Travels with Katie Quinn Davies (What Katie Ate)

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Who? Katie Quinn Davies:  Photographer, food stylist, cookbook author

She first piqued the interest of culinary-obsessed Australians with her beautiful food blog, What Katie Ate. Here, Sydney-based Katie tells us about her favourite Aussie travel experiences, past and future.

As a child growing up in Dublin, our family holidays were…
spent with my Mum and Dad in north Wales, and Manchester and Kent in England, where a lot of my relatives lived. We would get the ferry over from Dublin and travel around the UK by car. My aunt owned the most beautiful 13th-century farmhouse in Kent and I used to adore spending time there as all the floors were wonky and there were hidden staircases. It was magical, apart from the fact that a lot of spiders resided there.

Now when I have spare time, I head straight to…
the Barossa, without a doubt, because of its amazingly friendly, warm and welcoming people. I have made so many close friends there. And there’s the food and wine, of course! Barossa shiraz (6) is my favourite wine. I also really respect their support of local food producers.

The one thing I always pack is…
a hairdryer. As sad as that sounds. My fringe never co-operates without one. And on a less vain note, my Bose mini sound system (3).

My last holiday read was…
I rarely get time to read when I’m on holiday; I tend to opt for larger cities, and I prefer to get out and explore what these amazingly vibrant places have to offer.

My roadtrip essential is…
a decent playlist on my iPhone, I can’t travel without music, or my cameras.

I’m definitely a…
city sort of person, but I do like escaping to the country, too. Melbourne (5) is my favourite city to spend a three- to four-night break. It has an incredible array of bars and great restaurants.

My most memorable Australian food experience…
was dinner at Orana (1) in Adelaide. It’s one of the most incredible gastronomic experiences I’ve ever had! Mainly due to their use of Aussie ingredients.

I’ll never forget the time…
I was invited to qualia on Hamilton Island (2) to cover one of its ‘Great Barrier Feast’ weekends. I headed up a day or two earlier and was jetted off to a private island in the Whitsundays, where I was able to spend all afternoon on my own, along with a bottle of Champagne, a sun lounger, fresh seafood and my camera to capture it all.

My next Aussie holiday will be…
Uluru (4). I have always wanted to go ever since watching the Beds are Burning music video by Midnight Oil when I was about 14. I became infatuated with it, I would love to see more of the Red Centre.

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Film lovers need to add these Victorian theatres to their bucket list

    Ricky FrenchBy Ricky French
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    Theatres have always been a cornerstone of regional Victoria, reflecting the character and history of their local communities.

    From grand, gold rush-era masterpieces to Art Deco wonders to repurposed prisons, we’ve rounded up four of Victoria’s best regional theatres to catch a show at next time you’re travelling through.

    Her Majesty’s Theatre, Ballarat

    Her Majesty’s Theatre, Ballarat 
    Her Majesty’s Theatre in Ballarat has been standing for 150 years. (Image: Michael Pham)

    A monument to the immense gold rush wealth flooding through Ballarat in the second half of the 19th century, Her Majesty’s Theatre (‘Her Maj’ to locals) celebrates its 150th anniversary as the city’s premier performing arts venue this year.

    Built in a classical style and immaculately preserved (thanks largely to a recent $16-million restoration), this Lydiard Street landmark is the oldest continuously operating theatre in mainland Australia, notable for its double balcony and a stage that slopes towards the front, making it one of the most audience-friendly venues in the country to see a show.

    The Capital, Bendigo

    The Capital Theatre, Bendigo
    The Capital in Bendigo was built in 1873 as a Masonic Hall. (Image: Michael Pham)

    Denoted by its distinctive Corinthian columns, more reminiscent of ancient Greece than regional Victoria, The Capital theatre in Bendigo has been through several iterations since the first stone was laid in 1873.

    Originally a Masonic hall, the renaissance revival-style building became a theatre in the 1890s, falling into disrepair for a time during the 1970s, before being restored and reopened (as the Bendigo Regional Arts Centre) in 1991. Today, the 480-seat venue hosts everything from comedy to cabaret to traditional theatre, dance, opera and live music.

     Ulumbarra Theatre, Bendigo

    a look insideBendigo’s Ulumbarra Theatre
    Inside Bendigo’s Ulumbarra Theatre, a former prison. (Image: Michael Pham)

    Bendigo has busted out as a regional performing arts hotspot, so it’s fitting that one of its newest venues is housed within a former prison. Meaning ‘meeting place’ or ‘gather together’ in the language of the local Dja Dja Wurrung people, the $26-million, 950-seat auditorium rose from within the red brick walls of the historic Sandhurst Gaol in 2015.

    It’s an eerie feeling as you approach the imposing granite facade, pass beneath the old gallows and pick up your ticket from the box office occupying a repurposed cell block. With the building playing a main character in the show, this is performative architecture at its finest.

    Rex Theatre, Charlton

    the Rex Theatre in Charlton
    The 1938-built Rex Theatre in Charlton is an Art Deco gem. (Image: Jenny Pollard)

    Regional theatres don’t come more romantic than this Art Deco gem in the river town of Charlton, in north-central Victoria. Built in 1938, the 350-seat community-owned theatre provides an essential entertainment outlet for residents in the Wimmera Mallee region, as well as visitors making the trip up the Calder Highway from Melbourne.

    The volunteer-run venue is the last remaining purpose-built cinema in regional Victoria, and hosts the Charlton Film Festival every February, plus three weekly film screenings (Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday).