Family fun
See Lego dinosaurs in Sydney
Love a Lego or two – this exhibition will blow your mind. The incredible Jurassic World by Brickman exhibition at Sydney’s Australian Museum brings to Jurassic World to life – it’s largest Lego brick exhibition in Australian history. The latest film in the epic franchise, Jurassic World Dominion, will debut in cinemas June 2022. A never-before-seen Baryonyx model on arrival to the Australian Museum in Crystal Hall. Weighing in at 400 kilograms, this newest Jurassic World by Brickman dinosaur took 790 hours to design and was created using 102,317 Lego bricks. She is a whopping 4.8 metres long, over 1.5 metre wide and stands 2.5 metres high.
See: australian.museum
Go to the depths on the Sunshine Coast
Down Under Submarines is offering Australia’s first deep-dive experience aboard a fully submersible hybrid tourist submarine. You can dive to depths of up to 30 metres below the ocean’s surface at Mooloolaba in the only operating submarine of its kind in the world. The SUBCAT-30 is a hybrid vessel that can both dive underwater and travel on top of the water’s surface like a catamaran. Visitors will be given the opportunity to experience both, with dive experiences and sunset cruises available in the pristine waters off Mooloolaba.
Skate around Darling Harbour
Get your skates on at the refurbished Pumphouse Sydney forecourt and start rolling at Darling Harbour’s new retro pop-up roller rink, Rollerama, complete with disco balls, roll-up bars and heaps of food options until April 24. You don’t have to be a whiz-bang rollerskater, there are fun new rinks designed for beginners, families and young children and another for those who have the moves. Instructors will shares their tips to keep your standing.
See: darlingharbour.com
Ride the rails in the Dandenongs
The much-loved historic Puffing Billy Railway is back. Chug along on a three-hour journey on Australia’s premier preserved steam railway through Victoria’s Dandenong Ranges from Belgrave to Lakeside. Check out the sights and sounds of the Dandenong Ranges’ diverse ecosystem of forests, rolling hillsides and open farmland. Dangle your legs over the open-sided carriage sills – it’s been a tradition since the 1900s, rolling by soaring wooden bridges and quaint historic stations.
See: puffingbilly.com.au
Luxury Dreams
Have a pyjama party in Melbourne
Forget about tossing and turning all through the night – the Langham Group has launched a comprehensive global sleep wellness program developed in conjunction with the World Sleep Society. The Art of Sleep package includes a three-night stay in a one-bedroom Executive Suite at The Langham Melbourne, daily breakfast at Melba Restaurant, valet parking and two pairs of luxurious pyjamas. There’s also a wellness meal and spa treatment, additional spa treatments, an acupuncture consultation and a meditation and stretching class in Chuan Spa.
See: langhamhotels.com
Bubbles at altitude in Thredbo
Snow lovers and ski bunnies will love the new exclusive champagne experience at this beautiful ski resort. Saturday evenings Kareela Supper Club presented by G.H. Mumm will see guests travel up the Merritts Gondola, be transported to Thredbo’s iconic Kareela Hutte by a passenger snowcat before watching the Saturday night Flare Run and Fireworks Spectacular with champagne and canapes in hand. The sunrise sessions, Merritts Mountain Haus Feasts and the deluxe Kareela Hutte Dinners via snowcat are returning.
See: thredbo.com.au
Mark the end of the vintage in Margaret River
The new Stir n’ Swirl end-of-vintage winemaking celebration in pretty Margaret River is a four-day immersion in wine-tastings and gourmet feasts, winemaking, farm expeditions and an adventure smorgasbord with the choice of guided hikes, bush trails, tennis and kayaking. This winemaking and food and wine immersion is curated and facilitated by Cassandra Charlick from May 1-5 at one of the most picturesque times of year in the Western Australian region.
See: earnyourvino.com
Glamping with a gin in Woollamia
The world’s first dedicated Botanist Gin deluxe glamping experience is on offer at Paperbark Camp, situated just two and half hours’ drive south of Sydney in Woollamia, near the pristine clear waters and white sand beaches of Jervis Bay. Until the end of April, this unique and cosy camp will welcome guests to stay at The Botanist Gin deluxe plus safari tent which will be kitted out with a complete cocktail set including a complimentary bottle of The Botanist Gin, dried-fruit garnishes and Fever-Tree Indian Tonic. The stay will include a full breakfast, a three-course dinner and the use of facilities such as bikes and canoes.
See: paperbarkcamp.com.au
Get fit in Tassie highlands
Wilderness retreat Pumphouse Point at Lake St Clair has launched a series of seasonal wellness retreats for 2022. You can immerse yourself in the world-heritage wilderness while switching off and focusing on the mind, body and soul. Daily breathwork and meditation sessions, yoga, mindfulness and stress management presentations, digestive health workshops, cooking demonstrations and therapeutic massage are included.
Topnotch nosh from Brissie to Byron
The new Brisbane to Byron Food Trail is a three-day foodie’s dream, with a stay at eco-retreat Crystalbrook Byron Resort, as well as a tour through the region’s best dining destinations. Dubbed the ‘Green Cauldron’, this mystical region is a melting pot of pristine rainforests and prime agricultural land – an eclectic blend of world-class wilderness and great food.
The Great Outdoors
Reach lofty heights in the Blue Mountains
Love heights? This is for you. The Beyond Skyway experience takes just four guests at a time out on the iconic Skyway cable car into the middle of the Jamison Valley, suspended 270 metres above the rainforest. Guests can then climb onto the roof, with no glass or fences to restrict the 360-degree view of the majestic Katoomba Falls, the iconic Three Sisters, Mount Solitary and many other landmarks of the Jamison Valley.
See: scenicworld.com.au
Wonder at wildlife in the Otways
You can spot potoroos and pademelons foraging on the new Wildlife Wonders dawn or dusk guided walk as well as spectacular views over the Southern Ocean. Profits from Wildlife Wonders operations are invested in nature by supporting the critical research and conservation programs of the Conservation Ecology Centre, building knowledge, restoring habitats and supporting threatened species.
See the gentle giants at Ningaloo
Swim with the whale sharks at the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef – they are back. Last year a record number of 34,000 visitors travelled to Exmouth and Coral Bay to swim with whale sharks, that migrate to the shores of WA between March and July each year to feed on plankton and krill. It’s one of the best places in the world to swim with whale sharks.
Go bush on the Eyre Peninsula
Perfect for all nature lovers, take a trek from Coffin Bay on the Eyre Peninsula with a 90-minute guided bushwalking tour through natural bushland. Learn about Yarnbala’s organic and self-sufficient orchard and edible plants. Yarnbala has been constructed out of recycled and natural timbers, and is also off-grid including solar and rainwater.
See: yarnbala.com
Get a bird’s-eye views of the Murray
A new way to explore the Murray is with Murray Darling Scenic Flights. Explore the incredible landscape of the Murray Darling Basin – from up above. Commercial pilot and local fifth-generation farmer Peter McDonald leads scenic, charter and bespoke flight experiences over Lake Mungo, Yanga National Park and the Murray River.
Camp in the Wheatbelt’s first national park
Western Australia has a new national park, the Dryandra Woodland located near the town of Narrogin, a two-hour drive south-east of Perth. It’s the first national park in the state’s Wheatbelt region. A popular destination for wildlife enthusiasts, campers and bushwalkers, Dryandra is also home to some of Australia’s rarest and most vulnerable wildlife, including numbats, woylies, brushtail wallabies, chuditch, quenda and the Western mound-building mallee fowl.
See: parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au
City stayers
Throw a party in Central Brisbane
The Grey Goose Hotel in Brisbane is ready to party with Australia’s most indulgent hotel package at $49,999 for the night. A joint venture between the Inchcolm Hotel and Grey Goose Vodka, you and 39 of your closest friends can enjoy a five-hour premium beverage package, a scrumptious three-course dinner personally created by renowned chef Ian Curley or MasterChef winner Diana Chan, live jazz or a DJ, and an intimate martini masterclass.
See: ovolohotels.com
Join Cairn’s new Indigenous tour
Just a 10-minute boat ride from the Cairns CBD, this new tour features dreaming stories about the creation of the Great Barrier Reef and surrounding World Heritage mountains. Owned and operated 100 per cent by traditional owners, Mandingalbay Ancient Indigenous Tours, the Hands on Country tour starts at the Cairns Marina in the heart of the city taking visitors by boat across Trinity Inlet where the saltwater meets the freshwater flowing from the mountains on Mandingalbay Yidinji Country.
See: mandingalbay.com.au
Reach new heights on the Swan River
E-foiling is the new buzzword on Perth’s Swan River and gives you the feeling of effortlessly floating over water. Efoil Australia has brought this innovative new watersports experience to the South Perth foreshore – no actual surfing experience required, all are welcome to experience with 30- and 90-minute experiences on offer from 8am to 5pm daily.
See: westcoastefoil.com
Culture club
Visit the Shoalhaven’s new art museum
Art lovers are set to swoon over the new world-class, 160-metre Bundanon art museum spanning a lush gully in Shoalhaven. The museum houses three exhibition seasons annually, and accommodation for up to 64 guests, with cafe and dining facilities and sweeping views over the Shoalhaven River. The inaugural exhibition, From Impulse to Action, explores the energetic, raw, and generous spirit of painter Arthur Boyd by 12 contemporary Australian artists.
See: bundanon.com.au
Get all shook up in Bendigo
Put on your blue suede shoes and head to Bendigo for the Elvis: Direct From Graceland exhibition showcasing more than 300 items and artefacts that were once owned by Elvis Presley – the king of rock and roll. You’ll see his famous jumpsuits, vintage memorabilia and even his wedding suit at the Australian-first exhibition at the historic Bendigo Art Gallery until July 17, 2022. Bendigo has 30 Elvis-inspired Viva Bendigo experiences including Rock and Roll Pizza Sundays at St Anne’s Winery, Bendigo.
See: bendigoregion.com.au
Get your art fix in Rockhampton
Great news for art lovers, the Rockhampton Museum of Art is open. Dubbed the beginning of a new chapter in the city’s cultural history, the museum features contemporary artists, including the likes of Michael Zavros, Del Kathryn Barton, Richard Bell, Sally Gabori and Ben Quilty.
See: rmoa.com.au
Tastebud trips
Try oyster shucking in the Hawkesbury
Oyster lovers will be in seventh heaven with the new Sydney Oyster Farm Tours’ in-water sea-to-plate white tablecloth experience – a NSW first. Pull on your waders and enjoy freshly shucked Broken Bay oysters while standing in the very waters that they came from. It’s a 45-minute drive from the centre of Sydney in the Hawkesbury River, for a 2.5-hour experience included an oyster farm tour, an up-close experience of the farming process and an oyster and prawn tasting. Bookings are available online now.
Ride the school bus in the Northern Rivers
School bus rides were never like this – board a vintage bus named Salty Pineapple for a Bush to Bay delicious journey of the Byron Shire and Northern Rivers region. Guests will be taken into the Byron Hinterland for tastings at a local brewery and distillery and the local treats of Mullumbimby – it’s about fabulous food and a great way to travel.
See: bushtobay.com.au
Down one at Vivid’s new cocktail bar
Sip cocktail while watching million-dollar views aboard the new cocktail bar cruise with Captain Cook Cruises from May 27. Nibble on Australian cheeses and toast the fabulous Vivid light installations that light up the skies from the comfort of your premium reserved lounge seating on Ocean Deck. Unrivalled views and fab cocktails assured.
See: captaincook.com.au
