(N.B. It has taken me a year and eleven days to write this story. And while it has become increasingly hard to find the time to sit down and write them, I still have so many stories I want to capture here. So here I am, finally putting one onto a page, along with a promise to set aside more time for this.)
“You’re going where?” was the response we got from pretty much anyone we shared our long weekend plans with, a puzzled look across their face. It was obvious that the town now considered somewhat a jewel of the NSW Central Coast, had not always been that way. In fact, far from it. “But I found a pretty place to stay,” I’d reply, ever hopeful. Nay, determined.
Alright, alright, I’ll admit it: a pretty place to stay is often the starting point for much of my holiday scheming. I find the aesthetic accommodation, then research the surrounding area in order to convince him it’s actually worth going. (And spending the stupid amounts of money these pretty places tend to cost.)
In this instance, it was this Airbnb. A cool, coastal-inspired studio with it’s own private courtyard and stumpy palm tree. And to be fair, we actually spent heaps of time there, soaking up the sun, some natty wine, and our books.
It was hidden in the depths of Long Jetty’s sleepy suburbia, yet impossible to get lost on the short walk to the main street. And while I’d done my research, for the first time in a long time — if not ever — I decided to leave most of what we did up to chance.
“Let’s just walk and see what we find,” I suggested over our first frothy coffee from Flour & Co. in Toowoon Bay, words I think he’d been waiting for almost forever to come out of my mouth. And so, in no particular order, here’s some of the things, places, and eats we found.
Upstairs Wines //
We spotted a cool looking sign in the window of a store tucked away off the main road as we made our way to coffee one morning. What we discovered inside was even cooler. Shelves of natuarl wine and interesting drops with ever more interesting labels — how I generally picked my potions — and a lovely guy who didn’t at all judge me for that fact. Apparently they actually have an upstairs room too that you can rent for tastings too.
Burnt Honey Bakery //
When trying to scout out the best things to do, it’s always a good idea to follow the crowds. In this instance, they led us to this bare-shelved bakery. And yes, while that doesn’t sound ideal, we made a point to get up early the next day and be first in line. And it was well worth it.
Il Toscano pasta bar //
Maybe it was the decor, maybe it was simply being in a completely new place, or maybe it was just the fact that it had been so long since we’d been let out of our own living room, but this sweet Italian restaurant made me feel like I was somewhere far away. We got a house wine, the biggest bowl of handmade pasta, and pretended we were sitting back in a piazza somewhere in Tuscany.
Main street shops //
There is quite the assortment of stores along Long Jetty’s main street. From surf shops to stale-smelling record stores – a scent I actually find quite tantilising. I dragged him to Plain Jane’s where he ended up buying a tee and I walked away empty handed. I had similar luck with Webster’s Vintage but the thrill of the chase is all I need when it comes to scouring secondhand stores. And I couldn’t go past Sorry Grandma. From the piles of original Tupperware to the tea cosies knitted right on site, it was fun, it was fresh, and, forgive me, but all sorts of funky.
Toowoon Bay Beach //
To really sum up the sort of weekend this was, one of my favourite hours spent – and this is a lot if you know me and my fair complexion – was simply sitting on the sand at Toowoon Bay Beach. The water sparkled, the sky shone and a small Jack Russel decided we were the sort of suckers that would spend sixty minutes throwing his slimy tennis ball back and forth for him. And we were.
Tiki La La //
I’ve always felt so connected to spaces. It’s why I spend so much of my time curating my home into a space that fills my cup. Well, Tiki La La’s had my cup overflowing. From the leather chairs aged with patina, to the bamboo consoles, rattan shelving, vintage clothes, and beautifully-packaged balms and fragrances, it was the sort of place I just wanted to sit and stay a while.
And thankfully, with a weekend we let softly roll by, with no where to be and no-one to see, I had all the time I wanted to do exactly that. So I did.
Where in the World 