It’s tempting to stay in bed, cocooned in the crisp, white sheets of the Treetops Pavilion at Pretty Beach House on the NSW Central Coast. But that would mean missing the daily spectacle of sunrise over Broken Bay. Guests in the eyrie-like penthouse on top of the main house of the luxury lodge need to move no further than their private balcony to witness the first rays washing over the twisted arms of ancient angophoras that simultaneously frame and hide the property surrounded by 1,532ha Bouddi National Park. With a cup of Buds and Beads tea – blended personally by the retreat’s owner – in hand, it would be hard to imagine a more serene way to greet the morning.
Seclusion is the order of the day at this exclusive Ecotourism Australia-certified retreat, which accommodates a maximum of eight guests in four discrete pavilions. Run by Hunter Valley hospitality veterans Brian and Karina Barry, who also own the nearby Bells at Killcare Boutique Hotel, Restaurant & Spa, Pretty Beach House is an oasis of laid-back indulgence. It’s so tucked away that it’s easy to miss the entrance driveway off a suburban street, screened by towering eucalypts and dense undergrowth. A quick call to the main house confirms you are in the right place and the gates glide open, allowing you to take the steep, single-lane road up to the retreat. The buildings are a study in earthy tones and natural materials, with mudbrick walls, sandstone pavers and recycled timbers, including beams from a decommissioned railway bridge in the dining area, with its huge fireplace and tables dressed in different napery for each service.
Meals are individually tailored by the brigade of four chefs headed by Dean Jones, whose main mission is to find out what each visitor really enjoys and build the menu accordingly. Breakfast is a relaxed affair, beginning with house-made muesli and fruit with beverages of choice, followed by eggs any way (though the signature eggs with a sourdough crumb are a don’t-miss). Lunch is similarly bespoke, with the accent on local produce and perhaps a raspberry dacquoise as a decadent footnote. Dinner could be degustation, with wines to match, or a chef’s table experience around the island table beside the open kitchen.
Like everything about Pretty Beach House, the vibe is more crushed linen than starched damask. Staff greet guests on a first-name basis and are attuned to pre-empt every whim, whether it’s to replenish the snacks in your pavilion, arrange an in-house spa treatment or book a bushwalk through the national park with local guide Nicola Billens. A hike might start with the three Darkinjung rock engravings right at the retreat’s front door and conclude with a picnic set up on a day bed in a secluded corner of the 4ha property. Options range from leisurely strolls to nearby lookouts to a scramble to a vantage point on Box Head, where you might spot whales during the migration season between May and November or just enjoy the panorama from Broken Bay across Lion Island and Barrenjoey Headland to Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and Sydney’s North Head in the extreme distance. If a longer walk takes your fancy, the 8.5km trek from Putty Beach along the clifftops and beaches to MacMasters Beach is recommended.
Beach walkers and surfers are spoilt for choice with the long sweeps of Tallow, Killcare and Putty beaches vying for attention. One high-profile American guest assumed Tallow Beach had been cleared for his mid-winter visit, only to be corrected with the laconic observation, “nah mate, it’s not hard to find a beach to yourself up here”.
Nor is it difficult to find a spot to call your own at Pretty Beach House. Whether you curl up on the day bed on your pavilion’s deck, take a dip in your private heated plunge pool, join the other guests around the main infinity pool, or head to the central lounge for sundowners in the evening, the essence of a stay is about unwinding. As one habitué observed, the retreat sprinkles magic over its guests, smooths out all the edges of the daily grind, and sends them back better equipped to deal with whatever’s around the corner.
