ARKABA HOMESTEAD

Four guest rooms overlook memorable views of the transforming landscape, while the separate Coachman’s Cottage offers extra privacy. Draped curtains, sisal rugs and lamps made from emu eggshells offer Australian-style luxury with hints of the homestead’s working heritage such as the bedside tables wrapped in Arkaba Station wool sacks and sheepskin hot water bottles. Bathrooms take on a minimal approach with exposed stone walls and freestanding bathtubs.

In communal areas, fires warm the chilly winter nights while during the day, the inviting swimming pool offers cool respite after day trips out in the bush. Dinners of Yarra valley caviar, foraged bush tomatoes and homemade tortellini are orchestrated on the terrace with wide-open views of the sun-doused rugged terrain. Retiring to your room for the evening, there are no telephones or television to distract from the utter tranquillity of the outback.

SUITABLE FOR:

• Couples and honeymooners
• Lovers of the great outdoors

THINGS TO DO AT THE HOTEL:

• Observe fauna and avifauna such Red and Western Grey kangaroos, Yellow-footed wallabies and soaring Wedge-tailed eagles
• Take a cooling dip in the swimming pool that overlooks the Arkaba Creek
• Feast on mouth-watering organic cuisine on the terrace, taking in the views of the ranges
• Enjoy canapés at sunset, followed by a blanket of fiercely twinkling stars.

THINGS TO DO NEARBY:

• Embark upon a walking safari, scaling the summit of the Arkaba Hill or hiking through forest and rock formations to the Arkaba Woolshed
• Take your morning tea in the hide for a deeper immersion into the sights and sounds of the bush
• Set out on a safari drive to some of the region’s most spectacular viewpoints, perhaps concluding with sundowners on the ridgetop
• Take to the skies in a helicopter, soaring over the Elder mountain range and the Brachina and Edeowie gorges
• Travel by light aircraft to Lake Eyre as part of an outback air safari, admiring panoramas of Leigh Creek and the Lake Torrens salt pan

Image 5 courtesy of Richard Field,  Image 8 courtesy of Richard l'Anson.