Lake Mountain Alpine Resort is the closest snow field to Melbourne and although it doesn’t cater to downhill skiers it is the centre for cross country skiing in Victoria. Visitors can also try their hand – or foot – at snowshoeing, tobogganing and good old snowman making.
Woodend in the Macedon Ranges has a quintessential Australian village feel. I visited for the weekend, staying in a beautiful rustic woodland cottage.
Key west is a wonderfully sustainable getaway where you can enjoy Key Lime Pie on a stick while supporting a better planet. If that’s not a good enough reason to pack your bags, I don’t know what is.
Longer-term travel often means being away from friends and family for extended periods of time. Sometimes this can come as a much welcome break, but inevitably some home-sickness pangs will pluck at heart-strings before too long. Many savvy travellers will no doubt opt to travel lightly and avoid packing too many sentimental home trinkets. Whether you are uprooted for work, study, pleasure, or otherwise, there is no way, as yet, to package up your established network and the intangible values of a community that you will be leaving behind – a favourite local organic shops; the barista who knows your coffee order; the park on the corner.
On the surface, Noosa seems like any other seaside town, but there is so much more to this captivating region than sun, sea and sand. Conservation and sustainable tourism ideals are ingrained in the community and business life. Action groups ensure development is restricted, wildlife is cared for and management programmes are in place to help protect this wonderfully diverse environment. Added to that some seriously good places to eat and you can see why people keep coming back for more.
The indoor studio setting isn’t always conducive to the relaxing benefits that yoga offers to those keen to connect mind, body and soul. Here are the five alternative and unique places we think you’ll love to unroll your mat.
Photographer Genevieve Hathaway takes us on another visual adventure, this time through the Kimberley region of north western Australia, along the Gibb River Road.
We were sitting in Shanghai Street dumpling house savouring their infamous Xiao Long Bao, which have had a cult following since day one. It was our third restaurant on the dumpling discovery tour and I was quickly developing a whole new appreciation for these little morsels of goodness.
When I headed inside to use the bathroom, I was arrested by a series of signs detailing the restaurant’s relationships with local farms, highlighting favorite farmers, and proponing Chai Pani’s sustainability measures. This was not an Indian restaurant. This was actually nirvana (as far as I was concerned).
Finally, I can reveal our travel plans for the first half of 2013. We’re off to Singapore, London, Ireland and Spain. I’m excited. Super excited!
