This was published 15 years ago
Beach Hut Terrigal review: A beach hut built for a snooze
Tastes of Bali ... poolside is the place to be.
Addiction to the day bed is Kristie Lau's only concern.
We walk into a courtyard beautifully influenced by the Balinese way of life. "Perhaps we should just park our butts on that day-bed and not move at all," my travelling companion suggests.
The day-bed, sitting in an oversized faux-grass hut, is invitingly covered in bright, uplifting colours. The rest of the space is dotted with Balinese-style statues, water features and leafy plants.
A large saltwater swimming pool, complete with a resident water dragon who loves to show off his swimming skills to guests, and a large outdoor dining setting top off the holiday vibe at Beach Hut, Terrigal.
Beach Hut has three guest rooms and a communal dining area. Our room is large, with stylishly white and lemon walls, crisp linen and a bar fridge, television, hairdryer and most amenities, except for a DVD player. The spa bath makes us gasp. It's huge and we can't wait to open a bottle of wine over a tub full of bubbles.
Occupying one of the original buildings in Terrigal, Beach Hut is easy to spot once you arrive at the seaside. It's just off the Terrigal Esplanade, near the newly renovated Crowne Plaza, where we see families soaking up the sunshine over lunch on the Plaza's new beachfront deck.
We may leave the day-bed to try lunch there.
Then again, Wendy, the Beach Hut's co-owner, goes above and beyond, anticipating the needs of guests.
She and her business partner, Brendan, have been running the show since 2006 and the pair, along with the day-bed, are part of the accommodation's charm.
After a lazy dip in the pool, we opt for a massage from the on-site masseuse, Edda. As Edda works her magic over my back, using unknotting techniques I had previously never experienced, I drift in and out of sleep. Her strokes are far from painful; a refreshing change from the typical hotel masseuse you often come across.
As I wait for Edda to finish massaging my companion, I flick through magazines and snooze on the day-bed (again!) as the sun sinks. I wake to the sound of a neighbouring couple frolicking in the pool and a group of rowdy locals cheering over a game of bowls across the road at the Terrigal Bowling Club. The sounds are just right for this sleepy neck of the woods.
We stroll the Esplanade for a bit of people-watching and dinner supplies. We aren't surprised to spot beautiful people indulging in fish and chips, just as you'd find at Bondi.
Then we spot Sweet Solutions, a lolly store. It has the tastiest peanut clusters ever. Nearby, the Terrigal Cake Shop stays open 24 hours a day and sells delicious, extra-large lamingtons. If, like us, you like your food large, check out the deli for its huge kalamata olives.
We spread our dinner picnic across Beach Hut's communal dining table and chat with our neighbours throughout the meal. It's a small space and, luckily, they're friendly.
Then it's time for another soak in the spa bath, a movie and sleep. The streets are quiet by midnight, despite our proximity to the Esplanade.
A continental breakfast, with fresh bread, spreads, a jug of milk, cereals and tea and coffee, have all been left in our room the previous day by staff. We gather it up and eat by the pool as we realise how much we don't want to leave. The working week feels as though it's a million miles away.
The writer was a guest of Beach Hut Terrigal and Tourism NSW.
TRIP NOTES
Address Beach Hut Terrigal, 6 Ash Street, Terrigal.
Bookings Phone (02) 4385 3950, see beachhutterrigal.com.au.
Rates From $160 a couple, a night; weekends from $200.
VERDICT
A chilled-out hideaway less than two hours' drive north of Sydney.
Why you'd go The spa. And the Balinese decor tricks you into believing you've left the country.
Why you wouldn't You're not keen on communal areas.
FIND TIME TO
· Get your knees dirty on the greens at Terrigal Bowling Club, Wilson Road.
· Book a surfing lesson. See centralcoastsurfschool.com.au.
· Feast on chocolate-coated macadamia nuts during afternoon tea at a nearby farm.
See yarramalongvalley.com.au.
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