Talley's Beach House, Callala beach: Riders of the storm

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This was published 11 years ago

Talley's Beach House, Callala beach: Riders of the storm

The beach shack enjoys a dress-circle position and comfortable living spaces.

The beach shack enjoys a dress-circle position and comfortable living spaces.

A waterfront beach shack offers Louise Hall a warm and cosy window seat as a weather front vents its fury.

To describe Talley's Beach House as an absolute beachfront property is no exaggeration. The french doors in the living area open to a set of private steps that lead down to the white sands of Callala beach. We couldn't wait to open the doors and let the Jervis Bay breeze flow through the living area and into the main bedroom and smaller twin room.

However, the weather had other ideas, and a severe storm front with gales and lashing rain saw us pack away the beach towels and fire up the built-in gas fireplace instead.

Our hopes for a lazy afternoon spent soaking up the sun dashed, we were delighted to find the beach shack doubled nicely as a cosy cottage, with the large windows showcasing nature in all its fury, while the Heat & Glo fire kept us toasty warm. Luckily, by the next morning, the weather had cleared and we could put away the board games and soak up the rays from the large level lawn and rustic timber deck encircling the house.

And then we ate The internal timber dining bench opens through bi-fold windows to a mirror image external bench, which creates a large dining table. Next to it is a five-burner barbecue, although one of the burners wasn't working, which meant we couldn't use the grilling plate. Still, the kitchen contained near-new European appliances and all the utensils we needed to cook a breakfast feast. The double-door fridge was large enough to store a weekend's worth of supplies.

The deal maker We explored the gorgeous natural surroundings during a 3.5-kilometre bushwalk along the Myola foreshore. In 1812, Callala beach was called Honeysuckle beach by surveyor George William Evans because of the proliferation of banksias. To our delight, two pods of dolphins surfaced and played around for more than an hour. It's hard to imagine we would have seen more on one of the many dolphin-watching tours of the area.

Stepping out The appeal of Callala beach is its small size and the feeling of isolation compared with some of the bigger, busier tourist towns around Jervis Bay, such as Huskisson.

An Italian restaurant, a fish and chip shop, and the RSL Country Club are almost the only facilities in Callala beach, but there's more available a few kilometres down the road at Callala Bay, and a ferry service links the area to Huskisson. For those who want to get among the clean blue waters, there's a boat ramp and plenty of places to throw in a line.

You can also drive to the southern side of Jervis Bay and go snorkelling at Murrays Beach, taste the local wine at one of 11 cellar doors, or indulge in fine dining at the Gunyah Restaurant at Paperbark Camp, Woollamia.

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VISITORS' BOOK

Address 67 Quay Road, Callala beach.

The verdict A genuine beachfront cottage experience with just the right amount of creature comforts.

Price From $350 a weeknight; from $800 for a weekend.

Bookings Phone 4446 6800, see stayz.com.au/97038/.

Getting there From Sydney, head south, then take the F6 freeway to Wollongong. Continue along the Princes Highway past Berry to Nowra. Follow the street signs to Callala beach. The trip takes about three hours.

Wheelchair access No.

Weekends Away are reviewed anonymously and paid for by Traveller.

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