The places that made us swoon in a year of adventure

‘Wish I was there again.’ The world is full of beguiling destinations. See the list of the top 10 journeys of 2024.

Cape Pillar in Tasmania. Picture: Philip Young

After returning, it takes a while to distil the essence of a journey. In the moments you are travelling, the small annoyances get in the way. The delayed flights, the irritating passengers, the hassle of the car hire return, the bad coffee, the painful sense of overworking the credit card. When you are living through it, these things matter. Later, when all that fades away, when the small things are filed and forgotten, that’s when you reach the marrow of the experience. The things you went to see and the things you did not even know you would see. The lessons brought back from afar, understandings gained, sights, sounds, flavours, sensations captured. The feelings evoked.

This year, I was privileged to travel frequently. Not as much as some but more than others. Each journey had its joys and its detractions; some were more memorable than others, all I would do again. The weather has its part to play. I try not to take sunshine and rain personally but that’s not always possible. Great weather and excellent travels are sensual bedfellows.

May the sun shine on your voyages in 2025. Here are some I undertook this year which I would heartily recommend.

Manarola, Cinque Terra. Picture: Elizabeth Meryment.

Manarola, Cinque Terra, Italy

It has been much reported this year that Italy’s Cinque Terre region is over-touristed, over-loved and frankly just over. “I would never go there again,” many an Aussie was heard to say after witnessing sardine-like crowds in the streets of these five quaint cliffhanging villages perched on the Ligurian Sea. I might have been one of them saying it. Nevertheless, when I think about the extraordinary places I visited this year, Manarola stands out for its utterly beguiling beauty. Walk along the clifftop path from the water to the coastal point to absorb views to eternity and then head into the town for some outstanding lemon gelato and spaghetti alla vongole which by law here is taken with an Aperol spritz. Hop on the ferry or the clunky old train to trip along to the other towns such as the hilltop Corniglia, which has the best food and the best views, or gorgeous Vernazza with its sweet little beach and domed seaside cathedral. The water is warm and magical for swimming, the food fabulous, and the crowds, well, this is Italy, I can’t see it getting any better.

Cape Pillar, Tasmania

In a world suffering from a surfeit of human beings all swarming the planet in mass tourism events, remote has become the new luxury when it comes to travel. If hell is other people, then wide open spaces and a sense of seclusion are heaven on earth. It does not get much more remote than Cape Pillar, a rocky section of coastline on Tasmania’s southeast coast where the only other beings in sight are playful seals and the occasional breaching humpback. View the coastline from the bow of On Board Expedition’s catamaran on its East Coast Expedition that leaves from Hobart and cruises north, stopping at locations including Port Arthur and Maria Island. And with its russet-coloured cliffs and jutting island formations, the coastal scenery around Cape Pillar is some of the most spectacular in Australia. You will be awed, and, pleasantly, feel like one of the few people left on earth.

onboardexpeditions.com.au

Raes on Wategos, Byron Bay, NSW

2024 marked the 30th anniversary of the opening of this boutique property located on the dunes at Wategos Beach, the beautiful cove next door to Byron’s bigger Clarkes Beach. And it is a pleasure to discover the years have not diminished the hotel’s sparkle. You could stay here for days without getting into a car, for everything you could want is within walking distance of your room or contained at the hotel itself. Book a treatment at the onsite day spa, dine in the hotel’s beach-facing restaurant and take cocktails in its street-side bar. All are great. Stunning Wategos beach is literally at the doorstep and if you must do something active, walk up to the Cape Byron lighthouse for some whale and dolphin watching. The sound of the waves against the shore will lure you to sleep. This is delightful luxury, a treat for the ages.

raes.com.au

Wharekauhau Country Estate in New Zealand.

Wharekauhau Country Estate, Palliser Bay, New Zealand

Perched above a black sand beach on this glorious stretch of New Zealand’s north island is a lodge with a back story. Founded as a sheep station about 1840, Wharekauhau (pronounced Forry-co-ho, or thereabouts) has a long tradition as a country estate. But its transformation over the past decade under American billionaire Bill Foley into a remote luxury getaway has seen it elevated into one of the world’s most exclusive and wonderful destinations. The rambling homestead is something like an English manor house, beautifully appointed and gorgeous, with a huge kitchen presided over by Chilean executive chef Norka Mella Munoz. The food is excellent and the vibe is one of getting away from the madness of modern life. All that is great but it is the sheer beauty of the location that truly astounds. From the turquoise bay to the lush volcanic farming land to the icy rivulets that run through the property, this is one of the most beautiful places on earth, a one-in-a-lifetime adventure playground.

wharekauhau.co.nz

Formentera, Spain

We are sitting on the balmy balcony of our suite in the newly opened Dunas de Formentera eco hotel, bedazzled by the ocean in front of us, when it suddenly dawns that now is as good a time as any for a swim. We have been staring at the Playa de Mijgorn for a while, transfixed by the azure water, the bobbing yachts, the endless sky, breathing in the scent of salt in the warm air. The short walk down a sandy path to the beach leads us to water of astonishing clarity and colour, made this way by the UNESCO-protected native seagrasses that catch and refract the rays of the sun. And the water when we dive in is like nothing on earth, so extraordinarily sparkly on the skin it is like the sun is shining directly into us. This year there was a great deal of pushback in Spain against mass tourism. Yet this island and this resort manage to feel out of the way, remote, natural and welcoming. Like Spain in the old days, only luxurious and contemporary. The paella we eat at the 1980s beachside restaurant after the swim only adds to the sense of discovering a true gem.

dunasdeformentera.com

Milan Cathedral, Duomo di Milano, Italy, one of the largest churches in the world, at sunrise.

Milan, Italy

This city represents one of the world’s great transformation stories. Three decades ago when I visited Milan it was a dour industrial northern city, essentially a factory town. These days it is a vibrant hub of style, sophistication and culture. The city spreads out around the glorious Duomo di Milano and offers arguably Europe’s finest shopping, both for fashion and design. Milanese cuisine – ossobucco, risotto, costoletta alla Milanese – is exquisite. This is an exciting, cool city much undervalued by tourists who flock instead to over-loved tourist towns such as Venice and Florence.

Saint Peter, Paddington, Sydney

Now and then a chef comes along who is different to the rest. One who shapes the work and practices of other chefs and brings a new way of thinking to their craft. In Australia, this generation’s changemaker is Josh Niland. In spring, 36-year-old Niland opened Saint Peter, a refined seafood restaurant five-and-a-half years in the making. Inhabiting a heritage Sydney pub in the inner-city suburb of Paddington, Saint Peter takes diners on a journey through sustainable seafood practices and dining in a way that nobody has done before. Over seven beautifully realised courses that range from exquisite natural oysters to scallops, prawns, reef fish, river fish and deep-sea calamari, Niland creates a maritime universe on the plate. He knows his seafood suppliers personally, can tell you the story how each piece of fish was caught, and cooks with innovation and precision. This is international-level dining and when Niland opens the boutique hotel in the same complex early in the new year, the complete stay/dining package will come to life.

saintpeter.com.au

Ett Hem, Stockholm, Sweden

There are boutique hotels and then there is this small but beautifully polished gem in the cool and cosmopolitan capital of the north, Stockholm. Ett Hem is the creation of Swedish hotelier Jeannette Mix, who brings her eclectic sensibility and inimitable taste to this collection of Arts and Crafts-era townhouses fashioned into one lovely and extraordinarily stylish lodging. In 2022, the hotel doubled in size to now offer 25 boutique rooms, each coolly chic and designed for comfort. But it’s the shared common rooms found scattered throughout the property that offer so much joy. Guests are invited to find nooks and crannies in a variety of rooms around the hotel in which to luxuriate, relax and enjoy. The place is filled with art, collectables, vintage furniture, curios, flowers, glassware and objets d’art, much of it Scandinavian in origin, all of it interesting and wonderful. This is a hub of sophistication and refinement, delicately gorgeous; an immersive hotel experience like no other.

etthem.se

The Australian Open, Melbourne

Melbourne turns into a party town each January when the international circus that is the Australian Open lights up the city. And what a party. Having not attended the tennis for two decades, this year I went without any expectations and had such a blast I want to return annually. Apart from the quality of the tennis and the lure of seeing the big stars play, there’s a lot to enjoy around Melbourne Park, which becomes like one big event tent when the matches are on. Sip cocktails, eat from food trucks and watch tennis on the big screen. Or skip the tennis altogether and enjoy the atmosphere of being in Melbourne in the summer when the city is warm, bustling and joyful. It really does feel like a good time. January 12-26, 2025.
ausopen.com

Aerial view of Heart Reef in the Whitsundays, part of the Great Barrier Reef. Picture: Getty Images.

Heart Reef, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland

The Great Barrier Reef is one of nation’s greatest treasures but it feels faintlty unloved by Australians, perhaps put off by its history of tacky resorts, flattening cyclones and negativity around coral bleaching. The pricey hotel rates and boring restort food are also turn-offs. For all that, seeing the reef from the sky is a life-changing experience, especially if you have the opportunity to take a helicopter tour over Heart Reef. This little patch of heaven was discovered only in 1975 and has become one of the 2500km stretch’s most-loved spots. Board the chopper at either Hamilton or Hayman island to take the half-hour journey to the spot as well as the wondrous surrounding Hardy Reef. The water dazzles, the sea life (sharks, turtles, rays) is visible from the air and the coral is in better shape than you might think. Be sure to book a flight that takes you over Whitehaven Beach, another natural wonder. The trip may make you reconsider your relationship with Australia. It’s hard not to feel a sense of pride at the beauty of our country when you see places like this.

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Elizabeth Meryment is the Journeys editor of The Weekend Australian Magazine.