Page 5 - One Green Leaf Design

food bites | 6
All aboard for our
MasterClasses
Imagine a deliciously di erent journey, dedicated to the unru ed enjoyment of food, wine, conversation and all the luxury you could desire onboard a train.
Imagine a celebrity chef–a culinary genius–serving up plate after plate after plate, as you work your way through a uniquely created, delectable menu.
Imagine retiring to your own private cabin and soaking up the breathtaking scenery of Queensland’s east coast as it rolls by.
Imagine waking up to the warm north Queensland sun and whiling the day away on an island in the Whitsundays.
Can you imagine yourself doing this for four days? Ask your taste buds what they think. Maybe check with your palate too. Do not forget your feet either, as you will be o them for most of the time. Your neck, back and shoulders would probably appreciate the relaxation time as well.
Well, stop imagining and let your mind have a rest too. Turn your dream in to a reality by hopping on board one
of Queensland Rail Travel’s MasterClass journeys. Whether you are a foodie, a wine bu , or just someone looking for
an amazing experience, these exclusive departures have something for everybody.
The chefs we have on board for MasterClass this year are a veritable who’s who of the industry.
Andrew Mirosch is a familiar face from his presenting
roles on Channel Seven’s Queensland Weekender and Creek to Coast shows. He has over 20 years experience in professional kitchens, and is currently Executive Chef at the award-winning Restaurant Lurleen’s at Sirromet Winery.
Andrew hosted our rst two MasterClass adventures last year and loved the experience so much, he has come back for more in 2012.
Former MasterChef nalist Alana Lowes recently had her rst MasterClass experience, taking an enthusiastic group
in Queenslander Class on The Sunlander up to Proserpine and then on to Hamilton Island.
Alana enjoyed the refreshing change of sitting back and relaxing on the train.
Despite the challenge of cooking in a con ned area on the move, she managed to serve up a degustation menu including: Queensland sand or mud crab in a cucumber and mint essence; con t duck salad with blood orange, avocado, pomegranate and nasturtium owers; spice scented dorper free range lamb with harissa gemotola, white bean puree and caramelised roast pumpkin; and chocolate and pistachio slice with chocolate mousse and honeycomb shards for dessert. They sound amazing, look even better, and, as for taste; well, it’s hard to nd the right adjective to describe how good it was. She is well and truly on her way to becoming a master chef.
Dominique Rizzo has been on our screens on the Channel Ten show Ready, Steady, Cook, and she is looking to bring
her love of Italian cuisine and fresh produce to MasterClass guests when she hosts her rst adventure towards the end of the year.
There are so many things to love about the MasterClass concept, but, above all, it
is promoting Queensland produce, Queensland wine, and Queensland destinations. Throw in a couple of days’ relaxation in stunning spots like Hervey Bay and Hamilton Island, and you might even have a great idea for a holiday.
Imagine that!
Executive Chef Andrew Mirosch Brisbane to Hervey Bay
10–13 August 2012 From $1369*
MasterChef nalist
Alana Lowes
Brisbane to Hamilton Island
18–21 October 2012 from $2199*
Celebrity Chef
Dominique Rizzo
Brisbane to Hamilton Island
22–25 November 2012 from $2199*
To peruse the unique and extensive itineraries for each MasterClass, call 1300 139 812
or email holiday@qr.com.au
Terms: *Minimum passengers required for tour to operate. Chef allocated for departures subject to change, names correct at time of print. Ask your travel agent for more details
food bites | 7
Executive Chef Andrew Mirosch
Celebrity Chef Dominique Rizzo
MasterChef nalist Alana Lowes
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Welcome to the second edition of our very own Queensland Rail Travel magazine, Embark.
With the start of the new year, there are plenty of exciting changes in store for our customers, but before we ook ahead, I think it’s de nitely worthwhile looking back
at what has been an incredibly successful 12 months for Queensland Rail Travel.
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The oods and Cyclone Yasi provided a sobering start to the year and devastated many of the communities we service. Our networks were soon restored, though, and we got on with the job of connecting family
and friends, as well as providing holidaymakers with an opportunity to see Queensland’s unique holiday experiences.
Speaking of travellers, our All the holiday you
can take campaign has been nothing short of a resounding success. We’ve always been able to
get them from point A to point B, but the dynamic changed this year with Queensland Rail Travel winning over the hearts and minds of the holiday traveller. More and more people are discovering that rail travel is about more than just the destination; the journey can also be part of your holiday experience.
The Sunlander and Tilt Train services received the most attention in 2011. We’re just a couple of years away from launching the new Sunlander, due in early 2014, and our Tilt Trains are looking better than ever, thanks to the indigenous art which now adorns the carriages on two of the consists.
There’s an exciting initiative coming up in 2012 for customers who want to explore inland Queensland on the iconic Spirit of the Outback train. From the end
of March, all meals will be included in the fare for a single or twin sleeping berth, while those guests will also be given exclusive access to the restaurant and lounge cars. It will add a special touch for the journey west to our spectacular outback.
Queensland Rail Travel is always looking at ways to make your experience with us more memorable, and our Queenslander Class customers on The Sunlander will be greeted with some modern day technology. Tablet computers will be available on request, so whether you’re travelling with us for work or pleasure, I’m sure you’ll be able to put them to good use.
Enjoy reading about what else Queensland Rail Travel has to o er in Embark and make the most of your relaxing journey with us.
Acting CEO Queensland Rail
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Contents
3 Tilt Train indigenous art
Discover a rolling artwork that snakes up
and down the Queensland coastline
6 Kuranda Scenic Railway
The building of Australia’s most beautiful railway
8 A hare-raising train journey outback
The Gul ander o ers a journey with a di erence
10 Theultimateman-cation
Visit the Tropical North and escape with the boys
14 Loveisintheair
Indulge in a romantic interlude in The Whitsundays
16 Cleanescape
The Fraser Coast o ers more for the green traveller
20 A train journey with a (delicious) di erence
The Sunlander and Spirit of the Outback o er
a travel foodies heaven
24 Ourtopthingstoseeanddo 26 Puzzlepages
Brisbane
Central railway station, Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane Transit Centre, Roma Street, Brisbane
Bundaberg
Bundaberg railway station,
Cnr Bourbong & McLean Streets, Bundaberg
Cairns
Cairns railway station, Bunda Street, Cairns
Caboolture
Caboolture railway station,
Matthew Terrace, Caboolture
Gladstone
Gladstone railway station,
Cnr Tank & Tooloola Streets, Gladstone
Gold Coast
Robina railway station, Bayberry Lane, Robina
Gympie
Old Gympie railway station, Tozer Street, Gympie Mackay
Mackay railway station, Connors Road, Paget Maryborough
Old Maryborough railway station,
Lennox Street, Maryborough
Nambour
Nambour railway station, Civic Way,
Nambour Central
Rockhampton
Rockhampton railway station,
George Street, Rockhampton
Toowoomba
Toowoomba railway station,
Railway & Russel Streets, Toowoomba
Townsville
Old Townsville railway station, Flinders Street, Townsville
3235 1323 3235 1331 4153 9709
4036 9250 5498 3680
4976 4324
5554 9539 5483 0309 4952 7418 4123 9264
5453 8200 4932 0242 4631 3381 4772 8358
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Editor-in-Chief Kylie Tait
Advertising Executive Brian Clinton
Queensland Rail Travel
queenslandrailtravel.com.au
Email story ideas and feedback to: embark@qr.com.au
EMBARK is proud to be printed on Sovereign Silk, proudly made FSC certi ed by Hankuk paper who also carry the
ISO 14001 EMS accreditation. Manufactured with elemental chlorine free pulps and now available as optional Carbon Neutral for an additional extra charge. Full ‘cradle to grave’ LCA completed according to international standards.
Queensland Rail Limited ABN 71 132 181 090 Travel Agent Lic. No. QLD 327 4957 QR4091.3_0212
0408 794 312 0488 748 577 1800 872 467
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explore see and do | 19 There’s not an angler in Australia who doesn’t want
to hook up to a barramundi, the country’s iconic sport sh. A handsome sh with gleaming silver anks and a powerful paddle tail, the barramundi’s tendency to leap out of the water in head-shaking de ance makes it a thrill to catch.
Many shing folk think they have to travel to remote locations in the Northern Territory or Far North Queensland to tangle with these formidable sh. But some of the best barra shing in the country is easily
It’s because of its diversity. Nowhere else can boast a con uence of spectacular reef shing, blue-water sport shing, superb freshwater action and beach and estuary shing.
Myriad locations o er opportunities to catch tropical trophies such as saratoga, coral trout, sweetlip, barra and mangrove jack, while at the same time there are kids’ favourites including bream, whiting and athead aplenty.
Charter boats operating out of Gladstone take clients out to the sh-rich Swains Reef system—renowned as a hot spot for big red emperor—the Curtis and Facing islands and the 20 or more reefs and islands of the Capricorn and Bunker groups.
O shore and reef shing options are also available at Bundaberg, notably the Woodgate Arti cial Reef, the Four Mile Reef and Cochrane Arti cial Reef.
Town of 1770 and Bustard Head o er rock shing stretching more than 3km out to sea. Four iconic Australian sh inhabit Rockhampton’s Fitzroy River system. Barramundi can be found in both the fresh and saltwater reaches of the river. Yellowbelly ourish upstream of Rockhampton, saratoga are native to the Dawson River and Murray cod lurk in the huge Lake Maraboon, at Emerald.
The Central Queensland region is home to one of the great shing quests—the Bass to Barra Trail. This series of freshwater shing hot spots will take you on the shing adventure of your life.
The trail tracks through the hinterland of South Burnett, from Lake Barambah (Bjelke-Petersen Dam) just south of Murgon, then west to Lake Boondooma. From there the adventure heads north along the Burnett Highway to the pristine waters of Lake Wuruma and further north to Lake Cania, near the beautiful Cania Gorge National Park.
Your shing journey will take you north to the majestic view that is Lake Callide, just outside Biloela, and to the east you will experience the untouched beauty of Lake Awoonga.
The Bruce Highway will lead you south to your next shing dream destination—Lake Monduran. This massive lake is the largest of the destinations on the trail, situated just north of Gin Gin.
Directly south of Lake Monduran are the dazzling waters of Paradise Dam, in the North Burnett Region.
4 Day 1770 Beach Escape
explore see and do | 20
Heading east, you come to the buzzing city of
Hervey Bay and the nal impoundment of this grand shing adventure. Just west of Hervey Bay is the delightful Lake Lenthall.
The other factor that makes Central Queensland an absolute winner for shing enthusiasts is the variety of things to do for their partners who aren’t interested in wetting a line.
Note: Freshwater shing permits are required for all stocked impoundments in Queensland. Permits can be arranged online at qld.gov.au
nowhere else boasts spectacular reef shing, blue-water sport shing, superb freshwater action and beach and estuary shing
accessible in the dams and rivers of Central Queensland.
In fact, two locations—Lake Awoonga, near Gladstone,
and Lake Monduran, south of there near Gin Gin—are quickly gaining legendary status as the home of monster barramundi, with sh in excess of 30kg not uncommon.
Those giants are the result of
Leave it all behind with a journey on the high speed Tilt Train. Enjoy staying in one of the most beautiful places along the Queensland coast, with accommodation nestled alongside a north facing beach and protected by
a natural headland. Spend a day at the beach like never before, with an amphibious adventure across waterways and down endless stretches of sand. Inclusions:
• Return economy class travel on the Tilt Train from Brisbane to Miriam Vale • 3 nights accommodation Sandcastles 1770 Motel & Resort
• Full day LARC Paradise Tour
• Return transfers from Miriam Vale train station
• 3 breakfasts, 1 morning tea, 1 lunch.
From only $725* per person twin share. Visit queenslandrailtravel.com.au
* Prices are per person twin share, adult price, including GST. Rates based on low season. Subject to availability and change without notice. Valid for sale and travel until 31 March 2012. Prices are correct at time of print.
Booking conditions apply. Queensland Rail Limited ABN 71 132 181 090 Travel Agent Lic. No. QLD 327 4957
Charter Barra shing at Lake Awoonga
Beach shing a relaxing way to spend the day
a ngerling stocking program that has seen millions of juvenile sh poured into the
region’s water impoundments, enhancing what was already a shing paradise. Lake Awoonga is open for shing all year round, although bag limits apply. Take your own boat or hire one from the charter operators at the lake.
If you think that catching a stocked sh is cheating, barramundi roam wild in the estuaries and rivers
up and down the Capricorn Coast. But shing opportunities in Central Queensland aren’t just about barramundi. This part of Queensland could mount a strong argument for claiming to be the best shing playground in Australia.
line and sinker
Central Queensland o ers plenty to lure anglers, and once there they will nd themselves caught, writes Rory Gibson
natural
Discover your own nature in the beautiful Whitsundays region, both by land and by sea, writes Sarah Nicholson
7 Day Whitsundays Wonders
Enjoy the pleasure of travelling aboard The Sunlander. Soak up the local delights of Airlie Beach. Cruise the crystal clear waters of the Whitsundays with a fully guided tour, then explore its magical islands either with company or on your own. Tour into the world of the saltwater crocodile and the region’s other wildlife, with
a cruise up the Proserpine River and into the nationally listed Goorganga wetlands and melaleuca forest.
Inclusions:
• Overnight twin sleeper travel on The Sunlander from Brisbane to Proserpine
• Coach transfer to Airlie Beach
• 5 nights hotel accommodation Club Crocodile Airlie Beach
• Two island cruise with Cruise Whitsundays
• Whitsunday Crocodile Safari
• 5 breakfasts, 2 lunches.
From only $905* per person twin share. Visit queenslandrailtravel.com.au
* Prices are per person twin share, adult price, including GST. Rates based on low season. Subject to availability and change without notice. Valid for sale and travel until 31 March 2012. Prices are correct at time of print. Booking conditions apply. Queensland Rail Limited ABN 71 132 181 090 Travel Agent Lic. No. QLD 327 4957
destination travel stay play | 5 Nothing is more
I’m having lunch at one of the Whitsundays’ most exclusive dining locations. From my waterside seat, where rippling waves wash over my toes as the tide turns, I have an uninterrupted view across the channel that sits between
the Molle islands and the Conway Conservation Park on the mainland
near Airlie Beach.
As I feast on a plate of locally grown mango, pineapple and bananas that somehow seem sweeter here than at home, the sunset turns the Coral Sea
a remarkable shade of sapphire blue between the islands that dot the horizon.
There are only a few of us here today. It’s not price, luxury or awards that makes this spot so exclusive it’s the fact you have to paddle a kayak a couple of kilometres from Shute Harbour to get here.
We’re doing a half-day adventure with Salty Dog Sea Kayaking and after paddling between Repair and Tancred islands and then skirting the beach at Shute Island, we beached our bright orange kayaks on the sand at White Rock.
The paddle out was easy. We glided over shallow reefs, where clumps of coral almost touched the surface and schools of tiny tropical sh darted under our boats, and past beaches the colour of melted butter.
White Rock is only a tiny dot of land but it’s blessed with a triangle of sand on the northern tip, a rocky crag that’s home to
a choir of seabirds, and a ring of shallows that turn the water a clear shade of teal as it approaches the beach.
For a couple of blissful hours, we snorkel over colourful sh, oat on barely-there waves and feast on the culinary treats
our guide carried in her kayak. Salty Dog has a variety of guided adventures, from paddling to an island with some walking tracks to a full day excursion that visits White Rock then crosses the Molle Passage to Sandy Bay on South Molle Island.
destination travel stay play | 6
There’s more time for snorkelling and swimming on that trip, as well as the opportunity to walk up Mt Je reys—South Molle’s highest point—to take in the view.
The Shute Harbour operation also o ers a six day expedition that loops around South Molle, Whitsunday and Hook islands, with four hours of paddling every day and the chance to camp under the stars at night.
Another option is to hire a kayak and do some island hopping around the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area at your own speed with an itinerary that lets you sleep on remote beaches and cook your meals on a camp re. One of the region’s real outdoor treasures is the Whitsunday Ngaro Sea Trail, which is a unique network of walking tracks and seaways designed to let visitors explore the island national parks o Shute Harbour in the footsteps of the Ngaro people, the land’s traditional owners.
the sunset turns the Coral Sea a remarkable shade
of sapphire blue between the islands that dot the horizon
The looping seaway winds around a
dozen of Whitsundays’ 74 islands—island hopping can be done by private, charter or commercial boat, and the route is kayak and bare-boat friendly—and links up with ten established walking trails on South Molle, Hook and Whitsunday islands.
There’s a choice of short and long hikes, anything from a 20 minute stroll on Hook Island to visit a cave with Ngaro art on the walls to the more demanding half and full day hikes on Whitsunday and South Molle islands.
The Whitsundays is famous for its salubrious accommodation, but if you want to sleep beneath millions of stars rather than ve, there are 25 camp grounds on the islands administered by the state’s Department of Environment and Resource Management, with that organisation’s website (derm.qld. gov.au) the best place for information.
‘‘Most of the Whitsunday islands are national parks and great places for camping,’’ the DERM page explains.
‘‘Camp grounds are accessible by boat only and there are a number of commercial operators o ering transfers to the national park islands if you don’t have your own vessel.
‘‘Camping bookings open 11 months in advance (and) visitor numbers are limited to ensure a quality experience.
‘‘Camp at sheltered sites in Cid Harbour, Dugong, Nari’s Beach or Joe’s Beach.
‘‘Sites on the Whitsunday Island include the popular Whitehaven Beach and Peter Bay, and small camping areas on Hook Island including Maureen’s Cove, Cray sh, Steens and Curlew beaches o er great snorkelling.’’
If you don’t want to get on the water to enjoy the great outdoors, the Whitsundays Great Walk covers the 30km from Brandy Creek to Airlie Beach, through the bush of the Conway National Park and Conway State Forest, as well as a few options a little further south around Mackay.
Brampton Islands National Park, at the southern entrance to the Whitsunday Passage, has bush camping and walking tracks on Brampton and Carlisle islands, while Cape Hillsborough National Park
is the place on the mainland where the rainforest meets the Coral Sea and is home to the easy 3km Beachcomber Cove Track.
0401 363 611 audra@onegreenleafdesign.com onegreenleafdesign.com
Hook,