Coming along the Tasman Highway and subsequently Coles Bay Road you can’t help to be amazed by the impressive scenery along one of Tasmania’s great driving routes. The Freycinet area is a place that must be visited on any Tasmanian holiday and while staying in the area I chose to stay at the Freycinet Eco Retreat just 9 kilometres or a ten minute drive from the township of Coles Bay.
There are two main accommodation options on the property that include The Lodges which are on the higher slopes near the summit of the Mt Paul property offering impressive views of the Freycinet National Park and beyond, their are two Lodges located next to each other. The other accommodation option is where I spent two nights, the Saltwater Shack.
The Saltwater Shack is a secluded one bedroom home that has everything that you need including a small kitchen, bathroom, lounge and dining room with the added bonus of a sitting room that overlooks a dam out the front and a view of Friendly Beach in the distance, perfect for wanting to take in the view on those cold days. The best part of the whole experience is that being basically in the middle of nowhere you can keep warm and cosy in front of the fireplace which came pre lit by Virginia and Phillippa before arriving at the shack.
VIDEO: Driving to the Saltwater Shack, Freycinet Eco Retreat
Staying at the Saltwater Shack comes with an added benefit or drawback depending how you look at it. The shack is situated in a mobile coverage blackspot, even Telstra mobiles will not pick up a signal here and there is no internet access so you can well and truly turn off from the outside world, sit by the fire and have a relaxing getaway. If you are desperate however, you can walk or drive up to the top of the ridge where you will get full mobile reception, but why would you when can make yourself feel like you are off the grid and not contactable for a couple of days.
Lovers of Australian wildlife are in for a treat here, just look outside the window and it’s not uncommon to spot a couple of Wallabies grazing on the grass in front of the shack and around the dam. While here I also spotted a Wombat chewing away at the tall grass in the dam, and to put the seclusion into perspective the Wallabies hop away if you get too close meaning they don’t have very much human interaction as opposed to the ones you will find at the Wineglass Bay car park in the Freycinet National Park where you will struggle to get your car out as they won’t move.
The Freycinet Eco Retreat also caters for group events and events with a large function centre at the top of Mt Paul called The Arc and also a large group camping style accommodation area called The Barn. All these areas are secluded from each other, so even if in use you won’t even know anyone is around.
I was truly impressed with my stay at the Freycinet Eco Retreat, I expected that their would be more accommodation areas all lined up next to each other, but to come and find I had my own exclusive secluded area with no-one in sight I was glad I found this place to call home for two nights. If you decide to book and stay at the Freycinet Eco Retreat, Virginia and Phillippa will email you an information pack about your stay with tips and advise about the local area so you have ample time to plan your stay in the Freycinet area.
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Thank you so much for such a fabulous review. We’re so glad that you enjoyed your time at Freycinet Eco Retreat. Also, your photos and video were so amazing that we wondered whether you would be willing for us to use them in our marketing?