Lilypad Palm Beach
More than a luxury houseboat, Palm Beach’s most indulgent overnight experience boasts an on-board cellar, infra-red sauna and so much more.
En route north from Sydney to Lilypad, a luxury villa floating off ritzy Palm Beach, I stop to pick up my overnight companion. Her partner waves us off with a parting shot. “Enjoy your stay at the Sillypad,” he says. Oh, jealousy’s a curse.
I can’t blame him for feeling envious. We are, after all, leaving him to an ordinary night at home while we set off towards one of Sydney’s most indulgent overnight experiences. We have more drinks awaiting us than two people could possibly consume over the course of a 24-hour stay, thanks to a complimentary on-board cellar. There will be lots of delicious food requiring minimal preparation (brilliant if you’re lacking in the culinary skills department). And there’s a runabout should we feel the urge to explore Pittwater’s nooks and crannies.
We arrive to find a concierge waiting to escort us to our transfer to Lilypad, moored 100m offshore and with views that stretch north to Lion Island. After a brief tour, we settle in by popping the cork on a bottle of Veuve Clicquot. A seafood platter, stacked with oysters, prawns, smoked salmon and more, is in the fridge, so we relocate to the deck with food and drinks in hand to toast our fantastical midweek break. A sly seagull soon brings us back down to earth. We leave our seats (and the platter) at the same time to snap photos and the bird seizes the opportunity, making off with a prawn.
With a sheet of rain drawing closer, we head inside for a closer inspection of our digs. Compared with photos of Lilypad’s previous incarnation (see More to the Story), it’s clear a complete design rethink has occurred.
The bi-fold doors that opened up almost the entire frontage to the outdoors have gone, replaced with a smaller entryway and two stools placed at a countertop. The couch is now a fixed structure, with cactus sprouting from a tiny garden built into one end. With the villa’s sandy tones, arched windows, handmade terracotta pieces and cacti, it’s the American desert meets the Mediterranean.
Co-owner Chuck Anderson says it’s an aesthetic he and his wife, Ashlea, simply like. “We designed what our dream home would be, really,” he says.
They also clearly know generosity is an important part of any high-end experience. In addition to the platter, there are organic grain-fed eye fillet steaks, salads and a bowl piled high with fruit. The Vintec wine fridge holds beers and five more bottles of wine, including a Robert Oatley chardonnay (the late wine magnate’s Avalon Beach waterfront mansion, Finisterre, sits within sight). Ample breakfast provisions are also provided.
As darkness falls, we settle into the couch in front of the gas fireplace to watch Netflix and relax. This place is built for couples (it’s seen its fair share of proposals) but can also work for friends who are comfortable knowing they might overhear a little snoring during the night (the bedroom is upstairs in the mezzanine; extra bedding can be provided to turn the couch into a bed).
The next morning dawns bright and sunny and I notice how nice the sheets feel; the European flax linen manchester is from Mosman store Cultiver. After a quick breakfast and coffee, we decide to make use of the runabout, a cheerful Jomo craft made from recycled plastic that’s tethered to the deck.
No boat licence is required and I offer to skipper. I immediately almost run full-tilt into the villa, so my friend takes the wheel. We potter over to Portuguese Beach, snuggled into Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. It’s too chilly to swim, so we tootle further south to stickybeak at waterfront real estate.
We see few other craft on the move and it’s such a relaxing way to spend a midweek morning that we end up passing Bayview’s Rowland Reserve dog park where hounds are gallivanting on a sand bar, appearing to almost walk on water. We’ve been told our boat has a full fuel tank but still, as we turn back, I have everything crossed there’s enough left to reach Lilypad.
There is, but we’re fast running out of time. Our transfer back to land, and reality, will be arriving at 11am. The property looks different as we glide in to tie up. That’s because it’s on a swing mooring and pivots with the wind. “It means when you sit on the deck, you’re always protected from the wind,” says Anderson, who says he and his wife love to stay when a storm’s coming in and the weather’s “a bit wild and woolly”. He adds: “All the elements are around you, and that’s what it’s about, being on the water.”
I quickly strip down to my swimmers to try out the infra-red sauna on the side of the villa but this is something I should have done yesterday. Relaxing against the clock is not relaxing. We also run out of time to try the stand-up paddleboards. Never mind, my friend has a little insider tip for a pick-me-up before we leave the peninsula.
Avalon Beach’s Graze n Cakes is tucked away in a spot I would never have discovered on my own. The window display is heaving with heavenly vanilla slices, cheesecakes, donuts and other baked goods. She suggests the cronut. After crunching into it, I’m again floating on cloud nine.
In the know
One-night stays at Lilypad are available between April 1 and September 30 and cost $1950; longer stays from $3800. Summer stays of at least two nights start at $4200. Packages include all food and beverages. Guests can also arrive by seaplane from Rose Bay.
Katrina Lobley was a guest of Lilypad.