News Corp Australia
First published 8 Jul 2025, 5:00am
Two rustic holiday shacks in a national park renowned for its stunning coastal scenery and diverse wildlife are on the market with seemingly bargain price tags.
The shacks, located in the Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park – a popular camping, fishing and surfing spot at the foot of the Yorke Peninsula – promise an escape from the daily grind and an opportunity to get back to nature, according to selling agent Kim Cawthorne, of Complete Real Estate.
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The Inneston shack at 12 Pondalowie Bay Rd is right on the water.
It has an epic view – and some cute visitors.
The entertainment deck is the best spot to soak up the view.
It’s basic inside but liveable.
Off-grid, the beachside shacks at 3 and 12 Pondalowie Bay Rd, Inneston, are priced at up to $185,000 and $360,000 respectively – almost too good to be true, even in their original state.
But they come with considerable catches – the shacks must have suitable wastewater holding tanks installed within the next few years if the new owners wish to convert an interim five-year lease into a 30-year lease.
They can also only be used as personal holiday accommodation by the owners for not longer than 60 consecutive days at a time and cannot be used as holiday rentals.
Ms Cawthorne said while the strict conditions would put off some people, there had still been enormous buyer interest.
A third shack – at 11 Pondalowie Bay Rd – is already under contract after it was listed with a price guide of $350,000 to $385,000.
“What trips up some people (potential buyers) is they can’t be Airbnbs so they are expensive because you’re not able to get an income from them when you’re not using them,’’ Ms Cawthorne said.
“They’re not for everyone. They’re not five-star at all – but there’s a charm and there’s the history and the exclusivity of ownership because they’re not making (allowing) any more shacks there.
“They’re a nod to childhood holidays growing up and that creates an emotional connection.
“Number 12 sits on the beachfront and they all have a quaintness about them.’’
Ms Cawthorne said the shacks had been held by the same families for generations but, as the deadline for installing the wastewater systems neared, the vendors were looking for someone else to take them over.
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There is an open kitchen, living and dining area.
The loo is outside …
The property at 3 Pondalowie Bay Rd is further back from the water.
The beach can still be easily accessed though.
She said the local council and state government were keen to ensure the shacks remained in as original condition as possible and any plans for development of the properties would be heavily scrutinised.
“(The new owners) won’t be able to build glass McMansions,’’ she said.
Shack 3, comprising three bedrooms, is set back from the beach, which accounted for its lower asking price, Ms Cawthorne said.
Its interim five-year lease started in December 2022, meaning new owners would have until the end of next year to install a wastewater holding tank.
Shack 12 has two bedrooms which currently sleep up to six people and comes with three rainwater tanks, solar panels, battery storage and an inverter.
The Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park, home to an abundance of bird and animal life, is a four-hour drive from Adelaide and fully accessible by 2WD.
Laws permitting the 30-year lease of shacks in national parks came into effect in 2020 and were designed to give families greater certainty of tenure by preventing the removal of the dwellings upon the death of the last-named lessee.
Under the laws, many shack owners were provided an interim five-year lease to allow time for required upgrades, including to wastewater systems, before long-term tenure is granted.
– by Lauren Ahwan
English (US) · 