13 Dec 2017
The city of Melbourne and state of Victoria are gearing up for the summer season with exciting news and openings. Visitors can meet the new koala joey at Healesville Sanctuary, jump on Melbourne's latest art trams, enjoy a delicious meal at some of Australia's top restaurants and stay overnight in a new luxurious tent in Victoria's 'outback'.
Mornington Peninsula's anticipated art, food and sculpture park Pt. Leo Estate now open
Set over 134 hectares on the southern-most tip of the Mornington Peninsula, Pt. Leo Estate is a captivating celebration of art, nature, design, food and wine which opened its doors in October. A cultural and culinary haven of many spectacular parts, Pt. Leo Estate features a monumental cellar door, 110-seat restaurant and what many consider Australia's foremost sculpture park – all with stunning views over Western Port Bay to Phillip Island.
Designed by prominent Melbourne architectural and interior design firm Jolson, the semi-circular cellar door and restaurant is set on the highest point of the property. Offering a wine list with a focus on Victorian producers, Pt. Leo Estate Restaurant is an informal, a la carte venue with a central wood-fired oven that lends itself to a seasonal menu designed for friends and family to share. It is surrounded by a sculpture park featuring a private collection of over 50 large-scale contemporary local and international works, which will continue to grow and evolve over coming years.
It's a boy! Healesville Sanctuary welcomes a new koala which visitors can help name!
Healesville Sanctuary, in the heart of the Yarra Valley, has recently welcomed its newest member to the park's koala family. The koala joey is only seven months old and has just begun to peek out from his mum's warm pouch. Born to mum Emily and dad Dindi, the little joey will be riding his mum's back for the delight of all guests. Visitors can help the park choose the koala's name by visiting:
https://www.zoo.org.au/name-our-new-bundle-of-koala-cuteness
Healesville Sanctuary, just an hour away from Melbourne, is one of the best places in Victoria to see Australian wildlife in their natural habitat. As well as koalas, the Sanctuary is home to a great variety of kangaroos, wombats, emus, dingoes, birds of prey and platypus – making it an ideal place for a fun day out for the whole family.
New pools to award-winning Peninsula Hot Springs
Award-winning hot springs and spa centre Peninsula Hot Springs will unveil seven new pools and an amphitheatre – designed to host concerts, talks, demonstrations and wellness activities – in early 2018. Located 90 minutes from Melbourne on the Mornington Peninsula, Peninsula Hot Springs is Victoria's first geothermal thermal mineral springs and day spa and offers more than 20 globally-inspired bathing experiences. Further to the redevelopment, a new 'Fire and Ice' experience will enable guests to try hot/cold therapy via two large saunas, an ice cave and plunge pool. Peninsula Hot Springs have won the World's Best Mineral Spa Award in 2014, 2015 and 2016.
Melbourne's art trams roll out!
Visitors to Melbourne can now jump aboard one of the eight art trams that are currently going through the city's streets. The first colourful tram that was put into service in October was “Tramjatra”, designed by Lucknow-born artist Bushra Hasan (image) and inspired by Indian street and tribal art. The other seven art trams that can be spotted in the city have been designed by artists Matthew Clarke, Oliver Hutchison, Justine McAllister, Josh Muir, Robert Owen and St Albans Heights Primary School's Community Hub. They will stay on the tracks until April 2018. Visitors can track the trams by downloading the tramTRACKER app and entering the tram ID.
https://www.festival.melbourne/2017/events/melbourne-art-trams/#.WghIk1Vl_IV
HOTEL NEWS
Balgownie Estate adds 15 new luxurious tents in Bendigo
Balgownie Estate Bendigo is launching a new “glamping” accommodation offering. From February 2018, visitors to the region will be able to stay IN one of the 15 new luxurious tents, which offer stunning views of the vineyards and countryside Victoria. There are three types of tents: 'Bell Tent' for up to two guests, 'Bell Tent Twin' and 'Luxury Safari Tent' for up to four guests – all categories are ideal for those who love the outdoors but still enjoy the luxuries of a hotel. Each tent offers luxury queen size beds and a private outdoor decking area with an outdoor lounge setting for relaxing and taking in the views, amongst other facilities.
Balgownie Estate was one of the pioneers of commercial winemaking in Bendigo, first planting vines in 1969. Bendigo is a buzzing historic city in the Goldfields famous for its rich history, grand architecture and magnificent gardens. It is located just two hours north from Melbourne. Tents start at $205 per night.
www.balgownieestatebendigo.com
New properties: The Chen and the Mitchelton Hotel
The Chen (image) has become the latest addition to The Art Series hotel group, which features five other properties in Victoria. The hotel, located in Box Hill, just outside Melbourne's city centre, features 100 open-planned and apartment style suites, a rooftop pool with sundeck, a gym and conference and events facilities. The Chen, designed by celebrated Australian abstract artist Zhong Chen, reflects and celebrates the ethnic diversity of this area of Melbourne.
December 1 saw the opening of the Mitchelton Hotel, the latest offering from Mitchelton – makers of fine wine. Located on the banks of the Goulburn River, in the High Country, this luxury boutique hotel offers 58 spacious rooms (including four luxury suites), a day spa, an infinity pool and a 9km hiking/cycling track. The property, designed by internationally-renowned architecture and interior design firm Hecker Guthrie, sits alongside the Mitchelton's Muse Restaurant, The Ministry of Chocolate Café and the Mitchelton Winery, one of the most popular in Victoria's foodie region.
www.artserieshotels.com.au/chen / www.mitchelton.com.au
RESTAURANT & FOOD NEWS
Victorian venues and professionals shine in national Good Food Guide Awards
The recent Good Food Guide 2018 has featured a number of Victorian venues and professionals who are adding to the dynamic culinary scene, including Coffee Restaurant of the Year, Bar of the Year and Young Chef of the Year, proving the region to be the ultimate foodie hotspot.
These awards have named Arlechin as Australia's Bar of the Year. Located in one of Melbourne's famous laneways, Arlechin is Guy Grossi's latest late-night bar, offering sharp cocktails and great wine.
Attica, a Ripponlea fine-diner 20-minute drive from Melbourne's CBD, was named Vittoria Coffee Restaurant of the Year, having been named number 32 in the World Top 50 Restaurants earlier this year. Attica chef Kylie Millar was also named 'Young Chef of the Year'.
Raul Moreno Yague was also awarded accolade of 'Sommelier of the Year', for his work in Melbourne laneway newcomer and Italian restaurant, Osteria Ilaria. Raul boasts experience cooking in Marco Pierre White's Mirabelle kitchen, a Masters in Viticulture and a stage at Thomas Keller's Bouchon at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas and now lectures in wine viticulture at the University of Melbourne alongside his sommelier role.
www.attica.com.au / www.arlechin.com.au / www.osteriailaria.com
Wickens at the Royal Mail Hotel opens in the Grampians
A new addition to the family-run Royal Mail Hotel in picturesque Dunkeld (Grampians) has been unveiled in the form of Wickens restaurant, which has been built in a new location on the property, positioned on the southern tip of the Grampians. Opened in early November, Wickens upholds the tradition of the award-winning Royal Mail Hotel dining room by continuing the five and eight course menu options that reflect locality and available produce growing in the hotel's kitchen garden. In addition, the new setting of the restaurant now includes an in kitchen Chef's Table and a wine corridor showcasing a selection the extensive wine cellar, which holds the largest privately-owned collection of Bordeaux and Burgundy in the Southern Hemisphere. Designed by Bryne Architects, a Melbourne-based design studio, the overall concept was shaped by floor to ceiling windows that provide views to Mt Sturgeon and Mt Abrupt, creating a structure that conveys the connection between the restaurant and the natural environment.
http://royalmail.com.au/dining-room/
Overlook, Melbourne's new Kubrick-inspired eatery
Melbourne's iconic and much-loved Astor Theatre has recently welcomed Overlook, a brand-new Kubrick-inspired café and bar whose name is taken from the famous hotel of Stanley Kubrick's 1980 film, The Shining. Overlook offers a selection of curated food and drinks which celebrates some of Melbourne's most coveted producers and suppliers, including pastries by Ned's Bake in nearby South Yarra, Doughboy donuts and vegan cupcakes by Baking Bad and pies by Harrow and Eaton. Located just south of the hustle and bustle of the Windsor end of Chapel Street, Outlook features an art deco style in line with the existing look and feel of The Astor, a heritage-listed cinema which opened in 1936 and is part of Melbourne history.
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For information on visiting Melbourne and the Australian state of Victoria please go to: www.visitmelbourne.com and www.australiaroadtrip.co.uk
For media enquiries contact Enrique Martin, Harriet Webb and Debbie Hindle at Four Communications: VisitVictoria@fourcommunications.com / 020 3697 4200
