Feel refreshed at Pretty Beach House, NSW
Pretty Beach House
Pretty Beach House is a beautiful high-end wilderness lodge, set within Darkinjung country and the Bouddi National Park on the southern peninsula of the NSW Central Coast, just 90 minutes’ drive north of Sydney Harbour. It’s enveloped by native flora and fauna, surrounded by Hawksbury sandstone cliffs, beautiful beaches and pristine bays, with ancient Aboriginal rock engravings and sites all around — even on our doorstep, literally. The word Bouddi is the local Aboriginal name for the area and has become synonymous with the national park and the surrounding lands. It has various meanings in Aboriginal languages, however is most commonly known to mean ‘heart’. There is a sense of peace and calm on this property; it is felt instantaneously on arrival, and it completely rejuvenates the human spirit.
The experience
All-inclusive rates make a stay at Pretty Beach House an effortless and unforgettable experience. There are four luxurious pavilions, each featuring incredible hand-woven Italian linens, heated flooring, king beds, private outdoor deck, immaculate bathrooms, and three have their own heated plunge pools. At any one time, only up to eight people will be in-house.
There is a one-day spa for in-house guests only and the dining room is for in-house guests only.
To celebrate our heritage and our Indigenous peoples, Pretty Beach House proudly offers an Indigenous Welcome Ceremony incorporating dance and didgeridoo around the fire, for all guests. Guests learn ancient dreamtime stories told by traditional elders, hear the sounds of the didgeridoo and clappers, and watch on as the performance unfolds while enjoying a canapé or two. The ceremony offers guests time to reflect on the true spirit of our country and their immediate natural surrounds.
A typical day at Pretty Beach House will unfold as follows:
- Sunrise yoga by the pool
- Energising breakfast
- Coastal hike (guided or self) or Indigenous Cultural Tour
- Nutrient-packed lunch
- Rejuvenation in your private pavilion
- Spa time
- On-water activity (boating, pearl farm tour, surfing, paddle-boarding) or in-house cooking class
- Degustation dinner
- Meditation or mindfulness practice in your pavilion
- Sleep
The food
Menus at Pretty Beach House are based on the season and what is available at the time. Menus change regularly and the chefs at Pretty Beach House love to be inspired by the native bush foods of the area. The kitchen garden at their sister property (Bells at Killcare) supplies Pretty Beach House with an abundance of home-grown herbs, many varieties of lettuce, red mizuna leaf, green oak, parsley, purple and green basil, rocket, kale, sage, mint, spearmint, lemongrass, lemon myrtle and a variety of pretty edible flowers. Vegetables and fruits include cucumbers, zucchini, zucchini flower, carrots, celery, pumpkin and bucket loads of heirloom cherry tomatoes and watermelons.
A typical dinner menu at Pretty Beach House may include (degustation is on offer every night):
- Pambula oysters, chive oil, avruga and lemon balm
- Radicchio salad, aged balsamic, orange, walnuts
- Kangaroo carpaccio, salt bush, rocket, parmigiano reggiano, and macadamia shavings
- Chilled tomato soup with spanner crab, fennel pollen and lemon myrtle
- Grilled marron, with finger lime mayo, avocado puree, karkalla, oyster leaves
- Roast snapper fillet, vongole white wine sauce, bush tomato, samphire
- Pan-seared duck, charred leek, okra, pickle star fruit, pepper berries
- Flinders Island lamb, roast carrots in wattleseed puree, charred onions, pistachio
- Buttermilk pannacotta with dragon fruit, peach compote and lemon balm
- Chocolate tart, rose sorbet, pistachio praline, sweet alyssum flowers
Guests may also dine at the kitchen pass for an interactive and fun Chefs Table experience.
Pretty Beach House is not a deprivation retreat, but rather one that satisfies all of the senses.
Things to remember
There is a two-night minimum stay and no children are permitted unless you book the entire property (many international celebrities have).
During the winter months there is a “Stay 3 Pay 2” offer.
Spa treatments, guided hikes, or an activity using a third party — surf lesson, yoga, boating, cultural tour in the National Park — are all additional costs.
Getting there
Pretty Beach House is approximately 90 minutes’ drive north of Sydney, and 90 minutes’ drive south of Newcastle. The NSW Bouddi Peninsula is the southern region of the central coast and is just across the water (20 minutes by ferry) from Sydney’s famous Palm Beach.
Return airport transfers can be arranged from Sydney or Newcastle airports.
Train to Woy Woy or seaplane from Rose Bay are also options.
Connect with Pretty Beach House
P: +61 2 4360 1933
A: Highview Road, Pretty Beach, Bouddi Peninsula, NSW
