Australian Traveller

IT PROBABLY GOES WITHOUT SAYING that we could all do with a weekend away after the year we have had. There is something deliciously special about the thought of stealing away for a few days. Maybe it’s because the concept of a weekend away or short b

Peter Conistis, the owner of premier Sydney Greek eatery Alpha, is like a kid in a candy store. As he stands amid power tools and workmen in the Castlereagh Street space, which is nearing the end of an extensive front-to-back renovation when we meet,

Sunshine Coast Airport is 15 minutes from Maroochydore, with direct flights from Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Cairns, Canberra and Newcastle.(sunshinecoastairport.com.au). By road, the Sunshine Coast is 100 kilometres from Brisbane, with car rental c

Criss-crossed with over 20kilometres of walking trails through which to explore the beauty and diversity of the landscape, Carnarvon Gorge is the most-visited section of the national park . Here, white sandstone cliffs change colour as the sun cuts a

Hole yourself up for brunch overlooking Swanbourne Beach, just north of Cottesloe, in Perth. With its yellow-and-white-striped parasols popping against the blue duet of sky and Indian Ocean, this laid-back spot provides the ideal backdrop to start yo

The same steadily flowing water that carved Carnarvon Gorge out of sandstone has drawn people to it for many thousands of years and you can trace this rich history and spiritual significance to Traditional Owners the Karingbal and Bidjara people toda

Carnarvon National Park is home to 173 species of birds including lorikeets, honeyeaters and powerful owls – Australia’s largest owl. Join Australian Nature Guides on a Night Safari for your chance to spot, as well as hear, one. The national park al

Editorial director LEIGH-ANN POW Deputy editor IMOGEN EVESON Art director ANITA JOKOVICH Sub-editing CARLA GROSSETTI Digital editor-in-chief KATIE CARLIN Digital deputy editor ELIZA SHOLLY Digital campaign executive MIKAELA STOLLZNOW For

Pack these short and compelling books for a quick weekend away. This award-winner from Indigenous writer van Neerven explores familial bonds and an uncertain future in three parts. In six stories Eisenberg creates characters worthy of a novel each,

This beachside-motel-turned-design-mecca has put the sleepy Tweed Coast hamlet of Cabarita Beach firmly on the weekend-away map.A vision in blue and white, conjured up by Brisbane designer Anna Spiro, each of the 19 rooms and two suites is exquisitel

DISCOVER these Maitland hotspots perfect for a trip for two. FROM THE ART: Home to more than 6000 works, Maitland Regional Art Gallery brings out the best of Maitland’s culture of creativity. HISTORY LESSON: Walk around Walka Recreation and Wildlife

Eschew the Sydney CBD on your next city break and discover the personality of the inner-city suburb of Surry Hills, with its profusion of eateries, great shopping and colourful locals, from your base at this seriously cool hotel (above). paramounthou

WHEN YOU DAYDREAM about taking a short break on an idyllic tropical island, chances are you will be picturing somewhere in Queensland. It’s only natural considering that you can take your pick from 900 of the 1955 islands sprinkled like confetti alon

Wulgurukaba (Traditional Owners, the canoe people) lore says the boulders were created by Gabul, a giant carpet python who carved the landscape of all the islands off the coast of Townsville. He came to rest on Yunbenun, where his head can still be s

Magnetic Island is a 20-minute ferry ride with SeaLink from Townsville in North Queensland. Qantas andVirgin fly to Townsville from Brisbane direct with connections from other major capitals. Jetstar flies from Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne to Towns

Never heard of Bunya Mountains? You are probably not alone, but once you look into this slice of pristine nature you are going to wonder why it was not at the top of your bucket list for weekends away before now. Located on the Great Dividing Range e

With the soaring Mt Mulligan as a backdrop, this luxury outback lodge sits lightly on a 28,000-hectare working cattle station some 160 kilometres from Cairns.With room for just 16 guests at a time (including children; it is proudly family friendly),

Originally opened in 1922 as the Queensland Government Savings Bank,Adina Apartment Hotel Brisbane has made maximum use of its original Art Deco features of the banking chamber such as columns, carved wood panelling, ornate ceilings and endless marbl

A trip to Castlemaine isn’t complete without exploring the other towns nearby, connected by a landscape of gently rolling green and gold. Don’t miss Chewton (six kilometres south-east), with its live music roster at funky Red Hill Hotel, and the appl

ONE OF THE JOYS of escaping on a short break away from wherever it is that you usually reside is discovering a little gem of a town along the way. Cue the inevitable sea/ tree change dreams of buying something small and settling down there... one day

Located in the rolling, lush farming countryside of South Gippsland in ‘Prom Country’, Loch is the kind of delightful small town that Victoria does as stock-and-trade. An easy drive from Melbourne, the township was bypassed back in 2008, which led to

Located on the less-sceney side of the Mornington Peninsula, Jackalope changed the narrative of what an out-of-town hotel could be.What that is is seriously design-focused, with a dark, sharp vibe inside that contrasts perfectly with its bucolic outl

Castlemaine is one and a half hours by car or train from Melbourne, and 30 minutes by car or train from Bendigo. Choose from one of CASTLEMAINE BOUTIQUE ACCOMMODATION (castlemaineaccom.com.au) or MALDON GETAWAYS’ (maldongetaways.com.au) unique proper

Dropping into Aintree Farm Organics is an exercise in treating yourself well. Owners Mariea and Trinity Richards escaped the bustle of the city to establish their ‘farmacy’ back in the late 1980s, and have been producing a wide range of healthy, natu

ONE OF THE JOYS of escaping on a short break away from wherever it is that you usually reside is discovering a little gem of a town along the way. Cue the inevitable sea/ tree change dreams of buying something small and settling down there... one day

Whether you call it a weekend away or a city break, the one thing we can all agree on is that Melbourne is one of the best cities in the world to while away a few days in, eating at its countless fine diners, shopping its buzzing neighbourhoods and l

BETWEEN ITS SIZE (one sixth of the Australian continent in an area equivalent to France, Spain and Italy combined) and history (a groundbreaking archaeological discovery four years ago at Madjedbebe rock shelter in Arnhem Land, which unearthed ancien

South Australia does an excellent line in stylish, edge-of-the-earth coastal retreats that leave nothing between you and the swell of the ocean but some designer decking. Case in point, Naiko Retreat. Its distinctive curvilinear form comes courtesy o

Stealing away for a few days at this show-stopping accommodation in the heart of the Red Centre might just make for the ultimate short break.As well as a restaurant, bar, swimming pool and on-site spa, Longitude 131˚ features 16 luxury tents that gat

PADDOCK-TO-PALATE experiences don’t get much more elemental than the ones found in Tasmania. Our southernmost state has become one giant, incredibly picturesque food bowl where producers put equal measures of talent and passion into creating everythi

RABBITS SCATTER-BOLT throughout the misty garden when I close Wandering Trout’s side-entrance door behind me. A few steps and I’m on Mole Creek’s main drag where streetlights are still on even though it’s light enough to see without them. There’s nob

Sitting on the east coast looking out to Great Oyster Bay, Piermont Retreat is a haven of style and substance, with 15 sustainably built stone and wood cottages scattered throughout the existing she-oaks and gum trees, all anchored by the 180-year-ol

WESTERN AUSTRALIA HAS the longest coastline of any state or territory in Australia, running ribbon-like for more than 20,000 kilometres around a great chunk of the country – so it’s no surprise it wins our vote here. And what’s even more remarkable i

Part of the Small Luxury Hotels of theWorld portfolio and a stone’s throw from the wineries and restaurants of the Margaret River region, this beach retreat overlooking the Indian Ocean near Yallingup is the stuff weekends are made of.The architectur

The most expansive survey of her work to have been staged, this exhibition at the Jewish Museum of Australia: Gandel Centre of Judaica, in collaboration with William Mora Galleries, is a window into the rich and fascinating life of Mirka Mora, one of

NAME: NIÜBI LOCATION: MELBOURNE, VIC DESIGN: T-A SQUARE WITH A NAME THAT’S SLANG for f*cking amazing to Chinese youth and netizens, the fit-out for Niübi, a new arrival in Melbourne’s bustling Chinatown district, needed to be pretty impressive. Ho