BIG DAY OUT
Splurging on a special day out often leads to the most magical travel memories. With far-flung travel off the cards, you can create the same sensation closer to home, writes
The day began rattling along the narrow, jungle-fringed lanes of Qualia in a golf cart. As the sun rose, I pulled up to the private helipad – an Aztec-inspired cobblestone circle on the water’s edge – as a familiar buzz hummed in the distance. Soon, a fly-like, glass-fronted chopper descended to scoop up our party of four from Hamilton Island and spirit us away over the Great Barrier Reef. My stomach dropped and lurched as we hurtled over the spongelike islands, jewelled reefs and the blinding sweep of Whitehaven Beach below, before we touched down on a custom-built pontoon floating within an easy snorkel of the renowned Heart Reef.
You know Heart Reef – the love heart-shaped hoop of marine life that’s become a symbol of the Whitsundays. Until recently, its secluded position meant you could only see it from the air, but now you can arrive like an action hero, landing on top of a private clubhouse that conceals a glass-bottomed boat. For an all-too-brief hour in the sun, we sipped Champagne for breakfast and splashed around the pristine reef, marvelling at this wildly improbable, utterly glamorous outpost that’s been built, well, just because.
The Journey to the Heart tour is one of those once-in-a-lifetime blowouts you only think to do on holiday. So often the art of travel is asking why not? Book that day trip, take the upgrade, and make those memories that will last a lifetime.
Last year, on a week-long getaway to Bali, I decided to head east to the lauded Amankila resort on the black sand beaches below Mount Agung. The resort itself was an understated palace of raised stone walkways and thatched-roof pavilions, but it was a day on the water that proved the most memorable.
I’ll never forget the sunny afternoon I spent bobbing on the inky waters of
Lombok Strait, lying on the padded roof of a traditional wooden outrigger, trying, in vain, to read my book as I drifted in and out of sleep. Crisp white towels were laid out, beckoning us to salute the sun, as we sipped ice-cold Bintang beers served by uniformed deckhands. Later, we escaped the dazzling mid-afternoon heat, enjoying a simple lunch in our cabin: papaya salad, spicy sambal and tangy nasi goreng.
Splurging on an incredible meal also makes for a day to remember. One of my most memorable holiday feasts came in Mexico City, where I landed a spot at Pujol, Enrique Olvera’s famed fine-diner in the backstreets of Polanco. I arrived at the restaurant – designed like a contemporary house on an upscale residential street – ready to go all-out.
The rolling series of mod-Mex dishes didn’t disappoint: revamped tamales splashed with green curry sauce, barbecued ox tongue, and striped seabass. And the showstopper: darkly complex mole madre, aged for 1796 days.
It will still be some time until any of us can enjoy five-year-old Mexican mole or spend a day cruising Balinese waters but that doesn’t mean you can’t experience those magical moments that come from saying, why not?
Why not splurge on an over-the-top day trip? Why not make some memories right here at home? Here are just a few ideas to get you started for a day to remember.
I’ll never forget the sunny afternoon I spent bobbing on the inky waters of Lombok Strait.
Celebrated winery d’Arenberg offers a whiteknuckle flight over McLaren Vale and its famous Rubik’s-style “cube”.
SOUTHERN BELLES
Two high-rolling days out in South Australia both involve charmingly retro vehicles. Celebrated winery d’Arenberg offers a white-knuckle flight over McLaren Vale and its famous Rubik’s-style “cube” from the open cockpit of a 1930s biplane. Upon landing, guests are taken through a blending session to create their own one-of-a-kind bottle of shiraz, followed by an extravagant eight-course degustation at d’Arry’s Verandah Restaurant amid the verdant vines.
Price: $1130 per couple. darenberg.com.au
Meanwhile in the Barossa, guests can tour the region in a chauffeur-driven, air-conditioned 1962 Daimler. The car seats eight, but is more comfortable for two, and the package includes lunch at Vintners Restaurant and afternoon tea at Maggie Beer’s Farm Shop. Very civilised indeed. Price: from $325 per person. barossadaimlertours.com.au
The key to a travel splurge is choosing an extravagant mode of transport – horse and carriage, perhaps, or luxury super-yacht.
PLANE SAILING
For a scenic flight that’s closer to home, Sydney Seaplanes offers deluxe day trips over Australia’s most famous harbour that land in time for lunch. Launching from Rose Bay, guests are whisked up the coast to classic restaurants, such as Jonah’s Whale Beach, which has been catering to daytrippers since 1929. Aside from the sweeping views, the fresh seafood is the standout here, from tuna tartare and king prawns, to John Dory served with burnt butter, lemon and spinach. The flights are short but sweet – with other packages including Champagne and oysters at the Broken Bay Pearl Farm or a Sydney Harbour to Bondi scenic flight with Champagne brunch. Who needs Sydney traffic?
Price: from $290 per person. seaplanes.com.au
ADVENTURE TIME
For something more active to raise the pulse, try catching epic barramundi in Australia’s Top End on a heli-fishing adventure in the Kimberley. A private helicopter tours flood plains and gorges before landing at a secret fishing spot near Kununurra. Spend the rest of the day pulling barramundi from the water and cooking up your catch. Price: $1550 per person. helispirit.com.au
If that sounds too strenuous, try heli-golf instead. Catch a chopper from central Sydney to the Hunter Valley and touch down at The Vintage course designed by Greg Norman, then step straight into a golf cart ready for 18 holes. There’s lunch to follow at The Gates restaurant at Leogate Estate Winery, with the helicopter waiting to take you home.
Price: from $2590 per person. golfandtours.com