Woodman Estate: 136 Graydons Road, Moorooduc VIC (03) 5978 8455 or www.woodmanestate.com Woodman Estate, nestled in 50 acres on the Mornington Peninsula, is just over an hour from Melbourne, but it could be mistaken for a slice of English countryside. A sense of timelessness surrounds the Manor House (built in the 1980s but easily mistaken
Just for a moment, imagine Molly Meldrum deadpanning this intro on Countdown circa 1979: “Live in the Countdown studios, here tonight, from the hit movie Slumdog Millionaire is Ar Rahman, The Pussycat Dolls and Nicole Schcrzinger with their hit new song Jai Ho (You Are My Destiny). Give them a big hand and do yourself
Portal Hotel: 52 Astor Terrace, Spring Hill QLD (07) 3009 3400 or www.portalhotel.com.au Portal Hotel is a boutique hotel close enough to and far enough away from Fortitude Valley to be both a springboard to and a refuge from the wealth of nightlife. And if the Valley sounds a bit too much like youthful excitement
Must Margaret River: 107 Bussell Hwy, Margaret River WA (08) 9758 8877 or mustmr@must.com.au Having reached the upper limits of what could be achieved with Must Wine Bar in Perth, owners Garry Gosatti and Russell Blaikie went down river in search of a second venue. Their search landed them in Margaret River. Being a wine
Melbourne Hotel: 10 Browning St, West End QLD (07) 3840 9888 or www.themelbournehotel.com.au Melbourne Hotel, in Brisbane’s West End, has been transformed from a tired hotel into a modern venue with a considerable breadth of offerings. It has The Office — an all-day dining area; an upstairs wine bar called Twelve; Tempted café and deli;
Bells at Killcare: 107 The Scenic Road, Killcare Heights NSW www.bellsatkillcare.com.au Up the Pacific Highway from Sydney you’ll discover a touch of Provence on the Central Coast. Or perhaps it’s more Fred Perry-era All-England (croquet anyone?); or even a beach ‘shack’ in the Hamptons — not that I’ve ever been, but I watch a lot
Boutique Stadium? I nearly choked on my Crunchy Nut Cornflakes. I have no idea what a boutique stadium is but according to some bureau-prat on the morning radio, Melbourne needs one. In fact, I’m not sure when we began turning ‘boutique’ into an adjective but it’s made things awkward. Institutions that were previously ‘small’ are
Westin Melbourne: www.westin.com.au/melbourne The Westin loves a good night’s sleep. Some 10 years ago when other five-star hotel marques were braying about their swimming pools, bars or views from the penthouse suite, the Westin was subtly insinuating itself into the minds of the discerning traveller with a fancy mattress. In fact, the Westin was so
When I first heard that France has some peak body that oversees how its language is going, I must confess I had bit of a chuckle — talk about precious. I mean, who really cares if there’s no Gallic word for ‘blue jeans’ or that some snooty Parisienne boulangerie has been taken over by Starbucks
Grand Hotel Rockdale: 482 – 484 Princes Highway, Rockdale NSW (02) 9567 2493 or www.grandhotelrockdale.com.au The Grand Hotel has been trying to follow the changing styles of Sydney and its local patrons for the last 25 years. Southern Hotel Group has taken the hotel through many refurbishments, including a sports bar, and at one time