Island of dreams
In many ways, Aaron Suine and Nick Stead had the perfect Paddington life. Residents for 15 years, both had high-flying corporate jobs, a perfect terrace in Prospect St that they had lovingly renovated and a young son to cherish. But then things took a radical turn.
One day the couple was watching — of all shows — Landline on the ABC and saw a story about King Island. They became entranced with this remote island off the north coast of Tasmania and decided to visit.
“It was the beginning of a love affair,” says Suine, talking from the rolling hills of what is now the couple’s luxury lodge on the island.
Smitten, Suine and Stead decided to sell their city home and buy a parcel of coastal land on King Island's windy and rugged coastline, where they created Kittawa Lodge, a boutique property of three incredible luxury villas, one of which they now live in.
“We bought the property seven years ago when it was just used for cattle agistment,” says Suine. “It took three years to design and one year to build Kittawa Lodge.”
Designed by Suine and Stead themselves, the two guest lodges are studies in self-contained luxury. Each occupying different places on the property with uninterrupted sea views, the villas comprise a roomy kitchen and living space, an oversized bedroom with king bed, and arguably the nation’s most glamorously located bathrooms, complete with rainwater showers and polished concrete bathtubs.
Each lodge is wrapped with hardwood, finished with Italian tiles, features floor-to-ceiling windows with views to eternity and is furnished plushly with lounges, sitting chairs positioned to make the most of the aspect, open fireplaces for when the weather turns cold and wet, and a luxe kitchen with dining table that offers both a sense of space and a feeling of homeliness.
Original pieces from local artists hang on the walls, expensive linens adorn the beds, and robes hang in the cupboards. Huge floral arrangements utilising clippings from the property star in each villa and lovely touches include a sideboard stacked with board games for rainy days and The Raconteur candles that take their inspiration from Kittawa Lodge itself.
Find, too, a fridge stocked with local provisions, from Tasmanian wines to, of course, King Island Dairy cheeses. All meals are provided, from local lobster dinners that you pop in the oven yourself, to glamorous picnic spreads, handy for days spent exploring the island.
“My whole design philosophy was based on what I wanted the guests to feel during their stay,” says Suine. “We wanted it so that when people walked through the door for the first time, their immediate reaction was to feel the volume of space, light and calm.
“We wanted it to be modern but classic, with a homely feel that’s both calming and comfortable, but still with a sense that you’re getting something here that you’re not seeing in your own home.”
The lodges have been a hit with local and international travellers, who venture here to experience the remote and rugged beauty of an island well known for its beef and dairy industries as well as its golf courses and scenic, almost totally uninhabited beaches.
“We opened in October 2019 and by February 2020 we were already at 70% occupancy, with an 80% occupancy rate by March 2020,” says Suite. “Unfortunately, on the 23rd of March we were forced to close for six months.”
While the world went into lockdown, Suine and Stead spent time exploring the island with their son, Abraham. King Island remained completely COVID-free, and with nobody coming and going, life went on without much threat of plague, says Suine.
Both he and Stead took up their old day jobs — as a partner in a national law firm, and as an organisational psychologist at Australia’s leading investment bank, respectively — while they waited for the world, and the lodge, to reopen.
“We figured if we could survive that period we could survive anything,” says Suine with a wry smile. “It was great to get the lodge open again.”
He says the family retains a warm affection for Paddington and returns often to reconnect with the city life and to shop for furnishings and goods for the property. But there are no regrets about leaving the city for a remote island life. Abraham goes to the local school and enjoys the new life, as does the couple’s ageing Italian greyhound (“who made a bit more sense in Paddington”.)
“It’s not to say our life is better now than it was in Paddington, but King Island is a perfect fit for what we needed for our family,” Suine says.
The couple is now planning new constructions on the site, including a bigger house for themselves, which will leave the third villa open for tourists, and an onsite restaurant featuring a hatted chef.
For Suine and Stead, it is, and has been, an excellent adventure.
Kittawa Lodge
King Island, Tasmania
Rates from $1650 per night, all food included