Where the Wild Things

12 INDEPENDENT TRAVELLER SATURDAY 30 JANUARY 2010 THE INDEPENDENT THE INDEPENDENT SATURDAY 30 JANUARY 2010 INDEPENDENT TRAVELLER 13 The big six Trail of the unexpected Off-road in Queensland Boutique retreats in Where the wild things are Uruguay The nutrients once blasted out Bike down a by volcanic fire have left this low- rise town – 90 minutes up the mountainside or Bruce Highway from Brisbane – a BY LUCY GILLMORE rich natural heritage: hundreds of explore the shore: acres of pristine parkland jutting La Casa de los there’s plenty of into the ocean. Fraser Island, the largest sandbar on earth and a Limoneros Colonia nature in Noosa. Unesco world heritage site, is visi- ble across the water. del Sacramento By Oliver Duff Canoe the dark tannin waters An Argentine architect-turned- of the Noosa Everglades, into the farmer built this gracious, ivy-clad Queensland rainforest interior to posada just a few kilometres “Get a bicycle,” Mark camp, and you can imagine the outside the Unesco-listed town of Twain advised readers explorations of the first non-Abo- Colonia del Sacramento. The clus- of his Taming the Bicycle riginal settlers. Insects drone ter of rooms opens on to a shaded essay, penned after he took tu- madly around you, bull sharks veranda where you can eat break- ition on how to ride the relatively cruise somewhere below (they fast overlooking the gardens and new invention. “You will not re- can switch their kidney function pond. Down by the pool the view is gret it. If you live.” Twain would to move from salt to fresh water), of rows of lemon trees. Inside, the have approved of being pushed and the cypress pines and scrib- furnishings are eclectic – a mix of off the top of an Australian bly gums veer claustrophobically contemporary design and funky mountain on a contraption little over the river. Raptors, especial- junk-yard finds. steadier than a penny-farthing. ly brahminy kite, float on ther- La Casa de los Limoneros, Colonia del And so I hung precariously mals above. Sacramento (00 598 52 31028; lacasa- from the back of a rented moun- Then, of course, there’s the deloslimoneros.com). Doubles start at tain bike, my posterior grazing other “wildlife”. Setting out early US$110 (£73), including breakfast. the spinning rear wheel as the on foot one morning to navigate device hurtled dementedly Noosa’s headland and sand downwards through Queensland dunes, I reached Alexandria Bay. Estancia Vik Garzon Hotel Garzon rainforest. I’m afraid that I let Journey’s end: part of Noosa’s impressive coastline “A-Bay” is notable for two out a low, wobbling wail. The things: the vicious beach dump José Ignacio In the dusty ghost town of Garzon, pleasant beaches of Noosa Our bone-juddering descent over”, as the locals put it.) Bodily of impalement gave way to a for surfers, just after the frothing celebrity chef Francis Mallmann has seemed a long way below. propelled us through creeks and contact with the bike must be strange joy – of weaving down rocks of Hell’s Gates; and the Everything is on a grand scale turned an old red-brick general store We had driven to the 265- vine forest. Kookaburras hooted limited to feet on the pedals, steep crags, picking one’s path gaggle of unclothed sun worship- at Estancia Vik, 20km outside into a five-bedroom hotel and restau- metre summit of Mount Tinbeer- with joy as we flew past; bush hands locked loosely around the over rocks and roots; and pers, affectionately known to lo- the hippy-chic beach resort rant. The rooms face on to a courtyard wah, a 26-million-year-old vol- turkeys and large goannas scut- brakes, and only using the seat to beginning at last to master cals as “white pointers” and of José Ignacio. This bright, garden and are charmingly retro: faded canic plug, in a rickety 4x4 out of tled for cover. Iridescent golden press your sternum against, for one’s steel charge. “bronze whalers”. We exchanged white Spanish colonial-style chintz bedspreads, sage green furni- keeping with the well-to-do orb spiders looked on from their balance. Quite unnatural. Miss a Grazed, and plastered fore- cheery pleasantries, passing one ranch is surrounded by 4,000 ture, bathrooms with claw-foot tubs. tourist town. A lofty breeze lifted 10-foot sticky spirals, a bush baby gear-change and you lose mo- head-to-boots in mud, I decided another shin-deep in the surf. acres of sweeping grassland. And around the pool there are floral the late morning heat. Climbers snoozed high on a branch, and I mentum, shuddering to a pathet- that the other 130km of Noosa’s That definitely wasn’t marked Inside, it’s all cutting-edge mattresses instead of sun-loungers. clung to the rock beneath us, and managed not to squash a carpet ic halt halfway up a climb. bike tracks could wait. I hitched a on the coastal nature walk. design and contemporary Garzon Hotel and Restaurant, Garzon (00 beyond them there spread a glo- python bunched by the path. That other 19th-century lift back to town, and headed for For those just passing artwork: sculptures, engrav- 598 410 2811; restaurantegarzon.com). rious vista of lakes and rainfor- (Twain would have had no such cycling enthusiast, HG Wells, the beach. At least with surfing, through, Noosa might leave you ings, photography and Doubles start at US$799 (£532) est; a green thatch of eucalypts, luck; he was renowned for run- mapped out mankind’s destruc- the water’s cooler and it hurts with the impression that it is a paintings by both Uruguayan full board, including horse-riding. bloodwood and wallum banksia, ning over dogs.) tion by aliens when he was less when you fall off. sophisticated, moneyed sort of and international artists. broken by vivid blue patches of Office life doesn’t prepare you idling around the Surrey coun- place, one which – aside from a Estancia Vik, Camino Eugenio water that stretched out to the for this. It was like asking a bat- tryside on two wheels. Goodness few of the loopier surfers – has Saiz Martinez Km 8, José Ignacio Belmont House South Pacific Ocean. tery hen to fly loop-the-loops. knows what unspeakable vision “Kookaburras the heartbeat of a middle-aged, (00 598 94 605 212; estancia- Helmet and gloves buckled, I The first surprise was that you’re of the Martian apocalypse he’d deckchair-bound relative. Here vikjoseignacio.com). Doubles Montevideo selected the wrong gear and fol- not supposed to actually sit on have contrived had he been sub- hooted with joy as you can wake up and walk to the start at US$500 (£333), lowed my guide Greg down the the bike seat. (Doing so when jected to this. beach, visit boutiques or a including breakfast, fruit and an This traditional but classic hotel boasts precipitous rock. Biker and going downhill at a 45-degree And yet, after two hours’ ped- we flew past; bush gallery on Hastings Street, hit a evening cocktail. Luciano Pavarotti and Hillary Clinton as shrubbery were to become inti- angle shifts your centre of gravi- alling, the misery of being unfit, turkeys took cover” bistro for lunch, and go back to past guests. Situated in the residential mately acquainted. ty so that you inevitably go “end steaming hot and in mortal fear the sand. district of Carrasco and surrounded by lush gardens, it’s just a few minutes from the beach and is a welcome retreat from the faded charms of the capital. Travel essentials Noosa Belmont House, Avenida Rivera, Montevideo (00 598 2 600 0430; bel- Getting there Visiting there monthouse.com.uy). Doubles start at n Bridge & Wickers (020 n Mountain biking tours Fraser US$270 (£180), including breakfast. 7483 6555; bridgeandwick- Island down Mount Tinbeerwah ers.co.uk) offers one-week start at A$69 (£39) with Bug packages to Noosa from Sports (00 61 7 5474 3322; £1,699 (until 31 March), in- PACIFIC bug.com.au). La Posada del Faro AUSTRALIA OCEAN cluding Etihad flights via Abu n Go Ride A Wave (00 61 1300 José Ignacio Dhabi, accommodation at Mount Noosa 132 441; gorideawave.com. the Sheraton Noosa and car Tinbeerwah Heads au) offers two-hour surfing There’s a Cornwall-meets-Cape Cod hire. You can fly to Brisbane lessons from A$55 (£31). QUEENSLAND vibe at La Posada del Faro. You can on Qantas (08457 747767; n Kayaking trips are organ- La Vigna Playa Fomento sink into huge white sofas as you qantas.co.uk), Emirates ised by Palm Tree Tours flick through copies of Vogue and (0844 800 2777; 0 50 Brisbane ([email protected]. An entrepreneurial young couple from Argentina have turned this low- the New Yorker enjoying the relaxed emirates.com), Etihad (0870 MILES au; palmtreetours.com.au). slung estancia and vineyard into a quirky boutique hotel. Dating from beach house feel. Room keys are at- 241 7121; etihadairways.com) 1880, La Vigna has five shabby-chic rooms with wooden floors and book- tached to little cowbells. And there’s and other airlines. Doubles from A$268 (£150). More information shelves made from wine crates. Art exhibitions and tango evenings are an honesty bar beside the pool. Sheraton Noosa (00 61 7 n EU passport holders can held in the old wine cellar and art classes in a studio in the gardens. There La Posada del Faro, Calle de la Bahia, Staying there 5449 4888; sheraton.com/ obtain a free electronic is also an adjoining sheep farm that produces five kinds of cheese.

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