A bold new reason to visit the Grampians - and it's not the hiking or wine
Plus, three other things Explore is loving this week.
The Grampians National Park is well known for adventurous hikes, and a stellar food and wine scene. But now with the launch of Wama Foundation - which describes itself as Australia's first space dedicated to environmental art - there's another reason to head there. Located in Halls Gap, where kangaroos graze about in the parks, the 16-hectare site is home to the National Centre for Environmental Art and the Gariwerd/Grampians Endemic Botanic Garden. Examine works by renowned West Australian artist Jacobus Capone as part of the gallery's opening exhibition End & Being (until November 4), then take in the splendour of the garden, with about 500 plants and 60 species - more than half of them found only in this region. wamafoundation.com.au
Europe's best budget beaches
Two heavenly coastal stretches in Spain - Playa de las Teresitas in Tenerife and Playa de Las Canteras on Gran Canaria - have taken the top spots on Omio's 75 most pocket-friendly beaches of Europe. The travel-booking platform has ranked the holiday spots based on traveller reviews, summer temperatures and must-haves - from cheap hotels to budget-savvy "essentials" such as sun lounger rentals, ice-cream, local beer and iced coffee. omio.com/c/top-beaches
More tours to Canada
"Reconsidering" your need to travel to the US? Well, there's no need to say goodbye to North America altogether. G Adventures has launched its most expansive Canada program ever, with nine new small-group tours spread across six of the country's 10 provinces. Packages range from the seven-day Northern Quebec Summer Lodge Escape, which starts in Montreal and ends in Quebec, to the nine-day Canadian Rockies: Northern Lights Winter Explorer tour, which takes travellers to some of the country's best national parks. gadventures.com
New boutique digs in Bali
Neon Rose Motel in Bali's Pererenan village, just next door to Canggu, gives visitors an opportunity to go beyond the obvious on Australians' favourite island. The hyper boutique hotel has just four rooms and gorgeous retro touches - from rose-hued interiors to textured walls. neonrosemotel.com
Akash is the Deputy Travel Editor for Australian Community Media. He has lived and worked in four cities around the world – Sydney, London, New Delhi and New York – and, at last count, travelled to 42 countries.
My all-time favourite destination is ... New York. You can drop a pin anywhere in Manhattan and start walking in any direction, and the sights and sounds of the city that never stops will begin to stimulate all your senses in an instant.
Next on my bucket list is … Scandinavia - at the peak of summer, when the sun almost never sets.
My top travel tip is … If you’re flying to Sydney from anywhere in the world, pick a window seat far from the wing on the left-hand-side of the aeroplane. If the weather gods and flight path align, you’ll have the most incredible views of the Sydney Harbour and Opera House.
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