It was our Anniversary weekend and to my surprise, Nirry had planned a weekend away. I found out about this in the form of a note which I received on a Thursday, which stated
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I had to be ready by 3am the next morning
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The clothes I would need for a 3 day getaway
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The weather of the city we were travelling to
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I wouldn’t need my passport
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Leave with my manager was already sorted out
Yup. That is ALL the information I had!
So we went home and I got to packing my bags confused as hell but not letting my mind jump ahead of itself . I packed a nice gown (one I picked up from Sheike* for our anniversary weekend anyway), makeup, windbreaker (this has become a travel staple – I picked it up at Kathmandu* on sale), alongside a few casual dresses, and jeans too. I am pretty particular about the toiletries I take during travel, so my little travel kit is always ready to go. Since I had no clue where we were off to and Australia is a huge country, so even if the flight was a domestic one, some flights could easily take 5-6 hours. This meant that I was packing the heavy duty toiletries. To make life easier and to reduce waste, I grab reusable travel bottles from Kmart.
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It was at the airport I learnt that Nirry had us both booked in for a flight to Hobart – which even after spending my entire life in Australia I had never been to. So you can imagine just how excited I was. Little secret – I used to work at the domestic airport and would know the flight arrival and departure times to manage the crowd during my shifts. So when Nirry told me the flight was leaving at 6 from Sydney I had already narrowed it down to 5 Australian cities. (It’s okay. I know I am the worst)
We landed after our short flight in cool and slightly windy Hobart where Nirry announced that we need to pick up our car rental, then drive for 2 hours to get to ‘our spot’. Obviously I was even more confused than before, and totally excited. We stopped at a supermarket along the way to pick up some grapes to keep us going on the road.
The countryside of Tasmania is beautiful, and reminded me very much of the South Island of New Zealand with the lush landscapes and waterfalls gushing. All I could tell was that we were driving up North of Hobart, and I kept trying to guess where we were going. This was a pretty pointless activity since Nirry never gave me any response but ‘Okay’.
Here is where I tell a tiny story. At the airport I noticed an airport lounge called ‘Saffire’. I was curious about whether this was a airline partnership or was on Priority Pass. Nirry on the other hand was suddenly on his phone reading through something while I sat on a bench wondering what had happened. It was a really weird thing to happen considering he wasn’t saying anything for about 5 minutes, then looked up, smiled and announced that we were leaving.
I bring this up because it was along the highway to and through Freycinet National Park that I saw a sign for ‘Saffire’ again, and commented that this was the name of the lounge. Nirry smiled at me and turned at the sign taking us down a private driveway hidden with bushes and trees, and with very clear security. Here is where the shock began, and it just continued as we pulled up to the most beautiful hotel front I had seen with a running water feature and 2 staff members standing by waiting to greet us. They opened our doors, helped me with my bag and ushered us in while they looked after the parking of the car and all of our luggage.
Upon arrival to Saffire at Freycinet National Park we were treated to glasses of champagne, while we walked through the most stunning corridor with the view of [name of mountain]. Our host Jake was giving us the run down of the history of the property, the view, and the beautiful amenities we would have access to. I’ll be honest with you – most of what Jake said didn’t really stick in my mind because I was completely mesmerised by the view ahead of me and the sheer opulence of this place. I couldn’t believe Nirry had planned such an incredible luxury escape for us!
Jake walked us through our amazing activities, which included Oyster shucking, a Tasmanian Devil Encounter, a walk to Wine Glass Bay and surrounding lookouts, and incredibly a private massage for me (I was so excited about this!). With each item I was honestly trying to hide the shock on my face – funnily I think even Nirry was in awe of how immaculate everything here was!
But first it was lunch time! Here we were shown a beautiful buffet of food with fresh oysters, salads, cheese and bread. We could order our mains with the waitstaff. The food here I have to say was absolutely phenomenal – and this was only lunch time! We sat enjoying our lunch on comfy lounges overlooking the private suites , the water in the bay and the beautiful mountains. It was a pretty stunning way to each lunch.
From here we were shown to our gorgeous private suite which included a small courtyard at the front, our very own plunge pool, and then upon entry floor to ceiling windows with a view of the mountain and water right in front of us. This suite was really gorgeous and was filled with a fun snack bar (that I was allowed to eat from because everything was paid for!)
Click the video to see our little tour of the suite!
We didn’t have too long to enjoy the suite, because we had to rush off for our Oyster Shucking tour. We got into our rain jackets and were ready to board the ‘Saffire’ bus with just one other couple to our private shucking spot. This was something I had wanted to do for a very long time, so you can imagine how excited I was. Once there, we stepped into our Waders and boots and began our walk into the waters to a small solitary wooden table propped up in the middle of the water. Here our host pulled out some white linen, and from her bag of goodies came out plates, crackers, cheese, condiments, and some delicious local wine. She went out and showed us how the oysters are grown, and how to tell when they are ready. Honestly I cannot explain how amazing this experience was – the salt water and fresh oysters were absolutely delicious served with fresh lime and a hint of tabasco (this has become my absolute favourite topping for oysters!).
After enjoying an insane amount of oysters, while Nirry enjoyed his crackers and cheese, we heading back to the shore to get out of the waders and make our way back to Saffire. We didn’t have too long to relax because straight after we had our Tasmanian Devil encounter. These animals are Native to Australia and are currently only found in Tasmania, and are struggling diminishing populations. The devil populations are government regulated, and to prevent the spread of devastating diseases, they are kept in enclosures. Our encounter included a glass viewing section where we got to meet 2 devils, and watch them not only interact with each other but also devour their dinner – a kangaroo carcass. Look I will be honest. The experience was educational, but was also a little bit gruesome. It’s not for everyone! We stuck around to see how the devil’s display their behaviours, but if you do have a weak stomach then I highly recommend choosing a different activity!
It was back to the hotel suite where we showered and got ourselves ready for our dinner. I didn’t really know what to expect from dinner – but we decided to dress up just a little too to make it extra special.
I was wow-ed at dinner within the first 5 minutes. I asked for the vegetarian menu, to which our host simply said “Yes, it’s right there”. We only had to mentioned to staff that Nirry was vegetarian once over our lunch, and they took care of everything from there. We were shown 10 course degustation menus, which were all included by the way – we couldn’t help ourselves and opted for these. I highly recommend the degustation, because not only was it some of the most incredible food I have ever enjoyed, it’s a beautiful way to be introduced to the local Tasmanian produce. The mean was seriously unbelievable.
Post dinner we headed back to the suite to enjoy a little spot of herbal tea, a movie, and I have no shame in admitting that we cozied up to see the magnificent view.
The next morning we enjoyed a cuppa on the verandah, and headed out to breakfast in the main dining room. The spread here was amazing with made-to-order breakfast items like omlettes, bacon and egg rolls, and avocado on toast, alongside a DIY breakfast station and pastries in the breakfast nook. I opted for a bit of a DIY acai bowl, along with a couple of poached eggs on toast. Again, we were both impressed by the sheer quality of the produce used and the delicious food at our table.
Our first activity was a drive up to Wine Glass Bay and a short walk up to the beautiful lookouts. Again we were accompanied by just one other couple and our lovely host. If there is one thing to appreciate about these luxury escapes it is the private service, a luxury vehicle drives to each activity. It really took out all the stress of coordinating transport, driving and working out perfect times (though this has it’s own fun!). The view of the bay really is something stunning, and on a beautiful clear blue day like we experienced, it feels like something out of this world. The history of the bay is a little morbid though. This spot used to be a whaling station, and the blood from the whale carcasses streamed into the bay. The colour of blood is awfully similar to Wine and hence Wine Glass Bay. Today Wine Glass Bay brings plenty of tourism to Freycinet National Park
From here we had a stop at Honeymoon bay where we got to see some mussels growing, and a squid swimming its way around the shore. This is a beautiful stop that is a little bit hidden away, and it’s completely worth it for the secluded peace and quiet and the beautiful photo opportunity. I think we were incredibly lucky with the weather being as clear as it was. Here we were also really fortunate to come across some of the wildlife i.e. some wombats and wallabies. We even got to see a wallaby with her joey in the pouch too.
Day 2 lunch was even more incredible than Day 1, if that is even possible. I went the scallops with a delicious salsa verde, made fresh on the grill by the chefs. Seriously I cannot explain it, but at every possible turn I was even more impressed by the staff and hospitality at Saffire. These scallops were possibly the best I have ever eaten, and just like the night before Nirry was given a beautiful vegetarian main featuring grilled mushroom off the grill as well. I cannot speak enough about the meals we ate – the food experience at Saffire alone is worth every cent.
It was straight after lunch that I had to get prepared for my personal massage. Nirry at this point told me not to come back to the hotel room afterward, and instead get ready for a fancy dinner right at the spa. Naturally I thought this was absurd and strange, but I decided to listen and just accepted that this dinner was going to be marvelous if he was going to make such a big deal about it.
I packed my lovely green dress, and my makeup along with a coat because it was pretty damn cold that night! The massage at the Saffire spa was amazing. I believe I actually fell asleep 3-4 times, and the therapist would ask me a question and I would find myself awake. The 90 minute massage felt like a long time, but it was really perfect. After waking up I was completely calm, and zen, and it took me three times as long to even get ready! My body was so relaxed! The amazing Saffire staff allowed me to use their in-house beauty products, inclusive of a complete skincare range.
After getting ready I made my way to the suite to receive the biggest surprise of them all.
The staff had left chocolate coated strawberries, other fruit, nibbles, and champagne for us to celebrate the engagement. After all the phone calls, screams, and a toast we headed over the main dining hall to enjoy our dinner. Again we chose to enjoy the degustation, however I swapped one of my mains for the crab pasta that I had heard so much about. Again, the food was impeccable, and the service could not be faulted. I fact everyone was coming up to us to say congratulations – so did the chef with a delicious slice of cake with ‘Congratulations’ written across it.
Following the incredible night, the next morning I have to admit I was feeling sad to leave this stunning place. We headed out to the dining area for our last Saffire breakfast, this time getting some sauteed mushrooms on toast, and scrambled eggs on the side too.
Post breakfast we had some time to kill so we decided to explore the grounds a little, making our way down the private pathway to the private Saffire beach (yup! It was a bit to cold for us to enjoy), and then we headed off to do some archery too. Nirry was the clear winner here.
Alas it was time to head back to reality in Sydney.
But I have to say I was so sad to leave Saffire. The staff were just so lovely and genuinely cared for the customers and everyone there. They knew our names, and knew the dietary requirements, and took absolute care of us (including ironing my outfits, and also providing me with quality skincare). Words cannot explain how beautiful this trip was, and I 100% recommend Saffire to anyone and everyone planning on heading to Tasmania. Even for a short stay this luxury hotel is absolutely worth every cent.
* Here I will mentioned that purchasing through the online shop for Kathamandu and Sheike can earn you bonus Qantas Frequent Flyer points! Download the Qantas Frequent Flyer Chrome Add-on to have bonus points applied automatically as you shop
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