New Zealand’s answer to Burning Man is all about self-exploration, collective living, creativity and, well, burning things. This eco-friendly paddock party is full of free spirits, art installations and nude strangers happy to share a hug. You’re sure to have your fair share of hippie-inspired conversations as you mingle with the festival’s open-minded crown. Who knows, you might even find the answer to all the world’s problems while staring into the flames.
Set on the edge of a coastal lagoon on the doorstep of Mimosa Rocks National Park, just north of Tathra on the New South Wales coast, Tanja Lagoon Camp offers offers accommodation integrated with nature. Formerly a dairy farm and saw mill, the property is undergoing a transformation as the owners return the land to its original state. The three safari tents have private bathrooms, queen-size beds, writing desks and timber decks built with locally milled wood.
Kangaroos graze on the grass, spoonbills lurk about the dam and there is plenty of other wildlife to keep guests entertained. During the day, you can relax and watch the rosellas from your deck or take a canoe out across the water. More active visitors can hike along the edge of the lagoon to Middle Beach’s surf breaks to spot migrating whales.
Possibly the last remaining honesty bar on the planet, the Washaway is a Niue institution. Open only on Sundays, this open-air watering hole has an anything-goes dress policy and a laid-back, help-yourself attitude. Locals, expats and visitors who have crossed the 2,400 kilometres of ocean between New Zealand and this coral atoll congregate around the circular bar, decorated with hanging buoys and other trinkets washed up on the beach. Beer and wine lubricate the conversation, as the sun sinks into the Pacific. Help yourself to the fridge, write down what you take on the bar’s notebook and fix up owner Willie before you go.
Whirl down a jutting, spiral staircase and into the Void (Bar). You’ll find this subterranean establishment lurking on the lowest level of Mona; Tasmania’s Museum of Old and New Art, which hosts a rather unusual collection including a robotic digestive system that presents museum-goers with a Petri dish of poo daily.
Dwarfed by the vast slab of Triassic sandstone against which it rests, the sleek bar is the perfect place to sip on a brew and wax lyrical about your love of curious art. And booze – Void claims to serve the best cocktails in all of Tasmania. Indulge in a Poltergeist Bramble 20, made with locally crafted gin and house-made wild blackberry liquor, before plunging into a Modern – a delicious mix of whisky, sloe gin, absinthe and citrus.
If you’d prefer something more simple, beers from the on-site brewery, Moo Brew, are on tap, and you can admire the legs on a glass of Moorilla (from the winery next door) as you sink into an Edwardian armchair. Once you’re suitably sauced you’re ready to tackle the 6000 square metre labyrinth of provocative art.
A shot of absinthe helps the colours pop, but indulge in a second and find the museum’s wall of porcelain vaginas, or the working set of bowels, really speak to you – really. And if you need a trip to the porcelain yourself, there’s a surprise waiting in the third cubicle to the right. Be warned.
Mr Wow’s Emporium is a bar with balls. Bottles of premium spirits, malts and house-made bitters stand proudly behind a curvaceous counter. Dusk lighting falls on brick walls and a polished concrete floor. But it’s the boules that will catch your eye. Yes, two lanes of indoor bocce, and a billiards table – bar brilliance.
There’s a boules competition every Wednesday, complete with sweet beats and liquid treats. There’s often free popcorn floating around, so grab a bowl and line your stomach (just beware, the saltiness will have you shelling out for a few extra thirst quenchers). After a few solid drinks, the Melbourne road map plastered across the wall may be surprisingly helpful.
Australians are avid international travellers but we often overlook our backyard. There may not as much bang for your buck as other countries, but knowing your own is priceless and taking off on a cross-country journey at least once should be compulsory!
Beyond bars and lattes in the brimming-with-culture cities, there are adventures to be had in all corners of the Great Southern Land. Other than superlatives (the world’s largest reef system, the oldest continuous culture, the largest concentration of rock art) and an obsession with oversized fruits, Australia brings to the table natural good looks and rugged travel experiences.
With a low population density outside of the cities and a high conservation bent, much of the wilderness has been left to be just that: wild. Deserts, mountains, island, coastline and outback… It’s all here in Oz for you to explore and experience in its isolated glory. Why would you want to go anywhere else?
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