A former Antarctic training base on Tasmania’s Central Plateau is up for sale as a wilderness lodge, with an asking price of $2.4 million.
Thousand Lakes Lodge, around 65km south-west of Launceston, sits within the Tasmanian World Heritage Wilderness Area.
The building was originally the Bernacchi Antarctic Training Facility which operated for decades as a cold-climate and field training base for Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) staff, before being retired as an official facility.
The property was comprehensively refurbished in 2016 and repurposed into a boutique off-grid wilderness lodge catering to bushwalkers, cyclists and anglers.
The listing describes the area as “one of Tasmania’s premier wild brown trout fishing destinations”.
Selling agent Nathan Cleeland said the property was being sold on a walk-in walk-out basis, including all furniture and equipment.
“So it is a sort of turnkey sale process,” he told Pulse.
The $2.4 million price was “well below the estimated replacement cost” of the lodge at current building prices, he said.
With the property online for only a few days, Cleeland said it was “too hard to tell” how much interest there had been so far.
“I think it will go to a business with existing accommodation assets,” he said.
“Most likely mainland Australia-based. I think it would be a great addition to someone’s portfolio of accommodation assets.”
The property features nine double bedrooms, shared lounge and dining areas, a commercial-size kitchen and staff accommodation.
Running entirely off-grid, it relies on solar power, battery storage and a backup diesel generator.
According to the accomodation’s website, there is no Wi-Fi and phone coverage is limited, encouraging visitors to experience “a truly remarkable place to switch off from the world”.
A member of Trout Guides and Lodges Tasmania, the lodge has also served as a base for guided, multi-day fly-fishing trips.
The sale includes a Crown lease running to June 30, 2063, with provision for a further 49-year lease, subject to the lease conditions.
Expressions of interest close on December 10.
