Au str alian tr aveller issue 74 aprilmay 2017

100

WAYS TO SEE AUSTR A LI A

E X P LO R I N G

BY F O OT, F L I G H T AND FOUR WHEELS TOWNS ON THE UPSWING

City sojourns

T H E PA R T Y C O M E S TO O R A N G E | N O R T H B R I D G E G E T S C O O L S T R A N G E S P A D AY S | I N S I D E O P E R A A U S T R A L I A ’ S W A R D R O B E

breathe the world’s cleanest air TASMANIAN SMALL SHIP EXPEDITIONS

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With only 72 guests on board, you will enjoy personalised service and the renowned expedition expertise of Australia’s pioneering cruise line. > Spend two full days exploring Port Davey and Bathurst Harbour > Hike the breathtaking Wineglass Bay Track in Freycinet National Park > Experience the diverse wildlife and history of Maria Island > Be in awe of 300 metre high sea cliffs at Tasman National Park

7-NIGHT EXPEDITION VOYAGES Depart from Hobart > Jan to Mar 2018 From $4,990 pp, twin share

Picture Taken > Voyage 1115 - Wineglass Bay, Tasmania > November 2015

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CONTENTS Issue 074 April – May 2017

1 00 WAYS TO SEE AUST RAL I A 072 078 084 090 096 102 106 110 114

O N F OOT Where your two feet can take you.

UNDER CITY LIGHTS Exploring our urban hubs.

ON WH E E L AN D W I N G On road, off-road and from the air.

L IK E A N A -L I S T E R The chicest stays on the circuit.

L I K E A N AT U R AL I S T Australia’s weird and wonderful wildlife.

L I K E A G A S T RON OM E Your gourmand’s guide to travel.

L I K E A N H I STOR I AN Places that shaped Australia.

L I K E A C U LT U R E C ON N OI S S EUR Up your intake of arts and culture.

L I K E A N A DV E N T U R E R Throw caution to the wind.

L I K E A L OC A L The next must-visit towns.

P H O T O G R A P H Y: J O H N L A U R I E

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CONTEN ISSUE 074 APRIL / MAY 2017

S H O RTCU TS 022 026 030 033 035 036 038 042

W I S H YO U WE R E H E R E The Super Pit, WA T R AV E L B U Z Z The lowdown on the latest in travel WINE & DINE Delicious news from the culinary world PI L L OW TA L K Hot hotel openings across the country MINI-BREAK Do digital devices affect our memory?

STYLE SEEKER Plush and lush items to covet O N T H E ME N U How to be a better camp cook REWIND Sydney’s lost bohemian laneway T R AV E L T R E N D Weird and wonderful spa treatments

054 058

CULT U RE 128 131 132 134 135 136

W EEKEND S 046

REVIEWS Fred’s, Sydney, NSW Wildflower, Perth, WA Elements of Byron, Byron Bay, NSW Peppers Kings Square Hotel, Perth, WA

O R A NGE FEV ER Joining the party for truffle season H IP H O O D Misfit district Northbridge, Perth

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INNER BEAUT Y PLAYA by Lucy Folk WA LKA BO UT Louise Olsen’s adventures W H AT IT ’S R EA LLY LIKE… to dress Opera Australia P R IZES Win a stay at Yondah Beach House, SA O NE FINE DAY Exploring the lush, relaxing town of Maleny in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland W H AT ’S O N Plan your excursions around these cultural happenings LET ’S GO … to the country!

S UBS CR IBE TO WIN: Subscribe to Australian Traveller for your chance to win a luxury getaway to Halcyon House, valued at $3500. Turn to page 62.

C ONGRATULATIONS TO O UR SUBSC RIP TION P RIZE W I NNE R FROM ISSUE #72 Joe Scanlan from Burleigh Heads, Queensland, has won an escape to Pumphouse Point,Tasmania, valued at $6500.

100

WAYS TO SEE AUSTR A LI A

ON THE COVER Location: Great Ocean Road Photographer: John Laurie

E X P LO R I N G

BY F O OT F L I G H T AND FOUR WHEELS TOWNS ON THE UPSWING

City sojourns

+

T H E PA R T Y C O M E S TO O R A N G E | N O R T H B R I D G E G E T S C O O L S T R A N G E S P A D AY S | I N S I D E O P E R A A U S T R A L I A ’ S W A R D R O B E

P H O T O G R A P H Y: M I C H A E L W E E ( M O O N TA B AY ) ; P E T E R TA R A S I U K ( H O R S E ) ; R E B E C C A X U ( O P E R A A U S T R A L I A )

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4 OCTOBER 2017 | 10 NIGHTS

15 OCTOBER 2017 | 12 NIGHTS

12 NOVEMBER 2017 | 12 NIGHTS

BARCELONA TO VENICE

ATHENS (PIRAEUS) TO ROME (CIVITAVECCHIA)

ROME (CIVITAVECCHIA) TO LISBON

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• • •

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CAPRI

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OFINO

SORRENTO/CAPRI

LORENCE/PISA/ P (MA

S (PIRAEUS)

MESSINA (SICILY)

•

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PATMOS

•RHODES •LIMASSOL • HERAKLION JERUSALEM (CRETE)

(HAIFA)

BARCEL LISBON • SEVILLE (CÁDIZ)

•• CARTAGENA MÁLAGA

Editor’s letter

DESPITE EXPLORING EVERY dusty border town, coastal fringe and hidden city crevice, we simply don’t have enough pages in this magazine to ever exhaust all the wonderful people, places and experiences this country has to offer. That’s why our special 100 issue is an attempt to capture a wider snapshot of Australian travel. Of course, 100 doesn’t even come close to covering it all, but it’s a start.

This year, in planning our 100 issue, we wanted to go deeper. To touch on not just the places you should see, but how you can best see them.

We were looking to unearth new discoveries, revisit the classics in a fresh way, and present an alternative to how you might normally plan a trip.

Running in no particular order, our list is here for you to cherry-pick the experiences that speak to you. What kind of traveller are you? Are you the naturalist with your binoculars swinging from your neck, scrambling to sight a rare tree kangaroo? Perhaps you prefer to see Australia like an adventurer, seeking out obscure destinations? Maybe you’re the type who sees a holiday as a well-earned reward and the vehicle for some good old pampering? Whatever style of escape blows your hair back, we’ve done our best to sort your next trip, or next 10... or perhaps even next 100? So, turn to page 65 as we present to you 100 unique ways to see your Australia.

And while you’re out there seeing it, don’t forget to report back.

We love to hear about your adventures on Instagram and Facebook, or even drop us a line the old fashioned way… by email. Speaking of recording your holiday digitally, turn to page 33 for a fascinating read on how new technologies have impacted the way you form holiday memories.

We also have tips for being a better camp cook (page 36), and road test some of the country’s more unusual spa treatments (page 42) – red wine bath, anyone? Plus we check out Perth’s gently gentrifying Northbridge (page 58) and review some of the latest, lauded dining rooms.

So, get planning and as always, happy travels.

NEW DIGITAL EDITION SUBSCRIBE NOW. Special LAR A PICONE, EDITOR

editor@australiantraveller.com FACEBOOK:

facebook.com/AustTraveller I N S TAG R A M :

@AustTraveller

introductory offer only $9.90 for a six-month subscription.

Subscribe today, head to shop.australian traveller.com

You, the reader, are the most important person in our business. As such, we will never trade your trust for advertising dollars. So you know exactly what you’re reading , be aware that stories labelled ‘In Partnership With’ mean a valued sponsor has enabled this content to be brought to life. These stories are created to the same journalistic standards as our usual features. An ‘Australian Traveller Promotion’ is content created by our valued clients that has been edited by our team.

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AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM

P H O T O G R A P H Y: E L I S E H A S S E Y ( B Y R O N B AY ) ; J O N AT H A N C A M Í ( K A R I J I N I ) . A R T W O R K : S H A N E P I C K E T T, S I X S E A S O N S : A S U I T E O F P R I N T S 2 0 0 5 – 2 0 0 6 ( D E TA I L ) , S TAT E A R T C O L L E C T I O N , A R T G A L L E RY O F W E S T E R N A U S T R A L I A

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: See Perth’s transformation into an indigenous arts centre on p109; Go canyoning in Karijini on p110; Stay in true A-lister style at Jackalope on p84; Walk to the most easterly point in the country, in Byron, on p71.

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We’re a passionate bunch of travellers here at AT; always on the hunt for the next adventure. Here’s where we’re heading this year.

“I’M HOPING TO GET TO KAKADU FOR A CAMPING TRIP. IT’S ON MY OUTBACK HIT LIST.”

“I want to do Kakadu as it should be done: camping in the wilderness from a kitted-out 4WD.” “I’M DUE FOR A REVISIT TO MELBOURNE. I’VE GOT A LOT OF DISCOVERING TO DO!”

“I will be road tripping from Sydney to Belli Park to visit family, with pit stops at Port Macquarie and Byron Bay.”

EDITORIAL

Editorial director LEIGH-ANN POW Editor LARA PICONE | editor@australiantraveller.com Acting deputy editor DANIEL DOWN Sub editor IMOGEN EVESON

“I will be going to Adelaide this year, which I am ashamed to admit I have never been to!”

“IN MIDWINTER, I’LL BE HEADING TO HOBART FOR DARK MOFO FESTIVAL.”

ART

Acting art director ANITA JOKOVICH Designer REBECC A XU ONLINE

Digital editor STEVE MADGWICK Digital marketing manager LEIGH COUNSELL Content uploader LUKE VINCENT SALES & MARKETING For all advertising enquiries, phone 02 9698 7072

“I am dying to travel to the Whitsundays to see the expanse of intense blue against white sand.”

“THIS IS MY YEAR TO RE-EMBRACE THE AUSTRALIAN SKI FIELDS. MT HOTHAM IS TOP OF MY LIST.”

General manager sales, marketing & distribution KATE SHILLING Sales manager ELLIOTT B ARSBY Marketing manager TOBI CORNWELL Account managers ALISON LANGLEY, MARCUS HURLEY “I’ve got to get to the Sales & marketing coordinator GEORGIA BRAITHWAITE NT. It’s the one state/

“I AM OFF TO MERIMBULA. EXPANSIVE COAST, FRESH SEAFOOD, SUN, AND CAMPING WITH MY BEST FRIENDS.” – ALISON

“Gold Coast for a long weekend to take in all the theme parks and get reacquainted with my inner child.”

territory that I’ve not been to yet.”

AUSTRALIAN TRAVELLER MEDIA

Managing director QUENTIN LONG Director NIGEL HERBERT Office & subscriptions manager JOANNA DROULIAS Full stack developer RAMAN KUMAR Finance director KEN DAVISON Finance manager MAUREEN ABRAHAM CONTACT 02 9698 7072 | australiantraveller.com

“I AM HEADING TO THE CENTRAL COAST WITH THREE MATES I TRAVELLED WITH AS AN 18 YEAR-OLD IN 1991.”

INTERNATIONAL TRAVELLER

Editor LEIGH-ANN POW | editor@internationaltravellermag.com Senior account manager MICHELLE HOGAN Account manager JOSHUA KEANE

All rights reserved. No material published in this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without prior written authority. Every endeavour is made to ensure information contained in this magazine is correct at time of going to print. Unsolicited material, including contributions to the Readers’ Section, may be used by AT, but no responsibility is accepted for lost manuscripts, artwork or images. Australian Traveller is published bimonthly by Australian Traveller Media (ACN 113 975 438), PO Box 159, Broadway, NSW 2007. Printed by Offset Alpine Printing, 42 Boorea Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2141. Price in Australia: $9.95 inc GST (recommended & maximum price only).

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Paper fibre is from certified forests and audited sources.

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AustralianTraveller.com – one swipe sweeps you off to Australia’s DREAMIEST destinations.

WIN A $10,70 0 ESCAPE TO THE COOK ISLANDS How does island-hopping in the Cook Islands sound, compliments of Pacific Resort Hotel Group, Air Rarotonga and Air New Zealand? Enter your favourite travel photo via australiantraveller.com/yourshot AND tag @austtraveller, @internationaltraveller and #winyourshot on Instagram. The main competition closes 1 December 2017 and there are prizes to be won every month!

LET DOWN YOUR HAIR (AND YOUR TYRES)…

Because we’re road testing the world’s most amazing all-beach road trip: from Noosa to Hervey Bay, via Fraser Island.

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A U S T R A L I A N T R AV E L L E R . C O M

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SHORTCUTS news . pillow talk . style seeker . on the menu . rewind

BRU N Y I S L AND S O JO U RN

P H O T O G R A P H Y: T R E V O R M E I N

Stay in the award-winning Shearer’s Quarters during a six-day tour of Bruny’s best culinary offerings.

Turn to page 26 for more.

W I S H

Y O U

W E R E

H E R E

THE SUPER PIT GOLD MINE

K A LGOO R LI E , WA

PLUNGING DEEP into the earth like an open wound, the Fimiston Open Pit (known colloquially as the Super Pit) is one of the biggest open pit gold mines in Australia.

Spanning 1.5 kilometres in width and 3.5 kilometres in length, it is astonishing in its enormity. The discovery of gold here in 1893 led to the area being dubbed the Golden Mile, however, since its inception in 1989 the Super Pit has grown to consume the earlier mines.

It’s now a popular tourist spot where curious travellers can stop by for a tour or observe the mine in operation from the specially created Super Pit Lookout. Photographer Elise Hassey captured this otherworldly scene at dusk. Large vehicles look like toy Tonka trucks as they climb from the shadowy depths and up the terraced ridges bathed in surreal purple tones. The alien scene almost looks like it’s on Mars, lending the mine a strange, beguiling beauty.

| Wish you were here

P H O T O G R A P H Y: E L I S E H A S S E Y

SHORTCUTS

AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM

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SHORTCUTS

| Trravel buzz

T R AV E L BUZZ

A SHADE BETTER

IN THE MARKET FOR SOME NEW SHADES? A COLLABORATION BETWEEN TOMS AND KATHMANDU CAN ASSIST: THESE CHIC SUNGLASSES NOT ONLY PROTECT YOUR EYES FROM UV RAYS, BUT YOUR PURCHASE HELPS RESTORE SIGHT TO SOMEONE IN NEED. KATHMANDU.COM.AU

Make an ENTRANCE, shop in style, learn some LIFE HACKS or be IMMERSED in the world of an Aussie ART ICON. Here’s what’s on our agenda this autumn.

PACK A BAG

BIG NIGHT OUT Travelling for a special occasion? Fill your luggage with a few entrance-making special essentials.

Karl Lagerfeld ‘K/Klassik’ SHOULDER BAG, $459. theiconic.com.au Edith Rewa ‘Cocky Lady’ silk SCARF, $150. edithrewa.com 3. The Daily Edited leather LUGGAGE TAG, $54.95. thedailyedited. com 4. Stella McCartney ‘Rosie Dreaming’ BRA, $180, and BRIEFS, $100. stellamccartney.com/au 5. Spurr microsuede lace-up HEELS, $59.95. theiconic.com.au 6. Marc by Marc Jacobs ‘Baker’ navy and rose gold WATCH, $329. 02 8977 8086 7. Diptyque ‘Do Son’ EDT, $112. mecca.com.au 8. The Goods suede CLUTCH, $119. thegoodsco.com.au 9. Natalija silk CAMISOLE in Steele, $119. natalijathelabel.com.au 10. Slip silk EYE MASK, $45. slip.com.au 11. Lipstick Queen ‘Velvet Rope’ LIPSTICK, $72. mecca.com.au 12. Natalie Marie garnet RING in rose gold, $420, layered textured RING in rose gold, $300, and oval stud EARRINGS, $170. nataliemariejewellery.com 13. The Daily Edited iPhone 7 navy CASE, $49.95. thedailyedited.com 14. Lee Mathews ‘Verity Frill’ DRESS, $599. leemathews.com.au 1.

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ELK IN THE CITY We’ve long loved Melbourne fashion label Elk , so couldn’t be happier that it has opened its first flagship retail store in the CBD. The boutique on Little Collins Street was created with interior designer Fiona Lynch and is a soothing, minimal space. We’ll certainly be stopping by. elkaccessories.com.au

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P A C K A B A G P H O T O G R A P H Y: G U Y B A I L E Y. S T Y L I N G : R E B E C C A X U

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C L E V E R

A U S S I E S

Q&A

OUT OF ROOM SERVICE

AN ARTFUL COLLAB HAS BLOSSOMED BETWEEN BRISB ANE ART SERIES HOTEL THE JOHNSON AND MASINI & CHERN. PRINTED WITH MICHAEL JOHNSON’S CORMORANT 1 OF 3, INDIAN INK ON PAPER (1995), THESE LINEN ROBES MEAN YOU C AN LOUNGE AROUND LIKE A MUSE. AND NOT JUST IN THE HOTEL DEDIC ATED TO THE ABSTRACT ARTIST, BUT IN YOUR OWN HOME, TOO. AT A COST OF $229, WE THINK THESE UNISEX ROBES ARE A SMALL PRICE TO PAY FOR HIGH ART. ARTSERIESHOTELS .COM.AU/ARTEFACTS-SHOP

I N WH I TE L E Y’S WOR DS

One of the country’s most iconic artists, Brett Whiteley’s highly absorbing and dazzling works provide a visual overlay of the ideas and identity of Australia in the ’70s and ’80s.

Whiteley was as prolific as he was tormented and a risk-taker in art and life. Hear the voice behind the art in Whiteley, a documentary featuring his own voice and neverbefore-seen interviews and notebooks. The film hits cinemas 11 May.

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A U S T R A L I A N T R AV E L L E R . C O M

How does it feel to have one of the most Instagrammed locations in Australia?

I was so humbled to discover that The Grounds of Alexandria ranked so highly.

Social media is the new TV, so to be acknowledged in this manner is amazing.

The Grounds is all about creating beauty, inspiration, joy and forging a connection in people’s lives. What better way to convey this than with a photo? I’m truly elated.

what inspired The Grounds?

The Grounds was born out of a desire to infuse everything we do with beauty. At The Grounds we are committed to arousing all five senses. My father was and still is my greatest inspiration. He exposed me to this notion of beauty, instilling profound values like the importance of family, learning, being a good person and how to become a man of value. My father taught me what it truly means to possess a beautiful life and I honour him each day by continuing his legacy.

you’ve owned 10 businesses before now, but people may not know that The Grounds came from nothing, after you’d lost everything in the GFC. When you think back, what gave you the courage to start again?

I believe courage is a choice. I choose to view the world and my place in it from a place of learning. A challenge is merely an opportunity to learn and this is what propels me to engage and positively benefit from this greater comprehension.

It’s the big question everyone wants answered: how did Kevin Bacon recover from the infamous pig-napping from his home at The Grounds in 2013?

At the time, Kevin Bacon was only six months old, approximately 23 kilograms and had always been on a strict diet. When Kevin was rescued and returned home to The Grounds, we were flabbergasted when we saw him. Our healthy, svelte piggy was grossly overweight. He gained about 20 kilograms in two weeks, was breathing heavily and even experienced difficulty walking.

We believe that the people who stole Kevin unfortunately didn’t know much about pigs, so kept feeding him. Thankfully, our fantastic team nursed Kevin back to health.

why do you think the Grounds hit the right mark from day one?

After my father passed away and the bank repossessed everything, there was a period of great silence and stillness. While this was one of the most soul destroying periods in my life, it enabled me to truly listen. Upon reflection, it’s as though I ‘tapped into’ something that people didn’t recognise they needed or were longing for, until it came into being.

There can be incredibly long wait times at The Grounds, is this the downside of popularity?

When confronted with a challenge, such as long wait times, we immediately look for solutions. We have been able to resolve the issue via the beautiful garden that provides a welcome reprieve for guests who might have to wait. The markets are a fun, interactive inclusion created primarily to entertain.

What’s next for Ramzey Choker?

It is my mission to constantly push boundaries. One thing that I’m adamant about is that I refuse to replicate any concept already in existence. A new Grounds will open in Sydney’s Lower North Shore in the 2017/2018 financial year. While it will adhere to the company ethos that is synonymous with The Grounds, it will be distinctive. I’m also thrilled to announce our new CBD concept at The Galeries, a lifestyle and cultural destination scheduled to open very soon.

The Grounds of the City transports people on a journey into a specific time and place; this new venture will be transformed into the 1920s. thegrounds.com.au

P H O T O G R A P H Y: K A I L E I S H M A N ( T H E S C H O O L O F L I F E )

EQ HQ

T H E S C H O O L OF LIF E HAS O P ENED A P E R M A N E NT C LAS S RO O M AND B O O K S TO R E I N S YDNEY, DEDIC ATED TO D E V E L O P ING EMOTIO NAL I N T E LLI G E N C E: P HILO S O P HY F O R T H E 2 1 S T C E NTU RY, IF YO U WILL. A GLO B A L O P E R ATIO N THAT S ET U P S H O P I N M E L B O U RNE THREE YEARS AG O, S T U D E N T S C A N ATTEND C LAS S ES THAT RU M I N AT E O N TO P IC S LIKE, ‘ HOW TO B E C R E AT I V E ’ , ‘ HOW TO C HO O S E A PA RT N E R ’ A N D ‘ H OW TO F IND A JO B YO U LOV E ’ ; O R P H ILO S O P HY S ALO NS , WOR K S H O P S A N D TALKS WITH LEADING THINKERS. THESCHOOLOFLIFE.COM

THE GROUNDS OF ALEX ANDRIA’ S RAMZEY CHOKER He’s the founder of the Sydney eatery that was Instagram’s seventh most geo-tagged place in Australia last year, and we wanted to know more.

For the

of your life...

wine & dine From a BRUNY ISLAND culinary sojourn to JAPANESE knife skills in Melbourne, our pick of APPETISING HAPPENINGS across the country.

FIVE MINUTES WITH SOMER SIVRIOGLU HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE TURKISH CUISINE TO SOMEONE WHO’S NEVER TRIED IT? Regional,

seasonal, varietal and abundant are four words I’d use to describe the characteristics of Turkish cuisine.

TURKISH FOOD SEEMS TO SUIT THE AUSTRALIAN CLIMATE, DO YOU THINK THERE’S MANY SIMILARITIES IN THE DINING BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES? Turkey has seven regions

with a variety of produce and climate differences.

Both the Mediterranean and Aegean regions have similar climates and produce and the charcoal-style [cooking] is very similar to our love of barbecue here.

WHAT ANATOLIAN DISH WOULD YOU RECOMMEND EVERYONE TRIES ONCE? For me

kaymak, a thick, clotted buffalo cream, is one ingredient I have not been able to produce or import here successfully, yet. We are working on it with a local buffalo farm but that’s a work in progress.

If you are ever in Turkey, ask for it either with desserts or simply with local honey, it is divine.

Bruny-bound

Teaming up with acclaimed architect John Wardle and his wife Susan, Epicurious Travel has begun offering a six-day Bruny Island Sojourn on the Tasmanian food haven. Not only will you be able to sample the best culinary offerings from the island’s producers on this walking tour, but you’ll also stay in the award-winning Shearer’s Quarters. Expect incredible dining and wine experiences, including a private beach barbecue. Dates run from 19-24 April, with more tours happening later in the year. epicurioustravel.com.au

YOU HAVE TWO RESTAURANTS IN SYDNEY, EFENDY AND ANASON MEZEBAR, CAN YOU TELL US WHAT A ‘MEZEBAR’ IS? Mezebars, or as

we call them in Turkish, meyhanes, are casual eateries that focus on food designed to accompany your choice of drink. It is in the same style as Spanish tapas, Japanese izakaya or, the closest cousin, Greek taverna food. As the food is generally designed around raki, a very strong anise-flavoured alcoholic drink, it is protein driven. The idea is to cover the stomach lining to absorb the high alcohol content.

R E A D ’ E M A N D E AT 1. No one can deny Melbourne’s cafe culture is among the best in the world. Having run one of the city’s most-loved cafes, South of Johnston, Stuart McKenzie has compiled some of his favourite recipes in his new book All Day Cafe ($39.99; Murdoch Books). In it you’ll find easy-to-recreate recipes, from French toast to terrine.

2. Naughty x Nice ($45; Equilibrium) celebrates the foodification of Sydney’s Kings Cross. With stories and recipes from some of the area’s best restaurants, including ACME, The Butler and Bar Brosé.

3. Acclaimed Brae chef Dan Hunter releases a book about his first restaurant, Brae ($75; Phaidon), in May. Not just recipes, it chronicles Hunter’s culinary journey and locavore philosophy alongside beautiful photography of the landscape and farm.

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home town, Sydney, and being a cliché, I still have to say Melbourne. They’ve done my style of food, not only Turkish but Middle Eastern, Greek and Spanish, for so long and so successfully thanks to pioneering chefs such as Greg Malouf and Frank Camorra. And the rise of Turkish chefs like Ismail Tosun of Babajan, Kemal Barut of Lezzet and Coskun Uysal of Tulum is encouraging.

DESCRIBE YOUR ULTIMATE AUSTRALIAN FOOD EXPERIENCE… I love having Australian shellfish;

from freshly shucked oysters to mud crabs and marrons on the beach, preferably cooked over coals and served with a crisp riesling. We are blessed with some of the world’s best produce and, combined with our multicultural approach, it’s no wonder we have an amazing variety of restaurants – some better than those in their country of inspiration.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU? We want to bring the more casual, regional and street-style foods of Turkey to Australia, and have projects in the pipeline.

P H O T O G R A P H Y: T R E V O R M E I N ( S H E A R E R ' S Q U A R T E R S )

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE AUSTRALIAN CITY FOR DINING? Running the risk of selling out my

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here’s no better place than Noosa for a relaxing getaway. Immerse yourself in the beautiful nature that surrounds – from the sea to the hills, from picture perfect sunrises to sensational river sunsets.

Take a beachfront table, quench your thirst at outdoor bars, paddle out on calm waters, explore pristine national parks or just kick back and relax.

Book your Noosa escape now.

Call 1 3000 NOOSA or see visitnoosa.com.au On The Beach Noosa

Noosa Blue Resort

Relax and rejuvenate from $248pp*

Winter is coming – plan your Noosa getaway now!

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SHORTCUTS

| Wine & dine

High spirits

Coastal Greek TAVERNA IS A NEW GREEK-INSPIRED RESTAURANT SMACK-B ANG ACROSS FROM THE BEACH IN THE FAR NORTH NEW SOUTH WALES TOWN OF KINGSCLIFF; THE SECOND VENTURE FROM THE PEOPLE BEHIND OSTERIA, IN NEARBY C ASUARINA. THIS C ASUAL EATERY FEATURES SEAFOOD ALONGSIDE GREEK-STYLE CLASSICS OF ROAST LAMB AND KOFTA, AND A LESS CONVENTIONAL VEGAN MOUSSAKA. COCKTAILS ARE JOINED BY A THOROUGH WINE LIST, WHICH WE C AN SEE OURSELVES WORKING THROUGH LEISURELY. TAVERN A.NET.AU

ONE FOR THE ROAD The cocktails that put the most considered Australian craft spirits to good use, with recipes from the best bartenders in the country.

You wouldn’t normally associate vodka with the hot climate of Australia, but nevertheless we found this lovingly crafted drop in Tasmania, a state that seems hell-bent on becoming the craft spirit capital of the world. We dropped into Kentucky Rain, attached to smokehouse The Tickled Rib (currently on the move to a new and improved location in North Hobart), to sample Hellfire Vodka from Hellfire Bluff Distillery.

“Hellfire is a potato farm and it uses its excess potatoes to produce this vodka,” says manager Lewis Rands.

“It operates with a ‘paddock to bottle’ ethos to produce a vodka in the traditional way, while reducing waste.

The cocktail is the combination of sweetness from the elderflower and tartness from the blackberry and lemon without taking away from the vodka’s unique taste.”

THE RECIPE

THE ROSE TRAIN 45ml Hellfire Potato Vodka 30ml St Germain Elderflower Liqueur 30ml blackberry puree (made from 50g of frozen blackberries, blended) 15ml lemon juice Shake all ingredients with ice and then strain into a tall glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with a mint sprig.

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HOT OPENINGS Etta A new neighbourhood bistro has arrived on Lygon Street in Melbourne’s Brunswick East. Head chef Hayden McMillan (formerly THE ROVING MA RROW ) says the fare at the relaxed local will reflect the way he likes to dine himself, a menu more weighted towards vegetables than proteins. But meat-lovers fear not, it’s not a strictly vegetarian menu. ettadining.com.au Detour Brisbane’s Woolloongabba is much spoiled with the opening of the long-awaited DETOUR . The restaurant itself seemed to take a detour in getting up and running after a few heritage rules delayed renovations. But the wait, it seems, was worth it as chef Damon Amos rattles the pans to create a menu for both omnivores and herbivores. detourrestaurant.com.au Kisumé Melbourne is turning Japanese with the opening of KISU M É (pictured above) in May. The three-level restaurant on Flinders Lane comes with incredible knife skills between Chef Moon, a sushi craftsman certified in serving fugu (yes, that’s the poisonous blowfish), and Sean Presland; our premier Japanese cuisine master. kisume.com.au Mjölnir Meaning Thor’s hammer, M J Ö L N I R is the Speakeasy Group’s (E AU D E VIE and ROOSEVELT ) newest venture in Sydney’s Redfern. It’s a viking-style carvery and whisky bar with some 600 versions of the amber liquor on offer, occupying a former tobacco factory on Cleveland Street. We’ll be hoping to catch a glimpse of Chris Hemsworth and his Mjölnir.

P H O T O G R A P H Y: N I K K I T O ( T W O G O O D ) ; G U Y B A I L E Y ( C O C K TA I L ) . S T Y L I N G : A N I TA J O KO V I C H ( C O C K TA I L ) . C O C K TA I L P R O D U C T S : 1 8 0 6 G O L D C O C K TA I L K I T, $ 14 9 . 9 5 A N D E L E G A N T C O L L I N S GL A S S $34. 8 0 FOR S IX FROM B ARGEE K .COM . AU

AT LOV E S Here at the magazine we love a good salad. But what we love even more is a salad that gives back (and we’re not talking heartburn). Two Good founders Rob Caslick and Cathal Flaherty had a simple idea to do good: they’d sell great salads to busy city workers in Melbourne and Sydney who want to eat well, and donate the same salad to people in need. But the good-doing doesn’t stop there. Rob and Cathal employ disenfranchised women to make the salads that have been designed by big-name chefs such as Mitch Orr and Ben Shewry. If you don’t live in the city, you can simply donate, or purchase Two Good muesli and ginger and lemon drop tea. twogood.com.au

TRY VERMOUTH-INSPIRED COCKTAILS AND RUMS FROM AROUND THE WORLD AT HYATT REGENCY SYDNEY'S NEW SKY B AR, WITH A DRINKS LIST BY MIXOLOGIST SUPREME GRANT COLLINS. SYDNEY.REGENCY.HYATT.COM

Warm up this winter in Brisbane

MUST DO CHEERS TO SUNSHINE With year-round sun and a subtropical climate, Brisbane’s rooftop bars are never off limits. Dress up nice and taste the view from Eleven.

@larissadening #brisbaneanyday

ISLAND TIME Visitors fly from around the world in search of islands as idyllic as those on our coastline. Feed wild dolphins, whalewatch and snorkel or kayak around old ship wrecks.

FOLLOW THE ART TRAIL

HUNGRY FOR FUN

AUSTRALIA’S TOP BAR

WORLD-CLASS BALLET

Within a 1km radius there are 14 small, independent galleries to discover between Fortitude Valley and New Farm.

Eat Street is a feast in every sense – the sights, smells, tastes and sounds. The street food market has just reopened and it’s more epic than before.

Leather chesterfield couches, rich mahogany, top staff and a library of whiskey won The Gresham top bar awards from Gourmet Traveller and the Australian Bar Awards.

For the first time in 15 years the Royal Ballet returns to Australia with two original works that are both exclusive to Brisbane.

Discover more at visitbrisbane.com.au

CLOSE ESCAPE Twenty minutes from the CBD, stop for lunch at paddock-to-plate cafe Wild Canary before treating yourself to a spa treatment at the lush One Wybellena.

SHORTCUTS

| Pillow talk

THE FRONT DESK

Glamp it up

pillow talk The latest places to SPEND A NIGHT, from under the STARS to surrounded by ART.

Mount Zero Olives, on the cusp of Grampians National Park, has teamed up with pop-up camping specialist Under Sky to create a magical space under canvas in the olive grove. Each five-metre canvas bell tent will be fitted out with a queen mattress and bed base, quality bedding, linen and towels, wooden furnishings, woven rugs and natural toiletries.

Book a place quick before the camp disappears on 7 May. undersky.com.au

A RT I S T ’ S R E T R E AT We love this concept: gorgeous properties scattered across Melbourne that you can book through Airbnb, combining fine artwork from the city’s galleries with beautiful objects and design pieces to create perfect properties for a weekend break . The twist is that pretty much all you can see is purchasable online; art lovers will feel like a kid in a candy store. Check in to Microluxe’s properties in St Kilda and Fitzroy with a third due to open in the city. micro-luxe.com

DOWN ON THE FARM

Stay in the heart of the Mudgee wine region at the newly renovated farmhouse at Blue Wren Wines.

The boutique homestead has a pared-back yet luxurious ambience with touches of country charm. The five bedrooms have king size beds, and there’s a pool and private gardens.

You’ll also get a tasting at the winery’s cellar door. bluewrenwines.com.au

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THE C AKE SHO P If you’re on the run, The Cake Shop at QT Melbourne serves mouthwatering treats and Five Senses coffee. Out and about?

Try Dukes Coffee Roasters on nearby Flinders Lane.

FEDERATION SQ UA R E QT Melbourne is near Federation Square, Melbourne’s cultural precinct (NGV, ACMI and The Arts Centre Melbourne).

We’re also a 10-minute cab away from Everfresh Studio in Collingwood where you’ll find an urban graffiti gallery behind an unmarked factory door…

TIME TO SHOP Try Shag on Chapel Street for vintage finds, or Emporium Melbourne in the CBD. You’re destined to do some damage here, with the largest Australian designer precinct in the country.

FOOD A ND D R I N K 1806 is firmly steeped in Melbourne cocktail culture, and is a bar for all ages. Late-night haunt Hot Sauce Laneway Bar has the best baos in town, and serves Japanese/Korean fusion with a backdrop of ’90s throwback hip-hop and RnB. Heartbreaker is a place to let your hair down, two blocks from QT Melbourne – listen out for the rock ’n’ roll and look for the cherry red neon sign. Rooftop at QT has the best view of Melbourne’s skyline.

ON TOUR Explore the city’s underground art scene with QT Melbourne’s Laneway Art Tour Package in partnership with Blender Studios.

P H OTO G R A P H Y: C H A R L I E K I N RO S S ( U N D E R S K Y )

Niecha Joseph, director of chaos at QT MELBOURNE shares her secrets on the best things to see and do around town while staying at the boutique hotel (qthotelsandresorts.com).

AT PROMOTION

| Swissotel

Stay another day Never assume the Sydney CBD is always just business; a surprisingly wide array of pleasures await just one more day away.

IT’S FRIDAY in Sydney. Business is all wrapped up. Time to check out of your hotel and head home, right? But there’s something about the tone of the city that’s changing as the afternoon sun lengthens over the harbour ϐ Ǥ is quickening. Want to know what you can get up to if you hang around, and see what the weekend brings?

GOOD MORNING! During the week, caffeine-loving workers can turn a CBD cafe to mayhem, but the weekend Ǥ ϐ Italian produce, Fratelli Fresh, is serving not only a great cup of Lavazza every weekend ͻ ϐ ǡ lazy paces from the Swissotel Sydney, but can change your order to a morning Bloody Mary or Mimosa if you prefer. Breakfast dishes such as ricotta and blueberry pancakes or baked eggs in sugo are too good to rush.

Another weekend staple in Sydney comes in fragrant form, as yum cha is served Hong Kong-style as breakfast from 9am at Zilver, further down in Chinatown. Alternatively, Graze – right out the front of the Museum of Contemporary Art, enjoying that unbeatable vista across the harbour from Circular Quay – is also open for brunch on the weekends.

Forget those all-too-quick weekday scrambles; this is how you start a real Sydney day.

SHOP UNTIL YOU… NAP Come the weekend, Sydney’s newly refurbished Pitt Street Mall is further transformed from a sea of suits to more leisurely pursuits. From the intricate stained glass and tiles of the Victorian-style Strand ϐ ϐ ǡ Ǧ ǯ ϐ on Elizabeth Street to the newer imports on

F r o m t o p l e f t : Brunch with a view at the Museum of Contemporary Art; An executive suite at Swissotel Sydney; Shop in style at the beautiful Strand Arcade.

and chocolate-dipped treats as your heart desires at Swissotel’s buffet high tea. It’s reason enough to stay on a little longer, since it only runs on Saturday and Sunday. Plus, a Champers in the afternoon lends itself to a session admiring your new purchases back in your room, picking out something fabulous to wear, and getting ready for the evening.

the scene (H&M, Sephora, Forever 21), there is room to browse. Try, savour and perhaps give your credit card a little workout in the CBD. It’s not far to carry those bags to your room at the Swissotel, and there’s no reason why a small siesta isn’t in order, either.

HIGH TEA AND HIGH TIMES Yawn. Stretch. Have a cup of tea… or a glass of Laurent-Perrier Champagne. Enjoy as many rainbow-hued macarons, cream-laden scones

SMALL (AND NOT-SO-SMALL) BARS Small bars are still a relatively recent addition to the Sydney scene: young, fresh and having a ball in the city’s CBD. Check out sewing-obsessed Stitch, cosy Grandma’s Bar or Uncle Ming’s, complete with Chinese teapot cocktails. Meanwhile Mojo Record Bar is literally out the back of a record store, so you’d better believe the music’s good. On Saturday nights, though, go big – the Ibiza club Pacha takes over the Ivy on George Street with circus performers hanging from the ceilings, burlesque ladies waving their Ǧ ϐ joint with beats and a beaming crowd. Thank goodness you have a late check-out tomorrow.

To book, visit swissotel.com/hotels/sydney

SHORTCUTS

| Travel trends

making memories DIGITAL DEVICES allow us to CAPTURE our movements like never before, but how does this IMPACT our TRAVEL MEMORIES? KATE SYMONS finds out.

IF A TREE FALLS WHILE you are on holiday, but you don’t post any proof, did it really happen?

It’s the philosophical question of our time, although there are plenty who aren’t pondering it. They’re too busy choosing a filter, adjusting the saturation and curating the wittiest hashtags.

Yet, for every hashtag-heavy holidaymaker, there’s a travel romantic dismissing the practice as an unnecessary distraction, pointless or even narcissistic. Different though they may be, both types of traveller share a common objective: to capture unforgettable memories. Through our recollections, the joy of travel can linger long after we return. Furthermore, the nostalgia of past experiences can help concoct future adventures.

But who’s going about it the right way? Neuroscientist Dr Despina Ganella, who specialises in emotional memory, suggests the cynics may be right; that technology could be hindering our memory retention. “Our work in neuroscience tells us that attention is critical to the formation of memories,” says Dr Ganella, a postdoctoral research fellow at The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health in Melbourne. “If your full attention is on [the experience] you’re more likely to form a proper memory, whereas if your attention is divided, there might only be the potential for a fuzzy memory to form.”

Dr Ganella points to a 2013 study, conducted by psychological scientist Dr Linda A Henkel, which shows people had worse memories of objects if they took photos of them. For the study, participants were led on an art tour, some with cameras, some without. Those with cameras were instructed to use them at every turn, snapping photos of each artwork, while the remaining participants were asked to simply observe – you know, like ol’ times.

Those who took photos remembered fewer objects, details about the objects and details about where the objects were located.

Henkel described this as “a photo-taking impairment effect”.

Further discrediting snap-happy travel, Dr Ganella offers another insight. “The camera has also been suggested to act as a forgetting cue,” she says. “Research has shown that sometimes when you know you’re going to have access to material later, it’s like sending a message to your brain that you can forget it.”

Of course, there is much more to the digitisation of travel than camera phones and photo-sharing apps. Status updates are the new telegrams, emails have replaced postcards and journals have been trumped by a world-wide-web worth of travel blogs. The intangible nature of many modern-day replacements means you’re likely

creating more fleeting memories than enduring ones. Plus, the physical act of writing has been proven to facilitate recall far better than its keyboard counterpart.

Although she personally subscribes to the popular ‘live in the moment’ mantra, Dr Ganella admits she doesn’t always lead by example. She says the travel journal she updated so meticulously on holiday as a 22-year-old still triggers vivid memories, whereas countless photos taken on ‘digital’ journeys rarely get a second look.

Dr Ganella recalls a simpler time when a roll of film meant employing diligence to make the most of those 24 opportunities.

By way of slide nights and albums, those photos would not only stir memories, but also help keep them intact over time. “Memories occur when one neuron is talking to another,” she explains. “At the start it’s an electrical connection, but that connection is strengthened by being accessed repeatedly and it forms a strong memory that is stored more long-term. [Nowadays] people spend less time looking at photos because the sheer volume is a deterrent.”

Are you making memories or just collecting them? Dr Ganella fears that for many travellers, it’s the latter. “You want to be living your experiences,” she says. “Technology has its place and is amazing [but] it’s the whole mindfulness thing – being present, [experiencing] the sounds, the smells, the tastes.”

There is one consideration that perhaps matters most: what works for you? Memories may hold firm, fade or evolve over time, but if they’re still being enjoyed, they’re serving a meaningful purpose. And that’s what makes our holidays #unforgettable.

AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM

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SHORTCUTS

| On the menu

C A M P FI R E C U I S I N E

Seasoned camp cook RACHEL BARTHOLOMEUSZ shares her TIPS on making LIGHT WORK of good meals in the GREAT OUTDOORS. I HAVE NEVER UNDERSTOOD why camping is synonymous with bad food. Growing up, my favourite meal was the one my family always ate on the first night of our annual camping trip. A few days before we set off, Mum would prepare the smore. Not s’more, the North American marshmallow dessert, but the Sri Lankan slowcooked beef variety, which is equally at home around a campfire. A local take on the European beef pot roast, this pickled and curried hunk of meat is perfect for taking on long trips. The marinade acts as a preservative, and the dish improves with a few days’ rest.

After setting up our tent we would warm the smore, the smell of spices wafting over the other campers. The ubiquitous campground kids on BMX bikes would turn up their noses at its pungency while our mouths watered in anticipation of the fall-apart meat, of mopping up that gravy with fresh bread bought from a small town bakery.

Needless to say, no one eats trail mix for dinner on my watch. Holidays usually revolve around eating good food, and camping doesn’t have to be an exception.

I like to approach a camping meal like a MasterChef mystery box challenge, but instead of a ticking clock and George Calombaris breathing down your neck, there’s a quickly setting sun. Necessity forces creativity; new flavours come together simply because they’re swimming in the bottom of your esky. And the break from a kitchen full of gadgets is a reminder of just how little you need to cook a great dinner. Here are my tips for being a better camp cook.

BRING THE BASICS You don’t need a whole lot of equipment, but if you’re camping with a car then an esky, a portable gas cooker, a saucepan, a frying pan, a sharp knife, a wooden spoon, a chopping board and a can opener are a good place to start. A steamer basket that doubles as a strainer is really useful, and a stovetop coffee pot is a wonderful luxury.

Ziplock bags are also incredibly handy for bringing small amounts of ingredients, and storing leftovers.

THE PAN TRY Olive oil, salt and pepper, fresh garlic and ginger, dried chilli flakes, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar and a small selection of dried spices are my essentials. Beyond that, consider what you like to cook and pack ingredients that can be used in multiple ways, across cuisines, and are hardy – carrots, for instance. Space is usually at a premium, so think smart – buy a fresh chilli, rather than carrying a bottle of chilli sauce. Wraps can be eaten for lunch, used as tortillas, to substitute naan and mop up curry sauce, or used as pita for Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes.

L O O K TO OT HER C U L T U RES Every culture has its own camping foods, so if you’re stuck for inspiration, look beyond your own backyard. Korean campers take over public barbecues to grill meats they then dip in sauces and wrap in lettuce leaves with kimchi. Middle Eastern families will often arrive with a container filled with marinated meat to cook over coals and eat with salad and flatbreads.

Taiwanese friends take sticky rice parcels wrapped in lotus leaves on hikes, and we have Americans to thank for ‘cooler corn’ – cobs of corn cooked in an esky by pouring boiling water over the top, and closing the lid for half an hour.

P L A N A HEA D ( I F YO U C A N B E B OT HERED) Sauces, stews or curries made ahead of time and frozen in ziplock bags can double as ice bricks, and make excellent reheats. If that all sounds too ‘soccer mum’ for your liking, a simple curry paste or a pesto, a spice mix or a pickle made at home can have multiple uses and will make light work of impressive camping meals.

PA C K A S A L A M I A salami and a large wedge of hard cheese such as parmesan are indispensable. Both keep well, and can be eaten as a snack, sliced on sandwiches, or added to pastas, sauces or any dish that needs a savoury boost.

The salami can also be fried and rendered for its fat.

K EEP I T S I M P L E With limited burners at your disposal, one-pot dishes will often form the bulk of your camping repertoire – a pot of spicy mussels, for instance, is no harder to make indoors or out. Pasta is another camping classic, but getting it al dente can be hard on a camping stove. Opt for short pastas such as penne that are easier to cook in a smaller saucepan of water.

GET I NS P I RED B Y L O C A L P RO DU C E The secret to good, simple food, whether camping or otherwise, is to use good produce. Find the regional speciality, and eat it. If you’re driving through a wine region, you’re obliged to drink good wine from a tin mug and eat cheese for dinner. Buy roadside fruit for breakfast, or learn how to shuck fresh oysters.

A T I NNI E A DAY Cooking with a drink in hand is a crucial element of camping, and a tinnie will prove your best friend: add a splash of beer whenever you’d normally use wine in a dish, such as deglazing a pan for a stir-fry, or in a pasta sauce. And there’s no reason you should feel limited to a tinnie: bring the makings of a negroni cocktail or a bottle of whisky if you really want to up the ante.

AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM

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SHORTCUTS

| Rewind

BYGONE BOHEMIAN

A pocket of COSMOPOLITAN BOHEMIA once flourished in a Sydney laneway. IMOGEN EVESON takes a stroll down ROWE STREET.

IMAGINE A NARROW laneway in the heart of a city crammed full of all things cosmopolitan and countercultural: from artists’ studios, shoe box theatres and record stores to Italian coffee houses and shops selling Parisian fashions or Scandinavianinspired furniture. A meeting point for like-minded people interested in art and culture and life beyond their horizons.

A slice of Montmartre? Of Melbourne, perhaps? More surprising would be to imagine it tucked in the middle of Sydney’s CBD: cutting a straight line between the now-modern thoroughfares of Castlereagh and Pitt Streets, and parallel to Martin Place.

But for almost a century until the 1970s, Rowe Street thrived here: a meeting ground for Sydney’s bohemians, and the odd famous visitor – with the iconic Hotel Australia at one end and the Theatre Royal nearby.

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The strip’s heyday was experienced in the ’50s and ’60s when, following the Second World War, an influx of European immigrants opened shops, galleries and cafes and brought in their wake new cultural experiences. “A new perspective on how to dress, furnish your home or what to read,” says Dr Nicola Teffer.

Nicola is the curator of Demolished Sydney, an exhibition at the Museum of Sydney that explores the histories of buildings past.

Rowe Street is one of 13 sites featured and Nicola remembers first finding out about it while curating an exhibition on Sydney’s coffee drinking history: “I discovered that, for a few years in the late 1940s, Rowe Street was the home of the Lincoln Inn, a basement coffee lounge where art students, musicians and bohemians gathered to chain smoke and drink dreadful coffee,” she says. “It was known as the Stinkin’ Lincoln, and must have been quite an extraordinary place in conservative post-war Sydney.” Rowe Street was, says Nicola, “a place where Sydneysiders could have a kind of European experience in an otherwise very British city.”

It was demolished, along with Hotel Australia and the Theatre Royal, in the early ’70s to make way for the MLC Centre and plaza: “A beautiful and purely modernist

skyscraper and pedestrian precinct that set Sydney on its way to becoming the global skyscraper city it is today,” says Nicola.

“Rowe Street was one of Sydney’s many charming precincts sacrificed for a modern future.” A short stretch of Rowe Street still exists today; but its larger-than-life past lives on anecdotally and in the Powerhouse Museum’s dedicated archive: a collection of artefacts and oral histories.

Many colourful tales persist: like that of artist Carl Plate, who ran the Notanda Gallery in Rowe Street for almost 40 years. “He was considered to be highly unconventional because, not only did he wear green shirts, he had a beard!” says Nicola. “He seemed to have been excused these shocking sartorial transgressions because he was an artist. It gave me a very clear idea of just how conservative Australia was at the time, and how much it needed places like Rowe Street to shake it up.”

Demolished Sydney runs at the Museum of Sydney until 17 April; sydneylivingmuseums.com.au

P H OTO G R A P H Y: CO U RT E S Y O F T H E S TAT E L I B R A RY O F N S W (195 0); CO U RT E S Y O F T H E C I T Y O F S Y D N E Y A RC H I V E S (19 29); CO U RT E S Y O F T H E S TAT E L I B R A RY V I C TO R I A (AU S T R A L I A H OT E L)

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Looking down Rowe Street in 1929; Hotel Australia, viewed here from Castlereagh Street in 1918, stood at one end of the laneway; Life on Rowe Street circa 1950, including French milliner Henriette Lamotte’s store at number 27.

AT PROMOTION

| ATAS

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A BOUT A PT

APT is Australia’s premier touring company and has been Australian family-owned for 90 years.

We are pleased to be able to share our family’s passion for this part of the world with you.

Our expertise will ensure that your holiday experience is second to none.

A B O U T ATA S

Travel agencies that bear the ATAS symbol are nationally accredited. For peace of mind always look for the ATAS symbol to ensure your travel is booked with a reputable, professional and qualified travel business.

H OW T O E N T E R Mail the attached sur vey form or Go online to internationaltraveller.com/travel-agency-of-the-year-2017

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PEOPL E’S CHOICE

| T R AV E L A G E N C Y O F T H E Y E A R | nomination entry form TO ENTER, S IMPLY COMPLETE THE SURVEY A ND MA IL IT TO: P EO P LE’S CHOICE TRAVEL AGENCY OF THE YEA R R E P LY PA I D 85483, S U ITE 101, 15 BELVO IR S TR EET, SURRY HILLS, NSW 2010 (NO STA MP REQUIRED IF POSTED IN AUST R A L I A )

Name your favourite travel agency (store name and location) ............................................................................................................................................... ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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To win the APT holiday worth $7590 you need to answer this question

On a scale of 1 to 5 (where 1 is no influence and 5 is strongly influenced), how much did the following affect your choice of destination when you were planning a holiday of five days or more?

An article in print ......................................................................................................................................................................

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YOUR DETAILS ( S O WE

C AN NOTIF Y YO U IF YOU W IN)

Name:..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Street address:...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Daytime phone number:....................................................... Email address:.............................................................................................................................

Gender?

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Approximately, how much do you personally spend per year on travel?

45-54

55-64

Less than $5K

65 and over $6K-$10K

$11K-$20K

$21K+

animal magic AUSTRALIAN SPAS are trotting the line between WEIRD and WONDERFUL with treatments incorporating horses, space-age pods and baths good enough to drink, ďŹ nds CELESTE MITCHELL.

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SHORTCUTS

JACK AND I ARE getting fairly intimate.

My chest is pressed against his muscular shoulder; I try to synchronise the rise and fall of our breath. I open my eyes and take in every part of his neck, his hair, running my hand down his back. But he knows I’m not really into it, with a quick jerk he moves away. Out of reach. “What were you thinking about just then?” Jack’s trainer Megan breaks into my consciousness.

It’s not that we’re being watched that’s offputting. I’ve been trying to learn to meditate for the past year, being told the mind is like a puppy you need to train. Apparently mine is a very naughty puppy. The analogy likens your thoughts to the puppy’s penchant to wander, or chew its lead (or bark like mad), but it’s up to you to rein it back in. To calm it like Cesar Millan calms a dachshund.

Never has the metaphor been so apt for me as right now, as I’m standing in an arena at Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat with

| Spa treatments

a handsome horse named Jack. This is meditation on an entirely different level.

There’s nowhere to hide from this wise soul whose bare instincts can hold a mirror up to my headspace, and whose every whinny or foot stomp is telling.

Admittedly, I find it hard to shake off the image of what I must look like crouching down in front of Jack, trying to relax enough for him to bring his nose down to touch my head. I’ve tried alternative therapies before, but this really takes the apple.

Megan developed the Equine Assisted Meditation sessions two-and-a-half years ago after noticing the sense of calmness that overcame her when she spent time with the horses at the Gold Coast Hinterland retreat.

“They’re very wary if we have our walls up, or if our communication isn’t clear they won’t do things,” she says. “So they show us how to connect and develop a rapport so we can then play together. I think what all

of us truly desire in life is to feel connected to something or someone, and then to have a really healthy way of communicating and expressing ourselves. Equine meditation is about getting guests to slow down and understand what the monkey up here can do [pointing at her head] – it can either be friend or foe. But in that moment, when this gets busy, I notice the horses just walk off.”

After my initial trepidation wears off and I realise my entire goal for this hour is pretty simple – to be present and relax – Jack seems more at ease. “He likes you,” Megan comments. “He doesn’t usually like anyone touching his face.”

By the end, using only my breath and the slightest inclination that I might take a step forward, Jack and I are prancing around the ring together. Then, with a deliberate exhale, I stop him in his tracks. Just like that.

Forget about the puppy; I’ve just trained my mind to be a stallion. gwinganna.com

Here are some more out- there t re at m e nt s wit h a d i ffe re n c e to detox your body a nd bra in.

I L L U S T R AT I O N : M I K E R O S S I

VINOTHERAPY Clinging to research that affirms red wine is connected to good health? Why not marinate in it? At Lost World Spa at O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat in the Gold Coast Hinterland, a three-hour vinotherapy treatment awaits. You may feel like a side of beef as you soak in the warm tub with a bottle of shiraz poured in, but after a fullbody exfoliation and red grape and clay body wrap to infuse those antioxidants, you can expect to feel like a younger, tighter version of you. oreillys.com.au

SENSORY DEPRIVATION On the Sunshine Coast, The Float Space has three space-age pods loaded with 500 kilograms of Epsom salts in 25 centimetres of water, designed to erase the stresses of the outside world, so the body’s parasympathetic response can kick in. One hour in the pod is said to be equivalent to four-to-eight hours of deep sleep. thefloatspace.com.au A SHOWER OF SOUND In the Byron Hinterland, chakra cleansing, crystal healing and monk-inspired spa therapies are as easy to come by as almond milk on menus. At Gaia Retreat & Spa, you can join a group Sound Meditation (or book a one-on-one) to harmonise your bodily frequencies. Sound weird? It feels a little out there, too, when you’re led through a guided meditation then immersed in a ‘shower’ of flutes, Tibetan bowls, and didgeridoo tones.

This hypnotic experience is designed to release anxiety, charge the brain and give you razor-sharp clarity. gaiaretreat.com.au

CHAMPAGNE SCRUB Perhaps not so much weird as mouth-watering, the Signature Vino Spa Ritual at Spicers Vineyards Estate in the Hunter Valley kicks off with a pink Champagne scrub followed with a cocoa butter body wrap, choc mousse and cacao nib face scrub, and a facial infusion that contains 1000 milligrams of freeze-dried shiraz. You’ll be dewier than morning frost on the vines. spicersretreats.com

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WEEKENDS fred’s . wildflower . elements of byron . orange . northbridge

W I L D F L OWER

An entrée of beetroot cooked in jarrah ash, goat’s curd and raspberry juice is one example of this Perth fine diner’s inventive way with indigenous bush foods.

Turn to page 48 for more.

WEEKENDS

fr esh faith Fatigued by restaurant BUZZ TERMS, LARA PICONE visits Sydney’s hotly anticipated new restaurant, Fred’s, to see if Danielle Alvarez’s PRODUCE-DRIVEN, SEASONAL menu can reset the dial.

| Reviews

DEAR RESTAURATEURS, HUMOUR ME a little. From now on, let’s assume that we diners all know your menu is supposed to be ‘produce-driven’ with ingredients ‘sourced locally’ and that the chef is ‘inspired by the seasons’. I do love how your ultra-sincere waitstaff are so enamoured by Chef that their starry-eyed explanations of the menu verge on the evangelical. But, please, don’t have them utter the words ‘designed to share’ followed by a prescription of exactly how many dishes should be taken in one sitting, lest I launch my Clair De Lune oyster shells at their linen-aproned chests.

I know this makes me sound like the Grinch who siphoned the marrow of joy from the very bones of Sunday lunch, but so often are the words ‘sustainably sourced’ and ‘produce-driven’ uttered that I’ve lost all conviction in their validity. Don’t get me wrong, I want to believe. But my faith has been shaken by too many limp leeks and flaccid fish fillets tarted up as specials.

For a while I’d been harbouring this bleak view like an unpopular political opinion; only feeling emboldened to express it around like minds. It pouted in bad temper behind me as I sat down to lunch at Merivale’s Fred’s in Sydney’s Paddington. But something remarkable happened in chef

All AT reviews are conducted anonymously and our writers pay their own way – so we experience exactly what you would.

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DETAILS F RED’ S

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Fred’s, in Paddington, was two years in the making; Its dining room taps into your French provincial styling goals; Take a seat at the front bar, or head downstairs to speakeasy Charlie Parker’s; Dishes on the daily-changing menu are cooked over fire.

380 Oxford Street, Paddington, NSW; merivale.com.au/freds Verdict: Solid, unfussy dining in a kitchen you wish was your own.

Score: We rated: Produce that is what it says it’s going to be. Promises delivered.

Faith restored.

We’d change: There wasn’t a lot of atmosphere in the front bar where we had a drink before being seated. With the large Charlie Parker’s bar luring evening drinkers downstairs, it seems this front area lacks purpose.

Danielle Alvarez’s Pinterest-worthy open kitchen. Faith was restored one morsel at a time.

You can’t hide in a kitchen like that. Diners eat in the midst of the action. Some even perch at work benches as if they’re hanging out in a mate’s kitchen for Tuesday night book club.

From my seat facing the open hearth and wood-fire oven, I watch plump zucchini being sliced in meditative strokes.

I see leaves plucked from stems and lamb racks licked by flames. In this room doing its best (and succeeding) to tap into your French provincial styling goals, you can have your faith restored in paddock to plate. By mains, I was born again.

Reinsertion into the seasonal produce dream began with wood-oven squid ink with curry leaf, celery and finger lime.

Lightly slicked with the glossy black ink, the squid was the right measure of resistant and soft, a gentle hint of smokiness serving to amplify, not disguise. Having remarkably made a decision unassisted by our waiter to share mains, I wasn’t disappointed by their generous size or wholesome simplicity. The crispy chicken with white bean purée didn’t mess with convention, the flavours blending as they should, the purée lusciously creamy and the chicken skin as sinful as you’d expect. Same goes for the grilled Moorlands lamb; a piece of quality meat that makes you wish the dining manners of Henry VIII were acceptable in polite society. The blood plum tart tasted like a windowsill-cooled treat from a fairy tale.

If you’re into food that borders on the scientific, Fred’s may fail to impress. But having spent four years at Berkeley, California’s most lauded restaurant, Chez Panisse, Alvarez wears her chef whites with confidence, which translates to unfussy compositions on the plate. If you’ve had enough of gritting your teeth through descriptions of ‘seasonal, local’ menus, come to Alvarez’s kitchen for a restoration of faith.

The Jawoyn People invite you to their land to experience, explore and appreciate the ancient wonders of Nitmiluk National Park, Katherine NT.

Adventure Helicopter Tours . Gorge Cruises Cultural Safaris . Canoe Hire Cutta Cutta Caves

Accommodation Cicada Lodge . Chalets Nitmiluk NT Campground Permanent Tents

For Bookings Contact phone: 1300 146 743

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Jawoyn - Sharing Our Country

WEEKENDS

| Reviews

local n ative

Perched on the PERTH HOTEL declared the second best in the world, can WILDFLOWER meet expectations? FLEUR BAINGER finds out.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA LIKES TO do things differently from the other two-thirds of the country. It looks to Asia, rather than the eastern seaboard, often talks of secession and refuses to join in with daylight savings. It has a proud, defiant edge.

Wildflower, a fine diner encapsulated in a glass cube atop the lauded COMO the Treasury hotel, is as individual as its homeland. But where WA can be brash and brazen, Wildflower is elegant and refined.

Take the food. Diced emu blackened by onion ash. Rare marron elevated with river-foraged greens. Plump Albany mussels on bubbled ice plant.

You simply don’t see such things elsewhere.

The menu is based on the indigenous Noongar calendar’s six seasons and the ingredients, clearly, have a distinctly western trademark. Executive chef Jed Gerrard, who grew up in country WA but honed his talent at restaurants including two Michelin-starred SaQuaNa in France and Black

by Ezard in Sydney, has set out to create a flavour that is typically WA; and he’s nailing it.

So much so that the surrounds blur into the background. Seal pup-grey velvet chairs on white marble floors meet a moody wallpaper scene of rain-swollen clouds and rod-straight karri trees, illuminated by silvery sunlight. Opposite, floor-toceiling windows reveal Perth’s placid Swan River stretching to its southern banks. It’s captivating.

Wildflower has a reserved, special-occasion-feel that suits small, well-heeled tables. There’s a 15page wine list and innovative cocktails blending things like eucalyptus essence and Geraldton wax.

The food follows suit. Naked marron tail nudges both a pool of sea parsley oil, and a salad of sea fern, barilla and crunchy samphire topped with tart finger lime. Dehydrated saltbush and chive dust bring a savoury edge to the creamy, brown butter emulsion, which I’d like to slather on toast for the rest of my life. That’s just one entrée. On another plate, white onion wheels contain deeply smoky emu cooked on WA jarrah coals.

Intricacy continues in the mains. Quandong halves match pillowy, dry-aged duck with textbook crispy skin. Red endive balances the bush peach’s sweetness. Then, red emperor basted in seaweed butter is freshened by the pop of dune succulents and fermented cucumber, and adorned with a squid ink net. A custard finale is soaked in bitter pollen syrup made from honey harvested on the rooftop.

It goes without saying that everything is phenomenal. Which is perhaps the next story WA will be telling, as it continues to run its own race.

All AT reviews are conducted anonymously and our writers pay their own way – so we experience exactly what you would.

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Finely crafted canapés; Wildflower is set in a glass cube at COMO the Treasury; Jed Gerrard uses ingredients native to WA.

DETAILS W ILDFLOW ER

1 Cathedral Avenue, Perth, WA; wildflowerperth.com.au Verdict: The way in which WA’s indigenous bush foods are presented in such a considered, contemporary manner can’t help but impress.

Score: We rated: A place that embraces a defining West Australian style; in its native ingredient selection, its inventive flavour combinations and its flawless presentation.

We’d change: It’s a shame the list-style menu descriptions give little insight into the experience that awaits.

Notes: All this artistry doesn’t come cheap: mains hover around $48, entrées $33, sides $14 and desserts $24.

Cocktails are $20–$28. But you get what you pay for.

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WEEKENDS

| Reviews

IN YOUR ELEMENT LUSH and SERENE, with a show-stealing pool to rival the beach, ELEMENTS OF BYRON adds a little more barefoot luxury to the bay. KATE SYMONS explores.

I AM DOING SQUAT JUMPS on the beach – sand between my toes, salty sweat on my brow – when I am surprised by the most unlikely of visitors.

The scenario is already pretty unlikely. I rarely take exercise on holiday with me, and I have never been a morning person, but there’s something about staying just metres from Byron Bay’s Belongil Beach that lures me to sweat with the sunrise.

My guest is of the equine variety; an absolute beauty, she takes my mind off my burning quadriceps. It is a magic moment, the kind that staff at Elements of Byron strives to create. The beast trots past, the rider is an instructor, in fact; beach horse riding is just one of the activities on offer.

Six years in the making, Elements of Byron is a $100 million beachfront resort located just north of the Byron Bay township. The retreat opened in February 2016 and has been lauded for its design, eco values and luxury appeal. The awardwinning design is immediately apparent in the main pavilion: relaxed and open, the outdoors are invited in, while blown glasswork and a striking huge copper sculpture hang overhead.

With the vegetation in its infancy, the short trip from the pavilion to our room is underwhelming and a friend comments that it feels like school camp. It should be noted that the site has been replenished with more than 65,000 native trees and

All AT reviews are conducted anonymously and our writers pay their own way – so we experience exactly what you would.

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Elements has a stylish design, eco values and luxury appeal; Sleep in serene surrounds; In one of 103 private villas; Lounge at the resort’s lagoon pool and next-door Belongil Beach; And explore Byron’s other beaches, such as Wategos.

DETAILS ELEMENTS O F BYRO N

P H O T O G R A P H Y: E L I S E H A S S E Y ( A L L E X C E P T V I L L A I N T E R I O R )

144 Bayshore Drive, Byron Bay, NSW; elementsofbyron.com.au Verdict: Great for a little barefoot luxury.

Score: We rated: That pool. We could hang out there all day – and we did.

We’d change: The absence of a shuttle service to town. It’s not a huge trip, but just one morning and one late afternoon option would be a handy addition.

Notes: We paid $410 per night for a Botanica Villa.

plants – an impressive effort. Still, I look forward to returning when the greenery is lush, just like the rest of the resort.

Speaking of lush, Elements boasts 103 private villas dotted across 22 hectares and ours is a serene space that begs to be lounged in. Crisp white bed linens, blond wood and textural touches in shades of green help complement the natural environment; an effort that is mimicked throughout the resort.

The jewel in Elements’ crown, though, is the lagoon pool. Surrounded by bures, settees and hanging lounges, it accommodates all pool-going types and led me to reject the beachside lounges altogether.

Indeed, Elements makes it hard to find an excuse to set foot outside its confines. But while Graze restaurant is good – I enjoyed the continental breakfast included with the room rate, and the ‘Byron’ ceviche of snapper and prawn is exceptional – one dinner visit was enough; the Byron hinterland has plenty of essential places to dine. As for Osprey Spa, I’ll call more than a week in advance next time to avoid disappointment.

Elements of Byron wasn’t on my radar, but my go-to haunt was booked out. And while I was reluctant to find an alternative, thankfully it proved to be a more than worthy challenger.

tals

Campervan. 4WD. Car Ren

WEEKENDS

| Reviews

CON V ENTIONA L WISDOM FLEUR BAINGER checks in to the first PEPPERS property in WA to find a hotel STRIVING to break WITH TRADITION.

IT MUST BE TOUGH keeping pace with the rule-breaking whippersnappers of the hotel world. They’re shaking things up with funky hangout spaces, desk-free welcomes, designerpartnered ‘uniforms’ and baristas on standby.

If you’re into that kind of thing (and I am) then a conventional hotel experience, while altogether satisfactory, becomes a little lacklustre.

Perth’s new Peppers Kings Square Hotel – the brand’s entry into Western Australia – teeters between the two. It has some chic touches: blue neon lighting ripples on the 17-storey-high frontage by night (it’s Australia’s tallest prefabricated, modular hotel); the welcome desk is an extension of the espresso-machine-equipped bar; polished concrete columns spear the lobby, with rose gold mesh shades and matching chairs lining the cafe-restaurant. But the hotel sticks with tradition via a 10am check-out and rooms in unadventurous grey tones. Staff, while friendly, are as perfunctory as their uniforms.

I park in front – there’s a handy five-minute bay for valet parking – and see luggage carts outside, but no one comes to assist me. At check-in, I’m asked for photo ID to confirm I match the name on the booking, which feels a bit airport.

I grab a free newspaper and enter the elevators down a corridor that’s as bland as the entrance is interesting. I’ve booked an Executive Room because they score better views: mine is on the 13th floor – a superstitious number many hotels skip. Handmade chocolates, free bottled water, pod coffee and giant windows that look out to the metropolis greet me.

I hit Stage Bar & Kitchen for a decent dinner of international share plates, but wish

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Brass touches and polished concrete in the cafe-restaurant; Artful styling; The spacious Executive Room.

DETAILS I’d walked a few streets to sharper venues. The hotel’s biggest asset – location – might be the restaurant’s curse. If I had tickets to see Bruce Springsteen at the new Perth Arena, this is where I’d stay. Ditto, if I was working at the new Kings Square development across the road, shopping at luxury fashion strip, Kings Street, or roaming the shopping malls an easy 600-metre stroll away. It gives the hotel broad suitability.

Back in my room, the downsides are minor: no robes, the hairdryer is hidden in the wardrobe instead of the schmick bathroom, and I’m charged $10 for my baby cot, without warning.

I read that the free wi-fi is the fastest to be installed in a Perth hotel, and settle in for an iView session. My king-size bed is plumped with shiny new velvet cushions and pudgy stretch pillows. The linen is silky, and I wish I’d slipped under the covers sooner. Indeed, it turns out that it doesn’t really matter how conventional a hotel is when the bed is this good.

All AT reviews are conducted anonymously and our writers pay their own way – so we experience exactly what you would.

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PEPPERS KINGS SQUA R E H OT E L

621 Wellington Street, Perth, WA; peppers.com.au/kings-square Verdict: Prime city spot for those wanting quiet while still being central. It’s a fairly as-you’d-expect hotel offering, with shiny new finishes and some arty flourishes.

Score: We rated: The launch pad location to the city’s hip northern side.

We’d change: The ground floor elevator access feels like the back of house operations, which is jarring after the snazzy bar-reception.

Notes: An Executive Room with city views booked as a ‘Peppers exclusive’ cost $179 plus credit card charges. Valet parking costs an extra $38; breakfast is an additional $20 if pre-booked, or $29 if ordered on the day.

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WEEKENDS

| Orange

FUN, FINE WINE and, of course, excellent food; a visit to ORANGE in time for TRUFFLE SEASON is a chance to join a big BACCHANALIAN PARTY. WORDS LARA PICONE

P H O T O G R A P H Y: L A R A P I C O N E ( A L L E X C E P T P H I L I P S H AW C E L L A R D O O R O N O P P O S I T E PAG E )

orange fever

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AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Bailey sniffs out the truffles at Borrodell Estate; The black tie and gumboot crowd begins the hunt; The prize truffle weighed in at 500 grams; The Philip Shaw cellar door. OPPOSITE: Stop by the Philip Shaw cellar door to sample some of Orange’s best drops.

The spoon is plunged back into the undergrowth, gently digging and scooping until a bulbous brown nugget is exhumed. A choir of impressed cheers rises from the trufferie.

BAILEY IS A LADY SLAYER. Tonight is no exception; women in their fur stoles and red pouts can’t help but paw at him. He indulges them a little, a turn of the head in their direction, perhaps a little smile as he poses insouciantly for their cameras. A jaunty red bow-tie adds a touch of the debonair to his custom black coat and he feels good. He is the star of the evening, after all. Even the mark of lupus on his nose doesn’t detract from his confidence, and indeed, his admirers don’t seem to notice in the slightest. They keep glancing at him expectantly over the top of their sparkling wine glasses, but Bailey knows he has work to do before he can relax.

It’s time to begin. This is what he has trained for and as the winter sun makes its last stand against the march of night, Bailey leads his devotees under the canopy of the oak trees.

His dedicated colleague, Teneka Priestly, explains his work to the crowd so he can get down to business undisturbed. Some might scoff at his lack of pedigree, a bitsa, you might say, but Bailey’s mix of Labrador and Staffy has given him the gumption to succeed in an industry where lesser dogs and swine have failed.

Success! Bailey has located the prize and within seconds Teneka is on her knees digging into the fecund soil with a dessert spoon. She scoops up some dirt, takes a sniff, her head cocked to one side as she assesses the aromas. The spoon is plunged back into the undergrowth, gently digging and scooping until a bulbous brown nugget is exhumed. A choir of impressed cheers rises from the trufferie on Borrodell Estate in Orange.

It’s truffle season and the estate’s annual Black Tie and Gumboot Truffle Hunt and Dinner is underway with great success thanks to Bailey and his trainer. Country New South Wales may not be the spot where one would typically expect to find black Périgord truffles, but by the hunt’s conclusion a bounty of pungent, brutish fungi nestles in a napkin-lined bowl, the largest nugget weighing in at a huge 500 grams.

Borry Gartrell and Gaye Stuart-Nairne know a thing or two about diversification. Beginning as an orchard, the Borrodell property has grown to include an award-winning, much-lauded vineyard, an incredible restaurant and accommodation, and following a trip to Tasmania in the late nineties, the trufferie.

The intent of the trip was to source the beginnings of a saffron crop, but instead 100 inoculated oak trees made the return journey. These were swiftly joined by 500 more and, six years later, with no one knowing if the enterprise would bear fungus, the first truffle was extracted from Orange’s unique terroir.

The trufferie is now one of the oldest on mainland Australia.

Head chef of Borrodell’s restaurant Sister’s Rock, Alan Meaney, must have been briefed to spare no truffle in creating the evening’s menu. Matched beautifully with Borrodell Estate wines, guests are treated to a truffle-laced dinner. By dessert, 1

DETAILS Playing there B LACK TIE AND G UM BO OT TRUFFLE HUNT A N D D I N N E R

Fossick beneath the foliage for truffles and enjoy dinner served in the Borrodell Estate wine cellar. This year, the event will be held on 1 July. Be quick, tickets are as prized as the truffles. borrodell.com.au

Staying there B ELLE LA RUE

Orange has many adorable cottages, such as Belle La Rue, located central to town. bellelarue.com.au

Eating there B YNG STREET L O C A L STO R E

From another Sydney import, this local cafe serves excellent coffee and delicious fare. byngstreet.com.au RACINE

Tasting there FERMENT – THE ORA NGE W INE CE N T R E A ND W INE STO R E

Stop by this wine bar and store to sample stunning examples of Orange wines and many others.

Owner Simon is always up for chatting through his selection. orangewinecentre.com.au DE SA LIS W INES

Pop in to sample Charlie’s incredible minimalist wines made with wild strains of yeast. desaliswines.com.au PHILIP SHAW W I N E S

Producing stunning wines in an incredible setting, be sure to time your wine tasting with lunch. philipshaw.com.au

P H O T O G R A P H Y: A D AV E N P O R T ( F E R M E N T – T H E O R A N G E W I N E C E N T R E A N D S TO R E ); ( L A R A P I CO N E (A L L R E M A I N I N G E XC E P T B L AC K T I E A N D G U M BOOT DI N N E R)

Set in the foothills of Mount Canobolas, Racine is much lauded for chef Shaun Arantz’s deft touch with local produce. racinerestaurant.com.au

WEEKENDS

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Barrels full of De Salis wines; The vines at Lofty Vineyard (behind); Stop by Ferment in town to sample some of the region’s cool climate wines.

OPPOSITE (top to bottom): Vintage theatre props decorate the De Salis cellar door; On the pour at popular orange vineyard Ross Hill; The truffle diners hit the dancefloor.

Maybe it’s the volcanic sediment in the earth or the unusually sunshiny winter days, but whatever alchemy it is, Orange recruits a certain type of person.

| Orange

gumboots have been abandoned under the tables in favour of dancefloor-suitable footwear. The party soon escalates in ferocity and the atmosphere in the wine cellar descends into an all-out hoedown. Dance moves become positively ecclesiastical in a sort of pinot-fuelled truffle worship.

Orange doesn’t mind a party and it has plenty of produce and wine to furnish them. Along with an enviable share of restaurants, devotion to the grape is evident in the region’s 80-odd vineyards and almost 40 cellar doors. It’s a town where everyone seems to know a great deal about wine, whether born and bred here or imports from elsewhere.

While vineyards have been planted in these frosty climes since the 1800s, it wasn’t until 1997 that Orange was officially recognised by the international Geographical Indications Committee as a cool climate wine-growing region. Since then Orange has blossomed into a food and wine destination to rival any other in Australia and events such as the truffle hunt and Orange F.O.O.D (Food of Orange District) Week serve to grandstand the area’s many charms.

You don’t come to the party just to sit in the corner and many Orange immigrants are here to join the revelry. From restaurateurs and producers, to cellar hands and winemakers, the same story of breathless infatuation, at first with the wines and then with the town, is repeated with thigh-slapping fervour. Indeed, Orange seems plugged into an energy that’s more akin to a hip city suburb than a rural town.

Maybe it’s the volcanic sediment in the earth or the unusually sunshiny winter days, but whatever alchemy it is, Orange recruits a certain type of person. The type with focus, an open outlook and an allegiance to the fraternity of oenology.

Charlie and Loretta Svenson are just such people.

If Charlie approached his previous vocation of researching renewable fuel sources with the same devotion as he does making his minimalist wine, his choice to set up De Salis is no doubt as great a loss to the scientific community as it is a gain to wine lovers. Winemakers are oft described as a bunch of mad scientists, but the Svensons are far from mad. Charlie makes his ‘wild’ wines from strains of yeast endemic to the vineyard, but while his approach may be scientific to a point, it’s not a lack of faculty but joy that finds its way into the bottle.

Lofty Vineyard, both in name and geography, is home to De Salis Wines, Tank the red cattle dog and Charlie’s artistry.

A tasting with Loretta and Charlie leads into an impromptu tour of the winery, and a slide show on Charlie’s iPhone of Tank enjoying a snow day. Like so many Orangites, the pair resettled after decamping from a life on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.

“This isn’t work,” beams Charlie siphoning a still-raw pinot from a barrel. “It’s fun to play around with this stuff; it’s fun to see what you can create.”

It’s the same sentiment that leads Gaye and Borry to invite the community to pull on gumboots, follow a bow-tied dog around the estate, and enjoy the fruits of their labour. Orange in this sense is one big open house with a larder and cellar at your disposal. Whether you’re a part of the movement or just passing through, Orange is a party that everyone is invited to.

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H I P H O O D

NORT H BR I D GE Perth’s MISFIT DISTRICT, NORTHBRIDGE, has matured into a hipster’s PARADISE that BUZZES well into the night. Having long loved its many facets, FLEUR BAINGER revisits.

PERTH’S NORTHBRIDGE IS A PLACE that divides people.

Locals who have never been to the inner-city hub are put off by its reputation as a seedy zone that attracts society’s fringe-dwellers.

Those who do frequent its street art-splashed laneways, bars and boutiques are puzzled by the bogeyman hype, revelling in the creative spirit that mainstream neglect often gives rise to.

Much like Sydney’s Kings Cross and Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley, Northbridge’s rough edges have been softened. Its sex shops, strip clubs, beer barns and kebab takeaways still exist, but a low-grade gentrification has seen small bars with a cool-but-communal feel sneak into buildings with long backstories. Home-grown designers sell their wares in rehabilitated shop spaces and restaurants inhabit former Chinese laundries, hairdressers and knock shops.

But if you turned back the clock 188 years, you’d find nothing but freshwater swampland here. Traditionally used by aboriginal Noongar people for food and ceremony, the saturated earth was leveraged by early Chinese arrivals for market gardens in the mid-19th century.

The interconnected lake system even dictated the early suburb’s grid,

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with streets angled to accommodate the waterways. In the 1860s, convict labour was used to drain them and permanent settlement began. The feverish 1890s gold rush fuelled the construction of grand hotels, WA’s first shopping arcade, elite private schools and enviable residences housing the wealthy, including the state’s Attorney-General.

Greek and Macedonian immigration before the First World War fuelled Northbridge’s multicultural flavour just as the upper class was moving out to Perth’s river-gazing western suburbs. Gambling dens, clubs, cafes and restaurants joined their grocery stores as the Italian wave hit the inner city after the Second World War, setting in motion the area’s reputation for entertainment. All the while, Asian butchers, grocers, herbalists, bakeries and restaurants were popping up along William and Roe Streets, creating the Chinatown that still exists today.

The suburb will enter a new phase in mid-2017 with the opening of a $73.5-million precinct, Yagan Square, linking Northbridge to the CBD. A steel shade canopy will symbolise the old lake system and the poles of a huge digital tower will signify Noongar language groups. And in the meantime, here’s what else you should check out when you go.

WEEKENDS

| Hip hood

Chicho Gelato

Y PEA R FORAGED FROM FREMANTLE. TED MILK AND CORNFLA KE COOKIE. ON MYRTLE A ND ROAST MAC A DAMIA .

YEP, THE FLAVOURS AT THIS ARTISA N TERIA A RE AS CRA ZY-TOW N AS THEY TA STY. A SIDE FROM B EING INSANELY REATIVE W ITH THEIR FROM-SCRATCH DIENT MA SH-UPS, THE CUTE COUPLE IND CHICHO HOLD MONTHLY CHEF COLLAB ORATIONS TO ENSURE THEIR ELATO GOES FURTHER OFF THE GRID. HANDS DOW N THE B EST ICY TREAT N PERTH (A ND YES, GET THE MELTED OCOLATE CONE). C HIC HOGEL ATO.C OM

F L O R A & FAUNA What do you get when a former florist opens a pocket-sized vegan cafe? The sort of edible flower-topped dishes that will send your Instagram feed into meltdown. Try the French Canadian toast with real maple syrup, easily justified when you spy the mountain of berries and herbs it’s served with.

Everything’s made to order, pumped out of an open kitchen measuring less than 10 square metres, with eclectic upcycled seating dotting an easy-to-miss laneway. facebook.com/florafaunaperth

Young Love Mess Hall

P H O T O G R A P H Y: J U L I E S M Y T H ( F L O R A & F A U N A ) ; F L E U R B A I N G E R ( YO U N G L O V E M E S S H A L L )

N AT U R E , A RT A N D F O O D C O LLIDE AS DO Z ENS OF L E A F Y P LA N T S C AS C ADE F RO M A S KYLIGHT I N N O RT H B R I D GE ’ S NEWES T RES TAU RANT. AN I M P R E S S I O N I S T I C E MERALD WALL, LIKE A HUGE MONET, COMPLETES THE S ENS E O F S ANC TUARY. TH E M E N U H A S A GLO B AL S P EC TRU M: TANGY G I N GE R A N D N O R I S ALT- AMP ED JAPANES E SU C C OTA S H I S A N U NEX P EC TED HIGHLIGHT. YOU N G L OV E M E S S H AL L. COM

Sneaky Tony’s

STEP ONE: FIND T H E UN M A R K E D B LACK DOOR H I D D E N A RO UN D THE B ACK OF SI ST E R E AT E RY, PLEASED TO M E E T YO U. ST E P TWO: KNOCK . ST E P T H R E E : GIVE THE NIG H T ’S PA SSWO R D THROUGH THE PE E PH O L E SL OT (TIP: IT’S POSTED TO FACE BO O K , NECESSA RY O N W E E K E N D S ONLY). THE CH A L L E N G E O F GETTING IN TO T H I S SPE A K E A SY RUM B AR ONLY A D D S TO THE FUN. FACEBOOK.COM/SNEAKY TO NY S

THE S TANDARD A laneway entrance, rooftop views and a bar in a sea container: The Standard ticks a lot of boxes. The kitchen’s mod-Oz fare is best eaten atop said sea container while gazing at skyscrapers and topping up tumblers with jugs of lime sherbet-pimped punch. thestandardperth.com.au

WEEKENDS

| Hip hood

Alex Hotel

B ETTER LOC ATED HOTELS A RE HA R D TO FI N D, PARTICULARLY ONES THAT HAVE A N H O N O UR SYSTEM WINE BAR, DESIGNER INTERIORS AN D MIDDAY CHECK-OUT. IN ITS UN-HOT E L ST Y L E , ALEX IS ALL ABOUT COMMUNAL SPACES (LIKE THE FUNKY ROOFTOP) SO ROOMS ARE CO M PACT. EXPLORE NEA RB Y PERTH CULTURA L CE N T R E BY DAY, AND SLINK INTO A LEX’S SEXY RESTAURANT, SHADOW, BY NIGHT. ALEXHOTEL.C OM.AU

William Topp

PE RISCOPE William Street blends wonderful vintage fashion with edgy designer boutiques, but if you could only visit one, make it Periscope. Having relocated from luxe brand strip King Street, it brings elegant tailoring, expert draping and classic silhouettes to Northbridge’s shabby-chic uniform.

More individual than trendy, it houses its own label among local, Australian and international designers. periscopeclothing.com.au

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NO RTH B RI D G E P I AZ Z A Free fitness classes, big-screen outdoor flicks for nix, complimentary beanbags on the grass and glowing pouf seating. If that’s not enough to get you excited, there’s also a brewpub on one side of the green, Northbridge Brewing Co., and the entire zone enjoys free wi-fi. #winning. visitperthcity.com

P H O T O G R A P H Y: A N S O N S M A R T ( A L E X H O T E L )

TOTALLY WORTH THE STROLL, GIFT SHOP W ILLIAM TOPP IS AT THE NORTHERN END OF W ILLIA M STREET, A ND IS B RIMMING W ITH THOUGHTFULLY SOURCED TREASURES. THINK HA NDCRAFTED CERA MICS, THIRD DRAW ER DOW N TEA TOW ELS STRETCHED ONTO FRAMES, RETRO B OA RD GA MES, SOFT WOOD KIDS’ TOYS AND ELK JEW ELLERY. W IL L IAM TOPP.C OM

AT PROMOTION

| Scenic World

F r o m t o p l e f t : Michael McIntyre’s award-winning work; Lilianfels’ Darley Restaurant; The Hydro Majestic hotel; The famous Scenic Railway.

The mountains come alive in autumn Crisper temperatures and vibrant colours make autumn ideal for planning a Blue Mountains getaway full of art exhibitions, foodie trails and more.

TAKE IN WORLD-CLASS SCULPTURES Savour the Blue Mountains’ array of galleries and markets over a day of gallery hopping, or visit the annual, world-renowned Sculpture at Scenic World exhibition, which runs from 7 April to 7 May this year, exhibiting more than 30 unique sculptures in natural Jurassic rainforest along the 2.4-kilometre Scenic Walkway. Enjoy unlimited rides on the Scenic Railway, Skyway and Cableway as you visit, or take a guided tour led by talented local artists.

WORK UP AN APPETITE ON WALKING TRAILS Start at superbly located Scenic World, where there is free all-day parking, then take the Skyway across the valley and enjoy the leisurely Prince Henry Cliff Walk around to the top of the picturesque Katoomba Falls.

Meander along the spectacular escarpment down to the Three Sisters, then descend the

ϐ Ǥ Pass cuts through the rainforest to the base of Katoomba Falls, then climb the Furber Steps, or take the Scenic Railway to the top. ϐ ǡ unless you prefer to linger along the way.

DELIGHT YOUR SENSES Sky-high dining awaits at EATS270: have lunch perched 270 metres above the Jamison Valley. On the lighter side, the Terrace Café

of a range of breathtaking sights. Exclusive accommodation packages at top resorts and hotels are available during Sculpture at Scenic World 2017, with packages starting from $249 for two people including an Ultimate Sculpture Pass, breakfast, high tea, parking, use of leisure facilities, free Ǧϐ Ǥ offers specialty teas and bakery treats, along with one of the best vantage points of the Three Sisters, Mount Solitary and the vast Jamison Valley. International, award-winning restaurants abound in Katoomba and Leura, and nearby Blackheath bursts with quaint cafes and restaurants catering to all budgets; ϐ from Logan Brae Orchard.

COSY UP BY THE FIRE The crisp days and cooler nights of the Mountains set the stage for a romantic getaway, especially with luxurious stays at iconic resorts such as Lilianfels and the Hydro Majestic situated on the doorstep

GET IN THE SCENE If you’re looking to venture down a cliff on the world’s steepest passenger train, Ǧϐ Skyway, journey by cableway to the valley ϐ ǡ canopy along a 2.4-kilometre boardwalk, the renowned Scenic World is a must.

Katoomba, Leura and Blackheath are just minutes away, making it the natural hub for your mountains adventure.

For more information go to www.scenicworld. com.au or visitbluemountains.com.au.

For more information on Sculpture at Scenic World, visit sculptureatscenicworld.com.au

SUBSCRIBE NOW & WIN Win a

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HALCYON HOUSE

H A L C YO N H O U S E One of Australia’s most unique beachside locales, Halcyon House is a former surfer motel turned luxury hotel, situated at one of the country’s best surf breaks and in one of its most idyllic spots: Cabarita Beach, Northern New South Wales.

The 21-room boutique hotel, which this year won the Mr & Mrs Smith ‘best hotel’ award, is located 15 minutes south of Gold Coast Airport and 30 minutes north of Byron Bay in an extraordinary region that is one of the country’s best-kept secrets.

Paper Daisy, Halcyon House’s two-hatted restaurant, was named after the distinctive wildflower on Norries Headland. Ben Devlin (Brisbane Times Good Food Guide Young Chef of the Year 2014) is head chef and previously worked for the acclaimed René Redzepi at Noma in Copenhagen. halcyonhouse.com

PRIZE FOR TWO PEOPLE INCLUDES: • Three nights in the Master Room including daily breakfast • Dinner for two at Halcyon House’s two-hatted restaurant Paper Daisy, including a complimentary bottle of wine VALUE: $3500

PLUS the first 50 subscribers receive a gift from DINOSAUR DESIGNS valued at $50.

DINOSAUR DESIGNS Louise Olsen and Stephen Ormandy founded Dinosaur Designs out of a shared friendship and love of art and design. More than 30 years later, their passion to create pieces that people will cherish still remains true. Each resin piece is handmade in their Sydney studio, making them one of a kind.

Because Dinosaur Designs’ resin products are handmade, each piece is unique and it cannot be guaranteed that the item you receive will be identical to what is shown in the image above.

The first 50 new or renewing subscribers will receive a beautiful handmade Dinosaur Designs resin dish* valued at $50. dinosaurdesigns.com.au

S U B S C R I B E N O W and save up to $113.85

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G R E AT B A R R I E R R E E F

www.qualia.com.au

The 100

| Ways to see Australia

100 P H OTO G R A P H Y: G U Y B A I L E Y. P RO D U C T: PA S S P O RT S I Z E M I D O R I T R AV E L E R’ S N OT E B O O K , 69.95 , AVA I L A B L E F RO M N OT E M A K E R .C OM . AU

WAY S T O S E E AU S T R A L I A

There are far more than 100 REASONS why our country is so unforgettable, from STUNNINGLY DIVERSE landscapes and unique fauna, to salt-of-the-earth people and fascinating history. This year, for our ANNUAL SPECIA L, we uncover not simply the places you MUST VISIT, but WAYS TO SEE them that will take you deeper into the soul of Australia. Your next journey awaits...

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From COASTAL WALKS and nature hikes to TREE CLIMBS and cave

explorations, we went HIGH AND LOW to see where your TWO FEET

can take you (oh, and we borrowed SOME HOOVES, too).

WO R D S : L A R A P I CO N E ; F R E YA H E R R I N G ( B U S H F O O D I N T H E C I T Y ). P H OTO G R A P H Y: M I C H A E L W E E ( F I G U R E E I G H T P O O L S ); E L I S E H A S S E Y ( W I L D F LOW E R S )

ON FOOT

The 100

1

| On foot

WALK ANCI EN T C L I F F T O P S JUS T 45 MIN U T ES FR OM T HE CI T Y FOOD ITY

TA NIC GAR DEN, SYDNEY, NSW

Try black apples straight from the tree and wash your hands with foaming wattle leaves on an Aboriginal Heritage Tour of Sydney’s Royal Botanic Garden. Education co-ordinator for aboriginal programs, Jody Orcher, has made sure the tours are in-depth and honour indigenous heritage. rbgsyd.nsw. gov.au/what-s-on/aboriginal-heritage-tours

V isit an o c t o p u s’ s ga rd e n be ne a t h th e se a ROYA L N AT I O N A L PA RK , N SW IT’S HARD TO IMAGINE CITY LIFE AND ALL ITS STRESSORS ARE JUST 45 MINUTES NORTH WHEN YOU’RE STANDING ATOP THE WHITE CLIFFS OF NEW SOUTH WALES’ ROYAL NATIONAL PARK. THERE ARE INCREDIBLE EASTER EGGS ALONG THE COAST TRACK WAY TO FIND, SUCH AS THE FIGURE EIGHT POOLS (GREAT FOR PHOTOS, NOT SO GREAT FOR SWIMMING DUE TO DANGEROUS FREAK WAVES), LITTLE MARLEY BEACH AND WATTAMOLLA’S LAGOON AND BEACH. NATIONALPARKS.NSW.GOV.AU/VISIT-APARK/PARKS/ROYAL-NATIONAL-PARK

GREEN ISLAND, GREAT BARRIER REEF, QLD

We felt we had to include this activity this year, because it is such a memorable adventure for the whole family. With no diving experience required, you can actually walk on the sea floor, foot-to-sand and face-to-face with sea life off Green Island. An underwater helmet is all that keeps you from planting a kiss on passing fish. seawalker.com.au

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F OU R WAYS T O G E T H I G H A N D G O LOW: S EE THE COU NT RY FR OM T HE TR EES A ND F ROM T H E C AV ES

GET HIGH VA L L EY O F T H E G I A N TS T R E E T O P WALK , WALP OLE WILDERNESS, WA

EXPLORE TOWERING RED TINGLE TREES FROM 40 METRES ABOVE GROUND. ADRENALINE UPGRADE: DRIVE TWO-AND-AHALF-HOURS TO PEMBERTON (PICTURED RIGHT) AND SCRAMBLE YOUR WAY 61 METRES UP THE PEGS OF THE GLOUCESTER TREE, OR THE 51-METRE DIAMOND TREE, FOR A HEARTPOUNDING VIEW. VALLEYOFTHEGIANTS.COM.AU; PEMBERTONVISITOR.COM.AU

TAHUNE AIRWALK , HUON VALLEY, TAS AT THE HIGHEST POINT ON THIS WALK YOU’LL BE SUSPENDED 50 METRES ABOVE THE HUON RIVER. ADRENALINE UPGRADE: IF THAT’S NOT ENOUGH TO RAISE YOUR HEART-RATE, TAKE THE CABLE HANG-GLIDER ACROSS THE RUSHING RIVER. TAHUNEAIRWALK.COM.AU

Go low MOL E C R E E K C AV E S , MAY B E R RY, TAS Tasmania has some of the deepest caves in Australia, so if you enjoy a sojourn in the underworld, Tassie is a good bet.

Marvel at crystals, reflective pools and glow worms. Adrenaline upgrade: Kubla Khan is one of the more spectacular caves at Mole Creek (pictured left), but you’ll need a permit; only 72 people are granted access each year. molecreek .info T UNNE L CRE E K N AT I O N AL PAR K , WA One-time hideout for indigenous legend Jandamarra, who was eventually killed here in 1897 after a siege, Tunnel Creek (right) is part of the ancient Devonian Reef. The walk is 750 metres of pitchblack excitement, and you have a good chance of meeting a freshwater croc.

Adrenaline upgrade: A croc encounter is enough adrenaline, we feel. parks.dpaw. wa.gov.au/park /tunnel-creek

The 100

| On foot

5

BECAUSE SOMETIMES FOUR FEET ARE BETTER THAN TWO…

P H OTO G R A P H Y: E L I S E H A S S E Y ( W I L D F LOW E R S ); L A R A P I CO N E ( T U N N E L C R E E K ); P E T E R TA R A S I U K ( H O R S E )

BO GON G HORSE B ACK A DV E N TU R ES , H IG H COUN TRY, V IC

Take a load off and swing into the saddle for these trails with a difference: Lovely horses, incredible scenery and restorative mountain air, we loved this Bogong trail ride when we experienced it last year, and still think it’s one of the best in the country. Take a five-day ride to really feel like a pioneer, or if you’re still getting familiar with our equine friends, you can enjoy a day tour – our favourite is the half-day with a long table lunch. bogonghorse.com.au THE FLINDERS RANGES, SA And if horses are just a bit tame for you, why not clamber onto a humped and hairy hoofed steed instead? Camels played a huge part in opening up the country, and the Beltana Station Camel Experience in the Flinders Ranges is a wonderful way to explore the unforgettable terrain. Or take a photography-themed trek with Camel Trek Australia. beltanastation.com.au; cameltreksaustralia.com.au

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NITMILUK NATIONAL PARK, NT Walk 62 kilometres over six days following the ancient Jawoyn song line through Nitmiluk National Park. The wild, uncurbed beauty of the Jatbula Trail will stay with you for the remainder of your days. Swim in crystal pools, fall asleep to the sound of teeming birdlife and have an all-round life-altering experience. You can trek guided or unguided. treklarapinta.com.au

U N D E RSTA ND W H AT I T F E E L S L IK E TO S TAN D O N T H E E D G E O F T H E WOR L D T HR E E C A PE S T R ACK , TA S

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Wild, remote and raw, Tasmania’s Three Capes Track walk opened last year and has since become one of the must-do hiking experiences in the country. Taking in Port Arthur, Cape Hauy and Cape Pillar over four days, it’s you, a pack, and a lot of time to be alone with your own thoughts. threecapestrack .com.au

THE CIT Y CAN STILL SURPRISE YOU M E LB O U R N E , V I C WALK TO ART IS A WALKING TOUR WITH A DIFFERENCE. EXPERIENCED VISUAL ARTS PROFESSIONAL BERNADETTE ALIBRANDO WILL WALK YOU THROUGH MELBOURNE, VISITING LOCAL ARTISTS, DESIGNERS, MILLINERS AND TEXTILE ARTISTS ON THE WAY, WHILE AND LEARNI CITY’S DIVER RE. WA

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Co n n ect wi th the custo di an s o f the l an d …

NARLIJIA CULTURAL TOURS, BROOME, WA

Born and bred in Broome, with the blood of both the Yawuru people of the west Kimberley and the town’s historic pearlers running through his veins, Bart Pigram is uniquely qualified to lead tours of the area.

Taking keen visitors and locals alike on a walkabout through the town or the mangroves, a tour with Bart is to immerse yourself in one of the country’s most fascinating multicultural and indigenous histories.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A YAWURU MAN TODAY? For me, it has to be the acceptance of responsibility as an indigenous man. It’s definitely a challenge to balance our cultural responsibilities with the demands of mainstream employment and community commitments. We have responsibilities to care for the land, our people and our culture and language, which can be done while educating and sharing with curious visitors and open-minded locals. It’s our responsibility to initiate and make this cultural exchange accessible.

HOW DOES YOUR MANGROVE TOUR TELL THE STORY OF BROOME? The Mangrove Tour is presented in Roebuck Bay and along the foreshore of Broome’s first boat passage cut through the mangroves by the early settlers. Here, I can weave in the pearling history as this was also the highway for hundreds of pearling vessels either unloading pearl shell at Streeter’s Jetty or beached at lay-up time. The older stories that fit this location are the Bugarrigarra Ngan-ga, or what’s generally called Dreamtime stories, that I have had the privilege of learning from the older people of our community.

WHAT’S ONE FACT ABOUT BROOME WE WOULDN’T KNOW? There are probably a few, but I have found several references to what is likely the first waterhole that was used by Broome’s first settlers, and was called Jirrgin-ngan by the Djugun/Yawuru people. Now built over, it was on the corner of Napier and Dampier Terraces, near Roebuck Bay Hotel, and was a vital part of Broome’s history. It’s a shame that it’s not commonly known. toursbroome.com.au

P H OTO G R A P H Y: J E N P I N K E RTO N ( N I T M I LU K N AT I O N A L PA R K ); TA S M A N I A PA R K S A N D W I L D L I F E S E RV I C E ( T H R E E C A P E S T R AC K ); E L I S E H A S S E Y ( BY RO N B AY )

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FOLLOW A N A NCIEN T SONG LI NE IN THE NORTHER N TER R ITORY

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Fr o m the m ost east erly p o i nt in t h e c ou nt r y

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CAPE BYRON WALKING TRACK, BYRON BAY, NSW Be it sunset, sunrise or moonrise, the Cape Byron Lighthouse walk is a truly spectacular way to stretch your legs. Don’t bail out once you get to the lighthouse; the pay-off comes when you keep walking to the most easterly point in the country. nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/thingsto-do/walking-tracks/cape-byronwalking-track

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UNDER CIT Y LIGHTS Cities: busy, EXCITING, chaotic, inspiring; too much to do and NOT ENOUGH time.

And that’s why WE LOVE ’EM. To help you navigate YOUR WAY through 2017, we’ve picked some WONDERFUL WAYS to enjoy the big smoke.

A CELLAR DO O R IN THE URB AN S PRAWL

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A U S T R A L I A N T R AV E L L E R . C O M

U R B A N W I N ERY SYDN EY, NSW

Urban wineries are a cultural mainstay in Europe and New York, but the Urban Winery Sydney is one of the first of its kind in Australia. A large-scale working winery in the city’s inner-west, the venture is the brainchild of Alex Retief (pictured left), who wanted to offer city slickers a taste of the vine without a schlep to the country. Try a tasting or one of the popular winemaker and chef dinners. urbanwinerysydney.com.au

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fashion insider

WO R D S : G E O RG I N A S A F E . P H OTO G R A P H Y: H E AT H E R L I G H TO N ( P I E C E S O F E I G H T ); M I C H A E L W E E ( DA RW I N F O O D)

MELBOURNE , VIC

Melbourne fashion designers Georgie and Alex Cleary of cult label Alpha60 (pictured above and below) share tips for the best retail therapy and food in their city: “Search out World Food Books [worldfoodbooks.com] on level three of the Nicholas Building in the city but don’t be confused by the name; there are no cookbooks here. Instead you’ll find a great range of contemporary art journals and limited edition artist books. Then pop around the corner to Pieces of Eight [pictured above right; piecesofeight.com.au], which specialises in super cool and interesting jewellery. If you like jewellery and craft, you’ll love Craft Victoria [craft. org.au]. Part gallery, part shop, it has an amazing array of artisan products including work by local potters and woodworkers.

Visit us in our new Flinders Lane store, Alpha60 at Chapter House [alpha60.com.au].

“For food, Embla [embla.com.au] is a wine bar in the CBD by the renowned chefs from The Town Mouse. Don’t be put off by the laminex tables and bright lighting in the no-frills Chinese diner Shandong Mama [facebook .com/shandongmama] as the dumplings are authentic and delicious.

Meyers Place [meyersplace.com.au] is one of the original laneway bars, over 20 years old – and still one of the coolest bars in town.”

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A TA S TE O F THE TRO PIC S DA RW I N , N T

Some of the best food to be devoured in Darwin is at its myriad markets, where cross-cultural influences, fresh flavours and stupendous sunsets and sunrises abound. At the Rapid Creek Markets, Darwin’s oldest, you’ll find Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Sri Lankan and Filipino shoppers jostling for produce, while at the Nightcliff Markets you can linger a little longer over live music, good food and coffee.

Pick up some crafts or flowers at the Parap Markets or listen to buskers and other live entertainers at the Palmerston Markets. The Mindil Beach Sunset Markets (pictured below) are a bit of a tourist trap, but once you’ve experienced that sunset you’ll understand it’s for a good reason. darwin.nt.gov.au/explore/markets

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GET TO KNOW THE CAPITAL FROM A KID’S EYE VIEW C A NBER R A , ACT

A HER ITAGE WA LK IN TH E OT HER W EST END FR E M A N T LE , WA

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AN OLD PORT TOWN AND PART OF THE GREATER PERTH REGION, THE ATMOSPHERE AND HISTORY OF FREMANTLE IS INTOXICATING. THE STREETS OF ITS WEST END ARE LINED WITH IMPECCABLY PRESERVED VICTORIAN-ERA BUILDINGS, AND VISITORS CAN EXPLORE ANTIQUE SHOPS, BOOK STORES, HERITAGE PUBS AND NEW CAFES. TAKE A DIP AT BATHERS BEACH OR PORT BEACH BEFORE VISITING THE FREMANTLE ART CENTRE FOR A PERFORMANCE OR EXHIBITION. FREMANTLEWESTERN AUSTRALIA.COM.AU

P H OTO G R A P H Y: N I C WA L K E R ( L I S A H AV I L A H AT C A R R I AG E WO R K S )

THE FAMILY THAT STARGAZES TOGETHER, STAYS TOGETHER, SO TAKE A NIGHT TOUR OF THE FAMOUS MOUNT STROMLO OBSERVATORY (RSAA.ANU.EDU.AU). TO COOL OFF DURING THE DAY, VISIT THE HISTORIC ART DECO MANUKA SWIMMING POOL (MANUKAPOOL.COM.AU), BEFORE FILLING YOUNG MINDS AT THE LIKES OF QUESTACON – THE NATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CENTRE (PICTURED LEFT; QUESTACON.EDU.AU), THE NATIONAL ARBORETUM PARKS AND GARDENS (NATIONALARBORETUM.ACT.GOV.AU) OR THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AUSTRALIA (NMA. GOV.AU); ALL OF WHICH MAKE THE CAPITAL A PARADISE FOR KIDS – MEANING A HAPPY HOLIDAY DESTINATION FOR PARENTS, TOO.

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You won’t mind if th is track

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work interrupts your journey

CARRIAGEWORKS, SYDNEY, NSW YOU’VE SEEN A PERFORMANCE AT THE OPERA HOUSE AND A PLAY AT THE SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY, SO NEXT TIME YOU’RE IN SYDNEY VENTURE A LITTLE FURTHER AFIELD TO THE CITY'S INNER-WEST AND DISCOVER ONE OF THE BEST CULTURAL VENUES IN AUSTRALIA – CARRIAGEWORKS IN EVELEIGH. WE ASKED ITS DIRECTOR LISA HAVILAH (PICTURED BELOW) FOR HER TIPS ON WHAT TO DO IN THIS DYNAMIC URBAN GROWTH AREA. CARRIAGEWORKS.COM.AU

WHAT MAKES CARRIAGEWORKS A UNIQUE VENUE? The Carriageworks building was built in 1892 and was the place where all the trains were built for New South Wales.

It provides an incredible context to present contemporary art forms in because it is large in scale and very flexible.

We present a diverse program across contemporary visual arts, dance, music, food and all the creative industries.

WHAT ARE YOUR TOP PICKS FOR THE CARRIAGEWORKS 2017 PROGRAM? The National is a major exhibition that brings together some of Australia’s most talented visual artists in partnership with the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia and the Art Gallery of NSW until 25 June.

In August we will present the new opera The Rape of Lucretia by Sydney Chamber Opera, then from 7–10 September we are looking forward to the return of Sydney Contemporary, an art fair that features over 100 galleries from around the world.

WHAT ARE THE BEST THINGS TO DO IF YOU’RE NOT SEEING A SHOW? We have visual arts exhibitions, a great bar and every Saturday from 8am–1pm we have the Carriageworks Farmers’ Market, which brings together over 80 New South Wales producers and chefs.

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE PLACES TO EAT AND DRINK IN THE AREA? I love Ester (ester-restaurant.com.au) and Automata (automata.com.au) in Chippendale, and Redfern Continental for food. If you’re after a drink try The Bearded Tit (thebeardedtit.com) and Arcadia Liquors (arcadialiquors.com), also in Redfern.

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE CULTURAL DESTINATIONS AROUND THE AREA? To get a true taste of Redfern culture, Redfern Oval always delivers. You can catch the Rabbitohs training and there is always activity. The Commercial (thecommercialgallery.com) is a great gallery showing incredible Australian artists and MOP (mop.org.au) in Chippendale is the best place to see the next new talent.

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Fi n d moments of Japanese calm in the metropolit an ma dne ss

MELBOURNE, VIC

Melbourne might be our food, wine and coffee capital, but it also has some of the best Japanese bathhouses in Australia. Weary travellers can soak and steam at The Japanese Bath House (japanesebathhouse.com) in Collingwood, which has been open since 1999 and underwent a slick refurbishment in 2015. Men and women have their own bathing areas and everything is provided, including towels, soap, robes and shampoo. For a more upmarket unrobing, try Onsen Ma (onsenma.com.au) at Meyers Place in the city. It offers exquisitely serene designer baths as well as Japanese massage packages, as does the Japanese health space Sensu Spa (sensuspa.com.au).

17 DESIGN DREAMS IN OUR IS LA ND STATE HOBA RT, TA S HOBART HAS SOME OF THE BEST SEAFOOD AND WINE IN THE COUNTRY, BUT DID YOU KNOW IT ALSO HAS SOME OF THE NATION’S BEST DESIGN STORES? LOOK A LITTLE FURTHER THAN THE ARCHITECTURAL MARVEL THAT IS MONA AND DISCOVER DESIGN TREASURE TROVES SUCH AS LUC. FOR HOMEWARES AND INTERIORS (PICTURED RIGHT; LUCDESIGNSTORE.COM), FIND COLLECTIVE FOR CONTEMPORARY JEWELLERY (FINDCOLLECTIVE.COM.AU) AND HANDMARK GALLERY FOR TASMANIAN ART AND CRAFT (HANDMARK.COM.AU).

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SO M E COR IANDER W I TH YO UR M ORN ING CO FFEE?

B RISB AN E , QL D

Ethnic breakfasts are one of the biggest food trends of 2017, and Brisbane dishes up three of the best. Try West End Coffee House for Thai food with your morning latte (westendcoffeehouse.com. au). Cook Em Clare hails from Isaan in Thailand and has a breakfast menu including Chinese leek dumplings and khao tom gai, an aromatic Thai rice soup with chicken and ginger. PawPaw (pictured above; pawpawcafe.com.au) serves a south-east Asian menu including a Bali bowl and an Asian omelette, while Café Ó-mai (pictured above right; cafeomai.com.au) specialises in Vietnamese breakfast dishes such as claypot-baked eggs with Vietnamese lemongrass pork sausage and tamarind sauce.

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St ep in t o t h e p rivat e worl d of an art ob sessive

THE DAVID ROCHE FOUNDATION, ADELAIDE, SA IF YOU LOVE QUIRKY HOUSE MUSEUMS OF THE SUPER-WEALTHY, SUCH AS THE FRICK COLLECTION MUSEUM IN NEW YORK, YOU’LL ADORE THE DAVID ROCHE FOUNDATION COLLECTION IN ADELAIDE. ROCHE WAS AN AVID COLLECTOR OF DECORATIVE ARTS, AND HIS COLLECTION SPANS TWO CENTURIES OF EUROPEAN DESIGN – FROM FRENCH ROCOCO TO THE FABERGÉ OF RUSSIA. HOUSED IN HIS ORIGINAL RESIDENCE, FERMOY HOUSE, AND A NEW ADJOINING BUILDING, IT OFFERS A FASCINATING INSIGHT INTO ROCHE’S LIFE AND PASSIONS. ROCHEFOUNDATION.COM.AU

ON W HEEL AND W ING We’ve ROUNDED UP the best ways to traverse the COUNTRY ON

ROAD, off-road and from the air: from the EXHILARATING to the EPICUREAN and sometimes both at once.

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Wheel around the wildflowers VA R IOUS LOC ATIONS , WA

Western Australia surely has one of the most spectacular wildflower seasons in the country. You’ll be compelled to snap away as the dusty red landscape turns into a veritable patchwork quilt of colour. If you’re not keen to self-drive, throw your lot in with Luxury Outback Tours’ seven-day wildflower itinerary, where you also have the chance to travel to some of the state’s most engaging sites, such as Wave Rock, Cape Le Grand and Esperance. luxuryoutbacktours.com.au

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F OR T H O S E W HO JUS T L I K E T O TAG A LO N G

WO R D S : L A R A P I CO N E . P H OTO G R A P H Y: E L I S E H A S S E Y ( W I L D F LOW E R S ); W I L L WA R D L E ( D I R K H A RTO G I S L A N D)

I N T H E S A N D.

Love to drive, hate to navigate? Yep, we can do without those arguments that make you dream of ejecting your spouse onto the side of the road. Happily, there are some incredible 4WD tag-along tours that alleviate the stress and leave you with the scenery.

FRASER’S ON RAINBOW BEACH, QLD You don’t even need your own 4WD for this three-day tour, which takes you along Fraser’s stunning sands, into the rainforest and through creeks. Included is all food and camping equipment, so you just need to bring yourself, your licence and a sense of adventure. frasersonrainbow.com Oh, and if you’re a little apprehensive about putting wheel-to-sand, we recommend a Girls Got Grit preparatory course. australianoffroadacademy.com.au/girls-got-grit DIRK HARTOG ISLAND, WA An island (pictured) with a history that spans guano mining, pearling and sheep grazing, this beauty is now used more sustainably for tourism. Discover rock pools, blow-holes, a salt lake called Rose Lake, and long stretches of beach with impossibly clear waters. The island’s isolation will make you feel like the last people on Earth. The ‘Return to 1616’ tag-along tour incorporates restoration of the vegetation and habitat and includes 4WD, accommodation and meals. dirkhartogisland.com

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GREAT OCEAN ROAD, VIC

Sometimes the journey is just as much about the ride as the sights. And when it comes to the Great Ocean Road, you, our readers, vote for it each year in our People’s Choice Awards, so we assume you’ve perhaps done the drive more than once. Next time, why not leave the driving to someone else and spend a day cruising around in absolute coastal style in a 1974 VW Kombi Transporter Microbus? Take Hike & Seek’s Great Otway National Park tour and return via the Great Ocean Road in style. Surf ’s up, dudes. hikeandseek.com.au

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RI D E THE RAI NFOR ES T AND S LEEP I N A P OD BLUE DERBY PODS RIDE, TAS

A brand-new experience has just launched in Tasmania’s Derby that will have mountain bikers eagerly donning their helmets. The existing trails are already a hot spot for adventurers on two wheels, but the new Blue Derby Pods Ride will add an extra level to the experience with a three-day itinerary that includes fine Tassie food and wine, and accommodation in unique architecturally designed pods. bluederbypodsride.com.au

P H OTO G R A P H Y: J O H N L AU R I E (G R E AT O C E A N ROA D)

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It’ s Au st ral ia’s ( b et t er) a n swer t o Bi g Sur. An d, we k n ow you l ov e it

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A R R I VI NG BOND - ST Y LE

BY S E A PL A NE I S A DR E A M WE A L L SHA R E

OU TBACK F LOATP LANE ADVENTURES, NT

It’s not just the seaplane that we love about Outback Floatplane Adventures’ Ultimate Tour, no, you get to travel in all the vehicles, including a helicopter, airboat (that other Bond-looking contraption with a giant fan that propels you from villains, or crocs) and luxury cruise vessel. It’s a bird’s-and-fish-eye view of tropical Northern Territory’s breathtaking scenery and wildlife, and is a guaranteed boast-worthy trip. outbackfloatplanes.com.au

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WHEN MONEY AIN’T NOTHING BUT A THING

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R OLLING I N THE S TR EETS

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“If only there was a tour that ticked off Australia’s greatest beauties, full of wine and good food, where I could travel in supreme comfort in a private aircraft,” laments the gourmand high flyer. If this sounds like you, bemoan your sorry existence no more, for there is just such a tour. Dipping in and out of the sky to feast on the fare and fair landscapes of the Mornington Peninsula, Barossa Valley, Tamar Valley and Freycinet Peninsula (to name a few), this seven-day High Flyers Gourmet Trail from Ultimate Winery Experiences will only set you back a cool $10K or thereabouts. ultimatewineryexperiences.com.au

A DE LAIDE , S A

Adelaide’s vibrant food truck scene has flourished since 2012, with a diverse array on city streets for mid-week lunches and large public events on weekends, including the frequent Fork On The Road food truck cluster events. “Variety is the magic ingredient,” says Mohamed Bensaid, of Moorish Bites. “We introduce a whole world of different ethnic foods that you just can’t find in restaurants.”

Here’s our pick from across the board. forkontheroad.com.au MOORISH BITES, MELOUI: A luscious Moroccan pancake filled with spinach and feta cheese, or with eggplant, chicken, lamb or marinated fish.

LA CHIVA, CHIVITA DE CHORIZO: Feisty Colombian chorizo patties packed in soft bread rolls with lettuce, coriander, smoked salsa sauce and mayonnaise.

BODRI’S TASTE OF HUNGARY, KURTOSH KALACH: This towering Hungarian chimney cake is made from scratch in the van, with ribbon-like dough wound around a cylinder, covered with sugar and baked to form a crisp, caramelised crust.

THERE REALLY IS NO BETTER WAY TO SEE IT ALL: FOUR BUCKET LIST ROAD TRIPS 1. THE BIG LAP: It’s still the big dream: take three months off work, kit out a motorhome and circumnavigate this land.

2. THE KIMBERLEY DREAM: A 4WD journey along the mighty Gibb River Road.

3. THE EXPLORER’S WAY: Cut the country in half, from Adelaide to Darwin (pictured).

4. THE NULLARBOR: It’s the horizontal line in the sand and the classic drive.

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G o t he big di st an ces with t h e lit tl e guys REX, QLD

WO R D S : DAV I D S LY (A D E L A I D E F O O D T RU C K S ). P H OTO G R A P H Y: J O N AT H A N C A M Í ( T H E E X P LO R E R’ S WAY ); TO N Y L E W I S ( F O O D T RU C K ); S E A N F E N N E S E Y ( R E X ); L E I G H G R I F F I T H S (S E V E N H I L L)

Outback Queensland can teach you a thing or two about significant distances.

While many opt to drive from Brisbane to Birdsville and around to Bedourie and Boulia, there is another way to see the north-east piece of our nation’s puzzle. Rex is nothing if not regional, and will get you to Winton and back if dinosaur bones are your thing, or to Birdsville for the bash, and to legendary Longreach. So if breaking an axle on a dirt road isn’t your idea of seeing the country, consider the alternative way to get to these amazing outposts. rex.com.au

Because mixing booze and bikes can surely never be a b ad idea

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TOUR DE RIESLING RAIL TRAIL , CLARE VALLEY, SA

WHAT TO DO WITH A DEFUNCT RAILWAY TRACK IN WINE COUNTRY? WELL, IF YOU’RE IN THE CLARE VALLEY, YOU THROW DOWN SOME GRAVEL, BUY SOME ELECTRIC BIKES AND TURN IT INTO A WINE TRAIL THAT PASSES INCREDIBLE WINERIES SUCH AS SKILLOGALEE AND SEVENHILL (PICTURED). TOURDEVINES.COM.AU WHILE YOU’RE IN THE MOOD: TAKE A GOURMET CYCLE THROUGH MUDGEE WITH TOUR DE MUDGEE CELLAR DOORS OR LEAVE THE LYCRA AT HOME FOR THE TOUR DE GOURMET ESCAPE IN MILAWA.

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Like an A-lister

When it comes to ACCOMMODATION, we like a SEASIDE COTTAGE or a cute cabin IN THE BUSH as much as the next traveller. But sometimes the occasion calls for something a LITTLE MORE LUXE. Whether a ROMANTIC BREAK, a complete retreat, or a holiday for the whole family, here’s how to do it in superlative style.

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THE NEW COOL KID ON THE BLOCK and three reasons to visit JACKALOPE, MORNINGTON PENINSULA, VIC 1. It’s bang on trend: “‘Transformational travel’ is one of the ‘it’ luxury travel trends in 2017,” says Tracy Atherton, Jackalope’s general manager.

“Jackalope is a place to escape reality, both physically and mentally, but also a place to immerse oneself in the fabric of the property... From sitting on a private terrace, sipping a museum-release chardonnay as the dipping sun dances across endless rows of vines; to participating in customised wine immersion programs, everything is curated to connect guests to the hotel at an experiential and emotional level.”

2. Location: Over 50 cellar doors and restaurants dot the rolling hills around Jackalope’s own vineyard. Add dramatic surf and sheltered bay beaches, natural hot springs, golf courses and national parks for “the perfect mix of coastal and country reverie,” says Tracy.

3. Bells and whistles: “We have a package where you nominate your favourite drink and we’ll not only have it waiting for you on arrival, but serve it on the house all stay,” says Tracy. She suggests combining this with the signature 85-square-metre suite boasting an expansive terrace overlooking the vines, indoor/outdoor fireplace, cocktail bar, personal wine cellar and a deep-soak, stone Japanese tub for an unforgettable experience. jackalopehotels.com

T h e qu ie t a ch ie v e r

EMPIRE RETREAT AND SPA , MARGARET RIVER , WA THIS ADULTS-ONLY, LUXE HIDEAWAY COMPRISES 10 ROOMS AND SUITES NESTLED IN THE SURROUNDING JARRAH AND KARRI FORESTS, YET WITHIN EASY DISTANCE OF MARGARET RIVER’S RICHES. THE EMPIRE’S HIGH RETURN RATE MAY ALSO HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH ITS SPA THAT BOASTS STONE BATHS, A STEAM ROOM A SHOWER SUITES. NATURE RETRE SEEKING SOLITU EMPIRERETREAT.C

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PERTH IS OUR HOTTEST HOTEL CITY RIGHT NOW THANKS TO THESE SPARKLING NEW HOTELS VAR I O U S LO C AT IO NS , PERT H, WA

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B O O K A N I GH T AT T H E S E B EF ORE T H E Y D I S A P P EAR! FL A SH C A M P, VA R IOUS LO C AT IONS

In a veritable ‘whack-the-mole’ game of pop-up glamping options, Flash Camp comes to Bluesfest Byron Bay over Easter (with further Byron pop-up dates to be confirmed). Plans are also afoot for a Kakadu pop-up (July-September), and a stint on Sydney Harbour’s Clark Island in September. Here, guests can luxuriate in tents featuring bamboo furniture and luxe toiletries, while enjoying spectacular views, and gourmet fare from Three Blue Ducks.

Keep up to date online. flashcamp.com.au

P H OTO G R A P H Y: E L I S E H A S S E Y (C L A R K I S L A N D A N D W I L D F LOW E R S )

PERTH IS NOW FLUSH WITH WORLD-CLASS HOTELS: BESIDES THE OPULENT CROWN TOWERS PERTH (CROWNPERTH.COM.AU/HOTELS/ CROWN-TOWERS), THERE’S ALSO COMO THE TREASURY (PICTURED LEFT; COMOHOTELS.COM/THETREASURY), RECENTLY NAMED THE SECOND-BEST HOTEL IN THE WORLD BY CONDÉ NAST TRAVELER, AND THE BOUTIQUE ALEX HOTEL (ALEXHOTEL.COM.AU). ADD UPCOMING DEVELOPMENTS SUCH AS THE RITZ-CARLTON, DOUBLETREE BY HILTON, AND WESTIN PERTH, AND THIS IS ONE BOOM THAT’S FAR FROM OVER.

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The one that’ ll send your Insta-likes skyrocketing HALCYON HOUSE, CABARITA BEACH, NSW SO INSTAGRAMMABLE IT ALMOST HURTS TO PUT YOUR PHONE DOWN, THIS STYLE JUGGERNAUT JUST KEEPS COLLECTING ACCOLADES AND GUESTS THANKS TO ITS INIMITABLE BLEND OF ECLECTIC COASTAL COOL WITH A NOD TO SLIM AARONS-STYLE POOLSIDE NOSTALGIA. HALCYONHOUSE.COM.AU

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COPPERSTONE KI, KANGAROO ISLAND, SA

A PLACE TO CHECK-IN WHEN

YOU WANT TO CHECK OUT FROM PEOPLE

The home- away-from-home Hol y G ra il f o r fa m ilies T H E TA L L E B U DG E R A R E S I D E N C E , G O L D COA S T, Q L D Kids and hotel rooms rarely mix. How about this incredible Australiana-inspired homestead in the Tallebudgera Valley, Queensland (pictured; kidandcoe.com/destinations/gold-coast/ the-tallebudgera-residence) instead? Close to Gold Coast beaches and attractions, plus neighbouring golf courses, the former dairy farm has been beautifully converted into a family paradise, with friendly local wildlife and a hammock-strewn verandah.

ALSO… Kid & Coe also runs a gorgeous Manly, NSW residence (kidandcoe.com/destinations/northern-beaches/the-manly-residence) complete with handy surfboards to hang ten at the beach. In the ACT, Canberra’s East Hotel (easthotel.com.au) thinks outside the box with bespoke Kids Studios, kitted out with enough child-sized bells and whistles to keep everyone happy.

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Copperstone KI is an architectural gem where much care has gone into creating a luxurious bolt-hole away from the mainland masses, set high on a hillside on over two hectares of land. Lovely touches include a hot and cold outdoor shower (who’s going to see you?), underfloor heating and a sunken courtyard. Emu Bay beach is a seven-minute walk away, and is reliably quiet save for Christmas and early January. Private catering can also be arranged. copperstoneki.com

T H E N E XT W O LG A N VA L L EY MOUNT MULLIGAN STATION, MOUNT MULLIGAN, QLD

Set to open within the next year, Mount Mulligan Station will be one hot launch: think luxury outback oasis on a 28,000-hectare property, 170 kilometres west of Cairns; set in the shadow of a dramatic 18-kilometre sandstone ridge under an endless sky. Twelve rooms, suites and villas will house a maximum of 24 guests, ensuring true escapism. Those arriving by helicopter will enjoy magnificent views of reef, rainforest and outback before immersing themselves in the local history (tours of the old mining town, cattle station and homestead; guided bushwalks) and environment (swimming and fishing in the reservoir, exploring in 6WD Land Rovers). Cap it all off with a spot of stargazing and some fine wines by the fire pit. mountmulligan.com ALS O C O M I N G S O O N …

Hobart’s MACq01; a ‘storytelling hotel’ that promises to immerse guests in the history and characters of Tasmania. macq01.com.au

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39 ROM ANTIC ROOMS FOR T W O

T HE E AST ERN, T HRE DB O VILLAGE , NS W

Asked to describe The Eastern in three words, owner Monique Easton nominates, “Nordic. Minimalist. Luxury.”

The romantic refuge features stunning alpine views, washed linens, Aesop amenities, leather lounge chairs, Maison Balzac candles and Italian glassware – a nod to Easton’s wedding in a village near Tuscany, as is the bottle of Chianti left for guests. theeasternthredbovillage.com

HARTS LANE HAUS , DAY LESFO RD, V IC

In Daylesford, Harts Lane Haus is a labour of love for interior designerowners, Simon Carver and Stuart McKenzie. Boasting a two-person spa bath, wood-burning fireplace, reading nook, local produce hamper on arrival, gorgeous views all round and, says Stuart, an “excellent record collection”, it sounds perfectly romantic to us. hartslane.com

S u it e su ccess in a sk y - h igh vil l a

CHAIRMAN’S VILLA, CROWN TOWERS PERTH, WA 715 SQUARE METRES OF UNBRIDLED LUXURY. FOUR BEDROOMS. ONE BABY GRAND. 24-HOUR BUTLER SERVICE. 2.5-TONNE CHANDELIER. SIX-METRE CEILINGS. THE NUMBERS ADD UP: TO $25,000, IN FACT – THE STARTING PRICE PER NIGHT FOR AUSTRALIA’S MOST EXPENSIVE SUITE. CROWNHOTELS.COM.AU

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LIK E A N AT U R A L IS T A s to r m o f co l o ur

41 WO R D S : DA N I E L D OW N . P H OTO G R A P H Y: L AU R I E RO S S (G O U L D I A N F I N C H E S )

Australia is a very SPECIAL PLACE. We happen to live in a biodiversity HOT SPOT, one that spans an entire CONTINENT-SIZED island and so encompasses all the WEIRD and wonderful DESIGNS NATURE has come up with to THRIVE IN EVERYTHING from snow-shrouded ALPINE FORESTS to scorching hot red desert, tropical rainforest and CORAL REEFS. And since its CREATURES HAVE EVOLVED near independent from the rest of the PLANET, Australia is filled with unique HOPPING, VENOMOUS, strikingly patterned and COLOURED ANIMALS. So, forget about saving up for the Galápagos, GRAB YOUR CAMERA and head to these WILDLIFE DESTINATIONS.

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KAKADU, NT

Is it po ssib l e to see a tree ka n ga r o o i n th e w il d ?

“Gouldian finches are one of my passions and I really enjoy quietly sitting near

DAINTREE RAINFOREST, QLD

small watering holes at the end of the dry season, waiting for them to arrive for their early morning drink , a sudden riot of colour in the outback .”

Laurie Ross, photographer SEE AUSTRALIA’S MOST COLOURFUL BIRD FOR YOURSELF ON A LADY GOULDIAN FINCH TOUR WITH LAURIE ROSS; TRACKSBIRDING. COM.AU/FEATUREDTOUR

ATTACK OF THE DROP BEARS! TREE KANGAROOS ARE HIGHLY AGILE AND HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO DROP 20 METRES FROM THE CANOPY TO THE GROUND. PERHAPS THIS HAPPENED ON TOP OF A HAPLESS EXPLORER IN THESE PARTS AND SPAWNED THE DROP BEAR MYTH, WHEREBY MURDEROUS KOALAS TRY TO TAKE YOUR HEAD OFF BY FALLING OUT OF A NEARBY TREE AT AN OPPORTUNE MOMENT.

To see this elusive animal would normally require the budget of a BBC wildlife film crew and some expert guides to spot them high up in the canopy. But yes, surprisingly, there is a place where you can see them in the wild. These unusual, bear-like marsupials with a long tail like that of a lemur inhabit remote regions of rainforest in eastern Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, but two species can be found in Tropical North Queensland. It just so happens that the larger of the two species, and the rarest, lives in a small stretch of rainforest that you can explore by zip wire! At Jungle Surfing in the Daintree Rainforest, there’s a family of Bennett’s tree kangaroos that have become accustomed to people soaring through the rainforest canopy, a habitat they’d normally have all to themselves. So, as you stand on a platform high up in the trees, keep an eye out for this brown-orange furred monkeylike animal. See one, and you’ll be in an elite club; until they started showing up at Jungle Surfing next to nobody had seen the Bennett’s tree kangaroo, let alone taken a picture. junglesurfing.com.au AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM

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Y OU L I T T L E R I PPLER MO U NTA I N VALLEY, TAS

43 TH E S E C R E T KOA LA FOREST M IK K IR A STAT ION , P ORT LI NCOL N , S A

WHAT? A truly remarkable spot, koalas were introduced to the beautiful forest of manna gums on Mikkira Station back in the 1960s and have never looked back.

WHERE? Mikkira Station is situated 30 kilometres south-west of Port Lincoln along the Fishery Bay Road on the Eyre Peninsula.

HOW? Pull up to the quaint, old farmhouse, pay a $15 fee and wander a path through the gum trees to the original settlers’ Mikkira farmstead, coming face to face with koalas sitting in the trees along the way. Camp overnight to really unwind alongside the koalas.

WHY? The koalas are used to curious faces here so you can get within a respectful distance of them. With paths winding in and out of the gum trees and the historic homestead to wander, it’s the perfect way to spend an afternoon with the family. The koalas will look you straight in the eye as they doze in the low-lying bows of the trees.

WHAT ELSE? Don’t miss the giant yakkas on the property. Take a short, winding walk to the colossal, alien-like plants, like something from The Day of the Triffids. mikkirakoalas.com

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A U S T R A L I A N T R AV E L L E R . C O M

Platypus are exceedingly difficult to spot, you can sit on the mosquito-infested bank of a lake for hours scanning the surface for the tell-tale ripple of this most unusual of animals, the duck-billed platypus, but alas, it’ll inevitably just be the play of the wind on the water or a surfacing trout. Set on a 61-hectare private nature reserve is Mountain Valley Wilderness Holidays, where you can stay in cosy cabins with open log fires to explore the surrounding forest of old growth white gums in the shade of Black Bluff Mountain. At dusk take a guided platypus tour of some of the creeks that flow through the property, giving you a great chance of seeing this bizarre creature. With poisonous barbs on its webbed feet, a furry coat like an otter coupled with that defining duck-like bill, it was famously thought to be a hoax when a specimen was sent back to the British Museum by Captain John Hunter in the late 18th century. “It naturally excites the idea of some deceptive preparation by artificial means,” English zoologist George Shaw wrote in 1799. It’s just one of two types of monotreme on the planet, a mammal that lays eggs; the other including the four species of echidna. While you’re at Mountain Valley keep an eye out for Tasmanian devils, too, which like to visit the cabin verandahs at night. mountainvalley.com.au

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WHO KNEW THAT THE BEST PLACE TO SWIM WITH MANTAS WAS JUST OFF THE COAST OF A CAPITAL CITY?

MAJES TIC M AN TAS NO RTH S TR AD B RO K E IS LAND, Q LD People pay thousands of dollars to travel to spots where they can encounter manta rays; magnificent, graceful beasts with wingspans of up to seven metres, up there with whale sharks in terms of diving kudos. But who knew that you could swim with mantas just an hour from one of our capital cities? North Stradbroke Island, just off the coast of Brisbane, is home to the Manta Lodge & Scuba Centre. Its crew will take you to Manta Bommie, a coral outcrop 10 minutes away by boat, where you can expect to dive or snorkel with multiple manta rays on any given day. mantalodge.com.au

45 FANTASTIC BEASTS SOU THER N R IGH T W H A LE N U R SERY, WA R R N A M BO OL , V IC

Humpbacks tend to steal all the limelight up and down the east coast when it comes to whale watching, but head to Logan’s Beach from June to September in the pretty Victorian coastal town of Warrnambool, and you’ll find a southern right whale nursery. They come here from the waters of the Antarctic every year to give birth, and you can observe their hulking, 80 to 90-tonne, barnacled bodies frolicking just a hundred metres off the beach from a dedicated viewing platform. If you’re really lucky you may see a rare blue whale, too, the largest animal to have ever existed on the planet. To get even closer to the whales try Southern Coast Charters. southerncoastcharters.com.au

RESCUE MISSION SAVE THE BILBY FUND, CHARLEVILLE , QLD WE ASKED KEVIN BRADLEY, SAVE THE BILBY FUND DIRECTOR AND CEO, FOR SOME VITAL STATS ON OUR FURRY DESERT FRIENDS. WHAT IS A BILBY? The greater bilby is the last surviving species of arid bandicoot we have left here in Australia.

They are superbly adapted to the dry, hot areas of our outback. Sadly, this iconic little marsupial has suffered a massive decline. Here in Queensland their numbers are critically low and they have disappeared from 99 per cent of the area they once occupied.

WHAT CAUSED THEIR DECLINE? Effectively, we humans did! When Europeans first came to Australia they brought with them animals like the red fox, cats, pigs and goats to name just a few. These animals have now established themselves in our landscape and are wreaking havoc on our beautiful and unique native animals. The bilby’s decline has predominantly been through predation by the millions of feral cats and foxes and through competing with billions of introduced rabbits for resources, including food and burrows.

The bilby and its ancestors have been around for about 25 million years and we’ve all but wiped them out in 200 years. It’s an absolute tragedy that we have to address.

WHERE DO THE BILBIES LIVE NOW? Bilbies were once found across 70 per cent of Australia but are now just hanging on in our deserts in parts of north-western Australia and far western Queensland. That’s some of our harshest country, where the cats and foxes find it hard to survive.

HOW IS THE BILBY ADAPTED TO LIVE IN THESE ARID CONDITIONS? Bilbies are true masters of survival in the outback. They stay underground during the day in their burrows that keep relatively cool as outside temperatures soar into the mid-40s and higher. Maybe that’s where the townspeople of Coober Pedy got the idea of living underground.

They don’t need to drink water to survive and their oversized ears act like a car radiator to help them shed heat. They’ve also got one

of the shortest pregnancies of any mammal on the planet – less than a fortnight – so they can reproduce over a short period and up to four times a year. They are independent and can breed at the age of six to eight months.

WHAT WORK ARE YOU DOING TO COMBAT THE ANIMAL’S DECLINE? Out at Currawinya National Park we have a predator exclusion fence where we’ll be reintroducing bilbies again soon. This forms part of an extremely important insurance population to mitigate the risk of extinction in the wild until feral cats and foxes can be better controlled. These animals are managed to ensure we maximise gene flow and will be used as a source of bilbies to eventually release back into the wild. This will support remnant wild populations and re-establish new ones where they once occurred, such as Currawinya in far south-western Queensland.

We run the Charleville Bilby Experience as well as many formal and informal presentations to a wide audience. These increase awareness and educate the public about bilbies and what’s happening to our environment.

The bilbies we look after are also part of a national bilby breeding program and we work in partnership with the state, Australian governments and a range of other key stakeholders. We are all part of a National Bilby Recovery Team and have committed to a unified approach to bilby conservation where Save the Bilby Fund currently co-ordinates the recovery effort.

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT AT THE CHARLEVILLE BILBY EXPERIENCE? WILL WE BE ABLE TO MEET THESE NOCTURNAL ANIMALS? People will see and learn lots about these fascinating creatures and what is being done to save them. We have a nocturnal house so you can see them moving about in daylight hours.

You can even get up-close and personal and meet them in the keeper’s arms. That’s a unique

47 part of the experience and something people will never forget. It’s a newly renovated facility in the historic Charleville Railway Station so it’s really easy to find. The Westlander long distance train even takes you straight to the door.

IN WHAT WAYS CAN THE PUBLIC HELP THE BILBY? A most effective way to help is by direct donation to Save the Bilby Fund. That way your money goes straight to bilby conservation.

You can also help the fund by buying bilbies not bunnies at Easter, purchasing merchandise from our online store or, of course, visiting the Charleville Bilby Experience.

You can join in the celebrations for National Bilby Day on 10 September when Charleville goes bilby crazy for the weekend, helping us fundraise with the Bilby Festival and Fur Ball.

It’s a great way to support Charleville and our work out there with bilbies.

You could become a citizen scientist and be part of our Bilby Tracks program out at Currawinya and assist researchers with habitat surveys and other activities needed to prepare for bilby re-introductions inside the Bilby Fence. But really it’s all about spreading the word about bilbies and their plight. It’s up to all of us to do our bit before we lose another of our very special animals ... Extinction is forever. savethebilbyfund.com

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QUEENS OF THE DESERT ARKABA,SA

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It’s not often you see a lot of colour on our marsupials: take the old wombat for example and the, er, grey kangaroo. The yellow-footed rock-wallaby, however, is a nonconformist. This flamboyant character can be found in the outback, flaunting a striking coat of yellow-orange legs and arms, a yellowish tail with orange bars culminating in a dark top, while a white stomach contrasts with a fawn-grey back, a black border separating the two and marking the face topped with orange ears.

Their range is limited to small pockets in South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland, but the best place to spot one i .

Here you’ll share a 60,000-acre nature reserve with just s staying in the rustic charm of a classic homestead. Head d have your camera ready to snap these striking animals. a

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March o the turtles

JU RA B I T U RT L E CENT R E, NE AR E X M OUT H , WA In Australia we’re lucky to be able to witness the wonderful sight of turtles nesting on tropical beaches and hatchlings making their way back to the ocean in their hundreds. Without the right kind of supervision, observing nesting and hatching events can be disruptive to the turtles, which can abandon a nesting site altogether. But there is a right way to do it. From November to March you can observe huge loggerheads, green and hawksbill turtles nesting near the Jurabi Turtle Centre on a stretch of the Ningaloo Reef. It’s right next to a popular rookery and you can participate in an educational viewing session, where you’ll watch a turtle nesting in a manner that’s safe for the reptiles and contributes to their conservation. Book through the Exmouth Visitor Centre on 08 9949 1176. ningalooturtles.org.au

SY DNEY ’ S MAGIC DR AGON SYDNEY, NSW

The Great Barrier Reef isn’t the be all and end all when it comes to diving in Australia.

There are some incredible dive spots that perhaps slip under the radar of most travellers, overshadowed by that Natural Wonder of the World in Queensland. Manly Dive Centre will take you into the temperate waters just off Sydney for a day of diving that should be on your bucket list. divesydney.com.au FIRST STOP: Dive site The Apartments, off Collaroy on the Northern Beaches. Here you will see shoals of yellowtail scad and unusual rock formations – some of which you can swim through.

And through the masses of fish you’ll eventually see endangered grey nurse sharks emerge. Listed as critically endangered on the east coast, their fearsome faces hide a gentle nature. Growing up to 3.6 metres in length, keep a respectful distance and swim alongside these graceful predators.

SECOND STOP: Old Man’s Hat dive site, just off North Head. Here you’ll find a rocky reef of colourful sponge gardens, walls and overhangs. Take a look at the colourful sea slugs, wobbegong and Port Jackson sharks, blue groper and schools of pomfret, but keep an especially keen eye out for the well camouflaged weedy sea dragon.

This beautiful animal can be seen gliding over the bottom disguised as a piece of floating weed. Find one, inspect it closer and you’ll see that it looks like an elongated sea horse, with a long snout, and leafy appendages that give it its name. It’s beautifully patterned with iridescent blues and yellow spots, so make sure you have an underwater camera for Sydney’s shy dragon.

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LIK E A G ASTRONOME

Visit a GIN DISTILLERY inspired by Tasmania’s WILD RIVERS

and TRUFFLE-HUNT with dogs called Simba and Nala. But not until you’ve sampled Adelaide’s THRIVING BAR SCENE and swung by KITCHEN BY MIKE’S

CHECK O UT A DELA IDE’ S THRIVING SMA LL B A R SCE NE A DEL A IDE , S A

Adelaide used to be the place where cool bars went to die. But no longer, because some of Australia’s best bars are now in the South Australian capital – you just have to know where to find them. We love cute-as-a-button bar Maybe Mae (15 Peel Street, Adelaide) for gorgeous cocktails and a Mad Men-in-Copenhagen interior. Pink Moon Saloon (pictured; pinkmoonsaloon. com.au) is a lesson in refinement, with its steeply angled roof and walls squeezed into a laneway’s width, like Tokyo’s Shinjuku Golden Gai redefined for southern climes. Stop in for a Rhubarb Iced Tea cocktail and consider yourself the embodiment of chic. Maybe a wine is what you’re after, though?

No problem – head to Mother Vine (mothervine.com.au) for a huge variety of wines by the glass that are as lovingly selected as they are delicious.

WO R D S : F R E YA H E R R I N G . P H OTO G R A P H Y: N I K K I TO ( LO N G C H I M )

new airport outpost: wining and dining in Australia this year is as DYNAMIC AS EVER.

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Try Long Ch im ch ef David Th omp son’s top five dishes LONG CHIM; PERTH, SYDNEY AND MELBOURNE

Sydney-born David Thompson was the first chef to be awarded a Michelin star for Thai cuisine at his London restaurant Nahm, and over the past year-and-a-half he has opened three restaurants in his home country: Long Chim in Perth, Sydney and Melbourne. Here, he shares his favourite dishes to enjoy on the menu now, and to look forward to in the future. longchimperth.com GRILLED PORK Simple and smoky and fragrant, marinated in soy and garlic and grilled over charcoal and coconut.

GUAY JAP: ROLLED NOODLE SOUP WITH FIVE-SPICE AND BRAISED PORK A rich and comforting dish.

SEN GATI: COCONUT RICE NOODLES WITH PRAWN, PORK AND YELLOW BEANS The coconut noodles are nutty, sweet and riddled with prawns, pork and bean sprouts.

PLAA DTAT DTIAW: SUN-DRIED TREVALLY WITH GREEN MANGO The semi-dried fish with fish sauce is deep fried and covered with green mango, chillies, mint and lime.

RIN’S THAI TEA ICE-CREAM The tea ice-cream is made with Thai tea and condensed milk – nothing more needs to be said about it, other than that it’s a compulsory dish with which to finish the meal.

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GO FOR DINNER AT A WORLD-CLASS RESTAURANT, FOR A FRACTION OF THE PRICE MOMOFU K U SEIŌBO , SYDN EY, NSW

DRINK MOR E G I N

SOUTHERN WILD DISTILLERY, DEVONPORT, TAS What are you drinking if you’re not drinking gin? It’s the hottest spirit of the moment and there are some excellent choices out there, many of which are coming out of Australian distilleries. Southern Wild Distillery in Tasmania has released a range of three gins inspired by local rivers Dasher and Fisher.

They’re called Mountain, Meadow and Ocean and each tell a story about the spectacular landscape surrounding the distillery. You can buy it online, but we recommend visiting the distillery in person to get the full experience.

(And a hot tip for cooler months – try mixing your gin with Sin-kō-nah (tonicsyrup.com), a delicious and complex botanical tonic syrup, but warm it up first. It’s the Antipodes’ very own hot toddy.) southernwilddistillery.com

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E AT A MA Z I NG P L A NE FOOD

KI T CHEN BY MI KE , S Y D N E Y A I R PO RT, NSW KITCHEN BY MIKE HAS OPENED ITS DOORS AT SYDNEY AIRPORT, WITHIN THE T1 INTERNATIONAL TERMINAL. YOU CAN CHECK OUT MIKE MCENEARNEY’S HEALTHY-EATING, CANTEEN-STYLE FARE BY ‘DINING IN’, OR PICKING UP ONE OF HIS CUSTOMISABLE ‘FLY BY MIKE’ TRAY-PACKS TO EAT ON THE PLANE. KITCHENBYMIKE.COM.AU

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The best dish on the $185 dego at Sydney’s Momofuku Seiōbo is also available at the bar… for $8. It’s called ‘busted’ roti. It’s based on the Trinidadian dish ‘buss-up shut’ (‘busted-up shirt’): a heaving mess of butter-drenched, crisp and soft, blistered and melting, stretchy paratha. Order this and a glass of skin contact wine and enjoy a world-class dinner for under $30.

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G O T O M E L B OU R N E’ S H OT T ES T N EW B A R

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LO NG SO NG , M E LBOU RNE , VIC Longsong is opening above Longrain in Melbourne this winter. Hospitality royalty John and Lisa van Haandel are behind the project, and they’ve brought along David Moyle (pictured) of Hobart’s celebrated Franklin restaurant to run the food. With a Thai-style grill and Australian-focused drinks list – most of which will be served out of kegs or barrels – this is set to be the place to be as the temperatures plummet. longrain.com

GO VEGO F O R THE NIGHT YELLOW, SYDN EY, NSW

Yellow in Sydney’s Potts Point has long been lauded for its vegetarian options. But last year, head chef and co-owner Brent Savage relaunched the restaurant’s dinner menu as 100 per cent vegetarian. Try dynamic dishes from its tasting menu – like curd, charred leek and black garlic (pictured above) – and you’ll see that vegetables can be just as delicious as any meat dish. yellowsydney.com.au

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V I SI T A N AT U R A L W I N E RY H A R K H A M W I NERY, HU N TER VA LLEY, NSW

Find out what natural wine is all about at Harkham Winery in the Hunter Valley. Spend the day sampling the wines at the cellar door (don’t miss the seriously interesting shiraz and zesty semillon) then (if it’s a weekend) pop into the pop-up restaurant next door for a laid-back dinner of Latino-style street food as the sun sets, before heading off to bed at the on-site accommodation. harkhamwine.com.au

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G ET ALL YOU R FAVOU RITE T REATS AT ON E GIAN T B A KE - S A LE FLOUR MARKET SYDNEY, NSW, AND MELBOURNE, VIC

YOU KNOW ALL THOSE ARTISAN SWEET TREATS THAT PEPPER YOUR INSTAGRAM FEED AND FIRE UP YOUR APPETITE? LIKE ANDY BOWDY’S CRAZY CAKE CREATIONS, SHORTSTOP’S DOUGHNUTS AND BUTTERBING’S GLUTEN-FREE COOKIE SANDWICHES? WELL AT FLOUR MARKET THEY’RE ALL IN ONE PLACE. THE FESTIVALS TAKE PLACE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR IN SYDNEY AND MELBOURNE. CHECK OUT THEIR FACEBOOK PAGE TO KEEP UP TO DATE. FLOURMARKET.COM.AU

P H OTO G R A P H Y: L E A N T I M M S ( T H E T RU F F L E FA R M )

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G o truffle hunting

THE TRUFFLE FARM, CANBERRA, ACT

It turns out that truffles grow extraordinarily well in Canberra. The Truffle Farm opened in 2016 and it’s so much more than a rustic homestead. Go on a truffle hunt with truffle dogs Nala, Samson, Willow, Simba, Bear and Max and return to the farm for a deluxe truffle tasting. Or go even more luxe after your hunt by heading to the warmth of the truffle shed for a six-course degustation prepared by ex-Emirates Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa executive chef Damian Brabender. thetrufflefarm.com.au

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| Like an historian

like an historian History can be traced through all things in THIS COUNTRY: in red earth and rocks and PICK MARKS in sandstone; in railway lines and REGAL BUILDINGS. We take a tour of some key sites

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Hea d t o T he R oc k s t o st ep b a c k in t i m e SUSANNAH PL ACE MUSEUM , SYDNE Y, N S W The Rocks is Sydney’s oldest neighbourhood, first constructed by convicts in the late 18th century. Here you’ll find Susannah Place, an under-the-radar spot operated by Sydney Living Museums that offers the proverbial ‘step back in time’. It charts the history – from the 1840s to the 1970s – of this traditionally working-class area through four houses built by Irish immigrants in 1844 that have survived slum clearances and redevelopments, with well-preserved details and recreations of everyday life through the years. Entry is by guided tour. sydneylivingmuseums.com.au

UNDER THE SH AD E O F A CO O LA B AH TREE W ITH B AN J O PATERSO N W I N T ON , QLD

The Channel Country area around Winton is Waltzing Matilda land; red earth, shrubs and the odd coolabah tree. Banjo Paterson penned the famous bush ballad here and first performed it at the North Gregory Hotel in Winton in 1895. The town’s Waltzing Matilda Centre – dedicated to a song that has helped define the Australian spirit – is being rebuilt after a fire. Due to open in 2018, the centre will also touch on wider Winton history, including as the birthplace of Qantas. matildacentre.com.au

WO R D S : I M O G E N E V E S O N . P H OTO G R A P H Y: J A M E S H O R A N (S U S A N N A H P L AC E ); H A R RY P H I L I P S CO U RT E S Y O F T H E B LU E M O U N TA I N S C I T Y L I B R A RY ( B LU E M O U N TA I N S ); A N N E T T E O ’ B R I E N ( N O R F O L K I S L A N D)

that have defined the SHAPE AND SPIRIT of modern Australia.

63 TAKE THE HISTORIC HIGH ROAD OVER THE MOUNTAINS THE BELLS LINE OF ROAD, NSW The alternative route over the Blue Mountains from Sydney, and a scenic drive before brown road signs existed, the Bells Line of Road twists and turns past apple orchards, sheer sandstone cliffs and through national park. Following part of the route of a traditional aboriginal pathway, it was first established as a road in 1823 by Archibald Bell. Today, you can soak in history, apple cider and mountain air with a leisurely drive and a few pit stops: 1. Set in a cottage built in 1825, Lochiel House is a cafe and restaurant with tenure: in 1851, the Sydney Morning Herald commended the establishment for its lodging, food and stabling.

Today its chefs create modern Australian cuisine and the setting is picture-perfect. lochielhouse.com.au 2. The long-established hamlet of Bilpin, ‘Land of the Mountain Apple’, makes good fruit: its reputation built on its fertile soil, elevation and mild climate. Visit Bilpin Cider’s cellar door to sample its range; from original to cloudy, Pink Lady or pear; or stop off at any of the fruit-picking orchards nearby. bilpincider.com 3. A typical day in 1929 would see up to 100 cars drive the unsealed Bells Line of Road from Sydney to visit The Jungle; a 280-hectare conservation park that offered rainforest walking tracks and tearooms. Today, The Jungle is part of the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, and the journey there is smoother.

Visitors can dine at Sean Moran’s one-hat Tomah Gardens Restaurant (with views over Wollemi National Park), and hire Jungle Lodge for overnight stays. bluemountainsbotanicgarden.com.au

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In sea rch of h eav en a n d h el l in t h e Pa cific NORFOLK ISLAND, TERRITORY

STONE RUINS OF THE ONCE HARSHEST PENAL SETTLEMENT IN THE COLONY (DUBBED ‘HELL IN THE PACIFIC’) CUT A STARK CONTRAST AGAINST THE BENIGN BLUE SKIES AND SPARKLING SEA VIEWS OF SUB-TROPICAL NORFOLK ISLAND. NORFOLKISLAND.COM.AU

M A K E A P O I GNA N T PI LGRI M AGE RI CH W ITH P E R S O NA L S T O R I ES NAT I O NA L A N Z AC C E N T R E , A L BA N Y, WA

Albany’s National Anzac Centre is an essential experience for anyone looking to learn more about the ANZAC story.

Opened in 2014 to commemorate the ANZAC centenary, the impressive centre is set within the Princess Royal Fortress and overlooks the same harbour that saw over 41,000 men and women depart for the First World War. From its wealth of source material, made up of interactive technology and historical artefacts, the centre shapes the experience into an extremely personal one: visitors are assigned one of 32 photographs on arrival, and follow the poignant story of a real life soldier or nurse throughout the exhibition. nationalanzaccentre.com.au AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM

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TAKE THE SNAIL MAIL TRAIL O LD T ELEGR APH STAT I O N R ESERVE, ALI CE SPR I NGS, NT

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F OL L OW I N T H E H OOF P R I N TS OF C A M EL S T HE GH A N , S A T O N T

The Ghan – one of the world’s greatest train journeys – is named for the ‘Afghan’ cameleers (a misnomer because they weren’t all from Afghanistan) whose efforts from the 1860s to the early 1900s were crucial in opening up the Australian interior. They paved the way for the Overland Telegraph Line from Adelaide to Darwin; and for this train route (which extends to Darwin, but originally stopped at Alice Springs). So, sit back and journey into the past at 85 kilometres an hour. greatsouthernrail.com.au/trains/the-ghan

SOMBRE, SERENE AND ESSENTIAL

PORT ARTHUR HISTORIC SITE, TAS A THOUGHT-PROVOKING DESTINATION TUCKED WITHIN THE IDYLLIC TASMAN PENINSULA, PORT ARTHUR REMAINS ONE OF TASMANIA’S BIG DRAWS FOR OBVIOUS REASONS. PORTARTHUR.ORG.AU 104

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P H OTO G R A P H Y: CO U RT E S Y O F T H E S TAT E L I B R A RY O F V I C TO R I A ( E U R E K A S TO C K A D E , H I S TO R I C N E D K E L LY I M AG E RY ); P E T E R TA R A S I U K ( B A L L A R AT T H E AT R E )

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The gateway to the Red Centre, ancient and contemporary aboriginal culture, Alice Springs symbolises many facets of Australian life, and not least its settler history.The township – which was originally named Stuart – began life in 1871 as a telegraph station on the Adelaide to Darwin railway line, an integral part of the engineering feat that was to connect Australia with the rest of the world.

(Before the installation of the Australian Overland Telegraph Line, news would take five months to reach Australia from England).

Once there were 11 telegraph stations on the route and today the Old Telegraph Station Reserve in Alice Springs is one of a few that remain, now preserved as a museum to tell this story. alicespringstelegraphstation.com.au

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What they didn’t teach you at school H I G H CO U N T RY, V I C

Victoria’s north-east is Kelly Country, and visitors to the towns of this region can follow in the footsteps of Australia’s most famous bushranger: from Beveridge, Ned’s first home town, to Glenrowan, the site of his last stand, and to Beechworth, where he was tried and imprisoned.

We asked Matt Shore – Ned Kelly enthusiast, researcher and founder/co-curator of the Ned Kelly Vault at Beechworth – to tell us some little-known facts. nedkellyadventuretours.com 1. Ned Kelly was the subject of the world’s first full-length feature film, The Story of The Kelly Gang, which was filmed near Melbourne in 1905. Only a few fragments (about nine minutes) of the film survive and it’s held by the National Film and Sound Archive in Canberra.The film was a huge hit with audiences in Australia, New Zealand and England.The film was released at a time when many people involved in the Kelly story (including Ned’s mother) were still alive.

2. Ned Kelly had an American stepfather named George King. He married Ned’s widowed mother Ellen in February 1874. George was only six years older than Ned. He was heavily involved in Ned’s horse-stealing escapades and disappeared around early 1878 as police attention over stock thefts was becoming a little too close for comfort. George fathered three children to Ellen. His son became a policeman in Western Australia and later an international horse-riding champion.

George King’s disappearance remains one of the great unsolved mysteries of the Ned Kelly story.

3. Ned Kelly worked at several sawmills between 1874 and 1877. One mill was supplying timber sleepers for the north-east railway project. Ned was eventually promoted to overseer. He is also said to have built a house from locally quarried pink granite near Glenrowan.The house survives and a completion date of ‘1876’ – probably carved by Ned – can still be seen at the back of the house.

4. Godfrey Castieu was the 13-year-old son of the Melbourne gaol governor.While Ned was at the gaol awaiting execution, Mr Castieu brought his son into the gaol to meet the famous outlaw. Ned is supposed to have patted Godfrey on the head through the gaol bars and declared,“Son, I hope you grow up to be as fine a man as your father”. Godfrey later became a star of early Australian cinema.

In an extraordinary twist, he played the role of Ned Kelly in three films.

5. Ned’s nephew, Frederick Foster, was a soldier in the First World War.When his mother died in 1898, he was brought back to Greta with his two sisters. He was raised by Ned’s mother (Fred’s grandmother) and Ned’s surviving brother, Jim Kelly. Fred was killed at the battle of Lagnicourt on 15 April 1917. His name can be seen on the war memorial at Oxley, not far from Glenrowan.

G ol d f ever a n d Eu re ka mo me n t s

THE MUSEUM OF AUSTRALIAN DEMOCRACY AT EUREKA, BALLARAT, VIC WANDER THE STREETS OF BALLARAT TO SEE EVIDENCE OF VICTORIA’S GAME-CHANGING GOLD RUSH IN THE MID-19TH CENTURY. BUT BEHIND FANCY FAÇADES LIE COMPLEX HISTORIES; A VISIT TO THE MUSEUM OF AUSTRALIAN DEMOCRACY AT EUREKA (MADE.ORG), ON THE SITE OF THE 1854 EUREKA STOCKADE, TELLS HOW A BAND OF DISENFRANCHISED MINERS SET IN MOTION THE DEMOCRATIC FREEDOMS WE TAKE FOR GRANTED TODAY.

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E X P ERI ENC E ICO N I C A RT

Q AGOMA, BRISB ANE , QL D

LEGENDARY GERMAN ARTIST GERHARD RICHTER’S FIRST MAJOR AUSTRALIAN SHOW, GERHARD RICHTER, OPENS ON 14 OCTOBER AT BRISBANE’S QUEENSLAND ART GALLERY AND GALLERY OF MODERN ART. QAGOMA.QLD.GOV.AU

WO R D S : F R E YA H E R R I N G . P H OTO G R A P H Y: P E T E R N OVACCO (G OV E R N M E N T H O U S E ).

A RT WO R K : G E R H A R D R I C H T E R , A B S T R AC T PA I N T I N G ( 726), TAT E CO L L E C T I O N ; C L A R A A D O L P H S , O N E M O R N I N G , 2015 , 78 X 6 8 C M ; L I N DY L E E , F L A M E F R OM T H E D R AG O N ’ S P E A R L : F L U I D A S I C E , S U L L I VA N+S T RU M P F ; TO N Y C L A R K , T WO S EC T I O N S F R OM C L A R K ’ S MY R I O R A M A W I T H I N A FE I G N E D F R A M E , S U L L I VA N+S T RU M P F

LIK E A C U LT U R E CON NOISSEUR If you’ve resolved TO INCREASE your intake of ARTS AND CULTURE this year,

read on. From blockbuster shows to TINY ARTIST TOWNS and a painter worth taking note of now – here’s WHERE TO START.

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E X P L O R E BUILDINGS YOU NE V E R KNEW WERE TH ERE OPEN HOUSE MELBOUR NE , VIC, AND SYDNEY OPEN, NSW Check out Open House Melbourne in July (openhousemelbourne.org) and Sydney Open in November (sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/ sydneyopen) to get behind the scenes of some of the cities’ most inspiring and intriguing buildings, many of which are often closed to the public.

Shameless snoops have previously had the chance to visit The Great Synagogue in Sydney and Government House (pictured) in Melbourne.

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IT’S TIME TO GET CONTEMPORARY

S Y DN E Y, NS W GREEN SQUARE IN SYDNEY IS ON TRACK TO BECOME A SHINY NEW CULTURAL AND COMMUNITY HUB, AND THE ARTS ARE FOLLOWING SUIT. CHECK OUT THE FRESHLY RELOCATED MAY SPACE (FORMERLY BRENDA MAY GALLERY; MAYSPACE.COM.AU) AS WELL AS CONTEMPORARY GALLERY STALWARTS SULLIVAN+STRUMPF (WORKS PICTURED RIGHT AND ABOVE; SULLIVANSTRUMPF. COM) AND THE DARREN KNIGHT GALLERY (DARRENKNIGHTGALLERY.COM).

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73 DI SCOVE R A NE W A RT IST T O WAT C H

AT JUST 31 YEARS OLD, 2016 ARCHIBALD PRIZE FINALIST CLARA ADOLPHS IS ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING ARTISTS OF THE DECADE. PAINTING IN THICK IMPASTO WITH A PALETTE KNIFE, ADOLPHS DEPICTS SCENES FROM OLD PHOTOGRAPHS, CREATING EVOCATIVE AND MESMERIC PAINTINGS WITH COMPLEX NARRATIVES. HER NEXT SHOW WILL BE AT THE M ART POP-UP IN SYDN G NOVEMBER. MICK M

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76 ABSOR B OU R G R EAT THE AT RIC AL TAL E NT

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The executive director of Melbourne Theatre Company, Virginia Lovett, knows a thing or two about theatre. “Great theatre is never in short supply in Australia: there is a multitude of incredible theatre-makers on and offstage, bringing audiences the best international and local stories,” she tells us. “The Australian theatre ecology is so rich and exciting, and the talent of our artists and quality of our productions is recognised around the world.”

Here she gives us her three top picks of the year. mtc.com.au

NOISES OFF 3–25 June Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Playhouse 8 July – 12 August Arts Centre Melbourne, Playhouse

If you’re in need of a good laugh, Noises Off is the answer. Starring Simon Burke, it’s a rollicking farce and contemporary classic that audiences have loved for decades.

THE FATHER 19 August – 21 October Sydney Theatre Company, Wharf 1 Theatre 2 November – 16 December Arts Centre Melbourne, Fairfax Studio

John Bell is one of Australia’s most pre-eminent actors; don’t miss the chance to see him in the lead role of an astonishing new play. The Father is deeply moving and transports audiences into the puzzling labyrinth of an old man’s once familiar world. It’s unlike anything I’ve seen in a long time.

VIVID WHITE 18 November – 23 December Southbank Theatre (Melbourne), The Sumner

Vivid White (pictured above) is the latest creation from the wild, satirical mind of Eddie Perfect. It’s a hilarious and ruthless swipe at middle-class aspirations and the living nightmare that is the Australian housing market.

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MEET ARTISTS A ND DES IGNERS IN THE YARRA VALLEY YA R R A VA LLEY OPEN ST U DIOS , V IC

Yarra Valley Open Studios returns after a two-year hiatus. Visit the Healesville area in September, the Yarra Glen in October and the Warburton area in November to see artists and designers at work in their studios, chat to them and take something home. yarravalleyarts.org.au

Wa t c h t h e a t r i c a l history repeat itself

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See the Red Centre up in lights

PARRT JIMA – A FESTIVAL IN LIGHT, ALICE SPRINGS, NT

P H OTO G R A P H Y: J E F F B U S BY (MY FA I R L A DY ); J A M E S H O R A N F O R AG B E V E N T S ( PA R RT J I M A); K A R A RO S E N LU N D (A RT I S T LU K E S C I B E R R A S ’ H I L L E N D H O M E ). A RT WO R K S : D E N I S E S M I T H , TAW N Y F R O G M O U T H S; S H A N E P I C K E T T, S I X S E A SO N S : A S U I T E O F P R I N T S 20 05 –20 06 (D E TA I L ), S TAT E A RT CO L L E C T I O N , A RT G A L L E RY O F W E S T E R N AU S T R A L I A

Australia’s biggest ever light show installation returns for its second year, running from 22 September to 1 October 2017. Last year’s event was a national sensation – the MacDonnell Ranges were lit up in a sea of dancing light, and ancient aboriginal stories were told through light and sound. parrtjimaaustralia.com.au

Julie Andrews, who starred in the original 1956 show on Broadway, has directed My Fair Lady to exactly replicate it, including using those Cecil Beaton costumes. It’s showing in Brisbane and Melbourne for the first time: at Brisbane’s Lyric Theatre until 23 April and Melbourne’s Regent Theatre from 12 May until 25 June. It returns to Sydney after its success last year, showing at the Capitol Theatre from 24 August until 23 September. Like Julie, it’s practically perfect in every way. myfairladymusical.com.au

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U NCOVER PE RTH’ S TRANS FO RMATI ON INTO AN IND I G E N OU S ART CENTRE

A RT GA LLERY OF W EST ER N AUST R A LI A , PERT H , WA

Head to the Perth Cultural Centre to see how the Art Gallery of Western Australia is shifting its focus to better reflect Australian indigenous arts in 2017. From 29 July, experience its new permanent indigenous gallery. Or see Plain Speak until 13 August, a new annual exhibition dedicated to the stories of aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This year’s exhibition includes both contemporary and traditional mediums. artgallery.wa.gov.au

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WALK IN THE F OOTS TEPS O F ARTIS TS HILL EN D , NSW

Visit one of Australia’s most celebrated artists’ towns, Hill End, in the Bathurst region of New South Wales. The town, surrounded by spectacular landscapes, has been a home and source of inspiration to some of Australia’s most highly regarded artists, including Margaret Olley, Jeffrey Smart, John Olsen and Russell Drysdale.

Hill End was a key town in the Australian gold rush of the 1870s, and history abounds in its buildings and museums. Visit from 21–23 April for The End festival of arts, culture and heritage. nationalparks.nsw.gov. au/things-to-do/events/the-end-festival AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM

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Canyoning capers

K A R I J I N I N AT I O N A L PA R K , WA Digital editor Steve Madgwick tackled the beautiful canyons of Karijini last year. Here he describes why it’s a must for outback adventurers.

WHAT’S SO SPECIAL ABOUT THESE CANYONS?

Karijini is renowned for its older-than-animals geology and colours that feel like they have no place in one of the harshest environments on Earth. But what the vibrant image on this page doesn’t convey is the ancient, intangible energy – almost personality – that each of the gorges radiates. It’s like they’re trying to communicate with you.

IS IT TOUGH NEGOTIATING THE GORGES?

Many of the gorges, like Dales and Joffre, can be accessed by a (fairly energetic) walk down from their respective car parks. To go deeper (with canyoning operator West OZ Active) you will have to clamber, climb, abseil and swim (with a life jacket and inner-tube). You’ll need to be of reasonable fitness (or better), with no lingering injuries or morbid fears of heights or tight spaces.

HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU SPEND IN THE WATER?

Canyoning by its nature follows the natural water course so you’ll be in and out of streams, pools and creeks all day, albeit in a thick wetsuit and boots. You even get to abseil straight down a waterfall and slide (a few metres) off another.

IS THERE A CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE TO THIS AREA?

Karijini has an intense cultural significance to the Banyjima, Yinhawangka and Kurrama peoples. The gorges acted as ancient meeting places and sheltered sacred sites so you’re encouraged to show respect; keep the noise down, don’t go where you shouldn’t and don’t remove anything.

WHAT NATURAL HISTORY DO YOU ENCOUNTER?

The rock here is some of the oldest exposed anywhere in the world. Too old for animal fossils, but not for stromatolites, the oldest known fossils going, comprised of former towers of symbiotic microbes.

Tackle Karijini’s canyons yourself, see westozactive.com.au

Follow GREAT EXPLORERS to remote places, ADRENALIN-seek in the outback, MARVEL at the WILDERNESS of Tasmania and the TROPICAL OUTPOSTS of the north, climb the country’s ALPINE HEIGHTS and dive its beautiful DEPTHS.

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Mounta i n m a d ne s s JINDABYNE, NSW

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Ho m e o f the b liz z a rd

WO R D S : DA N I E L D OW N . P H OTO G R A P H Y: J O N AT H A N C A M Í ( K A R I J I N I A N D CO O B E R P E DY )

A N TA RC T I C A , T E R R ITO RY

IF YOU’RE READING THIS AND FANCY YOURSELF THE INTREPID, ADVENTUROUS SORT,THEN THERE SHOULDN’T BE ANY TERRAIN ON THE PLANET THAT PRESENTS AN OBSTACLE TO YOU GOING THERE. INCLUDING ICE WALLS… THE AUSTRALIAN SCHOOL OF MOUNTAINEERING RUNS VARIOUS ALPINE SKILLS WEEKENDS IN KOSCIUSZKO NATIONAL PARK. NOT ONLY WILL THIS TAKE YOU IN AND AMONG THE WINTER WONDERLAND THAT IS THE SNOW-CLAD AUSTRALIAN ALPS, BUT YOU WILL LEAVE FEELING CONFIDENT TRAVERSING BEAUTIFUL HIGH-ALTITUDE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AT HOME AND ABROAD.THE ‘INTRODUCTION TO MOUNTAINEERING’ COURSE IS A FIVE-DAY ADVENTURE OUT OF JINDABYNE, STAYING IN NEARBY KOSCIUSZKO NATIONAL PARK AT AN ON-SNOW BASE CAMP. CLIMBINGADVENTURES.COM.AU

An expedition to the white desert, Antarctica, is one of the ultimate adventures. It’s difficult to reach the portion of Antarctica that Australia lays claim to, but where there’s a will there’s a way.

Heritage Expeditions retraces the route of explorer and scientist Sir Douglas Mawson, who along with Scott, Amundsen and Shackleton was a pioneer of Antarctic discovery. On a 26-day cruise aboard a former polar research ship, you’ll make your way past colonies of penguins to the outpost of Cape Denison on Commonwealth Bay, the base for Mawson’s ill-fated expedition of 1911–1914. Visit the hut where he sheltered howling winds for a year awaiting rescue. heritage-expeditions.com

OUTBACK ODYSSEY

C OOBER PEDY, SA A journey through our famously eccentric outback towns, meeting dusty characters along the way, is made possible by joining a postie on his rather unusual run from the subterranean opal mining town of Coober Pedy to William Creek along the Oodnadatta Track. You’ll hit the unsealed red roads in something that looks a little bit like a tank, as the postie makes his stops at remote cattle stations, including Anna Creek Station, the largest in the world; Israel would fit inside. You’ll cross the Dingo Fence, lunch at the legendary Pink Roadhouse in Oodnadatta and drink at the William Creek Hotel, a quintessential outback pub. mailruntour.com.au

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A T RAGI C B EAU T Y SS YO N G A L A , Q L D

The passenger ship, the SS Yongala, sank in 1911 en route from Melbourne to Cairns killing all 122 aboard. Found in 1958 intact and covered in coral, the wreck is now regarded as one of the best dive sites in Australia, if not the world.

WHERE? The wreck is located 12 nautical miles from Alva Beach, south of Townsville, in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

HOW? Yongala Dive (yongaladive.com.au) has one- or two-day options (two and four dives respectively) with accommodation in a renovated Queenslander at Alva Beach. You’ll need to have an Open Water-level certification.

WHY? The hulking form of this 107-metre vessel looms out of the depths with its colourful outcrops of coral. You’ll see huge shoals of trevally and barracuda, rays, turtles and bull sharks.

WHAT?

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A WO NDERFUL W ILDERNESS SOU T H-W EST TA SM A N I A

Taking you deep into the heart of the World Heritage-listed Tasmanian wilderness, guides Louis Balcombe and Cody McCracken lead a series of excursions based out of Pedder Wilderness Lodge in the Southwest National Park, a region where the last Tasmanian tiger was captured in 1933. From the comfort of the lodge, you’ll walk through the gnarled eucalyptus valleys of Mount Field National Park; enjoy views of the spine-like Western Arthur Range; the towering forests of the Florentine Valley; and spend a day kayaking on Lake Pedder, exploring its pink quartzite beaches and inlets. It’s a chance to see Tasmania at its best, in one of the last great wilderness areas on the planet. wildpedder.com.au

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S A I L AWAY

T HE KI MBER LE Y, WA

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The Kimberley is a little like the Land of Oz; a wonderful, far-off place that is notoriously difficult to get to, owing to the fact that you’ll need to spend a small fortune to travel there. But there is another way, if you’re prepared to forgo some luxury extras in favour of a few tinnies and a swag. Ahoy Buccaneers runs eminently affordable cruises up and through the spectacular Kimberley coastline, taking in must-see sights like Kings Cascades, Horizontal Falls and the mysterious aboriginal rock art of Vansittart Bay. You can always book a cabin aboard the MV Oceanic, but if you’re like us, a swag up on deck under the stars is hard to beat. ahoybuccaneers.com.au

P H OTO G R A P H Y: B RO O K J A M E S ( T H E K I M B E R L E Y ); S A R A H M AC K I E ( J I M J I M FA L L S ); E L I S E H A S S E Y ( E A RT H D E TA I L S H OT )

Go deep into the heart of the World Heritage-listed wilderness, a region where the last Tasmanian tiger was captured in 1933.

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Co m p l e t e t he ho p

CO CO S K E E L I N G I S L A N D S , T E R R ITO RY Sitting even further out west in the Indian Ocean than Christmas Island is one of Australia’s most remote, and most beautiful territories.The Cocos Keelings are a collection of 27 islets where two adjacent coral atolls break the surface.They’re a little-known, untouched paradise of swaying palms and white sand beaches, coral reefs below sapphire blue waters, and it’s all ripe for exploration, the lush centres of the islands criss-crossed with trails and interwoven with the unique culture of the Cocos Malay people.Try to make it to all 27 islands; you can do so by hiring a motorised canoe, but during the doldrums from November to May you can kayak or even stand-up paddle board between the islands. Some of the smaller stretches can be made by snorkelling across or wading at low tide to find your own private islet for a spot of lunch; indeed, the Cocos Keelings lay claim to the world’s only atoll walk, whereby low tides at certain times of year enable you to walk the entire stretch of the main horseshoe-shaped lagoon. cocoskeelingislands.com.au

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OFF-BEAT OUTPOST

GROOTE EYLANDT, NT There’s a strange, far-flung outpost in the north, one that until recently kept itself to itself.

Groote Eylandt, Dutch for ‘Large Island’, was named by Abel Tasman in 1644, and is home to the Anindilyakwa people. The opening of Groote Eylandt Lodge means you can now stay here, with 60 bungalows facing the ocean and Seagrass restaurant serving fresh-caught fish – with 300 square kilometres of pristine water surrounding the lodge, it’s fast becoming Australia’s top fishing destination. Head there to feel like an explorer yourself, discovering the ancient cave paintings, unique culture and wild beauty of Groote. grooteeylandtlodge.com.au

W ILD WATERS

KATHERINE REGION, NT WILD SWIMMING CAN BE A LIFEAFFIRMING EXPERIENCE AND THE TOP END HAS SOME OF THE COUNTRY’S BEST NATURAL POOLS. TAKE A DIP AT BEAUTIFUL JIM JIM FALLS (PICTURED) FOR INSTANCE. SEARCH ‘WILD SWIMMING’ AT AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM FOR MORE.

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Like a local: TOW NS ON THE CUSP Find Port Fairy passé? Broome boring? Is Seal Rocks so last year? Then you,

TREND HUNTER, will want to take note. From the next Mudgee to tiny towns BIG ON ART and your new FAVOURITE FOODIE destination, we have these places pegged as the NEXT HOT TICKET (so get there before EVERYO

BO NDI’S SL EEP Y S OU T H CO AS T COU S I N BERMAGUI, NSW

1 WO R D S : C E L E S T E M I TC H E L L

Swaddled by national park and with its iconic Blue Pool (just quietly, we think it could bump Icebergs from its popularity podium if it was closer to Bondi), our soft spot for Bermagui is growing larger by the day.The pretty seaside town on the Sapphire Coast is experiencing a swell of new cafes and restaurants to complement its already undeniably beautiful natural assets, like Camel Rock and Wallaga Lake. Head to Long Time No Sea (longtimenosea.com), which opened in December, for brunch with an unbeatable view over Cuttagee Beach or book ahead for an intimate fine-dining experience on Thursday, Friday or Saturday evenings.“Bermagui has just evolved so much since I moved here seven years ago… but it’s still so simple and it keeps you in touch with what’s important in life,” says Timenah Hunt of Gulaga Organics. visitbermagui.com.au

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NO LONGER UNDER LOCK AND KEY

BEECHWORTH, VIC It could be one of the prettiest towns with an infamous criminal record. And now the Beechworth Gaol – which once held Ned Kelly – has been promised a more glamorous life ahead after a consortium of locals and investors banded together to buy it last year.

While it’s set to become a centre of excellence for young entrepreneurship and a hub for the cycling groups that whorl through Beechworth, new cafes, a co-working space and accommodation are all on the cards. For now, guided tours of the gaol will take you back to the Kelly Gang days. explorebeechworth.com.au

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M OON TA B AY, S A

The Yorke Peninsula is a finger of land with Innes National Park at its tip, and looks a bit like Italy’s boot. Seafood is bountiful, surfers head for rugged beaches like Pondalowie and Browns, and shipwrecks lie submerged offshore. Walking is one of the best ways to explore this coastal frontier. Walk the Yorke is a 500-kilometre collection of trails stretching from Port Wakefield to Moonta Bay, a once-booming copper mining town that now lures families with its waterfront Splash Park and homemade Italian gelato. “People will drive from Adelaide for the day just to have a gelato. The sorbets are very popular, too. We have our own orchard, so we can we use our fruit,” says Janette Martino from the Coffee Barn & Gelateria in Moonta. moontaprogress.org.au

P H OTO G R A P H Y: M I C H A E L W E E ( M O O N TA B AY ); E L I S E H A S S E Y ( W I L D F LOW E R S ); C H R I S T I N E S H A R P CO U RT E S Y O F S C E N I C R I M E AT LO C A L W E E K (S C E N I C R I M D I S H A N D C H I C K E N S )

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SEAFOOD, SHIPWRECKS & SORBET

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SILO-SIZED STREET A RT I N V I C TO R I A ’ S T I N Y TOW N S PATCHEWOLLOCK TO RUPANYUP, VIC

When Brisbane street artist Guido van Helten transformed the towering decommissioned silos in the small country town of Brim, none of the locals could have predicted what an effect it would have. Curious travellers came flocking, a car park was formed in front of the silos and the news reached international shores. Now, the Wimmera-Mallee region is well on its way to becoming Australia’s largest outdoor gallery with a new art trail stretching 200 kilometres and linking some of Victoria’s smallest towns. With artworks on silos in Patchewollock and Sheep Hills since the Brim makeover, Rupanyup, Lascelles and Roseberry are next, leading to the culmination of the official Silo Art Trail in July – aka a damn good reason for a road trip. siloarttrail.com

Y OUR N E W FAVOUR I TE FO O DI E DESTI NATI O N

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THE SCENIC RIM, QLD Technically a cluster of towns, this produce-rich region – one hour’s drive from Brisbane or the Gold Coast – also dishes up six national parks, so eating and exertion come in equal measure.

Three things to buy: 1. A bottle of Reserve Selection Lona Sparkling from O’Reilly’s Canungra Valley Vineyards. oreillys.com.au 2. Olives from Rathlogan Grove in Rathdowney. rathlogangrove.com.au 3. Naughty Little Kids goat’s milk gelato in Peaks Crossing, near Boonah. naughtylittlekids.com.au

Emerging out of Margaret River’s shadow MANJIMUP, WA Twenty years ago the first truffles were planted at The Truffle & Wine Co. (truffleandwine.com.au) in Manjimup, just over 300 kilometres from Perth. Today, the region offers a bounty of produce, truffle hunts and the annual Truffle Kerfuffle festival. We asked Alex Wilson, senior sales and marketing manager for The Truffle & Wine Co. what to do when we’re in town. manjimupwa.com MUST-EAT .. . Truffle cheesecake from The Truffle & Wine Co. STAY AT... Fonty’s Pool – a massive man-made lake with surrounding cabin, caravan and camping accommodation. All the locals have a soft spot for Fonty’s.

WHILE YOU’RE HERE... Go canoeing at Big Brook Dam or follow the bike trails in the Pemberton area, just down the road.

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Y OU ’ V E B E E N T O MUDGEE , SO WHAT ABOU T… JUGIONG, NSW Sydneysiders who can sniff out a trend 300 kilometres away are driving to Jugiong, on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River, just to eat lunch at The Sir George (sirgeorge.com.au). Opened in December after a nine-month renovation of the 1852 pub (which had been in the same family for 165 years before the handover), the chic venue houses a restaurant, sourdough bakery and beer garden, with heritage-listed Cobb & Co. stables accommodation coming at the end of this year.

With a cafe and cooking school, The Long Track Pantry (longtrackpantry.com.au), next door and the Curators Collective (curatorscollective.com.au) just up the road, we’re sensing a hint of Newrybar in the Riverina, especially with its position just off the Hume Highway.

Folk festival meets foodies CYGNET, TAS

With tickets sold in record time for this year’s Cygnet Folk Festival (cygnetfolkfestival.org) – which has been running since 1982 – buzz is building around this hippie enclave, one hour from Hobart. It’s always been a magnet for creative types, but there’s an undercurrent of change afoot. “There is a bit of foodie culture that’s coming into town, there’s a wood-fire bakery that’s opened up just next door… and there are lots of small, vegetable growers and producers around,” says Joe Pickett, co-owner of vegetarian cafe The Velvet Lounge. redvelvetlounge.com.au

P H OTO G R A P H Y: A N D R E W TA L LO N / T N Q ( P U N S A N D B AY ); R AC H A E L L E N E H A N ( T H E S I R G E O RG E ); RO S I E D OW I E ( T H E V E LV E T LO U N G E ); A I M E E C L A I R E ( D U N S B O RO U G H N E A R YA L L I N G U P)

WITH WORD THAT THE TRIP TO THE TIP COULD BE PAVED IN BITUMEN BY AS EARLY AS 2020, GETTING PROPERLY OFF THE GRID WILL BE HARDER THAN EVER. SO NOW’S THE TIME TO PLAN YOUR CAPE YORK ADVENTURE. NEW BOUTIQUE OPERATIONS LIKE ADVENTURE AUSTRALIA TREKS & TOURS WILL TAKE YOU ON THE BACK ROADS, OR YOU CAN JOIN A TAG-ALONG IF YOU’VE GOT YOUR OWN WHEELS. AATT.COM.AU

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| Like a local

A surf and art lov er’s haven

YALLINGU P, WA

As well as luring surfers to its consistently quality waves, Yals (as it’s affectionately known) is an art-lover’s paradise. Yallingup Galleries (yallingupgalleries.com.au) is the obvious first port of call but you can also pick up some amazing local art at the markets, and follow the arts precinct along Marrinup and Gunyulgup Drives.

THREE BREAKS TO SURF: 1. Smiths 2. Three Bears 3. Supertubes

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E C O TO U R I S M T R AV E L D I R E C TO RY

Australia t green travel experiences Where do you ďŹ nd the bes vel Guide Tra en Gre logo, or search our has to offer? Look for the .org.au ism our cot erience: ww w.e to ďŹ nd your next holiday exp

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In 1616 a Dutch explorer made landfall on WA’s remote coastline at Dirk Hartog Island. A unique ecological project aims to restore the state’s largest isle to the wilderness it was 400 years ago.

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The Seven Peaks Walk is Lord Howe Island’s premier 5 day guided adventure that takes you from pristine beaches and exposed coral reefs to the delicate mist forests on Mt Gower. After a memorable day, you’ll return to Pinetrees (TripAdvisor’s No.1 Hotel in Australia for 2017) for a hot shower, cold beer, exceptional 4 course dinner, great wine and deluxe king bed.

The walk is for experienced hikers who enjoy a challenge by day, and some luxury by night. Book our Seven Peaks Walk in 2017 and discover Australia’s best adventure experience. Please call (02) 9262 6585 and quote ‘Australian Traveller’.

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Contact Pinetrees Travel on (02) 9262 6585 or visit pinetrees.com.au

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inner beauty . walkabout . people . towns . what’s on . let’s go…

PLAYA B Y L U C Y FOL K

P H O T O G R A P H Y: F E L I X F O R E S T

This beachside boutique is a delightfully feminine homage to the trinkets jewellery designer Lucy Folk has collected during her travels. Turn over for more.

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| Inner beauty

P R E T T Y I N P I N K CANDY HUES and curvaceous, minimal edges make jewellery designer LUCY FOLK’s new Bondi Beach store PLAYA a treasure trove of PRETTY and elegantly curated curiosities.

NAME:

L O C AT I O N :

DESIGN FIRM:

P L AYA B Y L U C Y F O L K

BONDI BE ACH

TA M S I N J O H N S O N

JEWELLERY DESIGNER Lucy Folk has distilled the whimsical and playful designs of her eponymous label into her second store, which opened in Bondi Beach late last year.

For any girl who’s ever fantasised about what Barbie’s Malibu mansion walk-in wardrobe might be like, this beachside store is as close as you’re likely to get. All candy pink and filled with covetable sparkling accessories, sunglasses

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and fashion, PLAYA by Lucy Folk is pure feminine fun. “The concept came from a desire to create a space where I could showcase all of my own designs with a strong resort theme that’s inspired by the fabulous things I’ve found when travelling,” says Lucy, who chose Bondi for its iconic status. Tamsin Johnson, the interior designer tasked with transporting Lucy’s unique and relaxed style to the coastal

suburb, says she wanted to “capture the spirit of Lucy while also making the store look like it truly belonged in its new location.” Tamsin used a custom wall finish from France in a faded pink render imprinted randomly with shapes that echo Lucy Folk earring designs, and joinery with soft edges for a calming effect.

The result is sure to catch Ken’s eye.

3/11–13 Hall Street, Bondi Beach, NSW

P H O T O G R A P H Y: F E L I X F O R E S T

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Although bright and playful, designer Tamsin Johnson kept the tones pared back to let the products shine; A wall of chic shades; The intent was to create a resort-style space that suited Bondi.

Meeting the locals has never been more memorable

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WAKE UP THE WILD

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For a wild night like no other, stay overnight at Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo, NSW. Choose from luxury African safari at Zoofari Lodge (pictured) or Aussie bush camping at Billabong Camp. Alternatively create your own unique holiday at the new self contained Savannah Cabins. Book a winter mid week getaway at Zoofari Lodge, from $369* per adult.

Plan your expedition NOW. Visit zoofari.com.au or call (02) 6881 1488. * Zoofari Lodge package is inclusive of dinner, breakfast, one night accommodation, behind the scenes tours, two day zoo entry and bike hire. From $369 per adult (Animal View Lodge) and from $329 per adult (Bushland View Lodge). Valid for stays 1 May - 29 June 2017 & 17 July – 31 August 2017, Sun – Thurs nights only excluding public holidays. Subject to availability.

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| Walkabout 5 7

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L OU ISE OL The co-founder and CREATIVE DIRECTOR of DINOSAUR DESIGNS, and daughter of artist JOHN OLSEN, talks ADVENTURES in nature.

1. As a child, our family holidays were always... full of adventure.

Both my parents were artists, so they loved packing up the car with paints and drawing materials and heading into the Australian landscape.

My mum loved painting wild Australian native flowers and my dad, the Australian landscape. Our travels would take us from the coastline of Victoria up to Alice Springs. Lake Eyre (Lake Eyre – The Desert Sea II, 2011, pictured below right) was a huge inspiration to my father so we travelled there a few times to see the changing of the season, particularly when it was full of water.

P H O T O G R A P H Y: E L I S E H A S S E Y ( Q U A L I A ) . A R T W O R K : J O H N O L S E N , L A K E E Y R E – T H E D E S E R T S E A I I 2 011, M I X E D M E D I A O N F R E N C H C O T T O N P A P E R , 16 0 X 12 0 C M ( D E TA I L ), O L S E N G A L L E RY. P RO D U C T S : C L A S S I C R E S I N W I S H B O N E B A N G L E – D A R K H O R N , $ 5 5 , D I N O S A U R D E S I G N S ; A L M A D E S I G N X TA B L E , P O A , M A R I O M A Z Z E R

2. Now if I have time for a short break, I head straight to...

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qualia – Hamilton Island or Daintree EcoLodge & Spa. To be in incredible nature is always the best retreat.

3. My local’s tip for home town Sydney is... breakfast at Bills followed by a walk and a swim at Bondi; I love being by the sea. If you haven’t been to Sydney before you must go to the Opera House and dine at Bennelong: it gives you a real sense of Sydney’s amazing harbour.

4. My souvenir of choice is... something handmade from the community of the area we are visiting.

5. My last holiday read was... Alain de Botton’s The News.

6. My travel wardrobe always consists of... Dinosaur Designs jewellery, and I love bassike, Jac + Jack and Lee Mathews – clothes that are comfortable to travel in.

7. If money was no barrier, send me off to... Longitude 131º at Uluru, to sleep under the stars in the quiet stillness of the landscape.

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8. The most adventurous thing I’ve ever done on holiday is...

visit Lake Eyre. The highlight of Lake Eyre is when it is full of water and becomes teeming with life, with pelicans and many other Australian native birds, fish and flowers. It is wonderful to see so much life in the middle of the Australian desert.

9. The best bed I’ve ever slept in was... qualia – Hamilton Island.

Not only the most comfortable bed, with the most amazing view of the sea, it also feels like you’re floating on water.

10. My favourite restaurant is... Sean’s Panaroma in Bondi. I love the produce-driven plates that use ingredients grown in Sean’s garden in the Blue Mountains. The food is always full of flavour. It’s unpretentious and its views, which look out over Bondi Beach, are so magical 11. The last place I visited was... I just got back from Lond New York because we have stores there. But for our last holida went to COMO Maalifushi in the Maldives.

12. and the next place I am booked to go is… Milan for Design Week. Turn to page 62 for a special Dinosaur Designs offer

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W H A T

I T ’ S

| People

R E A L L Y

L I K E …

to dress Opera Australia

As Wardrobe and Wig Director at OPERA AUSTRALIA LYN HEAL is tasked with bringing COSTUMES TO LIFE onstage. She tells us how it all comes together, WARDROBE MALFUNCTIONS and all.

Every day is different, but most of my time is taken up with scheduling and costing shows. I have

We usually have about four to five productions in the workroom at any one time. When a new production

to make sure there is plenty of work, or, if we have too much work, that we get staff in. I also need to deal with designers and other people in the company. I deal with singers a lot, organising when they’re available for fittings and just keeping it all churning over.

comes in, we start working through each costume with the designer to talk about the type of fabric and how they see the costumes working. I need that information so I can cost out the show. Then it just comes down to whether we can afford it or not. If not, it’s back to the drawing board for a few changes to get it within budget.

We start working on a production a year in advance. We’ve just had the designs presented for a new production, which we’ll put on in Sydney in winter next year.

We definitely need all that time, especially to source and buy fabrics – about 80 per cent of our fabrics have to come in from overseas these days, because there’s nothing left in Australia.

The costumes are picked up and put down a bit over that time. The first couple of months might be buying and collecting the materials needed. Then we’ll start cutting and putting the costumes together for a first fitting, but it may be put down for a month or two while we’re working on other productions.

They’re finished off just before we get to the stage.

How long a costume takes to make is a bit like how long a piece of string is. Something contemporary could be a couple of days. If you’re talking about a period costume, you’re probably looking at anywhere between 60 and 120 hours.

All our costumes are made so they can be altered.

We allow large inside seams, so everything can be re-used. We have costumes that have been on 10 different people, the seam

allowance has moved in and out. That’s why things take longer.

If you were just making for a one-off performance you’d probably halve if not quarter that timeframe.

You always have serious wardrobe malfunctions.

There’s always something that will go wrong and it could be as simple as the performer not doing up their petticoat properly, so you see them on stage and suddenly their petticoat is on the floor.

One malfunction I had was in figaro and involved a pair of black velvet breeches. The performer had to sit with his legs open facing the audience and he’d split the crotch in them so you could see his white undies quite clearly. I think he knew afterwards, but not at the time.

I have people say to me, ‘Oh, you must love going to costume parties’. I can’t think of anything worse!

I love putting them on other people, I love being a part of the manufacturing of them but, no, I don’t need to wear them myself.

I N T E R V I E W : L A R A P I C O N E . P H O T O G R A P H Y: R E B E C C A X U

We have a lot of tours come through and they’re always in awe of the workroom. It’s quite a large workroom and we do some amazing things. I think a lot of people see the opera – or any production – and the costume is such a part of the whole thing that they don’t really acknowledge it, which is probably good. It all blends into the wonderful performance. But I think people are surprised when they come here and see the work and effort that goes into producing costumes.

There have been a few expensive costumes. It’s very much up to the designer. One designer decided he was going to spend all his money on the principals and dress the chorus out of what we class as ‘dead stock’, which is old shows that are no longer performed. He pulled all of the costumes out of our dead stock, threw them into a dye pot and we put them on the chorus. Then he spent the money on his principals – they looked absolutely amazing.

Wigs come under my jurisdiction. Most of the wigs for the principals are real human hair. The chorus all have one to two wigs each made from human hair that they re-style for different shows, and then we’ll fill in with other things such as synthetic wigs.

The wigs depend on the show. If we’re doing The Pearlfishers or Lakmé, where they need long black hair, then we obviously put them in a wig. For contemporary productions, we tend to use people’s own hair. But a lot of performers like to have a wig because they can just shove it on and go on stage. They don’t have to sit for hours getting their hair done. In a way, we prefer it, too, because we have more control.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Costumes remain at the Opera Centre until they’re off-production; Large rooms lined with shoes ensure performers are well-shod; Wigs at the ready; Fabric is bought from overseas.

OPPOSITE PAGE: Costumes are cleaned, packed and sent to a storage facility after a show; Lyn in the workshop.

The chorus don’t get a say in their costumes.

But we obviously make them very comfortable, we take into consideration their quirks and perks. The principals have a lot more say. They have to perform and they have to be comfortable, so that’s a conversation between the designer and performer as to what works for them and still looks good. Sometimes the design has to be changed a lot to accommodate the performer.

Some female principals love wearing a really tight corset. They can push against it when they’re breathing.

We had one performer who was in The Pearlfishers and the designer had chosen a sari with a bare midriff and she said, “I can’t do that, I need to wear a corset to sing,” so the designer had to put the singer in a corset, which is totally different to what it should be. There’s also the opposite, where singers can’t handle anything tight, so you put this corset on that they’re just swimming in and it’s doing absolutely nothing, but they can’t bear it being tight.

a lot of male performers struggle with period trousers. The trousers come up quite high, where they’re breathing, and most men don’t like the feeling of the trousers being up there. Also you’re fighting against today’s fashion, where it’s all down around the hips. It becomes a bit of a negotiation sometimes.

My job needs a lot of patience, It sometimes gets tested quite a bit. But I love the excitement of getting a new production and the challenges that sets out for me in as far as getting it within the price range. Being creative, working together and solving problems is the part I really enjoy.

Tours run at The Opera Centre in Sydney’s Surry Hills every weekday.

Visit opera.org.au AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM

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| Prizes

W I N A D R E A M H O L I D AY AT YO N D A H B E A C H H O U S E , S A , V A L U E D AT $ 1 0 2 0 Recently named South Australia’s best deluxe accommodation, Yondah Beach House is a multi-award-winning 4.5-star (and pet-friendly!) beach house set on 300 private oceanfront acres on the wild southern coast of the Yorke Peninsula. An easy three-hour drive from Adelaide, Yondah offers guests a unique ‘luxe-in-nature’ experience complete with private sandy beaches, clifftop walks, rare native orchids, abundant birdlife, resident fur seals, and pods of whales in winter. The lucky winner will receive a three-night stay for two people (and their pampered pooch) in a deluxe queen room with en suite. yondah.com.au Special conditions: Valid for 12 months, subject to availability, available in low season only (blackout periods apply in mid/high season), bed and bathroom linen is included, normal booking conditions apply eg. security bond payable, prize not exchangeable or redeemable for cash).

Q. I N 2 5 WO R D S O R L E S S , W H E R E WO U L D YO U M O S T L I K E T O TA K E Y O U R P E T O N H O L I D AY A N D W H Y ?

I !

CKY to WIN one of these FANTASTIC PRIZES. W I N A B L A C K W O L F M A N T I S T E N T, V A L U E D AT $ 3 2 9 . 9 9 Best suited to the needs of a serious traveller where a compact, lightweight option is a must, the new BlackWolf Mantis UL tents are the perfect companion for your next hiking, backpacking, or biking adventure. The Mantis UL features waterproof taped seams on the floor and fly, keeping you and your belongings dry in wet weather and is built to withstand rugged and wild terrain. blackwolf.com.au

H E A D P H O N E S , V A L U E D AT $ 21 0 Stylish emporium Top3 by design carries up to three products per category – ranging from homewares to headphones and everything in between. With stores in Sydney, Melbourne and online, its range features over 3000 products, but no more than three items in each class; each judged on their design merit. These Kreafunk aHead wireless headphones are sleek, comfortable and sound great. top3.com.au

Q. T E L L U S I N 2 5 WO R D S O R L E S S W H E R E I S T H E FAVO U R I T E P L AC E YO U H AV E H I K E D A N D W H Y ?

Q . W H AT I S Y O U R F A V O U R I T E T R A C K TO L I S T E N TO W H E N T R AV E L L I N G ?

FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN

Head to australiantraveller.com/readers/competitions and answer the question in 25 words or less. Full terms and conditions are listed on the website. Entries close Friday 12 May 2017 and winners are announced next issue.

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WINNERS FROM ISSUE #73: Janis Constable (Botanical Signature Pack ); Ben Schroeter (Classical event at QPAC); Stephanie Compton (Shangri-La stay).

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k’s hit list 6am: Start the day bright and early on the M A L E N Y (maleny.qld.au/maleny-trail), and catch a glimpse of a platypus at sunrise, if you’re lucky.

8am: Breakfast with the locals Now that you’ve worked up an appetite, head to MAPLE 3 C A FE (facebook.com/maple3cafe) for great coffee (1).You can’t go past their classic BLT. 10am: Books and brew The third Thursday of each month is market day at the local IG A , where local producers showcase their products.Take a stroll along Maple Street and check out the boutique shops.

ROSETTA B OOKS is one of my favourites with a coffee shop to boot (2). Also on Maple Street is COLIN JA MES FINE FOOD S (colinjames finefoods.com.au), renowned for the best ice-cream in Queensland (3). Make sure you try some of the more exotic flavours, such tachio and rosewater.The fromagerie ust-do if you’re a cheese lover (4).

12pm: Enjoy a paddle der to Coral Street and visit the BROUHAHA ERY Y (brouhahabrewery.com.au), our newest brewery (5). Sample a small selection of on tap with a beer paddle and grab lunch you’re there. I recommend the salt and p pper mushrooms with wasabi yuzu dressing.

2pm: Treat yourself After lunch, wander next door to M UK T I OR GANI CS (muktiorganics.com) and discover Australia’s premium range of eco-luxe, certified organic skincare products (6).

2:30pm: Garden views Take a drive to the MALENY B OTA N I C G ARDEN S (malenybotanicgardens.com.au) to see exotic flora with the awe-inspiring Glass House Mountains as the backdrop (7 & 8).

4pm: Discover Montville No trip to the hinterland is complete without a visit to M ONTVILL E , a 15-minute drive from Maleny along Balmoral Ridge with breathtaking views.Take your time wandering the village, until dinner, when there’s no shortage of options.

7pm: Dine at Altitude A LTITUDE O N M ONTVILL E (altitudeonmontville. com.au) has a superb menu created by local chef Matt Golinski.The taro chips with coconut and turmeric yoghurt are moreish, and the goat’s cheese and chard tortellini highly recommended.

8pm: Make your escape Spend the night at our place, the five-star TR AI L

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O N E F I N E D A Y

Maleny

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P H OTO G R A P H Y: K R I S TA E P P E L S T U N ( B RO U H A H A B R E W E RY ); E L I S E H A S S E Y (G L A S S H O U S E M O U N TA I N S )

We find a LOCAL to give us A TASTE of what makes their HOME TOWN special.

MORE THAN 10 years ago, Mark Skinner and his wife, Joanne, were on the hunt for a tree-change to escape the corporate world.

They found salvation in the sister towns of Maleny and Montville and, before they knew it, they were the proud owners of Narrow Escape Rainforest Retreat. Today, Mark is still in love with his friendly, rainforest encircled home.

Here, he takes us on a tour of the perfect day.

T HE N ITTY GRITTY: W H E R E E X AC T LY ?

A one-and-a-half hour drive

from Brisbane.

Roughly 3400 people live here.

Set in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, it’s a cool retreat in the shade of the Glass House Mountains.

W H Y G O ? Lush and tropical, Maleny and its nearby town Montville have a calming, relaxed vibe.

P O P U L AT I O N :

WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT?

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NA RROW S ESC A PE RA INFOR E ST R E T R E AT

(narrowsescape.com.au), for some well-deserved tranquillity in the rainforest (9).

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| What’s on UNTIL 4 JUNE

TH E RIG HT TO O F F E N D I S S AC R E D

M AY – J U N E

N G V, M E L B O U R N E , V I C

26 –17

Brook Andrew likes to stir the pot, challenging notions of colonialism, identity and race with works in light, sculpture and on canvas. See a collection of his most notable works here. ngv.vic.gov.au

VIVID SYDNEY V A R I O U S L O C AT I O N S , S Y D N E Y, N S W

Sydney’s festival of light, ideas and music returns with another stellar line-up that includes Goldfrapp, AIR, Laura Marling, Nick Murphy and an exclusive performance by The Avalanches of their seminal debut Since I Left You. vividsydney.com

UNTIL 25 APRIL

THE SELL N L A , C ANB E RR A , ACT

See how Australian advertising has reflected shifting cultural climes over the centuries with this collection of ads from all the way back in the 1790s, through to the Mad Men-esque ’50s and up to the 1990s. nla.gov.au

W H AT’S ON

EVENT TRAVEL is a thing now, didn’t you know? That is, building your trip around an event. Find INSPIRATION in one of these fantastic EXHIBITIONS AND FESTIVALS. UNTIL JUNE

25

TRANSFORMATIONS: ART OF THE SCOTT SISTERS

1 9 – 2 8 M AY

O R D VA L L E Y M U S T E R KU N U N U R R A , WA

Breakfast by Fervor chef Paul Iskov and music from the likes of Jimmy Barnes make this muster as good an excuse as any to head to this beautiful portion of WA. ordvalleymuster.com.au

A U S T R A L I A N M U S E U M , S Y D N E Y, N S W

Discover the wonderfully intricate studies of butterflies and botany by 19th-century natural history illustrators Helena and Harriet Scott. australianmuseum.net.au

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A U S T R A L I A N T R AV E L L E R . C O M

5 – 2 1 M AY

H I G H C O U N T RY H A RV E S T N O RTH - E A S T V I C TO R I A

Explore the rich offerings of Victoria’s High Country with dinners from chefs including MoVida’s Scott Stevenson, cider tastings, salami sessions, muscat appreciation, brewing lessons and more. highcountryharvest.com.au

28–30 APRIL

W I D E O P E N S PAC E F E S T I VA L R O S S R I V E R R E S O RT, N T

This crazy festival is our answer to Burning Man; hundreds descend on the desert of the East MacDonnell Ranges for three days of music, art and expression. wideopenspace.net.au

6 – 7 M AY

GRAMPIANS GRAPE ESCAPE

P H O T O G R A P H Y: N G V ( P O L E M I C S , B R O O K A N D R E W, C O U R T E S Y O F T O L A R N O G A L L E R I E S , M E L B O U R N E ) ; A U S T R A L I A N M U S E U M (S COT T S I S T E R S PA I N T I N G); U N D E R T H E S U N (S A R A O S C A R P L E A S A N T I S L A N D ( T H E PAC I F I C S O L U T I O N )); Y I DA K I (S T E P H E N G O L D S M IT H , K AU R N A E L D E R . P H OTO CO U RT E S Y O F S O U T H AU S TR A L I A N M U S E U M )

H A L L S G A P, V I C

Join festival chef Adam Liaw on the edge of the Grampians National Park for a merry weekend of the region’s finest food and wine. grampiansgrapeescape.com.au

U N T I L J U LY

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YIDAKI: DIDJERIDU AND THE SOUND OF AUSTRALIA

UNTIL APRIL

17

UNDER THE SUN: REIMAGINING MAX DUPAIN’S SUNBAKER S TAT E L I B R A R Y O F N S W , S Y D N E Y , N S W

Max Dupain’s iconic photograph, Sunbaker (1937), a striking piece of modernism that speaks of the Australian identity, is explored by 15 artists at this exhibition, using Dupain’s masterpiece to question our sense of nationhood and culture today. sl.nsw.gov.au

SOUTH AUSTR ALIAN MUSEUM, ADELAIDE, SA

This groundbreaking exhibition of sound, story and image explores the yidaki (didgeridoo) and its meaning to the Yolngu people.

SAMUSEUM.SA.GOV.AU 1 8 – 2 1 M AY

1 9 – 2 2 M AY

C L A R E VA L L E Y GOURMET WEEKEND C L A R E VA L L E Y, S A

Long table lunches, barrel hall dinners, tastings and a gourmet market make the Clare Valley even more special on this weekend. clarevalley.com.au 22–25 APRIL

NOOSA FOOD & W I N E F E S T I VA L

TJUNGU INDIGENOUS C U LT U R A L F E S T I V A L

NOOSA, QLD

AY E R S R O C K R E S O R T , ULURU, NT

With a boardriders’ breakfast, dinners in beach tipis and a wine and produce village in the woods, it seems that Noosa knows how to throw a food and wine party that taps into the best of its fine natural assets. noosafoodandwine.com.au

A family-friendly showcase of the stunning variety and breadth of indigenous culture in the spiritual heart of the land, with aboriginal dance and arts, traditional and contemporary music. ayersrockresort.com.au

CULTURE

YE E HAW! I ’ M A CO U NTRY G A L / G U Y AT H E A RT. WHERE WE G O I N G , M AT E ?

Alright! Do you want to skip through meadows singing ‘The Hills Are Alive’?

UH, YEAH, OBVIOUSLY! THERE’D BETTER BE A HEAVY FROLIC QUOTA WHERE WE’RE GOING.

| Let’s go...

R E A DY TO H E A D TO TH E CO U NTRY ?

OH, I MISUNDERSTOOD. WHE N YOU SAID CO U N T RY, I T H O U G H T YOU M E ANT ACTUAL CO U N T RY. YO U K N OW, S L I M D U S T Y, RO D E O S , A TOYOTA H I L U X I N E V E RY D R I V E WAY ?

No, I don’t think so. Wide open spaces make me anxious. I like the safety of the concrete jungle with its calming espresso martinis and alarming CO2 levels.

WE GE T YOU, COWGIRL . THE N S W TOW N O F TA M WO RT H I S J U ST THE PL ACE FOR YOU TO WORK ON YOU R WHIPCR ACKING SKILLS.

WE’LL COME BACK FOR YOU, O R M AY B E W E W O N ’ T…

Apart from frolic, what else would you like to do?

THE COUNTRY IS ALL ABOUT DOING THINGS. MY SLEEVES ARE ROLLED AND I’M RARING TO GO. CO U NTRY LI F E I S THE GOOD LIFE, S O T H AT M U S T MEAN A BIT OF PAMPERING AND INDULGENCE?

BY INDULGENCE, YOU’RE TALKING…

Oh, not much… just a little full-body scrub, hot-stone massage and pedicure in an idyllic, Instagram-worthy tow

V I C TO R I A’ S S PA C A P I TA L O F DAY L E S F O R D WILL HAVE YOU B U FFED AND POLISHED. SPARE US THE DRESSING GOWN SELFIE.

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A U S T R A L I A N T R AV E L L E R . C O M

Bacchus would be proud. But if you had to choose between an emphasis on food or wine, which would it be?

HEAD TO THE FOOD BOWL OF NOOSA AND THE SUNSHINE COA S T.

NOT LEAVING WITH A BOOT-FULL OF WINE IS A GOOD THING, I GUESS.

NO, THAT’S ‘PASTURE’. THE COUNTRY IS LOVELY. YOU’LL LIKE IT.

OK, HORSE WHISPERER, THE PEOPLE AT WAT S O N ’ S M O U N TA I N TRAIL RIDES IN THE VIC HIGH CO U NTRY WILL LOOK AF TER YOU.

L E T ’ S J U S T S AY F THERE WAS A O R S E I N VO LV E D A N D M AY B E A S O M E W H AT SNOWY RIVER, I’D B E ( N E RVO U S LY ) DELIGHTED.

How active are we talking? Do you want to enter the CWA baking comp or put that Akubra to good use?

FOOD AND WINE, THEN A STROLL BEFORE MORE FOOD AND WINE.

The country? What is that? Some kind of retirement village for horses?

THE CWA ARE FAR TOO COMPETITIVE FOR ME. MY FRUITCAKE CAN’T STAND UP TO THAT KIND OF SCRUTINY! GOT ANYTHING… GENTLER?

CHOOSE?!

W H AT HEINOUS REQUEST IS THIS?

TA K E A COOKING C L A S S AT STICKY RICE IN THE ADELAIDE HILLS – IT’S JUDGEMENT FREE.

CALM DOWN. PACK YOU R BAGS AND ELASTICWAIST PANTS AND HEAD TO RED HILL ON THE MORNINGTON PENINSULA.

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