Dear HBO, White Lotus belongs in Australia

Over to you Mike White.

Let’s be honest: The White Lotus has always been about two things – jaw-dropping locations and the rich behaving badly. And while HBO has stuck loyally to the Four Seasons franchise, it’s time to expand the map (and your loyalty program) for season four. Australia is calling, and it’s ready to serve every sun-soaked, passive-aggressive, Aperol-fuelled, luxury-laced moment you could dream of.

Sure, we’ve got a Four Seasons in Sydney (and no offence to Circular Quay, but it’s giving suit conference energy). But the real drama – the type Tanya would’ve thrived in – lives in our wild, wonderful, ludicrously luxe lodges. Australia is practically a ready-made casting call of locations, each ready to deliver its own brand of chaos, secrets and slow-burn resentment.

So, HBO, consider this your set location shopping list. Each of these incredible Aussie stays is ready to be your next White Lotus location, each with its own unforgettable vibe.

Sun Ranch, Byron Bay, NSW

Cue the cowboy hats, crystals and unresolved family trauma. At Sun Ranch, it’s all linen and microdosing as Byron’s most spiritually connected guests gather for a week of “healing" – aka passive-aggressively judging each other’s hat game and ayahuasca experiences. I can see Jaclyn absolutely falling for the hot-but-questionable yoga instructor, while the rich teens plot revenge on their dads for dragging them to Byron instead of Europe. Expect surf lessons, healing circles and someone dramatically riding off on a horse.

Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Qld

Lizard Island aerial — What could go wrong on an isolated island?

Nothing says “disaster pending" like total isolation. Set on the Great Barrier Reef, Lizard Island is so exclusive that someone could disappear and no one would notice until sundowners. Saxon is spiralling when he realises there’s no phone reception, no wi-fi… and his crypto wallet is crashing. Meanwhile, Lochlan insists he’s thriving, but his thousand-yard stare by day two says otherwise.

Capella Lodge, Lord Howe Island, NSW

Capella Lodge pool Lord Howe Island — Capella Lodge serves as the ideal backdrop for Mike White’s drama.

Scenic perfection and family dysfunction? Capella Lodge is ready. The plot? A family reunion no one asked for. The setting? Too isolated to storm off, but just close enough to plot each other’s downfall over wine on the deck. The siblings are feuding over the family’s empire. Someone gets too close to the cliffs – but was it really an accident?

Bullo River Station, NT

Bullo River Station, NY — Swap white linen for Akubras at Bullo River Station. (Image: Elise Hassey)

Forget yachts – this season swaps white linen for Akubras. At Bullo River Station it’s all dirt, danger and intergenerational wealth as cashed-up travellers take on the outback. There’s a tense cattle muster, a helicopter arrival and a dinner where everyone pretends they’re not terrified of dying out here. Piper is running the station now. Don’t ask how.

Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef, WA

There’s nothing like communal dining to guarantee a dinner party explosion. At Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef, everyone eats together under the stars – and that’s where the real bloodbath happens. Someone definitely hooks up with someone else’s partner in a tent, Victoria attempts (and fails) to snorkel and passive aggression reaches new heights.

Silky Oaks Lodge, Daintree Rainforest, Qld

The Daintree Rainforest is dense, the secrets are deeper. At Silky Oaks Lodge, Chelsea books a “spiritual cleansing" for Rick and he ends up sobbing in the creek. Chelsea gets lost on a nature walk and an illicit affair bubbles over in one of the suites. Also, someone might get eaten by a crocodile.

Mt Mulligan Lodge, Qld

Mt Mulligan Lodge infinity pool — Mt Mulligan Lodge’s infinity pool will definitely feature heavily in the season.

It’s remote. It’s eerie. It’s perfect. Mt Mulligan Lodge serves big ghost-town energy – and someone’s definitely hallucinating their dead ex in the infinity pool. There’s a mining disaster backstory, naturally, and at least one séance. The season finale? A dust storm reveals exactly what’s been buried out here.

Sequoia Lodge, Adelaide Hills, SA

Wellness, wine and barely concealed contempt. At Sequoia Lodge, the couples’ therapy retreat is going spectacularly badly. Picture it: Jaclyn gets way too into hot pool bathing, Laurie refuses to leave the wine tasting, and what was supposed to be a vow renewal between Kate and Dave turns into a screaming match. Someone ends up in the wine cellar… permanently.

Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge, Tas

Moody. Misty. Murder-adjacent. Welcome to Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge in Tasmania, where someone accidentally pushes their partner into a glacial lake. Is it an accident? Is anything, really? Every shot looks like a Scandi-noir thriller, and the cold only makes everyone meaner.

qualia, Hamilton Island, Qld

qualia Long Pavilion Entrance — qualia screams *The White Lotus*.

You want helicopters, yachts and a surprise wedding no one’s excited about? Welcome to qualia. Someone sails off into the Hamilton Island horizon screaming, Chloe secures the wrong rich husband, again, and the wedding ends with multiple betrayals – and that’s before the midnight swim.

The Calile Hotel, Brisbane, Qld

The Calile Brisbane — Someone will definitely end up floating in the pool.

Think pastel poolside perfection meets TikTok-induced identity crises. At The Calile, it’s all pastels, designer shades and arguments about who gets the best pool shot. Rick is low-key losing his mind while everyone else is just vibing. Someone ends up floating in the pool.

Marramarra Lodge, Hawkesbury, NSW

Marramarra Carter House — *The White Lotus* needs some riverside representation. (Image: Isaac Tseng)

The ultimate cliffhanger? A secluded riverside lodge where secrets float in by boat. Someone’s long-lost child turns up. There’s nowhere to run, the family has way too much history and the river knows everything.

HBO and Mike White, it’s time. Australia is ready to serve The White Lotus energy. We’ve got the scenery, the scandal and more than enough stunning lodges to host your next beautiful disaster. Now come where the stakes (and the wildlife) are wilder. Bring sunscreen, pack a hat – and maybe a body bag.

The Great Ocean Road has captured the hearts of Australians with its astounding scenery since 1932, but going off-course can enrich your experience with untouched nature, foodie delights and charming towns.

It’s a chilly 16 degrees. My husband pulls on a steamer and jogs – as all seasoned surfers do – into the water. We’re at Bells Beach , the legendary break on Victoria’s Surf Coast that’s home to the Rip Curl Pro, the world’s longest-running event in competitive surfing. Each year, over the Easter long weekend, up to 40,000 people descend on the region for the event. Today, though, we have the beach almost to ourselves, and the less-than-favourable temperature doesn’t deter my husband from surfing this famous break.

Torquay to Anglesea and Aireys Inlet

The red dome of Split Point Lighthouse in Aireys Inlet. (Image: Tourism Australia)

The nearby surf town of Torquay marks the starting point for the Great Ocean Road . Unfolding our map, which we have marked out with a highlighted route for our children to follow, we set off for lesser-known Anglesea, a chilled-out town 20 minutes south of here. Its wide, sandy beach is a gentler swimming option for our young family. Groms can learn to surf here with Go Ride a Wave, which also runs stand-up paddle boarding on the Anglesea River.

Split point lookout — The lighthouse overlooks the Shipwreck Coast. (Image: Tourism Australia)

After a couple of nights in Anglesea, we hit the road again, first stopping at Aireys Inlet. Here we stretch our legs at Split Point Lighthouse, which was made famous by the 1990s television series Round the Twist, before driving under the Memorial Arch that welcomes us, officially, to the Great Ocean Road.

This 243-kilometre coastal road was built by returned First World War servicemen and serves as a permanent memorial to those who fought and died during the war. Carved into rock using hand tools and horse-drawn carts, it was a huge engineering feat and provided much-needed access to isolated coastal communities.

Lorne to Birregurra

Lorne is a delightful beachside stop for lunch and browsing boutique stores. It’s also the gateway to Great Otway National Park , which comprises a varied landscape of old-growth forests, cool-temperate rainforests, heathy woodlands and rugged coast. With the highest rainfall in Victoria, the region is home to many waterfalls – 10 of which are within 10 kilometres of Lorne.

Turning slightly off the main drag, we wind along a gum-shaded road to Erskine Falls. Here, our son leads the way through the hyper-green rainforest and down 200-plus stairs to the cascade that drops 30 metres into a lush fern gully. We hop over large boulders to get closer to the falls, enjoying the entire place to ourselves; it’s worth the return climb.

From Sheoak Falls Picnic Area, there are walking trails to Henderson Falls, Phantom Falls, Won Wondah Falls and Kalimna Falls, some of which follow an old timber tramway from forest-logging days, which only came to an end in 2008.

You can follow your appetite north to the town of Birregurra, which is part of the Otway Harvest Trail that connects farm gates, markets, wineries, breweries and distilleries. It’s home to three-hatted modern Australian restaurant Brae , helmed by celebrated chef Dan Hunter, set among native gardens and an organic farm, and Otways Distillery, which produces small-batch spirits using local produce and botanicals.

Brae restaurant — Brae is a three-hatted restaurant in Birregurra. (Image: Tourism Australia)

Apollo Bay to The Otways

Back on track, the cliff-hugging stretch between Lorne and Apollo Bay is breathtaking. At Teddys Lookout, we overlook the winding road ahead and St George River spilling into the ocean. We spend languid days in Apollo Bay, a buzzy seaside town that boasts a three-kilometre-long, crescent-shaped beach with a backdrop of rolling green hills. One evening, as the sun sets, we take the steep 10-minute walk to Marriners Lookout, which affords panoramic views of the ocean, hinterland and town.

A 15-minute drive along the road, Maits Rest is a lush rainforest gully that has been protected since the early 20th century. Wandering along the 800-metre boardwalk, we inspect the delicate moss-covered forest floor and the gnarled roots of 300-year-old myrtle beech trees, then crane our necks to see their canopies, some 50 metres above us. It’s therapy in nature.

Cape Otway to the Twelve Apostles

The southernmost tip of Cape Otway is a delightful detour, home to the 1848-built Cape Otway Lightstation, the oldest surviving lighthouse on mainland Australia. We climb the narrow winding staircase to the gallery deck, explore the keepers’ quarters and telegraph station, and enjoy a coffee and some ‘famous’ scones at the charming onsite cafe.

It’s a pinch-me moment to finally see the Twelve Apostles in person. This unmistakable cluster of limestone stacks rising abruptly from the sea were never 12, however. When coined this in the 1890s as a marketing ploy, there were only nine; today, only seven remain after two collapsed in 2005 and 2009. We admire these Aussie icons from the viewing platform, in awe of Mother Nature’s ever-evolving artwork.

The Grotto is another natural attraction within Port Campbell National Park. (Image: Carmen Zammit)

Edging the wild Southern Ocean, this part of the coast – dubbed Shipwreck Coast – is made up of many sea-carved natural wonders including London Bridge, The Grotto and Gibson Steps. After exploring the lookout trails of Loch Ard Gorge/Poombeeyt Kontapool – its English name taken from the site of the 1878 shipwreck – we nestle into the sandy beach encircled by towering sandstone cliffs, as our children splash about on the water’s edge, and soak it all in.

Port Campbell to Timboon

Timboon Fine Ice Cream is part of a regional foodie trail. (Image: C McConville)

Just north of Port Campbell National Park, the region of Timboon is part of the 12 Apostles Food Artisans Trail, filled with purveyors of delicious foodstuffs such as Timboon Fine Ice Cream , Timboon Railway Shed Distillery and Apostle Whey Cheese. As an antidote to the indulgence, the 20-kilometre Poorpa Yanyeen Meerreeng Trail is a self-guided ride or walk between Port Campbell and Timboon through tall forests, over historic bridges and past sparkling lakes and farmland with grazing cattle.

Warrnambool to Port Fairy

Warrnambool building — A 19th-century building in Warrnambool. (Image: Peter Foster)

In Warrnambool, a town rich in maritime history, we take the four-kilometre Thunder Point Walk that traces the coast. The kids squeal when an echidna shuffles out from beneath the wooden boardwalk, and we stop to admire a seal lazing on a rock at the port.

Further along, the streets of quaint fishing village Port Fairy are lined with 19th-century cottages, old stone churches and Norfolk pines. Follow the historic walking trail to see some of the 60-plus National Trust buildings. Port Fairy is also home to Port Fairy Folk Festival (6-9 March), one of the country’s longest-running music and cultural festivals. You could time your road trip with the event for a fittingly celebratory end to any journey.

The Great Ocean Road can easily be done in three days, but we’ve spent a week on the road. The highlighted line on our now creased and well-worn map doesn’t follow the famous route precisely. It has sprouted branches in many directions, leading us to untouched rainforest and charming rural towns filled with culinary delights, and where we experienced some of our most memorable moments on the Great Ocean Road.

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

The Monty is a highly anticipated, newly refurbished motel with a chic Palm Springs-inspired aesthetic set across the road from the Anglesea River. Basalt Winery in Port Fairy grows cool-climate wines such as pinot noir and Riesling in rich volcanic soil. Stay among the vines in its tiny home, complete with a kitchen, lounge area and outdoor firepit.

The Oak & Anchor Hotel has been a Port Fairy institution since 1857. Cosy up by the bar in winter or bask in the sunshine of the Lawn Bar in summer. The rooms are beautifully boutique with considered details, such as luxe baths for sinking into post-road trip.

Eating there

The Coast in Anglesea is a modern Australian restaurant focused on local ingredients. Grand Pacific Hotel has been a local landmark in Lorne since 1879 and recently underwent a restoration. It serves a mix of traditional pub and Italian fare alongside ocean views.

Graze is a cosy 40-seat dining room in Apollo Bay with a modern Australian menu complemented by regional wines. Apollo Bay Distillery offers tasting flights, a gin blending masterclass and serves woodfired pizzas.

Dear HBO, the next White Lotus season belongs in Australia, here’s why