NSW Central Coast holiday home on the waterfront
Get some fresh perspectives from a NSW Central Coast hideaway.
A pelican on a post, a seagull on the wing, a mud-larking mallard. A 180-degree sweep of silvery bay in the early morning light. The long, lean tentacles of jetties stretching into the deep. Later the water will turn a soft blue on this cool, crisp day. The sound of plopping. Fish or crabs? A cormorant lands, stretches extravagantly and then takes off in a blur of black.
It would be easy to spend an entire day just observing nature on the mid-level terrace of Clare de Lune Waterfront, a northeast-facing holiday rental at Point Clare on the NSW Central Coast. It’s one of an identical pair of 2019-built townhouse-style residences at the end of a cul-de-sac beside Brisbane Water, along from Woy Woy and backed on its outer reaches by national parks and state reserves. Owners Darren and Tori say the land was purchased for a “development project” but Darren, an architect, adds that “by the time the building started to take shape, we were well and truly hooked and decided to keep the property”.
I live in this part of the world, too, but nonetheless the surrounds feel exotic and unfamiliar when viewed from an opposite angle. My fellow houseguests and I debate sunrise versus sunset views and how the settlements, hills, creeks and estuaries all jigsaw together.
It’s a bit like crossing the Sydney Harbour Bridge and looking back to the other side and spotting not just landmarks but quirks of topography. We unfold a big map and spread it like a tablecloth. Ah, that’s better. We orient ourselves, for starters, with the simple landmarks of East Gosford, Green Point and Saratoga.
“It could be a Scottish loch,” is one comment, just as a squad of sulphur-crested cockatoos hurtle past, squawking their heads off.
Clare de Lune is a well-designed, ultra-modern house with strong architectural form, abundant space and a thoughtful layout. While the kingsize master bedroom on the top level, with private terrace and a tub with a view, is the pick of sleeping quarters, the other three bedrooms (one on this level and a pair on the second floor) are of above average size, two fitted with queen beds and one with a double, and plenty of oversized subway-tiled and marble-floored bathrooms (some ensuite) to go round. Bedding, pillows, lighting and accessories are all good quality and well-considered.
The design template is a mix of Coco Republic furniture and styling and more bespoke touches, all contemporary and with sleek lines. Timber floors are strewn with scatter rugs; bedrooms are warmly carpeted. Madras Link cushions add pops of botanical and plantation colours and motifs; the modular lounge is made for reading, napping and lolling in front of a giant TV. A predominantly white, muted grey and pastel scheme evokes the colours of the Australian coast and tongue-and-groove timber and slatted dividers along the staircases emphasise a beach cottage theme. But this is no holiday shack. For starters, the garage and ground floor, with its waterside heated pool tiled in vivid blue, barbecue area, cushy seating and private jetty, is connected by an elevator (or stairs) to the living and accommodation levels.
There’s a streamlined, open-plan kitchen with a long window instead of a splashback above the stove, so there you have another pocket of view and source of light. Cooking essentials are provided, including unbreakable items for poolside and deck use, a coffee machine, and basic condiments. There’s a stone benchtop and massive fridge-freezer. And while holidays are all about sleeping-in, that furnished balcony on the second level really is the ideal spot for sunrise breakfasts. In colder weather, interior windows are large enough for Cinemascope aspects, perhaps using one of the supplied throws as a snug, wraparound cape.
We invite a few cruise-loving friends to drop by for a drink on the mid-level terrace, which we have laughingly renamed The Crow’s Nest Bar. They pile out of the lift. “Just like a ship!” is the unanimous call. And that view of water, clouds and seabirds does feel very cruise-like. All we need is a trivia quiz, napkin-folding class, a meet and greet with the captain on the bridge and a cocktail of the day. We spend a lot of time deciding where else this view could be as the sun goes down and the landscape fades and lengthens to shadows of black and grey. The Croatian coast, perhaps, if we squint hard enough? Clayoquot Sound on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, minus the spruce trees, bears, orcas and humpback whales?
One wag suggests Moreton Bay. That sets off the debate about the waterway’s name, which honours Sir Thomas Brisbane, NSW governor (1820-25), but is geographically confusing. In 1997, when I first told a colleague I had bought a weekender cottage by Brisbane Water, she gave me an odd look but was polite enough to comment, “Oh that’s nice. I guess you’ll get used to the drive. I’ve always liked Queensland.” The debate about place and landscape continues well into the evening and then to bed, early to rise. Last chance to see that view, pearly pink and beckoning at 7am with the bonus calls of kookaburras and another cormorant viewed on high, wings spread wide, like a hang-glider coasting on thermals.
To-do List
DINE
Sean Connelly oversees the menus at The Bon Pavilion in Gosford (ideal for breakfast). Woy Woy Fishermen’s Wharf for fish and chips. The Lucky Bee at Hardys Bay for Asian street food. Best coffee and deli items at Young Barons in Woy Woy. Most Central Coast establishments have been closed during Covid lockdown.
WALK
It’s about 20 minutes by road to the coastal trails, beaches and bushwalks of Bouddi National Park.
SEE
Gosford Regional Gallery and Edogawa Commemorative Garden.
BROWSE
Homewares, some by local makers, at Mooch Inside, and Indigenous art at Bouddi Gallery, both in Hardys Bay.
BUY
Beauty products made with coastal botanicals, plus local craft and house-made patisserie, from Bells at Killcare boutique.
Essentials
Clare de Lune Waterfront, 51 Kurrawa Ave, Point Clare, is about 75 minutes from the Sydney CBD via NorthConnex tollway and M1. Sleeps eight; garage for two cars plus driveway parking. Two-night minimum stay from about $1100, includes cleaning fee, depending on season.
Susan Kurosawa was a guest of Belle Property Escapes.