This New Aussie Countryside Stay Is the Best Medicine (Even in Torrential Rain)

BYRON BAY HAS LONG BEEN synonymous with surf, sand and sun. But as I discovered on a recent visit, it shines just as bright in the rain. The hippy-turned-haute beachside Northern Rivers town is one of Australia’s most iconic summer destinations, attracting everyone from international and local celebs and cashed-up couple to road-trippers and backpackers. However, this tiny hamlet has plenty more to offer than neon beaches. In the last few years, a wave of new-age luxury stays has popped up in the countryside behind Byron, diverting attention away from Main Beach and to the rolling hills and rainforest beyond known as the Byron hinterland.  

First there was Blackbird Byron in Mullumbimby (Mullum), while last year saw the opening of Californian-inspired Sun Ranch in Coopers Shoot (owned by fashion designer Jamie Blakey, founder of label One Teaspoon) and around the same time, the Tuscan-inspired estate The Brooklet in the town of Brooklet just outside of Newrybar. It’s at the latter that I’m spending three nights in a self-contained two-bedroom villa with a friend who I haven’t seen in years. Sunshine wasn’t invited. While torrential rain wasn’t on our bingo card for this weekend, it brings out a side of this luxury stay that neither of us were expecting.

Nestled among 125 acres near the small town of Newrybar (where Liam Hemsworth is a local), this former macadamia (they’re originally from Oz, not, as commonly believed, Hawaii) farm has been transformed into a polished countryside estate comprising six self-contained villas and a larger three-bedroom family-friendly The Bails (kids above 16 are welcome). It’s giving bougie farmhouse vibes, with towering fig trees, sliding barn doors, fully equipped kitchens kitted out with Smeg appliances, luxurious tiled bathrooms and cozy fireplaces. Owner and former Sydneysider Greta Smith says she fell for the land because of its unique characteristics. “It feels very European,” she says. “Italians have been here and planted so many trees, it’s very different from that gum-tree Australian landscape, it’s similar to Tuscany,” Greta says.

There’s no restaurant on-site and Uber Eats is not a thing in Byron, but essentials including The Brooklet’s warm, home-cooked bread, eggs and bacon have been left in the fridge for our stay. Visitors can also request pre-done meal such as roast chicken, BYO their own food to cook or BBQ, or visit one of the local restaurants such as farm-to-table Harvest or new Japanese-inspired Bonito in Byron town. We’re lucky enough to try both during our stay, before the thunderstorms roll in.

I don’t resent the rain, especially when its needed. Fires had been burning around the area in the weeks leading up to my visit and when I arrive, a film of haze covers the landscape. My friend Mon and I take advantage of the brief sunshine on our first morning and go for a long walk along the lower edge of the property to a small creek. The next day, the rain has well and truly settled in, with a sheet of mist now blurring the undulating views from our villa.

With not much else to do and the rain pummeling sideways, we hop into our robes and drive the short distance up to The Brooklet’s communal area, The Barn. For the next few hours with rain pouring overhead and a chill in the air, we embark on some contrast therapy, rotating between the infrared sauna, jacuzzi and cool magnesium pool. It’s the highlight of our stay and we feel completely rejuvenated. Because the sun is nowhere to be seen, it gives us permission to truly do nothing, slow down, relax and reconnnect. It’s exactly what the doctor ordered for our long overdue catch-up. Rain, hail or shine, this stay will leave you feeling better than when you arrived.

www.thebrooklet.com.au; one-bedroom villas from A$1,500 for two nights.  

BOOK YOUR STAY AT THE BROOKLET VIA BOOKING.COM

Images courtesy of The Brooklet.

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