild game terrine with black garlic chutney from the nearby Snowy River region and stracciatella, roasted pumpkin and burnt Tambo honey from Gippsland. The food comes vacuum-packed and is easy to assemble as Saravia has done most of the heavy lifting for you. Dessert is a selection of Maffra cheeses and breakfast has free range eggs from Maroubra Eggs in Dennison and thick cut Eagle Creek bacon – it's a spread that will spoil you for any future camping,

OUT + ABOUT

The idea of Stella is to stay put and stare skyward but if you fancy cooking al fresco there is a fire pit and outdoor grill. We cooked inside but took the meal out to sit on the handmade outdoor chairs by Touchwood Timber, crafted from fallen trees and timber mill offcuts, before heading inside killing all the lights and watching the stars and a particularly bright near-full moon from under our Doona. If you are heading back to Melbourne, stop in for a brew and local Gippsland milk at The Silly Galah coffee van in Cowwarr (@the.sillygalah)

THE VERDICT

Ample have said of Stella that they wanted to tread the line "between modern comfort and the variability of seasons, wind, rain, sun" and they have got the mix almost perfect. Like a giant Lego house, Stella's moving pieces allow you to mould your stay to the conditions from a mere shelter with everything open, to a snug escape if the weather turns. It is whimsical and traditional, simple and luxurious and the perfect place to take a night away from everything and look up to the stars.

THE ESSENTIALS

Stella is $330 (Monday to Thursday) to $390 a night (Friday to Sunday). She is starting off at Blue Gables Vineyard in Maffra, Gippsland (until December 15, 2022) then headed to the Great Ocean Road (February 3, 2023 to April 6, 2023) and the Grampians (April 17, 2022 to June 18, 2023).

Victoriarestaurant.com.au/stellastargazer

HIGHLIGHT

It's the bed, unless you have ever bothered to drag your own full bed and linen into the middle of a vineyard to stargaze there is nothing else like it.

LOWLIGHT

Eventually giving into the elements and wheeling ourselves back inside, but fairer weather and we might have stayed the whole night outside.

OUR RATING OUT OF FIVE

★★★★★

Paul Chai was a guest of Visit Victoria, see visitvictoria.com