BNE Magazine Issue 27

FR EE YO M UR AG AZ IN E

ISSUE #27 JULY/AUGUST 2018

STYLE SPRING PREVIEW

ESCAPE

THE PHILIPPINES’ LAST FRONTIER

Viva Vanuatu LONG WEEKEND IN LAUNCESTON

FITNESS WITH A TWIST FOOD

WINTER’S FEAST

Serena Williams Power and Passion

BRISBANE FESTIVAL, OPERA QUEENSLAND, PHILIP BACON AM, QUEENSLAND PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE AND QUEENSLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PRESENT

2 0 & 22 SEPTEMBER

Concert Hall, QPAC Book your tickets now at brisbanefestival.com.au or QTIX 13 62 46

2 | BNE July/August 2018

CONTENTS

24

4

Brisbane Airport News

6

Brisbane Insider

Brisbane Airport ready for high tech business; $40 million makeover for Domestic Terminal, and more Telling stories with pictures, and more

8

Serena Williams

10

Fitness with a twist

TASTE 28 It’s easy being vegan ‘Green’ food options on the menu at Brisbane Airport; and more

30

A foodie’s winter weekend in the Granite Belt; stars to see at Regional Flavours

She’s a powerful force on the tennis court and off it Take a deep breath, yoga can be way more adventurous than you think

WHAT’S ON 32 Noni Hazlehurst as you’ve never seen her

STYLE 12 Spring preview

Sneak peek at colourful new collection ahead of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival

ESCAPE 14 A taste of two worlds in the

The dramatic transformation she makes for her new play; small concerts, big talent, and more

34

A journey from the oldest city to the ‘last frontier’ of this island nation

18

Beginner’s guide to Vanuatu

22

72 hours in Launceston

Hot tips for what to see and do and how to beat the tourist traps New direct flights make a long weekend getaway easier than ever

Tracks in the sand

26

Escape Extra

First look at the new guided trek along the Cooloola Great Walk Sirromet food safari; what you didn’t know about whales, and more

28

Y

ou wouldn’t think anyone would have to be persuaded to take a holiday but research carried out by Intercontinental Hotels and Resorts revealed that more than 30 per cent of Australians say they’re too busy to take time off and almost two million full-time workers haven’t taken a holiday in more than a year. Clearly they haven’t seen the studies that show not going on at least short breaks regularly is bad for your health, aggravating stress levels, increasing blood pressure and disrupting sleep patterns. Follow our lead and find a short break close to the city, like the Sanctuary by Sirromet food and wine safari or feel the happy vibes in an island paradise like Vanuatu. Just do it …

Indigenous stories in the spotlight Theatre, music, dance, visual arts and more celebrate Aboriginal culture; tributes to music greats; kids’ stuff

Philippines

24

Food bowl food trail

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

35

Events calendar Find out what’s happening around the city

36

Books

12

Love between the pages; and more

I QUEENSLAND 42 Graham ‘Skroo’ Turner Founder and managing director, Flight Centre Travel Group

GALLERY 37 Day in the life People in transit at Brisbane Airport

NEED TO KNOW 38 Helpful information for

visitors to Brisbane Airport

40 43

BNE magazine is published bi-monthly

by Brisbane Airport Corporation.

Brisbane Airport Corporation Corporate Communications and Media Manager: Leonie Vandeven Managing Editor: Heather McWhinnie (editor@bnemagazine.com.au) Advertising sales: advertising@bnemagazine.com.au Designers: Mhari Hughes and Leanne Thompson, PrintPublish Cover photography: Serena Williams ©Damon Winter/ The New York Times/Redux/Headpress ©2018 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.

Destination map Brisbane region map BNE July/August 2018 | 3

BRISBANE AIRPORT NEWS

GIVE IT UP

for a good cause

BUSY Bees Brisbane Airport Wetlands is a 285-hectare biodiversity zone set aside for protecting the many, many species that call Brisbane Airport home, including the rare Lewin’s Rail and the Eastern Grass Owl and, now, eight honey bee hives.

The hives, managed by Jack Stone of Bee One Third, are home to hundreds of thousands of bees which are busy providing essential pollination and producing hundreds of litres of delicious mangrove honey.

Congratulations to Gillian Ireland, winner of BNE’s $5000 travel voucher. Gillian is planning to use her prize to go scuba-diving on the Great Barrier Reef with her boyfriend and explore more of north Queensland. Look out for another $5000 travel voucher giveaway appearing in BNE before the end of the year.

It’s a bugbear international travellers face every day when queuing at security screening – standing behind someone who has to be told to take the oversize aerosols out of their carry-on baggage, while the rest of the line waits patiently behind! It’s been 10 years since international regulations were introduced, limiting the size of aerosols (as well as liquids and gels) passengers can take on board flights to 100ml, but security officers at Brisbane Airport’s International Terminal still have to confiscate as many as 2000 oversize aerosols from carryon baggage every month.

So Brisbane Airport has come up with an initiative to dispose of those aerosols in a positive way, reducing waste and helping others at the same time.

In partnership with community service organisation GIVIT, the airport has installed an Aerosol, Liquids and Gels Donation Station at the International Terminal where oversize personal care items can be dropped before they have to be given up at the security check point. GIVIT can then redistribute products from the Donation Station to disadvantaged people in the community.

If the products have to be surrendered at the security check point then, by law, they must be destroyed.

Dropping them in the Donation Station saves them from going to landfill.

MAMMOTH food rescue

Virgin Australia and OzHarvest have provided 1 MILLION meals to children in need around Australia through their food rescue partnership.

OzHarvest has been collecting surplus food from Virgin Australia aircraft since 2015 and rescues more than 8 TONNES of quality food from the airline each month which is then distributed to schools in vulnerable communities around the country. The partnership has saved more than 333,000KG of food from landfill to date.

4 | BNE July/August 2018

Gigabit link

targets high tech businesses Brisbane Airport is set to become a key technology hub offering high speed internet capability for businesses in the precinct. It is Australia’s first airport gigabit precinct with 250km of new state-of-the-art full fibre infrastructure only 8km from the city.

With approximately 600 hectares of land available for future development, and now offering gigabit capability, Brisbane Airport is a prime location for sophisticated technology companies to set up business.

Already there are around 480 businesses located within the BNE precinct, servicing a diverse range of industries from transport and communications to manufacturing, research, education and training, tourism, retail and more. Collectively they employ more than 23,000 people and that number is to surge beyond 50,000 (the size of a regional town) by 2029.

The new runway will open in 2020, doubling the city’s aviation capacity and positioning Brisbane as the future major gateway to Australia while other major Australian capital ports reach maximum capacity.

BOOST

in Malaysia traffic More than 60,000 international visitors are expected to fly into Queensland each year with the return of Malaysia Airlines’ non-stop flights between Brisbane Airport and Kuala Lumpur.

Queensland’s Tourism Industry Development Minister Kate Jones says it’s a coup for the state’s tourism industry which will inject millions into the economy and support hundreds of jobs annually.

“Malaysia is a growing market for international tourists but more importantly, this route gives us a base in Kuala Lumpur which is a thriving international hub that will give us better access to a large number of growing visitor markets throughout Asia.”

The new non-stop services will operate four times weekly aboard Airbus A330 aircraft from Brisbane Airport giving passengers access to Malaysia Airlines’ extensive network of destinations, including London, five points in India, four points in Indonesia, as well as 40 more ports across South East and North Asia.

Brisbane Airport Corporation will invest $1.8 billion in airport development over the next five years

Makeover for Domestic Terminal The northern end of Brisbane Airport’s Domestic Terminal is about to get its first big makeover since it opened 30 years ago. The area that currently includes a food court and departure gates for Qantas flights will undergo a $40 million renovation with work to be done in stages from now until the end of 2020. When finished there will be 70 new shops and a new-look food court with expansive views over the tarmac and natural light.

CHEAPEST AIRPORT PARKING – ACCC REPORT Brisbane Airport has been found to offer the cheapest option for parking at its popular AIRPARK facility in a report by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) which monitored four major airports for average drive-up and online car parking rates.

The annual Airport Monitoring Report also noted motorists were saving an average 25 per cent on the drive-up rate by pre-booking parking online for short and long-term parking within walking distance at either the Domestic or International Terminal.

“Airport parking is always a hot topic and we invest a lot of money into providing the capacity, facilities, quality and services travellers expect and demand,” says Martin Ryan, Head of Parking and Transport Services at Brisbane Airport Corporation.

“For those wanting to park there’s a choice of 20 different products, with budget parking from as little as $5 a day for stays of 10 days or more, to full service valet which is one of our most popular products,” he says.

Brisbane Airport also received high ratings in the report for overall quality of service and facilities. Passengers scored BNE’s International Terminal as ‘excellent’ across 10 of 13 categories, including waiting time for baggage collection, inbound and outbound immigration, security processes, signage and way-finding. The remaining indicators, including check-in waiting time, seating in lounge areas and standard of washrooms, achieved a ‘good’ rating from passengers.

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

Follow Brisbane Airport

BNE July/August 2018 | 5

BRISBANE INSIDER

Champion FOR FIRST NATIONS TALENT

The Henderson and Birrang Café, 92 Ernest Street, South Brisbane. Café open seven days, from 7am (7.30am weekends). See www.roberthenderson.com.au 6 | BNE July/August 2018

Photography by Marc Grimwade

E

very Friday Robert Henderson (left) goes to jail. It’s just a social call, he’s not visiting anyone in particular or even going to teach an art class as an adjunct to his growing gallery hub in urban South Brisbane, he’s just there for a chat and to find out how his mates are going.

Because, after three years of going every week, he’s built some really strong relationships with the men inside. And some of them he has been able to help achieve their goals. Like the young man who had a natural talent for art and wanted to be a teacher. He is now a tutor and sharing his own talent and skills with others.

“There have been no less than six other young men that I know have benefitted from him sharing his skills and his techniques, which are second to none. He’s an extraordinary young man who doesn’t just show them how to paint how he paints, he is able to show them how to tap into their own talent so they can express themselves in their own style. That’s what makes him a good teacher,” says Henderson.

That’s high praise from an artist whose own works can command prices upwards of $20,000.

Another young protégé has earned a scholarship to study clothing design and manufacturing thanks to Henderson’s connections.

Henderson, a Wiradjuri man whose ancestry lies in NSW (even though he grew up on the Sunshine Coast), has had no formal training himself in art but without encouragement from a good mate he may never have pursued his interest in art at all. He won his first art prize when he was in Grade 1 at school but when he was punished rather than celebrated for his achievement he became a wayward teenager instead. And so began his life experience, couch surfing and hitch-hiking up and down the east coast, working on trawlers, in the mines and playing in bands, and eventually becoming a counsellor for Kids Helpline.

“I’d either seen it or been it, or knew someone who had been through it, so nothing surprised me,” Henderson says. Nevertheless he admits it was a steep learning curve and after three years of being on the front line of crisis response it was time for another change.

On a weekend away with some mates he ended up with an easel, canvases, paints and brushes in his hand. “No one was more surprised than me,” he says. And that’s when his good mate Wayne said, ‘Yeah, that’s good. You should enter it in a competition.’

That year Henderson painted two pictures, the next year, three, the year after that, 24, then he quit his day job and produced a collection of 43 artworks. Since then, he’s entered the Archibald Prize several times; Archie Roach is his most famous portrait subject (Roach liked it so much he bought the painting) and you’ll see a reproduction of another entry on the back of the menu in the Birrang Café on the ground floor of his gallery.

Indeed, today The Henderson is much more than a gallery. In addition to the café, which has some Indigenous specialties on the menu, including their own home-made jams, there is also a space for art classes and events.

If you’re lucky, Henderson himself will take visitors on the gallery tour and has his own unique way of telling stories about each painting on the walls – by first asking someone in the group to point to the work they are most interested in. There’s also an option to paint your own mini canvas with guidance from the artist.

There is a new exhibition almost every month, showcasing First Nations talent in new discoveries and emerging artists, as well as “artists we just want to work with”, Henderson says. In the meantime, there are plans to extend the opening hours with movie nights and a licence application is in progress. For now, it means that Henderson doesn’t have much time to pick up the brushes himself, but he does start the morning with a triple ristretto.

WORLD’S BEST PHOTOS The World Press Photo competition began as a way to get global exposure for the work of a few photographers. That was more than 60 years ago and it has grown to become the world’s most prestigious, and hotly contested, photography competition – more than 70,000 images were entered in the 2018 competition, taken by more than 4500 photographers from 125 countries – including two Australians who are among the category winners for their news work.

The World Press Photo of the Year is a searing moment in the violent clashes that took place in Venezuela last year and many of the images in the exhibition are confronting, all are compelling, including this image (right) from the Nature category, ‘Flying Fish in Motion’, by Michael Patrick O’Neill. Last year more than 25,000 people viewed the collection in Brisbane. This year the exhibition is on until 30 August at Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm, supported

by Brisbane Airport Corporation. Free entry.

VISION of a perfect city

STORIES IN PICTURES Nick Moir is a staff photographer for the Sydney Morning Herald and has won several awards of his own including Australian Press Photographer of the Year. His work can take him anywhere around the world but he’s spent the past 20 years chasing storms as well – some of them on South East Queensland’s Darling Downs (pictured above, taken last year), which he notes is a particularly good region for both following storms and for photographing them due to the wide open terrain and relatively easy access. Moir will share the stories behind some of his best shots as a special guest of Storyology, the Walkley Foundation’s festival of journalism and storytelling. Some of Queensland’s top authors and editors will also take part in a program of panel discussions on 27 and 28 July at Palace Barracks. Find the program at www.walkleys.com

We’d all like to create the perfect version of the city we’d like to live in and now you can at Bristopia, an interactive exhibition at Museum of Brisbane. Megan McKean’s six-metre wide illustration of Brisbane’s city skyline (below) is brought to life with animation which reveals quirky facts about some popular landmarks. Touch screen kiosks also allow visitors to ‘build’ their own Bristopia using McKean’s illustrated components, such as Queenslander homes, parks, libraries, CityCats, jacaranda trees and more, while a sticker wall shows comments about what people think a perfect Brisbane looks like and you can add your own. Bristopia is on at Museum of Brisbane, City Hall, until 14 October. Free entry.

DRAWING FROM LIFE In spite of all the tech tools under the sun, drawing is back in fashion and Museum of Brisbane is hosting monthly life drawing classes with a twist. Instead of silent artist’s models lying languidly on couches, the subjects are body builders, burlesque performers, acrobats, athletes and performers who pose and share their stories as inspiration for the sketches.

Drawing the Body classes are hosted by artist and designer Leigh Buchanan.

Next dates are 27 July and 24 August, then monthly until 14 December. Cost $18 per person per session.

Watercolour artist Mara Field also leads a landscape workshop ‘En Plein Air’, and takes her charges to various historical sites around the city – like the Old Windmill at Spring Hill. Cost $20 per person per session. See www.museumofbrisbane.com.au

Illustration by Sean Dowling

BNE July/August 2018 | 7

COVER STORY

Serena Williams

&

The power The passion

She has already created history on the tennis court but that’s just the beginning, writes Tonya Turner 8 | BNE July/August 2018

Main image:Adam Pretty/Getty Images. Opposite page, top and bottom, Leonard Zhikovsky; centre, Jimmie48/Shutterstock

F

or 20 years Serena Williams has dominated women’s tennis, captivating audiences with her aweinspiring athleticism, powerful physique and fiery determination. Like so many successful women at the top of their game, she has had to fight sexism, misogyny and body-shaming while keeping her focus on the court, doing so with a firm and dignified poise that has earned her further respect while winning one Grand Slam after the next. She has 23 under her belt so far and has her sights firmly set on beating Australian Margaret Court’s record of 24.

As one of the world’s all-time greatest athletes, Williams, 36, has won more singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles combined than any other tennis player – male or female – and won $84 million in prize money. As the Championships get underway at Wimbledon, she will be chasing that next Grand Slam title to equal Court’s record after almost a year off from the game. Since winning the 2017 Australian Open (which she has said is her favourite Grand Slam tournament), whilst she was in the early stages of pregnancy, she has given birth to her first child, daughter Alexis Olympia (who she calls Olympia), married Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian and returned to the pro-tour.

Despite the incredible highs that have come with such personal life-changing events, there have also been extreme lows.

In February, Williams wrote an op-ed piece for CNN about her traumatic childbirth and postpartum period.

Olympia was delivered by emergency C-section after her heart rate dropped severely during labour and, in the days that followed, Williams developed

blood clots in her lungs, her C-section wound opened up and they discovered a blood clot in her abdomen during surgery. She had to spend the first six weeks of motherhood confined to her bed.

Not surprisingly, she suffered postnatal depression and is now on a mission to help more new mothers open up about the struggles of parenting, whether speaking out on social media or opening up during interviews.

Becoming a mother has changed everything for Williams, who told Harper’s Bazaar that tennis is no longer as important to her as it was before Olympia’s birth. “It’s definitely family before tennis for me,” she says.

“When I’m training, I have to be done at 1pm because I’ve got to be with Olympia. I haven’t gone a day without seeing her.”

But then there’s that world record to beat. Joining the sisterhood of mothers worldwide trying to get the work-life balance right, Williams made her return to Grand Slam tennis at the French Open in May. In true Williams style, she wore a sleek black catsuit that made her feel like a “superhero” and dedicated the move to “all the mums out there that had a tough pregnancy and had to come back and try to be fierce, in the middle of everything”. But less than an hour before her highly-anticipated match against her longtime rival Maria Sharapova, Williams withdrew from the tournament with a pectoral injury.

All eyes will be on Williams when she makes her return to Wimbledon, with coach Patrick Mouratoglou saying that despite recent setbacks, “she is playing great, she is competitive and that means she might be able to win more Grand Slams”.

US tennis legend Christine Evert can’t wait to see what the future brings for Williams. She told CBS Sports: “We haven’t seen Serena’s best yet. She’s at 50-60 per cent, and you just kind of wonder how long it will take. That’s the question: Can she get her game up to 80 or 90 per cent? Will she be able to do that at Wimbledon, which is her best surface, and best accentuates all of her weapons.” Evert also doesn’t see any of the current players on the circuit with a Grand Slam to their name, including current world number one Simona Halep, Garbine Murugurz and Sloane Stephens, as ready to step in as the next greatest player of an era. “We haven’t seen anybody with the passion and the hunger to win that Serena has,” she says.

Watching her sister, Venus Williams, 38, have an excellent year on the circuit has been a genuine source of joy for Williams. Her older sibling has won a total of seven Grand Slams, and to this day Williams hates playing against her – an event that became a reality earlier this year at her comeback tournament at Indian Wells where Venus defeated her. She told Harper’s Bazaar that her coping strategy when playing against her sister was to not look her in the eye. “I have to pretend she’s someone else …

I want [Venus] to win every time she’s playing,

except when she’s playing me. And when she’s playing me, I want her to win, but I want to win – and I feel awful if I win. It’s this incredible fight inside of myself.”

There’s no doubt Williams is competitive, she’s been training since she was three, but her passion is also driving other interests in fashion, philanthropy and entrepreneurship.

Williams is known for her bold fashion choices on the court and off and after years of working with sponsors on clothing lines she launched her own independent athleisure fashion label, Serena, in May giving her the freedom to design on her own terms.

We haven’t seen Serena’s best yet and you just kind of wonder how long it will take ... Chris Evert Many pieces are adorned with motivational slogans and messages of self-love such as “I am beautiful, I am strong.” Others simply bare her signature “S” inviting the wearer to find her own empowering “S” word such as successful, sure, silly, smart or steadfast.

She studied fashion for two years at art college and her own label is an opportunity to use the experience she has gained. “I really want to be able to start doing what I want, how I want it, and letting people see my vision in fashion, how I want it to be seen,” she told fashion trade journal Women’s Wear Daily.

Williams says she has always had a business mind which she brings to the court, and she has had long-term relationships with Nike, Gatorade, Wilson and other sponsors, but she has also attracted the attention of some high flying business leaders, including Facebook’s chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg and AOL chief executive Tim Armstrong. As a result Williams has joined the boards of tech firm SurveyMonkey (at Sandberg’s recommendation) and Verizon AOL, but she says she has no intention of just being a ‘seat warmer’. “It’s important to me to really be a voice,” she says.

She is, however, already making a difference to communities far from her own. Her foundation, the Serena Williams Fund, focuses on equality through education and community development and it has funded at least three schools so far in developing nations, with a strict rule for gender ratios among students.

Williams has also recently been announced as an ambassador for an initiative to help raise awareness about domestic violence and the financial abuse that keeps women from leaving relationships by restricting access to funds or denying them the ability to work.

It’s a full program demanding her attention and already there’s been talk of more children which she and husband Alexis Ohanian have openly wished for, but there’s still that Grand Slam record to chase … and beat.

Melbourne 2016

Auckland 2017

Madrid 2015

New York 2016 BNE July/August 2018 | 9

FEATURE

fitness W I T H A twist If you think yoga is for softies think again.

These classes call for a sense of adventure and fun, writes Tonya Turner

Once considered a feel-good favourite of the hippie set, yoga has enjoyed a surge in popularity in the past decade and the number of Australians taking part has more than doubled, driven by a mindful and health-conscious Generation Y. Yes, downward dogs and sun salutations have entered the mainstream as more people do yoga than practise aerobics and, according to Roy Morgan research, in the eight years to 2016 it was the fastest growing sport or fitness activity in the country, flying by soccer, cricket, tennis and golf.

Roy Morgan estimates that more than two million Australians now grab a mat, take a breath and pose as a cobra, cat, child and corpse but, just in case interest should start to wane, some practitioners have taken a more creative approach to their craft and introduced some very different ways to awaken the senses, challenge the mind, tone the body and have a little fun at the same time.

It’s a beautiful morning on the Noosa River on the Sunshine Coast where a small group has paddled out to a sheltered location before anchoring their boards. The instructor starts the yoga class with a short seated meditation followed by a ‘vinyasa flow’ suited to the experience levels of the participants. The class ends with another short seated meditation and a paddle back to shore, but some take the opportunity to paddle further along the river.

Despite the obvious challenge of doing yoga while balancing on a board floating on water, James Howard-Clarke, owner of Noosa Stand Up Paddle, says people rarely fall in. And if they do? No harm done.

“Most of the yoga aspect of the class is with your hands on the board.

If you do fall off, you get wet and can climb back on your board and continue the class,” he says.

Sunrise and early morning when the sky is changing colours is not only one of the most beautiful times of day to do a class – it is also one of the calmest. Classes go for 60 or 90 minutes with anywhere from three to 15 participants and it’s a fitness challenge that combines a core workout from the paddleboard with the strengthening and relaxation benefits of yoga.

One of the best things about the class is the experience of doing something new. “There’s a sense of achievement and excitement in doing something you might not think you can and this takes you right out of your comfort zone. You get time to disconnect from devices and connect with nature,” Howard-Clarke says.

Aerial yoga in West End 10 | BNE July/August 2018

SUP Yoga $55 per person. See www.noosastanduppaddle.com.au

Image this page: Prystai/Shutterstock

Stand-up paddle yoga

Beer yoga

Yoga at the bar in Fortitude Valley

Nude yoga After quitting her corporate day job and moving from Brisbane to Perth, Rosie Rees found herself living in a beach shack with an openminded nudist. When no-one was home, she decided to try it for herself, stripping down to do nude yoga in the backyard. At first she found it confronting, but then two things happened. “Firstly, I started to love and accept my body much more and secondly I realised there would be great empowerment in doing this in a group environment with women who also wanted to heal their body image issues. Everything is more powerful in a collective group,” she says.

Rosie had already been teaching yoga for two years and adding nude classes for women seemed like a natural progression for her. Her first three classes sold out and she now tours Australia to host classes.

“Typically most women struggle to feel comfortable in a bikini at the beach and even to have the lights on during sex with their partner. So, by becoming more comfortable in their naked skin, this naturally filters into every aspect of their life,” she says.

The workshops run for three and a half hours and take place in a candlelit space with gentle music playing and essential oils burning. A feminine alter is created in the middle of the room including flowers and angel cards. Yoga mats are set out in a circle so no-one is behind anyone for the inevitable giggle-inducing downward dog.

“The first five to 10 minutes may feel confronting and awkward because you feel so exposed, however everyone says after that initial period it feels incredibly normal and you even forget about being naked.

Many women also mention how much more present they feel during the poses, noticing their breath, their skin and the sensations it brings. On a practical level, it’s freeing to not have any restrictions of bras or tight yoga pants,” she says.

Alcohol and yoga might not seem like the most healthy match but it’s a trend that started in Berlin and has since spread through London, New York, Sydney and Melbourne and has found its way to Brisbane where classes are held weekly at Brat Haus in Woolloongabba and monthly at The Flying Cock in Fortitude Valley.

According to Brat Haus manager Jason Bercot, beer yoga is more than just a fun way to get more people enjoying the benefits of yoga. “The beer adds a lot to the class. It gives you something physical to hold your attention. It can be difficult to stop thinking about work or life if you are only focused on your breathing. So holding the beer, thinking about the condensation on the bottle, or the smell of the hops, really brings your mind to the moment which is a key element to any yoga practice.

Classes start with each person ordering a beer at the bar, finding a spot on the floor and beginning a beer meditation. “This is where you would smell, listen and taste the beer you’ve chosen and experience all the flavours and different attributes that make that beer special. Then we move on to what you could say is a typical yoga class with the beer being incorporated into the poses, used as a counter balance, taking small sips throughout,” Bercot says.

At The Flying Cock, beer yoga classes have been joined by Barre at the Bar sessions combining yoga with ballet, pilates and a glass of frosé.

Classes start at the barre/bar with squats, plies and leg extensions before participants make their way to their mats for muscle toning, stretches and a guided relaxation, all while sipping on a frozen rosé. Cheers!

Next Beer Yoga events, follow Brat Haus on Facebook; next event at The Flying Cock on 19 July, from $20 per person. See www.theflyingcock.com.au

Aerial yoga Bend and Fly in Brisbane’s West End has been offering antigravity aerial yoga classes since 2016. Participants are suspended in hammocks hung from the ceiling to engage different muscles to traditional floor yoga. Bend and Fly’s Dan Ross says it allows you to gain full traction of your spine and creates a wonderful sense of flying through the air. “At the end of the class you get wrapped up in a hammock cocoon to relax and unwind, to reveal yourself feeling refreshed and new, just like a butterfly,” he says.

Classes range from the slower pace of Restorative Aerial to the ‘P!NK’style Aerial Flow, and up to the high-flying Aerial Fitness level.

Beginners introduction course from $65 per person. See www.bendandfly.com.au

Next nude yoga classes in Brisbane on 29 September and on the Gold Coast 28 September. See www.rosierees.com

Paddleboard yoga in Noosa BNE July/August 2018 | 11

STYLE

Colours of the World

IN SPRING COLLECTION

W

hen Emma Puttick travels it’s never just a holiday. Each year she takes at least six international trips and every destination is a source of inspiration for the festive prints and feel good designs that make up each new collection for her Naudic fashion label. Lanterns in the street markets of Hong Kong, a pattern on a wall in Taiwan, the changing palette of sunrises and sunsets everywhere she goes can all be converted into one of the vibrant prints that have become her label’s signature.

“I like to walk everywhere and I’m always looking, taking photographs of things – it might be a pattern on the wall or the way the light changes. I can sit on a beach in Cape Town all day and just watch the changing light,” she says.

While Puttick has travelled the world, from Scandinavia to South Africa – and a favourite getaway at home is Stradbroke Island where the pictures on these pages were taken – India remains a key to her inspiration and the heart of her collections.

As an avid collector of fabrics while she was still working in science, Puttick became interested in embroidery techniques from India and so began her passion for the country’s unique creativity in textiles and handicrafts which are reflected in her designs. Now she has a permanent studio in Delhi with a team of 26 who work with her to create the Naudic collections.

This year Puttick celebrates 10 years of success, which has seen Naudic grow from a fledgling first collection of 20 styles sold in less than 50 stores to three big collections produced each year (including two diffusion labels) which are sold in more than 300 stores worldwide.

The new Spring/Summer collection will be on show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival as part of a Designer Group Show at Old Government House on 30 August.

Sherry dress, Waterlilly print in blue RRP$139

HIGHLIGHTS

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival

Monday 27 August Tattersalls Club – QueensPlaza High Tea and Fashion Trends

Tuesday 28 August St John’s Cathedral – Designer group show including Brisbane’s George Wu and Moreno Marcos among Australia’s top fashion labels Emma Puttick (left) wears Vanessa maxi dress in Divinity print RRP$210; Model wears Diva skirt, Romance print RRP $125 with San Jose Top in Fortune Schiffli RRP$139 12 | BNE July/August 2018

Wednesday 29 August Old Government House – Next Gen group show of emerging designers Thursday 30 August Treasury Brisbane – Wrap Party Brisbane Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival is on 27-30 August. Tickets from $48-$80.

For the full program and tickets see www.mbff.com.au

Roam jacket, Floral Valentine print RRP$139; Hipster Shorts, Rosa print in red RRP$95

Lucky dress, Victoria print in blue RRP$160

Noosa kaftan, Sweetheart print RRP$135

Tessa top, Hummingbird print RRP$115 with Palazzo pant, Sweetheart print RRP$115 BNE July/August 2018 | 13

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TASTE OF

worlds

IN THE PHILIPPINES 14 | BNE July/August 2018

Roslyn Jolly escapes the crowds of Manila and finds a cultural haven and an unspoilt paradise for two very different views of the island nation

The early morning light reveals a scene of primeval splendour. Massive spires of ancient limestone tower above the lagoon, their jagged shapes perfectly reflected in the motionless water. Not a leaf stirs on the foliage draped luxuriantly across the rugged landscape.

Apart from our boat, only one human-made object is in view. It’s a solitary house, nestled into a corner at the far end of the lagoon. Wellcamouflaged amidst the rocks, the wooden structure rises on stilts above the clear blue-green water. I wonder who lives there, and why, and how it would feel, day after day, to be so immersed in the beauty of nature and so isolated from society.

They call this province of Palawan the Philippines’ last frontier, and I can see why. I mentally name the lone dwelling ‘Little House on the Lagoon’ for, like the ‘Little House on the Prairie’ stories I read as a child, it seems to represent a tiny human footprint on a vast natural world. The scene could hardly be a greater contrast to the place I’ve just come from, the central Philippines city of Cebu, which is full of people, sound and activity.

Rich heritage of Cebu city With less than a million residents, Cebu City is still a far cry from the huge conurbation of Metro Manila, which has a packed population of nearly 13 million. For this reason I would recommend Cebu to anyone seeking a taste of city life in the Philippines without being overwhelmed by the intensity of the national capital. Although business is booming here – Cebu is a major transport hub as well as the centre of the country’s film and furniture-making industries – the city has keenly safeguarded its provincial atmosphere, making it both appealing and manageable for visitors.

As the Philippines’ oldest city, Cebu takes seriously its responsibility of preserving the country’s multi-layered history. A good place to start is the Heritage of Cebu Monument in the downtown area. This large public sculpture depicts key scenes from the city’s past, including the battle between the Spaniard Ferdinand Magellan and local hero Lapu-Lapu in 1521. Were you told in school that Magellan was the first person to circumnavigate the globe? I was, but in Cebu I learned that in fact Magellan was killed here

by Lapu-Lapu, and only his crew completed the voyage.

Two other heritage attractions worth visiting in Cebu are the Yap Sandiego Ancestral House and the Casa Gorordo Museum. Both are housed in historic buildings that show what daily life was like in the Spanish colonial era. Casa Gorordo also includes a user-friendly exhibit on the early 20th century American administration of the Philippines and the Japanese invasion in World War II.

Spiritual passion Cebu is home to two famous Filipino religious monuments. Magellan’s Cross is a large wooden cross said to have been placed here by the first European explorers, now housed inside a rotundalike building decorated with friezes depicting the first contact between Europeans and Filipinos.

Some people revere the cross as a miracleworking holy object, some regard it as an important historic artifact marking the arrival of Christianity in the Philippines, and others dismiss it as a complete fake. Regardless of its authenticity, the site provides an insight into the hybrid nature of Filipino Catholicism. If you pay a small amount to have candles placed around the cross, local women will dance an Indigenous prayer dance while chanting a Christian entreaty on your behalf – an odd but interesting experience.

More glimpses into the role of religion in Filipino life can be seen at the nearby Santo Niño church. The 16th century structure is huge, gaudily decorated and packed with religious devotees. Outside, a carnival atmosphere reigns with balloons, souvenir stalls, brightly coloured umbrellas and murals commemorating past papal visits. It’s all a little crazy, but well worth visiting to help understand the passionate enthusiasm many Filipinos feel for their Catholic religion.

Images from left, opposite: Cebu shows its Spanish heritage in buildings such as Santo Niño Basilica; the Heritage of Cebu Monument, above; and Magellan’s Cross, below

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Street culture Churches and museums are great, but you can also learn a lot about the culture of a place just by walking or being driven around the streets.

In Cebu, sari-sari stores line the footpaths, their eclectic wares usually surmounted by rows of stubby yellow bananas.

Concrete courts for basketball – the national obsession – are squeezed into gaps between buildings. The traffic is a stream of motor scooters, tricycles and pedi-cabs. Jeepneys – small buses made from army vehicles left behind by the Americans at the end of the war – carry improbable numbers of passengers packed side by side, with more perched on the outside, holding nonchalantly onto handrails or each other.

Food and shopping also open windows onto daily life in this thriving city. While the 100-yearold Carbon Market with its photogenic displays of crafts and farm produce is a magnet for tourists, simply stopping by one of the city’s modern shopping malls provides a more realistic sense of Filipino society today. Instead of piped music, these malls often feature excellent live cover bands performing songs from any time in the last 60 years. (Never before have I heard ‘Quando, quando’ so often!)

Twin Lagoon where freshwater and saltwater meet

Local food The food specialties of Cebu are the local mangoes and a lemongrass-infused roast pork dish called lechon. Staying at the Shangri-La Mactan, a lovely beachfront resort near Cebu-Mactan Airport, every morning at breakfast I devoured the sweetest, juiciest, most luscious mangoes it has ever been my privilege to encounter. During the day I snacked on packets of the renowned Cebu dried mangoes, purchased from a supermarket. For dinner, it was almost obligatory to visit a lechon restaurant.

There are many to choose from, all claiming to be the best. I found the Zubuchon chain to be a good option, as it serves other traditional Filipino meals as well.

Preparing a fresh seafood barbecue on the beach ...

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Busuanga Bay Lodge

... ready to eat

Preparing lechon in Cebu

There’s a complete sense that we’ve left the ordinary world behind. ‘Is this even real?’ someone asks

But my favourite meal in Cebu was a banquet of authentic Filipino dishes (including vegetarian options) at Abaseria Restaurant. This unassuming building located in a side street is off the beaten track and you’ll need help getting there – ask your hotel to book you a table and organise transport.

Once there, fine dining and excellent service await you. A bonus is that the restaurant doubles as a gallery where you can browse and buy high-quality handicrafts sourced from around the island.

Images, this page left and right above: Drazen Vukelic and Michal Hlavica/Shutterstock

Coasting in Coron A dense network of flight paths connects Cebu’s international airport with cities throughout the Asia-Pacific region. It’s also easy to fly from here to destinations all over the Philippines, including the spectacularly beautiful province of Palawan in the northwest of the country. You step onto a plane in the modern, urban surrounds of Cebu-Mactan airport and, 90 minutes later, step off onto a small tarmac in rural Busuanga, one of the islands in the Coron area of Palawan.

It’s another world. Tethered goats graze at the side of the road. Motorbikes pass carrying entire families perched in human pyramids. Cattle paddocks are framed by vistas of distant jungle.

On an isolated concrete slab in the middle of a field, schoolboys keenly contest a game of basketball while dogs and younger children look on. As we drive west, there is more and more space, silence, and an ever wilder landscape.

Our destination is Busuanga Bay Lodge, a small resort at the far western tip of the island, which caters equally for marine sports and luxurious relaxation. It’s from here that we set off the next morning for Twin Lagoon, the place where this story began.

I feel the wind on my face as the speedboat slices through the water and Busuanga Bay unfolds in a series of enchanting capes and inlets. As we travel across the bay, I become hypnotised by the rhythm of our movement and the interplay of sunlight and wave-dance. The colours are extraordinary – turquoise, cyan and a clear, glassy green.

Above: Very different ways to travel, from motorbikes and colourful jeepneys in Cebu or more serene boat rides between bays in Coron, in the province of Palawan, said to be the last frontier in the Philippines and seen here from the pool at Busuanga Bay Lodge

Living a dream NEED TO KNOW • Best time to go is during the cooler months from November to April.

• No visa required for stays less than 21 days with a passport valid for at least six months.

• One Australian dollar is equal to about 40 Philippine Pesos (PHP).

• Change money at your hotel.

ATMs can be hard to find outside the big cities and save small change for things like tips and transport.

• The Philippines is one of the largest English speaking populations in the world but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t learn some common phrases before you go!

When we turn into the lagoon with its encircling rocky walls, there’s a complete sense that we’ve left the ordinary world behind. ‘Is this even real?’ someone on the boat asks, partly as a joke and partly in actual disbelief.

But the little house at the end of the lagoon tells us that this extraordinary place is indeed real, and someone’s home. Later in the morning, at the celebrated but much more crowded Kayangan Lake, we see a traditional outrigger boat with a faded red sail being manoeuvred by a man with a long punting pole. The wooden boat is piled high with coconuts that he and his wife have brought to sell to tourists. Again, it’s a reminder that people live, and need to make a living, in this seemingly magical place.

A final thrill is the opportunity to snorkel at the wreck of the Lusong gunboat, one of many Japanese ships sunk in these waters during the war. Nature has reclaimed the shallow wreck and turned it into a thing of startling beauty. The side of the boat is now a wall of blue, orange and purple coral. Slits in the metal have become windows of light, through which brilliantly coloured fish dart to and fro.

I wouldn’t have missed either side of my Philippines experience, the bustle of Cebu or the serenity of the northwest islands. Whether you’re in its urban heart or at its furthest rural edge, this is a country full of human interest that leaves an indelible imprint on your imagination.

Philippine Airlines flies non-stop between Brisbane and Manila four times weekly aboard the new A321neo aircraft and operates onward connections to Cebu BNE July/August 2018 | 17

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VIVA VANUATU A BEGINNER’S GUIDE

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Photography by David Kirkland/Vanuatu Tourism Office

Leonie Vandeven discovers Vanuatu and finds a very special welcome waiting for Australians

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o my left, dense forest threatens to swallow everything in its path if not for the busy roadway that halts its creeping tendrils. To my right, I see glimpses of the turquoise Pacific Ocean between simple huts with thatched rooves and walls woven from bush materials, and fancy resorts offering deep sea fishing adventures.

Just over two hours flying time from Brisbane Airport, Vanuatu is one of Australia’s closest island neighbours and a nation of contrasts.

In town, ladies in colourful traditional island dress sell fish on woven mats, sitting beside teenagers in shorts and t-shirts staring at their iPhones. Passengers on a day trip from a mega cruise ship flood the handicraft markets, casino, shops and bars bringing vital tourism dollars, while just outside Port Vila a small village makes a meagre income showing tourists how to hull coconuts. Children who finish schooling after Year 8 play in front of a regional university that supports undergraduates from 12 Pacific Island nations.

You can fly by helicopter to your own private island or get back to nature exploring wild forest and remote waterfalls on horseback, sip French Champagne from crystal glasses or chug down a bottle of the local Tusker beer.

During a day trip along the single stretch of roadway that is the only access route around the entire circumference of Vanuatu’s main island

MUST DO ADVENTURES Native Round Island Day Tour. It helps to get your bearings, highlights hot spots to visit later, provides access to private villages and the hosts Tom and Noah share a wonderful personal commentary and history of Vanuatu on the way.

NEED TO KNOW • No visa required for Australian passport holders for a maximum stay of 30 days.

• The best time to visit is between April and October when the weather is milder.

• There are no dangerous sharks (great whites, bull sharks or tiger sharks), snakes or spiders in Vanuatu so explore, snorkel or dive with confidence.

• Save your hip pocket and the planet by ditching plastic bottled water, the local water is safe to drink.

Club Hippique horse riding tours. Meander through forests to secluded waterfalls or to the ocean where you can swim with your horse to cool off. If you’re not an experienced rider book the half day or pay with a sore backside the next day. Totally worth it though!

Coongoola Day Cruise. Cruise on board the classic timber tall ship Coongoola (built in Brisbane circa 1940) through Havannah Harbour to Hideaway Island turtle sanctuary, before mooring at a secluded coral cove where you can snorkel the reef in crystal clear water or relax on the fine white sand after a barbecue lunch.

• Take strong mosquito spray.

Use it liberally. Keep doors closed at night and spray your room before sleeping.

• The Vanuatu vatu/Australian dollar conversion is approximately 100/1.

of Efate, our driver regularly beeps his horn at other cars, pedestrians and people seated at roadside stores. In Australia such liberal use of your horn might earn you a stiff middle finger wave but here it is a sign of friendship. A warm hello to match the tropical weather.

Australians, in particular, are in for a special welcome. “Thank you too much,” our local ‘Ni-Vanuatu’ guide Thomas says with a wide grin as he points out a new roof on a village school house. “This was damaged by Pam (the cyclone), but you fixed it.” We round the corner to see a maternity block he also praises us for. Next is a section of roadway built with Australian Aid that Thomas gives us full credit for as if we’d personally laid the asphalt, “Thank you too much. The taxes you pay built this road. Thank you too much. Australia is like our big brother, you always look after us.”

The unexpected praise and genuine warmth for Australia and Australian visitors is humbling, as is the simplicity of island life which continues to guide deep spiritual and family connections throughout this South Pacific archipelago of more than 80 islands.

It has been three years since Cyclone Pam swept across Vanuatu but its beauty is undiminished, a most perfect tropical island setting for anything from a family adventure to a romantic weekend getaway (yes, it’s that close!).

Horseriding on the beach or cruising the harbour and islands on the Coongoola tall ship (built in Brisbane around 1940) are different ways to explore the natural beauty of Vanuatu

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GO Any minivan with a B on its number plate is a bus service. There are no bus stops, just flag down the driver and they will take you anywhere within Port Vila for 1500 VUV (about AUD$1.50).

Taxis have a T on the number plate and are un-metered so agree a price with the driver beforehand. Your hotel can advise what is a fair rate.

Have plenty of spare change as drivers often cannot break larger notes.

It is very safe to walk around Port Vila and the locals are friendly and helpful.

STAY Take your pick from five-star luxury and boutique bungalows over the water to adults-only retreats or family friendly resorts. We stayed at Mangoes Resort (www.mangoesresort.com) for a great couples’ getaway. Set high on a clifftop overlooking the lagoon, Mangoes is only minutes from Port Vila yet offers ultimate peace and quiet, an excellent restaurant, exceptional customer service and very good coffee. Our tip: order the house-made muesli with fresh fruit for breakfast and the coconut fish curry for dinner.

EAT Order fish or seafood at every opportunity. It’s super fresh, sustainably caught and supports local suppliers.

Vanuatu beef is excellent, as are the island’s fruits and vegetables.

The local Tusker beer goes down well with salted cassava chips after a hard day relaxing.

Snack on coconut, banana and bunches of fresh raw peanuts bought from the market stalls.

Fruit bat lovers turn away now … you can get them served with red wine sauce at L’Houstalet Restaurant, Port Vila, along with pizza, garlic snails and steak.

Use your resort activity booking service. They make all the arrangements for you and all you need to do is turn up on time for your pick up.

Yes you can hire a car but by booking a hosted tour you get great local commentary, tips and access to villages and secret spots only locals know.

Coordinate visits to tourist hotspots like Mele Cascades or Blue Lagoon on the days the cruise ships are not in town.

You can go for a swim or enjoy the facilities at any of the island resorts or the casino, however it is expected you buy a drink, something to eat, or pay a small entry fee.

Blue Lagoon is a family-friendly swimming spot

Bungalow view at Mangoes Resort 20 | BNE July/August 2018

Food is first class at Mangoes Resort

Air Vanuatu and Virgin Australia fly direct between Brisbane and Port Vila, Vanuatu, several times weekly

Seafood is caught fresh every day

Photography by David Kirkland/Vanuatu Tourism Office except Mangoes Resort, supplied

DO

HOT TIPS • Avoid downtown Port Vila on cruise ship days. It’s hectic, the locals leave and prices go up.

• Choose tours or activities that employ or are owned and operated by ‘Ni-Vanuatu’ (locals). By doing this your money directly supports village communities and goes toward schooling and health care which are not free.

• Take small change or school supplies instead of sweets when visiting villages to gift to the children.

• If you love Tusker beer as much as we did, buy a carton at the supermarket to save on your resort bill.

• Grab some duty free wine or spirits at Brisbane Airport International Terminal to enjoy on your holiday. You can take up to two litres each.

Snack on fruit fresh from the market stalls

Mele Cascades is a beautiful swimming spot

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HOURS in

LAUNCESTON Kerry Heaney jumped aboard Jetstar’s new direct service from Brisbane to Launceston for a long weekend adventure and this is what she found

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asmania’s second largest city has half the population of Hobart but punches well above its weight when it comes to restaurants, wineries and touring options. Launceston is a walkable city filled with Victorian streetscapes, designer homeware shops, art galleries, urbane dining and quirky bars and cafés. There’s a spectacular scenic gorge to walk, food trails to follow and vineyards boasting premium local wine and gourmet menus all within minutes of the heart of the city.

3PM Bag drop for my 5pm flight direct to Launceston with Jetstar. Time to browse Brisbane Airport’s Domestic Terminal shops and sit down for a late lunch at Glasshouse Bar.

8PM Pick up hire car and drive 20 minutes to check in to the new Peppers Silo Hotel (89 Lindsay Street, Invermay). Four 35 metre-high grain silos, built on the edge of the River Tamar in the 1960s, have been given a $25 million transformation to become the sophisticated nine-storey hotel.

There are 108 guest rooms, 52 of them inside the thick concrete walls of the former silos which are no barrier to streaming with fast WiFi and 1GB free internet and Chromecast available to all guests. With views stretching towards Cataract Gorge, the hotel is the first stage of an extensive rejuvenation for a former industrial area.

9PM We don’t have to go far to enjoy a nightcap. Woody’s Bar, named

after the hotel’s construction manager, is an oasis of cocktails, beers and fine local spirits on level one in the silos.

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Images: Rob Burnett and Pete Harmsen/Tourism Tasmania and Timbre Kitchen

THURSDAY

Opposite page, from top: Stillwater has been transformed from an historic flour mill into one of Tasmania’s best restaurants; simply delicious food at Timbre Kitchen at Velo Wines; walk off the calories at Cataract Gorge. This page, below: Peacocks have the run of the Victorian garden at Cataract Gorge. Right: Josef Chromy winery

FRIDAY

8.30AM Less than 10 minutes’ drive away on the other side of the river Stillwater (2 Bridge Road, Launceston), built in the 1830s as a flour mill, provides a warm rustic dining charm with a contemporary menu across breakfast, lunch and dinner. The seasonally-inspired breakfast menu includes gems such as thick-cut ham from local Mount Gnomon Farm topped with hollandaise and vinegar and a rye waffle adorned with cold smoked Huon salmon and mustard crème fraiche. Delicious fuel loading to burn off while walking through Cataract Gorge! Tours depart from the old ticket booth, a short walk from Stillwater up the hill over Kings Bridge.

10.30AM Meet Tanya Hussey, from Walk Cataract Gorge, for a one-

hour tour. Tanya shares the fascinating human, botanical and geological history of this ancient place on an easy walk into the gorge along a path that looks down on the South Esk River.

A swimming pool at First Basin is a favourite spot for locals, but it’s a different type of local – exotically plumed peacocks – that have the run of the Victorian garden on the shady south side of the gorge.

For an alternate view, the chairlift glides 457 metres over the huge natural basin, believed to be the longest single chairlift span in the world.

SATURDAY

8.30AM It’s the place you plan to go to and the place where you make plans say the locals about their popular Saturday morning Harvest Market (71 Cimitiere Street, Launceston). It is also a spot to eat while browsing the stalls. Take a bespoke Taste. Walk. Talk tour with Brock Kerslake to meet stall holders and be guided through the many tastes on offer, then continue on a gourmet walking tour through the streets of Launceston stopping for treats along the way at local producers and providores.

1PM Tamar Wine Route has many gems but for Champagne lovers a visit

to the rammed earth cellar door at Clover Hill (60 Clover Hill Road, Lebrina), 40 minutes’ drive from Launceston, is hard to beat. The relaxed vibe of their cellar door is complemented by expansive views over rolling green hills on the 66-hectare property overlooking Bass Strait.

Indulge in some wine pairing with the small but exciting menu featuring black pudding from local butcher Casalinga with red quinoa, pickled berries and cocoa crumb, crumbed brie and black sesame smoked tofu.

8PM Get Naked and Famous for at least one drink at Geronimo Aperitivo Bar & Restaurant (186 Charles Street, Launceston) before diving into the traditional European-inspired share plates and wood-fired pizza selection.

10PM Kick back at Saint John Craft Beer Bar (133 St John Street,

Launceston) and try to choose an ale from 14 on tap and a range of international, Australian and Tasmanian bottled craft beers.

12 NOON Hot local chef Matt Adams creates the flavour-filled menu

at Timbre Kitchen with the assistance of hot coals and smoke. Located alongside Velo Wines vineyard and cellar door (755 West Tamar Highway, Legana), Timbre Kitchen is deservedly well-loved by locals. Although the menu is a moveable feast, comfort food such as wood oven grilled cheese with granny Jean’s mustard pickle is a staple.

SUNDAY

8.30AM Bryher (91 George Street, Launceston) for breakfast which includes black pudding scotch egg and a Bryher rarebit filled with Pyengana cheddar and topped with Morrison Ale béchamel and a tastetempting selection of doughnut pastries. Bryher’s quirky interior is filled with collectables and I can’t resist a few jams and preserves from the house-made selection to take home.

2PM Spend the afternoon browsing through Launceston’s quirky CBD

where old Victorian-style shop fronts mix with seriously tempting homewares, art galleries and food emporiums. Must-stops are the National Trust Old Umbrella Shop; Wursthaus at Olivers to stock the room mini-fridge with treats; Goulay’s Sweet Shop to try a classic Launceston acid drop lolly; Design Centre Tasmania and the Waverly Woollen Mills Factory Outlet.

7PM After a session at the Peppers Silo gym, I’m ready to tackle another

meal. Grain of the Silos is the onsite restaurant which has a strong focus on supporting local farmers and producers under guidance from food director and celebrity chef Massimo Mele. Head chef Peter Twitchett has created a remarkable selection of dishes matched with an equally impressive wine list featuring award-winning local wines carefully curated

by Tasmanian wine educator Curly Haslam-Coates.

We start with a snack of raw salmon on a wasabi leaf and a pulled pork croquette, followed by tender, crisp fried potato gnocchi with mushrooms and shavings of fresh truffle, and ethically-raised Scottsdale pork chops with sweet, tender meat and crisp crackling.

10AM Walk off breakfast feast with a wander through Launceston City Park and the Japanese Macaque Monkey enclosure.

11AM Check out from Peppers Silo and drive to Josef Chromy Wines (370 Relbia Road, Relbia) less than 20 minutes south of Launceston and listed as one of the Top 10 Cellar Doors in Australia. All the wines are estate grown and the restaurant overlooks the vineyard, a perfect pit stop for a long and leisurely lunch.

3PM Drive to Evandale, just 10 minutes further south and pretty as a picture. It is one of the best preserved historic towns in Australia with some buildings dating back to 1809. Wander the streets, browse the shops and galleries, stop for late afternoon refreshment in the cosy Clarendon Arms. It’s just a six-minute drive to the airport from here.

6PM Return hire car and Jetstar bag drop opens at Launceston Airport ahead of the 8.10pm departure, arriving in Brisbane at 10.45pm.

Jetstar and Virgin Australia fly direct between Brisbane and Launceston, Tasmania several times weekly BNE July/August 2018 | 23

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Tracks

IN THE SAND

Shelley Winkel signs up for a 90km wilderness hike across the Great Sandy National Park from Noosa to Rainbow Beach, but fitness isn’t her only challenge

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If finding the starting point for one of Australia’s greatest wilderness hikes is a test in orientation then I fail before I even lace up my boots. The office of Tropical Treks Guided Bushwalks and Birdwatching is tucked behind a Noosaville roundabout and it’s only after getting lost in the ’burbs that owner and certified Savannah Guide, Steve Grainger, magically appears to flag me in.

Here the group sheds the first of any unnecessary baggage.

Goodbye second phone charger, pajamas and third t-shirt; a saving of 900 grams.

Bed for the first night is Beach Road Holiday Homes at Noosa North Shore, in one of a dozen or so architecturally-designed properties in a bush village. The house is double the size of the average Queenslander and comes with a Greco-Roman communal pool and a morning chorus of noisy kookaburras. If you decide to bail out of the hike, then this is the place to hole up and do it. Bush luxe it is.

Cooloola Sandpatch image by Shelley Winkel

DAY 1: Pack it in Sunday

In the massive dining room Steve’s wife, Winnie, lays out a raft of food – glittering packs of dehydrated meals, tins of tuna, wraps, muesli, cheese, trail mix and a coveted daily avocado, each one hand-selected based on its degree of ripeness. Mine is the Wednesday avocado. I’ve got three days to keep it intact. Big responsibility.

What’s most surprising is the weight. My food pack hits 4.5 kilograms – a lot when you also have camping equipment and water to carry.

Something’s got to give. I dump my novel, an onion, long trousers, a small towel and some toiletries. My pack comes in at 18.5 kilograms, three kilograms over the ideal, but there’s no way I’m giving up the iPhone and battery charger. It’s a decision I could later regret.

The Cooloola Great Walk is a Class 4 track. That means it’s got distinct trails with signposted junctions and it requires a moderate level of fitness.

Hat, sunglasses, gaiters, water treatment tablets and a first aid kit are a must (as is a trowel for those who can’t last the distance between the long-drop toilets stationed at each site).

Our walk starts with a half hour trail through the pretty Arthur Harrold Nature Refuge before transitioning over swampy lowlands toward a remote beach. At this time of the morning it’s just us – four human turtles – and two lonely anglers who think we are positively nuts carrying such heavy packs.

The remaining 77km to Rainbow Beach can be easily conquered by 4WD they tell us. Why would you walk when you can do the Great Beach Drive? Why indeed.

But the answer is in the name Cooloola which, in the language of the local Indigenous Gubbi Gubbi people, means “the sound the wind makes as it whispers through the branches of the trees”, and the rare and native animals inhabiting the Sandmass, including Ground Parrots, Feathertailed Gliders, koalas and wallabies, along with rich flora and myriad wildflowers.

From July humpback whales will be in view as they migrate up the coast during the winter months.

Leaving the ocean behind, we hit the dunes and trail north to Brahminy Camp. It’s the first time to unpack our equipment and the resemblance between my goodie bag of poles, pegs and parachute silk and an Ikea flat pack does not go unnoticed. It takes a good hour to figure out how to erect the tent. The result is an all-weather yellow submarine-style humpy that’s literally barnacled to the hilltop.

DAY 3: Double Bag of Happiness Tuesday (20.3km) Caffeine is my drug of choice but the lack of customers along the Cooloola Great Walk means there are no baristas. Winnie thoughtfully packed coffee bags and I figure I need double strength to a) get me over the aches of the day before, and b) to tackle the notorious Cooloola Sandpatch, a 1.2kmwide desert smack in the middle of our trail. It’s the Everest of our trip and the ‘Double Bag of Happiness’ is vital.

The plan today is to make it to the base of the lunar landscape 10km in, smash down a snack to engine us up the 120-metre dune and then stop for lunch at a shady spot on the other side.

Steve allocates 45 minutes for the crossing, seriously underestimating our hell-bent need to slaughter another avocado wrap for lunch. Fast out of the gates the young and the restless conquer the sandy patch – one eye on the vast ocean to our right – in less than 31 minutes. Avocado number two is dead, skinned and smashed by the time Steve and I doddle in 10 minutes later.

The rest of the day is a walk in the hills. Literally.

Lake Poona

DAY 4: The Not So Big Easy Wednesday (15km) At this point we learn to identify individual bird calls from the shrill orchestra of sounds around us. There’s the sweet sounding Rufous Whistler and the wham-boom of the Wompoo Fruit-Dove. Steve reels off another dozen or so bird calls, adding proof that the park is home to 304 feathered species.

Today’s trail is the shortest, the prettiest and the hardest thanks to a 10km steady incline omitted from our morning pep talk. By the time we lob into Litoria Camp deep inside the Kauri forest around 1pm it’s poles down, lunch and a nap under the shady branches.

Avocado number three is dragged from the bowels of my pack and aside from a few peek-a-boo innards, my fruit baby has survived. It’s good to know that I can at least nurture flesh of the fruity kind.

DAY 5: Thursday Into the Home Stretch (21km) The trail is getting crowded. After 62km owning the Great Sandy National Park we stumble across two blokes hiking the other direction. Meeting them is akin to discovering life on Mars and the vast wilderness suddenly switches into neighbourhood gym mode. Conversations revolve around recovery, protein hits and step counts.

DAY 6: Friday Burger and Beer (16 km) The only thing between us and a burger is 16km. The team bolts out of camp one final time and literally trots the entire way to the Carlo Sandblow, a massive dune on the outskirts of Rainbow Beach, stopping to search for a Powerful Owl at Lake Poona. But with almost 88km behind us, our sights are just as firmly set on a chilled ale served alongside said burger, one that comes with a side of smashed avocado, of course!

Image: @footloosefotography

DAY 2: Blast Off Monday from Noosa North Shore (17.3km)

GETTING THERE The starting point for the hike at Noosa is one hour and 40 minutes’ drive north from Brisbane.

The five-day Cooloola Great Walk with Tropical Treks Guided Bushwalks and Birdwatching is $1595 including camping gear or $1095 if you BYO; food included and one night accommodation at Noosa North Shore.

Tours depart fortnightly until 23 September in 2018. See www.tropicaltreks.com.au BNE July/August 2018 | 25

ESCAPE EXTRA

SANCTUARY on the city fringe

Heather McWhinnie gets a taste of fine wine and food on safari, just 40 minutes from Brisbane’s city centre

W

aking up in a new ‘glamping’ pavilion at Terry Morris’ Sirromet Wines property is like waking up in a treehouse – even though the ‘tent’ is firmly anchored to the ground.

Kookaburras make their early morning call just to make sure you don’t miss a minute of the beautiful day ahead, the slightest fresh breeze whispers in through the mesh window as soon as you unzip the inner lining, and the upper branches of paperbarks and scribbly gums are in your eyeline from the pillow through the full-length glass sliding doors to the deck.

It’s no coincidence. When Sirromet owner Terry E. Morris (yes, it’s his name and initials spelt backwards) decided to create the new Sanctuary accommodation on part of the massive 200 hectares winery estate, he called in specialist consultant Grant Hunt with a mandate to make sure that whatever was built had to be in harmony with the natural landscape. Hunt walked the property with a builder for weeks to survey the fall of the land and the view lines before settling on the gentle rise that sits on the edge of the existing lagoon. Then Hunt worked with Ballina-based business Undercover Canvas to create a purpose-built pavilion that would not only suit the site but also provide a stylish and comfortable accommodation for guests.

The result is my kind of camping: a spacious bedroom with

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sitting corner, an ensuite with hot running rainwater shower, a small kitchenette with real crockery and glassware – and the cellar door only metres away.

Breakfast is delivered in a hamper, with French butter croissants, yoghurt pots with granola, housesmoked salmon and cream cheese bagels, Sirromet blended coffee and fresh juice. We must seem quite a novelty to the local wallabies who come out of the bush to watch as we eat on the deck before they hop away again, their curiosity satisfied.

Sirromet has helped put Queensland wines on the map since it opened in 2000 and has won more than 900 national and international awards in the process, but food is its next adventure.

Onsite Restaurant Lurleen’s (named for Terry’s wife) has always had a good reputation but with the opening of Sanctuary by Sirromet they have introduced a new Gourmet Food Safari – and you can take that literally because it really is a cross-country expedition.

Led by Sirromet’s chief winemaker Adam Chapman and new executive chef Mathew Fulford, it’s a four-hour moveable feast around the property, travelling between stops on something that is just a few steps up from a hay wagon at the back of a tractor. It makes for a jolly journey in a group.

Each stop is unique in location and flavour, from the canapés matched with a 2010 Signature

Inside a pavilion

Collection Sparkling Chardonnay Pinot Noir and a panoramic vista of the Mt Cotton landscape to the best barbecue course ever – sitting on a log tucking into Asado Lamb Argentinian style, slow cooked over a hot coal fire pit and a few (too many) slices of sourdough made with shiraz lees (delicious), washed down with a 2014 Le Sauvage ‘The Wild’ Shiraz Viognier.

There are four stops on the tour including a close-up look at the tank room where all the wines are made, accompanied by expert insights from Chapman.

It’s not the only food and wine adventure at Sirromet. Fulford’s eight-course degustation menu at Lurleen’s is another good reason to stay over at the ‘Sanctuary’.

Breakfast hamper

NEED TO KNOW • Sirromet Wines is at Mt Cotton, about 40 minutes’ drive south of Brisbane city.

• There are 18 ‘tent’ pavilions: 15 for couples, two for families and one bridal suite.

• Rates from $280 to $480 per pavilion per night (minimum two-night stay) includes breakfast hamper.

• Winery tours take 90 minutes, include tasting of six premium wines and cost $20 per person.

• Four-hour Gourmet Food Safari is $450 per person.

See www.sanctuarybysirromet.com

WHALE of a TALE

J

uly to October is peak whale watching season off the coast of Queensland and Hervey Bay is a top whale watching destination, not only for tourists but also for researchers who have revealed some quirky facts about the giant mammals.

Did you know?

• • • • •

• • •

Humpbacks may sleep with one eye open.

They can stop blood flow to certain parts of their body.

That sound is a more dominant sense for them than sight.

That survival and gravity play a part in them growing to the size of a bus.

Whales can make sounds at frequencies higher and lower than humans can hear and can emit incredibly loud sounds – equivalent to a rock concert!

Hear the whale songs recorded off Fraser Island at facebook.com/oceania Whales have ears but not an external ear structure, just tiny openings which are difficult to see.

Heavy wax inside the ear canal keeps water out and researchers can count dark and light rings in this plug of ear wax, like a tree trunk, to estimate how old a whale is when it dies.

Reasons for breaching (jumping out of the water) include being a protection against sharks and killer whales, and a way to get their eye in the air to check out the location of vessels on the surface.

Time to take

a holiday

New research from InterContinental Hotels & Resorts reveals that 32 per cent of Australians are too busy with work to take a holiday. Almost two million full-time workers cite they haven’t been on a holiday or taken annual leave in more than a year.

More than half a million Australians won’t take annual leave because of the stress they will return to if they are away from the office.

In the same survey Queensland was voted the best state to go for a holiday (34 per cent) – a long way ahead of its nearest rivals NSW (18 percent) and Victoria (17 percent) – while the key features needed to make the perfect holiday were given as convenient location (66 percent), level of service (65 per cent), connectivity/WiFi (58 percent), special views (56 percent), room service (49 per cent) and a decent pool (49 percent).

Hervey Bay is about a 50-minute flight from Brisbane. Unlike other whale watching locations, the humpbacks spend up to 10 days in Hervey Bay waters relaxing, playing, socialising and teaching their young calves life skills. The broad sweep of the bay is protected from ocean swells by the 123km length of Fraser Island forming a naturally calm playground for the whales. Late July and August are the best times to swim with the humpbacks in Hervey Bay but the whale watching season continues until early November.

Find out how to join the researchers and other tourists watching humpback whales in Hervey Bay at www.whalesherveybay.com.au Qantas/QantasLink flies non-stop between Hervey Bay and Brisbane

Insider guide to KYOTO

K

yoto has released a new series of insider-guided experiences designed to give travellers a more intimate insight to the cultural capital of Japan. Experiences range from exploring the hidden corners of historic castles to learning about traditional arts and crafts and strolling some of the city’s most unique neighbourhoods, such as the backstreets of Gion and the ‘geisha district’.

All tours are guided by the City of Kyoto Visitor Hosts, highly qualified interpreter guides specialised in Kyoto who have undergone special training in the fields of history, culture and traditional arts as well as guiding and communication skills. For more information see www.kyotovisitorshost.com/en/ Qantas flies direct between Brisbane and Tokyo (Narita). The Bullet Train from Tokyo to Kyoto takes 2 hours 20 minutes BNE July/August 2018 | 27

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IT’S easy BEING VEGAN

O

nce upon a time it was hard to find vegetarian dishes on a menu, never mind a vegetarian restaurant – and even harder to find vegan options – but now veganism is one of the fastest growing food movements in the world and Australia is the third fastest growing vegan market.

Eschewing all animal products might sound like a challenge – and a less than exciting way to dine – but the experimental culture which surrounds this plant-based movement has developed a wide range of satisfying dishes.

Think sweet potato and black bean burgers, curried coconut quinoa with roasted cauliflower and sugar snap pea and carrot soba noodles for starters. Vegan travellers will find plenty of choice at Brisbane Airport with a wide range of soups, salads and sweets to enjoy … and it’s a healthy way to snack or dine before catching a flight. Here are four of my top vegan picks at Brisbane Airport’s Domestic Terminal.

TOFU RULES

Australians are choosing a plant-based diet in record numbers and it’s a healthy way to eat when travelling, as Kerry Heaney discovers at Brisbane Airport

Roll’d has earned a popular following for its authentic Vietnamese cuisine, and it has taken on the vegan challenge with vigour, creating a wide range of tofu options on the menu. The tofu rice paper rolls, or ‘soldiers’ as they call them, are also available in a low carb version.

Their version of Vietnam’s national soup, a rich, aromatic pho broth (call it Ferr and you’ll sound like a foodie) comes with mushroom or tofu. Goi (Guy) salad and Bun (Boon), a fresh and light noodle salad are both available with tofu, or you can add tofu to a Banh Mi (Bun Mee) which is a Vietnamese version of a crisp French baguette. Being vegan doesn’t mean you can’t have a few carbs and the sweet potato fries are a delicious snack. On Level 2, after security, food court at the Qantas end of Domestic Terminal.

RAW BITES

From top: Grains and Greens Salad from Sumo Salad; Kale Soup with Quinoa and Vegetables also from Sumo Salad; Tofu Rice Paper Rolls or ‘Soldiers’ at Roll’d; Mad Mex Burrito with organic tofu; and sweet treats at Watermark Books and Café to accompany a soy milk coffee

Sumo Salad has responded to customer demand and increased its vegan range and there are hot and cold selections, from a light pumpkin soup or a kale soup with quinoa and vegetables to a vegan salad bowl full of greens and grains.

A sweet treat can be small bites of raw cacao and cashew, a raw caramel crunch, or a slice made with raw lemon cashew and chia. Vegan or not, one of their biggest sellers, the raw snickers slice, puts peanuts, dates, dark chocolate and walnuts into an irresistible combination. Sumo Salad keeps it healthy with kilojoule counts on display. On Level 2, after security, at the Virgin Australia end of Domestic Terminal.

SUPER SALAD The superfood salad at Glasshouse Bar is a powerhouse of broccoli, cauliflower, red cabbage, carrot, apple, bean shoots, goji berries and sunflower seeds topped with a miso dressing.

On Level 2, after security, near Gate 40.

SWEET TREATS For a sweet treat with your soy milk coffee, you can’t go past the library-like walls of Watermark Books and Café.

Choose between choc peppermint, coco caramel and cherry choc, all raw, gluten-free and vegan and enjoy it in this quiet sanctuary from airport bustle. On Level 2, after security, opposite Gate 24.

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GRAPE GRAZING BY NIGHT is a rare chance to sample more

than 1800 fine wines of all varieties, including Royal Queensland Wine Show (RQWS) medal-winners and new vintage releases on 13 July.

Tickets $95 per person. See www.grapegrazingbynight.com.au

First for Brisbane Airport Seeds by Michelin-star chef Bruno Loubet (below) is the first venue to sign on to be part of the $40 million redevelopment of Brisbane Airport’s Domestic Terminal and is expected to open by the end of the year. Seeds’ signature is fresh, natural and sustainable food including poke bowls, fruit salads, smoothies, juices and coffee, while some of Bruno Loubet’s salad and dressing recipes, until now only available in his high-end restaurants, will also feature on the menu. Loubet spent eight years in London at the helm of the highly successful Grain Store before returning to Australia and settling in rural Willow Vale, south west of Brisbane, where he will open a cooking school in coming months with a focus on plantbased and ethical produce.

GREAT TEMPTATIONS July is the month to eat out as some of the city’s best eateries offer tempting deals during Citi’s Good Food Month. For example, Mamasan head chef Ray Choi has curated a multi-course share plate menu featuring some of their signature modern Asian dishes, paired with premium wine and beer for $38 per person, Monday to Friday; Libertine at Palace Barracks also offers a chef’s selection of its French-Vietnamese dishes for $29 through July; and Urbane’s head chef Amelie Rabaud hosts a special Vive la Provence five-course degustation dinner featuring specialties of the region including truffles, olives and seafood on 18 July for $100 per person. For more see www.goodfoodmonth.com/brisbane

Libertine

Mamasan

NEW AT THE BEACH

With sweeping views of Moreton Bay from its waterfront location it’s no surprise that the newly opened Sebel Brisbane Margate Beach should call its in-house restaurant Margate Beach House and top of the list of its signature dishes is the Seafood Platter for two, a mix of fresh locally-sourced fish such as prawns, Moreton Bay bugs and more. Steve Bestwick is in charge of the kitchen, guiding the menu options from breakfast through lunch and dinner, and the coffee of choice is a local roast by Wolff, based less than 25km away in Brisbane’s northern suburbs.

Margate Beach House is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days, at the corner of McCulloch Avenue and Margate Parade, Margate Beach. See www.margatebeachhouse.com.au

GOOD AS GOLD In a tribute to growing up in regional Italy, Bacchus head chef Massimo Speroni has unveiled a new dish for Winter that has been in his family for generations. Anolini is a classic ravioli, made with chef Speroni’s housemade pasta, filled with braised beef shin and Parmigiano, and served in a very simple, authentic Italian beef broth (pictured left, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil infused with 24 karat gold). The dish was initially created for a special degustation menu but due to popular demand it has been added to the à la carte menu.

“The Speroni family recipe has been passed down through my mother’s family over generations, and I have taken this traditional approach and recreated it for Bacchus using Australian beef. This is a very special dish for me,” says Speroni. Bacchus restaurant is at Rydges, South Bank, see www.bacchussouthbank.com.au BNE July/August 2018 | 29

TASTE

BEST ON THE

GRANITE BELT gourmet trail Kerry Heaney heads to the high country for a winter feast

L

ess than three hours drive time south west of Brisbane the Granite Belt is a premium wine district but the region is also a flourishing food bowl and there are some stand-out stops on the gourmet trail that showcase the best of the fresh produce.

Chef Ben Lanyon at MTFP

Hidden Creek Winery Café The Barrelroom & Larder 354 Sundown Road, Ballandean When Travis Crane and Arabella Chambers decided to follow their dream and run a restaurant on the Granite Belt, local dining stepped up more than just a notch. Focussed on sustainable and organic farming and dedicated to using the whole beast along with local produce, this couple has carved new traditions at Ballandean Estate Wines, one of the oldest wineries in the district.

The menu is full of delights such as red claw yabbies with smoked bone marrow butter and wild Ballandean venison terrine with spiced pear paste.

Ballandean pork, kangaroo tail and organic Mallow sheep also make the list. Finish your meal with cake baked with wild fennel, locally made cheese or milk marshmallow extracted from condensed jersey milk.

DON’T MISS – the seven-course degustation for $90 (or $130 with matching wines).

McGregor Terrace Food Project 2 McGregor Terrace, Stanthorpe Just like its no-nonsense name, McGregor Terrace Food Project is down to earth neighbourhood dining at its best. Created from a former general store and butcher shop in the back streets of Stanthorpe, this family-run restaurant serves up casual but delicious French provincial dining with a modern twist.

You can wander the vegetable garden where some of their fresh produce is grown (and there’s a childfriendly play area for little ones).

Menu stars include oxtail and pork ragu with potato gnocchi, beef cheek and mustard fruit tortellini with carrot and ginger puree and autumn vegetable wellington with spinach puree.

DON’T MISS – the sensational house-made ice cream, and it is available as a take-away.

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2271 Eukey Road, Ballandean Once you find a spot under a shady tree with a water view at Hidden Creek Winery Café Vineyard, it’s hard to leave. Tuck into their organic Mallow lamb rogan josh with house-made Greek yoghurt matched with a Hidden Creek tempranillo or shiraz, and the deal is sealed.

DON’T MISS – the picnic basket for two priced from $75, including a bottle of wine, picnic rug and a gourmet platter filled with produce housemade or sourced from local suppliers.

Paola’s The Winemaker Kitchen, Robert Channon Wines 32 Bradley Lane, Amiens Plan a Granite Belt trip for a Sunday or Monday to enjoy lunch from Argentinian-born Paola Cabezas’ kitchen. Paola is the winemaker at award-winning Robert Channon Wines and cooks from the heart, influenced by time spent in Spain and her homeland. Her menu varies greatly from tapas such as manchego cheese and jamon serrano or chorizo in verdelho and chimichurri to pork fillet with serrano salsa and Papa’s bread pudding topped with dulce de leche.

DON’T MISS – Paola’s own smoked butter.

Feast & Farmin’, Stanthorpe 19 Railway Street, Stanthorpe The welcome is warm at Feast & Farmin’, a casual, Greek-themed café owned and operated by Yvette Giannake and her daughter Kyra.

The drool-worthy menu includes gems such as toffee apple pancakes and rizogalo, a Greek version of rice pudding with cinnamon and lemon zest served with spiced poached local pears and balsamic roasted strawberries. Everything is made on site, by hand, using unprocessed ingredients.

DON’T MISS – the baklava.

QUICK BITES STANTHORPE CHEESE: eat in the Jersey Girls Café for the Ploughman’s lunch and cheesecake and take away jams, olives and, of course, cheese. At 4 Duncan Lane, Thulimbah.

SUTTONS JUICE FACTORY AND CIDERY: eat in for the apple pie with apple cider ice cream and take away a case of juice and preserves made from fruit harvested from the orchard out back. At 10 Halloran Drive, Thulimbah.

THE BRAMBLE PATCH: eat in for a waffle with freshly made berry ice cream and take away vinegars, oils, fruit pastes, jams, marmalades and jellies made on the premises from their own berries. At 381 Townsend Road, Glen Aplin.

VARIAS RESTAURANT, BANCA RIDGE CELLAR DOOR AND VINEYARD: eat in to taste local heroes at this training restaurant for Queensland’s Wine Tourism Training College. At 22 Caves Road, Stanthorpe.

SAM’S FARM FRESH FRUIT AND VEG: take away free-range eggs, jams, apple juice and honey.

At 44 Middleton Road, Cottonvale.

Flavours of Queensland

Australia’s largest free food festival, Regional Flavours, will take over South Bank Parklands on 21 and 22 July as food producers from across the state show their wares on market stalls, celebrity chefs share their tips in cooking demonstrations and some new food innovations are revealed – from 3D printing food to the launch of a new coffee flavoured beer (a collaboration between Merlo Coffee and Fortitude Brewing) called Pot Shot Ale.

Stars to watch Nutritionist Georgia Barnes (left) has become a multimedia star since she came close to winning her series of MasterChef three seasons ago and her skill at making healthy food look creative and delicious is inspiring thousands more followers than the clients who initially inspired her to become more inventive with her food preparation. Just looking at the recipes on her website is mouth-watering and that’s before you get to the sweet stuff, so it’s intriguing to wonder what she can create for the Wholesome Carnivore, the theme of her presentation on 21 July at the Hunting Club.

Brenda Fawdon (left) has been called a walking encyclopedia when it comes to food and she’s been only too happy to share that knowledge at cooking classes and in her books Eat Local and Wholehearted Food. After more than 30 years as a restaurateur – 15 of them running the famed Mondo Organics in West End – she has decided to focus on teaching and now runs the Real Food School to encourage others to embrace seasonal, locally-sourced whole food in their everyday meals. She shows how on the Queensland Taste stage at Regional Flavours on Saturday 21 July.

Jason Ford (right) hails from Kingaroy in the South Burnett region of Queensland, north west of Brisbane, so his recipes often feature pumpkin and pork, staples of the region. He’s shown us the secret to creating the perfect pumpkin scone as told to him by the late Lady Flo Bjelke-Petersen and his sticky pork wraps at previous festivals have been a sellout success, so we can’t wait to see what he plates up on the Queensland Taste stage on 22 July.

Spencer Patrick (left) arrived at Harrisons at Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas with quite a pedigree from working in the top restaurants in London and he has brought the same level of success to the tropical resort, which is the only hatted restaurant in Port Douglas and was awarded its 9th hat last year by Australia’s annual Good Food Guide. His food continually gets five star reviews from customers so his Classics Reinvented presentation will be a must-see on the Queensland Taste stage on 21 July.

For the full program see www.regionalflavours.com.au

After years at the American-flavoured Buffalo Bar and Mighty Mighty Cue and Brew, and now as head chef at Walter’s Steakhouse, you could say Adam Herbert (above) knows a bit about meat – he cooks a mean brisket and BBQ sauce at home, and prime Australian grain-fed beef dry aged, cut in house and cooked to order at Walter’s. He’ll share what he knows about marinades on 22 July at the Hunting Club.

BNE July/August 2018 | 31

WHAT’S ON

Noni’s

GREAT TRANSFORMATION

Award-winning actor Noni Hazlehurst goes solo for a heart-wrenching performance as Mother in Brisbane, writes Tonya Turner On a winter’s day in Sydney, Noni Hazlehurst is shooting the last scenes for the sixth and final season of A Place to Call Home. The Foxtel period drama has been a hit with audiences and while Hazlehurst, 64, is sad to be saying goodbye to her character, wealthy matriarch Elizabeth, it is the cast and crew she will miss most.

“We’ve been together for six years and we’ve bonded incredibly well.

You don’t often get that opportunity in the world of television, so it’s been a real privilege to work on such a quality series with so many amazing people,” she says.

Once filming wraps up, the Melbourne-born actor is heading back to tread the boards in her one-person play Mother. Although she has been living in the Gold Coast hinterland for the past 17 years, juggling her television commitments with stage appearances for productions by the likes of Melbourne Theatre Company and Sydney Theatre Company, it will be her mainstage debut in Brisbane.

“I’ve been out of work six months tops in 40-something years so I’ve been very lucky and I’m just glad to be doing this in my home state now,” she says.

Mother premiered in 2015 and received two Helpmann Award nominations for Best Performance by a Female Actor and Best Regional Touring Production. It tells the story of Christie, a homeless woman in a detached and unforgiving world. It gives a voice to the fallen and those who exist at the edge of safety and speaks of loneliness, madness, violence and poverty.

Far from being hesitant to perform a 75-minute one-person show, it was Hazlehurst who told her longstanding colleague and friend, director Matt Scholten, that she wanted to do a solo play. Scholten got in touch with playwright Daniel Keene and 10 days later he presented them with the script for Mother.

“I absolutely love the responsibility of taking the audience on a journey and it being all up to me – and obviously the stage management … I really love the challenge, it really is very satisfying,” she says.

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Hazlehurst also loves that the play deals with difficult topics within the powerful setting of the theatre.

“It deals with an issue that most of us put in the too-hard basket which is homelessness, but it does it in a very human way … Through the arts you can experience walking a mile in someone else’s shoes in a safe, private way … I think through this medium of the theatre, which is alive and in the moment, the audience is taken on a journey into one person’s experiences and made to realise that everyone they see on the street has a story to tell,” she says.

Hazlehurst speaks with passion about the plight of homeless people, mental illness and our need to connect with one another. Fierce and articulate, she isn’t afraid to say what she thinks, just as she did in 2016 when she became the second woman to be inducted into the Logies Hall of Fame and used her acceptance speech to hit out at the TV industry for its lack of diversity and the media for the negative press surrounding the awards.

Ironically – or perhaps not – it was the 24 years she spent as a presenter on Play School that taught her one of the most profound lessons of her life.

“Play School taught me there is no such thing as perfect, and that was an absolute revelation because I was brought up by perfectionists. If I got 98 out of 100 in an exam my Dad would say ‘what happened to the other two per cent?’ They would not stop take on Play School if you made a mistake, they wanted you to problem solve or for it to be okay. Brilliant stuff … Everything else has been coloured by that in a way, including Mother,” she says.

Mother is on 7-18 August at Cremorne Theatre, QPAC, South Brisbane.

Tickets $59 plus fees. See www.qpac.com.au

Asian

THE ART OF

FILM

KOREA is fast becoming one of the biggest powerhouses in film production. Last year alone the local industry punched out almost 500 films. “To stand out, films need to be innovative and of high standard,” says David Park, director of the Korean Film Festival in Australia. “Looser censorship policies also allow for more genre-bending, deranged story lines and ambitious scenes which add flavour to a Korean film,” he says, and presumably contribute to the success of the festival, now in its ninth year.

Park and his team have done the hard yards to pick the best of the collection for an intensive program, including Golden Slumber which has been described as a Jason Bourne-like thriller, and the warm and fuzzy comedy-drama Keys to the Heart (below).

Presented by the Korean Cultural Centre Australia, on 15 and 16 August, at Elizabeth Picture Theatre, city. See www.koffia.com.au

JAPAN is the home of anime and Sunao Katabuchi’s beautifully hand-drawn animated feature film In This Corner of the World is an award-winning example of the craft, adapted from a comic. It painstakingly recreates life in Hiroshima in the lead-up to 1945, a moving portrait of family tribulations seen from the point of view of a young woman called Suzu, and is one of two films remaining in the JFF Fringe series of monthly Japanese film screenings, a spin-off from the Japan Film Festival last year, presented by the Japan Foundation. In This Corner of the World on 30 July; The Long Excuse on 29 August, at Event Cinemas, Myer Centre, Brisbane city.

See www.eventcinemas.com.au

SOUNDS IN THE CITY Intimate concerts showcase big talent in smaller venues KIMBRA It’s been a few years in the making but Grammy winner Kimbra (left) is back in the spotlight with the release of her new album Primal Heart, and shows she is more than the singer we used to know. At The Triffid, Newstead on 16 July. Tickets $61.10 plus fees.

See www.thetriffid.com.au

SKETY The Czech six-piece vocal group SKETY (right) makes a guest appearance at Brisbane Voice Jazz Festival with a workshop sharing tips about their vocal techniques, followed by a performance of their exuberant a capella style at Brisbane Jazz Club, 1 Annie Street, Kangaroo Point, 4 August. Tickets from $35 workshop and $55 show.

See www.brisbanejazzclub.com.au FLIGHT FACILITIES Success has soared for electronic duo Hugo Gruzman and James Lyell (left) since they released their first album four years ago and their first Brisbane concert date sold out within a day of tickets going on sale. Catch them at The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley, 4 September. Tickets $69.90 plus fees.

See www.thetivoli.com.au COURTNEY BARNETT Fresh from a tour of North America and Europe and a new album just out Courtney Barnett (right), the singer/ songwriter Rolling Stone has called a “Dylan-style word ninja”, brings her distinctive sound and witty lyrics to The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley, 22 August.

Tickets from $62.20 plus fees at www.thetivoli.com.au

ANTHONY CALLEA It’s been 14 years since Callea (left) had his star turn on Australian Idol and he revisits original hits, songs from seven studio albums and some of his most memorable performances in an intimate show at The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley, 3 August. Tickets $71.17 plus fees.

See www.thetivoli.com.au

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WHAT’S ON

INDIGENOUS STORIES IN THE SPOTLIGHT NAIDOC Week in July kicks off a celebration of Indigenous culture and talent but it doesn’t end there.

Learn more at these events …

TEEN IDOL In just two years Isaiah Firebrace (left) has transformed from small town singer to big stage entertainer, from X Factor and Eurovision contestant to Las Vegas arena and, at 18, he’s just getting started. His first single so far has notched up more than 170 million streams and he’s got a fan base that is exploding in countries such as Sweden, Denmark and Norway as well as back home. With a new single just out and more to be released by the end of the year he performs live for free as part of NAIDOC Week celebrations and Quandamooka Festival on 8 July at Redland Performing Arts Centre, Cleveland.

See www.rpac.com.au

NORTHERN EXPOSURE Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and performers share their stories and life experiences in a program of more than 20 events and activities over four days as part of the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF). Fashion, film, dance, theatre, family-friendly free activities, workshops, exhibitions and an art market are just a sample of what’s on from 12 to 15 July. See www.ciaf.com.au

DISCOVER QUANDAMOOKA The Quandamooka Festival is an exploration of Indigenous connection to country from North Stradbroke Island to the shores of Brisbane’s southern bayside, revealed in events from the poetry of Balka Bitni (Redland Performing Arts Centre) and the comedy of Deadly Voices (Dunwich Hall, North Stradbroke Island) to visual arts, dance and a traditional Kunjiel (corroboree) at Wynnum Wading Pool.

It’s more than a showcase, it’s an opportunity for total immersion in the culture and environment of the Quandamooka people. Until 25 August. See the program at www.qyac.net.au

FAMILY MATTERS Which Way Home draws on award-winning writer Katie Beckett’s own memories of growing up with her single Aboriginal father as he struggled to raise three children following the death of their mother. Beckett stars in the play too, as the adult daughter taking her Dad home to country on a road trip through Queensland that also meanders through their life history, navigating new things they learn about each other on the way. A story with humour and heart. From 8 to 11 August at Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm. Tickets from $49 plus fees, see www.brisbanepowerhouse.org

INTO THE WILD Inspired by Bruce Pascoe’s award-winning book of the same name, Dark Emu is a new work by Bangarra Dance Theatre which explores the vital life force of flora and fauna in a series of compelling contemporary dance stories directed by Stephen Page accompanied by soul-stirring soundscapes by long-time collaborator Steve Francis. From 24 August at Playhouse, QPAC, South Brisbane. Tickets from $59 plus fees, see www.qpac.com.au

Classics REINVENTED FOR KIDS WOLFGANG In a fusion of circus, movement and music CIRCA’s production of Wolfgang reinvents Mozart’s classical compositions with a mischievous circus twist, brought to life amidst a puff of powder and a crescendo of dives, swoops, twirls … and crashes … that have children (and adults) squealing (and laughing) in delight. On 4-8 July, Logan Entertainment Centre (see www.loganentertainmentcentre.com.au) and 12-13 July at HOTA, Gold Coast (see www.hota.com.au)

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD Children love a baddie and the wolf in Little Red Riding Hood is one of the best – or is he? In Brisbane Arts Theatre’s musical adaptation of The Real Story of Little Red Riding Hood the wolf is a lovely chap. A performance designed for young children in a small 34 | BNE July/August 2018

theatre, up close with gentle and fun characters. From 28 July to 15 September, weekends only at Brisbane Arts Theatre, Petrie Terrace, city. Tickets $18, see www.artstheatre.com.au

Wolfgang

AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS Stampeding elephants, raging typhoons, runaway trains; it’s the original amazing race adapted from Jules Verne’s classic adventure – recreated on stage with three actors playing 39 characters, spanning seven countries in one hour and 20 minutes. Monty Python-esque hilarity as Phileas Fogg and his faithful manservant Passepartout set out to win the world’s greatest race. On 28 July at Redland Performing Arts Centre, Cleveland. Tickets from $20 (children). See www.rpac.com.au

Little Red Riding Hood Little Red Red Riding Hood Little Red Riding Little Riding Hood

Around the World

Hood

Tributes CAROLE KING

Esther Hannaford has won accolades for her starring role in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, critics describing her performance as ‘Some Kind of Wonderful’ and ‘Beautiful’ in reference to just a few of the hits she brings to life on stage. Keeneyed musical fans will also spot Brisbane’s own Naomi Price in the ensemble who has done some fabulous tributes of her own, including Adele. Beautiful: The Carole King Musical is on from 13 July at Lyric Theatre, QPAC, South Brisbane. Tickets from $60 plus fees. See www.qpac.com.au

ELVIS AND FRIENDS Elvis has always been at the heart of Viva Surfers Paradise, a festival celebrating the King where Elvis tribute artists from around the country gather to strut their stuff. But he’s not the only legend on the block during this 10-day Legends Lovathon – Buddy Holly, Queen, David Bowie and Elton John are all honoured in the program. From 13 to 22 July. Most events are free. See www.surfersparadise.com

JOHNNY CASH In 1968 Johnny Cash walked on stage at Folsom State Prison in California and said, simply, “Hello, I’m Johnny Cash”, an introduction that would become his trademark, along with his ‘Man in Black’ attire, at concerts for the next 30 years. In Johnny Cash The Concert, country singer Daniel Thompson and Golden Guitar award-winner Stuie French revive the Folsom Prison concert as well as the greatest hits of Cash’s career. On 21 July at The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley. Tickets from $60 plus fees. See www.thetivoli.com.au

THE BEE GEES The Bee Gees are Brisbane’s favourite sons, larrikin lads who once used to run wild on Cribb Island, where the airport now stands, and went on to become a worldwide pop phenomenon. The Gibb Brothers enjoyed more than 40 years in the spotlight and their sound is ‘Stayin’ Alive’ with the help of the Australian Bee Gees Show with a cast that not only sounds like the Bee Gees they look like them too. Touring Queensland in August. See them on 16 August at Redland Performing Arts Centre (see www.rpac.com.au) and 18 August at The Star, Gold Coast (see www.ticketek.com.au)

JONI MITCHELL Madonna has said she worshipped her as a teenager, Katy Perry, Ellie Goulding, Taylor Swift and many more have been influenced by her, Janet Jackson and Kanye West have sampled her lyrics in their own music and dozens of chart-topping musicians have covered her songs – no surprise then that Rolling Stone has called Joni Mitchell “one of the greatest songwriters ever”. In Both Sides Now on stage Kate Miller-Heidke, Ella Hooper, Wendy Matthews, Kristin Berardi and Rachel Gaudry show their respect in a celebration of Mitchell’s songs, hailed as an essential part of the soundtrack to the 20th century. On 18 July at Concert Hall, QPAC, South Brisbane. Tickets from $99 plus fees.

See www.qpac.com.au

WHEN WHAT

WHERE

JULY 1

Logie Awards Gala

The Star, Broadbeach, Gold Coast

6

Star Wars, Queensland Symphony Orchestra

Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Brisbane

7

Beyond the Barricade, Songs from West End and Broadway Musicals

Logan Entertainment Centre, Logan Central

7

Dead of Winter Festival

The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley

From 12

The Bowerbird and the Bride Exhibition, Marion Boyce costume collection

Old Government House, Brisbane city

12-28

Good Muslim Boy, Queensland Theatre

Cremorne Theatre, QPAC, South Brisbane

13+14

Creative Generation, Schools Spectacular

Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Brisbane

14

Lady Smith Black Mambazo singers

The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley

14

Frankie J Holden and Michelle Pettigrove

Redland Performing Arts Centre, Cleveland

15

Karin Page, City Sounds

Queen Street Mall, Brisbane city

20+21

The Bar at Buena Vista

Playhouse, QPAC, South Brisbane

25

Docsocial, film presentation

Event Cinemas, Myer Centre, Brisbane city

From 28

Jasper Jones, Queensland Theatre

Playhouse, QPAC, South Brisbane

28

Wings For Life Gala for Royal Flying Royal International Convention Doctor Service Centre, Bowen Hills

30

Rhett and Link, YouTube stars, comedy

Concert Hall, QPAC, South Brisbane

30+31

Celine Dion, concert

Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Boondall

AUGUST The Legendary Count Basie 1 Orchestra

Concert Hall, QPAC, South Brisbane

2

Jazz Singers Jam Night

Brisbane Jazz Club, Kangaroo Point

2

Michael Fix, Acoustic Guitar Spectacular series

Redland Performing Arts Centre, Cleveland

9

CIRCA, Humans, physical theatre

Redland Performing Arts Centre, Cleveland

9

Not the Last Night of the Proms, QSO and Brisbane Chorale

Concert Hall, QPAC, South Brisbane

10

Queensland Pops Orchestra, Broadway on Screen

Concert Hall, QPAC, South Brisbane

10

Katy Perry, concert

Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Boondall

11

Arj Barker, comedian

Redland Performing Arts Centre, Cleveland

12

L’Huere Equise, ensemble

St Stephen’s Cathedral, city

14-23

P!NK

Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Boondall

19

Love and Other Catastrophes, Lisa Gasteen Opera School students

Concert Hall, QPAC, South Brisbane

20-23

Beast Camp, Krump dance workshops and Battle Night

Redland Performing Arts Centre, Cleveland

21

Logan Loves Seniors Expo

Logan Entertainment Centre, Logan Central

22

Dan and Phil Interactive Introverts, YouTube stars, comedy

Concert Hall, QPAC, South Brisbane

24

Happy Birthday Bernstein, QSO

Concert Hall, QPAC, South Brisbane

24

Bob Dylan, concert

Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Boondall

25

Regurgitator

The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley

25

Bernstein at 100, The Australian Voices, Brisbane Chorale and Voices of Birralee with QSO

Concert Hall, QPAC, South Brisbane

27

Trevor Noah

Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Brisbane

From 28

Tim Storrier, exhibition

Philip Bacon Galleries, New Farm

30

Pam Ann, comedian

The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley

31

Roy Orbison Orchestrated ll with Dean Bourne and Australian Symphony Orchestra

Concert Hall, QPAC, South Brisbane BNE July/August 2018 | 35

BOOKS

BUNCH of THREES Power of a book Authors Peter Greste (from left, below), Trent Dalton and Melissa Lucashenko will each reveal the book that has had the greatest impact on them in a panel discussion called The Book That Made Me during Storyology, a festival of writing by some of Queensland’s best journalists and editors, hosted by the Walkley Foundation. A sneak peek behind the pages of the papers, true crime stories and more are on the program on 27 and 28 July at Palace Barracks, Paddington.

Tickets from $30. See www.walkleys.com

Killer thrillers Former US President Bill Clinton partnered with bestselling author James Patterson for the The President is Missing (Century) lending his insights to the political thriller they assure us is a work of fiction; one-time BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner follows up his successful debut with another explosive action thriller Ultimatum (Bantam Press); and the King, Stephen that is, is back with The Outsider (Hodder & Stoughton) which shows you can’t rely on DNA evidence alone.

Love

between the pages

Romance fiction often battles to be taken seriously but it’s a billion dollar industry in the US and UK (each) and here, too, we liked it enough in 2017 to buy well over a million romance books – and that’s just the print ones. If ebooks were added to the tally (and they are not counted) industry insiders believe it could even jump to top genre.

For many writers it’s proved to be a successful career switch, including these Queenslanders – from teacher for Barbara Hannay, from corporate lawyer for Christine Wells and from airline pilot for Helene Young (pictured above) whose novels have won awards year after year.

After 27 years as an aircraft captain in Australia, Young swapped the sky for the sea to go in search of adventure with her husband sailing aboard their catamaran. The rural and remote places she visits, along with the people she meets, provide plenty of inspiration for her plot lines.

The latest offerings from all three authors are full of secrets and lies, love, betrayal, spies and family dynamics. In a new series of events Penguin Random House joins with Dymocks to present the three authors in conversation at libraries around Brisbane to discuss their work, their characters and love in all its forms, from 30 July to 2 August. Love Between the Pages kicks off at Carindale Library. For details see www.penguinrandomhouse.com.au 36 | BNE July/August 2018

Life experience From actor David Wenham to QC Geoffrey Robertson the accolades are flowing in for award-winning journalist Trent Dalton’s first novel, Boy Swallows Universe (Fourth Estate), a coming of age story about teenage Eli in the 1980s and set in the back blocks of Brisbane; Wilbur Smith reveals his own life story in the memoir On Leopard Rock (Zaffre) which is as enthralling as one of his best-selling novels; and Brisbane-based refugee Future Fidel turns his life experiences into a novel following the success of his play of the same name Prize Fighter (Hachette Australia).

Find more good reads at Watermark Books & Café, Newslink, Aero and News Travels, Domestic Terminal Level 2 and at News Travels International Terminal Levels 2, 3, 4.

DAY IN THE LIFE Tyson Smith in transit to Newcastle after 10 weeks mustering cattle in the Northern Territory

Colin Lee departing for Sydney

Student Nicki Khemthong departing for Sydney

Baristas Tish Lees and Amie Flynn at Velocity cafĂŠ, Domestic Terminal

Matt Graham from north Queensland in transit to Perth

Helena Morris on her way to Papua New Guinea for a week

BRISBANE AIRPORT is the gateway to 80 CITIES across Australia and overseas, opening up a WORLD of adventure for more than 23 MILLION passengers every year. These are just a few snapped on their journey...

Photography by Marc Grimwade and Grace Smith

Lee Hyeonhyo arriving from Korea for a working holiday

Wildlife conservation students Abigail McMahan and Caroline Burgen from South Carolina in the US on their way to Townsville

Jayde Currie and Matt Elmazis in transit to Townsville following a holiday in the Hunter Valley, NSW

BNE July/August 2018 | 37

BNE NEED TO KNOW

Enviro-friendly BUSES

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

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

TRANSPORT OPTIONS AT BRISBANE AIRPORT PASSENGER PICK-UP ZONES

TERMINAL TRANSFERS Passengers transferring between the terminals can travel via the free Transfer Bus which departs at regular intervals from Level 2 International Terminal and Level 1 Domestic Terminal and travels via Skygate.

38 | BNE July/August 2018

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

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

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

TRANSPORT BOOKINGS Image: Uber

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

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

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

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

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

A Brisbane Airport access fee of $3.50 applies to all pick-ups from the Ride Booking zones, which will be added to your booking by your ride sharing service. For location maps see www.bne.com.au/to-from-brisbane-airport/ transport-options

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

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

IMPORTANT INFORMATION VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRES

LOCAL AMENITIES

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

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

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

BAGGAGE LOCKERS

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

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.

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

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

A dedicated Changing Places bathroom facility for the use of travellers with special needs is located on the central ground floor area of Domestic Terminal (near Qantas baggage carousel 3).

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

TAX REFUND SCHEME (TRS)

POLICE

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

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

For assistance at Brisbane Airport telephone 13 12 37.

LOST PROPERTY International Terminal Visitor Information Centre, Level 2; call (07) 3406 3190 or email international@sqt.com.au Domestic Terminal Enquiries first to airlines – Qantas (gates 1-25) call +61 7 3867 3264 Virgin Australia (gates 38-50) call +61 7 3114 8150 Jetstar, Tigerair (gates 26-36) call + 61 7 3068 6698 before contacting Visitor Information Centre, Level 1; call (07) 3068 6698 or email domestic@sqt.com.au Car parks and buses

Contact Visitor Information Centre as above.

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

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

WiFi access

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

BNE July/August 2018 | 39

BNE IT ALL BEGINS HERE

Seoul

Beijing

South Korea

China

Tokyo (Narita) Japan

Shanghai (Pudong)

Guangzhou

China

China

Shenzhen China

Dubai

United Arab Emirates

Bangkok

Abu Dhabi

Hong Kong

Taipei 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 80 destinations direct from Brisbane and beyond

Air China

Air Canada

Air Niugini

Air New Zealand

40 | BNE July/August 2018

Aircalin

Air Vanuatu

Cathay Pacific

Alliance Airlines

China Eastern Airlines China Airlines

Emirates China Southern Airlines

Eva Air

Etihad

Fly Corporate

Fiji Airlines

Vancouver

Canada

Los Angeles USA

Honolulu

USA

Darwin

Nauru Nauru

Cairns

Apia Honiara

Solomon Islands

Mt Isa

Port Hedland

Espiritu Santo

Longreach

Vanuatu

Alice Springs

Port Vila Vanuatu Nadi

Uluru*

Fiji

Noumea

New Caledonia

Auckland

Perth

New Zealand

Moranbah Barcaldine

Rockhampton Gladstone

Emerald

Blackall

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

New Zealand

Queenstown

Whitsunday Coast (Proserpine) Hamilton Island Mackay

Townsville

Cloncurry

Samoa

Newcastle Lord Howe Island Canberra

Adelaide

Orange Sydney

Wellington New Zealand

Christchurch New Zealand

Melbourne

Dunedin

New Zealand

Launceston Hobart

*Starting August 2018. Map not to scale. Please note airlines and destinations are current at time of print.

Hawaiian Airlines Hainan Airlines

Korean Air Jetstar

Malindo Air

Malaysia Airlines

Philippine Airlines Nauru Airlines

Rex

Qantas/ QantasLink

Solomon Airlines Singapore Airlines

Tigerair

Thai Airways

Virgin Australia

BNE July/August 2018 | 41

I

QUEENSLAND

Girraween National Park

Where do you live?

Teneriffe, 4km from the city centre.

What do you like about your neighbourhood?

The access to the river, parks and walkways, plus the people and the general activity – there is a lot of young people (like us).

What favourite places would you recommend to visitors to the neighbourhood?

Graham ‘Skroo’

Turner

FOUNDER AND MANAGING DIRECTOR FLIGHT CENTRE TRAVEL GROUP Mountain biking

New Farm Park, Brisbane Powerhouse and Newstead.

Do you have a favourite ‘local’?

The Valley Pool, the riverside walkway, Kin & Co at Teneriffe for coffee.

What’s your favourite meal out?

Bar Alto Café at Brisbane Powerhouse. I recommend the calves’ liver.

What’s your favourite leisure activity away from work?

Mountain biking. I try to get out once or twice a week.

Where are some good biking trails near Brisbane?

Mt Coot-tha is well worth a visit if you’re a mountain biker in Brisbane. Outside Brisbane, I really like the trails around Spicers Hidden Vale at Grandchester, where we hold the Epic each year. There’s about 110km of single track.

Where and when are you happiest?

Mountain biking – you might be detecting a common theme here – and listening to the latest book club book. Our book club has been around for about seven years and meets every month.

What is your most memorable family holiday?

Probably Hayman Island, although we also spend a fair bit of our spare time in Noosa.

The Turner Family Foundation contributes significantly towards environmental sustainability, wildlife and bushland conservation.

What’s your latest project?

We’re tagging wild koalas at Hidden Vale Station at Grandchester to try to improve their health, to monitor their movements and to help protect them from predators.

The first two have been named Skroo and Jude.

You grew up in the country near Stanthorpe. What would you recommend to a visitor to the area today?

The Girraween National Park is a highlight and I’d recommend a visit to any of the (many) wineries in the area.

Spicers Hidden Vale

Where is a favourite getaway destination in Queensland?

Noosa would have to be one of our favourites. I particularly enjoy the mountain bike tracks in Tewantin National Park and the running tracks in Noosa National Park.

What was your last travel adventure in Queensland?

I recently stayed at Spicers Clovelly at Montville. Apart from the accommodation, a run down to Lake Baroon was one of the highlights. The food and wine are pretty good too, of course.

42 | BNE July/August 2018

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 language groups of South East Queensland on this map are indicative only, based on the AIATSIS Map of Indigenous Australia published by Aboriginal Studies Press

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

BNE July/August 2018 | 43

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