Alkina Lodge, Great Ocean Road

The Great Ocean Road is one of Australia’s great, iconic drives, and if you’re looking for luxury base to explore from, or for a leisurely stopover for a few nights, Alkina Lodge is an ideal choice. Here’s why.

• Location: On the Great Ocean Road, less than three hours from Melbourne.
• Accommodations: There are three spacious, architecturally designed private lodges to choose from, which come with four bedrooms and two bathrooms, and accommodate one to 24 people. Each lodge has a double garage, and is fully equipped with everything you need for a home away from home - gourmet kitchen included.
• Dining options: None on site, so you will need to BYO, purchase an Alkina Lodge gourmet hamper, or be prepared to drive.
• What else is there: There are no other facilities on site.
• What’s nearby: Alkina Lodge is ideally situated only 20 minutes from the 12 Apostles, 30 minutes from Port Campbell, and it’s close to major local attractions including the Great Ocean Walk, the Great Otway National Park, Wreck Beach, The Redwoods, Apollo Bay and Johanna Beach.
• Why go: It’s an environmentally friendly, romantic, luxury lodge which is close to nature.

The Space

Designed by the award winning architects, Glenn Murcutt and Wendy Lewin, Alkina Lodge was designed and built to embrace the local landscape and compliment the surrounding environment. Perched on a hill top overlooking the Southern Ocean, the property is well hidden from the Great Ocean Road, and offers top class amenities akin to a luxury private home. Features include solar heating, underfloor heating in the bathrooms which make winter cozy, and in summer you’re cooled by southern ocean breezes and Dyson blade-less fans. There is no air-conditioning.

Where We Stayed

Our home was Lodge 2, which had fantastic views of the great Victorian outdoors, and came fully stocked with appliances to help us recharge, recover and relax while touring the iconic Great Ocean Road. They included a Gaggenau dream kitchen, a Nespresso coffee machine, a bespoke open fire-place, high-end audio system, satellite television, Wi-Fi internet, and designer furniture. The lineup of attractions was wrapped up with a generous outdoor entertainment area complete with a Weber gas barbecue. The view from the master bedroom was breathtaking, and included roaming local kangaroos at sunset and sunrise. There were also two bathrooms in the lodge, and three showers including a romantic double shower for couples. 

UltimateTravelMagazine.com Loves 

• The great amenities in the lodges.
• The daily kangaroo show.
• The indulgent Villeroy and Boch bathtubs with views of the sky.

Insider Tips  

• Remember to bring your own food unless you want to indulge in one of Alkina Lodge’s gourmet hampers, or make use of the private chef service on offer.
• The lodges can get chilly, so in winter pack warm clothing.

The Details

Alkina Lodge is located at 35 Parkers Access Track, Wattle Hill, Victoria, www.alkinalodge.com.au.

About Our Guest Writer

Michelle Tchea is the bestselling author of four books on travel, food and culture, and her work has been published in over 100 international magazines. She is also the owner of the Organics Company, Healthy Spoon, in Australia and a consulting firm in Europe, PopIntel Group, a luxury strategy firm in F&B. Michelle was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, and has a steady stream of followers on social media reaching millions. Michelle's new book, Chefs Collective, is out now.