Village people
The South Coast is home to 47 separate villages, each with a distinct personality. JOANNA HUNKIN visits Shoalhaven Heads, where a new property is celebrating the town’s individual charm.
Stylish, sophisticated and discreet. That was the brief when it came to designing Bangalay Luxury Villas in Shoalhaven Heads, on a site nestled between Seven Mile Beach and the native Bangalay Sand Forest, from which it takes its name. The coastal forest, which borders the white sand beach, is teeming with native flora, including banksia, lilly pilly and, of course, bangalay trees – a type of eucalypt. It’s a protected habitat that is unique to the South Coast and just one of the things that makes the location so special, says owner and developer Michelle Bishop, who first eyed the site in 2005 before eventually opening the luxury accommodation in 2018.
Originally a holiday camp for the Australian Postal Workers’ Union, the seaside cottages had been abandoned for decades and left to rot. “It was completely derelict and a real eyesore,” recalls Bishop, who developed the project alongside her builder husband Tom, winning a Master Builder award in the process.
Each of the 16 private villas feature fully equipped kitchens, including an oven and dishwasher, along with open-plan living and dining areas, separate from the bedrooms. They are sleek, spacious and understated, inviting you to relax in a way that more formal hotels and resorts rarely do.
Keeping things informal was essential for Bishop, who grew up in the area and wanted to stay true to Shoalhaven Heads’ laid-back spirit. “We wanted to celebrate what this community has to offer,” she explains. “It’s very down to earth. Growing up here, that’s something I really appreciate.”
The challenge was to create a space that lived up to international standards of beach-side luxury, whilst also welcoming locals into the fold.
“A lot of places that you go are off the beaten track. Wineries and resorts are usually quite remote. We’re right in the village so getting a sense of the local way of life is something special. We want the locals to enjoy Bangalay as much as the guests do,” says Bishop, who worked as an interior designer in Sydney for several years before returning to the South Coast.
“When you’re designing a guest experience you have to take that into consideration. We’ve got people coming here every single day for coffee, alongside guests who are here for really special occasions. We don’t want to exclude anyone.”
A former member of the Shoalhaven Tourism Board, Bishop also wanted to showcase what makes the region special and sets it apart from other popular holiday spots.
“The South Coast has lots of different things to offer. There are 47 small villages and every single one of them is unique. What’s special about where we are is that we’re bound by National Park and the Bangalay Sand Forest. We’re right on the coast, we’ve got the estuary and the river, which is the first place you can harvest Sydney rock oysters out of Sydney. We’ve got wineries and dairy farms to our west. All of those things are so easy to work with – it’s a dream when you’re trying to formulate a concept for a restaurant and accommodation.”
The restaurant, Bangalay Dining, is another thing that makes the spot so special. Head chef Brent Strong, a fellow Shoalhaven local, is passionate about championing native ingredients and local produce. His six-course tasting menu is peppered with native botanicals, including bunya bunya, saltbush, muntries and an assortment of different wattleseed, amongst others. A palate-cleansing sorbet comes sprinkled with green ants.
Each course comes paired with a carefully considered wine match – or co-ferment in the case of the first course – designed to showcase the best of the region. Cupitt’s sangiovese co-ferment is paired with a smoked kangaroo and bunya bunya cream entrée.
Strong, who earned his international stripes at Christian Puglisi’s acclaimed Danish restaurant Relae, strikes a solid balance between introducing diners to new ingredients and flavours, whilst keeping his menu accessible for both locals and guests alike. For those not ready to tackle a full six courses, a native cocktail experience with matching canapés makes for an easy introduction. A green ant gimlet is an excellent sundowner.
It’s been a rough ride for both Bishop and Strong this year, with a series of ever-worsening disasters affecting the region. In December, bush fires wiped out their peak holiday season, before floods in February, which saw Shoalhaven River burst its banks and cause widespread damage throughout the village. And then, of course, came Covid.
But despite it all, the pair remains positive and committed to sharing what the South Coast has to offer. Their June reopening has been a fresh start, says Bishop. “We just need people to keep coming and keep supporting the region. The South Coast has so much to offer.”