Sunday 18 August 2019

What's New in Western Australia - August 2019

Direct flights from Melbourne to Kununurra, the Ritz-Carlton's opening date, WA's wildflower season, an Art Series hotel for Perth and the latest events calendar - these are just some of the August new product updates for Western Australia.

Opening date set for Ritz-Carlton
One of Australia's most anticipated new hotels, the Ritz-Carlton, is set to open its doors at Perth's Elizabeth Quay on November 15. The new luxury hotel will offer 205 rooms, including 18 generously appointed suites and the 277 square metre Ritz-Carlton Suite featuring an outdoor balcony. A rooftop bar will serve up cocktails and small dishes alongside stunning views of the city and Swan River, and the hotel's restaurant will highlight the flavours, producers and winemakers of WA. The hotel will also offer meeting and events spaces – including the Elizabeth Quay Ballroom – and the Ritz-Carlton Spa, providing guests with four treatment rooms, saunas, fitness centre, a private yoga studio, two outdoor heated vitality pools and a heated outdoor infinity pool.https://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/australia/perth

Perth to host Constellation Cup
Australia's top female netball team, the Samsung Diamonds, will play to defend its six straight Constellation Cup winning streak at this year's test, with the side set to take on the New Zealand Silver Ferns at Perth's RAC Arena on October 27. Perth will host the final showdown of the four-match Constellation Cup, which will be a rematch of the World Cup Final in July, where New Zealand beat Australia by one goal, with two games apiece to be held on each side's home soil. diamonds.netball.com.au

WA wildflowers in bloom
There's never been a better time for travellers to plan a springtime wildflower holiday to WA, with good rainfall in June indicating a bumper wildflower season for parts of the State. WA's wildflower season is the largest wildflower show on Earth and a true spectacle of colour, with recent reports indicating that the carpets of everlastings have started to bloom in the Coral Coast and Golden Outback regions. With more than 12,000 species, 60 per cent of which are found nowhere else in the world, the flowers will colour the landscapes from coast to forest and city to outback. The WA Wildflower Guide contains information on where to see the best wildflowers and the WA Visitor Centre has also developed an online Wildflower Tracker to provide travellers with one easy to use wildflower information and sightings reference. Updated daily, the interactive map shows exactly where the wildflowers are blooming around the State. https://www.wavisitorcentre.com.au/wildflowers

The Adnate comes to Perth
Opening in October 2019, Accor has announced its new Art Series hotel in Perth will be named after one of Australian street art's most influential big wall painters – Matt Adnate. The Adnate is set to feature one of the world's tallest murals, and is the first Art Series hotel dedicated to street art. Renowned for his large scale spray painted portraits portraying Aboriginal people, the hotel's 27-storey 'Mega Mural' will be the largest artwork Matt has painted on a building – and will feature the face of a Noongar man, an Indian woman and a Mediterranean woman. Matt will also be collaborating with a local Indigenous artist on a 50-metre-long exterior laneway mural and, inside the hotel, is contributing a mural above the hotel's main staircase. Two original canvases and up to 650 reproductions of 30 of Matt's most recognised works from around the world will adorn the walls and halls of the 250-room hotel. The Adnate heralds the arrival of the Art Series brand in Western Australia. To celebrate the near completion of Matt's Mega Mural, Art Series has released an opening special rate for The Adnate, which is from $179* per night.https://www.artserieshotels.com.au/

Vanya Cullen named winemaker of the year
Cullen Wines winemaker Vanya Cullen has been named Winemaker of the Year at the 2020 Halliday Wine Companion Awards. As one of Australia's most recognised wine writers, James Halliday and his tasting panel find the nation's best wines and winemakers to be featured in the Halliday Wine Companion guide. Vanya Cullen has been wine-making at the family run Cullen Wines estate since 1983. Based in Wilyabrup in the heart of the Margaret River wine region, the winery uses sustainable and biodynamic practices to produce award-winning wines that are chemical free. This is the second year in a row that a Margaret River winemaker has been named winemaker of the year, with Julian Langworthy of Deep Woods Estate taking home last year's award.

Margaret River dominates wine awards
In addition to the Winemaker of the Year award, Margaret River's Domaine Naturaliste was named the Best Value Winery of the Year at the 2020 Halliday Wine Companion Awards – recognising the wines as both great quality and great value. The awards also saw four additional Margaret River winemakers take home the Best of Varietal Awards, as listed below:
Best Cabernet Sauvignon - Deep Woods Estate Reserve Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
Best Chardonnay - Moss Wood Wilyabrup Margaret River Chardonnay 2017
Best Sauvignon Blanc - Flowstone Wines Queen of the Earth Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc 2017
Best Semillon Sauvignon Blanc - Stella Bella Suckfizzle Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2016).

Settlers Tavern's wine list winning awards
The iconic Settlers Tavern, located in Margaret River's town centre, has taken home the Best Wine List WA in the Gourmet Traveller Australia's Wine List of the Year Awards, as well as the Best Listing of WA Wines. Dedicated to supporting the local Margaret River wine region, the tavern's wine list offers over 600 different wines – which was recognised as a remarkable feat for a regional pub.

Swim with humpbacks in Ningaloo
WA is now one of the premier destinations in the world for swimming with humpback whales, with the fourth year of trials now underway in the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Marine Park in the State's Coral Coast. Visitors to the region can now experience the breathtaking magic of swimming with one of the world's biggest mammals, with the season generally commencing in Coral Bay in July and Exmouth in August, running until October 30. With two more trial years approved by the WA Government for 2019 and 2020, improvements in tour delivery over the past three years include locating whales through spotter planes communicating directly to the boats, direct radio contact between the boat's skipper and in-water guide and on-board drones – all helping to increase the success rate of interactions with the gentle giants for guests.

RAC Karri Valley Resort redevelopment complete

Nestled among the towering Karri trees near Pemberton in WA's South West – the RAC Karri Valley Resort has recently undergone a $5.7 million redevelopment. Established in 1983 as a shared accommodation lodge, and offering stunning views over Lake Beedelup, the refurbishment has maintained the property's rich history and unique characteristics. All of the two and three bedroom lake and forest view chalets have been upgraded with new furnishings, appliances and interiors. The resort's Lakeside Restaurant has also undergone extensive refurbishments, including an extension into a relaxed lounge area, indoor fireplace with stunning views over the lake, and can now accommodate weddings and functions. The menu has also been updated, with a focus on local ingredients and unique flavours.https://parksandresorts.rac.com.au/karri-valley/

Ibis Styles East Perth
Perth will be home to the world's largest high-rise modular hotel when the new Ibis Styles East Perth opens in September. The 18-floor hotel will feature 252 guest rooms, making it the world's current tallest modular hotel, in terms of room numbers offered. Located within walking distance of Perth's Optus Stadium, guests can dine at the Eastside Social Bar and Restaurant, and access a 24-hour gym, high-tech urban offices, and a co-working space for both guests and locals.

Captain Cook Cruises new Swan River tours
Sealink's Captain Cook Cruises has recently introduced a number of new Swan River tours commencing in September for the summer season. On the Perth Microbreweries and Lunch Cruise guests will cruise to three of Perth's popular breweries - The Old Brewery and Riverside Brewhouse; The Camfield; and Bright Tank Brewery for tastings, with lunch served onboard. On the Summer Lunch Cruise guests will enjoy an all-inclusive buffet lunch, and on the Perth High Tea Cruise, guests will be served sweet and savoury treats with the option for free-flowing champagne - all while cruising along the picturesque Swan River.

Website:  www.westernaustralia.com

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