Christina's Bed and Breakfast, Lake Macquarie review: Come on in, the water's fine

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This was published 15 years ago

Christina's Bed and Breakfast, Lake Macquarie review: Come on in, the water's fine

Down by the water ... Christina's Bed and Breakfast.

Down by the water ... Christina's Bed and Breakfast.

Kristie Lau discovers this quiet lakeside haven is full to the brim with surprises.

'How does eggs benedict for brekky sound? Or perhaps you'd like bacon?" asks John, as we dump our bags on the floor of the Mermaid Room at Christina's Bed And Breakfast. "And afternoon tea? Would you like it in the living room or on your balcony? Are you ready for it now?"

Balcony please, I tell him. To be honest, it's a little intense for me; I crave nothing more than an afternoon nap. But when John, the co-owner of Christina's, returns minutes later, I'm gobsmacked by the crowded platter he delivers to our balcony table. Two giant slices of heavily frosted hummingbird cake, juicy figs, two vanilla melting moments and an enormous pot of English breakfast tea have my companion and I grinning from ear to ear. Christina's is full of even more wonderful little surprises.

John and his wife, Tina, who both moved to Lake Macquarie in 2004 to pursue an architecture business, are incredibly endearing, setting a high standard for B&B service. They are polite, friendly and on-call at all hours of the day. The property itself is impressive enough. Nestled in a quiet cul-de-sac on the lake's Dora Creek waterfront, Christina's is tranquil.

John and Tina designed and built the two-level house themselves and have filled it with travel mementos, contemporary homewares and an eclectic collection of modern furniture. Crisp white walls are flooded with natural light, creating a warm and inviting environment.

The communal living room overflows with bright, abstract artwork, fresh flowers and soft furnishings. If you take the time to dig around, you'll find John and Tina's DVD library, stocked with an up-to-date collection of flicks, including a few of my favourites: Mamma Mia!, Moulin Rouge!, Dirty Dancing and Closer. A tea and coffee cabinet takes up a small corner of the room and two dining tables, complete with individual country-floral place settings, offer the perfect view over the property's large north-facing garden.

Lucy, the couple's fluffy pup, squeezes her wet little nose between the wooden double doors as I pull them open and head outside. She zips between my legs as I explore the freshly mown lawns and she leaps up on my thighs when I stop to inspect the hammock that hangs near the back of the garden. I make a mental note to return to the garden the following day and find myself a nice patch of grass - just the right place to crack open the reds we picked up from a nearby Hunter vineyard earlier that morning.

The charming Mermaid Room, the largest of Christina's three rooms, has a balcony overlooking the water. The sound of water trickling over a bronze water feature in the front garden is about all you can hear on the balcony and we take a moment to soak in the serenity. Inside our air-conditioned room a flat-screen television, attached to a DVD player, hangs from a wall. Chocolates have been placed on our queen-size bed and a cushy chair sits in the corner. The space is huge but, then, so is the bathroom, with its double spa bath. Fresh flowers ensure it smells divine.

John and Tina recommend a number of places for dinner and Tina offers to drive us to Wangi Wangi to choose from the RSL, Hotel Wangi and a small Italian restaurant, Vita Lakeside Dining. She's already told us her own dinner is on the stove but despite our protests, she loads us into her car and we're on our way.

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Although the service is sluggish at Vita, our waitress is friendly and my wood-fired pizza is good - there's a lovely vibe about the place.

Breakfast at Christina's the following morning is something else - seasonal fruit salad, a neat presentation of yoghurt with a crispy sugar-iced wafer, fresh orange juice, tea and coffee and those eggs benedict. It looks and tastes terrific. Is there a chef? "No, no, our son taught us both how to cook, so we do it all ourselves," John says. There are loads of things to do at Lake Macquarie but we opt to stay put. Who knows when we'll feel this relaxed again?

The writer was a guest of Christina's and Tourism NSW.

TRIP NOTES

Address Christina's Bed and Breakfast, 10 Doree Place, Dora Creek, Lake Macquarie.

Bookings Phone (02) 4973 4088, see christinas.com.au.

Rates From $190 a night midweek; $220 a night at the weekend.

VERDICT

John and Tina's excellent hospitality will lure us back.

Why you'd go It's peaceful, comfortable and the breakfasts are superb.

Why you wouldn't You're looking for plenty of action - Christina's is out of town.

FIND TIME TO

* Paddle on Lake Macquarie. Try lakemacquarie kayaks.com.au.

* Book a sunset horse ride. See aaahorseriding.com.au.

* Snorkel your way around Catherine Hill Bay on the Wallarah Peninsula.

* Grab pub grub at the Hotel Wangi, about a 15-minute drive from Christina's.

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