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The Best of Bellingen: Exploring the Mid North NSW Coast with Georgia Hopkins
Country Road celebrates the lands and waters that give us life; into which the songlines, stories, songs, ancestors and dreamings of First Nations peoples are woven. May we pay respect to all First Nations people, past and present, for their generosity and custodianship of Country. We demonstrate our respect for First Nations peoples through our commitments to environmentally sustainable business practices and to working collaboratively and ethically to increase First Nations inclusion in our business and the Australian fashion and lifestyle industry.
This article is written by guest contributor Georgia Hopkins, founder of online travel platform It’s Beautiful Here. You can follow Georgia at @_itsbeautifulhere to discover all her favourite places to stay across Australia and beyond.
There’s a certain kind of magic to the Bellinger Valley and its presence can be felt as soon as you turn off the highway and drive into town.
The traditional home of the Gumbaynggirr people, there is an abundance of natural beauty to be found here on the mid north coast of New South Wales (halfway between Sydney and Brisbane).
The enchanting little village of Bellingen itself is full of art deco charm. Affectionately known as ‘Bello’, the town has long attracted a community of conscious-living artists, creatives and nature lovers. Whether it be the crystal clear waters of the Bellinger River, the beauty of the Promised Land, or the ever present mountains, it is a peaceful and restorative part of the world. Having been a visitor here on many occasions I feel lucky to share some of my favourite local recommendations with the Country Road community.
Photography — Bridget Wood
STAY
BELLINGEN FARMHOUSE
Of all the unique and beautiful places to stay I have found in Australia so far, the Bellingen Farmhouse is up there with the very best. Owner Susan Weil (who lives here with her two daughters) has created an incredibly special farmstay experience. Just five minutes out of town, with north east mountain views over Old Man Dreaming, the Bellingen Farmhouse sits on an eight-acre biodynamic working farm and makes up part of Weilhouse Living—four unique properties that embody Susan’s love of nature, beauty and simplicity.
With an exceptional design aesthetic, Susan has filled the Farmhouse with an amazing collection of vintage finds, interiors and artwork from all over the world. Flooded with natural light, the house can sleep up to eight people and has been lovingly built using secondhand and recycled doors, windows and timber, paying homage to the natural surrounds.
The Farmhouse sits within Susan’s organic and biodynamic orchard and veggie gardens, with more than 60 varieties of temperate and subtropical fruit trees and beautiful, seasonal fruit, veggies and eggs. You will also be sharing your farmstay experience with 40 happy chickens, two dogs (Snoopy and Red), three horses, two sheep, a couple of goats and plenty of wildlife. It’s an incredibly grounding and relaxing accommodation experience. It was such a treat to spend some days on Susan’s property. We were lucky enough to share a few meals with her and her girls, and there were plenty of laughs and many stories shared around the dinner table and by the fire. I can't recommend a stay at the Bellingen Farmhouse (or any of the Weilhouse Living properties) more highly. It is very beautiful here.
DINE
HYDE
HYDE is always my first stop on any visit to Bellingen. A Bello institution for the past eight years, this is the best place to enjoy a slow morning coffee (by Pablo & Rusty’s) and a delicious homemade cake (my pick is the carrot cupcake, delicious!) on one of the sun-drenched communal wooden tables. Started by mother-and-daughter duo Jenni Bienefelt and Elyse Wright back in 2014, they have curated a welcoming space to bring people together. In addition to the cafe, there is a beautiful store that stocks an amazing selection of local brands (skincare, fashion, furniture and homewares), including clothes by Blanca and St. Agni, incense by Torquay-based ‘This is Incense’, and deliciousness by Byron Bay brands Loco Love Chocolate and Mayde Tea.
QUDO Cafe & Sake
It is hard to explain how much I love Qudo Cafe & Sake (the sister cafe to the beloved Doma in the Byron hinterland). Housed in a beautiful century-old weatherboard house that looks over the valley and the Bellinger River, Qudo serves up amazingly delicious and authentic Japanese/modern Australian fusion in a very pretty setting. Open for lunch and dinner five days a week (they are closed Mondays and Tuesdays through winter), there is inside, outside and balcony dining available. After lunch, wander down Hyde Street to see Danny at Bellingen Gelato for one of his delicious (and creative) homemade gelati flavours.
BRUNO’S MEDITERRANEAN KITCHEN
Bruno’s is relatively new on the Bellingen dining scene and one not to be missed. With the most friendly of maître d's, and an exceptional team, Bruno’s offers up a delicious mediterranean-style dining experience—think small, large and sweet sharing plates and delicious wines. I recommend the focaccia with housemade ricotta to start, followed by fire-grilled prawns, smoked harissa charcoal chicken and dulche de leche for dessert. Bruno’s is open Wednesday—Saturday.
EXPLORE
RIVER SWIMS
To swim in the pristine waters of the Bellinger Valley is a peaceful, healing and restorative experience and one not to be missed. The easiest and most accessible swimming spot in the Bellinger River is just across the Lavender Bridge (park on the right-hand side). For something even more magical, head out to the Promised Land in the Gleniffer Valley (20 minutes from Bellingen) where you will find the crystal waters of the Never Never River. There are some very special swimming spots out here. If you ask a local they will gladly share the good places.
WATERFALLS
I love nothing more than driving up the stunning Waterfall Way (rated the best scenic drive in New South Wales) to the Dorrigo National Park to spend time amongst its World Heritage-listed Gondwana rainforest. 800 metres above sea level, this subtropical rainforest is filled with astonishingly beautiful 600-year-old trees and breathtaking waterfalls. If you only have time for a short visit, wander out over the Skywalk—a 70-metre elevated walkway through the rainforest with views out to sea. It’s incredible. If you are not in a hurry, try the 6km ‘Wonga’ walking trail loop which takes you past both the Tristania and Crystal Shower Falls. I love to sit underneath the cascading falls, bathing in the forest of trees around me (Rosewood, Tanglewood, Illawarra Flame Trees, Woolgoolga Black Apple, Strangler Fig, to name just a few). It’s a captivating place. I also highly recommend visiting the nearby Dangar Falls, or venturing a bit further out to the Wollomombi Falls in New England—one of the highest falls in Australia.
BEACHES
The beaches on the Coffs Coast are only a short drive away and are definitely worth a visit. Some of my favourites include Diggers Beach at Coffs for great surf and an amazing walking track around the headland to Charlesworth Bay (best at sunset); Woolgoolga (or ‘Woopi’ as the locals call it, be sure to grab dinner at Sunset Room Woopi); Sawtell—for its stunning beach and tidal rock pools at the southern end (grab coffee at The Hilltop Store); and lastly, Urunga, where the Bellinger and Kalang rivers meet. Take a wander along the famous Urunga Boardwalk—a 1km elevated trail that takes you along the Kalang River in Bellinger Heads State Park to the Bellinger River, and then over the Urunga Lagoon and along the estuary mouth to the edge of the Pacific Ocean. You might even spot some whales if you are visiting between May and November.
