Australian Gourmet Traveller - (06)June 2019 (1)

GOURMET TRAVELLER 33

How I travel

A majorsoloretrospective,Quilty, showsatthe

ArtGalleryofSouthAustraliauntil2 June;then

atBrisbane’sGalleryofModernArtfrom 29 June

to 13 October;andtheArtGalleryofNewSouth

Walesfrom9 November to 2 February 2020.

qagoma.qld.gov.au

favouriteinParisis theMuséeMarmottan

Monet,a jewelofa museumdedicatedto

theworksofMonet– sucha succinct,

beautiful way of lookingat anartist.

I’minterestedinhumanity.I likehuman

beingsandI’minterestedinthedifferent

waysweliveourlives.Normallytheway

I gettothatis throughthearttheymake.

Thatjustpushesmebacktothestudio

andwhenI gethomemyheadis filled,

bursting,withideas.I’minspiredbylots

of things: crafts and music and history.

Mydad’sanamazingpersontotravelwith.

He’sgotthemostinquiringmindI’veever

known.HetravelsaroundAustraliaonhis

ownandsleepsina swaginthedesert.For

hisowninterestheresearchesAboriginal

massacresitesandcolonialfrontierhistory.

I got my thirst for history from him.

Beirutis a highlightofthepastfive

yearsoftravel.It’ssuchanextraordinary

city,a vibrant,warm,opencommunity

withfantasticfood,livemusicandthe

ancientcultureofRomantownsbuilt

overPhoeniciantownsalltheway

downthecoastline.Thathistoryis

soinvigoratingformeasanartist,to

havethatvisual,tactileexperienceof

walkingalongPhoenicianroads,then

climbing a bridge built byRomans.

ThefirsttimeI wenttoBeirutwaswith

WorldVisionAustraliatowitnessthe

Syrianrefugeecrisis.I realisedthestark

differencebetweenthewaymycommunity

treatspeopleinneedandthewayLebanon

wastreatingthatsamecommunity.It was

profoundlyheartwarmingandexciting

toseecommunitiesallaroundtheMiddle

Eaststandingupfortheirneighbours.I

mean,SyriaandLebanonhavebeenat war

formanyyearsandyetwhentheSyrian

peopledesperatelyneededhelp,Lebanon

allowedover1.2millionpeopletocome

intotheircountry.It’ssoinspiring to see

the good part of humanity.●

Justbackfrom...
Travellingdownthe
FleurieuPeninsulato
theCoorongtosee
whereAustralia’s
mightiestriver
systemempties
into the sea.

Nextup...I’m

headingtothe

GarmaFestival

in north-east

Arnhem Land.