Our daughter is a few months shy of turning two, and while Brad and I had both travelled without her a few times on our own, we had never gone away together and left her with anyone else overnight – that’s no solo couple time, short of a few dinners out, in almost two years.
From what I can gather among my friends with children of a similar age, this isn’t unusual. Some have never left their child overnight at all, let alone taken a romantic two-night getaway with their partner.
So when the opportunity arose for Brad and I to stay at Freycinet Lodge in their luxe Coastal Pavilions, we jumped at the chance – especially since we were two weeks away from moving interstate, away from our family support and the ability to leave Elsie with my parents at the last minute. It was time to make the most of it.
We hugged Elsie goodbye and headed off on our drive up the East Coast. Coles Bay is around a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Hobart, but I always allow for a few stops along the way. Uncle Alby’s in Sorell for great coffee, The Fish Van in Triabunna for some of the freshest fish and chips you’ll ever eat, then take your pick of the cellar doors along the East Coast Wine Trail.
While I can’t claim to have visited them all, my recommendations would be Spring Vale for the best wine, and Devil’s Corner for the best view. I also had a beautiful glass of Craigie Knowe Pinot Noir with dinner at The Bay Restaurant during our stay, so I’ve added that cellar door to my list to visit on my next East Coast adventure.
When we arrived at Freycinet Lodge and settled into our Coastal Pavilion, I was happily surprised to find the water’s edge closer than I had imagined from the images I’d been scouring over the many years of wanting to visit. The gentle lapping of the tide instantly soothed us from just metres away.
A highlight of the design is the large deck, complete with a round daybed, outdoor bath, and a hammock that runs the length of the pavilion – perfect for lazing away the afternoon, which we did with a glass (ok, a bottle) of Arras Sparkling Rosé.
Freycinet Lodge added nine Coastal Pavilions to the property in 2021 – a luxury upgrade to their existing accommodation offering. Designed by Liminal Studio and made of raw, natural materials, the pavilions feature floor-to-ceiling curved glass and were inspired by the contours of nearby Honeymoon Bay. The result is the perfect blend of luxury in nature.
It felt like the perfect grown-up contrast to the childhood version of Coles Bay from my memories, sleeping on bunkbeds in friends’ shacks just a few bays along from where I now lazed in my hammock. Summers were spent climbing pink granite rocks, jumping off cliffs into the ocean, swimming with dolphins, and paddleboarding in the bay. Core childhood memories I’m so grateful to have.
Every time I return as an adult – which isn’t as often as I’d like – I’m struck again by the sheer beauty of the rock formations that frame Coles Bay. Freycinet Lodge sits nestled within Freycinet National Park, beneath The Hazards and right by the ocean’s edge. As far as locations go, it’s hard to beat.
In planning this trip, I told Brad, “I don’t want to do anything – no activities – I just want to lie around the hotel and read my book for two days.”
Turns out, the allure of Coles Bay’s beauty had other plans for me.
The late autumn weather offered glorious, crisp blue-sky days – warm enough that I was able to spend most of the trip in my Sheila swimwear, the perfect attire for all that hiking and swimming I said I wouldn’t be doing.
The one activity I had agreed to was a walk to the Wineglass Bay lookout, as Brad had never been. We set our alarm for 6am on our first morning (on holiday!? Who am I?) and made our way to the lookout – a breathless and at times painful reminder of how little exercise I’ve done postpartum.
While still pretty, an always-stunning view was somewhat overshadowed by cloud cover, and I was disappointed for Brad that he didn’t get to experience this spot in all of its glistening turquoise ocean and blue-sky beauty.
We headed back to the lodge for breakfast – a generous continental buffet with an à la carte offering as well. The main Lodge houses reception, Providore Winglass for gifts, supplies and takeaway alcohol, Hazards Bar & Lounge for casual drinks and dining, The Bay Restaurant for a more high-end dining experience, and Richardson’s Bistro, a casual dining option available over the warmer months.
With its high ceilings complemented by wooden beams, and cosy lounges by the fire, the main lodge has Yellowstone ranch by the ocean vibes – just much friendlier.
A sense of community develops during our stay, as we start to recognise the same guests at breakfast from dinner the night before, often bumping into each other again out on walks or admiring the views at Honeymoon Bay.
After breakfast we went back to our pavilion for recovery baths on the deck. Truly, you would struggle to find a more relaxed person than a mother reading a book in a bubble bath, alone, in the salty ocean air at 11am on a Tuesday.
When you’re a mother who also runs her own business, it’s about more than finding the pockets of time to relax – you need to allow yourself the permission. But I should be working, or I should be with my daughter, or I should be calling to book that appointment for Elsie, or making time for family and friends, or I should be grocery shopping, or cooking dinner.
So rarely do we allow permission to truly stop, ignore the shoulds, and take a moment for ourselves.
Brad had gone into town for coffee, and I was alone in the quiet. Lying in that bathtub, with the ocean lulling me into a daze, the trees above me, and the warm water and bath salts soothing my sore muscles, I can’t remember the last time I was this relaxed.
Around midday, when the cloud lifted and we were met with another stunning day, I decided we should go back to Wineglass Bay lookout to enjoy better views than earlier in the morning.
When I suggested this to Brad, the conversation went something like this:
Me: I’m not saying we won’t regret it tomorrow
Brad: It’s a bad idea
Me: It’s 20 minutes to the top, how hard could it be?
Brad: If you complain, at all…
Me: Well, I obviously will complain.
To both our surprise, the walk was easier the second time around – not being half asleep, and with some food and coffee to fuel us, helped. I didn’t complain once, and Brad got to see the world-famous view the way it’s supposed to be seen.
Still in my Sheila swimwear, designed to take you from exercise straight to the water – that’s exactly what we did. We ventured down a dirt road to a beach accessible only by foot or boat, and with the entire beach to ourselves, jumped into the cold ocean.
In our final weeks living in Tasmania, it was a refreshing (literally) reminder of the raw, natural beauty of this place. Just us, the wild ocean, and The Hazards beyond – so good, we went back for a second dip.
With our adventuring behind us for the day, it was time to head back and spend our last night at the Lodge doing exactly as I’d planned – nothing. Luxurious, indulgent, blissful nothing. And Freycinet Lodge is the perfect place to do just that.
Coastal Pavilions at Freycinet Lodge start from $562 per night. The property offers an array of other accommodation options from $279.50, including family-friendly rooms. The lodge is part of the NRMA Parks and Resorts family, which also includes Strahan Village, Pumphouse Point, and a range of holiday parks across Australia.
The writer of this article was hosted by Freycinet Lodge for a complimentary stay. All opinions expressed are based on the author’s personal experience.
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