Rest Atlas
Boutique Stays
Owner-operated, independently designed, and never part of a chain. The stays across Australia that prove accommodation can be as thoughtful as the destination itself.
Thalia Haven
Thalia Road
Four ancient-stone bedrooms sit clustered around olive-tree courtyards on a 130-acre wooded peninsula in Great Oyster Bay. Five kilometres of private coastline, one golden-sand beach, and an off-grid setup running on rainwater, solar, and wind. The east coast's elemental qualities — cold water, big sky, silence — are right there. Nothing is curated about it.
The Bower Byron Bay
28 Bangalow Road
Contemporary pavilions in subtropical gardens, minutes from Byron's beaches. The Bower pitches New York sophistication against coastal informality — a combination that sounds forced but, in practice, gives the property a backbone that Byron's more purely relaxed options often lack. Pool, bikes, and a spa round out the offer.
Como The Treasury
1 Cathedral Avenue
A luxury hotel housed within Perths grand 19th-century State Buildings. Heritage architecture meets contemporary design in the heart of the city. Located in the Perth City region of Western Australia; nightly rates from $350 to $700; accommodating up to 2 guests across 1 bedroom; amenities include pool, spa, restaurant, gym; ideal for couples and city explorers.
Kimo Estate
1245 Kimo Road
Mon–Sun 9am–5pm
A working 7000-acre sheep and cattle farm outside Gundagai that opened to guests in 2014. Accommodation ranges across off-grid A-frame EcoHuts with wood-fired hot tubs, restored Victorian-era cottages, and the Shearers Quarters for larger groups. In town, Flash Jacks occupies a restored 1888 convent with nine rooms. The homestead and Grain Shed host farm weddings, with onsite stays for guests.
Pretty Beach House
83 Pretty Beach Road
Mon–Sun 12am–11:59pm
Four pavilion suites perched on the escarpment above Pretty Beach, deep in Bouddi National Park. The seaplane option — Rose Bay to Hardys Bay, over Palm Beach and the Hawkesbury — sets the tone: this is a place that takes its remove seriously. Rates are all-inclusive, down to the wine list. Ninety minutes from Sydney; a different world entirely.
Binna Burra Lodge
1040 Binna Burra Rd, Beechmont QLD 4211
Mon–Sun 12am–11:59pm
Founded in 1933 by conservationists Arthur Groom and Romeo Lahey — who had already established Australia's first dedicated conservation organisation three years prior — Binna Burra sits at 800 metres in Lamington National Park. The lodge burned in the 2019 bushfires and has since reopened with Tiny Wild Houses, refurbished safari tents, and Sky Lodge apartments alongside the rebuilt Tea House cafe.
Bamurru Plains
Swim Creek Station
An all-inclusive safari camp on a water buffalo station at the edge of Kakadu National Park, off-grid and open only February to October, outside the monsoon. Twelve lodgings, ten safari bungalows plus the Kingfisher Suite and Jabiru Retreat, overlook the Mary River floodplain with mesh walls. Days run to airboat crossings, river cruises and guided walks, with chef-prepared meals and Australian wines.
Paperbark Camp
571 Woollamia Road, Woollamia NSW
Mon–Sun 9am–5pm
Conceived during an African safari in the 1980s and opened in 1999 by Jeremy and Irena Hutchings, Paperbark Camp was Australia's first luxury tented bush camp. The twelve canvas tents sit in bush outside Huskisson, 190km south of Sydney. The Gunyah restaurant — candlelit, treetop, open to non-guests — is reason enough to make the drive.
Silky Oaks Lodge
Finlayvale Road
Set among the rainforest treetops on the Mossman River, this Daintree retreat neighbours the World Heritage wilderness of Daintree National Park. Forty treehouses are styled with contemporary furnishings and local timbers, looking out over river or rainforest. The open-air restaurant and bar serve contemporary Australian menus with Mediterranean and Asian influences, while the Healing Waters Spa holds six treatment rooms. First Nations Kuku Yalanji guides lead tours of the rainforest's 'natural supermarket'.
Depot Beach Cabins
Depot Beach Road
Mon–Sun 12am–11:59pm
Timber cabins nestled between the Murramarang National Park and a pristine South Coast beach. Kangaroos graze on the lawns at sunset. nightly rates from $180 to $300; accommodating up to 6 guests across 3 bedrooms; amenities include kitchen, wifi, bbq, bushwalking; ideal for families and small groups and beach lovers.
Alkina Lodge
35 Parkers Access Track Wattle Hill, Wattle Hill VIC
Mon–Sun 12am–11:59pm
Three private residences on the Great Ocean Road, designed by Glenn Murcutt and Wendy Lewin to sit lightly on the land. Stone floors, clean lines, log fires, and kangaroos at the window most mornings. Self-contained, so stock up before you arrive — the nearest shops are in Lorne.