10 Aussie islands you can privately book

Think private islands are only reserved for billionaires? Think again.

There’s nothing better than gathering your best mates and heading off on the ultimate unforgettable holiday. But battling it out for the best campsites, spreading across hotel rooms or lining up for hostel bathrooms can quickly become a buzzkill.

Thankfully, there’s a group-friendly alternative that ticks every box. Dotted around Australia, there are an array of dreamy island escapes designed to keep everyone together without compromising on space. Don’t let the pricetag scare you either – when split between friends, these exclusive retreats are far more attainable than you might expect.

1. Haggerstone Island, Qld

Total cost: From $6800 per night
Individual cost: $566 per person

Around 600 kilometres north of Cairns, Haggerstone Island is a privately owned escape tucked into the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Featuring five beachfront villas, the resort offers group bookings for up to 12 guests, providing total privacy and exclusive access to the entire island.

Spend your days snorkelling the reef’s colourful folds, taking helicopter flights to secret waterfalls or lazing in the sun on your private deck before settling into your luxurious villa come nightfall. All meals are catered for, with a rotating menu that features locally caught seafood and produce grown on the island.

2. Picnic Island, Tas

Total cost: $16,000 per night with a three-night minimum
Individual cost: $2000 per night or $6000 for three nights

Just off Tasmania’s stunning Freycinet Peninsula, Picnic Island is quietly lapped by the deep-blue waters of Coles Bay. The island’s cosy retreat sleeps up to eight guests across four spaces, plus a suspended fireplace and private chef for cosy nights in.

Picnic Island delivers a truly authentic taste of Tassie, including wildlife encounters with the island’s resident shearwaters, seals and penguins. With boardwalks, elevated walking trails, an expansive outdoor deck and views across The Hazards, it’s all about showcasing the state’s natural beauty.

3. Louth Island, SA

Total cost: From $2500 per night (private retreat)
Individual cost: $250 per person

Rumi on Louth, SA — Settle in under a cabana on your own private beach.

Only accessible by boat, Louth Island just a few kilometres off the coast of Port Lincoln in SA’s Eyre Peninsula. Once a humble sheep property, it became home to Rumi on Louth in 2023, a luxurious eco-resort offering pristined beaches, walking tracks, catamaran cruises, cooking masterclasses, a day spa and hatted restaurant.

While it can’t be booked exclusively, guests needn’t worry about disruptions. The 10-guest private retreat is perfect for larger groups seeking seclusion. Separated from all other lodgings, it features one queen-size and eight king-single rooms, as well as two bathrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, spacious living area and private deck.

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

4. Wilson Island, Qld

Total cost: From $11,000 per night
Individual cost: $611 per person

Tucked into a secluded coral cay in the Great Barrier Reef, adults-only Wilson Island comprises nine safari-style tents that can be exclusively booked for up to 18 guests. Approximately 80 kilometres off the coast of Gladstone, there is no such thing as mobile reception or wi-fi here, allowing guests to go fully off-grid.

Days on Wilson Island are filled with ocean-based activities like snorkelling, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding and swimming. Time your visit right and you could share the island with green and loggerhead turtles, who use its sheltered shores for nesting and hatching from November to March.

5. Lord Howe Island, NSW

Total cost: From $8660 per night (Signature Experience)
Individual cost: $1082.50 per person

Lord Howe Island is another one of those places that can’t be booked out exclusively but is well worth the trip anyway. Often called the Hawaiʻi of Australia and described as “so extraordinary, it’s almost unbelievable" by Sir David Attenborough himself, only 400 people can visit at any one time.

Island House on Lord Howe Island, NSW — Slip into solitary bliss at Island House. (Image: Anson Smart)

For complete privacy and total immersion, Island House offers two retreats for just eight guests, surrounded on all sides by Kentia palms and Banyan trees. The design-led property is luxury at its finest, with fireplaces, outdoor baths, sprawling gardens, chef-prepared meals and daily cleaning services included in its Signature Experience.

6. Satellite Island, Tas

Total cost: From $2950 per night (for two guests)
Individual cost: $1475 per person ($550 per extra)

Swap reef tides for cosy vibes on Satellite Island, a little slice of paradise off Tasmania’s south-east coast. Arriving via vehicular ferry or chartered helicopter, up to eight guests are welcome at the island’s exclusive lodgings, which includes the Summerhouse, Boathouse and luxury bell tent.

For the duration of your stay, you’ll have the entire place – and its exclusive experiences – to yourself. This includes an endless supply of wild oysters and gourmet breakfast provisions, plus access to the kitchen garden and orchard. Guests also have free use of all fishing equipment, kayaks, paddleboards, yoga mats and board games.

7. Makepeace Island, Qld

Total cost: $19,950 (first eight guests)
Individual cost: $2493 per person

It’s all in the name at Makepeace Island. The heart-shaped haven near Noosa is as peaceful as it gets, where wild beauty meets true luxury. Hands-on types can enjoy cooking classes, tennis, kayaking and cocktail making, while others may opt for beach picnics, nature walks and relaxed afternoons at the pool or onsite library.

And for the cherry on top? A quick boat ride and you’ll be in the heart of Australia’s most-loved town of 2025. Explore its burgeoning dining scene, breathtaking beaches and UNESCO-listed sites before heading back to your own slice of paradise on a bend in the Noosa River.

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8. The Lilypad, NSW

Total cost: From $2250 (four-night package)
Individual cost: $1125 per person

Bobbing on the bay between Palm Beach and Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, The Lilypad is an all-inclusive, fully serviced floating villa for more intimate stays, accommodating up to 10 people for events but sleeping just two. While technically not an island, it offers the same privacy, seclusion and total exclusivity.

Coastal-inspired interiors combine with five-star luxury, complete with a fireplace, infrared sauna, catered meals and onboard massages. The outdoor deck is designed for long days in the summer sun – whether you laze on a lounger or make use of the paddleboards, there’s little more to do but sit back and enjoy the view.

9. Pumpkin Island, Qld

Total cost: From $4250 per night
Individual cost: $125 per person

Just 14 kilometres off the coast of Yeppoon, Pumpkin Island looks just as cute as it sounds. Five self-catering cottages and two beach bungalows sleep up to 34 guests, plus shared bathrooms, a communal kitchen and optional catering packages.

Complete beach access means activities like snorkelling, fishing, paddleboarding and kayaking are available around the clock. The private island also acts as a gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, so you can experience one of Australia’s natural wonders right on your doorstep.

10. Fraser Island Retreat, Vic

Total cost: Price upon booking

Gippsland Lakes, Vic — The Gippsland Lakes region of Victoria does island getaways a bit differently. (Image: Getty/Tracie Louise)

You’ll find Fraser Island Retreat in Victoria’s gorgeous Gippsland Lakes region, just a 10-minute drive from Lakes Entrance. The exclusive escape is perfect for big family trips, with an 11-bedroom homestead and an additional bunkhouse that sleeps up to 34 guests in total.

Inside, guests have complete reign of the grand dining hall, refrigerator room, wine cellar, lounge area and fully equipped kitchen. Outside, enjoy a wraparound verandah, nine-hole golf course, pool with gazebo and two tennis courts. The best part? You’ll have it all to yourself.

From ancient aquaculture systems to sacred rock art shelters, Victoria’s First Peoples cultural experiences offer a powerful connection to one of the world’s oldest living cultures – where every site, story and smoking ceremony invites a deeper understanding of the land beneath your feet.

Victoria’s sweeping landscapes hold stories far older than any road map can trace – stories etched into stone, sung through generations and woven into every bend of river and rise of hill. From the lava flows of Budj Bim to the ancient middens of Moyjil/Point Ritchie and the volcanic crater of Tower Hill, the state is home to some of the most significant First Peoples cultural sites in Australia. These places, along with other immersive experiences, offer not only a window into a 60,000-year legacy, but a profound way of understanding Country itself. As more travellers seek connection over checklists, guided tours by Traditional Owners offer respectful, unforgettable insights into a living culture that continues to shape the land and the people who walk it.

Budj Bim cultural landscape

Venture beyond the surf and sand of the Great Ocean Road to discover a deeper story etched into the volcanic landscape. At Budj Bim, ancient aquaculture channels built by the Gunditjmara people to trap, store and harvest kooyang (short-finned eel) reveal one of the world’s oldest living cultures. While you’re in the area, head over to the state-of-the-art Tae Rak Aquaculture Centre, where you can observe the eels in a special tank, wander the shores of Tae Rak (Lake Condah), and enjoy a bite at the Bush Tucker Cafe. Also nearby is Tower Hill, a dormant volcano reborn as a wildlife reserve, offering trails through bushland teeming with emus and koalas.

eel tank — The kooyang (eel) tank at Tae Rak. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Dumawul Kooyoora Walking Tour

Dumawul walkingtour — Guests are guided through Kooyoora State Park on the Dumawul walking tour. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Step into a timeless landscape with Dumawul’s guided tour through Kooyoora State Park, around an hour’s drive west of Bendigo in north-central Victoria. Led by Djaara guides, this immersive half-day journey breathes life into Country, weaving together stories, bush tucker and ancient rock art. Known to the Dja Dja Wurrung people as Guyura – the ‘mountain of light’ – this dramatic granite range is rich with cultural and spiritual significance. The adventure begins with a meet-up at the Bridgewater Hotel on the banks of the Loddon River, before guests are welcomed onto Country with a traditional Smoking Ceremony – a powerful ritual that honours ancestors and cleanses those who walk the land. From there, it’s a gentle wander through rugged outcrops and open bushland, with sweeping vistas unfolding at every turn. Along the way, guides share their knowledge of how the Dja Dja Wurrung peoples have cared for and adapted with this land for generations, offering a rare and moving window into an ancient way of life that continues to thrive today.

Kooyoora walking tour — Knowledge of the Dja Dja Wurrung is shared on the trail. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Kingfisher Cruises

Glide quietly through the Barmah-Millewa forest – the nation’s largest river red gum ecosystem – on a scenic journey along the Murray River and into the Barmah Lakes with Kingfisher Cruises. Led by passionate guides who share stories of the cultural significance of this ancient landscape, these cruises reveal the stories, totems and traditional knowledge of the Yorta Yorta people. As you navigate narrow waterways and spot native birds, you’ll gain a richer understanding of how First Peoples have lived in harmony with this floodplain for tens of thousands of years. It’s a gentle, immersive experience that leaves a lasting impression – one where every bend in the river carries echoes of culture, connection and Country.

wawa biik

Exploring Nagambie with Taungurung leaders. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Translating to ‘hello, Country’ in the language of the First Nations People and Custodians of the rivers and mountains of Taungurung Country in Central Victoria, wawa biik guides a range of authentic and deeply immersive experiences. Leaving from either Nagambie or Euroa, the tours are woven with ancient stories of the Taungurung, telling how a sustained connection and responsibility ensures the continued health of biik – benefitting the people, animals and plants that live in and around the Goulburn River. During the wawa Nagambie experience, guests participate in a Welcome Smoking Ceremony, and enjoy lunch and conversation with two Taungurung leaders as they cruise through the wetlands of tabilk-tabilk (place of many waterholes). The 4.5-hour tour begins at Tahbilk Winery, which is set in the wetlands of Nagambie on Taungurung Country and collaborates with Taungurung Elders to share knowledge of biik.

Bataluk Cultural Trail

Cape Conran on the Bataluk Trail. (Image: Visit Victoria)

The Bataluk Cultural Trail winds through East Gippsland like a thread stitching past to present, tracing the deep connection between the Gunaikurnai people and their land. Starting at the Knob Reserve in Stratford, visitors walk among scarred trees and ancient stone tools once used for survival and ceremony. At the Den of Nargun near Mitchell River, the earth holds stories of women’s sacred spaces, cloaked in myth and legend. Further along, Legend Rock at Metung tells of greed and consequence, its surface etched with ancient lore. At Cape Conran, shell middens lie scattered like breadcrumbs of history – 10,000 years of gatherings, stories and saltwater songs still echoing in the wind.

Healesville Sanctuary

Set on the historic grounds of Coranderrk Aboriginal Station, Healesville Sanctuary honours the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation through immersive storytelling and connection to Country. Along Wurundjeri Walk, visitors are invited to reflect on the land’s rich First Peoples history, with native plants revealing their traditional uses. Wurundjeri Elder and educator Murrundindi shares culture in-person with the Wominjeka Aboriginal Cultural Experience every Sunday, and most days during Victorian school holidays. Murrundindi’s smoking ceremonies, storytelling and bush tucker knowledge reveal the sacred relationship between people, animals and the environment. Bird-lovers can’t miss the incredible Spirits of the Sky show featuring native birds daily at 12pm and 3pm.

The Grampians

Known as Gariwerd to Traditional Owners, the Grampians is a place of immense cultural and spiritual significance. This rugged landscape holds more than 80 per cent of Victoria’s known First Peoples rock art, offering a powerful window into the region’s deep heritage. Visitors can respectfully explore five remarkable rock art sites: Billimina and Ngamadjidj in the Wartook Valley, Manja Shelter near Hamilton, Gulgurn Manja shelter near Laharum, and the Bunjil Shelter near Stawell, where the creator spirit is depicted. Each site tells a unique story of connection to Country, shared through ancient handprints, dancing figures and Dreaming narratives etched into stone.

10 Aussie islands you can privately book – for less than you think

Think private islands are only reserved for billionaires? Think again.

1. Haggerstone Island, Qld

2. Picnic Island, Tas

3. Louth Island, SA

4. Wilson Island, Qld

5. Lord Howe Island, NSW

6. Satellite Island, Tas

7. Makepeace Island, Qld

8. The Lilypad, NSW

9. Pumpkin Island, Qld

10. Fraser Island Retreat, Vic

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Unforgettable First Peoples tours and experiences in Victoria

From ancient aquaculture systems to sacred rock art shelters, Victoria’s First Peoples cultural experiences offer a powerful connection to one of the world’s oldest living cultures – where every site, story and smoking ceremony invites a deeper understanding of the land beneath your feet.

Budj Bim cultural landscape

Dumawul Kooyoora Walking Tour

Kingfisher Cruises

wawa biik

Bataluk Cultural Trail

Healesville Sanctuary

The Grampians

Think private islands are only reserved for billionaires? Think again.

1. Haggerstone Island, Qld

2. Picnic Island, Tas

3. Louth Island, SA

AI Prompt

4. Wilson Island, Qld

5. Lord Howe Island, NSW

6. Satellite Island, Tas

7. Makepeace Island, Qld

8. The Lilypad, NSW

9. Pumpkin Island, Qld

10. Fraser Island Retreat, Vic

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From ancient aquaculture systems to sacred rock art shelters, Victoria’s First Peoples cultural experiences offer a powerful connection to one of the world’s oldest living cultures – where every site, story and smoking ceremony invites a deeper understanding of the land beneath your feet.

Budj Bim cultural landscape

Dumawul Kooyoora Walking Tour

Kingfisher Cruises

wawa biik

Bataluk Cultural Trail

Healesville Sanctuary

The Grampians

From ancient aquaculture systems to sacred rock art shelters, Victoria’s First Peoples cultural experiences offer a powerful connection to one of the world’s oldest living cultures – where every site, story and smoking ceremony invites a deeper understanding of the land beneath your feet.