Revealed: Tasmania’s Hidden Luxury Escapes
From cliffside lodges to private islands, Tasmania offers refined seclusion, dramatic landscapes and world-class indulgence.
2 min
For those seeking sanctuary, Tasmania is no longer just a stop on the gourmet trail; it has become the retreat of choice for travellers who value privacy, natural beauty and rarefied experiences.
Here, unspoilt wilderness collides with an extraordinary food and wine culture, creating a backdrop that is both invigorating and restorative.
The island state inspires visitors to “come down for air”, not just a slogan, but a reminder that this is a place to disconnect from the noise of the mainland.
Beyond the plate and the glass, Tasmania delivers experiences that draw people outdoors: iconic multi-day treks such as the Three Capes Track, encounters with award-winning winemakers in the Tamar Valley, or the solitude of Bruny Island’s windswept beaches.
Whether it’s cold-water immersion at sunrise, venturing into the rugged wilds of the West Coast, or dining on oysters pulled fresh from the ocean, Tasmania offers its guests something rare in modern luxury: the ability to feel both utterly indulged and completely at ease.
Here are some of the most luxurious accommodations on offer, regardless of which part of the state you want to explore.
PUMPHOUSE POINT
Floating serenely on Lake St Clair, the converted hydro station at Pumphouse Point feels like a work of architectural theatre.
Guests reach the retreat via a jetty that stretches into the still, polar waters, before stepping into suites where glass walls frame the wilderness.
Days unfold with bushwalks, e-bike rides or rowing across the lake, while evenings are about curated menus showcasing Tasmania’s finest produce. Cold-water swimming, here considered therapy rather than challenge, is one of the most restorative rituals on offer.
THE INLET
On the windswept north-west coast, The Inlet blends beachfront living with agrarian charm. Four contemporary houses are tucked into sand dunes overlooking a private stretch of coast, part of a working cattle farm just minutes from the historic port of Stanley.
Guests wake to the rhythm of the tide, wander along deserted sands, or watch birdlife gather in the inlet, all the while feeling miles from the outside world.
BARNBOUGLE
For those whose idea of leisure involves a perfect swing, Barnbougle is nothing short of a pilgrimage.
Once farmland for potatoes, the dunes of north-east Tasmania have been transformed into a trio of world-class golf courses sculpted from the natural contours of the land.
The Dunes, Lost Farm and Bougle Run now attract serious players from around the globe.
Private charters deliver guests directly from Melbourne, where evenings end in elegant villas overlooking the wild, rolling landscape.
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Apple’s first foldable, the $1,999 iPhone Duo, combines an iPhone and iPad Mini experience—but its size, weight and price come with compromises.
4 min
As I watched a Netflix show on Apple’s first foldable, the iPhone Duo, I had two surprising thoughts.
The first: Maybe I don’t need my iPad Mini anymore.
The second: Uh oh, am I about to spend $1,999 on a phone?
I didn’t think folding phones were for me. I’ve been testing Android versions from Samsung and Google since 2019, and those early editions came with too much screen and too many compromises.
Fast forward seven years, and the technology has come a long way. Apple—in its very Apple way—has also come up with some hardware and software trickery to make up for some shortcomings of the basic design. My desire for a folding phone before today was zero. After today, it’s a lot more than zero.
I’m not ready to recommend the Duo, which ships on Oct. 23, just yet. Not until I am able to test it more fully, so be on the lookout for that review in a few weeks. But from what I experienced at Apple Park on Wednesday, I could actually picture myself using this new half-phone, half-tablet hybrid.
Crease camouflage
For months, I’ve been using Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8, a similarly squat, passport-shaped foldable that opens up to a larger screen. It’s impressively thin and can easily fit into the infuriatingly tiny pockets in women’s pants and dresses. Samsung did a lot of work to minimize the crease—the dip between the two halves of the big interior display—but it’s still clearly there.
When I held the iPhone Duo open, the crease was barely visible. As I slid my finger across the display, I could feel it, but it’s more subtle than Samsung’s. Most of the time, the screen looked as flat and smooth as the one on an iPad.
Apple employed both software and hardware techniques to camouflage the crease. The matte surface of the interior 7.6-inch screen minimizes reflections to hide it. (Samsung’s Fold 8 screen is shiny.)
And as you begin to open or close the iPhone Duo, the interface shifts the controls and content away from the center crease. If, say, you’re watching a video on the outer screen, you can open the Duo to switch to the bigger display within. A black fade marks the transition. You don’t see the video full screen until the phone is completely flat.
Heavy handed
My second observation was that, when the Duo is closed, in phone mode, it was harder to use one-handed than I expected.
In the keynote trailer and press release, Apple touted how thin the Duo is. It’s marketed as the thinnest iPhone ever—when open.
But it’s actually thicker and heavier than most of its Android competitors. The Duo weighs 254 grams, and is 11.3 millimeters thick when closed. The Samsung Galaxy Fold 8 is just 201 grams, with a thickness of 9.7 millimeters. Google’s Pixel 11 Pro Fold is 239 grams and 10.1 millimeters.
Because the Duo is also wider than a standard iPhone, I found it quite a challenge to type.
I admit, I do have smaller-than-average hands. So I consulted my colleague Rolfe Winkler, who has a larger grip. He agreed the Duo feels big.
Apple rearranged the interface on the outer screen so it looks different than traditional iPhones. The dock and control center are off to the right to be more reachable. Committing to the Duo as your main device will require adjustments in your handling. You will have to learn a new way to use and type.
Work and play
My most surprising takeaway? I feel a pull toward this device.
I always thought that combining an iPhone and an iPad would mean bigger compromises. The battery life is about the same as the 18 Pro (up to 24 hours of “regular use” on a single charge), though I’ll need to verify that in my real-world testing. And it’s also as durable, with the same IP68 dust- and water-resistance rating as the rest of the iPhone lineup.
There are trade-offs, for sure. Trying out the camera, I immediately missed the 8X zoom in my Pro model. The Duo has just 2X zoom, which wouldn’t cut it for the dozens of pictures I take of my kid every day.
But the dual screens unlock new photo functionality. You can see what your shot looks like from the outside screen. As someone who has tried tirelessly to self-direct a family photo—or a spouse—I am very eager to try this out more.
Foldables, I initially thought, were for classic mobile-warrior jet-setter types, who never sit at a desk and are always on calls. For that crowd, the Duo can run two apps side-by-side.
Me, I’m more of a bed binge-watcher and ebook reader. That’s what my beloved iPad Mini is for.
Watching videos on the Duo is a nice experience—nice enough that you forget the screen is 0.7 inches smaller than the iPad Mini’s. The main screen is also a 4:3 aspect ratio. Very similar, by the way, to the IMAX edition of the Odyssey.
Because I wasn’t able to snag a ticket to one of the sold-out screenings, I will be watching Christopher Nolan’s version of Homer’s epic on the Duo, just as the director intended. (Just kidding! Sort of.)
The Duo costs $800 more than an iPhone 18 Pro, and I’m not sure I want to spend that premium on a first-generation Apple device. But I’m not ruling out the idea that a Duo might one day be in my future. Stay tuned for my full review.
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