Travel by mike mccorry

Travel

Samples of Published Work:

WELL TRAVELLED

SUPER ! I I A W KA

PICNICS IN THE PARK, SENSATIONAL SHOPS, CUTTING-EDGE ARCHITECTURE – THERE IS SOMETHING IRRESISTIBLE ABOUT TOKYO ON A SUNDAY, WRITES SUSIE BURGE

T’S a universal truth that a girl who goes to Tokyo must visit Harajuku and buy a pair of red shoes – or vintage trainers or a faux punk tee – from one of the myriad kooky boutiques up and down the crowded maze of narrow laneways that hive off from the railway station. The combination of Harajuku plus Sunday plus shopping is a Tokyo institution, as are white-hooded fairytale wedding processions at nearby Meiji Shrine, teens dressed as manga heroes, and tragic middle-aged guys in black leather making 50s moves at the entrance to Yoyogi Park. Those cute Harajuku girls; (below) the Mikimoto building in Ginza, designed by Toyo Ito

“We hold hands so as to stay together while a crazy cast of characters swirl around us” I meet up with friends and their child at the park gates, a pair of shiny red patents in a box under one arm. As instructed by three-year-old Sana, we all hold hands so as to stay together while a cast of crazy characters swirl around us. There are shoppers, tourists, picnickers; popstar look-alikes with guitars and portable sound systems and statement hair; big girls dressed as little girls, complete with dolls and ribbons and bows; dogs so pouffed they look like toys; and groups of seemingly average Japanese who start dancing madly in synchronised 

Pedestrians flood Chuo Avenue in the Ginza District

steps once they reach the appropriate stretch of grass. We even see a floppy-eared rabbit on a leash. It’s spring, ohanami (cherry blossom viewing), and everywhere people are spreading groundsheets beneath flower-laden branches where petals fall like candy-coloured snow. It’s a topsy-turvy world of The Wizard Of Oz meets Alice In Wonderland via a Haruki Murakami novel, and I followed the yellow-brick road of Omotesando to get there. Omotesando is a glorious tree-lined boulevard leading from upmarket Aoyama to downtown Harajuku. This is where fashion and architecture collide, or rather collude, in upping the glamour stakes. Louis Vuitton’s biggest store, designed by Jun Aoki, is inspired by a pile of the label’s famous trunks. Toyo Ito’s Tod’s building rises organically from the pavement; concrete and glass making an abstract tree-branch design. Dior is the most elegantly beautiful – an iconic translucent, rectangular glass tower designed by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa. On a side street in Aoyama (just off Omotesando), the movement reaches its zenith: Prada, Cartier, Yohji Yamamoto, Chloé and Marni. 890

PHOTOS: PHOTOLIBRARY X5, GETTY IMAGES

The glass honeycomb Prada building

WELL TRAVELLED

“It’s an evocative sight: tall buildings glimmering in the dusk, Issey Miyake-clad women, girls in stupendous heels”

Yoyogi Park’s spectacular cherry blossom trees (above); elegance inside and out at Dior, with its translucent glass facade

Herzog and de Meuron’s glass honeycomb for Prada resembles a spaceship – reflective exterior, white interior – with clothes hanging from furry racks and 60s-style lamps like giant eyes on stalks. It’s a place to dream, to garner inspiration, to marvel at modernity, even if (like me) you decide to save your yen for the quirky Harajuku boutiques. At the end of the day, two of us head to Ginza. Ginza Chuo-ku is pedestrian-only on Sundays and hundreds of ultra-chic shoppers walk between famous department stores. It’s an evocative sight: the tall buildings glimmering in the dusk, the Issey Miyake-clad women, the young girls in stupendous heels, and glimpses of perfectly made-up faces heading to cosmetics counters. We haven’t come to shop, though. We’ve come to eat. In department store Mitsukoshi we discover one of the finest food halls in Tokyo. There are counters of raw fish, piles of root vegetables, vats of

steaming noodles, pyramids of bento boxes filled with duck and pork and lozenges of sushi, pretty green bean cakes and flamboyant displays of crustaceans, and every kind of fresh salad imaginable. Unable to wait until we get back to our hotel, we perch on the side of a street garden and hoe in. We’ve made a few errors since arriving in Japan. Our first time in a Japanese taxi: a) I try to tip the driver (he was offended – they don’t accept tips) and; b) I shut the door as I get out (the doors shut automatically). There are many rules of courtesy that enable a complex and crowded society to function with delicate efficiency (it’s handy to know the word for sorry: sumimasen). Today we commit transgression #337: apart from picnics in the park, Japanese don’t eat in public places. In a city filled with strange sights, on a day when people dress as comic book characters and foibles are exaggerated and indulged, we’ve managed to become eccentric. We look so unusual, someone takes a photo. www.grazia.com.au 891

S ’ E R U T NA BOTOX ra Bora is pure Sea, spa, sex appeal…Bo sie Burge blue-water bliss, says Su

Hello, lover… the Intercontinental Bora Bora Resort

t out From my bed I stare straigh ng y into wa s gue ton thi ked for last ds the sen it’s resort over the lagoon – idyllic over-theen canopy T’S SAID to be the most the lagoon. Pretty, thatched I see at night (plus the silk ly sib pos g im lon by ted nec con light to t spot in Tahiti – an are firs as water vill of stars) and I awake at of ts, of dawn. h beautiful, expansive lagoon flus jetties to the chic restauran er ber end lav tim catch the soft by e ged Th rin nd. es, isla blu g the on gin deck han spa the ever-c bars, pool and Before breakfast, I dive off ise. ra Bora, the gipani and fran h wit ed quo fill tur islands and coral cays. Bo are s uid den gar of my villa into liq ific, was ers. And Spa (over place that inspired South Pac and is fragrant Polynesian tiare flow of blue. In the palatial Deep Ocean ndo Bra is n oas an is k pools, loo nge you e plu once home to Marlo her everyw 4000 square metres of d of the es) y takes on a new zon rap ion the now a favourite playgroun xat ter rela m Wa gla ooners. as, jacuzzis and w of the vie a rich, celebrities and honeym surface dimension in Bora Bora. In the vill w allo els pan r floo ss gla the hangs over ile any I’m on a boat, skimming windows frame it, a deck passing tropical parade wh and it. lets to n vio of dow our ht col rig ds the lea ged away. ssa der of water ma lad a are s and sse it stre ing remain e aqua allows le tab fee from cof ped ed pum opp anemones, towards the pur ss-t A gla Cold deep-sea water, ntal Bora and e swimming beneath stin pri fish shallows of the Intercontine an, see oce to the you of the bottom . It’s hard Spa to sso n ala ope Th & slid ture t fea be sor a is can Re , ra nts and Bo your feet loaded with trace eleme . the ing and orm ts, nsf tra duc to believe I’m not dreaming pro m, the spa d fee of the Algotherm photo m. Here, just like a retouched living room into an aquariu the re, chu bro vel in an idealised tra

WELL TRAVELLED

coral reef We moor at the edge of a ple-lipped and snorkel over giant pur ses Mo . fish ent clams and iridesc further us e tak , des gui our , and Sam the p sto n into the shallows, the of boat again. Suddenly clouds h wit nd sta We . ear app ys gra stin ter as the them in the waist-deep wa . It’s quite fish m the eed d-f han guides these – ful uti emotional, just bea through ng flyi res atu cre y elegant, gre at gre e the translucent water lik with us t ins aga up birds, brushing gs. win their free On my last night I take the l nta ine ont erc Int the shuttle to nd. Le Moana on the main isla ody Blo to me rs ive A transfer del rant tau res and bar ssic cla a , Mary’s us ulo fab a r, floo with sand on the illa van ure nat sig and y pla dis seafood es com o wh ne rum cocktails. Everyo m fro e, her in ps sto to Bora Bora rin. Paris Hilton to Buzz Ald . yes ll He y? Island hospitalit al ion dit tra the and ee thr Day nals my sig ll she ch blowing of the con 10 years l fee I . ort airp the to boat back ned kin y-s younger, bright-eyed, silk , xed rela , me und and happy. Aro e lost their glowing honeymooners hav wonder No n. tio aus post-wedding exh ’s ure nat led cal n bee has Bora Bora he or e tim Botox. Whether it’s me . time, Bora Bora is the one

See the ocean from your bed (sigh!)

A pina colada, if you please

Champagne o’clock at Bubbles Bar

e escape. via Papeete, for the ultimat ra Bo ra Bo to t Ge ES OT TRAVEL N or www.tahiti-tourisme.com om l.c ta en tin on erc nt a.i sp Visit www.borabora -friendly it also serves as a unique eco hout oug thr tem sys airconditioning surrounded the resort. I’m completely by salt water, 24/7. in, after Consequently, just one day ef Re Le an outstanding meal in nch chef Fre d nte tale ink restaurant (th , seared ces utilising Polynesian influen brulee) me cre t fec mahi mahi and per and I’m blissed out. t again, Day two and I’m on a boa ples cou ing oon eym with three hon g din hea , and two Tahitian guides . oon lag further into the ngeable Our world becomes a cha ramarine ult m fro spectrum of blues, , azure. sky re, phi sap to and jacaranda

Villas with a view

www.grazia.com.au 89

We’ll bow down at this temple of luxe any day

0 1 0 2 S / S T R RESO treat of royalty, celebrity re r da -ra he r-t de un e th It’s e rest of us, Thailand’s th r Fo . ich r-r pe su e th d an rge t splurge, writes Susie Bu Trisara is a save-up-for-i Day 1

r by Trisara’s I’m lying on a sunlounge ing pool 45m aquamarine swimm ss swings nte cou n when a Romania nd mo dia r, hai nde blo g by, lon arm nk -pi hot Rolex on one wrist, She er. oth the m fro ng gli candy dan k, bac ile sm gives me a wave and I rd thi the t’s tha – re trying not to sta h eac h, wit her n see I’ve Birkin a different colour. r, Kate Moss, Roger Federe uiere, esq Gh as col Ni a’s iag enc Bal her rap tog pho eb Hollywood cel wart, Ste a rth Ma n, lsto Ro ew Matth l XVI Car g Kin Leonardo DiCaprio,

a’s guest Gustaf of Sweden…Trisar o, wh o’s wh a e lik ers isp list wh rt, spo of ries crossing the bounda and ss ine bus nt, entertainme cent aristocracy. There’s a 30 per one t jus er Aft e. return-visitor rat the on ort res y am dre s day at thi it’s easy luxe west coast of Phuket, to see why. vacy. Trisara’s secret weapon is pri one m fro s end The property ext other, end of a secluded bay to the kers haw ch bea leaving no access for or paparazzi. as are The expansive common are ful, uti bea ly ene ser understated and

Woven petals add a little touch of luxe

WELL TRAVELLED

l materials with an emphasis on natura s, den gar ter – weathered teak, wa i… Ma g ian Ch m fro pottery jars door bar out and oor ind l tra cen e Th a long to n dow ds and restaurant lea ch, and bea the off y jett g tin pool, floa ilions. pav spa swimming pontoon and ond sec a re’s the el lev On the upper urious spa. lobby, tennis courts and lux ain ret s den gar al The exception es, tre big h wit l fee est a rainfor of lush primped hedges, screens ers. flow of s sse foliage and ma ly ultraual act are s” om “ro st Mo cular cta spe h generous villas wit the r ove ws vie d pte uninterru its own Andaman Sea, each with 10m and k dec r doo spacious out clever the to due d An l. poo y infinit e of non e, lsid hil positioning on the er. oth the ok rlo ove ms the 39 roo e to leave “I wanted people to be abl

‘TRISARA’S GUEST O LIST IS A WHO’S WH OF ARISTOCRACY’ and jump their bed, open the doors s partsay l!” naked into their poo Anthony er nag ma l era gen owner and arrival. on st Lark, who greets each gue

Day 2

us. The Everything here is genero -made tom cus – ing r-k ube are s bed standard. n tha er wid and about 15cm adorn els tow ite wh fy fluf Stacks of big a has the bathroom, which two basins. bath, marble shower and with the r, I love the outdoor showe tles bot ash yw scented Trisara bod . day h eac refilled Housekeeping arrives at the ng. civilised hour of late morni the m fro s ffle tru ate col cho Fresh ge, frid the in bakery are placed d bowl exotic fruits fill the covere ferent dif a in the sitting area, and the on left is n tio floral decora als of bed – intricately woven pet ped sha , nts sce varying colours and gs.  rin offe y ilit like fert www.grazia.com.au 79

WELL TRAVELLED

of the The Trisara Spa at the top blue, the r ove out ws hill has vie table, ge ssa blue sea. I lie on a ma y nar rdi rao taking in the ext ssage. experience of a six-hand ma ly ess ml sea The therapists work , ng elli mm pu , and in rhythm o the stroking, getting deep int re with ssu pre knots and applying lime. sub It’s s. sse pre herbal com la vil inus icio del a , day ter Yes sh fre r ste lob cal Thai barbecue (lo ed ced pre s wa !) yum – from the sea t ron anf by a massage in the oce the spa pavilion, listening to r coral, ove ng kli tin ves wa sound of . eze washed by the sea bre

Leaving Trisara

should Re-entry into the real world n tio nsi tra come with a warning: rough. from heaven to earth can be anniversary, In celebration of its 5th us extras for icio del ng eri Trisara is off oms from stays over three nights. Ro .com ara ris w.t $657 per night. ww

Day 5

ps us off A night out. A driver dro ntown. dow b Clu at the Siam Supper e hit -w and ckbla did Original can and O kie photographs – Monroe, Jac zzy bu It’s lls. wa Sinatra – cover the yle NY and busy, a genuine old-st . nd aila Th in nt… joi the Back at the mothership, s up rise f sur of ur rm sensual mu e into div I . from the beach below

There’s a range of luxury lodgings on the island. Here, three chic (and cheaper) options: ALEENTA RESORT & SPA PHUKET- PHANG NGA is just outside the main town of Phuket and about 15 minutes’ drive from the stunning limestone formations of Phang Nga Bay on the east coast. Rooms from $215 per night. www.aleenta.com/phuket BANYAN TREE PHUKET is on the shore of Bang Tao Bay, part of the larger Laguna Phuket, which comprises several luxury hotels, six tree-lined lagoons and 3km of beach. Rooms from $260 per night. www.banyantree.com

Day 4

or John Yoga with wellness direct of alth we a up ns ope r Dunba the options – private classes in a, vill r you or n ilio beachside pav , ms gra pro e rcis exe ed alis person and n one-on-one meditatio body therapeutic treatments for as well as e hti yac a n’s Joh l. sou and are the go. a yogi, so water activities ve to dro us of few a Yesterday aboard ped the east coast and jum the e lor exp to a sports cruiser Nga Bay, striking islands of Phang limestone tic where hundreds of exo ally tic ma dra formations rise h lagoons from the water, some wit kayak. by e ibl at their heart, access ride joy a for ng goi Today we’re zed pri a’s sar Tri in GM the with ight out of speedboat. Ashoka 1 is stra leather itewh – vie mo nd a James Bo styling, k slee seats, foldaway gadgets, . ED SPE sexy dash…and st, past We zoom up the west coa multiand s crowded beaches, resort we en Th . ses hou million-dollar al island loop back, moor at the cor among l rke just off Trisara and sno fish. al pic tro ent shoals of iridesc

PHUKET LUXE FOR LESS

Limestone exotica at Phang Nga Bay

THE RACHA is situated south of Phuket on Racha Yai Island, about 35 minutes by speedboat from Chalong Bay. It’s a lovely resort with an emphasis on eco principles and sustainability. Rooms from $280 per night. www.theracha.com

GETTING THERE Fly into Phuket International Airport direct from Australia (flying V Australia out of Brisbane and Melbourne, Pacific Blue out of Perth) or via Singapore (Singapore Airlines out of Sydney). Trisara is heavenly both indoors (above) and out

PHOTOS: SUSIE BURGE X4

Day 3

for a while the indigo pool and float up at the g in the silky water, starin rs. sta h wit ed velvet sky studd

WELL TRAVELLED Love Wellington’s chocolate-box architecture

is on a EW ZEALAND’S capital tairs ups le litt l ina orig nk thi roll – and ues tiq bars, edgy retro bou about. restaurants to write home weatherboard h wit ted dot are ls The hil r, and the bou har houses overlooking the bar hop can you t pac com so arty city is e. her ryw eve (oops, walk) practically ely Lon of one ked ran No wonder it’s 1”. And did 201 for es citi 10 p “to s Planet’ rate? Love. we mention the exchange

Sip a Gambatte (sake shelves filled with books. in the glass) and chill. and plum wine, with a plum telbar.co.nz; .mo www z; .co.n horn www.matter z; www.hawthornlounge.co.n .thelibrary.co.nz www.theapartment.co.nz; www

SHOPPING A GO-GO Depot for an edit Head straight to The Ser vice l surrounds. Think Miss stria indu in rs igne des of NZ Nick Von K jewellery. Crabb slips and dresses and laneway tucked behind The Ser vice Depot is in a r to Karen Walker on doo t nex ikel, sister shop Art the corner is Cuba Street Wakefield Street. Round age stores (try Hunters vint o retr the – check out es like Madam Fancy SLEEP STYLISHLY tiqu & Collectors), quirky bou eum Hotel for a spacious s. For designer vintage Check into gorgeous Mus cafe stop pitant plus vibr Pants and ic view of the harbour Hotel. room with an atmospher eum Mus visit Soup, close to the y is fabulous too: buzzy .nvk.co.nz boho-luxe styling. The lobb www .nz; t.co epo iced and s serv www.the feel and NZ painting and busy, with an opulent here. Have a meal at ryw eve ut abo just res ptu scul EXTRA-CULTURAL upstairs, or choose high ic Hippopotamus restaurant n bakery treat + aromat nz l.co. hote A foodie mar ket (Germa seum .mu www on. rno st afte akfa h bre eac = ed ries serv ber tea, rasp coffee + punnet of fresh cutting-edge onal museum Te Papa and nati ), ted sor OD shore fore our harb FOOD, GLORIOUS FO the h art at City Gallery makes sit right next door to eac rning. Then mo day Two fantastic restaurants Sun a on be to e the best plac et. Book well ahead for other on Majoribanks Stre the top of the hill (plus jump on the cable car to your chances for take or , beli Am The at n take in the long view. an occasio and ) den Gar anic pretty Bot l Ortega Fish Shack. rdonthestreet.co.nz a spot at the bar at the coo .wo www www.wellingtonnz.com; ch the barman shake Order Bluff oysters and wat an Log d to award-winning the perfect mar tini. Or hea Deco bank – it’s BYO old an in ated situ wn, Bro www.theambeli.co.nz; (and super-busy) on Sunday. nbrown.co.nz www.ortega.co.nz; www.loga

COCKTAIL HOPPING capita in Wellington There are more bar s per terhorn on Cuba Street Mat than in New Yor k City. g strong as a late-night star ted it all and is still goin c Motel Bar, -chi 70s venue. Check out the a 1920s gentleman’s like led (sty nge Lou rn Hawtho o at The SoH an’s hatt club), or channel Man The Library your home e mak just Or . ent rtm Apa the eclectic rooms and away from home – love

DAYTRIP TO THE E SOUTHSIy D from Wellington to the

The Interislander ferr laimed as one of the South Island is widely acc in the world. A $40 s ride y ferr most beautiful premium lounge upgrade to the Kaitaki Plus passing parade ular ctac spe the it: is so worth plimented com is s of secluded inlets and bay r one!), the ano , (yes bar a s, sofa by comfy t. The ferry lands food and wireless interne Picton, gateway of ge villa tty pre the you in . ntry cou e to Marlborough win .nz .co der slan teri www.in

The breathtaking ferry ride to Picton

Bunk down at the Museum Hotel

Shop for NZ designers at The Service Depot

WORDS: SUSIE BURGE PHOTOS: PHOTOLIBRARY.COM

WEEKEND IN WELLINGTON

WELL TRAVELLED

ONE METROPOLIS, TWO VERY DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES. LUXE IT UPTOWN OR LIVE IT DOWNTOWN? SUSIE BURGE TAKES A LONGITUDINAL APPROACH TO NEW YORK

EW YORK, New York – so good they named it twice. On this visit to the city, I wanted to explore both NYs, so I stay Uptown, which I know and love, but I’m moving Downtown too, to properly check out the bookshops, boutiques and galleries of the West Village and SoHo… I begin Uptown and it seems I’ve been blessed. A fairy godmother has waved her magic wand. I’m in The Pierre, a grand old NY hotel, icon of the Upper East Side, reopened last year after a lavish $100 million makeover. And instead of the perfectly luxe room I’ve been dreaming about, I’ve been upgraded. Walking through the palatial sitting room of the Getty Suite, I open French doors on to a terrace the size of a tennis court and drink in views over Central Park. My suite is named after J. Paul Getty, who rescued the hotel after the Great Depression and transformed it to become part hotel, part apartments. The Pierre has a fabulous history. It has played host to rock stars and royalty, movie stars and moguls. If these walls could talk, the gossip would be salacious! Coco Chanel has stayed here, so too Howard Hughes, Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, Andy Warhol, Queen Elizabeth II and the Rolling Stones. Socialite Barbara Hutton lived and had her wedding reception here. The tango scene in Scent Of A Woman was filmed in the beautiful Cotillion Room. Down in the sleek cocktail bar,

Two E, well-groomed women dressed in Lanvin and Chloé chat over shopping bags. I select a table, sink into a velvet chair and order an outrageous mid-afternoon martini. I feel just like Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast At Tiffany’s (just down the road). Next door is Barneys – handy for their legendary shoe sales. An hour or so later, armed with a new pair of Louboutins (half price), I return to my suite, bathe in the princess-worthy marble bathroom, slip on an LBD and some Estée Lauder and decide to explore. I get to know Katie, the lift operator. I wander through the lobby, hung with gorgeous black-and-white photos of famous past guests, to take a sneak peek at Le Caprice restaurant. It’s decked out with David Bailey shots of Jean Shrimpton and done up smartly like a Chanel mirrored compact in monochrome. The rest of the hotel is a mix of history and modernity; a fabulous upgrade by interiors guru Alexandra Champalimaud has kept the lavish old-world grandeur but lifted the rooms into the realm of swish contemporary luxe. A nod to the doorman, a swing of the revolving door and I’m standing on Fifth Avenue at twilight. Across the road, fairy lights twinkle in trees in the park and horses and carriages come and go in the plaza. I head south, joining the crowds, past brightly lit, magical shop windows – Bergdorf, Vuitton, Bendel – to 55th Street. I have a date (lucky me) at Salon De Ning, the sexy rooftop bar at The Peninsula, with a bird’s-eye view uptown.

R T N A T MANHAT

GOING UP (clockwise from left): Central Park in spring; iconic Tiffany & Co.; the well-heeled head to Barneys for luxe labels – and killer sales; suites at the Pierre, inside and out

UPTOWN…

R ANSFER

BEST ABOVE MIDTOWN RELAX: The ESPA at The Peninsula hotel – think pool with a view and world-class treatments. EAT: Le Caprice at The Pierre for dinner, Sant Ambroeus on Madison for perfect panini and chocolates. DO: The Whitney Museum of American Art, The Frick Collection, Guggenheim, The Met, Central Park. www.grazia.com.au 89

N W O T N W O …D It’s time to head to the first of my Downtown hotels, where I discover the most user-friendly hotel lobby in NYC. Think graffiti-chic wall art, big old sofas and leather club chairs, dim lighting and a long central table where singletons sit with their MacBooks over a glass of wine, while discreetly checking out the talent heading into The Breslin Bar & Dining Room. I’ve moved to the wallet-friendly Ace Hotel, corner of 29th and Broadway, smack-bang in the Garment District. From my window, I can see the street below, shuttered windows, rooftops, fire escapes, people in workday clothes. It’s a curiously appealing urban view. Snuggling under checked blankets, I feel like Winona Ryder in Heathers, or as if I’ve sneaked into my college

boyfriend’s room. It’s a trip down memory lane. There’s even a turntable and records. Plus a retro Smeg fridge. West, across town, via the amazing Chelsea gallery district, I arrive by yellow cab at The Standard. I’m curious about the chic styling, the rumours of exhibitionism and celebrity. All the hype is true: Kate Hudson is lunching at The Standard Grill; in my room, floor-to-ceiling windows stare out over the High Line (a city park with a twist) and walkers below stare back up at me. I head out and walk the High Line, making my way along the route of disused railway tracks. There, big wooden loungers angled to catch the sun, beds of wildflowers and tall waving grasses, plantings of maple and birch trees, an art installation

WELL TRAVELLED

GETTING DOWN (clockwise from left): The High Line puts a disused railroad to work as an elevated garden; Ace Hotel’s rooms have a charmingly collegiate feel; hit SoHo’s colourful West Broadway for bites…and bikes

Your best guide to the hottest bars in New York? Claire Smith, head of Spirit Creation and Mixology for Belvedere vodka. Here, her pick of where to sip…

UPTOWN

Monkey Bar New York Classic NYC bistro with a self-confident swagger that suggests this place is more than meets the eye. Great food, upbeat ambience and swiftly executed classic drinks that lubricate the Vanity Fair aficionados. www.monkeybarnewyork.com Mandarin Oriental The ultimate in romantic destinations, MObar is a beacon of class, style and effortless sophistication. Glass walls frame the incredible views of Central Park and bring sharp relief from the majestic backdrop of the New York skyline. Simple, classic and elegant cocktails are well executed and graciously served. www.mandarinoriental.com/newyork/ dining/mobar

BEST BELOW MIDTOWN

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES X4, IWAN BAAN, SNAPPER MEDIA, RYDER E. ROBISON

RELAX: Aveda Institute NY on Spring Street, SoHo. Get a fab haircut or conditioning treatment plus facial by wonderful Aveda students. Book ahead or miss out. EAT: The Spotted Pig in the West Village for dinner, Pastis in the Meatpacking District for brunch or the finest steak frites, Momofuku in the East Village for innovative food. DO: The Chelsea galleries. See listings in Time Out or the Art Map.

based on light bouncing off the Hudson River, unique vistas down urban corridors or over industrial angles to denim-coloured water. At certain places, stairs lead down to street level. The High Line is a green corridor running from the heart of the fashionable Meatpacking District (think great shopping like Ernest Sewn) to the edge of Chelsea, without touching the ground. It’s a place to wander among gardens, replenish, breathe in space and light; Downtown’s answer to Central Park.

Bookmarks Stunning art deco ambience and classic drinks lend an air of Agatha Christie to this bar. The real clue to the success of this venue lies in the beautiful garden rooftop bar, one of Midtown’s best-kept secrets. www.hospitalityholdings.com

DOWNTOWN

Goldbar The size-zero of the club world. A petite, perfectly formed space with beautiful people, beautiful bartenders and only Belvedere by the bottle. Gold skulls grace the walls, while dark alcoves and sexy smoked mirrors encourage saucy mischievousness. Expect to be seduced. www.goldbarnewyork.com Dutch Kills The best spot for a cocktail lover’s secret rendezvous, this speakeasy-style bar is a hidden gem. Seriously skilled bartenders dish up achingly flawless drinks from menus that change daily. www.dutchkillsbar.com PDT No New York recommendation would be complete without a mention of Please Don’t Tell (PDT). Once inside the kooky entrance, a cubby cove of cocktail masterpieces await the cocktail cognoscenti. We’re so there. www.pdtnyc.com

Drink in the saturated colours of the 15th Century Forbidden City, once home to the Imperial Court

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WELL TRAVELLED

F O L L E P S E H T R E D UN

BEIJING

OVERWHELMED BY THE SCALE AND SYMBOLISM, SUSIE BURGE SPENDS 72 (BREATHLESS) HOURS IN CHINA

The Gate of Divine Progress

The Pavilion of the Rain of Flowers, the Palace of Earthly Tranquillity, the Hall of Military Eminence – on my first day in Beijing, a walk through the 15th Century Forbidden City is like inhabiting a poem. Or an ancient gilded scroll (for the colours are saturated, intense) where every single thing has symbolic meaning – shapes, colours, aspect, carved animals and birds. I enter through the Gate of Divine Progress, pass through the Gate of Loyal Obedience and am waylaid by an art student in the Imperial Garden. Wu Shin leads me to an exhibition room somewhere in the environs of the Palace of Gathered Elegance and sells me watercolours of horses (power) and goldfish (wealth). Outside the Palace of Heavenly Purity I read the translation of the Chinese inscription: “Heaven and Earth are bright under the sun and the moon and the whole world is open and peaceful.” Somewhere along the way, staring into these ancient and grandly furnished chambers, imagining the court in situ, the emperor, the concubines, the costumes and the ritual, I remember to turn on the audio guide. Roger Moore’s suave voice adds a surreal touch of Hollywood to old China (“Look up at the ceiling – isn’t it fabulous!”). At the other end of the city I pass through the red and gold gates and touch them for luck. I am waylaid again, this time by policemen

suspicious of the white silk flower I have pinned to my dress. Perhaps it hides a concealed weapon? (White, after all, is the colour of death.) Attempting to find a way across to Tiananmen Square I meet an engineer wishing to practice his English. As we talk, behind us the fountains spout like magic. “You like spring?” he asks. In the square itself, people are being allowed back in. Tiananmen has been closed due to talks between the Chinese and the Sudanese in the Great Hall of the People. One by one the red flags fluttering atop Parliament come down. A young policeman comes over for a chat and insists on taking my photograph using my camera. When I ask to take his, he politely tells me it is not allowed. I’m late getting back to the Shangri-La hotel where I am staying. I’ve been waylaid again, this time by the sight of the new National Theatre, a shining contemporary ellipse known as “The Egg” set in a manmade lake. The sun catches the gleaming titanium arc of the structure turning it pale gold. I stand at the crossroads of three histories: to the south west is the Forbidden City; to the west, the Communist architecture of Tiananmen Square; in front of me, cutting-edge 21st-century minimal beauty – where Bejingers dressed for a night out come and stand to be photographed at the edge of the lake.  www.grazia.com.au 113

WELL TRAVELLED

The Water Cube

Tonight I’m with the fashion team. It’s been a comedy of errors getting close to the Olympic buildings (permits are sorted, but how can we shoot with that bloody great fence in the way?) but now two policemen are dragging a section of the barrier to one side. For 20 minutes or so, we’ll have the perfect backdrop, an uninterrupted view of the National Aquatics Centre, the Water Cube. Conceptually unique and radically beautiful, the Cube is made of large interconnecting pillow-like cells. Designed by Australian firm PTW, the pillows are made of a polymer, filled with air. The architects were thinking of soap bubbles. Standing here looking up, it’s as if water has been solidified like jelly, sectioned like a leaf and put under a microscope in order to see the cellular structure. It’s like the interior of water, its essence. As the sun goes down, the building turns from dove grey to blush pink and, when the sky is dark, lit from within it’s the colour of a David Hockney swimming pool: trippy Los Angeles blue. The team springs into action. Model, photographers, stylist, hair and makeup. When the shoot is over we all pile back onto the bus, giggling, like some travelling pop band. As we drive away, a movie of tropical fish is projected onto the face of the Aquatics Centre and the building is transformed into a floating aquarium. 114

Sushi and slippers

Today I have a partner in crime. American photojournalist Natalie Behring has lived in Beijing for 10 years and she loves to shop. We bond over spicy tuna hand rolls at Hatsune, some of the best sushi in the city. Natalie speaks fluent Mandarin and as we eat and buy things and wander the streets, she engages in plenty of banter with the locals – Beijingers have a great sense of humour – and offers a running commentary on contemporary life. (Apparently you get used to the pollution. It’s my only gripe while I’m here.) We’ve just come from one of the “hundred year old shops”, Neiliansheng, a gorgeous store, established in 1853, all carved and burnished and painted wood and glass cabinets, where they continue to cut and sew traditional Chinese slippers by hand. Natalie’s are blue embroidered cotton. Mine are stripy pink and gold silk with butterflies. Before that, we spent a couple of hours exploring Nan Luo Gu Xiang in the Dongcheng District, one of the curious hutongs (laneways) that still survives the wrecking ball of progress. The hutongs are continually being demolished to make way for the new malls and towers and shiny glass and steel precincts. Sometimes they are not demolished entirely but torn down and rebuilt in the same style. “There’s nothing old left

in Beijing,” says Natalie. Here, small fashion boutiques are crammed among kooky crooked living spaces and cafes with courtyard gardens and Wi-Fi. In The Pottery Workshop, triangular good-fortune robes with flared arms made of hundreds of thousands of tiny ceramic butterflies hang on the wall – art pieces by Zheng Yi, surrounded by shelves of lovely utilitarian mugs and cups and bowls. Fish Nation has the best fish and chips in town and Better Travel Than Dead is one of the best offbeat bars. We’ve found stacks of little brown paper notebooks decorated with paintings of roosters and rabbits and rats. We’ve got commie-chic sporty and matching “Beijing Super Noodle Shop” T-shirts from Plastered 8. “Creative Dictator” Dominic has lived in the hutong for about five years. He and Natalie chat about recent changes… He’s just signed a licensing deal in the UK and has been invited to exhibit in Harvey Nichols in September. Earlier in the day, at the end of a corridor in the Sky and Sea warehouse near the Buddhist Temple, we visited the showroom of Chang and Biorck. On display are traditional Chinese silks, woven to fresh, contemporary Scandinavian design in small batches. The combination is hot – so desirable Terence Conran in London is going to stock them later this year. I gather handfuls of jewellery rolls, cosmetic pouches and little lipstick purses.

Songbirds in Jingshan Park

Walk the walk It’s only lunchtime, we’ve scooped Harvey Nics and The Conran Shop and we have many, many bags. Luckily we have a driver, a great idea in Beijing. Santilan lies ahead. Shopping can be stashed in the car.

WORDS: SUSIE BURGE PHOTOS: NATALIE BEHRING, PHOTOLIBRARY.COM, STEPHAN CRASNEANSCKI FOR VUITTON

Walking backwards singing

The sky is ethereal this early. Opaque. Wreathed in a fine layer of cloud. The taxi lets me out at the entrance to Jingshan Park. Inside the park, people are walking backwards. Somewhere among the trees, a woman is singing Chinese opera. From high on the hill that looks out over the Forbidden City comes the sound of intermittent guttural shouting. Old men do tai chi. Ballroom dancers waltz over paving stones to music from portable stereos. Large groups follow their leader in stretching and jiggling exercises. Old men carry pet birds along a path, hang the cages in tree branches and let them sing to one another. I taxi back to the Shangri-La and check out. The hotel lobby is dotted with businessmen heading to breakfast meetings and sleepy fans of the Korean boy band who are staying here. Of all the top hotels in Beijing, the Shangri-La is undoubtedly the most poetic. Quotes from The Lost Horizon and its mythical Himalayan land of eternal youth are scattered throughout the rooms and communal spaces. The gardens are famous and used for

weddings. The colours of the Garden Wing are elegant, pale golds, creams and yellows. The new Valley Wing is a study in contemporary opulence with cascading chandeliers, expanses of polished marble and a spectacular pool that looks out over a rooftop garden and the roofs of the city. The staff in the Blu Lobster restaurant (outstanding seafood and bordeaux – yum) deserve a medal for putting up with us. I’m sorry to leave. I push through the glass revolving doors and into a waiting taxi. Luggage cla-clinks over grooved marble floors. High above, soaring delicate steel-ribbed glass ceilings in silver and orange remind me simultaneously of an intricate computer chip and the shimmering wings of a bird. The new Terminal 3, designed by Sir Norman Foster, is mesmerising. The building is an extraordinary mix of subtlety, sheer size and the symbolism of future progress. When viewed from the air it’s shaped like a dragon. With the capacity to handle more than 50 million passengers a year, it’s the biggest airport on the planet. The Grazia team flew courtesy of Air China to Beijing. (Sydney – 02 9232 7277, Melbourne – 03 8602 5555, www.airchina.com.au) and stayed at the Shangri-La hotel (29 Zizhuyuan Road, Beijing 100089, China – 0011 86 10 6841 2211, www.shangri-la.com/en)

For a unique travel experience, try the Louis Vuitton Soundwalk (above left). In the hour-long audio guide, gorgeous actress Gong Li takes you on a nostalgic journey through the winding laneways of Beijing (www.louisvuittonsoundwalk.com).

Your indispensible guide (above) is the Beijing Taxi Book; the team loved the seafood at the Shangri-La’s Blu Lobster restaurant

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WELL TRAVELLED

Newmarket Hotel for tacos y tequila

City views? Crown Metropol knows how to do ‘infinity’ pool

WEEKEND IN E N R U O B L E M

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STAY AND SPA

Crown Metropol’s We bypass the crowds in d straight to level 28 uber-smart lobby and hea superb views. We’ve and vice for concierge ser – priority check-in, opted for a “28” upgrade ks in the sky bar, drin set complimentary sun truly wonderful a plus nts me esh all-day refr t salad and manuka frui breakfast (four types of h strawberries fres with a labn d honey-scente Ne it. xt rave: the pool. and almonds). So worth and lounging. The air er wat all is The 27th floor feel, sunlight floods is heated to give a tropical r the city from ove out e in and you can gaz the rooms are and , Oh gic. Ma e. edg ity the infin om.au ol.c rop met own tres chic too. www.cr

WORDS: SUSIE BURGE

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LIFEwithBIRD

Mouthwatering decor at Joy Cupcakes

WELL TRAVELLED Hey, MONA: love the pavilion rooms for an artcation

N I D N E K E E W HOBART

WORDS: SUSIE BURGE PHOTOS: PHOTOLIBRARY.COM, IMAGE COURTESY OF MONA

H, HOBART, you’ve changed. The dinky, foodie, crafty, historically interesting hotspot is now quite something else. It’s an artistic world player (while retaining its gourmet crown) and this week the capital of Tasmania has the MONA Festival of Music and Art in full swing. Gotta love a little city with a big beating cultural heart.

MARVELLOUS MARKETS Salamanca Market is justifiably famous, a feast for fossickers and foodies every Saturday. Channelling iconic French flea markets, it’s possibly one of the best produce and vintage wares markets in the world. As an added extra, Salamanca Place is a shopping mecca, with boutiques like Luxe well worth a visit. www.salamanca.com.au FOR DESIGNER DIGS How swanky can you get? Separate uber-contemporary structures named after iconic Australian artists and architects with luxe fittings, jaw-dropping views over the Derwent River, a fabulous glass-shrouded pool, five-star food at The Source restaurant, Moorilla Winery cellar door and Moo Brew tastings, cutting-edge contemporary art in the Museum of Old and New Art…Yes, a stay in the MONA Pavilions is as unique as it gets. www.moorilla.com.au/pavilions

is inspired by the slow-food movement, with Japanese influences and inspiration from Copenhagen’s renowned Noma restaurant. This is one cool place. Our Tassie-based food editor Matthew Evans loves it, too. www.garagistes.com.au TEA WITH AN EX-ROCKER Is tea the new cocktail? Mmm…not completely sure but there’s certainly a groundswell towards refined tastes and ceremony. Chado The Way Of Tea is a genuine Asian tea house owned by Dr Varuni Kukasekera and her husband, legendary Violent Femmes muso Brian Ritchie. You’ll sometimes find him there in his zen capacity – playing the Shakuhachi (Japanese flute). 134 Elizabeth St (03 6231 6411) TRADITION WITH A TWIST Did someone say cocktails? The IXL Long Bar at The Henry Jones Art Hotel ain’t new, but it’s still the best place in town for a pre-dinner drink. Catch up on the gossip, meet visiting movers and shakers, or simply take in the atmosphere and the view over Sullivan’s Cove while sipping on a leatherwood martini. www.thehenryjones.com/experience/ixllongbar Garagistes equals culinary cool

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So French-chic: Salamanca Market

CHOW DOWN IN STYLE Looking great and with divine food, Garagistes is run by Tetsuya-trained chef and food photographer Luke Burgess. The fab interiors have a raw industrial edge and the menu www.grazia.com.au 87