Down with the kids

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This was published 15 years ago

Down with the kids

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Surveying the party scene, Kate Cox feels like a celebrity on a trip to a revamped Byron Bay landmark.

A group of 20-something boys and girls is having a dress-up party on Wategos Beach. Some are clowns, some '60s bohos, others look like witches, and a few more have gone for the hot surfie look, wearing just their boardies.

Actually, maybe they are not having a wacky dress-up do. This is Byron Bay, after all, where hip backpackers and laid-back hippies run cheek to cheek with the rich and famous.

We have a perfect view of all the fun - the lighting of the bonfire, the dancing, the guitars, the glorious sunset - from our balcony vantage point at Watermark @ Wategos. We are just across the tiny road - perched above the revellers, it seems - but we are far enough away so as not to expose our complete lack of cool to them. We feed the baby and spy and speculate as to their purpose.

That is one of the many joys of this self-contained boutique hotel - we are just a hop, skip and jump away from the famous beach and all its pleasures, but removed enough from the scene to feel super-special and part of our own exclusive scene.

Beneath the Cape Byron lighthouse, the $15million Watermark @ Wategos has just been refurbished and features marble bathrooms, designer furniture and fittings and loads of storage space.

The suites are smallish - just a bedroom, bathroom (without bath), fully-equipped kitchen and lounge - but with the beach so close, any more room would be overkill, really.

Surprisingly, the apartment is also fairly child-friendly: our one-year-old has his own mini deck chair, a basket of toys, and a travel cot and high chair supplied. (In truth, however, the place is best for a romantic getaway spot, without small people.)

There are loads of personal touches, including carefully selected beach reads, plus CDs, DVDs and candles, adding to the holiday-house feel. If the prerequisite of a holiday home is to be able to fall asleep and wake to the sound of waves, this hits the spot. From here we can also watch the dolphins surfing and take a 20-minute stroll in to the town in search of breakfast.

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We have been whale watching, surfing and kayaking in Byron before - so this time we roam the area for something different. We find it at Fig Tree Restaurant over a late lunch, high in the mountains but just a half-hour drive from the hotel. Just $35 buys us a deliciously fresh three-course feast (tomato soup, swordfish and chocolate fondant for him; roast vegies, mushroom and polenta tart and a cheese plate for me), the staff - including chef and co-owner Che Devlin - are friendly in that way you only find in the country, and we play in the green rolling hills after lunch.

Then for a night out, Byron-style: we watch the wonderful singer-songwriter Jeff Lang at the herbal-smelling Bangalow Catholic Hall, perched on small wooden church seats, balancing delicious $6 chick pea curry and soy chai teas on our knees. The church, apparently, regularly hosts musicians - this "concert" was just $20.

These days, Byron Bay is a good little weekend break spot for city dwellers.

We are spoilt for choice on flights - with Rex, Jetstar and Virgin all flying to Ballina regularly - and it is fast, with the flight and $15 shuttle bus ride getting you to Byron from Sydney in just two hours.

And while Watermark is not as service-oriented as the Byron at Byron Resort and Spa or as rock-star cool as Rae's on Wategos - both signature Byron spots - it is a more private, more laid-back way to feel like a celebrity for the weekend.

The writer was a guest of Watermark @ Wategos.

TRIP NOTES

Staying there: Watermark at Wategos, 29 Marine Parade, Wategos Beach, phone (02) 6685 8999, see http://www.wategoswatermark.com. Rates from $390 to $490 per night for the ground-floor suites; $490 to $590 for the top-floor suite.

Eating there: Fig Tree Restaurant, 4 Sunrise Lane, Ewingsdale, phone (02) 6684 7273, see http://www.figtreerestaurant.com.au.

Further information: See http://www.byron-bay.com; www.echo.net.au.

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