Calabash Bay Lodge is an exclusive boat- or seaplane-access-only holiday home with four double bedrooms, three bathrooms, glossy magazine style and rock-star views from every room. Stretching out from the house, hugged tight by dense bushland and ancient sandstone cliffs, is the river – a mesmerising mirror smashed from time to time by leaping fish or landing seaplanes.”
Calabash Bay Lodge gets it spectacularly right. This light, bright, crisply furnished four-bedroom, three- bathroom home sits on the water’s edge, packed with all you’ll need for a cruisy stay, from kayaks to a downy day bed with sweeping views of the river. Guest relations manager Manuel Affarian picks you up in a runabout that’s yours for the stay and, with a quick switch of hats, becomes a gifted cook you can hire to whip up dinner while you sip Champagne on the deck.”
No roads lead to this waterfront lodge on a quiet tributary of the Hawkesbury; only waterways. Whether you glide to a stop in front of its pontoon in a seaplane (splurge option!) or pull up in a dinghy (if you’ve left your car at Berowra Waters, an hour’s drive from the Sydney CBD), you’ll feel the worries of your everyday life wash away. Go bushwalking in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, fish off the pontoon or explore the majestic sandstone cliffs of the Hawkesbury River from a kayak. And when it’s time for dinner, settle for nothing less than a meal at the nearby Berowra Waters Inn restaurant.”
This one’s so secret you’ll need to hop in a boat to reach your luxury digs for the night! Grab your besties and escape to luxury at the cool, calm Berowra Waters, just 40 minutes north of Sydney. By day, laze on the sunny decks or jump from the private pontoon for a spot of swimming; by night, enjoy a private dinner prepared by a Michelin-trained chef.”
Disembarking at the private pontoon, the kids race off to explore, squealing with excitement while hubby and I are silenced by a breathtaking view. We gaze about taking in the dense bushland rising up on either side of us, and stretching straight ahead the stunning, uninterrupted view up the Hawkesbury River.
Calabash Bay Lodge is a three-storey, luxury hideaway with four tastefully decorated bedrooms that can be configured to accommodate up to eight people.
The master bedroom, complete with king bed and ensuite, has a private deck with a gigantic, revolving sunlounge — perfectly designed for lazy snoozing and easy swivelling to chase the rays as the sun tracks west.
The house is designed to showcase the magnificent views — full-length glass windows, three comfortable timber decks and even a double hammock on the front lawn. The kitchen is not overly large but well equipped (the complimentary chilled Prosecco a welcoming touch), while the designer lounge and dining spaces are elegant without being precious.”
To mark Qantas’s 95th birthday, we considered bringing you 95 iconic Australian destinations. But you already know about those, right? So, courtesy of our network of clued-up correspondents, here are 95 exciting, fun, romantic, delicious and family-friendly Australian experiences you probably haven’t heard about. Add these to your hit-list…
No. 4: No roads lead to Calabash Bay Lodge, Berowra Waters; only waterways will get you to this waterfront lodge on a quiet tributary of the Hawkesbury.”
I Quit Sugar founder and writer Sarah Wilson stayed at Calabash Bay Lodge and shared with her readers how to organise the perfect Sydney weekend away. ”
Who knew that feeling so far away was possible so close to home? Calabash Bay Lodge at Berowra Waters is a little over 45 minutes from the Sydney CBD, and it’s my kind of water world.
With four double bedrooms to choose from, three bathrooms (two of which are ensuite), a comfortable, open living space and an upper and lower deck, Calabash Bay Lodge is a glorified holiday home with an unrivalled view over the Hawkesbury River and a long list of thoughtful extras. When I say thoughtful extras, I mean everything you’ve forgotten has been remembered, which is important when the lodge is accessible only by water.
Between exploring the National Park, kayaking through the mangroves and mooching on the deck with coffee and a book, we didn’t head back to the mainland once. First, we didn’t want to leave our tranquil setting. Second, what fun is land when you’ve got your own boat?”
Lounging on the deck while taking in the sun-speckled waters that surround the Lodge, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were aboard a particularly swish houseboat. This self-contained luxury retreat sleeps eight in four sumptuous bedrooms, all with balconies and kitted out with organic cotton bedlinen and Missoni bath towels. The sleek, atrium-style living room is furnished with all the mod cons, including a LCD flat screen and a MiniMac loaded with movies and music for those content to just bliss out on the couch”
From day one, when a “guest relations manager” meets us at Berowra wharf and leads us to the water-access only lodge… we feel as through we’ve moored at our spiritual home”
..it would be hard to go past the degustation cooked by your own private chef, why miss out on prawns in coconut coriander bisque and dukkah-crusted lamb with pomegranate”
There’s something special about gazing out at the misty Hawkesbury River and its stunning backdrop of eucalyptus-clad cliffs. And Calabash Bay Lodge, a three-level, wateraccess only escape set in bushland bordering Berowra Waters, is the perfect vantage point from which to take it all in.”
We’ve found the perfect weekend escape – an idyllic lodge set on the Hawkesbury with a runabout boat for sole use of guests, kayaks for those more energetic days and a barbecue deck overlooking this mesmerising river”
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Calabash Bay Lodge is a boutique luxury retreat for the discerning gourmet traveller in a unique and exemplary water-access only location at Berowra Waters on the Hawkesbury River.
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