Emily and Richard Young have been coming to Kangaroo Island for 50 years. As children, their respective families vacationed at Emu Bay on school holidays, and as young adults, they met on the very same beach. Naturally, it was this stretch of sand they decided upon as their wedding location when they were married 12 months later.
No, this isn’t the plot of a Tim Winton novel – it actually happened! And now, Richard and Emily run Richard’s former family beach house, and a new build of their own as accommodation at secluded Emu Bay.
‘Hamilton House and Dune House have opposite styles,’ explains Emily. ‘Hamilton House has an old-school beach shack, mid-century vibe with contemporary conveniences. Its success lies in its layers, textures and colours from the vintage furniture, collected carpets and some of our most precious art.’ This had been Richard’s family home, which the pair purchased from his siblings when his mother passed away. It underwent a renovation in 2018 to bring the heritage shack up to modern standards!
Being the newer construction, Dune House is cleaner and more contemporary. ‘We tried to make it neutral, so it would disappear into the sand dunes, since we couldn’t compete with its unique setting,’ says Emily. Dune sits at one end of the 5 kilometre beach, its full ocean frontage overlooking the length of the bay. Hamilton House is located closer to the village of low-key houses and retains its 1960s character despite recent renovations. Still only 100m from the waterfront, the more central house lies close to the cricket pitch, playground and boat jetty.
According to Emily, the understated, coastal charm of Dune and Hamilton Houses are the perfect way to immerse yourself in the rugged beauty of Kangaroo Island. Surrounded by goannas, koalas and even penguins – Emu Bay is the dream location for an Australian beach holiday that feels like home!
Tempted to make an escape to Kangaroo Island? Dune and Hamilton Houses are available to book separately or together. Take a look here!
