Across Bass Strait

Thalia Haven, Great Oyster Bay
Alone, together

Imagine the scene: a retreat set on a private peninsula surrounded by the clear waters of Great Oyster Bay and five kilometres of secluded coastline. Gather a party of up to ten and settle into Thalia’s four stone cottages set around courtyards flanked by olive trees.

Play on the haven’s private beach or head further afield to the national parks of Freycinet and Maria Island. Pack a picnic with local produce, plot your tastings along the East Coast Wine Trail and stop for seafood dinner supplies at seafood shacks. Gather around fireplaces in shared living areas or star-gaze from the show-stopping outdoor tub.

Satellite Island, D’Entrecasteaux Channel
Island for hire

In a sheltered pocket of D’Entrecasteaux Channel in southern Tasmania, Satellite Island is a special kind of luxury. Assemble a group of up to 12 buddies and vie to sleep in the three-bedroom beach house, the two-bedroom boathouse or a queen-size bell tent for summertime glamping.

No roads, no shops, no other guests, no wifi. Just a 34-hectare island to explore with friends, a fire pit, and a handful of wild deer.

Bring essentials but otherwise raid the pantry and spirits cupboard for local treats or head to the vegie patch. Wake to the sound of lapping waves and settle in for the end of the day with a glass of pinot by roaring fires.

Low Head Beach House, Low Head
Beachfront luxe

This is minimalism in the sand dunes. Low Head Beach House is located on Lagoon Beach at Low Head, about 40 minutes’ drive from Launceston.

Floor-to-ceiling windows in the living area (and from a stone tub) frame uninterrupted views of the beach and historic Low Head Pilot Station, Café and Museum. The house sleeps six in three king bedrooms with bathrooms.

Guests can pre-order produce, including Tamar Valley wines, or arrange a private chef experience around the stringybark dining table. It’s a great base, too, for golfers heading to Barnbougle’s The Dunes and Lost Farm links courses just 45 minutes’ drive away.

The Granary, Cressy
Escape to the country

In a bucolic country setting near the village of Cressy, a 20-minute drive from Launceston, this convict-built stone granary from the early 1800s has been transformed into stylish self-contained accommodation, sleeping up to six.

Pick fruit from The Granary’s orchard and stroll its formal and cottage gardens flanked by old oak trees and a hazelnut grove. Or head further afield – follow the Tamar Valley Wine Trail, or hunt for antique treasures in northern Midlands country towns.

The Cape House, Dover
Total seclusion

Surrounded by 250 acres of wilderness on a private peninsula in Tasmania’s far south, you and five of your besties will feel a world away while soaking up the Cape House’s peaceful surrounds and panoramic views from the D’Entrecasteaux Channel and Bruny Island in the east, and across Port Esperance Bay to the Hartz Mountains and World Heritage-listed wilderness of the south-west.

The fully-renovated, three-bedroom farmhouse combines old-world charm with modern luxuries, featuring a sun-lit living area, fully-equipped kitchen and cosy wood fire.

Spend the days exploring the property’s network of walking tracks, traversing rocky shorelines, button-grass heathland and sclerophyll forest, and home to abundant Tasmanian wildlife including bandicoots, wallabies, devils and echidnas.

In the evenings, sip local wine handpicked by your hosts and gaze at starry skies from the outdoor hot tub.

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