THE NOVO WAY

Image credit: Aaron Jones Photography

Return to you on Tassie's North West Coast - and don't miss the special Tailored Tasmania reader's offer through September
By definition Novo means ‘from the beginning. Anew. Afresh.’ A stay in Novo Luxury Apartment in North West Tasmania’s township of Penguin delivers just this. There’s a restorative quality about Novo that’s hard to define. It hits with the same undeniable power as its Bass Strait views. Ascending the heritage listed staircase, there’s only one word that escapes my lips. “Wow.”
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Image credit: Aaron Jones Photography

Novo’s own beginnings date back to 1912 and the staircase is a well-preserved nod to its early days. But as the creaks of its early bakery days fade behind me, I’m enveloped by the apartment’s top floor luxuries. Open living spills out to commanding Bass Strait views. It’s hard to shift between the beautifully appointed foreground and nature’s epic backdrop. Somehow, the two meet in perfect harmony.
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Penguin aerial. Image credit: Graham King Photography

Image credit: Aaron Jones Photography

We’re greeted with a handwritten note, a treat from Renaessance Café and warmth indicative of an owner who knows how to turn on a winter welcome. I plunge into one of the ‘bean beds’ just in time for the sun to sink. The shift to Penguin pace happens with unconscious ease. We’re surrounded with furnishings that look as though they’re straight from Melbourne’s fashion strip. But they happen to be direct from Cocoon Designs, the homewares store residing underneath Novo. Everything works. Beautifully.
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Dining in at the long table is followed by Trivial Pursuit by the fire. It’s not everyday one can change the flame colour depending on one’s mood with the flick of a remote! This is followed by a deep bath before slipping between crisp linen sheets to the lull of waves. Tonight’s good sleep is assured before my eyes even close as I busily admire the original pressed tin ceiling.
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Image credit: Aaron Jones Photography

Image credit: Aaron Jones Photography

Image credit: Aaron Jones Photography

Image credit: Aaron Jones Photography

Staying at Novo is as much about the inside comforts as it is about experiencing the neighbourhood and beyond. Armed with a comprehensive list prepared by the owner, the options range from never leaving the apartment (tempting considering the library of books, Netflix password and the July chills) through to Cradle Mountain walks and main street galleries and eats.
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We opt for seaside yoga. Instructor and local, Caz, warmly invites us into the restorative session and next minute we’re stretching out on mats with equally broad smiles. Preservation Bay just beyond works its North West magic, rivalled only by the encouragement to go gently on our bodies. We sink yet another level into the re-boot and recharge feels of Penguin.

Yoga time. Image credit: Alice Hansen

Yoga views. Image credit: Alice Hansen

With well limbered legs, we then venture out into the wilds for a climb of Mount Gnomon after a quick coffee at Letterbox (naturally connected to the Post Office). Oh, the coffee here is divine – as are the artworks and the beaming smiles of the baristas. The relatively steep one-hour return rewards with sweeping views across the east to Ulverstone, Mount Roland and beyond. On the loop back down we stop to admire sandstone caves and sip from the mountain’s spring water. (Nothing to do with me forgetting my drink bottle).
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We drop in for a quick hello to Guy at Mount Gnomon Farm before catching last light at Level Canyon, about an hour’s drive. Talk about dramatic scenery! It’s Leven River’s pounding winter torrents that catch my ear on the final metres to the lookout, well before the view swallows me in. It’s natural drama that usually takes a day’s walk to reach. Instead, it takes but 20 minutes’ return from our car. We finish up just as the first wallabies are coming out to play.
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Letterbox. Image credit: Alice Hansen

Mt. Gnomon. Image credit: Alice Hansen

Mt. Gmonom. Image credit: Alice Hansen

Leven Canyon. Image credit: Alice Hansen

Leven Canyon. Image credit: Alice Hansen

All good mountain climbs should be rewarded with El Perro. Back down on the main street, a whopping ten metre hike from our door, the tapas restaurant was busily getting ready for the evening’s trade. Reading through their beautiful menu of twice cooked local Scottsdale Pork and local scallops over cauliflower puree tempted, but tonight it was their pizza menu that called for another winter night in at Novo. It would be 15 minutes after our call that we had the most delish two pizzas on the table – one generously topped with Tassie smoked salmon on a cream cheese base, the other a Pollo barbecue chicken favourite. Perfect with a side of Trivial Pursuit.

We wake to another stunning morning – one that begs for a morning foreshore jog following by a quick dip. Even though it’s winter and seems absolutely insane, we plunge into the icy Bass Strait waters. The experience lasts about 92 seconds but the invigoration lasts day long. It’s a fitting farewell and although I believe we’re the only nutters on the coast to have taken the dive that morning, it’s not the case.

Renaessance. Image credit: Alice Hansen

Lining up for morning coffee at Renaessance (a whole 40 metres from Novo), I feel guilty interrupting the delightful chatter between regular customers. Having spent just 48 hours in Penguin it’s clear this town has community spirit in spades. They’re like a flock of Little Penguins, huddled and getting through winter with shared smiles. (incidentally the real penguins are currently out at sea so we’ll have to come back for penguin spotting).

I somehow join the early morning chatter and find that the young local waiting for her coffee had taken a swim too. I also find that the café has ten free coffees to give away during the month to anyone in the community who might be having a tough day or a hard time. After this, another café will take the helm. I smile, realising the good mornings on my jog earlier are further evidence that this town really is the friendliest little tight-knit family on the coast. They’d only just spent seven days as a community helping to put in new decks, outdoor seating and a ‘take a book leave a book’ tardis (fictional time machine) library, watched over by the famous Big Penguin.

Street library. Image credit: Alice Hansen

As I wander out, hands wrapped around my morning coffee I see Cocoon Designs isn’t quite open. The world beyond Penguins calls me back to work, but the pull is too strong. I make arrangements to return to North West Tassie the following week to complete the experience. There’s still a Leven Canyon floor to visit, wooden deck chairs to relax on by the water’s edge and meerkats to meet at the nearby wildlife park.
I leave feeling restored. I leave feeling anew. I leave feeling like Novo wasn’t just a luxurious apartment but a seaside home to retreat to whenever I need a reset. And with enough room for 8 (6 comfortably), I will be sure to share it’s calming spell with many more.
Thank you Novo.

Special Tailored Tasmania offer:
Head to Novo Luxury Apartments and enter the promo code TAILOREDTAS.
Book and pay for a minimum 3 nights during the month of September 2019 and only pay for the price of 2.
To stay 3  nights or more please contact us on info@novoluxuryapartment.com.au
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The Details:
Starting from $450/night
93 Main Road, Penguin
3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 300sq metres of wonderful
For more information visit: www.novoluxuryapartment.com.au

Penguin waterfront. Image credit: Alice Hansen

Penguin aerial. Image credit: Graham King Photography