THE LUXURY OF GOING GREEN
This former surfing motel turned five-star retreat is heaven for design lovers and quite unlike anywhere else you’ll find in a sleepy seaside town.
When it comes to thinking, and more importantly, acting green, there are few places more entitled to boast about their bona fides than Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley. The bar was set high from the beginning, when it became the first internationally accredited carbon-neutral resort in the world upon opening in 2009. Since then the exacting standards it sets have never been compromised. Every element of its day-to-day activities, and its ongoing presence in the valley, are measured in the good that can be done, from recycling and waste minimisation to energy and water conservation to revegetation and wildlife preservation. It also plays out in the subtle hearts-and-minds education of its guests, giving them the opportunity to take part in daily conservation work that will leave a lasting impression long after your visit here ends.
AS THE FIRST GUEST of The Coach House at Hillenvale (hillenvale.com), let me just say, it’s a miracle there have been subsequent guests. Not because of any problems. Oh no, quite the opposite. I had a good mind to lock the door and never leave.
Brought to you by the team behind Hither & Yon wines, this one-bedroom stone cottage is an impeccable retreat, from the dreamy interior design (hat tip: Kate Harry, of Fabrikate) and considered floor plan right down to the gourmet provisions. Set on 40 hectares at the juncture of the Adelaide Hills and McLaren Vale, you won’t run short of premium wine experiences. But a Hither & Yon grenache on The Coach House deck, with little more than birdsong to keep you company, and you too might find yourself protesting departure.
I MUST ADMIT, I actually got slightly giddy upon first entering Halcyon House. My momentary swoon was brought on by a vintage brass reception bell sitting nonchalantly on a flea market-sourced table that constitutes the front desk there. You see, I have the heart of a collector (one of my friends prefers the word ‘hoarder’) and these first few elements – along with the bright-white retro exterior emblazoned with its distinctive royal blue logo – were an irresistible preview of what was to come.
Sitting at the edge of a deep sandy beach in the sleepy seaside town of Cabarita Beach on the NSW Far North Coast, Halcyon House created quite the fuss when it opened its doors back in 2015. The former mid-century surfing motel, a riot of Besser Blocks and brick, had been transformed by its owners, sisters Siobhan and Elisha Bickle, who purchased the property with vague plans to use it as a holiday home for their large combined family. But they very quickly devised a different plan: to create a bright and chic retreat the likes of which no regional town had ever really seen before.
Engaging the assistance of Brisbane-based designer Anna Spiro, the pair set about revitalising the tired old building, adding an additional floor, refocusing the outlook of the rooms and, most importantly, fitting it out in delightful vintage furniture, boldly patterned tiles, luxe upholstered walls, interesting vignettes and eclectic assemblages of artworks that have come to be known as ‘Halcyon hangs’. Add a general manager imported from Italy, a destination dining space, Paper Daisy, where the equally considered decor was as Instagrammed as the food, and it was an instant hit.
During my time there, my initial delight was continuously surpassed by the details that make Halcyon House such a delicious experience. There is something to look at, and love, everywhere you turn, from the welcome treats and handwritten card upon entering your room to the tactile walls you want to constantly stroke to the beach bag tucked away in the wardrobe (illustrated by New York-based artist Wayne Pate), to the well-loved treasures sourced from the likes of Brimfield Antique Flea Markets in the US (my version of Disneyland) to the local staff who are small-town friendly amid the luxury.
For me, the true success of Halcyon House, above and beyond the ‘I want it all’ design, including in the adjoining spa, is that it still possesses a sand-between-your-toes summer holiday vibe that saves it from feeling too perfect or contrived. And that’s definitely something to swoon about.