The doctor is in: Q&A with Dr Chris Brown

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Bondi Vet and host of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here and The Living Room, Dr Chris Brown, is an intrepid traveller with a soft spot for home.

1. As a child, our family holidays were always to…

A different national park every holiday in our Jayco pop-top caravan. Dad’s a vet, so every trip would centre around a wildlife experience. He once put a piece of meat on a string and buried a beer can with stones in it, so if a dingo took off with the meat the can would rattle and we’d all wake up! It worked – I think the dingo got the fright of its life.

2. Now if I have time for a short break, I head straight to…

The beach. A favourite is Iluka on the north coast of NSW; it’s great for surfing and it’s pretty uncrowded up there.

3. My local’s tip for Bondi is…

Bronte Baths. They’re just as beautiful as Icebergs, if not more so. Also try Raw Bar Japanese , and the angel hair tuna pasta at Bondi Trattoria is pretty exceptional.

 

Discover more Bondi eats…Bondi Beach foodie faves from the Icebergs ace

4. I’ll never forget the time…

I was with a mate in Ecuador at these hot springs of all different temperatures. We found one with a lady sitting alone; it was absolutely freezing, and when my friend jumped in he squealed. I tried to share a joke with the woman by calling my friend a ‘grande senorita’ but it must be an Australian expression; she thought I was talking about her! I felt awful.

5. If money was no barrier, send me off to…

Lord Howe Island. I’d spend months surfing, earning a living treating the island’s cows and eating fresh fish and vegetables. They’ve got it good over there. It’s paradise.

 

Australia’s own slice of Paradise?…9 picture-perfect postcards from Lord Howe Island

6. The most adventurous thing I’ve ever done on holiday is…

The Hadaka Matsuri naked festival in Japan, held in winter. Fuelled on saké, we ran through the streets in mawashi (sumo nappies) as buckets of water were thrown at us! It ends with about 10,000 people at a temple where the goal is to catch lucky sticks that are thrown out by the priest to win a lot of money. I had them at one point but almost had my fingers broken off! It was crazy.

7. My souvenir of choice is…

In-flight eye masks. I have hundreds! It’s a bit of a funny one, but eventually I’ll make something out of them.

8. The best bed I’ve ever slept in was…

At Bungle Bungle Caravan Park. It wasn’t the most comfortable but we could see the stars from the roof of our tent. I hardly slept because it was so amazing.

9. The last place I visited was…

The Azores, volcanic islands in the Atlantic Ocean, studying sperm whales and the next place I am booked to go is… the Great Ocean Road, maybe by motorbike. It’s meant to be the best motorbike route in the country.

 

Read our guide on exploring The Great Ocean Road: Ultimate Escapes: The Great Ocean Road

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This geological wonder is hiding in the heart of Victoria

    Michael TurtleBy Michael Turtle
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    Mythical, historical and most of all, spectacularly beautiful, Buchan Caves demands you take your time – and a tour. 

    In the pools of water, so still they could be mirrors, the reflections of the stalactites make these limestone towers seem even taller. Almost 400 million years ago, an underground river carved through the rock to create the Buchan Caves . Now, artworks created by dripping water adorn these subterranean galleries: stalactites hanging from the ceiling, pillars connecting some to the ground, even curtain-like wave formations clinging to the stone.

    Caves House
    Visit the caves for the day or stay onsite in the campground or at the self-contained Caves House. (Image: Ben Savage)

    “This is called the Fairy Cave because it’s full of fairy dust,” a guide tells visitors as they enter a cavern glittering with “calcite that’s solidified into thousands of tiny little diamond shapes”.  Buchan Caves is Victoria’s largest cave system, but Fairy Cave is a highlight and, along with nearby Royal Cave, is accessible only by tour. Naturally cold, naturally dark, these caverns deep below the surface light up as the local experts tell their stories. 

    couple walking in cave
    You’ll need to book a guided tour to see the caves. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    Among the hundreds of caves, some can be easily accessed from the surface. For instance, a casual stroll along the FJ Wilson Interpreted Walk, as kangaroos watch on from beneath acacia trees, leads into the 400-metre-long Federal Cave and its natural steps of white limestone. A slightly longer track, the Granite Pools Walk heads through soaring forest down into moss-covered gullies where the calls of lyrebirds trill through the leaves. 

    A quick history lesson on Buchan Caves 

    Buchan Caves
    Buchan Caves are a must-visit attraction in Gippsland. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    Among the geology and the nature are millennia of history. This part of East Gippsland connects the high country to the coast and was long a place of refuge for the local Gunaikurnai people on seasonal migrations to the mountains. Archaeological studies show humans lived here up to 18,000 years ago, with artefacts such as small stone tools found around the site. But not too far into the caverns – oh no! The Gunaikurnai didn’t dare venture deep into the dark at Buchan Caves, telling stories they were inhabited by gnome-like nyols (small grey-skinned creatures that could steal memories). 

    Buchan Caves Hotel
    The Buchan Caves Hotel was rebuilt after burning down in 2014. (Image: Jess Shapiro)

    By the early 1900s, more people had started to hear about these incredible caves and so the Moon family set up home at the site and started to run tours below ground for intrepid visitors. More than a century later, their historic residence is available as accommodation, with the three-bedroom house sleeping up to eight people and now equipped with modern amenities the Moons could only have dreamt of. 

    But whether you stay overnight or just spend the day here, it’s worth taking your time to explore more than just the main caves, to get a deeper understanding of one of Victoria’s fascinating geological attractions.