I begin rediscovering this coastal hub at Heyscape Denmark. Named one of 30 global winners in National Geographic\u2019s Hotel Awards in 2025, Heyscape\u2019s five off-grid cabins appear as little black Lego blocks, sparsely positioned along the rolling green plains of Raintree Estate. (Ten more cabins and a communal sauna are set to open in autumn.) And what\u2019s going off-grid without a dreamy outlook? The estate\u2019s 880-acre patchwork of forests, freshwater lakes and rolling hills fringes the William Bay National Park, home to some of the state\u2019s renowned natural wonders, with tall karri forests and snippets of the Southern Ocean in view.<\/p>\n
Despite having some of the state\u2019s iconic natural attractions right on my doorstep, I\u2019m happy to stay put on estate grounds \u2013 for now. One good reason: Heyscape\u2019s new two-bedroom cabins. Perfect for friends or two couples, two cabins are connected by a private sauna and outdoor deck that dinner host enthusiasts would only dream of (a Heston Blumenthal-branded barbecue, chic dining and acacia wood lounge area under an outdoor fan). <\/p>\n
Heyscape Denmark features award-winning off-grid cabins with views of forests and lakes. Photo \/ Rachel Claire<\/p>\n
Hardly short of relaxation nooks (or places to swoon or bond), it also features two corrugated outdoor baths sitting side by side on the deck \u2013 another great place to soak in the views.<\/p>\n
My friend and I take dibs on our individual cabins. Each cabin is thoughtfully curated, from a selection of local reads to unwind to, gratitude cards on a bookshelf, and fluffy bathrobes that eventually become uniform. Black and wood accents feature throughout the remote hideaway, including a kitchenette equipped with sleek appliances. The elevated queen bed, with burnished orange 100% European Flax linen, rests next to a giant window overlooking the undulating forest (and, at night, a starry sky). Will I experience a bout of cabin fever? I think not.<\/p>\n
We spend the afternoon going back and forth between the bath and sauna, snacking on a grazing box stocked with local artisanal treats in between. Such is life out here.<\/p>\n
From forest baths to blue crayfish, Western Australia\u2019s other Denmark has plenty to offer. Photo \/ Daniel Barrington<\/p>\n
But of course, being in this spectacular corner of the world, one must eventually find the willpower to go forth and explore, cast the plush bathrobe aside, as there\u2019s plenty to do on the estate itself.<\/p>\n
Locally owned and managed by the Birbeck family, Raintree Estate is also home to The Dam, a modern Australian restaurant focused on seasonal ingredients; an amphitheatre; and the Cannabis Botanical Distillery. The estate also offers an insight into life on the working farm with its hunter-gather marron experiences.<\/p>\n
We meet with owner Stephen Birbeck at the restaurant, where he drives us to a secluded, small dam to try our luck catching a local delicacy \u2013 a small freshwater crayfish endemic to Western Australia \u2013 and to learn about the farm\u2019s sustainable aquaculture practices.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything we produce, we use here,\u201d Stephen Birbeck says as he tugs a black rope from the patchy grass and reels in a square drop net.<\/p>\n
Slender shells, small claws are sandwiched between black lattice, and I can\u2019t make out how many marrons are caught. One immediately stands out among the brownish-red critters: an eclectic blue marron which looks toy-like. We take our turns holding (and shrieking at) the crayfish as it flinches it\u2019s tiny claws, before we return to the restaurant for part two of the experience: indulging in our catch, deliciously prepared as a saucy linguine. <\/p>\n
Julia D Orazio catching a marron. Photo \/ Julia D Orazio<\/p>\n
For adventures further afield, Heyscape makes it easy with complimentary e-bike hire. We zip through forests and travel a short section of the world-class off-road cycling trail, the Munda Bindi track, along the coast, darting through wildflower bushes en route. The sweeping vistas of green hearth, long stretches of white sands and the roaring ocean are just as vivid.<\/p>\n
Free e-bikes let visitors reach Green Pool and Elephant Rocks in under 30 minutes. Photo \/ Julia D Orazio<\/p>\n
We arrive at one of the state\u2019s most renowned beaches, Green Pool, in less than 30 minutes from our cabin door. The beach is beautifully flecked with smooth granite boulders, in and out of iridescent waters. A short stroll away is the region\u2019s other natural icon, Elephant Rocks. Giant granite formations resemble a herd of eons-old \u201celephants\u201d wading in the natural lagoon, an enchanting spot for a refreshingly cool dip.<\/p>\n
Aerial View of Elephant Rocks, William Bay National Park. Photo \/ Tourism WA<\/p>\n
Other giants are found a 30-minute drive away. Located in Walpole-Nornalup National Park, The Valley of the Giants is the region\u2019s premier attraction, home to ancient red tingle trees towering up to 75m above the forest floor. While admiring the tree\u2019s monstrous trunks is free along the Ancient Empire Walk, for a bird\u2019s-eye view, we embark on the tree-top walk. The 40m elevated canopy walk weaves 600m through the woodland giants, offering spectacular panoramas of the surrounding wilderness.<\/p>\n
More delights are found back on ground level, with honourable mentions to the award-winning vineyard Single File, family-friendly beer garden Boston Brewing Co, kayaking the Denmark River or grabbing a bite at Mrs Jones, a local favourite housed in a former butter factory. <\/p>\n
Yes, this Denmark is perfect for hygge.<\/p>\n
Checklist<\/p>\n
DENMARK, AUSTRALIA<\/p>\n
GETTING THERE<\/p>\n
Fly directly from Auckland to Perth with Qantas and Air New Zealand. <\/p>\n
STAY<\/p>\n
Cabins at Heyscape Denmark start from $606 per night (minimum two-night stay) | heyscape.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n EXPERIENCE<\/p>\n Marron Catch & Indulge experience is $431 for two people. See <\/a>heyscape.com.au\/locations\/denmark<\/a><\/p>\n Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk is $25 per person. See <\/a>valleyofthegiants.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n *Prices have been converted to NZD<\/p>\n The writer was a guest of Heyscape. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I begin rediscovering this coastal hub at Heyscape Denmark. Named one of 30 global winners in National Geographic\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":31238,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[2],"tags":[141,225,4675,27,18673,18672,26,18675,7677,11172,6277,18674,18670,5332,18669,5012,217,18671,18667,18668,15176],"class_list":["post-31237","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-denmark","tag-and","tag-australia","tag-brand","tag-danmark","tag-delightful","tag-delivers","tag-denmark","tag-dorazio","tag-eat","tag-explore","tag-hygge","tag-julia","tag-lesserknown","tag-outdoors","tag-stay","tag-this","tag-to","tag-underrated","tag-western","tag-where","tag-writes"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31237","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31237"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31237\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31238"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31237"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31237"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31237"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}