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"The hook of this place is how it lets us—forces us, really—to stop. Owner Claire Gemes has thoughtfully put together a relaxed retreat on the property she and her family have lived on for more than a century: 200 lush acres, hidden away on a hill by the ocean on the Bellarine Peninsula near Melbourne. Each of the seven rooms is filled with warm, earthy interiors inspired by the surrounding landscape: moody seas and rolling dark greens. Lon is a place to do everything, including rambling without a map, or nothing at all. Massages at the simple spa are very good; a soak in the mineral pool is even better. The honesty bar and Makers and Growers pantry are full of regional beers, wines, and ciders, while the furniture and art, including the over-head beach photography by Gemes’s brother-in-law, are homespun too. Breakfast baskets are filled with banana bread and granola to graze on in bed or on the balcony while taking in the views in every direction. All the talk in recent years might have been about the Mornington Peninsula, but Lon makes a compelling case for the lo-fi charms of lesser-known Bellarine. FLASH POINT The mineral-rich water used in the spa treatments is sourced from a natural rock pool on the estate. +61 3-5258-2990; lonretreat.com.au. Doubles from about $256." - CNT Editors
