The top 5 remote stays in Tasmania

hero media
Nowhere in Australia has mastered middle-of-nowhere luxury like Tasmania. Expect silence, solitude and quite a lot of moss.

If accommodation with a splash of Tasmanian noir and a dash of edge-of-the-world remoteness is what you crave, look no further than these five stays. Each brings a unique take on getting guests disconnected from daily life and in sync with nature instead. Easily spooked? Bring a partner or pal.

1. The Keep

The Keep in Tasmania/lutruwita’s north east ticks all of the remote accommodation boxes – and then some. It begins with the drive. As the nearest tiny town of Pioneer fades in the rear-view mirror, the dirt roads get increasingly narrow, and wombats lumber obliviously from the bush.

The Keep window in tasmania
The Keep ticks all of the remote accommodation boxes. (Image: Christian Watson)

Few, if any, people come down these old logging roads. An iron gate five kilometres from the accommodation is extra assurance you won’t see another human (unless a private chef or helicopter trip has been arranged).

a man exploring the forest surrounding The Keep, Tasmania
The property’s bushwalks showcase lush man-ferns. (Image: Roz & Loz)

Shortly before arrival the road inclines steeply above the tree line and The Keep looms into view. Built on a stony 650-metre pinnacle in the style of the towers favoured by European nobility during the Middle Ages as lookouts for invaders, the building has 360-degree views of the Bay of Fires and Flinders Island. The property’s 101 hectares of private reserve is set within a much larger sea of trees, so the solitude and silence are overwhelming.

The Keep in Tasmania aerial shot
You won’t forget the moment you see The Keep pop into view. (Image: Stu Gibson)

The Keep is kitted out with vinyl records, a bijou reading room, Tasmanian noir artworks, eight ways to make coffee and a sleek mid-century bar with a bottle of Lark whisky. In the fridge is local wine, beer, a selection of vintage French Champagne and high-quality breakfast provisions.

The Keep lounge room in Tasmania
Listen to vinyl by the fireplace. (Image: Ben Little)

Nestled among dramatic granite boulders, an outdoor bath offers panoramic views, while the property’s bushwalks showcase lush man-ferns, Tasmania’s oldest Myrtle Beech tree and some rather startled pademelons.

an outdoor bathtub at The Keep, Tasmania
An outdoor bath offers panoramic views. (Image: Rachel Vasicek)

The Keep is targeted at couples with no kids or pets in tow. Solo travellers should bring a pal (who they’re comfortable sharing a King bed with) because going alone may be too ‘Capital A’ alone for some. Avoid driving at dawn, dusk or at night when wildlife is on the move.

The Keep in Tasmania
The Keep is targeted at couples with no kids or pets in tow. (Image: Stu Gibson)

2. Corinna Wilderness Experience

Because Corinna offers several cottages, campsites and a pub, you may forget you’re in the middle of one of only three cool temperate rainforests globally: takayna/The Tarkine. This wilderness is half the size of Lebanon and is where the survival competition series Alone Australia (Season 1) was filmed. The nearest town of Waratah is an hour-plus drive down an unsealed road. The west coast town of Strahan, meanwhile, is 60 kilometres south.

an aerial view of the remote rainforest surrounding Corinna, Tas
Stay in the middle of a cool temperate rainforest. (Image: Chris Crerar)

Corinna was established in the 1890s on the traditional land of the Petaanidik peoples as a township for “miners and piners". These days, it’s a rustic and convivial place to meet fellow travellers though the frontier look and feel remains strong.

The Tarkine Hotel in Corinna, Tas
The Tarkine Hotel is tucked within a remote and rugged landscape. (Image: Chris Crerar)

Several hikes leave from Corinna’s grounds. The Whyte River loop is both enchanting and easy, while the longer and harder Mt Donaldson trail is a short drive away. On clear days, rented kayaks can be paddled on the tannin-stained Pieman River (keep an eye out for platypus or sea eagles.) Cabins are equipped to prepare simple meals, but most guests congregate on the Tarkine Hotel for pub grub.

two people kayaking along the Pieman River
Go kayaking along the Pieman River. (Image: Chris Crerar)

Tree lovers will spy Huon pine, myrtle beech, sassafras and leatherwood trees in the misty, mossy, luminously green rainforest. Autumn is fungi season when The Tarkine’s multicoloured mushrooms are a highlight. Tasmanian devils and spotted-tailed quolls can be seen, and the cool damp environment is also home to invertebrates such as large Land Snails, Walking Worms and the world’s largest freshwater invertebrate, the Giant Tasmanian Freshwater Crayfish.

the seating area in one of the accommodation options at Corinna
Corinna offers several cottages, campsites and a pub. (Image: Chris Crerar)

3. Pumphouse Point

At the tippy top of a 275-metre jetty on leeawuleena/Lake St Clair is the five-storey, adults-only guest house, Pumphouse Point . Completed in 1940 as a pumphouse for Tasmania’s Hydro-Electric Commission, it is particularly photogenic at night when illuminated by red lights. Sleeping on the lake with crows cawing by is an experience of pure Tasmanian noir.

Pumphouse Point in Tasmania
Pumphouse Point sits on leeawuleena/Lake St Clair. (Image: Adam Gibson)

Based at the southern end of Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, this is a walkers’ wonderland with 100 kilometres of tracks, including the magical Overland Track. If it’s not great weather for an intrepid walk, e-bikes, rowboats, books and board games will keep you entertained.

Pumphouse Point room in Tasmania
Take in dramatic views of Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. (Image: Adam Gibson)

While larders and honesty bars are provided, room rates include breakfasts and dinners in the Shorehouse restaurant, with set menus featuring seasonal ingredients. Don’t miss a lakeside stroll for driftwood spotting.

Pumphouse Point restaurant in Tasmania
Room rates include breakfasts and dinners in the Shorehouse restaurant. (Image: Adam Gibson)

4. On Board

The Southwest National Park is Tasmania’s largest expanse of wilderness and perhaps its most fearsomely inaccessible of all. This is why On Board ‘s expedition vessel, Odalisque III, is such a treat.

On Board's expedition vessel, Odalisque III
Hop onboard Odalisque III. (Image: Lean Timms)

With a passenger list capped at 12, founder and skipper Pieter van der Woude sails nature lovers to parts of the national park network that are otherwise impossible to access.

a woman looking out the mountain views from On Board's expedition vessel
Sail to parts of the national park that are otherwise impossible to access. (Image: Jason Charles Hill)

On Board’s signature experience is a five-day journey around Port Davey . This area has three hats: a national park, a protected marine park and a UNESCO Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.

guests atop Balmoral Hill on a journey around Port Davey
Nature lovers can join a five-day journey around Port Davey.

Guests can choose walking-oriented trips (think rainforests, button grass plains and quartzite mountain peaks), wellness journeys (journalling and cold plunging), or dedicated photography expeditions. Back onboard, food miles are minimised, and local materials and makers are featured.

an aerial view of the cliffs at Cape Pillar, Tasman Island
Guest can choose a range of different trips. (Image: Jarrad Seng)

5.  Satellite Island

Your destination is an island off an island off an island. And once there you (and up to eight companions) will have it all to yourself. The best way to reach the end-of-the-world beauty of Satellite Island is from Hobart via Bruny Island. Stock up on provisions on Bruny and maybe you’ll get to supplement them with wild-caught oysters or abalone plucked from the water close to your bed.

an aerial view of Satellite Island
Satellite Island is a whale-shaped landmass off Bruny Island. (Image: Adam Gibson)

The two bedrooms in The Boathouse were once salmon feed sheds. The original roller doors remain, so the stars and sunrise are viewable while horizontal. Up a cliff-face stairway is the three-bedroom Summer House.

the Satellite Island Boathouse, Tasmania
The Boathouse is a quirky stay. (Image: Kara Rosenlund)

There, guests will also find chickens for fresh eggs, an open fireplace, a stone fruit orchard, a garden full of fragrant herbs and, best of all, a Japanese onsen-style bath that fills with ocean water heated to 38 degrees.

the bedroom with a sliding glass door overlooking the sea on Satellite Island, Tas
Wake up to stunning water views. (Image: Kara Rosenlund)

So much, or so little, can be done on Satellite Island. At low tide, you can walk the 30-hectare island on foot to see the ancient fossils in the rock shelf or circumnavigate it by kayak. Sunsets are wonderful at Last Glimpse Point with nothing between you and Antarctica .

the living room interior of The Boathouse, Satellite Island, Tas
Settle into a remote but luxe island abode. (Image: Luisa Brimble)

Sandy roams and beachcombs showcase hidden coves and shorelines clunking with glossy pebbles. Alternatively, walk the island’s interior to see native golden grasses rippling in the breeze. While tropical islands get all the glory, Tasmanian ones are better.

the Boathouse on Satellite Island
Escape to Satellite Island. (Image: Elise Hassey)
Kate Hennessy
Kate Hennessy was a well-known music critic and arts journalist for several years for Guardian Australia and the Sydney Morning Herald. Travel writing occupies Kate’s time now, as well as authoring the Louis Vuitton City Guide to Sydney, her home city. Kate won the Walkley Award for Arts Criticism in 2017 and has won several travel writing prizes in recent years.
See all articles
hero media

5 of the best day trips from Hobart

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 .