Twenty minutes inland from Byron Bay, a short drive through the rolling hills of the sprawling hinterland, guests arrive to a serene scene that immerse them in the quiet, natural surrounds of the Australian landscape that truly restore. 

This is Nashua in the Northern Rivers, and it’s here that Alita and Lawrence Temple – the founders of Temple Farmhouse – have built Temple Hangars: four adults-only retreats, each cohesive in their architectural forms, yet each individual in design and identity in their own way.

The four villas – or hangars – offer guests stillness, restoration and slow living amongst the pristine Australian scenery. Surrounding each design is unique landscaping, just as original as the interiors inside each hangar, yet still remaining true to Alita’s cohesive vision of creating thoughtful hospitality driven by timeless Australian design. With a rich palette of timber, steel and stone in various tones – light and dark – there is a choice to suit any guest couple on any occasion. 

Intimate and private, each villa – Coolamon, Sassafras, Booyong and Pepperberry – holds its own identity. What holds the four together isn’t a shared material palette so much as a shared restraint. Nothing here is oversized for effect, more for creating a clear state of mind, the reason for visiting Temple Hangars.

Coolamon, the property’s fully accessible retreat, works with stone and timber to create clean, Nordic-inspired leaning lines. Lighting features by Marz Designs, Studio Henry Wilson hooks and handle detailing, reclaimed timber side tables are by Moku Collective based in Byron Bay. Thick, French linen bedding by The Bespoke Linen Co and an ultra-soft bed is at the centre of this space, with a large, two-person bath to the left, indoor wood-fired fireplace to the front, whilst to the right, the floor-to-ceiling glass doors offer a window to the Australiana life outside: blue skies and clouds roll by as birds glide through the airspace solo or tandem. 

Sassafras is wrapped in native greenery with a loose boundary between inside and out, built for guests who want the plant life to do most of the talking. Beautiful palms frame the rear of the suite, along with an Australian-made Aurora suspended fireplace (made in nearby Ballina). Christopher Boots and Studio Henry Wilson sculptural lights are found here next to the linen-clad bedding with plants at the headboard. Sculptural charred timber seating (with gold ‘staples’, a nod to the ancient technique of ‘juci’) by Kitsune Moon Studio is situated in the middle of the space, perfect for a morning coffee and read. Rendered walls are juxtaposed with cream stone bricks on the floor, bringing a warm, cosy-like feel.

Booyong takes the boldest position: an arched silhouette in timber, stone and steel that reads as unmistakably Australian, but resolved with enough precision that the reference feels intentional rather than rustic. A stone bath in its organic form entices guests to indulge and unwind under the carefully positioned skylight. 

Pepperberry softens the register – vaulted ceilings, hand-finished micro-cement, natural stone – and trades Booyong’s confidence for something closer to calm, a little more feminine. 

Each of the suites are equipped with small kitchenettes (coffee maker, fridge for the wine, Cisco & The Sun tableware for an afternoon bite or breakfast in the morning on the patio), and for duos and couples to fully restore, Temple Hangar-embroidered French linen robes by The Bespoke Linen Co are also found in each suite, as are striking photograph prints by Alita’s close collaborator, photographer Jessica Aleece or local photographer Jessie Prince. The local support continues with bathroom amenities sourced from local brand MUKTI from nearby Mullumbimbyespecially for its organic and clean ingredients. 

Enlisting local collaborators on the build for Alita’s design vision, builders, landscapers and tradespeople worked together with the founder on her specific design approach intertwined with their know-how. It shows less in any single dramatic gesture than in a general sense that the materials were chosen by people who knew the place, the region and its resources. With a total timeframe of three years from concept to final build, the result is the commitment of many. 

Years in the making, Byron-based builders J&E Projects worked with owner Alita on the design build, whilst Byron interiors firm Studio Haus Co worked with Alita who oversaw the creative direction for the four different moods, materials and styling, with Alita selecting her favourite ceramicists, sculptors and artisans across the Byron shire and beyond.

With an open-air communal pavilion for dining, gatherings and celebrations, there is also a cedar hot tub (fit for 8 guests) and sauna on-site (also fitting 8 people) with an outdoor shower close by. A place to meet other guests, there’s enough room for individual enjoyment too. Built in stone and reclaimed timber, the open-air communal pavilion invites guests to use their own cooking facilities and ‘dine in’ – with a bbq, hot plates, cooking utensils etc – overlooking the hills and falling sunset at dusk.

After dark, the custom-made fireplace is alight and warms the outdoor space, theatrical and entertaining as guests wrap up the night. It’s here one can connect with the rhythm of our natural world, restorative nights in and early mornings on the patio with the sound of birds as they begin their day. 

Here, less is more. The absence of schedule, of noise, of the low-grade urgency that follows most travel. It’s a property for people who’ve already done the version of Byron Bay that requires effort, and are ready for the version twenty minutes away that doesn’t.

Mist over the valley at dawn, timber warming through the afternoon, the sky doing what hinterland skies do once there’s no ambient light to compete with. To the the star studded sky at night is replenishing and the perfect night-cap.

None of this requires the property to perform for you, it just requires you to slow down enough to notice.

Temple Hangars
Nashua, Byron Hinterland, NSW, 2481

Text: Monique Kawecki
Images: Jessie Prince©