Flood your world with unique stay ideas
Take a look at some of the Great Southern’s interesting and unique accommodation, from a WWII plane to a tree house and a converted mill, writes Jessica Cuthbert
The Ark of Denmark
Set among the treetops of Denmark sits the Ark of Denmark, one of the small town’s most interesting accommodation options.
The Ark of Denmark was created with the specific building in mind and a business venture to provide a unique experience.
Owner Donna Franklin said the building was constructed to resemble a shipping vessel commonly known as The Ark in the Bible.
“It was designed by a shipwright, with the previous owner’s vision in mind, and being only 3km from the Denmark town centre, it captures the true essence of Denmark with its vast open spaces, huge karri trees and majestic granite boulders with glimpses of the Wilson Inlet,” she said.
The Ark is the main house of the accommodation and is built onto the boulders, using them as features including the floor in Due South and another boulder bulging from the wall in the bathroom.
“The other building was also the previous owner’s vision of a yurt, a Mongolian tent, only this one cannot be easily moved and is made of wood and the ceiling is a huge feature,” Mrs Franklin said.
“Due to being animal-lovers and knowing the difficulty of travelling with your fur children and obtaining pet-friendly accommodation, we decided to make Ark of Denmark pet-friendly.”
Owners Lloyd and Donna Franklin bought the property in October, 2010 and immediately created the business, called Ark of Denmark, providing accommodation to locals and people from around Australia and the world.
“It is a great buzz to hear what people say about the Ark while driving up the winding drive,” Mrs Franklin said.
The Dakota
In the Great Southern, on Pleun and Hennie Hitzert’s property, sits The Dakota, a 1944 aeroplane.
Mr Hitzert said instead of having just an ornamental Dakota sitting next to his airstrip, it should have a function.
“The Dakota was a natural extension of what we do, so we turned it into an accommodation,” he said.
“As it’s next to our airstrip, our guests can drive in or fly in and park up next to the Dakota.
“It is hard to believe, but we cannot find another Dakota in the world turned into accommodation like we did.”
The plane arrived on the their property, The Lily, in September, 2012. “I finished the work in late 2014 and was an instant accommodation success,” Mr Hitzert said.
“I fly myself, a light aircraft, and we have two airstrips.”
He said the feedback from guests had been tremendous.
The Katanning Flour Mill
The crumbling 127-year-old Katanning flour mill has recently been transformed into one of regional WA’s finest luxury hotels.
The building was sold by the Shire of Katanning for just $1 after years of neglect and now, two years and millions of dollars later, the 22-bed Premier Mill Hotel has been opened. The hotel offers unique accommodation for visitors to the Great Southern and a tremendous boost to the local tourism sector.
The project was the brainchild of Nigel Oakey, chief executive of the Dome cafe group, one of WA’s most successful business chains.
The hotel remains in touch with its industrial feel and has interesting spaces, including heritage features and a distinctive stairway.
A Dome cafe operates around the base of the building, while the hotel rooms occupy the building’s second and third floors.
Much of the mill’s infrastructure has been retained, with each room displaying a different element of the building’s remarkable history.
The three-storey electrically powered mill was built by merchant, agriculturist and politician Frederick Henry Piesse in 1891.
The mill operated until 1977.
It was a tourist centre for a while but had been empty for years.
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