BMW Marque Magazine Autumn 2019

THOMPSON’S WAY Long Chim’s David Thompson on life, spice and everything in between

60 GLORIOUS YEARS MINI celebrates six decades capturing hearts and minds

THE AUTO CLASSIC MAGAZINE

AUTUMN 2019

TASTE THE EVOLUTION. 30 YEARS OF HISTORY NOW AVAILABLE AT CELLAR DOOR.

Margaret River Cellar Door 543 Miamup Road, Cowaramup Open 10am - 5pm daily ww.howardparkwines.com.au

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MARQUE | THE AUTO CLASSIC MAGAZINE | AUTUMN 2019 EDITION

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WELCOME TO MARQUE MAGAZINE

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an a vehicle really be described as ‘emotional’? The following quote is from Calvin Luk, Sydney-born designer of the new BMW Z4: “The BMW Z cars have always stayed in my heart and some of the most emotional cars within the BMW range.”

When the first new Z4 M40i rolled into Auto Classic we were awestruck. It was comparable to viewing a sculpture in an art gallery, the design, detail and general posture of this roadster really does evoke emotion. Magazine photos and Youtube videos fail to truly encapsulate the impact of seeing this work of art in person.

From emotion to passion, the new BMW 8 Series coupé and convertible have also recently landed in our showroom. We are proud to call this model our flagship and would love the opportunity to show it to you next time you are visiting the dealership. You can also check out the brand new 3 Series, X2 M35i and X7 which has literally just arrived under cover as I write this greeting to Marque readers.

A very special mention needs to be made to our Special Vehicles Manager Paul Silverton who this year celebrates his 30th anniversary with Auto Classic BMW. Read more about Paul and our M Performance range on page 20, with unique insights from a man who truly understands the emotion and passion of BMW.

Zoe

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MQ TIPS

he hottest shows, events, T travel and ideas around

13 MQ APPETITE

Head south for some of Perth’s tastiest food

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WATCHWATCH

Beautiful timepieces

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AROUND THE DEALERSHIP Paul Silverton talks high performance

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MQ LIVING

The Towers at Elizabeth Quay

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MQ SPACE

50 years since the Moon landing

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MQ MUSIC

Head to new venue, Freo.Social

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MQ WINE

Burch and Marchand

30 MQ SOCIALS

BMW takes a starring role at local events

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MQ SPORT

Rock climbing hits new heights as the

hot new hobby

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BMW OWNERS’ CLUB

Join a friendly club for enthusiasts

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Zoe Nieuwhof, Marketing Manager, Auto Classic

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MQ ART

Denmark artist Carol Ann O’Connor

28 BMW FEATURES

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13 40 MQ REVIEW

The new BMW 3 Series 42

MQ CITY BREAK

Make a staycation your next

break away right her in Perth

48 MQ THE INTERVIEW

Daniel Ricciardo and the Singapore GP

50 MQ HOLIDAY HOMES

Gems from Private Properties 52

MQ ESCAPE

Bali’s Karma Kandara

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BOOKMARQUE

New titles for your bookshelf

58 MQ PREVIEW

The stunning BMW Z4 60 LET’S GO TO . . .

Carnarvon and Coral Bay 64

MQ CAMERAS

Get snap happy

THE AUTO CLASSIC MAGAZINE

66 MQ HISTORY Peter FitzSimon’s new book

about the Catalpa escape

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MQ CHEF

Long Chim’s David Thompson

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and review

72 MQ PREVIEW Eight things about the 8 Series

74 MQ MINI

Mini 60th anniversary celebrated

78 MQ MINI COUNTRYMAN HYBRID The future has arrived

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MQ TRAVEL

Take a roadtrip to Kalbarri

82 LAST WORD The West Australian’s

Anthony De Ceglie

Published by

Editor

Gabi Mills | gabi@premiumpublishers.com.au

Premium Publishers,

Art Director

Cally Browning | cally@barecreative.com.au

26 John Street Northbridge WA 6003.

Sales

Natalie Du Preez | natalie@premiumpublishers.com.au

Contributors

Stewart Bell, Norman Burns, Evette Cordy, Tom de Souza, Fergal Gleeson, Ara Jansen, Simon Suede, Mike Wakeham, Gail Williams.

Images

Crib Creative, Shot by Thom.

Printed by

Vanguard Press

Ph (08) 9273 8933 premiumpublishers.com.au

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PREMIUM PUBLISHERS

TIPS

The hottest events, the best innovations, travel inspiration and exhibitions

CABIN CRACKER The south west’s cosiest winter festival, Cabin Fever, has released a cracker of a line-up with over 35 events taking place across the Margaret River region between July 19 and 28. This year’s program includes a series of collaborations between some of Perth and the south west’s most exciting restaurants.

Vasse Felix and Long Chim Perth will join forces to create a Bangkok x Margaret River Degustation. Called The Muralist, guests are invited to take the front seat for a wine revolution of sauvignon blanc semillon surprises while chefs Lucas Fernandes (Long Chim) and Brendan Pratt (Vasse Felix) will create a six-course fusion menu, curated and

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shoot’), something both parties are extremely passionate about, in their event ‘Arimia x Young George go the Whole Hog’.

Arimia’s head chef Evan Hayter is looking forward to working with industry friends to showcase the best of the region.

“Cabin Fever Festival is a true representation of our region,” says Evan. “A local festival, run by locals with an emphasis on what makes us unique. Arimia will collaborate this year with good friends and true advocates for change. Our events will focus on the importance of seasonality, food ethics and environmental impact, culminating in some damn good food and drinks.”

Hayter will also be partnering with Fervor’s Paul ‘Yoda’ Iskov to create an Arimia x Fervor Pop-Up Restaurant in the centre of Margaret River town for five nights of the festival. Think fresh, organic and native ingredients (including cocktails), an intimate setting and a multicourse dining experience. Cabin Fever Festival, now in its third year, is laden with unique events for lovers of decadent food, fine local wines and live music, held throughout the Margaret River region. The festival runs from July 19 – 28.

hosted by internationally-awarded winemaker Virginia Willcock and Gourmet Traveller’s Australian Sommelier of the Year Emma Farrelly.

Yarri head chef Aaron Carr and Snake and Herring winemaker Tony Davis will go head-to-head with Oakridge Estate’s chef Matt Stone and winemaker Dave Bicknell in a collaborative lunch and dinner series, Game On, with a focus on game (tip: this one’s not for the vegetarians).

Arimia will be teaming up with Young George’s Melissa Palinkas for a degustation dinner centred around sustainable, waste-free produce (think ‘nose-to-tail’ and ‘root-to-

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BALI-HO If you’re craving a taste of the far east while on holiday in Bali, head to Billy Ho. Think dumplings, buns and Peking duck with communal dining tables and a seven metre-long bar that sits infront of Canggu’s first beer wall.

The new opening is the latest offering by master chef Will Meyrick, the genius behind some of Bali’s best and most authentic restaurants. Will is well-known across the country and one of the most respected maestros of the south east Asian food scene. He continues to explore the

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Attracting guests and professional players from around the world, including well-known Australian and NZ professionals like Rob and Jack Archibald, Sam Hopkinson and Tom Hunt, the Airnorth Cable Beach Polo is heralded as the birthplace of beach polo in Australia.

The event has raised over $30,000 for charity partner Royal Flying Doctor Service, with 2019 seeing the return of the exciting Blue Balls Campaign. Up to 250 balls will be launched on the day of the Polo finals, with the winner taking home a luxury holiday worth over $12,000.

culinary landscape of Asia, taking inspiration from the unique food culture of each destination. He can be found at street stalls, in neighbourhood kitchens and backyards, at markets and getting off the beaten track to get to the heart of the dishes that move and shake him, tracking down the original recipes that are handed down through generations.

The menu straddles most of the Orient including Korean-style ssam of smoked pork belly with pickled chilli mustard, daikon and wild mint and wheat flour pancake, Vietnamese spiced rubbed smoked duck and char sui pork belly with cured egg. It’s an adventurous menu for an island that welcomes visitors from all over the world.

The space at Billy Ho has been beautifully designed by Rob Sample, with a high ceiling decorated with giant black bamboo. The wall behind the bar is created with coloured sirap wood while guests enjoy chairs made from local leather in the seating area, as well as wicker chairs, hand-woven loom chairs and a tattoo-inspired feature mural showing native flowers, by local Canggu artist Ogud, well known for his work in Bali.  Billy Ho Asian Kitchen and Bar, Canguu, Bali. Visit billyho.co GLAMOUR ON THE SAND WA’s most luxe sport and social event, Airnorth Cable Beach Polo, takes centre stage

on Broome’s famous white sands when it makes a spectacular return to the town this year for the 10th anniversary celebration.

From the Cable Beach Polo Ladies Luncheon at Kimberley Sands Resort & Spa, to the coveted Dinner Under the Stars on Cable Beach, it’s a jam-packed weekend not to be missed.

Each year, thousands of patrons including elite polo players, celebrities and other highprofile guests flock to Broome’s magnificent Cable Beach for a star-studded weekend of polo, fashion and entertainment.

It’s now a decade since event producer Marilynne Paspaley AM introduced beach polo to Australia, citing the town’s iconic beach as the best location for beach polo in the southern hemisphere.

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The Pearl Passport ($1,300pp) is the event’s most indulgent experience, with an invitation to the carnival’s exclusive welcome parties, VIP marquee access on the sand throughout the tournament, an invitation to Dinner Under the Stars, and free-flowing Perrier-Jöuet champagne at all events.

For a more casual finals experience, the Polo Beach Bar ($99pp) offers Aussie craft beers and food options to enjoy throughout the day, while the Havana Club Lounge ($220pp) offers a luxe cocktail experience perfect for capturing all the excitement wof the finals.  The three-day carnival will be held from May 17 to May 19, with an exciting calendar of events to enjoy across Broome’s key venues. Visit cablebeachpolo.com.au

AUTOCLASSIC.COM.AU

TRAVEL

HIGHWAYS AND BYWAYS Congratulations to our Autumn winner Monica Gardiner!

Monica captured the great images below of their BMW X5 from a two-week road trip around the east and south of WA.  For your chance to win a $100 BMW Lifestyle & Accessories Gift Voucher email your photos to info@autoclassic.com.au (files must be below 5MB)

EYE ON THE ROAD The BMW Advanced Car Eye 2.0 is a high quality full HD wide-angle camera that allows critical driving situations to be recorded.

Featuring separate front and rear cameras for optimal visibility, the BMW Advanced Car Eye 2.0 records trip data whilst you are driving and also records up to 24 hours in parking mode. Light sensitive sensors ensure excellent recording quality both during day and night.

The BMW Advanced Car Eye 2.0 is easily controlled via a smartphone App and recorded videos are saved to a 32GB SD card to enable simple event searches. It uses proximity sensors (radar technology) and a vibration sensor (G sensor) for the early detection of possible accidents and movement outside the car.

The smart system evaluates ambient movements to identify unusual movements and commences recording if an action is classed as relevant.

The BMW Advanced Car Eye 2.0 can be expertly fitted to your BMW in under 3 hours by skilled factory trained technicians at Auto Classic.  INTRODUCTORY OFFER - $1,199* fitted To book contact Aftercare Manager Justin Detata (08) 9311 7533 justin.detata@autoclassic.com.au

OPPOSITES ATTRACT Looking for a unique gift and keen to support artists from around the globe into the bargain? Head to a one-off exhibition featuring three uniquely talented artists from around the globe; Noemi Safir, Niclas Castello and Liz Gray.

The three contemporary artists will exhibit in Perth from May 9 to 16 in an exhibition called Paragon of Attraction, at The Kitchen Building Heathcote Cultural Precinct, 58/60 Duncraig Road, Applecross.

This will be the first time internationally renowned artist Niclas Castello’s work is shown in Australia after sell-out shows around the globe. The exhibition will feature a selection of around 35 pieces of highly desirable and rare art.

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knowing, but their individual interpretation of painting as three-dimensional art.

“Our passion is to bring exclusive, cosmopolitan art to Perth, to enrich the existing art scene. Discovering and presenting new and exciting art is our absolute passion, and we hope to introduce buyers to stunning works that they can enjoy in their homes forever.” For more exhibition info visit appleXart.com

Paragon of Attraction invites art lovers to come and discover what these three artists from five continents will present.

Noemi Safir (South America and Israel) creates colourful portraits reflecting life’s intertwined beauty and struggle. She will delight with her new ‘Spring Series’ collection and believes that, “everything you nourish with love and positive attention will grow in an amazing way”.

Niclas Castello (Germany) gives his own answer to ‘paragon’ – the old Renaissance debate about the relative merits of painting and sculpture through the creation of his Cube Paintings, transforming paintings into veritable sculptures.

Liz Gray (Africa and Australia) portrays strong women living life to the full, but also hints that attraction and beauty have more levels than the eye can tell.

This innovative exhibition is the brainchild of German-born art dealers and curators Andreas and Amke Buse.

“We have worked with Noemi and Liz for around three years and we’ve been following Niclas’ works for quite a while,” says Andrea.

“What brings all three of them together in a collective is not only their contemporary

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STAYING ALIVE Fresh from celebrating eighty years and over 2,500 shows headlining on the Las Vegas strip, the Australian Bee Gees Show will be heading home for the Australian leg of their world tour.

This new show will be presented in two parts and feature all of the hits in a nostalgic trip down memory lane in a multimedia concert event. The video component of the show has been completely reworked with a brand new script to help tell the story of the amazing career of the brothers Gibb.

The Australian Bee Gees Show, currently in residence in Las Vegas, was also the first time an Australian band has performed 1,000 shows headlining on the Famous Las Vegas Strip, and with 2,250 shows already under their belt they are looking forward to continued success in Sin City.

After 21 years on the world stage and over 7,000 performances in over 60 countries, the Australian Bee Gees Show has evolved to become the definitive live celebration of the wonderful music written by the Brothers Gibb.

From their first shows in 1996, The Australian Bee Gees Show has conquered Las Vegas and has played to capacity houses around the world, cementing their reputation as an exceptional live concert act and the world’s leading Bee Gees Show.  The Australian Bee Gees will be visiting Albany, Perth and Bunbury in August - visit abgshow.com for details.

AUTOCLASSIC.COM.AU

APPETITE

SOUTHERN

comfort

Perth is slap bang in the middle of a colourful food fiesta and it’s all to do with the latest culinary trend sweeping the world like a giant conga line.

By GAIL WILLIAMS.

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s South American cuisine takes off in carefree fiesta-loving venues from food trucks and market stalls to high end chic hotel restaurants, diners in Perth are warming to the carnival beat.

They’re discovering an uncanny simpatico with the bold, punchy flavours of South America, fresh produce and our sunny climate, perfect for sinking lime and rumbased cocktails and chowing down on ceviche. Add a touch of Inca heritage in some of the ancient recipes and you have all the romance you need to while away a few hours in venues around town that are putting in pisco bars, ceviche counters and oversized plants emulating Amazon rain forests.

It was kick-started globally in 2012 by the Coya group, which opened a Peruvian restaurant in London and from there it gathered momentum, rapidly winning over the US and

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ON A HIPSTER LEVEL PANAMA SOCIAL IS PACKING THEM IN FOR LATE NIGHT SNACKS AND MIDORI COCKTAILS.

Australians who love their barbecues.

Don Tapa and Lapa Brazilian were among the first to open in Perth but now if you want a taste of Venezuela, Peru or Panama – each with their own unique cuisines – you don’t have to look too far.

The recent opening of Uma Restaurant/Bar at Pan Pacific has upped things a notch with the added allure of acquiring a big name chef, the celebrated Alejandro Saravia, who oversees the menu and pops in from the east coast every three weeks to rattle the pans.

On a hipster level Panama Social is packing them in for late night snacks and Midori cocktails.

Here’s a roundup of what’s on offer in Perth.

PANAMA SOCIAL

Where: 245 William Street, Northbridge Tel: 08 9227 6153 Open: Monday to Thursday, Sunday: 4pm to midnight Friday and Saturday: 4pm to 2am Visit panamasocial.com.au It takes a special sort of creative chutzpah to stumble across a lacklustre failed brewery site and envisage a colourful, tropical jungle in Panama.

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and Brett Robinson – still on an adrenaline rush from the success of their well-loved Tiny’s bar at QV1 – have never been short on vivid imaginations. The sight of the sad, short lived Cyril Mason’s and former Han’s cafe unleashed a thundering waterfall of inspiration.

Their thoughts immediately AUTOCLASSIC.COM.AU

turned to sun-dappled Mexico, Central and South America and The Caribbean islands, toucans, rum and tequila, chicken ribs and empanadas – stuff to make you smile.

The verdant oasis, which opened last December, immediately had Perth’s food dahlings tipping their Panama Hats and coming over all feverish.

The swooning has as much to do with Tom Kearney’s (formerly of Mechanics Institute and Dominion League) Midori cocktails as it does with chef Chris Howard’s punchy tropical flavours exploding in dishes like Caribbean fish curry and chargrilled beef rump with ancho jus.

Empanadas, a flaky pastry mouthful of octopus and black beans, are a must try as are the fried cheese donuts.

The menu, designed to share in cosy booths, high benches or al fresco at the back, will satisfy most punters doing the casual drinks-to mopping-up-food tango. And if you have ever had the urge to try a

Patagonian pinot, this is your happy place. It’s one of a few wines listed from that part of the world along with the odd Margaret River and Barossa Valley number. It’s bizarre.

It’s colourful. And it’s so typical of these uber-cool operators.

DON TAPA

Where: 1 Mantle Street, Fremantle Tel: 0477 455963 Visit dontapa.com.au From humble, harbour side beginnings in a shipping container, Don Tapa was one of the first hospitality operators in Perth to recognise the no-brainer of matching

SOME LIKE IT HOT The colourful, flavoursome food of the south Americas is a big drawcard for some of Perth’s most vibrant new openings.

bold Argentinian flavours and cooking techniques to West Australian seafood and climate.

When owners Anatoly Mezhov and Ireno Polo started serving up ceviche in 2013 from their pop up on Fremantle harbour Perth punters welcomed the change from the ubiquitous Spanish tapas.

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After a stint in a more spacious new home in a converted Fremantle warehouse, the Mantle, Don Tapa is on the move again.

Mezhov promises his faithful following they have not seen the last of his Peruvian ceviche, hanger steaks cooked on the charcoal grill and twice-cooked yucca chips – all with a distinctive Asian fusion twist. Think cauliflower tacos with black beans, miso and pickled cabbage.

Then there’s a Peruvian nod to China in fried chicken bao buns with kimchi and mayo thrown in.

It’s a cultural culinary hotchpotch but there will be plenty of punters

watching to see where Don Tapa pops up next.

COMIDA DO SUL

Tel: 0405 967469 Visit comidadosul.com.au Back in the dim, dark days when food trucks were just getting off

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cap and pineapple chilli sauce and you have enough reason to, like the Brazilians, yell “abrigado”.

UMA RESTAURANT/BAR

Where: Pan Pacific Perth, 207 Adelaide Tce Perth Tel: 08 6211 7221 Open:Tuesday to Saturday: 6pm to 10.30pm Visit umaperth.com.au/bookings

SPICE BOYS AND GIRLS Fresh flavours and imaginative twists on familiar ingredients elevate the food of the south to new heights.

to a quiet chugging start, husband and wife duo Dany Flauzino and Joel Wynn Rees were already gently redefining West Australian’s approach to street food.

Six years on from being the first food truck to bring an up-tempo Brazilian beat to Perth’s outdoor fast food scene, they are roaring along nicely and Perth tastebuds have no intention of turning back.

Comida do Sul now has two distinctive hand-painted trucks regularly gathering queues for prato feito (black beans) choripan (Argentinian style hot dog) and batata frita (chips). Check their website for locations.

The couple, who met in Sao Paulo, have a huge following on social media and also cater for weddings, hen’s parties and corporate events with Brazilian classics, dishes that Dany’s grandmother used to cook, albeit with a modern twist. Guests are getting their tongues around names like coxinha (Brazilian chicken croquettes) and frango a passarinho (marinated

fried chicken with fresh lime).

Perth, with its balmy summer evenings and vibrant street life is the perfect backdrop for their colourful gluten-free dishes coming from their commercial grade kitchen.

Add to that the theatre of watching Dany prepare their famous tropical sandwich made with a grilled rump

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On the spectrum of fancy South American food, Uma sits right at the pointy end, the complete opposite of street food. That’s what happens when you get a former Fat Duck chef in the kitchen of Perth’s newest deluxe restaurant serving fare with an Inca heritage in a super stylish setting.

Peruvian born Alejandro Saravia

is the award-winning culinary maestro taking bows around the nation for introducing Australia to his diverse native cuisine executed through the prism of three distinct regions – the sea, the paddocks and the valleys.

After opening restaurants Morena in Sydney and Pastuso in Melbourne, he looked to Perth and Pan Pacific for his next project. And Perth diners have been wallowing in pillowy ceviche luxury (six dishes in all) and valet parking since the opening in January.

The menu is built around Peruvian staples of potato and chillies using local produce including the odd one for the brave, ahem, alpaca . . . fashioned into croquette bricks.

It’s all tossed down with cocktails that channel Ernest Hemingway at his hell-raising best (try the bacardibased Hemingway Special) and some nifty Argentinian reds and an impressive list of bottled and on tap beers from Bar Uma next door.

theatrical thing with specialty cut meats as they drink their own BYO wine for $4 a head corkage. It’s meaty heaven on an $80 degustation platter laden with pork, beef rump, chorizo, morcilla, lamb and beef ribs.

It’s a true neighbourhood parillada but it’s not all about meat.

While Max fires up the barbie turning out succulent beef short ribs and slow-cooked pork shoulders

years ago by a Venezuelan couple, Sergio Yibrin and Gilda Cariello, the 60-seater has a casual, chilled vibe with a soundtrack to match.

For the record an arepas is a cornmeal cake and cachapas is a corn pancake and both are used as bases for Venezuelan dishes such as mixed prawns and squid sauteed in garlic and topped with sliced avocado. Equally mouthwatering is the Canaima, a mix

Emily whips up empanadas and desserts like the sinful trio de dulces – sweet biscuits with a caramel centre.

There are vego options too – handcut sweet potato chips, eggplant and red capsicum empanadas and vegetarian tacos. It’s an uplifting little joint that has a big, beating heart.

of char-grilled eye fillet, caramelised onion, roasted capsicum, grilled zucchini and guasacaca sauce.

Guasa-what?? It’s a sauce made from avocados, onion, bell pepper, jalapeño, garlic, cilantro, parsley, vinegar, and lime juice and it’s divine.

As for the steaks, they’re ordered by weight – as in 500g of rump cap which comes with free range chicken, chorizo, morcilla (black pudding) and coleslaw.

The obvious choice for booze pairing is to go the Argentinian malbec route or a Langmeil Long Mile shiraz.

Of course, there’s the obligatory caipirinhas, pina coladas and pisco sours and 13 bottled beers to choose from. But, here’s the rub – the $30 rum where you get six shots of Venezuelan rums. That’s classy. Walk ins are welcome but you are better advised to book. MQ

EL ASADOR ARGENTINIAN GRILL

Where: 324 Bulwer St Perth Tel: 0400 556 395 Open: Tuesday to Thurs: 5.30pm9.30pm, Friday and Saturday: 5.30pm to 10pm, Sunday: 5.30pm to 8.30pm Visit elasador.com.au Aussies might think they have the handle on the good old barbecue. But in Argentina the asado – cooking meat over a grill or open fire – is a way of life that’s on a par with sacred ritual.

When Emily Pineiro married her Argentinan-born husband Max she found that a huge barbecue, housed in its own room, was – like for many South American families – just an everyday part of the deal. Emily was smitten with the charcoaley, smokey flavours and it wasn’t long before the foodloving pair were selling their homemade chimichurri sauces using recipes from Max’s childhood at festivals around Perth. Now, their woodfired parilla (barbecue) takes pride of place in their Bulwer Street restaurant where meatlovers can sit around the bar watching Max do his

ANGEL FALLS GRILL

Where: Shop 16, Shafto Lane, 872 Hay Street, Perth Tel: 08 9481 6222 Opening times: Monday to Saturday: 11am to late Visit angelfallsgrill.com.au If you don’t know an arepas from a cachapas, throw aside your caution, grab a few chamos (mates) and prepare for an angel’s tango on the tongue inside Perth’s only Venezuelan restaurant. Opened three MARQUE AUTUMN 2019

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WATCHWATCH with NORMAN BURNS

TIME OF

THE SEASON There is harmony in autumn and a lustre in its sky, Which through the summer is not heard or seen, As if it could not be As if it had not been...

T

hose aren’t my words (credit to English romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, 1792-1822) but the guy had a point.

There is something enchanting, and invigorating, about autumn, as the leaves change and days grow shorter.

Watchmakers must get that feeling too, because here’s a selection of new models, with their hues of browns and blues, that fit the autumnal mood right down to a T.

A LANGE & SOHNE ZEITWERK DATE The prodigy (and designers) at A Lange & Sohne have pulled out all the stops for this ingenious 10th anniversary update of the brand’s first mechanical-digital (as in time displayed via Arabic numerals instead

of analog hands) watch, the Zeitwerk.

This enhanced version comes in at 44.2mm on the wrist and packs some seriously clever mechanical wizardry, all powered by a manual movement in a white gold case.

There’s a power reserve “meter” just below 12 o’clock on the dial, the hour and minutes displayed in windows at 3 and 9 o’clock, plus a separate seconds counter. A date ring encircles the dial, a red marker highlighting the correct date.

There’s a heck of a lot going on but A Lange & Sohne’s designers have pulled it all together with aplomb and this timepiece looks classical and modern.

This is a pure dress watch, so don’t take it anywhere near water.

The brand’s attention to detail in the inner workings of its watches is legendary and this is a masterpiece of horological engineering. $122,900, visit watchswiss.com or call 1300 808 135

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A LANGE & SOHNE SAXONIA OUTSIZE DATE Germany’s A Lange & Sohne delivers yet another beautifully elegant, classic timepiece with the Saxonia Outsize Date – the perfect watch for those who prefer the no-fuss approach to timekeeping.

I love the black-and-gold (the case, hands, crown, lugs and hour markers are rose gold) look of this watch, with its easy-to-read large date window at 12 o’clock and subsidiary seconds dial at 6 o’clock.

An automatic in-house movement ticks away to perfection under the dial and, fully wound, that Outsize Date has a 72-hour power reserve.

A Lange & Sohne makes just a few thousand watches per year and their attention to detail and engineering nous is legendary. $34,800.

Visit watchswiss.com or call 1300 808 135

JAEGER-LECOULTRE POLARIS CHRONOGRAPH

IWC BIG PILOT’S WATCH HERITAGE

CARTIER SANTOS DE CARTIER

HUBLOT BIG BANG MECA-10 CERAMIC BLUE

The DNA of classic motor racing cars shines through in the Polaris Chronograph, a superb dress/sports watch offering from Jaeger-LeCoultre. The twin counters (3 o’clock and 9 o’clock) resemble the classic Jaeger dashboard counters of yesteryear, while the striking anthracite dial is framed by a tachymetre scale for ticking off lap speeds.

Inside the stainless steel case (which is water-resistant to 100m) an automatic JaegerLeCoultre 751J chronograph movement runs, well, like clockwork. At 42mm this timepiece is impressive without being ostentatious .

The beautiful leather strap completes the “gentleman driver” look of what is a fine timepiece. $15,400, visit watchswiss.com or call 1300 808 135

Whether you’re climbing in the cockpit of your private jet, or just getting in the car to head to work, this absolute beauty from IWC will be the perfect travelling companion.

Not that you’ll actually notice it on your wrist; that’s because the ultra-light, but durable, all-titanium case weighs less than 150 grams.

An inner soft-iron case protects the automatic IWC movement from magnetic interference and, fully wound, the watch provides a week’s power reserve (power levels displayed on the counter at 3 o’clock).

The date is displayed in a discreet window at 6 o’clock, ensuring nothing clutters that wonderful, easy to read at a glance, dial. To ensure even greater accuracy, the seconds hand is stopped (known as “hacking” in the trade) if you need to adjust the time via the crown.

This is a bold, big watch (46.2mm in diameter) but thanks to its clean, retro, design won’t look bulky on the wrist. $19,700, visit watchswiss.com or call 1300 808 135

The old song “It’s Hip to be Square” still rings true for this symmetrical beauty from Cartier which features an automatic 1847 Cartier movement and the brand’s clever Quickswitch bracelet changing system if you’d prefer wearing the Santos De Cartier with a navy blue calfskin band over the all stainless steel look.

While water-resistant to 100m, I’d be treating this as a dry-land dress watch only. At a shade under 40mm in height and width it is one of the more imposing Cartier offerings and sure to get noticed at that boardroom meeting. $9,600, visit watchswiss.com or call 1300 808 135

Hublot likes to deliver watches with a lot more bang for your buck, as is evident with this blue beauty.

The Meca-10 Ceramic Blue, at 45mm, screams “look at me” with its spectacular openworked (or skeletonised in watch-speak) dial through which you can see the incredible, intricate componentry whirring away.

Both the case and bezel are constructed of micro-blasted and polished blue ceramic and, fully wound, the watch delivers a very impressive 10 days of power reserve.

Not everyone is into the “big is better” philosophy when it comes to wristwatches, but there is no denying Hublot has this segment down to a fine art; indeed, the introduction of the first Big Bang model in 2005 is credited with reviving Hublot’s fortunes, and hundreds of thousands have been sold since. $28,400, visit watchswiss.com or call 1300 808 135

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AROUND THE DEALERSHIP

PERFORMANCE MATTERS Paul Silverton, one of Auto Classic BMW’s longest serving – and most passionate – sales team members, shares his thoughts on M Division and Special Vehicles.

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hat a time to be involved in the vehicle industry, as a member of the Auto Classic team, and the excitement of the BMW Brand.

It’s been a wonderful journey so far.

However, more importantly, it’s where we’re going that excites me the most and is probably one the keys behind what keeps me motivated each and every day.

Without a doubt, people and

relationships have always come first for me.

The excitement of not quite knowing exactly what your day will bring, who you will meet or bump into again, and what’s coming out next constantly makes for a changing playing field and environment.

There’s never a dull day.

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LEADING EDGE Paul Silverton, above, has been with Auto Classic BMW for 30 years and is an authority on the brand.

Photograph by Crib Creative.

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available in the BMW brand, along with technologies that are pushing all the boundaries and limits of historical driving limitations, it’s exhilarating to be involved with the M Division and Special Vehicle specifically on a day to day basis.

Since mid-last year, BMW have been on one of their biggest model update cycles ever. There are just so many fantastic new products with us and more on the way, right through to 2021.

The electric revolution is coming, but again, in my opinion, this will take time to evolve and be the norm.

Without a doubt, though, hybrid and electric technologies are now a part of the landscape and it’s going to be fun embracing the changes to come.

I truly struggle to personally have a favourite vehicle in the M and Special Vehicle range as each variant and model offers different design cues and has their own unique character and personality. This in turn blends with our own needs and wants and driving characteristics. If I’ve got a soft spot at all it would probably sit with the M5 Competition.

In our varied performance lineup, the M2 Competition, M3 Sedan and M4 Coupe still ooze more of that old-school handling appeal. They’re just that little bit more gritty and ohso-much fun. They’re the cars most likely to put a smile on your face.

As for the all-new BMW M5 Competition and M850i models with

M8 and other variants to follow, and the BMW i8, another balance is struck.

These vehicles are true powerhouses with additional innovative driving technologies like xDrive on both and integral all-wheel steering on the M850i range, which gives outstanding driving dynamics with speeds of 0-100 in 3.3 seconds on the M5 sedan. These vehicles are truly worthy of the letter M. While capable of blistering speeds and a track-like focus, a balance is struck, with an everyday drive comfort-feel through suspension damping. This type of driving

experience becomes so important over time of ownership. Being able to tailor your drive on a day-to-day basis, dependent on your situation or mood is invaluable. Overall the quality of interior finish and materials has jumped to another level. Driver connectivity, through the new BMW iDrive system, is now both seamless and intuitive.

I believe no matter which BMW vehicle you choose, the overriding handling dynamics and substance of a BMW is very hard to beat.

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Visit Paul at Auto Classic, 48 Burswood Road, Victoria Park. Tel: 08 9311 7588 or email paul.silverton@ autoclassic.com.au.

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part of your BMW. You know how it’s going to react and handle. To me, this is the most important part as it’s our daily driving experience that sets a truly good car apart from the rest.

Top speeds and how quick a vehicle can go certainly add to the excitement on the odd time we get to have that little bit of fun or give our BMWs that little nudge. But how it sits when taking a corner or how it handles in an emergency braking or swerving situation ranks highly in my own interpretation of performance.

Sheer driving pleasure still resonates with me each and every day. MQ

INTERIORS

TOWERING ACHIEVEMENT

The $500 million Towers development at Elizabeth Quay have been rising gradually, silver and glass glinting in the West Australian sun over the past few months. In early April, a select few were invited to look at some of the completed apartments in this extraordinary addition to the Elizabeth Quay precinct.

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ith penthouses crowning the 28-storey towers selling for $12.5 million each and spanning three levels, it’s clear that the Towers at Elizabeth Quay is a development which makes something of a statement: that Perth’s luxury apartment market is very much alive and kicking.

There are fewer than 20 apartments for sale left out of 275, mostly sold to locals keen to downsize, and happy to hand over $650,000 and more for the pleasure of doing so.

Views are the big drawcard, and that’s thanks to the decision to make this a tower where glass is the material of choice. After all, if you’re going to live 20 floors up, you want to be able to see more than a small square of horizon.

There are innovative technological

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features which have been sewn into the Towers’ fabric; if you’ve gone out for dinner but forgotten to close the windows and the weather turns nasty, no worries. The buildings’ smart programming will close the windows for you.

There are internal balconies (because wind is something of an issue in the city), and the beautiful décor created by Moda Interiors works perfectly with the ethos of the Far East Consortium’s design DNA. The second tower, to be completed later this year, will house the Ritz-Carlton hotel, one of five new hotels currently under construction in Perth. With 204 rooms slated to open in September, the addition of such a high-profile luxury hotel brand to Perth’s roster of places to stay is set to go up a notch in the second half of 2019.

REST, RELAX, RECONNECT Romantic luxurious secluded couples’ retreat in self-contained chalets with candlelit sky-view spas, kingsize beds and tranquil forest outlooks, on 240 acres of natural beauty

Fast facts

THE TOWERS AT ELIZABETH QUAY This stunning development features a limited number of premium one, two and three bedroom residential apartments as well as top floor penthouses, residential amenities including pool and gym and prestigious ground-floor retail precinct.

Designed as part of a planned mixed-use complex that includes the first Ritz-Carlton development in WA, The Towers at Elizabeth

Quay forms an inmportant part of the iconic luxury chain of RitzCarlton hotels and resorts.

With sweeping views over the Swan River, 400-hectare Kings Park and Botanical Gardens, The hotel is set to be the centrepiece of the new Elizabeth Quay development and is part of the most significant and ambitious waterfront project ever undertaken in Western Australia. MQ

BEAUTIFUL VIEWS Opposite, the Towers at Elizabeth Quay. Left, Moda Interiors displays a luxury fusion of BMW and home interiors..

RE ST, RELAX, RECONN ECT Romantic, secluded, self contained chalets

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with candlelit sky-view spas, Kingsize

double beds and tranquil forest outlooks, on 240 acres of natural beauty.

231 Yelverton Road, Yelverton Margaret River Wine Region Phone (08) 9755 7110 or email reception@forestrise.com.au

231 Yelverton Road, Yelverton

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● AUTOCLASSIC.COM.AU 023 Margaret River Wine Region

Phone (08) 9755 7110 or email reception@forestrise.com.au

WWW.FORESTRISE.COM.AU

WHAT A BUZZ Edwin ‘Buzz’ Aldrin stands astride the Moon’s surface.

ONE SMALL

STEP FOR MAN, ONE

GIANT LEAP

By NORMAN BURNS.

FOR

CARNARVON

July 21 marks the 50th anniversary of arguably mankind’s greatest achievement – landing a human on the Moon. And right in the thick of this amazing adventure, playing a pivotal role in America’s audacious space program that led directly to Neil Armstrong’s historic first steps, was a team of men (and women) at the NASA Carnarvon Space Tracking Station.

Images courtesy CARNARVON SPACE AND TECHNOLOGY MUSEUM, NASA, LAURI GLOCKE

T

he faces will be older and no doubt all will be walking a little slower, but memories will burn bright indeed when a special group of men and women get together in July in Carnarvon.

They’ll be gathering to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing and the vital role they

played at the NASA Carnarvon Space Tracking Station in those heady pioneering days of space exploration.

Lauri Glocke (nee Fitzgerald) was just 17 when she took a job as an equipment operator at the station, which had been built (for the princely sum of $4.5 million) by the-then Department of Supply

on behalf of NASA and monitored scores of missions until its closure in 1975. In its heyday the station, NASA’s largest outside the USA, had 220 staff and the Australian Government insisted at the time the majority of workers be Australian.

(Why build at Carnarvon? Geographically the site was perfect to track satellites and manned spacecraft, including the Gemini, Apollo and Skylab missions, as they made landfall after crossing the Indian Ocean – a long time out of contact with Mission Control. Plus, the US regarded Australia as a “politically stable” place to put a station). As well as Nasa missions, the station was the centre for tracking orbiting balloons, lunar science experiments, even research into wedge-tail eagles.

“I was employed as equipment operator at the STADAN (Satellite Tracking and Data Acquisition Network), otherwise known as RRR (Range and Range Rate),’’ says Lauri. “The primary function of the Goddard Range and Range Rate System was to provide range, range rate and angular data for the orbit determination of satellites and spacecraft in the region from near Earth to lunar distances and beyond. The complete system comprised the ground station equipment, a vehicle-borne transponder and a transponder test set.”

The thought of being “stuck” in sleepy Carnarvon, 800km from the bright city lights, and dealing with a heavily technical job would likely have struck a note of horror into most teens but Lauri – who earned the nickname Teeny Bopper - says despite its isolation the town had a vibrant social scene.

“I went from Collie to Perth with my sisters and parents when I was 15 to travel around Australia.

Carnarvon was as far as we got and that’s where we ended up staying.

“My first job was in Wesfarmers as a checkout chick and then I did waitressing at the Highway Motel.

When I was 17, I got the tracking Sstation job. It was a friendly town and it didn’t take long to make friends with people my own age,” she says.

“While it was a predominantly male workforce, there was a fair percentage of females employed.

The guys had all the ‘techno’ jobs and the females roles assisting the technicians setting the equipment, administration, the supply department, teletype communications etc.

“I was the youngest on the site at the time and it didn’t take me long to fit into the social scene with the ‘older’ crew. They used to say, ‘here’s Teeny Bopper – the baby of the show!’ Those people are still friends today and the name has stuck.”

While the trackers’ work was deadly serious, they weren’t averse to playing the odd practical joke on their colleagues, young Teeny Bopper included.

“I was doing a track on the midnight to morning shift and about 2.30am one of the technicians must

SPACE

TEENY BOPPER TIME (below) A teenage Lauri Glocke during her time at the NASA Carnarvon Space Tracking Station ROCKET MAN (right) Carnarvon Space and Technology Museum chairman Phil Youd; in the background is a replica of a Mercury Redstone rocket now on display at the museum site.

MOON MAGIC (far right) Former Nasa Carnarvon tracker Lauri Glocke with moonwalker Buzz Aldrin.

have been a bit bored because he and another colleague set me up.

“While I was driving to the Telemetry and Control building with the data tape to be sent to NASA, they had set a timed tape recorder in the back of the car. I was about 500m down the road, in the dead of night, pitch black, when all of a sudden behind me came a howling screech ‘WHERE ARE YOU OFF TO?’. Only being used to driving a manual car, both feet went quickly to the brake pedal which of course meant I had to peel myself off the windscreen.

Trevor Mosel, to this day you are still on my payback list.”

Of course, the real “Big Dance” was NASA’s mission to land someone on the Moon, a reality achieved on July 21, 1969, and a momentous day for all of the trackers at the station.

Lauri recalls a twist of fate saw her called into the station’s onsite Apollo control room to watch, live,

Neil Armstrong’s historic first steps on to another world.

“I was working and after we had completed the track I took the data (tele-tape) from the STADAN site to the teletype room in the main building’s Telemetry and Control.

After I’d delivered it, before I went to get in the car, the siren alert went off. You were not allowed to drive on site while the siren was sounding.

“I wandered down the hallway and Terence Kierans, the operations supervisor of the MSFN (Manned Space Flight Network) called me in to watch Neil step on to the Moon. I think everyone felt a bit of pride to be part of a team that was in some way, either directly or indirectly, involved in such an historic event,” she says.

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a young teenager there are some things you don’t really appreciate until you have been around to gather life skills.

And I’m so excited now to be able to pass my memories of this historic occasion on to my grandchildren.”

And as well as making lifelong friends from the tracking team, Lauri rates meeting astronauts Buzz Aldrin, Gene Cernan, Andy Thomas (an Aussie who spent 177 days in space) and NASA flight director Gerry Griffin as absolute highlights of her life.

“My brag is that I have got a photo with them all,” she says.

While she didn’t pursue a space-oriented career after getting married, Lauri still has a keen interest in the space program and believes it is vital Australia boosts its involvement in that arena.

“The formation of the Australian Space Agency is a must for Australia; space technology and services benefit us all greatly. I see this agency will lead to substantial prospects for us to develop our sector in Australia.

“We need to be stimulating the community and especially our youth to be part of the next generation of space entrepreneurs.”

In July, “Teeny Bopper” will return along with many of her former colleagues to the Carnarvon Space and Technology Museum (on the site of the former OTC Satellite Earth Station, which was built about 4km north of the now-demolished NASA tracking station) to celebrate the Apollo anniversary and the years of work by the trackers.

Says Phil Youd, who heads the small team of volunteers that runs the museum: “We’re holding a formal cocktail party on site at the museum on July 20.

Part of the night will be four former trackers chatting on stage about being part of the Gemini and Apollo programs, as well as what it was like to live in Carnarvon in those days.

“There’ll be a live band playing hits of the 60s, plus star gazing hosted by the Perth Observatory. And on Sunday the 21st, 50 years to the day that Neil Armstrong stepped on the Moon, we’ll formally dedicate our new replica of the NASA fountain, designed by one of the station engineers, that used to be at the site.”

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MUSIC

FREO

WAY TO GO

Fremantle venue gets a revamp and gets social.

By ARA JANSEN.

T

he renovation of a Freo icon is bringing a relaxed festival atmosphere back into the port city.

Long-time music lovers will know the venue as the former Fly by Night Musicians Club, but thanks to a renovation and revamp, the venue is now called Freo.Social and is run by hospitality group Triple-1-Three, the company behind Myaree’s Otherside Brewing Co. and Sunset Events.

The renovation has created a live entertainment hall (with a new sound system), four bars, a food truck with a rotating menu, creative co-working spaces and a play area. To further create a connected community vibe and get people talking and

interacting, the venue features no television screens.

Located across from Fremantle Prison and Fremantle Oval, the original Artillery Drill Hall dates back to the late 1800s and the Freo.

Social renovations have been done in collaboration with the National Trust.

With an opening line-up in April which included shows from muchloved locals John Butler, The Waifs and San Cisco, tickets are already on sale for gigs from Bodyjar, Russell Morris, Eskimo Joe, Diesel, The Beautiful Girls and Christine Anu. Having a strong local flavour is an important ingredient too, so the venue also has a bunch of great events coming up including Beer, MARQUE AUTUMN 2019 ●

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BBQ and Blues, Comedy Lounge and Freo.Speakeasy.

Swing dance expert Shane McCarthy will be joining Mace Francis and His 950 Express (a 14-piece swing band) for Freo.Speakeasy. Get ready to put some boogie in your jive pants and dance to the tunes of Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Jimmie Lunceford, Benny Goodman and Ella Fitzgerald.

Shane, the owner of Swing It! Swing Dance School, will be doing free beginner dance lessons ahead of the band, so there’s no way you’ll be left on the sidelines.

“It’s going to be fun to reclaim some of the energy of the prohibition era,” says Shane a 20-year veteran of swing dancing and an international teacher. “I’ll be encouraging people to step up and learn a few steps they can use to dance to the band. That’s how I learnt how to swing dance. No experience required.

“A night like this doesn’t exist in other cities in the world where I’ve taught. It shows that Perth has some great stuff that other cities doesn’t have. I’m always trying to remind

people we have a great swing scene here. And to be able to dance to a band of this caliber is always special.”

A flexible design – of up to 500 people – means Freo.Social can work with anything from

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ENTERTAINMENT HUB The new Freo.

Social venue is set to host a steady stream of live music acts and serve lip-smacking food and drink too.

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standing gigs to a theatre style show.

According to group venue manager Matt Marinich, this means that there’s the opportunity to use the venue for everything from music and theatre, to community events, weddings, dances, theatre and comedy. Local artists work is also scattered around the venue.

One of the attractions of the renovated venue is the Brew Shed.

Across three bars, there will be 56 beers on tap, wine on tap and pre-batched cocktails created inhouse. The shed will also be brewing exclusive, small batch beers on the premises and visitors will be able to see it happening across the bar.

“We’re encouraging people to not only come to the shows, but to also just come and hang out and have a drink and some food,” says Matt of the venue which will be open Wednesday to Sundays. “We want to be part of the local community and want people to consider this one of their locals.” MQ Tickets from moshtix.com.au and for venue information, go to freo.social

STELLAR CELLAR

WINE

Howard Park are releasing some mature back vintage bottles dating back to 2001. It’s a rare chance, says Fergal Gleeson, to try some truly starry wines.

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oes the idea of storing a prized purchase for 20 years before you enjoy it sound masochistic? Many would think so. We live in the age of fast food, fast fashion, insta ‘this’ and snap ‘that’. Wine is not immune from the trend of instant gratification. The vast majority of wine is consumed on the day it is bought.

Even for those with an iron will, not everybody has the storage space to keep enough wine to cellar.

That’s why the release of some fully mature back vintages from Howard Park is quite remarkable. Howard Park have been quietly putting aside stocks in their cellar (up to 700 bottles in some vintages). They have

just released a selection of rieslings dating as far back as 2001. While many wineries offer a Museum Release of wines that are five years old, it is very rare to see a release of wines of this age.

This project has obviously been years in the making. David Stredwick, wine club manager explains why. “The release cycle of wines seems to be accelerating to the point where wines that have the capacity to age beautifully over an extended period are often being sampled and judged at a very youthful stage,” he says.

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in flavour and texture. Our initial riesling release has encompassed wines back to 2001, then 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009 and the Porongurup variant from 2010 and 2011. When combined with our current release, the opportunity is certainly there to observe the evolution of riesling in bottle over an extended period.”

Riesling

Riesling is considered by some of the world’s best known wine critics, including Hugh Johnson, to be the greatest white variety. It was Australia’s most planted white grape until 1992 when it was surpassed by chardonnay.

While chardonnay typically involves a lot of winemaking manipulation such as malolactic fermentation, stirring of the lees (yeast) and ageing in oak, riesling involves minimal handling. That’s why it expresses vintage conditions and terroir more clearly than any other variety.

The other reason riesling is held in such high regard is AUTOCLASSIC.COM.AU

because it is extraordinarily age-worthy.

This is where Howard Park’s back vintage releases tell the tale.

At 10 years of age, Howard Park Great Southern Riesling 2009 is no spring chicken but still has a lively acid showing the flush of youth.

There are lime and sherbet flavours but also the extra complexity of bottle age. And so it goes through the 2007, showing it’s warmer vintage origins, and the 2005, which is floral and pretty and all the way back to the 2001, the first under screwcap. For perspective, 2001 is the year the first Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter movies came out and Tony Blair was the UK’s prime minister. At 18 years it is fully mature. The colour is a deeper gold. There are marmalade, toast and honeyed flavours as well as a good dollop of acid to hold it all together. I shared these wines with a few friends and they found the differences and the development of the wines through the vintages to be fascinating.

The back vintage rieslings are all priced at $45 ($40 for Wine Club Members).

Not a lot extra when you consider the 2018 releases have an RRP of $35.

along nicely. Howard Park 1995 Cabernet Merlot at 25+ years is still showing a lovely core of blackcurrant fruit and vanillin oak. The older reds were recorked and topped in 2009.

They are a delight. Back vintages from Leston and Scotsdale labels and the premium chardonnays will follow later in the year.

Family Wines have also created the very interesting Marchand and Burch brand which features wines from Burgundy and Great Southern. They are worth looking out for.

More Where That Came From

The rieslings are the first release of these extensively aged back vintage

TOP TIP KEEP UP TO DATE WITH CELLAR DOOR NEWS AND THE LATEST RELEASE OF MUSEUM WINES BY SIGNING UP TO A WINE CLUB.

Howard Park

Howard Park was founded in 1986 when John Wade left a prestigious post as chief winemaker at Wynn’s Coonawarra to establish the winery in Great Southern. He was passionate about the potential of this then obscure wine region. It started modestly with just two wines, a riesling and a cabernet, made in a shed.

Jeff and Amy Burch joined seven years later and Howard Park has expanded exponentially to now being one of Western Australia’s largest family-owned wineries with vineyards in Margaret River and Great Southern.

The range has grown to include the iconic Allingham chardonnays and Abercrombie cabernets, Jeté sparkling wines and the everyday value of the MadFish label. Burch

wines. They are available to Wine Club Members, selected restaurants and at cellar door.

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WINES TO SAVOUR Try some of Howard Park’s back vintage releases and discover the complex world of riesling wine.

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These releases offer a great insight into the joy of drinking well cellared old wines, without the need for extraordinary patience!

At their Margaret River Cellar door Howard Park will typically have two museum wines on rotation for customers to taste and they have plans to upgrade their cellar door in the coming months to allow for wine tasting flights and smaller group tastings which can be prebooked. MQ If you’d like to enquire about back vintages of Howard Park wines, you can contact David Stretwick by phone on 08 9756 5200 or email mailorder@hpw.com.au.

SOCIALS

LE DÎNER

en Blanc

The fourth edition of Le Dîner en Blanc – Perth took over Crown Parklands, Burswood, on April 6 for another unforgettable night of friendship, elegance and fun.

O

ver 8,000 guests have now enjoyed the magic of a Perth Le Dîner en Blanc experience since the event arrived in the city in 2016.

Dressed in white from head to toe, guests met at departure points throughout the metropolitan area, converging at the beautiful location just before dusk for the sole purpose of sharing a gourmet meal with good friends in one of Perth’s most picturesque locations - in front of Crown Towers.

The beginning of dinner was signalled by the traditional waving of white linen serviettes. Music filled the air throughout dinner, while guests dined and enjoyed the company of friends. Local aerial performers created a dramatic atmosphere with a stunning aerial display thanks to Howard Park Jete Sparkling Wines.

After dark, the Vinaceous Wines’ firewielding burlesque performer added

to the intrigue, with guests watching on in delight.

After dinner, thousands of glowing sparklers signaled the opening of the dance floor, with an energetic performance by DJ Sian dishing out dancefloor classics and modern tunes that were enjoyed well into the night.

Le Dîner en Blanc – Perth gratefully acknowledges Enex & Forrest Chase,

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ALL WHITE ON THE NIGHT Diner en Blanc did not disappoint with a beautiful setting making for memorable moments in Burswood.

Opposite, the pop-up Living Movement event at The Towers at Elizabeth Quay was a big success.

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Auto Classic BMW and Crown Perth as the Official Local Partners of the 2019 edition of Le Dîner en Blanc in Perth.

EUROPEAN BUSINESS WEEK – GERMAN TRADE RECEPTION In honour of the visit of the official Trade & Diplomatic Delegation of the European Union in Australia and the Federal German Trade & Investment Agency in Australia, the Western Australian Business Association (WAEBA) hosted an innovation themed trade reception in BMW Auto Classic’s showroom on March 19.

VIP guest speakers included Hon. Alannah MacTiernan, MLC, Minister for Regional Development; Agriculture and Food; Ports; Minister Assisting the Minister for State Development, Jobs and Trade; HE Dr. Michael Pulch, Ambassador of the European Union to Australia Featured Trade Presentation: Mr. Heiko Stumpf, German Trade

Commissioner, Director GTAI, Australia & New Zealand.

THE TOWERS AND RITZ CARLTON DEVELOPMENTS POP-UP EVENT Moda Interiors and BMW took their exciting pop-up design concept, Living Movement on the road in early April.

The two brands created an exclusive opportunity to be the first to host a pop-up function and design exhibition at the prestigious The Towers and Ritz Carlton developments at Perth’s Elizabeth Quay.

This exciting event was the first opportunity for the public to see the brand new development in all its splendour at Elizabeth Quay.

Following on from the success of the 2018 Living Movement event held at Auto Classic BMW, the 2019 pop-up event showcased a range of exquisite design elements, including the latest in stylish living with three complete furniture layouts, stunning BMW automobiles and of course the latest in luxury apartments.

All who attended the event went in the running to win a diamond tennis bracelet from Halo Diamonds.

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SPORT

UP

THE ONLY

WAY IS THE BEAUTY OF SPORT CLIMBING IS IT’S MORE ABOUT CHALLENGING YOURSELF THAN NOTCHING UP BRAGGING RIGHTS ON FELLOW CLIMBERS.

By NORMAN BURNS. Images courtesy SPORT CLIMBING WA/ DEANNA WHYTE PHOTOGRAPHY.

B

ritish explorer and mountaineer George Mallory, asked why he wanted to conquer Mt Everest, famously replied: “Because it’s there.”

Rock, or mountain climbing, has always seemed, to me at least, the

domain of the somewhat obsessive and eccentric.

But all around the world, Australia and Perth included, there’s a whole new take on climbing that’s putting the accent on fun as much as personal achievement.

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And you don’t need to find a mountain to try it either; this is climbing indoors, up specially designed walls, often requiring as much brain as brawn to make it to the top, sometimes racing the clock to do so.

Sport climbing is one of the

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world’s fastest growing sports; according to peak body Sport Climbing Australia, an estimated 25 million people participate regularly worldwide.

Since 2007 there’s been a worldwide boom in indoor climbing

gyms (London has more than 300, Paris more than 350) and while Perth isn’t up to those numbers (yet) it still has a very healthy spread of facilities right across the greater metro area.

And at next year’s Tokyo Olympic Games sport climbing will be one of five new sports to debut, introducing the sport to a potential global television audience in the billions.

Forty of the world’s top sports climbers (men and women) will battle it out in preliminary ‘rounds’ before the top six of each make it through to the medal round. And Australia’s top sports climbing talent will be aiming to make one of the two spots open to athletes from Oceania for Tokyo 2020.

So, what is sports climbing exactly?

In competition there are three main disciplines: Lead, in which athletes climb rope-tied, one at a time, on an overhanging route with a six-minute time limit. The climber who gets highest wins. This involves endurance and strategy.

Then there’s Bouldering, in which power and technique is vital as climbers (without using any ropes) negotiate a sequence of special handholds and footholds up a wall to a maximum of 4.5m within a fourminute time limit. The routes vary in difficulty and climbers aren’t allowed a “trial run” before competing.

The last event is Speed – and it means just that.

This is an event where athletes, roped from above, compete in parallel on 15m, 95-degree angled walls.

The fastest to the top wins and this proved a big hit as a demonstration sport at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China.

Six years on and the sport will hit the big time as a fully fledged Olympic event, although only an overall medal (based on performance in the three disciplines) will be presented; the organisers of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games have pledged to have medal events for each discipline.

Checking out the Perth sport climbing scene, it is apparent that

HEAD FOR HEIGHTS (opposite page) David Haywood (38) of the City Summit club and 17-year-old Lilly Magditsch (Boulder Hub) in action. Below: All eyes are on Izzy Burgoyne at the recent WA Lead State Championships held at City Summit, Malaga.

this is a sport with a real sense of community among all participants, be they novice, advanced or expert.

Says Sport Climbing WA board member Jason Magditsch: “This is a great, inclusive, family sport. I got involved because my daughter, Lilly, started climbing when she was about 12. It is a growing sport and it’s especially great to see so many young girls and women involved. And you don’t have to be especially fit or have a lot of athletic ability even to get started.”

Lilly, now 17 and one of the top young sport climbers in the state and a member of the Australian Open Boulder Team, agrees.

“I wasn’t really a sporty person but climbing seemed like a lot of fun; it’s around 20 percent physical and 80 percent mental. It’s about confidence in yourself,” she says.

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BODY & SOUL Clockwise from left Brandon Russell, 11, of the Boulder Hub club, Chris Zaia (33) of Pulse Climbing (NSW) and City Summit’s Aiden Yanev (15) and Alvin Goh (25) show the strength and mental focus needed in climbing.

Jason echoes his daughter’s sentiment.

“It’s an activity that’s ideal to develop a sense of self-achievement and self-esteem and climbers like to share their tips and advice, we have such a great community,’’ he says.

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Indeed, if a climber doesn’t share tips with his or her rivals, even during competition, it’s frowned upon big time.

And you don’t have to spend a fortune to get started with sport climbing.

CLIMB ABOARD Check out these venues if you want to start your sport climbing journey or visit the Sport Climbing WA Facebook page for more information.

IT’S AN ACTIVITY THAT’S IDEAL TO DEVELOP A SENSE OF SELF-ACHIEVEMENT AND SELF-ESTEEM...

“You’ll need climbing shoes, a harness and ropes and most gyms charge a monthly fee for access but overall it’s a very affordable activity to become involved with.”

While sport climbing is open to all ages, proof of its potential is the very healthy number of junior climbers in Perth.

Many climbing gyms, such as Malaga’s City Summit (Perth’s largest, with more than 180 climbing routes) and Mandurah Rockclimbing Gym, run special programs for kids and teens.

As of April 2019, 40 of WA’s best junior climbers were on their way to represent the state at the national youth championships.

And from these champs, a national team will travel to Arco, Italy in August for the Lead, Speed and Boulder Youth World

Championships.

Sport climbing, with its accent on teamwork and personal achievement, also has great potential to be developed as an avenue for helping at-risk youth and children with autism or behavioural and social issues.

While Sport Climbing WA gets good support from some equipment suppliers and climbing centres, it still relies on old-fashioned, grassroots fundraising and athletes have to pay their own way to national and international events.

But corporate support and sponsorship money may well start to flow once sport climbing makes a splash at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the world sees just how exciting man (or woman) vs wall can be.

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ADRENALINE VAULT, 72 Robinson Rd, Belmont, (08) 6107 8359, adrenalinevault.com.au Discipline: Boulder only CITY SUMMIT, 2/26 Harris Rd Malaga, (08) 9248 7035), citysummit.com.au Disciplines: Boulder, top rope and lead MANDURAH INDOOR ROCK CLIMBING, 3/12 Thornborough Rd Mandurah, (08) 9581 7465 Disciplines: Boulder and top rope PORTSIDE BOULDERS, 12 Murphy St O’Connor, 0421 244 870, portsideboulders.com.au Discipline: Boulder only ROCKFACE, 63B John St Northbridge, (08) 9328 5998, rockface.com.au Disciplines: Boulder, top rope and lead THE BOULDER HUB, 1-2 84 Berriman Drive Wangara, (08) 9309 9876, theboulderhub.com.au Discipline: Boulder only THE HANGOUT, 12 White St Bayswater, (08) 9371 9939, thehangout.com.au Disciplines: Boulder, top rope and lead MQ

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BMW OWNERS CLUB

IN THE

CLUB Membership of the BMW Club WA means friendship and a shared love of the BMW brand.

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round the world, there are some 200,000 BMW owners who all have the same thing in common – they’re members of the 680 officially recognised BMW car and motorcycle clubs, including the very active BMW Club WA. Since 1982, the WA club has welcomed likeminded BMW owners from Kununnara to Esperance, with membership now approaching 150 and over 20 events throughout the year.

“The goal of the club is to bring BMW owners together through

a variety of social and technical events,” says John Slade who has been the club’s president for a number of years.

“I wanted to broaden my circle of friends and develop an interest outside of my working life,” says John. “Like my father, cars have always been an interest and having just purchased my first BMW I was looking for an interest which would offer activities that could be enjoyed as a family, including our son.

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with a bit of judicious Googling, new BMW-centred friendships are just a click or two away.

“When I was in the USA recently I found that the membership was a way of opening doors internationally,” says John. “I was in Texas for a few days and through the BMW Owners club network, I reached out and received a warm welcome. We went to the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, a real personal highlight for me.”

is family-friendly, with a single membership covering both partners and children. I’m glad I decided to join. I have learned a lot about BMWs and cars in general, and made many new friends from all ages and backgrounds.”

And for just $72 annually, members certainly get a lot of bang for their buck, not least being in line to receive a discount on future servicing with Auto Classic.

“We hold social drives on weekends to places of interest that finish at restaurants for breakfast or lunch, a great way to enjoy owning and driving a BMW. The club also holds technical meetings at BMW Service Centres as well as new vehicle launches at Auto Classic.

“We are involved in car shows and displays; for example, the Como Rotary South Perth Car Show, which a few years ago raised $16,000 for charity. The club also participates in the annual German Car Day, non-competitive driver training at Barbagallo Raceway. navigation trials, and Show and Shine Days.”

And it’s with the Show and Shine Days that members really get to show off the love for their cars

and engage in a friendly battle of “one-upmanship” although John is at pains to point out that this isn’t a concourse event, just a day to impress the judges and win a prize for their efforts.

It’s also not a men-only event; John says that his wife comes along to every event as has son since the age of four.

“It’s a family-oriented club where we can all enjoy making new friends, and share knowledge with other members.”

Once again this year’s Show and Shine will be held in Manners Hill Park, Peppermint Grove. You can expect to see a great range of models on display, from non elitist models through to the stylish and rare CSL BMWs of the early 70s and the latest, state-of-the-art M series cars.

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SHARED INTERESTS Above, John Slade at the Circuit of the Americas, and opposite, BMWs on show at the Show and Shine day

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The club enjoys a valued relationship with Auto Classic BMW, which supports the club by inviting members to special events, including new model launches and technical information opportunities, as well as offering club members reductions in BMW service costs and the purchase of genuine BMW parts. Discounts may also apply in the BMW Lifestyle Shop.

Auto Classic BMW also provides their training room for club committee meetings, ensuring that club members maintain close connections to the West’s biggest BMW dealership.. MQ For more information, visit bmwclub.asn.au

ART

WHEN STARS ALIGN A long-held dream to open her own gallery has finally come true for Denmark-based artist, Carol Ann O’Connor.

By MIKE WAKEHAM.

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ll things are possible and dreams can become reality if one believes in them with a fervour wasted on fanatics.

Decades ago, in a small English village, Carol Ann O’Connor had a dream, a wish that one day she would open her own gallery and share her astonishing art with the world.

Months ago, in the south west town of Denmark, the stars aligned and the Sisters of Eve Gallery opened its doors.

“It was something I wanted for years,” said O’Connor. “I never gave up on the dream that it would happen.”

The gallery, like her artwork, is deeply personal. They speak of optimism, emotion and life’s journey.

The daughter of a coal miner in Warwickshire, O’Connor knew from an early age that she would become an artist.

From the moment she could manipulate a pencil, drawing became her obsession.

Her embryonic beginnings matured during her time at the easel and she began to win acclaim as a wildlife artist.

In 1979, she got her break when

Royle Greeting Cards of London bought one of her paintings, which was quickly followed by commissions from fine-art printers.

But even as a child, it was the female form that O’Connor drew over and over again, and as a young woman her “girl” paintings became intricately detailed and took on a more romantic notion.

“As I worked on them, they became my meditation, and instead of looking outside for inspiration, I looked inside my own self,” she said.

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ALL IN THE DETAIL Carol Ann O’Connor’s art has found a new home in her Sisters of Eve gallery in Denmark.

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There was precious little inspiration in the stultifying confines of Mancetter village.

O’Connor was 16 when she married and 22 when she divorced.

In the aftermath of her broken marriage, she came to Australia. She speaks fondly of her gypsy life on the eastern seaboard and her time in the Pilbara – with her new husband – where the red dirt got under her fingernails, and her skin.

She continued to explore the expanses of her art, and her medium

now includes acrylic, pencils, feathers, egg shell, antique glass stones, aquamarine, amethyst, garnet, jet cabochon, antique mother-of-pearl, sycamore seeds, lace and Swarovski crystal.

She can be so involved in the creation of a work, which can take hundreds and hundreds of hours, that sometimes she does not recognise the messages and stories within them until the painting is near completion.

“I am a painter of thoughts, feelings and dreams. And the paradigm that underlies all my work is one of optimism,” she says.

“Rather than drawing upon traditional symbols and their implied religious and cultural meanings, I have created symbols that, for me, speak of love, life and the nurturing and caring we all need and the self-

discovery every individual must undergo in life.”

Her core subject is Mother Earth.

The characters are Eve, the Tree Spirit, Shifting Sand (Sister of Inner Peace), The Seed Keeper, Dancing Pearls of Life, and The Journey.

The frames she creates for her paintings are extraordinary in their own right.

O’Connor, who was widowed two years ago, counts Prince Philip among her biggest fans. A former president of the World Wildlife Fund, he is a distinguished and eclectic art collector.

O’Connor’s painting of a noisy scrub-bird was gifted to him by the State Government after she was commissioned to create the piece in 1990. It is a portrait of the bird in its natural surroundings and is quite breathtaking.

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SYMBOLS AND SOUL O’Connor’s work has been collected around the world, including by Prince Philip who was gifted one of her works in 1990.

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The painting has been exhibited in Windsor Castle as part of a display of works by artists from around the world and it now hangs in the private dining room of Sandringham Palace.

Other admirers are Saudi HRH Abdul-Aziz Abdullah al Saud and Lady WH Smith, from the famous British retailing family.

O’Connor’s paintings can sell for $20,000-$30,000, but she also does full-size prints of her work, and they can be adorned to a buyer’s desire.

She uses the Giclee process of printing. Each work is printed on archival paper using archival ink, perhaps the best printing process available. MQ The Sisters of Eve Gallery is located at 251 Mt Shadforth Road, Denmark. It is open Wednesday to Monday, 10am4pm. Private viewings are welcome by phoning 0419 346 232.

3 SERIES REVIEW

RETURN OF THE KING

The new BMW 3 Series sedan retakes the throne in the battle for motoring’s Next Big Thing.

By SIMON SUEDE.

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n a motoring world more and more dominated by the rise of the SUV, many a sedan has been left, literally in some cases, by the roadside.

But there are exceptions. Not too many, of course – after all, the main quality you need to be an exception is to be exceptional. But that is where BMW’s 3 Series sedan comes in.

Motoring aficionados have

long known that the 3 Series is an exceptional car. Since its first incarnation hit the streets more than four decades ago, this iconic sports sedan has epitomised the fusion of power, drive and luxury.

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renowned dealer and those of us across WA who love to drive.

I’m introduced to the 330i. It sits proudly among its stablemates, including of course BMW’s own worldbeating SUVs, the X series. And straight away I’m reminded why this car has effortlessly held on to its status as exceptional – the 3 Series casts a long shadow, it doesn’t cower beneath one.

While many a conventional sedan is lost in the anonymity of its genre, the 3 Series draws the eye,

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catches the imagination. Fitted with the M Sport pack as standard, it’s a little bit bigger than its last version and a smidgen taller, but stats aside it’s the sheer drama of the car that makes it a stand-out. Its bonnet seems to go on forever, swooping down and out, a statement of the power to come. The large, familiar kidney grille and dramatic headlights stare out impassively, welcoming you in.

The dynamic side view is shaped by a pair of unique character lines and a dynamic side skirt contour, the now-classic Hofmeister kink design a homage to its SUV cousins while still clearly holding onto its heritage as a sports sedan champion. All this frames the 19-inch wheels bedecked with M Sport four-and-single-piston brakes.

From behind – a view many other drivers will have to get used to – the 3 Series is all power, twin exhausts and beautifully crafter LED lights finishing off this design classic.

Inside, the 3 Series is a motorist’s haven. Just slipping into the M

a voice recognition system on board that connects you to an AI system that will get to know you, get to know who you are and what you do.

Then there’s the 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, kitted out with BMW’s exemplary iDrive OS 7.0, a slick, intuitive piece of hardware that lets you navigate your environment quickly and efficiently. The re-imagined driver’s instrumentation panel is a bold step forward, all the information you could need presented in a clear, intuitive way in 12.3-inch panel.

The luxurious Vernasca leather trim and Tetragon aluminium detailing is everything you’d expect from the 3 Series, sensuous to the touch and pleasing to the eye.

The back passenger seats are comfortable, a happy place for adults, the leg room belying the fact that, after all, the 3 Series is the little brother of BMW’s sedan series. Boot space too is more than ample, a reminder that while this is a wonderful sports sedan it’s also ready

But, of course, the greatest thing about the 3 Series is driving the thing, a fact I’m reminded off as I touch the start button and that beautiful engine jumps into life.

The 330i’s two-litre turbocharged driving force delivers 190kW of torque, enough to get you from a standing start to 100km/h in just 5.8 seconds, yet while it’s waiting for you to tell it what to do its beautifully quiet.

Pulling away, though, is when you realise that those 44 years of heritage and evolution have culminated in a car that is simply wonderful to drive. You know that there’s power there when you need it, you know that it will hug the corners, keep you safe, keep you in line.

Around town, it’s versatile, nippy even, easy to navigate through the urban jungle without missing a beat. On the freeway it’s efficient, dignified, king of the busy highway, but it’s out on the open road that the 3 Series really comes to life.

To own one is to want to find a clear, winding road with a dramatic backdrop leading to a heavenly destination and immerse yourself in the drive. You’ll

Sport spec bucket driving seat sets the heart racing that little bit as you know you’re about to get a taste of what this car can do.

And it’s here that the evolution again becomes apparent. It’s not just the repositioned start/stop button, but the whole cabin has a next-step feel to it. The technology is one more step forward – here is a car you can talk to,

for the realities of day-to-day life if you’ve got a family to think about.

And that, of course, is when your thoughts turn to safety – and the 3 Series uses BMW’s unmatched technical nous to make sure that you’re looked after. Its checklist includes full collision avoidance AEB, rear and front cross-traffic alerts, lane departure warning and side collision warning.

want the journey to never end.

BMW, then, has managed to continue the 3 Series story with a new evolution that pays homage to the cars that went before but also writes a whole new chapter. The game may have changed, but the sports sedan lives on, bigger, better, stronger than ever. MQ To arrange a test drive, visit autoclassic.com.au

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FAST TRACK The new 3 Series is all power, twin exhausts and beautifully crafted LED lights finishing off this design classic.

HOT

SPOT Perth is having something of a moment on the world travel stage, so why not book a staycation in the best remote capital in the world and find out what all the fuss is about?

By GABI MILLS.

The One that’s Got It All CROWN TOWERS If you’re going to do it right, do it right - right? That was our thinking as we threw caution to the wind and checked into a room at Perth’s five-star temple to opulence, Crown Towers which gave us access to the Crystal Lounge. Smart move, as it turns out. Not only was the view from our room astonishing - dang Perth, you’re a pretty town - but we also more than helped ourselves to the advantages of the Crystal Lounge’s freebies (of which more, later).

We had a floor to ceiling vista of the CBD, the causeway and, to the right, the stunning copper-plated beauty that is our new stadium.

Looking straight down (whoa, vertigo), we could see the incredible pool complex, seething with antsized people. Apart from the eyepopping views, what else? Everything is controlled by your fingertips, from the sheer curtains to the heavier drapes, lights can be dimmed to your preferred level of brightness and, in

our case, the most amazing multitiered collection of macarons and sweet things, kindly delivered as a surprise for our wedding anniversary.

The decor is chic, the linen the kind that makes you disappointed to sleep in your own bed at home and the bed itself so comfortable you’ll hope they don’t notice you haven’t checked out.

There’s a comfy chaise longue to loll on while you sip your Nespresso and watch the sunset, the king-sized bed complete with alternate pillow offerings, a fully stocked mini bar with local spirits (Hippocampus gin is a standout) and a bathroom with a rainforest-style shower, elegant bath complete with TV above and lots of thoughtful freebies, like a hair tie, full shaving kit and teeny weeny toothpaste and toothbrush.

The robes are so ridiculously heavy and luxe that once you’ve slipped one on, resistance is useless; just collapse on the bed. It’s not the biggest room we’ve ever stayed in but thanks to that wall of glass overlooking our city, it was the equivalent of going to sleep in an infinity pool in the MARQUE AUTUMN 2019 ●

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sky; no boundaries and endless possibilities.

CRYSTAL CLASS Everybody loves the VIP thing - that feeling of warm pleasure you get when you skip past queues, score a really decent freebie, or, in the case of all those with Crystal Lounge access, all of the above. On the same floor as where I checked in, you’ll find the Crystal Lounge itself - a generously proportioned collection of seating areas, inside and out.

The balcony has that to-die-for city view like our room, but don’t bother wearing a hat. It’s windy, but the perfect location to watch the sunset with a cold one in your hand. Before that however, I was determined to experience all that was on offer from this particular addition to our itinerary so kicked off in style at 2pm (on the dot, rather embarrassingly) with the high tea offering. It runs from 2 to 4pm, and was a delightfully sweet and savoury combination of dainty little cakes and pastries, a truly delicious selection of breads

CITY BREAK with dips, scones with whipped cream and jam (cream first, then jam, don’t go down the Cornish route) and of course, tea. By 5.30pm it was time for free drinks, canapes and cocktails as well as full access to the wine and drinks list. In the morning we were back in the Crystal Lounge loading our plates up with breakfast - crispy bacon, creamy scrambled eggs, Tuscan potatoes, roasted baby vine tomatoes, as well as sensational dumplings, croissants, smoked salmon and other cold meats and delicious yoghurts, artisan cheeses and fresh and dried fruits. In fact it’s pretty much my ideal breakfast bar ever. And it was all-inclusive with our room rate. #winning.

For those who need reminding, Epicurus was an ancient Greek philosopher who pretty much lived his life in an ideal fashion - and urged his followers to do so as well.

A happy life, he opined, was one which was free of fear and pain, surrounded by friends in a peaceful world. So hats off to the Crown peeps for interpreting this ancient philosophy via a chocolate fountain that’s taller than Aaron Sandilands.

The ground floor dining room is a hive of activity during service as gob-smacked diners move around

TAKE A DIP It’s probably the feature of the hotel you’ve seen all over your Instagram feed - that incredible collection of azure pools at the foot of Crown Towers. With the Swan River as its watery backdrop, there’s a swimming spot for all tastes. There’s a heated jacuzzi, several smaller circular pools and larger areas with submerged islands just waiting for you to park yourself on should the exertion of paddling around prove too much. For a more exclusive poolside experience, opt for The Enclave - a private VIP area with its own dedicated pool and comfortable covered recliners.

There’s poolside service, and you can choose from a menu designed to fill those inconvenient gaps between breakfast, lunch or dinner.

From above, the pool complex looks incredible; up close it’s a huge plus point to checking into this particular Crown property. Our tip? You’ll have to be up early to bag a spot if you’re in a large group and all want to sit together. It’s definitely the place to be when the heat is on.

STUNNING SETTING Crown Towers has one of the most beautiful poolside settings in Perth.

Below, the views from many of the rooms over the river and city are unbeatable.

ALL YOU CAN EAT Undoubtedly one of the big attractions of the newest Crown digs is its epic buffet-style restaurant, Epicurean. And it’s well-named.

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each serving station achieving ever-increasing levels of gourmet nirvana. It’s like the ramped-up cousin of Crown Metropol’s Atrium - or your childhood dream of an all-you-can-eat fantasy. There’s an incredible range of sushi and sashimi, a showcase for Australia’s kaleidoscope of seafood. The tuna sashimi alone is worth the price tag for lunch or dinner. I also loved the roast duck - not seen too often at these kind of set ups - with a dollop of plum sauce on the side. The roast sirloin was tender as a toddler’s kiss and when spice was required, the line-up of Asian-inspired curries was sensational. For many though it’s the desserts which really seal the deal.

So why not skip convention and start with a chocolate fountain frenzy, followed by some sushi and topped off with the full English roast? Just thank Epicurus for the experience and go back up for seconds.

Visit crownhotels.com.au

The One that’s Super Romantic COMO THE TREASURY If you’ve got a special occasion for two on the horizon, I cannot

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recommend this strongly enough.

Book a night or two at the Como The Treasury and you’ll win husband/ wife/significant other of the year.

From the moment you arrive at the impressive yet discreet entrance and are tended to by an attentive doorman who whisks your car and luggage away, the experience of checking in at this special hotel is altogether more, how shall I put it, ah yes. George Clooney. It’s suave.

It assumes you’re wealthy enough not to panic at the sight of the bill.

It’s classy. No queuing at a desk for you behind every man and his wife as you await your turn. Oh no. Here you’ll be invited to take a seat in one of the immaculate lounge areas as staff dressed more elegantly than most guests smoothly serve you a glass of bubbles as the dull process of providing a credit card to check in seems entirely less tiresome.

After just a few sips of those bubbles you’ll be on your way up to one of the beautifully renovated rooms. There’s something timeless, almost religious about this place. It feels like a slice of historic Europe has been miraculously lifted up and placed in the heart of the Perth CBD, it’s so other-worldly compared to other places to rest your head in the city. And oh those rooms.

YOU’LL NEVER WANT TO LEAVE Conceived by the late designer Kerry Hill (also the genius behind the City of Perth Library), all 48 contemporary rooms and suites project a sense of that trademark Como sense of the serene. Grand Posture king-size beds, handcrafted European furnishings and oversized windows deliver comfort, personality and light. Our room was to the side of the hotel, overlooking the cathedral square, a charming spot made all the more so as the cathedral bell gently chimed the hours. Our room - a Heritage Balcony room - even had a little Juliet balcony should you fancy showing off your Shakespearean chops to passers-by.

If you love the Scandic style of blondes, creams and white, you’ll be in heaven. This is next-level luxury with little touches which make a stay so special. There’s a selection of beverages in the mini bar which are free, and we were charmed to discover a glass dome on a table, under which awaited little cubes of homemade honey cake. Sweeties for my sweetie, I briefly thought, gobbling both before he got a look-in.

The bathroom was bigger than my house’s entire ground floor - or felt like it at least, it’s open plan reflecting the original building’s non-conformist floor plan. No cookie cutter room arrangements here; it feels like every room offers something a little unique and memorable. There was a double shower, German deep-form Kaldewei Duo bathtubs, twin vanities so you can apply mascara while he or she shaves, Italian Travertine stone tiles, underfoot heated floors for chilly Perth nights, and aromatherapybased Como Shambhala at Home creams and potions. There’s even a little bowl of mineral salts to sprinkle in your bath should your poor old body require some extra revitalisation.

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REFINED LUXURY Above, the generously proportioned rooms at Como The Treasury are a knock-out, and if you fancy a dip, the indoor swimming pool is a delightful oasis of calm.

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room service menu is tempered to reflect the current climate’s dedication to all things healthy (although you can also pig out on the more familiar late-night staples).

FOOD FOR DAYS Speaking of food, one of the many reasons to stay at Como The Treasury is for the extraordinary collection of gourmet talent housed within the building. Is fine dining your thing? Head to the multiaward-winning Wildflower. Keen to sample some off-the-beaten track wines while snacking on cheeses and

unforgettable romantic stay, we’d say that’s pretty hard to beat.

The One that loves to be Quirky QT HOTEL

charcuterie? Then Petition is your next stop. For breakfast head to Post and enjoy sublime seasonal twists on the first meal of the day (as well as fantastic coffee), or for a predinner elegant cocktail, take a pew at the Treasury’s lounge bar. We, however, had a night at Long Chim Perth in store. Thai cuisine supremo Chef David Thompson’s first Perth restaurant is a sensory treat designed to showcase the south east Asian kingdom’s food in stunning and unexpected ways. Read my review of the meal, and an interview with David on page 70.

TAKE A DIP If, during the haze of your romantic stay, you manage to remove yourself from the luxurious embrace of your room, why not take a dip in the hotel’s indoor pool before booking a treatment or two in the Como Shambhala Urban Escape? I recommend the Sodashi Contouring Marine Body Wrap treatment, which promised to gently knock the most exhausted collection of collagen back into something resembling human form. It begins with an invigorating exfoliation combining finely ground pumice and volcanic clay, followed by a comforting body wrap using Sodashi’s warmed body mask. Rich in carefully-selected marine extracts, plant essences and algae, you can

almost feel the years falling away.

After a refreshing shower, Sodashi’s specialised contouring gel and cream are applied, I left with skin feeling and looking toned and lustrous.

TAKE A TOUR If you’ve got time to spare, why not make the most of the hotel’s excellent curated tours of the city and beyond? Choose from exploring diverse locations like Dirk Hartog Island on the Coral Coast, Margaret River or the Swan Valley, all under the care of the Como The Treasury’s ready-to-wear ‘Experiences’. They can pretty much lay on any trip you fancy (helicopter to a winery in Margs for lunch and back again? Not a problem), and for the ultimate,

ARCHITECTURAL GEM Above, Post is the perfect place to enjoy breakfast when staying at Como The Treasury. Opposite, the generouslyproportioned rooms and indoor pool.

The exterior of Perth’s QT Hotel doesn’t give much away, but if you look closely, you’ll spot some trademark QT eccentricities before even stepping foot inside. A stone’s throw from the Murray Street Mall, you’d be forgiven for thinking the building housed nothing more than some faceless collection of bureaucrats You’d be wrong. There are the door people for a start. When was the last time you were greeted by a perky young person wearing the kind of outfit that wouldn’t be out of place in a Berlin burlesque bar? Think lederhosen and buttons and you’ll get the picture. In the Sydney QT apparently things are taken even further with wigs and make-up. It’s certainly a look that creates something of a double take and perhaps prepares you for the way this new addition to Perth’s hotel scene does things inside. Perhaps best described as ‘urban luxe’, QT Perth takes an existing bland building in the heart of the CBD and turns the dial up to Purple Velvet.

The lobby is part cool dude hangout, part Instagram new crush; it’s so far from the usual entry point of a hotel it’s slightly disorienting. You’ll be checked in by a chipper member of staff and then it’s up to your room.

This again can be a discombobulating experience. Where you might have expected something of a refurb from the old to the new, this is a reinvention of hotel rooms - and then some.

GRAND DESIGNS “Welcome to a lavish world of local jarrah timber, rich velvet, polished brass and black cockatoos,” says the website copy and they’re not wrong.

My room is dark, moody and just a little bit outre. I loved the nods to local icons (like those cockatoos)

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MQ CITY BREAK

things about the hotel’s restaurant, Santini Bar and Grill. The bar i was overflowing with beautiful people when we turned up, diluting the gene pool somewhat. A central hub was thronged with people waiting for their orders, the bearded barmen making mixologist magic.

Miracles happen, and just as we were hovering uncertainly, a table next to the window became free. We had cocktails and revelled in a city bar so buzzy and fun. Our table in the restaurant was ready so off we went - and what followed over the next few hours was sublime. Having lived in London for 10 years in the late 80s and 90s I recognised what was going on here. This was a restaurant that excelled in its own brilliance, confident and lavish without any of that nonsense about chasing trends or serving kombucha in jars. Timeless yet entirely modern, the food served up to us that night was so memorable but perhaps the best part was a piece of pure QT theatre. My squid ink risotto was cooked at our table, expertly prepared and served with flash-seared calamari, dots of fish roe and a lemon salad. We also feasted on zucchini blossom, fried til crisp, and fennel-crusted yellow fin tuna. It was a perfect meal and one I’m afraid to return to in case it doesn’t live up to my memory. But of course I will. I’m not a masochist.

It’s no surprise that Santini’s has scooped the new restaurant of the year award from the WA Good Food Guide in 2019. A stay at this hotel is worth it for the chance to dine here alone.

Visit qthotelsandresorts.com/perth

and was thrilled to find amusing little touches (like the dog head shoe horn in the cupboard and beautifully complex light fittings). It’s a fabulous combination of modern design flourishes coupled with a definite nod towards Steam Punk/industrial vibes, without any loss of luxe along the way. Like other QT properties around the country, you’ll snuggle up in a signature QT Dream Bed, ablute in dark stone bathrooms (perhaps a little too dark as it turns out to apply make up without a torch), covet the Patsy Payne sculptures and help yourself to the ingenious mini-bars.

The colour palette is like a Parisian madam’s boudoir; lusty purples, gold and chocolate brown.

We had not only decided to stay because of all this interior design magnificence; we’d also heard great

The One that’s at the Heart of Everything - DOUBLETREE BY HILTON Checking into the newish DoubleTree by Hilton in Northbridge serves as a reminder about why cookies make everything better.

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a fruity cocktail. So that sealed it.

My little heart-of-the-city break was going to be great.

Actually, what makes a stay at this right in the middle of things hotel brilliant isn’t just free biscuits: it’s the staff. I’d experienced a similar warm fuzzy feeling when staying at the grand old lady of Perth’s hotel scene - the Parmelia Hilton. That’s the kind of place where everybody seems to know your name, and I could see that if I became a regular at this new addition to the Hilton family, I’d be on first name terms with everybody in no time. I liked the design aesthetic at play here. The bright red and orange hanging shards above the staircase added a pleasing pop of exuberant colour to an otherwise mundane space. And our room, high up with a view towards the RAC Arena and the higgledy piggledy rooftops of Northbridge below, was perfectly designed for our little girl’s night out on the town.

We had twin beds, a wellequipped bathroom and even some delightful nibbles to prepare us for the night’s entertainment. We discovered early on that there was a shade that could be raised or lowered on the shower’s back glass wall. We decided, despite being good friends, that on reflection, it should be lowered for the duration of our stay.

out great-looking plates of food and cocktails. Next time, we said.

CITY SLICKERS We really had the pick of the whole city on our doorstep. Northbridge of course, but just a short stroll away (or Uber ride if you’re wearing heels) there was Yagan Square, Chinatown, Elizabeth Quay and Hibernian Place. By the time we came back into Northbridge after our Japanese adventures, it was as lively as I remembered big cities to be when I was young and outgoing.

Crowds of good-natured boys and girls, mostly younger than us, some not, brushed shoulders with smiling policemen and women on horseback as we decided where to head for

QUIRKY AND CUTE Opposite, QT Perth wins all sorts of kudos for its bold interior design choices and cool rooftop bar. Below, Doubletree by Hilton in Northbridge is the perfect place to stay in the heart of the city.

COCKTAILS AND CANAPES We had smartly booked a room that gave us access to the executive lounge’s free pre-dinner drinks and canapes. It would serve breakfast to us too, all included in the room price, in the morning. It was a soothing, elegant space, and our plateful of cheese, crackers and other nibbles set us up nicely for the evening’s rigours, which would include a night of sampling arcane Japanese whiskies at Goody Two’s later on (and a game of giant Jenga across the road from the hotel at the Tiki Bar. Don’t ask.) On our way out into the city, the James St Bar + Kitchen looked buzzy, churning MARQUE AUTUMN 2019

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one last nightcap. That’s where the discreetly signposted Tiki as FK bar came in after, I might add, a brief, ill-advised exploration of next door’s Connections nightclub. Note to self: you can’t go back to 1990, no matter how much you wish you could.

Tiki as FK is a bar done right; a 60s vibe, ironic, witty fixtures and fittings, a brilliant soundtrack, friendly and creative barstaff and a rooftop bar that makes you thank your lucky stars that you’re in Perth and not Hull. When we arrived at half 11, the giant Jenga tournament was in full swing, with friendly cocarousers welcoming us all to join in.

Who says Northbridge is dangerous?

We couldn’t have felt more at home and relaxed.

At closing time it was just a matter of crossing the road and ascending in a pleasing fug to our rooms with the trademark Sweet Dreams beds awaiting our partied-out bodies.

This was a stay that reaffirmed our love for our city - and made us realise that we weren’t as old as we thought after all. Not bad, that; rejeuvenation, all for the price of a hotel room. MQ Visit doubletree3.hilton.com

INTERVIEW hours every year, hot, physical and draining. I think the way the city gets around the race is really cool as well.

I’ve had family and friends come to it and they’ve only ever said good things, so it’s a good one.

“For me, I embrace the challenge. I love street circuits period. But knowing that one is such a physical challenge as well is always fun. I feel like my preparation for that one is like pre-season all over again, you can really do a good couple weeks of proper intensity and really prepare for a real purpose.”

And he means it when he says proper intensity. Last year Ricciardo went ‘off the grid’, shunning social media in the lead-up to the event to sweat up a storm in the gym for nine straight days in seven layers of clothing, with the heat maxed out in a bid to “get comfortable in the uncomfortable”.

There’s good reason for the hardcore training, with the drivers facing cockpit temperatures of 60 degrees Celsius for up to two hours, and no places to rest on the 23-turn

LOCAL

HERO

Duncraig’s favourite son - Daniel Ricciardo - is a Singapore specialist. Stewart Bell caught up with the Perth-born racer to talk about F1’s original night race.

I

t’s Formula 1’s showcase event, a stunning night-race in the heart of one of the world’s great cities – one buzzing for three days of non-stop action, trackside parties and live performance from the hottest acts from the music world. It could only be the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix.

And while 250,000 fans flock annually to Marina Bay for the ultimate event experience, all sightseeing by day and being revved-up by night, Singapore is a completely different story for the drivers in the hottest, longest and toughest race on the calendar. But

it’s one Australian racer Daniel Ricciardo enjoys as a Singapore specialist – the Duncraig-born racer has been on the podium four times in the last five visits.

“It’s definitely established itself on the calendar, everyone knows it is the original night race and the real spectacle night race,” says Daniel, who receives lots of home support in Singapore, with most Australian capitals just a few hours away by plane - Perth just five – making a trip easy on annual leave.

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lap (the most of any on the calendar). The end result is Ricciardo and his rivals will each lose up to 3kg in fluid loss through sweat.

They’ll certainly look amazing doing it, though - with the brilliant light dancing off the cars, as they thread the concrete barriers at up to 320km/h, all against the futuristic night backdrop that is Singapore.

“There is something about night races, which makes them just different,” Daniel says. “Visibility is still the same, but you just see the sparks that come off the car better and it really is a good atmosphere in Singapore. For concentration it’s really impressive how much you need to stay focused for this race in particular.”

But you wouldn’t know the drivers are being tested to the point of exhaustion trackside, with Singapore a fan’s paradise - the balmy, tropical weather perfect for cold

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drinks with friends, or exploring the interactive fun SINGAPORE GP right throughout the circuit park.

If you want to do it in style, opt for Singapore’s 1,600 That’s the amount of lighting projectors needed to famous Formula 1 Paddock Club, or a pass to new create one of the greatest spectacles in world sport. party lifestyle precinct Twenty3, the new 3,000sqm The bespoke, state-of-the-art system from Italian facility featuring three five-star restaurants, four lighting specialists DZ Engineering has not only bars, a 10-metre long dessert bar and, to top it off, delivered optimal visibility for night racing conditions a two-storey nightclub known as the Apex Lounge – since 2008, but also wowed fans all over the world complete with a kinetic light installation, which was as the track is lit up against the city backdrop. specially brought in from Germany.

And once the chequered flag falls, the parties 700 continues on-stage – with six-time Grammy Award That’s the sheer (in tonnes) ofDiggers Formula One Your investment: $200 joining fee,weight including your Polo Shirt. Four events are winners Red Hot Chili Peppers leading theheld Singapore cargo, is flown the city-state seven jumbo annually at $685 perwhich event per into 4 player team,oninclusive of green fees, shared jets. cart, This precious from all the meals, teams, weighing the prizes. event’s stellar 12th edition line-up, alongside Swedish motorised warm cargo up balls, drinks and equivalent of 280 African elephants, includes the allHouse Mafia, Muse, Cardi B, Fatboy Slim, Hans A huge saving over $300 event. important cars.

Shortlyof after which the per teams’ advanced Zimmer as well as Toots and the Maytals. parties arrive to set up the garages.

It’s an experience Aussie fans are sure to savour, especially when coupled with the chance to cheer 3min 40sec for Ricciardo, who for 2019 is excited to be part of This is the exact duration of the now-traditional Country Club Boulevard, Perth WA postRenault as he takes a new tack in building up to his race fireworks display. It’s a performance that has to be Phone (08) 9400 8804 first world title fight. As F1’s showcase event, it’s one timed to perfection, triggered as the winner crosses the not to miss. sales@joondalupresort.com.au line to take the chequered flag. Check out the podium The Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand celebration after that – before heading on to the www.joondalupresort.com.au Prix 2019 will be held from September 20-22.

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HOLIDAY HOMES

YOUR OWN PRIVATE PARADISE

Book a stay at one of the south west’s Private Properties holiday homes and you’ll discover your own slice of perfection says Janine Pittaway.

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he six-season Noongar calendar presents a beautiful visual of the south west’s seasonal changes.

April and May are Djeran – a time of red flowers – especially from the red flowering gum. Cool nights return and early mornings are dewy and cool. Breezes are light and houses are prepared for the winter months.

June and July are known as Makuru – when animals pair up in

preparation for breeding and purple and blue flowers emerge.

It’s the perfect time for us to also adapt to the cooler weather, find a place to settle in, and indulge in the natural beauty and produce of the region.

Locally-owned luxury holiday home business Private Properties has 25 years’ experience finding guests gorgeous homes to perfectly match their seasonal holiday desires.

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take care of more than 100 stunning homes from Albany to Dunsborough, Mandurah, Peppermint Grove Beach and the Swan Valley, and a stay in one of their beautiful homes is in itself a delightful holiday experience. The Margaret River Region is where they call home and it’s where most of their portfolio is located.

“Our luxury holiday homes come into their own in winter. Walk in and have everything ready for your getaway. Put your feet up, crack open a bottle of Cab Sav and relax by the fire,” David says.

“Each home has a unique character but what’s the same across all Private Properties homes is our focus on our guests’ experience and the high level of service we provide.

“No matter which Private Properties home you stay in, you will find the same attention to detail and a consistently high standard of presentation,” he said.

Winter isn’t a peak season for the Margaret River region, which presents many advantages.

“In peak seasons some of our homes are booked out months in advance which means people have to be planning their getaway a long way out,” David said. “But in winter the pace slows and our dream homes are more likely to be available, and at low season rates.

“With homes that can sleep up to 12 people and in incredible locations spanning the region, we can cater to a variety of getaways perfect for a range of winter activities

AUTOCLASSIC.COM.AU

double sided fireplaces so you can enjoy the natural warmth from the lounge or alfresco.

Gather your friends and family around the firepit for a night to remember. Private Properties can also help you arrange a private chef to create a memorable long lunch or dinner, or stock the pantry with your favourite food and wine before you arrive.

At the adjoining Farm Break East & West luxury villas, enjoy a game of tennis, or golf on the private links style golf course, set within the property’s secluded 180 acres which includes a private path to beautiful Bunker Bay. Mahree in the Yallingup hills sits among numerous walking trails, including a walk to the original Yallingup Woodfired Bread bakery.

For breathtaking winter views choose River’s Edge. Suspended

The winter landscape provides a special show.

Vines drop their leaves, paddocks turn a lush green and wildflowers make an appearance.

and relaxation for couples, or extended family and friends,” he said.

Because the region is less crowded in winter, you don’t have to be super organised. Winemakers, chefs, brewers, owners and venue managers have more time to chat and provide personal service. If you’re lucky they might even open a reserve wine for special tasting.

The winter landscape provides

a special show. Vines drop their leaves, paddocks turn a lush green, and wildflowers make a appearance.

Donning boots and a beanie for a walk in the bush is invigorating and everything smells fresh and clean.

Many Private Properties exclusive holiday homes include wood and gas fireplaces. Some, like Ithaca in Yallingup’s Gunyulgup Valley or the new Georgica in Eagle Bay, have MARQUE AUTUMN 2019

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HOME FROM HOME Take your pick from Private Properties’ range of beautiful holiday homes for your next stay in the south west.

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over the Margaret River, the floor to ceiling glass window provides a spectacular view of the fast flowing waters below in a natural bush setting.

Ocean views abound in Private Properties’ holiday home portfolio. MQ Visit privateproperties.com.au to find out more, and search for your winter must haves – from tennis courts to theatre rooms and find your dream winter holiday home.

ESCAPE

Karma Kandara YOUR NEXT LUXURY FAMILY HOLIDAY GETAWAY Discover the essence of Karma at Karma Kandara on Bali’s Bukit Peninsula, known globally as ‘Billionaire’s Row’.

K

arma Kandara’s beautiful villas, Karma Spa, elegant restaurant and beach club sit harmoniously in a stunning lush greenery landscape offering cliff-side ocean views of tropical beaches. It’s the ultimate destination for intimate groups or larger gatherings of family and friends, drawn by Bali’s beauty and captivated by the spirit of Karma Kandara.

CELEBRATE FAMILY FUN AT KARMA KANDARA Enjoy a family holiday filled with unforgettable experiences, exploring all the beauty and diversity Bali has to offer. Together you’ll visit Bali’s breathtaking rice paddies, cycle through stunning scenery and explore the local wildlife. Back at Karma Kandara the children can join in activities all day at Three Monkeys Kids Club to allow you some down time, indulge in a massage or romantic lunch for two. Karma Kandara has everything you need for the perfect family holiday.

THREE MONKEYS KIDS CLUB Every member of the family is cared for at Karma Kandara. The Three Monkeys Kids Club creates adventures and activities for MARQUE AUTUMN 2019

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PARADISE FOUND Karma Kandara in Bali is the perfect place to enoy a family holiday in absolute luxury.

kids aged four to 12 years, including beach-combing, kite making, crafts and swimming. Teens and parents won’t miss out on the fun as the resort offers a chance to explore Bali with a range of exciting guided excursions.

KARMA BEACH BALI With blissful, barefoot days and carefree, glamorous nights, Karma Beach Bali isn’t a place to simply dip your toe in the water. Dive in for the ultimate in immersive, sand-and surf-hedonism.

Family-friendly, fun-filled days of watersports, beachcombing, oceanside spa treatments and cool, private cabanas.

In the evening, enjoy sensual, starfilled nights with DJs, live music, cocktails and seafood feasts. Karma Beach Bali sets a new standard in chilled-out luxury set in an incredible location. It’s time to join our club…

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FAMILY HOLIDAY PACKAGE FOR TWO ADULTS AND TWO CHILDREN • Stay two nights, US$1,060 Choose one experience • Stay three nights, US$1,598 Choose two experiences • Stay four nights, US$2,136 Choose three experiences KARMA EXPERIENCES: White Water Rafting • Carangsari Village Cycling • Kintamani Mountain Cycling Jatiluwih Rice Paddy Cycling • Rainforest Trekking • Zoo Explorer • Discover Bali Bird Park INCLUSIONS: • Two-Bedroom Pool Villa • Daily breakfast • Return airport transfers • Fruit basket replenished daily • Free WIFI ENJOY A SPECIAL EXCLUSIVE 15% DISCOUNT ON OUR KARMA KANDARA FAMILY HOLIDAY PACKAGE WITH PROMO CODE: BMWKARMA

ABOUT KARMA KANDARA Karma Kandara is a multi-award winning 5-star resort of outstanding natural beauty with the most breathtaking views and enviable location in Bali.

Situated atop a spectacular limestone cliff top overlooking the Indian Ocean, Karma Group’s flagship retreat features 54 private-pool villas, each blending traditional Balinese architecture with luxury amenities and offering exquisite views of tropical green and sea blue.

Curving around the rooftop, the iconic, lantern-lit infinity pool appears to flow into the Indian Ocean.

To complement its luxury accommodations, Karma Kandara features a highly eclectic portfolio of public amenities and venues, each with its own distinct character. The Bali spa resort destination boasts the Di Mare Restaurant with its gourmet fare and exceptional seafood, the Temple Lounge Rooftop Bar, which serves signature drinks with an intoxicating view and atmosphere, and our prize-winning Karma Spa & Wellness, a sanctuary for mind and body, all dramatically perched on rocky outcrops 85 meters high.

Karma has an inclinator to take guests down to Karma Beach Club Bali – listed as one of the world’s 50

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best beach bars by CNN Traveler – where delectable canapes, signature cocktails, live music and white sands lapped by cobalt waters all await the visitor on their Bali vacation.

Visit karmakandara.com Instagram: @karma.kandara.bali Facebook: karma.kandara.bali ABOUT KARMA GROUP Karma Group is an award-winning international travel and lifestyle brand offering extraordinary experiences in the world’s most beautiful locations and is headed by chairman and founder, John Spence, former Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year and member of the judging panel for the Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur of the Year.

The Karma Group is comprised of Karma Resorts, Karma Retreats, Karma Royal, Karma Estates, Karma Beach, Karma Spa and Karma Boutique. The Group is currently operating 33 resorts in more than 10 countries, including Australia, France, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and the United Kingdom.

Visit karmagroup.com Instagram: @karma.group Facebook: karmagroupglobal

BOOK MARQUE

NORMAN BURNS REVEALS THE LATEST GREAT READS.

INTO THE LIGHT, THE MUSIC PHOTOGRAPHY OF JEROME BRUNET, $75

TREES BETWEEN EARTH AND HEAVEN

Gregory McNamee/Art Wolfe, Earth Aware Editions, $85 Only one word can describe this brilliantly illustrated tome – treemendous.

The considered lens of Art Wolfe and the succinct text of Gregory McNamee brings you up close and personal to some of the world’s most spectacular trees.

It’s a sobering thought that an estimated seven billion (yes billion) trees are cut down each year – equivalent to around 48 football fields’ worth every minute.

Wolfe’s shots of gargantuan sequoias in Oregon, dazzling cherry trees in Japan, majestic, tangled banyan trees in south east Asia and Western Australia’s unique boab are jaw dropping and a poignant reminder that if we want our children’s children to have a healthy Earth to live on we need to start taking a lot better care of these sentinels of the planet.

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Jerome Brunet first got the music bug when he was four, learning the cello, but as he grew up this morphed into another artistic pursuit – capturing the essence of top musicians via his photography.

This 208-page collection of brilliant portraits spans 20 years, from legendary blues luminaries such as B.B. King (on the stunning cover shot), to rockers such as Slash, Dave Grohl, The Who, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd and many, many more.

“I’m known to shoot what is referred to in French as shooting in ‘contre-jour’ or ‘into the light’ where the camera is pointed directly toward a source of light,’’ says Brunet. “After 20 years into my journey as a music photographer I thought it was time to put my work ‘Into the Light’ and share this collection with music and art lovers everywhere.”

Brunet hasn’t forgotten his musical roots; a portion of proceeds from the book will go to the Pinetop Perkins Foundation, which provides support for young musicians starting out in their career and care for elderly musicians in the twilight of their career.

Signed copies are available from intothelight.photo

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KNOCKOUT, THE ART OF BOXING

Ken Regan, Insight Editions, $49.99 This special re-edition of the awardwinning Knockout (first published in 2007) should be a must for all boxing fans.

Photographer Ken Regan was ringside during the sport’s halcyon days of the 1960s and fell in love with boxing after covering his first bout – the classic contest between Sonny Liston and the then brash newcomer Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali).

From striking images of the stars of the ring to their managers, the unsung seconds, the crazy promoters, the hard-bitten journos and the panoply of celebrity hangers-on, Knockout transcends being a mere book on boxing; it’s a snapshot of a never-to-be-

HOLLYWOOD GODFATHER Gianni Russo, St Martin’s, $32.99 THE GODFATHER, 50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION Mario Puzo, Random House, $49.99 OK, I’m going to make you an offer you can’t refuse – read this book.

Hollywood Godfather is the memoir of Godfather actor Gianni Russo (who you might ask? Russo played the snivelling wife-beating Carlo Rizzi who sets up his brother-in-law Sonny, played by James Caan, for that memorable tollbooth mob hit).

But while Caan, Marlon Brando and Al Pacino were all playing at being mobsters, Russo was the real thing, the protégé of Mafia legend Frank Costello who took him under his wing as a pen-hustling street kid.

When Mafia “connections” threatened to derail the making of The Godfather (they didn’t like that it portrayed Italian Americans in such a poor light), Russo was brought in to broker a deal. His

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price for smoothing the way – a guaranteed part in the finished movie.

While Russo claims he was never a mob heavy he ran into trouble big time when he shot dead a knifewielding punk beating up a woman in the Miami nightclub he owned (along with two other mobsters).

The local cops had no problem with the shooting as self-defence but unfortunately for Russo the “punk” was a nephew of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar.

And that’s when Russo’s life really takes a turn for the worse...

Entertaining, violent, enlightening (Russo reveals some shocking insights into the Kennedy assassination) and in turns hugely amusing, the film rights to Hollywood Godfather will no doubt be snapped up in double-quick time.

And directors won’t have to look far to find someone to play the older Russo.

Meanwhile, Mario Puzo’s original novel that led to three smash hit movies and kickstarted an entire gangster genre is being re-released in a special 50th anniversary, complete with new introduction by director Francis Ford Coppola.

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MQ BOOKS

repeated golden era.

THE STAR WARS ARCHIVES, 1977-83 Paul Duncan, Taschen, $350

An undertaking almost as big as constructing the Death Star, Paul Duncan’s Star Wars Archives (604 pages and in a massive 41.1x 30cm hardcover format) is the first in a series of Taschen volumes covering the Star Wars legend.

From pre-production paintings, storyboards, never before seen stills, script annotations, behind-thescenes anecdotes, special effects secrets and more the Star Wars Archives is a tour de Force indeed.

MAJESTIC: The Great Hornbill in full flight in the Indian state of Nagaland.

Hunted for its feathers, the bird is becoming increasingly rare.

I AM A FILIPINO, AND THIS IS HOW WE COOK Nicole Ponseca/Miguel Trinidad, Hardie Grant Books, $70

ASIA’S WILDLIFE, A JOURNEY TO THE FORESTS OF HOPE Fanny Lai/Bjorn Olsen, Periplus, $49.99

The culmination of a year-long wildlife journey through some of Asia’s last remaining forests, Asia’s Wildlife showcases more than 190 species – some easily recognisable, others mysterious indeed.

Many are critically endangered, their habitats threatened by soaring human population or the threat of commercial deforestation.

From the Giant Cloud Rat to the majestic Philippine Eagle and the

spectacular and critically endangered Helmeted Hornbill, this 270-page odyssey showcases the brilliance of Mother Nature – and why we will be all the poorer if such magnificent creatures vanish for good.

Part-proceeds from each copy sold will be donated to Birdlife International, the world’s largest partnership of national, nongovernmental nature conservation organisations.

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Filipino food is tipped by many to be ‘‘the next big thing’’; of course, to Filipinos it already is the greatest thing going and a flick through this colourful collection of dishes shows why they might be right on the money.

The sheer diversity of Filipino food is astonishing, a heady amalgam of Spanish, Chinese, south-east Asian, even American, influences and the dishes contained here range from sour adobos with ultra-tender meat, snacks like ukoy (fritters) and other national dishes such as kare-kare (oxtail stew) and much more.

A more than worthy addition to any cookbook collection.

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Tannamurra, Swan Valley

Your driveway to an unforgettable holiday Beautiful architecture, jaw-dropping views, and every creature comfort you can wish for. Staying in a Private Properties holiday home creates a wonderful experience that will live on in your memory long after the sun has set.

www.privateproperties.com.au

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REVIEW

The new BMW Z4 has zipped onto many people’s wish-list. Simon Suede is no exception.

ZEST

IS FOR

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car can be a lot of things. It can be, of course, nothing more than a means from getting from A to B, practical, everyday, dependable maybe, but ultimately just mundane.

On the other hand, it can be about celebrating life, grabbing opportunities by the scruff of their neck and celebrating just how wonderful it can be. It can be about making a statement, shouting to the world that you’re here to make a difference, here to experience all

that’s on offer. Here, in short, to have a good time. And if your car is all that, then it’s probably a BMW Z4.

Yes, this is a car to enjoy life in, a car to reap the rewards of hard work, a car to aspire to and celebrate long and hard once it’s your.

And it’s just got that little bit better thanks to BMW’s lastest makeover.

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puristic, driver-focused interior.

The two-seater roadster has been systematically designed for maximum agility, thrilling dynamism, plus supremely precise steering characteristics with instantaneous response. It combines its sporty on-road prowess with a wealth of highly advanced, top-class equipment features on the driver assistance, operation and connectivity fronts.

The car’s proportions provide the most striking evidence of how the classic roadster concept has been reinterpreted. Compared to its predecessor, the new Z4 is 85mm longer and 74 mm wider and the new design of the front and rear axles gives the car a far sportier edge at the same time as guaranteeing high levels of comfort.

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SHOWSTOPPING STYLE The new BMW Z4 comes in three variants, including a BMW M Performance option.

The central seating position, low centre of gravity, minimised weight and ideal 50:50 weight distribution all add to the intoxicating dynamism of the new BMW Z4.

The new evolution arrived in March, and offers three model variants, including a BMW M Performance option. The M40i is powered by a six-cylinder in-line engine delivering 250 kW/340 hp while the sDrive30i and sDrive20i take to the stage with fo ur-cylinder units producing outputs of 190 kW/258 hp and 145 kW/197 hp respectively.

The new Z4 has a low-slung, sporty, compact appearance whether the soft-top is up or down. With its new-look mesh-design BMW kidney grille and – for the first time – a vertical headlight arrangement, the

car cuts an unmistakable figure from the front.

It’s equipped with LED headlights as standard, while the optional Adaptive LED headlights add a matrix function for the non-dazzling high beam and cornering lights. The elongated bonnet with arrow-shaped contour lines directed at the kidney grille straddles the wheel arches in the “clamshell” style so characteristic of classic sports cars.

There’s a choice of nine exterior paint shades and the fabric softtop comes in black as standard or anthracite with silver effect as an option. It is electrically operated and can be opened or closed in 10 seconds, even when travelling at up to 50 km/h (31 mph).

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design, lines that surge forward with dynamic élan and trim finishers restricted to just a few areas, the cabin of the new Z4 paints a picture of unadulterated driving pleasure.

Electroplated detailing adds to the roadster’s sophisticated ambience, while the clearly structured arrangement of the controls focuses the attention even more on the driving experience. Both driver and passenger settle into model-specific sports seats with integral head restraints. The BMW Z4 sDrive30i is upholstered in Vernasca leather as standard, whereas the BMW Z4 M40i has a leather and Alcantara interior.

Boot capacity is 281 litres whether the soft-top is open or closed – an increase of more than 50 per cent compared to the outgoing model.

The engines available for the new Z4 benefit from myriad detail upgrades and promise a pulsating brand of power delivery. They send that power to the road through the latest-generation eight-speed Steptronic Sport transmission.

Hard at work in the BMW Z4 M40i is a 3.0-litre straight-six unit featuring M Performance TwinPower Turbo technology. The 250 kW/340 hp engine generates peak torque of 500 Nm (369 lb-ft) and propels the roadster from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.5 seconds.

The line-up of engines is completed by a pair of 2.0-litre four-cylinder units. The variant in the new BMW Z4 sDrive30i has 190 kW/258 hp and 400 Nm (295 lb-ft), which enables it to complete the 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) sprint in 5.4 seconds. In the new BMW Z4 sDrive20i, meanwhile, maximum output of 145 kW/197 hp and peak torque of 320 Nm (236 lbft) translate into a 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) time of 6.6 seconds.

Tech-wise the Z4 comes with all the bells and whistles we’ve come to expect, offering market-leading levels of safety and entertainment.

If you want to celebrate life, this is the car for you. MQ Visit autoclassic.com.au to arrange a test drive.

THINGS TO DO IN CARNARVON & CORAL BAY

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EAT THE REGION If you’re keen to taste this extraordinary region’s produce, then there’s a food festival designed just for that. The Gascoyne Food Festival is a three-day event celebrating everything from fresh seafood caught on the Coral Coast to juicy mangoes and perhaps the fruit Carnarvon’s best known for: bananas. It’s a surprisingly glitzy festival with some of WA’s best chefs making the journey north to rub shoulders with keen foodies sampling dishes made with ingredients from the region. The Long Table Lunch is a particular highlight and one to book early. Local restaurants and cafes pull out all the stops too during the festival, putting the region’s farming produce and artisan creations centre stage for all to try.

Gascoyne Food Festival, August 9 to 11, various locations. Visit gascoynefoodfestival.com.au.

It’s the new hot spot in Western Australia (thank you, Chris Hemsworth and Matt Damon) - so what should you do if you’re heading to the Carnarvon and Coral Bay region over the next few months? By GABI MILLS.

2 REACH FOR THE STARS Fifty years ago, the world held its breath as the Apollo 11 moon landing event unfolded. To celebrate this incredible achievement, the Carnarvon Space and Technology Museum is holding a cocktail party, marking the very special part the town played in this global event.

Hosted by television and radio personality Greg Pearce, ex-trackers from other space stations around the world will be interviewed on stage and there will be entertainment provided by a local band. There will be the chance to stargaze too with the help of the staff at the Perth Observatory and tasty canapes will be on offer. Make sure you leave time too to explore the museum itself: it’s a fascinating - and award-winning - place to discover more about the space race story and WA’s part in that day 50 years ago.

The Carnarvon Space and Technology Museum, 50th anniversary cocktail party, July 20 from 7pm.

Call 08 9941 1146 or email frontdesk@carnarvonmuseum.org.au

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CARAVANNING CAN DO If you’re arriving in the region with a caravan in tow, then there are plenty of spots to choose from to pitch your vehicles. Thanks to Carnarvon’s proximity to some of the Coral Coast’s most iconic locations, it really does make the perfect base to stay for the duration of your vacation. It’s said that Carnarvon has the most caravan sites on the Coral Coast (nine at the last count) and if you don’t have a caravan, there’s a wide range of options to choose from including camping, luxury spa chalets, self-contained waterfront apartments, holiday homes as well as hotels. Pay a visit to the visitor centre and they’ll match you up with your ideal place to stay during your visit.

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GIANTS OF THE DEEP Coral Bay is one of the few places on earth where it’s possible to swim with whale sharks and, more recently, with humpback whales.

It’s hard to put into words what this experience feels like; people who have taken the plunge are variously moved to tears, unable to speak and just overwhelmed by the majesty of swimming up close and possible with these graceful underwater giants.

There are a number of tour operators in Coral Bay who will take you to the most likely places where you will enjoy an encounter. There are strict rules in place about when, where and how people can interact with these creatures, but assuming your luck is in (and some tour operators experience a high 88 to 100% success rate for encounters), you too will be lost for words after you share a silent moment or two with some of the world’s biggest fish and mammals. If you’re not keen on diving, there are also snorkel-only activities over the reef, and of course you can watch the whales from the comfort of a tour boat too. Unmissable.

The whale shark season begins in late March and the humpback whale season from July 1. Check with the visitor centre for more details (visitcarnarvon.com.au)

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HEAD FOR THE HILLS In a region that’s full of surprises, it may be news to you that Mount Augustus in the Gascoyne hinterland is the world’s largest rock. You’ll find its looming, eternal presence in the Mount Augustus National Park, a lush outback paradise with swimming holes, ancient rock art and, at the right time of year (August and September), an explosion of colour thanks to the indigenous wildflowers that populate the landscape. You can explore the region on your own, or join a 4x4 tag-a-long tour with local experts who will point out heaps of fascinating things along the way.

There are trails to follow on foot too - try the Honeycomb Gorge trail, a fairly easy walk taking you to a large natural amphitheatre with a cooling seasonal waterfall and pool.

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7 CATCH A CACTUS SELFIE You’ll have seen the incongruous sight of various Insta-famous bloggers posing in the midst of cacti while on holiday in Carnarvon and perhaps wondered what an earth was going on. There’s a cactus farm on the Fruit Loops (a collection of roads where many of the region’s plantations are) and thanks to the dramatic contrast of WA’s red dirt and those striking drought-friendly plants sprouting upwards like prickly green spires, the world’s Instagramers have flocked for a shot.

So why not go the whole hog - grab a cowboy hat and channel your best Wild West attitude as you strike a pose too? While you’re driving in the area, drop in on some of the local plantation growers too - they often have produce to sell and sample.

For directions, ask the friendly staff at the Carnarvon Visitor Centre.

SPECTACULAR NATURE Travel 75km north of Carnarvon along a sealed road and you’ll find one of the region’s major drawcards: The Blowholes. Pack a picnic and bring snorkelling gear and get ready for an awe-inspiring sight. Powerful ocean swells force water up through sea caves and out of narrow holes in the rocks, expelling jets of water into the air, sometimes to a height of 20m. It’s really quite something, but a word of warning: make sure you check the surging tide, wind and swell which creates the large blow. Although the coast is serene it can be deadly with a dangerous swell that can turn into king waves, capable of crashing over the top of the rock ledge. Treat this coastline and respect and get ready for some unforgettable Insta moments.

MQ LET’S GO TO ...

RANGE ROVERS If you fancy a change of scene from those stunning ocean-side spots that have rightly made the Coral Coast famous, there’s a delightful alternative to be found under the majestic river gums on the Wooramel River. Travel 120kms south of Carnarvon and you’ll find large shady sites, fire pits and warm showers to revive you after a long day of exploring. Wooramel River Retreat really is the stuff of dreams, the perfect place to reset, retreat and

8 9 revive. There’s a bore bath which, if you get up early enough, can be all yours to watch the sunrise with a cup of campfire coffee in hand. There are other campsites too which more than tick the box when it comes to bigging up the bliss factor. Head to Red Bluff for total seclusion - and experience the kind of off-the-grid vacation which made Chris Hemsworth rave about the spot to his millions of social media followers. There’s Gnaraloo Station (high on an escarpment, overlooking the ocean) and Quobba Station (a working pastoral station with easy access to stunning beaches and land-based game fishing). Take your pick - you’ll find your own slice of paradise off the beaten track.

CAST AWAY Bring a rod or join a fishing tour for some of the most memorable on-land or deep sea fishing you’ll ever experience. If you’re in Carnarvon for the CarnarFin Fishing Competition in late May, you’ll be able to test your fishing chops against competitors from all over the country, keen to land the prize-winning catch. Otherwise, head to Whistling Rock, one of Quobba’s most reliable spots on the coastline for landing spectacular fish. Expect Spanish mackerel, tuna and sail fish during winter or mulloway, tailor, dart, trevally, snapper and squid at other times of the year. If you’re in Coral Bay, join a fishing charter and see whether you’re more than a match for the big game fish of the ocean. During any given voyage you could land marlin, sailfish, wahoo, mackerel and mahi mahi as well as sea trout, cod and perch. If you’re the plus one of a fishing tragic, don’t despair. Bring a snorkel and fins and watch the reef fish dart around as you explore the waters around Coral Bay.

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10 HISTORY IN THE MAKING One Mile Jetty is an essential component of Canarvon’s long history. The wooden jetty used to be the region’s lifeline to transporting goods to the rest of the state and beyond. Although sections of the jetty have now fallen into disrepair and it’s closed to visitors, there’s a brand new visitor centre that’s opened nearby in the Heritage Precinct. It provides a fascinating insight into the story of the jetty and how it was such a vital part of life for pastoralists and farmers in Carnarvon and the nearby plantations. With artwork created by Indigenous artist Antoinette Roe, a local Yinggarda woman, there are artefacts and installations collected from locals and displayed to underline what a significant part the jetty played in the story of the state as a whole.

Don’t miss the section dedicated to HMAS Sydney and the HSK Kormoran. It’s a moving and beautifully presented re-telling of the story of one of Australia’s worst naval wartime disasters, when the battleship was sunk with all 645 hands off the Coral Coast on November 19, 1941. MQ

Time for a road trip?

Gascoyne Food Festival August 7 ~ 10

This Life Music Festival June 29

Carnar-Fin Fishing Comp.

May 27 ~ June 3

Carnarvon Race Season May ~ September

t Race 2019

Doorawarrah Deser ~ May 11 and 12

50th anniversary of the Moon Landing, Carnarvon Space and Technology Museum July 20

#CatchyouinCarnarvon (08) 9941 1146 info@carnarvon.org.au

www.carnarvon.org.au/thislife ThisLifeEvents

ThisLifeEventsCarnarvon

CAMERAS

SNAP

HAPPY

Forget your smartphone – if you want to be a proper photographer you need to invest in the real deal. And these funky, compact “mirrorless” offerings from some of the world’s best camera brands are the bee’s knees.

By NORMAN BURNS. Images courtesy CANON, PANASONIC, SONY.

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irrorless, mirrorless on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?

At least that’s what Snow White might ask if she were to pop down to her local camera shop.

These days, thanks to the ubiquitous smart phone, anyone can snap away anytime, anywhere.

While this is fantastically convenient, if really want to push the boundaries of photography (and your own creativity, plus have access to the kind features that professional photographers can use) you’ll need to invest in a ‘‘proper’’ camera.

And for the past decade or so it is the mirrorless camera that’s been transforming modern consumer photography, an evolution of lighter, smarter and overall funkier pieces of kit that are a breeze to use.

The first models came on the scene around 2004, with industry heavyweights Canon coming on board in 2012.

Even with overall global camera sales falling dramatically, from around 121 million units in 2010 to 19 million units in 2018 (thanks to those pesky smartphones), the market share of mirrorless cameras has been rising.

According to figures from camera industry analysts LensVid, last year an estimated 4.1 million mirrorless cameras were bought worldwide.

Over the past 30 years familyowned Leederville Cameras has been at the “coalface” of the massive technological changes in the photography business and the dawn of the digital camera revolution.

Says Leederville Cameras’ Lidio Fiore: “In the past few years mirrorless has slowly overtaken the sales of traditional SLRs. Currently we sell around 70% mirrorless to around 30% traditional SLRs as people prefer the lightweight size, quicker focus and shutters speeds for kids or speeds, plus the lenses are much smaller.”

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PICTURE PERFECT Invest some new camera hardware and take next level images.

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smartphones to be a “gateway” camera but when it comes to getting special prints (such as on canvas or metal) made there is no comparison with the quality offered by a “real” camera.

“I would recommend buying a camera if your end result is wanting to print a large metal or canvas images and having amazing colour and depth. Also, there are no limitations as to how big you can print,’’ she says.

“A lot of the cameras we sell today are for particular events, for example if you are travelling and want great landscape shots, and the ability to produce a big print, then there is no comparison to having a proper camera with a bigger sensor.

“There is no greater feeling than taking a photo, printing it nice and big for your wall and telling your friends or family ‘I took that’.”

Leederville Cameras, 201 Oxford St, Leederville, (08) 9468 8428, leedervillecameras.com.au

CANON EOS RP Canon’s first entry level Full frame mirrorless camera comes with an adaptor which enables use of older EF Canon lenses. It can shoot 4K video, images up to 26.2 megapixels and is substantially lighter than a traditional full-frame camera.

There’s in-built wi-fi and Bluetooth connectivity which allows wireless sharing, control and image transfers with a compatible smart device via the Canon Camera Connect app and a vari-angle rear touchscreen makes viewing what you’re shooting a breeze, whatever the angle. $1,879, camera body only.

sturdy, sealed construction means it will operate in inclement conditions with ease. $1,999, camera body only.

LUMIX GH5S (with 12-60 lens) This groovy offering from Panasonic is specially geared for shooting ultra-high definition 4K video as well as being an outstanding ‘‘stills’’ camera. Panasonic has incorporated some gee-whiz engineering to make both a breeze in difficult or low lighting conditions.

The GH5s also can shoot in RAW mode (and processed in-camera to speed production flow) and there’s built-in wireless connectivity so you can easily share images or control the camera remotely from a smartphone or a tablet. And with extensive sealing at each joint, dial and button, the GH5s is splash-proof, dustproof and can operate perfectly in temperatures down to -10C. $3,299, camera body only.

CANON EOS R Canon’s top-of-the-range fullframe mirrorless camera shoots 30 megapixel images, has a larger viewfinder than other models and, for the technically minded, has dual pixel RAW shooting.

Virtually all professionals shoot in RAW rather than JPEG as the latter format heavily compresses images.

The Eos R’s RAW processing enables even amateurs to get professional results once the images are ‘tweaked’ via editing software (which, naturally, is available from Canon). $3,299, camera body only.

SONY A7 III with 35mm full-frame image sensor There’s a lot of photographic wizardry packed into the light, compact body of Sony’s A7 III which features a 24.2 megapixel back-illuminated CMOS sensor and upgraded image processor to capture ultra-sharp images. The 10-framesa-second continuous shooting function also allows you to capture on-the-go action instantly. $2649, camera body only.

LUMIX G9 Another mirrorless beauty from Japan’s Panasonic Corporation that packs a lot of punch, capable of capturing images up to 60 frames per second and, thanks to an enhanced Depth-from-Defocus autofocus system should consign all those blurry holiday snaps to history (unless, that is, you are deliberately wanting to include the trendy fuzzy ‘bokeh’ – aesthetic blurring – in your shots).

The G9 shoots UHD 4K video and has a special High Resolution Mode function so you can capture and combine eight separate images to create a single 80 megapixel RAW file.

As with the GH5s, the G9’s

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SONY A7R III with 35mm full-frame image sensor Big brother to the A7 III, the A7R ups the ante with a 42.4 megapixel sensor and enhanced image processor, doubled autofocus tracking and enhanced eye autofocus, all of which means capturing those birthday party shots, footy action or family portraits should be a cinch. $3,999, camera body only.

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HISTORY

THE PLUCK OF THE IRISH Former Wallaby turned bestselling author Peter FitzSimons’ latest book The Catalpa Rescue brings to life an extraordinary prison breakout tale from Western Australia’s convict past.

By NORMAN BURNS. Images courtesy NEW BEDFORD WHALING MUSEUM, FREMANTLE PRISON.

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ith his trademark red bandana and pepperand-salt beard, author Peter FitzSimons looks every bit the swashbuckler.

Which is the perfect fit for his latest book, The Catalpa Rescue, a story of subterfuge, bravery, a daring prison escape and derring-do on the high seas that, if it wasn’t 100 per cent true, would be worthy of a Hollywood script (which, in fact, may happen).

The Catalpa saga is one of the world’s great prison break stories, and even more compelling for Western Australians because it took place in Fremantle 143 years ago,

when six Irish ‘rebels’ – brought over as convicts – were spirited out of the Swan River Colony to freedom in the United States.

And bringing the tale to a global audience was a must for FitzSimons, who has written a slew of non-fiction bestsellers centred around notable Australian stories, including Gallipoli, explorers Burke & Wills, the Kokoda trail, the Batavia wreck and rebellion and the mutiny on the Bounty.

“A decade ago, I heard the story of the shipwreck of the Batavia off the coast of WA in 1629. I couldn’t believe such a stunning story could be a) true and b) not better known

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if so,” says the 57-year-old former Wallaby lock.

“It was true, and the book I wrote on it is the one I want my kids to put on my tombstone, if I do say so myself.

“Catalpa is just like that, though – it is from WA and is an unbelievably wonderful, if little-known, story.

And it is international, marking a hugely significant movement in the history of Ireland, the USA, Great Britain and Australia. I love everything about the story and loved working on it,” he says.

FitzSimons agrees The Catalpa, like the equally mesmerising WAbased tale of the Batavia, is worthy

of a movie.

And he already has an ace in the hole if either is to make it to the big screen.

“Russell Crowe is my man. He has the rights to Batavia and has expressed an interest in this one.

He will get the first copy off the presses,” says FitzSimons, who, despite racking up a score of bestsellers, has no plans to slow down.

“I start early, I go late and I work fast,” says FitzSimons, when asked how he manages such an astonishing output. “I’m helped by researchers with my books, who are the best in the business. I just love crafting the story so it lives and breathes. My aim is not to have the reader come to me as I tell the story but write it so they feel like they are in the story.”

As to what’s more difficult, slogging away in front of the computer writing or going toe-to-toe with the world’s toughest rugby players...

“Funny you should ask that. My Wallabies coach, Bob Dwyer, said to me a couple of years ago that if I had worked as hard at my rugby as I now work at my books I would have played 50 Tests. And I think he’s right. But I hated working hard at rugby. And, as discussed, working hard at books doesn’t feel like work,” he says.

Even with the ink barely dry on The Catalpa Rescue, FitzSimons is already plotting his next epic – and books beyond.

“As we speak, beneath my fingers, Captain Cook is just about to set foot on the shores of what he will call Botany Bay. He is confronted by two brave Indigenous warriors, holding spears. You just will not believe what happens next. I barely can, even though I have been working on this scene for days.

“I’d also love to write a book about Bob Dylan – he is my absolute dream subject, so long as he would co-operate fully (come on Bobby, you know you want to). Failing that, I have a very loose handshake deal with Hugh Jackman that when he is ready I can do his bio and I know that to be

an absolutely stunning yarn.

“The real problem is not to make it a hagiography. I seriously have never met, nor heard of, anyone who does not like him hugely. He is one of the very best men I know and without gushing in unseemly fashion – much – the only person I know who is even more admirable is his wife Deborra-Lee Furness.”

Maybe, too, FitzSimons could turn his creative talents to a tale of his six ideal (living or dead) dinner party guests.

“I have often fantasised about bringing to life, just for three hours, all the people I have done biographies on, led by Ned Kelly, Sir Douglas Mawson, Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, Nancy Wake, Les Darcy and Sir John Monash.

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FREEDOM SHIP (opposite) The Catalpa, painted by Charles Sidney Raleigh, 1876.

Image courtesy New Bedford Whaling Museum.

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he is the one I would place (at the table) on my right. I’d ask him: ‘Ned, tell me. Glenrowan. What in blazes were you thinking?’”

The Catalpa Rescue, by Peter FitzSimons, $34.99, Hachette Australia, is available now at all good booksellers.

THE ONES THAT GOT AWAY The background to the Catalpa saga is fascinating, a heady mix of international intrigue, the fight for Irish independence and fury at the actions of Britain during the American Civil War in the 1860s.

The British had helped Confederate raiders sink whaling ships from New Bedford (the Union needed whale oil); the raider Shenandoah even kept up attacks after the war ended in 1865. A tough, hardy lot, the New Bedford whalers were not the type to easily forgive – or forget – the Crown’s actions.

The Civil War had ended with a Union victory, but behind the scenes a secret Irish-American militant

MQ HISTORY

< THE CATALPA CAST An 1876 lithograph of the Catalpa and the rescuers, and rescued, involved: Captain George Anthony, Thomas Hassett, Martin Hogan, Robert Cranston, Michael Harrington, Thomas Darragh, James Mc N Wilson, John Breslin, Denis Duggan, John King, Thomas Desmon and Thomas Brennan. Image courtesy New Bedford Whaling Museum.

Many were sentenced to hang, but anxious to avoid creating martyrs to the Irish cause, the British commuted most sentences to long terms of imprisonment in some of England’s worst prisons – or deportation, which is where Fremantle Gaol enters the story.

In October 1867, the convict ship Hougoumont set sail for the Swan River Colony and incarceration in Fremantle Gaol, known to inmates as “the living tomb’’.

Of the 300 prisoners on board, 62 were from the Fenian movement.

Most were eventually pardoned but six prisoners, Thomas Darragh, Martin Hogan, Michael Harrington, Thomas Hassett, Robert Cranston and James Wilson – all of whom had infiltrated the Redcoats, infuriating the British establishment – were left languishing in the foreboding, convict-built Fremantle Gaol.

group, The Fenians, had their own plans, hoping to provoke an Irish uprising against British rule – firstly with two ill-fated raids into Canada, where they hoped to entice Canadian Irish to their cause.

The Fenians had recruited battlehardened men from both the Union and Confederate sides and had an estimated 8,000 men, out of a garrison of 26,000 British ‘Redcoat” troops, sworn to their cause.

They never got a chance to strike, however, as British spies uncovered the plot and authorities swooped on the ringleaders.

Civilian Fenian members were treated as political prisoners but military prisoners as ordinary criminals.

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Luckily for them another Fenian prisoner, John Boyle O’Reilly, had been transferred to a convict depot in Bunbury.

O’Reilly befriended a local Catholic priest, Father Patrick McCabe, who paid the master of a New Bedford whaler, Captain David Gifford, for O’Reilly’s passage back to Boston. Gifford’s decision to take O’Reilly on board could well have been influenced by memories of the carnage wrought on his fellow New

speculator, ingratiating himself with the Governor of Western Australia Sir William Cleaver Robinson, so much so that he got a personally guided “tour” of Fremantle Gaol.

The Catalpa eventually arrived off Bunbury on March 28, 1876 (the port was well known as a stopover for American whalers).

Breslin got a coded message to the prisoners and on Easter Monday, April 17, 1876, when most officials and guards were distracted by the

Bedford whalers by Great Britain and the Confederate raiders.

Back in Boston, O’Reilly and fellow Irish republican John Devoy schemed away to hatch an audacious rescue plan for the six men still held in Fremantle.

Thanks to contacts in New Bedford whaling circles they bought a ship, The Catalpa, planning to sail it to Australia and then pluck the Irish Fenian prisoners from right under the noses of the authorities.

To work though, the plot needed “men on the ground” and to that end two other Fenians, John Breslin and Tom Desmond, had been despatched to the colony in September 1875.

Breslin posed as a wealthy mining

Royal Perth Yacht Club Regatta Day festivities, the six snuck away from their prison work details to rendezvous with Breslin and Desmond and commence a frantic escape by horse-drawn carriage to Rockingham Beach.

The eight men jumped into a whaleboat and headed out into the surf, leaving armed police on horseback literally in their wake.

With a superhuman effort, the men rowed through the night, battling a severe storm, and outfoxing a police cutter and British steamship, the Georgette, in hot pursuit to rendezvous with the Catalpa.

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Fremantle for supplies but was back in the chase the following day.

When it caught up with the Catalpa it ordered the ship’s captain, George Anthony, to heave to and prepare to be boarded.

He refused.

When the Georgette fired a shot across the Catalpa’s bows, Captain Anthony played a trump card – gesturing to the American flag flying on the Catalpa and yelling at the Georgette their actions would be “an act of war”.

Unwilling to cause an international incident, the Georgette stood down.

Thus, the Catalpa and the six Fenians escaped, arriving to a heroes’ welcome in New York Harbour in August 1876.

A diplomatic row erupted between Great Britain and the United States, while back in Fremantle the Governor and prison staff and colonial were left red-faced.

The Fenians never succeeded in overthrowing British rule and establishing an independent Ireland but their exploits – and especially the Catalpa escape – proved a potent rallying cry for the cause for decades to come. In 1920 Irish nationalist Eamonn de Valera travelled to the United States on a fund-raising mission.

In New Bedford, he placed a wreath at the grave of a man who “risked all for Irish freedom”. That man was the Catalpa captain George Anthony, who died in 1913.

BREAK INTO JAIL Once a bleak, foreboding and souldestroying place, Fremantle Prison is today the perfect place to get a sense of what convicts – including the Fenian Six who escaped on the Catalpa – went through. MQ The Catalpa Escape is discussed on the Convict Prison Tour, which departs on the hour every hour from 10am.

The prison is open 9am – 5pm daily Closed on Good Friday and Christmas Day. For more information, visit fremantleprison.com.au

HAIL TO THE CHEF

The mastermind behind Long Chim, David Thompson, continues to surprise, delight and educate diners around the world. Delight being the operative word as Gabi Mills discovered.

’m sitting in the sexy, cavernous entrance to Long Chim Perth on a Wednesday afternoon. The lunchtime crowd, just out of sight in the main room, is noisy, appreciative, hungry for spice.

There’s a buzz about the place (which isn’t unusual in my experience), but there’s an extra frisson today because somebody special’s behind the pots and pans. The restaurant chain’s creator and driving force David Thompson is in town, introducing a newly refreshed menu and hosting a special evening for his many devotees later that day.

He comes up to me, resplendent in his chef whites and slightly seen-better-days jeans, friendly and immediately garrulous. We’re getting stuck into a recent national headlinegrabbing trial (rhymes with Cardinal Bell) when a departing diner with

friends hanging back a little approaches our table. He wouldn’t look out of place on the front line of the Wallabies and yet he is hesitant, nervous, his hand extended towards David.

“I just wanted to come up and say that I love your food David. I’ve got all your cookbooks.” David graciously accepts this unexpected endorsement from Mr Scrum Half and turns to smile at me as the happy group of fanboys leaves.

“Now where were we?” he asks me, twinkling.

To be honest, I’m not sure. We’d already covered in the first 15 minutes of our interview the Catholic Church (including a discursive journey into Purgatory and its associated pleasures and pains), the follies of Brexit, venal politicians, amusing religious head gear – and that’s before I’ve even asked a single question about food.

For my part, I can understand

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the sincere desire to shake David’s hand, just as that diner did. I first ate his food back in 2002 in London at Nahm, and have never forgotten the experience of tasting Thai food so blisteringly hot, tasty, kaleidoscopic that I can still picture the exact moment I first put that forkful in my mouth. I’ve loved watching him pop up on TV, his unpolished, distinctive telly persona so charming and different to the chlorine-washed rent-a-celeb chefs which tend to befoul our screens mostly. He’s an award-winning author and generally considered to be the world’s leading authority on Thai cuisine - even among Thais themselves.

Happily married to his cocollaborator Tanongsak Yordwai and living in Bangkok with his noisy cat (of which more later), I get the impression he’s something of a victim of his own success. OK

CHEF

“I’M STILL SURPRISED BY FOOD, WHETHER IT’S A DISH OR COOKING TECHNIQUES OR AN INGREDIENT,”

victim may be too strong a word.

He says he’s happier than ever and still loves what he does, but he’s also almost continually travelling between his Long Chims and other venues around the world. I suspect he’d rather be waking up more often in his apartment on the sixth floor in the Thai capital, getting up as his cat yowls and raps on the door to be let in.

“I’m incapable of travelling lightly despite at the moment travelling three weeks out of five,” he says slightly wearily as we tuck into an extraordinary cube of one of his new menu’s desserts. Flavoured with coconut and pandan, the green gelatinous steamed and layered cake (for wont of a better word) is like nothing I’ve ever tasted before. I’m trying to concentrate on what he’s saying, but can’t stop eating the green beauty before me.

“I’m still surprised by food, whether it’s a dish or cooking techniques or an ingredient,” he says. “For instance, I’m exploring Thai olives at the moment. They’re fermented and then go black.”

David’s endlessly adventurous mind probably drove those tasked with teaching him in his early years mad. He’s the definition of restless intelligence. It’s also the reason he hasn’t stopped discovering the incredible intricacies of Asian cuisine, and in his vibrant new menu (which tbh was already pretty damn vibrant), there are additions which will once again adjust the way you think about Thai food.

Inspired by 12 months travelling and delving deep into all aspects of south east Asian cookery, going down the metaphorical culinary dark alleyways that others might fear to tread, David emerges with a new menu that plucks the market food

bashed out in Bangkok night after night and gives them a generous flash-bang of Thompson magic.

There are boat noodles paired with pork and garlic to indecently delicious deep-fried larb dumplings.

You’ll find prawns wrapped in delicate beancurd skin, and a hot and sour soup with smoky grilled tomatoes and shallots and a fiery homemade chilli jam. And then there’s that pandan and coconutlayered pudding which defies description by mere mortals like me.

Determined not to bestow the honour of which is his favourite upon any one venue, David instead says each Long Chim has its own eccentricities.

“The favourite one is the one I’m at,” he says diplomatically. He works collaboratively with his chefs, but it’s always the availability of ingredients which is the main driver to a new addition to the menu.

“The joy of cooking is a timeless pleasure,” he says. “It’s still as satisfying to me as when I started despite now having more work than I’ve ever had in my life.”

For this man with the supernatural palate, his go-to comfort foods are pleasingly average.

“Kit-Kats and fine chocolate,” he says. “I love Sue Lewis’ chocolate here in the Treasury Building.”

His itchy feet show no sign of letting him relax either. Trips to Iran, Jordan, Israel have recently been completed, enjoyed and their cuisines stored away in his food memories. Cuba looks a likely destination in the future, as long as he can avoid one thing.

“I can’t bear queuing and I think I’ve managed to refine the art of checking in for a flight down to four minutes.”

I don’t doubt him for a minute.

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aa long chim means ‘to come sample and taste’ - and that’s just what me and two girlfriends did on a midweek in early autumn.

The place was busy - too busy to fit us in the main room but we were more than happy to perch at our table near the bar instead.

Although I lived in Phuket many moons ago, I could in no way claim to know my way around such an authentic Thai menu. Fortunately the helpful staff were up to the challenge of presenting us with as many dishes as we could possibly consume for the duration of our meal, with a broad remit of ‘we’ll eat anything’.

We kicked things off with some cured pork sausages, plump as toddlers’ fingers and Chiang Mai chicken larp. I’d had that before and was rightly respectful of its super-loaded spice kick. Cooling cabbage leaves on the side helped salve our flaming mouths somewhat. We devoured a bowlful of crunchy prawns, heads and all. Presentation isn’t the point with Long Chim’s dishes; it’s all about flavour and authenticity. Onto our mains and the food just kept coming. I loved the sour orange fish curry, the piquant amber soupy bowl raising the bar high with its delicate chunks of fish lurking within. We had a duck egg omelette the size of a flat cap on the side along with some stir fried veg, and, from the grill, some king-sized Exmouth prawns, redolent of the charcoal they’d been seared over. If you fancy more grilled delicacies, try the Maa Long Chim Pao - you get four grilled items of your choice with cucumber relish and rice for $70.

We slurped Howard Park Riesling as if there was no tomorrow (reader, there was) - and somehow scoffed the lot without much effort. The vibe in Long Chim is superb; inclusive, a bit naughty, and probably best enjoyed with co-conspirators like me and my mates.

Best on ground? That chicken larp will live on long in the memory. Unmissable.

Long Chim Perth, Lower Ground Level, Cnr St Georges Terrace and Barrack Street. You can also enter it via the Treasury building if you’re staying at the hotel. Just follow the signs. MQ

AUTOCLASSIC.COM.AU

THE

BIG Celebrating the BMW 8 Series, here are eight essential facts.

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It’s mighty

But, of course, the 8 Series is not simply an ornament. This is a sports car, a driver’s car.

With the TwinPower Turbo 8-cylinder 4-4 litre petrol engine, the 8 Series Coupe will take you from a standing start to 100km/h in a simply staggering 3.7 seconds. That meticulously designed engine gives you 750Nm of torque from 1,800rpm and 390kW of power. That’s a might beast inside such a beautiful shell.

It’s beautiful

Forgive us for stating the obvious, but the BMW 8 Series is one of the most gorgeous cars on the road. If anything is going to turn heads then it has to be this wonderful piece of motoring opulence. Powerful, sleek, long – simply a massive presence on the road. This is a car that you can’t take your eyes off, a car that will never fail to impress.

It’s fun

If, however, you’re in the mood to make the most of the wonderful WA weather, the 8 Series also brings you possibly the most incredible convertible on the road today.

It’s got everything that its sedan stablemate boasts, but with that ultimate accessory, a retractable roof. One touch of a button and the great outdoors is all around you. Let the sunshine in and celebrate just how wonderful life can be.

It’s luxurious

Beautiful leather sports trim, eyecatching aluminium detailing, this is car that just exudes luxury. The dash carries a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster paired to a 10.25-inch infotainment system which in turn hooks up with a 16-speaker Harman Kardon surround system which will deliver your tunes in crystal clear definition. Magically, BMW have made the 8 Series just as good to look at from the inside as it is from the outside.

It’s high-tech

The technology running through the 8 Series is above and beyond. BMW’s pioneering OS 7.0 brings an AI that hits almost science fiction. It’s technology that you’ll come to see as a loyal friend, everything from GPS to air conditioning controllable throught voice, gesture and touch control.

It’s evolving

It’s safe

Late last year, BMW unveiled the latest additions to the 8 Series canon – the M850i Coupe and Convertible – and rumours of an entry-level six cylinder 840i in the future are just refusing to go away. Anyone who has ever been behind the wheel of any BMW M-class won’t need to be told just how wonderful the 8 Series fit-out will be. So much power, so much luxury, so much drive.

And that tech will be quietly working 24/7 to keep you and yours safe and sound. BMW’s innovative Driving Assistant Professional is your co-driver, gently helping you maintain the proper distance and speed, staying in the correct lane and always keeping one eagle eye out for possible collisions.

You’re in safe hands when you’re in your 8 Series.

It’s here

The 8 Series Convertible and Coupe are, of course, at Auto Classic BMW – as are the experts who can guide you around this marvel of modern motoring. Book a test drive today and get ready to experience just where a car can take you.

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MINI 60TH ANNIVERSARY

THE

WORLD’S

FAVOURITE

CAR It’s a bold claim but as MINI celebrates 60 years, Simon Suede couldn’t agree more.

Images by TIM HARRIS

I

s there a car on the road today steeped in as much history as the MINI? It’s the car that had more than just its bloody doors blown off in The Italian Job, the car Hugh Grant raced to the church in in Four Weddings.

Twiggy draped herself over one in the 60s, James Hunt was said to have one as his second car – his first being the McLaren he won the F1 World Championship in.

Steve McQueen, Enzo Ferrari and Mick Jagger all owned one – as, of course did the not quite so Alpha male Mr Bean – and over the years, groups of happy people have time and time again crammed themselves

into one to try to set an iconic world record (28 is the current number if you’re thinking of having a crack).

Nope, we think it’s safe to say that no car has the many-chaptered history this wonderful little beauty can boast – it has certainly packed a lot into its first 60 years.

That history of course has a lot to do with BMW. With the British motoring industry on its knees at the end of the last millennium, for a while it looked like the MINI might disappear forever. But, no, in 1994 BMW stepped in and took the classic car under its wing.

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SUPER CAR The MINI is celebrating 60 years in 2019 - still providing a fun, fast way to get around town and country.

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written, naysayers wondered whether the German powerhouse could keep the story going.

But, of course they did, relaunching the MINI to what was going to be worldwide acclaim.

The new MINI was a spectacular success, encapsulating all the fun and panache of its predecessor but with the addition of a hefty dose of performance, technology and, dare we say it, comfort (those of us mature enough to have actually travelled in a 70s or 80s MINI will attest that it was not the most enjoyable or dignified of experiences if you had to sit in the back).

Today, then, the MINI marches

on with a stable of fun, fast, comfortable, beautifully designed vehicles that bring the fun back to motoring.

A MINI RACING LEGEND Ted Brewster has taken his love of MINI’s to the next level, building his own classic MINI and taking it racing, rain or shine.

On a rainy day in Melbourne, Ted Brewster is surveying his home

race track.

The conditions are terrible with sheets of rain sweeping into the pit garages of Sandown Racecourse.

Ted isn’t bothered though. What looks like a day ruined by weather is simply another challenge to him.

Preparing to take to the track is a ritual for Ted, as he unpacks a car filled with racing equipment that transcends decades.

Ted’s original vintage driving

gloves, racing helmet, and faded clippings from newspapers and old programs are coupled with his current driving suit and helmet.

Taking centre stage in this process is Ted’s classic Mini, a reconstruction of a car he bought almost 60 years ago.

Given that he built the car himself, and has been racing his Mini for decades, that’s not surprising.

What is surprising is Ted’s ability to change a tyre in seconds, to load

THE NEW MINI WAS A SPECTACULAR SUCCESS, ENCAPSULATING ALL THE FUN AND PANACHE OF ITS PREDECESSOR . . .

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MQ MINI 60TH ANNIVERSARY

his historic car onto its trailer in minutes, to take to the racetrack at a moment’s notice - at the age of 83 years old.

It’s an age that most people would expect to find themselves slowing down – but it seems that hasn’t even occurred to Ted. He says he tried giving up racing when he turned 70, but couldn’t quite give it away. He then planned to hang up his helmet at the age of 80, but again, found the lure of

racing too difficult to ignore.

In the mid-1960s, Ted, then a mechanic had been racing other touring cars but was looking for a different car to compete with.

“I decided to purchase a Morris Cooper Mini as they looked to be very competitive with great handling, brakes, steering and modified and maintained for racing at a reasonable outlay,” he recalls.

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PASSION PROJECT Above, Melbourne’s Ted Brewster has taken his love of MINI to the next level, constructing his own version.

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on Minis.

“They are such a great car to compete in as they handle, brake and steer so well and give great satisfaction when racing,” he says.

Ted’s love of Minis has seen him buy and race a collection of classic Mini Coopers since the 1960s.

Not one to boast about his own achievements, Ted puts a lot of the success of his racing career down to his cars.

In 1968 and again in 2002 he took out trophies in races against much bigger cars, proving the Mini’s unassuming power.

But Ted’s record speaks for itself – and he’s known among the Mini community as being one of the men to beat.

With various circuit lap records, three Victorian Touring Car Hill Climb Championships, an Australian Touring Car Hill Championship, and two class records under his belt, Ted’s reputation as a formidable competitor on the racetrack is one that has stood the test of time.

Years of experience have given him a calm, methodical approach to racing.

“As we grid up to start our races I start to work what I can do to get a good start and pass other cars if possible before the first corner, from then on holding that position and enjoy the competition of passing others when possible,” he says.

“Regardless [of the outcome] just competing gives me great satisfaction.”

The pure joy that Ted gets from racing is something he has fostered in his family, who have grown up around cars and racetracks.

Ted’s wife Margaret has played a supporting role in Ted’s career since they met and got married – helping with pit lane timing, lap boards, and preparing for races.

Their two sons have also gone on to get involved in motor sport – in rallies and with touring cars.

Ted’s words of wisdom for aspiring race drivers are simple.

“Remember it takes time to

DID YOU KNOW . . . develop a car and the driver,” he says.

“Select a good car and prepare it well, and do not spend over your budget and spoil the experience.

“Do it well and I feel sure you will have a great time racing and enjoying the comradery of the sport like I have, since 1964.”

Some people get to take tea with the Queen, but if you’re Alec Issigonis, legend has it, taking Her Majesty for a spin around Windsor Park works just as well.

The automotive engineer, designer and motor racer is best remembered as the creator of the classic Mini.

The first Morris Mini Minor rolled off the production line in 1959 (with the number plate 621 AOK) and it’s said Issigonis gave the Queen a ride in one of the first Minis ever produced.

That ride – and the iconic status his design achieved – was a lifetime away from Smyrna, where he was born in 1906. Issigonis reportedly didn’t see his first car until he was 12, and he repeatedly failed mathematics as an engineering student, but he had a flair for mechanical drawing.

It was a pencil sketch on a tablecloth that launched the car that went on to sell more than two million in its first decade and become the bestselling British car in history.

Set a challenge by his employer, the British Motor Company, to design a compact and fuel-efficient vehicle when petrol prices skyrocketed due to the Suez Oil Crisis of 1956, Issigonis revolutionised small car design.

He was asked to engineer a vehicle that could fit four passengers – with luggage – in a space no longer than 10 feet.

The concepts he introduced in meeting the challenge went on to influence a generation of compact car designers and delivered the now classic MINI small exterior, with a spacious interior, front-wheel drive and exceptional handling characteristics.

Knighted for his services a decade after the MINI launched, Sir Alec was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 2003 MQ.

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MINI PHEV

THE NEW MINI COUNRYMAN HYBRID IS HERE The latest addition to the MINI family is the PHEV Countryman, a hybrid MINI ready for the next evolution in motoring, electric cars.

I

t doesn’t get smarter than the high-tech lithium-ion battery that powers the MINI Countryman Plug-in Hybrid. Kept at its optimum temperature by an advanced cooling system, the battery excels in both output and service life. Charge of 80% is achieved in three hours, 15 minutes via a household plug.

No one doubts that vehicles are changing – have to change – and that electric-powered cars are the future.

BMW, in fact, have already made massive strides in the area, staying at the forefront of the technology with the likes of the i3 and the i8, both of which have proven that we don’t need to compromise the drive, performance or comfort of our cars just because we do need to change how we power them.

The Countryman PHEV continues this mantra, maintaining all the attributes that make the MINI the phenomenon it is.

Stylish, comfortable, powerful and surprisingly large, it’s a beautiful car to own and drive even before you factor in the fact that you’re saving the planet for your grandchildren as you do so.

With a five-seat cabin featuring added rear legroom, and up to 1,275 Litres of cargo space with the rear seats folded down, the MINI Countryman Plug-in Electric Hybrid offers plenty of space for cargo, passengers, and the many memories you’ll make at every stretch of your journey.

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SMOOTH DRIVE The new MINI Countryman Hybrid takes the 60-year old story to the next level, technology-wise.

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emissions. The switch between eDrive and petrol drive is smooth and fully automated with no interruptions - just the way you like it.

So, welcome the Countryman PHEV, the latest MINI to grace the world stage. As iconic, as fantastic as all that having gone before, it’s here to help bring the marque the next successful 60 years. MQ

BMW MOTORRAD END OF FINANCIAL YEAR SALE. ATTRACTIVE RIDE AWAY OFFERS ON SELECTED MODELS.*

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TRAVEL

frontiers FINAL

The landscape of Kalbarri wouldn’t look out of place on Mars, and it’s otherworldliness is just one of its many attractions, as Tom de Souza discovers.

Images by TOM DE SOUZA.

W

hen Lieutenant George Grey and his men stumbled across Kalbarri for the first time, it saved their lives. After their ship was wrecked on the Zuytdorp cliffs, the men rowed for 56 hours.

Painstakingly battling their way through treacherous seas in a leaky boat the men finally arrived at Red Bluff, a towering red triangular landmark that wouldn’t look out of place on Mars.

Before they began the 600km trudge back to Perth – Western Australia’s only settlement at the time - Lt. Grey and his men were astounded by what they found ashore.

“We came out upon one of the most romantic and picturesquelooking estuaries I had yet seen,” Grey notes in his journal.

“The nature of the rocks and the lofty and peculiar character of the distant hills gave promise of the most fertile region I had yet seen in extra-tropical Australia. Indeed, this was the only part of South-West Australia in which I had met with the ancient red sandstone of the North-West coast.”

Kalbarri marks the unofficial beginning of Australia’s north west.

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the final frontiers of travel – even by Australians.

As I step out of my car the dusty red dirt sears under my bare feet, and I feel the blustery howls of a dry desert wind chapping the skin off my lips, gust by gust. Waves wrap around a barnacle-encrusted rock ledge, growing in size as they thunder down the line.

Locals rule here. A tight pack hugs the miniature take-off zone and

they pick of the best waves with an intricate insight that can only be put down to experience and time in the water. As a travelling surfer you can expect scraps, and when a local turns and paddles you get out of the road.

A green and gold hue shimmers over the sparkling Indian Ocean.

This is the true Australia, the one you see plastered across tourist brochures with dusty images of red dirt and beat-up four wheel drives.

The sun sinks over the horizon as we retreat into the growing shadows,

attracts almost a quarter of a million tourists a year, with the population quadrupling in size to 8,000 during holiday seasons.

Kalbarri is geared around tourism, and it’s not hard to see why. The town’s 2,000 strong population has been known to swell fourfold during the school holidays, and there’s so much to do here even if you don’t surf or fish.

Explore Kalbarri National Park through the intricate rock frame of Nature’s Window, or follow The

the transforming mauve light draping our campsite in a royal glow.

But we’re not alone.

Glen and Gary have set up camp next to us. Making the 10-hour trip up from Collie, I immediately assume they’ve come up to have a crack at Kalbarri’s world class fishing.

Glen tells me otherwise.

“Nah mate, we’ve just come up to sit around and sink tinnies,” he roars.

“Soak up the serenity and do bugger all. There’s not many other places that are like it up here.”

While Kalbarri’s population rounds off around a mere 2000, the town is humming. Kalbarri

Loop down to the bottom of the Z bend for a refreshing swim in the cool, curving waters. The road back towards Geraldton hugs a rugged and spectacular coastline. Thousands of years of thundering swell have sculpted rock formations such as Pot Alley and Mushroom Rock into shapes obscure as their names suggest.

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THIS IS THE TRUE AUSTRALIA, THE ONE YOU SEE PLASTERED ACROSS TOURIST BROCHURES . . .

BACK TO NATURE Pack your surfboard and deckchair, and head to Kalbarri’s wild and rugged coastline for a holiday you’ll never forget.

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afternoon light shimmer off the Murchison estuary and bask the town in a golden glow. I can feel Kalbarri’s warmth rubbing off on me, as if this town has the Midas touch. I watch on as a boat chugs in through the churning mouth of the Murchison and swiftly parks up outside the pub.

Does it get any better than that? M Q Visit kalbarri.org.au for more information about accommodation and surfing spots.

LAST WORD

SEVEN DEADLY SINS • ANTHONY DE CEGLIE • Senior Editor of West Australian Newspapers

Gluttony- What is the food you can eat

over and over again?

I’ve always had a sweet tooth, so I have to say chocolate. Rather embarrassingly, I’m not a connoisseur either. I’m just as happy eating Lindt as I am eating that Nestle milk chocolate family block that comes with the Smarties in it.

Greed - You’re given $1m that you have

to spend selfishly - what would you spend it on?

I would take a sabbatical with my wife and baby boy Levi and move to Paris until the money ran out. We’d do nothing but drink coffee, eat fine food, watch old movies at the cinema and read classic literature while hanging out in my absolute favourite park on Earth (the “Place des Vosges” in the Le Marais district).

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t 33 years old, Fremantle-born Anthony De Ceglie is the youngest ever senior editor of West Australian Newspapers. Responsible for The West Australian, The Weekend West, The Sunday Times, thewest.com.au and perthnow.com. au and the company’s 19 regional publications, Anthony joined the media group from Sydney at the beginning of 2019. A coming home of sorts, he started his career as a cadet journalist in regional WA with the Collie Mail before joining the Mandurah Mail and then being head-hunted by WA’s The Sunday Times.

Sloth - Where would you spend a long time doing nothing??

I can’t be boring and say Paris again, so I will just say anywhere that I can relax away from the hustle-bustle of the daily news agenda. I find it really hard to switch off or put my phone away. So, I like those really long 14hour documentaries about historical moments like the US Civil War or Russian literature because it forces you out of the here-and-now and into a completely other world.

Wrath - Which news story makes you

white with rage?

Probably stories where the media is attacking itself. You know, the “print is dead” or “radio is dead” or

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“magazines are dead” kind of stories.

I think it’s a real issue in our industry that people feel like part of being a modern journalist is tearing down your colleagues.

Envy - Who’s shoes would you like to walk in?

It sounds silly, but I think I am finally comfortable in my own.

Pride - What is the one thing you’re

secretly proud of?

I have always been a workaholic, so I have risen pretty quickly into senior roles at a young age. Having the privilege of being the editor of The West Australian at the age of 33 is something I am really proud of.

But, I also know how quickly things can change in my profession if you don’t keep focused (and keep working hard).

Lust - What makes your heart beat faster?

On a personal sense, my wife and my son. Words can’t really express what it means to become a father – and how it elevates the respect of and togetherness with your partner to a whole new level. On a professional sense, a great scoop designed with a ripper front page. Nothing beats the nervous energy and anxiety the night before a big page one is due to land on the doorstep of your readers (or go viral on social media). And only the editor, the reporter and a few other senior people ever really know the lengths we’ve gone to in order to get the yarn and make sure it’s true. MQ.

waso.com.au 9326 0000

Welcome to WASO 2019.

Extraordinary music.

Exhilarating performances.

Extraordinary music. Exhilarating performances.

Romantic Rachmaninov & Symphonic Sorcery! – Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto Shostakovich & Tchaikovsky – Discovery Concert: The Classical Symphony

MARQUE AUTUMN 2019

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