Best B&Bs in Tasmania

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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 2010 Tasmanian Tourism Awards. And it’s not the first time. Their many accolades stretch back to 2004. They do things differently here – you won’t find traditional bacon and eggs but instead a changing menu that might include rhubarb, caramel custard and homemade muesli, or perhaps an asparagus tart with poached eggs.

WHILE YOU’RE HERE

It’s perfectly placed to experience the best of Hobart: peruse Salamanca Markets; visit the Museum of Old and New Art; take a day trip to Port Arthur.

 

CONTACT: Lynn and Wayne.

292 Sandy Bay Road, Sandy Bay.

(03) 6223 7289; www.clydesdalemanor.com.au

CURRINGA FARM

As the name suggests, Curringa Farm is part B&B, part farm stay. Three guest cottages take in expansive rural vistas over this 750-acre farm’s crops and sheep-grazing land, and broader views of the Derwent Valley.

SOMETHING SPECIAL

The most romantic of the three cottages is Seaglenest Studio, a timber hut set well away from other accommodation. There’s a queen-size bed, double spa and a private deck for a DIY barbecue or sunset drinks. The breakfast table has views through picture windows to the lake. While you’re here, be sure to try Janet’s Royal Danish sweetheart cake.

WHILE YOU’RE HERE

Visit Mount Field National Park; drive the Rivers Run Touring Route; take a tour of this fascinating working farm.

 

CONTACT: Tim and Jane Parsons.

5831 Lyell Highway, Hamilton.

(03) 6286 3333; www.curringafarm.com.au

PEAR WALK COTTAGES

Just two little cottages peer out from between the branches in 30 acres of Victorian gardens at Pear Walk. Green thumbs and history buffs will enjoy the turn-of-the-century landscaping by Frank Walker, who trained at London’s Kew Gardens. Amble along the eponymous Pear Walk, a 170m-long garden featuring pear trees, redwoods and rhododendrons. Climbing roses, manicured lawns, Japanese maples and magnolias also abound in this fairytale place.

SOMETHING SPECIAL

It really is all about the garden: it’s just beautiful. The cottages, though built in the 1980s, fit with the scenery, with leadlight windows, love seats and down bedding.

WHILE YOU’RE HERE

Tour the Tamar Valley Wine Route; take a day trip to Cradle Mountain; grab a heritage trail map from Launceston tourist information centre and go for an amble around town; roam Cataract Gorge Reserve.

 

CONTACT: Rhonnie and Bob Pammenter.

85 Quills Rd, Lalla.

(03) 6395 4125.

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Central Queensland’s first five-star hotel is a coastal gateway

Peppers Gladstone proves its worth its salt, blending five-star comfort with access to the Great Barrier Reef.

Peppers Gladstone is the first five-star property to open within the Gladstone region. Full stop.  Whether you want to base yourself in the town itself or head out on day trips to some of the neighbouring islands or beaches in central Queensland, the hotel is right in position.

I hadn’t been to Gladstone since I was about 11, one of four kids in the back of a VW kombi van on our annual summer holiday down south. My Dad, an English subject master, encouraged us to make up a sing-song of the place names as we bounced along the Bruce Highway to Brisbane. And Gladstone was both part of the chorus line – Gladstone, Miram Vale, the sun breaks through, Gin Gin and Bundaberg we’re coming for you – and an engaging geography lesson. The staccato tune has stayed with me ever since.

Decades on, the prospect of returning to Gladstone made me nostalgic for the carefree East Coast road trips of my childhood. Peppers Gladstone opened in Gladdie, as the town is affectionately known, in February 2025.

Location

the Port of Gladstone Harbour as captured from above
The hotel’s location offers convenient access to the Great Barrier Reef. (Image: Mark Fitz/Tourism and Events Queensland)

You can’t tell the story of Gladstone without acknowledging its role as a major export hub for billions of dollars’ worth of coal and liquid natural gas. While the Port of Gladstone Harbour Tour is one of the most popular tours in town, visitors to the region should also widen that circle to include its abundance of pristine beaches, untouched islands and subtropical hinterland. Gladstone is right now caught in the crosshairs of being a major multi-commodity port and a jumping-off point to the southern reaches of the Great Barrier Reef.

Gladstone is about a six-hour drive north of Brisbane and hour-long flight from the state’s capital.

the Tannum Sands as captured from above
Stretches of golden sand at Tannum Sands. (Image: Mark Fitz/Tourism and Events Queensland)

Staying at Peppers Gladstone gives visitors access to Heron Island and Lady Musgrave Island at the southern reaches of the Great Barrier Reef. It’s also a launch pad to pristine beaches like Agnes Water, 1770 and Tannum Sands. Green thumbs will also enjoy a jaunt to the 83-hectare Tondoon Botanic Gardens, which has 3000 plant varieties, a Japanese tea garden, sculptures, herbarium and lake.

General manager Craig Conley is somewhat of an evangelist for the area’s attractions and says the Peppers property is a great example of the area’s evolution.

Peppers Gladstone shares its footprint with Mantra Gladstone and marks the first new-build hotel to open in the region in more than a decade. It is, says general manager Craig Conley, a clear sign that the Capricorn Coast town is evolving as a place to linger.

Style and character

the lounge in Peppers Gladstone
The interior is awash with earthy tones.

Accor, in collaboration with Yaralla Sports Club, launched the five-star hotel in early 2025 to provide a five-star accommodation option for visitors in town for business or leisure.

“Peppers Gladstone has helped put the town on the map,” says Conley. “And, being a dual-branded property, it offers guests a choice between the familiar comforts of a Mantra property and the elevated experience of Peppers,” he says.

The property speaks to its locale. And each room is themed – Outback, Coastal, City, Rainforest – reflecting the diversity of the surrounding landscape. We’re in an Outback room, which is all earthy tones and textured wallpaper, and a reminder that we’re deep in the agro-industrial Queensland countryside.

“The Peppers experience is about community and connection. It feels like a hub for the local community,” says Conley.

Given Gladstone is a town built around heavy industry, the Accor property is designed to accommodate some of the executives who are visiting the town on business.

Facilities

the pool at Peppers Gladstone
The magnesium swimming pool beckons for a relaxing dip.

The outdoor terrace includes a heated magnesium swimming pool with complimentary drinks at the pool deck bar (during select hours). Guests are also invited to access an eight-seater cinema room and well-appointed nearby gym. There’s also secure undercover parking, wi-fi and an indoor-outdoor space near the pool and terrace designed for all seasons. Guests staying at Peppers Gladstone can also watch their favourite sporting team on the big screen at the adjacent Yaralla Sports Club.

Rooms

a look inside one of the rooms at Peppers Gladstone
Peppers Gladstone features fully equipped, state-of-the-art rooms.

Designed by BSPN Architects and constructed by Mettle Projects, Peppers Gladstone offers a range of different accommodation options, from King Studio Rooms to Superior Two-Bedroom Apartments. All guestrooms feature fully equipped kitchens, king-sized beds, large flatscreen TVs with screen-casting capabilities and a minibar stocked with complimentary non-alcoholic drinks.

a look inside the bathroom with a tub at Peppers Gladstone
Each suite comes with spacious bathrooms.

Peppers Gladstone is essentially a 32-room hotel. But the dual-branded hotel concept means the property itself can accommodate more than 150 guests, thanks to an additional 60 rooms as part of Mantra Gladstone, making it perfectly suited for weddings and large gatherings.

Food and drink

the on-site bar at Peppers Gladstone
Pull up a chair at the on-site bar for a drink or two.

Onsite restaurant Encore is open for breakfast and dinner.  Breakfast is served between 5.30am and 9am and includes a live cooking station for omelettes and eggs cooked to order and includes buffet favourites like fresh fruit, yoghurt, pastries as well as grilled bacon, chipolatas and grilled vegetables. Dinner is served buffet-style and the menu changes daily. It also includes the option of a stone-grill where you can cook your wagyu, salmon or eye fillet to your liking at a stone grill delivered to your table (for an additional $6.50). There’s also the adjacent Shingle Inn, popular for burgers and salads.

The pool deck is also open for a beverage at the end of the day where you can supervise the children in the swimming pool. Nearby Ward’s Brewery is a top spot to test the barometer of this true-blue borough. The pub has a big screen promotion of Lady Musgrave Island and the Great Barrier Reef playing on a loop and is filled with travellers plotting their next move. Peppers Gladstone also has a member’s lounge, which is a welcoming space for a hot or cold beverage.

Does Peppers Gladstone have access for guests with disabilities?

Yes, Peppers Gladstone is wheelchair accessible.

Is Peppers Gladstone family-friendly?

a mother and child exploring Tondoon Botanic Gardens
Take your little ones to Tondoon Botanic Gardens for a refreshing stroll. (Image: Mark Fitz/Tourism and Events Queensland)

Yes, the hotel is family-friendly. It’s also located near to protected beaches and islands that are perfect for little ones who are learning to snorkel. Take a stroller to explore the city’s open spaces with a wander along the Millennium Esplanade at Tannum Sands Beach, which has a playground and barbecues, and East Shores Parklands, which has a waterfront boardwalk, green space, barbecues and water play area.

Details

Best for: Large groups and business or leisure travellers.
Address: Corner Wood & Bell St, Barney Point

Price: From $240 per night.