At the water’s edge in Primrose Sands - around 30 minutes from Hobart - a former fishing shack has been transformed into something altogether more transportive: a two-bedroom waterfront retreat filled with colour, pattern and warmth.
Listed from $735,000, 121 Linden Road offers a rare less-than-$1m waterfront entry point, with sweeping views across Gypsy Bay and out across Frederick Henry Bay to the Tasman Peninsula and direct access to a nearby jetty via a private gate.
The colourful shack draws inspiration from the British seaside. Picture: realestate.com.au
Vendor Alison calls it “a labour of love”, and says selling it is emotional: “It’s a heartbreak to sell it,” she told realestate.com.au.
“But I’ll treasure the memories. We did it up while raising our three kids… learning as we went.”
The house itself has deep shack DNA. Built in 1964 from recycled materials, Alison said it was “built out of scrap materials… every piece of the flooring and the house is repurposed from somewhere.”
The home has sweeping views across Gypsy Bay. Picture: realestate.com.au
It currently operates as a popular Airbnb, bringing in $70,000 in gross earnings last year. Picture: realestate.com.au
Around here, they’re not holiday houses - "we call them ‘shacks’ in Tassie," she said.
But Primrose Sands is changing too. Alison described it as “a really great local community” that still has plenty of family shacks and Airbnb’s, but is increasingly becoming a residential pocket, with locals commuting into nearby centres.
The two-bedroom shack is seeking offers over $735,000. Picture: realestate.com.au
Dodges Ferry is only around 10 minutes away for cafés and an independent grocer stocked with Tasmanian produce.
Inside the home is where the surprise hits. Once a blank canvas, Alison wanted to “go crazy with colours and patterns… go design heavy,” because “the market for very neutral was very saturated; they all start to look the same.”
A wood heater adds warmth and ambience during the cooler months. Picture: realestate.com.au
Her thinking was part creative, part practical: “In Tassie we do lots of neutral design,” she said, “but it’s cold here for half the year. Or more.”
So, she looked to British seaside stays for inspiration - “lots of colour and wallpaper and upholstery” - because, she said, the climate is similar and the effect is instantly warming. Her brief to herself: “warm… whimsical and irreverent. I wanted to create something that felt like it wasn’t so serious. Especially for guests who are on holiday!”
The home offers a generous master bedroom plus second bedroom. Picture: realestate.com.au
The home sits right on the water's edge. Picture: realestate.com.au
The property currently operates as a successful Airbnb with year-round demand. Alison said gross earnings in 2025 were over $70,000, trending up on the year prior - with winter surprisingly strong: “We were actually busiest in June/July/August, which is unusual in Tasmania. We just did not have a quiet period.”
She credits the cedar hot tub – and its front-row outlook. “Sitting in the tub, looking straight out to the Tasman Peninsula, is its own incredible experience. It’s one of Tassie’s most beautiful spots and you’re looking right at it.”
The cedar hot tub has water views. Picture: realestate.com.au
Outside, the grounds have been thoughtfully landscaped with native plants, “I did all the landscaping on my own,” she said. “Me and a wheelbarrow.”
She said a neighbour involved with a local Landcare group helped steer her toward coastal species, which she paired with hardy perennials and grasses to keep the garden resilient and low-water. Even the driveway was a DIY win: Alison laid a geo-technical grid product, filled it with gravel, and said it reduced the amount of hard surface (and runoff) while keeping the relaxed coastal look.
A private gate offers direct access to the nearby jetty straight from your own backyard. Picture: realestate.com.au
The bay does the rest: “On any given day, dolphins will go past, seals… sometimes whales.” “We even have an echidna in the garden,” Alison added.
Last but not least, there’s one more kind of magic. Alison named the place ‘The Lady’ as a nod to the local nickname for the Aurora Australis. With the deck facing due south, the view is wide open when the lights decide to “dance.”
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