Shacks 10-11 Barker Knoll on the Murray Mouth, Coorong SA 5264

Shack 10 & Shack 11, Barker Knoll

As serene, enchanting and exclusive as any island, the old fishers' village of Barker Knoll at the northern head of the Younghusband Peninsula must be the most tightly held getaway location anywhere in the State. Until now, no-one could sell even if they wanted to.

New regulations mean that shacks once destined for demolition with the passing of the owners can now be offered on the open market with a 30-year leasehold.

You have just this one chance to win your place in true Storm Boy country, with not one, but two cosy historic cottages at the gateway to the 150km long Coorong, just a few minutes boat-ride from Mundoo Channel boat ramp.

This is a place for the Big Unwind with family and friends, where ocean, Murray Mouth and Coorong fishing can bring you a haul of mullet, mulloway, flathead and more. Where the waterskiing and picnic paradise of The Saharas is in your panoramic views and just a quick boat sprint south. Where the ever-changing moods and light of The Coorong are front and centre in every moment you spend there.

And are they cute? They couldn't be any cuter or any more laden with character and charm, boasting all the quirkiness and patina of a much-loved family holiday retreat for some fifty years.

Occupying perhaps the very best shoreline site with new wave attenuation wall and jetty, the shacks offer a total of three bedrooms: two in the main building (a double and a bunk-room) snugged into the sandhill with quaint chimneys; and one big gorgeous, white-themed double bedroom dubbed 'the love shack' for its romantic, old-world atmosphere, water views and warming wood stove for cool nights.

Entering the kitchen and meals area from the sunken veranda is a step back in time. Raked timber ceilings, window-lit hearth and views have made this cosy space a haven for generations, the perfect place to draw the family together at the end of idyllic days. With its eclectic décor, you'll easily imagine the stories held by the walls of this room, host to remarkable characters over many years enjoying the pleasure of a visit: legendary film-makers, artists, winemakers and local identities whose names are legend to the region.

'Island' living has some special challenges, of course, and you should consider these before making an enquiry. You need a boat to get there practically, because the 8-hour drive from Tea Tree or 42 Mile crossing further South, might be inconvenient. And your stays need to be self-contained: Goolwa shopping and facilities are around 20 minutes from the Mundoo boat ramp. Being a National Park, you'll also need to upgrade sewage management with installation of a holding tank within five years of taking on the lease. And you may wish to make things a little more civilised with a proper bathroom and by extending solar power generation and storage, which currently runs 12-volt lighting and some 240v power for essentials such as 'phone charging.

But from Day 1 as-is, you'll be amongst the very few who get to enjoy the rare pleasures of these truly unique dwellings in a setting unmatched for its natural delights, holiday versatility and power to get you into deeply relaxed mode.

• Two historic free-standing shacks complete with all contents (other than a few personal effects) offered on a walk-in walk-out basis
• 30-year lease (subject to installation of a waste water holding tank within five years)
• Boat-only access from Mundoo Channel boat ramp or Beacon 19 boat ramp (access with larger boats through the barrages)
• Accessible by 4WD if you drive to Salt Creek and up the beach from the crossings (which is subject to seasonal conditions)
• Solar power with battery storage and inverter (may be expanded or supplemented with generator)
• Three bedrooms, kitchen/dining, plant room, shed with w/c
• New retaining wall and jetty to waterfront
• Rainwater tank to kitchen (gravity fed)
• Woodstove cooking, gas refrigerator
• Firepit
• Great fishing and boating with walking access to ocean beach
• Ready to enjoy immediately