On Saturday morning we headed to Byron Bay hinterland for a 2 night getaway to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary. It was to be a family friendly luxurious getaway as the kids had to come with us too.
After the events leading up to our anniversary, we made a level headed decision to not do anything spectacular.
But then funds came in and after some reasoning we realized we didn’t want to look back and not have anything to remember a significant number milestone in our marriage so I went about researching somewhere we could take the kids but also indulge ourselves.
It took a bit of research. I wanted to go somewhere with a view, a spa and farm stay like activities for the kids. The BlueGreen House in Byron Bay hinterland ticked all those boxes. It had a 3 night minimum stay, but we could only afford to take 2 nights and the owners willingly allowed us to stay for a shorter time frame. We wish we could have spent an extra night or two on the property. It was that amazing.
The pictures speak for themselves on how beautiful this property is. It was voted as 1 of Australia’s 100 Great Holiday homes by Australia Traveller. We had this luxurious house to ourselves. The master bedroom had a spa, outdoor shower and stunning ensuite. The girls slept downstairs in a fabulous bunk bedroom. Esther and Magdalene slept at each end of the bottom bunk. Phoebe slept in the same room in a portacot which we eventually moved to our room at midnight to ensure all kids got sleep.
There was plenty to do on the property. We got to feed the alpacas and horses. The girls loved seeing the chickens and just generally being in the open space. On our second afternoon, we made use of the sports field, and on our walk back to the house found this secluded swing.
What amazed me was how quiet it was. The views were spectacular. And I had no phone reception which forced me to focus on our surroundings and each other.
If we wanted to bunk ourselves at the house, we could. But we wanted to take the girls out to Byron Bay and surrounds for the day so on Sunday we started our day at Lennox Head and visited the markets. The weather was spectacular. From there we drove up to the lighthouse at Byron Bay. We had to pay $7 to park at the top which I was happy to do to avoid having to drive back down and park and walk back up the hill with a pram in tow. Our lighthouse expedition was short lived because it was under construction and the view only interested our girls for a short amount of time. After that we headed to the main street of Byron Bay for lunch.
In the last year or so I have read about other bloggers visiting Byron Bay and talking up it’s appeal for shopping. I found this strange because from my experience, Byron Bay was a bit of a hit and miss shopping experience. Jacob grew up in Northern NSW so when we would go to visit family, we would sometimes venture to Byron Bay. Back then I was never really impressed with the main street for shopping. And I felt the same this time as well. The main street is a mish mash of restaurants, cafes, mixed clothes stores and it has a really touristy/hippie/alternative vibe. While I would never make fun of the people that live in Byron Bay, for me the main street doesn’t do anything for me.
Bangalow on the other hand was definitely more my cup of tea and I wished we had spent a bit more time there. We dropped in on the way home, but it definitely is a charming street and we’ve made a note to visit there next time we head down south.
Whenever I organise a holiday with our girls, I try not to have a big list of expectations. The one place we definitely wanted to check out was the award winning Harvest Café which I booked lunch for on the Saturday of our arrival. The food didn’t disappoint. After our meals we checked out a few shops in the street, finishing off at the Harvest Café Deli and appreciating it’s delicious selection of cheeses and deli produce.
The weather couldn’t have been more perfect for our stay. It was warm during the day, but quite cool at night which meant we could make use of the fireplace.
We had a memorable time away and got to have a luxurious hinterland experience. Esther has been asking when we can go back and we’re wanting to save some pennies to visit again.
Have you ever been to Byron Bay? Ever had to find a family friendly luxurious getaway to celebrate a milestone?
I’m linking with Essentially Jess for IBOT.
