Back to nature but close to town.

This weeks featured property is Amtolu in Tasmania.

48 Liverpool Crescent, West Hobart. 

Looking for stylish, luxury accommodation for a bigger group?

Amtolu holiday home is fabulous self-contained accommodation ideal for families, groups and couples.

This multi-level 4-bedroom home with vibrant decor, modern facilities and breath taking views.  The tri-level design features soaring ceilings and picture windows which create an amazing sense of space.

Guest comments regarding Amtolu.

"This house is the ultimate in luxury accommodation, surrounded by towering gum trees, nessled in the hills of West Hobart.  We had a group of 10 people stay at the house and we were delighted by all the facilities...including a spa on the balcony!  It was a fantastic place to stay, I would sincerely recommend it to anyone considering staying here!"

"7 of us stayed at Amtolu and we all loved it!  The house is so modern and bright inside.  Chris was extremely pleasant to communicate with, very friendly.  Thank you for the experience."

" A beautiful house, fully equipped with every mod con you could want and with stunning 180 degree views that extend from Hobart to Mt Wellington.  Chris was friendly and made us feel very welcome, while respecting our privacy."

"Excellent property, tastefully furnished with everything you could possibly need.  Comfortable, new.  Perfect for our party of 7 including baby and 4 year old.  Plenty of room for everyone.  We loved our week here."

Stay tuned this week to find out great things to see and do if you stay at Amtolu.

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Indulgence...The Lair

I laughed when Susan described her inspection of The Lair.  

That was quite an adventure!

It's now my turn to check out what makes The Lair perfect to join the   Luxury Oz Stays list of properties.  

Show me the luxury!

The Lair was created using only the finest fixtures and fittings from around the world, the epitome of style and design.

It comprises of two identical, sumptuously appointed suites at either end.  Each room opens onto an eastern facing deck.

You can stretch out on the emperor size leather beds or spread out in the generous bathrooms and soak up the view of the ocean. 

Immerse yourself in the tranquility of the voluminous living/ dining/ kitchen.  

The mini bar at The Lair is stocked with fresh local produce and some of the fine local wines that Tasmania is renowned for.

The complementary dry pantry is fully stocked.

Browse the library of books and games.  If you must keep in touch, boot up the 24" Mac.  Play your favourite tunes through the audiophile quality sound system.  Or better yet, plug your ipod onto the dock and bliss out in the spa pool.

A collection of contemporary art by prominent Tasmanian artists such as Michael McWilliams and Jonathan Kimberley adorns the walls.

For your viewing pleasure  you can kick back with Austar or a DVD on one of the three plasmas.

Personally, I wouldn't be able to drag myself away from the stunning ocean views of Oyster Bay.

So does it tick all the boxes for a Luxury Oz Stays indulgent, luxury property?

Tick, tick, tick! 

Grab a glass of wine and join me on the deck.

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Apartments by the Award Winning Last Architects...

For the stylish couples out there...

Have you ever been browsing through your favourite lifestyle magazine and thought "I'd love to stay there."

Well now you can.

The Last Villa in Sandy Bay, Tasmania is a multi award winning, architecturally designed property.  If you want it, they have it.  Stay for a weekend or a week.

"This eccentric Hobart building does double-duty as a home and B & B - all with a touch of cool." House & Garden.

We all want that little something extra when we go on holiday.  Depending on our personal style, we envision that where we're going to stay will be just a little bit special.  If you wanted bland accommodation you'd stay at a motel, right?

If you're looking for a unique property for your getaway, check this out.

The Penthouse caters for couples in eclectic European inspired interiors overlooking the famous River Derwent, Mt Wellington and prestigious Sandy Bay.

The Cruise Ship also caters to couples and  is fitted out with an eclectic mix of historic and designer furniture themed on yachting.  The apartment has stunning views of the Derwent River and beyond.

The Barcelona has a Romeo and Juliet inspired balcony and provides fresh sea air and leafy green garden views.

Voyager has a Japanese inspired, minimalist interior.  It caters to adventurous couples with a hint of Japanese culture.

Studio Last is an inspiring place to do business while you are in Hobart.  It has a drawing table, desk, kitchenette and bathroom, opening onto a deck with its own fireplace.

But what are you and the significant other going to do on your getaway?  Don't be alarmed, there's plenty for the two of you to do.

Visit nearby art galleries

Salamanca Market

Nutgrove Beach and cycleway

Sandy Bay Massage Centre

Wrest Point Casino

Wineries

Bush walks

100m to the beach

Indulge in the fabulous restaurants, cafes and eateries.

Indulge, enjoy and make memories to last a lifetime.  Let the Luxury Oz Stays team create the holiday of a lifetime, everytime.

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Beaches (and no, not that movie with Bette Midler)

I have a confession to make. The Girl With A Suitcase is a beach holiday kinda girl. Yes, I know it's a cliche but who doesn't dream of lying on a white sandy beach somewhere, sipping on a daquiri and watching the waves roll in.

Two years ago we bit the bullet and decided it was time to visit the ultimate beach location HAWAII.  I had visions of miles of pristine beaches, the towering waves at Sunset Beach and a whole lot of daquiris.

Reality check.

It took 10 hours to fly from Melbourne to Honolulu.  The flight itself wasn't bad (thank you Jetstar for amusing the kiddies) but sitting still for that long is enough to drive anyone crazy.  And I don't sleep on planes.  EVER.

We picked up our hire car after haggling for an hour with every rental company in the airport (could have used your  help here, Susan!) and set off to explore Hawaii.

Let's just say Hawaii is...um...overrated.

There were places of genuine beauty and the kiddies had a wonderful time.

But the beaches looked like this.

And every spare inch was covered in these.

Not exactly my fantasy beach holiday, fighting for sand space with a million American tourists.

And the view from our pokey hotel room above a nightclub?  Skyscrapers.

So The Girl With A Suitcase has learnt a few things on her travels.

No. 1.  Stay local.  Sitting on a plane for hours can drive you crazy.

No. 2.  Hotel rooms and families do not mix.

No. 3.  Australia has some of the worlds best beaches!

I'm not talking about The Whitsundays.  Too many tourists and backpackers.

This beach has been voted one of the top ten in the world.

Simply stunning.

Wineglass Bay in Tasmania.

When I saw this place, I did a little happy dance.  It ticks all the boxes for a stunning, family holiday.  And look.  No skyscrapers.

Freycinet National Park and Coles Bay is located 202km north east of Hobart and is noted for its spectacular coastal scenery and its emphasis on fishing, boating, bushwalking and swimming.  Apparently Wineglass Bay is so beautiful that on the last royal visit to Australia, the Royal Yacht Britannia anchored there to allow the Queen ashore for an Australian-style beach barbeque.  So if it's good enough for royalty...

Second must have for a family holiday?  Room to move!  No pokey hotel rooms here.

Plenty of room to hide the kids away.

Freyscape is luxury accommodation and has stunning views of the water and coastline.

The kiddies love to be kept busy on their holidays.  Trust me, in Hawaii the activities were very expensive (we're talking US dollars) so it cost us a small fortune to keep them occupied.  Here they can go kayaking, mountain biking, swimming, bird watching, abseiling, surfing, fishing, heck there's even a golf course in the area to keep the hubs amused.

But we all know that The Girl With A Suitcase prefers to take it easy and indulge on her holidays.

All I need is a quick visit to the Freycinet Vineyard cellar door to pick up a few of these...

So I can relax on the pristine beach, sip a vino and take in the amazing scenery.

Only in Australia.

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