Local activities:

We have an extensive guide to the island, including maps, phone numbers, recommendations for restaurants, beaches, day trips etc in the house. This will give you some idea of what to expect when you arrive.

From Casuarina Bay:

Facing the ocean from Casuarina Bay, you can walk left (north) to the breathtaking beaches of Twin Coves (two beaches connected by a small sand-spit to an island). Or you can walk right (south) for miles along the exquisite but untouched sandy beaches. The beach directly south of Casuarina bay is the stunning pink sand beach of French Leave where the Club med used to be (no longer there and you have the whole beach to yourself!)

Three miles south you will find Tippy's - a lovely restaurant right on the beach which makes a perfect lunch or dinner destination with live island music on Sundays.

You can also take out the 4 sit on top ocean kayaks and explore the coastline from the water- stopping to snorkel along the route.

There is a lot to see if you jump in the water right in front of Casuarina Bay. You can sometimes even catch a glimpse of the giant parrotfish and turtles right from the shore There are many pristine patch reefs to explore.

Casuarina bay is protected by a barrier reef which runs a few hundred yards offshore and helps to keep the water calm and safe for children and snorkeling. The reefs are more developed and the fish bigger on the Atlantic side of the island (the Casuarina Bay side), but if the water is rough in the Atlantic, you may find calmer snorkeling and better visibility on the Caribbean side just half a mile away off one of the beaches on the western side of Eleuthera.

Casuarina bay is located about 1.5 miles to the north of Governors harbour. There are great restaurants nearby- some overlooking the beach and ocean. In the town you will find a charming library with internet access. There are food stores, banks, bakery, liquor and gift shops plus a clinic, post office, cinema, bars, bike rentals etc.

The original English settlers named this island "Eleuthera" from the Greek word for freedom. They meant religious freedom. For the modern world Eleuthera has come to mean more than that. It means freedom from noise, freedom from crowds and city congestion, freedom from overbooked schedules. And, for many vacationers from northern climates, freedom from winter.

Eleuthera's a long, thin island - 110 miles long but, at its widest, only 2 miles across. It's blessed with an abundance of spectacular beaches and perpetuatal summer - winter highs are in the mid 70's, summer highs in the mid to upper 80's. Generally, Eleuthera is 3-4 degrees cooler than Florida, with constant sea breezes.


Eleuthera is unusual in that it is relatively hilly, reaching an elevation of 100 feet, much more than most of the other Bahamian islands, and Florida. This fact gives it a scenic advantage, unshared by the other Family Islands.

With a population of about 8,000, Eleuthera, unlike Nassau, does not have "big city" feel. Bahamians are known to be some of the warmest and most friendly anywhere. Governor's Harbour, the capital, is located at the mid-point of the island and has small town charm and is a great jumping off point for exploring both north and south Eleuthera. The island is a nature lovers paradise.

Links:
For more information on Eleuthera and the Bahamas in general including places to explore, restaurants, activities etc check out the following links:

www.eleu.net Lots of information specific to Eleuthera

www.thebahamasguide.com
General Guide to the Islands

www.bahamas.com General info about the Bahamas with lots of links

www.bahamas.gov.bs Official Government site also has information about Weddings in the Bahamas

www.breef.org Information about Marine Conservation and Education in the Bahamas

Other things to do:

Moonlit walks on the beach are highly recommended! Swim at night and enjoy the bioluminescence!

One can go spelunking in the Hatchet Bay caves. The caves are filled with stalactites and stalagmites and include an underwater lake.

The Ocean Hole in Rock Sound is a natural saltwater inland blue hole stocked with fish. It is connected to the ocean by underwater tunnels and rises and falls with the tide. You can jump in and swim with the fish or feed them from the edge.

Harbour Island to the north provides a wonderful day trip for SCUBA, shopping and exploring.

The Island School at the south-western tip of the island-at Cape Eleuthera (about a 2 hour drive), is a study-abroad semester program for high school students. The program focuses on marine conservation and science research. You are welcome to visit, and the students will give you a tour of the campus which is powered by solar panels and a wind generator. One can usually go SCUBA diving on the wall with guides from the school which make the trip well work while.

FAQ:

How far from the beach and from each other are the houses?

The houses are only 50 feet from the very private beach- both have their own access paths to the water, private driveways, phone lines etc. They are visible to one another buy angled away from each other for maximum privacy.

Our 2 houses are the only ones on the 14 acre estate which stretches from one ocean of Eleuthera to the other. No other buildings can be seen in either direction and there is just one other small house at the far end of the Casuarina bay beach.

What are the nearby beaches like?

One can walk for miles from the house along stunning and virtually untouched sandy beaches. The water in generally calm and one can swim and snorkel safely from any beach.

Do the houses have air conditioning?

The Round house does have air conditioning. The Beachfront house does not- it is aligned to catch the breezes off the ocean and all the rooms have fans and many windows.

Do I need to rent a car?

Most guests do choose to rent a car as taxis are not always available. Some guests however are content to relax at the house and explore the nearby beaches so choose not to rent a car and just have the taxi take them via town to pick up supplies on the way to Casuarina Bay. I do often recommend that guests rent a car for at least a couple of days to explore a bit further a field. Except during busy holidays cars can be arranged last minute and delivered to the house on request.

How far away in the nearest town?

Governors harbour is about 1.5 miles away. It is one of the oldest settlements in the Bahamas and has many beautiful colonial and typically colourful Bahamian style architecture. We have maps provided in the house.

What kind of fishing is there around Eluethera?

There is excellent fishing on Eleuthera (bone-fishing, deep-sea, hand line, spear fishing). You can get a local guide to take you out if you wish.

Can you go Sucba diving?

There are SCUBA operations in Harbour Island (reefs, wrecks etc plus they have certification courses). One can also dive the spectacular wall drop off the southern coast of Eleuthera.

Can I rent snorkel gear there?

If you plan on snorkelling a lot I recommend bringing your gear with you or buying it before you arrive. It can be purchased on Eleuthera but tends to be more expensive and not of such high quality.

Are there ATMs and Are credit card widely accepted?

One can use US or Bahamian dollars anywhere in the Bahamas- they have the same value. There are 2 ATMs in Govenors Harbour but they are not always reliable so I always suggest that guests also bring credit cards and cash. We have a safe in each house to store valuables. Some stores and restaurants accept credit cards but not all so bringing some cash is very important.


How to Get to Casuarina Bay from the US

Governors Harbour, Eleuthera, Bahamas.
Casuarina Bay is 7 miles from Governors Harbour airport, on Eleuthera. A taxi to the house from the airport is approx $30 1-way. The taxi can take you via the town to pick up groceries etc for your stay if you decide not to rent a car.

REMEMBER: YOU MUST BE CARRYING EITHER A PASSPORT OR BIRTH CERTIFICATE WITH PHOTO ID WHEN FLYING INTO THE BAHAMAS.

The simplest way, and the way I recommend, is to take a direct flight from Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Governors Harbour (GHB).

Twin Air has direct flights from Fort Lauderdale to GHB on most days of the week. www.flytwinair.com or call: 954 359 8266) rate: $295 round trip.

Continental www.continental.com
(1800 231 0856) has direct flights from Fort Lauderdale. Rates and times vary.

Lynx Air also flies with from $241 and up. www.lynxair.com They fly Fort Lauderdale to Governors Harbour on Mon,Fri, Aat and Sun. Times vary depending on day of the week but are in the afternoons only.

If you arrive in Fort Lauderdal too late for the direct flight to Eleuthera you can go via Nassau. There are numerous flight from many east coast cities into Nassau.

There are 3 ways to get to Governors Harbour from Nassau.
• Southern Air. Tel: 242-377 2014/323-6833. www.southernaircharter.com
flights leave Nassau 7am, noon and 3:30 (20 min flight)

• Bahamasair www.bahamasair.com Leaves Nassau approx 7am and 4pm daily. Check the exact time with your travel agent as it varies in winter and summer. Price: approx $70 one-way. Time: 20mins.

• Bahamas Fast Ferry. Leaves from downtown Nassau (taxi fare from Nassau airport approx $25) on Friday afternoon/evening and goes direct to Governors Harbour. It's called the 'Bohenge' and is a fun, safe and reliable way to get there. Time: approx 2.5 hours. Tel: 242-323-2166, fax: 242-322-8185. www.bahamasferries.com

Less expensive flights can often be found on sites such as www.itasoftware.com
or www.expedia.com - try searching flights through Nassau or North Eleuthera or Rock Sounds. (North Eleuthera and Rock Sounds airports are about 1 hour from the house and an expensive cab ride but if you rent a car for yoru whole trip you can arrange to rent one directly form the airport and avoid a taxi fair.)

Private charters can also be arranged from the US
Jerome Henfield 242 326 0011
Tom Jones 242 335 1495, 912 264 4195 (twin engine Piper Aztec- 6 passengers)
Stuart Donaldson 954 684 0281 (boatpdler@aol.com)

Private charters from Nassau to Eleuthera can be arranged with Wolf Seyfert on Pineapple Air (242 454 8011) email: airwolfe_1@hotmail.com He normally has 2 flights a day from Nassau to Governors harbour (6am and 6 pm)



The History of the building of Casuarina Bay

The McKinney family has lived in The Bahamas for generations. At 17 Doon was teaching school in a remote village in Botswana. She fell in love with the idea of living in a round house. When she returned to The Bahamas she decided to move from Nassau to the remote and untouched island of Eleuthera and build her own round house. Everyone was a bit skeptical of this young woman clearing the land by herself and building a house with no electricity, running water, car or a telephone. Camping out every night on the site helped her develop an intense connection with the land and gave her the opportunity to build a house that was perfect for the location. She decided to build 11 foot arches on all five sides of the house to allow the ocean breeze to sweep into the house. She nestled the house among coconut trees and Casuarina trees where you can hear the sound of the wind in the trees and the waves on the beach. She surrounded the house with a garden full of beautiful hibiscus, oleander, seagrape, coconuts and other native flowers and trees.

It was a challenge for a woman with limited carpentry skills to clear the land and almost single-handedly build a house- having never built so much as a box. Doon persevered and used creativity to overcome many of the obstacles she encountered. While still working on the building of the house Doon married and had 2 daughters (Casuarina and Taja)- Taja was born right in the Round house before the midwife even found her way out to Casuarina Bay.

As her family began to grow, Doon decided to build a guest cottage. She began with a large rainwater storage tank- as the only water to the area was what could be collected from the rain. She stood on top of the tank, looked out across the beach into the ocean and was so inspired that she decided to put a bedroom there looking out over the ocean. A few months later as she was working on the roof of the new bedroom she was astounded by the spectacular view the added elevation gave and decided to build another floor and put the bedroom higher up. So what began as a small guest cottage grew into a 3 storey, 3+ bedroom house with extraordinary views to the ocean called the Beachfront house.