A wedding and a baby. They’re two of the biggest events in a person’s lifetime, and also two excellent excuses to travel. And not the regular kind of travel, but the luxurious, pampering, no-expense-spared kind you might never allow yourself otherwise.
Australia is full of honeymoon destinations that fit this bill, whether you’re keen on food and wine, rugged adventure, lazy beach days or a mix of all three. Straight from the pages of Broadsheet’s new book, Travels, here are 10 of our favourite honeymoon (and babymoon) destinations around the country. Bookmark for your next intimate escape.
Orpheus Island Lodge, QLD
You won’t ever share Orpheus Island with more than 27 other guests, meaning this luxury getaway north of Townsville feels less like a lodge and more like a private paradise. Snorkel luminescent reefs, picnic on secluded beaches and explore giant-clam gardens, or just relax in the infinity pool or your immaculately appointed beachfront suite. All food, drinks and activities are included, making this the ultimate set-and-forget escape.
Pumphouse Point, TAS
Set on the edge of Australia’s deepest lake, Lake Saint Clair, Pumphouse Point is a majestic but brooding hideout. The main building is on a small jetty, 250 metres out on the lake. Each of the 12 rooms are spread over three levels, and there are relaxing, fireplace-equipped lounge areas and three help-yourself honesty bars. Spend the days fishing, biking, taking out a rowboat, getting a massage or hiking the endless tracks around the hotel to spot wombats and platypuses. At night, mingle with other guests at lively communal dinners.
Gilberton Outback Retreat, QLD
Six hours west of Townsville, the all-inclusive Gilberton sits on a fully operational seventh-generation cattle station. There’s no phone, no television, no internet. A stay here instead means exploring old goldfields, four-wheel-driving the 36,000-hectare station, and learning about local Yanga culture and history. Or you can just camp out in the pavilion, soaking in the enormous bathtub with its views overlooking the surrounding landscape, sipping champagne and enjoying farm-to-table food. Because the real hook at Gilberton is that there are no other guests – it’s just you and your plus one – so you choose how you engage with the experience. Mount Mulligan Lodge, another Queensland outback retreat, is a similar option worth considering.
Sal Salis, WA
An off-grid, luxury, wild bush experience on one of Australia’s best beaches – this is truly about as isolated as you can get. Ningaloo Reef, near Exmouth, is Australia’s largest fringing reef, where the outback meets the ocean. There 15 luxury tents sit among the sand dunes, located right on the water, which is warm and aquamarine. Daily activities include snorkelling, kayaking, hiking and whale watching. Everything is included, with meals cooked by resident chefs using local ingredients. Camp dinners are held on a long communal table, lit by the unfiltered brilliance of the Milky Way.
Lord Howe Island, NSW
Located in the Tasman Sea, far off the coast from Port Macquarie, Lord Howe Island is the first place in the country to see the sunrise each morning. At 11 kilometres long and two kilometres wide, this dramatic, beautiful and narrow landscape features the looming Mount Gower, surrounded by subtropical rainforests and aquamarine waters. Spend your days hiking, surfing and bike riding to the beach. There are luxury hotels and simple beach huts to stay in, surrounded by the Banyan trees and Kentia palms of this pristine natural environment. Our pick of the bunch is Capella Lodge.
El Questro Station, WA
This working cattle station and luxury wilderness resort is 80 kilometres west of Kununurra. It’s the first or last stop on the 660-kilometre Gibb River Road and presents a generous sample of the Kimberley in one compact package. Choose a luxurious room by the river, a tented cabin nestled in the wilderness or a night under canvas. Bushwalks and swims abound, but Emma Gorge is a highlight. The dramatic falls pour from a 65-metre-high cliff into a deep plunge pool at the end of the 1.6-kilometre walk. The water is cool and refreshing, shaded by the tower-high cliffs for most of the day – not to mention so clear and fresh you could drink it.
Halcyon House, NSW
Halfway between the Gold Coast and Byron Bay, you’ll find this spectacularly styled ode to the surf motels of the 1960s. The chic blue and white interiors are plush and loaded with personality, and each one of the hotel’s 21 rooms has its own look and feel with vintage furniture, upholstered walls and king-size beds. Nab a striped day bed by the turquoise pool, where waiters decked in blue and white take your cocktail order. Take one of the vintage bikes for a ride around town, then return for dinner at in-house restaurant Paper Daisy, helmed by chef Jason Barratt, formerly of Raes at Wategos and Attica.
Mornington Peninsula, VIC
The Peninsula, where farmland meets the sea, is filled with an almost overwhelming number of vineyards and restaurants. Drink at the region’s best wineries, including Port Phillip Estate, Panton Vineyard and Polperro. Visit Pt Leo’s sculpture park, pick up sourdough in Flinders and eat fresh mussels on the pier (also in Flinders). Many wineries also offer romantic, luxury accommodation (including Port Phillip and Polperro), but we can’t go past Graceburn House, the pretty stay associated on the same property as Tedesca Osteria, one of Mornington Peninsula’s most sought-after dining experiences. Open for lunch and dinner, it’s the ideal place for a long lunch or slow, romantic, low-lit dinner. Afterwards, retreat to your stylish farmhouse for a cocktail in the bath.
The Argyle Inn, NSW
A couple of hours south-west Sydney, in the single-strip town of Taralga, is a 145-year old country inn stylishly converted to a contemporary Aussie bed and breakfast. The food is the real drawcard here. Open for dinner Thursday to Saturday, the bistro is really something special. Bread is made in house, eggs come from chickens on the inn’s nearby farm, and beers and wines are mostly from local producers. You barely need to leave the building for anything. For more space, and privacy, the pub owns two other houses for rent in town – a restored old cottage and a beautiful light-filled chapel. This is the ultimate in rustic country romance.
Raes at Wategos, NSW
Byron Bay is home to half a dozen hotels, but none as storied as this iconic, white- washed villa on Wategos Beach, constructed in the 1960s or 70s (the exact date is unclear) and later transformed into a restaurant and private home. Legend has it that Salvador Dalí, a friend of the original owner, designed the tropical garden and free-form pool, which are still there today. After a superlative refresh, the hotel has emerged dreamier than ever, with rattan furniture, arched windows, seashell sconce lighting and a powdery colour palette, courtesy of Sydney interior designer Tamsin Johnson. That do-over also elevated the hotel’s dining room to something worth travelling for. Executive chef Jason Saxby has worked in some of the world’s great kitchens, including Sydney’s Quay and London’s Ledbury, and the space itself is special – a kind of indoor-outdoor terrace with a Mediterranean air. Book in for a three- course long lunch or push the boat out with the full tasting menu.
Travels, published by Plum, retails for $54.99. The book is available through all good book stores and at shop.broadsheet.com.au.
