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.
Bu hikaye Gourmet Traveller dergisinin November 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye Gourmet Traveller dergisinin November 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
THE SMOKING CAMEL
Each month we explore the origins behind some of Australia's signature drinks and learn how to recreate them.
MEET THE MAKER HELEN XU
As she swings open the doors to a new restaurant and hotel at her Yarra Valley vineyard, we check in with the Helen & Joey Estate winemaker to talk science, Sichuan and the wine brand she runs with husband Joey Zeng.
Fuel to the fire
From chilli to wasabi, there's an art to pairing drinks with spicy foods. SAMANTHA PAYNE breaks it down.
Sri Lankan hoppers
Chef TRAVIN DE HOEDT of Sydney's Kurumba shares his family recipe for this South Asian staple.
The art of...thoughtful feasting
It was a Moroccan tagine that taught ANNA HART to relax her ethics and eat, drink and be merry like a local.
THE NEW COCKTAIL CAPITAL
Mexico City is in its golden era of cocktail culture. Once home to a small handful of recognisable names, today the capital is heaving with globally renowned drinking destinations. And it's leading the charge for North America on awards lists such as World’s 50 Best (last year, Mexico City landed four bars on the list, compared to three in New York City).
Golden age
Time travel may not be possible but JOANNA HUNKIN discovers the next best thing when she pairs the Eastern & Oriental Express with a journey through Veuve Clicquot's private cellar.
48 HOURS IN PHUKET
Beyond beaches and resorts, Thailand's biggest island is a treasure trove of culinary gems. DANI VALENT gets the inside scoop from restaurateur Merica Charungvat.
LOVE IN A COLD CLIMATE
Fireplaces, slowness and country scenes. Holidaying hits differently in winter
What is curry?
Cuisine or construct? RUSHANI EPA retraces the history of the saucy, spicy dish across the Indian subcontinent and its diaspora.