Indholdsfortegnelse for April - May 2017 i Australian Traveller

IMAGINE A NARROW laneway in the heart of a city crammed full of all things cosmopolitan and countercultural: from artists’ studios, shoe box theatres and record stores to Italian coffee houses and shops selling Parisian fashions or Scandinavian-inspired furniture. A meeting point for like-minded people interested in art and culture and life beyond their horizons. A slice of Montmartre? Of Melbourne, perhaps? More surprising would be to imagine it tucked in the middle of Sydney’s CBD: cutting a straight line between the now-modern thoroughfares of Castlereagh and Pitt Streets, and parallel to Martin Place. But for almost a century until the 1970s, Rowe Street thrived here: a meeting ground for Sydney’s bohemians, and the odd famous visitor – with the iconic Hotel Australia at one end and the Theatre Royal…

1 WALK ANCIENT CLIFFTOPS JUST 45 MINUTES FROM THE CITY ROYAL NATIONAL PARK, NSW IT’S HARDTO IMAGINE CITY LIFE AND ALL ITS STRESSORS ARE JUST 45 MINUTES NORTH WHEN YOU’RE STANDING ATOP THE WHITE CLIFFS OF NEW SOUTH WALES’ ROYAL NATIONAL PARK.THERE ARE INCREDIBLE EASTER EGGS ALONG THE COAST TRACK WAY TO FIND, SUCH AS THE FIGURE EIGHT POOLS (GREAT FOR PHOTOS, NOT SO GREAT FOR SWIMMING DUETO DANGEROUS FREAK WAVES), LITTLE MARLEY BEACH AND WATTAMOLLA’S LAGOON AND BEACH. NATIONALPARKS.NSW.GOV.AU/VISIT-A-PARK/PARKS/ROYAL-NATIONAL-PARK 2 TRY BUSH FOOD IN THE CITY ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN, SYDNEY, NSW Try black apples straight from the tree and wash your hands with foaming wattle leaves on an Aboriginal Heritage Tour of Sydney’s Royal Botanic Garden. Education co-ordinator for aboriginal programs, Jody Orcher, has made…

91 BONDI’S SLEEPY SOUTH COAST COUSIN BERMAGUI, NSW Swaddled by national park and with its iconic Blue Pool (just quietly, we think it could bump Icebergs from its popularity podium if it was closer to Bondi), our soft spot for Bermagui is growing larger by the day.The pretty seaside town on the Sapphire Coast is experiencing a swell of new cafes and restaurants to complement its already undeniably beautiful natural assets, like Camel Rock and Wallaga Lake. Head to Long Time No Sea (longtimenosea.com), which opened in December, for brunch with an unbeatable view over Cuttagee Beach or book ahead for an intimate fine-dining experience on Thursday, Friday or Saturday evenings.“Bermagui has just evolved so much since I moved here seven years ago… but it’s still so simple and it…

EVERY DAY IS DIFFERENT, BUT MOST OF MY TIME IS TAKEN UP WITH SCHEDULING AND COSTING SHOWS. I have to make sure there is plenty of work, or, if we have too much work, that we get staff in. I also need to deal with designers and other people in the company. I deal with singers a lot, organising when they’re available for fittings and just keeping it all churning over. WE USUALLY HAVE ABOUT FOUR TO FIVE PRODUCTIONS IN THE WORKROOM AT ANY ONE TIME. When a new production comes in, we start working through each costume with the designer to talk about the type of fabric and how they see the costumes working. I need that information so I can cost out the show. Then it just comes…

MAY – JUNE 26–17 VIVID SYDNEY VARIOUS LOCATIONS, SYDNEY, NSW Sydney’s festival of light, ideas and music returns with another stellar line-up that includes Goldfrapp, AIR, Laura Marling, Nick Murphy and an exclusive performance by The Avalanches of their seminal debut Since I Left You. vividsydney.com UNTIL 4 JUNE THE RIGHT TO OFFEND IS SACRED NGV, MELBOURNE, VIC Brook Andrew likes to stir the pot, challenging notions of colonialism, identity and race with works in light, sculpture and on canvas. See a collection of his most notable works here. ngv.vic.gov.au UNTIL 25 APRIL THE SELL NLA, CANBERRA, ACT See how Australian advertising has reflected shifting cultural climes over the centuries with this collection of ads from all the way back in the 1790s, through to the Mad Men-esque ’50s and…

Where art thou? ART INSTALLATIONS POP UP IN THE STRANGEST PLACES THESE DAYS, AND THESE OUTBACK MASTERPIECES ARE WELL WORTH THE DETOUR. SEARCH ‘OUTBACK ART’ WIN A $10,700 ESCAPE TO THE COOK ISLANDS How does island-hopping in the Cook Islands sound, compliments of Pacific Resort Hotel Group, Air Rarotonga and Air New Zealand? Enter your favourite travel photo via australiantraveller.com/yourshot AND tag @austtraveller, @internationaltravellerand #winyourshoton Instagram. The main competition closes1 December2017 and there are prizes to be won every month! Slightly sunken treasures Channel your inner-Nemo at Sydney’s best snorkelling spots, recommended by the people who spend their lives staring longingly into the deep blue. SEARCH ‘SNORKELLING’ TOP END’S HIGH END Champagne sunsets, secluded beaches, crocodile-watching at dusk – love has just got to be in the air at these…

HOW DOES IT FEEL TO HAVE ONE OF THE MOST INSTAGRAMMED LOCATIONS IN AUSTRALIA? I was so humbled to discover that The Grounds of Alexandria ranked so highly. Social media is the new TV, so to be acknowledged in this manner is amazing. The Grounds is all about creating beauty, inspiration, joy and forging a connection in people’s lives. What better way to convey this than with a photo? I’m truly elated. WHAT INSPIRED THE GROUNDS? The Grounds was born out of a desire to infuse everything we do with beauty. At The Grounds we are committed to arousing all five senses. My father was and still is my greatest inspiration. He exposed me to this notion of beauty, instilling profound values like the importance of family, learning, being a…

JACK AND I ARE getting fairly intimate. My chest is pressed against his muscular shoulder; I try to synchronise the rise and fall of our breath. I open my eyes and take in every part of his neck, his hair, running my hand down his back. But he knows I’m not really into it, with a quick jerk he moves away. Out of reach. “What were you thinking about just then?” Jack’s trainer Megan breaks into my consciousness. It’s not that we’re being watched that’s off-putting. I’ve been trying to learn to meditate for the past year, being told the mind is like a puppy you need to train. Apparently mine is a very naughty puppy. The analogy likens your thoughts to the puppy’s penchant to wander, or chew its…

I AM DOING SQUAT JUMPS on the beach – sand between my toes, salty sweat on my brow – when I am surprised by the most unlikely of visitors. The scenario is already pretty unlikely. I rarely take exercise on holiday with me, and I have never been a morning person, but there’s something about staying just metres from Byron Bay’s Belongil Beach that lures me to sweat with the sunrise. My guest is of the equine variety; an absolute beauty, she takes my mind off my burning quadriceps. It is a magic moment, the kind that staff at Elements of Byron strives to create. The beast trots past, the rider is an instructor, in fact; beach horse riding is just one of the activities on offer. Six years in…

PERTH’S NORTHBRIDGE IS A PLACE that divides people. Locals who have never been to the inner-city hub are put off by its reputation as a seedy zone that attracts society’s fringe-dwellers. Those who do frequent its street art-splashed laneways, bars and boutiques are puzzled by the bogeyman hype, revelling in the creative spirit that mainstream neglect often gives rise to. Much like Sydney’s Kings Cross and Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley, Northbridge’s rough edges have been softened. Its sex shops, strip clubs, beer barns and kebab takeaways still exist, but a low-grade gentrification has seen small bars with a cool-but-communal feel sneak into buildings with long backstories. Home-grown designers sell their wares in rehabilitated shop spaces and restaurants inhabit former Chinese laundries, hairdressers and knock shops. But if you turned back the…

11 A CELLAR DOOR IN THE URBAN SPRAWL URBAN WINERY SYDNEY, NSW Urban wineries are a cultural mainstay in Europe and New York, but the Urban Winery Sydney is one of the first of its kind in Australia. A large-scale working winery in the city’s inner-west, the venture is the brainchild of Alex Retief (pictured left), who wanted to offer city slickers a taste of the vine without a schlep to the country. Try a tasting or one of the popular winemaker and chef dinners. urbanwinerysydney.com.au 12 Shop like a fashion insider MELBOURNE, VIC Melbourne fashion designers Georgie and Alex Cleary of cult label Alpha 60 (pictured above and below) share tips for the best retail therapy and food in their city: “Search…

41 A storm of colour KAKADU, NT “Gouldian finches are one of my passions and I really enjoy quietly sitting near small watering holes at the end of the dry season, waiting for them to arrive for their early morning drink , a sudden riot of colour in the outback .” Laurie Ross, photographer 42 Is it possible to see a tree kangaroo in the wild? DAINTREE RAINFOREST, QLD To see this elusive animal would normally require the budget of a BBC wildlife film crew and some expert guides to spot them high up in the canopy. But yes, surprisingly, there is a place where you can see them in the wild. These unusual, bear-like marsupials with a long tail like that of a lemur inhabit remote regions…

71 EXPERIENCE ICONIC ART QAGOMA, BRISBANE, QLD LEGENDARY GERMAN ARTIST GERHARD RICHTER’S FIRST MAJOR AUSTRALIAN SHOW, GERHARD RICHTER, OPENS ON 14 OCTOBER AT BRISBANE’S QUEENSLAND ART GALLERY AND GALLERY OF MODERN ART. QAGOMA.QLD.GOV.AU 72 EXPLORE BUILDINGS YOU NEVER KNEW WERE THERE OPEN HOUSE MELBOURNE, VIC, AND SYDNEY OPEN, NSW Check out Open House Melbourne in July ( openhousemelbourne.org  ) and Sydney Open in November ( sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/ sydneyopen ) to get behind the scenes of some of the cities’ most inspiring and intriguing buildings, many of which are often closed to the public. Shameless snoops have previously had the chance to visit The Great Synagogue in Sydney and Government House (pictured) in Melbourne. 73 DISCOVER A NEW ARTIST TO WATCH AT JUST 31 YEARS OLD, 2016 ARCHIBALD PRIZE…

PLUNGING DEEP into the earth like an open wound, the Fimiston Open Pit (known colloquially as the Super Pit) is one of the biggest open pit gold mines in Australia. Spanning 1.5 kilometres in width and 3.5 kilometres in length, it is astonishing in its enormity. The discovery of gold here in 1893 led to the area being dubbed the Golden Mile, however, since its inception in 1989 the Super Pit has grown to consume the earlier mines. It’s now a popular tourist spot where curious travellers can stop by for a tour or observe the mine in operation from the specially created Super Pit Lookout. Photographer Elise Hassey captured this otherworldly scene at dusk. Large vehicles look like toy Tonka trucks as they climb from the shadowy depths and…

Bruny-bound Teaming up with acclaimed architect John Wardle and his wife Susan, Epicurious Travel has begun offering a six-day Bruny Island Sojourn on the Tasmanian food haven. Not only will you be able to sample the best culinary offerings from the island’s producers on this walking tour, but you’ll also stay in the award-winning Shearer’s Quarters. Expect incredible dining and wine experiences, including a private beach barbecue. Dates run from 19- 24April, with more tours happening later in the year. epicurioustravel.com.au READ ’EM AND EAT 1 . No one can deny Melbourne’s cafe culture is among the best in the world. Having run one of the city’s most-loved cafes, South of Johnston, Stuart McKenzie has compiled some of his favourite recipes in his new book ALL…

DEAR RESTAURATEURS, HUMOUR ME a little. From now on, let’s assume that we diners all know your menu is supposed to be ‘produce-driven’ with ingredients ‘sourced locally’ and that the chef is ‘inspired by the seasons’. I do love how your ultra-sincere waitstaff are so enamoured by Chef that their starry-eyed explanations of the menu verge on the evangelical. But, please, don’t have them utter the words ‘designed to share’ followed by a prescription of exactly how many dishes should be taken in one sitting, lest I launch my Clair De Lune oyster shells at their linen-aproned chests. I know this makes me sound like the Grinch who siphoned the marrow of joy from the very bones of Sunday lunch, but so often are the words ‘sustainably sourced’ and ‘produce-driven’…

IT MUST BE TOUGH keeping pace with the rule-breaking whippersnappers of the hotel world. They’re shaking things up with funky hangout spaces, desk-free welcomes, designer-partnered ‘uniforms’ and baristas on standby. If you’re into that kind of thing (and I am) then a conventional hotel experience, while altogether satisfactory, becomes a little lacklustre. Perth’s new Peppers Kings Square Hotel – the brand’s entry into Western Australia – teeters between the two. It has some chic touches: blue neon lighting ripples on the 17-storey-high frontage by night (it’s Australia’s tallest prefabricated, modular hotel); the welcome desk is an extension of the espresso-machine-equipped bar; polished concrete columns spear the lobby, with rose gold mesh shades and matching chairs lining the cafe-restaurant. But the hotel sticks with tradition via a 10am check-out and rooms…

TAKE IN WORLD-CLASS SCULPTURES Savour the Blue Mountains’ array of galleries and markets over a day of gallery hopping, or visit the annual, world-renowned Sculpture at Scenic World exhibition, which runs from 7 April to 7 May this year, exhibiting more than 30 unique sculptures in natural Jurassic rainforest along the 2.4-kilometre Scenic Walkway. Enjoy unlimited rides on the Scenic Railway, Skyway and Cableway as you visit, or take a guided tour led by talented local artists. WORK UP AN APPETITE ON WALKING TRAILS Start at superbly located Scenic World, where there is free all-day parking, then take the Skyway across the valley and enjoy the leisurely Prince Henry Cliff Walk around to the top of the picturesque Katoomba Falls. Meander along the spectacular escarpment down to the Three Sisters,…

WIN A DREAM HOLIDAY AT YONDAH BEACH HOUSE, SA, VALUED AT $1020 Recently named South Australia’s best deluxe accommodation, Yondah Beach House is a multi-award-winning 4.5-star (and pet-friendly!) beach house set on 300 private oceanfront acres on the wild southern coast of the Yorke Peninsula. An easy three-hour drive from Adelaide, Yondah offers guests a unique ‘luxe-in-nature’ experience complete with private sandy beaches, clifftop walks, rare native orchids, abundant birdlife, resident fur seals, and pods of whales in winter. The lucky winner will receive a three-night stay for two people (and their pampered pooch) in a deluxe queen room with en suite. yondah.com.au Special conditions: Valid for 12 months, subject to availability, available in low season only (blackout periods apply in mid/high season), bed and bathroom linen is included, normal…