The Little Black Shack

Entire cottage in Great Mackerel Beach, Australia

  1. 4 guests
  2. 2 bedrooms
  3. 2 beds
  4. 1 bath
Hosted by Ingrid & Jamie
  1. Superhost
  2. 11 years hosting

Listing highlights

Self check-in

Check yourself in with the lockbox.

Unbeatable location

100% of guests in the past year gave this location a 5-star rating.

Ocean and bay views

Soak up the views during your stay.
This original timber and sandstone fisherman's cottage on the water's edge of beautiful Mackerel Beach in Pittwater, has been lovingly restored into a secluded beach and bush hideaway and couple's retreat.

The space
Perfectly positioned, the Little Black Shack’s north-east aspect lets you wake to the sunrise over Palm Beach headland and enjoy the sun all day long. The sea breeze keeps the shack cool during summer whilst the tree-lined ridge of Ku-ring-gai National Park behind, shelters it from the cold southerly winds during winter. With its rustic, hand-built sandstone open fireplace, comfy leather chairs, soft cowhide rugs and full-length window box seat, The Little Black Shack is also a cosy winter cabin.

Just metres from the water, every room features windows and French or barn doors opening out to uninterrupted views of Mackerel Beach, Pittwater, Barrenjoey Headland, Palm Beach and beyond.

The interior features recycled and hand made furniture with an eclectic mix of nautical antiques and collectables gathered from travels around the world and forages along the beach.

The lounge, dining and gourmet chef’s kitchen are open-plan. The lounge features a hand-built sandstone fireplace and a floor-to-ceiling bookcase with an extensive library. A large flat screen TV, and the latest Bose surround sound Wi-Fi stereo are hidden behind the doors of a rustic handmade cupboard. The window seat spanning the full length of the front of the lounge room, is the perfect spot to relax with a good book, chill out with your own playlist, take a nap or gaze out of any one of the 6 windows overlooking the stunning beaches and bay.

The kitchen features concrete bench tops, wooden cupboards made from the original floorboards, a large farmhouse sink, commercial grade cookware, microwave, Ilve gas stove and electric oven, perfect for creating your favourite meals. Two French doors open from the kitchen/dining area onto a small covered balcony and bar area overlooking the water.

Once you are here you will never want to leave - which is why the gourmet chef’s kitchen comes equipped with everything you need and a fully stocked pantry. You can also help yourself to the fresh herbs in the kitchen garden.

The original sandstone bathroom features a beautiful black bath and a large copper shower with amazing water views.

The main bedroom has a generous king bed and access to a private lawn and garden. The rustic hand-made bed has loads of comfy down pillows and is elevated to take full advantage of the water views! The room is beautifully furnished with cowhide rug, antique cupboard and a chest of drawers and the bedding is 100% linen. The second bedroom has a comfy queen bed with sandstone feature walls and antique furniture. It has its own private stone terrace overlooking the sea, shaded by a frangipani tree.

There is a large north facing sun deck at the front of the shack and a covered terrace and outdoor hand-built sandstone kitchen. Featuring a wood fired oven and charcoal BBQ/fireplace this space is perfect for all day alfresco living, dining, cooking and entertaining.

There is an outdoor shower set amongst the trees half way down the front steps leading to a secluded sandy beach at low tide. Here you can rinse off after swimming or shower under the stars on warm summer evenings. The cottage is surrounded by native coastal gardens and terraced grass level areas overlooking the water and shaded by huge Frangipani trees.

The Little Black Shack is completely eco friendly. Windows, barn doors and French doors allow the sea breeze to circulate and cool the house in summer while the open sandstone fireplace warms the house during winter using firewood collected from fallen trees off the property. Rainwater is harvested for bathing and washing which is recycled to irrigate the main garden. The grounds also feature a small kitchen garden to provide you with fresh herbs. When it comes to the interiors, if we couldn’t find it second hand, we made it by hand, from recycled, repurposed and found materials. Candles and oil lanterns are provided for alternative lighting.

Guest access
Guests of the Little Black Shack have access to the entire property. Guests are welcome to use the 2 kayaks, fishing rods and tackle, crab traps and snorkeling gear. There is also a beach umbrella supplied for shade. Relax in deck chairs on the sun decks and terrace or in a hammock under the shade of the old Frangipani trees around the cottage. Dine under the outdoor pergola on summer nights with meals prepared in the wood-fired oven or on the charcoal BBQ.

Other things to note
There are no shops on Mackerel Beach so we encourage you to bring your own food supplies. We do offer a fully stocked gourmet pantry for all the basics and a herb garden to pick herbs of your choice.

Please note due to recent beach erosion, the part of the access at the end of the beach is currently made more difficult by higher tides and on rare occasions large swells. We will coordinate your check in and check out times around the most accessible (low) tides and notify you at the time of booking. Please note you will need to be flexible with this. Thankyou!

Registration Details
PID-STRA-8939

Where you’ll sleep

What this place offers

Ocean view
Bay view
Beach access – Beachfront
Kitchen
Wifi

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Rated 4.99 out of 5 from 281 reviews.

Guest favorite
This home is a guest favorite based on ratings, reviews, and reliability

Overall rating

  1. 5 stars, 99% of reviews
  2. 4 stars, 1% of reviews
  3. 3 stars, 0% of reviews
  4. 2 stars, 0% of reviews
  5. 1 stars, 0% of reviews

Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars for cleanliness

Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars for accuracy

Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars for check-in

Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars for communication

Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars for location

Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars for value

Guest reviews mention

Where you’ll be

Great Mackerel Beach, New South Wales, Australia
This listing's location is verified and the exact location will be provided after booking.

Neighborhood highlights

Whilst we’re only a mile from the mainland and Palm Beach, we might as well be a million miles away …
Getting here is part of the experience. Once you board ‘Myra’ the old timber ferry at Palm Beach you leave the city and your worries behind.
The Little Black Shack is reached via a short walking track at the end of the beach or via the rocks along the beach at low tide. Once you are here, close the gates, breathe in the fresh air and enjoy the view, the peace and the quiet.
Relax and unwind on Mackerel's beautiful main sandy beach or enjoy swimming or snorkelling right out the front on a secluded section of the beach, fishing off the rocks below, kayaking or boating in the crystal clear protected waters of Pittwater.
The surrounding National Park offers some incredible bush walks to secluded beaches, The Basin Lagoon, ancient Aboriginal carving sites and incredible lookouts. Take a leisurely stroll along Mackerel Beach or through the valley behind it where you will find friendly locals (including wallabies and bush turkeys) and some original fibro beach cottages.
You can also hire your own 'tinny' from Palm Beach to explore Pittwater’s many coves and bays by water.
If you feel like heading back to the mainland, the old timber ferry ‘Myra’ leaves on the hour and is just a 10-minute ride to Palm Beach wharf. From here you can make the trek up to Barrenjoey Lighthouse, walk to Palm Beach, dine at the local restaurants, bars and cafes or browse the shops, galleries and Palm Beach markets (on set days). You can also head into Avalon village, just 5 minutes down the road by car. Here you can explore the many shops, restaurants and bars, visit the surf beach or take in a movie.

Meet your host

Superhost
281 reviews
4.99 out of 5 average rating
11 years of hosting
Lives in Great Mackerel Beach, Australia
As young wanderers we spent many years travelling and living in some amazing places all over the world. In 1994 we decided to make the beautiful and peaceful Pittwater area our home. Since then we always admired (from a boat) a tiny, original, hand-built fishermen's shack right on the waters edge. In 2013 we were lucky enough to finally make that shack our own. And so began our 2 year, environmentally friendly restoration to create a special, low impact escape for our family and friends. Passionate about the environment and sustainability we decided to share The Little Beach Shack with like-minded guests. Our aim is simple: positively influence our environment, one couple, one weekend at a time. Enjoy, Ingrid & Jamie

Ingrid & Jamie is a Superhost

Superhosts are experienced, highly rated hosts who are committed to providing great stays for guests.

Host details

Response rate: 100%
Responds within a few hours
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Things to know

Cancellation policy
House rules
Check-in after 3:00 PM
Checkout before 11:00 AM
4 guests maximum
Safety & property
Nearby lake, river, other body of water
Heights without rails or protection
Carbon monoxide alarm