Australian Traveller

ENDLESS SUMMER

With over 13,000 kilometres of incredible coastline, white beaches, turquoise waters and more islands than you can Instagram in a lifetime, your endless summer starts now. Here’s our guide to some of the best city stays, events and activities to get you h

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PORT DOUGLAS

So, you’ve made the wise decision to chase the sun to where you’d rather be. From epic sunrises and sunsets, blue skies and bluer seas, palm trees and gum trees, Port Douglas has it all in spades. At Port Douglas Uncovered, we’ve taken the guess work out of planning your trip to Port Douglas by uncovering the best stays, plays, eats and drinks. Love adventures Mountain bike through ancient rainforest­s, SUP and kite surf off secluded islands, catch the big one on a chartered game fishing boat or high-five on a dive on the Great Barrier Reef. Culinary exšploration more your speeds We’ve uncovered the must-do eats, to-die-for drinks and secret snacks over late night chats. Walk the iconic Four Mile Beach. Swim in pristine waterfalls. Sail the sunset seas. Bring your partner, your girl gang or your whole family to uncover the top tips and best bits of Port Douglas and beyond. To find out more, visit portdougla­suncovered.com

HINCHINBRO­OK

Just over an hour north of Townsville is the tropical paradise of Hinchinbro­ok. With Ingham at its heart, the region is surrounded by rugged mountain ranges, mighty waterfalls, cane filled fertile plains, the Great Barrier Reef, deserted beaches and wild islands. The home of Australia’s highest single drop waterfall, Wallaman Falls and the departure point for World heritage-listed Hinchinbro­ok Island. It’s a place where breathtaki­ng scenery, unique wildlife, world-class fishing exšperiences, delicious, locally sourced food, inspiratio­nal art and 60,000 years of culture are all weaved into one incredible story: The Hinchinbro­ok Way. Like all great stories, The Hinchinbro­ok Way takes you on a journey. A unique, unrivalled exšperience, one that can be as simple or as complešx as you desire, allowing you to sample the region’s delights or completely immerse yourself in our way of life. Everything you need to have a quintessen­tial tropical Queensland exšperience is found here.

AGNES BLUES, ROOTS & ROCK FESTIVAL

The Agnes Blues, Roots & Rock Festival is a special destinatio­n festival offering up a big fun-ϐilled weekend of enjoyment, dance and a bunch of sensationa­l musicians and songwriter­s.

THE WHITSUNDAY­S

Immerse yourself in the picture-postcard beauty of the Whitsunday­s, a q“uintessent­ial Queensland destinatio­n. Perfectly placed for some laid-back beach time, a v˜isit to the Great Barrier Reef, some lušxe resort relaxšation or an island-hopping sailing adv˜enture, these 74 lush tropical isles are paradise found.

Cruise Whitsunday­s offer a range of tailored coastal exšperiences to take you deeper into this tropical wonderland. Spend a day snorkellin­g and div˜ing on the astonishin­g Great Barrier Reef: sleep under the stars on Heart Pontoon, moored 40 nautical miles offshore at spectacula­r Hardy Reef: lea˜ve your footprints on the daœœzzling silica sands of Whitehav˜en Beach: chase the island breeœze on one of the world's fastest commercial sailing catamarans, or spend a day disco˜vering picture perfect Hamilton sland.

Cruise Whitsunday­s half-day, full-day, o˜vernight ešxperiences and island resort connection­s can transform the naturally amazœing into the truly unforgetta­ble. or more informatio­n, v˜isit cruisewhit­sundays.com

The infamous The Black Sorrows will headline the festiv˜al along with slick blues trio The Backslider­s and Australia's rock legends Dallas Frasca. The full incredible line-up is av˜ailable on the website, along with all ticketing informatio­n. Located at the southern end of Australias reat Barrier Reef, Agnes ater and Sev˜enteen se˜venty are well known as holiday destinatio­ns with plenty of accommodat­ion at camping grounds, hotels and resorts. The festiv˜al prov˜ides a shuttle bus for easy access to the e˜vent. The ˜venue has a fully licensed bar, food and market stalls and loads of entertainm­ent for a fun-filled weekend.

Early Bird tickets are now on sale v˜ia the festi˜val website agnesblues­androots.com.au Follow us on Instagram @AgnesBlues­Fest and Facebook facebook.com/AgnesBlues­Fest

Contact info@agnesblues­androots.com.au for further informatio­n.

FRASER ISLAND˜

Dive into paradise on raser sland, with more than 100 freshwater lakes to ešxplore, surrounded by silica white shores and pristine rainforest. From your base at Kingfisher Bay Resort you can follow in Harry and Meghan's royal footsteps through world heritage-listed wilderness on a guided tour, dine like a king at the award-winning Seabelle Restaurant, and enjŒoy an immersiv˜e back-to-nature ešxperience where the stress of the world fades away. Just a short flight from Sydney, Fraser island is fast becoming the go-to destinatio­n for adv˜enture seekers and travel trendsette­rs from around the world. Visit kingfisher­bay.com

NEXT HOTEL BRISBANE Whether you're a local Brisbanite escaping for a city staycation or trav˜elling from further afield, Brisbane has a lot to offer this summer holiday season. Try and stop yourself from singing along with the Jersey Boys when they open in January at PAC's Lyric Theatre, and disco˜ver contempora­ry art featuring more than 80 artists from 30 countries at the 9th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contempora­ry Art (APT9) from 24 Nov˜ember 2018 at At QAGOMA. Fresh off her win against Serena Williams at the US open, Naomi Osaka will play the Brisbane Internatio­nal in January 2019 and, for the cricket tragics, Sri Lanka is coming to the Gabba. Of course, there is always some retail therapy on the Queen treet all too.

Whatev˜er takes your fancy, Nexšt Hotel Brisbane offers the ideal location to ešxplore from, with summer rates starting from ̈́$169 including two buffet breakfasts - and if you hav˜e the kids in tow, they stay and eat free. For more details head to bit.ly/Next-Hotel

 ??  ?? Clockwise from top left: Beautiful Port Douglas town; Four Mile Beach, Port Douglas; Camira Sailing Adventure, Whitehaven Beach; Lake Mackenzie, Fraser Island; The Pool Terrace, Next Hotel Brisbane; Lake Mackenzie from above; Joe Camilleri from The Black Sorrows; Hinchinbro­ok Island.
Clockwise from top left: Beautiful Port Douglas town; Four Mile Beach, Port Douglas; Camira Sailing Adventure, Whitehaven Beach; Lake Mackenzie, Fraser Island; The Pool Terrace, Next Hotel Brisbane; Lake Mackenzie from above; Joe Camilleri from The Black Sorrows; Hinchinbro­ok Island.
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