From exclusive eco tours to sustainable luxury retreats, we’ve selected the best eco accomodation in Australia to explore and stay, without costing the earth.
1. Daintree EcoLodge & Spa, Daintree Rainforest QLD
With the world’s oldest tropical rainforest at your feet, here, at one of Australia’s best sustainable resorts that doesn’t skip on luxury comforts, you’ll wake up to 180-million-year-old surrounds from the comfort of your eco-friendly banyon, entirely coated in green canopy. Committed to reducing its environmental footprint, the resort uses self-sufficient practices and is in partnership with Rainforest Rescue to plant 2500 trees across the Daintree.
2. Faraway Bay, Kimberley Coastal region WA
Overlooking the turquoise Timor Sea, Faraway Bay sits in a region of the Kimberley so isolated it makes this wilderness retreat one of the most remote in the world. A leader in low-impact eco tourism, it was built with local, recycled materials and plantation-produced timber. Cabins are set amid undisturbed vegetation, where just a few gravel tracks lead to the azure water and main camp. Faraway Bay generates its own solar lighting and heating, ensures all guest products are locally sourced and biodegradable, and allows only a small number of bookings at any given time. Expect isolated beaches and indescribable stargazing in an awe-inspiring Australian landscape.
3. Binna Burra Lodge, Lamington National Park QLD
The first Australian property to attain the internationally recognised Green Globe Certification for its best practice environmental performance, Binna Burra boasts a remarkable location above the sub-tropical Lamington National Park. The award-winning and eco-friendly Sky Lodges are the place to stay, with their sweeping views across the Coomera and Numinbah valleys. A visit to the massage studio and a morning yoga class should help you unwind, or you can hike around the park, which sits 800 metres above sea level. If you’re thirsty for adventure after soaking up the mountain scenery, waterfalls and fern gullies, get your thrills by trying out the flying fox or going abseiling.
4. Freycinet Retreat, Coles Bay TAS
Set amid the rugged beauty of Freycinet National Park, this isolated Australian retreat is perfect for those looking to get away from it all. Their self-catering bush retreats are among the best eco accomodation in Australia and the studios enjoy unspoiled views of Coles Bay, and the surrounding bushland and forest is teeming with native wildlife. Dedicated to preserving their enviable surrounds, the retreat is committed to minimising waste and living sustainably. To best experience the stunning setting, join one of the retreat’s organised tours or take a short drive to the pristine waters of Wineglass Bay. If you arrive at the right time of year, you might even be lucky enough to witness the Aurora Australis.
5. Bamurru Plains, Kakadu National Park NT
Shared with just 20 guests, Bamurru Plains is a luxury safari lodge in Australia surrounded by 300 square kilometres of floodplains and savanna woodland on the Mary River, at the edge of Kakadu National Park. Bamurru’s bungalows have been designed with minimal impact in mind, so they employ solar generated power and hot water systems. This remote yet beautiful part of Australia’s Top End is home to both one of the largest crocodile populations in the world and an annual migration of more than 100,000 magpie geese. Take a guided bushwalk or head out in an open-topped four-wheel drive to see water buffalo, birds, wallabies, wild boar and brumbies.
6. Boobook Ecotours, Outback QLD
A tour with Boobook’s local ecological experts reveals a world steeped in one thousand years of Australian history. With exclusive access to some of the country’s best privately owned outback locations, Boobook delivers the best in Australian ecotourism by engaging in activities that proactively protect the outback’s unique natural assets. From the wildflowers of Gurulmundi to the Aboriginal rock art at Carnarvon Ranges, the company’s ecological experts share their knowledge on each region’s ecosystems and wildlife, plus the inspiring stories of the outback’s agricultural and pioneering history.
7. Bombah Point Eco Cottages, Myall Lakes National Park NSW
Reconnect with nature at this low-impact retreat, where you’ll sleep in a tree house, swim in a tea tree lake, explore untouched beaches and forage in sustainable gardens. This quiet oasis is set in Myall Lakes National Park, home to one of Australia’s largest coastal lake systems, as well as some 40 kilometres of unblemished beaches. The eco-friendly touches don’t stop with their cottages — rainwater tanks, an onsite solar grid and a permaculture garden make this place truly environmentally conscious. Not to mention their ongoing involvement in land and bush regeneration.
8. Arkaba Walk, Flinders Ranges SA
The Arkaba Walk is an incredibly immersive way to see the Flinders Ranges in South Australia. Over four days and three nights, the walk takes adventurers on a hiking safari led by passionate guides across Arkaba’s private wildlife conservancy. Covering between 13 and 15 kilometres a day, the expedition is one of the Great Walks of Australia. With an aim to educate guests on ecotourism, Arkaba is all about minimal impact, from their tours to their commitment to conservation. The epic walk includes two nights of swag glamping and one night in the 1850s Arkaba Homestead — a historic oasis of comfort for early explorers, including Burke and Wills’ search party and John McDouall Stuart.
9. Longitude 131°, Uluru-Kata Tjuta NT
A stay at Longitude 131° places you smack-bang in the spiritual heart of Australia, amid rugged outback beauty and rich Aboriginal culture. Atop uninterrupted red dunes, the resort’s 15 tented pavilions directly overlook the country’s most recognisable natural landmark: Uluru. A totally unique Australian glamping experience of a lifetime, Longitude 131° has been thoughtfully and sustainably designed to preserve the natural lay of the land. And when you’re not dining under the desert starts, take a helicopter ride over Uluru and Kata Tjuta, or hike the Valley of the Winds and learn about the local Anangu people.
10. Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat, Tallebudgera Valley QLD
Overlooking the beautiful Tallebudgera Valley, this Australian retreat promotes “wellness, energy and calmness” — all within easy reach thanks to its uniquely isolated environment and diverse range of wellness treatments. Gwinganna’s Wildlife Survival Program is a testament to their commitment to the environment, while their nature walks with resident botanist and social ecologist John Palmer is a highlight during a stay here. No ordinary retreat, Gwinganna has been awarded Eco-Spa of the Year at the AsiaSpa Awards for three consecutive years.
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