Weekend getaways
★★★★★
Hotel reviews
Perfect score for this luxe NSW wine country gem
Hunter Valley newcomer Villa Alaia makes one of the strongest cases for staying indoors we’ve seen.
- by Katherine Scott
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Opinion
Tips & advice
Being travel planner for a group holiday is a pain. It just got easier
A group trip with friends resulted in me doing months of research, messy text threads, payment chasing and answering the same questions over and over. Relief is here.
- by Katherine Scott
The scenic coastal spot that punches above its small-town weight
Midway between the Gold Coast and Sydney, Port Macquarie is shrugging off its “God’s waiting room” label.
- by Sheriden Rhodes
★★★★½
Hotel reviews
Former NSW jillaroo camp is now an oasis between beach and bush
This Spanish Mission-style boutique hotel on NSW’s South Coast has undergone a renovation while respecting its 1970s roots.
- by Riley Wilson
Kids driving diggers? Australia’s newest theme park is mind-blowing
Dig IT bills itself as Australia’s first digger park for kids. You read correctly: kids get to drive real-life earth-moving equipment.
- by Ben Groundwater
This upgraded retreat now mixes wellness with indulgence
An ice bath and sauna to play at virtue between visits to local cellar doors? Oh, yes, you can “do you” at this Hunter Valley retreat.
- by Katherine Scott
52 Weekends Away: ACT and Tasmania
Indulge in the serenity at an off-grid eco retreat, a wood-fired hot tub on a truffle farm, or spend a night in a restored 1920s church.
52 Weekends Away: QLD, NT, SA and WA
Experience a ’70s Australiana-meets-Palm Springs aesthetic, an oasis in the middle of the outback or a hidden cabin behind a winery.
52 Weekends Away: VIC
Max out that 48-hour window: whether you’re into retro hotels or converted churches, cool city digs or vineyard adjacent pads, there’s a galaxy of escape options - and quite a few outdoor bathtubs - to consider.
52 Weekends Away: NSW
Want to make sparks fly, or sloth it out? Whether you want to get wild or get pampered, find bucolic bliss or urban buzz, max out that 48-hour window with our annual round-up of bright, beautiful escapes across the country.
Magazine
Good Weekend
52 Weekends Away edition
52 Weekends Away: our annual list of places to stay nationwide
Original URL: https://www.smh.com.au/topic/weekend-getaways-l6b