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5 ways to create the perfect romantic luxury Kangaroo Island getaway

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So you have been hibernating all winter and now you are ready to emerge and take in the full glory that is spring, and as far as favorite seasons on Kangaroo Island go, spring is right up there. Its gorgeously green, there are kangaroos out grazing everywhere and some of our favorite foodie haunts are reopening!

Take the rush out of it

Its really hard to relax and find the romance when you have a deadline. Kangaroo Island does take a degree of effort to get to so make sure you take at least two nights and three days to really give yourselves time to sleep in, have a late gourmet breakfasts and if you can drag yourselves away from your luxurious surrounds…see some sights. If you are short on time consider flying and hiring a car QANTAS and REX fly to Kangaroo Island and car hire is available at the airport.

Indulge in an in-house spa treatment

Treat yourselves or surprise your partner with a spa treatment.

Nothing quite says relaxation and indulgence like a massage (or a facial, scrub or body wrap for that matter). Our Stowaways are equipped with huge opulent spa like bathrooms which our in-house masseuse Sarah transforms into a world class spa retreat just for you. No awkward walk through a hotel lobby or drive home to ruin the relaxation feels, just go back to bed or hop in the hot tub. Sarah is super professional and previous guests have described the spa experience as up there with some of the worlds best hotels. Just saying.

Take a walk…hand in hand (if that’s your thing)

Stowaway Kangaroo Island_Stokes Bay
Long walks on the beach…

Getting back into nature is proven to be good for your wellbeing, even better if you can share it with your partner. Kangaroo Island is FULL of brilliant walks from casual stroll to full on Bear Grylls style adventuring. We find the former is more conducive to relaxation and romance so take a stroll down Stokes Bay beach, watch for the rare White Bellied Sea Eagles over head and the dolphins chasing schools of salmon through the waves. Its magic. Its also the perfect beach for a proposal if that was something you were considering…

Gourmet delights

Brunch done right at Cactus

Is it really a luxury romantic retreat if there isn’t decadent food involved? No it is not. The great news is there is a great selection of eating out options for all tastes. Our top brunch spots are Cactus and Emu Bay Lavender Farm. If you are after seafood lunch fare with a view then look no further than The Rockpool Café and if you want to have an authentic Kangaroo Island fine dining experience then Sunset Food and Wine is your place. Just feel like a beach side cocktail and some snacks? Try Mini De Lights at Emu Bay its one of a kind.

Don’t want to venture far? In fact you don’t want to move at all? We have lots of gourmet local produce hampers for purchase prior to your stay and its all in your fridge waiting for you. We can also organise personal catering with Kangaroo Island Source, so we have you covered.

Have an experience together

Reconnect over a shared bespoke experience at KIS

Our current favorite couples experience is a gin blending class at Kangaroo Island Spirits. KIS O’Gin has just been named the world best gin so these guys are the perfect people to show you how to blend up something amazing – it is also a really fun souvenir to take home, enjoy and reminisce over. Don’t feel like doing a class? KIS also has a gorgeously eclectic gin garden where you can just sit back and enjoy a cocktail and buy a bottle of the award winning liquid to take home.

Love Carly x

The Stowaway Kangaroo Island Story – doing things differently

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When I embarked on a three month whistle stop tour of the world looking at sheep (what else?!) little did I know the biggest thing I would discover was a way to create a whole new way to host guests on Kangaroo Island. Yep, before I became a purveyor of luxury couples escapes I was a sheep farmer (and still wear that hat from time to time) a job and industry I also love.


Wearing my ‘farming’ hat – a life I love sharing with Adam and the Kids

Whilst traipsing the global countryside, I found tucked away in the rolling green hills of Scottish farmland Caroline Millar, an agri-tourism entrepreneur and pioneer who showed me that sometimes it was best not to hedge your bets in business and dive into a market niche that no one really seems to ‘get’ – couples. The Hideaway Experience in Scotland has been designed and built with creating a romantic couples break at the heart of its business model and I just knew it was exactly the kind of thing that I would love to create on our own farm.

I wanted to create a destination in itself, something that transcended the generic concept of ‘accommodation’ and certainly more than a place to rest your head. It had to be super private but also accessible and close to some cool Kangaroo Island places to visit and eat (and of course surrounded by wildlife). They had to blend into the landscape but still make a statement. They had to be full of luxury features that most people don’t have in their own house. Most importantly guests needed to feel truly welcome and at home (hello walking into the smell of freshly baked bread and custom planning).

I am not going to lie, when some local tradespeople saw the glass fronted sauna in the gargantuan natural stone clad bathroom they thought I might have lost touch with reality a little. The bespoke double-sided fireplace presented a few challenges in design and installation (and probably a few silent curses from my husband and the building crew!). The sunken in deck alfresco hot tub presented some chin scratching in logistics and core strength. It was totally worth it.

We have created a truly unique space, in a really cool location on a one of a kind Island. Guests we have hosted over the past year have expressed untold gratitude for the opportunity to disconnect from the real world and actually have a decent conversation together, for the design of each Stowaway provides lots of little spaces to both relax and converse (with a glass in hand of course!) Whether it be in the window seat, the hot tub, sauna or just snuggled up with a glass of red watching the fire. The unexpected upside of our new venture is as farmers we have learned the true pleasure of making people happy not just by producing food and fibre but providing a one of a kind experience you can’t really find anywhere else.

If you are reading this and have stayed with us in this past year, thank you for being part of our beginning and we hope you come back again someday.

Love Carly (and Adam)  x