Avoca Valley B&B: Fifty Shades of Green
Avoca Valley B&B is a peaceful and picturesque sanctuary in the heart of the Central Coast.
It might be located on one of the Coast’s busy arterial roads – Avoca Drive – but the Kincumber bed and breakfast is an oasis of lush lawns and liquidambars.
It offers an idyllic setting for a relaxing staycation or weekend away.
One half of the grand home is occupied by host Jo Forster, her husband Mick and their adorable leg-huggers James and Harrison.
The other half consists of three luxe rooms including a plush and cosy King Spa suite that we’re calling home for a night.
The Forster clan took over the B&B ten years ago as part of a tree change from Sydney’s inner city, and have implemented some nice touches.
When we return from dinner at Bombini up the road, a bottle of local Distillery Botanica lemon myrtle liqueur and some choccies have been left out.
The Nespresso machine is on, there’s every conceivable kind of tea and the dining room shelves are fully stocked with books and DVDs.
To help ease us into a blissed out state, there always seems to be some Norah Jones or Michael Buble floating down the hallway.
After a spa, we sleep like logs on the cloud of a king bed and awake to a glorious view of fifty shades of green.
Set on 2.5 acres, the property has immaculately manicured lawns and beautiful landscaped gardens including a tea house, hammock, and a friendly brood of chooks that pop out from under poplars and hide around every corner.
We indulge in an espresso in bed and then take tea on our private balcony – gossiping geese and dinging bell birds the only sounds for miles.
It’s a crisp winter’s day but inside we couldn’t be warmer or cosier.
Eventually the smell of bacon lures us out to breakfast.
In the dining room, sunlight is streaming through the windows onto the wooden floorboards and tables for two are covered with blue gingham tablecloths creating a distinctly country feel.
Within moments we’re being served the breakfast we ordered last night – eggs with asparagus and hollandaise sauce and a slab of superb French toast with a smattering of the freshest fruit on the Coast.
We’ve spent less than 24 hours in the warm embrace of the B&B but it has felt like a heavenly, restful break in the country.
As is always the way with a staycation, it’s a stress-free, traffic-free, easy-like-Sunday-morning 20-minute drive and we’re home.
Unfortunately our visit to Avoca Valley has highlighted how decidedly drab and dull our own driveway is, and there’s a sudden urge to do some landscaping…
Coastal Chic Tip: The B&B offers lots of great value winter deals and dining packages.