Tigertales April - May 2019

tigertales

TAKE ME AWAY

Australia | April – May 2019

CHEFS’ TABLE

➔ What do the head chefs from Andrew McConnell’s restaurant group cook when they get together?

z SHINE A LIGHT

W E E K E N D WAR R IOR S

SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL

A road trip staying at Victoria’s historic lighthouses

Two different travellers take on Cairns

The new trend for off-grid, unplugged holidays

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WELCOME ONBOARD

Tigerair promotes diversity With double the industry average of female pilots, Tigerair values inclusivity

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elcome onboard and thank you for choosing to fly Tigerair Australia.

One of the things I enjoy most about my role at Tigerair is to witness the commitment of our team members who go the extra mile to create lasting memories that extend beyond your onboard journey.

I was really touched recently to hear the story of a curious and appreciative nine-year-old passenger called Sophie, who wrote a note to one of our pilots thanking them for her experience while on a flight from the Gold Coast to Melbourne for a family holiday. On her flight home she realised the Captain was a female pilot, so she wrote another note to Captain Moira Schlossberger asking what it was like to be a female pilot among so many male pilots.

On hearing this story, our pilots suggested we reward Sophie’s initiative and passion for aviation by offering her a once-in-a-lifetime experience in a flight simulator with Training Captain Deb Lawrie and First Officer Mel Dow. Captain Lawrie is a pioneer of the aviation industry, having been Australia’s first female pilot working for a major airline, so I’m sure this added to the thrill for Sophie.

Today women make up just three per cent of the world’s pilots. While Tigerair’s ratio of female pilots is more than double this, at eight per cent, we still have a long way to go.

We’re very focused on increasing female representation among our pilots and our broader team through initiatives such as programs at schools

“At Tigerair we believe we have an important role to play in creating a diverse and inclusive team” and universities, aimed at increasing awareness of aviation as a career choice for young women.

At Tigerair, we believe we have an important role to play in creating a diverse and inclusive team that is representative of our customer base.

We see our role as more than taking you safely from A to B (as important as that is), because air travel is the great connector of people from all walks of life and backgrounds.

Of course, we also remain focused on delivering the very best value fares and the highest quality service, as we know that’s exactly what our customers want. Whether you’re looking to soak up the sunshine on

one of Queensland’s famous beaches, to explore Tasmania’s pristine wilderness or to treat yourself to Sydney’s world-class shopping, now is the time to book early and secure the very best deals.

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

Wherever you are travelling today, I thank you again for travelling with us, 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

F E AT U R E

c a ir n s Our Weekend Warriors take on the Far North Queensland city

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31

8 ways to see the Whitsundays

F E AT U R E

V IC T OR I A

Lighthouse stays on the Victorian coast

ENCOUNTER

s y dne y Get a taste of Newtown, Sydney’s coolest suburb

49

43 72 THE FE AST

a del a ide

Celeb chef Simon Bryant on the Tasting Australia festival

See Hobart from a local's perspective

Editorial & Art Editor Paul Chai Designer Cynthia Lau, Millie Jia 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 Andrew McConnell at Cutler & Co, Fitzroy, photographed

by Samara Clifford

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Management Financial Controller Phung Vuong 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

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© 2019 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.

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10th Anniversary

4-19 May 2019 Exhibitions|Events|Workshops

Festival Launch 6-9pm Friday 3 May

100+ free exhibitions & talks by local & international artists across Sydney

Image Š Tariq Zaidi

Explore the program headon.com.au

Australia’s premier photography event and a world-leading arts festival

THE POINTY END We have your next great travel stor y

to rr y Ha be er around Melbourn Pott eê

State on a plate The Feast looks at Adelaide’s best eats ey dn Sy

43 – 44

E x pl o re

own like a local ê ewt ‘s N

dern art gallery ê o m Ge est ts w om e n s ‘ e e (n n ur

on the Gold Co e r u ast ult c ê f) Pre r u s ten n d o

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Vis it M e lbo

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

F E S T I VA L S

OU T A ND A B OU T

H E AD ON P HO T O F E S T I VAL This photo festival celebrates its 10th anniversary with its biggest program to date.

Renowned Japanese artist Masayoshi Sukita, who photographed David Bowie and numerous musicians for more than 40 years, will present his exhibition “David Bowie”.

Sydney; May 4-19 headon.com.au

NAG A M B I E B R E W E R Y A N D D I S T I LLE R Y Opening on the banks of Lake Nagambie is a new brewery from the team behind Mitchelton Winery.

The spot is perfect for a brew as you sit and watch all the watersports on the famous lake – and the menu will be pub faves like pastrami and crisp chilli squid. facebook.com/ nagambiebrewery

E X HIBI T ION S

G AB S F E S T I VAL The Great Australasian Beer Spectapular (GABS) comes to Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney in May. Renowned as one of the world’s leading beer festivals, GABS brings together the best in beer and food.

Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane; May gabsfestival.com

AF T E R T H E WAR This exhibition, put together to help commemorate the centenary of the end of the First World War, looks at the legacy of war. It covers all wars up to the present day, and features a wide range of objects, artworks, letters and documents from the Memorial’s collection.

Canberra; until October awm.gov.au

S P OR T G O LD C OA S T RUNNING The Gold Coast Running Festival takes place in April with a wide range of events from beginner to serious runner. Meanwhile, the Gold Coast Triathlon brings some fast and furious running to Broadwater.

Gold Coast; in April gcrunningfestival.com.au; goldcoasttri.com.au

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B LU E S O N B R OAD B E AC H Blues on Broadbeach is one of Australia’s largest free music festivals and the Lachy Doley Group has been announced as a headliner. Lachy Doley is regarded as “the greatest living keyboard player in the world today” by Glenn Hughes of Deep Purple.

Gold Coast; May 16-19 bluesonbroadbeach.com

TRUE GRIT The 2019 Obstacle Course Racing Enduro World Championsips will soon take place in NSW in June.

Athletes will compete for 24 hours to complete as many laps as possible, either as individuals or teams. Find out more or sign up online.

Sydney; June 8-9 truegrit.com.au

T H E H I S T OR IC AL E X P R E S S ION OF CH I N E S E AR T This Australian-first exhibition features artworks from the National Museum of China’s collection. See exquisite paintings by three Chinese modern artists, an extraordinary 20-metre-long replica of an 18th-century scroll, and an immersive animation.

Canberra; until July 28 nma.gov.au/chinese-art

THE

HIS TORICAL EX PRE SSION OF

CALLIGRAPHY AND PAINTING FROM THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF CHINA

中国艺术的历史表达 来自中国国家博物馆的书法与绘画

On show 5 April – 28 July 2019

FREE ENTRY

National Museum of Australia Canberra Major Partner

Supporting Partner

This exhibition is part of a cultural exchange with the National Museum of China.

Images (l-r): 蓦然回首 Glimpse 1995 (detail); 野战 A Battle in the Wild 1995 (detail); both by Xiao Lang.

National Museum of China

THE POINTY END

Get some culture on the Gold Coast

WORDS MATT SHEA

C

riena Gehrke didn’t intend to make the Gold Coast her home. Not at first, anyway.

Gehrke’s professional background is in arts management, a decade-long stint in Melbourne lending her extensive experience in working with government at both advocacy and policy levels. So when, in 2013, the City of Gold Coast advertised for an embedded consultant to help develop its cultural strategy, Gehrke was a natural fit.

“I was just coming on a short-term contract to help with the strategy and would then go back to Melbourne,” she says. “I just never went back.”

It’s a common enough story on the Gold Coast.

People come for a short time and end up staying a lifetime. Usually, though, it’s because of the beaches, or the weather, or the nightlife. Not the arts.

But six years later, Gehrke is CEO of Home of the Arts, or HOTA as it’s commonly known – the rapidly evolving arts centre that sits on the banks of the Nerang River in Surfers Paradise – and on the frontline of a movement that’s reshaping not just

the Gold Coast’s arts scene, but also the very way the city sees itself.

Bleach Festival; dance and theatre company The Farm; the cutting-edge, multidisciplinary Shock Therapy Productions: these are just the headline successes of a movement that’s now part of the cultural fabric of the Gold Coast.

From the small galleries and studios gathered around Karen Avenue in Mermaid Beach to pocket precincts such as Dust Temple – a cafe, arts studio, performance space, gallery and recording studio, all in one – there’s an enormous wave of creativity sweeping through the city.

So, what changed?

First, there was the Commonwealth Games. In the lead-up to the 2018 event, the City of Gold Coast elevated cultural spending as a prime strategic focus, pumping millions into the arts. But Gehrke says it was the way the government money was allocated, without the usual preconditions and compliancy, that made the difference. ê

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THE POINTY END “We went out with an approach that understood it was an emerging sector,” she says. “What the city needed to do – because it’s the way this city is – is support bold ideas and potential rather than established companies.”

Pre-games funding gave a major boost to Shock Therapy, lent financial support to the now Helpmannwinning The Farm, and helped establish Bleach Festival as its own arts organisation. “It was pioneering,” Gehrke says. “To see a city that was interested in culture … and then they funded it and put their money where their mouth was. And they were open to putting artists in the centre of that strategy and getting on with it.”

HOTA is at the centre of it all. In 2018, it opened an enormous $37 million outdoor stage. Next comes a bridge to Chevron Island to better connect the precinct to the central city, followed by the much anticipated HOTA gallery, due to open late in 2020.

The $60 million ARM Architecture-designed gallery will span six levels and include more than 2,000 square metres of exhibition space, making it the largest regional art gallery in Australia.

“I try not to let the high-pitched squeal come out,” Gehrke says about the rapidly approaching opening

A CARDBOARD SHARKNADO AT HOME OF THE ARTS

“The city was open to putting artists in the centre of its new strategy” date. “That’s exciting, and we’re in the process of finalising our first couple of major exhibitions for 2021.”

In short, mark your calendars. In the meantime, though, there’s plenty of art and culture to check out on the Gold Coast. Let’s take a tour.

Dust Temple An ancient Currumbin Waters surfboard factory transforms into one of the Coast’s most essential arts destinations. A cafe, gallery and function space all in one, what goes on at Dust Temple depends on when you visit – you can simply come for classy breakfast and coffee, but it also hosts regular gallery events, life drawing twice a week, poetry nights once a month, and weekly Saturday morning sounds and Sunday spit roasts. Out back are a bunch of artist studios – you can pop your head in on Ant Vallone and Luke Johnson’s Dad & Sons Studios, or visit abstract expressionist painter Peter Ceredig-Evans. Check Dust Temple’s website and maybe tie in a visit with nearby superstar brewpub Balter Brewing Company (14 Traders Way, Currumbin Waters; balter.com.au).

54 Currumbin Creek Road, Currumbin Waters; dusttemple.com.au

HOTA CEO CRIENA GEHRKE HELPS ARTISTS

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Jellurgal Aboriginal Cultural Centre The Gold Coast is rich in Indigenous history and the best place to get in touch with it is the Jellurgal Aboriginal Cultural Centre. Tucked into the Tallebudgera side of Burleigh Heads, a Jellurgal Walkabout tour introduces you to the customs of the city’s traditional owners, the Yugambeh people, before taking you on a guided walk around Burleigh Heads, or “Dreaming

Mountain”. Here, you learn about the making of ochre, used for painting and sun protection; the weaving of pandanus nets; and the Dreamtime story of Jabreen, the hungry giant, whose closed fist can be seen in Burleigh Headland’s high rocky outcrops. It’s a perfect way to take a break from the hubbub of the Gold Coast.

1711 Gold Coast Highway, Burleigh Heads; jellurgal.com.au

19 Karen Contemporary Artspace The Gold Coast’s appetite for art isn’t a new invention.

The city’s history of entrepreneurship goes hand in hand with a keen private collectors’ scene. It’s this DNA that runs through 19 Karen Contemporary Artspace. This Mermaid Beach gallery has for 10 years now specialised in the works of emerging and midtier artists, both Australian and international, with a particular lean towards pop-art and abstract portraiture.

Artists on display include Dain, Loribelle Spirovski and Leigh Pearson. The handsome gallery space also hosts regular exhibitions – Johnny Romeo, Jasmine Mansbridge and Go Suga will all feature in 2019.

19 Karen is part of a neat little art precinct.

19 Karen Avenue, Mermaid Beach; 19karen.com.au

Rick Shores ARTWORKS AT 19 K AREN CONTEMPORARY ARTSPACE

rban U e t i r u o aʼs Fav i l a r t s u A

! g n i w o r h T e x A

By now, Rick Shores barely needs any introduction – this rambunctious Burleigh Heads diner is one of the go-tos for the Gold Coast’s bright young things. The food is exceptional – think Asian-inspired share plates of karaage chicken, shrimp wontons and Rick’s bynow-iconic fried bug rolls. However, it’s the location that people really come for. Right on the beach, you can literally step off the sand and sit down at a table.

3/43 Goodwin Terrace, Burleigh Heads; rickshores.com.au ê

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19 Ozone Parade Miami QLD OZONE PARADE www.lumberpunks.com MIAMI

K E O BO NLIN O

THE POINTY END terrace – it’s one of the best places to dine on the Coast right now. The brilliant service only adds to the experience.

1128 Gold Coast Highway, Palm Beach; thecollectivepalmbeach.com.au

Miami Marketta

Iku Yakitori Bar

NOT ALL THE ART IS ON THE WALLS AT IKU YAKITORI BAR

Iku Yakitori opened late in 2017 in a long, narrow Burleigh Heads tenancy wedged between the Gold Coast Highway and James Street. Behind its hidden laneway entrance you’ll find a moody little eatery defined by cobblestone floors and rough-cut wooden booths. Yakitori means just about everything is served here – from cartilage to skin to gizzards – often in bite-sized amounts, but there are bigger plates too.

1730 Gold Coast Highway; ikuyakitoribar.com.au

The Collective Once the old Palm Beach post office, The Collective has become a symbol of the Gold Coast’s new love for left-of-field dining. Essentially a series of market-sized kitchens formalised under one roof, you order handmade gnocchi sorrentina from The Italian Job while your best buddy takes on a fragrant beef rendang from neighbouring Umami. Try and score a spot on the restaurant’s winsome roof

The intersection of the Gold Coast’s art, cultural and food scenes is writ large at this permanent night market event. Every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, Miami Marketta comes alive with street food from across the world washed down with cocktails, boutique wines and local beers. There are artisan stalls, live music and regular exhibitions. If nothing else, it’s just a good opportunity to mix with the locals for an hour or two.

23 Hillcrest Parade, Miami; miamimarketta.com

Commune The 2011 starting point for Nerissa and Mitch McCluskey’s mini-fiefdom of eateries – which now includes Iku and Etsu Izakaya (2440 Gold Coast Highway, Mermaid Beach; etsu.com.au) – Commune’s popularity has exploded over the past eight years, elevating it to a cult destination on the Gold Coast. The local produce-driven menu helps – try eye-popping acai bowls and eggs Benedict with ham cut straight from the bone for breakfast, or panfried snapper burgers for lunch – as does the expertly made coffee and breeze block Art Deco digs. Make this your go-to for a Gold Coast breakfast.

1844 Gold Coast Highway, Burleigh Heads; 07 5520 3377

QT Gold Coast Opening a hotel in the former digs of the iconic Gold Coast International (the city’s first five-star hotel) felt like a ballsy move for QT. But this beach-inspired resort leans into its own history, doubling down with 1950s-inspired artwork and uniforms. Still, this is a very modern experience, from the crisp, bright rooms to Stingray Bar and the recently reopened Yamagen, one of the city’s best Japanese restaurants.

7 Staghorn Avenue, Surfers Paradise; qthotelsandresorts.com

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

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contemporary artspace

19 Karen Contemporary Artspace is a hidden gem located in Mermaid Beach on the Gold Coast.

With over 80 artists on our books, we have been showcasing exciting & innovative art for over 10 years nestled away in the industrial estate just off the main highway - we have over 300 sq metres of art.

19 Karen Contemporary Artspace 19 Karen Avenue, Mermaid Beach QLD 4218 www.19karen.com.au | 07 555 45019

THE POINTY END

THE SPLURGE

SKYE SUITES Sydney, CBD

W

hy it’s worth it: Experience city apartment living at Sky Suites where the bottom 73 designer suites of a new luxe apartment block are turned over to Crown Group as hotel space. These are high-roller-sized rooms with sleek design and a concierge tablet providing a paper-free compendium; what’s more, you’re just a short lift ride away from the centre of the city.

Pretend like you live here and make friends with the team at Ministry of Coffee downstairs (the best bacon-and-egg rolls around) or grab takeaway from some of Sydney’s top restaurants and curl up on your couch – you’re a true city dweller now.

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Bang for your buck: From the moment you enter the cream curves of the Koichi Takada-designed ice cave that doubles as a lobby and swimming pool, you can see Crown’s stamp of prestige. Above your head, the frosted glass squares bring light from the renovated laneway above; simply catch the escalator up and you have a sushi restaurant, the Ministry of Coffee and soon-to-be opened Pony Dining all as “in-house” dining options. Look up and a shower of hundreds of fairy lights cascades down several floors forming a modern chandelier.

The digs: Our corner two-bedroom suite has the master bedroom with ensuite looking out to a private red-brick balcony with bench seating and small garden of shrubs; fire up the espresso machine and kick back on the balcony to watch the office block opposite fill with people of a morning. The room is full of thoughtful design features like shoe-cupboards behind the entrance, concealed kitchen electricity sockets and plenty of clothes storage. Blackout blinds and heavy glass balcony doors keep the city sounds at bay.

cit y living Skye Suites is a mix of hotel and apartment living

Must-do experience: Make the most of your position. How many times can you warm a barstool in Employees Only, an outpost of the famous New York bar and one of Sydney’s newest cocktail spots, and then walk five minutes home? It can be hard getting a table at Fortune Village, the family-run Clarence Street institution, so why not wander in and get takeaway, then walk the two minutes back to Skye? Or celebrate skipping peak hour by staying in on the balcony with a glass of red wine and watching the office buildings empty.

The damage: A Deluxe Studio Suite starts from $330, and the Premier Two Bedroom Suite costing $630; skyehotels.com.au

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

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L-R : GY TON GR ANTLE Y A S RON WE A SLE Y, PAUL A ARUNDELL A S HERMIONE GR ANGER , G ARE TH REE VES A S HARRY POT TER AND LUC Y GOLEBY A S GINNY POT TER

THE POINTY END

Pretend you’re Harry Potter in Melbourne

WORDS PAUL CHAI; PHOTOGRAPHY MATT MURPHY

M

elbourne recently became just the third city in the world to host Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, the award-winning play by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany that finds Harry all grown up and sending his own magical minors off to the hallowed halls of Hogwarts.

The play – which is split into two parts – is pure magic with some incredible performances, particularly from the young leads as Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy, unlikely allies in the new adventure. And while all who have seen the play are sworn to secrecy about the twists and turns of the plot, keep an eye out in Part One for a ghost that’s a complete scene stealer. To tell you more is

to invite the wrath of Potter fans everywhere, but rest assured that the play is stunningly staged with onstage magic tricks and evocative sets that draw you into Harry’s enchanting world.

Director John Tiffany says Harry Potter’s new home at the Princess Theatre is one of the main reasons he knew the production would work in Australia. The theatre has had a full makeover, from wallpaper to carpet, to reflect J.K. Rowling’s wizarding world. And while any stage production of Harry Potter has to be epic in order to reach the heights of the books and the films, he adds that the fact the play is set in two parts creates an additional challenge. ”You need a PhD just for the ticketing,” Tiffany laughs. ê

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THE POINTY END

The details The lengthy commitment of seeing a twopart play creates a community for the weekend with Potter fans and theatre fans alike excitedly discussing the play between parts. “To create a show like this you have to believe that a theatre can do anything,” Tiffany says. “You can go anywhere in a theatre – there are no limits to an audience’s imagination if you stimulate them in the right way.

We don’t have the CGI, but we have something more emotional.”

Many people will be coming to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child over the course of a weekend, so we show you where to get your wizard on in these magical Melbourne locales:

S P E C I A L S T AY The Windsor’s Wizards Suite is a five-minute walk from the Princess Theatre where Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is showing.

The suite itself was created in collaboration with The Store of Requirement, a Collingwood shop that sells official Harry Potter gear, and is packed to the four walls with magic and fun. thehotelwindsor.com.au

S E E T H E P L AY The Princess Theatre is at 163 Spring Street, Melbourne with an official Harry Potter shop and the attached Federici cafe. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth instalment of the boy wizard’s story and, by the look of things, will be in residence for years to come. Get tickets at harrypottertheplay.com/au

Chase the city’s very own Nearly Headless Nick SPELLBOX HAS WANDS AND SPELLS FOR WOULD-BE WIZARDS

PAULA ARUNDELL AS HERMIONE GRANGER

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The technical wizardry of the play is head-spinning enough, but linger in the revamped Princess Theatre and you may just catch a glimpse of the theatre’s version of Nearly Headless Nick.

Built in 1886, the Princess Theatre has, for the first time in 133 years, had a new paint job, plus a few new metal dragons entwined within the architecture for added Potterness. But there’s one fixture that remains: the resident ghost.

Harry Potter producer Michael Cassel has spent a lot of time in the theatre, and he tells the story of English actor Frederick Baker who had a heart attack during a production of Faust in 1888. “In the finale of the show the actors came back on and took their bow without realising that Fred was not there with them on stage. As they walked off, the story spread that Fred had died – and the actors swore he took his bows with them,” Michael says.

“Subsequently, Federici, as was his stage name, haunted the theatre ever since.“ Hard-as-nails cleaners have quit, chairs have moved by themselves and cold patches have randomly appeared in the theatre. But for a safe way to experience the persistent apparition, try the adjoining cafe that takes his name.

“A witch is someone who believes magic exists ... It’s the magic that resides in nature – a beautiful, sacred energy”

Pick your wand, or let it pick you Every good wizard needs a wand, so head to the Ollivanders of Bourke Street, Spellbox (Royal Arcade, 17/331-339 Bourke Street, Melbourne; spellbox.com.au), run by resident witch Danae Thorp. “A witch is someone who believes magic exists,” Thorp says. “And it’s not the magic of making something disappear or levitating; it’s the magic that resides in nature – a beautiful, sacred energy.”

Spellbox is as enchanting as it sounds with ornately carved spell wheels and boxes full of fairy charms created by Thorp’s husband, film production designer Jeff. As for the wands, Danae says they’re an important tool for creating spells, which are essentially an ancient name for wishes.

“Wands have been around for centuries,” she says. “It’s a directional tool to help you to focus your magic. You might create a circle before you do a spell; you might write invisible words in the air.” ê

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THE POINTY END

Thorp opened the store two decades ago just before the first Harry Potter film hit the theatres, and says she now gets secondgeneration witches and wizards visiting the store.

“We have city workers who come in to spin the wheel every week,” Danae says.

The Royal Arcade itself makes for a slightly more polished version of Diagon Alley, with sweets shops like Chocomama and Spellbox all watched over by mystical brothers Gog and Magog, who have kept time in the arcade since 1892.

Do your study in a grand reading room How about a Hogwarts-esque library? The dark wood and 20th-century grandeur of the State

“The octagonal La Trobe Reading Room is Hogwartsesque”

PL AY CHESS, OR RE AD A SPELL BOOK, IN THE STATE LIBR ARY

Library of Victoria (328 Swanston Street, Melbourne; slv.vic.gov.au) is a very special place to do your study. The centrepiece is the octagonal La Trobe Reading Room with a giant dome covering 32,000 books. Readers and chess players alike sit in the creaky wooden swivel chairs surrounded by the original spiral metal staircases from 1913 (they don’t move, but you can always make believe).

Catch the “Hogwarts Express” Puffing Billy (1 Old Monbulk Road, Belgrave; puffingbilly.com.au.) offers Muggles the chance to pretend they’ve boarded the Hogwarts Express as the steam locomotive zigzags its way up into the Dandenong Ranges. For the full experience, try a Steam & Cuisine Luncheon in one of the antique dining cars.

Have lunch in the Forbidden Forest Or if the Forbidden Forest is more your thing, Apparate yourself out to the Californian Redwoods beech forest in Great Otway National Park west of Melbourne. This 85-year-old plantation is a popular picnic spot, but it’s a case of BYO centaurs.

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

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THE POINTY END

THE PASSENGER

TRAVEL & TECH

1 0F 2

A round-table chat with three different travellers.

This issue’s topic: digital detox Paul Chai, signal loss Our story on page 82 about off-grid getaways made me wonder if I could benefit from turning off, tuning out and dropping off when I get away. I wouldn’t say I’m addicted to my phone, but when I’m travelling I’m always connected; looking for new places, logging names and prices, checking there isn’t a cooler place down the road. I like a connected city break. So much so that, in Osaka recently, I was very happy to find a “handy” – an in-house smartphone for guests loaded with all the places you needed –

in the Swissotel Nankai Osaka. This was my ideal break; to have a pre-loaded list of noodles and nightspots without costing a fortune in roaming costs.

But then I took the family along the Victorian coasts for a historic lighthouse road trip (“Shine a light”, page 72) and I got some enforced unplugging. And it was pretty great. The windswept lighthouses we stayed in were just far enough away from the digital world that we had no signal or Wi-Fi where we were staying, but we could walk 15-20 minutes to get some if we needed.

Even our screen-dependent kids baulked at that sort of a trip just to get a text. So we spent a few days off-grid, and while I’m not sure I agree with CABN owner Michael Lamprell that communing with nature lowers our heart rate (mine is usually elevated as I look for spiders and make sure the kids don’t get bitten by snakes), we did do some more important connecting.

We played board games, we talked to each more than we have in ages and we learned a few secrets with a family game of Never Have I Ever. We cooked ê

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THE POINTY END together, we took torchlight walks to try to see the local wombats, and we did not revert to flicking through Instagram when we ran out of conversation. I did have to do the 20-minute walk once to file a story, balancing my laptop in one hand in the middle of a small airstrip. But while my next trip will likely include citybased connectivity, I did get a taste of the unplugged trend.

Sarah Mitchell, switched off I’m a big fan of switching off when on holidays. A passionate reader, it dawned on me recently that I didn’t manage to finish a full book last year. Yet I always seemed to have time to flick through emails and Facebook posts before I went to bed. So, I decided to take back some of the digital control. First, at home I set Do Not Disturb on my phone to automatically kick in after dinner. It’s a great feature that lets people know you’re off-grid, and they can always call if it’s urgent. But it stops the unconscious scrawling, the mindless surfing.

On holidays, I love to leave the phone behind. If it isn’t there then there’s no temptation. We rely so much on our phones these days that it can be quite challenging to think of not bringing the thing that wakes us up, navigates

TRAVEL & TECH

2 0F 2

"I’VE BEEN ON HOLIDAY OVERSEAS IN BARCELONA AND SEEN THAT A FRIEND FROM CAMBODIA WAS ALSO IN TOWN. I FOUND HIM ON MY PHONE, CONTACTED HIM ON MY PHONE AND MET HIM IN A BAR WE FOUND ON OUR PHONES. WHY WOULD YOU TRAVEL ANY OTHER WAY?" for us and helps us find our friends. But on certain types of “fly and flop” stays I really get some benefit from not being connected. You start seeing with your own eyes, not the eyes of your camera – and I read a lot of books.

On a digital detox I get to focus on the long read, the long walk, the text-free conversation. It feels weird to be away with friends or family and be constantly texting others or trying to show strangers you’re having a good time. A no-phone getaway means you’re more present, and I’m happier for it.

Connor McLeod, plugged in There’s simply no way I’m leaving my phone behind on a holiday. I love to get away from it all, but these days your phone just has too much functionality.

I’m not going to go all hipster and take a Kodak Box Brownie camera and a star chart away with me when I have GPS and a camera phone. The enforced digital detox for me is designed for people who simply don’t have any self-control in the first place; if you need to burn your phone

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to tame your screen addiction, you may have a bigger problem than texting your mates while you’re on holidays.

I have a whole section of my phone devoted to travel apps. That way I can grab an Airbnb, check my bank account, and even translate foreign languages at the touch of a button. This is how we travel now, so leaving it at home because of some travel trend seems like going backwards. I can read a holiday novel, get the latest news and find the best place for a morning coffee all on my phone.

Gone are the days when we have to plan to meet friends in a foreign cafe weeks in advance. I’ve been on holiday overseas in Barcelona and saw that a friend from Cambodia was also in town.

I found him on my phone, contacted him on my phone and met him in a bar we found on our phones. Why would you travel any other way?

More to Explore

in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef tourismwhitsundays.com.au #lovewhitsundays #visitbowen

DISCOVER BOWEN

MERAKI WHITSUNDAYS

CAMP ISLAND

P +61 7 4786 4222 W discoverbowen.com.au

P +61 7 4786 2565 E merakiwhitsundays@outlook.com

P +61 410 035 709 E manager@campislandlodge.com.au

Discover the perfect beach holiday at the Top of the Whitsundays.

Snorkel from the mainland, laze on postcard perfect beaches and take in island views. Get a taste of the tropics with mangoes, seafood and sunset cocktails in a hidden beach paradise. Make your dream holiday a reality - visit the Whitsunday’s accredited information centre at the Big Mango or discover more online.

Located at Bowen’s Horseshoe Bay with stunning views across the bay and a cool ocean breeze you couldn’t ask for a better spot to indulge in an alfresco setting. Well known for a laid-back atmosphere, mouth-watering menu from all day breakfast, scrumptious lunches to snacks to share with your family and friends and delectable drink options, there’s something to tantalise the taste buds.

Enjoy a unique and personally tailored adventure at Camp Island Lodge, your very own private island in the Whitsundays. Camp Island Lodge offers an exclusive island experience for families, groups of friends and corporate retreats.

Enjoy kayaking, snorkelling, fishing, bird watching and exploring the island or simply relax on the deck of your bungalow, only metres from the ocean.

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adventurewhitsunday.com.au #adventurewhitsunday Ph: 1300 640 587 or + 61 (7) 4948 5400 ext 1 Email: reservations@adventurewhitsunday.com.au Airlie Beach - Whitsundays - Queensland

Self contained cabins

THE POINTY END

8 ways to see the Whitsundays

WORDS MATT SHEA; PHOTOGRAPH TOURISM AND EVENTS QUEENSLAND

A

holiday to the Whitsundays used to be about just one thing: the Great Barrier Reef. But like many of Queensland’s iconic tourist spots in recent years, this region has added a streak of sophistication to its natural beauty. You can spend all your time in the water if you like, but there’s just as much to see and do – and eat and drink – on the mainland. Here’s a checklist.

1. Stay at Heart Hotel Heart (277 Shute Harbour Road; athotelgroup.com.au) is one of Airlie Beach’s newest hotels and lands you right in the centre of town. This property is inspired by a traditional Queenslander house, but the rooms themselves have been decked out in understated tints of white and grey, with plush carpets and louvred windows. Don’t sweat it if you’re overlooking Main Street (as the high street section of Shute Harbour Road is known) – the

rooms have been carefully soundproofed – but facing Airlie Bay is best, the payoff a brilliant Queensland sunrise over the water. Heart is part of a larger accommodation group, so there’s a bunch of options if you’re chasing something different.

2. Bar hop along Main Street Ask a local where best to kick off a night on the town in Airlie Beach and they’ll likely point you in the direction of Fish D’vine & the Rum Bar. This fabulous restaurant and bar flips some of the freshest seafood in town – think chilli mud crab, baked coral trout and tempura battered prawns – washed down by a back bar stacked with rum (yes, they do a great mojito). From here, Airlie Beach buzzes with boltholes, pubs and nightclubs, so take your pick. The general rule of thumb: the closer things are to Main Street, the wilder they get. Magnums Hotel (366 Shute Harbour Road; ê

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THE POINTY END views of the sun-kissed sails of Abell Point Marina shimmering in the distance. There’s an enormous hardwood pagoda with a high, vaulted roof, a handsome bar with a huge variety of beers, and a classy restaurant.

5. Stay overnight at Whitehaven Beach Whitehaven Beach is perhaps the major must-do of any visit to the Whitsundays. This seven-kilometre-long stretch of luminescent silica has provided the backdrop to at least a half-dozen Hollywood movies and each day is populated by day-trippers who have motored in from Airlie Beach on Red Cat Adventures’ Thundercats (350 Shute Harbour Road; redcatadventures.com.au). But if you want to take your time and maybe stay the night, charter your own boat from Cumberland Charter Yachts (Shop 18, Abell Point Marina North; ccy.com.au).

6. Make a day of it at Hardy Reef Thirty-nine nautical miles north-east of Airlie Beach is Hardy Reef, one of the most popular locations for a Great Barrier Reef day trip. This is the “heart of the reef” and the best way to get there is with Cruise Whitsundays (24 The Cove Road;

magnumshotel.com.au) and Beaches (356 Shute Harbour Road; beaches.com.au/beaches-bar-grill) are go-tos for the backpacker crowd, while the truly dedicated dance the night away at Boom (352 Shute Harbour Road; boomnightclub.net) and Mama Africa Bar and Nightclub (263 Shute Harbour Road; mamaafrica.com.au).

3. Recover at Bohemian Raw Cafe A perfect spot for a morning graze overlooking the boats at Abell Point Marina, Bohemian Raw (Shop 1A Abell Point Marina, Shingley Drive; bohemianraw.com.au) deals in generously stuffed acai bowls, superfood smoothies, ayurvedic teas and expertly made espresso coffee.

4. Get out of town to Northerlies Beach Bar and Grill Just north of Airlie Beach, Northerlies (Lot 116 Pringle Road; northerlies.com.au) boasts

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SEE THE REEF AND (ABOVE) SLEEP ON IT

AT HOTEL GROUP HAS YOU COVERED IN THE WHITSUNDAYS

“If you want a truly oneof-a-kind reef experience, stick around after the Seaflight departs for the Cruise Whitsundays reef sleep” cruisewhitsundays.com) aboard the powerful Seaflight catamaran. Once at Heart Pontoon, you’ll get an opportunity to snorkel or scuba among endless fields of coral and a huge variety of sea life.

It makes for a magical day out.

7. Or maybe even stay a while…

Not that it needs to end, mind. If you want a truly one-of-a-kind reef experience, stick around after the Seaflight departs for the Cruise Whitsundays reef sleep. While you go large on freshly cooked local produce, the staff quietly turn over the top deck of Heart Pontoon, laying out a bunch of swags for you and a handful of other guests. Once

the night comes and you’re snug in your sleeping bag, there’s nowhere to look but up to a bright blanket of stars spread across the heavens.

8. Take a once-in-a-lifetime scenic flight If you have the time and are willing to splurge a little, a scenic flight over the Whitsundays is pretty much essential. GSL Aviation (2 Air Whitsunday Road, Flametree; gslaviation.com.au) operates daily commentated scenic flights that can give you a bird’s-eye view of the reef and Whitsunday Islands, including Heart Reef and Whitehaven Beach. If you really want to blow the doors off, take a Hamilton Island Air (Palm Valley Way, Hamilton Island; hamiltonislandair.com) helicopter flight out to Heart Pontoon – you still get two hours exploring Hardy Reef with refreshments, but with a scenic helicopter flight either side. Easy.

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

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Escape to the Heart of the Great Barrier Reef this winter

tourismwhitsundays.com.au | #lovewhitsundays

CORAL SEA RESORT

Coral Sea Resort features a variety of hotel rooms including deluxe suites, one, two and three bedroom apartments, penthouses and beach houses. All accommodation is serviced daily and offers an enticing array of facilities including an award winning oceanfront restaurant, private dining seaside gazebo, cocktail lounge, fitness room, massage facilities, private jetty, 25 metre pool, wedding chapel, 200 seat function room and tour desk.

P 1800 075 061 W coralsearesort.com

CRUISE WHITSUNDAYS GREAT BARRIER REEF FULL DAY ADVENTURE

The turquoise waters of the Great Barrier Reef are breathtaking - dip below the surface and another world will greet you, teeming with bright tropical fish and more than 1,400 species of coral. Explore this World Heritage-listed wonder where you can snorkel, swim and dive – or if you’d prefer to stay dry you can peer out from the underwater observatory or take a ride past the reef wall on the semisubmarine.

P +61 7 4846 7000 W cruisewhitsundays.com

DISCOVERY PARKS -

AIRLIE BEACH In the secluded rainforest of Conway National Park, Discovery Parks - Airlie Beach is perched amongst a tranquil, tropical paradise. Say G’DAY to all sorts of Australian wildlife milling about the park from kangaroos to rainbow lorikeets and more. With cabins to pet friendly sites plus there’s lots to keep little and big kids entertained with a waterpark, swimming pool, bouncing pillow, bike track, playground and more.

P +61 7 4946 6727 W discoveryparks.com.au

THE WHITSUNDAYS

The Whitsundays is the ultimate holiday destination. The stunning natural landscapes of coast and islands are dotted with secluded beaches and teamed with the rustic charms of the Whitsunday hinterland and friendly towns. Whether you choose to base yourself on the coast or in the hinterland or on the islands, there’s so much to do, the toughest decision will be how to fit it all in! The Whitsundays is easily accessed through two major airports, Whitsunday Coast Airport (Proserpine) and Hamilton Island Airport, both offering daily flights from key Australian major cities.

For more information - tourismwhitsundays.com.au

OCEAN RAFTING

RIDE TO PARADISE

ABELL POINT MARINA

P +61 7 4946 6848 W oceanrafting.com.au

P +61 7 4946 4444 W redcatadventures.com.au

E info@abellpointmarina.com W abellpointmarina.com.au

Multi award winning Ocean Rafting’s Northern Exposure and Southern Lights tours offer three days in one, including an exhilarating ride to Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet, pristine snorkelling reefs and guided Whitsunday Island National Parks walks. Ocean Rafting offers the ultimate access to stunning Hill Inlet beach and special snorkel sites to ensure a memorable underwater experience.

Ride to Paradise is a national award winning all-inclusive twoday, two-night resort stay package showing travellers the best of the Whitsundays. Ride to Paradise offers serenity and stars by night at the exclusive Paradise Cove Resort and once in a lifetime experiences during the day including visiting Whitehaven Beach, Hill Inlet Lookout and snorkelling in the pristine water of the fringing Great Barrier Reef.

80% of all marine tourism in the Whitsundays is based at Abell Point Marina, making it the ideal destination to stay, play and explore the natural wonders of the Whitsundays. Enjoy coffee or cocktails with ocean views, stroll through the marina village and marvel at the gleaming superyachts or set sail from the marina on your Whitsunday adventure.

THE POINTY END

Why I live in

BONDI I Know Leopard produce synth-pop with influences from Air to ELO, and they’ve just released their new album Love is a Landmine, an album unashamedly about matters of the heart. Singer and chief songwriter Luke O’Loughlin is a resident of Bondi, and he takes us through some of his favourite haunts.

Hey Luke – tell us about the new album, Love is a Landmine.

It’s a change in direction for us sonically and thematically. It’s very inspired by the great soft rock on the 70s and a bit of 80s as well. There are influences from ELO and 10cc with a bit of Bowie in there. It’s about love – surprise, surprise – but it’s about love’s power of destruction and power of healing

LISTEN TO I KNOW LEOPARD The press kit from the new album says the songs were whittled down from over three years’ worth of demos and written against a backdrop of emotional turmoil, which ultimately ended with new love blossoming.

Love is a Landmine is an unashamedly romantic record that pulls you deep into the rich gamut of emotions that love will inevitably drag you through. But it’s all done with a sense of fun, which can be seen on the opening single “Landmine” and at the band’s live shows. “That sense of humour has changed since my earlier stuff – we stopped taking ourselves so seriously,” Luke says. “That’s been refreshing for us and really liberated us as performers.”

For more information, visit iknowleopard.com; instagram.com/iknowleopard

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and the journey from the former to the latter. I grew up with a lot of those records, with my mum playing them non-stop. And they stuck with me.

What makes Bondi a great place to live?

In an age where one may argue that Sydney’s nightlife is not as vibrant as it used to be I have found that Bondi provides an alternative to that. There are a lot of great little bars and restaurants everywhere, most of which are open quite late, and they have really become staples of my life here. They’re not all overpriced, either – when I first moved to Bondi, I thought: “I’ll never be able to eat out here,” but there are some cheaper, really delicious options around the place.

Where do you go for a drink?

There’s a bar up on Bondi Road called The Stuffed Beaver (271 Bondi Road, Bondi; stuffedbeaver.com.au), and that has become a bit of an institution for me and my friends. It started off as more of a

sports bar, and it has a bunch of booths and great burgers – really great burgers.

There’s a vibrant energy in there. Then there’s also Bondi Beach Public Bar (180 Campbell Parade, Bondi Beach; bbpb.com.au), which is a new place on Campbell Parade that’s more of a loungey-type bar, but it has a really nice energy in there and a really cool wine bar out the back.

How about food?

There’s a new bar called Tipica (76 Hall Street, Bondi Beach; tipica.com.au) that is some of the best pizza I’ve had, ever.

It’s one of those pizzas that leaves the dough to rise for about 48 hours, so it’s absolutely delicious, and it’s lovely sitting outside eating pizza and drinking wine. I’m a pasta nut, so there’s A Tavola (79/73-75 Hall Street, Bondi Beach; atavola.com.au/bondi) that’s a bit pricier but a really great Italian restaurant.

There’s a really cool Mexicanrestaurant-slash-bar called Bondi Rumba

Tell us something only a local would know.

I felt like there was stereotype of what a Bondi local is and that if you didn’t fit that mould then it’s not for you. But I’ve found that it’s inhabited by all walks of life and there’s actually a strong music community that lives down here because they love being able to wake up in the morning and just jump in the ocean. And at Bondi Pavilion they have this rehearsal space at the moment that’s awesome.

(139 Glenayr Avenue, Bondi Beach; bondirumba.com.au) that can only seat about 20 people at the most.

They do burritos, nachos and tacos, and it’s cheap and delicious.

Where do you go to see live music?

The Lansdowne Hotel is happening, both upstairs and downstairs – it’s not in Bondi, but it’s a great place (see Be a local in Newtown story, page 49)

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THE POINTY END

Visit Melbourne’s newest art gallery

WORDS PAUL CHAI

A

rchitect Corbett Lyon wanted to push the boundaries between a private home and a public art gallery, and his Lyon Housemuseum is a resounding success. How do I know? Because I’m looking at the sculpture Truck Babies by Australian artist Patricia Piccinini and peering into his kitchen, all at the same time.

Corbett Lyon’s home, in the Melbourne suburb of Kew, is a mind-blowing experiment with a collection of 350 works by over 50 Australian artists – many original commissions. The Lyon family sits at a dinner table completely surrounded

by a Howard Arkley mural; a more daunting Piccinini, The Carrier, looms in their hallway; and an amorphous Christopher Langton sculpture dominates the backyard. And the public can, at appointed times, simply wander through their entire home.

“The house was a very new experiment to juxtapose two very different concepts – a residential space with a public gallery space under the one roof,” says Yueji Lyon, Corbett’s wife and partner in the pioneering idea. “Many house museums have a separation – the front and the ê

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THE POINTY END

IS IT A HOUSE? IS IT A GALLERY? IT'S AN EXPERIMENT

More modern art in Melbourne D A R R E N S Y LV E S T E R Carve a Future, Devour Everything, Become Something The first solo show from this Australian contemporary artist in a public institution comes to NGV until June 30. Expect largescale works from photos and sculpture to video installation. ngv.vic.gov.au

HEIDE I Heide I: House of Ideas The home of philanthropists John and Sunday Reed has been turned into the Heide Museum of Modern Art in the northern suburbs of Melbourne.

Starting on May 26, this exhibition looks at how their home was a hub for progressive ideas during the 30s and 40s. heide.com.au

TR ACEY MOFFAT T Body Remembers Until May 19, this is the first Victorian showing of Moffatt’s words from her acclaimed show at the 57th Venice biennale.

Tarrawarra Museum of Art is on the Tarrawarra vineyard at the start of the Yarra Valley. twma.com.au

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“The house juxtaposes two very different concepts – a residential space with a public gallery space under the one roof” back, or the upstairs and downstairs – so we went the extra mile and, very crazily, mixed it completely. People who come to visit us can walk every inch of the house, except our girls’ very messy bedrooms.”

The family’s history helps form the DNA of the building with text flowing across the ceiling. The words are like a family diary – Corbett gave his wife and two daughters a week to write down anything they could think of on pieces of paper, including places they have visited, recipes, family mottoes and the girls’ best friends.

The home is based on a cubic design with a white cube to focus on the collection and a black cube for video art (which also made an excellent sleepover space for the girls when they were younger). Not one for understatement, Corbett even included a huge, custom-designed organ as part of one of the living spaces. It’s not for show either;

the architect is a keen organist and will often play if he’s leading the private tour.

Now the Lyon family are making the shift from private to public with the launch in March of the adjoining Lyon Housemuseum Galleries. Corbett purchased the land next door to his home and set about creating a $14.5 million art museum that he then turned over to the government. The museum’s first exhibition, Enter, will feature 16 artists from the Lyon collection – including Brooke Andrew, Shaun Gladwell and Piccinini – producing brand new commissions.

Taking a similarly bold approach to creating the building, Corbett Lyon also commissioned artist Reko Rennie to produce “Visible, Invisible”.

The work was painted on the foundations of the new building and then the building was built on top of it, with just a sliver of the original work visible hinting at the huge canvas that has since been buried.

The new exhibition, Enter, is on now and the Lyon Housemuseum next door continues to open on designated days each month. Visit lyonhousemuseum.com.au for details.

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

Derrik “DJ” Townsel Sunwarrior Ambassador

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THE POINTY END

THE FEAST 1 0F 2

ADE L ADE AIEDE LAID

THE DIVERSE TASTES OF ADELAIDE Tasting Australia food festival director Simon Bryant reckons Adelaide is perfectly placed for a foodie visit.

ILLUSTRATION MILLIE JIA

Y

ou will recognise Simon Bryant from cooking up a storm opposite Maggie Beer on the ABC program The Cook and the Chef, which has been running for four years. However, he is also festival director of Tasting Australia.

Bryant says one of the key planks of the festival is that it’s one of the most democratic of the food fests. “We stand international guests next to our Australian talent on an equal footing,”

Simon says. “So you won’t find an activation or event where it’s just about an international chef.

At a lot of the events, you’re very close to the talent and we make sure that, for example, at the Yalumba Cellar Room event the chefs are out in your face all the time. We’re not treating them like they’re precious or standing them on a pedestal.

This fun approach shows through in events like the craft beer showcase Bottomless Buns,

TA S TING A US TR A LIA The festival runs from April 5-14 and offers a range of different price points from the public area in the festival hub to the special Glasshouse dinners. For more information visit tastingaustralia.com.au

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THE POINTY END THE FEAST 2 0F 2

"IN ADELAIDE, WE CAN SAY THAT, DUE TO THE LUCKY BREAK OF HAVING AN INCREDIBLY LAID-OUT CITY, WE CAN GET TO ALL OF OUR TERROIR AND UNIQUE, DIFFERENT PLACES VERY QUICKLY"

way back to the city for award-winning shiraz and panoramic views. salopian.com.au

Shōbōsho Beer and Bubbles, the Comfort Food Cabaret and the signature SchnittFest, where Michelin-starred and local chefs alike take on the humble schnitzel.

“It’s a case of get your hat off and your Michelin badges and just cook something nice,” Simon says. He adds that it’s Adelaide’s ideal location that allows for such a diverse range of food experiences.

“We can say that, due to the lucky break of having an incredibly laid-out city, we can get to all of our terroir and unique, different places very quickly,” he says. “So, you can be on the coast where our fish are, on another coast where our wineries are, or in the desert, plains, valleys and hills in a short time – and that is rare for a city.”

If you’re not in time for the Tasting Australia festival, Simon suggests the following year-round rippers from the Adelaide food scene...

East End Cellars For more than two decades this boutique wine and spirits store just off buzzing Rundle Street has been Adelaide’s go-to for top drops from around the world. The adjoining Tasting Room is the perfect place to enjoy a drink and the city’s best cheese and charcuterie platter with friends while watching the well-heeled East Enders go by. eastendcellars.com.au

My Grandma Ben Ethically sourced and sustainable ingredients are the stars at this funky cafe on the northern edge of the city that turns lowering food waste into high cuisine. Run by former Botanic Gardens chef and Masterchef star Jessie Spiby, MGB offers all-day eats as well as a range of ethical cooking classes. mygrandmaben.com

Salopian Inn Nestled among the vineyards of McLaren Vale just an hour’s drive south of Adelaide, this iconic restaurant is a jewel in the crown of South Australian regional dining, with an accompanying gin bar offering more than 230 examples from around Australia. Stop in at nearby S.C. Pannell winery (pannell.com.au) on your

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Charcoal-cooked cuisine and yakitori (Japanese skewers) take centre stage alongside premium sake and Japanese whisky at this award-winning Asianinspired hot spot on Leigh Street, one of the CBD’s hottest new eat streets. shobosho.com.au

Deviation Road Located in the heart of the picturesque Adelaide Hills just half an hour’s drive from the city, this gorgeous winery is as famous for its spectacular gardens as it is for its stunning cool-climate wines.

Check out the family-run Murdoch Hill winery (murdochhill.com.au ) in nearby Oakbank for even more top drops. deviationroad.com

Yalumba Established in 1849, this is one of Australia’s most iconic wineries in the heart of one of Australia’s most iconic wine regions, the Barossa. It’s easy to while away an afternoon at Yalumba’s beautiful winery and cellar door where the landscaped surrounds are as impressive as their shiraz, grenache and flagship white viognier. yalumba.com

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

GLASSHOUSE LEVEL 2, HOTEL STEYNE 75 THE CORSO, MANLY @GLASSHOUSEMANLY WWW.HOTELSTEYNE.COM.AU

THE POINTY END

T he ol Barsto

O

ne of the great things about the craft beer revolution sweeping the globe is the introduction to so many people of the flavour diversity that beer offers. There’s a never-ending range of ingredients that can be used to brew. The wealth and depth of flavours and complexities on offer from breweries across the country is remarkable. So it’s little wonder some brewers are pushing the boundaries with challenging recipes and beers that often leave us scratching our heads until the first sip.

So, let’s raise a glass and toast the wacky brewing geniuses behind a few of the most weird and wonderful brews you need to try...

"THE WEALTH AND DEPTH OF FLAVOURS AND COMPLEXITIES ON OFFER FROM BREWERIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY IS REMARKABLE"

THE WEIRD AND THE WONDERFUL Skittles, Rice Bubbles, bark and spices – how far is too far when it comes to making an unusual beer?

Shooter McGavin’s Breakfast IPA Feral Brewing Company, Perth The perfect golfer’s breakfast beer full of Nutri-Grain, Corn Flakes, Weet-Bix, All-Bran and Rice Bubbles. Known as a New England IPA, a style famous for its fruit juice-like character, the combination of cereals, some milky lactose and a heavy dose of fruity hops makes a beer perfect for any pre-tee-off breakfast table.

Skittlebrau Dainton Family Brewery, Melbourne Proof you can taste the rainbow in a beer, this fruity little brew is another juicy New England IPA (a NEIPA for those in the know), this time from the ingenious and curious brewers at Dainton Family Brewery. Full of Skittles and fresh cherries, the Skittlebrau is all fruit flavour, making it an easy-drinking IPA for those with a sweet tooth.

Gin Street Foghorn Brewhouse, Newcastle A beer that thinks it’s a gin – no tonic required. A botanical spiced saison inspired the brewers’ favourite gins they

added classic gin botanicals including juniper, cassia bark, cardamom and coriander to create a complex, herbal and aromatic beer just perfect for a late-afternoon summer day.

Bionda Del Montenegro Pirate Life Brewing, Adelaide A favourite digestif after a crew meal at Pirate Life – Adelaide’s newest brewery and taproom – Amaro Montenegro is a powerhouse of 40 different botanicals.

In a homage to their favourite tipple, the Pirate Life team brewed a robust Belgian Blonde Ale, adding to it a handful of selected spices, along with a copious splurge of “the Real McCoy”. A perfect beer accompaniment to your digestif.

MEET THE AUTHOR Dave Phillips is a drinks travel expert and the Dave in Dave’s Brewery Tours and Pub Walks. When not touring local drink production houses, he’s surfing.

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THE POINTY END

Hang out like a local in Newtown

WORDS PAUL CHAI

A

s Sydney’s nose-diving nightlife inspires rallies like Keep Sydney Open, Newtown is the little suburb that could – quietly cracking on with some of the best nights out you can have in the Harbour City.

“Newtown is a creative, proud and welcoming neighbourhood and community,” says Oscar McMahon of Young Henrys brewery. “It has a rich history of awesome people doing awesome things and them being supported by the other people around them both in their ventures but also in their individuality. Newtown welcomes and supports

diverse cultures, ideas and people and is a real melting pot of food and creativity because of it.”

The result is that King Street is packed with small bars, live music venues, fine diners and cuisine that comes from all over the globe.

And the thing about Newtown is that the locals like it that way. “It’s wild, busy, constantly moving, accepting, kind, generous and safe! And it’s our home,” says Jake Smyth, who owns Mary’s and the Lansdowne Hotel.

So if you want a bohemian weekend away, turn over to discover our picks... ê

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THE POINTY END

THE DIGS Urban Newtown The location of this boutique hotel is right on the intersection of Enmore Road – which leads to the Enmore Theatre – and the main drag of King Street. It’s designed to reflect the nature of the surrounding ‘hood with a central atrium artwork featuring graffiti, ferns and defiantly deteriorating guitars. There’s street art on the outside and the rooms are compact with industrial touches like chipboard headboards and warehouse-sized black metal lamps. There’s a kitchenette and a mini-bar full of local brews so you can feel right at home, and even the entry cards have a touch of tattoo-inspired art on them.

52-60 Enmore Road, Newtown; theurbannewtown.com.au

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THE BEER Young Henrys Newtowner If you want to know what Newtown tastes like, this is it: a pale ale from local brewery Young Henrys.

One of the first to jump on the boutique brewing wagon, Young Henrys has been making leading beers for years, including one-off collabs with bands – Brew Am I, anyone? – and now with Byron Bay fashion label Afends – try the Hemp IPA. “My favourite beer is our Newtowner Aussie Pale Ale,” says Oscar McMahon, owner of Young Henrys.

“It’s named for our hometown that has given us so much as a business and me personally in my own life. We make a concerted effort to repay the debt we owe Newtown whenever we can.”

Check out the eclectic, industrial brewery where you can sample the beers where they’re made. “Our crew are welcoming and friendly, as are the people who frequent our bar,” Oscar says. “All ages, all types, all genders, kids, dogs – everyone is welcome and treated as equals.”

76 Wilford Street, Newtown; younghenrys.com

“Young Henrys has been making beers for years, including collabs with bands – Brew Am I, anyone?”

THE BURGER Mary’s

COME ONE, COME ALL TO YOUNG HENRYS BREWERY

Tucked away in Mary Street in a dark, graffiticovered space full of loud rock ‘n’ roll is the burger place you send people to when they tell you they’re over burgers. You can never pass up a Mary’s burger, because it’s one of the best things you’ll ever get between two slices of bread.

“We work our asses off to keep them consistently delicious, but the secret is the produce,” says Mary’s owner Jake Smyth. “Grass-fed beef from O’Connor in Gippsland, rare-breed pigs for our in-house cured ‘n’ smoked bacon, free-range chooks, and house-made mayo and pickles.

We do everything we possibly can ourselves.”

6 Mary Street, Newtown

THE GIG The Lansdowne Hotel The Lansdowne could so easily have gone to rock heaven, sharing a schooner of Reschs with the Hopetoun, the Sando and the Annandale (yes, it’s still there... but puh-lease!). However, the Mary’s team have kept it packed to the gills with gigs. ê

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THE POINTY END

“The Lansdowne without music is like a life without wine – you can do it, but it sucks. It’s a home for musicians as well as music lovers”

STREET ART KEEPS NEWTOWN LOOKING COLOURFUL

“The Lansdowne without music is like a life without wine – you can do it, but it sucks and no one will thank you for it,” Jake says. “It’s a home for musicians as well as music lovers, and has become a beacon for what Sydney nightlife can be.”

You can also grab a bite there with Mary’s foray into pizzas, and you can expect the same producefirst approach from the burgermeisters. “It’s crazy delicious food that’s a little bit Italiano and a little bit Americano,” Jake says. “The pizzas are wild and served in two distinct styles – the Classic New York and the Detroit style – which has a proper cheesy crust and is addictive as crack.”

Just down the road, it’s also good to see The Vanguard back in action with live music most nights of the week.

2-6 City Road, Chippendale (close enough!); thelansdownepub.com.au

THE BIG BREKKY Rising Sun Workshop A motorbike workshop and killer cafe, RSW is designed to be a space where you can work on your bike or work on your novel; a shared space to create that just happens to serve amazing food and a few cans of the harder stuff.

The menu has a Japanese focus, so you have a Hokkaido Milk Bun or Breakfast Ramen under the exposed beams of the upstairs space. But for us, the go-to brekky to shake off the one-too-many Newtowners from the night before is the avocado, green chilli and egg on charcoal bread with pickled radish and furikake (Japanese seasoning).

1C Whateley Street, Newtown; risingsunworkshop.com

THE FRINGES A special mention must go to those places just outside the hood, from the newly revamped Imperial Hotel (35 Erskineville Road, Erskineville; imperialerskineville.com.au) to the transcendant kebab experience that is The Sultan’s Table (179 Enmore Road, Enmore; thesultanstable.com.au).

Check out the tiki-tastic surrounds of Jacoby’s Tiki Bar (154 Enmore Road, Enmore; jacobys-tiki-bar.com) and the small-bar pioneer that is Hive Bar (93 Erskineville Road, Erskineville; thehivebar.com.au), celebrating a decade of spinning vinyl this year.

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

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THE PACK STUFF TO BUY BEFORE YOU GO

T HE P L AY L I S T

THE POINTY END

Pack these on your next trip away

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Ü 1 T O T H E L I O N S B Y H O L LY W AT T

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An international thriller that will take you from the deserts of Libya to the seas of St Tropez in a nail-biting story with a shocking twist. Perfect for lazing by the pool. $29.99; bloomsbury.com/au

HIL LT O P H O O D S

THE GREAT EXPANSE With The Great Expanse, the Adelaide Hills trio have produced the best album of their career.

Songs such as the ominous ”Be Yourself“, square-shouldered “Sell It, Run Away” and cathartic “Exit Sign” are propulsive, precise listens, bolstered by a superb Australian guest list.

Ideal for… hitting up Groovin the Moo

2 A N T I C A P A S T E R I A R AV I O L I These artisan handmade ravioli contain the best-quality ingredients and are made the traditional Italian way – just like Nonna would do.

Take them with you on your next self-catered road trip.

350g, $9.95; Call 1300 305 129 for nearest stockists

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3 S Y N E R G Y N AT U R A L 10 0 P E R C E N T ORGANIC SUPER GREENS POWDER Combines four of nature’s most calorie-sparse and nutrient-dense whole foods: spirulina, chlorella, barley grass and wheatgrass.

200g, $33.85; synergynatural.com/ collections/super-greens

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MURLO DOLOS

This is grime music, but not as you know it.

Murlo made a name for himself via London’s popular Butterz club events, but on Dolos the Manchester-based producer takes that live energy and shifts it further to the left, creating a series of beautiful, undulating audioscapes.

Ideal for… exploring Melbourne’s thriving club scene

4 FALL LINE GOGGLES Oakley's newest goggle, Fall Line, is the fusion of a rimless goggle and a cylindrical lens shape that gives you a larger field of view. Perfect for hitting the slopes. $190; oakley.com/en-au

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5 AMERICAN TOURISTER’S CURIO COLLECTION Stylish and fun, American Tourister’s Curio collection is designed to stand out so your suitcase will be easy to spot on the conveyor belt! It’s lightweight and packed with features including dual wheels, expandability and TSA locks. From $239; americantourister.com.au

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6

Dan Sultan reboots himself on these strippedback reinterpretations of both his songs and those of artists such as Florence Welch, Gillian Welch and Michael Kiwanuka. Putting his recent dramas behind him, on Aviary Takes Sultan sounds like an artist reborn, with even his own tunes such as “Old Fitzroy” and “Kingdom” popping with a new sense of vitality.

Ideal for… a Whitsundays retreat

ALBUMS MATT SHEA

Height-increasing footwear specialists, Jennen Shoes, is a Melbourne company that has helped over 100,000 men stand taller since 2007. They have just launched their women’s collection.

Ms. Isabella 6cm Taller, RRP $199; jennenshoes.com.au

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Chefs’ table What do some of the best head chefs in Melbourne cook when they come together? The top chefs from Andrew McConnell’s Melbourne restaurant group take up our chefs’ table challenge: to cook each other a dish that reps the industry right now.

PHOTOS SAMARA CLIFFORD

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT

W

alking through the door at Cutler & Co on a weekday morning, I need sunglasses to cope with the sheer volume of chef’s whites before me. The head honchos from Andrew McConnell’s restaurant group are assembling for a group photo. They meet sporadically for work and play, but someone jokes that getting all these head chefs around one table for a formal shoot is like spotting a white rhino.

They’re here to cook for each other; to present a dish they think is representative of their style, their restaurant and what’s happening in the food scene at the moment.

But first, the photo. We line up the top talent from Cutler & Co, Marion, Cumulus Inc, Cumulus Up, Supernormal, Supernormal Canteen, Meatsmith and the Builders Arms, along with the man himself, chef-restaurateur Andrew McConnell.

The other reason we’re here is for a birthday celebration: Cutler & Co, the most-awarded of Andrew’s restaurant collection, has recently turned 10. “I wanted to create the quality of a fine-dining restaurant without the pomp and ceremony, and I think after 10 years we’ve maintained that, and that’s what has set us apart from other fine-dining restaurants in Melbourne,” Andrew says.

The dining space was spruced up 18 months ago with more booths to keep things informal and some other minor adjustments, like a destination bar – a walk-up space where you can get a killer McConnell burger.

“The whole environment in Fitzroy has changed a lot,” Andrew says. “Gertrude Street has changed. I had a bit of a battle with my bank manager when I took him to Gertrude Street 12 years ago and he was a little bit aghast.”

Andrew refers to his restaurant group rather modestly as a “happy accident”, but there’s a lot of thought put into the menu and the culture surrounding each opening.

The team is carefully selected and trained, and it seems many interstate chefs setting the food scene alight have a McConnell joint on their resume.

“What I like is that people use the restaurants in different ways than what we intended,” he says. “For example, Cumulus Inc is one of the busiest spots in Melbourne for business meetings. It’s great that people use it as a breakout space, so it has that hum and buzz all day.”

Because of the diversity of restaurants – from butchers and fine diners to pan-Asian dining – Andrew’s group is a bellwether for the current dining scene. And with that, let the cook-off commence... ê

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Colin Mainds CUTLER & CO The dish: salt-baked chicken, radish, garlic cream and bacon Colin Mainds took the head chef role in Cutler & Co just over a year ago, but has been cooking for over a decade.

Originally from Scotland, Colin worked in both his hometown and France before heading to the Bentley restaurant group in Sydney. His previous role was at Cumulus Up before moving to the decade-old fine diner.

“We wrap the chicken in pancetta and then coat it in a salt crust made from salt, coriander, fennel seeds, flour and egg white,” Colin says. “We then roast it when the order comes on and it steams inside the salt crust.”

The chicken comes to the table and is revealed in a bit of theatre then taken away and carved up and served with deep-fried legs in a fennel glaze “for a fun take on fried chicken”.

Colin says he finds it the best way to cook the chicken, but it’s also part of the current revival of classic cooking methods. “Classic never dies,” he says. “When I started getting into cooking 10 years ago it was all molecular, and those times have completely gone. What excites our chefs, especially for me at Cutler & Co, is bringing back classic techniques.”

As for what dish grabs his eye on the chefs’ table today, he’s backing another classic, this time from Cumulus Inc. “For me, after having worked at Cumulus Inc, the lamb shoulder is not something that is going to come off the menu there,” Colin says. “To be honest, it’s one of my favourite dishes in Melbourne.”

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Sam Cheetham CUMULUS INC The dish: slow roast lamb shoulder, almond and roasted red pepper with black barley, charred sweet corn and pumpkin seeds Sam Cheetham has been in the kitchen at Cumulus Inc for about 18 months and has been cooking for 16 years. He says Cumulus is a versatile space where you can come for a solo coffee and cannoli or experience the whole menu “and come and have a rowdy night”.

The dish Sam has brought to the chefs’ table is a staple of Australian cuisine. “We’re doing the Cumulus Inc lamb shoulder and we’re doing it with our black barley and corn salad,” Sam says. “Grain salad is a Cumulus trait and this is our 2019 version of it.”

For Sam, this dish displays the produce-led focus that Cumulus and the industry has at the moment. “It’s important we are using Australian ingredients and this grain is new as an Australian ingredient – we are very lucky to use it,” he says.

Sam also supports the idea that kitchens are currently paring things back. “They’re losing the unnecessary components of dishes,” he says.

CUTLER & CO’S CHICKEN BEFORE IT’S PL ATED UP

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Aside from the lamb though, what dish today takes Sam’s fancy? “I really like the calamari, XO sauce and saltbush from Supernormal Canteen,” he says. “Australian calamari is good produce to use in general and there’s a lot of Asian influence in what we do now.”

Perry Schagen SUPERNORMAL CANTEEN The dish: grilled calamari, XO, herbs and saltbush Perry Schagen reps Supernormal Canteen and has been with Andrew McConnell’s group for about three years. He says Supernormal Canteen is about quality produce, seasonality and accessibility – but they like to spice things up. To that end, the dish Perry is whipping up for his colleagues is a hibachi-grilled arrow squid with

CUMULUS INC’S B L A C K B A R L E Y, CORN AND PUMPKIN SEEDS SIDE DISH

XO sauce and saltbush, another dish that represents the less-is-more approach to cooking. “There’s a focus on sustainable fishing. It’s a local product, but it’s also a simple dish,” Perry says.

Sustainability also comes through in the choice of arrow squid as the main ingredient as kitchens move to using less popular seafood in an attempt to stave off overfishing. “We like to present it as a whole squid on the plate. It looks quite impressive as the arrow squid has a pointed tail at the back,” he says. “And it’s a local catch and it’s not as popular as the calamari or the well-known squids.”

Perry says the industry is moving towards “cleaner, healthier, more plant-based eating” and slowly getting over the burgers and fried chicken that has dominated menus of late.

“There’s still a place for it. Don’t get me wrong, I love my burgers and fried chicken, but there’s more of a drive towards plant-based eating for many reasons.” ê

“Don’t get me wrong, I love my burgers and fried chicken, but there’s more of a drive towards plant-based eating for many reasons” THE ARROW SQUID IS PUT ON THE JAPANESE GRILL

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT

MARK GLENN AND SAM CHEETHAM IN A CUTLER & CO BOOTH

Mark Glenn CUMULUS UP The dish: buffalo ricotta gnocchi, zucchini and basil Cumulus Up’s dish is one that focuses on the plant-based food movement. Head chef Mark Glenn says he’s heavily influenced by the seasons; this seasonality is driven by the restaurant’s relationship with the farmers, so what’s in season governs what’s on the plate. The chefs aren’t creating dishes and then looking for ingredients.

Such an approach helps to refine the cooking process. “Chefs are chefs – we’re going to try to make things too technical,” Mark says. “But having a limited amount of time between knowing what product you’re able to find and putting it on a menu means our focus is on flavour first and technique second.”

The dish itself is very Melbourne, Mark says, as it’s part-Italian, part-Asian, all served up in Australia – at once diverse and very local.

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Mark loves the seafood on offer along the Victorian coast and thinks the food industry at the moment is in a “pretty good place” despite the odd misstep into Instagram food territory.

As for his dish of the day, Mark really likes the corn and barley salad from Cumulus Inc. “That is what I think this group is about,” he says. “The barley is the only organic black barley in Australia, and now we are using it everywhere.”

Sascha Randle MEATSMITH The dish: coq au vin (pictured on page 63) Sascha Randle is from butcher Meatsmith and became head chef there two years ago on the back of a 20-year career. Meatsmith, says Sascha, sits apart from the other restaurants to some degree because of the different parameters of running a specialty butcher as opposed to a restaurant.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

For Sascha, Melbourne kitchens are moving away from the idea of throwing everything at the plate.

“I think we’re slowly moving towards allowing ingredients to speak for themselves,” she says. With that philosophy, Sascha’s dish of a classic coq au vin makes perfect sense. The chicken is the star, cooked with red wine, mushrooms, bacon and onion. “We do a range of restaurant-quality, take-home meals,” she says. “There are no shortcuts; it’s done exactly as I would do in a restaurant.”

Sascha says Melburnians are spoilt for choice when it comes to food and she loves heading out to the regions, with King Valley a particular favourite. Asked to pick a favourite dish of the day, though, Sascha says it’s too hard – and that they all respect the ingredients.

“There’s a trend in Melbourne cafes for overworked, weirdly colourful things with strange garnishes and micro herbs, and I would like to see that go” CUMULUS UP’S BUFFALO RICOTTA GNOCCHI, ZUCCHINI AND BASIL

Natasha Burnett MARION The dish: mussels with fried bread and nduja Natasha Burnett has been head chef at Marion for less than a year. However, she has been in the industry for 14 years and says Marion is proud to have a menu that changes with the seasons.

That said, the mussels dish is one that’s very rarely off the Marion tables due to its popularity.

For Natasha, it represents simple, delicious food.

Keeping things simple is also in line with other things Natasha has been seeing in the food industry, namely sustainability and a reduction in waste. “I’m definitely not a big fan of the Instagram breakfast stuff,” she says. “There’s a trend in Melbourne cafes for overworked, weirdly colourful things with strange garnishes and micro herbs, and I would like to see that go.”

Natasha also says the Victorian regions are growing fast when it comes to good food.

“Obviously there’s Birregurra and going to Brae, but even Geelong with Hot Chicken Project, and Anglesea has Captain Moonlite,” she says.

“Matt Germanchis is doing great things out at Captain Moonlite.”

And the dish she’s most looking forward to from her comrades? “The smell of the calamari with the XO sauce is really great,” she says. “And another one is the chicken from Cutler & Co. It always looks really amazing.” ê

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Andy Barkham THE BUILDERS ARMS The dish: flathead, parsley, lemon and capers

Ben Pollard SUPERNORMAL The dish: duck bao, twice-cooked duck leg, vinegar and plum sauce Ben Pollard currently holds a culinary development role in the group but is repping Supernormal, Andrew McConnell’s pan-Asian diner in the CBD. Ben has been with the group for two years and cooking for two decades. Supernormal blends Korean, Chinese and Japanese flavours with great local produce.

Ben loves that his duck bao dish is interactive: you shred the duck yourself, assemble the bao, and then make a very happy mess of yourself while eating it. Ben believes this hands-on approach is something every good meal should have.

“Melbourne is such a buzzing city,” Ben says.

“And the produce is great down here. It’s great in other capital cities, but the weather in Melbourne is quite extreme compared to Sydney – it gets super hot and super cold – so you get different vegetables working here. And when it’s really cold outside you can put on some hearty meals.”

He’s also another chef who’s excited by his sister restaurant’s dish of calamari with XO sauce. “We haven’t collaborated,” he laughs. “It’s just a really punchy dish. I’ve noticed chefs go towards the punchy dishes. If you get a bunch of chefs together, you know what other chefs are going to order from the flavour profile. We’re tasting a lot during the day, so you want something to really wow you.”

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When the Builders Arms retired Asian diner Ricky & Pinky and reopened as the Bistro, it was 20-year veteran Andy who came on board as head chef.

The Fitzroy pub now focuses on making the best use of the rotisserie with a menu that’s reminiscent of a “great old British boozer”.

Andy’s dish of flathead reps Melbourne’s love of seafood. The fish used changes regularly, but is always sustainable and local. “When people come into the pub, they want to see pub food,” he says.

Andy returns to the theme of his colleagues: that classics are back in style, and adds that he doesn’t think we have reached peak burger. “People will travel a long way for a burger, and the burger here [at Cutler & Co] is one of our best sellers,” he says.

“The weather in Melbourne is quite extreme compared to Sydney – it gets super hot and super cold – so you get different vegetables working here. And when it’s really cold outside you can put on some hearty meals”

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

The head chef has worked at every restaurant in the group except for Supernormal Canteen, and he says being in touch with so many head chefs helps them all stay abreast of what’s going on within the industry.

When it comes to backing one of his colleagues’ dishes currently coming out of the Cutler & Co kitchen for us all, he too is firmly in the calamari and XO sauce camp. “You’re taking a sustainable product caught locally in Port Phillip Bay, then you have the mix of the Asian ingredients with classic Australian native produce,” he says. “I think that pretty much sums up the cultural mix of Melbourne right now.”

t ig e r a ir f l ie s <M E A T S M I T H ’ S CL ASSIC COQ AU VIN

to Melbourne from nine destinations; tigerair.com.au

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Ingenia Holidays It’s the perfect time to book your next adventure at Ingenia Holidays Cairns Coconut.

With great facilities & loads of free activities, it’s no wonder TripAdvisor just ranked Cairns Coconut in the top 25 resorts for families worldwide! Choose from a wide variety of accommodation to suit all budgets and travellers. Head to the website and take advantage of our STAY 4 PAY 3 offer available for a strictly limited time. ingeniaholidays.com.au (07) 4085 9073 @ingeniaholidays

Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures

Divers Den

Hartley’s is famous for its educational and entertaining wildlife shows.

Situated 45 minutes north of Cairns, and 20 minutes south of Port Douglas.

Enjoy a boat cruise in a natural lagoon to see crocodiles. See the amazing Crocodile Attack Show one of the many highlights. Also see cassowaries, kangaroos and emus, koalas and wombats, reptiles from abroad, & our sustainable crocodile farm.

ReefQuest, fully equipped with the latest state of the art facilities, for unrivalled comfort and safety as you visit some of the most vibrant sites on The Great Barrier Reefs. These unique sites offer superb coral formations and an abundance of marine life, where you have the opportunity to swim amongst the underwater locals. ReefQuest offers snorkelling, divers 3 dives, Nitrox tanks, buddy diving!

crocodileadventures.com (07) 4055 3576 reservations@crocodileadventures.com

diversden.com.au (07) 4046 7333 info@diversden.com.au

DESTINATION CAIRNS

DE S T IN AT ION C A IR N S F ION A

is a Cairns-based travel writer who is on a fitness bent in her North Queensland home

weekend warriors ONE

DESTINATION, TWO DIFFERENT FUN VS FITNESS

ADVENTURES

LISA

is Fionaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s friend who is foregoing the fitness for some fun in the sun

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L UNCH AT TH A L A BE ACH

HIKING THE RED A RROW TR AIL Starting the weekend with some footpowered elevation, I step it out on the Red Arrow trail on Mount Whitfield, one of four well-known hiking trails a few minutes from downtown Cairns.

It takes about an hour to complete the circuit, and I finish my walk with a wander down the boardwalk at nearby Centenary Lakes.

EL LIS BE ACH S WIM Driving north, I dive into the Coral Sea at Ellis Beach, tasting the salt on my lips from tropical waters that wash over the Great Barrier Reef, savouring North Queensland’s laidback vibe on this perfect palmfringed beach. With the top down and the wind in our hair we leave the city behind after Ellis Beach and unleash the throbbing, guttural grunt of our Ruby Red GT V8 Mustang Convertible.

The Mustang’s tyres grip the asphalt as we twist and turn through the gracious curves of the Great Barrier Reef Drive, bound for Thala Beach Nature Reserve and lunch high among the treetops at Osprey’s Restaurant (thalabeach.com.au).

F ION A

starts with a hike, grabs lunch in nature and does some laps

f r id ay

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TH A L A L UNCH

PA R AGLIDER S AT RE X L OOKOUT

L E T THE GOOD TIMES ROL L And the fun begins. The fabulous folk from Cairns Luxury Car Hire (cairnsluxurycarhire.com.au) drop our car off at Riley, the hotel we’ll be checking into later today. And what a beauty she is! Ruby is her name, but she ain’t no kitten. This GT V8 Mustang Convertible has the roar of a lion and turns heads when she takes off. Open roads, here we come.

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There’s no better feeling than having the top down and the wind in your hair as we wind our way north along the stunning ocean road, Great Barrier Reef to our right, World Heritage-listed rainforest to our left. En route, we make a stop at Rex Lookout to take in the stunning coastal views and paragliders whooshing above.

Only 10 minutes from Port Douglas we arrive at the stunning Thala Beach Nature Reserve. Nestled in the bush, Thala is a unique eco resort with a private beach, and is listed by National Geographic as one of the Unique Lodges of the World. It’s an equally fabulous place to just drop in and enjoy lunch, dinner, or a cocktail or two.

DESTINATION CAIRNS

DINNER AT PA PER CR A NE

S WIMMING L A PS AT RIL E Y HOTEL Returning to Cairns and the city’s newest five-star hotel, Riley by Crystalbrook Collection (crystalbrookcollection.com), the first thing I do is knock out a dozen laps in the 25-metre lap pool section of the gigantic lagoon-style swimming pool. The alluring pool forms the focal point of the U-shaped hotel and is dotted with sun lounges shaded by palm trees. I find one with my name on it and settle in for some sun worshipping.

C YCLING THE ESPL A N A DE Tossing somie tights over my stillwet bikini, I grab one of the pedalpowered cruiser-style bicycles and cycle The Esplanade, dodging fitness junkies working up a sweat at exercise stations, beach volleyball, a rock-climbing wall and some tennis courts. Others are cooling down in The Lagoon while kids clamber over public artworks paying homage to the Great Barrier Reef.

15:00

After taking in the sunset at rooftop bar Rocco, we take a table on the patio at Paper Crane, As chefs whip up an Asian-fusion storm in the open kitchen we feast on share plates of sizzling Korean beef, Indian chicken curry, spicy Isaan calamari and vegetable gyoza.

17:00

19:00

LISA

hires a Mustang, hits a five-star resort and has sunset cocktails

SUNSE T COCK TAIL S AT ROCCO

A LIT TL E SLICE OF L UXUR Y If walking into Cairns’ newest five-star resort and receiving a very warm welcome wasn’t impressive enough, then the view on checking into our room would definitely do the trick. With a balcony overlooking the impressive 1,000-square-metre swimming lagoon and man-made beach below, and views out to the Coral Sea, I find myself asking: can we stay another night?

As amazing as our room view is, an even better one awaits upstairs – sunset cocktails at Rocco, Cairns’ highest rooftop bar and restaurant. There’s a range of cocktails to choose from, but “Puckerup” is the winner: Tablelands honey, freshly squeezed citrus, 666 Pure Vodka and pomegranate garnished with an aromatic rose blossom spritz and a dehydrated rose petal.

DINNER AT PA PER CR A NE As soon as I walk into the restaurant, the aromas drifting out of the kitchen hit me and I know it’s going to be a difficult choice as to what to eat. I’m not disappointed. The menu is Asian-inspired, but takes advantage of tropical Queensland’s fresh produce.

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DE VONSHIRE TE A AT L A K E B A RRINE

PA RK RUN A ROUND THE ESPL A N A DE Hundreds of thousands of runners hit the pavement every Saturday morning at Parkrun (parkrun.com.au) in 20 countries, and I join the 300-odd Cairns Parkrunners for a casual five-kilometre trot around The Esplanade. The sun rises over Trinity Bay casting palm-frond shadows. Keeping things raw and simple, I build my own smoothie at Greenfields: mango, lime, coconut milk and banana.

ATHER TON TA BL EL A NDS ROA D TRIP The lush rolling hills of Atherton Tablelands are known as the food bowl of North Queensland. With a dairy industry at the top of its game, decadently rich milk comes with a dense layer of cream on top, biodynamic yoghurts are chemical-free and chocolates are hand-made from locally grown cacao.

Forget the diet – this stuff is too good not to guzzle.

Lake Barrine Teahouse (lakebarrine.com.au) on the edge of a crater lake is famous for Devonshire Tea and scones topped with dollops of local cream (again!) and house-made jam.

It’d be rude not to drop into the 80-year-old teahouse before driving the winding switchbacks of the Gillies Highway, descending 800 metres to sea level as we return to Cairns.

F ION A

hits the pavement, hits the road and grabs Devonshire tea

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EL ÉME DAY SPA The perfect start to a day – after a delicious breakfast (think fresh locally sourced produce with wholesome options that tantalise the taste buds), it’s a very short stroll to Riley’s Eléme Day Spa, where I experience one of the most amazing manicures – a pamper session like no other! I lay down, relaxing with soothing eye cover and listening to soft music while my arms, hands and nails enter manicure heaven.

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GR A NITE GORGE Pamper session finished and feeling like a queen, it’s road-tripping time. You can’t have a set of wheels like Ruby and not hit the open roads to really enjoy that sexy V8 power! First stop, Granite Gorge (granitegorge.com.au), a privately owned nature park about 12 kilometres from Mareeba and a short drive off the main highway. There are few places where you can get up close and personal with super cute rock wallabies in the wild and hand-feed them.

HIS TORIC PEER A MON HOTEL Next stop is the historic Peeramon Hotel, a short drive from the quaint country town of Yungaburra, a tranquil and picturesque village situated 720 metres above sea level.

This rustic hotel was nearly destroyed during Cyclone Larry, but fortunately it was able to be restored.

DESTINATION CAIRNS SUNDOWNER S AT FOX Y ’S B A R SNORK EL LING ON FIT ZROY ISL A ND Replacing the convertible with a boat, next we head to Fitzroy Island (fitzroyisland.com), a lush, mountainous tropical island a half-hour boat ride away and check into a beachfront cabin. Surrounded by coral reef, the island offers a tantalising taster to the Great Barrier Reef, and we dive right in. As it’s marine stinger season, I slip into a stinger suit before snorkelling around Shark Fin Bay (not as scary as it sounds – it’s named after a fin-shaped boulder on the beach).

Foxy’s Bar is a sort of flashback to the 80s with its pub food menu, bistro-style service and a dancefloor taking centre stage as an ageing rocker thumps his electric guitar.

But we’re not here to dance – we’re here to kick back and enjoy the view. Foxy’s is all about its dreamy beachfront location with ocean and mainland mountain views framed by palm trees.

14:00

DINNER AT ZEPH Y R By the time we sit down for dinner on the patio at waterfront Zephyr Restaurant, I’m ravenous. Torn between a spinach cheese soufflé and scallop croquette for entrée, I opt for the soufflé followed by North Queensland lamb shank on a bed of creamy smoked eggplant.

A glass of sem sav washes it down nicely as darkness descends over the tropics.

17:30

20:00

LISA

starts with a spa treatment, takes in some history and goes to Fitzroy Island

SUNDOWNER S

COCK TAIL TIME

GOODBY E RUBY, HEL L O FIT ZROY Just a quick road trip today as we make our way down the winding Gillies mountain range and back to Cairns. All good things must come to an end, and it’s now time to say goodbye to our Ruby Red Mustang and enjoy the wind-in-hair, salt-on-skin 45-minute boat ride to Fitzroy Island.

A tropical island stay isn’t quite complete without relaxing by the resort pool and a refreshing dip (exclusive for resort guests) while enjoying a refreshing cocktail from the swim-up pool bar.

With so many activities available on Fitzroy Island, you have the choice of being super active or chilled out and relaxed. Regardless of which option you choose, the perfect way to end any day on a tropical island is with bubbles in hand while watching the sun set over the glistening Coral Sea and the mountains on the mainland.

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FIT ZROY ISL A ND SUMMIT HIK E Fitzroy Island has a network of hiking trails, and the best one for viewing the sunrise is the Summit Trail, which takes about 30 minutes from our cabin to the lookout on the island’s highest point. The reward for the sweat is a spectacular 360-degree view of the sea and mountains surrounding Cairns. I arrive in time to see a big ball of orange rising above the horizon, casting a warm glow across the Coral Sea.

NUDE Y BE ACH SNORK EL A serial overachiever on Australia’s best beaches lists, Nudey Beach is bookended by granite boulders that create intimate coves. I don a snorkel and mask, poke around the rocks and watch the crabs scurry for cover as I invade their territory. Don’t be confused by the name – Nudey Beach is not “clothing optional”. Swimmers are definitely required!

PUBLIC A R T WA L K A ROUND C AIRNS Returning to Cairns with a sun-kissed glow, I lace up my walking shoes for a self-guided tour of the Sea Walls Artists for Oceans project that sees carparks and bland concrete walls transformed across the city.

My favourite is the beguiling multi-coloured Enigmatic Emanations oversized mural by artist Vans The Omega (@vanstheomega), inspired by scuba diving adventures on the Great Barrier Reef.

F ION A

watches sunrise, heads to one of the country’s best beaches and has dinner at an aquarium

S UND AY

09:00

11:00

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C AIRNS TUR TL E REH A BILITATION CENTRE

TUR TL E HUNTING Not far from the shoreline turtles pop their little heads up and many swim among the snorkellers, so I hire a kayak and go for a paddle to see if I can spot one up close. Just as awesome as spotting a little turtle popping its head up out of the water is glancing back to shore at the tropical, palm-tree-lined beach.

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I drop into the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre (cairnsturtlerehab.org.au) to see first-hand the amazing work the volunteers are doing rehabilitating sea turtles that have been found sick or injured. The Great Barrier Reef is home to six of the world’s seven species of marine turtles, and this non-for-profit organisation is dedicated not only to their rehabilitation and release, but also public education on man-created threats the turtles face.

FROM THE WATER TO THE AIR When I get the opportunity to squeeze a quick 30-minute scenic helicopter ride into my itinerary with Nautilus Aviation (nautilusaviation.com.au) after returning from Fitzroy Island, I jump at the chance. There’s nothing like a front-seat aerial view over the Great Barrier Reef.

DESTINATION CAIRNS

ROPES CH A L L ENGE A ND ZIPLINING AT C AIRNS ZOOM For a thrill, I strap myself into a harness and clamber through a challenging ropes course before ziplining over the snapping chops of star attraction Goliath, a 4.5-metre saltwater crocodile at Cairns ZOOM & Wildlife Dome (cairnszoom.com.au). I’m relieved to swing past to solid ground.

14:00

C AIRNS AQUA RIUM TUR TL E REH A B HOSPITA L The pace is a little more serene at the Cairns Aquarium (cairnsaquarium.com.au) and I’m mesmerised by jellyfish that seem to dance in the currents, clownfish that dart in and out of anemones and iridescent spotted rays that glide gracefully across the sand.

The Turtle Rehab Centre is home to green sea turtle Midori, who was brought in suffering from starvation.

16:00

DINNER AT DUNDEES AT THE C AIRNS AQUA RIUM With the tropical aquarium casting a deep, sea-tinged glow over our table, it seems a little unfair to be tucking into cider-battered prawns along with a sand crab and avocado tart as marine critters look on. Dining at Cairns’ newest restaurant, Dundee’s at the Cairns Aquarium, I guiltily avoid eye contact with a lonesome adorable teeny pink snapper eyeballing me and wolf it all down eagerly.

19:00

LISA

CROCODIL E DUNDEE

HOR SING A BOUT

ZOOM ZOOM An ATV mightn’t be as fast as a helicopter, but boy oh boy, it’s just as much fun. What a thrill to zoom around the rainforest, by a billabong and through the cane fields with fabulous mountain views ahead! Blazing Saddles (blazingsaddles.com.au) has it all, and if ATVing isn’t your thing, you can jump on a horse instead.

Not having had the opportunity to dive while at Fitzroy Island, I wanted to visit the Cairns Aquarium to check out all the amazing critters that live beneath the waves on the Great Barrier Reef. Imagine my surprise when I come across a horse bobbing around in the water...

With a name like Dundee’s, it just seems fitting to order an entrée of crocodile spring rolls. Dundee’s is well-known in Cairns, and we were excited to be one of the first to dine at their newly opened restaurant, Dundee’s at the Cairns Aquarium.

checks in with some turtles, takes a helicopter ride and ends with dinner at Dundee’s

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

tigertales@citrusmedia.com.au

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LIGHTHOUSE ROAD TRIP

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LIGHTHOUSE ROAD TRIP

Shine a light The lighthouses along the eastern Victorian coast are some of the best coastal real estate in the country.

Paul Chai takes a lighthouse-to-lighthouse road trip.

PHOTO VISIT VICTORIA

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L

ike the US flag planted on the moon by Neil Armstrong, lighthouses stake a claim as some of the most uncompromisingly beautiful places we have ever visited. On the edges of the world, these windswept towers have provided safe harbour, navigational assistance and weather observations. And now, they have a new job: accommodating travellers.

Once built to repel ships in danger, they’re now drawing in tourists like moths to their oversized lights. There’s a romance to lighthouses. They inspire dramatic fiction like The Light Between Oceans; they represent the harsh beauty of places where land and see collide, and they make us think of the stoicism and isolation of the early lighthouse keepers.

“I think people like lighthouses because they are symbolic of security and a fixed place and coming home safely,” says Leo Op Den Brouw, the modern Parks Victoria guardian of Gabo Island lighthouse.

“You know that what you are doing here is part of something bigger. You are connected to all those ships that are going past – though probably more so in the early days. “

LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS FOR A DAY AT GABO ISLAND

Times have changed now. GPS has essentially replaced the lighthouse keeper and the lights are solar-powered, plastic and many times dimmer than their predecessors, but what remains is the architectural wonder, the rich history and the rugged beauty of these ultimate waterfront properties.

And the allure of a less-digital age. In an era of disconnection, it’s good to remember there was a time when your safe passage along this dangerous coast was in the hands of a string of human beings manning these often lonely, and always labourintensive, beacons of protection.

We’re navigating between lighthouses on the Gippsland coast in eastern Victoria, but by car instead of ship. Starting at Mallacoota, six hours east of Melbourne, we’ll head east, taking in the lighthouses at Point Hicks, Cape Liptrap and, finally, Cape Schanck on the Mornington Peninsula. Where possible, our stays will be the accommodation once reserved for the lighthouse keepers themselves.

Island life Our first stop is Gabo Island, a lightstation (the complex of lighthouse and accommodations) located at a particularly dangerous spot where the Southern Ocean, Tasman Sea and Coral Sea all meet in a swirl of seawater most perilous to early sailors.

The only dangers my kids can think of, though, is a Spinosaurus as we arrive on the island and they

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LIGHTHOUSE ROAD TRIP

“Technology has all but replaced the lighthouse keeper, but what remains is the architectural wonder, the rich history, and the rugged beauty of these ultimate waterfront properties”

start humming the Jurassic Park theme. We’ve left the car in Mallacoota and flown to the island on a six-seater Piper Cherokee plane, touching down on the island’s airstrip that’s reminiscent of a scene in the dinosaur movie franchise. Then Leo picks us up in his all-terrain Polaris vehicle and the humming starts up once again.

Gabo Island lighthouse was first lit in 1862.

It’s made from the pink granite that surrounds it, with walls eight feet thick. The island sits so close to the Victoria-NSW border that, for years, when the border was disputed, lighthouse keepers suffered famine while the states squabbled over who should pay for their lunch.

Walking up to the assistant lighthouse keeper’s cottage – our home for the next two nights – you can imagine how cut off the lighthouse keepers would feel. We just took an eight-minute flight, but in the light’s early days supplies would only come by boat, and only when the weather allowed it. But the accommodation is warm and feels like it was once a family home. Made from the same red granite as the lighthouse, the three-bedroom house is decorated with seal skulls, feathers and ephemera that add to the wild feel of the island.

From the back balcony we can see a group of Australian fur seals on the red rocks, eyeing off a rival New Zealand fur seal colony a few bays over, staring balefully at each other like wallabies and All-Blacks fans at a match. It also has the “best bathroom in Australia”, according to Leo, with a floor-to-ceiling window looking out onto the seal-dotted shore. At night, the only inhabitants of the island are us and the Parks Victoria ranger. ê

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LIGHTHOUSE ROAD TRIP CAPE SCHANCK’S RED ROOF

After checking out the house, the kids climb over slabs of granite – they still have the drill holes from the 19th century quarry work – to get to the seal cove. Keeping a safe distance, we watch them slip in off the rocks and play. On the way back, we discover a seal skeleton and the remains of a wild dolphin. Take that, Airbnb.

I think the state national park bodies have some of the most striking accommodation in Australia; untamed, off-the-grid stays that were once remote shearers’ quarters or working lighthouse cottages like ours. Places with history and unbeatable geography.

After our rock scramble, Leo – who has cared for the island for over two decades – takes us on a tour of the lighthouse itself, its smooth parabolic curve more evident up close. Gabo Island lighthouse at sunset sees the pink granite glow, and the view from the 47-metre-high tower is spectacular, both back across island and out to sea However, Leo warns that the weather is not always this kind. He points to a rusting anchor located at the front of the cottages from the Monumental City, a steam ship that ran aground on nearby Tullaberga Island.

For the next two days we explore Gabo Island by foot, doing jetty jumps into water at the island’s private beach; exploring the remains of the old tip,

GIVE IT A SWIRL: THE STAIRS AT POINT HICKS LIGHTHOUSE

where rusted metal and old crockery blend with the pink rocks; and dipping a toe in the water of the bay where the New Zealand fur seals swim cautiously nearby.

It’s not the right season to spot the fairy penguins that regularly come ashore, but that’s just a good excuse to come back.

Getting to the point It’s back in the car for our next stay, the assistant keeper’s cottage at Point Hicks Lighthouse in the Croajingalong National Park. But the road out to this outpost is little more than dirt track and was only built in the 1960s. The lighthouse has been helping sailors since 1890 and the cottages were built soon after made with wood that was salvaged from a shipwreck. There are two assistant keepers cottages – Eastwinds and Westwinds – plus the head keeper’s residence, as in its heyday Point Hicks was a three-man job. But it was hardly a plum posting; it was so remote that even lighthouse keepers considered it a demotion. ê

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Y O U ’ L L

B E

D A N C I N G

s e n i H a i Marc STARRING

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LIGHTHOUSE ROAD TRIP

“Point Hicks lighthouse has been helping sailors since 1890, and the cottages were built soon after, made with wood that was salvaged from a shipwreck” The accommodation, which was only recently returned to Parks Victoria’s management, is homey and comfortable with a 180-degree horizon view from the sturdy furniture on the back porch.

We may not be on an island here, but with the lighthouse wedged between the accommodation we feel more exposed, more at the whim of the elements. That’s perhaps aided by the duck-egg blue-and-white paint job, where the house feels almost like an extension of the cloudy skies. We’re greeted by blue fairy wrens that land between our feet, very at home on the stoop of Eastwinds.

Each Australian lighthouse is different. Many copy the shapes of their wave-battered cousins in Europe, despite being much higher up on the mainland. The sea is unlikely to crash against this white concrete tower, but it’s ready just in case. The feature of Point Hicks is the spiral staircase bolted to the sides of the lighthouse walls, with no central column, so you can get a vertigo-inducing view straight down, or up, as you climb the 162 steps to the top.

Now, you can’t tour lighthouses without learning about the Chance Brothers who sent their prefab

FAIRY WRENS AND WOMBATS FOR NEIGHBOURS

lighthouse lights out to Australia from their base in Birmingham in the UK. Unlike Gabo Island, which had a more modern light, Point Hicks rocks a Chance Brothers First Order light, and you can see small numbers printed on the lens that aided with assembly. The First Order is the Holden Kingswood for lighthouse nuts – a common classic. Sadly, the light is no longer in use.

That afternoon, we take a short walk out to West Beach, past the wreckage of the SS Saros and the SS Kerangie through a series of middens left by the traditional owners. Once on the beach, we brave the cold water and make shelters out of the ample driftwood.

The next day we get a taste of some weather as a blustery wind whistles down into the flue of our open fire, the perfect setting for a ghost story from Parks Victoria Lightstation Officer Paul Harper.

The tale involves Kristofferson, a keeper from the 1940s. A keen crayfisherman, Kristofferson went out to check the craypots one night and never returned. Soon after, people started hearing loud footsteps in the lighthouse when no one was around to make them. “I’m not into ghosts, but something was happening here,” Paul says.

“We had a succession of nights where we kept turning the stairway lights off in the lighthouse and they would be turned back on.”

Four years ago, Kristofferson’s younger sister died and her family called the lighthouse to tell them that, on her deathbed, she confessed suspicions her brother had been murdered ê

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LIGHTHOUSE ROAD TRIP THE REL ATIVE MODERNIT Y OF CAPE LIPTRAP LIGHTHOUSE, FROM 1913

after his wife was having an affair with the assistant lighthouse keeper next door. Once this knowledge was public, Kristofferson, and his noisy boots, shuffled off.

Guiding lights

The pitstops THE RIVERSLEIGH

B E A R G U L LY C O A S T A L C O T T A G E S

On the edge of Bairnsdale, overlooking the Mitchell River, this stately family home is now a Victorian-era boutique stay with high-ceilinged rooms, some with ornate balconies. Wander across the courtyard and dine at The Loft, whose fresh local menu – get the pasta if you have only one dish – highlights Gippsland produce. riversleigh.com.au; theloftcafeandrestaurant.com.au

These charming beachfront cottages, daylight pouring in from the soaring gabled roof, have rare and uncompromising views of Wilsons Promontory and a backyard full of the eponymous koalas, as well as wallabies and echidnas. Walk down the track to the rock pools at sunset for the full experience. beargullycottages.com.au

THE THICK WALLS OF POINT HICKS LIGHTHOUSE IN GIPPSL AND

MERIMBUL A AIR SERVICES Based on the NSW side of the border, if you’re worried about getting a boat to Gabo Island, this is the safer option. They also do scenic flights around the island. mairserv.com.au

By going to extremes, you pass things you’d otherwise miss, such as the view back on to Wilsons Promontory staying at Bear Gully Cottages. We’re staying here to get to Cape Liptrap Coastal Park and its resident lighthouse.

This beacon is a newcomer relative to our recent stays, built in 1913. It sits on a rocky outcrop on the peninsula. There are no tours or accommodation here; it’s just another link in the connect-the-dots puzzle of lights along the coast, the idea being that when you left the light of one lighthouse you would enter the beam of the next one. That help was never far away.

The following morning we drive to Cape Schanck and climb the stairs of our final lighthouse, built in 1859 from the local limestone. If the Point Hicks First Order light is a Kingswood, Cape Schanck’s Chance Brothers light is a Rolls-Royce, sitting as it does in the huge bath of mercury used to help the light silently turn. The original light is still in use too, which is rare these days.

Lighthouses have been feted in novels, been painted by artists and starred in films, but they were a hard graft for those who ran them, as the frightening handholds on the dome of the Cape Schanck lighthouse attest – or the fact that the lighthouse had to be wound up by hand every half-hour like a giant watch.

There were over 400 lights around Australia’s 36,000 kilometres of coastline, and it was a noble job keeping ships afloat, but so too is the job Parks Victoria now has as the caretaker of this maritime history. And one of the best ways to experience this is to play keeper for a day at these wild and wonderful places.

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

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E S T. 1 9 9 9

small Good things come in teeny-tiny packages, discovers Jenny Hewett, as she checks out the new trend in off-grid holidays: mini cabins designed to help you disconnect from your phone and reconnect with nature.

PHOTOS CABN LIFE

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OFF-GRID GETAWAYS

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OFF-GRID GETAWAYS

I

’m a hot mess – blissfully happy, standing in the middle of remote wilderness in nothing but my underwear. I could easily make a habit out of this.

It’s a stuffy summer’s day in Kangaroo Valley, and I’m about two hours from my coastal home in Sydney. In absence of the ocean, I’ve been shedding clothes quicker than Instagram followers. My lack of modesty doesn’t seem to bother the herd of inquisitive cows that have suddenly closed in on me.

They’re quite liberated themselves, nonchalantly chomping on dandelions and trudging through the landscaped garden depositing surprise gifts. At the same time, the resident lyrebird is going three rounds with herself in the reflective facade of the ultra-moderne cubed loo. She has clearly seen it all before (no pun intended).

When the founder of tiny wilderness getaways CABN (cabnlife.com) sought to introduce the Japanese concept of forest bathing to Australia, he probably didn’t think I would take it so literally.

Or maybe he did. “There have been studies over hundreds of years that show the therapeutic benefits of shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing,” says Michael Lamprell, the Adelaide-based founder of CABN. “Our endorphin levels rise and our heart rate drops when we’re in nature. There are certain chemicals the flora and fauna emit that settle us when we breathe them in. That’s one of the biggest motivators for us as a company.”

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“Our endorphin levels rise and our heart rate drops when we’re in nature” SWITCH OFF FROM THE WORLD IN YOUR “CABN” IN THE WOODS

T H E S E W E L L- D E S I G N E D HOMES ACCENTUATE THE SIMPLE PLEASURES

WIN TE R WA RM E R D E A L The Observatory Holiday Apartments Coffs Harbour Watch whales from your balcony in the sun.

3 nights from $465 Surrounded by the unique atmosphere and vibrance of Coffs Harbour’s popular jetty area an easy walk to the beach, marina, restaurants and shopping.

1, 2 and 3 bedroom fully self-contained apartments with kitchens.

The concept is an antidote to our ever-connected world, which has become increasingly hard to shut off. According to a 2018 report by US data analytics platform Domo, more than 1.5 billion of the world’s seven billion humans are active on Facebook daily, while Instagram users share 49,380 photos every minute. We spend a lot of time on our phones.

But we’re slowly waking up. As our desire for experience and nature-based stays deepens, tiny homes and miniature, off-grid escapes are popping up in secluded locations around the country.

Whether its In2theWild’s growing collection of cozy cabins, Tilba Lake Camp’s luxe eco pods or Unyoked’s mini retreats, slow travel has never been more relevant. “We’ve got this abundance of land in Australia,” Michael says. “I think people need to experience it, and have a stronger desire to.” ê

PARAD I S E AWAI TS Book direct via phone or website for our best deals and specials.

Call us on 1300 302 776 www.theobservatory.com.au info@theobservatory.com.au

OFF-GRID GETAWAYS

Where to stay small in Australia UNYOKED Promising “minimum footprint, maximum chill”, these private wilderness cabins are scattered in rural NSW and Victoria.

Stays are rated from “mild” to “spicy” according to their adventure level, with one NSW cabin requiring a 200-metre trek through rainforest. unyoked.co

IN2THEWILD With tiny holiday homes stretching from the NSW South Coast to Newcastle, this company offers plenty of remote pockets within which to escape the noise. Most are one to three hours’ drive from Sydney, Canberra or Wollongong. in2thewild.co

TILBA L AKE CAMP A family-owned glamping spot on the far NSW Sapphire Coast, the back paddock here is home to two eco-pods, aptly crowned Bonnie and Clyde. Six hours from Sydney, it’s ideal for longer stays, and the countrymeets-coast landscape is spectacular. tilbalakecamp.com.au

CABN in the woods

“Each cabin is only as good as its privately owned location”

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NATURE, BUT WITH FOUR SOLID WALLS... PERFECT!

Hidden on a lush, elevated corner of a working farm just outside the charming town of Kangaroo Valley in the Shoalhaven region, Arabella (from $298 a night) is CABN’s second property, and the company’s debut in NSW. The first hideaway launched in South Australia in 2017; within two weeks, it was booked out for the next six months.

“That’s when I knew I was onto something,” Michael says. A third is planned for the Barossa Valley this year, followed by more in South Australia, Queensland, Victoria, and even across the pond in Queenstown.

Once you set your eyes on Arabella, you may never want to leave. But if you do, there’s plenty at your fingertips. Less than 10 minutes’ drive from the property, the town itself is an Aussie throwback featuring vintage, weatherboard shopfronts; the Friendly Inn pub; The General Cafe; and horseriding bushwalks with Man From Kangaroo Valley (kangaroovalleyhorseriding.com).

Running completely off-grid and without distractions such as Wi-Fi or TV, each of the cabins are only as good as their privately owned locations.

As a rule, each must have the trifecta of being secluded, among nature and no more than an hour and a half from a city or regional centre. ê

OFF-GRID GETAWAYS

“Some are looking for another stream of income, but most just have a beautiful plot of land that they want to share with the rest of the world,” says Michael of the property owners, most of whom now approach him to collaborate with CABN. They either receive a fee for the use of their space, or purchase their own cabin (between $50,000 to $90,000), which they can rent out via the CABN booking platform.

With its compact, all-timber design, contemporary furnishings and Star Trek-like glass-and-mirror-encased outdoor bathroom, the shoebox-luxe Arabella puts camping to shame.

And when it comes to nature immersions these days, it seems many of us are more drawn to simplicity, convenience and comfort. “I think it’s a generational thing. Some millennials have never pitched a tent. I don’t think they really want to.

So we’ve given people a way to experience all the things camping offers without having to fill a car with gear,” Michael says.

“Some millennials have never pitched a tent, and they don’t really want to”

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Tiny-home travel trend In Australia, CABN and Unyoked are essentially pioneers of the tiny-home travel movement. But while their build, design and nature offerings are each unique, they do share some things in common. All three are based on a similar model, whereby the locations are no more than a few hours from a major city and the exact whereabouts is kept secret until a few days before your stay.

Prior to my departure, I’m emailed a hand-drawn access map and GPS coordinates. Surrounded by farmland, the last 15 minutes of the drive are filled with anticipation. It’s a bit like the Russian nesting doll of arrivals; there are six farm gates to open and close behind me before I get to my prize.

And there she is: a beautiful work of compact architecture, all wood and glass, with a large firepit area, outdoor seating and plenty of grass for roaming cows (or kids and pets, both of which CABN happily accommodates). Lit up at night, the cabin glows like fading embers.

Sadly, there’s no guest manual when I arrive, which makes working out the operations a little tricky, but a copy is quickly emailed over. Beyond that minor hiccup, it’s pure serenity and as wild as can be.

Cows, lorikeets, a lyrebird and wallabies all stop by. ê

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OFF-GRID GETAWAYS

K ANGAROO VALLEY IS ONE OF THE STUNNING SURROUNDS FOR CABN

CABN isn’t the first tiny-home getaway on the market, but it’s certainly more design-led than most. Incorporating the minimalist ideals of both Japanese and Scandinavian aesthetics, Michael says the clean lines, raw timber and large windows work to bring the outside in.

“The next cabin will feature a large window that wraps across the roof and turns into a skylight,” he says. “It’s really about the cabin and nature becoming one.” Equipped with a small fridge, stovetop, barbecue, fully equipped kitchen, bath, shower and comfy bed, all you need to bring is your better half and your belly fillers.

While CABN’s ground-breaking designs and luxury mod-cons are a large part of its pulling power, the benefits are far less ephemeral than that. “The accommodation side of it, to me, is really just the vehicle,” Michael says. “What we’re trying to do is disrupt people’s thinking. I want

people to turn off their phones, even if it’s just for two hours, and to stop, look, smell and appreciate where they are and what they have.”

“It’s about being somewhat isolated from all the things we have in ordinary life. Most hotels just don’t promote that kind of emotion or activity.”

In his case, it’s a philosophy that comes straight from the heart. Having once reached a crossroads in his own life, Michael knows first-hand the importance of soul food. “I was a burnt-out executive and I was searching for something that had a lot more substance and meaning,” he says. “One of the things that’s important to me is connection with my friends and family, and I had lost a lot of that. I discovered a similar concept when I was on a study trip overseas, and it resonated with me immediately.”

After some soul-searching, it dawned on Michael that he wasn’t alone. “I was reading a book at the time called The Minimalists, and it was like the perfect storm. I was looking at ways I could find myself again. I thought to myself, ‘If I’m missing all this stuff in my life and I don’t have my balance right, I wonder how many people have that same issue and don’t even know it.’”

Turns out, a lot. But tiny-home holidays are spearheading a cultural shift. Sydney-based tiny getaway platform Unyoked currently has three properties in NSW and three in Victoria, priced from $199 a night. Co-founder Cameron Grant says that booking data emphasises the growing desire among urbanites for self-care and conscious connections. “Almost one in three of our bookings to date have been solo travellers,” Cameron says.

“They’re heading down both as way to disconnect and wander but also, interestingly, as a way to get creative juices flowing and find focus for a project or passion. We’ve seen them come to our cabins to write, practise yoga, play music, bush walk, cook, work, think and take some time to themselves in the outdoors.”

Nude or not, there’s a good chance bathing in nature will spark joy in you, too.

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

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ROUTE MAP

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melbourne (tullamarine)

hobart

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#GOLIKEALOCAL

GO LIKE A LOCAL HOBART Unbridled wilderness and historic buildings top the list of well-known Tassie attractions, but there’s plenty more to see and do in the state’s happening capital. From off-shore oyster farms to rustic cider sheds, our local legend, Theo Kapodistrias, has the inside scoop on Hobart’s hidden gems. Follow his guide to the city and beyond and go like a local with us today.

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#GOLIKEALOCAL

H O B A R T

L OC A L C A F E S A ND R E S TA UR A N T S Grab a morning bun at Pigeon Whole Bakers

Treat yourself to farm-to-table fare at The Den

Tuck in to share plates at Shambles Brewery

A mandatory morning stop for locals, Pigeon Whole Bakers is the perfect way to kick-start your stay in the Tassie capital.

Get there early to secure one of their sell-out morning buns – a flaky pastry with caramelised sugar and a hint of cardamom – or take your pick from one of the daily specials. From sourdough doughnuts to freshly baked bagels, it’s easy to see how this hole-in-the-wall cafe became a Hobart breakfast institution.

After something more refined? Trade craft beer for cocktails at The Den. Dedicated to combining Tasmania’s finest produce with Asian-inspired flavours, this trendy bar and eatery is an ideal spot for date night. Dig in to dishes like sticky duck and Scottsdale pork belly, then wash it all down with a signature drink. From Granny Smith-infused vodka to house-made gin, The Den’s killer cocktail list has every taste covered.

Beer may be the main attraction at this local brewery, but Shambles’ modern Australian menu has no problem holding its own. If you’re feeling adventurous, go for the wallaby drumsticks with curry mayo, or keep things classic with a cheeseburger and chips. Either way, with a regular rotation of seasonal ales on tap, you’ll have no trouble finding the perfect match for any taste.

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#GOLIKEALOCAL

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-thewall bars, we reviewed thousands of entries from Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Adelaide, Perth and more. 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 have. Watch our local legends as they journey through their home cities and find out how you can “go like a local”.

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L OC A L D AY T R IP S Fill up on beer and cheese on Bruny Island A paradise for foodies and adventure seekers, Bruny Island is where top-notch Tassie produce and incredible landscapes combine. Fuel your adventure with a bite and a beer at Bruny Island Cheese Co., then head to Get Shucked to sample oysters straight from the sea. When you’re ready to walk off your lunch, head to the Neck Lookout to see the headland between North and South Bruny Island split the sea in two.

Spy local critters on a wilderness cruise Hop aboard a wilderness cruise and see another side of Bruny Island. Departing from Adventure Bay, this three-hour wilderness tour takes in everything from towering sea

cliffs to deep sea caves, with dolphins, seals and whales to spot along the way. And, if you find yourself peckish once you arrive back at the terminal, Bruny Island Cruises’ on-site restaurant serves up fresh-caught seafood with a cracking view.

Visit a cider shed in the Huon Valley If you want to sample local produce without heading offshore, make the 45-minute trip to the Huon Valley instead. Home to providores and cellar doors – not to mention world-famous Tassie salmon – this small community is chock-full of places where you can fill a picnic basket. Willie Smith’s Apple Shed pours some of the best cider in the state – all with house-made charcuterie boards and share plates.

#GOLIKEALOCAL

H O B A R T

L OC A L A C T I V I T IE S Discover weird and wonderful art at Mona After you’ve feasted on Hobart’s finest, it’s time to feast your eyes on the city’s most talked-about attraction: The Museum of Old and New Art. Better known as Mona, this “subversive adult Disneyland” is far more than your average art gallery, with avant-garde exhibits, genre-bending festivals and a winery and brewery all located on-site.

Get close to the weather at kunanyi / Mount Wellington Prefer Mother Nature to modern art?

With some of the country’s most coveted national parks on its doorstep, you don’t

have to go far to find wilderness in Hobart.

And while kunanyi / Mount Wellington’s natural beauty is no secret, there’s more than one way to trek to the top. Follow the Lenah Valley Track to reach Sphinx Rock, or hike to the summit instead. Rising more than 4,000 feet above sea level, this challenging trail will bring you closer to the clouds than the city below – with the panoramic views to prove it.

See another side of Hobart’s historic waterfront After you’ve seen the city from the sky, join a guided kayak tour and paddle your way to a new perspective. Departing from the heart of the city daily, these

2.5-hour tours let you see Hobart’s working waterfront in action, along with historic homes, sailing ships and the harbour’s resident seal, Sammy. To top it all off, you’ll get to cruise up to the city’s famous floating fish punts and tuck in to fish and chips from the best seat in town.

F LY T O H O B A R T W I T H U S Don’t wait to explore Tassie’s happening capital. Check out our latest deals on cheap flights to Hobart and book your local getaway today; tigerair.com.au

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