What a week. The plan was to spend the Australia Day long weekend lounging by the pool and working on my tan at Peppers Resort & Spa in Kingscliff. It is summer after all. Unfortunately, the weather had other plans.
Rain. Rain. Rain.
While the sunbathing didn’t go as planned, the relaxing did.
Peppers Resort & Spa is one of those places to go to if you want to relax. Located at Salt Beach there’s not much to do besides go for walks or a run, lie on the beach or by the pool, check out a paddle board down at Cudgen Creek or a bicycle from the resort to explore the quiet paths. The plan was to do some running but the priority was to relax. This was our baby moon after all (the mini holiday before baby comes along). It rained but we did end up getting a few hours of sunshine on the Sunday which was enough make the most of the outdoors.
What I loved about Peppers?
The lagoon style pool. The 1 bedroom apartment with spa baths, the cafe by the pool, and the friendly staff. More importantly the 7km running/walking path around Kingscliff. If you take a 2.5km stroll north, you get to Cudgen Creek where you can hire paddle boards and kayaks if you’re after a more active getaway.
What I liked about Peppers?
The relaxed family atmosphere. This is not the place to come to party or get drunk. It’s a quiet area with only one bar – the Saltbar Beachbar and Bistro and several restaurants along Bells Boulevard in the Salt Village. It’s one strip, about 350m in length with a huge park and playground for the kids to play on. The buffet breakfast was yummy too, though it would have been nice if you didn’t have to pay extra for a latte or cappuccino.
What I didn’t like about Peppers?
Not much at all. The Spa menu was a little expensive and I decided not indulge this time. The king sized bed was lovely although a little bit soft for my liking. I have to say that there’s little if anything that I could complain about. The one thing that bugged me a little was not anything in the resort itself but Salt Village restaurant’s lunch hours. Lunch was mainly between 12pm and 2pm, and then dinner from 5:30pm to 8:30pm. It would have been nice to have a later lunch especially considering that we filled up on the buffet breakfast and didn’t feel like eating again till mid afternoon.
Would I go back again?
Definitely. In September Corporate Challenge Events host the Salt Multisport Festival. It used to be just a 5km and 10km fun run and now has become a festival of fun runs, an ocean swim and cycling events. Fingers crossed they’ll be hosting one in 2014, dates haven’t been set yet but I’ll be looking out for event details for an excuse to compete and spend another relaxing weekend in Kingscliff.
Is it a place for those wanting to have an active stay?
Yes. From the lagoon pool to the walking/running path and the long stretch of white sandy beach. Whether you want to run, swim or cycle, Peppers is a great place to stay. If the weather isn’t up to par, you can always fit in a workout at the resort gym. It’s tiny but has everything you need including two treadmills and bikes, an elliptical trainer, free weights and a multi station weights machine. The room does get a bit crowded if there’s more than 4-5 people working out at the same time though.
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Training 21/1 – 27/1
Tue 21/1 – 20min run (3km) + 20 min walk (3km)
Wed – Rest
Thu – Rest
Fri – Rest
Sat – 20 min weights + 20 min treadmill run (2.6km)
Sun – 1hr walk (4.9km)
Mon – 10 min walk after breakfast + 45 min walk (4.19km)
