From the Hunter Valley to the Great Ocean Road, Tasmania, and Western Australia, travel editor Winsor Dobbin has the latest travel news.
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The Hunter Valley is renowned for its fine food and wine but the stylish voco by IHG Kirkton Park hotel wants to add some romance to the mix.
Set on a 70-acre estate with rolling lawns and mountain views, the hotel recently unveiled Beneath the Roses, a collection of romantic experiences created for couples who want to “reconnect in nature, surrounded by beauty and calm”.
The hero experience is a private floral dining dome in the rose garden.
Guests can start with a slow wander through the gardens, then settle in for high tea or a three-course dinner created by the Locavore Restaurant team, where estate-to-plate flavours take the lead.
They can also make a night of it with the Dine Amongst the Roses package which sees couples enjoy country accommodation and breakfast for two, along with a rose-inspired treat set that includes a locally made Hunter Valley soap, a bottle of local First Creek Cuvée and a macaron and strawberry tasting plate scattered with rose petals.
Summer is peak time in the garden with the estate promoted as being ideal for “slow walks and long conversations”. Presumably not about rugby league.
Just a short drive away, Hunter Valley Gardens offers another floral experience, with its Rose Garden and seasonal displays.
Overnight packages start from $495 per night and include accommodation for two, and breakfast for two at Locavore Restaurant, along with a choice of high tea or romantic three-course dinner in the floral dome and the extra treats.
See https://huntervalley.vocohotels.com/
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Road to contentment
Want to be among the first to check out chic new vineyard accommodation along the Great Ocean Road?
Basalt Retreat has just opened bookings for its new vineyard villas set among the vines of its 24-year-old vineyard near Port Fairy, where it grows pinot noir, tempranillo and riesling.
If you are looking for a gourmet-accented adults-only escape along the Great Ocean Road, these two villas – Pinot Noir and Tempranillo – could fit the bill.
Basalt’s tasting room and eatery have proven popular with visitors, who can now, for the first time, stay for a few nights.
Each villa stay includes a queen bed with cloud-soft premium bedding; a selection of locally sourced snacks, wines and small-batch spirits; indoor fireplace for cooler evenings; a locally sourced breakfast hamper; kettle, toaster and coffee machine; a barbecue overlooking the vines and an in-room supper menu (pre-order required).
Guests get a complimentary wine tasting at the cellar door and priority dining reservations.
Villas cost from $495 per night with a two-night minimum stay.
“After years of dreaming, planning and careful craftsmanship, our boutique vineyard villas are now open for bookings,” says vigneron/patron Shane Clancey.
“Nestled within the vines of our 24-year-old vineyard, these architect-designed villas offer a rare experience on the Great Ocean Road. This is a retreat created for stillness, connection and quiet indulgence.”
It has been a while since I visited but Basalt is a delightful destination in a lovely location.
For details see https://www.basaltwines.com.au/stay/
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A true Tassie experience
Tasmania is renowned for hosting several outstanding festivals.
Events like Taste of Summer, Festivale and Dark Mofo are all major drawcards.
Less commercial and more connected, ECHO is the East Coast Harvest Odyssey festival, a smaller. more focussed “festival of the senses” that will run from March 13-15 in 2026.
The brainchild of singer and gin-brand owner Ange Boxall, ECHO has grown from small beginnings in 2019 into an event that Boxall describes as being “all about connection”.
The event launch was held recently in Hobart and full details are now available at echofestival.com.au.
ECHO is a festival of storytelling with close connections to First Nations culture, including indigenous food experiences, hands-on adventures and music.
There is also plenty of wine, with several local producers involved – Spring Vale, Gala Estate, Mayfield Estate and Craigie Knowe among them – as well as Boxall’s Spirited Gin brand.
From bush foods and medicine to morning yoga and drinks masterclasses, ECHO showcases live music, art, culture, storytelling and knowledge-sharing. It is a celebration both of harvest and the laid-back Tassie East Coast lifestyle.
“Our theme, Layers: Woven in Time, celebrates the people, stories and landscapes that give the East Coast its unique rhythm,” says Boxall.
“This year’s early program release features coastal storytelling with surf legend Dustin Hollick, woodworking using rare Hydrowood timbers, a cultural creative space with palawa creative Melissa West, blacksmithing in a historic forge and more.
“The music line-up brings together a powerful mix of emerging voices and established artists from Tasmania and beyond. Across intimate stages and open coastal spaces, musicians will share original sounds rooted in place, story, and community. Expect soaring vocals, rhythmic collaborations and atmospheric performances that echo the landscape itself.”
The much-loved Native Bounty Feast will also return as the key element of the opening evening.
ECHO, held in Swansea. is supported by the Tasmanian Government through Events Tasmania.
See https://tickets.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/90c6baf5-d569-408a-bc77-91650ed7ff7b
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Sunsets, sips, and dips
Quokka Adventure Tours has launched its ‘Beaches of Perth Sunset Picnic and City Lights Tour’ just in time for summer.
Starting in the Perth CBD, the tour takes a scenic drive through several riverside suburbs, stopping briefly for a riverside stroll, before arriving at the iconic Cottesloe Beach.
Here guests can opt for an afternoon dip, before heading north along the coastline to City Beach and Scarborough. Guest will enjoy a light supper accompanied by a glass of Margaret River wine.
The return journey to Perth includes a dessert stop at Kings Park and Botanic Garden.
Off the Beaten Track’s new Kaarakin Wildlife Experience invites visitors to experience the beauty of Banyowla Regional Park, located on the outskirts of Perth, while learning about the state’s red-tailed and white-tailed black cockatoos.
The full-day tour starts with a guided behind-the-scenes experience at the Kaarakin Black Cockatoo Conservation Centre, where guests meet cockatoos, kangaroos, emus, and dingoes.
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See more of Winsor’s travel tips and news at www.gourmetontheroad.com.