Quirky places to stay in Australia

Gagudju Crocodile Holiday Inn – Kakadu, Northern Territory

The Gagudju Holiday Inn at Jabiru is situated in the heart of Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory, and is one of the few World Heritage areas listed for both cultural and natural heritage.

What’s quirky about this hotel is its unique structure - in the shape of a big green crocodile. The crocodile jaws make the hotel entrance, which leads to a billabong like foyer.

Gagudju Crocodile Holiday Inn is situated just two and a half hours from Darwin, and is the ideal base to explore Ubirr and Nourlangie rock art galleries plus view the towering sandstone escarpment of Arnhem Land. 

Gagudju Crocodile Holiday Inn - Kakadu

Desert Cave Hotel – Coober Pedy, South Australia

The Desert Cave Hotel, situated in Coober Pedy, is best known for offering the opportunity to sleep in an underground hotel. You can enjoy the surrounds of the beautifully formed natural sandstone surrounds as you stay in this oasis in the desert.

Since 1915 Coober Pedy became famous for those seeking the elusive opal, but the locals found it more comfortable living in dugouts or underground homes to escape the sweltering all temperature above ground. The earth gives natural temperature control for cool, quiet living in this semi desert area of outback South Australia. 

Desert Cave Hotel - Coober Pedy

The Henry Jones Art Hotel – Hobart, Tasmania

The Henry Jones Art Hotel is Australia’s first and only dedicated art hotel. The hotel, situated neatly upon Hobart’s glorious waterfront, is a former IXL jam factory dating from the 1820’s that has been transformed into a luxurious first class hotel showcasing the work of Tasmania’s finest artists.

Located on Hobart’s Victoria dock, most of the 56 rooms have water views, and the hotel's decor offers an ingenious mix of contemporary design elements with traditional building structures and artworks, designed by award winning architects.

The Henry Jones Art Hotel - Hobart

Reefworld – The Great Barrier Reef

Don't miss the chance to stay overnight on Australia’s most remarkable natural landmark, The Great Barrier Reef with Reefsleep, located on Cruise Whitsundays Reefworld pontoon.

The Reefsleep features two types of air-conditioned accommodation, both with ensuite bathrooms: a luxurious king-size room ideal for couples or honeymooners and a bunk-style quad room for friends, family or other guests. Accommodation also includes sunset beverages, gourmet al fresco dinner with wine, full breakfast, buffet lunch, scuba dive or guided snorkelling safari. Optional activities include the underwater viewing chamber, waterslide, helicopter tours and massages.

This unique and unforgettable experience allows guests to enjoy the unique solitude and tranquillity of this World Heritage listed site over two days and one night. 

Reefsleep - Reefworld Pontoon

Peppers Convent – Hunter Valley, New South Wales

Peppers Convent in Australia’s world famous Hunter Valley wine country in New South Wales, is a romantic retreat that was once home to the Brigidine Order of Nuns.

Built in 1909, Peppers Convent offers 17 deluxe rooms, restored to reflect the buildings charming heritage and character. The buildings interior has been infused with a French Baroque flavour, illuminated through the constant symbol of cherubs, angels, gilt and toils du jour window furnishings, mixed with a distinctive character of an Australian country guest house.

Peppers Convent is surrounded by some of the best boutique wineries and restaurants the Hunter Valley has on offer, specifically the Pepper Tree wine tasting barn and renowned Roberts Restaurant.

Peppers Convent – Hunter Valley 

Leisure Inn Penny Royal Hotel – Launceston, Tasmania

The Penny Royal Hotel is a boutique property that offers modern facilities just a 5 minute walk to Launceston's city centre. Originally built as a corn mill in 1840, it was moved 54 kilometres to Launceston and was rebuilt as a hotel over 130 years later.

This unique traditional style hotel offers motel rooms as well as apartments, all with a distinctive heritage atmosphere. The rooms have recently been fully refurbished and are well appointed with all the modern comforts, while still retaining a unique heritage atmosphere. 

Leisure Inn Penny Royal Hotel – Launceston

Top 5 hikes and walks in Australia

Bondi to Bronte

It’s no wonder this walk has been rated as one of the world’s most picturesque walks, as it will have you gazing across beautiful beaches, parks and spectacular views. This unique walk includes Bondi, Tamarama and Bronte Beach plus a medium gradient cliff-top path from Bondi to Tamarama, with occasional seating and several staircases.

The beachside parks offer picnic shelters, coin-operated barbecues, play areas, kiosks, toilets and change-rooms. Good for short walks or a day trip, this walk will show you the best of Sydney’s coastline.

Ocean Baths - Bondi Beach

                                                                                           

Cradle Mountain, Tasmania

On a walk through Cradle Mountain you are able to witness the wild landscape of Australia’s natural beauty at its best. This area is one of the most popular natural areas in Tasmania, and for good reason. A part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, Cradle Mountain’s jagged contours, ancient rainforest, alpine heathlands, buttongrass and the colours of the deciduous beech provide a range of environments to explore. 

The park contains an extensive network of walking tracks to suit everyone's tastes. Walks through Cradle Mountain are good for day trips and short walks (under 2 hours).

Cradle Mountain - Tasmania

Kimberley’s

If you want to explore the Kimberley’s, then head to Purnululu. This World Heritage listed park contains the famous Bungle Bungles, which is seen as one of the scenic jewels of outback Australia. Famous for its 45 000 hectare range, walks through the Purnululu will reveal natural formations that are millions of years old. You will see huge banded beehive structures, sandstone cliffs and towers. On the northern side of the Bungle Bungle range is Echidna Chasm. This unspoiled scenic area is considered as one of Australia’s most amazing walking destinations and is relatively easy going. 

Walks can be done in a day or you can camp overnight depending on the season.

Purunululu National Park - Bungle Bungles

Blue Mountains

There are so many amazing bushwalking tracks to explore throughout the stunning World Heritage listed Blue Mountains region. There are walks for all ages and fitness levels. The Blue Mountains boasts one of the most complex track systems of any national park in Australia. Dating from as early as 1825, many of the constructed tracks have national, state and regional significance, and several are named to commemorate significant periods or events in our history.

While walking the Blue Mountains you can hike down the Giant Stairway past the Three Sisters, retrace the route of early mountain explorers or check out the recent discovery of the prehistoric Wollemi Pine.

Three Sisters - Blue Mountains

Victoria

There is an extensive network of tracks and trails around Victoria’s High Country where you can admire the stunning scenery of Victoria’s highest peaks. Alpine National Park is Victorias largest National Park. One of the Parks most impressive features is Bryces Gorge, which is reached via a 7.5 km excellent family walking trail, providing good views of the gorge and also of two waterfalls along the route. 

When walking along the panoramic alpine plains around Falls Creek, or trek along Mount Buffalo’s walking tracks, make sure you keep an eye out for kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, possums or falcons.

Another fantastic day walk is around the coastline of Victoria - particularly Great Ocean Road. Short walks (under 1 hour) to day walk are available, along stunning coastline, rugged cliffs and sandy beaches.

Hiking in Victoria

Our Staff share their favourite Australian Holiday Experience

The staff at Sunlover Holidays have travelled extensively around Australia and are full of travel ideas, making them the perfect people to share with us their 'favourite Aussie holiday experience'.

Monique from Reservations

“Tangalooma Island Resort is one of my favourite ‘best kept secrets’!  Each time I go there I’m always amazed that this piece of paradise is just off the coast of Brisbane. I always feel as though I am in the Whitsundays!  Crystal clear water and perfect white sand. A unique highlight is the nightly feeding of the wild dolphins!”



Tangalooma Island Resort, Moreton Island via Brisbane 



Daniel from Sales

“I love Byron Bay in Northern NSW. It offers an eclectic blend of beach culture, rural farming, with the modern conveniences found in a thriving town. The people are the binding element to this area, from the characters you will meet at the Byron farmers market to the international visitors that are drawn here from all over the globe. Just in case you have not been tempted enough, the sheer natural beauty of Byron’s coastline and beaches will leave you feeling refreshed, inspired and wanting a taste for more.”

Lourdes from Sales Support

“My favourite holiday experience was Tasmania; Cradle Mountain in particularly, the place was simply out of this world, totally in tune with nature, the accommodation, the animals and just the general ambiance fantastic!”

Cradle Mountain - Tasmania



Breeze from Reservations

“The Whitsundays is my favourite holiday spot. From the pristine white sand that covers Whitehaven beach to one of the 74 magical islands, they all offer a different adventure to be had or a hammock to laze away your days.”

Whitehaven Beach

Julie from Sales

“I love Sydney! It is such a beautiful place to visit with so much on offer. Whether it be festivals, markets, shopping, dining or touring activities. You can either do as much or as little as you like. Did I mention the choice of accommodation options? Where do you begin? From budget to 5 star the choice is yours.”



Sydney City



Brooke from Reservations

“My favourite holiday experience in Australia would have to be Port Douglas. Not too big, not too small, great mix of fine dining and casual eating experiences. Four Mile Beach, backed by the beautiful Daintree Rainforest, is one of the jewels in Australia’s sandy crown! The Great Barrier Reef with its amazing marine life, pristine Cape Tribulation and the farmlands of the Atherton Tablelands are easy day trips from Port Douglas, all must-sees when you are in Topical North Queensland.”

Port Douglas

Hannah from Sales

“Last weekend I travelled to Broome which was incredible; the highlight being the day tour with Kimberley Wild, up the coast of Cape Leveque – stunning colours of the beache, red earth, white sand and blue skies of course! A must do for anyone travelling to Broome. Cable Beach Resort is excellent with fantastic facilities and I must say sipping cocktails watching that famous sunset was hardly tough work on a Saturday evening!”

Kimberly Wild Tour - Cape Leveque

Roylene from Reservations

"My favourite holiday destination in Australia is Palm Cove – no particular hotel, just the whole township. As soon as I drive in, along the Esplanade, I automatically feel like I’m on holidays and feel relaxed. The sea air, the relaxed feeling of the locals, the fact that it’s Australia’s Day Spa capital :) it just feels like holidays! The fact that it is so close to Cairns to restaurants and nightlife and also easily accessible to all day tours that operates in the fantastic Tropical North Queensland makes it the ideal holiday destination for me!"

The Archibald Prize. Art Gallery of N.S.W.

David Reyne. 

How often have you stood in an art gallery staring quizzically at the framed, lurid pink squiggle on the wall and thought to yourself, “hell, I could’ve done that”?

Perhaps you’ve even bolted home, stopping off at the newsagent on the way for a roll of cardboard, and a paint brush or two, convinced that you could slosh a bit of watercolour about and get the million dollar cheque the galleries are paying for similar kinds of work.

A couple of hours spent in the Art Gallery of New South Wales might get you to reconsider.

A walk through Sydney’s beautiful Domain with its winding footpaths, copious lush gardens and gently sloping lawns gives the feeling of wandering through a masterpiece, particularly as you rise the crest leading to the Gallery to be confronted by its classic sandstone façade. If it weren’t for glimpses of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House over your shoulder, you’d almost believe you’d stumbled upon Athens or Rome, such is the style and grandeur of the Gallery’s ostentatious entrance of Ionic columns and Neo Classical portico.

It’s a daunting welcome to any kind of building but given this holds one of the country’s finest collections of art, you can’t help but think you’re about to discover walls heaving with heavily framed brushwork by humourless masters depicting depressing scenes of bloody historic battles and grim faced angels attempting to part gloomy skies to clear way the way to heaven for emaciated, twisted corpses. And, believe me, there are those kinds of works.

They’re not the reason why I visited, however. I came for the Archibald Prize exhibition which runs until the 3^rd of June 2012.

Once inside, I headed downstairs and was immediately taken by the magnificence of the assembled work; bold, colourful, modern. Sometimes amusing and sometimes stark.

Each of the 41 finalists in 2012’s Archibald are here. Each portrait has an accompanying plaque explaining the work and a brief history of the artist responsible, but it’s the undoubted skill that stops me in my tracks. There’s such a joyous energy present. Some works are incredibly audacious with the paint looking as if it’s been flung at the canvas from a distance, while others seem almost photographic, such is the extraordinary detail involved.

Not once do I find myself thinking I’d easily knock one of these up at home. Quite the contrary. I find myself up close, marveling at the brushwork, amazed by the piling on of layers and textures, wondering how, when viewed from only inches away, some look nothing like they do when viewed again from the middle of the room.

And then I started questioning the judges’ decision. How on earth could one be deemed ‘better’ than the other? Indeed, how on earth were one or two even regarded as being worthy to hang at all?

I eventually realise I’ve spent three hours staring at works of art without even noticing the passing of time. It also dawns on me that, sadly, my attempts at sloshing a bit of watercolour upon a bit of cardboard is, exactly that - sloshing.

We’re all aware of the splendour of Sydney Harbour and its surrounds. It’s one of the most beautiful harbours in the world but never would I have thought I’d go specifically to head indoors… to look at ‘pictures’. I’m glad I did. 

To learn about the exhibition click here