BNE Magazine Issue 16

FR EE YO M UR AG AZ IN E

ISSUE #16 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016

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14

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

CONTENTS

A

msterdam has long been considerd a hipster city and in this issue you will see why – from its avant garde architecture (including the EYE film museum, left) to its arty Noord neighbourhood and the ‘brown cafés’ on the canals. Once you’ve read our cool city guide (on p14) you’ll want to win those tickets to get there (see p17). In the meantime cool your heels with some great world theatre experiences during Brisbane Festival in September. It’s spring ... it’s time to end winter hibernation and get out there ...

14

4

Brisbane Airport News

18

5 islands in 5 days

Reconciliation Action Plan; runway upgrades; applications open for community grants and more

There are plenty to choose from in the Solomon Islands

6

Brisbane Insider

20

Into the biosphere

22

Newcastle’s new age

9

Everest conqueror’s next challenge; Quandamooka Festival; new airport artist-in-residence and more

This is Brisbane

The exhibition that reveals the city’s living personality

10

Keith Urban

A candid interview about his music, marriage and more ahead of his concert tour coming to Brisbane

STYLE 12 Force of nature

Accessories that take their inspiration from the Australian Outback

ESCAPE 14 Culture + cool in Amsterdam

Exploring Noosa’s eco treasures is a wild experience

26

Escape extra

Swim with whales; more flights to Taiwan; desert light show; Bali’s better side and more

FOOD & DRINK 28 Top spots for riverside dining

In September it’s prime position for Riverfire fireworks and spectacular views

17

WIN airfares to Amsterdam

30 New world food

Enter our competition for a chance to win air tickets for two to Amsterdam

34

Real-life news inspires premiere play; Dynamo shows us his magic; chalk art; surfside sculptures

Brisbane Festival hot picks Plus the role every actress wants to play and a calendar of events for September and October

MY BRISBANE 36 Hannah Bronte, artist

Food blogger Kerry Heaney taste tests the new dining precinct at Brisbane Airport’s Domestic Terminal

What she likes about Brisbane

GALLERY 39 Day in the life

30 Eat and go dining

It’s a clash of ultra modern and old world

charm that makes this city cool

The former industrial city is rejuvenated by a new generation of artisans

WHAT’S ON 32 Play plucked from the headlines

Sample the flavours of Mexico, Vietnam and Turkey without leaving the city

Passengers in transit at Brisbane Airport

NEED TO KNOW 38 Helpful information for

40 43

visitors to Brisbane Airport Destination map Brisbane metro map

BNE magazine is published bi-monthly

by Brisbane Airport Corporation Brisbane Airport Corporation, Media and Corporate Communications Manager: Leonie Vandeven Managing Editor: Heather McWhinnie email: editor@bnemagazine.com.au Designer: Stephen Bryett Advertising sales: Chris May, call 0401 312 312 or email: advertising@bnemagazine.com.au ©2016 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.

34 10

Steps towards reconciliation

L

ast year Brisbane Airport became home to one of Australia’s most significant Aboriginal art installations by acclaimed Indigenous artist, the late Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda (Mrs Sally Gabori), a massive digital rendering of her works in brilliant colour along 750 metres of the arrivals concourse at the International Terminal.

The airport also acquired Brian Robinson’s jumbo outdoor play-scape Woven Wonders of the Reef which now sits alongside the al fresco dining strip at Skygate, at the entrance to the busy DFO precinct. But these are more than just colourful adornments to the airport environment. They are among the first steps in a master plan to create a closer connection between the airport, its visitors and the wider community with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities of South East Queensland.

Brisbane Airport Corporation has developed a comprehensive Reconciliation Action Plan in consultation with local Traditional Owners, the Turrbal people, which aims to share and celebrate Indigenous cultural knowledge and experiences, not only through creative works but in education, business activities and environment.

Already initiatives such as sponsored university scholarships and work internships for Indigenous students are in place and planning is underway to introduce many more opportunities for collaboration.

The plan is the only one by an Australian airport to be endorsed by Reconciliation Australia and can be viewed online at www.bne.com.au Dibirdibi Country 2011, by Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda (Mrs Sally Gabori), pictured above, courtesy of the artist’s estate and Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne

ROUND THE CLOCK WORK

ON MAIN RUNWAY

Work on the runway overlay at Brisbane Airport has passed the halfway mark with more than 200 workers and 80 pieces of machinery working overnight on the main runway overlay as the project heads towards completion by the end of September. So far, more than 40,000 tonnes of asphalt has been laid and the construction team is laying 600 tonnes of asphalt each shift, covering 60-metre sections each night. Work on upgrading the connecting taxiway overlay to accommodate A330 aircraft is also underway. View the overlay video at www.bne.com.au 4 | BNE September/October 2016

BRISBANE AIRPORT NEWS

GRANTS FOR

COMMUNITY PROJECTS

70 YEARS IN THE SKY

CATHAY PACIFIC celebrates 70 years

flying in September and an Aussie was one of its founding partners so it’s no surprise the airline has had a long history flying to Australia. Established in 1946 (its first aircraft pictured left), the airline first touched down in Brisbane on 4 August 1982 with a Boeing 747-200 aircraft, offering one service a week to Hong Kong. Today it offers 11 flights a week on the route aboard sleek new Airbus 330s and the airline serves 180 destinations across 50 countries. For flight information see www.cathaypacific.com

Since Brisbane Airport Corporation launched its Community Giving Fund two years ago more than $200,000 in cash grants have been handed out to schools and community groups.

Volunteer marine rescue services, sailing for people with disabilities, seniors groups and sporting clubs are just a few that have received grants to boost their services or fund a project.

Meadowlands Men’s Shed, for example, is just one of many set up to improve the general health and well-being of men after retirement and it has been very active in its local community, making things for aged care centres, running woodwork classes and supervising school holiday projects. It used its cash grant to buy equipment that is now being used to build custom-made tables for Mt Gravatt Special School. Applications for community grants are now open for the next round of funding. Apply online before 30 September 2016 at www.bne.com.au/community/giving

If you look at Brisbane Airport, you would have to say this is a place going somewhere. This is a place that wants people to come here. So, I think we are in that part of the world where most of the major decisions in aviation are going to be made …

- Former Prime Minister Paul Keating on opening the new International Terminal at Brisbane Airport, September 1995 This year Brisbane Airport’s International Terminal turns 21 and has been recently transformed into an oasis of leisure, shopping and dining zones for travellers which has been a great success, welcoming even more passengers during the year.

International travellers now account for 5.27 million passengers, boosted over the year by China Southern’s new year-round daily direct flights to Guangzhou and Qantas’ new direct flights between Brisbane and Tokyo. Looking ahead those numbers are expected to increase further following the launch of new direct flights to Vancouver with Air Canada which started in June and new yearround flights to Shanghai with China Eastern which are scheduled to start in December.

The number of domestic passengers at Brisbane Airport also rose over the year to almost 17.2 million.

2016

1995

FOLLOW BRISBANE AIRPORT BNE September/October BNE March/April 2016 | 5

On Everest

Climbing (NEARLY) EVERY MOUNTAIN

In May this year 19-year-old Alyssa Azar became the youngest Australian to reach the summit of Mount Everest and at last she was able to write the final chapter in her book The Girl Who Climbed Everest (with Sue Williams) published by Penguin and due in bookshops on 19 September.

She began writing the book when she was almost 15, soon after climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, another of the world’s highest peaks, when she decided to pursue her dream of climbing Mount Everest in earnest. However, her story, and her dream, starts much earlier than that – when she was eight and on her first adventure to walk the Kokoda Trail with her dad Glenn.

Since then she has climbed many peaks in South America, Nepal and around the world and some may think she’s reached the pinnacle now that she has climbed to the top of Everest, but she’s not done yet. She has set herself a new goal to climb the rest of the seven summits (on each continent) in the next 18 months and in between she will share her passion for climbing with other adventurers.

In October the Brisbane-based teen will lead a small group on a trek of the ‘Aussie 10 peaks’, or the highest peaks in Mt Kosciuszko National Park, in her new role as a guide with Adventure Professionals. The conditions couldn’t be more different than what she experienced on Everest – the highest peak is 2228 metres (Base Camp on Everest is over 5000 metres) and they will retreat to hotel accommodation in Thredbo after each day’s climbing – but she is looking forward to taking the guiding role for a change and sharing her skills and knowledge with other keen climbers …and then she will go back to Mount Aconcagua in South America before the end of the year to continue her quest to complete the seven summits.

Alyssa Azar will be at Dymocks Brisbane for a book signing on 27 September. See www.penguin.com.au To follow her journey and for Aussie 10 Peaks details see www.alyssaazar.com.au

Alyssa Azar 6 | BNE September/October 2016

BRISBANE INSIDER

Music in the air

BULLETS BACK IN THE GAME

Fans have been jubilant to hear that the Brisbane Bullets will be back in the game for the NBL season when it starts in October. South East Queensland hasn’t had a team in the competition for four years. With Andrej Lemanis returned from his Olympics assault and CJ Bruton on the coaching team hopes are high for a strong debut – although their first match against current league champions Perth Wildcats will be a tough start. Former Bullets team-mates Steve McLeod, Luke Gribble, Rodger Smith and Duane Rogers have already signed up for season tickets. They’re planning to make home games a family affair as the long-time friends now have kids who also love the game. “Andrej is a great choice of coach and they have recruited a good squad so I’m excited to see what they can do in their first year,” says McLeod. For more information see www.brisbanebullets.com.au

Join the Corroboree

Quandamooka Festival is a celebration of the culture, country and people of Moreton Bay, from the islands to the bayside suburbs between Mt Cotton and Lytton, and as the festival comes to a close at the end of September it is not too late to join the fun and learn about the heritage of the region in different locations – including guided walks on Coochiemudlo Island (8-15 September), a dolphin day celebration honouring the sacred totem of the Quandamooka people at Amity Point, North Stradbroke Island (24 September) and the official closing ceremony – a kunjiel (or corroboree) packed with song and dance performances (17 September) at Dunwich, also on Straddie. For details see www.quandamookafestival.com.au

Next time you take off on a trip from Brisbane Airport you may find yourself departing to a serenade by Queensland’s own Symphony Orchestra (QSO) which will be taking up the baton as the airport’s next Artist-in-Residence from September.

BNE is the first airport to have an Artist-in-Residence program which it started last year and QSO will follow painter Robert Brownhall, BNE’s first Artist-in-Residence, who created a series of works for exhibition all featuring different views from the terminals.

QSO has earned a popular following in its home-town for its varied repertoire which ranges from masterworks to special events such as its tribute to David Bowie (coming up on 1 October at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre) and Brisbane Airport wants to showcase that talent to a wider audience. Three mini popup performances are scheduled for before the end of the year with ensembles of five to 10 musicians playing a range of musical styles at both the Domestic and International Terminals.

Brisbane Airport has long been a champion of the arts in the city as a major investor in projects and organisations across the board from music and theatre to ballet, exhibitions and festivals, and it has commissioned works for one of the biggest and most significant collections of public art in the state valued at more than $10 million.

According to Rachel Crowley, Brisbane Airport Corporation’s head of corporate relations, the Artist-in-Residence program aims to do more than entertain travellers as they pass through the terminals.

“There’s a growing awareness of Brisbane as an arts city and we want to add momentum to that. Traditionally people think of Queensland as a holiday state that is all about the great outdoors, nature and beaches, which is wonderful, of course, but we also think that Brisbane is an urban city and a growing arts destination that adds a different dimension to what people can experience here – and we want to support that. We hope that passengers travelling through the airport will enjoy the experience and we hope it will inspire Brisbanites to take a closer look at this wonderful orchestra.”

BE ECO-WISE The Village Markets at Skygate will become a hub of eco-friendly ideas from 26-30 September when Brisbane Airport Corporation hosts its first Eco Fair at the shopping precinct. Eco workshops on different topics and things to make will be held daily along with special presentations on sustainable living – including bee farming, home grown herbs and vegies (with plant giveaways), healthy eating, energy tips and more. Activities are free from 10am to 3pm daily. See the program at www.bne.com.au

BNE September/October BNE March/April 2016 | 57

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FEATURE

Jodie

Sultan

Sophiaan

Becky

Shelley

Samuel

Hayley

Chris

THIS IS BRISBANE A new exhibition builds a profile of the city and everyone is invited to take part

Y

ou could be forgiven for thinking the latest exhibition at Museum of Brisbane (MoB) is a mini Census – but it’s much more fun than that. While the debate around the Census was all about concealing identity, the aim of MoB’s exhibition 100% Brisbane is more about peeling back the layers of identity to provide a snapshot of the living personality of the city.

The exhibition has taken an innovative approach and people are the subjects, not just spectators. The concept is based on the 100% City theatre events devised by Berlin company Rimini Protokoll that so far have been staged in 29 cities around the world but this is the first time it has been adapted offstage for a museum environment. The process began with statistics that define the demographic profile of the city – age, gender, place of birth, residential location, household composition – and then went to the people to tell the real-life story of who we are.

The search was unique. It began with Nicky Walker, a customer service and information officer at Brisbane Airport, who was asked to choose the next candidate within 24 hours, then they were asked to choose the next candidate, and so on, until 100 people were chosen who represented all the variations within the categories. That included Maya Peres, a 23-yearold international student from Mangalore, India who was nominated by her roommate Alysha.

Peres has just completed a master’s degree in Brisbane and has fallen in love with the city over

the two years she has lived here and she credits the warmth of the people for that.

According to Peres, Brisbane is similar in size and weather to Mangalore but it’s the people that set it apart. “People are from all walks of life here and everyone is accepted,” she says.

Peres says she has met people from many more different cultures in Brisbane than she ever would have at home. She works part-time at weekend markets on a Turkish food stall and she has connected so well with her boss that people think they are mother and daughter, not because they look alike but how they interact with each other. Peres has since learned to cook Turkish food and to speak some basic Turkish words, and in any spare time she has she follows her passion for Latin American dancing.

Another participant, businessman Chris Morton, can trace his family tree back to the 1870s when his ancestors ran the horsedrawn buses in the city and he cites the youth and diversity of the city today as a key to its vibrance. Meanwhile, grandmother Becky Thompson, at 62, shows that energy is not confined to youth. Only recently retired, Thompson belongs to a local gymnastics club – beach aerobics and tai chi are next on her list of things to do.

But the exhibition is more than a peek into the lives of 100 people; it’s also part social research project and each of the 100 participants was asked 80 questions, not only about their lives and their city but also about their values

and beliefs. The answers have been collated into a video presentation where each person shares something about themselves and their views. Separately, 35 of those questions have been compiled for an interactive survey that all visitors to the exhibition can also answer – the responses are tallied in real time and total results updated on screen. Questions range from ‘what do you love about where you live?’ (29 per cent of the sample say the local community) and ‘do you think we should change the Australian flag?’

(56 per cent say no) to more confronting issues such as ‘have you ever broken the law?’ (64 per cent say yes) and ‘do you support marriage equality?’ (77 per cent say yes).

At the end of the survey visitors also find out who in the 100 they are most alike according to their responses and that is a most intriguing part of the process. Already some people have been surprised by the results.

The exhibition will run for three years and museum curators are keen to see how attitudes might change over that time but how that information might be used, if at all, is still to be determined.

The exhibition, supported by Brisbane Airport Corporation, is on now at Museum of Brisbane, City Hall.

Exhibition designer Alison Ross will give a guided tour of 100% Brisbane on 25 September, 2pm. To book and for details see www.museumofbrisbane.com.au BNE September/October 2016 | 9

COVER STORY

U R B A N LEGEND Keith Urban has lived in the US for more than 20 years but we still claim him as one of our own and he makes a welcome return to Brisbane in December. He talks to John Blackstone in Nashville ahead of his concert tour 10 | BNE September/October 2016

O

pening night is always interesting!” laughs Keith Urban. We’re talking soon after the release of his latest album and just ahead of the world tour that will bring him to Brisbane in December. “The funny thing is, you know, you have these songs, you’ve written them, we’ve recorded them and we’ve never played them live,” Urban says. “You get out on the road and you play stuff and it’s amazing how much stuff in theory just doesn’t work in practise.”

The new songs he’s talking about are from his album Ripcord which debuted at #1 on the Australian charts when it was released in May. With four Grammys to his name, Urban has a deep reservoir of hits stretching back 16 years that he will draw on for the tour – one reason he travels with nearly two dozen guitars.

“We have songs in our set list that we’ve played for a lot of years,” he says, “and sometimes for me as a guitar player, if I just play a different guitar, it can become a slightly newer song. You play differently and you’re engaged.”

There are also songs that he has to play over and over. “That we get to play over and over again!” he corrects me. “Thank goodness people still want to hear ’em!” he says.

It’s hard to believe that Urban, who is 48, could be any happier than when he has a guitar in his hands. Urban’s wife of 10 years, Nicole Kidman, drops in on our interview.

“When you go and see Keith live, that’s when you really get to know him and you see the musicianship. It’s extraordinary, and I know nothing about guitar other than I like how it sounds,” Kidman says and adds that she and their daughters, Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret, will join Urban on tour. “We’ll be out there dancing. We like dancing!”

Some of Urban’s new songs were written in London last year while Kidman was starring in the play Photograph 51. She says: “For me, deciding to go back on stage was inspired by him when I see him perform because it’s like – well, it’s like extraordinary love coming from the audiences. I see what he gives and what they give back and it’s really beautiful energy.”

Urban began performing as a teenager growing up in Caboolture on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. His parents, Bob and Marienne, were big fans of American country music and when he quit school at age 15 Urban says his parents “totally got it”.

“I get asked by parents all the time, ‘Do you

Interview by John Blackstone/CBS On Sunday

I had to surrender a lot to struggles and get help with that have advice for my kid?’ It’s hard, you know, I can’t advise anybody anything; everyone’s got to find their path but because I was playing in a band on the weekends, and the band would play without me during the week, and because I’d been playing guitar since I was six, [my parents] could see this is what I’m going to do and I was willing to work. My mum and dad both had a strong work ethic.”

Although Urban’s dad was a drummer and there was lots of music in the family he didn’t read or write music in a traditional way. “I failed music at school which was a real drag!” he laughs. “It was all theory-based and I wasn’t theory-based. I just learned by ear; I got taught a basic chord and then another basic chord and it was just like monkey see, monkey do. That’s how I learned.”

His goal was to get to Nashville and he moved there in 1992 but he admits it was a tough start. “I really wasn’t prepared for how hard it was going to be, or how long it was going to take.

“People there were saying, ‘Well, just do your best’,” he recalls. “And I was thinking, ‘I am doing my best and I’m just smashing into a brick wall. What now? What now? I don’t know what to do’.”

Urban has said he didn’t start drinking until his 20s – but then he made up for it. Faced with stress and challenges he has said he often took the wrong road and several stints in rehab have followed, the last one soon after his marriage to Kidman. However, he often has been open in interviews about his struggle with drug and alcohol addiction.

“Yeah, I had to surrender a lot to struggles I had and get help with that and just be willing to recognise that I was an alcoholic, simple as that,” he says. Kidman’s support was crucial in his recovery. “Meeting her and getting married wasn’t life-changing, it was life-beginning,” he says. “It was literally like, ‘Okay, now life starts’.”

A song on his new album is a reminder to enjoy life and Urban had his dad in mind when he was writing ‘Gone Tomorrow (Here Today)’.

Sadly, Robert Urban passed away in December last year. “I’m grateful that he got to see the field being fruitful, so all of the support and

work that he put in, he could see it. He saw me happily married, and all the things I think, as a parent, you want to see from your kids.”

He says he can often almost still hear his dad keeping the beat when he’s writing a song. I ask him what comes first when he starts writing, the music or the words. “I hope anything comes, really!” Urban laughs. “Anything, I’ll grab anything. You know, my dad was a drummer. Rhythm is a deep part of my whole being, really.”

Urban uses his ‘ganjo’ (a six-string banjo) to explain and show how a song comes to life from a bit of rhythm and a few chords. “It is really just a kind of a cool little drum beat, it is very simple, and then everything starts to sort of dance together and melody comes. So we just start playing that and that might just go for ever and you’re just sort of diggin’ on it, you’re just sort of in the zone, it’s like a trance. Things will come,” and he starts singing! “It’s interesting how songs can sort of evolve so rapidly from things that are spontaneous.”

In an interview with country music website theboot.com Urban told Gayle Thompson he was much more willing to trust his instincts on this album. “I was willing to try any idea that came to my head, as crazy as it might be.

You can always pull back, but I just wanted to go where the idea and the muse, where the energies, wanted to go. This record is the first one in a long, long, long time that I felt really satiated artistically, incredibly, by the end result,” he said.

The recording process for Ripcord took almost a year and a half and Urban worked with a lot of people he had never worked with before. On his new song ‘Sun Don’t Let Me Down’ he worked with Nile Rodgers, who has been producing hits since the days of disco. Then he invited the rapper Pit Bull to join in.

“It was one of those moments where I thought, ‘he would be really good on that song’.

Luckily he loved the song and he did something on it. I love the fact that those things can just sort of organically happen through hearing and thinking and putting things together,” he says.

Urban’s music often takes country in new directions. He’s made a signature of a driving sound that aims to lift people up and make the most of every minute. “I’ve always had that feeling – I have for many, many years – that everything is now. This is all there is, is now. In the moment.”

Keith Urban’s Ripcord World Tour comes to Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Boondall on 16 and 17 December. Tickets from $112.04 to $158.94 including fees at www.ticketek.com.au BNE September/October 2016 | 11

STYLE

FORCE

OF NATURE

M

imco’s new spring/summer collection of accessories is inspired by Australia’s raw beauty – colours, shapes and textures reflecting the elements of earth, fire, air and water.

Reimagining the stars that sparkle in a midnight sky, the light and shade that plays upon the jagged earth, the metals and precious stones thrown up from its fiery core, the collection takes on tones from cool alabaster, charcoal and deep blue to flame orange, lava red, silver and coppery gold and, eventually, as the seasons heat up, to the airy pinks of salt flats and the cool blues of deep lakes and lagoons.

Such inspiration flows through the Mistress Elemental collection in an assortment of rings, cuffs, chokers, lariats, orbs, discs and chains, watches, bags and shoes – the essential elements to a style-driven spring and summer ahead.

The spirit and form of the collection is captured here on Mimco’s own Mistress Elemental, Indigenous beauty Charlee Fraser, against a backdrop of the Flinders Ranges and saltscape of Lake Bumbunga in South Australia’s Outback.

Find the pieces in store at Mimco, Level 2, Domestic Terminal (near Gate 22), Brisbane Airport.

Photography by Trevor King For more information, stores or to buy online see www.mimco.com.au 12 | BNE September/October 2016

Opposite page: Magma sunglasses $199, Emblazon drop earrings $129, Luminary watch $279, Magnitude day bag $499 each, Hotspot heels $299. This page, top to bottom: Helios sunglases $179, Chaos Theory necklace $499, Inferno drop earrings $99.95, Seismic watch $249, Chaos Theory tote $799, Youthquake mid-heel $199; Ilsa watch $199, Ventura twist bracelets $69.95 each, Forget Me Knot bangle $89.95; Youthquake necklace $299, Youthquake drop earrings $99.95, Emblazon hinged cuff $149; Below: Youthquake drop earrings $99.95, Inferno choker $199, Ilsa watch $199, Inferno pouche $499, Magnitude heel $249. Assorted rings throughout from $59.95.

3

BNE September/October BNE May/June 2016 | 13

ESCAPE

CULTURE COOL in amsterdam

Yvonne Gordon gets on her bike and finds the best of old and new on both sides of the river in Amsterdam 14 | BNE September/October 2016

S

tanding at Amsterdam Centraal Station facing the city, there’s a world of canals, 17th century canal houses, museums and bicycles in front of me. The long avenue at Damrak is full of tourists venturing south towards Dam Square, the Royal Palace and the city museums, on foot, trams and bicycles. It’s a scene familiar to anyone who has visited the Dutch capital, but to see a different side of the city, I go through to the back of the train station, to the river rather than the city side, to take the ferry across the River IJ to Amsterdam Noord.

I’ve rented a bike and as I wheel it onto the ferry for the short crossing to Buiksloterwegveer, I can already see Amsterdam’s coolest new space, the A’DAM Toren, on the opposite river bank. It was once the Shell Overhoeks tower until the company moved its offices and labs out of the area many years ago and now, after a couple of years of renovation, the tower is home to an observation deck on the 22nd floor, a revolving restaurant, Moon, and a top-floor sky bar and restaurant, Ma’dam, that turns into a nightclub after dark.

As well as being one of the city’s coolest party spaces, it’s one of the few places to get a bird’s eye view of the city, a view which will also be popular with guests of the new 108-room hotel, Sir Adam, which is set to open in the tower in November. Its interiors pay homage to the local music and art scene with Crosley turntables in each room, mirrors etched with lyrics and works by local artists.

Just a few minutes beyond A’DAM Toren, I arrive at EYE, the national film museum of the Netherlands which is hard to miss on the waterfront space and appears as a different shape from every angle. Named after the River IJ (pronounced like ‘eye’), EYE has four cinemas with regular new releases and screenings but the highlight is an archive on the lower level with more than 37,000 titles on file. I sit in a free booth and start browsing

The EYE is a feat of modern architecture, yet inside it houses a massive archive of films and cinema memorabilia dating back to 1895 the selection, everything from documentaries to full-length vintage features, and realise the hours can easily start to slip away but there’s still more to see. Also on the lower level is Panorama, an exhibition on the history of film, with some green-screen interactive exhibits. I round off my visit with a coffee on the riverside terrace bar, admiring the river views before setting off to explore more of Amsterdam Noord.

I go back to Centraal Station and take the ferry again further up river to NDSM Wharf (it’s not far to cycle from the EYE but the ferry is free and it’s a pleasant trip for cyclists and walkers). The old shipyard has become

Above: EYE, the national film museum of the Netherlands. Right: Canal houses

BNE September/October 2016 | 15

ESCAPE

“The old shipyard is now a thriving art community” a thriving art community with rows of graffiti-covered warehouses and piles of shipping containers now transformed into studios, cafés and bars. On one side of the harbour basin are the masts of a tall ship and a floating boat-hotel. In the centre of the basin is an abandoned submarine, while on the other quay wall is a two-masted schooner called Zephyr, its jib sail flapping in the light breeze, parked in front of a warehouse with a crane behind.

From the outside, the curious collection of buildings has an air of abandonment but not all is as it seems. The crane turns out to be the lofty three-suite Faralda Crane Hotel (suites perched from 35 metres up); peeking inside a huge NDSM warehouse I find Art City, home to 200 artists’ and designers’ studios set out in rows with mini ‘streets’ between them; and, when I see a bunch of people disappearing through the end of a pile of shipping containers in a carpark I follow and find myself stepping into Pllek, a large buzzing restaurant space with corrugated iron walls and a front wall of glass opening on to a riverside beach, complete with sand and deckchairs. While I munch on a sandwich, the waiter points out the dance floor and tells me how the restaurant’s bench-style tables and chairs are cleared away at midnight on weekends for DJs until the early hours. In summer, the wide outdoor spaces are the setting for festivals, concerts and food and vintage markets. It’s Amsterdam’s newest, most vibrant area and it’s still evolving.

Another easy cycle trip from the EYE is along Amsterdam Noord’s beautiful street of Niewendammerdijk, a long thin street which has wooden houses dating back as far as 1565. As I ride along I imagine its days as a flourishing shipbuilding village when many of the houses were occupied by former ships’ captains. At numbers 202 to 204, De Halve Moen (the Half Moon house), was built by shipbuilder Gerardus de Vries Lentsh in 1909 and takes its name from the ship that had sailed from the Netherlands into what is now New York exactly 300 years before, in 1609. The ship was contracted by the Dutch East India Company to English explorer Henry Hudson to find a safe passage to the Spice Islands and China in the East.

No visit to Amsterdam is complete without a cycle or stroll to view the canal houses where wealthy ship merchants and some of the nation’s great artists once lived. One of the best to see inside and muse on life in those times is Museum Van Loon at Keizersgracht 672, on one of the most prestigious canals. The house was built in 1672 and first occupied

This page, top: brush up on your bike riding skills before a trip to Amsterdam; it’s the best way to travel in the city. Below: the old shipyards at NDSM Noord have been transformed into an artists’ colony with cafes, a man-made beach and even a boat hotel, for visitors. Bottom left: descendants of Willem van Loon still live in the charming canal side house that is now the Museum van Loon.

by artist Ferdinand Bol, a pupil of Rembrandt, but it takes its name from the family that were its last residents and founders of the museum.

A young Willem van Loon became the owner of the house and took up residence in 1884 when his father gave it to him as a wedding present.

In a city full of museums (Our Lord in the Attic is another with an interesting history), this one is a little different because descendants of the Van Loon family still live in the upper floors of the house and continue to open it to the public daily. The drawing room and dining rooms on the ground floor are magnificent, with a selection of impressive family portraits in each room as well as ornate furniture and wood panelling. There are also bedrooms, formal gardens and a coach house to explore – often special exhibitions are on display and taking time out to sit and admire the garden is a highlight.

Revived by coffee and cake in the garden of Museum Van Loon I continue cycling along Keizersgracht and neighbouring streets Herengracht and Prinsengracht (Anne Frank House is along here) to admire the best of the canal houses.

The Negen Straatjes (Nine Streets) is a network of cobbled streets that cuts through this canal belt, lined with boutiques, galleries, great cafés and restaurants. It’s a shopper’s delight with everything from cutting edge design to vintage wares. Heading west across the Prinsengracht canal, the Jordaan area is home to more upmarket galleries and boutiques as well as some of Amsterdam’s oldest ‘brown cafés’ or pubs – Café Chris is the oldest, dating back to 1624, and still a popular hangout, as is Papeneiland (1642) or Café ’t Smalle (1780) not far from Anne Frank House. This part of the tour is best done without the bike as the ‘cafés’ get pretty lively at night and it’s a fun way to end the day, sampling some of Amsterdam’s traditional brews.

EAT

Pllek, budget-friendly eats in a rough-and-ready interior – get there early for a spot on the man-made riverside beach during good weather. Tt Neveritaweg 59. See http://pllek.nl IJ-Kantine, a mix of French and international cuisine with an industrial-themed interior in a large bright space right beside the ferry. Ondinaweg 15-17. See http://ijkantine.nl 16 | BNE September/October 2016

Café Thijssen, grab an outdoor table on a nice day for brunch or coffee at this popular Jordaan corner meeting spot. Brouwersgracht 107, www.cafethijssen.nl

PLAY

Mac Bike rental, bike hire from Mac Bike, just a few minutes from Amsterdam Centraal. Oosterdokskade 151 -1, macbike.nl Museum Night, on the first Saturday in November around 50 museums open for Museum Night Amsterdam, an annual event of concerts, tours and performances in one night. Various locations.

See http://museumnacht.amsterdam

STAY

ClinkNOORD, hostel in Amsterdam Noord with plenty of creative spaces including a studio, gallery, nightclub and programs for visiting artists, bands and writers which includes free stays.

Badhuiskade 3, 1031 KV. See www.clinkhostels.com/clinknoord

Hotel V Nesplein, in the heart of the old town for easy access to everything and interiors that blend classy vintage with industrial chic and mod cons – free high speed WiFi, of course, and a ‘Living Lobby’ for hanging out after hours. Nes 49, 1012 KD. See http://hotelvnesplein.nl

Cathay Pacific has 11 flights per week from Brisbane to Hong Kong with onward connections to 180 destinations in 50 countries, including 10 cities in Europe.

See www.cathaypacific.com.au. For information about Amsterdam, see iamsterdam.com

The bar at Hotel V Nesplein

BNE September/October 2016 | 17

5

ESCAPE

islands in days

I

’ve never really been a fan of fishing, probably because on the few occasions I’ve ever been I’ve never caught anything – but clearly I have been trying in all the wrong places. After an overnight stopover in Honiara it’s just a one hour plane hop to Munda, on the island of New Georgia, and I’m about to learn something about fishing from experts. Fishing is a way of life in the Solomon Islands – there’s a plentiful supply and it’s a staple of the local diet but when a big catch is required – for a large family or community gathering – they have a unique way to ensure a big catch.

DAY ONE We’re invited to tag along on just such a fishing expedition and told to wear swimmers and bring a snorkel! Out in the lagoon on the edge of a shallow reef we watch from a distance while a canoe drifts out from the island shore, a huge mass of green vine piled up in the middle. Slowly, the vine is rolled out from the canoe and a team of fishermen walk in the shallows to hold it in place in a massive circle, then when it is all out, they slowly draw the circle in, smaller and smaller. When the circle is quite small we are invited to help hold the vine and draw it in ever smaller, and a quick dip under the water is like looking into the Seaworld Aquarium – by now the shallows are teaming with coloured fish of all shapes and sizes and, surprisingly, they make no attempt to swim beyond the vine.

The next bit is nothing short of stunning. On the signal from the senior fisherman, a ‘magic mix’ is thrown into the water – apparently some special blend of vine leaf and sand – which acts like a natural sedative and the fish are almost immediately tranquilised. Most float, while others jump and dart in a frenzy and we, and the fishermen, are catching and scooping as quickly as we can to get them into a canoe. When we’re finished it’s almost full.

It’s been an hilarious dance in the shallows on our part with lots of whooping and splashing but it’s been an extraordinary experience – and we’re rewarded for our efforts with some fish for lunch which we have on a nearby shore, barbecued over hot coals and washed down with coconut milk, spicy seaweed, sweet potato, rice and salad. There’s time for a swim before we had back to Agnes Lodge at Munda.

DAY TWO The next day it’s a rollercoaster ride to Rendova, a large volcanic island about 40 minutes from Munda. The slight swell on the deep water is enough to cause our boat to slap from crest to crest all the way to the wharf at Titiru Eco Lodge, where we’re met in fine island style by a band of musicians. In contrast to the island beaches we’ve seen so far these sands

18 | BNE September/October 2016

are black and the south west coast of the island is an important nesting ground for endangered leatherback turtles. Local villages there are a base for a local conservation program.

Titiru Eco Lodge is less than five years old and is considered a model for environmentally sustainable tourism in the area. It’s a gateway to local villages for visitors and it provides an opportunity for locals to learn hospitality skills. The closest village of Ugele is just a short walk away and the locals are happy to demonstrate their talents in carving, making ‘toys’ bracelets and headbands from palm fronds and impromptu ‘cooking classes’ in how they make favourite dishes – one from a nut that would be poisonous if not treated the right way! While we’re here just for a day, guests of Titiru can try climbing Rendova Peak, visit the Wild Cave (if you like bats, crabs and snakes), go night crabbing or exploring in a dug-out canoe.

DAY THREE There’s a reason we’re told to keep our bags to 16kg or less once we leave Honiara – it’s a smaller plane ride to Munda, but from Munda we’re travelling by boat to Gizo and a spinner suitcase is no help on a plank jetty or a sand track to beachfront bungalows.

It’s fitting that we arrive at Fatboys Resort on nearby Mbabanga Island in time for lunch and the boat pulls up alongside the restaurant on a jetty 100 metres from shore. The resort, owned by Brisbane locals, takes its name from the character Joe in the classic Charles Dickens novel The Pickwick Papers – Joe, ‘the fat boy’, loves eating, drinking, sleeping and generally avoiding every effort to work at all and we need no convincing to do the same, starting with a lunch of crayfish and salad.

By now we’ve been dining out on crayfish almost three meals a day. At Fatboys it’s delivered by canoe every morning and so it’s possible to have it at breakfast (omelette), lunch (barbecue grilled) and dinner (curry). Manager Mano and barman Timmy are perfect hosts.

The afternoon is free for snorkelling (straight from the beach), kayaking, paddleboarding, swimming or snoozing, but two of us take out a Polycraft (a little plastic boat) to a sand cay we see in the distance for a Robinson Crusoe adventure. It turns out to be only about 15 minutes away and we jump out on the sand to make first footprints on a truly untouched piece of paradise. It’s perfect for a swim, a little walk and a dramatic skyline view, which changes quickly as we take photos.

As the distant sky gets greyer we decide to head back and as we do we keep an eye on the rolling clouds behind us. There’s an adrenalin charge as we scoot back as fast as the little craft will take us and we make it back just

With more than 900 islands to choose from in the Solomon Islands, it’s hard to stop at just one, as Heather McWhinnie discovers

before the rain hits and the screens are pulled down in the bar.

From Fatboys it’s less than 10 minutes by boat to Gizo township where there are shops, hotels, dive shops, and small villages to visit on the way.

DAY FOUR Like many of the Solomon Islands, Kennedy Island is uninhabited but it’s a popular picnic spot, made famous by John F. Kennedy who hid out here after his boat was gunned down in World War II. There was an heroic rescue – he swam to another island and a message scraped on a coconut alerted the navy base on Rendova to where they were hiding.

Emboldened Polycrafters now, we navigate our own way there and join the others for a barbecue lunch and an afternoon of storytelling and snorkelling around old jetty pillars.

On our last night at Fatboys, we celebrate new friends with a local tradition called the ‘wine down’ and the esky is packed, folding chairs stacked and wine chilled in the boat for a cruise out to another sand cay, Simbu-Batu, to watch the sunset. Beautiful.

Main image: Almost all accommodation is waterfront. This page from top: Tangiri bungalow can accommodate up to four people and has direct access to the beach at Fatboys resort, a short boat ride from Gizo township; Munda is a base for exceptional diving; crayfish served fresh and three meals a day if you want it at Fatboys; steering the boat through shallow reef waters is a challenge; boats are the only way to travel. Image opposite page

by Kirkland Photography; this page, Heather McWhinnie and bottom, Solomon Island Visitors Bureau.

DAY FIVE Guadalcanal is the first and last island for travellers from Brisbane, home to the capital city Honiara and international airport. It has all the city trappings – luxury hotels like the Heritage Park, hot showers, day spas, busy streets and traffic jams – but it’s also the place to learn about the role the Solomon Islands played in World War II. The Guadalcanal American Memorial on Skyline Drive not only tells the story of the Allied offensive on huge granite tablets, it provides a magnificent aerial view of Honiara. Another place to see war relics is Vilu Museum on the western side of Honiara. It would be impossible to find without a tour guide as it’s camouflaged in the bush but it shelters some hidden treasures, from both sides of the war, including cannons and remnants of aircraft such as a Japanese Betty Bomber and a Wildcat with its signature folding wings (still working). Tours can be booked from the Heritage Park Hotel.

For more information see www.visitsolomons.com.sb

Fly direct from Brisbane to Honiara with Solomon Airlines four times a week, with local island connections. See www.flysolomons.com

BNE September/October 2016 | 19

ESCAPE

INTO THE BIOSPHERE

Noosa’s

eco treasures

Venturing into Noosa’s Biosphere Reserve is a wild experience, writes Heather McWhinnie

I

t’s the middle of school holidays but when we push out the kayak from Elanda Point into Lake Cootheraba (pictured above), barely 30 minutes drive from the buzz of Noosa’s Hastings Street, there’s not a soul to be seen. It’s early morning and there is a slight chill in the air but the sky is clear and the water like glass. The start of a perfect day.

This is one of the best ways to get up close to the natural wonders of Noosa’s internationallyrecognised Biosphere Reserve, and it doesn’t take long on our journey through the Noosa Everglades to see why UNESCO declared the area to be a model for conservation and sustainable development.

There are more than 600 biosphere reserves in 120 countries – just two of them

Bike trails in Wooroi Forest 20 | BNE September/October 2016

in Queensland (the Great Sandy Biosphere Reserve extends from Noosa to Bundaberg and includes Fraser Island) – and together they are part of the Man and the Biosphere program. As its name suggests, the program is not just about protecting the environment; it was created so that information and experiences could be shared internationally to help communities work towards building a balanced relationship between people and nature. That means improving education as well as conservation practices.

Vivienne Golding, a slalom kayak champion, and her partner in kayak tour company Kanu Kapers, Kym McGregor, were champions of the biosphere principles long before it became official in Noosa and now they are advocates for the promotion of sustainable tourism. They have been operating tours of the near-pristine Noosa Everglades for almost 15 years, sharing their passion for both kayaking and the wilderness that surrounds them at Boreen Point.

Vivienne is my guide for the day and fills me in on the history of the area. We pass Mill Point, named for the timber mill town that thrived there in the 1800s, then we glide slowly through Fig Tree Lake and the field of water lilies that blankets the surface. In spring it’s a mass of purple flowers and it’s always a good spot for bird watching as kites, cormorants and pelicans swoop in.

The biosphere is home to more than 300

species of birds – almost half of all the bird varieties found in Australia –1300 plant species and 60 different ecosystems and we are barely touching the surface.

Beyond the lakes, at the part of the Upper Noosa River known as the ‘River of Mirrors’ the brackish water reflects the trees on the shore so clearly it’s almost impossible to see the line between them. It’s so quiet we can hear every bird call.

Further up river we reach Harry’s Hut, an old logger’s hut that later became the weekend fishing cabin of a local named Harry and now it’s a protected cultural site and a popular camping and picnic area. However, when we stop by for lunch we have the place to ourselves – glorious.

Vivienne pulls out her espresso coffee maker and a gourmet picnic of smoked salmon, crusty bread, dips, antipasti and fresh fruit and we enjoy a lunch in the sun before the return journey.

Back at Elanda Point we’ve covered about 30km and we’re just in time to enjoy happy hour wih fellow kayakers at the Apollonian Hotel in Boreen Point. The end of a perfect day.

Kanu Kapers offers half and one-day guided or self-guided tours in easy to paddle and stable sea kayaks.

Not far away, new and upgraded tracks in the Wooroi Forest allow mountain bikers of all levels to experience a small corner of Tewantin National Park, which itself is just a smidgen of the 150,000 hectares within the Noosa Biosphere

PLAY

Beyond the lakes, on the River of Mirrors, the brackish water reflects the trees on the shore so clearly it’s almost impossible to see the line between them

Reserve. About 25km of trails, ranging from the ‘green runs’, such as Secrets, to the ‘black diamond’ Milkmaid, start from the Wooroi Day Use Area on the Noosa-Cooroy Road and, just as in the Noosa Everglades, it’s possible to explore those trails with a guide or independently.

I’m a novice mountain biker and chose the guided tour with Bike On, run by avid bikers Justin and Tracey Wyatt. I’m glad I did because even with street bike experience I had quite a bit to learn about technique to navigate some trails which, even at beginner level, have a mix of short burst inclines, tight turns and some fun creek crossings.

My guide Sam Newton, a veteran rider at just 21, happily shared a few tips and varied the speed and terrain to suit my fitness level and ability, and following close behind him helped build my confidence. By the end I was ready to sign up for a more skills-based tour on my next visit.

Guided tours average three hours, include bikes and helmets and a morning or afternoon tea. Self-guided tours with bike hire and trail maps are also available.

On the edge of Hastings Steet, almost every visitor to Noosa walks the National Park trail that winds around the headland to Hell’s Gates, which is exactly why it’s not on the itinerary when you take a running or walking tour with Nicola Warman-Flood. Nicola is the only person to have a permit to take her Noosa Running

Tours through the park and she’s so good at picking the trails less travelled even locals book her tours.

Nicola began her own exploration when she first moved to Noosa and wanted to find out as much as she could about her local area.

So many people started asking her where she went to avoid the tourist trails that she saw an opportunity to show more than just her friends.

She’s since spent time with the park rangers to find out as much as she can about the park environment, which she shares with her guests, and it’s not unusual to see wildlife (including koalas, echidna, wallabies), sea life (turtles, dolphins, even a seal) and the slightly odd (including a money tree, yes that’s a log stuffed with coins) from the trails she takes.

She tailors tours to suit the guests – I’m not a runner so we did a one hour walk from Sunshine Beach back to Noosa – some uphill, some rocky clambering to see rock pools in a cove most people would miss and some tracks barely a body-width wide. It is about the journey and not the destination or the pace so Nicola makes sure there is time to stop and admire the view every now and then. Tours range in distance from 6-12km and groups are limited to six people (or larger groups are split up and go in different directions, each with a guide).

Find out more at www.kanukapersaustralia.com www.noosarunningtours.com.au www.bikeon.com.au and www.visitnoosa.com.au

Another quiet way to cruise the main Noosa River from Noosaville is on a self-drive electric boat from Malu Os. The company name is from the Kala Lagaw Ya language of the Torres Strait Islands, meaning seahorse, and like its namesake the boats are designed to move slowly and quietly through the water without polluting their environment. Hire rates from $65 to $250 for the day, but no fishing from the boat is allowed. Find out more at www.malu-os.com.au

STAY Begin walking the trails of Noosa National Park straight from the entrance to Peppers Noosa Resort in Viewland Drive. The resort is walking distance to Hastings Street (although there’s a buggy service available to give guests a lift up or down the hill), and there are pools and a day spa on site. Find out more at www.peppers.com.au/noosa/

EAT Watch the pelicans (and the stand-up paddleboarders) drift by while enjoying one of chef Shane Bailey’s daily fish specials at the Boathouse on the river at Noosaville but leave room for the tasting plate of dessert donuts, just bite-size and baked with ricotta and lime, served with three dipping sauces.

See www.noosaboathouse.com.au

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NEWCASTLE’S new age

David Jones in 1959, on the right, is now The Emporium, a hub for artisans (right)

22 | BNE September/October 2016

B3 Bookbinding Bar

Hannah Louise

A community of creatives in arts, food and design has brought new life to the remnants of Newcastle’s industrial age, as Diana Plater discovers

I Bliss Cavanagh’s Elyssium Sensory Art Room

t’s only 9.15am but already there’s a queue of caffeine-starved customers waiting outside Sherwood Coffee Bar in the West End of Newcastle. Just five years ago this former industrial area was derelict, empty, boarded up, a ghost town, but how times have changed. Today it’s seriously hip, following in the footsteps of the CBD’s revamp of recent years. Next door is Pappa Sven, a Scandinavian interior store and across the road is The Edwards, the cool bar, restaurant, store (for vinyl records and pop culture items) and yes, a coin-op laundromat, owned by Chris Joannou (one-time bassist of alt rock band Silverchair) and Chris Johnston.

I’m with Neroli Foster, who runs Underground Epicureans, taking people on walking tours to groovy new cafés and restaurants and giving a potted history of all the changes along the way.

Over a breakfast of quinoa and seed porridge and great coffee she explains how the once neglected downtown Newcastle has been reborn.

When the founder of notfor-profit company Renew Newcastle, Marcus Westbury, returned home in 2008 he discovered around 150 visibly empty buildings in the city centre and development projects either stalled by the financial crisis or simply not viable. The story of how Renew Newcastle came up with a model to make some of these spaces available on an interim basis to artists, creative enterprises and community groups is told in his book, Creating Cities, published last year, while his ideas are being looked at in other cities here and overseas.

Now construction cranes are everywhere, a light rail is planned for the CBD and a new transport interchange is being built at Wickham.

Pedestrian crossings intersect the former railway tracks, linking the old part of town including the West End with Honeysuckle, the near-completed 50-hectare residential and commercial area on former industrial land along the harbour.

The Newcastle Museum is in the old railway workshops here but my journey with Foster is exploring the less obvious treasures that visitors to

the city may not find on their own.

Our next stop is the cute Bank Corner Café in the building’s former staff kiosk. Further down Hunter Street we share a bagel topped with butter mushrooms at Papa’s Bagel Bar. Co-owner Johno Quinn’s fond memories of how his grandfather would soak up the last remnants of his meals with bread or a bagel are behind the name and the fresh-baked treats at this popular café.

A cold brew – ground coffee steeped in water – and the best crumpet I’ve ever tasted smothered in ricotta and macadamia nuts is pretty hard to fit in but we manage at the Press Book House Café, also on Hunter Street down from a gaggle of bridal shops.

“Renew has changed the whole feel of the city,” Foster says. That’s evident at the Emporium, which was once David Jones, where I meet

Tom Kearney at Ritual Object

Images supplied by Lindsay Bridge and Edwina Richards

“We explore less obvious treasures visitors might not find on their own” Renew general manager Christopher Saunders and see several artist businesses on site. He explains that since 2008/09, more than 200 projects have gone through its leasing process, taking over shops on a 30-day license. About 33 have gone on to take commercial leases on buildings they occupy, including Studio Melt further up the mall which sells carefully-curated jewellery, objects and arts in a combined retail and working studio/teaching space.

The Emporium’s shops range from clothes and dressmaking to craft and art. Printmaker Graham Wilson, whose space is called The Carved Greenman, sells wood cuts, stonework, images on t-shirts and paper sculptures. The store has led to commissions for signage for local businesses and others, such as designing a label for a perfume range. “More than anything it’s a showcase,” Wilson says.

In a smaller mall a few metres away owned by BNE September/October 2016 | 23

ESCAPE

“We wanted to mix the old and the new and pay tribute to its rich history”

The Lucky Hotel

the GPT Group, developers who own much of the city centre, Bliss Cavanagh’s Studio Bliss sells a variety of calming objects such as furry delights, weighted blankets and cushions that help with sleep problems. Cavanagh has used her art-making to come to terms with her own Tourette Syndrome and has created an Elysium Sensory Art Room for anybody who feels like a break from the outside world. Commissions for art installations with therapeutic benefits have followed.

Opposite, The Art Project is run by Andrew Davies, who started with Renew in 2014 with a gallery of his paintings and a studio. He runs art classes for kids from infant and primary school age and has just started to tutor high school students. “It’s like an art club,” he says.

Later as I walk past the former Star Hotel near the Art Gallery, I remember the words of the Cold Chisel song about the riot that broke out during the pub’s last night in 1979 just as local band The Heroes were finishing their set. It was a wild town in those days, according to artist John Morris, who, as an art student, was there that night. Drag queens, gays and transsexuals mixed easily with students, surfies and merchant

seamen, he tells me, explaining surf culture has always been big here.

I’m staying at the once notorious hotel where Morris and other artists had upstairs studios in the 1980s when it was known as The Lucky Country. It re-opened in 2014 as The Lucky Hotel after a major refurbishment by well-known hospitality family, the McCloys.

Starting life as the Bank Hotel in 1861, it now features old black and white photos lining the corridors, a drum-kit chandelier and quotes about luck on the walls of each guest room. A free monthly courtyard cinema is popular with locals, held in the restaurant.

“We wanted to create a different feel, mix the old and new and pay tribute to its rich history,” Blake McCloy, co-director with her sister, Hayley, tells me.

The new mood extends to the night-life scene.

Craft beer is big but classic whiskeys and spirits

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DON’T MISS • The walk up Cooks Hill and check out the beautiful, historic houses or visit Carrington to see the waterside workers’ cottages.

Food at East End Hub

Neroli Foster

are also emerging. Coal and Cedar is a speakeasy bar, hidden behind curtains on a nondescript shop front (another former bank) next to the Alibi Room barbers. After finding the entry, I chat with co-owner Ryan Hawthorne, who used to manage bars in Sydney where the Prohibition era is a common, fun theme.

“Some people said ‘you’re making a mistake’,” he says, when they opened the bar two years ago.

“But it’s been very well received. People are open to new things here.”

My last morning’s breakfast is in a part of town with a different vibe and closer to the beach – the East End – with East End Hub owner Lizzie Kocon. Formerly from Tamworth, she and her husband, Anthony – like her, also a chef – previously had The Brewery in Honeysuckle.

With a breakfast selection that ranges from ricotta hotcakes to the ‘meat man dreaming’ (eggs, bacon, speck, chorizo, rosti, chilli jam and toast) it’s no surprise the King Street café/ restaurant is buzzing with cyclists, tourists, locals,

older couples and young families in a room decorated with paintings by Lizzie’s sister, local rising artist Sarah Box. It’s also earned them a finalist nomination for Best Breakfast in the annual Savour Australia awards. The lunch menu features a healthy serve of local seafood and fresh produce from the farmers markets held every Sunday morning.

“Newcastle is just coming into its own,” Kocon says of a town that’s always bred artists, musicians, actors, poets and playwrights.

“People are realising it’s a hidden gem.”

• The new spectacular Memorial Walk, which joins the existing Bathers Way walk from Nobbys Beach to King Edward Park, Bar Beach to Merewether and beyond.

Find out more about Newcastle’s regeneration at www.renewnewcastle.org and food tours at www.epicureans.com.au

• Vintage or home-grown designer shopping at Cream Vintage in the Hunter Street Mall and a bunch on Beaumont Street, Hamilton or the Hunt & Gather and Olive Tree markets.

Fly direct from Brisbane to Newcastle with Jetstar, QantasLink and Virgin Australia

• The Lock-Up, the former police station transformed into a creative hub and contemporary arts space.

• Timeless Textiles which specialises in fibre/textile artworks or Mulberry and Flax for everything sewing, knitting and crafting.

“An absolute must see. Great show.

Great cast. Great food. Awesome venue.”

- Tammy S, Tripadvisor.

BNE September/October 2016 | 25

TRAVEL NEWS

SWIM WITH WHALES Tour operators from the Ningaloo region of Western Australia’s Coral Coast have begun a trial allowing tourists to swim with humpback whales as they migrate along the coastline between Coral Bay and the Exmouth Gulf until the end of November.

The number of swimmers is limited to 10 per tour group and only five are allowed in the water at one time as the whales swim by or rest on their journey. The Ningaloo Reef is already a popular destination to swim with whale sharks (March to July) and the temperate waters are home to 500 species of fish, turtles, manta rays and dolphins in an area stretching 300km along the coast just a few hours north of Perth. See www.australiascoralcoast.com/ attractions-events/swim-with-humpback-whales-in-2016 Fly direct from Brisbane to Perth with Qantas and Virgin Australia

Not your average mountain retreat

Thai road less travelled Dusit International has opened its newest resort on the edge of Thailand’s World Heritage-listed Khao Yai National Park, just two hours drive from central Bangkok. The resort is the latest addition to Dusit’s next gen D2 collection of high-tech, high design plug ‘n’ play hotels. Local activities include hiking, rock climbing, canoeing, biking, even feeding alpacas, and the area’s lesser-known food and wine trail is also ripe for exploring. Visitors travelling by car can follow a route from the town of Pak Chong past several farm stops (for tours and treats from ice cream and cookies to fresh juices and wines). There are also little man-made European style towns and villages scattered around the region with cafés, restaurants and quirky shops in Tuscan-style plazas. Also nearby, the Thames Valley is a part of Khao Yai as lush as the southern English countryside. For more on dusitD2 Khao Yai and opening packages see www.dusit.com/dusitd2/khaoyai Fly direct from Brisbane to Bangkok with Thai Airways

Bali’s better side

A new resort has just opened on the northwest coast of Bali – as far from Kuta (in distance and mood) as you can get and still be on the same island. Menjangan Dynasty Resort Beach Camp and Dive Centre is a ‘glamping’ style experience on an isolated peninsula with views to Menjangan Island, where diving and snorkelling is said to be the best in Bali. The resort is on the edge of the National Park and accommodation is casual luxe. Beach Camp ‘tents’ (right) and just four cliffside villa ‘tents’ are not just inspired by African Safari-style tents, they have been imported from South Africa, and there is no compromise on facilities, which include flat screen TVs, telephones, hairdryers and in-tent bathrooms. For anyone looking for a break from snorkelling and diving, the Atlas Pearl farms, the quiet village of Pemuteran, trekking, cycling, horse riding, hot springs and secret waterfalls are not far away. Find out more at www.mdr.pphotels.com

Fly direct to Denpasar from Brisbane with Jetstar and Virgin Australia

LIGHT UP THE DESERT The creators of Vivid Sydney have worked with Indigenous artists to create Parrtjima, a high-tech light and sound show that will play out on the 300 million-year-old canvas of Alice Springs Desert Park from 23 September to 2 October. The event takes its name from the word “parrtma” in the language of the Arrernte people, meaning “light up” or “lighting up” and includes installations featuring the work of Lenie Namatjira, granddaughter of acclaimed Arrernte artist Albert Namatjira, and other local artists, to share stories and the cultural history of the region. For information see http://parrtjimaaustralia.com.au Fly direct from Brisbane to Alice Springs with Qantas and Virgin Australia 26 | BNE September/October 2016

TRAVEL NEWS

AT HOME ON THE RANGE South Australia’s rugged Flinders Ranges are a popular location for filming and fashion shoots (such as Mimco’s spring/summer images seen on pages 12-13) due to the spectacular colours of the landscape, made more dramatic by the changing light that can turn mountain ranges from mauve to gold in just one day.

The area is also a drawcard for its rich Aboriginal heritage, abundant native wildlife and quaint country towns. See it at close range from a base like Rawnsley Park Station (left), which has been in the Smith family since 1953 and, although they are now outnumbered by visiting tourists, 2000 sheep still call the property home. Accommodation on the property ranges from camping to private eco-villas. For more information see www.rawnsleypark.com.au Fly direct from Brisbane to Adelaide with Jetstar, Qantas, Tigerair and Virgin Australia

Sailing into the sunset

Royal Caribbean’s Legend of the Seas (below) will spend its last summer season cruising the South Pacific from Brisbane’s Portside Wharf, Hamilton, from November this year until February 2017. Discounted fares are being offered for final cruises booked by 1 October 2016, which range from three-night samplers to 14 nights. For its final departure from Brisbane to Singapore on 20 February 2017 fares start from about $863 per person, twin share for 11 nights and stops en route include Cairns and Darwin.

See www.royalcaribbean.com.au

MORE FLIGHTS TO

TAIWAN

Fly direct from Brisbane to Taiwan with Eva Air

SKI WHERE?

When Aussie skier David Freuden found himself in Europe last year looking for intrepid new terrain to explore it didn’t take long for him to spot a new business opportunity. “I could only speak English so when a local gave me resort recommendations I was unable to pronounce, remember or spell I realised I needed a search engine that allowed me to find the resort right for my style of skiing,” says Freuden. He went on to discover some of the lesser known border resorts of the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia but drove past more than he skied, convincing him he needed a better guide to know what to expect before he travelled somewhere. So the one-time ski pro and heli ski tour operator dived into his next business venture, new website http://snowcomparison.com which allows skiers and boarders to search for a resort that suits them based on terrain, vertical drop and accommodation prices. The site currently lists 2400 resorts in 56 countries – from Chimbulak in Kazakhstan to Whitewater Resort (below), east of Vancouver in British Columbia (average annual snow depth a whopping 12 metres) – and more continue to be added.

Fly direct from Brisbane to Vancouver and onward connections with Air Canada

Photography by Doug LePage

Taiwan is one of Brisbane Airport’s top five growth markets and visitor numbers between the two cities will get a further boost when Eva Air launches new flights between Brisbane and Taipei’s Taoyuan Airport in October. Eva Air will more than double its flights from Brisbane to a five-times weekly, year-round service departing BNE on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. It is one of Brisbane Airport’s longest serving airlines, operating flights for 23 years, and Brisbane is its only Australian port. It was recently named one of the world’s top three safest airlines, alongside Qantas and Cathay Pacific.

BNE September/October 2016 | 27

TASTE 1

1

Aria, 1 Eagle Street, city. Open for lunch Monday to Friday and dinner 7 nights. See www.ariarestaurant.com/brisbane

2

5BEST

ARIA

Matt Moran led the charge of Sydney restaurateurs expanding to Brisbane in 2009 and Aria occupies prime riverfront at 1 Eagle Street in the city with panoramic views to the Story Bridge. The restaurant was awarded two chefs hats in the Brisbane Times Good Food Guide Awards earlier this year.

Matt guides the menu with head chef Ben Russell and on Brisbane Festival’s spectacular Riverfire night on 24 September there will be a choice of three courses (served from 5pm to 7.30pm accompanied by the fireworks) and five courses (from 8.15pm post fireworks). Signature dishes on the early menu favour a selection of roasts including duck breast with smoked sausage while the five-course selection is a pared back set menu. Prices from $150 per person (three courses) and $210 per person (5 courses) with a glass of champagne.

OTTO

Otto Sydney has been a favourite diner for that city’s celebrities and powerbrokers since 2000 and its owners have chosen Brisbane to be its first interstate location – and what a location it is, on the parkland level of the 480 Queen Street tower in the city, new home to corporate giants such as BHP Billiton, Mitsui, PwC and umpteen legal eagles. Diners are in for an authentic experience under Otto’s former Sydney-based sous chef, Will Cowper, serving up dishes such as beef carpaccio with truffle dressing, black and white tagliolini with Moreton Bay bugs, spaghettini with smoked ham hock and more. It’s a taste of southern Italian inspiration meets fresh local produce. There’s a view to the Story Bridge for the Riverfire fireworks and Cowper will serve a four-course menu on the night, starting with a glass of champagne from 7pm. Cost, $220 per person.

2

OF THE

Otto, Parkland Level, 480 Queen Street, city. Open for lunch Monday to Friday and dinner Monday to Saturday. For more information see www.ottoristorante.com.au/brisbane

3

RIVER QUAY FISH

River Quay on Brisbane’s South Bank offers a more informal view of the river from the lawn on the water’s edge to the al fresco restaurants just behind it. In this strip Alex Barton has given his former Cove Bar and Dining a complete redo, opening up the dining space to shared tables, a new colour palette and a completely new seafood-centric menu. Reinvented as River Quay Fish, the menu boasts a range of share plates such as Singaporean-style blue swimmer crab coconut rice, small plates including whiting tacos (pictured), all sorts of fish pan-fried, beer-battered and poached, and a family-friendly fish pack for four priced at $50.

Riverside dining

River Quay Fish, Sidon Street, South Brisbane. Open lunch and dinner 7 days. See www.rqf.com.au

4

BAR PACINO

Nothing fancy about the food here but the view, up and down the river, is to die for, making it a hot spot to chill out after work in the city. The menu caters for groups with share platters, from house dips to the pizza taster or the signature Pacino platter for five – a sampler of calamari, pizza, arancini, chorizo, crumbed olives, cured meats, meatballs and artisan bread – and the Taste of Italy dessert plate, also for five. Hot tip: book ahead for a front table.

3

4

Bar Pacino, 175 Eagle Street, city. Open 7 days. For more information see http://bellezzagroup.com.au/bar-pacino/

5

BLACK BIRD

Described as the ‘glamazon’ of Brisbane dining, Black Bird opened its doors two years ago to a Gatsbyesque bar serving Prohibition-style cocktails and a steak menu to challenge the most discerning carnivore – the 1.5kg Wagyu T-bone, large enough to be shared by up to four people, takes share plates to a whole new dimension. Chef Jake Nicolson’s specials from the wood grill are also hot here. With a direct view to the Story Bridge and the fireworks it is already booked for a private event on Riverfire night but, like Bar Pacino, will be open to the public again post fireworks from 9pm.

5 28 | BNE September/October 2016

Black Bird, 123 Eagle Street, city. Open lunch and dinner 7 days. See www.blackbirdbrisbane.com.au

TASTE

NEW LOOK OF

EAT&GO Food blogger Kerry Heaney dines out at Brisbane Airport and finds some city favourites have moved in…

A

passion for travelling and surfing also led Dan Pappas to the source of good coffee – he soon found that some of his favourite surf spots in Indonesia, Central and South America not only had great coastal breaks they also grew great beans, allowing him the golden opportunity to mix business and pleasure, and Fonzie Abbott coffee was born. Now locals in the know head direct to the source, the roastery in Albion (only minutes from Brisbane Airport), and frequent flying fans head to its newest café corner in Brisbane Airport’s Domestic Terminal, the rustic décor a mini match of the Albion HQ to make them feel right at home.

It’s no coincidence that the travelling Pappas should see his favourite brew in an airport terminal. When Brisbane Airport was planning the redevelopment of its food court in the Domestic Terminal it took its inspiration from

caption here Chop Chop Chang’s

Aviation Pier Café and Bar

the best foodie hangouts in the city, from the Valley to West End, and from the river to the beach, and Fonzie Abbott’s coffee can be found at many of them. The coffee served at the terminal is the popular signature Highside blend, fresh roasted and served up with a view of the airside action.

Where Fonzie’s is designed for a quick getaway, other new arrivals at the food court mimic the buzzy atmosphere of their high street counterparts with share tables, easy to eat one bowl dishes, small taster plates and a reinvention of all-time favourites like fish (craft beerbattered, for example) and chips or gourmetedup burgers (wagyu, soft shell crab).

Chop Chop Chang’s caused a stir when it first arrived in West End’s main street with its long bench tables and its modern take on pan-Asian street food, quick and made to order with fresh local ingredients. It’s a pared down menu at the airport but some of the hot favourites are there – steamed pork and chive dumplings, chilli-infused salt and pepper squid tentacles, crispy whole school prawns and red duck curry, as well as some custom plates.

It’s a tempter for travellers to allow more time to chill – and eat – before a flight and avoid the stress of rushing for a plane. The new Glasshouse Bar even opens at 4.30am so early birds can still catch their smashed avo on sourdough or dine out on the breakfast skillet of free range fried eggs, pork and parsley sausage, Chriberg double-smoked bacon, mushrooms, roasted cherry tomatoes, avocado and sourdough toast.

Later, a porterhouse steak may be called for with a glass of red wine or a local craft brew – Green Beacon and Newstead Brewery both supply from their brewhouses – and, just as you’d expect in the Valley or a local on any Thursday and

Glasshouse Bar

Friday night in Brissy, there’s some live music to start the weekend wind down as the sun sets.

The Glasshouse Bar takes its name from the mountains that pop up on the horizon to the north of Brisbane towards the Sunshine Coast and it offers its own view of planes as they take-off or taxi up to the gates behind the open kitchen and bar, and so its window-seat tables are as sought after as any on Brisbane’s riverfront.

But one of the best kept secrets of dining out at the Domestic Terminal is Aviation Pier Café and Bar, a bit further to walk but closer to the departure gates (Gate 43) and a bit quieter to enjoy a plate of a house specialty – barbecue chicken wings with Woombye (Sunshine Coast) blue cheese dressing.

I used to be the sort of traveller who arrived at the airport as late as I could to board the plane without actually missing it, but now I’ve changed my tactics and make time – at least for a cocktail or my favourite coffee – to enjoy the departure.

Find out more about dining options at Brisbane Airport at www.bne.com.au. Follow Kerry Heaney at www.eatdrinkandbekerry.com.au

NEW WORLD FOOD Mexico

Who doesn’t like a rowdy Mexican banquet and Mucho Mexicano, recently opened in South Bank and Milton, is just the place, designed for shared dining on quesadillas, burritos, build your own tacos, tostadas and more. Choose from slow-cooked lamb, chipotle braised brisket, crispy pork belly, or wagyu, truffled chicken and Moreton Bay bug ingredients. And you can’t miss the Margarita bar.

Mucho Mexicano, Shop 15, Little Stanley Street, South Bank and 4/55 Railway Terrace, Milton. Open 7 days for lunch and dinner, breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays.

Turkey Head chef Buphen Gurung brings a taste of the Turkish food bazaar to leafy Hawthorne at Downtown Istanbul. Turkish pizzas, pides and gozleme, a traditional hand-made Turkish flatbread filled with toppings such as sweet potato, spinach and feta and grilled, are menu staples but specialties such as Pilic Sehrazat (a charcoalgrilled chicken breast, with beetroot and creamy mushroom sauce) and Ali Nazik (roasted eggplant, capsicum, onion and garlic with yoghurt and a choice of meat) are highlights. The bevvy of choice – their special Sangria by the jug, of course.

Downtown Istanbul, 4/274 Hawthorne Road, Hawthorne. Open 7 days lunch and dinner plus weekend breakfast.

Vietnam Daniel Ward, whose Stables Craft Bar and Kitchen is already a hot spot in Ascot, has teamed with hospitality veteran Maris Cook to open Hello Please in the funky Fish Lane at South Brisbane. Influenced by the likes of Melbourne’s Saigon Sally and Kong BBQ, and LA’s E.P Eating House, the vibe is fun and casual – the setting a Drapl-decorated shipping container – while food is a take on Vietnamese street eats – fresh-made bao, dumplings, rice-paper rolls and banh mi are signature dishes. Eat-in or take away but we suggest hanging out to sip one of the specialty cocktails.

Hello Please, Fish Lane, off Grey Street, South Brisbane. Open Tuesday to Sunday midday until late.

Stay at Brisbane Marriott from $179 on weekends until 30 October Terms and conditions apply Promotion code: BED

Phone 07 3303 8000 or visit brisbanemarriott.com to book BNE September/October 2016 | 31

WHAT’S ON

IN THE PICTURE

Award-winning 3D chalk artist Jenny McCracken will be back at Brisbane Festival this year creating her visual illusions on the pavement at South Bank. McCracken always creates a spot where people can put themselves ‘in her picture’ – ‘balancing’ on a plane wing, ‘walking’ a tightrope, ‘sitting’ on a chair or ‘stepping’ into a box. Festival organisers will encourage visitors to the Chalk Walk to take photos and share them on social media to win prizes. See Jenny McCracken’s street art, sponsored by Brisbane Airport Corporation, from 3-24 September at Arcadia, Cultural Forecourt South Bank, free event. For children’s workshops details see www.brisbanefestival.com.au

FESTIVAL MARATHON

DYNAMO’S

MAGIC

We’ve seen him levitate in front of Brazil’s iconic Christ the Redeemer statue, pull a feather through a mirror backstage at the Moulin Rouge in Paris (in front of a gaggle of Aussie dancers) and somehow transfer the (sketched) sunglasses off skateboard art onto the top of his own head at Venice Beach on the TV hit Dynamo Magician Impossible but finally Steven Frayne, aka Dynamo (left), is coming to Australia for the first time to perform his magic live.

See what has had celebrities and hundreds of thousands of spectators around the world totally bamboozled. At Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Boondall, 8 November. Tickets from $79.90 plus fees.

See www.ticketek.com.au

Bundaberg performer Rebecca Hutchins (pictured) and others in the region have worked with Brisbane’s Women in Voice creative team, founder Annie Peterson, director Lewis Jones and singer/ songwriter Emma Dean, to create their own stage production, Bundaberg in Voice, which will be part of Crush Festival from 7-16 October. The 10-day festival is packed full of mini festivals, including the Travelling Film Festival, Rum and Food Festival and Writefest, as well as art workshops, exhibitions, markets and performances. Bundaberg in Voice will be on 14-15 October at the Playhouse Theatre, Bundaberg. For details see www.crushfestivalqld.com.au

LA BOITE PRESENTS

A S T R E E T C AR NA M E D D E S I RE B Y T E NNE SSE E W I LLI AMS 15 OCT – 12 NOV 2016

BOOK NOW LABOITE.COM.AU LA BOI TE TH EATRE COM PA N Y La Boite Theatre Company is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland

32 | BNE September/October 2016

La Boite Theatre Company is assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its funding and advisory body

SURFSIDE SCULPTURE

A kilometre of the Gold Coast’s Currumbin Beach will become a surfside art gallery from 9-18 September when 50 dynamic sculptures will be displayed as part of the Swell Sculpture open air exhibition. Local, national and international artists have contributed their works which range from the mini to the monumental, and are in competition to win awards valued at more than $32,000. A program of free live entertainment, kids’ activities, artist talks, masterclasses and more will accompany the exhibition. See the installations from Pacific Parade. For details see www.swellsculpture.com.au Andy Scott’s Arabesque displayed at a previous Swell festival, photography by Paul Ewart

Headline Act

Father Peter Kennedy made headlines in 2009 when he was sacked from his position at St Marys Catholic Church in South Brisbane by the Archbishop of Brisbane. Accused of unorthodox practices, which included his support of women preachers and blessing same sex couples, Father Kennedy did not leave without a fight and hundreds of loyal parishioners left the church with him.

It’s a controversial story that inspired local playwright David Barton to pick up where the newspapers left off – what happened when the priest handed over the keys and led his flock down the road to the Trades and Labor Council building where they still worship every weekend. At the time they were called St Mary’s in Exile and the name has stuck. It’s also the title of Barton’s new play for Queensland Theatre Company. He spent about six months researching the events and speaking with Kennedy and other Catholic priests, parishioners and the current Archbishop (who was not in the role at the time of the scandal).

“The human drama underlying the politics was my interest. I’m not replicating the events, I’ve taken artistic license and leaps of imagination and the play wrestles with some big questions about how religious institutions should operate in the 21st century,” Barton says. Until 25 September at Bille Brown Studio, South Brisbane. See www.queenslandtheatre.com.au

LA BOITE, OPERA QUEENSLAND & BRISBANE FESTIVAL PRESENT

S NO W W H I T E 3 – 24 SEP 2016

BOOK NO W LABOITE.COM.AU

CREATED & DEVISED BY LINDY HUME, SUZIE MILLER & ZULYA KAMALOVA

L A B O IT E T H E AT R E COM PAN Y

Principal Partner

Brisbane Festival is an initiative of the Queensland Government and Brisbane City Council

La Boite Theatre Company & Opera Q are supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland

La Boite Theatre Company & Opera Q are assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its funding and advisory body

BNE September/October 2016 | 33

BRISBANE FESTIVAL

HOT PICKS

Checkhov’s First Play (above) has received rave reviews for Irish Dead Centre theatre company and it makes its first appearance in Australia only at Brisbane Festival. It’s an innovative production that hands out headphones to the audience to hear a running commentary from the director over the dialogue. Clever and funny, he explains the action and gossips about the cast.

From 21-24 September at Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm.

It’s not the only production that throws all preconceptions of what stage performance should be out the window. Lindy Hume’s direction of Opera Queensland’s Snow White not only turns the classic fairytale into a horror story, she mixes up the music from rock to opera. Grimm would have been proud. From 3-24 September at La Boite’s Roundhouse Theatre, Kelvin Grove.

Dancenorth’s wildly colourful sensory performance Rainbow Vomit (below) is designed for young people but adults too will get a kick out of the fireworks glasses that let you see rainbows – something everyone should put on as soon as they start to get a dim view of the world around them. Behind the colours, energetic choreography and the laughs there’s a clear message about the effect digital technology is having on our brains that audience members of all ages can relate to and Rainbow Vomit clearly aims to reignite the imagination. From 21-24 September at Judith Wright Centre, Fortitude Valley.

Brisbane Festival is not all about watching – it’s also about doing and You Should Be Dancing is a free for all in Queens Park outside Treasury Casino and Hotel in the city where everyone gets to learn the moves from 7pm then dance and see how the experts do it from 8pm. Dance your way around the world – Jamaican (8 September), Bollywood (9 September), Latino (10 September) and join the tribute to Brisbane’s historic dance hall Cloudland with a classic waltz or two (11 September).

For the full program of events see www.brisbanefestival.com.au

34 | BNE September/October 2016

WHAT’S ON WHEN WHAT

A ROLE

MOST DESIRED

Bridie Carter (pictured below) joins a long list of celebrated actors who have played the coveted role of Blanche DuBois in the Pulitzer Prize-winning Tennessee Williams play A Streetcar Named Desire – a role that is considered one of the best ever written for a woman. However, she won’t be looking back to performances of Vivienne Leigh, Jessica Lange or Cate Blanchett in preparation for her lead role in the La Boite Theatre production. Instead Carter has been reading more about the playwright, his biography and the times he lived in to learn more about her character and others in the play.

Although it was written in the 1940s it has strong themes that are still poignant today, from alcoholism and addiction to domestic violence and mental illness.

Carter is looking forward to being back on stage after five years and it fits nicely between filming her latest television role on Seven Network drama 800 Words in New Zealand.

She hopes the play will find a new relevance with a younger generation who may not be so familiar with Williams’ work.

“He was such a tortured man, it sort of brings him alive again and I want to honour that. You’re voicing his words, his life, his pain, his sorrow and taking that back out into the world again,” she says.

A Streetcar Named Desire, Roundhouse Theatre, La Boite, Kelvin Grove from 15 Ocober to 12 November. Tickets from $59 plus fees. See www.laboite.com.au

WHERE

SEPTEMBER 3-24

Brisbane Festival

For locations see www.brisbanefestival.com.au

3

The Whitlams

The Triffid, Newstead

7-11

Brisbane Writers Festival

State Library of Queensland South Brisbane

7-18

Jurassic Park The Musical

Brisbane Arts Theatre, Petrie Terrace

9

Big Sound Closing Party

The Triffid, Newstead

10

The Barber of Seville, OperaQ

Playhouse, QPAC, South Brisbane

15

The Beast, theatre

Lyric Theatre, QPAC, South Brisbane

16

Queensland Symphony Orchestra (QSO) Morning Masterworks: The Russians

Concert Hall, QPAC, South Brisbane

17

Oz Comic Con

Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Brisbane

17

Foy Vance, music

The Zoo, Fortitude Valley

20

Bundit Puangthong ‘Reliving’, art exhibition

Edwina Corlette Gallery, New Farm

24

Sunsuper Riverfire fireworks

City and South Bank

26

The Next Step, dance

Concert Hall, QPAC, South Brisbane

27

Swing, theatre

Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm

From 29

Titanic The Movie The Play, comedy

Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm

30

Marina Prior and Mark Vincent

Concert Hall, QPAC, South Brisbane

OCTOBER 1

QSO tribute, David Bowie

Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Brisbane

1

Louis Theroux in conversation

Concert Hall, QPAC, South Brisbane

1

Kate Ceberano and Paul Grabowsky, Love Songs

Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm

2

5 Seconds of Summer, concert

Riverstage, Botanic Gardens, city

2

Newstead Roots Festival

The Triffid, Newstead

5

Tequila Mockingbird, theatre

Cremorne Theatre, QPAC, South Brisbane

6

The Jezebels

The Triffid, Newstead

7

Queensland Brides Expo

Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Brisbane

From 8

Guards Guards, theatre

Brisbane Arts Theatre, Petrie Terrace

8

Queensland Pops Orchestra, Best of the Pops

Concert Hall, QPAC, South Brisbane

14

Disgraced, Melbourne Theatre Company production

Playhouse, QPAC, South Brisbane

19

DepotNext, entrepreneurial business ideas, free

Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm

19

Andre Rieu, music

Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Boondall

21

Brisbane Fitness and Health Expo

Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Brisbane

22

Emma Louise, music

The Triffid, Newstead

22-23

Brisbane Fashion Weekend

Brisbane Showgrounds, Bowen Hills

23

QSO plays Peter and the Wolf

Courier Mail Piazza, South Bank Parklands

27

Caravan and Camping Sale

Brisbane Showgrounds, Bowen Hills

28

Good Food and Wine Show

Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Brisbane BNE September/October 2016 | 35

MY BRISBANE

From left: Hannah Bronte, photographed

by Marc Grimwade; New Farm Park; the Keyholes on North Stradbroke Island (images courtesy TEQ); the café at Woolloongabba Antique Centre; a pool mural at Musgrave Park Pool, image by Adam Lester; a still from Hannah Bronte’s video installation Still I Rise

HANNAH BRONTE Artist Hannah Bronte is a multimedia artist whose works include body painting, photography, experimental video and sound. Her latest video installation uses a combination of colourful contemporary visuals and the language of rap to explore both feminist and Indigenous issues at an exhibition at Metro Arts in September

Where do you live?

New Farm, about 2km from the CBD in Brisbane’s inner north.

Any great finds since moving there?

New Farm Park isn’t a secret but the afternoon down there, the golden hour from 4-5pm is a pretty magical time to have a wine in the park.

What’s your favourite meal out?

I’m a simple gal. Crispy fried chicken and special fried rice with home-made lemon iced tea at Quan Thanh (75 Hardgrave Rd) in West End. It’s cheap, delicious Pan-Asian food and BYO. I am all about fried chicken all the time so this is my go-to because it’s quick and hits the spot. Not recommended for first dates – it’s super public – but I do recommend it for epic catch-ups with your crew before going out.

Best coffee stop?

Ugees Espresso (80 Boundary St) in West End is a hang spot. Always good for a yarn and a stool in the sun. It isn’t flash; it’s simple and quick so you can hang and play the piano and talk all day or you can get a coffee and bounce.

Any favourite bar or best place to catch up with friends?

Classic. Rumpus Room (56 Russell St, West End). I always end up here and it’s full of my friends behind and in front of the bar. Also shout-out to Betty’s Espresso and Bar (11 Browning St, West End) that just opened in West End, my next go-to. My sisters say it’s great so it’s likely to become a regular hang.

Where do you always take visitors?

Where to begin! Highlights are West End

36 | BNE September/October 2016

Markets (corner of Jane St and Montague Rd) and beautiful Saturday mornings doing fruit and veg shopping, grabbing coffee, laying in the sun; Woolloongabba Antique Centre (22 Wellington Rd, Woolloongabba), a nice place to roam and dream, it’s full of relics and beautiful finds; South Bank – I feel all visitors to Brisbane must witness our hilarious inner city beach, the parklands are lush now so a beer at sunset overlooking the river on the green is the end to an epic Brisbane day.

Rap music features in your work, where do you go to listen to good live music?

Brisbane is definitely a gig-based town. I go to random venues to hear what I want but recently the Triffid (7-9 Stratton St, Newstead) has been hosting some great gigs and has a really nice festival vibe about the way they host their day gigs.

What do you do when you are not working on your art?

I host youth art workshops at the Albert Park Flexible Learning Centre (1 Hale St, city). The kids vary in age from 14 to 18 and numbers vary on the day from 5 to 25. The centre offers flexible learning outside the confines of the traditional school system for teens and young adults who perhaps have less home support. They can learn at their own pace and with a much more self-directed structure in a supportive teaching environment.

I’ve been hosting workshops since the beginning of this year but I’ve done projects similar to this in the past, working with youth who are slipping through the cracks of the traditional school system.

We are aiming to create a three-panel mural

WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD?

to install in the police beat on Adelaide Street in the city. I’m also working with another artist, Sonny Au, who specialises in signwriting and airbrush. We have worked with the kids on heaps of activities to open them up to creating whatever they wanted for these final works. The project is all about the young people feeling welcome and sharing what ‘welcome’ means to them. We spoke about gestures, facial expressions, colours that affect our moods and symbols. From this it will end up with the murals expressing each site’s different views on welcoming artwork.

What have you learned by doing those workshops?

That young people are resilient beyond measure.

The small interactions with some of them, and their bravery to complete school, reminds me of why I need to keep pushing hard in my art and my life. They definitely teach you a lot about education being a privilege and I respect them all for turning up and making such effort to be present. Also the humour they bring to each workshop – we are always laughing while we work and laughter can turn your whole outlook around.

Living 50 metres from Brisbane River is beautiful. I can open my door and see water. That’s pretty grounding. been to some lush spots but a particularly nice one we go to is Anouk (212 Given Tce) in Paddington. It’s run by our friend Justine and it’s delicious, always.

Your mum was a swimmer and now you also teach swimming. Where did you learn to swim?

I think Mum dunked me in the pool and the ocean super early. My most vivid memories of swimming training are definitely at Yeronga Park and Musgrave Park pools. I deeply believed that I was a mermaid when I was little so I was always in the water. I don’t ever remember not being able to swim and feeling confident in deep water.

Your favourite place to swim – pool or beach?

If it’s sunny, Musgrave Park (100 Edmonstone St, West End) is a great inner city pool with a huge grassy hill to lay in the sun and read Where do you feel happiest? a book; if it’s overcast the Spring Hill Baths The river settles me. There’s a secret spot in West (14 Torrington St) are beautiful. The different End along the Brisbane River that I can sit and no coloured painted doors make it feel like you’re one can find me, I can draw, weave, cry, think and in a movie set. The beach is a bit further away dream there uninterrupted. but I love Elephant Rock at Currumbin where you can surf or swim and, if you have time, you Where’s your favourite place to catch up can check out amazing waterfalls in the Gold with your mum?

Coast hinterland.

We usually just have a coffee in West End or on her back deck if we need secret goss chats. As I’ve Where do you go to see good art? gotten older Mama and I have started trying flash Milani Gallery (54 Logan Rd, Woolloongabba) and my friends’ studios. restaurants and coffee shops, which is fun. We’ve

What do you like to do most when you’re not working?

I love being outside so having a really long yummy lunch with friends is a good day off for me. I also recommend rollerblading along Kangaroo Point cliffs – not the top of the cliffs (which is very busy) but along the river walk.

You can hire skates (at Riverlife) complete with dorky helmet and knee guards (take the knee guards), then you can cruise up and down the river skating along. It’s really fun and, from the sore quads I get afterwards, I guess it’s a pretty good workout for the legs.

What is your favourite short break outside Brisbane?

Quandamooka country, ‘Minjerribah’, North Stradbroke Island. Lots of my beautiful sissys are from there and it’s the most magical place to settle your soul. That island has a lot of magic and power and I come back feeling grounded and fearless. You have to come with respect to the island and honour the local mobs’ ways. If you do that you’ll witness one of the most majestic natural landscapes we have left.

Still I Rise, Hannah Bronte’s latest video installation, will be shown 14-30 September as part of Unbuttoned // A festival of gender, art and you at Metro Arts Gallery, Level 2, 109 Edward Street, city. Bronte will give an artist’s talk about her work on 21 September at 6pm.

BNE September/October 2016 | 37

NEED TO KNOW 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 Chinesespeaking ambassadors wear red shirts.

BNE PARKING

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

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 and travels via Skygate.

TRANSPORT BOOKINGS Coach, rail, limousine and corporate car bookings can be made at the Visitor Information Centre, Level 2 International Terminal or Level 1 Domestic 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. See www.translink.com.au or call 13 12 30.

TAXIS AND AIRTRAIN

Taxi ranks are located kerbside Level 2 International Terminal and Level 1 Domestic Terminal. 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.

BNE Maps + More Download the Brisbane Airport app to access important flight information, terminal maps and parking, shopping and dining options at the airport. Add your itinerary and more. Available free for iPhone and Android at Google play and App Store.

38 July/August 2016 2016 38 | BNE September/October

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

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.

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

Tax Refund Scheme (TRS) The TRS enables you 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. See www. customs.gov.au or call 1300 363 263.

Lost property International: enquiries to Visitor Information Centre, Level 2; call (07) 3406 3190 or email international@sqt. com.au. Domestic: enquiries first to your airline. Qantas call (07) 3867 3264, Virgin Australia (07) 3114 8150, Jetstar (07) 3336 1752 or email Tigerair at ttbne.ops@ aerocare.com.au before contacting the Visitor Information Centre on Level 1; call (07) 3068 6698 or send emails to domestic@sqt.com.au Disability access Lifts, travelators, ramps, aerobridges, rest points, accessible parking spaces and toilet

Shopping at BNE’s International Terminal is even better at the bigger, open plan JR/Duty Free precinct, a mini-mall of leading brand concept stores within the newly revitalised departures area on Level 3 facilities are in place for passengers with limited mobility or disabilities. Airlines are responsible for assisting passengers with disabilities within terminals. Passengers should refer to their airline’s policies prior to booking their ticket. There is no porter service or any form of direct assistance provided at Brisbane Airport other than any assistance that may be provided by the passenger’s airline.

WiFi access Free WiFi access up to 1GB at International Terminal and central area Domestic Terminal.

Local amenities Skygate is Brisbane Airport’s retail and dining precinct, a short free ride on the Transfer Bus from the terminals. There are more than 130 stores, including brandname factory outlets, a 24/7 supermarket, hairdresser, gym, restaurants, chemist, medical clinic, hotel, beauty services, barber, tavern and golf leisure centre.

Prayer Room A multi-denominational prayer room is located at International Terminal Level 4.

Police For assistance at Brisbane Airport telephone 13 12 37.

Acknowledgement In keeping with the spirit of reconciliation, we respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which Brisbane Airport stands, and pay respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.

DAY IN THE LIFE More than 22 million passengers travel through Brisbane Airport each year.

These are just a few snapped on their journey Brisbane More than 22by million passengers travel through Brisbane Airport photographer each year. These are just a few snapped their journey by MarconGrimwade Brisbane photographer Marc Grimwade

Nikhil Sundhar, 7, on his way to Sydney for a holiday with his parents

Hongmi Yun and Bruce Kim arrive from Seoul, Korea, for a holiday

Nikki Breakley welcomes home daughter Emma Merritt for a visit from Dubai Albury-based Jim Bruce in transit to Rockhampton for work

Lawyer Donal Griffin homeward bound to Sydney after a business trip to Brisbane

Olivia Wood welcomes her friend Amanda Meyer from Texas

Grace Kelly on her way back to Bali after a short visit

BNE September/October 2016 | 39

BRISBANE TO THE WORLD

Tokyo (Narita) Seoul

Japan

South Korea

Guangzhou

Dubai

Shanghai* (Pudong) China Taipei Taiwan

China

United Arab Emirates

Abu Dhabi

United Arab Emirates

Hong Kong China

Manila

Philippines

Bangkok Thailand

Singapore

Singapore

Denpasar

Port Moresby Papua New Guinea

Indonesia

Honiara

Solomon Islands

BRISBANE

Brisbane to the world

To 74 destinations direct from Brisbane and beyond

*Flights start December 2016.

Vancouver Canada

Los Angeles USA

Honolulu

USA

Darwin

Nauru

Cairns

Nauru

Cloncurry Mount Isa

Port Hedland Alice Springs

Longreach

Samoa

Birdsville

Espiritu Santo

Emerald

Thargomindah

Nadi Fiji

Bundaberg Charleville Fraser Coast (Hervey Bay) Roma Miles Quilpie BRISBANE St George Toowoomba Cunnamulla Moree Narrabri

Noumea

New Caledonia

Biloela

Rockhampton Gladstone

Windorah

Vanuatu

Vanuatu

Whitsunday Coast (Proserpine) Hamilton Island Mackay

Moranbah Barcaldine

Blackall

Apia

Port Vila

Townsville

Perth

Port Macquarie

Dubbo

Norfolk Island Australia

Newcastle

Albury

Canberra

Melbourne

Auckland New Zealand

New Zealand

Christchurch New Zealand

Dunedin

New Zealand

Queenstown New Zealand

Map not to scale. Please note airlines and destinations are current at time of print.

Lord Howe Island

Sydney

Adelaide

Wellington

Armidale Coffs Harbour Tamworth

Launceston Hobart

GETTING TO THE CITY M4

Route Number

25

Exit Number Train Line

TO SUNSHINE COAST

Main Road AirportlinkM7 & Clem Jones Tunnels Brisbane CBD Service Centre

Nudgee

A3

Banyo

BRISBANE AIRPORT

W ay

M3

Nundah

Boggy Creek

DOMESTIC TERMINAL

So ut he rn Cr os s

Gympie Road

Sandgate Road

A3

Airp ort Driv e

Chermside

26

Stafford

TO CITY

e

Rd

Albion

Lytton way otor yM ewa Gat

ra ge og En

ross Way rn C

Lutwyche

th S ou

Clayfield

M7

INTERNATIONAL TERMINAL

terial Road t Ar Ea s t -Wes

M7

A3

Mo tor way

Stafford Ro ad

Breakfast Creek

Hamilton Eagle Farm

77 Enoggera Creek

Bowen Hills

31

M1 Aquarium Passage

30

RI V E R

M4

Bulimba

s

Newstead

ty

By pa s

Kelvin Grove Inn e r C i

Wynnum West

Spring Hill

Paddington

Morningside 15 33

BRISBANE y wa tor Mo ific Pac

West End

Main Street

Milton Co ro na tio nD riv e

BRIS BANE

25

Por tO fB risb ane

26

Windsor

M1

Road nnum Wy

New Farm 23

23

Manly R oad

Norman Park TO GOLD COAST

* Map not to scale.

BNE September/October 2016 | 43

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