- Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey designed and launched an eco-friendly cabin in Australia that will soon be available to rent out for around $150 a night.
- McConaughey partnered with tiny home startup Unyoked to build a sustainable cabin that is solar-powered and has no wi-fi.
- The actor also added his own personal touches to the inside, including vintage books, a hidden bar, and a range of tapes that can be played in the cabin's vintage cassette stereo system.
- The off-the-grid cabin is part of a larger initiative to get more people to "reconnect with the wild," while also protecting the environment.
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Academy Award-winning actor Matthew McConaughey launched an eco-friendly, off-the-grid cabin in Australia on Wednesday that will be available to rent out starting December.
Dubbed "The Reserve," it was designed by McConaughey together with twins Chris and Cam Grant, who are the founders of the tiny home startup, Unyoked. The cabin was released as part of liquor brand Wild Turkey's "With Thanks" initiative to get more people to "reconnect with the wild" while also protecting the environment.
Launched in Sydney on Wednesday, the cabin will move to the Central Coast region in Australia, where it can be rented out. It was built with sustainable materials, is solar-powered, and comes with a hidden bar too. There's even a wooden plaque above the bathroom door etched with the words "Longbranch Loo," a nod to McConaughey 's own line of bourbon. But, what it doesn't come with is wi-fi.
It's just the latest project from McConaughey who, apart from his stellar acting career — starring in more than 40 films including "Dallas Buyers Club" and "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days"— McConaughey also serves as the creative director at Wild Turkey. If that isn't enough, he is also a film professor at the University of Texas and even co-created his own brand of bourbon, Wild Turkey Longbranch.
McConaughey was involved in the cabin's design from conception through to construction. He also added his own personal touches to the inside, including vintage books and a range of tapes that can be played in the cabin's vintage cassette stereo system.
"I've always been in awe of Australia's natural beauty," McConaughey said in a statement. "My hope now is that The Reserve will inspire Australians to reconnect with nature as an antidote to the frenetic pace of life."
McConaughey first met the Grant brothers during the filming of Wild Turkey's global content series, "Talk Turkey." The series shone a light on individuals showed "an unwavering conviction in doing things the right way — no matter how challenging," and the Grants were among only a handful of people selected.
Their startup, Unyoked, offers cabins in the wilderness to get you to disconnect and unwind from your otherwise busy life. Chris Grant said working with McConaughey "was a true collaboration of minds."
"We're all on the same wavelength. McConaughey was like one of the team during the whole design and build of The Reserve. He brought super creative energy and helped develop the philosophy behind the concept, while still helping people get unyoked, they'll be doing it in a distinctly McConaughey and Wild Turkey way.
"We're pretty excited to open it up and start helping more people disconnect from all those expectations of modern life and get off the grid when they need it most."
The cabin will be available to rent on the Central Coast from December onwards. While it is not yet listed on the website, other tiny homes are being listed for around $152 a night on weekdays, and $172 on weekends.
A percentage of proceeds from the cabin and $1 from every bottle of McConaughey's Longbranch brand sold in November and December will be donated to Unyoked's charity partner, the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife, a non-government organization that aims to protect Australia's wildlife and wilderness.
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