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).
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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 pink salt landscapes to oases fringed by forests of red gums, the lakes of this rural region are astounding.
You’re going to find peace and quiet when you take a road trip through the lakes of the Wimmera Mallee region. Whether it’s mirror-like pink salt lakes that look like an inland sea, or lakes fringed by forests of red gums that showcase Victoria’s arid beauty, there’s a lake for you out here somewhere.
1. Lake Tyrrell
The colours of Lake Tyrrell blend into the sky. (Image: Visit Victoria/Anne Morely)
Located in the dead heart of the Mallee, Victoria’s largest salt lake, Lake Tyrrell , is a landscape photographer’s dream – especially at sunrise and sunset when the pink salt flats look like a gigantic mirror. It’s easy to camp or park a caravan nearby, too, though the tiny town of Sea Lake is just south (with accommodation). In winter, shallow water covers the salt, creating surreal reflections of the sky.
2. Nhill Lake
There’s a permanent water source here, so there’s always plenty of water for water skiing, swimming and fishing (the trout and redfin fishing here is legendary). Located beside the pretty heritage town of Nhill with its main street of historic buildings, there’s options for eating and drinking right next door. There’s also a barbecue area with plenty of shady picnic spots and a boardwalk for walking around the lake.
3. Lake Bringalbert
Lake Bringalert is a great spot for aquatic adventures.
Located south-west of the pretty Mallee town of Kaniva, Lake Bringalbert epitomises the best of ‘outback’ Victoria. It’s ringed by red gums and red mallee and feels completely hidden from the world – you’ll barely ever see another person. There’s basic camping on its foreshore and Kaniva offers more accommodation options. It’s the perfect lake for swimming, kayaking and skiing, and the stars at night come without even a hint of city glow.
4. Lake Hindmarsh
If you’re a bird fan, you’ll love Lake Hindmarsh . Located north of Dimboola, Victoria’s largest natural freshwater lake is like an inland sea full of pelicans, swans and numerous species of ducks – but it also teems with everything from spoonbills to parrots. Sunsets here will blow your mind – the lake is a mirror for the pinks and golds you’ll see on the horizon. There’s free camping spots along the foreshore if you’d like to really contemplate the magic of the lake.
5. Pink Lake
The Pink Lake is most vivid after rain. (Image: Visit Victoria/Anne Morely)
Also known as Loch Lel , the summer months offer up some seriously vivid pink water colour at this lake north of Dimboola. The pink varies throughout the year, but is best after rain (hence why summer is the time to visit).
Pink Lake, also known as Loch Lel, is located near Dimboola in the Grampians. (Image: Tourism Australia)
There’s plenty of birds, including wedge-tailed eagles, but you’re as likely to spot big lace monitors, kangaroos and echidnas. Nearby, check out the uber-cute heritage town of Dimboola and its eclectic shops, and Little Desert National Park, full of walking trails through mallee heathland.
6. Lake Lascelles
You can camp at Lake Lascelles.
On a hot summer’s day, there’s nowhere better for a cooling dip, kayak or boat ride. You can camp by the lake , or at powered caravan sites – or the pretty town of Hopetoun offers numerous accommodation options a short walk away. At night you’ll see the lights of Hopetoun reflect off the lake. Fish for yellow belly, redfin or catfish, or try water-skiing. There’s also a great walking trail around the lake, where there’s more birds than you can count.
