Food & TravelPERSONAL OZ
THE WELL HEALEDTRAVELLER
From post-surgery recovery to spiritual awakening, wellness tourism is the shot
SUSAN KUROSAWA
The Byron Bay Detox Retreat includes a one-week ‘purification holiday’ in Bali that brings together naturapathy, yoga, meditation, hydrotherapy, fasting and massage
The Mountain Whispers cottage Varenna in the Blue Mountains
TO recover from surgery orserious medical treatment, manyAustralians long for the kind ofprivacy and healing atmospherenot always found at home or atmainstream hotels and resorts.
Enter the prospect of ‘‘patientrecovery holidays’’, a trend beingpromoted by tourism operatorLorraine Allanson, who lives inthe Blue Mountains west ofSydney.
This region is known for itstranquil and timeless scenery andclear, invigorating air, which dec-ades ago was sold in cans to wearyholidaymakers from the plainsand still attracts urbanites fillingtheir lungs with nature’s purest.
Allanson runsMountain Whis-pers, a boutique portfolio of self-contained heritage homes forrent. In the past two years she’snoticed more of her guests haveincluded cancer and heart diseasepatients who’ve been throughlong-term treatment and are‘‘looking for a refreshing andsoothing change from city life andhospital rooms’’.
‘‘We’ve had cancer patientscome here to switch off, allowingtheir bodies and minds to heal.While the travel and hospitalityindustry caters to (those who goon) fun-driven holidays, it is
equally important tocater to thoseon recovery holidays.’’
Allanson has lost two familymembers to cancer and another isundergoing protracted treatment.She has seen ‘‘the suffering, painand loss such diseases cause’’ and‘‘understands the importance ofsupport and creating a comfort-able andsafe environmentnot justfor those who are recovering, butfor terminally ill patients whowant to create special memorieswith their loved ones’’.
Apart from providing moralsupport and special attention toher guests in recovery, Allansonhas qualified massage therapistson call and can cater to dietaryneeds in the tariff-included break-fasts. The district hospital is lessthan 2km from each property andurgent medical attention can bearranged if required. The Moun-tain Whispers range of cottagescovers Varenna, Leura Rose,Strawberry Patch and TheGatsby, all of which have beenawarded T-QUAL accreditation,the federal government’s qualitybenchmark for the tourism indus-try. Guests can expect multiplebedrooms, with space for carersand family, four-poster beds,luxury bathrooms and a deep levelof comfort.
Other tourism operators arehopping on the wellness wagonwith promises of spiritual healingand cosmetic procedures at rateswell below the Australian norm.
A collaboration between DesaSeni Resort and Byron Bay DetoxRetreats includes a one-week‘‘purification holiday’’ in Bali fromJune 14-21. Think fasting on juicemade from Desa Seni’s organicvegetable garden (supplementedby coconut water, herbal teas andbroths), yoga, meditation, colonichydrotherapy and Balinesemassage.
‘‘The retreat will bring togethernaturopathy and Balinese spiritu-ality,’’ says Natalie Purcell ofByron Bay Detox Retreats. ‘‘An
openingceremonywithaBalinesemonk or priestess will prepareretreaters for their journey.
‘‘We’ll also have consultationsand seminars about detoxificationand use specialised supplements.’’
Also in Bali, Bliss Sanctuary forWomen at Berawa, Canggu,which is 10 minutes by car north ofSeminyak, has seven-day pack-ages that focus on diagnostic andrelaxing massages, unlimitedyoga, cooking classes and optionssuch as tarot-card readings.
‘‘It’s a place in which to seek ahighly personalised version ofextreme relaxation,’’ wrote traveljournalist Helen Anderson, whorecently completed the seven-dayprogram. ‘‘I sweated, inhaled and
chanted my way through90-minute sessions of kundalini,hatha and ashtanga yoga, soundmeditation and an exhilaratingdance-like-no-one’s-watchinghybrid known as NIA (non-impact aerobics), combining mar-tial arts, yoga, nightclubbing andmeditation.’’
In southern Thailand, Asia’sonly medically licensed rehabili-tation and detoxification centre ispromoting ‘‘unique new personal-ised solutions for addictions’’.
Bhavana Phuket is billed as a‘‘boutique rehabilitation centre’’set on a beachfront estate with17 guestrooms, and claims allpatients receive ‘‘highly personal-ised treatment and focused atten-tion to ensure their recovery stayson track’’.
Bhavana Phuket’s flagshipBEAT (Bhavana Evaluation As-sessment Treatment) alcoholdetox programs can be taken for aminimum of seven days. Founderand chief executive Dr Kai Goh,an internationally acknowledgedaddiction specialist, says the pro-grams can be tailored for periodsof about 10 days to ‘‘address addic-tions to sleeping pills, prescriptiondrugs, opiates and party drugs’’.
Says Goh: ‘‘The BEAT (processof) short-term addiction manage-
ment (is for) anyone who is not yetready — or does not have the time— to commit to comprehensivetreatment.’’
The initial detox treatmentrestores the patient’s physicalhealth, says Goh, supported by aclinical team ‘‘providing a crucialopportunity to gain understand-ing and insight into the personalissues that have led to the individ-ual’s dependency’’.
Forms of anxiety, phobias andpost-traumatic stress are also dis-orders that can be treated usingBhavana’s integrated approach.
Ona lighternote,Bali is leadingthe ‘‘spa extras’’ revolution.Boutique resort Semara Semin-yak offers a 30-minute teeth-whitening service promising tomake choppers ‘‘between threeand 10 shades lighter’’ for about$170. Resort spokesman SeanWaddington says the procedure isapproved by strict European stan-dards and is safe for gums andenamel. ‘‘The spa’s experiencedtherapists use a high-intensitylamp, mouthpiece and whiteninggel with the active ingredientsodium perborate to achieve thesparkling results. The spa does notuse UV lamps or peroxide.’’
Sounds like a holiday to keepyou smiling.
R
16 THE AUSTRALIAN, TUESDAY, MAY 7, 2013www.theaustralian.com.au QUICK
BITE
DepotAuckland
The pitch?Local chef-hero Al Brown’srocking, rollicking, all-dayrestaurant is one of Auckland’shottest dining tickets.
The reality?A table here, inside or out, really isworth fighting for (there are nobookings): the place has morepositive energy than the DalaiLama. Bare tables, mismatchedcutlery in old mackerel cans andthe rest of the fun, depot-styledroom might lead you to suspectthat the big investment has beenin the food.
The cuisine?I want to eat here five nights aweek. A one-page menu kicks offwith seafood from the raw bar,moves on to local charcuterie andshare plates. It’s compact, andcompelling.
Highlights?Everything we ate. Clams andoysters served on ice shards; figtoasties with prosciutto &Kingsmeade blue and arugula;cumin-battered warehou tortillaswith slaw; and a brilliant hapukabelly with eggplant kasundi (NZhapuka is far better than ours).
The wines — 22 by the glass, allbut two from NZ. The high-energy staff, especially themanager who sweeps under thetable between sittings . . .
Lowlights?It’s a fair hike from Oz. And I’mnot too thrilled about drinkingwine from cafe glasses.
The damage?Small plates $NZ15-$NZ18, biggerplates $NZ24-$NZ32.
More: eatatdepot.co.nzNECIA WILDEN
MAXFACTOR
2012 Scorpo pinot grisMORNINGTON PENINSULA $29-$37
WHEN it’s good, pinot gris provides one of themost luxurious, hedonistic drinking experiences— the kind of rich, textural white wine thatmakes you crave pate or buttery lobster. Andthis is a good one: glorious perfume of spicednectarines, a creaminess that sits plumply on thetongue and a long, dry-ish finish. The pricesabove are for selected independent retail storesand direct from the vineyard.THE MARK-UP: The wine is available in somewine bars and restaurants for between $55 and$80 a bottle. scorpowines.com.au
MAX ALLEN
FIRST BITEJOHNLETHLEAN
ANOTHER nail in the coffin ofWestfield Sydney as a restaurantdestination? You’d have to say soas Pizza Six (nee Spiedo) quietlydisappeared last week, a long-inevitable white flag forrestaurateur/chef AlessandroPavoni of Ormeggio renown.Pavoni launched Spiedoalongside other smart diningoutlets (anyone rememberBecasse?), but ultimately realisedthe centre’s demographics wereall wrong for rustic, regionalItalian cuisine. So it wentdownmarket with pizza and pastaabout six months ago. ‘‘I justdidn’t want to do that kind of foodmyself,’’ says Pavoni. ‘‘I mean, thebusiness was good, but I prefer toconcentrate 120 per cent onOrmeggio.’’
CHEF Damien Heads ispondering his next move afterresigning from the Pony Grouplast week, a step that follows thesuccessful launch of the group’sthird restaurant, at Brisbane’sEagle Street Pier, last year. Thegroup has two other Ponyrestaurants, at Sydney’s TheRocks and Neutral Bay. Headssays the regular interstate workin Brisbane wasn’t working forhim or his young family, and thatafter the sale of the Steel Bar &Grill earlier this year, there wasless actual cooking for him thanhad previously been the case. ‘‘Ithad really just become an adminrole,’’ he says. Heads remains apartner in Pony Neutral Bay.
BRISBANE’S Moubarakbrothers, savouring a critical hitwith Gerard’s Bistro (they alsohave Fortitude Valley’s LarucheBar and West End’s LycheeLounge) are set to open their nextfood-oriented venture. Elie,Johnny and Mel Moubarak havesigned a lease to open Hatch &Co, a 150-seat venture for ‘‘home-style food’’ with wood-oven pizzaa feature, at the emerging
Gasworks urban renewalprecinct in Newstead. They hopeto be open by mid-July, althoughno head chef has been engaged asyet. An interior theme of ‘‘rawtimber, steel mesh ceilings andconcrete floors . . . willcomplement the Gasworks steelstructure’’, we’re told. With abackground in bars, Gerard’s hasproven a savvy toe in the watersof dining for the businessmen,taking out several importantawards in its first year.
IN more Brisbane movement,bistro king Philip Johnson hasfarewelled his head chefs at bothhis restaurants, Bistro OneEleven and e’cco. Who’d want tobe a boss? Norman Harvey(e’cco) has quit to join Alfred &Constance, but in a bizarre love-triangle twist, A & C’s MathiasAndersson has quit for the headchef’s position at . . . Bistro OneEleven, replacing departing headchef Damien Draper. If you’restill with me, One Eleven’s seniorsous chef Sam Brading is goingover to Johnson’s e’cco as the newhead chef. And Harvey will moveto Alfred & Constance ownerDamian Griffiths’ new pizzeriaAlfredo’s when it opens later thisyear. Phew.
‘‘NO pressure, really,’’ says PeterConistis, the Sydney chef mostclosely associated with modernGreek cuisine in that city,proving he hasn’t lost his sense ofhumour, despite career ups anddowns, as he speaks about themassive new venture inCastlereagh Street he’s frontingon behalf of Sydney’s HellenicClub. ‘‘Four million has beenspent just on reconstruction, andthat’s before we get into designand fitout. One executive chef,so, no pressure on me at all.’’ Forabout 40 years, the historic sitehas been owned by the HellenicClub, but it has been little morethan ‘‘a hotel for pigeons’’, saysConistis, who came on board asexec chef last year to turn Alpha,as the various outlets will becollectively known, into reality.The ground floor will include ameze bar, cafe, Greek cantina andproduce store. It’s due to openwithin six weeks, with designwork by Sydney’s DS17. ‘‘I’venever worked on a project at sucha grand level,’’ says Conistis. It isindeed a grand, indulgent project,for in six months, a first-floorrestaurant — as yet unnamed —will open, a place for the chef toply his trade. ‘‘I haven’t cookedfor anyone in two years,’’ he says.‘‘I cannot wait.’’
IN PERSONAL OZ TOMORROW
FASHION
Does my lapel look big in this?
The changing shape of
men’s suits
WHERE THERE’S SMOKE
Concern about a family member smoking
HEALTH
NATIONAL45%
MEN 39%
WOMEN 50%
SMOKER 5%
FORMER SMOKER 54%
NON-SMOKER 42%
SOURCE: PURE PROFILE SURVEY 2013
WO50
SM5%
FO54%
NO42%
SOU
FLYINGFLYING ALL motoristsrecognise
Australian airports as ruthlessfiscal vampires when it comesto short-term parking charges.But whether they suck themarrow from your bones or justleave you anaemic andconfused depends on location.Australian Competition &Consumer Commission figuresshow Sydney airport in 2011-12applied Dyson-like suction toits motorist victims to relievethem of $16 for the first hour,while those parking in Adelaidepaid just a quarter of thatamount. Perth was also at thelow end of the spectrum at $6an hour, while Melbournecharged $12 and the parkingNosferatu in Brisbanelevied $14.
STEVE CREEDY
FASHIONFASHION JULESLander spent
a year travelling and collectinggorgeous pieces ofcontemporary jewellery fromcities including New York,London and Milan. To meetthe appetite of fellowjewellery lovers wanting toavoid the jetlag, she has sincevery kindly started an onlinestore, Eve Adorned, show-casing the work of some ofthe designers she discoveredduring her travels, includingAnton Heunis, RebekahPrice and Katerina Psoma(Serpent earrings, $192,pictured). The Eve Exclusivesection features one-offdesigns. Everything is prettymuch in the ‘‘statement’’realm of jewellery, so beprepared to make an impact.Head to eveadorned.com if youwant to yield to temptation.
GLYNIS TRAILL-NASH
CARSCARS ONE of the year’shottest segments is
compact SUVs, which coulddo to hatchbacks what big off-roaders have already done tolarge sedans. They offer acommand driving positionand plenty of space, buttake up no more roomthan a small car. With adozen models, demand isup 21 per cent to date andthe Hyundai ix35 is topwith one in four buyers.However, a flood of fresh
product from August willmultiply choices, with
newcomers including theHolden Trax and sibling carthe Opel Mokka (pictured)just confirmed, plus theNissan Juke and Peugeot2008, while the FordEcoSport and Renault
Captur are due early next year.PHILIP KING
GADGETSGADGETS WANT achatty caddy
sitting on your wrist, on yourbelt or hat? GolfBuddy hasreleased the Voice+, a tiny GPSrangefinder that’s preloadedwith more than 36,000 golfcourses worldwide and morethan 1000 in Australia. Buttonpresses tell you distances to thefront, centre and back of thegreen, based on GPS position. Itautomatically recognises thecourse and hole you are on, andhas a dynamically rotating viewof the green. It will speakdistances in any of 10 languagesor you can view them.Promised battery life is 11 hours,enough for two rounds of golf,and it’s tournament approved.$220.
CHRIS GRIFFITH
FITNESSFITNESS HITTING thepavement for a
run burns fat like nothing else,but as the mercury plunges, itgets harder to find the motiva-tion. One solution is to have agoal, such as one of the dozensof fun runs around the nation.Give yourself at least eightweeks to train and stick to aprogram. Here are someoptions: City2South (Brisbane,June 16, city2south.com.au);City to Surf (Sydney, Aug 11,city2surf.com.au); City-BayFun Run (Adelaide, Sept 15,city-bay.org.au); Sydney Run-ning Festival (Sept 22, sydney-runningfestival.com.au); Mel-bourne Marathon Festival(Oct 13, melbournemarathon.-com.au); Bridges Fun Run(Perth, April 7, wamc.org.au).
WALLY MASON
