Celebrity chef Kylie Kwong shares her top Aussie travel picks
Kylie Kwong has shared her fondest memories of holidaying in Byron Bay, some top choices from her travel bucket list, and tips for travelling and dining sustainably that you can use on your next Aussie holiday.
The celebrity chef, TV presenter and author spoke to NZHerald about her unmissable destinations, including returning to the Northern Territory.
“I want to visit the spirited outback centre of Mbantua (Alice Springs) in the Northern Territory,” she told the publication. “Many years ago I stayed in Arnhem Land yet since then I have made so many Aboriginal friends and learnt so much more about their traditions and culture.
“I would welcome this visit to explore the Red Centre, its contemporary and traditional art, natural wonders including the East and West MacDonnell Ranges, Uluru (Ayers Rock), Kata-Tjuta (Olgas) and Watarrka (Kings Canyon) and to gain more of an understanding and appreciation of the ancient wisdom of First Nations people of Australia.”
Other experiences and destinations Kwong hopes to tick off her list include lunching at Pipit, in the Northern Rivers region, doing a masterclass with Rodney Dunne at The Agrarian Kitchen, Tasmania, and staying at Brigitte Hafner’s Tedesca Osteria in the Mornington Peninsula.
Kwong also shared her fondest memory of weeks-long holidays in Byron Bay with her extended family, where they spent “every waking hour” at Clarkes’ Beach and devoured plenty of seafood.
“We spent every waking hour on the beach and when it was time for lunch, my mum’s sister, Aunty Jane, would hang a beach towel on the apartment balcony and we would all race up the beach like little soldier crabs to enjoy freshly peeled, super sweet school prawns jam-packed between pillowy-soft white sliced bread, tomato sauce and iceberg lettuce,” Kwong recalled.
“My Uncle Johnny and his family lived in Yamba so they would join us - he is a keen fisherman and would arrive with an esky overflowing with live mud crabs and one of the family highlights was cooking and feasting upon Black Bean and Chilli Mud Crab together!”
Walking the tracks of Tasmania’s Bay of Fires and Cradle Mountain, exploring Barossa Valley, and spending a week swimming and fishing for barramundi in The Kimberley Ranges were also among Kwong’s great holiday experiences.
As for those wanting to travel and support sustainable eateries, Kwong shared a few choice options from around the country.
“NSW’s south coast beaches and seafood are pristine,” Kwong said.
“The Bay of Fires, Cradle Mountain and walking tracks in Tasmania; also the pristine wild islands of King Island and Flinder’s Island and their incredible seafood.
“In South Australia, head to the Summertown Aristologist in Adelaide Hills for locally sourced produce and locally crafted natural wine.”
Image: @kylie_kwong (Instagram)