AUS 3-4 19/10/09 18:40 Page 41
ttglive.com
australasia knowledge
ourism Queensland
es: T
tur
All pic
Lorikeets are a highlight of the Currumbin Sanctuary; the Q1 Resort & Spa is a 77-storey high-rise in Surfers Paradise
The ‘real’ Australia
Surfers Paradise didn’t seem like the “real”
Australia, but just down the coast I found
the small resort of Currumbin. It has a lovely
stretch of beach and only a few small hotels,
but the highlight is Currumbin Sanctuary,
the best wildlife refuge I have seen in
Australia. Twice a day, thousands of rainbow
lorikeets fly in to perch all over you and
feast on honey and grains – a sight worth
seeing if you take a hat.
The Gold Coast is a great place for a family
holiday, but suffers from an image problem
if you can’t see beyond the glitz, the hype
and the high-rise. Britons might think they
are better off going to Florida, but what lies
behind the Gold Coast is a revelation.
I took a half-day trip to Mount Tamborine,
HOTEL CHECK PALAZZO VERSACE
a lovely village with a winery, boutique With a celebrity guest list ranging from heads of state to founder Gianni Versace, and his links with the theatre.
shops and lots of cafes. If O’Reilly’s is too
the Rolling Stones, it’s no wonder that Palazzo Versace on Palazzo Versace has all you might find comforting after
daunting you can get a glimpse of the rain-
the Gold Coast is the hang-out for Ant, Dec and the celebs a stay in the wilds, with whirlpool baths in each room and
after the horrors of the “jungle”, writes Dave Richardson. lovely scents throughout (£15 for a tiny bottle).
forest at the Skywalk attraction, which is
Opened in 2000, it’s still the only hotel in the world to It has a pool and spa but facilities are not extensive, and
fully accessible on board walks with little
be branded by a fashion house, although a second Palazzo there is no sea view. Larger condominiums look out on a
chance of encountering creepy-crawlies. Versace – in Dubai, inevitably – is due to open next year. marina, but standard rooms face the pool or street.
Another great escape is to take a sunrise
The five-star hotel is stuffed – you might stay over-stuffed I chose Il Barocco buffet restaurant (£40); fine-dining
balloon trip inland. Watching dawn break as
– with its designer’s creations, including more than £50 million and bistro-style restaurants are also available.
worth of Italian marble, luxury fabrics and a huge chandelier I went away happy, but if I’d been in a real jungle then a
I glided over the bush was a great experience
in reception. Walls are lined with photos of murdered motel would have seemed just as great to me!
– even if I could still see Q1 in the distance.
23.10.2009 41
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68