Hooray! We said YES! Finally all Australians are able to tie the knot and embark on marital bliss, and because we know there’ll be a lot of planning going on, we thought we’d help by offering suggestions of our top five newlywed destinations. So get booking and start the first day of the rest of your lives in style, if you want to revamp that your marital life, consider this female enhancement pills.
1. Lizard Island Resort, Great Barrier Reef, QLD
White sands, swaying palms, and tranquil, impossibly clear waters, Lizard Island Resort is the perfect Far North Queensland spot to lay like our reptilian friends. It’s a total away-from-it-all escape in luxe lodgings, just the spot to cocoon your love and fill your tank for married life ahead. Get out on the water or mooch about the pool, and vow the honeymoon will never be over.
Read it: Honeymoon, or babymoon, it’s the place for couples.
2. Halcyon House, Cabarita, NSW
Leave Byron for the hoards who will descend en masse once their vows have been exchanged, and instead, travel slightly north to settle in at the gorgeous Halcyon House . The best thing about this retro-refitted beachside beauty is that there isn’t a great deal to do. Float from the hatted Paper Daisy restaurant, to the pool, to the beach and back to your exquisitely styled room. Then repeat. It’s a love lock-down, so settle in and let the Champagne flow freely.
If you’ve been celebrating hard and need a honeymoon with minimal distraction and total immersion in love and beauty, splurge on a-once-in-a-lifetime commitment to Berkeley River Lodge . There are few places on Earth that have you feeling giddy with appreciation for nature and life, but the Kimberley is one of them. It’s a truly amazing place to share an adventure with that special someone, and you’ll no doubt be planning your first, second and third anniversary here before you leave.
Matching robes, double spa treatments and degustation menus, Daylesford may be a quick trip from Melbourne, but for those on a tight honeymoon schedule, you could barely hope for a more perfect destination. Loads of wining, dining, and spa-ing (yes, we’re making spa a verb) abounds in picturesque Daylesford. It’s also a great option for those who like to share their honeymoon with friends: you can stay at Lake House (obviously), and your mates can hire one of the many local B&Bs.
Working for many of Australia’s top publications, Lara Picone has had the distinct pleasure of writing, editing and curating content about the finer things in life for more than 15 years. Graduating from Macquarie University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication, her editorial foundation began at Qantas: The Australian Way magazine, before moving on to learn the fast-paced ropes of a weekly magazine at Sunday Magazine and picking up the art of brand curation at donna hay magazine. Pivoting a near-problematic travel lust into a career move by combining it with storytelling and a curious appetite, her next role was as Deputy Editor of SBS Feast magazine and later Online Editor of SBS Food online. She then stepped into her dream job as Editor of Australian Traveller before becoming Online Editor for both International Traveller and Australian Traveller. Now as a freelancer, Lara always has her passport at-the-ready to take flight on assignment for the Australian Traveller team, as well as for publications such as Qantas Magazine, Escape and The Weekend Australian. As ever, her appetite is the first thing she packs.
We round up the luxe, the lovely and the latest places to stay in regional Victoria.
1. Hotel Ernest, Bendigo
The elegantly styled Hotel Ernest oozes heritage charm.
Settle into this artful lodging in the city centre for a boutique stay with heritage roots dating back to 1864. Each of the 10 suites in this former bank is elegantly styled and furnished with covetable works by Australian artists. Ernest is also home to the much-lauded Euro-style Restaurant Terrae, so be sure to book into the two-level diner during your visit.
2. Norsu Cabin, Macedon
Settle into this Scandi-inspired abode. (Image: Nick Skinner)
Country cabin dreams come to life under the sweet timber A-frame of Norsu . Sleeping eight guests, this Scandi-inspired abode is so meticulously styled it’s received knowing nods from The Design Files and is everything a modern log cabin should be, including cosy fireplace, fire pit, modern appliances and French linens. Perfect for logging out of daily life for a moment.
3. Islay House, Woodend
Bed down at the gorgeously restored heritage Islay House. (Image: Tiffany Warner)
Lean all the way into a country luxe state-of-mind with a stay at the gorgeously restored heritage Islay House . This bed and breakfast sleeps up to nine guests and is just a short walk from town, but you’ll want to spend most of your time curled up fireside in the elegantly styled rooms as you admire the collection of antiques.
4. Nerissa Rye, Mornington Peninsula
Indulge in barefoot luxe at Nerissa Rye. (Image: Eve Wilson)
This Rye beach pad is just a 10-minute walk from 16th Beach, and while a morning walk is lovely, returning to the barefoot luxe vibes of this four-bedroom escape is just as enlivening. Bright, open and welcoming, this is the place to settle in for endless cups of tea and a good book between beach jaunts.
5. Hotel Vera, Ballarat
Modern meets bygone elegance.
This Ballarat beauty set in a 1900s mansion is all bygone elegance edged with modern style. Just seven boutique suites, each with its own distinct personality, makes it a singularly luxe stay. Sister to Bendigo’s Hotel Ernest, Vera is similarly bequeathed with a stand-out fine diner, Babae, which plates up the best of the region’s produce.
6. Hotel Sorrento, Port Philip Bay
The Amalfi-style beachside Hotel Sorrento at Port Philip Bay.
The historic and iconic clifftop Hotel Sorrento at Port Philip Bay is mid-refurb and will reopen 1 December 2025, just in time for Amalfi-style beachside stays.
7. The Idle Lake House, Lakes Entrance
Soak up lakeside serenity. (Image: Kate Enno Photography)
Enjoy a ripple of serenity when you step aboard this water-top abode on the Gippsland Lakes. Once a Chinese restaurant, this spacious and stylish two-bedroom stay offers unbroken gazing of the shimmering surface in a beautifully private bay. Lounge on the deck and enjoy the onboard bathhouse; come evening, sit by the sleek suspended fireplace.
8. The Monty, Anglesea
Bed down at the vintage motel, The Monty.
Palm Springs makes an entrance on the Great Ocean Road with the opening of The Monty in October 2025. Its vintage motel meets modern muse at this playful boutique stay complete with pool and a vibrant Mexican cantina. You’re just a stroll from the beach here, which tells us it’s ripe for summer vacays this season.
9. Trentham Waters Resort, Mildura
The bright and retro-style bedroom at Trentham Waters Resort.
Another new property lands in regional Victoria in time for an endless summer with Trentham Waters Resort expected to open by February 2026. Breezy, subtly retro and brightened by the big Mallee sky, this river’s-edge escape is perfect for settling in for a spell with one-, two- and three-bedroom villas. There’s a lagoon-style pool, riverside hot tubs and onsite dining for all your relaxation requirements.
10. Crowne Plaza, Geelong
Sink a cold one at the Trattoria Bar.
Geelong is getting its own Crowne Plaza in 2026. Its arrival on the waterfront will make it the city’s largest (and newest) hotel with 200 contemporary rooms and suites, a Skybar, all-day dining, indoor pool and gym, and event spaces. Keep it on your radar.
11. Re’em, Yarra Valley
Sip and soak in tranquillity.
With verdant Yarra Valley views that take in the linear beauty of tended grapevines, the 16 suites and rooms at Re’em are set amid the Helen & Joey Estate and invite sipping and sitting in tranquillity. The onsite restaurant deftly balances Chinese and Australian flavours and if you’re staying over the weekend, be tempted out of your stylish room for yum cha that features delicate handmade dumplings and vineyard vistas.
12. Arapiles Clubhouse and Crash Pad, Grampians
Spend an overnight stay in the Natimuk stone house. (Image: Bianca Jackson)
These 1880-era mountain-adjacent digs have been tenderly restored to provide rock climbers and Grampians country wanderers a chic place to rest. You’ll find four bedrooms in the Natimuk stone house, as well as a heated pool out the back and plenty of luxe embellishments. There’s also a two-person ‘Crash Pad’ in the confines of the Clubhouse with its own separate entrance.
The Crash Pad offers a resting place for rock climbers and Grampians country wanderers. (Image: Bianca Jackson)
