Pretty Beach House, Pretty BeachCredit: Anson Smart
Woman relaxing in the pool at Pretty Beach House, Pretty Beach.
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Reconnect with your favourite people over fine food shared in spectacular surroundings on a special-occasion getaway to the New South Wales North Coast. Whether you’re celebrating an anniversary, a milestone birthday or simply seizing an opportunity to relax and rekindle cherished relationships, memorable stays and premium dining experiences abound.
Savour the Tweed
Nod off to a calming seaside playlist DJed by nature on an indulgent group getaway to the Tweed, at the northeastern tip of NSW. Just metres from the dreamy white sands of Kingscliff Beach, Marine Beach House sleeps up to 11 in five light, airy coastal-chic bedrooms, with plenty of space for entertaining, as well as nooks for relaxing.
Kick off your celebrations with a sumptuous contemporary Australian lunch at award-winning Paper Daisy restaurant in nearby Cabarita, set within boutique hotel Halcyon House, a similarly stylish getaway option ideal for discerning couples. Bond over the delightful flavours of the shared set menu available for groups of four to 20. Superb service combined with the sophisticated simplicity of dishes such as goldband snapper with grilled fennel, sorrel and citrus salmoriglio are bound to make it a memorable meal.
Or wow your crowd with lunch or dinner at Pipit in Pottsville, known for its creative takes on local and native produce cooked over wood and charcoal. Owner and head chef Ben Devlin’s flavour-packed three- and eight-course menus change frequently, assuring a new culinary adventure on every visit.
Retreat to the Byron Bay hinterland
Revel in the ethereal sight of the morning sun illuminating the mist-shrouded hills of the Byron Bay hinterland as you sip coffee on the wraparound deck of heritage-listed Hinterland House. Set on a macadamia orchard in Bangalow, 45 minutes south of Tweed Heads, this grand homestead with soaring ceilings and original artworks is flanked by two self-contained cottages, with space to sleep up to 16 of your nearest and dearest on the property.
Travel just five minutes up the road by car to The Hut, where a former schoolhouse framed by subtropical greenery sets the scene for a Mediterranean-style long lunch to remember. Here groups of eight and above are treated to the signature banquet menu featuring a seasonal selection of dishes designed to be shared as the sun streams in and the wine flows.
Pipit Restaurant, Pottsville Credit: Pipit Restaurant and Sabine Bannard
Pipit Restaurant in coastal Pottsville, north of Byron Bay.
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Pipit Restaurant, Pottsville Credit: Pipit Restaurant and Sabine Bannard
Pipit Restaurant in coastal Pottsville, north of Byron Bay.
Halcyon House, Cabarita Beach Credit: Destination NSW
Paper Daisy restaurant located within boutique hotel Halcyon House, Cabarita Beach.
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Halcyon House, Cabarita Beach Credit: Destination NSW
Paper Daisy restaurant located within boutique hotel Halcyon House, Cabarita Beach.
Chill out on the Coffs Coast
Relive the nostalgia of the beach holidays of your childhood on a relaxing escape with your family to Diggers Beach Cottage on the Coffs Coast, a 5.5-hour drive north of Sydney. Lap up the low-key vibe of your seaside base, just a 10-minute drive from Coffs Harbour, as you make yourself at home in the beautifully renovated, three-bedroom cottage sleeping up to seven people, perfect for a large or intergenerational family.
Follow a short track down to the sand to enjoy long, lazy days on the beach, then channel your inner top chef as you whip up a fancy feast for your brood in the modern kitchen. Or settle in for a relaxed brunch or lunch at licensed café The Hilltop Store, a 20-minute drive south in Sawtell, where the refined yet accessible menu could feature anything from house-cured salmon with avocado, grains, kimchi and a poached egg to a crispy buttermilk chicken burger with chipotle and vinegar slaw.
Come together on the Central Coast
Spoil a special someone with a bucket-list stay within easy reach of the city at Pretty Beach House on the Central Coast, just a 90-minute drive north of Sydney. Or book all four pavilions and revel in the exclusivity of having the run of the house at this sophisticated retreat overlooking its namesake beach on the Bouddi Peninsula.
You needn’t concern yourself with menu prices or splitting bills here, with all meals, snacks, non-alcoholic beverages and a considered selection of fine wines, cocktails and beers all included. Strike out to cool off at gorgeous beaches and hike peaceful walking tracks in neighbouring Bouddi National Park, or simply enjoy the luxurious property perched on a spectacular escarpment, savouring the sumptuous cuisine, dreamy infinity pool, serene spa, cosy guest lounge and elegantly furnished bedrooms at your leisure.
Diggers Beach, Coffs Harbour Credit: Destination NSW
Sun rises over Diggers Beach, Coffs Harbour in the state's North Coast.
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Diggers Beach, Coffs Harbour Credit: Destination NSW
Sun rises over Diggers Beach, Coffs Harbour in the state's North Coast.
Coffs Harbour Jetty, Coffs Harbour Credit: Destination NSW
Friends enjoying a walk on the Coffs Harbour Jetty, Coffs Harbour
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Coffs Harbour Jetty, Coffs Harbour Credit: Destination NSW
Friends enjoying a walk on the Coffs Harbour Jetty, Coffs Harbour
More Inspirational Stories
Mulwala Water Ski Club, MulwalaCredit: Destination NSW
Mulwala Water Ski Club located in the Riverina Murray region in Mulwala, offers an outdoor bar and casual relaxed dining overlooking Lake Mulwala. Learn to water ski on a world-class, private, twin lake the Max Kirwan Ski Park.
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Cool off with an adventure: NSW is a watersports playground
Mulwala Water Ski Club, Mulwala Credit: Destination NSW
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Hot sands, wild rivers, bays with towers of coral and waves that curl like a rockabilly quiff – NSW is a paradise for adventure on and under the water. For adrenaline-chasers, there are world-class waves and whitewater runs, foils and jet boats built for speed, and reefs home to sharks and turtles. For the quiet adventurers, try paddleboard expeditions, fishing for rainbow trout and bass in pristine rivers, and colourful snorkelling spots.
Your next adrenaline hit
Surfing may be the famous action-hero of the NSW watersports scene, but the state’s rivers, lakes, bays and beaches also host a huge diversity of aquatic adventures to get the heart racing. Take in Sydney Harbour’s icons, while spinning, splashing and thundering past in a jet boat with Oz Jet Boating or Thunder Jet Boat. In Western Sydney, Penrith is a hub for adventure. Penrith Whitewater Stadium, purpose-built for the 2000 Olympics, is uniquely set up for both beginner paddling and intense raft adventures, as well as kayak courses where you can test yourself against Olympic times; Cables Wake Park teaches you to wakeboard via zipline (jumps and obstacles included); and Jet Pack Adventures lets you feel like a water-powered Iron Man.
In Brooklyn, on the Hawkesbury River, Jet Ski Safaris will take you around the bends of the river at 30 knots, while Fliteschool Manly and OzFoiling (with multiple locations on the Mid North Coast) will teach you how to cruise the coastline via eFoil, a motorised surfboard that glides above the water like an elegant seabird. Outside of Sydney, on the Murray River, encounter one of the greatest and oldest waterski clubs in the world at Mulwala Water Ski Club.
Find a wave
With reliable breaks on some of the world’s most picturesque beaches, NSW is a premium spot on the international surf circuit. Surfers with their own board and years of experience behind them can find world-class waves all up the coast while newbies can join in on a surfing lesson, all you have to do is choose which one and which beach. You can also practice on a perfectly shaped, perfectly reliable wave (with multiple options suitable for beginners or experts) at URBNSURF, Olympic Park’s surf park, and finish off with a meal at RAFI, the onsite Applejack-run restaurant and bar that overlooks the waves.
URBNSURF Sydney Credit: Applejack_Sandy’s_URBNSURF Sydney
URBNSURF Sydney
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URBNSURF Sydney Credit: Applejack_Sandy’s_URBNSURF Sydney
URBNSURF Sydney
Oz Jet Boating, Sydney Harbour Credit: Destination NSW
Experience the incredible speed of the red shark boats as they blast across Sydney harbour at high speed with Oz Jet Boating.
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Oz Jet Boating, Sydney Harbour Credit: Destination NSW
Experience the incredible speed of the red shark boats as they blast across Sydney harbour at high speed with Oz Jet Boating.
Explore NSW’s coral reefs
The pristine, ecologically rich seas of NSW have seen the development of 10 protected marine parks covering more than 100,000 square kilometres, offering a haven to wildly diverse range of sea life. Beyond those areas, in the harbour and the bays of the coastal cities, there are also vibrant ecosystems ripe for snorkel or scuba dive trips. Self-guided snorkelling can be done in most places along the coast and, provided you have the equipment and training, so can diving. Or learn the ropes with a tour. Woebegone Expeditions and Courses will teach you how to explore the reefs of the South Coast with safe, freediving techniques; Region X Snorkel Tours has you jumping off a kayak with a snorkel around Batemans Bay; and Ecotreasures fits in a headland walk between time in the aquatic reserve around Manly. For new divers, you can explore the lower North Coast with Jetty Dive Centre or the tropical far North Coast with Cooly Eco Adventures. While Sydney Underwater Scooters will set you up with a handheld swim-assister and show you the clear waters and underwater fauna of Sydney’s Gordon’s Bay.
Paddling sunrise to sunset
Every river, bay and lake has a different scene and a different story, and cruising on a kayak, canoe or stand-up paddleboard (SUP) lets you discover at your own pace. NSW is also full of explorers and local experts ready to guide you along the way. In Sydney, Sydney Harbour Kayaks and Sydney by Kayak will introduce you to the harbour at its multicolour best with dawn and dusk paddles. Manly Kayak Centre has both hire and guided options for kayaks and SUP, as well as giving you the opportunity to try your hand at SUPBALL, which is like polo but replaces the horse with a SUP. Cronulla SUP and Balmoral Paddlesurf let you explore less famous, but no less beautiful, beaches of Sydney’s south and north respectively.
On the Sapphire Coast combine your next river adventure with a story, like on Navigate Expeditions’ Aboriginal Culture Tour, where you journey into the land’s Indigenous heritage, or a Kayak and Shuck Tour where you visit the oyster farms. On the North Coast, social enterprise and SUP tour guides Wajaana Yaam Adventure Tours offers cultural eco-tourism on a paddleboard around the pristine waters of Solitary Island Marine Park. Not far away in The Tweed, Watersports Guru offers SUP lessons and hire, allowing you to cruise the waters Cudgen Creek while taking in the local birdlife – if you’re lucky you may even see a pod of dolphins.
Reel in a new experience
With pristine rivers and wild oceans, NSW is a dream for fishing for both newbies and those looking for the next big catch. Out on the oceans of the South Coast Kiama Charter Service will help you pull in your first deep-sea fish (go for blue-eye trevalla, gemfish or hapuka). While Port Macquarie Fishing Charters, Reel Ocean Adventures (in Tuncurry) and Evans Head Deep Sea Fishing Charters, provide the boats, deep-sea equipment and vibes on the North Coast. Inland, learn traditional yabbying in the bush at Narrabri Fish Farm, or set up your own line on NSW’s most epic jetties at Coffs Harbour, Lake Macquarie and Lake St Clair in the Hunter Valley. If you know the ways of a fly fisher, the Snowy Mountains and Blue Mountains are the hot spots.
Kayaking, Sydney Harbour Credit: Destination NSW
Friends enjoying a day of kayaking on Sydney Harbour.
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Kayaking, Sydney Harbour Credit: Destination NSW
Friends enjoying a day of kayaking on Sydney Harbour.
Navigate Expeditions, Kalaru Credit: Destination NSW
Guests on a walking tour with Navigate Expeditions in Kalaru
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Navigate Expeditions, Kalaru Credit: Destination NSW
Guests on a walking tour with Navigate Expeditions in Kalaru