From Hayman Island to Wollongong, here’s where these celebs like to holiday
By Jane Rocca
JULIA ZEMIRO
Host of Great Australian Walks, SBS
Julia Zemiro found the perfect getaway in Wollongong.
My partner Carsten and I live in the NSW Southern Highlands and wanted a short stay by the beach at short notice, just the two of us. The thought of airports, bags, security and possible delays started to unravel the whole point of a relaxing short break, so we decided to drive to Wollongong and stayed at the Novotel Wollongong Northbeach. It has an old-school bar with fireplace where you can play cards and board games. We loved chatting to locals on our sunset walks and there are enough restaurants nearby to go somewhere different every night. The coffee was perfect at the kiosk on the beach and there were lots of dogs to play with. We enjoyed three swims a day, afternoon naps and a zippy 60-minute drive home.
CLAIRE LOVERING
Actor in Gold Diggers, ABC
Claire Lovering went for a “deluxe, safari-style tent”. Credit: Alex Vaughan
I love Jervis Bay for its beaches and the beautiful nature. It’s a three-hour drive south of Sydney, so it makes you feel you have escaped the city. I stayed near Hyams Beach at Paperbark Camp, in a deluxe, safari-style tent with hardwood floors; you have creature comforts but are also immersed in nature. It’s eco-friendly and has a restaurant, too. The Booderee National Park takes you to pristine beaches – I recommend the White Sands Walk – and I’d never seen a kangaroo on a beach before I went there. I also like to hire a kayak and do a nine-kilometre paddle through salt marshes and mangroves. You can do whale-watching cruises, too. This is the perfect place to unplug from the digital world, get into nature, and come back feeling so relaxed.
LUCY DURACK
Actor and founder of Hey Lemonade app
Lucy Durack likes to holiday in WA. Credit: Josh Robenstone
I got married on Rottnest Island in Western Australia in 2014 and spent a week of every summer of my childhood there until I left Perth in my 20s. It’s idyllic and the beaches are magical. Now I like to go back for a five-day getaway; we usually go just before or after Christmas. We stay in Geordie Bay or Longreach Bay, my favourite spots, but everything is within easy walking or cycling distance. There is a bay called The Basin surrounded by a reef where I love swimming and snorkelling, and Thompson’s Bay is where you find the pub, mini golf and shops. You have to get in early to rent a house on Rottnest but I love the renovated rustic bungalows. It’s the sort of place you go to for a few days and feel like you’ve been away much longer.
JAMES STEWART
Actor in Home and Away, Channel 7
If it’s not New York, then James Stewart is happy with the Margaret River region.
My partner and I recently went to Western Australia’s Margaret River region and stayed at the luxurious Smiths Beach Resort. It was magic. We did long walks, lots of eating and visited wineries. It’s a great place to unwind. If I was in the United States on an extended holiday and had to book a short stay, it would be to New York. You can see a play every night, go to a restaurant straight after, walk through Chelsea Market and visit John Lennon’s house. For me it’s about soaking in the culture. I want to be where playwright Arthur Miller premiered The Crucible; I want to walk the streets that Bobby Womack sang about in Across 110th Street. Every block there is something to see. It’s an art, sport, music and culture overload.
ZAN ROWE
Double J presenter
Zan Rowe likes to visit quiet parts of Tasmania. Credit: ABC
Eaglehawk Neck in Tasmania is a beautiful isthmus and small town an hour’s drive south-east of Hobart. I first visited in March 2022 for a few days of birthday solitude, a little gift to myself. In a small cabin nestled in giant gums opposite the beach, I felt the bush, while the clear waters of the protected bay gave me the daily wake-up I needed. A short drive opened up even more wonders as the landscape became grander and steeper, with Tasmans Arch, the Blowhole and Devils Kitchen taking my breath away before I retreated to the cabin to listen to the gentle sway of the gums again. When you need a time-out but don’t have a lot of time, proximity to a city helps. This little paradise makes you feel like you’re in another world.
DIANA CHAN
Cook, Maker & Monger’s toastie series
Diana Chan likes to escape the hustle and bustle of the city.
I like to go to Royal Mail Dunkeld, a hotel in the town just south of the Grampians about 2½ hours west of Melbourne; it’s a great three-night stay. There’s a fine-dining restaurant, Wickens, a more casual eatery, Parker St Project, plus you can do kitchen-garden tours: everything comes from the garden. The hotel also has an outstanding collection of Burgundy wines and you can walk around the grounds and see emus, kangaroos and other wildlife. I feel totally relaxed when I am there, escaping the hustle and bustle of Melbourne, and I go annually with a group of friends. You can hire a big homestead, stay in cottages or stay in the hotel. It also gives us time to hike in the Grampians and explore the region’s wineries.
GIAAN ROONEY
Ambassador for Life-Space Probiotics
Giann Rooney chooses Hayman Island to go off-grid and completely unwind.
It was my 40th birthday last November and I went to Hayman Island, where my husband, Sam, and I went for our honeymoon 11 years ago. It’s the place to go off-grid and completely unwind. There are activities if you want to take part, but it’s also okay to do nothing, just like we did. I wanted to remove myself from reality for a few days with great food and cocktails and incredible weather – and that’s exactly what we got at the InterContinental, Hayman Island’s only resort. To get there, you fly to Hamilton Island, then either take a boat or a helicopter. Activities include day trips to the Great Barrier Reef, snorkelling around the island, stand-up paddle-boarding and hiking. But for me, it was five days of relaxing by the pool or on the beach.
MARTA DUSSELDORP
Actor in Bay of Fires, ABC
Marta Dusseldorp picks the west coast of Tasmania.
The west coast of Tasmania is unique and awe-inspiring. You can’t quite believe it’s within reach and it makes a perfect short stay. Strahan has beautiful sand dunes, then you can take a boat trip into the primordial Tarkine rainforest to see ancient Huon pines. It’s not always cold and swimming is great; because it’s on the west coast, it’s wild. Travelling from Strahan to Queenstown means going through rainforest, then suddenly you’re in bald-mountain territory and you see massive lakes; it all takes your breath away. In Queenstown, there are fabulous views of Mount Owen, which is snow-capped in winter and turns a thousand different colours at sunset. I always feel recharged when I escape to this pocket of Tasmania.
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