Finding nature and nurture at Kittawa Lodge

Off the coast of Tasmania, King Island keeps its secrets well. Kittawa Lodge is the best of them

I sink into the cedar spa on the deck of the two-bedroom Kittawa Retreat and watch a striking display of orange, magenta and purple light settling over the coastal landscape. The sense of calm and isolation pervades until I feel I’ve slipped back in time. Every so often a red-necked wallaby hops past, making its way along well worn tracks that criss-cross the land. Breathing in the fragrance of cedar and feeling the cool wind tickle my shoulders, I’m transfixed by the changing sky and the stars that emerge from the darkness once the sun has fully disappeared. 

Kittawa Retreat is the latest luxe offering at Kittawa Lodge – an off-grid collection of one- and two-bedroom lodges on King Island in Tasmania, one of Australia’s most remote and rarely visited destinations. Owned, designed and run by luxury lodge connoisseurs Nick Stead and Aaron Suine, who have spent decades researching and visiting luxury lodges around the globe, the 96-acre property with 750 metres of untouched coastline is the perfect base from which to slow down and explore the island’s utterly wild environment. 

An hour after my spa, I’m wrapped in a plush gown, easing my feet into biodegradable slippers and sitting at the dining table indulging in a King Island Dairy cheese platter adorned with baked vegetables. Nick has prepared a baked brie drizzled with honey and walnuts – all sourced locally, of course – and I have a Woodlawn Waverly Vineyard Chardonnay from the Tamar Valley to complement my snack and my evening meal: a rock lobster with herbed butter, lemon and seasoning.

The luxury of simplicity

While the term off-grid sustainability can conjure up images of rustic school camps, Kittawa Lodge is anything but. The interiors of this premium King Island accommodation have been meticulously curated by Aaron and extensive thought has gone into the design of every surface – the outlook of every double-glazed window, the sourcing of locally-produced artwork, and the inclusion of Tasmanian-made crockery, soft furnishings and even wet weather gear. 

Furnishings in Kittawa Retreat, where I’m staying, are in soothing colours, with a sage bouclé sofa contrasting with a panelled black wall lined with an acrylic forest painting by Marilyn Chapman in tones of silver ash, meadow green and shadow grey. The blues and greys of the bed linen are elegant, unobtrusive, and never pull focus from the view through the windows. Even the weight of the dishwasher drawer feels refined and elegant. Nothing is ever ‘too much’, with linen napkins, a crocheted dishcloth, one place mat and one coaster placed on the table showing the personalisation you receive as a guest here – an understanding from the staff of my needs as a solo traveller.

The lodges are run completely on solar energy. Water is pumped from nearby freshwater springs and the buildings are raised from ground level to protect the ecosystems of the local flora and fauna. The result is a luxury retreat that treads lightly on the surrounding landscape while still offering a comfort level to rival much larger operations.

Slow driving on island roads

I’ve arrived on King Island to retreat from the busy city and embrace the slowness and smallness of island life, Tasmania style. That comes with an invitation to mindfully connect with the rugged scenery: ocean crashing dramatically onto sharp cliffs and rocky outcrops, isolated clifftop walks and vast empty beaches.

In the morning, I enjoy a breakfast of warm croissants and fresh eggs, tomatoes and mushrooms on sourdough with a honey made on the property. I’ve told Aaron that I want to do some walks during the day so he delivers a picnic basket for me to take on my adventures and recommends I stop at Seal Rocks lookout. There, I take a seat at a little picnic table and enjoy a poached chicken salad with roasted sweet potato and a side of sweeping coastal views.

After lunch, the clifftop Copperhead Walk beckons with its mossy trail lined with native succulents and foliage, until the track opens out into the wind and sparse rocky outcrops. Next, I drive to the Calcified Forest and yet another lush track leads to a desolate moonscape of sand punctuated by rizomorphs – the calcium carbonate shell remains of dead marine animals – remnants of a time when this area was covered by trees. 

Afterwards, I know I should go to town and see The Boathouse, the colourful ‘restaurant with no food’ run by Carolyne Kininmonth, which is really an art gallery run on an honesty system, stocked full of craft and artworks and a charming example of the rhythm of life on a small island with a population of only 1500. I should also go and have a coffee at The Larder, explore the cheese at the dairy and order one of the famous lobster pies from the bakery. But all I can think of as I drive back along the road is the retreat and the sunset vistas waiting there.

The natural rhythm of King Island slows me down on the drive back to the retreat, where I find the villa’s blinds drawn to create a cosy ambience, a refreshing lemon and rosemary tea and handwritten note from Nick and Aaron waiting on the table.

I’ve arrived on King Island to retreat from the busy city and embrace the slowness and smallness of island life, Tasmania style. That comes with an invitation to mindfully connect with the rugged scenery: ocean crashing dramatically onto sharp cliffs and rocky outcrops, isolated clifftop walks and vast empty beaches.

Luxury retreat dining

When it’s time for my private four-course dinner, Nick arrives with the second half of last night’s rock lobster, which has been poached in butter. It’s served on a parsnip purée and adorned with chard and pickled vegetables. I light the fire as he returns with the second course, a house-made potato gnocchi with walnut sauce, local organic sage-infused butter, which is followed by a succulent cut of sous vide King Island beef on a spiced pumpkin puree with charred leek. It melts in my mouth. Dessert is hardly required but when a pannacotta with drunken island berries appears, I’m powerless to resist the last chapter of a meal that seems to perfectly capture the very essence of King Island:  hyper local, simple and yet refined. 

King Island still feels like it did 20 years ago when I visited for the first time. It is serene and naturally beautiful, and Kittawa Lodge offers guests of the island a sanctuary to retreat to at the end of a day of exploring. Kittawa, its hosts, and the island itself have nurtured me throughout my stay, and when it’s time to leave the island it’s with a feeling that I’ve discovered a secret that most Australians don’t know.

Lodge Notes

Kittawa Retreat at Kittawa Lodge is priced from $1,850 per night

kittawalodge.com