Head off the beaten track for a reason

 

Holidays with a purpose are all the rage.

A lot of people want to learn, or gain a new skill, when they travel.

To meet this growing demand, World Expeditions has unveiled a new series of expert-led journeys under its Curated Adventures portfolio, responding to growing interest in "immersive, passion-driven travel experiences led by recognised authorities in their fields".

From photography and food to cultural immersion and wildflower walking, these one-off departures aim to deliver cultural exchange and the opportunity to travel in the company of an expert who opens doors others cannot.

“Special interest travel continues to surge because it offers the ultimate form of personalisation,” says Jaclyn Beagley, manager for Curated Adventures. 

“These journeys are built around passion - photography, food, culture and nature - and led by people who are true experts. Travelling with someone who deeply understands a place transforms the entire experience.”

The new line-up includes three distinctive, small-group departures:

Sri Lanka Food & Photo Adventure with Alan Benson

Celebrated photographer Alan Benson, whose work has featured in books by Luke Nguyen, Kylie Kwong and Jimmy Barnes, leads this immersive exploration of Sri Lanka’s vibrant markets, tea country and wildlife reserves. Travellers can snap stilt fishermen at sunrise, wander spice-scented kitchens and explore lush tea terraces, all while refining their photographic eye. September 13-24 from $5990 per person twin share excluding flights.

Benin and Togo with Richard I’Anson

Award-winning travel photographer Richard I’Anson hosts a visually rich journey through Benin and Togo, two of West Africa’s most culturally compelling destinations. There is a focus on vibrant festivals, traditional ceremonies, daily village life and striking architectural landscapes. January 15-17, 2027, from $9590 per person twin share excluding flights.

Drakensberg Wildflower Trails – Women’s Guided Walking Tour

Timed for peak bloom, this women’s walking adventure explores South Africa’s uKhahlamba-Drakensberg UNESCO World Heritage Site with expert mountain guide Shaen Adey, who has more than 30 years of local knowledge. Flexible day walks traverse alpine meadows and sandstone escarpments alive with seasonal wildflowers and birdlife. Comfortable lodges will provide space to unwind between walks. November 29-December 6 from $5,590 per person twin share excluding flights.

“These journeys are about travelling with curiosity and purpose,” says Beagley. “They offer perspectives and stories that stay with you long after you return home.”

For full itineraries and further information, see worldexpeditions.com/Curated-Adventures.

Brisbane says cheers to a new sports bar and eatery

 

Brisbane sports lovers have a new destination with the opening of Gas Hound Bar & Kitchen. 

The venue offers modern Australian bistro dining and sports energy in a new space at Newstead’s Gasworks Plaza. 

It is the latest venue from from local industry heavyweights Hallmark Hospitality and will feature electronic dart boards, pool tables and televised live sports. 

With a wood-fired oven as the kitchen’s centrepiece, executive chef Jason Flett has created a seasonal menu. 

“At its heart, Gas Hound serves classic pub fare but we’re elevating it with premium ingredients and beautiful presentations,” Flett said.

“We make everything from scratch - for example, hand-crumbing and pan-frying our chicken schnitzels - to give our food that extra bit of love and attention.

“About 50% of our menu will be cooked over flame in the wood-fired oven, including our steaks, to 
open up more flavour and add a touch of smokiness.”

Hallmark Hospitality director Cade Hopman said that Gas Hound’s drinks menu pairs premium spirits with modern twists on classic cocktails. 

“Highlights include the punchy Sure Fire, a tropical, ginger-spiked Margarita, the crisp and savoury Steel Tip martini, and Deep Pocket, a rich, slow-sipping take on an Old Fashioned,” Hopman said.

“Our cocktail and drinks offering is crowd-pleasing, designed to suit everything from casual catch-ups to big nights."

The revamped venue was formerly home to retro supper club Maggie May. 

Image: Markus Ravik

Otahuna Lodge offers a chance to be Lord of the Manor

Ever considered hosting a special occasion where you have an entire luxury property to yourself, your family and friends?

Historic Otahuna Lodge outside Christchurch in New Zealand has just launched its "Lord of the Manor" package.

Whether you're looking to celebrate a milestone birthday, family reunion or a memorable workplace retreat, weekend dates in 2026 are now open.

The Lord of the Manor package (available from May 1 through October 15) can be reserved at the rate of $NZ 9995 per night (weekday nights) or $11,995 (Friday and Saturday nights).

All Lord of the Manor bookings enjoy the following inclusions for up to 10 guests:

# Accommodation across five suites and two master suites

#·Pre-dinner drinks with canapés

# A four-course, set menu dinner

#· Matched wine pairings with every course

# Continental and cooked breakfasts.

Up to six additional guests (for a maximum of 16 people) can be added at a rate of $600 per additional person per night.

It is a remarkably stylish property celebrated for its architecture, award-winning gardens and sophisticated cuisine. A special place to stay.

For full details see www.otahuna.co.nz/

Black & Ginger pays tribute to Lily with a premium shiraz

Out on one of our motorcycle road trips we always come across interesting winemakers with their own unique stories, reports two-wheeling correspondent Rod Eime. 

Hadyn Black at Black & Ginger in Victoria's Grampians region is just one such character.

Along with wife Lucy and business partner Darcy "Ginger" Naunton, the trio kicked off in 2015 with the purchase of a tonne of shiraz grapes from the Pyrenees, while their own vineyard took shape.

"We started B&G in 2015, with that single tonne of shiraz. At the end of 2016, we bought a rundown vineyard with a rundown house on it," Hadyn tells us as we sit in his rustic wine shed just off the main road and grafted onto Barney’s Bar & Bistro.

But that's just a hint at the real story.

"My mum Lily had recently retired, and so she spent as much time up here as she could, doing everything from helping me clean up the house, strip the horrible wallpaper, repaint, and clean up the garden. Then we’d get stuck into pruning and fixing the vineyard," Hadyn tells us. I can see his throat is getting a bit lumpy. "We managed to only properly prune a couple of rows at the top of the vineyard. We picked our grapes in 2017; most were sold, but we kept all the fruit from the rows Mum helped properly prune for ourselves. 

"Mum and Lucy and a couple of our mates helped pick it, and the fruit was fantastic. It was fermenting away nicely in the winery when I got a call that Mum had very suddenly passed away. So we named the resulting wine 'Lily’s Block' in her honour. We only release the wine under her name when it is good enough, so it is not made every year. The label is pink, an obvious choice given her favourite colour was pink, I also added her signature to the side label."

Lily and Hadyn

As well as Lily's Block, the small-batch wines have been well received, getting some great scores from wine writers and a couple of medals at wine shows.

Find the BLACK & GINGER WINE SHED at:
3447a Ararat-Halls Gap Road, Pomonal, Victoria, 3381

Puppetry magic to shine at QAGOMA

Love The Muppets and Sesame Street? You might want to make a date with Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art later this year.

A new exhibition exploring the storytelling The Jim Henson Company will run exclusively at QAGOMA from September 12, 2026, until April 18, 2027.

‘Make, Believe, Magic: The Worlds of The Jim Henson Company’ will offer "an immense and immersive journey" through the creative process behind some of Henson's cherished characters. 

Founded by Jim and Jane Henson in 1955, the company has left an indelible imprint on entertainment, education and popular culture globally as seen in the much-loved series Fraggle Rock and Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, the treasured fantasy worlds of The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth, the iconic characters of the Muppets, and the residents of Sesame Street.

‘Unparalleled in scope, the exhibition will celebrate The Jim Henson Company’s extraordinary legacy, highlighting the specialist work of Jim Henson’s Creature Shop - creative studios in New York and Los Angeles where artists and makers revolutionise the art of puppetry," said QAGOMA director Chris Saines. 

‘The Gallery is privileged to be working closely with The Jim Henson Company, whose influence on generations of storytellers continues as a family-led force pioneering contemporary puppetry for screen and stage.’

In a world-first, the exhibition will include the Great Hall set from the Emmy Award-winning television series Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, taking audiences behind the scenes of a working puppeteer’s film set.

A curated film program in the Gallery’s Australian Cinémathèque will showcase productions developed by the Company and brought to life by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop.

Across GOMA’s ground floor, ‘Make, Believe, Magic’ will explore the craftmanship of The Jim Henson Company’s creatures, the art of their performance, and new directions for puppetry supported by digital technology.

The opening weekend of ‘Make, Believe, Magic: The Worlds of The Jim Henson Company’, coinciding with Brisbane Festival in September, will feature special discussions, performances and screenings. Exhibition tickets go on sale from June 1.

For more info see www.qagoma.qld.gov.au

Florentino offers a nod to the past, and the future

It's all change at what used to be known as Grossi Florentino, Grossi Grill and Cellar Bar.

The Melbourne dining icon has returned to its original name: Florentino after the exit of Guy Grossi and his team..

Founded in 1928, the venue on Bourke St is one of Australia’s longest-standing dining institutions. Edition Group, the new owners have revealed the plans under their custodianship.

“Florentino is one of Australia’s most significant dining institutions," says Rebecca Yazbek, founder and CEO of Edition Group.

"Taking on its custodianship carries enormous responsibility, but also opportunity. Our focus is on honouring what has made the restaurant so important while reinvigorating the venues to ensure Florentino secures its place at the forefront of Australian dining once again.”

Located within a heritage-listed building, Florentino will operates as a three-venue precinct comprising Florentino Dining Room, the renamed Café Florentino (previously Grossi Grill), and Cellar Bar.

Florentino Dining Room remains the flagship restaurant within the building with chef Michael Greenlaw and executive chef Brendan Katich at the helm. The menu remains grounded in traditional Italian cuisine. Dining is offered through three-, five- and seven-course menus.

Dishes from Greenlaw and Katich’s menu include: coral trout with king crab, zucchini and bisque; Sher wagyu with potatoes, truffle, black garlic and Chianti; and a range of house-made pastas including caramelle filled with caramelised onionn and risotto al tartufo with black truffle and mushrooms.

Greenlaw said the menu focus has been on continuity.

“Our intention has been to respect what Florentino represents while allowing the menu to reflect the quality of produce and producers we have access to today. It’s about continuity, shaped by seasonality and precision rather than reinvention,” he said.

The dining experience is supported by a wine program led by group sommelier Steve Senturk, exploring regions including Piedmont and Sicily.

Café Florentino marks a return to the restaurant’s origins. It was under this name that former owner Rinaldo Massoni first established the venue’s Italian identity. Cellar Bar, meanwhile, will continue as an all-day wine and pasta bar.

Yazbek has ideas for future design changes across the venues, but says that will be undertaken gradually and with consideration for the heritage-listed building.

Florentino Dining Room is open for lunch Wednesday to Friday from 12pm, and for dinner Monday to Saturday from 5.30pm. Café Florentino is open for lunch Monday to Saturday from 12pm, and for dinner Monday to Saturday from 5pm. Cellar Bar operates Monday to Saturday from 11am until late, offering all-day service.

See https://florentino.melbourne/