Joanna Savill finds a tiny jewel of a beach a few kilometres from BYRON BAY.
THE SETTING
Byron Bay and its beach are beautiful, but just a few kilometres away, beneath the Cape Byron Lighthouse and a few windy bends later, sits Watego's - a tiny, cosy slip of a beach. This is the wild pearl versus the cultured version. Here, you're not sharing the streets (there's only one really) with backpackers, tourists and the normal life of a busy coastal town. Reputedly sold a couple of years ago for about $10 million, Watermark at Watego's is located on a 655-square-metre block, with a 37-metre beach frontage. While Watermark's pole position right above the surf means parked cars and visitors through the day on the road outside, at night there's not a soul but you, the stars and the surf.
THE SPACE
There's a larger apartment (residence) upstairs, but we stay in suite two below, alongside another of similar size. Suite two is really only one room, but a well-appointed one: with a large bed, upscale TV, rugs and sofa section, a smart kitchen area with terrazzo counter, and an attractive en suite bathroom with a generous shower. The best bit is definitely the wonderful outdoor patio with its deep sun-chairs, where you can look down onto the passing parade with some degree of superiority. After all, not everyone gets to have their breakfast overlooking this glorious beach, without having to worry about finding somewhere to park (there's a steep driveway and handy garage attached.)
THE KIT
All the kitchen essentials are there - a Nespresso machine and cappuccino frother, muesli, milk, dishwasher and microwave. Watermark also has a large flat-screen TV with Foxtel and free Wi-Fi. The bathroom has all the basic products, plus a hairdryer and candles. And we love the stack of beach towels, umbrella, chairs and robes, should we be inclined to stray to and stay on the beach.
COMFORT
Comfort is the operative word. It's all done out in classic coastal chic, with louvres and fans, a plump sofa and shaggy rug. It's funny to hop into bed at the back of the main room, with only the louvre doors separating you from that little strip of patio and the road beyond. But with the crash of the waves lulling you to sleep, it's a life one could get used to.
FOOD
Stock up before you head around the headland. There are no shops at Watego's and only the legendary Rae's on Watego's restaurant a few steps down the road. But Byron is full of places for quality provisions. Try 100 Mile Table Kitchen (100miletable.com) at 8 Banksia Drive, in the Byron Bay Arts and Industrial Park. It is run by Sarah Swan, former Neil Perry sidekick, and opens from Monday to Friday between 7am and 2pm.
GOING OUT
One lunch or dinner at Rae's is obligatory if you're pretending to be a Watego's local. Colourful owner Vinnie Rae may not be in residence at this large, white folly of a boutique hotel, but his Thai-flavoured menu continues at Rae's Fish Cafe (raesonwategos.com). There are beer-battered fish and chips, but a crisp pork and calamari salad or a red penang curry of seafood feel somehow just right. Sit out on the terrace or in the semi-closed-in dining area at night. There's also a day spa, and you could ask for a tour of the penthouse rooms, planning your next stay at Watego's well ahead.
THE VERDICT
A little luxury goes a long way. Beachfront suites, $300 a night Monday to Thursday and $370 a night Friday to Sunday; ocean view apartment, $400 a night Monday to Thursday and $470 a night Friday to Sunday. Both until August 31.
HOW TO GET THERE
Fly to Ballina (20 minutes away) or Gold Coast/Coolangatta (about an hour away, depending on Byron traffic). It's best to hire a car, as you need to go to Byron for supplies.
ESSENTIALS
Watermark on Watego's, 29 Marine Parade, Wategos Beach, Byron Bay. Phone (02) 6685 8749. See byron-bay.com/watermark-wategos.
The writer was a guest of Watermark at Watego's.
