The two local fishermen were armed with an assortment of rods, with squid jigs attached, expertly pulling glistening southern calamari to the surface before scooping the bright-eyed creatures up with a net, and pulling them in to their boat.

And with our sleek, open-air tour boat now sitting right alongside them, my fellow passengers and I watched in awe as the men cradled the alien-like fish in their hands, giving us a closer look at the cephalopods and the inky smears visible on the side of their tinny.

We had expected to see stunning scenery as we ventured along Tasmania’s East Coast, as well as Australian fur seals, sea birds, and maybe even a whale or a pod of dolphins if we were really lucky. And there was no shortage of most of those things (although whales and dolphins remained elusive).

But I never imagined I’d be listening to fishermen chat about their latest catch that morning, an insightful encounter given more pertinence when I turned up to dinner that evening to find a spicy (and delicious) calamari noodle dish on the Saffire menu. Seeing these fishermen in action was not a scripted interaction, and they weren’t part of our tour itinerary.

We were simply fortunate to be in the right place at the right time — while also having a savvy skipper who had a hunch the men would provide a unique and fascinating interaction for his passengers.

But that’s the great thing about spending a weekend at Saffire — those at the luxury lodge go to great lengths to create memorable experiences for guests, whether that be through the wide range of tours on offer, the custom menus, the amazingly attentive (and always-smiling) staff, and the impeccable presentation of the award-winning property, which overlooks the picture-perfect granite peaks of The Hazards mountain range.

Like many curious Tasmanians, my husband and I had attempted to drive into Saffire when it first opened 10 years ago, curious to see how far along the winding driveway of the exclusive property we’d get before a series of stern warning signs forced us to turn back to our much less luxurious accommodation closer to the Coles Bay township.

This time, however, we cruised confidently past those warning signs and drove right to the main entrance, where we were greeted by a fabulously flamboyant staff member, who whisked away our car keys and ushered us into the curvaceous, glass-fronted foyer, where we were greeted by a spectacular panoramic vista of the rocky, five-mountain range along with two glasses of Tasmanian sparkling.

Lunch could be enjoyed from either the dining area to the right, or the lounge to the left, and we opted for the more casual option — complete with a well-equipped bar and a 5m-long fireplace — as it seemed like the best way to stretch our legs following our 2.5 hour drive from Hobart.

Every seat here offered an equally amazing view. And, with a steady stream of drinks and food coming my way, I could easily have spent my entire stay at Saffire lazing here, watching the perfectly still water and the ever-changing cloud formations.

But, there was still so much more to do — like settling in to our luxury suite, where our bags had magically arrived while we dined.

There are 20 suites at Saffire — designed by Tasmanian architect Robert Morris-Nunn and his team — and all are positioned to maximise the view, which is best enjoyed from either your private deck, your bubble-filled bathtub or the custom kingsize bed, which I found so pillowy soft that it was like sleeping on a cloud.

From the bespoke toiletries in the spacious double shower to the complementary minibar packed with McHenry gin, Gala Estate wine, a selection of herbal teas, and chocolates from Nutpatch and Coal River Farm, it’s easy to think there’s nothing more you could possibly want or need. That is, until you return to your room after dinner to discover a few more surprises left as part of the nightly turndown service, like a plate bearing two small, exquisite squares of chocolate brownie which we happily devoured before sliding into bed to discover hot water bottles had been tucked under the covers to warm our toes.

Some of the world’s biggest names have stayed at Saffire — oil magnates, tech-giant chiefs, celebrity chefs, musicians, actors, politicians and even royalty have been among nearly 20,000 guests who have stayed for an average of 2.8 nights in the past decade.

The bulk of visitors (57 per cent) hail from mainland Australia, while 30 per cent come from overseas and the remaining 13 per cent are Tasmanian.

Despite our borders being closed due to COVID-19, Saffire, which celebrates its 10th birthday this month, has been operating at full capacity most weekends.

With interstate and overseas travel currently on hold, it seems Tasmanians — mostly couples aged between 35-60 — are looking to indulge in local experiences they have never tried before and Saffire is high on their wishlists.

Due to the pandemic, Saffire is currently only open from Friday until Sunday, with Federal Group tourism general manager Matt Casey saying the aim is to make guests feel like they’ve had a week-long break after a single long-weekend stay.

Being at Saffire is like being in your own luxurious bubble, away from the rest of the world.

And guests certainly never go hungry, with executive chef Iain Todd ensuring local produce shines in his menus, including the nightly degustation which is paradise for foodies. More than 30 per cent of food and beverages served at Saffire are sourced from within a 50km radius of the property and about 85 per cent of suppliers are Tasmanian, with 60 Tasmanian wines on the menu.

With everything taken care of by the eager-to-please staff, the biggest decision for guests is which snack to choose from the minibar, which pre-dinner cocktail to sample or which of the many daily experiences to sign up for.

During our stay we found ourselves decked out in full beekeeping suits, getting up close to Saffire’s resident honey bees, under the guidance of Rob Barker from Wild Hives Honey, who provides fresh honey to the Saffire kitchen.

We also donned waders to explore the shallows of Freycinet Marine Farm on a perfect blue-sky day.

We listened to tales about oyster-growing and watched a flock of pelicans fly by, before approaching a semi-submerged dining table — complete with a crisp white tablecloth, expertly laid out by Nicole, our wonderful, jack-of-all-trades tour guide — where we stood in thigh-deep water and enjoyed freshly harvested oysters and a cold beer, with The Hazards looking particularly stunning in the background.

Then there was the boat cruise (with the surprise squid encounter) and our introduction to Saffire’s six resident devils — including new arrivals Bolt and Vortex — who have their own 1ha architecturally designed enclosure.

Most were experiences we would never have tried prior to visiting Saffire, but all are now firmly and fondly planted in our memories.

By the time we checked out at midday on Sunday, with a packed lunch organised by the kitchen staff, we were ready to work off some of the copious amounts of food we had consumed with a walk to Wineglass Bay Lookout before heading home to Hobart.

Our only regret was that we did not have an extra day to laze about at Saffire, to admire the view a bit more and enjoy a treatment at the spa. I guess we’ll just have to come back another time.

The author was hosted by Saffire Freycinet/Federal Group