Former NSW jillaroo camp is now an oasis between beach and bush

The hotel

Oaks Ranch

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The Oaks Ranch, with signature pool, is a tasteful haven on the NSW South Coast.

Tucked behind a turnoff from the Princes Highway, behind a few acreage blocks in picturesque Mossy Point and down the end of a long gated driveway, The Oaks Ranch was extensively renovated in 2022. This Spanish Mission-style boutique hotel and signature magnesium pool are surrounded by meticulously curated gardens with the reno respecting the bones of the establishment, which haven’t changed since it was first built as a jillaroo camp (yes, really) in the 1970s.

Now, it’s a 14-room destination hotel (plus newly crafted three-bedroom guesthouse) with a relaxed coolness and high-design charm and a golf-course upgrade on the horizon. The village of Mossy Point – on the South Coast about four hours from Sydney – is a short drive away, while the popular Broulee with its choice of beaches is just around the corner.

The look

Spanish Mission style from the 1970s has had a respectful update.

The interior renovation by the Sydney-based design firm Partridge Daniels is inspired by the surrounding native Australian bushland. White-stuccoed walls stand out from the landscape with muted interior furnishings and ochre-toned shades of green, brown and orange completing the calming mood. Locally made tiles feature in the large bathrooms and on the outdoor patios, which are sometimes visited by roaming roos. A frangipani tree presides over the dining patio.

The room

Spacious rooms have mountain and river views.

We’re in the ranch’s deluxe bungalow, which features a Cultiver linen-clad king bed and a wall-to-wall view of the Deua Mountain Ranges and the Tomaga River and its grassed terraces. There’s as much indoor space, almost, as outdoor space with various seating nooks. The kitchenette comes generously stocked with supplies from The Tea Collective, Nespresso coffee machine pods and an on-the-house snack station. The bathroom has dual showers and a plunge bath, sumptuous bath sheets (warmed by heated towel racks) and Cultiver waffle robes. There’s a widescreen TV and sound system, too, but guests may be too captivated by resident willie wagtails to need man-made entertainment.

Food + drink

Aperitifs and nibbles with a sunset view, then high-end dining at in-house Arlo’s restaurant.

Arlo, the hotel’s restaurant, sits at the heart of the ranch, with dining branching off the cosy reception area. The polished menu is founded on high-quality local produce – try to dine here at least once during a stay. Sip on a spicy pre-prandial margarita before dishes such as anchovies atop house-pickled carrot on toast or raw tuna with bonito flakes. Time it all to coincide with the setting sun over the festoon-lit pool. A tight breakfast menu is exclusively for in-house guests. Attentive staff, remembering an oat milk request for coffee, thoughtfully deliver a bottle, with muesli.

Out + about

Nearby Moruya hosts Saturday and Tuesday markets along the riverfront, and its cute bookstores and vintage shops provide further retail therapy. For outdoor exploration, try Broulee Beach, Shark Bay and Bengello Beach or the gorgeous Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Gardens, regenerating from the 2020 bushfires. Here, you can listen to whipbirds and watch kangaroos flit between blackened eucalypts before settling for tea at Mossy On Gardens cafe.

THE VERDICT

The Oaks Ranch is an elevated oasis set between beach and bush, with meticulous detailing and exemplary service.

THE DETAILS

Rooms start from $290 a night. The six-person guest house is $999 a night. Arlo is open to the public from Wednesday to Sunday for lunch and Wednesday to Saturday for dinner. See oaksranch.com.au

OUR RATING OUT OF FIVE
★★★★½

Highlight
Having kangaroos and pink-breasted galahs as fellow guests on these meticulously maintained grounds.

Lowlight
It’s a bit of a hike from the car park to the rooms.

The writer visited as a guest of The Oaks Ranch.