Mick’s Place has long been a haven for Australian travellers. And with airlines scheduling flights to Indonesia from March next year, it means you can start making plans to visit this slice of paradise once again.
Low-key luxury is to be found in the seven bungalows at Mick’s. The pool at is surely one of the very best in Bali, an infinity setup offering panoramic views of Bingin Beach, the now pretty-famous surf spot.
Grab a beer at sunset and watch set after set roll in. You may never leave.
Mick has also opened up a new place on Rote Island, a releatively unspoilt island east of Bali, not far from Timor Leste. You can find out about it here.
Underwater hotels in the 1980s weren’t really a thing.
When we say they weren’t really a thing, we mean they didn’t exist at all. Until Jules’ Undersea Lodge came along.
YouTuber Ryan Trahan recently spent a night in the Lodge, which was the world’s first underwater hotel when it came arrived in (beneath) Florida in 1985. Before that it was a laboratory.
And while the upscale versions in Dubai and such now are luxurious affairs, this one is anything but. You even have to scuba dive to get there.
Frankly speaking, Currango Homestead is charming as f**k.
Nestled in amongst snowgums in Kosciuzko National Park, the homestead was built in 1895 and is part of a series of buildings that have been there since the 1830s.
Plenty of use of the snowgums is evident: some rooms are wall to floor timber, and there’s an endearing white picket fence as you arrive that skirts the perimeter of the homestead, where kangaroos will likely bounce through at dusk and dawn.
Running on solar power and with no mobile phone signal, you can get that off-grid getaway here without going that far off-grid.
The Bungle Bungles are a bunch of gigantic domed rocks will make you feel like you’re on another planet.
This 11 hour exploration of the Bungles takes place on foot, on four wheels and up in the air.
There’s a walk through these ancient beasts that give you an appreciation for their size and age. You’ll also careen through the Purnululu National Park until you get to the Echidna Chasm. Chasm is right, at least initially – it’s a giant space which narrows and narrows until it is just two shoulders width apart. The orange towering walls of the chasm look as if they are lit from within when looking upward.
But the best way to see outback Australia is from above; a scenic flight at the start of the day takes in some of Western Australia’s very very (very) best.
And if you’ve been anywhere else in Western Australia, you’ll know that that’s pretty bloody good.
The Bungle Safari camp is located in the Purnululu National Park, famous for the Bungle Bungles. These gigantic domed rocks will make you feel like you’re on another planet…one without Coronavirus.
The nearest accommodation to the camp is over 50km away, so we reckon you should have enough space.
There’s massive beds, a camp kitchen to whip up an outback storm, and hot showers to wash off the red sand you’ll accumulate – an absolute luxury in this remote part of the world.
The only way to stay at the Bungle Bungle Safari Camp is as part of a Kimberley Wild Expeditions tour.
How ’bout a Bahama Mama? Or is a Sexy Monkey more your thing?
Whatever your go-to, cocktails are a sure-fire way to get lit, and while Kangaroo Island isn’t exactly Ibiza, the Kangaroo Island Spirits’ Cellar Door Cocktail Masterclass is a great way to bring some lit back to the mainland.
Kangaroo Island Spirits have been making gin, spirits and cocktails for a while now (they are the birthplace of Australian gin). They’ve gotten seriously good at it, and they are award winning spirits you’ll be using.
The best part is they’re willing to share a few of their secrets, so you can impress your friends at your next house party.
In the Masterclass you’ll learn from the masters, making three delicious cocktails using award-winning spirits, recreating some some classics as well as some of Kangaroo Island Spirits’ own signatures. We’re sure you’ll do the cocktail shake thing, at which point you’ll need to harness a bit of that Outkast energy…
The beach your staying on is so secluded that you could probably walk down it naked down if you wanted (we’re not advocating this but hey, you do you).
There’s a bloody nice deck to sit out and enjoy a cold one, while watching the sun set over an extraordinary stretch of Aussie coast.
There’ll be roos jumping around and probably other wildlife too.
The lodge itself is a timeless bit of Australian architecture, fully contained and considerately designed for a self-catered stay.
Kangaroo Island was razed during the 2019/20 bushfires, but it is bouncing back in a big way. Green sprouts from blackened Eucalyptus trees on the island show this.
There’s plenty growing and going on in the Otways.
I mean sure, Victoria’s south-west has a diverse area of waterfalls, beaches, a rocky coastline and rainforests, plus mountain biking and surfing and plenty of swimming spots. But there’s a lot too eat too.
With plenty of farms and wineries, there’s no shortage of local produce for the thriving food scene to source from.
We’ve compiled five of the best local food and drink experiences that will leave you either very full, or very tipsy (or both):
The onset of summer means the onset of the berry season. Stop in at Pennyroyal Raspberry Farm and Cidery to pick a few ripe berries, and take them home with you. There’s raspberries blueberries, strawberries, currants, jostaberries, gooseberries and more, not all of which we’re familiar with. Treat yo self with an award-winning cider or berry gin afterward. You’ve earnt it.
2. FINE DINE
O.K so Brae isn’t much of a secret. The Birregurra restaraunt is regularly ranked among the very, very (repeat: very) best in the entire world. There are also six luxury guest suites you can stay in, while local Otways produce features very heavily in the menu. If you haven’t been, you’ve just gotta go.
3. GRAB A VINO
The Otways is littered with wineries. Blake’s Estate is less than a half-marathon away from the famous seaside town of Lorne, specialising in a Pinot Noir. Other worthy stop-ins include Brown Magpie, Dinny Goonan, Gosling Creek, Yeowarra Hill or Otway Estate. Spring is a great time to be at a winery but lets be honest, it’s always a good time to be at a winery.
4. GRAB A FROFFIE
They say all tracks in the Cape Otways National Park lead back to Forrest Brewing Company. Cartographically speaking we’re not sure how true that it is, but the great range of ales these independents produce is much easier to verify. Hard to find outside of Forrest, this microbrewery in a micro town is a great place to stop after a day of mountain-biking.
5. INDULGE IN CHOCOLATE
Just up the road from the brewery in the punching-above-it’s-weight town of Forrest is Platypi Chocolate. Set in an idyllic location, all chocolates are hand made on-site, which is pretty cool. An indulgence.
The Liveabroad Dive Safari is probably the most comprehensive in Great Barrier Reef experiences.
Scuba diving with Hammerhead and reef sharks at the Reef’s North Horn is adventure enough for a trip to Cairns. But things are only getting started there.
There are 26 dives on this week long adventure, where you’ll be taken to the best sites determined on the time of year you are lucky enough to find yourself there.
If you’re ballsy enough to dive into the ‘Snake Pit’ then you’ll find yourself swimming with Olive Sea Snakes. A jump into the Cod Holes will have you face to face with 30kg Cod fish and the exceptionally curious Maori Wrasse, who are the size of a large dog. There are turtles, stingrays and the rare Minke Whale to be found in other spots, as well as Garden Eels and schools of Big Eye Trevally and Barracuda. Oh, and did we mention the reef itself?
When you’ve had enough of living under water you can retire to the luxury vessel that you’ll live in for a week at the Cairns Marina, with world famous sunsets to enjoy after a big day diving.
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