Patonga Cottage shows the evolution of the humble beach shack
The expectations of holiday renters used to be simple. That was then, this is now.
There was a time not so long ago when a beach shack was as simple as the term implies. The expectations of holiday renters were specific but simple. Minimal housekeeping was a given, meaning trails of sand on lino or timber floors could be swept clear out the door. There’d be comfy furniture but nothing too flash, in case little kids and shedding dogs ran amok. The bathroom just needed to be serviceable, with a good water supply and, even better, a shower in the garden to rinse off salt water.
Bunk beds were generally part of the mix, and if you scored a “master” bedroom with ensuite and extra trimmings, you were really living it up. As for kitchens, just basic crockery, utensils and a stove fitted the bill, as seaside holidays are all about takeaway fish and chips and barbies, aren’t they? The first time I saw a microwave was at an Avalon Beach holiday let in the 1970s; my late father was highly suspicious of such works of the devil and it remained firmly turned off at the wall. His views on airconditioning, coffee machines and TVs that stream at whim shall remain a mystery.
That was then. Now the average rental on Australian coastlines is much more about style and comfort, with almost as many appliances and luxuries as those found in permanent residences. Some of these hideaways are mansions, others big second homes vacated in summer by owners keen to cash in. But the most nostalgic and charming are more cottagey in scale, with beachy decor and a touch of old-style charm, which I love.
So here I am at Patonga Cottage on the NSW central coast and clearly in my element. The four-bedroom rental, which opened last year, is an adjunct to The Boathouse Hotel Patonga, part of the broader Boathouse Group that operates a slew of venues on Sydney’s northern beaches peninsula, including Barrenjoey House Palm Beach boutique hotel.
Patonga is about a 90-minute drive north of the Sydney CBD and is a true hamlet, tightly surrounded by the bushy hills of Brisbane Water National Park and overlooking the evocatively named Brisk Bay, on which sailboats scoot past on breezy days. The settlement has been accessed by vehicles only since 1937, when a high road (still the only way in or out) was built from Umina. There’s a ferry to Palm Beach from the long jetty (be on the lookout for pelicans) and walking trails, while kayaking and bird-watching are popular along Patonga Creek.
The cottage sits low and unassuming, painted white and surrounded by trimmed gardens, beds and big bowls of succulents, and the Norfolk pines that define streets and shoreline. There are three king-sized bedrooms and, a little removed from the adults’ sleeping quarters, is a kids’ cubby-style room with two sets of double bunks, wall-mounted TV, games and drawing supplies. I wouldn’t be averse to kipping in this den and channelling the beach holidays of my early teens, reading by torchlight in a top bunk.
Top-quality bedding, a big bathroom (no ensuites), and open-plan living and dining area with built-in kitchen complete the layout. There are plantation shutters, floorboards have been painted white and scattered with rugs in muted blues and greens. The timber cottage is snug in scale but the wide rear deck, reached via a wall of bifolds and complete with a firepit, extends the sense of space; there’s an ample dining area and seating out there, including a swing chair plus stools and bar tables for, say, an alfresco cocktail hour, and views across a neighbouring park. An above-ground pool repurposed from a water tank, barbecue cabana with cushioned cane seating, and a shed featuring toilet, wash basin and a complement of beach and fishing gear complete this well-organised backyard.
But the true charm is in the detail, such as plush upholstered bedheads, tapered pendant lighting decked in bright tropical motifs, stylish accessories and unique textiles. Decor is by Pip Goldsmith, design doyenne of The Boathouse Group, and many of her homewares can be purchased online. The look is predominantly coastal, from ceramic bowls patterned with shellfish to glass buoys and block-printed linen cushions in beachy motifs with reversible striped backs. A row of rattan lights on the deck mimics lobster pots and old rowboats are stacked against exterior walls, clinging like giant barnacles. The overall feel is of comfort rather than a do-not-touch decorator domain.
As I check out and walk to my car, a passing local asks me did I realise the cottage was once the village post office. Subsequent research reveals the agency closed in December 2017 and the building is one of the original Patonga cottages of the 1920s when land was subdivided into housing plots.
The days of mailing picture postcards from here might be gone but this new incarnation honours the architecture and humble scale of the era, setting the scene for many more generations of holidaymakers.
In the know
Patonga Cottage sleeps 10; no pets permitted. Prices are seasonal; average $1200 a night, with minimum two-night stay. The Boathouse Hotel Patonga next door also offers three similarly stylish apartments, from one to three bedrooms, above its main building. The hotel is open seven days for meals and bar drinks (bargain steaks on Tuesday nights) and has a takeaway kiosk with very good fish and chips plus picnic baskets to order.
theboathousehotelpatonga.com.au
More to the story
Central Coast Spa Cottage, Toowoon Bay
The perennially popular adults-only hideaway Kims Beachside Retreat also manages a nearby self-contained holiday rental cottage (above). The two-bedroom (one king-sized; one queen), two-bathroom cottage is ideal for a pair of couples (no children under 12) and features off-street parking and an outdoor area with Jacuzzi and barbecue, all just minutes from sheltered Toowoon Bay beach and neighbourhood amenities, and a short drive to tourist hotspots such as The Entrance and Terrigal. Comfort is the key, with welcome touches such as well-stocked bookshelves, thoughtfully equipped kitchen, laundry and plenty of seating options, including stools at an alfresco cocktail bar. Kims also offers a three-bedroom Family Cottage rental with enclosed veranda and communal chill-out space, as well as its inventory of fully serviced on-site resort suites and villas, several of which are designated pooch-friendly, across 2.5ha of subtropical rainforest and beach frontage. Central Coast Spa Cottage from $340 a night, booked via Airbnb.
NRMA Ocean Beach Holiday Resort
Two repurposed shipping containers, smartened up and deservedly known as Glamtainers (below), are the latest addition to the NRMA’s popular Ocean Beach estate at Umina, near Pearl Beach. The open-plan layout features a queen-sized bed and a double nook to comfortably sleep a child or two. The “glam” tag comes into play with contemporary timber finishes, textiles in earthy colours, smart decor, stylish little bathroom, kitchenette, TV and a wooden deck with privacy wall, dining furniture and barbecue. Beyond the landscaped fringe are glimpses of one of the longest and safest beaches on the central coast’s southern reaches. The park is a democratic domain, offering power-equipped sites for camping and caravans, plus cottages, treehouses, safari tents, and villas with oodles of family space. It’s an extensive property, with accommodation, facilities, playgrounds and pools nestled between “streets” with names such as Coral Crescent and Pineview Drive, and the new Beach Kiosk has a good deli as well as prepared food to go. From $189 a night; savings for NRMA members.
Susan Kurosawa was a guest of The Boathouse Group.
To join the conversation, please log in. Don't have an account? Register
Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout