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Published: December 6th 2008
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alstonville cottages
alstonville cottages in the Byron region hinterland Byron Bay & surrounds
Mission: Week away on the north coast of NSW in Australia With one week at my disposal, I've ditched the boys in my life (husband and son) and decided to have a girls week away ... well, of sorts. This small femme contingent comprimised one overworked 36-year-old mum and my four-year-old daughter. Destination: Northern NSW hinterland and coastal adventure from Byron Bay up to the Gold Coast.
First stop: For the past 12 months, this website has been my guardian angel for both campervan and car hire adventures throughout Australia. DriveNow acts as the ultimate comparison gateway for the best rates going amongst car and campervan rental companies. It's quick and saves you loads of dollars. For this trip, I simply chose Byron Bay for pick-up and drop-off, followed the prompts and had a choice of options through Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and Thrifty. We chose the Hertz option, the Toyota Yaris manual with 200km included for $60 a day - unbelievable value!
The adventure begins ... After a quick 90 minute flight from Melbourne to Ballina airport, we jumped into the Toyota Yaris we incitially clicked up
the hen house
Collect free range eggs first thing in the morning a booking for at DriveNow and motored westward 15 minutes into the Byron Bay hinterland to a town called Alstonville. The drive is breathtaking and we took a random turn past a creepy cemetery before stumbling upon the most gorgeous accommodation venue set up as a hobby farm called Alstonville Cottages
. Talk about talk to the animals! Set on a good sized few acres, these cottages offer sweeping, breathtaking valley views right to the ocean 20km away. The local residents include friendly horses and cows you can pat, a great little chook house where we collected freshly laid free range eggs for breakfast on each of the two mornings we stayed, an abundance of birdlife including lorikeets and eagles, and the Cottages' maitre-de, Sam, the friendly kelpie cross.
Coastal dreaming ...
After life on the farm in the hinterland for a few days, we turned our attention to the coast and took the short half hour drive into beautiful Byron Bay. Though this city has become commercialised to a large extent in recent years, it still retains natural charms with its sensational beaches, such treats as a surfing school, knick-knack shops and relaxing Cape Byron Walk. Theme park
Theme park excitement: Catch a ride at Movie World There's also a great laid-back foodie culture with some amazing little cafes. There's certainly a backpackers feel about the place and don't miss the cool surf shops in the main shopping areas for some good deals - It's a paradise for T-shirt lovers! Of course, this was fine for a day visit, but we opted to hit the road again in the afternoon and head north to our second and last accommodation venue, Peppers Salt Resort & Spa
for some serious luxury in a self-contained suite and had loads of fun in the resort's gigantic pool. Don't let the restaurant name fool you, either (Roughie's Restaurant), which dishes up some taste sensations, largely provided by local suppliers. Calling this home for the back half of the week, we managed to get a bike ride in, we explored some great nearby walkways, took a dip in the patrolled beach and even managed a spot of shopping at Salt Village where there's a Thai restaurant you just have to try. Keep in mind this venue is 15 minutes from the Gold Coast airport, which means Theme Park territory is only a hop, skip and jump away. Simply follow the signs towards Brisbane but really check your directory out for driving instructions to the theme parks which are only an hour drive from Peppers Salt. Warner Bros Movie World
was our park of choice. Meet Batman and Robin, try your luck on the Lethal Weapon, Scooby Doo, Batwing or Superman rides, or downsize a tad like we did for the amazing children's area which easily fills a day out. Might pay to pack some lunch, however, as the prices are a little over the top.
In summary ...
A gorgeous week away on the north coast of NSW. It's a neat way of exploring the hinterland, only a short drive away, the coastal hotspots and further north for some serious theme park fun. Packed into one week it's pretty exhausting, but well worth the effort. You'll find real value at Alstonville Cottages and there are other options near Peppers Salt if you find that too pricey. This is a perfect base from which to launch nearby exploration and adventure. Transport-wise, it's all done on about half a tank of petrol, too. Highly recommend the Toyota Yaris for economy booked through , though it's a tad on the small size - which is totally fine if there's only one or two of you. Plus, you're not really doing a lot of driving if you follow my itinerary.
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