Bombo Beach House, Kiama review: Braving the river mild

Mags King finds the great outdoors is sometimes better experienced from a room with a view.

A muscular Meryl Streep showed how it's done in the film The River Wild as she battled the white-water rapids of Montana and the grip of a criminal, played by Kevin Bacon. Strangely, it made me yearn for the great outdoors. The rest of my group were not as easily convinced and, though kayaking on the Minnamurra River could hardly be described as challenging, it was the comforts of Bombo Beach House, our cocoon for a weekend, that swayed the less gung-ho among us.

The house is on a slip road off the Princes Highway at Kiama, which one can easily miss (we did). There are no signs but we knew the house faced the ocean so we relied on the sound of crashing waves to direct us.

Perched above Bombo Beach, the contemporary, split-level house has north-facing, uninterrupted views the length of the beach, invites in sunlight and has a wraparound veranda. Three of its four bedrooms are below, on the second level, with a communal bathroom. The main bedroom is at entrance level and has a spacious ensuite.

As with the other bedrooms, the main enjoys immediate ocean views. It also opens out on to a second deck, which is set for outdoor dining complete with barbecue.

The large, open-plan living arrangement's high ceilings and wall of glass sliding doors create an airy, light space but with the electric blinds pulled down and a crackling fire going, the living area is transformed into a warm winter bolthole, ideal for playing board games and reading.

A nook beside the kitchen is where the children catch up on some dance moves from their latest television obsession. The well-equipped kitchen becomes the perfect arena for the evening's main event: a non-calorie-burning, all-indulgent food-fest ending with a deadly home-made sticky date pudding. As the evening goes on, kayaking begins to look like redemption.

Waking up to a household still locked in slumber is perfect for watching a sunrise in peace. Although the beach house has two decks upstairs and one below, it's the main deck that offers incredible ocean views. The less-impressive view of the Princes Highway is easy to ignore. Dressing for kayaking, however, proves difficult as the weather warms up unexpectedly. Paul and Sarah from South Coast Safaris have been taking groups on kayaking and canoeing adventures for more than 10 years and though one couple bails out to visit Kiama's antiques and boutiques, the rest of us start to feel the adrenalin pumping as we fasten our life jackets and head for the river.

A small creek is the humble start of the Minnamurra River. Paul gives us a concise briefing on how to paddle effectively and bids us farewell. Our group is made up of the quietly confident, the show-off, the responsible and a laughing, crying, hysterical pair of mismatched novices – my sister and me.