A night at Basalt Retreat proves the best way to start (or finish) the Great Ocean Road isn’t with a coastal view – it’s with a glass of pinot and a vine outside your window.
I did the Great Ocean Road backwards, starting in Port Fairy instead of finishing there, and my first night on the road ended up being one of the best of the whole trip. Basalt Retreat is tucked into a working vineyard, and after a long drive, checking into a villa surrounded by 24-year-old vines with a glass of Basalt’s own pinot in hand felt like exactly the right way to kick things off.
Where is Basalt Retreat?
Basalt Retreat is an adults-only escape along the Great Ocean Road.
Basalt Retreat sits on Basalt Wines, just off the Princes Highway at Killarney, a short 10-minute hop from Port Fairy and about 20 minutes from Warrnambool. It’s well positioned if you’re doing the Great Ocean Road in either direction – close enough to Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve that we squeezed in wild koala spotting the next morning, and close enough to Port Fairy that you can be in Australia’s best festival town for activities in town. It doesn’t have ocean views, but what it does have is quiet, rolling, working-farm scenery that feels like a proper decompression zone before or after the coast.
What is the style and character of Basalt Retreat?
The design leans into warm timber and calming earthy tones.
This is a two-villa, adults-only property, and it wears that boutique scale well. There’s no big reception building or resort sprawl here – just two architect-designed villas built literally within the rows of vines. The design by Ample Co leans into warm timber, calming earthy tones and floor-to-ceiling views of the vineyard, so wherever you’re sitting, there’s a vine in your eyeline. It makes you want to sit still for a while, which is clearly the whole point – everything about it is built for slowing down rather than ticking off a checklist.
What facilities does Basalt Retreat have?
Warm up by the fireplace. (Credit: Ample Co + Brook James)
A proper coffee machine is a luxury in a world of pod machines.
Share a bottle of Basalt pinot noir on the deck.
Given there are only two villas on the property, “facilities" here means something more intimate than a gym-and-pool situation, and it works in the property’s favour. Each villa comes with its own private deck, outdoor fire pit, in-room fireplace, air conditioning and heating, a Bose wireless speaker, and an honesty bar stocked with local wine, spirits and small provisions (items get tallied up and charged at checkout, so don’t be shy). There’s also a short stroll to the cellar door for tastings and lunch, and priority restaurant bookings throughout your stay if you want to make the most of it. It’s worth noting the property is a working farm with beehives onsite, so you’re asked to stick to the guest areas rather than wander into restricted zones.
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AI Prompt
What are the rooms like at Basalt Retreat?
A plush queen bed draped in immaculate linens.
One detail might amuse Harry Potter fans.
Relax in the rainfall shower. (Credit: Ample Co + Brook James)
We stayed in Villa Pinot Noir, one of the two villas on offer (the other is Villa Tempranillo). Sage tones, light timber and a wall of glass meant the room filled with natural light in the morning, with a queen bed dressed in cloud-soft linen and a private deck facing straight into the pinot rows.
The bathroom was a sleek, contemporary stone affair (the basin reminded me of the stone basin Dumbledore drinks from in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince), and the little touches – proper linen and towels, a mini fridge, tea and coffee facilities, weekly room service – meant it felt considered rather than just functional.
Villa Tempranillo, for anyone wanting a moodier alternative, leans into warmer, earthier tones for what looks like an equally cosy escape. Both villas cap out at two guests each, so this isn’t a spot for a group trip – it’s built for a couple, or in my case, two sisters happy to share a bottle of red and call it a night.
What is the dining like at Basalt Retreat?
A fresh breakfast is provided to start the day.
The in-villa honesty bar.
You'll usually find Paddy hanging out at the cellar door.
Dining is where Basalt Retreat quietly shows off. The cellar door serves Mediterranean-inspired lunches alongside the property’s own cool-climate wines, and it’s an easy stroll from your villa if you want a long, lingering afternoon looking out over the vines.
Breakfast is a locally sourced hamper delivered to your room, think organic yoghurt, freshly squeezed juice, artisan muesli, a croissant loaf and house-made condiments, plus freshly roasted coffee and a curated tea selection to make yourself.
There’s no kitchen for cooking your own meals, but with the cellar door lunch menu, optional chef’s selection lunches with matched wines, and a pre-bookable supper menu for your villa, you’re unlikely to need one.
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Does Basalt Retreat have access for guests with disabilities?
The villas are accessed via stairs.
This is one to flag before you book. Basalt Retreat is a working farm property, and the villas themselves are accessed via stairs, so it’s not currently set up for guests with mobility requirements. The property is upfront about this and recommends contacting them directly before booking if you have specific accessibility needs, so they can talk you through what’s realistic for the site.
Is Basalt Retreat family-friendly?
The perfect spot to wind down after a long day. (Credit: Ample Co + Brook James)
No – and it’s not trying to be. Basalt Retreat is an explicitly adults-only escape, with a minimum guest age of 18, so this one’s for couples, girls’ trips or anyone after a quiet, grown-up pause on the Great Ocean Road rather than a family stopover. If you’re travelling with kids, this isn’t your stay, but if you’re after a night of doing absolutely nothing except drinking good wine by a fire, it’s hard to beat.
Details
Reset with a vineyard view.
Best for: Couples or friends wanting a quiet, adults-only reset before or after the Great Ocean Road drive, especially wine lovers.
Address: 1131 Princes Highway, Killarney, Vic
Phone: 0429 682 251
Cost: Packages from around $695 for a one-night midweek retreat (breakfast hamper, chef’s lunch, wine tasting and more included), but rates vary by season and package. Book direct for 10 per cent off standard bookings.
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Emily Murphy is Australian Traveller's Email & Social Editor, and in her 4+ years at the company she has been instrumental in shaping its social media and email presence, and crafting compelling narratives that inspire others to explore Australia's vast landscapes. Her previous role was a journalist at Prime Creative Media and before that she was freelancing in publishing, content creation and digital marketing. When she's not creating scroll-stopping travel content, Em is a devoted 'bun mum' and enjoys spending her spare time by the sea, reading, binge-watching a good TV show and exploring Sydney's vibrant dining scene. Next on her Aussie travel wish list? South Australia and The Kimberley.
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
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.
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.
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.
George Bass Coastal Walk trails for seven kilometres along clifftops. (Image: Visit Victoria/Time Out Australia)
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.
Wander along the lakeshores in Croajingolong National Park. (Image: Tourism Australia)
The best bush hikes in Gippsland
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
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.
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. (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
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
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.
The table is set for a seafood feast at the estate.
