A cheeky weekend checking out Australia’s Best Beach!

It’s no secret that the Gold Coast and Northern NSW boast some of the best beaches in the world. In fact, the laid-back surf town of Cabarita on the NSW North Coast won the coveted title of Australia’s best beach in 2020.

Even though it is only about a 90-minute drive from my home in Brisbane, border closures first introduced in 2020 have made it almost impossible to visit until recently.

We decided to make the most of the weekend and take an overnight trip to check out all that Cabarita Beach and its surrounds have to offer. We had an absolute blast and will definitely be coming back for more.

Here’s what we got up to:

Husk Farm Distillery

Husk Distillery is a relatively new distillery in Tumblegum NSW, which is located about 20 minutes from Cabarita Beach. Inspired by the vibrant and diverse rum culture of the Caribbean and given a uniquely Australian twist by the owner and chief distiller Paul there are now 4 types of Rum and 2 types of gin available. Husk have made a name for themselves by being the creators of “Ink Gin”. Their ink gin contains 13 botanicals including the (not so) secret ingredient of Butterfly pea flowers. These flowers are highly sensitive to pH. When the floral-infused Ink Gin is mixed with something of low pH (including gin's best friends; tonic water, lime or lemon), the colour changes dramatically from blue to blush pink which is pretty cool.

Husk Distillery is open each week from Wednesday-Sunday and offer 3 different types of distillery tour. They also have an onsite restaurant, bar and retail store. We really enjoyed the tour and had the most incredibly delicious lunch in the restaurant. After lunch, we enjoyed a wander around the gardens and spotted some of their cows (who are all fine after the recent floods). You can choose between booking a table in the restaurant or booking yourself a spot on the lawn for a laid-back picnic-style lunch.

You will need to book both the tour and the restaurant in advance as it is a super popular spot, especially on weekends.

Check out Husk Distillers here: (huskdistillers.com)

Cabarita Beach

We (of course) had to check out the beach that is meant to be the best in the country, and I have to admit it was pretty spectacular! We visited on a Saturday when the weather was perfect and we basically had the entire beach to ourselves!

Being nestled between the busy beaches of the Gold Coast to the North and Byron Bay to the South, this beach has everything its neighbours to offer all without any of the pretentiousness. This probably won’t last forever and I am sure that this beach will become just as popular as its famous neighbours soon, so I would suggest you get here sooner rather than later.

Norries Head & Lions Park

In contrast to the beach, Norries Head lookout was quite busy when we visited. There is a walk up to the top of Norries Head which we didn’t do (it was too hot and we were already sunburnt) which looked quite nice. There was also a park for the kiddies, some picnic tables and a number of people surfing down below if that’s your thing. It’s definitely worth checking out while you’re in the area.

The Hideaway Cabarita Beach

Cabarita Beach offers heaps of accommodation options to suit all styles and budgets.

We decided to spend the night at “The Hideaway” which was born from a desire to camp by the beach with a touch of luxe comfort, where you can reflect on the good ol’ days spent by the ocean during the day and the open air at night.

Formerly the Cabarita Beach Caravan Park, The Hideaway has had a boujee makeover and is now a totally ‘gram-worthy glamping retreat! The Hideaway has kept all the charm of the natural environment while adding spacious bell tents with all the modern trimmings, like soft furnishings, outdoor furniture, super comfy Koala Mattress beds, bar fridges and air-conditioning. There’s also an amazing communal kitchen/lounge/BBQ/chill out area, BBQs, wifi, onsite parking and it’s super close to the beach and local restaurants. They have free cruiser bicycles that you can borrow to get around town (necessary as the parking in the main street is always very busy). They even give you a delicious Byron Bay welcome cookie.

Depending on the size of the tent you choose, a night here will set you back $200-$300. There are no individual ensuites available, but there are communal ensuites (will make sense when you get here) that were always clean and we never had to wait.

Check out the Hideaway Cabarita Beach here: The Hideaway Cabarita Beach – Luxury Glamping | Boutique Outdoor Hotel

Dinner @ Lolita’s Mexican Cantina:

Lolita’s Cantina is a vibrant & fun restaurant Mexican restaurant serving up fresh, tasty and authentic eats in a great atmosphere. Head chef Armando is committed to showcasing his Mexican origins in a fun and accessible way, using traditional techniques and local produce. Lolita’s menu also happens to be over 90% Gluten-Free and is vegan and vego friendly.

We opted for the “feed me” option, where for $49 per person the chef sends 4 small plates, 1 taco each and a share plate of beef brisket. It was all absolutely delicious and the “feed me” option is great if you don’t know what you want to eat or you want to try a bit of everything.

Heads up – parking here sucks, arrive early and be prepared to park in the streets nearby and walk a few hundred metres. I promise it’s worth it!

Check out Lolita’s Mexican Cantina here: Lolita's Mexican Cantina (lolitascantina.com.au)

Breakfast @ Pandanus Café

We chose Pandanus café for breakfast as it was the café closest to the beach with a table right on the corner with a nice view. Also, all the dogs going for their morning walk went right in front of it. The food was OK but nothing special. Go here for the view and the doggos.

Farm Tour @ Tropical Fruit World

Tropical Fruit World is a perfect example of what happens when a commercial fruit farm and tourism experience collide. This family-owned, award-winning farm delivers a unique experience to lovers of fun, food, nature, health & well-being. There’s heaps to do here and the best way to experience it is to join a fully guided tractor tour which includes a fruit tasting session, farm animal feeding and wildlife boat cruise. There is a café and fruit market on-site, so you can stock up on some of the freshest and most delicious fruit and other local produce before you leave.

We tried heaps of different fruit (sweet potato fruit anyone?) and really enjoyed the tractor train ride and meeting the animals. We even saw some turtles on our boat cruise.

After the tour we enjoyed some lunch in the café (try the Jakfruit nachos) and stocked up on a bunch of farm produce before heading home to Bettie & George.

Check out Tropical Fruit World here: Tropical Fruit