“Collect moments not things”

Earlier this year, my husband and I spent a weekend at Bannisters in Mollymook to celebrate our 11 year wedding anniversary. The year before, we had celebrated our first 10 years as a married couple with forty of our nearest and dearest, dining under the swaying palm trees and dancing on the golden sands of Palm Cove, the tropical jewel of Far North Queensland. It would be difficult to top a venue this romantic or beautiful but I had heard many great things about Bannisters.

Now, I’m a big believer in scheduling time away with my husband, to re-connect without the distraction of work, children and social commitments. Too often, I find the working week slipping away from us, with barely a glance, a tender kiss or a conversation of substance, due to the constant calls on my attention at night to act as cook, tutor and driver and his sheer exhaustion at night, after a day that begins at 4.45am to incorporate an early morning visit to the gym and a high powered job.

So I make it my role in life, to keep my husband (and me) happy, by ensuring we have events or getaways planned regularly for the year ahead, where we focus on no one else but each other. So, this time I booked a seaside escape in Mollymook…at the boutique hotel, Bannisters by the Sea! I had heard many glowing reports about the hotel, since it had undergone a renovation a few years ago, and was keen to experience it for myself.

Approximately 2.5 hours south of Sydney, Mollymook is a lovely coastal town surrounded by the beautiful verdant countryside of Milton. After taking advantage of having my man’s undivided attention for such a substantial length of time in the car, and naturally talking his ear off, we stopped at Milkhaus, situated in an old cheese factory in the tiny town of Woodstock (10 minutes out of Mollymook), for lunch. I was ecstatic to have found a place that rivalled any café in Sydney for nourishing, wholesome food and superb coffee but also had the added bonus of its idyllic country setting. I chose the Buddha bowl which consisted of a variety of seasonal farm grown organic vegetables all sourced straight from their kitchen garden! The café’s mantra of providing food that is “free of toxins, preservatives and anything artificial” was the perfect way to kick start our weekend, leaving us feeling satisfied and energised.

Next stop was Bannisters and our Collette Dinnigan styled penthouse…an extravagance to celebrate our special occasion! The décor was quite simply gorgeous…a seaside coastal elegance that was evocative of the luxury of the Hamptons (and Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica…another favourite)! A sense of serenity pervaded, from the moment of entering through the solid white timber doorway to be met by a dining/living area that suggested seaside living, luxury and exquisite taste, right down to the very last detail, whether that be the pastel striped turkish towels hanging from the wooden pegs to the eclectic collection of novels displayed on the side table. A balcony ran the length of the apartment ,with an uninterrupted view of the Pacific Ocean, an ideal spot to curl up on a white wicker chair with a glass of champagne and soak up the peace and quiet.

We had pre booked dinner for our anniversary celebration at the famous Rick Stein Restaurant at Bannisters. We were dressed in our finest (with nostalgic connotations as it was what we had worn at our 10 year celebration) and prepared to enjoy a romantic celebration of 11 years of marriage and a meal of unsurpassed flavours and creativity. Yes, the night was certainly romantic but unfortunately the restaurant did not live up to my expectations. It was good but after being lucky enough to eat at some sensational restaurants in Sydney, it was not a place that I would necessarily recommend with so many other superior choices on offer. The food lacked any pizazz or wow factor and even the ambience was somewhat lacking for dinner, as you could not take advantage of the view at night. The highlight of the evening was a white platter with the words “Happy Anniversary” written in chocolate across its breadth presented to us, by our waiter, as a memento of our special day. (However, see my postscript below and my second much improved night at Rick Stein last weekend)

Next morning began with a stroll down to the beach, followed by breakfast at Rick Steins, thankfully a definite improvement on dinner…smashed avocado, vine ripened cherry tomatoes and fetta sourdough bruschetta drizzled with olive oil, consumed on the sunny balcony whilst perusing the weekend paper and admiring the unrivalled view of the infinity pool and ocean.

After a quick trip into Ulladulla to work off my dinner from the night before at Anytime Fitness, we hit the sun beds by the pool and took advantage of the balmy conditions for the first weekend in May. This is a lovely spot at Bannisters and has a relaxed casual vibe with a pool bar/restaurant available for lunch, cocktails and dinner.

We had booked at St Isodore in Milton for a late lunch and were spoilt with a paddock to plate culinary experience that left us speechless! My entrée choice was the braised octopus which had been slow cooked for 12 hours and literally melted in my mouth. I had chosen another entrée for my main, being seared tuna and it was equally divine. Our table was on the verandah of the cottage overlooking the rolling green lawn and the chook house and vegetable garden. The menu is seasonal and the majority of ingredients are sourced from their own garden. This is a place to visit and try for anyone passing through or staying nearby. Bookings are essential, as apparently this gem is a local favourite and has gained widespread notoriety.

Next stop was a couple’s retreat at Bannister’s day spa, starting with a spa bath for two including the ubiquitous glass of bubbly and a handful of sinfully delicious chocolates. After half an hour of soaking up the bubbles, we were led to a sauna for a scrub, shower and steam and then back to the spa room for a massage. The room was semi open to the outdoors and the sound of the crashing waves plus the feel of the breeze caressing and cooling our heated bodies from the sauna, were sufficient to lull us to sleep, as our talented therapists worked wonders on relieving our bodies of any knots of tension. Seriously…could this weekend get any better!!

Dinner was on the rooftop of the newly opened sister property, Bannisters Pavilion, less than a kilometre away. The hotel has a very funky décor, and with the Rooftop Bar & Grill located by the Rooftop pool, it exudes a glamorous, resort vibe. There is an interesting mix of Mexican, American and Lebanese style food. My meal consisting of Lebanese grilled chicken, baba ganoush, tabouli and kasundi chutney was perfect in flavour and also easy on the waistline. I would also highly recommend ordering the eggplant chips with burnt onion aioli (to share of course) and a glass of rose.

The next morning saw me out for an early morning jog, which hilariously ended up with me joining in with a local run club and racing a rather elderly gentleman over the finish line, providing the necessary endorphin rush to start my day.

We had a leisurely breakfast in Milton at the iconic vegan café Pilgrims, apparently this is the original one (established in 1980) and the café in Cronulla is the younger version, and were not disappointed. The dishes are simple but bursting with flavour and colour…my husband’s pick of tomato, rocket and fetta on sourdough and mine being pesto mushroom on sourdough were quite simply delicious and the ideal meal to start the day.

We then sadly bid farewell to Bannisters but like any new addict, booked again later in the year for our fix. Without doubt this will become an annual escape for us. A holiday that involved no flights, a surprisingly sophisticated choice of restaurants/cafes and accommodation that constantly made me go WOW…I’m already counting down the days until we are back there again!

P.S. We did return last weekend with friends and amazingly fell further in love with Mollymook. We tempted fate and ate at Rick Stein again and were pleasantly surprised with all our food and wine choices. The food was sophisticated and delicious, presented impeccably and the service was also attentive but not obtrusive. My only complaint would be, that unfortunately the fit out and ambience still does not take advantage of the location, in direct contrast with the Rooftop Bar and Grill at the sister property Bannisters Pavilion. I must also make special mention of Cupitt’s Winery in Ulladulla, where we enjoyed a long leisurely lunch consisting of three courses with matching wines and a wine tasting. Quite simply the most exquisite meal, with an unsurpassed view of the rolling countryside from the quaint stone cottage that is Cupitt’s Kitchen.

Finally, one last mention must be made of my newest discovery…the expresso martini…a fantastic substitute for dessert! Cheers!