Check in
You’ll be greeted on arrival at this five-bedroom boutique lodge by owners Andrew “Roscoe” or Bec Rosser, and taken on a tour of the property. A personal tour of the property ensues, with Roscoe pointing out a rainwater-fed sparkling tap in the kitchen and the best spot to see waddling wombats in the morning. Relaxation reigns from here on, the only firm timings being when we’ll take the ute to trek through dunes to view the sunset and the striped Cape Dombey obelisk – and when to have fireside sundowners on the patio.
The look
Architect-designed and built on a property that’s been in Bek’s family for generations, the lodge is more like a homestead than a hotel. It has an oversized kitchen and dining area, a living space with long leather couches and a guitar in the corner, a kitchen garden, meticulous landscaping and outdoor lounging spots. It combines the spirit of a bed-and-breakfast with hotel luxuries (SA tipples from a self-serve bar and yoga mats to use on the lawn). Bespoke touches – board games in a basket, Bek’s late father’s stickered travel trunk by the bookshelf, cosy perches for all-day reading – make it a welcoming homely stay. The Limestone Coast is reflected in the palette of creams, and local art and pottery crafted by Bek’s dad stand out on timber detailing.
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The room
My Library Suite has a room off the bedroom with floor-to-ceiling books and a deliciously oversized bathroom, with soaking tub, underfloor heating and Adelaide-made brass tapware. The concrete sink, the compendium notes, is a nod to the troughs that dotted this patch when it was known as “the back paddock”. In the morning, I watch a fairy floss-coloured sky burn over the bushland, tea in hand, and open the louvres to hear the birds stir to life. Rooms are designed for ease and privacy, enabling as much interaction with other travellers as desired.
Food + drink
Breakfast and terrific sundowners are included in the room rate. The nightly cheeseboard comes with exceptional pickled cucumbers and peppers, dried cherry tomatoes and moreish chutneys – and is presented fireside with a complimentary tipple. The crudites are picked from the other side of the fence, and the leek and onion dip is infinitely snackable. Dinners can be tacked on – if you’re still hungry. Breakfast is cooked to order: eggs, bacon, fresh bread, granolas and poached fruit, plus an epic line-up of jams (apple and thyme is an unexpected hit) and whatever’s growing in the garden. I do not leave hungry.
Out + about
Guided coastal drives and cow-cuddling farm tours are complimentary (for one-night stays, the farm tours are $100 a head). Robe is just two and a bit kilometres from the lodge and there you’ll find the Caledonian Inn (caledonianinnrobe.com.au), which serves catch-of-the-day plates and blue swimmer crab pasta by candlelight or Sails (sailsatrobe.com.au) which offers southern rock lobster to order. Solar-powered buggy tours of the quirky Humpalicious Camel Farm (humpalicious.com.au), 12 minutes away by car, involve feeding time and a sip of camel milk. It’s an eight-minute drive to the Robe Gaol Ruins, and you’re in the heart of Little Dip Conservation Park for bush walks.
The verdict
Upscale, homely and polished service in a lodge that combines the best of natural, culinary and social encounters to create a modern travel experience that feels plucked from times past.
Essentials
Stony Rise Lodge is a six-hour drive from Melbourne, three and a half hours from Adelaide or 90-minutes from the closest commercial airport – Mount Gambier, which is currently serviced by Rex. Rooms from $425 for one or two people, including gourmet breakfast. Of the five rooms, one is accessible. See stonyriselodge.com.au
Our rating out of five
★★★★
Highlight Fireside evenings beneath the bright southern sky, with the sound of waves in the background and a cosy bed steps away.
Lowlight Considering the emphasis on Robe-focused drinks and the exceptional homegrown produce, it would be lovely to see the same theme in the in-room minibar.
The writer visited as a guest of the South Australian Tourism Commission. See southaustralia.com
Riley Wilson is a freelance journalist and editor specialising in travel, food, architecture and agriculture. She is a former desk editor at The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, and the creator of the Greater Good newsletter.Connect via email.
