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''A Stress-free short break? Mission possible!''.... The mission (should I accept it): Reward seven hard working mums with a weekend away from work, stress and children. The problem: the stand by desk at Sydney domestic airport on a Friday night. The solution: Star of the Sea resort at Terrigal. Instead of struggling through traffic to the airport and waiting around in the standby lounge, a group of friends and I recently got into our cars and zipped up to Sydney’s central coast. In just 75 minutes we were standing in our luxurious 5 star, 4 bedroom apartment, admiring the view over beautiful Terrigal beach and deciding where to go for dinner. Star of the Sea is a new resort. It opened in August 2004, overlooks four kilometres of sandy beach and was recently featured on TV’s Getaway programme. An award winning complex, we saw it on TV and couldn’t resist the opportunity to check out a place that has quickly become a favourite destination for Sydney-siders seeking a short break away. Now we know why! Having stayed in 5 star hotels and resorts around the world, we all agreed that Star of the Sea compared fabulously with its big name competitors –at a fraction of the price and with the added convenience of a close location. The resort specialises in three and four bedrooms apartments, making it a popular place for a getaway with family or friends. While we were there, happy families quietly celebrated a variety of special events, including a wedding on a gorgeous balcony overlooking the sea. It was a perfect spot for groups to get together because each resort apartment has a combination of king, queen and single beds. Our 4 bedroom apartment slept 8, with plenty of extra room for extra beds if necessary. Our apartment was extravagantly modern. Like all apartments at the Star of the Sea, it had Italian marble floors, quality furnishings and a huge kitchen with European appliances. With 3 bathrooms, a sunny balcony setting for 8, and two separate living areas and a formal dining area, it was easy for our group to gather together, or split up into smaller groups according to our mood. If the weather had been poor, we had the option of using the apartment’s hi-tech CD/DVD player and plasma TV. A huge leather lounge suite was perfect for lying around to relax and read our collection of trashy magazines. We loved the fact that all of the Star of the Sea’s resort facilities were free of charge to guests. Ours was an indulgent weekend, so we avoided the professional standard gym and steam room, but there were plenty of people enjoying the resort’s squash and tennis courts. The snooker and card tables and the library also seemed to be popular spots for those who wanted to get out of the sun for a while. Star of the Sea is set amongst sub-tropical landscaping, with immaculate gardens and water features everywhere. In true resort style, we lounged around the pool area which contained both heated and unheated outdoor pools and a spa, however, Terrigal beach is only a stroll down the hill, so we also enjoyed some retail therapy at some of the town’s trendy boutiques, swimming in the surf and walking along the beach. The resort’s popular water slide was a great hit with the children staying there. We also saw many of the kids enjoying the novelty of the swim up cafe, where they could buy ice creams, drinks and cookies. The café, open from 9am till 3pm, was affordable and offered healthy sandwiches, salads, pastas and cool drinks. A small kid’s playground was also provided, next to a very up-market and well used BBQ area. On Saturday night, the resort staff also fired up the outdoor pizza oven. The exciting prospect of watching the pizza being made and cooked was fantastic for the littlies, who were then thrilled to take their pizzas back to Mum and Dad for an easy and inexpensive holiday dinner. ‘Our kids would have loved that’, we thought…but only for a moment, as we returned to the fabulous view and our cocktails!! Another great feature of the resort was the co-operation it enjoys with the nearby Crowne Plaza hotel. As Star of the Sea guests, we enjoyed the huge buffet breakfast served there for just $15. We got our value for money in the barista made gourmet coffees alone! We also loved the juice and smoothie bar, omlette station and hot and cold breakfast selection that filled us up for the day and made the thought of lunch almost irrelevant. Star of the Sea is run by General Manager Bob Lloyd, his wife Anne and daughter Kirsty. Their easy going, friendly Australian style is reflected in every aspect of the resort and they are keen to share their local knowledge with visitors. We noticed that departing guests treated Bob like a mate, and his relaxed, positive attitude was absolutely infectious. Our group were all seasoned travellers, and yet rated Star of the Sea as one of the best short holiday destinations they had ever visited. For location, convenience, cost effectiveness and quality, we felt it beat hotel destinations hands down. We loved it so much that we have already booked for next year. We paid commercial prices and thought we got great value, but as a result of our visit, Manager Bob Lloyd has made a special offer to Qantas staff staying at Star of the Sea. He is extending his ‘winter special’ package to any Qantas staff member who books a stay at the resort. However, he is not restricting it to winter! Qantas staff may book anytime and receive this special deal. If you mention that you are with Qantas when booking and present your ID on arrival and you will receive 2 nights free for every 2 nights booked. Prices start at $900 for 4 nights mid-week for a 3 bedroom resort apartment and range up to $2300 for 4 nights (including weekends) in a 4 bedroom premier ocean view suite. Check www.staroftheseaterrigal.com for details, or call Bob Lloyd on 02 4385 7979 or 0407 268 867 and tell him Sonja sent you!! I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. Sonja Walker Customer Service Manager Sydney Short Haul
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The
spirit of Australia