Experience an authentic outback festival
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It was once the town where bullock teams passed through and shearers spilled from bar windows.
Today, Cunnamulla, in Outback Queensland, is known for its natural beauty, outback hospitality and one famous week at the end of August when cowboys and bull riders, shearers and stockmen, foodies, travellers, music lovers and visitors from all over Australia converge to celebrate the Cunnamulla Fella Festival.
A larrikin-inspired country celebration starring live entertainment, bushman challenges, music, motorbikes, horse, plus the PBR Bull Ride - otherwise known as 'the toughest sport on dirt' - the Cunnamulla Fella Festival is about as outback and as authentic as any experience could be.
The Cunnamulla Fella Festival events begin from August 24, with the festival proper from Saturday, August 30 to Sunday September 1. Visit cunnamullafellafestival.com.au
Stay in a piece of history
The Granary at Tasmania's Richmond Hill offers boutique heritage accommodation in a country setting.
The convict-built stone building dates back to the early 1800s near the quaint country town of Cressy, a 20-minite drive from Launceston. Guests can enjoy the space in the two queen suites and two single beds that are available.
A shared kitchen provides equipment for cooking your own meals - to be enjoyed in front of the wood fire in the shared lounge. The dining room seats six people and three large sofas offer cosy respite at the end of the day.
Guests are welcome to wander through The Granary orchard and pick fruit from the trees.
Glamping in Kakadu
Kakadu's new glamping village, Dreaming@HomeBillabong, will open on July 1, offering high-quality accommodation that combines the rustic attraction of the 'bush' with modern creature comforts.
Established on its own exclusive site in the grounds of Cooinda Lodge Camping Ground, Dreaming@HomeBillabong offers 20 permanent upmarket Outback Retreat tents, set beneath a canopy of shady trees.
Along with 10 glamping tents for couples, there are 10 tents with a separate annex of bunk beds, making them ideal for families and friends travelling together.
The new glamping tents are built on an elevated platform to ensure year-round usability and minimal environmental impact. The canvas tents have one solid wall, a glass front door and a deck with outdoor furniture.
All bedding features high-quality mattresses, toppers and linen. Rates for the glamping tents during the peak season will be from $229 per night for a couples' tent.
Visit www.kakadutourism.com
Cruise the Caribbean
In September next year, Ecruising is offering a 19-night 'Caribbean Mardi Gras' journey, with 15 nights on board Mardi Gras, the latest offering from Carnival, which will see guests cruising through the Caribbean, topped and tailed with stays in downtown New York and Florida's coastal city of Orlando.
Set to debut in early 2020, Mardi Gras has been designed with fun and entertainment in mind. Along with its state-of-the-art rooms, the ship will feature six themed areas packed with experiences for eating, drinking and having fun, including the thrilling BOLT™ - claimed to be the first rollercoaster at sea.
There will be stopovers at places such as: the Dominican Republic's Amber Cove, home to the country's only cable car; the Puerto Rican capital of San Juan, where passengers can take a horse-ride through the rainforest or hop on the Xtreme zipline; and St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands for a chance to parasail above its stunning beaches.
Priced from $5339 per person twin-share, the 19-night journey includes return international economy airfares, all accommodation, and transfers in New York and Orlando.
Phone 1300 369 848 or visit www.ecruising.travel
Landscape for die for
A new destination marketing organisation, Destination: Death Valley Junction, has been created to inform visitors of the variety of lodging and sightseeing available in the region, including tours providing transportation.
Death Valley Junction, with a population of fewer than four people, is a speck of a Mojave Desert community just east of the of Death Valley National Park. Its website showcases both natural and manmade places to become immersed in the landscape and includes 19 bookable lodging options as well as tour options.
One major attraction is the Amargosa Opera House, made famous by Marta Beckett, a ballerina who performed to a small but packed house of delighted visitors for 50 years.
Visit www.destinationdvj.com
Macao dining, in Sydney
Macao and its fusion food will be one of the star attractions at the prestigious 2019 Good Food and Wine Show, International Convention Centre Sydney, from June 21-23.
As a designated UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, the Asian centre will have a virtual kitchen at the annual consumer show, preparing and serving visitors such traditional Macanese favourites as african chicken and minchi along with ever-popular signature dessert, serradura.
Macanese food is considered one of the world's earliest forms of fusion cuisine, dating back to the sixteenth century when the first Portuguese seafarers settled in this corner of China. Its mix of Portuguese, Chinese, South East Asian and African ingredients ensures the cuisine's uniqueness to the region.
Phone (02) 9261 1488 or visit www.visitmacao.com.au.