Bicheno Hideaway

Bicheno Hideaway is about 3km before Bicheno heading north along the Tasman Highway. There are a number of cabins available, ranging from small couple-sized ones to large family cabins, like the Boathouse which we hired at $300 a night and which slept four families (8 adults and four children - two big and two little). It's only a few minutes walk from a stunning rocky beach and maybe a half-hour stroll to a sandy beach. The location is absolutely gorgeous. There are peacocks, wallabies and potoroos, parrots, ducks and chickens all wandering about like they own the place (I guess they do in a way). Kids will love the animal life abundant here, adults will love the ocean views from most vantage points. I for one was pretty happy lying on our king-sized bed looking out over our private deck at a rugged coastline, blue sky and sea. You fall asleep at night listening to the waves, or maybe the possums fighting! The cabins are completely self-contained. All bedding, towels, utensils, microwave, TV and DVD, stereo, books are provided. The proprietors even went out and especially bought a high-chair attachment at our request, which meant peaceful meals three times a day, and you can't put a price on that during a holiday! (Funnily enough, their website states that Hideaway is not suitable for children under 10, but we had a one and two-year old, which they knew all about, and the kids LOVED it and were fine in the cabin as long as we stashed some of the more fragile/dangerous artifacts and objects in a closed room.)
The cabins themselves are those cool airplane hangar-style buildings that I know as RAL Homes, and the glass-walled end makes for a beautiful ocean vista.

Bicheno itself is absolutely beautiful. There are so many stunning beaches, and it's a really friendly town with a lively and relaxed surf-culture feel. We loved it, and were very sad when it was time to go home. Diamond Island, at the end of Redbill Beach, was an especial highlight. You can walk out to it at low tide along a sandbar, and see the penguins living on the island, then you race back through the surf before the tide turns! (Or sit on the island for 6 hours, which with a hat, a book and some sandwiches, would be a pretty fine way to spend a day!) Our slogan for Bicheno was "Looks like Queensland, feels like Tassie!" Mostly referring to the contrast of the tropical aqua colour of the water with the actual temperature!


(Redbill Beach, Bicheno - Diamond Island visible distant right)

Where: Harvey's Farm Road, Bicheno, a comfortable 2-hour drive from Hobart.
Check website for prices and off-season specials.