Let’s get K A R I J I N I ’ S

MY S T I C A L

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C A N YO N S

IT ’ S TIM E TO R EV ISI T
PORT DOUGL A S ( OH, YES ) !

K A K A DU
WHY THE WET
SEASON IS THE
BEST SEASON

+
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 breathe
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cruise line.

> Spend two full days exploring Port Davey and Bathurst Harbour
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> www.coralexpeditions.com > 1800 079 545 > reservations@coralexpeditions.com

MANY PL ACES TO GO, ONE PL

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 CONTENTS Issue 075 June – July 2017

COV ER STORI ES
066 S T I L L WAT E R S RU N D E E P
The staggering beauty of Karijini’s canyons.
078 PO RT OF C OOL
Port Douglas is back and better than ever.
088 T H E W I N D WA L K E R S
Sailing and walking Tassie’s east coast.
096 I NTO T H E WE AT H E R
Why Kakadu is best seen in the wet season.
106 S E C R E T S OF T H E VAL E
The delicious corners of McLaren Vale.

P H O T O G R A P H Y: E L I S E H A S S E Y
 ULURU 2NIGHTS
ESCAPE
•
•
•
•

luru
•

PAY LATER

GUARANTEE
 122
78
66

50 31
88
CONTENTS ISSUE 075 JUNE / JULY 2017

S H O RTCU TS
016 W I S H YO U WE R E H E R E 050 MILLY & MO LLY
Back country Perisher, NSW The seaside charm of two NSW South
018 T R AV E L B U Z Z Coast towns
The lowdown on the latest in travel 056 H IP H O O D
023 WINE & DINE MidTown Hobart is bridging the gap
Delicious news from the culinary world between South and North Hobart
026 PI L L OW TA L K 060 DO SO MET H ING DIFFER ENT S UBS CR IBE TO WIN:
Hot hotel openings across the country Hang onto your seat doing loop-the- Subscribe to Australian Traveller
028 O N T H E ME N U loops in a vintage Tiger Moth for your chance to win a luxury
A mystery dinner in Melbourne getaway to Pretty Beach House,
031 STYLE SEEKER CULT U RE valued at $5240. Turn to page 62.
Cosying up to Scandi trend ‘hygge’ 122 INNER BEAUT Y

P H O T O G R A P H Y: E L I S E H A S S E Y ( P O R T D O U G L A S ) ;
J O N AT H A N C A M I ( K A R A J I N I ) ; S T E V E M A D G W I C K
032 MINI-BREAK The Kettle Black, a seriously cool new
C ONGRATULATIONS TO O UR

( S A I L WA L K ); J E N N I F E R E N N I O N ( M I L K H AU S )
Now and zen at Billabong Retreat cafe in south Melbourne SUBSC RIP TION P RIZE W I NNE R
034 REWIND 123 O NE FINE DAY FROM ISSUE #73
Broome’s beloved open-air cinema Mittagong in NSW’s Southern Highlands John Haddrick of Waldara,Victoria, has
won an escape to Lizard Island, Queensland,
036 H OT L I S T 124 W H AT IT ’S R EA LLY LIKE… valued at $9600.
Boutique butchers that really cut it to be a professional food forager
038 T R AV E L T R E N D 126 P R IZES
Cat cafes and those who love them Win two Sydney twilight bridge climbs
127 WA LKA BO UT
W EEKEND S Studio 10’s Sarah Harris on family
042 REVIEWS holidays and her favourite beaches
Detour, Brisbane, Qld 128 W H AT ’S O N ON THE COVER
Camus, Melbourne, Vic Head to one of these top events Location:
Mossman Gorge
Thousand Lakes, Tas 130 LET ’S GO … Photographer:
Notel, Melbourne, Vic Quaff your way around our wine regions Elise Hassey
G R E AT B A R R I E R R E E F

www.qualia.com.au
 Editor’s letter

OUR INTENT HERE at Australian Traveller Media has always been

to connect you with your perfect escape. In pursuit of this lofty ideal, we
tirelessly scour Australia and the world, selflessly and relentlessly sampling
destinations to bring you the holiday you’ll never forget. Yes, it’s a tough
job, but someone has to do it (insert plaintive sigh here).
We’re always evaluating how we can best deliver these incredible stories.
Often we’re frustrated by how little we can provide; the world is just so big!
To that end, I have some exciting news. Your beloved Australian Traveller
and her beautiful sister title International Traveller are getting even bigger!
Beginning with the next issue, the magazines will become virtual coffee
table compendiums of exhilarating escapes. That means more wonderful
stories, more stunning photography, and even more travel guides. To fit
in all this extra goodness, both will now publish quarterly (as opposed to
bi-monthly), so you’ll have longer to savour these collectible magazines.

P H O T O G R A P H Y: L E I G H G R I F F I T H S ( M c L A R E N VA L E ) ; J E N N I F E R E N N I O N
But we’re not done growing. Our ambition to present you with a world
of travel opportunities means we’ll be further developing our stunning

CLOCKWISE
FROM TOP LEFT:
Try a tipple on a trip to
McLaren Vale on
p106; Meet the locals
of Milton and
Mollymook on p50
(top right and below);
Relax among the reef
and rainforest of Port
Douglas on p78.
( H O R S E A N D C O W S , M I LT O N ) ; E L I S E H A S S E Y ( P O R T D O U G L A S )
online portals australiantraveller.com and internationaltraveller.com with
new, online-only stories published weekly. These beautiful websites, full
of journalistic travel stories and guides, will be available to you anytime,
anywhere, and on any device, with news, long reads, and special offers.
I’ve loved every second of my two years editing Australian Traveller. It’s
been a journey of incredible discovery and has significantly deepened my
love for this beautiful country. I’ll now be leaving you and this great title
in the very talented hands of our editorial director, Leigh-Ann Pow, while
I swap high resolution for html as the digital editor-in-chief.
In this, my last issue as editor, we’ve again unearthed some absolute
treasures. From the karmic canyons of Karijini in WA (page 66), to the
revitalisation of Port Douglas (page 78), and the secrets of Kakadu’s wet
season (page 96). Not to mention wine tasting in McLaren Vale (page
106), a boutique sail to Wineglass Bay in Tassie (page 88), and a weekend
of mindful pursuits (page 32), if you’re in need of that sort of thing.
So once you’ve thumbed through these pages as lovingly as we’ve
compiled them, don’t forget to stop by online and on social media,
because the story – yours and ours – just keeps growing.
Wishing you endless happy travels!

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

10 AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM
 EDITORIAL
Editorial director LEIGH-ANN POW
Editor LARA PICONE | editor@australiantraveller.com
Acting deputy editor DANIEL DOWN
Sub editor IMOGEN EVESON
ART
Acting art director ANITA JOKOVICH
Designer REBECC A XU
ONLINE
Digital editor STEVE MADGWICK
Digital marketing manager LEIGH COUNSELL
Content uploader LUKE VINCENT
CONTRIBUTORS
JAC TAYLOR (sub editor)

SALES & MARKETING

For all advertising enquiries, phone 02 9698 7072

General manager sales, marketing & distribution KATE SHILLING

Sales manager ELLIOTT B ARSBY
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Account managers ALISON LANGLEY, MARCUS HURLEY
Sales & marketing coordinator GEORGIA BRAITHWA ITE
AUSTRALIAN TRAVELLER MEDIA
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CONTACT
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INTERNATIONAL TRAVELLER
Editor LEIGH-ANN POW | editor@internationaltravellermag.com
Senior account manager MICHELLE HOGAN

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

Australian Traveller is printed by Offset Alpine Printing under ISO14001 Environmental Certification.
Paper fibre is from certified forests and audited sources.
 There’s NO REASON, excuse or time to hibernate THIS WINTER
when you’ve got AustralianTraveller.com telling you WHERE TO GO.

36 hours in a pl ace call ed R ain bow

FRASER-ISLAND-ESQUE RAINBOW BEACH ISN’T
THE KIND OF PLACE THAT YOU STUMBLE UPON
BY ACCIDENT. SEARCH ‘RAINBOW’ FOR REASONS
YOU SHOULD UNCOVER THIS SECRET.
SEARCH ‘RAINBOW’

MEET THE GIN

RE-DEFINERS
Come with us on a quest to find Australia’s
smart new breed of regional gin producers
who are reshaping the tipple. Forget the
old 1970s G&T, this is spirit science:
botanicals, such as lavender and cardamom,
and red-wine infusion. Gin is getting serious.
SEARCH ‘GIN’

SCRUMPTIOUS Ne w digital edition

M O U N TA I N S RECEIVE TRAVEL INSPIRATION
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of Sydney’s Blue Mountains, from Katoomba to ISSUES. SUBSCRIBE AT SHOP.
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TO THE COOK ISLANDS
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Resort Hotel Group, Air Rarotonga and Air New Zealand? Enter your
favourite travel photo via australiantraveller.com/yourshot AND tag
@austtraveller, @internationaltraveller and #winyourshot on Instagram. The
main competition closes 1 December 2017 and there are prizes to be won every month!

CO N N E C T W I T H AU S T R A L I A N T R AV E L L E R

FACEBOOK: facebook.com/AustTraveller TWITTER: @AustTraveller INSTAGRAM: @AustTraveller PINTEREST: AuTraveller

12 A U S T R A L I A N T R AV E L L E R . C O M
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SHORTCUTS
news . pillow talk . style seeker . on the menu . rewind . hot list

R A E ’ S O N WAT E G O S
The location of choice for
honeymooning celebrities,
Byron Bay’s most luxe
lodging emerges fresh and
covetable from a recent
refurb. See page 26.
W I S H Y O U
P E R I S H E R B AC K C O U N T RY
TO CAPTURE THIS particularly wintry
view of Australia, photographer Jeremy Simons
had to don some unusual footwear to set out
across the deep snow of the Porcupine Trail.
Trudging out of Perisher with a pair of
snowshoes means leaving the noise of the ski
resort at peak season behind and heading off
into the quiet beauty of the surrounding hills.
“Just 15 minutes out of Perisher you can
look back onto the carpark, and there’s lots
of commotion, but eventually all you can hear
is the crunching of snow and the cracking
of ice,” says Jeremy. “As you’re about to leave
W E R E H E R E
N E W SO U TH WA LE S
all signs of civilisation behind, you descend
into the snow meadows and there’s a moment
of real beauty.”
P H O T O G R A P H Y: J E R E M Y S I M O N S
The 5.6-kilometre return trail heads up a
well-marked path to Porcupine Rocks from
where you can look down onto Perisher Valley,
the Thredbo River Valley and across to Mt
Duncan. “You’ll need snowshoes in winter to
get up there; the snow can be knee high in
places, so you’d struggle in a pair of trainers,”
says Jeremy. Snowshoeing requires no training;
just strap them on, take a backpack and tell
someone where you’re going.
SHORTCUTS | Wish you were here

AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM 17
 SHORTCUTS | Travel buzz

T R AV E L 2

BUZZ
Enjoy a little CREATURE
COMFORT as we settle into
the colder months. Taste it,
WEAR IT, even spritz it; FLOAT 1

your cares away or simply fly away.

7
A Eˉ S O P B O T T L E D
11
Aēsop was founded in Melbourne in 1987 and, as
part of its 30th birthday celebrations this year, has
revisited the design of its store in Fitzroy. Created
in collaboration with architect Clare Cousins,
10
traditional elements, including steel beams and 9
8
a rustic concrete slab, are melded with signature
Aēsop style as an ode to the history of Melbourne’s
first suburb. And good news for anyone who’s ever
PACK A BAG
wanted to bottle the aroma of an Aēsop store (that’s P A C K A B A G P H O T O G R A P H Y: G U Y B A I L E Y.
all of us): July sees the launch of a new collection WET WEEKEND S T Y L I N G : R E B E C C A X U I L L U S T R AT I O N :

of three scents that Winter is here, and that can only mean cosiness, comfort and
you can spritz at fresh farm air. Pull on your overalls and gumboots, bundle up
home. Aromatique in a beanie, and get set to relish the chill.
Room Sprays now 1. Paqme ‘Anywhere’ RAINCOAT, $149.95. paqme.com.au 2. Seed SNOOD, $59.95.
come in Istros – floral seedheritage.com 3. Yu Mei ‘Veitch’ TOTE (available from September), $719.
and smoky; Olous – yumeibrand.com 4. Assembly Label ‘Feel Good’ SOCKS, $8. assemblylabel.com
green and citrus; and 5. Merry People RAIN BOOT, $99.95. merrypeople.com 6. Seed pompom BEANIE,
CARLA McCRAE

Cythera – perfect for $29.95. seedheritage.com 7. Byredo ‘Mojave Ghost’ HAND CREAM, $40. mecca.com.au
winter with warm, 8. Assembly Label ‘Grounds’ OVERALL, $100. assemblylabel.com 9. SALT by Hendrix

woody and spicy notes. ‘Coco-Soak Pomegranate’, $22.95. saltbyhendrix.com 10. Uniqlo cashmere blend
SWEATER, $79.90. uniqlo.com 11. Paqme travel UMBRELLA, $39.95. paqme.com.au

18 A U S T R A L I A N T R AV E L L E R . C O M
 N TS
4 3nts)* ree
R
Y FOEco Te tays f
A
ST AYDeluxeunder s
P our 2 or
(in ild 1
h
1c

• Deluxe & dorm style Eco Tents & cabins

• Outback style alfresco restaurant & bar
• Campgrounds with BBQ & showers / WC
W E T R I E D A FL OTAT ION TA NK ,
A N D T H I S I S W H AT H A PPENED… • Guided coach gorge tours, adventure tours
Forget about yoga; the new way to self-improve is (in season)
to do nothing at all. We asked resident AT floater
Steve Madgwick whether we should take the dip. • Easy access - only 3km of unsealed road
What’s it like when you first get in? The lack of (via Bunjima drive)
distractions is frankly distracting. The neutral-temperate water is
ridiculously buoyant; it’s deathly quiet and you can’t see diddly squat.
How long is a session? My float was 75 minutes. I went
through stages: busy-head, denial, trippiness, happiness, weirdness
then relaxation. Any longer and my mind would say, “Is time up yet?”
they say you can hallucinate. did you? No, not
dragons-talking-to-me hallucinations, but I saw strange bursts of
light. I also started laughing manically and making bizarre whooping
noises, which I couldn’t (and didn’t want to) stop or explain.
Were you able to forget your digital existence?
More or less. The day/work thoughts and stresses swirled around
in my head for half an hour and then, with other senses calmed,
my subconscious came out to play, big time.
‘back in the womb’ or ‘near-death experience’?
Neither. It’s like your mind separates from your body. You forget
your eyes are open, pupils frantically searching for stimuli. I was
intensely mentally alert, but physically lying in a giant chill pill.

ecoretreat
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AT LOVES: NATIVE SWINSON
W E A D O R E A RT IS T KATE S WINS O N’ S
L OV E LY N AT I V E FLO RAL DES IGNS . HER
L A B E L , N AT I V E SWINS O N, P RO DU C ES
B E AU T I F U L , E C O - F RIENDLY FABRIC S , AS
W E LL A S C U S H I O NS , C HILDREN’ S TENTS
A N D WA L L PA P E R. F RO M BOTANIC AL
B A N K S I A A N D GU MTREE MOTIF S , TO
FAU N A S U C H AS C O C KATO O S AND
KOA LA S , A N D W H I MS IC AL WALL DEC ALS
FOR K I D S ’ B E D RO O MS , NATIVE S WINS O N
B R I N GS R AW B U SH BEAU TY INTO THE
H O M E . N AT IV E S WINS ON. COM. AU
FIVE REASONS
PERTH IS OUR
NEXT STOPOVER
From March 2018, Qantas will fly directly
between Perth and London, a journey lasting
17 hours straight, making it the third-longest
flight in the world. For those coming or going
to the east coast, stopovers in Perth are free.
We think it’s the perfect excuse to go west.
1. Inner-city luxury hotel, COMO THE TREASURY
was voted second-best hotel in the world – the
world! – by Condé Nast Traveler last year. Its
48 flawless suites are boosted by the city’s
coolest bar and restaurant precinct, all under
the one roof. comohotels.com/thetreasury
2. Bon vivants can now take a seaplane to
MARGARET RIVER for a don’t-lift-a-finger day of
wine tastings. Taking off from the Swan River
in view of Perth’s skyscrapers, the guided tour
whisks you around the region’s best wineries.
swanriverseaplanes.com.au
3. The biggest Australian capital city space ever
dedicated to Indigenous culture opens in Perth
this November. YAGAN SQUARE’S pedestrian
zone, wildflower gardens and marketplace
are set to be game changing. mra.wa.gov.au
4 Flit over to ROTTNEST ISLAND via ferry,
snap yourself a quokka selfie and spend the
night in a five-star glamping tent at Pinky’s Eco
Retreat and Beach Club, opening late 2017.
facebook.com/pinkysrottnestisland
5. A $101-million facelift of the SCARBOROUGH
beach foreshore, delivering a beachside
swimming pool, new restaurants, street art
and more, is set for completion early in 2018,
just in time for you to jet in.
20 A U S T R A L I A N T R AV E L L E R . C O M
SHORTCUTS | Travel buzz
C L E V E R
Q&A
N E C TA R A N D S TO N E
Creative director of boutique dessert and styling brand Nectar and Stone,
Caroline Khoo, talks her first cookbook , her love of pink and kitchen failures.
Your first book I’m Just Here for
Dessert has hit bookstores. Tell
us about your inspiration?
I’m Just Here for Dessert was inspired by my
surroundings, past and present experiences,
things that I love and what I have learnt. It
is a journey in which I build layers, adding
to the experience for the reader.
You have 386k followers on
Instagram. Why do you think
people love seeing your sweets?
It’s a visual overload – we eat with our eyes
first. I think my community have come to
know and understand me; they appreciate
the quality of the photography, styling,
concept and ideas that come to life in the
form of sweets.
Anyone who follows you on
Instagram will be familiar
with your pretty pink edible
creations. Have you always been
deeply into pink?
No, I was never fond of pink until I started
Nectar and Stone. When I had my two sons,
I felt everything around me was masculine,
and I was searching for something delicate
and feminine. Nectar and Stone seemed to
take on my expression of all things pretty and
femme; hence the reason why I think pink is
so prominent in my work.
You’ve collaborated with some
pretty incredible brands such as
Dior, Tiffany & Co and Christian
Louboutin. Is there an Australian
label that
you’d love to
collaborate
with?
Yes, these brands
are amazing. I have
been very fortunate
to have worked
with some great
Australian brands,
too, like Mimco and
Samantha Wills.
A U S S I E S
There are so many labels I’d love to work
with, like Camilla and Marc.
Your dessert creations sit on the
border between food and art. Do
you ever find people reluctant
to eat them?
I love that people find the desserts pretty.
They are never reluctant to eat the desserts
– they just take a photo first.
What came first, a love of baking
or a love of styling – and why?
A love of styling. I have always been a very
visual person, so this definitely came first.
The styling element also allows me to
develop ideas and concepts, which I transfer
onto my baking.
Do you have any words of wisdom
for your former self as you were
embarking on Nectar and Stone?
P H O T O G R A P H Y: L U L U C AVA N A G H ( C A R O L I N E K H O O ) W O R D S : F L E U R B A I N G E R ( P E R T H )
I use the word ‘filter’ a lot now. Filter what
advice is given, filter comments, filter the
good energy. We need to use our filter more.
How would you describe Nectar
and Stone to someone who isn’t
aware of it?
Nectar and Stone takes you on a journey of
concept dessert design and breathes layers
of soft delicate expression, feminine details
and originality.
Have you ever turned up just
for the desserts? Are you a
sweets-over-savoury person?
[laughs] Truth be told, yes. There have been
many times, whether at family celebrations,
events or even restaurants, that I request
dessert for my meal. I am a savoury person
too, though, and often crave Asian food such
as dumplings. I love soy sauce.
Have you ever had any spectacular
failures you can tell us about?
Well, I would be lying if I said I didn’t. Yes,
I’ve had many failures in the kitchen. I think
making macarons was the worst one for me
– trying to work out what I was doing wrong.
It took many attempts until I mastered it.
nectarandstone.com
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 SHORTCUTS | Wine & dine
DOOT DOOT DOOT
Opened since April in the year’s most
exciting new hotel, Jackalope, Doot Doot
Doot is pure destination dining. As moody
as the rest of the noir-esque hotel on the
Mornington Peninsula, the restaurant turns
Victorian produce to pure elegance in the
hands of executive chef Guy Stanaway.
Choose from either a four- or eight-course
menu and sit beneath a huge chandelier of
some 10,000 glass orbs, or hop across to
Rare Hare, the more casual eatery and new
cellar door of Willow Creek Wines.
jackalopehotels.com; rarehare.com.au
wine & dine
Botanic-based tipples, PRODUCE-DRIVEN triumphs
and veritable WINE LIBRARIES to wet your whistle;
this season is going to be simply SUMPTUOUS.
WINTER FEASTS
Each year, former Longrain
executive chef Martin Boetz GET REGAL
throws open the doors of his Cooks The talented Philip
Co-op produce enterprise – which Moore, horticulturist,
supplies some of the best herbalist and craft
restaurants in Sydney – to host a spirit guru at Distillery
winter feast cooked up by some of Botanica, has foraged
our best chefs in a super-chic tin
ingredients in the
shed on the Hawkesbury River. Sydney Botanic Garden
This year includes Danielle to produce just 1000
Alvarez of Fred’s and Colin bottles of Rather Royal
Fassnidge of 4Fourteen and My gin. Be quick to nab one!
Kitchen Rules. cooksco-op.com distillerybotanicagin.com
FIVE MINUTES WITH DEAN
J O N E S O F B E L L S AT K I L L C A R E
Taking over the reins as executive chef from Stefano
Manfredi at the beginning of this year, Dean Jones
talks past, present and future at one of New South
Wales’ more beloved boutique hotels.
WHAT’S DIFFERENT AT THE RESTAURANT
SINCE STEFANO MANFREDI HAS LEFT? The
restaurant itself has had a bit of a facelift inside and
out. We have enclosed the verandah, which has
added to the usability and has become an instant hit
with customers. It’s now the place to dine day and
night, but with the same al fresco feel as before. The
new floor-to-ceiling glass louvre windows frame the
garden beautifully and the kitchen garden has been
replenished for the winter season, according to what
grows well through autumn and the cooler months.
DO YOU STILL HAVE A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP
WITH HIM? Stefano is one of my mentors and
someone whom I have great respect for. It’s always
good to have people to bounce ideas off and I know
I can do that with him.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR FOOD? It is
a reflection of my experiences, with a strong Italian
focus on seasonality, preparation and combination
of flavours. Bold flavours but simplistic. Doing the
classics well and also using the Italian way to prepare
unique Australian produce with a modern take.
IS THERE ONE DISH WE SHOULD MAKE SURE
WE TRY? The spaghetti with sea urchin butter,
bottarga and brown butter crumbs. In my opinion,
it’s a great example of the last question.
WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES WITH
A RESTAURANT IN A HOTEL?
The biggest challenge for me is keeping things
interesting for in-house guests and balancing that
with a busy restaurant. If we have people staying for
three or more nights, it’s nice to be able to offer
different food items on the menu.
YOU HAVE A KITCHEN GARDEN AT BELLS.
HOW REALISTIC IS IT FOR RESTAURANTS
TO GROW THEIR OWN FOOD? I think it is
realistic to grow your own food. It’s not easy, that’s
for sure, but you get out what you put in. You have
to be proactive and always planning for the next
season. At Bells, we keep all our kitchen green waste
for compost, always putting back what we take out.
I personally think it’s better to grow more of one
item and have that truly be on a menu for the whole
season, than to grow too many different things that
won’t sustain a menu.
WHAT DO YOU THINK THE NEXT BIG FOOD
TREND IS? I believe everything goes around and
comes back again; it won’t be long before you see
formal dining making a strong presence once again.
AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM 23
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 SHORTCUTS
ONE FOR THE ROAD
The cocktails that put the most considered Australian craft spirits
to good use, with recipes from the best bartenders in the country.
Last year gin was all the rage – this year, vermouth is
in vogue. Indeed, such is the newfound appetite for
vermouth that a dedicated bar Banksii, named after
botanist Sir Joseph Banks, opened last year at
Sydney’s Barangaroo to satiate the city’s desire for
the botanical-infused fortified wine. Causes & Cures
is a great example of the stuff and is made down
in Healesville, Victoria, its name harking back to
vermouth’s original use as an Italian medicine.
“Causes & Cures Semi Dry White was one of the
P H O T O G R A P H Y: G U Y B A I L E Y ( C O C K TA I L ) , A L A N A D I M O U ( M A D A M E S H A N G H A I ) . S T Y L I N G : R E B E C C A
first Australian vermouths I tried and it’s still one
X U ( C O C K TA I L ) . C O C K TA I L P R O D U C T S : 1 8 0 6 M AT T G O L D C O C K TA I L K I T, $ 14 9 . 9 5 B A R G E E K . C O M . A U
of my favourites,” says Banksii’s sommelier Rebecca
Lines. “It’s bold and has a good depth of flavour due to
the viognier grapes and the use of oak in the process
of making it. There are plenty of orange notes from
the Seville oranges they use, so I’ve used it as a
replacement for Cointreau in the classic Side Car
cocktail, also switching lemon juice out for orange
juice. The faintest hint of cinnamon adds to the
winter appeal of this cocktail.” Enjoy!
Northcote and Windsor, this very different
hand-selected wines. winerepublic.com.au
FROM SEMINYAK TO SWAN RIVER
IF YOU WERE GOING TO INSTALL A BALI BAR IN
AUSTRALIA, THERE’D BE NO BETTER PLACE THAN
OUR WEST SIDE CITY. AFTER ALL, THE INDONESIAN
lovingly selected wines. atlasvinifera.com.au
PLAYGROUND IS AN EASY ESC APE FOR PERTHITES. BUT
TO SAVE YOU THE FLIGHT, BALI HAS ARRIVED HERE IN
THE FORM OF KU DE TA, SPRAWLING ACROSS THREE
SPACES AND A DECK PERCHED OVER THE SWAN RIVER.
WITH RELAXED WATERSIDE DINING AND CHILLED BEATS
FROM DAWN UNTIL DUSK, IT’S A BALINESE CONCEPT
WITH A VERY PERTH SENSE OF STYLE. KUDETA.COM.AU
| Wine & dine
THE RECIPE
THE BANKSII
‘WINTER’ SIDE CAR
1 pure cane-sugar cube
30ml Cognac
20ml Causes & Cures Semi Dry
White Vermouth
10ml orange juice
Rub the rim of a cocktail glass with
orange, then dip in sugar mixed with a
tiny pinch of cinnamon. Place a sugar
cube in a Boston glass and add Cognac,
vermouth and orange juice. Muddle
until sugar has dissolved, add ice and
stir until condensation forms. Strain
into the pre-prepared cocktail glass.
TREND: MELBOURNE’S
BOUTIQUE BOTTLE-OS
Always the first to boutiquefy the
bacchanalian, Melbourne has been
sprouting thoughtfully curated bottle shops
for the more oenologically minded.
WINE REPUBLIC: With stores in Fitzroy,
chain stocks rare whiskies, bottles from
small Champagne houses, and interesting
ATLAS VINIFERA: A bottleshop and bar, this
Richmond establishment is for ‘wine
explorers’, stocking about 350 bottles of
SAMUEL PEPYS: This Northcote newcomer
specialises in organic, biodynamic and
sustainable wine as well as local hoppy
offerings. The staff are only too happy to
help you select, and even often taste, that
perfect drop. samuelpepys.com.au
HOT OPENINGS
Rosetta and Chin Chin migrate south
Two of Melbourne’s most loved
restaurants are opening Sydney
outposts in the second half of 2017.
Neil Perry’s Italian fine diner ROSETTA
is set to hit in August, while the more
casual CHIN CHIN is rumoured to
be taking up residence in the historic
Griffiths Tea building in Surry Hills in
September, headed up by Graeme
Hunt (pictured) of Spice Temple
Melbourne. chinchinrestaurant.com.au;
rosettarestaurant.com.au
The George on Collins
After a $4-million renovation,
Melbourne’s iconic G E O R G E S building
basement welcomes diners from
breakfast right through to late-night
cocktails. Head Chef Tom Brockbank
(formerly ESTELLE BI ST RO, PO L L E N
STREET SOCIA L, NO. 8 ) is now
plating up a European-influenced
menu intended to be socially conscious.
Intriguing. georgesoncollins.com.au
Madame Shanghai
Sydney’s LOTUS DINI N G has opened
a new Shanghai street-food and
dumpling house across from Hyde
Park. Eluding to 1930s Shanghai
with luxe Chinoiserie
accents, the cocktail bar
takes full advantage of
its park vistas. Chef
Chris Yan’s menu is
shaokao-style – that’s
Chinese barbecue to
you – and full of heady
spices. lotusdining.com.au
Antipodean
Two-hatted GA STRO PA R K ,
the iconic Potts Point restaurant,
has changed tack entirely to become
A NTIPODEA N , a more wallet-friendly
diner with a huge focus on Australian
and New Zealand produce and
a more approachable food ethos.
antipodeanrestaurantandbar.com
AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM 25
 SHORTCUTS | Pillow talk

THE FRONT DESK

Peter Brown, chief concierge

A track winding back
As far away as you can get from one
city (Sydney) without starting to head
at HYATT REGENCY
SYDNEY, shares his top tips
for a weekend out and about in
Sydney when staying at the new
hotel on Darling Harbour.
sydney.regency.hyatt.com
HISTORIC B AL M A I N Take
a short ferry ride across the

pillow talk
into another city (Melbourne), the harbour to one of Sydney’s
halfway point of Gundagai is an ideal earliest suburbs. Enjoy lunch
place to hide from both. Kimo Estate is in one of the many historic
set on 7000 hectares of working farm, pubs, just a short stroll from
and although its century-old workers’ the ferry wharf.
Spend a NIGHT in the latest, cottages make for a charming stay, it is ROYA L B OTA N I C G A R D E N
greatest and most FABULOUS the luxe, architecturally designed, SYDNEY Take an Aboriginal
solar-powered eco-huts, with sweeping Heritage tour within the
NEW STAYS in the country. 360-degree views of the Murrumbidgee garden, or explore Mrs
flats that scream (or is it whisper?) ‘get Macquarie’s Chair – one of
away from it all’. kimoestate.com the best lookout points over
Sydney Harbour. My tip is to
take a ferry from King Street
A WHOLE NEW RAE OF SUNSHINE Wharf, behind the hotel,
Even the best of us need a declutter sometimes, and that which will stop at Circular
Quay right next door to
includes award-winning Byron Bay, ultra-luxury property
Royal Botanic Garden –
Rae’s on Wategos. Sydney interior designer Tamsin Johnson
a 30-hectare oasis right in
whisked away the old velvet and suede decadence and has
the middle of the city!
installed, instead, natural materials such as sandstone, QUEEN VICTOR I A BUI L D I N G
bamboo, linen and rattan, dip-dyed concrete bedside tables, Stroll up from the hotel to the
breezy white shutters and bespoke furnishings. Next on the beautiful Tea Room on the top
agenda is a refurb of the on-site restaurant. raes.com.au floor of what is now fondly
known as QVB. For the sweet
tooth, pick up some chocolate
delights from Josophan’s Fine
Chocolates, made locally in
the Blue Mountains.
CITY SLICKER NIELSEN PA RK Catch a ferry
As Perth enjoys an astonishing from King Street Wharf to
construction boom, its latest Watsons Bay and enjoy a
opening brings a slick, sleek picnic in the park overlooking
hotel to The Springs Rivervale, the bay with the city skyline as
an urban renewal project along your backdrop. Don’t forget
the eastern bank of the Swan to pick up your readymade
River. Aloft Perth, part of picnic hamper from our
Marriott International’s hip concierge team.
Aloft brand, features 224 STRAND ARCADE Sit down to
rooms with free wi-fi, rain a single-origin espresso in any
showers, and locally sourced of the many coffee houses
live music, art and coffee – within the Strand Arcade, or
but of course. aloftperth.com grab a coffee on the go.

26 A U S T R A L I A N T R AV E L L E R . C O M
 AT PROMOTION | Mudgee Region

d o y o u r s e l f a f a v o u r,
get yourself to Mudgee
The Mudgee region is a destination on everyone’s bucket list, and
rightly so. After a fuss-free 270-kilometre journey from Sydney,
charming countryside and an historic, sophisticated town awaits.

WHY NOT TAKE time out from your busy

Ž‹ˆ‡ǡ •‹’ –‘™ǡ ƒ† ϐ‹† ‘—– ™Šƒ– ƒŽŽ –Š‡ ˆ—••
‹• ƒ„‘—–ǫ ™‹”Ž ƒ† •‹’ ›‘—” ™ƒ› –Š”‘—‰Š From top
l e f t : Roos are
‘”‡ –Šƒ ͶͲ ˆƒ‹Ž›Ǧ‘™‡† …‡ŽŽƒ” †‘‘”•ǡ a common sight
plus a distillery and brewery. Treat yourself in Mudgee; A
–‘ –Š‡ ”‡‰‹‘ǯ• ˆƒ‡† Ž‘…ƒŽ ’”‘†—…‡Ǥ ‘––‡” delicious spread
from The Cellar
ƒ”‘—† „‘—–‹“—‡ ƒ† …Š‹… •Š‘’’‹‰ ’”‡…‹…–• by Gilbert at
ƒ† ϐ‹† Š‹††‡ ‰‡• ™Š‹Ž‡ ‡š’Ž‘”‹‰ –Š‡ Gilbert Family
”‡‰‹‘ǯ• Š‡”‹–ƒ‰‡Ǥ Wines; Mudgee’s
historical charm;
ˆ ›‘—ǯ˜‡ ˜‹•‹–‡† —†‰‡‡ „‡ˆ‘”‡ǡ ›‘—ǯŽŽ Stop by for a glass
‘™ –Šƒ– …—Ž‹ƒ”› ’ƒ••‹‘ ”—• †‡‡’ǡ ™‹–Š or two at Alby
–Š‡ ”‡‰‹‘ ‘™ ƒ Š‘—•‡Š‘Ž† ƒ‡ ƒ‘‰ & Esthers.
ˆ‘‘†ǦŽ‘˜‡”•Ǥ ‘” –Š‘•‡ ›‡– –‘ ˜‹•‹–ǡ ƒŽŽ‘™ —•
–‘ •‡– –Š‡ •…‡‡Ǥ —†‰‡‡ Šƒ• ƒ ”‹…Š ’ƒ•–‘”ƒŽ
Š‹•–‘”›ǡ ƒ• ”‡ϐŽ‡…–‡† ‹ ‹–• Š‡”‹–ƒ‰‡ •–”‡‡–•…ƒ’‡•
Ȃ™‹†‡ƒ†–”‡‡ǦŽ‹‡†ǡŒ—•–ƒ•›‘—™‘—Ž†
‹ƒ‰‹‡ˆ”‘ƒ”‡ϐ‹‡†…‘—–”›–‘™Ǥ
”‘–Š‡ˆ‡”–‹Ž‡ˆƒ”Žƒ†…‘‡•‰”‡ƒ–Ž‘…ƒŽ
’”‘†—…‡ǡƒ†‹–ǯ•”‡ƒ†‹Ž›ƒ˜ƒ‹Žƒ„Ž‡ƒ–…ƒˆ‡• ‹–Šƒ”ƒ‰‡‘ˆ„”‡ƒ–Š–ƒ‹‰ƒ–—”ƒŽ
ƒ†”‡•–ƒ—”ƒ–•ǡˆƒ”Ǧ‰ƒ–‡–‘—”•ǡ…‡ŽŽƒ”†‘‘”• ƒ––”ƒ…–‹‘•ǡ†‡Ž‡…–ƒ„Ž‡™‹‡ƒ†ˆ”‡•ŠŽ‘…ƒŽ
ƒ†‡’‹…—”‡ƒ‘—–Ž‡–•Ǥ‹–Šƒ™‹‡ƒ‹‰ ’”‘†—…‡ǡ‡˜‡–•–‘‡š…‹–‡ǡƒ‹’”‡••‹˜‡
Š‹•–‘”›†ƒ–‹‰„ƒ…–‘–Š‡ͳͺͷͲ•ǡ—†‰‡‡ •Š‘’’‹‰’”‡…‹…–ǡŽ—•Š‰‘Žˆ…‘—”•‡ǡƒ†
‹•–Š‡–Š‹”†ǦŽƒ”‰‡•–‰”ƒ’‡Ǧ’”‘†—…‹‰”‡‰‹‘ ’‹…–—”‡•“—‡•–”‡‡–•…ƒ’‡•ǡ‹–ǯ•–‹‡›‘—˜‹•‹–‡†
‹Ǥ–‹•ˆ”‘–Š‹•”‹…Š•‘—”…‡–Šƒ–Ž‘…ƒŽ
…Š‡ˆ•ƒ†™‹‡ƒ‡”•†”ƒ™‹•’‹”ƒ–‹‘Ǥ
ƒ›Ǯ–”‡‡Ǧ…Šƒ‰‡”•ǯ‘™…ƒŽŽ—†‰‡‡
Š‘‡ǤŽ‡–›Šƒ˜‡„”‘—‰Š–™‹–Š–Š‡ƒ
•Ž‹…‡‘ˆ…‹–›Ž‹ˆ‡ǡ‰‡–Ž›…‘‡…–‹‰‹–™‹–Š
–Š‡ƒ—–Š‡–‹…‹–›‘ˆ–Š‡…‘—–”›ǤŠ‹•ǡ‹–—”ǡ
‡ƒ•ƒƒ„—†ƒ…‡‘ˆ•‘’Š‹•–‹…ƒ–‡†›‡–
‡ƒ”–Š›‡š’‡”‹‡…‡•ˆ‘”˜‹•‹–‘”•–‘‹†—Ž‰‡‹Ǥ
—†‰‡‡Ǥƒ”ǡ–”ƒ‹ǡ‘”’Žƒ‡ǡ›‘—…‡”–ƒ‹Ž›
™‘ǯ–„‡†‹•ƒ’’‘‹–‡†„›™Šƒ–ƒ™ƒ‹–•›‘—Ǥ
†ǡ—’‘›‘—””‡–—”ǡ™Š‹Ž‡‹’”‡••‹‰
ˆ”‹‡†•™‹–Š›‘—”‡š’‡”–Ž›’ƒ‹”‡†—†‰‡‡
’”‘†—…‡ƒ†™‹‡ǡ›‘—ǯŽŽ„‡”‡‹†‡†‘ˆ–Šƒ–
–”‡ƒ•—”‡†„”‡ƒǤ‘—ƒ›Œ—•–ϐ‹†›‘—”•‡Žˆ
”‡–—”‹‰–‘”‡•–‘…•‘‘‡”–Šƒ›‘—–Š‹Ǥ
Begin your journey at visitmudgeeregion.com.au
 I THOUGHT I KNEW the back streets of Fitzroy well.
I’ve walked these Melbourne streets countless times, but
tonight I’m taking detours and seeing things I’ve never seen
before – all because of a text message from a stranger.
It pinged on my phone at about midday, from an
unknown number. “Hi Leanne. We’re looking forward
to seeing you tonight,” it read. This was followed by a set
of precise instructions detailing where I needed to be at
6pm and how not to get lost, signed off with a cheeky
‘x’. It’s all feeling very blind date-ish. I like it.
I’ve booked myself in to a Private Dining Room (PDR)
dinner, a Melbourne culinary event series that the website
describes as an ‘underground dining adventure’. What this

strangers, actually means is that the venue is a private space (not

a restaurant). The location is kept secret until the last
minute, as are details of the night’s menu and seating
arrangements. Aside from the last-minute text message,
the briefing has been scant, which for some people might

secrets and be terrifying, but for me (someone who eats out for
a living and sees unoriginal culinary trends on high rotation),
it just makes the whole thing all the more interesting.
I totally get that, for some people, this might feel like

seriously
a risky way to part with a chunk of their hard-earned in
the hope of a good night out. What will I be eating?
What’s the place going to be like? What if the people
are hideous bores? What if the whole thing sucks?!
P H O T O G R A P H Y: J A N A L A N G H O R S T

For PDR regulars, Maurice (a writer and sometime

good food
Would you risk a night out DINING with
STRANGERS? LEANNE CLANCEY
did, and here’s what she found.
comedian) and his wife, Fiona (a lawyer), being oblivious
to the nitty gritty details of a planned night out is all part
of the magic. “The first time we went we took people with
us, so it was more like a dinner party hosted by our friends
with some additional strangers thrown in,” Fiona explains.
Indeed, when I arrive at the venue – down a cobbled
laneway, toward the warm glow of fairy lights and sounds
of conversation and clinking glassware – it feels like I’ve
arrived at a cool friend’s house who’s thrown a big party
with a bunch of friends I just haven’t met yet. I’m loving it.
 SHORTCUTS | On the menu

For diners, it’s an opportunity to experience

some seriously boast-worthy, one-off magic.
CLOCKWISE The evening sky is clear, the air is balmy, and elegantly amazing. For me, it’s all positives when it comes to pushing
FROM TOP: plated canapés and glasses of sparkling wine weave their diners to go in blind with their fingers crossed.”
Showbags with a few
morning recovery
way through the well-dressed crowd of around 40 people. For diners, the positives are amplified three-fold: you get
items inside; Tarragon Some arrive in pairs, while others, like me, are on a virgin restaurant-quality food and wine, coupled with the chance
curd with roasted solo adventure just taking it all in, breaking the ice with to make new connections and experience something entirely
plum and cherry jam; questions about whether or not it’s our first time and what unique – something I reckon would be enough to lure
Baby abalone with a
kohlrabi broth; Secret
the garnish on the trout was. people away from their online dating apps.
city spots lend a frisson According to Tim O’Donnell, the entrepreneurial According to Tim, it’s not uncommon to see previously
of fun. OPPOSITE Melbourne sommelier behind PDR, stepping out of one’s unacquainted diners exchanging numbers and Facebook
PAGE: Zackary routine to try something completely different is what details by the end of the night, with friendships forged over
Furst serves up pork
neck , winter purslane
people most love about his events. “I think ‘the unknown’ great food and wine and the bond of a shared experience.
and macadamia milk ; is the most exciting aspect of it,” he explains. “With PDR, So what kind of people come to a PDR event? Tim says
Run by a sommelier, that extends to the venue, the menu, the drinks and the the primary common thread is “good food and the people
the dinners are sure to company you’ll keep,” he says. “I guess it’s a little adventure; who love it. The second thing that our diners have in common
impress wine lovers.
one that people are trusting us to guide them through.” is a shared appreciation for the whole experience of our
If you’re into eating out, a quick scout around on the events,” he explains. “It’s a pretty big ask getting people to
PDR website provides plenty of evidence that Tim is a man part with their money when you’re giving them little more
with some pretty cool industry contacts. Running monthly, than a postcode and the name of a chef,” he admits.
his events have attracted chefs from some of Melbourne’s By the end of the night, I too am exchanging numbers
finest restaurants. Typically, you’ll see sous chefs (rather and social media handles. I’ve met people whom I’d perhaps
than head chefs) from top venues stepping into the spotlight never normally speak to. Sure, I’ve anxiously filled a few
for the first time, savouring the freedom that comes with conversation gaps, but I’ve also laughed and been surprised,
being the boss and being able to do their own thing. It’s delighted and exceptionally well-fed.
their chance to flex some creative and culinary muscle “The people who come don’t get here by chance,” says
without the usual pressure or expectation of their day jobs, Tim. “They really want to be here, to experience something
while for diners it’s an opportunity to experience some different. They want to go on a journey with us.”
seriously boast-worthy, one-off magic. Private Dining Room events run monthly in various locations
In fact, it was this that attracted Maurice and Fiona in around Melbourne. privatediningroom.com.au
the first place. “It intrigued us because it’s a hospitality
insider thing that the public wouldn’t normally be privy
to,” says Fiona. Fellow diner, Anna (a hardcore foodie and
industry follower) agrees. “For me, it’s really interesting to
see the young up-and-comers get a chance to take charge
and run their own kitchens for a night,” she says. “It’s pretty
cool to see the food they’re coming up with.”
Sous chef at Collingwood’s acclaimed IDES, Zackary
Furst did his first PDR event in an Art Deco boardroom
down a Melbourne laneway earlier this year. For him, the
experience was a rare pleasure – creatively and professionally.
“As a chef, it’s a great way to push yourself out of your
norm and do something you might not usually do,” he says.
“It’s a unique privilege and the result can be pretty

AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM 29
 SHORTCUTS | Style seeker

5 7

4
8

10

11

12

hyg ge time
Describing a feeling of COSY CONTENTMENT,
this Danish term (pronounced hue-gah) doesn’t quite
13
translate to English... but we can EMBRACE THE
SPIRIT anyway with these Hygge-friendly pieces.

1. This ‘Chrysanthemum’ PLATE set is almost too adorable to eat from, $129.
ginkgoleaf.com.au 2. Set a Danish mood with this ‘Ombre’ pendant LIGHT,
14
$799. cittadesign.com 3. Enjoy a mug of hot choc made in this Kaico MILK PAN,
$115. ginkgoleaf.com.au 4. Put a pot of pure comfort on in the ‘Bliss’ TEAPOT,
$75. simpleform.com.au 5. We love the organic form of the ‘Finch’ TABLEWEAR,
from $18.90. cittadesign.com 6. Embrace cashmere in this Skin and Threads
boyfriend SWEATER, $298. skinandthreads.com 7. Decorate your neck with this
Funkis NECKLACE, $59. funkis.com 8. A perfectly casual accessory for heading out
is ‘The Foldover POUCH’, $132. everlane.com 9. Throw shade on winter’s sun in
16
the Lucy Folk ‘Wingspan’ SUNGLASSES, $375. lucyfolk.com 10. Cuddle up with this
100 per cent Australian wool oversized knit THROW from Nickel.N.Co, $539.
15 nickelnco.bigcartel.com 11. This James and Irisa meteorolite CUFF has us loving opals
again, but it ain’t cheap so it’s one for the wish-list at $1640. jamesandirisa.com.au
12. Settle in for a good read in the linen-covered Joe LOVESEAT, $1790.
mcmhouse.com 13. Keep the spirit of hygge alight with this cosy CANDLE, $59.
funkis.com 14. Take to the sky with this stunning ‘Flying High’ watercolour PRINT,
$66. simpleform.com.au 15. The cooler months are the best time to focus inwards
17 and Carla Oates’ THE BEAUTY CHEF is a good start, $49.95. norsu.com.au 16. The
‘Clementine’ TABLE is just the spot to create a hygge setting, $723. jardan.com.au
17. Slide into these super-comfy ‘Modern Babo’ SHOES, $195. everlane.com

AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM 31
 SHORTCUTS | Billabong Retreat

mindful moments

Is it possible to find MINDFULNESS in just

two days? LARA PICONE puts her busy brain
through its paces at BILLABONG RETREAT.

32 A U S T R A L I A N T R AV E L L E R . C O M
 MY BRAIN REFUSES TO get on board
with the idea of meditation. My mind is
great at being full, but there’s no mindfulness
happening up there. I’m the type of yoga-goer
who doesn’t join in the communal ‘om’ chant
at the end of class, peeks when told to close
their eyes in order to fully relish a contorted
pose, and who is thinking about the best way
to sear the fat on a sirloin in 30 minutes’ time
when I’m released from the agonising pursuit
of inner peace.
I wasn’t always like this. I could tell you the
name of every crystal when I was a kid, and
a purple dream catcher that hung above my
bed was among my most prized possessions.
But somewhere between adolescence and
adulthood, I stopped placing a piece of quartz
on my forehead to get rid of a headache and
started taking Panadol. My descent from
mindfulness accelerated as I ploughed through
my twenties and, now in my thirties, the quest
is all but lost, swallowed up by deadlines,
social expectations and a fair amount of pinot
noir. But, I wondered, can a mindful state be
restored? And, for those of us who are
time-poor, can it be restored in two days?
Not that long ago an invitation landed in
my inbox to visit Billabong Retreat (an easy
45 minutes from Sydney). As I was just
putting the finishing touches on a particularly
trying week, the invitation’s timing seemed
perfect. “Could this be the universe
providing?” I asked my recalcitrant mind.
There was no response, but the pulsing vein
in my temple and the fifth email sent before
8am told me it was time to do something
P H O T O G R A P H Y: L A R A P I C O N E ( B I L L A B O N G , T E A S E T, W AT E R L I L I E S )
about that pesky inner peace problem.
I grabbed my most zen friend to act as a
familiar on my journey to wholeness and
booked us in for two days of yoga,
meditation, and a mindfulness workshop.
We arrive in the early afternoon, in time
for a welcome spiel and a gluten-free bliss
ball. As we settle into the expansive verandah
with the scents and sounds of the bush
wrapped around us, I begin to assess my
fellow mindfulness disciples. Women, all of
them. My mind, cottoning onto the fact it’s
about to be coerced into training, stages a
revolt. “You’ve just fallen into the plot of Eat,
Pray, Love,” it chides. “Soon you’ll be wearing
happy pants and chanting in Sanskrit,” the
taunting continues. I weigh up the viability
of a sneaky retreat. But my friend drove us
and I can’t force her to leave with me;
besides, she already looks as though she’s in
commune with Buddha. Plus, I’m curious.
Before my brain has a chance to regroup
for another offensive, I’m seated on a mat in
a beautiful, bright room. Polished wooden
floors lead to large glass doors, beyond which
a forest of sunlit gums sways gently. It’s
ridiculously tranquil and no one is wearing
happy pants. A preternaturally soothing
voice glides out across the room and seems
to temporarily disarm my combative mind.
The voice belongs to Basia, who’ll be our yoga
teacher for the next few days. My limbs follow
her serene instruction and, before I know it,
I’m closing my eyes and humming ‘om’.
After a perplexingly delicious lunch
despite the lack of any meat or bread, it’s
time for a massage. My mind, now recovered
from Basia’s chilled vibes, is back to its old
tricks, narrating on the progress of the
massage (oh, not the feet, buddy). But
meditation class provides another
opportunity to tame the wily beast.
Where the gums huddled in the day, there’s
now nothing but darkness beyond the glass,
but the room has taken on a comforting,
womb-like ambience for meditation class.
Everyone is seated in a chair with bolsters
under their feet, or in lotus pose on a mat.
Basia shows us how to breathe like Darth
Vader, constricting our throat for ‘ujjayi’
breath. I open one eye to suss out if anyone’s
smirking at my attempt to imitate the dark
lord, but everyone’s attention is focused
inwards to their own strangulated pursuits.
Next, we try alternate nostril breathing, or
‘nadi shodhan pranayama’. For a few minutes
my mind is nowhere but with my breath. I am
solely aware of the air rushing in and being
expelled by each nostril. Inevitably, though,
it becomes restless and decides to remind
me of work unfinished, problems unsolved
and, just because it now has my attention,
something someone said to me two years ago
that irked me. I hear Basia’s voice float past
like a cloud, telling us to bring our awareness
back to our breath should our minds get up
to such mischief.
“How long do you realistically think you
could do a yoga and meditation practice for
each day?” asks Basia at our one-on-one
session. Feeling emboldened by yesterday’s
efforts, I suggest half an hour. “That’s quite
ambitious; why don’t we try for seven
minutes?” I’m a little deflated that, after my
24-hour pursuit of mindfulness, Basia
doesn’t think I’m already on my ascent to
Nirvana. I agree to seven minutes. After
consultation on any physical and emotional
aches and pains, Basia draws up a prescription
for my seven-minute daily practice.
At the Mindful Intelligence workshop,
Paul von Bergen tells the room that there’s
no such thing as being good at meditation.
He assures us it’s a practice and, as with most
things worth pursuing, it only gets easier the
more you do it. You can almost feel the room
exhale in relief as everyone makes a mental
note not to beat themselves up each time
their mind shares some inane information.
The founder and director of Billabong
Retreat, Paul’s journey into mindfulness
had its own hurdles. And that’s the brilliant
thing about Paul: he’s not a dreadlocked
refuse-all-earthly-pleasures-type of
meditation guy. He wears jeans, has kids who
occasionally frustrate him, and knows there
are some things only a glass of wine will cure.
During the two-day workshop, Paul suggests
easy mindfulness practices that you have
every chance of slotting into a regular day.
Who knew, for example, that drinking a cup
of tea could be an exercise in mindfulness?
I leave Billabong feeling that mindfulness is
something within my reach, not after months
at an ashram in India devoting myself to
dharma and dhal, but every day.
So, did I attain mindfulness in two days?
Well, no – that job is bigger than two days
and the struggle is real, my friends. But I did
at least come away with knowledge on how to
work towards a more blissful state of mind.
As I suspect Basia predicted all along, I don’t
do my seven-minute yoga practice every day,
but I manage it about three times a fortnight.
I learnt from Paul how to recognise a stress
response, acknowledge it, and lessen its
severity. I also try to turn the mundane into
mindful exercises; brushing my teeth is a
winner. The dreamcatcher can stay packed
away in my adolescent memory, along with all
the lyrics to Incubus songs, but this useable,
everyday spirituality I can fully embrace.
DETAILS
B ILLA B ONG RETREAT
Just a 45-minute drive north-west of
Sydney, you can time your visit with the
wellbeing program of your choice, from
Mindful Intelligence to Stress Management.
Include a one-on-one yoga consultation
or a massage to really unwind.
billabongretreat.com.au

SUN NEVER SETS
SUN PICTURES, BROOME’S famous
open-air picture garden, has seen plenty in
its 100-year life. This modest weatherboard
building in Chinatown, which began life as
an Asian emporium before being converted
into a movie theatre, has long been an integral
and distinctive part of the town. Indeed, the
settler history of Broome can be read
through its evolution.
Today, Sun Pictures holds the Guinness
World Records’ title of being the world’s
oldest operating picture garden, but it has
been through a lot to get here. “After 65 years,
surviving thrice-yearly flooding, a town
evacuation due to war, the onslaught of
Cyclone Eva in 1970 and Cyclone Rosita
in 2000, Sun Pictures was forced to close in
1981 due to the surge of television and video
entertainment,” says current owner Marisa
Ferraz. In 1982 it found an investor in Lord
Alistair McAlpine, who acquired the building,
and Sun Pictures reopened its doors.
The many stories and legends that Sun
Pictures’ episodic history has spun are as
much part of the building’s identity. “Who
could have imagined needing to wade out
of the theatre at the end of a film? But that
is exactly what happened in 1974,” says
Marisa by way of example. “Approximately
three times a year, Carnarvon Street and
Sun Pictures were flooded and patrons had
to wade ankle-deep to their vehicles, some
even suggesting you could catch a fish
during the screening.”
34 A U S T R A L I A N T R AV E L L E R . C O M
SHORTCUTS | Rewind
The building also charts darker moments
in Broome’s history. “In my time, segregated
seating existed although this was later relaxed,”
remembers Doug Fong, grandson of one of
Broome’s original Chinese pearling merchants
and the owner of Broome Chinatown Walks.
Segregation of Europeans, Chinese, Japanese,
Malays and Indigenous Australians mirrored
Broome society at the time and continued
until 1967. “Nevertheless, for the various
ethnic groups, this was a popular social outing,”
Doug continues.
“The pictures – never called the movies
– usually started at 8pm when we stood
for God Save the King /Queen. You would
have a newsreel that was a few months old,
a cartoon, a serial such as The Cisco Kid,
then the support film; quite often this was
a Western. The second picture was usually
a more adult one and finished quite late.
Two pictures, a newsreel, cartoon and a
serial… good value in those days!”
During the half-hour intervals, Doug
recalls, patrons would visit local shops for
SUN PICTURES
in Broome – the
WORLD’S OLDEST
operating picture
garden – turns 100
this year. IMOGEN
EVESON seeks out
some stories from its
illustrious past.
FROM TOP: Segregated seating continued until
1967; Crews loading up the tram outside Sun Pictures
in 1920; The deckchairs still provide retro ambience.
CO U RT E S Y O F T H E B RO O M E H I S TO R I C A L S O C I E T Y & M U S E U M (19 2 0);
refreshments; his parents owned one just
P H OTO G R A P H Y: CO U RT E S Y O F T H E B AT T Y E L I B R A RY (C I RC A 19 2 0);
40 metres away, selling confectionery, fruit,
CO U RT E S Y O F B R E T T B A R N E T T P H OTO G R A P H Y ( P R E S E N T DAY )
drinks and Chinese salty plums.
Today, a visit to Sun Pictures offers the
chance to experience an operating piece
of history that reflects, and still lives, the
‘romantic golden era’ of theatre, says Marisa.
“Ceiling fans, deckchairs and antique wooden
bench seating, an historic display of used
projectors, framed photographs of Broome
in bygone years, archival movie posters, a jet
passing overhead and star-lit skies, [all] take
patrons back to days gone by,” she says.
“Coupled with the support from locals and
tourists, this is one sun that will never set.”
Sun Pictures celebrates its centenary with a
number of special events including its 100th
Celebration on Saturday 22 July – a ticketed
event incorporating stories, music and tributes.
broomemovies.com.au
 SHORTCUTS | Hot list

B O U T I Q U E B U T C H E R I E S

FLUORESCENT-LIT BUTCHER SHOPS with their cling-wrapped meats adorned

with a ubiquitous sprig of curly parsley have undergone a revival of late. Butchers are
transforming their trade and embracing their craftsmanship, turning their shops into a
celebration of produce. No longer simply meat markets, these five butchers have created
spaces that are as engaging to behold as any patisserie or delicatessen.

1888 Certified, Double Bay, NSW

THE FA M I L I E S O F C H ARLIE C RIC HTO N AND
TI M W H I T E H AV E B E E N FARMERS AND
G RAZI E R S F O R OV E R 100 YEARS . THES E DAYS
THE PAIR RUN A STUNNING MEAT BO U TIQ U E
I N SY D N E Y. U N I T E D BY THEIR VALU ES AND
3 3 YE A R S O F F R I E N D SHIP, THEY S ET ABO U T Meatsmith, Fitzroy, Vic
D E D I C AT I N G A B U T C H ERY TO TRAC EABLE CHEF A NDREW MCCONNE L L A N D
M E AT W I T H N O H O R MO NES , ANTIBIOTIC S B UTCHER TROY W HEELER H AV E O PE N E D
OR A N I M A L F E E D. C O NDU C TING AU DITS A MEAT AND W INE EMPORI UM W H E R E
ON A L L T H E I R S U P P L I ERS EAC H YEAR, YO U IT’S NOT JUST THE B EEF TH AT ’S
C A N B E S U R E A N Y M EAT BO U GHT HERE IS MA RB LED B UT A LSO THE CO UN T E RTO P.
1888 CERTIFIED. 1888C E RT IFIE D. COM. AU GRAB TAKE-HOME MEALS A N D A SK T H E
SOMMELIER ABOUT A WINE TO MATCH
YOUR CHOICE. M EATSM ITH. CO M. AU
Peter Bouchier, Toorak , Vic
THERE ARE NO WINDOWS PAINTED
WITH FROLICKING LAMBS AND PIGS AS
C AN N IN G S FREE RA NGE
IF ADVERTISING THEIR DELICIOUSNESS
HERE (A STRANGE PHENOMENON, WE
B UTCHERS, K EW, VIC
FEEL); IT’S ALL GOLD LETTERING, FLAT This wood-clad space in Melbourne’s inner-east

C APS, COOL APRONS AND SLEEK TILES.
THE STORE IS AN ICON OF THE AREA
AND WELL-LOVED FOR ITS BEAUTIFUL
MEATS. IF YOU’RE STAYING LOC ALLY AND
HAVE ACCESS TO A KITCHEN, PICK UP A
STEAK OR GRAB A DELI LUNCHBOX AND
FIND A PARK. PETERGBOUCHIER.COM.AU
P H O T O G R A P H Y: K AT I E W I LT O N ( P E T E R B O U C H I E R ) ;
gets big ticks for its eco values and strong ethics.
Produce is 100 per cent free-range and farmed
using natural methods only. Here you’ll find
saltbush-grazed dorper lamb from SA and fresh
seafood from the south and east coasts. Also,
Cannings uses renewable power from Hydro
Tasmania, Australia’s largest generator of clean
H A R VA R D W A N G ( M E AT S M I T H )

V ICTO R C H UR C H I L L , energy. canningsfreerangebutchers.com.au

WOOLLAH R A , NS W
Perhaps the first butcher shop to display its wares as
fine art rather than mere produce, Victor Puharich
and his son, Anthony, have created a veritable meat
gallery in Sydney’s upmarket Woollahra. Described
by Anthony Bourdain as the ‘most beautiful butcher
shop in the world’, it’s worth visiting to simply ogle
the window display. victorchurchill.com

36 A U S T R A L I A N T R AV E L L E R . C O M

WKH ZRUOG 5RWWQHVW UHDOO\ GRHV ȴW WKH ELOO IRU DQ LGHDO LVODQG
getaway, allowing you to rediscover life’s simple pleasures.
C l o c k w i s e f r o m a b o v e : Pinky Beach,
below the Bathurst Point lighthouse; A natural
swimming pool in the clear waters of the Basin;
Quokkas are an iconic part of Rottnest Island.
of
meet
ial once
and
KHV LQ
Located 19 kilometres off the coast of Western
Australia, the island is just 25 minutes from
Perth and feels a million miles from
everything. As a stunning natural A-class
reserve, Rottnest is essentially a car-free
zone, with bicycles the most common mode
of transport. Take in the incredible scenery
˜‹ƒ Œ‘› ϐŽ‹‰Š–ǡ ‡…‘ „‘ƒ– ‘” ƒ Š‘’Ǧ‘ǡ Š‘’Ǧ‘ˆˆ
bus service that tours the perimeter of the
island. If you would prefer to explore by foot,
traverse the island’s unique landscapes along
the Wadjemup Bidi: a series of walking trails
that will take you across spectacular coastal
headlands, past stunning inland lakes, to
encounter both natural and manmade
attractions along the way.
Surrounded by the sparkling Indian Ocean,
you can choose from a smorgasbord of coastal
activities. Snorkel through vibrant coral reefs
protected by marine sanctuary zones, dive
ƒ‘‰ •Š‹’™”‡…•ǡ ‰‘ ϐ‹•Š‹‰ ˆ‘” ›‘—”‘™
delicious seafood or surf some of Western
Australia’s best breaks. More than 63 pristine
beaches and 20 secluded bays make it easy to
ϐ‹† ›‘—” ‘™ •‡…”‡– …‘”‡” ‘ˆ ’ƒ”ƒ†‹•‡–‘
enjoy. The Basin is a favourite among island
AT PROMOTION | Rottnest Island
visitors, famous for its limestone formations
that create a natural swimming pool and
underwater snorkelling playground.
For the adrenalin junkies out there, why not
see the island from a new perspective? Take
in the stunning sights as you skydive from
15,000 feet, land on a spectacular beach and
then head to Hotel Rottnest for a celebratory
beverage. If that’s too much for some, opt for
an off-road Segway tour to explore the
island’s majestic scenery and natural beauty
on your own revolutionary set of wheels.
Golf lovers can challenge mates among the
fabulous views and swaying ti trees of the
classic nine-hole island golf course, or bring
the kids over for a game of mini golf at the
Family Fun Park. Spoil yourself a little (or
a lot) with day spa facilities, poolside tapas
menus, wine dinners and relaxing beachside
accommodation, all available on the island.
Œ‘›ƒ……‘‘†ƒ–‹‘™‹–Šƒ‰‹ϐ‹…‡–‘…‡ƒ
views and absolute beach frontage, or stay
in comfortable, budget-friendly cabins,
bungalows, the hostel or campgrounds.
To book a stay on Rottnest Island, visit
rottnestisland.com
COFFEE
with
C AT S SYDNEY HAS THREE OF THEM.
There are two in Brisbane. And Melbourne
Entering the PURR ZONE, Fleur Bainger finds claims the original. Cat cafes are on the
prowl across Australia, with Perth and now
CAT CAFES are not what SHE EXPECTED. Adelaide joining the moggie movement.
Aside from the excuse to make catty puns,
cat cafes are resonating with people who’d
love a pet of their own, but circumstance
– their rental rules, travelling lifestyle or fur-
lergic partner – means they can’t. Others go
for the companionship and good vibes that
animal interaction delivers. Or, in my case,
pure entertainment.
The cult-like popularity of LOL cat vids
on YouTube has undoubtedly fuelled the
demand. Cat cafes originated in Taiwan in
the ’90s but achieved global fame in Japan
I L L U S T R AT I O N : C A R L A M c R A E

(where there are now more than 100).

The trend, which Wikipedia dryly describes
as ‘pet rental,’ has since swept the world.
Visiting one is an unusual experience.
Far from my image of lounging on squishy
couches holding painted crockery as felines
purr on my lap and rub against my shins,
interiors are relatively spartan and cats are,
typically, more interested in looking after

their own needs than mine. Regardless,
they’re ridiculously engaging as they
claw up cat trees, lounge in mini tipis
and snoop under tables.
Brisbane’s Lucky Cat Cafe and Cat Cuddle
Cafe mix things up with cat yoga, while
Sydney’s Catmosphere stands apart with
its sci-fi theme. When I look up Adelaide
newbie, Hashtag Meow, I suspect it’s having
a lend with its Felixstow address. But it’s
fur real. Inside, a poised Bengal overlooks
two Ragdolls as they play on the floor, while
a newly arrived British Shorthair hides
in a kitty cabin. The spectrum of styles is
deliberate, says co-owner Amelia Wang. “I
wanted to show people that different breeds
have different personalities. Here people can
see what cats are like before owning a pet.”
Since opening in November 2016, interest
has been so “overwhelming” that she’s
ditching the glass partition and the dessert
menu and unleashing the entire floor to her
12 furry friends. She and partner Jerry Lam
take different cats home each night to give
them a break from the cafe, where they spend
the day mixing with a maximum of eight
people per visiting slot.
In Perth, all felines, from Mr Fox to Ziggy
Stardust and Mowgli, are rescue cats, and
a percentage of the takings go to animal
welfare. “The vision is to rescue as many cats
as possible,” says co-owner Chris Mewburn
(yes, that really is his surname). When the
social enterprise launched, 24,000 people
jumped online and Purrth was booked out
SHORTCUTS | Travel trends
DETAILS
SYDNEY
Catmosphere Cafe Sydney
66 Foveaux Street, Surry Hills;
catmospherecafe.com/sydney
Cafe Purrfection The Chatswood Cat
Palace, Unit 18, 30-32 Barcoo Street,
Roseville; thecatpalace.com.au/cat-cafe
Sydney Cat Cafe hosts pop-up events, such
as the sold-out ‘Cats on Mats’ yoga for now,
but is set to open a purr-manent cafe in
2017; sydneycatcafe.com.au
MELB OURNE
Cat Cafe Melbourne 30 Guildford Lane,
Melbourne; catcafemelbourne.com
B RISB A NE
Lucky Cat Cafe 16 Saint Kilda Place,
Annerley; luckycatcafe.com.au
for six weeks, a trend that hasn’t slowed. Cat Cuddle Cafe 160 Musgrave Road,
About 1500 people wanted a job there, Red Hill; catcuddlecafe.com
including a vet (hired) and a person with ADELA IDE
zoological qualifications (no brainer). Hashtag Meow 499A Payneham Road,
Mewburn and partner, Euterpe Platritis, live Felixstow; facebook.com/pg/
20 metres from the cafe, and when they’re hashtagmeowcafe
not there, they have CCTV wired into his PERTH
phone for monitoring. They take cat welfare The Cat Cafe Purrth 147 Rokeby Road,
seriously, seeking advice from cat shelter Cat Subiaco; purrth.com
Haven and Perth Cat Hospital, sending their
kitties for monthly vet checks, and training
their lounge hosts to identify signs of stress
and fatigue. “The space is designed in such
a way that if the cats want to get away from
people at any time, they can,” says Mewburn.
“There’s a cat flap they can access to reach
cat condos out the back. Cats like to escape
vertically rather than horizontally so we have
cat highways and boxes up on the walls.”
The cafe is also closed from 3pm to 5pm
for cat naps and is never open for more
than five hours at a time.
The modus operandi for the rest of
Australia’s cat cafes is largely similar, in that
you must book a visit, generally of 30 minutes
to an hour. Your cat therapy session costs
from about $6 to $20, and most are in a
glassed-off playroom where human numbers
are limited, the cats have free range and only
drinks are allowed. Photos are fine, but no
flashes thank you. Meow.
AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM 39
Fraser Island,
like no other place on the planet.
Kingfisher Bay Resort
For the ultimate Fraser Island experience
you can’t go past the award-winning
Kingfisher Bay Resort. The resort is a
leader in eco-tourism, with a range of
hotel and villa accommodation on offer.
Check online for Hot Deals
쵆 kingfisherbayresortgroup.com.au
Eurong Beach Resort
Positioned in the heart of 75 Mile Beach,
Eurong Beach Resort is the perfect
base for four-wheel-driving and fishing
adventures. Hotel and family apartments
available.
 1300 FRASER (372 737)
KBRV1253
Fraser Explorer Tours
Join a one or two day fun-filled tour
to discover Fraser Island and see all
the highlights including Lake McKenzie.
Departing daily from Rainbow Beach or
Hervey Bay.
 WEEKENDS
detour . camus . thousand lakes . notel . milton & molly . midtown hobart

T H OUSAND L AK E S WI L D E R N E S S L O D G E
A restored Antarctic training facility is the
perfect base from which to explore the ethereal
beauty of Tasmania’s Central Highlands.
Turn to page 46 for more.
P H OTO G R A P H Y: C H R I S C R E R A R

Catering to OMNIVORES and HERBIVORES alike in
an artfully adapted INDUSTRIAL SETTING, the new
star on Brisbane’s restaurant scene doesn’t disappoint.
IMOGEN EVESON dines at DETOUR.
HEADLINE ACT
DETOUR IS HOUSED IN an old industrial
building within the antique precinct of Logan Road
in Brisbane’s Woolloongabba. The atmosphere
is warm and intimate, and my partner and I soon
forget the commotion over the road: Adele is
playing to 60,000 people at the Gabba.
Opened in January, this 140-seater is the much-
anticipated restaurant from Damon Amos, former
executive chef at Brisbane’s hatted eatery, Public.
The space itself is contemporary yet faithful to
its industrial foundations; copper and wooden
panels have been installed with a light touch against
exposed brickwork and metal support beams that
bear original signage – it all feels very textural.
The menu at Detour is split down the middle
between omnivore and herbivore options (meat-,
egg- and dairy-free). The premise behind this is
one of inclusiveness; Amos wants everyone to be
able to enjoy his food, regardless of their dietary
persuasions. This works for me: I’m vegetarian, so
we order three dishes and a side from the herbivore
menu. It’s a shame there aren’t more of us dining,
because I would have happily sampled all of the nine
dishes on this succinct menu.
The first to arrive from the open kitchen – coal-
roasted broccoli with miso, spinach, seaweed and
quinoa – sets a high standard. Its flavours and textures
pop against each other: smoky and salty; slippery
and crunchy. A side of beetroot with ginger and
mandarin is similarly pleasing in the way its simple
ingredients play off each other; the juxtapositions of
textures is clearly not limited to the interior design.
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42 A U S T R A L I A N T R AV E L L E R . C O M
WEEKENDS | Reviews
Cauliflower with cashew curry and lentils is rich,
creamy and hearty, with a kick; but the smoked
pumpkin with maple, mustard and pepitas leaves it
in the cold. Pumpkin is the ubiquitous vegetarian CLOCKWISE FROM TOP
LEFT: Detour’s industrial digs;
fallback, omnipresent in frittatas and salads The cocktails list, like the whole
everywhere and, often enough, an undercooked menu, is concise and curated; An
consolation prize. But not this one; it’s delicious. ‘omnivore’ dish of gunpowder salmon.
The sweetness of the pumpkin and maple is offset
by the smoky flavour and the bite of mustard, but
further still by the red wine we choose from a menu DETAILS
of Australian offerings. A biodynamic tempranillo
from Barossa Valley small-batch producer Smallfry DETOUR
Wines, it’s more savoury than I’m used to but proves Shop 6, 11 Logan Road,
to be a good counterbalance. Woolloongabba, QLD;
Though we stick to the herbivore menu, the detourrestaurant.com.au
omnivore offerings look no less intriguing: K.F.D. Verdict: A warm, casual yet
(Kentucky fried duck) with jalapeño cornbread and fine-dining experience where
sour cream; emu tartare with burnt shallot, chilli and the creative menu manages
yolk; and gunpowder salmon with green curry and to outshine the impressive
black ants (Amos is a big edible insects advocate). industrial-chic setting.
The dining experience is sophisticated but casual, Score:
with various members of the team checking in We rated: The creative and
throughout to see how we’re tracking and proffer sometimes out-there
notes on their favourite dishes. It’s an uncontrived combinations of ingredients
touch that adds to the convivial atmosphere. that come together elegantly.
Dessert comes deconstructed. Juicy mango, firm We’d change: It was a shame
macadamias and powdery dehydrated mandarin not to have tried more dishes.
balance out a creamy slab of panna cotta, the A tasting plate option would
combination of flavours and textures as brilliantly probably convolute the succinct
executed as everything that came before. So what menu, so next time I would
if Adele’s at the Gabba? The headliner in Brisbane come with a larger group to
tonight is the menu at Detour. make sure I sampled more.
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 WEEKENDS | Reviews

INNER-NORTH
newcomer, Melbourne’s
CAMUS combines
MOORISH SPICE
and classic FRENCH
TECHNIQUE with a
big dose of heart, writes
LEANNE CLANCEY.

CLOCKWISE FROM
LEFT: The long marble
bar welcomes casual guests;
The upstairs dining room

mythical dining
keeps it minimal; Khodja’s
decadent, signature Turkish
delight soufflé.

TWENTIETH-CENTURY philosopher, Albert
Camus, once penned an existential essay, The Myth
of Sisyphus, about a man’s futile exercise of pushing
a boulder up a mountain just to see it roll back down.
In High Street, Northcote, there’s a big hill (Rucker’s
Hill), but no such wearying challenges for the strip’s
prospering flock of cafe owners and restaurateurs. The
place is positively buzzing – on both sides of the slope.
Like Albert Camus, chef and restaurateur Pierre
Khodja was born in Algeria but spent a big chunk
of his life in France. He trained in Michelin-starred
restaurants before arriving in Australia over a decade
ago, where he’s collected accolades running the kitchen
for others, but only now had the chance to shine solo.
When he opened Camus in January, Khodja said,
“For many years I’ve worked for other people, cooking
with one hand tied behind my back. Finally, I get to
cook with both hands.” Both hands, and his whole heart.
The menu beautifully balances Khodja’s Algerian
heritage and his classical French training. When
non-native chefs attempt Arabic or Middle Eastern
cuisine they tend to overdo the aromatics, but here,
there’s commendable restraint and delicacy of touch.
The space itself is contemporary and casually elegant,
with plenty of Victorian-era character – high ceilings,
big windows – kept intact. Three distinct spaces each
have their own look and feel. At the front, a casual bar
area has pendant lighting and a long marble bar for
drop-ins. Dark and moody, the main dining room
DETAILS
is dominated by the glow of the open kitchen, while
a second upstairs dining room, white-washed and C AMUS
minimal, has an entirely different persona. 61 High Street,
The menu offers starters, sides and bigger shared Northcote, Vic;
dishes. We started with an entrée of just-seared camusrestaurant.com.au
calamari stuffed with aromatic minced prawns and Verdict: A great addition
a flaky mushroom-filled borak – a great example of to the Melbourne dining
Khodja’s subtle Algerian accent in refined cuisine. scene, Camus elevates
His slow-cooked goat with caramelised onion and North African cuisine
apricots is winning hearts all over Northcote, and with with an original and
good reason. Aromatically spiced, the meat is tender soulful approach. When
and moist, with just enough fat and connective tissue a passionate chef gets the
present to keep things interesting (and delicious). freedom to cook from
Meanwhile, a delicate duck bastilla with almonds and the heart, magic happens.
a quenelle of fruit chutney says all the things that Score:
Moorish cuisine says so well; it’s lightly fragrant, We rated: The romantic,
texturally exciting and thoroughly intriguing. well-lit ambience; the
Desserts have also had their passports stamped in polished-yet-warm
Algeria, with rose, cardamom and orange blossom all service; and Khodja’s deft
peeking through. Soufflé fans should not pass up the mix of heartfelt Algerian
fluffy pink joy of Khodja’s Turkish delight soufflé. authenticity and French
Served with pistachio baklava and halva ice-cream, culinary skill.
it’s like a delicate cloud of decadent deliciousness. We’d change: Depending
Locals have embraced Camus because it’s warm, on where you sit, the
approachable, heartfelt and generous – rare things vague sense of being
to come by in this often superficial, trend-driven era. monitored by the
Khodja has plenty of reasons to feel proud. (open) kitchen.

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

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

of your life...
 WEEKENDS
MOON BASE
A former ANTARCTIC expedition TRAINING FACILITY
is the perfect place from which to explore a unique portion of
TASMANIA, finds DANIEL DOWN.
WHEN BUZZ ALDRIN STEPPED onto the surface of the
moon and gazed across its stark surface, he couldn’t help but put his
emotions into words. “Magnificent desolation,” he exclaimed, in some
ways eclipsing Armstrong’s famous first words. It’s a little how I feel
gazing back at Thousand Lakes Wilderness Lodge – a tiny speck of
white on the horizon, at the end of a vast expanse. There must be a
fair few kilometres of wind-blasted tundra between our position and
the lodge’s comforts, and no paths to lead us there. It’s exhilarating, like
we’re cast adrift; detached from humanity. We’ve ‘free-walked’ out
here, picking our own way through the dense scrub of the Central
Highlands Plateau – part of Tasmania’s seemingly endless Central
Highlands World Heritage Area.
All AT reviews are conducted anonymously and our writers pay their own way – so we experience exactly what you would.
| Reviews
Indeed, it was precisely these isolated, moon-like conditions that
made the Central Highlands perfect for an Antarctic research base
here in the ’80s. The Bernacchi Lodge, as it was called, had to bow
P H O T O G R A P H Y: C H R I S C R E R A R
to its harsh environment, its roof angled to deflect savage winds
hurtling across snow-covered tundra. Abandoned to the elements
in 1999, it was eventually bought by V8 Supercar racing star Marcos
Ambrose, who relaunched it as Thousand Lakes Lodge last year as
a base for anglers and walkers. As soon as my wife and I arrive,
Marcos, who happens to be visiting with his family, tells us to get
out there and explore, handing us maps of the region that look like
the pockmarked surface of the moon owing to the thousand or so
lakes that give the lodge its name.
CLOCKWISE FROM
LEFT: 4WDs tackle
the tough terrain of the
Central Highlands; The
shore of one of the region’s
many lakes; The landscape
here possesses an ethereal
beauty; Rooms are
contemporary; It’s hard
to tear yourself away
from the fire in the
main lounge; The lodge
rises out of the heath.
Fortunately, the conditions are far from Arctic during our stay, and
we’ve timed our arrival perfectly to coincide with the transformation
of the scrub into a sea of wildflowers, their scent filling the air. The
lodge’s strange angles mean the majority of the structure is given over
to a cavernous lounge and dining area, with leather sofas positioned in
front of an immense fireplace; another lounge with board games and
something of a library, and a more intimate dining room is found off
a corridor. Everywhere you go, big windows frame what this place is
all about: Tasmania’s famous wilderness. Here, you’re always in the
wild surrounds, whether you’re inside the lodge gazing out or miles
away gazing back across the bogs, lakes and heathland.
DETAILS
When you are back, it’s eminently comfortable; a rain shower is the
ideal antidote for tired legs following a lengthy bushwalk, as is a Nant THOUSAND LAKE S
Estate whisky, from down the road, in front of the fire in the lounge. W ILDERNESS LOD G E
Corridors are adorned with photos of anglers waist-deep in one of the 1247 Lake Augusta Road, Liawenee,
many lakes, and you can sink into a sofa to admire the photos in books Central Highlands, Tasmania;
such as Tasmanian High Country Huts (some of which you can hike to thousandlakeslodge.com.au
from the lodge). The rooms are functional and modern, if a little Verdict: A comfortable, cosy base
box-like – perhaps betraying the building’s former life as a training from which to head out and explore
base – but the draw of the communal spaces means your room simply the stark beauty of the Central
fulfils its role as a place to change, shower and sleep. Plateau; a great place to return for
Such is the beauty of the Central Plateau, with different heathers, dinner, having worked up an appetite
mosses and wildflowers delivering a surprising amount of colour in on a full-day bushwalk.
the summer months, that you’ll spend most of your time outdoors, Score:
coming close to wallabies in the heath and black swans on the lakes. We rated: The location of this lodge
A member of staff will prepare a picnic lunch for you, and you can is unique – an island of civilisation
borrow gear from the lodge – gaiters (shin guards) are a must if you’re in the middle of nowhere. If you’re
going bushwhacking. When you return, the chef (now Phil Kelly from looking for a cosy refuge from
gourmet deli Wursthaus Kitchen) will be ready to take your order Tasmania’s often harsh elements
– roast Tasmanian lamb or fresh-caught trout perhaps – before host in front of a roaring fire, this is it.
Jason gives you an impromptu after-dinner performance on his circular We’d change: The rooms are just
didgeridoo (a spiral-shaped instrument carved from a single piece of a little bit functional – lacking the
wood). Before bed you can take a torch out to nearby Lake Augusta warm feeling of the lounges.
and look for platypus, as wombats graze on the banks around you. Notes: We paid $345 dollars a
There aren’t many places in the modern world where you can night for a Lodge Queen Premium
experience something akin to Aldrin’s ‘magnificent desolation’, where Room, which includes a continental
you’ll feel how small you really are in nature’s grand scheme, but down breakfast. There is also the option
here in Tasmania, in the otherworldly landscape of the Central to hire e-bikes: electric-boosted
Plateau, you can come pretty close. mountain bikes to explore the area.
AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM 47

Can an INSTA-
WORTHY Airstream
on a ROOFTOP
match Melbourne’s
cool? LARA PICONE
checks in to Notel.
trailer
park ...
IT DIDN’T START SO WELL. A pre-stay
email requesting I not be ‘boring’ or ‘break’ stuff,
and suggesting I cancel my booking and check
into the Hilton if I dare expect anything ‘normal’
from my accommodation, had my brow furrowing.
Okaaay. I get they’re giving irreverence a go and
the name Notel is meant to indicate something
different to a hotel; something cool and edgy.
But for someone paying $395 per night, the tone
might be just a little off. I decided to put the mild
irritation behind me; this stay is meant to be fun
after all: cool, vintage ’70s Airstream caravans that
have been deposited on an inner-city rooftop. It’s
urban glamping and it’s a bit underground (albeit
one-storey above). Plus, there’s an 11am checkout,
and free wi-fi and Netflix, so I’m confident these
guys understand hospitality.
We check in at 3pm. Which isn’t really check-in
because that’s all done on an app on your required
smartphone. If you don’t have a smartphone, you
can’t stay here, which seems fine because even
my luddite parents have a smartphone between
them, and I’m sure anyone older isn’t hunting in
Melbourne’s back alleys for a rooftop trailer park.
Even though the entrance to the fire stairs is right
next to the office and open, we’re directed to
drag our luggage outside and into a cafe next door
to access the fire stairs from a different door. It’s
All AT reviews are conducted anonymously and our writers pay their own way – so we experience exactly what you would.
48 A U S T R A L I A N T R AV E L L E R . C O M
WEEKENDS | Reviews
nonsensical. We then have to lug our luggage up
three flights of stairs to access the rooftop. I wonder
if guaranteed weight loss is part of the rate.
The interiors of our shiny, silver-bullet caravan
are elegant in sleek pastel pink and grey tones.
The bathroom is impressive with a decent rain
shower and plenty of room. At the head of the bed
there’s a tiny window; I pull back the curtain to let
the cool city views beam in, but only see an office
worker at his desk in the building across the street.
The Ash Keating pink mural that takes up the
entire wall of the adjacent building is certainly
on the hipster spectrum and gives colour to an
otherwise unrelenting grey setting, as does the red
Astroturf between caravans. We explore the Notel
app, which seems to be hustling us back down the
fire stairs to explore the city, but we’ve paid to be
here so feel obliged to stick around and absorb some
vibes. It’s cold outside and there’s no one else here
but the neighbouring office workers, making us feel
like lost extras on the wrong film set. We eventually
give up and head out. We return after dinner to get
cosy, but the sounds of the city and cars driving
into the carpark beneath us means that taking
advantage of the 11am check-out isn’t as sweet as
we’d like. All up, I calculate that for our $395 we
spent two-and-a-half waking hours here.
Notel would be an awesome place to stay with
mates for a shindig, but it’s not right for a lonesome
pair. In Melbourne, you can find better bang for
your buck at an establishment with breakfast and
elevators, which, in the end, we did.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP
LEFT: Pink and grey tones of the
Airstream’s interior; The space is
stylishly lit; Ash Keating’s mural
adds Insta-cred; Neon pink vibes.
DETAILS
NOTEL
Corner of Harper Lane
and Flinders Lane (above
Frys Fast Park), Vic;
notelmelbourne.com.au
Verdict: Notel falls short of its
cool, edgy promise, but would
be a great place to book for a
party (though you can’t bring
your own alcohol so this would
have to be an organised event).
Score:
We rated: The inner-city P H O T O G R A P H Y: A N D R E W C U R T I S
convenience, all-inclusive mini
bar and 11am check-out.
We’d change: The price for
what you get is pretty steep.
It feels like a slightly classier
hostel for the price of a
full-service hotel. It’s a lot to pay
for novelty and a few Instagram
posts and we couldn’t shake the
‘Emperor’s New Clothes’ feeling.
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 WEEKENDS | Orange

MILLY &
MOLLY
WO R D S & P H OTO G R A P H Y
With a THRIVING FOOD SCENE
JENNIFER ENNION
and a strong sense of community, there’s
no DENYING THE CHARM of
New South Wales coastal darlings
MILTON AND MOLLYMOOK.
 WEEKENDS | NSW South Coast

MILLY AND MOLLY HAVE ALWAYS been joined at the

hip. As the older of the two, Milly has assumed the responsibility
CLOCKWISE that comes with growing up in country New South Wales.
FROM LEFT:
Mollymook beach;
Molly, on the other hand, has matured at a slower pace, in the
The stables at The shadow of her big sister. But Molly has finally come of age –
Old Schoolhouse; and Milly is reaping the benefits of the change in dynamics.
Jenny’s fragrant The morning sunshine is soft and warm on the outskirts of
blooms; Staying in
The Old Schoolhouse
Milly. On a cottage verandah, hens spread their wings and settle
stables; Resident down for a nap. A border collie nods off at the foot of a staircase
border collies, just leading to a stylish loft apartment. Bees buzz between strawberry
living the life. flowers and dairy cows chew grass in a paddock over the back
OPPOSITE:
Milton dairy cows.
fence. It’s a peaceful introduction to the Shoalhaven towns of
Milton and Mollymook on New South Wales’ South Coast.
There’s no denying, Milly and Molly go hand in hand; a trip
to one isn’t complete without a visit to the other. Yet, the siblings
are yin and yang. Shaped in the late 1800s by a thriving timber
industry, Milton was the commercial centre of the region (before
Ulladulla, to the south, overtook it). Mollymook, however, has
always been a sleepy seaside hamlet attracting surfers and families.
Today, as the Princes Highway approaches Milton, a mere
five minutes’ drive from the coast, traffic slows to a crawl.
Pedestrians amble from boutique to gallery to cafe. Life is
idyllic, but don’t be fooled – there’s vitality among the rolling
farmland, and it’s largely thanks to a flourishing hospitality scene.
‘Rick Stein put Mollymook on the map’ is a phrase I hear
more than once during my weekend stay. The English celebrity
chef is influencing the South Coast’s culinary landscape, seven
years after opening his self-titled restaurant at luxury hotel
Bannisters by the Sea. At least three of the Shoalhaven’s top
restaurants and cafes have former Bannisters chefs in the
kitchen. They include Matt Upson, co-owner and head chef at
Tallwood, a hip tapas bar in Mollymook; Adam Kann, the new
head chef at Native, a trendy cafe in Ulladulla (try the turmeric
latte); and Alex Delly, co-owner and head chef at the one-hatted
St Isidore (order the cooked-to-perfection Scotch fillet).
The ‘Rick Stein effect’ has tourists scrambling to meet Molly,
thrusting Milly into a renaissance that’s taking its cues from the
kind of crowd rushing to Byron Bay’s sophisti-rustic ‘The Farm’.
Newcomers are moving in, drawn to a healthy, relaxed lifestyle.
One of these is Jenny Paul from The Old Schoolhouse, a few
minutes from Milton’s hubbub. Having moved from Sydney,
Jenny started the boutique, self-contained accommodation in
2014. From its original disrepair, Jenny has breathed life back
into the one-hectare property and, in the process, been welcomed
by Milly and Molly with open arms. A passionate horticulturist,
she says Milton is a sharing community with a strong organic
and seasonal food scene. Produce and free-range eggs from her
thriving garden are frequently exchanged for a morning coffee
at Milk Haus, a cafe down the road in Woodstock. 1

AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM 51
 ‘Rick Stein put Mollymook on the
map’ is a phrase I hear more than once.

DETAILS

Getting there
Milton and Mollymook are in
the Shoalhaven region of New
South Wales. Milton is the main
town, about 200 kilometres
east of Canberra.

Staying there
The Old Schoolhouse Set on
a beautiful property just out
of town, you’ll feel just like
a local when you stay in the
self-contained loft or cottages.
Perfect for couples; be sure
to try the raw honey and
free-range eggs.
423 Croobyar Road, Milton;
oldschoolhousemilton.com.au

Eating there
Flour Water Salt From the
folks at The Farm at Byron, this
is a must on the itinerary. You’ll
want to return time and again
to sample all of the organic,
CLOCKWISE fine fare. 87 Princes Highway,
FROM LEFT: The Milton. flourwatersalt.com.au
Schoolhouse swing; Milk Haus For healthy food
The forgiving waves
at Mollymook ; Settle that’s preservative- and
in at the stables; toxin-free, head to Milk Haus,
Jenny’s chickens in a charming old cheese
are (extremely) factory. The space is airy and
free range; The
day’s labours at casual, the food fresh and
Flour Water Salt. delicious. 170 Woodstock Road,
Woodstock. milkhaus.com.au

Playing there
Mollymook Beach Surf School
Go it alone or book a group
lesson, and learn how to surf
in the gentle beginner waves
around the Shoalhaven. Boards
and wetsuits are provided.
mollymookbeachsurfschool.com
 WEEKENDS | NSW South Coast

CLOCKWISE
FROM LEFT: A
boutique of suitable
charm in Milton;
Sunshine and daisies;
Milk Haus is a go-to
cafe for locals;
Top-shelf eats and
(in background)
pineapples on display
at Bannisters by the
Sea; A curious
Woodstock local.

The exchange of goods is appreciated by Milk Haus owner

Danielle McKeon, who left Canberra a few years ago also
seeking a seachange. Since opening in 2015, Danielle has created
a go-to cafe for locals. “When I moved down here, I only knew
one person and it was interesting to see there’s a genuine
interest and friendship between the restaurant owners here,
which is really refreshing,” she says.
The stylishly minimal Milk Haus is slightly out of the way
– a drawcard in itself. After a breakfast of gluten-free muesli
with a pot of sticky chai, I stroll through the vegetable garden,
teeming with zucchini, tomatoes and numerous herbs.
Later that day, I farewell Milly to visit vivacious Molly, who’s
calling me over for a pre-summer surf lesson. Mollymook
Beach is an ideal location to kick-start my ‘learn-to-surf-better’
campaign with Geoff Hansen, a Molly local of 20 years. Geoff
pinpoints where I’m going wrong and, in between gentle,
two-foot sets, tells me about life with Molly.
“As a surfer, you couldn’t wish for more. The variety and
quality of the waves in the area is amazing,” he says. “Friends
will wave as you drive down the street and people have time
to stop and chat when you see them out and about.”
But the town is growing, with more people moving in and
buildings going up. “There’s a major new hotel (Bannisters
Pavilion), new restaurants and cafes (Tallwood) and some very
big, private houses being built,” Geoff says. “Tourism is the
biggest industry in the area and there are more people coming
during the main holiday periods, as well as throughout the year.”
Flour Water Salt, a cafe along Milton’s main street, is one
operator relishing the boom. As I enjoy a healthy roast chicken
and carrot slaw sandwich, followed by a delicious dark chocolate
and caramel tart, a mix of locals and tourists flood through the
door. They don’t have to wait long for their takeaway coffees
and organic, dairy- or gluten-free meals, with the young
waitresses quick on their feet. I’m not surprised by the cafe’s
popularity. Co-owner Joost Hilkemeijer is the man behind the
successful Berry Organic Sourdough Bakery, an hour north.
Joost is yet another example of the kind of passionate folk
adding to the charisma of little old Milly and Molly. And it’s
this thought that I ponder into the night, as I relax beside the
campfire at The Old Schoolhouse, stars shining in a clear
country sky and two border collies lounging at my feet.

AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM 53
See the real At Kangaroo Island Odysseys, we
have enormous respect and affection

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and are committed to conservation
and preservation. Our guides all live
on the island and know its people,
With Kangaroo Island Odysseys
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Enquiries and reservations call +61 8 8553 0386

email kireservations@kiodysseys.com.au
or visit www.kangarooislandodysseys.com.au

 Š ‹  Œ —   ƒ – • — ” ‹ ǣ
The pearl in
”‘‘‡ǯ• …”‘™ 
Combine vibrant international colour, a leisurely feast right on the beach,
JULIA RAU PHOTOGRAPHY (FLOATING LANTERN MATSURI, FIRE DANCER, SUNSET LONG TABLE
and the warm tropical waters of Broome with a festival rich in history
and tradition, and you have the makings of an extraordinary escape.
THE VERY THOUGHT of Broome conjures
striking imagery: an awe-inspiring contrast
of dusty red earth, sparkling blue water and
pearly white sand. That rich palette grows
DINNER); STEVE CUTTS (SAMMY THE DRAGON, FLOAT PARADE)
even brighter each September with the Shinju
Matsuri, the annual Festival of the Pearl.
A celebration of Broome as a world-famous
producer of South Sea Pearls, Shinju Matsuri is
ƒ …ƒ”‹˜ƒŽ ‘ˆ …‘Ž‘—”•ǡ ϐŽƒ˜‘—”• ƒ† •‘—†•ǡ ƒ†
a microcosm of the multiculturalism that has
Š‡Ž’‡† †‡ϐ‹‡ ”‘‘‡ ˆ‘” ‘”‡ –Šƒ ƒ …‡–—”›ǡ
originating from three separate festivals:
Japanese Obon Matsuri, Malaysian Hari
Merdeka, and the Chinese Hang Seng.
Now in its 47th year, the nine-day festival
is jam-packed with long-held traditions,
hallmark attractions and community events,
all bolstered by the remarkable landscape.
Program highlights include the Floating
Lantern Matsuri (8 September), a unique
experience focusing on remembrance and
”‡ϐŽ‡…–‹‘Ǥ ƒ—…Š ›‘—” •’‡…‹ƒŽŽ› …”‡ƒ–‡†
lantern into the outgoing tide and feel at
’‡ƒ…‡ ƒ• ›‘—” –”‹„—–‡ ϐŽ‘ƒ–• ‘ˆˆ ‹–‘ –Š‡ •—•‡–Ǥ
The following evening, the Sunset Long
Table Dinner is a delicious multi-course feast
held on the iconic sands of Cable Beach as the
sun dips below the horizon. The dinner is only
in its third year, but is already one of the
festival’s most popular events.
Showcasing art, music, food, dance and
heritage, the program attracts thousands of
visitors each year and recreates the very spirit
Shinju Matsuri seeks to honour: the spirit that
epitomised Broome’s peak pearl-farming days.
Global demand for pearls – both the shell
and the jewel – enticed both Asians and
Europeans to the region from the late 1800s,
joining the local Aboriginal people working
in the harsh but lucrative industry.
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 H I P
H O O D

M I D TOW N
HOBA RT
From MONA to NORTH HOBART, Tasmania’s capital has definitely
FOUND ITS COOL in recent years. Now this CENTRAL POCKET
of town has joined the party, too, writes DANIEL DOWN.

MIDTOWN CAME ABOUT as something of a joke on Facebook.
Occupying a no man’s land between Hobart’s sparkling harbour and
North Hobart, one of Australia’s most in-vogue neighbourhoods,
shopkeepers in the overlooked spot between NoHo and SoHo coined
the name MidTown to put themselves on the map. Now the stretch
of Elizabeth Street, from Liverpool Street in the south to Warwick
Street in the north, is a thriving hub for creatives. They’ve transformed
what was once a pretty tired-looking area into something that will
draw the cool kids down from the nationally recognised restaurants
and bars of North Hobart, and tourists up from the waterfront.
With new breweries, restaurants and bars making a name for
themselves and the arrival of a huge new student accommodation
block on Elizabeth Street that opened in February, this historic
stretch of Hobart has received a long-awaited shot in the arm.
So now is the perfect time to wander up Elizabeth Street, past
buildings that existed when the road itself was nothing more than
a muddy track through the bush. Today it’s a place that has put itself
on the map; a laughing matter no more.

56 A U S T R A L I A N T R AV E L L E R . C O M
 WEEKENDS | Hip hood

BU RY ME S TANDING
“We love making simple baked goods, like the
traditional Polish bread using a 15th-century
recipe my grandma gave me,” says entrepreneurial
baker Alesha Peckels. You’ll find her
bakery-cum-cafe down an unassuming side street
(104 Bathurst Street). Grab a seat outside in the
sun and savour a coffee and a type of pastry all
the way from medieval Poland. facebook.com/
BuryMeStandingHobartTown

The Quartermasters Arms

WA L K PA S T T H I S P UB AT 132- 134 ELIZ ABETH
STREET IN THE EARLY EVENING AND YOU’LL FIND
A LI V E LY AT M O S P H ERE THAT YO U ’ LL INS TANTLY
WANT TO BE A PART OF, WITH PATRONS SPILLING
OU T O N TO T H E S T REET. AN O LD- S C HO O L F EEL
RU L E S T H E I N T E R I O R ( BIG ARMC HAIRS AND AN
OP E N F I R E A R E I N KEEP ING WITH ITS BEAU TIF U L
HE R I TAGE - LI S T E D BU ILDING DATING F RO M
1 8 5 4 ) , YO U ’ LL F I N D C RAF T AMERIC AN BEERS
A L O N GS I D E H O B A RT’ S MO S T P O P U LAR P O U RS .
BU T W H AT S E T S T HE Q UARTERMAS TERS ARMS
Island Espresso
A PA RT I S I T S H E A RTY MENU : A DAILY- C HANGING W HILE ISLAND ESPR E SSO ( 1 7 1
L I NE - U P T H AT C O ULD INC LU DE S MO KY F RIED ELIZA B ETH STRE E T ) SE RV E S
CH I C K E N W I T H A P EAC H AND BO U RBO N GREAT COFFEE, C A K E S A N D
RE LI S H , O R A TO U L OU S E S AU S AGE C AS S O U LET B REA KFA ST, YOU’ R E R E A L LY
W I T H C I D E R C R E A M AND S AGE – P ERF EC T HERE TO FEEL A BI T O F H O B A RT
F O R TA S M A N I A ’ S C O LD WINTER MO NTHS . HISTORY. THE OL D BR I CK WA L L
TAS M AN QU ART E R M AST E RS . COM. AU OUT THE B ACK C O N ST I T UT E S
W HAT IS THOUG H T TO BE O N E
OF THE OLDEST ST RUCT UR E S
IN THE CITY: THE R E M A I N S O F
ET T IE’ S A  COTTAGE DAT I N G B ACK TO
If you’re staying in The Hayloft you won’t have to walk 1814, B EFORE CON V I CT L A BO UR
far to find a table at Ettie’s, which has really put HA D EVEN PAVED T H E ROA D.
MidTown on the map. The creation of Willing Bros.
Wine Merchants co-owners Carl Windsor and James
Kingston (keep an eye out for Carl, who sports a bushy
beard, although that won’t stand out much in MidTown
these days), Ettie’s takes its wine as seriously as you’d
P H O T O G R A P H Y: K E I T H D E V E R E L L ( Q U A R T E R M A S T E R S A R M S ) ,

imagine, with an extensive list accompanying a

French-inspired menu. Stop to admire the attractive
stone façade of 19th-century 100 Elizabeth Street, and
its lovingly restored Parisian bistro-like interior, then
have a glass or two in the adjoining courtyard with some
Tassie oysters and cheeses. etties.com.au

THE S TAGG
“The area has changed dramatically,
ROSIE HASTIES (E T TIE’ S).

with a vibrancy that just did not exist

a few years ago,” says Sue Stagg of her
family-run coffee stop (138 Elizabeth
Street) that intercepts NoHo office folk
on their way to work . Order from the
hatch or take a seat and try the cold
brew. facebook.com/thestagg.hobart
 WEEKENDS | Hip hood

Templo
W ITH ONLY 20 SEATS AT TEMPLO (98 PATRICK STR E E T ) ,
YOU’LL NEED TO B OOK EA RLY FOR THIS HOB ART FAVO UR I T E ,
OPEN THURSDAY TO MONDAY FROM 12PM TO 3PM A N D 6 PM
UNTIL LATE. OW NERS CHRIS CHAPPLE AND MATT BR E E N SE RV E
DELICIOUS HANDMADE PA STA A ND GNOCCHI, W H I CH YO U’L L
ENJOY W ITH SOME PERFECTLY MATCHED W INES. P UL L UP A
STOOL AT THE B AR A ND SOON YOU’LL B E CHATT I N G AWAY
W ITH THE TA LENTED DUO A S YOU WATCH THEM AT WO R K ,
TEM PL O.C OM .AU

Lily & Dot

YOU WON’T B E AB LE TO RESIST THIS
A PPEALING LITTLE STORE IF YOU’RE
A NEW PARENT OR PARENT-TO-B E,
OR YOU WA NT TO PICK UP A GIFT

P H O T O G R A P H Y: C H R I S C R E R A R ( T E M P L O ) , A N D R E W K N O T T ( S H A M B L E S ) .
FOR A NIECE OR NEPHEW. OW NER
KATINKA CHA LLEN SPECIALISES IN
‘TA SSIE-MADE, HANDMADE CRA FTS
A ND NATURAL PRODUCTS W ITH A
MODERN TW IST’, W HICH TRA NSLATES
A S SNUG CROCHETED B LA NKETS,
CUDDLY TOY NATIVE A NIMALS SUCH
A S TASSIE DEVILS AND PLATYPUSES
MADE FROM RECYCLED MATERIALS, S HAMBLES B RE WE RY
CLASSIC CHILDREN’S B OOKS A ND About four craft breweries have cropped
GORGEOUS PRINTS THAT ARE PERFECT
up in this part of town recently, but the
FOR A NURSERY. L ILYAN DDOT.C OM .AU
best has to be Shambles. It has pulled off
T H E HAY L OFT the marriage of a sleek , industrial-chic
Tucked away in an old stables building that looks like bar (lots of timber and steel), with
it’s been transplanted straight from England’s Kent tasty, refreshingly crisp ales. Head to
countryside, all exposed brick and original timber 222 Elizabeth Street in the late
beams, is this stunning loft apartment. Originally afternoon to join office workers enjoying a
a hay store to service the stables below at the Hobart post-work pint. Shambles understands
Hotel (circa 1835), it’s now a romantic, self-catered that a fine craft beer can be a great session
affair, with a high ceiling and a huge roll-top stone beer, too. We suggest the Afternoon
bath. It’s a little secret hidden away up some wooden Delight: “Perfect after a hard day on the
steps, past wrought-iron gates, and through a brick job,” its tagline goes. “Also good for when
archway at 100 Elizabeth Street that leads to the you’ve done f@#k-all and just want a
back of Ettie’s restaurant. hayloft.com.au beer.” shamblesbrewery.com.au

58 A U S T R A L I A N T R AV E L L E R . C O M
 AN ANTIQUE To see HISTORY from a DIFFERENT
ANGLE, JAC TAYLOR went upside down and
all around on a TIGER MOTH aerobatic flight.

DETAILS

Trying it
Airborne Aviation have a number of
Tiger Moth planes ready for scenic
flights or an aerobatic flight like this
one. A 30-minute aerobatic flight
costs $300; for $50 more, you
can get an in-flight video of your
experience. Maximum weight is 115
kilograms. airborne-aviation.com.au

Getting there
The flights depart from and return
to Camden Airport, just over an
hour’s drive south-west of Sydney.

60 AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM
 WEEKENDS | Do something different
THIS PAGE: PETE THE AIRBORNE AVIATION pilot picks up
Hotel Charlie India the end of the Tiger Moth plane and casually wheels it
entering into a loop.
OPPOSITE around to a different spot on the tarmac. Since it’s the
(clockwise from top same plane we are about to clamber into and head for
left): Airborne the skies in, I try (and fail) to be just as casual when I ask
Aviation also offers a about the total weight of the thing.
flight in formation
with another Tiger “Five-hundred kilos, or not much over that,” he
Moth; The open replies. “It’s all in the front end with the engine, so you
cockpit, where trainee can easily move it by the back. These wings are canvas
WWII fighter pilots on the outside, wooden spars on the inside, and just the
would have trembled;
A passenger’s frame on the inside is metal.” He looks at me for a
view – just don’t moment and a hint of a smile comes up. “That’s all that’s
touch anything. between you and the outside when you’re out flying.”
Well that, and an authentic-looking Red Baron-style
leather hat, a headset for communications and the
all-important safety-belt harness that I try to subtly
check a hundred times as we taxi away from the hangar
in this canvas and wooden beauty that only weighs about
the same as your average horse. Just like on a horse, the
guy in charge sits in the back while the passenger sits in
the front, and desperately tries to keep her feet still.
There are pedals down there that I’m gently reminded
AVIATION not to absentmindedly tread on; I don’t ask any more
questions but resolve to Not. Touch. Anything.
It’s a rare experience to see and touch (or not touch)
a magnificent flying machine such as this bright-red,
handsome Tiger Moth, I think with a shy thrill – let
alone climb right in and ride together into the air, as
this antique has been doing for over 75 years. Her
name is Hotel Charlie India and she was built in 1940
in Bankstown, with a 130-horsepower engine built
by General Motors and cylinders just bigger than
P H O T O G R A P H Y: J A C TAY L O R ( D A S H B O A R D , P L A N E I N T E R I O R )
those of a Holden car.
She has trained British, Canadian and Australian
soon-to-be-fighter pilots sitting in these very same
seats, probably subtly fingering these very same safety
harnesses and concentrating on not touching those very
same pedals, since this plane was used for their initial
training sessions. My stomach twists a little for them
with some small understanding.
It may not have the adrenaline-rush reputation of a
jet-fighter ride or a parachute jump, but the sheer age of
this plane, and the simplicity of an open cockpit, makes
an aerobatic flight such as the one we are embarking on,
a daring challenge and a taste of history all tied together.
We trundle along to the open part of Camden
Airport, an hour south of Sydney,
and dip off the tarmac onto the
grass. I see a green field, but pilot
Pete Fowler sees Runway 10, and
we kick up a fair bit of lawn as ADVENTURE
the Tiger Moth gains speed quickly – she’s light, after
all. We lift so easily from the ground that my tension
falls away with it and I find myself grinning.
Pete brings us in a wide loop and we head toward
Warragamba Dam, gaining altitude to about 4300 feet.
I’m snug in my jacket but I’m certainly feeling that it
can be 10 degrees cooler up here. I again think of those
wartime pilots flying at up to 30,000 feet, in colder
climes, with little heating and an open cockpit.
Then we begin. Pete describes each move before we
do it, then executes it with precision and a palpable
sense of happiness. He loves what he does – that’s clear.
And why not? We slide into a 60-degree turn, then two
rollercoaster-like wingovers, pitching up steeply before
swerving flatly into a turnover. Beneath us, houses,
fields, livestock and businesses all represent the real
world, while we challenge Mother Nature herself,
impossibly upside down. I spy a car pulling over to the
side of the road below, and realise that we are likely the
spectacle the driver wants to see, and I get that rock star
feeling until I realise I’m screaming – just a little bit – as
we move into a barrel roll. It is literally like sliding
around inside a barrel, all the way round.
A loop comes next and is less worrisome than I
imagined; the G-force means I am firmly pushed into
my seat even as I see the world turn above my head and
away to sit at my feet again. Don’t touch the pedals.
Don’t touch the pedals.
There’s no more time to think as we commit to
a sequence: another wingover, into a hammerhead,
into a barrel roll, into a loop, into a barrel roll, into a
hammerhead. The hammerhead tests my resolve to be
cool and calm, as we fly straight up vertically, with dark
sky dead ahead of our nose, then, as Pete puts it, “we wait
until we just about fall out of the sky”. That’s the point
when he puts the rudder back in, we go back around to
face the ground instead and reach four Gs as the Earth
looms larger… until we turn into another manoeuvre.
I can’t tell if it’s the plane or me that is being put
through their paces, but I hear screaming again – just a
little – as we spin. Is that me again? Once, twice, all the
way to five times around, losing 1200 feet in altitude.
The screams turn to big belly laughs and we take some
steep turns to get down to 2000 feet. Pete asks the
tower for clearance and we are permitted as far down as
a mere 800 feet above the ground, to follow the Nepean
river directly below us, mimicking its bends with our
own path in a returning joy ride that, to use a word of
suitable vintage, is delightful. Now I can really see the
people on the ground, stopped and watching us. My
teeth are cold and dry, my cheeks are sore from smiling
and I honestly feel light as air.
SUBSCRIBE
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Located just minutes from sister property, Bells
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AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM 63
www.orpheus.com.au
reservations@orpheus.com.au
07 4777 7377

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Escapee.. Dinee.. Experiencee..

To the Barrier Reef‘s most pristine and In foodies paradise, the Orpheus Orpheus’ unique location with access
secluded island. Catering for just 28 rate is all inclusive of artfully prepared to the largest range of activities set
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 GETAWAYS karijini . port douglas . sailing tasmania . kakadu . mclaren vale

PORT DO U G L AS
Once the playground of the super-rich, Port Douglas
lost a little of her lustre over the last two decades,
but her stunning natural attributes means she won’t
stay down for long, and recent investment is again
making her the place to be. See page 78.
P H O T O G R A P H Y: E L I S E H A S S E Y
S T I L L WAT E R S
 GETAWAYS | Karijini National Park

Karijini sits in the heart of

iron-ore country, which lends
the landscape its rusty red hue.

RU N D E E P
A MAGNET for thrill-seekers and SOUL-SEARCHERS alike,
the best way to get to know Karijini and its ANCIENT GORGES
is by going with the flow; CANYONING and all.

WORDS STEVE MADGWICK P H O T O G R A P H Y J O N AT H A N C A M Í

AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM 67
Bewitching gorges
dramatically and
unexpectedly fall
from the flat,
baked earth.
 GETAWAYS | Karijini National Park

ONE SOLITARY ROCK IS all that it takes to unleash it.

Just a seemingly benign souvenir, from a landscape with billions of
such specimens, carelessly plopped in your pocket and forgotten about.
Forgotten about, that is, until it comes knocking.
What is it? Hard to say, exactly. Cynics say it’s a steaming pile of hocus-
pocus doo-doo. But then there are the believers; reluctant converts to
the idea of the inexplicable, nebulous curse known as ‘Karijini Karma’.
What do we know about it? It’s OK simply to pick up a rock in Karijini
National Park, let its iron dust tint your palm; run your index finger along
its sharp edges. A paper trail of regret and repentance tells us that this
primordial can of whoop-arse opens up only when said rock leaves this
sacred national park’s bosom.
“I receive packages in the post from all over Europe, America and Asia,
plus every state in Australia, containing rocks from visitors who removed
them during their stay,” says Karijini’s Kennedy-jawed senior ranger Dan
Petersen, from under a sweat-stained hat that looks like it’s been snacked
on by a dingo. “Usually there’s no name or return address but just a note
saying: ‘Dear Ranger, I removed this rock from the park and have had
nothing but bad luck ever since. Please put it back’. Some have mud maps
of where the rock was taken from, so it can go back to exactly the same spot.”
After an impulsive career change five years ago flung him north into
the West Australian outback, Dan has come to know Karijini as well as
any white man can. “There’s an energy that runs through this place,”
he says. “It got into me straight away.” Some say Dan wears a khaki cape
with a big D on it under his ranger’s shirt. On his days off, just for kicks,
he trawls Google Earth to discover the “less discovered” places in the
gargantuan park’s remote south. He grabs his backpack, a compass and
strides out into the remote wilderness (solo) for five days at a stretch.
Luckily, Dan’s the kind of outback superhuman who can eat grass in
the unlikely scenario that he can’t source water.
“I sometimes see random lights in the night sky out there, which
move really quickly,” Dan says. “In some places, it feels like you’re the
first person who’s been there for thousands of years. The wildlife out
there don’t have the fear. They come up and sniff you.”
Luckily, you don’t need Dan’s superpowers to access Karijini’s
superstars: a medley of bewitching gorges that dramatically and 1

CLOCKWISE FROM
TOP: Eucalypts and low
mulga woodlands camouflage
the gorges at ground level;
Ranger Dan Petersen is an
outback superhuman who
spends his spare time
exploring the most remote
parts of the gargantuan park ;
Termite mounds are giant
in this part of the world.
OPPOSITE: Be sure to
stop and absorb the energy of
the gorges, especially if you
are privileged enough to have
one all to yourself.

AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM 69

unexpectedly fall from the flat, baked earth into an
antediluvian waterhole-strewn realm, daubed with such
unlikely contrasting colours that it makes your brain hurt.
Despite the impossibility of hues in the gorges, most
people in the outside world only see one colour in the
Hamersley Range; you see, Karijini sits in the guts of iron-
ore country, the backbone of the Pilbara, where rusty red
blankets the landscape like outback snow.
Amateur geologist (at the time) Lang Hancock saw an
inland sea of dollar signs when he flew over the Pilbara’s
escarpments for the first time in the middle of last century.
That flight, of course, led to mass mining in the area
around Karijini and beyond; the windfall still resonates
in his daughter Gina Rinehart’s bank accounts today.
Right on Karijini’s boundary is Marandoo mine. And
60 kilometres to the west is Rio Tinto mega-mining town
Tom Price (WA’s highest town), which has a tight long-
term community of resident miners, and infrastructure
enough to host the area’s battalion of FIFO workers, who
are more likely to visit Kuta than nearby Karijini.
The hills around town look like an angry sore,
which underlines just how important national parks
like Karijini are for the next generation of Australians
and, indeed, this generation of traditional owners:
Banyjima, Yinhawangka and Kurrama peoples. After all,
the quirks in Karijini’s landscape were used as meeting
CLOCKWISE FROM THIS
IMAGE: Centuries-old paperbarks
survive wild torrents every wet season;
Ropes are your lifeline when adventuring
here; The rich, fecund vegetation in
the gorges contrasts with the tropical
semi-desert landscape above; Pete West
of West Oz Active Adventure Tours;
Canyoners make their way through
the gorges, truck inner-tubes in tow.
places and shelter long before humans really even
knew what to do with iron.
While its physical splendour could easily place the
national park on the Natural Wonders of the World list
(yes, really), what the exquisite images on these pages
can never convey is the intangible energy and personalities
of each and every Karijini gorge. As the bumbling lawyer
from The Castle says, “it’s all about the vibe” out here.
Karijini rewards the lively, adventurous traveller; this
certainly ain’t the place for a flop-and-drop long weekend.
Several of the gorges are fairly easily accessible. Joffre, for
example, acts like a backyard swimming pool to the Karijini
Eco Retreat (see page 73), although it still requires a steep
walk-in. For the rest, jump in your jalopy and go forth to
meet them. While there are a few outstanding lookouts in
the park, which offer grand views and perspectives, you
truly have to descend to revel in what the fuss is all about.
At the low-key car parks, eucalypts and low mulga
woodlands camouflage the gorges with military precision.
It’s not until you basically stand on a 100-metre cliff edge
that you realise this isn’t just normal pancake-flat outback.
Up on the surface, you won’t see too many large animals
hanging out in the midday heat, save for a sun-baking
goanna, who suddenly decides to saunter away, with a
Straight Outta Compton gait, when she decides you’ve
breached her personal space. (Dusk and dawn are best for 1
GETAWAYS | Karijini National Park

AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM 71
wildlife watching.) Down below, however, birds inundate the sheltered
watercourses like hoodie-wearing youths at a shopping mall.
As you descend the steep marble-strewn tracks and stairs, and leave
the tropical semi-desert boiler room behind, the temperature regulates
immediately. Spinifex and tenacious desert flowers, such as the ultra CLOCKWISE FROM TOP
violet (when in season) mulla mulla, share the hard ground with unlikely LEFT: Evenings above ground in
deep green grasses, ferns and, in some places, even fig trees. Karijini; Don’t get lost – rescue times
From below, Santorini-white snappy gum trunks, which grip doggedly are measured in hours, not minutes;
Your home for the night at the
onto canyon ledges, contrast fabulously with the oxidised cliffs and Karijini Eco Retreat; Fern Pool,
undying cumulus-splashed outback blue sky: a ready-made Benetton a special spot for swimming, just up
ad campaign, if ever there was one. from Fortescue Falls. OPPOSITE:
Each gorge has a distinguishing trademark (or two or three), from Climbing up out of Red Gorge
during a canyoning adventure.
the Fern Pool and Fortescue Falls around Dales Gorge; to Kermit’s
Pool (take a guess) and the Spider Walk (you have to use both hands
and feet to navigate, like Spider-Man) of the magnetic Hancock Gorge.
For anyone with a passing interest in geology, Karijini feels like
2500 million years’ worth of Christmases have all come at once; the
exposed banded rock is some of the oldest in the world. Fascinatingly,
no actual animal fossils have been found in the older formations here
because the layers apparently predate complex animal life.
If you know what to look for, however, you may stumble upon
the odd stromatolite in the lower echelons of this former sea floor.
The complex dome-shaped algae collection from another aeon is a
snapshot of the world’s first recorded life forms. Living examples can
still  be found at Shark Bay, on WA’s coast.
Once in the gorge netherworld, the conundrum for the truly
adventurous is just how far to explore; you always want to stick your
neck around just one more bend, and the one after, even when signs
tell you not to be so stupid. Three words: Don’t. Do. It.
Rescue times in Karijini are measured in hours not minutes. And
there are precedents of thrill seekers having their last thrill here – the
spectacular Regan’s Pool is named after an SES volunteer who drowned
attempting to rescue someone back in the noughties.
Fret not, adventurers; there is an authorised option to take you
deeper. Much deeper. Strap on a helmet, stretch yourself into that
wetsuit (lubricant optional), because it’s time to harrumph at the ‘do
not enter’ signs with people who know well not only the perils but also
the enigmas of these gorges: the crackerjack canyoners of Pete West’s
West Oz Active Adventure Tours.
Past the signs, a tricky shuffle through Knox Gorge’s deep V
underlines why this place is a giant mousetrap for the unprepared 1
 GETAWAYS | Karijini National Park

THE FROGS-IN-THE-
DUNNY ECO RETREAT

Your best two accommodation options in

Karijini National Park are camping and
glamping. Luckily, the locally owned glamping
option, Karijini Eco Retreat, is a very good one.
The generously sized ‘semi-permanent’ deluxe
tents are a good mix of ‘with the elements’ and
homely touches, including a king bed that is the
best for hundreds of kilometres around.
The retreat has genuine eco-cred, including
low voltage mood lights and no noisy air con
(so you can acclimatise properly). Of course,
there are compromises, but that’s the price
you pay for staying in a no-BS eco stay. The
roofless but sheltered en suite is perhaps the
best example. Inevitably, you will happen upon
one (or more) little green frogs in and on your
toilet. It’s part of the environmentally friendly
wastewater treatment system; “A sign of a
healthy ecosystem,” I’m told. “They [the frogs]
just like your bathroom water. Just flush them
down the toilet [preferably before you go].”
The eco resort’s restaurant does a fine job
of giving guests a wide choice; but it is strange
eating tiger prawns in the outback and the
salad, as you can imagine, isn’t exactly picked
from a kitchen garden. Food prices are a shade
over par – mains start in the high 20s – but
that’s the cost of remote-area logistics for you.
The young, enthusiastic staff bring an energy
to this place which makes the Eco Retreat a
great base, worth a couple of nights’ splash-out.

AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM 73
 “Now the red dust is in
my blood, I couldn’t live
in a city. Peak-hour
traffic here is one cow
on the road.”

THIS IMAGE: The exposed

banded rock in Karijini is some of
the oldest in the world. OPPOSITE
(clockwise from top left): Looking
out towards Tom Price; Watch out
for termites; An outcrop of mulla
mulla; Bright white snappy gums;
You won’t find phone reception here.
 GETAWAYS
and ill-cautious. While not strictly subterranean,
with (usually) a thin sky-blue line above lighting the
way, sometimes it feels like you’re heading straight
down Mother Earth’s oesophagus.
A mouthful of the neutral water quenches like
25 isotonic drinks never could. A chilli-red dragonfly
slurps some, too, before it flutters away to wherever
chilli-red dragonflies spend their shady afternoons.
Along the streams, more wet seasons than anyone
can know for sure have sandpapered the rock
surface so much that at one point a narrow section
transforms into a slide, and a dog-leg means you’re
propelled off a four-metre drop completely blind,
into the waiting cool (temperature and ambiance)
deep-green pool below. The canyon walls here look
like they reach up all the way into the ionosphere.
The novice canyoner has to trust their guide like
they would a doctor or pilot. Case in point, the next
(seven-metre, again blind) abseil down a waterfall
that’s bashed its own exit hole through solid rock.
From above, it looks like you’re headed straight
for the mystical Orient, via the Centre of the Earth.
Water raps on your helmet like that annoyingly
consistent year seven bully. The big outback sky
reintroduces itself again at (the no-s***-Sherlock-
named) Red Gorge; a logical place to stop, take a few
breaths, and hoover up the last of your pre-packed
carbs and energy bar thingies.
Upstream, a few-hundred-year-old paperbark
is rooted into the flanks of the channel, which
obviously hosts ferocious torrents, come wet season.
There’s spectral cotton-wool-like foliage in the
tree’s upper reaches; its branches like eager hands
desperate to scale the gorge walls.
Turns out that it’s not foliage at all, but spider
webs, satellite suburbs of arachnids that somehow
| Karijini National Park
know exactly how high to reside to avoid being
swept away into a Rescuers Down Under sequel.
The organic flotsam hanging from this grand old
dame’s shoulders is as good a future depth indicator
as anything modern science offers.
We plant bums in inner-tubes for a delightfully
dawdling paddle up the wide, sunny gorge; then
refocus for a scramble through, and (roped) rock
climb up and out of, the gorges.
Somewhere, in the canyon depths, we pass by
(but not through) an old Indigenous birthing pool,
a reminder that this is not just a gigantic outdoor
adrenaline junkie theme park, here purely for our
pleasure. For the Banyjima people in particular,
these gorges are their still-unfolding, living and
breathing story.
“We respect each pool,” says West Oz Active’s
energetic assistant guide Lauren Pember. “We
don’t jump and splash where we can help it,
and walk in where possible.” ‘Prone to wander,’
states a tattoo on Lauren’s arm. It’s the unspoken
mantra of those who actually live in this isolated
park. Super Dan probably has a similar one inked
directly onto his soul.
As a temporary home, Karijini National Park
has its shortcomings: stuff-all phone reception
and supermarket visits that are more quest than
outing top the list. “It’s quiet and we go to bed at
9:30pm many nights, but we get to watch the sunset
every single day,” says Lauren, who has also called
Albania and the Swedish Arctic Circle home. “It’s
the most amazing feeling sitting around in awe with
absolutely nothing, especially pubs, to distract you.
And now that the red dust is in my blood, I couldn’t
live in a city. Peak-hour traffic here is like one cow
on the road.” 1
AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM 75
 There is nothing to fear, if
you respect Karijini. In
fact, the park’s energy can
be a clarity-giving,
revitalising force.

And herein lies the principal challenge for the short-

term Karijini visitor. How do you de-tune from your four-
walled existence, embrace the elongated sense of time and
space, and then re-tune into the park’s wavelength in just
a handful of days?
Even tucked into your comfy bed inside the Eco Retreat,
your first night might be a little unsettling; especially
without the unremitting and reassuring dopamine fixes
of phone reception. The desert winds that hit your tent’s
walls seem threatening at first; the 3am dingo howls in the
distance even more so. Sleep assured though, this is simply
Karijini introducing herself.
Rise with the sun (as you inevitably do when glamping
anyway) and follow your instincts. Seek out the gorge that
most resonates with you; listen to it. Stop and stare, spend
time there, especially if you are privileged enough to have
it all to yourself.
On the surface Kalamina is just another gorge; replete
with colourful algae, blushing walls, stepped waterfalls.
But for some reason it spoke to Super Dan (and this writer)
the loudest. Ironically, it’s one of the park’s most accessible
gorges. “When I used to travel near Kalamina, I would feel
really uneasy,” says Dan. “So I asked a [Banyjima] elder CLOCKWISE FROM TOP
why the energy down there felt so different. He told me LEFT: Hang on to your spare tyres,
that back in the day there was a huge fight down there. roads out here come red and bumpy;
Pancake-flat expanses of Karijini
A lot of people died. That tallied with the way I felt.”
have you unprepared for the
But there is nothing to fear, if you respect Karijini. In plunging gorges below; Ultra-violet
fact, the park’s energy can be a clarity-giving, revitalising mulla mulla that springs to life
force. “You see it with families,” say Dan. “The first day after rain; Karijini rewards the
adventurous traveller; Roping up
you can see the anxiety in them, trying futilely for phone
from the depths of a gorge; A goanna
reception. Three days later, the kids are covered in red on the prowl; Crossing the tracks
dust, with a stick in one hand and a rock in the other. from mining country to the sacred
The kids have become kids again.” country of Karijini.
And that’s how you get to know Karijini: breathe it in,
accept its challenges, go with its energetic flow. Just make
sure to check your pockets on the way back to the harsh,
real world. As they say, Karma’s a bitch. That’s if you
believe in stuff like that.
 GETAWAYS | Karijini National Park

DETAILS

Getting there
KA RIJINI ECO RETR E AT, within
Karijini National Park, is located
off Weano Road, near Joffre
Gorge, 80 kilometres north-east
of nearest major town Tom Price
and 130 kilometres north-east
of Paraburdoo airport, which is
serviced by Qantas and Virgin
Australia flights several times a
week. karijiniecoretreat.com.au

Staying there
KA RIJINI ECO RETR E AT is open
year-round and offers campsites
from $20 per person per night;
eco cabins for up to four guests
from $159 to $280 per night and
eco tents from $174.50 to $349
P H O T O G R A P H Y: S T E V E M A D G W I C K ( R O P I N G ) ;

per night including continental

breakfast, kiosk, licensed bar and
restaurant on-site.
J O N AT H A N C A M Í ( A L L R E M A I N I N G )

Playing there
W EST OZ ACTIVE A DV E N T UR E
TOURS is based at the Karijini
Eco Retreat. Day tours and
multi-day tours are available to
book, with a range of canyoning
and roping activities on offer.
westozactive.com.au

AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM 77
PORT OF

A town with a ROLLER-COASTER history of big booms and tragic

falls, PORT DOUGLAS is back on track, with BIG

INVESTMENTS returning this SMALL TROPICAL SPOT to the limelight.

 GETAWAYS | Port Douglas

COOL

WO R D S E L O I S E B A S U K I P H OTO G R A P H Y E L I S E H A S S E Y

AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM 79
 Stretching out for more than 2000
kilometres, the Great Barrier Reef is the
world’s largest coral reef, and Port Douglas
is one of the closest gateways.

80 A U S T R A L I A N T R AV E L L E R . C O M
 GETAWAYS | Port Douglas

CLOCKWISE FROM FAR LEFT: The Great

Barrier Reef is yours to explore; The colour palette
of Port Douglas runs blue; Quicksilver Cruises have
their own spacious platform on Agincourt Reef;
A refreshing beverage awaits at Barbados;
Sparrow Coffee can helpfully caffeinate your
souvenir shopping spree. PREVIOUS PAGE:
Mossman Gorge provides more refreshing
opportunities, just 20 minutes out of town.

“HAVE YOU TAKEN A KWELLS?” asks my obviously

concerned driver, as we snake around the first tight bend of
the Captain Cook Highway, the only path to Port Douglas
from Cairns. My white-knuckle grip on the door handle must
have given my green gut away. “This road gets pretty windy,”
she adds, and she’s not kidding.
The one-hour journey from Cairns airport to Port Douglas
is an aggressively curly yet breathtakingly scenic route, rotating
between quick visions of breezy sugarcane plantations, the distant
Daintree rainforest, some crocodile spotting, and, of course, the
sparkling turquoise coastline of the Coral Sea, leading out to the
Great Barrier Reef. With a front-seat view of such picturesque
distractions, my queasiness has no chance.
Port Douglas, or Port as the locals call it, is a town with a
history full of its own twists and turns. The gold rushes of the late
1800s saw it overtake Cairns as the main mining port, growing
the population by thousands. But tragedy struck in 1911, when
a cyclone flattened most of the town’s buildings, many never to
be rebuilt. When the initial build of the Captain Cook Highway
between Cairns and Mossman bypassed Port Douglas, Mossman
was set up as the centre of the Douglas Shire, and by 1960, just
100 Port Douglas locals remained.
I’m a newcomer to Port, with expectations based only on mixed
reviews from friends who wax lyrical about best-ever childhood
family holidays to more recent travellers unimpressed with the
still daggy and dated facilities from the 1980s. What I see today,
as we drive through the small tropical town and pull up to the
lobby of the newly renovated Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort,
is Port Douglas on the upswing. 1
 CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT:
The open deck at Barbados at the
marina; A cocktail at Barbados;
The homewares at Ahoy Trader
are entirely suitcase worthy.
OPPOSITE: St Mary’s by the
Sea, torn asunder by a cyclone and
rebuilt pride of place on the harbour.

After the illustrious launch of the $100 million Sheraton

Mirage by Christopher Skase back in 1987, the town was opened
up to the world and Port Douglas saw its biggest boom period over
the next two decades. “The resort became a playground for the
rich and famous,” says Steve Molnar, general manager of the
resort; celebrity visitors included Bill and Hillary Clinton, Tom
Hanks, John Travolta and Mick Jagger.
But as almost 30 years passed and ’80s style turned from cool
to cringeworthy, the resort lost a little of its lustre, as did much
of the town’s surrounds. “When you’re sending a message that Port
Douglas is a high-end world trip, the property can’t be dated.
Everyone is looking for that next new thing,” says Steve. With the
intention of bringing the five-star hotel’s reputation back from its
glory days, owners Fullshare invested $43 million into a complete
refurbishment, keeping the bones of the building intact, but with
everything else reimagined for the 2017 visitor.
Walking past the two hectares of refreshed saltwater swimming
lagoons, I come to the Sheraton’s private entrance to Four Mile
Beach, a sandy stretch of clear blue sea and waving palms. It’s
a sign of the town’s intrinsic connection to the water – one it has
built its very foundations on.
Stretching out for more than 2000 kilometres, the Great
Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef, and Port Douglas is
one of the closest gateways to the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Launching the very first tour to the Low Isles back in 1979,
Quicksilver Cruises is a pioneer in exploring the area.
Aboard its high-speed catamaran (seasickness tablets in hand,
of course), I settle in for the one-hour journey to Agincourt Reef.
This small group of pristine ribbon reefs runs parallel to the 1

82 A U S T R A L I A N T R AV E L L E R . C O M
GETAWAYS | Port Douglas
Continental Shelf, and Quicksilver have anchored a two-level
floating platform just above it. It’s a little daunting for those
without their sea legs – there’s nothing but 360 degrees of deep
blue surrounding us, and a whole other ecosystem thriving just
below. “One of the things I love the most about the tour is you’ll
see even the long-term crew come out of the water, with big grins
on their faces, and say ‘Did you see that? How amazing!’. To have
that as your office every day, it’s pretty great,” says Megan Bell,
who has been in the Quicksilver company for 18 years.
I’ve never been this far north in Australia, and it’s my first
chance to catch a glimpse of this underwater universe. I jump
off the snorkelling platform into the water and see firsthand that
Quicksilver’s office is, indeed, amazing. While it’s not quite as
colourful as I imagined, the dramatic silence of being underwater,
deep drops opening up to never-ending chains of coral, schools of
gliding fish and even a turtle swimming by to say hello, is living
proof that Port Douglas will never really go out of style.
Back on dry land, I have a lunch date booked at the newly
renovated Reef Marina. Walking across the palm-fringed harbour,
past the remains of the deserted shopping complex, I wonder if
I’m in the right place. Weathered timber boards and chipped yellow
paint are evidence of the marina’s decaying heyday; most of the
buildings have been left untouched over the past 30 years. But
closer to the water, along the recently updated boardwalk, you can
see why this spot is now the talk of the town.
Opened at the marina in 2016, Hemingway’s is Port Douglas’s
first craft brewery. Putting the pure waters of nearby Mossman
Gorge to good use, the brewery makes a range of high-quality beers
that nod to important moments in the town’s timeline. “We wanted
the locals to feel like it was their pub, their place and their beer; all
of our six beers have been named after someone who was local
here,” says Hemingway’s general manager, Dean Scadding.
The Prospector is a bright and refreshing pilsner brewed in
honour of the gold rush; Doug’s Courage, a pine-scented IPA,
commemorates the community’s incredible spirit after the tragic
cyclone; and Pitchfork Betty’s is a pale ale named after the town’s
most famous publican.
“Betty Whiting used to have one of the first pubs here in Port
Douglas. She became a bit senile and, if anybody started to upset
her, she’d start chasing them out of the pub with a pitchfork – she
was a bit of a legend in town,” says Dean.
It’s places like this, along with modern restaurant and cocktail
bar Barbados around the corner, that have brought life back to the
marina. “We’re not a traditional sort of pub. People can actually sit
down, taste and experience the different beers,” says Dean. “We
offer somewhere else for people to go, not just wander up and down
Macrossan Street. Everybody loves sitting beside the water.” 1
GETAWAYS | Port Douglas

THIS PAGE: The sights around Port

range from reef to rainforest, where
natural waterholes keep things cool.
OPPOSITE (clockwise): There’s no
shortage of palm trees swaying in
the breeze; Quicksilver Cruises has
been touring the Great Barrier Reef
for almost 40 years.

AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM 85
 The Coral Sea coastline frames the town,
and the constant waterfront views and seaside
lifestyle are hard to beat.
 GETAWAYS | Port Douglas

CLOCKWISE FROM
LEFT: Revamped and
five-star once again, the
Sheraton Grand Mirage
Resort; High and dry at
Hemingway’s Brewery
and (below) the wet stuff;
Tropical blooms in town; Port
Douglas’s famous Four Mile
Beach. OPPOSITE:
Poolside luxury at the
Sheraton Grand Mirage.

DETAILS

Getting there
Port Douglas is a one-hour drive
from Cairns International Airport.

Staying there
After a stunning revitalisation last
year, the Sheraton Grand Mirage
Resort has returned to five-star
luxury status. Pick a Lagoon Edge
room to dip straight from your
balcony into one of the two
hectares of saltwater swimming
pools. sheratonportdouglas.com

There’s definitely something in the water
here. From the marina, the launching point to
the incredible Great Barrier Reef, you’ll see the
iconic St Mary’s by the Sea chapel, torn apart
by the cyclone, then uplifted and relocated to
the harbour. The Coral Sea coastline frames the
town, and the constant waterfront views and
seaside lifestyle are hard to beat.
It’s the final morning of my trip, and I have
just enough time for a coffee stop before my
flight back home. Sparrow Coffee, a bright blue
takeaway coffee shop on the town’s main drag,
Macrossan Street, is attached to a colourful
beach-themed homewares store Ahoy Trader,
which is just the spot for seaside souvenirs.
With original locations in Bangalow and
Byron Bay, Sparrow was opened in Port Douglas
in June 2015 by husband-and-wife team Tristan
and Kassia Grier, and co-owner Brooke Hudson.
For Tristan and Kassia, it was only a matter of
time before they returned to Port Douglas, after
falling under the town’s spell 10 years ago. “Port
Douglas for us has always been a bit personal – it
was the first place my wife and I went when we
first fell in love. When we left Port, we were so
in love with the place, we wanted to come back
once a year, at least,” says Tristan.
While the town may be in the throes of a
much-needed facelift to keep up with the rest
of the world’s big tourist draws, Tristan believes
that it’s Port’s natural attractions that make it
a place that people want to come back to.
“When you get off the plane in Cairns, the
Daintree is right there and it’s just pumping
energy into the world… then you take the drive
from Cairns to Port Douglas and there’s just
nothing like it,” he says. “You’re so far from
everything, but then you get here and actually
have [what feels like] a metropolis and great
hospitality – it’s wicked.”
Eating there
Head to Hemingway’s Brewery at
the Reef Marina for a waterfront
lunch of stone-fired pizzas and
exceptional pub food. Its beef
comes from cows that are fed
leftover brewing grain.
hemingwaysbrewery.com
Drinking there
Spend cocktail hour at Barbados,
an open waterfront bar and
restaurant in the marina that
offers expertly mixed drinks and
a modern menu of fresh seafood,
antipasto platters and creative
salads. barbadosportdouglas.com.au
Playing there
Visit the colourful Great Barrier
Reef with the Quicksilver Group.
Experiences include a trip to
its own pontoon at Agincourt
Reef. Snorkel or dive from the
submerged platform, stay dry on
a semi-submersible boat, or take
a helicopter ride for a bird’s-eye
view. quicksilvergroup.com.au

AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM 87
 T h e Wi n d
Wa l k e r s

P H O T O G R A P H Y: S T E V E M A D G W I C K
 GETAWAYS | Tasmania

TWO FEET, ONE YACHT, and the infinite wild beauty

of Tasmania’s EAST COAST; a unique journey of SAILING

AND BUSHWALKING offers the BEST OF BOTH worlds.

WORDS STEVE MADGWICK

AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM 89
Pencil diving off the side of a sailboat
into the vivacious Tasman is
unsurpassed as a wake-up ritual.

P H O T O G R A P H Y: A L A M Y ( M A I N ) , S T E V E M A D G W I C K
 GETAWAYS | Tasmania

BAFFLINGLY, THEY VANISH, one by one. Inevitably, I will be next.

Only two hours into the journey, I lay prone inside the Lady’s womb-like
quarterdeck. Energy levels at nada, it takes me, too. Fade to black…
Dazed, dishevelled, I paw away a pool of drool from a random jacket that
I’ve requisitioned as a pillow. My fellow passengers rematerialise on deck,
one by one, with newborn eyes, in the same order they left.
We all become Miss Marples and Hercule Poirots to solve this perplexing
whodunnit: ‘The Mysterious Case of the Synchronised Powernap’.
Ah-ha, mon ami! It was the ginger (anti-seasickness tablets), we deduce.
And he would have got away with it, too.
Ginger had some accomplices, though: stir in a pinch of jetlag, a dash of
sedating sea air, and a (few) bubbly toasts to Lady Eugenie, our 23-metre
luxury floating home for the next four days’ ‘sail walking’.
Turns out we won’t need the tablets anyway. Not where we’re going.

THE DECISION
“It’s certainly possible,” says captain Jamie Mitchell. He screws up his face
into an ironic prune, barks a solitary laugh, like a hyena hiccup.
It’s not a watertight ‘no’ from the man who will navigate the yacht around
Maria Island’s sometimes surly shores – more like a captain’s call frocked up
as an option. Us landlubbers take the hint. The cruel sou’wester currently
thrashing the north of Maria Island could murder our mirth.
Plan B? Head directly south from Triabunna and around Maria’s feet
instead of her head, and up the open-ocean side of the island.
This detour, however, comes at a cost: there’s no time to anchor near
historic Darlington Probation Station (given we only have four days to get
back to Hobart); our chance to trek the 630-metre-high dolerite towers
Bishop and Clerk flutters away with the tempest.
Mercury Passage’s giving swell, which rocks Eugenie like a first-time
mother, gradually dissipates my barely concealed displeasure at missing the
THIS IMAGE: sail walk’s hiking highlight – its moon landing, if you will. The sails render
Fortescue Bay, part of the engine’s grind redundant; a sporadic mainsail flap and occasional metallic
the six-day itinerary. wire ping the soothingly sparse soundtrack.
TOP RIGHT:
Descending from Leeside, a black-faced cormorant repeatedly dive-bombs for brunch.
Mount Graham Does she shut her eyes tightly, I wonder, as she crashes through the surface
into Wineglass Bay. of the water? She must. 1

AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM 91

C A PTAIN (ONLY ) KI D D I N G
“I’ve never sailed this way,” says Jamie, sporting a faux
lost-at-sea expression. His seafaring-dad-joke persona
cunningly camouflages high-seas credentials. He was,
quite literally, born for this.
“My parents were on a big sailing trip when they
stopped off in Durban [South Africa], and made baby
me,” he says. “They put a few books aside, made a net
for me, and just kept sailing to the Caribbean.”
This young old salt learnt sea craft the audaciously
hard way; he lived on the open ocean for months at a
time, sailing from Africa to the Caribbean and then across
the Pacific to Australia. Jamie has faced 10-metre waves
(aboard an eight-metre boat), and been robbed by pirates
at shotgun-point off Venezuela. I think we’ll be okay.
We shelter briefly under the grand columns of Haunted
Bay on Maria’s south-east corner, where the unsympathetic
ocean surges onto smooth tangerine-lichen-coated
boulders: this coast’s informal tartan.
LA ND AH OY
The Lady edges towards Riedle Bay, its isthmus so waifish
that it seems a set of rogue waves would dissect Maria
north to south. The concave beach radiates an intense
light that the English word ‘white’ fails to express; perhaps
the Inuits could lend an apt adjective.
Eugenie’s rubber ducky flops effortlessly over Riedle’s
impish swell, resting her nose on the beach’s crust of
obliterated seashells. There’s not a plastic bottle in sight,
just seaweed and curious gulls posing curious questions.
We boot up, a sun-bleached driftwood tree our bench.
We brush off the impeccably fine sand from our bare feet,
lest it be our mortal nemesis after a few hours’ wander,
and start along the sand past plentiful puffed-out puffer
fish, scattered like big beach bindy-eyes. Each wears a
peculiar post-mortem surprise on their face.
Up onto Maria’s torso, along the coastal wetlands, frogs
pop like bubble gum. Umpteen ravenous blonde wombats
graze wild grass into a sprawling village green.
The diminutive lawnmowers swivel their heads rakishly
on approach, throw a ‘blue steel’ for the camera then trot
off, plump little butts waving a marsupial ta-ta.
Guide Ange Cunningham spots an anomaly among the
wombat ‘marbles’ we maze through; it’s Tassie devil scat.
Maria is a re-release area for the endangered marsupials.
Eyes remain peeled; devillessly, regrettably.
CLOCKWISE FROM
FAR LEFT: Ile des Phoques
translates as ‘island of seals’,
and here’s why; Bear (free)
Hill; Approaching Ile des
Phoques; Hitting the sand for
the first time in Riedle Bay.
F O L L OW T H E L E A D E R
Sherpa-like Ange carries an Inspector-Gadget-spec
backpack, twice the weight of mine. A Tupperware
container of fresh carrot cake miraculously materialises;
each treat looks just plucked from a patisserie shelf.
This consummate outdoorswoman has twigs, rocks and
leaves in her DNA. “I loved going out on big adventures
in the wild with my dad,” she says. “But mum never really
came along; she just couldn’t stand camping.”
We ghost past the relics of failed attempts to tame
Maria: convict ruins and French’s Farm, agriculturally
abandoned in the 1970s.
Back on Eugenie’s handsome teak deck, a saucy salted
caramel chocolate brownie and a warming Tasmanian red
make for a balanced sugar high.
I tuck myself into the cosy bottom bunk. The sheltered
bay only occasionally reminds me I’m sleeping on a yacht,
with a sploosh noise through the brass-rimmed porthole.
I T ’ S F I N E … O N C E YO U ’ R E I N
Pencil diving off the side of a sailboat into the vivacious
Tasman is unsurpassed as a wake-up ritual (involuntary
squeal on entry mandatory). Three brisk minutes’ swim
outshines the finest single-origin cuppa.
Fortuitously, for non-swimmers, ‘Dave’ is onboard;
the shiny Rocket espresso machine pumps eye- and
tastebud-opening fresh brews, piloted by the Tasmanian
Walking Company’s precocious young crew: can make
a macchiato, can cook, can guide, can sail, can perform
CPR, if needs be. Bloody show-offs.
Yet Dave only surfaces sparingly, because life on a
sailboat inevitably requires a degree or two of compromise.
After all, espresso machines like Dave guzzle precious
energy needed elsewhere. Fresh water is another example;
so while a hot shower aboard “doesn’t need to be one
minute, they can’t be an hour, either”.
Fear not, you’re not set adrift on a sea of compromise;
just don’t expect super-yacht-moored-in-Monaco
superfluity. This is luxury Australian-style: pragmatic,
nomadic yet with plenty of bells, whistles and locally
sourced meal options.
It doesn’t have to be the continental or cooked
breakfast; it can be and, if your belly so desires. By all
means, follow the fruit salad with a bean-and-sausage
compote, and feta and herb muffin. Gluttony is guiltless
when you have hours of wilderness walking in store. 1
 GETAWAYS | Tasmania

IS IT FOR ME?

If you want to get the most out

of your sail walk you should
have an affinity with both sailing
(sometimes on the open
ocean) and bushwalking.
A moderate fitness level is
required as some of the walks
can be longish (three hours
plus) with some steep gradients.
The activities are tailored to the
group’s abilities and desires.
It’s possible to cut out some
of the walking by staying with
the boat for a day, where you
can swim, snorkel, or just hang
out on the beach or boat,
which obviously meets the
walkers at the end of each day.
The Lady Eugenie is relatively
spacious and well appointed
with a largish saloon room and
plenty of nooks on the deck
(including in the shade) for
some ‘you time’.
Having said all that, six days
on board without any walking
could be a wasted trip; Eugenie
ain’t no cruise ship. Ask the
non-walk-guiding staff about
‘galley fever’.
P H O T O G R A P H Y: S T E V E M A D G W I C K

AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM 93
 The unsympathetic ocean surges onto
smooth tangerine-lichen-coated
boulders: this coast’s informal tartan.

LATER , MAR IA
The sails rise again (mechanically winched, a little
unromantically) and Maria gradually retreats into the sea.
We plough northwards, along whale migration paths
towards Schouten Island, a discreet paradise that would
be a megastar if located a little closer to ‘civilisation’.
Infected by the landless horizon, the conversation frees
up. We discover shared interests despite our cosmic
differences in salaries and geography – obviously, we share
a clinical infatuation with walking in remote spaces but,
not so obviously, a veiled Abba-ballad addiction too.
English empty-nesters Roger and Janette are on the
third leg of their Southern Hemisphere trekking odyssey,
already lean and tanned from recent jaunts on Victoria’s
Great Ocean Walk and New Zealand’s South Island. They
giggle at each other’s jokes. They walk for hours, days, but
conversation never runs dry. Most importantly, they still
make each other blush. Oh, Roger. Oh, Janette.

SUDDENLY, F ROM TH E D E E P
Fins beeline for Eugenie’s starboard. A pod of (unfairly
labelled) common dolphins shies away at the last
millisecond, straight into the bow wave. They surf with
the energy of red-cordial-affected children. We take turns
to sit on the bowsprit, alone with the dolphins and our
thoughts. Their squeaks and clicks mesmerise and heal. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP
An afterthought of dark rock, Ile des Phoques, pokes LEFT: The Lady Eugenie;
its head from the deep; fulsome waves burst into vapour Schouten Island; The view
is more than worth the climb.
on its crags. It’s an uninhabitable deep-sea anomaly;
walked on by no one, it seems alive, it moves.
Australian fur seal flippers wave clumsy hellos. They roll
over, flop into the water, return on the next set, utterly
oblivious of what our ancestors did to their ancestors here.

DOES A BEAR …
Like many Australian landmarks, the invaders ignored the
locals when naming Schouten Island. Instead of a relevant
and poetic moniker from the Oyster Bay Tribe, this island
was shackled with the surname of a Dutch East Indies
Company administrator (eventually hung for ‘sodomy’)
who had no real visceral connection to Tassie at all.
Similarly, a quaint sea-blue sign on Schouten touts ‘Bear
Hill’ walking track, but I don’t come across any stray koala
(even though they’re not strictly bears), grizzly or polar
bears on the three-hour switchbacking loop through blue
gum forest to the (bare) granite-capped island.

Presumably, the trail itself, which requires
nimble scrambling, is the walker’s burden to ‘bear’.
At the summit, the arresting vista across Freycinet
Peninsula to Coles Bay has a pernicious history;
spotters here used to signal to whalers in the
coves below to ‘move in’. Small scars on the land
also betray another failed venture on these
luminous shores: coal mining.
Back on the beach, as the Lady bobs far out
in the bay, a glass of single-origin Andrew Pirie
Apogee sparkling preambles a candlelit beach
dinner ‘surprise’ that we all knew was coming.
Mako crayfish pâté, dolma, and fresh Bruny
Island oysters grace the trestle table as walkers
slump into Hampton-esque canvas foldaway chairs.
If a few overs of (tipsy) post-feast beach cricket
with two Canadian lawyers is surreal for me, it
must be positively otherworldly for them. On this
day, with no other walkers around, Schouten is
our island playground alone.
T H E BIG PUSH
Over breakfast, a totally deadpan captain Jamie
recites his own bush ballad, Ode to a Wombat.
Janette and Roger surreptitiously shrug, look
( S C H O U T E N I S L A N D , W I N E G L A S S B AY, F L O R A )
quizzically at each other, then at me, as if I know
what the hell’s going on. We spontaneously and
boisterously cheer in overcompensation.
P H O T O G R A P H Y: S T E V E M A D G W I C K
Freycinet exhales ferociously, as if to remind
us she’s not to be taken lightly, as we tender up
to Bryans Beach for the Big One: around seven
hours (our choice) on the Freycinet Peninsula
Circuit, destination Wineglass Bay.
Initially, the track barely interrupts the dense
eucalypt forest and chamois-like ferns; as if
no-one’s been here for a while. The canopy
surrenders to the sky as we scale Mount Graham’s
flanks (579 metres), where hands come in handy
to navigate the rocky-river-course-cum-trail.
GETAWAYS | Tasmania
FROM TOP: The famous
beauty of Wineglass Bay;
Flora on the Freycinet
Peninsula Circuit;
A wombat lawnmower.
A cup of herbal tea brews on a camp cooker,
lugged up by trainee guide Talbot, who tries to
convince us that the banksia here smells like
buttered corn. Three or four snorts each later,
some agree, some just get head spins. DETAILS
Bureaucratic insurance nonsense forbids us
from heading to the highest point, Mount
Freycinet (620 metres), but as a second-choice Wineglass Bay Sail Walk
vantage point, Graham is sublime. The Tasmanian Walking Company
From above, Wineglass Bay somehow outshines offers two guided sail walk
its reputation; it feels like you could roll down to itineraries departing from Hobart:
the bay, like we used to roll down the grass hills of the six-day journey including
childhood. But the hike continues. Fortescue Bay (from $3850);
and the four-day trip including
OPENING THE WINE Orford (from $2850).
We respectfully walk around ancient Indigenous Prices include locally sourced
middens (shell deposits from camping and eating meals (three-course dinners and
areas). They feel ignored, forgotten, unspoken, drinks), accommodation and
even though we speak about them, like an ancient transfers. Accommodation is twin
myth you read about in school. share: double room or bunks.
Wineglass is at once immense, blustery, First booked, first served.
beautiful and confoundingly deserted, save for Steve took the four-day north
a pied oystercatcher and a hooded plover or two, to south itinerary (direction of
plus a swinishly vexatious pocket of midges. travel alternates each week).
Some say that Wineglass is so named because Backpacks and rain gear are
it resembles one; others that the ice-blue water provided, but you will need a
here used to run red as Chablis with whale good pair of (worn-in) hiking
innards. As if to underline this, an alabaster boots. taswalkingco.com.au
whalebone sits atop a tourist sign.
Many have been lured by the exquisiteness and
possibilities of this (now protected) landscape;
jailers, miners, whalers, a cement-plant proprietor
and even an Italian winemaker, but ultimately
no one wins an argument against this graceful,
inscrutable and immovable force.
But unlike those who came before, Freycinet
does not spit us out. We floated in on the wind
(mostly), walked, watched, and borrowed its
bounty, and only for four splendid days.
AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM 95
IN TO THE
W E ATHER
 GETAWAYS | Kakadu

MYTH HAS IT that Kakadu is best visited during THE CALM AND

CLOUDLESS dry season. But intense weather SEEDS SURPRISE,

adventure and new life. We go in search of its WET SEASON SOUL.

WO R D S & P H OTO G R A P H Y J E N N I F E R P I N K E RTO N

AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM 97
THIS IMAGE:
Peering at Motor Car
Falls atop a giant boulder.
PREVIOUS PAGE:
A blue-sky moment at
Motor Car Falls.
GETAWAYS | Kakadu

WHEN RAIN STARTS FALLING on Kakadu, it’s as if a

sky-bound Buddha has broken his prayer necklace, sending
delicate, clear beads dancing over the hills, dirt tracks, rivers
and billabongs. Next, the wind picks up. It inhales and
exhales with force. Colours shift in the sky. Blue tones turn
steely. Then, when things get real, lightning percussion
booms and the main monsoonal act arrives. Rolling sheets
of water break like waves, colliding mid-air and crashing
southwards – and, as it happens, across my head and
shoulders. I’m midway along the 7.5-kilometre loop walk to
Motor Car Falls in the southern part of the park. I’m soaked
and quietly freaking out about my camera getting drenched,
despite its position six layers deep in my backpack. But I feel
high. Ecstatic even. What’s wrong with me?
During the wet season, which descends on the Northern
Territory’s Top End between November and April, Kakadu
National Park – 150 kilometres east of Darwin – is
inhospitable. Or so the grapevine holds. This idea has clung
to the collective travellers’ consciousness with tenacity.
Roads that cut through Kakadu, Australia’s largest terrestrial
national park, are clear, hotels yawn with extra space, and
friends further south sound perplexed when I tell them
where I’m headed. “Isn’t it rained out there? Is it even open?”
Kakadu, in fact, stays open all year round. And while access
to some sites is affected by rain and many waterholes remain
un-swimmable, there’s no shortage of things to do while
those prayer necklaces in the clouds sporadically scatter
beads. I’m here to scratch at the adage that the park is a
lesser beauty in the wet than it is during the dry season and
discover what holds true. 1

AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM 99
 I ask what she’d say to those who only want
to visit during the dry. Bessie answers firmly.
“I’d tell ’em they’d be missing the best part.”
GETAWAYS | Kakadu

CLOCKWISE FROM
TOP LEFT: The stone country
of Arnhem Land; Escarpments
in northern Kakadu; Yellow
Water Billabong; Cruising at
sunrise; Yellow Water in
wet-season mode.

Prior to hitting Kakadu’s walks and waterfalls to find answers

for myself, however, I put a call in to one of the park’s Indigenous
traditional owners. “My name is Bessie Coleman,” she says. “I’m
a bush baby and I speak for three clans in the southern part of
Kakadu. These are the Jawoyn, Bolmo and Matjba.”
Bessie is in her early sixties. She’s one of 13 siblings born at Old
Goodparla Homestead near Kakadu’s Yellow Water Billabong.
When we connect, Bessie has just come inside after being out
with rangers. Given all the rain around, new flora has sprung
forth and the team is busy wrestling with weeds. “We look for
plants that are not native,” she says. “We find gamba grass,
bellyache bush and rubber plant – that last one has thorns
that can cut your feet if you walk on it.”
As well as weeding, during the wet season Bessie fishes and
takes walks around Motor Car Creek, usually with a male relative
to guide her. There’s rock art in the area’s hills – “men’s business,”
she says – and women have to be careful to steer clear. Luckily,
there’s plenty for her to see on ground level. This time of year,
she says, is her favourite time of all.
“When the wet arrives, Kakadu comes alive,” she says. “There
are animals everywhere. Wild berries, plums, bush potatoes and
little fruits come up – red apples, white apples, everything comes
alive. When the storms come, they clean out all the creek and
river systems. Then the fish come up.”
I ask what she’d say to those travellers who only want to visit
during the dry. Bessie answers firmly. “I’d tell ’em they’d be
missing the best part.” 1

AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM 101
 GETAWAYS
WALKING IN WAT E R FAL L C O U N T RY
Recalling her words a few days later, as I stand soaked and stressed
about my camera, I have mixed feelings as to whether or not she’s
right. A parade of gnarly horse-flies have feasted on my legs, my
hat is heavy with moisture and I have a kilometre or so to go until
I reach Motor Car Falls. I look for cover. There’s none to be found.
Frankly, I’m surprised. I expected Kakadu, especially in the wet, to
be one dense thicket of trees and grass – genuine, proper jungle.
“You OK there?” shouts a passing traveller. “Will be once I
reach the falls,” I reply, wiping my sunnies to see him. Pete is from
Alice Springs. He’s staying at Cooinda Lodge, located on Yellow
Water Billabong. “Yeah, I thought I’d be bush-bashing all the way
to the falls,” he says. “But instead, the landscape is so open and
exposed. It’s such a super-charged shade of green, too.”
He’s right. The green that engulfs us is neon. And while the walk
starts on a rickety footbridge, it soon transforms into corridors
of spear grass, and then into rocky outcrops flanked by hills.
Though knee-height right now, the spear grass will grow taller
than a human – though it doesn’t stay upright for long.
‘Knock-’em-down’ is the name given to the current season by
Jawoyn people, Bessie had explained, noting there are six seasons
in her calendar altogether, and this is when the grass is flattened.
I bid Pete farewell and push on to the falls. Water pools inside
my shirt and my pants adhere to my skin. In the midst of all this
indignity, though, there is something about the rain’s intensity that
has buoyed my mood – that odd ecstatic feeling I mentioned
earlier. I’m physically uncomfortable, yet strangely at peace. The
storm brings with it a reminder of nature’s might. I’m acutely
aware of being alive: a realisation that’s hit at the exact moment
my photography gear might be deemed cactus. Ace.
Finally, a sign directs me to Motor Car Falls. I barrel along
a narrow track just as the clouds open up. “Holy wow,” I whisper,
| Kakadu
stepping onto flat rock to view a fan-shaped sash of water careen
down the cliff face. Mist floats off the pool’s surface like chiffon.
I imagine I’m a tiny, frozen figurine trapped in a terrarium. This
spot, a million miles from urban life – and uninterrupted by the
presence of other tourists – feels as if it’s a paradise lost and found.
I burrow through my backpack, cross my fingers, and extract
the camera. It’s wet but it works. I take my lens off, let the
condensation clear, then snap away in celebration. When I return
to the trail, my sopping boots carry me back to the car park where
my mind drifts to hot showers, fluffy towels and solid sleep.
Back at Kakadu’s ‘Croc Hotel’ (it’s shaped like a giant saltie),
I manage the first two goals, but save sleep for later. I’ve booked
a late afternoon scenic flight to better map the park in my mind.
F LY I N G T H RO U G H S TO N E C O U N T RY
My pilot, 26-year-old Anthony agrees with Bessie that the wet
season is the best time of year to be here. “You get to see the
waterfalls in full flow, and that’s pretty epic.”
I assume shotgun position beside him and soon we’re gliding
above my hotel. “Its ‘eyes’ turn red at night,” he says, pointing to
the yellow lights on the building’s roof – another kitsch flourish
from the town’s resident croc.
Leaving Jabiru in our wake, we trail along a green valley. Clouds
cast shadows over the land in cookie-cutter shapes. Streams snake
through trees that resemble broccoli florets. So far, so flat.
Then the escarpments appear. In orangey coral columns, these
sit tall above the country’s floor like teeth or giant thrones.
They’re breathtaking. I can sense Kakadu’s seduction routine
starting up all over again.
Our plane circles Twin, Jim Jim and Gunlom Falls. Each gushes
white water. Over the engine noise I shout: “The park doesn’t look
as wild from up here; it’s so serene!” 1
 THIS IMAGE:
A wet-season treat,
witnessing the thundering
Jim Jim Falls from the air.
OPPOSITE: Walking
the Yirmikmik trail to
Motor Car Falls.

AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM 103
 “Respect the earth,
the country and its
spirit. See birds and
wildlife. Be quiet
and watch.”

Anthony nods and points at Gunlom, where
a landing strip sits away from the falls – built to
accommodate the Crocodile Dundee film crew.
I’m reminded of my chat with Bessie. She’d
mentioned that very crew and said they respectfully
worked with Kakadu’s Indigenous elders. “We
want more movie-makers to come and see our
beautiful place, see how we do things,” she’d said.
Our plane heads north to stone country, where
the escarpments again shift in appearance. They’re
lumpy and sculptural. Tear-shaped boulders
balance beside crumbling rocks shaped like fingers.
Again, I’m struck by the fact Kakadu contains all
six of the Top End’s ecosystems: as well as stone
country, there are wetlands, savanna woodlands,
tidal flats, hills and basins, and floodplains.
We drop down to the ground, and soon, when
the croc hotel’s eyes flicker red, I drop into bed.
It’s a good thing I do. At 5:15am, the alarm
sounds to ready me for the final leg of my
wet-season exploration mission: a sunrise cruise
at Yellow Water Billabong, 30 minutes south.
CRUISING IN WET L AN D S C O U N T RY
The sight of the creek – a calm, ice-blue mirror
that on its face reflects paperbark trees – dissolves
any residual resentment about my early rise.
GETAWAYS | Kakadu
DETAILS
CLOCKWISE FROM
LEFT: The mirrored waters Getting there
at sunrise; A croc glides past From Darwin, drive
in Yellow Water Billabong;
250 kilometres east along the
Even in the wet, the park is
ripe for exploration; The vast Arnhem Highway to Jabiru in
plains, just south of Jabiru, the park’s northern corner.
are lush at this time of year.
OPPOSITE: A sea eagle
Playing there
surveys the scenery.
Kakadu Air (kakaduair.com.au)
and The Scenic Flight Company
(scenicflight.com.au) operate
Local cruise captain, Donny, is the son of a scenic flights during the wet
traditional owner. “See those teeth marks on the season. Yellow Water Cruises
buoy over there? They’re from crocodiles. Let’s offer year-round cruises through
just say I recommend you all stay in the boat.” Yellow Water Billabong wetlands.
He steers us into a paperbark forest. Branches www.kakadutourism.com/
poke into the cabin and things start to feel intrepid. tours-activities/yellow-water-cruises
A freshwater croc slinks by, and, at last, I see the
Kakadu I’d first imagined: my waterlogged jungle, Staying there
a tangled mess of branches, beasts and nests. Bed down at Jabiru’s 100 per
As we exit the forest and enter the plains, steely cent Indigenous-owned Mercure
clouds collect above. “The rains are coming,” Kakadu Crocodile Hotel, shaped
Donny says wryly. The sky loses colour, the like a giant saltwater croc;
paperbarks bend in the wind and the water’s www.kakadutourism.com/
surface grows spiky. A sea eagle and two jabirus accommodation/
glide past en route to more peaceful territory. kakadu-crocodile-hotel
As fellow passengers coo in delight, I put my
camera away. When I do, Bessie’s voice is with
me. “In wet season I love just to sit and look at
the lightning, waterfalls and systems,” she’d said.
“People want to see breathtaking things here,
but remember to listen to the stories, too.
Respect the earth, the country and its spirit.
See birds and wildlife. Be quiet and watch.”
I’m still. My eyes and ears are open. And as
more prayer beads begin to dance sideways into
the boat, I know I’ve fallen for wet season – with
all its mad, monsoonal magic.
AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM 105
SECR ETS

OF THE

VA L E

WORDS ELOISE BASUKI P H OTO G R A P H Y L E I G H G R I F F I T H S

 GETAWAYS | McLaren Vale

Go off-road in McLaren Vale – A WILD RIDE by 4WD through

rolling vineyards, STUNNING COASTS, food institutions
and locals-only SCENIC SURPRISES.

Business time at d’Arenberg winery.

OPPOSITE: Bekkers has one
focus: producing incredibly
drinkable, high-end reds.

AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM 107
 CLOCKWISE FROM THIS
IMAGE: Riley Harrison of
Samuel’s Gorge winery; Rustic
details at d’Arenberg winery; Fine
dining at the Star of Greece; The
fire is stoked at d’Arenberg.
OPPOSITE: Things are set to
warm up at Beresford Estate.

The road is crumbling

with limestone and clay –
soils that make the region
such prime vine
real estate.

108 A U S T R A L I A N T R AV E L L E R . C O M
 GETAWAYS | McLaren Vale
I’M IN THE FRONT SEAT of tour guide Ben
Neville’s 4WD, staring down an ominous slope
into South Australia’s Onkaparinga Gorge. Flanked
by thick native scrub, the road is crumbling with
limestone, sandy loam and clay – soils that make
the region such prime vine real estate. The
steep decline is nothing for Ben and his Toyota,
fearlessly gliding down the roller-coaster drop
to the banks of the Onkaparinga River.
Acting as a horticultural boundary between
metropolitan Adelaide and the Fleurieu
Peninsula, the gorge sits alongside the undulating
hills of the McLaren Vale wine region. Tucked
within the Onkaparinga River National Park,
it’s one of the Fleurieu’s less-travelled hot spots.
“Locals don’t even know about this,” laughs
Ben, our guide for the day on one of his off-road
tours throughout his home town. “I worked for
about two-and-a-half years to get access into the
Onkaparinga, and I’m the first and only operator
allowed in here.”
Born and bred in the Vale, Ben has always
been its biggest advocate. He’s worked stints
in the kitchen and on the floor at d’Arenberg’s
d’Arry’s restaurant, as well as a vintage with
the fermentation team. He now uses his tour
company, Off Piste, to expose another side to
the typical wine tour. “This gets the adventurer
out,” he says. “I want to help people discover
all the wonderful aspects of the region.” Our
morning tea of B.-d. Farm Paris Creek brie,
bread and pastries from Home Grain Bakery
in Aldinga, and d’Arenberg wine, all overlooking
the river, are just the beginning.
While it’s no secret that McLaren Vale is
one of South Australia’s great wine districts,
it’s sometimes skipped for its more historic
and somewhat more celebrated sister, the
Barossa. But home to such dramatically varied
terrain, from the gorge to the sparkling Fleurieu
coast, Ben believes there’s so much on offer here.
“You go to the Barossa and, really, it’s all about
food and wine. Here, there are so many activities
to choose from, but you can also pull the plug
and have time out.”
Ben is also, I notice, friends with almost
everyone in town. He’s mates with winemakers
and chefs (we’ll be feasting on a bespoke menu
by The Salopian Inn head chef Karena Armstrong
for lunch at Ben’s house). And once he learns
we haven’t picked a dining spot for tomorrow,
he immediately makes a call to friend and owner
of the Victory Hotel, Doug Govan, to score us a
table for lunch. It’s these friendships that allow
Ben to push the boundaries of his tours, accessing
untouched destinations off the tourist trail.
Our next stop is a great example. We’re in
Clarendon, a town on the fringes of McLaren Vale
and the Adelaide Hills, meeting Primo Estate’s
general manager Richard van Ruth for a private
tasting at the top of its Angel Gully vineyard.
“I’ve just posted a picture on Facebook with
#hatemyjob,” chuckles Richard as we gape at the
360-degree views of the surrounding hills. He
pours us a glass of Angel Gully shiraz, made from
grapes just a few metres away. It’s a spicy, peppery
and savoury shiraz, a result of the vineyard’s cool
evenings, high elevation and rich mineral soils.
“That’s the beauty of this region. Even though
it’s quite compact and small, we have an incredible
diversity of sites,” he says. Richard explains that
the main basin of McLaren Vale is mostly alluvial
soil – 150,000-year-old clay, sand and ironstone.
“Up here you quickly change into Adelaide Hills
geology. This is 750 million-year-old laminated
shale stone, which sets it apart.”
Primo Grilli planted his family’s first vineyard
in 1973, after arriving from Italy 20 years prior. 1
 CLOCKWISE FROM TOP:
Wine tasting al fresco at Primo
Estate; Primo is known for its
JOSEPH labels; Coastal aspects at
the Star of Greece; Vines in
McLaren Vale are set against a
backdrop of the sparkling Fleurieu
coast; A visit to Bekkers is not your
average wine experience.

His son, Joe, and Joe’s wife Dina, then continued the
tradition to make Primo Estate what it is today; known
for its JOSEPH labels, as well as a range of extra virgin olive
oils and vinegar. But Ben is keen to show us a new family
to the neighbourhood, a small-batch winery making great
strides for the town.
With their first vintage in 2011 and just the two of them
on staff, husband-and-wife Toby and Emmanuelle Bekkers
have one focus: producing incredibly drinkable, high-end
reds. Walking into their intimate, modern tasting room,
it’s clear this experience is not for your average wine tour
punter. Bekkers charges a fee for tasting – something common
throughout the United States and other wine regions but
almost unheard of here. “In South Australia we’ve been
training people to expect to taste for free,” says Toby. “But we
like people to be able to spend time with the wine and get an
insight into what we do. We can’t do that with big bus groups.”
Toby pours us a glass of each of his three styles, which focus
only on McLaren Vale’s hero varieties: shiraz, grenache and
a blend of the two. The one-on-one session allows us to fully
understand what we’re drinking, so experts can indulge and
non-wine aficionados, like me, can quit bluffing.
While Toby is a Fleurieu local, Emmanuelle is from the
French town of Toulon. She’s spent many years working in
wineries throughout Bordeaux and Burgundy and finds their
Mediterranean climate akin to this part of SA. “Honestly,
I love McLaren Vale,” she says. “I’m from the south of
France, between Nice and Marseilles, on that really beautiful
coastline. It’s not that dissimilar here. It’s the same soft rolling
hills and then... the beach.”
Inspired by sophisticated French vineyards and the
high-class wineries of Napa Valley, California, the pair have
embarked on a mission to raise McLaren Vale’s potential.
Awarded the 2017 Nuffield Australia Farming Scholarship
Toby has spent the year researching how the Napa teams and
American luxury brands communicate to their consumers,
intending to bring that knowledge back home. 1
 GETAWAYS | McLaren Vale

Inspired by sophisticated French vineyards

and the high-class wineries of Napa Valley,
the pair have embarked on a mission to raise
McLaren Vale’s potential.

A TASTE OF
THE SEA

For a spectacular spot to try

the Fleurieu’s best coastal fare,
Doug and Nikki Govan’s two
restaurants have been local
favourites for decades. While
the Victory Hotel serves
gourmet pub food with views
of Sellicks Beach and Aldinga,
the high-end Star of Greece
brings fine-dining to the beach
town of Port Willunga. Perched
on a cliff overlooking the 1888
Star of Greece shipwreck, the
ocean-inspired menu is curated
by head chefs Brett and Glenn
Worrall and reads like a foodie
guide to South Australia. From
Kangaroo Island whiting and
Coorong mulloway fillet to
South Australian Black Angus
beef and braised olives from
the house just down the road,
this is true local fare. victoryhotel.
com.au; starofgreece.com.au

AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM 111
 GETAWAYS | McLaren Vale

With their bottles on menus in fine-dining

restaurants like Quay, Orana and Kangaroo Island’s
esteemed Southern Ocean Lodge, as well as five-star
ratings in the 2017 Halliday Wine Companion, the
Bekkers have already earned a glowing reputation.
Ben’s itinerary packs a lot into eight hours. After
our takeaway lunch from The Salopian Inn and a
picture-perfect drive along the Silver Sands shore,
we finish back where we started: the Onkaparinga
Gorge. This time we’re looking at it from a different
perspective, from the very top at Samuel’s Gorge
winery, which holds a very special place in Ben’s heart:
his determination to gain access into the gorge hinged
on a bet with one of its former winemakers. “We sat
on their verandah overlooking the gorge and made a
bet that I could do it for a box of grenache. It did take
me two years, but I’m still waiting for that box.”
Opened in 2003, winemaker Justin McNamee
aimed to create a label that speaks of the area’s rugged
landscape. Walking into the rustic farm-shed, it’s clear
that Samuel’s Gorge isn’t the kind of place that takes
itself too seriously. We’re greeted by senior winemaker
Riley Harrison, who doesn’t just make the booze, but
works the cellar door, too. Laid-back, charming and
completely approachable, much like their wine, the
team’s relaxed attitude is yet another facet of McLaren
Vale’s diverse style. No matter which way you look at
the region, from the top of a hill, in a cellar door or
dining by the sea, with a little local knowledge there
are seemingly endless discoveries. All doable with a
glass of wine in hand.

OUTSIDE THE
SQUARE
Aiming to create a new
architectural landmark in the
region, chief winemaker Chester
Osborn was inspired by the
shape of the Rubik’s cube for
his new five-storey tasting
complex, the d’Arenberg cube.
“Our label names are such a
puzzle to work out, and wine
is such a puzzle to work out,
so we thought, what’s the most
iconic puzzle out there?” he
says. With an opening slated for
early 2018, the Cube will house
a new tasting room, several
bars, a new restaurant and
exhibition space. “The tasting
room at d’Arenberg has been
full for the past 13 years,”
Chester continues. “Something
bigger like this has been in the
back of my mind for many
years. It will offer a completely
different experience.”
darenberg.com.au/cube
CLOCKWISE FROM
TOP LEFT: Making
friends; Stay at The Vintage;
Rolling hills; Country life.
OPPOSITE (from far left):
Beresford Wines’ homestead;
The award-winning tasting
pavilion; A d’Arenberg shiraz;
The sparkling Silver Sands;
Tasting time at Primo Estate;
Living local – host Ben’s house.
DETAILS
Getting there
McLaren Vale is a 45-minute drive
down the Southern Expressway
from Adelaide CBD. Ben has a
range of tours to explore the
region. We took the Fork and
Grape, a one-day tour including
morning tea, lunch and far too
much wine. offpistetours.com.au
Dining there
THE SA LOPIAN I N N
Part of McLaren Vale’s history
since 1851, Karena Armstrong
took over The Salopian Inn in
2012 and makes use of her
kitchen garden and Fleurieu
produce to fuel her menu.
The restaurant also boasts a
230-bottle gin collection, for
your G&T hour. salopian.com.au
Drinking there
B ERESFORD W I N E S
Opened late last year, this
award-winning tasting pavilion
offers wine and cheese tastings
from $15, while the newly
renovated homestead can be
booked for weddings and private
functions. beresfordwines.com.au
Staying there
THE VINTAGE
Two private 19th-century-style
suites make a place of respite
after a hard day of wining and
dining. Read a book by the
fireplace or relax in a steamy
bubble bath. vintage.net.au
Playing there
W ILLUNGA FA R M E R S M A R K E T S
Farmers, producers and bakers
sell the best of the Fleurieu every
Saturday. Try Bull Creek Bakery’s
wood-fired venison pie.
willungafarmersmarket.com.au
AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM 113
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 CULTURE
inner beauty . walkabout . people . towns . what’s on . let’s go…

T H E K E T T L E BL AC K
You’ll find this Melbourne
brunch spot tucked into a
Victorian terrace, combining
fine-dining style with
a laid-back attitude.
Turn over for more.
P H O T O G R A P H Y: P E T E R C L A R K E

B L A C K
O N
W H I T E
OLD AND NEW design is celebrated at
The Kettle Black; a REFINED YET BREEZY
cafe housed in a VICTORIAN TERRACE,
polished off with CONTEMPORARY flourishes.
NAME:
THE KET TLE BL ACK
A FAVOURITE OF late sleepers and early
lunchers alike, beautiful brunch spots have
been popping up all about the place in recent
years. The Kettle Black in South Melbourne is
one such locale. From the team behind much-
loved Melbourne eateries Higher Ground
and Top Paddock is this space. It’s more
fine-dining-breakfast than humble cafe, yet the
mood here is laid-back and breezy. The white-
CULTURE | Inner beauty
L O C AT I O N :
SOUTH MELBOURNE
on-white heritage 1880s Victorian terrace
looks somewhat awkwardly wedged beneath
the modern Fifty Albert apartment building,
but there’s nothing clumsy about the design.
A mix of contemporary textures, from tiles to
wood and polished concrete, sits comfortably
next to original Victorian flourishes. “The old
and new are seamlessly linked by the elegant
playfulness of the foyer,” says Hana Hakim
CLOCKWISE FROM
FAR LEFT: Accents of
pistachio green lend a sense
of serenity; The design mixes
contemporary and original
touches; The Kettle Black is
housed in a Victorian terrace;
A laid-back and breezy mood.
DESIGN FIRM:
S T U D I O YO U M E
P H O T O G R A P H Y: P E T E R C L A R K E
(formerly of Studio You Me and now of The
Stella Collective). Restrained brass touches
and accents of pistachio ice-cream green lend
a serenity to the cafe. “The primary ambition
was to create a feel-good space that was simple,
well-crafted and honest,” says Hana. Put the
kettle on – we’ll be stopping by!
50 Albert Road, South Melbourne;
thekettleblack.com.au
 CULTURE | Towns
O N E
2
F I N E
D A Y
Mittagong
Let a LOCAL show you around
3 their town for an INSIDER’S
GUIDE to all the best bits.
BARBARA AND WARWICK WAINBERG are
Southern Highlands farmers who adore this corner
of New South Wales. In 2009, they fell in love
with a grand, abandoned bank in the town of
Mittagong. The historic two-storey building,
constructed in 1892, was due for demolition until
they saved the Victorian-Romanesque-styled
property, embarking on a painstaking, seven-year
restoration project. Now you can stay in their
labour of love, the charming Old Bank Boutique
Hotel, opened last September. Here they show
4 you how to make the most of your time in town.
5 is there as well as a cellar door, restaurant and
P H OTO G R A P H Y: N E I L F E N E LO N
THE NITTY GR I T T Y:
WHERE EX AC TLY: 90 minutes south-west of Sydney
P O P U LATIO N: Around 8000
WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT: A quaint, 19th-century town
(O N E S TA C U C I N A)
set among the bucolic countryside of the Southern
Highlands, surrounded by vineyards.
WHY GO ? Mittagong is the gateway to the Southern
Highlands, with access to vineyards and towns such
as Bowral, all just a short drive away.
1&7
Mark’s hit list
9am: A country breakfast
Guests in the OLD B ANK HOTE L ’s elegant dining
room are treated to a hearty, country breakfast
with fresh orange juice from the orchard and eggs
from farm chickens (1). oldbankhotel.com.au
10am: Go for a stroll
We always recommend going for a short stroll to
nearby LA KE ALEX A NDR A , to feed the ducks and
enjoy the scenery of this pretty little lake nestled
below Mount Alexandra in the heart of town (2).
11am: Step back in time
Next door to us, the MITTAGON G A N T I Q UE S
CENTRE is brimming with treasures (3). It’s one of
the best antiques stores in the region, which is
saying something. mittagongantiquescentre.com.au
1pm: Time for lunch
ONE STA CUCIN A in Bowral, five minutes away, is
one of the best Italian restaurants in the Highlands
(4). Open for lunch Thursday to Saturday, it serves
exceptional, authentic food. onestacucina.com.au
2pm: Scenic drive
After lunch, take a drive up to the lookouts on top
of M OUNT G IB RALTA R , which affords views of
both Mittagong and Bowral.You can gaze across
the Highlands and to Sydney on a clear day.
3pm: Antiques galore
Head to the beautiful new precinct in Bowral
called The Acre to visit the stunning, new-look
DIRTY JANE’ S vintage and antiques centre, and its
neighbouring cafes and nursery (5). dirtyjanes.com
5pm: A glass or two
The Highlands boasts so many great, cold-climate
wineries; one of our favourites is B E N D O O L EY
ES TATE (6).The iconic B ERKEL OUW BO OK B A R N
lovely gardens. bendooleyestate.com.au
7pm: Dinner at Josh’s
We love Josh’s Cafe in Berrima, 15 minutes away,
for dinner from Thursday to Saturday.The cuisine
is Mediterranean inspired and never fails to please.
Bedtime: Make your escape
Back at the Old Bank Hotel, enjoy a complimentary
port from the wine cellar (housed in the old vault)
in front of our log fires before retiring upstairs to
a sumptuous suite (7). oldbankhotel.com.au
AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM 123
 CULTURE
W H A T I T ’ S R E A L L Y L I K E …
to be a food forager
With 40 YEARS’ experience, PETER HARDWICK – forager at
HARVEST restaurant, Newrybar – knows his way around weeds.
Here he talks EARLY EPIPHANIES and stinking roger sorbet.
Every day I go into the kitchen to assess their
needs for the day. I see what they’ve run out of; if they’re
out of fermented products that I have in stock (we have a food lab
near the restaurant where we do fermenting), then I’ll supply it
immediately and if they’re products that need harvesting, I go
out that day or the next to keep the larder full.
Generally speaking, you have council parks where
fruit is just falling off the trees. There are special
licences you can get if you’re harvesting out of state forests, but
I don’t harvest there, so I don’t need one. No one seems to mind
you harvesting the fruit, and we’re reducing the fruit fly risk
or solving a messy fruit problem. In the case of harvesting weeds,
making people get a licence to harvest introduced weeds would
be silly. You’re turning what’s an environmental problem into a
positive by eating and reducing the impact of that weed.
What we’re doing is very benign; we’re not going
in there and ripping up whole plants. It’s very much
a pick-harvesting situation and we harvest fruit in a way that’s
quite sustainable and not damaging to plants. We also harvest some
native ingredients from people who cultivate ornamental plants.
A weed is a plant that’s not native and has gone
feral. We call it feral food and some of it’s quite nutritious.
It might sound strange but the reality is that some of these weeds
were eaten in Europe in ancient times; they’ve been found in clay
pots at archaeological sites. Those plants have been brought to
Australia and they’ve become weeds, but they have a heritage of
people eating them and they often have good health properties.
One classic weed everyone knows is dandelion.
It’s bitter and has medicinal properties. Another one that looks a
| People
bit like dandelion is called catsear (or flatweed). That’s eaten in
Greece, in a dish called ‘horta’. They eat a lot of weeds there,
traditionally in horta, which is blanched weeds with a dash of olive
oil and a little lemon juice. It’s incredibly healthy: very high in
wonderful, nutritious phytochemicals (natural plant chemicals).
So there are great traditions in eating these weeds.
Both Bret [cameron, Harvest chef] and I get equally
excited about working with new ingredients. Bret just
loves all the new flavours and we bounce off each other a lot. I joke
that I am throwing the curve balls and the chefs are grabbing them
and turning them into wonderful dishes. I love figuring out how to
turn these ingredients into something that becomes useful, or more
useful. That’s really exciting, transforming the ingredient.
I’ve built up my skill base on toxicology over 40
years. When I got into this at 18 years old, I had enough sense to
be cautious. I started off with the edible fruit then gradually moved
into the plant parts that required more caution. Some botanical
families are inherently more prone to containing toxic plants, so
you steer clear of those or treat them with respect. I also work
with biochemists and read a lot of scientific papers on toxicology.
In 1977, when I was about 18 years old, I had an
epiphany while listening to the radio. A forester was
being interviewed about why he was cutting down a beautiful patch
of old-growth forest in the Border Ranges (which is now World
Heritage listed). He said, “there’s nothing else of value in the forest
other than timber”. That seems such a silly thing to say now.
 Who would say that? But this was 1977 and that was the mindset
then. I thought, ‘that’s not true!’ I’d been fascinated with bush
foods since I was four years old, but at that point, I said to myself
‘OK, this is it’. I decided to make it my life’s task to research native
foods to counter that argument and show people there is something
of value in the native bush. And, at the same time, try to encourage
people to regenerate these native food plants in ecosystems.
It was an interesting epiphany to have as a
teenager. But it wasn’t until 10 years later in my late twenties
that I had encounters with Indigenous elders on the north coast
about bush foods. It was amazing and doors opened. My approach
was more to inform the elders about what I was doing rather than
to pick their brains. If information was offered then that was great,
but I always felt obliged not to use that information because any
cultural knowledge given to me by an elder shouldn’t be used
without their permission. My aim was more to just hang out.
Mass producing a new food crop takes a true
entrepreneur. Some bush foods are mass produced, of
course, but it’s still hard to get hold of fresh native produce. True
entrepreneurs in a new field are always thin on the ground. It does
require someone to have the vision and then be able to make that
happen in the marketplace. That skillset isn’t that common.
Foraging opens the door. We’re able to make an
assessment of a particular plant’s culinary qualities and try it out
in a real-life restaurant situation, feed it to people and get their
reactions. But the next job is to get the ones that look promising
into cultivation. That’s the logical step, because if you were only
to expect that foraging alone would meet all the needs of every
restaurant in Australia, then it could be a problem.
I N T E R V I E W : L A R A P I C O N E ; P H O T O G R A P H Y: D E M E T R E M I N C H E V
I came up with the name for warrigal greens in
the 1980s. I initially foraged the greens near Ballina, NSW, for a
restaurant in Sydney. I came up with that name because it sounded
better than New Zealand spinach, which everyone was calling it at
that stage, ironically. We hybridised two words: warrigal cabbage,
an old colonial name for the plant, and Botany Bay greens, which
also sounded too colonial.
foraging is an important part of being human on
this planet. It’s an important part of having a relationship with
nature. It’s nice to think we’re able to forage some of our food.
We’re a little cheeky with what we serve at our
Wild Harvest sessions. There’s a plant called farmer’s friend
and everyone hates it. They know it for its seeds sticking in your
socks. I harvest the top 10 centimetres of stem and new growth,
boil it and ferment it then turn it into a kimchi with spices and our
in-house vinegars – it’s very tasty. It just blows people away because
you’re turning something totally on its head. There’s this nuisance
weed that everyone’s pulling up and you turn around and say, “Hey,
you can eat this and we can turn it into something really tasty.”
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Peter (left) and Harvest executive chef Bret
Cameron discuss ingredients for the Wild Harvest dinner; A few sprigs of foraged
sea rocket, which is found on the beach. OPPOSITE PAGE: Seablite is used as
a garnish and can also be pan-fried and served with seafood; Peter out foraging.
I love that whole thing of turning things on
their heads. Another edible weed we serve is stinking roger.
It has a very strong smell. It’s a culinary herb in Peru but it’s a
common weed around here. We serve a stinking roger sorbet.
You dilute the flavour right down and put it into a sorbet; it’s bright
green and it has quite a lovely flavour. When you tell the old farmers
who come in that it’s stinking roger they just can’t believe it.
There’s no such thing as an overnight
professional forager. It takes a long time to acquire that
skillset. It’s such unforgiving territory. When you’re doing it for other
people you have to cross your ‘t’s and dot your ‘i’s. Most people who
are foraging are pretty sensible. There was one guy a few years ago
who was saying he was a bush food expert and he obviously wasn’t.
He was out there telling people what they could eat, but he didn’t
know what he was talking about and it was dangerous. You need to
know that the person giving you information is a reliable source.
working with bush foods enables an exciting
exchange between cultures. We did a Wild Harvest
fundraiser for the Boomerang Festival [an Indigenous cultural
festival] at Harvest restaurant. It was all about acknowledging the
traditional culinary heritage that’s existed here for thousands of years.
We created a menu of native ingredients inspired by that. It was a lot
of fun, and there was a wonderful sense of sharing at the event.
Acknowledging native foods is inherently an act
of reconciliation. Because it recognises the quality of
Indigenous food culture. It’s like, let’s just get in there and share
this wonderful food, but at the same time it’s inherently respectful.
How can one eat native food and not recognise its origin? That’s
my argument, anyway. But some people might exploit Indigenous
culture so we need to be aware; we need to have a sensitivity and
respect towards traditional cuisine.
If I wasn’t a forager I’d be a street performer. In my
twenties I had a choice between doing street performance (I wanted
to do clowning and poetry) in Adelaide or coming here and starting
up a bush food industry. In the end I decided to come up here.
Catch Peter’s foraged finds at Harvest’s Wild Harvest four-course
dinners every Wednesday. harvestnewrybar.com.au/wild-harvest
AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM 125
 CULTURE | Prizes

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CO U RT E S Y O F B R I DG EC L I M B
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transitions to evening, while you listen to a selection of romantic tunes.
This unique musical experience is a special extra for Twilight Climbers
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 12

CULTURE | Walkabout

S A R A H H A R R IS
Journalist and co-host of Network Ten’s STUDIO 10
and host of SHARK TANK talks about her love of
CAMPING and how to hit FORTITUDE VALLEY.
1. As a child, our family holidays were always to... cheap and
cheerful spots where we would pitch a tent and get back to nature. One
of my favourite places to go as a kid was Second Lagoon on Bribie Island,
where you can camp almost on the beach, just behind the dunes. Falling
asleep to the roar of the ocean is heaven!
2. Now if I have time for a short break... I love to pop down to the
Gold Coast to unwind. Tallebudgera Creek and Palm Beach are gorgeous,
easygoing places.
3. My local’s tip for my home town brisbane is... to make sure you 6
grab some brunch at a cool cafe in Fortitude Valley before taking a stroll along
the Riverwalk in the sunshine. Finish the day with a cheap beer at Merthyr
Bowls Club at New Farm on the river – they do great food, too.
4. My souvenir of choice is... a fridge magnet. I’m a sucker for thes
9
faraway places – the gaudier, the better.
5. My carry-on is usually filled with... a spare change of clothes
and a pack of cucumber and aloe make-up wipes, which are great for a 1
‘truckie shower’ if you want to feel fresh in a hurry.
6. My travel wardrobe always consists of... a super comfy pair o
walking shoes. I love getting to know new places on foot.
7. When I’m on the road, I’m listening to/watching... a new p
or documentary on my iPhone, but if I’m on a plane for any extended p
of time then it’s trashy reality telly all the way!
8. My last holiday read was... Murder in Mississippi by John Safran.
2
a murder mystery that I could not put down when I visited Positano in It
couple of years back. I was pregnant with my son, Paul, so I took that trip
easier, soaking up the sun and reading by the beach.
9. I can’t leave home without my... cucumber and aloe wipes! The next
time you’re on a plane for 14 hours, you’ll know why.
10. My favourite Australian restaurant is... a little Italian joint called
Il Perugino in Mosman, Sydney. The staff are warm, the food is authentic and
it’s a special place for my hubby and me – he proposed after dinner there.
11. The most adventurous thing I’ve ever done on holiday is... well,
I’m actually pretty sedate on holidays. I’d rather chill out and recharge than
chase an adrenaline high. While my husband has run with the bulls in Spain,
the most daring thing I’ve done is get a fish pedicure in Thailand.
12. The last place I visited was… Zurich, Switzerland (stunning place,
so expensive!) for three days and we haven’t really had a holiday since having
our son (born December 2015). I think we’re at that phase of our lives where
our trips will be very kid friendly. I just have to convince my city-slicker
husband to give camping a go.
Watch Sarah on Shark Tank – Season 3 airs later this June on Channel Ten.

AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM 127
 CULTURE
F RO M J U LY
HOKUSAI
21
N G V, M E L B O U R N E , V I C
Marvel at the prints,
paintings and books of
Edo-period Japanese
master Katsushika
Hokusai, including his
iconic The Great Wave.
ngv.gov.au
W H AT’S ONThe FOOD FESTIVALS, art exhibitions,
CULTURAL EXTRAVAGANZAS and MARKETS
you don’t want to miss in the next couple of months.
J U LY
28 –3 0
ADELAIDE BEER &
BBQ FESTIVAL
ADEL AIDE SHOWGROUND, SA
A heady mix of live music, over 50
exhibitors proffering the best cider
and beer from Australia and around
the world, and top chefs cooking up a
storm. adelaidebeerfest.com.au
128 A U S T R A L I A N T R AV E L L E R . C O M
| What’s on
J U LY
BRISBANE GOOD
FOOD MONTH
BRISBANE, QLD
The must-visit Night Noodle
Markets return to the
South Bank, and don’t miss
‘Laneway! Streetfood! Music!’
a new beer-infused street
party. goodfoodmonth.com
7–18 J U N E
SYDNEY FILM
F E S T I VA L
VA R I O U S V E N U E S ,
S Y D N E Y, N S W
See the works of up and coming
directors, award-winning feature
films and documentaries at
gorgeous venues like the Hayden
Orpheum. sff.org.au
25 JUNE
I TA L I A N W I N E +
F O O D F E S T I VA L
R OYA L E X H I B I T I O N
BUILDING, MELB, VIC
Taste la dolce vita at this
huge exhibition of the finest
Italian produce and wine.
italianwinefoodfestival.com.au
1 4 – 1 6 J U LY
H U O N VA L L E Y M I D -
W I N T E R F E S T I VA L
H U O N V A L L E Y , TA S
Sing to an apple tree while
banging pots and pans by
firelight, dance to folk music
and sample craft ciders at
this otherworldly festival
of ancient pagan tradition.
huonvalleymidwinterfest.com.au
 9 –24 J U NE
ADELAIDE CABARET
F E S T I VA L
VA R I O U S V E N U E S ,
ADELAIDE, SA
Get saucy this Queen’s
Birthday long weekend with a
line-up of eclectic shows from
local and international talent.
adelaidecabaretfestival.com.au

8 – 21 J U N E
DARK MOFO
N G V, M E L B O U R N E , V I C
It’s fast becoming Australia’s
most renowned festival owing
to its moody atmosphere, often
controversial performances
and great Tassie food and wine;
you have to go at least once. U N T I L J U LY
S N E A K E R C U LT U R E ( A D I D A S M I C R O P A C E R , 19 8 4 , C O L L E C T I O N O F T H E B ATA S H O E M U S E U M , G I F T O F P H I L L I P N U T T, P H O T O :
M E N D H A M ( H U O N VA L L E Y F E S T I VA L ) ; A D E L A I D E C A B A R E T F E S T I VA L ( A N C I E N T R A I N P O R T R A I T ) ; T H E N AT I O N A L G A L L E RY,
L O N D O N ( V I N C E N T VA N G O G H 1 8 5 3 – 1 8 9 0 , A W H E AT F I E L D , W I T H C Y P R E S S E S , E A R LY S E P T E M B E R 1 8 8 9 S A I N T- R É M Y ) ; R I S E O F

darkmofo.net.au

9
P H O T O G R A P H Y: N G V ( K AT S U S H I K A H O K U S A I J A P A N E S E 17 6 0 – 1 8 4 9 , T H E G R E AT W A V E O F F K A N A G A W A (1 8 3 0 – 3 4 ) ) ; N ATA L I E

VAN GOGH AND THE SEASONS

N G V, M E L B O U R N E , V I C

Your last chance to see some of the one-eared

master’s finest works all under one roof, in an
exhibition that explores Van Gogh’s obsession with
the changing seasons at various periods throughout
his often tumultuous life. ngv.vic.gov.au
UNTIL SEPTEMBER
R O N W O O D , C O U R T E S Y A M E R I C A N F E D E R AT I O N O F A R T S / B ATA S H O E M U S E U M )

THE RISE OF SNEAKER CULTURE

4 7 JUNE – 30 AUGUST
WINTER NIGHT
MARKET
Q U E E N V I C T O R I A M A R K E T,
A RT G A L L E RY WA , P E RT H , WA MELBOURNE, VIC
Wrap up and warm up with
Discover why we’re so obsessed with trainers at this some street food and a cup of
exhibition that charts the rise of the sneaker from the mulled wine at this fantastic
1860s to Kanye’s favourites. artgallery.wa.gov.au winter market. qvm.com.au

9 – 11 J U N E 1 3 – 1 6 J U LY
B A R U N G A F E S T I VA L B A S T I L L E F E S T I VA L
BARUNGA , NT C I R C U L A R Q U AY ,
Head to this remote community S Y D N E Y, N S W
to enjoy a weekend of Vive la France! Indulge in
Aboriginal dance, art and music everything awesome to come
(including Arnhem Land’s out of France (steak frites, wine,
Lonely Boys guitar group) at one can-can... the list is endless
of the oldest celebrations of (not snails)) at this cultural
Indigenous culture, dating back feast celebrating the country’s
to 1985. barungafestival.com.au national day. bastillefestival.com.au
 CULTURE | Let’s go...

T H I S L A N YA R D I’m as pure as the driven

AND PLASTIC snow when it comes to
CUP AROUND
R E A DY TO H IT TH E V I N E S
heady grape elixirs. Not
MY NECK MEAN F O R SO M E TA S TI N G S? a drop shall pass my
THE ANSWER IS A
RESOUNDING YES. unsullied lips.

Glad to see you’re T H I S I S N ’ T A S P R I N T, I T ’ S A SIMPLE NO WOULD

prepared. Now, are we A L E I S U R E LY M A R AT H O N . HAVE S U FFICE D, B UT
talking a single day or BESIDES, WHEN ONE DOESN’T O K . WA I T… C A N YO U
USE THE SPITTOON, ONE B E T H E D E S I G N AT E D
multi-day trip? DRIVER?
M U S T PAC E O N E S E L F.

WELL,
I ONLY NEED A DAY TO THERE’S
Warm-climate or SOME LIKE IT HOT…
FIND MY NEXT DROP. ONE PLACE
TOO MUCH FRESH AIR
cool-climate wines? BUT I PREFER A GOOD FOR YOU,
PINOT NOIR. MY FROSTY
IS SIMPLY UNNERVING. FRIEND. HEAD
TO TA S M A N I A
FOR YOU R
LET’S JUST SAY, IF IT’S MADE P I N OT.
FROM FERMENTED GRAPES, WE COULDN’T AGREE
Sounds like you’re looking MORE . ARE YOU
IT’S MY KIND OF WINE. AND
for a wine trail that’s T H I N K I N G C OA S TA L
WHERE THERE’S GRAPES, THERE
within easy reach of a city? OR RU R AL FOR YOU R
SHOULD BE GOOD GRUB.
VINO VACANZ A?

OH YES, Take me inland. I want to OCEAN AIR IS GOOD

THE CLOSER see rolling hills and vines FOR HANGOVERS…
THE BETTER! punctuated by the odd cow. SO I’M TOLD.

LUCKY FOR YOU, SHIRAZ OR Cab sav, or would you like to

CITY WINERIES C H A R D O N N AY ? try some Mediterranean
ARE A THING
N OW. H E A D TO varietals?
U R B A N W I N E RY RED WINE LIPS
IN SYDNEY’S
DON’T
I N N E R W E S T.
BECOME ME.

IT’S
I prefer black olives and CLASSIC CAB OOH, EXOTIC.
NEVER A berries to buttered bread. ALL THE WAY. TA K E M E TO T H E
GOOD LOOK. MEDITERRANEAN.
SAMPLING THE
C H A R D O N N AY S
OF ORANGE,
N S W, S H O U LD
S U IT YOU
BETTER.
HEAD ALONG AH, WELL,
TO MUDGEE CAB ON IN W E C A N TA K E
IN NSW FOR THE STUNNING YOU AS FAR AS
A CASE OF MARGARET MCL AREN VALE ,
PE PPE RY RIVER , WA . SA . YOU ’ LL
SHIRAZ. LOV E I T.

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