An Evening Well Spent in Byron Bay at Raes on Wategos

There are few places that feel alive, generous, and effortlessly beautiful all at once — and Raes on Wategos is unmistakably one of them.

Nestled on the headland overlooking Wategos Beach Byron Bay, Raes has become our ritual — not out of habit, but because every visit feels like a moment reclaimed. It’s where laughter lingers, glasses sparkle under soft light, and friendship deepens amid ocean‑kissed breezes.

For us, Raes isn’t just a destination — it’s a feeling.

Raes Cellar Bar invites you to a relaxed, beachside experience framed by the breathtaking beauty of Wategos Beach. Savour thoughtfully crafted bar snacks and a curated selection of beverages, all while taking in the panoramic coastal views.

The Cellar Bar welcomes walk-ins, with seating offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Open daily from midday until sunset, it’s the perfect setting to unwind, connect, and soak in the effortless Byron Bay ambience.

An Outlook That Invites Presence

From the moment you step onto the terrace, the view takes your breath — not by force, but with that quiet certainty that only nature has: wide blue water, gentle waves, and a horizon that invites your gaze to rest there a moment longer. The setting doesn’t compete — it completes the moment.

Here, luxury isn’t loud. It’s the effortless harmony of landscape and design. The way the ocean light falls across the glass. The soft warmth of early evening sunshine. It’s that sense of being exactly where you’re meant to be.

Cocktails Crafted for Connection

The cocktails at Raes are more than drinks — they’re beginnings.

Beautifully balanced. Thoughtfully composed. Each one a little pause before the conversation shifts, deepens, and unwinds. Whether it’s something citrus‑fresh to welcome the golden hour or something sultry and amber as the sun dips below the horizon, every sip feels intentional — a toast not just to flavour, but to presence.

With girlfriends gathered around, those glasses become a kind of companion to the laughter, stories, and shared quiet moments between words.

Where Conversations Bloom

There’s something about Raes that gently dissolves distraction.

Maybe it’s the rhythm of the tides.
Maybe it’s the open sky.
Maybe it’s the collective ease of women in good company.

Whatever it is, conversations here don’t rush. They stretch. They deepen. They loop back around. They surprise you. They hold space.

This is where we talk about big things. Small things. Things that matter and things that just feel good to say out loud. Here, friendships feel softer, fuller, and all the richer for it.

An Experience That Feels Like a Ritual

We go to Raes for cocktails with girlfriends not because it’s a place to see and be seen — but because it’s a place that feels seen.

Seen for:

• the way you arrive,

• the way you settle in,

• the way the light changes,

• the way the laughter gathers warmth between you.

Raes has become our favourite kind of backdrop — one that doesn’t take attention from the moment, but elevates it.

A Place to Return To

Some evenings are marked by milestones. Others are simply good evenings. Both deserve a setting that honours them.

Raes on Wategos has become that place for us — where each visit feels like a gentle exhale, a celebration of good company, and a reminder that the best moments are often the simplest: sunsets, cocktails, and those we choose to share them with.

Because here, every toast feels like a tribute — to friendship, to presence, and to the beauty of shared stillness beside the sea.

Explore the Dining Room and Accommodation options for your visit:

https://raes.com.au

The Sanctuary on Belongil: Why We Keep Returning to Elements of Byron

Some places don’t announce themselves loudly — they simply hold you the moment you arrive.

Elements of Byron is one of those places.

Set quietly along Belongil Beach, it carries a kind of ease that can’t be manufactured. The air feels softer here. Time stretches. And even before your feet touch the sand or your shoulders drop, your body knows it’s safe to slow down.

As locals, this is where we come to recalibrate — for massages that feel restorative rather than indulgent, and for dinners that mark the rhythm of our lives rather than occasions.

A Sanctuary of Well-Being and Intention

Walking into Elements feels like entering a space that understands balance. Luxury without excess. Design without distraction. The architecture and interiors — natural textures, open light, and coastal restraint — echo Byron Bay’s essence: grounded, generous, and quietly refined.

Every detail invites presence. Nothing competes for attention. Instead, the environment does what it’s meant to do — it allows you to arrive.

Massages That Pause Time

We return to Osprey Spa again and again because the experience goes beyond the physical. The therapists work with an intuitive understanding of the body, responding not only to tension, but to energy, breath, and rhythm.

A massage here feels like a conversation without words — one that leaves you softer, clearer, and deeply restored.

Dinners That Feel Like Home and Discovery

The dining experience at Elements is one of understated confidence. Seasonal menus, thoughtful flavours, and an atmosphere that invites connection rather than performance.

Whether it’s an easy dinner after a long week or a slow, intentional evening shared with friends, the experience always feels nourishing — familiar yet quietly elevated.

A Place That Meets You Where You Are

Elements is where we go to reset. To celebrate. To soften. To simply be.

It welcomes every version of us — tired, grateful, reflective, or joyful — without asking for anything in return.

Local by Choice, Luxury by Design

Elements of Byron is not a destination we save for special occasions. It is woven into the way we live well.

A place of care.
A place of presence.
A place that reminds us that true luxury is not about escape — but about belonging.

And for us, it continues to feel like home.

Book your visit: https://elementsofbyron.com.au

A Place I Return To: Stillness, Design, and Deep Exhale at Ōpuke

There are places you discover — and then there are places you return to.

Ōpuke is firmly the latter for me.

I’ve been here many times now. In different seasons. With different people. Sometimes quietly on my own, other times bringing visitors who are experiencing Aotearoa for the first time. And every single time, the experience lands with the same resonance: ease, beauty, and a deep, nervous-system-level exhale.

Ōpuke is not simply a thermal spa. It is a thoughtfully composed landscape — one that understands how to hold people differently, depending on what they need.

Architecture That Knows When to Whisper

What strikes me first — beyond the warmth of the water — is the intelligence of the design. The architecture does not compete with the land; it listens to it. Natural materials, generous lines, and a softness that mirrors the surrounding foothills of the Canterbury Plains, with the Southern Alps standing quietly beyond.

Everything feels anchored. Grounded. Purposeful. Luxury here is expressed through restraint — through an almost invisible confidence.

Spaces Designed for Different Rhythms

One of the reasons Ōpuke has become a place we return to is its rare ability to offer something for everyone — without compromise.

When we visit with the kids, we choose the family area. It’s relaxed, joyful, and designed for connection. The atmosphere allows for play and laughter, while still maintaining the calm, considered feel that defines the entire space. It means shared memories are created with ease, rather than effort.

When it’s a date escape, we choose the adult-only section. This is where the energy shifts — quieter, more intimate, and deeply restorative. It’s a space made for lingering conversations, shared silence, and a kind of closeness that only emerges when the world fades into the background.

Both experiences feel intentional. Both feel generous. Neither feels like an afterthought.

The Private Sanctuary: Tranquillity as a Luxury

When we bring visitors — friends, family, people we love — we often opt for the private area. It offers something increasingly rare: true privacy without isolation, and stillness without sterility.

Here, time loosens. Conversations soften. Presence deepens. The pools become a cocoon where the outside world gently recedes.

The Cold Plunge: Clarity Through Contrast

The cold plunge pools are a defining part of the experience. Bracing, invigorating, and beautifully simple, they offer clarity through contrast — reconnecting breath, body, and awareness.

Moving between warmth and cold feels grounding rather than extreme. You leave feeling clear, alive, and quietly renewed.

Why I Keep Returning

I return to Ōpuke — and bring others with me — because it consistently offers balance.

It is restorative without excess. Luxurious without spectacle. Social without noise. Private without isolation. Whether you arrive as a family, as a couple, or seeking solitude, there is a place for you here.

A Modern Ritual of Pause

Ōpuke understands that modern luxury is not about more — it is about choice. Choice of pace. Choice of space. Choice of how you want to feel.

For me, Ōpuke has become a ritual. A place I trust. A place I return to. A place I share generously.

Because when architecture, landscape, and intention align in quiet harmony, something subtle happens.

You remember how to breathe again.

Book your session: HERE