How green is their valley

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This was published 15 years ago

How green is their valley

High expectations . . . rural simplicity outside, five-star touches inside.

High expectations . . . rural simplicity outside, five-star touches inside.

It might not have Byron Bay's beaches but Bellingen on the North Coast entices with the same Age of Aquarius power. Unlike that other honeypot colonised by urban refugees more than 30 years ago, this riverside town has not yet been loved to death.

Admittedly, after the long drive, we're easily impressed. On a road trip visiting friends in the north, we had left Mullumbimby that morning, taken a right turn at Grafton and headed for the hills of New England. Abandoning the easy 20-minute drive from the Pacific Highway, we chose instead to climb the eastern escarpment of the Great Dividing Range, through the lonely Waterfall Way where timber trucks still rule the precarious route to the windswept but beautiful town of Dorrigo. And it's chilly - a cold snap across NSW this mid-October day has pushed the temperature down to seven degrees.

We descend into the Bellinger Valley, following directions scribbled on a napkin: pass the now-restored Commercial Emporium into Wharf Road, cross the Bellinger River, admire farmland worthy of a movie set along the way, cross the Never Never River and turn into the Promised Land Loop Road.

The address alone is creating high expectations of Aniseed Luxury Villas.

But first, a quick shop for provisions in town before settling into our lodgings for the evening. We opt to sample local produce, perhaps foolishly eschewing the chance of having chef Neil Gunning provide a gourmet dinner in our room.

There is no need to deny ourselves in Bellingen; no one else seems to be. I fall straight into the arms of the Gelato Bar, which "humbly" boasts "the best coffee and gelato this side of Sicily". We try sour cherry, zabaglione and chocolate. The owners ran the Glebe hippie institution Badde Manors cafe before selling up and escaping north.

Our dinner choice comprises Italian veal sausage from one of the town's three butchers, a sourdough loaf and an odd collection of roadside produce from various Northern Rivers towns, whipped up in our villa's well-equipped kitchen.

Our bungalow is open when we arrive and we walk inside to behold a view. Deep green hills tower behind the Never Never River. Ducks patrol the grounds. A statue of Buddha keeps vigil. The two bungalows are set in a sloping park, far enough away from each other to ensure complete privacy. All is other-worldly; well, at least outside.

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Inside there are five-star touches: fluffy white towels, a king-size bed, flat-screen television and waffle dressing gowns. Gaps often left at large hotels have been filled. There are chocolates and bubbly in the fridge, also organic milk, a loaf of fresh bread and eggs from the chooks - feathers still stuck to the shell. Environmental guilt is partially assuaged, too. Guests can separate their garbage and scraps can go to the chooks that laid the eggs. The life cycle is complete at Aniseed.

But the power supply in Never Never land is not. Owner Rod Keers, a refugee of inner-city Balmain, drops in to check all is OK and ensure we know where the candles are.

As evening falls, I sink deeply into the comfortable leather sofa to soak up the Never Never scene outside. My wife sinks into the hot tub, nestled on its own open-air balcony off the bedroom with a lush screen of tropical plants.

We reluctantly extract ourselves next morning to explore Bellingen. A longer stay would have allowed us to take advantage of the villas' bikes, maps for bushwalks and a spa treatment menu for in-room service.

At an organic clothes shop in town, the owner is discussing "confronting" feelings on the phone and a customer urges me to sign a petition against building in a wetland. It's no wonder that developers have not prevailed in the gentrification of this Victorian-era town.

In Byron, tofu burger cafes have morphed into fast-food outlets to accommodate the party scene. Bellingen has not yet succumbed. Perhaps it's the absence of a stunning beach. Instead there are magical rivers, forests and pastures.

About six hours' drive from Sydney, Bellingen doesn't strictly qualify for a weekend away by car. But if you can escape by plane, book a flight to Coffs Harbour and head inland to this lush other-world.

Weekends Aways are reviewed anonymously and paid for by Traveller.

Aniseed Luxury Villas

1090 Promised Land Loop Road, Bellingen.

The verdict A perfect place to decompress and combine virtuous exercise with decadent dining and spa treatments. Beware power cuts.

From $249 a night for a villa with a king-size bed, kitchen and living room. Check for specials.

Phone 6655 0785 or see aniseedluxuryvillas.com.au.

About six hours' drive north of Sydney. Turn off the Pacific Highway at a sign for Armidale and Waterfall Way. Travel west on the Waterfall Way for 10 kilometres to Bellingen. Obtain detailed directions for the last 10 kilometres from the website.

Yes.

A romantic getaway.

Swim in the Never Never River, bushwalk, explore by bike, visit the popular markets on the third Saturday of the month.

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