Going Guilt-free How to do good and feel good by travelling consciously, responsibly and with heart FINDING BLISS IN THE DAINTREE* Life in the Slow Lane WALKING, DRIFTING, CYCLING + AND SOAKING IT ALL IN * This could be you at Silky Oaks Lodge T H E K I M B E R L E Y Outback NSW G E E LO N G & TH E B E LL A R I N E CRUISING TASMANIA C L A R E V A L L E Y K’gari (Fraser Island )
YOUR SPELLBINDING NATURE ESCAPE Retreat to our epic Blue Mountains sanctuary, where wide open spaces and protected wilderness await. oneandonlywolganvalley.com
CONTENTS PHOTOGR APHY: TOURISM AND EVENTS QUEENSL AND (MOSSMAN GORGE); SOUTH AUSTR ALIAN TOURISM COMMISSION ( WATERVALE HOTEL); RORY GARDINER (BUNDANON); SAM GRAUDINS (ON BOARD EXPEDITIONS); PARKER BLAIN (LOTI) Issue 095 August – October G E TAWAY S 102 RAI NF OR EST R ENE WAL The transformation of Silky Oaks Lodge sees it mesh with the very fabric of the Daintree 110 THE B OAT LESS T R AV E LLED Embark on an intimate boat expedition along Tasmania’s rugged east coast 118 COUNT RY ST YL E The old informs the new at Callubri Station 124 AC ROSS T H E WATE R Explore the gems of Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula by boat, bike and foot 130 CE LEB R AT I NG CHR IST MAS How locals are charting a more sustainable course for Christmas Island 102
74 124 50 110 44 68 CONTENTS ISSUE AUGUST – OCTOBER SHORTCUTS STRAIT TALKING ON THE COVER Meet chef and author Nornie Bero Location: Silky Oaks Lodge, Daintree WISH YOU WERE HERE Rainforest,Tropical North Queensland Finniss River Lodge, NT INNER BEAUTY LOTI slides into an iconic St Kilda site Carbon Emissions O set PILLOW TALK Journeys displaying this symbol throughout Hot hotel openings right now WATER WORLD the magazine have been o set through Falling for the Kimberley Greenfleet Australia WINE & DINE Tasty morsels from the culinary world THE GUIDE PLEASE NOTE: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are warned HOT LIST TRAVELLING CONSCIOUSLY that the current edition of Australian First Nations experiences How to be more mindful when travelling Traveller magazine may contain images of deceased persons. REWIND WEEKENDS Fifty years of Yol u enterprise REVIEWS PARK LIFE Bendigo Ernest Hotel, Bendigo,Vic; Munga-Thirri–Simpson Desert Two Good Co. Cafe, Sydney, NSW National Park, SA EN PLEIN AIR LAND VALUES Bundanon, a reimagined arts hub in NSW Meet Iris & Wool founder Emily Riggs THROUGH THE GR A PEVI N ES WANDERLUST Ramble through SA’s Clare Valley CEO of Frost*collective,Vince Frost MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE WALK THE WALK Clear the coastline and your conscience See Perth with Two Feet & a Heartbeat THE NEW CALM GREEN & GOLDEN Australia’s new breed of bathhouse Australia’s sustainable report card HIP HOOD A PRECIOUS GEM Dairy Road, Canberra Meet eco warrior Jess Taunton LIFE UNHURRIED WHAT’S ON Slow stays from an eco-minded new tome Hot dates for the calendar ONE FINE DAY LOOK GOOD, DO GOOD Join a local in NSW’s Northern Rivers Eco-friendly amenities
Editor’s letter CLOCKWISE FROM THIS IS A LINE-IN-THE-SAND MOMENT for Australian TOP LEFT: Join an Traveller, the moment we go all-in with our commitment to On Board expedition on approaching travel within Australia in a more conscious, sustainable, Tasmania’s East Coast, ethical and responsible way so that our readers know they are making p ; Chef Nornie Bero, the best choices when exploring this amazing country of ours. Rather of Mabu Mabu, p ; Enjoy than positioning this as a one-o ‘Green Issue’, we have approached a swish, sustainable stay this edition as a launch pad for an editorial approach that will continue at Chalets at Blackheath, in every issue to come. As a result of this we will be making considered p ; Feel your shoulders choices about the content we include, ensuring that it features and soften at Silky Oaks Lodge, celebrates Australian businesses and destinations that are making real located near the serpentine e orts to operate in a more sustainable and conscious way. Daintree River, p ; Walking up an appetite in We are not alone in prioritising this focus. On the eve of the recent the Clare Valley, p . federal election, ABC News reported that there had been a per cent increase in internet searches about climate-related questions (such as, ‘How does climate change a ect bushfires?’ and, ‘Is climate PHOTOGR APHY: L AUREN BATH SERVICES ( WINEGL ASS BAY ); HUGO L AMB (NORNIE BERO); TOURISM AND EVENTS change getting better?’) since the last election, and according to QUEENSL AND (DAINTREE RIVER); SOUTH AUSTR ALIAN TOURISM COMMISSION ( WATERVALE HOTEL CL ARE VALLEY ) the Lowy Institute’s Climate Poll , six in Australians (that’s per cent) say that “global warming is a serious and pressing problem” that “we should begin taking steps [to address] now”. So how does this translate in the pages of your favourite travel magazine? We will keep doing what we have always done, delivering in-depth, informative, entertaining and responsible insights into journeying across the country – but expect the volume to be pumped up. In the pages that follow, that means spending time in a painstakingly sustainable luxury lodge on the doorstep of the pristine, UNESCO World Heritage-listed Daintree Rainforest, journeying to far-flung Christmas Island to indulge in its unique brand of island-eco, ambling around the Clare Valley hitting up its sustainable cellar doors and restaurants, treading lightly on walking tours and celebrating Aussie eco warriors. Instead of preaching to you, we will always strive to take an inclusive approach to conscious travel, giving you the knowledge and tools to choose experiences that you will love now, and that will benefit our country, and the planet, into the future. LEIGH-ANN POW, EDITOR ed it or @ aus t raliant ra veller.com You, the reader, are the most important person in our business. As such, we will never trade your trust for advertising dollars. So you know exactly what you’re reading, be aware that stories labelled ‘In Partnership With’ mean a valued sponsor has enabled this content to be brought to life. These stories are created to the same journalistic standards as our usual features. An ‘Australian Traveller Promotion’ is content created by our valued clients that has been edited by our team. Australian Traveller Media would like to acknowledge the people of the Eora Nation, Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work, and pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging. AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM
EDITORIAL Editorial director LEIGH-ANN POW Deputy editor IMOGEN EVESON Writer + chief sub editor C ARLA GROSSETTI ART Art director ANITA JOKOVICH Contributing designer JULIAN JONES ONLINE Digital editor-in-chief KATIE C ARLIN Digital travel writer/producer EMILY MURPHY Digital campaign assistant IRISH VILLACORTA SALES & MARKETING For all advertising enquiries, phone 02 9698 7072 Sales manager MICHELLE O’CALLAGHAN Senior account managers TIM PARTRIDGE CHRIS WILLIAMS Advertising sales coordinator CONNIE LAMBROGLOU AUSTRALIAN TRAVELLER MEDIA Managing director QUENTIN LONG Director NIGEL HERBERT General manager, operations & HR JUSTIN RANDLES Office & subscriptions manager JOANNA DROULIAS Full stack developer RAMAN KUMAR Finance director KEN DAVISON Finance manager MELINDA LAXAMANA CONTACT 02 9698 7072 | australiantraveller.com INTERNATIONAL TRAVELLER Editor LEIGH-ANN POW Sales manager MICHELLE O’CALLAGHAN Australian Traveller is printed by Ovato under ISO14001 Environmental Certification. Paper fibre is from certified forests and audited sources. All rights reserved. No material published in this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without prior written authority. Every endeavour is made to ensure information contained in this magazine is correct at time of going to print. Unsolicited material may be used by AT, but no responsibility is accepted for lost manuscripts, artwork or images. Australian Traveller is published quarterly by Australian Traveller Media (ACN 113 975 438), PO Box 159, Broadway, NSW 2007. Printed by Ovato, 8 Priddle Street, Warwick Farm, NSW 2170. Price in Australia: $9.95 inc GST (recommended & maximum price only).
ONLINE More and more AUSSIES are seeking out CONSCIOUS, responsible travel EXPERIENCES. Learn about IMPACT tourism and eco-friendly STAYS at australiantraveller.com A COMPLETE GUIDE TO AUSTR ALIA’S INCREDIBLE UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES Australia is home to UNESCO World Heritage sites, which are listed according to three di erent categories: Cultural, Natural and Mixed. From ancient rock art to natural phenomena, here’s how to explore these landmarks. THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO LET’S GET PHOTOGR APHY: Z ACH SANDERS (L AGOON BEACH, LORD HOWE ISL AND); MELISSA FINDLEY (FREYCINET BECOMING AN ECO-CAMPER DIGITAL LODGE COASTAL PAVILION); DESTINATION NSW (IRIS LODGE ALPACAS, JILLIBY ) Follow our eight easy tips to becoming a Receive travel inspiration conscious camper, like using eco-friendly for only $ . for four products, minimising your use of single-use plastics, shopping locally issues. Subscribe at and travelling with BPA-free water bottles and reusable co ee cups. shop.australiantraveller.com 7 OF THE BEST ECO-FRIENDLY RETREATS AROUND AUSTR ALIA Book a stay in a sanctuary that has sustainability at the heart of the guest experience. Our guide lists seven sustainable stays, in places such as Broome, Byron Bay and the Barossa, which all open the door to conscious travel. 21 ECO-CERTIFIED ATTRACTIONS AROUND AUSTRALIA ECO certification is essentially the green tick of approval by Ecotourism Australia, which is recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. Our guide will lead you to the attractions that are committed to sustainable practices. CONNECT WITH AUSTRALIAN TRAVELLER FACEBOOK: facebook.com/AustTraveller TWITTER: @AustTraveller INSTAGRAM: @AustTraveller PINTEREST: AuTraveller A U S T R A L I A N T R AV E L L E R . C O M
The only way to Exclusive Arnhem Land Small Group WD Adventures Outback Spirit takes you on an exclusive journey through the heart of Arnhem Land, and it is here that you’ll step into a world beyond belief. Plus, with Outback Spirit’s custom fleet of Mercedes Benz WDs, exclusive network of premium lodgings and five-star dining all included, you’ll feel right at home too. adventures now selling from $ , * pp. outbackspirittours.com.au *Conditions apply. Fare quoted is based on the Everyday Fare on the Arnhem Land Wilderness Adventure, travelling in September . Price per person, twin share. For further information or to book, please call 8 688 . For full terms & conditions, please visit outbackspirittours.com.au
Welcome to Victoria's Phillip Island, one amazing place @visitphillipisland home to 101 km2of extraordinary experiences. @phillipisland Plan your next holiday on Victoria's much-loved island at visitphillipisland.com.au
PHOTOGR APHY: STEVEN WOODBURN SHORTCUTS pillow talk . wine + dine . hot list . rewind . park life . wanderlust . what’s on . inner beauty A TURKISH DELIGHT Enjoy a magic carpet ride to Turkey’s west at Maydanoz, the new restaurant brought to you by the team behind Sydney’s celebrated Efendy and Anason. The meze bar pays tribute to the predominantly plant-based diet in the Aegean region of the country. See page for more.
WISH YOU WERE HERE FINNISS RIVER LODGE, TOP END, NT YOU WILL HAVE a front-row seat of the sun crocodiles, too,” says Robert, who grew up on the painting the landscape at dawn and dusk each day property, 90 minutes south-west of Darwin. from the comfort of the infinity pool at the Northern Territory’s newest wilderness retreat, Robert, a second-generation pastoralist, says Finniss River Lodge. what he loves most about the working cattle farm is the diversity of the surrounding landscape.“I have Owner Robert Venturin believes there are 4000 brahman cattle on the farm and guests can few better places to bask in the grandeur of see them grazing on the floodplains when they are the dramatic landscape that surrounds the swimming in the pool,” he says. 200-square-kilometre working farm. The light-filled luxury lodge includes six suites “The infinity pool overlooks a natural floodplain with wide verandahs that boast station views, and that holds a lot of water through the wet season. the indulgent addition of a resident chef. Days are It’s part of the Finniss River and, when it’s in flood, spent enjoying everything from air boat rides to it’s spectacular. It’s also home to a huge arrangement Indigenous-led tours to simply soaking in the glow of bird species, and saltwater and freshwater of a Top End sunset. finnissriverlodge.com.au
PHOTOGR APHY: RICHARD LYONS SHORTCUTS | Wish you were here 13A U S T R A L I A N T R A V E L L E R . C O M
SHORTCUTS | Pillow talk QT NEWCASTLE Grand plans ... WORDS: CARLA GROSSETTI QT Newcastle gives back to the community by virtue of Eco-aware pods the fact it’s housed in the iconic 113-year-old former David Devotees of the design-led Jones building, which Novocastrians have a high degree of WanderPods dotted around ownership over. As well as respecting the elegant bones the Scenic Rim will want to of the building, the luxury hotel has widened the lens to indulge their wanderlust with include a contemporary modern Australian bar and grill a stay at one of four new eco (Jana) and sky-high izakaya-style bar (Rooftop at QT) that cabins set to be barnacled celebrate NSW producers. The hotel uses refillable Kevin onto Tamar Ridge overlooking Murphy dispensers in its bathrooms, offers free bike hire Snelling Beach on Kangaroo and features upcycled materials throughout. qthotels.com Island late 2022. The off-grid pods are designed to nudge PILLOW TALK guests toward thinking how to embrace more sustainable CHECK IN to check out the LATEST, greatest and most initiatives in their own home. FABULOUS new CONSCIOUS stays in the country. wander.com.au VOCO BRISBANE CITY CENTRE Island idyll In keeping with IHG’s burgeoning brand, voco Brisbane City Centre Hotelier Glenn Piper is is filled with edgy artworks and warm, playful interiors. The design set to transform the of the 194-room hotel was influenced by its riverside location with a accommodation on Hook mostly neutral palette that features bright pops of the signature voco Island into a world-class eco yellow. Conscious travellers will appreciate sustainable initiatives such lodge after acquiring the as aerated showerheads to reduce water usage, plush bedding filled Whitsundays leasehold in with 100 per cent recycled materials, refillable Antipodes amenities May. Piper intends to put and free access to handcrafted bamboo bikes. Soak up some sunshine hospitality at the heart of the in the rooftop pool and kick back at Kraft & Co., a cafe by day and experience, with plans to atmospheric lounge at night. brisbanecitycentre.vocohotels.com develop the 9.3-hectare site respectfully and sustainably. 14 AU S T R A L I A N T R AV E L L E R . C O M DayAway arrives in Australia DayAway, the online destination for booking hotels by the day, has launched in Australia, offering everything from spa experiences to high teas or the chance to work from a beautiful hotel suite. To date Park Hyatt Sydney, The Langham, Sydney, Jackalope on the Mornington Peninsula and Perth’s COMO The Treasury have embraced the concept, offering curated daytime experiences to a growing community of travellers who enjoy spending time in hotels. mydayaway.com
SHORTCUTS | Pillow talk CHALETS AT BLACKHEATH THE LITTLE LADY Australia has a new high-end eco resort, located in the pretty Sample the austere beauty of the Mudgee village of Blackheath in NSW’s Blue Mountains. So far there Region with a stay in The Little Lady, are four chalets dotted around the 6.4-hectare property, each the latest Tiny Away transplant at featuring a king-size bed, fireplace and oversized bathrooms Naked Lady Wines, a small . -hectare fed by rainwater. The eco resort is located where the Jemby family-run vineyard in Rylstone. The Rinjah Eco Lodge once stood (it was destroyed during the modest but perfectly formed two-storey 2019 bushfires) and the new owner, entrepreneur Angela loft-style home was prefabricated o site O’Connell, has been busy regenerating the property since and includes an eco-friendly compost acquiring it in 2020. The resort is built around a ‘biophilic’ toilet and kitchenette and views over approach to architecture that aims to connect guests more Capertee Valley that feel particularly closely with nature. chaletsblackheath.com.au extravagant. The Little Lady makes a great base from which to explore nearby Wollemi National Park or, if the mood takes you, participate in a tasting of the estate’s award-winning basket-pressed wines. tinyaway.com MIRUMIRU PHOTOGR APHY: ANSON SMART PHOTOGR APHY (CHALETS AT BL ACKHE ATH); TINY AWAY (THE LITTLE L ADY, RYLSTONE); There are four private campsites at Mirumiru, SER A J. WRIGHT (MIRUMIRU BUBBLETENT CAPTAIN THUNDERBOLT AND MARY ANN BUGG TENT ) located at the foot of Mt Mackenzie near Tenterfield in NSW’s New England High Country, including the Mary Ann Bugg tiny bubble tent (must be aged over seven) that you can book alongside the Captain Thunderbolt. By night, you can soak in a vintage outdoor tub before curling up in your designer-appointed Bubbletent to watch the stars rise up through the valley and confetti the night sky. mirumirububbletent.com.au LYF COLLINGWOOD Standing for ‘live your freedom’, lyf (pronounced life) is a next-gen hotel designed as a place to work , play and network . Targeted at millennials and digital nomads, the Collingwood property, located two minutes’ walk to Smith Street, described by Time Out as ‘the world’s coolest street’, has studio rooms, a social lounge on the ground floor with colourful murals by local street artist Mysterious Al, a communal kitchen and meeting spaces. discoverasr.com A U S T R A L I A N T R AV E L L E R . C O M
Holiday with your Fur Baby There are so many pooch friendly things to do in the Sutherland Shire. From beautiful stretches of leash free sandy beaches, walking trails, local farmers markets, cafes, breweries and more. Bring your fur baby, enjoy your break and have a ball together. visitsutherlandshire.com.au/furbaby Scan here for more inspo
SHORTCUTS | Wine + dine GREEN SCENE Hot plates WORDS: CARL A GROSSETTI. PHOTOGR APHY: STEVEN WOODBURN (MAYDANOZ DISH, VENUE); PARKER BL AIN (PARCS); BECKETT’S BAR & DINING & ARCHIE ROSE DISTILLING CO. (SERIOUS GIN + TONIC COCKTAIL) Celebrated Turkish-Australian chef Somer Sivrioglu and business partner Tarik Köni, of Origins Feather and Bone Providore Dining Group, have launched a predominantly plant-based venue on Carrington Street in Sydney’s Feather and Bone Providore has opened its CBD. Maydanoz means ‘parsley’ in Turkish and you can expect a sprinkling of dishes that promote second store in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. the vegetable-driven meze bars from the western region of Turkey. The design of the 100-seat The new Waverley space is equal parts restaurant and bar by Guru Projects also pays homage to the opulent greens and golds of the ethical butchery and event space where landscape. Settle in to one of the velvet banquettes at the venue to enjoy charred fioretto cauli talks and tastings revolve around the whole- with fava bean puree or haloumi kebabs, with honey, sesame and rosemary ash. maydanoz.com.au beast philosophy, regenerative agriculture and mindful consumption. The providore WINE + DINE also offers omnivores ready-to-eat meals such as lamb shank ragù and red goat curry. Dine out at new PLANT-BASED eateries in Sydney, sip featherandbone.com.au on SUSTAINABLE wines and focus on FERMENTS. Flave One for the road Flave executive chef Scott Findlay trained under Gordon Ramsay before working as a Think of Beckett’s Bar & Dining (beckettsbardining. private chef to Sir Paul McCartney, Rihanna, com.au) as the second act for Glebe’s iconic Madonna and Elton John. The new eatery, Darling Mills site, recently reimagined by Sydney which has a focus on wholefoods and playwright Wendy Beckett and chef Jeff Schroeter plant-based options, attracts Bondi hipsters (ex-Bistro Moncur). Give yourself ample time here in their droves for dishes such as the to enjoy a performance by the mixologists in the cauliflower steak burger or bountiful Roasty cocktail lounge with its mid-century Manhattan Reds bowl. Flave is powered by renewable vibes before tucking into French bistro fare. The energy, and has made conscious decisions Serious Gin + Tonic is made using gin sourced from about everything from its suppliers to its Archie Rose Distilling Co., located less than 10 packaging and fit-out (tabletops are made clicks away. Drinks ambassador Charlie Ainsbury from recycled plastic). flave.com shares his recipe. Pumphouse Sydney Serious Gin + Tonic Originally built by the Sydney & Suburban Hydraulic Power Company in 1891, the 30ml Archie Rose Distiller’s Strength Gin stunning Heritage-listed Pumphouse has 60ml Fever-Tree Premium Indian Tonic Water had a complete overhaul. The newly revitalised industrial-chic interiors boast Serve over large ice cubes, garnished with design-led finishes, such as oversized dehydrated pear. statement lamp shades over the bar that feature the work of Australian artist Lance Corlett, a centrepiece timber bar and cosy fireplace. Book in for the bottomless brunch on Sundays. pumphouse-sydney.com.au Parcs The mission driving this cosy 20-seater Melbourne bar (pictured above) is twofold: to minimise waste and focus on ferments using food that has been rescued from restaurants and markets. You will feel a bit more virtuous when you dine in at the sustainable small bar on Little Collins Street on a menu that utilises scraps and surpluses and perfectly imperfect produce. Go with your gut and order the kangaroo with fermented natives. parcs.com.au 18 AU S T R A L I A N T R AV E L L E R . C O M
| GREAT WINES THAT DON’T COST THE EARTH Supply and demand PHOTOGR APHY: ROB LOCKE (PEPE SAYA & OLSSON’S SALT CHOCOL ATE BUT TERY SALTED CAR AMELS); TIM PASCOE PHOTOGR APHER New Australian wine brand Rewild is aimed rolling out green energy storage technology Victoria by Farmer’s Daughters has further (REWILD TE AM); NICO D’ANNA (PIZ Z AIOLO); R AOUL GER ARD (FARRO SPELT MUSHROOM PIZ Z A) at those who want to make purchase that involves a hybrid hydrogen battery and transformed Federation Square with a decisions that have a positive impact on solar panels. We’ve planted more than 20 sprawling riverside hang that nods to the the environment. The Rewild range, which tree and shrub varieties across 70 hectares quality and diversity of Victoria’s bounty. launched in 2022 under the Duxton Vineyards of land and collectively maintain more than While sister venue Farmer’s Daughters in umbrella, uses varietals from the Southern 2000 hectares of native vegetation. We also the 80 Collins precinct looks to Gippsland Murray Darling region to produce top drops increase biodiversity by boosting soil health and for its inspiration, the 180-seater restaurant such as chardonnay, pinot grigio, merlot nutrition, recycle everything we can and are helmed by Peruvian chef Alejandro Saravia and shiraz. We spoke to Dylan Klingbiel, exploring new sustainable packing solutions. (ex-Pastuso) focuses on regional Victoria, environment manager, Duxton Vineyards celebrating everywhere from the coast to (above, far left), about the brand’s vision for . the high country. Check out the interactive becoming a net-zero winery and paving the ? ingredients table, which spotlights the way for other eco-conscious vineyards. restaurant’s hyperlocal supply chain, Duxton Vineyards grow about six per cent before enjoying an authentic farm-to-table ’ of Australia’s total grape supply so making experience. victoriarestaurant.com.au sustainability our core is the right thing to do .’ both ethically and morally for a business of this TUMMY- ? It’s to lead by example for size. But we’re not just fixed on our business PLEASING alone. The team work to form harmonious, PIZZA our local $24 billion wine industry and show sustainable relationships on the land we exactly what healthy, progressive sustainable operate on through seeking environmentally Farro means management could yield for a business, while focused partnerships and supporting the ‘spelt’ in Italian also helping the environment. Rewild is community with key initiatives. We work and adopting the showing consumers that wines can be crafted closely with the Barkindji Maraura Elders ancient grain as the sustainably, with minimal intervention, and still Environment Team who support us through Melbourne pizzeria’s offer great taste and value. advising on land management techniques. signature product is, says co-owner As a member of Sustainable Winegrowing Nicolas D’Anna, “not a trend, but a - ? When people buy a Australia, we hope our self-determined return to tradition”. Farro opened its mission and sustainability story will inspire fourth Melbourne venue in Hawthorn in bottle of Rewild, they help us continue our further innovation in our industry. June and D’Anna says the new hospitality efforts in regeneration and revegetation and Rewild Wines are available exclusively at Dan venture will use organic spelt flour as its move towards our goal of becoming 100 Murphy’s stores. rewildwine.com signature product because “it’s better for per cent renewable. Our winery is fitted the gut and better for the planet”. Chef with solar panels that have avoided over 750 Hugo Dief also adheres to the -hour tonnes of CO2 emissions to date. We are slow fermentation process in order to facilitate healthy digestion. Buttered up farro.com.au Buttermaker Pepe Saya and Olsson’s Salt have partnered with Adora Handmade Chocolates to create a range of buttery Salted Caramel Bon Bons that showcase the quality of Australian ingredients. The three family businesses were drawn together due to their shared commitment to craftsmanship and respect for artisanal techniques. Each beautifully designed box contains 10 bon bons in either an original buttery salted caramel flavour or a chocolate buttery salted caramel. pepesaya.com.au; olssons.com.au
SHORTCUTS | Wine + dine OUT OF THE BOX Track your Climate Calories PHOTOGR APHY: BEN MCPHERSON (SOUTHERN FRIED MUSHROOM DISH AT MEK, VENUE); R AFFAELL A DICE (BROOKFARM MUESLI) Aboriginal designer Alison Page, a Wadi Wadi and Walbanga woman of the Yuin nation, has partnered with globally renowned Australian Crystalbrook Collection recently launched Climate Calories, a brand Breville to use six of its appliances as canvases featuring artworks concept that enables diners to consider their carbon footprint by esteemed Western Desert artists and members of the original when eating out. The initiative uses icons alongside each dish on Pintupi Nine. All profits from the six products, which include a toaster, the menu to show if the produce is locally sourced, minimises kettle, juicer, induction oven and espresso machines (small and large), waste, features ethically farmed meats and line-caught fish, and is will be donated to the National Indigenous Culinary Institute, which culturally considered (using native ingredients and working with celebrates Indigenous food and culture. The Aboriginal Culinary Indigenous communities). Responsible luxury and sustainability is Journey collection also forms part of an exhibition at the National at the forefront of the way the hotel brand operates says Jordan Museum of Australia, Canberra, until 7 August. breville.com/au Staniford, executive chef at Crystalbrook Byron and its restaurant Forest. “You can sit down and enjoy a guilt-free meal knowing 20 AU S T R A L I A N T R AV E L L E R . C O M your chef works hand-in-hand with local farmers, growers and artisan producers, to hero their ingredients in dishes such as the pan-roasted local Iluka squid with tapenade, lemon and herbs or the kingfish ceviche with Davidson’s plum, local ruby grapefruit and pandanus pickled karkalla,” he says. crystalbrookcollection.com READY TO ROLL Brookfarm has partnered with OF Packaging to launch a world-first Roll ’n’ Recycle plastic pouch that can be processed at the kerbside using existing recycling infrastructure. The family-run regenerative agri- business, which has planted 35,000 native trees, now uses the flexible packaging by PREP Design to store its popular range of muesli, granola, porridge and snacks. brookfarm.com.au Waste measurements Chef Scott Huggins has reduced waste at MEK (Magill Estate Kitchen) by up to 80 per cent with a waste- management plan that sees offcuts and food scraps used for chook feed sent directly to the supplier. He has also designed a dedicated composting and recycling program that is embedded into the business. Visitors to the sister restaurant of Magill Estate Restaurant, located eight kilometres from Adelaide at Penfolds Magill Estate, will be supporting independent producers by default when they order dishes such as chargrilled Port Lincoln sardines or the freshly foraged mushroom with pear and celeriac remoulade, d’affinois from the brunch menu. Finish your experience with a visit to the cellar door at Penfolds, a member of Sustainable Winegrowing Australia. penfolds.com
GOING ITS OWN WAY KEEPING YOU AND YOUR VEHICLE GOING WITH SERVICE PLUS. Isuzu UTE Service Plus is our comprehensive care package providing you with complete peace of mind when maintaining and servicing your Isuzu D-MAX or MU-X. To keep you going we’ve got you covered with a 6 Year Warranty^, up to 7 Years Roadside Assistance< and up to 7 Years Capped Price Servicing> so you can go your own way with confidence. Find out more about Isuzu UTE Service Plus at your local Isuzu UTE Dealer or isuzuute.com.au ^6 years/150,000km (whichever occurs first), for Isuzu UTE Vehicles with a Warranty Start Date on or after 1/1/19. Excludes trays & accessories. <The Roadside Assistance Program (“RSA Program”) provides Coverage to RSA Eligible Vehicles with a Warranty Start Date on or after 1/9/20 for a maximum of 7 years (unlimited kilometres). Initial 13 months Coverage provided from the Warranty Start Date. The Coverage will be reset for another 13 months from each date that a Participating Isuzu UTE Dealer conducts a Scheduled Service on the vehicle. For full terms & conditions visit isuzuute.com.au/roadside-assistance-disclaimer. >The Capped Price Servicing Program (“CPS Program”) applies to CPS Eligible Vehicles at Participating Isuzu UTE Dealers only. For 19MY & later vehicle models, the Capped Price Servicing covers the first 7 Scheduled Services for up to 7 years/105,000km (whichever occurs first). CPS Program is subject to change. For full terms & conditions, current pricing & model eligibility visit isuzuute.com.au/service-plus-disclaimer.
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Make sustainable travel choices without compromising on style in Tropical North Queensland. As a region enveloped by expansive savannah lands, ancient rainforests and thriving reefs, finding a connection to incredible unique nature comes, well, naturally. Unwind in eco‑lodges from rainforest retreats to secluded island bungalows or luxurious outback havens. Sleep beneath the stars by some of the world’s most significant Aboriginal rock art sites, snorkel over coral nurseries from a carbon‑neutral sailing vessel, or partake in a citizen science project.
SHORTCUTS | Hot list C U LT U R E C LU B Discover inspiring INDIGENOUS experiences to TRANSFORM your knowledge of ancient CULTURES handed through millennia and still THRIVING today. Djiriba Waagura WORDS: CARL A GROSSETTI. PHOTOGR APHY: SHOALHAVEN TOURISM (DJIRIBA WA AGUR A); @PHLIPVIDS (STR AIT DAY ); DESTINATION NSW (MARGRET CAMPBELL , CL APSTICKS); WUNYAMI TOURS ( WUNYAMI CULTUR AL WALKING TOUR); DABUNGOOL TOUR (DABUNGOOL TOUR) HEAR SOME OF THE STORIES ABOUT THE ANCIENT LANDSCAPE AROUND THE SHOALHAVEN AREA OF THE SOUTH COAST OF NSW ON A DJIRIBA WAAGURA TOUR WITH CO-FOUNDER MATT SIMMS, A WANDI WANDIAN MAN.VISIT SIGNIFICANT INDIGENOUS SITES, SUCH AS CAVES AND ANCIENT FISH TRAPS, LEARN HOW TO RECOGNISE BUSH TUCKER AND MEDICINE AND WANDER THROUGH VASTLY DIFFERENT TRACTS OF BUSHLAND, FROM A SANDSTONE ECOSYSTEM TO A SHE-OAK FOREST, WHICH MATT LIKENS TO THE “SPEAR SECTION AT BUNNINGS”. DJIRIBAWAAGURA.COM ILLI-LANGI/THE ROCKS ABORIGINAL DREAMING TOUR A leisurely walk around The Rocks with Aunty Margret Campbell of Dreamtime Southern X offers insights into Aboriginal people’s saltwater heritage and spiritual connection with Sydney Harbour and the adjoining waterways and foreshores. Illi-Langi means ‘homeland’ and Margret demonstrates how to experience contemporary Aboriginal society within the heart of a modern-day megalopolis during The Rocks Aboriginal Dreaming Tour, which showcases the city’s ancient heritage and 29 clan groups that belong to this area. dreamtimesouthernx.com.au Dabungool Cultural Experiences The best way to explore the Indigenous history of Kepa Kurl/Esperance on WA’s south coast is with Annie Dabb, who started sharing Noongar culture in 2021. Annie leads the walks on Country around the ancestral lands of her grandfather, Dabungool, for whom she named her company. Kepa Kurl means ‘where the waters lie like a boomerang’ and Annie’s narrative draws on Indigenous knowledge as she guides visitors through the Noongar seasons and tells Dreamtime stories of how the land was forged. facebook.com/DabungoolCulturalExperiences STRAIT EXPERIENCES WUNYAMI CULTURAL WALKING TOUR The Wunyami Cultural Walking Tour offers an Co-founder of Strait Experiences Fraser Indigenous-led walk around Wunyami/Green Nai, a Traditional Owner on Masig Island, Island, an ancient coral cay with a compelling has launched Strait Day in order to connect cultural history. Learn about how Wunyami, visitors with local Islander guides who are which means ‘place of secret/sacred spirits’, is passionate about their Country. The tour connected to ancestral beings in this immersive includes a scenic flight over the Torres experience that will bring you closer to the Strait, a tour of Ngurapai/Horn Island and traditions that lie within the Sea Country of the Waibene/Thursday Island, an Islander- Guru-Gulu Gungganji and Gimuy Yidinji tribes. style banquet and a cultural performance. greatadventures.com.au straitexperience.com.au 24 AU S T R A L I A N T R AV E L L E R . C O M
SHORTCUTS | Rewind CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: ALPA chairman Rev. Dr. Djiniyini Gondarra and director Faye Matjarra Garrawurra; Valerie Gawukawu Ganambarr at an ALPA store circa 1980s; Retailers at the ALPA training centre in 1981 on Galiwin’ku; A Yol u woman on Milingimbi collecting pandanus leaves. A MOMENT IN TIME A new community-curated EXHIBITION of historic Not knowing who the people were or where WORDS: CARL A GROSSETTI. PHOTOGR APHY: LISA MCTIERNAN (ALPA CHAIRMAN REV. DR . DJINIYINI GONDARR A AND ALPA DIRECTOR PHOTOGRAPHS reflects on the STORIES of the people they were, [it] was no easy feat. What we didn’t FAYE MATJARR A GARR AWURR A , EXHIBITION IMAGES UNDER THE ‘CRE ATING ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE THROUGH ENTERPRISE’ THEME); from the REMOTE communities of East Arnhem Land. anticipate was how invested the communities HENRY HARPER (RETAILERS AT THE NEW ALPA TR AINING CENTRE IN 1981 ON GALIWIN’KU/ELCHO ISL AND); AL AN FIDOCK ( YOL U of Galiwin’ku, Ramingining, Milingimbi, WOMAN COLLECTING PANDANUS LE AVES); COURTESY OF ALPA (ALPA MONTAGE DETAIL) THE ROMANCE OF THE MOMENT business relationship between the missionaries Gapuwiyak and Minjilang were in this project was not lost on Charmaine Ingram when she and Yol u people,” explains Charmaine. and the kinship systems in place that resulted discovered several boxes of photographs in this beautiful web of stories extending from during a clean-up of the Land Progress “That changed in the 1970s when the families to the community beyond,” she says. Aboriginal Corporation (ALPA) office missionaries were pushed out of the headquarters in Darwin in 2020. communities under a new government policy “It was an emotional experience. I’d have of self-determination for Aboriginal people. Elders see a photo of their mum and start As ALPA’s media and communications The by-product of that was the industries crying. Others would say, ‘That’s my wawa specialist, Charmaine had been trying to think closed, which made our Yol u people [brother] and he’s passed away. We had of ways to celebrate the 50th anniversary of vulnerable to welfare dependency,” she says. hundreds of Yol u people come to the the Aboriginal-owned organisation and was exhibition and be so proud,” she says. stumbling for a reference point. While securing a grant to digitise the collection of photographs was a starting point “The only people who had cameras back “When I first opened the boxes, I knew in getting the ambitious project under way, then were the Balanda [white people] I’d discovered something significant,” says Charmaine and her team of researchers and missionaries who were out there living in the Charmaine. “The photographs had been community curators also travelled to the Top communities. Some of the stories about our taken by missionaries who had worked in End by small planes, a Troopie and a school old people were starting to die. To see our partnership with Yol u people at a time when bus to consult with hundreds of Yol u people Indigenous Australians as hard-working, farming, fishing and a range of other industries and record stories of the images they chose to thriving survivalists is a reminder for flourished, from the ’30s to the ’70s,” she said. exhibit from the 7000-odd collection. non-Indigenous people to see what it looks like when we work together rather than telling The importance of these historic “We have permission to use every single Indigenous people what to do,” she says. photographs was also evident to staff at the photo from the person involved or the family. Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern ALPA started out as seven small tin-shed Territory, who jumped at the chance to show shops and expanded to become a cooperative the resulting community-curated exhibition, with 29 stores across the NT and Cape York entitled Gumurr’manydji Manapanmirr Djäma, with the vision to build sustainable growth for which celebrates 50 years of contributions by the communities in which it operates. the Yol u peoples. ALPA CEO Alastair King says the “Gumurr’manydji Manapanmirr Djäma photographic exhibition gives people a visual means ‘Making successful business together’ insight into how ALPA began and where it has and the special thing about the exhibition is come from. “It’s a proud moment for ALPA you can see this booming golden age in East and our community members to share this Arnhem Land. The exhibition shows a with the public.” common respected and mutually beneficial Gumurr’manydji Manapanmirr Djäma is on now at MAGNT Darwin. magnt.net.au 26 AU S T R A L I A N T R AV E L L E R . C O M
M u n g a -T h i r r i – S i m p s o n Desert National Park THIS IMAGE: WORDS: CARL A GROSSETTI. ILLUSTR ATION: MIKE ROSSI. PHOTOGR APHY: SOUTH AUSTR ALIAN TOURISM COMMISSION Drive west from Munga- (THE DR AMATIC DESERT PARKS OF SOUTH AUSTR ALIA); RENAE SCHUL Z (DALHOUSIE SPRINGS) Thirri-Simpson Desert National Park to hit the hot springs in Witjira. RED DUST continues to shape AUSTRALIA’S largest (and newest) national park. And like FOOTPRINTS in soft clay, the imprints of its ANCIENT and modern past are EVERYWHERE. THE SPRAWLING Munga-Thirri-Simpson Desert National Park MUST-SEE SIGHTS covers an area that is full of contrasts and incredible natural beauty. The desert sands here are home to the longest parallel dune systems Lone Gum Tree Knolls/dunes Poeppel Corner in the world, stretching for hundreds of kilometres and straddling three states. And while the Munga-Thirri-Simpson desert reaches The Lone Gum The Wangkangurru Stand in three places into Queensland, the Northern Territory, and South Australia, the Tree rises out of Yarluyandi people at once at this spot area declared Australia’s newest and biggest national park in – the red sands of the know the Simpson named for an explorer, after a decade-long campaign by The Wilderness Society to protect Munga-Thirri-Simpson Desert as Munga- Augustus Poeppel it from the interests of fossil fuel companies – is located within Desert National Thirri, meaning ‘Big (1839–1891), who SA’s Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre Park like an enigma, Sandhill Country’. The surveyed the borders basin. For context, its now its gnarled branches park’s primary feature between Queensland, . -million hectare footprint is clawing the sky. Little is the parallel dunes, SA and the NT. A almost twice the size of Kakadu is known about how which vary in height replica of Poeppel’s National Park and about four times this gum came to from three metres in original marker stands the size of Yellowstone National be here as coolabah the west to about 30 near the current Park. The park is on the Traditional trees are usually metres on the eastern surveyor’s peg where Lands of the Wangkangurru found in heavy side. The park also these states meet. Yarluyandi people, native title clay soils and in protects its gypsum Those with a keen eye holders over their Country, and the seasonally flooded outcrops known as might also find some landscape is intimately bound to areas. Locate it on the Approdinna of Poeppel’s original their Creation stories. the Rig Road in the Attora Knolls or, historic markers and desert’s dune field. simply, ‘the Knolls’. mileposts nearby. A U S T R A L I A N T R AV E L L E R . C O M
SHORTCUTS | Park life If you do three things… FASCINATING FLORA AND FAUNA Munga-Thirri-Simpson Desert National 123 Park has a wide variety of wildlife and plant life adapted to the desert environment. DRIVE THE DESERT CAMP UNDER THE STARS SOAK IN THE HOT SPRINGS EYREAN GRASSWREN Crossing the Simpson Desert, Enjoy the richness of the vast Wash away your cares (and all which occupies , square starry skies the Wangkangurru that red dust) by melting into the As its name suggests, this kilometres of central Australia, warm waters of heritage-listed pretty little wren with the Yarluyandi people have mottled plumage likes to is the stu of WD dreams. observed for millennia. The Witjira-Dalhousie Springs. live in tufts of grass, making Allow a minimum of three best camping spots are towards You’ll find this outback oasis – it very hard to spot. Listen days and plenty of planning to the salt lakes in the central for the bird’s soft, trilling song travel east to west through the region of the desert where gidgee which has been part of as it rises up from the canegrass dunes from Poeppel Corner to woodlands provide shade, shelter Aboriginal life and tradition for and joins the dawn chorus. Witjira-Dalhousie Springs along and soft ground to peg out your Munga-Thirri-Simpson Desert tent. A Desert Parks Pass is thousands of years, providing SPINIFEX HOPPING MOUSE NP’s French Line, the most required to enter and camp in the a source of food, shelter and park , which is closed in summer. medicine – at the western end The critically endangered spinifex hopping direct route. of the French Line, in adjoining mouse spends the heat of the day sheltered in deep burrows to avoid the searing heat of the Witjira National Park . desert dunes. Also known as the tarkawara, the mouse has large ears, a long tufted tail, and pink nose. It’s also an omnivore, eating grasses and di erent wildflowers, as well as bugs and insects. THORNY DEVIL Named for its sharp, thorn-like armoured hide, the thorny devil is likely the inspiration for the reptilian monster that made a cameo in episode of Godzilla: The Series. As if it wasn’t freaky looking enough, the diurnal (day-active) lizard has a fake head on the back of its neck to throw o aerial predators and has a gait like a wonky wind-up toy. Thorny devils live on a diet of small black ants. WITJIRA NATIONAL PARK WILDFLOWERS Adjacent to Munga-Thirri-Simpson Desert Visit Munga-Thirri-Simpson National Park and on the Traditional Lands Desert National Park after of the Lower Southern Arrernte and rain to see pops of purple, Wangkangurru people, Witjira National Park pink, blue, white and yellow is one of the most popular destinations in add contrast to the park’s the outback. Its count of more than 120 hot dramatic desert landscape. springs, including those at Witjira-Dalhousie It’s the perfect fodder for Springs, see to that, with wildflowers, wildlife, your Insta feed. bushwalks and historical ruins to boot.
SHORTCUTS | Warrior woman CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Iris & Wool founder Emily Riggs wearing the Drysdale Pullover; At work on her Iris & Wool designs; Red Banks Conservation Park , close to Burra, South Australia; The Belinda Knit. LAND VALUES A South Australian DESIGNER and business owner on LIVING a purposeful LIFE, one that is benefiting family, FARMERS and the FUTURE. IT IS OFTEN OUR PAST EXPERIENCES that influence our “It is always harder, more expensive and takes twice as long to WORDS: LEIGH-ANN POW. PHOTOGR APHY: ISA AC FORMAN future choices. In the case of designer and business owner Emily ensure a sustainable focus,” she continues. “When I am dealing with (RED BANKS CONSERVATION PARK) Riggs, her determination to “design a life with purpose” was informed producers they will often want to take the easiest route, so you really by both triumph and loss. have to stick to your guns. It’s just about being really discerning in who we engage with. Asking many questions upfront, building an “When I was , I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. authentic relationship with people to get to know their values and Shortly after my diagnosis, my mother lost her own cancer battle, also trusting your intuition. I guess the hardest thing is finding the passing away from breast cancer aged . During the hardest time in right producers with aligned values, dealing with greater overheads my life, I found myself turning to fashion for comfort and to express and extended timings. But it is all worth it.” my creative flair,” she explains. “Years later, I fell in love with and married a fifth-generation merino sheep farmer; our family run Emily is passionate about continuing to hone and develop the merino sheep across our four properties in Burra, South Australia.” conscious practices of Iris & Wool, describing it as a constant work in progress. While she has moved production o shore, she works Emily’s love of fashion, and her desire to chart a purposeful course with manufacturers who share her vision. “My suppliers are all in life gelled when she established her business, Iris & Wool, in . accredited to meet ethical and sustainable standards which I expect The label’s collection of stylish knits is made with tactile Australian for their employees.” She can also do low-minimum-order quantities merino wool, and follows the guiding principles of the slow-fashion to ensure orders are in line with what she projects she will sell, cutting movement, according to Emily. “Slow fashion is all about an wastage. From , merino wool from her own family farm will be awareness and approach to fashion that considers every process and used in the collections, ensuring full traceability of every item every resource used in the making of it. It’s also about buying better produced using it. And, in honour of her late mother, the company quality, less often. So, buying things that will last. I like to look at it will continue to donate five per cent of all proceeds to the McGrath this way, with every choice I make: ‘What’s the impact on people, on Foundation, to assist in placing highly qualified McGrath Breast Care the animals and on the environment?’ ” Nurses in communities across Australia. irisandwool.com Sustainability is a cornerstone of Iris & Wool, with Emily understanding how essential it is to protect the land as well as those taking steps to safeguard it. “Having grown up in regional Australia I have seen first-hand how important our connection to [the] land is. Our land supports us, and we need to support it. It’s not OK just to take, take, take. There needs to be an equal exchange,” Emily says. A U S T R A L I A N T R AV E L L E R . C O M
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SHORTCUTS | Wanderlust 1 84 7 Vince Frost The DESIGNER, author and CEO of Frost*collective talks walking Sydney, sleeping under the STARS in the Red Centre and FINDING international DESIGN INSPIRATION at airports. 2 , -… … We used to live in a place called Laptop and cables. Headphones ( ). Moleskin White Rock near Vancouver, on the West Coast notebooks (to sketch ideas). MAHŌ Incense [of Canada] and right on the border with America. from Nash Banks. Black James Perse sweatshirt. It was an easy drive into Washington to a place Small bottle of Terre D’Hermes. called Chuckanut Drive ( ). As a family we spent … International many summers camping, swimming and boating. design magazines that I find at airports. It was magical. … Driving , across the Red Centre Way ( ) on a photo … I used to travel south shoot for the Northern Territory’s tourism to Kangaroo Valley, but now I love Sydney’s campaign. I brought my daughter Gia, who Northern Beaches ( ), specifically Clareville. was six at the time, and it was a wonderful I have realised that there are a lot of similarities experience. We slept under the stars in swags and 3 with Chuckanut Drive. met beautiful First Nations people. ’… Walk more. You see so much when you walk around … Doesn’t fall in love with each place I go to the city. A major new addition is the Quay Quarter and spend weeks thinking that I could live there! at Circular Quay. ’… 5 … I was on a shoot in Miami Beach ( ). We had Well, I have many over the years, but right now a breakfast briefing with the photographers in I am crazy for the falafel at Queen Ester Falafel preparation for the day. We all walked to the Bar in Newport. hotel exit. I put on my sunglasses, took a step and ’ , ’ … tumbled down the stairs. I later found out that one I have made a playlist album on Spotify of all of the photographers had used a black marker pen my favourite songs, all nine hours of them: to colour in my lenses. Design Your Life. ’ … Monocle ( ), ... I remember when I a script and loads of emails. was really young and maybe more stupid than … adventurous, I flew to New York ( ) without My Rimowa aluminium suitcase ( ). Three black any spending money. James Perse T-shirts. Three white James Perse T-shirts. Grey James Perse sweatshirt. Three … COVID locked us all down for a Bassike chinos in three di erent colours. White long time. It clipped our wings and, for once in my 6 Orlebar Brown boxers. Frost black baseball hat. life, I am really content where I live now. A U S T R A L I A N T R AV E L L E R . C O M
Where the mountains move you GLASS HOUSE MOUNTAINS Welcome to the Sunshine Coast! Here living sustainably within nature is our way of life. Our home is the only place in the world where three UNESCO Biosphere Reserves sit side-by-side. Get swept up in the moment and embrace the freedom and exhilaration that comes with exploring our pristine backyard. VISITSUNSHINECOAST.COM
SHORTCUTS | Walk the walk CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Elizabeth Quay has helped revitalise Perth; The grand Postal Hall within the historic State Buildings; Dinner and drinks at Long Chim; The imposing WA Museum Boola Bardip has put the state on the map for culture vultures. On the streets Walking when travelling is HEALTHY for you and the PLANET. Here, we LACE UP our Stan Smiths and hit the STREETS of Perth for the FIRST AMBLE in an ongoing series. WALKING TOURS ARE A GREAT WAY to get under the skin of an ode to all things European complete with Tyrolean flourishes. WORDS: LEIGH-ANN POW. PHOTOGR APHY: TOURISM WESTERN AUSTR ALIA a city, exploring its streets with a local to get a real sense of place and At Urban Orchard, a public garden built on top of a car park near the (ELIZABETH QUAY, PERTH NIGHTLIFE); PETER BENNETTS (WA MUSEUM BOOL A BARDIP) find out how those who live there interact and engage with their city’s Cultural Centre, he tells me that fruits, vegetables and herbs grown surroundings. In the case of Ryan Mossny, director and co-founder of in planter boxes made from recycled waste materials are free for locals. Two Feet & a Heartbeat, it also gives an insight into the diversity of Perth’s population. Ryan is a native of Canada who travelled the world We tour the ‘City Room’ at the heart of the stunning WA Museum before landing in Western Australia and deciding to make it his home. Boola Bardip, as Ryan explains the history of the original Perth Gaol His award-winning tour company offers up a selection of Perth located there, which is a site of ‘sorry stories’ for the First Peoples of the itineraries, from exploring the city’s arcades and laneways to navigating area. From here we dive into the inner-city Northbridge neighbourhood, it via its whisky-serving bars to progressive dinners that sample the wares with its bustling cafes and shops. Ryan takes me through an unassuming of some of the best chefs working the pans there. arcade that houses one of his favourite restaurants, Francoforte Spaghetti Bar, and into Kakulas Brothers on William Street, a Ryan picks me up from my hotel before we head out on a bespoke, continental deli on steroids established in 1929, where aromatic herbs two-hour introduction to the city, starting with a stroll through Stirling and spices and dried fruits and nuts, generously displayed in giant bags Gardens, home of the Old Court House, Perth’s oldest complete and tubs, are scooped into brown-paper bags by dedicated locals. standing building, as we make our way to the grand State Buildings. We navigate our way past funky coffee stands (Telegram Coffee), a Our loop back into the CBD takes us past the future site of a new seriously cool, design-focused book store (Edicole) and award-winning inner-city campus for Edith Cowan University, a development set to restaurants (including Long Chim), and stop to chat to the doorman of bring new colour, activity and voices into the city, and towards COMO The Treasury, the internationally renowned five-star hotel The Royal Hotel, a historic pub revitalised following an extensive where the likes of U2 and the Foo Fighters have resided while in Perth. refurbishment that was completed on the eve of lockdown; its first-floor wraparound verandah is filled with patrons marking the unofficial Outside the excellent Petition restaurant, Ryan shows me where Thursday afternoon start to the weekend. Perth’s first Police Court was located in the 1870s and where an installation titled Dirty Deeds is etched into the granite flooring, Deposited back at my hotel, I feel like I have not only engaged with mapping out the original footprint of the two holding cells that once the city, but I’ve been engaged by it, too. Well worth the walk. stood here. Details of the people who spent time in them – listing names, social status, alleged crimes and the date of their court appearance – are listed within the outline, a fascinating record of the city’s colourful past, and an attraction most visitors would never know to look for. Continuing through the city streets, Ryan delivers tidbits of information on the history of landmark buildings and quirky sites, such as the European Hotel, formerly known as Miss Maud Swedish Hotel, 34 AU S T R A L I A N T R AV E L L E R . C O M
In partnership with Visit Sunshine Coast FINDING KAYAK FOR THE KOALAS THE SUNSHINE PADDLE THROUGH THE WORLD-RENOWNED NOOSA From ACTIVE outdoor adventures EVERGLADES WHILE RAISING MONEY FOR KOALA to ECO-EPICUREAN escapades, HABITATS. Kanu Kapers NOT ONLY GIVES KAYAKERS the SUNSHINE COAST is brimming with planet-friendly experiences. A FRONT-ROW SEAT TO THE EVERGLADES, BUT ALSO PROVIDES THE SATISFACTION OF KNOWING YOU’RE TOURING WITH A COMPANY THAT’S GIVING BACK. THROUGH ITS CARBON-OFFSET SCHEME, KANU KAPERS RAISES MUCH-NEEDED FUNDS TO WORK WITH QUEENSLAND KOALA CRUSADERS. kanukapersaustralia.com It’s not just Aussies who are noticing the eco credentials of the 2 WAKE AMONG THE MOUNTAINS Sunshine Coast. The region has recently become the only place There are few places more scenic to wake up than in the in the world where three UNESCO-declared biospheres sit side Glass House Mountains. At GLASS HOUSE MOUNTAINS ECOLODGE, you can rest assured the lodge is taking measures by side, as the Sunshine Coast Biosphere Reserve, the Noosa to preserve the local environment as you cosy up in a restored Biosphere Reserve and the Great Sandy Biosphere Reserve form s train carriage or -year-old timber church. Solar power, composting, self-su cient water usage and low-energy a green corridor from the Glass House Mountains along more lighting all contribute to the lodge’s gentler approach. than kilometres of coastline to Tin Can Bay. Here are five glasshouseecolodge.com ways to experience the Sunshine Coast more sustainably. WORDS: SONYA GELLERT. PHOTOGRAPHY: VISIT SUNSHINE COAST (NOOSA EVERGLADES, TERELLA BREWING); SET SAIL IN SUSTAINABLE STYLE 4 5 TOURISM AND EVENTS QUEENSLAND (THE SUMMIT OF MT COOLUM, SALTWATER ECO TOURS, DETAIL) MOOLOOLABA-BASED Saltwater Eco Tours Retreat into the rainforest IMBIBE SOME WELCOMES GUESTS ABOARD ITS CAREFULLY Montville’s NARROWS ESCAPE is a hinterland FEEL-GOOD BREWS RESTORED 113-YEAR-OLD TIMBER SHIP. retreat that focuses on ensuring its waste HAVING COLLABORATED WITH THE is managed responsibly, its consumption With a strong connection TRADITIONAL OWNERS OF THE LAND, THIS is minimal, and sustainability is the end goal. to the land, TERELLA TOUR PROVIDER ENSURES VISITORS TAKE Nature-loving guests can take part in the IN THE WISDOM OF THE LOCAL KABI KABI retreat’s five-night guided Sunshine Coast BREWING in North Arm PEOPLES. CHOOSE BETWEEN A CULTURAL Great Walk that allows you to become brews its German-inspired TOUR, A SUNSET TOUR WITH LIVE MUSIC, better acquainted with the local beers in a sustainable cycle A NATIVE BUSHFOODS AND SEAFOOD environment. narrowsescape.com.au CRUISE OR PRIVATE CHARTER. system, in collaboration with its vertical farming saltwaterecotours.com.au neighbour. Travellers can visit the family-friendly brewery, meet farmyard animals and enjoy snacks and drinks on the lawns. terellabrewing.com.au For more information, head to visitsunshinecoast.com
Green and golden When it comes to SCORING Australia’s SUSTAINABLE report card, the TRAVEL and tourism industry has the OPPORTUNITY to become a HIGH ACHIEVER, as Celeste Mitchell explains. 36 AU S T R A L I A N T R AV E L L E R . C O M
SHORTCUTS | Sustainability FROM LEFT: Embark on an Indigenous-led tour of Sydney’s Royal Botanic Garden; Enjoy an off-grid stay at a tiny cabin such as Sadie, crafted by Unyoked in the Kiama hinterland. OPPOSITE (clockwise from top left): Help protect the Great Barrier Reef; Explore the Coffs Coast with Wajaana Yaam Adventure Tours; Visit the Central Coast, which has received accreditation as an ECO Destination; Encounter unique wildlife in the Flinders Ranges. PHOTOGR APHY: TOURISM PORT DOUGL AS AND DAINTREE (GRE AT BARRIER REEF); DESTINATION NSW ( WAJA ANA YA AM ADVENTURE TOURS, IS IT ANY WONDER WE’RE YEARNING for the pure escapism afflicted with, and one backed by data: research commissioned by ABORIGINAL TOUR , ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN SYDNEY ); DOMINIC LONER AGAN (NOR AH HE AD BE ACH, CENTR AL COAST); @THE .WANDERING.BOYS of travel? The sobering realities of life in 2022 – from catastrophic booking.com in the midst of the 2021 lockdowns found 61 per cent of (UNYOKED SADIE CABIN); MICHAEL WATERHOUSE PHOTOGR APHY (EMU IN THE AROONA VALLEY ); LE AN TIMMS (GLENAYR FARM DETAIL) floods to coral bleaching to the ongoing spectre of COVID-19 – are travellers credit the pandemic for making them want to travel more enough to send even diehard optimists scurrying for their suitcase. sustainably in the future. But when the act of escaping can also contribute to the very problems causing our hopelessness – particularly when it comes to the health of Indeed, the pendulum has now swung so far that sustainable travel our planet – future-minded travellers are right to be asking: is travel is ‘trendy’. Happily, clickbait headlines and earth-toned Instagram in Australia sustainable? How does our country measure up? accounts are not the extent of the movement. The real changes are happening on the ground, and are being shaped by a fast-growing To be frank, in general, Australia needs to pull up its socks. The realisation that a truly sustainable travel industry can’t limit its focus country’s embarrassing (lack of) progress on the United Nation’s to environmental concerns, but must also consider the sustainability Sustainable Development Goals saw it ranked dead last in an of economies, communities and cultures. assessment of 60 countries for its policy response to the climate crisis. (And who can forget the dubious honour of winning the Examples that have earned big ticks on our report card include Colossal Fossil Award at COP26 in October 2021?) national parks being handed back to Traditional Owners, destinations receiving eco certification, and companies heeding the call from But when it comes to sustainability in travel specifically, Australia’s their customers and seeking accreditation with organisations like report card shows far more promise. In fact, the travel and tourism Ecotourism Australia or B Corp. We’ve never had so much awareness industry is shaping up as a key driver in the push for change. and so much choice when it comes to voting with our tourism dollar. As Tourism Australia’s head of sustainability, Penny Rafferty, As you’d expect, those very dollars are also key drivers of industry puts it, the impetus for sustainability is baked right onto the very change – attracting sustainable travellers means big bickies. The latest things the industry is built on. “The reasons people come here are findings from Tourism Australia’s Consumer Demand Project showed our nature and wildlife. Our aquatic and coastal beauty. Our clean sustainability was ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ important to almost 50 per cities, and our incredible food and beverage scene, which is only cent of travellers when organising a holiday, and crucially, that made possible because we have clean air, water, soil, and vast, travellers continue to seek experiences that are not only good for relatively unspoilt lands,” she explains. them, but good for people and places they love. It makes sense. Why be in the game of taking visitors to see the Now that the conversation around sustainability has moved from Great Barrier Reef, for example, if you’re not doing everything in the ‘Why?’ to the ‘How?’, we’re planning our itineraries accordingly. your power to protect it? We’re actively seeking out nature-based getaways and Indigenous-led tourism experiences. We’ve realised the appeal of isolated, off-grid For many tourism operators, sustainability has been the modus cabins and agritourism-style farm stays over cookie-cutter 1 operandi from day one. For the rest of us, it may have taken a pandemic for us to recognise the impact of our jet-setting ways – brought home, no doubt, by images of Venice’s pristine waterways and Barcelona’s surreal crowd-free streets, transformed due to the sudden absence of the tens of thousands of tourists who’d usually flock to these cities on a daily basis. But it’s a positive side effect of COVID-19 we’re glad to be
SHORTCUTS | Sustainability CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: CABN X is a new breed of off-grid digs set into hotels, which can be hired through its app. Its first Tesla is now PHOTOGR APHY: JAMES VODICK A (BUSHWALKING ON THE CENTR AL COAST); LE AN TIMMS (GLENAYR FARM DETAIL) on a biodynamic vineyard in McLaren Vale; All restaurants in Ovolo Hotels across available for guests at Mantra at Sharks in Southport to book for Australia, including Lona Misa in South Yarra, have plant-based menus; Get a nature $30 an hour and co-founder and CEO Luke Rust says they plan to fix on the Central Coast; Check into a voco hotel to ride a bamboo bike around town. be in 10 more hotels by the end of the year. hotels. And we feel empowered to ask questions, and to expect This hourly hire concept has been embraced by both hotels and sustainability to be part of any experience we’re considering. consumers. “People are realising… they need to use a car while they’re visiting somewhere rather than renting a car for two weeks and using For Rafferty, the only (ahem) sustainable approach to it three times,” Rust says. sustainability is a holistic one. “What I ask operators… is, ‘How does a product or experience have incremental positive impact on the “There is this incredible collaboration between businesses and environment that it operates in, the community that it engages with… individuals who are driving sustainability in a very positive way,” and the culture, or cultures in our case, that it represents?’ ” Rafferty reflects. “There’s an understanding that we either all win or we all lose basically. And so collaboration is an absolute hallmark of This holistic viewpoint can also serve as a lens to place over travel as a force for good.” all of our travel plans. How do we get there? Where do we stay? What do we do while we’re there? And how can we leave it better In Australia, it’s our younger generations leading the charge when it than we found it? comes to sleeping sustainably, with research by IHG Hotels finding the average young Aussie adult would be prepared to pay up to 34 per If we look at transport as the first step in the process, big providers cent more for green accommodation. Catering to demand, its newest such as Qantas have clear strategies and, as Rafferty puts it, “The hotel brand, voco, is introducing a fleet of handcrafted bamboo airline has got some pretty audacious goals”. bicycles for guests to use free of charge across five Australian and New Zealand locations. With a commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, tackling single-use plastics was first in the firing line. In the past three Other hotel groups – large and small – are making similar moves years, Qantas has cleared more than 80 million single-use plastic items to sex up sustainability efforts. After trialling the concept for a year, out of operation, but it will take about five more years to phase them Ovolo converted all of the restaurants in its hotels across Australia out completely. More pressing are the momentous carbon emissions to plant-based menus in February. The Ovolo team has even created created by flying, especially when aviation is predicted to grow by up a white paper to help out other companies looking to move to to 300 per cent by 2050. It’s why Qantas has committed $50 million a vegetarian-led philosophy in the hope it will encourage more towards the development of Sustainable Fuels (SAF) in Australia, industry collaboration. setting a target of 10 per cent SAF in fuel uptake by 2030, and about 60 per cent by 2050. Its flights from London have been using a blend For Rafferty, what makes considered initiatives like these score an of sustainable fuel since the start of the year but, domestically, A plus is they don’t just make for better sustainability outcomes and Australians need to look at options beyond flying, where possible, a better future, but also for better travel. “Knowing that you are or at least ensure we fly direct and offset, which could include taking enjoying it, but your kids and grandkids are going to enjoy it too… advantage of reward programs such as Qantas’s Green Tier. isn’t that a richer experience?” On the ground, Australia’s long-distance rail options score a C minus at best, which means road trips have remained an attractive option when it comes to domestic travel. But drivers are starting to think about sustainability – astronomical petrol prices fuelling the conversation – with electric vehicle sales tripling in Australia in 2021. It’s still in its infancy, but Gold Coast start-up Outbound is putting the focus on ‘shared mobility’, placing electric vehicles and e-bikes 38 AU S T R A L I A N T R AV E L L E R . C O M
DISCOVER REMNANT RAINFORESTS MINNAMURRA RAINFOREST Step inside a whole new ecosystem. Inhale and feel your senses awaken as you meander the network of elevated walkways. Feel the waterfall spray, marvel at the ancient figs, and spot the local rainforest residents, the Superb Lyrebird, Eastern Water Dragon, and Swamp Wallabies. kiama.com.au
SHORTCUTS | Warrior woman A precious gem Meet the ECO WARRIOR, entrepreneur and change-maker WORDS; CARL A GROSSETTI. PHOTOGR APHY: DAVID ROGERS PHOTOGR APHY (PROFILE SHOT); who guides odysseys around the SAPPHIRE COAST that DESTINATION NSW (LIGHT TO LIGHT WALK, BEN BOYD NATIONAL PARK DETAIL) both celebrate and PROTECT the natural WORLD. JESS TAUNTON HAS BEEN AT THE LEADING edge of the the Light to Light Walk, or the Secrets of the Sapphire Coast, which is conscious travel movement for about a decade. After helping to establish based at the eco-friendly Tanja Lagoon Camp. Swell Lodge, the eco-lodge retreat on Christmas Island, in 2018, the young eco entrepreneur reached a turning point in her life and relocated Jess is constantly working to calculate the carbon footprint of her to Australia’s east coast. Jess based herself on the NSW South Coast expeditions in order to find more avenues to offset emissions. In during lockdown in 2021 when she says she gained a fresh perspective of addition to using electric vehicles where possible, Jess’s initiatives include the ‘jewels of the Sapphire Coast’ and the direction she wanted to head. planting an Australian native tree for every guest on the multi-day tours, sourcing local produce and green suppliers and avoiding single-use “After running Swell Lodge for five years, and photography tours packaging at all costs. around the world, I decided I wanted to get back to nature and create experiences in my own backyard for people so they feel like they are “The Sapphire Coast is a special place and I want to show people how leaving nature better than when they found it. I spent most of lockdown to take care of it. I love the Forest to the Sea walk at Tanja Lagoon Camp on the Sapphire Coast because I couldn’t travel the world and during when the water is still and the light is golden. There are oyster catchers that time, I formed a deep connection with the area’s national parks, its and crabs scurrying along the sand on the low tide, and white-bellied sea rivers and estuaries,” Jess says. “I now help visitors facilitate their goals eagles above. It’s a very special place,” she says. of trying to give back in some way by offering transformative travel experiences and initiatives that demonstrate why it’s important that “In the past few months, trip highlights have included hearing a we make smart, responsible choices when we travel.” lyrebird that sounded like 20 different species of birds, seeing wombats and whales and Eastern grey kangaroos. Regenerative travel is about Since establishing Navigate Expeditions in November 2021, Jess has giving back. But it’s also about finding beauty in the detail.” kicked some serious goals. Within a few months, the company was navigateexpeditions.com recognised for its sustainable initiatives and achieved both Advanced Ecotourism and Climate Action Business certification, helping Jess CLOCKWISE reach a broader audience interested in travelling more consciously. FROM TOP LEFT: Jess Taunton, founder of “I don’t like to use the word sustainability as I believe we need to do so Navigate Expeditions; much more than simply sustain what we have,” she explains. “When we Jess plants a native tree walk along beautiful beaches, we do clean-ups. We participate in citizen for every guest on a multi- science projects. We photograph different flora and fauna and upload day tour; See the Sapphire images to either the FrogID, fungimap or iNaturalist apps, all of which Coast by kayak ; The work to document the changes to the tracts of nature that we visit.” pack-free Light to Light Walk is an immersive Jess says her ultimate goal is to inform and inspire the average person experience that showcases to make changes that will help the planet in the long-term. Travellers the beauty of the region. who sign up for a day tour with Navigate Expeditions might find themselves kayaking around Bermagui, or attending a shucking class with Broadwater Oysters. There are also multi-day guided hikes such as 40 AU S T R A L I A N T R AV E L L E R . C O M
In partnership with Clarence Valley Tourism PURPLE HAZE AND NIGHTS Grafton’s ICONIC Jacaranda season is back with its stunning blooms, along with a new ILLUMINATING experience. WORDS: BRIAN JOHNSTON Jacaranda time in Grafton brings new Everyone’s out and about, enjoying the see if you can go one better with your own meaning to the expression ‘blooming warm evenings, soaking up the spectacle photos. Capture a perfect purple tunnel marvellous’. Everyone knows the joy in of purple trees against the night sky while of trees, reflections in water, or your friends seeing just one jacaranda tree in full flower; toe-tapping to live music. Events take place and family under the blooms. seeing hundreds is breathtaking. You feel in See Park on opening night (20 October) as if you’ve strayed into an Impressionist and Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights Illuminate isn’t the only way to enjoy the painting, or a fairy tale. Now that we’re during the Jacaranda Festival. Bring a picnic jacarandas, as Grafton’s quirky, delightfully travelling freely again, it’s time to head any night to sit under a glowing purple retro and always fun Jacaranda Festival offers to Grafton in the NSW Northern Rivers canopy, then lie back and watch the petals an abundance of events. You’ll also want to region to go purple. drift down like confetti. hit the heritage trail to check out the town’s glorious architecture, such as the landmark This year you will have double the reason The trees start flowering in mid-October, cathedral, mighty gaol and historic pubs to visit Grafton, because the town has rolled and by early November blossoms create lilac draped in lacy verandahs. out a new way to experience Jacaranda carpets on the footpaths. Capture stunning season. The incredible evening experience, jacaranda images with your camera or phone; You’ll need to stay overnight to see Illuminate, allows you to admire the trees now the jacarandas are illuminated at night Illuminate, but make that several overnights, in See Park while they’re spot-lit to stunning you’ll get great evenings shots, too. Get because you’ll want to explore surrounding effect. The trees are lit every day from dusk inspired by searching #MyClarenceValley towns, too. Visit Yamba, Iluka and Wooli to 10.30pm. and #GraftonJacarandas on Instagram, and for stunning coastlines and national parkland, and Ulmarra for heritage charm and CLOCKWISE contemporary arts. Charming Maclean FROM TOP has a fascinating Scottish heritage, and while LEFT: More than you’re there, nip up to Maclean Lookout for 1700 jacarandas a panorama that showcases the beauty of the create gorgeous photo Clarence Valley. It’s sure to make you smile. opportunities at every turn; Jacarandas at night makes for a new and different experience; Capture the dreamy purple flowers up close; Visit See Park from dusk to view the stunning blooms lit up. For more information, visit myclarencevalley.com/jacaranda
10–25 SEPTEMBER > 14 –16 OCTOBER WORDS: CARL A GROSSETTI. PHOTOGR APHY: DESTINATION NSW (BROKEN HEEL FESTIVAL); @DUYDASH (CHEESEFEST). ART WORKS: HELMUT NEW TON, VIVIANE F., HOTEL VOLNEY, NEW YORK, 1972 , COPYRIGHT HELMUT NEW TON ESTATE , COURTESY HELMUT NEW TON FOUNDATION (HELMUT NEW TON: IN FOCUS); GWENNETH BLITNER PAINTING AT NGUKURR ART CENTRE , PHOTO COURTESY OF NGUKURR ARTS (DA AF); MARGARET RIVER CHEESEFEST K AY GIBSON, BE AUTIFUL BARN OWL , GOUACHE & FUMAGE ON EMBOSSED PAPER UNDER NU VUE GL ASS (MARGARET RIVER REGION OPEN STUDIOS); DANIEL BOYD, UNTITLED (GB) 2015, PRIVATE COLLECTION, REGION OPEN STUDIOS SYDNEY, IMAGE: IVAN BULJAN, COURTESY THE ARTIST AND ROSLYN OXLEY9 GALLERY, © DANIEL BOYD (DANIEL BOYD: TRE ASURE ISL AND) RYMILL PARK MARGARET RIVER REGION, WA M U R L AW I R R A P U R K A , A record number of artists will ADELAIDE, SA open their studio doors in 2022 for the Margaret River Region Open Gather and graze at Australia’s largest cheese festival, which Studios event. All up, 168 artists draws a mix of cheesemakers, will exhibit in mediums as diverse fermenters, food producers, as pencils and paint, metal and winemakers, brewers, and millinery. mrropenstudios.com.au restaurateurs from all around 8 –12 SEPTEMBER the country. cheesefest.com.au Broken Heel Festival OUTBACK BROKEN HILL, NSW Expect a lot of sequins, feather boas, glitter, disco balls, divas and drag queens inspired by the cult movie and stage musical, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert at this outback festival, which includes comedy, cabaret and live music. bhfestival.com WHAT’S ON From a DISCO in the desert to a FLOWER festival in the ACT, a music, ART and culture festival on the Sapphire Coast, and a GOURMET gathering in SA, here’s what to pencil in your diary. UNTIL 29 JANUARY > HELMUT NEWTON: IN FOCUS JEWISH MUSEUM OF AUSTRALIA: GANDEL CENTRE OF JUDAICA, VIC This exhibition showcases images by this most trailblazing of 20th-century photographers, while shining a light on his Jewish roots, youth in Berlin and links to Victoria. jewishmuseum.com.au 5–7 AUGUST UNTIL 29 JANUARY Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF) DANIEL BOYD: TREASURE ISLAND LARR AKIA COUNTRY ART GALLERY OF NSW, Immerse yourself in art at DAAF, held at Darwin SYDNEY, NSW Convention Centre and online, and make ethical purchases Born in Gimuy/Cairns, Daniel from Indigenous-owned Art Centres based everywhere from Boyd is one of Australia’s leading artists and, presenting work from remote desert regions to urban communities. daaf.com.au across his nearly two-decade career, this major monograph shines a light on the interconnected histories of First Nations people and holds a lens to the country’s colonial legacy. artgallery.nsw.gov.au
SHORTCUTS | What’s on (PCHHOAOTNTTDOIOGNN,RTANHPEAHTSIYA:ONVNDAABNLYDGEKAMALRLOLENRIMYAENYOEF(RTV);IASCCTMOAOURNIRITAA,ENS©YPWIIOEFNRETRFEHEESMTIUWVKAAENLB)D;A ,EVRICESIORTUFCERASTTENISBVYEARLOR(FAE.GMCAMOGAPM.RDAOOJUE(NFCOLTVSOA(RINWA&HDTEO,HAECRAPENUYBTEBORAU)R;CAK)K;SE).TNAODRUTORINSWE ,MORGNKASOR:RDPTEIEHNRI,QRE2U0EM2E1,UNKSOELIBLAAN,A IDN (MDSPAAARVCTAIRAYNLLIINTACYH2OI0N1N8L,IT FHNIEEBRNRE(O-STUPIPRNIPDEN);DGDPCEESONTLILAENNACTDTIIPOORINN)NGTEOLDDFACBORIASCTON 20 –21 AUGUST > 1 OCTOBER – 29 JANUARY TA S M A N I A N Who Are You: Australian Portraiture WINE FESTIVAL – WINTER EDITION NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY, CANBERRA, ACT THE GOODS SHED, HOBART, TAS Indulge in a bit of existential angst at this exhibition, billed as one of the most comprehensive explorations of portraiture The concept for the Winter ever mounted in Australia. The show, which brings together Edition of the Tasmanian Wine Festival is all about leaning in to works by Australian artists, explores the intimate the season, with big, bold Tassie connection between the artist, sitter and the land. It also reds paired with warming winter includes portraits of high-profile Australians such as actors dishes. It’s the ultimate epicurean Cate Blanchett and David Gulpilil, and the late artist experience. taswinefest.com.au Albert Namatjira. portrait.gov.au 30 SEPTEMBER – 2 OCTOBER 9–18 SEPTEMBER > SAVANNAH IN SWELL SCULPTURE THE ROUND FESTIVAL MAREEBA RODEO ARENA, QLD CURRUMBIN BEACH, GOLD COAST, QLD Lace up your Blundstones to see homegrown acts such Discover more than large- as The Waifs, Shannon Noll, scale sculptures that celebrate Adam Brand and Tex Perkins people, art, and place set amid at north Queensland’s largest the surrounds of Currumbin music and camping festival. savannahintheround.com.au Beach. swellsculpture.com.au 23–25 SEPTEMBER 17 SEPTEMBER – 16 OCTOBER Wanderer Festival FLORIADE SAPPHIRE COAST, NSW COMMONWE ALTH PARK , CANBERRA, ACT Celebrate music, art, culture and place on a farm near Merimbula for the inaugural Wanderer Festival. Expect Follow the buzz to this year’s world-class music from the likes of The Teskey Brothers, Floriade where you will find more Josh Pyke and Emma Donovan & The Putbacks, plus than a million blooms tinted as comedy, cabaret and circus. wanderer.com.au loud as s wallpaper. This year’s floral display has been 6 AUGUST – 9 OCTOBER designed like an immersive, living artwork and even includes SPRING COLLECTION a Sounds of Spring soundtrack. WITH KEN DONE + ROSIE DEACON floriadeaustralia.com NGUNUNGGULA, SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS, NSW Australian artists Ken Done and Rosie Deacon are both renowned for their preference for bright, bold palettes and reflections of the Australian experience. See their signature styles come together in a collision of colour. ngununggula.com AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM
SHORTCUTS | Warrior woman FROM LEFT: Chef Nornie Bero toasts to her Torres Strait heritage at the Torres Hotel, Thursday Island; Foraging for samphire on Williamstown Beach, a trendy seaside suburb of Melbourne. STRAIT Mabu Mabu started out as a stall at the South Melbourne WORDS: CARL A GROSSETTI. PHOTOGR APHY: HUGO L AMB (NORNIE WITH A BEER); ARMELLE HABIB (NORNIE FOR AGING ON WILLIAMSTOWN BEACH) TA L K I N G Market in 2018, where Nornie sold her sauces, spices and curry pastes and started building her customer base before opening Like the SEAS off the Torres Strait islands, Tuckshop in 2019. She says the global pandemic and lockdown there’s something CRYSTALLINE in the then prompted her to think about what her dad had to do in order way NORNIE BERO looks to her PAST to to “keep the lights on” in the house. enhance the HERE and NOW. “Growing up, we had a generator and we couldn’t always afford to CATCH NORNIE BERO IN THE EARLY hours of the morning power the house. So Dad turned half our house into a tuckshop, making walking along Williamstown Beach, plucking samphire from rock crevices, pumpkin scones and pumpkin buns so he could get petrol to power the and you will find a woman wearing a quiet, satisfied smile. Three decades generator. That’s how Dad kept the lights on,” explains Nornie. ago, Nornie would have been wearing a similar painted-on grin while spearing fish for dinner off the coast of Mer in the Torres Strait, located on “I had to close my Mabu Mabu stall during lockdown in Melbourne the northernmost tip of Queensland, where she grew up. and I thought, ‘How am I going to keep the lights on?’ So I created damper workshops and did about six or seven workshops a day. I also “Back then, foraging for your own food was not a trend. It was about put my business online. That’s how I survived. I started cooking versions survival. It’s the way my ancestors, the Komet People, have always lived,” of the food I grew up eating as a child.” says Nornie, who moved to Melbourne at the age of 17 in order to expand her horizons and develop her career in the hospitality industry. In the chapter of her book called Beginning, Nornie describes an idyllic existence on Mer catching fish, prising oysters off the rocks, and “I moved to Melbourne because I wanted to achieve more. My dad picking wongai (island plums) from the trees. Nornie says she opened was ill for a long time and he was a single father trying to raise a daughter Big Esso, in Melbourne, in 2021, as a way to further educate Australians in the Straits. Before he passed away, he told me to carry my cultural about Torres Strait Islander culture and cuisine. “Big Esso means background to wherever I might land. Dad would be proud that I kept ‘biggest thank you’ and the restaurant is dedicated to my island home as what he taught me alive,” says Nornie. well as the amazing multicultural community of Melbourne,” she says. With Nornie, you get the sense authenticity is at the heart of That Torres Strait culture and island flair is now beautifully everything she does. Earlier this year, she published a cookbook, Mabu showcased at the 200-seater restaurant, located in Federation Square. Mabu (Hardie Grant Books, RRP $45), which means ‘help yourself’ and “Torres Strait Islander culture hits you with sunshine, smiles and colour. is also the name of her catering company and product line. We’re a happy bunch of people and that colour comes out in everything we do. I wanted my restaurants to reflect the flavours and colours of the island,” Nornie explains. The best way to teach people about her island home is, according to Nornie, through dishes that represent how multicultural the Torres Strait is such as sop sop, purple yams cooked in coconut cream, or semur, a chicken dish with ginger, lemongrass and soy sauce. “The island is like a rainbow. Our food has a strong Southeast Asian influence, as we traded foods with people from PNG and Indonesia for centuries. The Japanese came to the Straits in the mid-19th century for pearls and bêche-de-mer [sea cucumbers] and married into our culture and these influences are in our bloodlines as well as our cuisine,” she says. Nornie says her approach to sustainability is modelled on the way her ancestors ate: “I try and choose foods that are more sustainable such as pipis and periwinkles, clams and crocodile. I also hero Australian produce and buy ugly fruit direct from farmers so they get 100 per cent of the profits. My long-term plan is to achieve B Corp certification.” mabumabu.com.au 48 AU S T R A L I A N T R AV E L L E R . C O M
CURVE APPEAL With a CONSIDERED focus that informs everything from its WELCOMING community feel to its menu of foraged wild BOTANICALS and local produce to the organic shapes and EARTHY TONES of its interiors, this restaurant and bar is a St Kilda ICON in the making. PHOTOGR APHY: PARKER BL AIN
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