Review: Angourie Rainforest Resort, Yamba

A lush resort set amongst palms and backing onto a little sliver of secondary rainforest, Angourie Rainforest Resort is located about 8 hours drive from Sydney, near the border of New South Wales and Queensland. We had booked 3 nights with a Groupon voucher, which included daily bike hire (normally $20 a day or $10 for a half day), free DVD hire and complimentary late check out.

Angourie Rainforest Resort (Pic from http://www.wotif.com)

Location

Angourie is located a short distance away from Yamba town proper, but the distance is easily navigable by bicycle or car. You could also walk to town – it’s only about 5 km away and most of the journey is pleasant, with pedestrian friendly sidewalks.

Living area in the apartment (Pic from http://www.daelive.com)

Accommodation

Our accommodation was a one bedroom apartment with fully serviced kitchen and a small lounge area. The bathroom came with a spa bath, which was a great treat after a full day’s of hiking and cycling. The rooms were generally quite nice, and the bed was comfortable, though the floors felt like they could use a deep clean. My favourite part of the apartment was the melding of the outdoors and indoors in the dining area, which had clear walls that gave a 180 degree view of palms. The finishing touch was a daybed – the perfect perch for lounging.

Dining area (Pic from http://www.tripadvisor.com)

The kitchen was generally quite well equipped, though there was only one pot and one pan, so if you’re looking to cook up a three course meal, you may have to juggle! There was enough cutlery and china for four, with wine glasses also provided. We managed to cook up most of our meals in the apartment, which was a great cost saving.

The pool at Angourie (Pic from http://www.sunloverholidays.com.au)

Facilities

There are two pools – an adult and a children’s pool, though the latter is more a wading pool for littlies. There is also a small gym, a café, restaurant and an indoor play centre for children – perfect for burning off extra energy on rainy days. There were comfortable lounge chairs surrounding the pool, convenient access to the café and bar for drinks and snacks, and we spent most of our afternoons whiling away the hours poolside. The resort also offers outdoor BBQ pits, a spa, tennis courts and a rainforest walk. There is Wi-Fi available, however the signal was pretty weak, so we didn’t bother using it.

Cunjevoi Restaurant (Pic from http://www.tripadvisor.com)

The restaurant on site, Cunjevoi was a stand out experience. Popular not just with resort guests but also the locals, bookings are a must on weekends. I enjoyed my meal of scallops for entrée and Yamba prawns for main immensely. The setting is also lovely, with tables set out on a wooden deck with glass walls, surrounded by greenery and a water sculpture. Service was laidback but as we were on holiday this didn’t faze us.

Angourie’s Blue Pool (Pic from http://www.visitnsw.com.au)

Attractions

Angourie Beach, a short bike or car ride away, is a National Surfing Reserve, a point of pilgrimage for surfers all around Australia, and one of Australia Geographic’s best 8 surf spots in Australia. The breaks here are pretty serious and are recommended for advanced surfers only. For those who aren’t looking to catch a break, there’s Angourie’s Blue Pool, an old, deep mine filled with water and people jumping off the rock ledges for a bit of a kick.

Along the coastal walk (Pic from http://www.greatwalks.com.au)

Nearby, Yuraygir National Park is a must visit. The Coastal Walk spans days, but if you only have a few hours, you can follow the emu signposts up to a point, then turn around and go back. We started from Mara Creek and at Shelley Beach, turned back the way we came, passing heath, old leaning banksias, rocky headlands, spider high rises and windswept, desolate beaches. For those less inclined to the great outdoors, Yamba town has a few browse-worthy shops and on the last Sunday of each month, Yamba hosts a market. There are all the usual suspects – homemade jams, preserves, chutneys, plants for sale, fresh produce, hot food, toys and local arts and crafts.

Perfect for families, friends or couples looking for an active break away from the Big Smoke, Angourie Rainforest Resort offers plenty of facilities and activities to do, or if you prefer relaxation, poolside lounges and pampering at the on-site spa. We would definitely re-visit more often if the drive from Sydney wasn’t such a trip. The journey is only really do-able on a 4 day weekend, otherwise we would be back more often!

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