ROMANTIC GETAWAYS

Oversized hotels, cookie-cutter rooms... No thanks. Alissa Jenkins sets out to find bespoke hotels for plush, unique stays    The Islington, Hobart With enough old-world charm to impress the staunchest of contemporary fans, the Islington takes the historic and makes it cool and convivial. A century-old structure mingles with a modern conservatory, restaurant and guest wing; each room adorned with art, antiques and plush furnishings. In any of the 11 suites, you can sink into a custom-made ultra-comfy king-sized bed each night. Or soak in a free-standing bath tub in your private marble bathroom, lathering up in luscious Aesop amenities....

These romantic escapes have the best coastal views in the country, and expose you to the wildest weather. According to Andrea Lane, every day’s a bad-hair day, but that’s part of the fun. BYRON BAY LIGHTHOUSEKEEPERS’ COTTAGES Located on the easternmost point of the Australian mainland, surrounded by surf beaches and a 3.7km walking track through rainforest and along coastal cliffs, you’d be hard pressed to find a more impressive holiday location than Cape Byron Lightstation. The lighthouse opened on December 1, 1901 and the heritage-listed assistant lighthousekeepers’ cottages have been rented out as holiday accommodation since 1989, when the...

  ALEXANDER LAKESIDE BED & BREAKFAST Hervey Bay is a perfect winter destination for southerners to escape the chill. There are two guest rooms and two guest suites available, but the pick of the lot is the Lakeview suite. Decorated in crisp white and blue, it has a private verandah that looks out onto the lake. SOMETHING SPECIAL: Hervey Bay Lakeside Sanctuary, the lake fronting the B&B, is home to myriad birdlife and turtles. You can join in at turtle-feeding time if you like. Birds that visit include night herons, grey herons, lorikeets, darters, cormorants and black swans. Your B&B...

  ALICE STATION This modern, architecturally designed home was constructed from recycled Ghan railway sleepers. Nestled into a tranquil bush setting against a rocky escarpment just outside Alice Springs town centre, the house has four guest rooms, all of which feature sloping ceilings and timber beams. SOMETHING SPECIAL: Alice Station is popular with overseas visitors, and one look at the backyard will tell you why – it can get absolutely crowded with mobs of visiting kangaroos. Red kangaroos, wallaroos and western and eastern greys all come to have a fossick in the grass. Pink and grey galahs are regular guests...

  GINNINDERRY HOMESTEAD Only a 15-minute drive from the heart of Canberra, Ginninderry Homestead is a traditionally styled B&B offering four queen-sized guest rooms with ensuites. Two of the rooms are “superior”, which means they have bigger lounge areas than the other two, plus French doors, high-quality linen and DVD players. SOMETHING SPECIAL: The gardens are superb, with towering hedges making walled garden ‘rooms’ to explore. A garden guide is available to help you find your way around. HOW MUCH? From $195 per room per couple per night. Superior rooms cost from $235 per night. High-season and weekend rates can...

Our guide to the best B&Bs in Tasmania CLYDESDALE MANOR Bought on St Valentine’s Day 2003 and lovingly cared for since, Clydesdale Manor is quite obviously a pleasurable business for its owners. The grand National Trust home is decorated expensively and tastefully in a Georgian style, with a mix of classic antiques and contemporary touches, such as modern bathrooms. The welcoming guest drawing room invites long conversations in comfy sofas around an open fire; and a lovely enclosed verandah makes a lovely, light-filled breakfast and dining room. SOMETHING SPECIAL: Clydesdale Manor won the gold medal for Hosted Accommodation at the...

Check out the plethora of B&Bs in New South Wales.  BLACK SHEEP INN Who would have thought that sleeping in a 100-year-old corrugated iron shearing shed could be so comfortable? But this isn’t your typical freezing cold farm shed – guests here are kept warm by a wood-burning fire, mohair throw rugs and electric blankets. It’s not run-down-rustic either, despite its rural location in the charming foothills of Mount Canobolas, 9km west of Orange. The shed has been lovingly restored into five guest suites and it’s been refurbished with a designer aesthetic – even the old wool-sorting table has been...

Check out the best B&Bs in Victoria.  DELDERFIELD Set among two acres of beautifully landscaped grounds in Marysville, Delderfield B&B is evidence that the region is back on its feet after the devastating 2009 bushfires. Two studio-style cottages are set well apart from each other for maximum privacy and they are set up with romantic getaways in mind – each has a king-size bed, double spa, wood fire and private verandah looking out to the evocatively named Mystic Mountains. SOMETHING SPECIAL: This is the only five-star-rated B&B in the region, and one of only 10 in the state. Its English...

A state-by-state guide to the best B&Bs in Australia. There is something utterly romantic about the humble B&B. In an era when boutique hotels and self-catering apartments are becoming more prevalent, sometimes it’s the small operators who offer the best holiday experience for couples seeking a winter snuggle away from home.  The following privately owned properties go well beyond your typical room-and-breakfast package, offering equal parts personalised service and just the right amount of privacy. There are many wonderful boutique properties that didn’t make the cut for the simple reason that the owners are based off-site or the breakfast part was lacking. ...

 We tracked down these out-of-the-ordinary romantic breaks that would make excellent post-marriage escapes, or provide the perfect romantic interlude for lovers of all kinds. And here’s a secret: they needn’t be expensive. 1. GO TO BALI WITHOUT A PASSPORT This gorgeous boutique resort has just one room. Set in the foothills of Victoria’s Dandenong Ranges but lifted straight out of Ubud, Balinese Retreat is a private A-frame timber pavilion with authentic fittings and fixtures, king-sized “opium” bed and a mosaic sunken bath. Dinners-for-two are set up under a thatch-roofed pagoda on the lake and in-room spa treatments can be arranged....

 If you’re going to blow your budget while on honeymoon or special romantic break, it’s wise to follow the advice of those who’ve gone before you. These stays are guaranteed to deliver. 1 THE GREAT BARRIER REEF It’s Australia’s premier romantic destination, with some of the most beautiful beaches and undersea vistas in the world. Five-star accommodation abounds here. Aside from qualia, the top picks include Bedarra (an exclusive resort with just 16 private villas), Lizard (chic décor, 24 beaches, private plunge pools) and Hayman Islands. On Hayman, book a beach villa. Truly magic. CONTACTS  Bedarra Island: www.bedarra.com.au Lizard Island:...

 Australia’s most romantic destination is a little-known boutique hotel in the Whitsundays. There’s only one catch, writes Elisabeth Knowles: you have to get married to stay here. Welcome to one of Australia’s most elegant and elite retreats. With just two king-sized suites available, and then only to a bride and her groom, Whitsunday escapes don’t get more exclusive than Villa Botanica.  Located right on the edge of the Coral Sea, 10 minutes from Airlie Beach, Villa Botanica is a grand colonial Javanese-style pavilion set amid lushly landscaped grounds, which anchor themselves to a black-rock escarpment above the brilliant blue waters...

 Head inside and snuggle up at these cosy fireside destinations, for a romantic getaway certain to warm the cockles of the coldest heart.  The only good thing about a cold and windy winter day is the pleasure of curling up next to a crackling fireside, a glass of red wine in one hand a special someone in the other. When the weather out side is frightful, but the fire is so delightful, we say head inside to these firesides certain to warm the cockles of the coldest heart. The Butter Factory VIC Myrtleford’s last point of call before the turn off...