If you’re anything like me, the faint smell of Spring in the air has you excited for the warmer weather to come and ready and raring to plan your first getaway of the season.
There’s a lot to love about Sydney (the beaches, the shopping, the food scene and that Harbour, just to name a handful) but delve away from the city and you’ll find getaway options galore where you can relax, indulge, taste and explore.
We’ve rounded up our top luxury picks for a NSW spring break to remember.
Byron Bay
Hotel pick: The Byron at Byron Resort and Spa
Just five minutes from the holiday hot-spot of Byron Bay, The Byron at Byron has you covered for your next luxe coastal getaway. Set within a gorgeous sub-tropical rainforest, you’ll feel a million miles away from home.
There’s so much to do: we love the complimentary daily yoga class that’s offered to all guests, some time by the pool is a must and let’s face it, you can’t visit a resort with ‘spa’ in the title without a facial or massage.
Hot tip: The buffet brekky is all kinds of amazing (and well worth dragging yourself away from your comfy bed for).
Read more about Byron at Byron here.
Central Coast
Hotel pick: Bells at Killcare
Located an hour or so north of Sydney, Bells at Killcare is a gorgeous boutique hotel that you will find it hard to drag yourself away from. It oozes luxury beach-style glamour: think country escape meets luxury beach-style elegance.
Indulge with your very own villa, complete with separate lounge and bedroom area, freestanding bath and private balcony (which on our visit overlooked the lake, complete with ducks!).
Our favourite reason to stay there though? Bells at Killcare is also home to Manfredi at Bells, Stefano Manfredi’s acclaimed restaurant. The seasonal menu with a focus on simplicity and freshness (evident in the estate’s vegetable garden) and award-winning wine list make for an extremely enjoyable evening, especially when you can just wander back to your villa when you want to call it a night.
Read more about Bells at Killcare here.
Blue Mountains
Hotel pick: Emirates Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa
If it’s good enough for the celebs (Michael and Kyly Clarke, and Hamish Blake and Zoe Foster are among the famous peeps to marry there), Emirates Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa is good enough for us.
The 4,000 acre property features 40 individual suites, each with its own private pool and stunning views of the valley and beyond.
Hot tip: We love that each suite has two mountain bikes so you can explore or if relaxation is the name of the game, a spa treatment is a must.
While the price tag might be on the lavish side, it does include gourmet breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, all non-alcoholic beverages, a range of local beer and wines with meals AND two on-site nature activities including horse-riding and wildlife safaris, so you can totally justify it.
Southern Highlands
Hotel pick: Peppers Manor House
Located near the gorgeous town of Bowral around 90 minutes from Sydney, Peppers Manor House is a beautiful Southern Highlands estate that will have you feeling a million dollars (or at least the guest of a very rich relative).
Find yourself a prime position in the grand hall by the fire and enjoy Devonshire tea, or better still, a glass of wine or two and a cheese platter.
Hot tip: While it would be tempting to spend your whole stay at Peppers Manor House, factor in some time to explore the antique shops of Bowral, pay a visit to the Bradman Museum, visit the local wineries and have a meal at the fabulous Biota Dining.
Read more about Peppers Manor House here.
NSW is on SALE! For more inspiration from lastminute.com.au to relax and indulge in NSW this Spring , click here.
Author Bio
Nicole Gentle is lastminute.com.au’s Public Relations Manager and Blog Editor. Equally happy snorkelling in the crystal blue waters of Koh Tao; spotting a double rainbow over Uluru; cycling the beach path in Santa Monica or indulging with pork buns at the original Momufuko Noodle Bar in NYC, there’s no denying the travel bug has bitten big time. Follow Nicole on Twitter here.
