Wake Up and Watch Sunrise Over the Mountain at The Homestead, An Idyllic New Sapphire Coast Property

Miranda O’Rourke and Harrison Balodis both grew up on the Sapphire Coast, the area directly north of the Victoria-New South Wales border. Their first property Lottes Hjem, a colour-filled cottage in Pambula, celebrates their love for this corner of the world and has inspired an appetite for visitors to the area.

The couple’s latest venture, The Homestead, welcomed its first guests in late January.

The Bega property is a six-hour drive from Sydney and a seven-and-a-half-hour from Melbourne – perfectly positioned away from both major cities so the region to has remained relatively unspoilt. And while you’ll wake up among the hills of deep dairy country, it’s only a 20-minute drive from the sands of Tathra Beach.

“We actually purchased the house in 2018 and rented it out initially but we always had a plan that my Mum would move there from Sydney one day. Between the fires in the summer of 2019 and Covid a few things changed,” O’Rourke says. Lockdowns, an overflowing inbox, and demand from guests at their original property were the deciding factors in converting the house into a luxe stay.

“We were a bit naive about how much work there was to do. We ended up basically rebuilding the entire house,” she says. “But it brought a real sense of joy because we know it is such a privilege to own a piece of history in this area. And we really wanted to make sure we did everything right, keeping the feeling of the original property alive.”

The house sleeps six guests across three rooms, although there’s a granny flat that is still under construction and will be available to book in the future. The beds (two queens, one double) are dressed in French linens from Cultiver and layered with wool blankets in the cooler months.

“We were so young when we did Lottes Hjem. The Homestead is a more grown-up version of our style. The colours are a bit more pared-back but still proud in their own ways. It’s a lot of neutrals but they’re still rich and bold,” O’Rourke says.

Moroccan tiles feature across two bathrooms and in the kitchen but there is a distinct English-countryside-meets-European-villa feel, with touches like vintage taps, a deep Dadoquartz bath set on a plinth, and antique Italian Murano wall sconces. The open-plan living space is dominated by an oversized blackbutt window and centred around a slow-combustion fireplace.

“I love a treasure hunt. Most of the statement pieces I've managed to score off Facebook Marketplace and then others we’ve collected from vintage stores and local boutiques,” O’Rourke says. “I used to work for a Sydney-based company called Parterre that imports a lot of French antiques, it's a real institution. And we’ve found a few great pieces through them over the years.”

She suggests timing your trip around a visit to the growers and produce markets in the area. “I always recommend that guests collect supplies like fresh veggies, bread, local cheeses and, of course, seafood, and then spend a weekend cooking in the kitchen. We really wanted to create a space that made people feel like they didn't want or need to go anywhere once they got here,” she says. “And part of that was to design the dream kitchen. There’s two ovens, an induction cooktop with a pot tap, a big double sink, a dishwasher … everything that you need if you want to just spend a weekend cooking and eating.”

And while mussels and full-cream milk are a mainstay of life in the region year-round, mushroom season is just one of the perks to visiting in the autumn months. “The mornings are a bit cooler, there is a crispness in the air. You can wake up and watch the sunrise over the mountain,” O’Rourke says. “I love to make a cup of coffee and sit on the couch while the beautiful orange glow takes over and everything comes to life for the day.”

But this property is not just about what’s inside the four walls. A spacious deck is primed for evenings al fresco, and the European-inspired garden – which includes a thriving veggie patch that can be harvested by guests – is filled with secluded nooks for quiet moments. You also might notice the neighbouring Silky chooks pecking around the rose bushes.

“I was really inspired by Petersham Nurseries in Richmond. I visited during a trip to the UK years ago,” she says. “What Gael and Francesco Boglione have created there is honestly spectacular.”

But what O’Rourke and Balodis have created in Bega is pretty magical, too.

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