TasWeekend: Tinderbox Retreat offers the ultimate luxurious couples break just outside of Hobart

Chocolate makers deliver an out-of-the-box weekend of delight at a freshly renovated Tinderbox getaway.

Former chocolatiers Milton Laycock and Isilda Caldwell bought their luxurious Tinderbox retreat two years ago, moving from Victoria to run the property just south of Hobart as a B&B.

Brazilian-born Isilda, a former potter and teacher, and Victorian Milton – an auto transmission specialist for the better part of three decades – were professional chocolatiers for the previous 15 years on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, taking out awards at the Royal Melbourne and Royal Sydney Fine Food Awards.

Their love for the finer things in life is evident at Tinderbox Retreat, which opened just a couple of months ago after extensive renovation.

This Tinderbox property was converted from an officer space into a luxurious couple retreat.

Attached to the main house, the B&B was formerly an office block.

There are no signs of a work environment anymore, with every detail clearly well thought out for travellers wanting to escape.

It’s the views, says Milton, which make the space truly special.

“We just love the outlook here – the photographs don’t really do it justice,” he says, looking out over the River Derwent to Opossum Bay and South Arm on a mild midweek afternoon.

Enjoy breakfast on the deck at the Tinderbox retreat.

Hubby and I are footloose and toddler-free. Waiting for us on the kitchen bench is a package of Milton and Isilda’s cherry bombs – handmade chocolates using Morello cherries soaked in kirsch liqueur, sealed with kirsch fondant, then double dipped in dark couverture.

We pile them onto a cheeseboard with the complimentary brie, crackers and two glasses of sauvignon blanc from the nearby Nandroya vineyard and climb into the spa out on the deck.

Taking in the views as we soak and sip, it’s hard to imagine anything more relaxing than this.

Eventually dragging ourselves out of the spa, we wrap ourselves in the soft Missoni bathrobes and settle in by the double-sided gas fireplace.

The living space flows out onto the deck, with the spa awaiting.

The lounge features custom-made leather sofas, velvet cushions and original artworks.

There’s a multitude of activities to keep you occupied should you, like us, find yourself not wanting to leave your luxurious accommodation – chess, board games and books.

Off the lounge space is a gym with multiple aerobic and weighted machines, which we promise we will use the next day, knowing it was an unlikely promise to be kept. In the corner there is even a sauna to rejuvenate in.

Around the back of the house is a space age-looking piece of technology, a Tesla Powerwall,

a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that reduces the place’s reliance on the grid by storing solar energy. In its former life as an office block, the building contained an incredible 11 heat pumps so the Powerwall and solar panels are proving to be the perfect alternative.

“We’re sometimes up to about 80 per cent off the grid,” Milton says.

Back inside, the designer bed with Latvian flax bed linen provides one of the best night’s sleep in recent memory.

Sink into the Latvian flax bed linen in the tranquil bedroom.

In the morning, at the touch of a button, the blinds open and there are those picture-perfect views again. It’s only the call of the gourmet breakfast provisions in the kitchen which drag us from our stupor.

Before we leave, I pop the copy of acclaimed Tasmanian author Heather Rose’s Bruny back on the bedside table. The story opens explaining an enormous bridge is being built to connect the island with mainland Tasmania – “it is for the tourists, the Tasmanian Government says, the great bridge is being built.”

For now, though, Tasmania remains all ours. Now is our chance as locals to get out there and experience our wondrously diverse and endlessly beautiful state while we still have it to ourselves.

For those seeking a fully self-contained experience with loads of special touches, Tinderbox Retreat will tick all your boxes.

Tinderbox Retreat is set among bushland, but only 20 minutes from Hobart.

IN THE AREA:

Local dining out options include Villa Howden 10 minutes’ drive away, which is offering a three-course set menu on weekends. The Beach restaurant at Blackmans Bay has a broad menu and a stunning setting. Milton and Isilda like new Japanese fusion restaurant Sushi Zanmai in Blackmans Bay. The nearest vineyard, Nandroya, is 15 minutes away at Margate.

For an extra layer of relaxation, Hidden Cove Day Spa is a mere 1 minute drive around the corner or a 10 minute walk.

Tinderbox is also a nature lover’s dream, with an abundance of birdlife and it is also considered one of the best places to catch the majesty of the Aurora Australis.

MAKE A NOTE:

Getting there: Tinderbox Retreat is about 20 minutes from Hobart.

Bookings: 0405 441 786, tinderboxretreat.com.au

Staying there: Minimum two-night stay at $495 per night for two people or $695 per night for four people. Rates include gourmet pantry and breakfast provisions, wine, chocolates, beer, cider and all other staples.

Ideal for: couples looking for a romantic getaway.