ACCESS JULY 2020
Travel
Edited by DALLAS SHERRINGHAM
We’re in the Business of Travel
FABULOUS SNOW SEASON AHEAD WITH NEW GONDOLA STARRING AT THREDBO n DALLAS SHERRINGHAM HE snow is alling, he li s are buzzing and he slopes are alive wi h he swish o he skis and he ash o rendy ou s on he slopes o Tredbo as a 10-year-old whizzes pas me. He is ollowed by hal a dozen o her “smar ies”, all gradua es o he junior ski academy. Now I will ell you s raigh up, I am one o he world’s wors “snowploughers” and I once was banned rom he bar because I somehow ell of hree imes, bu I s ill love going o Tredbo and being par o i all. Te skiing is he number one reason we are here, bu he social li e and he crispness o he alpine air, he color ul clo hing and he sound o people having un all come oge her in one amazing s a emen abou li e “a he snow”. Bu enough abou me. Tredbo esor is really going places wi h he comple ion o several exci ing new developmen s. Tese include he launch o he Merrits Gondola, he only alpine gondola in Aus ralia. In addi ion, is a new car park, improvemen s o Dream un including snowmaking, an expanded grooming ee and he in roduc ion o new sus ainabili y measures all o which con ribu e o delivering an enhanced experience or visi ors o Tredbo. Tredbo is Aus ralia’s premier alpine resor and has been vo ed Aus ralia’s Bes Ski esor in he World Ski Awards or hree consecu ive years. Te Gondola inves men will ur her enhance his posi ion, replacing he Merrits double chairli and quadrupling capaci y. Te cabin-s yle li is like hose ound in Europe and Nor h America and represen s he culmina ion o wo years o planning and developmen , delivering a new crucial in er-moun ain link. General Manager o Tredbo esor S uar Diver said he inves men being made in Tredbo was really exci ing o see. “I have no doub Tredbo cus omers will agree. Te launch o he Gondola is a huge even or Tredbo and he en ire communi y who have worked so hard o make his happen.” “I is a remarkable engineering achievemen and he comple ion o his phase o our developmen plan will enhance he cus omer experience and con inue o ensure we remain Aus ralia’s premier resor .
Away from the slopes Some Places to enjoy on your snow visit • BURGER BIZ JINDABYNE – American yle burgers, hotdogs, loaded fries, smoked meats, super thick shakes and matched with the be USA beers.
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• JAI YOGA JINDABYNE Great for enhancing body and spirit and relaxation. • ALPINE ABODE COOMA – Simple, Livable Interiors. Homewares, Occasional Furniture AND Unique Gifts.
“Snow lovers will be hrilled wi h easier access o he Cruiser area and he Friday Fla beginners’ area, and wi h he improvemen s we have made o he popular Dream un, including a new au oma ed snowmaking sys em. “We care deeply abou our responsibili y o opera ing in a unique na ural environmen , which is why being Aus ralia’s rs ski resor o be powered exclusively by clean, renewable energy was also an impor an miles one.” Te inves men in he Merrits Gondola provides: • Easier access or Village gues s o all abili ies o he Friday Fla and Cruiser area. • Fas urnaround access rom he Gondola Mid-S a ion o he op-S a ion or in ermedia e and advanced ski and snowboarders accessing he popular Dream un and i s surrounding ree runs. • Easier access or oo and scenic passengers o he Merrits Moun ain House. • educed pressure on he Kosciuszko Express and Gunbarrel Express chairli s. So, his year I will be di ching he skis and heading up he moun ain as a “ oo ” passenger wi h he ouris s. Even I can’ all of ha !
• ALPINE RESORT HOTEL JINDABYNE – A ordable, fun place to ay. • BOLOGO WEST JINDABYNE – Modern, airy, friendly accommodation. • WILDBRUMBY – Set in the heart of the Au ralian high country between Jindabyne and Thredbo, Wildbrumby is the highe di illery in Au ralia.
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River Sled.
Aqua Quest.
Take a break at Port Douglas n SONIA LAI
he coral and rock hollows. A large cod glides inches above he ocean oor and no ar behind i is a wrasse, dis inguishable by i s rademark hick lips. Schools o zebra-s riped surgeon sh i by and disappear ur her down along he ree . Te marine li e o he Grea Barrier ee is on ull display. Once back in he boa we remove he heavy diving gear and Kai s ar s o ell he s ory o how his dive si e go he nickname ‘Gone Again’. I pays homage o he American couple who wen missing in 1998 in he very same wa ers we’d jus emerged rom. We urned o each, mou hs agape, glad he had no menioned his be ore.
HE in a able yellow ra bobs exci edly in he wa er beside me while my hand rmly grips he rope handle on he ron , ensuring i won’ slip away and escape down he rapids. Jus an hour ago I was s epping ou o an airliner on o he ho Cairns armac. Now I am in a ull body we sui knee-deep in he Mossman iver o Por Douglas. Our group o six are embarking on a river-dri snorkelling adven ure in he Mossman iver, si ua ed benea h he Mossman Gorge. Te reshwa er river is so pure, our guides Glen and Will in orm us, ha i can be drunk. In ac , hey encourage i .
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Mossman River drift snorkel Zig-zagging down rapids and snorkelling when he wa er is calmer is how we spend he nex hree hours. ranslucen sh he size o my humb swim in large schools benea h he sur ace and large rocks cover he riverbed. When he wa er is ranquil our ra s rans orm in o makeshi lounges and we si a op hem, our legs dangling over he edge as we le he curren lead us down he river. During hese serene momen s, Glen and Will rela e he his ory o he vege aion surrounding he river. Te rees, erns, and o her plan species, we’re old, da e back o Gondwanaland and are believed o be around 300 million years old. Wi h he pride in heir voices and he knowledge hey possess abou he ecosys em, i ’s clear no wo o her people could love he Mossman iver as much as hey do. I ’s as i we are oa ing hrough prehis oric imes.
To the Outer Reef Te AquaQues lurches in he swell as i makes i s way owards he ou er perime er o he Grea Barrier ee . Many
Alfresco Dining Port Douglas.
To market, to market- Port Douglas Markets Divers Den.
o us are siting ou side on he upper deck in he hope o warding of seasickness and he resh air proves help ul or some.. Te rocky wo and a hal hour journey across he Coral Sea comes o an end a he rs dive si e - S . Crispin’s - and any hough s o seasickness are quickly orgoten as exci emen lls us. “All divers o he botom deck please!” Ta ’s our call and all in roduc ory divers, including me, make our way down o he botom deck. Te much-an icipa ed descen o he Grea Barrier ee is abou o begin. Our ins ruc or, Kai, gives us an in-dep h sa e y brie ng and alks us hrough he use o our scuba equipmen . Sundresses and board shor s are quickly swapped ou or we sui s, weigh bel s and anks. I nd my ank a bi heavier han expec ed, bu wha did I expec ? Tis is my rs scuba dive and we all wobble comically, laughing nervously as we atemp o ge o our ee . Diving underwa er or he rs ime can be righ ening and some in our group
ge a bi panicky he second our heads go benea h he sur ace. A er several prac ice goes, we’ve overcome he ins inc o rush back o he sur ace and brea hing underwa er becomes sligh ly less erri ying. Kai assesses us individually and gives us he humbs up (down ac ually, which means, ‘le ’s dive’).
Diving on the outer reef with Divers Den Ini ially, he wa er is murky, hanks o recen s orms, and no much can be seen. However, a hree me res and below visibili y improves and we begin o see coral in pas el hues o green, yellow and purple. Te coral isn’ as brigh as you see in he brochures, bu Kai says ha his is ac ually a good sign because when coral is s ressed i releases algae, which causes i o become brigh er in color. So, he sligh ly subdued colors we see indica e a heal hy ree . iny brigh blue damsel sh skir pas us while clown sh weave in and ou o
On our hird day in Por Douglas he sun had come ou o play and he empera ure nudged 30 degrees. A er a magni cen ropical break as a he Shera on Mirage Ho el, i was ime o visi he Por Douglas Marke s. Tese marke s are renowned or heir wide varie y o resh produce and ha is exac ly wha immedia ely gree s us. Color ul s alls are lled wi h bargain-priced resh rui s and vege ables like avocados a jus $4 a bag as well as more exo ic oods like avored coconu chips, vanilla bean and cacao ice-cream, and pomegrana e eas - all here or anyone wi h sligh ly more adven urous as e buds. Food, however, isn’ he only ea ure o he marke s. S alls displaying all sor s o peculiar rinke s and salves like ‘magic’ crys als, crocodile acial oil, handmade ukuleles, pom-pom earrings, conical rainbow candles and silver ur le rings are here o emp eclec ic as es. When he adven ure is done, spending some relaxing ime a he marke s is he per ec way o wind down a wondrous and hrill-packed weekend in Por Douglas. Easy does i .
Port Douglas Markets. WESTERN SYDNEY BUSINESS ACCESS JULY 2020
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The Nepean Belle.
Kiss 2020 goodbye on the Belle ELEBR E he end o 2020 and rea your s af o a Chris mas uncion experience as hey cruise he Nepean iver amongs a 50-Millionyear-old Gorge. While cruising on he Belle, you will eas on a selec ion o 5-s ar ood and beverages, wi h access o all areas o he vessel (drinks on one o our many viewing decks are always a crowd avouri e). Five reasons o choose Te Belle or your Chris mas par y: • Close o home. • Spec acular, ever-changing views.
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• Subs an ial meals reshly prepared onboard. • Excep ional service. • Free Parking. No more bufe s! Meals are served o each able on a large shared plater, wi h no need o leave your able. Te Nepean Belle is a regis ered COVID Sa e venue. Book on one o he scheduled public Chris mas Par y Cruises or have he beau i ul Belle all o yoursel and your company by booking a priva e char er. Te Belle’s Chris mas cruise experiences are per ec or businesses o all siz-
es, wi h capaci y or up o 105 gues s or a sea ed meal or 150 gues s or a cock ail unc ion. Forge he s ress o a commu e and ranspor a ion arrangemen s and enjoy your Chris mas par y closer o home, wi h plen y o ree parking available. o make your gues s eel even more a home, he che s can accommoda e your die ary requiremen s wi h glu en ree and vege arian meals available on reques . When you choose he Nepean Belle or your Chris mas unc ion, your s af will crea e Chris mas memories like never be ore.
From exploring he vessel in all i s glory, aking in he spec acular and ever-changing scenery as hey glide smoo hly over he Nepean iver, o drinking in s yle on one o he many viewing decks. Wi h a un a mosphere and he abili y o apply a cos -efec ive bar ab, your gues s will have easy access o beverages as hey enjoy heir cruise and soak up he Chris mas spiri .
For all bookings and enquiries, call (02) 4733 1274 or email info@nepeanbelle.com.au.
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Travel Canberra captures young and free spirit of our great nation n DALLAS SHERRINGHAM US RLIANS know Canberra as he ho bed o poli ical jous ing ashed on our V screens on he 6 o’clock news, bu behind i s blus er and rumors, is one o he world’s grea es and mos beau i ul ci ies. Te Na ional Capi al cap ures he Spiri o Aus ralia and is ull o hings o do and see. I would s rongly advise you spend a leas a week here i you really wan o see i all. Planning is he number ravel ip I have or visi ors o Canberra and he AC . And ha plan varies, depending on whe her you go wi h children or grandchildren. You will do a lo o driving o ge around he various atrac ions and you will spend a lo o ime rying o nd a carp ark a some o hem, bu i is all wor hwhile. Te ci y and i s grea na ional icons are all se around a riangle, in ersec ed by Lake Burley Gri n, named a er he man who designed arguably he world’s mos aes he ically beau i ul na ional capi al. Te na ional capi al grew s eadily around he si e o he Old Parliamen House which is now a museum devo ed o Aus ralia’s role as a beacon o grea democracy.
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Now, i you visi he AC wi h children, you simply have o spend a day a Ques acon, he Na ional Science and echnology Cen re. Kids go wild abou he place because i is a hands on acili y wi h ascina ing challenges and displays. I had heard o i , bu I had no idea a how good i would be when I ook hree o my grandkids o visi . In ac , I reckon my grandkids would have spen every day a Ques acon had I le hem. I also loved i and enjoyed rying my hand a he many challenges available. And he grandkids enjoyed laughing a my efor s! We also spen hal a day a Cocking on Green exploring he splendid model village which has grown in leaps and bounds while drawing hundreds o housands o amilies since 1980.
Don’t put the FREEZE on your business meetings.
Model villages are all he go in England and con inen al Europe, bu have never aken of in Aus ralia and he USA. Cocking on Green has plen y o ofer visi ors o all ages.
War Memorial O course, we had o go he Ausralian War Memorial wi h i s amazing museum, probably he bes o i s kind in he world. I is easily Aus ralia’s bes museum and I hink i cura ors should have been employed o design he s ruggling Na ional Museum, which, o pu i mildly, is dread ul and no wor h a visi . You could spend many days wandering he War Memorial’s vas collec ions and s ill no see i all. However my avouri e, and indeed he avouri e o mos kids big and small, is he Aircra Hall. Here
you come ace o ace wi h he massive Lancas er Bomber G or George, a rare ME 109 German gh er and a selec ion o beau i ully res ored aircra . Tere is even a s unning Me 262 win je gh er, surely one o he mos impressive looking aircra o all ime. However my avouri e o hem all is he beau i ully propor ioned DH Mosqui o gh er bomber wi h i s win olls oyce Merlin engines. Buil o plywood o save money and make i ligh , he Mosqui o was highly success ul in WWII. Te cura ors have made a remendous efor o ell he s ory o he Aus ralians who ough in he many wars rom he Sudan in he 19 h cen ury righ hrough o A ghanis an. Continued on page 21
$60 per person
Plan for success this winter. Day Delegate Package Winter bonus includes: • FREE WiFi • FREE 30 minute post event drinks in rebellion bar • FREE delicious delight on arrival To book your next event, email: functions_rydgesnorwest@evt.com or call 02 9634 9634 Rydges Norwest Sydney 1 Columbia Court, Baulkham Hills NSW 2153 T: 02 9634 9634 F: 02 9634 9660 rydges.com/norwest Terms and Conditions Apply
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Continued from page 20
Tey don’ push any par icular poin o view upon you. Tey simply ell he s ory how i was or he men and women who ough o save our na ion. Te Na ional Gallery is well wor h a visi . Tere is lo s o see on many levels, bu he Aus ralian radi ional landscapes sec ion s eals he show along wi h some o he eye-ca ching indigenous ar works. O course, Blue Poles by Jackson Pollock is s ill he mos amous work o ar in Aus ralia. Bough by Gough Whi lam or a hen record $1.3M in 1973, Blue Poles is now wor h an as ounding $350m! Te gallery has special shows on all he ime, including overseas ar is s, phoographs and classic visi ing collec ions rom Europe and America.
Te Na ional Sound and Film Archive is a grea place or seniors. Nos algia bounds. Once again, you could spend days here enjoying all he exhibi ions and wa ching legendary lms and V shows. Te people who run he archive know Aus ralians and hey know wha hey wan o see. Te Na ional Zoo and Aquarium has been open jus 20 years and has rapidly developed in o one o he na ional capial’s mos popular atrac ions. I cos s $37 or Seniors Card holders and Pensioners. Who can resis coming ace o ace wi h a lion, a bear or a chee ah? You can hand eed animals and even s ay overnigh . Wha ever you decide o do, allow plen y o ime o see Canberra properly. I cap ures he Spiri o our Grea Na ion and i will cap ure you i you le i .
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Travel We should answer the cry for HELP from our bush cousins n DALLAS SHERRINGHAM COME rom he land and my beloved coun ry ha made Aus ralia is crying ou or help rom i s ci y cousin. You see, Aus ralia’s arming communi ies are reeling rom one o he mos devas a ing drough s in our his ory and now severe bush res, Chinese boycots and he Covid-19 impac . ru h be known, a lo o armers would simply walk of heir land i hey were realis ic, prac ical men and women, bu hey are dreamers and dreamers go he whole journey, here is no urning back or hem. You can help ou jus by swapping your normal overseas holiday or a Bush Adven ure. From he coas o he ou back, you will be surprised by he choice – rom camping o luxury and all in be ween. Even a simple weekend away in he coun ry will make a huge diference o he hundreds o housands o s ruggling amilies in he wide, brown land. Our na ion is ull o ascina ing owns, regions and riendly people. Tere are hidden gems o be had ou here - all you have o do is nd hem. As a ravel wri er I ge o see some amazing places worldwide, bu or me here is no hing be er han heading ou on a road heading wes wi h no a care in he world. Aus ralia rees he soul o he weary raveller. NSW Depu y Premier John Barilaro hi he nail on he head when he said ci y dwellers spending a weekend in a regional area was one o he simples and mos meaning ul ways people in he ci y could suppor regional owns and ci ies. “Even hough we are in drough , our ca es are s ill brewing cofee, our shops are s ill open and we are s ill in business. “Some o he mos beau i ul iconic experiences are here ready or you o enjoy oday. “Suppor our businesses by geting ou and spending some money in our regions. “When you spend ha money in a ca é, ha money goes around ha communi y. I means employmen remains; jobs remain. “Our servos would love you driving by. Our ca es would love you o have brekkie wi h some locals. Our accommoda ion houses, our ho els would love o have you s ay and I ell you his, you’ll ge ha coun ry hospi ali y each and every ime,” he said. “So, i you ge he chance, please, ge ou or he drough and spend some ime and some money in our regional areas.” Now, i you have decided o ake John’s advice and head bush, I have a ew simple ips or you: Plan ahead. All regions and main ci ies and owns have visi ors’ cen res online. Tey also have clued up people on he phone or answering emails, so don’ be a raid o ask.
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Numbugga, Bega Valley NSW.
So, if you get the chance, please, get out for the drought and spend some time and some money in our regional areas.”
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– Dallas Sherringham. South Coast NSW.
Contact Them You migh see a place you really wan o visi such as a winery, a museum, an his oric building or a homes ead. I is bes o con ac hem be ore you leave so ha you know he visi ing hours and which days i is open. Te wors hing you can do is urn up in a own a 4pm, check in o your accommoda ion, have a drive around and leave nex morning. As I said a he s ar , every own has hidden gems and i akes more han a day o see i all. Accommoda ion houses always have a ple hora o pamphle s ( ry saying ha in a hurry) ea uring local atrac ions, clubs and res auran s, bu once again ask your hos abou hem and, i he recommends i , phone ahead. ake some picnic and barbecue gear and a old up able and chairs on your rip. And always ake a billy! Oh, and some Aeroguard and plen y o wa er. You can nd amazing views, quie river spo s, and hidden places ar rom he madding crowd. O en here will be a barbie or wo in such places, so you can brew up a cofee or hrow on a s eak and si back and brea he in he resh air. S ay on a arm a a arms ay proper y; a orm o ourism ha is really aking of. As Darryl Kerrigan (Michael Ca on) amously said in Te Cas le: “Ah, he Sereni y!” Here are some links or your own choice, or jus go o Google and pu in your own search! https://www.visitnsw.com/accommodation/accommodation-farm-stays https://www.farmstayplanet.com/farm-stay-rural-travelguides/australia/ https://farmstaycampingaustralia.com.au/ Words: Dallas Sherringham Images: Michael Osborne Feature supplied by: www.wtfmedia.com.au
Hill End NSW.
Royal Hotel Hill End NSW.
Candelo, Bega Valley NSW. WESTERN SYDNEY BUSINESS ACCESS JULY 2020
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