The tropical humidity paired perfectly with the atmosphere at the industry launch of the newly badged Hemmingways Bar and Grill at the Cubana Resort, formerly the Destiny Motor Inn.

Mojitos and oysters in hand, around 100 members of the Valley's business community mingled and nodded approval at the energy that was being injected into the venue - one which used to be the place to be seen in the '80s.

The Cubana's new owners - Gareth and Jane Mozley, and Aaron and Tracy Rowe - have brought an element of big city sophistication with them from Sydney and London.

The couple friends-cum-business partners had been hunting for a place for a while to turn their special attention to and were blown away by the pristine beauty of Nambucca's coastline and the potential they saw in the Destiny site.

After recently settling on two other properties in Yamba and Ballina, the quartet already had a mammoth 'revamping' task ahead of them when they took on the Nambucca motel in early October.

But no sooner had they started work, tragedy struck the Valley.

To prove they're not just big city blow-ins, they offered to accommodate those who'd been left without a home, and also some of our interstate firefighters.

In another gesture of community spirit, Jane contacted her father - a president of one of the Sydney Rotary clubs - who put around the call to his community and gathered $15,000 in goodwill for the Nambucca Valley's recovery.

There's still a lot of work to be done yet, especially to the rooms, but if the launch is a taste of what's to come, the Cubana could soon retake its mantle of the place to be, which can only be a good thing for Nambucca Heads.

Hemmingways Bar and Grill will officially open to the public this Saturday.

Gaddes: Red cedar pioneers

Early Christmas presents for Scotts Head and Valla