ACfly

I just completed a five day stay at Saffire Resort...

One word : Wow!

lb8001

Stunning photos! I look forward to the report, as this area is on my "go to" list

ACfly

Nestled on the edge of Frecynet National Park, in Tasmania, on what once was a trailer park, the Saffire resort blends in seamlessly with it's surrounding in one of the most stunning place on earth. Designed to maximize the beauty of what is Tasmania, every floor to ceiling window acts as a picture frame of Freciynet National Park.

Getting to Hobart Airport, Tasmania was a breeze. In fact, domestic air travel in Australia is incredibly easy unlike North America. Last baggage checkin is 30 minutes before the flight, and security is a breeze (i.e. no shoes to take off). There are many quick flights from SYD or MEL to Hobart. The airport is small, and it lost its "international" Airport designation when the New Zealand flight was cancelled.





Upon deplaning at Hobart airport, I was met at the baggage carousel by a Saffire staff holding a baggage cart and a bag containing water and some nuts. I was warmly welcomed and escorted to the Lounge. Saffire Resort has its own Airport lounge (located landside) for passengers flying into Hobart. The Lounge is large and airy, and bigger than most airport lounges for this size of airport. It is tastefully decorated with artwork and photos. Coffee, tea, drinks, snacks and internet access are available. It even has shower facility - separate for men and women. The lounge agent mentioned that the most number of people who ever visited the lounge at any one time was 6.

Saffire Resort is located about 175km North east of Hobart or 2 1/2 hours drive from the Airport. Most people rent a car and drive to the Resort. There is also an option for a driver from the hotel or fly via seaplane. I chose to drive, and the ladies at the Saffire lounge had all the paperwork and car key ready. My car was waiting right outside the lounge. After being shown the directions to Saffire on a google map printout and given a bag containing water, maps, driving instructions and snacks, I bid goodbye to the ladies and off I went.



After 3 and a half weeks on the road it felt good to be out of the cities. The drive to Saffire resort is nothing special, and it is a relatively easy drive on the A3 with only about 4 turns from Airport to resort. I did make a stop at the Berry farm close to Swansea for an ice cream.



I was told to my surprise that most Australians, being outdoor enthusiasts, have never been to Tasmania.

I could feel that there's a love and hate relationship with folks from Sydney amongst Australians. When I told the guests I met at the resort, who were from Melbourne and Perth, that my colleagues from Sydney referred to Tasmania as a foreign outpost, they turned serious and said "Those folks from Sydney are arrogant pricks." I heard a few of these comments. I chuckled.

...more to come below...

Baghoarder

Thanks for posting the pics! I will be there in about three weeks - looking forward to it even more now!

FlyerEC

Thanks for sharing report & photos

Am going to Tassie next month but flying into Launceston , wonder if they have an airport lounge there.

Now to figure out how many days I can be spare ..

behuman

Saffire is an unique place which really puts Tasmania on the map and happily it joined Relais & Chateaux this year.

Have been there last month and in my humble opinion the normal rooms are more than good and I would opt for the all inclusive option as dinner and included wine choices are even better than what already very good Baileys Lodges are doing.

Make sure to walk DOWN to the wineglass bay and then across the isthmus, a good 4 hours walk. Saffire will happily put a nice bottle of Shiraz in your backpack.

Tasmania in general is like a poor version of the NZ South Island. Hospitality is in general of poor quality, overpriced and service unpolished. The only places beside Saffire I can recommend are the Islington at Hobart and of course MONA - the museum of old and new art near Hobart which has also pavillons (choose Arthur) and a good restaurant.

ACfly

Upon arrival I was warmly greeted by Brody who took my car key, and escorted me inside. The entrance to the lobby/reception is dramatic and is framed by the Floor to ceiling window to the park. The lobby is actually on the 3rd floor.







The Saffire resort contains 20 beautiful suites (more like luxury cottages) overlooking Freycinet National park. There are three types of suites, and one can't go wrong with any one of them. I booked the Premium suite, one of four on the resort which offered the largest square footage, a bedroom separated from the living and dining room, a heated plunge pool, a fully equipped stainless steel kitchenette, a mini bar, two restrooms and a large deck. There is a private courtyard with a zen like rock garden and a bench located before the main door to the suite. The suite is also equipped with a Geneva sound system and a fully loaded iPod with thousands of songs. Fast wireless Internet is complimentary throughout the resort. The latest DVD movies and books are available in the library/reception. For the 5 days, I never turned on the tv or read the papers. iPads are placed throughout the lounge and library for guests to use.









The floor to ceiling windows in the living and bedroom offer stunning views of the National park, especially during dawn and sunset, where the color of the sun and the skies are most vibrant. I could sit in the room and stare at the view all day and still be inspired. I kept the blinds open every night to be woken up by the run rise and the magnificent view.



The large bright and spacious bathroom is one of the best I have experienced. The floors are heated, and the shower offers four different nozzles - 2 overhead rain showers (ideal for couples wanting to shower together), a hand shower and a body nozzle, all are independently pressurized, so turning on all four nozzles will not reduce the pressure. All the toiletries are locally produced, and made of 100% natural ingredient. The bathroom overlooks the courtyard that contains the small heated plunge pool.

The blinds and lights are electronically controlled. The materials and finishing are made of excellent quality. The most unique part of the room and main building is the ceiling - absolutely gorgeous hand crafted wood planks. It really adds to the dramatic feel of the room and the open spaces.

Housekeeping is done twice a day. At turndown service, a thermal pot of hot water and herbal tea along with a piece of homemade chocolate brownie is left in the table with a sheet of paper containing the wether forecast for the next few days. In addition, a lit candle is placed in the bathroom. In the afternoon, a piece of homemade cake is left in the room.

The main building, with it's majestic wavy roof, houses the reception area, a gift shop, the main restaurant, a lounge area, a reading room, the spa and small fitness area (consisting of 2 treadmills, a stationary bike, a set of free weights and a cable machine) and an art gallery featuring local artists. The three story building has floor to ceiling windows overlooking the roof lines of the suites and the jaw breaking view of the park.

ACfly

The food at the resort is divine!

The food at the restaurant is the best that I have eaten at any five star establishment. The menu changes daily for lunch and dinner. All ingredients are as fresh as it can be and all are locally sourced.

The resort offers a buffet Lunch made of the freshest ingredients and two types of protein of the day. I had sublime grilled squid, lamb, beef, trout, salmon, and two types of home-made dessert of the day.

Dinner is the key highlight of the stay. The resort offers an extensive menu that is changed daily. One of the key delight is the Degustation Menu, consisting of five courses from the best of the a la carte menu - with each dish paired with the individual wine. The wine list is extensive, and featurs some outstanding Australian wine and vintage. One will never be bored by the selection. I highly recommend booking the room and food option, where virtually everything is included, including some outstanding wine and liquors.







Dinner menu changes daily.... here's a snapshot



Day 1:
Entree:

1. Freycinet marine farm oyster - crisp fried shima wasabi mayonnaise
2. Organic beet root and goats cheese tart tartan horseradish cream
3. Chawanmushi - Japanese inspired dish white miso custard, scallops, shaved local squid, smoked eel, shiitake, shellfish consume
4. Ragout of white rabbit, tomato, olives, chorizo, oregano, cAvolo Nero, casareccia pasta

Main

1. Roast pink snapper, prawn, spanner crab and buckwheat risotto, soba cha, shellfish bisque
2. Clover hill Pasteur fed lamb, roast loin, 10 hour slow cooked shoulder, heirloom carrots, white lentils, hazelnuts, peplta
3. Lemon and cumin crusted venison - rare roasted eggplants, burghul, barberries, herbs, pine notes, preserved lemon, yoghurt
4. From the grill, Market fish - parsley and lemon butter, potato purée
5. Char grilled cape grim beef, cafe butter, fresh fries

Dessert:

1. Selection of local and imported cheeses, homemade quince paste Cheese for the gods - grilled Heidi racelette cheese, walnut brioche, fig compote, chestnut flowers honey
2. Roasted banana Creme caramel,napalm sugar, coconut granita, macadamia nuts
3. Lemon delicious pudding, lemon curd ice cream

DAY 2:
Entree:

1. Freycinet marine oysters - freshly shucked sweet mirin, sake and wasabi sorbet
2. salad of blAck figs, labneh, lemon jam, almonds
3. Cylinders - sugar cured ocean trout and avocado, yellow fin tuna sashimi and hand shelled crab
4. Roasted squab, Italian style red braise, seared scallops

MAIN:

1. Main Pink ling with mussels and crab chowders
2. Mount Gnomon Wessex saddle back pork, wrapped in Tunisian pastry, pigs trotters, Maderia poached prunes, cauliflower, black pudding crumbs
3. Bruny island goat - slow cooked, potato gnocchi, Persian raisins, baby beet roots, turnip ricotta rosemary
4. From the grill, Market fish - parsley and lemon butter, potato purée
5. Char grilled cape grim beef, cafe butter, fresh fries

Dessert:

1. Selection of local and Imported cheeses
2. Date and vanilla Creme brûlée tart Pave of sour cream ice cream and pine lime sorbet, citrus curd, lime geranium, Italian meringue

ACfly

Text below...


















The resort offers quite a few complementary guided outdoor activities as well as paid, which can be planned ahead of time by the resort team. A five day stay was way too short to enjoy everything the resort offered.

The unspoiled beach is an easy 2 minute walk from the suite. I took the opportunity to run on the beach 3 of the 5 mornings. Very nice way to start the day. The sand is extremely soft and helped to cushion the run and the morning sun radiated the beauty of the surrounding. Temperature was perfect each morning - about 17 degrees.

The guided tours are of high quality and is accompanied by a knowledgeable guide from the resort. Below is an example of my 5 day itinerary.

My itinerary included the following:

Day 1: Arrival. Went for a long walk on the deserted beach, and swam in the warm clear water (19 degree Celsius).

Day 2: Morning: Boat cruise of Freycinet national park and Souten island. Absolutely stunning and breathtaking. Highly recommended. This tour does cost money but well worth it. The Souten island is uninhabited and composed of some of the most stunning pink granite cliffs I have seen. When the sunlight hits it, it just glows. The resort supplies everyone with wind breaker jackets to keep warm when out in the water. We saw dolphins along the way and they followed the boat for a few kilometers. What a beautiful sight. Our guide gave us a great overview of the history of the island and the plants and animals inhabiting the island. We went to see the seals and bird colonies. For 4 hour trip, the beautiful scenery stole the show. We stopped half way and anchored in a pristine bay and had coffee, drinks and snacked prepared by the resort.

Afternoon: Visited the vineyard surrounding the resort and engaged in some wine tasting. Free activity, again escorted by our guide.

Day 3: Morning: Kayaking - free activity. Escorted by our guide, we went kayaking in the bay and was given some information about the area. Again, all the supplies and instructions were given by our guide, including life jackets. We were given a brief introduction on how to kayak by our guide. We docked our kayak at the oyster farm, and had drinks and snacks midway through. Again, weather was perfect and the water was warm and still. It was us, the birds, oysters and fish!

Afternoon: Visited the oyster farm and shucked some oysters. Free activity. This was really the highlight and unique tour. Even if you don't like oysters, I would highly recommend the tour from an experience standpoint. We put on the rubber suit and walked precariously to the oyster nets floating in the bay where our guide gave us the fascinating story of the oysters and oyster farming. We walked over to the table that was positioned over the water, which became our oyster shucking station. Tablecloths and champagnes were brought out and we were shown how to shuck oysters ( much harder and more dangerous than I thought). We each attempted to shuck, but failed miserably. Fortunately our guide was an expert and so right in the middle of the water we ate fresh oysters and drank Champagne as the sun set for the day. It couldn't get better and fresher than that. An experience that I will always remember.

Day 4: Morning Hiking to wineglass bay. Free activity and again escorted by our guide. Beautiful view, and a relatively easy hike. I chose to go for the longer 3 hour hike around the bay to burn off all the calories from Breakfast and to ready myself for the fantastic lunch and dinner.

Afternoon Biking along the beach, unguided. I took the afternoon to bike along the beach. It was a perfect trip. The resort provides the mountain bike along with a helmet and a backpack containing the lock for the bike a map, a medical kit, a pump for the tires, sun screen, and bottled water. The ride on the beach was very easy along the water. I biked along the beach for about 10km until I reached the national parks and then returned.

Day 5 Morning: Quad bike. Paid activity with guide. Quad biking in the sands. I didn't particularly enjoyed this as much as the biking along the beach.

Afternoon: Spa massage. The resort does have a small spa with three treatment room. A $200 spa credit came with the room rate, so I took advantage of the massage, and booked the sports massage which was really well done. The spa gets booked up quickly and so I would recommend booking before you arrive. Inside the Spa is also the 24 Hour gym, although I can't imagine anyone using it since the activities offered are pretty intensive.

The guided activities were offered daily and some rotated every second day.

There were maybe 3-4 other guest on the tours that I took, and on a few of them it was just the myself and the guide.

I was exhausted at the end of each day and was glad to climb to bed.

ACfly

The service was outstanding from the moment I arrived to the day I left. Everyone I met greeted me by name and took time to ask how I was doing and offered advices…. This was especially true for the dining staff, especially at lunch, where they made a great effort to engage in conversations with each guest. I hinted at the fact that I might want to ride a bike on the beach, and next I knew after returning from lunch, a mountain bike and back pack was placed in my suite. One morning at breakfast, I mentioned that the coffee is fantastic in Australia, and the server gave me the brief history of coffee in Australia, pointing out the difference between a Long Black, Flat white and Machiato. I didn't know that a German latte was different than a North America Latte. Everywhere I went in Australia, I noticed that there was clearly a coffee culture here, and Starbucks has not made ground. Then he asked me if I would like to try the different types of coffee to taste the difference. Clearly he was a coffee sommelier… and with all that enthusiasm, I couldn't say no, and took up his offer. One by one I sipped the various creations each day, as he explained to me the subtle differences in texture, milk formation, and beans. My favourite was still the the long black (not to be confused with an Americano)…

ACfly

A fantastic resort! The ambience, service and activities were exceptional. It reminded me of my memorable stays at the Singita Lodges in South Africa and the Amangiri in Utah - spectacular setting, excellent service, and quality activities. THe resort certainly elevates Tasmania and Australia as a 5* travel location.

If I had to do the trip again, I would stay a week and include two days of down time in the suite, enjoying the view, catching up on my reading and totally relaxing. Most people I met tended to stay 2-3 days...

Baghoarder

Thank you for posting such fantastic detail! Can I ask one more question - did guests tend to dress up for dinner or was the overall ambience very casual?

ACfly

No need to dress up. Resort casual - khakis and polo shirts were common. I did not see anyone in suits or jackets. It does get a bit cool at night at this time of year so a sweater is appropriate.

Kagehitokiri

looks finished - great info, amazing pics ^^
menu details are always appreciated
ive been looking for high end coffee with sommelier
interesting no pool, wonder if govt didnt allow
re australian wine - grange?
wow. although capella is small

Baghoarder

There are lots of interesting Australian fine wines around these days in addition to Grange, and the presence of Grange on a wine list here does not necessarily indicate much about the overall quality of the list. Keep your eye out for Moss Wood, Cullen, Clonakilla, Crawford River, Giaconda, Main Ridge, Bass Philip, Bindi, Domaine A, Grosset, to name just a few. Single vineyard, terroir-driven wines are in the ascendant here these days. Grange is made from premium grape parcels drawn from very widely dispersed locations and as such, while certainly a great wine, is a far more old fashioned style. You also pay a serious premium for the name.