Luxury villas to open in the dunes of this exclusive SA island

Taylah DarnellBy Taylah Darnell
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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.

Rumi on Louth in South Australia
Bigger groups can book the private retreat. (Image: South Australian Tourism Commission)

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.

Rumi on Louth in South Australia
Current guests can stay in luxurious off-grid suites. (Image: Robert Lang Photography)

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.

Rumi on Louth in South Australia
The onsite restaurant has two Chef Hats. (Image: Robert Lang Photography)

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.

Rumi on Louth in South Australia
The resort is designed to be self-sufficient. (Image: Robert Lang Photography)

“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.

Taylah Darnell
Taylah Darnell is Australian Traveller's Writer & Producer. She has been passionate about writing since she learnt to read, spending many hours either lost in the pages of books or attempting to write her own. This life-long love of words inspired her to study a Bachelor of Communication majoring in Creative Writing at the University of Technology Sydney, where she completed two editorial internships. She began her full-time career in publishing at Ocean Media before scoring her dream job with Australian Traveller. Now as Writer & Producer, Taylah passionately works across both digital platforms and print titles. When she's not wielding a red pen over magazine proofs, you can find Taylah among the aisles of a second-hand bookshop, following a good nature trail or cheering on her EPL team at 3am. While she's keen to visit places like Norway and New Zealand, her favourite place to explore will forever be her homeland.
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Rumi on Louth in South Australia
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How a $1 deal saved Bendigo’s historic tramways

    Megan ArkinstallBy Megan Arkinstall
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    The passionate community that saved Bendigo Tramways has kept the story of this city alive for generations.

    It was an absolute steal: a fleet of 23 trams for just $1. But such a fortunate purchase didn’t happen easily. It was 1972 when the Bendigo Trust handed over a single buck for the city’s historic collection of battery, steam and electric trams, which had transported locals since 1890.

    inside the historic Bendigo Tram
    Bendigo Tramways is a historic transport line turned tourist service. (Image: Bendigo Heritage)

    The city’s tram network had been declared defunct since 1970 due to post-war shortages in materials to upkeep the trams and declining passenger numbers as motor vehicles were increasing. However, determined locals would not hear of their beloved trams being sold off around the world.

    The Bendigo Trust was enlisted to preserve this heritage, by converting the trams into a tourist service. The Victorian government approved a trial, however news spread that the Australian Electric Tramways Museum in Adelaide had acquired one of the streetcars for its collection.

    a tram heading to Quarry Hill in 1957
    A tram on its way to Quarry Hill in 1957. (Image: Bendigo Heritage)

    An impassioned group rallied together to make this physically impossible. Breaking into the tram sheds, they welded iron pipes to the rails, removed carbon brushes from the motors, and formed a blockade at the depot. The community response was extraordinary, and a $1 deal was sealed.

    A new chapter for the city’s fleet

    the old Tramways Depot and Workshop
    The old Tramways Depot and Workshop is one of the stops on the hop-on, hop-off service. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    Today, Bendigo Tramways welcomes some 40,000 passengers annually, operating as a hop-on, hop-off touring service aboard the restored trams. Fifteen of the now 45-strong fleet are dubbed ‘Talking Trams’ because of the taped commentary that is played along the route. The trams loop between Central Deborah Gold Mine and the Bendigo Joss House Temple, which has been a place of Chinese worship since 1871, via other sites including the old Tramways Depot and Workshop.

    a Gold Mine Bendigo Tram
    The fleet comprises 45 trams that have been restored. (Image: Visit Victoria/Robert Blackburn)

    Keeping things interesting, throughout the year visitors can step aboard different themed trams. Tram No. 302 becomes the Yarn Bomb Tram, decorated both inside and out with colourful crochet by an anonymous group of locals.

    During the festive season, Tram No. 15 operates as a tinsel-festooned Santa Tram, and the big man himself hides out somewhere along the route for excited children to find. And on selected dates, the adults-only Groove Tram runs nighttime tours of the city, accompanied by local musicians playing live tunes and a pop-up bar.

    the historic post office turned visitor centre in Bendigo
    Visitors can hop on and off to see the city’s sites such as the historic post office turned visitor centre. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    As well as preserving the city’s history, however, the continuation of the tram service has kept the skills of tram building and craftsmanship alive in a practical sense. Bendigo’s Heritage Rail Workshop is world-renowned for restoring heritage trams and repurposing vehicles in creative ways.

    Locally, for example, Tram No. 918 was transformed into the Dja Dja Wurrung Tram with original Aboriginal artworks by emerging artist Natasha Carter, with special commentary and music that shares the stories and traditions of Bendigo’s first people. You can’t put a price on preserving history. Nonetheless, it was a dollar very well spent.