50: Stay on an island of a different kind

It may surprise you to know that Australia has over 8,200 islands, with a breathtaking range of environments, wildlife and cultures to discover. It’s not only the tropical options that offer fantastic island getaways – why not think outside the box and take the family on an adventure to one of the more undiscovered islands?

How about fishing (or just enjoying the silence) to your heart’s content in the beautiful isolation of Wilderness Island, off the coast of Exmouth in WA? With just five cabins sharing this unique retreat, you’ll be relaxing and reconnecting in no time.

Or breathing some of the world’s cleanest air at Three Hummock Island, off the coast of north-west Tassie, where there are no shops, no traffic, and you can rent a century-old, renovated yet rustic homestead with a large sun deck and organic veggie patch? With just two guest houses on the island, this is a real escape from the rat race.

Or, for isolation within reach of the daily newspaper, may we suggest Sawyers Bay Shacks on Flinders Island, also off the Tassie coast: two eco-friendly shacks built with modern comfort in mind. Stay here and you’ll have private, undisturbed access to the gorgeous beach, huge windows from which to admire the view towards Bass Strait, and the whole of Flinders Island to explore – should you be able to tear yourselves away from this idyllic retreat.

Try these

Wilderness Island, Contact 0409 430 688 for current rates.

Three Hummock Island, From $90 per night per person. 03 6452 1405.

Sawyers Bay Shacks, From $350 for two-bedroom shack; discounts in low season. 0411 255 179.

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