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Dr. Barry Ferrier is a travel writer, academic and musician based in Byron Bay, Australia.
Website: doctorbaz.com
Music: johnnycashtribute.com.au
Turn just past Bangalow and a little before the Byron bay turn-off, it's approximately 5 kms from the Pacific Highway, descending through scenic rainforest, suddenly Peppers' Oasis appears through the trees. It is set in stunning surroundings and is so quiet and peaceful with lots of wildlife around. I would recommend to anyone of a slightly alternate / hippy vibe as it has a gorgeous communal feel to it without being in any way feral. This charming property is set on a beautiful creek - complete with platypuses.
The private cabins look out over the valley, so tranquil, just peace and quiet and all the fresh air you can breath. We listened to the birds or enjoyed a sunset wine from our balcony. it didn't feel like a hotel at all! Their promo states: "we offer comfortable accommodation units that are elegantly designed to blend in with the natural surroundings and character. Each lodge at Peppers Coorabell has its own private balcony overlooking the swimming pool or the surrounding rainforest." We found the cabin was nice, simple yet comfortable and yes, with a lovely big verandah. It was more like a good 3 star room. Not up to the standard of the Restaurant in feel and décor. We got a package with dinner, breakfast and lunch and admission to the nearby Crystal Castle which was an ok deal for $385. It is definitely a lovely spot in the forest with a creek you can swim in, but also decent sized pool and spa and fine dining in a gorgeous restaurant. The masseuse we booked through the front office to come to our room was very good.
The Restaurant is expensive but very high class. The circular room features beautiful timbre, is warm friendly and inviting - great wines and a fabulous chef , whose food made you feel you were in a trendy brasserie in Melbourne, with his stunning take on nouveau cuisine infused with local produce - every mouthful bringing a new taste sensation. On Sunday afternoon they had tapas and some excellent music with local diva Kellie Knight singing smooth soulful jazz, with double bass. Pretty special.
Overall the staff were fantastic - friendly and informative and so laid back. It's a fair way out of Byron Bay if you plan to do the Byron thing be prepared to drive for 20 minutes, but the seclusion is great to come home to after the busy vibe of Byron. Some great local markets to visit and the quaint little town of Bangalow is not far away which has some pretty amazing little shops.
139 Newes Road
Coorabell
NSW 2479
Phone: (02) 6684 7348
Looking for some olde world Australian charm. Don't hesitate to take the turn to Bellingen when your heading up old highway one. Bellingen is one of the nicest little towns you'll find when driving from Sydney up the Pacific Highway towards Queensland. It's about a half an hours drive from the highway (just before you reach Coffs Harbour) through beautiful dairy farms and lush bush. Bellingen has retained the olde worlde charm of an Aussie country town and is set right on the pebbly, pristine Kalang River.
There's some great old heritage buildings, fabulous coffeeshops and cafes and a timeless feeling if you go for a wander down the main street. Around the centre of town you'll discover the Federal Hotel, the locals watering hole.
The pub has been given the total gentrification on the ground floor level and, while they have retained the essential Aussie Pub feel, it's been brought way upmarket.
A nice verandah to one side is where the locals hang out, was packed when we arrived. They have a central bar at the front with a stage where they put on live acoustic, jazz and blues music on weekends. A pub with live music always wins me over. All the usual gaming rooms etc and very posh toilets, and out the back they have a humming restaurant which serves excellent meals, a cut above your average pub fare by a long shot, but not cheap. Obviously very popular - it was packed, and you line uo for your order and take a buzzer. I enjoyed great fish of the day and my friends found the steak cooked to perfection. The rooms upstairs are pretty ordinary however, not up to the standard of the downstairs renovations, ...still the old style, but quite acceptable nevertheless and cheap at $80 a night if you don't mind wandering down the hall to the bathroom.
Bellingen is well worth a visit for it's beautiful scenery, the charm of the old town and if you head on up the valley you can take an awesome rainforest drive over the hill to Dorrigo, which is some of the most beautiful rural scenery in Australia.
If you happen to be in Bellingen on the Sunday of the month when they hold the Bellingen Markets make sure you check it out - it's fantastic with all that a country market should have, awesome choice of food, old wares, plants, clothing, a really nice vibe, plus great music.
Noosaville is a beach town with a river inlet, and the Villa Noosa Hotel is just two blocks back from the picturesque riverfront and restaurant precinct. Noosaville's main street Gympie Terrace, is right on the edge of the river with a host of restaurants and cafes looking out over the park and a wide stretch of water. The region's tourist hotspot is here, with a feeling of relaxed ambience, you can't help but linger over a coffee and Saturday paper.
The main part of the Villa Noosa hotel is a great big tavern style multi-function venue, with restaurant, games room and music venue and there's a comfy motel at the back. The guy on the check-in was friendly and helpful with directions to your room.The Motel itself has a very private feel and the rooms are a fine budget solution - functional, nothing awesome but with everything you would expect. Nice big bathroom, comfy queen-size bed, TV. There is a nice leafy feeling when you look out from the little balcony at the back and you looked down on an attractive pool area from the first floor when accessing the room from the front balcony.
There is certainly a fantastic choice for dining only two blocks from the hotel, and the sunset over the river was really spectacular. There is a classy affluent feel to the town. Our stay in the motel was delightfully uneventful and private, and we felt quite cosy.
The Villa Noosa Hotel has a big Dan Murphy's bottle shop attached, thus there is that certain Aussie "Tavern" feel about the main hotel area. Definitely the whole establishment is focussed on being an entertainment destination, featuring a major music venue for the region, with a lot of big name acts performing.
Popular with the locals, the hotel boasts a function room, and a typical pub bistro. Open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, and all the usual tavern attractions such as big screen TVs showing live sports (including UFC - I have to confess I'm am addict, so I noticed the ad), TAB facilities, gaming machines and it advertised some great live music on weekends.
It's handy that you have lots of food and entertainment options right on hand in the adjoining hotel, though we chose to get out and explore when we got hungry. A supermarket right across the road on one side for some impulse buying, and cheap snacks for the room.
If you're a business traveller, the Villa Noosa has a private function room for meetings, and offers 3 course packages, and caters for conventions and even suggests "cocktail parties"!
We made a quick weekend visit to Noosaville to play my Johnny Cash Show at the Tewantin-Noosa RSL Club, so was able to spend some time in the town of Noosaville.
Things to do in Noosaville
A few minutes from the Noosa Villa Hotel you will find Noosa Marina on the peaceful Noosa River. The river is the main feature of the town and there are plenty of boating activities available at the Marina, including deep sea and river fishing, or crab tours, cruises, ferry services and self-drive hire boats and craft.
The Villa Noosa is also only 5 minutes drive from the hub of Hasting Street and Main Beach Noosa, where you can dine upmarket alfresco, shop, and if you're a surf freak - the waves looked incredible. You can also explore the Noosa National Park and its walking tracks. Noosa Main Beach is a very protected beach with quite gentle surf conditions and is a great spot for beginners to learn how to surf.
On Gympie Terrace there is a Kayak business and that's a great way to get out on the water. They do "Dolphin Adventures" which was a highlight of our stay.
Directions
The Villa Noosa I can be found at 18-22 Mary Street, Noosaville, behind the Dan Murphy’s Bottleshop, or also via Gibson Road .
The Villa Noosa has undercover parking for overnight guests and also plenty of off street car-parking.
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I entertain at the Yamba Golf Club on a Friday night every three months or so, and occasionally at the Yamba Bowls Club, and sometimes I stay over for a mini-break, rather than driving back to Byron Bay late at night. It's a price-driven decision where to stay, and on my last trip down I scored an online deal at the Aston Motel in Coldstream Street, Yamba.
It turned out to be a surprisingly good basic motel that is very close to the both the Bowling and Golf Clubs, and also an easy walk into the town centre. Super close to shops, restaurants, the pub and beach, and you must visit the quaint little fishing village of Yamba.
We were quite satisfied with our stay at the Aston, a calming and quiet stay, featuring a retro decor. The room, which had been expertly cleaned and presented, is quite large, cosy and comfortable. Featuring a large king bed with generous sized television, and free to air plus pay TV. We had an upstairs unit with a balcony overlooking an attractive pool area. It was a cold night, so luckily the room is equipped with reverse cycle air-con. If you are on a budget or prefer self catering, provided in-room are a microwave, cutlery, glassware and etc.
There's plenty of parking. The motel is located at the end of a road however, so there was little or no traffic noise and plenty of wildlife around. The grounds are manicured and the pool, spa and barbecue area looked well maintained and very inviting. Reception was friendly and helpful.
The little details are the most memorable. I appreciated fresh milk for tea, not UHF which I hate. An important drawcard for me was free wi-fi, but also Motel guests have free use of the adjacent fitness centre. The bargain rates and comfortable inclusions make the Aston a real gem for a budget stay in this laid back little town.
Yamba is on a river inlet and a nice drive from the highway through farmland, with river views - and as you get closer to town it's very picturesque with fishing boats and yachts moored in abundance at the marina in the river. There is a steep hill up from the main town centre to the headland and a small beach which is dominated obscenely by the big old Yamba Pub. The Yamba pub has bee turned into a backpacker style establishment with amazing views and live music on the weekends. There is a pretty lighthouse on the headland, and the town itself has plenty of interesting restaurants and cafes and some good antique op-shops. There's also good fishing, and a gentle, laid back, family friendly atmosphere.