BOMBAH POINT ECO COTTAGES

Each room comes supplied with all the comforts you could want to fully relax in this setting – thick, fluffy bathrobes, electic blankets and cozy donnas. Central to the spacious bathroom is a spa bath to encourage guests to unwind and enjoy their time at Bombah Point Eco Cottages.

Bombah Point is a self catering retreat and each cottage has been with all the tools and supplies necessary to create delicious meals. A limited quantity of kitchen “basics” may be purchased, and special kitchen equipment in the communal building can be provided on request.The kitchen is equipped to handle everything from sandwiches for a picnic to a gourmet meal of your own devising. Each cottage has stainless steel appliances and an outdoor gas BBQ.

Guests looking for a novel to read by the fire or a wildlife guidebook to identify the bird outside their bedroom need go no further than the central reception building and adjacent cabana.  There is a comprehensive reading library of fiction and reference books and information on activities available in the local area.  In addition, there is a collection of DVDs and CDs that are available for guests to borrow.

• BUSHWALKING: There is a wide variety of walking trails that wind their way through the property and into the National Park.  Short, easy walks are available for families, with more challenging climbs for the keen bushwalker.  A complete list of local bushwalking trails with detailed maps are available onsite.
• BIRD WATCHING: Casual observers and bird enthusiasts alike are sure to be rewarded when they visit Bombah Point.  Due to its proximity to a wide range of environments, the area boasts an incredible variety of birds including minute wrens and finches, parrots, ospreys, black swans and Jabirru right up to the huge and majestic Wedge Tail Eagle and White Bellied Sea Eagle.  280 varieties of birds have been recorded in Myall Lakes National Park and of the over 100 recorded on site, many can be seen right from your cottage veranda!
• CANOEING AND KAYAKING: The pristine waterways and resident wildlife of the Myall Lakes provide an ideal environment for memorable paddling, particularly since much of the area is best viewed from the water.  Find a hidden cove in Bombah Broadwater or picnic on an island in Boolambayte Lake while you listen to the native wildlife.  Use our kayaks, bring your own boat or kayak or hire in Tea Gardens where guided kayak tours are also available.
• BIKE RIDING: For those guests wishing to explore on two wheels and get away from tourist spots, the area offers both scenic National Park tracks and roads with little traffic.  Information about local rides is available on site. Bring your own or bike hire is available in Tea Gardens.
• WHALE AND DOLPHIN WATCHING: Between June and October an estimated 3,000 whales pass by Port Stephens making the area one of the most popular to view these majestic mammals.  Several whale watching cruises operate in season from Nelson Bay. Dolphins are also abundant in this region and can be seen year round from many of the local beaches or aboard one of the local ferries that depart daily from Tea Gardens.
• SWIMMING, SNORKELING, SURFING, AND DIVING: Thanks to the surrounding Melaleuca or “tea trees”, swimming in the local lakes is said to leave the skin soft and cleansed and there are plenty of easy access points nearby.  For those preferring a dip in the surf, the 40 km of unbroken sandy beach provides endless opportunities to cool off in the ocean.  Surfers will find excellent breaks at the Hawk’s Nest patrolled beach and scuba and snorkelling enthusiasts will find memorable dive sites around Seal Rocks, Broughton Island, Dark Point and The Boulders.

• ECO INFRASTRUCTURE

1. Grid Interactive Solar Array – 48 panels on 4 sun trackers supply all the power for the accommodation and is fed back onto the grid when there is excess. This power is sold to “green power” subscribers.
2. Bio-Reactor sewerage treatment incorporating a worm farm, reed bed filtration and deep soil drippers into fruit tree garden.
3. Captured Rainwater; Quality is improved with gutter guards to prevent leaves entering the system, first flush diverter and in line micro-filters.
4. Water conservation – Organic gardens use subsoil naturally treated wastewater, use of restrictors on showerheads, use of bore water for toilets and dual flush toilets. The aim is that the water that falls on the property is returned to the property.
5. Gas for heating, Instantaneous hot water, kitchen appliances and BBQ produce less than half the greenhouse gases of those produced by coal-fired power.
6. LED lighting used throughout the property.
7. Bulk supplies, thereby minimizing waste and excess packaging. e.g. soap, sugar, oil and cleaning products.

• ECO MANAGEMENT

1. Comprehensive recycling program with reuse or recycling of glass, plastic, paper, cardboard, garden waste and building materials.
2. Large organic garden based on permaculture principles.
3. Food waste composted or fed to chickens in exchange for eggs.
4. Feral plant and animal control program & no domestic animals allowed on site. Documentation of all plant and animal species on the site.
5. Use of biodegradable products for cleaning.
6. Maintenance of walking tracks around property and into National Park

• ECO INFORMATION AD RESEARCH

7. Information on the area, Myall Lakes National Park, Nwalks, forest trails, Hunter Valley, Seal Rocks and aboriginal heritage.
8. Library of books on plants, animals, local history, ecologically sustainable development

Wildlife Refuge In November 2006 Bombah Point Eco Cottages was declared a Wildlife Refuge. An agreement to conserve and protect the fauna on the site and was declared by Bob Debus the then NSW Minister for Environment.

The Future Whilst developing Bombah Point Eco Cottages has been a greatly enlightening process there is always more to learn about environmental management and sustainable development.

ECO CONSTRUCTION

1. The materials used in the construction of the retreat are renewable and from managed and plantation forests where every possible
2. Minimal site disturbance during construction, to reduce the impact on local ecosystems. Fire prevention initiatives reduced the amount of native vegetation requiring removal around buildings.

3. The use of local labor and suppliers for the construction of the cottages, where possible, provided work for the local community.
4. Passive solar construction:
5. All around balcony and eves shade windows from hot summer sun.
6. North facing gable window allows winter sun into cottages
7. Banks of louvers in the loft and main level vent summer heat and allow for cross ventilation.
8. Windows positioned to maximise natural light
9. Ventilation – Ceiling fans are used for summer cooling and are reversed in winter to recycle winter warmth generated from the fireplace. Windows are positioned for cross ventilation in the living area and loft windows can be opened to vent hot air in the warmer months.

SOLAR ARRAY

The four solar trackers hold 48 solar panels and move to follow the path of the sun to maximize power generation. The power is not stored in batteries but is used on site or travels straight into the main electricity grid and is used by other properties in the area without solar power.

Bombah Point Eco Cottages was constructed without any power cost.

We generated sufficient power for both our own use and for the excess to give us a power bill in credit by the end of the construction period.

Our electricity meter reverses when the sun is out and we are generating power. The meter advances forward when we draw power from the grid at night and on cloudy days.

The array produces enough power for most of the guest accommodation.

WATER

Bombah Point Eco Cottages uses both rainwater and bore water.

The two rain water tanks at each building collect water from the roof, the first few minutes of rain is diverted away from the tank via a “First Flush” system, thereby improving the quality of the water entering the tank. The tank water is filtered before entering the building to further remove any particles or impurities. This water is piped to the kitchen and bathroom sink and the hot water in the shower, bath and laundry tub. The toilet and the cold water in the shower, bath and laundry tub use bore water a high mineral content water tapped from the bore on site. Bottled water is provided in the cottage, or boil the tap water for 3 minutes.

BIOREACTOR / BLACK & GREY Water System

Bombah Point Eco Cottages uses a tertiary treatment system incorporating compost worms, reed bed filtration and nutrient absorption, evaporation and deep watering of garden beds.

The worms in the initial tank feed on the solid waste from the toilet and also food waste from the cottages.

The liquid from this tank flows to a second tank nearby from where it is pumped to the reed bed. The base of the reed bed is made of oyster shells and gravel and as the liquid waste passes through this the lime assists in neutralizing the waste. The reeds convert the high nitrogen content into new plant growth.

The evaporation pond holds the treated waste until it is needed on the garden beds. The garden beds are irrigated with the treated waste by drippers into 30cm deep tubes. This method ensures that the waste is absorbed deep in the soil so that foliage can never be contaminated.

Eco Garden

The fruit tree garden beds use treated water from the sewerage system dripped 30cms below the soil surface. They can also use dam water collected as excess run off from the shed roofs.

The raised garden beds were initially filled with a soil made on site of sand, cow manure, straw and some topsoil. They were then covered in a thick layer of straw to aid in moisture retention and help inhibit weed growth.

Perennials have been planted over the years and these include 2 types of fig, mandarins, limes, lemon, coffee, peachcot, avocado, nectarine, blood orange, ruby grapefruit, strawberry guava, lemonade, kefir lime, mango. apricot, plum, native raspberry, asparagus, loquat, persimmon, cumquat, olive, mulberry, grape and tapioca. Herbs include chives, mint, parsley, lemongrass, Russian tarragon, pineapple sage, rosemary, lemon myrtle and thyme.

We have used Bio Dynamic principles to improve the composting, planting, propagation and general health of the soil.

We have had a minimal problem with insect or animal attack, except for some stray cows that did some radical pruning early one morning, and the Eastern Grey Kangaroos which have developed a taste for pumpkins!

The chook pen, a movable chook run and rotating garden beds was finished in 2004 These beds hold our short term crops such as beans, lettuce, spinach, radish etc and the chook run is moved every 3 months to clean up, refertilize and turn over the soil.