Attention pleasure seekers: Here are two quintessentially Aussie regions where the good life is better than you think.
IT looks like a scene from a mobster flick: several cars and a truck pull up to a dark, deserted field before dawn has even begun to flaunt its first rays.
The doors slam and a few burly men step out, lugging what looks like a giant blowtorch behind them. Switching it on, they stand back and stare as amber flames gush from its mouth and fill a massive balloon with hot air.
A sculpture at the Montalto Vineyard & Olive Grove. Half an hour later, it’s ready.
“Get in,” Sanjay instructs the 15, bleary-eyed onlookers.
Not wanting to tick him off, I clamber obediently over the side of the large wicker basket, feeling like a chicken bound for slaughter. Several minutes of nervous chatter pass before the balloon lifts a few inches above the ground without any warning. I shut my eyes and cling to the edge, whimpering like a five-year-old.
We float higher and, much to my dismay, higher – four feet, then 10, then 20 – with nothing to tether us to planet Earth. “I think it’s time to open your eyes now,” cajoles my friend.
I relent, only to discover that we are several storeys in the air. Yarra Valley stretched as far as the eye can see, and the sight of its emerald hills and valleys, veiled in the morning mist, can hypnotise even the most hysterical of minds.
With more than 100 vineyards scattered below us like a miniature diorama, Yarra is one of Australia’s most respected wine-growing regions. It is also region in which a bottle of mineral water costs more than a glass of wine.
Thanks to Sanjay’s 35-year experience as a balloon pilot, we bob serenely along in our wicker bubble (by Global Ballooning, globalballooning.com.au), marvelling silently at Mother Nature’s riveting beauty and grace. Just as I’m beginning to relax, Sanjay announces that it’s time to descend. No one expected an hour to pass so quickly.
A sight to behold: Hot air balloons at sunrise over the Yarra Valley. After skimming the tops of some eucalyptus trees, we land in the most unlikely of places – a golf course. The sun has finally made its grand appearance, signifying yet another day of wining, dining and gallery-hopping in the winelands.
The grape escape
“I took a couple of journalists from India here the last time, and they sniffed the air and asked: What’s the smell? I tell them it’s the smell of fresh air,” says my travel companion from Melbourne, Natalia Standfield, as we sip Vintage Brut at the Domaine Chandon winery.
If you think the winery’s name sounds familiar, it is. The French champagne giant Moet & Chandon was sufficiently impressed with Yarra that it, too, decided to hop onto the winewagon. In total, Yarra boasts 3,600ha under vine, and it crushes around 19,000 tonnes of grapes annually.
But unlike France, where wine appreciation has been traditionally reserved for the haughty and high-and-mighty, viticulture in Australia is more informal and relaxed, with many college students and families dropping in at the wineries for the weekend.
All that’s required is to observe a few simple rules of wine-tasting, and these – according to the Condé Nast Traveller magazine – are: 1. Never wear white, 2. Practise the abnegation of spitting (that is, don’t spit – ever), 3. Be punctual, and 4. Beware of wine-speak (“dense, chewy and complex” are best left to the experts).
But for those who want to do more than just sample fine wines, a stay at one of the heritage properties in the area, like the Chateau Yering (chateau-yering.com.au), a mid-19th century Victorian mansion with its own historic cellar door and gourmet restaurant, is highly recommended. It’s here that I eat like a king, drink like a fish and sleep like a baby.
Feeling refreshed and well looked after, Natalia and I make our way to Mornington Peninsula. This picturesque boot-shaped peninsula has long competed with the Yarra for tourist dollars. With its cornucopia of wineries, golf courses and beaches, the peninsula has, unsurprisingly, emerged as the top favourite among sun-worshipping Melburnians.
“The Yarra is great but Mornington Peninsula has the beaches,” says Standfield. “These are divided into two categories: the calm, family beaches on Port Philip Bay known as the ‘front beaches’ and the wildly rugged ocean beaches facing Bass Strait, or the ‘back beaches’.”
The best way to discover one of these beaches is by horseback (and yes, this also applies to inexperienced riders). As I climb onto Bart – a 19-year-old steed with the sweetest temperament – at Gunnamatta Equestrian Centre (gunnamatta.com.au), Standfield gives me the thumb’s up for good luck.
We set off for the bush, ambling past thick woody shrubs, with two stern-faced instructors in tow. The ride is pleasant enough, until one of the instructors thinks it’s a good idea to bring the horses up to a trot.
“Kick the horse. Just imagine a person you’re really angry with and give it a good kick,” she orders.
Right.
I nudge Bart as gently as I can with my boots, but not without experiencing a faint stab of guilt. He understands and promptly picks up pace. The sparse canopy of trees eventually opens up to the golden dunes of St Andrews beach, one of the back beaches that Natalia had described earlier. The crashing waves, windswept plains and deserted stretch of sand is a heart-stirring sight.
“Nobody swims here because of the strong undercurrents,” the instructor points out.
This surreal landscape, devoid of all life except flocks of seagulls and tiny scampering crabs, is made even more dreamlike by the absence of modern-day hubbub. This is my kind of place.
The art of leisure
It’s rather unfortunate, then, that I can’t stay at St Andrews forever. There is much to see and do at the peninsula.
“We have more wineries to visit,” Standfield says with a huge grin, and I perk up.
Food in Australia, particularly in the bountiful region we are in, is healthy, delicious and natural. Most Aussies know better than to contaminate their bodies with nasty five-minute-meals and artificial flavouring. Local produce, grown the natural and sustainable way, is not only treated with respect, but revered. In this respect, the Montalto Vineyard and Olive Grove (montalto.com.au) stands out for its great provincial food, with spectacular views to match.
The restaurant, recently awarded the Best Wine Tourism Experience at the Gourmet Traveller Awards, sources its ingredients from its own expansive herb, vegetable and berry garden, as well as fruit and nut orchard – all organic, of course. There are also 30 acres of vineyards and 1,500 olive trees here; hence, the name of the place.
But Montalto isn’t just a vineyard or an orchard. It is also an outdoor gallery. Between the vines and trees, the odd stone or steel sculpture stands out like an ultra-modern question mark, begging to be analysed. The restaurant has floor-to-ceiling windows so diners can chew and gawk at the same time.
After ordering the “organic dry-aged 30-day beef” for lunch, I think the owners, the Mitchells, must be leading a very charmed life.
“As silly as it sounds, we don’t do it for the money.”
It’s John Mitchell, who appears grinning by the table. Apparently, a passion for food, wine and art led the Mitchells to combine all three into their business. Some of the sculptures, it seems, are from of an annual sculpture competition that is open to artists from all over the world. The winner bags A$20,000 (RM62,013).
“Our diners usually come here with one purpose: to get away from their daily lives. We like it to stay that way, and that’s why we also encourage people to have gourmet picnics or barbeques in our gardens during summer,” says Mitchell.
As tempted as I am, the chilly weather is not at all conducive for outdoor dining. It is, however, perfect for a soak in the thermal waters of the Peninsula Hot Springs (penin sulahotsprings.com), I learn that the best strategy is to take a cue from the Russian ice-swimmers.
Run as quickly as your legs can take you, to and from the pool, and don’t forget to bring your towel along. Should you succeed in the mission, you will be rewarded with the soothing waters of the springs, filled to the brim with mineral goodness. These waters flow from an aquifer 637m below the surface, with temperatures varying from 36°C to 43°C.
The Peninsula Hot Springs boasts over 20 bathing experiences, from underground saunas to family bathing areas to hydrotherapy pools. There are also private pools for those who desire more privacy. After a 20-minute soak, I am ushered to the Spa Dreaming Centre for a Kodo massage, a rhythmic rubdown inspired by the Australian Aborigines. Kodo means “melody” in aborigine-speak, and the peninsula’s therapists are trained by Aboriginal elders.
“Leave everything behind,” instructs my masseuse softly, before performing an aboriginal smoking ceremony at the start of the massage.
And that is what I do. As she uses an expert combination of pressure point and long, spiralling strokes on me, all my worldly cares and concerns melt away like butter. For once, I am happy to let go and just be.
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