By John Rozentals.
El Questro Resort’s new ‘Adventure Package’ … an escape to the Kimberley region.
Hikes to Western Australia’s Explosion Gorge, sunsets overlooking the vast landscape at Branco’s Lookout and boat adventures cruising the Kimberley’s towering Chamberlain Gorge are all included as part of El Questro Resort’s new ‘Adventure Package’ at Emma Gorge.
In a first-time arrangement for the resort, the package returns a 10 per cent donation of rates to an Australian mental-health support service, Beyond Blue.
An escape to the Kimberley region offers visitors a chance to enjoy open horizons, explore dramatic landscapes complete with swimming in the Zebedee Thermal Springs, and a walk among the coastal forests or along crystal-clear creeks and a chance to relax under star-lit night skies.
The three-night package is available to September 25, with prices from $399 per person twin-share.
Included are three nights accommodation in one of Emma Gorge’s tented cabins, select Kimberley adventures for two, and complimentary return transfers to Kununurra airport.
A swag of optional extras includes early-morning fishing for barramundi, horse riding, scenic flights or heli tours to discover the most untouched reaches of the region.
Visit www.elquestro.com.au.
The Sebel Canberra Civic … a new-build hotel.
Australia’s largest hotel operator, Accor, has opened The Sebel Canberra Civic, its first Sebel-branded apartment hotel in the national capital.
The property adds 144 rooms to the city’s burgeoning hotel supply. Spanning 11 floors, the property boasts 126 studio rooms with kitchenette facilities as well as nine one-bedroom suites and nine two-bedroom suites with full kitchen facilities.
The new-build hotel is surrounded by a mix of office buildings, government departments, restaurants and entertainment venues.
Civic Square is home to ACT Legislative Assembly, Canberra Museum and Gallery, Civic Library and Canberra Theatre, along with many local cultural organisations.
Visit www.accorhotels.com.
Silky Oaks Lodge … slated for total refurbishment.
New owner Baillie Lodges has announced a four-month closure for Tropical North Queensland’s Silky Oaks Lodge for a significant refurbishment.
The project is designed to align both the features at Silky Oaks Lodge and the guest experience of the Daintree Rainforest with Baillie Lodges’ existing portfolio of Australian luxury lodges.
Newly inclusive rates, premium suites and a more stylish experience of the World-Heritage-listed Daintree are all slated.
Silky Oaks Lodge will close for works from April 22 next year with the new-look lodge set to launch on September 7.
Enhanced inclusions will include gourmet breakfast, evening sunset drinks and a four-course daily-changing dinner menu with premium wines to match.
Visit www.baillielodges.com.au.
Artistry with food … a dish by Zaiyu Hasegawa.
The Curated Plate, a new four-day destination food festival on the Sunshine Coast from August 8-11, has announced a complementary range of accommodation and event packages.
Celebrating the relationship between chef and producer, in the picturesque surrounds of a region famed for its vibrant produce, The Curated Plate encourages guests to immerse themselves in the flavours foraged from organic and sustainable practices and enjoy once-in-a-lifetime dining experiences.
Zaiyu Hasegawa, the chef behind the Best Restaurant in Japan, for instance, will join Daniel Jarrett in preparing five-course dinner with premium matching wines at The Tamarind in Maleny.
Visit www.thecuratedplate.com.au.
Part of a Tasmanian family adventure … National Park walks.
Tasmanian Expeditions has three new itineraries designed for active travellers.
They are a photography tour, a dedicated family trip in one of the island’s most popular national parks, and a self-guided cycle taking in many highlights of the east coast.
The Cradle Mountain Family Adventure, for instance, is a three-day family-friendly active holiday which children aged eight-years-plus will enjoy, featuring walks within the park with the opportunity to summit Cradle Mountain, have close encounters with native wildlife, and have a chance to visit Mole Creek’s limestone caves and complete a maze.
Prices start at $1295 per person twin-share.
Phone 1300 666 856 or visit www.tasmanianexpeditions.com.au.
Salzburg … a mecca for classical-music fans.
Austria’s cultural offerings include over 200 festivals: from world-scale events to small regional gatherings.
Many of them make use of Austria’s beautiful surroundings and offer outstanding culinary delights to accompany the cultural experience.
Mention Salzburg to a fan of classical music and they will immediately think of the Salzburg Festival. Every year, one of the world’s most prestigious arts festivals invites elite musicians, conductors, singers, and actors to enthral visitors.
Next year is going to be special, with the festival celebrating its one-hundedth birthday with a program covering 199 performances at 16 venues in 43 days.
Visit www.salzburgerfestspiele.at/en.
Bosnia … a land of stunning beauty.
Experience one of the ultimate road-cycling adventures by taking a ride through the remote mountain regions of Bosnia & Herzegovina.
Starting in the old Ottoman trading centre of Trebinje, Bosnia & Herzegovina’s wine capital, experience nine days of beautiful remote scenery and rich, cultural diversity.
Highlights include a circuit of the wine-growing region, past the villages and vineyards of Popovo Polje, cycling the back roads of the impressive Orijen mountain range and indulging in the pungent cheese and traditional smoked ham of Njegusi.
The tour includes all accommodation, local bike hire, all breakfasts, six picnic lunches and one dinner.
Save $406 on Exodus Travels’ ‘Cycling Bosnia & Montenegro’ adventure when you from $2649 and depart on the September ß22.
Phone 1300 131 564 or visit www.exodustravels.com.
The ultimate way to discover yourself … on a zodiac in southern waters.
The exciting lands of red-hot tango; ice-blue glaciers; and lush-green jungle come to life when Holland America Line’s Amsterdam, Koningsdam, Volendam and Zaandam head to South America and Antarctica from September this year through to April next.
Guests will explore exotic and remote ports that offer once-in-a-lifetime experiences such as sailing on the Amazon River, strolling the bustling streets of Buenos Aires, relaxing on the golden beaches of Rio de Janeiro, and visiting the Incan ruins of Machu Picchu.
Guests longing for the ultimate white Christmas, for instance, can embark on Zaandam’s 22-day ‘South America & Antarctica Holiday’ from Buenos Aires to San Antonio.
The cruise includes calls in Uruguay, Argentina, the Falkland Islands and Chile.
Phone 1300 987 322 or visit hollandamerica.com.
Hokkaido’s sea of clouds … one of nature’s greatest spectacles.
Autumn presents itself as an optimal time to see a different side of Japan on the northern island of Hokkaido, as nature and locals prepare for the winter ahead.
The beautiful red leaves known as momiji are a natural phenomenon that occur when temperatures drop after a hot summer, with Hokkaido’s magnificent fall foliage seen as early as late August.
Beautiful trees in vibrant shades of yellow, orange, red and brown make for a stunning backdrop across the island.
Unkai is a sea of clouds that can be seen from places of high elevation — one of nature’s greatest spectacles which emerges under certain temperature conditions in the early morning.
Visit www.hoshinoresorts.com.
Natural beauty … Milford Sound in New Zealand’s Fiordland National Park.
Celebrate Christmas in style on Ecruising’s 15-night ‘New Zealand Ruby’ journey.
Experience both sides of the Tasman with a 14-night cruise aboard Princess Cruises’ recently refurbished Ruby Princess, taking in some of Australia’s and New Zealand’s most stunning destinations, followed by a night uncovering the many charms and delights of cosmopolitan Auckland.
Australian ports of call include Melbourne and Hobart.
Then Ruby Princess sets course for the Land of the Long White Cloud, with calls at Fiordland National Park on the South Island’s western coast, Dunedin, where guests can explore the lavish and historic estates of Larnach Castle and Olveston House, Akaroa on the east coast of the South Island and New Zealand’s only French-founded community, Picton, Wellington, the Bay of Plenty and Rotorua’s geothermal wonderland, before disembarking in Auckland and spending a night at the Hilton Auckland, before flying home to Australia.
And while you’re in NZ, enjoy a special Christmas dinner featuring traditional favourites.
Prices are from $2339 per person twin-share including one-way economy airfares from Auckland to Sydney.
Phone 1300 369 848 or visit www.ecruising.travel.
