6 One-of-a-kind stays

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Six outstanding one-of-a-kind properties to discover on Booking.com, our sponsor for Australian Traveller’s People’s Choice Awards 2015.

1. Enjoy never-ending views on Kangaroo Island

Life-Time Private Retreat is a collection of luxurious beach houses with spectacular views over Snellings Beach. Set among a variety of hiking trails, guests have all the things they need for an easy beach getaway including a fully-equipped kitchen, patio with barbecue and free wi-fi.

 

For Kangaroo Island views, stay at Life-Time Private Retreat

2. Relax with the locals on Phillip Island

Holmwood Guesthouse is a cosy little B&B just five minutes from Phillip Island’s town centre. It has three guesthouse rooms and two self-contained spa cottages, with kitchens, spa baths and gas log fireplaces. Breakfast is served in the dining room near the open fire or on the sunny verandah with the idyllic gardens surrounding you.

 

For a cosy Phillip Island B&B, stay at Holmwood Guesthouse

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3. Sleep in a yurt on the Murray River

Fitted with a hot tub, bathroom, parquet floor, electric fireplace, and canvas walls lined with Australian wool to keep you cosy, these circular tents at Talo Retreat are a far-cry from the simple yurts traditionally used by Mongolian nomads. Located on the edge of the Murray River, surrounded by red gums, this accommodation experience allows you to sleep among nature while only being eight minutes from the town centre of Echuca.

 

For a yurt on the Murray River, stay at Talo Retreat

4. Listen to the waves from your beach hut

Stay in one of these iconic, candy-striped beach huts, located in the township of Middleton between Goolwa and Port Elliot. Inside, they’re fancy huts indeed, with a kitchenette, spa bath and private deck, on which to enjoy your complimentary bottle of bubbly with front-row seats to the crashing waves.

 

To stay in a candy-striped beach huts, stay at Middleton Beach Huts

5. Stay among the treetops of an ancient rainforest

Not the kind you might remember from your childhood, these eco-friendly treehouses come with kitchens, fireplaces, hammocks and hot tubs. Set among 40 hectares of rainforest, it’s the perfect spot to immerse yourself in nature, with cassowaries, tree kangaroos, and rare green possums calling this place home.

 

Want your very own treehouse, stay at The Canopy Rainforest Treehouses

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6. Live like a Sydneysider in the Big Smoke

In the heart of Newtown and only a short train trip into the CBD, The Urban Newtown has contemporary industrial-style studios with all the mod-cons, rain showers, coffee machines, free wi-fi, and a discount to the nearby Fitness First… but the best part? A free mini bar with locally brewed craft beer and fine Australian wines.

 

Want to hang out where the bo-ho Sydneysiders do, stay at The Urban Newtown

 

ALL THE RESULTS: Australian Traveller’s People Choice Awards 2015

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7 Great Walks of Australia providing unforgettable adventures

    Rachel Lay Rachel Lay
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    Traipse Jurassic cliffs and wander secluded beaches on Australia’s most enchanting walks.

    Australia’s landscapes are made for hiking. Take the Red Centre, dusted in shifting sands and dotted with miraculous geological formations. Or our rainforests, left behind as the sole souvenir from continents that no longer exist. Down south, mottled night skies hang above crashing seas and unwavering cliffs. It makes sense, then, that hiking holidays are rising in popularity. No wi fi, no traffic. Just you and the path less travelled on the Great Walks of Australia in remote and iconic destinations.

    What are the Great Walks of Australia?

    If nature is your happy place, you’ve likely heard of the Great Walks of Australia, part of Tourism Australia’s Signature Experiences program since 2013 – a curated collection of 15 all-inclusive, eco-luxury journeys showcasing the country’s most spectacular landscapes with expert guides and incredible meals. GWOA launching in 2013 as 

    From exploring the peaks of a World Heritage listed island, to journeying through the heart of Australia, and the gentle pull of the majestic Murray – there’s a walking holiday to suit walkers of all experience levels (and interests).

    Joining a Great Walks of Australia hike means the pressure is off with all meals, guides and eco-luxury accommodation included.

    Where can you hike?

    1. Scenic Rim Trail, Queensland

    great walks of australia tour group on Scenic Rim Trail, Queensland
    Enjoy incredible food along the way.

    Around 23 million years ago, volcanoes spewed magma across Queensland’s Scenic Rim. Now, what’s left of the fiery landscape takes the form of the UNESCO-listed Gondwana rainforest.

    The Scenic Rim Trail is a four-day guided hike that takes you through the ancient rainforest. You’ll venture out into breathtaking viewpoints across the Main Range National Park. Enjoy a packed lunch, listen out for the duplicitous calls of the lyrebird and enjoy the silence.

    You’ll spend your nights in boutique eco-cabins and incredible hospitality.

    2. Murray River Walk, South Australia

    great walks of australia tour group on
    Walk through vibrant wildflower fields.

    Murray River Walk pairs easy hiking with blissful evenings cruising the Murray River. Over four days and nights, you’ll follow kangaroo trails through red dirt dusted with vivid patches of wildflowers.

    Each day ends on a solar-powered, custom-built houseboat. Watch towering, red sandstone cliffs float by from the top deck spa. Then, it’s three-course meals sourced from local produce and served alongside the region’s best wines.

    The entire region you’ll be traversing is within the Riverland Ramsar site. Watch as spoonbills forage for food in the tranquil wetlands, emus parade through the wildflowers, and regent parrots flit above.

    3. Maria Island Walk, Tasmania

    wombat along the Maria Island Walk tasmania
    Spot adorable locals.

    Your Maria Island walk begins with a private boat transfer to an untouched, white sand beach. Barefoot in the sand, you’ll quickly realise – aside from your guide and group – you’re completely alone. Spot countless wombats and hear the distant calls of Tasmanian Devils as you spend four days leisurely traversing the island.

    Nights are split between private, comfortable wilderness camps and queen-size beds in a historic cottage from the island’s convict history. Meals are built around fresh-caught seafood and served with East Coast Tasmanian wine.

    4. Seven Peaks Walk, New South Wales

    hiker on Seven Peaks Walks on Lord Howe Island
    Explore the incredible Lord Howe Island. (Image: Luke Hanson)

    Lord Howe Island feels like another world. With its patchwork blue coral lagoons and magma-honed peaks, it’s easy to forget you’re in New South Wales.

    This walk has the highest level of elevation in the Great Walks of Australia’s collection. It’s because of this that you’ll witness nature like never before. UNESCO-listed volcanic peaks and coral reefs that grew out of solidified lava will become your daily norm.

    Along the way, step onto beaches that lie undisturbed for weeks at a time. Then, snorkel the southernmost reef in the Pacific Ocean.

    5. Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa Signature Walk, Northern Territory

    great walks of australia tour group on
    Learn from the Anangu people.

    This five-day, fully guided, premium hiking experience inside Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park was developed in partnership with Aṉangu Traditional Owners. Begin your walk dwarfed by the shade of Kata Tjuṯa’s towering dome formations. Following remote desert trails through the red sands, crest dunes and traverse mulga woodlands as you draw closer to the monolithic walls of Uluṟu.

    Each night, dine under the lamp light of the Milky Way in the warm desert air and sleep in new flagship, environmentally sensitive private camps and lodge. This is the first time that travellers have ever been allowed to spend the night inside the national park.

    6. The Twelve Apostles Signature Walk, Victoria

    great walks of australia tour group on The Twelve Apostles Signature Walk, Victoria
    See the Twelve Apostles in a new way. (Image: Ken Luke)

    The Great Ocean Road’s rugged splendour is best experienced on this signature four-day, 44-kilometre guided walk. You’ll follow the rugged limestone stacks of the shipwreck coastline: wild, crashing waves, curious wildlife, and two national parks.

    Finish each day at your luxurious lodge, where you’ll sit with your feet soaking and a glass of wine in hand. You’ll have a single lodge to call home on this walk, meaning you’ll only need to set out with a day pack.

    7. Three Capes Signature Walk, Tasmania

    Three Capes Signature Walk, Tasmania
    Walk along the edge of the world. (Image: Luke Tscharke)

    On Tasmania’s Three Capes Signature Walk, you’ll feel like you’re walking along the edge of the world. From your boat landing on a remote beach, climb slowly upward for spectacular views and wildlife encounters with pods of dolphins, fur seals and echidnas. Spend days walking Jurassic dolerite cliffs with the wild Southern Ocean as your only constant.

    Stay in architecturally designed eco-lodges nestled at the very edge of the world. Think floor-to-ceiling windows, a plunge pool and even an on-site spa to tend to ailments from the hike.

    Discover more Great Walks of Australia and start planning your next adventure at greatwalksofaustralia.com.au.