Innholdsfortegnelse for August - October 2024 i Australian Traveller

Chef ’s kiss The interiors of Luke Mangan’s new Melbourne/Naarm restaurant Bistrot Bisou are simple yet elegant, commanding views over busy Flinders Lane where the city’s iconic trams trundle past. Bisou means ‘kiss’ in French and the modern bistro at Hotel Indigo is Mangan’s first Melbourne venue in more than a decade. The sumptuous menu designed by Mangan and head chef Rory Kennedy flirts with French classics such as wood-roasted poussin and decadent lobster thermidor. bistrotbisou.com.au Fish tales JOSH AND JULIE NILAND HAVE TURNED UP THE DIAL AT THEIR INNOVATIVE SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD RESTAURANT SAINT PETER WITH THE RECENT MOVE TO NEW PREMISES AT SYDNEY/ WARRANE’S GRAND NATIONAL HOTEL. THE RELOCATION TO THE PADDO PUB EXPANDS CAPACITY AT THE PIONEERING PESCATARIAN FINE DINER FROM 20 TO 85, WHICH INCLUDES A 40-SEAT…

FROM ADELAIDE/TARNDANYA, it’s a short flight to Port Lincoln Airport where you can embark on a scenic flight with LINCOLN AIR CHARTER. Soar over the expansive coastline and soak up the natural beauty of Lincoln National Park and the rural landscape of the southern Eyre Peninsula.GoPro tip: Use the handler attachment to capture the view from above. Venture north-west to OYSTER FARM TOURS in Coffin Bay, where you can harvest oysters straight from the ocean. Slip into waterproof waders and make your way to the semi-submerged saltwater pavilion where you’ll shuck your own oysters while sipping on a South Australian riesling, all while soaking in the stunning surroundings. GoPro tip: Attach the bite mount to capture all the hands-free shucking action. Next stop is YARNBALA, a pristine piece of bushland in Coffin…

Townsville I REALISED THE ERROR of my cavalier attitude towards Townsville’s tropical heat at the 300-metre mark. It was still only 8am, yet the escalating temperature was nudging my body’s cooling mechanism into panic mode. It was hot, so very hot. Even the dogs I passed looked displeased with their owners’ tenacity to walk them. Babies in prams, with fans positioned at their red faces, squawked at their activewear-attired parents in protest. As I walked along, perspiring profusely and doing my best to remain under the canopies of vast Moreton Bay figs, I admonished myself for not heeding the advice from the concierge at the luxe Ardo Hotel, who had suggested I take one of the many e-scooters deposited around the place. But no, I did not. “I like to…

A HEALTHY STREAK of hedonism runs through everything at Sun Ranch, a boutique hinterland retreat set on 22 hectares of former farmland 15 minutes’ drive from Byron Bay, NSW. It begins with the salty margarita offered on arrival and lingers into the evening with a strong nightcap in the velvety Whiskey Lounge. This is, after all – as the tagline goes – the Hotel of Good Times. Opened in September 2023, Sun Ranch is cut from a different cloth to others in a region known for its breezy, rustic-luxe aesthetic. Here in the Rambler Longhouse, in my Pool Suite dubbed The Rattler alongside its Wam Bam, Gettin’ Lucky and Saddle Up counterparts, there’s nary a crisp white linen in sight. Instead, shades of olive, burnt orange, indigo and chocolate brown…

There’s a rawness and randomness to the beauty of both the people and the place here. Everything is a little off-centre, which only adds to the charm. A GALLERY OWNER, a fashion label founder and a ballerina walk into a bar. This isn’t the start of a joke. It’s just a regular Saturday morning at The Trader Bar, where Darwin/Gulumerrdgen locals are sipping on espresso and sharing freshly baked almond croissants. Inside, the marble tabletops are cool to the touch and, outside, the bougainvillea in the courtyard is in full bloom. The baristas wear white shirts so crisp and speak with European accents so rich you would be forgiven for thinking you were in a chic taverna in Italy. “Italy wishes it had such a nice jungle garden and was…

See you soon WHILE YOU ENJOY the last of crisp winter days and toasty fireside hangs, we’re thinking ahead to the moment we shed our warm layers and the hum of lawnmowers fills suburban backyards. In anticipation of the warmer months, we are scouring the country for the ultimate ways to spend summer. We’ll ignite your wanderlust for the tropics with the far-flung island idyll of Cocos Keeling (pictured), get hot in the city and uncover cherished holiday traditions in Tassie. Stay tuned – we’ve got your festive and New Year break sorted in our next issue. See you in November!…

Australia’s hidden gems It’s no secret that Australia is full of unforgettable places that offer equally indelible experiences. But you haven’t even glimpsed the best of them if you don’t know about these unsung destinations, some even hidden in plain sight. BEAUTIFUL PLACES TO VISIT WHEN IT RAINS When it rains, it pours, and these Australian destinations are all the better for it. From an ancient tropical rainforest in Queensland to a quiet conservation park in WA, there are certain parts of this country that are at their best in the rain. Where to see the southern lights You’ve heard of the iconic northern lights, but seeing this phenomenon in real life is an experience many Aussies don’t get the chance to have. Don’t fret – we’ve got our very…

See the forest for the trees Boutique hotel Osborn House, in the NSW Southern Highlands town of Bundanoon, has opened five new Forest Lodges and a Forest Bathing Deck designed to keep visitors grounded and mindful. The new deck is set amid the forest and includes an ice bath, sauna, jacuzzi and fire pit exclusive for the use of just two guests at a time. The design-led stay, which has a curated collection of 27 suites, is offering all-inclusive packages to celebrate the new luxury additions to the property. osbornhouse.com.au NEW PERSPECTIVES AAT Kings will inspire wanderlust in those looking for new ways to experience under-the-radar Aussie destinations with its latest roster of experiences. Travellers can forage for botanicals at Yarnbala (pictured) on a seven-day South Australian Eyre Peninsula Escape,…

Italian restaurants MELBOURNE/NAARM HAS LONG loved its Italian restaurants. But times change. The city seemed to fall a little out of love. That’s life. It can happen. Sure, the top-end classics continued, and endless old-school pizza joints and ristorante peppered the inner city to the outer burbs. But the buzz wasn’t there. Then – suddenly – there was a flicker, a change. Was it the White Lotus effect? Perhaps all those Aussies roaming Rome, or wintering on the Amalfi Coast noticed what they’d been missing? Whatever the reason, new Italian restaurants have started opening, others upping their game, cacio e pepe is popping up everywhere, regional cuisine is having a moment and negroni sbagliato is on repeat order. Italian is back baby! STUDIO AMARO On a strip of Windsor’s Chapel…

WHEN KIM FORGE DECIDED to build a traditional Finnish sauna outside her retreat in Tasmania/Lutruwita, it wasn’t just the jaw-dropping view across Coles Bay or the much-hyped health benefits that motivated her. Having spent time in Finland as a professional athlete, the ritual of relaxing in a sauna embodied everything she loves about Scandinavian culture and wanted to distil into her new slow stay, Still at Freycinet. “The very first thing we built was the sauna,” says Kim. Knowing she wanted it to be bespoke and custom-made, Kim Googled ‘sauna makers in Tasmania’ and Brad Cleary from Schweiss Saunas translated her traditional Finnish vision with cedar timber, positioning the structure to take in the enchanting sunsets across the water and The Hazards. Since welcoming her first guests in late 2022,…

Huon Valley WHEN BOTH CONDÉ NAST TRAVELER and The New York Times declared Tasmania/Lutruwita’s Huon Valley one of the top places to visit this year, much of it stemmed from a farmhouse restaurant that, although humble in premise and design, when executed will be anything but. Analiese Gregory’s intimate 10-seater eatery – at her 110-year-old farmhouse in Huonville where her chickens and goats roam – will open later this year, but only for two, maybe three days a week. “[We only open for] lunches, because the thing is there’s no streetlights here in the country,” she says. On other days, the revered chef and keen forager might be diving for abalone at a spot she loves in Cygnet, 30 minutes from home. Or calling Dawn, whom she met at the…

Cultural food tours “WE COULD BE IN VIETNAM,” says my friend, glancing around the busy streetscape. On the footpath nearby, a row of women, some wearing traditional nón lá conical straw hats, sit on milk crates. Piled in polystyrene boxes at their feet are homegrown plants, bunches of fresh herbs and homemade meals packed in takeaway containers. We have joined Taste Cultural Food Tours to explore the south-western Sydney suburb of Cabramatta. As a registered charity, Taste stands out from other Sydney food tours in that it trains and employs migrants, refugees and local youth as tour guides. “The core of our operation is in the training and employment programs,” explains CEO of Taste Cultural Food Tours, Lesley Unsworth. “The skills required to be a tour guide, including planning, public…

At the northern end of Catseye Beach, nestled among palm and gum trees, Sundays is Hamilton Island’s newest stay, slated to open mid-2025. The boutique hotel has been conceived with families in mind, with 59 guestrooms that all gaze out to the Coral Sea. Boasting cabanas and a water’s-edge restaurant, the hotel pool will be the place to while away hours under the sunshine, making every day in the Whitsundays feel like a beloved lazy Sunday. Turn to p24 for more accommodation openings.…

Paint the town red Fashion forecasting is more than simply determining what’s in and what’s out. Sartorial soothsayers tap into the moods and attitudes latent in our society, holding up a mirror to what’s already happening around us. These cultural phenomena get interpreted into the shapes, textures and colours that end up on the runways and on our bodies. WGSN is a fashion forecasting agency and a global authority on trend prediction. Each year, in collaboration with Coloro, WGSN releases a palette of five key colours for the season ahead. The shades for AW 2025/26 include Cherry Lacquer, a deep, intense red that conjures a sense of indulgence and rebellion. The inclusion of the shade was inspired by subcultures such as punk and metal – a nod to the rise…

Travel trend IT TURNS OUT THE LYRICS of the 1980s hip-hop anthem Push It hold the key to unlocking my freestyle stroke. Who knew? Yet here I am on a beach in Margaret River, beat-bopping along to Salt-N-Pepa and pushing it good with bent elbows. Coach and self-titled ‘chief mermaid’ Charlotte O’Beirne is at the lead, demonstrating how to carve our palms through the water, from bellybutton to thigh, in a setting she describes as “Mother Nature’s VIP section”. I emulate her instructions in the water (singing silently, of course) and it works. Surprise ends up being the theme of the WA winemaking region’s new swim safari. There are hiking holidays, culinary tours and photography adventures. Now, the trends of reconnecting with nature, acting sustainably and embracing a mental –…

Regional revival THE LOCAL PUB is more than a place to swill a beer. It is often the heart and soul of a community. A gathering place of familiar faces. The setting for core memories. Regional towns are often built around these institutions – and when the local pub is reinvented, so too is the entire community. When last drinks were called at Kirra Beach Hotel in 2021, many of its salt-of-the-earth patrons farewelled their second home, marking the end of an era. The original pub, which opened in 1956, was bulldozed and a cool $380 million was injected into its resurrection. The humble low-rise hotel was replaced with a chic multi-storey complex designed by global architectural studio Woods Bagot featuring curves, natural stone and lush greenery. The hotel is…

The colours in Australia’s northernmost city all seem saturated. Be it the lurid hue of a laksa, mossy-green of the jungle or painted-on blue of the sky. Even Darwin’s stark storefronts and building exteriors are now splashed with vibrant strokes of paint. These large-scale murals also make a bold statement about the influx of creatives that have heralded a shift in the culture of the city. Canvass the locals and you’ll discover the Top End is all the richer for it. Turn the page for more.…

AS A CHILD, MY FAMILY HOLIDAYS WERE ALWAYS TO… Denmark and Nannup, south-west WA. We didn’t go on many family holidays. I grew up in Pinjarra on the Murray River and we mostly just hung out in the dinghy. MY DREAM DESTINATION IN AUSTRALIA IS… I moved to Australia from LA when I was 10 and I’ve been lucky enough to travel to a lot of places in this country. I love the Kimberley (1) and the Wunaamin Miliwundi Ranges [formerly the King Leopold Ranges]. I have heart places close to where I live in south-west WA and private spots I go to on the Blackwood River, which are just beautiful. MY LAST HOLIDAY READ WAS… Radical Candor by former Silicon Valley CEO Kim Scott. I need as much help as…