You would be forgiven for meandering past the front gate and whitewashed exterior of this seaside cottage; humble in its street-side appearance, blending into the surrounds under Norfolk Pines and snug to the Boathouse Hotel Patonga. Pip & Andrew Goldsmith from The Boathouse Group wanted to create a place “where we would like to go on holidays, what we would like”  Pip explains.

When you step through what was the old Patonga post office building transformed into a holiday cottage you get the feel this cottage is nearly cliché in its perfection of one’s imagination of escaping to a quaint seaside village.

The small kitchen and living area opens to a large deck area with a fire pit for the chilly evenings; you step down to a full-size BBQ and a seating area equipped with fridges and an ice machine, “nothing worse than not having enough ice” says Pip who, when creating the Cottage, has left nothing unanswered.

Completing this the idealistic backyard experience is a small lawn area and a private tank pool – a repurposed water tank that can be heated within hours to a spa-like temperature and chilled on mid-summer days when you want to refresh.

There is little need to leave the cottage once you’ve checked in. From a swing chair on the back deck to settle into with a good book to the ample bedroom space (sleeping 10 people across three king-size bedrooms and two sets of bunk beds in the fourth bedroom), you have plenty of space for some decent rest and relaxation. 

All the furnishings and interior styling have been completed by Pip and are in a style we’ve come to know from the Boathouse Group – light and bright with lush furnishing featuring nautical motifs accenting the natural surrounds of the establishments.  

Do not let that make you think you can’t bring your small humans. Patonga Cottage is child friendly, with two televisions and Netflix already logged in. With direct access to the field next door, the cottage has everything you need from cricket sets, bocce and yoga mats as well as fishing rods, bicycles and a beach trolley cart to head out for a day exploring Patonga village and the natural surrounds.

Feel free to organise a picnic to take with you from the Boathouse Hotel Patonga and enjoy a bottle of wine bayside if you so desire.

As you venture back from the day of adventures, salty hair and sandy feet alike, there is an outdoor shower and foot bath with hot and cold water to ensure that feeling of a summer holiday is a lingering state of mind.

The kitchen is big enough to whip up the essentials with you being able to bring in your own groceries or pick up the basics at the Boathouse general store. If you’re not in the mood to cook; you can order food at the Hotel and have it delivered to the cottage at the scheduled time. 

Other logistics for ease of mind is that the cottage boasts off-road multi-car parking if you are doing the 90-minute from Newcastle or Sydney. 

The ferry timetable is available so you can take a day trip across to Palm Beach for those who wish to stretch their legs; otherwise, the spectacular Brisbane Water National Park is literally on your doorstep to discover. 

As picturesque and beautiful the cottage is, there is a sense of comfort and homeliness that makes you want to settle in and indulge in the escapism that is Patonga.