STAY // Halcyon House, Pop Up Lunch!

Hello Halcyon House! The Eat Read Love Pop Up Dinner Series continues, this time with a stunning blogger retreat and lunch in Cabarita // Located just North of Byron Bay and just South of the Gold Coast, Halcyon House is simply a must stay for your next luxury weekend away, and only a short one hour flight from Sydney. A former surf motel turned luxury hotel, situated at one of the country's best surf breaks, Halcyon House was the fabulous location for my most recent pop up event. We spent three fabulous days at Halcyon House, setting up for the eat read love pop up lunch and sampling everything this amazing boutique hotel has to offer. From Martinis by the fire in the lounge, relaxing in our luxurious bedrooms, bike riding on the beach (riding on the sand after a few martinis isn't as easy as it looks) and exploring three of my favourite nearby B Towns - Byron, Bangalow and Brunswick Heads. We were blessed with wonderful 'Summery' weather, the beautiful Paper Daisy restaurant as a backdrop, and an incredibly fun and talented group of ladies around the table. It was hard not to sit back and smile. I dare say the Halcyon House pop up will be very hard to top.

The eat read love pop up series has been going for over 2.5 years now, popping up all around the place from Balmain to Bali, Watson's Bay to Woollahra, and from the Southern Highlands to the Northern NSW Coast. I love to work with a great team of collaborators and friends who make it even more special, and bring together locals from the area to join in the fun and connect with other creative souls. While many of us have found our 'tribe' on instagram, we are 'people people' at heart and love to getaway from our desks and phones and meet in person sometimes. This is exactly why I started the pop up dinner series, and grateful to get the chance to explore new places and areas and connect with fellow creatives over a meal. Very dear thanks to the team at Halcyon for hosting us for this lovely event. So a little about Halcyon House....

EAT: The dining experience at Paper Daisy is a celebration of the local area. Confident coastal cooking, the food expresses the very best of the region's unique produce. The prawn sandwich was a firm favourite with the girls, and the paperbark grilled fish was so beautifully presented. The Winter Honey with Macademia is the prettiest dessert I have seen for a while! Paper Daisy is a beautiful dining experience for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner with a stunning coastal outlook, cocktail lounge and open fireplace. The interiors by Anna Spiro are simply amazing.

STAY: The accommodation at Halcyon House is like no other. The bedrooms and soft furnishings will require their very own blog post as they are just too beautiful. We stayed in the Halcyon Suite - a luxurious light filled two bedroom suite overlooking the pool and beach and a private balcony. It was probably one of the most lovely rooms I have ever stayed in with king size beds, deep baths and two huge bedrooms and dining room. The suite would also be a wonderful place to host your own unique dinner party or girls weekend away.

LOVE: The decor! Sitting by the fireplace in Paper Daisy bar area, surrounded by all of those artworks and blue books - it really is my idea of interiors heaven!! Anna Spiro has created something truly unique, it was so very hard to stop snapping away on my phone at every corner and just enjoy. And I cannot wait to return in summer to swim at the beach and in that divine pool. The headland is pretty special too and definitely worth a walk or a run to catch the views.

Photos by Nadean Richards

Like with every eat read love event to date, it is always a team effort to put together, and and I have some special people to thank. To the incredible Sophie Baker from newly launched Wanderlust Union and Halcyon House for inviting me to create a pop up in this absolute paradise. It was so great to get 'the band back together' again after our last blogger retreat! Myself, Lisa Madigan and Nadean Richards have worked on many events together and have worked with me on the eat read love pop up series from the beginning, with Lisa creating her magic, styling the table and florals, and Nadean Richards capturing everything on film. These two ladies are very special and kindred spirits that I love working with and appreciate. Jaclyn Carlson from Blog Society is also an amazing collaborator and has been very supportive of the pop up dinner series from the beginning, so thanks Jac for your help and great company. And to Mauro and the lovely staff at Halcyon House for your support with the event and during our stay. We cannot thank you enough.

LOCATION: Paper Daisy at Halcyon House

PR + MEDIA: Sophie Baker from Wanderlust Union + Halcyon House

EVENT STYLING + FLORALS: Lisa Madigan (Artist + Stylist)

PHOTOGRAPHY: Nadean Richards (One Fine Collective)

FOOD: Chef Ben Devlin for Paper Daisy

GIFT BAGS: Alma Luz candles + Anise Skincare

Thanks also to these lovely ladies who attended the Pop Up Event, after all it is the company and conversations that make it special. All of these creatives have their own special story to tell and I invite you to visit their sites and see for yourself.

Thank you for Sharing the Table

Lisa Madigan (Artist + Stylist)

Jaclyn Carlson (Blog Society)

Nadean Richards (One Fine Collective)

Sophie Baker (Wanderlust Union)

Kate Gibbs (The Kitchen Inc.)

Kara Hynes (Lulu Lucky)

Dezley Hughes (Twig and Grace)

Melinda Bryant (Twig and Grace)

Emma and Victoria (The Beach People)

Casey Tangye (Industry Dance)

Anna Logan (Halcyon House)