Tigertales December 2018 - January 2019

tigertales

TAKE ME AWAY

Australia | December 2018 – January 2019

GET ON BOARD ➔ G Flip playing Laneway Festival is part of a stellar summer of music

STORM CHASING

W E E K E N D WAR R IOR S

P LU G A N D P L AY

The stunning locations of the new Storm Boy film

Two different travellers take on Perth

We take an east-coast road trip in an electric car

If you choose to explore Tassie, be prepared, there’s never a dull moment. The island might look small on a map, but it’s much bigger on the inside. Uncover stories, meet the locals and create an epic island adventure wherever you roam; the dramatic landscapes aren’t half bad either.

With direct flights from Melbourne and the Gold Coast with Tigerair, why not experience some Tassie tales and gobehindthescenery.com.au

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Create memories with Tigerair Our great value fares connect you with friends, family and experiences

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elcome onboard and thanks for choosing to fly with Tigerair Australia.

Here at Tigerair, our goal is to make air travel more affordable and enjoyable, because we want to connect you to what matters the most – your friends, family and the unforgettable adventures that await.

Tigerair provides convenient, great value options for travel, so you can go wherever you want to go for any reason, no matter how small. We know our flight to your destination is an important part of your travelling experience and we are delighted to be part of a journey that creates longlasting memories. Whether you are spending time with family, catching

up with friends or exploring the exciting destinations we have on offer, we are proud to enable these special moments now and into the future.

Speaking of special moments, Tigerair Australia celebrated our 11th birthday in November. We commenced operations in Australia in November 2007 with our first flight between Melbourne and the Gold Coast. Since that time, we have flown more than 30 million passengers to and from their destinations, which is an incredible achievement when you consider that the current population of Australia is approximately 25 million people.

With summer just around the corner, now is the perfect time to

“We have a number of new products and innovations that we will be rolling out in early 2019 to make travelling better than ever� plan a well-deserved getaway and take advantage of the sunshine. Remember to book early and snap up our best value deals because we will see a sharp increase in demand over the summer.

Our team at Tigerair is always looking for ways to enhance your travelling experience and we have a number of exciting new products and innovations that we will be rolling out in early 2019 to make travelling with Tigerair Australia better than ever. I look forward to sharing these announcements with you shortly, so stay tuned.

To keep up to date with all Tigerair Australia news and deals, remember to follow us on Facebook (Tigerair Australia), Twitter (@TigerairAU) and Instagram (@tigerairaustralia).

From all of the team here at Tigerair Australia, we hope you have a safe and happy holiday season and we look forward to welcoming you onboard again soon.

Happy travels!

Merren McArthur Tigerair Australia CEO

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CONTENTS

Destination directory Inside this issue… wherever you’re going, we’ve got you covered

ENCOUNTER

c ool c a ir n s The spot where locals go to escape the heat

21

GO LIKE A LO C A L

p er t h

Go green on the Gold Coast

F E AT U R E

Insider tips from one of Tigerair’s local experts

s t k il d a r oc k s How the bayside suburb got its groove back

104

31

Get arty in the nation's capital

78

39 60

F E AT U R E

s t or m bo y The South Australian locations of the new film

Editorial & Art Editor Paul Chai Designer Cynthia Lau Creative Director Stephanie Goh Sub Editor Adam Scroggy Production Manager Ian Scott

Advertising National Advertising Manager Carla D’Agrosa (02) 8188 3668 carla@citrusmedia.com.au Printed by Bluestar Web

Cover photo G Flip, photographed

by Samara Clifford

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Management Financial Controller Stuart Harle Director Jim Flynn Tiger Tales is published on behalf of Tigerair by Citrus Media, PO Box 20154, World Square NSW 2002 Tel. (02) 9186 9186 citrusmedia.com.au

© 2018 All rights reserved. Reproduction or distribution in any form, in whole or in part, is prohibited without prior written permission from the copyright holder.

Citrus Media is not responsible for the views and opinions of contributing journalists. Although the advice and information in this book are believed to be accurate and true at the time of going to press, neither the authors nor the publisher can accept any legal responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions that may have been made.

THE POINTY END at ro pic

Summer’s best festivals, from Laneway to Falls

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Spend the night o n

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9

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ê Go green

on th e G C: w ha t to

THE POINTY END

T HE R OUND-UP W HAT E V E R YO U ' R E I N T O, T H E R E ' S P LE N T Y T O S E E A N D D O

MU S IC

MU S E UM S

S O F R E NCH Y S O CH IC This annual festival in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney celebrates all things Gallic. This year has an amazing all-girl line up of French pop acts as well as plenty of French food and wine, all in the summer sun.

Take the family; kids under 12 are free.

Sydney and Melbourne, January 11; sofrenchysochic.com

NAT I O NAL M U S E U M O F AU S T R AL I A As well as the permanent exhibition highlighting Australia’s most memorable moments, the National Museum of Canberra has the huge Rome: City and Empire exhibition that displays a huge array of ancient treasure from the collection of the British Museum.

Canberra, until February 3; nma.gov.au

L A N E WAY F E S T I VAL The annual travelling music festival sees a few changes this year, from switching the Melbourne venue to a grassier space to making one of the festivals a 16+ event for the first time.

Check out our festival rundown on page 13.

Around Australia; January-February; lanewayfestival.com

F E S T I VA L S S Y D N E Y F E S T I VAL Get your Sydney summer on at the annual Sydney Festival in January with events like the Pigalle cabaret, family theatre like A Ghost in My Suitcase and plenty of live music to take the whole family to see.

There’s also a stack of live music and talks.

Sydney, January 9-18; sydneyfestival.org.au

MARKETS SUMMER NIGHT M AR K E T S Melbourne’s iconic Queen Victoria Market, just north of the CBD, comes alive on Wednesday nights with the Summer Night Market.

Check out a range of street food trucks and live music in the heritage surrounds of the markets.

Melbourne, Wednesdays; thenightmarket.com.au

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R OYAL AU S T R AL I A N MINT Take the kids to see just how our money is made at the Royal Australian Mint in the nation’s capital.

There’s the permanent Treasures of the National Coin Collection exhibition plus a range of temporary exhibitions and tours of the working mint.

Canberra; ramint.gov.au

CAIRNS NIGHT M AR K E T S You can shop for Indigenous art, handmade soap or beach towels and rugs at the nightly Cairns market. Or go for the food, with sushi, banh mi and pho all on the menu, plus grab an ice-cold beer at the Blue Lagoon Bar. Cairns, nightly; nightmarkets.com.au

M I D S U M M A F E S T I VAL Joel Creasey, Zoe Coombs Marr and Trevor Ashley lead a huge line-up at the annual Midsumma Festival. The festival, a celebration of queer arts, offers audiences a diverse array of performances, talks and social events with leading international and local artists.

Melbourne, January 19 – February 10; midsumma.org.au

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THE POINTY END

See G Flip at Laneway Festival

WORDS PAUL CHAI

S

t Jerome’s Laneway Festival turns 15 this year and the 2019 line-up seems like a greatest hits package – in the best possible way. Headliners Gang of Youths and Courtney Barnett have previously graced the Laneway stage at various times during their stellar ascents. Camp Cope and Methyl Ethel are also Laneway alum.

But the festival’s USP is still that it’s your onestop shop for finding new talent, making sure you leave any Laneway fest with your new favourite bands of the next 12 months. To that end, Melbourne drummer-turned-overnight-internetsensation G Flip will be part of the 2019 line-up.

G Flip – real name Georgia Flipo – uploaded her track “About You” to triple j Unearthed just like

thousands of hopefuls before her in February.

The layered vocal track with soon-to-be-trademark percussive flourishes and yearning lyrics caught fire, a seeming overnight success. But G has been drumming in bands for years.

“Before I released my own music I was playing in bands for years and I was playing on big stages, so, being on stage, I was never shy of that,” G says on the couch in her share house in Melbourne’s southern suburbs. “When it came to my first show with G Flip, with my music that I made, I was more excited than nervous.”

Earlier this year G played Splendour in the Grass, and she’s still honing a solo show that sees her and her two best mates constantly on the go on ê

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THE POINTY END

L ANEWAY FESTIVAL TURNS 15 THIS YEAR AND IS CELEBR ATING IN ST YLE

stage in a lively show that brings to mind a former Laneway headliner, Gotye.

“You’ll see me drumming and singing, you’ll see me running around and being chaotic all over the stage, you’ll see me playing guitar, you’ll see me playing drums up front of the stage. I seem to change an instrument every song,” G says proudly.

She’s very thankful to the Laneway crew for taking a punt on an act that has really only released two songs in “About You” and its follow-up, ”Killing My Time”. In fact, she was one of the first acts booked.

G admits she isn’t much of a festival-goer due to her laser-like focus on creating a home studio and producing her music, but she was at Laneway in 2014 to see HAIM, which was very memorable.

“I peed my pants,” she laughs. “And the reason why I peed my pants was because I love HAIM so much. I wanted to be in front, so I went to the two acts beforehand to get to the front... and I sculled four beers before I did that.”

“I have always been a person that goes 100 per cent, and music has given me a focus”

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It wasn’t long before G needed a loo break.

But, not wanting to lose her spot at the front, she hatched a plan. “I looked to the left and there was a patch of grass that was only for if you were sick or dehydrated, so I pretended to faint, and I got carried to the side and I said, ‘Do you have a Port-a-loo,’ and they said, ‘Sorry, we don’t.’ So I sat there, watched them from the slice of grass and peed my pants.”

A self-confessed perfectionist, G doesn’t do anything by halves. She spends every day trying to finish songs. “I’ve always been a person that goes 100 per cent,” she says. “As a kid of about six I loved Michael Jackson and I saw him moonwalk, then every night before bed I would moonwalk until I knew how to do it. And that taught me a lesson in life – if you take the time and the dedication, you get the result you want.”

In other areas of life, G says she can be a very chaotic person. She had a lot of trouble concentrating at school. However, when it comes to music, she finds she can focus; in fact, the night before our chat, she was up until 3am on her computer eyes ”going cross-eyed,” as she puts it. ê

Kicking it old school A new stadium tour will have you breaking out your cargo pants and Furbies.

Frontier Touring has announced a different type of festival this summer: So Pop, a throwback pop concert doing the rounds of stadiums in January and February. With a line-up that leans heavily on the 90s and early Noughties, there isn’t a shoegazer in sight; instead, this is a celebration of all things pop with headliners Aqua

(of “Barbie Girl” fame) and party bus drivers the Vengaboys. They’ll be supported by boy/girl bands Blue and B*witched, mambo king and serial dater Lou Bega, and Italian popsters Eiffel 65 who were responsible for “Blue (Da Ba Dee)” – once heard, or reheard, it then becomes a week-long earworm.

For more information visit frontiertouring.com/sopop

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THE POINTY END

The rest of the fests This summer is all about the music, so check out these festival stalwarts and upstarts

F A L L S F E S T I VA L

GROW YOUR OWN

Anderson .Paak and The Free Nationals and Catfish & The Bottlemen head up the 26th edition of Falls along with veterans Toto, Hilltop Hoods and Amy Shark. This is a hell of a way to see in the New Year. December 29-31; fallsfestival.com

Regional fest Grow Your Own – brainchild of singer-songwriter Jack River – is topped by DMA’s, who were the latest artists to take on the new MTV Unplugged set in Melbourne. Also on board are The Preatures, Hockey Dad and Mallrat – plus a set by the festival creator herself.

January 12, Forster-Tuncurry; growyourown.tv

B E Y O N D T H E VA L L E Y Celebrating five years on the festival circuit, Beyond the Valley has a great local line-up with – in no particular order – Alex Lahey, Boo Seeka, City Calm Down, Vera Blue, Wafia and Ball Park Music.

Internationals The Kooks and Bonobo, the latter doing a DJ set, also feature.

December 28 – January 1, Lardner Park, Victoria; beyondthevalley.com.au

MONA FOMA One of the more off-centre music and arts fests, but that’s to be expected from the team behind Hobart’s Museum of Old and New Art (MONA). Melbourne’s favourite daughter Courtney Barnett will share the bill with soul star Neneh Cherry; Techno duo Underworld take over a precinct in Launceston; and that’s just the tip of the musical iceberg. January 13-20, Tasmania; mofo.net.au

DOWNLOAD Pack the earplugs for this outlier on the festival calendar (March) that’s all about heavy rock. Headliners are Ozzy Osbourne, Slayer, Judas Priest and Alice in Chains, plus locals Luca Brasi and Frenzal Rhomb.

March 9 and 11, Sydney and Melbourne; downloadfestival.com.au

UNDER THE SOUTHERN STARS Relative festival newcomer, Under the Southern Stars, goes the rock-royalty route with Hoodoo Gurus, You Am I, Eskimo Joe and The Superjesus ready to rock their way around the country once more.

From January 12, various locations; underthesouthernstars.com.au

L A N E W A Y F E S T I V A L' S U S P I S PICKING THE YEAR'S BEST EMERGING ACTS

Raised in a house full of music, G’s dad was in bands and brought a punk aesthetic to the family playlist – bands like Rancid and The Clash. Mum was a top-10 lover with commercial radio on in the house, while G was the Michael Jackson fan. She thinks all those diverse influences have helped to shape her sound.

When it comes to her picks for this year’s Laneway, G Flip singles out Gang of Youths and Jorja Smith, as well as Soundcloud rapper Denzel Curry. “Also Camp Cope – I’ve never seen them play before, and they are kick-ass chicks, so that is going to be awesome,” she says.

“I am actually excited to be friends with everyone. I’ve never played a festival that travels.

But you obviously become mates with everybody – it’s like school camp.”

Laneway Festival tours the country in January and February; lanewayfestival.com

t ig e r a ir f l ie s to all major capital cities; tigerair.com.au

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THE POINTY END

THE SPLURGE

NOVOTEL SOUTH WHARF Melbourne, Victoria

W

hy it’s worth it: Looking like a colossal pair of books, the Novotel South Wharf towers over Melbourne’s South Wharf region and serves as a golden marker for this part of the riverside precinct, home to DFO South Wharf, the Melbourne Convention Centre and bars and restaurants. The hotel’s slender volumes are split into bayside views or rooms in the golden

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book that take in the curves and crowds of this bend of the Yarra, as city workers quench their thirst on a summer evening. This is a city break where everything is just a few steps away; grab a bargain, a bite or a beer right outside your door.

Bang for your buck: The hotel owns its narrow footprint with astute design, so the all-day Allora

go with the flow Novotel South Wharf is ideal for a city break.

Espresso Bar + Lounge is tucked under the stairs that lead up to fine diner and bar Mr Carpano. Here exec chef Trent Whelan takes on Melbourne’s favourite cuisine, Italian, as well as some of the home country’s traditions. Come to Mr Carpano – named for Antonio Carpano, the inventor of vermouth – for the aperitivo hour (Italian happy hour) and grab a spot on the outdoor balcony where the afternoon sun seems to bounce off every surface.

The digs: The Deluxe King Room has a super-sized Novotel bed to sink into and a pillow menu to help you get the perfect night’s sleep (choose from five unique styles to be sent up from housekeeping). The room itself is simple with whimsical touches such as the alpha-numerical art rising like dreams above the headboard.

The bathroom offers a walk-in shower and backlit mirrors.

Must-do experience: Get out and into it at South Wharf. Right below the restaurant is riverside dining like colourful Thai eatery BangPop or flame-grilled specialists Meat Market. A little further along the Yarra River you can sample the upmarket Thai of David Thompson’s Longchim for a lip-tingling yellow prawn curry and a Laugarita, a pimped margarita with passionfruit, tamarind and chilli salt. Stick around for the nightly flame show where towers shoot eyebrow-singeing fire into the sky, then wander the riverside back home.

The damage: King Room Deluxe from $319; accorhotels.com

t ig e r a ir f l ie s to Melbourne from nine destinations; tigerair.com.au

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A CIVILISATION THAT CHANGED THE WORLD

Treasures from the British Museum ONLY AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AUSTRALIA, CANBERRA On show until 3 February 2019 nma.gov.au/rome MAJOR PARTNERS

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The presentation of this exhibition is a collaboration between the British Museum and the National Museum of Australia.

Marble statue head thought to be of Messalina, Italy, 55–65 CE. ©Trustees of the British Museum.

THE POINTY END

Keep cool in Cairns

WORDS CHRISTINE LONG; PHOTOS TEQ

I

’ve got myself a date, so I’m dressing to impress. Their favourite colours are white, hot pink or red, apparently. There’s a watermeloncoloured dress in my luggage. On it goes.

The object of my affections: roughly 2,000 hand-reared butterflies at the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary in Kuranda, about 25km north-west of Cairns. Wearing those colours ups your chances of getting a butterfly to land on you, apparently.

Kuranda sits 380 metres above sea level at the top of the Macalister Range and is known

as the city’s cool-down spot. Several degrees cooler and less humid than the coast, this village in the heart of the rainforest is where locals go for some respite from the tropical temperatures.

Just walking through the deep green of the vine-draped rainforest as palms and ferns shimmy in the cooling breezes is a refreshing tonic.

Many visitors will find their way here on the Kuranda Scenic Railway; or floating over the rainforest in the gondola cabins of the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. Both offer photo ops of ê

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THE POINTY END

The details AUSTRALIAN B U T T E R F LY S A N C T U A R Y 8 Rob Veivers Drive, Kuranda; australianbutterflies.com

KUR ANDA ORIGINAL R AINFOREST MARKETS Corner of Therwine and Thooree Streets, Kuranda; Open seven days 9:30am to 3pm

THE BILL ABONG SALOON BAR AND GRILL 186 Mount Haren Road, Kuranda; Fri-Sun Lunch 11:30am-2pm; Dinner from 6pm

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the Barron Falls, which drop 250 metres into the gorge below.

It’s here, walking back from Wrights Lookout, about 1km from Barron Falls Station, that I’m startled by my first glimpse of the Ulysses butterfly. It dashes out in front of me, its vivid blue wings like a neon light flashing in the rainforest. Its rapid, erratic flight path makes it near impossible to photograph.

Later, at the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary, I learn that its “live fast, die young” lifestyle means it has an average life expectancy of just two weeks. To survive up to nine months (geriatric in butterfly years), you have to be born an Australian lurcher, which doesn’t do much other than sitting back and displaying its orange and black wings. As you wander around the aviary, you can also expect to encounter the patriotic green-and-gold Cairns birdwing and the enormous Hercules moth.

The reason for the wardrobe advice when you visit the sanctuary? Butterflies see in UV, so these colours are most likely to capture their attention. Not everyone’s got the memo, however. My dress fails to charm a single butterfly, but an orange lacewing does see fit to hang out on my bag.

It’s not just the World Heritage Listed Wet Tropics rainforest and its butterflies that make Kuranda a revitalising place to visit. There are lots of nooks and cafes dotted around the village where you can take a load off, relax and refresh. At the Kuranda Original Rainforest Markets I’m sold on falafels and lemonade at Falafelicious followed by delectable vanilla bean profiteroles at neighbouring Sweet Gossip.

Art galleries, the art-and-craft-laden markets, Rainforestation Nature Park, with its army duck tours of the rainforest and the Pamagirri Aboriginal Experience, and concerts held at the Kuranda Amphitheatre: there’s plenty to keep ê

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THE POINTY END

you amused for more than a day. Keep an eye out, too, for the area’s wildlife. If you’re lucky, as I was, a southern cassowary may come calling.

This flightless bird with its don’t-touch-this claws looks a little like an emu dressed for a party with its glam aqua, red and purple neck and jet-black plumage. You might also spot a python curled up in a basket fern in the rainforest, a spotted quoll, or brush turkeys trotting around.

Later, I discover a gem of a different kind in the form of The Billabong saloon. It’s about 10 minutes by car from the village centre, along a rollercoaster drive through the forest.

As the sun sets, people gather to savour pig on a spit, a few beverages and some live music at this secluded bar and grill by a billabong. Who needs to crank the air-con when you can cool down like this?

t ig e r a ir f l ie s to Cairns from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane; tigerair.com.au

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BUTTERFLIES S E E I N U V, S O WEAR HOT PINK OR RED TO ATTR ACT THEM

“Expect to encounter the patriotic green-and-gold Cairns birdwing and the enormous Hercules moth"

欢迎到凯恩斯国际夜市和美食广场

Cairns Night Markets

On The Esplanade in Cairns Open every Night from 4:30 till 11pm

位于凯恩斯市中心海滨大道(ESPLANADE)，每晚营业下午4:30起至11点，全年无休 * Food Court open from 10am * Best priced food in town * Night Markets open from 4:30pm to 11pm * Car parking upstairs above Night Markets $1.00 per hr * Approximately 2.5 million people visit the Cairns Night Markets each year * Come and see an amazing mix of 70 retail market stalls offering everything from a massage to a haircut or delicious Chinese self-serve

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The Famous Cairns Night Markets & Food Court. Open 7 days a week

THE POINTY END TRAVEL & FILM

1 0F 2

THE PASSENGER A round-table chat with three different travellers.

This issue’s topic: movie tourism

ILLUSTRATION JESSICA HU

Paul Chai, pop-culture tragic I have always been a sucker for visiting a one-time movie location ever since I used to work in and around the Borough Market area in London during the 1990s and early 2000s. At the time, the cobblestone streets and twisty alleys of the centuries-old market were having their movie moment where they played a starring role in Lock, Stock and Two

Smoking Barrels, doubled as Bridget Jones’s apartment and, more recently, saw a visit from Harry Potter himself.

It helped that I was working for a movie magazine at the time and that it turns out that we lived just a few doors down from Shaun of the Dead. Going to see that film at the cinema in London, it was quite a surprise to see Shaun wander down our street and into our local corner shop.

So I developed a bit of a thing for checking out some of the real-life locations from popular films – a type of movie tourism, I guess.

Back in Australia, one of my favourite film spots to visit is the Silverton Hotel in the NSW outback. From a certain angle this pub looks like it’s in the middle of the dusty outback (it’s actually part of a small town) and this isolated vibe has seen it star in movies like Mad Max 2 ê

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27

THE POINTY END TRAVEL & FILM

2 0F 2

and the killer giant pig shlocker Razorback, as well as TV shows and miniseries.

Sydney got its close-up when Keanu Reeves wandered around Martin Place – along with a girl in a red dress – in The Matrix (and then crashed a helicopter into the CBD), but there are loads more quirky places to visit.

The inner-city shopfronts of Marrickville were used in Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge. If you visit Cockatoo Island, you might recognise the facility where X-Men’s Wolverine was pumped full of adamantium. And Botany Bay’s Bare Island got a visit from Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible 2.

My next stop might have to be the Coorong in South Australia though (see our Storm Boy feature on page 78).

Conner McLeod, naturally sceptical If I’ve travelled to a movie location, it’s because of the location, not the film. The one that comes to mind is Hanging Rock, just an hour north-west of Melbourne.

Yes, if you visit these days you may well here a hilarious hiker calling out “Miranda!” and giggling to themselves, but this place is more than movie tourism – the beauty of Hanging Rock inspired the original book, Picnic at Hanging Rock

by Joan Lindsay, in the first place.

Lindsay was impressed by the area’s haunting allure, the curved rocks sitting at often-impossible angles, the twists and turns of the track to the top that were so memorably captured in Peter Weir’s film.

In fact, I dare anyone to go walking around Hanging Rock with a friend and not experience a frisson of concern as they disappear from view around

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“THE INNER-CITY SHOPFRONTS OF MARRICKVILLE WERE USED IN BAZ LUHRMANN’S MOULIN ROUGE. IF YOU VISIT COCKATOO ISLAND, YOU MIGHT RECOGNISE WHERE WOLVERINE WAS PUMPED FULL OF ADAMANTIUM"

one of the corners of the bushwalk.

Despite everything you know about the story being fictional, just for a split second you’ll wonder if they’ve just disappeared forever.

From the top, the view across the surrounding farmland reminds you how this rock formation is unique in the region, and rewards you for what is an occasionally strenuous climb. If you can keep an eye out on gig guides you can even see concerts at the base of the rocks; Cold Chisel and Midnight Oil have both recently played there.

So I’ve been to a film location, but with the ancient surrounds of Hanging Rock, the book and the film seem like afterthoughts. Go for the place itself.

Sarah Mitchell, accidental film tourist I was walking through New York, looking for a bar, when I saw Firehouse, Hook and Ladder Company 8 – the headquarters of Ghostbusters and one time fire station in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighbourhood. I certainly wasn’t looking for it, but it’s a pretty recognisable facade and, for a brief moment, I had to make sure I hadn’t stepped into some childhood celluloid dream.

If I’ve done any film tourism, it has been by happy accident. I’ve sat on the incredible white sand of Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsundays, but I wasn’t chasing Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. I’ve been to Cedar Creek Falls just north of Brisbane in Tamborine National Park, but it was only later that I recognised the cave hiding place of Heimdall in Thor: Ragnarok. And does swimming in the Great Barrier Reef count as being on the set of Finding Nemo?

I’ve even been to Wolfe Creek crater in Western Australia, but that is one film no sane person wants to relive.

It can be fun to know that a film was made where you were standing, but I often find that the reality is that you can barely recognise a location without the lighting, wardrobe and windowdressing that makes up a film. Often, Australian cities are being made up to look like international locations to save on the cost of an airfare, so it’s often just chance that I wind up adding a bit of Hollywood to my holiday.

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Harper works miracles. We’re lucky to witness them’ AJ Finn Author photograph: Eugene Hyland

‘Harper has harnessed what captivates the Australian psyche – the landscape’ Saturday Paper

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Her other two books were amazing, but this is in a different league. It totally transcends genre, and it should win all the prizes’ Marian Keyes PRAISE FOR JANE HARPER

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‘I could feel the searing heat of the Australian setting.

Every word is near perfect’ David Baldacci

‘Every now and then an Australian crime novel comes along to stop your breath and haunt your dreams’ Sydney Morning Herald

THE POINTY END

WORDS MATT SHEA; PHOTOS TOURISM AND EVENTS QUEENSLAND

Go green on the Gold Coast

I

’ve gazed at Gold Coast’s skyline plenty of times, but never quite like this. It shimmers through a small clearing in some gum trees, the city’s skyscrapers pins of light in the far distance against the aquamarine of the Pacific.

It’s no big thing to Tamborine Mountain locals, who wake up to this view every day. For us, in the middle of the bush and surrounded by the cool air of one of the peak’s northern ridges, it’s a minor revelation. With all the glitz and glamour of the

Gold Coast strip it’s easy to forget that the city is just that – a strip. The tourists flock to the wide, golden beaches on the one side but often forget about the green mountains on the other.

Our first experience has come courtesy of Southern Cross 4WD Tours’ (5a/3078 Surfers Paradise Boulevard; sc4wd.com.au) Tim Wild.

Wild arrived at our hotel in the wee hours of the morning to drive us north to Nerang and on to this steep, rocky fire trail. ê

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THE POINTY END He knows the area well. His first tip: “Tamborine” in the local Yugambeh language refers to the finger lime trees native to the area. Foster reels off other curios as we descend on a leisurely bush walk towards a spring-fed waterfall. He explains the techniques Aboriginal people use to gather food from the forest floor, and helps us spot the animals, insects and arachnids that live among the greenery – including a few reluctant trapdoor spiders.

Afterwards, we travel along the plateau, with its spectacular views out west towards the Scenic Rim, doubling back to Bungunyah Manor (160 Long Road, Mount Tamborine; bungunyahmanor.com.au) for tea and scones.

Two wheels good Our trip back to town takes in a detour via the Nerang National Park. There, we switch

“The northern end of the GC is a mountain-biking mecca for locals”

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Where to stay AVA N I B R O A D B E A C H GOLD COAST RESIDENCES A brand new hotel in the heart of Broadbeach, just a stone’s throw away from both the beach and Pacific Fair Shopping Centre, Avani is a classy, understated four-and-a-half star property. The one and two-bedroom apartments are spacious and modern, perfect for both couples and families.

2663 Gold Coast Highway; avanihotels.com/en/broadbeach

NER ANG NATIONAL PARK SUITS ALL LEVELS OF MOUNTAIN BIKERS

to two wheels. Giant Nerang’s (12 Central Park Avenue, Ashmore; giantnerang.com.au) Michael Ronning waits to show us around an extensive mountain bike park. These undulating hills at the northern end of the Gold Coast have forever been a mountainbiking mecca for locals, kilometres of trails extending between the park and the Nerang Forest Reserve. But the recent GC2018 Commonwealth Games helped further activate the entire area, adding a bunch of new trails to explore.

Ronning leads us along a snaking single track that takes us through scrubby valleys, creeks and long bush grass. It’s not long before you feel a million miles away from the surrounding suburbs, tight berms delivering you swooping into gullies and flying out the other side.

The Nerang National Park’s trails are a mix of fire- and single-track suiting all levels of riders. The circuits combined seem to go on forever – on a Saturday, with plenty of riders at the entrance to the park, we hardly encounter anyone once on the bike.

Ronning says that on weekdays you can pedal around the place for hours and not see another soul. The nearby Just Ride Nerang (15 Price Street; justridenerang.com.au) hires out hardtail, full-suspension and electric-assisted bikes.

Still, you don’t even need to travel as far as Nerang to get in touch with nature on the Gold Coast. Burleigh Heads is ê

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THE POINTY END

“We stop at Tumgun Lookout, craning for migrating humpbacks”

best known for its heaving restaurant scene, but drive beyond the strip up to Goodwin Terrace and you’ll find one of the city’s easiest green escapes.

That afternoon we park our rental by the beach and enter the rainforest of Burleigh Head National Park. The noise of the city fades away as we climb the paved Oceanview track, high above the sea, venturing into this lush headland.

We stop at Tumgun Lookout, craning for humpbacks on their winter migration north.

Perhaps too late in the season, a local tells us, but we enjoy the views anyway, east across the Pacific and then towards the entrance to Tallebudgera Creek in the south.

That’s our destination for today’s walk, and we traipse down towards the headland, where iconic Australian swim coach Laurie Lawrence used to set his young charges against a surging incoming tide. Thankfully, our plan is for something a little more laid-back. In the protected waters behind the headland we pull on our swimmers and hire a couple of paddle boards from All Coast Paddle Board Hire (1544 Gold Coast Highway; 0416 265 864).

A gentle push around the shallow waters with the breeze squeezing its way down the creek turns out to be the perfect way to cool down after a day spent exploring the Gold Coast bush – even if we fall in one too many times.

t ig e r a ir f l ie s to Gold Coast from Melbourne, Sydney, and Hobart; tigerair.com.au

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THE POINTY END

Why I live in

ta sm a ni a

The Taste of Tasmania takes over Hobart at the end of the year with stallholders celebrating the best produce and culinary skill that the state has to offer. Exec chef Craig Will has been at the helm of two of Tasmania’s leading restaurants – Stillwater and Black Cow Bistro – for more than a decade, but he still gets excited about the Taste of Tasmania showcase every year.

Craig’s approach to food is to celebrate local produce, and that’s why he loves living in Tassie.

Tell us about The Taste of Tasmania...

The Taste of Tasmania is the food festival in Australia. It has been around almost as long as I’ve been alive, so I’ve had the privilege to grow up with it. It showcases the best of what Tasmania has to offer in food and wine. It has always symbolised summer, holidays and a good time to me, and if you’re lucky enough, you’ll get to see the winner of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race roll over the finish line.

What makes Tasmania such a great base?

Everything you possibly want is at your fingertips as far as produce is concerned. I’m on a first-name basis with all of my suppliers and nothing is ever too much trouble. If I want to have something grown for the restaurant, no problem – they will plant it and call me in six weeks when it’s ready. Only small communities can make that possible. Then it’s only a one-hour plane ride to mainland Australia should I feel like a short break away to experience the rest of the food scene this great country has to offer.

Where is your favourite place to eat (that you don’t work at!)?

My favourite venue to eat out it is Timbre Kitchen (Velo Wines, 75 West Tamar Highway, Legana; timbrekitchen.com). The food that Matt Adams is cooking is seasonal and local and is right on point in the food scene in Australia. I also love Templo in North Hobart (98 Patrick Street, Hobart; templo.com.au). Once again local, seasonal produce reigns supreme with authentic Italian cooking.

Both places have an awesome drinks list, too.

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Is there a secret hospo drinking spot?

Preachers in Battery Point (5 Knopwood Street, Hobart) is my go-to place for a drink. A great selection of craft beers and an old metro bus in the backyard sets this up as one of the quirkiest places to spend a sunny afternoon. As far as a secret hospo spot that’s becoming well-known amongst the industry, you can’t go past the takeaway fish and chips at the Gulch in Bicheno on Tasmania’s east coast. The freshest of GET A TASTE OF seafood cooked the traditional way TASMANIA with the backdrop of the local fishing This year the event vessels is pure magic. celebrates its 30th Tell us something only a local would know...

If you know the right spot and have a recreational licence, then you can pick an abalone up in water no more than two metres deep and have yourself one of the world’s great delicacies.

Be sure to take clothes for all for seasons, as you are in Tasmania.

birthday with a huge program of events, from community brekkies with Tasmanian produce champion Matthew Evans to a Tassie bush tucker tour.

The Taste of Tasmania runs from December 28 to January 3. For more information, visit thetasteoftasmania. com.au

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THE POINTY END

Get arty in Canberra

WORDS CLAIRE KNOX

A

ustralia’s parliamentary centre is giving Australia’s bigger, artsier cities a run for their money – yes Melbourne, we’re looking at you. A new commitment to contemporary art, design and modern architecture has injected Canberra with some serious creative cred and has been vital to the city’s rejuvenation.

Until recently, many art aficionados travelled to Canberra just for the shiny blockbuster shows of the nation’s art bigwigs – the huge National Gallery of Australia (NGA) and the $87 million National Portrait Gallery. But now, a new wave of vibrant artist-run galleries and studios are proving to be some of the city’s best attractions for culture vultures. Here are six on our radar.

Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centres Spread across two handsomely restored heritagelisted 1920s buildings a few blocks away from each other in the suburb of Braddon, this arts organisation supports local artists with residencies and subsidised studio space.

While Ainslie Arts Centre has a focus on music and performance arts, the pretty, wisteriafestooned Gorman Arts Centre hosts a bevy of local artisans such as acclaimed fine jeweller Phoebe Porter as well as lauded galleries such as Nancy Sever and Canberra Contemporary Art Space. The former has exhibited a who’s who of Australian artists, including the graphic, geometric paintings of Andrew Christofides and a wide ê

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THE POINTY END ANCA Australian National Capital Artists Inc (ANCA) is an artist-run initiative in Dickson that provides affordable and professional studio and exhibition space to artists. The ACT Government invests generously in the arts, and the results are seen in galleries such as this, which spotlight both emerging and established artists across a broad range of mediums. anca.net.au

Beaver Galleries

THORNTON WALKER, “THE FOUR POSTS” AT BEAVER GALLERIES range of Indigenous art (sublime paintings from the Gija people were showcased earlier this year); while the latter has a focus on cuttingedge art that may not be saleable or represented at the big art institutions. agac.com.au

NewActon Precinct When the Nishi Building – which houses one of the city’s coolest hotels, Ovolo Nishi – first sprouted five years ago in the city’s buzzy New Acton precinct, it soon became a symbol of the creative and cool ambitions of the neighbourhood and its residents. Now, the little pocket is home to the contemporary art space Nishi Gallery, hidden speakeasies (such as Black Market, tucked into the basement of hip eatery A. Baker), cool cafes and art installations.

A cohort of over 50 top Aussie architects, artisans, chefs and designers collaborated on its award-winning characteristics: geometric folds of concrete; a blackbutt eucalyptus facade; planters of greenery spilling down its walls. The snazzy piece de resistance of the whole building is the main staircase, made with more than 2,000 stacked, reclaimed timber blocks. Layers of reclaimed timber beams are suspended from the ceiling and studded to the walls, creating dramatic plays of light, shadow and texture. nishigallery.com.au

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Located in Deakin, this contemporary gallery is the city’s largest commercially owned one and showcases work from both established and emerging Australian artists spanning mediums such as painting, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, glass and jewellery.

While the four main gallery spaces host the likes of glass artist Annette Blair and mixed media contemporary artists, visitors less inclined towards the arts will be won over by the striking courtyard sculpture garden and an excellent new restaurant on site, The Kitchen at Beaver Galleries, which has wowed locals with its seasonal, produce-driven ê

“Beaver Galleries showcases established and emerging Australian artists spanning all mediums”

AS SEEN ON

THE POINTY END

Creation nation Canberra has creativity in its bones

When Australia became a federation in 1901, Melbourne and Sydney jostled to become the nation’s new capital city. In 1908, a compromise was found roughly halfway between both: a valley of bucolic plains ringed by mountains that had been settled

by Europeans in the 1820s and predominantly functioned as a sheep station. The landscape had rich Indigenous heritage; archaeological digs at quarry sites uncovered stone tools and ancient burial places as well as rock paintings and

engravings that could span back 21,000 years.

In 1911, an international design competition to build this new ministerial hub was won by Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin, two eminent Chicago architects who were both original members of the Prairie School and contemporaries of Frank Lloyd Wright. They envisaged a new garden city that would continue to grow and flourish in the middle of this rolling sheep-grazing farm.

CANBERRA WAS CREATED WITH A DESIGN COMP AND HAS A RICH HISTORY OF ART

menu, moreish house-made cakes and pastries, and its top-notch coffee. beavergalleries.com.au

Canberra Glassworks On the banks of Lake Burley Griffin in Kingston (where blueprints are being mapped out for a new arts district) you’ll also find one of the world’s leading, modern glass art studios.

The Canberra Glassworks opened in 2007 and was born out of what was the Australian National University School of Art’s glass workshop. The program had a fiercely technical core, ensuring most of its lecturers were practising artists and championed experimental techniques.

It’s housed inside one of the city’s most historylaced structures – a grand, 103-year-old former steam powerhouse that was the first public building in the city. Its original furnaces, engine room, and turbines are now used by the glass artists. canberraglassworks.com

t ig e r a ir f l ie s to Canberra from Melbourne and Brisbane; tigerair.com.au

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henryblooms.com.au

28 DEC - 3 JAN

THE POINTY END

THE FEAST 1 0F 2

WHO SAID VEGETABLES WERE BORING? Being vegan or vegetarian is going mainstream, with a host of great plant-based options on our menus

F

or years, the traditional “meat and three veg” has been the default meal rule for many Australians.

Alternatives, like veganism and vegetarianism, have often attracted swift mockery. But today, the trend towards plant-based eating can’t be ignored. A 2016 Roy Morgan poll reveals 2.1 million Australians claim to be meat-free. So what’s so good about veggies?

Until relatively recently, meat-free options on cafe and restaurant menus tended to be minimal and uninspired.

A salad here, a risotto there; meat-free options were afterthoughts made up of whatever could be rustled up in the kitchen. The result was plant-based food that was boring, didn’t taste particularly good and looked anything but appealing.

But with the increased demand for plant-based dining, chefs have started to take vegetables seriously.

Popular restaurants like Smith & Daughters in Melbourne and Alibi in Sydney are completely vegan and attract a loyal following.

However, what has recently become apparent is that restaurants that aren’t vegan or vegetarian are now also including more plant-based dishes on their menus. This means those who have eliminated meat from their diets can happily eat anywhere, instead of finding their choice limited to dedicated plant-based eateries. And “flexitarians” – those who enjoy meat but realise the benefits of eating less of it, as well as those who haven’t ever put much thought into non-meat options – are

having their horizons broadened to just how good plant-based food can be.

At Melbourne’s Half Acre, chef Eitan Doron serves up Mediterranean-inspired delights like roasted cauliflower with dukkah tahini, and grilled cabbage with torched goat cheese and chimichurri.

At Perth’s Bivouac you’ll find dishes like confit beetroot with orange, sherry and maple dressing, and walnut tarator; and a cauliflower shawarma with hummus, ê

T OO BL EEDING GOOD? In November, the Beyond Burger hit the UK after selling out in America. The vegan burger changes colour as you cook it just like meat, and it has been designed to “bleed” beetroot to imitate a meat burger. The company, Beyond Meat, calls itself the “future of protein”. beyondmeat.com

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"IT'S ABOUT MAKING THE MOST OF WHAT’S IN-SEASON, AND HIGHLIGHTING THE FLAVOURS OF A FEW KEY INGREDIENTS" saffron pears, pickled grapes, and olive caramel. They’re on the menu alongside meat options, and you could easily order and devour them without even realising the dish is meat-free.

Good plant-based food is food that can appeal to everyone and, at its heart, harkens back to what cooking is arguably about: making the most of what’s good and in-season, and highlighting the quality and flavours of a few key ingredients in each dish.

Whether you’re a vegan, a carnivore or fall somewhere in between, there has never been a better time in Australia to discover just how delicious plant-based food can be. Here are five great spots across the country that aren’t vegetarian restaurants, but which do a fantastic job at showcasing vegetables and other non-meat produce.

Etta (Brunswick East, VIC) At Etta, experienced hospitality trio Dominique Fourie McMillan (ex-Rosetta), her husband Hayden McMillan (ex-Roving Marrow), and Hannah Green (ex-Attica) offer a modern Australian menu with occasional Japanese flourishes, and a focus on local, seasonal produce. The menu is about 50 per cent vegetarian, and among the vegetable-focused dishes you’ll find some of the restaurant’s gems.

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THE FEAST 2 0F 2

Try the chickpea fritter with globe artichoke and black olives, or the tamari and brown-sugar-roasted buttercup pumpkin served with a dairy-free sunflower cream. Even the malty bread, served with a whipped, brown butter, is fantastic.

Sáng by Mabasa (Surry Hills, NSW) This family-run Korean restaurant in Surry Hills – where self-taught chefs Seung Kee and Jin Sun Son cook the food while their son Kenny Yong Soo Son and his partner, Youmee Jeon, take care of front of house – focuses on presenting authentic Korean flavours with a contemporary flair.

About half the menu is vegetarian, and several of the restaurant’s highlights come from dishes that champion vegetables. Baechu Jeok, a Napa cabbage pancake, is wonderfully textured and full of complex flavours, while the Kampung Gaji – sweet-andsour deep-fried eggplants – are perfectly crisp and sauced on the outside while remaining soft on the inside.

Tiny’s (Perth, WA) The latest venture from Perth hospitality power duo Paul Aron and Michael Forde (Greenhouse, Cantina 663, El Publico, Ace Pizza, Mary Street Bakery) is part bar, part restaurant and part liquor store – and it manages to succeed at all three.

The menu is influenced by European and Asian cuisines. Head chef Josh Gray uses local produce, including vegetables and herbs from the kitchen’s rooftop garden, to great effect. The vegetable dishes are full of exciting flavours and textures, like wood-grilled beetroots with stracciatella, and shiso vinaigrette, and mushroom “cigars” with scarmoza, labneh, and curry leaf.

Detour (Woolloongabba, QLD) Housed in a renovated heritage building with a distinctly industrial aesthetic, Detour grabs your attention from the moment you step inside – and the share plate menu grabs you in much the same way. It’s a simple one-pager split into two sections: omnivore and herbivore.

Owner-chef Damon Amos does a great job showcasing the produce that he sources from small, local producers.

Think coal-roasted, miso-marinated broccoli with spinach, quinoa and seaweed, or “fossilised” roasted carrots with crispy carrot skins, smoked almond cream and chia.

Africola (Adelaide, SA) Mention the words “South African BBQ restaurant” and most people’s minds will turn to big pieces of meat cooked over fire. While you can certainly get meat at Africola, South African-born chef-owner Duncan Welgemoed’s menu focuses on food inspired by the Maghreb (Northern Africa), created using ethically sourced South Australian produce.

The food of the Maghreb relies heavily on grains, pulses and vegetables, and a meal at Africola will have you rethinking what you knew about African food. Try the Ngeringa carrots with curried almond aioli and bottarga, or the fried cauliflower with tahini cream and agrodolce (a type of sweet-and-sour sauce).

THE CITY L ANE Paul Kristoff is the editor-in-chief of food, travel and culture online magazine The City Lane, and he is one third of the craft-beer podcast team Brunswick Beer Collective.

Visit thecitylane.com and brunswickbeercollective.com to find out more.

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THE POINTY END

LIFTING OUR SPIRITS T he ol Barsto

T

he world knows all about our wine and our beers are stretching their legs, being enjoyed across the globe. Now, our spirits are rising up and taking their place on the world stage. With the list of spirit makers growing, here are a few rising stars putting their mark on the Australian spirit scene and enticing you to explore the world of distilling.

Brix Distillers – NSW Rum has held a special, but dark, place in the story of Australian drinks. The team behind Brix Distillers is saluting this murky history and giving it a bright future with their freshly minted rum distillery in the heart of Sydney’s Surry Hills. With three house rums – white, gold and spiced – made on-site, alongside over 150 rums from around the world, Brix’s open bar and kitchen is already a hit. Its menu is inspired by South American flavours designed to complement the drinks menu. Grab a bite, sip on a cocktail, watch the distillery in action and rediscover a classic spirit. brixdistillers.com

Australia is having a spirits renaissance as local distillers turn out world-beating gins, vodkas and whiskies.

Manly Spirits Co. – NSW Positioned neatly on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, Manly Spirits Co. was born from a passion to create distinctive Australian spirits that capture the carefree beach life and coastal influence.

Their unique range of gins, vodkas and whiskies combine science, innovation and a large dose of the “Australian way,” which you quickly feel upon entering the tasting room and looking out over the distillery. The “steam punk” copper pot stills have been designed to deliver a smooth, balanced and bold range of superior Australian spirits. You’ll be able to taste the coast in each sip. manlyspirits.com.au

Underground Spirits – ACT A doctor turns distiller. Not an everyday occurrence. But when a fertility specialist turns distiller, you can bet innovation will follow. At Underground Spirits, owner Toby has turned his knowledge of crystals (a key part of his former profession) towards innovating the cold filtration of spirits. After much experimentation, Toby came up with a sub-zero, sub-micron cryofiltration process that eliminates impurities earlier than other distillation

techniques, giving his spirits undeniably smooth character and eliminating the alcohol burn you usually feel when you drink a straight spirit. undergroundspirits.com.au

Bellarine Distillery – VIC Housed within a former chicken farm and watering hole for stagecoaches, The Whiskery is the cellar door for Bellarine Distillery. Fully renovated, the former farm shed is a rustic and inviting space to enjoy the Bellarine Distillery’s gin, Teddy & The Fox – an aromatic blend of six botanicals creating a beautiful sipping gin that also makes a great G&T. In time, the whisky will be ready, but for now visit The Whiskery and take a seat on the deck surrounded by the gardens and juniper plantation with a sipping spirit. bellarinedistillery.com.au There’s a new-world distillery just waiting for you to discover on your own or on a tour with Dave’s at daves.com.au.

MEET THE AUTHOR Dave Phillips is a drinks travel expert and the Dave in Dave’s Brewery Tours.

When not touring local drink production houses, he’s surfing.

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THE POINTY END

Spend the night on a boat at Darling Harbour

WORDS PAUL CHAI; PHOTOS DESTINATION NSW/SCOT T THOMAS

I

knew the seafaring life was for me about the time the seafood platter arrived. Tonight, I’m the temporary master and commander of Akira, 40 feet of curvaceous timber in the shape of a luxury motorboat that’s moored at the Darling Harbour Marina in Sydney.

I’m hosting some old high-school friends – Marty, Dave and John – for a drink aboard my temporary floating home. We’ve just worked out that nearby Nick’s Seafood Restaurant has a special Boat & Marina menu. We call and order a fish-and-chips platter, eight fillets, a mountain of fries and homemade tartare, and a bottle of Pewsey Vale riesling. Then, we resume the business of pretending we own a boat.

A newbie in the sharing economy, Flotespace, is a site that connects boat owners and would-be

tenants for the night. Put simply, Flotespace is the airbnb of boats – but it’s not really that simple. You can actually hire boats on airbnb, and other sites, but Flotespace does things right. The team – which is spread from Sydney to the UK – works closely with marinas and doesn’t use swing moorings (buoys secured loosely in the water) that can be tricky to get to and from. Flotespace also consults with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority to make sure your stay is a safe one. You can even hire the boats for the day (with a skipper) and take a day tour or go for a secluded harbourside picnic.

Tonight, I’m just staying overnight. When I arrived, the first order of business was to meet Akira’s owner, Robert Greenhalgh, who says Flotespace “offers a unique opportunity for a boat owner to capitalise ê

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THE POINTY END

on their investment in a similar way to airbnb.”

Rob also runs a charter business, My Sydney Charter, and the awareness of overnight stays on Akira helps that initiative, too.

All Flotespace users get a handover from the boat owner, and Rob gave me the grand tour. Akira is petite but well-appointed with two double cabins, a galley, toilet and shower.

There’s plenty of room to hang out above deck with a dining table and lounges furnished with blue-striped cushions. Rob had also stocked the fridge with beer, and pointed he out a nice bottle of red. There are a few housekeeping points to remember – like bringing in the cushions when we go to bed – but, basically, you’re told clearly what to touch and what to leave well alone.

My guests arrived right on sunset and Rob took his leave. We got comfy on deck with a cold one (or two) just as a band struck up in a nearby Darling Harbour bar to provide us with a soundtrack.

At first I wasn’t sure why you’d stay on a boat instead of just getting a hotel, but the novelty factor is key. I’ve worked near Darling Harbour before and know it well, but a Flotespace stay is like bringing your house down to the marina

MY HOME FOR THE NIGHT, AKIR A, AT DARLING HARBOUR MARINA

“My Flotespace stay is like bringing your house down to the marina; close enough to feel the night-time vibe”

– close enough to feel the night-time vibe, but removed... and with your own toilet and supply of drinks.

As the night rolled on, we got so comfortable on Akira that we were putting off the inevitable task of heading out to look for some dinner. The dockside diners were busy, and our private party was, well, just that.

That’s when we spotted the team from Nick’s headed down to the marina, silver platters in hand, and a huge super yacht that had docked briefly to pick up dinner. John promptly produced his mobile phone and made our dinner problem vanish.

Before long, we too have our very own silver platter on our floating table just in front of Nick’s, and the wine arrives as the beer peters out. The skyscrapers surrounding the harbour reflect Christmas-light colours all around us.

You don’t get that in your average hotel room.

After dinner, my friends have to depart in trains and Ubers for boring things like houses.

Me? I just get changed and slide into my comfortable berth for the night, listening to the lapping of the harbour water. This is definitely the type of stay I can get on board with.

To spend the night afloat, check out Flotespace at flotespace.com

t ig e r a ir f l ie s to Sydney from eight destinations; tigerair.com.au

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E S T. 1 9 9 9

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THE POINTY END

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THE POINTY END

Go axe throwing on the Gold Coast

WORDS JOSEPHINE AGOSTINO

I

t’s a Friday night, and Survivor’s anthem Eye of the Tiger is pumping through the warehouse speakers. A fire pit rages as the echoes of metal clanging and the thud of wood being sliced open pierce the air. And every so often, the unbridled roar of satisfaction from a perfectly placed shot.

I’m a stone’s throw from the golden sands of Miami Beach on the Gold Coast, but instantly transported to a place where the Vikings of the Middle Ages and modern lumberjack have come together. Yet, as a female with no inclination towards either, I nevertheless feel totally at home.

This is what Lumberpunks – Queensland’s first axethrowing venue – is all about.

Mates and co-owners Sam Hay and Tyson McMillan were working in hospitality and throwing axes in their backyards when the idea to create their own venue – where communities of axe throwers could come together – took shape.

“I lived in the US and Canada and learned how to do it there, then came back and started showing friends how to throw and it became really fun,” says Sam, adding that it took four years for their concept to come to fruition.

Throwing axes isn’t anything new. The first ones date back to the Middle Ages, used by soldiers and knights, and were later taken to the Americas by European colonialists. The ancient Celts were ê

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THE POINTY END

JUST LIKE CR ACKING A WHIP – EXCEPT WITH A GREAT BIG A XE!

said to be the first ones who practised it as a sport across the Nordic countries, and it took a foothold with 19th-century lumberjacks who threw their axes in competition.

Fast forward a couple hundred years and the sport is widespread in North America and the United Kingdom. The World Axe Throwing League has thousands of members, and the sport hit has Aussie shores in the last couple of years.

A game comprises of five rounds of five throws.

Hit the bullseye and it’s five points, with decreasing points in the outer rings.

A cut above "When you’re on point and getting a bullseye, it’s amazingly satisfying,” Sam says.

He insists you don’t have to wear a plaid flannel shirt or have a beard to enjoy the Lumperpunk experience, either. “We want to break down the preconceptions of who throws axes. We’ve had a 96-year-old lady come in, and one of our league competitors is in a wheelchair and he’s awesome

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at it. He’s just the same as everyone else.” In its Monday and Tuesday night leagues, 45 per cent of the 72 competitors are women. “It’s an activity that’s all technique and not strength-based, so everyone is equal,” Sam adds.

Jessica Harrison has been hooked on the sport ever since she first tried it at her work Christmas party last year. She now competes with her mates Sandy and Jimmy in the team, 8-Bit Maul.

“I loved it and signed up for the league straight after,” she says. “The community and camaraderie between the league participants is great. We’ve built a nice family here. It’s just a really good way to blow off steam after work.“ Hurling a wood-chopping device through the air at a target as you have a laugh with a group of mates wouldn’t automatically be considered a risk-free way to spend a night out, but the guys have made sure it’s 100 per cent safe.

For that reason, only those over 18 are able to throw, and closed shoes are a must. Each of the 12 lanes are self-contained with wire netting, so there’s no chance of wayward axes hitting the throwers on either side. “The only injury we’ve had is a splinter from the wood,” Sam says.

It’s also an alcohol-free zone. “Safety is the main reason, but we wanted to offer an alternative that you don't need alcohol to have fun,” he says To kick off the session, there’s the obligatory safety briefing, and in just a few minutes I have one

Tactical Tomahawk axe in a pinch grip in my right hand, and three axes balanced in my left hand.

Right on target Having never even touched an axe before, let alone hoisted one over my head and thrown it, I'm a little nervous about taking my first aim at the bullseye. Sam checks my foot placement and grip are all in check and I’m good to go. “The action you want to make is like cracking a whip,” he says.

I throw the tomahawk and it slams into the wall, but the rotation lands on the handle, not on the blade, so it bounces straight into the bed of bark.

My first mistake, it turns out, was throwing it as hard as I could. “The best throw is a soft throw. It shouldn’t be a bang; it should be a dull thud of the axe slicing through the wood,” Sam advises Only a few throws in, it’s impossible not to get swept up in the adrenalin-fuelled excitement of it all – especially when there’s a Ragnar Lothbrok lookalike (complete with his own handmade Viking costume) throwing an axe weighing almost a kilogram in a lane less than a metre away. Ragnar – real name Adam Kean – is a Lumberpunks devotee, competing with his team, the Axe Captains.

There are several types of axes to try, from Tactical Tomahawks to Camp Hatchets and Frontier Tomahawks. My favourite is the Frontier axe, with its long wooden handle and curved single-bearded blade. It may be half the weight of the Camp Hatchet, which weighs almost a kilogram, but it has no less cred than its bigger counterpart. It was, after all, the axe of choice for

THE BOYS AT LUMBERPUNKS HAVE AN AXE TO GRIND WITH YOU

“The best axe throw is a soft throw.

It shouldn't be a bang”

Jason Momoa (aka Khal Drogo), who booked out Lumberpunks for his 38th birthday last year while filming Aquaman. The actor is a YouTube star courtesy of his throwing prowess (while holding a beer no less) and has since become known for playing characters who fend off their enemies with, yes, axes.

With the expert guidance of Sam and his roving team of coaches – who are always on hand to guide all newbies and pass on tips to experienced throwers – I manage to land the blade in the target’s circles a handful of times, with two lucky bullseyes.

Okay, so most of my axes ended up in the bark chips rather than hitting the target, but within just one session my technique and confidence improved far more than I ever expected.

Regardless of where the axe landed, the adrenalin that came from swinging it over my shoulder (in a very safe “okay grip”) – and catapulting it through the air in the knowledge that all my body parts would remain intact – was exhilarating every time.

It’s no wonder so many come back for more. And well, if it’s good enough for Khal Drogo, hand me the axe and call me Khaleesi!

Gold Coast Lumberpunks, 19 Ozone Parade, Miami, Gold Coast; lumberpunks.com

t ig e r a ir f l ie s to the Gold Coast from Melbourne, Sydney and Hobart; tigerair.com.au

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Encore, St Kilda, encore!

This bayside suburb was once the centre of Melbourne’s music scene, but gentrification and venue closures saw that musical heart nearly torn out. However, as Kirsten Krauth reports, revamped venues like the Palais and the Prince – plus the return of the legendary Espy – mean St Kilda is ready to retake the stage.

PHOTOS SAMARA CLIFFORD

F

rom jazz and swing to punk and rock – framed by bay, beach, palms and the demented smile of Luna Park – St Kilda has been the hub of Melbourne’s music scene for 150 years. Venues like the Palais, the Prince, the Espy and the Crystal Ballroom – lining the wide boulevards of Acland and Fitzroy streets – have shaped Australian music through the decades, attracting local and touring national and international acts. Pretty much everyone over the years has played here.

But St Kilda has experienced its ups and downs.

The effects of gentrification and changes in

council laws meant that after the heyday of the 1980s and 90s, many music venues in St Kilda suffered a decline, forced to shut down because of complaints about noise, destruction by fire, or musicians and punters drifting north to Fitzroy and Brunswick where rents were cheaper.

But things are changing. Speaking to local musicians and venue booking managers now, it seems St Kilda is returning to her former glory and the music scene is reinvigorated. While the Ballroom has become a grunge-chic wedding venue, the Palais and the Prince have had facelifts and are pumping, and the Espy reopened in November. ê

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ST KILDA ROCKS

Songwriter and musician Hugo Race moved to St Kilda in 1980. He remembers a small scene centred around the Crystal Ballroom and going a couple of nights a week to gigs, the highlight being the mortadella sandwiches offered to starving musicians by then music promoter, Laurie Richards, and the exciting new sounds offered up.

Race started a band called Plays With Marionettes, who gigged in the Ballroom regularly and eventually supported The Birthday Party (Nick Cave’s early band) – always a wild experience, “a very dark and violent sound”, and a time of high tension between audience and performers.

“There was always this sense of something of significance,” Hugo says. “You kind of knew, supporting The Birthday Party, that at least in that brief moment, you were in the centre of the new musical tornado, because there were not many groups around that sounded like that at the time.”

In the early 80s, St Kilda was a dangerous place to be. Pimps, prostitutes, drug dealers and suburban yobs cruised the streets. Race says musicians were drawn to the suburb because it was cheap to live and the red-light underworld feel was seductive. “Boundaries were being pushed and things could happen in St Kilda that would be frowned upon, or you might be arrested for, elsewhere.”

In 1983, Race joined Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds before going on to form his own bands including The Wreckery, Hugo Race and The True Spirit, and Dirtmusic, along with many collaborations.

His most recent project has been composing a song cycle for City of Lost Souls, a performance

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ST KILDA ROCKS

“Things could happen in St Kilda that would be frowned upon, or you might be arrested for, elsewhere“ at Theatreworks that merges Race’s music with two community choirs, spoken word from local St Kilda poets and animations. City of Lost Souls revolves around St Kilda myths and legends: of the destitute, the murdered, the Coney-Island-style Luna Park carousel, but also of love, of family history. In one song, “Soundtrack to Empire”, Race remembers how his grandmother used to haunt the Ballroom before him, escaping the drudgery of life as a soldier’s wife:

influence my aesthetic. I was a product of the punk rock generation and I was not interested in playing guitar in a conventional manner – and am still not.”

Most of all, Ikinger was drawn to what other female musicians were doing, and there were more playing at the Ballroom. In the documentary, Electra: The Music of Penny Ikinger, Chrissy Amphlett interviews Ikinger about the bands she formed with Janine Hall of The Saints (and Kings of the World), and Cathy Green of famous punk band X (and Red Dress).

More recently, Ikinger has released solo albums including her latest, Tokyo, while playing guitar with the late Spencer P Jones in the Sacred Cowboys and regularly collaborating with fellow post-punkers Kim Salmon and Deniz Tek. Like Race, she remembers the arty crowd being drawn to St Kilda for the low rent and edginess. “Arty types make a place interesting,” Ikinger says. “Then they can no longer afford to live there. It happens all over the world.” ê PENNY IKINGER HAS SEEN ST KILDA CHANGE OVER THE YEARS

you see, I came in from the desert newly-wed to dance the soundtrack to empire on polished boards in a brand new couturier dress Singer/songwriter and guitarist Penny Ikinger is another musician who has gravitated to St Kilda since the 1980s, embraced by the strong rock ‘n’ roll community and ethos. Ikinger started playing guitar in Wet Taxis in 1983 and played at the Ballroom and the Prince.

“Guitar was very much the domain of men at that time, so it took me a while until I even believed it would be possible for me (a woman) to play one.

Rowland S Howard helped define the Melbourne sound of that time – angst-ridden and arty,” Ikinger says. “Rowland was extraordinary and he did

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ST KILDA ROCKS

Infamous musician and cartoonist Fred Negro, decked in glittering gold suit jacket and Magpies scarf, regularly takes punters on a bawdy walking tour of St Kilda’s musical history. More a bar crawl – from the George to the Prince to the Vineyard to the Dog’s Bar via Rowland S Howard Lane – the tour this time feels like a wake as old friends gather to glimpse traces of musicians who’ve died in recent weeks and to remember the St Kilda of the 80s. “In those days, everyone was indestructible,” Negro says.

It was a tough six months for the close-knit Melbourne music scene with the deaths of Brian Hooper, Spencer P Jones and Conway Savage, but as the tour gathers momentum, the moments of hilarity fly around thick and fast. The Thursday crawl moves back and forth between the Prince and the Ballroom, where you could see three free bands play at each venue. “Spencer was the loudest guitarist I’ve ever heard and my ears were bleeding,” Negro laughs.

Our next stop on the tour is The Prince.

James Power, live bookings director at the Prince, who has also played on the stage here,

THE PRINCE BANDROOM BEFORE IT HAD A MAKEOVER

enthusiastically weaves through the venue’s dark warren of carpark, corridors and a back entrance painted in psychedelic black-and-white lines that give it an Alice in Wonderland dimension.

He points to a display of photographs of live performances, including American punk rock band Black Flag, and ends up in a small room with a board of honour of top gigs like Midnight Oil, Smashing Pumpkins and Beck. ê

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ST KILDA ROCKS

About the author Kirsten Krauth’s first novel was just_a_girl and her second-in-progress is set around the Crystal Ballroom scene in early 1980s St Kilda.

She writes on music, photography and books, edits Newswrite magazine for Writing NSW, and is local publicity and community manager for the BAM – Bendigo Autumn Music – festival.

“We’ve really made an effort in the last two years to delve back into our history, because there wasn’t really a connection there,” Power says. It’s a rich history that reaches back to Albert Tucker and Sidney Nolan, who “basically lived here”; General Douglas MacArthur’s army base during World War 2; and Pokeys, one of the first gay nights in Australia, that attracted crowds for 14 years. The sense of community for musicians is vital too. The hotel recently hosted the funeral for Brian Hooper with a video message from Nick Cave. “We’re going to help release Hooper’s posthumous album with guys from The Drones,” Power says.

Along with electronica and hip-hop, Power likes to program musicians who’ve had a connection to St Kilda, along with young, up-and-coming artists.

The Living End played on Cup Eve, and St Kilda icon Paul Kelly does regular gigs. “To have Paul Kelly and Davey Lane and all these young acts, and then you see 18-year-old girls singing along to ‘From St Kilda to Kings Cross’ – you think, ‘That song’s older than you!’,” he laughs.

Peter Bain Hogg, entertainment curator at the soon to be reopened Espy, says that in the 1870s and 1880s the hotel was a “spectacularly swank

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FOR IKINGER AND FRIENDS, ST KILDA HAS MANY MUSICAL MEMORIES

place, the centre of life in St Kilda” – a place where music has always lived. Across the road from the Palais de Danse (a dance hall that used to be located next to the Palais) and the Palais Theatre, the Espy was a vibrant venue during the cabaret, swing and jazz eras, with the Gershwin Room always in full swing. Alfred Felton, a famous resident of the hotel, was a true raconteur, and over the years the hotel hosted many writers and musicians, including Mark Twain.

But the Espy’s real heyday was in the 1980s and 90s, when the Melbourne music scene revolved around St Kilda and its venues. “The Ballroom and the Prince and the Espy and the St Moritz ... the bars and the beach. Bands could play till 5am at Bananas,” Hogg reminisces. When it comes ê

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THE REVAMPED PRINCE BANDROOM IS STILL ROCKING

“Have a quick dip, have a beer at the Espy, then come and party at the Prince until 5am“ to memorable gigs, there were the big acts like Public Enemy and De La Soul, but it’s the locals he remembers. “I loved it in the 80s, when there was a lot of country music,” he says. “But Men at Work played early on in their career, as did Paul Kelly, Joe Camilleri, Steven Cummings, Dave Graney, Deborah Conway and Renee Geyer. In the 90s, it was The Cruel Sea, Snout, Def FX and Baby Animals. Ross Hannaford’s band Dianna Kiss had a Monday-night residency for years. The Nudist

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Funk Orkestra, Bad Boys Batucada and Phil Para’s Saturday afternoon sessions were also highlights.”

While gentrification played a part, Hogg thinks it was the loss of venues — the Esplanade, the Palace gutted by fire, local noise complaints — that were the major cause of the downturn in St Kilda’s live music scene in the 2000s. Now, with renovations at the Palais and the Prince, and the Esplanade’s re-opening, he thinks the tide is turning. “There are lots of good gigs at Memo and The Vineyard, and the Dog’s Bar has really established itself as a great community centre for local people,” he says.

And the reopened Espy? Hogg walks us through the refurbished space. The Gershwin Room will remain as a ticketed venue, while downstairs will be a “dirty rock ’n’ roll bar that captures the original spirit of St Kilda rock,” he says. There will be a terrace beer garden at the front and a stage in the round that will be DJ-focused and program more contemporary electronica.

Along with many St Kilda musicians, Race and Ikinger both played in the Espy’s Gershwin Room as part of SBS’s much-loved Rockwiz program, which ran for 14 years. Hogg is hopeful that, one day, the show will be brought back. “There’s definitely a plan to try and get it back there,” he says.

Both Hogg and Power are excited about the future prospects of St Kilda’s music scene and are working to support other venues in the area to attract musicians and punters. As he shows off the view of the bay from on top of the Prince, Power admits he’s looking forward to hotter weather. “In summer, do you want to be in the city? Do you want to be northside? Or do you want to be here, with the summer breeze coming over the waves?

Go across and have a quick dip, have a beer at the Espy, then come and party at the Prince until 5am!”

t ig e r a ir f l ie s to Melbourne from nine destinations; tigerair.com.au

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DESTINATION PERTH

DE S T IN AT ION PERTH R E BE C C A

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WEEKEND WARRIORS PA RK FIT FOR A KING

WORK IT, BA BY !

There’s no better way to start the day than a morning gym session followed by a swim in a rooftop pool. Next Generation Kings Park (nextgenclubs.com.au; casual visit $79) looks out over the park and the city. I figure you may as well have million-dollar views to distract you while you’re working out!

Take a walk through Kings Park, over the 52-metre steel and glass bridge for a different kind of view – but be warned, it moves! Once on solid ground again, I can’t help having a quick browse in the shop/ art gallery Aspects of Kings Park before a history lesson at the war memorials.

L UNCH WITH A VIE W I climb the stairs to Fraser’s restaurant (frasersrestaurant.com.au) for lunch from a spectacular menu featuring local WA produce. The floor-toceiling windows offer the opportunity to sit with a glass of wine and watch the river sparkle and the city hum.

R E BE C C A

starts the day at the gym, has lunch with a view and has dinner in a box

f r id ay

10:00

12:00

13:00

PE A RL S BEFORE C A MEL S ?

ROWER S ’ BRE A K FA S T I take a Blue CAT bus to Barrack Street jetty, where tourist offerings abound. Breakfast is at Rubra (rubraontheswan.com.au), attached to the West Australian Rowing Club building. I have an excellent Vegetarian Big Breakfast while looking out to the Swan River on one side and watching rowers prepare to take to the water on the other.

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I change my plans quickly when I spy a truckload of camels disembarking on Riverside Drive! I decide, instead, on the Esplanade Camel Tour (30mins), followed by the Willie Creek Pearl Harvest demonstration (30mins) at their showroom in the Barrack Street Jetty precinct. What a great combo – and who knew camels love carrots?

DING DONG Now for the Bell Tower (Swan Bells), the only place in the world you can get a demonstration of bell ringing and actually have a go yourself.

The historic St Martin-in-the-Fields bells are amazing, and a new addition is a special 6.5-tonne Anzac Commemoration Bell, freshly cast in WA.

DESTINATION PERTH

BEER WITH BOB

SHOP TIL L YOU DROP I hop on a free CAT bus and into the heart of the city for a spot of shopping. I browse through the upmarket stores on King Street, then refuel with a coffee at the cafe in historical His Majesty’s Theatre (ptt.wa.gov.au).

15:00

To experience the best of Perth’s bar scene, you either have to go underground, or look up. I head up to Bob’s rooftop bar above the Print Hall (printhall.com.au/bobs-bar) – named after our famous former Prime Minister Bob Hawke.

DINNER IN A BOX Still with the rooftop theme, dinner is at Wildflower restaurant (wildflowerperth.com.au), housed in a glass box that looks like it’s suspended above the State Buildings.

The fine-dining menu changes six times a year to reflect the Indigenous seasons and the wine list is the size of War and Peace.

17:00

19:00

S A L LY

has breakfast on the water, rings a bell and has a laugh

L AUGH A MINUTE

QUAY L UNCH Urgent long lunch required, and the Quay’s Island Brew House (theislandeq.com.au), or Isle of Voyage, provides a great rest stop, delicious food, and more history too. The heritage-listed Florence Hummerston Kiosk’s final repurposing is beautiful, with indoor/outdoor options, and playground adjacent.

I wander back into the city through Supreme Court Gardens, checking out a few shops and especially lovely old London Court.

Next, I head to the Comedy Lounge (comedylounge.com.au) for Six in the City at 6pm – “eat.drink.laugh,” says the blurb. I do, heartily.

IRISH ITA LIA N Shafto Lane is right next door and is lined with multiple options for dining. Durty Nelly’s Irish Pub has a warm, inviting vibe so I grab a cider, order a very un-Irish bruschetta and settle on the verandah to watch a bit of soccer on one of the many sports-tuned TVs. Chilled.

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WEEKEND WARRIORS

SPECIA LT Y SHOPPING S A L UTE THE S TATE BUIL DINGS I like to salute the sun with a morning yoga session, even though this one is in an underground studio at the State Buildings. Afterwards, I grab an organic smoothie at Post restaurant (postperth.com.au) and drink in the historic ambience of the beautifully renovated postal hall.

M A SS AGE THER A P Y There’s no better way to top off a healthy morning than with a relaxing massage, so I head back underground to the day spa, Como Shambhala (comohotels.com). The massage rooms are behind a massive iron door that used to protect the city’s most precious documents.

I’m not ready to leave the elegance of the State Buildings yet, so I browse through the shops and taste many of the specialty products on offer, from handmade chocolates to the famous (and delicious) honeycakes.

R E BE C C A

starts with a salute to the sun, gets spicy at lunch and hits the coast

S AT UR D AY

08:00

10:30

12:00

OL D BE AUT Y I decide to spend the day looking at things in one of the oldest settlements in Perth: Guildford. I catch the train down and walk across the road to start at George’s Antiques, then go around the corner to the Curio Warehouse showcasing fabulous vintage wares.

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DOUGHNUT S! I’m quite ready for a coffee and can’t pass the Guildford Town Bakery (swanvalley.com.au). They boast “THE BEST jam and cream doughnuts,” and I’m not going to argue. The aroma of freshly baked goods is heavenly.

CURIOUSER A ND CURIOUSER I pop into the Toy Museum and am wonderfully reminded of my now-distant childhood.

Next door is the truly intriguing Natural History Museum (swanvalley.com.au), where taxidermied animals share space with huge dinosaurs and a vast array of nature exhibits.

This was originally the first WA picture theatre.

DESTINATION PERTH

SUNSE T COCK TAIL

CURR Y A ND COFFEE Still in the State Buildings, I walk down into an open courtyard for a spicy lunch at Long Chim (longchimperth.com), ordering a delicious curry from the tuck shop.

Afterward, I go upstairs to Telegram Coffee for a quick caffeine fix before I walk back out into the real world.

14:00

Time to check out Perth’s famous beaches, and I find myself at The Shorehouse (shorehouse.com.au), sitting outside on a huge wooden deck under a yellow-andwhite-striped umbrella. The situation calls for a cocktail (or two), which I happily sip while the sun slides down.

17:30

H A MP TONS VIBE I drive up the coast to City Beach and the bustling Odyssea Beach Cafe (odysseacitybeach.com.au), with its Hamptons vibe and indoor greenery. The cocktail list is once again very inviting, and dessert is basically a must. Both are consumed as I sit on the outside deck where the waves crash into the inky night.

20:00

S A L LY

heads out of town, goes to the museum and finishes with some pub grub

L UNCH G A RDEN The Cafe Poste provides a really beautiful venue for a delicious light lunch.

Once the old post office, it’s now also a garden centre that is a pleasure to wander.

HIS TOR Y PL US Crossing the road to the town’s central square, I learn about the history of the St Matthew’s church, and the significance of the land to both settler and Indigenous people, before moving on to the old courthouse, gaol, and popular Taylor’s Cottage.

HERITAGE HOSPITA LIT Y By now I clearly understand why the entire town is currently under consideration for listing by The Heritage Council of WA. I spend my evening at the Rose & Crown Hotel (rosecrown.com.au), the oldest in the state and third oldest in the country. It doesn’t disappoint, in history or hospitality!

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WEEKEND WARRIORS

ON THE WINE TR AIL Just a 30-minute drive from the city and I’m in the Swan Valley, WA’s oldest wine region. To get my Sunday off to a relaxing start, I head straight for Float Swan Valley (floatswanvalley.com.au). I float around in the sensory deprivation tank for an hour in complete tranquility.

A PPRENTICE WINEM A K ER

INTERN ATION A L ROA S T I need something to wake me up, and Yahava KoffeeWorks (yahava.com.au) seems like the logical choice. I take a tour and find out all about the art of coffee roasting before some extensive sampling of beans from all around the world.

After my caffeine fix, I’m ready to take on the world, and I start with the Winemaker Apprenticeship at Sandalford (sandalford.com), which includes a tour of the winery and a quick history lesson before getting down to the serious business of mixing (and tasting) wines.

R E BE C C A

heads to Swan Valley, tastes some wine and has a sweet ending to the weekend

S UND AY

09:00

11:00

12:00

TO M A RK E T Next is an easy walk to the Fremantle Markets – with a few distractions along the way, especially Japingka Indigenous Art (japingkaaboriginalart.com).

I love the markets for the fresh produce, the crafts and the buskers.

FREO, WAY TO GO I’m excited to be going to Fremantle: historic, multicultural, bustling and a thriving port. I take a Captain Cook tour boat from Barrack Street to Fremantle port.

It’s a guided trip with lots of interesting information about the Swan River and places along the way. I spend a little time at E Shed Markets (eshedmarkets.net.au).

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SPOILT FOR CHOICE I cross the lane to the busy Old Shanghai food markets for a casual lunch. There’s a huge choice of different countries’ cuisines, and I settle on one of my favourites: pad Thai. Yum. Then, I move to Gino’s for coffee and watch the parade of eclectic life along High Street.

DESTINATION PERTH

L UNCH UNDER THE VINES After three hours of talking about and sipping wines, I’ve worked up quite the appetite, so a three-course lunch at Sandalford (sandalford.com – with matching wines, of course – is the perfect way to cap off the experience.

14:00

S WEE T ENDING TA S TINGS G A L ORE It’s time to get a quick sample of the best the Swan Valley has to offer, and my first stop is rustic Edgecombe Brothers to eat some hand-picked asparagus. Next I visit local producer the House of Honey before browsing through the Aboriginal owned art gallery, Maalinup (maalinup.com.au).

All good weekends end with chocolate, and I stop at the Margaret River Chocolate Factory (chocolatefactory.com.au) and join the kids queueing for free samples.

Despite the chocolate overload, I make Whistler’s the last stop of the weekend so that I can take a bit of the Swan Valley home.

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S A L LY

BES T WES T SUNSE T My finale is the simplest and most joyous combination anywhere: fish and chips on the beach followed by watching the sunset. Sweetlips (sweetlips.com.au) provides the meal, Bathers Beach the venue, and nature turns on the show. What a fitting end.

SHIP WRECK S A HOY Strolling comfortably to the Bathers Beach part of Freo, the Shipwreck Museum (museum.wa.gov.au) provides a fascinating exploration of shipwreck history in WA. The Maritime Museum used to be housed here but can now be found next to the E Shed in a larger, more modern building.

goes to the market, checks out some art and eats fish and chips at sunset

ROUNDHOUSE A R T Later in the afternoon I check out The Roundhouse (fremantleroundhouse.com.au), WA’s oldest building, which was originally used as a gaol. Nearby are also the Kidogo Arthouse, which houses small temporary exhibitions, and the Glen Cowans Fine Art Underwater Photography Gallery. The work there is simply stunning.

FANCY AN ADVENTURE? If you want to be one of our Weekend Warriors, get in touch.

tigertales@citrusmedia.com.au

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Storm chasing Soon, a new generation will learn the tale of Storm Boy and Mr Percival thanks to a remake of the classic movie out in January. Alexis Buxton-Collins takes us just over an hour’s drive south of Adelaide, to the windswept lagoon in Coorong that is the unsung star of the film.

PHOTOS SOUTH AUSTRALIAN TOURISM COMMISSION; SONY PICTURES

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T

hose guys have come all the way from Northern China,” Brenton Carle says, pointing to some figures in the distance.

A little later he sees some more visitors on our left, adding “and that group is from Siberia.” He’s guiding me around the Coorong, the wild and beautiful region near the mouth of the Murray River, but our companions are not fellow tourists.

They’re migratory wading birds and some of them have travelled as far as 10,000km to get here despite being small enough to fit in my hand.

The long, narrow lagoon of the Coorong stretches south-east from the Murray Mouth, where Australia’s greatest river meets the ocean, and is protected from the fury of the Southern Ocean

by a long, narrow strip of sand. This sanctuary provides a vital habitat for migratory birds like the red-necked stints and greenshanks that Brenton points out, as well as many local birds.

Over 200 species have been recorded. Soon, some members of the most iconic glide past us, their broad white wings spread wide to show a fringe of black tips. Seven pelicans fly silently past in a line, skimming just centimetres above the water. Their chests are thrust forward proudly beneath arched necks, and it’s easy to imagine that one of them might be a descendant of Mr Percival.

For many Australians, the Coorong is synonymous with Colin Thiele’s iconic book Storm Boy, the story of a young boy growing up in this ê

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STORM BOY REMAKE

wild region with a pelican named Mr Percival that he rears from a chick, his gruff hermit of a father (Hideaway Tom) and an Aboriginal man named Fingerbone Bill.

It’s a love letter from Thiele to this wild and challenging environment, and it was turned into a film in 1976.

Now, a new version of the story has been filmed featuring Geoffrey Rush and Jai Courtney. Some of the details may change with each telling, but the heart of the story is still the friendship between boy and bird, along with the joy of growing up in this beautiful and isolated environment.

Thiele describes it as “an elemental region, a place of wind and water and vast skies, of sandhill and tussock, lagoon and waterweed, stone and scrub. It is a place of softened contours, muted colours and sea haze,” and as we travel in the shadow of the beautiful white sand dunes, I see all of those elements in just a short distance.

Take me to the river

that restores wooden boats in the style of the classic 1950s fishing vessels. Just past the reeds that line the river’s edge, the 18-foot boats that were used in the two films bob up and down, though one looks like it has seen better days.

Ironically, it’s the 1976 boat that looks newer, having been lovingly restored after it was discovered as a wreck on the edge of the river several decades ago, while the 2019 version has been artificially aged to look like a working boat. Despite being scoured with wire brushes and angle grinders, it’s still a beautiful vessel, with an elegant rounded half cabin embedded with brass portholes. However, I’ll be exploring the region on something even closer to ê

JAI COURTNEY BRINGS MR PERCIVAL TO A NEW GENER ATION

The gateway to the Coorong is a quiet settlement 80km south of Adelaide – “a little town with a name like a waterbird’s cry. Goolwa!” Today, the charming river port still has a sleepy feel, even when the crowds arrive in summer to escape the heat of Adelaide. Small fishing boats ply the waters near the terminus of the Murray, and when I check in to the Boathouse I can see them just outside my window.

Situated in a working marina, this lovingly restored old boat shed has been turned into an airy studio apartment filled with nautical memorabilia. It’s a charming place to stay, and soon after checking in I discover a copy of Storm Boy that is signed by the cast members, who stayed here during filming.

Further down the Goolwa shoreline, the Armfield Slip and Boatshed is home to a group of volunteers

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STORM BOY REMAKE

How to see locations from the new Storm Boy GODFREYS L ANDING

GOOLWA

This boat-only campsite in the Coorong National Park was the site of Storm Boy’s home, and the crew built a shack and jetty here for the film.

Up to 80 people had to be ferried in each day during filming, then the structures were dismantled and taken back to Adelaide. Campsites must be booked in advance.

Many small fishing boats still dock at Goolwa’s wharf, which featured in the film, and the boat Hideaway Tom used to travel between the town and his home is moored next to the volunteer-run workshop at the Armfield Slip on Riverside Drive

PORT ELLIOT Goolwa has grown since the 1950s, so the main strip of this Fleurieu Peninsula town stood in for its neighbour in the film.

The Strand is lined with early 19th century homes and, with vintage logos lining the window and walls, it’s easy to tell which one was turned into the local fishmonger’s shop where Hideaway Tom sold his catch and Mr Percival would get a free feed.

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NINET Y MILE BEACH The filmmakers used drones to give audiences a bird’s-eye view of the Coorong, and scenes with the five trained pelicans were shot on this wild and windswept stretch of beach.

THE AREA AROUND COORONG IS WILD AND UNTAMED

the water. Brenton Carle’s business is called Canoe the Coorong, and when I meet him he has a kayak ready, along with a broad smile and 1,000 facts about the region at the ready.

When we launch, our first visit is to the Murray Mouth, a small opening between shifting dunes where the river meets the ocean and dredges pump sand out 24 hours a day to keep water flowing through the narrow channel. The mix of tidal flows and fresh river water is what makes the Coorong such a unique environment, but water-intensive agriculture upstream has reduced flows in the Murray so much that it requires human assistance to reach the ocean. Brenton describes the dredges as “a Band-Aid on an arterial wound.” This precious ecosystem is on life support, but he’s hoping that by showing visitors like me around he can convince them it’s worth saving.

Long before Europeans came, this was Ngarrindjeri land. The Ngarrindjeri knew it as a place of plenty – it was one of the most densely populated parts of the continent. As we come to a landing spot, we pull up our kayaks. Brenton points out some traditional foods like the muntrie bushes, which produce sweet, crisp berries, and the cruelly named pigface, whose bright pink flowers give way to edible fruits as summer arrives. We snack on the tiny red berries of the bower spinach plant, which provide a delightful burst of sweet, slightly salty juice when popped in the mouth.

Then we pick the leaves of the plant, which, coupled with the tips of salty, succulent samphire bushes, will go into our lunch – a fish burger with blanched greens.

Back on the water, we watch large groups of black swans bobbing along and waders on stilt-like legs picking their way through the tidal shallows closer ê

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STORM BOY REMAKE

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Digging his bare feet into the beach, he wiggles his hips from side to side and slowly sinks into the sand as he moves to an inaudible tune. Suddenly he stops and reaches down to pull out a lustrous purple shell that’s clamped closed. It’s a pipi, a small mollusc also know as a cockle and a staple of the Ngarrindjeri diet, as the large piles of shells called middens near our campsite attest. He invites me to imitate his movements, and soon the waves are washing up a small haul of the bivalves.

It’s how they’ve been harvested for millennia.

After many attempts at mechanising the industry, the local fishermen decided this traditional method is still the best. Until recently, pipis were mostly used as bait, but today they can be found in the country’s top restaurants; every year, hundreds of tonnes are harvested by dancing fishermen up and down the Coorong coast.

We have to throw ours back as we’re not in a recreational catch area, but fortunately Brenton has brought plenty of supplies with him and we enjoy a rich seafood dinner as the clouds above us catch the sun’s last rays and turn to molten gold. ê

RELIVE THE ORIGINAL STORM BOY The National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) has digitally restored the original film and has produced an online exhibition dedicated to the film, showcasing a new interview with the original Storm Boy (Greg Rowe) and rare items related to the film. To see the online exhibition, visit nfsa.gov.au

IMAGE ORIGINAL STORM BOY PHOTO COURTESY NFSA, SAFC

to shore in this avian wonderland. As we approach the campsite at Godfreys Landing, a roo is startled by our approach and scrambles up the steep slope of a dune. This was a key filming location for both films, which provided a logistical challenge as it’s only accessible by boat.

Now it’s once again a place to relax. The only sounds are bird calls, like the stuttering whistle of a whistling kite that hovers overhead, scanning the sand and scrub for prey. The narrow Younghusband Peninsula that protects the lagoon is over 100km long but just 350 metres wide at its narrowest point; the word Coorong is a corruption of the Ngarrindjeri word for “narrow neck.”

A boardwalk that leads through the scrub-covered dunes takes us to the more exposed side, where waves crash into Ninety Mile Beach before washing back into each other.

Even on a relatively calm day the wind whips the ocean spray into a fine mist that glows in the sun and obscures the beach to either side. It’s easy to feel as if we’re at the edge of the world, and Brenton decides to celebrate by wading into the water and dancing.

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STORM BOY REMAKE

After we’ve eaten and the colour has drained from the sky, Brenton picks up a torch and leads me into the now calm waters of the lagoon, pointing out the baby Australian salmon and comical flounder with eyes on the top of its head. Crabs skitter away at our approach and we even see a translucent squid washed in by the tide. The “wild, lonely place” Thiele wrote about is teeming with life, and though this fragile ecosystem is struggling for survival, it’s easy to see how he fell in love with the Coorong.

The next morning, we head back. After a surprisingly short paddle, we’re back in town. On Goolwa’s main strip, Motherduck Cafe takes its coffee seriously – the menu announces that brews are served at 60-62 degrees “unless otherwise requested” – but the warm sun prompts me to severely undercut that recommendation and I order an iced coffee alongside a colourful breakfast that makes excellent use of local produce like mushrooms and beetroot sauerkraut.

Goolwa is Australia’s first Cittaslow town, a proud member of a movement that takes pride in local produce, sustainability and healthy living. All of these qualities are evident as I wander the fortnightly Sunday markets where local stallholders sell a range of products like venison pie, beeswax beard balm, homemade cakes and local stone fruit. Slower still is the product maturing in barrels in the old railway goods shed nearby. The Fleurieu Distillery makes whiskies that take advantage of the cool sea breezes at night and the damp salt-laden air to make rich, spicy single malt whiskies with a flavour that distiller Angela Andrews describes as “salted caramel tart, toffee and raisins.”

IMAGE MARK FITZPATRICK

To market, to market

THIS AREA IS PROUD OF ITS LOCAL PRODUCE AND SUSTAINABILIT Y

It’s tempting to linger, but I have to get back to Adelaide. Rather than hugging the coast, though, I decide to head through the hills, a scenic route that takes me to the small village of Strathalbyn in half an hour. Among the antique shops and weekend motorbike riders I find the Olfactory Inn, a charming restaurant in an old stone cottage.

The menu makes the most of the abundant local produce, including seafood from the Coorong, and the wide verandah shaded by a broad canopy of grape vines looks most inviting behind a row of bright purple lavender bushes. As a cool change sweeps in, I sit down contentedly to a bowl of firm-fleshed, slightly sweet Goolwa pipis swimming in a fresh white wine sauce with rich tomatoes and house-made spaghetti. The wild environment of the Coorong might be Storm Boy country, but I’m happy riding out this storm right where I am.

Storm Boy will be in cinemas on January 17

t ig e r a ir f l ie s to Adelaide from Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne; tigerair.com.au

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Electric avenue How easy is it to drive from Brisbane to Sydney in a high-tech Tesla – and what is there to do at the charging points? Matt Shea finds out.

PHOTOS DESTINATION NSW; MATT SHEA

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ELECTRIC CAR ROAD TRIP

H

ow far do you get on a charge?”

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been asked this question. This time, though, it’s delivered with genuine curiosity, and a little concern.

We’re pulled over at Gingers Roadhouse in the Great Dividing Range. The Tesla Model S P100D sits silent, the ruby red paint job sparkling against the green of the vine-covered cottage. The all-electric car has chewed through the 160 kilometres from Port Macquarie in just under two hours.

Trevor, my interviewer, arrived in the Gingers car park just after us, his old Holden ute hauling two new Ducati motorcycles. He knows how far it is to Tamworth. He knows how steep this road is. Trevor has heard the horror stories about electric cars.

How far? Honestly, Trevor, it depends. On how you drive the car. On the terrain. That’s really why we’re here, exploring this isolated mountain road in the middle of the forest, our only company a 50-something motorcycle enthusiast. It’s why Tesla farewelled us from Brisbane three days earlier with just a map of the company’s proprietary destination and superchargers as our guide. How far could we easily drive in a day? And where would the chargers take us?

“Bet it goes, though, huh?” Trevor asks as we climb back into the car. You squeeze the throttle and it happens, I say. “Just like my Ducatis, then.”

Day 1 Brisbane to Byron Bay Tesla’s Lucy Whyte is a lot more relaxed about our trip than I am. She meets us on our first morning at the company’s Fortitude Valley dealership in Brisbane (1062 Ann Street; tesla.com) to hand over the car, and also perhaps act as counsellor for heightened anxiety.

“You’ll be fine,” becomes Whyte’s mantra as I sign what must be a far-too-brief document and take the fob for a $200,000 electric car.

We hit the M1 south out of Brisbane and explore the giant LCD panel that controls the car’s functions. Behind the wheel, you quickly learn Tesla has put a lot of effort into answering the “what-ifs”. It knows anxiety is simply a by-product of the unknown. Punching in our destination, The Byron at Byron Resort & Spa, the car quickly calculates the best route, exactly how much power we’ll have when we get there, and how long it will take to charge. Pretty neat. ê

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Where to stay T H E B Y R O N AT B Y R O N R E S O R T & S P A This one-of-a-kind 91-suite resort set in a rainforest on the outskirts of Byron Bay has recently undergone an extensive renovation of its public areas, moving it to the forefront of the new wave of luxury hotels popping up around the township. The spacious suites themselves place you right in the middle of bush, while superstar chef Matt Kemp’s local produce-driven restaurant menu is a huge drawcard.

77-97 Broken Head Road, Byron Bay; thebyronatbyron.com.au

RIPTIDE Isolated Wooli has yet to experience a significant influx of sea-changers, making a stay at Riptide feel like a magical trip back to your best childhood beach vacations. A cute weatherboard shack that backs straight on to the beach, the house has three bedrooms and a large kitchen area, making it perfect for couples or a few nights away with friends.

48 Main Street, Wooli; book via awhimaway.com.au

SAILS PORT MACQUARIE BY RYDGES Sails encapsulates the change sweeping through Port Macquarie, the hotel recently refurbished into a modern, crisp-white property with a luxe, Hamptons vibe. The rooms are spacious and airy, the public areas immaculate and the on-site Boathouse Bar & Restaurant as good as anything in town. Twin Tesla chargers out front add to the forward-thinking approach, while winsome views of the Hastings River will never get old.

20 Park Street, Port Macquarie; rydges.com

QUALITY HOTEL POWERHOUSE TAMWORTH The addition of two Tesla destination chargers is just one element in a major refurbishment of Quality Hotel Powerhouse. The newly designed public areas and rooms come decked out in sumptuous turquoise leather, velvet and dark wooden panelling, period photography capturing the site’s history as the former location of the Tamworth Power Station. If you can, ask for one of the updated rooms.

248 Armidale Road, East Tamworth; powerhousetamworth.com.au

THE LONGHOUSE Hunter Valley stunner The Longhouse sets itself apart from with three ultra-modernist apartments that mix industrial chic with warm wooden features. Six-metre glass sliding doors look out upon an expansive deck and vineyard beyond. The relative seclusion means you can dip in and out of the local wine trail at your leisure.

385 Palmers Lane, Pokolbin; thelonghouse.com.au

O V O L O 18 8 8 D A R L I N G H A R B O U R The second property on this list to feature design by Luchetti Krelle (after The Byron at Byron), Ovolo 1888 has been neatly slotted into a gorgeous old Pyrmont wool store. It’s a terrific little inn, the rooms decked out in cool brick, concrete, greys and blacks, but struck through with Ovolo’s love of splashy colour. The on-site restaurant, Mr Percy, is absolutely first class.

139 Murray Street, Pyrmont; ovolohotels.com.au

It relaxes us enough to make our first pit stop of the trip in Murwillumbah to visit the Tweed Regional Gallery (2 Mistral Road, South Murwillumbah; artgallery.tweed.nsw.gov.au).

Talk to any artist from Queensland or northern New South Wales and they’ll tell you this is one of the best regional galleries in the country. With its collection of Australian portraits, prints and a recreation of celebrated still-life painter Margaret Olley’s famous home studio, it doesn’t disappoint.

We eventually roll into Byron in the late afternoon, winding down at Beach Byron Bay (2 Massinger Street, Byron Bay; beachbyronbay.com.au) with its brilliant views across the Pacific, and generous plates of beef carpaccio.

Day 2 Byron to Wooli WHAT’S THAT SKIP? THE FUTURE IS ALL ELECTRIC?

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The Byron at Byron has its own Tesla destination chargers, but this morning we have other plans, packing the car and heading 15 minutes inland to the Macadamia Castle (419 Hinterland Way; macadamiacastle.com.au).

ELECTRIC CAR ROAD TRIP

THE WOOLI WOOLI RIVER IN THE TOWN OF WOOLI

The iconic tourist stop on the old Pacific Highway has more recently become a weekend go-to for local families. However, owner Tony Gilding is rebuilding the Castle’s drop-in trade with the installation of a Tesla supercharger.

We park, plug in and sit down with Gilding to talk all things electric. He turns out to be a true believer (you’d expect so: Gilding’s brother, Paul, is a former CEO of Greenpeace).

“It’s a really interesting new world that’s coming,” Gilding says as we share a stack of the Castle’s famous pancakes topped with macadamia and pureed mango. “Electric cars are cheaper to service, cheaper to run and more environmentally friendly.”

Gilding’s faith in an electric future (and a couple of coffees) deliver us back onto the highway in good spirits for the remainder of our 200km leg to Wooli. This tiny township wedged on a narrow sliver of land between a river and the ocean seems like the last place you’d find a state-of-theart destination charger. But the landlord of our

“Electric cars are cheaper to service, cheaper to run and more environmentally friendly”

quaint holiday home is a Tesla guy, and he has left instructions on how to plug in the car. The Model S sips on electricity while we open a bottle of wine, retiring to the backyard to enjoy the views across miles of isolated beach.

Day 3 Wooli to Port Macquarie It’s tough to leave our sun-kissed beach bach in the morning, but today’s stretch to Port Macquarie is one of the longest of our trip. It also turns out to be one of the easiest, an upgraded M1 letting us keep the Model S in autopilot for all but the meander through Coffs Harbour.

Port Macquarie turns out to be a small city undergoing a big transformation, sea-changing families and 20-somethings giving what was once an old retirement town a busy forward-facing beat.

“If you’d asked me to do something like this 10 years ago, I’d have said no,” says Bar Florian (6-14 Clarence Street; barflorian.com.au) owner Gino ê

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ELECTRIC CAR ROAD TRIP

Instead, we head west. The electric car revolution has officially hit Tamworth – Quality Hotel Powerhouse installed a pair of destination chargers in 2017. Punching the address into the GPS, a vivid, blue squiggle appears on the LCD showing a precipitous drive into the Great Dividing Range.

The Tesla chews through the bends, steep ravines turning into steep forested passes, before the Oxley Highway delivers us to Yarrowitch River Valley high in the tablelands. This is jaw-dropping countryside, rolling green hills criss-crossed by windbreaks of giant pine trees.

Tamworth is another major town going through a metamorphosis, as young city slickers move to the Australian home of country music in search of new opportunities. In the process they’ve become agents of change, the town now populated by classy cafes, restaurants and bars.

Despite the vertiginous drive, we arrive at the hotel with plenty of battery to spare, and set off to spend a night exploring Tamworth’s tree-lined high street. We go large on plates of gnocchi and pork in The Pig & Tinder Box’s beautiful old bank digs (429 Peel Street; thepigandtinderbox.com.au), before knocking off with a couple of locals brews at The Welder’s Dog (37 Dowe Street; 0417 731 035).

Cunial. Cunial’s award-wining small-licence boozer sits high on Clarence Street beyond the centre of town. At Florian the wines are Italian, the craft beer local, the lights low and the crowd young. “The town is growing fast. There’s a lot of professionals and doctors coming because of the university.”

We see it later in the night at Bills Fishhouse + Bar (18-20 Clarence Street; billsfishhouse.com.au), older couples cramming in next to young doctors and lawyers meeting over barbecued local prawns and pan-roasted kingfish. In a breezy, buzzy location, it’s the kind of classy, uncomplicated joint you’d sooner find in Sydney’s Northern Beaches rather than four hours away up the A1. In this kind of environment, an interloping Tesla doesn’t seem so out of place.

Day 4 Port Macquarie to Tamworth We have a decision to make. The only accommodation with a destination charger between Port Macquarie and Newcastle is booked.

The car could easily make it all the way to the Hunter, but that seems far too straightforward.

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Day 5 Tamworth to the Hunter Valley GOONOO GOONOO STATION IN TAMWORTH

Today’s drive to the Hunter Valley is one of the easiest of the trip so we spend a lazy Friday morning knocking around Tamworth, sipping coffee at the vine-covered Ruby’s Cafe and Gift Store (494 Peel Street; 02 6766 9833).

ê

ELECTRIC CAR ROAD TRIP

In town, parked up next to the dust-covered utes and four-wheel drives, for the first time we notice people gawking at the car. It’s odd, until you remember that only two years ago a Model S was an unusual sight in the city (they’re set to become more common in Tamworth too, with a supercharger in the works).

Getting to the Hunter from Tamworth is a straight shot down the New England Highway, and we pull into Pokolbin in the mid-afternoon. Our accommodation, The Longhouse, is a stunning timber-clad property hidden in a chardonnay vineyard. We throw open the giant glass doors, slip some local sirloin on the barbecue and, with the car happily plugged in outside, settle in on the enormous verandah to witness a typically stunning Hunter Valley twilight.

SHAKING THINGS UP AT MR PERCY IN THE OVOLO HOTEL

Day 6 Hunter Valley to Sydney The final morning of our trip reminds us exactly how close we are to Sydney. Saturday mornings in the Hunter mean duking it out with overnighters at some of the region’s excellent wineries, tasting Brokenwood (401-427 McDonalds Road; brokenwood.com.au) semillon and Tyrrell’s

“Parked up next to the dustcovered utes and four-wheel drives, we notice people gawking”

(1838 Broke Road; tyrells.com.au) chardonnay.

We make the most of our last day of the trip by avoiding the highway, instead meandering along the backroads through tiny hamlets such as Wollombi and Laguna.

For Sydney we’ve picked the centrally located Ovolo Darling Harbour 1888, making the most of our one night in the city. We spend the afternoon and evening lounging around this stunning converted warehouse, dining on plates of gnocchetti and hiramasa kingfish at Mister Percy, the hotel’s moody restaurant and bar.

We farewelled the car earlier but it sits at the Tesla dealership in St Leonards (10 Herbert Street), still flicking updates to my phone. It didn’t miss a beat, and the dreaded range anxiety left me long ago (we could’ve easily driven straight to Sydney with one or two supercharger stops). More importantly, though, the car took us to places we might not have otherwise travelled, where destination and superchargers are a small part of what feels like the growing connectivity between Australia’s big and small places.

We fall into chatting with the staff, telling them about our trip. “That’s funny,” someone says. “Our sister property [in Woolloomooloo] (6 Cowper Wharf Road) just purchased a Tesla hotel car.”

A new world is coming, as Tony Gilding said all the way back in Byron Bay. Or perhaps it’s already here.

t ig e r a ir f l ie s to Brisbane, Gold Coast, Coffs Harbour and Sydney; tigerair.com.au

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TIGERAIR NEWS

Air Force cadets tour Tigerair’s A320 A group of cadets visited the Tigerair base in Brisbane to experience the commercial side of air travel

A

round 60 Australian Air Force cadets visited Brisbane Airport as part of their training, getting a glimpse of how commercial aviation works. The day was organised by Tigerair captain Ross Van Niekerk and also included members of Virgin Australia, the Royal Flying Doctor Service and airport fire and rescue.

“The day was a great success and the buy-in from Virgin, the Royal Flying Doctors and airport fire and rescue added to the attraction from the kids’ point of view,” said Captain Van Niekerk. “Virgin came along with a Boeing 737 and the Royal Flying Doctors brought a King Air and airport rescue came with a rescue boat – and we had the A320 from Tigerair.”

Captain Van Niekerk says the reason for the day was to help cadets finish their training, which includes a visit to an airport, and to see a different side of aviation than just the military side – but they got even more than that.

“Because I had the support of engineers we could open the airplane up in a way that your ordinary Joe would not see, so you could see right into the guts of the aircraft. It was a rare opportunity,” he added.

The cadets went on board the three aircraft and learned about each plane from the pilots themselves, and cabin crew and doctors and nurses were all on hand to take questions. All staff volunteered their time and Captain Van Niekerk thanked all of those involved.

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$36 $22

ROUTE MAP

Where to next?

Tigerair Australia serves 12 destinations right across the country

tigerair bases darwin

cairns

whitsunday coast

brisbane gold coast coffs harbour perth

sydney canberra (act) adelaide

FOR AN UP-TO-THE-MINUTE LIST OF OUR DESTINATIONS, VISIT TIGERAIR.COM.AU

melbourne (tullamarine)

hobart

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#GOLIKEALOCAL

GO LIKE A LOCAL ADELAIDE Planning a getaway to South Australia? Go like a local with Daniel Francis’ guide to the best hidden gems in Adelaide and beyond...

MEET THE LOCAL

Daniel Francis Daniel Francis is an occupational therapist who was born and bred in Adelaide. “We have so much to offer within such a short drive of the city,” he says. “Beautiful beaches, wineries, amazing food and stunning walks through the hills with astounding city views.”

In his free time Daniel can be found exploring the city’s hot spots and beyond.

“If you can, always get a hire car and explore the surrounds! I’m so busy every weekend doing a range of different experiences, from underground bars to national parks that are right on our doorstep.”

L OC A L A C T I V I T IE S See the sunset from the summit of Mount Osmond Fringe may be the best-known of the bunch, but South Australia didn’t become the Festival State from a single celebration. Warm up your winter in nearby wine regions with events like Sea and Vines in June and Barossa Gourmet in August or, if you fancy yourself as a foodie, stick to the CBD. Ebenezer Place, Peel Street and Leigh Street host free food and wine festivals regularly throughout the year, so you won’t have to go far to dig in.

Go on a sensory experience at The Cube in d’Arenberg, McLaren Vale Famed for its quirky architecture, this five-storey winery will take you on a weird and wonderful journey through the winemaking process with its 360-degree video room and virtual fermenter.

Of course, if you simply want to sip shiraz and soak up the vineyard views, the d’Arenberg Cube still delivers in spades with a restaurant, museum and panoramic cellar door on-site.

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A D E L A I D E

L OC A L HO T SP O T S See the sunset from the summit of Mount Osmond If you don’t need 2KW’s killer cocktails to accompany your view, head to the top of Mount Osmond to catch the sunset instead.

Not only is it easier on the wallet, this local lookout takes in views from Tea Tree Gully to the southern beaches with uninterrupted views of the city in between. If you’ve got time to spare before sundown, make a pit stop at Morialta Falls and explore the network of walking trails before heading to the summit.

Take the plunge at Port Willunga Whether you spend an afternoon in the sand or launch into the water from the scenic

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limestone cliffs, Port Willunga has every kind of beach day covered. And with local favourite Star of Greece just steps from the shoreline, you and your mates can feast on mod-oz share plates before making your way back to town. After something more low-key? Moana Beach is ideal for quiet arvos in the sun, with plenty of space for a picnic by the sea.

Snap a selfie at Lake Bumbunga You’ll need to go further to find this Instaworthy natural wonder, but Lake Bumbunga is worth the trip for the likes alone. It’s not your average swimming hole; this pastel-coloured pink lake is better suited to walking than wading, and its unusual hue makes it one of the best holiday snaps in the state.

GO LIKE A LOCAL WITH TIGERAIR

We put the call out across Australia for locals to share their city’s best kept secrets.

From hidden beaches to hole-in-the-wall bars, we reviewed thousands of entries from Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Adelaide and Perth. We’ve now chosen our team of local legends to feature in our #golikealocal video series. The videos uncover another side of some of Australia’s favourite holiday destinations, with knowledge that only a local might know. Watch our local legends as they journey through their home cities and find out how you can “go like a local”.

#GOLIKEALOCAL

A D E L A I D E

L OC A L B A R S A ND R E S TA UR A N T S Discover the city’s cellar doors With hundreds of cellar doors within driving distance of the CBD, your selfguided wine tour doesn’t have to stop at d’Arenberg. And while Adelaide’s larger wine regions are busy for good reason, you’ll find all the locals in the Adelaide Hills. Take in valley views at Pike & Joyce, book a tasting at Bird in Hand or trade pinot noir for pilsner at Prancing Pony Brewery – all without the crowds of McLaren Vale and the Barossa.

Feast with friends at Golden Boy If you’re travelling with family or dining

with mates, it doesn’t get better than Golden Boy’s banquet menu – but this modern Thai eatery isn’t the only place to snag gourmet fare at a fraction of the price. From Melt’s wood-fired pizzas to The Loose Caboose’s binge-worthy brunch, you don’t have to skimp on flavour to find a budgetfriendly feed in Adelaide.

Sip in style at Bank Street Social Hidden in plain sight on Hindley Street, this secret basement bar is Adelaide’s top hangout for hipsters. Take your pick from the ever-changing drinks board behind

the bar or head next door to Pink Moon Saloon for a pint in their leafy courtyard.

Prefer to sip above street level? 2KW is the go-to spot for sky-high cocktails with the city’s socialites – just don’t forget to pack some stylish attire to get your ticket to the top.

F LY T O A D E L A I D E W I T H U S Ready to discover Adelaide like a local?

Book a cheap flight to Adelaide and explore the city, one hidden gem at a time.

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GO LIKE A LOCAL PERTH Planning a trip to the West Coast? Check out Alex Nissen's inside guide to Perth and go like a local with Tigerair.

MEET THE LOCAL

Alex Nissen Travel writer and photographer Alex Nissen loves Perth. She says her favourite thing about living in the west is the sunsets over the beaches: “Nothing beats grabbing some takeout and enjoying a drink as you watch the sun disappear over the Indian Ocean.”

Alex is a lifelong Perth resident who travels the world but always considers the WA capital home. “We really do have some of the best beaches in the entire world,” Alex says. “I've travelled to over 40 countries so far and can easily say that my local beach, Scarborough, is better than those I've seen in Thailand, Greece or Costa Rica combined."

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L OC A L HO T SP O T S Make a splash at South Beach

Wine and dine in nature at Lamont’s Winery

Keen for a dip? Skip the busy swimming spots near the CBD and head down to South Beach in Fremantle. Unlike some of the surf beaches in the area, this local hot spot is known for its calm conditions, which makes it a popular choice for families with small children.

And with plenty of room on the sand, it’s never hard to find a quiet spot to relax by the water.

The Lamont family are well known in Western Australia for their unpretentious approach to fine dining, but their crowning culinary achievement is Lamont’s Winery in the Swan Valley. Enjoy a complimentary tasting at the cellar door before sitting down for a bite to eat in their stunning outdoor dining area. From duck parfait to triple cream brie, their French-inspired menu

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L OC A L B A R S Beat the heat at Little Creatures Brewery To cool off during the day, head south to the Little Creatures Brewery in Fremantle and enjoy an ice-cold beer straight from the source. From their tried-and-true pale ale to their latest seasonal release, there’s plenty of brews to choose from at the bar.

Hide out with a drink at Sneaky Tony's Where Perth meets the Prohibition era,

Sneaky Tony’s is a well-hidden rum joint that offers bar-goers a refreshing change of scenery from the hustle and bustle of the CBD. In true speakeasy fashion, you’ll need a password to get in, so don’t forget to check out their Facebook page.

Live it up at Ezra Pound Just a short walk from Sneaky Tony’s, Ezra Pound is a local institution that has a reputation for shaking up some of the best cocktails in the city. After a rum or two around the corner, cleanse your palate with one of the team’s latest creations, which are best enjoyed with their signature cheese board.

P E R T H

L OC A L A C T I V I T IE S Go behind bars at Fremantle Prison Fremantle Prison is a great place to kick-start your adventure in Perth.

From tunnel expeditions to late-night torch tours, there’s plenty of ways to get a glimpse of the past.

Short on time? You can’t go past the Convict Prison Tour.

Explore colourful laneways in the CBD From flashy stencils to larger-thanlife murals, Perth’s top street artists have worked with the local council to add a splash of colour to the CBD. To see some of the city’s most popular pieces, head to Northbridge and hop between laneways before taking a short bus ride over to Subiaco, where you can meet some of the resident creatives at Little Wing Corner Gallery.

Treat your senses at the Perth Institute of Contemporary Art

features an eclectic range of flavours that pair effortlessly with their wine list.

Located in the heart of the city, the Perth Institute of Contemporary Art (PICA) is where artists from across the country go to showcase their work. From interactive exhibitions to dance performances, PICA’s annual calendar is chock-full of amazing events to check out during your visit.

Best of all, if you’re on a budget, it’s free to pop in and browse between Tuesday and Sunday.

Catch the sunset at Scarborough Beach For a picture-perfect view of the sunset, join the locals for an afternoon walk along the sand at Scarborough Beach.

As daylight fades, wander over to The Sandbar for a sundowner on the deck or, if you’re feeling peckish, pick up some fish and chips from Peter's By The Sea and roll out a picnic blanket on the grass.

F LY T O P E R T H W I T H U S Ready to explore the West Coast like a local? Check out our latest deals on cheap flights to Perth and see another side of Western Australia's sunny capital with us today.

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THE TALE END

Let your pictures tell a story We want your photos on the Tigerair Australia Instagram feed.

Add the hashtag #tigerairau to your travel snaps and they could appear as part of Tigerair’s social media.

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P OR T S E A Victoria @chrishooleyphotos

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FREMANTLE

Sydney, Australia @juicetin07

Western Australia @danniexdough

#tigerairau We would love to see your pictures, so use this hashtag when you travel with us!

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e nferenc o c r o ities eting ext me nference facil ! n r u o Hold y ra Tower. Co in Canberra s t at Tels he best view t h it w

Oering spectacular 360 views over Canberra and across to the Brindabella Ranges, day or night, Telstra Tower is a must place to visit.

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