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DECEMBER 2019 ISSUE 101

H E A LT H

GETTING HIGH...

ON LIFE

M I N I MALIST TRAI N I NG

HOW TO GET MORE GAINS

P. 32

IN LESS TIME P. 62

T R AV E L

TOP 10

ADVE NTU R E

SEASIDE DESTINATIONS

INSIDE THE

WORLD’S BIGGEST CAVE

TO EAT AND STAY ON EARTH P. 76

P. 66

Hannah I N T R O D U C I N G…

W I D M E R

WE SADDLE UP WITH THE HOT EQUESTRIAN MODEL ON THE RISE P. 50 WWW.MAXIM.COM.AU FACEBOOK/MAXIMAU TWITTER/MAXIM_AUS INSTAGRAM/MAXIM_AUS YOUTUBE/MAXIMAUSTRALIA

INC GST

PRINT POST APPROVED PP 100003469

AUST/NZ $9.95

CONTENTS IS SUE 101 — D EC E MBE R 2019

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MAXIM VIP PARTY ALL THE ACTION FROM INSIDE OUR EPIC 2019 ULTRA TUNE HOT 100 HALLOWEEN EVENT SPOTLIGHT MEET THE STUNNING ENTREPRENEUR AND INSTAGRAM SENSATION BIANCA ELLA BOOTH MACHINES THE FERRARI SF90 STRADALE, ALL-NEW TRIUMPH ROCKET AND AUDI AI: TRAIL CONCEPT HEALTH THE WORLD OF PLANT-BASED ADAPTOGENS AND EVERYONE IS JUMPING ON ITS A-TRAIN TO WELLBEING. PLUS, FITNESS CHAMP AND NUTRITIONIST LARA GYA'S TIPS ON HEALTHY-LIVING DRINK FIRST FAMILIES OF WINE: HISTORY OF HENSCHKE GAMES THE LATEST AND GREATEST PS4 NEWS, PLUS ALL ABOUT CYBERPUNK 2077 COVER GIRL MODEL, QUALIFIED EQUESTRIAN AND ARTS STUDENT, HANNAH WIDMER, IN HER MAXIM DEBUT

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GADGETS TOP GEAR THAT DESERVES A PLACE UNDER YOUR TREE THIS CHRISTMAS FITNESS HOW YOU CAN GET MORE GAINS IN LESS TIME ADVENTURE EXPLORING VIETNAM’S HANG SON DOONG, THE WORLD’S LARGEST CAVE MODEL PROFILE PETITE AMERICAN POCKET-ROCKET BEAUTY ELAINE STELLA

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TRAVEL TEN OF THE WORLD'S BEST COASTAL PLACES TO EAT AND STAY WOMAN OF THE WORLD TEACHER , TRAVELLER AND MODEL — IT'S GERMANY'S SIA EUL 24 HOURS TO LIVE THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE STAR, JASON O’MARA, DISCUSSES HIS LAST DAY ON EARTH

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Santi Pintado (spintado@nuclear.com.au)

Phone Mail

COVER HANNAH WIDMER P H OTO G R A P H E D BY

R AV E N D U R Á N

Email Web facebook twitter instagram youtube Art Director

National Advertising Manager

Marketing Director Managing Director

Fashion Editor Grooming Editor Motoring Editor Gaming & Tech Writer

+612-9363-1464 PO Box 230, Double Bay NSW 1360 maxim@maxim.com.au www.maxim.com.au maximau maxim_aus maxim_aus maximaustralia Luke Shaddock (lshaddock@nuclear.com.au) Gabrielle Keaton (gkeaton@nuclear.com.au) Natalie Downs Michael Downs

Adriana Dib Shonagh Walker Bill Varetimidis Chris Stead

MAXIM WORLD WIDE BRAND LICENSING

Chairman and CEO, Biglari Holdings Inc. Mr. Sardar Biglari Senior Paralegal & Rights Manager Catherine Baxter

© 2019 MAXIM Inc. The name “MAXIM” and the MAXIM logo are registered trademarks of Maxim Media Inc., and used under license by (publisher).

All rights reserved. The United States edition of MAXIM is published monthly by MAXIM Inc. 268 W. 44th Street 5th Floor New York, NY, 10036 For international publishing or licensing inquiries: maximworld@maxim.com

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2019

PARTY

A massive night was had by all at the 2019 ULTRA TUNE MAXIM HOT 100 Halloween Party at MARQUEE, The Star, Sydney. Over 500 VIP guests dressed their ghoulish and ghastly best as a swag of sexy women including MAXIM cover girls, Ultra Tune Rubber Girls, Australian Swimwear Models of the Year and a plethora of reality TV hotties (and their male co-stars) from The Bachelor, Married At First Sight and Love Island partied on until the wee hours! A huge special thanks to all our brilliant sponsors who made the evening possible, especially Ultra Tune, Bulk Nutrients Pure Supplements, Moments Condoms, Bati Fijian Rum, Rekorderlig Cider, Andrew Peace Wines, Vonu Pure Lager and of course MARQUEE, The Star, Sydney. We simply couldn’t have done it without you. Catch you all at the next one!

M A X I M V I P PA R T Y

Olivia Caneva and Jessika Power

P H OTO G R AP H E D BY G E O R G E A Z MY/700 5 00 P H OTO G RAP HY & P O L ITE I N P U B L I C

SPOTLIGHT

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Meet the stunning entrepreneur and Instagram sensation set to make a big splash internationally‌ P H OTO G R A P H E D BY N E I L D I XO N I N T E R V I E W BY S A N T I P I N TA D O

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SPOTLIGHT

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ongrats on your first MAXIM feature, Bianca.

How do you feel?

Thank you so much, I’m really excited. The team at MAXIM have been awesome and I would do it again in a heartbeat. We shot this feature at the Palazzo Versace Gold Coast, which is actually my favourite hotel in my home town.

What is your best asset?

I ’m always up for an adventure and I’m never one to settle. If you’ve got an idea – let’s go do it. Some would say I’m just very impulsive.

When do you feel sexy?

Looking good is about feeling good.

So, when I’m fit and healthy I feel my best. Feeling healthy gives me confidence and there is nothing sexier than a woman with confidence.

What do you do when you’re not posing for MAXIM? I have a swimwear label called Two Wolves, which is a full-time job, and I love it. It also means I get to spend a lot of time at the beach or going to tropical destinations for work – it’s an ideal kind of workforce.

Tell us a little more about yourself and your life story so far.

I’m originally from the Gold Coast in Queensland but I haven’t been based there for a few years now. I based myself in Bali for a couple of years, which were some of the best years of my life. It was there that my sister and I created our swimwear range. We have been at it for a few years and I ’m really excited for the next line coming out soon. After Bali, I went to LA which is where I’m currently based. The L.A. adventure is still unfolding, so I will keep you updated on that.

“THERE IS NOTHING SEXIER THAN A WOMAN WITH CONFIDENCE.”

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SPOTLIGHT

“I LOVE UFC, I RIDE DIRT BIKES AND GREW UP SURFING. PEOPLE DON’T USUALLY BELIEVE ANY OF THIS WHEN I TELL THEM.” What would people be most surprised to know about you?

I love UFC, I ride dirt bikes and grew up surfing. People don’t usually believe any of this when I tell them.

How long have you been modelling?

Well, I don’t model that much anymore – I did it briefly in Milan but these days I’m spending my time building my swimwear business. I’ve also had something else in the works for a while now – it’s to do with the fitness world, but I ’m not quite ready to talk about that yet.

What have you learned about men over the years?

The good ones are hard to find.

What do you look for in a man?

Confidence is big for me, but they also have to be fun, love adventures and be able to hang with friends and family.

Describe your ideal date?

Somewhere tropical, with seafood and endless bubbles.

If you had to take MAXIM on a date, what would it entail?

Oh, that’s easy. We would charter a plane to a deserted island where there would be a picnic, champagne and a camera waiting for us so we could shoot MAXIM and Banca take-two.

Sounds good! What’s next for you?

I just moved to America so I ’m working on a couple of things over there. Allana, my sister, is staying at home to make sure everything goes smooth with the swimwear at the moment and we are launching a new line soon which is really my absolute favourite! We have a few pieces left from our last line so ladies – go grab them at twowolvesswimwear.com before they are all gone! Other than that, this next chapter of my life is all about focusing on my health and fitness. ■

HAIR & MAKE-UP SI M MY CAR R STYLI NG B E LI N DA R O E LO FS LI NG E R I E MARY HOLLAN D 2 0

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SPOTLIGHT

Status Update FULL NAME: Bianca Ella Booth BORN: November 14, 1990 HOMETOWN: Gold Coast, Qld LIVES: Los Angeles, USA FIVE-WORD SELFDESCRIPTION: “Loving, adventurous, sun-seeking, driven and go-with-the-flow.”

PHOBIAS: “I’m claustrophobic.“ GO-TO DRINK: “A spicy margarita or gin and tonic.”

HANGOVER CURE: “Bloody Mary and pizza – lots of both.”

LIFE MOTTO: “‘I can be changed by what happens to me but I refuse to be reduced by it’ – Maya Angelou.”

INSTAGRAM: @biancaellabooth

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“I’M ALWAYS UP FOR AN ADVENTURE AND I’M NEVER ONE TO SETTLE. IF YOU’VE GOT AN IDEA — LET’S GO DO IT.”

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MACHINES

Ferrari’s most powerful road-going

THOROUGHBRED

BY B I L L VA R E T I M I D I S

T

hanks to much win from the game changer that was the LaFerrari, hybrids will be a permanent fixture in Ferrari’s future. That 707 kW model proved that even for a company so steeped in tradition —0 progress is always part of the plan. And Ferrari's latest product is no exception.

So yes, the Ferrari SF90 Stradale is a hybrid. But unlike its predecessor, the SF90 packs a smaller engine, has plug-in capabilities, has all-wheel drive, but more importantly, has more horses. Its turbocharged 4.0 litre V8 produces 573 kW and 590 pound-feet of torque. That alone makes it the most powerful V8powered Ferrari to date. But wait there’s more.

Ferrari then packs three lithium-ion powered electric motors — one on the rear axle, and two up front, which produce an additional 162 kW, bringing the powertrain’s complete output

ENGINE

4.0 litre twin turbo V8 (plus 3 electric motors) 2 4

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to 735 kW and 590 lb-ft. That my friends, makes the SF90 the most powerful road-going Ferrari ever produced. So. Much. Yes. In Performance and Qualify driving modes, the turbocharged V8 stays put. Performance uses the engine to help charge the electric modes, while Qualify unleashes all 986 horses from both the electric motors and the internal combustion engine.

Stating the obvious, it’s damn ideal for the track.

In line with Ferrari's new cabin styling, the inners are highlighted by a wraparound 16.0-inch HD screen, an F1-inspired cockpit, and steering wheel toggles that control the distinct driving modes: eDrive, Hybrid, Performance, and Qualify. All told, expect this new Ferrari SF90 Stradale to be a technological, automotive, and cultural marvel — therefore expect it to be extremely expensive.

TRANSMISSION

POWER

TORQUE

TOP SPEED

0-100KM/H

8 speed dual clutch

735 kW

1032 lb-ft.

340 km/h

2.5 seconds

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MACHINES

THE ROCKET

BY B I L L VA R E T I M I D I S

ENGINE

TRANSMISSION

POWER

TORQUE

DRY WEIGHT

SEAT HEIGHT

FUEL CAPACITY

PRICE

2458cc inline-3 DOHC

6 speed shaft drive

123kW

163 ft/lbs @ 4000 rpm

290 kgs

30.4 inches

18 litres

$35,000(est)

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hey may not be the Beatles or the Stones, but Triumph Motorcycles had their own British Invasion of sorts when they launched their 2020 Rocket 3 R and Rocket 3 GT at the allAmerican Sturgis Rally this year.

Like many, Triumph believe that bigger is better, and like a proud papa shamelessly paraded their utterly monstrous new edition Rocket 3, — which boasts more torque than any production motorcycle on this planet — or the next.

Available in two weapons of choice — the base Rocket 3 and the Rocket 3 GT — 2 6

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the Triumph’s new power cruisers claim a 2458 cc inline three cylinder motor. That amounts to 123kW at 6000 rpm on call — an 11% gain over the 2009 to 2018 versions of the Rocket 3.

Those numbers put the model well on top of the swinging contest amongst the other big boys. Neither Harley-Davidson, Indian, Ducati, or BMW, build a production bike with a displacement topping 2100cc — meaning the Rocket is basically in a universe of its own.

Of course this infamous motor comes with its support, matched to a reworked aluminum chassis, with Brembo superbike Stylema brake calipers, Showa suspension, and Avon tyres

specifically designed for the Rocket’s monster 240 mm rear wheel. But what good is relentless power without pilot aid?

To stem the anarchy a little, there are safety and performance features like ABS and traction control, a torque assist hydraulic clutch, and four riding modes (Road, Rain, Sport and Rider-Configurable). The Brits even saw fit to provide onboard luxuries like sat-nav, GoPro, and heated grips.

Simply put, Triumph has never — in all its years of existence — made a more powerful bike. Released in January 2020, it won’t be cheap, but it will be ours... hopefully.

MACHINES

All-Terrain

SWAGGER

BY B I L L VA R E T I M I D I S

D

espite not being the brand of choice when it comes to the off-roads, Audi is looking toward a dirty future with their AI Trail off-road concept, launched at this year’s Frankfurst Motor show.

Like the Audi AI:Con, AI:Me, and the AI:Race before it, the Audi AI:Trail is an all-electric, all-terrain beast - with the kitchen sink and every utensil thrown in. Like today's Audi's, it possesses permanent Quattro all-wheel drive, but unlike today's Audi's, this four-metre long carbon/aluminum/steel moon buggy comes with on-road autonomous capabilities and major astronaut swagger.

With chunky 22 inch wheels and 13.4

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inches of ground clearance, this thing could easily monster over 1.6 rising floods. The steepest of descents and the roughest of gravel also pose no issue as the drive train is equipped with four electric motors kicking out 320kW output and 737.6 lb-ft of torque.

Audi have come good with comfort too, with that massive glass passenger pod featuring both shell seats and hammock-like seating. Just don’t expect any traditional gauge setup here though, as a mobile phone holder with an app-based digital cluster turns your smart phone into the dash you never thought you needed.

Did we mention the drones for headlights?

Rather than your standard low/high beams,

there are five rotorless drones with integrated LEDs. Called Audi Light Pathfinders, they can fly in front of the vehicle, and illuminate the path ahead, becoming replacement headlights or really trippy spotlights. On-board cameras could also generate a video image in front of the driver, turning the Pathfinders into race cams in the sky.

Is this impractical? Absolutely.

Cool as hell? Hell, yes. Depending on Audi parent company VW, this concept could either be built in the near future for limited, exclusive customers — or show up on a Marvel movie set as product placement. ■

H E A LT H

GETTING HIGH…

ON LIFE

In the name of clinical science, MAXIM’s resident Clinical Nutritionist BROOKE BENSON CAMPBELL (BHSc Nut Med) delves into the world of plant-based adaptogens and discovers why everyone from professional athletes to Hollywood celebrities is jumping on the A-train to health and wellbeing...

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he 1960s — the age of tie-dye, social protest, flower-child environmental concern and feminist tension. As The Beatles searched India for the path to meditative transcendence, Ayurvedic medicine and vegetarianism, those left at home grappled with the ’60s concern of “meaning over money”, while attempting to form an answer to Time magazine’s question of the decade: “Is God Dead?”. The Age of Aquarius ushered an interest in explorative wellness that centred on magic mushrooms and herbal hedonism.

Fast forward to 2019. Once again, tie-dye has hit the catwalks, social protest flows through our streets, climate change has become one of Australia’s most divisive subjects and we continue to wrestle with the aftermath of the #MeToo movement. Google easily allows us to explore Ayurvedic theory and the benefits of yoga, while we eat our Hungry Jacks Vegan Cheeseburger and flip through the Twitter commentary of Time’s “The Mindful Revolution: The Science of finding focus in our stressed-out multitasking culture”. Wellness today is a key part of our cultural psyche, and once again, mushrooms and herbs are at the forefront of the Self-care Revolution.

The term “adaptogen” is another breakout of ’60s culture, coined by research scientist Dr. I.I.Brekhman in 1961 to describe a natural substance with the following properties:

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Adaptogens are non-toxic in normal therapeutic doses.

Adaptogens produce a non-specific state of resistance in the body to physical, emotional and/or environmental stress.

Read: they reduce the negative effects of stress (things like abdominal weight gain, tension headaches and frequent illness).

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They have a normalising effect on the body, helping to restore normal physiological function that is altered by stress — e.g. If the immune system is depressed, adaptogens enhance the immune response; If cortisol is high, adaptogens will lower it to normal levels.

Modern adaptogens include medicinal mushrooms and herbal supplements, and these days are incorporated into smoothies, coffee blends and tinctures, blended into cocktails (don’t laugh — it’s a thing), and added to chocolate and protein bars for instant relief. Regardless of delivery mechanism, research has shown that adaptogens work through two bodily systems: the HPA axis (hypothalamic/ pituitary/ adrenal axis), which controls endocrine function, the nervous system and some immune function, and the

SAS, or sympatho-adrenal system, which is our fight or flight response.

However, it is important to note that although all adaptogens must meet the above conditions and work via the same systems in the body, they all have unique properties and specific uses: some help cells to eliminate toxic chemicals, boost energy levels and utilise oxygen more efficiently, while others support testosterone production, boost sperm count and increase muscle mass. For this reason, Bulletproof Guru Dave Asprey believes that adaptogens could play a role in athletic performance in both short and long workouts: in short workouts, they can quickly reduce the amount of cortisol being produced to hasten recovery, and in endurance training they can keep cortisol levels steady to ensure energy remains consistent throughout.

Wellness in today’s world is about finding new natural superfoods with incredible health benefits that pack a nutritional punch as efficiently as possible, and as shown in the Google search trends of 2019, millennials (and modern science) are catching up with what herbalists and traditional healers have known for millennia: mushrooms and herbs are potent adaptogens that contain heavyhitting medicinal properties. Mushrooms have been used in ancient Chinese medicine for centuries, and around 40% of modern pharmaceuticals utilise fungi as key chemical components (penicillin, anyone?).

Interestingly, humans share around 30% of their DNA with fungi and, in terms of health, this crossover allows our bodies to use the bioactive compounds in mushrooms much more successfully than we do other supplements. In short, nothing works as well to help rebuild and strengthen an empty tank that’s running low on energy.

Similarly, Ayurvedic herbs like Ashwagandha, Triphala and Brahmi work to balance stress levels to support immune function, memory and cognition and fight against anxiety and depression. With origins dating back over 5,000 years, these Indian herbs are also well absorbed in powder or capsule form and make holistic healthcare as simple as a daily dose. Interestingly, in both Chinese and Indian cultures soldiers have employed adaptogens to handle the physical and emotional stress of combat, boost energy levels and promote recovery post-battle. So, as you throw yourself fullsteam-ahead into the conflict that is modern life, could an adaptogen be the secret to your skirmish success?

Here is a guide to the most promising adaptogens on the market — they are all clinically trialled, scientifically certified, centuries old and may just be the boost you need to get through to 2020:

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H E A LT H

(ABOVE & BELOW)

REISHI MUSHROOM

When you want to chill out and relax, Reishi is the mushroom to turn to. It can help soothe and calm the nervous system and provide a deeper sleep, and it also functions as a natural anti-histamine, so it perfect for those with allergies. This magic mushroom works to lower blood sugar levels by down-regulating alpha-

glucosidase, the enzyme responsible for breaking down starches into sugars, and so is fantastic for those wanting to build a summer six-pack. And, if that’s not enough, Reishi also aids the immune system to fight viral and bacterial illness thanks to a high content of beta-glucans (complex carbohydrates that stimulate the immune system and help suppress tumour growth).

Buyer beware, though, Reishi has a strong, bitter taste so mix the powder form with cacao and coconut milk to improve the taste and add it to your nighttime routine.

(ABOVE & BELOW RIGHT)

CHAGA MUSHROOM

Known as the King of Mushrooms, Chaga is a nutritional powerhouse, high in antioxidants to protect the skin against damaging free radicals and premature aging, and B vitamins for energy. It is also packed with betalin and betalinic acid, a potent antiviral and is highly antiinflammatory. Chaga has an earthy and smooth taste similar to coffee, which makes it a great alternative to the mid-morning caffeine hit.

This one is your civil, wellpresented office fungi, and is perfect for travel.

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(ABOVE)

CORDYCEPS MUSHROOM Also called “caterpillar fungus”, Cordyceps is a parasitic fungi that takes over the body of the caterpillar, eventually mummifying and growing our of the head of the host as it fruits (fascinating, but truly freaky, the YouTube video of this occurrence is enough to make your toes curl).

Disgusting development aside, cordyceps is a powerful energy tonic that helps build physical power, increases oxygen utilisation and endurance levels and reduces fatigue. It’s also nicknamed “Cordysex” for its blood flow and stimulating properties, so expect a libido boost with this one – this adaptogen is all about stamina, in and out of the bedroom. This is also the ultimate antiaging mushroom. It decreases the pro-inflammatory monoamine oxidase and lipid peroxidation activity that causes us to age. Benjamin Button with a side of Hugh Hefner in a jam-packed ’shroom.

(RIGHT)

ASHWAGANDHA

The ultimate stress-buster, Ashwagandha helps to support the HPA axis and nurture the adrenals. Taken daily, Ashwagandha has been shown in clinical studies to reduce anxiety by 44% making it a great alternative to addictive benzodiazepine medications. Results, published in the Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, showed that those taking ashwagandha didn’t just feel less stressed, but in addition expressed significant reduction in depression, social dysfunction, physical symptoms and insomnia. Best of all, Ashwagandha can be taken alongside SSRI antidepressant medications to support anxiety levels.

Moreover, this herb can manage weight and food cravings in chronically stressed people. One 6g capsule a day is all it takes to reap the rewards of Ashwagandha, and as it works to lower cortisol levels in the body, it will also rebalance the circadian rhythm, enhancing sleep quality and quantity. Interestingly, studies show Ashwagandha supplementation also enhances sperm count and motility, so is a natural way to boost male fertility.

Other studies also show that the small dose of 600mg per day for eight weeks led to a 1.5-1.7 times larger increase in muscle strength and 1.6-2.3 times higher increase in muscle size when compared to a placebo, making Ashwagandha an essential addition to a workout regime.

medicinal mushrooms, and a potent nootropic (a natural “smart drug”) and brain activator. Recent studies have found it to have antioxidant effects, to increase concentration and memory recall, and to stimulate Nerve Growth factor (a lack of which can contribute to the onset of Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia). While Lion’s Mane is also a culinary mushroom, even in its powdered drink form it tastes sweet and savory, like mushroom soup.

(BELOW RIGHT)

BRAHMI

The ultimate brain tonic, this herb contains active ingredients called bacosides that work together to deliver brain-boosting and adaptogenic benefits. Brahmi is an enabler of Synaptogenesis (the formation of synapses between neurons) which is

essential to skill set development, and supports serotonin levels to reduce anxiety and boost levels of concentration.

An extensive Australian study into the effects of Brahmi supplementation found that it consistently improves higher order cognitive processes such as improved speed of visual information processing, learning rates and memory consolidation.

Interestingly, Brahmi is one of the few nootropics demonstrated to improve the memories and learning capacity of healthy people, as most are trialled in aging or stroke-affected populations, so this is one for every office worker or student, regardless of age and lifestyle. Word of warning here — several animal studies show that Brahmi diminishes sperm potency, so this may not be the herb for you if baby-making is on the horizon. ■

(RIGHT)

LION’S MANE This is the most unique of the

ABOUT BROOKE

Brooke Benson Campbell (BHSc) is a Clinical Nutritionist and Naturopath, speaker, writer and presenter with a passion for all things health, beauty and wellbeing.

A self-proclaimed human test subject, she is constantly trialling the newest products, seeking the latest discoveries and reading the current clinical studies, in order to share her findings with the public through private practice, social media and industry education.

Follow Brooke at her Instagram @the.b.b.c

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FITSPO

H E A LT H & F I T N E S S

Up close and personal with fitness champion, nutritionist, healthy-living motivator and Bulk Nutrients ambassador LARA GYA…

H

ello, Lara, tell us a bit about yourself?

Hey! I’m Lara – a qualified nutritionist, IFBB (International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness) competitor and a lover of all things health and fitness.

I’m also a Biomedical Sciences graduate which was a VERY full-on degree. I was at university 9am to 5pm every day working hard to achieve my undergraduate degree. It was very science based as I may be a very big nerd.

fitness. It wasn’t until I decided to change my life around and lose 25kg that really led me to competing. I trained hard, dedicated myself and changed my whole life around

in order to compete. I ended up winning overall the first year I competed and have not stopped competing since

You recently finished your master’s degree in Nutrition — what’s the best diet and fitness tip you could give us?

I love to help individuals wanting to achieve their health and fitness goals, so the best diet... is simple – you need to find HEALTHY foods which you love and enjoy.

I always believe a diet is a lifestyle change and for me I really believe in balance and achieving that long term will help you achieve your goals.

You are also a fitness competitor who has a few ICN Victoria Overall Champion titles under your belt. How did you get into this and achieve these wins?

Well, I never used to be into

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What’s the best way to prepare for a fitness competition?

To make sure you’re ALL-IN! It’s also important to find what motivates you when preparing.

I always want to achieve the best physique possible and ensuring I dedicate myself 100% each time is a great way to prepare.

It’s also important to remain consistent – even in the offseason as it makes competition prepping a whole lot easier.

How did you get involved with the team at Bulk Nutrients Pure Supplements?

It’s funny because I was using Bulk Nutrients before I even became an ambassador for them!

I love the brand and really believe in their products, so I applied to be a part of the team and the rest is history.

What does your role as ambassador for them involve?

One of my favourites is attending some amazing events and seeing like-minded people compete for their goals! I love the bodybuilding shows, of course!

“I was using Bulk Nutrients before I even became an ambassador for them! I love the brand and really believe in their products,” says nutritionist and IFBB competitor Lara Gya.

“I LOVE TO HELP INDIVIDUALS WANTING TO ACHIEVE THEIR HEALTH AND FITNESS GOALS”

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H E A LT H & F I T N E S S What do you love most about Bulk Nutrients supplements?

I love that they taste amazing! Have you tried their Salted Caramel Thermo Whey? Seriously, it’s my secret addiction.

Their range is very versatile and caters to a lot of individuals. I use all their proteins daily, along with the BCAAS (Branched Chin Amino Acids) which are great at fuelling my workouts.

What separates these supplements from the competition?

Bulk Nutrients are very versatile in the way that it caters for a lot of individuals with different goals and sports. It’s also very affordable and they taste great.

Suffice to say that their products are the best you will ever try!

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What’s your best asset?

This is a tough one, but a lot of people compliment me on my shoulders. I’ve been working hard at them and must say they are probably one of the strongest features I have.

When you’re not eating healthy and working out, what else do you love to do in your spare time?

I love to go for walks, horse riding and have beach days. I’m also quite the travel bug and plan on going to India, Europe and America next year.

“IT WASN’T UNTIL I DECIDED TO CHANGE MY LIFE AROUND AND LOSE 25KG THAT REALLY LED ME TO COMPETING.”

What else is next for you? Are there any exciting upcoming projects you can share with us?

I’m currently training to compete in the IFBB Arnold next March and I’m also taking my online business to the next level by doing nutrition seminars around Australia and also some internationally.

I want to share my knowledge with the world and encourage individuals to let them know that they can make a change. ■

For more info go to www.bulknutriets.com.au and follow Lara on Instagram at @laralive2lift

DRINK

The First Families Of Wine:

HENSCHKE A new book profiling eleven of Australia’s oldest, most respected, family-owned, multigenerational wineries celebrates the people who make many of our country’s most iconic drops. In this edited extract, we take a look at the history of household name Henschke…

WO R D S BY R I C HAR D AL L E N

A

mong the 120 hand-picked guests fortunate enough to attend Henschke’s 150th anniversary celebrations at the winery in 2018 was Hieu Van Le, the 35th Governor of South Australia. Stephen Henschke, CEO and chief winemaker at Henschke and the fifth generation of the family to run the iconic winery in South Australia’s Eden Valley, told the guests that the Governor’s presence at the celebrations was particularly appropriate.

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P H OTO G R A P H Y BY K I M B A L B A K E R

“We were thrilled that the Governor attended our celebrations and it was not lost on us the parallels between his arrival in Australia and the arrival of my great-great-grandfather 136 years earlier,” Stephen said.

Stephen’s great-great-grandfather, Johann Christian Henschke, was a refugee, arriving by boat from Europe in 1841. Van Le arrived in Australia by boat from Vietnam in 1977.

Stephen told the story from the old cellars at the Henschke winery, north of the town of

Keyneton. The doorways of those cellars are so low that most visitors have to stoop to go through them. Around the walls are dusty bottles of Hill of Grace with their original white labels and simple black type: “Henschke Hill of Grace, 1962, Premier Quality Estate Bottled, CA Henschke and Co, Keyneton, S.A.” The cost of a bottle back then was less than $2.50 in today’s value.

Both inside and outside these cellars you could be forgiven for thinking that little has

changed here over the past century. Then again, at Henschke very few things are rushed.

As veteran wine commentator James Halliday said, when he was writing about the winery’s 150th anniversary, which coincided with the 177th anniversary of the arrival of Johann Christian Henschke and his family aboard the Danish frigate, the Skjold: “The stoic Lutheran faith is embedded into the very rocks of the Barossa and Eden valleys, the rocks used to build churches, schools and houses. Time and change moved slowly and inexorably, six days each week given to work from dawn to dusk.”

The cause of Johann Christian’s decision to move to Australia was a decree in 1817 by King Friedrich Wilhelm III that Prussia’s religion would be stronger under one Protestant church. The decree was largely ignored by the local Lutheran Protestant people, of whom Johann Christian was one. The King closed Lutheran churches and pastors were forced to hold services in private homes or in the forest.

The King would not back down. Fines were issued, livestock seized and many Lutherans were beaten and imprisoned. Eventually, many decided to leave their homeland.

On May 6 1841, Johann Christian and his wife Appolonia, together with their four children — Gottlieb, 10, August, eight, Wilhelm, six, and eight-month-old daughter Luise — packed their belongings and boarded a barge with 270 others from their home town of Kutschlau, near the Oder River in Silesia, bound for Hamburg. Before they left the police issued a warning: any singing of Lutheran hymns as they passed throughs towns would be dealt with harshly.

CLOCKWISE (FROM TOP): Stephen Henschke pumping over and monitoring a red fermentation; Henschke Hill of Grace vineyard; Inscription by Julius Henschke on original red fermenter, 1901

Several weeks passed before they began the voyage to South Australia. Johann Christian and Appolonia’s baby Luise died before they left. As they entered the mouth of the Elbe River into the North Sea, the on-board pastor offered prayers: “Be Thou our compass, rudder and mast and let Thy breath speed us on our way.” During the 98-day voyage more than 50 people died of dysentery and were buried at sea. Appolonia died as the ship sailed down Africa’s west coast and six weeks later, as the Skjold made its way across the southern latitudes of the Indian Ocean, sixyear-old Wilhelm also died. The Skjold finally landed at Port Adelaide on October 28 1841.

Stephen Henschke admits he reflects deeply when talking about his forebears, particularly Johann Christian and his family.

“I get quite emotional when I think of my ancestor promising his young family a better life in a new country known as Australia, and then losing his wife and two children on the voyage,” he says. “He must have been devastated. But not long after, together with 17 other families, they left Adelaide and founded a village in the Adelaide Hills. They named it Lobethal, meaning ‘Valley of Praise’.

Imagine going through all of that hardship and still feeling you were blessed. People often ask, ‘Which person from the past would you invite to dinner?’ I would certainly invite my great-great-grandfather. I loved my grandfather and was only 13 years old when he died, but I regret not asking him about his grandfather.

He would have known him.”

Stephen pays tribute to the earlier generations of his family in the introduction to Hill of Grace: 150 Years of Henschke Under Southern Skies, written by Fiona MacDonald: “Each generation of Henschke has contributed to our success — winemakers Christian, Gotthard, Alfred, Cyril and their families.

The deft hands of these men and women shaped our future with fieldstone, native timber, yeast and vines.”

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After settling at Lobethal with his two remaining children, Johann Christian gained work as a wheelwright. Two years later he married Dorothea Elisabeth Schmidt and they would have eight more children. They moved to Krondorf in the Barossa Valley after the birth of their second child. In 1862, Johann Christian bought land in what is now the Keyneton district of the Eden Valley. He built a small cellar and with the help of his son, Paul Gotthard Henschke, planted a vineyard with the aim of producing wine for his family and friends. Johann Christian, who would often walk the 20 kilometres from Krondorf with a wheelbarrow to work on the property, sold the first vintage of his wines — most likely Riesling and Shiraz — in 1868.

Johann Christian’s extraordinary life ended in 1873, by which time he had passed ownership of the property to Paul Gotthard, who planted more vines and increased wine production.

He married Johanne Mathilde Schulz in 1870 and they gave birth to seven children. As well as wine and farming, much of his life was devoted to his music. He played the organ in the Gnadenberg Church and formed the district’s first brass band in 1888, known as the Henschke Brass Band. Paul Gotthard died in 1914 and his son Paul Alfred Henschke — then in his mid-30s, the third generation — took the helm at Henschke. In 1907, he married Johanne Ida Selma Stanitzki (known as ‘Selma’), also a child of a winegrowing family, and they had twelve children, continuing the Henschke tradition of large families. Notably, Selma’s grandfather, Nicolaus Stanitzki, had been one of the earliest settlers in the district and had planted some of the first Shiraz vines opposite the village church in the mid nineteenth century, a vineyard that would later become known as Hill of Grace.

The Hill of Grace vineyard was bought by Paul Alfred’s son, Louis Edmund Henschke, who extended it in the 1950s. The purchase

and subsequent ownership of this vineyard, which sits opposite the Gnadenberg Church at Parrot Hill, where several Henschke ancestors are buried, would vault the family and its wines into superstardom. Paul Alfred extended the original cellars, and built brick and concrete fermenting vats and underground storage tanks. He bought more land — near Angaston, Moculta and Loxton — and planted more vines. He and Selma’s youngest child, Cyril Henschke, born in 1924, would become the fourth generation to run the winery. He left school at age 15 and went straight to work.

He survived the post-war Depression and was convinced that Australian wine drinkers were slowly turning towards dry table wines, led by a change in food and wine culture in Australia, influenced in particular by Greek and Italian migrants.

Assisted by his brother Louis, Cyril further extended the winery and built a fermentation cellar. After his father retired in 1952, Cyril began experimenting with different varieties, including Frontignac, Semillon, Sercial, Ugni Blanc (Trebbiano) and Riesling. He began phasing out fortified wine and in 1952 created

FROM TOP: Kane Schiller, cellar hand, plunging the cap of a red fermentation in a stainless-steel fermenter; Fifth, sixth and seventh generations of the Henschke family. (Back, left to right) Ruby, Andreas and Justine (front, left to right) Prue, Matilda, Johann, Angela and Stephen; Ruins of the Parrot Hill post office, shop and school

the Mount Edelstone Shiraz, a wine that would win awards in wine shows throughout Australia. On the back of that success, six years later he launched his second single-vineyard Shiraz, Hill of Grace, which underlined his fame. This iconic wine has been made every year since, with the exception of 1960, 1974, 2000 and 2011. The grapes are hand-picked and, following traditional, open submergedcap fermentation, the wine is matured in a percentage of new oak to build complexity.

Bottles sell today for more than $800, often with a limit of three per customer, or one per customer in very small yielding years.

Cyril was awarded a Churchill Fellowship and travelled in 1970 to wine regions in Germany, the United States and South Africa.

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CLOCKWISE (FROM ABOVE): Old oak vats used formaturing fortified wine; original Henschke wine cellar, built in the 1860s; Stephen Henschke holding the euphonium of his great grandfather, Paul Gotthard Henschke; Original basket press from the early 1900s

After returning he became one of the founders of the Barons of the Barossa wine fraternity with the likes of Wyndham Hill-Smith, Colin Gramp, Bill Seppelt and Peter Lehmann, to promote the wines and winemaking cultures of the Barossa and Eden valleys.

Cyril married Doris Elvira Klemm in 1947 and had three children — Paul, Stephen and Christine. When Cyril died in 1979, after what can only be described as a stellar winemaking career, Stephen Henschke took over the running of the winery, and was well qualified to do so. After completing a Bachelor of Science Degree at the University of Adelaide he gained winemaking experience at Rothbury Estate in New South Wales.

In 1975 and 1976 he and his wife Prue, who had graduated in science at the University of Adelaide, majoring in botany and zoology, spent two years at the Geisenheim Institute of Viticulture and Wine Technology in Germany. They returned to Australia and both enrolled in a wine science distance education course at the Riverina College of Advanced Education in Wagga Wagga.

During this time Stephen returned to work with his father while Prue took a position at Roseworthy Agricultural College in South Australia, researching top grafting of vines as a way of changing grape varieties.

In 1981, Stephen and Prue, bursting with ideas from their time in Europe, bought an apple orchard at the top end of the Lenswood valley in the Adelaide Hills to grow coolclimate varieties. Little did Stephen realise at the time that they had completed the full circle by ending up within a few kilometres of where his ancestor first settled. It became a research and development project, with plantings of Pinot Noir, Merlot, Chardonnay, Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon, and it also enabled Prue to explore theories about cool-

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climate viticulture, site selection and canopy management.

Across the Henschke vineyards Prue also began exploring the soil profiles, groundcover provided by native grasses, compost and straw mulch, organic sprays, biodynamics and different trellis systems. Being a botanist, she classified all the native plants in the Eden Valley region. Prue selected and planted the native Sweet Bursaria (Bursaria spinosa) at the end of rows of vines in order to attract predators, like native wasps, and to control insect pests, such as the vine moth and light brown apple moth caterpillars. Prue then began a painstaking 30-year mass-selection project. To protect the future of their oldest vineyards, she identified the best-performing vines at Mount Edelstone and Hill of Grace.

She took cuttings from the selected vines and planted them in replicates in a nursery.

The study validated the four top vines from Hill of Grace and 17 top vines from Mount Edelstone. In 2017, a nursery block was established to grow replacement vines for both vineyards.

Meanwhile Stephen began incorporating barrel fermentation in his red wine production, as well as more flexible refrigeration for his white wines. In 1996 he became one of the first

Australian winemakers to introduce screw caps to replace corks. He also became the first winemaker in Australia to use the German glass closure, the Vino-Lok, for his top reds, after a five-year trial. “Tradition is incredibly important to us because of our 150-year history, however I believe winemakers from all across the world will need to consider alternative closures due to the expense and frustration experienced by consumers from the inherent problems with cork, which includes random oxidation, leaking, crumbling corks and cork taint,” he says.

Along the way, both Stephen and Prue have picked up many awards, including the 1995 Advance Australia Award for outstanding contribution to the wine industry, the 1995

CLOCKWISE (FROM ABOVE): Stephen Henschke assessing the colour of his red wines; Stephen assessing a barrel ferment Chardonnay with daughter Justine and winemaker Dave Bursey; Krondorf cottage, built by Johann Christian Henschke in 1847; Close-up of plunging the cap of a red fermentation

International Red Winemaker of the Year award, the 2006 Gourmet Traveller Wine magazine’s Winemaker of the Year award and the 2017 James Halliday Wine of the Year for the 2012 Hill of Grace. Today, Henschke crushes around 800 tonnes of grapes a year, which yields around 40,000 cases. The family’s Eden Valley vineyards sit at an altitude of 400 to 500 metres, which receives an annual rainfall of 500 to 700 millimetres — 50 kilometres to the south at Lenswood it is more than double that.

Stephen credits his father Cyril with much of Henschke’s success. “Cyril was pioneering premium table wine when the industry was still committed to fortified wines,” he says.

“In Eden Valley we harvest two weeks later than the Barossa Valley and he knew that this meant the region was too cool for fortified wines. He recognised that there was a future in table wines. He was quite innovative — he planted quite a few new varieties and was happy to experiment.” Two years after Cyril died Stephen released a tribute to his father with the Commemorative Release Cyril Henschke Cabernet Sauvignon, which had an image of Cyril on the front label and a eulogy by Stephen on the back.

Stephen is thankful that his ancestors had the resolve and persistence to keep going, especially through the wars and the Great Depression. “Importantly, the Barossan Lutherans were hard working and conscientious. The period around the wars was difficult. My grandparents who lived through that time survived because we were a farm with our own produce as well as a winery.

Some of my best memories as a child were bringing in the sheep from the farm in the horse and buggy with my grandfather. There were seven wineries in our village of Keyneton, but we were the only one that survived. Clearly, they were tough times and farming was a demanding life, you needed to have tenacity and resolve. They were resilient people.”

Stephen and Prue’s three children — Johann, Justine and Andreas, the sixth generation — are all involved at Henschke to different degrees. Johann, 35, studied winemaking at the University of Adelaide before completing vintages in the United States, New Zealand and Italy. In 2012 he completed an international masters in oenology and viticulture in Montpellier and in 2013 returned to Henschke, where he is working as a winemaker and viticulturist.

Justine, 32, graduated with arts and commerce marketing degrees and, after working in these fields in London, New York and Sydney, returned to the business as marketing and public relations manager in 2015. Andreas, 28, did an engineering degree at the University of Adelaide and works for an engineering company in Melbourne, but maintains his role as an ambassador for the family winery.

“The benefits of being a family-owned winery outweigh the downsides,” Stephen says.

“We have an authentic history and the heritage of both our story and our ancestors’ wonderful stories, which include their perseverance and skilled but humble beginnings. The winery has

become a significant part of who we are as a family.” Stephen writes in Hill of Grace: 150 Years of Henschke Under Southern Skies — It is a different world as we hand on the business to our children. The speed of innovation is dramatic. Many things will change. But some will remain the same; our traditions, our place, our vines growing in some of Australia’s oldest vineyards. We are referred to here as the “new world” in wine terms, but Henschke was founded before Bordeaux was classified and the Barossa Ranges have some of the most ancient soils in the world. The future, he says, is about being better, not bigger.

“We will continue to play on our strengths, which include growing traditional varieties like Shiraz and Riesling, but there’s still room to trial new things. We focus on being minimalistic. We want to maintain traditional winemaking techniques where we can. We embrace innovation where we need to. We make great wine so the most important thing is that we keep doing that.” ■ Australia’s First Families of Wine, rrp$69.99, by Richard Allen and Kimbal Baker, published by Melbourne University Publishing (MUP), is available at all good booksellers now

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GAMES

Greatness awaits on PlayStation 4...

STATE OF PLAY With all the biggest gaming franchises, a catalogue of killer exclusives and the futuristic experience that is VR, Sony’s PlayStation 4 is a gamer’s paradise.

Each month we catch up on the latest and greatest PS4 news and announcements...

SPECIAL PREVIEW Developer:

Naughty Dog (Uncharted series) Genre:

Action-Adventure, Survival-Horro Release Date:

May 29, 2020

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THE LAST OF US II

o one does interactive storytelling as well as developer Naughty Dog. As a pup in the '90s, this legendary American studio cut its teeth on platforming fare like the Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter series, then things got serious. Naughty dog swung into more swashbuckling pursuits with the Uncharted quadrilogy. From there, 2013's The Last of Us went even more mature stull, taking a considerably darker tone. Yet it’s widely regarded as one of the most masterfully produced, gut-wrenching games ever made.

Impressively, its follow up is shaping up to be even bigger, and even better. MAXIM travelled halfway around the world to see it in action for ourselves. So, what can you expect when that controller hits your hands? A post-pandemic tale of survival that's equal parts horror and an extended musing on what hatred and violence — justified or otherwise — reaps us in the long run. Once more you'll be slipping into the faded, ass-kicking Converse of Ellie, a grizzled survivor who's now become a dab hand at shanking the blind mutants infesting the carcass of this new world.

Likewise, she's more adept at guerrilla tactics against large mobs of human marauders. Tense exploration frequently gives way to fluid stealth combat, where Ellie ghosts people in ways that make your average Predator look amateurish... and lenient.

Make no mistake: The Last of Us Part II is shockingly violent in places. The fact that the name of your victim can get shrieked at you, from their grieving comrades, sure doesn't help the guilt factor. The less said about picking off their patrolling German Shepherd pets, the better.

Even in an unfinished state, our hands-on time with this sequel revealed something of a technological marvel, both from

ING LOtAheDbiggest gatmo eplay

PlayStation Plus If you sign up for PlayStation Plus, not only do you get access to the PS4’s full suite of online experiences, but you get two free games a month. For November, there is survival-horror indie hit The Outcast II, but also action-RPG Nioh from iconic developer Team Ninja. A sequel, Nioh 2, is going to be one of the first big PS4 exclusives of 2020 (out March 13).

So, this is a chance to get up to speed on the series if you’re quick!

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the ite, ilable Fortn rld, is ava ’t caught ge n o u d h a w h a in the nd if you e rough ne th inished, th .

4, a o g S t P s f s on has ju Season X r two day it s r o new After t offline f h Chapte . e g chan ame wen s wit a whole a w it g , it entire it returned ught with lay o amep When on 1. It br d-back g des, e s lu p a c e ip r (in 2S ap, st water fishing). new m focus on and g a in d m an P S4. , swim y on boats free-to-pla It’s

– Out Now – Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

the visual and mechanical standpoints. For over a decade, Naughty Dog's artisans have been known as trailblazers of new game-making techniques, and the big upgrade this time around is in MotionMatching animation. In layman's terms: it's a way to eliminate the stilted “seam” moments when one player movement has to end and another begin.

The end result is hours upon hours of gameplay sequences that look so fluid, so eerily natural, you could have sworn everything was filmed non-stop on a motion capture stage with hundreds of actors.

As if that wasn't enough, The Last of Us Part II is taking notes from the horse happy antics of Red

Dead Redemption 2. Equine exploration from the back of Mr. Ed has been trotted out into the gameplay.

Naughty Dog has taken the blinkers off and opened up the environments, too. So expect wider fields from which to scrape together precious crafting materials, or to stumble upon tragic environmental storytelling moments.

Or hey — your snooping might just uncover a nest of a new breed of hulking, flesh hungry mutants with serious flatulence problems. The Last of Us Part II explodes onto TV screens in May 29, 2020, and is right on track to the be the biggest PS4 exclusive of the year. In fact, it’s sure to be in the conversation for best game of the year across all formats!

PS5 Watch We’re now officially one year away from the arrival of PlayStation 5, and while there is a tonne of great gaming to enjoy between now and then, it’s still hard not to get excited. We can now confirm the console will run the latest AMD Ryzen CPU, Navi GPU system and SSD hard-drive tech. So, it will load superfast and have the latest in graphic trickery, such as ray tracing and 8K resolution.

It will double as a 4K Blu-ray player and will be backwards compatible with PS4. Plus, the DualShock controller will gain adaptive triggers that can sense pressure, and swap Rumble for Haptic feedback in the sticks.

BY C H R I S STEAD

The must-play PS4 game of the month is Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. The third-person action adventure comes from Respawn Entertainment (Titanfall, Apex Legends, Call of Duty).

This game is not about online multiplayer, however. It’s a story focused adventure title similar to a Tomb Raider or Uncharted.

You play a Jedi padawan in the wake of Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith, trying to evade the Empire’s Order 66. With Force powers, lightsaber combat, droids and a million familiar sounds and sights, this is blockbuster PS4 gaming.

LOA DING

The Pla the s ySt atio n video econd-b 4 is no w e g time ame co st selling 103 . Having nsole o f m mark illion wo passed t all he , it e rldw c ide s lipse Play ale S s still a t ation. H the orig s inal owe long ver, way epic behin it’s 15 0 dt mil of th lion resu he e PS lt 2.

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GAMES

Breathtaking

CYBERPUNK 2077 The famed developer of The Witcher series, CD Projekt Red, has a new IP coming out in 2020 that’s taking the RPG to the next level...

BY C H R I S STEAD

Game: Cyberpunk 2077 Developer: CD Projekt Red Genre: RPG Formats: PS4, PC, XBO, Google Stadia Release date: April 16, 2020

INGer D A O L ou pre-ord077

If y k2 es rpun Cybe E B Gam nus h g bo u a o r e h r t o g an sc eyrin you c lbook, k s. e r e e t t s pos and

I

t’s an odd name for a developer, isn’t it? It’s not like CD Projekt Red rolls off the tongue. But the Polish developer has most certainly established itself as one of video gaming’s premier studios over the last decade. With its three core games in The Witcher series, the developer has consistently pushed back the boundaries of what is possible in an RPG. Those games were loved for their scale, depth, combat, character, story and visuals. For their huge immersive worlds. And for remaining morally ambiguous, allowing the player to truly become the hero and forge their own path, including branching storylines and multiple endings, through the world.

For 12 years now, The Witcher has been king of the RPG genre, standing shoulder to shoulder with the likes of The Elder Scrolls and Mass Effect.

But it was time for a change.

For something new. And it arrives

on April 16, 2020, in the form of Cyberpunk 2077.

MAXIM has not only been lucky enough to get a sneak peak of the game in action, but to do it alongside studio head John Mamais, who talked us through his exciting creation.

A BRIGHT NEW WORLD? “Story is the most important thing for us,” Mamais reveals enthusiastically. “We started with the story and everything centres on that. We spent the most amount of our development time on story.”

As you may have guessed from the title, this game is set in the year 2077. Society in America has moreor-less crumbled, with megacorporations running the show. Set in a location called Night City, these corporations are easy to spot, residing in towering skyscrapers. But their influence spreads all the way down to the sewers, where drugs, sex, gangs, poverty and decadence clash with pop culture into an immersive stew, thick with possibility. In it, people try and find a way to survive by any means necessary.

This includes wannabe mercenaries like V, your character, who hide in the shadows and cracks.

You have chosen to run from a life controlled by the corporations. Instead, you’ve set about enhancing yourself with black market cybernetics, giving you the powers you need to give “the man” the finger by taking on bigger and better contracts.

When you step into V’s shoes, you’re more-orless a nobody who has just picked up their first genuine contract. But by the end of a game you’ll be an urban legend. It’s just unclear what kind of legend you will be. “It’s not just the game overall that is non-linear,” Mamais points out. ‘But the individual quests themselves don’t follow any set path. They can branch depending on how you talk to people or how you behave.”

A HUGE, OPEN ENVIRONMENT Night City is mammoth. It has six distinct districts, as well as the surrounding outskirts, and you’re free to roam the entirety of this world as you see fit. You can steal cars, bikes and other vehicles, negotiate your way 4 8

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through areas of varying safety, trading for better gear or cyberenhancements or mixing with a near endless roster of characters.

The latter offers branching dialogue trees, where not only the abilities you level-up, but the player background you create for V at the start of the game, have an impact.

In a huge technical achievement, the transition through the world — in and out of fantastic cutscenes and even between quests — is seamless. This, combined with the incredible visuals, creates a truly immersive playing experience.

INFINITE GAMEPLAY POSSIBILITIES Also immersive is the way you can level your character into certain play styles. You can become more of a run and gunner, or play stealth, or opt to be a hacker.

And layered on top of all of that are the cybernetics, which offer layer and layer of options to the way you handle any situation. “It’s not alchemy and magic like The Witcher, this time it is about cybernetics,” says Mamais, indicating just how central modding your player’s body is to the gameplay.

The overall feeling reminds us of Deus Ex or Hitman, where you are free to find any solution you like to complete a challenge using a fast array of tools and abilities. And as Mamais points out, that’s not where the freedom ends.

“If you put more points into abilities that favour a heavy style of play, but then also funnel some towards abilities that support a hacking style, you can shift your playstyle quite freely. There is also a stealth style, which focuses in on melee combat. By the end

of the game, when you have lots of points, you can play any style.” Adding further intrigue, at the end of our session we were taken out of Night City and into cyberspace. There is some gameplay in this Matrix-like world, as well as a suggestion that a key part of the story will involve battling a virus that’s invaded your cybernetics and finding a way beyond a firewall set up in this playing space. But Mamais was coy on details: “After the second corporate war, the wider internet become too dangerous, so they shut it down. Instead we see these smaller corporate sub-nets, which are individual closed systems you can hack into. They’re not all interconnected.”

ADDICTIVE GAMING To say we walked away impressed from our time with Cyberpunk 2077 would be an understatement. The richly detailed world, incredibly layered gameplay and a modern story can’t help but resonate. This is surely one of 2020’s marquee gaming experiences.

You must hand it to CD Projekt Red. To shift from the sword and sandals medieval fare of The Witcher, to a futuristic first-person shooter with stealth and hacking mechanics is incredible. But the gunplay — from sliding into cover, using human shields, ripping off turrets and adding modifications — is so incredibly smooth, you’d think they had been making FPSs for decades.

Plus, we’ve barely touched on the incredible results you can get from the hacking minigames, such as forcing an enemy with a bionic arm to shoot himself. More on that closely to release; April 16 can’t come soon enough! ■

Needs More Keanu Keanu Reeves is so hot right now. Reaching new heights with the John Wick series, the iconic actor is seemingly in everything awesome coming out of Hollywood at the moment.

From Toy Story 4 to Between Two Ferns, and with new Matrix and Bill & Ted sequels coming next. As such, it’s a huge win for Cyberpunk 2077 that he plays a key, starring role in the game.

Not just his voice, but the full Keanu likeness takes on the role of Johnny Silverhand, something of a spiritual guide to your character.

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COVER GIRL

Hannah I

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Model, qualified equestrian and lover of the arts, HANNAH WIDMER, makes her MAXIM debut. Enjoy the ride…

P H OTO G R A P H E D BY R AV E N D U R Á N I N T E R V I E W S A N T I P I N TA D O

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H COVER GIRL

ey, Hannah, congrats on your first MAXIM cover. How do you feel?

It is such an honour to represent such an iconic magazine. I’m thrilled beyond belief – MAXIM is a dream come true.

What do you love most about this photo shoot?

I love the location – it’s one of the most beautiful places with kind and generous people and surrounded by my beloved horses. Also getting to shoot with my soul sister, Raven Durán is always a dream come true.

Did you do anything different to prepare for this shoot?

I have a set routine. I do lots of exercise which includes a daily five-mile bike ride, yoga, 50 flights of steps plus I eat healthy and get plenty of sleep.

Well, you look fit. What would you say is your best asset?

I feel that my best asset is my smile.

When I wear a true genuine smile it means that I’m my happiest and it lights up my whole face – and my vibe just changes.

A sense of humour is really important to me – a good laugh will truly get you through anything.

When do you feel sexy?

Things can be looking perfect on the outside, but people really have no idea what’s really going on inside. Living up to the persona of something unrealistic can be incredibly draining. I think in order to

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“A SENSE OF HUMOUR IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME — A GOOD LAUGH WILL TRULY GET YOU THROUGH ANYTHING.” make it, you have to be able to separate yourself from the persona, the fashion world wants the ideal of glamorous and sexy and all that stuff. But really you have to be comfortable in front of the camera by just being yourself. I feel most sexy when I am being my authentic self and being who I am is crucial, otherwise you will lose yourself. My perception of myself is very different from the perception people have of me. The person that not many people get to see is what is truly sexy about me.

For those who don’t know a lot about you, give us a brief background about your life story so far.

I feel I’m a very multi-dimensional woman, so actually this question I’m having the most difficulty with, when it should be the easiest for me to answer. While these are all bits and pieces of me, not one defines me fully. So here it goes, I’m a 23-year old single woman, I’m in my final year of college majoring in Art Therapy/Studio Art, and I’m an accomplished equestrian and show some of the most beautiful horses in the world. A big passion of mine is modelling, I’m so happy and comfortable in front of a camera – for me there’s no feeling like it. I feel the most confident and happy either on the back of a horse or in front of a camera. I keep my circle small and treasure those in it.

Nice one. What would people be most surprised to know about you?

I’m an Aquarius, I’m a visionary, I imagine my dreams and I work to make it possible.

I’m someone with a progressive soul. I spend so much of my time thinking about how things can be better, what I can do better, what I can improve. I can be very impatient, even temperamental, but I want

to leave the world a better place than I found it.

What do you do when you’re not posing for MAXIM? I try to do as much travelling as possible.

I love experiencing new cultures to help me become a well-rounded individual and expand my horizons. I also try to visit art museums in each new city I visit. I’m very happy being in my own company, I’m very independent and I'm very family oriented.

You’ll never find me in the party scene as I require a deeper one-on-one connection you won’t find in an environment like a bar.

What’s the best way for a man to win his way to your heart?

What I expect out of myself, I expect also out of my mate. I have to have a deep intellectual and sexual connection – almost spiritual. Confidence and a kind heart are a must. Men tell me that I’m intimidating and that I have too much self-confidence. Somebody just has to be my equal, not back down to me and learn how to seduce my mind and then my body. It’s an absolute must.

What’s one thing men should always remember about women?

Don’t ever be afraid to approach a woman that you are interested in. It is so sexy for a man to have the confidence to engage a woman in a conversation. Women are mindful creatures who need nurturing.

Men must learn to work the woman’s mind before they even consider the body. This can’t be achieved in a one night stand.

Where do men go wrong with women?

I feel that men give up to easily. They need to fully engage in the chasing process.

I get bored really easily and if you aren’t

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able to engage my mind, I will leave.

Flirt with me outrageously. Men are hunters and I need to be chased.

Describe your perfect date.

My date would have nothing to do with destination. It would be all about the preparation. The dress, the hair, the smells, the thought of him, the way he would make me feel, the thought of what’s to come, the touches, the anticipation.

If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?

I couldn’t just choose one place – I would like to live in many different places, for extended periods of time, and then move on. I would always want my home base where my family and my horse is.

Have you ever been to Australia?

No, but my beloved horse was named Aussie! I know your national anthem and Waltzing Matilda. Australia looks like a beautiful country.

“I SPEND SO MUCH OF MY TIME THINKING ABOUT HOW THINGS CAN BE BETTER, WHAT I CAN DO BETTER, WHAT I CAN IMPROVE.”

What is your life motto?

Everything in life starts with a dream, but first the dream needs to be clearly defined and, more importantly, you need to understand why you want it. At 14, 19 and 23 I never said to myself, “My goal is to be a great model or a great equestrian.” Rather, my emphasis was to be the best at what I do, which means giving my best. I knew I would have to be the best at whatever I set my mind to. Not the best compared with others, but the best version of myself.

I feel that when you define what you want it gives you direction and the inner fire that can motivate you. I have an endless amount of fire in my soul when it comes to modelling and my equestrian career – I know exactly what I want and I won’t stop until I achieve it. Maybe I want to be a great human? Maybe I want to help people through Art Therapy? If these are my goals, then I am very clear with myself up front.

How will reaching your goals serve a larger purpose? Why does it matter to you?

What are you willing to do to come closer to achieving your goals? What do you need to get there? I focus on taking many small actions to propel myself forward.

Finally, where would you like to be in five years?

Happiness is most important to me, in whatever I’m doing. My dream would be to have a career as a successful and hardworking model, a successful equestrian, maybe even somebody’s wife, good health and to always be working toward the best possible version of myself. ■

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“MY PERCEPTION OF MYSELF IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE PERCEPTION PEOPLE HAVE OF ME.”

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Status Update FULL NAME: Hannah Rose Widmer BORN: February 13, 1996 FIVE-WORD SELFDESCRIPTION: “Visionary, minimalistic, self-confident, anxiety-ridden and independent.”

GO-TO DRINK: “A Mojito.”

BEST HANGOVER CURE: “Tacos, margaritas and mojitos.”

BEDTIME ATTIRE: “My skin.”

INSTAGRAM: @hannahrosewidmer SNAPCHAT: hannahrwidmer MANAGEMENT: Rick O’Brien – email enquiries to rick@ untitledmanagement.net

HAIR & MAKE-UP R AV E N D U R A N PRODUCTION MUSE PUBLISHING PRODUCTION A S S I S TA N T A L I N A YA K I M O V A LO C AT I O N LOUISVILLE, K E N T U C K Y, U . S . A .

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GADGETS

The

IDEAL GIFT With Christmas just around the corner here’s some top gear that deserves a place under your holiday-themed plant of choice this festive season...

Victorinox Slicing Knife — Wavy Edge, RRP $135.00 Nothing welcomes the festive season more than a backyard BBQ with family and friends. Impress your guests this Summer with the Victorinox Slicing Knife. No matter which cut of meat or hard-crusted veggies is on the menu, this tool will give you the ability to execute the perfect slice.

Victorinox Victoria 2.0 Deluxe Business Tote, RRP $489.00 If you’re looking for the perfect mix of chic and practicality for that special lady in your life, then the Deluxe Business Tote bag is for you. Fitted out with smartphone slots, lip gloss pockets, zippered compartments for valuables and even an in-built laptop case, this bag gives Mary Poppins a run for her money.

Victorinox VX Touring Utility Backpack, RRP $429.00 Have a globetrotter or thrill seeker on the Chrissy list?

Bless them with a gift they’ll put to use with Victorinox’s extremely robust and waterrepellent backpack. Jam packed with features like adjustable and padded straps, laptop pockets and an over-handle system for wheeled luggage, this gear is the setup they need for their next adventure.

Victorinox I.N.O.X. Professional Diver with blue paracord strap and blue dial, RRP $1,109.00 Clock our favourite wrist piece this season with the new I.N.O.X Pro Diver range from Victorinox. Built to go deep, this watch boasts 200m water resistance and a luminescent function, perfect for all divers. If this doesn’t scream durability, the stainless steel and anti-reflective sapphire crystal frame might seal the deal as the perfect gift this silly season.

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Victorinox Super Tinker Winter Magic Swiss Army Knife, RRP $149.00 Don’t be a grinch this Christmas. Get into the holiday spirit by gifting the Super Tinker Winter Magic Swiss Army Knife. Victorinox has spruced up the classic staple, making it festive with a detachable, star-shaped charm and a multi-coloured Christmas print.

With 14 practical tools, this trusty piece will have you ready to build, hack or fix anything in style.

Victorinox Werks Traveller 6.0 Hardside Frequent Flyer Carry-On, RRP $759.00 Escaping somewhere for the Summer?

Sick of lugging bags around? The new Werks Traveller 6.0 Hardside Frequent Flyer Carry-On will be your saving grace this season. Not only does it hold up to 32L of space in a lightweight case, this high-tech roller comes equipped with a USB port so those holiday snaps will be unstoppable.

HPM Wireless Charging Pad, RRP $34.98.

Ever get to work and realise your phone hasn’t charged all night? With a HPM Wireless Charging Pad, you won’t ever have to worry about forgetting your charger or carrying cords around with you.

For ultimate convenience, situate one on your bedside table and another on your desk at work to cover all bases. Small but mighty, the HPM Wireless Charging Pad charges your phone battery in just minutes, letting you enjoy your day while it handles the rest. Durable and light weight design, HPM’s Wireless Charging Pad is compatible with all Qi enabled devices (phones, tablets, earphones, etc...) and is available from Amazon for a great price!

Audio-Technica ATHSPORT7TW, RRP $239.00 These true-wireless in-ear headphones are for those with an active lifestyle. The ATH-SPORT7TW delivers clear and outstanding audio during an intense workout as well as a relaxed exercise. The four Freebit ear fins (size S, M, L, and XL) ensure a comfortable fit for every shape.

Enjoy the freedom of touch control when taking calls, changing songs, adjusting volume, and switching to hear-through mode. The ATHSPORT7TW also provides 3.5 hours of music on a single charge, and the compact charging carry case can supply a further 14 hours of charge if needed.

Audio-Technica ATH-CKS5TW, RRP $249.00 The new CKS5TW in-ear headphones balance powerful, high-fidelity sound with the convenience and freedom of a true-wireless design. Equipped with exclusive 10mm drivers and backed with Bluetooth 5.0 technology, these headphones provide incredible audio output in a portable wireless package.

Featuring auto power on/off, these headphones are ready to go when taken out from the case and will turn off and begin to charge when placed back into the case. Profit from the 15 hours of continuous music playback on a full charge and 30 hours of additional power available from the USB-C charging case.

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FITNESS

The Ultimate Guide to

MINIMALIST TRAINING MAXIM fitness guru ALEXA TOWERSEY explains how you can get more gains in less time…

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T

his year has been the year of the minimalist. You probably learnt of Mari Kondo when your better half declared she was throwing out anything that no longer brought the both of you joy. Whilst you most likely still lament the loss of your secret stash of prized possessions, from a more positive standpoint, you’ll be stoked to know that your training is also an area that is able to be “decluttered”.

Minimalist Training is characterised by simplicity. Just like its name implies, it involves minimal equipment, minimal space and minimal time, yet trains the maximum number of muscles.

Whatever your excuse, be it too bored or too busy to spend hours in the gym, this style of training will benefit ANYONE. The objective is to train virtually every muscle in one session using only four exercises. These exercises fall into four major categories:

KNEE DOMINANT: Primarily works the knee extensors (quads).

Think squats and lunges.

HIP DOMINANT: Primarily works the hip extensors (hamstrings and glutes). Think deadlift variations.

PUSH: Can be horizontal or vertical.

Primarily targets the pectorals, deltoids and triceps. Think Bench Press, Military Press, Pushups, Dips.

PULL: Can be horizontal or vertical.

Primarily targets the lats, traps, rhomboids, posterior deltoids and biceps. Think Bent Over Rows, Seated Rows, Pull Ups, Chin-Ups. This could be as simple as alternating Day 1 and Day 2 on non consecutive days…

DAY 1:

3 x 6-10 Knee Dominant.

90 secs – 2 mins rest between.

3 x 8-12 Horizontal Push.

60 secs rest between.

3 x 6-10 Hip Dominant.

90 secs – 2 mins rest between.

3 x 8-12 Horizontal Pull.

60 secs rest between.

DAY 2:

3 x 6-10 Knee Dominant.

90 secs – 2 mins rest between.

3 x 8-12 Vertical Push.

60 secs rest between.

3 x 6-10 Hip Dominant.

90 secs – 2 mins rest between.

3 x 8-12 Vertical Pull.

60 secs rest between.

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FITNESS And to make things even easier for you, here is a table from which you can mix and match your exercises...

Knee Dominant

Back Squat, Front Squat, Goblet Squat, Zercher Squat, Split Squat, Lunge, Step Up

Hip Dominant

Deadlift, Sumo Deadlift, Trap Bar Deadlift, Glute Bridge, Hip Thrust

Horizontal Push Bench Press, Push up, Floor Press, Incline Bench Press, Horizontal Pull

Bent Over Row, Seated Row, Bench Supported Row, One Arm DB Row

Vertical Push

Military Press, Dips

Vertical Pull

Pull Ups, Chin Ups, Lat Pulldown

TOP TIP 1

TOP TIP 2

You can change the volume to accommodate your specific goals, with these basic guidelines: Strength: 3-5 reps. 80-90% 1RM or 8-9/10 RPE (recommended perceived effort) 2-3 mins rest.

Hypertrophy: 8-12 reps. 70-80% 1 RM or 7-8/10 RPE. 60 secs rest.

Strength Endurance/Conditioning: 15-20 reps. 50-60% 1 RM or 5-6/10 RPE. 30-45 secs rest.

While you’ll get the biggest bang for your buck picking compound exercises that engage multiple muscle groups across multiple joints i.e. squats and deadlifts, if you have any pre-existing injuries then just swap bilateral movement for unilateral. This could mean switching out a Zercher Squat for a Zercher Lunge, a traditional deadlift for a split stance deadlift or merely using dumbbells instead of a barbell when it comes to the upper body.Using this format, you can be in and out of the gym in less than 30 minutes.

If you’re a commitment-phobe, like me (or so I’ve been told), this equates to around 1.5 hours per week. And don’t tell me you’re too busy for this — you’re not Beyonce.

And if you’re looking for fat loss, any of the above set/rep schemes will work providing your nutrition supports it.

DON’T BE A TIME WASTER

There’s nothing worse than a time waster, both as a potential date and as a gym buddy. Stick to strict tempos and rest periods. As a general rule of thumb, make the eccentric (lowering) portion slower and more controlled and the concentric (lifting) portion more explosive. I suggest a tempo of 3-0-1-0 as a solid starting point (take 3 seconds to lower, 1 second to pause in the weakest point of the lift, 1 second to lift, and 0 seconds to pause before starting the next rep).

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

Right from the get-go, you want to try and set yourself up for success. ● Look at finding a gym closer to you or invest in a couple of staple pieces of equipment that you can use at home — the basics of a home gym include a barbell, a couple of weight plates, a set of dumbbells or kettlebells and a bar across a doorway for pull-ups. ● Train in non-peak hours — traffic will be less, the gym will be less busy which means less distractions (i.e. hot girls in shorty shorts in the squat rack in front of you), and there will be less waiting around for equipment. ● Make your workout as “enjoyable” as you can given you still need to work hard to make this whole “less is more” scenario work for you.

Pick exercises that you “want” to do (ie that you don’t hate) — that way you’ll be less likely to look for excuses to skip out on a session. ■

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ABOUT ALEXA

“Action Alexa” is an internationally published celebrity trainer, sports model and nutrition and lifestyle coach with over 15 years’ experience in the health and fitness industry, and has worked with NZ’s world champion rugby team, the All Blacks. She has qualified for the Ironman 70.3 World Champs and was named as one of the Five Toughest Trainers in Asia during her seven-year stint in an MMA gym in Hong Kong.

ADVENTURE

BURIED TREASURE

How to explore Vietnam’s Hang Son Doong, the world’s largest cave...

BY KE ITH G O R D O N

O

ne of the most significant geological finds in recent exploration — the discovery of Vietnam’s Hang Son Doong, the world’s largest cave — almost never happened. Circa 1990 farmer Ho Khanh stumbled across an entrance and a limestone overhang in the thick jungle of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. The distant noise of rushing water caught his attention, but he thought no more of it. Given the thick, almost impassable, Vietnamese jungle, the farmer’s trail was lost in any case, and he did not try to find his way back. For about 18 years, Son Doong’s existence was seemingly destined to remain a secret, but eventually, he would mention his find to a curious couple from the British Cave Research Association (BRCA).

Ho Khanh wasn’t alone in his close encounters with the monster cave. Howard and Deb Limbert, members of the BRCA, have been exploring the area for decades, and in 1994 the pair encountered two caves. First they explored Hang Thung, a cave downstream from Son Doong, where an underground river emerged. Then within a couple of weeks, they ventured into Hang En, a large cave upstream from Son Doong, whose river disappears into boulders. It was clear that a gap of some five kilo-meters between these spots could be a cave carved by the same water flow.

Son Doong turned out to be immense. Reportedly large enough to hold a city block of skyscrapers, it seems otherworldly. Making the space even more impressive are the two roof collapses that have allowed sunlight into the cavern, permitting the growth of organisms such as algae, plants and even trees — a miniature jungle, a microcosm of the inhospitable terrain above ground, even with its own microclimate. Despite the scale of the cavern, it remained well hidden until the same farmer, Ho Khanh, rediscovered the entrance in the limestone leading into the cave. This time the opportunity didn’t slip by, and in 2009, Howard and Deb Limbert began to explore what would soon become the find of a lifetime.

The remoteness and location of Son Doong added to the difficulty of locating the cave, and to the risk of executing scientific explorations. According to Howard Limbert, “The cave is quite deep inside the jungle, so the location itself is a risk. Although it’s such a huge cave, the terrain is not easy, so initially it is quite difficult to find the best way to progress. For experienced cavers, the risks are not so great, but we always respect the fact that we are a long way from home and help. It is a challenge to measure and map such a huge cave passage.”

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“THE CAVE IS QUITE DEEP INSIDE THE JUNGLE, SO THE LOCATION ITSELF IS A RISK. [AND] ALTHOUGH IT’S SUCH A HUGE CAVE, THE TERRAIN IS NOT EASY”

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Soon after, the Limberts’ team mapped the cave, and researchers realised that Son Doong wasn’t just big, it was the largest cave ever discovered. While exhilarating to the cave exploration community, this headline-grabbing revelation created a problem seen at nature’s grandest sites, from Yosemite National Park to Mt. Everest: tourism and the balance between access and preservation. While some have tried to expand access to allow thousands of tourists to visit, a large number of Vietnamese people managed to convince the authorities to resist such plans. For now, the only way to enjoy the splendor of Son Doong is through Oxalis, an adventure travel company that employs the Limberts as well as Ho Khanh and other locals.

On the exclusive tour with Oxalis, guests will spend four days and three nights camping in the cave system (two nights in Son Doong, and one in nearby Hang En cave, reckoned to be the world’s third-largest). While Limbert insists visitors be in reasonable

physical condition and have some experience trekking on rough and rocky terrain, this isn’t a place reserved solely for death-defying adrenaline junkies. A fear of heights isn’t ideal either, but most of the dangerous and difficult spots are protected with ropes, and guests wear caving harnesses for additional safety.

In fact, for each group of 10 visitors, there are seven safety staff, showing how seriously the company takes the well-being of its clients. In all, 27 staff members, including guides, chefs and porters, ensure you can safely explore the cave system, without sacrificing good cuisine or relatively comfortable camping accommodations.

Visitors get to climb the Great Wall of Vietnam, a roughly 90-metre calcite barrier, and visit the ethnic minority village of Ban Doong, in addition to the 25km of jungle trekking, which includes 9km of caving. The crew even bring portable lighting equipment to illuminate the cave’s myriad visual features, allowing for jawdropping nature photography.

As Son Doong cave’s fame becomes more widespread, and the places on Earth considered to be on the frontier of discovery and exploration seemingly diminish, there appears to be an inevitable growth in demand for visits to the site, placing it and the heart of the UNESCO-listed Phong Nha- Ke Bang National Park under the threat of rampant tourism and overuse.

But with Oxalis and the local park and government authorities committed to the site for the long term, both for natural as well as economic reasons, there’s a chance to maintain the equilibrium of the newfound wonder.

Oxalis tries to ensure this as, according to Limbert, “We have a single path throughout the cave, and we make sure everyone sticks to that. All rubbish is brought out of the cave, including human waste. Cooking is by gas bottle. Everyone is reminded that this is a UNESCO World Heritage site. And all staff now realise the value of the cave in providing jobs, so they are keen to protect it, and keep the tours going for the future.” ■

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MODEL PROFILE

Getting To Know…

ELAINE STELLA This month we get more acquainted with this petite American pocket-rocket on a modelling mission to make it big…

P H O T O G R A P H E D B Y M O S A A B A L S A R AY H A I R & M A K E - U P K A T H E R I N E V E AY O

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I CAN BEAT ANYONE AT… Mind reading.

THE LAST THING THAT MADE ME LOL WAS… My response to the last question!

THE MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT IN MY LIFE SO FAR IS… When I had a crush on a teacher and I told him I was on an all-fruit diet to later seeing me in the cafeteria eating a burger and fries.

A GUY COULD WIN HIS WAY TO MY HEART WITH… Make-up, make-up, make-up!

Oh, and maybe a jar of pickles.

HE BEST THING ABOUT MY MAXIM FEATURE SHOOT IS… Simply being published by MAXIM — it’s a dream come true!

WHEN I’M NOT POSING FOR MAXIM I’M… Working at my store serving the community where I live. I recently opened a second clothing store called Mommy and Me — I sell low-cost maternity clothing and children’s clothing to low-income families.

I also recently started a substance abuse recovery support group for mothers in recovery as I am currently taking classes in dual diagnosis with substance abuse and mental illness.

MY BRIEF BACKGROUND STORY SO FAR IS… I went to the school for the blind as a child and was picked on all through grade school to become a blossoming flower as a young adult. I have overcome so many tough battles and genuinely love helping others.

FIVE WORDS THAT BEST DESCRIBE ME ARE… Kind, loving, loyal, strong, independent.

MY BEST ASSET IS… My legs because they are the strength of my body and posture – they control how I pose.

I FEEL SEXY WHEN… My blonde hair is big and full. Blondes really do have more fun!

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MY PERFECT DATE WOULD INVOLVE… A quick dinner then maybe off to visit some real haunted places to investigate.

WHAT I FIND SEXY ABOUT MEN IS… Their smile.

ONE THING A GUY SHOULD ALWAYS KNOW ABOUT WOMEN IS… It is normal for us to randomly get irritable.

THE WORST PICK-UP LINE I’VE EVER HEARD IS… “This place must have Wi-Fi because I am definitely feeling a connection.”

IF I COULD SPEND A DAY WITH ANYONE IN THE WORLD IT WOULD BE… My nana because I miss her so much.

MY SUPERPOWER WOULD BE… Time travel because, once again, I would want to spend time with my nana.

MY GO-TO DRINK IS… I have to have a Coca-Cola, especially first thing in the morning!

THE BEST JUNK FOOD IS… Chips and dip.

MY FAVOURITE MOVIE IS… Freeway with Reese Witherspoon because it’s a twisted, funny, dark Little Red Riding Hood type story.

MY FAVOURITE SONG IS… “Bittersweet Symphony” by The Verve because the music just sounds great.

MY GIRL CRUSH IS… Julia Stiles – she is beautiful in every way.

THE FREAKIEST THING SOMEONE HAS SENT ME VIA SOCIAL MEDIA IS… Pictures of my house! Let’s just say I had to lockdown a couple of things.

ONE THING I’D CHANGE ABOUT THE WORLD IS… Turning the universe more selfless.

THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE ANYONE HAS EVER GIVEN ME IS… “Love the flaws”.

MY LIFE MOTTO IS… “Live and let live”.

AT BEDTIME I WEAR… Pyjama pants and a tank top.

PUBLIC NUDITY IS… Meant to be.

IN THE COMING MONTHS I WILL BE… Doing more photo shoots and being the best role model I can possibly be.

IN FIVE YEARS, I’D LIKE TO BE… In more magazines and more experienced as a model. ■

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MODEL PROFILE

“I HAVE OVERCOME SO MANY TOUGH BATTLES AND GENUINELY LOVE HELPING OTHERS.”

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STATUS UPDATE NAME: Elaine Stella BORN: November 17, 1990 HOMETOWN: Hubbardston, Massachusetts, U.S.A. LIVES: Western Massachusetts, U.S.A. HOBBIES: “Art, camping, doing hair and make-up.”

PHOBIAS: “Flying and spiders.”

INSTAGRAM: @official_elainestella SNAPCHAT: elainestellaxoxo

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TR AVE L

BY BAR RY STO N E

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Le Guanahani, Saint Barthélemy

Looking for a quality spot by the sea for your next vacation? Barry Stone’s latest book features a mix of over 50 stunning properties throughout the world that have their footprints on some of the world’s most wonderful beaches. In this edited extract, we take a look at 10 of the best coastal places to eat and stay on Earth…

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Doyles On The Beach LOCATION:

Sydney, Australia

Situated on one of the most picturesque beaches, inside the world’s finest natural harbour, Doyles on the Beach was Australia’s first seafood restaurant. Opened in 1885 and to this day has always been owned by multiple generations of the same family. Doyles encompasses every childhood ideal, every cherished notion, of what makes an Australian summer: sand, seagulls, endless light-filled days and humid, sticky nights, eating fish and chips under a sun-drenched sky.

Peter Doyle, the doyen of the Sydney seafood scene, who passed away in 2004 at the age of 72, transformed Doyles, with the help of his three brothers, from what was little more than a beachside café in the 1950s into the world renowned restaurant it is today. And he delighted in the telling of its pivotal transition in the 1930s, from serving common cuisine to seafood: “The story is that we came to serve only fish because my mother, Alice, used to cook, and my father, Jack, used to wait tables. But people used to complain about the steaks, saying they were always tough. So father said, ‘Right, from now on we’re only going to serve fish, because no one ever complains about the fish!’ To which Alice replied, ‘Well, if we’re only doing fish, then you can do the cooking!’” And from that moment on, with their roles reversed and Jack in the kitchen, a legend was in the making.

It began in the 1880s as a simple shed, where Alice’s Grandma Newton would cook up the morning catch, that her husband Henry Newton and his fishing friends brought in each day, and then serve it to weekend picnickers, who’d take the ferry from Circular

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ESTABLISHED:

1948

Quay over towards the heads and ‘remote’ Watsons Bay, a day trip back then. Then in 1908 on the same site came the Ozone Café, a two-story building that couldn’t have been better placed, not only close to the Watsons Bay wharf but also nearby the tramline that was extended out to the bay in 1909. Twenty years passed until Alice met future husband Jack Doyle at a party at the Ozone in 1929. They married in 1931, but the Great Depression forced Ozone to close in 1933. A few years later World War II intervened and saw Jack go off to war. He returned in 1946, but how to pick up the pieces and start life afresh together again? Thirteen years had passed since the old café closed its doors. But Alice had no doubt as to where their futures lay.

Alice was determined to revive the Ozone Café, and Jack, despite misgivings, agreed. With a loan from her mother Eva, the café reopened in March 1948 and the three of them worked round

the clock to establish it anew. Upstairs Eva made scones, while downstairs Alice worked the tables and Jack cooked the fish. And if that weren’t enough, they even placed tables outside – introducing the very European concept of dining alfresco to Sydney for the first time. The recipes, those dishes that did so much to build the restaurant’s prosperity, have survived. But they are more than just recipes. They are culinary life lessons. In them there are reminders that fish are delicate, that they need only a few minutes in the oil. They remind us that fish should be handled with care; that they are fragile. And the fresher the fish, the more delicious the dish. Small fish with lots of bones should be pan-fried. Large fish like barramundi should always be served with a sauce if fried or grilled, as they easily dry out.

And if deep frying? Go with beef batter if you can. The best fish and chips Alice ever had were cooked in beef dripping – by her mother.

At Doyles, the emphasis on ‘old fashioned cooking’ isn’t some phony slogan. It’s born of tradition. No matter how many customers might pack the place out on a sunny Sunday afternoon, this gathering place where as many as one in four of its customers are from overseas because it’s just that famous, still remains true to the spirit that made it what it is. We should remember that it garnered its reputation in the 1960s when Sydney was a gastronomic backwater, which is no mean feat, and it has continued to be a well of fine food served with a refreshing lack of pretense that was reflected in Peter Doyle’s own business card, a card that he never altered, and which read, simply: “Peter Doyle: fisherman”.

Bedarra Island Resort LOCATION:

Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia

In June of 1770 Captain James Cook, sailing north along the east Australian coast on HMS Endeavour, passed through the midst of a tiny scattering of 16 islands off the coast of present day South Mission Beach. A small but attractive archipelago, he decided to call them the Family Islands. The largest island he named Father Island, and the next largest, which we now call Bedarra, he named Mother Island. The remaining 14 he simply referred to as ‘the children’. For thousands of years the local Bandjin and Djiru people, the traditional owners of these islands, called Mother Island Biagurra, the ‘place of perennial water’, due to the presence on the island of several freshwater springs. Biagurra, however, was almost inevitably misspelt by the author and naturalist Edmund Banfield in his book Confessions of a Beachcomber (1908), who recorded it as ‘Bedarra’. And so the name stuck.

Part of mainland Australia until sea levels began to rise around 8,000 years ago, Bedarra Island is 100 hectares of reef-fringed paradise set within the boundaries of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Accessible via private launch from nearby Dunk Island (or by helicopter from Cairns),

OPENED:

1957

Bedarra Island Resort encompasses almost half of the island. Rebuilt virtually from the ground up after the eye of Category 5 Cyclone Yasi passed directly overhead on February 3, 2011, the resort has since emerged as one of Australia’s most exclusive tropical island destinations.

If you don’t want to be found, if you want to feel a little of what it’s like to be marooned, you can do a lot worse than spend a few days here.

There are just nine guest villas, most of which are located in the rainforest that rolls down from its granite interior and covers the island like a blanket. Each has its own individual floor plan.

Treehouse Villa is perched on granite boulders high in the canopy, with its own sun terrace and day bed; The Point, the last word in seclusion with its elevated position and plunge pool, provides stunning views out over Hernandia Bay. But maybe you’ve come to Bedarra Island because you want to stay on the beach and not above it. If so, you’ll be wanting Villa #5, the Beach House. Set right on the sand amongst swaying coconut palms, this two-story slice of ‘everything you never even knew you wanted’ has a customised bar and lounge on the upper

level, with a small ocean-facing deck. The lower level contains the bedroom and a bathroom that opens onto a rainforest-facing deck with outdoor shower. The lower level also leads out onto the villa’s substantial lower deck, which brings the total decking area here to an impressive 38 square metres. With so few villas you rarely see other guests except at meal times or at the bar.

The atmosphere is at once laid back but with an attentive staff; luxurious without a hint of pretense. There are no rules, no signage, and no bothersome dress codes either. You can snorkel, maybe get lucky and swim with a few black-tipped reef sharks, or take a stroll into the island’s dense tropical interior. That’s exactly what the current owner of Bedarra, Sam Charlton, did when he was 12 years old. In 1986 while living on the island with his family, Sam was shown the location of one of the island’s all-but hidden freshwater springs by Noel Wood, the celebrated South Australian-born artist who lived on Bedarra Island for almost 60 years in his ‘House of the Singing Bamboo’. Wood died in 2001, and ten years later his house was destroyed by Cyclone Yasi. But the natural spring Wood showed the young Sam over 30 years ago, Sam found again, and it now provides the resort with cool, granitefiltered water. You just can’t beat local knowledge.

Sam and wife Kerri-Ann love their island home — and are passionate about sustainability. Gone are the resort’s old diesel generators and reverse osmosis desalination equipment. Solar power now provides electricity. Important stuff, yes, but the mechanics of which you, the guest, are oblivious to as you hike the island’s lookouts or explore its deserted beaches by dinghy or by foot. At Bedarra, you’re not just on the beach.

You’re on your beach.

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Hive Beach Café LOCATION:

Jurassic Coast, Dorset, United Kingdom

It’s a coastline that’s been 185 million years in the making, a 153km-long stretch of sedimentary rock along the Devon coast, cliffs with exposed layers that contain almost a complete record of the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.

This is the World Heritage-listed Jurassic Coast, a Pandora’s box of fossils the number and diversity of which almost defy description. Crustaceans, fish, insects, mammals, plants, amphibians and even dinosaur tracks have all be found in abundance in these exposed rock layers, and can still be found in the rock and buried in the sands

ESTABLISHED:

1991

below. Over time as the coast’s cliffs have been eroding, freshly exposed fossils have been loosed from their surroundings, fallen to the beach, and buried by time. Today avid fossil hunters scour the beaches here, hoping to find and take home their own piece of prehistoric Britain.

When you come to the Jurassic Coast, whether you stay at a hotel or a B&B, or eat in one of its restaurants or cafés, or simply walk its trails or maybe even go for a bracing swim, it’s impossible to do so in ignorance of the topography around you. This coastline and

everything above and beneath it is defined by what is in its rocks and buried below your feet. People come here and think nothing of spending an entire day walking its beaches, digging, fossicking and marvelling at its geology, at its faults, its limestone ridges, and its cliffs of clay and shale. And to do all that takes a lot of fortitude. It makes sense, then, to set out with a full stomach.

Part beach hut, part seafood restaurant, Hive Beach Café is located on Hive Beach and is an award-winning eatery with great views over Lyme Bay and the Jurassic Coast. It specialises in everything from the very small to the very large, from a simple crab sandwich and a cup of tea to towering seafood platters stuffed with West Bay crabs, lobster, prawns and salmon. Desserts are handmade in their own micro-bakery, they serve delicious local ice-creams, and have their own house blended Dibar coffee. You can sit year-round on its outside terrace, and should the weather turn nasty take refuge under the terrace’s canvas awnings. They also have their very own range of cookies including Crunchy Ginger and Chocolate & Tequila. Hive Beach Café also has a ‘sister’ property, the Watch House Café, located a few kilometres to the west at the back of a shingle beach in West Bay, a tiny port town at the mouth of the River Brit. You can walk off your meal by strolling the Jurassic Coast, but that isn’t the only option.

There’s also a circular National Trust trail that takes you onto the famous Southwest Coast Path and inland to the village of Burton Bradstock in the Bride Valley, a small village filled with 16th and 17th Century thatched cottages and an early 15th Century church. The Hive Beach Café is a family owned business and has been a part of coastal life here for over 25 years. And while its menu changes daily to reflect that day’s catch, what will never change is its prime position on Great Britain’s most talked-about, and most walked-on, prehistoric beach.

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Cap D’antibes Beach Hotel LOCATION:

Antibes, France

OPENED:

The commune of Antibes on the Côte d’Azur began life as a Greek trading post in the 5th Century bce, evolved under the Romans into a major gateway to the region of Gaul on the Aurelia road, and in the 10th Century became a fortified enclave. From the 14th to the 17th Centuries, as Europe was experiencing its Renaissance, Antibes fell into obscurity and wouldn’t begin to emerge from it until the mid1800s, when its natural beauty saw wealthy families begin to build scores of luxurious summer houses along its coast and in its hills. Thus began the first stirrings of the ‘chic’ Antibes we see today. Yet as recently as a hundred years ago it was still the only large town on the coast road between Nice and Cannes.

By the 1930s it had become a destination for the wealthy and the privileged, beloved by Hemingway, Valentino, and Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, and artists who came here for its wonderful light, including Matisse, Chagall, and Pablo Picasso, who lived here for six months in 1946. Some might say the Antibes of today is living off its reputation, that excessive development threatens to erode its considerable charm. But still, it is possible to build something here and get it right, to add rather than detract from the cape’s beauty. That is what was achieved with the arrival of Cap d’Antibes Beach Hotel.

A glistening jewel of contemporary architecture, Cap d’Antibes has 35 rooms and suites, two restaurants on site (its oneMichelin-starred Les Pêcheurs, and beachside

2009

restaurant Le Cap), and a 200-metrelong, sheltered fine sand beach that has unimpeded views out over the nearby Lerins islands, and inland to the Esterel Massif.

The hotel’s eight new ‘design suites’, added in 2016 as part of a €3 million renovation, provide stunning views over the Port du Crouton and Cap d’Antibes, yet the hotel itself remains refreshingly minimal, eschewing the sort of epic proportions commonly seen, whether you like it or not, in Antibes’ older grandes dames.

The success of the hotel’s gourmet restaurant Les Pêcheurs means this hotel is no longer just a place where you come to sleep.

Whether planning to stay overnight or not, food connoisseurs now drive out of their way to eat here. In fact it was the restaurant that appeared on this site first, existing on the beach as La Maison des Pêcheurs, a simple fisherman’s shack, years before the hotel was ever conceived of, a convenient anchorage for fishermen who’d pull up their boats and cook whatever they’d caught on the day. The ‘Maison’ (house) in the title might be gone, but it has forged an enviable

reputation thanks to the inventiveness of its Nice-born Head Chef Nicolas Rondelli, and is now a one-star Michelin restaurant in a region bristling with more than its share of those sought-after red Michelin flags.

Not content with having restaurants in its hotel, Cap d’Antibes also has a restaurant in Antibes’ Old Town. Le Nacional restaurant, close to the Picasso museum and not far from the street that was once home to the author of Zorba the Greek, Nikos Kazantzakis, serves first-class cuts of beef from the region’s finest butchers, and has an enviable wine list. And when you’re done you can return to the hotel on its own private motor launch. And the end of another perfect day on the French Riviera.

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La Fontelina LOCATION:

Capri, Italy

ESTABLISHED:

1949

La Fontelina is one of the few restaurants on Capri that is best accessed by boat. And they have their very own, too, a shuttle boat that can bring you here from the nearby Marina Piccola.

Of course you can always descend past the myrtle and broom bushes down the pathway that begins at the Tragara viewpoint 300 metres above. Actually it matters not a jot whether the journey is by foot or by boat. Or even helicopter.

What matters is not how you get here, but that you just get here. If you’re anywhere in the region of the Bay of Naples, visiting the mainland sites of Naples or Mount Vesuvius or Positano or Ravello, you need to come to La Fontelina.

The name Fontelina is derived from ‘le fonti del lino’, and it was here that the women of Capri once came to macerate flax leaves in the natural pools which formed along the base of the cliffs that rise up above the beach on this typically rock and boulder-laden island. For centuries the threads that were used in textiles and in fish nets were made right here. The white cliffs across from the Faraglioni were known to locals as the ‘E font d’o lino’ which in time became, simply, ‘Fontelina’.

Coming here it’s impossible to remain ignorant of the island’s considerable history. Two thousand years ago, the Roman emperor Tiberius became so enchanted with this side of the island he constructed palatial villas and water cisterns here, including Villa Jovis, one of Italy’s best-preserved Roman villas. Ships brimming over with supplies would drop their anchors at the very foot of the Faraglioni and haul supplies up and across to the imperial residences above. It was a heady time, and the beach upon which La Fontelina now sits witnessed it all.

In 1949 the restaurant La Fontelina was born when two adventurous souls, Lucia Fiorentino

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and Peppino Arcucci, threw caution to the four winds and began the construction of a tiny wooden hut on the beach, and when they were done, opened a restaurant there. More times than they cared to remember, high tides, rough seas and storms would wreak havoc with their dream, but on each occasion the couple, with the help of their friends Pasquale and Antionio Gargiulo, would pick up the pieces and rebuild it. Then, in the 1960s, the island of Capri was discovered by the jetsetting international community who brought the island fame and transformed it into one of the world’s great romantic destinations. Brigitte Bardot, Sophia Loren, Frank Sinatra, Clark Gable and countless other greats of stage and screen came here and ate at La Fontelina. In 1987, however, after one particularly egregious ocean storm, the business was sold and ownership was passed into the safe hands of Antonio Arcucci and Gaetano and Mario Gargiulo who, just as their predecessors had done before them, began afresh the daunting task of rebuilding. Today the same owners are still there to greet customers both old and new, the famous and the unknown.

La Fontelina has become more than just a successful business. It is a part of the unfolding story of this fabled island. Once where, in the 1950s, maybe a dozen customers would have sat beneath its chestnut pergola under the shade of straw matting on the terrace, now there might be a hundred or more customers dining at any one

time, their numbers spilling over to the beach club on the rocks below, where customers who prefer a little more solitude descend, food and an iced sangria in hand, but always keeping a wary eye out for that meal-ending rogue wave.

Where once the only meal was the catch of the day cooked over a small grill and maybe a pot of fish soup bubbling away on the stove, now there is spaghetti with clams, fried paranza and ravioli caprese (ravioli stuffed with cheese, eggs and herbs).

There have been changes at La Fontelina over the years, but not too many, and all of them measured. It would be foolish to tamper too much with what is already here. The setting, atmosphere and appearance of this place, first appreciated and realised by Lucia and Peppino and then sympathetically reimagined over the years, is still exactly what it has always been: a culinary and sensory retreat that transcends the deep, deep blue of its enveloping sea and sky.

On an island known for its elegance, the casual alfresco dining and bohemian appearance of this Italian classic, parts of which still look as though it could be blown over by the next big storm, remind us that you don’t need to live like Sophia Loren or Frank Sinatra to experience the real Capri. You just have to know where to look.

Hôtel & Spa Des Pêcheurs LOCATION:

Cavallo, Corsica, France

OPENED:

1991

The island of Cavallo in the sun-drenched Mediterranean is a part of the not terribly well known Lavezzi archipelago, a scattering of tiny granite islands in the Strait of Bonifacio between the islands of Corsica and Sardinia. Cavallo is small, about one square kilometre, and is the archipelago’s only inhabited island. Privately owned by a small group of billionaire Italian property developers, from a distance it can look unimpressive – a low-lying expanse of lumpy greenery covered in vegetation made lush by the presence of myrtle, juniper, and laurel. But far off appearances can be deceiving, and rarely more so than here. The closer you get to Cavallo, the more you see.

From above it looks a bit like a piece of a jigsaw, irregular and indented with numerous rocky coves and beautiful white sand beaches.

Its surface, however, is what catches the eye, punctuated by the most wonderfully bulbouslooking granite outcrops, all perfectly rounded, worn down by the eons. Cavello granite was prized by the ancient Romans, who were quarrying the rock here 2,000 years ago for use in statues and monuments you can still see in Rome today. Offshore, too, the rocks are no less impressive, whether piled together or strung out like colossal pearls, some clusters so ornamental you’d think they were individually placed there by Mother Nature.

Now you might think that a granite-laden island like this is a little too remote and maybe isn’t large enough to offer the multitude of experiences that would warrant the building of

an expensive luxury resort. Then again, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to buy an island and then not put anything on it. The dream so beautifully realised by those billionaire investors was for the Hôtel & Spa des Pêcheurs to not so much sit on the land as ‘in’ it; it was designed by architect Roberta Valle not to dominate but to be subordinate to the granite landscape that encircles it.

It has 50 rooms, a mix of singles, doubles, and triples with beautiful ocean-facing terraces, and one suite – the Grand Suite – 120sq metres of indulgent luxury. The hotel has a restaurant and wellness centre of course, but more than anything else what this hotel has, and what its guests most covet, is privacy, a privacy born by virtue of its location on an island that takes some effort to reach and on which no further development is being permitted, ensuring it will remain one of the most exclusive hotels anywhere in the Mediterranean. It sits on its own granitestudded promontory, surrounded by water and with its own private beach. The waters here are within a protected marine environment, and a ban on large scale fishing means fish are plentiful.

Inland the interior of the island is crisscrossed by

a lattice-like network of walking trails.

The Port is what passes for a town here, really just a pier where ferries dock and has a scattering of houses and villas, some shops and a pizzeria. Travel writers have referred to Cavallo as ‘Europe’s best kept secret’. Owned

by France, it is more a piece of Italy, because it’s always been far easier to get here from Rome than from Paris. Italian accents here are more common than French. There are no cars on the island, just bicycles and electric carts which you can use to visit the island’s ten or so beaches. But be warned: you might start to run out of things to do here after a couple of days if you’re the sort of person who likes to keep busy. The peace and tranquility on Cavallo is almost on a monastic level. Too quiet for some.

But for others? Heaven on earth.

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Hôtel Les Roches Rouges LOCATION:

Saint Raphael, France

OPENED:

1966

When Mediterranean storms cause the ocean to swell around the seaside town of Saint Raphael on the Côte d’Azur, there are worse places you can be than in the saltwater swimming pool of the Hôtel Les Roches Rouges. Its walls of quarried stone and concrete are cut directly into, and seem almost indistinguishable from, the rocky, irregular shoreline that surrounds it; its water by contrast an alluring, inviting pond in the face of the tempest beyond. Any closer to the foaming waters and you’d be in them, a sense of proximity that is echoed from every patio, every balcony, every vantage point of this classic hotel on the Provence coast.

The Hôtel Les Roches Rouges is everything you imagine when conjuring up images of barefoot Riviera living. Begun in the late 1950s and completed in the early 1960s, the facade might have been compromised in the eighties and nineties by a series of poorly imagined external renovations that included some unsightly ornamentation. But all that was stripped back by the renowned Paris-based architectural firm Festen, who recently gave the hotel back its classic 1950s lines. Once again that traditional nautical and modernist Riviera mix is there for all to see.

Beyond the windows of its guest rooms, which frame the deep blue of the Mediterranean, there are an assortment of timber huts and vantage points designed to take in everything from its ephemeral sunsets to the hotel’s own Mediterranean gardens (there’s even a private garden for every room). Stan the gardener, after graduating in landscape architecture in Paris as a tireless advocate of ‘dry’ gardens, came here and decided to work with nature instead of fighting against it, planting myrtle and pomegranates as

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well as rosemary and lavender under the shade of overhanging pines. It’s a natural garden that looks as though it could have been growing here since antiquity.

There is diving and snorkelling to be had here, and even a heated lap pool, hardly surprising considering the perch it sits on over the azure blue below. But there is the unexpected, too, such as petanque, and even an open-air cinema. Inside, the hotel has been given fresh life thanks to an interior design makeover that uses the dominant colours of the Esterel – white, blue and red ochre – in materials that include everything from aged oak tables and brass lamps to polished concrete, wicker, and local ceramics. There are even throw rugs on its chairs for those cooler nights. Forty-seven of its 49 rooms have sea views.

Les Roches Rouges – ‘the red rock’ – is what makes up the undulating, rock encrusted coastline upon which the hotel sits, and it has sat through its various incarnations since the 1950s. Saint Raphael was a nondescript fishing village back then, and in comparison to its more fancied neighbors, Cannes and Saint Tropez, has managed to retain enough of its original feel to still give you the sense you’ve ‘gotten away from it all’. In little niches throughout Les Roches Rouges there is even candlelight; carefullyplaced, handcrafted, perfumed candles made in the nearby village of Auribeau by candlemaker Sebastien Bojo, which sit in candle holders that come from a potter in Spain. Just another reminder that the bright lights of the Riviera will never be so bright as to find their way into the sanctuary of the ‘red rock’.

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Hotel Del Coronado LOCATION:

Coronado, California, USA

ESTABLISHED:

The second-largest wooden structure in America is to the seaside city of San Diego what The Ritz is to Paris and The Plaza is to New York.

Established in 1888, the Hotel del Coronado is the city’s great landmark hotel, built on a sandbar on Coronado beach once populated by coyotes and jack rabbits during a land boom, when it was a common ploy for developers to build grand structures in order to increase interest in an otherwise ‘problematic’ location.

Nothing about its construction is ‘ordinary’.

Built long before the economy of southern California was anywhere near ready to undertake such a colossal project on its own, its timbers were brought down on lumber barges and steamers out of Humboldt Bay in northern California, and planned on site in specially constructed mills. An iron works, metal shop and kilns for the production of bricks were also constructed. Two thousand labourers, including Chinese carpenters from San Francisco, were hired to build it, and a network of pipes were laid under San Diego Bay to bring water on site in the event of fire. It was one of the first American hotels outside of New York to have electric lighting, and when it was finished over 1,400 San Diegans crossed the bay for its grand opening, lest they should forever have to explain what they had to do that was more important on the night The Del opened its doors.

By the 1920s it was already an institution.

Presidents Harrison, McKinley, Taft and Wilson have all stayed there, as well as Hollywood stars Chaplin, Fairbanks, Jolson and Valentino. In the 1930s the guest list included Errol Flynn, Clark Gable and Mae West. Liberace was ‘discovered’ playing piano at The Del in 1950, on a night when the audience was so small he was considering cancelling his own performance. It is a showcase

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1888

of Queen Anne-style architecture, from its exterior of scalloped shingles and its mix of cupolas and gables, to those signature, steeply-pitched red turrets, including a monumental turret over the resort’s ballroom. The shingled tower includes a row of double-hung windows and two tiers of glazed dormers. When the ceiling was lowered in the mid-1900s, a cavernous upper level was created that harks back to bygone days. A narrow spiral staircase still provides access to the upper reaches of the turret and to an external walkway that provides 360-degree views over Coronado, the San Diego skyline and the Pacific Ocean. In Victorian times it was nicknamed ‘the observatory’.

The main lobby, which was originally the dining room, was one of the largest unsupported expanses built in the United States during the Victorian era. You can still look up and see the original beaded tongue-and-groove sugar pine

timber that makes up its ceiling. It’s no wonder that, when it came time for the American Institute of Architects to release their survey of the nation’s favorite architecture, The Del ranked higher even than any of the creations of the country’s most celebrated architect, Frank Lloyd Wright.

In 1977 it was designated a National Historic Landmark, an inevitable title for a hotel that was a ‘destination resort’ long before the term was ever coined, the finest of all remaining American 19th Century wooden beach resorts.

Of course, over the years there have been all of the usual upgrades and remodels. What began with almost 400 rooms in 1888 now has 680; a slow evolution always with a sensitive eye to preserving all that The Del has come to represent: a vision of a seaside resort its founders were heard to say would be nothing less than the talk of the western world.

Le Guanahani LOCATION:

Saint Barthélemy

OPENED:

1986

The elegant rooms, restaurants, swimming pools, spa and gardens of Le Guanahani are spread over 18 acres on its own private peninsula on the island of St. Barths, a 25 square kilometre volcanic island in the southern Caribbean. Ringed by shallow reefs and known for being a high-end, barefoot sanctuary for reclusive celebrities and the well-to-do, St. Barths has come a long way since it was first ‘discovered’ by Christopher Columbus in 1493, who named it after his brother Bartolomeo. Unsuccessfully settled by French colonists from the nearby island of St. Kitts in 1648, it was a place of hardship and toil due to a scarcity of fresh water and an arid climate.

Sold off by the French government to the Knights of Malta, it was attacked by Carib Indians in 1656, who put the heads of its remaining settlers on sticks along Lorient beach as a warning to anyone who might consider dropping anchor in its crystalline waters.

Nowadays the 20 or so beaches here are some of the finest in the Caribbean. It’d be impossible to rate them, but two you shouldn’t miss are Anse du Gouverneur on the south coast, with its mesmerising views towards the volcanic islands of Saba and Sint Eustatius; and the beach that is Le Guanahani’s front yard, Grand Cul-de-Sac. Located far from the noise and nightlife of Gustavia, Grand Cul-de-Sac runs crescent-shaped along its shallow bay and is known for its cool breezes and ultraflat water, a perfect combination for kayaking, paddle-boarding and windsurfing.

The beach is also the year-round home for hawksbill and green sea turtles. Hotel staff monitor the beach during the green sea turtle nesting season, and if you’re lucky enough to be dining at the hotel’s beach front Indigo restaurant when the hatching of hundreds of babies occur

you’ll be able to assist in helping them find their way to the sea. A large number of land turtles – and a few iguanas – also live on the property.

Le Guanahani’s 67 beechwood cottages look across Grand Cul-de-Sac from the hills above and from the porches of its brightly coloured cottages that open directly onto the beach, with its svelte scattering of lounge chairs shaded by palm-thatched umbrellas.

On the ‘reverse’ side of the beach is another beach that rings an inland lagoon, making Le Guanahani the only hotel/resort on the island to offer a choice of two beaches. It’s also St. Barth’s largest, and only full-service, resort and one of the island’s original hotels. Paths from its villas lead you through dense foliage of bougainvillea and hibiscus. Its three restaurants include the refined

Bartolomeo and beachfront Indigo, but if you’d prefer to create your own menu, local fisherman will take you out to fish for your dinner, which the chefs back at Le Guanahani will be only too happy to cook up for you.

Guanahani is the local name for the wooden trim you see on so many of the island’s buildings, a gingerbread-like design that is an expression of St. Barth’s unique approach to style and design, the result of an exotic array of influences over the centuries. Carib Indians, the French, the Knights of Malta, the British, Swedish, and a mix of corsairs, thieves and pirates have all contributed to forming the traditions that make St. Barths one of the Caribbean’s most unique and desired destinations – and Le Guanahani its most preferred address.

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Long Beach Lodge Resort LOCATION:

Vancouver Island, Canada

In the 1960s Tim Hackett, a young student growing up in the Canadian province of British Columbia who loved building forts in his father’s backyard, dropped out of school, and by the age of 17 was working nights as a janitor while building and designing outdoor decks by day.

He decided to begin a correspondence course – How to Build a House – and by the time he was 22 he had saved $7,500. His mother suggested he take a look at two empty lots that were for sale in Sidney, a town on the northern end of the Saanich Peninsula, on the west coast of Vancouver Island. With his father as guarantor and his brother Tony by his side, Tim purchased both lots and built his first two houses. More purchases followed, at Gordon Head, Broadmead and Sunnymead. A dynasty had been born and, by the age of 28, Tim Hackett was a millionaire.

Over the years he gained an enviable reputation for quality and craftsmanship, and a deep love for Vancouver Island’s wild west coast.

In the 1990s he began looking for acreage, on which he planned to build something that he felt was still missing in his own life, a dream home for himself. He wanted to create something that was unique, filled with the natural elements of the island, a showcase of wooden beams, rough cut local stone, floor-to-ceiling windows and polished wood floors. In 1999 he heard of a property on Cox Bay, between the Pacific Rim National Park and Clayoquot Sound, on a beautiful windswept beach he used to visit as a child. Tim Hackett now had his template, and within a year had begun to build his dream.

What he created here, sprawled along eight acres of oceanfront beach, is Long Beach Lodge Resort, a property that reflected everything that is good about rustic West Coast architecture, with Douglas fir for its beams, granite fireplaces and giant windows that framed the dramatic beach and ocean

ESTABLISHED:

2002

beyond. Working closely with the respected interior designer Kimberly Williams, who selected the furniture and its many works of art, the lodge was chosen as the 2002 Project of the Year by the Canadian Home Builders Association.

The highlight of the lodge is its Great Room, a surprisingly intimate 20 metre x 12 metre space with ocean-to-sky windows that brings the ocean so close you can almost taste the salt. It’s a great place to sit during the November to March ‘stormwatching’ season. The beauty of the lodge is also seen in its details – from its oriental and tribal rugs, to its leather and rattan chairs, to the saddle brackets that support its beam and chandelier, and the branch-shaped wrought iron handles on its doors.

There are 41 lodge rooms and 20 twobedroom rainforest cottages, all built to reflect the qualities of grand West Coast living. Despite its grandeur, detail and harmony, however, it is its proximity to the Pacific Ocean on Cox Bay Beach that most defines it. This is ‘wild’ Vancouver; a region of unspoiled wilderness, of old growth cedars and Sitka Spruce that tower above forest floors thick with fern and moss. Breakers crash onto mile after mile of empty beach, and there’s no end of things to do here. Kayakers can explore Clayoquot Sound or the sheltered bays of the Deer Group Islands. There are sea lions and

orcas in its waters, and an annual migration of grey humpback whales. You can learn to surf, scuba dive or paddleboard, hike the trails of the Pacific Rim, or just walk out the lodge’s front door onto the 1.5km stretch of sand that is Cox Bay Beach, and explore tidal pools that are home to anemones, starfish, mussels, crabs and goose necked barnacles.

In the early 1900s Vancouver Island’s west coast was considered one of Canada’s most remote regions. Only a handful of non-native settlers lived here. The first doctor didn’t arrive until 1906, and the first church seven years later. The first logging road to the coast wasn’t completed until 1959. The sense of remoteness here is still palpable, despite an increase in tourism that has seen the nearby town of Tofino transformed from sleepy fishing village to soughtafter surfing and tourism destination. But the forests, beaches and ocean will always dominate.

When you stand on Cox Bay Beach and look west, the next landfall is Japan. Sheltered anchorages, tree-lined coves and narrow finger-like sounds (fjords) penetrate its rugged coastline, and you can still find isolated places like the hamlet of Winter Harbour, population 20.

Long Beach Lodge Resort is your gateway to all of this, if you want it. Or cozy up in the Great Room and watch, mesmerised, as the Pacific Ocean comes at you in all its untamed beauty. ■

BY THE SEA BY BARRY STONE, NEW HOLLAND PUBLISHERS, RRP$49.00, IS AVAILABLE FROM ALL GOOD BOOK RETAILERS OR ONLINE AT WWW.NEWHOLLANDPUBLISHERS.COM 8 8

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P R E F E R A D I G I TA L S U B S C R I P T I O N ?

SEAR C H ‘ MAXIM AUST R A L IA’ T H R O UG H ONE OF OUR DIGITAL PARTNERS

WOMAN OF THE WORLD

Class of her Own 9 0

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She loves to model, she loves to travel and she loves to teach maths, sports and yoga. Yes, there’s a lot to love about German beauty SIA EUL. Class is now in session...

P H OTO G R A P H E D BY A R T H U R S T J O H N I N T E R V I E W BY S A N T I P I N TA D O H A I R & M A K E - U P T AY L O R J A Z Z M A R T I N E Z

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WOMAN OF THE WORLD

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G reat shoot for your first ever MAXIM feature, Sia. How do you feel?

Thank you, I feel great! It’s an absolute honour for me to be published in MAXIM. This photo shoot took place in Palos Verdes, California U.S.A. and the location was just beautiful. We had a lot of fun and Arthur is a great photographer who made the day easy. We were also blessed with an amazing team supporting us.

Are there any funny anecdotes you can share from this day?

Definitely. We were shooting the whole day, and into the evening, and wanted to produce beautiful sunset pictures but couldn’t continue because suddenly there were these big black flies flying around from everywhere.

It was crazy – it looked like a horror movie!

Well, you look great.

When do you feel sexy?

When I wear tight clothes or simply when I’m naked because that way I’m able to see and appreciate all my curves by myself.

What is your best asset?

Physically, I’m really happy with my breasts, butt and belly.

“I DON’T LIKE TO GET TOO MUCH ATTENTION BECAUSE I REALLY ENJOY MY PRIVACY.” Mentally, my best asset is my intelligence and kindness.

Tell us a bit more about yourself and your life story so far.

I grew up in a conservative German family. I always used to do a lot of sports and was also in the school choir and orchestra. After I finished school, I moved

to Berlin and did a bachelor’s in mathematics and in sports sciences at the Humboldt University. Afterwards, I didn’t want to work for any bank, consulting company or in insurance, neither did I want to go deeper into sports sciences. So, I did a master of education which now allows me to teach mathematics and sports.

What would people be most surprised to know about you?

I don’t like to get too much attention because I really enjoy my privacy and I don’t like too much noise. I like it quiet and peaceful and enjoy spending my time just with close friends or alone.

Your Instagram profile says “teacher/traveller”. How much travelling do you do?

Well, I was teaching mathematics and sports – all kinds of sports in high school and college – for almost two years, but I wanted to see the world and decided to take a break. Recently, I was in India for two months and did training as a yoga teacher. At the moment I only do modelling and teaching yoga which gives me enough flexibility regarding my travel plans.

Being our Woman of the World this month, where’s the best place you’ve travelled to?

I really love Australia. The beaches are so nice, beautiful and clean, the nature is truly breathtaking and it’s just calm and peaceful. I’ve been to Australia three times and have seen quite a lot – Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Byron Bay, Brisbane, Airlie beach, Whitsundays, Fraser

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WOMAN OF THE WORLD

“THERE IS NO USER MANUAL WHICH IS VALID FOR ALL WOMEN.” Island, Townsville, Magnetic Island, Cairns, Darwin, Alice Springs and Ayers Rock.

Wow, you’ve possibly been to more places in Australia than most Australians have.

What else do you know about our fine country?

Besides koalas and kangaroos, you also have snakes and big spiders! Also, the history and Aboriginal past of your country is very interesting.

What have you learnt about men over the years?

A lot. The so-called “strong” gender has many weaknesses.

Describe your ideal man?

A man should be strong, kind-hearted and witty.

What’s one thing men should always remember about women?

Women are sensitive and we are all very different.

There is no user manual which is valid for all women.

What’s next for you?

I’m going to Africa. A friend of mine has a charity in Namibia and I will support this organisation. It’s called Eyambeko and it gives poor children and orphans the chance of an education.

We are currently working on a new project and any support which we can get is highly appreciated.

Please have a look at our Instagram @eyambeko_ namibia. Thank you! ■ 9 4

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WOMAN OF THE WORLD

Status Update FULL NAME: Sia Eul BIRTHDAY: December 10 HOMETOWN: Berlin, Germany FIVE-WORD SELFDESCRIPTION: “Smart, beautiful, kind, strong, compassionate.”

HOBBIES: “I like to read, travel and explore the world and go for new adventures.

I also love surfing, diving, skiing and yoga.”

GO-TO DRINK: “Campari orange or Cosmopolitan.”

LIFE MOTTO: “Live your life.

Be kind and openhearted. Try to fulfil your dreams.”

INSTAGRAM: @Sia.eul

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“A MAN SHOULD BE STRONG, KINDHEARTED AND WITTY.”

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24 HOU RS TO LI V E

Jason O’Mara The Man In The High Castle star (and voice of Batman in DC’s animated film series) discusses his hypothetical last day on Earth…

I N T E R V I E W B Y R E I L LY S U L L I V A N

How do you want to leave this world?

Either peacefully with my family or something badass like burning up on re-entry or whatever.

Do you have any deathbed confessions?

That kid’s comic book that was stolen in sixth grade and everyone got in trouble?

It was me.

What’s your last meal?

Both my parents make a mean roast – so, roast beef and gravy with roast potatoes.

An Irishman who likes potatoes. Shocker!

How would Batman fare in the apocalypse?

Batman would dominate the apocalypse right up until his gadgets run out of batteries.

What do you know now that you didn’t at 18?

Virtually everything.

What is your proudest accomplishment?

Other than being the best father I can be to my son, probably that I’ve been sober since the age of 22.

To whom on earth do you owe an apology?

That kid I stole the comic book from.

Who was your favourite co-star during your time on Earth?

They were all great but honestly I prefer working with children and animals.

What are your friends saying over your casket?

I plan to outlive them all.

What’s written on your tombstone?

I was never much of a singer or dancer, so probably something like, “Here Lies Jason O’Mara. Single Threat.”

What or who would you like to be reincarnated as?

I don’t want to come back.

When it’s time to go, it’s time to go. I’ll be ready.

Got any last words?

“Wait! I’m not ready.” ■

“I DON’T WANT TO COME BACK. WHEN IT’S TIME TO GO, IT’S TIME TO GO. I’LL BE READY.”

The fourth and final season of The Man In The High Castle is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video 9 8

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