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52 Weekends Away 2022: great NT and Western Australia getaways
ACrocodile Dundee adventure, dinner under the stars, contemporary calm in the heart of the CBD – other-worldly escape options in the Northern Territory and Western Australia.
NORTHERN TERRITORY
Finniss River Lodge
4295 Fog Bay Road, Rakula; 0418 200 935.
The infinity pool at Finniss River Lodge.Credit: Richard Lyons
THE LOCATION A 90-minute drive (130 kilometres) or 20 minutes by light aircraft southwest of Darwin, Finniss River Lodge is located on a sprawling tropical savannah cattle station.
THE PLACE Wetlands, coastline, dry savannah, paperbarks and remnant rainforest make up this family-owned working cattle station where the namesake river provides a stage for genuine wilderness adventure. The six expansive suites gaze out past an infinity pool and across the floodplain toward a horizon that conjures spectacularly vivid sunsets. Inside each subtly decorated suite are the essentials: sumptuous, king-split beds, floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows, a bright, white bath cave, fine-tuned climate control and a walk-in robe that doubles as a self-serve bar with a generously stocked mini-fridge. Communal dining enhances the intimacy in this exclusive community.
Communal dining at the Lodge.Credit: Richard Lyons
THE EXPERIENCE It’s Crocodile Dundee in Burberry. Here, you are thrust into the wild backwaters of the Top End, yet with your own chef and ever-attentive hosts to fulfil a truly luxurious adventure experience. Scour the landscape in a private helicopter tour, take the barramundi challenge or head to the paddock to commune with the cuddly cattle over a beer and canape. Indigenous interpretation tours to nearby lush Litchfield National Park are also on offer.
DON’T MISS Don your earmuffs and strap in for a roaring, wind- in-your-hair tour through the waterways of the Finniss aboard a 600-horsepower airboat.
FROM $950 a night; two-night minimum stay. Roderick Eime
Desert Gardens Hotel
Ayers Rock Resort, Yulara; 1300 134 044.
The recently refurbished Desert Gardens Hotel, about 20 kilometres from Uluru.
THE LOCATION For such an iconic part of Australia that for the visitor is, from dawn to dusk, all about views, views and more views of Uluru, glimpses of the monolith are in curiously short supply from Ayers Rock Resort, about three hours’ flying time from the eastern seaboard. Except, that is, from the recently refurbished, 218-room Desert Gardens Hotel, about 20 kilometres from the rock.
THE PLACE The sensitively low-level, Philip Cox-designed Desert Gardens is, as the name suggests, shaded by an arid forest of native shrubs and wildflowers (free guided walks of the gardens are available to guests), with the pricier deluxe rooms – which in truth are comfortable but not overly luxurious – offering those coveted views of a distant Uluru.
THE EXPERIENCE With so much to do in and around the rock, you won’t find yourself lingering in your room. Among the resort’s best, if priciest, attractions is Tali Wiru (meaning “beautiful dune”). It’s the resort’s premier outdoor dining experience, which includes a sunset viewing of Uluru and the equally remarkable Kata Tjuta rock formation. A four-course, à la carte dinner, with dishes infused with bush tucker herbs and spices, is served by an amiable, mainly Indigenous crew under the stars. It’s followed by an astronomical, all-lights-out sky show.
DON’T MISS The resort’s newest and proudest creation is the Gallery of Central Australia (GoCA), which displays stellar Indigenous art, all for sale, drawn from the surrounding desert communities. GoCA also includes an excellent book and gift shop.
FROM $600 a night. Anthony Dennis
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
The Melbourne Hotel
33 Milligan Street, Perth; (08) 9320 3333.
Dramatic, stripped-back concrete walls in The Melbourne Hotel’s original building.Credit: Joel Barbitta
THE LOCATION The hotel is at the western end of the CBD, close to shops, cafes, His Majesty’s Theatre and Perth Arena.
THE PLACE It is cheering to find, amid the gleaming towers that have sprung up during the latest mining boom, this elegant survivor of a much earlier one. The Melbourne opened in 1897 in the heady days of the West Australian gold rush. Thanks to an inspired renovation involving the addition of a six-level extension that wraps around the original building, it feels both historic and sharply contemporary. The furnishings in the public spaces are a glamorous mélange of new and old, while in the 73 guest rooms, the emphasis is on 21st-century comfort. Some rooms in the original section incorporate dramatic, stripped-back concrete walls. Others open onto the graceful old verandah.
THE EXPERIENCE The green-tea fragrance wafting through the lobby creates the sensation of having arrived somewhere exotic. Confirmation comes when you step into the fine dining restaurant, Grand Orient, where Cantonese food with a modern twist is served in one of the prettiest rooms in the city.
DON’T MISS The hotel is home to the first ramen noodle bar opened in Australia by Japanese celebrity chef Keisuke Takeda.
FROM $199 a night. Jane Cadzow
DoubleTree by Hilton Perth Waterfront
1 Barrack Square, Perth; (08) 6372 1000.
Waterfront views from Doubletree’s rooftop bar and pool.
THE LOCATION Like a permanently docked high-rise cruise ship, the hotel stands on the edge of the Swan River near Elizabeth Quay, Perth’s new waterfront precinct. The CBD is a 10-minute walk away.
THE PLACE The 18-storey tower has 229 guest rooms, well-equipped and smartly furnished in an understated way. Each room looks over the river or towards the city. The rooftop bar, 18 Knots, has 360-degree views and is an excellent place to sit with a cocktail at sunset. On warm evenings, arrive early, before the outside tables are snapped up.
THE EXPERIENCE Part of the hotel is built on stilts in the river, so the outdoor infinity pool on the fifth level feels like it’s floating over the water, as does the restaurant on the second floor. Even the cardio-machines in the fitness centre (open 24 hours a day) face the river. In short, staying here can impart the pleasant sensation of having set sail for somewhere. The meet-and-greet person at the front desk may as well say, “Welcome aboard.”
DON’T MISS For a real voyage, book a day trip to Rottnest Island at the ferry kiosk next to the hotel. For an extra fee, you can hire bikes, snorkels and flippers to use on the island.
FROM $270 a night. Jane Cadzow
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