Growing up, my dad played a lot of music by the Philadelphia-born singer-songwriter Jim Croce, who released five studio albums before he was tragically killed in an aviation accident in 1973. Croce’s music leans on vivid storytelling, up-tempo acoustics backing folk rock harmonies, and introspective ballads that veer into the romantic (see a personal favourite: “Walking Back to Georgia”).
Croce died 17 years before I was born, yet any time I encounter his music I’m transported back to my childhood home, buoyed with a sense of nostalgia for his 60s and 70s Americana – a time and place I never actually experienced.
Croce’s “Which Way Are You Goin’?” is playing over the speakers as I step foot into Sun Ranch, the 55-acre estate in Byron Bay’s hinterland, and sets the tone for the stay. From the fit-out to the service, Sun Ranch espouses a bygone era brand of California cool that feels at once like a departure and a homecoming.
A 15-minute drive from Ballina airport, and 5 minutes from the town of Bangalow, Sun Ranch – the “hotel of good times”, conceived by long-time friends: hotelier Julia Ashwood (of The Vista), and Jamie Blakey (former creative director and founder of One Teaspoon) – is situated off the beaten path (just ask the Uber driver who dropped us off – phone reception is patchy to non-existent in these parts, and a prior knowing of location goes a long way). At this luxury retreat, however, the disconnection is welcome. Check-in is accompanied by a margarita, and the friendly on-site team encourage exploration of the property’s primary Rambler Longhouse, with its aptly titled Whisky Lounge filled with books, records and, yes, whisky.
Accommodations are scattered around the grounds, and guests can choose between a main lodge guest room with rear pool access, or book with a group and take over one of six two-bedroom, off-grid barns perched on the nearby hill.
At Sun Ranch, no detail is spared. From the art-heavy interior stylings where spaghetti western meets contemporary elegance, to the fresh-baked muffins that appear at your doorstep each morning, wrapped in a bandana and nestled inside an upturned cowboy hat, acute attention to detail underscores the air of laidback relaxation.
Here, activities are aplenty. Spend the day lazing beside the 25-metre basalt pool, take a yoga class, hit start on a sauna, try badminton, go horse riding. Or, embrace the art of doing nothing – read, walk, nap between Carlotta & Gee linen sheets and order food from the all-day Pool Club bar menu. For the Cosmic Cowboys among us, cacao ceremonies and sound healing sessions promise doorways back to ourselves, or new selves.
Every detail at Sun Ranch tells a story of collaboration and innovation, and with a commitment to sustainability, the estate runs entirely on rainwater and recently launched a regeneration program to revive the surrounding flora.
And at the end of the day, after a golden hour visit to the property’s Stoney Ridge Healing Circle, it is highly recommended to indulge in your room’s complimentary mini bar snacks (keep your eyes peeled for the pillow-top cookie) and hit play on Jim Croce’s “Time In A Bottle”. The sweetest way to savour your stay.
Rooms from $750 per night, with a two-night minimum. sunranch.com.au.
