Stillwater Seven / Launceston

We flew in to Launceston, picked up a hire car and headed straight to our first accomodation – Stillwater Seven.

Built in an old flour mill located right on the edge of Cataract Gorge, Stillwater Seven and its accompanying restaurant is set in a gorgeous old building that dates back to the 1840s, full of history and character. The hotel has just seven rooms – it feels like a really boutique, personalised place to stay (case in point, charming co-owner Chris McNally was there to greet us and show us to our room – and after hours enquiries are directed to his mobile!)

Whilst the Stillwater Restaurant has been a local favourite for more than twenty years (it’s excellent), the hotel here opened in 2019. Designed by Tasmanian architects Cumulus Studio, the rooms feel luxurious yet cosy and understated. We loved the robust timber beams and heritage windows, the super comfy king sized bed (they set up a trundle bed for Minnie), the bespoke handcrafted bar cabinet… and misty waterfront views across the Tamar River in the morning. Such a truly gorgeous place to stay.

Other great things to do in Launceston with kids – take a walk along Cataract Gorge (there’s a great kids playground and scenic chairlift at the end of the trail too, if you’re so inclined!). For kids all all ages, don’t miss Riverbend Park. It is AMAZING.

Stillwater Restaurant and Stillwater Seven
2 Bridge Rd
Launceston

Accomodation at Stillwater Seven generously gifted. 

Sabi / Binalong Bay

Bay of Fires has been on my bucket list for so long – I’ve always wanted to visit this area, known for it’s perfectly pristine beaches and crystal clear water. It did not disappoint!

We were lucky to be amongst the first few guests to stay at new-ish Airbnb Sabi, in Binalong Bay. Honestly, this is one of those places that is SO special, you hardly want to let anyone know about it. But I just CAN’T help myself, so here we are.

Sabi is a historic stone cabin, lovingly transformed by its owners Jess and Fred into a one-of-a-kind Japanese-inspired accomodation offering. It’s a serene, minimalist space – but every detail is perfect. From the speciality Japanese knives and handcrafted ceramics in the kitchen, to the cosy wood fire, bespoke handcrafted furniture, and onsen-style bath, this is a space where every detail has been perfectly considered.

Perched in a slightly elevated spot, just up the hill, the front verandah is the perfect spot to take in beach views through the pine trees, whist sampling local oysters (the freshest, juiciest oysters you’ve ever tasted, naturally).

Oh and DID I MENTION that it’s 5 minutes walk from spectacular Binalong Bay beach? We stayed 3 nights here and left already planning our return. It was just magic.

Other things to do around here – explore the many beautiful beaches around Bay of Fires (Jeanneret Beach, Cosy Corner South and Cosy Corner North are all gorgeous!), buy freshly shucked oysters from Lease 65 Oyster farm for $20 a dozen. Meresta restaurant is a basic but decent local restaurant, with amazing elevated views of the beach at Binalong Bay – get the fish and chips or a woodfired pizza.

SABI – Luxurious Cabin in Binalong Bay.

We’ll be running a more in-depth feature story about Sabi in the coming weeks – stay tuned!

Piermont / Swansea

Located just south of Swansea on Tasmania’s East coast, Piermont Retreat is like its own private kingdom.

Encompassing a range of accomodation offerings, from hotel room ‘suites’ to self contained stone cabins, and newer, contemporary residences (we stayed in one of the new, architectural ‘Pampa’ residences designed by Jackson Clements Burrows Architects with interiors by Hecker Guthrie – it was spectacular!), Piermont is a truly unique place to stay. The whole retreat is built around a 180-year-old homestead, that now houses an excellent restaurant, with glimmering views across Great Oyster Bay.

The website is actually sort of confusing and I wasn’t EXACTLY sure what we were in for – but like everywhere we stayed on this trip, Piermont exceeded all our expectations.

As far as I can tell, the whole property, including two private beaches (!) and various original stone buildings, is owned by a German / Australian family (Marie, Juan and their three young sons), who have created the Piermont Restaurant and retreat that is here today, and who also live on the property.

Though the sheer scale of the property is overwhelmingly grand and beautiful, the retreat itself sits in harmony with nature, consisting of various sustainably built dwellings, both new and old, dotted around the site. Alongside these buildings and the restaurant, guests also have use of an outdoor swimming pool, tennis court, stone amphitheatre and polo field – with friendly horses who will pop over and say hello if you bring an apple or a pear to feed them!

Other things we enjoyed in this area – The Waterloo Inn in Swansea is an unexpectedly amazing pub restaurant in the most unlikely spot, headed up by ex-Movida chef Zac Green. Or, see Tasmanian devils up close and feed wallabies and kangaroos by hand at East Coast Natureworld  in Bicheno!

Piermont Retreat
3km South of Swansea
Tasman Highway
Tasmania

Raffah House / Oatlands

We look a brief diversion in-land to head to Oatlands, a historic township that feels like stepping back in time.

Here, we stayed at Raffah House, a 1910 sandstone house that has been converted into a gorgeous three bedroom home.

Much like the township of Oatlands itself, Raffah House oozes history – this quaint little Sandstone house has been a pub, a convenience store and a maternity hospital (!), before becoming a private residence in the early 1900’s.

In 2017, Raffah House was purchased by Sophie and Nick Weeding – Nick being a direct descendent of James Weeding, the original owner of the home! Together, Nick and Sophie undertook extensive renovations and restoration work on the home, included re-pointing every inch of sandstone, tearing up lino to reveal original floorboards, and removing low ceilings to fill the space with light. It’s a gorgeous place to stay – and Oatlands is such a magical town to visit.

Oatlands is a tiny town and everywhere is walkable. Head to the Callington Mill Distillery complex to see the historic windmill, and Minnie enjoyed the playground (with flying fox!) nearby too.

Raffah House
Oatlands, Tasmania

Accomodation at Raffah House generously gifted. 

Lumière Lodge / Hobart

After almost a week making our way from Launceston right down the East Coast of Tasmania, we finally arrived in Hobart, and settled in to magical Lumière Lodge for our final weekend.

Lumière Lodge is a charming, perfectly appointed Victorian home, that has been painstakingly renovated by co-owners Kerran and Sam (a forensic mental health nurse and a cartographer respectively!). After purchasing the property in 2015, the passionate pair spent almost five years renovating and restoring the historic home, to bring their vision to life. Finally in 2020, Lumière Lodge was complete and ready for guests!

Tucked away on a leafy street in West Hobart, this three bedroom home with lush surrounding garden feels like an instant immersion into history, mystery and romance! It’s beautifully decorated and styled, but the magic here extends beyond interior design.

When we first arrived, old school jazz music filled the house. A handwritten note on a crisp autumn leaf welcomed us, along with locally baked hot cross buns. The home even has it’s own signature scent (Le Labo Santal).

There is just so much character imbued within every room – this a home that feels a little like a movie set, and we found ourselves half expecting some eccentric fictional character to walk through the door at any moment!

Lumière Lodge – West Hobart.

Accomodation at Lumiere Lodge generously gifted. 

We’ll be following up with a seperate, more detailed feature story on Lumiere Lodge later this week!