Australia

Walkabout on Australian soil

According to Aborigine tradition, there is a time when a child has to leave to explore the expanse of the Australian bush and the hostile Outback country in order to become a man. The colonists too explored these territories, and today travellers from all over the world rush to Australia to discover this country, its ancestral customs, its spirituality and its breathtaking landscapes. It’s always with unbridled emotion that visitors, from the terraces of their luxury hotels, watch the sunset, whether it’s the deep purple of the crests of Flinders Ranges, the skyline of Sydney or the horizon of the Pacific Ocean with its rolling waves that carry surfers back to the shores of its magnificent beaches.

Modern Sydney

Sydney is modern, glamorous and economically dynamic with every possible feature one could imagine in a capital city, often taking the spotlight away from Canberra, the official capital of Australia. Posh and avant-garde Sydney owes its great cultural wealth to a great many museums as well as other strong symbolic sites like the Opera house in the form of a monumental white sail, designed by Danish architect, Jorn Utzon, a building as emblematic of Sydney as the Eiffel Tower is to Paris. Other landmarks are Bondy Beach in the heart of the city center, one of the world’s most beautiful beaches, and for peace and quiet, the Royal Botanic Garden, a magnificent green space with plant species from all over the world; the ideal spot for picnics and romantic strolls. Another very popular area with the strange aborigine name of  Woolloomoolloo, is a marina whose quays are part of one of the city’s oldest quarters, recently besieged with high priced lofts. Near the legendary Harry’s Wheels Café, the Blue Sydney is in perfect sync with the surrounding lofts. Huge light and airy spaces, metal beams, glass domes and lacquered wood combine to make the hotel a veritable jewel of sophistication.

Melbourne, where life is gentle

Like Sydney, Melbourne, the cultural capital of Victoria, is a cosmopolitan, dynamic and very trendy destination. The blend of Victorian, Gothic and Art Deco styles combined with modern glass skyscrapers give this port city a highly varied architectural appearance. The Bourgeois-Bohemian quarter of Saint-Kilda, facing the sea, with its numerous cafés, restaurants      and charming boutiques is home to The Prince, the most chic hotel in the city. Its décor of neutral, sophisticated and minimalist tones, with furniture by the greatest names in contemporary design, provide the setting for relaxed luxury.

A seaside paradisiaque

Byron Bay, located in the caldera of an old volcano, is filled with positive energy and palpable spirituality according to the Arakwal Aborigines, the ancestral inhabitants of the site. Well known as an important surf spot, Byron Bay provides a magnificent setting for lovers of the waves and for visitors wishing to recharge their batteries and feel in perfect harmony with nature. It’s here that we find the Byron at Byron hotel, whose green and Zen like décor integrates perfectly with the superb tropical forest around the resort.

Uluru and Flinders Ranges : au cœur de l'outback

Uluru is a sacred site inhabited by the ancestral aborigine Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara peoples. The Ulura-K  ata Tjuta is classified as a UNESCO world heritage. The Uluru or Ayers Rock, a monolith with varied tones of ochre and purple, rises up in the middle of the desert like zone of the Northern Territory.

The Longitude 131° eco-lodge blends discreetly into this semi-arid landscape and pays tribute to the former explorers of the Outback, the Australian back country, with white canvas roofs, varnished wooden explorers’ objects, photographs of the period and a sober atmosphere. Excursions within the national park, enable guests to meet aborigines and discover the ancestral heritage of this incredible region. Further south, between the vast desert plains of Adelaide, Lake Torrens, Lake From and Lake Callabonna, we find the majestic Flinders Ranges. Very popular with hikers, the Flinders offers visitors an exceptional view of the Outback, especially for those willing to climb up to Wilpena Pound. This undulating setting is an excellent starting point for the discovery of the Australian bush’s flora and fauna. To prepare for these excursions, there’s nothing like a visit to the Prairie or the Rawnsley Park Station hotel, with a stunning combination of authenticity, eco-luxury, aborigine cave paintings and engravings, and traditional Australian cuisine.