The beauty of travel is there’s no right or wrong way to do it: as a couple, with the family, surrounded by friends or with a group of strangers you’ve only just met. There’s also great joy to be found in travelling solo, which delivers the freedom to see, do and explore exactly what you want. And, despite how it sounds, you’re not alone 100% of the time.
WRITTEN BY CHRIS ASHTON
From Byron Bay to beautiful Brunswick Heads, the Gold Coast to its emerald green hinterland, here are five exceptional bases for solo travellers.
The Tamborine
Close enough to the big smoke yet far enough for a real escape, The Tamborine Boutique Hotel – an hour from Brisbane and 30 mins behind the Gold Coast – embodies the saying ‘everything old is new again’, after breathing new life into a 1980s motel late last year.
Thoroughly reinvented inside and out, it now sports 23 tasteful rooms with escarpment views, plus a heated mineral pool and spa, cosy nooks for reading books, and a communal lounge regularly seeing drop-ins throughout the day.
In addition to continental breakfast, travellers are given the keys to the neighbourhood thanks to a ‘Friends of The Tamborine’ card unlocking discounts and VIP treatment at local businesses. It’s a perfect icebreaker when travelling solo.
And when you’re feeling social, ‘Peacock O’Clock’ is worth setting your watch for, with the 5pm ritual inviting guests to stop for a drink, a chat or a few bites at The Tamborine’s bar.
Basq House Byron Bay
Carved wooden masks from South Africa, a three-panelled vignette of the Brazilian rainforest, and rugs swept up from the souks of Morocco. These curios and more adorn the walls and floors of Byron’s newest five-star escape: Basq House: a richly styled boutique hotel evoking the mood and intimacy of home, with a few elevated touches.
Each of its 32 rooms are exquisitely styled within, complemented by an outlook of the umbrella-lined pool. But it’s the offerings outside the rooms that deserve special mention.
The lobby is not just a lobby, but a living room, with lounges for meeting friends and varied games to test your skills, while the library – stocked with comfy lounges and towering bookshelves – is an inviting retreat for when your day’s explorations are done.
Flaky fresh pastries, teas and coffee are laid out complimentary for early risers, after which you can order a well-priced mix of beers, wines and cocktails as the day wears on.
Tweed Holiday Parks Fingal Head
If it’s absolute beachfront you seek, you can’t go past Tweed Holiday Parks Fingal Head, nestled between the snaking Tweed River and rolling waves of the Pacific barely 15 minutes from Coolangatta.
Like all good holiday parks, a social vibe flows throughout this Tweed Coast hangout, with solos quickly finding their tribe, whether pitching a tent, pulling up the van at a powered ensuite site, or checking into a self-contained safari tent or cabin.
Though not a large town, Fingal boasts an exceptional gem putting it above many nearby rivals: the Giant’s Causeway. Like its Irish namesake, this natural rock formation is made of thousands of hexagonal basalt pillars – and you can reach it in under 10 minutes’ stroll from the park.
TRYP by Wyndham Southport Gold Coast
The Gold Coast is Australia’s holiday playground: a mecca where you can eat, drink, sail, surf and shop till you drop. Towards its northern end lies Southport, a suburb which, though not typically known to tourists, is now firmly on the travel radar, following the debut of TRYP by Wyndham Gold Coast.
Open since October 2024, the sleek 4.5-star apartment hotel boasts 225 self-contained suites, alongside a rooftop pool with skyline views (best enjoyed at sunrise), fitness centre, and Italian restaurant and bar. There’s a day spa in the works too.
Another big plus is its location near Smith Street, an arterial road from the M1, meaning you can avoid most of the traffic while enjoying easy access to the likes of HOTA (Home of the Arts) and the Southport South light rail station, linking you to Surfers Paradise and beyond.
Reflections Brunswick Heads
Towering pines lining the river, kids leaping into the water from a timber bridge, and a classic pub filled with the sound of cheers and conversation; Brunswick Heads is a quintessential family-friendly beach town, and it’s great for solos too.
Only 20 minutes north from Byron Bay, ‘Bruns’ has that small town feel where it’s easy to make friends, the river’s ideal for swimming and kayaking, and there are a myriad of boutiques and cafes in town, meaning plenty of options for exploring over a few days.
Reflections Brunswick Heads – set in a prime position alongside the tidal waters of Simpsons Creek – makes a perfect base to breathe it all in, with powered sites and deluxe cabins.
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