Jetstar April 2018 Magazine by HGM

APRIL 2018

ACTIVE MADE EASY

MAGAZINE

Soft adventures across the network

ALOHA OAHU

Dine your way around the Hawaiian isle

DUE NORTH

The allure of Sydneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Northern Beaches

COOK ISLANDS

PACIFIC PLAYTIME WHY RAROTONGA IS PARADISE FOR FAMILIES

FAMILY FUN IN THE SUN From snorkelling in calm lagoons to bush walks and boating adventures, the Whitsunday region holds endless amusements for all ages. Choose your base – be it the welcoming community of Airlie Beach, or even a floating home – and get set for the perfect family escape. ALL-AGES AIRLIE

Airlie Beach might be the launch pad for adventures out to the Whitsunday Islands and world-famous Great Barrier Reef, but it also has plenty to offer those who stay on dry land. Accommodation ranges from upscale resorts and apartments with ocean views to holiday rentals and caravan parks. The open-air restaurants and cafés create a perennial holiday vibe, and the Saturday morning markets are a great spot to pick up fresh produce and souvenirs. Airlie Beach Lagoon offers safe, stinger-free swimming year round, with barbecue facilities for a laid-back lunch on the surrounding lawns.

If you can tear your gaze from those famed offshore islands, Airlie Beach is surrounded by lush rainforest and beautiful Queensland coastline. Pack a picnic and spend the day at some of the locals’ favourite mainland beaches such as Hydeaway Bay and Dingo Beach. Or explore Conway National Park – one of Queensland’s largest tracts of tropical lowland rainforest. Of the many world-class walking trails found here, the Coastal Fringe Circuit and Hayward Gully walks are suitable for little legs. Be sure to stop off for a dip at Cedar Creek Falls, where you might even share the tranquil pool with turtles.

Promotion I WHITSUNDAYS

1. Scenic bush walks in Conway National Park 2. Water sports off Hamilton Island 3. Kayaking the calm sea 4. The iconic Heart Reef 5. The underwater world of the Great Barrier Reef 6. Time for ice cream at Airlie Beach 7. Set sail with the family

HOP TO IT Experiencing the 74 Whitsunday Islands is all about getting out and about on the open water, and a host of Airlie Beach-based operators cater to all ages and ability levels. Plan a day of island hopping and tick some of Australia’s most iconic sights off your bucket list. Cruise Whitsundays’ full-day Whitehaven and Hamilton Island Day Cruise will whisk you to two of the region’s most famous islands, with time to explore car-free Hamilton and laze on the famous white sands of Whitehaven. Speed demons will love the

Thundercat. The distinctive red speedboat offers daytrips jetting between the islands, where snorkelling and swimming are interspersed with exhilarating transfers.

MEET THE REEF Voted by the public as the ‘Best Family Adventure Activity’ in Out & About with Kids magazine’s 2017 Best of Family Travel Awards, snorkelling the Great Barrier Reef is a must do. The half-day Great Barrier Reef Cruise from Cruise Whitsundays docks at a pontoon on the outer reef for a morning spent snorkelling,

with kids as young as four welcome and an underwater viewing chamber for inexperienced swimmers. Add on a scenic helicopter flight to take home your own shot of the iconic Heart Reef. To navigate the Coral Sea at your own pace, a bareboat yacht charter will allow your family to sail into the sunset together. Local operators can set you up with a yacht or catamaran – with or without crew – to navigate remote beaches and unpopulated isles, sinking anchor when the urge hits to swim, snorkel or sleep.

tourismwhitsundays.com.au

Promotion I TASMANIA

MAP Tassi e YOUR ESCAPE As the days get shorter and winter creeps closer, Tasmania beckons. Explore historical estates and pristine national parks, interspersed with flame-cooked feasts and fine wine, whisky and cider – all an easy drive from the island state’s two main airports.

.WINGTONS GLAMPING. Wingtons conjures up the glamour of a 1930s safari camp, with luxury tents furnished with fur throws, steamer trunks, Persian carpets and cosy beds. Take a chair and a glass of red down to the river, prop yourself up at the gin bar or watch movies projected onto your tent wall as you snuggle in front of the wood heater and nibble Anvers Chocolate truffles.

.MCHENRY DISTILLERY.

TURNING OF THE FAGUS At the onset of autumn, bushwalkers and photographers flock to Cradle Mountain and Mount Field National Park to see the deciduous beech, or fagus, blaze into russet shades. Known as the turning of the fagus, this natural event is a beautiful reminder of Tasmania’s Gondwanan heritage. CRADLE MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL Catch the best homegrown and international adventure films on the fringe of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Join the locals for some mountain culture and experience adventure on the silver screen at Cradle Mountain National Park.

gobehindthescenery.com.au

In the distilling world, you quickly learn it’s all about the water. McHenry Distillery sources the pure water of the Tasman Peninsula from several natural, on-site springs to craft premium whisky and gin. Turn master distiller for a day, choosing your own botanicals to craft a signature gin to take home.

.WILLIE SMITH’S. .ORGANIC CIDER.

.THE AGRARIAN. .KITCHEN.

In autumn the Huon orchards blanket the valley in gold. Fed by clean air, pure water and fertile soil, the summer fruit is collected and pressed to create the organic cider poured at Willie Smith’s Apple Shed cellar door. Try seasonal releases and cider aged in Tasmanian Lark Whisky barrels.

Gather around the bonfire to prepare a feast. This famous restaurant and cooking school will teach you how to cook over the hearth and bake in a wood-fired oven. In the cooler months, learn how to smoke meat, prepare a whole hog or whip up homemade pasta.

ILLUSTRATION GREGORY ROBERTS PHOTOGRAPHY TOURISM TASMANIA, NINA HAMILTON

DON’T MISS TASMANIA’S BEST AUTUMN EVENTS

Promotion I TASMANIA

S. UR HO -3

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Learn about the winemaking process at the first Tasmanian vineyard powered entirely by solar energy. Fight Otto the wine dog for a spot in front of the fireplace, and indulge in truffled cheese toasties or tasting plates of local produce paired with a red wine or Tasmanian whisky.

N-

.MOORES HILL ESTATE.

C .WAVERLEY MILLS.

Support ‘slow fashion’ and pick out your own handwoven merino throw from Australia’s oldest working textile mill. Operating since 1874, Waverley Mills’ luxury wool products are ethically produced, guaranteed to last and sure to become part of your autumn uniform.

B C

LAUNCESTON D

D .BRICKENDON AND. .WOOLMERS.

E F

HOBART H

.MARIA ISLAND.

First a convict station, then a late 19th-century industrial venture, Maria is now a peaceful national park with no roads or town. The island is a sanctuary for endangered Tasmanian devils, where wombats graze at dusk likes herds of sheep. Hitch a ride over on the ferry, and explore by bike.

Step back in time to when convicts provided free labour on the grand estates and farms of wealthy settlers. Together, Woolmers and Brickendon Estates represent one of 11 Australian UNESCO World Heritage-listed convict sites, conveying the story of Tasmania’s colonial past. HO BA RT HO TO BA ME RT HO LB TO OU BA AV HO RN RT AL EBA TO O 1H HO NRT SY OU 1H DN TO BA R. OU EY BR RT R. -2 IS TO BA H OU AD NE RS EL -3 . AI HO DE UR -2 S.

New route!

Float away

april

ON THE COVER: SPLASHING ABOUT IN THE CALM LAGOON OF RAROTONGA, COOK ISLANDS PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID KIRKLAND

Going for gold

Flip the magazine for our GC2018 destination guide

contents APRIL 2018

EXPERIENCE 12 I WHAT’S ON

52 I PHOTO ESSAY

14 I NEWS

One talented teen and his remote WA island home

19 I #JETSTARAUSTRALIA Our favourite shots from snap-happy travellers

20 I MY PLACE Claire Hooper revisits her hometown of Perth

22 I THE SHORTLIST Fun for the young at heart

24 I HOW-TO Dine on noodle dishes like a local across Asia

27 I DRINK UP

EXPLORE

61-78 I DESTINATION OF THE MONTH Pacific paradise found in Fiji, Hawaii and the Cook Islands

81 I MEET MACKAY The Queensland town with a laid-back charm all of its own

86 I GOING WILD-ISH Soft adventure experiences around the network

96 I CITY OF GOLD Exploring the historic Vietnamese city Hoi An

A cheeky kombucha cocktail

103 I GO NORTH

29 I FOOD TREND

The Northern Beaches reveal another side of Sydney

Foraging for your dinner

33 I BITE-SIZE CITY GUIDE Navigate the pretty New Zealand town of Nelson

36 I STYLE

109 I ON THE VINE The surprising wine country of the Land of the Rising Sun

152 I BACKPAGE Tales from row 57

Be ready for anything with street-smart activewear

39 I SPA & WELLNESS Finding serenity in a forest

43 I RECIPE The chef changing the way Sydney eats seafood

ESSENTIALS 126 I Jetstar news 134 I Where we fly

47 I HEALTH

Cast a line in New Zealand’s Tongariro River

141 I Games and puzzles

48 I WORK AND PLAY

guide

Meet the empire builders

147 I Entertainment

Introducing

Tasmania y l t c e ir d

Whether it’s to escape the heat, soothe the soul or do something adventurous...if you choose to explore Tassie, be prepared as there’s never a dull moment. The island might look small on a map, but it’s much bigger on the inside once you step foot upon Tassie’s shores. Uncover stories, meet the locals and create an epic island adventure wherever you roam; the dramatic landscapes and secluded beaches aren’t half bad either. So why not experience some Tassie tales with direct flights from Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane. For the full story told from the inside out gobehindthescenery.com.au

Welcome I GROUP CEO

JETSTAR MAGAZINE is published for Jetstar Airways by Hardie Grant Media Building 1, 658 Church Street Richmond, Victoria, 3121, Australia

Easing the nerves of anxious travellers

+61 3 8520 6444 hardiegrantmedia.com

HARDIE GRANT MEDIA For all editorial enquiries, please email JetstarMedia@hardiegrant.com.au Managing Director Nick Hardie-Grant Account Director Tiffany Sayers Managing Editor, Jetstar Simon Tsang Editor Krysia Bonkowski Deputy Editor Chloe Cann Subeditors Leanne Tolra and Diana Baxter Designers Natalie LaChina and Sarah McMillan Picture Editor Janet Gomes

ADVERTISING Sales and Partnerships Director Lauren Casalini +61 3 8520 6710 or email laurencasalini@hardiegrant.com

FOR FLIGHT RESERVATIONS

Australia 131 538 New Zealand 0800 800 995 Japan +800 4008 3900 (place your telephone carrier’s access code before this number) Thailand +66 2267 5125 USA 1866 397 8170 Vietnam +84 8910 5375 Website: jetstar.com FOR HOTEL BOOKINGS & HOLIDAY PACKAGES

To contact Jetstar Holidays, call 1300 360 520 in Australia, 0800 800 995 and follow the prompts in New Zealand, or visit jetstar.com/holidays or jetstar.com/hotels

© Hardie Grant Media. All material in Jetstar Magazine is strictly copyrighted and all rights are reserved. Reproduction without permission of the publisher is strictly forbidden. Every care has been taken in compiling the contents of this magazine, but we assume no responsiblity for the effects arising therefrom. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher or Jetstar Airways. All information is correct at press time. MCI (P) 171/01/2015. Jetstar Magazine is printed by PMP Limited.

Around one in 10 people are nervous fliers

or many people, flying has become a normal part of life and more travellers are taking to the skies than ever before. With the majority of Jetstar’s fares sold for less than $100, our crew often meet people who are flying for the very first time. And it may surprise you to know that around one in 10 people are nervous fliers – particularly those who do not travel often. Recently, one of our customers reached out to us in a heartfelt letter for advice ahead of her flight. Sarah had booked a longawaited trip to Bali, but the idea of flying was making her nervous. She asked whether she could meet the pilots onboard

her flight beforehand to ask some questions and put her mind at ease. Our pilot operating the flight went one step further, arranging to meet Sarah for coffee at the airport prior to departure. He reassured her what she was feeling was normal and, together with our Cabin Manager onboard, made sure Sarah felt relaxed throughout the six-hour flight. For Sarah, these small gestures were life-changing. With her fear of flying eased she could not only enjoy a holiday abroad, but now feels more comfortable flying and has already booked her next overseas trip. It’s stories like this that make me proud to be part of such a dedicated and caring team of people at Jetstar, who truly make the world more accessible for everyone. Wherever you are travelling today, I hope you enjoy your flight with us.

Gareth Evans Jetstar Group CEO

Jet to Bali with Jetstar

Nelson on wheels

Hop on your bike to discover the world-class trails around this New Zealand town. Find out what else the leafy city has to offer on page 33.

PHOTOGRAPHY GEORGE GUILLE

LIFE I STYLE I PEOPLE I PLACES I NEWS

Experience I WHAT’S ON

Lest we forget

April Add these fun and fascinating things happening across the Jetstar network to your bucket list this month

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in Concert 18-22 April Sydney, New South Wales

Orange F.O.O.D Week 6-15 April Orange, New South Wales

As the food basket of New South Wales, it should come as no surprise that Orange plays host to Australia’s longest-running regional food festival. From night markets to vineyard walks with pit stops for tasting plates, there’s plenty to eat, drink and do.

Die-hard Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws can watch Harry Potter’s magical realm come alive, as the Sydney Symphony Orchestra plays alongside a screening of the third instalment. sydneysymphony.com

Margaret River Region Open Studios The Australian Surf Life Saving Championships 14-22 April Perth, Western Australia

Watch the everyday heroes that man Australia’s beaches compete at the annual SLSA championships. Members from Australia’s 311 surf clubs will take part in more than 400 events in coastal Scarborough. sls.com.au

Salt Festival

Tjungu Festival

Promising to be a “genrebusting” community event, Salt on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula spans numerous trades and industries. Last year’s festival saw exhibitions on woollen, handwoven wall hangings; music from local rock reggae bands; and the launch of Eyre Writers’ Week. saltfestival.com.au

Meaning “meeting together” in the local Anangu language Pitjantjatjara, the Tjungu Festival features a smorgasbord of family-friendly events celebrating Indigenous culture, from markets full of bush tucker to performances from Indigenous artists and a short film festival. ayersrockresort.com.au

20-29 April Port Lincoln, South Australia

26-29 April Uluru, Northern Territory

28 April to 13 May Margaret River, Western Australia

Get a behind the scenes look at 130-plus artists’ studios around the Margaret River region. The biggest event of its kind in Australia, it allows visitors to meet the makers and purchase original artworks directly. mrropenstudios.com.au

PHOTOGRAPHY ANGGARA MAHENDRA / UBUD FOOD FESTIVAL, ISTOCKPHOTO.COM, MARGARET RIVER REGION OPEN STUDIOS, ORANGE F.O.O.D WEEK

orangefoodweek.com.au

Experience I WHAT’S ON

Fed in French

6-8 April Melbourne, Victoria

It’s a great month to…

Fed Square will go Gallic with an open-air French food and wine market. Dine on gooey portions of raclette, “haute dogs” and mussels, or grab a glass of Champagne and French cheeses for a DIY picnic. fedinfrench.com.au

PAY your respects to the fallen, on Anzac Day (25 April), with dawn services held at shrines and monuments across the country.

BNE Design 13-15 April Brisbane, Queensland Crafty fun is on the cards at the Museum of Brisbane, with markets and free workshops. Make your own rubber stamps, leather earrings and more with the guidance of local artists. museumofbrisbane.com.au

Byron Spirit Festival

20-22 April Byron Bay, New South Wales If a spiritual awakening is on your 2018 agenda, then the holistic Byron Spirit Festival is a must-do. Come for live world music performances, meditation workshops and yoga classes, and leave feeling Zen. spiritfestival.com.au

SIP gin at Sydney’s inaugural gin show, aptly named Gin! The Show, (7 April) where samples of more than 100 different types of the spirit are on offer.

Ubud Food Festival 13-15 April Ubud, Bali

Whet your appetite for Indonesia’s culinary traditions in the cultural heartland of Bali. Now entering its fourth year, this annual event celebrates the innovative young chefs interpreting the food of their forebears, with attendees invited to talks, feasts, hands-on cooking classes and much more.

CELEBRATE the glorious bilby (the small, desertdwelling marsupials), as Charleville Bilby Experience reopens on 3 April in outback Queensland. charlevillebilby experience.com.au

ubudfoodfestival.com

Cradle Mountain Film Festival 6-8 April Cradle Mountain, Tasmania Adventure enthusiasts rejoice – this festival marries active pursuits with exclusive film screenings against the backdrop of Tassie’s most iconic peaks. cradlemountainfilmfest.com

Experience I NEWS

INTERVIEW

Q&A with Usher Tinkler INTERVIEW SHERIDEN RHODES

Any tips on how to match a wine with your meal? A good rule of thumb is savoury with savoury; sweet wines with dessert. White wines are more delicate so you wouldn’t pair one with a big juicy steak. It’s good to experiment, but a safe bet is rosé, which goes well with red and white meat, including seafood.

Any tips for faking it if you’re a wine novice?

With more than 85 destinations to choose from across the Jetstar network, the possibilities for your next holiday are endless. Our destination of the month is the Pacific: turn to page 62 to read about the remote shores and picture-perfect beaches of Fiji’s Yasawa Island chain, scope out Oahu’s culinary sea change on page 71, and see exactly what makes the Cook Islands so family-friendly on page 76. If Asia is on your bucket list, turn to page 109 for some inspiration on Japan’s little-known wine country and page 96 for insight into what makes Hoi An the perfect break for almost any type of traveller. Back on the Australian mainland, in this edition you can read about the iconic establishments and newcomers that make Sydney’s Northern Beaches a destination in their own right. Further north, find out more about the natural charms of Mackay on page 81. Wherever the destination, I hope you enjoy your trip. Dean Salter, CEO Jetstar Australia and New Zealand

Is it true you lose 30 per cent of your sense of taste at altitude? I should fly more to confirm this – maybe on a business class flight to Hawaii, which would be fun! The theory when it comes to wine selection, is that if it tastes good on the ground, it should taste good in the air.

But does this impact what you put on the wine list? We need to choose wines that have a lot of personality. If it’s a red, for instance, we need to choose a robust wine, full of flavour. We’re always on the lookout for wines that are expressive and pack a punch.

DID YOU

Maybe learn a couple of key words and act confident. You could say you can smell the oak influence – although a lot of white wines don’t have oak. Be careful too of saying something like ‘the wine’s corked’, if it in fact has a screw top. I say practice, i.e. drinking lots of wine, is key.

Jetstar won silver for the Mud House Woolshed Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2017 and De Bortoli Show Liqueur Muscat. What makes them winners? For us they stood out from a whole bunch of wines (600) we tasted. The Mud House from New Zealand has great tropical passionfruit varietal expression; it’s balanced and well made. It’s pretty hard not to like. The De Bortoli muscat meanwhile is one of Australia’s greatest wine styles and making a comeback. It’s pretty special to have it onboard Jetstar. I’d say drink it with a brownie or cheese platter. Usher Tinkler Wines, open daily 97 McDonalds Road, Pokolbin, NSW. ushertinklerwines.com

FROM 1 MAY, Jetstar domestic flights in Australia and New Zealand will no longer accept cash for in-flight purchases. Remember, you can always pre-order meals at the time of booking or via Manage My Booking on jetstar.com to ensure your selection is available. Also, if you add a Plus or Max Bundle or purchase a Meal/Snack Deal when booking a flight, you’ll be able to choose any of the menu items on board to the value of your deal.

know?

PHOTOGRAPHY MELANIE DESA, W BUTCHER AND SON, KIP&CO, FIJI SIX SENSES

Welcome on board

Third-generation winemaker Usher Tinkler is one of three experts to select the drops for Jetstar’s Business Class wine list, which recently won two silver medals in the Business Traveller Cellars in the Sky 2017 Awards. We visited Usher at his Hunter Valley cellar door to pick up a few tips for choosing wine.

Experience I NEWS

JUST OPENED

WE’RE LOVING

Kip for kids

One of our favourite Aussie textile designers, Kip&Co, has just dropped its new kidswear range. The cosy cotton separates, designed in three signature prints, will bring a ray of sunshine to playtime. kipandco.com.au

Cool and comfy

Magical

Mystery Tour A world premiere exhibition will descend on Melbourne’s ACMI this month: venture through the looking glass into the surreal world of author Lewis Carroll and his most celebrated creation, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. From 5 April until 7 October Wonderland allows visitors a look at this most captivating character through the mediums of film and TV since 1903. acmi.net.au

YOU WISH

Go fancy in Fiji

Set to open its doors on 14 April, the new Malolo Island resort Six Senses Fiji features 24 roomy villas, all with private pools, outdoor bathrooms and cosy teak interiors. Tune out of the daily grind at the on-site spa, which uses traditional Fijian medicinal plants grown in the property’s own garden, or rev up by capitalising on the weekly activity schedule (think surfing, hiking, diving and more). sixsenses.com

Experience I NEWS

TRAVEL TREND

THREE OF A KIND

April fools KEEP APRIL FOOLS GOING ALL MONTH WITH THESE FUN AND PLAYFUL FINDS Clowning around

Take your class-clown game to new levels by signing up for circus school. Found in Byron Bay, the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Sydney, Circus Arts offers classes in tumbling, trampoline, trapeze art and more for adults and kids. There’s also a school holiday program with bonus free workshops and live shows in Byron. circusarts.com.au

GOING IT ALONE One is no longer the loneliest number thanks to the solo travel boom: Google searches for “solo travel” have doubled since 2015, and Airbnb reports a hefty uptake in bookings for singles. Noting that up to half of the participants in its small-group tours were flying solo, Intrepid introduced trips aimed at the solo adventurer, and in January unveiled a range for solo parents. High-profile female globetrotters such as Aubrey Daquinag of blog The Love Assembly are encouraging more women to go it alone too. Aubrey showcases her great eye and impeccable wardrobe in Wander Love: Lessons, Tips and Inspiration from a Solo Traveller, out this month.

Laugh it off

Get ready to giggle at comedy festivals galore. Melbourne International Comedy Festival runs to 22 April; the Sydney Comedy Festival brings the laughs from 23 April to 20 May and NZ International Comedy Festival will tickle Auckland from 26 April to 20 May. comedyfestival.com.au sydneycomedyfest.com.au comedyfestival.co.nz

SWEET SURRENDER

Go old-school

Choc-full of choc

With Lent well and truly laid to rest, now is the perfect time to indulge your sweet tooth. And Melbourne’s hottest new ticket – Ratio Cocoa Roasters – is just the place to do so. One of only 30 bean-to-bar chocolatiers in Australia, this minimalist Brunswick store offers tours of its eight-step process and accommodates a cornucopia of house-made sweet treats. ratiococoa.com.au

PHOTOGRAPHY ISTOCKPHOTO.COM, RATIO

Sometimes there’s no replacing the classics. Great Majesco revives the beloved childhood toys of yesteryear for a new generation, including juggling balls, the yo-yo, balloon modelling kits and the classic prankster prop the Whoopee Cushion, RRP $10.95, stocked at Myer online. myer.com.au

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Experience I #JETSTARAUSTRALIA

Tasman Glacier, New Zealand

Are you a Snap Happy traveller?

Bagan, Myanmar

Jigokudani, Nagano, Japan

We recently ran an Instagram competition on @JetstarAustralia calling for people to share their best travel snaps. Take a peek at some of the incredible images we received. Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast

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TRAVELLING WITH US SOON? Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget to add #JetstarAustralia to your travel photos!

Experience I MY PLACE

Coming home

Comedian Claire Hooper talks great buns and op shop steals in WA’s capital WORDS KRYSIA BONKOWSKI

C 20

laire Hooper has come to terms with her anger issues. Her new show All the Rage, which she debuted at Perth’s Fringe World in January – and will bring to Melbourne this month – deals with her ugly side. “All the Rage is a confession of my terrible, explosive temper and an exploration of why we get angry,” she says. The Perth-born comedian admits to being more reserved early on in her career. “When I started out I was a little, gentle soul who would wear jeans and pigtails,” she says. “I would never wear either now, and I’m not gentle either. I’ve discovered that you can get away with saying some brutal things on stage – about yourself and other people. It’s a lot more fun now.” Soon after catching a break on the comedy circuit, Claire moved to Melbourne and landed roles in TV shows such as Rove Live and Good News Week. Most recently, she paired up with Mel Buttle to host The Great Australian Bake Off, a thinly veiled excuse to taste-test delicious baked goods. Claire’s recent return to the west coast was a very literal homecoming: “Each night after performing I’d go back to my childhood bedroom. You feel like a rock star when you go to sleep surrounded by your old books and ‘most improved’ dancing trophy,” she says. On the tail of her Perth Fringe appearances, Claire takes us through her local hotspots. Catch All The Rage at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival (28 March to 22 April). comedyfestival.com.au

Experience I MY PLACE

CLOCKWISE: An audience in raptures at The Comedy Lounge, The Blue Room Theatre, a rainbow of beers at Fremantle’s Little Creatures.

ZANTHORREA NURSERY

THE BLUE ROOM THEATRE

155 Watsonia Road, Maida Vale zanthorrea.com This is the garden centre my parents started over 40 years ago, and my preferred hotel when I visit Perth. I’m proud to say they’ve won heaps of awards over the years for their beautiful place. My brother runs the business now and my parents still live on the property in my childhood home. It’s an easy run from the airport and has very reasonable room rates.

53 James Street, Northbridge blueroom.org.au This ex-school building in the middle of the Perth Cultural Centre is the independent theatre heart of the city, and has been the supportive parent of many of Perth’s stars. I saw Tim Minchin perform one of his first shows here – absolute rubbish (actually it was brilliant). There’s always something on here and it’s always worth a gamble.

LITTLE CREATURES

413 Murray Street, Perth comedylounge.com.au The Comedy Lounge has been running for decades. In fact, I did my first gig at the lounge back when it was [situated] at the Grosvenor Hotel. [Now it’s] finally in a purpose-built venue. It’s great for Perth to have so much choice in comedy ... and an even better thing for touring comics like me to have a place to drop in on almost any night of the week.

42 Mews Road, Fremantle littlecreatures.com.au A nice spot to sit with a meal and a drink, and stare at the water on a warm afternoon. Around the back, at Creatures NextDoor, is where they run one of my favourite comedy nights, Little Comedy, on Saturdays.

PHOTOGRAPHY OK MEDIA

VERNA’S ROOM OP SHOP St Barnabas Anglican Church, 40 Railway Road, Kalamunda kalamunda.perth.anglican.org Look, I don’t want to encourage you too much because I don’t want competition for the bargains, but on my last visit I picked up an $18 haul that would have easily cost $100 in a Melbourne op shop. Someone needs to teach those lovely volunteers better business, but not until I’ve bought another box full of children’s books, please.

THE COMEDY LOUNGE

ZIG-ZAG SCENIC DRIVE Gooseberry Hill National Park parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au I grew up across the road from this park and took the red dirt and grey-green bushland for granted. Now this landscape really speaks to me and I’ll beg mum to mind the kids so that I can go for a run or a walk on its winding paths. You can head

THE ROBOT BUN FACTORY CAFÉ

FOLLOW: @th

eclairehoop

Keep up to date with Claire on Instagram uphill and walk along Railway Parade for a few kilometres and end up at a delightful French patisserie. And then call your mum to pick you up.

LAZY SUSAN’S COMEDY DEN 292 Beaufort Street, Highgate lazysusans.com.au This little gem of a comedy room is a real sentimental favourite for me as I was one of the comedians who helped local performer and producer Sam Longley set it up about 15 years ago. There’s a fancy pub underneath so you can bookend the show with food or drinks.

6/306 Great Eastern Hwy, Midland robotbunfactory.com.au As someone who grew up around here it’s really confusing to see Midland get cool. This place is cute and does great coffee. And buns. I assume they’re made by robots.

CORE CIDER HOUSE 35 Merrivale Road, Pickering Brook corecider.com.au I went to Core Cider House and helped my parents and brother eat the most delicious platter while overlooking breathtaking views of orchards and the hills behind. I don’t think I’ve sat in a more beautiful place anywhere in the world.

Travel info Jetstar has great low fares to Perth from across the network. To book, visit JETSTAR.COM

Experience I THE SHORTLIST

OF THE BEST

Kidult activities 22

Relive your youth with these activities for big kids

WORDS CHLOE CANN

1. MARICAR G0-KART

Tokyo, Japan maricar.com Go-karting is no longer confined to scaled-down circuits on city fringes or arcade video games. In Tokyo you can careen around the city’s most iconic streets from the seat of a custom-made 49cc machine, dressed in a Princess Peach onesie. Not only will you form part of a small, similarly dressed posse, but riders can also listen to their own soundtrack through the Bluetooth speakers and talk to fellow go-karters using special communication bands.

2. LEGOLAND MELBOURNE

Melbourne, VIC melbourne.legoland discoverycentre.com.au Budding builders, engineering enthusiasts and big kids might just find nirvana at Legoland’s monthly adult night. Take a factory tour, experience the

4D cinema, jump on a ride or show off your capacity for construction at one of the speed-building challenges, where prizes are up for grabs. Master Model Builders will even be on hand to offer tips and tricks.

3. GHOSTLY SLEEPOVER, Q STATION Sydney, NSW qstation.com.au If you miss the glory days of childhood sleepovers spent watching horror films or telling scary stories around a campfire, then the Q Station’s Ghostly Sleepover is the next best thing. Formerly the quarantine station for migrants arriving in Australia, the complex is said to be one of Australia’s most haunted sites. Following an afterhours tour by lantern, brave souls (no kids allowed) will stay over in the old nurses’ quarters.

I spy a ghost! 4. COUNTER CULTURE BOARD GAME CAFÉ AND BAR Wellington, NZ counterculture.co.nz Let your competitive flag fly unhindered at this board game café. Indulge your inner child and opt for an ice cream sundae while playing Clue, or go R-rated with an espresso martini and Cards Against Humanity. There are nearly 400 different board games on offer, with resident Game Gurus to help you choose.

5. SPY SCHOOL Gold Coast, QLD stuntpark.com.au Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is dabbling in the stunt double lifestyle you’ve long dreamed of leading. You’ll (briefly) learn the art of unarmed combat and practise tackling obstacle courses like a pro, all while sporting a spy hero get-up. Best of all, participants are provided with video evidence of their new-found skills to take home.

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Experience I HOW-TO

How-to DINE ON To slurp or not to slurp? When it comes to dining on a bowl of noodle soup across Asia, that is not the only question WORDS ANNETTE TAN ILLUSTRATION STUART HOLMES

rom condiment qualms to chopstick tactics, noodle soup etiquette in Asia can be confusing for the uninitiated. Here’s the full low-down to help you look and act like a local, from Singapore to Tokyo.

The big slurp 24

Slurping your noodles loudly is considered a compliment to the chef throughout Japan and China – a sign of deep appreciation for your one-bowl meal. In South Korea and Singapore, however, not so much. There, you might get unappreciative glances – the kind you get when you talk too loudly in a quiet train carriage. As far as Koreans and Singaporeans are concerned, slurping loudly is utterly uncouth.

Condiment calm Just because an eatery provides condiments – like Sriracha and hoisin sauce for

The big slurp

Vietnamese pho or sesame oil and pepper flakes for Japanese ramen — doesn’t mean you should pile them into your bowl as soon as it arrives. Sip a few spoonfuls before deciding how much you want to add; think of it as nosing your wine before drinking it. If nothing else, it signals to the chef you’ve sampled the original flavours of their hard work. Then add the condiments a little at a time. Too much and you risk masking all the lovely flavours of a well-crafted dish.

Chopsticks at ease No matter where in the world you are, it is considered rude to stick your chopsticks vertically into your food. When not in use, lay them across your bowl. Don’t wave your chopsticks in the air, either. If the conversation gets animated, set your chopsticks down while you describe the stabbing scene in that horror movie. Speaking of stabbing, don’t skewer food with your chopsticks, no matter how

difficult it is to hold a bouncy fish ball between them. Just nudge the item onto your spoon with your chopsticks and eat it off the spoon.

the table. Bowls always remain on the table while eating. In China, never tap your bowl with your chopsticks. That’s how beggars ask for food.

Let’s twist again

Know your noodle

It’s not considered rude to twirl your noodles around your chopsticks, but the act does imply that you’re a long way from mastering them.

Pick-up sticks In Thailand, chopsticks are only used for noodle dishes. Everything else is eaten using forks and spoons. In Singapore and Malaysia, noodles are nearly always served and eaten with forks and spoons.

Be bowled over If your bowl of noodles doesn’t come with a spoon, feel free to drink the soup by lifting the bowl to your mouth. In Japan, larger bowls should remain set on the table while you eat. When served noodle dishes in smaller bowls, it is polite to pick up the bowl with one hand and lead it close to your mouth when eating from it. In South Korea, however, it is never polite to lift your bowl off

That’s how you do it

In South East Asia, yellow noodles aren’t always made from egg. The thick, bright yellow noodles served in places like Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia are often made with an alkaline agent (think baking soda), which results in a chewier creation with a distinct hue. Throughout Asia, “ramen” refers to the Japanese wheatnoodle dish. What the US calls “ramen” is known as instant noodles around South East Asia. Though some South East Asian noodle dishes are similarly named, they vary greatly from country to country. Penang laksa and Singapore laksa, for example, are completely different. The latter typically features a curried broth flavoured with coconut milk, dried chillies and dried shrimp, while the former is a sweet and sour affair. Despite their regional differences, thick rice noodles are found in both dishes.

Condiment calm

Experience I HOW-TO

Stick to it

Chopsticks at ease

Pick-up sticks

Be bowled over

A good bowl o’ noodles

Let’s twist again Know your noodle

FLAT EGG

udon

HOW

WHat

Australia’s 2018 dining scene is shaping up to be one for the hedonists as Australian Chefs continue to embrace a give-anything-a-go approach. From culinary benchmarks to local favourites, our homegrown restaurants are as exciting as they are diverse. Some award-winning Chefs have turned their attention to burgers, while other suburban cafés are busy producing ambitiously artistic fare... the rules of right and wrong are out the window, with only new opportunities to discover.

WHere

Unshackled from the rules and restrictions of old, few would argue that exploring Australia’s restaurants today offers up a diversity of rewards like never before. Awaiting discovery behind obscure doorways and down even more mysterious laneways are unexpected treasures sure to delight any would-be connoisseur. Certainly, there is an abundance of restaurants awaiting discovery. For many, the journey is as much a part of the experience as the discovery, while for others only the best will do!

If you’re looking to discover where the future of Australia’s dining is heading, or just in need of a little help unearthing a nearby culinary hotspot, the AGFG app (Australian Good Food Guide) is a fantastic starting point. Available free in the app stores, gain from 40 years of experience and thousands of reviews and recommendations across the country. The app also offers insights on bars, wineries, accommodation, attractions and providers. Search AGFG & Download.

Experience I DRINK UP

The dirty Bucha

Cool as a...

Virtuous kombucha gets a grown-up twist ILLUSTRATION TANYA COOPER

Give a good squeeze

It’s a gin thing 27

Fresh is best

Brewed in Byron

rom matcha martinis to goji punches, ‘healthy’ cocktails are having a moment. Now kombucha, beloved by hippies and home preservers, is popping up in

The dirty Bucha new-age cocktail menus. The ‘Dirty Bucha’ from Byron Bay’s Three Blue Ducks combines Bucha of Byron and local slow gin for a refreshing drink with a dose of goodness.

INGREDIENTS • 30ml Brookie’s Byron Bay Slow Gin • Bucha of Byron Lemon Myrtle (or Original) • Lime, cucumber and mint or lemon myrtle

METHOD Pour gin over ice in a tall glass, then top with chosen flavour of Bucha. Garnish with a lime wedge, finger of cucumber and sprig of mint or lemon myrtle leaves.

Experience I FOOD TREND

Fresh as it gets

Forage FOR

YOUR DINNER ENTER INTO A SECRET SOCIETY OF GATHERERS WITH A FORAGING TOUR IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD

WORDS CHLOE CANN

or those unfamiliar with foraging, the saying ‘the mushrooms don’t wait for anyone’, might seem cryptic. But it’s a mantra that’s been drilled into Izabella (Bella) Hyde since she was a little girl in Poland.

PHOTOGRAPHY AIMEE CROUCH

Slippery jack mushrooms. ABOVE: ‘Edible weeds’ foraged with Diego Bonetto.

“Foraging has run in our families for generations,” she says, remembering pre-dawn foraging excursions. “It’s what the Poles and other Europeans used to do, and I’ve grown up with it. I still remember loading up the car in the dark at 4am with my grandparents, and the

the mushrooms don’t wait for anyone smell of the forest floor.” Though Bella emigrated to Australia in 1981, she’s didn’t leave her skills behind; today she runs mushroom foraging tours in New South Wales’ Southern Highlands and Blue Mountains National Park alongside her friend and fellow forager Katriina Mueller. And with April typically marking the peak of ’shroom-picking season, there’s no better time to get outdoors, she says. The forced early starts are the result of fierce forest competition, Bella explains. “All the

Poles and Germans and Russians will be out there as well. It’s a sport and everyone has their favourite spots!” Many picking sites are closely guarded secrets, passed down through families – another reason (beyond poisoning) why it’s a good idea to head out on a tour with knowledgeable local guides. “We teach people how to do it safely and sustainably,” Bella adds. Though there are said to be close to 10,000 different mushroom species on the planet, Bella and Katriina pick just two: slippery jacks

Experience I FOOD TREND

and saffron milk caps. “They’re the ones I’ve grown up with and they’re the ones I like the best,” Bella says. “They’re also easily identifiable.” After a morning spent out in the forest, where wombats, deer and wallabies roam, the tour group reconvenes to show off their haul and have each fungi inspected by the pair. Bella and Katriina then give a short cooking lesson on a portable gas stove, though they also encourage people to bring their own picnic to supplement the buttery morsels – a hearty ending to a family day out. And that’s what the tours are all about, Bella adds: “Families reconnecting with nature – that’s the thing I love seeing. When you [find] mushrooms in the wild it beats any iPad or TV.”

where wombats, deer and wallabies roam Diego Bonetto, a Sydneybased wild food advocate who offers urban foraging workshops on edible weeds, mushrooms and marine plants, says that there is a growing interest in these traditional skills.

Mushroom picking should not be attempted by anyone unskilled in identifying wild species. Instead, join Bella (findingfeasts.com.au) or Diego (diegobonetto.com).

Find fresh, foraged food Visit your local farmers’ market. Carriageworks Farmers’ Market (held in Sydney’s Eveleigh every Saturday), has a strict, locally-grown only policy; the Slow Food Farmers’ Market (held on the fourth Saturday of every month at Abbotsford Convent in Melbourne) solely features stalls run by the farmers themselves or an artisan maker buying direct from Victorian farmers; the Farm Gate Market (in central Hobart every Sunday) purveys fresh, local, seasonal produce and ready-to-eat plates made with local goods. Eat at seasonal-only restaurants. Sydney’s Molo at Manta, Woolloomooloo, and East Perth’s Restaurant Amuse, both change their menus according to seasons and available produce. Get involved with your local community garden. Many of these urban, communal allotments host monthly ‘working bees’, where members of the public can get stuck into weeding, pruning and generally tending to the gardens, often in exchange for a group lunch (and sometimes fresh produce to take home). Go fruit picking at your local ‘pick your own’ farms and orchards. From cherries to strawberries, blueberries, boysenberries and more, the peak season for berries typically runs from October to May.

PHOTOGRAPHY NISA MACKIE, JAMES HORAN / DESTINATION NSW

CLOCKWISE: Saffron milk cap mushrooms, produce at Sydney’s Carriageworks Farmers’ Markets, Diego Bonetto leads a foraging tour.

“They reconnect us all to the stories of our ancestors, that utilise resources in a conscious and waste-free manner and fill our pantries with good, organic and ethical food,” he says. “I teach young families who want their kids to be exposed to plants and related knowledge; old migrants who have memories of wildcrafting in their own country of origin, and would like to share what they know in a supportive environment; chefs who want to know new produce, and use local, seasonal treats in their kitchens; [and] survivalists, who want to accumulate knowledge in preparation for economic downturn.”

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MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA

Experience I BITE-SIZE CITY GUIDE

24 HOURS IN

Nelson IN THIS COMPACT, LEAFY CITY, EVERYTHING IS AN EASY STROLL AWAY. COME FOR ART AND ADVENTURE AND STAY FOR THE FOOD, BEER AND WINE

NELSON

WORDS NAOMI ARNOLD

PHOTOGRAPHY PAUL MCCREDIE, LITTLE BEEHIVE CO-OP, MORRI STREET CAFE

BREAKFAST

MID-MORNING

Morri Street Cafe has a lengthy, eclectic menu catering for a wide variety of tastes. We like the nasi lemak for something a little different – the café’s take on Malaysia’s national dish features fragrant rice, lime, lemongrass, spicy sambal sauce, crispy anchovies, boiled egg, shredded cucumber and roasted cashews. morrisonstreetcafe.co.nz

The nationally significant, recently refurbished Suter Art Gallery features local, national and international art spanning 200 years. After a browse, visit the excellent café or wander to nearby Hardy Street for its selection of boutiques including the Eclectic Antique Centre and handicraft haven Little Beehive Co-Op. thesuter.org.nz

LUNCH

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Suter Art Gallery, on display at Little Beehive Co-Op, Little Beehive Co-Op from Hardy Street, grab a coffee from Morri Street Cafe.

Local favourite DeVille Cafe & Bar is tucked on New Street just off Trafalgar Street – Nelson’s main thoroughfare. It serves large, fresh, deeply flavoursome meals with a Mexican touch. The garden area is light and spacious while the interior is cosy with low lighting. There’s also a good selection of local wine and beer. devillecafe.co.nz

Experience I BITE-SIZE CITY GUIDE

But wait, there’s more

CLOCKWISE: The Dun Mountain Trail above Nelson, the owners of Family Jewels Records run a popup at Free House, Warwick House B&B, Nelson’s pretty Maitai River.

For further inspiration on what to see and do when in Nelson, flip to page 114.

Nuts about Nelson

AFTERNOON DRINKS

stop for a dip at the many swimming holes along the way

DINNER Live like the locals and grab an excellent takeaway curry at The Indian Cafe before carrying it across the road to the Free House, an independent pub in a renovated church that serves a revolving selection of New Zealand’s best craft beers. The friendly staff will offer plates and cutlery for your meal and help you find your new favourite brew. Pocket record store Family Jewels Records is also open in the grounds on Thursday, Friday and Saturday afternoons. thefreehouse.co.nz

Rhythm and Brown is a cosy, chocolate-coloured nook that suits lovers of good music, classy drinks and intimate conversation. They only serve beer and wine from the north of the South Island, alongside simple, delicious bites. Find Rhythm and Brown on Facebook

SLEEP With a turret, ballroom, and a history dating back to 1854, Warwick House Bed & Breakfast is one of Nelson’s most interesting buildings. It’s also one of the finest and most significant remaining examples of early Victorian Gothic Revival-style in New Zealand. The ‘castle’ offers four suites and two rooms, with the city centre just a short walk away. warwickhouse.co.nz

Travel Info Jetstar has great low fares to Nelson with connections via Wellington and Auckland. To book visit JETSTAR.COM

PHOTOGRAPHY GRANT STIRLING, ALAMY, WARWICK HOUSE BED & BREAKFAST, FAMILY JEWELS RECORDS

One of Nelson’s jewels is the winding Maitai River, which runs through the city offering glimpses of peaceful green spaces at unexpected turns. Spend a calming afternoon walking or cycling beside it, stopping for a dip at the many swimming holes along the way. The more adventurous can head up the valley to tackle one of Nelson’s many worldclass mountain bike trails. Trail Journeys Nelson can sort you out with a bike, answer all your questions, and point you in the right direction. trailjourneysnelson.co.nz

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Experience I STYLE

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Experience I STYLE

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MADE IN NEW ZEALAND

Experience I SPA & WELLNESS

Forest bathing

Wash your spirit clean with moments of mindfulness in nature – the Japanese trend that’s free in a forest near you

PHOTOGRAPHY ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

WORDS NATASCHA MIROSCH

he forest is alive with noise; a synchronised choir of cicadas, water murmuring over rocks and birds trading calls from the canopy. We lean against towering strangler figs, or sit on moss-cushioned boulders in quiet contemplation,

eyes closed, focusing on the sounds and smells surrounding us. This is my first experience of shinrinyoku, or “forest bathing”, an alternative health practice from Japan. Despite the name, forest bathing doesn’t actually involve water – rather, it combines mindfulness

and meditation with a leisurely forest walk. Anxiety drew our guide, environmental scientist and keen bushwalker Heather Shearer, to seek healing in the forest. “I’ve suffered from anxiety all my life and was looking for an alternative to medication,” Heather says. “So I did some

research and came across the concept of forest bathing. It’s been incredibly beneficial.” Today, Heather is leading one of her fortnightly shinrin-yoku sessions in Queensland’s Tamborine National Park. She gathers our group of 12, covering a spectrum of ages and fitness levels,

Experience I SPA & WELLNESS

into a rough circle and begins with a so-called “body scan meditation” designed to “open the senses to the experience”. I feel a little selfconscious at first, standing with eyes closed and arms open to the sky as she talks us through a body awareness exercise, but it quickly passes. Our minds and eyes now both open, we set off at the gentle pace Heather recommends; the aim,

she says, is to feel totally immersed in nature. While an amble in the forest may seem an unlikely way to supercharge your health, studies suggest the benefits are far-reaching: from an increase in the number of natural killer cells (immune cells that fight bacteria, viruses and tumours) to a reduction in blood pressure, heart rate and stress hormones. Other perks include an increase in levels of a hormone that combats metabolic disorders such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, plus a reduction in the symptoms of depression, anger, anxiety and fatigue. We soon find a rhythm and pause frequently to admire Mother Nature’s work, including the lacy patterns of sunlight

filtering through the canopy, a trapdoor spider’s intricate hidey hole, and frilly mushrooms adorning a toppled tree. At a stream in a gully, surrounded by piccabeen palms, Heather halts. “Choose something to focus on – a piece of bark, a leaf, a stone – and really look at it. See how it changes in different light,” she says. “Or it may be a sound. Just breathe and watch or listen.” And so we sit or stand and look, listening to the forest and breathing in the damp, cool air and leaf-litter sweetness. I sleep more deeply that night than I have for a long time and feel calm and energised all week – evidence enough, I figure, to warrant scheduling some more green time into my life.

And so we sit or stand and look, listening to the forest

Five places to try forest bathing You don’t necessarily need a guide to practise forest bathing and your walk need not be long, or arduous. Here are five top spots to train in the Japanese therapy. 1. Barrington Tops National Park, NSW 2. Lamington National Park, QLD 3. Belair National Park, SA 4. Dandenong Ranges, VIC 5. Cascades Kauri Park, NZ

PHOTOGRAPHY ISTOCKPHOTO.COM, NATASCHA MIROSCH

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IT’S TRUE, AUSSIES EAT

KANGAROO. But what does Australia really taste like? In the morning it tastes like a three-quarter latte and a whole-hearted good morning. If you’re eating out, don’t forget the smashed avocado with poached eggs. On Fridays there are two kinds of lunches: one that stretches into the evening with a cold, frothy beer and another that starts with a dim sim and ends in a stomachache. Weekends are extra special. We fire up the barbie on Saturday, but you’ll smell the char of snags and corn on the cob before any shrimp. Sundays are for families – and for roasts. Kids of all ages pinch offcuts from the kitchen bench and the leftovers taste like the weekend until Wednesday, when they run out. Locals have a particular palate. It knows the brackish sweat of a farmer – but forget paddock to plate, we grew up with milk aimed from udder to mouth. Some recall the taste of cut grass, lying face flat on the footy field. Others lick their lips in the afternoon and find salty residue from a sunrise surf. Many of us remember when Australia tasted like a marriage proposal with Cheezels and molten party pies that never cooled down. Now we look for Tim Tams in the suitcases of loved ones and smuggle Vegemite in a tube wherever we go. Australia tastes a little different to everyone. To us it tastes like 30 years of nostalgia between two slices of bread.

sandwichchefs.com.au

Experience I RECIPE

QUITE THE CATCH THIS SYDNEY CHEF IS LOOKING TO TRANSFORM THE WAY WE EAT SEAFOOD

PHOTOGRAPHY SAINT PETER

WORDS KRYSIA BONKOWSKI

quick peek at Josh Niland’s Instagram reveals the young chef has a bit of a seafood obsession. From a blushing snapper to close-ups of rock oysters, Josh shares fresh catches that come through his kitchen with his 30,000-odd followers.

Cutting his teeth at the likes of Fish Face and Est., Josh opened Sydney ‘fish eatery’ Saint Peter in 2016, where he elevated classics such as fish and chips, and showcased the under-appreciated joys of fish offal (“fish liver on toast is one of life’s pleasures,” he assures us). This month Josh unveils

the Fish Butchery. Found on the same block of Paddington’s Oxford Street as Saint Peter, this retail space offers fish cut to order by a skilled ‘butcher’. At the Fish Butchery, Josh wants to introduce people to under-used fish species and cuts, and take the hassle out of preparing a fish meal from scratch –

shniland FOLLOW: @jo

Keep up to date with Josh on Instagram something even he avoids at home. “It makes a mess, it stinks the house out and

Experience I RECIPE

PREPARATION: 45 minutes COOKING TIME: 10 minutes SERVES: 4

44 it’s not overly glamorous,” Josh says. “But the thought of being able to pick up a piece of crumbed King George whiting then just put it in a pan at home – that’s pretty special.” As well as raw cuts prepared to go, the Fish Butchery will handle the takeaway of Saint Peter’s hugely popular fish and chips. Josh prides himself on this and other such deceptively simple dishes like crumbed fish, which he finds best convey his technique. “I think there is more skill in preparing a crumbed piece of fish with a bit of tartare sauce and a herb salad than there is in producing a piece of fish with 25 textures of some vegetable,” Josh says.

METHOD • Preheat oven to 100°C. • Place flour in one bowl, egg in another and breadcrumbs in a third. • Holding it by the tail, dip your first fish in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs, pressing gently to coat it well. • Place on a tray and repeat with remaining fish. • Heat half of the clarified butter in a large frying pan over a high heat. • When hot, add 2 fish to the pan and fry for 2 minutes or until crisp and golden, then turn and cook the other side for a further minute or so, until also crisp and golden. • Transfer to a tray in the oven to keep warm. • Wipe out the frying pan, melt the remaining butter and cook the next 2 fish. • When both batches are cooked, sprinkle fish liberally with salt and pepper and serve on large warmed serving plates. • Serve with lemon cheeks, spoonfuls of yoghurt tartare sauce and herb salad.

HERB SALAD INGREDIENTS • 4 x 200g garfish, scaled, gutted and gilled* • 1 cup plain flour • 4 eggs, lightly whisked • 2 cups white panko breadcrumbs • 400ml clarified butter • Salt flakes and freshly ground white/black pepper, to taste • 6 lemon cheeks

YOGHURT TARTARE MAKES: about 2 cups • 1½ cups natural yoghurt • 3 large golden shallots, diced • 3 tsp small salted capers, rinsed, dried and finely chopped • 1/3 cup coarsely chopped cornichons (mini gherkins) • 2 tbsp finely sliced flat-leaf parsley leaves

YOGHURT TARTARE SAUCE • Place all ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. HERB SALAD & SHALLOT DRESSING • To make dressing, combine sugar, salt and shallots. Set aside for 10 minutes, then stir in oil and vinegar. • Combine parsley, dill, chervil, tarragon, watercress, rocket and lettuce. • Toss salad with enough dressing to lightly coat the leaves.

SERVES: 6 as a side • 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked • 1 bunch dill, leaves picked • 1 bunch chervil, leaves picked • 1 bunch French tarragon, leaves picked • 1 cup watercress, leaves picked • 1 cup wild rocket leaves • 2 large butter lettuce, broken into bite-sized pieces

SHALLOT DRESSING • 1 tsp castor sugar • Pinch salt • 1 large golden shallot, thinly sliced into rings • 140ml extra virgin olive oil • 50ml chardonnay vinegar (Note: leftover dressing will last up to a week in an airtight container in the fridge)

*PREPARING THE FISH Buy pre-filleted or consult the fishmonger for preparation tips.

PHOTOGRAPHY NIKKI TO, JOSH NILAND

Crumbed garfish with yoghurt tartare and herb salad

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Are Your Hormones Making You Fat? Imagine waking up every morning to the sound of your alarm, excited and happy to be starting a new day. When you look in the mirror you admire your body. Everyone tells you how great you’re looking. Sound too good to be true? If you, like many other women, don’t feel this way, you may have a hormonal imbalance. Research has documented that over 40 per cent of women have an undiagnosed underactive thyroid gland. If you feel tired all the time, crave sugar, use alcohol and coffee to lift yourself, retain weight around your middle and feel the cold, you could be suffering from this problem. What Does Your Thyroid Do, and What Does This Mean For You? The thyroid gland is the major player in controlling how many calories you burn. It produces hormones that control the body’s metabolism. If your thyroid is underactive (hypothyroidism) it’s almost impossible to lose that spare tyre around your middle, no matter how many carbs you cut out or how many hours you spend on the treadmill. Blood Testing Current blood testing methods don’t tell the whole story. Blood tests (TSH) can only measure how much thyroid hormone you have in your blood – they can’t measure how well your hormones are working. So, if you do have a thyroid problem, it may not always be picked up. New Way of Testing American thyroid specialists, Dr. Konrad Kail and Dr. Daryl Turner have developed a quick and non-invasive medical thyroid screening test, that’s been used by US doctors for the past ten years to accurately diagnose thyroid issues. The good news is, once your thyroid function is accurately diagnosed, the medication and nutrients you need to get your thyroid balanced can be established. With a balanced thyroid your energy will increase, you will lose weight easily, and you’ll feel happier in yourself. Your health is your greatest asset, so, if you suspect that your thyroid isn’t quite right, don’t put off getting tested, you deserve to feel fantastic every day.

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Experience I HEALTH

The lure of New Zealand Get hooked on a quiet sport in the great outdoors

PHOTOGRAPHY ISTOCKPHOTO.COM, TONGARIRO LODGE

WORDS BELINDA LUKSIC

“THE TUG IS THE DRUG,” grins guide Marc as he ties a nymph (an artificial fishing fly resembling an aquatic insect) to my rod. We’re knee-deep in the Tongariro River, a worldclass fly-fishing spot near Lake Taupō in New Zealand’s North Island. Each year, thousands of rainbow trout leave Lake Taupō’s crater to spawn in these waters. There are large brown trout here too, introduced in the early 1900s. Marc collects me from Tongariro Lodge, a riverside guesthouse with a top-notch restaurant and some of New Zealand’s best fly-fishing guides on its books. It’s a short drive to the track leading to the length of crystal-clear river Marc favours for beginners. It’s a breathtaking landscape of tussock plains, reed grass and pebbly banks, framed by mist-shrouded mountains. We don fishing gear – a set of waders, thick socks and boots – that will keep us warm and dry no matter the hours spent in freezing cold waters. At the shoreline Marc instructs me how to cast, gently flicking his wrist back and forth to load up the rod with line behind him, before propelling it forward with a swift,

Fly fishing in the Tongariro River. INSET: Tongariro Lodge head guide Tim McCarthy with a catch.

Cast a line 47

Try it here whipping noise. It looks easy enough but my first few attempts only snag tussocks. Another time, elation turns to disappointment when a hooked trout turns out to be an underwater log. Still, it’s a lot of fun. After a couple of hours of casting, stalking and casting again, I begin to understand the therapeutic allure of this quiet sport. A 2008 study by the Benson-Henry Institute in the US found fly-fishing a “beautiful way” to evoke the relaxation response in the brain – the same response elicited by

Tongariro Lodge offers guests guided half-day and full-day fly-fishing, raft fishing and helifishing adventures along the Tongariro River and surrounds. Prices start from NZD$398 per person for a half-day guided trip. tongarirolodge.co.nz

mindful meditation. We’re a couple of hours in when I finally land a magic cast, the fly dropping just ahead of my target. Thrillingly, the trout takes the bait and I strike, yanking the rod high to hook it. Marc yells instructions as I let the fish run with extra line from the reel, then wind it in to where

Marc waits with a net. It’s a beauty: a gleaming 2kg whopper that looks good enough to eat. I’m tempted to have the lodge cook it for my dinner, until a photo opportunity turns slippery and my catch swims away. The sun is high in the sky when the lesson is over. Despite some promising tugs, I catch no more fish. It doesn’t matter though. I’m already hooked. Belinda Luksic was a guest of Tongariro Lodge, Destination Great Lake Taupō and Tourism New Zealand. greatlaketaupo.com

Experience I WORK & PLAY

Empire builder Together with sister Bettina, Merivale CEO Justin Hemmes has built a hospitality empire of more than 70 venues and pretty much defined how Sydneysiders party in the process WORDS PETER BARRETT

How did you get into the bar and pub scene? When I started going out I found pubs a bit boring. There’d be mostly guys, everyone was drinking beer and there wasn’t great music. If you wanted to get something to eat you’d have to leave the pub because they didn’t really do good food. I thought it would be great to combine all that into the one building. So, that’s when we conceptualised [Hotel] CBD. Hotel CBD opened in 1995 and, two years later you opened the Slip Inn. What next? Slip Inn was hugely

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CBD and Slip, we bought it. Then I needed the money to develop it. But the banks wouldn’t give me the money.

successful and on the back of that I thought it’s time to do something on a bigger scale with a bigger budget. I found the burntout ruins of the George [Patterson] advertising agency in George Street and, from the profits of

After months of uncertainty you secured the $30 million needed to build Ivy. What did you learn from the experience? Well, you have to believe in yourself; you have to back yourself and that’s

what got me through the tough times. And my dad supported me, mentally. When I was down-andout and there were a lot of hurdles in the way my dad would always say: ‘Do you believe it’s still a good thing?’ If I’d say ‘yes’ he’d say, ‘Well, believe in it. I think it’s going to be hugely successful.’ merivale.com.au

PHOTOGRAPHY MERIVALE, CHIN CHIN, LYD GROUP, WELLINGTON HOSPITALITY GROUP

How did it all begin? My mum, dad and sister were in fashion but I wasn’t. Mum and dad had a little café in Potts Point in the ’80s and I worked there in my school holidays as a barista and did a bit of dish-hand and waiting. After uni I fell into construction and worked on one of my dad’s buildings in the city. I went and worked on the site as a brickie’s labourer for two years and that’s when I fell in love with construction.

Experience I WORK & PLAY

Eyes on the prize

PAY A VISIT TO ONE OF THE VENUES FROM THESE PIONEERING GOOD-TIME GROUPS 1. THE LUCAS GROUP Even in Melbourne’s crowded scene, The Lucas Group is still at the top of the class. Since its 2011 opening, Pan-Asian eatery Chin Chin’s permanent queue has become a running in-joke for Melburnians, and the restaurant’s new Sydney sibling is seeing similar levels of success. From modern Italian diner Baby to the achingly hip “Japanese concept restaurant” Kisumé, owner Chris Lucas is behind some of the hottest tickets in town. thelucasgroup.com.au

Five tips from Perth small business advisor Brooke Arnott on how to keep sight of the big picture

2 3. LYD BALI GROUP This group boasts some of the best sundowner spots on the island, whether it’s the lawns of whimsical La Laguna or the La Brisa balcony overlooking Canggu’s Echo Beach. Helmed by wife and husband team Gonzalo and Sandra Assiego, it all started when the colourful sprawl of La Plancha’s umbrellas and beanbags appeared on Seminyak’s sands in 2010. The enterprise now encompasses five of Bali’s most popular venues. lydbaligroup.com

2. WELLINGTON HOSPITALITY GROUP If you’ve been out in New Zealand’s capital recently there’s a good chance you’ve stumbled across one of this group’s venues, with more than 20 and counting. From the kid-friendly vibe of the Brew’d pubs to the live music at Bethel Woods and wood-fired pizza at Rizzo’s, the team is on a mission to keep the good times rolling in Wellington. whg.co.nz

1) Schedule your week “Plan your week on Sunday morning and have set times throughout the day to check emails. This helps you stay focused.”

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3) Use technology “Using apps such as Slack, Harvest or Hubdoc will save you time and money. A connected business is essential for productivity.”

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Mad for Mackay

Set your alarm, charge the camera batteries and prepare to make some furry friends on the shores of Cape Hillsborough. Read up on page 81.

PHOTOGRAPHY MACKAY TOURISM

HOI AN I OAHU I JAPAN I AND MORE

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

LIFE ON THE EDGE Life on an island of five: 15-year-old photographer Will Wardle captures a remote, raw and rugged terrain

A swell time Rock fishing at Mackenzies on Dirk Hartog Islandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s west; fishing here is only possible during low tides and good weather.

The island’s inner reaches (left to right) The Wardle family sources all its water from a well – this windmill pumps it 10kms back to their home. Dirk Hartog’s one kilometre-long Rose de Freycinet lake seen from above. A drone image of Dirk Hartog’s rusty interior.

Baby steps (left to right) A baby loggerhead turtle makes its way out to sea at Turtle Bay, a major breeding site for the endangered species; an aerial shot of turtle tracks.

Explore I WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Marine magic Life’s a storybook adventure for Dirk Hartog Island’s sole five inhabitants

I 58

t might have first been ‘discovered’ by a Dutch explorer in 1616, but four centuries later, few have heard of Western Australia’s largest island. Dirk Hartog is the site of the first recorded European landing on Australia’s west coast, yet its appeal goes well beyond the historical. Bordering the Shark Bay UNESCO World Heritage Site, at the continent’s most westerly point, the area erupts with biodiversity, as local ecosystems remain relatively unaltered by human impact. Dirk Hartog is home to Australia’s largest loggerhead turtle breeding colony, plus 81 bird and 48 reptile species, many rare or endangered. The surrounding waters are also host to the world’s largest and richest sea-grass beds, and one of the world’s most significant dugong populations, with some 10,000 of the mammals. To reach the island it’s an 8.5-hour drive from Perth to Denham, and a further hour by boat, but it’s thanks to this isolation that Dirk Hartog has remained so pristine. With its large surf, 200m-high cliffs, blowholes, dangerous marine animals, and shifting sand dunes, Dirk Hartog might seem a hostile environment, but this is home for one intrepid family that single-handedly

WESTERN AUSTRALIA Perth

About the photographer manages all the island’s tourism. Husband and wife team Kieran and Tory Wardle run the isle’s eco lodge alongside their three young children. Their eldest son Will (who turns 15 this month) has become the de facto marketing manager thanks to his camera skills. “I started taking photos because I was constantly seeing cool things all around me and wanted to show others,” he explains. Will attends boarding school in Perth, but during school holidays he can often be found free diving and stand-up paddleboarding around Shark Bay, looking for marine life to snap. “Sharks are probably my favourite animals to photograph because they’re the easiest to get close to and are very

misunderstood,” he adds. Here, the neighbours are bottlenose dolphins, feeding sharks off the beach is a routine diversion and the only thing that stands between you and lunch is a fishing rod. Though it’s a spectacular environment to grow up in – boasting incredible fishing, 4WD tracks, diving and snorkelling – there are of course challenges too. “All the stuff city people take for granted (water, food and electricity) we have to work hard for, because if the water stops running, the power blacks out or we run out of food, there’s no one up the road that will come and fix it for us,” Will says. “Sometimes I get bored with no one else there that’s my age, but I’ve grown to love how wild it is.”

Raised on Dirk Hartog Island, Will Wardle got to grips with a GoPro aged nine, and has barely taken his eye away from behind a lens since. He’s entirely self-taught, gleaning tips and techniques from the internet and visiting photographers. willwardlephotography. com

Travel info Jetstar has great low fares to Perth and extensive car hire options. To book, visit JETSTAR.COM

PHOTOGRAPHY WILL WARDLE

WORDS CHLOE CANN

Dirk Hartog Island

SHARK BAY · WESTERN AUSTRALIA History · Island Walks · 4WD Tag-a-long Tours · Fishing · Campfires · Swim · Snorkel · Explore

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Image by Will Wardle

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DESTINATION OF THE MONTH

Contents

62 I ISLAND HOPPING IN FIJI Say ‘bula’ to secluded shores

The

PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY IMAGES

Pacific

71 I OAHU’S BEST EATS Hawaii’s dining scene has come a long way

76 I THE COOKS ARE FOR KIDS Why you should plan a family trip to Raro

Nanuya Lailai Island in the Fijian island chain of the Yasawas.

All aboard

FIJI I YASAWA ISLANDS

Yasawa Islands group

Finding paradise HOP FROM ONE IDYLLIC ISLE TO ANOTHER IN FIJIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S REMOTE YASAWA ISLAND CHAIN

PHOTOGRAPHY ALAMY, DAVID KIRKLAND

WORDS SHERIDEN RHODES

Explore I FIJI

Making a splash

Yasawa Island Resort. ABOVE: Scenic Fijian beaches. LEFT: A smile from a villager.

Fiji’s ancestors are believed to have first settled, welcome everyone from flashpackers to families and honeymooners. Accommodation ranges from rustic bures on the beach at the likes of Blue Lagoon Beach Resort and Barefoot Manta Island Resort – with its fantastic dive centre – to luxury, five-star resorts such as Yasawa Island Resort and Turtle Island. Yet we’re talking small-scale here. There are no large hotels or sprawling resorts and it’s not uncommon to find yourself alone

on your own stretch of sand, picnicking on your own private atoll, or snorkelling pristine reefs with not a soul in sight. Another option is volunteering with Vinaka Fiji Yasawa Trust Foundation, which works closely with local operators to give something back. Travellers can help with planting coral, marine conservation and research, rainwater harvesting and more. Because the Yasawas are that bit more out of the way, it also means they’re less commercial and more pristine than other parts of Fiji. It takes a little longer to get there

PHOTOGRAPHY TOURISM FIJI / CHRIS MCLENNAN, ALAMY

o, you’ve been won over by Fiji; the land of wide smiles, hammocks strung between palm trees and turquoise seas lapping at white-sand beaches. Let’s face it; this was never a hard sell. Slipping into Fijian life doesn’t take long. Give it a day or two after landing and you’ll be hollering “Bula” like a local, padding around barefoot with a frangipani casually tucked behind your ear and letting the pace of life drop back a notch or two. Perhaps you’ve done the main island of Viti Levu and are now looking further afield to Fiji’s other 332 islands, strung out like pearls in an ocean that comes in every shade of blue. Far from Viti Levu’s resort-rich areas of Denarau Island and the Coral Coast, and just north of perennial Aussie favourite the Mamanuca Islands, lie the Yasawas. This archipelago of some 20 volcanic islands make up Fiji’s westernmost border, and feature towering mountains tumbling down to sapphire waters. Visiting the idyllic Yasawas is like stepping back in time. There are no banks, virtually no shops and it wasn’t until the 1950s that cruise ship passengers could set foot on its shores. Yet what the Yasawas offer is the quintessential tropical paradise, tailor-made for island hopping, delivering empty beaches, stunning soft corals and marine adventures, plus the chance to get in touch with Fiji’s roots. The low-key islands, where

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Explore I FIJI

Picture yourself here

The bar aboard a Blue Lagoon cruise. ABOVE: Blue Lagoon’s mooring. BELOW: Snorkelling in crystal waters.

like ships of the small and intimate variety. Blue Lagoon’s three- to seven-night cruises through the Yasawa Islands offer a personal, authentic experience with lots of singing, laughing and swimming. There’s ample opportunity to interact with the friendly Fijian crew and meet the locals of this gorgeous string of islands. Pack the stretchy pants because food (and plenty of it!) is a big part of the Blue Lagoon experience, from barbecues on the beach to buffets groaning with meat and salads. Passengers also have the chance to try Fiji’s beloved ceremonial drink kava. You’ll spend an inordinate amount of time either in the water or gazing at it from a sun lounge on the ship’s deck or a hammock slung between palm trees. A day and night spent moored

when it comes to transfers, it doesn’t get more scenic at the glorious Nanuya Lailai (Blue Lagoon) is a highlight of the itinerary. Here the ship ties up to a coconut tree and passengers can take a kayak out for a paddle, watch a coconut-opening demonstration or just loll about on the idyllic white-sand beach. There’s even a charming little tea house called Lo’s a short hike across the island, which serves delicious homemade cake and steaming cups of tea. Because of the Fiji Princess’ petite size (55 metres with a maximum of 68 passengers) the ship is ideal for exploring the Yasawa’s many secluded bays and inlets, which

PHOTOGRAPHY ALAMY, BLUE LAGOON

than the close-lying islands if transferring by boat from Viti Levu, but that’s half the fun. The hop-on, hop-off Yasawa Flyer catamaran (the main mode of transport to the islands), takes between two and five hours as you flit through the Mamanuca Islands, and beyond to the Yasawas. But, when it comes to transfers, it doesn’t get more scenic. If time is short, you can travel by light plane to Yasawa Island, flying low over copious reefs, or take a seaplane transfer landing right on the water outside your resort. You can also join a day cruise, or better still, immerse yourself in the best the Yasawas has to offer with a multi-day cruise. One of Fiji’s best is Blue Lagoon’s Fiji Princess, particularly if you

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Explore I FIJI

Cruise the Fijian archipelago

Sawa-I-Lau caves. ABOVE: The lounge aboard Blue Lagoon Cruises.

CAPTAIN COOK CRUISES offers itineraries throughout Fiji, ranging from a three-night Yasawa Islands cruise to an immersive 11-night cruise to Kadavu and the remote Lau Islands aboard the MV Reef Endeavour. Day cruises to Tivua Island and tall ship cruises around the Mamanuca Islands are also offered. captaincookcruisesfiji.com

day in the Yasawas is less ambitious. Why not enjoy a private picnic on one of the island’s many spectacular beaches, sipping the water from a freshly plucked coconut, followed by a snooze in a hammock? Whatever you decide, the Yasawas make it easy to find Fiji time.

Travel info Jetstar has great low fares to Fiji from across the network. To book, visit JETSTAR.COM

SAILING FIJI lets you explore the far north aboard a luxury fast-sailing catamaran looping from Taveuni. See dolphins, swim with manta rays, discover coral gardens and snorkel over the lava tube of an extinct volcano. Multi-day charters are also available, cruising the far north and Fiji’s Lau Islands. sailfarnorthfiji.com SOUTH SEA CRUISES offers a Cast Away tour perfect for all those who secretly wondered why Tom Hanks wanted to be rescued from the tropical island where he was stranded. You don’t need to be a castaway to visit the uninhabited Modriki Island where the blockbuster was filmed aboard the schooner Seaspray, or various other filming locations around the stunning Mamanuca Islands. The snorkelling just offshore is fantastic. ssc.com.fj

PHOTOGRAPHY BLUE LAGOON, DAVID KIRKLAND

is simply not an option for larger ships. This means passengers often find themselves the only ones onshore, so it’s easy to find a patch of sand all to yourself. There are snorkel and dive sites to explore, sundowners on the beach and plenty of hearty Fijian singing and dancing. Before you know it, you’ll be crooning along, cocktail in hand, as another blazing Fijian sunset lights up the sky. There are many wonderful ways to explore above and below the water in the Yasawas. Swimming in the clear green water of the majestic Sawa-I-Lau caves, where sunlight streams into the open-air limestone chamber, is undoubtedly a highlight. These incredible caves are where a young Brooke Shields was filmed bathing in ’80s cult movie The Blue Lagoon. If you’re feeling game, you can make the short swim through an underwater passage into a second striking cave. At Moua Reef, you can also dive or snorkel with reef sharks – predominantly white and black tip, the sharks are small and friendly. From May to October, it’s even possible to snorkel, dive or swim with manta rays off Drawaqa Island. But perhaps your idea of a perfect

BLUE LAGOON CRUISES offers a four-night Wanderer cruise to the Yasawa Islands, including all meals and guided shore excursions. Shorter and longer itineraries include the Mamanuca Islands. There are also select family cruises, which operate in school holidays. bluelagooncruises.com

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CLOCKWISE: Dramatic scenery on Oahu, tacos at Moku Kitchen, traditional dishes at the Made in Hawaii Festival, the beef tartare at Senia.

Explore I OAHU

OAHU

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS

Honolulu

OAHU RIDES NEW WAVE Multicultural flavours and local ingredients are catapulting Honolulu into the culinary spotlight

PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY IMAGES, RYAN YAMAMOTO, MOKU KITCHEN, MADE IN HAWAII FESTIVAL

WORDS ANGELA SAURINE

Explore I OAHU

I 72

t’s been nearly 30 years since a group of Hawaiian chefs came together to create a culinary movement that combined the islands’ bounty of fresh produce with its many multicultural food influences. But in the past few years, the farm-to-table movement has experienced a renaissance, with a new wave of restaurants embracing – and building on – the foundations laid by those early kitchen pioneers. High-profile chefs Alan Wong, Roy Yamaguchi and Peter Merriman were among the original group of 12 that founded Hawaii Regional Cuisine. The movement fuses dishes from the descendants of immigrants who came to work the sugar cane plantations in the 19th and early 20th centuries. These creations – which showcase tropical fruit and vegetables grown in Maui’s rich volcanic soil, freshly caught mahi mahi and beef from cattle raised on the green pastures of Big Island – can still be find at acclaimed restaurants throughout the state, including Alan Wong’s Honolulu and Roy’s Waikiki on the main island of Oahu. Now, an influx of new eateries in Oahu’s Honolulu has given local farmers’ more reason to smile. “A lot of things are changing,” says Australian chef Bill Granger, who opened Bills Hawaii in Waikiki five years ago. “It’s taken the second generation; a younger generation for whom produce is really important. They support ma-and-pa farms. The produce is beautiful, with the warm climate, clean air and volcanic soil. “Farmers are realising there’s a business in growing quality produce and interesting things. There are amazing farmers’ markets. Before,

the restaurants were only for tourists, but now locals are really embracing eating out too,” Bill says. “For a long time, Honolulu was considered a bit downmarket, but that’s changing. People are seeing it as a nice, urban break. Threestar hotels are being replaced with five-star hotels. Young people are rediscovering it because they love its retro-ness, hip restaurants and boutique hotels.” Bill – whose eponymous restaurants grace Sydney, Tokyo,

CLOCKWISE: Food trucks on the North Shore, the ahi salad at Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort, Kapiolani Community College Farmers Market, a fresh malasada doughnut.

Before, the restaurants were only for tourists,

PHOTOGRAPHY HAWAII TOURISM, HILTON HAWAIIAN VILLAGE, FLICKR / MATT WUNDERLE

Explore I OAHU

but now locals are really embracing eating out too Seoul and London – flew to Oahu to research the local dining scene six years ago. His relaxed, timber-lined Waikiki eatery serves dishes such as tuna poké bowls, a Big Island beef burger and a local fruit bowl with honeyed yoghurt. “[Whenever I visit] I rent an open-top jeep and do all the clichés,” Bill says. “It’s the kitsch Americana surfer thing. For all the glitz and glamour of Waikiki you step away from it and it’s like stepping back in time.” Among his favourite stops on the island are the North Shore’s shrimp trucks and Leonard’s Bakery in Honolulu for the malasadas

(Portuguese doughnuts). “I feel very inspired being [in Oahu],” he adds. “Hawaii is the original east meets west; I love that mix.” Joseph ‘JJ’ Reinhart, the executive chef at Aussie favourite Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort, also loves Hawaii’s diversity. His kitchen is filled with Filipino, Chinese, Korean and Thai staff. “It’s a wonderful mix of people,” he says. “And here’s this random white guy from Ohio.” Joseph appears regularly on Hawaiian TV series Living Local, and takes part in the annual Made in Hawaii Festival (17-19 August), highlighting local products. He also tries to incorporate as many Hawaiian ingredients as possible on the menu at the resort’s Tropics Bar and Grill. “Everybody seeks out the ahi tuna, which is a seared sashimi dish,” he says. He’s always introducing new dishes. Recent additions include a soft-shell crab BLT and crispy mahi mahi in crushed macadamia nuts and Japanese bread crumbs. Formerly a trumpet player, Joseph spent three years touring the world with the musical Blast!, winning a Tony and an Emmy award for his musical prowess. He then retrained as a chef and interned at Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Mansion, where he ended up working as chef de cuisine. “It was a very interesting time,” he says. “It was almost like a hotel, but there were only eight guests. There was Mr Hefner and the girls who lived there, but Mr Hefner was an entertainer. We sometimes catered for parties for up to 3000.” After three years, Joseph realised that to further his career he had to leave. He got a job working alongside Iron Chef Masaharu

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Plonk yourself here

CLOCKWISE FROM MAIN: The pool view at Alohilani Resort, the Ahi Burger at Senia and messy eating at The Boiling Crab.

playing a grand piano. The hip mixed-use development SALT at Our Kaka‘ako in Honolulu is also welcoming new outlets at a rapid rate. Named after the salt ponds that once dotted the area’s low-lying wetlands, the restaurant and retail complex opened in 2016 and is home to paddock-to-plate venue MOKU Kitchen, Vietnamese eatery Insomnia and Hawaiian food specialists Highway Inn. Seafood chain The Boiling Crab opened its first Hawaiian venue there in December, just weeks after Pitch Sports Bar debuted. A farm-to-table Japanese/Italian fusion eatery, W at Kaka’ako, is also due to launch this year, along with J’s Grill, which was originally located a few blocks away before closing in 2014 when the

neighbourhood was redeveloped. “It’s a place to hang out, kind of like a community gathering spot,” says SALT’s general manager Jimmy Ventura. “It’s got a cool vibe. We have events, shops, different places to eat. There’s always something new to do.” Sounds like a microcosm for the whole island. Angela Saurine was a guest of Hawaii Tourism Oceania.

Travel info Jetstar has great low fares to Honolulu direct from Melbourne and Sydney. To book, visit JETSTAR.COM

PHOTOGRAPHY RYAN YAMAMOTO, THE BOILING CRAB

Morimoto at Morimoto Waikiki. It has since closed, but the chef is behind two new restaurants at the Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach – the recently opened Morimoto Asia Waikiki, and soon-to-open Momosan by Morimoto. “The restaurant scene has been blowing up here; the number of restaurants is growing exponentially,” Joseph says. “It started two or three years ago. It’s not just the volume, but the calibre of chefs we’re getting. People don’t just come to Hawaii for the experience of sun, sand and surf – it’s to experience the food as well.” One of the most talked-about recent offerings is Senia, which serves modern American cuisine. Housed in a building in Chinatown dating back to 1886, with exposed brick walls and an open kitchen, it’s worth splashing out on the Chef’s Counter tasting menu. Another hotspot for those with deep pockets is Vintage Cave Club, where Hawaiian-born former US president Barack Obama has been spotted dining with wife Michelle. The French-Japanese fine-dining establishment in the Ala Moana Center complex has Picasso paintings on the wall and a pianist

FAMILY ISLAND WORDS CRAIG TANSLEY

FRIENDLY LOCALS AND SAFE SEAS: RAROTONGA IS PARADISE

Explore I COOK ISLANDS

COOK ISLANDS

FOR FAMILIES

PHOTOGRAPHY EDGEWATER RESORT, COOK ISLAND TOURISM, CRAIG OWEN, GETTY IMAGES, LANI JENSEN

hen I was growing up in the Cook Islands, my mother never had to look far for babysitters. Three decades later, nothing’s changed. Locals still adore kids, so much so that across the islands children are considered sacred. There’s no safer place for families to holiday in the South Pacific. Unlike other islands in the region – such as Samoa, Tahiti or Fiji’s main island Viti Levu – you never have to travel far to get where you’re going, and traffic jams are unheard of. You can drive the circumference of Rarotonga in 35 minutes, even with a leisurely speed limit of 50km/h, though most people get about on scooters at half that. Traffic hazards on the Cook Islands’ most-populated isle come in the form of roving pigs and dogs, not cars. Rarotonga is as child-friendly as it gets. A barrier reef runs around the island, creating safe swimming spots in every direction. Families tend to prefer the lagoon at Muri, where they can swim between four uninhabited islets, or motus, in water that’s rarely deeper than chest-height. Muri also plays host to some of the island’s most family-friendly activities. Think glass-bottom boat day cruises across the lagoon, with barbecue lunches served on empty beaches;

Rarotonga

AUCKLAND

sailing between the brightly coloured coral heads of the lagoon; paddleboarding around islands; or kayaking with the whole family. Back on dry land, the Muri night markets run Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, just a few metres from the lagoon. Families always flock here: it’s a great place to meet locals and save money, with island specialty dishes that cost less than $15. My preferred swimming spot can be found a little further round the island at Titikaveka, where the lagoon is almost as wide as Muri’s. When the sun’s out, no lagoon in the South Pacific looks bluer. Schools of fish congregate just offshore and snorkelling is at its safest here for children. From July to October, I also often see families gathered on the other side of Rarotonga, near the main township of Avarua and at Tupapa. Here the reef is closest to the shore and humpback whales and their calves swim just 100 metres away, often accompanied by pods of spinner dolphins. On such a small island not yet saturated with tourists, it’s easy for families to learn about

Explore I COOK ISLANDS

The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa on Aroa Beach. BELOW: The kids’ club at Pacific Resort Rarotonga.

Shotgun a deckchair

at Arorangi, locals and visitors gather for sunsets over the lagoon Highland Paradise Cultural Centre and Te Vara Nui Cultural Village. Every Saturday morning there are also Polynesian dancing shows and local delicacies on display in Avarua at the colourful Punanga Nui market. Most resorts on Rarotonga cater for families, with many offering extensive children’s programs. The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa offers family specials, including free accommodation for children under 11, a crèche for children under two and a free kids’ club that is regarded as one of the best in the South Pacific. The Pacific Resort and Edgewater Resort

& Spa likewise offer kids’ clubs where children are taught local customs and games. Many inclusive adventures are on offer too: from 4WD tours into the island’s mountainous hinterland, to cross-island hikes and bicycle tours through parts rarely seen by visitors.

Travel info Jetstar has great low fares to Rarotonga with connections via Auckland. To book, visit JETSTAR.COM

PHOTOGRAPHY RAROTONGAN BEACH RESORT & SPA, PACIFIC RESORT RAROTONGA

Polynesian life. Cook Islanders are the extroverts of the Pacific – they’re always eager to chat, particularly if you’re holidaying with children. Friendly locals sell coconuts by the roadside and you only need travel 100 metres from the busier coast road to discover an interior where local farmers still live off taro and pawpaw plantations. Almost every restaurant on Rarotonga caters for families, and usually right on the beach, meaning children can roam between courses. On the western side of the island at Arorangi, locals and visitors gather for sunsets over the lagoon. Island nights are held every night of the week at eateries across Rarotonga, offering families an introduction to Polynesian culture filled with frenetic drumming and dancing, and food prepared in underground ovens known as umu. Families can learn more at the

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Explore I MACKAY

Mackay QUEENSLAND Brisbane

Encounters

wild kind of the

PHOTOGRAPHY MACKAY TOURISM

Queensland's laid-back, scenic Mackay offers an abundance of wildlife experiences, open-armed locals and real downtime WORDS MICHELLE HESPE

Explore I MACKAY

T 82

here’s an Austrian man named Oskar standing before us in Eungella National Park, with what looks like pink flowers made from sausages sprouting from the top of two burgers. He takes a bow then breaks into a yodel, before ceremoniously placing our lunch before us. A bush turkey eyes us up, no doubt hoping that a hot chip is bumped off a plate, while other diners clap like delighted children. Oskar, chef and owner of Platypus Lodge Restaurant and Café (housed in a charming rainforest shack), shoos the hopeful turkey away and explains that the yodelling on delivery has made his burgers the talk of town. Most weekends he can’t keep up with the demand for his simple (if you don’t count the sausage garnish), yet delicious meals made with local ingredients. “And how lucky are we? Because right there, you can visit our platypus” he says, pointing to the river running by. “I’m confident of telling visitors there’s a 90 per cent chance of seeing them these days, as lately no one has come here without seeing more than one platypus.” Oskar’s right. After eating our Yodel Burgers, we take a stroll along a path winding alongside the river and, on the first turn, spot a platypus in the clear water. It hovers in the bright sunlight before duck-diving into the depths to seek out shrimp and insect larvae. Our love affair with these parts starts with the yodelling and platypus, but they’re not Mackay's sole surprises. We were drawn to this coastal city for the only horse races in Australia to take place on a beach, but as we have a few days before the jockeys send sand flying, we decide to check out what’s on offer around this city that has its roots in sugarcane and coal mining.

Photo op!

They must have had more photos taken of them than Beyoncé Roos by morning Considering we were lucky enough to sight the elusive platypus in its natural habitat (and judging by photos we’ve seen) we’re fairly confident of spotting roos at Cape Hillsborough Nature Tourist Park. Ben and Renae Atherton run this buzzing, friendly tourist park, offering camp or caravan sites and cabins on Cape Hillsborough Beach. This stretch of sand is widely known as a mecca for wild kangaroos, which gather at sunrise. Eastern grey kangaroos Bridget

Explore I MACKAY CLOCKWISE FROM MAIN: Views of Eungella National Park, navigating the Eungella Range, Broken River, pristine subtropical rainforest, a platypus sighting in Broken River.

With the rising sun turning the sky into a mottled painting of pink, purple and gold above outlying islands, and the kangaroos playfighting, relaxing and bounding along the beach, the sight is more than breathtaking – it’s a once-in-alifetime natural encounter.

PHOTOGRAPHY MACKAY TOURISM

Teatime at the station

and Emmy-Lou, always followed by a group of wallabies, have been foraging on this beach for more than 20 years, nibbling at seaweed and mangrove seed pods. They must have had more photos taken of them than Beyoncé. Over the past 10 years, the crowd to see this mob has grown exponentially. “We’ve had to put some measures in place ... to keep everyone at a respectable distance from the animals,” Ben says. “We try to help maintain the integrity of this natural spectacle while also offering people an unforgettable experience.”

After enjoying a dip in the ocean, we take Renae and Ben's advice and head down the road to the Old Station Teahouse. Entering this century-old railway station, which was transported by truck from a nearby town and placed in the middle of thick rainforest, is like stepping back in time. The building has been thoughtfully restored without losing an ounce of character, preserving snippets of Mackay’s past. Fox furs hang on mannequins, doilies decorate tables, and railway memorabilia sits alongside crates of retro Coca-Cola bottles and other treasured finds. An enormous cedar deck looks out over flower-filled gardens, and lush green lawns sprawl beneath enormous fig trees strung with fairy lights. Sitting in this patch of paradise enjoying a Devonshire tea on dainty china while listening to the calls of rainforest birds, we can see why this place is a hotspot for weddings, events and long lunches. Owner Michele Shea scooped a gold medal at last year's Mackay Region Tourism Awards. Her acceptance speech sums up the local spirit well: “Tourism is not rocket science, it’s just about being nice to people”.

Horsing around Saturday rolls around and after donning our finest beach/race wear we head to the famed Mackay Airport Beach Horse Races, held each August. “Bit over-dressed mate, but very smart!” says a bloke in a suit jacket and board shorts,

Explore I MACKAY

More famous than Beyoncé

Rainforest revelry Our home for the trip, a cosy, modern studio at the Comfort Resort Blue Pacific, has some of the best views in Mackay. Rows of palm trees salute the ocean above a beautiful beach that completely disappears at high tide. The resort is made up of beach houses and self-contained studios, and owners Cath and Nick uit den Bogaard make you feel like family during your stay. On our last day, we can’t resist fitting in more rainforest time, so we drive 90 minutes west of Mackay to beloved local hangout Finch Hatton Gorge. We’ve packed a blanket and a gourmet picnic feast of bread, crackers, olives, meats, cheeses, homemade dips and fruit from local outfit Plattered Up. Finch Hatton has two well-marked bushwalks: the easy hour round trip to Araluen Cascades and the more challenging two-hour round trip Wheel of Fire walk. On the Araluen Cascades walk, we find a patch of rainforest for ourselves on a rocky outcrop, with rockpools perfect for wading and a

swimming gorge below. As lunchtime slides peacefully into afternoon, we take a dip then lie on smooth boulders beside the waterfall to dry off. Sounds emerge from the forest as bush hens and turkeys bumble through shrubs scratching around in the rich soil, while bell birds, king parrots and other feathery friends sing out. I watch a water dragon sun itself on a mossy log above a pool. He’s eyeing off the gently undulating patches of sunlight created by some overhanging fern fronds, in patient wait for an afternoon insect treat. That’s the beauty of Mackay. It’s only a couple of hours' drive from the Whitsundays, but instead of other humans in your line of vision, it’s more often an impromptu performance courtesy of Mother Nature. Michelle Hespe was a guest of Mackay Tourism and local operators.

Travel info Jetstar has great low fares to Mackay with connections via Brisbane. To book, visit JETSTAR.COM

PHOTOGRAPHY MACKAY TOURISM

giving us a thumbs-up and raising a tinnie of XXXX to our health. This appears to be the most common attire for men, even on the VIP deck overlooking the beach where men in overalls shuck oysters straight into open mouths. The atmosphere sums up Mackay – this place won’t ever try to be the Whitsundays, and nor should it. Race day in Mackay brings more than 3,000 locals and tourists together. Revellers dance to live bands and cheer on the spectacle of horses racing along the beach with the Pacific Ocean as a backdrop. Another local informs us that when the late Mick Pope dreamed up the event four years ago everyone thought him crazy. "But now it’s an event everyone looks forward to!”

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Explore I SOFT ADVENTURE

BORN TO BE

If action with a touch of comfort appeals, check out these soft-adventure experiences

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Flinders Ranges

ADELAIDE

SOUTH AUSTRALIA FINDING FLINDERS RAWNSLEY PARK STATION IN THE FLINDERS RANGES REVEALS A WEATHERED LANDSCAPE BURSTING WITH FLORA, FAUNA AND ANCIENT GEOLOGY WORDS PAULA HEELAN

PHOTOGRAPHY RAWNSLEY PARK STATION

Hi there!

AS WE lurch from side to side in the station’s eight-seater troopy, we’re hanging on tight. The rising track to the Chase on Rawnsley Park is steep and rocky. Our undaunted driver, Tony, tells us how his merino and dohne merino sheep station operates in this harsh terrain, and how geology has shaped the ancient landscape. Some of us are from interstate, others have found their way from Europe. At the peak of the range as the sun fades, we sip Champagne and bask in the never-ending view, which is brushed in soft strokes of pink and blue pastels. From camp fires, bush breakfasts and fossil finding to hiking, four-wheel driving, mountain biking and scenic flights, the outback adventures on tap in this curiously littleknown, timeless place are the kind that stay with you forever. Rawnsley Park is on the southern side of Wilpena Pound – a circular mountain ridge – and it provides an ideal base for exploring the Flinders Ranges. Just 440 kilometres to the north of Adelaide, the easygoing road trip is full of surprises, the journey as startling as the destination. While there’s no “welcome to the outback” sign, you know when you’ve passed through the gateway. Not far into the drive across sparsely settled country, the landscape becomes a panning shot of sweeping red plains, splashed with pale green

saltbush, prickly acacia and native pines. And with mobs of emus and kangaroos, whopping lizards, lonely stone dwellings, quirky towns and galleries, the unexpected photo opportunities are endless. At Rawnsley, you can choose from a range of accommodation from budget through to luxury eco villas. There’s a swimming pool, an airstrip and the Woolshed Restaurant, which offers delicious local wines and produce, including the station’s own lamb. Flanked by Wilpena Pound, which rises spectacularly from the surrounding plains, a stay at Rawnsley Park introduces you to a new world older than dinosaurs. rawnsleypark.com.au

The low-down Was prior training needed? No. The biggest challenge? A five-hour ascending hike. Your highlight? So many: the ancient landscape; the photo opportunities; meeting the locals. Top tip? Take a medical kit with insect repellent and avoid the summer months. Hooked? Definitely. This was my third trip and I’ll return as often as possible.

Explore I SOFT ADVENTURE

Derby

HOBART

TASMANIA

WORDS CHLOE CANN

THERE’S nothing like hurtling down a mountainside at 30 kilometres an hour to make you question your life choices. Except for trying to propel some 14kg of alloy back up those same switchbacks, solely with the force of your glutes, quads and calves. For a novice like me, mountain biking Tassie’s Blue Derby trails proves testing at times, but my efforts are richly rewarded. And not just through a sense of achievement: this quiet corner of the Apple Isle’s northeast is as hauntingly beautiful as any enchanted forest dreamed up by the Brothers Grimm. We speed below the spindly arms of myrtle beech trees, draped over the trail to create a sun-dappled tunnel; we slosh through shallow streams bordered by wild mushrooms; and we pause at clearings to spy huge Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagles gliding high above. Tackling these rugged trails is the obvious drawcard – attracting fit young couples, families and groups of friends

aged 50-plus – but it was the gourmet picnic lunches that seduced me. We might be off-grid, but creature comforts definitely aren’t off the menu with eco-outfit Blue Derby Pods Ride. Under the expert guidance of John (aka ‘Quadzilla’) and Steve, riders spend three days streaking along the trails and two nights ensconced deep in the Tassie bush, bedding down in four compact, standalone pods. Here paddock-to-plate dining is king, and meals are devised by acclaimed local chef Daniel Alps. We gorge on antipasto boards laden with regional produce, slabs of local Scottsdale pork and sharp lemon tarts served with quince and honeycomb by a roaring fire. ridebluederby.com.au

The low-down Was prior training needed? No, though the ride is primarily aimed at those with a moderate skill level. The biggest challenge? Believing in your own ability. Your highlight? Experiencing ‘the flow’ – the Zen state where your mind is fixed on nothing but the trail. Top tip? Go in summer, when the weather’s warmer (and the trails are drier). Hooked? I’m yet to jump back on a mountain bike, but I’d definitely give it another whirl.

PHOTOGRAPHY NATALIE MENDHAM PHOTOGRAPHY

THRILL RIDERS MOUNTAIN BIKING TASSIE-STYLE TAKES YOUR BREATH AWAY, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER

Explore I SOFT ADVENTURE

Check out that view!

AUCKLAND

NEW ZEALAND SOUNDS OF SILENCE TRANQUIL AND PRISTINE, THE BEAUTY OF THE MARLBOROUGH SOUNDS IS BREATHTAKING WORDS AMY MILLS

SITTING in a kayak admiring green hills dropping straight into turquoise waters and a maze of secluded inlets, I feel as though I’m in my own private paradise. “It’s magic,” says our guide Aaron Price, who co-owns Sea Kayak Adventures with his wife Nat. “There are not many places in the world like the Sounds. You have the bush right on the sandy beaches, as well as the stunning ocean. But the thing that sells it to most people is the tranquillity.” A collection of ancient sunken river valleys at the top of New Zealand’s South Island, the Marlborough Sounds is made up of three main waterways – the Queen Charlotte, Kenepuru and Pelorus Sounds – and accounts for around 20 per cent of New Zealand’s coastline. It’s a largely untouched wilderness and today there’s not another soul around except for an abundance of native marine and bird life. For some, the only glimpse of the Sounds is from the Cook Strait ferry from Wellington

on the North Island to the port town of Picton at the head of the Queen Charlotte Sound. We decide to get closer with Sea Kayak Adventures, who offers self-guided ‘freedom’ adventures as well as immersive guided tours. We opt for the ‘combo walk’, which involves a half-day guided kayak tour, benefiting from Aaron’s knowledge of hidden gems and local history, along with a half-day unguided walk on a portion of the iconic 70km Queen Charlotte Track. Our adventure starts at 8.30am at the seaside village of Anakiwa, and we are soon paddling along a coastline bursting with life including stingrays, starfish and dolphins. “On average, we see dolphins once a week and once every 10 days, we see orcas,” Aaron explains. We head into the calm Onahau Bay and finish our sea adventure at Mistletoe Bay Eco Village, where we leave our kayaks and enjoy a dip and a packed lunch. Recharged, we set off on the 12.5km walk back to Anakiwa.

The low-down Was prior training needed? No. The one-day guided paddle and walk would even suit those who haven’t kayaked before and you can walk at your own pace.

It’s a decent hike, but with waterfalls, native silver ferns and beech trees, breathtaking vistas of secluded bays and encounters with native birdlife such as weka at every turn, it is one magical walk. The beauty of this leg, as with the kayaking session, is that you can walk at your own pace, stopping at any of several lookouts along the way. We arrive back at base in the late afternoon exhilarated, relaxed and ready for a cold glass of well-deserved Marlborough sauvignon blanc. It’s about balance, right? nzseakayaking.com

The biggest challenge? None! This daytrip is not about pushing your limits but about providing an adventurous day in the great outdoors. Your highlight? The spectacular scenery and the fact you feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere. Top tip? If you visit outside the peak period of January to early February, you can go a whole day without seeing anybody else. Hooked? Yes. We would love to go back and do multi-day tours, which involves staying overnight in lodges.

PHOTOGRAPHY MIKE HEYDON, SEA KAYAK ADVENTURES

Breathtaking views on the Queen Charlotte Track. BELOW: Paddling with Sea Kayak Adventures.

Marlborough Sounds

Explore I SOFT ADVENTURE Cobourg Peninsula DARWIN

NORTHERN TERRITORY NORTHERN EXPOSURE ABUNDANT WILDLIFE, STARK, BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPES AND ISOLATION COMBINED WITH SOME CREATURE COMFORTS MAKE THIS COASTAL CAMP A MUST

The low-down

DENNIS the saltwater croc eyeballs me, silently willing me to jump in. It’s 40°C and the sublime water beckons, but I’m too busy flushing my ecofriendly loo with a view. It’s been a bumpy six-hour drive from Darwin, and three Danish retirees and I are infused with red dust. Our guide Rob sees off a brown snake, further proof we’re far from civilisation. Yet as he shows off rainwater showers, solar-power sources and outdoor canvas bedrooms featuring sprung mattresses, it’s clear there’s no ‘roughing it’ at Cobourg Coastal Camp – the luxurious base for small-group tours into Arnhem Land run by acclaimed local operator Venture North. The Cobourg Peninsula, or Garig Gunak Barlu National Park, is on the tip of West Arnhem Land. Home to such diverse marine, bird and animal

species, only a thousand lucky visitors are allowed each year. Victoria Settlement, a former British military outpost abandoned in 1849, is further proof of its isolation. Accessible only by boat, we discover eerie remains of buildings, charred chimneystacks and gravestones of inhabitants who never left. Our sombre mood is abated by the skipper’s passion for Cobourg’s marine playground. Home to turtles, dugongs and dolphins, it’s also a mecca for anglers. Our estuarine barramundi catch is transformed later into sashimi for a delectable banquet. At Black Point we encounter a taster of the region’s 400 resident bird species, who in the wet season behave like kids on Gold Coast schoolies. Swathes of migratory magpie geese take to the sky and we spot shy jabirus, leggy brolgas and a vibrant kingfisher. At the ranger station, we relish the shade and its charming museum. Australia’s finest colour palette can be found at Smith Point, where magnificent white sand is bookended by russetred outcrops and a dazzling blue-sky backdrop. With the omnipotent threat of Dennis and his like, we permit ourselves a quick toe-dip and fossick for shells that last touched dry land in Indonesia. venturenorth.com.au

The biggest challenge? Bumpy roads and long distances can’t be avoided if you want to visit Arnhem Land ... and the NT’s scorching temperatures and mosquitoes are always a challenge. Top tip? Plan your trip well in advance to ensure you are able to enter the national park and remember it’s only accessible by four-wheel drive and in dry season. Hooked? Absolutely! Travelling with Venture North and an experienced and knowledgeable guide meant the experience was comfortable and everything was taken care of.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Deserted sands on the Cobourg Peninsula, foraging for oysters, safari tents at Cobourg Coastal Camp, a relation of Dennis.

PHOTOGRAPHY VENTURE NORTH

WORDS AMY BINGHAM

Was prior training needed? No, but walking around Cobourg requires moderate fitness, sturdy shoes and protective clothing.

AUSTRALIAN OPAL

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Explore I SOFT ADVENTURE

Otherworldly

TOP TO BOTTOM: Views of Mount Buffalo National Park, walking with Hedonistic Hiking Tours, a noisy black cockatoo.

Mount Buffalo National Park

The low-down

TASTE ADVENTURE HEAD TO THE HIGH COUNTRY FOR CHALLENGING HIKES AND A SHOWCASE OF REGIONAL FARE TO SET YOUR TASTEBUDS TINGLING

Was prior training needed? I strode out on regular walks and did a few laps in an effort to get fitter.

WORDS SUE WALLACE

A CERISE sunset colours the sky, while yellow-tailed black cockatoos screech for attention and a gentle breeze stirs the branches of moss-green trees and spiky shrubs. Welcome to Victoria’s Mount Buffalo National Park, where I discover many swoon-worthy vistas while striding out on a weekend trip with Hedonistic Hiking that combine robust adventure with gourmet feasting and top local drops. Mick and Jackie Parsons, who know the country like their own backyard, acquaint our small group of dedicated

walkers, random ramblers and food and wine lovers (16 maximum) to the wonders of the 31,000-hectare park. Mount Buffalo is known for dramatic granite tors that wouldn’t look out of place in a sci-fi movie, many with intriguing biblical names such as Gog and Magog. Saturday’s trek starts with an easy wander over undulating hills, where a wallaby startles me as it hops by, a lethargic echidna crosses my path and crimson rosellas catch my eye as they dart from tree to tree. A rocky scramble and some vigorous climbing follows, but it is the park’s highest point, The Horn, that gets my top billing. Peppered with massive granite boulders and outcrops, its 360-degree views make me feel like I’m on top of the world. It is the silence, however, that makes the experience so memorable – broken only by the odd cantankerous cockatoo. As wedge-tailed eagles soar above the trees, my time is spent soaking up the scenery, snapping photos and being

The biggest challenge? Scrambling over rocks and spiky bushes can be a challenge – lightweight long pants are recommended. Your highlight? Solitude and nature in all its glory. Plus the sunset dinners. spoilt with a gourmet threecourse sunset dinner, before returning to nearby Bright. Sunday’s hike skirts Lake Catani with a climb up Mount Dunn, where the fading majesty of Mount Buffalo Chalet takes centre stage. The historic icon seems to hover in the wilderness and I can’t take my eyes off it – until lunch is ready. A picnic awaits with homemade bread, Harrietville trout, slow-cooked beef, salads, Milawa cheeses and a chocolate tart with fresh local berries. I convince myself this is guiltfree indulgence – after all, such adventurous hiking is deserving of a rich reward. This is surely a match made in heaven. hedonistichiking.com

Top tip? Check out the park’s flora and fauna guide so you can spot species. Jackie and Mick Parsons love sharing their knowledge of the area. Hooked? Yes, totally. Those stunning views that even now make my heart beat a little faster and those wellearned gourmet feasts will long be remembered.

Travel info Book direct for the lowest price on Jetstar’s fares and car-hire packages. To book, visit JETSTAR.COM

PHOTOGRAPHY ALAMY, HEDONISTIC HIKING TOURS

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Explore I HOI AN

Golden city FROM REMARKABLE ARCHITECTURE TO SHOPPING, BEACHES, DINING AND ADVENTURES, VIETNAMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HOI AN IS THE ANCIENT CITY WITH EVERLASTING APPEAL WORDS CATERINA HRYSOMALLIS

Explore I HOI AN

tep into Hoi An and you’re instantly submerged in a world of yellow buildings: shades ranging from straw to mustard define the car-free Old Town, which is laced with canals and full of carefully maintained residences and teahouses, some centuries old. Streets and alleyways are enlivened by bougainvillea in gleeful hues of pink, purple and orange, and a seemingly endless array of lanterns, as though the town is in a permanent state of celebration. Perched on the banks of the Thu BÔn River, Hoi An caters to almost any traveller. Keen to unearth

culinary gems? A history junkie? A passionate fashionista? Or do you simply want to relax and recuperate? No matter – Hoi An has it all.

Heritage is king In the 15th century, Hoi An was one of South East Asia’s most prominent trading ports. The well-preserved Old Town’s ancient bridges, Confucian temples, winding cobbled streets and wooden-fronted shops have earned the city international recognition, including the mantle of UNESCO World Heritage Site. Acquaint yourself with Hoi An’s rich architecture at Tan Ky House, the home of an 18th century

Hoi An

VIETNAM Ho Chi Minh City

PHOTOGRAPHY ALAMY

Explore I HOI AN

merchant. The residence is an amalgam of foreign design styles – Chinese poems written in inlaid mother of pearl decorate the walls and there’s a Japanese-style wooden courtyard where grape vines showcase a European influence. The elaborately decorated Japanese Covered Bridge, first built in the 1590s, has become emblematic of the city and inspired many legends. One of the most entertaining stories is how the structure was built to ward off Mamazu – an earthquake-creating monster, whose head is said to lie in India, with its tail in Japan and its body in Vietnam. Hoi An’s concerted effort to maintain centuries-old buildings and safeguard its heritage has set an example for other richly historic Asian cities. Streets within the Old Town are car-free, while motorbike parking is strictly legislated. To ensure compliance, local authorities impound vehicles found where they don’t belong.

Get a taste for the city Of all the senses smell is the strongest memory trigger, and you won’t want to forget the fragrant scents of Hoi An’s kitchens. Countless celebrity chefs have trawled the city’s streets and alleys to learn the secrets of its notably fresh cuisine. Eateries are varied, from street-food vendors to high-end restaurants, but casual is usually best when it comes to eating out in Hoi An. Start low-key at the carts by the riverside and get your pincers on some soft-shell crab, fresh from the Thu BÔn River. If sweet and deep-fried treats are your thing, banh tieu – puffy, hollow, sugardusted, sesame-covered doughnuts

Streets within the Old Town are car-free

– are never far away. For savoury or more substantial cravings, head to the Hoi An Market for pho topped with pickled green papaya, a local speciality. Don’t miss Bale Well, where local dishes are served with a side of laughter. At this minuscule alleyway restaurant waiters double as chefs, stuffing grilled meats, egg and vegetables into fresh Vietnamese rice-paper rolls at the table, before enthusiastically forcefeeding them to diners. They’re comically pushy, so even after your twelfth roll it’s hard to say no. Morning Glory is a touch more upmarket, and has retained a strong culinary reputation over the years. Stop by for some of the restaurant’s most sought-after dishes, including pork-stuffed squid, fried wontons with crabmeat, and (true to its name) stir-fried morning glory with garlic. But if you truly want to learn about Hoi An’s cuisine – and to return home with local culinary knowledge – sign up for a cooking class. There are numerous cookery schools around town that can help

PHOTOGRAPHY ALAMY, CHRISTOPHER WISE

TOP TO BOTTOM: The distinctive yellow hues of Old Town, inside Tan Ky House, food from Bale Well.

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Explore I HOI AN

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Unwind by the seaside Those in the market for a ‘fly and flop’ break shouldn’t exclude Hoi An from their list either. The ocean is only five kilometres from the Old Town’s centre, with Cua Dai Beach the jewel in this shoreline’s crown. Hire a deck chair on the white sand for around 30,000 VND (AU$1.70), or, if you’re feeling adventurous, hire a jet ski or try windsurfing. Closer to town, the Thu BÔn River is the perfect backdrop for a cold glass of bia hoi (Vietnamese draft beer) or a lavish cocktail come sunset.

Get on your bike One of the best ways to get to know Hoi An is by bike. Guides at Heaven & Earth Bicycle Tours take visitors from the Old Town to the rural Cam Kim Island via ferry. Stop at boat-making sheds, admire the skills of local woodworkers and join fishermen aboard traditional (and precarious) basket boats – thankfully life jackets are provided.

Is that seaworthy?

‘A basket boat in the making. ABOVE: A lantern-lit bridge over the Thu Bôn. INSET: A tailor’s shop.

Custom-made at every corner Hoi An is known for its talented tailors. For a long-lasting memento of your trip, bring your favourite tops, skirts, pants and dresses and hand them to experienced crafts people to replicate. You could also flick through house catalogues for inspiration, or resort to the more adventurous option of sketching and sign language. Yaly Couture, Lana Tailor and Tony the Tailor are among the most reliable. Hoi An’s jewellers also do a fine trade. Travellers flock here to

purchase traditional Vietnamese jewellery or consult on custommade silver and gold pieces. The jewellers at Lac Viet and Bien Bac will help you create a special Hoi An keepsake.

Travel info Jetstar has great low fares to Da Nang with connections via Ho Chi Minh City. To book, visit JETSTAR.COM

PHOTOGRAPHY ALAMY, HEAVEN & EARTH BICYCLE TOURS

you master the art of rice paper rolls, Vietnamese beef salad, or cao lau – a Hoi An speciality made with noodles, pork and greens.

Explore I NORTHERN BEACHES

NEW SOUTH WALES Sydney

Northern

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splendour

From iconic eateries to bustling bars and hikes, there’s more to Sydney’s Northern Beaches than sand

PHOTOGRAPHY DESTINATION NSW, MERIVALE, DANIEL SAN

WORDS BEN GROUNDWATER

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Surf’s up on Palm Beach, upscale pub grub at The Newport, Daniel San.

Explore I NORTHERN BEACHES

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t doesn’t feel like Sydney. That’s the first thing you realise when you step onto the Northern Beaches. It’s as if every resident is permanently on holiday; like the locals have commandeered a little slice of paradise they’re unlikely to ever give up. An oasis of salty-aired, sun-bleached beauty that’s within striking distance of the real world, and yet far enough away that you can forget it ever existed. From world-famous Manly to beautiful Palm Beach, taking in the likes of Narrabeen, Collaroy, Curl Curl, Bilgola and more in between, there’s so much to love about this easygoing area. Here beach houses abut worldclass restaurants, locals surf, visitors play and untouched wilderness areas hide in plain sight. It’s spectacular and sumptuous and special, and you can see why the locals never want to leave.

Wine and dine It’s easy to be blinded by all of the beachy loveliness in Sydney’s north and forget there’s also some seriously great food here. From modern upstarts to old favourites, casual diners to Good Food Guide Hatted elegance, you’ll always eat well in the Northern Beaches. Begin your feasting in the far north at The Newport, an old pub

near Mona Vale that has recently been given a facelift by the Merivale hospitality group, and is now a destination dining spot in its own right. A sprawling complex woven with greenery and freckled with fire pits, it has several eating options: take in water views while dining on the ocean’s bounty at the Seafood Market; feast on pizza at Vinnie’s; grab something a little more casual at the Kiosk; or go all-out at adjoining fine-diner Bert’s Bar and Brasserie, where, if you fancy it, you can throw down $295 for some Siberian caviar. The Newport is also within striking distance of one of Sydney’s classic beachfront eateries, Jonah’s at Whale Beach. Though many arrive at the stunning spot by road, there’s also the option of arriving at the hatted restaurant via seaplane from Rose Bay – one seriously impressive way to kick off an excellent lunch. Elsewhere on the Northern Beaches, there’s

Explore I NORTHERN BEACHES

PHOTOGRAPHY MERIVALE , JONAH’S, NIKKI TO, JESSIE ANN

CLOCKWISE: Views from Jonah’s, the new and improved The Newport, oysters at Pilu at Freshwater, The Boathouse at Shelly Beach.

Best seat in the house

Most visitors’ first sight of the area will be Manly Wharf high-quality (and twoHatted) Italian food at Pilu at Freshwater and Ormeggio at the Spit, plus excellent Japanese cuisine at Manly favourites Daniel San and Sunset Sabi. For an altogether more casual approach, Upper Crust in Collaroy has been crafting every local’s favourite pies since 1948 (try the butter chicken or pumpkin, potato and sour cream). It’s easy to find – just look for the long queues from open until close.

Manly experience Though the Northern

Beaches technically spreads all the way from Sydney’s Middle Harbour to the far tip of Palm Beach, the best known and most visited suburb is undoubtedly Manly. And with good reason: this area boasts not just a famous surf beach, but also secluded swimming spots like Shelly Beach, Little Manly and Collins Flat. There’s also hiking paths, mountain bike trails, scenic drives and some of the area’s best bars and restaurants. Most visitors’ first sight of the area will be Manly

Wharf – a bustling hub that’s already home to one of Manly’s best eateries, American barbecue joint Papi Chulo, plus a host of other restaurants. At next-door neighbour, the Manly Wharf Hotel, some incredible, uninterrupted waterfront views are on the menu. There will soon be even more choice wharf-side, with second branches of two Sydney dining institutions, Fratelli Fresh and chef Neil Perry’s Saké, setting up shop on a soon-to-bebuilt second storey. Away from the wharf, The Boathouse is a former kiosk turned brunch mecca at Shelly Beach dishing out tasty, simple food to the between-swims crowd. Manly is also home to 4 Pines, a microbrewery that does a great line in modern Australian dining with a Japanese influence. As the days draw to a close around here, you’ll discover the truly great thing about Manly is that the Sydney CBD is only a ferry ride away. However, rather than head back to the city, you could choose to spend the night somewhere unique – somewhere like the Q Station, a historic hotel that once served as Sydney’s quarantine station, but now welcomes overnight guests into heritage cottages formerly used as staff homes. Try taking a ghost tour for the full experience.

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Explore I NORTHERN BEACHES

Walk this way Take a hike

Views of Palm Beach on the walk up to the Barrenjoey Lighthouse (pictured, inset).

it’s also a spectacular location that personifies the Northern Beaches who’d like to spice up a long walk with a hint of frustration, the coastal Long Reef Golf Club offers a spectacular backdrop.

Sun and sand The clue, of course, is in the name. If you come to the Northern Beaches and ignore those long, golden stretches of sand, then you’re really missing out. These beaches are beautiful any time of the year, whether you’re going for a dip, learning to surf, building sandcastles, or just strolling the shores. But where to start? There are more than 30 beaches, ranging from surf havens

such as Narrabeen to secluded harbour inlets like Clontarf. The harbourside beaches will prove most attractive for families. Clontarf not only has a sandy beach and a fenced swimming area, but also an adjacent playground if the kids get tired of swimming. Little Manly is also a great alternative to the suburb’s ocean beach, offering seclusion in Sydney Harbour, plus a kiosk and toilets. Collaroy, Long Reef, Narrabeen and Manly are popular options for keen surfers, while those simply chasing natural

beauty and a good place for a swim and a sunbake should head to the far north, to beaches such as Bilgola, Avalon and Whale Beach. And, of course, there’s also Palm Beach, famed as the filming location for Australian soapie Home and Away. Yet it’s also a spectacular location that personifies the Northern Beaches: a laidback community that couldn’t possibly feel further away from the real world.

Travel Info Jetstar has great low fares to Sydney from across the network, and car hire packages. To book, visit JETSTAR.COM

PHOTOGRAPHY ALAMY, DESTINATION NSW

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The whole of Sydney is blessed with protected wilderness areas, many of them laced with hiking trails, and the Northern Beaches is case in point. Perhaps the best of the walks available, and certainly the most remote, is the Basin Trail, a 6.5km path that winds its way through the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, just across the Pittwater Creek. Here you’ll call past the Basin Aboriginal art site, as well as wander through beautiful eucalypt forests, before emerging at the campground for a swim and a ride on the ferry back to the beaches. Other great local hiking trails include the fourhour Narrabeen Lakes to Manly Lagoon walk, which will take you via beaches, headlands and rock pools; the 1.5km Barrenjoey Lighthouse walk, which offers incredible views over Palm Beach; and the 10km Spit to Manly path, which traverses the Sydney Harbour National Park and plenty of jealousy-inducing harbourside homes. There are other ways to stay active in this area, too. For those with an urge to harness the ocean’s power, there are surf schools in Manly, Collaroy and Dee Why. For something a little more sedate, Avalon SUP offers stand-up paddleboard (SUP) hire, as well as daily group SUP outings. And for those

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Explore I JAPANESE WINE

JAPAN’S WINNING WINES Uncover breathtaking mountains, valleys and pours in Japan’s secret wine country WORDS JULIAN LITTLER

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PHOTOGRAPHY ALAMY

Vines with a view

T 110

he Japanese Alps most likely conjure images of adventure: racing through waist-deep powder snow or stepping back in time to walk the ancient Nakasendo Highway postage route that has connected Kyoto and Tokyo for centuries. But more recently, the mountains and valleys of the main island of Honshu are drawing visitors for an altogether more intoxicating reason: wine. While the industry has only just begun to attract the world’s attention, the art of winemaking is no novelty in the Land of the Rising Sun. The country’s first commercial wineries appeared in the late 1870s, though it wasn’t until later, in the shadow of Mt Fuji, that the practice began to take off. Japan’s initial winemaking attempts took place in Yamanashi Prefecture, a fertile, landlocked region to the west of Tokyo. Made using sake-brewing equipment, the early experiments produced underwhelming results. But later that same decade, two men from Japan’s first private wine company – then the Dainihon Yamanashi Wine Company, now Mercian – were dispatched to Bordeaux to learn (and return with) the skills needed to create quality wine, and arguably kickstarted wine production in Japan. Today there are more than 200 wineries across the country. And with some 90 wineries to its name, Yamanashi is known as the heartland of Japanese wine. But neighbouring Nagano Prefecture is also beginning to

create some noise with its awardwinning merlots and chardonnays. According to Kunio Naito, managing director of Cave de ReLax wine shop in central Tokyo – and a professional with more than 30 years’ experience in the wine industry – it was Nagano’s Obuse Winery that started the country’s wine boom some 20 years ago. Hurtling towards Nagano’s high country on Japan’s bullet train, the Shinkansen, our destination is Villa d’Est Garden Farm and Winery. After a 90-minute ride from Tokyo’s Ueda station we change lines for a short local ride, followed by a 15-minute taxi from Tanaka station. Eventually we’re enveloped in the green surrounds of what is known as the Chikumagawa Wine Valley – a thriving centre for the region’s wine industry. With 30 minutes before our

PHOTOGRAPHY ST COUSAIR, JULIAN LITTLER, ALAMY

Explore I JAPANESE WINE

Ready to pick

CLOCKWISE FROM MAIN: A Nagano vineyard, Kunio Naito of Cave de Re-Lax, St Cousair winery, Obuse vines wrapped up for winter.

we’re enveloped in the green surrounds of what is known as the Chikumagawa Wine Valley lunch reservation, we head into the Villa d’Est garden serenaded by a chorus of frogs and under the watchful eye of the occasional skink. The winery was established by well-known essayist and painter Toyoo Tamamura in 2003, and has gone from strength to strength ever since. These days it’s so popular that advance reservations are highly

recommended, or you’ll end up with a reduced menu (and view). Our table overlooks the valley all the way across to the mountains, but it’s the food and wine that’s really breathtaking. Europeanstyle with a Japanese touch, it seems almost impossible to order poorly here. We devour homemade sausage on a bed of baked onion and a herby roasted chicken with yoghurt marinade alongside a Vignerons Reserve chardonnay – a perfect balance of minerality and acidity. Bidding the verdant pastures of Villa d’Est farewell, we take a restful slow train towards the ancient hot spring town of Bessho Onsen for the night. The evening is all about soaking in steaming volcanic baths on the rooftop and taking in mountainous vistas, followed by a traditional, multi-course kaiseki dinner, with local wine, of course. The breakfast highlight is a curious local speciality – dried grasshoppers served with a hint of soy sauce. It’s a surprisingly delicious (and crunchy) side.

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TOP TO BOTTOM: Wine with a view at St Cousair, Bessho Onsen, vines in Yamanashi Prefecture.

Pretty nice pour

It’s not long before we’re back on the rails again, heading north to St Cousair Winery – less than a 10-minute taxi ride from Mure station, in the town of Iizuna. Owners Ryozo and Mayumi Kuze previously ran a ski lodge in the region, where Mayumi created her own homemade apple jam for guests. The preserve became so successful that they sold it to other nearby lodges and decided to grow their business from there, eventually pursuing the idea of winemaking after a trip to France. Today the couple makes prize-winning wines from their expansive hillside estate, which also houses a restaurant, chapel and café. Free winery tours run three times daily here, and tastings are free except for the St Cousair chardonnay and Chapel Vineyard vintages. After years of trying Japanese reds I was delighted by a Chapel Vineyard red – a blend of cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc, fullbodied with a berry-rich palate.

all signs point to a craft on the cusp of great things

But it’s not cheap at roughly $55 a bottle. St Cousair’s chardonnays are also noteworthy, having received multiple top honours at French wine competitions. Japanese wine might be the global industry’s underdog, but all signs point to a craft on the cusp of great things. And in a further boost, Japanese wine will hit a major milestone later this year as the government enforces new laws. As of October, only wine made entirely from domestically grown grapes will be labelled as “Made in Japan”, which means that the cheap plonk partly concocted with imported concentrated grape juice will no longer tarnish the image of those local vintners who strive for the best.

Travel info Jetstar has great low fares to Japan from across the network. To book, visit JETSTAR.COM

PHOTOGRAPHY ST COUSAIR, ALAMY

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Directory I AUSTRALIA

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5/3/18 4:42 pm

Directory I AUSTRALIA

backpacks

AUTHENTIC JAPANESE DINING Visit Kenzan Japanese restaurant for some of the freshest sushi and sashimi dishes in Melbourne, along with daily changing Ă la carte dishes and surprising specials. The restaurant has been in its current CBD location for 36 years, and is the most awarded Japanese restaurant in Melbourne. Be welcomed by friendly staff for an authentic Japanese dining experience.

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luggage Address: Collins Place, 45 Collins Street, Melbourne Tel: +61 (03) 9654 8933 Web: kenzan.com.au

Available at all CARRY ON stores located at the airport AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND www.milleni.com.au

Directory I AUSTRALIA

Perfect for Mother’s Day MY MOTHER had recently visited Japan where she used an electronic Bidet that washed her clean with the push of a button. I remembered seeing an advertisement in a magazine by The Bidet Shop and thought this would be a great opportunity to buy my mum the perfect Mother’s Day gift. I called The Bidet Shop and spoke to one of their professional sales staff. The sales person was extremely helpful and explained that the Bidet has a heated seat, a soft close lid, and when you are done you just press the wash button on the remote. A warm gentle stream of water cleans and washes you followed by a warm air dry. It makes you feel so wonderful and clean.

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Directory I AUSTRALIA / NEW ZEALAND

Book online at aucklandzoo.co.nz

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Making a splash in Bali Dive into Mrs Sippy Bali, this place nails the fun. Enjoy the delicious Jimbaran-style grill and their signature tropical cocktails while you watch the daily dive competition. Grab a day bed, listen to the great tunes and enjoy this incredible pool club oasis.

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BALI BOUND Just steps from Dreamland Beach, Wyndham Dreamland Resort Bali is a beautiful sanctuary set in a secluded area of Pecatu. The resort offers everything you need to unwind, including swimming pools, a full-service spa and a wellness centre with a yoga studio. wyndhamdreamlandbali.com

Tasty Thai Thai-influenced street food from Chef Will Meyrick makes a fresh lunchtime landing at Som Chai, Bali.

RETAIL THERAPY Pacific Fair is Queensland’s unmissable shopping and dining destination, home to more than 400 leading global and local fashion and lifestyle stores. A free shuttle bus service runs as far north as Surfers Paradise and as far as Nobby Beach in the south. pacificfair.com.au

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Magical Maria

On show in Sydney

A French national treasure often referred to as the ‘Mona Lisa of the Middle Ages’, The Lady and the Unicorn tapestry series is currently showing at Sydney’s Art Gallery of New South Wales. Designed in Paris about 1500, the tapestries are considered one of the greatest surviving masterpieces of medieval European art. Only the third time these magnificent artworks have left France, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see them. artgallery.nsw.gov.au

Explore Maria Island by bike, get a taste for Tasmania in a fiery cooking class, watch movies projected on tent walls and take crafty gin-making lessons. Discover Tasmania with direct flights from Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane. discovertasmania.com.au

Ski Cardrona, Stay Queenstown Spend seven nights staying in Queenstown at Reavers Lodge with its panoramic mountain views and five days skiing one of New Zealand’s premier ski resorts, Cardrona, with Oz Snow. Airport transfers and breakfasts included, all for only $585pp Early Bird Deal, and $499pp in September. ozsnowadventures.com.au

Promotion I NEWCASTLE

The Lucky Hotel

taying true to its grand history, dating back to the 1800s, The Lucky Hotel underwent major renovations in 2014 to restore its original façade and give the iconic Newcastle hotel new life. Contrasted against an elegant fitout, the hotel now offers an appealing mix of old and new. Family-owned and operated, the Lucky Hotel is well-known for its authentic American

barbecue. Smoked to perfection, favourites include buffalo chicken wings, smoky beef brisket and barbecued pork ribs. Or try the Lucky Dawg, a mouthwatering combination of crunchy fried onions, sausage, chilli beef, bacon, mustard and cheese on a brioche bun. The hotel also has a central bar, offering craft beer and signature cocktails, and its award-winning accommodation includes 30 boutique rooms

with modern furnishings, luxury bedding and ensuites stocked with L’Occitane products. A favourite spot in the hotel is the stunning internal courtyard, with its lush vertical garden and recycled timbers. At night, the area comes to life with luminous projections splashed across three storeys of exposed brick. Since it opened, The Lucky Hotel has been awarded the following at the NSW AHA Awards for Excellence;

• Best New/Redeveloped Hotel – Country 2015 • Best Burger 2015 • Best Pub – Style Accommodation Deluxe 2015 • Best Individual Hotel Operator 2015 • Overall Hotel of the Year – Country 2015 • Best Hotel Accommodation – General Division 2016 Tel I 02 4925 8888 Web I theluckyhotel.com.au

Explore I INTERVIEW

Hula for days

Created solely for the purpose of preserving and promoting Hawaiian culture, the Merrie Monarch Festival (1-7 April) showcases the art of hula.

PHOTO ALAMY

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NEWS I ENTERTAINMENT I MAPS

Essentials I JETSTAR NEWS

Team talk

Life at Jetstar 126 126

WORKING AT JETSTAR is quite a ride. You’ll be supported to develop and explore, and your work will connect people and enrich lives. We can’t promise there won’t be challenges, but that’s what adventure is all about. The satisfaction and sense of achievement makes for an amazing career. But don’t just take our word for it. We talked to team members from across Australia and New Zealand about their Jetstar adventures. Read Kym Nienaber’s story below, or see Life at Jetstar: Jetstar.com/au/en/careers/life-at-jetstar

Kym Nienaber Job Title: Underwing Service Specialist | Location: Melbourne Support Office No. of years at Jetstar: On and off for 10 years

How did you end up at Jetstar? I found out that Jetstar was recruiting baggage handlers from a family member who was already working in the industry.

Career highlight so far? There are a few, but most recently I’d have to say being named ‘Star Lifter’ on the design and service delivery team. Jetstar has just developed a product that’s What qualifications did you need? designed to improve the service delivery Nothing educational, just a passion for the for our passengers that require assistance. industry and for great customer service. This product is not only a game changer Describe a typical day: for Jetstar, but also for the industry itself. When I arrive at work our daily check-in What do you love about aviation? review is the first item on the agenda. The people! The industry will always This meeting discusses all safety-related remain a fast-paced, dynamic concerns and business improvement environment, but it’s the team I work with items from the previous day of operation, and the people I meet on my travels that and based on this information the teams make it such a unique workplace. prioritise their jobs for the day ahead. What would surprise people most about Greatest challenge? your job? Working overseas is always exciting and No two days are the same. Just when challenging – there can be language you think you’ve seen it all, the industry barriers and different cultures, but this never fails to surprise and throw you a offers opportunities for learning. challenge.

Aussie food jets to Asia Taste of Australia is the Australian Government’s annual Vietnam-wide celebration of Australian food, drink, cuisine and culture. The 2018 program will be bigger and better than ever as Australia and Vietnam celebrate 45 years of diplomatic relations. Join us this month for delicious events across Vietnam, including barbecues, a five-course dinner at Luke Nguyen’s Ho Chi Minh cooking studio, an epic Aussie brunch, plus restaurant specials, the third annual Taste of Australia Culinary Competition and much more. Taste of Australia 2018 will also introduce music as a focus of the program. Musicthemed events will include a one-of-a-kind music and wine pairing on 3 April with Australian classical pianist Van-Anh Nguyen, and a performance by Aussie singer-songwriter Nick Barker at the Taste of Australia Danang Community Barbecue on 22 April. For more information about these events across Vietnam this month, visit the Taste of Australia website (tasteofaustralia.com.vn).

Essentials I JETSTAR NEWS

Seeking

Pilot in flight!

FLY BY BIKE…

PHOTOGRAPHY HUW KINGSTON

WORDS HUW KINGSTON

IT SEEMS some of our pilots love to fly even when they’re on holiday. Quite a few of the team fly small planes for recreation, but Captain Matt Carmichael loves to soar on his mountain bike. Matt – who’s been a Jetstar pilot since the company was founded – recently joined Wild Horizon’s Sweet South Island Singletrack tour in New Zealand (wildhorizons. com.au) and found plenty of opportunities to get his wheels off the ground. “Matt’s a really skilled rider,” says Wild Horizons guide Jase Collins. “His body position when tackling take-off and landing is exemplary – definitely the best in the group.”

The eight-day tour traverses the Southern Alps, starting in Christchurch and ending in Queenstown, and features some of the best trails New Zealand has to offer. Matt started mountain biking four years ago. “I used to road ride before that, but love the skills involved on the MTB. I take my skills acquisition pretty seriously; it keeps me safer on the bike,” Matt says. “With a lot of time away as a Boeing 787 captain on the Jetstar international network, I regularly use hotel gyms to improve my core strength and flexibility. Occasionally I’ll take a bike with me when flying to Bali, Hawaii and Singapore to ride the local trails.”

happiness IT’S WELL-KNOWN that free play is great for kids’ development. And unsurprisingly, it’s also beneficial for adults. So when Stuart Dawson and Alan Jones heard there was an adult world championship for hide-and-seek (known as Nascondino), they were hell-bent on taking part somehow. Thus began their quirky quest, as the two recruited three more friends to selffund the first Australian team to enter the 2017 world championships, held in Consonno, Italy. The team, aptly called The Nascondingos, joined over 400 competitors and found themselves in 22nd place. They are now planning to bring the

world championship to Australia this year. “On all our adventures our focus has been on reminding adults of the joy of play,” says Alan. “Society tells us that adults sacrifice play in order to work hard, consume and die. We’re here to remind everyone that life is for living, today and every day.” Kooks is proud to support people finding fulfillment through fun, and can’t wait to see Nascondino Down Under in 2018. For more information find the group’s page on Facebook.

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Essentials I JETSTAR NEWS

Quokka round the block We’ve taken a fast ferry in WA from Fremantle to Rottnest Island in search of a little marsupial that’s hopping into the global spotlight – the friendly quokka. They’ve been called the world’s happiest animal, primarily because Rottnest quokkas are unfazed by humans, display goofy faces, and don’t mind appearing in countless selfies. #quokkaselfie has become so popular that tennis star Roger Federer got in on the action, sharing his effort with millions of fans around the world. Rottnest Island is home to dozens of quokkas, and we

A lotta quokka 128 128

Night Hoops RUN ENTIRELY by volunteers, Night Hoops is a not-for-profit based in Perth that hosts free basketball tournaments on Friday and Saturday nights for youths aged 12 to 18. The players come from a diverse range of backgrounds,

including those who are at-risk and significantly disadvantaged. Thanks to a Jetstar Flying Start grant, Night Hoops sent a group of eight young women from WA to Singapore to take part in the Asia Pacific Basketball Youth Cup last

year. The aim of the trip was to motivate and inspire the participants, reward emerging young leaders and showcase a push for social and cultural change within our communities and abroad. Teams from 18 different nations took part, with Night Hoops playing four days of the competition and going through undefeated and winning the Under 18 Girls’ section of the tournament. Despite facing adversity in their personal lives, the young women all showed exceptional sportsmanship and an infectious sense of fun. To find out more about Night Hoops, go to nighthoops.org

quickly spotted them bouncing around the main settlement of Thompson Bay. While other visitors contorted themselves to get a quokka between phone and face, I was more concerned with preventing my kids from touching their new favourite living toy. You’re strongly advised not to pet, feed or make fun of the quokka, which is detrimental to conservation – and probably hurts its feelings. Once you’ve nabbed the required selfie, spend some time exploring the island’s 62 beaches, 20 gorgeous bays and many hiking and biking trails. You’ll quickly realise there’s no place on the planet quite like it. Follow their journey at @robinesrock or esrockingkids.com

Are you eligible? Jetstar’s Flying Start Program invites community groups across Australia and New Zealand to apply for a $30,000 grant to fund a project that will enrich the lives of people in their local community. Applications are now open, visit jetstar.com to enter.

PHOTOGRAPHY ROBIN ESROCK, NIGHT HOOPS

Robin Esrock is travelling across Australia with his family to write his latest book, The Great Australian Bucket List.

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Essentials I CHANGING LIVES

INDONESIA I STARKIDS

Growing skills StarKids is helping farmers better provide for their families

You can help!

WORDS CHERYL MCGRATH

STARKIDS DONATION TALLY

This year*

Elis, ready to learn at school

PHOTO WORLD VISION

n a village on the island of Flores, Indonesia, Elis is a high school student with a big dream. “I want to be a village midwife so I can help my community,” she says. But it wasn’t long ago that Elis’ dream looked impossible. She had to drop out of school because her grandparents couldn’t afford to pay her tuition. Like many others in the village, Elis’ grandfather Agustinus is a cocoa farmer with an uncertain income. His earnings depend on the seasons and quality of cocoa he can grow, and he was

$715,889 finding it difficult to balance his income and provide for his family. But Agustinus was determined to put his income toward Elis’ tuition. “I will fight for her future. She has to go back to school next year,” he said. That’s when Agustinus began attending training in financial literacy, supported by World Vision. Training like this, supported by StarKids, teaches farmers how to increase and manage their income so they can fulfil their family’s needs, especially basic needs for children like

Total

$9,846,355 education and health. More than 30 cocoa farmers in the village attended the training. Now, Agustinus can pay Elis’ tuition, and Elis is happy to be attending school just like her friends. She hopes that all children in her village will have the chance to study so they can pursue their dreams. “I also hope that they will be able to perform and voice their aspirations … confidently!”

MAKE YOUR DESTINATION A BETTER PLACE FOR CHILDREN Through StarKids, Jetstar and World Vision Australia are partnering to improve the lives of children and communities in need. Your donations to StarKids help support communitybased development projects across South East Asia, Australia and New Zealand. These projects cover a range of activities including education and leadership development in Australia and New Zealand, child protection in Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, improving health in Indonesia, and increasing incomes in Cambodia. By supporting StarKids, you can help transform communities living in poverty and give children a brighter future. A proportion of inflight donations are used to pay for their collation and transfer to World Vision Australia. Donate your loose change on-board today, when booking your next flight with Jetstar, or online at STARKIDS.JETSTAR.COM where you’ll find more information. Your small change today could change a life tomorrow! JETSTAR.COM

*Funds raised in current financial year as of January 2018. Total raised since 2007.

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Explore Essentials I INTERVIEW I INFLIGHT

YOUR FLIGHT I TIPS & FACTS

GET ACTIVE IN THE AIRPORT Transform your airport layover from dull to dynamic with these active ideas

Get spiritual in Sydney

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Realign your chakras with some quiet yoga time at Lorna Jane’s Active Living Room in Sydney Airport’s Terminal 2 (domestic departures). The activewear brand’s airport outlet features not only a studio for yoga and Pilates, but also a store for last-minute yogi essentials, plus an adult colouringin station and a health food café purveying picnic packs ready for you to take off.

DID youKNOW ?

Australia’s first man-made surf park is set to land at Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport by April next year. Featuring up to 1,000 two-metre waves each hour, the complex will house six different state-of-the-art surf zones, catering to everyone from novices to old hands, with enough room for 84 surfers at any one time. You can surf day and night (thanks to LED lagoon lighting), and make use of beach cabanas, skate ramps and mountain bike pump tracks too. urbnsurf.co

STROKE

PLAY BALL As if there wasn’t enough going on at Christchurch International Airport already (hello weekly farmers’ market, street art, beanbags on the lawn and a piano), restless travellers can now also benefit from two ping-pong tables in the airport’s outdoor plaza, free to play at any time.

to GENIUS Sprint the gate

There’s nothing quite like a quick dip to refresh the body and mind between flights, so praise be that the folks at Singapore Changi Airport have installed a swimming pool on the rooftop. Once you’ve swum sufficient laps, relax on a lounger and watch planes sail through Singapore’s skyline, or chat with newfound travelling pals in the Jacuzzi.

To warm up for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Terminal 3 at Narita International Airport is criss-crossed with colour-coded running tracks – blue for departures, red for arrivals.

FROM FAIRWAY TO RUNWAY It might not involve quite as much energy as the real thing, but Hong Kong International Airport’s indoor golf club will still allow you to finesse your swing. There’s a choice of 9-hole or 18-hole simulation games in the airport’s Terminal 2, and best of all, a spot of rain won’t halt play.

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Route maps I WHERE WE FLY

INTERNATIONAL Operated by Jetstar Airways Operated by Jetstar Asia Operated by Jetstar PaciďŹ c Operated by Jetstar Japan

Tokyo (Narita)

Zhengzhou

Nagoya (Chubu)

Osaka (Kansai)

Shanghai (Pudong)

Guangzhou Hanoi Yangon Bangkok

Shantou

Okinawa Taipei

Hong Kong Haikou Sanya

Da Nang Clark Siem Reap Phnom Penh

Hawaii (Honolulu)

Manila

Ho Chi Minh City

Phuket Hat Yai Penang 134 Medan

Kuala Lumpur

Pekanbaru

Singapore

Palembang Jakarta Surabaya Bali (Denpasar)

Darwin Fiji (Nadi)

Cairns

Cook Islands (Rarotonga)

Brisbane Gold Coast Perth Adelaide

Sydney Melbourne (Tullamarine)

Auckland Wellington Christchurch

Queenstown

Route maps I WHERE WE FLY

DOMESTIC VIETNAM

DOMESTIC JAPAN

Hanoi Hai Phong

Sapporo

Tha nh Hoa V inh Dong Hoi Hue Da Nang Chu Lai Pleiku Quy Nhon

Phu Quoc

Tokyo (Narita) Nagoya (Chubu)

Tuy Hoa Buon Ma Thuot

Matsuyama Osaka (Kansai) Fukuoka Takamatsu Oita Kumamoto

Nha Trang Da Lat

Kagoshima

Miyazaki

Ho Chi Minh City

Okinawa

Operated by Jetstar Japan

Operated by Jetstar PaciďŹ c

AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND

Auckland New Plymouth Nelson

Darwin

Cairns Townsville Hamilton Island Whitsunday Coast Mackay

Queenstown

Napier Palmerston North Wellington Christchurch Dunedin

Operated by Jetstar Airways Operated by Eastern Australia Airlines for Jetstar Airways

Sunshine Coast

Ayers Rock (Uluru)

Brisbane

Gold Coast

Ballina Byron Perth

Newcastle

Sydney

Adelaide Melbourne (Avalon)

Melbourne (Tullamarine)

Launceston Operated by Jetstar Airways

Hobart

Auckland

Wellington Christchurch Queenstown

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AUSTRALIAN & NZ AIRPORTS

Arriving at our destinations How to get from the airport to town

Touchdown in Townsville

Adelaide

Ballina/Byron

9km 20 mins Approx $20-30 Route J1 or J2 every 15-30 mins. Route J1X every hour. Tickets from $3.20-$5.10.

Blanchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bus route 640 connects to Ballina, Lennox Head, Byron Bay and Mullumbimby. From $3.80 adult.

Auckland

TO BYRON BAY 31km 30 mins Approx $80-90 Various shuttle buses available. Prices start at $20. Enquire at airport information desk.

22km 30 mins Approx NZ$75-90 SkyBus. Every 10-30 mins. Adult NZ$16, child NZ$6; return: adult NZ$28, child NZ$12. Takes 40-60 mins 380 Airporter bus service to Manukau City Centre. Every 20-30 mins, NZ$5.

PHOTOGRAPHY ALAMY

Ayers Rock/Uluru 6km (Ayers Rock Resort) 10 mins Complimentary shuttle buses to Ayers Rock Resort meet every flight. Taxis not available.

TO BALLINA 5km 7 mins Approx $15-20.

Brisbane 16km 25 mins Approx $40-50 Con-x-ion Bus. Every 40 mins. Adult $20, return $36. $10 for additional passengers.

Airtrain. Every 15 mins approx. Adult $17; return $32.

Cairns 6km 10 mins Approx $20-30 Sun Palm Shuttle. Adult $15, child $7.50. Also operates to Port Douglas: adult $44, child $23.50.

Christchurch 12km 20 mins Approx NZ$45-$65 Super Shuttle. NZ$24 for one person, NZ$5 for additional passengers. Metro Bus Purple line or 29: Every 30 mins. Adult NZ$8, child NZ$5; return: adult NZ$14, child NZ$8.50.

Darwin 13km 15 mins Approx $20-30 Darwin Airport Shuttle.

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Meets all flights. Adult $18, child $8; return: adult $30, child $14. Group discounts available.

Dunedin 30km 30 mins Approx NZ$90-100 Super Shuttle, NZ$30 for one person, NZ$10 for additional passengers.

Gold Coast 23km (Surfers Paradise) 40 mins $59 flat rate to Surfers Paradise. $49 flat rate to Broadbeach. See rank supervisor. Con-x-ion Bus. Every 15-30 mins. Adult $22, child $13; return: adult $41, child $22 (bookings essential). Gold Coast Tourist Shuttle. Adult $21, child $13; return:

AUSTRALIAN & NZ AIRPORTS

adult $41, child $21. Bus 777 and 760. Every 30 mins. Tickets from $8.60.

Hamilton Island 5 mins Free airport transfers offered to guests of selected hotels and holiday homes.

Hobart 19km 20 mins Approx $40-50 Redline Airporter meets every flight. Adult $18, child $14; return: adult $32, child $25.

Launceston 138

15km 15 mins Approx $30-40 Redline Airporter meets every flight. Adult $18, child $14; return: adult $32, child $25.

Mackay TO MACKAY 7km 15 mins Approx $15-25. TO AIRLIE BEACH 160km 2 hours Whitsunday Transfers. Adult $69, child (4-15 yrs) $35; return: adult $120, child $60.

Melbourne (Avalon) TO GEELONG 20km 25 mins Approx $50 Airport Shuttle. Adult $22, child $15; return: $34. Also operates to Bellarine, adult $30, child $16, return: $60; and Great Ocean Rd: adult $32, child $26, return: $64. TO MELBOURNE CBD 55km 45 mins

Approx $130 Sita Coaches to Melbourne. Adult $22, child $10; return: $42.

Melbourne (Tullamarine) 25km 25 mins Approx $60-70 SkyBus. Every 10 mins. Adult $18, child $9; return: adult $36, child $18. Skybus operates Express to Southern Cross Station with free city hotel shuttle connections and services to St Kilda and Frankston.

Napier/Hawkeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bay 6km 10 mins Approx NZ$20-30 Super Shuttle to Napier, NZ$20 for one person, NZ$7 for additional passengers. TO HASTINGS NZ$43, and Havelock North NZ$45. Village Shuttle to Hastings, NZ$38, and Havelock North NZ$40, NZ$5 for additional passengers.

Nelson 8km 15 mins Approx NZ$20-30 Nelson Shuttle NZ$18 for one person, NZ$4 for additional passengers; Super Shuttle NZ$19 for one person, NZ$4 for additional passengers.

Newcastle 27km 40 mins Approx $70-80 Shuttle Bus, $40 for one person; $10 for additional passengers.

Enquire at airport information desk. Port Stephens Coach route 130. Adult $4.60, child $2.30.

New Plymouth 12km 15 mins Approx NZ$40 Scotts Airport Shuttle (bookings preferred). From NZ$18, NZ$4 for additional passengers.

Palmerston North 5km 10 mins Approx NZ$20 Super Shuttles. Adult NZ$18, NZ$4 for additional passengers.

Perth 12km (domestic terminal); 19km (international terminal) 40 mins Approx $35-45 Perth Airport Connect. Tickets $15; return: $30. Transperth Bus 40 from T3/T4. Route 380 from T1/T2. Tickets from $4.50.

Queenstown 8km 10 mins Approx NZ$30-40 Super Shuttle. NZ$20 for one person, NZ$6 for additional passengers. Connectabus. Every 15 mins. Adult NZ$12; child NZ$5.50.

Sunshine Coast TO NOOSA 30km 30 mins Approx $80 Henryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Airporter shuttle bus. Adult $30, child $16; return: adult $60, child $32.

Translink Bus 622, adult $9.70, child $4.80. TO MAROOCHYDORE 9km 12 mins Approx $23 Con-x-ion buses. Adult $20, child $12, return: adult $40, child $22. TransLink Bus 622. Adult $5.60, child $2.80.

Sydney 8km 20 mins Approx $45-55 Airport Link train from domestic and international terminals. Every 10 mins approx (weekdays). Gate Pass: Adult $13.80, child $12.40, plus cost of rail component.

Townsville 6km 10 mins Approx $20-30 Airport shuttle. Adult $10, child $5.

Wellington 8km 25 mins Approx NZ$30-40 Super Shuttle. NZ$20 for one person, NZ$5 for additional passengers. Airport Flyer route 91 bus. Every 10-20 mins. Adult NZ$6-$12, child NZ$4-$7.

Whitsunday Coast/Proserpine Airlie Beach 40km 35 mins Approx $90 Whitsunday Transit. Adult $18, child $13. Whitsunday Transfers. Adult $18, child $13; return: adult $34, child $18. Bookings not required.

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1 What flat-topped mountain overlooks the city of Cape Town in South Africa? (5,8) 7 In what party game does one person stay standing when the music stops? (7,6) 11 â&#x20AC;&#x153;If a dog chews shoes, whose shoes do they chew?â&#x20AC;? is what type of word game? (6,7) 14 Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s another name for large, flat lollypops? (3-3,7) 17 What is the term for a young eagle? (6) 18 On what island are the cities Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Hiroshima? (6) 20 What are Elsa, Big One and Lustica in the book Born Free (1960)? (9) 21 Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a slang word for a toupee or wig? (3) 22 Developed in 1950, what device was called Lazy Bones and made watching TV easier? (6,7)

1 The Doctor, Austin Powers and Marty McFly are all what? (4,9) 2 What is the American buffalo commonly called? (5) 3 â&#x20AC;&#x153;A word of â&#x20AC;Ś during failure is worth more than an hour of praise after success.â&#x20AC;? Unknown (13) 4 Used in cooking and cosmetics, what comes from fruit and nuts including coconut and olive? (3) 5 Complete the positive-negative Aussie colloquialism â&#x20AC;&#x153;yeah, â&#x20AC;Śâ&#x20AC;?. (3) 6 The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts was formerly the Australian Film Institute or â&#x20AC;Ś (3) 8 The cry of a crow or raven. (3) 9 Australia's colloquial name. (3) 10 What is another name for fritz, devon or polony in Australia? (9) 12 British slang for nonsense. (4) 13 Who in government is in charge of public money? (9) 15 What does everyone want more of on a plane? (3,4) 16 What is the nickname of the Adelaide Football Club? (5) 19 What is the acronym for the Australian Securities and Investments Commission? (4)

143

CODEWORD & SUDOKU

EASY

Quiz

QUICK QUIZ Test your knowledge of Fiji, the Cook Islands and Hawaii with our Pacific Islands quiz 2

8 The three official languages of Fiji are Fijian, English and what?

Say hi to Fiji!

9 Honolulu-born swimmer Duke Kahanamoku is credited for popularising which ancient Hawaiian sport? 10 In what year did Fiji declare its independence from Britian? 11 How many stars appear on the Cook Islands flag? 12 Made from the roots of a native plant, what bittertasting brew is considered Fijiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unofficial national drink?

13 According to Hawaiian folklore, it is bad luck to carry what over Oahuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s old Pali Road? A) Pineapples B) Pork C) Palm leaves

SOLUTIONS

PHOTOGRAPHY ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

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144

main island of Rarotonga. True or false?

1 This month (28 April), there will be a street festival in Waikiki to celebrate Hawaiiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s love of which processed meat product? 2 How do you say hello in Fiji? 3 What do Cook Islanders call the colourful floral garlands worn on the head or around the neck? 4 By what nickname is Hawaiiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most populous island Oahu also known? 5 In Fiji it is considered a grave insult to touch which body part on another person, especially a chief? 6 Which of the following people were NOT born in Honolulu? A) Justin Bieber B) Barack Obama C) Nicole Kidman 7 The Cook Islandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s namesake Captain James Cook was the first European to land on the

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Available on 787 seatback screens I MOVIES & TV SH0WS I Entertainment

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Despite his mellow temper, Ferdinand the bull is mistakenly chosen for Madrid’s bullfights.

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Aspiring musician Miguel journeys to the magical land of his ancestors.

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149

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Available on 787 seatback screens I AUDIO & GAMES I Entertainment

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Taylor Swift Ft. Ed Sheeran & Future Sarah Blasko

Miguel

End Game

Act Yr Age

Liam Payne & Rita Ora For You (Fifty Shades Freed) Calum Scott

You Are The Reason

Kim Churchill Maroon 5 Ft. Sza

It’s So Cruel

The Killers

The Man Tin Pan Boy

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151 151

Backpage I TRAVEL TALES

Time traveller Time either flies or comes to a grinding halt when Sydney-based writer and comedian David Smiedt holidays

Excited traveller face

When the real world of responsibilities, lift schemes and mortgages bides its time at the end of your landing and taxi to the gate, that holiday buzz is over before you can ask, “How long do you think it will take for my tan to fade?”

It all comes down to what stage of the journey you’re at

But I guess it’s all part of the endless allure of travel and, ultimately, you’ve just got to laugh. David Smiedt will be performing his new show Finding Chemo at the Sydney Comedy Festival, (23 April to 20 May) sydneycomedyfestival.com.au

ILLUSTRATION GREGORY ROBERTS

152

I’M NO ROCKET scientist, but the fact remains that travel messes with your perception of time. Beyond the jet-lag fun that sees you wide awake at 3am in a hotel room a long way from home, where none of the TV channels are in the language you speak, it’s the actual travel that throws you. It all comes down to what stage of the journey you’re at. Say you’re heading on a holiday, excitement tends to ride shotgun in the seat beside you. As a result, the outward journey – the Uber to the airport, getting through security, boarding and so on – seems to stretch out forever. We’re talking longer than a Game Of Thrones fan speech when you don’t know your Baratheons from your Lannisters. Knowing that a sandy beach or bustling night market featuring the world’s best satay awaits results in minutes that drag like nails on a chalkboard until you finally touch down. Flip the switch – or if you’re down with the kids, “the sitch” – and the return flight seems to, ahem, fly by.

Directory I GOLD COAST

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Let the games begin

Gear up for the 2018 Commonwealth Games with our destination guide to the Gold Coast and Brisbane

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7 D AY S T I L L AT E · F R E E D A I LY S H O P P I N G S H U T T L E See timetable at pacificfair.com.au

Games guide I XXXXX

CONTENTS COMMONWEALTH GAMES 4 I NEWS & EVENTS Where to find all the action during the Games

7 I GOOD AS GOLD The grown-up Gold Coast gets its chance to shine

15 I COAST FOR KIDS All-ages activities on the GC

18 I LOST IN A FOREST The Gold Coast Hinterland

22 I BRISBANE BOUND

PHOTOGRAPHY ALAMY. ON THE COVER TOURISM AND EVENTS QUEENSLAND, ISTOCKPHOTO.COM, DESTINATION GOLD COAST

The capital gets its game on

Games guide I NEWS & EVENTS

News & events The Sunshine State shows us what it’s made of during a packed Commonwealth Games schedule

FESTIVAL 2018

World champion, paralympian and multiple world-record holder – all at just 16 years of age. Isis Holt is already a national icon. We talked to Isis before she takes to the track to represent Australia. Are you excited to represent Australia on home turf? There is something really significant and special about competing on home grounds ... it definitely makes me proud to know that I can come back in a few weeks’ time and compete again in front of a home crowd. Do you have any superstitions before competition? I always tuck my laces into the front of my spikes and never race without my long compression socks. I also like to think you run faster on red tracks! Are you hoping to smash your own record, yet again? Definitely! The aim of any major championships is to do better than you ever have before, and if that means breaking a world record then that would be wonderful. How have you seen coverage of para-sports increase? The coverage of the 2016 Rio Paralympics was the most noticeable thing I’ve seen in the last few years. However, there have been smaller things also, such as the great work Dylan Alcott has been doing, and the sponsorship of Paralympic sport alongside the Olympics. It is all significant and all really important to me as I believe that the Paralympic athletes have so much to offer and make for some excellent competition.

4-15 April, around Queensland

Soak up 12 full days of free entertainment in the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Townsville and Cairns, with epic art installations, roving theatre, and live music by homegrown talent and international acts. gc2018.com/festival2018

JUST OPENED

Bucketlist stay Open just in time for the Games, The Darling seriously ups the ante for accommodation on the Gold Coast. The 17-storey Broadbeach hotel, with no more than seven suites per floor, includes a rooftop bar and restaurant Nineteen at the Star – scenically draped around the infinity pool. star.com.au

PHOTOGRAPHY AUSTRALIAN PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE, BLEACH FESTIVAL, J GREEN, MIAMI MARKETTA, ARTWORK AGENCY

Golden girl: Isis Holt

Games guide I NEWS & EVENTS

TREND WATCH

TO MARKET Embrace the balmy Gold Coast autumn at the markets that have bloomed across the city. The Village Markets led the way in 2008 with a boho mix of local design and fashion, on two Sundays a month (1 and 15 April). Miami Marketta popped up in 2011, with a family-friendly open-air food hall, music stage and bar serving craft beer and signature cocktails – open every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. The Collective gathers together some of the coast’s hottest restaurants in a former post office with open-air seating for more than 300. Best of all, it’s open every night. Also open every night for the duration of the Games, NightQuarter offers more than 60 food stalls, live tunes, a design market and pop-ups ranging from barbers to psychics.

Sticking around?

Bleach* Festival 29 March to 15 April, around the Gold Coast

The Gold Coast’s favourite cultural festival has partnered with the games and Festival 2018 for its biggest year yet. The 18-day program will deliver genre-spanning dance, music, theatre and art, including eight world premieres. Spend a night on the beach ensconced in a sonic installation for Wave Field, learn the story of the Gold Coast’s first lifesaver through The Spirit of Churaki or float down an estuary past haunting riverbank performances for Quiet by Nature.

KEEP GOING AFTER THE GAMES • Catch the stars at the Gold Coast Film Festival, 17-29 April, gcfilmfestival.com • Feel the spirit at the 2018 Festival of Tibet at the Brisbane Powerhouse, 26-29 April, brisbanepower house.org • Get your geek on at the Gold Coast Superhero Weekend, 27-29 April • Bust out the Bollywood moves at Dancing on the Green at the Gold Coast’s HOTA, 28 April, hota.com.au • Hop on your bike for the Great Brisbane Bike Ride, 29 April, gbbr.com.au

bleachfestival.com.au

The games go north Townsville and Cairns will have their piece of the action when they host the preliminary rounds of the basketball (5-10 April). Festival 2018 will also unfurl across three main hubs in Townsville, including the purpose-built Uncontained art park, and on Cairns Esplanade and Munro Martin Parklands. gc2018.com

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Games guide I GOLD COAST

GOING FOR GOLDIE

This month, the Gold Coast will host Queensland’s largestever sporting carnival and Australia’s biggest event in more than a decade. Here’s your essential guide to the sunny city PHOTOGRAPHY ALAMY

WORDS NATASHA DRAGUN

ost Australians have a story to tell about the Gold Coast, whether it’s memories – or lack thereof – of a night out in Surfers Paradise, or a family holiday of melting ice cream and queues at the theme parks. The “Goldie” may have more sunny days than nearly any other Australian city, but its reputation hasn’t always been as bright as its weather forecast. Beginning as a small beach town in the 1950s, the Gold Coast has grown into Australia’s sixth-

largest city. It’s easy to see the appeal: 300 days of sunshine aside, the Goldie’s 57km coastline is home to world-class surf beaches, has an average temperature hovering in the mid-20s and comes with 400km of cruiseworthy canals. Thirty minutes’ drive from the beach, you can plunge into 100,000 hectares of World Heritage-listed hinterland rainforest, dotted with wineries and wellness retreats. But for a long time, all this was lost in marketing campaigns focused on ‘sun, sand, surf and sex’. The fast-growing city

The city has come alive again was geared for pleasure: all-hours gambling at the state’s first casino, the annual migration of badly-behaved teens, bikini-clad meter maids. The Gold Coast was big and brash – and not in a good way. The global financial crisis forced many local operators to reassess – as visitor numbers dwindled, effort was made to improve restaurants, bars and hotels to attract 8

locals. A zero-tolerance police policy during ‘schoolies’ also helped clean up the city’s streets and reputation. As did the 2011 news that the Gold Coast would host the 2018 Commonwealth Games. “It changed everything,” says Dean Gould, Gold Coast Tourism’s executive director of corporate affairs and strategy. “The city has come alive again. The momentum feels urgent, the changes are more substantial.” Extremely substantial, if the cranes dotting the skyline are anything to go by. Between Surfers

PHOTOGRAPHY QT GOLD COAST, THE BATH HOUSE, GREEN HOUSE CANTEEN, RICK SHORES

Games guide I XXXX

Games guide I GOLD COAST

QT Gold Coast views. INSET: The Bath House. BELOW: Healthy dishes from Green House Canteen. BOTTOM: Rick Shores.

Paradise and Broadbeach, work is underway on the three towers of Jewel, set to become Australia’s largest beachfront mixed-use development. Ground has also been broken on the 89-storey Spirit, 103-storey Orion and 108-storey Azzura developments. Meanwhile, the nearby Avani Broadbeach has just unveiled 219 apartmentstyle hotel residences. Not to be outdone, there’s the Ruby: four towers on the site of the original Surfers Paradise resort – the hotel many credit for launching the coast’s holiday appeal. The Star, formerly Jupiters Casino, has equally ambitious plans. As well as a $350 million upgrade, the group has invested $500 million in luxury residences and two more hotels, including “six-star” The Darling.

Dining and drinking

Dine here

There was a time in the not-so-distant past when you could drive the Gold Coast Highway and see nothing but tanning salons, ’50s motels and dated restaurants with names as unimaginative as the food. But there’s nothing dowdy about the city’s hipster cafés today, 9

touting everything from single-origin fair-trade coffee to zucchini “pasta” with cashew cream. At Greenhouse Canteen & Bar you can order flavourful vegan jackfruit enchiladas, while at sister establishment The Bath House – an achingly cool spa with magnesium baths and eucalyptus steam rooms – treatments can be followed by a raw food feast. At Cardamom Pod there are LSDs (soy and dandelion lattes) and cornmeal waffles, while Blendlove specialises in vegan cheesecakes. There are, of course, plenty of chefs making the most of the coast’s bountiful seafood. On the sand at Burleigh Heads, Rick Shores is overseen by Jake Pregnell, ex-Golden Fields in Melbourne. His bright and bold pan-Asian menu includes a Moreton Bay bug roll that you’ll be dreaming about long after you leave. Over at surferchic QT Hotel, remodelled Japanese restaurant Yamagen pairs creative cocktails with dishes such as sashimi tacos. You can now end your evening in boltholes that wouldn’t be out of place in Melbourne’s laneways:

JOEL PARKINSON PRO SURFER AND COFOUNDER OF BALTER BREWING COMPANY Why did you base Balter on the Gold Coast? The Gold Coast is our home, and on top of that, there’s no greater place on earth to enjoy a beer on a breezy summer day. Has the local community been supportive? We’ve been very fortunate our whole careers to have local support. When we started Balter it felt no different ... It’s been such a rewarding feeling sharing our Balter journey with a community we’ve been in since we were kids. How have you seen the Gold Coast change? It’s gone from a city known for theme parks and Surfers Paradise to being much more diverse ... from the hinterland and beaches to the cafés, restaurants and now-growing beer scene. ‘Balter’ means to dance artlessly but with joy. Who’s the worst dancer? Probably our head brewer Scotty Hargrave! Then Mick [Fanning] is a close second. Actually, we’re all pretty bad, especially after a couple of Balters. Where do you go to: Get a coffee? Portside Coffee in Currumbin. Have a beer? Rainbow Bay Surf Club Bar. Catch a wave? Snapper. Catch up with friends? Balter (I’m a bit biased).

Games guide I GOLD COAST

Amy Shark will play at Festival 2018. RIGHT: Lockwood Bar. BELOW: Sashimi at QT Gold Coast.

Pacific Fair reflects its tropical setting through a freeflowing layout

there’s Lockwood Bar, where the only way to get in is using a pin sent via text, and speakeasy Soho Place, with an entrance resembling a London telephone booth. At Bine Bar & Dining you’ll find local microbrews such as Burleigh Brewing Co, Newstead Brewing Co. and Balter, the latter from local surfing pros Joel Parkinson, Mick Fanning, Josh Kerr and Bede Durbidge.

Hit the shops After a $670 million makeover, Broadbeach’s Pacific Fair mall has become as stylish as its five-star hotel neighbours.

Pacific Fair reflects its tropical setting through a free-flowing layout, with day beds to put up your feet between boutiques. We recommend you start at the retail enclave dedicated to Australian designers, where you’ll find a stellar line-up of stores from the likes of Camilla, Dion Lee and Gorman. Also befitting the Gold Coast climate are Miami Marketta and NightQuarter – alfresco shopping precincts that unite local designers with food trucks and live music. During the Games, NightQuarter will extend its hours

and offer a cultural program showcasing local and international musicians from across the Commonwealth. And then there’s Marina Mirage, adjacent to piers where luxury yachts lie in waiting. You could spend some serious money in the boutiques here, although thankfully there are more affordable distractions including a Saturday farmers’ market, a couple of galleries and waterside bars where you can watch the who’s who slip off into the canals for a sunset cruise.

Arts and culture A full arts program is planned for the coast’s $37 million cultural precinct, currently 10

under construction on a 17-hectare site comprising a carbon-neutral 5000seat amphitheatre and outdoor Artscape, a future setting for markets and events. Opening in stages from this year, it will be linked to Surfers via Chevron Island along an art-filled “green bridge”. It won’t, however, be complete in time for Festival 2018, a free public celebration running concurrently with the Games. An amplification of the annual Bleach* Festival, Festival 2018’s program lists more than 1000 events across music, theatre, circus, dance and film. Along with city-wide pop-ups, hubs in Broadbeach and Surfers Paradise will host the majority, including interactive events – think 30 karaoke stations situated on the beach. Brisbane-born singersongwriter Kate MillerHeidke is among headliners, along with

PHOTOGRAPHY LOCKWOOD BAR, QT GOLD COAST, STEPHEN BOOTH

Meet Amy

Games guide I GOLD COAST

Coomera Indoor Sports Centre. INSET: Gold Coast Aquatic Centre. BELOW LEFT: Miami Marketta.

Festival 2018’s Indigenous commitment is strong

THE GAMES ARE GO The Commonwealth Games will span 17 venues across the Gold Coast, from Coomera in the north to Coolangatta in the south, with events for 23 sports and seven para-sports, along with events in Brisbane, Townsville and Cairns. Swimmers will dive into the Southport Pool Complex, fresh from a $41 million facelift; the converted Oxenford Studios at Village Roadshow Studios will host boxing, table tennis and squash; and beach volleyball will hit the sand at Coolangatta. One of the few new-build Games stadiums, Coomera Indoor Sports Centre will see gymnastics and netball finals. Post-event, it will be handed to the public for sports such as netball, soccer and basketball. The opening and closing ceremonies will bookend events held at the revitalised Carrara Sports Precinct, which will remain home for the AFL’s Gold Coast Suns. Free events include the marathon and road cycling, parts of the triathlon, mountain biking and race walking.

Indigenous culture, including The Spirit of Churaki, a musical about an Aboriginal man considered to be the Gold Coast’s first surf lifesaver; a Queensland-exclusive concert by Yothu Yindi and The Treaty Project; and a hip-hop set by Torres Strait Islander Mau Power, among others.

Records will be broken even before athletes lace up their shoes. For the first time in the history of a multi-sport Games, there will be equal medals for men and women. There will also be the most extensive para-sports program in Commonwealth Games history, while beach volleyball, paratriathlon and women’s Rugby Sevens will all debut. This is also the first Games ever (including the Olympics) to have a reconciliation action plan in place, with the goal of increasing opportunities for, and awareness of, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders – their language, culture and history. Games medals were designed by Quandamooka artist Delvene Cockatoo-Collins, inspired by the shifting sands of Stradbroke Island. The opening ceremony will celebrate the coast’s Indigenous and surf culture, not least through the Parade Track by contemporary artist Brian Robinson, best known for his woven fish sculptures in Cairns’ lagoon.

PHOTOGRAPHY 2018 COMMONWEALTH GAMES, MIAMI MARKETTA

Troy Cassar-Daley, The Jungle Giants, Ghana’s hip-hop king, M.anifest, and contemporary dance from Force Majeure and Dancenorth. Having toured the planet, Museum of the Moon will also appear. The sevenmetre-wide floating sculpture with NASA imagery on its surface allows you to soak in the moonlight while listening to a surroundsound composition by BAFTA award-winning composer Dan Jones, accompanied by archival audio of the moon landing. Like the rest of the Games, Festival 2018’s Indigenous commitment is strong, developed in consultation with a working committee from the coast’s Aboriginal community. A number of performances will shine a spotlight on

Games guide I GOLD COAST WITH KIDS

Surf’s up

THE COAST FOR KIDS From rainforest escapades and wildlife encounters to conquering the waves, the Gold Coast is one of Australia’s top destinations for a family getaway

Back to nature Swap a beach day to explore the stunning Gold Coast Hinterland. A 15-minute drive from Currumbin Beach, Currumbin Rock Pools are one of the area’s bestkept secrets. Do as the locals do and pack a picnic to chill in the shallows or launch into the depths on rope swings. The Hinterland shelters precious remnants of Gondwana-era rainforest. Explore it at canopy level on the Booyong Walk at O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat, where nine suspension bridges traverse the Lamington National Park up to 16m above the ground.

PHOTOGRAPHY DESTINATION GOLD COAST, TOURISM AND EVENTS QUEENSLAND

WORDS KRYSIA BONKOWSKI

Creature comforts Kick back with kangaroos and clock eyes on a cassowary at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, one of the Gold Coast’s most popular attractions. Watch eagles soar during the daily bird show, feed rainbow-

Up high on O’Reilly’s treetop walk. ABOVE: Lessons in Surfers Paradise. RIGHT: Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.

hued lorikeets and meet critters such as lemurs and red pandas in the pristine rainforest setting of the Lost Valley. Found in Burleigh Heads, David Fleay Wildlife Park lets visitors see native wildlife in conditions as close as possible to their natural habitat. The heritagelisted park carries on the important work of its conservationist founder. To mingle with local marine life, pick up a snorkel and hightail it to Tallebudgera Creek. This crystal-clear waterway – snaking between Palm Beach and Burleigh Heads National Park – is home to crabs, turtles, dolphins and schools of fish. Visit at high tide to avoid stronger currents.

Games guide I GOLD COAST WITH KIDS

Out to sea Surfers Paradise earned its name for good reason. Get your little ones out on those famous breaks with the Get Wet Surf School. Along with regular kids’ classes, the school offers Weetbix SurfGroms for local grommets. Kids aged 12 and up can join Go Vertical’s standup paddleboard (SUP) tours in the backwaters of Surfers Paradise and mangroves of Macintosh Island. Or rent the Family SUP, a super-sized inflatable for up to eight.

Get active

TOP TO BOTTOM: Out for a paddle on the Gold Coast, feed rainbow lorikeets at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, defying gravity at iFLY.

Burn off excess energy at the huge new Bounce trampoline park in Burleigh Waters, now Australia’s biggest indoor action adventure playground. To go skydiving without boarding a plane, visit the Surfers Paradise outlet of iFLY, where ages three and up can defy gravity in a giant glass tunnel. At Helensvale’s Game Over, set them loose on the indoor karting track, laser tag course or Clip ’n Climb courses on offer.

NATALIE GRUZLEWSKI DESTINATION GOLD COAST AMBASSADOR What was it like growing up on the Gold Coast? I grew up in Currumbin. Back then it was a sleepy little seaside town, and while it’s still known for its laid-back charm today, it’s also become one of our city’s most popular beachside hubs. Visiting the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary was easily one of our favourite things to do, as well as a day trip to SeaWorld – nothing has changed for me now that I’m a mum, we love taking our little girl Olivia there. What does the Gold Coast mean to you? The Gold Coast is and always has been home – there’s honestly nowhere else I’d rather live and raise my daughter. There is this amazing energy here that I haven’t experienced anywhere else – and this chilled, laid-back lifestyle that you get swept up in. Are you looking forward to the Games? We’ve been watching our city transform for GC2018 over the past few years, and I’m so excited to share our little patch of paradise with the rest of the world! Where do you go for a family day out? We love jumping on our bikes and riding along the esplanade from Broadbeach to Burleigh, stopping for a coffee at Piccolo in Miami Marketta and at one of Olivia’s favourite playgrounds, and finishing off with lunch at the Kurrawa Surf Life Saving Club.

PHOTOGRAPHY DESTINATION GOLD COAST, TOURISM AND EVENTS QUEENSLAND

Dad’s got this

Take in the beauty of this 5-hectare rainforest as you wind your way along elevated boardwalks, whilst discovering exotic wildlife.

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Uncover the secrets of the ancient supercontinent Gondwana and explore a forgotten world.

NOW OPEN C U R R U M B I N S A N C T U A R Y. C O M . A U

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GREEN IS GOOD JUST BEHIND THE GOLD COAST HIDES ONE OF AUSTRALIAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S GREAT REMAINING WILDERNESS AREAS WORDS CRAIG TANSLEY

Pausing for breath in Tamborine National Park. RIGHT: Exploring the forest around Mount Tamborine.

Games Section guidename I HINTERLAND I XXXXX

PHOTOGRAPHY TOURISM AND EVENTS QUEENSLAND, ALAMY

hen the sun dips behind the mountains, the temperature drops 10 degrees and I move inside next to an open fire at the Binna Burra Lodge, below sepia-toned photographs that document nearly a century’s worth of memories. While the Gold Coast might be known for its surf beaches and theme parks, it’s actually these green mountains here just beyond the coastline that offer the greatest escape of all. Into one of the last true remaining wildernesses in Australia. It doesn’t take an epic journey to get here either: the Hinterland marches right up to the fringes of the Gold Coast, and is just a couple of kilometres west of the Pacific Motorway leading south from Brisbane, so it’s easy to escape for a day or weekend from either destination. Right now

I’m barely 20-minutes’ drive from Surfers Paradise, yet already I’m negotiating hairpin corners on a roadway that snakes upward through some of the largest remaining tracts of sub-tropical rainforest in Australia. And while I was sweating on the coast, the temperature has dropped seven degrees in seven minutes as I drive higher and higher. I’m travelling along the rim of an ancient volcano, between escarpments that look down on secret green valleys below, and up to peaks a kilometre high. UNESCO World HeritageListed national parks run right beside each other, home to Gondwana Rainforest – one of the oldest forests left on earth – and generations of unique creatures that have lived within it. There are more than 100 waterfalls and cascades hidden in

Games guide I HINTERLAND The Hinterland from canopy level. LEFT: O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat.

Hidden in the trees

GAMES IN THE HINTERLAND The Gold Coast Hinterland will provide a lush backdrop for events

there’s plenty of adventure on offer Rainforest Retreat welcomed its first guests in 1926, while Binna Burra Lodge opened just across the valley seven years later. The choice doesn’t stop there – there’s everything from inexpensive family cabins to five-star romantic villas set in your own private piece of rainforest. A further surprise is the discovery of

some of Australia’s most picturesque wineries, and some wine varietals you’ve probably never heard of (a glass of chambourcin, anyone?). The Gold Coast Hinterland is Queensland’s most picturesque boutique winery region: cellar doors operate out of historic homesteads with views that go for miles, restaurants offer gourmet meals on sunny outdoor patios, and on cooler days there’s the novelty (for Queensland) of a meal by a roaring fire. 20

While the Commonwealth Games will showcase one of the world’s best coastlines, don’t miss the chance to catch the hottest sporting action among the mountainous rainforest of the Hinterland. Catch the road cycling time trial as it winds its way up Currumbin and Tallebudgera Valleys, where sheer mountains jut up behind the roadway, and rainforest grows between pastureland. And check out all the action on the recently completed mountain bike trails built in the Nerang State Forest. The best trails in southern Queensland feature fast-flowing turns with Nerang National Park as a backdrop.

PHOTOGRAPHY TOURISM AND EVENTS QUEENSLAND, O’REILLYS RAINFOREST RETREAT

these forests, most only accessible from the hundreds of kilometres of hiking trails. Visitors can choose between short strolls to lookouts to multi-day journeys along the edge of mountain ranges. And there’s plenty of adventure on offer to those who seek it, from 80-metre abseils down sheer, rock cliff faces, to dawn hot air balloon rides above the rainforest that end with sparkling wine breakfasts. Quaint villages are also sprinkled across the region. The larger ones, like Springbrook and North Tamborine, are home to independent cafés and restaurants, and entire streets of art galleries and craft stores. But there are villages out here barely known to anyone who lives outside them. While day-trippers are the Hinterland’s most common visitor, it’s worth staying at least one night in some of Australia’s first-ever rainforest retreats. O’Reilly’s

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CAPITAL

Make sure Brisbane is on your to-do list – it’s bursting with brilliant things to do WORDS LEE MYLNE

wap the surf of the Gold Coast for the riverscapes of Brisbane, Queensland’s terrific capital. Under blue skies, the Brisbane River courses through the city like a wide brown ribbon, crisscrossed with bridges (count ’em: 15) and zig-zagged by sleek, fast CityCat ferries. Brisbane never looked

back after hosting the 1982 Commonwealth Games; that event was the catalyst for change as the city transformed itself, turning its face to the river and embracing all that it offered. Kick off any exploration at South Bank, the cultural and recreational hub of the city. Looking for a beach? Tick. Want fine dining or cool bars?

Games guide I BRISBANE

PHOTOGRAPHY TOURISM AND EVENTS QUEENSLAND

CLOCKWISE: The Gallery of Modern Art, abseiling Kangaroo Point Cliffs, burger goodness at Eat Street Northshore, South Bank.

Tick. Culture by the bucketload? Head to the theatres. No visit to Brisbane should be complete without a foray into the Queensland Art Gallery (QAG) and Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA). Apart from being works of art on their own – with stunning use of light and space – the two buildings will enthral, enrapture and enlighten. You might

not like every work of art within the galleries, but you’ll remember them. From South Bank, head across a choice of bridges to the city centre. The Victoria Bridge will take you straight into the Queen Street Mall shopping precinct, while the Goodwill Bridge – for pedestrians and cyclists only – leads into the City Botanic Gardens. Here you can cool off under a canopy of green. Near GOMA, the Kurilpa Bridge is also for bikes and pedestrians only, and leads into the city centre. Active travellers are spoilt for choice. Tackling the Story Bridge Adventure

Don’t look down! Climb, kayaking on the river and abseiling or climbing the Kangaroo Point Cliffs are just some of the options. Brisbane foodies love the vibrant Eat Street Northshore, where 180 or so brightly painted shipping containers have been transformed into cafés, kitchens and bars. Every Friday and Saturday from 4pm to 10pm, and Sunday from 12pm to 8pm, the joint jumps with live music and entertainment, while everyone dips into craft beers and 23

cocktails, and everything from Thai to Turkish, noodles and dumplings to tacos, seafood and salads is on offer. There’s more industrial chic at Brisbane Powerhouse, a quick walk along the river from the New Farm Park ferry terminal. An old brick power station – etched with years of graffiti – it’s now a dynamic hub for exhibitions, contemporary performance and live art. You’ll also find a popular farmers’ market there on Saturday mornings.

Games guide I BRISBANE

Go team!

The state-of-the-art Anna Meares Velodrome will host track cycling. BELOW: Brisbane’s South Bank.

Commonwealth Games action The speed and skill of elite track cycling and shooting events will come to Brisbane as part of the Commonwealth Games. The city’s new $59 million Anna Meares Velodrome – named for the Australian Olympic and Commonwealth Games gold medallist – will be the venue for the fast-paced excitement of

the Gold Coast 2018 Track Cycling competition. Up to 4000 fans will fill the stadium. Part of Brisbane’s Sleeman Sports Complex, about 15km from the city centre in the suburb of Chandler, it features an international competition standard 250-metre timber cycling track – with a 43-degree bank, sure to provide plenty of thrills. Opened in late

2016, it has already been used by elite training squads, not to mention club competitions and the 2017 and 2018 Track National Championships. The GC2018 program also includes four parasport events – men’s and women’s blind and visually impaired sprints and the 1000-metre time trials. Nearby, the Belmont Shooting Complex is the venue for clay target, full bore, pistol and small bore shooting events. A $16.5 million upgrade for the complex has brought it to international competition standard, and it can pack in 3000 spectators. Belmont has seen Games fever before, as the competition venue for the Brisbane Commonwealth Games shooting competition in 1982. 24

AUSSIE NEWS TODAY ANCHOR AND ACTOR What are your fondest memories of growing up in Brisbane? Definitely playing footy and taking the tinnie out on the weekends. I’m a very outdoors-y person and growing up on the Bayside was the perfect spot. What are your favourite Brisbane haunts? The Breakfast Creek Hotel is the best place for a perfect steak, and you can’t beat the Eat Street Markets for a place to catch-up with a big group of friends and sample a variety of incredible food. Are you excited for the Commonwealth Games? Absolutely! After watching the Winter Olympics I’ve become even more excited for Australia to win some more medals ... GC2018 can’t come soon enough! Have you seen a different side to the country since becoming a Tourism Australia ambassador? I’m so passionate about this beautiful country I’m lucky enough to call home and have always adventured here whenever I’ve had time off. Since the rise of social media, I’ve seen places I never realised existed in our own backyard, and now I’ve had the opportunity to actually visit them in my role as an Aussie News Today anchor for Tourism Australia. It’s been incredible to see first-hand just how amazing and diverse Australia is ... and share my experiences with people all over the world.

PHOTOGRAPHY TOURISM AUSTRALIA, TOURISM & EVENTS QUEENSLAND

LINCOLN LEWIS