Eat, play, love it … Young is host to all things cherry next month. From harvest festivals to street car cred, Lee Atkinson explores some crowd-pleasing events. YOUNG The first weekend in December is cherry time in Young, in central western NSW, when the town celebrates the summer harvest during the annual National Cherry Festival, […]
Cosmic fashion … space suits on display at the Kennedy Space Centre. Photo: Getty Images David Whitley launches himself on an exploration of the universe with feet firmly on Earth. The era of passenger flights into space isn’t far away. Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo had its maiden flight on Monday and the company hopes to soon […]
Climb Mount Gower at Lord Howe Island, NSW. Photo: Getty Images Peer into Kings Canyon in the Red Centre, Northern Territory. Photo: Getty Images Wonder which planet you?re on at The Pinnacles. Cervantes, Western Australia Photo: Getty Images Swim with whale sharks at Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia. Photo: Getty Images Catch the morning sun at […]
Attractions … clubs and companies have member benefits such as discounted theme park entry, accommodation and car hire. Investigate the deals offered by your super fund or sporting club to save on your travels, writes Jane E. Fraser. You save up your frequent flyer points and hand over your loyalty card when you go to […]
Ghostly forests … snow on faraway peaks. Photo: Ben Stubbs Near the nation’s capital, Ben Stubbs discovers an untamed wilderness where only the hardy survive. My head torch flickers, strobing across the mist that is collecting at the bottom of the valley. It is 4.30am and we are up to our ankles in snow melt. […]
Fun at Questacon, a Canberra venue that’s a must-see for visiting families. One great thing about young children is that they come without preconceptions. To them, Canberra is not the waste of an old sheep paddock filled with polies and bureaucrats, it’s another destination in which to play out their childhood. Of course, visiting Canberra […]
The Shine Dome, Canberra. Photo: Tim Kilinc We’re sitting under a Japanese maple tree hand-building bowls out of raku clay at North Canberra’s Watson Arts Centre under the tutelage of renowned artist Richilde Flavell from Girl Nomad Ceramics. Flavell’s work is in demand, she’s supplied tableware to the National Gallery of Australia store and Parliament […]
Canberra is the most Australian of all our capitals, encompassing much that makes Australia great and unique. Photo: Stocksy Am I there yet? I’m asking because I’ve been driving along a bush-bordered highway and am now at a roundabout – and with that, Canberra announces you’ve arrived. Most capital cities go big with monumental arches or architecture borrowed […]
Canberra is more than museums, monuments and MPs. Photo: IIIShutter Picnic on a Swedish boat, swim in an art deco pool and visit a new wine bar dedicated to riesling. Canberra proves its far more than museums and monuments. THE ONE OUTDOOR EXPERIENCE Locals and visitors alike flock to Canberra’s National Arboretum – a tree […]
New landmark: The National Aboretum. Photo: National Aboretum Who would have thought it: Once the most unloved and dowdy city in the country, Canberra has been reborn, writes Anthony Dennis. They are the three words that no travel writer, until very recently, ever thought could sincerely emerge from his or her keyboard – “Canberra is […]
There’s plenty of hip bars to choose from in Canberra. Photo: iStock SPONSORED ARTICLE Hit the road with your squad for a girls’ weekend in the capital of culture. In an election to contest the best places for a girls’ weekend getaway, Canberra would get our vote. With chic design hotels, sophisticated bars and restaurants, […]
CANBERRA’S COOLEST HOTELS: Urban renewal – The striking foyer in Canberra’s Hotel Hotel. Hotel Hotel, Canberra. One of the best places to obtain a real sense of Canberra’s heritage: Hotel Kurrajong. Hotel Kurrajong, Canberra. Hotel Kurrajong, Canberra. Photo: Supplied Hotel Kurrajong Canberra. Hotel Kurrajong, Canberra. Photo: Supplied Chifley’s Bar and Grill at the Hotel Kurrajong. […]
Take a look at some of the buildings design by John Smith Murdoch in Canberra. Pictured: Hotel Kurrajong. One of the best places to obtain a real sense of Canberra’s heritage: Hotel Kurrajong. The new Chifley’s Bar and Grill at the Hotel Kurrajong. Photo: Jeffrey Chan The new Chifley’s Bar and Grill at the Hotel […]
Secret mission … mystery hotel deals provide only the barest of details to customers before they book. Photo: iStock ‘Mystery’ hotel deals can save guests money but it can be hard to know exactly how much, writes Jane E. Fraser. Are we hunting for bargains or needing a bit of excitement in our lives? “Mystery” […]
Chef Sean McConnell. Photo: Supplied One of the three famous cooking McConnell brothers, Sean McConnell is an avid vegetable gardener and mushroom forager who prepares very seasonal menus, working directly with the producers of the ingredients he prepares. He’s head chef, Monster Kitchen & Bar, Hotel Hotel. See hotel-hotel.com.au SEXY SQUID, XO RESTAURANT The boys over at […]
East’s somewhat blocky, commercial-looking exterior opens to a cavernous, wood-panelled central atrium furnished with warm-toned mid-century lounges. Our rating 4 out of 5 THE PLACE The 140-room East Hotel opened in 2012 and has set the bar high for style, design details and quality finishes among boutique hotels in the nation’s capital. Family-owned Bisa Property, […]
A beverage tap at the Paramount House Hotel’s reception desk offers ale, wine or kombucha. Photo: Sharyn Cains Got a couple of days to spare? Go on, give yourself a break with our round-up of the country’s latest, greatest mini-getaways. Here you can find 52 of the best weekends away from around the country. Below […]
Rae’s On Wategos, Byron Bay. Photo: Supplied Hidden CBD gems, secret sanctuaries by pretty beaches and gastronomic getaways: premier destinations for the perfect holiday. RAE’S 6-8 Marine Parade, Byron Bay, (02) 6685 5366; Raes.com.au THE LOCATION This legendary hideaway is in a box seat at the top of ultra-exclusive Wategos Beach. Just underneath Byron’s famous […]
Work of art: A Hotel hotel suite. Read our writer’s views on this property below Katarina Kroslakova finds there’s a lot to love about a new Canberra hotel with a memorable name. THE SETTING The striking Nishi building that houses Hotel Hotel is the jewel in the NewActon crown. It has been a long time coming but […]
The Parliament House in Canberra boasts 4500 rooms and has been the scene of many a political coup. When Fred Daly retired from federal politics he didn’t sign a lucrative deal as a television political commentator; he didn’t take on an acerbic newspaper column, and he didn’t even leave Canberra, choosing to live out his […]
Jamala Lodge: The most expensive rooms are the five Jungle Bungalows adjoining enclosures with lions, tigers, cheetahs or sun bears. Photo: Supplied There’s nothing quite like sitting down for a three-course dinner in an underground restaurant and having a lion wander in mere metres away in its indoor enclosure adjacent to the tables. Photo: Supplied […]
Making a splash at Jamala Wildlife Lodge. Photo: Supplied Feel at one with nature at Jamala Wildlife Lodge. Photo: Supplied Jamala Wildlife Lodge: Only a reinforced glass window separates you from the wildlife if staying in jungle bungalows. You can expect to see the animals at very close range as heated pads lure the animals […]
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Dr Mathew Trinca, Director of the National Museum of Australia, in Canberra. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen National Museum of Australia director, Mathew Trinca shares his favourite getaway spot. What’s your go-to ACT weekend away? What’s happened in Canberra in recent years is frankly amazing. Where else can you go to see a wealth of cultural offerings, […]
Jessica Mauboy was photographed by David Rosetzky for the 20/20 exhibition. Photo: Sean Davey Twenty famous faces are swivelling heads in Canberra. New portraits of notable individuals, drawn from the fields of music, sport, business and more are hanging together in a large space within the National Portrait Gallery (NPG). The gallery unveiled the collection, […]
Reclaimed timber was used to dramatic effect at Hotel Hotel. Photo: John Gollings Bedheads made of reclaimed timber are among the features at Hotel Hotel. Photo: supplied Hotel Hotel’s Grand Staircase is a dramatic feature. The rooms at Hotel Hotel are deigned as sanctuaries. Photo: supplied Hotel Hotel’s rooms look inward rather than outward. Photo: […]
Inside The Vibe Hotel. Photo: Jay Cronan Inside The Vibe Hotel. Photo: Jay Cronan Inside The Vibe Hotel. Photo: Jay Cronan Helix Bar and Dining, at the Vibe Hotel, Canberra. Photo: jamila_toderas Inside The Vibe Hotel. Photo: Jay Cronan Inside The Vibe Hotel. Photo: Jay Cronan Inside The Vibe Hotel. Photo: Jay Cronan Inside The […]
Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, Berlin, Germany: The abstract nature of Peter Eisenman’s memorial – usually known as the Holocaust Memorial – is a major part of what makes it evocative. Right in the centre of Berlin, it’s a field of 2711 concrete slabs. They’re of varying height, and deliberately spaced so you […]
Have a hot air ballooning adventure in Canberra. Photo: visit canberra SPONSORED ARTICLE 1. Follow the pack Lovers of truffles have a great reason to visit Canberra this winter. At The Truffle Farm, visitors are given the opportunity to follow along on a Sunday hunt as the talented truffle dogs sniff out the prized “black […]
Lerida Estate: On the Federal Highway into Canberra, the Cullerin Range escarpment of Lake George is one of the region’s pioneering vineyard sites. CSIRO scientist Edgar Reik’s Lake George Winery established in 1972 was the inspiration for Jim Lumbers’ neighbouring Lerida Estate, which has gone on to affirm Reik’s belief in the high, cool lakeside […]
Portrait of Deborah Mailman by Evert Ploeg and Alex Dimitriades by Michael Zavros on display at the National Portrait Gallery, Canberra. Photo: Barb Uil NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY The number of familiar faces in both painting, photography and sculpture here make this the most entertaining and accessible of Australia’s art galleries. Among the 1400 movers, shakers […]
<a href="/en/tag/nightfes”>NightFest in full swing at the annual Canberra spring festival, Floriade. This is sponsored content for VisitCanberra. Canberra might be the best spring weekend destination in Australia. Just three hours’ drive from Sydney and with blossoming weather, it offers so many experiences for so many tastes, ages and budgets. Whether you love food and […]
Hippopotamus high tea. Few things please me more than a cheese trolley, and yet they are so difficult to come by, at least in the circles in which I ordinarily move. I am delighted to discover one at the QT Hotel in Wellington, set amid art works and objets and the dim lighting of its […]
Dumplings at Chairman & Yip. Photo: Elesa Kurtz SPONSORED ARTICLE Add these 5 delicious dishes to your essential list of reasons to visit Canberra. Canberra’s culinary scene is booming, with clever local and imported chefs putting a savvy spin on the freshest produce. When visiting the capital of culture, don’t miss these mouth-watering tastes. Enjoy […]
The hotel forms part of the national capital’s groundbreaking NewActon residential and cultural precinct. Photo: John Gollings Our rating 4 out of 5 THE PLACE Hotel Hotel was for a time (and perhaps still is) Australia’s most cutting-edge contemporary bolthole, converting many a Canberra sceptic to the concept of a visit or even, heaven forbid, […]
One of the common area, with sculptural, sweeping staircase, in the background, at the Little National Hotel, Canberra. Photo: Rodrigo Vargas Our rating 4.5 out of 5 THE PLACE Little National Hotel, Canberra. THE LOCATION After the recent federal election brouhaha every pollie, is surely going to be in need a dose of Zen when […]
CANBERRA’S COOLEST HOTELS: Urban renewal – The striking foyer in Canberra’s Hotel Hotel. Hotel Hotel, Canberra. One of the best places to obtain a real sense of Canberra’s heritage: Hotel Kurrajong. Hotel Kurrajong, Canberra. Hotel Kurrajong, Canberra. Photo: Supplied Hotel Kurrajong Canberra. Hotel Kurrajong, Canberra. Photo: Supplied Chifley’s Bar and Grill at the Hotel Kurrajong. […]
Poachers’ smoked meat platter. Susan Bruce worked in the financial sector before creating a country smokehouse on her grazing property on the outskirts of Canberra, the now famous Poachers Pantry. As well as at the farm shop and restaurant, the high quality smoked meats have appeared on Qantas menus and at top restaurants. Celebrating 25 […]