2022 was a challenging year for us, with Maurie’s ill-health putting paid to a lot of our travel plans. I thought there weren’t going to be many experiences to include in this list but when I sat down to go back over my notes for the year, I realized we’d still managed to fit in a lot of fun stuff. So, here are some of the experiences that brightened my year and deepened my appreciation for our beautiful country (you’ll see there wasn’t much overseas travel in 2022 but we did a lot of road tripping). We hope to roam further afield in 2023 and we hope that you, our dear readers, get to follow your dreams as well.
Granite Belt Wine Country
For a few years now, Southern Downs Regional Council has sponsored members of the Australian Society of Travel Writers on an overnight visit to Queensland’s beautiful Granite Belt Wine Country. The region around Stanthorpe, 2½ hours’ drive from Brisbane, abounds in natural and man-made attractions, as well as great food and wine. This year’s taste of the region saw me sipping and supping at Heritage Estate, Bent Road and Whiskey Gully Wines, learning all about apple and truffle farming, kicking back at the luxurious Azjure retreat, and on the way, stopping off at Warwick for high tea at Glengallan Homestead and high jinks at CelticFest.
Dubai Expo 2020
Dubai was my only overseas destination in 2022 and I got there just in the nick of time to catch the tail end of Dubai Expo 2020. And no, I wasn’t travelling back in time – the World Expo was so named because it was originally due to open in October 2020, before the pandemic set the starting date back a year. It was the first time a World Expo had been held in the Middle East, and with a focus on both sustainability and innovation, it certainly had the wow factor.
Away from the glitter strip in the UAE
I’d been to Dubai previously but never ventured beyond the luxury hotels and shopping centres. To be honest, I didn’t think there was much to the United Arab Emirates apart from that. With a leisurely two weeks to explore, I saw a side to the UAE I was totally unfamiliar with – desert landscapes, rugged mountains, amazing roads, quiet beaches, fascinating museums (including the building where the constitution creating the UAE was signed on 2nd December 1971), historic forts, and the UAE’s oldest mosque (1446 AD). For anyone transiting through the Middle East, I urge you to get away from the glitter strip and see what’s out there.
Bendigo and Elvis
I’ve long heard from my foodie friends about how great the Symposium of Australian Gastronomy is. I’d never attended one, so when I heard that the 24th Symposium was going to be in Bendigo, Australia’s first UNESCO City and Region of Gastronomy, I decided I had no excuse. The Symposium is a fabulous, convivial event for food nerds like me. It offers food for thought on a huge range of topics including sustainable food production and the wisdom we can learn from First Nations people. I loved hearing about all the good work being done at PepperGreen Farm and I appreciated the opportunity to learn about Bendigo’s Chinese heritage at the Golden Dragon Museum. Before leaving town, I couldn’t resist seeing the exhibition, Elvis: Direct From Graceland, then showing at Bendigo Art Gallery. It’s fair to say Bendigo was gripped by Elvis fever.
Goonoo Goonoo Station
We (or at least, I) fell in love with Goonoo Goonoo Station, just outside of Tamworth. Hubby enjoyed it too but for me, fed on a diet of Country Style and House & Garden magazines, it was particularly spesh. All rustic and pimped up with gorgeous décor and crisp white linen, it’s very Insta-worthy. We stayed in an ensuite room in the old shearer’s quarters but there are several cottages and a homestead too. We enjoyed a lovely meal in the Glasshouse restaurant and couldn’t help thinking how far regional dining has come in recent years.
Vivid Sydney 2022
Why had we never previously seen the annual extravaganza of light and colour that is Vivid Sydney? Something to do with the crowds, I guess. The older I get, the less I want to battle crowds. We were privileged to experience the 12th incarnation of Vivid on a dinner cruise with Captain Cook Cruises, which not only afforded a great view of the illuminations but also offered an impressive fine dining experience. Sydney is such a beautiful canvas for this event; we won’t be waiting 12 years to re-visit.
Bundanon and meeting William Barton
The weather was foul when we took to the road for an overnight stay at Bundanon, the beautiful property near Nowra that was once the home of Arthur and Yvonne Boyd. Navigating the pot-holed road from Canberra over the range in blinding rain was a nightmare. It was worth it once we got there, with mist swirling over the Shoalhaven River and a spectacular first impression of the visitor accommodation, built to look like rural Australia’s trestle flood bridges. We could almost feel Arthur’s presence in his artist’s studio and visiting the new world-class art museum was a treat. But the real highlight was chatting casually with the hugely talented William Barton, musician, composer and didgeridoo player whose work we have long admired. What a privilege.
A glorious Scenic Rim sunset
The setting sun cast a magical spell over Yugambeh country as we motored from Brisbane to the Scenic Rim, a picturesque region of south-east Queensland noted for its World Heritage-listed rainforests and rich volcanic soil sustaining an abundance of rural enterprises, tourism ventures, and food and wine producers. We spent two nights in complete privacy in one of five WanderPods on The Overflow Estate 1895. It was romantic and relaxing, and because it rained constantly (thanks La Niña) we didn’t venture out once. Ah, the serenity.
Glamping at Mayfield Garden
This was our first glamping experience and it won’t be our last, even though the rain bucketed down (are you seeing a pattern here?) The tent held up remarkably well and we were snug and cosy all night in the luxurious queen bed. Evening offered a delicious 3-course dinner and the next morning we were able to have the 65 hectares of Mayfield Garden pretty much to ourselves before it opened to the public at 9am.
Murwillumbah and the Tweed
Because of Maurie’s surgery, I had to cancel my much-anticipated trip to a travel writers’ conference in the beautiful Tweed Region of northern New South Wales. Fortunately, Maurie and I had visited the region not long before and had dined in some lovely restaurants like Potager and Tweed River House. Being mad about Art Deco, we enjoyed walking around Murwillumbah which has a surprising number of buildings from the era. We couldn’t miss the opportunity to re-visit the Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre, one of the country’s finest regional art galleries.
A few days respite at Burleigh
We had the teeniest glimpse of the ocean from the apartment we rented in Burleigh Heads for three nights but it was salve for the soul. Walks on the beach, hanging out in cool cafés, shopping in the trendy boutiques, and a great meal at Jimmy Wah’s – we really enjoyed this little getaway. We also had a fun time at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, which I last visited more years ago than I care to remember.
Halcyon days by the sea at Old Bar
We’ve zoomed up and down the NSW coast numerous times but for some reason had never detoured off the highway to visit Old Bar. Our loss. It’s a laidback little place with a stunning beach, fibro shacks and an atmosphere reminiscent of that which was once found in coastal towns and villages all over Australia. We spent one night at Finns At Old Bar – nowhere near enough – and had a great meal at Sai, a Thai restaurant up the road. We’ll be back.
Carmen On Cockatoo Island
Opera Australia’s production of Carmen was contemporary and edgy, perfectly befitting its industrial backdrop on Cockatoo Island in Sydney harbour. With spectacular fireworks, dynamic dance sequences, motorcycle stunts and arias ringing out across the harbour, Carmen on Cockatoo Island was a thrilling start to summer and just the tonic I needed after a challenging year. Resting my head at the Kimpton Margot Sydney was a treat too. Art Deco meets modern Australian style in this gorgeous hotel, its historic features much appreciated by this Art Deco tragic. It was a fleeting visit but the perfect curtain-closer for 2022.
P.S. Don’t forget to check out our Top Food & Wine Experiences for 2022!
