On The Road
Sibella Court’s guide to Lorne.
> OCEAN HOUSE
Nestled into a hillside in North Lorne, where the forest meets the sea, Ocean House captures all the romance of the Great Ocean Road. The tone for my visit was set on the two-hour drive down from Melbourne, a journey marked by dramatic skies, gum-lined roads speckled with wattle blossoms, and vistas of wild seas. Pausing along the way to photograph a rainbow and the red-capped Split Point Lighthouse, all the stress and humdrum of city living had dissipated by the time I arrived.
The shape of Ocean House reminds me of the foundations of a lighthouse, at once monumental and grounded in the landscape. Inside, the warmth is noticeable – not only in temperature (the house has great thermal properties), but through the softness and intimacy of the curved and rendered walls, formed concrete, pooling linen curtains and narrow transition spaces.
The interior palette takes cues from the bushscape behind the house; the flow from bush to home is virtually seamless. Beautiful trims and accents of timber on the door jambs and windowsills (I particularly loved the porthole window above the kitchenette!) add to the nurturing ambience, with the colour of the timber echoing the gums behind the house.
The rugged moods of the sea, seen from the panoramic balcony, are forever enticing soundscape of crashing waves. The view out the back is just as magnetic: rain highlights patterns on the tree trunks, wind makes the leaves of the towering gums dance, and dappled sunlight casts soft light on the underbrush. A curious kookaburra checks in every now and again as I work in the kitchen. # To book your own stay at Ocean House, go to www.oceanhouse.com.au.
> SIBELLA’S PACKING LIST
McTavish surfboard
The Society Inc seafarer cap
The Society Inc campfire toasting fork Pendleton Australia beach towel Carpenter’s axe
> LOCAL HOTSPOTS
Aireys Pub www.aireyspub.com.au
Ipsos Restaurant & Bar www.ipsosrestaurant.com.au
Brae Restuarant braerestaurant.com
Split Point Lighthouse splitpointlighthouse.com.au
Lorne Queenscliff Coastal Reserve Foodworks Lorne (for last-minute groceries!)