Have just returned from a relaxing weekend getaway at Crystal Creek Rainforest Retreat celebrating our 27th wedding anniversary. The Retreat comprises of about 13 individual cottages tucked away in the rainforest at the end of Upper Crystal Creek Road approx 20kms west of the closest large town of Murwillimbah.
Our cottage was called Booyong & was completely private. We could not see any of the other cottages, all we could see was the rainforest out of the huge glass windows in the lounge, bedroom & bathroom. The cottage was attractively lit up with all the comforts of home. The luxurious bathroom was huge with a large spa bath surrounded by 3 glass walls overlooking the lush rainforest, an open shower & underfloor heating & heated towel rails. At night you could switch on an outside light which highlighted the rainforest. Our king sized bed was located on a mezzanine level & was very comfortable. The lounge room had a huge fireplace stocked with logs but unfortunately we could not use it as the weather was quite warm the weekend we stayed. On the deck there was a BBQ, 2 daybeds & a table & chairs.
We booked the Romance package which included 2 nights accommodation, 2 breakfast & 2 dinners as well as a bottle of wine. We chose our meals & ordered them by email a few days before. When we arrived on the Fri night our dinner & our breakfast the next morning was already in the fridge. The following night’s dinner & breakfast for Sunday morning were delivered into our fridge on the Sat afternoon. Our dinners just needed to be heated up in the microwave & we cooked our breakfasts each morning on the spotlessly clean BBQ on the deck.
There is a Games Room centrally located near Reception where you can play a game of pool or table tennis or choose a movie from the hundreds on offer. The property boasts about 4 bush walks & you are kitted out with a walking stick (a must have if you are walking up to the Lookout) plus a supply of Bushmans to spray on your shoes to deter the leeches. We climbed up to the Lookout which is described as strenuous & they are not joking it really is strenuous but once at the top there are beautiful views out to the coast & a bench seat to sit on as well.
There is also a rock strewn creek with pools big enough to take a dip in with 4 hammocks stretched across the water. A beautiful place to relax, read a book & let your cares drift away.
We were sorry to leave this fantastic location & wished we could have stayed another night. This is not a cheap place to stay but would recommend Crystal Creek Rainforest Retreat for that special time away celebrating a special occasion or as a ‘getaway’ from the business of life. This place will certainly recharge the batteries. Just peace & quiet & time to focus on each other.
