Crescent Head's boutique boom puts Rancho Relaxo in the spotlight
Once a sleepy surf village, Crescent Head is in the midst of a coastal renaissance, reshaped by design-led hospitality, wave-chasing travellers and a new generation of boutique accommodation on NSW’s Mid North Coast.
The highly curated Sea Seas Hotel, with its contemporary surf-club sensibility, and The Med motel, refreshed with modern beach styling reflecting Crescent Head’s relaxed charm, have cemented the town’s evolution into one of Australia’s most desirable lifestyle destinations.
Just minutes from this flourishing hub, buyers are circling the 137.51-hectare turnkey surf retreat Rancho Relaxo, located at 678 Point Plomer Road, about 450 kilometres north of Sydney – a five-hour drive along the Pacific Highway.
The unique property is offered across three titles with a price guide of $5 million to $6 million. The sale is under the management of court-appointed trustees and is marketed by co-agents David Nolan of Webster Nolan and Heath Askew of Lifestyle Port Macquarie.
Rancho Relaxo spreads across forested grounds with an 18-metre pool, a heated spa, a private lagoon framed by lawns and bamboo, a tennis court and a golf range, with plenty of spaces to unwind and immerse yourself in nature following meandering paths.
The accommodation sleeps up to 29 guests in two luxurious Balinese-style huts, the spacious Frangipanni and Lotus houses, and a beautifully converted chapel, allowing operators to tap into the growing demand for small-scale wellness retreats, surf camps and destination events.
This blend of privacy, immersion in nature and elevated design resonates strongly with the rising demand for boutique stays, surf retreats and event-based tourism in Crescent Head, an internationally renowned surf destination known for its pristine waters, its soft, rolling waves suitable for longboards and its deep-rooted surfing culture.
“That [surf] break there at Racecourse is a really easy, rolling wave … and Crescent Head is one of Australia’s few surfing reserves. It’s a good joint,” Askew says.
He says the village’s transformation is strengthening its commercial appeal: “There’s a new restaurant and hotel at Crescent Head called Sea Seas … and The Med … it’s all six minutes away. I think, commercially, it’s very, very good.”
Apart from the surf and holiday amenities, the property is near national parks like Goolawah and Limeburners Creek,, which gives it a wild surf-meets-forest feel.
Askew believes the versatility of the holding is a major drawcard for future owners.
“You’ve got three titles … so, worst-case scenario, you can bring in other buyers, or you could sell lots off, change the community title, whatever. I think you can do lots of things,” he says.
While Rancho Relaxo has operated as a popular retreat for years, the property is being sold without trading figures due to the court-appointed administration process. However, Askew believes the lack of financial history represents a major opportunity for incoming buyers.
He says the property’s next chapter could be far more ambitious, and imagines adding a large barn to assist with events – an upside that has the potential to generate close to $1 million a year.
“I personally see weddings and stuff like that being able to go here,” he says. “They could use the whole thing. It has some very good potential.
“If you charged $20,000 to $30,000 for a weekend, and allow 40 of those a year at an average of $20,000 … that’s $800,000.”
Askew says the $5 million to $6 million price range is general guidance rather than a fixed expectation, and encourages investors to judge the opportunity on fundamentals.
“As this is a trustee sale, the trustee has the authority to sell at a price they consider appropriate, and nothing is set in stone,” he adds. “Our instructions are clear that a new buyer needs to be found.”
Askew highlights the site’s value when compared to the recent sale of a neighbouring 2.02-hectare property for $2.8 million. “This is pretty good value,” he adds.
Inquiries have been strong, bolstered by a significant marketing campaign and a broader awareness of the quintessential Aussie surf town’s rising profile and the sheer rarity of such a large private coastal opportunity within minutes of a world-class surfing reserve.
As Crescent Head – with a population of about 1500 – continues its ascent, the agency says Rancho Relaxo is “regarded as the only retreat of this uniqueness and flexibility with no close private comparison offering the same combination of setting, land volume, lodging mix and on-site recreation”.
Also in the area is the Sea Seas Hotel, a 25-room property inspired by 1970s surf clubs and offering elevated beachfront dining and contemporary coastal style. The hotel is located on a former motel site and is owned by George Gorrow, the co-founder of the Australian fashion label Ksubi, and his wife, Cisco Tschurtschenthaler, who also spearheaded The Slow in Bali.
Around the corner, The Med is a newly revitalised motel and offers group-friendly accommodation for up to 50, blending cozy modern comfort and Mediterranean-inspired design with laid-back surf-town ambience.
The property at 678 Point Plomer Road, Crescent Head will be auctioned at 10.30am on December 18 at Auction Works, 678 Point Plomer Road, Crescent Head.
