Bicheno on Tasmania’s East Coast was recently named Australia’s number one town to visit in Australian Traveller’s 100 Best Towns list for 2026, also taking out the Best Emerging Town category. And if you’re looking for the perfect base from which to experience it, we’ve found it.
Cooinda on the Beach sits right at the heart of what makes Bicheno so special. Perched above Waubs Beach with uninterrupted views across Waubs Bay, this three-bedroom beachfront property is the kind of place that resets you. Not a resort, not a hotel, but a beautiful home that happens to have one of the most extraordinary outlooks on the island.
A Tasmanian Holiday Home With Extraordinary Views
Floor-to-ceiling north-facing windows flood the living spaces with light and frame the ocean from every angle. The interiors are warm and considered without being precious about it. Soft-hued linens, jute rugs, and deep couches sit alongside indigenous artwork, French antiques, a Swedish workbench, and Hale Mercantile linens. It’s a home with personality and comfort, the kind that feels collected over time.
The traditional sauna, open fireplace, and outdoor fire pit mean the property rewards winter visits just as much as summer ones. A clear winter night here, with the fire going and the Southern Lights potentially putting on a show above the bay, is not something you forget easily.
Every Season Offers Something Different on Tasmania’s East Coast
Summer brings long evenings on the deck, Tasmanian wine, and that particular quality of light that the East Coast does better than almost anywhere. Winter brings dramatic coastal storms, towering swells visible from the warmth of inside, and the kind of stillness between the wild days that feels genuinely restorative.
Whale season brings migrating whales along the coastline. The little penguins that call Bicheno home are a year-round fixture. And on the right night, the Aurora Australis is reason enough to stay up well past midnight.
What’s Right on the Doorstep of Cooinda on the Beach
Waubs Bay is literally at your feet when you stay at Cooinda on the Beach, with a local swim group meeting at 7:30 am daily for those who want to start the day properly. Redbill Beach is an easy walk along the coastal track from the house. The Whalers Lookout and the Blowhole are both within walking distance. And Wineglass Bay, one of the most celebrated beaches in the world, is a short drive away.
Tasmania’s East Coast cellar doors are among Tasmania’s best: Milton Vineyard, Craigie Knowe, and Freycinet Vineyard are all worth the detour. For dinner, Le coq Bicheno is the standout. For breakfast, Little Bay Patisserie is the kind of morning ritual that makes you consider moving here permanently.
Related article: Makepeace Island: An Uber-Luxe Gourmet Retreat on the Noosa River
The Extras That Make a Luxe Retreat on Tasmania’s East Coast
For those who want to go all in, Cooinda on the Beach offers private dining with an in-house chef, bespoke four or five-course meals built around seasonal produce and the best of what the East Coast has to offer. In-house massage, yoga, and facial treatments round out the options for a proper no-plans, nowhere-to-be kind of stay.
Bicheno in Tasmania has a way of getting under your skin. Cooinda on the Beach is where you let it.
