Sydney,Hunter Valley,Toowon Bay, New South Wales, Australia

Blue Mountains NSW Australia

Blue Mountains

Mountain range in New South Wales, Australia
The Blue Mountains is a rugged region west of Sydney in Australia’s New South Wales. Known for dramatic scenery, it encompasses steep cliffs, eucalyptus forests, waterfalls and villages dotted with guesthouses, galleries and gardens. Katoomba, a major town in the area, borders Blue Mountains National Park and its bushwalking trails. Echo Point affords views of the storied Three Sisters sandstone rock formation.

Hunter Valley

Hunter Valley wine

The Hunter Valley is one of Australia's best known wine regions. Located in the state of New South Wales, the region has played a pivotal role in the history of Australian wine as one of the first wine regions planted in the early 19th century.

Sydney

City in New South Wales, Australia

Sydney, capital of New South Wales and one of Australia's largest cities, is best known for its harbour
front Opera House, with a distinctive sail-like design. Massive Darling Harbour and Circular Quay are hubs of waterside life, with the towering, arched Harbour Bridge and esteemed Royal Botanic Gardens nearby. Sydney Tower’s 268m glass viewing platform, the Skywalk, offers 360-degree views of the city, harbour and suburbs

Kims Towoon Bay NSW Australia

A Brief History
Kims has been a hideaway for Sydney people for 127 years
Kims’ history dates back to 1886 when a local seafaring merchant, Captain Frans Charlson, established “The Camp” here on the shore of Toowoon Bay. He built a slab-timbered kitchen that also served as the dining room. Guest accommodation consisted of tents and were later replaced by simple timber cabins. It was the Captain who planted our stately avenue of Norfolk Island pines, all which remain of more than 100 that he planted in this area. Paths wound through the thick coastal bush and around natural springs to the deserted beach. Of course, back then, enjoying the beach was a ‘dress up’ affair and not a sign of bare flesh was to be seen anywhere. Australians were still constricted by Victorian notions of propriety. It was not until 1902 that the law prohibiting bathing on open beaches during daylight hours was lifted.

Captain Charlson also blazed a horse and cart track from the Long Jetty to then Chinaman’s Bay, which was later renamed Toowoon Bay. That road is now called Archibald and Toowoon Bay roads.

In the 1920’s two American brothers the McKimmins, who started Sydney’s first ice cream parlours, bought the retreat and improved the accommodation, however it was still a very rustic experience. Walls were bare timber and furniture consisted of an iron bed with Kapock mattresses, a night chamber pot, a broom and a towel. It was the McKimmins who used their surname to create the name “Kims Camp”.

A retired army colonel, Clive Loc Hughes-Hallett took over after the end of World War II, and shortened the name to “Kims”. During his time, Kims acquired a reputation for its dining room – one that has been honoured ever since. A plaque under our flag pole commemorates the Colonel, who retired in 1972.

The current family have been involved since 1954.

Sydney A City Still Under Construction :)

Back at Kims

Back to the Hunter Valley

Tower Lodge Hunter Valley NSW Australia

Tower Lodge is the only truly unique, award winning (including “Best Luxury Lodge in Australia”) small five-star luxury hotel in the Hunter Valley region and is available for exclusive use bookings only. Accommodating a maximum of 24 guests at any one time, it is the perfect setting for high-end Executive Conferences, Corporate Incentives, Retreats and Boutique Weddings.

This low-rise Spanish Mission-style structure nestled in the heart of the Pokolbin vineyards, is not only luxurious and visually sympathetic to the surrounding landscape, the service here is attentive and exemplary. Guests are totally pampered and provided with whatever they need, be it a tub of ice cream at 3 am or breakfast in bed.

Relaxation is the catch-cry and privacy is the reality. Guests can laze around the outdoor heated pool, enjoy a soothing massage and sauna, curl up to read a book on their Lodge Room lounge or balcony or recline in the Library with a volume or two. And there is a walking track around the Estate for those that want more activity.