Australasia

Exclusive guide to the best holiday destinations in Australasia, independent reviews from award-winning travel writers

Bannisters Port Stephens. A coastal luxury haven.

31/10/2023 by .
Bannisters Port Stephens

Sarah Kingdom makes a nostalgic return her old family holiday haunt at Port Stephens. A place of stunning beaches and coastal neighbourhoods and Bannisters Port Stephens, the luxury resort that’s replaced the childhood motel.

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Silky Oaks Lodge

09/05/2017 by .
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Lying in a hammock on the balcony of a treehouse on stilts, overlooking the rainforest, listening to the birds, and the soft lap of the river below… it’s one of those moments you never forget. A member of Luxury Lodges of Australia, Silky Oaks Lodge is an eco  lodge and spa that promises ‘tranquility in the rainforest’ – and it delivers.

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Spicers Sangoma Retreat

25/04/2017 by .
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It’s usually a good omen when your taxi goes down a really, really long drive, and you’re met with a smile and a glass of champagne. So it begins at Spicers Sangoma Retreat, an eco-retreat in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales that has just six suites and an all-inclusive policy.

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Vibe Hotel, Rushcutters Bay

24/04/2017 by .
vibe hotel rushcutters sydney executive suite bedroom king 01 2016

It’s night-time when we arrive at the Vibe Hotel, Rushcutters Bay, grateful to sink into a comfortable bed after a long flight to Sydney from the UK. So it’s only when the sun comes up and I bounce out of bed and throw open the curtains, that I see that a  beautiful setting we’re in.

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Sofitel Auckland Viaduct Harbour

17/11/2016 by .
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‘Bonjour’ is not how you expect to be greeted in Auckland, New Zealand – especially when you are not French, but it’s how staff welcome us to the Sofitel Auckland Viaduct Harbour (I’m presuming it’s a company-wide thing).

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Hotel Lindrum. Melbourne

29/04/2014 by .
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A former tea merchant’s warehouse and then billiards hall tucked away at the quiet end of Flinders Street may not perhaps conjure up images of the perfect home for a boutique luxury hotel, yet The Hotel Lindrum far from playing down such humble beginnings, positively embraces it.

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