Experience Australian Luxury at these Remarkable Retreats

Australia is one of a kind. With glittering beaches, rugged cliffs, lush rainforests and sprawling deserts, it’s a country overflowing with natural beauty and rich, cultural heritage. Set amid five bucket-list attractions, Baillie Lodges has established a handful of lodges that deliver a style of luxury connected to the landscape, its culture and wildlife. Here, service, architecture and a culinary philosophy that prizes local produce combine to form an immersive, once-in-a-lifetime experience and tangible sense of place.

Silky Oaks Lodge, Daintree Rainforest

More than 180 million years in the making the Daintree is the oldest rainforest in the world and at 1200 square kilometres, it’s the largest in Australia. Located in Tropical North Queensland, the Daintree is home to majestic flora such as 1100-year-old bull kauri pine trees and wild ginger flowers and rare fauna including the southern cassowary and musky rat-kangaroo.

It’s also where Silky Oaks Lodge – with its 40 luxury treehouse-style suites – provides guests with an immersive experience of the landscape. Wake up in your king-size bed, lounge around in the hammock on your verandah or soak in your private open-air bathtub overlooking the Mossman River below.

When you’re feeling well rested, fuel up on a breakfast of lemon myrtle waffles – the staff will greet you by name – before embarking on the Ngadiku Dreamtime Walk at Mossman Gorge, a 90-minute exploration of the Daintree Rainforest led by a First Nations guide.

The Louise, Barossa Valley

The Louise offers front-row access to Australia’s venerated wine country and the best local produce, just an hour’s drive from Adelaide. Choose from 15 private villa-style suites with gates opening onto rosemary-lined courtyards. Enjoy a refreshing dip in the infinity pool overlooking the rolling hills of the Barossa or cool off in the private rain shower just outside your lodgings.

Open the complimentary in-suite bar and pour a glass of boutique Barossa wine and snack on gourmet local treats or indulge in award-winning cuisine at Appellation, the property’s three-hatted restaurant.

Fancy heading further afield? The Louise team can arrange guided wine tours and cellar-door tastings at premier vineyards nearby – including the historic Seppeltsfield and Elderton Wines – sunrise hot-air balloon rides (pending the weather) and gourmet bike journeys.

Southern Ocean Lodge, Kangaroo Island

Just 15 kilometres off the coast of South Australia, one-third of Kangaroo Island is under the protection of national and conservation parks, making it a haven for local wildlife. To best experience its splendour, guests of Southern Ocean Lodge can speak to the concierge to and embark on a guided tour of Flinders Chase National Park, tackle a clifftop walk of Hanson Bay or head out to spot colonies of sea lions lazing on the beach.

Back at the newly reopened lodge, spectacular views of the Southern Ocean are guaranteed from each of the 25 luxury suites, all featuring eco fireplaces, rain showers and outdoor terraces. 

Capella Lodge, Lord Howe Island

From the comfort of one of the nine suites at Capella Lodge, views of crystalline waters, swaying palm trees and clouds of mist hovering over volcanic mountains will make you feel like you’re in paradise.

Perched in the southern Pacific Ocean on Lord Howe Island, a two-hour flight north-east of Sydney, Capella is within walking distance of everything you need. The coastal-themed suites have a marine-inspired interior, soft, luxurious furnishings, a hot tub or heated plunge pool, a complimentary premium in-suite bar complete with snacks, and snorkel gear. 

The suites are nestled at the foot of mounts Gower and Lidgbird footsteps from the secluded beach at Lovers Bay, providing direct access to the island’s coral reef and deep blue lagoon. A snorkelling tour can be tailored for you – or simply enjoy the outlook from the infinity pool.

Longitude 131°, Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa

Uluṟu is a sacred monolith of deep spiritual significance to the Aṉangu people and one that’s a privilege to see up close. Of the 16 temperature-controlled pavilions that curve around the clay-coloured grounds at Longitude 131°, the premium Dune Pavilion – a contemporary rendition on the classic homestead with separate living and sleeping quarters – is the Red Centre’s only accommodation offering views of both Uluṟu and Kata Tjuṯa (The Olgas).

When you wake to magnificent vistas outside the floor-to-ceiling windows of your luxury “tent”, you’ll know you’re in Australia’s desert heartland. The lodge’s friendly concierges are only too happy to organise a scenic helicopter flight over the region or provide an electric mountain bike and backpack to ride around the 10-kilometre base of the rock.

Prefer to relax? Enjoy drinks at dusk while you marvel at the changing colours of the outback. Afterwards, dinner is available under the stars atop a remote dune at Table 131°, where chefs work by torchlight to prepare four delicious seasonal courses influenced by First Nations culture.