Innholdsfortegnelse for February - April 2024 i Australian Traveller

THE AUSTRALIAN TRAVELLER team is starting the year as we mean to continue: by locking in adventures and looking forward to exploring all corners of the country in 2024. Our head of content Katie Carlin kicked things off with a blast of fresh air by hiking Flinders Island in Tasmania, the newest addition to the Great Walks of Australia portfolio. We’ve got writers heading to islands on the east and west extremes of the continent, cycling rail trails, cruising the coast and checking out outback station stays. I’m just back from a weekend in the Byron hinterland and have a journey to Kangaroo Island on the horizon, where I’ll get to experience the newly relaunched Southern Ocean Lodge. I stayed at its original iteration in July 2019, just six months…

AIM FOR THE SKY Sydney's largest open-air rooftop bar is now open on Level 7 of Kimpton Margot Sydney. The sprawling Harper Rooftop Bar conceived by FiveFootOne Design features buttery-hued booths, a pastel-pink mosaic bar, moveable drink stations and DJs. There’s also a pool exclusive for in-house guests of the pet-friendly hotel. The lush urban oasis is right in position on Pitt Street. harperrooftopbar.com.au AT loves.... Lorne Theatre Moviegoers can now catch the best flicks of the summer at regional Australia’s most beloved Art Deco cinema. Lorne Theatre, on Victoria’s Surf Coast, has undergone a considered refurbishment and opened its doors for a pop-up season that runs until Easter. The resplendent picture house is built in Moderne style, complete with terrazzo tiling, geometric ceiling panels and a classically plush red…

OH BUOY,BEROWRA WATERS, NSW You will want to dream up your fantasy future as a boatie on Berowra Waters when onboard the retro dream that is Oh Buoy. Spend the day drifting along the Hawkesbury River in the 1960s-built boat which is flooded with light that winks off the water lapping all around. Owners Jess and Laurie Rissman have lovingly restored the boat with upcycled furniture and vintage finds. Guests onboard Oh Buoy receive a complimentary fruit or cheese platter and bottle of wine on arrival, plus access to Ginger, a dinky little dinghy. ohbuoyhouseboat.com Coomera Houseboats, Qld IT’S A LITTLE-KNOWN FACT THAT THE GOLD COAST HAS MORE WATERWAYS THAN AMSTERDAM AND VENICE COMBINED. EXPLORE THE MANY TWISTS AND TURNS OF THE RIVER SYSTEM ONBOARD A 12-BERTH CRUISER FROM COOMERA…

A FEW YEARS BACK, WHEN ROTTNEST ISLAND set itself a goal of welcoming 800,000 annual visitors to its sandy shores by 2034, it seemed like an optimistic gaze into the crystal ball. But it turned out those expectations were a tad low: it surpassed that number in 2019. The quokka-dotted isle that sparkles across the water from Perth’s stretched elastic coastline beckons seductively, like a siren song to sailors. Its irresistible allure isn’t what you’d expect, though. No, it’s not (just) the 63 beaches squeezed around its 11-kilometre length and 4.5-kilometre width. Nor its patchwork-blue marine sanctuaries, or even the easy 30-minute ferry trip finishing with bags thoughtfully delivered to your door. It’s something more powerful that’s often overlooked: the promise of simplicity. Locals retreat to Rottnest – twice a…

Beyond being home to the whale-watching capital of the world, the Fraser Coast is a destination bestrewn with marine experiences. “WE’VE GOT TWO MALES WITHOUT A CALF, let’s go!” Captain Grant McCaffrey shouts just as lunch is served onboard M.V. Arcadia, Hervey Bay Dive Centre’s whale swim vessel. I drop my sandwich and start running from the upper deck to the back of the boat where the other passengers are already plunging into the water. They’re drifting out into the open ocean, holding onto a rope that’s attached to the port side of the boat. Just as I throw my snorkel on, our instructor Mathew Bradley says the rope has reached capacity, but I can hold onto the ladder on the starboard side instead. After diving in, I’m underwater when…

Virgin Voyages I’M LYING IN MY BRIGHT RED hammock – notebook in one hand and virgin piña colada in the other – hanging on the balcony of my room on Virgin Voyages’ Resilient Lady, also splashed in red and watched over by the mildly annoyed-looking mermaid painted on the side. Right now, gently swaying with the movement of the ship, listening to the hum of its engines and rush of water as it makes its way back to Melbourne, I am totally and utterly relaxed. This cuts a stark and much-needed contrast to last night’s Scarlet Party revelries. This is the (mer)maiden Australian cruise for Virgin Voyages, crossing Bass Strait to circumnavigate Tasmania, making stops in Hobart and Burnie over five nights. Virgin has quickly made a name for itself…

Wanderlust YOU ARE WELL KNOWN FOR YOUR ENDEAVOURS AT MOMOFUKU SEIOBO, AUTOMATA AND A1 CANTEEN. WHAT COUNTRIES MOST INFORMED YOUR FOOD PHILOSOPHY? Japan and Scandinavia have both had an impact on me in terms of the food culture and interesting and innovative use of ingredients. WHAT IS THE MOST MEMORABLE MEAL YOU’VE HAD ON YOUR TRAVELS? The tortino di carciofi (artichoke pie) and petti di pollo al burro (Italian-style butter-braised chicken) at Sostanza in Florence was a life-changing meal. This iconic trattoria opened in 1869 and the menu has had very few changes. WHERE DID YOU HOLIDAY AS A KID? Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula (1). My grandparents lived in Rosebud, so I have lots of wonderful memories of summers there at the beach with my family. Mothers Beach and Safety Beach…

Inner beauty NAME: VENUSTUS LOCATION: PADDINGTON, SYDNEY, NSW STEPPING OFF OXFORD Street – the busy thoroughfare linking Sydney’s CBD to the eastern suburbs – and into Venustus comes as a total surprise to the unsuspecting. This is no ordinary salon, and in fact you could be forgiven for thinking you’d stepped inside a cutting-edge art gallery. Jeannie Bourke is an industry legend who has been working her magic through beauty and body lab Venustus for more than 25 years; A-list clients include the likes of Nicole Kidman. Having relocated from her long-running spot two doors down, here she has created her dream space. An architectural wonder anchored by a showpiece staircase, it’s at once vast and intimate with an earthy materiality grounded in metal, concrete, sandstone and convict-marked bricks found…

Vacay mode Despite having its own season in the fashion calendar, there are plenty of misconceptions when it comes to resort wear. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to be on vacation to wear it. “If it’s hot and you’re dressing up but want to feel comfortable, you’ll probably be wearing what’s called ‘resort wear’,” Explains Dale McCarthy, founder of Aussie swim and resort label Bondi Born. “While resort wear can include what you throw over your swimwear going to and from the beach, it should be versatile enough to wear out.” For instance, a pair of colourful linen drawstring pants to lunch or a backless, fluid dress to dine out al fresco. Dale’s ultimate tip for building the perfect resort wear capsule closet is to look for breathable,…

Sydney-based design studio CHADA seems to have flipped through its Pantone Colour Chart to find the most vibrant shades to rainbow over the walls and surfaces of Melbourne’s new hotel, The Motley. The boutique hotel is in Richmond, once the epicentre of the city’s rag trade, and was home to costumier Mary Parker, whom we can imagine flouncing about here in a feather boa. Turn to page 42 for more.…

I’M TAKING MENU SUGGESTIONS from owner Katrina Myers moments after arriving at luxurious Lost & Found retreat in Barham, NSW. She’s just recommended the pork at Ivy Joyce, the hip restaurant I’m headed to later that night. “And if you like that, you’ll love this. It’s from the same place,” says Katrina, stacking a packet of Bundarra bacon on top of my already overflowing arms, filled with locally sourced eggs and fresh bread. Ivy Joyce is owned by Kat’s friend, Lauren Mathers, and is known as another Murray region jewel. When I arrive at Ivy Joyce later that evening, I do as Katrina suggests and order the BBQ Bundarra pork denver with baked yams, broccolini and cocoa jus from the menu. Lauren, host and co-owner of Ivy Joyce with longtime…

THE ICONS These RENOWNED outback destinations are on the NATIONAL R ADAR for a reason, but they still hold some remarkable SECRETS. Uluru, NT Uluṟu, in the heart of the Red Centre, began to form some half a billion years ago, rising 348 metres out of the Central Desert. This ancient monolith is a sight to behold at any time of the day, from its iconic rusty red to purple when the sun melts into the desert. For the Aṉangu people, Uluṟu is a deeply spiritual place entwined in traditional Tjukurpa lore. After dark, Wintjiri Wiru tells the ancestral Mala story through more than 1000 choreographed drones, lasers and projections in the night sky. The 10-kilometre base walk is a must and weaves through pockets of lush vegetation including the…

See you soon FROM ULURU AND the Great Barrier Reef to the Sydney Opera House and the Big Banana, Australia is full of wonders. Indulge those feelings of amazement everywhere from iconic natural landmarks and awe-inspiring living landscapes to architectural marvels and cultural quirks. Marvelling at those wonders in all their diverse forms is what makes travelling the country so compelling. And that’s precisely what we’re dedicating our next special edition of Australian Traveller to. Stay tuned for our lowdown of 100 Aussie Wonders, drawn from far and wide. What do you think should make the cut?…

WHILE THE RESURRECTED Southern Ocean Lodge is in the same position as its predecessor, the airy Ocean Pavilion is something else entirely: a new addition purpose-built for even more of an ultimate getaway. The sprawling four-bedroom Ocean Pavilion is on the western edge of the main eco lodge, which has risen from the ashes after the ‘Black Summer of 2020’ bushfires and is once again etched into the landscape on the southwest side of Kangaroo Island. The new-look SOL 2.0 remains oriented above the craggy coastal cliffs and wild waves that pound the Kangaroo Island coastline. The off-grid Luxury Lodges of Australia retreat was rebuilt by its original architect, Max Pritchard, for a cool $55 million with cutting-edge infrastructure to protect it from any future bushfires. And it is, by…

THE SUN IS JUST CRESTING the curves of the Blue Mountains when the Nepean Belle chugs into view from my vantage point on the grassy banks of the Nepean River. Pink streaks of light and cloud are stretching across the sky and back towards the city. Tench Reserve in Penrith is the boarding port for Nepean Belle and I watch the old-world-style paddle steamer, designed to replicate a Mississippi stern wheeler, push upstream, its huge red paddle wheel making a mockery of the flat water. Tench Reserve is a common gathering place for locals, close to neighbourhood gems such as East Bank’s vibrant restaurant scene and rural-rustic The Orchard. On any given afternoon, the green knolls that roll down towards the river are scattered with picnicking families. There are cyclists…