Bellingen is stunning. More like a dreamscape than a real place, and Casuarina Cottage is one of the best places we’ve ever stayed. It has an excellent verandah with a comfortable sitting area and the most beautiful outlook toward Dorrigo national forest. We ate all our meals on the verandah. The bedrooms are lovely and comfortable (though the kid who scored the sofa bed in the lounge room felt a little shortchanged!). The shower is excellent and the kitchen extremely well-stocked. The place is beautifully cared for with small touches everywhere. Our host was helpful and welcoming. It is getting too expensive for the locals to pay rent, which makes this review bittersweet, but we do hope to return to stay in this peaceful refuge.