Travel guide Lake Macquarie

Bell Chapel B&B - Winner Best Accessible Accommodation

Bell Chapel B&B in Carey Bay on Lake Macquarie was recently announced as the TakeABreak National Award Winner for best accessible holiday accommodation for 2008. The deserving recipients, Tricia Hunt and Tony Stephens, won this award for their charming refurbished old church, which offers an open plan space perfect for those with access issues and certified to AS1428 standards.

The Lake Macquarie area is a quick 90 minutes drive from Sydney and is a perfect location for a romantic getaway. The abundance of attractions close to the cottage offer plenty of choice and the ambience of the cottage and tranquillity of the landscape will provide a perfect escape. The location is the ideal mix of lake, beach and village and ensures an unforgettable holiday.

Lake Macquarie is the largest coastal saltwater lake in Australia and is four times the size of Sydney Harbour. This provides you with almost endless opportunities for water sports, whether it is a ride on a boat, jet ski, canoe, yacht or kite board. The surrounding beaches also provide opportunities for snorkeling or scuba diving, such shipwrecks at Catherine Hill Bay or the sea caves at Caves Beach at low tide. If you prefer to stay dry, a lakeside walk in Green Point Reserve or Wangi Wangi Flora & Fauna Reserve will give you a chance to unwind and marvel at the beautiful unspoilt bushland.

However, the fun doesn’t stop there. There is a great choice of activities - with something to suit almost anyone. Take trip to Dobell House, once the residence and studio of renowned painter Sir William Dobell or catch a movie at Boolaroo Cinema, an old-fashioned cinema showing recently released films. Then afterwards why not grab some dinner at the huge choice of restaurants offering alfresco dining?

There is a variety of cycle paths (bring your own bikes), you can take a guided night walk in Watagan Mountains National Park (where you might spot koalas and bandicoots), squeeze in a round of golf at one of the three golf courses within 30 minutes drive of the property or catch some whiting, bream or flathead from the 174km of lake foreshore. Lake Macquarie also has a variety of shopping opportunities from the malls of the larger Lake Macquarie township to the boutique and antique stores of one of the regions 92 smaller townships. It is only a quick 30 min drive to the foreshore and beaches of Newcastle and an equal distance to the inspiring Hunter Valley vineyards

The Bell Chapel B&B can be your own little sanctuary...  the beautifully refurbished and fully self-contained old church provides open plan living for those requiring easy access. The single bedroom with ensuite is tastefully decorated and retains charming features of the old historic church, such as the original polished floorboards and arched stained glass windows. There is a luxurious queen size bed, quality linen and soft towels, reverse cycle air-conditioning, television, CD/DVD players are provided, and a quality country style breakfast basket is supplied for you to enjoy in your modern and well-equipped kitchenette. There is car parking and even room for a boat.

The entrance and bathroom have wheelchair accessible facilities and the open plan living and sleeping area allow for easy movement. The extra touches provided by the owners, such as the fresh plunger of coffee on arrival, the pretty garden and the outdoor seat swing (perfect for an afternoon nap) give you even more reason to plan your next break at Bell Chapel B&B.

About the author
Hannah a final year Arts student majoring in Art History and Indigenous Studies, and she loves Indigenous Art. Hannah has a passion for art, travel and writing - having travelled around much of Europe, South East Asia, the United States and India. She plans to see more of Australia with Broome in Western Australia being her most recent destination.