IT’S almost 160 years to the day since a band of irritated gold miners made a stand on Ballarat’s Eureka diggings. The group was angry about the steep licence fees charged to prospect, paying taxes without being allowed to vote, and the fact police were neglecting the rights of miners and making life difficult inContinue reading “Solid gold history …”
Author Archives: Sarah N
Snappy holiday snaps …
NOT too long ago taking good travel photos was the exclusive domain of the professional snapper with a swag of expensive equipment. But in this day and age, with a camera in every mobile phone and digital technology putting quality gear in the hands of anyone interested in taking pictures, it’s not hard for evenContinue reading “Snappy holiday snaps …”
Airlines in 2015 …
AIR travel was big news in 2014, but for all the wrong reasons. Instead of hearing about the development of innovative aircraft, the addition of new routes and improvements to customer service, the headlines were dominated by the loss of two Malaysian Airline planes with the occasional story about plunging profits and staff cuts. WhileContinue reading “Airlines in 2015 …”
CZ3202 cityscape …
Where … Above Xian at the start of my first visit to China. When … Monday, October 13, 2014 at 10.05am. What … A window seat on a China Southern flight from Guangzhou to Xian reveals the first view of a city that’s home to 9 million people as the aircraft descends through a layerContinue reading “CZ3202 cityscape …”
Guangzhou …
Where … Guangzhou Airport When … 6.30am on Monday, October 13, 2014 What … The wide windows in the China Southern Business Class Lounge at Guangzhou Airport reveal an armada of aircraft ready to launch on the first flights of a new day. Visit the China Southern website … posted October 14, 2018 PostedContinue reading “Guangzhou …”
Espiritu Santo …
Where … Oyster Island, Vanuatu When … November 6, 2009 What … Oyster Island sits just off the coast of Espiritu Santo, the Vanuatu island that was the second largest Allied base in the Pacific during World War Two. There were four or five airstrips on Santo during the Second War, with one of theContinue reading “Espiritu Santo …”
Garden Tap House …
Where … The Garden Tap House, Kyneton When … Thursday, September 2, 2014 What … The setting sun shines through an upstairs window at The Garden Tap House, one of the comfortable self-contained properties available to those looking to spend a few days in Kyneton’s Piper Street. Visit the Piper Street website … posted OctoberContinue reading “Garden Tap House …”
Park at Pullman …
→ A plot close to Melbourne’s metropolitan lake provides a nice position for a stay at the Pullman Albery Park … THE Pullman Albert Park, set beside Melbourne’s Albert Park Lake and the back straight of the city’s Formula One track, is an agreeable hotel that’s perfect for both business and leisure travellers. The 169-roomContinue reading “Park at Pullman …”
See time stand still …
EVER hear of a place called Matsuyama? No, neither had I until it appeared on the itinerary for this trip to Japan with Jetstar. The low-cost carrier had arranged for a group of travel writers to see some of regional Japan after completing the airline’s inaugural flight from Melbourne to Tokyo, and had flown theContinue reading “See time stand still …”
Murray River …
Where … Gol Gol on the Murray River When … Monday, May 13, 2013 What … An early-morning storm throws a rainbow over the southern bank of the Murray River near just a stone’s throw from the historic Gol Gol Hotel. Visit the Gol Gol Hotel website … posted Sunday. October 4, 2014
So nice, named it twice …
HOTEL Hotel – a boutique address in Canberra’s New Acton neighbourhood which is a favourite with locals when it’s time to wine and dine – is quickly becoming the place to stay in the national capital. The hotel is packed with character, almost every item in the building tells a story, and a swag ofContinue reading “So nice, named it twice …”
London’s new classic …
THE Beaumont, London’s newest luxury hotel, is set to open in Mayfair on September 29. The 73-room property, which overlooks Brown Hart Gardens, occupies one of the English capital’s magnificent Art Deco buildings designed by Wimperis & Simpson and built in 1926 to serve as a garage. The Beaumont is the first hotel project byContinue reading “London’s new classic …”
Lake Titicaca …
WHERE … Lake Titicaca, Peru WHEN … Tuesday, June 18, 2013 WHAT … The staff at Titilaka Lodge – a boutique guesthouse on the edge of Lake Titicaca, a stone’s throw from the Purvian settlement of Puno – picked a June night with a clear ski to light a fire so guest could watch theContinue reading “Lake Titicaca …”
Sunburnt country …
THIS could be the spot Dorothea Mackellar was standing when she penned the most memorable stanza of her ode to Australia. I can’t see the jewelled sea, but I know there’s a turquoise stretch of salt not far to the north, and from this corner of Home Valley Station in the Kimberley I spy theContinue reading “Sunburnt country …”
Amboseli National Park …
Where … Amboseli National Park, Kenya When … Sunday, June 15, 2014 What … A herd of Amboseli elephants take a dip in one of the national park’s ponds. Visit the Amboseli National Park website … posted Friday, September 26, 2014
Home Valley Station …
Where … Home Valley Station, the Kimberley, Western Australia When … Saturday, May 31, 2014 What … The sky turns a ranbow of pastel colours as the sun sets behind the Cockburn Range in the eastern corner of Western Australia’s magnificent Kimberley. Visit the Home Valley Station website … posted Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Street-art stay …
BRISBANE’S first street-art hotel has opened in Constance Street with TRYP Brisbane welcoming its first guests. The property, which is also the first TRYP by Wyndham hotel in Australia, is in the heart of the Queensland capital’s entertainment district and inside the business precinct emerging on the outskirts of the CBD making it popular withContinue reading “Street-art stay …”
Sun, surf and …
IT seems a few lazy days on the beach, a good dose of culture, and a stay at a luxury resort top the holiday wish list for Australian travellers. The vacation preferences are revealed in a study just completed by Wotif – the website that lets those looking to book accommodation grab last-minute deals onContinue reading “Sun, surf and …”
Shepherds Flat …
Where … Lavandula Swiss Italian Farm in Shepherds Flat, Victoria. When … Monday, December 13, 2010 What … Lavender growing in a pasture at Lavandula Swiss Italian Farm, in Shepherds Flat near Daylesford, shows that summer has arrived in central Victoria. Visit the Lavandula Swiss Italian Farm website … posted Monday, September 22, 2014
Stewart Island …
Where … Boulder Beach, Stewart Island, New Zealand When … Tuesday, August 24, 2010 What … Looking across Boulder Beach’s golden sand to the mountains of Stewart Island in the distance. Visit the Stewart Island website … posted Saturday, September 20, 2014
Anzac link …
ON November 1, 1914, the first Anzac troops bound for the Great War’s bloody battlefields left Albany in a convoy that stretched more than 12km into the Southern Ocean when it steamed away from the West Australian coast. For many of those on board the 38 vessels it would be one-way journey as they wouldContinue reading “Anzac link …”
HOTEL – HOTEL JEN
INTRODUCING HOTEL JEN SHANGRI-LA Hotels has added a new brand to its stable with Hotel Jen created to cater to the whims of the next generation of traveller. Hotel Jen, pencilled in to replace the company’s established Traders brand, will offer “fresh, friendly and fuss-free” accommodation to the “millennials” just starting to influence trends inContinue reading “HOTEL – HOTEL JEN”
Raffles comes to Istanbul …
RAFFLES Istanbul, Turkey’s newest luxury hotel, will finally open its doors on September 1 after months of anticipation. The hotel will occupy the heart of the Zorlu Center — a new hub for fashion, food and the arts on the European shore in Beşiktaş — with the opulent five-star address overlooking the Bosphorus, Princess Islands andContinue reading “Raffles comes to Istanbul …”
Population 70 …
THIS must be the most beautiful time of day in the Outback. The sun is plunging towards the horizon, casting a captivating shade of gold on the landscape and forcing long shadows to fall on the red dirt where buildings stand on the gibber plain, and there’s only a sliver of vibrant blue holding theContinue reading “Population 70 …”
Place of prosperity …
I THOUGHT I had a pretty good picture of Tasmania’s convict experience. I had been to Port Arthur and done the ghost tour on a dark night, seen the graves on the Isle of the Dead, walked across Richmond Bridge, stood at Eaglehawk Neck, and talked to Judith Cornish who spent days at Hobart’s FemaleContinue reading “Place of prosperity …”
Which Queensland island is right …
THE Queensland coast is flanked by an abundance of idyllic islands. From the exclusive enclaves on Haggerstone and Lizard islands in the state’s far north, to the empty stretches of sand on South Stradbroke Island close to Brisbane, there are dream destinations waiting for those travellers ready to holiday on a spot that’s surrounded byContinue reading “Which Queensland island is right …”
Grape expectations …
MURRAY Gomm is crazy for apples. Not the everyday varieties found in the over-stacked bins at Coles and Woolies, but the rare and curious versions that only to grow in the well-tendered gardens of old country homes and long-forgotten orchards. It’s this love of apples, a passion the Albany winemaker can trace backContinue reading “Grape expectations …”
Travel back in time …
THE man with the white beanie sits away from the group. He is quiet, listening to the conversation but not joining in, and he rarely lifts his eyes from his work while his relatives stop to stand and stretch their legs or just turn their heads to gaze across the blue water of Lake Titicaca,Continue reading “Travel back in time …”
Australia’s Mr Bean …
CHARLES Bean is one of my heroes. I didn’t think much of the man when I studied Australian history at Melbourne University – he seemed snooty and aloof when I was wading through his Great War histories doing research for essays and exams – but the post-academic investigations that have come with travel revealContinue reading “Australia’s Mr Bean …”
Top chef returns …
CHEF Jim McDougall always knew Mildura was a food bowl but it wasn’t until he left his home town for the big smoke that he realised just how good the ingredients were in the Murray River settlement. The Mildura native, who started his career with the great Stefano de Pieri at the river city’s iconicContinue reading “Top chef returns …”
Far Near Or Here 