Just 80 minutes from Adelaide, two tiny floating retreats are tucked amongst the wetlands of Wellington East, offering a very different kind of winter escape.
You don’t just stay near the water here. You sleep on it.
Perched directly on the Murray River, The Cube and The Nook are two floating retreats at Wellington Private Marina, each designed for two and each offering a completely different take on life on the water.
The Cube is the one that started it all, a 30-square metre floating eco pod that was the original accomodation at Wellington Private Marina.
It quickly became the property’s signature stay, named among Airbnb’s 10 most wish-listed Australian stays in 2021.
From the outside, The Cube looks compact, but inside it has been designed to make the most of its position directly over the water, with a queen bedroom, ensuite, kitchenette, living area and expansive private deck.
And then there are the uninterrupted views of the Murray River.
“Staying directly on the water changes everything about the pace of a stay,” a representative from Wellington Private Marina told Glam Adelaide.
“You’re not near the river, you’re on it, so guests wake up to pelicans and swans instead of a car park.”
The Cube is the more open and expansive of the two stays, with generous decks and sun lounges designed for guests who actually want to spend time outside.
“The Cube is our biggest accommodation option,” they said. “It suits couples who want room to spread out and be active, kayaking or fishing off the jetty.”
It is easy to imagine a winter morning here: coffee on the deck, the lake barely moving, wildlife passing by and nowhere in particular to be.
But if The Cube is about embracing the openness of the water, The Nook takes the opposite approach.
The newest of the two floating retreats, The Nook is tucked between reeds and wetlands and has been designed to feel more like a tiny home floating on the lake.
It has a living room, master bedroom, ensuite and kitchen, along with a private deck overlooking the water. Inside, reclaimed pieces, a fireplace and a SMEG-equipped kitchen give it a warm, residential feel.
“The Cube feels expansive, The Nook feels enclosed,” the representative said.
That makes The Nook particularly suited to a winter stay, when the appeal is less about getting out and more about settling in.
Light the fireplace, cook something in the SMEG kitchen, pour a glass of wine and watch the weather roll across the lake from the warmth of the living room.
Outside, the wetlands create another layer to the experience, with wildlife becoming part of the stay rather than something you need to go searching for.
“The wildlife comes up in almost every review, especially the pelicans and swans,” the representative said.
At The Nook, guests may also spot the property’s resident possum, which has become something of a local celebrity among visitors.
For both retreats, privacy is another major part of the appeal.
Wellington Private Marina has one kilometre of private lake frontage reserved for guests, and each floating stay has its own private deck and waterfrontage.
“Privacy and peace is really the whole point of the place,” the representative said.
“Every suite has its own private deck and water frontage, so no one’s overlooked by neighbours, and the marina is deliberately positioned as secluded rather than a high-traffic spot.”
That sense of escape seems to be what keeps guests around longer than planned.
The team recalls one couple who booked The Cube for their wedding anniversary and described watching the sunrise with pelicans over breakfast as “priceless”.
Another couple stayed across The Cube and Jetty Suites and eventually extended their trip because they weren’t ready to leave.
But perhaps that is the real appeal of these two tiny floating stays.
You don’t have to commit to a full houseboat holiday, pack for a week on the Murray or travel hours from Adelaide to feel like you’ve properly escaped.
Instead, you can arrive, step onto the water and let the pace of everything else slow down.
Choose The Cube if you want to throw open the doors, spread out across the deck and make the most of the lake.
Choose The Nook if you’d rather retreat inside, light the fire and settle into a tiny home surrounded by wetlands.
And if there is something else you are looking for, there are over 20 rooms across the retreat to choose from, whether you’re after a romantic getaway, a quiet solo escape, or a relaxing group stay.
Either way, the experience is the same in one important respect: you wake right on the water, with uninterrupted lake views surrounded by wildlife.
And just 80 minutes from Adelaide, that’s a pretty good way to spend a winter weekend.
Wellington Private Marina
Where: 140 Ferry Road, Wellington East
For more information and to book, click here.
