BNE Magazine Issue 35

FR EE YO M UR AG AZ IN E

ISSUE #35 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019

WIN AIRFARES TO CHICAGO

DITA VON TEESE Queen of Burlesque Stay at a

LIGHTHOUSE SWIMWEAR STYLE CHRISTMAS SHOPPING starts here FESTIVE DINING

CONTENTS

26

4

Brisbane Airport News

6

Dita von Teese, Queen of Burlesque

Medical travel companions; Ambassadors clock up record service; Carbon offsets helping the reef

How a quiet schoolgirl became a Glamonatrix

8

Go slow

10

Brisbane Insider

11

Best markets for creative Christmas shopping

WIN airfares to Chicago

Enter for a chance to jet off to this new direct route from BNE

26

Mid-Century Modern motel revival

Take home a unique souvenir from Australia’s rum capital

Classic motels get a modern makeover for beachside holiday bliss

28

How to camplify your holiday

42

Mission to care for koalas

A new service links up owners with renters for campervan and caravanning holidays Behind a luxury retreat at Hidden Vale wildlife carers have their eye on koalas

TASTE 30 Secrets from the farm

A

lthough it may seem like a race to get to the most countries or cities covered in a lifetime, the real art of travel is much less hectic. Slow travel doesn’t mean moving at a snail’s pace but it does mean travelling differently and generally taking more time to enjoy the journey and the destination rather than being fixated on ticking off a list of wellworn tourist attractions. The movement is not new but it is getting a new wave of attention as travellers look for more enriching experiences … and it doesn’t have to be complicated. Perhaps that’s why caravanning and camping is booming, midcentury motels by the beach are back in vogue and acting more like a local, and less like a tourist, is the way to go.

Bruno Loubet’s new cooking school; plus hot spots to get festive

Where to find the best buys for gifts and holiday treats at Brisbane Airport

The power of one

One-piece swimsuits make a style statement

ESCAPE 16 Deconstructing Chicago

Navigate the neighbourhoods to uncover its cultural and culinary diversity

20

Blend your own in Bundaberg

The movement taking over travel

STYLE 12 Holiday shopping guide 14

24

Welcome to your free BNE magazine, brought to you by Brisbane Airport

Stay at a lighthouse

For a wild way to explore the country’s coastline

WHAT’S ON 32 Roxie rocks Chicago

Natalie Bassingthwaighte scores her dream role, again!

34

Woodford is a festival for the future

Plus a new exhibition focuses on water; John Farnham is back, and more

35

Events calendar What’s on in the city

GALLERY 37 Day in the Life

People in transit at Brisbane Airport

31

NEED TO KNOW 38 Helpful information for

visitors to Brisbane Airport

40 43

Destination map Brisbane region map

14 BNE magazine is published bi-monthly

by Brisbane Airport Corporation.

Brisbane Airport Corporation Head of Media and Corporate Communications: Leonie Vandeven Managing Editor: Heather McWhinnie (editor@bnemagazine.com.au) Advertising sales: advertising@bnemagazine.com.au Designers: Mhari Hughes and Leanne Thompson, PrintPublish Cover: Dita von Teese. © Paola Kudacki/Trunk Archive/ Snapper Images ©2019 Brisbane Airport Corporation The contents of this publication are not for reproduction, redistribution or reuse by any means whatsoever or in any form whatsoever without express permission of the publisher. Advertising: all advertisements in BNE magazine are the responsibility of advertisers. Advertising is accepted on the understanding that it does not contravene the Trade Practices Act. Responsibility is not accepted by BNE magazine for statements made or the failure of any product or service to give satisfaction. The publication of any material or editorial does not necessarily constitute endorsement of views or opinions expressed. While every effort is made to avoid errors, some information contained in the publication may be superceded.

BNE November/December 2019 | 3

BRISBANE AIRPORT NEWS

HEALTH CARE HELPERS at hand

CARBON OFFSETS SUPPORT

Reef Restoration

Babinda Creek, Far North Queensland

4 | BNE November/December 2019

When Brisbane Airport Terminal Operations team member Geoff Fabila was invited to join the Babinda Reef Experience in far north Queensland recently it wasn’t for a holiday. Although he would be only 60 minutes from Cairns and 20km upstream from the Great Barrier Reef there would be no swimming, snorkelling or sunbathing on this trip. Instead Fabila joined a group of academics and professionals from a range of industries to be ‘scientists for a day’ and assist researchers in water quality monitoring, revegetation and data collection as part of a project to protect the reef.

In a collaboration between Qantas Future Planet, Earthwatch Institute, GreenCollar, Jaragun Natural Resource Management and James Cook University, the Babinda Reef Project is rebuilding wetlands and replanting endangered rainforest to naturally filter water before it reaches the reef.

The Great Barrier Reef’s water quality is under serious threat by land-based activities such as farming along the coastline, with run-off flushing fertilisers, pesticides and soil into rivers and onto the reef, which can have a devastating effect on corals, sea grasses and marine wildlife. Regeneration and plantings help restore the ecosystem, including habitat for wildlife, and reduce the amount of greenhouse gas entering the atmosphere.

GreenCollar estimates that the Babinda Project will revegetate more than 25 hectares of native forest and, over 10 years, that will remove the equivalent of 2000 tonnes of CO2 from the air.

For Fabila the journey to see work at the Babinda Project first hand was also a way to see how some carbon offset dollars are being invested. In the last 12 years Qantas, through its Future Planet initiative and with the support of its passengers, has offset more than three million tonnes of carbon emissions, the largest amount offset by any airline in the world.

The Babinda Reef Project is just one initiative supported by Qantas Future Planet. To find out more about how you can fly carbon neutral see www.qantasfutureplanet.com.au

Images: Left, Tourism and Events Queensland; top, Shutterstock.com

When Ben Wilson’s daughter was struck down with an infection while on a school exchange trip overseas and needed help to get home it highlighted the need for a service that he has since turned into a global business venture.

Wilson is CEO and founder of Medical Travel Companions (MTC) which provides qualified health professionals to assist travellers with anything from nannies to nurses and paramedics, either in transit or on an entire trip away.

It’s not an air ambulance service for emergency travel but more a concierge service for people who may need the help of a health professional, just like Wilson’s daughter did when she needed to fly home but was temporarily confined to a wheelchair. So far, a few ways the service has been used has been by families who have needed help with children with special needs, elderly couples who have wanted to enjoy a cruise but needed help with medication and mobility, and people with disabilities who need guidance navigating busy airports.

Services can be booked from four hours to a full day or more, with different levels of service depending on the care required. Some people have used it to take a health care companion on an entire holiday.

MTC operates in partnership with several airlines and tourism operators, such as Hamilton Island, and with airports including BNE. MTC is headquartered in Adelaide but now has operations centres in the UK, Europe, California and Singapore. For more information see www.bne.com.au (search Medical Travel Companions).

HOW TO CHECK FLIGHT DETAILS Catching a flight out of BNE or collecting someone?

Get flight notifications to Facebook Messenger or Twitter with our new chatbot. Find out how at www.bne.com.au

Image: Marc Grimwade

The (unpaid) job no one wants to leave Some people might be surprised to see Jack Darby, age 91, helping others find their way through bustling Brisbane Airport rather than the other way around, but it’s not just a random act of kindness for Jack – every week he’s up at 5am, leaving home sometimes in the dark, to begin his early morning shift as one of the airport’s volunteer ambassadors at the Domestic Terminal. Jack is one of the airport’s longest serving ambassadors, recently awarded a special badge for passing his 10-year milestone.

He is one of more than 170 ambassadors roaming Brisbane Airport’s Domestic and International Terminals who have volunteered close to 31,000 hours and assisted more than 420,000 domestic and international passengers in the last financial year alone. Each signs up for at least one four-hour shift a week and volunteers are roaming the terminals over an eight-hour (at International Terminal) or 12-hour cycle (at Domestic Terminal) every day, all year.

Including Christmas Day. Brisbane Airport’s ambassadors range in age between 20 and 91 – yes Jack is the oldest, but he’s not the veteran. There are three on the team who have clocked up an impressive 14 years service each, there since the volunteer program began – and if that’s one indication they love their work – another is that there is now a wait list for others to join this friendly ‘force’.

Vacancies don’t come up too often these days.

One thing the ambassadors all have in common is they are very sociable (with each other as well, as longterm friendships have been made) and roaming the terminals where they must be seen and approachable is what they like most to do. They love talking to strangers, and they are a multilingual bunch, speaking 12 languages between them, including a dedicated

team of Chinese speakers to meet the demands of a growing market.

Jack spent his working career in the state’s public service and his fellow ambassadors come from a range of professions and careers, some from the travel industry – one has been awarded an OAM for her contribution – others are retired from airlines, banking, teaching, tuck shop committees and more. One thing they all agree is that their work is always different, every shift, and that has included, for some, being on the tarmac to meet leaders of the world arriving for the G20 Summit and, for others, helping loved ones reunite or assisting with food rescue services that help people in need in the wider community.

The ambassadors also love to travel and can draw on their own travel experiences to help others.

Get them chatting about their holidays and it’s clear they have a wealth of experience not only on planes but trains and cruise ships too. Between shifts they’re also out and about in Brisbane, visiting popular attractions, going to events and sampling accommodation around town so they know what to recommend if anyone should ask.

Jack says that since becoming a volunteer he makes a point of seeking out ambassadors at airports wherever he goes – making his own journeys not only easier but more social too.

He recalls one trip to London when he and his wife were escorted personally from the terminal to the train station by a friendly fellow volunteer, treated like a VIP, unsolicited.

It’s the sort of welcome he’d like visitors to Brisbane to remember too. Ask any ambassador why they do it and that’s your answer.

BNE best in Oceania Brisbane Airport (BNE) has been named Oceania’s LEADING AIRPORT in the Annual World Travel Awards 2019, voted for by tourism professionals and travel consumers

BNE November/December 2019 | 5

COVER STORY

Dita von Teese

Queen of Burlesque

From quiet schoolgirl to Glamonatrix she has redefined burlesque for a modern audience

I

t’s hard to believe the Glamonatrix who performs sold out shows around the world and has become known as the Queen of Burlesque was once a quiet schoolgirl whose parents tried to send her to speech classes because she didn’t like to talk and was so paralysed by fear that she wouldn’t get up to speak in front of her class. Her parents needn’t have worried. Their daughter, Heather Renée Sweet, eventually found her voice, albeit in a way not any of them expected.

Heather Renée Sweet was born in America’s Midwest and grew up like many young girls – shy, keen on ballet, for a while, and fascinated by actresses of the Golden Era of Hollywood as she watched them in films from the 1930s and ’40s alongside her mother. At 15 she was working in a lingerie store and found she loved vintage style; by her 20s she was modelling for pinup photo shoots when a chance visit to a strip club inspired her to create a performance incorporating her vintage bullet bras and corsets. She soon became recognised for her unique look, created a stage name and Playboy and big brands came calling.

Vintage glamour has continued to be von Teese’s signature and she has been celebrated for her distinct sense of style on Best Dressed lists internationally but her love of vintage goes far beyond a fashion fetish.

“I feel like I live in a museum of sorts. I have always loved collecting and antiques.

I grew up around antiques and I love collecting things that keep their value. I collect cars, art, books. It’s the same thing with vintage clothes, especially in this day and age when more people are wearing vintage clothes than ever. I live in an English Tudor-style house and I recently gutted my pool house and made it into an English-style pub – now I’m looking for things like Toby jugs at markets on the weekend,” she tells BNE ahead of her Australian tour.

6 | BNE November/December 2019

When she starts to run out of space she recycles. “I sell things or give away a lot. I use Depop which is like an Instagram for shopping and I put things on there like jewellery, shoes and costumes. Sometimes at shows someone will turn up at the meet-and-greet wearing a brooch or something they got on Depoop – a lot of things go to Australia – which is great.

In fact, my favourite thing to do is pass them onto others.”

While she’s now considered a fashion icon, it wasn’t always the case. “When I first dressed in vintage I would be made fun of. I was asked why was I dressed like that or why was I wearing old lady clothes. I got all that kind of flak. Now I think it’s great that it opened up this idea to more people but someone might still make fun of us. It happens, but we know we are not alone and that there are thousands of other people like us who like the same thing. We all find each other and that makes me feel good.”

For von Teese that is evident in more than two million followers on Instagram and Facebook and shows that routinely sell out around the world. ‘Dita Von Teese: Glamonatrix’ is her third tour of Australia and is billed as her most lavish touring burlesque show yet.

Renowned for ornate sets and dazzling haute-couture costumes adorned with hundreds of thousands of Swarovski crystals, the new show has been almost a year in the planning, created by an international team including famed corset maker Mister Pearl, British designer Jenny Packham, French couturier Alexis Mabille, her long-time design collaborator Catherine D’Lish, with bespoke footwear by Christian Louboutin.

“With the success of my last tour of Europe, I came home more inspired than ever and

got straight into building new acts. For me, burlesque has always been about finding my own power and confidence, embracing sensuality and encouraging others to do the same in their own lives. Glamour is the art of creating mystery and allure, and the new Glamonatrix show embraces all of these qualities,” says Von Teese.

“I feel so fortunate that burlesque has come to symbolise a celebration of beauty and sensuality in many forms. I’m proud to be a part of the modern burlesque movement that changes people’s minds about striptease. It’s not something I set out to do, it just happened.

“What I love about burlesque, striptease and pinup is that in the past it was something that was perhaps considered degrading and that the women were objectified but we turned that around as people like me have found empowerment in creating fantasy and glamour, and not apologising for my sexuality. In doing that for myself early on and being forthcoming about my story and how it made me feel to do this, I think other women have embraced it and it has given them permission to do the same if they want.”

Beyond her live performances, Dita has a close connection with Australia which includes her lingerie line, sold globally from its base in Melbourne for nearly nine years, and a collaboration with Sydney specialty store Wheels and Doll Baby on a capsule collection of cardigans which she has been doing for 14 years. “They have made me feel very close to Australia,” she says.

Dita Von Teese: Glamonatrix is on 24 November, Concert Hall, QPAC, South Brisbane. Tickets from $88.15 plus fees, see www.qpac.com.au and 26 November, at The Star, Gold Coast. Tickets from $87.45 plus fees. See www.premier.ticketek.com.au

“For me, burlesque has always been about finding my own power and confidence, embracing sensuality and encouraging others to do the same in their own lives”

5

things that may surprise you about

Dita von Teese

She can be quite low-maintenance. While she can spend three hours preparing for a show, on a normal day red lipstick and her hair in a simple chignon or freshly washed is the go.

She wouldn’t get up to speak in front of her school class, she was so paralysed by fear.

One of her early jobs was as a go-go dancer in the underground electronic dance scene in LA. She took part in the Eurovision Song Contest. In 2009 she was part of the stage performance for German entry Miss Kiss Kiss Bang.

She’s a good cook and once appeared on reality show Cupcake Wars

BNE November/December 2019 | 7

FEATURE

Go slow

Often, with limited time to take holidays it’s tempting to pack in as much as possible, but there are good reasons to take it slow, writes Tonya Turner

W

hen travelling, it can be all too tempting to cram too much into your itinerary. Visiting 10 cities in 10 days to get the most out of precious holiday time and savings might seem like a good idea when you’re booking, but much like fast food and fast fashion, fast travel can be cheap but unnourishing, and easily forgotten when you get home. It can also turn beautiful destinations into overcrowded tourist hotspots, stripping them of the natural and cultural riches that made them so appealing in the first place.

slowing down to see the world, connecting with people and places and creating genuine experiences for travellers. I’ve never guided anything but biking and walking trips,” she says.

For Andrews, now based on the Sunshine Coast, slow travel is all about encouraging guests to leave their to-do lists and Instagram feeds behind and immerse themselves in the moment to experience local life and find a sense of place they’ll hold onto forever.

WHAT IS SLOW TRAVEL?

“For me, nothing can compare with slowly passing through a region, not just watching but feeling a part of life happening quietly around you. Slow travel means truly engaging with what’s happening around us. We try to connect to a region and its culture and we aspire to have our travellers see, taste, learn and explore as much as possible,” she says.

“On a bike, you always seem to have the opportunity to meet people along the way who are curious about who you are and where you’re from, so it’s a great chance to connect with locals,” Andrews says.

“We want to give people the time to bask in self-reflection and provide a sense of accomplishment, ensuring the special memories they make along the way last well beyond their last day of travel.”

Carol Haslam, director and founder of Slow Tours based in Adelaide, was living in France taking Australian friends out and about when one suggested she become a tour guide. So she did and now, 12 years later, she works with more than 50 partners across Europe offering 450 slow travel tours.

Enter slow travel – the antidote to FOMO (fear of missing out) and rushing around the planet ticking off places visited like items checked off a shopping list. It’s a movement that has taken off as travellers embrace quality over quantity and adopt a less is more approach to experiencing the world. It’s as much about the journey as the destination, absorbing the rhythms of daily life and getting off the beaten track. It’s about getting to know people and places and feeling a connection with a place so the memories and lessons stay with you. It’s not just about staying longer – you can take a three-day break and still go slow – it’s about being more present while you’re there, taking walks, slowing down and having time for the unscheduled and unexpected.

Annalise Andrews is the Australian trip designer for slow travel pioneers Butterfield and Robinson (B&R), whose company motto is “slow down to see the world”. Andrews has spent a decade with the Canadian-based company as a guide and researcher in 16 countries on four continents. “It was an exceptional introduction to the art of 8 | BNE November/December 2019

BENEFITS OF SLOW TRAVEL

HOW TO ENJOY SLOW TRAVEL Inspired by the Manifesto for Slow Travel, written by Nicky Gardner, these are our top guiding principles to go slow …

1. The key to slow travel is a state of mind and that can start at home.

2. Check out local markets and shops; buy local produce, cook it, savour it.

3. Be part of local café culture.

4. Seek out accommodation in neighbourhoods rather than on the doorstep of tourist hot spots and explore.

5. Take time to get a feel for the languages of the places you visit. At least learn a few phrases and practise as you go.

6. Do what the locals do, not only what the guidebooks say.

7. Savour the unexpected. Delays or missed bus connections create new opportunities.

8. Think what you can give back to the communities you visit.

“Learning about other cultures, languages, cuisines and lifestyles helps us to understand people and to be less focussed on the differences.

Visiting other countries is done with respect for the differences, respect for the local people’s ways of living, rather than making demands to have everything in the same way that it is at home,” Haslam says.

Slow travel can be better for the budget too. Fewer stops along the way can save on transport and accommodation costs and slow travel done well can keep, or earn, tourism dollars for local communities with money going to local guides, restaurants, shops and farms.

We stop and enjoy the view, take a second cup of coffee, chat in the local language, learning as we go, and make friends with the locals

Images: Shutterstock.com; Butterfield and Robinson (top left and centre)

PLACES TO GO SLOW France is the most popular destination at Slow Tours, and for good reason, says Haslam. “Their reputation for wine excellence, gourmet cuisine, the wonderful differences in its regions, coupled with the government’s approach to maintaining buildings and monuments of historical significance, plus the very fortunate geographical assets make this a destination to experience slow travel at its best,” she says. Bike and barge or boat tours throughout France, Italy, Holland, Germany and Austria are most popular at Slow Tours, followed by small group tours in Provence, Tuscany, the Amalfi Coast, Burgundy, Loire Valley and Bordeaux.

“We don’t use chain hotels as a rule but prefer to support local boutique accommodation where the culture is more evident. We select local restaurants, bistros and cafés. We do tastings of local product specialties. We stop and enjoy the view, taking a second cup of coffee if we feel like it. We love the colours, noises and smells of a local market.

We chat in the local language, learning as we go with a bilingual guide, and make friends with the locals,” Haslam says.

B&R’s most popular international tours include Burgundy Biking, Rhine River Cruise Biking and Japan Walking. In Australia, the four-day Maria Island Walk and Bay of Fires Walk, both in Tasmania, have been big hits and tours to remote destinations such as Lord Howe Island, Kangaroo Island and Uluru are also in demand.

The good news is slow travel is a mindset, not a destination, so you can do it almost anywhere.

Going slow is not about travelling at a snail’space. It’s about making meaningful connections – ride a bike instead of taking a taxi, travel with local guides, take time to notice the details, seek out places where the locals go BNE November/December 2019 | 9

BRISBANE INSIDER

Best markets for CHRISTMAS SHOPPING For something more special, Brisbane’s handmade markets are brimming with gift ideas

T

he response to a single Facebook page created to communicate with like-minded ‘makers’ in her own community was all the inspiration Janmaree Lowe needed to see that there was a load of hidden talent just waiting to be given a spotlight. The name of Lowe’s markets says it all – six years ago she launched Love Handmade which became a platform for local makers to showcase their works in Brisbane and the Moreton Bay region. Her first market had 20 stallholders and the Redcliffe Christmas market this year will have more than 80.

For Lowe it has been a labour of love to create a home for the makers to display their works and to establish a growing market for them, while visitors get to connect with the makers and enjoy a creative environment as they shop – either beside the seaside in Redcliffe or at the country village of Samford which has become another regular market location for Love Handmade.

It’s the complete antithesis of what shopping for most people has become – ordering online, packages left on doorsteps, no human connection at all.

Instead Lowe has been adamant about her selection process for stallholders, which takes into consideration the making process, quality, presentation, styling, aesthetics, function, originality of the range, materials used, and the maker’s personal passion for what they do! It’s a winning formula that has seen handmade and artisan markets boom in Brisbane.

It’s a win, too, for artists like jewellery designer Michelle Stemm who have found success showing their work at markets and develop a loyal and growing clientele. Stemm’s interest in jewellery design began as a hobby and then snowballed into a small business when she started showing her Two Plums collections at markets five years ago. She credits that as being critical to her success.

“Not only do they allow greater numbers of people to view and handle my work, but they also provide a valuable connection to a community of like-minded makers. Markets are still an important part of my business for the exposure of my designs to potential clients,” says Stemm who is a regular at the BrisStyle markets.

“I attend carefully selected markets that focus on locally hand-crafted products and now I travel interstate for craft and design markets too.

Markets are invaluable for building relationships and receiving feedback about my work, and I have a loyal following who like to come to markets and shop in person.”

10 Boho Luxe

of Brisbane’s best

Creat ive Markets

1. COLLECTIVE MARKET, EVERY WEEKEND, SOUTH BANK Stallholders include fashion by emerging and local designers, vintage clothing and artworks, as well as handcrafted jewellery and unique homewares. From Friday night 5pm-9pm, Saturday 10am-9pm and Sunday 9am-4pm at Stanley Plaza, South Bank.

See www.collectivemarkets.com.au 2. FINDERS KEEPERS, 8-10 NOVEMBER, BOWEN HILLS Be quick to find the bargains at the summer showcase of more than 200 independent art and design practitioners from the Finders Keepers creative community across Australia. Enjoy the vibe with live music and refresh zones with food and drink stalls, coffee carts and food trucks. Entry is $5 at the door (and valid for the weekend). Friday 8 November 12pm-9pm, Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 November 9am-5pm at The Marquee, Brisbane Showgrounds, Bowen Hills.

See www.thefinderskeepers.com 3. HANDMADE REDCLIFFE CHRISTMAS MARKETS, 16 AND 24 NOVEMBER, MARGATE BEACH AND SANDGATE On Saturday 16 November 2019 8am-1pm, Humpybong Oval, Margate Parade and Mabel Street, Margate Beach; on Sunday 24 November, 8am-1pm Sandgate Town Hall, Cliff and Seymour Streets, Sandgate See www.love-handmade.com.au

Handmade Redcliffe 10 | BNE November/December 2019

4. SIP AND SHOP POP UP, 17 NOVEMBER, FORTITUDE VALLEY City Winery and BrisStyle host a boutique pop up market with a range of jewellery, art, fashion, children’s wear and homewares all handmade in Queensland and wines for tasting from across Australia’s key growing regions, curated by winemaker Dave Cush. Food bites by chef Travis Crane will be cooked over Ironbark, spread along​a fourmetre fire-pit. At City Winery, 11 Wandoo Street, Fortitude Valley.

See www.brisstyle.com.au

5. MEEANJIN MARKETS, 22-23 NOVEMBER, CITY Since Minjerribah artist Delvene Cocktaoo-Collins designed the medals for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games her work has been acquired by local galleries and featured in public displays, but it’s accessible too at the Meeanjin Markets which provides a showcase for authentic Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander products directly from their creators. Cockatoo-Collins makes handmade ceramics, small sculptural works and hand printed homewares using clays and pigments found across Quandamooka from the islands to the mainland around Moreton Bay, giving each piece a unique connection to Country. At Reddacliff Place on Friday 9am-9pm and Saturday 9am-5pm. See www.meeanjinmarkets.com.au 6. FAIR TRADE CHRISTMAS MARKET, 23-24 NOVEMBER, NATHAN A one-stop shop for ethically-sourced handcrafted gifts and decorations. Free entry and parking. On Saturday 23 November, 8am-6pm and Sunday 24 November 8am-3pm at Western Stand, Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre (QSAC), corner Kessels and Mains Roads, Nathan.

7. SOUTHSIDE ART MARKET, 24 NOVEMBER, MORNINGSIDE Only artists who are selling their own original artwork are allowed to participate in this market which is the largest fine art focused market in Brisbane, and offers a range of works including painting, drawing, illustration, fine-art photography, ceramics (hand thrown), textiles, mixed media, printmaking, and giftware – when it is based on original art by the artist. Hosted by Morningside School of Arts, corner Wynnum and Thynne Roads. See www.southsideartmarket.com.au 8. BNE DESIGN TWILIGHT MARKET, 29 NOVEMBER, CITY Museum of Brisbane has curated the collection of bespoke homewares, fashion, ceramics, jewellery, stationery and more for this market from artists and designers at Reddacliff Place, 4-9pm. See www.museumofbrisbane.com.au

Michelle Stemm in her studio and her ‘Cascade Fungi’ recycled silver earrings

9. BOHO LUXE, 6-8 DECEMBER, BOWEN HILLS Flower crown workshops, drumming circles and psychic readings are all part of the boho vibe for this market that also includes a dedicated Boho Bride section. At Old Museum, Bowen Hills, Friday 6 December 5pm-9pm, Saturday 7 December 9am-8pm, Sunday 8 December 9am-3pm, $5 entry. See www.boholuxemarket.com 10. B RISSTYLE HANDMADE MARKET, 30 NOVEMBER AND 7 DECEMBER, CITY Between 80 and 100 local artisans of handcrafted wares will be at each market, alongside food trucks and local musicians performing live. Gift wrapping available from 11am-3pm for $2 per item at the Christmas Market at State Library Queensland, 7 December 10am-4pm. At the Twilight Market on 30 November at King George Square, 4pm-9pm, there’s a craft workshop to make your own Christmas decoration. See www.brisstyle.com.au

BNE November/December 2019 | 11

holiday STYLE

Allow some shopping time to pick up a last-minute gift or treat for your holiday before departing Brisbane Airport

Felix Woven Loafer, $199, Oxford Shop

SHOPPING GUIDE

Baby Booties, $145, R.M.Williams

Signature Bucket Bag, $445, R.M.Williams

Ogilvie Golden Truffle Oil 200ml, $39.95, Australian Produce Store

Chinchilla Boots, $745, R.M.Williams

Too Faced Christmas Star Face and Eye Palette, $67, Mecca Maxima

Big Bold Watch, $135, Swatch

Golden 8 Anti-Ageing Face Serum 30ml, $36, Lotte Duty Free

Ogilvie Truffle Mustard, 120g, $19.95, Australian Produce Store

MOR Hand Cream, $12.95, Australian Produce Store

Harry Potter Hufflepuff pyjama shorts, $49.95, Peter Alexander

Oakley Women’s Sunglasses, $274.95, Sunglass Hut

Vintage Tropic Paddlesuit, $159.99, Lorna Jane 12 | BNE November/December 2019

Plaited Leather Belt, $270, R.M.Williams

Kiara Leather Cross-Body Bag, $119.99, Blue Illusion

Find these stores in the Domestic and International Terminals of Brisbane Airport, see www.bne.com.au

Carolina Herrera Good Girl Glorious Gold EDP 80ml, $165, Lotte Duty Free

Sandal, $119.95, Witchery

Crocodile Leather Wallet, $550, Australian Way

Bracelet, $69.95, Witchery

Silk Scarf, $119.99, Blue Illusion

1L Water Bottle, $35.99, Lorna Jane

Marcus Bree Classic Queenslander Model Kit, $63.59, Australian Way

Whitley Neill Quince Gin, 1L $64.99, Lotte Duty Free

YSL Libre EDP 50ml, $132, Lotte Duty Free

Eden leather bag, $149.99, Blue Illusion

Portia Espadrille, $199, Oxford Shop

NuFace Mini Shimmer All Night Collection, $304, Mecca Maxima

Ogilvie Honey with Gold Flakes 325g, $15.95, Australian Produce Store

Oris Great Barrier Reef Limited Edition watch, $3180, Lotte Duty Free

Ridged Silver Bar Cufflinks, $99, Oxford Shop

Icon Sweat Towel, $45.99, Lorna Jane BNE November/December 2019 | 13

STYLE

one

The power of

Liberate DD-E high-neck one-piece $199.95

B

ikinis might grab all the Insta-attention but there’s nothing that says glamour and effortless elegance by the water more than a perfectly crafted one-piece. Inspired by fashion icons from decades past, the design team at Jets Swimwear has created a new collection that focuses on sophistication and classic styling.

Modern prints, stand-out stripes and bold colours grab attention on the surface but there’s a more subtle art to creating such a sleek silhouette and Jets experts have cleverly aligned panels, prints and seams for optimum support, shape and comfort. Behind the tropical print of Vida, the stripes of Liberate, the fine ribbing of Ambrosia and the cut-out contours of Conspire you’ll find hidden mesh support, moulded cups and underwiring for bust support and boning for shape control. Then for après swim the new maxi dresses or a sheer kaftan take glamour to the next level.

Lustrous bandeau one-piece $179.95

14 | BNE November/December 2019

Parallels D-DD tab plunge one-piece $189.95

Vida one-shoulder kaftan $299.95

Ambrosia bandeau one-piece $189.95

Conspire one-shoulder one-piece $179.95

Conspire maxi dress $359.95

All swimwear by Jets. For more styles and stockists see www.jets.com.au BNE November/December 2019 | 15

ESCAPE

Deconstructing Chicago Explore it one neighbourhood at a time.

By Amber Gibson

T

he Windy City might be famous for its deep-dish pizza, ballparks, beer and blues, but it’s also a city of more than 200 neighbourhoods which display a creative, culinary and cultural diversity that reveals a lot about its character, past and present. To discover it you’ll need to detour from the big brands on Michigan Avenue, beyond the Magnificent Mile, ‘The Bean’ and Millennium Park, and head west of the river. Once you’ve checked the major attractions off your list, map out an adventure using the CTA ‘L’ train lines as a guide and see the city as the locals see it. These are just a few of those neighbourhoods to put at the top of your itinerary.

West Loop From the American Civil War (1861-1865) to the 1920s, Chicago was the meatpacking capital of the United States and nicknamed the “hog butcher for the world” as it processed a staggering 12 million cattle and pigs each year by the turn of the 20th century, more than anywhere else in the world.

While our carnivorous past lives on today, with more than 250 steakhouses dotting the city, that meatpacking district is now the city’s most quickly evolving neighbourhood and Randolph Street has become known as ‘Restaurant Row’ for the proliferation of new openings over the past several years.

Executive chef John Manion is a 20-year veteran of the local restaurant scene and at El Che Steakhouse & Bar, his latest venture with partner and co-owner Daniel Boyd, he puts an Argentinean twist on Chicago’s steak tradition.

Diners can take a front row seat at the chef’s counter for the best views of all the charring and grilling that takes place over a massive open flame and chefs happily answer questions while they cook for an experience as spirited as the dishes that are served.

For an even closer look at the meat you’re eating, chef Rob Levitt has pioneered the nose-to-tail whole animal cooking movement in Chicago for a decade and hosts classes at

Parade in Pilsen

Publican Quality Meats that not only show how to break down a pig or cow but are a great way for foodies to learn about more unusual cuts of meat while enjoying some house-made charcuterie.

But this foodie hot spot is not all about the meat. Vegetarians and vegans are well-catered for with dishes such as crispy togarashi carrots and lobster mushrooms al pastor at aptly named Bad Hunter and the area is well populated with Michelin stars – Oriole, Smyth, Elske, Blackbird and Yūgen (see our ‘Luxe for Less’ tips) among them.

Pilsen South of the West Loop, Pilsen is the heart of Chicago’s Mexican-American community where vibrant public art and colourful murals carry messages of hope, love and beauty throughout the neighbourhood.

Murals have a long history in Mayan and Aztec cultures and anti-Vietnam War murals began appearing in Pilsen in the 1960s as a way of combining art with activism. Today, a new generation of artists including Shelby Rodeffer, Gaia and graffiti artist Ruben Aguirre are making their voices heard.

The National Museum of Mexican Art houses more than 9000 artworks celebrating Mexican culture and history from ancient Mesoamerica to present day. Admission is free and the museum often hosts special events for dance, music, literature and theatre.

The neighbourhood is also a hub for contemporary urban art and emerging community talent, supported by artists such as Teresa Magaña and Pablo Ramirez at their gallery and store, Pilsen Outpost, where exhibitions change monthly.

Every second Friday of the month, the Chicago Arts District presents gallery night with free receptions at artists’ studios and galleries along South Halsted Street, a particularly festive time to meet local artists and art lovers. Galleries open from 6pm and maps are available at the information centre at 1945 S. Halsted Street.

NEED TO KNOW • Qantas flights from BNE will arrive and depart from O’Hare International Airport, about 26km from downtown Chicago.

• The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Blue Line ‘L’ Train runs 24/7 and connects directly between O’Hare and downtown.

• Australian passport holders qualify for the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) and should only need to apply for an electronic stamp for entry for 90 days or less.

• Chicago follows a grid system which is easy to navigate. Eight blocks equals about 1.6km if you’re walking.

• Take a Chicago Greeter tour. See www.choosechicago.com/chicagogreeter • Get around on the L trains; Divvy bike share (there are more than 200 designated bike lanes or paths around the city); Uber and Lyft; or water taxi to major attractions.

• Temperatures range from about 10-21°C in spring, 26-33°C in summer and below zero in winter with snowfalls.

• Sales tax is 10.25 per cent.

• Tipping is required – 20 per cent for standard service; 25 per cent plus for exceptional service.

The Robey BNE November/December 2019 | 17

ESCAPE LUXE FOR LESS Taste Michelin-starred cuisine at bar menu prices.

YUGEN, 652 West Randolph Street, West Loop. The young, women-led team at this new restaurant received their first Michelin star less than a year after opening. Chef Mari Katsumara serves more casual food inspired by her Japanese heritage, like takoyaki and chicken yakitori, at Kaisho, the walk-in only lounge adjacent to the dining room.

SPIAGGIA, 980 North Michigan Avenue, northern end of the Magnificent Mile. Sit at the elegant bar at this classic Italian restaurant (one of the Obamas’ favourite date night spots in Chicago) and you can order anything off the regular menu à la carte, including their legendary gnocchi.

ACADIA, 1639 South Wabash Avenue, South Loop. Chef Ryan McCaskey serves one of the best tasting menus in town at this two Michelin-starred restaurant, inspired by his childhood summers in Maine. Sit at the bar for the best lobster roll in the city, along with upscale, innovative takes on a hot dog and burger (hint: wagyu scraps are included).

This is also the place to taste Chicago’s most authentic Mexican food – huevos rancheros at Lupita’s or tacos on freshly made corn tortillas at 5 Rabanitos or Carnitas Uruapan (which also serves excellent menudo, a spicy beef tripe stew) are just a sample.

After dark, Simone’s bar is a local favourite, full of character with its reclaimed architectural artifacts, a bar-top built from a bowling alley lane, graffiti-scarred high school chemistry table tops and booths built from old pinball machines. Blackened tuna steak is about as fancy as it gets on the menu which is

light on the wine but has a colourful craft beer selection and there’s something going on almost every night, from games and salsa dancing to local DJs and a playlist that mixes it up from Motown to rockabilly and rap.

Indie bands are top of the playlist too at Thalia Hall, an historic landmark building which also houses Punch House in the basement, focussed entirely on cocktails designed to be shared (although you can get them by the glass as well as in a carafe or bowl)!

From top: Spiaggia serves up elegant Italian, à la carte and at the bar. From left: yakitori is on the menu at the more casual Kaisho adjacent to the Yugen dining room; chefs in the kitchen at two Michelin star Smyth in West Loop and one of their creations 18 | BNE November/December 2019

West Town A kind of nebulous neighbourhood between the United Centre and hipster hotspot Wicker Park, West Town is often overlooked but its down-to-earth, blue-collar vibe is quintessential Chicago. Waves of immigrants from all over the world have shaped the neighbourhood into the creative enclave it is today, where you can find an Old-World pierogi (Polish dumplings) joint, a nature-inspired brewery, and a contemporary Japanese omakase spot all on the same street.

Chicago is home to more than 160 breweries – more than any other American city – and great craft breweries are scattered throughout the city, but the new Chicago Brewing District which overlaps with West Town has one of the best concentrations. Refuel here after a visit to the Ukrainian National Museum and the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art, a legacy of the area’s Eastern European heritage.

Forbidden Root is Chicago’s first brewery dedicated to botanical beers, flavoured with herbs, leaves, flowers and bark. Since it opened in 2016 it has been named one of the best brewpubs in the country and has a reputation for serving a level of food with its beer that’s more on the level mostly seen with wine pairings. My favourite is the sparkling rosé ale, a cross between wine and beer, but their strawberry basil hefeweizen is a bestseller. New, experimental, pub-only beers are served each week, so there’s always an element of surprise which adds to the fun of a visit here.

The shopping in West Town is creative too. Dovetail has one of the best curated collections of vintage and hand-made men’s and womenswear in Chicago, while Paperish Mess, run by husband and wife team Lisa (visual artist/jewellery maker/curator) and Sean Murty (musician/designer/woodworker) features hundreds of makers and artists, from woodworkers and jewellery makers to visual artists, in a shop and gallery with rotating

shows. They also have pop-up workshops so you could make your own unique crafty souvenir of the city. Or channel your creative side at a glass blowing class at Ignite Glass Studios and make your own water tumbler, vase or paperweight to take home. The adjacent gallery of glass art is full of inspiration.

Logan Square Further afield and a bit more residential, the leafy boulevards of Logan Square are home to one of Chicago’s most diverse neighbourhoods, built on a mix of Latino, African-American and Eastern European cultures. Now The 606 runs through it, an abandoned rail line transformed into a greenway and trail for cyclists, walkers and joggers. It’s even longer than The High Line in New York and hosts public art exhibits and community events throughout the year.

The year-round Logan Square Farmers Market (outdoors May-October) is a great way to meet locals every Sunday while enjoying Midwest produce, cheese, charcuterie and pastries.

Bohemian bistro Lula Cafe can be credited with pioneering Logan Square’s ambitious indie culinary scene when it opened 20 years ago and today the neighbourhood is a global feast, from flavoured house-brewed chai tea paired with Kathmandu chicken dumplings and Nepalese at Chiya Chai, to-die-for tagliatelle and agnolotti filled with seasonal produce from the family’s

Channel your creative side and make your own souvenir of the city with Lisa and Sean Murty, left, at Paperish Mess and at Ignite Glass, below

Illinois farm at Joe Frillman’s Daisies, modern Mexican at Dos Urban Cantina and rustic Alpine-inspired fare at Table, Donkey and Stick too.

Save room for dessert from the inventive and nostalgic novelty treats at Pretty Cool Ice Cream or hand-rolled chocolate truffles at Katherine Anne Confections.

Qantas will launch a new direct service four times weekly between Brisbane and Chicago from April 2020. Tickets on sale now at www.qantas.com.au

WHERE TO STAY 1. THE PUBLISHING HOUSE B&B, 108 N. May Street, West Loop The former Free Methodist Publishing House was built in 1909 and has been reimagined with just 11 unique ensuited rooms and expansive shared living and dining areas. Randolph Street’s restaurants and bars are just a block away and it’s not far from downtown Chicago and the United Centre. See www.publishinghousebnb.com 2. THE HOXTON, 200 N. Green Street, West Loop Located in the Fulton Market District, one of Chicago’s most creative, food-obsessed and artistic neighbourhoods, brimming with galleries, boutiques, and some of the city’s best bars and eateries, (including the nearby ‘Restaurant Row’). The new ‘Working from –’ co-workspace facilities open from November, with prices from $30 for a day pass, or travelling business guests are welcome to perch in the lobby for free, on comfy seats with free WiFi, plenty of device pit stops and food and drink on tap.

There’s also a wellness studio and a rooftop pool for guests.

3. THE ROBEY, 2018 W. North Avenue, Wicker Park An 89-room boutique hotel occupying two distinctly different landmark buildings in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighbourhood – a limestone Art Deco structure known colloquially as the Coyote Building and an adjoining old fireproof warehouse. Café Robey and the Up Room rooftop cocktail lounge are the cool spots to hang out. See www.designhotels.com/hotels/usa/chicago/the-robey

1

2

3

BNE November/December 2019 | 19

ESCAPE

WILD COAST ADVENTURE Stay at a LIGHTHOUSE

See Australia’s coastline as hardy lighthouse keepers once did in these now restored cottages, many surrounded by wild national park, some quite remote, but all of them an adventurous way to discover our marine history, varied wildlife and rugged landscape. Take the time to drive there and you’ll find an assortment of local treasures, from great wineries and white sandy beaches to welcoming small towns along the way 1. Cape Otway Lighthouse, Great Ocean Road, Victoria The oldest surviving lighthouse on mainland Australia where guests can join history talks, bush tucker talks, view other historic landmarks on site, and walk to the top of the 21-metre high lighthouse for stunning views from the southernmost point of the Great Ocean Road scenic region.

A guide is also at the lighthouse daily to share the local history. Accommodation options range from a cosy studio for two to the Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage that can sleep up to 16, and there’s a café on site. See www.lightstation.com

Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage, Cape Otway

20 | BNE November/December 2019

Images: Visit Victoria

2. Cape Nelson Lighthouse, South West Coast, Victoria You won’t have to sacrifice mod cons to stay here, even if it is at least four hours drive south west of Melbourne.

Accommodation is available in four cottages including the head Lighthouse Keeper’s two-bedroom cottage which sleeps up to four. Each cottage is fully self-contained with kitchen and laundry facilities, bath and shower, wide screen TV, stereo and DVD player. There’s also a one-bedroom studio.

Tours of the lighthouse precinct are offered twice daily and Isabella’s Gallery and Café now occupies the former stables.

See www.capenelsonlighthouse.com.au

Left to right: Cape Nelson Lighthouse

3. Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse, South East Coast, Victoria This is one for keen hikers as it is only accessible by walking in on the 19km Telegraph Track (or even longer on the coastal route via the stunning Waterloo Bay). Dormitory-style accommodation is available for up to 27 people in three of the Lighthouse Keepers’ Cottages and a two-night maximum stay applies. All bed linen (sleeping bags recommended), towels and food must be carried in and all rubbish carried out. Tours are available at the lightstation by prior request. See www.parkweb.vic.gov.au Jetstar, Qantas, Tigerair and Virgin Australia fly direct between Brisbane and Melbourne.

Rent a car to drive about 366km to Cape Nelson, 230km to Cape Otway or 224km to Wilsons Promontory.

4. Norah Head Lighthouse, Central Coast, NSW There are two Lighthouse Keepers’ quarters on the grounds, each with three bedrooms that can sleep up to nine guests, modern interiors with timber floors, kitchen, laundry and ocean views from every room. Guided tours of the lighthouse can be booked – it’s only 96 stairs to the top – for 360-degree views from the tower balcony. Walk to patrolled beaches and rock pools or drive 10 minutes to The Entrance, where pelican feeding is a daily spectacle on the waterfront every afternoon from 3.30pm. See www.norahheadlighthouse.com.au

5. Sugarloaf Point Lighthouse, Seal Rocks, NSW The jagged Seal Rocks coastline has been the site of many shipwrecks, about 20 even after the lighthouse was built in 1875, including the SS Catterthun in 1895 when 30 lives were lost. For visitors to the headland at the northern end of the Myall Lakes National Park it’s a dramatic view.

Accommodation is available in three cottages: the Head Lightkeeper’s Cottage sleeps eight in country style with warm timber and heritage touches, and there’s an observatory to take in the views. Two smaller Assistant Keeper’s Cottages have two bedrooms each. One to the north is more secluded, a glass breezeway in the other takes in the ocean views.

Linen and towels are supplied but guests do need to bring their own food.

In spring wildflowers bloom on the heathlands and in summer dolphins play in the waves, while winter is peak whale watching season from this outlook. Bring the binoculars. There are walks, cycle tracks, surfing and fishing nearby.

Seal Rocks has a general store but it’s best to load up on supplies before you arrive. Grab a coffee from Single Fin Coffee then explore beautiful beaches such as Elizabeth, Treachery or Lighthouse Beach. Find out more at www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/sugarloaf-point-lighthouse Jetstar, QantasLink and Virgin Australia fly direct between Brisbane and Newcastle.

Rent a car to drive about 56km to Norah Head Lighthouse or 137km to Seal Rocks.

BNE November/December 2019 | 21

ESCAPE Montague Island Lighthouse and cottage

8. Green Cape Lightstation, South Coast, NSW

Montague Island images: Destination NSW

The southernmost lighthouse in NSW is about 45km from the town of Eden and accessed some way by unsealed road.

There’s no WiFi and mobile reception is patchy so turn your attention to spotting native wildlife, including bandicoots, kangaroos and wombats.

The truly intrepid might pack their hiking boots and even overnight camping gear (including tent) to tackle part or all of the multi-day Light to Light Walk from Green Cape north to Boyds Tower in Ben Boyd National Park.

Three heritage cottages at Green Cape operate on solar power and accommodate up to five or six guests each. See www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au Qantas and Virgin Australia fly direct between Brisbane and Canberra.

6. Cape Byron Lighthouse, Byron Bay, NSW Perched on Australia’s most easterly point, the walking tracks to the lighthouse are a well-trodden attraction with a café and Maritime Museum on site. Watch spectacular sunrises from the doorstep, walk down the coastal track to Wategos Beach, grab a coffee from the cart outside Raes or drive into town for city standard shopping and dining.

See www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au Byron Bay is approximately 166km south of Brisbane on the M1.

7. Lighthouse on Montague Island, South Coast, NSW This one takes a bit of effort to get to as it’s a 20-minute boat ride off the coastal town of Narooma on the south coast of NSW, but once there it’s a real adventure.

Accommodation is available in two cottages, offering three or five bedrooms, and both providing commanding views of the ocean and remote landscape.

A welcome tour with a National Parks guide is included on arrival but additional tours are also available with local operators for fishing, snorkelling or diving with seals in the pristine waters surrounding the island.

New Zealand and Australian fur seals are at their peak on the island during spring and from October huge numbers of shearwaters begin to arrive and nest on the island through the summer. Find out more at www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/montagueisland-lighthouse 22 | BNE November/December 2019

Rent a car to drive 220km to Narooma (for a boat transfer to Montague Island) or 300km to Green Cape.

9. Troubridge Island Lighthouse, Yorke Peninsula, South Australia Situated on a sand island in the Troubridge Conservation Park, about 6km off the coast of Edithburgh, this is also a haven for birds, including fairy penguins.

Accommodation for between two and 12 people is available in the three (large)-bedroom heritage Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage but guests need to bring their own linen and food. Spend the day fishing and swimming from white sandy beaches or book a fishing charter with Troubridge Island Escape managers Mark and Lois Petersons. Access is only by boat with a permit. See www.parks.sa.gov.au and to book call Troubridge Island Escape on (08) 8889 2002.

Jetstar, Qantas, Tigerair and Virgin Australia fly direct between Brisbane and Adelaide.

Rent a car to drive about 232 km to Edithburgh (for a boat transfer to Troubridge Island)

10. Cape Willoughby Lighthouse, Kangaroo Island, South Australia

12. Bathurst Point Lighthouse, Rottnest Island, Western Australia

On the rugged north east point of the island, overlooking the treacherous Backstairs Passage, Cape Willoughby is less than 30km from Penneshaw, the landing point for visitors from the mainland. The lighthouse was the first to be built in South Australia, opened in 1852, and was initially operated by three light keepers who lived there with their families, but it was one of the last in Australia to be automated in 1992.

Today, accommodation is available in two spacious Lighthouse Keepers’ Cottages, each with five bedrooms which can accommodate up to nine people. While linen and towels are supplied guests need to bring their own food, or rent a vehicle on the island to explore the local wineries and eateries. Stay for five nights in the heritage accommodation and a complimentary Kangaroo Island Tour Pass is included. See www.parks.sa.gov.au/kiaccommodation

With 13 shipwrecks offshore, this is a diver’s paradise. The original Lighthouse Keepers’ cottages at Bathurst Point provide accommodation for between four and six people each with unobstructed ocean views from the verandas. Linen is supplied, each cottage has a TV and gas barbecue but guests supply their own food or dine out at local eateries and bars.

The island is steeped in history, surrounded by beautiful beaches and a limestone coral reef, with a host of activities to choose from. See www.rottnestisland.com Tigerair, Qantas and Virgin Australia fly direct between Brisbane and Perth where air taxi or ferry connections are available to Rottnest Island.

There is also a passenger and vehicle ferry connection between Cape Jervis, about 90 minutes south of Adelaide, and Kangaroo Island or cars can be rented on the island.

11. Low Head Lighthouse and Pilot Station, North Coast, Tasmania Low Head is one of the oldest pilot and signal stations in Australia, operating continuously since 1833. Situated on the north coast of Tasmania, Low Head is about 40 minutes from Launceston. There’s a Maritime Museum and café on site, and the Coastal Reserve is home to a fairy penguin colony which can be seen on tours that run daily.

Accommodation is available in the restored Light Keeper’s Cottage that sleeps nine, just 200 metres from the lighthouse, as well as in eight more self-contained cottages dating back to 1847, that sleep between two to nine people. See www.lowheadpilotstation.com Jetstar flies direct between Brisbane and Launceston daily.

Rent a car to drive 54km along the Tamar Valley, visiting wineries on the way.

From top left: Cape Willoughby Lighthouse, Kangaroo Island; shipwreck on Pondalowie Bay, Yorke Peninsula; the Maritme Museum at Low Head Lighthouse, Tasmania

Images: Left, Tourism Tasmania; above, SA Tourism Commission and Shutterstock.com

Jetstar, Qantas, Tigerair and Virgin Australia fly direct between Brisbane and Adelaide for connections to Kangaroo Island with QantasLink and Rex.

BNE November/December 2019 | 23

ESCAPE

Blend your own in

BUNDABERG

A

ustralians have had a taste for rum since the earliest days of European settlement.

Once Sydney town’s major currency, soldiers were the merchants and hence their more colourful nickname – the Rum Corps. It was also at the centre of Australia’s only military coup d’état – The Rum Rebellion saw the Queen’s representative, Governor William Bligh, overthrown in 1808. Some might say rum runs deep in our national history.

The well 24 | BNE November/December 2019

Fast forward to 1872, hardy pioneering stock (descendants of the rum soldiers and convicts) moved further north to grow sugar. Where there’s sugar, there’s molasses and when you have molasses you can make rum. In 1889, the first batch of Bundaberg Rum rolled off the production lines and the rest, as they say, is history.

Today, a visit to the Queensland home of Australia’s most well-known rum is a popular pilgrimage for tourists from around the world – three of its blends have won prestigious ‘World’s Best’ awards, including the Bundaberg Rum Solera which was judged World’s Best Dark Rum in 2017 (and is available at Lotte Duty Free at Brisbane Airport International Terminal). A multi-million dollar upgrade to its visitor facilities a few years ago added a museum and a ‘Blend Your Own Rum’ experience to the already popular distillery tour.

The guided distillery tour is all about deep, rich, mahogany rum colours and sweet, toffee and molasses scents. Molasses is pumped underground from the sugar refinery and we look into a vast well of it as we ‘walk through’ the complex rum production process and its rigorous quality controls.

In the museum we walk between an impressive 75,000 oak vats, where hundreds of thousands of litres of ‘Bundy’ once sat over the years, and admire the world’s largest collection

of rum bottles. But it’s the ‘Blend Your Own Rum’ experience that brings us closer to the craft.

Bundaberg Rum Blendatorium is part science lab, part old world distillery (think Frankenstein without the horror and lots of delicious, oaky tastes and sweet scents). Each ‘blender’ has five glasses with premium rums aged in small oak barrels that were previously home to Bourbon, Sherry, Port and Scotch. Each is subtly different, from the sweet vanilla hints of the Bourbon to smoky, dark peaty Scotch barrels. The Heavy Charred American Oak Barrel aged rum is woody with caramel tones.

It feels a little ‘mad scientist’ with all the pipettes, carafes, beakers and graduated cylinders and using the 10 blending ‘commandments’ as the guide we mix and match flavour profiles until we ultimately craft our own bespoke blend from barrel to the bottle.

My blend is 2.5 parts Bourbon for sweetness and a hint of vanilla, two parts Sherry for the dried fruit, one part Port for a little fruit cake with one part of peaty Scotch for the unmistakable touch of smoke.

The experience is not only for die-hard Bundy fans. It is a hands-on way to understand the craft of rum making with the bonus of two personalised bottles of your own blend to take home.

Find out more at www.bundabergrum.com.au

Text published under license from welltravelled.media

Liz Bond visits the rum capital of Australia and leaves with a taste she won’t forget

While you’re in Bundaberg…

Take a hike Local bushwalking guide Moira Thompson has some tips for walks not far from town, from the hour-long walk to the top of Mount Walsh, which includes a bit of scrambling to get to the peak but the view from the top is worth it, to the track through rainforest to a 600-metre peak in Woowoonga National Park that is popular for Kokoda Track training.

But for more than panoramic views travel a bit further for a glimpse at the remnants of ancient landscape. Just over 100km away, at Coalstoun Lakes National Park, there’s a short 200-metre walk to the top of the crater of an extinct volcano, and venture on to Cania Gorge National Park where towering sandstone cliffs and ancient caves are the striking result of centuries of weathering and erosion.

The park also protects a valuable remnant of Aboriginal freehand art and varied habitats for wildlife. There are at least eight graded walking tracks, from an easy 300 metres to the all-day 22km trek for experienced hikers, to view a landscape that continues to be sculpted slowly by the effects of wind and water.

Swim with turtles Once you have seen the hatchlings at Mon Repos, you’ll want to swim with the grown-ups in the crystal clear waters of the Southern Great Barrier Reef and it’s as easy as a boat trip to Lady Musgrave Island where turtles play year-round.

See www.ladymusgraveexperience.com.au

Above: Cania Gorge. Below, from left: Suzie Clarke’s food tours visit local producers; Josh Phillips and Zoe Young at Ohana Cider House; explore the city on a walking tour

Cider House rules Drop in for a cool refresher at Ohana Cider House and Tropical Winery, where 20-somethings Josh Phillips and Zoe Young are producing award-winners such as Cheeky Tiki Dry and Tiki Sweet ciders (among others), Lychee and Pineapple wines, and the very exotic Jabotica liqueur. Tastings Tuesday to Sunday. See www.ohanawinery.com.au

Taste test The rich, red volcanic soil of the Bundaberg region is not only the foundation for growing some of the finest sugar cane in the world, a key ingredient for making some of the best rum in the world, it also supports a farming community growing all sorts of produce from micro herbs to exotic fruits, veg and macadamia nuts, as well as cider orchards and vineyards. Suzie Clarke’s food tours take visitors behind the scenes to meet farmers, fishermen, bakers, brewers and more with some delicious tasting along the way. See www.bundyfoodtours.com.au

Di Wills is Bundy-born but was inspired by her own travels to unlock some of the local stories to share with visitors; all she had to do was find them. After much talking over tea with long-time locals like herself, Wills and a team of welcoming guides have plenty to entertain on a two-hour (or 4000 steps if you’re counting) walking tour of the town centre, from the river to the laneways, alcoves and arcades of the CBD. The stories are a mix of fact and folklore, history and heroics, from black plague to rogue cows, and the eccentric charm of Queenie who was as famous around town back in the day as her aviation pioneer brother Bert Hinkler (there’s a museum in his honour in the Botanic Gardens). Check times with the Bundaberg Visitor Information Centre.

Find out more at www.bundabergregion.org

GETTING THERE QantasLink and Virgin Australia fly between Brisbane and Bundaberg daily

Images this page: Bundaberg Region and Tourism and Events Queensland

Story time

BNE November/December 2019 | 25

ESCAPE

Glamping village by the sea Anyone nostalgic for a cosy camping holiday by the beach who doesn’t want the hassle of the setup, and can’t leave the comfort of a bed behind, can snuggle in at The Hideaway, an outdoor glamping ‘resort’ at Cabarita Beach, just south of the border nestled between the natural bush surrounds of Cudgen Nature Reserve and the sea on the Tweed Coast.

There’s a hip village vibe with communal facilities including a kitchen in repurposed shipping containers, lounge-like chill zones and fire-pit circles, while accommodation is in bell tents that sleep two to four people, complete with Koala beds, lighting, floor rugs, tripod fans, soft furnishings and plush bath towels. Deluxe tents have a fridge and heater. See www.hideawaycabaritabeach.com.au

New

GREAT SOUTHERN

rail adventure

The Ghan and Indian Pacific are two of Australia’s great rail journeys that have been crossing the country one way or another for more than 50 years (The Ghan for 90) but now Journey Beyond Rail Expeditions is adding a new itinerary to its portfolio.

The inaugural Great Southern Expedition between Brisbane and Adelaide will operate only 16 departures in December 2019 and January 2020 with off-rail excursions that include beachside dining in northern NSW, wine tasting in the Hunter Valley and a road trip (or upgrade to a scenic flight) to the Twelve Apostles on the Great Ocean Road in Victoria on the four-day journey to Adelaide. Fares from $1649 per person including excursions, food and beverages. See www.journeybeyondrail.com.au/ journeys/great-southern/

FISHING FOR THE BIG ONE

Jetstar, Qantas, Tigerair and Virgin Australia fly between Brisbane and Adelaide daily for the return journey.

‘Tis the season to catch a big fish – or at least one with a big prize attached. Australia’s richest fishing competition is on again until 31 March 2020 in the waterways of the Top End so keen anglers can try their hand at nabbing a Million Dollar Fish. The Territory’s Top End is already a fisherman’s paradise, known for harbouring the biggest population of barramundi in Australia and more than 120 have been tagged for cash prizes from $5000 to the $1 million dollar jackpot. The good catch – more fish have been tagged with the top prize to better the odds (but only the first caught will win the big prize, and the rest will revert to a $10,000 prize if caught). In total, more than $2 million worth of prizes are up for grabs. The prize barramundi have been released in waters at Katherine, Kakadu, Arnhem Land, Darwin and the Tiwi Islands so anglers can spread out to try their luck. Entry is free but pre-registration is required. For details see www.milliondollarfish.com.au Jetstar, Qantas, Tigerair and Virgin Australia fly between Brisbane and Darwin daily.

MID-CENTURY MODERN REVIVAL

ON THE GOLD COAST

Left: La Costa Motel. Below: Blue Heron Motel room and reception; The Pink Hotel and king room; Ventura Beach Motel

T

he Gold Coast has been a beach playground for Queenslanders and their southern state neighbours since the 1950s when a burgeoning tourism trade gave the coastline strip its name. By the 1960s weatherboard beach shacks were lining the shoreline and La Costa Motel at Bilinga (www.lacostamotel.com.au), on the southern end of the Gold Coast, was there in its prime.

Current owners Diane and John Cartmill have been able to trace the motel’s origins with the help of piles of Australian Women’s Weekly magazines they found behind the walls during a major renovation several years ago. “The magazines were used for insulation in those days and we found copies dating back to 1957,” says Diane.

Hardwood floors were uncovered beneath cracked linoleum, the exterior colour of the motel and the original neon light box for the sign have been retained, even the lettering on the sign is the same. Other features have been added such as white picket fences outside street-front units and vintage-style bicycles are available for guests to explore the neighbourhood.

However, there are some things a modern traveller can’t live without, and rooms have been remodelled with facilities such as ensuites, air-conditioning (and ceiling fans), flatscreen televisions, coffee machines, microwaves, mini bar fridges and complimentary WiFi. Coolangatta’s Pink Hotel (www.thepinkhotelcoolangatta.com) embraces a Rockstar lifestyle with plush velvet couches in rooms, neon signs that light up the bathroom walls, musical wall art, vinyl record players in six suites and, in one room, a baby grand piano.

There’s also a 1970s recording studio control room re-tuned for private functions.

It’s not just about looks though. On the ground level the legendary Eddie’s Dive Bar

supports live music with weekly jam sessions, karaoke and local musicians every weekend.

Eddie’s Grub House, home of award-winning burgers, provides room service to the hotel.

Closer to Pacific Fair Shopping Centre at Broadbeach is the Ventura Beach Motel (www.facebook.com/venturabeach.motel), a sea blue and pink pastel brick motel that has all the icons of the last century, including a kidney-shaped swimming pool with banana lounges and rooms with cane bedheads and sisal mats. It’s walking distance to Bam Bam Bakehouse, Le Café Gourmand and Little Mermaid for breakfast and lunch and the Mermaid Beach Surf Club is around the corner for a casual dinner.

The Blue Heron Motel (www.blueheronmotel.com.au) rooms are crisp and bright, offset with sunny accents, pale wood, deep sea blue throws and modern minimalist furnishings, the result of a complete makeover by new owners Karl and Andrea Baumuhlner who loved the Gold Coast so much on their own (frequent) holidays they decided to buy the motel last year to operate as a family-business. Newly named and renovated, it is a short walk to Mermaid Beach, vegetarian café The Milkman’s Daughter and an easy bike pedal away (be quick to borrow one of the guest bikes or BYO) to the buzzy eateries of Nobby Beach or Piccolo Espresso at Miami Beach Surf Lifesaving Club. For after dark fun with street food and music (Friday and Saturday are the best nights), you are minutes away from Miami Marketta.

BNE November/December 2019 | 27

ESCAPE

n a v r e p m a aC

All I want for Christmas is...

D

emand for caravanning holidays is reaching record numbers in Australia as families and friends seek nostalgic holiday experiences, inspired by the fun and adventure they enjoyed while growing up.

According to a Caravan Industry Association report 70 per cent of Australians had visited a caravan holiday park or camp ground in their lifetime and more than seven million had stayed at a caravan holiday park or camp ground in the last two years. Latest figures released by Tourism Research Australia show that it’s a more popular way to holiday than ever – accounting for a record high 13 million trips and 55 million nights last year.

Most states have recorded double digit growth in overnight caravan and camping trips, including Queensland, a boost that is being fuelled increasingly by the 20-29-year-old age group and, for the first time, the young/ mid-life/no kids demographic has overtaken families as the largest group choosing to hit the road on caravan and camping trips.

28 | BNE November/December 2019

The boho #VanLife Instagram movement (more than 5.8 million photos) may also be influencing a new golden era for caravanning but innovative RV sharing platform Camplify can take credit for making the dream of a holiday on the road more accessible to a wider community.

Justin Hales launched Camplify four years ago inspired by his own love of family caravan holidays in his childhood but, as an adult, buying a caravan to continue his touring adventures just wasn’t an option for him. So, he set out to develop a way to link holidaymakers with owners of caravans, camper trailers, motorhomes and campervans.

Hales launched his start-up with the help of the NRMA Slingshot Jumpstart Accelerator Program and Camplify is now the largest caravan and motorhome sharing community in Australia and the UK, with new operations in New Zealand and Spain.

For the owners of more than 500,000 registered RVs across Australia, which are

being used, on average, for only six weeks each year, it’s an opportunity to earn $3000-$9000 over the busy holiday season by sharing their vehicles with others. Camplify currently has about 4000 van owners on the site and, according to Hales, they can boost their income by $10,000-$30,000 a year.

Lauren and Greg, parents-of-two from Sippy Downs on the Sunshine Coast, are witnessing the trend of families and friends embracing the caravanning lifestyle. The ‘vanpreneurs’ joined Camplify last year when they realised that they weren’t using their family caravan as much as they’d like to, so they decided to explore the opportunity of hiring it out. Fast forward just over 12 months and the couple now has a fleet of eight caravans and campers which has generated more than $85,000 in rental income.

“Since setting up our caravan hiring company, Outback2Sea we’ve met many families and have loved being able to help others enjoy the freedom and joys of caravanning for the first time. We received our

CIVIC PRIDE IN DESIGN

Image: Darren Bradley

Design Canberra takes over Callam Offices by John Andrews the nation’s capital from 4 to 24 November with more than 200 events, exhibitions, talks, tours, markets, open homes and artists’ studios to showcase the city’s design cred. This year, in recognition of the 100th anniversary of the iconic Bauhaus design movement which reflected the utopian ideas of its time, the festival celebrates Canberra’s own Bauhaus connections and shines the spotlight on architects including John Andrews, internationally recognised for his bold, “aggressively utopian” designs with a guided bus tour (16 November), photography competition, public talks, and a signature exhibition.

More highlights of the program include Medusa, a temporary domed architecture installation by Berlin-based design team Plastique Fantastique following their successful appearance at Venice Biennale; the Undercurrent Design Market at the National Portrait Gallery (22-24 November); the Pop Inn pop-up wine bar at different locations around the city (www.thepopinn.com); public art walking tours from Civic Square and more. For the full program see www.designcanberrafestival.com.au

Opposite page: One Lazy Sunday from Byron Bay, NSW; Above: Berti from Tamborine Mountain. Below, from left: Sunny the Caravan from Barwon Heads, Victoria; Emerald inside and out from Samford Valley; Vanderlust from Coolangatta. Find them at Camplify

very first booking within two days of listing our family caravan with Camplify, and since then it’s been non-stop.

“Over the summer holidays alone, we’ve already received $12,000 in bookings. Many of these bookings are from first-time caravanners seeking a new way to spend Christmas with their family. We’re already taking bookings for Easter 2020! The flexibility of the business is brilliant and allows me to still stay at home and spend time with our seven and nine-year-old.”

If towing a caravan is still daunting for the inexperienced, some owners, including Lauren and Greg, will also deliver and set up their van at a site within a certain distance from their base, which can range from about 50km to 300km, charged at a special service fee on top of the nightly rate. Others, such as the stylishly retro ‘Emerald’, a 1964 Crusader Caravan parked in the Samford Valley, less than 40 minutes from Brisbane’s CBD, can be hired to stay on-site.

Find out more at www.camplify.com.au

Qantas and Virgin Australia fly between Brisbane and Canberra several times daily.

A DIFFERENT TASTE OF AUSTRIA

A holiday in the snow doesn’t have to be all about the skiing and one of the best ways to combine fun on the slopes with a culinary adventure is to join in Ski amadé in Austria. The program is an initiative to show visitors that the ski paradise has more to enjoy, particularly local food and wine, on themed routes including ‘4 mountains – 4 treats’, ‘The Sweet Temptation’ or ‘In the Track of Locals’, which can be mastered by every skier in one day. You can also visit the highest farmers market in the Alps with stands at 2700 metres up on Dachstein glacier and at the Panoramic dome in Sportgastein, open for a week in March 2020, or join a cable car dinner in Großarltal. The program covers 25 resorts in the regions of Salzburger Sportwelt, SchladmingDachstein, Gastein, Hochkönig and Großarltal. For more information see www.skiamade.com/en/winter/activities/taste Emirates flies between Brisbane and Vienna via Dubai.

BNE November/December 2019 | 29

TASTE

LESSONS FROM THE

FA R M A Michelin-starred chef shares his passion for sustainability and his mother’s cooking at his new school in the country, writes Kerry Heaney It’s been 25 years since Bruno Loubet (pictured right) sat down at the wide and well-used family dining table to enjoy his mother’s cooking.

Yet with one sip of her Prawn à l’Armoricaine (prawn bisque), made to precisely the same recipe, he is transported back to that noisy dining scene surrounded by his six siblings in Bordeaux in south-west France. The soup recipe is perfect in the eyes of this Michelin-starred chef who, after 40 years heading up celebrated kitchens in France, London and Australia, now calls Queensland home.

When Loubet and his wife Catherine fell in love with a colonial-style house set on 3.4 hectares in the backblocks of the Gold Coast hinterland 18 months ago their plan to open the Willow Vale Cooking School suddenly became a reality. The school is the sort of place where you may rub shoulders around the table with acclaimed French chef Raymond Blanc, Melbourne foodies or Loubet’s Willow Vale neighbours. They are all keen to see how Loubet’s garden grows and share his culinary secrets.

With a maximum of six students at a time, everyone can also taste the experience which finishes with a sumptuous three-course lunch.

Baking, cooking and farming are the ingredients for My Mother’s Special Recipes, a workshop Loubet runs based around the food cooked with much care by his mother to delight guests on special occasions.

Inspired by the sustainable way of life he experienced while growing up Loubet follows the principles learned from his mother, embracing the seasons, making the most of his surroundings (foraging, planting and so on), and avoiding waste as much as possible.

The invitation to the workshop comes with a clear instruction to wear walking shoes as the first job is to inspect the vegetable garden and meet the Loubets’ menagerie, which includes a couple of sheep, a rescue Shetland pony and his frisky miniature horse girlfriend, a flock of ducks, some very impressive roosters and their hens and two much-loved horses.

The extensive biodynamic vegetable garden, filled with a wide variety of disease-resistant heritage-breed plants, provides a constant source of fresh produce for the family and cooking school, and it underpins the Loubets’ philosophy of eating a plant-based diet supplemented by high quality, ethically-sourced protein.

Back at the top of the hill and gathered around the central kitchen bench in the cooking school, Loubet explains the cooking processes for the day’s menu step by step, injecting plenty of humour along the way – at one point chopping vegetables one-handed while standing on one leg to demonstrate his cooking speed!

Loubet deftly makes a short crust pastry for the tart while delicious aromas mount as ingredients sauté and simmer for Prawn à l’Armoricaine (prawns cooked in a bisque sauce with small diced vegetables then infused with bay leaf and cognac).

I learned how to trim and wood roast a duck breast to serve with green peppercorns accompanied by a turnip and prune

dauphinoise. Tenderly treated, the turnips, braised celery and cabbage revealed surprising flavour depths.

The lunch highlight for me was the brown butter and almond pear tart with a low sugar salted caramel ice cream. The soft, buttery pastry and browned pears made a light and satisfying but not overly filling dessert.

What made this two-and-a-half-hour workshop extra special were the professional tips gathered from years in commercial kitchens that Loubet shared along the way.

I left with a goodie bag filled with Willow Vale Cooking School honey and recipes but also with the confidence that the moment I don my stylish flax coloured linen apron, I will be able to make these recipes for my own family feast.

My Mother’s Special Recipes is just one of a dozen different workshops on the Willow Vale Cooking School calendar, which also includes Festive Entertaining (16 November and 7 December) and Festive Entertaining Vegetarian (8 December). See www.willowvalecookingschool.com Loubet’s local produce also supports the menu at the build-your-own-salad bar ‘Seeds by Bruno Loubet’ at Brisbane Airport’s Domestic Terminal, Level 2, northern end, near the Qantas Lounge.

Settle in for

SUNDAY SESSION Za Za Ta was already creating a buzz in the Valley with its modern Middle Eastern and Mediterranean menu dished up in a vibrant take on a Queenslander home – different rooms, each with their own personality, inspired by the charm of Victorian-era conservatories and 1940s cocktail bars. Israeli-born executive chef Roy Ner, and head chef, Dario Manca (below) are having fun adding their own modern and global twist to centuries old recipes in dishes designed to be shared – their feasts are the best way to taste a sample. But Sunday brunches turn it up a notch with a grazing-style menu that includes house-made Israeli breads and dips, wood-fired shakshuka, a slow-cooked meat carving station and signature dishes served with a boisterous side of live entertainment every week from midday.

Find it at Ovolo Hotel, 1000 Ann Street Fortitude Valley.

See www.ovolohotels.com.au/ovolothevalley

Yu m C h a with a touch of

class

Brisbane Phoenix is all dark wood, red accents and moody lantern lighting, and its Yum Cha menu is not served on trolleys, so it’s certainly a more refined way to eat this kind of banquet but its dumplings, handmade by the house team of specialists, are melt-in-the-mouth delicious. And there’s a lot to choose from among the shumai, xiao long bao, pork buns, rice noodle rolls, chicken feet, mango pancakes and egg custard tarts also on the menu.

Seafood is their signature and lobster, crab, coral trout, barramundi and abalone can be picked straight from the tank and cooked to order, or other signature dishes include Fragrant Pipa Duck, pan fried Wagyu beef in roast sesame sauce and whole Peking Duck. Christmas Banquet Menus can be ordered for groups of six people or more.

Find it at Level 2, Brisbane Quarter, 300 George Street, city.

See www.brisbanephoenix.com.au

New hot spot

sizzles

Chef Alan Wise loves cooking with fire and nothing is hidden from diners at Beaux Rumble, his new hot spot in the James Street precinct. All the flavours, flames and sizzle of preparation will be on show as guests walk through the restaurant.

“None of the kitchen is concealed; we want diners to see it before they get to their table, to see the honesty of it,” says Wise, who is one of only a handful of Australian chefs to be awarded Michelin status and brings it to the kitchen of Beaux Rumble after working with some of the best in New York City.

There’s a focus on seafood and plant-based dishes delivered from the huge custom grill and wood-fire oven – dishes change daily – and the venue boasts a terrace with a NYC rooftop vibe for everything from breakfast to cocktails, while the design of the interior dining rooms is a nod to the iconic Beaux-Arts architecture of New York’s Grand Central Station.

Find it at AM5, Ada Lane, 46 James Street, Fortitude Valley.

See www.beauxrumble.com.au

JOIN THE

chef’s table

Eugene Lee (right) is a rebel in the kitchen, breaking old rules to create what he calls ‘gangster cuisine’ – a talent with food that has made him a celebrity chef in Malaysia and sought out by brands such as Estee Lauder, MAC Cosmetics and Ferrari to make avant-garde fare for standout product launches, including edible lipsticks and other out-of-the-box experiences. “When it comes to taste, sometimes we need a chaotic mix of random ideas to create surprising solutions,” he says. And a surprise is in store for guests at Lee’s Chef’s Table at Indriya, a unique experience for only 10-12 guests at time (if you don’t have a group, smaller numbers can opt to join a communal table on certain dates). It’s intimate and interactive at the same time as Lee presents his dishes to the table over nine courses.

From $99 per person plus wine or tea pairings.

Find it at 19 Little Edward Street, Spring Hill.

See www.restaurantindriya.com.au BNE November/December 2019 | 31

WHAT’S ON Natalie Bassingthwaighte makes a dazzling return to the musical theatre stage

T

he opportunity to play Roxie Hart, one of the accused murderesses in the latest Australian production of Chicago, is a dream role more than 20 years in the making for Natalie Bassingthwaighte.

While the star may be best known for her chart-topping songs as the lead singer for Rogue Traders and, more recently, for her roles as an actor and presenter on TV, musical theatre is where it all began for Bassingthwaighte. One of the first roles she auditioned for and won at the age of 22 was June, a featured member in the ensemble cast and understudy for Roxie, in one of the early revivals of Chicago but it was short-lived. She broke a rib in rehearsal putting paid to her performance after just one show. So her return in the new production is a dream come true, but it is also bittersweet as it holds another poignant memory for Bassingthwaighte. It was that one early performance in Chicago that finally convinced agent Mark Byrne to take her on as a client (“I had been ringing him over and over and he kept saying no, and then he saw me as June in Chicago and said yes,” she says) and he remained her close friend and mentor for 16 years until his sudden death five years ago. Her performance now is a dedication to him.

“I won’t lie, it’s definitely harder on the body, doing it 20 years later.

To try to push myself, to see if I can push myself to dance 20 years later and maintain that level of performance day in day out is challenging, but it has also been very rewarding,” she told BNE ahead of the show’s Brisbane opening night.

To be show-ready Bassingthwaighte added personal training and extra dance sessions to the yoga, pilates and meditation that were already part of her health regimen even before the rigorous rehearsal period began with Broadway associate director Tânia Nardini and choreographer Gary Chryst.

The Australian production’s Sydney run earned four-star (and plus) reviews and Bassingthwaighte, in particular, has been called “a knockout, vamping from wide-eyed kitten to starry-eyed killer in a credible leap”.

The production is based on the Tony, Olivier and Grammy Awardwinning version still playing on Broadway, which is the longest running American musical in the history of Broadway and London’s West End (only behind ultimate record-holder The Phantom of the Opera).

CLANCESTRY

Chicago, at Lyric Theatre, QPAC, South Brisbane from 2 November.

Tickets from $59.90 plus fees at www.qpac.com.au

A series of special events celebrates the diversity and identity of our First Nations Peoples over three weeks of live performance, public art and community gatherings from 18 November to 7 December.

For details on all events see www.qpac.com.au

32 | BNE November/December 2019

Women’s eye view

Stories in song

Actor and playwright Sandy Greenwood’s one-woman show Matriarch honours the strength and resilience of four Gumbaynggirr women, spanning 100 years of Australian history. Through drama, dance and music, the hit show from last year’s Melbourne Fringe Festival explores cultural identity, the effects of intergenerational trauma and what it means to be a ‘fair skin Blak woman’. Cremorne Theatre, 27-30 November. Tickets $30 plus fees.

Songwriter of the Year at the Australian Women in Music Awards, Filipino Wiradjuri musician Mojo Juju reveals the true stories behind her latest album Native Tongue, a blend of soul, RnB, blues and hip hop.

Through the telling of her family history and her own personal experiences she reveals how ancestry shapes her identity.

Guest appearances by Joshua Tavares and Mirrah. At Playhouse, 19 November.

Tickets $45 plus fees.

Spiegelclub

OPENS ON THE GOLD COAST

Tony Rigas, co-owner of the Gold Coast’s new Spiegelclub wants guests to feel like they have stepped into a night at Gatsby’s when they enter the Pink Flamingo at Broadbeach. Based on the intimate spiegeltents made popular in Europe for cabaret performances, and custom-designed with a nod to more luxurious Art Deco-style trimmings, the Pink Flamingo dazzles with plush booths, table service, three bars and a stage show with all the glitz and glamour of Vegas. In fact, some of the stars in the Pink Flamingo’s first show Suavé have joined the cast straight from Las Vegas and the Moulin Rouge.

With uber-suave playboy host Hugh G. Lefnut as your guide the show kicks, spins, twirls and flies by all too quickly with some daring aerials, clever cirque, sultry singing and a changing array of sparkly and saucy costumes. Tickets from $68 per person. Open Wednesday to Saturday at 88 Surf Parade, corner of Victoria Avenue, Broadbeach. For details see www.pinkflamingogoldcoast.com

GETTING PERSONAL with Archie Roach Music legend and campaigner for the right of Indigenous Australians, Roach is often in the spotlight for his many award wins and nominations but few would be aware of his own personal struggles from stolen child and teenage alcoholic to the role model he has become. In conversation with Suzy Wilson, owner of Riverbend Books, Roach will speak candidly about his life, revealed in his new memoir, Tell Me Why The Story of My Life and My Music (Simon and Schuster, out now).

Forcibly removed from his family and raised by a series of foster parents until his early teens, Roach lays bare his heartbreak, and survival, and the healing power of music. At Brisbane Powerhouse, 26 November. Tickets $40 plus fees.

See www.brisbanepowerhouse.org

Crowd funds INDIE PLAY Before Refraction Theatre’s Australian premiere season of The Revisionist, a play written

by Academy Award-nominated actor Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network), could go ahead producers first wanted to raise funds to help pay for their production and so listed tickets on Pozible.com. The strategy worked and the revenue raised is being used to subsidise the costs of staging the independent play at Metro Arts in the city.

In this local production Michael Mandalios takes the role of David, who arrives with a crippling case of writer’s block to stay with his 75-yearold second cousin Maria (Kate Wilson). Maria welcomes him with a fervent need to connect but faces a whining and obnoxious young guest who acts like he’d rather be alone. Maria has a compelling story to tell but can the two see beyond themselves to meaningfully connect?

See it at Metro Arts, 109 Edward Street, city 7-14 November. Tickets from $35.

See www.refractiontheatre.com

First look at new work

Lively gatherings

See the signs

Seedlings is a year-round incubator program that has provided 16 practising artists with a creative and cultural space to explore and develop new ideas, and challenge forms of expression. Emerging playwriting artists will enter a two-week creative development process with a director and team of actors, followed by staged readings and conversations open to the public. Free event, Studio 1, 29 November.

Yawar is a gathering that brings together traditional and contemporary artists from across Brisbane and South East Queensland in an exchange of song, dance, music and storytelling. Free event, Playhouse Green, 30 November. Free ‘Biggest Mob’ nights will take place every Monday of Clancestry (18 and 25 November, 2 December) with themed evenings incorporating games, storytelling, music and singing. On Melbourne Street Green.

Over the course of a week Quandamooka artist Libby Harward (also known as street artist Mz Murricod) will create site-specific temporary installations and hold workshops at various locations across QPAC for ‘Already Occupied’.

Using hi-vis and everyday traffic signage, Harward combines language and her sense of humour to spark conversations about Country and her connection to it. Free event, 25-30 November.

BNE November/December 2019 | 33

WHAT’S ON

Two worlds unite

JUST ADD

in dance double bill Helpmann Award-winning dancer Richard Cilli (below) is a special guest performer with Expressions Dance Company (EDC) in Matrix, its latest collaboration with Chinese dance company BeijingDance/LDTX (LDTX).

Cilli joined 20 dancers from the two companies to work together on new works from award-winning Australian choreographer, Stephanie Lake, and celebrated Chinese choreographer, MA Bo – a double bill that highlights quite different styles from each choreographer and showcases the versatility of the dancers. Lake says her work, Auto Cannibal, is an ode to re-using, re-purposing and re-invigorating while MA Bo was inspired by a documentary on bird migration, her own physical transition from dancer to choreographer, and seeing her parents growing older to create Encircling Voyage, a poignant reflection on ageing. Matrix is on at Playhouse, QPAC, South Brisbane, 13-16 November. Tickets from $55 plus fees. See www.qpac.com.au

Water

W

ith more than 65 per cent of Queensland declared to be in drought and conditions in the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia’s most extensive river system, reported to be officially the worst on record, water is a topic in the spotlight and it is the focus of a new exhibition opening soon at GOMA. According to the exhibition’s curator Geraldine Kirrihi Barlow, ‘Water’ is a prompt to get everyone thinking about issues such as global warming and climate change.

The exhibition includes Riverbed, a vast and rugged landscape created with more than 110 tonnes of rock by Olafur Eliasson; Vestibulia 2019, a vibrant coral-like installation by Vera Möller; and William Forsythe’s interactive installation The Fact of Matter (above), a cloud of suspended gymnastic rings which challenges visitors to navigate their way through the space while considering new ways to move and work together to meet the challenges of climate change.

The star attraction is Snowman a new work by contemporary artists Peter Fischli and David Weiss and a new acquisition by the gallery, showing for the first time in the Southern Hemisphere. Snowman is encased in his own freezer cabinet as if he were an endangered species and visitors are alerted to watch his expression shift over time as his smile and eyes will be re-traced by hand every few days, says Barlow.

Water opens on 7 December and will be accompanied by a program of exhibition tours, artist talks and special events. Tickets from $18 (single adult, non-member). See www.qagoma.com.au

Festival for the future

Woodford Folk Festival is one of a kind – for a start it has a program for this year’s week-long activities that is 145 pages long and where else can you find an event where you can be listening to Kasey Chambers or Kate Miller-Heidke one minute then science guru Dr Karl Kruszelnicki the next. All up there are 1600 shows across 25 stages and the biggest challenge is just how much can you fit in over six days that close out one year and welcome in the next.

The theme this year is Imagining a Beautiful Future and while the program aims to counteract some of the negative rhetoric surrounding the future of the world just now organiser Bill Hauritz is wary of overselling optimism as cliché. “We don’t want to inspire false hope but together, if we can imagine a brighter, more promising future, we’ll make one,” he says. “Woodford Folk Festival aims to create a platform where artists, speakers, comedians and scholars can profess their views in the ancient troubadour traditions. It’s through these artists, their spirit, their words and their passion that we can, together, discover our beautiful future.”

And so Woodford plays host this year to a long list of modern day troubadours, from the serious (Leigh Sales, Kerry O’Brien, Peter Greste) to the weirdly wonderful (can Amanda Palmer’s Weep Fest be truly therapeutic?), so people of all ages can jump in.

There’s a menu of tickets to choose from, with or without pre-pitched tent accommodation on site, which now also includes the increasingly popular glamping-style bell tents. At Woodfordia, 80km north of Brisbane, from 27 December to 1 January. Find your vibe, and tickets, at www.woodfordfolkfestival.com

Amanda Palmer

Electric lineup

He’s been called “the most successful solo artist in the history of Australian rock and pop”, he is the only Australian artist to have a number-one record in five consecutive decades and it’s not likely there is going to be a ‘Last Time’ on stage for John Farnham any time soon because his fans love him too much. Even if you’re not a fan, who can’t recall ‘You’re the Voice’, ‘Pressure Down’, ‘A Touch of Paradise’, ‘Age of Reason’, ‘Two Strong Hearts’, ‘Burn for You’ and ‘That’s Freedom’ in your head as soon as you hear his name. At age 70 the stage appearances may not be so frequent now so it’s a rare chance to sing along with John at One Electric Day where James Reyne, Jon Stevens, Vanessa Amorosi, The Black Sorrows, and Southern Sons (specially reformed for the event), will rock Brisbane Riverstage at City Botanic Gardens on 16 November.

Tickets from $119.90 plus fees. See www.ticketmaster.com.au

BONO AND THE BOYS

are back

Australia missed out when U2 did a 30-year anniversary tour to celebrate the Joshua Tree album in 2017, a tour that would be the most successful in the world that year, but all is forgiven now that Bono and his band are finally bringing the show to Brisbane. The playlist includes the complete album along with a selection from the catalogue and the staging includes a specially commissioned series of haunting and evocative films

by Dutch photographer, film-maker and long-time collaborator Anton Corbijn – whose iconic photography accompanied the original recording – shown on a high resolution 61-metre-wide cinema screen.

“It’s only taken me 30 years to learn how to sing these songs and it’s great to be able to say that I’ve finally caught up with the band,” quipped a jovial Bono when he announced the tour would be coming to Australia. He also admitted it’s an emotional journey for the band as they realise how relevant some of the dark songs still are …

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds is back as support band.

U2 performs on The Joshua Tree Tour at Suncorp Stadium on 12 November. Tickets from $198.20 plus fees.

See premier.ticketek.com.au

WHEN WHAT

WHERE

NOVEMBER 1

Clare Bowditch Speaking Frankly, Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm in conversation with Myf Warhurst

2

Fiesta Latina, free event

Roma Street Parkland, city

3

Mandolins in Brisbane, free event

Old Government House, city

8-10

Supanova Comic Con

Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Brisbane

8-16

Bespoke, Queensland Ballet

Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm

9

The Splendours of Shandong Gala

Brisbane City Hall, King George Square, city

9

Steve Irwin Gala Dinner, conservation fundraiser

Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Brisbane

16

Icehouse, Channel Nine Telethon Concert

Fortitude Music Hall, Fortitude Valley

17

Waltzing Down the River, with Bayside Brass, free event

Mowbray Park, East Brisbane

21

Asia Pacific Screen Awards

Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Brisbane

21

Women’s Work, Brisbane City From King George Square, Adelaide Council outdoor exhibition walking Street, city tour with curators, free event

23

The Idea of North, Brisbane Birralee Voices

Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm

23

Hometown Festival

Brisbane Showgrounds, Bowen Hills

From 23 Monty Python’s Spamalot, the musical

Brisbane Arts Theatre, Petrie Terrace

24

Blues to Bop and Beyond, free event

Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Mt Coot-tha

26

Busters duelling pianos, free event

Brisbane City Hall, King George Square, city

29

Festival X

Brisbane Showgrounds, Bowen Hills

29

Twilight Jazz by the River, free event

Queensland Maritime Museum Park, South Brisbane

29

A Christmas Carol, shake & stir theatre co.

Playhouse, QPAC, South Brisbane

30

Christmas in the Square, free event King George Square, city

30

Cinematic, blockbuster movie music, Concert Hall, QPAC, South Brisbane Queensland Symphony Orchestra

Until 30 Indigenous Australian Art, guided tour, free

Queensland Art Gallery, South Bank

DECEMBER 2-4

Dylan Moran, comedian

3

Santa’s Senior Superheroes, concert Ipswich Civic Centre, Ipswich

Concert Hall, QPAC, South Brisbane

4-15

A Very Naughty Christmas

Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm

5-8

Latin Dance Festival

Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Brisbane

6

Bohemian Rhapsody Live, concert Concert Hall, QPAC, South Brisbane

6

The In-Between: Papermakers and Artists Queensland, floor talk

Redland Art Gallery, Cleveland

7

Valley Fiesta summer program

Brunswick Mall, Fortitude Valley

7

Lord Mayor’s Christmas Carols

Riverstage, City Botanic Gardens

8

Good Things Festival

Brisbane Showgrounds, Bowen Hills

12

Love Actually, in concert

Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Brisbane

13-21

The Nutcracker, Queensland Ballet Lyric Theatre, QPAC, South Brisbane

20

The Australian Bee Gees Show

20-21

Spirit of Christmas concert

Concert Hall, QPAC, South Brisbane

20-21

Carols by Twilight

River Quay Green, South Bank

20-23

Christmas Fireworks

View from various locations South Bank

Until 21

Churchie National Emerging Art Prize Institute of Modern Art, Fortitude Valley

Playhouse, QPAC, South Brisbane

21

Paul Kelly, Making Gravy concert

28

Symphony of Angels, with The Angels Concert Hall, QPAC, South Brisbane

Riverstage, City Botanic Gardens

BNE November/December 2019 | 35

BOOKS

Melissa Ashley

The Bee & the Orange Tree

B

risbane author Melissa Ashley (pictured left) was doing some research a few years ago for a new contemporary novel inspired by one of the Grimm’s Brothers fairy tales when she discovered that in France, between the years 1690 and 1725, there was a golden age of fairy tale writing, and women were often the authors. From there Ashley made the leap to make Baroness Marie Catherine d’Aulnoy, who first coined the phrase ‘fairy tale’ for her stories, as the heroine of her second novel.

The real Baroness d’Aulnoy appears to have had a tumultuous history and, adopting the title of one of her fairy tales for her new book, The Bee and The Orange Tree (Affirm Press), Ashley takes readers behind the aristocratic salon doors of the period to unravel the intrigue of an assassination plot but, more importantly, to tell the story of strong, independent women who try to bring about change in their lives under a strict patriarchal regime, in spite of being treated as minors until they were 25 and commonly passed off to arranged marriages by age 15 to men several decades older than themselves.

“I love Marie Catherine’s fiestiness. I love that she was a strong feminist writer and that she wrote brilliantly, funnily, wittily and extremely inventively – she invented a literary genre! – about women’s lives, but in a way that was quite tricky and subversive. She planted seeds of rebellion in her fairy tales – and she also wrote novels, travel books, sentimental pamphlets and histories – that invited her readers to imagine a different future for themselves,” says the author of her lead character.

Ashley spent three months in Paris to research her subject further, a time she describes as magical. “It was crucial for me to spend that long there – letting the city and all its fabulous baroque palaces, hotels and churches sink under my skin.

I could live and breathe it every day, there is so much living history cherished and open to explore and enjoy.

“I absolutely loved the Museum of Decorative Arts (part of the Louvre) which allowed me to step back in time, walking inside stunning rooms and interiors decked out in the furnishings of France in 1700. I discovered the most wonderful nick-nacks that completely enchanted me, beautifully crafted everyday items that, in a way, made writing about these characters more fun and a little easier,” Ashley says.

10 TOP READS THE TESTAMENTS by Margaret Atwood (Chatto & Windus) is a sequel every bit as riveting as The Handmaid’s Tale that came before it and takes place about 15 years after the events of the first book when the first generation of women born into the totalitarian regime have come of age.

THE WIFE AND THE WIDOW

by Christian White (Affirm Press) is a thrilling mystery told from the perspectives of both the widow of the victim and the wife of the man accused of his murder.

AKIN by Emma Donoghue (Picador), the best-selling author of Room, is a less terrifying and more tender pairing of adult and child this time around, more like an ‘odd couple’ generations apart who build a familial bond from scratch on a trip to France.

GHOST BIRD by Lisa Fuller (UQP) is young adult fiction, also about two people in the same family who seem like polar opposites but when one twin goes missing the other will not rest until she finds her sister.

NOTHING VENTURED by Jeffrey Archer (Macmillan) is the start of a brand new series and not so much a detective story as a story about the making of a detective, William Warwick, as he begins his career.

36 | BNE November/December 2019

QUICHOTTE by Salman Rushdie (Jonathan Cape) is an homage to the Cervantes classic, a playful inversion of Don Quixote set in contemporary America where fact and fiction become almost indiscernibly intertwined.

MAYBE THE HORSE WILL TALK by Elliot Perlman (Vintage Australia), author of Seven Types of Ambiguity, uses a little humour to ease the fear and loathing bred by a toxic corporate culture but don’t laugh too loudly, the scenario could be playing out in a workplace near you.

BUCKLEY’S CHANCE by Gary Linnell (Michael Joseph) is the true story of escaped convict William Buckley who lived with Aborigines for more than 30 years in the 1800s and inspired, ironically, the slang phrase still used today.

THE INSTITUTE by Stephen King (Hachette Australia) pits kids with special talents against their adult jailers in this classic King hit.

BRUNY by Heather Rose (Allen & Unwin) has been called her most ambitious novel to date, a political thriller that opens with a bomb attack on a bridge between Tasmania and Bruny Island and goes behind the scenes of an election campaign.

s@bne inal Level 2; expres ls, Domestic Term ve Tra ws Ne d an ro at news@bne, Ae 2,3,4.

Find more books rnational Terminal Levels 1; and News Travels at Inte el Lev al min Ter ic est at Dom

DAY IN THE LIFE Sam Rowe departing for Sydney

Jemma Corcoran on her way to Townsville Melissa Au-Yeung departing for New York

Jack B-Jones on his way to Melbourne

Serena Lee arriving from a holiday in Europe

Every year almost 24 MILLION travellers pass through BRISBANE AIRPORT terminals on their way to 85 CITIES accessible direct from BNE, and that is expected to grow when the NEW RUNWAY opens in 2020

Honeymooners Kayley Read and Steven Green in transit to Bowen from the Maldives and Bali

Rian and Isaac Warbrick, from New Zealand, in transit to the Gold Coast

Photography by Marc Grimwade

Janet Litchfield departing for Melbourne

Emily Jones arriving from New Zealand to travel to the Gold Coast

Bally and Saheb Singh waiting to meet Nana arriving from Punjab, India

BNE NEED TO KNOW

Enviro-friendly BUSES

A new fleet of electric buses transports passengers between Brisbane Airport terminals and Skygate retail precinct or the long-stay AIRPARK. The buses are quieter and better for the environment, reducing carbon emissions equivalent to taking 100 cars off the road each year. Interiors, too, have been designed with travellers in mind, with plenty of luggage racks, three fullsized double doors for easy entry and exit and GPS next-stop announcements.

Brisbane Airport is the first Australian airport to introduce a fleet of 11 electric buses for passengers and services operating between the Domestic and International Terminals from 4am to 11pm daily; between the terminals and Skygate from 6.30am (weekdays, and from 8.30am weekends) to 6pm; and 24/7 between terminals and AIRPARK. Terminal Transfer Bus services are free. For timetables see www.bne.com.au/passenger/to-and-from/terminal-transfers

TRANSPORT OPTIONS AT BRISBANE AIRPORT PASSENGER PICK-UP ZONES

TERMINAL TRANSFERS Passengers transferring between the terminals can travel via the free Transfer Bus which departs at regular intervals from Level 2 International Terminal and Level 1 Domestic Terminal. See www.bne.com.au 38 | BNE November/December 2019

BNE PARKING Convenient, secure and undercover short and long-term parking is available within walking distance to both terminals. For more information about special offers and full product offering including valet, car washing, AIRPARK and more see www.bne.com.au

RIDE SHARE PICK-UP ZONES Look for the signs indicating Pre-Booked Express and Ride Booking (Ride Share) zones outside each terminal.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT TransLink is the local bus, ferry and train public transport network stretching north to Gympie, south to Coolangatta and west to Helidon. For information and timetables see www.translink.com.au or call 13 12 30.

TRANSPORT BOOKINGS Image: Uber

Domestic Terminal: A dedicated pick-up waiting area provides free parking for the first 30 minutes for drivers arriving to collect passengers from Domestic Terminal, located beside the P2 long term car park and accessed from Dryandra Road. Passengers can contact the driver when they are ready for collection and the driver can proceed to the pick-up location. For easy how to use instructions see www.bne.com.au International Terminal: The dedicated passenger pick-up area for international arrivals is located at ground level at the northern end of the International Terminal. It is accessible only to drivers collecting passengers who are ready and waiting at the kerb.

Alternatively, waiting areas with longer parking options can be found at the pick-up waiting area accessible from Dryandra Road (up to 30 minutes), Skygate shopping and dining precinct or Kingsford Smith Memorial (both up to two hours), all just minutes from International Terminal.

Drivers collecting passengers with a disability or mobility limitation from International Terminal can stop in accessible waiting bays on the Level 4 ‘Departures’ Road.

Domestic Terminal: On the central road between the taxi pick-up and passenger drop-off on either side of the Skywalk.

International Terminal: Outside the terminal at the southern end on ground level.

A Brisbane Airport access fee of $3.90 applies to all pick-ups from the Ride Booking zones, which will be added to your booking by your ride sharing service. For location maps see www.bne.com.au/to-from-brisbane-airport/ transport-options

Coach, rail, limousine and corporate car bookings can be made at the Visitor Information Centre, Level 2 International Terminal or Level 1 Domestic Terminal.

TAXIS AND AIRTRAIN Taxi ranks International Terminal Level 2, kerbside Domestic Terminal Level 1, kerbside Airtrain provides regular rail links between Brisbane Airport, Brisbane city, Gold Coast and TransLink network as well as terminal transfers. Tickets available in the terminal or at the station.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRES For information about accommodation, tours, transfer tickets and general enquiries, Visitor Information Centres are located on Level 2 International Terminal and Level 1 Domestic Terminal Central Area.

LOCAL AMENITIES

CURRENCY EXCHANGE Travelex currency exchange and transfer facilities are on Levels 2, 3 and 4 International Terminal and Level 2 Domestic Terminal near Gate 23.

Skygate is Brisbane Airport’s retail and dining precinct, a short free ride on the Transfer Bus from the terminals. There are more than 160 stores, including brand-name factory outlets, a 24/7 supermarket, hairdresser, gym, restaurants, chemist, medical clinic, hotel, beauty services, barber, tavern and golf leisure centre.

BAGGAGE LOCKERS

AIRPORT ambassadors Welcoming volunteers are available to answer questions and offer directions to visitors within Brisbane Airport’s Domestic and International Terminals. Look for ambassadors wearing bright blue shirts if you need assistance and our team of Chinese-speaking ambassadors wear red shirts.

TAX REFUND SCHEME (TRS) The TRS enables international travellers to claim a refund, subject to certain conditions, of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and Wine Equalisation Tax (WET) that you pay on goods bought in Australia. For details see passenger information at www.bne.com.au If your purchase is part of your carry-on luggage: The TRS office is located past security and passport control, just to the right of the Lotte Duty Free entrance.

If your purchase is packed in luggage you intend to check: Before you check-in your luggage make your way to the Australian Border Force Client Services Office, located on Level 1 International Terminal. For further information call 1300 363 263 or see www.customs.gov.au

TOUR BRISBANE AIRPORT Do you have a question about the new runway?

Would you like to go ‘behind-the-scenes’ of airport operations? Brisbane Airport hosts free tours for community groups. Find out more at www.bne.com.au/tours

ROTARY CLUB OF BRISBANE AIRPORT The club is a vibrant group of professionals with a shared passion to support the local community who meet weekly and new members are always welcome.

For details see www.bneairportrotary.com

Find small, medium and large lockers for short and long-term hire at the terminal entrance to the public car park at International Terminal, at either end of Domestic Terminal, or next to the bus stop at Skygate.

DISABILITY ACCESS Airlines are responsible for assisting passengers with disabilities within terminals.

Passengers should refer to their airline’s policies prior to booking their ticket.

Dedicated Changing Places bathroom facilities for the use of travellers with special needs are located on the central ground floor area of Domestic Terminal (near Qantas baggage carousel 3) and on Level 4, International Terminal, near Flight Centre.

Facilities for assistance dogs are available at International Terminal Level 3 Departures and Domestic Terminal Level 2 Central Area.

POLICE For assistance at Brisbane Airport telephone 13 12 37.

LOST PROPERTY International Terminal Visitor Information Centre, Level 2; call (07) 3406 3190 or email international@sqt.com.au

Domestic Terminal Enquiries first to airlines –

Qantas (gates 1-25) call +61 7 3867 3264 Virgin Australia (gates 38-50) call +61 7 3114 8150 Jetstar (gates 26-36) call + 61 7 3336 1752 Tigerair email ttbne.ops@aerocare.com.au before contacting Visitor Information Centre, Level 1; call (07) 3068 6698 or email domestic@sqt.com.au

Car parks and buses

Contact Visitor Information Centre as above.

WiFi access

Brisbane Airport has the fastest uncapped free WiFi in Australia available at International and Domestic Terminals.

BNE IT ALL BEGINS HERE

Seoul

CHINA

South Korea

Tokyo (Narita) Japan

Shanghai (Pudong)

Guangzhou

China

China

Shenzhen China

Dubai

United Arab Emirates

Hong Kong

Abu Dhabi

Bangkok

United Arab Emirates

Taipei Taiwan

China

Manila

Thailand

Philippines

Kuala Lumpur

Bandar Seri Begawan

Malaysia

Singapore

Brunei

Nauru Nauru

Singapore

Port Moresby

Munda Honiara

Papua New Guinea

Denpasar

Solomon Islands

Indonesia

5 8

Espiritu Sa Vanuatu

Port Vila Vanuatu

Noumea

BRISBANE

New Caledonia

Auckland

New Zealand

Wellington

New Zealand

Christchurch

New Zealand

Queenstown New Zealand

Dunedin

New Zealand

Destinations DIRECT FROM BRISBANE

AirAsia

Air Canada

Aircalin

40 | BNE November/December 2019

Air Niugini

Air New Zealand

Alliance Airlines

Air Vanuatu

China Airlines

Cathay Pacific

China Southern Airlines China Eastern Airlines

Etihad

Emirates

Fiji Airlines

Eva Air

Fly Corporate

Australia’s largest domestic network

CANADA

Domestic destinations

Vancouver

Canada

San Francisco* USA

Chicago* USA

Los Angeles USA

Honolulu

USA

USA

Darwin

Apia

Cairns

Samoa

Cloncurry

anto

Mt Isa

Port Hedland

Longreach

Nadi Fiji

Uluru

Perth

Moranbah Barcaldine

Blackall

Alice Springs

Townsville

Emerald

Whitsunday Coast (Proserpine) Hamilton Island Mackay Rockhampton Gladstone

Biloela Bundaberg Windorah Charleville Fraser Coast (Hervey Bay) Birdsville Roma Miles Quilpie BRISBANE St George Toowoomba Thargomindah Cunnamulla Norfolk Island Moree Inverell Narrabri Coffs Harbour Tamworth Armidale Dubbo Port Macquarie

Adelaide

Newcastle Orange Sydney Lord Howe Island Wollongong Canberra Melbourne

Launceston Hobart

* Coming in February (San Francisco) and April (Chicago) 2020. Map not to scale. Airlines and destinations current at time of print.

Hainan Airlines

Jetstar

Hawaiian Airlines

Malaysia Airlines Korean Air

Nauru Airlines Malindo Air

Qantas/ QantasLink Philippine Airlines

Royal Brunei Airlines Rex

Singapore Airlines Samoa Airways

Thai Airways Solomon Airlines

Virgin Australia Tigerair

BNE November/December 2019 | 41

ESCAPE EXTRA

Safari

MAKING A DIFFERENCE Koalas are disappearing from South East Queensland but this tour shows what’s being done to try to save them

I

t’s almost like a scene from Thor – we’ve left the main road and are driving along a deserted track in a big 4WD, huge antenna and iPad in the back, eyes peeled for a ‘sighting’ – only we’re not in the desert, we’re in the bush about 82km south west of Brisbane, I’m not Natalie Portman (that’s Carmen in the driver’s seat), I’m more Kat Dennings, her sidekick in the passenger seat, and we’re not looking for Chris Hemsworth.

However, we do have an antenna and iPad that looks very like the sort of contraption Portman raced around with in Thor, we’re looking for Tom, Skroo, Karen, Mara or Miriam, and I am the assistant tracker – well, one of them, there are two others as well on this special safari.

We’re soon ploughing through the undergrowth as Carmen gets a signal, all eyes upward (no we’re still not looking for Thor), as we search for the koalas we’ve come to check on. Tom, Skroo, Karen, Mara and Miriam are part of the ‘family’ of koalas currently living on the property of Spicers Hidden Vale – otherwise a luxury country escape for urbanites come to escape the city – and they are under surveillance by a team of wildlife researchers led by Dr Andrew Tribe with the aim to counter the rapid decline of koalas in South East Queensland and develop a thriving, sustainable population in the area.

“We’ve always known that koalas live on Hidden Vale but we haven’t known where or how many or how healthy they are. We want to find out what’s the size of our population, what’s its health status, what are their movements and what are their current threats so that we can then work out how to increase the number of koalas here,” says Tribe, a former University of Queensland academic and senior vet at Melbourne Zoo. Koalas are under serious threat in South East Queensland, mainly from land clearing and development, vehicles and dog attacks. While figures indicate that the population in the region has dropped more than 50 per cent over roughly 15-20 years (and more than 80 per cent closer to the coast and urbanisation) at Hidden Vale there is a relatively healthy population of 26 koalas on the property that spans 5000 hectares.

But, even at this idyllic country retreat the koalas still face threats from predators and disease.

I’m not coming down

One thing that is interesting on this safari is that several koalas appear to congregate in what has become known as ‘the hotspot’ and between us, and the antenna, we spot all of the mentioned residents within minutes.

The adult koalas are fitted with GPS collars and VHF anklets and Carmen inputs their information – along with details about the tree they are in, type, height, diameter and so on, plus cloud cover, temperature and wind, and whatever else to help understand more about their habitat.

Back at base camp – the Hidden Vale Wildlife Centre behind Spicers Retreat – state-of-the-art technology shows us where each of the koalas is and the researchers can keep an eye on their health so that early signs of disease can be attended to, and the alert is raised if koalas unexpectedly go missing.

“We have got a valuable and unusual population here at Hidden Vale.

Nearly all are healthy with a low level of disease, which is unusual for South East Queensland where 60-70 per cent can have active chlamydia.

Most of the koalas here are young adults and currently breeding well so we’d like this to be a koala haven, gradually dispersing more healthy young koalas to the surrounding areas,” says Tribe.

But that’s not all they are monitoring at the Wildlife Centre. Rare and threatened species, including birds, reptiles and other wildlife, such as the brush tailed rock wallaby and spotted tail quoll, are also being studied.

By Heather McWhinnie

Dr Andrew Tribe in the field

NEED TO KNOW • Hidden Vale Koala Safaris are on Tuesday and Friday from 2.30pm and last about two hours.

• Cost is $75 per person.

• Bookings are essential.

• Get there early to have lunch at the retreat’s muchlauded Homage restaurant.

• Spicers Hidden Vale and the Wildlife Centre are about one hour’s drive from Brisbane.

Find out more at www.spicersretreats.com (search experiences) 42 | BNE November/December 2019

BRISBANE REGION MAP

We respectfully acknowledge the Turrbal people, the Traditional Owners of the land on which Brisbane Airport stands, and pay respect to their Elders past, present and emerging. *The general locations of larger Indigenous language groups of South East Queensland on this map are indicative only, based on the AIATSIS Map of Indigenous Australia published by Aboriginal Studies Press.

Map illustration by Eun-Young Lim. Map is not to scale or exact and an indication only.

BNE November/December 2019 | 43

SPOILT FOR CHOICE AT B R I S B A N E A I R P O R T

w w w. b n e a h g . c o m . a u