This was published 1 year ago
Mystery holiday service lets others do the thinking for you: I let a stranger choose my holiday
By Kate Allman
Bannisters Port Stephens. Wonderlust will choose a holiday for you based on your preferences.
Light filters into sleep, turning the lining of my eyelids red with dawn. Blearily, I wrench them open to take stock of exotic linen curtains casting shadows in lazy patterns on beachy floorboards. Salty air streams into my nostrils.
Where the hell am I?
I lurch into consciousness, slapped by the momentary panic of waking up in unfamiliar surroundings. I have absolutely no idea where I am or how I got there.
Bannisters Port Stephens.
Admittedly, I set myself up for this split-second mental chaos. I agreed to something I never would normally: I allowed a total stranger to book my holiday.
I'm waking up on a "mystery holiday" organised by boutique Australian travel brand Wonderlust Escapes. Wonderlust aims to save stress and time for people scouring the internet for holiday deals, locations, accommodation and activities. Simply fill out a questionnaire on your available dates, timeframe, budget, food and activity preferences, and let the Gold Coast-based team of experts do the muck work.
There is wonder in wandering to places you may not have tried yet. There's also an element of terror for a travel writer who is constantly researching, itinerising, diarising and reserving trips around the world. But after surviving a challenging period at work, during which I have no hope of planning a holiday to the fine detail I'd like, I need a break. Anywhere.
Tomaree Head Lookout walk is a must-do for exquisite 360-degree views over Port Stephens.
Our Wonderlust itinerary comes through via email on Sunday night. It includes restaurant vouchers, maps and contact numbers to the surprise destination: Port Stephens on the coast of NSW's Hunter region. My husband and I hit the Pacific Highway the subsequent Friday. I'm soothed to the extent we're not going in completely blind – Wonderlust ensures clients can at least pack the right clothes by sending out itineraries about a week beforehand.
Once on the road, we simply need to show up in pre-booked locations at designated times: "check into Bannisters Hotel - 2pm", "dinner at Rick Stein's seafood restaurant - 7pm". There's enough free time to add our own extras, like, "sip champers in the cavernous bathtub". For someone who spends too long poring over social media feeds to find the most Instagrammable dish in a new city, this is a refreshingly carefree way to travel.
The next morning I'm lurching awake in the penthouse of Bannisters Port Stephens, pulling location clues from the spacious interiors and the warbling notes of a butcher bird outside. The enormous sun-drenched deck alone would swallow up most of our cramped Sydney apartment. Corellas cack-cack-cack in the mornings. They're earlier than my weekday alarm but I welcome their cheery squawking over the grim car horns of urban peak hour.
A lazy breakfast of poached eggs on creamy avocado kickstarts day two. We spread out with broadsheets and Allpress cappuccinos strewn across four tables at Bannisters – the first true signs of a holiday.
Our itinerary notes a flexible morning, with suggestions based on my advice we're a fit couple who are also foodies. We choose a heart-pumping hike up the Tomaree Head Summit, where wind batters my hair across panoramic views of turquoise Shoal Bay.
Lunch is a crispy barbecued octopus salad and seared barramundi on the breezy balcony of Shoal Bay Country Club. Two meals, drinks and a shared entrée are bang on budget for our $100 provided voucher.
That afternoon, Wonderlust sends us – self-acknowledged adrenaline junkies – rocketing up and down the vast sand dunes of Stockton (about 25 minutes' drive from Bannisters Port Stephens) on quad bikes. We hoot our joy to the wind-scorched sandscape. The Stockton Bight Dunes are the largest moving dunes in the Southern Hemisphere and the business, Sand Dune Adventures, is owned and operated by Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Council. It's a detail I note and appreciate from Wonderlust.
Three meals out in a single day is an effort even for active foodies – and if there's a downside to the pre-arranged itinerary this is probably it. Regardless, one pull on buttery swordfish at Bannisters' Mexican restaurant Julio's highlights why the place became so popular as a pop-up restaurant during the pandemic, and why it became a permanent instalment after 2021. This is arguably the best fish in the house (yep, including Rick's downstairs).
Port Stephens is just two and a half hours from Sydney but city slickers tend to overlook it for more "trendy" places on the northern NSW coastline (Byron, Yamba). I also wouldn't generally cash out on a five-star hotel so close to home for three nights. But the Wonderlust travel gurus prove themselves decent at picking winners – our room, location, activities, and meals are all bullseyes.
Living with wanderlust these days means navigating a world that is constantly bombarded by information, reviews, and social media feeds about travel. Amid the cacophony, it's worth remembering that holidays should refresh – not stress. Taking expert instructions on how to do so turns out to be remarkably enjoyable.
THE DETAILS
DRIVE
Port Stephens is just a 2.5-hour drive north of Sydney; however, Wonderlust Escapes works with providers across Australia and will send you further afield if you budget the time and cost for flying.
DO
Tomaree Head Lookout walk is a must-do for exquisite 360-degree views over Port Stephens. A one-hour quad bike tour with Sand Dune Adventures starts from $110. This section of NSW coastline is also known for its surf – the Port Stephens Surf and SUP School offers lessons from $70.
EAT
Rick Stein at Bannisters Port Stephens for date night; Shoal Bay Country Club for long summery lunches; Julio's for tacos and margaritas with mates.
STAY
Wonderlust offers a handful of set price luxury packages to mystery destinations (with hints provided) starting from $1500 for three nights. Choose your adventure and ask for a customised package, which will vary according to preferences and budget.
Booking your own weekend stay at Bannisters Port Stephens will cost from $299 per night (minimum two nights on weekends).
MORE
Kate Allman was a guest of Wonderlust Escapes and Bannisters Port Stephens.
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