Innholdsfortegnelse for Nr. 117 - Summer 2022 i Vacations & Travel

THE MOMENT I LANDED OVERSEAS – FOR THE FIRST TIME IN TWO YEARS – I FELL INTO THE snow. I put a bit of it on my tongue. I rolled around in it. I rubbed it over my face. I shook it off the pine trees so it drifted into my hair like a glitter bomb. Switzerland turns on the charms whenever you visit. But it’s particularly beguiling in winter. And when you haven’t been anywhere bar your backyard for 24 months. And when nature is involved. Being in the great outdoors has this ability to make you feel, well, good. Breathing in clean air, listening to wildlife, smelling flowers, seeing the world through unpolluted light – it’s the ultimate way to de-stress, relax and boost your mood. Increasing scientific…

1. The ancient wind-worn pink granite boulders, Murphy’s Haystacks © John White/South Australian Tourism Commission 2. Making an entrance at wine store Black Hearts & Sparrows, Melbourne © Visit Victoria 3. Kimba Silo on the Eyre Peninsula, part of the awe-inspiring Silo Art Trail © Michael Waterhouse/South Australian Tourism Commission 4. Cruising the picturesque Murray River in a houseboat © Adam Bruzzone/South Australian Tourism Commission 5. Jacarandas in full bloom in Adelaide’s North Terrace © Michael Waterhouse/South Australian Tourism Commission 6. The Adelaide Hills are ripe with fresh produce © Jacqui Way/South Australian Tourism Commission 7. When dusk hits Uluru turns a deep rust © David Kirkland/ Tourism NT 8. Lavender-infused ice-cream at Tassie’s Bridestowe Lavender Estate © Frederic Courbet 9. The sun dips behind the famous CSIRO Radio Telescope,…

1 Nile in style Egypt needs no introduction, but Abercrombie & Kent’s unforgettable ‘Nile in Style’ itinerary provides the perfect taste of the world’s oldest travel destination. On this nine-day tour, you’ll wander through dizzying temples and ancient tombs along the legendary River Nile. Your accommodation is split between the Four Seasons Cairo at Nile Plaza and Sanctuary Sun Boat IV as you navigate powerful waters. The intimate vessel is the perfect base for your leisurely cruise between Luxor and the southern city of Aswan, as you soak in the stories and secrets of this ancient land. Guided by a private Egyptologist, you’ll take to the streets of Cairo exploring ancient monuments, glittering mosques and a maze of bazaars. And then there are the Pyramids of Giza, with…

THERE’S A MOMENT, AS the sun peeks over the Alps, when it feels like I have Switzerland to myself. Gem-like glaciers glint from atop Europe’s loftiest mountains, unfolding in layers of snow. The sky morphs from a deep bruise to a soft blush, revealing Grindelwald’s chocolate-box chalets, neatly lined up in the foothills and puffing smoke from early morning fires; essential in this part of the world, but also a treat. It’s such a storybook setting that I half expect to see Heidi skipping up the street. Such bedazzlement becomes a daily ritual in this part of the world – Switzerland is the kind of place where each landscape is more ravishing than the last. It’s hard to beat sunrise in Grindelwald. This petite town is wedged between lush green…

I’M KNEE-DEEP IN RICH, BLACK OOZE THAT squelches and splutters like the lava it was borne from, my feet anchored in the aqueous, bowel-like depths of a traditional Hawaiian lo’i, or taro patch. As I attempt to move my feet, I’m laying newspaper over a built-up mound, patting it down with water and mud before covering it with a palm frond in preparation for tomorrow’s planting of kalo (taro) tubers. This hands-on, messy and frankly hilarious experience – who doesn’t love to play in mud? – is taking place at Kualoa Ranch on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. The filming location for dozens of movies including Jurassic Park, this working cattle ranch now also offers two-hour ‘Malama Experiences’, teaching participants about giving back to the land that sustains them,…

GLIDE THROUGH ICY WATERS where polar bears dive off isolated isles and where Indigenous peoples live how they have since the beginning of time. Reach far-flung islands where geysers spout and waterfalls tumble from towering fiords. A journey with pioneering cruise line Hurtigruten Expeditions will take you to places often only accessible on a small cruise ship. The Norwegian line has mastered manoeuvring into the world’s most remote corners, always with sustainability in mind – their fleet of expedition ships are some of the most technologically advanced in the world. And there’s always a team of skilled experts on board to make sure your journey is as informative and it is inspirational. Bring your sense of adventure and your stamina – these islands are all consuming. CORN ISLANDS Sitting pretty…

UNTIL THE PANDEMIC, SYDNEY NORTHERN suburbs resident Sunny had never bothered to explore the tracts of wilderness in her own LGA. A keen bushwalker, she had already conquered the Larapinta Trail in the Northern Territory and New Zealand’s Milford Track – but it had never occurred to her to hike closer to home. With limited time off work, yet craving a break to recharge batteries, she and a friend discovered the perfect holiday solution – a three-day hike just a few kilometres from her front door. Joining a Life’s an Adventure guided tour, the pair spent a long weekend tackling a section of the Great North Walk, soaking up watery vistas she never knew existed and indulging in a touch of luxury en route. Life’s an Adventure’s recipe for a…

I’VE NEVER EXPERIENCED weightlessness before, but as I float in water so close to body temperature that I barely feel it, gravity no longer exists. As my watsu therapist Smiljana gently guides me on the surface, she seems to be in the same trance-like state that I am. They say some people become emotional and cry during watsu, feeling like they’re in their mother’s womb. For me, it is almost transcendental, as if I am drifting in space, somewhere between sleep, wakefulness and something else, with a sense of complete calm. A TRANSFORMATIVE JOURNEY Calm is to become a theme of my stay at Joali Being, located on the island of Bodufushi in the Maldives’ Raa Atoll. I’m not naturally drawn to the stricter side of wellness travel – depriving…

Southern distillation Once the site of illegal whisky distilling, a 19th-century mill is now home to Tasmania’s newest boozy hotspot in the tiny town of Oatlands. Callington Mill’s expansive estate not only takes you behind the scenes of the whisky-making process, but also comes with a restaurant and blending room, where you can create your own concoctions. callingtonmilldistillery.com Nuts about beer Who doesn’t love to snack on nuts while sipping a cold one? The flavours unite in Stone & Wood’s newest brew, Malty Mac, a cellar-door-only macadamia-inspired beer that combines the buttery notes of macadamias grown in the Northern Rivers region of NSW with Stone & Wood’s robust Munich and pilsner malts. The result? A highly addictive drop with dark golden hues and a damn delicious finish. Worth a trip…

Spain’s Balearic islands are a string of pearls off the European mainland, shimmering in the Mediterranean sunlight. In 2022, the brightest gleam comes from Menorca, where coastal coves fashion 50 shades of green, and are so blindingly brilliant you’ll think someone has taken off your glasses and cleaned them for the first time. Kayak, dive, paddleboard… then return to your palatial digs at Es Bec D’Aguila, a hilltop villa sleeping 28 with sweeping valley and sea views. esbecdaguila.com 4 other pools you will love InterContinental Hayman Bliss out in the Whitsundays region of Queensland. intercontinental.com Aethos Corsica Is this the new gem of the Greek Islands? aethoshotels.com COMO Point Yamu Sashay in to this dreamy property off the coast of Phuket. comohotels.com Villa Fanya This private Greek retreat doesn’t disappoint.…

The Three Capes is a three-day guided, pack-free walk to the three spectacular capes in the southern end of the Tasman Peninsula: Cape Raoul, which can only be reached by hiking, and has some of the most dramatic coastal scenery on the island. You’ll then hike to Cape Hauy to see the famed rock formations ‘Candlestick’ and ‘Totem Pole’, and view Cape Pillar with its 300-metre high cliff faces. There’s also the choice of a helicopter ride over Cape Pillar and remote Tasman Island with Rotor-Lift Aviation, where you will land on Tasman Island and enjoy a guided hike – and have the island all to yourself – and skip the two-hour bus trip back to Hobart. Or, join a wilderness cruise around Cape Pillar to see the spectacular cliffs…

IF THERE’S A FRENCH REGION made for postcards, Provence is it. In the country’s southeast, it’s a dreamy union of hilltop villages and landscapes that alternate between eye-popping lavender fields and silvery olive groves. It’s easy to slip into a routine of savouring long, lazy lunches – perhaps ratatouille and salade niçoise – followed by afternoon siestas enjoyed while being serenaded by a chorus of cicadas. Wine corks pop and chilled rosé is poured; locals make the most of balmy evenings and challenge each other to games of pétanque. On this visit, I’m taking a circular road trip from Avignon, heading east to L’Isle sue la Sorgue and travelling clockwise around central Provence to savour some of its highlights. THE CITY OF POPES There’s a stillness that greets you when…

THE SEA SUCKS DEEP INTO the rock crevices as chinstrap penguins clamber and slide, oblivious to a ship full of peering eyes. There’s a roar as a rogue wave sends a sheet of spray skyward and I catch a glimpse of a bronze bust illuminated against the rocks. A wisp of beach in the Southern Ocean might be an odd spot for a museum, but this is Point Wild, Elephant Island, a site immortalised in maritime history. It’s day 10 of our 23-day ‘Antarctica Complete’ voyage on board the 132-berth Greg Mortimer with Aurora Expeditions, and as Mother Nature is whipping up a storm, our hopes of jumping in the Zodiacs to cruise closer to Point Wild are dashed. Instead, we stand riveted as expedition leader Ashley Perrin recreates the…

IT’S NEITHER NIGHT NOR DAY. NEITHER NOISY NOR hurried. The sun momentarily hangs over the fading landscape, swapping places with a crescent moon. One by one, stars flick on as fingers of firelight spread across Gutharraguda Country – the Malgana name for Shark Bay, on the Coral Coast of Western Australia – reaching out to roots holding this ancient land together. Darren ‘Capes’ Capewell, owner of Wula Gura Nyinda Eco Tours, says, “Grab some of that red sand, rub it slowly through your hands – it will connect you to the desert, to Nhanda and Malgana Country.” Wanting to understand the complexity of the world’s oldest continuous living framework, I’ve arrived early for a nighttime ‘Didgeridoo Dreaming’ experience at Little Lagoon in the heart of Gutharraguda (Shark Bay). I’m keen…

Day 1 7am Wake in the lap of luxury at Slow Beam, a modern, angular house in west Hobart with wild and rugged views. Local artists were called upon for inspiration. 9am On Saturdays, take a stroll around Salamanca Market, and you’ll see why the locals have kept this street stall tradition alive for 50 years. 1pm Even the transport to MONA encapsulates this quirky art experience . Catch the catamaran and sit in the Posh Pit, which has wallaby-fur-lined booths. 2pm Peruse MONA, Australia’s largest private museum, with three levels of underground galleries, where owner David Walsh lives above with windows into his masterpiece. 5pm Wine time? No worries. MONA has an onsite winery and is one of Tasmania’s oldest vineyards – complete with a cellar door for tastings.…

Perched on a floral sofa inside the Commandant’s House, which whiffs of Grandma’s linen press, Colin Knight recounts grave and gory anecdotes from Tasmania’s Village of the Damned and Australia’s true-crime Shangri-la: Port Arthur Historic Site. He gauges my reactions to tailor the ‘Wheel of Fate’ to my proclivities; meanwhile, he’s repelling rubbernecking folk behind the ropes so I can sip a glass of ‘A’ by Arras Premium Cuvee in relative serenity. This new private tour is the antithesis of hurried school excursion-style jaunts you might expect of Tasmania’s 40-hectare, starkly picturesque convict penal settlement, not least because of the private banquet finale. The ‘Wheel of Fate’ comes from the stables of behind-the-ropes virtuosos, Cultural Attractions of Australia. Knight unlocks foreboding recesses of the ‘Imperfect Georgian’ Main Penitentiary, ‘Silent’ Separate…

ARRIVING AT THIS HARBOURSIDE hotel, you’d be forgiven for not realising it’s part of The Star Sydney, an enormous complex of entertainment outlets. The Darling is the venue’s boutique accommodation offering, and while it has discrete gaming rooms available, it also offers a day spa, fine-dining Japanese restaurant and an eclectic selection of rooms. It is also one of just three properties in Australia with a Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star rating, an award it has held for six consecutive years. Forbes uses anonymous judges to ensure the hotel meets up to 900 different criteria points, predominantly focusing on service, to receive the prestigious accolade. Which I can attest it deserves. From the concierge to the spa therapists, every employee is attentive to our needs. We’re staying in the Penthouse Suite…

CREATIVES As a young girl growing up in Cuernavaca, south of Mexico City, Cristina Mittermeier knew she wanted to live a life that helped protect the natural world. First she became a marine biologist. Then she was asked to provide the text for a coffee table book. But when she saw how people connected with the photos and barely glanced at her words on launch night, she wondered if she was going about it the wrong way. “We are routinely winning one campaign after another because the power of the people is greater than the people in power.” “That was the first ‘Eureka!’ moment when I thought maybe I should lower the price of entry to reach people through something that’s not intimidating, not confrontational and not guilt ridden. And…

“THERE’S A LOT OF SIMILARITIES WITH THIS place and Colorado and Utah, just without any of the crowds,” New River Gorge National Park’s chief of interpretation, Eve West, tells me. “It reminds me of when I worked in Moab National Park before it became so huge. West Virginia, though, well, it’s just an untapped jewel, isn’t it?” Apparently so, if Lonely Planet’s Top 10 Places To Visit in 2022 list is anything to go by – West Virginia is the only American state to make the list, and it came in at number two, behind only the Westfjords of Iceland. This part of the US is a mystery to most Australians; hey, it’s a mystery to many Americans as well. Most of us only know it from that John Denver…

#CYCLE #DANUBEAUSTRIA IT’S EARLY MORNING IN VIENNA, and the bruised tones of sunrise dapple the Danube’s mirrored surface like a blushing disco ball. It’s a scene worthy of a postcard. But for now, it’s an outlook that’s all mine. Well, shared with the few others up at this time of day. Europe’s second-longest river, the Danube begins in Germany’s Black Forest, where the Brigach and Breg rivers join in Donaueschingen – it ends at the Black Sea, 2,850 kilometres to the southeast, passing through 10 countries and countless cities, towns and villages. Some 450 kilometres of that carve through Austria. I’ve been here before on a cruise ship, floating between atmospheric Danube ports, but today, I am the captain, and my chariot two wheels. Following a cycling trail around a…

AN ART GALLERY INSIDE a remote resort? A serious art gallery? How’s that going to work? Beautifully, is the answer. When I visited the new Gallery of Central Australia (GoCA), located on the grounds of Ayers Rock Resort, I found a synergy between culture and tourism that works to the benefit of artists and visitors alike. I’ll admit, I had been a little afraid that GoCA would turn out to be just a glorified gift shop. Yes, there’s a pleasant section for giftware and merchandise, but it’s small compared with the expansive gallery spaces. These house a finely curated exhibition of magnificent artworks that reflect the depth and diversity of Indigenous art practices in Australia’s vast Central Desert region. The space itself is as dramatic as it is calming, a…

Dream Airstream Camping doesn’t get much cooler than this. Settle in to one of 47 Airstreams among the famed Joshua trees in Southern California’s epochal desert haven. AutoCamp Joshua Tree is a 10-hectare property where you bed in gleaming 9.5-metre aluminium American caravans that have all the comforts of home, including a queen bed, walk-in rain shower and kitchenette. The camp has an eco-ethos ensuring the protection of all the Joshua trees on the property during construction. It also has an on-site water treatment system, and cuisine is focused on organic and sustainable ingredients. Join one of the regular yoga classes, ecology walks or night sky photography seminars. autocamp.com Culture fix A stone’s throw from multiple theatres, galleries and myriad restaurants – a stay at the new Voco Melbourne Central…

TRIED & TESTED The latest property in the French Mama Shelter group is in the beating heart of Los Angeles, off Hollywood Boulevard and only minutes from the Walk of Fame. A little bit European, a little bit SoCal, with a lot of urban style, Mama Shelter Los Angeles is cool central – in a casual French, understated way. The ground floor lobby is part authentic Hollywood Art Deco diner, part inviting restaurant and bar, with a riot of colour from floor to low ceiling, which effectively conveys warmth, and a playfully artistic style. My Hollywood View Standard Room is cool, calm and collected, with a French black-and-white minimalist decor, trompe l’oeil carpet design and plenty of space. Splashes of colour and vibrant Mama style come in the details: quirky…