You may be on the road, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your music on loud speakers says our resident reviewer Jason Mountney

Thanks to applications such as iTunes, chances are your laptop has a good selection of songs on its hard drive. It would be a pity, then, to listen to them through your computer’s tinny speakers. The Apolco W3 from Digislide is a lightweight, portable speaker that connects wirelessly to your computer. It’s especially handy if you travel a lot for work and get sick of watching CNN in hotel rooms.

Simply connect the unit’s transmitter to your USB port, adjust your laptop’s settings and turn on the speaker. The data is transmitted via Bluetooth as far as 20m, and can even transmit its signal through walls.

The speaker weighs 150g without the four AA batteries it requires, but has a solid feel. A wireless unit this small – 7cm by 7cm by 7cm – is unlikely to delight audiophiles, but it is better than expected. Even bass-heavy tunes won’t sound too tinny thanks to its 1.5-watt output. Until you reach the very edges of the 20m radius, the sound streams consistently.

And the W3 looks pretty good, too. The minimalist finishing is topped off with stylish – and easy-to-use – volume and power controls. The W3 works across platforms with any operating system after Windows 98 and Mac OS 9.0. A$109/S$119

TWO OTHER OPTIONS

RAVON U222 SPEAKERS If you never quite outgrew Lego, you’ll love that these two-single watt speakers can be clicked together to make a single bar. Comes with a handy pouch. A$129.95/S$160
MOSHI BASSBURGER Travel a lot? This is small enough to carry in your hand luggage. Powered via your computer’s USB port, there’s one less cable to lug around. We love the bass-heavy sound and funky design. A$50/S$65

Hop down to Kangaroo Island from Adelaide for wildlife galore and memorable coastal scenery, says Clare Brundle

PHOTOGRAPHY SATC

Captain Matthew Flinders made the first recorded European sighting of Kangaroo Island or “KI” (as the 4400 locals call it) in March 1802 and apparently didn’t like the place. What he did like, however, were the resident kangaroos that provided much-needed meat for his starving crew – so he named the island after them, then promptly set sail again. Fast forward two hundred or so years and KI is now considered one of South Australia’s natural gems.

WHAT TO DO

KI is full of surprises. First up is its size: 155km from tip to tip and seven times the size of Singapore. Second, is the abundance of other wildlife - from koalas to Little Penguins, and pelicans to sea lions. Last but not least is the unexpected variety of stunning scenery packed into one place.

Top of the list of places to visit is Seal Bay Conservation Park, where you can learn all about the Australian Sea Lion and walk along the beach right next to the resident colony. Just don’t expect all that much action: after spending up to three days out at sea, you’d need a long nap too. Flinders Chase National Park is another must-do, offering bush walks to hidden white-sand beaches, as well as boardwalks out to the aptly named Remarkable Rocks – huge granite outcrops, shaped by the elements – and Admirals Arch, home to a colony of playful (if smelly) New Zealand Fur Seals.

WHERE TO STAY

Flinders Chase Farm is a working farm in a convenient spot, 10km from Flinders Chase National Park, and offers simple but clean and comfy accommodation in cabins, en-suite lodges and a hostel. For something more luxurious, check into the cliff-top Southern Ocean Lodge.

HOW TO GET THERE

A two-hour drive from Adelaide down the Fleurieu Peninsula is followed by a 45-minute ferry ride (www.sealink.com.au). Take your own car over or consider a guided day or overnight tour with Adventure Tours (www.. adventuretours.com.au), particularly if short on time.

FIND IT:

Flinders Chase Farm, West End Hwy, tel: +61 (0)8 8559 7223, www.flinderschasefarm.com.au
Southern Ocean Lodge, Hanson Bay, tel: +61 (0)8 8559 7347, www.southernoceanlodge.com.au

IF YOU LIKE THIS TRY…

1 FRASER ISLAND, AUSTRALIA
Shipwrecks on beaches and hidden lagoons on the world’s largest sand island,  

2 ROTTNEST ISLAND, AUSTRALIA
The quokkas and picturesque seascapes make this island a favourite day trip from Perth.

3 PULAU UBIN, SINGAPORE
Hop on a boat from Changi Ferry Terminal and hire a bike to discover another world of monkeys, monitor lizards and mangrove boardwalks.

Gong Xi Fa Cai! Or Happy New Year for those who don’t speak Mandarin. It’s the year of the tiger according to the Chinese calendar, and we couldn’t agree more. Already, this is proving to be one of our biggest years. First up, Hong Kong! On 1 February, we began flying twice a day from Singapore. And on 28 March, we’re expanding our operations in Australia by adding Brisbane to our route map. We have also increased the frequency on some of our popular Australian domestic routes, doubling the number of daily flights on selected routes, as well as taking delivery of our first owned aircraft. Tiger Airways has also become the first lowcost carrier to list on the Singapore Exchange (SGX). This gives us more muscle to grow within Asia and Australia, and we hope to bring you more good news about new services and low, low fares very soon.

In this issue of Tiger Tales, you will find our ultimate weekend guide to Hong Kong. That’s nine pages jam-packed with up-to-the-minute information on the best spots to eat, stay and play. We also visit the beautiful Tweed Valley, located south of the sunny Gold Coast, on the back of a Harley-Davidson, talk to Asia’s leading tattoo artists, and then hop on a boat to Bonnet Island in Tasmania in search of Little Penguins. For those wanting to venture off the beaten track, we visit Koh Jum near Krabi to see what a jolt of electricity can do for a sleepy island.

In our upfront section, “The Buzz”, you’ll find over 23 pages bursting with information on the latest travel trends, must-see sights, must-have gadgets and hot comedy and musical acts, along with recipes, restaurant news and business profiles. And don’t forget to turn to “Touchdown” for a comprehensive overview of each and every one of the 33 destinations on our route map.

This year promises to be another groundbreaking one for Tiger Airways. We look forward to taking you to all the places you want to go. Happy travels!

Tony Davis CEO, Tiger Airways

The scent of a good business idea was strong enough for Hollywood film writer Bobby Duchowny to swap movies for a career in aromatherapy

While visiting Thailand fourteen years ago on a quest to become an aromatherapy expert, Malibu-born Bobby Duchowny travelled to Thailand and happened upon some Thai organic farmers much ahead of their time. Spotting a good business idea and wanting to give back to the community and offer these farmers job security, he moved from LA to Thailand to set up shop. From a small stall in the Chatuchak Weekend Market in Bangkok, Lemongrass House now has 15 retail outlets across Asia and is the leading supplier of spa products to luxury resorts and spas in 28 countries.

HOW DID YOU FIND YOURSELF IN THIS BUSINESS?
Strangely enough, I was a screenplay development executive for 20th Century Fox in Hollywood when we began testing the use of scents in relation to emotional responses while watching movies. I am a third-generation filmmaker and I first became intrigued by the power of scents when I was a young boy. My grandfather, a film producer, told me that movie theatres would pump the scent of popcorn out into the streets in order to lure potential customers. Once I found out that they were using fragrance blends and not even using actual popcorn I began to be fascinated by how much scents affect our lives without us even realising it.

SO HOW DID YOU END UP AS AN AROMATHERAPY EXPERT IN THAILAND?
During my travels 14 years ago, I was on a farm in Nakhorn Sri Thammarat, Thailand, learning how to grow and extract turmeric. I met Palita, who would later become my wife. We met some organic farmers in Petchaboon and came up with a plan to make essential oils from their raw materials. At first we were making only Neem tree oil, a natural insecticide to help our organic farming friends. Then, we opened our first store in the Chatuchak Weekend Market in Bangkok.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST BREAK?
Our first break was when a guy from UNICEF bought our mosquito spray to use with his fellow workers along the Burmese/Thai border. They still use the spray to this day. Then a buyer from the Emporium Shopping Center, Thailand’s top department store, asked us to open a counter in the mall next to the Body Shop. Soon after, one of the world’s leading resorts, the Amanpuri, asked me to develop some exclusive spa products for them. They are located in Phuket, so nine years ago we decided to open a store there to sell fresh, made-to-order cosmetics. Our business has been growing organically ever since. We now supply more than 100 five- and six-star hotels and spas around the world.

WHY PHUKET AS QYOUR BASE?
Because of the excellent spa culture. It’s so exciting to see the results from our products first-hand from such a fantastic variety of spas on a daily basis.

WHERE DO YOU QFIND INSPIRATION?
I am constantly inspired by the variety and quality of herbal and floral materials available in Thailand. Last week we extracted Siam Magnolia for the first time, I can’t wait to make a line of products based on this beautiful scent.

WHAT’S THE QMOST IMPORTANT LESSON YOU’VE LEARNED FROM OWNING AND OPERATING YOUR OWN BUSINESS?
Trust your instincts! Use your imagination and creativity to the fullest. Make sure that everyone involved is having fun.

WHAT ARE SOME OF QTHE CHALLENGES OF WORKING BETWEEN COUNTRIES?
The biggest challenge for us is coordinating deliveries so that each customer receives the freshest products possible. Our goal is to ensure that the stores or spas receive our products within three months from the time that the plant materials were harvested.

Abla says: “I came up with this recipe during a mercilessly hot Australian summer. It is a delicate yet still substantial salad, and the sharpness of the lemon juice and pomegranate seeds combined with the dressing makes it especially refreshing. It is an ideal accompaniment to grilled or barbecued fish, chicken or lamb, and can also be served as a light lunch for two people.”

1 Bring the lentils to boil in a saucepan with 1½ cups (375ml) of water. When the water starts to boil, add another ½ cup (125ml) of cold water, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 5–10 minutes or until the lentils are slightly tender but still a bit firm. 2 Drain and set aside to cool to room temperature. 3 Set aside two or three parsley leaves. Place the rest in a bowl with the cucumber, tomato, onion, mint and lentils. Add the lemon juice or pomegranate molasses, olive oil, salt and pomegranate seeds and toss gently. Transfer to a serving platter or shallow bowl. Finish with a dollop of yoghurt dip in the centre and serve garnished with parsley. Serves six as an accompaniment.

• ½ cup (100g) green lentils, washed
• 1 cup fl at-leaf parsley leaves 2 Lebanese cucumbers, roughly peeled and thinly sliced 2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 1 red onion, quartered and thinly sliced 1 tbsp chopped mint juice of ½ lemon or 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
• 2 tbsp extra virgin
• olive oil ½ tsp salt Seeds of 1 pomegranate
• Yoghurt dip (optional), to serve

Abla Amad’s Melbourne eatery, Abla’s in Carlton, is a city institution, loved by food critics and diners alike. Her new book features 100 authentic Lebanese recipes – perfect for sharing with family and friends at home.

Q HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE LEBANESE FOOD?
Lebanese food is beautiful if you prepare it the proper Lebanese way. It’s healthy and fresh.

Q WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE LEBANESE DISH?
I love traditional Lebanese food: baby marrows, cabbage rolls, vine leaf rolls, dips. Every dish is wonderful.

Q WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE NEEDED TO PREPARE LEBANESE FOOD AT HOME?
Always use fresh, good quality ingredients. Spices are very important – red pepper, black pepper, all spice, cumin, cinnamon… the list goes on. Soak your chickpeas and lentils. And for dishes like baba ganoush, use fresh eggplant.

Q YOUR RESTAURANT HAS BEEN OPEN SINCE 1979. WHAT’S YOUR SECRET?
Work for love, not just for money. That will come later. You must run your business with joy and happiness. I have customers that I served as children coming to my restaurant now, married with their own children. Also, treat your restaurant like it’s your own kitchen and serve only the best food.

After a S$40 million revamp, Orchard Road’s shopping strip is even bolder and swankier. Nicole Tia gets down to the nuts and bolts of the newly-opened shopping and eating meccas

	ION ORCHARD	313@SOMERSET	ORCHARD CENTRAL	MANDARIN GALLERY
GENERAL VIBE	Futuristic-looking behemoth on Orchard Road’s busiest junction	Sophisticated mega-mall located right above Somerset MRT station	12-storey high, avant-garde monolith overlooking Orchard	Small but lavish shopping arcade connected to the Meritus Mandarin Hotel
SHOPPING HIGHLIGHTS	Louis Vuitton, Prada, Dior, Cartier, D&G, Sephora, Topshop	Zara, Forever21, Uniqlo, HMV, New Look	TYAN boutique, Levi’s, Dr Martens	Y3, Just Cavalli, Bread & Butter, Vertu, Mont Blanc, Emporio Armani
WHO SHOPS THERE?	The Gucci-toting socialite on Levels 1–4, and the regular shopper on B1–B4	Young women, whose shopping frenzy tends to occur at the four-storey Forever21 emporium	Rock-and-rollers and young punks attracted by the Dr Martens flagship store	Fashion-forward, indie cool kids and well-heeled tourists and expats are the target market
STATS	With 335 stores spread over 59,500sqm across eight floors, ION Orchard is unquestionably the biggest and best	Eight retail levels, 177 stores, over 27,000sqm, and a huge Food Republic outlet with 21 stalls and five restaurants	23,000sqm of retail space, over 300 stores, a total of 12 glass lifts and 46 escalators, including six super-escalators	152m of Orchard Road frontage and 103 stores across four levels, with Mandarin Gallery targetting the affluent
QUIRKY ADDITION	The ION Art Gallery features art, design and multi-media exhibitions by both local and international artists	The Sky Terrace connecting to the food court at Level 5 has a mini playground – perfect for the kid who can’t sit still	Asia’s first Via Ferrata climbing wall is inexplicably found here. Have a go at the 30m wall for S$25 a pop	Rest areas with a collection of themed sofas on Levels 2, 3 and 4 – perfect for resting sore feet. How thoughtful!
INSIDER TIP	Head to bookstore Prologue for their cute café, Jam. It’s a hidden gem overlooking the treetops of Orchard Rd	Fashion lovers will lap up the exclusive Jil Sander collection at Uniqlo’s largest store in South- East Asia	Experience sky-high dining at Vietnamese restaurant NUOC, nested in the Level 12 Rooftop Garden	Aussie food emporium Jones the Grocer has opened their second outlet in Singapore on the top floor
FOOD FANS	Gourmands will love the ION Food Hall and 1,765sqm eating area, Food Opera, made up of 80 stalls	Whet your appetite at Discovery Walk @ Level 1, which features an eclectic mix of international and homegrown dining venues	Head to Levels 7 and 8, home to eateries serving everything from Japanese to Indonesian to Thai cuisine	Debuting in Singapore, Ippudo, Thai Thai, Japanese Restaurant Suju and Wild Honey are sure to satisfy hunger pangs
TIME TO VISIT	After dark, when the exterior is lit up	Weekends if you like busy, weekdays if you like quiet	At night for views of the Orchard skyline	Weekends for people-watching

PHOTOGRAPHY TOURISM QUEENSLAND, JOHN COLLINGS, STEPHEN JONES © JUSTINE PHOTOGRAPHY

ARTY TYPES

Brisbane has a rapidly developing arts scene thanks in part to the magnificent cultural precinct on the Brisbane River at Southbank. It includes the State Library, Queensland Museum and two art galleries. The most recent addition, the Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA), is magnificent, calling to mind the architecture of the distinctive Queenslander-style house.

GoMA and the adjoining Queensland Art Gallery are hosting the 6th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art until 5 April. On 27 March, the gallery launches a new exhibition called Hats: An Anthology by Stephen Jones, which is on loan from London’s Victoria and Albert Museum and explores the fascinating world of millinery.

The precinct is also home to some great cafés that are perfect for a brunch, lunch ar afternoon tea pitstop.

Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art, Southbank Cultural Precinct, tel: +61 (0)7 3840 7303
Queensland Museum, cnr Grey and Melbourne Street, tel + 61 (0)7 3840 7555

SPORTS NUTS

Cricket may be Australia’s national sport, but it doesn’t enjoy the same week-to-week following as the football codes. These sporting seasons come alive in late March.

The resident Aussie Rules team, the Brisbane Lions play at the “Gabba” at Woolloongabba, just across the river from the city. Getting there by bus is easy and there is no shortage of good pubs around the ground for a beer and a feed before or after the game.

Rugby fans, both League and Union, congregate at Suncorp Stadium, just a short walk west of the city, to cheer on the city’s rugby league team, the Brisbane Broncos or the rugby union team, the Queensland Reds. Caxton Street at the north end of the stadium is another hot spot for pubs and cafes for pre- and post-game revelry and dining. Be prepared for large crowds.

Brisbane Lions, tel: +61 (0)7 3335 1777;
Brisbane Broncos, tel: +61 (0)7 3858 9111;
Queensland Reds, tel: +61 (0)7 3354 9333

FOODIES

While you can still get a meat pie and sauce just about anywhere, Brisbane’s culinary scene offers much more besides. One of the best places for steak is the beer garden at the Norman Hotel, which describes itself as Brisbane’s worst vegetarian restaurant. Steaks start at A$29/S$35.

For seafood, the new Scales & Ales restaurant at Bulimba, a ferry ride from the city, offers a great mix of well-priced gourmet fish-and-chips selections along with a menu of beers to match. Try the barramundi burger at A$18/ S$22. Oxford Street has a huge array of cafés and restaurants in the event that fish doesn’t catch your fancy.

If you’re over near Southbank, 5th Element on Little Stanley Street offers excellent tapas starting at A$12/S$15 a plate and charcouterie plates to share at A$26/S$32.

Norman Hotel, 102 Ipswich Rd, Woollongabba, tel: +61 (0)7 3391 5022;
Scales & Ales, 5 Wambool Street, Bulimba, tel: +61 (0)7 3899 4001;
5th Element, Tribune St, tel: +61 (0)7 3846 5584

NIGHT OWLS

If it’s a night out in Brisbane you’re in the mood for, look no further than Fortitude Valley – home of Brisbane’s Chinatown and club districts. Try James, Brunswick, or Ann Streets for any number of clubs, pubs and bars including popular hangouts like the Press Club. One of the newest venues, Cloudland, is a stylish bar and restaurant spanning four levels with a retractable glass roof.

Less formal is the X&Y Bar, which features live music seven nights a week. X&Y is touted as an old-school bar, where there is no judgment of fashion labels, shoe brands or hairstyles. So just sit back and relax.

If you’re on the other side of the city, The Lark Food & Drink at Paddington offers exactly what the name suggests. It is one of the city’s best cocktail bars and boasts an inviting selection of light eats.

The Press Club, 339 Brunswick St
Cloudland, 641 Ann St, tel: +61 (0)7 3872 6600;
X&Y Bar, 648 Ann St, tel: +61 (0)7 3257 1259;
The Lark, 1/267 Given Tce, tel: +61 (0)7 3369 1299

Mathew Ngau Jau, a traditional Orang Ulu musician and performer from Sarawak, has a chat with Steve Thomas

PHOTOGRAPHY STEVE THOMAS

WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU DO AS A TRADITIONAL MUSICIAN?
My group is Lan E’ Tuyang (meaning “true friend” in a local dialect). We perform our Orang Ulu (Upriver People) music along with traditional dances at festivals and shows around the world.

HOW DID YOU BECOME A MUSICIAN?
I come from a small Orang Ulu longhouse on the Baram River in the interior of Sarawak. Every longhouse has a sape (a stringed instrument from the lute family), so we all grew up playing them. There was no formal training. We just decided to introduce our traditional music to others around the world.

WHAT DO YOUR PERFORMANCES INVOLVE?
For the most part, we perform in pairs, although at times we can have four people playing music together. Usually that means we play a sape and a bass, and at times we use traditional bamboo xylophones. We dress in our native warrior costumes, and I often perform the “warrior dance”, which was used long ago when our warriors returned from successful forays.

HOW UNIQUE ARE YOU AS A PERFORMER IN SARAWAK?
In Sarawak there are many different native tribes. Even the Orang Ulu are made up of many distinct tribes, all with their own traditions and music. There are many groups of performers, maybe even one from every village. We are a fairly new group, but have been lucky enough to be able to travel with our music.

HOW IMPORTANT IS THE CULTURAL ELEMENT?
The main reason we perform is to showcase our unique culture, not only to people around the world, but also to our own young people. We actively teach our music in the longhouses, to help preserve our traditions.

WHAT’S THE BEST THING ABOUT YOUR JOB?
We’re lucky to be able to tour the world. In Europe and elsewhere, the response is great. People have never heard anything like it. When I dress up and we perform, I feel proud to be representing our people and showcasing our culture.

Lan E’ Tuyang performs in July at the Rainforest World Music festival in Kuching. www.rainforestmusic-borneo.com

On the doorstep of the Gold Coast, the Tweed Valley is a wonderland of unspoiled beaches, rainforests, farmland and rustic villages, says Karen Ransome.

Mac Swift is the real deal. From the tips of his well-scuffed, pointy-toed boots to the leather vest barely covering his tattooed arms, Mac is undoubtedly a biker. With a black bandanna covering the lower half of his face, his steely gaze is tinged with just a hint of despair as he gives me the once-over from the seat of his gleaming Harley-Davidson bike.

Let’s just say, no one is ever going to mistake me for a biker. My borrowed oversized leather jacket reaches almost to my knees, and the cavernous sleeves render my hands all-but invisible. If Little Orphan Annie had decided to take to the highways as a bikie moll, I’m pretty sure this is what she would have looked like.

“Keep one foot on the ground and swing your other leg over,” instructs Mac, giving the 1650cc engine a few throaty revs to hurry me up. For someone with my 160cm-frame, a move like that is easier said than done. By the time I’ve all-but throttled him, scraped my boot across the previously spotless leather seat and nearly toppled over the backrest, Mac’s carefully crafted image is in tatters.

As the owner of Wildfire Tours on Queensland’s Gold Coast, Mac has transported pillion passengers wearing everything from ballgowns to business suits. Organising motorbike convoys with up to 130 of his Harley-riding buddies, he has escorted debutantes to their high-school formals and “kidnapped” conference delegates, rushing them through the streets of Surfers Paradise to theme parks.

Today, however, Mac is giving me the full-throttle experience — taking the roads less travelled away from the Gold Coast high-rises and into the beautiful Tweed Valley on a tailored half-day tour. Roaring south along the Pacific Motorway at 110km/h, I am forced to admit – in keeping with journalistic ethics – that my eyes have been squeezed shut for the past ten minutes.

In retrospect, this wasn’t a bad way to start my Harley experience. Without the visual distractions, other senses come into play: the vibrations of the motor running through my body make me feel at one with the bike. I revel in the sensation of plowing into the wind and leaning smoothly from one side to the other as we move with the Harley around the big curves.

By the time we cross the Queensland/ New South Wales state border and hit the broad flat canefields of the Tweed Valley, I’ve managed to loosen my death grip on Mac’s jacket. I now feel at home in the comfy leather seat and am grinning like a Cheshire cat as I wave at passing motorists.

Turning off the motorway, the scenery – and the traffic – changes dramatically as we hit the Tweed Coast. In full cruising mode now, we fly along beside stretches of uncrowded white sand beach and rocky headlands where perfect breaks attract clusters of surfers. From the other side of the road, we draw admiring glances from the early morning breakfast crowd as they sip lattes and chai tea at the outdoor cafés lining the esplanade at Kingscliff. To be fair, I’m quite sure their admiration is for Mac and his Softail Heritage Classic, rather than for the idiot yahooing from the pillion seat.

After roaring through the quiet seaside villages of Salt and Casuarina, we arrive at our coffee shop of choice. It’s the Pandanus Café, right on Cabarita Beach, where the distinctively surfie vibe reflects the township’s laidback ambience. Known as “Caba” by the locals, it is the ultimate sea change destination, where surf shops and ‘50s-style beach houses mix comfortably with trendy beach bars and low-rise holiday apartments.

Over a frothy cappuccino I learn that beneath his tough biker exterior, Mac is a gentle soul. The former owner of a computer software company, he traded macros and metadata for the open road and an iron horse over a decade ago, when he bought a Harley and started riding for a tour company. After four years, he took over the business.

But enough idle chit-chat: we’re on a mission and there’s much more to the Tweed than fabulous beaches. Within minutes of leaving the coast, we’re sweeping around the twists and turns of a winding country road through emerald green farmland, canefields and patches of rainforest. On the roadside, make-shift stalls are laden with tomatoes, avocadoes, bananas, sweet potatoes and just about everything else that grows in the rich, red soils of neighbouring farms.

Pulling into Tropical Fruit World at the top of the coastal range, the panoramic views out across the Tweed Valley give a sense of the region’s unique geography. Twenty million years ago, the valley was a bubbling one side to the other as we move with the Harley around the big curves.

By the time we cross the Queensland/ New South Wales state border and hit the broad flat canefields of the Tweed Valley, I’ve managed to loosen my death grip on Mac’s jacket. I now feel at home in the comfy leather seat and am grinning like a Cheshire cat as I wave at passing motorists.

Turning off the motorway, the scenery – and the traffic – changes dramatically as we hit the Tweed Coast. In full cruising mode now, we fly along beside stretches of uncrowded white sand beach and rocky headlands where perfect breaks attract clusters of surfers. From the other side of the road, we draw admiring glances from the early morning breakfast crowd as they sip lattes and chai tea at the outdoor cafés lining the esplanade at Kingscliff. To be fair, I’m quite sure their admiration is for Mac and his Softail Heritage Classic, rather than for the idiot yahooing from the pillion seat.

After roaring through the quiet seaside villages of Salt and Casuarina, we arrive at our coffee shop of choice. It’s the Pandanus Café, right on Cabarita Beach, where the distinctively surfie vibe reflects the township’s laidback ambience. Known as “Caba” by the locals, it is the ultimate sea change destination, where surf shops and ‘50s-style beach houses mix comfortably with trendy beach bars and low-rise holiday apartments.

Over a frothy cappuccino I learn that beneath his tough biker exterior, Mac is a gentle soul. The former owner of a computer software company, he traded macros and metadata for the open road and an iron horse over a decade ago, when he bought a Harley and started riding for a tour company. After four years, he took over the business.

But enough idle chit-chat: we’re on a mission and there’s much more to the Tweed than fabulous beaches. Within minutes of leaving the coast, we’re sweeping around the twists and turns of a winding country road through emerald green farmland, canefields and patches of rainforest. On the roadside, make-shift stalls are laden with tomatoes, avocadoes, bananas, sweet potatoes and just about everything else that grows in the rich, red soils of neighbouring farms.

Pulling into Tropical Fruit World at the top of the coastal range, the panoramic views out across the Tweed Valley give a sense of the region’s unique geography. Twenty million years ago, the valley was a bubbling cauldron of lava stretching over 5,000sq km – the largest shield volcano in the Southern Hemisphere. What’s left today is an almost perfect semi-circle of mountains surrounding a lush Eden, which contains the ancient volcanic plug of Mt Warning. The sub-tropical climate nurtures the World Heritage rainforests that blanket the caldera rim and spill into the ancient crater. The volcanic soils provide the foundation for a patchwork of sugarcane fields, banana tree groves, coffee and tea plantations, and market gardens.

Proving that just about anything can be grown under these idyllic conditions, the Tropical Fruit World orchards produce over 500 varieties of rare and exotic fruits. The trees are weighed down with lychees, tamarillos, chocolate pudding fruit (black sapotes), macadamia nuts and monster jakfruit weighing up to 20kg. At other times of the year, you can sample rambutans, lemon meringue pie fruit (rollinia), lemonade fruit, dragon fruit and champagne fruit (babaco).

While a steady stream of tourists arrives from the Gold Coast to take tractor tours of the 650,000sqm property, others travel from even farther afield to stock up at the onsite fruit market. “Between Christmas and New Year, we sold four tons of jakfruit,” says operations manager Aymon Gow. “Our market’s really popular with Asian chefs who know they can buy a lot of traditional fruits here that you won’t find at a regular supermarket.”

Back on the road again, Mac and I head farther west, happily disturbing the peace as we follow the Tweed River through the art and craft village of Tumbulgum with its gorgeous old pub. We cruise past the art deco shopfronts of bustling Murwillumbah, which serves as the commercial hub of the Valley, and on to its centrepiece, Mt Warning.

Reaching a height of over 1,150m, Mt Warning is considered a sacred site by the Aboriginal tribes that have occupied this land for over 40,000 years. More recently, a variety of New Age communities have sprung up near the mountain, claiming that numerous earth energy lines converge here. As we drive towards the base of the mountain, you can almost feel the ancient spirits moving through the trickling creeks and tangled rainforests.

For young men of the ancient tribes, climbing Mt Warning was a rite of passage. Their descendants now ask that visitors avoid taking the challenging four-hour round trip to the summit. Frankly, that’s all the incentive I need to opt for the 200m Lyrebird Track, which leads to a viewing platform in the rainforest where you can hear the throbbing call of wompoo pigeons and the eerie crack of whipbirds.

Feeling well in need of sustenance by this time, we pull up to Mavis’ Kitchen – an award-winning farmhouse restaurant located at the base of the mountain. Owned by Charlie Ebell and Peter Clarke, this elegant old Queenslander-style building was relocated from the Gold Coast three years ago to save it from developers. Having served its time there as an upmarket dining venue, it was reborn in the Tweed Valley as a restaurant serving simple, fresh, organic “slow food” – much of which is grown in the property’s biodynamic kitchen garden or by local organic farmers.

Lunch is followed by a tour of the garden with Charlie, who is passionate about the environment and sustainable farming. “We want people to experience how good food really tastes when it’s grown without any chemicals or pesticides,” he says. “Buying locally grown produce in season also means you’re reducing the carbon emissions that come from transporting food from other parts of the world.”

It’s a lesson that Mac and I take to heart as we make one final stop at a roadside stall on our way back to the Gold Coast. The store holder seems impressed – dare I say even a little apprehensive – when I casually swing off the bike, unbuckle my helmet and swagger to her colourful display of fruits and vegetables.

The only sign that I’m not who I appear to be is the fact that, after four hours astride Mac’s Harley, my gait is so bandy-legged that I look more like a cowboy minus his horse than a seasoned biker chick. It may take a few more rides before I perfect “the look”.  

FIND IT:

• Wildfire Tours, tel: +61 (0)404 834 552, www.wildfiretours.com.
• Pandanus Café, 7 Pandanus Parade, Cabarita Beach, tel: +61 (0)2 6676 0800
• Tropical Fruit World, 29 Duranbah Rd, Duranbah, tel: +61 (0)2 6677 7222, www.tropicalfruitworld.com.au
• Mavis’s Kitchen, 64 Mt Warning Rd, Uki, tel: +61 (0)2 6679 5664, www.maviseskitchen.com.au

Small bites from around the region

US INVASION
Some of America’s best chefs are headed to Melbourne for the International Food Festival, including David Kinch from Manresa, Nancy Silverton from Osteria Mozza, and Nobu Matsuhisa from world-famous Nobu.

STREET EATS
Boutique hotels continue to spring up in Singapore. One of the latest, the non-smoking Hotel Nostalgia in Tiong Bahru, offers food tours of the local heartland, which is famous for time-honoured dishes such as Hainanese curry rice and chilli crab.

SHOW AND TELL
Diners from around the world can vote to determine Asia’s best restaurants. Online voting for the 2010/2011 edition of The Miele Guide (www.mieleguide.com) opens on 10 March and closes on 19 May.

SURFING THE MENU
In Queensland, the southern Gold Coast and Tweed regions have produced a guide to the local ocean harvest and the best places to feast on it – from beachfront surf clubs through to fine dining restaurants. Find it at www.seafooddiscoverytrail.com

CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT
On May 20, the 2010 Australian International Beer Award winners are announced at Melbourne’s Crown Palladium. The awards are the second-largest such competition in the world, with entries from 39 countries.

MOVING ON
Mövenpick Hotel Saigon, 10 minutes from the international airport, is giving its Japanese restaurant, previously known as Nishimura, a top-to-bottom makeover. It is scheduled to re-open in April, as Hashi.

STEAK AU VIN
Wagyu beef cattle in the Margaret River region of Western Australia are being fed red wine. The idea was suggested by a Japanese chef. The beef cattle are fed one litre of wine per day for 60 days before export to Japan.

SNIP, SNIP
A Brisbane laneway is home to an Australian first – Vapiano, part of a chain with 65 locations worldwide. The restaurant in inner city Albert Lane has a herb garden where diners can snip basil for their pasta or pizza.