Experience a ’70s Australiana-meets-Palm Springs aesthetic, an oasis in the middle of the outback or a hidden cabin behind a winery.
QUEENSLAND
Kirra Point Holiday Apartments
4 Miles St, Coolangatta; (07) 5690 5000.
Inhabiting arguably the southern Gold Coast’s best vantage point, Kirra Point Holiday Apartments is a game-changer for this side of Broadbeach.
- Electric vehicle charger
THE LOCATION Just 100 metres from one of the world’s most iconic surf breaks, these apartments are within Kirra’s dining and entertainment precinct, and less than a five-minute drive from Gold Coast Airport.
THE PLACE Inhabiting arguably the southern Gold Coast’s best vantage point, Kirra Point Holiday Apartments is a game-changer for this side of Broadbeach, upping the accommodation ante. Rooms feature custom-built furniture and art by local practitioners. Floor-to-ceiling windows capture views across the ocean to Surfers Paradise. The self-contained apartments have large kitchens, laundries and wrap-around balconies with outdoor tables and barbecues (where you’ll likely spend a lot of your time).
THE EXPERIENCE You really won’t have to leave the complex. There’s a third-floor pool deck with a 25-metre heated pool, barbecue areas and alcoves for entertaining. The second floor features a 1200-square-metre venue – The Kirra Beach House – with waterfront dining, a wine bar, two cocktail lounges and an enormous patio. There’s also a more casual pub at street level.
DON’T MISS While it’s tempting to stay in-house, don’t. Walk along the beach paths that link some of Australia’s best surf beaches, eat at the Gold Coast’s latest restaurants – such as Billy Chow, just 200 metres north – and enjoy the vibes.
FROM $395 a night; two-night minimum stay. Craig Tansley
Ardo Hotel
67 Sir Leslie Thiess Dr, Townsville; (07) 4722 2333.
No expense was spared to create Townsville’s first genuine luxury hotel, and it shows.
THE LOCATION Occupying a prime spot beside the marina on Townsville’s waterfront, Ardo Hotel is a five-minute walk from the city’s downtown area and a 15-minute drive from the airport.
THE PLACE No expense was spared to create Townsville’s first genuine luxury hotel, and it shows. Owner, billionaire Chris Morris, has been busy coaxing Townsville and its surrounding islands into an emerging luxury-travel playground (his company owns Pelorus Private Island, Orpheus Island Lodge and The Ville Resort-Casino next door). Rooms and suites at Ardo are enormous – from 40 to 107 square metres – with floor-to-ceiling windows providing views of the region’s striking natural attractions: the Coral Sea, Magnetic Island (13 kilometres offshore) and the pink granite monolith, Castle Hill. The hotel’s fine-dining restaurants – Terasu and Marmor – are two of North Queensland’s leading gourmet establishments.
THE EXPERIENCE While luxury permeates, there’s still an unmistakable North Queensland feel about the place. And while your suite may have a curved bath on the balcony, nothing tops the rooftop. Order a cocktail at sunset and gaze at Magnetic Island or Castle Hill from an enormous open-air bar that makes you feel like you’re floating with the clouds. There’s also a roof-top pool.
DON’T MISS For more casual dining, head next door to The Ville Resort-Casino’s Quarterdeck for burgers or pizza by the pool, or join in the fun at The Ville’s swim-up Splash Bar.
FROM $275 a night. Craig Tansley
The Cheshire Cat Motel
1005 Gold Coast Hwy, Palm Beach; 0428 938 343.
This low-rise, 1960s gem with neon signage, cacti and swaying palms offers a nostalgic stay on the beach side of the Gold Coast Highway.Credit: Andy Macpherson
THE LOCATION At the southern end of the Gold Coast, bordered by Burleigh Heads and Tallebudgera Creek, Palm Beach feels a world away from the high-rises of Surfers Paradise 30 minutes’ north.
THE PLACE This low-rise, 1960s gem with neon signage, cacti and swaying palms offers a nostalgic stay on the beach side of the Gold Coast Highway. Local husband and wife – Matty Roberts and Monique Luchterhand – have recast the dated motel (parking below; rooms above) with a ’70s Australiana-meets-Palm Springs aesthetic. Six queen rooms in burnt orange, cream and eucalypt feature cork bedheads, vintage curios and stylish, compact bathrooms. A retro kitchen with breakfast nook, low-slung lounges and vinyl turntable are on offer in a roomy two-bedroom bungalow. There’s no reception nor daily housekeeping, and entry is keyless.
THE EXPERIENCE Good coffee, fabulous dining and one of the coast’s quietest stretches of sand are a stroll away from the motel affectionately dubbed “The Cat”. Take an early-morning dip, paddleboard or kayak Tallebudgera Creek, then wash the sand off beneath the outdoor shower in the communal garden. Complimentary bevvies from the minibar are best enjoyed beside the terracotta-clad, magnesium pool (aptly named “Le Plunge”).
DON’T MISS Enjoy authentic Mexican and margaritas at the taqueria and tequila bar, Frida Sol.
FROM $250 a night. Sheriden Rhodes
Amora Hotel
200 Creek St, Brisbane; (07) 3309 3309.
In the middle of Queensland’s capital, with Manhattan-style views all around, the Amora is just a short stroll from many of the city’s more lively precincts.
THE LOCATION In the middle of Queensland’s capital, with Manhattan-style views all around, the Amora is just a short stroll from many of the city’s more lively precincts.
THE PLACE The rooms are serene enough to lower blood pressure: elegantly solid furniture, off-white upholstery, pale woods, and the occasional palm-frond stencil hinting at the tropics. One of six in a luxury Thai-based, family-owned hotel group, it was a Novotel until 2021. The $30 million refurbishment – it was reopened with some fanfare in February – includes a renovated outdoor pool and a small but serious gym.
The bar does serious cocktails while the inhouse restaurant, Dapl, is a destination in itself.Credit: MAURO RISCH
THE EXPERIENCE The peace and the friendly staff make this the perfect pad for a relaxing weekend getaway. The hotel’s Dapl dining room is a destination in itself. It has a menu built out of local and Indigenous foodstuffs, from robust kangaroo with Davidson plum sauce to salmon with delicate ice-plant fronds. It’s also strong on dairy-free dishes for those who can barely find anything to eat these days, and the bar does serious cocktails.
DON’T MISS The buzz of Southbank, with its theatres, museums and restaurants, is only a few minutes away by taxi. A little further in the opposite direction is the fashion hub of James Street.
FROM $250 a night. Miriam Cosic
NORTHERN TERRITORY
Bullo River Station
9870 Victoria Hwy, Baines; (08) 9168 7375.
The cowboys and girls may be sleeping rough on this working station, but you won’t.
THE LOCATION Find your digs on a 162,000-hectare cattle station that’s the definition of remote. Bullo River Station is 800 kilometres south-west of Darwin and 200 kilometres east of Kununurra in the Kimberley, WA. Take the chartered 90-minute flight from Darwin (at extra cost) to an airstrip right out the front of your accommodation.
THE PLACE The cowboys and girls may be sleeping rough on this working station, but you won’t. Twelve guest rooms next to the homestead are styled by celebrity interior designer Sibella Court and feel as much African safari lodge as Australian outback. Rooms face the lawn and a swimming pool shaded by palm trees – a true oasis in the middle of the outback.
The swimming pool is shaded by palm trees – a true oasis in the middle of the outback.
THE EXPERIENCE You could always read a book beside the pool, but here’s your chance for a behind-the-scenes look at outback farm life. Take a helicopter ride to ancient Indigenous rock art, or an electric-powered boat down croc‑infested rivers, and swim in isolated waterholes before returning for a gourmet dinner under boab trees with the station manager (who’ll stick around for drinks under the stars).
DON’T MISS Check out the property’s organic vegie garden to see where your next meal is coming from – it’s next to the second-largest off-grid solar station in the Northern Territory.
FROM $2900 a night; two-night minimum stay. Craig Tansley
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Southern Ocean Lodge
Hanson Bay Rd, Kingscote, Kangaroo Island; (02) 9918 4355.
With a ratio of 66 staff to 58 guests, this is high-end, laid-back luxury with a wonderful sense of place.
THE LOCATION The Lodge sits on a 41-hectare nature reserve atop limestone cliffs overlooking Hanson Bay. Fly 30 minutes from Adelaide to Kingscote Airport; a 50-minute transfer to the lodge is provided. Or take the 45-minute SeaLink ferry from the mainland with your vehicle and drive 90 minutes from Penneshaw.
THE PLACE In 2020, a devastating bushfire turned the much-awarded eco lodge to ash. Founders James and Hayley Baillie rebuilt it from scratch, adding improvements such as a glam spa and terrace pool. The vegetation has been replanted, the wildlife has returned, and the only reminders of the bushfire are the otherworldly branches of dead trees in the wild landscape.
THE EXPERIENCE With a ratio of 66 staff to 58 guests, this is high-end, laid-back luxury with a wonderful sense of place. There’s a welcome offering of home-baked lamingtons for guests who enjoy an all-inclusive stay with an open wine cellar, fine dining and a menu of experiences. The hub is the Great Room, a living room-restaurant-bar with a sensational view of the coast. The 21 serene ocean-view suites have fireplaces and deep baths. Leaning into local, any food and wine that can’t be sourced from the island comes from South Australia or occasionally, further afield.
DON’T MISS Wildlife abounds here. Make sure you try the signature Kangas and Kanapes sunset drinks, where the roo-spotting is superb.
FROM $3400 a night. Minimum two-night stay. Lee Tulloch
O Quarters
150 Pfeiffer Rd, Woodside; (08) 8389 9488.
The new accommodation at this acclaimed winery, O Quarters, bears several Bird in Hand signatures: a showcase for art and interesting design, a focus on good wine and food, and a celebration of family.Credit: Meaghan Coles
THE LOCATION Less than an hour’s drive east of Adelaide’s CBD, Bird in Hand’s family-owned vineyard and winery is near the Adelaide Hills town
of Woodside.
THE PLACE The new accommodation at this acclaimed winery, O Quarters, bears several Bird in Hand signatures: a showcase for art and interesting design, a focus on good wine and food, and a celebration of family. The converted office has been cleverly remodelled as three suites, which can be booked separately or together, sharing generously sized communal living spaces. The biggest – Sparkling Suite – has a king bed and freestanding bath. All rooms have private kitchen-garden views and walls of look-at-me contemporary art. A traffic-stopping canvas by artist Ben Quilty dominates the living room, alongside an open fire, handcrafted furniture and linen sofas.
It’s all very insider-ish: O Quarters is for the exclusive use of guests who are dining at LVN Restaurant.
THE EXPERIENCE It’s all very insider-ish: O Quarters is for the exclusive use of guests who are dining at LVN Restaurant. Here chef Jacob Davey plans set-menu lunches of eight to 10 courses with produce from the three regions where Bird in Hand wines are grown: Adelaide Hills and Finniss in South Australia, and Tasmania’s east coast. Lunch is bookended by a generous DIY breakfast. Take a post-prandial stroll of the estate, past sculptures by the likes of Lisa Roet and Lucas Grogan, and settle in for the night by the fire with another glass.
DON’T MISS Winemaker Sarah Burrill is good company – take a guided tasting at the cellar door.
FROM $450 a night. Luke Slattery
Camel Beach House
Lot 1, Camel Beach Rd, Venus Bay.
Fresh from a winter refurb, and set on a 101-hectare private conservation sanctuary, Camel Beach House is hidden in the dunes, offering complete privacy.
THE LOCATION It’s a seven to eight-hour drive north-west of Adelaide, on the Eyre Peninsula’s wild and remote Venus Bay.
THE PLACE Fresh from a winter refurb, and set on a 101-hectare private conservation sanctuary, Camel Beach House is hidden in the dunes, offering complete privacy. It’s a simple yet luxurious stay with an open-plan living space decked out with potted Palm Springs-inspired cacti, colourful carved Aztec deities and stacks of books (there is no TV). Two double bedrooms bracket the living area and a deck stretches the full length of the house.
THE EXPERIENCE The place is designed as a sanctuary where people can recharge – and nature can take a breather, too. The harvested rainwater, solar panels and protection of the dunes leaves a minimal carbon footprint, and encourages threatened species, such as white-bellied sea eagles and sea lions. Weave down the path to the beach and just walk. At night, kill the lights and stargaze, then fall asleep to crashing waves, or play tunes on the Marshall speaker – as loud as you like.
DON’T MISS Nearby Talia Caves is a 10-minute drive. Climb into the Woolshed Cave or peer down into The Tub, a crater decorated with wild wasp nests.
FROM $490 a night; minimum three-night stay. Paul Chai
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Hidden Cabins – Henry
Location given prior to check-in; Ferguson Valley.
Hidden Cabins is a collection of secluded, tiny home stays, two of which are in the Ferguson Valley.
THE LOCATION Lesser known than near(ish) neighbour Margaret River, the Ferguson Valley is 15 minutes’ drive from Bunbury (which is two hours south of Perth). It’s an enclave of a dozen or so wineries, set idyllically amid bush, brooks and undulating livestock paddocks.
THE PLACE Hidden Cabins is a collection of secluded, tiny home stays, two of which are in the Ferguson Valley. The one called Henry is in the back blocks of a bucolic boutique winery. Follow signs set like breadcrumbs leading you across vineyards to reach this cabin, which is surrounded by tall trees and positioned for a painterly view of a dam.
Inside is a super comfy bed on a platform by a big picture window.
THE EXPERIENCE Load your luggage into the pull cart to reach the front door, fuel up the wee wood burner inside if the weather dictates it, and get yourself back outside onto the Adirondacks, positioned perfectly for a fire pit and sunset over the duck-filled dam. Inside is a super comfy bed on a platform by a big picture window, galley kitchenette, small bathroom with shower and drop dunny. There’s no Wi-Fi though there is phone signal, no TV but there are games, and there’s a barbecue on the deck (there are some “meal in a jar” options for purchase, otherwise bring supplies). But the real asset is that hiddenness.
DON’T MISS The family-owned Willow Bridge Estate is where you can sample award-winning, world-class drops.
FROM $310 a night; two-night minimum stay, three over public holidays. Julietta Jameson
Ampersand Estates
9883 Vasse Hwy, Peerabeelup; 0438 954 513.
Taking over a near-derelict winery in 2020, Melissa Bell and Corrie Scheepers called their business Ampersand as code for “having it all”, then set about living up to the name.Credit: Shot by Thom
- Pet friendly
THE LOCATION On a bucolic bend in the Donnelly River edged by national parks, Ampersand Estates is 30 minutes’ drive from Pemberton in WA’s south-west.
THE PLACE Taking over a near-derelict winery in 2020, Melissa Bell and Corrie Scheepers called their business Ampersand as code for “having it all”, then set about living up to the name. They renovated existing buildings to create a chic, destination cellar door, distillery and two wedding venues, plus three high-end holiday houses. The Settlers’ Cottage dates from the 1870s and features two bedrooms and cosy living. The Homestead is on the riverbank, and Vintner’s Residence is on a rise overlooking the estate – each has five en suite bedrooms and incredible spaces for entertaining, including multiple large decks.
Generous breakfast hampers are included, or you can book a private local chef experience (at extra cost).
THE EXPERIENCE Kick off your shoes, light the fire and fill the bathtub. Immerse yourself in the tasteful leather sofas and natural woods amid impeccable decor that includes beautiful art, or settle outside and watch native birds and kangaroos pass as the light changes, all accompanied by an Ampersand drop, of course – which you can purchase in-house. Generous breakfast hampers are included, or you can book a private local chef experience (at extra cost).
DON’T MISS Hug a karri tree at nearby Beedelup Falls. They can grow to more than 80 metres over 300-plus years.
FROM $895 a night. Julietta Jameson
Pan Pacific Perth
207 Adelaide Tce, Perth; (08) 9224 7777.
The style of the new rooms references the colours and textures of WA’s land and seascapes, with an overlay of glam in marbles and gorgeous lighting.
THE LOCATION On a main thoroughfare of the Perth CBD and close to the Swan River, the Pan Pacific is as central as they come.
THE PLACE In 2011, the Singapore-based Pan Pacific Hotels Group launched its eponymous brand in Australia with a property in Perth, taking over the old Sheraton. About $50 million has just been spent overhauling the five-star, making what was a good hotel into something great. The style of the new rooms references the colours and textures of WA’s land and seascapes, with an overlay of glam in marbles and gorgeous lighting. It’s supremely comfortable and interesting enough to make you forget its business-hotel roots. So too, the views, if you get a room that looks out onto the Swan River through the expansive windows.
THE EXPERIENCE One of this hotel’s key advantages is its location. You’re close to much of what increasingly-fun Perth has to offer, including the WACA, and a concierge service can recommend the best of it. It also has easy access to the airport – a big plus for road-tripping out-of-towners who don’t know the area. (There’s restricted street and council parking if you don’t want to pay for the hotel’s.) Add in a fab outdoor heated pool, 24-hour gym and great breakfast, and Pan Pacific is the perfect pad for a Perth break.
DON’T MISS KARLA at Stories in Yagan Square mixes modern Asian cuisine with native Australian ingredients and flame and coal cooking – it’s sizzling.
FROM $319 a night. Julietta Jameson
How we stayed
The places featured in 52 Weekends Away were visited in a variety of ways, some paid for by writers and others hosted by travel operators, including property owners, commercial groups and state tourism authorities.
To read more from Good Weekend magazine, visit our page at The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Brisbane Times.