Aireys Inlet holiday house with a touch of Hollywood
This six-bedroom home on Victoria’s Ocean Road delivers drama from every corner.
If only there was a button to pause this sunrise (like there is to open the blinds) so I could stay in bed and have those limestone cliffs hold the morning light exactly how it is. There’s something supernatural too about the way the sun hits Split Point Lighthouse, turning it into a glowing candle on the headland. Maybe it’s because the lighthouse with the jaunty red cap is the one made famous by the classic television series Round the Twist, based on Paul Jennings’ bestselling children’s books. At this remarkable coastal property, Villa Maria, strange things do happen.
The eight-year-old house with six bedrooms stands at the end of a red dirt road carved into the coastal heathland, a stone’s throw from the clifftops at Aireys Inlet on Victoria’s Great Ocean Road. Designed with family living in mind, it was recently made available as a holiday rental through Italian Villa Vacations. It’s a formidable fortress, concrete in 50 shades of grey hoisted to canopy level by a Besser block podium, but never domineering. Climbing the stairs for the first time and seeing that view is jaw-dropping. The crumbling cliffs plunge dramatically into the surf, with a colour palette as diverse as Uluru’s — stunted brown at sunset and glowing orange as a furnace in the morning as the sun drags itself over the sea.
Large eaves shade the floor-to-ceiling windows, while blade walls wrap around the outdoor solar-heated pool and two-tier terrace to provide shelter from the sea breeze. The terrace invites outdoor dining and looks across to the lighthouse and the waves folding over the sandstone reef. There’s a certain Hollywood glamour about this terrace. I envision women in diaphanous dresses lounging by the pool with cocktails; men in Italian suits smoking cigars by the barbecue, but perhaps that’s what solo travelling does to you. In solitude, the imagination runs wild.
The combined dining and living area has a polished concrete floor with a salt-and-pepper finish. There’s a Sonos surround-sound speaker system even I can work out how to link to my phone (although I never do establish how to adjust the volume on the TV). Two large Scandinavian-style lounges anchor the living space, set on a ruby-red rug. An open fire awaits winter, and the climate-control system is easy and efficient, if a little noisy.
The kitchen island may as well be a continent; the walk-in pantry is stocked with every conceivable condiment. I’m not sure whether the half-finished bottle of vodka in the freezer is an accident or a communal offering, but I get the feeling this is a place that’s seen some good times.
An informal sitting room is bathed in afternoon sun and makes the perfect reading nook, resplendent with a stunning sculpture, Water, Wind and Fire, by Australian artist Peter D. Cole. Contemporary art lightens the house throughout. In the dining area is a bold etching, Waver, by Australian abstract painter Graham Fransella, while surf-inspired pieces colour the downstairs spaces.
The master bedroom is truly masterful, and not just for its view to the lighthouse and cliffs. The quilts are like a magnet the moment I feel like an afternoon siesta, and floor-to-ceiling windows have me presiding like royalty over the pool. It also has the only ensuite in the house, with twin rain showers for couples who just can’t bear to be apart.
Downstairs is playtime central. The large rumpus room (complete with table tennis and PlayStation) has a bunker-like feel, not that kids will mind in the slightest being dispatched down here. Adjoining are two kids’ bunk rooms far too neat to be believable, while down the hallway is a procession of bedrooms and bathrooms.
Are we done? Not quite. The backyard is easily overlooked in both senses of the word, but is a peaceful retreat if you crave a quiet cup of tea under a tree with the honeyeaters.
My serenity is assured though. After breakfast I take a short stroll along the headland to Sunnymeade Beach, the track part of the Surf Coast Walk that extends 45km from Fairhaven to Point Impossible (near Torquay). Steps lead down to the beach where creamy waves flop onto fine, golden sand. The beach is deserted except for a scattering of thongs at the bottom of the steps and footprints in the sand. The coastline forms the 17ha Eagle Rock Marine Sanctuary, a nursery for Port Jackson sharks. It’s a half-hour walk from Villa Maria to the lighthouse through corridors of tea tree. I ascend the spiral steps and look over the tranquil inlet that empties into the sea, the broken stack of Eagle Rock just offshore, and along the coast to the grand Villa Maria, almost imperceptible in the vegetation. I have a sudden pang to get back.
Despite flashes of audacity this house doesn’t feel like a trophy mansion; it feels lived in. On my last afternoon the sun draws me to the pool, and after my dip I pick a sun lounge, close my eyes and listen to the waves, summer’s last breath hot on my back. I’ve come alone but it doesn’t take much imagination to picture the happy family scenes the place would host. No matter how luxurious a house is, it’s only ever the set for the movie you choose to make. And what amazing screenplays you could dream up here.
More to the story
For Jane Black, operator of Italian Villa Vacations, 2020 was quite a year. The COVID-19 pandemic put an emphatic halt on bookings for her stable of historic and luxurious villas throughout Italy, so Black got creative and expanded her remit to Australia, unveiling Australian Escapes by Italian Villa Vacations. The domestic portfolio so far includes a luxury beachfront home in Eaglehawk Nest, Tasmania, a hinterland hideaway near Byron Bay in NSW, an apartment on Hamilton Island and Victoria’s Villa Maria. The aim is to have one luxury home in each state, so look out for Western Australia and South Australia additions soon. And, yes, Italy is back on the agenda for 2022, with more than 150 luxury villas available in regions such as Tuscany, the Amalfi Coast, Lake Como, Umbria and Veneto.
To-do list
DINE
At Movida Spanish restaurant, Lorne
SEE
The view from the top of Split Point Lighthouse on a guided tour
TRY
A lunch of Greek delights at
A La Grecque, Aireys Inlet
BROWSE
The speciality shops of Lorne or, for beachcombers, the rockpools at Sunnymeade Beach
Essentials
Villa Maria is in Aireys Inlet, two hours’ drive from Melbourne. It sleeps up to 14; from $12,700 a week. All Australian Escapes by Italian Villa Vacations can be booked via its website. Private chef, driver, airport transfers and food delivery services available on request.
Ricky French was a guest of Italian Villa Vacations.
