a list of retro motels to rug up in over the long weekend
Travel around Australia (and back in time).
Look-y what we have here! *Rubs hands together in delight* It’s another bloody long weekend, folks. (Sorry Queensland and Western Australia – but keep this list handy when your next one swings around.) And long, it shall be, because we’re not just taking an extra day off work – we’re taking 50 odd years off of it. Come with us on a road trip as we travel Australia and travel back in time to the (revamped) motels of yesteryear.
RIVER DRIVE MOTEL, TARWIN LOWER/BOON WURRUNG/BUNURONG COUNTRY, VICTORIA A breezy two and a half hours from Melbourne/Naarm, River Drive Motel is – you guessed it – nestled into the banks of the Tarwin River in South Gippsland. A self-described “sweet boutique motel”, the rooms are cosy enough to feel at home in while chic enough to have you thinking you’re staying at the country house of a really stylish pal. And that’s before we even mention the boundless nature awaiting you, right on the motel’s doorstep.
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THE BERRY VIEW, BERRY/DHARAWAL NATION, NEW SOUTH WALES Just two hours from Sydney/Warrane, The Berry View is the kind of old-school motel to escape to if lush meadows and small-town charm is what you’re hungry for. Featuring a lovely little pool and spacious suites done up in retro tiles and plush velvet cushions, it looks like there might even be enough room for us to tag along with you… pretty please?
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THE MYSA MOTEL, GOLD COAST/YUGAMBEH COUNTRY, QUEENSLAND If the time-constraints of just three days off means that you can’t make it to Palm Springs this weekend, we might have the next best thing. The Goldie’s Mysa Motel is a Californian dream of a stay – located just 11 minutes (and counting) from Gold Coast Airport, on Palm Beach we might add – with pastel-coloured walls, flamingo-pink deck chairs and a snazzy pool to suit. And yes, the weather will NOT stop us from taking a much-deserved dip.
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SEAVIEW MOTEL, KANGAROO ISLAND/KARTA PINTINGGA, SOUTH AUSTRALIA Is an island escape more your cup of tea? Well, we have just the boiling kettle for you. Kangaroo Island’s Seaview Motel is a lovely getaway boasting chic modern finishes on a motel brimming with over a century of history. Hold your horses, though – Seaview is currently revamping their swish space, set to re-open sometime this year, so keep your eyes peeled for the transformation to be complete.
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ALABAMA HOTEL, HOBART/NIPALUNA, TASMANIA Smack-bang in the heart of Hobart is a hotel sitting pretty like it’s straight out of a time when vintage cars were just normal cars. The Alabama Hotel – affectionately known as the BAM – was first established in 1867, although the rooms look more like early noughties cosplaying as ‘80s. Either way, it’s cute as all heck!
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THE TIMOTHÉE RESORT, BUSSELTON/WADANI BOODJA COUNTRY, WESTERN AUSTRALIA Between ridiculously long jetties and an endless horizon of ocean, making your way to Busselton at some point in the future (or right now) is a pretty good idea. Less than two and a half hours’ drive from Perth/Boorloo, Busselton is all the beauty of a coastal town without as much of the crowds. Another fine reason to visit Busselton? The charming Timothée Resort. This orange-splashed dream is more reimagined motel than ultra-luxe massive resort, and it’s cosiness is a welcomed delight.
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K – TOWN HOTEL, KATHERINE/TRADITIONAL LANDS OF THE JAWOYN, DAGOMAN, AND WARDAMAN PEOPLES, NORTHERN TERRITORY No, K – Town is not where you go when you put too many naughty things up your nose – it’s the Katherine-based hotel that is as pink as your bum after a day in the sun. While the bones of the place are more faithfully styled on (or leftover from) yesteryear than most motels, the proximity of K – Town to rad nature spots – like the jaw-dropping Katherine Gorge – makes this a pretty sweet deal.
Keep the road trip chugging along with these five cosy spots to drive to and pump the tunes with our ripper driving playlist. Plus, sign up to our newsletter to stay in the loop.
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