Why settle for a standard hotel when you could check in to a treehouse, vintage paddle steamer or underwater suite? Forget the holiday apartment and bed down in a blissful beachside camp instead or sleep under the stars at a remote outback retreat. Australia has some truly amazing, eclectic and unique places to stay. We seek out some of the most extraordinary... Just be sure to check Australia's state advisories before you head out.
Where exactly Bubble Tent Australia is located is kept top secret until bookings are made. All we know is that the three bubbles are somewhere between Mudgee and Lithgow overlooking Capertee Valley, hidden away from each other and the world. With firepits, floating day beds and wood-fired tubs, every detail has been accounted for. By day, it’s all about bird spotting, but it's at night when the tents come into their own. Designed with stargazing in mind, guests are given telescopes and iPads with astronomy apps.
Off-grid escapes immersed in nature are the order of the day at In2TheWild’s luxury eco-friendly cabins, which are scattered across boutique farms, wineries and ultra-secluded rural locations in the Australian bush around parts of New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. There are 23 of the tiny but totally stylish cabins in total. Guests can spend their time hanging out in hammocks, going on hikes or snuggling up by the campfire to star watch. Pictured here is a cabin in Orange, NSW.
Sleep among the fishes in a luxury suite that's suspended beneath Reefworld, a permanently moored floating pontoon on Hardy Reef which lies off the coast of Airlie Beach. The two double-bed suites feature large reinforced glass windows so guests can watch reef life in action from their bed and bathroom – coral trout, snapper, turtles, reef sharks and barracuda are all likely to have a snoop. The pontoon, managed by tour operator Cruise Whitsundays, also offers a glamping experience on its upper deck.
A stone’s throw from Marion Bay on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula, this family-run glamping enterprise is a real gem. Guests can stay in a beachside bell tent or go for the off-grid Tiny House (pictured) just out of town. The cosy cabin, which uses solar power and rainwater, has a large fairy-light festooned deck with lounge and barbecue, along with a hot shower, comfy bed and large windows for enjoying the uninterrupted views of the surrounding grassland, where emus and roos are the only likely onlookers.
Hidden away in a remote corner near the enchanting waterfalls and swimming holes of Litchfield National Park are three chic eco-cabins that are entirely made from old shipping containers. Hideaway Litchfield's three solar-powered cabins not only look striking but are exceedingly well appointed, with all the comforts of a boutique B&B. With nothing but native bushland all around, a stay here is about giving in to the rhythm of nature.
Wildlife lovers won’t want to miss a sleepover at this safari-style lodge set inside Canberra’s National Zoo & Aquarium that lets guests get up close and personal to giraffes, lions, meerkats – and sharks. The luxury African-inspired accommodation, which ranges from jungle bungalows, giraffe treehouses and suites inside the main uShaka Lodge, overlooks various animal enclosures. Stays at Jamala Wildlife Lodge include sunset drinks and dinner as well as an exclusive guided tour through the zoo.
All rivers, creeks, lagoons and river red gum forests, the Riverland region is teeming with birds and native wildlife. Stay on the banks of the red-cliffed Murray River with a night aboard vintage paddle steamer PS Julie Fay. Everything about this B&B houseboat is ship-shape from its well-equipped kitchen (stocked with local ales) to the stack of board games, kayaks and barbecue on top deck.
Deep in the rugged heart of the sun-scorched Pilbara region is a place of plunging gorges and emerald pools and towering termite mounds. Karijini National Park is a truly special place and so too is this bush camp. Owned by the Gumala Aboriginal Corporation, the Karijini Eco Retreat blends into the bushland and is within walking distance of Joffre Gorge. As well as deluxe eco tents, there are dorm cabins, campsites and an open-air restaurant. Everyone gets to enjoy out-of-this-world views of the star-strewn sky.
A spectacular wilderness setting is the USP of this truly remote off-grid beachside camp right at the tip of the Dampier Peninsula north of Broome. Set on native title land, Kooljaman is owned and run by the indigenous Bardi Jawi communities, who share their knowledge and stories of the land on immersive guided tours (restricted at the moment). These usually include combing for shells along Cape Leveque’s stunning beaches, spear fishing or mud crabbing. There are deluxe safari tents, cabins, log cabins and private beach camping shelters right on the sands.
Even the Sydney Harbour backdrop is no match for the adorable sight of snoozing koalas clinging to trees. These are the mesmerising views that guests can enjoy at Taronga Zoo’s urban eco-retreat. The 62-room sustainably designed lodges are set in native bushland by the harbour, many with views over the Sanctuary, a lush habitat where the ensemble cast of iconic Australian animals roam. A lovely communal lounge and restaurant also overlooks the enclosure and harbour. Stays usually include zoo entry and special immersive guided tours.
Fine wines, gourmet food and fresh mountain air are what a getaway in the highlands of Orange is all about. Weekenders can even sleep among the vines at boutique winery Nashdale Lane, which has two lovely glamping cabins. After a good night’s sleep on four-poster queen beds, guests wake to views of Mount Canobolas and the surrounding vineyards. Breakfasts can be whipped up on the terrace’s barbecue or the many gourmet gems of Orange are a short drive away.
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Sleep in an original 1944 Dakota or bed down in a 16th-century-style Dutch house with views of the Stirling Range at this collection of unique self-catering properties in southwest Western Australia. Started by a Dutch-born Australian couple, The Lily's eclectic accommodation is sat next to a handsome working windmill while the reception is housed in a 1924 Federation-style railway station that was relocated here from nearby Gnowangerup.
All flickering fairy lights and luxury tents perched among paperbark and eucalyptus trees, Paperbark Camp is a magical enclave near the beaches of Jervis Bay. When it opened in 1999, the owners were glamping pioneers and continue to set the standard for Australia's burgeoning posh bush camp scene. The 13 solar-powered safari-style tents have outdoor decks and some have free-standing baths or outdoor showers for wallowing with views. Candlelit meals of delicious regional and indigenous produce at the Gunyah (meaning meeting place) are a highlight.
Shucking wild oysters straight from the sea, lighting bonfires on pebbly beaches, kayaking alongside sheer cliffs and exploring ancient blue gum bushland, a stay on Satellite island is all about outdoor pleasures. The little rugged isle, which sits in the D'Entrecasteaux Channel in the south of Tasmania, was a private family hideaway and salmon farm. Now the island can be hired for groups of up to eight looking for an exclusive retreat. There's the three-bedroom Summer House and two-bedroom Boathouse, as well as a bell tent. It’s BYO food and wine, but a private chef can also be shipped in.
A water buffalo farm in the steamy tropical wetlands of the Northern Territory may not scream luxury but Bamurru Plains is just that. A high-end safari-style camp run by the Wild Bush Luxury group, it has 10 gorgeous bungalow tents where guests can luxuriate and immerse themselves in one of Australia’s most remote areas. Days can be spent poolside or zipping about the wetlands on airboats, spotting crocodiles and birds or fishing. You can also head off on a helicopter flight into Arnhem Land to marvel at age-old rock art.
Surrounded by forest at the foothills of Mount Baw Baw, this fantastical retreat makes for a magical escape in Victoria's Gippsland. Hidden around the property’s 22 acres are four wildly different properties: there’s the Cave house, Tanglewood (an enchanted forest sculpture – pictured), the Japanese Zen Retreat and the English Cottage. Wherever guests choose to bed down, they’re likely to be bewitched by both Mira Mira's fairy-tale feel and the resident wombats, as well as the wild wallabies and possums that roam the bush.
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Overlooking a 7,000-acre historic working sheep and cattle farm in rural New South Wales, these are shepherd’s huts with a difference. Exquisitely made using local timber, the double-bed spaces are sleek yet cosy with wood-burning stoves, wood-fired hot tubs, outside kitchens with barbecues and camp stoves, and wraparound views of the estate and the Murrambidgee River flat. Sweeneys (pictured) is the highest of the three properties, which are set well apart to ensure complete privacy.
There’s something seriously special about staying somewhere very few others have heard of, let alone will ever visit. This off-the-beaten-track beachside camp is one such place. Set at the northern tip of Bremer Island, off the coast of East Arnhem Land, it was built in partnership with the Yolngu people. Guests at Banubanu sleep in either breezy beachfront bungalows or a penthouse bungalow, all with incredible views of the Arafura Sea.
Guests take a trip back to the glamour age of rail travel with a stay on board this lovingly restored 19th-century steam train, available to hire on Airbnb. Set in the pretty little town of Forrest in the heart of the Otway Ranges (famed for its weatherboard shacks and excellent mountain biking trails), the train makes for a romantic retreat. The master carriage has a queen bed and there are two other beds as well as a bathroom, outdoor bathtub, small kitchen and open-plan lounge with wood-fired stove.
Make like an opal miner at this cavernous hotel in outback town Coober Pedy, where locals have long lived in dugout homes to escape the heat. Hewn into the dusty hillside, the underground rooms of the Desert Cave Hotel have high ceilings and are decorated using natural rocks and colours reminiscent of the semi-desert landscape above. There are also shops, a café, an opal interpretive centre and a bar and gaming room in the underground area.
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Peace and solitude are what a stay in this minimalist little Airbnb cabin secreted in a little forest clearing on Tasmania’s Bruny Island is all about. All clean lines, open spaces and light-coloured timber, the architecturally designed cabin was inspired by traditional Japanese houses. It’s pleasingly cosy inside, with a log-burning stove and sheepskin rugs set by the windows. Outside, the large deck has a sunken bath and there's a swing for gliding serenely through the trees. With zero light pollution, the aurora australis (or Southern Lights) may even make an appearance at night.
A pretty 19th-century Anglican church on the banks of the Colo River in the Hawkesbury region has been thoughtfully converted into a super-cute, light-filled two-bed holiday cottage. Available for bookings on Airbnb, the little timber structure, which was consecrated in the 1880s, has a lovely terrace for peaceful contemplation. Inside many of the church's original features remain, including signs and wooden church pews that are now dining benches.
Two solitary cattlemen-style huts in the Snowy Mountains make for the ultimate escape for anglers and anyone who loves the great outdoors. One hut is on the banks of the Moonbah River and the other is on the edge of small private lake, well stocked with brown, rainbow and brook trout. Inside the timber-beamed cabins it's a traditional and cosy scene with antique iron beds and wood-fired cooking stoves along with underfloor heating. The mountain retreats also have verandas with rocking chairs for listening to the chirruping frogs and watching the sunset.
Stand-up paddleboarding, beach yoga and snorkelling with turtles are as up tempo as things get on Pumpkin Island, a private island escape in the Keppel Islands in the Southern Great Barrier Reef. Otherwise, lounging on the beach and casual swims are the order of the day in this tropical escape where it's easy switching off from the daily stresses. Sleeping up to 34, the collection of cottages and beach bungalows can be booked individually or exclusively.
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When it comes to location, it’s hard to beat the setting of Ikara Safari Camp. With the majestic natural amphitheatre of Wilpena Pound looming right above, the occupants of the 15 tents of Wilpena Pound Resort's glam outback outpost have sensational views. The fan-cooled tents mostly sleep two with a couple of family-sized ones sleeping four. The emphasis at the camp, which is part-owned by Indigenous Business Australia and traditional land owners, the Adnyamathanha, is on eco-conscious exploration and utter immersion in the ancient landscape.
Travel back in time to when Tasmania was known as Van Diemen's Land and convicts were interned on this isolated west coast isle. Now a national park known for its walking tracks, empty beaches and abundant wildlife, Maria Island was the site of a penal colony from 1825 to 1832. Today, visitors can experience convict life as they bed down for the night in nine bunkhouse-style rooms in the original convict lodgings of historic settlement Darlington. Be warned there are no creature comforts: there is a wood heater, but no electricity and the toilet block is outside.
For a real outback camping adventure, it's possible to snooze beneath the star-speckled South Australia sky and drift off to a lullaby of bush sounds with a night in a Swagon. The renovated covered wagon comes with a swag bed and glorious sky views, which is why it's also known as the “galaxy suite”. Elsewhere in Kangaluna Camp, a wilderness retreat located in the Mallee region of the Gawler Ranges on the Eyre Peninsula, are safari tents with handmade wooden beds and private bathrooms.
Perched at the end of jetty on a glacier lake, remote adults-only retreat Pumphouse Point really is one of a kind. The former hydroelectricity station, which sits out in the middle of the stunning Lake St Clair, was transformed into a stylish hotel in 2015 with the aim of immersing guests in the splendours of Tasmania’s pristine wilderness. As you'd expect, the views from the 18-room property, which is spread across two heritage buildings (the over-water Pumphouse and on-land Shorehouse), are epic.
This adults-only treetop hideaway, perched high on stilts in the thick forests of the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, is well worth seeking out. It’s tempting to spend the entire stay hanging out up in the homely eyrie with just the birds for company – and thankfully the rustic-chic treehouse has everything guests need to do just that. There's a spa bath, kitchenette, fireplace and queen bed, along with jaw-dropping vistas of Bowen's Creek Gorge and the forests at every turn.
A stay in a remote 1850s homestead is a rare chance to experience the culture of outback Australia and connect with the ancient landscape of South Australia’s vast Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park. Set within a 60,000-acre private wildlife conservancy, there are just five luxurious guests rooms at the Wild Bush Arkaba Homestead. By day, guided walks reveal the stories of the land and traditions of the Adnyamathanha people, and by night, dinners are taken together on the terrace. Photography safaris and scenic flights are available too.