The NSW Central Western city of Bathurst will stage its inaugural Artisan Trades Trail on May 13-14, celebrating 20 age-old crafts at 10 historic sites.
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The weekend will feature special events, reenactments, exhibitions, demonstrations and workshops as indigenous elders, bonnet-makers, lace-makers, wood-artists and textile-makers showcase their skills.
The Artisan Trades Trail will become a new annual event for Bathurst every May.
The historic sites include Abercrombie House, Chifley Home, Miss Traill’s House, Old Government Cottage and Bathurst District Historical Museum.
Visit www.autumncolours.com.au
From May 20 to August 31, guests who book into Lord Howe Island’s upmarket Capella Lodge can stay seven nights for the price of six and also receive free return QantasLink flights from Sydney or Brisbane.
Those who book the package before May 7 will also receive a complimentary suite upgrade.
The seven-night package is priced from $4500 per person twin-share, including the free flights and bonus night, gourmet breakfasts, sunset drinks and canapés, open bar with premium wines and spirits from 6pm, dinners, use of mountain bikes and island airport transfers.
The property features commanding views of Lord Howe’s dramatic twin mountains and the world’s most southerly coral reef.
Phone 9918 4355 or visit www.lordhowe.com
Company sources reckon that it’s business as usual at Mantra Club Croc and Mantra Boathouse Apartments at Airlie Beach following a swift clean-up in the wake of Cyclone Debbie, with both properties faring pretty well during the recent nasty weather.
The recently refurbished and rebranded Mantra Club Croc is offering a ‘Stay and Save’ package with rooms starting from $107 per night for a minimum three-night stay.
The offer is valid for sale until September 30 and for travel until March 31 next year.
Mantra Club Croc is situated close to the beachfront and Abell Point Marina, and features a range of new and improved amenities such as a large lagoon pool with an adjoining spa, and locally inspired cuisine at the hotel’s new contemporary poolside restaurant and bar.
Phone 131 517 or visit www.mantra.com.au
The Old Bank Boutique Hotel, at Mittagong in the NSW Southern Highlands, is marking the 125th birthday of the grand, historic property with a discounted package.
The package is available for stays until June 30 and is priced from $680 per couple on weekdays and $785.50 per couple on weekends, including two nights accommodation, cooked country breakfasts each morning and a three-course dinner for two at the hotel on one evening, including a bonus bottle of wine.
The two-storey property was built in 1892 and operated as a bank and manager’s residence for many years. It has been painstakingly restored by local owners Warwick and Barbara Wainberg.
It boasts rich furnishings, lofty ceilings, a grand cedar staircase, hand-carved wood panelling, individually designed rugs, polished floorboards, and leather Chesterfields.
Phone 02 4872 4496 or visit www.oldbankhotel.com.au
The new ‘Blue Derby Pods Ride’ is a three-day guided mountain-biking tour in north-eastern Tasmania for small groups of eight people, using about 100 kilometres of trails around Derby, Blue Tier and Weldborough.
Riders will sleep in architecturally designed eco-sensitive pods for two, feeling as if they have been levitated above the forest floor.
Dining will be in a central hub surrounded by quintessential Tasmanian bush, with views down to the Cascade River Valley and beyond.
Guests will be treated to some of Tasmania’s finest produce, with a menu specially created by local chef Daniel Alps.
The excursion is priced from $1750 per person ex Launceston, including accommodation, all meals and beverages, two qualified guides, three days mountain-bike and gear hire, plus luggage storage.
John Rozentals is a freelance writer whose passions are travel, food and wine. He lives at Molong in the Central West of NSW, from where he hosts Oz Baby Boomers, a lifestyle-resource for mature Australians, and Molong Online.