The thought of flying half way around the world simply to stay on a private beach seemed crazy to me at first. That is, until I discovered Alinghi Beach House on the southern Great Barrier Reef in Australia. I’ve wanted to visit this iconic natural attraction for as long as I can remember. And with a big birthday coming up for me and my husband, I may have just discovered the perfect place to stay!
Alinghi Beach House is located on a private gated estate about 6kms south of the twin towns of Agnes Water and the town of 1770 (yes, that really is its name!)
Comprised of 2 private homes, this estate is the perfect exotic destination for a family getaway or multi-family celebration. In addition to a private beach, stretching for miles in both directions, you’ll also enjoy a private salt water pool, grass tennis court and ample space for your group to spread out in nature.
Drift to sleep with the window walls completely open to the ocean below. You’ll feel one with the ocean; and this is very intentional by design. The villa was designed to be as open and natural as possible.
Built from the ground up to be as green as possible, the main villa is completely self–sufficient for water and other services via rainwater harvesting and storage tanks. There is no air conditioning, but it’s not really needed as the ceiling fans, which provide amble cool air, are even used only occasionally. The cross-ventilation via large open walls and louvered air-vents, combined with the villa’s perch high on a hill, means that it benefits from the cool breezes straight off the ocean.
Kids LOVE checking out the wallabies, goannas, turtles, echidnas and a vast variety of birds. The estate’s resident caretakers work closely with the local ranger to create a safe environment for the animals and birds.
The Alinghi Beach House is located on the southern Great Barrier Reef, with the closest reef trip being to Lady Musgrave Island which is about an hour off shore. It’s easy to organize snorkeling or scuba-diving trips with one of the many charter companies such as 1770 Reef Cruises, as most of them have daily departures.
Have you visited Australia’s Great Barrier Reef? I’d love to hear about your experiences and travel tips here!
All images courtesy John Gollings