Island resort Rumi on Louth set to get even more luxurious with day spa and private villas

Rumi on Louth has had its extensive second stage expansion approved.

The $20m second stage of the luxury Rumi on Louth island resort has been granted planning approval, with construction of 26 luxury villas, a Japanese-inspired day spa and recreational facilities to start later this year.

The $30m first stage of the development, on Louth Island near Port Lincoln, opened in early 2024, with accommodation for about 20 people and a fine dining restaurant.

The second stage will involve eco-sensitive villas being built around the island, connected by a trail, as well as boardwalks, the day spa and courts most likely for pickle ball.

The second stage also involves more solar installation, as well as chicken coops and glasshouses to grow vegetables.

The eastern beach at Rumi on Louth.

Owner Che Metcalfe said the first stage was performing well, with the restaurant recently being awarded two “hats” by the Australian Good Food Guide, which was a great achievement at such an early stage.

But, the plan was always to expand out into the second stage, which would increase maximum visitor numbers to about 60-70 and make the resort financially sustainable over the long term.

Mr Metcalfe said he was excited to start planning the construction phase of the second stage, with a residence and another restaurant to be subject to another planning approval in the future.

“And me being me I’ve got some more ideas about a stage three,’’ he said.

“The second stage will be 26 villas, a day spa, a sprawling kind of Japanese onsen with plunge pools, saunas, massage areas, private areas with a plunge pool and a cabana next to it.

“That will be quite extensive and it also includes a boardwalk over that beautiful eastern beach.

“I’m looking at pickle ball courts because that seems to be more popular than tennis these days, yoga decks, observation decks, walking trails around the whole of the island.’’

Mr Metcalfe said a builder had not yet been attached to the project, but the goal was to start construction around the middle of the year, with the villas intended to be all in place by mid-2026.

The resort offers sailing, kayaking and other recreational activities.

“Ideally we will have as much infrastructure and accommodation in place as possible by the next high season around November and December this year,’’ he said.

As much construction as possible will be done off the island, and the villas will be countersunk into the earth to reduce their visual impact.

“From behind we plan to blend them in, that’s the whole idea, they are earth-sheltered and from behind they look like a natural sand dune with native vegetation growing over them,’’ Mr Metcalfe said.

“It’s not until you go down the entry which is from the rear, a cut into the dune, then the expanse will open up – the whole front of the villas is glass and all of them will have their own unique view.’’

Each villa will have a great sense of privacy, and they will be interconnected by the walking trail.

The outdoor deck at Rumi on Louth.

The fire pit.

Samphire restaurant.

The Al fresco area.

The island also includes an exclusion area for wedge-tailed eagle breeding, and the design and construction has been planned to be sensitive to other native species such as the hooded plover.

Mr Metcalfe said the chicken coop and glasshouses were designed to make the resort more self sufficient.

He said there had been huge interest in visiting Rumi on Louth since it opened.

“It’s exploded, there’s something about the place which has some sort of magic which is hard to explain over social media and photos,’’ he said.

“I’m personally overwhelmed with how positive the feedback has been.’’

Mr Metcalfe bought the island after a 12 month negotiation period with the previous owners, who had had it on the market for about a decade, but who had failed to reach the right deal.

An artist’s impression of how the new villas will look.

His team have been revegetating the island with native plants, with the goal to rehabilitate the island which had previously been used to run sheep.

The architect for the second-stage is Adelaide firm Archaea