Bolt-hole from the blue

Melanie Ball enjoys a view of the Southern Ocean from her contemporary beach house.

It’s all well and good planning a weekend escape to a historical coastal town but when your partner is 1.93 metres tall and has beds with wrought-iron footings, traditional heritage accommodation is off the menu.

An online search brings up a selection of modern lodgings in Port Fairy, though most are full on our weekend. However, there is room at Wytonia Beachfront Accommodation, on the town’s western edge, and 4½ hours after leaving Melbourne my husband and I turn off the Princes Highway and follow signs through a paddock dotted with cows.

One of a string of houses along the Southern Ocean shore, Wytonia is a contemporary two-storey corrugated-iron construction with a split-level roof rounded like rising waves. Two guest studios and the owner’s residence open off the small hall and stairs lead to the penthouse suite, the tenants of which arrive shortly after we do.

to be continued

from theage.com.au