Byron is a feeling, a heartbeat with energy like no other destination in Australia. If the hippy backpacker way of experiencing Byron is no longer your style, then we recommend the luxuriously chilled-out Apartments Inn Byron way. This elegantly finished apartment style hotel, combines a central location with first class facilities, making it a great escape from a hectic urban life.
How far would you travel for dinner? It turns out I’ll travel 3 hours for some delicious dining. We recently ventured on a road trip from Melbourne for an overnight stay at Royal Mail Hotel, Dunkeld and let me tell you it was worth the trip.
If fine food and wine are on your getaway menu, then we’ve found a great escape for you in the Mornington Peninsula. Mornington Peninsula is a mecca for foodies, with wineries, restaurants, markets, art galleries, boutiques and beautiful gardens easily accessible and just one hour from Melbourne.
Arriving at Long Island via Cruise Whitsundays on a quiet Monday afternoon, only myself and another couple depart at the ferry terminal. There is an eager young man ready to greet the other party, he’s all clean cut and his monogrammed polo shirt reveals he’s from the chain hotel on the island. As they head off I see a little dingy pull up and a Robinson Crusoe-esque man leaps out with jagged shorts, no shoes and a wide straw hat – this is definitely more like it!
Long Island is one of the 74 islands of the Whitsundays. From interstate, fly into either Hamilton Island or Proserpine Airport, the resort is then easily accessible by Ferry from either Hamilton Island (30 minutes) or Airlie Beach (45 minutes) or more glamorous transport options.
Arriving at Melbourne Airport I’m advised by the rental car company that there are no cars available despite the fact that I’ve booked a car to be picked up exactly at this time. I’d love it if someone could explain how hire car companies work, as a regular road trip traveller it continues to baffle me? Surely they are like hotels, you book a room/car and it’s allocated in the system – right? After an extended delay, eventually a car arrives, but the process takes an hour longer than I’d planned. The saving grace on a frustrating experience is the rental car attendant at the exit gate who asks where I’m going and then quickly presents me with a map hand marked with directions to the Mornington Peninsula. I keep quiet on the fact I’ve already punched in the destination on my GPS, as this old school gesture just makes me happy.
