fish, giant clam, manta rays, Maori wrasse, potato cod, sharks, turtles and whales. Seeing clams and clownfish can be as easy as taking a day trip out to Green Island off Cairns. Port Douglas-based vessel Silversonic offers trips that may include swimming with dwarf minke whales. Lady Elliot Island, in the Southern Great Barrier Reef near Bundaberg, is known as the home of the manta ray. Reefworld, a pontoon permanently moored at Hardy Reef in the outer reef near the Whitsunday Islands, offers guided diving and snorkelling trips that offer easy viewing of charismatic Maori wrasse. Landlubbers can see turtles nesting, and baby turtles hatching, at Mon Repos on the mainland near Bundaberg. The complete Great Eight can be experienced in the Southern Great Barrier Reef region, including the iconic manta ray experience at Lady Elliott Island. Many of the Great Eight, including sharks, are also in residence at the brand new, multi-million dollar Cairns Aquarium. The attraction includes a deep-reef exhibit, 10 eco-systems and 71 habitats. Canberra: The new capital of cool Australia’s capital, Canberra, was once one of the country’s lesser known destinations - but not anymore. As new boutique precincts and innovative ventures have blossomed, Canberra is now the epitome of cool – so much so that Lonely Planet just named it the world’s third-best city to visit in 2018.
Cartier: The Exhibition is on show until 22 July 2018 at National Gallery of Australia – a breathtaking collection of the world’s most exquisite jewels showcasing more than 300 items. Featuring loans from royal families, never before will so many incredible diamonds, emeralds and other precious stones, in exquisite settings such as royal tiaras, have come to Australia. Canberra is also home to Gourmet Traveller’s 2018 Australian Bar of the Year – Bar Rochford – and a range of hot new bars including tropical themed Kokomos, Cuban themed The Highball Express, the Alice in Wonderland inspired White Rabbit Cocktail Room and Black Market in NewActon. For eats, head to edgy A. Baker with its ash-blackened walls. Dessert lovers should explore Braddon’s Lonsdale Street, home to Frugii Dessert Laboratory where the avant-garde ice-cream and sorbet flavours (think gingerbread, lemongrass, roast potato, black garlic and butter chicken) change regularly. The Kingston Foreshore is also a buzzing dining precinct – try wholefoods specialist Local Press Café for a savoury pancake or breakfast tortilla meal that’s worthy of an Instagram post.
One of the most cutting-edge precincts is NewActon, home to Hotel Hotel that’s billed as “a collaboration between designers, artists, artisans and fantasists”. The hotel’s sculptural timber lobby won World Interior of the Year in 2015. In a Canberra exclusive, foxvalleymagazine.com
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