The Ambers at Port Stephens: home away from home
With room for the whole extended brood, this brand new holiday home on the NSW coast leans into the trend for multi-gen vacations.
We have arrived in the realms of roundabouts. Circling hither and thither, and later realising we have taken the longest route possible, it’s a relief to arrive at The Ambers near the holiday hub of Port Stephens on the NSW mid-north coast. It’s immediately apparent the property’s name has been plucked, as it were, from nature’s bounty. An allee of liquid amber trees leads to an imposing mansion, all white and bright and intriguing in its multiple geometric angles. We already know The Ambers accommodates party-sized groups of up to 22 but we are just two. Will we rattle about and lose each other?
Owner Catherine Bliss is on hand to explain the story behind the conversion from original family home, built in 1989, to a veritable mansion for guests to savour. It’s been a passion project for her, husband Matt, and an extended tribe of many trades. She says the rebuild took nine months, managed by son Kain and his Greenbuild Constructions team, with interior design and careful detailing by family members Lauren and Jenn, both with many projects to their credit. “We all gravitate towards natural and neutral spaces,” says Catherine. But while the decor is consistently pale, it’s not clinical. Decorators would assign colour chart terms such as oatmeal, ecru and parchment, but no matter the correct descriptions, there’s a definite absence of shouty reds, oranges, yellows and acidic greens, so the effect is instantly soothing.
Hillocks of cushions, throw rugs and tactile surfaces provide comfort and softness; books on interior design invite serious perusal. Add sunken lounges and a media room with projector, plus so many seating areas you could play musical chairs and never get bored. It’s all rather Scandi in its pale correctness, but views beyond of Australian plantings provide both a counterpoint and sense of context. We instantly wish we’d brought our blended brood of adult children and grandkids and taken over the joint. As it transpires, we never do get around to using the billiards and media rooms, let alone all the top-grade utensils and equipment in what has to be billed as a dream kitchen. It’s like stepping into a catalogue of the finest appliances, including a massive stainless-steel Italian-designed Fhiaba fridge on standby for serious catering. Catherine explains that Bliss Kitchens & Joinery, Greenbuild’s in-house team of specialist designers, conceived the layout and look.
The downstairs master suite is yet to be equipped with blinds on the ceiling skylights, so we decamp to the opposite wing and spread out our stuff accordingly, across an abundance of shelves, open hanging spaces and matte metal hooks. There are comfy beds, squashy pillows, and accessories and soft furnishings by homewares brands such as MyHouse, James Lane and Country Road. Also in this wing is a rumpus room with a pair of cute kids’ single bunks and even a slippery dip set on a platform atop two queen-sized beds. It’s an intriguing family space, with a huge TV screen and long sofa extending the configuration into a den, plus an adjoining shower and toilet.
On the topic of ablutions, all the ensuites and bathrooms are kitted with aromatic Grown Alchemist unguents and Savant Apothecary soaps and scrubs.
But it’s not all about the glam interiors. There’s a free-form pool with a very inviting slide. A tennis court, bar area, yet more stools and seats, big barbecue and even a sauna, constituting what almost amounts to a small resort. And just beyond is a semi-circle of white tubular furniture around a fire pit on the grass, set like a snug amphitheatre for gazing to the property’s rear reaches, ample with slender Bangalow palms, gums, succulents and grassy slopes. It’s a bucolic setting with beaches and townships close to hand, all of which are worth exploring. We venture to Salamander Bay in search of fish and chips for a late lunch but the wittily named Salt Mine is closed, a chalked blackboard declaring: “Nap Time: Back 4:30”. OK, we get it. The siesta hour is calling, too, back at The Ambers. But not before I’ve snapped a pic of the Salamander Village signboard: Butchery. Essential Beauty. Denture Clinic. Kinetic Medicine. Spinal Symmetry. So, there you go. Time for a lie down and stretch out back at base camp.
To-do list
BREAKFAST
Get your morning pick-me-up at Crest, Birubi Beach, a short drive from The Ambers. Service is great, views of breaking waves set the scene, and pairing a creamy mango and yuzu smoothie with buttered raisin and pecan sourdough toast from the popular Two Bobs Bakery in Nelson Bay makes for a great start to the day.
DINE
Sample excellent dine-in curries and takeaways at family-run Anna Bay Thai. Splurge on seafood at Rick Stein’s restaurant at Bannisters, Port Stephens; go for blue swimmer crab and Bass Strait scallops, plus holiday-binge on fat chips with rosemary salt. B Farm by Murray’s offers myriad dining options that include picnic hampers and afternoon tea.
BUY
If self-catering, there are reliable butcheries and delicatessens in Port Stephens and Nelson Bay. Visit Wonganella Estate’s winery, Sunset+Vine restaurant and cellar door on Nelson Bay Road. Check the Port Stephens community website for dates and details of Homegrown Markets, Victoria Parade.
ESSENTIALS
The Ambers sleeps 18 adults and four children. Rates from $3100 a night, mid-week in summer, autumn and spring; from $2700 mid-week in winter. Seasonal variations and minimum-night stays apply during peak seasons and on weekends.
Susan Kurosawa was a guest of The Ambers.
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