By Rama Gaind.
Rottnest Island, 19km off the coast of Perth, is blessed with picturesque scenery, dazzling marine life and some of the world’s finest beaches and pristine bays.
The festive season for 2019 will begin soon and what better way to celebrate than to seek out some travel destination ideas.
New summer experiences are in store for visitors to Rottnest Island in Western Australia. Now you can experience the thrill of skydiving, take in stunning views from a seaplane or enjoy a sunset cruise which are among eight new attractions visitors can enjoy this summer when they visit the island.
Rottnest recorded its biggest ever year in 2018-19, with 785,001 visitors to the Island. Visitor numbers in the year to October 2019 are already up 12 per cent compared with the previous year.
Sitting just offshore from Perth, it’s a protected nature reserve and home to the quokka, a small wallaby-like marsupial. The island is also home to colonies of Australian sea lions and southern fur seals. White-sand beaches and secluded coves include the Basin, with its shallow waters, and Thomson Bay, the main hub and ferry port. Strickland Bay is known for its surf breaks, while reef breaks occur at Radar Reef, off the island’s far western tip
The new activities are said to be a direct response to the island’s increasing popularity.
They include:
- A daily seaplane commute to the island
- Travelling in a state-of-the-art Cessna turbo-prop seaplane, you can take off from the Swan River on one of several daily flights on a new commercial service
- A new skydive and transfer package
- For the first time, visitors can catch a plane at Jandakot Airport and skydive on to the island
- Two new sunset cruises, including one on a 12.5m catamaran
- Enjoy a ‘Hooked on Rotto’ fishing cruise.
Taste fresh crayfish straight from the sea
New fly-in/fly-out crayfish lunches are now available on Flinders Island, just a half-hour flight from Launceston and less than an hour from Melbourne.
There is no place on earth quite like the wild, rugged beauty of Flinders Island, which is right on the doorstep of Victoria and mainland Tasmania.
Just a half-hour flight from Launceston (less than an hour from Melbourne),
The Flinders Wharf has launched a new fly-in/fly-out, catch ‘n’ cook crayfish lunch experience on this island paradise until April 2020.
Guests can now enjoy a scenic flight from Melbourne, Launceston, Bridport or Tasmania’s east coast to the island to pluck their own crayfish straight from the ocean. After a scenic flight of the island, the visitors land on a private airstrip and head straight to Killiecrankie Beach where they try their hand at pulling a crayfish cauf straight from the sea.
Located in Bass Strait, north east of Tasmania, Flinders Island is the largest in the Furneaux Islands region with a population of only 900 islanders. Famous for untouched beaches with crystal clear waters and some of Australia’s greatest produce, the island has been a chef’s secret pantry for many years.
Feathertop Winery experience
With boutique accommodation, a cellar door, wine tastings and onsite dining options, the Feathertop Winery is a popular destination in Porepunkah in the Victorian Alpine Region.
The picturesque Feathertop Winery, located in Porepunkah in the Victorian Alpine Region is perfect for a weekend getaway.
Just over a three-hour drive from Melbourne’s city centre, the winery is a popular destination where you’ll find the Feathertop Providore features an ever-changing selection of locally cured meats, Milawa Cheeses, Mt Buffalo Olives Olive Oil, dukkah and quince paste; pumpkin seed loaf, dips, pestos, olives, Harrietville Trout Farm smoked products, terrine, antipasto and more.
Luxury boutique accommodation is available onsite in the Mt Buffalo View Apartment or groups in the Peggy Adelaide Suite.
Time stands still when you are sitting on the lawn terrace with a bottle of Feathertop Wine and enjoying a grazing feast overlooking the mountains!
Australia’s Four Pillars gin is the worlds best
Yarra Valley-based distillery Four Pillars Gin has taken out the title of the world’s best gin, at the 2019 International Wine and Spirits Competition in London.
Yarra Valley-based distillery Four Pillars Gin has taken out the title of the world’s best gin – awarded the 2019 International Gin Producer of the Year – at the International Wine and Spirits Competition in London.
One of the industry’s greatest accolades, the award further cements the Four Pillars brand and Australia as a leader in the spirits industry. Four Pillars Gin also recently announced plans to open a new distillery and bar in Sydney’s Surry Hills in 2020. Visit The Four Pillars Gin and Drink Lab to savour a delicious cocktail, purchase a bottle of your favourite gin or witness how the distilling process brings Australia’s native botanicals to life
The distillery is located in Healesville, in Victoria’s Yarra Valley, about an hour’s drive from the Melbourne CBD.
DETAILS BOX
Rottnest Island
https://www.westernaustralia.com/en/Destination/Rottnest_Island/
Flinders Island
https://theflinderswharf.com.au
Feathertop Winery https://www.ultimatewineryexperiences.com.au/wineries/feathertop/
Four Pillars Gin
