Breadths of sand and a cello in a cave

Take a breath on breadths of sand

Sydney’s petite strips of sand

Sydney is renowned for its beaches. Be it the multi-national melting pot of Bondi or the vast sands of Manly Beach. These strips are famed for good reason, yet the city of sun is host to a much less advertised commodity: the small beaches of its harbour.

Though they may not provide much of an opportunity to surf and may not show up on many tourist maps, many of these cosy, unique locations provide not only a whole new perspective on this city but also the perfect place for a romantic tryst or family picnic.

Camp Cove, north of Watsons Bay, offers one such experience, as does the Forty Baskets Beach north of Dobroyd Head.

Then there is Cobblers Beach on the northern end of Middle Head, itself an excellent lookout spot across the Harbour. Be aware, though, it is a nude beach. As is Obelisk Beach on the southern side of Middle Head as well as Lady Day beach on South Head.

Many of these beaches are part of the Sydney Harbour National Park and are located within gorgeous parkland. The beaches provide the perfect fodder for a relaxing daytrip in a harbour that is much more than simply the Bridge and the Opera House. Google Sydney Harbour National Park for more information.

Relaxed exploration in the Whitsundays

There is nothing quite like cruising into a pristine, hidden bay and uncovering a gorgeous beach. You wade on shore with a picnic hamper, ready to explore the forests and headlands. An afternoon dip might also be on the cards.

The dense collection of 74 sun-kissed tropical islands around the Whitsundays in Queensland provides a picturesque place to become just such a lazy explorer. Hire out a yacht and sail amongst the coral reefs.

Located 150 km north of Mackay and 300 km south of Townsville, the islands offer an excellent base for a winter escape. Just east is submerged one of the natural wonders of the world: the Great Barrier Reef.

Both Whitsunday Rent-a-Yacht and Whitsunday Escape hire out skipper-yourself yachts, including catamarans, motorboats and single hull sail vessels.

Whitsunday rent-a-yacht: 1800 075 000, www.rentayacht.com.au

Whitsunday Escape: 1800 075 145, www.whitsundayescape.com

The unexpected beaches of Cambodia

The beaches of South East Asia are often heavily traversed strips of sand. To many this may be their attraction. Yet others may be more interested in charming, secluded breadths of coastline. For such desires Cambodia comes to the fore.

A friend told me of her experience along one coastline: bars built into thatched huts, empty stretches of sand, orange and blue shots.

Some of the strips on offer include Ochheuteal beach at Sihanoukville, as well as the sandy climes of Kep and Koh Kong. There are also several islands off the coast which should provide explorers with fodder enough to quell their wanderlust.

To be sure, Cambodia (like any country) is much more than beaches. Be sure to swing by the country’s many popular tourist destinations, notably Ankor Wat. Then, if you want some more beach experience, and the sort not readily considered, try Vietnam. Think Nha Trang, akin to an Indochinese Miami. Unique and intriguing in its own way.

A cello in a cave, and a birthplace

A NSW tour in natural auditoriums of sound

Music is sweeter in a beautiful natural space. The coming months offer plenty of opportunity for just such an experience.

The Bangalow Music Festival, around mid-August, offers travellers the chance to revel in the stunning hinterland near Byron Bay while also taking the opportunity to enjoy music. This year will see the likes of Katie Noonan, Alison Mitchell, Lyndon Watts, Timothy Young and the Streeton Trio, Lisa Gasteen, and Ilya Konovalov in performance.

For those who like their music underground, Jenolan Caves will shortly be commencing its concert series: Cello Concerts in the Caves. Commencing in June, and held every third Saturday of the month, the series will see Cellist Georg Mertens play a selection of pieces from Hungary, Romania, Russia and Spain.

The Tyalgum Festival takes place in September and is situated in the caldera of an ancient volcano. It will be a weekend of classical music amongst the scenery of the Tweed Valley of northern NSW.

The Bangalow Music Festival: www.southernxsoloists.com/cms/bangalow.html

Melbourne through its galas

Melbourne is known for its intriguing thin café alleys, its music, its comedy, its culture. With that in mind, it seems more than reasonable to overload on the experience of the city with a deluge of its festivities, each a burst of particular cultural pleasure.

Try the Melbourne International Animation Festival (starting the 17th June). New flicks, classic flicks; eight days of animation.

Then, tired of the moving, coloured image, consider tasting the The Shortest Lunch. The event’s premise is simple; its result is, well, intoxicating: smaller winemakers in The Yarra Valley coordinate to present wine-tasting expos across the weekend of the 23rd and 24th of June. Music and an open fire are often on offer.

If you decide Melbourne looks more enticing in July, then the Melbourne Magic Festival may be more suitable. Two weeks of cards changing colour, magicians staring blankly as they hover, and rabbits changing into flowers into curtains… into rabbits.

Amongst all the fêtes is Melbourne, with its café alleys, music, and comedy.

Melbourne Magic Festiva: http://melbournemagicfestival.com

The Melbourne International Animation Festival: www.miaf.net

Nepal’s cultural wonders

To many Nepal is its brilliant, dramatic topography. Narrow roads clinging to steep cliff-faces; thins strips of cloud curling over a mountain-peak; yaks lounging in a rice paddy.

Yet it is a country (like most) of rich cultural depth, with much on offer for any daring, culturally-minded traveller (or mountaineer seeking a brief detour before the valleys).

Two such options include Lumbini and Bandipur.

The importance of Lumbini is perhaps difficult to overstate. Simply, it is the historical birthplace of Gautama Siddhartha Buddha, and so the birthplace of one of the world’s most important religions.

Its centre is the Maya Devi Temple where Queen Maya Devi of Kapilavastu gave birth to Gautama Siddhartha. The temple is surrounded by a sacred garden which contains the sacred pillars of Ashoka, as well as the ruined foundations of several stupas and monasteries.

Meanwhile, the village of Bandipur provides a vivid glimpse into the Newari culture, an indigenous population of the Kathmandu Valley. More than 70 per cent of the houses are traditional Newari dwellings. The Lonely Planet reports that the Bandipur Social Development Committee has effectively managed to prevent the scourge of excessive tourist development. It remains a place of market gardens, children stacking corn, livestock wandering amongst the denizens.

Image credit: Todd Klassy (CC BY-SA 2.0)