Review: Pretty Beach House

The intimate nature of this property means you instantly feel at home

Location: An hour and a half north of Sydney, hidden away on the Central Coast in one of New South Wales’ lesser known national park – Bouddi.

 

First impressions: So secluded is Pretty Beach House that my driver initially thought he’d made a wrong turn and missed the entrance. The gateway to the property is unassuming, and once you’ve found the driveway the mystery heightens as you descend up a near vertical winding steep path to reach the house itself. A truly secret hideaway.

The intimate nature of this property means you instantly feel at home, it also means there is just a small number of staff catering to your every whim, ensuring an extremely bespoke and tailored service.

The facts: Pretty Beach House has just four suites, two of which are separate from the main building. The Hideaway was my home during my stay and featured a stunning freestanding bathtub, his and her rainforest showers and a private plunge pool.

The property, part of the Luxury Lodges of Australia association, is around 15 years old, however its current guise is just four years old after a fire completely ravaged the original property. It took two years to rebuild the property. This property is all about getting back to nature and enjoying and understanding the land on which it lies. Bouddi National Park is home to more than 100 significant Aboriginal sites including rock engraving which are found close to the Pretty Beach House. To that end, every visitor partakes in an Indigenous Smoking Ceremony where an Aboriginal elder shares stories and is happy to educate guests about his culture.

The guesthouse is all-inclusive, and the culinary offering her is exceptional. Breakfast is generally a two-course feast, lunch is three courses while dinner is a five course degustation menu featuring many indigenous ingredients such as finger limes and lemon myrtle. Chefs works round the clock to cater to all dietary requirements and often create a bespoke menu for every guest, and of course every course is paired with an Aussie wine. Guests who head off exploring the local area are sent with a backpack full of scrumptious treats and a fancy packed lunch.

 

Explore: There are plenty of walking routes in the area and lodge managers Geoffrey and Sean are on hand to give out maps and towels. Head out on foot to the usually deserted Tallow Beach or head a little further afield and take the pleasant 5km coastal route from Maitland Bay to Killcare beach which features stunning sandstone patterns along the cliff top.

 

Wow: This property is one giant wow. Everything here is exceptional – from the service and the suites to the stunning food and the ethos of embracing local heritage, life and culture.

Bouddi is the local Aboriginal word for heart, and I certainly left a slice of mine at Pretty Beach House.

 

Book it: An all-inclusive stay leads in at £1,000AUD per person, per night. Exclusive hire of the entire property is $8,000AUD per night for a maximum of eight guests.

 

prettybeachhouse.com

Hollie-Rae Brader

Hollie is editor of Aspire’s print and online products. She is responsible for the running of the club and ensuring the content produced and the events organised are relevant to the Aspire audience. She was previously deputy news editor and cruise writer for sister title Travel Weekly. She loves exploring new destinations and is gradually ticking new countries off her list. She most enjoys writing about cruise, South America and Japan. Before working in the travel industry she held news reporting roles at the East Anglian Daily Times and Ipswich Star.