PARIS FOR SOFITEL MELBOURNE SOFITEL Melbourne on Collins is now home to new guest rooms that “feel like a Parisian apartment in the heart of Melbourne” thanks to an extravagant $15 million renovation. Celebrated architect IM Pei – who was originally tasked with designing the five-star address that sits at the Paris End of CollinsContinue reading “HOTEL – SOFITEL MELBOURNE”
Category Archives: Victoria
VISIT – WINTERTIME VICTORIA
July is the perfect time for a mid-winter break, with properties dotted around rural Victoria providing the ideal retreat for a quick recharge VICTORIA’S WINER RETREATS DAYS are dark, the temperature has plunged below brisk, and even the hardiest of souls battling this bleakest of mid-winter months are dreaming about a break. While the sunContinue reading “VISIT – WINTERTIME VICTORIA”
HOTEL – ELEMENT MELBOURNE
Our spacious, light-filled guestrooms and suites with striking views are designed to create a peaceful place for you to unwind. Element Melbourne Richmond website MELBOURNE IN ITS ELEMENT SUBURBAN Melbourne is home to Australia’s first Element by Westin with Element Melbourne Richmond opening its doors this month. The brand, which belongs to the Marriott InternationalContinue reading “HOTEL – ELEMENT MELBOURNE”
Tips for visiting Vic …
WHEN it comes to travel, nothing beats a personal recommendation from someone who has already made the trip. Here, seven Victorians share their favourite part of the state. The Grampians Robin Wickens – executive chef, Royal Mail Hotel More people that pass through the Grampians need to make time for walking in the national parkContinue reading “Tips for visiting Vic …”
Holiday Inn Flinders refurb …
THE HOLIDAY Inn Melbourne on Flinders has received a new look with an extensive renovating changing the character of every guestroom and giving those visiting the city a fresh place to stay in the Victorian capital. The guest room count has been increased to 209 chambers with the building gutted to create a blank canvasContinue reading “Holiday Inn Flinders refurb …”
Christmas 2017 in Melbourne …
SANTA is making his list and checking it twice, presents are being wrapped, the windows on advent calendars are being peeled back, and carols are echoing through shopping centres. Christmas is on its way and those lucky enough to be in Melbourne during the 2017 Silly Season have a swag of options available to getContinue reading “Christmas 2017 in Melbourne …”
Melbourne’s Adina update …
A REVAMPED rooftop pool with a terrace for entertaining, new penthouse suites, and fresh decor in every one of the 155 guest rooms are just some of the highlights of the Adina Apartment Hotel Melbourne’s recent renovation. Those in the know say the hotel has “adopted a modern international style” which starts in the newContinue reading “Melbourne’s Adina update …”
Where to stay on Victoria’s MP …
THE Mornington Peninsula has long been one of Victoria’s favourite holiday playgrounds. And it’s no wonder the patch of land between Port Phillip and Western Port bays is so appealing with a feast of opportunities on offer for those looking to escape the big smoke for a few days or a couple of weeks. TheContinue reading “Where to stay on Victoria’s MP …”
Bendigo’s View Street …
BACK in the 19th century Bendigo sat at the heart of Victoria’s goldfields with the regional settlement growing into a bustling metropolis after the first sparkling nuggets were found in the 1850s. While tent neighbourhoods quickly sprawled in every direction – as more miners arrived to fossick for gold rustic communities grew around the minesContinue reading “Bendigo’s View Street …”
Four Points makes it to Melbourne …
FOUR Points by Sheraton Melbourne Docklands will welcome its first guests on March 28. The 273-room hotel, located at 22 Pearl River Road in Melbourne’s rejuvenated Docklands area, is just 2km from the Victorian capital’s CBD making it an ideal address for both business and leisure travellers. Each guest room boasts a river or cityContinue reading “Four Points makes it to Melbourne …”
the Eureka Stockade …
THESE pieces of worn and faded navy and white fabric come together to make one of Australia’s oldest treasures. This is the flag of the Southern Cross, or what’s left of the material more than 160 years after it was created, with the banner born on the Ballarat diggings during the boom years of theContinue reading “the Eureka Stockade …”
Hotels bathrooms with a view …
IT’S not unusual for a hotel room to come complete with a remarkable view. But what about the bathroom? Long gone are the days when this most functional space was placed in a dark corner, out of sight and out of mind, with today’s architects and interior designers positioning the bathroom so those occupying theContinue reading “Hotels bathrooms with a view …”
the Yarra River …
Where … Melbourne’s Yarra River from the Bridge across Spencer Street. When … Wednesday, March 16, 2016 at 6.22pm. What… The late-afternoon sun shines on the side of Southbank’s glass towers with an abstract reflection of the riverside scene captured by the Yarra River. Visit the Visit Victoria website … posted Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Duckboard Place …
MELBOURNE is my hometown and while I don’t do as much exploring as I should – I much prefer to spend downtime eating Vegemite on toast in my pyjamas rather than gallivanting about the big smoke – I do get out when inspired. I was motivated to do a little exploring today when in the cityContinue reading “Duckboard Place …”
Crown Promenade …
Where … Crown Promenade, Melbourne When … Wednesday, March 16, 2016 What … The window in a guest room on a high floor at the Crown Promenade frames a view across the Yarra River to the early-evening lights of Melbourne. Visit the Crown Promenade website … posted March 16, 2016
Autumn in the vines …
LIKE all vineyards during vintage, wineries around Rutherglen are busy all hours now as summer fruit hanging heavy on the vines demands to be harvested. But soon autumn will creep across this picturesque corner of northern Victoria, dressing its vines in shades of yellow, orange and red that stand out against the monotone greens ofContinue reading “Autumn in the vines …”
Hotels fit for royalty …
THE Empire Hotel in Brunei isn’t the only hotel boasting a link to royalty – the destination’s most luxurious place to stay is funded by a senior member of the country’s ruling royal family – with inns from the African jungle to the Arctic Circle offering an experience good enough for the most important ofContinue reading “Hotels fit for royalty …”
The Great Ocean Road’s winter retreat …
MY family only squabbles about one thing and that’s the proper way to make a fire. My brother David, an alpha male with a booming voice to match his imposing frame, maintains a good blaze must be built on a clean base and he’s inevitably the one who takes to the fireplace with brush andContinue reading “The Great Ocean Road’s winter retreat …”
No need for speed …
WHEN an old pal’s husband discovered bushwalking his first big hike was a trek in a remote corner of the country, a journey that had him out of mobile range and made my friend feel like she was missing out as she waited at home while he navigated some of Australia’s most spectacular territory. SoContinue reading “No need for speed …”
Keeping up with the Joneses …
THE quaint cafe at Jones Winery & Vineyard in Rutherglen is one of my favourite places to dine in country Victoria. I think it’s the combination of a charming setting, with the casual but elegant eatery set in an old farm building that doubles as the estate’s cellar door and barrel room, and a thoughtfulContinue reading “Keeping up with the Joneses …”
Hotels with history …
THERE’S a trend in Melbourne – well, a mini trend, at least – with the Victorian capital’s newest hotels moving into territory that once served a different purpose. The shiny new Sheraton Melbourne Hotel (below) sits on the Little Collins St site of the bygone Naval and Military Club, a 127-year-old institution that once counted SirContinue reading “Hotels with history …”
Great Ocean roam …
THE Great Ocean Road is one of the world’s top driving routes, but there’s plenty of reason to park the car and enjoy the swag of attractions that flank this ribbon of asphalt snaking around Victoria’s beautiful southwest coast. 1. Every Easter the world’s best surfers descend on Bells Beach (below) — the famous stripContinue reading “Great Ocean roam …”
Rutherglen vineyards …
Where … Rutherglen Estates’ vineyard near the Murray River in northern Victoria When … Late afternoon on Thursday, June 11, 2015 What … A winter sunset mixes with the smoke from a farmer’s fire to throw a golden glow over a Rutherglen Estates’ vineyard a stone’s throw from Rutherglen in the northern Victorian wine-making region. …Continue reading “Rutherglen vineyards …”
the Yarra Valley …
Where … Coldstream in the heart of Victoria’s Yarra Valley When … Friday, February 20, 2015 What … The vines at Meletos, a restaurant and boutique hotel in the Yarra Valley near Melbourne, mature towards vintage in the warm summer sunshine. Visit the Visit Yarra Valley website … posted Sunday, March 8, 2015
Out of the ashes …
→ Take a sneak peek at the hotel rising from the ashes of Black Saturdday … I ENJOYED a sneak peek at the new Vibe Hotel Marysville a few days after it opened in February. Marysville, which is surrounded by the Yarra Ranges National Park a couple of hours from Melbourne, was all-but destroyed duringContinue reading “Out of the ashes …”
Streets paved with gold …
IT was not so long ago when View St was one of Bendigo’s most decrepit corners. In the early-1990s this historic avenue decayed into such a state of disrepair that neighbourhood children were told to take another route should their journey between school and home take them near View St. The wide verandas andContinue reading “Streets paved with gold …”
Melbourne’s Langham …
Where … A function room at The Langham in Melbourne When … Thursday, February 5, 2015 What … The view across the Yarra River to the Melbourne skyline was the vistas I had to gaze at during today’s Visit Britain media briefing at The Langham on Melbourne’s South Bank. Visit The Langham Melbourne website …Continue reading “Melbourne’s Langham …”
Roll up for penguin parade …
PAULA Wasiak is ready to work so she pulls on a grey glove that covers her arm almost to her shoulder, settles into the long grass, and reaches into a burrow below a leafy green shrub. It seems like a precarious activity on a hot Victorian day, when slithering creatures tend to linger just outContinue reading “Roll up for penguin parade …”
Small town esprit de corps …
MELBOURNE is awash with significant streets. Metropolitan avenues boasting swanky restaurants and quirky cafes, trendy bars and hip boutiques, and a swag of shops selling everything from the sophisticated to the shabby chic are dotted around the Victorian capital’s busy urban neighbourhoods. There’s Acland Street in St Kilda and Clarendon Street in South Melbourne, Prahran’sContinue reading “Small town esprit de corps …”
Woolamai Beach …
Where … Flying above Victoria’s Phillip Island. When … Wednesday, November 12, 2014 at 10.13am. What … Looking down at Bass Strait breakers crashing against Woolamai Beach, on Phillip Island’s rugged southern shore, while taking a spin aloft with Phillip Island Helicopters. Visit the Phillip Island website … posted November 14, 2014 Posted with BlogsyContinue reading “Woolamai Beach …”
Far Near Or Here 