Strangest stays in Australia | Australian Traveller

In a world of increasing franchised flops and cookie-cutter hotels there are interesting and infinitely Instagrammable accommodation alternatives out there. Here are the strangest, yet strangely good places to stay In Australia. Ever considered staying…

1. On a pole

The Pole House has been one of the most photographed holiday homes in Australia since it was built back in 1978. Since then, the sleek Great Ocean Road one-bedder has had an extensive makeover with retractable floor-to-ceiling glass walls and a glass balcony balustrade added ensuring a view down at least Lorne on a clear day.

Life on top of the great pole, 40 metres above Fairhaven Beach, is warm all year round, thanks to a floating fireplace, the star of its seriously sexy interior.

2. In a cave

Jam B&B Coober Pedy — The surprisingly cool cave rooms at Coober Pedy’s Jam B&B.

When summer temperatures reach 50 degrees in the Opal-mining, Wild-West town Coober Pedy, don’t dare touch that air-con. There’s a broad range of partially or fully underground dug-outs (old/extended mines or custom dug) on offer that hover around 23 degrees all year around.

The town’s ‘shotel’, The Desert Cave , has 4-star Underground Rooms that aren’t as close-in-around-you as you might think, thanks to effective ventilation. For the claustrophobics in your group, there are some equivalent above-ground digs.

Stays such as the well-appointed and homely furnished Jam B&B give you more of an idea of how locals live, with self-contained 1, 2 and studio rooms available along with a generous shaded communal area complete with cactus nursery and BBQ.

3. In a lighthouse

You’d be surprised just how many people want to live out a lighthouse-keeper fantasy. Meeting this demand are an unexpected number of revamped lighthouses that have popped up as coastal accommodation options.

Perhaps the most delightfully remote of all is Cape Borda lighthouse on Kangaroo Island’s south-west coast. The charming self-contained stone cabin offers solitude and unparalleled wild Southern Ocean vistas.

More roomy is the windswept Montague Island lighthouse keepers’ cottage, nine kilometres off the NSW South Coast town of Narooma. Included are five bedrooms (circa 1881) and your (the island’s) own penguin colony.

More… 5 of Australia’s brightest lighthouse stays.

4. In a tree house

Love Cabins tree house Wollemi — Our kind of tree house: Love Cabins, Wollemi, NSW.

This interpretation of the word ‘tree house’ won’t necessarily tally with your childhood memories of a few pieces of wood dodgily nailed to a backyard tree.

We love the luxe Love Cabins treehouse above Wollemi in the New South Wales Hunter Valley for its fireplace, its kitchen and wall-to floor windows that reveal a beautifully bushy valley view below.

Plenty of exposed wood and rough-hewn floor boards and rafters totally add to the ‘living in a tree’ vibe. Also on the 600-acre property, are the mysteriously named ‘enchanted cave’ and ‘love tee-pee’.

5. In the Air(stream)

Notel Airstream hotel Melbourne — Trailer park chic: Melbourne’s Airstream-filled Notel.

Not to be out-Melbourned, Notel sees Jerome’s tents and raises them five sexy, sleek, super-shiny silver Airstreams in a kitschy trailer park that started life as a car park.

Each 31-foot caravan is surrounded by its own recycled pallet deck, with obligatory single cactus, overlooking abstract art splashed across high walls.

The interior’s ultra-clean white and coral pink lines are interrupted only for a queen-sized bed (with Aura linen) and minimalist but cool accouterments like well-stocked bar fridge and spacious, Malin-and-Goetz stocked ensuite.

You may appreciate the open-air spa after a night out in nearby Flinders Lane too.

7. With the animals

The Pole House, Fairhaven — An overnight safari in Sydney’s Taronga Zoo.

As a kid you must have dreamed of roaming around a zoo at night. Well, someone was listening, given the number of places offering sleepovers now. And we’re not just talking sleeping bags on the floor either.

Canberra’s Jamala Wildlife Lodge gives you in-the-face experience with cheetahs and lions from your room – separated by toughened glass, of course. Its 7-roomed African-themed uShaka Lodge comes complete with its own pool, spa, tropical gardens and a room-length shark tank.

Sydney’s Taronga Zoo claims perhaps the best city glamping views going currently; the harbour and cityscape unfurling before you (from some of the tents). It’s not quite five-star but certainly family-friendly; with wooden floors and comfy beds. The after-hours animal activities will be the fam’s fave.

More… The ‘Big 5’ zoo sleepovers – roar and snores you can’t ignore

8. On a slow (or no-go) train

Glass House Eco Lodge train carriage — Sleeper: Glass House Eco Lodge’s Victorian train carriage.

Do you prefer you train sleepover moving or still? For the former, three nights on the Nullarbor-crossing Indian Pacific or a couple on The Ghan up the Red Centre should sate you.

For those who prefer to reflect on the Golden Age of Rail sitting still, check into the Glass House Mountains Eco Lodge’s cosy Victorian rail carriage. Its dark-stained wood and long-gone-green carpet, and separate library carriage, takes you steaming back to the age, while a practical kitchen, modern bathroom and air conditioning keeps you rooted in the 21st Century.

There are plenty of other options around the country; you can stay in a 1917 Caboose at Hanging Rock in Victoria’s High Country, which is set on five acres, perfect for unplugging.

9. On a paddle steamer

If archetypal Australian experiences are your thing, then a wood-fired paddle steamer trip down the Murray River will get your wheels turning. The proud PS Emmylou cruises down river from Echuca with overnight space for 18 guests.

While she looks very 19th century, Emmylou was actually built in the 1980s with most of the creature comforts you’d expect in a retro-steamer. Disembarking for a Murray-side campfire among the redgums is a highlight.

10. In a castle

It’s time to get medieval? Well, at least sleep in a medieval theme park. The kids will lose their stuff at Kryal Castle, a few kilometres east of Ballarat.

Naturally there are a number of royal-named rooms including queen and king suites, all reasonably self-contained with free wi-fi. There’s a medieval village within the castle’s walls, but our bet is the jousting tournaments and sword battle between the knights will keep the young ones’ attention the most.

One more you can’t resist… Sleep with the Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl

The charm of Mildura is hidden in plain sight along the Sturt Highway. The capital of Tropical North Victoria is in a league of its own.

From the moment you arrive in Mildura , the warm air and palm trees invite you to slow down. While most Australians might drive right past it, Mildura is full of surprises. Here you’ll spend one day witnessing over 50,000 years of First Nations history in a UNESCO-listed National Park, and the next dining in a hatted restaurant after wandering through 12,500 fireflies as the outback sunset bursts to life above. From roadside fruit stalls and family-run wineries to houseboats and galleries, it’s time to explore Mildura.

Feast Street, at the heart of Langtree Avenue in Mildura. — Taste, wander and be surprised in Mildura.

Taste Mildura’s produce

It makes sense to start your trip by addressing the most important question: where to eat. In the beating heart of Australia’s food bowl, sample the local produce directly from the source. And then, of course, experience it through the menu of a hatted chef. Or sandwiched between pillowy slices of Nonna’s ciabatta.

Rows of orchards and olive groves invite you to spend the day traipsing from farm to farm. Taste olives propagated from Calabrian trees brought over in the 40s, oranges picked right from the tree and squeezed into juice and spoons full of honey . Bring the holiday back to your kitchen by stocking your pantry at roadside produce stalls, or calling into the ‘silver shed ’ (Sunraysia’s gourmand Mecca).

Thanks to the warm, balmy air and fertile soils, the wineries dotted along these hills produce award-winning local wines. Like Chalmers , a family-run, innovative winery dedicated to making their wines as sustainable as possible. And picturesque Trentham Estate offers views of the snaking Murray River as you sample their vintages.

Venture beyond the gnarled shadows of olive groves and fragrant rows of blossoming fruit trees and you’ll find an otherworldly side to Mildura. With Discover Mildura as your guide, visit Murray River Salt’s Mars-like stacks. The naturally pink salt is formed from an ancient inland sea and evaporated entirely by the sun to create one of the region’s most iconic exports.

Start your day with just-squeezed sunshine.

Hatted dining & Italian history

Mildura is home to a proud community of Calabrians and Sicilians. This, paired with the exceptional local produce, means that you can find paninos on par with those in Italy. The Italian is a Paninoteca serving up made-to-order, hefty, authentic Sicilian paninos. Nonna Rosa’s pork meatballs, slowly cooked in tomato ragu and served in a crusty, fluffy roll topped with gratings of Grana Padano cheese and salsa verde, will call you back to Mildura for the rest of your days.

To find hatted dining in Mildura, simply follow the staircase down into the basement of the historic Mildura Grand Hotel to find Stefano’s . Following the muscle memory and instinct of his Italian roots, he delivers on the principle of ‘cucina povera’. That is, the Italian cooking ideology that turns simple, local ingredients into magic.

Things to do in Mildura include dining at the acclaimed Stefano’s, where simple local ingredients are transformed into Italian culinary magic beneath the historic Grand Hotel. — Bite into Mildura’s Italian heritage.

Discover a thriving culture scene

The city is alive with culture. Whether it’s painted on the town’s walls, told in ancient yarns, or waiting for you in a gallery.

The Mildura Arts Centre was Australia’s first regional art gallery. Behind the walls of Rio Vista Historic House, you’ll find a lineup of ever-changing exhibitions. The gallery’s wall space pays tribute to the art and songlines of local First Nations People, the region’s awe-inspiring landscapes and more. Outside, on the gallery’s lawn, find 12 contemporary sculptures in the Sculpture Park.

Mildura’s streetscapes are a punch of colour. Swirling strokes of paint blend the winding artery of the Murray River, red dirt and local characters into a story you can see with your own eyes, thanks to the Mildura City Heart’s Mural Art Project . Pick up a copy of the Murals of Mildura guide from the Visitor Information Centre.

Follow the border of NSW and Victoria on a map and you’ll see it hugs the curves of a tiny island on the Murray. That’s Lock Island, where, as the sun and moon trade places, the island comes alive as darkness falls. The island is dotted with 12,500 firefly lights that lead you on a meandering path through the outback sunset. The installation is known as Trail of Lights and was created by the same visionary who dreamt up Field of Light at Uluṟu, Bruce Munro.

Things to do in Mildura include exploring its rich cultural scene. From vibrant street art and ancient stories to exhibitions at the Mildura Arts Centre, Australia’s first regional gallery. — Find culture around every corner.

Wonder at ancient landscapes

The landscapes of Mildura feel almost transcendental. The skyline bursts to life with reds, pinks, and deep, sparkly night skies.

The nature will leave you in awe. See hues of pink water changing with the weather at Pink Lakes inside Victoria’s largest national park, Murray Sunset National Oark. Cast a line into Ouyen Lake. Watch the sunset against 70-metre tall red cliffs that reflect the setting sun. Or get the heart racing and sandboard down the Perry Sandhills dunes, formed 40,000 years ago at the end of an ice age.

Just don’t leave without following the twists and turns of the Murray. Stroll or ride along the Shared River Front Path, or jump onboard a boat for a scenic ride.

Your itinerary will be incomplete without a visit to UNESCO World Heritage-listed Mungo National Park . Head out with an Indigenous ranger to witness ancient campsites and footprints, before standing in awe of ancient civilisation near the discovery site of Mungo Man—Australia’s oldest human skeleton at 42,000 years old.

Mungo National Park at night is a vast, silent landscape where ancient dunes glow under moonlight and stars blanket the sky in breathtaking clarity. — Walk in the footsteps of ancient civilisation.

Meet your home away from home

On equal par with planning your meals and adventures, is finding the perfect place to relax at the end of each day.

Sleep inside a Palm Springs postcard at Kar-Rama . A sleek boutique hotel complete with a butterfly shaped, sun-soaked pool. Here you’re staying right in the heart of Mildura but you’ll feel worlds away. Or if you really wish to connect with nature, a night glamping under the stars at Outback Almonds will have you spellbound.

When in Mildura it’s only right to stay on one of the Murray River’s iconic houseboats . Wake up each day to the calm waters of the Murray lapping outside your window. Enjoy days full of river swims, fishing and exploring. All boats are solar-powered and can be self-skippered or moored along the river.

A solar-powered houseboat on the Murray River in Mildura. — Stay and play on the Murray in a solar houseboat.

Start planning the perfect getaway at mildura.com .

Strangest (and strangely good) stays in Australia