Top 3 Most Wish Listed Airbnbs in Australia

When people ask me how The Machinery Shed became one of the top three most wish listed Airbnbs in Australia from 2020 to 2023, they usually expect some clever hack.

There wasn’t one.

It was story, timing, location, and then me being completely obsessive about how guests felt from the second they arrived.

Because back then, farm stays weren’t really mainstream. They weren’t a “thing” the way they are now. And we were sitting on this romantic, real apple orchard, with the Shed in the prime position, and I could see the experience before it existed.

Not just a place to sleep. A place to feel something.

A place you would save, because you could picture yourself there.

The location did so much of the heavy lifting

The orchard is the magic. It’s not staged. It’s not manufactured. It’s real, seasonal, and it has atmosphere built in.

And at the time, that kind of stay felt rare. You weren’t just booking accommodation, you were booking the feeling of being tucked away in an apple orchard. Quiet. Romantic. A little bit wild. A little bit dreamy.

That experience alone made people stop scrolling.

Then I made sure the stay lived up to the fantasy

The first year we were open, I treated the Shed like a living project.

I kept adding things and changing things constantly.

And I didn’t do it randomly. I did it based on guests.

Whatever guests mentioned, I changed or upgraded. Every tiny “Oh it would be amazing if…” went into my notes. Because guests tell you exactly what they want, if you listen.

So the Shed got better and better and better.

Until people started walking in and saying, “Holy shit. This place is insane.”

Not because it was big. Not because it was flashy.

Because it was thoughtful. It had all the little touches that make you feel appreciated and, honestly, a bit cherished.

The little touches were everything

This is the part people underestimate.

The Shed became wish list worthy because it didn’t just look good. It felt good.

It was the hamper waiting for you.

It was the basket ready for the fire pit with marshmallows, so you didn’t have to think. You could just arrive and relax.

It was the outdoor treetop bath basket ready to go, towels and robes right there, like someone had actually planned for your moment.

It was that constant feeling of, “They thought of me.”

Those details create emotion. And emotion is what people review off.

Wish-lists are emotional, not logical

People don’t wish-list a listing because it has a queen bed and a microwave.

They wish-list it because they see themselves there. Relaxed. Romantic. Cosy. Escaped.

So if you want to be wish list worthy, you have to design the experience around how people feel.

That is the whole game.

And the most important part is the start. The first ten minutes. The arrival. The first look around. The first deep breath.

Because if you set guests up with the best possible start, the entire stay is framed in a really positive way. They feel taken care of from the beginning.

And when people feel appreciated, they talk about it. They review it. They tell their friends. They save it. They come back.

And now? I’m back.

When we sold Kanimbla, I had to close my Airbnb account to separate the businesses. It was messy, admin-heavy, and honestly a bit of a headache.

So now I’m back with a brand new listing, a new sauna, new photos, and a fresh drive behind it all.

Am I going for the wish list crown again?

You bet ya.

Why on earth not. I love a bit of confirmation from people that what I’m delivering is worthy. Wouldn’t you?

And the best part is, I’m not starting from zero. I’m starting with the lesson I’ve learned over and over again:

People don’t remember “nice”.

They remember how you made them feel.