Camping full time can be a bit tough sometimes, especially after 2+ years, which is why we budgeted a little bit of money for the occasional hotel or BnB. We have been lucky enough to stay in a few amazing places and love to take advantage of their hot showers, a comfy bed, aircon and the general coziness of the indoors. Here are all of the places we have stayed and our top recommendations.
Luna Lodge, Hobart Tasmania
This eco style farm stay dome tent is the perfect place to disconnect and relax for a night or 2 (Also perfect for couples looking for a romantic night away). Here you can leave the technology behind, there is no internet or reception and the dome is TV free so you can really disconnect and enjoy the surroundings and your company.
Included in your stay is a tour of the farm and a chance to meet and feed their furry friends. The stars of the show are the gorgeous highlander cows that you can pat and snuggle. They are super friendly and approachable. We also got to feed the adorable baby goats and the chickens.
But by far the highlight of this stay is their outdoor bathtub - carved from real stone. There is nothing better than sitting in the warm bubbly water with a glass of rose and enjoying the view (and yes you can fit 2 people in there)
The accommodation comes with everything you need so you don't have to leave once you get there *just bring some food for the BBQ or purchase one of their pre-prepared platters.
Overall we loved our stay, setting us back $400 for the night, but was by far our favourite accommodation yet - and we would do it again in a heartbeat.
Sails Resort, Uluru
This was not a planned stay, but necessary after a bad few days on the road and some issues with our camper trailer. We stayed in a superior room at the Sails In The Desert at Ayers Rock Resort. The hotel was lovely, one of the best places you can stay in Uluru. Considered a 5 star hotel, it lives up to the hype with large and comfortable rooms, an amazing pool, a great food offering, and most importantly good aircon.
We paid $250 for 1 night stay - we booked on the day, which made it significantly cheaper. Based on the website a regular room will set you back approx. $500 per night.
If you are thinking of visiting Uluru, we wrote a full blog on our experience and our time there, which you can read here.
Eagle Nest Retreat, Tasmania
This was another spontaneous booking as we needed a bit of a break from the trailer after lots of cold nights. We found it through instagram and fell in love with the images online.
Unfortunately we went on a miserable, rainy and cloudy day so were not able to enjoy the view for long and were stuck inside, but managed to enjoy a few moments when the rain stopped and the clouds cleared for a snack outdoors before returning inside.
It's not cheap, but they really go all out to give you the best experience. Included in the booking price was a selection of cheeses and crackers and some local wine to enjoy as you soak in the outdoor tub and take in the view.
The accommodation was beautiful and the bed was comfy, everything was well thought out, we paid $500 for 1 night in the The Loft and wished we stayed a second so we could make up for the bad weather. Overall it was a delightful night and I would recommend it.
Lantern Apartments, Thredbo
When we planned our Thredbo portion of the trip it was meant to be pre-snow season, but due to the craziness of la nina, it decided to come early. We decided to book accommodation as we didn’t have the equipment or the means to camp in the snow and opted for Lantern Apartments in Thredbo.
We stayed for 3 nights in total and absolutely LOVED it - heating, warm showers and comfortable beds with a view. It was all incredible - we spent most of our time indoors and sat in the lounge room watching the snowfall as we enjoyed good food and good wine. It was a 10/10 weekend.
We definitely didn't need to stay for 3 nights, as neither of us ski or snowboard, but they had a great 2 for 3 deal that we couldn't refuse. The apartment itself had everything we needed including a full kitchen and plenty of crockery and cutlery.
Day Dream Island Resort, The Whitsundays
We spent a few days exploring The Whitsundays which included a quick trip over to Day Dream Island. The island is exclusive to resort guests so you won't be sharing the location with hundreds of day visitors like you would on Hamilton Island, so it was nice and quiet.
The rooms were great, pools were amazing and the scenery was beautiful. The resort itself was pretty standard, and while I'm glad we went and had a great time, I probably wouldn't go back any time soon.
You can read our full blog on our Whitsundays experience and our thoughts on all of the Islands that make up the Great Barrier Reef here.
The Bungalows, Hamilton Island, The Whitsundays
When booking Hamilton island this was literally the only option left, but surprisingly it was great. We stayed for 3 nights, setting us back $1,160 - so around $380 per night.
The room came with a small kitchenette, that allowed us to cook dinners, saving us some cash. The bed was comfy, there was good wifi and the staff were incredible.
My favourite part of the room (apart from the much needed aircon) was the hammock out front, we laid out here and relaxed and read books during out down time.
Because the bungalows are included as part of the Reef View resort, we were able to use their pool, as well as the other 2 main ones on the island. We didn’t swim much in the ocean as it was stinger season and we didn’t have the gear to protect ourselves, and instead opted for the pool with the swim up bar.
If you want to know more about our time exploring the Whitsundays you can check out our blog.
Desert View Apartments , Coober Pedy
Ok so this one wasn't that luxurious, but it's one of those quirky things you just have to do if you visit Coober Pedy. Known for its underground population - Coober Pedy gets so hot that people literally live in the ground in houses called dugouts. We were there in the heat of summer and decided to spend a night in one of the underground hotels.
We stayed at Desert View Underground Apartments which will cost you approx $200 a night. It's just like a regular hotel, we had a kitchenette, bed, tv and bathroom. The only thing that was different was that there was no reception due to the thick, rock walls.
While it wasn't that luxurious (and probably the least impressive hotel room we have stayed in) it was still a cool experience and was nice to get out of the heat for the night.
Salty Cabins, Byron Bay
We stayed for one night in the A-frame cabin from Salty Cabins, which is an off grid, sustainable escape located in the Byron Bay Hinterland. We only booked one night as it was a little out of our price range ($480 per night) but was well worth the cash.
It was an incredible overnight stay, perfect for watching the sun set and rise perched up on the hill. On one side you have the view of the hinterland, and the other, a view of the beach.
The fire pit came stocked with everything you could need to have a toasty fire while watching the sun go down and the small kitchen had the basics to cook up a simple dinner. There's even an outdoor bathtub for a perfect sunset soak.
This was one of my favourite nights of the trip, as we are always on the hunt for a cute, tiny little getaway perched on some secluded location. Is it also a great location for a weekend getaway - we wrote a small blog on how you can spend a few days exploring Byron Bay.
The only thing I will mention (and they do including this in the booking info, so no fault on them) but the toilet is a compostable system, essentially this means it is similar to a drop toilet which you fill with sawdust after you deposit your bodily fluids. This isn't usually what people have in mind when they think of luxury accommodation, so might not be too everyones liking. But rest assured, there is no smell and it not as scary as it sounds.
Fitzroy Island Resort - Fitzroy Island, Queensland.
We spent 3 nights at Fitzory Island Resort, we didn’t need this many, but are glad we took the time to really relax and explore the island. The room we booked was on the cheaper side of things, and truthfully, we wished we paid a bit more for a nicer space. Overall the resort had everything you needed, a selection of places to eat, a decent pool and incredible views of the beach and looking back to cairns.
We got up to so much here that we wrote a full blog on our time exploring FIsland, we recommending checking it out before heading there yourselves to help guide your itinerary.
Cable Beach Resort - Broome, Western Australia
We didn’t plan on staying here, but needed a very last minute night of accommodation after a major breakdown outside of Broome. It was the only place taking last minute bookings and could fit us in. We stayed in the Pool Room Studio, setting us back $400 for one night.
It was ok… very expensive for the room itself but you are paying for the location and amenities within the resort. There are 2 pools including an adults only area with a swim up bar, a spa, tennis courts, multiple resultants and is right across from the famous Cable Beach.
If we are being honest the rooms itself were rundown and not luxury enough for the price point. The staff were amazing, but if I were to travel back to Broome, I wouldn’t stay again.
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