TasWeekend: Sun-soaked sanctuary on the coast

A STAY at Pelican Point Sanctuary, near St Helens, is the perfect way to unwind and recharge your batteries.

The tranquil water at St Helens provides the ideal backdrop for a relaxing weekend.

AFTER a busy week at work in Hobart, we arrive at St Helen’s Pelican Point Sanctuary and I immediately know this is a good idea.

Located 2km from the East Coast fishing village of St Helens, the complex sits on a peaceful 35ha property bordered by the tranquil Georges Bay River and Grannies Gut Canal.

On arrival, we are warmly greeted by the manager, Amanda, who gives us the keys to our villa and a brief but informative rundown on the property.

Our accommodation is a modern, spacious, spotlessly clean two-bedroom villa named Heron, which is appropriate given the apartment is surrounded by pretty wetlands which are home to more than 48 species of birds.

The Heron apartment at Pelican Point Sanctuary, St Helens. The 35ha property features wetlands and nearly 50 bird species.

As soon we enter the villa I note the large comfy lounge, polished concrete floors, and floor-to-ceiling, easterly facing windows which not only allow in full sun but also showcase views across Georges Bay and out to the ocean in the distance with a duck pond and paddocks with cows in the foreground.

On further inspection of our unit I am delighted to see the luxuriously big king-size bed in the master bedroom and full-length windows which admit full sun and more restful, rural views.

A fully tiled modern bathroom, separate toilet and second bedroom with two single beds and well-appointed kitchen, including a coffee pod machine, complete the unit.

The thing that I really notice is how heavenly quiet and calming the place is. Despite being such a large property there are only a few apartments and a couple of cottages – five in total – plus the owner’s holiday home located on the entire site.

Heron apartment Pelican Point Sanctuary St Helens for TasWeekend travel story.

As our villa is located at the end of the accommodation section you wouldn’t even know anyone else is there and it’s the perfect place to relax and unwind.

After a few minutes exploring our digs we get a knock on the door and Peter the super-friendly caretaker enters to give us a rundown of activities and more details about the property.

He directs us on a couple of nice walks which border the property and lets us know we can borrow bikes, fishing rods and/or golf clubs should we wish to have an active stay.

There is a multitude of fishing spots in the area for anglers of all abilities.

Unfortunately on this occasion we don’t have much time so just opt for a few short walks. We take a stroll out past Grannies Gut Canal to Pinetree Point, which houses a great bird hide and I immediately spot about six different species including a white-faced heron, cormorants, black swans, Pacific gulls and a flock of big green rosellas. Given that I am no expert twitcher, I am sure there are loads of species I’ve missed and I am confident true bird lovers could spend days wandering the grounds spotting all the different types.

Walking around the property we also discover it includes acres of beautifully mown lawns that have been meticulously looked after, to the extent which you can actually play golf on the site’s mini golf course.

The iconic orange lichen-covered boulders at Binalong Bay, a short drive from St Helens.

MAKE A NOTE GETTING THERE: St Helens is about a three-hour (250km) drive from Hobart or a two-hour and 15-minute (166km) drive from Launceston. Pelican Point Sanctuary is located at 170 Binalong Bay Rd, just a few minutes from St Helens. BOOKINGS: www.pelicanpointsanctuary.com.au; 0408 469 890. Cottages start from $170 a night and villas (including Heron) start from $300 a night. In peak times, from December 1 to April 30, prices start from $190 a night for the cottages and $350 for the villas. TO DO: The internationally renowned Bay of Fires is a 10-minute drive away. The bay is a great place for walking, fishing, boating, birdwatching, swimming and surfing. Other good local fishing spots near St Helens include Swimcart and Taylors beach, Grants Lagoon, Dora Point and the jetties in St Helens. For freshwater fishing, try the upper reaches of the Georges River and the Groom River. One of the best photo opportunities is the rocks at the northern end of Cosy Corner, at Binalong Bay, about a 15-minute drive away.

On the other side of the property there is a walk out to Georges Bay River that ends in its own private beach on the riverbank, which we are told is a great place to catch bream.

Once we get back from our walks we head out for dinner at the local pub at St Helens on Peter’s recommendation.

Peter is spot-on and our meals of local, fresh Tassie scallops and a hearty serving of surf and turf are delicious and we return to our apartment well satisfied and content.

We choose to leave the blinds up to go to sleep, and drift off watching a sky full of stars then gently wake, fully refreshed after a good rest in one of the comfiest beds I’ve slept in in ages, just as the sun slowly breaks through the clouds in the east.

My only regret is that we didn’t have more time to spend there and can thoroughly recommend Pelican Point as the perfect spot to stay that has everything you could need for a relaxing, stress-free break away.

The writer was a guest of Pelican Point Sanctuary.