The 11 Best Luxury Lodges in Australia (2026)

Updated November 2026 · 11 picks

The best luxury lodges in Australia in 2026 are Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island, Saffire Freycinet in Tasmania, Longitude 131° at Uluru, qualia on Hamilton Island, Capella Lodge on Lord Howe Island, Silky Oaks Lodge in the Daintree and Bamurru Plains in the Top End.

Australia's luxury lodges are small, remote and usually all-inclusive or close to it, with meals, drinks and guided experiences built into the rate. Many have minimum stays of two or three nights, and some open only in their best season (the Top End and Kimberley lodges close in the wet season). Book well ahead for school holidays and the peak months. Several belong to the Luxury Lodges of Australia group, a useful starting point for comparing them.

The list at a glance

Southern Ocean Lodge Kangaroo Island, South Australia
Saffire Freycinet Freycinet Peninsula, Tasmania
Longitude 131° Uluru, Northern Territory
qualia Hamilton Island, Queensland
Capella Lodge Lord Howe Island, New South Wales
Silky Oaks Lodge Daintree, Queensland, Cairns
Bamurru Plains Top End, Northern Territory
Lizard Island Resort Far North Queensland
Arkaba Flinders Ranges, South Australia
Cape Lodge Margaret River, Western Australia
El Questro Homestead Kimberley, Western Australia

1. Southern Ocean Lodge — Kangaroo Island, South Australia

A clifftop lodge above Hanson Bay, rebuilt after the 2019–20 bushfires.

$$$$ SplurgeBest for Couples

Southern Ocean Lodge sits on a wild clifftop on Kangaroo Island's south coast, with floor-to-ceiling windows over the Southern Ocean. Destroyed in the 2019–20 bushfires, it was rebuilt and reopened in late 2023.

Stays include meals, drinks and guided experiences such as Seal Bay and Flinders Chase National Park.

Good to know: Stay at least three nights to make the most of the included excursions.

Hanson Bay Rd, Karatta SA 5223

Google Maps Website

2. Saffire Freycinet — Freycinet Peninsula, Tasmania

A sculptural lodge facing the Hazards on Tasmania's east coast.

$$$$ SplurgeBest for Couples

Saffire Freycinet is a small luxury lodge with a wave-shaped roof, looking across Great Oyster Bay to the granite peaks of the Hazards. Suites are spacious and the food showcases Tasmanian produce.

Experiences include walks to Wineglass Bay and wading out to an oyster farm.

Good to know: Book the oyster farm experience; you eat them standing in the bay.

2352 Coles Bay Rd, Coles Bay TAS 7215

Google Maps Website

3. Longitude 131° — Uluru, Northern Territory

Luxury tents with Uluru views from bed.

$$$$ SplurgeBest for Couples

Longitude 131° has 15 luxury tents and a premium Dune Pavilion on the dunes facing Uluru. Packages include guided experiences in the national park and dinner under the stars at Table 131°.

It closes for refurbishment from 25 January to 19 April 2027.

Good to know: Choose a package of at least three nights for the full set of experiences.

Yulara Dr, Yulara NT 0872

Google Maps Website

4. qualia — Hamilton Island, Queensland

An adults-only resort of private pavilions on Hamilton Island.

$$$$ SplurgeBest for Couples

qualia is an adults-only luxury resort on the northern tip of Hamilton Island, with pavilions looking over the Whitsunday Passage, two restaurants, a spa and private beach access.

It's an easy base for Whitehaven Beach and the Great Barrier Reef.

Good to know: Book a seaplane flight over Heart Reef from the island.

20 Whitsunday Blvd, Hamilton Island QLD 4803

Google Maps Website

5. Capella Lodge — Lord Howe Island, New South Wales

Lord Howe's top lodge, under the twin peaks of Mount Lidgbird and Mount Gower.

$$$$ SplurgeBest for Couples

Capella Lodge is a small luxury lodge on Lord Howe Island, with suites looking out to the island's mountains and the lagoon. Only 400 visitors can be on the island at a time, so it feels exclusive.

Snorkel the lagoon, climb Mount Gower with a guide and get around by bike.

Good to know: Book the guided Mount Gower climb early; places are limited.

Lagoon Rd, Lord Howe Island NSW 2898

Google Maps Website

6. Silky Oaks Lodge — Daintree, Queensland, Cairns

Treehouses on the Mossman River in the world's oldest rainforest.

$$$$ SplurgeBest for Couples

Silky Oaks Lodge sits in the rainforest on the Mossman River, near Mossman Gorge and the Daintree. Treehouse-style rooms open onto the forest, and the lodge has a riverside restaurant and spa.

It's a short drive to Port Douglas and the Great Barrier Reef boats.

Good to know: Swim in the lodge's river swimming hole on a hot afternoon.

Finlayvale Rd, Mossman QLD 4873

Google Maps Website

7. Bamurru Plains — Top End, Northern Territory

A safari-style camp on the floodplains near Kakadu.

$$$$ SplurgeBest for Couples

Bamurru Plains is a safari-style lodge on the Mary River floodplains, next to Kakadu National Park. Activities include airboat trips across the wetlands, river cruises among crocodiles and huge flocks of birds, and wildlife drives.

It opens in the dry season only.

Good to know: Visit early in the dry season, when the floodplains are greenest and birds most plentiful.

Swim Creek Station, Point Stuart NT 0822

Google Maps Website

8. Lizard Island Resort — Far North Queensland

The northernmost Great Barrier Reef resort, with 24 beaches.

$$$$ SplurgeBest for Couples

Lizard Island Resort is the only accommodation on Lizard Island, a national park with 24 white-sand beaches and a fringing reef. Stays include meals, and you can take a dinghy to your own beach for the day.

Reach it by light plane from Cairns.

Good to know: Book a private beach picnic, dropped off by dinghy.

Lizard Island QLD 4892

Google Maps Website

9. Arkaba — Flinders Ranges, South Australia

A homestead on a wildlife conservancy in the Flinders Ranges.

$$$$ SplurgeBest for Couples

Arkaba is a restored sheep station homestead on a private conservancy next to Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park, now managed for wildlife. Guests take guided walks and drives to see kangaroos, wallaroos and wedge-tailed eagles.

It's a five-hour drive or a short flight from Adelaide.

Good to know: Do the guided walk and sleep under the stars on the swag nights if offered.

Flinders Ranges Way, Hawker SA 5434

Google Maps Website

10. Cape Lodge — Margaret River, Western Australia

A Cape Dutch–style lodge among the Margaret River vineyards.

$$$ UpmarketBest for Couples

Cape Lodge is a luxury country house hotel on its own vineyard in Yallingup, in the heart of the Margaret River region, with a well-known restaurant and rooms overlooking a lake.

It's a base for cellar doors, surf beaches and the Cape to Cape coast.

Good to know: Book dinner at the lodge restaurant on your first night.

3341 Caves Rd, Yallingup WA 6282

Google Maps Website

11. El Questro Homestead — Kimberley, Western Australia

A clifftop homestead above the Chamberlain Gorge in the Kimberley.

$$$$ SplurgeBest for Couples

El Questro Homestead sits on a cliff above the Chamberlain River in the El Questro Wilderness Park, a huge cattle station turned wilderness park in the East Kimberley. Days are spent on gorge cruises, hikes, thermal springs and scenic flights.

It opens in the dry season only, and it's reached from Kununurra.

Good to know: Soak in Zebedee Springs in the morning, when it's open to the public.

1 Gibb River Rd, Durack WA 6743

Google Maps Website

Frequently asked questions

What is the most luxurious lodge in Australia?

Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island, Saffire Freycinet in Tasmania and Longitude 131° at Uluru are the names that come up most. All three are small, all-inclusive and in spectacular settings.

Are Australian luxury lodges all-inclusive?

Most include meals, drinks and some guided experiences, but what's covered varies. Check whether premium wines, spa treatments and private tours are extra.

When are the outback and Top End lodges open?

Lodges in the Top End and Kimberley, such as Bamurru Plains and El Questro Homestead, open in the dry season, roughly April or May to October, and close in the wet.

How much does a luxury lodge cost in Australia?

Expect from roughly $1,500 to well over $4,000 per night for two at the top lodges, usually including meals and some activities. Minimum stays of two or three nights are common.

Which luxury lodges suit a honeymoon?

qualia (adults only), Capella Lodge, Saffire Freycinet and Lizard Island are favourite honeymoon choices. See also our best islands in Australia.

1. Southern Ocean Lodge — Kangaroo Island, South Australia

2. Saffire Freycinet — Freycinet Peninsula, Tasmania

3. Longitude 131° — Uluru, Northern Territory

4. qualia — Hamilton Island, Queensland

5. Capella Lodge — Lord Howe Island, New South Wales

6. Silky Oaks Lodge — Daintree, Queensland, Cairns

7. Bamurru Plains — Top End, Northern Territory

8. Lizard Island Resort — Far North Queensland

9. Arkaba — Flinders Ranges, South Australia

10. Cape Lodge — Margaret River, Western Australia

11. El Questro Homestead — Kimberley, Western Australia

Frequently asked questions

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