Rumi on Louth: luxury villas to open in the dunes of this SA island

This dreamy island escape is about to level up – in more ways than one.

Hidden in plain sight just off the coast of South Australia’s picturesque Eyre Peninsula is the ultimate secluded stay. Rumi on Louth is a perfect paradigm of the modern holiday, mastering the duality of indulgence with eco-consciousness. The off-grid eco resort partially opened its doors in 2023, giving travellers a tantalising taste of what’s to come once it fully opens later this year.

Now, that future is one step closer. The second phase of construction has recently received the green light, signalling the start of a whopping $20 million plan to develop the eco resort into one of Australia’s leading luxury accommodation offerings.

Rumi on Louth in South Australia — The luxurious eco resort is slated for completion in 2025. (Image: South Australian Tourism Commission)

The accommodation

Currently, overnight options are limited to a small but impressive range of luxury rooms and suites that welcome the wild island inside. Four flawless Ocean View King Rooms and the One Bedroom Ocean View Suite provide guests with cosy comfort and luxurious style, as does a private nine-bedroom retreat. But this already impressive range is about to get even better.

Once stage two is complete, guests will be able to stay in a luxury villa that seems to disappear underground, built into the island’s cascading sand dunes. Working with Adelaide architecture firm Archaea Architects , each earth-sheltered hideaway has been deliberately designed by the resort’s team to blend into the surrounding landscape and preserve its natural environment.

Crowding won’t be an issue either. The exclusive villas will be spaced out across the entire southern end of Louth Island, promising guests complete privacy and uninterrupted views of the coastline.

The amenities

Current guests at Rumi on Louth don’t have much at all to complain about. Tailored packages, a day spa and a two-hatted onsite restaurant have kept everyone entertained thus far. As has a variety of signature experiences, including dreamy beach picnics, cooking masterclasses, buggy tours, catamaran cruises, kayak fishing and more.

But a new range of resort-style facilities promises even more fun, from tennis and pickleball courts to a Japanese-inspired onsen with massage rooms, plunge pools, saunas and cabanas. A brand-new boardwalk will also provide access to a stunning secluded beach, one of the island’s major drawcards.

“If you’ve ever seen Whitehaven Beach… it’s very much like that type of beach, except smaller," says Rumi on Louth’s owner, Che Metcalfe. Who needs to battle crowds in The Whitsundays when you could have it all to yourself in SA?

Louth Island in Suth Australia — Louth Island is SA’s answer to The Whitsundays. (Image: Robert Lang Photography)

The ethos

Sustainability has always been a principal value at Rumi on Louth. It’s completely off-grid, with solar power, desalination plants, compost systems and recycling all primary focuses of phase one. There are also advanced systems that turn human waste into water, which is used to water crops and help native plants grow.

This forward-thinking ideology continues to evolve in stage two, a move that could place Rumi on Louth amongst some of the country’s best eco retreats. The second phase will see the introduction of chicken coops and vegetable gardens, which will help the eco resort on its mission to restore and revegetate Louth Island.

“Over time, we plan to be more and more self-sufficient, and part of that is growing our own vegetables. We always forage for native ingredients, which we will grow more of over time," says Metcalfe.

But there’s more. While the second stage of development is obviously Metcalf’s primary focus, the tech entrepreneur from Adelaide is already thinking about what’s next.

“I want to do unique experiences that you can’t get anywhere else in Australia, and I want to build it into one of the best resorts in the world. I don’t want to stop until we get there," Metcalfe says.

Watch this space.

Video credit: Tourism Australia

From coast to mountains, hiking in Gippsland offers a stunning array of landscapes, with trails that take you deep into the region’s heritage.

I step out onto the sand and it cries out underfoot. Kweek! I take another step and there’s another little yelp. Screet! Picking up the pace, the sounds follow me like my shadow, all the way down to the water. It’s obvious how this spot got its name – Squeaky Beach – from the rounded grains of quartz that make the distinctive sounds under pressure.

For many, Wilsons Promontory National Park is the gateway to Gippsland , and the best way to explore it is by walking its network of hiking trails, from coastal gems such as Squeaky Beach through to the bushland, among the wildlife. But it’s still just a taste of what you’ll find on foot in the region.

Venture a bit further into Gippsland and you’ll discover the lakes, the rainforest, and the alpine peaks, each changing with the season and offering summer strolls or winter walks. Just like that squeaky sand, each step along these trails has something to tell you: perhaps a story about an ancient spirit or a pioneering search for fortune.

The best coastal hikes in Gippsland

sunset at Wilsons Promontory National Park — Wilsons Promontory National Park is a sprawling wilderness with many coastal bushland trails. (Image: Mark Watson)

Wilsons Promontory National Park (or ‘The Prom’, as you’ll end up calling it) is an easy three-hour drive from Melbourne, but you might ditch the car when you arrive, with much of the park’s 50,000 hectares accessible only by foot. From the inky water of Tidal River (dyed dark purple by abundant tea trees), I like the easy walks along the coast, among lichen-laden granite boulders, to golden beaches and bays.

a couple on Mount Oberon — Panoramic views from the summit of Mount Oberon. (Image: Everyday Nicky)

The trail to the panoramic views at the summit of Mount Oberon is a bit harder, up steep timber and granite steps, but it’s a popular 6.8-kilometre return. The more remote hikes are found through the open banksia and stringybark woodland of the park’s north, or along the multi-day Southern Circuit , which ranges from about 35 to 52 kilometres, with sunrises and sunsets, kangaroos and cockatoos, and maybe even whales.

a golden sand beach at Wilsons Promontory National Park — Walk ‘The Prom’s’ golden sand beaches. (Image: Tourism Australia/Time Out Australia)

You might also see whales on the George Bass Coastal Walk , even closer to Melbourne on the western edge of Gippsland. This dramatic seven-kilometre trail along the clifftops takes in sweeping views of the wild ocean, occasionally dipping down from grassy green hills to coastal gullies and a secluded beach. It also now links into the Bass Coast Rail Trail for an extra 14 kilometres.

Over at the eastern edge of Gippsland, in Croajingolong National Park, you can wander along the lakeshores beneath koalas and around goannas (I keep my distance since one chased me here!). For those who are even more adventurous, the park is also the starting point for the 100-kilometre Wilderness Coast Walk , usually done over seven days.

the Croajingolong National Park, Gippsland — Wander along the lakeshores in Croajingolong National Park. (Image: Tourism Australia)

The best bush hikes in Gippsland

the Baw Baw National Park — The alpine heath of Baw Baw National Park. (Image: Everyday Nicky)

Deep in the Long Tunnel Extended Gold Mine at Walhalla, mining guide Richard tells me how this small town in the mountains east of Melbourne boomed when prospectors found gold here in 1862. These days, you’ll find most of the town’s treasure – its heritage – above ground, with the Walhalla Tramline Walk a wonderful way to explore it.

Just seven kilometres long, the walk takes you through decades of Gold Rush history, following the original rail trail from lush bushland to the mining sites, and through the charming village of just 20 residents with its wooden cottages and old shopfronts adorned with turn-of-the-century advertising posters. Blazing a trail where trailblazers once opened up the region, this is also the starting point for the 650-kilometre Australian Alps Walking Track.

Nearby, Baw Baw National Park has walks through gnarled snow gums and alpine heaths that show off the colourful wildflowers in summer and the pristine carpet of white in winter. Several trails are perfect for snowshoes, including a 45-minute route from St Gwinear up to vast views across the Latrobe Valley.

Further up into the mountains, the Toorongo and Amphitheatre Falls Loop Walk is an easy 2.2-kilometre path that serenades you with the sound of flowing water as you pass mossy rocks and tree ferns en route to two sets of waterfalls cascading over boulders in the remote wilderness.

The best cultural hikes in Gippsland

the Mitchell River National Park, Gippsland — Hike the Mitchell River National Park. (Image: Parks Victoria/Grace Lewis)

Across a pool in a natural sandstone amphitheatre, deep within a cave behind a waterfall, it’s said the Nargun has its lair. A fierce creature, half human and half stone, that abducts children and can’t be harmed by boomerangs or spears, the story of the Nargun has been told around the campfires of the local Gunaikurnai people for generations.

As a culturally significant place for women, hikers are asked not to go into the Den of Nargun, but a 3.4-kilometre loop walk leads you through a rainforest gully to the entrance where you can feel the powerful atmosphere here in Mitchell River National Park , along Victoria’s largest remaining wild and free-flowing waterway.

the bee-eaters at Mitchell River National Park — Bee-eaters at Mitchell River National Park. (Image: Parks Victoria/Grace Lewis)

The Den of Nargun is part of the Bataluk Cultural Trail , a series of important traditional Gunaikurnai sites through central Gippsland. Another location is Victoria’s largest cave system, Buchan Caves Reserve, with trails to important archaeological sites of human artefacts up to 18,000 years old. The FJ Wilson Interpreted Walk includes the naturally sculpted white limestone steps of the 400-metre-long Federal Cave, while the Granite Pools Walk goes among tall timber and moss-covered gullies.

the ancient rainforest of Tarra-Bulga National Park — The ancient rainforest of Tarra-Bulga National Park. (Image: Josie Withers)

Also important to the Gunaikurnai people is Tarra-Bulga National Park , known for its ancient myrtle beeches and enormous mountain ash trees. Just 40 minutes return, the Tarra Valley Rainforest Walk offers a taste of this verdant landscape, while the Grand Strzelecki Track takes you deep into the lost world of forest giants on an epic 100-kilometre trail rich with tradition.

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

the WildernessRetreats in The Prom — Wilderness Retreats in The Prom. (Image: Christian Pearson)

Wilderness Retreats in Wilsons Promontory offers glamping-style tents with luxurious queen beds. Star Hotel is a reconstruction of a Gold Rush-era hotel from 1863 in the heart of heritage Walhalla. Caves House is a historic three-bedroom house with views over the Buchan River.

Eating there

the Carrajung Estate, Gippsland — Enjoy a post-hike lunch at Carrajung Estate. (Image: Everyday Nicky)

Kilcunda General Store serves great coffee and meals of local produce at the George Bass Coastal Walk. Alpine Trout Farm is located near Toorongo Falls in Noojee. Fish for your own lunch and barbecue it with the provided cookware.

Carrajung Estate is a short drive from Tarra-Bulga National Park. The winery’s restaurant offers a seasonal menu of regional ingredients and you can stay at The Lodge.

a seafood feast at Carrajung Estate, Gippsland — The table is set for a seafood feast at the estate.