Going underground: A seriously different outback escape

 

It can be stiflingly hot in the Australian outback during summer, so where better to stay than in the cooler air underground?

The outback is home to three underground motels where you can sleep under the earth, but the largest, with 48 subterranean rooms, is the White Cliffs Underground Motel in the wild country of New South Wales.

Until November, 2025, guests can descend below the desert sands to you room and save money with a special, two-night package that has just been launched.

Offering one of the quirkiest hotel stays in Australia, the ‘dugout’ motel bills itself as the largest underground hotel on the planet. 

The property offers a comfortable, year-round temperature of 22 degrees underground as well as a licensed restaurant, café and bar, its media release tells me.

Located in the rugged opal mining hamlet of White Cliffs, you will find yourself 1025km from Sydney and 781km north-east of Adelaide - thankfully there is a sealed road all the way.

With a population of just 150, White Cliffs is certainly quirky, with a lunar-like landscape (below) dotted with thousands of opal diggings made by treasure hunters seeking their fortune ever since opals were discovered here in 1884.

The White Cliffs Underground Motel is owned by the outback NSW accommodation group Out of the Ordinary Outback, which is offering a two-night ‘Experience White Cliffs’ package that includes two nights’ underground accommodation, a drink on arrival, continental breakfast each day, an underground opal mine tour with a local opal hunter and a tour of White Cliffs with a local expert.

The two-night package is available for $545 per couple - a saving of $160 on full pricing. The price for solo travellers is $455 - a saving of A$90. And for a family of four, the package is priced at $725 - a saving of $300

* The package is available until November 30, 2025, and there is no booking deadline. 

The offer is subject to availability and conditions apply. Book through Out of the Ordinary Outback on 1300 679 688 or visit www.undergroundmotel.com.au.

Here is the direct link to package; www.undergroundmotel.com.au/explorewhitecliffsnsw 

Special deals on spring Hunter getaways

Spring is the perfect time to plan a short break in the Hunter Valley vineyards. Time to taste the new-release 2024 semillons, for a start. 

The Lane Retreat Bimbadgen is one of the newer arrivals on the accommodation scene and is offering a Spring Escape package that is available from September 1 to November 30.

The package is priced from $330 per night when staying a minimum of two nights in a premium studio.

It includes a bottle of sparkling rosé on arrival, breakfast provisions for two people, a wood-fired pizza at Bimbadgen Pizzeria for two (lunch or dinner), two tickets to Hunter Valley Gardens and a complimentary wine tasting at Alter Wines for two people.

The deal is, of course, subject to availability.

Developed by property and hospitality group Mulpha Australia on the fringes of Bimbadgen’s 50-year-old vineyards, The Lane Retreat is close to the Mulpha-owned Emma’s Cottage Vineyard boutique winery nearby, and just a short drive from the winery and restaurants at Bimbadgen’s other vineyard on McDonald Road.

Each studio retreat has king bedding, a bathroom with double rain head showers and Hunter bathroom amenities, a kitchenette with coffee maker, toaster, microwave and mini bar, and breakfast provisions.

The property has three "gathering sites" for ceremonies and celebrations, a new luxury swimming pool and amenities, along with a store and pantry offering espresso coffee, gourmet cheese and grazing food options, wines, spirits, and other gourmet goodies.

“The Lane Retreat has been designed to offer all the luxury and amenities guests can expect while ensuring the Hunter wine country and the natural environment remain the stars of the show," says Mulpha’s regional general manager of hospitality Sophie Andrews.

See www.thelaneretreat.com.au