Tigertales June - July 2017 by Citrus Media

tigertales

TAKE ME AWAY

Australia | June – July 2017

HOMETOWN SOUNDS ➔ Adit, from Horrorshow, and other producers make us a playlist for the city they live in

COAST TO COAST

W E E K E N D WAR R IOR S

ALL WHITE ALREADY

Take a motorhome trip around Tasmania

Two very different travellers take on Cairns

It’s snow time in the Australian Alps

Luxur y has arrived on the Whitsunday Coast...

F LY D I R E C T T O T H E W H I T S U N D AY C O A S T W I T H T I G E R A I R

OPENING SPECIALS FROM $200 PER NIGHT [ 1300 847 244 | 277 Shute Harbour Road, A i r l i e B e a c h Q L D 4 8 0 2

hearthotelwhitsundays.com.au ]

WELCOME ON BOARD

New Perth to Brisbane route Welcome on board and we hope you have a great journey with Tigerair today

igerair's route map has continued to expand in recent times, meaning you have more destinations to choose from when flying with us. From June 1, Tigerair has commenced the only low-cost services between Brisbane and Perth, providing customers with a reliable and affordable option on one of Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s longest, and traditionally most expensive, domestic air travel routes. A standard schedule of four weekly return services, increasing up to six times weekly in peak periods such as school holidays, will operate on this route. In late May, we also announced a new route between Brisbane and Canberra, with three weekly return services to operate between the two destinations. Further route developments are expected in the coming months, so keep posted for more exciting updates in this space. In the last issue, I mentioned that we had launched services between Brisbane and the Whitsundays in late March. Tropical Cyclone Debbie affected the region shortly afterwards, however the majority of the beautiful Whitsundays has already reopened for business, which is a real testament to everyone involved in the recovery efforts. Tigerair Australia played a small part in supporting Tourism Whitsundays in their recovery efforts, including sponsoring three major events in the region. We were proud to be the official airline partner of the Cyclone

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tigerair Australia is pleased to be able to make travel more affordable and accessible than ever beforeâ&#x20AC;? Debbie recovery concert in Airlie Beach on May 27, while we are also the major sponsor of the Whitsunday Tourism Awards in September and the major airline partner of the Airlie Beach Festival of Music in November. Tigerair Australia is pleased to be able to make travel more affordable and accessible than ever before with our great value fares, however we also understand that you want more than just low fares when travelling. Reliability is another key factor and we have been the most on-time low-cost carrier in the 24 months leading up to the end of April 2017 and have the lowest cancelattion rate of all major domestic carriers over the same time period. For the best value deals with Tigerair, remember to plan ahead and book early as fares will generally rise

as demand increases closer into the travel date. Also remember to sign up for our free e-newsletter or follow us on social media (Twitter: @TigerairAU, Facebook: Tigerair Australia, Instagram: @tigerairaustralia) to be the first to hear about all Tigerair news and special deals. If you're travelling with us and take a great Tigerair-related photo, feel free to hashtag #tigerairau on Instagram, as we're always looking for great customer content to promote via our social media channels. Happy travels, and we look forward to seeing you back onboard in the near future.

Rob Sharp, Tigerair Australia CEO

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CONTENTS

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

darwin fun Escape the cold at the Royal Darwin Show.

94 ENCOUNTER

w h i t s u n d ay s Check out what's new at Airlie Beach.

39 TIGER AIR GUIDE

PERTH FOOD Find the best spots for a winter warmer.

F E AT U R E

city sounds Discover the perfect playlist to represent Sydney. F E AT U R E

snow season See the top picks of the alpine region.

48 76

Splurge on Hobart's Henry Jones Art Hotel

Editorial & Art Editor Paul Chai Designer Cynthia Lau Creative Director Stephanie Goh Sub Editor Adam Scroggy Production Manager Ian Scott Cover photo Adit from Horrorshow, photographed by Trent van der Jagt

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Advertising Commercial Manager Joe Bird (02) 9186 9104 jbird@citrusmedia.com.au Printed by Bluestar Web

Management Financial Controller Stuart Harle Director Jim Flynn Publisher Steve Maidens (02) 8188 3670 steve@citrusmedia.com.au 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

© 2017 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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NAA: A1500, K28405

Find the unexpected at the Archives See ASIO surveillance photographs, footage from Mr Squiggle and banned books, among other treasures in our galleries.

Relax with a coffee and cake in our Visitors Lounge, and pick up quirky gifts from our Archives Store.

Begin your family history journey in our reading room.

All within our beautiful heritage-listed building.

Free entry | open daily 9amâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;5pm | (02) 6212 3600 | naa.gov.au Queen Victoria Terrace, Parkes ACT

THE POINTY END We have your next great travel stor y

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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

BARS

MU S IC

W H I T E HAR T At the end of Melbourne’s Whitehart Lane is a bar that ups the ante on the city's love of shipping containers. There are two containers stacked on top of each other using steel beams, and drinks come in large tiki mugs. Melbourne 22 Whitehart Lane; whitehartbar.com.au

K I N G S WO O D Melbourne rockers Kingswood are cranking up a regional tour in Tasmania and New South Wales throughout July. The band will be touring their album After Hours, Close to Dawn, which Rolling Stone called of the 50 most anticipated albums of 2017. Various locations July 6-29; moshtix.com.au

H O LE Y M O LE Y G O LF C LU B Play some next-level puttputt at this new Melbourne bar that has two floors of quirky holes that include a Pacman theme, a Simpsons couch and a hole where your ball ends up inside a pinball machine. The Caddyshack Bar acts as the clubhouse. Melbourne (and Brisbane) 590 Little Bourke Street; holeymoley.com.au

FA MILY W I N T E R F E S T I VAL Esplanade Park in Fremantle is one of the locations that will be turned into a winter wonderland during the colder months. Attractions include Australia’s biggest outdoor ice rink and falling snow. Various locations throughout winter; winterfestival.com.au

EVENTS OZ COMIC-CON The international geekfest rolls into the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre starring Sherilyn Fenn of the recently revived Twin Peaks, as well as the usual cosplay and gaming. Comic-Con then moves to Brisbane in September and Sydney in October. Melbourne, July 1-2; ozcomiccon.com

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AU S T R AL I A N F E S T I VAL O F C HA M B E R M U S I C This acclaimed festival has concerts, collaborations, conversations and masterclasses that will be performed by the world’s best chamber musicians in churches, theatres, gardens and on the stunning Orpheus Island. Townsville, July 28 to August 5; afcm.com.au

SYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL “From the heart of the ancient Pilbara, to the rubble of besieged Aleppo, or messages from the universe delivered 40 years later, filmmakers go to incredible lengths to inspire, enlighten and entertain us,” says Nashen Moodley, SFF director. Check it out. June 7-18; sff.org.au

M E LB O U R N E S TAR ’ S S K AT E & F LY The winter Skate & Fly package from the Melbourne Star Observation Wheel lets kids take a spin on the wheel before pulling on their skates and heading for the ice skating rink at O’Brien Group Arena. Melbourne throughout winter; melbournestar.com

magnetic island

.. we fish... we explore... . l e k r o we sn Join us on our

DISCOVERY TOUR NO LONG TRAVEL TIMES,

JUST FUN

CALL 0439 785 216 www.aquascenecharters.com.au

Come on an adventure with Aquascene. We specialize in fun, personalized and informative tours that combine snorkelling, fishing and exploring…..suitable for everyone! An “up close and personal” experience as you discover the natural beauty of Magnetic Island from above and below the water. Visit scenic bays, secluded beaches and stunning granite boulder headlands. Snorkel fringing reefs and meet some local wildlife. Experience a lifetime of local knowledge and “secret” spots as we share with you this beautiful Island we have called home for over 30 years.

Rambutan Townsville 113-119 Flinders St Townsville 07 4771 6915 Rambutan combines luxury hostel and hotel style accommodation with a vibrant restaurant and bar, making it the hottest place to stay and play in Townsville

THE POINTY END

Experience Magnetic Island

WORDS JOANNE BROOKFIELD

“V

isually, Magnetic Island has got it,” says our captain, Adam – and we soon discover he's not kidding as we make our way around the island, just a short boat ride out of Townsville. We’re staying close to the shore to maximise our views of the untouched landscapes, and although Maggie – as the locals affectionately call it – is a tropical island, from the water it looks more like a big pile of impressively stacked boulders. Hoop pines soar and there are some eucalypts in the mix as well, so it’s not until we see some sandy beaches – Maggie boasts more than 20 bays and beaches, with terrain so rugged in parts some are accessible only via hiking or by boat – that we see postcard-perfect palms as well.

This half-day cruise with Aquascene Charters, which circumnavigates the island and stops for spots of snorkelling, fishing and lunch along the way, is one of many ways to get around Magnetic Island. You’ll need your sea legs in working order to get there first, though, as the island is only accessible by boat as Magnetic Island sits eight kilometres offshore from Townsville. The video on the 20-minute ferry ride over will tell you that Maggie is two-thirds designated national park. Once you’re there, it certainly feels remote, small and fairly uninhabited. The “largest settlement” is Nelly Bay, where you’ll first arrive; locals will advise you to stock up at the handful of shops here as options thin out further around ê

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THE POINTY END

Getting to Magnetic Island Aquascene is a family business that offers a Maggie Discovery Tour from $110 with snorkelling and fishing. Visit aquascenecharters.com.au for more details. For details on what to do on the island itself, visit magneticislandtourism.com

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“Animal lovers can also ride horses through the bush and into the sea“

What to do in Townsville S T AY: R A M B U T A N Coastal Hamptons meets Palm Springs chic at this super-stylish backpackers, which offers dorms, private rooms and villas. With a pool, bar and restaurant, you don’t actually need to leave. 113-119 Flinders Street, Townsville; rambutantownsville.com.au

E AT: R A W E N E R G Y While you’re taking in all that Vitamin D along The Strand, have a splurge on some superfoods as well with breakfast bowls, juices and smoothies. Or just smash a burger. 62 The Strand, Townsville; rawenergy.com.au

SEE: CASTLE HILL See all of Townsville spread out before you – and across to Magnetic Island – from the top of Castle Hill. Best times are sunset or sunrise. townsvillenorthqueensland.com.au

the island. It’s also here you can catch the bus – there’s just the one line. “That’ll be $2.80. Lucky, we’re having a sale today. Yesterday it was $2.80,” jokes the bus driver. It’s this kind of friendliness that greets you pretty much everywhere else on the island. The bus, however, will only take you so far. You can hire vehicles – and you’ll need one to get to some beaches, like West Point, which is where we head in a 4WD to catch a sunset. It’s 12 kilometres from Nelly Bay and cannot be reached in a standard vehicle. While there is a “road” that takes you there, you’re in for an Aussie bush-bashing experience as you bounce up and down the narrow unmade track, tree branches whipping into the car windows as you plough through. We took the 4WD the following day to check out Radical Bay and Florence Bay, both in the Marine Park Zone. With access tracks in similarly poor condition, we met a few extra travellers by offering them lifts as they were hiking there. Hiking is another way to see the island, and there’s plenty of walking tracks to pick from if you want to see the island on foot. One of the most popular is the Forts Walk. It winds its way up, offering good views of Arthur and Florence Bays, while there’s war history dotted along the tracks and the Command Post, at the very top, offers 360-degree panoramic views. The best thing about the Fort Walks, though, is all the koalas you’ll spot snoozing in the gums. If you see one, it’s customary to mark it on the trail for others behind you to find, so look for arrows drawn into the dirt or sticks arranged in such a fashion – and then look up. If you want to get even closer to animals, you can also ride horses through the bush and into the sea. That’s right – through the scrub, where you can catch glimpses of wildlife like wallabies, and then out onto the sand at the appropriately named Horseshoe Bay and into the water as part of guided rides provided by Horseshoe Ranch. They provide you with a stinger suit, so you and your steed can cool off in the turquoise waters.

t ig e r a ir f l ie s to Townsville, from Melbourne, starting June 22; tigerair.com.au

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THE POINTY END

Why I live in

mel bour ne Christine Leahy is the co-founder of Music with Mates, an initiative that offers free gigs to people who can take migrants or refugees along with them. The idea is that music can help newly arrived migrants and refugees connect with their new home. How did you come up with Music with Mates? I've lived in Europe and the UK on and off for over 10 years and I was shocked to find that whenever I told people I was from Australia they'd respond with comments about our tough stance on migration. Some even assumed I wouldn't care about the plight of migrants because I was Australian. I wanted to show people that we do care about migrants, that we want to help them settle in and start a new life. What makes Melbourne a great place to live? I love that the neighbourhoods are so diverse. When I'm feeling like a holiday but don't have the time or money I'll just jump on the train/tram to the city centre for a coffee and a trip to the National Gallery of Victoria, to Footscray for amazing Vietnamese food, or to Oakleigh for a Greek feast. Where are the best places to get a good meal? I love the Windsor end of Chapel Street. Tokyo Tina (66A Chapel Street, Windsor; tokyotina.com.au) is my favourite restaurant, the food is amazing and the staff are so lovely. Plus, they have karaoke! If I have to wait for a table I'll head to Jungle Boy (96 Chapel Street, Windsor; jboy.com.au) for a few drinks. Where do you go to see live music? My two favourite venues are The Forum (Flinders and Russell Street, Melbourne; forummelbourne.com.au)

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SUPPORT MUSIC WITH MATES and The Corner Hotel (57 Swan Street, Richmond; cornerhotel.com). The Corner Hotel always has such a great line-up. The Forum has amazing architecture and I love how it seems like you're looking up to the sky when you're actually indoors. Gigs there have a surreal feel to them and always leave a lasting impression. What's the one thing a tourist must do? Go and see some local live music! Melbourne has such a great music scene and is full of talented musicians. Tell us something only a local would know. If you don't have time to hit the wine regions outside of the city you can visit an urban winery instead. Noisy Ritual (249 Lygon Street, Brunswick East; noisyritual.com.au) is in the inner city suburb of Brunswick, an easy tram ride from the CBD. Their wine is made on-site with the involvement of the local community. On the weekends and some weeknights you can drop in for a wine or two and, if you're lucky, some live local music.

Music with mates, co-founded by Christine Leahy and musician Kevin Mitchell (Bob Evans and Jebediah) helps migrants and refugees settle in Australia. As the group’s mission statement says: “Melbourne has a great music community, with fantastic artists and gigs every night of the week, so it is the perfect way to get to know the city, meet new people and have a really great time.” For more information, visit musicwith mates.com

MORE MUSIC Top producers and DJs help us discover what a city sounds like

THE POINTY END

THE SPLURGE

THE H JONES SUITE Hobart, Tasmania

hy it’s worth it: If you want to spoil yourself for a weekend in Hobart, the Henry Jones Art Hotel has art on the walls, on the plate and served over ice in the cocktail bar (see “Free wheeling” feature, page 66). It's also a storied former warehouse that dates back to 1804 and once housed H. Jones and Co., better known to many as IXL jams.

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The art element is sourced from a series of local artists and forms part of a constantly changing exhibition of over 400 works, and there's artistry in the industrial-chic conversion by architects Morris-Nunn and Associates. The fit-out has kept the original sandstone, integrated historic elements from the jam factory days and has spaces like the rear light-filled atrium as common areas.

Bang for your buck: There's plenty going on in the hotel with restaurant Peacock and Jones, an open-kitchen dining room wrapped in the sandstone of the IXL building that celebrates Tassie produce and has a great list of local wines. The IXL Long Bar is constantly picking up awards for the mixing skills of its snappily attired bar staff; try the Island of Fire, which uses local Hellyers Road single malt whisky, house-infused smoked bitters, cinnamon and orange rind. The atrium holds the Jam-Packed Cafe and provedore – and should you want to head out in Hobart, front-of-house staff have all the numbers you'll need. The digs: The H Jones Suite is the former IXL boardroom, a spacious one-bedroom suite jam-packed with dark wood, lounge chairs, artworks and a wonderful ceiling made from old fruit boxes. The bathroom is huge and has at its centre a Sok overflowing spa by Kohler that sees the spa water spill over into a second tub, providing a waterfall sound

jam packed The warehouse that houses the Henry Jones Art Hotel was once the home of IXL jams' producers.

effect and the deepest dip you'll take outside of a swimming pool – as well as the latest in Molton Brown toiletries. In the suite you have your own stairs out to the front of the hotel, and killer views across the wharf. There's also a kitchenette provided. Must-do experience: It is art that has led to the Hobart renaissance over the past decade, so let the staff at your art hotel book you a morning out at Hobart's Museum of Old and New Art (Mona). You walk across the wharf to catch the Mona ferry where you can take a seat (and the kids can sit on a plastic sheep because, well, Mona). Spend the morning in the depths of this eccentric museum and head back to get some more art on at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery – and older collection of works first started in 1846 – because too much art is never enough. The damage: The H Jones Suite, throughout June and July, costs between $860 and $900 per night.

WORDS PAUL CHAI

25 Hunter Street, Hobart; thehenryjones.com

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

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THE POINTY END

Party in Brisbane with the Dune Rats

INTERVIEW PAUL CHAI

rom their high-energy live sets to their punk anthems in thrall to hedonism, it’s clear Brisbane trio the Dune Rats know how to have a good time. These guys like a party, and not just so they can track down their mate Scott Green. For the band, having fun comes naturally, whether they’re rolling dice on the roof of a hotel in Mexico with Aussie rapper Drapht in the video for Mexico, or collaborating on a “Dunies Lager” with Sydney boutique brewer Young Henry’s. So we asked the guys if they could recommend

a good night out in their hometown of Brisbane – a full night’s itinerary of drinks and music. Guitarist and vocalist Danny Beusa says a good night out involves anywhere that plays live music and has cold beer on tap – as long it’s full of good mates. “It’s always pretty warm in Brisbane, so that makes you keen to get amongst it,” he says. “Plus, there’s heaps of venues, which means there’s something on any night.” To get into the mood, the Dunies might put fellow Brissie band DZ Deathrays on loud, then head out to the following joints: ê

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THE POINTY END Black Bear Lodge This Fortitude Valley cocktail bar and venue has a speakeasy vibe. “The Black Bear Lodge does epic drinks, not just beers... but they have heaps of them, too,” Danny says. “They play live music too and it's sick to knock a few back in!” 322 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley; blackbearlodge.com.au

PAINT THE TOWN BL ACK A night on the town includes a stop at the Black Bear Lodge.

Super Bowl A cheap-and-cheery Chinese restaurant down the road from Black Bear where the boys go for a meal before heading out again. Danny suggests you “grab some drinks from the bottle-o on the corner before ya head to Super Bowl. BYO means ya can keep filling up before the show.” 185 Wickham Street, Fortitude Valley; no website

The Zoo “Walk to anywhere that’s playing what you’re feelin’, but The Zoo has been around for ages and has played everyone plus their dog, so ya should drop in anyways to have a geez,” Danny says. The Zoo building was built in 1920 and it is one of the oldest venues in the country, having been around since 1992. 711 Ann Street, Fortitude Valley; thezoo.com.au

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The Brightside

THE DUNIES WOULD KICK OFF A NIGHT AT THE BRIGHTSIDE

This live-music venue is where the Dune Rats would kick off a night on the tiles. “We’d start at The Brightside ‘cos they have a sick courtyard, and if you wanna layer ya guts for the booze ahead you can have a cheeky Lucky Egg burger, which is in the courtyard,” Danny says. “It’s the best burger in Brissie.” 27 Warner Street, Fortitude Valley; thebrightsidebrisbane.com.au

“Crowbar is open late as hell, the people are epic, and they have live shows if you wanna throw yourself about”

Crowbar

Catch the Dune Rats live The Dunies are out on a regional tour with tour dates right across June and July, including their debut on the bill for Splendour in the Grass (July 21-23). The band will play regional Tigerair destinations like the Central Coast, Townsville and Airlie Beach. For more information, visit dunerats.tv

“Crowbar is where ya need to end up ‘cos it’s open late as hell, the people are epic, they play good tunes and have shows downstairs if ya still wanting to throw ya self about a bit more,” Danny says. “They also make sick cocktails and have heaps of tap beers!” When the Dunies aren’t on the Crowbar stage (above ) doing a show, they can be found propping up the bar supporting the local live music scene that has exploded in Brissie in recent years. Join them. 243 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley; crowbarbris.com

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

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From our kitchen to your table AUS T

LIAN MADE RA

E & OWN

y & Lamb, Pearl Barle To mato & Rosemary, C herr y Minestrone, Smoke d Paprika, m Hock & Potato & Leek, Ha hai Pumpkin. Re d Lentil and T

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I know how incredibly busy our lives are, mine included, so I put this range together based on the soups that our family survive on all year round at home. They are all really hearty and will provide you with plenty of nourishment. I hope that you enjoy eating them as much as I did creating them.â&#x20AC;?

Available now at your local independent supermarket or gourmet store or call our National Distributor Raw Materials on 1300 305 129

THE POINTY END THE FEAST 1 0F 2

WHAT’S MY THEME? Why do so many restaurants get their source inspiration wrong?

WORDS PAUL KRISTOFF ILLUSTRATION KEV GAHAN, THE ILLUSTRATION ROOM

ave you ever been to a restaurant or bar that claims to be “inspired by” a certain theme or location? I’m not talking about the kind of place where you don’t expect the food to be any better than average – say a rainforest cafe, a Disney-themed restaurant or the like – but a place that promises to deliver a deeper experience, something real and authentic rather than tacky and fake. Earlier this year I visited a bar that claimed to be inspired by both “Southern California” and the bar scene in a popular part of Los Angeles. Having visited and loved that part of the world a few months earlier, I was curious to see what they’d done. I liked the place, and as an “American” bar it nailed things, but as a “Southern Californian” bar it missed the mark. The beer selection, while excellent, didn’t really contain much from Californian breweries, and the food wasn’t particularly Southern Californian either. Meanwhile, another recent opening in Melbourne, claiming to be inspired by “Old Brooklyn” featured, when I visited, a food menu and beer list that was barely inspired by Brooklyn, let alone Old Brooklyn. A Nashville hot chicken restaurant chain in Melbourne and Sydney, on the other hand, has become very popular by serving up authentic

versions of a regional style of fried chicken not seen before in Australia. So why is it that some themed places work, when others don’t? While some venues are clearly driven by a genuine love of the places they claim to be inspired by, others seem inspired simply by the opportunity to cash in on what’s currently on-trend. As people become better travelled and more aware of food and drink experiences around the world, the scope for inspiration has never been higher, be it traditional or modern. But with this exposure, and as the food scene in Australia continues to evolve, the general public is also growing to expect more from restaurants and bars. Of course, despite assumptions otherwise, to be inspired by something doesn’t mean it needs to be slavishly recreated. For example, when it comes to food, the availability of ingredients ê often guides what can be created.

THE BIR TH OF THE THEME E ATER Y Popular website Restaurant-ing Through History credits Paris with starting the theme restaurant when it began opening cafes centred around certain influences. One of the first was Café du Bagne in 1885, which imitated a prison dining hall. Others took an even darker turn, like Café de l’Enfer (Cafe of Hell) in Montmartre.

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THE POINTY END Not everything is available in Australia, but unless your theme is super regional in its specificity, nobody is going to expect every aspect of the food to be spot on. Indeed, one of the binding factors of cuisines around the world are the regional differences, based on availability and affordability of ingredients, that can be offered. In the end, a great “inspired by” venue is part recreation, part ingenuity. It's the feeling that the place has captured some of the essence of what makes the source special. It could be the décor, capturing the feel of a certain city without going overboard or relying on stereotypes; the music, evoking memories of another place; or most importantly, the food and drink, taking guests to another place with each mouthful. There are still far too many places opening with a tenuous-at-best link to what inspired them, but the situation is better than ever before with many places across Australia being run by people with a genuine love for their source inspiration, and a real desire to give a taste of that back to people at home. Here are five of the best:

Añada (Fitzroy, VIC) Jesse Gerner’s Spanish restaurant/bar has been going strong for almost 10 years, thanks in no small part to Gerner’s passion for the southern Spanish/Andalusian food they serve, and a continual desire to be better. Frequent staff trips to Spain help the team learn and constantly refine the food, which is traditional, authentic, and delicious. The attention to detail continues with the wine list, which features several fantastic Spanish wines and sherries, and the service is great and casual, making it the kind of place where you can have a full meal, or sit at the bar with a drink and a few snacks – just like in Spain.

Tokyo Bird (Surry Hills, NSW) Tokyo Bird is considered one of the best yakitori spots in Sydney, and it ticks all of the boxes that make the izakayas of Japan so good. It’s housed in a small, casual laneway

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THE FEAST 2 0F 2 space, and the wonderful smell of meat being grilled over binchōtan (white charcoal) wafts out the door as you walk past. Every part of the chicken is used to make the yakitori, including things like chicken heart, liver, and skin, and you're more than welcome to come in for a Japanese whisky or sake if you don't feel like eating.

The Smoke BBQ (New Farm, QLD) Co-owners Steve Johnson (Pittsburgh) and Philip Mullen (New Orleans) run this authentic American BBQ smokehouse. Operating since 2006, well before the trend started sweeping through Australia, this simple space doesn’t go over the top with “deep south” paraphernalia, instead focusing on quality Australian meat, imported hickory, and sauces.

El Publico (Highgate, WA) Many Mexican restaurants have come and gone in Perth in recent years, but El Publico has remained thanks to its forward-thinking menu inspired by several trips to Mexico to see the street and restaurant food scene first-hand. You won’t find sombreros and mariachi bands here – just fantastic, fresh, flavoursome Mexican food and one of the best ranges of tequila and mezcal in town.

Orana (Adelaide, SA) Scottish-born head chef and owner Jock Zonfrillo has created one of Australia’s most unique restaurants in Orana, which means “welcome” in some Aboriginal languages. The food here is inspired by the Aboriginal people, and the Australian land, produce and history. Over 16 years of research and learning from Aboriginal communities has given Jock a deeper understanding than most about native Australian ingredients and Aboriginal ways of cooking and preparing food. The result is a restaurant that arguably does the “Australian” theme better than anyone else.

"IN THE END, A GREAT ‘INSPIRED BY’ VENUE IS PART RECREATION, PART INGENUITY. IT'S THE FEELING THAT THE PLACE HAS CAPTURED SOME OF THE ESSENCE OF WHAT MAKES THE SOURCE SPECIAL"

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

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Whether its holiday action or kids on the go, the EOS M10 is perfect for capturing i speedy or spontaneous moments. The camera’s 18 Megapixel APS-C sized sensor allows you to obtain real nuance in detail, creating stunning photographs which stand out from the crowd when printed or shared. The easy-to-use capacitive touch panel screen is 3.0 inches, and high resolution ensures a crystal clear display. Best of all, you can set it to multiple angles, including a 180° tilt that’s perfect for selfies. When the LCD is turned to this position, an icon for the new Self Portrait mode will appear. Simply touch to smooth and brighten skin, create beautiful background blur, even activate a self-timer. Then just snap and post!

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teds.com.au

THE POINTY END

T HE P L AY L I S T Pack these on your next trip away

TECH

BOSE HEADPHONES

AHEAD OF THE PACK

“My Bose headphones that George gave me for my birthday.”

Gary Mehigan – MasterChef / Good Food & Wine Show

1 DJ QUIK AND PROBLEM ROSECRANS

interview paul chai albums matt shea

Ü Gary Mehigan, chef and MasterChef judge, is on the road a lot – both personally, for events, and for the filming of the globespanning series. Unsurprisingly for a foodie, when Gary is travelling it's the cuisine he cites as one of the highlights. “I like discovering new restaurants, producers, wine bars and food,” he says. The MasterChef star is part of the 2017 Good Food & Wine Show in Sydney along with fellow chefs George Calombaris, Luke Nguyen and Colin Fassnidge. It's a three-day festival that has great events like the Taittinger Lounge and Oyster Bar, hands-on pizza-making, and the Smelly Cheese Club. In Melbourne, the event will feature Gary’s MKR rival Manu Feildel, Matt Stone and a host of other top chefs. Gary says his last holiday was in Noosa (and France before that) and that, when flying, he's always a fan of the window seat, but that all the miles never get him down. “It's a privilege to get to do what I do,” he says. The Good Food & Wine Show takes place in Melbourne from June 2-4 and in Sydney from June 23-25, for more visit goodfoodshow.com.au

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ESSENTIALS

Los Angeles rap luminaries DJ Quik and Problem finally fill out their razor-sharp EP from 2016. The result? An even better listen, the duo’s natural chemistry only heightened after percolating for a year. A slew of guests – The Game, MC Eiht and Suga Free among them – help out. Perfect for… a mid-winter getaway

PHONE “My phone with my very eclectic taste in music to listen to.”

2 TECH

DUA LIPA

LAPTOP

DUA LIPA

”To try to get on top of some of my work.”

The UK’s next great hope, Dua Lipa shot to fame last year on the back of her ultra-slick single, “Be the One”. The remainder of her debut album packs more firepower. Precision pop designed to have you dancing about the hotel. Perfect for… soundtracking your next hens’ weekend

GE AR

GLASSES “Because I can’t see the menu without them!”

3 PARAMORE

AFTER LAUGHTER

RE AD

A BOOK “Whatever the latest book is I'm reading, which never gets finished.”

Paramore turn to 80s pop rock for their fifth album. Such crisp sonics are rich pickings for a band of this pedigree: After Laughter is as giddy as the Bangles at their best. Still, the Nashville three-piece’s appetite for a darker subtext lends this plenty of longevity. Perfect for… your headphones during a solo city getaway

An experience rich in heritage. Built in 1899, The Perth Mint is Australia’s oldest operating mint and Perth’s premier destination where you can experience the magic, allure and wonder of gold. • Come and experience Western Australia’s rich golden history. • See the world’s largest gold coin – 1 tonne of pure gold valued at over $50 million. • Witness the spectacle of a traditional gold pour in our original melting house. • Touch more than $500,000 of pure gold bullion. • Marvel at precious metal coins being minted before your eyes. • Purchase unique Western Australian treasures including exquisite Argyle Pink Diamonds and Kailis Australian Pearls. Tax free sales available.

Open 7 Days from 9am to 5pm Gold Exhibition – Shop – Café

perthmint.com.au/visit

THE POINTY END

Take to the air in Surfers Paradise

WORDS MATT SHEA

t’s easy, he says. It doesn’t look easy. We’re on a beach near the mouth of the Nerang River, surrounded by glistening Gold Coast highrises, and in front of us, a tanned bloke in board shorts is doing what seems impossible. He shoots up out of the river, great jets of water gushing from his feet, and backflips in the air before diving like a dolphin under the surface again. “Did you see that?,” we ask each other in disbelief. We watch. He does it again. It looks a bit frightening. But it also looks fun. And Jetpack Adventures’ (Waterways Drive, Main Beach; jetpackadventures.com.au)

Rhys Barnes soon explains the parlour trick. The performer’s feet are strapped to a “jetboard” – think a stubby snowboard with a nozzle under each foot – which in turn is powered by a jet ski, the two linked by a giant umbilical cord that delivers anywhere between 5,000 and 9,000 litres of water a minute to lift him from the water. The jet ski controls the rate of flow to the board, so all we’ll need to focus on, Barnes says, is our balance. It’s enough to tempt us into the river. We’re offered a further choice of a jetpack or a jet bike (which looks like a giant wingless insect), but the fact that I’m already being strapped to the ê

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THE POINTY END jetboard confirms my suspicions – this is very much the beginner’s option. The final touch is a flotation vest and a helmet, Barnes’ voice suddenly buzzing in my ear. My first flight goes as predicted. Barnes applies the power, lifting me from the water, and I instinctively let my knees bend and fall backwards, flopping into the waves. This happens a few times, but it hardly matters – the emerald-green river makes for a pleasant enough classroom. By my fourth attempt, Barnes’ advice to control the flight with my hips begins to register. I push them forward, keeping my legs straight, and slowly begin to inch across the water. And like that, you’re away. After a bunch more flights, Barnes ups the power, lifting me higher, and I gently lean one way then the other, moving about the river. I have time for a couple of inelegant dives before I’m tugged back to land, pleasantly exhausted. From Jetpack Adventures, it’s just a short ride on the G:link Gold Coast tram to iFly (3084 Surfers Paradise Boulevard, Gold Coast; downunder.iflyworld.com) right in the guts of Surfers Paradise. This indoor skydiving centre is a shining example of the new, more specialised operators sweeping the strip since the GFC – a giant indoor skydiving operation overlooking Surfers Paradise Boulevard.

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IT'S ALL IN THE HIPS AS YOU STEER YOUR JETPACK ON THE GOLD COAST

We arrive just in time to see a group of Swedish tourists seated around iFly’s giant Perspex wind tunnel. The first of their number is already inside, flying, arms out like a sugar glider. I’ve never seen someone look happier. Everyone else looks terrified. Our own instructor, Oliver Fong, leads us to a classroom for a demonstration before outfitting us with jumpsuits and protective gear. Fong is thorough but laid-back, and puts us at ease with his story of how he came to iFly, selling his own construction business just so he could apply for the job. An effortless demonstration in the wind tunnel does the rest, Fong running about the Perspex walls like Spiderman, defying gravity. Our turn isn’t so gnarly, but for a first timer feels dramatic enough. We take our places on the bench previously occupied by the Swedes. Fong waits inside, his upright body cutting through the surging wind. I have the pleasure of going first. Fong motions me forward and I fall into the tunnel, my body catching the vertical gale and taking to the air.

“Suddenly, the howl in my ears becomes a roar and I feel a counterweight – Fong – spinning me around the outer edge of the chamber“

My cheeks lift into a grin, half-spontaneous and half-dictated by the wind mashing into my face. Fong spots, instructing by hand and gently nudging me about the wind tunnel. It’s a gas, the sensation of skydiving absolutely real. Little do I know, though, that someone has fed Fong an extra $10. Suddenly, the howl in my ears becomes a roar and I feel a counterweight – Fong – spinning me around the outer edge of the chamber. And then we’re off, zooming high into the air. Up! Up! Up! I shriek in delight and, as I spin and descend, I can just make out the slackened jaws of those about to take my place. “How was that?” Fong asks afterwards, his nonchalance turning into a wry smile. “Not bad, Oliver,” I reply. “So, who gave you the $10?"

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

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THE POINTY END

TRAVEL & SNOW 1 0F 2

THE PASSENGER A round-table chat with three different travellers. This issue’s topic: snow holidays Paul Chai, snow fan

bottom. But the concentration required means your mind rarely wanders and you're just there in the moment looking for the best turn and trying not to be upstaged by the five-year-old with no poles shooting along next to you. I love the story of the European pioneers behind many of our ski fields. You find it in places like Hotel Pension Grimus at Mt Buller, where Hans Grimus has spent over five decades on the mountain. Arriving in Australia from Austria, Hans wanted to recreate the winters he had back home, so he was instrumental in building the first ski lifts on the mountain. He also makes a damn fine schnitzel in

the restaurant of his hotel, and this mashup of cultures is one of the things I love about heading to the Aussie snowfields. Snow is a brilliant excuse for gluwein by an open fire in a country that rarely gets cold enough for such activities, and a day’s skiing is a good excuse for a night of revelry in the bars along the snow line, still clad in ski boots and gear, because you've worked hard and you deserve it. Last year, as my kids made snow angels, threw snowballs and made snowmen, and as we all struggled down Bourke Street at Buller slipping, falling, laughing and yelling with joy, I knew exactly why I love snow holidays. ê

ILLUSTRATION GREGORY BALDWIN, THE ILLUSTRATION ROOM

As if I didn’t love the snow enough already, last year I took the kids for the first time and got to see them fall in love with the magical white stuff as well. Why do I love the snow? The main reason is skiing. I was a latecomer to the sport, only discovering it in my twenties when my friends and I would all pile into a car on a Friday after work and drive the six hours from Sydney to Thredbo. We would ski for a day and half then all pile in and drive back. It was the camaraderie, the après-ski and the sport itself. I find skiing like meditation: once at the top of the mountain you have one task; to get to the

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THE POINTY END TRAVEL & SNOW 2 0F 2

Connor McLeod, snow hater To me, a weekend in the snow is a weekend I will spend wet, cold and constantly off balance – and should I want to take a break I can treat myself to a hot dog that will cost me as much as a week’s shopping at Woolworths. I hate all the gear that comes with skiing. You put on so many layers of clothing that you can barely touch your hands together. There are goggles and gloves and scarves and ski boots – and après-ski boots – there's so much stuff that you need a trailer just to handle all the clothes. The nightlife is beer, loud music and a bunch of people spilling that beer on you as they try to walk back to their table in giant plastic boots... or they are slipping on the water, which is everywhere. Inside the bars it's stinking hot, and they never have enough space for ALL THAT GEAR. I tried to snowboard once and I spent the entire week on my backside, on a freezing cold chair suspended in the air or in a queue. Then there was the sheer terror. With minimal training you're taken up to the top of a mountain and asked to slide down. There are people everywhere, many of whom are as bad as you are – is there any wonder you need special travel insurance for this type of insane activity?

"EVERYONE JUST SEEMS HAPPIER IN THE SNOW; IT COULD BE THE ADRENALINE FROM SKIING OR THE FACT THAT MOST PEOPLE ONLY GET TO THE SNOW ONCE A YEAR, BUT EVERYONE JUST SEEMS UP FOR IT"

I've been to the French alps and, while it's undeniably pretty, it did little to improve my love of snow. We tried tobogganing this time, sliding down the mountain on a larger version of a ski; the same gear, the same wet and cold. On one of the bends, I was travelling too fast and my toboggan skipped off the track and I ploughed into a snowdrift. I had snow lodged in the most unexpected places, and on the trudge back down the mountain I took this as a sign: snow and I are just not holiday companions.

Sarah Mitchell, alpine tagalong Each year my friends go on a snow trip to Thredbo and I tag along with them. But I've never picked up a ski or snowboard. I love the snow, but not snow sports. We rent a chalet in the village and they get up early and lug on all their gear – and I grab a book and restart the embers of the previous night’s fire. Then it's a day of reading, wandering the village and just hanging out.

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The après-ski is a highlight. I don’t know why, but everyone just seems happier in the snow; it could be the silly hats, the adrenaline from the day on the slopes, or the fact that most people only get to the snow once a year, but everyone just seems up for it. I love alpine food. I dig jaffles and schnitzel and mulled wine. I discovered kaiserschmarrn on a trip to the snow, a kind of shredded pancake dusted in icing sugar and paired with stewed fruits. This indulgent dessert is named after the Australian emperor and is the sort of thing that only tastes good when there's snow on the ground and the temperature is below freezing. I love a good chair lift ride, as long as it ends at a cafe that serves hot chocolate. Being suspended amongst the trees with such an amazing view of the high country is like a roller-coaster ride for adults, and there's nothing but a thin metal bar between you and the elements. It’s a really relaxing ride... providing you don’t have to make your own way down. Taking a snow trip seems like travelling to another country. Just don’t ask me to ski.

THE POINTY END

See new things in the Whitsundays

WORDS PAUL CHAI

he Whitsundays and Airlie Beach bore the brunt of ex-Tropical Cyclone Debbie back in March with winds battering the region. But just as fast as Debbie struck, the team at Tourism Whitsundays were cleaning up, and by April the region was back open for business. The Whitsunday Coast is a perfect spot to

experience the reef, the surrounding islands or the killer nightlife along Airlie Beach’s party strip. But the region hasn’t just had a lick of paint since the cyclone – there are a range of new bars, experiences and places to stay along this stretch of Queensland coast. Here we take a look at some of the newer options ê for a Whitsunday getaway:

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THE POINTY END STAY Mantra Club Croc After a recent multi-million-dollar overhaul, the Mantra Club Croc has simple but stylish rooms that take their cues from the tropics, with many arranged around a funky pool area that brings to mind mid-century Los Angeles motels. You can enjoy the pool or grab a bite in the poolside restaurant where you can have cocktails on the wooden decking. The Mantra Club Croc is close to all the action on Airlie Beach and even closer to the marina. 33 Port Drive, Port of Airlie; mantra.com.au

fSTAY Heart Hotel and Gallery Whitsundays

W E H E A R T T H E W H I T S U N D AY S Picnic near Heart Reef when you stay at the Heart Hotel and Gallery.

 PLAY Big4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort waterpark Owner Greg McKinnon has big plans for this fun, family-friendly resort, which has camping, powered sites and 45 cabins – with another 120+ cabins planned across the huge site. But the newest attraction is the resort’s waterslide park, one of the biggest resort waterparks in Australia with 13 different slides to keep the kids busy. “We’ve had great fun putting all the elements together,” Greg says. “The slides come off two-metre-high elevated platforms, which are linked by bridges, and range in length from 17 metres to 23.2 metres – and we’ve themed the colours of the waterslide park around the beautiful corals of the Great Barrier Reef.” 25-29 Shute Harbour Road, Airlie Beach; adventurewhitsunday.com.au

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Set in a beautiful old Queenslander right near the Airlie Beach lagoon, this hotel, which opened late 2016, offers modern beach-housestyle accommodation right in the heart of town, walking distance from the pubs, clubs and dining of Airlie Beach. The rooms are bright and take inspiration from the sea with a few nods to mid-century chic along the way. The top floor holds the gallery, which has a range of exhibitions including work from local artists, and the open-air restaurant is a popular spot to eat. 277 Shute Harbour Road, Airlie Beach; hearthotelwhitsundays.com.au

“Take a tuk-tuk on a progressive dinner to some of the area’s best eateries”

 SEE Just Tuk’n Around

IT'S WATERPARK WEATHER YEARROUND UP NORTH

You will likely hear the tuk-tuk tours from Just Tuk’n Around before you see them, as owners Greg and Tania like to make a bit of noise, whether it’s honking horns, calling out to sometimes-startled pedestrians or filling you in on some of the colourful history of the area. Going around Airlie Beach on this eco-friendly mode of transport gives you a different view of things, whether taking to the wooden walkways or cycling around the harbour past the super yachts. The team at Just Tuk’n Around offers a range of tours from a quick one-hour highlights package to a longer three-hour look, plus progressive dinners at some of the town’s best eateries. justtuknaround.com.au

 EAT Walter’s Lounge The dark and brooding wooden interior of Walter’s Lounge makes a welcome change from the general brightness of this tropical town – and the food from chef and owner Heath Bentley would be at home anywhere in the country. Walter’s is sophisticated cuisine, from his secret (and divine) chicken liver parfait to steak tartare topped with a cured egg yolk. This is the grown-up end of the well-known party town and the drinks reflect that, so the hand-written cocktail menu on the wall might contain a cherry bourbon sour (bourbon, cherry brandy, lemon and egg white) or a Tommy’s Fire-breathing Dragon, Heath’s take on a Tommy’s Margarita with a bit of smokey hot sauce. Mantra Boathouse Apartments, 33 Port Drive, Airlie Beach; walterslounge.com.au

FRESH AIRLIE Airlie Beach is a great place to stay to explore the Great Barrier Reef.

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

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THE POINTY END

drone's-eye view

Ya r r a R i v er MELBOUR NE

We sent a drone to hover above Melbourne's Yarra River and South Bank area so you can scope out the hot spots to visit...

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MELBOURNE EXHIBITION CENTRE

HILTON HOTEL

CROWN MELBOURNE

Colloquially known as Jeff's Shed, the Melbourne Exhibition Centre is home to a number of local events. The centrepiece is Plenary, a performance space that will host Canadian singer KD Lang in July. mcec.com.au

Right next to the Exhibition Centre is the Hilton Hotel, which has 396 rooms with great views of the city and Yarra River. The hotel is also located near the DFO outlet shopping centre. hilton.com

A hotel, casino and entertainment complex with some of the city's best high-end dining. Dine at Bistro Guillaume, Nobu, Rockpool Bar & Grill or Spice Temple. crownmelbourne.com.au

DRONES FOR HIRE

BATMAN PARK

SEA LIFE MELBOURNE AQUARIUM

ETIHAD STADIUM

An urban park located on the northern banks of the Yarra that was previously a disused rail yard. whatson.melbourne.vic.gov.au

Sea Life’s Croc Lair gives you a 360-degree view of Pinjarra the giant croc. The other highlight is the Mermaid Garden, which allows you get up close with manta rays in a 2.2 million-litre aquarium. melbourneaquarium.com.au

The Melbourne stadium is home to huge events – like this year's Adele concert – and AFL games. See Carlton take on Geelong on July 29. etihadstadium.com.au

We'd like you to meet dronesforhire.com.au – Australia's largest online directory of drone operators. Their team sent us this stunning drone shot of Melbourne. To get images of your house, construction site, or even to map a large area, visit dronesforhire.com.au.

From day...

...to night

Picture your perfect day Coral Sea Resort, Airlie Beach, Whitsundays Reservations / contact phone number: Free call 1800 075 061 | Phone: 07 4964 1340 Address: 25 Ocean View Avenue, Airlie Beach Q 4802 | Email: weddings@coralsearesort.com Website: www.whitsundaywedding.com.au

THE POINTY END

Get your foodie on in the Yarra Ranges

WORDS PAUL CHAI

ust an hour east of Melbourne by car (a little longer on a Friday evening!), the Yarra Ranges is a collection of cute villages connected by switchback roads through rows and rows of mountain ash trees and fern-fringed forest. The area is probably best-known as a family fun spot where you can ride the steam train, Puffing Billy, with your kids, or zipline through the forest at the adjoining Trees Adventure. But there’s plenty of fun for adults, too, as the mountainside is littered with fantastic eateries from celebrity-chef brunches to old-world, date-night dining. We’re based at the Robin Boyd-designed Moorabinda Lodge. Boyd – an outspoken architect known for his modernist style –

designed the three-bedroom property in 1962 for owners the Bankins, and it’s a prime example of his attempts to provide a strong rapport between the house and natural environments. In other words, the view’s the thing. As we’re getting our foodie on this weekend, the first dinner decision is an easy one; the lodge has the same owners as neighbouring Coonara Springs restaurant (129 Olinda-Monbulk Road, Olinda), the oldest dining room in the mountains. Chef Adrian Upward rattles the pans just a five-minute amble down our driveway and the restaurant is set in a Victorian-era cottage. Adrian’s menu might include a chicken liver parfait with sourdough toast, harpuka with ê

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saffron and spiced yoghurt and a chocolate mousse with salted caramel crack ice cream. It’s a romantic spot, but with the bonus of a large garden for kids to play in and explore while adults dine. We have a nightcap back at the lodge sitting on sunken leather couches and turn in early. Our early night is just as well because sunrise comes blazing through the light curtains, and we grab breakfast from chef Adrian’s bag of goodies – housemade jams, house-cured bacon of several varieties and thick sausage – before spending the morning in the garden (the grounds have a wooden fort that the kids want to move into). For lunch, we’re off to The Independent in Gembrook (79 Main Street, Gembrook; theindependentgembrook.com.au) a former service station now pumping out modernArgentinean from chef Mauro Callegari. The room is simple with flashes of its former life fixing cars, and as we head in we meet a local who helped to remove the huge petrol storage tank from under the building before the place was renovated. We grab a lunch of share plates and feast on the deliciously rich chorizo with sweet prune puree and salsa, or the spiced crisp chicken with smoked eggplants and palm hearts. And there is a whole section of the menu dedicated to the famous Gembrook potato – try the potato chips and paprika topped with grated pecorino cheese. We walk it all off at the Emerald Lake Park where the kids play on the old wooden bridge, and then it’s back to the lodge: adults to the lounge, kids to the fort. Dinner is lasagne at home, but made by chef Adrian once again.

THE POINTY END

FOOD AND FUN Trees Adventure (above) and The Independent at Gembrook.

The details Moorabinda Lodge can sleep eight and costs start at two guests for $360 per night and four guests $460 per night. Book through Valley Ranges Getaways (valleyrangesgetaways.com.au) and pick up keys at the offices at 7 Monash Avenue, Olinda.

DANGLE YOUR LEGS OUTSIDE PUFFING BILLY; IT HA S TO BE DONE AT LEAST ONCE

Our final meal on this indulgent foodie weekend is brunch at Shannon Bennett’s (Vue du Monde) casual Piggery Cafe (1 Sherbrooke Road, Sherbrooke; burnhambeeches.com.au), set in a one-time pig farm dominated by towering silos covered in climbing vines. We dine outside overlooking the bocce court, a real, smaller piggery and a field full of alpacas; dogs sit at tables with their owners, and the place is rammed. I go for a build-it-yourself breakfast quesadilla you can fill with sweet-and-spicy pulled pork, black beans, avocado and eggs coddled so perfectly they don’t explode. The attached Burnham Bakery – that sends artisan loaves to Melbourne’s top restaurants – supplies the rest: plates full of pillow-light pastries, tart sourdough toast and Shannon’s take on a humble lamington. Returning to Melbourne we realise this was just a taste of the Yarra Ranges and consider when to have our next course. For more information, visit visitdandenongranges.com.au

t ig e r a ir f l ie s to Melbourne from 10 destinations; tigerair.com.au

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What does a city sound like? We found out by talking to a producer each from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and asking them to compile a playlist. Through song, they told Matt Shea about the city they love. PHOTO TRENT VAN DER JAGT

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BEATS OF THE CITY

SYDNEY ADIT GAUCHAN

orrorshow producer Adit Gauchan – much like the One Day Crew he runs with – often defines himself by a life growing up in Sydney’s Inner West. “It was the perfect place to be as a kid,” he says. “All sorts of people from different walks of life. It had a thriving arts scene.” Adit laments the impact the New South Wales government’s lockout laws have had on Sydney’s nightlife, but he also reckons you can’t keep a good city down. On a night out he likes to start at Faheem Fast Food (194-196 Enmore Road, Enmore; faheemfastfood.com.au) for some of the best tandoori chicken in town, before heading to Sly Fox (199 Enmore Road, Enmore; slyfox.sydney) to catch some music. “I always think of myself as someone who could live anywhere,” he says. “But it’s pretty hard to beat the Inner West of Sydney.”

SAMPA THE GREAT ‘BLUE BOSS’ “This reminds me of some of the venues in Sydney that can transport you around the world, just through the music. It’s all about that infectious guitar riff. I’ve seen Sampa play at Sly Fox, and some of the musicians she performs with at Venue 505 (280 Cleveland Street, Surry Hills; venue505.com) – this smoky jazz club. They’re always phenomenal.”

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BEATS OF THE CITY

HORRORSHOW ‘IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN’ “One of our own. On one level this is just a bit of flexing braggadocio, but underlying that is this idea of repping where you’re from and giving yourself permission to feel yourself. The song and the video are very Sydney – they’ll always make me think about our place in the Inner West.”

DMA’S ‘DELETE’ “Another band from the Inner West. I remember my wife telling me that DMA’s are from Sydney. I was amazed; they could almost be some crazy Britpop band. It just made me proud to hear such an international sound hailing from the local area and having such success around the world.”

THE HERD ‘STATES OF TRANSIT’ “I used to pump The Herd’s An Elefant Never Forgets pretty hard in high school. It really helped shape how I interpreted the world. I used to do a lot of my listening on the train, and ‘States of Transit’, the second song from that album, is about exactly that. It really captures the fast-paced nature of Sydney.”

THE BOYS FROM HORRORSHOW REPPING SYDNEY’S INNER WEST AT A LIVE SHOW

SEE HORRORSHOW Horrorshow tour Australia throughout June and July.

LOVING IT LIVE Adit outside the Enmore Theatre, a live-music venue in the Inner West.

THE ROOTS ‘WATER’ “I saw The Roots at an all-ages Hordern Pavilion gig in 2003 and it was a wild introduction to live music. These days, ‘Water’ reminds me of those formative years when my passion for music was really taking hold. There’s that line in the song – “I be in class dreaming ‘bout / 50,000 fans up in the stands screaming out” – that was huge when it came to my ambitions to be a musician.”

SCRIBE ‘NOT MANY (THE REMIX)’ “A full-circle track for the One Day Crew. We would bump this at Inner West house parties as teenagers – this iconic Kiwi rap tune – and it really takes me back. Now, though, we also spin it at our One Day Sundays parties, and the reaction it gets from the crowd is amazing. It’s a Sydney song for me – it makes me think of growing up here.”

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BEATS OF THE CITY

MELBOURNE SENSIBLE J REMI’s producer Sensible J isn’t afraid to describe himself as a suburban boy. All the better to witness Melbourne’s strong belt of multiculturalism, he says. “I live in Oakleigh, about 20 minutes from the city … I love that mix of cultures you get out here. It’s one of my favourite things about the city.” The other thing Sensible J really loves about Melbourne? Its music scene. “There are so many amazing venues, from the Forum (Flinders & Russell Streets; forummelbourne.com.au) to Festival Hall (300 Dudley Street, West Melbourne; festivalhall.com.au),” he says. “And amazing record stores. If you’re into the arts or music, Melbourne offers so much opportunity.”

“If you’re into the arts or music, Melbourne offers so much“

[PHOTOS TRENT VAN DER JAGT ( ADIT, OPPOSITE ); JARED LEBOWITZ (SENSIBLE J)

THE AVALANCHES ‘SINCE I LEFT YOU’ “A local classic. As soon as you press play, you’re transported to another place. Most of the records The Avalanches sampled on the album Since I Left You were bought at op shops around Melbourne. This was just before I started making beats. Knowing that you could make this sort of music from a bunch of second-hand records was inspiring.”

SAMPA THE GREAT ‘F E M A L E’ “From the beats to the voice, Sampa is totally original. We’ve done a bunch of tracks with her now but I’ve got great memories of seeing Sampa play at the Corner Hotel (57 Swan Street, Richmond; cornerhotel.com). When the whole room knows the lyrics to ‘F E M A L E’ and is yelling them back to her, it’s empowering.”

SENSIBLE J SAYS THE AVAL ANCHES INSPIRED HIM TO R AID VINTAGE RECORD SHOPS ti g e ra ir.co m . a u

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BEATS OF THE CITY

SENSIBLE J HAS SUPPORTED HIATUS K AIYOTE, WHO ARE NOW HUGE OVERSEAS

PUBLIC OPINION AFRO ORCHESTRA ‘MR CLEAN’

HIATUS KAIYOTE ‘BREATHING UNDERWATER’

“A huge Melbourne band in the vein of Fela Kuti – Afrobeat with 15 or more people on-stage and a massive horn section. There are members who have migrated from Nigeria, South Africa and Senegal; they really reflect the rise of those African communities down here. That diversity inside the band really reflects Melbourne as a whole.”

“This is Melbourne music going international. We’ve supported Hiatus Kaiyote overseas and just witnessing the effect they have – packed one- to two-thousand-person rooms with people crying in the front row – it’s amazing. ‘Breathing Underwater’: the composition and the sounds selected by the band for the recording are like nothing I’ve heard. They’ve been nominated for two Grammys by pursuing such an original sound.”

PHOTO (TOP) MITCH LOWE

MAN MADE MOUNTAIN ‘MASTERPLAN’

SEE REMI & SENSIBLE J REMI tours Australia throughout June and July.

“This is an underground Melbourne anthem. The MC, Cazeaux O.S.L.O., came out here eight years ago from California – he’s just another element in that Melbourne multiculturalism and an absolute beast on the mic. You can’t walk through Brunswick with Cazeaux O.S.L.O. without being stopped a million times. He’s just that guy everyone knows.”

EMMA DONOVAN AND THE PUTBACKS ‘VOODOO’ “This song is pure soul. The textures they’ve recorded with – you could almost be in the room with the band. I first heard them at an in-store performance at Northside Records (236 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy; northsiderecords.com.au). Record store performances are amazing – they give you music in its rawest form, and I’ve seen some of the very best at Northside.” ê

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Premium mechanical timepieces inspired by our home, since 2013. Visit our website or Carlton showroom for more information. Use code TIGER for 20% off your order online.

WWW.MELBOURNEWATCH.COM.AU

BEATS OF THE CITY

BRISBANE SPENDA C Spenda C moved back to Brisbane after almost 12 years away building his DJ career in Canberra and then Sydney. In that time he reckons Brisbane has undergone a complete transformation, particularly when it comes to music and the arts. “People would wonder why I was moving back,” he says, laughing. “Now, when I tour, they’ll be like, ‘I’m hearing cool things about Brisbane!’” When he’s at home on a weekend, Spenda hits up Ben’s Burgers (Winn Lane, Fortitude Valley; bensburgers.com.au) or Taro’s Ramen (480 Queen Street; taros.com.au) for some of the city’s best cheap eats, or heads to his local, Southside Tea Room (639 Wynnum Road, Morningside; southsidetearoom.com), for beers and pinball.

THE RESIGNATORS ‘PARTY DATES’

MALLRAT ‘TOKYO DRIFT’

“I discovered these guys on 4ZZZ, Brisbane’s community radio station. It’s such a dope ska punk song. It’s got the horns and the attitude. The artwork is cool; their EP came with a bottle of hot sauce! But just hearing them first on 4ZZZ – you can’t get anymore Brisbane than that. It’s a great place to discover local music.”

“I always put on this song when heading back from a tour a little hungover on the plane. It’s got this terrific beat, but it’s more of a moody R&B tune, rather than rap. Mallrat has this line in there about meeting up at ‘HJs’ – Hungry Jacks in the Queen Street Mall in the city – which is iconic for anyone who grew up in Brisbane.”

COLUMBUS ‘SPRING FOREVER’

GILL BATES ‘DIDN’T MIND’ (PROD. FEKI)

“I could’ve picked anything off these guys’ album [also called Spring Forever]. I actually remixed another one of their tunes and I have an upcoming collaboration with Alex Moses, the singer from the band. The strongest music scenes in Brisbane at the moment are punk and rap, and these guys are at the forefront of the former. This is just one of those songs that gets me every time.”

“I heard this for the first time just before moving back to Brisbane. You always question yourself before those big moves and I remember listening to it on Enmore Road in Sydney and it was so good, it really gave me faith in that decision – ‘It’s going to be OK!’ Such a brilliant song, and one that marks a big turning point in my life.”

I AM D ‘GANG’

RESIN DOGS ‘GIMME A BREAK’

“For my money, I AM D is the best rapper in Australia, let alone Brisbane. He’s just untouchable. ‘GANG’ is simply a song that straight-out reps Brisbane. It really goes hard. The beat comes from James Angus, a producer who is working with a lot of the local Brisbane guys. It’s such a definitively Brisbane song.”

“This is an instant dance party from one of Brisbane’s most iconic groups. We used to play this back when I was living here in my early 20s, throwing house parties before heading out to Ric’s (323 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley; ricsbar.com.au). I don’t know how you can put it on and not have a boogie. Fifteen years later and the quality is still there.”

CHECK OUT SPENDA C Spenda C tours Australia throughout June. His debut album Bone Collector is released in July.

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BEATS OF THE CITY

ADELAIDE STRICT FACE

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DUCKTAILS ‘HAMILTON ROAD’

“‘Lights & Music’ carries a huge dose of nostalgia for me. When I was first going out to house parties as a teenager it was right at the height of the whole Modular Recordings movement, which Cut Copy were an important part of. Sometimes when I’d sneak out to shows, I’d just end up walking around Adelaide city listening to this record on repeat.”

“This record is a day at the beach. Adelaide’s weather is fabulous when it’s sunny. After the colder months of winter the first day of spring comes around and that’s it – ‘Hamilton Road’ is beckoning you down to Grange Beach.”

THE BLUE NILE ‘FROM A LATE NIGHT TRAIN’ “This was a song that I’d listen to as an 18-yearold when catching the N254 night bus home after a big night out. I only recently revisited it when on my way home from a club and it reminds me of what Adelaide is like at night – sleepy but with those hidden gems beating underneath the surface.”

MIDORI TAKADA ‘TROMPE L’OEIL’ “A Japanese minimalist composer, Midori Takada’s music for me is all about spending a day in some of Adelaide’s gardens – the Botanic Gardens or maybe the Himeji Gardens. It’s this very subdued, calm record, so it’s a great soundtrack to a lazy day off, wandering about the place.”

JADAKISS ‘WE GONNA MAKE IT’ (FEAT. STYLES P) “This is one of those records I’ll have on if we’re heading out to a club. It might be before I go out or before I’m going to play a set in the city. It just gets you into a really good mood and amped to head out into the city.”

RUFF SQWAD ‘TINGS IN BOOTS’ “If I’m playing around Hindley Street on a weekend, sometimes it will just get really hard to move around that particular street. It gets so busy. You’ll come across a ton of people and it’s this giddy chaos. ‘Tings in Boots’ reminds me of that.”

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

PHOTO DANIEL MARKS

South Australian producer Strict Face describes Adelaide as a city of hidden jewels. “You have to dig through the crates to find something cool,” he laughs. “Which I find really endearing, because under the surface there is actually a heap to do.” Each year, he finds new spots to return to. Some favourites? On a sunny day he’ll make an afternoon of it at Grange Beach (Beach Street, Grange). At night, it’s about Ryo’s Noodles (80 Gouger Street; no website), before staying out late at Sugar (274 Rundle Street; facebook. com/sugarclubadelaide) or Ancient World (116A Hindley Street; facebook.com/ AncientWorldAdelaide).

CUT COPY ‘LIGHTS & MUSIC’

www.renatojewellers.com 199 - 201 Lt Collins Street, Melbourne. tel: 03 9662 4422

DESTINATION CAIRNS

DE S T IN AT ION C A IR N S

CARLA

is a travel writer who grew up in Cairns and enjoys checking out the finer things.

weekend warriors ONE

DESTINATION, TWO DIFFERENT WILDLIFE VS HIGH LIFE

ADVENTURES

JUL IE T TA

takes on the northern city looking for its animal inhabitants.

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WEEKEND WARRIORS

K EEPING IT OL D-SCHOOL

C A FFEINE C A L LING

This old-school milk bar (24 Hoare Street, facebook.com/ApexMilkBar) has been going strong for 57 years. Sit alongside everyone from bikers to backpackers to enjoy a burger and milkshake.

Nothing beats arriving in my hometown and knowing where to go for coffee. Caffiend (Shop 5/72 Grafton Street, Cairns; caffiend.com.au) has also cloned itself in the industrial area as Tattooed Sailor Roasters (176 Newell Street, Bungalow).

MEE T THE M A K ER Follow Melanie Day @melday15 on Instagram and you'll understand why I hotfoot it to Coco’s at the Pullman Cairns International (17 Abbott Street, Cairns) – a lovely place to sit and savour high tea prepared by the talented pastry chef.

CARLA

goes to an oldschool milk bar, barefoot bowling and grabs a drink.

f r id ay

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QUIE T REFL EC TION

UP WITH THE BIRDS I'm up with the birds with a walk along Cairns' most defining attraction, the Esplanade (cairnsesplanade.com). The 2.5km foreshore is the city's most prolific bird-watching site, stretching from the swimming lagoon to the mangroves at the northern end, and it's interspersed with contemporary public art along the way.

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MOONWA L K OR BOA RDWA L K ? It looks like another planet, but the Mangrove Boardwalk (mangrovewatch.org.au) is just five minutes from the city and two minutes from the airport. Winding its way through this unique tidal wetland, the boardwalk splits and I'm torn between the canopy viewing tower and going deeper into the mangroves and saltmarsh… both?

The Cairns Botanic Gardens (Collins Avenue, Edge Hill; cairns.qld.gov.au/cbg) is a haven of exotic tropical plants and birds. I stroll through the Gondwana Heritage Garden before detouring to the orchid house, where I'm happily one day early for the annual blooming of “Spud” the smelly corpse flower. Lots of childhood memories here as my father established many of the original plants.

DESTINATION CAIRNS

THE CONSER VATOR Y B A R Did someone say after-dinner drinks? I'm in. Cairns doesn't feel like such a small town anymore thanks to venues such as The Conservatory Bar (12-14 Lake Street; theconservatorybar.com.au). I see why locals are all raving about this small bar, which has carved a niche as a place to go for wine, cheese and plates of charcuterie.

CHECK IN TO CHECK OUT I check into Pepper's Beach Club & Spa (123 Williams Esplanade, Palm Cove; peppers.com.au) a tad early in order to capitalise on the popular poolside area. Lunch is in-house at Lime & Pepper where I order a range of tropical â&#x20AC;&#x153;tastesâ&#x20AC;? before returning to my designer day bed by the pool.

BOWL ED OV ER The West Cairns Bowls Club (216 Gatton Street, Cairns; facebook.com/ westcnsbowlsclub) is one of the city's hidden gems. I meet friends for a game of barefoot bowls before tucking into a Wiener schnitzel bacon burger. Bistro food at its finest.

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JUL IE T TA

is up early power walking, bush walking and bird watching.

POWER WA L K AT THE GORGE

A N ENCH A NTED R AINFORES T One of the locals' favourite freshwater swimming holes, Crystal Cascades (Redlynch Intake Road, Lamb Range; cairnsattractions.com.au) is blissfully off the beaten tourist track. I wander along the avenue of rainforest from the car park accompanied by a trio of bush turkeys, then climb down to one of the many cascading pools for a swim and a picnic on the rocks.

Set on the lower reaches of the Barron Gorge National Park, Australia's first underground power station (built 1935) is an unlikely site of extraordinary natural beauty. The cool of late afternoon is the perfect time to venture out on foot across the bridge to enjoy the spectacular views up and down the gorge.

PIZ Z A BY THE L A K E Surrounded by rainforest on the edge of Lake Placid, Alessandro's Pizzeria (102/1 Lake Placid Road, Caravonica) serves up the most authentic pizzas this side of Napoli from their imported Italian pizza oven. My early dinner overlooking the lake is sublime, but as this is croc territory, there's no chance of an after-dinner swim.

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WEEKEND WARRIORS

YO M A M A ! TO M A RK E T, TO M A RK E T No visit to Cairns is complete without a visit to Rusty's Markets (57-89 Grafton Street; rustysmarket.com.au) where I mooch about for most of the morning. The covered market has a hundred or so stalls where you can stock up on everything from coffee beans to small-batch preserves and fruit and veg.

SOME THING TO SING A BOUT In need of a caffeine injection, I head to Blackbird Espresso by Coffee NQ (Oceana Walk Arcade, 13/62 Grafton Street), which has also opened a second outlet on the city fringes that caters to the local Lycra-clad cult (205 Newell Street, Bungalow).

I always make time to detour to Mama Coco. (4/196 Mulgrave Road, Westcourt; mamacoco.com.au). There are so many reasons to love this local family-run hangout. Do order the watermelon, rosewater and mint housemade soda with grilled haloumi salad with quinoa, pearl barley, avocado and plantain chips.

CARLA

gets some house made soda, has a fresh seafood lunch and dines out.

S AT UR D AY

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C A SSOWA R Y CONFRONTATIONS BRE A K FA S T AT THE BE ACH It's pretty early so I have the beach almost to myself at beautiful Palm Cove â&#x20AC;&#x201C; lucky me! I've literally stepped into a postcard, and the view across to Double Island from the southern end of the beach is one of North Queensland's most iconic images. Breakfast at beachfront Chill Cafe (1/41 Williams Esplanade; chillcafepalmcove.com) is the perfect set-up for my day.

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I jump in the car for the scenic drive up the Kuranda Range, stopping short of the village at Barron Falls Estate (kurandarainforestjourneys. com.au). I join an ATV tour through this pristine rainforest environment, encountering some of the oldest plant species on earth, a secret Skyrail stop and an elusive baby cassowary.

VIL L AGE IN THE R AINFORES T Time for lunch in Kuranda (kuranda.org) and I couldn't choose anywhere but the famous Frogs Restaurant (Heritage Markets, 4 Rob Veivers Drive, Kuranda frogsrestaurant.com.au), a local institution that has delighted locals and tourists since 1980. From my vantage on the deck I enjoy my tropics-inspired salad with rainforest views and the company of a curious water dragon.

DESTINATION CAIRNS

FA NC Y FOOT WORK FROM PA DDOCK TO PL ATE PR AWN S TA R Prawns don't get much fresher than those hauled straight out of the ocean and piled on your plate. Prawn Star (moored at the Marlin Marina; facebook.com/ PrawnStarCairns) is a restaurant trawler that serves prawns slapped together in a bucket. It's brilliant! Look out for Prawn Star 2, which has seating for 300 seafood lovers.

The industrial area of Cairns is now on my radar thanks to The Paddock (314 Mulgrave Road, thepaddockcairns.com), a ranchhouse dining room that connects its customers directly back to the land. I order line-caught tuna and feel smug in the knowledge the ingredients have impeccable provenance. Check out the perma pop-up Harvest Café in the adjacent laneway.

14:00

Cairns's newest live music venue is Bar36 Live Lounge and Merchant Cafe at the five-star Pullman Reef Hotel Casino (41/35 Wharf Street; accorhotels.com). The live lounge has an LED pillar and interactive floor that reacts to footsteps, so I get to practise my finest dance moves.

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JUL IE T TA

confronts a cassowary, meets some birdlife and explores wetlands.

CONSER VATION TIME

BIRDS OF PA R A DISE Within a whispered “cooee” of Frogs, Birdworld Kuranda (Heritage Markets, Rob Veivers Drive, Kuranda; birdworldkuranda.com) provides the opportunity for me to get up very close and personal with some feathered friends in this unique wildlife attraction. Landscaped to simulate the birds' natural habitat, more than 60 exotic species live amongst the waterfalls, ponds and native foliage – and a couple on my head.

ON THE EDGE A couple of kilometres from Kuranda village I navigate the rainforest boardwalk to enjoy dramatic views of the majestic Barron Falls from the cliffedge lookout. It's an extra treat today as I arrive just as the historic tourist train disappears around the corner on its scenic journey back to Cairns.

A rehabilitated sand mining quarry is now the site of Cairns' most accessible conservation park, Cattana Wetlands (Dunne Road, Smithfield). Sprawling over a rich, biodiverse 80 hectares, I explore the boardwalk that wends its way through wetland palm forests and saltwater lakes against a soundtrack of birds and cicadas.

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WEEKEND WARRIORS

A VINE TIME Vines @ Limberlost didn't exist when I was growing up in Cairns. If it did, I would have been here with my neighbourhood friends enjoying house-made iced lemon, lime and ginger tea. Mum lives 200 metres away from this casual cafe – an offshoot of Limberlost Nursery (113 Old Smithfield Road, Cairns; limberlost.com.au) – so it's a great place to take her out for a cuppa.

A L L TH AT IS OL D IS NU NU AG AIN

ON THE RIGHT TR ACK Trainspotting at Freshwater Connection Station is always a hoot. I wave at the tourists trundling by while biding my time over a light breakfast of avocado bruschetta at Barron's Bistro (Kamerunga Road, Freshwater, Cairns; barronsbistro.com.au).

Nu Nu (1 Veivers Road, Palm Cove; nunu.com.au) isn't new to Palm Cove but its location on the beachfront of the Alamanda Resort is. I book a lunch table near the windows on the beachfront deck, looking out over swaying palm trees, and order some of the best seafood this side of the Coral Sea. Trust the chef and order the tasting menu.

CARLA

takes her mum for tea, grabs a sundowner and crashes in five-star luxury.

S UND AY

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CONTEMPL ATION TIME

SUNRISE OV ER THE CIT Y It's my earliest start yet and I set off up the Red Arrow walking track through Mount Whitfield Conservation Park by torchlight to race the sunrise. The circuit is steep but short (about 30 minutes) and I reach the top just in time for sunrise over the city and airport. It's a magical moment.

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FRESH JUICE A ND FUNK Y TUNES After my exertions on the Red Arrow it's definitely time to stop for a rejuvenating juice at Wild Bean (64 Collins Avenue, Edge Hill; wildbean.com.au), which is nestled into a rainforest setting at the Tanks Arts Centre. I also take the opportunity to check out what's on at the Tanks and discover an upcoming concert by Rickie Lee Jones.

Just over the road from Tanks is the Collins Avenue entrance to the wildlife-rich Centenary Lakes (cairns.qld.gov.au). I follow the boardwalk through mangroves, tropical rainforest and a freshwater lake resplendent with water lilies to arrive at the tranquil Zhanjiang Friendship Garden. For a short while it's just me – and some of the 130 species of birds – enjoying some not-so-quiet contemplation.

DESTINATION CAIRNS

L OVING THE L A NE WAY S

BOOM SH ACK ER L ACK ER At the far end of Kewarra Beach Reserve is where I find the charming The Beach Shack, where the locals outnumber the tourists. It's the perfect spot to have a post-prandial walk on the beach followed by a sundowner. Runs from May until December on Fridays (4:30pm-9pm) and Sundays (2pm-6pm) only.

THE SUITE LIFE I check into the five-star Pullman Reef Hotel Casino in Cairns (35/41 Wharf Street, Cairns; pullmanhotels.com), which has just had an extensive $6.5 million refurbishment. Dinner at Tamarind, which has also been updated, is divine.

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There's a bit of a laneway culture developing in Cairns and Three Wolves (32 Abbott Street, threewolves.com.au) is ahead of the pack. The live-music venue whisky and cocktail bar has transformed an otherwise mundane laneway into an inner-urban oasis. I paid a visit to this fantastic addition to the city's fabric to enjoy some live music and a nightcap.

19:00

JUL IE T TA

greets the sunrise, goes to market and ends the weekend in style.

SUN, SE A A ND S A LT HOUSE

BE AUT Y OV ERL OA D

COL OUR S OF C AIRNS I head to famous Rusty's Markets (57-89 Grafton Street, Cairns; rustysmarkets.com.au) to grab some supplies for a picnic lunch. I'm pleasantly waylaid for an hour by the myriad sights, sounds and aromas of this jam-packed local market that, for three days (Fri, Sat, Sun from 5am), is the noisy and colourful social heart of the city.

At the end of a winding 16km access road through the Whitfield Range, Copperlode Falls Dam at Lake Morris doesn't just serve as the city's water supply, it's also one of the most peaceful and picturesque places I know. A picnic on the observation deck accompanied by a free coffee from the help-yourself kiosk makes the serene scene even sweeter.

There's no better way to end the day in Cairns than with a late-afternoon tipple overlooking the Marina at the Salt House (Marina Point, Cairns; salthouse.com.au). Their seasonal menu means local seafood and Tablelands' meat, but I choose tapas.

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

tigertales@citrusmedia.com.au

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Free wheeling PHOTO TOURISM TASMANIA/ANDREW MCINTOSH

Being on a road trip in a motorhome allows you to drive right over planned itineraries and locked-in locations â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and, for a family holiday, that can lead to some unexpectedly great memories, writes Paul Chai.

TASMANIA BY MOTORHOME

n a well-planned itinerary it’s often the unscheduled moments that stand out; the spontaneous moments that seemingly fall between the cracks of what you were supposed to be doing. On a recent trip to Tasmania, that meant spending a sunset skipping rocks on a small stretch of sand outside of Coles Bay in the Freycinet National Park, with the blazing backdrop of the Hazards mountain range as it soaked in the final minutes of sunlight. The water was glassy – perfect for getting good skipping distance – and once all the good rocks had been used, me and my two sons stripped to our underwear, despite the relative chill, and waded into the water to fossick the prize skippers out of the sand to do it all again. From the beach, a cold glass of local Freycinet bubbles in hand, my wife watched. Everyone was happy. And the kicker was once we were wet, cold and all skipped out, we walked a few hundred metres to our bed for the night – a motorhome with the Hazard mountain range framed in its rear window. We were on a week-long holiday piloting an Apollo Motorhome Holidays six-berth mobile home around as much of the Apple Isle as possible; we planned to go from east coast to west partly because we wanted to see both, partly because I was worried about keeping the boys, aged 10 and 7, busy so they were tired enough to not kill each other in a confined space. I needn’t have worried; while we had plenty of things on our to-do list, those unplanned moments kept stacking up, thanks primarily to the flexibility that comes with being the family equivalent of a giant snail, riding around with our home on our backs. We changed our minds, we stopped wherever we liked and made lunchtime picnics on the fly. And we had no dramas, save for a minor dishcloth fire, but what happens on the road stays on the road… ê

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Picking up the Euro Deluxe motorhome just outside Hobart Airport, we get the rundown on how things work as well as a hot tip that we should watch the Robin Williams movie RV at some point on the trip (we eventually do, and laugh till it hurts). We make use of the shelf full of free dry goods left by fellow campers, then stop off at a supermarket and hit the road. There’s a practice night on the way to Freycinet – where I stare at the motorhome and a pile of hoses and electrical cords in much the same way as I look at unassembled Ikea furniture – but with the help of a friendly campground owner, we’re soon connected correctly. The next night in Freycinet, I’m reversing motorhomes and connecting hoses like a seasoned grey nomad. We take a beach walk and cook a simple dinner, as tomorrow we will tackle the half-day walk to Wineglass Bay. Years ago I went out with a Taswegian girl, and while the state was far from the tourism darling it is today, the dramatic walk to Wineglass stuck with me. Today I tackle it with young kids in tow, but they bound (relatively) happily up the saddle that runs between the Hazards, spurred on at the top by a visit from some friendly wallabies. On the

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SKIPPING STONES IN THE SHADOW OF THE HAZARDS MOUNTAIN R ANGE

way to the bottom my wife and I are actually trying to slow the kids down as we can see them gathering speed down the hill like two runaway boulders, but we reach the big reveal of Wineglass Bay in one piece and walk along the sand to a spot where the kids change into swimmers and try to brave the cold – and strikingly clear – water. After our return hike – some of which involves piggybacking small people – we head to Cape Tourville on the suggestion of a park ranger and get to see Wineglass Bay, Mt Graham and Mt Freycinet from another angle – craggy granite outcrops, spiralling seabirds and forests of Tasmanian blue gums. Then it’s back to the campsite for the aforementioned rock skipping – and a serious family conference. The beauty of our mobile abode is changing our mind, and on a hot tip we decide to forgo the following planned night at Bay of Fires in favour of heading inland to Mole Creek. The following morning we say goodbye to the coast with a visit to Bicheno, the highlight of which is The Gulch (19-21 Esplanade, Bicheno; no website), a fish and chips and fresh seafood shack at the end of a jetty splashed with black squid ink. There are some calamari wings and flathead fillets straight off the boat, so we pop them straight into our fridge and head inland.

TOP PHOTO TOURISM TASMANIA/CHRIS BR AY

COASTAL ADVENTURE

TASMANIA BY MOTORHOME

t h e w ay t o w i n e g l a s s b ay A two-hour walk over the saddle of the Hazards and you’re there.

THE MIDDLE GROUND

“On a hot tip, we head inland to spend two nights at Mole Creek“

THE UNDERGROUND RIVER IN THE MOLE CREEK CAVE SYSTEM

On a motorhome road trip, one temptation can be to move too often – it’s easy to do so – but we’ve planned a two-night stay at Mole Creek to give ourselves some respite from the road. We don’t know much about this part of the upper Mersey Valley, which is part of the appeal, so we throw a dart and opt to stay at Mole Creek Caravan Park (2 Union Bridge Road, Mole Creek; molecreek.net.au). The caravan park is intimate and set around a bend in the creek said to hold a platypus. Our powered site comes with a fire pit and the park has a large supply of firewood that only costs you a bit of effort, as you borrow the camp saw and cut the lumber to size. Between the wood, platypus hunting and toasting marshmallows, the kids declare this the best night so far. The seared-for-seconds calamari wings are also a big hit. Mole Creek gets its name because the body of water digs itself underground in several places, and in the morning we tour nearby Marakoopa Cave to see the underground river. The Mole Creek Caves sit at the end of a short and charming rainforest walk. We rug up, as the caves are a fairly constant nine degrees. The two arachnophobes in the family (me and my youngest) are also on edge as these caves are home to the Tasmanian cave spider, a dinner-plate-sized, prehistoric arachnid. This spider lives for 20 years in the caves, where it’s the top of the food chain. Its gruesome mating habits mean the male spiders are also on the menu. It is this dark dance that the spiders do that attracted the attention of British author Neil Gaiman – known for his own twisted tales like Coraline – who recently made the documentary Sixteen Legs about the spiders. ê

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TASMANIA BY MOTORHOME Within minutes of entering the cave, we meet a large female tucked inside a waist-height nook. Even us arachnophobes lean forward for a look, because she’s as beautiful as she is scary – and it’s not every day you meet a creature that looks exactly the same as when it shared the earth with dinosaurs. We roam the caves, where the shawls and straws hanging from the ceiling have been dated at 1.5 million years old, and end in a pitch-black alcove that slowly reveals the green glow of a roof full of glow worms. There are more animals ahead after lunch at Trowunna Wildlife Park (1892 Mole Creek Road, Mole Creek; trowunna.com.au), a small park dedicated to helping save the Tasmanian devil from the facial tumour that’s blighting the local wildlife. There are free-range, and very pushy, wallabies and kangaroos to feed, and we join a small tour to feed the devils. I think devils are actually very cute, but when you watch (and hear) a group of them tear apart a wallaby’s hind leg, you can see where they get their fearsome reputation. But for us, another Tassie local steals the show

THEY MIGHT LOOK CUTE, BUT THEY HAVE A NAST Y BITE ( THE TASSIE DEVILS, NOT MY CHILD)

The details THE VEHICLE

IMAGES PAUL CHAI; TOURISM TASMANIA (DEVILS)

We borrowed the Euro Deluxe motorhome from Apollo Motorhomes Holidays. It has plenty of space for a family of four, though it can sleep six. It’s big, but it handles like a much-smaller vehicle, which was a help on some seriously windy Tassie roads – and the rear-vision camera is a godsend. A standard minimum five-night rental of an Apollo Euro Deluxe starts from $114 per day. Prices vary according to season and availability – for full details, contact apollocampers.com.au.

THE TRIP We covered 1,231 kilometres from Hobart to the east and west coast and back. The trip took seven nights and eight days with a couple of hours’ driving per day.

T H E S T AY S Nightly accommodation varied wildly from $6 a night for a lakeside spot with just a toilet block to $40 a night for fully powered sites.

THE PARKS For our visit we bought a National Park Vehicle Holiday Pass for $60 that covers entry to all the parks in the state for up to eight weeks. Daily passes are $24.

as we meet the spotted quolls – inquisitive, almost feline animals (they were once known as the “tiger cat”). That night, there’s more fire and marshmallow toasting, but still no sign of the platypus. The next day, we travel to the west coast, but with one significant stopover. We park the motorhome in a very busy carpark at Cradle Mountain National Park and jump on a bus to take a walk from Ronny Creek to Dove Lake. It’s a two-hour ramble that starts on duckboard across marshy button-grass scrub, and our wildlife-spotters’ luck holds out as we see a wombat wombling about just a few hundred metres into the walk. The walk takes in dramatic scenery along Crater Lake, with views of Lilla Lake, where we watch the wind making patterns in the still waters and a short section of the famous Dove Lake Crater circuit. Later that afternoon, we arrive in the former port town of Strahan, gateway to the Franklinê Gordon National Park.

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EST.1999

W W W. M A D E I N E A R T H . C O M . A U

TASMANIA BY MOTORHOME

WESTERN WILDERNESS My wife and I both grew up as the drama around the Franklin Dam unfolded and this fracas, and the subsequent World Heritage status, can’t help but build up expectations. We’re taking a World Heritage Cruise (also known as the “red boat”, 19 Esplanade, Strahan; worldheritagecruises.com.au), and we board bright and early for the Heritage Morning Cruise that runs from 9am-3pm. It’s a big day, but the boat is a comfortable floating lounge room with plush seats, a kids’ playroom and a huge buffet lunch that includes the Tasmanian salmon we see farmed in Macquarie Harbour. The tour takes us out past Hells Gates, the narrow entry point to the harbour, so named by convicts headed to the famously unpleasant Sarah Island. The boat docks at Sarah Island and we take a walking tour that reveals the layers of history on this island – though the boys and I break away for a selfguided wander and some more rock skipping. When we finally hit the mouth of the Gordon River, years of high expectations are rewarded with ancient forests crowded around the still, dark waters and glimpses of

“The tour takes us out past Hells Gates in the harbour“

WILD TIME IN TASSIE The Sarah Island pier (top); a budding photographer at Cradle Mountain; crabs washed up on the east coast.

Huon pine. We take a short walk through the forest where the trees appear to be draped in green cotton wool and we hunt for the elusive yabbies that build mud towers along the sides of the duckboards. The boys’ day is made complete when the return trip across the harbour turns into a fun-park ride as winds of up to 80kmh rush across the bow, almost lifting them into the air. We take leave of Strahan and drive slowly back to Hobart the next day, stopping for walks to hidden waterfalls and across a suspension bridge over the Franklin River. We almost run along mountain ridges full of pink mountain berries and banksia as we approach the deadline to get the motorhome back – and we wind up back at Apollo Motorhome Holidays as the sun starts to set. ê

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TASMANIA BY MOTORHOME

CITY LIVING The trip has hardly been roughing it, but for our final night in Hobart we decide to spoil ourselves nonetheless. We’re spending the night in the H Jones Suite at the Henry Jones Art Hotel in the former IXL jam factory on the Hobart marina (25 Hunter Street, Hobart; thehenryjones.com). The bathroom is about the same size as our motorhome and our room was the former boardroom, the roof made from timber recycled from fruit crates as Henry was famously frugal. The rest of the suite is Tasmanian blackwood with views over the harbour, and we dunk the boys in the indulgent overflow spa bath to wash off the dust from the road. All suited and booted, dinner is a short walk away at Franklin (28-30 Argyle Street, Hobart; franklinhobart.com.au), a former car showroom strung with wispy white drapes and decorated with vintage lamps and potted cacti. It showcases chef David Moyle’s love of local produce and we dine on share plates like raw Cape Grim beef and burnt eggplant, Spring Bay mussels cooked with dill pollen and pan-roasted striped trumpeter with saltbush. Our family holiday tradition is to get the “holiday highlights” on the final night and over dinner the boys vote for any and all encounters with wildlife, and we all agree on the afternoon skipping stones in Freycinet. The little things win out, the unplanned, the unexpected – the sort of thing that happens more readily on a free-wheeling road trip.

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

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“We dunk the boys in the indulgent overflow spa to wash off the dust from the road“

THE HENRY JONES ART HOTEL PROVIDES A FINAL NIGHT OF LUXURY AFTER A GREAT TASSIE ROAD TRIP

HOLIDAY MUST-DO Wildlife galore, shows to amaze, closer experiences, segways for safaris, high-ropes to dare, & fun to be had!

Established in 1947, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary was one of the Gold Coast’s ﬁrst wildlife tourism parks. As a not-for-proﬁt, funds are re-invested back into the Sanctuary and one of Australia’s largest wildlife hospitals.

28 Tomewin Street, Currumbin, 4223.

PHOTO THREDBO RESORT

Winter is coming Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the start of the snow season in the Victorian and New South Wales alpine regions, and that means a long list of fun things to do. Adrienne Smith reports.

SNOW TIME

he ski season is upon us again, so it’s time to keep a constant eye on the weather apps in the hope that the snow gods look after us for another year. The resorts are gearing up for the season with a range of new offerings – from new places to eat, to new activities, and even new technology – to make the season as good as it can possibly be. Here is a look at just some of the things the alpine regions have to offer:

GET GUARANTEED SNOW ON DAY ONE For the start of the 2017 snow season, Mt Buller is guaranteeing snow from the moment the ski season kicks off. The secret? They are adding a “Snowfactory” to the resort’s arsenal of snow guns. Also known as the Techno Alpin SF 220, the factory can produce 220 cubic metres of snow daily, even when temperatures are well above freezing. In fact, Buller locals were testing out the new Snowfactory snow in March – 80 days before the season even opened.

mt buller’s promise The one ski resort to guarantee snow on day one.

“The Mt Buller ‘Snowfactory’ can produce 220 cubic metres of snow a day”

GO SLED-DOGGING The resident Mt Buller huskies reside just down from the main village where the team of Siberian Huskies from Australian Sled Dog Tours (sleddogtours.com.au) operate from June 10 onwards through the rugged terrain. Just visiting the huskies, some with amazing blue eyes, is fun for the kids, but getting them to take you on a one-hour mountain-view run is unforgettable. Mt Hotham and Mt Baw Baw also offer tours through Howling Husky Sled Dog Tours (howlinghuskys.com.au).

GO TO THE MOVIES

THE PERFECT COMBO OF GREAT SNOWFALL AND SUNNY DAY ON THE SLOPES

Mt Buller has the latest-release movies on at the 180-seat cinema right throughout the ski season – the highest movie cinema in Australia. You can catch local snow documentaries too, along with snacks, all located at Alpine Central.

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ASPEN SNOWMASS CONFERENCE 3 – 10 JANUARY 2018 20 Hours of CPD live lectures 6th Ski Conference

Conference is open: Medical & Business Professionals Including: Dentists, Doctors, Anaesthetists, Pharmacists, Surgeons, Brokers, Lawyers and Accountants. This is not an exclusive list.

Venue – Stonebridge Inn, Snowmass

Specially negotiated rates available between 1 - 12 January 2018, giving you the option to extend your stay. FOR FURTHER DETAILS ON THE CONFERENCE: Visit our website www.cpdconferencing.com.au Email us on cpd@cpdconferencing.com.au Call us on 02 9233 6466 to register

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SNOW TIME

THE SKIING IS GREAT AND THE APRES SKI CAN BE EVEN BETTER

HAVE A FINE-DINING NIGHT OUT The food in the alpine region has been taken up a notch in recent years with a range of date-night dinner options available. At Mt Hotham, try Yama from regional star chefs Michael Ryan and Jeanette Henderson of two-hat Provenance Restaurant in Beechworth, and Hamish Nugent and Rachel Reed of chef’s hatted Tani Eat & Drink in Bright. The dark space right in Hotham Central used to be occupied by the White Room and now serves modern takes on Asian cuisine. Over at Mt Buller you have Black Cockatoo, which has a modern steakhouse look with copper, steel and leather and views across to Mt Stirling; the seasonal menu might include smoked local rainbow trout with miso eggplant or Flinders Island saltgrass lamb shoulder cooked until it falls off the bone.

VISIT THE MOUNTAIN GNOMES Mt Buller’s Gnome Roam is something to keep the kids busy and it starts on the drive up to the snowfields with a trio of red-hatted garden gnomes standing outside their house in a gnarled old tree. Grab the Gnome Roam map from the Buller visitor centre when you get to the top and try to find all their friends.

WISH THREDBO HAPPY BIRTHDAY This winter marks Thredbo’s 60th anniversary and there are plenty of things planned for the birthday bash. A new addition to the slopes will be the “2037” commemorative bell that has been installed at the top of Karels T-Bar (2,037 metres above sea level) – the highest lifted point in Australia. Now, instead of just snapping a selfie, you can announce your arrival at the summit by sounding the bell. You can also keep an eye out for the Thredbo coffee table book that is being produced to celebrate the milestone; the book will be released on July 26 in Thredbo and in Sydney. Grab one. ê

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SNOW TIME

“Most resorts allow skiers to hit the slopes after dark“ TAKE A SUNSET SNOW-SHOE TOUR One of the newer alpine pursuits is a snowshoe tour. Mt Buller offers a Twilight Tour of the village where you strap on the shoes, take a walk on terrain you would never manage on skis, and then grab a hot chocolate as the village starts to come to life. A snow-shoe tour lets you search for local wildlife and is a fun way to explore the alpine terrain for non-skiers. The shoes take a bit of getting used to, but it is far easier than learning to ski.

GO NIGHT SKIING Most resorts offer an option for experienced skiers to hit the slopes after dark. At Perisher, that means skiing from 6-9pm on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

STEP BACK IN TIME Mt Buller’s annual Eighties Day celebrates all things fluoro and sees skiers digging into their closets for some day-glo ski suits that they thought would never see the light of day again. Last year’s day included best-dressed prizes and a “pin the glove on Michael Jackson” contest – as well as plenty of 80s hits being piped around the resort. Check out the 2017 calendar for more information.

RIDE A SKIDOO On Mt Baw Baw Skidoo Tours you can hit the slopes for a 20-minute ride on these motorised vehicles and explore the cross-country ski trails.

PLAY WINTER DISC GOLF NIGHT SKIING AND FIREWORKS ARE A HIGHLIGHT OF THE SKI SEASON

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New for the family this winter at Thredbo is the opening of the Disk Golf Park, which allows you to play a round of golf amongst eucalypts using a hand-thrown disk instead of a golf ball and clubs. The aim is the same; reach the holes in as few throws as possible and try not to be distracted by the amazing alpine views. ê

awm.gov.au

AWM4445 Reflections_Tiger inflight mag_180x115_v1.indd 1

16/05/2017 10:41 AM

SNOW TIME

Snow business Full details of all winter activities can be found online at the resorts; mtbuller.com.au; mthotham.com.au; fallscreek.com.au; perisher.com.au; thredbo.com.au

WATCH SOME FIREWORKS The Night Show in Falls Creek’s Village Bowl sets fireworks, night-skiing displays and the village’s best boarders to a thumping soundtrack every night from 8pm.

LET THE KIDS LOOSE Thredbo also has new “kids only” adventure zones set in and around the family-friendly Friday Flats area. A series of animal-themed hideouts should mean adults get a bit of ski time to themselves.

GET ON A SNOW BIKE

NO, THE SNOW HASN’T MELTED. THREDBO IS JUST MIXING IT UP FOR EXPERIENCED SKIERS

Falls Creek is the first resort in Australia to offer snow biking, a kind of seated ski gizmo that has a special ski trail designed for these adrenaline machines. If you have snow tubed, and snow shoed, and skied and boarded, why not saddle up for this newest of skiing experiences.

SEE TWO MOUNTAINS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE Family-friendly ski resorts Mt Baw Baw and Lake Mountain have a new Dual Mountain Season Pass that offers you access to both resorts for the one price. Have access to these resorts for the whole season for $400.

DO SOME NORDIC SKIING Perisher has over 100 kilometres of marked cross-country trails, also known as Nordic skiing, where you can explore the stunning scenery more closely by going off the usual runs. Ski through the snow gums or take a peaceful glide along the ridges – with cross-country you can explore far more of the alpine region.

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

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O Z & N Z

THREDBO SELF DRIVE

WEEKEND / MIDWEEK

LIFT PASS & ACCOMM PACKAGES AUD $199 pp *

AUD $299 pp *

AUD $499 pp *

2 NIGHT 2 DAY LIFT PASS

3 NIGHT 3 DAY LIFT PASS

5 NIGHT 5.5 DAY LIFT PASS

*Add $45 Peak Season *Add $50 Ski/Board Hire

*Add $65 Peak Season *Add $60 Ski/Board Hire

*Add $110 Peak Season *Add $80 Ski/Board Hire

Includes: • Accommodation at Snowy Valley, Jindabyne (4 - 7 share) add $65pp 2 night, $85pp 3 nights & $100pp 5 nights (2 - 3 share) • Full Access Thredbo Lift Pass *Not available school holidays 2 – 15 July. Thredbo My Pass required at a cost of $4 paid locally and only available midweeks. Peak Season: 16 July – 25 August.

SEE THE SPECIALS PAGE

2 DAY WEEKEND

$249 pp

AUD

3 DAY WEEKEND/MIDWEEK AUD $299 pp

Includes: • 2 or 3 Nights Accommodation Snowy Valley Jindabyne • All Transport Sydney / Canberra to the Snow return • Daily Mountain Shuttles • Hot Breakfasts & Dinner • Dedicated Trip Tour Guides • Saturday Night Party 2 DAY lift pass & ski hire from

AUD $195 pp *

3 DAY lift pass & ski hire from

AUD $270 pp

SEE THE AUSTRALIA PAGE

ROUTE MAP

Where to next? Tigerair Australia serves 13 destinations right across the country

tigerair bases

darwin

cairns townsville whitsunday coast

brisbane gold coast coffs harbour perth

sydney canberra (act)

adelaide

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

melbourne (tullamarine) hobart

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TIGERAIR NEWS

Tigerair supports the Whitsundays Low-cost airline launches a range of initiatives to help with the aftermath of Cyclone Debbie

yclone Debbie hit the Whitsunday Coast in March, causing plenty of damage to one of the low-cost airline’s most popular routes. But it wasn’t long before the region was back on its feet and Tigerair Australia was there to help out with a range of initiatives to support this great part of the country. First up was a range of discounted fares to encourage travellers to see the Whitsundays; then came a range of sponsorships. In addition to backing the Cyclone Debbie Recovery Concert in Airlie Beach in May, Tigerair also became a major sponsor of the Whitsunday Tourism Awards in September and the Airlie Beach Festival of Music in November. Tigerair Australia recently added additional services to fly six weekly return services between Sydney and the Whitsundays, and in March launched four weekly return services between Brisbane and the Whitsundays – providing, in total, close to 200,000 visitor seats annually through Whitsunday Coast Airport, in response to consumer demand. Tigerair Australia Head of Communications, Vanessa Regan, said, “Tigerair Australia is thrilled to support the incredible efforts of our airport and tourism partners in the Whitsundays, which is very much open for business as usual now.

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“While the effects of the cyclone were severe, they were also short-lived, and the Whitsundays remain a jewel in Queensland’s tourism’s crown. The way the region and tourism operators have worked together to quickly restore normality is testament to the resilience and passion of the tourism industry in the Whitsundays. “Through our great value fares and commitment to the region, we want to encourage Australians to show their support by booking great value travel deals to the Whitsundays.” Mayor Andrew Willcox said the support from Tigerair Australia to date had been amazing. “It’s good to have friends like this that recognise difficult times and are with us for the long haul,” he said.

T IG E R A IR IN T HE NE W S Tigerair captain Deborah Lawrie was recently on Channel 9 TV news when she helped out Jessica Irwin, a keen flyer who was born with cerebral palsy. Captain Lawrie took Jessica into the A320 flighttraining simulator and helped the 29-year-old to fly one of the world’s most popular passenger jets. Jessica joked that her landing may have been a bit abrupt, but Captain Lawrie said of Jessica: “Her spirit and enthusiasm is what I related to – wanting to do it no matter what.” Check out the video at facebook.com/tigerair

TIGERAIR NEWS

Tigerair boosts its Canberra presence

Tigerair commences Brisbane to Perth route The route is the only low-cost direct service between the two cities

PHOTOS JON HEWSON PHOTOGRAPHY

Low-cost carrier launches new Brisbane to Canberra route, increases Melbourne flights It was only late last year that Tigerair launched the first low-cost route from Melbourne to Canberra, and it has proven so popular the airline has recently announced additional services. In great news for consumers, Tigerair will operate three weekly return services (Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday) between Brisbane and Canberra from September 14, 2017, providing the only low-cost air travel option on this route. There will also be an additional Melbourne to Canberra route launched. Tigerair Australia CEO Rob Sharp says the additional flights could be attributed to overwhelming consumer demand, particularly in the Canberra market. “Canberrans have truly embraced Tigerair’s great value fares and friendly service, with demand for our MelbourneCanberra services exceeding our expectations since we launched services from Melbourne in December last year.” “With eight weekly return services from Melbourne and three from Brisbane, Tigerair Australia will be providing close to 4,000 visitor seats weekly through Canberra Airport, or over 200,000 visitor seats annually to the doorstep of the nation’s capital city.”

“Tigerair Australia is pleased to be able to make travel more affordable and accessible than ever before for our customers, but we understand they want more than just low fares. Reliability is a key factor, and we have been Australia’s most punctual low cost carrier over the past 24 months to the end of April 2017, and also recorded the lowest cancellation rate of all major domestic airlines over the same period of time.”

Tigerair started the only low-cost air travel services between Brisbane and Perth in June, providing consumers with a reliable and affordable option on one of Australia’s longest domestic air travel routes. The airline is operating a standard schedule of four weekly return services between Brisbane and Perth, increasing up to six times weekly in peak periods such as school holidays. Tigerair Australia CEO Rob Sharp said the airline is confident the new services will prove popular with budget and leisure travellers, providing a welcome economic and tourism boost to Queensland and Western Australia. “The new services between Brisbane and Perth will deliver over 80,000 additional visitor seats through both airports annually. “At a total of 3,606km in flying distance, Brisbane to Perth is one of the longest domestic air travel routes in Australia. Considering the distance of this journey, Tigerair is providing an extremely affordable and reliable option for travellers.” The Brisbane to Perth services are being facilitated by a third A320 aircraft, which has been based in Brisbane since March 2017, creating an additional 50 Brisbane-based jobs (cabin crew, pilots and ground staff).

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Sydney attracts one of the world’s most spectacular line-ups of musical productions, high adrenalin sports, exciting cultural experiences and artistic collaborations.

VIVID SYDNEY 26 May – 17 June Sydney becomes a creative canvas of light, music and ideas. Various locations across Sydney

SYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL 7 – 18 June Enjoy the best features, documentaries and short films from across Australia and the world. Various locations across Sydney

CROWN GROUP AUSTRALIAN BADMINTON OPEN 2017 20 – 25 June The best players from more than 30 countries compete for top prize money. Sports Centre, Sydney Olympic Park

VIDEO JUNKEE 28 – 30 July A festival for creators and lovers of video. Carriageworks Sydney

2017 BLACKMORES SYDNEY RUNNING FESTIVAL 17 September Take part in one of the world’s most spectacular running festivals, where you can run a Marathon, Half Marathon,10k Bridge Run or a 3.5k Family Fun Run. Sydney

MURIEL’S WEDDING THE MUSICAL From 6 November In this highly anticipated world premiere, the iconic Australian film is set to become an equally iconic, laughout-loud musical. Roslyn Packer Theatre, Sydney

If it’s on in Sydney, it’s on sydney.com Please note that events are subject to change or cancellation (check relevant website for further details prior to the event). Destination NSW acknowledges and appreciates all photographic images supplied by each event owner for use in this advertisement.

THE TIGERAIR GUIDE TO...

Events

Winter

Winter's isn't just cooler – it’s cool, with plenty of seasonal fun to be had across the network.

Dark Mofo The colder months in Tasmania mean it’s time for the Dark Mofo festival (pictured), from the team behind the Museum of Old and New Art (Mona). This year’s line-up sees music from Vladimir Putin’s favourite feminist punk collective Pussy Riot, Grammy award-nominated Nai Palm from Melbourne band Hiatus Kaiyote (see our “What does a city sound like?” feature, page 48) and the Dark Mofo Films “festival-within-a-festival”. Hobart June 8-21; darkmofo.net.au

WinterWild BY CONNOR MCLEOD

WinterWild is an after-dark festival that revels in the untamed side of Victoria’s Apollo Bay once all the sun-seekers have disappeared. The festival takes place on the weekend with huge bonfires on the beach, and each weekend is inspired by the elements: Water, Earth, Air and Fire. The program includes music from the Dirty Three’s

Mick Turner as well as a Writer’s Festival that will include Clementine Ford and Michael Leunig – and it culminates in a 100-strong choir and a ritual burning of the festival sculpture. Melbourne July – August; winterwild.com.au

Nite Art After-dark art fest, Nite Art, returns to the precincts around the University of Melbourne and the city centre with a range of exhibitions, illuminations and international guests like German artist Fabian Knecht. “This year Nite Art presents the work of more than 60 artists across 25 galleries, museums, artist run initiatives and areas normally out of bounds. We invite you to join us to discover art and the artists that make our city. The night is free and all are welcome,” says Nite Art co-founder Deborah Stahle. Melbourne July 27; niteart.com.au

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BNE PER

MELBOURNE BRISBANE SYDNEY PERTH

SYD OU T! 7–9 APRIL • 100KM T SO LD EV EN

16–18 JUNE • 55KM AND 100KM 25–27 AUGUST • 50KM AND 100KM

22–24 SEPTEMBER • 50KM AND 100KM

MEL

Photo: Mark Dadswell/OxfamAUS

YOU WON’T BELIEVE YOU CAN, BUT YOU WILL.

THE TIGERAIR GUIDE TO...

W I N T E R Inside

Opera Australia Winter Season The colder months are a great time to get indoors to the opera with the Sydney Winter Season delivering the world premiere of Two Weddings, One Bride inspired by the sights and sounds of Morocco and Madama Butterfly (pictured). The season will star famous German tenor Jonas Kaufmann and Australian soprano Nicole Car in a collection of concerts, choral masterpieces and intimate recitals. Sydney June – October; opera.org.au

The Art of Football In a town where Australian Rules footy is elevated to an art form, it seems only right that someone would take the next step. The Art of Football is a series of one-off artworks painted onto footballs that is being held at the NAB in Docklands in June and July. The exhibition is the idea of Surf Coast

artists Xavier Davies and AFL footballer Nick Riewoldt, whose sister Maddie lost her battle with Bone Marrow Failure Syndrome. Proceeds from the exhibition will support the foundation named in Maddie’s honour. Melbourne June 28 – July 7; mrv.org.au

Defying Empire Showing throughout winter at the National Gallery of Australia, Defying Empire: 3rd National Indigenous Art Triennial gives Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists a national showcase for their art. This year’s show looks at the 50th anniversary of the 1967 referendum that recognised Indigenous people as Australians for the very first time, and the artists’ responses to this event. Defying Empire also features a series of talks, lectures and workshops. Canberra June – September; nga.gov.au

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W I N T E R

THE SPOT

Jazz Corner Hotel

rganise the perfect winter weekend away by basing yourself at one of Melbourne’s newest hotels, the music-themed Jazz Corner Hotel. The hotel is right above Bird’s Basement, a premiere jazz joint twinned with Charlie Parker’s world-famous Birdland in New York. The 150-room hotel is perfect for an indulgent Melbourne stay, the rooms containing nods to jazz and soul bands with album covers

decorating the walls and scenes from Bird’s Basement on the headboard; and the view across the neighbouring Flagstaff Gardens is amazing. Rooms come in studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments and have a kitchenette for longer stays; downstairs is eatery Beer, Wine & Calzone, a simple affair that serves what the name suggests, while guests take breakfast at Sky Bird Restaurant, a sunny (when Melbourne allows it) space on the hotel’s mezzanine.

The idea of the Jazz Corner Hotel is to soak yourself in jazz by using the hotel as a base to go to a show at Bird’s, a dark, simply decorated space that’s all about the music. The dinner menu is modern Italian under the guidance of exec chef Gigi Bueno (ex Caffe e Cucina), and shows might feature US jazz drummer T.S. Monk, son of jazz legend Thelonious Monk (June 20-25), who forms part of the Birds Jazz Festival in June. jazzcornerhotel.com

Escape Reef Experience

Ocean Rafting

Whitehaven Beach

Royal Darwin Show

It’s always summer up north, so get out on the water with Reef Experiences and take a dive in the Great Barrier Reef. Scuba at Hasting Reef, Breaking Patches Reef or Saxon Reef, among others. Cairns reefexperience.com.au

Take a faster boat tour in Airlie Beach with Ocean Rafting, the adrenaline-fuelled way to see the reef. Speed out on the unique vehicles then get up close and personal with the reef inhabitants on a snorkelling dive. Whitsunday Coast oceanrafting.com.au

However you get there, whether it’s a speedy raft or a more sedate cruise, the impossibly white sands of Whitehaven Beach will wash the winter blues away. Try a half-day cruise with Cruise Whitsundays. Whitsunday Coast cruisewhitsundays.com

Head to the Top End for a tropical party at the Royal Darwin Show held from July 27-29. There are fireworks, the opening ceremony and grand parade, and plenty of rides and fun for the kids. Darwin darwinshow.com.au

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Queenstown Hot Chocolate

A FRESH NEW RANGE OF

MOISTURE-BOOST NATURAL LIPSTICKS

featuring avocado, evening primrose & calendula oils

DISCOVER YOURS AT: David Jones, selected Malouf Pharmacies, health food stores and independent pharmacies.

Visit Kenzan Japanese restaurant for some of the freshest sushi and sashimi dishes in Melbourne, along with Ã la carte dishes and surprising specials. The restaurant has been in its current CBD location for 35 years, and is the most awarded Japanese restaurant in Melbourne. Enjoy an authentic Japanese dining experience.

JAPANESE RESTAURANT

KENZAN.COM.AU | +61 (0)3 9654 8933

FrEe ShOwS

mAkE nEw fRiEnDs cUdDlE a kOaLa BoOk OnLiNe NoW! australiazoo.com.au

3016

Open daily 9:00am - 5:00pm (Closed Christmas Day) Steve Irwin Way, Beerwah, Sunshine Coast, Queensland

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W I N T E R

Food

Mr Lawrence Winter is the perfect time for a hot tagine at Mr Lawrence in Port Melbourne, which recently moved to a new location. The Middle Eastern menu has a weekly tagine special or winter warmers like Persian lamb meatballs, Shakshuka baked eggs with peppers and eggplant, or a Turkish pizza. Exec chef Alex Richey (ex Chin Chin) has a new two-storey space that, in a game of restaurant musical chairs, was previously home to sister restaurant Tenpin, which has moved to 49 Beach Street. Melbourne mrlawrence.com.au

House of Wine & Food Also new to Port Melbourne is the House of Wine & Food (pictured), which takes up a cosy home in the famous Cricketers Arms Hotel. The historic pub has had a makeover but the décor has been chosen to reflect the history of the building, which dates back to the 1870s, with a warm timber interior, antiques, a cosy bar and a courtyard designed to feel like a home garden. “We deliberately avoided cuttingedge materials like glass, concrete and steel, and set about creating an evocative atmosphere, which goes to the heart of hospitality, a feeling of coming together with family and friends in an extension of home,” says new owner Alan Giles. Melbourne thehouseofwineandfood.com

Feral Brewing Company This Swan Valley microbrewery has a brewpub that is perfect for a winter weekend. Grab yourself a smoked porter and pull up a chair in the simply decorated space that has a view across the vineyards, great for catching some winter sun. The menu is a host of warming share plates and Feral also does special cold weather culinary nights, including paired degustation menus to highlight the unique range of Feral brews. Perth feralbrewing.com.au

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the tale end

Let your pictures tell a story We want your photos on the Tigerair Australia Instagram feed. Add the hashtag #tigerairau to your travel snaps and they could appear as part of Tigerairâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s social media.

ME L B OUR NE Victoria @cutters_goose

M T M A C E DON

C R A DL E MOUN TA IN

Victoria @chai_paul

Tasmania @chai_paul

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

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