Originally Posted by
jmj9905
I would not shorten your visit toSaffire. While the op is right it is not near Hobart. We have traveled the woeld and stayed in some of r=the best luxury properties in the world, think MO Bangkok. We spent 4 nights at Saffire, What ever you decide enjoy! It is a fabulous country.
I did four nights in Tasmania in March 2020 (I know!) and even that wasn’t enough. Having visited Australia a few times and lived there for a bit, I think it’s a bad idea to do a whistle stop tour of places, especially as you may be quite jet lagged.
My advice is to figure out what type of Australian experience you want to have, and adopt a “less is more” philosophy. I disagree with another poster that Australian cities are similar to American cities - they are much more friendly, safe, clean and welcoming than the USA. I could happily spend a week in Melbourne just enjoying the food, drink, culture and ambience. It feels different to LA or NYC, both of which I also appreciate for different reasons. Whilst I do agree the most beautiful and unique parts of Australia are not to be found in the middle of a CBD, there is a reason that Australian cities are frequently selected as some of the worlds most liveable.
If you truly want to see the wilderness, I would recommend spending far more than two nights in Tasmania. I haven’t stayed at Safire, and it does look phenomenal, but there is so much more to the island than one luxury hotel. It’s nowhere near as luxury as Safire, but Pumphouse Point is a once in a lifetime experience and I would highly recommend it (although prices have gone up about 100% since before the pandemic) - definitely stay at the actual Pumphouse, not on the shore. It’s well worth getting a car in Tasmania and exploring the island. If you enjoy walking and nature, few places can compare.
As a more rogue choice, versus the usual east coast tour, I highly recommend Western Australia. I have yet to do the north but the wine lands and coast in the south around and past Margaret River are stunning. Perth itself is a nice place to visit (Kings Park etc) but is more laidback and smaller than Sydney. You could spend a night or two there and then drive down South. I can recommend a tour that I enjoyed in Margaret River. I don’t think there is much in the way of true Luxury Accommodation but there are plenty of great Airbnb properties.