Get swept away by King Island
There’s no better way to witness the power and beauty of the full force of nature on one of Tasmania’s rugged wild Bass Strait isles than while sitting in the lap of luxury.
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The beauty of a place like Ettrick Rocks is that it allows you to experience the power and majesty of the rugged and wild west coast of King Island from the lap of absolute luxury.
When designing this property the owners have thought of everything and the result is a set of three truly impressive coastal retreats. Each unit features minimalist, yet luxurious furnishings and an understated, elegant open-plan design with fully glazed floor-to-ceiling windows which allow guests to completely appreciate the full force of nature.
Driving into the property we find our home for the next couple of nights which is the middle one of three retreats, nestled in the sandy hills and surrounded by local native flora such as grey cushion bushes and salt bush.
You also notice an abundance of wildlife such as inquisitive Bennetts wallabies, shorebirds, soaring kestrels and sea eagles.
Our home is a two-bedroom retreat called Australina and is one of the owner’s, Angela’s, favourites. Even though the other owner, Sam, says like your children you’re not meant to have a favourite, it’s easy to see why Angela is drawn to this unit.
The Australina unit at just 35m from the shoreline is closest to the ocean and boasts views up and down the island’s coast from the Currie Lighthouse in the north, to Cataraqui Point, in the south. For those interested in history, Cataraqui Point takes its name from the sailing ship which was wrecked off the island in 1845 and is the site of Australia’s worst ever civil maritime disaster that claimed 400 lives.
It’s hard not to be mesmerised by the breathtaking views of the waves which crash spectacularly into the reefs of the magnificent rock formations off Ettrick Rocks and Millers Bay to the west, directly in front of the property.
My husband and I both agree we would be completely happy to sit there all day and watch this display of natural beauty from behind the lounge room windows.
After taking in the views from the main living area, we venture further to explore the rest of the property. Our unit features two separate bedrooms, located at opposite ends of the building, each with its own ensuite.
For me the most impressive thing about the ocean-facing bedroom, is the big picture window which is complemented by a cushioned window seat that provides another ideal spot to take in the stunning views. Always a sucker for good quality bedding I also take note of the large cloudlike king-size bed, quality linen, and snugly blankets.
Our stylish bathroom features a large walk-in rainfall shower, inset bathtub which is also a fine spot to take in the views and the lovely little surprise of heated floor tiles. Heated tiles in my book are the definition of opulence and on a cold King Island spring day are also a welcome treat for cold feet.
There’s also something very special about being able to lay in the comfort and warmth of a bed and wake up to see the ocean as the morning light filters in. Being able to watch the ocean raging away outside while you’re tucked up, all toasty and warm, is just magic.
The living area with its comfy, chaise sofa lounge beside the cosy gas-log fireplace with soft LED lighting overhead, also makes for the perfect place to relax and unwind.
And even though the owners don’t live on site Sam and Angela were contactable at any time for queries or instructions on how to operate the many appliances and technology at the property.
The special touches and extra effort to make our stay really memorable also didn’t go unnoticed. Inclusions such as the bottle of Tasmanian bubbles for me and six-pack of beer for my husband, as well as a generous cheese platter featuring cheeses of our choice sourced from the island’s famous award-winning King Island Dairy, were very much appreciated. All the items we’d ticked on our pre-arrival survey were catered for to perfection. I especially liked the fact Sam had read between the lines when I said one of us didn’t really fancy blue cheese and took that as meaning perhaps the other one did, cheekily including a delicious Roaring Forties Blue. Being made entirely from cow’s milk the King Island blue is a little milder and not as tart as the traditional French blue cheeses made from ewe’s milk (such as Roquefort) and can even convert those who are not so partial to what is often considered to be an acquired taste.
The fresh, native flowers in the kitchen and the plush, velvety soft bathrobes and bedroom slippers laid out on our bed, were also a lovely touch.
We were also impressed by the open-plan layout, remote-controlled blinds and well-equipped kitchen which would have been an ideal spot to knock up a meal of either small or grand proportions, had we been cooking.
Later I discover Ettrick Rocks was designed by Tasmanian architects Rosevear Stephenson who are well known for their designs of other stunning coastal properties including the Avalon and Rocky Hills retreats on mainland Tasmania’s East Coast.
While we were there this time (this is our second visit to the Bass Strait isle) we had the chance to really roam around and experience all the island has to offer. On our second day we explored the island from top to bottom from the touristy spots like Cape Wickham, which is home to Australia’s tallest lighthouse and the surfing beaches of Martha Lavinia, in the north, to the island’s other main township, Grassy, in the far south. Grassy was particularly interesting as it is now on the cusp of being resurrected thanks to an $88m investment in the town’s scheelite mine.
We also dined in one of the island’s best restaurants, Wild Harvest, which overlooks Grassy’s deep sea port and was recently voted the second-best fine dining experience in Australia in TripAdvisor’s Traveller’s Choice awards.
Aside from the beautiful, scenery, and the feeling of almost total isolation (I felt slightly annoyed when I saw another person on one of the beaches we had for the most part completely to ourselves) the other thing we will take away from our visit to King Island was the genuine warmth and friendliness of the locals. We often felt bad when driving along and got carried away with looking at the scenery that we didn’t always reciprocate the one-finger wave that every single local gave us.
However, to be honest it was hard to drag ourselves away from our accommodation as we really could have stayed there and enjoyed the retreat for the two full days and been completely happy.
Whether it’s for a special family gathering, to celebrate a significant milestone, a romantic getaway or to simply just get away from it all, Ettrick Rocks is simply, a magic, memorable place to stay no matter what the weather.■
The author was a guest of Ettrick Rocks and Tourism Tasmania
MAKE A NOTE
STAYING THERE
660 South Rd, Nugara, King Island
Ettrick Rocks is offering a spring special until December 15.
The one-bedroom retreat, Pimelea, costs $650 a night during the week, or $760 a night on the weekend.
The two-bedroom retreat, Australina, costs $780 a night during the week or $880 a night for the weekend.
The three-bedroom retreat, Caladenia, costs $850 a night during the week or $950 for the weekend.
* The rates are per retreat per night and include all provisions and the owners can help facilitate car hire, book restaurants and offer a concierge service.
The weekday rate is for Monday to Thursday nights and is based on three-night minimum stay; while the weekend rate is for Friday to Sunday nights, and is based on two-night minimum stays.
For bookings phone 1300 195 596
GETTING THERE
Sharp Airlines fly directly from Hobart to King Island several times a week, on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Flights from Hobart to Currie take about 1.15 minutes. Sharp also offers flights from Launceston and Burnie to King Island seven days a week.
To book or for more information go online to sharpairlines.com or phone 1300 55 66 94
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