Volvo Cars Australia
The perfect car. The perfect destination. The perfect weekend escape
Discover why Volvo's latest range isn't built around the car you aspire to — it's built around the person you already are.
Smooth, soothing and effortless - in an increasingly high-stress, time-poor world, it's the way we all wish life could be, or at very least the weekends.
Escaping the incessant buzz of the big city for a night or two is the perfect way to reset, recharge and revitalise, and – should you be in Sydney – there is an option that’s just far enough away to enjoy the drive there and back, and luxuriously decadent enough to ensure your cares float away.
It’s impossible to go past the all-in-one, all-inclusive experience that is Pretty Beach House, while the effortless Scandinavian style of the Volvo XC60 ensures the luxury begins well ahead of your arrival.
Nestled in a blissful bush setting, Pretty Beach House, which has just four capacious rooms, is the kind of high-end, food-forward setting where you don’t need to think about anything but how happy and relaxed you are.
A weekend where everything is simple, taken care of and complete is just what you want after five busy days, so for us this break would be just that - one perfect car, one ideal destination and even one elegantly simple set of luggage, from July luggage.
And there’s no better way to enjoy the SO-minute drive there from Sydney than the soothing, effortless surroundings of the Volvo XC60. A mid-size SUV that is anything but middling, this Volvo has the kind of cabin that feels as premium as Pretty Beach House, with a spectacular Bowers and Wilkins stereo system, Google built in, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plush and comfortable seats and plenty of elegant touches, like a gear lever that looks and feels like a crystal ball (it is actually made from Orrefors crystal).
While the word “hybrid” can be intimidating for some, this XC60 is fitted with a “mild” hybrid system that uses a 48-volt and an integrated starter-generator to support the petrol engine, recover braking energy, and improved fuel efficiency without ever needing to be plugged in.
This combination delivers 183kW and 350Nm, as well as a fuel figure of 7.6 litres per 100km and effortless freeway cruising, which we appreciate as we glide out of the city and head north.
The joy of the journey
Turning off the freeway onto the fantastic driver’s road that is the Old Pacific Highway to aim for Bouddi National Park we push the gear lever sideways and enjoy shifting up and down through the gears. Every corner becomes an adventure and the stresses of the week are forgotten as we focus entirely and intently on the drive.
Arriving at the stunning setting of Pretty Beach House we slip through the private gate and face a driveway we’d been pre-warned for is a mountainous climb. Guests are advised that “it is best to come up at a fast, safe speed”, and apparently staff have had to rescue people with lesser vehicles, but the Volvo XC60 powered up with ease.
The venue itself is instantly impressive, small but perfectly formed and with a restaurant of the highest calibre, as you would expect when paying $2250 a night, with a minimum two-night stay. Why would you want to stay any less, though, when the food and drinks are flowing and you don’t need to worry about the prices - there’s even an open bar with premium wines, spirits and a range of cocktails, snacks and refreshments.
After a welcome glass of champagne and some nibbles we’re shown to our pavilion, which is called Hideaway and is a huge, open plan space with a large outdoor area, entirely private, with its own heated pool, day bed, comfortable lounging chairs and a delightful outlook, backed by a chorus of birdsong.
Packed to perfection
We unpack our spectacular July luggage (Australian made, the quality is so high that all July pieces come with a lifetime guarantee - buy this luggage and it really will be with you forever) and dress for dinner, which turns out to be just as bounteous as you might imagine - a four-course degustation offering with matching wines that included a caviar appetiser, a carrot soup with pancetta crumble and a swordfish main course to die for.
Within 24 hours of arriving, Sydney feels a lot more than 90km away, it feels like a memory. Fortunately we are simultaneously cosseted and enlivened all the way home by the Volvo XC60, turning on the heated seats to fight off the cold snap in the winter air.
A weekend feels a lot longer than two days when you spend it somewhere like Pretty Beach House. We will definitely be back.
Between now and September 30, every Volvo XC60 and XC90 customer will receive a complimentary three-piece July luggage set, putting luxury escapes just like this one at your driving-gloved fingertips. It's the matching of two brands with strong and similar stories – luxury, simplicity, and style.
