Living the Good Life at Caves Beachside Hotel

4Nippers Abound at Catherine Hill Bay

I N S I D E THIS I S S U E

The Beautiful Wallarah National Park7 Surf Club

Renovations Completed83

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W H E R E YO U R E A L LY WA N T TO B E

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2. From Your Verandah

2. Beaches Neighbours: Donna Lewis

3. Youthful Energy: Surf Club Nippers

4. Living the Good Life

6. A Taste of the Sea

7. Wallarah National Park

8. Surf Club Renovations Complete

In this issue:The Founder’s ColumnWelcome to the summer 2015 edition of Beaches Life, the chronicle of our shared journey at Beaches Catherine Hill Bay.

A labour of love for all of us at Beaches Catherine Hill Bay, this year witnessed our heartfelt endeavours to fulfil a promise to create a new coastal village. We said we would build a thriving community of neighbours and friends who share our vision of enjoying life in a vibrant village by the sea and that is what we are doing. Road and pathway construction is underway and home sites are taking shape in the Surfside release, where the vistas are stunning and access to both Moonee Beach and Middle Camp Beach is just a stone’s throw. Visit our recently relocated Beach House where you’ll see personally the progress we’re making at Beaches. Sit on our beach-view verandah, drink in the views, listen to the rolling waves and start sketching the designs for your dream home. Our founders – visionaries – are the very people who, early on, embraced the concept of Beaches Catherine Hill Bay. In the new year, Surfside founders will take ownership of their land and begin the process of designing and building their much-anticipated coastal

homes and will be joined by the new owners in the Moonee Sunnyspot releases later in 2016 and a village will gradually evolve into a community. As activity in the area mounts, the opening of the Montefiore Parkway in 2016 will lead the way to safer access to Catherine Hill Bay. The wide, tree-lined boulevard intersects the Pacific Highway where residents and visitors will find traffic lights adding an essential measure of safety to the flow of vehicles. Next year is BIG! Beaches Catherine Hill Bay will take shape like never before. A village of homes will spring up, a community of people with shared passions will form and the dream of coastal living at Beaches will transform into reality. Happy New Year! It’s going to be a grand 2016.

Bryan Rose

It’s no surprise that, eight weeks into the nippers program, more and more youngsters turn up to register in early December. Keen to begin their own journey to become lifesavers they must be seeing the fun that the current crop of nippers is having along the way.

Catherine Hill Bay Surf Lifesaving Club Junior Activities Chairman Josh Simpson advises that new members are welcome to join as soon as they turn five. He says, “Nippers programs give kids a great understanding of beach safety, a sense of confidence and belonging, and they learn skills which will be with them all their lives.”

Older nippers (12 to 14) are encouraged to learn the skills for the Surf Rescue Certificate while younger nippers learn how to become strong swimmers, they learn board skills and they participate in flag races and other surf sports. Certificate in hand, at 14 nippers advance to the senior club and are qualified to participate in patrolling the waters as full-fledged lifesavers.

Simpson explains, “I believe kids need a goal and gaining their Surf Rescue Certificate gives them a great sense of achievement and it means that they can participate fully in club life.”

For competitive nippers, there are junior carnivals up and down the coast. In fact, some of Catherine Hill Bay’s local nippers are training seriously for the 2016 Catho Board Challenge to be held in January. This annual event, of which Beaches Catherine Hill Bay is a major sponsor, played host to nearly 250 competitors last year. From as far away as Victoria and southeast Queensland, under 10s to seniors graced the beaches at Catherine Hill Bay to compete. With the promise of an even bigger field of competitors in the new year, the competition is heating up.

NIPPERS ABOUND AT CATHERINE HILL BAY

YOUTHFUL ENERGY

Donna Lewis can’t wait to start building her dream home at Beaches Catherine Hill Bay.

The proprietor of Donna’s Beauty Secrets at Kanwal Village – about a 15-minute drive from Catherine Hill Bay – was unaware that blocks in the new coastal village were for sale. It wasn’t until her son Todd, a personal trainer, persuaded her and husband David to have a look.

Having camped in Catho with her family on school holidays, Lewis has fond childhood memories of the area.

She says, “We were so excited by the village concept, and thrilled that many of the blocks being offered had ocean views. David and I bought one block and Todd and his partner Ashlee another.”

Lewis continues excitedly, “About six of our friends and more of my clients have also purchased land at Beaches so we’ll all be enjoying the sea air together in the near future.”

For 15 years, Lewis has managed the ever-changing demands of the business of owning a beauty salon. Building a beachside home is the pot of gold at the end of her rainbow; she’s reaping the rewards of hard work. Looking forward to waking up to the sound of the ocean Lewis says, “We are hoping to build as soon as possible.”

One thing is sure as Lewis and her family begin the building process: her commute to work from her new location will be 14 minutes longer. “But,” she says, “Even though my drive to work will change from one minute to 15 minutes, the location at Catherine Hill Bay more than compensates.”

Neighbours

Yes…from YOUR verandah. That’s right. Beaches Life has been loaded with its editors’ impressions of Catherine Hill Bay but from now on, in the From Your Verandah section, we want to show off glimpses of your perspective of this special place in the world.

In each issue of Beaches Life, this column will feature images of your favourite activities, sport, flora, fauna, and just good old “taking it easy” at Catherine Hill Bay. We’re looking for interesting, surprising photos of the Catherine Hill Bay area taken by YOU. The images don’t just have

to be of those perfectly sunny days we’ve come to expect or even perfect photos; those stormy, wind-swept days with sea-spray whipping off the breaking waves are just as beautiful. You get the picture.

Send your photos to info@beacheschb.com.au and include your name and contact details. It’s understood that submissions to Beaches Life give express permission to publish them therein. For use otherwise, such as on the website, in social media or in printed material other than Beaches Life, we will ask your permission.

FROM YOUR VERANDAHVE·RAN·DAHnoun - a roofed platform along the outside of a house, affording a view of the surroundssynonyms: porch, gallery, balcony, lanai, sun porch, stoop

Dozens of junior surf lifesavers – better known as nippers – hit the surf to train every Sunday morning on the beach at Catherine Hill Bay.

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lanning a visit to Beaches Catherine Hill Bay? Be sure to add a dining experience at the Caves Beachside Hotel to your itinerary. Whether you

drop in for lunch, dinner or a cocktail, the views from the hotel’s perch above the sand hills near Caves Beach are spectacular and the atmosphere there embodies the laid-back, fun-loving spirit of the Lake Macquarie coast. After a sea- and sun-filled day on the beach, the ocean view on the deck at Caves Beachside is the ideal spot for a refreshing ale or a chilled glass of wine as you await the fine casual cuisine its restaurant turns out. Just launched, the new menu at the hotel’s bistro is the mastermind of Executive Chef Glen Herivel. The dishes on the menu are inspired both by the best that the sea and the Hunter Valley have to offer.

Caves Beachside is also a full service boutique event site. Are you planning a wedding, a business conference, family reunion or another personal or business gathering? The excellent menu options, professional staff and infectious energy among the hotel and bistro employees (must be the coastal sea air) spills over from the day to day operations into events staged at Caves Beachside.

Smiling patrons are a testament to the hotel’s hospitality and management as well as its new owners, Sydney-based Royal Hotels Group. With 18 idyllic beachfront suites and 32 two-bedroom villas and townhouses, Caves Beachside is an inspiring setting and the perfect place to stay while planning and building your own seaside hideaway at Beaches Catherine Hill Bay.

In the same way that Catherine Hill Bay and Moonee Beach delight the senses, a trip to Caves Beachside at Caves Beach is as good as it gets.

Caves Beachside Hotel has offered a special discount on accommodation for purchases at Beaches Catherine Hill Bay. Just mention Beaches when making your reservation on 4980 9999.

Here’s a toast to the good life... At Caves Beachside Hotel!

LIVING THE GOOD LIFE!C A V E S B E A C H S I D E H O T E L

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Caves Beachside is an inspiring setting and the perfect place to stay while planning and building your own seaside hideaway at Beaches Catherine Hill Bay.

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WALLARAH

Trying to catch a glimpse of a passing humpback or southern right whale? Look no further than the “coastal walking track” of nearby Wallarah National Park.

An easy 2.5km path that connects Caves Beach with the headlands south of Pinny Beach. The beautiful views, spectacular springtime wildflowers, various other vegetation and habitats, and plenty of bird watching opportunities along the way, this trek offers the best of Wallarah.

It’s easy to pick out the cabbage-tree palm along the way; they grow to 25 metres. At Pinny Beach, where the sand is coarse and dark, there’s surfing and plenty of fishing. Shark Hole is a famous fishing spot further south of Pinny Beach.

The 2.8km “scenic trail” is enjoyed on foot or mountain bike. It is a steep scenic alternative trail through coastal forest and heathland to Pinny Beach. It’s a challenge even for the best of mountain bikers but the small creek, coastal heath, scenic views of the coastline, the palm gully rainforest and woodland-dwelling blue wren along the way are worth every bit of the steep climb. Shaded gullies along the trail provide much needed respite in the warmer months.

On “Yondeo trail” you’ll find picnic spots, bird- and whale-watching vistas once you reach the escarpments along the coast. For walkers or cyclists, the shady bushland along the 1.2km trail provides a canopy of eucalyptus and cabbage-tree palms keeping visitors cool while admiring the brilliant purple bloom of the happy wanderer or the delicate flowers of the fairy orchid. Still hot? A swim at Pinny Beach offers a great end-of-the road cool-down for Yondeo trail blazers.

On any of the three Wallarah National Park trails, do take binoculars; and your favorite beach towel for that cooling swim before you embark on your return journey. For Wallarah National Park visitor information, refer to http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/parks/Wallarah-National-Park/Visitor-Info. Walk. Bike. Watch. Enjoy.

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Caves Beachside Hotel Executive Chef, Glen Herivel, knows when he’s onto a good thing. Notwithstanding a portfolio of exotic cheffing locales that include cooking aboard a sailing vessel that travelled the Caribbean, Mediterranean and South Pacific, a position in Sochi, Russia’s “summer capital” along the Black Sea, a stint in the Austrian Alps and one in London for the television show Surfing the Menu, Herivel claims that the deck overlooking the ocean at the Caves Beachside Hotel “is the top location for dining.”

Novocastrian born and raised, Herivel apprenticed at the Apollo and inner-city fine dining restaurant Picardi’s, both in Newcastle. But Europe called. “All of the top chefs were from Europe so that’s where I went to hone my culinary skills,” he recalls about his post-apprentice days traveling and working there.

On his return to Australia, Herivel found an evolved hospitality scene. He remembers, “Home-grown chefs were running the show; we were creating a new way of dining that took the best of everything from around the world.”

After having spent some time at a number of Hunter Valley establishments, Herivel has returned to the Catherine Hill Bay area and is now at the helm of food operations at the immensely popular Caves Beachside Hotel. Thrilled with the changes being made by the new Sydney based owners, Royal Hotels Group, Herivel says, “Royal Hotels has made a significant investment in new equipment. In a demanding kitchen environment, this helps us maintain the highest quality.”

Glen Herivel is equally proud of hotel patrons’ reaction to the new menu, which was introduced in November. “It’s much lighter and fresher, in tune with summer on the beach,” he says. Each of his team of 10 chefs and kitchen apprentices are trained to be consistent, an important element in daily food preparation. Herivel continues, “As the festive season rolls around I’m sure the seafood dishes especially will be a smash hit.”

If you haven’t already had a taste of the sea in and around Catherine Hill Bay, Caves Beachside Hotel is a perfect place to start.

A Taste of the Sea

N A T I O N A L P A R K

CRISPY SKIN SALMON STEAK ON SHAVED FENNEL SALAD WITH SALSA VERDE & SWEET POTATO

FOR SALSA 1/2 a Bunch of the following: Mint, Coriander,

Dill, Parsley, Chervil, Sage, Chives

2 x Tbl spoons Dijon Mustard

30 x Capers

Juice of 5 Limes

50 ml olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix in food processor

FOR FISH1 x 300gr King Salmon Steak

Seared skin side down, cooked medium rare

FOR SALAD4 x Fennel Bulbs shaved fine

Juice of 3 Lemons

Fennel tips chopped fine

Pinch of sea salt

Drizzle of Olive oil

Mix well

Place salad on plate, Salmon on top, Dot salsa around the plate, place cubed pieces of Roasted Sweet Potato and garnish with a grilled scampi or two.

GLEN HERIVEL

GLEN HERIVEL: EXECUTIVE CHEF CAVES BEACHSIDE HOTEL

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SURF CLUB R E N O V A T I O N S C O M P L E T E D

Some of my fondest, earliest memories of Christmas include time spent on the beach with family, friends and neighbours. In the morning, after unwrapping presents, our newest cherished treasures; we built sand castles, swam and surfed. At lunchtime we had a Christmas feast that was followed by beach cricket (somebody always gets a beach cricket set) and another swim before sundown.

Over the past few years my wife and I have been passing on these traditions to our children on the shores of Lake

Macquarie and at Catherine Hill Bay. We look forward to seeing the new residents at Beaches Catherine Hill Bay establish their own Christmas traditions over the coming years.

From our family to yours, we wish you a merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Bryan Rose

he long-awaited renovations to the Catherine Hill Bay Surf Life Saving Club’s clubhouse are finished! At a festive opening ceremony on 9 December,

the much-improved facilities were revealed for all to see. Host to a variety of activities, functions and events, the clubhouse has always been – now improved – a valuable asset to its members as well as to the local community.

Renovations Project Manager, Dave Brockwell, said the transformation from the old clubhouse to what was proudly revealed in early December demonstrates the cooperation between and among Hunter Surf Life Saving, Lake Macquarie City Council, the New South Wales Government, club supporters, sponsors and members. The result is outstanding.

Brockwell says, “Anyone visiting the clubhouse last year as compared to this year will be amazed at the improve-ments.” He continued, “It’s certainly given the place a new lease on life that’s good for another 15 to 20 years.”

The New South Wales Government Community Partnership Programme made a generous contribution to the renovation. Lake Macquarie City Council also invested in the renovation as well as managed the whole project. Additionally, club members contributed both hard-earned money and professional skills; many willingly volunteered their time and talent to the massive task of refurbishment.

The ground floor has been converted into dedicated training and meeting rooms. There is new storage for powered rescue equipment and there is a modern gym where members can train anytime now. The windows and doors upstairs have been replaced, the bathrooms completely rebuilt with totally new shower facilities and the bar area has been extended. The bar was rebuilt to accommodate a food preparation area and a new BBQ area was added to the balcony.

Also planned for the coming year is the re-paving of the surf-side exterior. These plans incorporate the construc-tion of a viewing platform with an area for tables and chairs and a new kiosk to attract even more visitors to enjoy Catho’s iconic beach and surf.

The combination of the new clubhouse improvements with the future re-pavement and upgraded kiosk make for a first-class function venue for family and commu-nity events. With the waves breaking below, framing the ever-beautiful sunrise, Catherine Hill Bay Surf Life Saving Clubhouse has the best seats around!

The long-awaited renovations to the Catherine Hill Bay Surf Life Saving Club’s clubhouse are finished!

T

A Very “Catho” Christmas