If your idea of holiday heaven is a Survivor-style setting meets adults-only retreat, this is the place for you. Lissenung Island Resort, in the New Ireland Province of PNG, could just be the ultimate private island experience.
And when we say private, we mean it. Kavieng, the closest major island, is a 20-minute boat ride away, and aside from a few local staff and other guests – there’s a maximum of 16 – your chances of seeing another person during your stay are close to zero.
Scattered across the island, among towering palm trees and overgrown wild flowers, are four oceanfront bungalows, built in a traditional way using woven bamboo. Huge verandas provide the perfect spot to welcome the sunrise, and while there’s no glass in the windows, mosquito nets over the bed and a large ceiling fan ensure everyone stays cool and protected from creepy crawlies.
Fresh seafood and locally grown fruit and veg dominate the daily-changing menu, which is served at a communal table in the main house. The usual island activities are all on offer here, including swimming and snorkelling, and boat transfers to the best fishing, diving and surfing sites are available.
You know a place is remote when there’s no road access and the only way in is by helicopter. Introducing Minaret Station, an exclusive alpine lodge with an address we can only imagine reads: middle of glacial valley, somewhere among New Zealand’s Southern Alps.
It’s this truly spectacular location that makes Minaret so special, with guests treated to one of the country’s great scenic flights – soaring past snow-capped peaks, vast meadows and dense forest – on their way in. Just one main building and four charming chalets form the property, with each private abode boasting a king-size bed, cosy furnishings and outdoor deck with hot tub.
Linked to the chalets by a raised wooden boardwalk is the Mountain Kitchen, a space that includes two lounge areas, library and well-stocked cellar. Meals are enjoyed here (or in your room – the choice is entirely yours) and dining is a first-class experience, with food sourced from both the station’s 20,000-hectare working farm and other local producers and growers. With an impressive range of excursions to partake in as well – heli-skiing, mountain biking, hiking, fishing and champagne-fuelled picnics, to name a few – having to leave just doesn’t seem fair.
If you’re still not over your Euro summer plans being ruined, drown your sorrows at this light, bright and welcoming bar bringing a touch of the Mediterranean to Adelaide’s CBD.
Expect to see all your favourite aperitivo snacks on the curated menu, which features a mouth-watering sample of pickled and preserved goodies, alongside cheese and charcuterie boards and yummy small plates.
Drinks-wise, Paloma offers its take on an Aperol spritz using fino and mandarin, while the wine list pays homage to local and southern European varietals. It may be a teeny bit different to sunning yourself in a Spanish plaza, cocktail in hand, but when the vibe is this good, we promise you won’t notice the difference!
Like all great ideas, Dirty Sultan – Brisbane’s first Turkish shisha lounge – was concocted during a backpacking trip around Europe.
Drawing inspo from bars in Greece, Turkey and even France, pals Tom D’Arcy and Dilan Ildes have taken all their favourite elements (think Middle Eastern flavours and a super-luxe aesthetic) and brought them to sunny Brisbane. The result is an exotic rooftop establishment loaded with daybeds, lanterns and plenty of greenery.
Shishas come infused with grape, watermelon and strawberry, but for something more substantial, the falafel popcorn or Nutella baklava hit the spot. Wash it all down with one (or many) of the ridiculously good cocktails, like the Leyla, a Turkish mojito made using pomegranate and mint.
Originally launched to coincide with Dark Mofo 2019 as a multipurpose cultural space, In The Hanging Garden has reopened as a permanent – albeit still flexible – fixture of Hobart’s hospitality and live music scene.
The enormous precinct, which features a tiered beer garden, outdoor dining area, bar, band room and nightclub, spans an entire city block, and is mostly covered by a huge cathedral-like roof. Faux lawn, potted plants and tables and chairs are dotted throughout the lower level of the venue, while the upper level is home to Oryza and Bruny Island Cheese Co., whose menus change with the seasons. The venue’s house bars also sling exclusively Tassie wines and a rotating list of seasonal cocktails.
Whether catching an acoustic set, heading out for a dance or simply meeting friends for a quick after-work drink, it appears as though this lush, urban oasis in the heart of Tassie’s capital truly has something for everyone.
Those of us who live in Victoria have long travelled to Healesville to sip, sample and take home Four Pillars’ excellent gins. Now Sydneysiders get their chance.
The new digs incorporate a lab, with a German copper still called Eileen doing its thing, and a shop where you can stock your home drinks trolley. But there’s also the gorgeous Eileen’s Bar.
James Irvine has devised the drinks list, which is heavy with gin cocktails – check out the Tash Sultana, made with sherry cask gin, muscatel, pineapple botrytis, fig vinegar and caramel – but also includes wine, beer and cider. Chef Matt Wilkinson has come up with some great drinking snacks to go with it. Salt and gin vinegar chips or a plate of party pies? Don’t mind if we do.
First held in the late 1700s in East Tanna, the Nekowiar Festival is one of Vanuatu’s biggest and brightest events and originally marked the end of a conflict between neighbouring tribes.
There isn’t a set date and time for the festival – it takes place when Tanna’s kastom chiefs collectively decide when it is most fortuitous to hold. In fact, the 2020 event was the first time the festival took place since 2012!
The festival is an extravaganza of the senses, taking place across three full days and nights. Hundreds of dancers join together and paint their faces with brightly coloured designs, significant to their tribal community, and the following days are filled with kastom song and dance.
The female dancers kick proceedings off. They sing in harmony and dance a traditional dance of Napen Napen, until they’re too exhausted to continue – swapping in and out with one another throughout the day and well into the evening. On the second day, it’s the men’s turn to perform the traditional Toka dance, chanting and dancing energetically to the beat for hours on end.
On the last day, everyone gathers together for a feast and food, pigs and other goods are exchanged between tribes at a ceremony known as the Niel, to reconcile any quarrels and disagreements between them.
There’s remote island escapes and there’s ‘remote island escapes’. The Conflict are genuine paradise escapes and are made up of 21 privately owned, pristine and completely uninhabited islands covering a total landmass of 375 hectares / 3.75km square). That’s a lot of space to get lost and found in.
How’s this for remote: at the Conflict Islands Resort you’ll find just six private beachfront ensuite bungalows, situated on the main island of Panasesa. There’s also a main house where guests can enjoy peace and tranquility whilst enjoying delicious fresh-caught local food, refreshing drinks, and even free wi-fi (if you want or need it).
There’s also a beachfront deck and a balcony overlooking the stunning archipelago and lagoon waters, with other-worldly aqua-blue colours.
With only 14 guests able to stay at Lissenung Island Resort at any one time, this is the secluded Pacific island hideaway you have been looking for! The resort features six deluxe oceanfront rooms, all with private facilities, and all with hardwood floors and spacious, relaxing verandahs.
The heart of the island and where guests come together to eat their meals is the Haus Win; the thatched-roof main building with sandy floors and walls open to nature, furnished with local art. For keen divers and water-based adventurers Lissenung Island Resort has it all: Pelagic fish action, currents, wall and muck diving, wrecks and beautiful reefs, clean surf breaks and authentically-colourful cultural experiences.
Plus the resort also runs its own turtle conservation programme from September to March every year to help protect the local population of turtles, with guests encouraged to help out with the resort’s efforts.
How does a long weekend in paradise sound? Loloata Island Resort is located a short boat ride from Port Moresby, making it an accessible overseas destination suitable for a long weekend away.
Loloata Island Resort is a contemporary, brand new resort, complete with 68 rooms (including 22 overwater villas), two restaurants, a swimming pool, private beach, and a day spa.
The island itself sits on the edge of the Papuan Barrier Reef and there are 29 surrounding dive sites where experienced divers can explore colourful reefs teeming with sea life, discover shipwrecks; and even come across a WWII Boston Bomber.
Or for those that feel like relaxing, spend some time by the pool with a cocktail in hand! Loloata Island Resort also offers day passes for approximately AUD $40, which includes boat transfers from Port Moresby.
(
