Immerse yourself in Tasmania’s natural beauty with a perfect balance of luxury and adventure.
Start your Tasmanian journey in the Hobart waterfront precinct at the unique storytelling hotel, MACQ 01, set on a site with a colourful and distant past. Spend the afternoon with a private driver to show you the sights of Hobart and introduce you to the remarkable stories of some of its most interesting characters before being enlightened or shocked at MONA with its controversial collection of modern and ancient art.
Experience the remote rugged South West with an unforgettable full day tour via scenic flight to the incredibly remote waterways and wilderness of Bathurst Harbour and Port Davey. Leave civilisation behind as you see the rare and endangered Orange-Bellied Parrot at the Deny King Bird Hide before travelling on an untouched waterway twice the size of Sydney Harbour. Find yourself in a remote location for a delicious lunch featuring Tasmanian produce and wine.
Wild West Coast of Tasmania
Continuing on your journey, you are invited for four days to explore on foot and by water the beautiful East Coast with its spectacular beaches, peninsulas and island trails. Enjoy the wonders of Maria Island, Freycinet Peninsula and Schouten Island where you will walk and immerse yourself in the history & wildlife of the region with your passionate & educated guides.
Enjoy exclusive use of the luxurious Lady Eugenie, a 23-metre ketch rigged yacht complete with teak decks. After a long days walk you can relax and unwind onboard taking in the sunset scenery whilst you are indulged in delicious local produce and superb 3-course dinners before retiring to your comfortable cabins. The team’s belief is that your accommodation should be enjoyed not endured!
All that adventure can be taxing so once you are ready to kick back where better to do it than Saffire Freycinet with the backdrop of the Hazards. You can make the most of the experiences included in your stay all that are designed to engage and connect you with this stunning location. If you’d like a little extra we always recommend indulging your inner wine connoisseur and chef by spending the day with a local discovering the region’s mouth-watering delicacies all with the most picturesque views.
A spectacular helicopter flight back along the East Coast and over the islands retracing your trip on the Lady Eugenie is the culmination of your Tasmanian adventure.
Imagine the tranquility of a place so remote that you can only get there by foot, boat or light aircraft. In Tasmania’s Southwest, Port Davey is such a place. This remote wilderness area is a Marine Nature Reserve and forms part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. It’s three times the size of Sydney Harbour and one of the most spectacular landscapes on the planet, with wild rivers, quartzite peaks and extensive waterways.
The best way to explore this area is by purpose built boat. With no roads in or out, the journey starts with a spectacular flight from Hobart across the densely forested Southwest National Park to Melaleuca, a remote locality consisting only of a couple of buildings.
Upon landing you will be taken by tender through the mirrored waters of the inlet to your ‘boutique floating hotel’ the Odalisque, the base from which you will explore the untouched South West.
The itinerary
The itinerary will be tailored to your interests and daily shore excursions will see you totally immersed in the wilderness. It’s all about “getting your feet wet”. During your unforgettable time, you’ll explore narrow winding waterways lined with Huon pine by jet boat, hike to mountain-top vantage points where it feels like you can see over the edge of the world, picnic on remote beaches and soak up the serene views from the deck as you cruise past sea caves, rock arches, blowholes and rocky islets. You could be one of the very few to witness the islands of Maatsuyker, cruise the Davey River gorge, wander the buttongrass moorlands or beachcomb the white sand of seemingly endless beaches.
Looking across Port Davey
The Vessel
Tasmanian owner Pieter van der Woude’s custom-built twenty-metre expedition cruise vessel is designed for the comfort and safety of guests. Cruising with a maximum of 10 guests overnight, the Odalisque has three private cabins, a comfortable entertaining and dining area and three spacious outside decks for sightseeing, photography or sunset barbecues. The galley consists of a contemporary spacious kitchen with an island bench, sofa seating and large open windows to relax and enjoy the spectacular scenery or watch the chef cook up a storm. The open plan saloon area allows panoramic views, has plenty of lounging capacity and a large dining area for a leisurely dining experience. A true boutique floating hotel, it’s perfect if you’re eager for adventure but not so keen on roughing it.
What’s so special about this region?
The Port Davey Marine Reserve was created to protect an extraordinary underwater world. In Bathurst Harbour a very unusual marine environment has been created by a deep layer of dark red-brown, tannin-rich freshwater, which overlies tidal saltwater. The tannins restrict sunlight penetration to the top few metres, limiting the growth of marine plants. In their place live colourful and delicate marine invertebrates, including sea pens. In the clearer marine waters of Port Davey – away from the influence of the freshwater tannins – a more typical Tasmanian underwater world exists. Diverse kelp forests and abundant fish thrive beneath the surging Southern Ocean waves. This Marine Reserve forms part of the Southwest National Park, and is surrounded by the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.
The Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area encompasses a greater breadth of values than any World Heritage property on Earth. Of 1052 sites in the world which are recognised as World Heritage areas, Tasmania is one of only 35 sites that satisfy both cultural and natural heritage values. But even more impressively, the area satisfies seven of the ten criteria, including unique human culture and history, wilderness, plants and wildlife, and geology. Only one other site in the world (located in China) equals this number and none exceed it. There’s a lot to explore; Tasmania’s World Heritage Area comprises 1.38 million hectares, or about 20 per cent of the entire State.
Talk to Alquemie to incorporate this remote part of Australia into an itinerary.
Arno Moulin, one of Alquemie’s Australia specialists recently spent a week travelling all around Tasmania. One of the highlights of his trip was a visit with Pepper Bush Adventures.
Pepper Bush Adventures offer unique and exclusive wildlife experiences throughout Tasmania, trips to the Tamar Valley to sample delicious Tasmanian food and wine and as well as secluded beaches in the Bay of Fires and visits to visit ancient forests and spectacular alpine mountain peaks.
He said his time spent with Pepper Bush Adventures was one of the best wildlife experiences ever! Below is a summary of his time with Pepper Bush in his own words….
Craig picked us up from Peppers Seaport in Launceston at 12:30pm– within 10 minutes we were driving through the glorious Tamar Valley; being autumn the colours were beautiful. We enjoyed some commentary about the wine region – which produces most of Tasmania’s wine!
We headed for Ben Lomond – Tasmania’s second highest peak. On the day the weather was foggy so we were unable to see the amazing views; but the drive was a fun adventure in itself on a 4WD only road. On the way up Craig discussed at what points above sea level different trees grow – which is more fascinating than it sounds! Once at the top the land is baron and rocky – which is an amazing contrast over the lush green hills and dense forest landscape surrounding the mountain. We then saw Tasmania’s only ski slope and a few eerie looking chalets – here we also saw a few Bennet’s Wallabies.
We then continued our way to the Quoll Patrol area and kept stopping on the way to visit ‘the bush supermarket’ – here Craig would pick pepper bush leaves and other kinds of berries & eucalyptus and provide commentary about the flora – these were then be used as ingredients for dinner!
On arrival at the property we enjoyed a 20 minute stroll around the property on our way to the ‘shack’. The walk is very beautiful through a forest plantation – and we saw more wallabies!
After our stroll we were then greeted with the MOST amazing cheese platter ever at the shack. On the platter we found smoked wallaby, lots of different Tasmanian cheeses, different styles of pastes like pear & quince – but the best bit was the freshly warmed bread with Tasmanian truffle oil!
Sitting across the camp fire enjoying a glass of Tasmanian wine and devouring the cheese platter – we were in awe of the surrounding landscape! This is pristine wilderness at its best!
The toilet is a drop loo – but well maintained and has a pretty awesome view!
Next course was wallaby meatballs – which were super tasty. Craig is an ex-butcher and it is easy to tell he only uses the best meat. The Tasmanian salmon was cooked right in front of us on the camp fire oven – with pepper bush leaves and lots of other yummy bush ingredients, the flavours and smells were wonderful!
Once the sun went down suddenly we started seeing wildlife coming out from the forest onto the surrounding paddock. Within about 15 minutes we were greeted by wallabies, possums (common Brushtails), quolls (honey coloured and black ones) and lots of pademelons! In the distance we also spotted a few wombats. At times they were only 1 metre away from us. Craig would then shine the torch allowing plenty of opportunities to take photos. For the next hour Craig provided commentary on the wildlife and discussed the habits of quolls and wallabies. There were probably about 200 animals around us within a vicinity of 100 metre radius. Everywhere we looked – they were everywhere!!
We got back into the vehicle and within 5 minutes we were out again spotting platypus in a pond just up from the shack! This is a very rare and amazing experience to see these weird animals in the wild!!
On the drive back we were buzzing with excitement from seeing all the wildlife and a bit of red wine warming our tummies – it was talk talk talk! We arrived back at Launceston at about 10:00pm – of course in summer this is much later.
Would you like to breathe the world’s freshest air or stand amongst 2000 year old trees? A new Tasmanian experience allows you to do just that, with an easy day trip from Hobart to discover the Wild West Coast of Tasmania.
Departing from the outskirts of Hobart, a 50 minute scenic flight takes you over the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park, one of the most remote areas in the world, towards Tasmania’s Wild West Coast. Landing in Strahan – a harbour-side village on the edge of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, you’ll board a luxury catamaran and embark on a journey to the Gordon River, part of Tasmania’s UNESCO Wilderness World Heritage Area. The area is steeped in history and is full or stories from its convict and pioneering past.
Initially heading out for a peek through ‘Hell’s Gates’ at the mouth of Macquarie Harbour you’ll cruise to see local salmon and trout farms that deliver some of Tasmania’s freshest seafood products around the country.
From there, you’ll head up to the Gordon River through one of the world’s most pristine temperate rainforests where you’ll get to walk amongst the giants of the forest – ancient Huon Pines.
Cruise the through Tasmania’s UNESCO Wilderness World Heritage Area.
After a chef prepared lunch you’ll stop to learn about Tasmania’s convict history at Sarah Island – a former Macquarie Harbour Penal Station with a reputation as one of the harshest penal settlements of all the Australian colonies. Operating for just 11 years between 1822 and 1833, Macquarie Harbour Penal Station took the worst of the worst convicts as the chances of escape were “next to impossible”. Conditions on the island were so bad that in 1824 a prisoner named Trenham killed another convict in order to be executed rather than face further imprisonment there. (source: wikipedia) The 2008 film ‘The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce’ was inspired by one of Sarah Island’s escaped prisoner’s tales of resorting to cannibalism to survive.
After visiting this interesting historic site you’ll cruise back to Strahan for some free time before your return scenic flight to Hobart.
Alquemie’s Australian Specialist Anthony Radic journeyed to the Kimberley, Western Australia in April 2018 for an eight night educational. Part of this was a 4 day, 3 night ‘Bungle Bungles Insight’ journey by 4×4 starting in Broome and ending in Kununurra with the key highlight being the UNESCO World Heritage listed bee-hive striped domes of the Bungle Bungles, only ‘discovered’ in the mid 1980s although Aboriginal occupancy in the region dates back tens of thousands of years.
Highlights included: Derby, Fitzroy Crossing, Mimbi Caves, Halls Creek, Echidna Chasm, Escarpment Walk, Stonehenge, The Bungle Bungle Domes, Elephant Rock, Prison Boad Tree, Picanniny Creek & Lookout, Cathedral Gorge.
Anthony’s feedback on the journey:
Excellent guiding. Aboriginal knowledge and history was superb.
My guide Ed knew the locals really well which is perfect when guiding in these areas.
The trip is fully flexible and can also include the Pilbara region
Below is his itinerary and photos.
Day 1 Derby, Gibb River Road, Fitzroy River Lodge
Many parts of inland Kimberley are accessible only from May to October
From Broome Anthony travelled through the remote and beautiful landscape of the Western Kimberley, learnt about local history, people and the environment before crossing the Fitzroy River and visiting the a famous 1,500 year old Boab
Tree.
Next stop was the township of Derby located on the tidal mud flats on the edge of the King Sound, known for having the highest tidal range of any port in Australia. Here they also took the opportunity to drive on the remote cattle track, the Gibb River Road.
A short stop at the wonderful Mowanjum Aboriginal Art & Cultural Centre set the scene for the rest of the journey, educating Anthony about the Wandjina & Gwion Gwion spirits, so important in the region. Afterwards they passed the Oscar Ranges before arriving at comfortable accommodation on the banks of the Fitzroy River.
Day 2 Halls Creek, Spring Creek Track, Mimbi Caves
The next day they ventured into Purnululu National Park by way of the Mimbi Caves, which Anthony loved. A Welcome to Country ceremony by the local people whose land they were on started the proceedings. Inside the caves he sat in the dark and listened to stories of how traditional landowners lived in caves as late as the city of Darwin getting bombed. The afternoon was an adventurous 4WD journey along the Spring Creek Track.
Day 3 Echidna Chasm, Scenic Flight
Echidna Chasm
Anthony loved his day at the northern extremity of Purnululu National Park exploring Echidna Chasm, known for its towering Livistonia Palm trees. His walk up the creek bed was rewarded with a bird’s eye views of the shaded escarpment. Another walk through the bloodwoods went around the base of the massif.
Day 4 Picanniny Creek, Cathedral Gorge, (Optional Helicopter)
Cathedral Gorge (after a record dry monsoon season)
Picanniny Creek
Anthony’s last morning was spent exploring the extraordinary World Heritage protected Purnululu National Park and the famous Bungle Bungle domes. Rivers created this landscape of unique orange and black striped ‘beehive’ geological formations over a period of 20 million years. Unbelievably, only the locals knew it existed until the early 1980’s.
A gentle walk along the dry Picanniny Creek took Anthony to a look out and then into stunning Cathedral Gorge, where towering rocks create a natural amphitheatre.
After a picnic lunch he travelled to the Bungles airstrip for a scenic flight over the Argyle Diamond Mine landing in the vibrant East Kimberley town of Kununurra for the end of his trip.
Anthony’s trip was with Instyle Adventures and he stayed at Fitzroy River Lodge (1 night) and Bungle Bungle’s Savannah Lodge (2 nights). Please contact Anthony for more detailed information about his journey.
The Kimberley is one of the world’s last great wilderness frontiers where many tracts of pristine country are inaccessible by road. What better way to grasp the vastness of this amazing land than on a one day scenic Kimberley air safari? Beginning and ending at Broome, this is the perfect journey to add another dimension to your Kimberley itinerary and combines well with a luxury Kimberley cruise where you can also experience this stunning area by sea.
Highlights of this scenic air safari include:
Fitzroy River
Geikie Gorge
Fitzroy Crossing
Windjana Gorge
Mount Hart
Horizontal Waterfalls
Koolan and Cockatoo Islands
Cape Leveque
Dampier Peninsular
Willie Creek
The below suggested itinerary can be tailored to meet your needs.
Departing Broome, head inland across the southern parts of the Kimberley to land at Fitzroy Crossing for a journey along the stunning Geikie Gorge by boat. Formed around 350 million years ago, this area was once covered by a tropical sea and is part of the Devonian Reef – an ancient limestone barrier reef. These days it is rich in wildlife and showcases spectacular landscapes.
The limestone cliffs and interesting rock formations of Geike Gorge were carved by the Fitzroy River as it flowed through this reef turned rock.
As you drift peacefully along Geike Gorge it’s likely you’ll encounter fresh water crocodiles, sea eagles and rare purple-crowned fairy-wrens.
Geike Gorge at Fitzroy Crossing
After your cruise you’ll fly over the ancient Devonian Reef at Windjana Gorge for a bird’s eye view.
The remains of the Devonian Reef
Your plane will then land in the heart of the King Leopold Conservation Park for a delicious lunch at Mt Hart Wilderness Lodge. This area contains isolated patches of remnant rainforest, with ridges rising up to 300 meters above the surrounding plains.
After lunch, fly over the Horizontal Waterfalls – a powerful tidal flow of unto 10m through two narrow gorges in Talbot Bay.
Horizontal Falls from the air
Then you’ll journey over the remote Buccaneer Archipelago to Koolan and Cockatoo Islands, 250 kilometres north-east of Broome, which were home to the world’s richest iron ore deposits. As you fly over you’ll see how the land has be transformed by human activity. Now mostly depleted, you’ll learn about the importance of the iron ore, and the future of the islands, with Cockatoo Island set to be restored to a tropical paradise resort, originally envisioned by disgraced tycoon Alan Bond.
See the coastline by air on a Kimberley air safari
In the afternoon you’ll enjoy afternoon tea and a swim at Kooljaman at Cape Leveque – a remote wilderness camp owned and run by the Indigenous Bardi Jawi Communities. Cape Leveque is an area of amazing wildlife, a vast array of marine life and a stunning coastline.
As with all Kimberley activities this Kimberley air safari is best done from May to October. To enquire about this luxury Kimberley air safari please contact Alquemie.
The iconic Gibb River Road is little more than a 660 km long bush track that links remote cattle stations to Derby and Kununurra. For the traveller, however, the Gibb River Road provides adventure and access to the virtually untouched natural beauty of the Kimberley wilderness.
It’s one of the country’s greatest 4WD adventures.
The road cuts through King Leopold Range, Philips Range, Barnett Range, Gibb Range, Mosquito Hills, Pentecost Range and Cockburn Range. There are spectacular geological formations, a rich aboriginal history, incredible scenery as well as rare flora and fauna. Wildlife concentrates around the densely vegetated waterholes, creeks and many gorges.
The best months to travel are from May to September as the road is often closed during the wet season, which is typically November through March.
Highlights of the Gibb River Road
Windjana Gorge
Three hundred million years ago the Napier Range was part of an ancient barrier reef system and this whole area was under the ocean. More recently The Lennard River has carved out a 3.5 km gorge that is up to 100 metres deep. A 3.5 km walking trail winds its way through the monsoonal strip of vegetation along the permanent pools of water that remain.
Windjana Gorge in the Kimberley
Tunnel Creek
The creek flows through a water worn tunnel beneath the limestone of the Napier Range, you can walk 750 metres through the tunnel to the other side of Napier Range, wading through several permanent pools and watching for bats and the stalactites that descend from the roof in many places. Freshwater crocodiles are occasionally found in the pools. You may see goannas, wallabies, bats, herons and owls.
Bell Gorge
This is one of the most beautiful gorges in the Kimberley. The waterfalls cascade down the perfectly U-shaped cliffs, into a deep pool, a great place for swimming. The large flat rocks along the side are a great spot to sit, sun bathe and picnic.
Mornington Sanctuary
Covering 358,274 ha (885,311 acres) of the Pentecost sub-region the property incorporates sections of the impressive King Leopold Ranges and much of the upper catchment of the Fitzroy River. Aboriginal people have occupied this land for thousands of years and a small indigenous community still lives within Mornington. From 1901 Mornington was managed primarily for cattle grazing but in 2001 it was acquired by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) and the property has been modified to promote conservation of biodiversity.
The Mornington landscape is immensely beautiful. The Baulk Face Range dominates the central part and Fitzroy Bluff stands majestically in the south. There are several permanent rivers flowing through the vast savanna plains to drain into the Fitzroy River.
These waterways sometimes dissect the terrain for several kilometres to form spectacular vertical-walled gorges such as Dimond Gorge and Sir John Gorge. The dominant habitat of Mornington is tropical savannah; the grasslands are lightly sprinkled with stands of low eucalypts, Kimberley Bauhinia, Acacias, Boabs and native kapok.
The diversity of habitats on Mornington supports an extraordinary assemblage of wildlife. 202 species of birds, 33 species of mammals, 76 species of reptiles and 22 species of frog are known to occur on the property.
The Central Kimberley is very poorly surveyed, and these lists will no doubt expand with further research. At least 13 threatened animal species find refuge on Mornington, including the Northern Quoll, Freshwater Crocodile, Red Goshawk, Peregrine Falcon, Grey Falcon, Australian Bustard, Purple-crowned Fairy-wren, and the extraordinarily beautiful Gouldian Finch, one of Australia’s rarest birds. The Spectacled Hare-wallaby, Ghost Bat and the Orange Leaf-nosed Bat are also likely to occur here.
Zebedee Springs
Not far from the Gibb River road you can wander through the lush vegetation to the natural spring waters of Zebedee Springs, where gentle cascades and water holes are surrounded by palm forest.
Purnululu National Park
Nestled in the sweep of the Ord River Valley is the newly listed World Heritage Purnululu National Park. Although a mere 250 km south of Kununurra, it was only discovered by the outside world in the early 1980s. The Bungle Bungle sandstone massif dates back some 380 million years, and the striking beehive domes have protected Aboriginal rock art, sacred sites and rare vegetation for centuries. Within the spectacular massif lie Cathedral and Piccaninny Gorge. A visit to either requires a stroll along the ancient creek bed of Piccaninny, amidst the towering striped domes. As you venture deeper into the national park the narrow cleft of Echidna Chasm, and Mini Palms are accessible with a little more effort. The beauty of the park is striking. The Bungle Bungle represents the grandest of the distinctive Kimberley formations.
How to see the Gibb river Road in style
The Gibb River road is best seen on a guided private 4×4 journey (allow roughly 9 days) or air safari staying at luxurious properties such as El Questro Homestead, or the comfortable tented camp of Mornington Wilderness Camp. Talk to Alquemie for the best way to organise your Gibb River road journey.
Australia is blessed with space and that means there are plenty of opportunities to look up and see the night sky in all its glory. From our first International Dark Sky Park to the Southern Aurora, why not build an itinerary that makes the most of the night time as well as the day.
Visit our International Dark Sky Park
Warrumbungle National Park is as spectacular by day as the stars above it at night.
Ever heard of an ‘International Dark Sky Park’? It’s described as ‘a land possessing an exceptional or distinguished quality of starry nights and a nocturnal environment that is specifically protected for its scientific, natural, educational, cultural heritage, and/or public enjoyment.‘ Put simply, International Dark Sky Parks are special places where the stars look AMAZING!
International Dark Sky Parks are becoming more and more important as the world becomes more and more populated. With cities expanding and the wilderness disappearing bit by bit, light pollution is spreading and many children are growing up these days without seeing the stars.
In 2016, Warrumbungle National Park about 550km northeast of Sydney in outback New South Wales, received International Dark Sky Park status. Here the sky is free from light pollution and the it the perfect spot for stargazing and amateur astronomy. Adjacent to the park is Siding Spring Observatory – Australia’s premier optical and infrared astronomical observatory. It is home to the 4-metre Anglo-Australian Telescope, the largest in Australia. It’s possible to visit this working observatory to learn about the discoveries made from here. Then by night, in Warrumbungle National Park we’ll help you see the stars like never before with renowned astronomers or nighttime photographers.
See the Southern Aurora (Aurora Australis)
The Southern Aurora as seen in Tasmania
Unknown to most, the southern skies of Australia can illuminate in a rainbow of colours just like its northern counterpart – the Aurora Borealis. In fact all it’s possible to catch a glimpse of the Southern Aurora all over Tasmania and all year around although in winter the days are shorter meaning you won’t need to stay up as late until the sun sets. The conditions need to be just right though, and this is usually when there has been a burst of solar wind that ejects tiny particles that interact with the Earth’s magnetic field. There is a service that monitors the magnitude of the aurora with a 3 day forecast so if this is something that interests you, we can plan a flexible itinerary that gives you the best chance of seeing this incredible natural light show.
Learn about Aboriginal navigation by the stars
The night sky has held incredible importance to the Australian Aboriginals for tens of thousands of years. The stars were used in every day life to determine where food was or when to plant. They had their own zodiac with fascinating stories (some, such as the story behind the seven sisters (Pleiades) match those of far off nations) and they even used the stars to transmit moral codes of conduct. Spend time learning about this ancient knowledge with one of Australia’s leading experts.
Sky dive on a full moon
As if you need more adrenaline when jumping out of a plane, but full moon skydiving takes it up another level. In Australia there are some spectacular locations to sky dive over the coastline at full moon where you can land on the beach.
To weave any of the above into an itinerary, please get in touch with the Alquemie team.
Enjoy a 3, 4 or 7-day bespoke Walking & Creativity Retreat in Margaret River. Walk along selected sections of the Cape to Cape track, be inspired & replenished by the natural beauty of the region and explore your creativity under the guidance of local artists.
Walks and creativity sessions are tailored to each guest.
Creative sessions could include painting, sculpting, textiles, weaving, pottery, theatre, writing, glass-blowing, drawing and photography. Other activities available are sound healing, yoga, canoeing, dance and wine-tasting.
Below is a sample 4 day itinerary.
Day 1 – Perth to Margaret River – walk 5km – wildflowers – canoeing
Let us drive you from Perth to Margaret River via Meelup Beach to enjoy brunch before a fun canoeing experience.
Walk from Cape Naturaliste to Sugar Loaf Rock – one of the most photographed coastal features in this region. Look out for whales and more unique wildflowers.
Day 2- Wilyabrup Cliffs – walk 5km – yoga – painting session
Start the day with gentle yoga. Walk along the spectacular Wilyabrup cliffs before a local cuisine degustation at one of the oldest wineries in the region & taste world-renown wines before our 3-course meal. During the afternoon create your own colourful canvas in a painting session with award-winning local artist.
Day 3- Boranup Forest – walk 9km – sculpture session
The stunning Boranup forest will take your breath away as you walk and feel deeply reconnected to nature.
Create your own site-specific sculptures deep in the heart of the Karri trees with our award-winning, international environmental sculptor to guide you.
Relax in the afternoon with free time to reflect & take in the beauty of our surroundings.
Day 4- Cape Leuwin walk
Walk through another magical stretch of Karri forest, coastal woodlands & heath all the way to the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse &
enjoy lunch at the White Elephant overlooking Gnarabup Beach. Explore Margaret River town before our drive back to Perth.
Tanja Lagoon Camp is one of those beautiful conservation stories that you dream of creating in retirement. Once a dairy farm with nothing but grass and cows, this gorgeous property has been converted by labour of love into a peaceful wilderness camp with tall trees and abundant wildlife.
A chilled out mob of Eastern Grey Kangaroos call Tanja Lagoon Camp home, as do Swamp Wallabies, Echidnas, White-footed dunnarts, Ring-Tail Possums and a variety of other mammals. In conjunction with funding from the Local Land Services, owners Loz and Sam are planting vegetation across the property to create a wildlife corridor for the rare and endangered Long-Nosed Potoroo.
Located on the Sapphire Coast about 6 hours drive south of Sydney, this small pocket of privately owned land sits on the edge of a coastal lagoon surrounded by National Park. The region is know as Australia’s Coastal Wilderness and blissfully remains relatively unvisited due to the distance from any capital cities or major airports. You’ll often have miles of beach entirely to yourself.
Both Loz and Sam are former outdoor education guides and have a wealth of knowledge on the natural world.
Luxurious Safari Tents
Just four large, luxurious safari tents overlook the lagoon. Inside each tent is a beautiful and comfortable handcrafted queen size bed positioned to enjoy the best of the view when the tent is fully opened. There is also a lounge area with a sofa and writing desk. During the cooler months there is a Noirot heater to take the chill out of the room.
The ensuite bathroom of a safari tent at Tanja Lagoon Camp
Off the back of each deck is an ensuite bathroom and a fully equipped kitchen with fridge/freezer, microwave and cooking equipment. There is no restaurant on property however there is a quality gas barbecue with a hotplate, grill, oven chamber and side burner for you to self cater if you choose.
The spacious front decks have views of the lagoon, a comfortable dining setting, an ethanol brazier in the cooler months and the sofa is easy to move outside to be enjoyed as a daybed.
Each tent also has it’s own fire drum with camp chairs and fire wood provided to allow guests to enjoy the pleasure of sitting around a camp fire.
Middle Beach is just a short bush walk from Tanja Lagoon Camp.
Activities at Tanja Lagoon Camp
At Tanja Lagoon Camp you can be as active or as lazy as you please. Nearby is Middle Beach where the lagoon meets the ocean. Here you can surf, swim or explore the rock pools and sand bar that divides the lagoon from the sea. To access this magical place there’s a short bush walk, or you can take a canoe and paddle your way to the ocean. There is also a walk through the Mimosa Rocks National Park forest amongst the spotted gums and cycads. No matter what you choose, you’ll be sure to see the abundant wildlife and feel at peace in this natural wonderland.
Within an hours drive of Tanja Lagoon Camp are a variety of other activities both on and off the water. Beaches abound for surfing and swimming. There are a range of mountain bike trails for the active, and art trails for the creative. You can discover the Aboriginal heritage of the area at Aragannu, a site of special cultural significance to the local indigenous people or visit nearby oyster farms. You won’t get bored!
One activity that is recommended is to enjoy the sunset over the lagoon from the deck of your safari tent with glass of cold wine in hand.
Tanja Lagoon Camp is perfect for those who are after a wilderness experience near the beach. It is set up for those who self drive and self cater as there is no restaurant on site, however it can easily accomodate those who need full service.
