About Yambacoona House
Welcoming People:
Since 1902
Yambacoona House gives groups the room to truly unwind. With seven beds for up to ten guests, it’s perfect for golf trips, family escapes, surf crews, and anyone craving space and stillness.
After a day on the links or wandering empty beaches, come home to crackling wood fires, long shared dinners, and a drink from the Honesty Bar. There’s plenty of room to gather – and just as much room to retreat.
Minutes from Cape Wickham Links and Ocean Dunes, yet wrapped in peaceful isolation, Yambacoona House is where you slow down, reconnect, and feel the island work its magic.
What You'll Love
- Seven beds, sleeps ten — ideal for groups
- Our rates — a price that works for you
- Large rooms and wide hallways — everyone gets space
- Warm wood fires — the heart of the house on cool island nights
- The Honesty Bar — stocked on trust and island spirit
- Minutes from Cape Wickham Links & Ocean Dunes
- Mintutes from beach walks, ship wreaks and wild coastal tracks
- 17 acres of quiet, privacy, and ocean air
- Perfect for golf, surf, nature, and family adventures
This is the kind of place where mornings are slow, evenings are warm, and the days in between feel like freedom.
Silent Witness: 120 Year Story
Built in 1902, Yambacoona House has lived many lives: family home, a community hub, shop, government offices and even a telephone exchange. Over the decades it weathered storms, stories, and several coats of questionable paint.
When we found it, the bones were beautiful — high ceilings, timber floors, wide verandas — but it needed a lot of love. We’ve restored it carefully, keeping the character while creating a warm, generous home for modern travellers. Today, guests enjoy the charm of the past with the comfort of the present.
The history gives the house soul.
The experience is what makes people return.
Why You'll Want to Come Back
Because Yambacoona House feels like a true escape.
It’s the warmth of the fires after a windswept day.
It’s the laughter around the dinner table.
It’s the quiet mornings with coffee and paddock views.
It’s the ease of being minutes from world‑class golf.
It’s the feeling of having space — real space — to relax.
This is King Island the way it should be experienced.
Gather your people. Slow down. Reconnect.
Yambacoona House is ready when you are.
Meet Your Host
Gordon McKenzie and his family are fourth generation King Islanders.
Yambacoona House has been part of our family story since 1918 when my great great uncle worked for Australia’s cattle king, Sydney Kidman.
Yambacoona House has always been a place that has resounded with the stories and lives of people. Our vision for Yambacoona House is to create a unique experience for people across Australia and the world to reconnect with their people, the natural world and recharge for another crack at the life.
We’re at the start of our journey to replant the gardens with bird-friendly natives, rewild our 17 acres and create a place for fun, celebrations and connection. We want people to experience the old world of country Australia, but have the convenience of everything needed for a fantastic experience at the fingertip.
We have big dreams for Yambacoona House and staying with us will be your contribution to our rewilding projects, conserving and keeping this piece of unique Australian heritage alive for our future generations to enjoy as much as we do.
Thank you for joining us in the rebirth of Yambacoona House. We can’t wait to welcome you and make you a part of the story.
What Our Visitors Say
We stayed at Yambacoona House and enjoyed it immensely. The house has so much space, it is tastefully presented, and the peace and quiet is an absolute blessing from the noise of the world.
The house has multiple fireplaces to create warmth which flows throughout the house, and two bathrooms make it easy to accommodate for large groups.
For our gourmet meals at Yambacoona House we sourced our King Island beef, cheese, crayfish and fresh organic vegetables from The Garden.
There is so much to see and do. Wildlife abounds around the property with interesting birds to be seen including peacocks, pheasants, turkeys, ducks, Cape Barren geese and swans, just to name a few. The resident wallabies are also a delight to watch.
Literally 5 minutes’ drive from Yambacoona House is one of the best beaches ever. Yellow Rock Beach has golden sand and faces a beautiful blue water bay. We fished and swam there almost daily.
Martha Lavinia, one of Australia’s best surf beaches, is on the east side of the island 15 minutes’ drive from away. While we don’t surf, it was great for walking and beachcombing.
Go north 15 minutes and you are at one of the most spectacular golf courses in Australia. Cape Wickham Links sits underneath the tallest lighthouse in the southern hemisphere. The lighthouse was made out of blocks of granite which were quarried just over the hill from where it stands.
Absolutely love this place and will be back!!
Ben Patton – Tasmania, Australia
