Escape to the quieter side of Smiths Lake and surrender to the soothing rhythms of nature, without forsaking the creature comforts of home. Fall asleep to the calming sound of waves rolling onto Cellito Beach and wake to a glorious sunrise and the cheerful chorus of the birds.

The full moon glistening on the lake, a billion stars in a velvety sky, the relentless sweep of the Sugarloaf Point lighthouse and the sighing of the casuarinas in a nor'easterly: these are some of the sights and sounds that will stay with you long after you have left the lake.

Begin your day with an early morning swim in the warmer months, before having a leisurely breakfast on the deck. Stroll up to the village for the daily paper or just relax on the sunlounge with a novel or magazine from the well-stocked book shelves. As the day stretches before you, you have the choice of doing nothing in particular, or exploring the many wonders of the Great Lakes area.

A quote from the local tourist brochure captures the essence of this region: it "recreates the wonder of discovery with the nostalgic memory of the perfect childhood holiday".

Blue Poles is a modern holiday house located opposite Smiths Lake and with filtered lake views. The north-easterly aspect, soaring, curved ceilings, tinted glass, louvre shutters, ceiling fans and air-conditioning ensure cooling breezes and comfort in summer. The north-facing covered courtyard is a sheltered, sunny retreat in the winter.

Polished timber floors, fully-equipped kitchen with stainless steel appliances, dishwasher and espresso coffee machine, spacious living areas with 42" LCD TV and expansive, covered decks, plus the convenience of one level are features of the house. The master bedroom, which opens on to the deck, includes a walk-in robe and ensuite, while the main bathroom contains a spa and shower, with separate toilet. An internal courtyard between the first and second bedrooms ensures privacy for couples.

Linen (towels, sheets, tea towels etc) is supplied, however, you will need to bring your own beach towels.

Wander across the road to a safe swimming beach, or you may prefer the deeper water of Amaroo Beach or the many nearby pristine surfing beaches. From the house you can walk around the foreshore (lake level permitting) to the Frothy Coffee Boatshed and Cafe, where you can hire boats and windsurfers or indulge in breakfast or a light lunch while you watch the pelicans glide in for a landing. Even the odd seaplane drops in for a visit.

An absolute must for visitors is to take a rug, some wine and nibbles and watch the sun set over the lake opposite Amaroo Beach in Amaroo Drive. The ever-changing colours reflect on the lake long after the sun has disappeared behind the horizon, providing great photo opportunities.

Local Attractions: Smiths Lake and nearby Wallis and Myall Lakes offer a multitude of water-based activities, from swimming and sailing to boating and fishing. Smiths Lake is normally land-locked, divided from the sea by a sandbar. When the lake becomes too full, it is necessary to manually open the bar and release the excess water to the ocean. When the bar is open, the lake becomes tidal.

Magnificent surfing beaches can be found only minutes away at Blueys, Boomerang, Elizabeth and Seal Rocks. There is a beautiful picnic area at the Sugarloaf Point Lighthouse just south of Smiths Lake where migrating whales can be spotted travelling north in early and mid-Winter and in Spring returning to the Antarctic. An interesting and testing nine-hole golf course can be found at Sandbar with 18-hole courses at Forster and Tuncurry.

National parks, rain forests, boat hire (Smiths Lake and Forster), local markets, bird watching, bush walking, horse riding and four-wheel drive access to Sandbar Beach (permit required) are all features of the area. The holiday towns of Forster and Tuncurry are only 20 minutes away and have great restaurants, cafes, many sporting facilities (including indoor aquatic centre), shops, movie theatres, magical whale and dolphin cruises and fun parks.

Pacific Palms Recreation Club and Smiths Lake Bowling Club both have child-friendly bistros and there are other more upmarket restaurants in the immediate area. Smiths Lake Bowling club welcomes guests to try their hand at the sport.

Coles, Aldi and Woolworths supermarkets, plus many variety shops can be found in the Stockland Shopping Centre, south of Forster. Essential items can be readily obtained locally in the Pacific Palms area at Smiths Lake and Blueys Beach. The Smiths Lake shopping village in Macwood Road has a bottle shop, coffee shop and takeaway, butcher, general store (video and DVD hire), newsagent, beauty and hair salon, hot bread and cake shop and real estate office. Gourmet food items can be bought at Blueys Cellar and Deli at Blueys Beach. An excellent new FoodWorks supermarket at Charlotte Bay means it is no longer necessary to travel to Forster for grocery shopping.

For the nature lover, the local bird life is fascinating and king parrots, rainbow and scaly-breasted lorikeets, eastern rosellas, wattle birds, whip birds, bower birds as well as galahs and cockatoos frequently use the bird baths at Blue Poles. We are also visited by possums and brush turkeys roaming the area looking for freshly-dumped mulch to build their amazing nest mounds and, if you are lucky, you may see a meticulously decorated bower built by a bower bird to attract a mate.