26 winter weekends away
Australia
Top 10 places to relax: Australia's best hotel spas
In this era of jet lag, back-to-back meetings and 24-hour technology, the hotel spa has never been more important to the global business traveller.
Sydney
Postcard from the edge
Old and new smoothly unite at a small hotel on the CBD fringe, writes Bruce Elder.
Victoria
Tryst with temptation
Sue Wallace surrenders to the regional gourmet delights at a couple's retreat.
NSW
Packed with warmth
BRIAN BROWNSTEIN Brian Brownstein discovers the home fires are burning nicely at this classic country house in Berrima.
Sydney
The Darling
Jane Cadzow The Darling is part of The Star casino complex, and the Star is essentially an adult fun park.
Melbourne
Apartment 401
Kendall Hill Apartment 401 is in the heart of Melbourne's CBD on the fourth floor of Majorca House.
NSW
Mending Wall
Lauren Quaintance Named after a Robert Frost poem, Mending Wall is remote enough that you are warned to arrive with enough supplies and a full tank of petrol.
Victoria
Bluegum Ridge Country Cottages
Jane Sullivan The two two-bedroom self-contained cottages at Bluegum Ridge are secluded and quiet.
Tasmania
Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge
Nina Karnikowski Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge lies just 100 metres from the edge of the national park.
Victoria
Cathedral Valley Farm
Smartly created by a makeover of an original 1961 kit home, this two-wing house is suited for a two-family stay.
NSW
de Russie Suites Mudgee
Anthony Dennis Mudgee's historic 1865 Mechanics Institute building has been transformed with stunning effect.
South Australia
Brice Hill Country Lodge
Cindy MacDonald Brice Hill's four self-contained one-bedroom apartments have been named after famous wineries in the region.
Western Australia
The Loose Box
Amanda Hooton The Loose Box sits on the highway between Perth and Kalgoorlie, but maintains a surprising serenity.
Victoria
The House At Smoko
Sally Dugan You reach Smoko, in the beautiful Ovens Valley, just before Harrietville.
Victoria
Dreamers Eco Apartments
Sally Dugan At Dreamers, the Eco cabins are three-bedroom self-contained apartments sleeping up to seven.
NSW
Keevers Cottage
Jim Hope and Rebecca Davis Looking deceptively small and rustic on approach, the wooden cottage has been superbly restored.
NSW
Cedars Mount View
Sharon Bradley Cedar Mount View comprises a "nest" of five luxuriously decked-out cedar cottages
Victoria
Outlook Hill Vineyard
Three cottages sit overlooking a gentle Yarra Valley panorama of vineyard, grazing country, bush and hills.
NSW
The Cottage at Hopewood
This self-contained cottage has two bedrooms, so is suitable for one or two couples, and the kitchen and pantry are generously stocked with enough provisions for a delicious breakfast.
Victoria
The Buckland Studio Retreat
Attention to detail sets Buckland Studio Retreat apart from many other weekend-away offerings.
NSW
Wombarra Beach House
Wombarra Beach House's sense of seclusion and privacy could satisfy even the most paranoid celebrity.
Victoria
Abergeldie
To arrive at Abergeldie is to sit down to home-made cake with cream and tea, served in front of a roaring fire.
Victoria
Elliminook
With a main street wide enough to turn a bullock wagon, Birregurra wouldn't need much tweaking to become a frontier film set.
NSW
Alpine Habitats
In between Jindabyne and Thredbo are the 18 two-bedroom self-contained cabins of Alpine Habitats.
ACT
Hyatt Hotel Canberra
The beauty of Canberra is that it's close enough to leave work in Sydney on Friday afternoon and be settled into your hotel room before dinner.
NSW
The Denman Hotel
Built in the 1960s and recently remodelled by owners Ed and Judy Denny, the 36- room Denman Hotel is all you'd expect a cosy mountain boutique retreat to be.
Victoria
Hepburn Spa Pavilions
Deep in spa territory, the Pavilions offers a relaxed, eco-friendly hideaway.
