Crescent Head’s Sea Sea Hotel is the Ultimate Coastal Escape
On a quiet stretch of coast, this ’70s-chic retreat captures the best of Aussie surf culture.
Think back to the coastal holiday towns of your childhood: no crowds, a handful of restaurants, white sandy beaches. It may seem like a thing of the past but Crescent Head, on the Mid North Coast about an hour’s drive from Port Macquarie, still has that laid-back charm.
Fitting into town perfectly is new boutique hotel Sea Sea, the latest opening from Ksubi co-founder George Gorrow and his ceramic artist wife, Cisco Tschurtschenthaler (they are also responsible for hip Bali stay The Slow). Like Crescent Head, the property’s retro surf-club vibe harks back to a simpler time, just with luxurious finishes and fine dining.
There are 25 rooms ranging from generously sized studios and suites to The Villa, which has two sleeping areas and a private pool. All the spaces are slightly different but each has nostalgic touches, from comfy leather sofas to works by late surf photographer Peter Crawford. Bringing the wood panelling and exposed brick aesthetic into the now, floors are polished concrete, minibars are stocked with a bespoke lager by local Bucket Brewery and music played in the bar is piped into your suite (controls by the bed let you turn it up, down or off). There are longboards for hire if you want to go for a surf and fat-tyre electric bikes on which you can ride the two minutes into town or to the beach.
At Sea Sea Kitchen, the food by Daniel Medcalf (formerly of Icebergs Dining Room and Bar in Sydney) blends fresh produce from the nearby Macleay Valley with Asian flavours. The Tokyo hummus is made with soybeans, while the Belmore River sirloin is topped with a green peppercorn sauce. KFB or Korean fried broccoli – the deep-fried veg loaded with gochujang sauce – is the showstopper but if you’re craving more nostalgia, you can’t go past potato wedges with sour cream and sweet chilli sauce.
