Buddha's Bungalow

At $290 a night, I’d give this place 3 out of 5 compared with other holiday rentals we’ve tried. There are some real pluses for a family with a dog: you can hear the ocean at night around the campfire, and the private outdoor hot and cold shower is great for washing off the sand. The outdoor bath is lovely too, though it only has cold water, so fill it on a sunny day and let it warm up. We cooked on the Weber on the deck and enjoyed the private, bushy surroundings. There’s plenty nearby without needing to drive: pizza, a popular bakery, a pub, Vietnamese and Indian food are across the road, and Station Grocer is a 50m walk to the left. It’s much more than a petrol station, with friendly, helpful staff, good barista coffee, hot food, and fresh gourmet salads and sandwiches each day. The beach is about 600m away, and the off-leash dog beach is 900m away. The place feels old and worn, and is minimally stocked. It needs a proper spring clean and renovation. The lawn was high, the kitchen tap plumbing needed tightening, there were holes in the wall and missing tiles, the furniture and bedding smelled a bit musty, the cushions need replacing, and the floors need repolishing. I ran the utensils and the used dishcloth we planned to use through a pot cycle in the dishwasher, and cleaned old coffee out of the plunger. The house sits 50m off what seems to be the main road between Byron and Lennox Heads, and it’s busy and noisy from 5am to 7pm. The second bedroom is extremely close to the house next door, with a triangular shade sail for privacy. There’s also a dwelling just behind the campfire fence, so you have to keep noise down there at night. If it were $150-$200 a night I’d rate it higher, but at this price it’s not good value and wouldn’t be our choice next time.