On the Beach in Luxury

As a travelling nation, there’s no question that we do like to be beside the seaside. And from triple-decker beach bungalows to booking out your very own island, there are plenty of ways to get sand between your toes in a luxurious fashion.

Around the world, and certainly across Australia, our idea of luxury in a beach setting differs wildly. For some it’s more of a bare-bones Wilson Island experience – a tiny coral cay southeast of Cairns – where lodgings are simple and the focus is on the surrounds, the snorkelling and diving, and the back-to-nature sense of solitude.

For others, luxury on the beach suggests – nay, demands – a five star, triple story, full-service private beach house with swimming pool, sweeping views, attentive butler and all the trimmings. So come with us now as we explore a little from each of these worlds, from peeking inside some of Australia’s premium, most sought after beachfront resorts and properties, to blowing the budget and renting your own island.

Beach houses, resorts & more

AT had a great time researching this one. Being able to pry even for a brief moment into the lifestyles of the rich and famous, and seeing where they rest their weary heads while on holiday, has been an education in itself.

Byron Bay, for example, that famous millionaires’ playground, is home to exclusive beachfront hotels like Rae’s on Watego’s, which can do you a deal that includes room, restaurant and spa treatment for $3080 a night (www.raes.com.au ). But wait, we’re just getting started . . .

How about a breathtaking private home that has only recently found its way onto the rental market? Villa Ewingsdale 5106 just minutes from Byron Bay, a five-bedroom palace of a place fit for royalty.

In high season, with a private chef, your own Porsche Cayenne and limousine airport transfers, you’re looking at $31,100 a week. Check out uniqueestates.com.au for stunning luxury properties – including the six-bedroom Trinity Palace Villa 505 on a private beach 15 minutes north of Cairns that truly must be seen to be believed.

Still in the northeast of Australia, the now-famous new kid on the block, qualia on Hamilton Island, has reached its final stage with the installation of a helipad and completion of 33 luxury Leeward Pavilions, bringing the total to 60 for the resort. Each has west-facing views to take full advantage of the dramatic island sunsets and rent for $1450 per night, twin share, with the larger Beach House costing more than twice that amount (www.qualia.com.au ).

In the same neck of the woods, around 25 minutes drive from Proserpine and just northeast of Airlie Beach, lies an unbelievable private property called Woodwark Bay Retreat. This lush 4000-acre tropical retreat (surrounded by 50,000 more acres of national park) consists of two stylish main houses, a central communal lodge and a variety of smaller huts set amid the rainforest, with just a short stroll across close-cropped greens to the water’s edge and stunning views out to Double Cone Island. The entire property rents for an astonishing $67,000 a week in high season (www.woodwarkbay.com.au) .

Heading south

Perhaps Sydney’s most expensive suburb when it comes to renting private beach houses, Palm Beach also leads the region in style – and exemplary choice. A few standouts include the “Caribbean Hideaway" (a refurbished four-bedroom 1920s sandstone home for $17,000 to $20,000 per week); the “Midori" (a modern, multi-levelled masterpiece in white and glass for around $18,000 per week); and the “Lanai" (with a stunning upper level comprising of 700m2 of living area, pool, cabana and more for around $30,000 per week in summer).

Another Palm Beach home that shouldn’t be overlooked is Kalua, a national trust property that was one of the first homes to be built in the area. Seven bedrooms, wide verandahs, massive gardens, tennis court, swimming pool, a chipping green . . . all sprawled across two acres of street frontage right on Ocean Road – and it can be yours for $38,500 a week in summer (www.sydneyvillas.com ).

Heading across to South Australia, their latest luxury addition is the superlative Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island, with one night in the Osprey Pavilion overlooking spectacular Hanson Bay costing around $1800 per person, twin share. (If you’d like that room all to yourself, you’re talking $2700). There are 21 suites in total at the environmentally conscious Southern Ocean Lodge, which could well represent the most luxurious experience on offer in the region (www.southernoceanlodge.com.au ).

Rent your own island

The idea of emerging from your luxury island bungalow early one morning, before breakfast, say around dawn, just as the discreet staff are stirring to life, then looking around you at the beaches and the palms, throwing your arms wide and saying, “all this is mine . . ." Well, there are few things in life that can compare.

There are a number of top-end options for making this dream a reality – from the aforementioned Wilson Island (maximum of 12 people for around $25,000 for five nights) through to Double Island off the coast of Palm Cove in northern Queensland (where 40 guests for a week will set you back a lazy $157,500). Bedarra Island is another attractive option just off the coast from Cairns, and features 16 villas – including the gorgeous Pavilion and The Point – and can be yours for just under $200,000 for five nights.

But AT’s favourite, and most ludicrously luxurious, would have to be securing for yourself the entirety of Lizard Island in the far north of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. It remains one of Australia’s true luxury resort islands, and features two dozen private beaches studded with 40 villas to house 80 of your friends.

To claim the entire place as your own – which has been done before, rest assured, be it for a wedding or for the fly-in-fly-out visit of an A-List celebrity – costs as little as $454,000 for five nights during peak season (July to November).

And that figure includes everything, from transfers to meals to beverages to selected island activities like diving, sailing, nature walks and gourmet picnic hampers.

If you can’t quite muster the dollars to book the entire place out, a four-night Lizard Island all-inclusive package for two people in a top-end Pavilion is only $13,791. Check out www.lizardisland.com.au for more info.

Hobart has quietly become our coolest capital, but the real wonder lies just beyond the city limits.

In the cool shade of Kunyani/ Mt Wellington, Hobart has earned a reputation. Home to culture-defining Dark MOFO, the city blends rugged, raw wilderness and rule-breaking galleries. But, step beyond the thrumming capital’s border and you’ll find a new perspective: historic towns, Jurassic-era cliffs and a UNESCO City of Gastronomy. With ALL Accor as your home away from home, fill your days with epicurean odysseys and wild scenery on the best day trips from Hobart.

Where to stay

Behind every good road trip is the perfect home base. Somewhere central to review your camera roll, make the most of Hobart’s dining scene and relax before setting off again.

For modern, Tasmanian-inspired design, book a stay at the Movenpick Hotel Hobart . Standing at the Salamanca Markets, look to the Hobart skyline and the award-winning hotel will catch your eye. As the third-tallest building in the CBD, the views across the harbour toward Antarctica are totally unique to your room. Here, end each day at the daily free chocolate hour (plus a free Movenpick ice cream for the little ones).

For a more budget-conscious option, head to the picture book, sandstone buildings of Macquarie Street. Nestled along the buzzing, historic streetscape, you’ll find Tasmania’s biggest hotel: the Ibis Styles . Return home each day to defrost in one of the hotel’s two saunas. Make use of the proximity to MONA, or take an easy stroll to the candy-coloured cottages of Battery Point between your adventures.

A stylish, Tasmanian-inspired bedroom at Mövenpick Hotel Hobart, your perfect base for relaxing after the best day trips from Hobart. — Elevate your Hobart stay with sleek style at Mövenpick.

1. Bruny Island

Craggy cliffs and tropical-hued, white sand beaches signal your arrival to Bruny Island/ Lunawanna-Alonnah.

Start your day trip at the island’s most iconic spot, the Neck Game Reserve. Scale the Trunganini steps to gaze out over the teensy stretch of land that juts through the sea connecting the two ends of the island.

Catch a rare glimpse of the white furred wallabies that call Bruny Island home at Adventure Bay. Then, for ocean-fresh oysters, pull into the drive-thru window at Get Shucked . Sample Bruny Island cheese at the cellar door before catching the ferry home with an esky full of local produce.

Bruny Island Neck is an isthmus of land connecting north and south Bruny Island. — Begin your adventure with a climb and a view. (Image: Elise Weaver)

2. Mount Wellington

At 1271 metres, Mount Wellington watches protectively over Hobart. Follow the winding road to climb through alpine forest and tufts of snow to reach the summit. Gaze down over Hobart and out to sea, or over your shoulder to the southwestern wilderness.

Reset your adrenaline with a mountain bike ride back down. Or, make like the locals and head into the mountain on foot. Try the hike to the Jurassic-period Organ Pipes which slips under the mountain’s magnificent dolerite cliffs (perfect for families thanks to the trail’s minimal incline).

For a view of Mount Wellington itself, hike nearby Cathedral Rock.

No matter where you are in Hobart you are never far away from the City's beloved mountain, Kunanyi / Mount Wellington — Climb through alpine forest to the summit. (Image: Paul Flemming)

2. Port Arthur

Constructed entirely by convicts, the manicured gardens and penal buildings of Port Arthur offer a day trip that practically hums with history.

The rugged, seagirt location was chosen for its difficult escape conditions. Now, you can cruise the coast below the towering, jagged cliffs of the Tasman National Park or wander the sloping fields of fragrant lavender.

Tickets to Port Arthur include a walking tour and harbour cruise. See the Isle of the Dead where 1000 men are buried in marked and unmarked graves. And Point Puer, Britain’s first prison for children.

The Port Arthur Historic Site is one of Australia's most important heritage sites and tourist destinations. Located on the scenic Turrakana / Tasman Peninsula in the south east of Tasmania, it offers a unique and essential experience for all visitors to the area. — Wander convict-built grounds and gardens. (Image: Dearna Bond)

3. Launceston

You’ll find Launceston at the confluence of three rivers after an easy 2.5-hour drive from Hobart. Launceston is a patchwork of old and new. Here, heritage streetscapes meet modern architecture.

Visit Cataract Gorge, the green, sun-dappled heart of the town and sacred meeting point for Tasmania’s indigenous communities. Pull up at roadside produce stalls that dot the Tamar Valley, or dine out. Launceston is, after all, a UNESCO City of Gastronomy.

Should the local wine scene persuade you, simply extend your time in Launceston at Peppers Silo (but definitely at least stop by the onsite restaurant, Grain of the Silo , for a farm fresh menu) or Mercure Launceston before heading back to Hobart.

Walk the sunlit paths of Cataract Gorge. (Image: Nick H Visuals)

4. Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary

Take a 35-minute drive from your hotel and you’ll find Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary . This social enterprise is run by a team of extremely passionate Tasmanians with a mission to look after critically endangered species who have found sanctuary here after facing extinction on the mainland.

Choose to wander the sanctuary at your own pace or join a guided tour (free with your ticket) to come face to face with Tassie’s most iconic species. Tasmanian Devils, wombats and echidnas are part of the free tour. You can book up close encounters with your favourite animals, too.

Bonorong is a Sanctuary for wildlife run by a passionate team of like-minded people. We're a social enterprise: a little business with a big heart. — Snap a cuddle-worthy encounter. (Image: Tourism Australia)

5. Richmond Village & Coal River Valley

Richmond is a town that belongs in a snow globe. Fifty colonial-era, Georgian buildings have been painstakingly restored and turned into cafes, cosy restaurants and galleries. Visit Richmond Gaol , said to be the home of a prisoner so vile he inspired Charles Dickens to pen Oliver Twist’s Fagin.

Then, follow the Coal River as it flows past grassy, duckling-dotted knolls and under the iconic Richmond Bridge, the oldest bridge in Australia. From the crest of the bridge, see the oldest Catholic Church in Australia. The river crawls past many cellar doors, perfect for a day of wine tasting.

Richmond is a picture-perfect town in the Coal River Valley wine region, offering a glimpse into early colonial life, one of the best day trips from Hobart. — Trace the river through history and wine country. (Image: Fin Matson)

Plan your trip to Hobart and beyond with ALL Accor at All.com .