Chilling out
 From rugged mountainside retreats to cosy country cottages, take a mid-winter break with our favourite weekend escapes.
Winter is here and with it comes the perfect excuse to get away. Whether it be a Miss Marple-style escape to a cosy old country house or a chance to refresh the soul in a Benedictine monastery, we’ve got the perfect winter weekend escape for you. Stoke up the fire and uncork the pinot.
PROMISE DELIVERED
On the sixth Day, God created Bellingen. And on the Seventh Day, he rested… And the Bellingen locals have been taking it easy ever since. Just 10 minutes away, over the evocatively-named Never Never River, is the blissful community of Promised Land – The Aussie equivalent of Shangri-la.
Promised Land Cottages feature stylish open-plan living areas attached to decks with dramatic views to the Dorrigo escarpment. While Promised Land’s real appeal is its sense of sanctuary from the outside world, its surrounds are far from purgatory.
The spectacular rainforest of the Dorrigo National Park is a 30-minute drive west, and the same distance to the east are a spoiled-for-choice selection of beaches. Allow time for a visit to No 2 Oak Street, also in Bellingen, at one of the country’s best regional restaurants.
Promised Land Cottages, Promised Land Road, Bellingen NSW, (02) 6655 9578, www.promisedlandcottages.com.au. Doubles from $190.
Rob Ingram- Gourmet Traveller June 2007
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