When to come
December – February
Sunburnt hills, and water clear enough to see your feet
The grass goes from green to gold and the whole property takes on the colour it is best known for. This is when the beach earns its keep — the cove is sheltered, the water is aquamarine and calm enough to swim most days. Evenings run long. Dinner on the deck happens at nine because the light is still going.
- SwimmingThe cove is a four-minute walk down and usually calm enough to swim.
- The outdoor showerCold water, by the door, for rinsing sand off before you go inside.
- Fire restrictionsSouth Australian fire bans apply. No campfires or naked flames anywhere on the property, in any season, but summer is when it matters most.
- Peak ratesThe Villa moves to peak pricing from 1 December to 31 January.
March – May
The best walking weather of the year
Warm, still days without the summer glare. The light gets longer and lower, which is when the coastline photographs best. The water holds its summer temperature well into April, so you can still swim, and the trails are comfortable at midday in a way they are not in January. By May the fire is lit in the evenings.
- Whales arriveSouthern right whales begin passing from around May, on their way up from the sub-Antarctic.
- WalkingAll four trails are at their best. The Rarkang Loop is a genuine day's walking in this weather.
- Still swimmingThe cove usually stays swimmable through March and often into April.
June – August
Weather rolling in over the ocean, watched from indoors
The argument for winter is the fire, the bath and the glass. One low-emission wood heater warms the entire building and ducts through to the bedrooms, so you can lie in a freestanding bath watching a front come across Backstairs Passage with no sense of being cold. This is the season couples book, and the season the property is quietest.
- Whale watchingPeak season. Southern rights shelter in the bays to calve, and the retreat has a front-row seat through to about October.
- The fireWood is supplied. It heats the whole building — there is no other heating.
- LambingBoth properties are working sheep farms. This is part of why pets are prohibited outright.
- StormsThe double glazing is argon-filled and the windows open, so you can hear the sea without feeling the weather.
Naiko has historically discounted through the quieter winter months.
September – November
Green, briefly, before it turns gold again
The hills are as green as they get, the wildflowers are out, and the birdlife is at its loudest — Rarkang carries over a hundred and ten species and spring is when you notice. Kangaroos are everywhere with joeys. The last of the whales are still going through in early spring, and the water is warming up by November.
- BirdwatchingThe best months for it. Wedge-tailed eagles are nesting in Campbell Gully and are regularly overhead.
- JoeysWestern grey kangaroos across the property, most of them with young.
- Late whalesSightings usually continue into September and sometimes October.
- Booking aheadNovember fills early, because it is the last month before peak rates start at The Villa.
The one thing that never changes is how dark it gets
The retreat is off-grid, ninety minutes from the nearest city glow, and there is nothing between it and the Southern Ocean. On a clear night the Milky Way is not something you look for. It is simply overhead.
