Group stays in Tasmania
Open the group chat. It’s time to reconnect, to gather the gang and start planning that long-delayed reunion. Located on Tasmania’s pristine peninsulas, above deserted beaches and in charming colonial towns – even an island off an island – are spacious lodgings perfect for groups of friends and family. Book your retreat, assemble your people and watch the good times unfold.
Thalia Haven, Great Oyster Bay
Alone, together
Imagine the scene: a retreat set on a private peninsula surrounded by the clear waters of Great Oyster Bay and five kilometres of secluded coastline. Gather a party of up to ten and settle in Thalia’s four stone cottages set around courtyards flanked by olive trees. Play on the haven’s private beach or head further afield to the national parks of Freycinet and Maria Island. Pack a picnic with local produce, plot your tastings along the East Coast Wine Trail and stop for seafood dinner supplies at seafood shacks. Gather around fireplaces in shared living areas, or star-gaze from the show-stopping outdoor tub.
Satellite Island, D’Entrecasteaux Channel
Island for hire
No roads, no shops, no other guests, no wifi. Just a 34-hectare island to explore with friends, a fire pit, and a handful of wild deer. In a sheltered pocket of D’Entrecasteaux Channel in southern Tasmania, Satellite Island is a special kind of luxury. Assemble a group of up to 12 buddies and vie to sleep in the three-bedroom beach house, the two-bedroom boathouse or a queen-size bell tent for summertime glamping. Bring essentials but otherwise raid the pantry and spirits cupboard for local treats or head to the vegie patch or chook house. Wake to the sound of lapping waves, settle with a glass of pinot by roaring fires, drop a line off the jetty, shuck oysters off the rocks or day-trip to Bruny Island. Did we mention oysters and Tasmanian sparkling on arrival? Lush.
Low Head Beach House, Low Head
Beachfront luxe
This is minimalism in the sand dunes. Low Head Beach House is located on Lagoon Beach at Low Head, about 40 minutes’ drive from Launceston. Floor-to-ceiling windows in the living area (and from a stone tub) frame uninterrupted views of the beach and historic Low Head Pilot Station, Café and Museum. The house sleeps six in three king bedrooms with bathrooms. Guests can pre-order produce, including local seafood and Tamar Valley wines, or arrange a private chef experience around the stringybark dining table. It’s a great base, too, for golfers heading to Barnbougle’s The Dunes and Lost Farm links courses just 45 minutes’ drive away.
Avalon Coastal Retreat, Great Oyster Bay
East coast architectural statement
Light the fire, pour a glass of east coast riesling and watch the moon rise over Freycinet Peninsula with your best friends. Architect Craig Rosevears has positioned this sleek steel, glass and timber home for maximum privacy and wraparound views over Great Oyster Bay. It sleeps six in style, with bespoke furniture by Tasmanian makers including a Huon pine tub, ocean-view decks, contemporary art, open fireplace and direct access to the beach. As for a gourmet food basket or stock up on seafood and produce in nearby Swansea and Bicheno. Also nearby is Freycinet National Park, vineyards, oyster farms and Kate's Berry Farm.
The Granary, Cressy
Escape to the country
In a bucolic country setting near the village of Cressy, a 20-minute drive from Launceston, this convict-built stone granary from the early 1800s has been transformed into stylish self-contained accommodation sleeping up to six. Pick fruit from The Granary’s orchard, and stroll its formal and cottage gardens flanked by old oak trees and a hazelnut grove. Or head further afield – follow the Tamar Valley Wine Trail, go fly fishing in the central highlands, explore the nearby convict-era farming estates of Woolmers and Brickendon, and hunt for antique treasures in northern Midlands country towns.
Raffah House
Style and sandstone
Renovated recently by a descendant of the original 1820s landholder, Raffah House is a stylish three-bedroom home in the Midlands town of Oatlands, one of the island’s oldest settlements and the nation’s largest collection of sandstone buildings. The former emporium and maternity hospital features highly Instagrammable original stonework, a mix of vintage and contemporary furniture, open fireplace, deep bath and accommodation for six people. Family stays are welcome, with baby gear available. By day, explore colonial-era towns and estates, and team with whisky tastings at Midlands distilleries such as Shene and Old Kempton. By night, prepare dinner in a big new kitchen and gather around a vintage French table for ten.
Dales at Derby, Derby
Mountain biking crew unite
Come to mountain bike, stay to recover and celebrate. On the banks of the Ringarooma River and close to the town centre, Dales of Derby is the perfect post-trail party pad. Built to a sustainable and award-winning design, the Dales sleeps up to 24 friends and family members in self-contained comfort, with space to gather in a big kitchen and lounge and around campfires outdoors. Just over an hour’s drive north-east of Launceston, the friendly former tin-mining town of Derby is the launchpad for Blue Derby, a network of 125 kilometres of mountain bike trails, and a hub of ventures catering for riders. The town’s main street is lined with bike shops, bike hire, shuttle services and bike workshops, with plenty of rider-friendly accommodation and meals. In the foothills of the Blue Tiers, Derby is also a gateway to the island’s east coast.
Novo Luxury Apartment, Penguin
180-degree ocean views
From a daybed on the deck, there’s nothing but you, your besties and Bass Strait. Novo Luxury Apartment is a newly renovated three-bedroom apartment in the charming coastal town of Penguin, on Tasmania’s north-west coast. From the first floor of this 1912 heritage-listed property, the view of Penguin Beach and the foreshore is uninterrupted. Stylish interiors feature exposed brick walls and tiles, contemporary artwork, natural timbers and luxe furnishings by homeware emporium Cocoon Designs downstairs. Stock up on local produce at a cluster of nearby shops or along the north-west Cradle to Coast Tasting Trail and share duties in the entertainer’s kitchen. It sleeps up to eight, and living and dining areas open onto a spacious deck with 180-degree ocean views.
www.novoluxuryapartment.com.au
The Cape House, Dover
Total seclusion
Surrounded by 250 acres of wilderness on a private peninsula in Tasmania’s far south, you and five of your besties will feel a world away while soaking up the Cape House’s peaceful surrounds and panoramic views: from the D'Entrecasteaux Channel and Bruny Island in the east, and across Port Esperance Bay to the Hartz Mountains and World Heritage-listed wilderness of the south west. The fully-renovated three-bedroom farmhouse combines old-world charm with modern luxuries, featuring a sun-lit living area, fully-equipped kitchen and cosy woodfire. Spend the days exploring the property’s network of walking tracks, traversing rocky shorelines, buttongrass heathland and sclerophyll forest, and home to abundant Tasmanian wildlife including bandicoots, wallabies, devils and echidnas. In the evenings, sip local wine hand-picked by your hosts and gaze at starry skies from the outdoor hut tub, and dine alfresco on fresh local seafood from the spacious deck.
www.essentiallytas.com/tas-accommodation/cape-house
Image requests
For high resolution photographs used in this article, please reach out to our PR & Earned Media team at media@tourismtasmania.com.au or join our Visual Library.