I'm deeply suspicious of holiday houses, so anything that bills itself as Stunning Stays in Serenity House, Cottage, Vista or Cube, was begging for close scrutiny.

Sipping complimentary bubbly, watching the sun go down from my warm spa tub on the verandah overlooking the lush backhills of Byron Bay in northern NSW, my cynical thoughts turned naturally to THAT drawer. You know the one. It's in a lot of rentable holiday houses and is crammed with twisted metal objects that once served as cooking utensils, and plastic things for use in the buckled frypan with all the Teflon burnt off by leaving it too long on the 30-year-old grease pit of a stove. A day later I had to admit defeat. There was nothing, absolutely nothing, wrong with Serenity Cottage, or the other three places I looked at. No mismatched cutlery, chipped plates, broken fridge handle, lumpy beds or blue plastic wine glasses ... the stainless kitchen utensils were on a rack on the wall.

The Stunning Stays stable of beautifully-renovated farm buildings reeks of good taste and forethought. Nothing seems has been overlooked in an effort to make holidaymakers feel pampered and relaxed, right from the fresh linen and towels, the daily loaf of home-baked bread and quality gas barbecue in each place. Serenity House, the showpiece of the group, has a restaurant-style kitchen, three queen-size bedrooms, two bathrooms and landscaping to die for. An inground pool is being built at the back near the Balinese gates to enhance further the outdoor living style. It sleeps up to seven. Serenity Cottage, a walk down the track, has a more private feel, with a picket fence and adjacent vegetable garden and chook pen. It has two queen-size bedrooms and one single, all opening onto a verandah, plus a big sofa bed for larger groups. It can also sleep up to seven. Vista, at Possum Creek, is big in every way, especially the views. It has all the above, two bathrooms and caters for up to 11. Cube Cabin, the latest addition, is a fully self-contained one-bedroom house, perfect for couples who want that little hideaway on their own terms.

This is not a farm-stay scene. You are not obliged to wallow among animals unless you take your own. Vista and Cottage are both dog friendly and securely fenced. If it's solitude you seek, simply turn up with your petgie or moggie, a week or so's supply of groceries to stack in the big fridge/freezer, put on your favourite CD or video, sink into the spa and chill out. In winter, curl up on a big couch in front of a wood-fired heater. If you don't feel like cooking, chef Karen is a mere phone call away and will come into your house, prepare you a feast and clean up afterwards. It's a great idea, particularly for the first night - and the food lives up to the often-misused word gourmet.

To complete the decadence, order an in-house massage or facial. Adventurous visitors to the Byron Bay area will seek out the famous Bangalow Markets, where you can find everything wholesome, fresh, crafty and alternative - such as foot masseur or an Indonesian flamenco guitarist. I had a health drink there that was so disturbingly good that I walked back for another, despite the fact that it was green. "Alternative" is what this area is famous for, and home-made or home-grown goodies are everywhere from the shops to the roadside stalls, each finding niche markets. The yummiest niche I found was Chocolat, the Byron Bay chocolate factory with about 80 products all dipped in, or seriously involved with, imported Belgian chocolate. Citrus peel dipped in dark chocolate or the coated fig slices got me, along with the cinnamon and chili chocolate. Happy employee Ben may be the only person who can speak about chocolate for half-an-hour without being boring or running out of breath.

For big food, there are loads of cafes, coffee shops and restaurants with Kokopelli in Bangalow a stand-out. It has world food from a sensible-sized menu, wise wine list, live music and a nice little al fresco dining area which doesn't make you sit on the footpath. Stunning Stays has comfort down to a fine art matched only by the natural beauty of the Byron hinterland and the relaxed pace that embraces you on the first day. What you get is more that a match for what you pay and the words cheap and nasty are far away, buried in that graveyard drawer full of dead kitchen things in places where people stay only once.

The Serenity trip will leave you wanting more.

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For detailed information, call Suzi on (02) 6686-6410, fax (02) 6686-3784 , mobile 0428-843-011 or check website www.serenitycottages.com.au

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* The writer was a guest of Serenity Cottages and flew by Rex Airlines 36-seater Saab to nearby Ballina.