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Destinations: PEACE AND SOLITUDE

As our lives become busier and busier, we mortals need a variety of ways to cope with the resulting pressures. One of the best ways is by seeking, and enjoying, solitude. Unlike loneliness, which is a negative state marked by a sense of isolation, solitude is the state of being alone without being lonely. It is a positive and constructive state of engagement with oneself, a state where you yourself and the environment you place yourself in provide wonderful and sufficient company. Solitude is a time that can be used for reflection, inner searching or growth or enjoyment of some kind. It's a time of refreshing that replenishes us.
There are many destinations around Australia that are conducive to solitude. It might be a treehouse in a tropical rainforest; or a beach that stretches off into the horizon, and you are the only person on it; or perhaps the barren wilderness of a high mountainous region. You don't have to be miles from civilisation to experience solitude, it can be found walking beside a stream in a pocket of suburban bushland 5km from the centre of Australia's biggest city; or relaxing in the soothing waters of a mineral spa. These are some of the places we have visited that refreshed and re-charged out batteries.
See also A Touch of Paradise, about Australia's picture-perfect places, many of which also offer peace and solitude to the world weary, and Secret Australia.


Guest Lodge, Three Hummock Island, Tas
Three Hummock Island sits just off the coast of North West Tasmania. It is a magical place of granite coastlines, protected coves, sweeping beaches and surprising diversity, yet it is just a few hours from Melbourne.
It is no exaggeration to say it has one of the purest environments on the planet.  Crystal clear water, white sandy beaches, inland lakes and forests remain largely untouched. The only accommodation available is the rustic Three Hummock Island guest lodge. Apart from the occasional camper and the island’s caretakers who reside in the original homestead a few minutes’ walk across a grassy field, guests pretty well have the island to themselves.

Lake Eyre, SA
Lake Eyre in South Australia is not only famous for being the saltiest lake in Australia; its other claim to fame is that it only fills up once or twice every century. At 15 metres below sea level, the lake is Australia's lowest point. It is also the fifth largest (9,690 square kilometres) terminal lake in the world although it usually contains little or no water. The Lake Eyre Basin covers one sixth of the continent - it is the world's largest internal drainage system - and holds some of the rarest, least exploited ecosystems on the planet. If a person ever wanted to experience the feeling of isolation and aloneness in a flat and barren landscape, then Lake Eyre is the place to go to.

South Coast Walking Track, Tas
The South Coast walking track traverses the Southwest National Park in Tasmania, through the heart of over 600,000 hectares of wild, untouched and challenging country into which, unlike the famous Overland Track, there are no roads.
The track is the only way to get deep into this unforgettable, enormous area of World Heritage wilderness that is remote, ancient, and epic in its proportions. The Roaring Forties lash the park for much of the year, adding drama during the coastal section of the walk. This walking track is recognised as one of the world's great wilderness walks and its reputation is justified. Most people take approximately 6 - 8 days to complete the South Coast Track.

Hot Springs and Spas, Hepburn Springs, Vic
A few days at a health resort or spa - facials, hot springs, delectable food and wine, massages and any other "wellness experience" imaginable - hits the spot for people who are tired and jaded from the effects of modern city living. Hepburn Springs and nearby Daylesford, just over 100 kilometres north-west of Melbourne, has been the No.1 spot for health and spa holidays in southern Australia for over a century.
Peppers Springs Retreat, Hepburn Springs

Flinders Island, Tas
Located in Bass Strait, some 20 km off the north-eastern tip of Tasmania, Flinders Island is the state's largest and Australia's 6th largest island. It enjoys one of Australia's most idyllic natural settings; 50 mostly uninhabited islands are scattered around its shore, along with more than 65 shipwrecks and over 120 pristine beaches, many of which rarely see a visitor
. In addition, there is abundant wildlife in the bush and wetlands, ocean and shore; all surrounded by the shining, restless sea. It is one of Australia's best kept secrets, and that's what makes Flinders Island so special. Not many people live there, and not many people go there, making it a great destination for a relaxing, rejuvenating holiday that you don't have to share with the rest of Australia.

Cape Hillsborough, Qld
Cape Hillsborough is one of the most scenic mainland locations on the central Queensland coast; it features rock-strewn, sandy beaches, hoop pine-dotted hillsides plunging towards the sea, subtropical rainforest and mangrove-fringed wetlands. But what visitors like best is the rare treat of viewing wallabies on the beach around sunrise or late evenings. Cape Hillsborough is not commercialised like some coastal locations; the resort here offers basic but comfortable budget to mid-range accommodation and facilities.

Glen Helen, NT
An oasis in the desert, Glen Helen is a little over an hour's drive from Alice Springs at the western end of the spectacular West MacDonnell Ranges. Surrounded by these majestic mountains, it is central to the major landmarks of the area - Palm Valley, Hermannsburg, Ormiston Gorge, Redbank Gorge, Mt Sonder and the renowned Larapinta Walking Trail - yet remote enough to feel you are a world away from everywhere. The Glen Helen Homestead, where guests can relax on the back verandah beside the stunning cliffs and riverbed that dominate the landscape, captures the authentic outback style.

Smoothey Park, Wollstonecraft, NSW
This delightful strip of natural bushland is a short walk from Wollstonecraft Railway Station, which itself is a mere three stations up the line from the centre of the city of Sydney! The park is a located in a natural valley surrounding Gore Creek on Sydney's lower North Shore. Seeing the creek wending its way through the lightly wooded dell, then leaping over a small waterfall on its way to Gore Cove and Sydney Harbour, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that this serene place is nestled in the middle of one of Australia's densest population areas.

Deal Island, Tas
A world away from modern life, Deal Island is Tasmania's most remote national park. There are no mod-cons here, and the phone and TV only work when the wind blows in the right direction. Home to Australia's highest Lighthouse, the island has a resident population of two - volunteers who come to spend three month-long stints weeding and looking after its spectacular natural heritage - who are joined by boaties and fishermen who visit the island from time to time.

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