Discover Unique Stays In ACT | Australian Traveller

1. Jamala Wildlife Lodge, Canberra, ACT

Luxury lodge experiences are often associated with loved-up couples and joint spa treatments, but in the case of Jamala Wildlife Lodge, located at the edge of Canberra, adjacent to the National Zoo & Aquarium , fine dining and five-star appointments come with some seriously family-friendly inclusions. The rooms here – spread across Jungle Bungalows, Giraffe Treehouses and the central uShaka Lodge – allow privileged access to the inhabitants of the zoo, from tigers to giraffes to monkeys; in my case its Malayan sun bears.

Arriving into the room, which is decorated in safari chic, with lots of dark wood and animal prints, my daughter makes a beeline for the picture window, where one of our furry neighbours for the night sits working its way into a coconut by way of some seriously long claws; our night is spent listening to a symphony of animal calls. In the morning, a pre-breakfast tour takes us through the zoo, with keepers detailing the valuable work done here undertaking breeding programs to bolster numbers of critically endangered species. As a mum, I will take my child making eye contact with wild animals and learning about conservation over a foot massage any day. – Leigh-Ann Pow

Jungle inspired Jamala Lounge. (Image: Visit Canberra)

2. A by Adina Canberra, ACT

It is a sad fact that the practicalities expected of the serviced apartment sector often trump a focus on luxury and design, but the newly launched A by Adina brand is changing all that. Its sculptural, design-driven Canberra property, located at Constitution Place, ticks the boxes on both style and substance. The one- and two-bedroom apartments come with all the practical elements, from kitchenettes to washer/dryers, but the streamlined design, muted tones and attention to detail are decidedly luxe in their execution. Two gyms and a team of Personal Curators further ensure service(d) with style.

Inside the design-driven A by Adina Canberra. (Image: Rohan Thomson)

3. Little National Hotel Canberra, ACT

Little. Small. Compact. Tiny. Wee. Minute. Small-scale. Whichever way you spin it, the Little National Hotel is as it says on the tin: little. The rooms may be small, but they are perfectly coiffed. And it’s perhaps because of those compact proportions that you tend to narrow your focus to every nanoscopic, well-thought-out detail.

Bedroom of the Little National Hotel Canberra

The rooms at the Little National Hotel may be small, but they are perfectly coiffed.

The rooms are based on a 17 to 18 square metre floor plan and according to Patrick Lonergan, director of hotels, Doma Group, the Little National brand is about affordable luxury, “taking all the touch points we considered important and presenting it in a small package".

The Little National Hotel also gives guests access to a beautiful library and cosy lounge area. (Image: Romello Pereira)

The idea behind the Little National is it provides guests with the most important aspects of a hotel stay. “We’re in the business of selling sleeps. That means a great mattress, great shower and technology supported by a beautiful library and cosy lounge area in a prime location near to some of the city’s best bars and restaurants." Political junkies will love the fact the Little National in Canberra is located across the road from the National Press Club and a short stagger from Parliament House. – Carla Grossetti

Victoria’s ‘mussel capital’ is the source of exceptional shellfish used by top chefs far and wide. Step aboard a beautifully refurbished trawler to see how these plump and juicy bivalves are sustainably cultivated.

A curtain is slowly winched from the placid, teal waters just off Portarlington , like a floating garland beside our boat. The ropes heave with blue mussels, the star attraction of our tour. But as we reach to pluck our own, it’s quickly clear they’re not alone; a mass of weird and wonderful creatures has colonised the ropes, turning them into a living tapestry. ‘Fairy’ oysters, jelly-like sea squirts, and tiny, wriggling skeleton shrimp all inhabit this underwater ecosystem.

We prize our bivalve bounty from the ropes, and minutes later the mussels arrive split on a platter. The plump orange morsels are served raw, ready to be spritzed with wedges of lemon and a lick of chilli as we gaze out over the bay. They’re briny, tender and faintly sweet. “This wasn’t originally part of the tour,” explains Connie Trathen, who doubles as the boat’s cook, deckhand and guide. “But a chef [who came onboard] wanted to taste the mussels raw first, and it’s now become one of the key features.”

A humble trawler turned Hamptons-style dreamboat

inspecting bivalve bounty from the ropes — Inspecting the bounty. (Image: Visit Victoria/Hannyn Shiggins)

It’s a crisp, calm winter’s day, and the sun is pouring down upon Valerie, a restored Huon pine workhorse that was first launched in January 1980. In a previous life she trawled the turbulent Bass Strait. These days she takes jaunts into Port Phillip Bay under the helm of Lance Wiffen, a fourth-generation Bellarine farmer, and the owner of Portarlington Mussel Tours . While Lance has been involved in the fishing industry for 30-plus years, the company’s tour boat only debuted in 2023.

holding Portarlington mussels — See how these plump and juicy bivalves are sustainably cultivated.

It took more than three years to transform the former shark trawler into a dreamy, Hamptons-esque vessel, with little expense spared. Think muted green suede banquettes, white-washed walls, Breton-striped bench cushions, hardwood tables, bouquets of homegrown dahlias, and woollen blankets sourced from Waverley Mills, Australia’s oldest working textile mill. It’s intimate, too, welcoming 12 guests at most. And yet there’s nothing pretentious about the experience – just warm, down-to-earth Aussie hospitality.

As we cruise out, we crack open a bottle of local bubbles and nibble on the most beautifully curated cheese platter, adorned with seashells and grey saltbush picked from the water’s edge that very morning. Australasian gannets soar overhead, and I’m told it’s not uncommon for guests to spot the odd seal, pod of dolphins, or even the occasional little penguin.

The sustainable secret behind Victoria’s best mussels

blue mussels off Portarlington — Blue mussels sourced just off Portarlington.

Connie and Lance both extol the virtues of mussels. They’re delicious. A lean source of protein and packed with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, iron, selenium, and zinc. They’re cooked in a flash (Connie steams our fresh harvest with cider and onion jam). And they’re also widely regarded as one of the most sustainable foods in the world.

Portarlington mussels with lemon and chilli — Mussels served with lemon and chilli.

“Aquaculture is [often] seen as destructive, so a lot of our guests are really surprised about how environmentally friendly and sustainable our industry is,” Lance says. “[Our mussels] would filter 1.4 billion litres of water a day,” he adds, explaining how mussels remove excess nitrogen and phosphorus from the water. “And through biomineralisation, we lock carbon into mussel shells.”

a hand holding a Portarlington mussel — Mussels are a sustainable food.

Despite their glowing list of accolades, these molluscs have long been seen as the oysters’ poorer cousins. “It was a really slow start,” explains Lance, who says that in the early days of his career, “you could not sell mussels in Victoria”.

But word has slowly caught on. Chefs as globally acclaimed as Attica’s Ben Shewry and even René Redzepi of Noma, Denmark, have travelled to these very waters just to try the shellfish at the source, sharing only the highest praise, and using Lance’s mussels in their restaurants.

guests sampling Portarlington mussels onboard — Sampling the goods onboard. (Image: Visit Victoria/Hannyn Shiggins)

According to Lance there’s one obvious reason why the cool depths of Portarlington outshine other locations for mussel farming. “The water quality is second to none,” he says, noting how other regions are frequently rocked by harvest closures due to poor water quality. “We grow, without a doubt, some of the best shellfish in the world.” And with Lance’s bold claims backed up by some of the industry’s greatest names, perhaps it won’t be much longer until more Aussies uncover the appeal of Portarlington’s mussels.

Unique stays in the ACT

Discover the most unique stays in the ACT…

1. Jamala Wildlife Lodge, Canberra, ACT

2. A by Adina Canberra, ACT

3. Little National Hotel Canberra, ACT

An essential Canberra caravan park and camping guide

East Hotel: why I’ve been staying at this Canberra accommodation for more than a decade

The best Canberra Airbnbs and holiday homes

The best Canberra hotels by neighbourhood

This luxe trawler tour is redefining Victoria’s seafood experience

Victoria’s ‘mussel capital’ is the source of exceptional shellfish used by top chefs far and wide. Step aboard a beautifully refurbished trawler to see how these plump and juicy bivalves are sustainably cultivated.

A humble trawler turned Hamptons-style dreamboat

The sustainable secret behind Victoria’s best mussels