Best winter cabin escapes in Australia
A blazing fire, a glass of red, a special someone – or a good book – are the core essentials for a wonderful winter getaway. Here’s a selection of T+L favourites.
With apologies to Omar Khayyam, a blazing fire, a glass of red and thou are the only core essentials for a wonderful winter getaway. Debate the identity of “thou” – a lover or a good book? – as long as you like, but either way the colder months are ideal for snuggling down.
Whether you favour country or the coast, here’s a selection of T+L favourites.
Osborn House, Bundanoon, NSW
When the weather sets in over the Southern Highlands there’s nowhere cosier or more contemporary to bunker down than Osborn House. This 19th-century guesthouse, reborn in 2022 as a chic bolthole in the mould of the Soho House hotels (Soho’s designer Linda Boronkay did the interiors here), combines hectares of semi-formal gardens with vast views over the wilderness of Morton National Park. The 15 guestrooms in the main house are tastefully modern parlours of four-poster beds, rich textiles and original oak flooring, while seven black-timber cabins anchored above the valley amp up the cold-climate vibes with wood fires and balcony bathtubs. As do the hotel’s heated indoor pool and petite spa, where hot-stone massages are available. Pre-dinner cocktails on the terrace come with bonus kangaroos grazing below, while Euro-accented menus in the bar-lounge, called George, and dining room (Dinah) showcase prime local produce in Art Deco-meets-Swinging Sixties surrounds. Osborn’s hottest ticket is its Sunday Fire Feast, which brings traditional asado barbecues to the highlands complete with simpatico Argentinian staff and a rose cart.
Kendall Hill
Whale Song Shack, Falmouth, Tasmania
There’s no better bolthole to get comfortable and watch whales migrate up Tasmania’s east coast than this former fisherman’s shack in Falmouth, half an hour’s drive south of St Helens. The split-level home has been masterfully renovated in coastal bohemian style, and boasts an abundance of cosy nooks in which to ride out the worst winter storms. Rough sawn cedar cladding, drystone walls, a deck sans railing and a rambling garden path through the tea trees anchor the humble home to the landscape. I love the sunken lounge, with its open fireplace, woollen carpet, huge windows and french doors opening out to a private deck and firepit. The upper level contains a light-filled dining room, two bedrooms and an artfully designed kitchen with a Smeg oven and a silky hardwood benchtop. The outdoor enamel bathtub sunk into the deck is a heavenly spot to commune with the sea, star gaze or sip Champagne (or maybe all three).
Ricky French
Wilga Station, Bathurst, NSW
Snap, crackle, pop the bubbly. At Wilga Station making a fire (before relaxing with a fine local drop) is de rigueur, no matter the weather, but it’s extra satisfying in winter when things get chilly on this elevated NSW Central West sheep farm equidistant from Canberra and Sydney. The 105ha property houses two luxury accommodation options. The Farmers Hut is an off-grid, grass-roofed, temperature-stable structure built for two. Across the paddock is The Shearers Hall, a corrugated-iron former shearing shed transformed into a five-bedroom, two-bathroom retreat. And both have indoor wood stoves where you can practise your fire-making skills and beat the chill. At The Farmers Hut, you can also toast marshmallows around a campfire. Down by the creek, there’s another spot to conjure a fire. You could spend your getaway enjoying rustic pleasures, such as watching sheep trot past the picture windows while you’re curled up with a book, but foodies will likely slip away to Matt Moran’s The Rockley Pub for lunch.
Katrina Lobley
187 Merrijig, Merrijig, Victoria
Proving that not every High Country hideaway needs to resemble a cattleman’s hut, these twin contemporary-styled suites at the base of Mt Buller are flush with cosmopolitan comforts. Designed for couples, each suite has a king bed with French linen, eye-catching artwork, luxe fittings and the amenities of a five-star hotel, including pillow menu and minibar. Step out on to your private terrace with barbecue and heated pool overlooking the Delatite River Valley. A deep bathtub invites winter wallowing, set in a chic bathroom with heated floors, and lit by atmospheric LED lighting with colour adjustment to suit your mood. Enjoy a full cooked breakfast delivered each morning, and dine in nearby Mansfield or at the recently opened restaurant at Delatite Wines. Return after a terrific day on the mountain to Champagne and canapes beside the blazing fire, or stay at the property to feed the alpacas and indulge tired muscles with an in-house massage.
Ricky French
Heyscape cabin Fiona, Serpentine, WA
Cabin “Fiona” nestles in secluded woodland in Serpentine on a horse and sheep farm, just under an hour from Perth. Fiona is owned by Heyscape, a company that installs classy eco-cabins on private landholdings across the state’s southwest. They’re powered by solar, watered by rainwater tanks, and use composting, odour-free toilets. While some accommodate families, Fiona is the luxe, couples’ option. A king-sized bed adjoins a king-sized window, and from the pillow, you can watch dawn light the marri forest. There’s an espresso machine, hot water bottles and board games. Binoculars are available, but won’t be needed to spot parrots, splendid fairy wrens and kangaroos. Local activities include strolling to lovely Serpentine Falls or lunching at Millbrook Winery Restaurant. Prefer to dine in? Fiona has a barbecue, kitchenette and a wine fridge with local tipples. The cabin is heated, but for pure indulgence, take a soak in the deep bathtub. If the night is clear, rug up around the firepit. As your marshmallows turn gooey, look up at the brilliant, starry sky.
Carolyn Beasley
Barrel View Luxury Cabins, Granite Belt, QLD
Stanthorpe is known as Queensland’s coldest town, so you want to ensure any accommodation here is built to withstand frosty mornings that routinely venture below 0C. Housed in oversized timber barrels, these cabins could run the risk of appearing gimmicky but they are actually smart and stylish. Features include kitchenette, bar fridge, microwave, coffee machine and ensuite plus a circular skylight from which to admire the stars at night while snuggling in your king bed. Breakfast provisions are provided and most importantly, the rooms are well heated. Each of the three – Barbera, Tempranillio and Saparavi – is named after a “strange bird” variety of wine, as unusual drops are known in these parts. The views towards Girraween and Sundown national parks are stunning.
La Rocher eco retreat, Uki, NSW
Trap the sun on the veranda of a La Rocher luxury villa with a splendid panorama of the 23-million-year-old volcanic caldera, Mt Warning/Wollumbin, in the Tweed Valley. While days may still be good for beachgoing at nearby resort towns Kingscliff or Cabarita, nights can be chilly, which makes the retreat’s hot tub and, in each of the four private villas, a double-sided fireplace, inviting prospects. Each has a dream-making bed, sofa and desk and opens on to a wide deck with barbecue, sun lounges and dining furniture. Kitchens are fully equipped but there are enticing eating options in nearby Uki, in the foothills of Wollumbin, and Murwillumbah, a 15-minute drive, which has new pride in its Art Deco legacy and a flourishing creative and cuisine scene. Don’t miss the unbeatable coffee at Bastion Lane Espresso in the quaint, heritage-listed Uki post office.
Graham Erbacher
Villa Talia, Wattle Grove, Tasmania
There’s something invigorating about the way the wind funnels up the Huon River in winter, raking the water’s surface and smearing long brush strokes of clouds across the snowy peaks of the Hartz Mountains. Wrap yourself in a cashmere throw and watch the landscape unfold from the veranda of Villa Talia, a country homestead soaked in European elegance, set on a secluded hilltop 50 minutes south by road from Hobart. Two queen bedrooms are tastefully attired with French furniture and luxe linen. There’s a fully equipped kitchen with Miele appliances, Aesop bathroom products and plenty of corners to curl up in front of the fire. A traditional, European-style, red cedar sauna has been added, alongside an outdoor hot shower and fire pit. Watch sunset from the outdoor bath, carved from a single slab of volcanic rock, and enjoy a breakfast spread of the finest Tasmanian produce, including freshly baked sourdough, double-smoked bacon, chorizo sausages and halloumi cheese.
Ricky French
Mill Cabin, Crackenback, NSW
It may sit on the site of an old timber mill, but 28 tonnes of granite rock form the bones of this luxe yet low-impact cabin, surrounded by snow gums in the Thredbo Valley. Owners Niki Fisher and Trent Lowe are big fans of taking things slow, hand selecting the rock from the land to build with and handcrafting much of the furniture themselves. This ethos continues with the Japanese-style wood-fired outdoor bathtub – with more than two hours to fill while it heats, you can fit in a game of chess in the deliberately TV-free space. If you can tear yourself away from the fairytale alpine views, hit the slopes or take a hike and return to the fire pit to warm up, perhaps swilling something from Wildbrumby distillery up the road. After cooking a hearty meal in the full kitchen, sleep comes swiftly between Cultiver linen sheets.
Celeste Mitchell
Upland Farm, Denmark, WA
Nowhere does the symphony of rural serenity and untamed coast reach a greater crescendo than in Western Australia’s southwest. Even better in winter at Upland Farm, when you can nestle in sumptuous interiors with the fire burning or take a long soak in a round concrete tub with nothing overlooking you but the towering karri trees. Here, on the traditional land of the Noongar people in Denmark, four passive-designed cabins sit swaddled by native gardens, with the jewel-like waters of Elephant Rocks and Greens Pool just 15 minutes’ drive away. Lined with blackbutt timber, the two newest cabins – Forest and Wren – are adults-only while Dune and Vine are architecturally striking guesthouses with more room for families and groups. Pop on some music, crack open one of the Great Southern wines you’ve picked up on your way, and head out to the fire pit. The stars are ready to steal the show.
Celeste Mitchell
Alkina Homestead, Barossa Valley, SA
Superior Barossa reds, a roaring fire and bare vines laced with morning frost. Heaven. In Alkina Homestead, on the outskirts of Greenock village, we’re snug as bugs under a mohair rug. The fire is lit, the chef’s kitchen stocked with local goodies and across the way, if we’re lucky, they’ll be firing up the huge open hearth for a mid-winter asados. The Barossa may be famous for its Silesian/German heritage but at Alkina, an Argentinian billionaire has conjured a smart European-style wine estate from a collection of tumbledown 1850s settlers’ buildings. The stylish digs cater to six in the two-bedroom homestead and settlers’ cottage, nestled among gardens and old vines, with tastings of the terroir-driven organic wines (and cheese boards) held in the imposing stone barn. The homestead is self-catering but it’s a 15-minute stroll to the Greenock pub for a hearty pie.
Christine McCabe
Ecopia Retreat, Kangaroo Island, SA
It’s not only the thick rammed-earth walls that keep these luxe off-grid villas warm. Double-glazed windows frame the bounty of grass trees outside, in this 60ha private wildlife sanctuary, while the wood-burning heater ensures a toasty reception when you step out of the freestanding tub. What will warm your heart further is sharing space with the echidnas, kangaroos and koalas that proliferate here and witnessing how the hundreds of native trees planted by owners, Rob Clements and Yael Katz, have contributed to the return of endangered glossy black cockatoos, which lost up to 60 per cent of their habitat in the 2020 bushfires. Pair wildlife-spotting, day and night, with Kangaroo Island wines and the option to call in a private chef. Or just sit back and embrace the restorative powers of nature in style, with plenty of firewood at hand.
Celeste Mitchell
