Graph Building started construction of the Caves Beachside Hotel in October 2007, and will finish it in February 2009.

Weather always has a big impact on building progress, and what a contrast has been experienced over the construction period: rain, rain and more rain at the start; dry, dry and more dry at the finish!  Overall, the number of wet days has probably averaged out, but wet days early on, when builders are still “in the ground”, have a much greater impact than they do in the later stages of a project.  When it rains early on excavations have to be pumped out and the ground has to dry out before work can resume.  Later in a project, when slabs are down and buildings have been partly constructed, lost time is pretty much limited to the wet days themselves.

But, regardless of the weather, what a great outcome!  Outside the building looks super and, inside, it just gets better:  the superior finishes used blend with the functional design to provide a great place for people to visit and enjoy themselves.

The Caves Beachside Hotel is one of Graph’s favourite projects, and we continue to be involved in building other parts of the development as Caves Beachside unfolds over the next few years.  You can keep up to date with our progress at Caves Beachside and other projects on www.graph.com.au

The weather has been quite reasonable over the holiday break and so work on Caves Beachside has progressed well particularly with the new wetlands and reshaping of the village houses area.

Internally the New Hotel is well on the way to completion with carpet being laid last week in the two functions rooms and other flooring finishes close to completion. The Sports Bar now features a great colourful montage of horse racing and a cricketer on the wall with joinery being installed in a nice timber finish.

The toilets are all but done with the stunning marble hand washing basins and the shimmering blue tiles a standout. The kids club mothers room is complete including the fold down baby change table and the kitchenette which will allow parents to heat up a baby bottle or food.

The main bar is taking shape with beer lines currently being installed and the completion of the all important keg room and associated cool rooms being done. We have gone to considerable detail to even refrigerate the rubbish storage area to eliminate the potential smell of seafood platter remnants!

Externally the striking timber decking is two thirds complete with timber slats completed down the side of each wall below the glass wind breaks. The closure of the former southern side of Mawson Close is now complete with turf laid and trees planted. The landscaping team has since done a great job rescuing the turf as it was laid last Thursday in temperatures above 40 degrees, not the best type of day to lay grass!

The stunning Beach Suites are being constructed off the site as the wetlands need to be completed before these buildings can be sited. We are very pleased with the progress and are excited about their intended layout and finish. We hope this type of accommodation proves very popular as they will features some striking water and ocean views.

The opening of the New Hotel is planned for around the end of February and the Honourable Member for Lake Macquarie and Mayor Councillor Greg Piper has kindly agreed to unveil the plaque to celebrate the opening of Lake Macquarie’s newest tourist facility.

Until next time bye for now.

Bill Saddington

Project Director

Little by little, day by day, a dream is becoming a reality on the picturesque stretch of beach known fondly as Caves! Situated at caves Beach, an hour north of Sydney.

The hive of activity of skilled trades is now giving ‘life’ to some of the best elements in architecture and design that have been long dreamt and talked about.

It has been my honour to flesh out those concepts, and with such a gorgeous location as Caves Beach, you can’t fail to recognise the opportunity to embrace the natural feel and vibe that life by the seaside creates.

We have been able to achieve what I believe will be a beautiful environment, to entertain, to relax and celebrate special times with family and friends. From a quite drink with the mates, to a wedding day gathering with all the family, we have made the interior experience a delight to the senses

So much of the interior design for this project has been taken from the elements found at Caves itself. The colour, texture, light & shadow all have been worked to achieve a pallet that encompasses the sea and the life of the coast in a way that is unique and embracive of the local community.

We wanted so much, to reflect the life of the beach back through the design and we have been able to do this with some master craftsmen that have designed many ‘one off’ pieces just for us. It has been both exciting and rewarding designing them and waiting for the day of their arrival.

The Hotel will feature some of the finest of resources available, beautiful Marble and Shell Stone, Fused & Slumped Glass, Stainless Steel & Wood all working together to give those natural elements a voice. We have amazing panels of back-lit Resin and Agate Stone Slivers that will reflect the intricate details captured in and around the rocks and much loved cave areas.

There will definitely be lots of beautiful things to see at Caves Beachside, and the most ‘amazing thing’ is that beautiful beach looks different everyday…I guess that is why we are inviting you to… discover the magic…. See you at Caves

Chris Jones

Interior Designer Caves Beachside

The project has created a great deal of interest and all the visitors to the site continually comment on the amazing location.

We always knew this, but until you actually set foot on the site you don’t realise the ambiance and tranquillity of the development and its surroundings, and all this only 1-hour north of Wahroonga (Sydney).

I have often been asked for statistics on the city of Lake Macquarie and where Caves Beach fits in the city.

Lake Macquarie is the largest region in the Hunter Valley; with a population of 192,000 it is much larger than Newcastle.

The body of water known as Lake Macquarie is twice the area and volume of Sydney Harbour. It is the largest coastal saltwater lake in Australia.

Caves Beach is a beachfront town on the southern extremity of the City of Lake Macquarie. It is supported by an infrastructure of supermarkets, shopping precincts, schools, preschools, major hospitals and recreation facilities all within a 15 minute driving radius.

Living in Caves Beach you can have the all the infrastructure benefits of a well-provisioned large city, with the seclusion and ambiance of small beachfront town. Until next time.

Bill Saddington Project Director