Following an expansion and renovation, Picnic Island — a private retreat half a mile from Coles Bay, Tasmania, facing Freycinet National Park — reopened in February 2026.
The property operates entirely off the grid, powered by solar energy and rainwater collection, and takes bookings for no more than 100 nights a year — all to protect the Little Penguin colony that breeds on the island.
The renovation involved building a main suite and redesigning two copper-clad structures. The retreat accommodates a maximum of eight guests, who have exclusive use of the entire island throughout their stay.
According to co-owner Mark Israel, the reopening marks the conclusion of months of work alongside local Tasmanian craftspeople and suppliers, weaving the architecture seamlessly into this exceptionally fragile ecosystem.
Picnic Island operates on a fully off-grid system, powered by high-capacity solar panels. This eliminates noise and chemical pollution in the waters of Great Oyster Bay.
The design was driven by the need to protect the rare seabirds and endemic wildlife that nest on the island.
Rates and Booking Details for 2026
The island is priced at AUD 16,000 per night, for exclusive use of the entire property.
The stay comes as a fully all-inclusive package, with a dedicated captain and guide and a private chef. Boat transfers and on-water excursions are made aboard a custom vessel purpose-built in Tasmania for the waters around Wineglass Bay.
A minimum three-night stay is required — a policy designed to reduce visitor turnover and allow guests to settle into the island’s natural rhythms.
Unlike conventional resort properties, Picnic Island Tasmania puts seclusion and direct engagement with nature first.
Bookings for 2026 are now open, with the overnight restriction keeping the island open for fewer than a third of the year’s nights. The aim is to ensure the breeding cycles of the penguin colony and rare seabirds remain undisturbed by any sustained human presence.
Conservation Luxury in the Australian Context
The reopening reflects a growing movement in Tasmania toward boutique properties built on genuine conservation principles.
The island’s strategic location gives guests rare access to ecologically and geologically significant sites in the Tasman Sea, connecting the property directly to the work of local conservation partners.
The kitchen draws on regional producers — among them the Waubs Harbour distillery and local oyster farmers — reinforcing a local supply chain that helps reduce the carbon footprint of running a remote island retreat.
Seen this way, the reopening of Picnic Island represents a careful attempt to embed new architecture within an ecosystem that long predates any human structure.
The philosophy here is that the island’s value lies not in its luxury infrastructure but in the rare chance to experience a landscape untouched by mass tourism.
The island is a living record of the region’s natural history, where the visitor’s presence remains secondary to the rhythms and fragility of the Tasman Sea.
