CALMING CALABASH

This is literally a little piece of heaven on the Hawkesbury River about an hour north of Sydney. Calabash Bay Lodge is a luxury home with all the mod-cons for a pampering weekend with your partner, family or friends. With unmatched water views from every room in the house, relax on a sun bed, have a BBQ on the deck, enjoy a bath or simply have a glass of local wine with the welcome antipasto platter. Enjoy you own private boat ride or kayak.

I always remind myself of how fortunate I am to visit some of Australia’s hidden treasures as part of the Australian Life Magazine team, and this July location is no different. It’s a little piece of heaven.

Calabash Bay Lodge, on a tributary of the Hawkesbury River, about an hour’s drive north of the Sydney CBD, is breathtaking.

The property is only accessible by boat or seaplane, so after I park the hire car on the Berowra side of the river, I am picked up by Manny, the lodge’s manager and chef, in a small boat for our ten-minute ride to this modern peaceful paradise.

It’s been a wet year in Sydney but we struck warm sunny weather for late June. Mother Nature had turned it on with sunbeams gleaming across the cliffs, waterways and multi-million-dollar homes on the river front.

The smell of the clean air was pure joy. It was like being transported back in time to a simpler life as a kid. Nature at its best.

Calabash Bay Lodge is one of two properties owned by Kim and Derek Ellis under their ‘Wild Luxury Group.’ Nestled between National Parks, you enjoy an unmatched view straight up the river with glistening waterways, beautiful bushland and the occasional kayaker, fishermen and recreational boat user.

Calabash has its own boat, moored at its private wharf, to explore the river. There are also fishing rods, bait, a canoe, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards.

Furthermore, Calabash Bay Lodge and Broken Bay Pearl Farm – the only pearl producer in NSW – offer guests the most informative sessions on the oyster and pearl market in the region.

Our tour guide, Cybele, picks us up for a two-hour tour on the river. She was filled with extraordinary stories on the industry and was the ultimate engaging host.

While harvesting the famous Sydney Rock Oysters is part of their business, their unique focus is Akoya oysters that grow underwater and are very hard to find. For years, the team has been growing pearls inside them and all the stunning pearl jewellery is sold at its Shellar Door store. Make sure you visit when you leave Calabash Bay Lodge – it’s only about 45 minutes away. It really is a must-do.

I was spoiled with some oysters and bubbles on board the boat. There are a range of bespoke tours on offer for both length and price-point.

I did splash out and went for dinner at the iconic two hatted Berowra Waters Inn where they serve only Australian wine. There is a boat chauffeur service from my wharf to the restaurant, which takes five minutes but many Sydneysiders fly in on sea-plane for this unbelievable foodie experience. The restaurant is so intimate and only seats around 20 guests, and on my night, it was literally private dining.

I had the restaurant to myself.

Alternatively, Manny can cook a feast for guests in the lodge, while everyone sits back in front of the fire and enjoys cocktails and wine, and the antipasto platter awaiting on arrival.

On the other night, I decided to cook (risky I know) and the lodge offers a concierge service to collect your online grocery order and wine hours before you arrive, so it is in the fridge and cupboards when you get there. Now, that’s service. The kitchen is fully equipped with everything to serve up a feast for the ages.

There are board games, Apple TV, giant Bluetooth speakers and satellite WIFI given the location in the National Park.

Powered by roof top solar, Calabash Lodge is a four-bedroom, three- bathroom luxury home that sleeps 8 people and is stunningly renovated with all the mod-cons, along with a wide selection of local indigenous art. With multiple balconies on every floor to sit out and appreciate life here, there is also a downstairs BBQ area that can host 14 people for a lunch or dinner in summer. There is also a private yoga and meditation studio.

Bring your walking shoes for an exploration through the bushland. Right behind the lodge, up a hill, is the sandstone ruins of the Fretus Hotel, which was started in 1900 and then abandoned in 1920.

To finish the trip off, the team at Distillery Botanica, a little north on the Central Coast, provided us with a bottle of their locally made Moore’s Pearl Crush Gin.

Calabash Lodge Off-peak prices (valid until July 31) start from $780 a night for a seven-night stay or $1,200 for 2 nights, including weekends. This is worth every cent. You will leave rejuvenated and thrilled with experiencing a unique part of this wonderful country of ours.

Now back to reality.