Want to take a sleep back in time and play lighthouse keeper for the weekend?
Here are five Australian lighthouses which have seen the light, offering comfortable cottages and quirky accommodation:
1. Montague Island, NSW South Coast
Montague Island Lighthouse, off Narooma, NSW.
Two lighthouse keeper’s cottages on Montague Island (NSW South Coast ) have reopened to guests. With a penguin colony (of around 12,000), visitors can tour the island on a day trip (eurobodalla.com.au ), explore on a night tour, or sleep overnight in one of the refurbished cottages. A two-night package with transfers, tours, plus the five-bedroom head keeper’s cottage is $3600 (sleeps up to 12).
2. Cape Byron, Byron Bay
Lighthouse Keepe,rs Cottage, Cape Byron, NSW.
Overlooking Cape Byron, each of these two three-bedroom keeper’s cottages has a kitchen, laundry and period furniture, with the added privilege of rising with the sun at Australia’s most easterly point. The Byron Bay Lighthouse . from $697 per night.
3. Sugarloaf Point, Seal Rocks, NSW
Sugarloaf Point, Seal Rocks, NSW.
Relax in one of three cottages at this secluded Seal Rocks lighthouse, which boasts beach views from the master bedrooms. From $450 per night during whale season (May–September).
4. Cape Otway, Great Ocean Road
Cape Otway Lightstation, Great Ocean Road, Victoria.
The Southern Ocean can be volatile, but Australia’s oldest lighthouse has guided sailors safely to shore since 1848. The Cape Otway Lightstation sleeps up to 16 in four renovated bedrooms and has a beautiful old-style wood stove and open fire place. From $450 per night.
5. Cape Borda, Kangaroo Island
Cape Borda lighthouse, Kangaroo Island.
Located at the south-west tip of Kangaroo Island, Cape Borda lighthouse getaway offers a more secluded option for travellers in a three-bedroom lodge, a self-contained cabin, and a quaint single-room stone cabin. From $219 per night.
From geothermal pools and luxury spa sanctuaries, Victoria’s mineral-rich waters and restorative landscapes offer total renewal.
I pass waving coastal spear-grass and coast saltbush as I follow the curving path through 15 hectares of thoughtfully curated gardens at the Mornington Peninsula’s Alba Thermal Springs & Spa . I hang my robe at the entrance and slip into the first sunken geothermal pool I find – feeling the tension from the 90-minute drive from Melbourne melt away as I watch steam dance across the surface in the late afternoon light. There are 31 pools, a mix of geothermal, cold plunge and botanical, that range in temperature and design, spread over six regions.
Alba Thermal Springs & Spa on the Mornington Peninsula. (Image: Visit Victoria)
I gravitate toward The Hemisphere, with its dry sauna, steam room, cold plunge and dreamy open-air pool called The Hide. But it’s Alba’s brand-new Sanctuary that really elevates the experience. The five luxurious stand-alone villas and two additional studio rooms opened in June 2025 and feature an indoor fireplace, oversized bathtub with views across the bay, a deck and extensive all-inclusive (minus the cocktails) mini-bar.
After dining at Alba’s Thyme restaurant, I return to my villa, content to fall asleep early listening to the fire crackle, feeling thoroughly restored. While Alba is one of the newest in the region, it’s certainly not the only place to enjoy a soothing soak. Here are others to book for a wellness weekend.
Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa
The marble private bathing room is one of five new designs. (Image: Supplied)
Nestled in the Daylesford region, Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa has been welcoming guests to its historic bathhouse for 130 years. With a $1.7 million renovation now complete (part of the 21st season of Channel 9’s The Block), find five new private bathing rooms, an apothecary experience where guests blend a custom body scrub and all-new spa treatment menu.
There are three bathing areas: Bathhouse for communal bathing for all ages, adults-only Sanctuary and a private bathing space for a personalised experience – try the skin-softening Mineral Milk Bath.
Lake House Daylesford
The main pool at Lake House Daylesford. (Image: Visit Victoria)
Inciting deep exhales, the spa at Alla Wolf-Tasker’s iconic Lake House has long been a beacon of wellness in the region. Tucked into the cottage gardens that wind down to the lake’s edge, the spa is beautifully and deliberately cloistered away from guests and diners visiting the celebrated on-site restaurant.
From Ayurvedic facials and hydrotherapy that makes use of Daylesford’s mineral waters, to cocooning thermal rituals and massage, treatments here promote tranquillity. While a day spa experience is delightful on its own, staying on the property adds a luxe layer to your corporeal renewal, especially if you’re in your own private spa villa.
Metung Hot Springs
Glamping tents at Metung Hot Springs. (Image: Emily Godfrey)
Imagine immersing yourself in a barrel overflowing with geothermal water, all while taking in views of Gippsland Lakes. It’s one of several unique bathing experiences available at Metung Hot Springs .
There’s also a floating sauna and a Reflexology Walk constructed with carefully placed stones designed to stimulate the acupressure points in your feet as you walk. The 12-hectare site opened in 2022 with three bathing areas – Bathing Ridge, Lagoon Precinct and Hilltop Escarpment – and premium glamping tents that feature king-size beds and private bathing barrels.
Four more blissful day spas to visit
Lon Retreat & Spa is an award-winning, adults-only retreat on the Bellarine Peninsula.
