ALL-NEW AUSTRALIA
From a progressive Asian-inspired barbecue joint in the capital to the reopening of Kangaroo Island’s first luxury lodge, Brett Atkinson digs into the hottest new travel openings set to wow visitors across the ditch in 2023.
New South Wales
Founded in 1872, the Art Gallery of NSW is one of the state’s pre-eminent cultural institutions, and is further transformed with the opening of the Sydney Modern Project. Incorporating a new standalone building, re-imagined heritage spaces and a public art garden, the A$344 million (NZ$377m) project is the city’s most significant cultural development since 1973’s opening of the Sydney Opera House. Showcasing major Australian and international artists, the Sydney Modern Project almost doubles the gallery’s exhibition space, and it’s also Australia’s first art museum to be awarded the highest rating for sustainable design. See: artgallery.nsw.gov.au
Australian Capital Territory
Like politicians the world over, Australian Members of Parliament working in Canberra like to eat and drink well, and the recently opened Wilma is a stellar addition to the dining scene in the national capital. Harnessing indigenous Australian ingredients and the on-trend combination of a wood-fired grill and smoker, Chinese cuisine is the focus, but influences from Southeast Asian countries also feature. Team the barbecued garfish with a lemon myrtle and XO dressing with the Nick O’Leary riesling from ACT’s cool-climate wine region, and keep alert for accidentally eavesdropping on any juicy Canberra gossip. See: wilmabbq.com.au
Victoria
First opened in 1851, the leviathan bluestone walls of HM Prison Pentridge frame one of Victoria’s most foreboding buildings. Infamous Australian criminals incarcerated there included Ned Kelly and Mark ‘‘Chopper’’ Read. The prison closed in 1997, and now it’s the location of a unique new hotel. Anchoring the redevelopment of the Coburg area, around 8km north of Melbourne’s CBD, bookings at the Adina Apartment Hotel Pentridge are open from February 2023. Accommodation options include studios and larger oneand two-bedroom apartments. Nearby, Scottish craft brewery BrewDog has opened a sprawling taproom and beer garden amid the historic echoes of Pentridge’s brooding past. See: adinahotels.com
Western Australia
Celebrating the rocking influence of AC/DC’s original lead singer, local boy the late Bon Scott, Fremantle’s High Voltage Festival will transform Western Australia’s raffish port town of Fremantle in early May 2023. Kick things off by saying G’day to Freo’s harbourside statue of Bon, before checking out concerts from some of Aussie’s best bands, all performing ‘‘Ackadacka’’ covers while travelling on flatbed trucks to three different outdoor venues. BYO black T-shirt and sing along to ‘‘It’s a long way to the shop, if you wanna sausage roll’’. High Voltage is the follow-up to 2020’s wildly popular Highway To Hell event in Perth. See: highvoltagewa.com.au
Queensland
The sea, sand and sun vibe and the neon-lit avenues of the ‘‘GC’’ may have a reputation as a cultural wasteland, but from February 18 to June 4, 2023, the Gold Coast’s Home of the Arts (HOTA) will be displaying a world-class exhibition of pop art. Part of a private collection owned by New York-based billionaire Jose Mugrabi,
the world’s leading collector of art by Andy Warhol, more than 40 works spanning 60 years will be showcased. Beyond art from the Velvet Underground’s iconoclastic collaborator, look forward to leaving the beach for a few hours and also viewing important works by Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat.
See: hota.com.au
South Australia
After being razed by 2020’s Black Summer bushfires, Kangaroo Island’s Southern Ocean Lodge is slated to re-open in the second half of 2023. Dubbed SOL 2.0, the new development is even more impressive after an extensive rebuild. Twenty-five guest suites largely follow the previous building’s spectacular coastal footprint, but each of the rooms has been slightly reoriented to produce superior views of the wild cobalt expanse of the Southern Ocean. A sustainable focus infuses the site’s new design – including significant off-the-grid solar and battery infrastructure – and the lodge will continue to champion produce, beer and
wine sourced from Kangaroo Island and around South Australia.
See: southernoceanlodge.com.au
Northern Territory
Born in Darwin, and based 100km southeast at Marrakai near the remote Corroboree Billabong, indigenous photographer Paul Thomsen is the ideal guide for exploring the natural landscapes and wildlife wonders of Australia’s rugged Top End. Bespoke tours offered by Wildfoto cater to everyone from photography newbies to experienced SLR veterans, with private tour boats providing access to the spectacular riverine landscapes of the Mary River wetlands. Paul is on hand for photographic mentoring, and birdlife regularly spotted includes soaring whitebreasted sea eagles and vibrant azure kingfishers. Fans of Aussie reptiles can snap ‘‘salties’’ (saltwater crocodiles) and frill-necked lizards.
See: wildfoto.au
Tasmania
It’s not only New Zealand offering some of the planet’s best multi-day wilderness
walks, and Tassie’s Three Capes Track is one of Australia’s most spectacular. A new way to experience the trail, exploring the improbable coastal landscapes of the Tasman Peninsula – including the highest sea-cliffs in Australia – is on a three-day heli-hike package with Life’s An Adventure. It’s a pack-free experience – just walk with your daypack and camera as heavier luggage is transferred ahead for overnight stays at Stewarts Bay Lodge. The best of Tasmanian food, beer and wine features, and itineraries include an unmissable helicopter flight over Cape Pillar and Tasman Island.
See: lifesanadventure.com.au