FREYCINET COASTAL PAVILIONS, TASMANIA, AUSTRALIA

The beautiful, unspoilt Freycinet National Park has offered up good accommodation for many years and it has recently upped the ante. Freycinet Lodge has always been a star but with the new Coastal Pavilions there’s extra star power brightening the lodge complex. Nestled into the bushland of the resort and also overlooking Great Oyster Bay, the pavilions are spectacular for their architecture and the beautiful textured building materials.

Natural simplicity and comfort includes a king bed, an outdoor bathtub (enjoyed with a glass of bubbles), comfy couches in the separate living area and the great outdoors in view from the glass walls. This is the ultimate romantic getaway set on Tassie’s unrivalled east coast. There’s a kind of Scandi influence here with iron bark and oak lining all the walls. This panelling has been placed individually, so get your bearings, as this writer couldn’t find the door out of the bedroom for a few minutes. The deck outside begs your attendance for a sit and sip and instead of a deck railing or fence there’s a hammock-like net ready to catch anyone stumbling – or to use as we did, as a comfortable spot to read in.

The mighty Hazards mountain range is the backdrop along with the serene spread of the bay in front of the resort. It’s a short walk for dining – unless you want to lock yourself in and have a platter of goodies sent to your pavilion. The Bay Restaurant is for a romantic dinner – seafood is de rigueur – and don’t miss the oysters. I’m rather fond of Richardson’s Bistro for a casual, tasty meal. There are beach and mountain walks nearby and sea and land tours, and, of course, a trip to Wineglass Bay is not to be missed.