BNE Magazine Issue 22

FR EE YO M UR AG AZ IN E

ISSUE #22 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

Jeff THE HORNET Horn BRISBANE’S NEW SUPERHERO SPRING STYLE JENNIFER HAWKINS BEST DRESSED

ESCAPE

NEW GATEWAY TO CHINA CANBERRA’S HIP HANGOUTS MOUNTAIN BIKING IN CAIRNS WHERE TO SPEND A WHITE CHRISTMAS

WHAT’S ON

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

I

n Queensland we don’t really have four distinct seasons. Instead we have a hot summer and a slightly cooler few months either side. The real change in the air doesn’t come with the change of temperature as much as the vibe in the city as soon as 1 September comes around. Suddenly everyone wants to be outdoors again and, in this issue, we have plenty of ways to enjoy it – from kitebuggy sailing on the shores of Moreton Bay (p42) and savouring the local seafood (p28) to mountain biking on world class forest trails near Cairns (p21) – and when Brisbane Festival begins (p34) we know that summer is not far behind

CONTENTS 4

Brisbane Airport News

New Artist-in-Residence; a guide for travellers with dementia; community grant applications open and more

FOOD & DRINK 28 Made to order menus at

new hotels

Local produce is so last season! Bespoke is what’s on the menu now for new restaurants; events for food lovers

7

Brisbane Insider

Step inside an extraordinary adventure; travel-inspired exhibition; South Bank celebrates and more

10

Jeff Horn

He’s tough against his opponents but ‘The Hornet’ is a gentleman outside the ring

WHAT’S ON 32 New face of opera

12

Jennifer Hawkins The best dresses for spring and summer

ESCAPE 14 Shenzhen a new gateway

to China

30 Inside Brisbane Airport’s

34

16

Insider’s guide to Canberra

Photographer Lean Timms shares her hot spots to visit

21

Mountain biking in Cairns

35

Going with the flow on world class forest

trails with detours for spectacular sightseeing

International guest lounges

Healthy food, hydration bars, wellness spas and WiFi are some of the perks

Highlights of Brisbane Festival Local talent in the spotlight; Aquaman surfaces; and migrant tales

Events calendar Find out what’s happening around the city

MY BRISBANE 36 Rhianna Buchanan

Stunt rider, shares her favourite things to do around Brisbane

GALLERY 39 Day in the life

24

Escape extra

Five ways to spend a white Christmas; Australia’s first capsule hotel and more

NEED TO KNOW 38 Helpful information for

42

People in transit at Brisbane Airport

visitors to Brisbane Airport 10 things to do in Moreton Bay region 40 Destination map There’s more than great surf beaches to explore

32

Reimagining opera for a younger

audience; a fairy tale for the hip hop

generation; acrobatics from Africa and more

New direct flights from Brisbane open up a network to China’s great attractions

20

43

Brisbane region map

BNE magazine is published bi-monthly

by Brisbane Airport Corporation Brisbane Airport Corporation Corporate Communications and Media Manager: Leonie Vandeven Managing Editor: Heather McWhinnie email: editor@bnemagazine.com.au Advertising sales: advertising@bnemagazine.com.au Designer: Stephen Bryett; Cover photography: Megan Rizzo, Studio Fascino; dinner suit from Urbbanna, Brisbane ©2017 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.

BRISBANE AIRPORT NEWS Compiled by Jamie-Lee Dwyer

LOVE of TRAVEL built in bricks BEN CRAIG once failed an art assignment at school because he was told that building with LEGO® was not an acceptable form of art. How times have changed. Ben, aka Ben the Brick Builder, has since received a number of accolades for his works, some so complex they are made from more than 20,000 LEGO pieces and stand nearly two metres high.

Now Ben has been appointed the new Artist-in-Residence at Brisbane Airport and, for the next 12 months, will engage with travellers to create two ‘walls’ of models made with LEGO that depict favourite travel experiences as part of BricksBNE. “Airports are full of stories and, beyond bringing together two major passions, aviation and building with LEGO, I am excited to have the opportunity to engage travellers, illustrating their stories and travel experiences with LEGO bricks,” Ben says.

Throughout the year travellers will be encouraged to share their experiences for the opportunity to be recreated in LEGO bricks. Anchoring the displays in each wall will be two large scale works by Ben – one showing a day in the life of Brisbane Airport’s International Terminal (with some quirky characters included) almost two metres in length and the other a detailed aircraft model to be revealed in October. Together the passenger-inspired creations and larger centrepieces will form a patchwork celebrating the best of aviation and travel.

Ben is the third Artist-in-Residence to be appointed by Brisbane Airport, following Queensland Symphony Orchestra and realist painter Robert Brownhall. Ben will also host a series of public workshops in and around the airport to share his LEGO-building skills and tips.

Ben Craig’s workshops start from 15-16 September at Skygate. Find out more and how to participate online at BricksBNE.com.au – Heather McWhinnie

VISITORS TO OUR

FANTASTIC PLANET

During September visitors to Brisbane Airport’s International Terminal will come face to face with an unusual visitor to the Green on Departures Level 3. Artist Amanda Parer’s giant humanoid, crouching more than five metres high, is a massive light installation and just one of five that have “invaded” our city during Brisbane Festival. The other humanoids can be seen at South Bank Parklands and QPAC “exploring our fantastic planet”. The free public art display, called Fantastic Planet, appears at the festival with the support of Brisbane Airport.

Read more about Brisbane Festival highlights on page 34.

4 | BNE September/October 2017

Final stage for NEW RUNWAY It may look like the world’s largest sand pit right now but Brisbane Airport’s new runway is on track to be operational in 2020 as the final stage of works gets underway. The airfield works, which include construction of the 3.3km main runway, 12km of taxiways and infrastructure including airfield lighting, operations roads, drainage, security fencing and more, are the largest part of the project so far and when completed will double the current air traffic capacity at the airport. With the number of flights in and out of Brisbane Airport estimated to reach up to half a million by 2045 the new runway has been on the drawing board since the 1970s and it has been the largest aviation infrastructure project in Queensland in 20 years. This last stage of works will cost about $500 million of the estimated $1.2 billion privatelyfunded investment in the project.

LOUNGE IN WORLD’S TOP 10

Plaza Premium Lounge, which opened Australia’s first independent airport lounge at Brisbane Airport’s International Terminal last year, has been named World’s Best Independent Airport Lounge for the second time in the annual Skytrax World Airline Awards. Four Plaza Premium lounges at airports around the world, including Brisbane, made the list of the world’s top 10 best independent airport lounges in the same awards.

Plaza Premium Lounge at Brisbane Airport (pictured below) is open daily from 5am until the last flight departs at night, providing premium services and access to the Wellness Day Spa to any passengers with a boarding pass, no frequent flyer membership or elite class tickets required. For details see www.plaza-network.com

FIRST DEMENTIA FRIENDLY AIRPORT

M

ore than 400,000 people in Australia live with dementia, a number growing at a rate of more than 240 every day. Around the world the number is almost 47 million and many continue to travel, yet there have been no guidelines for dealing with such passengers for airlines, airports or carers until now.

Brisbane Airport has been named Australia’s first dementia-friendly airport by Alzheimer’s Australia and has been congratulated by seniors and aged care groups for its collaboration with the QUT-based Dementia Centre for Research Collaboration (DCRC) to develop a guide for travellers with dementia and their carers.

The new guide aims to make the experience of navigating Brisbane Airport’s Domestic and International Terminals as simple, stress free and enjoyable as possible. It identifies international dementia-friendly symbols, provides tips for trip planning and guides users through different airport zones, outlining what to expect at baggage screening, customs, immigration, even duty free regulations.

Brisbane Airport Corporation’s CEO and managing director Julieanne Alroe says the new resources kit will complement Brisbane Airport’s existing Disability Access program and will be integrated into customer service training for airline staff and other airport workers, including retailers, security, cleaners and volunteers.

One of the authors of the guide and DCRC researcher, Professor Elizabeth Beattie, hopes the guide and staff training material can be adapted for use in other airports in Australia and worldwide, and in other formats such as a mobile phone app. Download a copy of the guide at www.dementiakt.com.au/resource/airport-user-guide/

GRANT APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN

AIR VANUATU celebrates 30 years Ever since the first Air Vanuatu flight from Port Vila landed at Brisbane Airport in 1987 the South Pacific archipelago has been a popular getaway for holidaymakers from Queensland. Less than three hours flight time from Brisbane, Port Vila is the gateway to a host of volcanic islands including Tanna, home to Yasur, one of the world’s most accessible active volcanoes, the stunningly beautiful beaches and diver’s heaven of Espiritu Santo and more ‘off-the-beaten-track’ islands for wilderness adventurers such as Epi and Lamen.

This year there is plenty to celebrate during the airline’s 30th anniversary of direct flights between Brisbane and Port Vila, including increased baggage allowances to 30kg per person for Economy passengers and 40kg per person for Business Class passengers, and a new Ramada Resort has just opened on Erakor Lagoon.

Air Vanuatu flies between Brisbane and Port Vila up to three times weekly, flight time approximately two hours, 30 minutes. See www.airvanuatu.com.au

Zillmere-based community organisation Kurbingui Youth Development provides diverse support services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and individuals of all ages, ranging from employment and training to help with domestic violence and alcohol and substance abuse. It is just one of 20 community groups to receive a cash grant so far this year from Brisbane Airport’s Community Giving Fund and it will use the donation to help bring relief to people at risk of homelessness. Schools, sports teams and environment groups were also among recipients of grants from the last round of funding. Applications are now open for the next round of funding until 30 September 2017.

For application information see www.bne.com.au/community/giving BNE September/October 2017 | 5

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BRISBANE INSIDER

South Bank’s picnic party South Bank has become one of Brisbane’s most popular leisure spots with an estimated 11 million people visiting every year and on 8 October a Picnic in the Parklands will celebrate 25 years since the area was transformed and opened as a public space following World Expo 88. The program includes live music, children’s activities, free fitness classes, roving street entertainment, markets and performances from local community groups and schools. Streets Beach will also be open following a six-month rejuvenation, ready for the first splash of the season. Visitors can BYO picnic or dine alfresco at one of 50+ restaurants and cafés that now fill the precinct. For more information see www.visitsouthbank.com.au.

South Bank in 1995

CRACKING the male myth “Wanting to fit into a stereotypical male mould, and striving to do so, can be very harmful to young men who should, simply, just be themselves. It’s taken me a very long time to understand that and this book is the culmination,” says Ben Hobson as introduction to his new book To Become a Whale.

Hobson, 33, grew up in a country town and says that when he was growing up men weren’t encouraged to feel emotions and being sensitive was seen as a weakness.

“You’d get called names and teased, which I was. I used to get bullied a fair bit in high school because I was a bit more sensitive, a bit more creative. I wasn’t a typical bloke – I was terrible at woodwork, absolutely woeful, I was bad with cars, I wasn’t a tough bloke and, growing up, I felt weak because of my sensitivity and my gentle nature. Now, I don’t see it as a weakness, I see it as a great strength but still I’m not sure that comes across enough to young men,” he says.

The Narangba-based author is now a high school teacher himself and says he tries to encourage young men (“and young women, but especially young men,” he says) at high school that it’s OK to talk seriously about their emotions, that they can feel bad things

and feel joy, unlike the old-school mentality of a man who is supposed to feel nothing.

In his book, such personal conflict is revealed in the story about 13-year-old Sam whose father takes him to work at Tangalooma Whaling Station on Moreton Island in the 1960s. It’s a heart-rending story about a gentle boy forced into a particularly cruel world to make him a ‘man’ but just highlights his alienation from the world around him, and from his father.

Hobson says readers will find ‘stuff’ that’s important to him in the book. “If even one young man reads something that says it’s OK to be sensitive then it’s really rewarding to think you might inspire them like that.”

Although this is officially Hobson’s first novel, he’s got four more that have never seen the light of day – they were just practise, he says – and he’s been writing for nearly nine years. And it appears his perseverance has paid off, with claims To Become A Whale reads like a classic in the realm of Tim Winton, Randolph Stow and, more recently, Craig Falvey (Jasper Jones). Ben Hobson appears at Brisbane Writers Festival which is on 6-10 September. View the program at www.uplit.co.au. To Become a Whale is published by Allen & Unwin, out now.

THE ART OF TRAVEL The title for the exhibition Travellers came to curator Peter McKay while he was preparing for a family trip to Addis Adaba. “It’s such an evocative word and travel is such a big part of the job for many curators. That’s how we find new content,” says McKay, explaining what inspired him to create the new exhibition on now at Queensland Art Gallery until 29 October.

His musings brought to mind two particular works in QAGOMA’s collection with similar titles: The traveller 1973 by Jeffrey Smart (pictured left) and Travellers no.3 2001 by master potter Gwyn Hanssen Piggott. “I was off to a wonderful start,” he says.

There are more than 50 works in the exhibition by 30+ artists from all over the world, including some pottery objects that are 5000-6000 years old giving a sense of travelling through time as much as across cultures and geographies. McKay assembled the entire exhibition from QAGOMA’s own collections, surprised himself to find so much on the theme of travel, which explores the idea of the journey as discovery, pilgrimage, even forced relocation and more in paintings, prints, sculptures and videos. Travellers is a free exhibition at Queensland Art Gallery, South Brisbane until 29 October.

BNE September/October 2017 | 7

BRISBANE INSIDER

SPOTLIGHT ON FASHION TALENT Julie Tengdahl is one of Brisbane’s most enduring fashion designers and retailers whose latest creations (left) will be seen on the runway as part of Brisbane Fashion Month in October.

Her success is an inspiration to emerging designers who will also have their chance to shine as finalists in the Creative Competition introduced as part of the event this year. Finalists’ designs will be shown on the runway in Queen Street Mall on 5 October, a selection of their designs displayed at Wintergarden 9-19 October and winners revealed at a special cocktail event on 28 October following a public vote. For program event details see www.brisbanefashionmonth.com.au

FOR THE

LOVE OF DOGS

Admired from afar

Petraq Pecani grew up in a small town in Albania dreaming of being an artist and found his inspiration in the character of Philadelphia, played by Sigrid Thornton, in the ’80s series All The Rivers Run, which aired on local television when he was growing up. He admits he became infatuated with the scenery, the period and the courage of the character portrayed by Thornton and began to make a series of paintings of trees, ponds and rivers running wild. They became part of his first exhibition and since then his work has been shown in countries around the world. Pecani’s entry in this year’s Brisbane Art Prize is an oil on canvas titled Running Clouds (above), which he has offered to gift to the Brisbane-raised Thornton following the awards and exhibition.

Pecani is one of more than 130 finalists in the running for the $10,000 art prize. Their works, selected from hundreds of entries received from across Australia and 12 countries around the world, including Albania, China, Spain, Bengal and Russia, will be exhibited at the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts, Fortitude Valley, 5-28 October and awards presented on 12 October. For information and tickets see www.brisbaneartprize.com

8 | BNE September/October 2017

A pair of playful pooches inspired Serena Hodson (below) to pick up a camera, and what began as a passionate hobby has led to a successful career as a photographer. Hodson’s cute canine pictures have attracted more than 90,000 followers to her Facebook page, and will be published in her second book, Upside Down Dogs, which will be released in October. Once again her own dogs (albeit different ones this time around) are the inspiration and stars of the book. “[French bulldog] Garfunkel lies on his back daily and his joyful face upside down gave me my vision to capture the

delight of dogs in an upside down pose.

Their facial expressions are an antidote for human stress … we need dogs to help us find joy in everyday pleasures,” she says. When it came to casting for her new book, New Farm-based Hodson put a call out on her Facebook page for local ‘models’ and more than 80 of all mixes, sizes and pedigree are featured, including a 70kg Dogue de Bordeaux. Upside Down Dogs is published by Hachette Australia and will be available in book stores from 17 October. Hodson also sells her dog portraits at www.serenah.com.au

Creators of extraordinary adventures If you’re a fan of The Walking Dead (television series), World War Z (game) or the likes of Contagion and Resident Evil (films) then here’s your chance to put yourself in the middle of a real-time zombie adventure. Containment, coming to Brisbane Powerhouse in October, is the future of theatre where ticketholders are no longer an audience but part of the production.

In this case teams of two to six people at a time will don their hazmat suits and prepare to save the world against a zombie apocalypse – there’s no just sitting and watching at this show.

Containment is the brainchild of siblings Simon, Paul, Matt and Giovanna Shakhovskoy (above), all under 35, who are the Directors of the Extraordinary, owners of Escape Hunt Brisbane and creators of real-life action games

The Great Escape from Boggo Road Gaol (2015) and The Gatsby Gamble which will be played out on one night only at Cloudland, Fortitude Valley on 22 September.

Since they opened Escape Hunt in 2014, more than 55,000 people have been through the doors to follow the clues and solve the puzzles of murders, jewel heists and bomb threats but the Directors of the Extraordinary have since branched out to create similar experiences for corporate team building, school-based learning support and now theatrical experiences to allow even more people to escape reality and have fun in fantasy worlds while unleashing their creativity and problem-solving skills.

For the directors, the formula for creating new experiences is simple. “We think about

what we would find enjoyable and fun,” says Giovanna and they look to popular games and movies for inspiration.

At Containment, participants will be armed with an app that feeds them clues to fight off zombies and paramilitary forces to complete their mission and results will be recorded electronically and posted to a leaderboard to show how each team is faring against the game and other players. Welcome to the new world of theatre.

Containment is on at Brisbane Powerhouse 18-29 October. Tickets $65 (adult). For information and bookings see www.brisbanepowerhouse.org

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COVER STORY

JEFF HORN B RISBAN E’S N EW SU PERH ERO Photography by Megan Rizzo, Studio Fascino, this page and cover 10 | BNE September/October 2017

Jeff Horn has shown he is a fierce competitor in the boxing ring, beating Manny Pacquiao against the odds to win the World Welterweight Championship title, but outside the ring friends and family say he is a gentleman and a likeable larrikin who likes to play practical jokes, and a mean game of poker. Story by Heather McWhinnie

Photography by Bradley Kanaris

A

t 175cm tall, 70kg and quietly spoken, Jeff Horn used to be able to go to the shops with his wife Jo without turning a head. Not anymore. Ever since Jeff ‘The Hornet’ Horn defeated Manny Pacquiao two months ago to become World Welterweight Champion in one of the most controversial upsets in world sport Horn can confidently say his life has changed. Now when he steps out with wife Jo to go to the shops or the movies or to a local café for breakfast he is stopped by well-wishers wanting to shake his hand, take a selfie with him, say ‘good on you’.

Every day he has commitments. There’s a book coming out in November. His followers on Facebook skyrocketed to almost 50,000. In the month immediately after the win Horn’s manager Glenn Rushton was swamped with more than 200 invitations for his protégé to be an ambassador. On the day of our cover shoot at Rushton’s gym a media pack turned up to witness Horn’s first day back at training after his epic win.

There have been some material changes too. At last the Horns have been able to swap their beatup old car for more prestigious wheels. It has been reported that Horn earned more than $1 million from the Pacquiao fight and that he will double that pay packet in the rematch that will be played out in Brisbane before the end of the year – quite a step up from the $1000$2000 payouts Horn took home from his early fights and yet another confirmation that Rushton’s prophecy for his pupil is coming true.

Jeff Horn turned up at Rushton’s gym on Brisbane’s south side as an 18-year-old looking for nothing more than to learn some self-defence after years of being bullied at school. He didn’t immediately stand out as anything special. “When he first walked into the gym he was a fairly geeky, nerdy young fellow,” Rushton recalls. It was only after he’d been going to the gym for about 18 months that Horn eventually approached Rushton to ask his advice on pursuing sport as a career – he was thinking boxing or rugby league.

“I had been watching him and noticed he was very competitive and liked to win, he moved quite well and had a good sense of rhythm. He could take a good hit and it didn’t faze him, but at that time he was only training one night a week. I told him that I believed I could take him to the Olympic Games in four years and, if he did what I said, four years after that to be world champion in the professional ranks and I said ‘if

you follow my plan you will retire in your mid-30s a wealthy man’.”

It all happened quite quickly after that. Horn’s second fight was at state titles and, despite the doubters, he won. He went to the London Olympic Games and then turned professional. That’s when he decided he needed a ‘fight name’ and canvassed his Facebook followers for their thoughts. ‘The Hornet’ was born. He has not had a loss so far in 18 fights.

Glenn Rushton gave Horn a pair of boxing gloves for his 21st birthday inscribed with the phrase: “All it takes to reach the stars is a leap of faith”, and Horn is a true believer. While his toughness and determination do well in the ring his attitude helps him go the distance.

“You can do anything in life you set out to do. Putting the fighting aside – winning is also about me believing in myself and wanting to be successful. It doesn’t matter what you want to be successful at if you have your sights set on one main goal – for me it is boxing, that’s what I chose. No matter how people perceive you, you can be the bullied kid or look like the skinny runt, you could be anything, it doesn’t matter. It’s all in the head, it depends on your mental state what you can do in life.”

Everyone agrees he’s a good role model. Although Horn gave up his day job as a relief teacher a few years ago to focus on his boxing career he still visits Pallara State Primary School where he used to teach and offers his support to students in a boxing course at Springwood State High School when time permits. Many of his students are fans.

“He’s a gentleman of the sport. He’s the guy next door who married his childhood sweetheart. He’s got a good sense of humour and he’s a likeable larrikin, always hitting out with a joke or a magic trick or hiding in the dark to prank the other guys when they come out of the gym. He’s also a very determined person, even when you’re playing poker with him he wants to win. But when he gets in the ring he becomes ‘The Hornet’.

It’s almost like his alter ego – a different personality. He’s in the zone, he’s there to do a job and he does it very efficiently,” says Rushton.

Now that Battle of Brisbane ll has been announced and a rematch with Manny Pacquiao will take place in Brisbane before the end of the year, Horn’s new-found fame will take a back seat to training and he has no delusions of grandeur after his championship win. “I’m still the underdog. I don’t mind that. I like to prove people wrong.”

BNE September/October 2017 | 11

STYLE

jennifer hawkins B E ST D R E S S E S FOR SPRING

S

he’s often seen on Best Dressed lists and as Myer Ambassador she’s one of the first to see the new collections. Here are Jennifer Hawkins’ hit picks from the hot trends this season: the vibrant colours, sensous fabrics and cascading frills of HAVANA seen in brands like Alex Perry, Mossman and Talulah; folk-inspired looks that run the gamut from paisley prints and bold colours to Piper’s Bohemian white in ETHNOLOGY; more white in the multi-layered maxi by Morrison with pleating detail in ORGANICA; and the cut-out silhouette of Yoejin Bae. Fashion from Myer. See www.myer.com.au

12 | BNE September/October 2017

Alex Perry gown $1800

Morrison Erikah maxi dress $399

Yoejin Bae Adele dress $650

Mossman The Dangerous Love Mini Dress $209.95

Piper dress $129.95 BNE September/October 2017 | 13

ESCAPE

SHENZHEN

N EW GATEWAY TO CH I NA WHEN HAINAN AIRLINES begins its direct flights between Brisbane and Shenzhen in September it will open up a new gateway to China’s great attractions for travellers from Queensland. Shenzhen is less than an hour from Hong Kong by train or ferry yet it is still off the radar for many international tourists who go no further than the shops on the border. Less than 40 years ago it just was a small fishing village but since then it has become one of the largest and wealthiest cities in China and home to more than 12 million people.

While shopping and theme parks have been the most popular attractions for visitors, there is a lot more to discover, from historical sites, parks and gardens to modern architecture, bars, restaurants and an active art scene. For example, Shenzhen is one of China’s greenest cities and there are parks all over the city, from the Fairy Lake Botanical Garden (featuring more than 7800 species of plants) and Lychee Park (with bee farm and lake) to Lianhuashan Park which covers 150 hectares and provides iconic views of the city (right).

It’s also a golfing mecca and home to the world’s largest golf course – Mission Hills has 216 holes, if you care to play each of the 12x18-hole courses consecutively!

Besides the museums, historical sites, particularly those related to the Hakka culture, are scattered throughout the metro area and contrast sharply with ultra-modern design, not only of public buildings but also boutique hotels such as the latticed framework and white cubes that define Art Inn, in the village of Guanhu on the coast east of the city and on the way to historic Dapeng Fortress.

Shenzhen is also a crossroads of regional cuisine, from Cantonese dim sum and congee to the fiery Sichuan hot pots. Find a dining guide online at www.chinahighlights.com But Shenzhen is also the gateway to China’s great attractions with easy transport connections to Hong Kong and Guangzhou plus Hainan Airlines connects to 69 cities on its network in China.

14 | BNE September/October 2017

GUANGZHOU

A little over 100km north of Shenzhen and less than an hour away by high speed train China’s third largest city is a contrast of old temples and modern architectural masterpieces. It is also a city for foodies, with more restaurants per capita than anywhere else in China and a reputation for the best dim sum in the world.

HONG KONG

A ride on the Peak Tram is one of the highlights of visiting Hong Kong, which is only an hour from Shenzhen by train or ferry. Find great shopping and dining from the world’s longest escalator that runs from Central through SoHo to the Mid Levels, and take a break from serious sightseeing with a wander through Hong Kong Park in the middle of the city.

BEIJING

There’s much to see in China’s capital, from the Forbidden City to the Great Wall which stretches almost 21,200km from east to west. Several hiking points are accessible from Beijing, some providing more rugged paths (Jiankou) and farmhouse rest stops along the way (Huangyaguan). Flight time from Shenzhen approx. 3h 10m

CHENGDU

Great Wall image: Jakub Halun

XI’AN

Best known for the site of the Terracotta Army where work is ongoing, exposing thousands of life-size, hand-moulded figures that were buried with China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang.

More than 7000 pottery soldiers, horses, chariots, even weapons, have been unearthed and most restored to their former grandeur. Flight time from Shenzhen approx. 2h 45m

Home of giant pandas that are considered a national treasure in China. Also don’t miss the old-world Jinli Street, lined with stores selling traditional crafts such as embroidery and calligraphies and watch pop-up performances of Sichuan opera, street puppetry and more. Flight time from Shenzhen approx. 2h 40m

Hainan Airlines begins direct flights between Brisbane and Shenzhen from 21 September and connects to more than 100 destinations in China and around the world. See www.hainanairlines.com BNE September/October 2017 | 15

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C A P I TTA CAT I CLS 16 | BNE September/October 2017

Photographer and blogger Lean Timms grew up in Nanango, a small country town about 200km north west of Brisbane, but since leaving high school she has lived in Brisbane, Sweden, London and Florida. It was while she was in the US that she picked up a friend’s DSLR camera and discovered a passion for photography which she has channelled into her new profession. Less than four years later Timms is back in Australia, now based in Canberra and, with more than 45,000 followers on Instagram, she is in demand as a photographer for travel, food and lifestyle assignments and her work has appeared in a host of international magazines. As Tigerair launches new low-cost flights direct between Brisbane and Canberra Timms gives us her insider’s guide to Canberra and what not to miss on a visit to the national capital…

My favourite time of year in Canberra is the changing of

seasons, probably because it is so different to my childhood growing up in rural Queensland. Picnics among the blossoms and tulips by the lake in the spring; picking blackberries and swims at Point Hut Crossing in the summer; bursts of colourful fallen leaves around the streets and flavourful autumn produce on local restaurant menus in the autumn; and truffle hunts and cosying up by the fireplace with wine at one of my favourite bars in winter.

My favourite place to unwind is going for walks along Lake

Burley Griffin with my German Shepherd, Taj. We often head to Yarralumla on the south west bank for sailboat watching, or wander through the English Gardens in Weston Park (Weston Park Road, Yarralumla).

More people should visit the National Portrait Gallery (King Edward Terrace, Parkes). Every time I leave there with a better understanding of the identity, history, culture, creativity and diversity of the Australian people.

I regularly go back to the James Turrell Skyspace (pictured above) at the National Gallery of Australia (NGA, Parkes Place, Parkes) for its inspiring light, colour and shadows.

Discover more of Canberra’s creative side at Nishi Gallery

Lean Timms and Taj

(17 Kendall Lane), a favourite of mine, for its ever changing and curious exhibitions. I love that it’s open into the evening, too. If you’re into bikes and small spaces, Goodspeed Bicycle Company next door (19 Kendall Lane) is also a bit of a design dream. Bisonhome (6/8 Beltana Road, Pialligo) is a local ceramic institution featuring the works of owner Brian Tunks and others and the place to visit for a piece of Canberra to take home. A second store is set to open in Lonsdale Street in late September.

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When friends visit Canberra, I take them straight to the This page, from top left: A favourite stop for a drink on Friday nights is Bar Rochford where the wine list has a focus on natural, biodynamic, organic, single vineyard wines and its share plates are tasty, too. Another favourite for dinner and date nights is Mocan and Green Grout (above and left) and the most unbelievable breakfast can be found at Rye Café (below).

Opposite page: Hotel Hotel, is a great place to stay, in the heart of the hip NewActon precinct that boasts some of the best restaurants, galleries and bars in town.

fresh faced, cultural hotspots that are NewActon, on the south western side of City Hill and Lonsdale Street, Braddon.

The most unbelievable breakfast can be found at Rye Café (9 Lonsdale Street, Braddon). The breakfast board. Scandinavian interior.

Generous, well done pot of loose leaf tea. Yep. Yep. Yep.

Best spot for a caffeine hit is Barrio Collective (59/30 Lonsdale St, Braddon). Although I sit there with a glass of fresh pressed juice, enjoying the smell of the coffee and pretending to fit in.

One of my favourite events is the Canberra Balloon Spectacular

(10-18 March 2018). March is easily one of the best months to be in the city, particularly each sunrise when hot air balloons fill up the sky between the lawns of Old Parliament House, the foggy lake and distant mountains. I am always there, up with the birds (and with my camera) waiting for each morning launch.

My go-to shops worth checking out for a last-minute or unique gift are Shop Girl Flower Girl (1/13 Edgar Street, Ainslie) or any of the boutiques in the Ori Building and Lonsdale Street, Braddon: Hive (shop 58) for design lovers; Timber & Taylor (shop 67) for ceramics and KIN tucked away behind The Hamlet (16 Lonsdale Street) for local, handmade jewellery. I also have a soft spot for the NGA shop, too. It stocks some great local designers and makers, a perfect gift stop for visitors.

My favourite way to blow off some steam is to head to Nishi Yoga with Odona at Hotel Hotel (NewActon, 25 Edinburgh Avenue).

The views over the lake and parliamentary triangle are incredible and help give me perspective. It’s the best way to wind down and loosen up after a day’s editing in the studio.

For a sweet treat, I visit Frugii Dessert Laboratory (28-30 Lonsdale Street). Best ice-cream in town and luckily (or dangerously) only a short walk from my house. Along with making everything from scratch, Mr Frugii has quite the adventurous spirit when it comes to flavours (which change several times a day). There’s always something fun to try, from gingerbread to raspberry pavlova or tonka bean, although somehow I always end up with plain Jane (i.e. classic) vanilla bean.

For a Friday night drink, I hit up Bar Rochford (First Floor, 65

London Circuit). Nick’s unique wine list with its emphasis on natural, biodynamic, organic, single vineyard wines is second to none. Orange in the summer. A juicy Mencia in the winter.

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The best place for a nightcap is Monster at Hotel Hotel (NewActon, 25 Edinburgh Avenue). Applewood gin or a sweet vermouth, a cosy fire and a bed upstairs if you want it.

The city is lucky to border the Australian Alps and bush walks in Namadgi National Park and Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve are a great way to soak up some of the iconic landscape

When I want to dine out (always!) I have too many favourites. For dinner and date nights, I love blow-your-tastebuds-away share plates that are playful, seasonal and fresh. My current faves are Bar Rochford, Mocan & Green Grout (BYO, 1/19 Marcus Clarke Street), Temporada (15 Moore Street) and eightysix (corner Elouera and Lonsdale Streets, Braddon).

The most beautiful place near Canberra is Namadgi National Park and Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve. This city is so lucky to border the Australian Alps and half or full day bush walks in either of these two parks are a great way to get out and soak up some of the local iconic landscape.

For a getaway not too far from Canberra, I like to go to one of the small villages that borders the ACT for the old buildings and façades and to enjoy the local cafés. Currently I’m loving Some Café at Collector for breakfast by the fire and Murrembateman for a plethora of delicious cool climate wineries.

If I didn’t live in Canberra I’d stay at Hotel Hotel. In fact I did have a ‘staycation’ here for my birthday this year. It’s in a fabulous location, the very hip NewActon precinct that boasts some of the best restaurants, galleries and bars in town. The rooms themselves are all unique with clay rendered walls, restored furniture including salvaged oak beds (so comfy!), curious and carefully chosen artworks and local minibar options. And, if you don’t feel like going out the room service menu is the same as the Monster Kitchen menu downstairs. Such a treat.

Only locals would know about the wall of cheese at the Ainslie IGA – perfect to pick up treats for a picnic; some of the great cafés and restaurants at suburban shopping strips such as Knox Café (1/13-15 Watson Place, Watson) and Red Brick Espresso (4/31-35 Curtin Place, Curtin). Also, you can actually swim in Lake Burley Griffin and there are a few great little beaches around to while away a summery afternoon.

Follow Lean Timms on Instagram @leantimms or see www.leantimms.com For more information about Canberra see www.visitcanberra.com.au

Tigerair begins direct services between Brisbane and Canberra three times weekly on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from 14 September.

See www.tigerair.com.au

15% off your room rates all year round!

Atop Singapore's Famous Orchard Road BNE September/October 2017 | 19

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Tropic RIDE

Shelley Thomas goes with the flow and discovers the zen of mountain biking on world class trails inland from Cairns

Smithfield Mountain Bike Park 20 | BNE September/October 2017

including families, and long enough for half or full-day rides.

‘Flow’ is another term you’ll hear a lot in MTB circles, where “going with the flow” takes on a whole new meaning. A concept enhanced by well-built ‘flow trails’, so named for their awesome flowing descents, akin to a terraininduced roller coaster, through banked turns, requiring little pedalling or braking. While the trails look like they’re part of nature, precision planning behind the scenes is what creates the perfect flow, from jumps with exact spacing between take-off and landing to carefully plotted berms (corners with banked outer edges).

“Flow is a bit like trail nirvana,” says Craig. “It’s when you find your rhythm or groove – when one obstacle flows perfectly into another. It’s hard to explain the feeling, but you’ll know it when it happens.”

With so much to learn, it’s sometimes hard to take in the beauty around Atherton Forest Mountain Bike Park you – which is why plenty of rest stops are welcome. For nature lovers, Smithfield Mountain Bike Park is home to 50 resident and migratory bird religious experience, quite frankly, is the last thing expected species, including modern-day dinosaur, the flightless southern cassowary, the third tallest and second heaviest bird in the world. on a first-timer’s mountain bike (MTB) adventure in While it’s rare to spot this Aussie ‘Big Bird’ at Smithfield, roughly an hour’s Tropical North Queensland. Mid-life crisis, possibly, but drive north – either following the coast to Port Douglas (the springboard not a full throttle, white-knuckle ‘Hallelujah’ encounter! to Mossman Gorge and Daintree Rainforest) or inland to the Atherton “Yeah, totally a religious experience … I hear that all the time!” says Tablelands – will place you in Cassowary Central and amid another 55km Craig Nissen, our guide and the brains behind Tropic Rides, a Cairnsof single track biking trails at Atherton Forest Mountain Bike Park. Perched based venture specialising in mountain bike hire, shuttle, coaching 800m above sea level in the Herberton Range State Forest, this region is and tours across Tropical North Queensland’s 7000km-network of blessed with cooler climbs, perfect for mountain biking. For beginners, the documented MTB trails. park is also the ultimate confidence booster thanks to roughly 20 per cent of “It’s true, the rest of the world really does stop when you’re out on the trails,” Nissen shouts over one shoulder as we set off on his favourite trails the trails being graded Green (easy) and 80 per cent Blue (intermediate), with optional Black lines. at Smithfield Mountain Bike Park, just 20 minutes drive from Cairns Hailed as one of the best trails in the park, the 6km ‘Ridgey Didge’ (Trail Airport, snaking through vine-wrapped jungle and eucalypt forest.

“If you’ve had a rough week at work or someone’s upset you, you can’t take 6) is not to be missed. It features an undulating climb to the ‘Roundabout’, then epic flowing descent with berms, jumps, rock armoured creek crossings that with you on a mountain bike,” he continues. “You’ve got to let it go and waterfalls. The climb is also rewarded at ‘Leasies Lookout’ with rock … because if you don’t, you’ll be on the ground.” recliner chairs that take in breathtaking views over the northern tablelands.

Luckily, beginners are in good hands with Nissen. Tropic Rides is From Smithfield, it’s a great idea to break the journey to the Atherton IMBA (International Mountain Bicycling Association) Level 2 coach Tablelands with a stop at Kuranda – a quaint rainforest village packed with certified and Nissen is blessed with that rare mix of calm and charisma, encouraging newcomers to grasp the basics, then reach their full potential cafés, artisan shops and galleries, as well as the largest butterfly aviary in the southern hemisphere. in a safe environment on purpose-built trails.

For Craig, there’s also no such thing as a bad day at work. After starting Tropic Rides in 2016 – on top of responsibilities as Cairns Mountain Bike Club president – he’s proof that if you love what you do, you’ll never work Ideally, plan to stay up on the Tablelands for at least a night or two, checking another day in your life. in to the Canopy Treehouses, in Tarzali (30 minutes drive from Atherton A mountain biker through and through, he’s the go-to for riders of all experience levels seeking an out-of-this-world adventure on awe-inspiring Forest Mountain Bike Park). This luxury retreat doubles as a wildlife sanctuary, set in 40 hectares of ancient rainforest. At the helm of this idyll, trails. Trails he knows like the back of his hand, featuring flowy descents, true gentleman and wildlife warrior David Gibson is not exaggerating when rainforest creek crossings and waterfall encounters (don’t forget to pack a he says guests don’t even need to go out walking in the rainforest because the Go-Pro and selfie stick). wildlife comes to them… including onto treehouse balconies.

His bikes are also the best in the business, boasting full suspension Expect to be greeted by red-legged pademelon wallabies (in particular, the and dropper seatposts (handy up-and-down telescoping at the push of a adorable Rex, who has become something of a guide, bounding along walking button, meaning you can “drop” your centre of gravity on the fly; seat up trails with guests); cheeky possums (adept at opening tree house doors, if for climbs and down for descents). left unlocked) and even inquisitive cassowary chicks. To accommodate these Tropical North Queensland has already earned a reputation as the welcome visitors, a supply of bananas is left inside to feed possums and a tub global capital of the sport – Smithfield Mountain Bike Park is the site of seeds for the kaleidoscope of birds – Victoria’s Riflebirds, Spotted Catbirds of this year’s UCI Mountain Bike World Championships from 5 to 10 and scarlet King Parrots, so tame they’ll eat right out of your hands.

September – and, importantly, a destination where MTB newcomers are After a hard day’s riding the in-treehouse spa menu includes deep tissue, always welcome.

Unlike other high-profile adventure activities — say, skiing, for example remedial or warm bamboo massage and a soothing sea salt foot soak to ease muscle tension. See wwww.canopytreehouses.com.au — mountain bike trails are designed pretty much so that beginners have the chance to “shred it” with (and learn from) the best, including pro riders who often can be found on Tropical North Queensland’s trail network.

Smithfield Mountain Bike Park is a prime example. Renowned as the highest-profile rainforest trail system on the planet (winding through a 278-hectare conservation park that rises 350 metres above sea level, bordering Kuranda National Park and framing the picturesque coastal town of Trinity Beach), its single track trails are suitable for beginner-tointermediate riders, complete with optional lines and features for more experienced MTB-ers.

Think rock gardens, log jumps (perfect for ‘bunny hops’), drops, gaps Canopy Treehouses and rollers. As a result, the trails are ideal for groups of mixed abilities,

A

Après biking

ESCAPE ATHERTON DETOURS In between trail riding at Atherton Forest Mountain Bike Park make time for these side trips 1. Whistle Stop Café is a quaint pit stop in Yungaburra, 13km from Atherton and 67km from Cairns. The property is one of more than a dozen heritage-listed buildings in the small village and started life in 1914 as the Bank of New South Wales. The café’s current owner, Sue, was the last teller when the bank closed in 1967 and has a million and one stories to tell. Hot tip: order the corn fritters! Find it 36 Cedar Street, Yungaburra.

2. Millaa Millaa Falls (a heritage-listed plunge waterfall, also known as the location for the Herbal Essence shampoo advert and Peter Andre’s Mysterious Girl music video). Arrive early at the 17km Waterfall Circuit, including Ellinjaa Falls, and chances are you’ll have it all to yourself.

Take a dip! Cool water, after all, is meant to work wonders for muscle recovery and MTB butt! See www.millaamillaa.com/waterfalls.htm 3. Mungalli Creek Bio-Dynamic Dairy, run by the Watson family, offers cheese and yoghurt tasting at the delectable Out of the Whey cheesery and tea house, also stocked with local art and crafts and other gourmet treats produced locally. See www.mungallicreekdairy.com.au 4. Rainforest Heart, Australian Tropical Bush Food Orchard, at Mungalli, specialises in growing Davidson’s plum, Lemon Aspen, Rainforest cherry and lychee. Leave room in your suitcase to take home a range of spices, dukkas and jams! See www.rainforestheart.com.au 5. Mt Uncle Distillery, in the middle of a banana plantation at Walkamin, has earned a global reputation for its quintessentially Australian Botanic Australis Gin – an Aussie version of the 300-year-old London Dry recipe, swapping all ingredients with native botanicals (14 in fact – from lilly pilly to lemon myrtle, finger lime, juniper, pepper berry and, notably, the only manufactured gin on the planet to use bunya nut). A gin so good that head distiller Mark Watkins exports 20,000 bottles a year to London.

See www.mtuncle.com 6. Mareeba Tropical Savanna and Wetland Reserve caters for day visitors and overnighters (the latter in safari-style tents). Book a guided tour from the Visitor Centre on Clancy’s Lagoon, offering everything from wildlife and birdwatching tours to bushwalking, fly fishing and canoeing. See www.mareebawetlands.org Find out more about mountain biking near Cairns at www.ridecairns.com/, tours and bike hire at www.tropicrides.com and destination information about Tropical North Queensland at www.queensland.com

The cafe’s current owner was the last teller when the bank closed in 1967 and has a million and one stories to tell

From top: wildlife at Canopy Treehouses and Mt Uncle Distillery; Whistlestop Café at Yungaburra; cooling off at Ellinjaa Falls.

Images: Tourism and Events Queensland

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There are up to 100 direct services between Brisbane and Cairns weekly with Jetstar, Qantas,/QantasLink, Tigerair and Virgin Australia

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1. EUROPEAN MAGIC Never mind the turkey and Christmas pudding how about a taste of Europe, from festive Christmas markets in Munich to the romance of Salzburg and locations made famous in the film The Sound of Music, a guided tour of the fairytale Neuschwanstein Castle and accommodation in the majestic CastelBrando, one of Europe’s oldest castles in the Prosecco hills of northern Italy, less than an hour from Venice. All that and more is part of an 11-day ‘Christmas in an Italian Castle’ tour from Munich to Milan, hosted by Brisbane-based small group specialist operator Albatross Tours. Cost from $3979 per person, twin share, excluding flights to Europe. See www.albatrosstours.com.au

2. Whitest sand in the world

According to the Guinness Book of Records Hyams Beach at Jervis Bay, on the south coast of NSW, has the whitest sand in the world. For a classic Aussie Christmas stay in a restored whalers cottage metres from the sand, take the White Sands Walk or a guided tour of Booderee National Park with an Aboriginal ranger, chill like a local at Hyams Beach Store and Café or order a gourmet hamper for a picnic from Hyams Beach Hampers, and generally enjoy the beach. Hire a car in Wollongong and enjoy the Grand Pacific Dive along the coast to Jervis Bay.

Fly between Brisbane, Munich and Milan with Singapore Airlines (via Singapore); Emirates (via Dubai) and Thai Airways (via Bangkok)

5 WAYS

5. CANADA’S alpine beauty

TO SPEND A WHITE CHRISTMAS 3. Antarctic expedition 4. Japan for powderhounds Imagine life as a polar explorer while kayaking between icebergs, hiking and perhaps camping on the ice, visiting historic huts and a research station, viewing penguin colonies, whales and leopard seals during a 10-12 day tour of Earth’s southernmost continent. Aurora Expeditions (1627 December) and One Ocean Expeditions (18-28 December) are both guiding Antarctic tours over Christmas aboard refitted research vessels. Budget for more than $12,000 per person in a triple share cabin, not including airfares to Argentina. For tour details see www.auroraexpeditions.com.au and www.oneoceanexpeditions.com

Air New Zealand flies from Brisbane to Auckland with onward connections to Buenos Aires, Argentina where flights depart daily for Ushuaia, the departure point for Antarctic voyages 24 | BNE September/October 2017

Jetgo flies direct from Brisbane to Wollongong five times weekly from 30 October 2017

A white Christmas is guaranteed on the snowy slopes of Japan’s ski resorts where the average annual snowfall is often more than 13 metres deep. While there are many good resorts in Japan for beginners and experts alike reader reviews on the website www.powderhounds.com pronounced Nozawa Onsen best overall. The traditional village is renowned for its many hot springs – great for après ski – and accommodation in many inns and pensions for an authentic experience. It’s not a big resort compared to some others in Japan but it does have more than 50km of slopes and more than 1000 metres of vertical drop. It also gets a big tick for its restaurants, izakayas and karaoke rooms for après fun, and first timers will want to take a side trip to see the snow monkeys. Nozawa Holidays is a Gold Coastbased specialist with packages including seven nights accommodation and six-day lift ticket from about $920 per person (adult) over the Christmas period, airfares and transfers not included. For information see www.nozawaholidays.com Qantas flies direct between Brisbane and Tokyo daily where connecting options include shuttle bus to Nozawa Onsen or bullet train to Nagano

Dashing through the snow on a two-horse open sleigh, dogsledding, snowshoeing and spectacular views of the Rocky Mountains from the glass dome carriage of The Canadian train are just some of the ways to experience the natural beauty of Canada in winter – from Vancouver to the snowy wonderland of Whistler, Lake Louise, Banff and Calgary on an 11-day Christmas in the Rockies tour that departs 19 December and arrives in Calgary 29 December. From $7095 per person.

See www.scenic.com.au Air Canada flies direct between Brisbane and Vancouver daily

ROARING GOOD TIME ON THE GOLD COAST When the V8 supercars roar into Surfers Paradise for the Gold Coast 600 from 20 to 22 October all eyes will be on local driver Jamie Whincup (pictured below) to take over top spot on the leaderboard. While the cars and the entertainment line-up – which includes Delta Goodrem, Montaigne and Hilltop Hoods – will keep the crowd pumped, Sanctuary Cove-based Whincup shares his tips for other things not to miss on a short getaway to the Gold Coast…

Favourite way to spend a weekend? On the Broadwater which is world-class, ideally in a boat but, if that’s not possible, grab the Aqua Duck with the tourists.

Best coffee spot? I may be biased because it’s my local but LOCA Café, Hope Island Road, Hope Island.

Best breakfast? Barefoot Barista, Palm Beach Avenue, Palm Beach has amazing poached eggs and God’s butter on toast.

Best short drive from Surfers Paradise for a day out? Eagle Heights Hotel (now ‘Mountain Resort’) is a great trip, ideally on a high horsepower motorbike. The local legend is that it was originally built to be a family retreat for actor Mel Gibson and it has the best view of the coast.

Favourite activity when not racing? A lap of South Stradbroke Island on a jet ski, amazing!

What’s not to miss on the Coast? Surfing at Currumbin Alley, great for beginners like me, ha.

The best night you’ve ever had on the GC? Hired a houseboat and cruised the Broadwater, we were treated to a tropical storm which added to the fun.

Best thing about racing at the GC600? The great weather and the huge party crowd.

For more information about the Gold Coast 600 see www.supercars.com/gold-coast/

Comfortable rooms and honest, authentic service are just the start - Jen Fast, free Wi-Fi throughout the Hotel Be at the airport in 25 minutes with direct access to the AirTrain Start the day right with Espresso coffee machines in every room In the heart of the CBD, just 5 minutes from Queen Street Mall Always the best rates on offer, visit hoteljen.com to book now

Hotel Jen Brisbane, 159 Roma Street, Brisbane, 4000 hjbb@hoteljen.com | www.hoteljen.com | 3238 2222 BNE September/October 2017 | 25

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ALLIANCE GOES PUBLIC

SNAP HAPPY STAY An average happy snap just doesn’t cut it any more on Instagram so four QT hotels are giving guests a helping hand to impress their followers – the Travelshoot Staycation. As part of the package guests stay in a photo-ready QT guestroom for two nights and during the stay they have a one-hour photo shoot with a professional photographer, making the best of the quirky room and hotel décor, bars and restaurants and surrounding location. From $465 per room per night, includes breakfast and a collection of 20 professional images as a memento of the stay.

Available at QT Gold Coast, Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra for stays until 23 December 2017. Subject to availability. For package details see www.qthotelsandresorts.com Fly direct between Brisbane and Sydney, Melbourne or Canberra with Jetstar, Qantas/ QantasLink, Tigerair and Virgin Australia

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Leading charter company Alliance Airlines is now operating public passenger services between Brisbane and Bundaberg, gateway to the Southern Barrier Reef, Gladstone and Port Macquarie aboard its 80-seater Fokker 70 aircraft. Alliance operates the flights as a codeshare partner of Virgin Australia with flights departing and arriving at the Virgin terminal at Brisbane Airport and passengers checking in at Virgin counters and kiosks.

Alliance Airlines flies direct between Brisbane-Bundaberg and Brisbane-Port Macquarie daily; and between BrisbaneGladstone up to three times daily. To book flights see www.virginaustralia.com/au/en

COSY CAPSULE HOTEL

They have been standard in Tokyo for years but Australia now has its first capsule hotel – a place to sleep when all you plan to do at your hotel really is sleep! The Capsule Hotel is a boutique hotel with a difference, offering 70 beds above the Century Bar in the heart of the Sydney CBD on the corner of George and Liverpool Streets –Town Hall, Central and Museum stations are almost equal and easy walking distance from the hotel.

Capsules, or pods, are just big enough to fit either single or double bedding inside, a safety deposit box for valuables, small TV, USB plugs, headphone jacks, mirror, dimmed lights, alarm clock and aircon. Outside the pod are larger lockers for clothes, shared bathroom, communal kitchenette and laundry facilities, and the hotel can store baggage while you are out of the hotel for the day. Rates from $55 per person per night. See www.thecapsulehotel.com.au Jetstar, Qantas, Tigerair and Virgin Australia operate more than 300 flights between Brisbane and Sydney every week

Island a sea of red At just under four hours flight time from Perth, Christmas Island is one of Australia’s best kept travel secrets, home to some of the best diving in the world – and to an estimated 50 million red land crabs.

Each year as many as half of those begin a spectacular migration to breed and release eggs into the sea, turning parts of the island red as they make their way from the forest to the coast. This year that is anticipated to take place 14-16 November and 13-15 December and anyone keen to make sure they get truly Instagram-worthy images from the experience can join a tour with local photographer Kirsty Faulkner. See www.faulknerphotography.net International dive operators Extra Divers Worldwide also recently opened a new dive centre on the island hosting dive tours to view brilliant unspoilt coral, teeming fish and explore the underwater ‘Garden of Eden’ from the shallow fringing reef not far from shore to deeper technical dives along dramatic drop offs and adventurous cave dives. See www.extradivers-worldwide.com Christmas Island is an external territory of Australia, rising dramatically from the edge of the Java Trench, the Indian Ocean’s deepest point, more than 2000km north east of Perth. For more information see www.christmas.net.au Virgin Australia flies between Brisbane and Perth 25 times weekly with connections from Perth twice a week to Christmas Island

Stay and Play at b r i s b a n e M a r r i ot t Soak up the sights of Brisbane as you “stay and play” in style at Brisbane Marriott.

Enjoy a night or two in a river view room and feast on a variety of dining options including our Seafood Dinner Buffet, Afternoon Tea and Buffet Breakfast.

For our latest deals visit: brisbanemarriott.com or call (07) 3303 8000

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TASTE

FESTIVAL Made to order FEASTS FOR NEW HOTEL MENUS

While Brisbane Festival events light up South Bank, detour to the Fish Lane precinct for a foodie break at one of these hot spots …

Chu the Phat draws on flavours from the hawker stalls of Hong Kong, Korea and Taiwan to serve up plates of crispy pork dumplings and fermented chilli, fragrant brisket, rice noodles and iron eggs, banquets of taster plates and more, washed down with cool cocktails.

At 111 Melbourne Street, South Brisbane.

See www.chuthephat.com.au/

There’s more to making a good omelette than breaking a few eggs and Justin Zammit (right), executive chef of the new Brisbane Airport Hotels Group, aims to make it a specialty at the Pullman and ibis Brisbane Airport hotels when they open in October.

In Zammit’s kitchens omelettes will be cooked to order and spiked with in-season local produce grown on farms only hours from the kitchen door. And that’s not all he has in store. Even before the restaurants open, Zammit has been spending his offduty hours visiting producers from Moreton Bay to the Scenic Rim to source ingredients that will feature on the menus of The Apron, the new restaurant inside the Pullman hotel, the Cribb Island Beach Club and rooftop Sky Lounge at the ibis hotel, and for events at the new Brisbane Airport Conference Centre.

For Zammit, whose Italian heritage and European training will also influence his menus, it’s not enough to focus on local produce to stand out – he has been in search of bespoke produce that will be grown to order – meat reared and cut specifically for their restaurants, vegetables grown in colours, sizes and varieties they want to serve. For chef and farmer it’s all part of the creative process and a breeding ground for innovation. Camel farms in South East Queensland, particularly, are thriving on the growing demand for their milk for products including cheeses and housemade ice cream. These are just a few of the things likely to appear on the menus in the new restaurants at the Brisbane Airport hotels, opening to guests and the public for dining in October.

Find out more at www.pullmanba.com.au and www.ibisba.com.au

Round the world in wine The next Courtyard Cheese, Wine and Hops event at Brisbane’s Treasury Hotel will be a virtual journey from Margaret River and the Barossa Valley in Australia to New Zealand’s Marlborough region and the rosé ruling Provence area of Southern France.

That’s only a few of the terroirs to be explored through wines and craft beers on a list that will be accompanied by cheeses from the Sunshine Coast hinterland. At Treasury Hotel Courtyard, 130 William Street, Brisbane, on 15 September from 5pm. Tickets $49 per person online at bit.ly/cheese-wine-hops

La Lune Wine Co is a wine bar with a European flair. The carefully curated wine includes French and Australian specials, and aged and rare wines can be served by the glass. There is charcuterie and cheese to order on the side and an ever-changing specials board for dinner. At 109 Melbourne Street, South Brisbane (enter via Fish Lane). See www.lalunewineco.com.au

SHUCKING

GOOD TIME

Naïm lives up to its name – which means ‘pleasant’ in Hebrew – for Middle Eastern fare served for breakfast and lunch. Salads, baguettes, specials including shouk avo on sourdough spiked with Persian fetta, hummus with flatbread and housemade cakes are washed down with Single O coffee. At 109 Melbourne Street, South Brisbane.

28 | BNE September/October 2017

Where better to sample some of Queensland’s best seafood than on the shore of Moreton Bay where the Wynnum Seafood Festival will return for the second year with even more packed into its program on 7 October.

Highlights from last year will be back, including the prawn peeling contest, mud crab races and cooking demonstrations, but this year a fresh seafood market, gourmet food tasting and a wine and oyster bar add to the tasty delights. Free event, from 9am to 5pm, at George Clayton Park on the Lower Esplanade of the Wynnum Manly foreshore. For details see www.wynnumseafoodfestival.com.au

TASTE QANTAS INTERNATIONAL PREMIUM LOUNGE Don’t be surprised if you start to have visions of a holiday at Noosa even as you enter the new Qantas International Premium Lounge which has a beach house come reef escape vibe, starting with a welcome drink.

The newly redeveloped lounge is split across two levels and one third larger than the previous space with interiors reflecting the Queensland landscape, from the dramatic bespoke glass and light art installation called The Pulse of Our Ancient Land

by Jenna Lee that dominates the entry to rugs inset with colours and textures reminiscent of the reef and waterways of Queensland’s coast.

Seasonal menus are designed by celebrity chef and Rockpool founder Neil Perry who is also creative director of food, beverage and service for Qantas. According to lounge manager Sam Williams, guests gravitate towards healthy choices and a popular dish on the menu is the breakfast bowl with a 65-degree egg on kale salad with grilled haloumi. A new breakfast hatch on the mezzanine level has been created for quick serve dishes such as bircher muesli and breakfast bowls.

Also new is the Quench hydration station – a concept also repeated in the new Qantas Domestic Business Lounge at Brisbane Airport – where guests can rehydrate before flying from a choice of a Rockpool signature tisane blend, infused water or a range of non-alcoholic beverages. Barista coffee is served all day.

A premium hot and cold buffet is also available and a bar serves Rockpool-designed cocktails, craft beer and premium Australian wines.

SNEAK PEEK

Fast facts

INSIDE BRISBANE AIRPORT’S INTERNATIONAL

GUEST LOUNGES Foodie blogger and travel writer Kerry Heaney has been inside the airline lounges at Brisbane Airport’s International Terminal and here’s what she found

30 | BNE September/October 2017

S

mart travellers know that a holiday or business trip starts at the airport well before the flight departs and airports and airlines are stepping up to the plate to offer premium spaces where travellers can refresh, relax, eat well and even enjoy express spa treatments after check-in. In the last three years Brisbane Airport’s International and Domestic Terminals have each had multimillion dollar makeovers and airline guest lounges have followed suit. Features such as WiFi and plentiful charging points are standard and lounge services now include everything from healthy menus to welcome drinks and signature dishes masterminded by celebrity chefs. Even if you’re not travelling on a First Class or Business Class ticket, you can buy into the VIP experience in some lounges with a single use entry on the day of travel.

• • • •

Where: Airside Level 4 Open: from 5.30am Capacity: 295 people Who gets in: Qantas and Emirates First, Qantas and Emirates International Business, Jetstar Business Max, China Eastern customers. Cathay Pacific Business Class and eligible One World Emerald and Sapphire Members, Qantas Frequent Flyer Gold, Platinum and Platinum One and Qantas Club members

Follow Kerry Heaney at www eatdrinkandbekerry.com.au

AIR NEW ZEALAND

Its prime corner position offers the best Brisbane city skyline view from the airport and its chandelier-style lighting is a nod to Brisbane’s Story Bridge. The buffet focuses on hearty, home-style food and popular dishes include a lamb stew and raspberry cheesecake accompanied by New Zealand wine or beer. On Monday and Friday nights the lounge’s ‘Surprise and delight’ service sees bite-sized treats served directly to passengers. There’s also a semi-enclosed children’s room with a television.

Fast facts • • • •

Where: Level 4, near Gate 81.

Open: Two hours, 30 minutes before departure Capacity: 183 people Who gets in: Airpoints Elite, Gold, Elite Partner and Koru members plus Business Class passengers departing on Air New Zealand flights

SILVERKRIS LOUNGE, SINGAPORE AIRLINES

PLAZA PREMIUM LOUNGE AND WELLNESS SPA

Plaza Premium Lounge is Australia’s first independent international airport lounge where membership is not required for entry and it was judged World’s Best Independent Airport Lounge in the annual global Skytrax Awards this year (read more about the award on page 5).

Chef Kalesh Kamal’s range of signature dishes includes a popular fish ball soup, laksa and a visually stunning lollipop dessert. There’s a live cooking station, a buffet of hot meals, salad bar and freshly brewed barista coffee.

The Wellness Spa, open from 8am to 8pm daily, offers a range of organic spa treatments using products developed from natural ingredients at Jasmin Organic based at Tamborine Mountain.

Lounge guests can enjoy treats from a quick 15-minute hand massage to 40-minute back, neck and shoulder massages or spend an hour luxuriating in a full body massage.

Elements of Singapore Airline’s heritage have been woven into the décor which includes comfortable high-backed lounge chairs and business pods which line the walls. High ceilings allow plenty of natural light to flood the space and afford views of the departure tarmac for anyone keen on plane spotting.

With the buffet zone housed in a nook near the entrance, there’s plenty of time and space to peruse the options and then eat in the dedicated dining area. The international flavours on the menu range from curry and yum cha to corn fritters, quiche and arancini. If that doesn’t tickle your appetite, visitors are invited into the kitchen to talk with executive chef Jason Sydenham about special requests.

There’s also the chance to preview the food of Singapore with Jason’s popular laksa, satay and mee siam, but his desserts are a treat too. Jason also is responsible for the beautiful roses that often decorate the lounge.

Fast facts

• Where: Level 4, near Gate 81 • Open: three hours before Singapore Airlines flight departures and closes following the departure of the day’s final SQ flight • Capacity: 80 people • Who gets in: Singapore Airlines Business and First Class passengers, PPS Club members, Krisflyer Elite Gold members; Virgin Australia Velocity VIP/ Platinum/ Gold members; Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Gold cardholders; Star Alliance Gold members. Departing on Star Alliance operated carriers: First and Business Class passengers; Star Alliance Gold members

Fast facts • • • •

Where: Level 4, near Gate 81.

Open: 5am until last departure at night Capacity: 95 people Who gets in: Open on a pay-as-you-go basis on day of travel. Two hours for $60 and five hours for $70. Wellness Spa treatments start from $49.

BNE September/October 2017 | 31

WHAT’S ON

NEW FACE OF OPERA

FUSION of circus and DANCE

GET OUDOORS

Childhood friends and neighbours Omary and Fadhili Ramadhani were troublemakers on the streets of Tanzania before a chance meeting with William Ruddle, the director of Cirque Africa, turned their lives around. Now they are strongmen in a cast of more than 20 performers from six African countries in the vibrant acrobatic and dance show that is Cirque Africa.

Even Ruddle’s own path to become ‘Papa Africa’, is serendipitous. “I was a breakdancer in the early ’80s and when it was going out of fashion I was lucky to meet a group of acrobats in Zimbabwe and thought ‘I can do that’,” he says. “I started a circus school in Dar es Salaam and eventually Cirque Africa was born.”

A live band, performing original African music, gives the show a concert feel and it was a hot ticket at the Adelaide Fringe Festival earlier this year where it earned five star reviews.

“We want to portray a positive image of Africa, we want to change what people think about Africa,” says Ruddle. At the Roundhouse Theatre, La Boite, Musk Avenue, Kelvin Grove, October 24 to November 4. Tickets from $89 (adult) at www.cirqueafrica.com.au

Spring marks the start of festival season and there is something to suit all tastes, from pop and rock in the streets to laid back island vibes and from the city to the country. Broaden your horizons ...

32 | BNE September/October 2017

If the image below is not what you’d expect to see for an opera, then think again. Hansel & Gretel is the latest collaboration between OperaQ and Brisbane’s shake & stir theatre company and the production has been described as “Tim Burtonesque” for its cooky style. And it is different – the language is contemporary (there’s more dialogue between the singing), the costuming is playful and the stepmother face times the kids. The show is less than an hour long and afterwards the performers step out of character to answer questions from the audience.

The source material is, of course, the opera that was first performed in 1893, itself adapted from the Grimm fairy tale, but it has all the makings of a modern drama – complicated family relationships, temptation, facing your fears, bullying, the real meaning of friendship – as brother and sister outwit a wicked witch. Like the original, this production is designed for children, blurring the lines between opera and musical theatre, but it has appeal for all ages with its universal themes of family values, camaraderie, bravery and trust.

Mezzo soprano Jessica Low (right) is one of OperaQ’s rising young stars and plays Hansel.

“It’s making it really fun and current for kids so it’s something they can relate to and appreciate,” she says. Low is one of a cast of three who share all the roles in the production, assisted by a big screen which introduces new characters and provides scenic changes without the need for elaborate sets, and that makes the production easily portable for touring. The show will be seen by 12,000 primary school-age children in South East Queensland before the end of the school year and up to 40,000 over a proposed three-year touring cycle, introducing modern opera to a new generation.

Hansel & Gretel is at OperaQ Studio, South Bank, 27-30 September.

Tickets $19 plus fees at www.operaq.com.au

Outback fun and games

True Brits

The Band of the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR Band, above) join Mental As Anything, celebrated didgeridoo player William Barton, poets and visual artists on an eclectic program for the Outback Festival at Winton, which adds a unique line-up of Aussie Sports to the entertainment. The Dunny Derby, swag and broom toss, wool bale rolling and bushman’s egg throwing are all part of the fun, 19-23 September.

See www.outbackfestival.com.au

London Grammar will be hot off the stage from performing at Lollapalooza Berlin when they land in Australia to begin their national tour, only months after releasing their second studio album Truth is a Beautiful Thing. The new tunes will be the centrepiece of the trio’s concert in Brisbane, where they will be supported by local talent The Kite String Tangle and Wafia. At Riverstage, City Botanic Gardens, 23 September. For tickets see www.ticketmaster.com.au

HITS for kids

Dinosaur Time Machine: educational and funny as two ‘scientists’ mix facts with fun, and a bit of circus and puppetry at Brisbane Powerhouse, 16-22 September. Tickets $24 (adult), $20 (child) plus fees. See www.brisbanepowerhouse.org Gladiator School: inspired by the exclusive exhibition Gladiators: Heroes of the Colosseum now showing until 28 January 2018, children 7-12 can learn to make a helmet and develop some combat moves before entering the Colosseum for a photo opportunity. At Queensland Museum, 90 minute sessions, 1829 September. Tickets $12. See www.gladiators.qm.qld.gov.au Grug and the Rainbow: a second instalment based on the much-loved picture book character created by Australian author Ted Prior, at Cremorne Theatre, QPAC, 22-23 September.

Tickets $30 (adult), $19 (child) plus fees. See www.qpac.com.au The Littel Mermaid: the Disney classic brought to life on stage for 3 to 5-year-olds. At Brisbane Arts Theatre, Petrie Terrace, 9 September to 14 October. See www.artstheatre.com.au

GLITTERING Parisian revue

Cabaret De Paris brings the glitz and showgirl glamour of France’s famous cabaret revues to the stage with a troupe of adagio dancers, comedy circus performers, illusionists and, of course, cancan dancers.

The show was created by and stars Australian Marissa Burgess, who was the longest-serving performer in the Moulin Rouge’s 120-year history before she teamed up with fellow Australians, choreographer Todd Patrick and illusionist Michael Boyd, to recreate the art of the classic French revue. Like Burgess, many in the cast have performed on the stages of Moulin Rouge, The Lido and other French cabaret revues. At Concert Hall, QPAC, South Brisbane, 9 September. Tickets from $69 (adult) plus fees, see www.qpac.com.au

Fairy tale in rhyme

Written entirely in verse, One the Bear is the latest creation of sisters Candy and Kim ‘Busty Beatz’ Bowers (right) that explores themes of identity, exploitation, appropriation and friendship in a world gone wild with celebrity. One and Ursula are bears spending their days in a garbage tip, getting up to mischief and spitting rhymes while they avoid being captured in a dystopian world of hunters and shysters.

They want more for their tribe but when fame comes knocking, it’s not all what it seems. Behind the buffoonery and the fusion of feminist hip hop and Afropunk is a sage message for a modern generation, one very well worth listening to. At La Boite, Musk Avenue, Kelvin Grove, 10-21 October. Tickets from $30 plus fees, see www.laboite.com.au

Crush of talent

Escape to the country

Boho vibe on the island

From circus acrobats to campground karaoke, pub choirs, sand sculptures, fashion, films, food and writer workshops, Bundaberg’s Crush Festival is a 10-day smorgasbord of performance, exhibition, participation and learning. Highlights include Circa, the Pub Rock Choir, the self-contained WriteFest and the rum-themed food festival at Bundaberg Rum Distillery. At various locations in Bundaberg, 6-15 October. For more information see www.crushfestivalqld.com.au

The Preatures headline the Red Deer Festival where an expanded line-up will perform across three stages on 16 hectares of land at Mt Samson.

On the side, the program includes ping pong, frisby, belly-dancing, drum and hula hoop workshops, a fashions on the field-type danceoff and open-mic comedy and culture. Shuttle buses will depart various points in the city on 14 October. Tickets from $89 for a day pass, see www.reddeerfest.com.au

Island Vibe is more than just a music festival. It features a cultural program that brings together community groups from around Australia and the Pacific with the Quandamooka people of Minjerribah (Stradbroke Island). This year the program has been extended to four days, boasting a world-class line-up of reggae, soul, electronic and Indigenous music performances. At Home Beach, Point Lookout, North Stradbroke Island, 26-29 October. See www.islandvibe.com.au BNE September/October 2017 | 33

WHAT’S ON

TWO GUYS IN A BOX Andrew Cory and Leon Cain (left) use a combination of clowning, dark comedy and satire to present a contemporary dystopian fairytale, set in a box. Imagine two guys with limited skills and dubious intellects who live their lives in a large upright refrigerator box in the middle of a field somewhere, versus a supernatural force of unknown power. Irreverent, absurd, original. At Theatre Republic, The Block, QUT Creative Industries, Musk Avenue, Kelvin Grove, 26-30 September.

Tickets $29 (adult) plus fees. See www.brisbanefestival.com.au

AN OCTOROON The play originally may have been written to depict a scandalous love story in America’s south, fanning the flames for a civil war, but it’s just as poignant in an Australian setting. Colin Smith (pictured right) leads the cast in the provocative and hilarious Queensland Theatre production which marks the directorial debut of Aboriginal artist and commentator Nakkiah Lui (who is a co-writer and star of ABC TV’s Black Comedy). At Bille Brown Studio, South Brisbane 21 September to 8 October.

Tickets from $60 (adult) plus fees. See www.queenslandtheatre.com.au

BEST OF BRISBANE

In a program of more than 500 performances during Brisbane Festival from 9-30 September it can be hard to choose what to see but here are 5 shows by home-grown talent that should be on top of your list…

DRIFTWOOD Casus Circus has become so successful since forming almost six years ago that cofounders Jesse Scott, Lachlan Mcaulay and Natano Faanana spend barely a few months in their home town each year. So far they have toured 20 countries, many several times over, and by the time their latest work, Driftwood, gets to Brisbane Festival it will have been seen in nine countries in the past year. In this new work performers adapt the movements of driftwood to relate how five friends connect with each other, break away and then support each other. At Courier Mail Magic Mirrors Spiegeltent, Cultural Forecourt, South Bank, 19-24 September. Tickets $25 (adult). See www.brisbanefestival.com.au

LASER BEAK MAN Laser Beak Man is the colourful superhero artist Tim Sharp created when he was 11, an outlet for his great sense of humour and original way of looking at life. The character has since been the subject of an animated television series and now an extravagant stage adaptation will have its world premiere at Brisbane Festival.

The ambitious production from Dead Puppet Society brings Laser Beak Man and his world to life with more than 35 original puppets, seven actors, animations and drone-like flying objects. It also sees Sam Cromack, of local indie band Ball Park Music, make his debut composing for theatre. Cromack will perform the score live with fellow band mates Dean and Daniel Hanson and Luke Mosely.

“From the beginning, we fell in love with the world that Tim created for Laser Beak Man: its quirky sensibility, bright colours, fantastical nature and visual puns. We believe that both Tim’s personal story of living with autism and that of Laser Beak Man deserve global celebration, and we’re excited to make Tim’s hilarious drawings three-dimensional on stage,” says Dead Puppet Society executive producer Nicholas Paine. At La Boite’s Roundhouse Theatre 9-30 September. Tickets from $56 (adult) plus fees. See www.laboite.com.au

I JUST CAME TO SAY GOODBYE This is the latest work from the Good Room, a performance collective that uses the anonymous experiences of ordinary people to create innovative theatre works. This new show, by co-creators Daniel Evans, Lauren Clelland, Kieran Swann, Caroline Dunphy and Amy Ingram, is based on hundreds of stories of guilt, grudges, remorse and revenge shared by friends and frenemies – tales from the wronged and the righteous. Bridges will be burned.

Hatchets might be buried. Nobody escapes unscathed. At Theatre Republic, The Block, QUT Creative Industries, Musk Avenue, Kelvin Grove, 12-23 September. Tickets $29 (adult) plus fees. See www.brisbanefestival.com.au

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WHEN WHAT

WHERE

SEPTEMBER

Aquaman surfaces When Jason Momoa, aka Aquaman, appears as a special guest at Comic-Con in Brisbane it could be the last chance fans will get to see their newest superhero before the film is released at the end of next year (or at least until he appears on screen in Justice League, due on cinema screens in November). Filming of Aquaman is due to wrap-up on the Gold Coast by the end of September when Momoa will head back home and reportedly to a new project, the film adaptation of blockbuster video game franchise Just Cause. Stars from The Vampire Diaries, Grimm, comic writers, artists and cosplay guests will also appear at Comic-Con, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, 23-24 September. Tickets $32.50 plus fees. See www.ozcomiccon.com

Brave new world

The Arrival, adapted from the graphic novel by Shaun Tan, is inspired by stories told by migrants from many different countries, including Tan’s father who came to Australia from Malaysia in 1960. The book was composed only of pictures and no text, and it comes together on stage with fine acting (no dialogue), an evocative soundtrack, digital animation and an assortment of curious puppet creatures. While the story follows Aki as he navigates a strange and fantastical new world, it’s a universal tale of the challenges, humour and adventures of arriving in a new country.

When his book was published Tan said he wanted it to build a kind of empathy in readers. “In Australia, people don’t stop to imagine what it’s like for some of these refugees. They just see them as a problem once they’re here, without thinking about the bigger picture. I don’t expect this to change anybody’s opinion about things but if it at least makes them pause to think, I’ll feel as if I’ve succeeded in something.” At Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm, 17-18 October. Tickets $39 plus fees. See www.brisbanepowerhouse.org

3

Guy Noble’s Excellent Musical Quiz, Queensland Symphony Orchestra (QSO)

Concert Hall, QPAC, South Brisbane

5-8

Big Sound Music Festival and conference

Fortitude Valley, various

6

Dr Michael Mosley, author of The Clever Guts Diet, Live

Concert Hall, QPAC, South Brisbane

8-10

Home Show

Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Brisbane

9-16

Per Te, physical theatre

Playhouse, QPAC, South Brisbane

12-13

Glorious

QUT Gardens Theatre, city

12-13

Ariana Grande, concert

Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Boondall

13

The Beatles First Five

Concert Hall, QPAC, South Brisbane

16

WWE Live

Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Boondall

From 16

Lords and Ladies

Brisbane Arts Theatre, Petrie Terrace

20-23

Dance A Double Bill

Metro Arts, Edward Street, city

20

Regurgitator performs the Velvet Underground

Tivoli, Fortitude Valley

23

QSO plays the Romantics

Concert Hall, QPAC, South Brisbane

26

The Vamps

Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Brisbane

27

The Aints play the Saints

Tivoli, Fortitude Valley

From 27

Joel Rea exhibition

Mitchell Gallery, Fortitude Valley

27-30

Under Seige, Yang Liping Contemporary Dance

Playhouse, QPAC, South Brisbane

29

Everclear

Tivoli, Fortitude Valley

OCTOBER 1

Glenn Hughes Classic Deep Purple

Concert Hall, QPAC, South Brisbane

3

Tommy Emmanuel

Concert Hall, QPAC, South Brisbane

4

Making a Murderer, with David Strang

Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm

From 5

Toruk, Cirque Du Soleil

Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Boondall

5-15

Kitty Flanagan, comedian

Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm

7

QSO plays Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Brisbane

7

Broadway and Beyond, Queensland Pops Orchestra

Concert Hall, QPAC, South Brisbane

7-14

The Last Five Years, musical theatre

Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm

11

The Glenn Miller Orchestra

Concert Hall, QPAC, South Brisbane

11-15

Bamberts Book and Lost Stories

Playhouse, QPAC, South Brisbane

12

Adam Ant

Tivoli, Fortitude Valley

12

The Sky’s the Limit, student cabaret showcase

Cremorne Theatre, QPAC, South Brisbane

13-15

Queensland Brides Expo

Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Brisbane

14-15

World Travel and Cruise Expo

Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre

17

Lionel Richie

Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Boondall

19-20

A Festival of Russian Ballet, Imperial Russian Ballet Company

Concert Hall, QPAC, South Brisbane

20

Australian Burlesque Festival

Judith Wright Centre, Fortitude Valley

25

Alice Cooper

Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Boondall

From 25

Peter Pan, Queensland Ballet

Playhouse, QPAC, South Brisbane

From 25

What Rhymes with Girls and Cars, musical theatre

Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm

From 31

The Winter’s Tale, student theatre

QUT Gardens Theatre, city BNE September/October 2017 | 35

MY BRISBANE

RHIANNA BUCHANAN STUNT DRIVER

Rhianna Buchanan started riding trail bikes as a toddler on tracks near her home in South East Queensland’s Scenic Rim and since then her daredevil instincts have made her a leading stunt rider in films such as Wolverine and as Scarlett Johansson’s stunt double in Ghost in the Shell. Now the 30-year-old runs an actions sports and events company with her partner and in October she raises the bar even further as the driver of a very different beast. Buchanan is the first Australian to be invited to join the Monster Jam driver line-up and one of only two female drivers facing off against an international team when Monster Jam comes to town on 7 October at Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre, Nathan. She has just returned from Monster Jam training in the US …

Where do you live?

At Cornubia, between Redlands and Logan and the perfect distance between Brisbane and the Gold Coast! I have lived here since my first year of schooling.

What do you like most about your neighbourhood?

We live on acreage and have similar properties all around us. It’s great because it feels like country living but we are still close to cities.

Where do you always take visitors?

I always enjoy taking friends and visitors to O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat, in the World Heritage-listed Lamington National Park, south of Brisbane. It’s great for day visits or staying for a weekend. There are plenty of walks and hikes to amazing waterfalls or scenic views, abundant wildlife and great food!

How do you keep fit?

Health and fitness is very important to me, especially to be prepared for Monster Jam. I train at Fitstop Australia which has five gyms throughout the greater Brisbane area so I can go straight from the airport to Morningside for a session or to Victoria Point or Slacks Creek when I am at home, and to West End or Lawton when I have an event in Brisbane. Even when I am overseas, owner Peter Hull is always checking in on me and sending me workouts to keep me going!

What’s your favourite weekend activity?

My partner Jack (Field, also a stunt rider) and I always make a Social Saturday session at Fitstop and then hit up a café afterwards for a healthy feed and a chat!

36 | BNE September/October 2017

Any great recreational tracks that you like for non-competitive riding?

We get out to Queensland Moto Park to train or play on the motorcycles. There are tracks perfect for varying skill levels and disciplines. There are also plenty of great mountain bike tracks that we are always pushing to go on with mates; Daisy Hill is the most popular amongst our mates.

Local tip for a hot coffee?

Extraction on Service Road near Moss Street, Slacks Creek is our go-to for the best coffee, especially their almond milk blend! In the Redlands our favourite is Harvest at Victoria Point for a ‘Be Fit’ meal and a coffee.

Made any great new discoveries lately?

Uno at Strathpine Shopping Centre on the north side of Brisbane. We were enticed with home-made gelato and stayed for a wood-fired pizza and a good laugh with the owner!

What’s your favourite meal out and where?

We had an incredible tapas night recently at The Palms, at Garden City shopping centre, Mt Gravatt. We are usually so busy and always travelling that we also really enjoy a night at home with 5.4 prepared meals which we always have on hand for when we don’t want to cook but need a tasty, nutritious meal.

You’ve just returned from the US and training at Monster Jam University? What was it like?

Training is very full-on there but any chance to unwind was always based around food. We’d get a quick fix at Just Burgers, a little family run business in the centre of town (Paxton, Illinois), or take a short trip to Stagecoach in a nearby

Tapas at The Palms Mediterranean Bar and Grill at Garden City, Mt Gravatt is a favourite meal out; Lamington Nationl Park has been a favourite weekend getaway since growing up in Hillview; Iron and Resin at Currumbin Waters is a great stop for a burger and coffee before tagging along for a motorcycle ride or sent on a route given by the café’s owner Bruce.

town, especially for Mexican night, where they make a mean margarita (when we could enjoy an occasional drink!)

You travel a lot. Where do you spend time before a flight at Brisbane Airport?

I can never go past a meal even when I know I am eating on the flight! My latest and greatest stops were at Cavu at Domestic Terminal and Tuk Chop at International Terminal. I am always a sucker for searching for gifts and my new favourite place to explore is Dreamtime Journey.

I also love grabbing a little something from Benefit (International Terminal) or Mecca Maxima (Domestic Terminal) to add to my makeup bag!

What do you never leave home without when you travel?

My spiky massage ball which I often use on my flight. I always intend to pack vegemite and make sure I have a neck pillow but lucky for me both are readily available at BNE Airport so I don’t need to stress if I forget!

Our fave option is always meeting up at Iron and Resin Garage at Currumbin Waters for a burger and a coffee and tagging along for a ride or being sent on a route given by the owner Bruce!

You were born in Hillview, what are your fondest memories of growing up in a small town in the Scenic Rim? My most heartfelt memories of growing up are of family outings at Lamington National Park just past Hillview and the spot closest to my heart is our family’s private property known as ‘the hut’.

We would spend most long weekends, holidays or even just weekends with cousins and friends riding bikes, swimming in Christmas Creek and exploring rainforests, ridgelines and waterfalls.

There are so many amazing hiking tracks through Lamington National Park from Christmas Creek, places with great stories behind them which are not only part of Australian history but also my family’s history, stories we have grown up listening to.

In February this year I hiked to the historic Stinson crash site with my Dad and a group for the 80th anniversary and to honour all the locals from the area who took part in the rescue of the two survivors. It is an incredible story and something special to be part of.

What’s a favourite short getaway?

We had a wonderful time at Christmas Creek Café and Cabins earlier this year, it is a great place to get away from it all for a weekend!

There are great hikes and exploring to be done What’s a favourite way to travel when you all very close to the cabins and good wholesome meals to finish off the day! It’s also an enriching are not working?

I love getting out on my motorcycle – a place to learn about early pioneering days custom-built cafe racer that a friend designed. out there.

BNE September/October 2017 | 37

MORETON DRIVE

NEED TO KNOW AIRPORT AMBASSADORS

P2 P1

AIRPORT DRIVE

SKYWALK

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.

DRYANDRA ROAD

PUBLIC WAITING AREA

D om

estic Termin

al

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

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.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

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.

TAXIS AND AIRTRAIN

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. Call 1300 363 263 or see www.customs.gov.au

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

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.

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.

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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 facilities are in place for passengers with limited mobility or disabilities. Airlines are responsible for assisting passengers with disabilities within terminals. Passengers

BRISBANE AIRPORT has a dedicated Pick Up Waiting Area with 30 minutes free parking for drivers arriving to collect passengers from the Domestic Terminal.

While drivers are allowed to pick up arriving passengers on the Departures Pick Up Road at the front of the terminal, the designated Pick Up Waiting Area helps avoid congestion for all travellers. It is located beside the P2 long-term car park and can be accessed via Dryandra Road (see map above) where drivers can wait for passengers who are not yet ready to be collected. When the passenger is ready for collection the driver can proceed to the pick up location. Parking in the waiting area is free for the first 30 minutes. For easy how-to use instructions see www.bne.com.au

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 Brisbane Airport has the fastest uncapped free WiFi in Australia available 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.

TOUR BRISBANE AIRPORT

Have a question about the new runway? Want to know more about Brisbane Airport? Join a free community bus tour. For information and to book see www.bne.com.au/tours

DAY IN THE LIFE

Kamaljat and Agayakar Grewal from Mildura, Victoria, arriving in Brisbane on business

Steele Renwick from Emerald, Queensland, in transit from Queenstown, New Zealand after a skiing holiday with his family

Tyler Greenburg was there to meet Veronika Augustinova when she returned to Brisbane from a family holiday in the Czech Republic

Christine Kusznir arrives from Adelaide to spend a few days with bestie Laurie Griggs in Brisbane

BRISBANE AIRPORT is the gateway to 82 CITIES across AUSTRALIA and overseas, opening up a WORLD of adventure for almost 23 MILLION passengers every year

Jackie Kiewa has a big hug for her grandchildren Kaiya and Mulagan Blomeley, arriving back home in Brisbane after a holiday hiking in California

Photography by Marc Grimwade

Ellen Johnston with Jack, from Wellington, New Zealand, arriving for a holiday on the Gold Coast

Bruce Wei and Hannah Na, from China, in transit from Sydney on their way to Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef

Toddler Grace Wilkins was happy to see her sister Brianna Cole arrive home in Brisbane after four Ernatium as eum expligent fuga. Nam, months travelling in Central and South America od era dignitatem quam, se placcum

Blair McDonald on his way home to northern NSW from a holiday in Bali

BRISBANE TO THE WORLD

Seoul

South Korea

Tokyo (Narita) Japan

Shanghai (Pudong)

Guangzhou China

Dubai

United Arab Emirates

Bangkok

Abu Dhabi

China

Shenzhen * China Taipei Hong Kong Taiwan China

Thailand

United Arab Emirates

Manila

Philippines

Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia

Singapore

Singapore

Port Moresby Papua New Guinea

Denpasar Indonesia

BRISBANE

BRISBANE

to the world

To 82 destinations direct from Brisbane and beyond

Alliance Airlines Aircalin

Air Canada Air New Zealand

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Air Niugini Cathay Pacific

China Airlines China Eastern Airlines

China Southern Airlines Fly Corporate

Emirates Etihad

Eva Air Fiji Airlines

Solomon Airlines Hainan Airlines

Vancouver

Canada

Los Angeles USA

Honolulu USA

Darwin

Nauru Nauru

Cairns

Apia Honiara

Solomon Islands

Port Hedland

Espiritu Santo Vanuatu

Port Vila Vanuatu

Nadi

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

Fiji

Noumea

New Caledonia

Perth

Auckland

New Zealand

Queenstown New Zealand

Townsville

Whitsunday Coast (Proserpine) Hamilton Island Moranbah Mackay Mt Isa Barcaldine Rockhampton Longreach Gladstone Emerald Blackall Alice Springs Biloela Bundaberg Windorah Cloncurry

Samoa

Adelaide

Wellington New Zealand

Christchurch

Newcastle Orange Sydney Lord Howe Woollongong* Island Wagga Wagga Canberra Albury

New Zealand

Melbourne

Dunedin

New Zealand

Launceston Hobart

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

Jetstar Hawaiian Airlines

Korean Air Jetgo

Philippine Airlines Malindo Air

Rex Nauru Airlines

Tigerair Qantas/ QantasLink

Virgin Australia

Air Vanuatu Singapore Airlines

Thai Airways

*Hainan Airlines begins direct flights between Brisbane and Shenzhen, China, from 21 September. Fly Corporate begins flights between Brisbane and Inverell, NSW, from 14 September. Jetgo begins flights between Brisbane and Wollongong (Illawarra Regional Airport), NSW, from 30 October.

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ESCAPE EXTRA

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SAIL A BUGGY Padi Kotwall is a self-confessed windsurfing fanatic and he has coached national champions and instructors around the world in the sport. His passion for wind-powered water sports is contagious and his business, Surf Connect, based at Sandgate about 20km north of the city, is not only a hub for lessons in sailboarding, kitesurfing, stand up paddleboarding, sail and kite buggying but also a meetup point for like-minded thrillseekers with equipment available for hire. The most fun you can have at the beach without getting in the water is to sail a buggy on the open flat sands of Sandgate, about 20km north of Brisbane, where experienced ‘sailors’ can reach speeds of more than 100km/h in the three-wheel carts. Group lessons start from $75 per person, See www.surfconnect.com

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WAYS TO EXPERIENCE

MORETON BAY

Only 30 minutes north of Brisbane Airport the Moreton Bay region has more than great surf beaches to explore …

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CATCH A BUG Moreton Bay is the home of Moreton Bay bugs sold straight from the fishing trawlers at Sinbad Street, Shorncliffe, at Morgan’s Seafood, Bird of Passage Parade, Scarborough and from Savige’s Seafood (3/12 First Avenue, Bongaree) on Bribie Island. Or grab a takeaway from Morgans and Savige’s and eat overlooking the bay. Of course, the bay is famous for other seafood too, including prawns and oysters. A landmark oyster farm once occupied the prime waterfront site where the Sandstone Point Hotel now sits at the entrance to Pumicestone Passage and the original Oyster Shed is now restored as a fish and chippery and home to an annual oyster festival (18 November 2017).

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POP ROYALTY REMEMBERED Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb spent less than nine years in Redcliffe before returning to England and worldwide fame as the Bee Gees but they are the bayside suburb’s most famous sons and Bee Gees Way has been created in their honour. Developed in consultation with Barry Gibb, the multimedia exhibition includes life-size statues, photographs, album covers, personal stories, interviews and home movie footage on a big screen.

Nightly light shows set to music play every half hour between 7pm and 9.30pm on the pedestrian walkway between Redcliffe Parade and Sutton Street.

years and, more recently, has become an instagram-worthy centrepiece for stunning sunset and sunrise images. Once a naval gunboat, Gayundah (meaning ‘lightning’ in the local Aboriginal language) has served as a breakwater against erosion below the cliffs at Woody Point since 1958 but what remains is breaking up and soon may be lost to the ocean.

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HINTERLAND DRIVE Take a hinterland drive from Brisbane to Samford Valley via Enoggera (about 35 minutes from the city) and browse arts and crafts, feast on local produce at the Flying Nun Café, take a heritage walk or cool off in the Cedar Creek rock pools. Continue north to Dayboro and learn the history of the area at Dayboro Cottage then take the Mount Mee Road to Ocean View Estates and settle in for some wine-tasting. Stay overnight in a cottage and continue on to Woodford, home of the iconic annual festival (27 December to 1 January) and discover the township of quirky shops, cafés, its heritage railway and the Windows of Woodford art panels on the water tower that inspired an art trail. Get the map from the Woodford Visitor Information Centre next door.

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NATURAL SWIMMING HOLES Rocky Hole is a natural swimming pool etched into the natural granite contours of Mount Mee and surrounded by open eucalypt forest, complete with its own mini waterfall. While it seems far from civilisation it’s only 200 metres from the car park, easily accessed by a walking track and stairs to boulders that surround the main swimming hole. It’s in the Mount Mee section of D’Aguilar National Park, about 90 minutes north of Brisbane, and is best accessed by 4WD vehicle beyond The Gantry day-use area. Bunya Crossing Reserve Swimming Hole is large enough for swimmers, paddleboards and kayaks and there are some meandering walking trails from the riverbank.

Access from Dugandan Road, Albany Creek, 25 minutes north west of Brisbane. Stony Creek swimming hole is in the Bellthorpe Forest Reserve, near Woodford, about one hour from Brisbane.

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STEP BACK IN TIME The Abbey Museum, about 40 minutes north of Brisbane in Caboolture, houses Australia’s largest collection of medieval artefacts and antiques showcasing more than 4000 objects on display. The history comes alive at special events including the annual Abbey Medieval Festival (July) and various activities including archaeological digs, picnics, talks and trivia nights throughout the year.

See www.abbeymuseum.com.au FLY A KITE The Redcliffe Kite Fest is over for another year (August) but kites are still flying high over the shores of Moreton Bay. Passionate kite flyers meet at Pelican Park on Hornibrook Esplanade, Clontarf, on the first and third Sunday of every month (12-4pm, weather permitting) and welcome like-minded souls and spectators.

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VIEW THE WRECK The wreck of the HMQS Gayundah has been a familiar sight to walkers and cyclists from the foreshore at Woody Point for nearly 60

DRIVE THE BEACH One of the best beach drives close to Brisbane is along Woorim Beach on the eastern side of Bribie Island and intrepid adventurers will find camp sites just behind the dunes about 16km north of the beach access point at North Street, Woorim. It’s not glamping, you need to take everything with you as only cold showers, fresh water and toilet facilities are provided. Permits are required.

FOLLOW THE TRAILS There are so many trails for walking, biking, horseriding and 4WD exploring in the Moreton Bay region you could go every weekend and never do the same trail twice. Start easy on the Bongaree Walkabout (takes about an hour) passing 16 landmarks on Bribie Island, and follow up with the 3.8km Bicentennial Bushwalk through eucalypt forests, paperbark wetlands and wallum heathlands and keep eyes peeled and cameras ready to snap rainbow beeeaters, red-backed wrens, eastern yellow robins and a host of other birds spied on the trail. For trails and maps see www.visitmoretonbayregion.com.au

BRISBANE REGION MAP

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

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

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BRISBANE AIRPORT HOTELS GROUP

BRISBANE AIRPORT

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07 3188 7373

07 3139 8100

Featuring beach-style bistro and cafe, executive lounge, up market restaurant, rooftop bar, state-of-the-art conference centre and a full suite of guest amenities and services.

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