The online photos and descriptions evoke a fantasy which the villa more than lives up to.

I found the villa lovely (jaw-droppingly impressive), and it provided me with a perfect opportunity to be by the sea without the hectic tourist bustle of the Gold Coast. I reconnected with a younger me who had been drawn to tropical settings, and was able to satisfy the craving, while trying to psychologically prepare for the rest of my journey.

The villa was incredibly spacious, there was a lot of light even when the blinds were closed for privacy. There were three bathrooms, three bedrooms, and a lot of options for entertaining. There was a large gas barbeque outdoors in addition to the full kitchen indoors, and pets were allowed (up to a certain size).

It was not a far walk to the beach and bike trails. There were relatively few people at the beach, the sand quality was good, the water was warm, there were no stingers (jellyfish) (at the time of year I visited) and during the day the colour of the water always seemed to be in brilliant shades of blue and green, changing depending on the time of day.

Food can be bought in Kingscliff. There are many restaurants and cafés in Kingscliff and at the nearby resorts, like the Salt resort. Within (close) walking distance of the villa, the Bamboo restaurant is excellent.

There is a washing machine and dryer, and dishwasher, and a lot of the practical items one would find in a house. People sometimes leave behind items like soap or laundry detergent, but it may be necessary to purchase the basics, and definitely toilet paper.

One drawback is that, to me, it seems that the development in the area is such that everything is built rather close together, and there is not as yet enough vegetation to balance all the buildings. Closer to the sea there is more greenery.

No phone or internet.

Also: if you do not bring your own sheets and towels you have to rent them, and if you rent them from the Village Laundry at Kingscliff, it is a lot easier if you have your own car. They do not drop them off - you must pick up your sheets and towels yourself. In fact, staying at the Villa would be a lot more difficult without a vehicle. There are buses, but it seems the area is still so newly developed that in some ways the Villa is somewhat cut off.

However, I had a lot of privacy and peace, and I was very glad to have found this place.