The recent reopening of a totally refurbished Hayman Island, on the northern tip of Queensland's Whitsunday Islands, represents one of four new worldwide ventures this year by the InterContinental group, the others being at Thailand's Phuket, in the Maldives and at the southern Japanese hot-springs centre of Beppu.

The 166-room resort offers three distinct wings of guest rooms, suites and villas hugging the coastline of the island: the Pool Wing, the Beach Wing and the Lagoon Wing, each boasting views of the Coral Sea.

The resort has introduced five restaurants and bars, including Pacific, where guests will begin their days exploring the breakfast stations, and Bar Fifty, in the heart of the resort and transporting guests back to an era of globetrotters in the 1950s.

From diving excursions to guided tropical hikes across the island, guests are encouraged to explore at their own pace.

Room rates start at $750 per night.

Visit www.haymanisland.intercontinental.com.

Cuisine of the Central West on show

The 'Grazing Down the Lachlan' culinary event will take place near the NSW Central West town of Forbes on Saturday, September 21.

Guests will be free to wander along a designated corridor of a picturesque nine-mile reserve along the Lachlan River, between seven stations offering delicious food with a matched beverage.

Located in the heart of the Lachlan Valley, Forbes is a rich primary producing area, perfect for grazing on local lamb, freshly caught fish, fresh fruit and vegetables. It's also a gazer's delight with incredible indigenous night sky.

The event features a fusion of locally farmed and foraged produce, with traditional bush tucker, a traditional welcome-to-country and live entertainment.

Forbes is located a five-hour drive from Sydney or there are flights from Sydney to nearby Parkes with REX airlines.

Visit www.grazingdownthelachlan.com.

As fresh as seafood gets

This is as fresh as it gets. Tasmanian Wild Seafood Adventures invites guests to take morning or afternoon cruises through some of the state's waterways while enjoying the fresh seafood that's been caught right there.

The tours depart from the Hobart waterfront and offer five hours of cruising and feasting.

Participants will see divers harvest periwinkles and sea urchins from the sea floor through two on-board plasma TVs linked to underwater cameras, and visit a Tasmanian oyster farm to taste them as fresh as they get and enjoy a degustation menu including rock lobster, abalone, and salmon. This is followed by a platter of Tasmanian cheese and fudge.

The 12-guest catamaran has warm indoor seating and covered outdoor seating. Watch out, though, for towering sea cliffs, colonies of seals, flocks of seabirds, penguins and dolphins.

Visit www.tasmanianwildseafoodadventures.com.au.

UTracks has a new self-guided walk around the Greek Cyclades archipelago island of Andros, with its unspoilt beaches, natural springs and archaeological marvels.

Passionate local volunteers have undertaken the enormous 10-year task of restoring the ancient 170-kilometre network of paths, and each hiker is given small pruners and gloves for the duration so they can help with vegetation maintenance of the trail as they go along.

The eight-day trek allows walkers to choose their own pace each day, through traditionally cultivated land, lush valleys and charming historic villages.

The undulating landscape is dotted with monasteries, waterfalls and ancient stone footpaths, bridges and buildings.

Prices are from $990 per person twin-share.

Phonee 1300 303 368 visit www.UTracks.com.

Not your average Keppel cruise

Take a spin around the island that helped coin the much loved 'Get Wrecked on Great Keppel' advertising campaign of the 1980s.

The exhilarating boat tour, done in a fast-speed 12-seat RIB, is reputedly the only way to island hop all North and South Keppel Islands and circumnavigate Great Keppel Island.

Explore secret beaches, take in stunning backdrops and spot secret caves. Just remember to BYO lunch.

The Keppel Explorer departs daily from Keppel Bay Marina, near Yeppoon at 9.30am and returns at 2pm. Prices start from $99 per adult.

Visit www.keppelexplorer.com.au.

Fireworks festival in Macao

Macao is preparing to celebrate its twentieth anniversary as a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China with a bang.

For the first time in the three-decade history of the annual Macao International Fireworks Display Contest, the competition will involve 12 nations, two more than in previous challenges.

The contest, to be held over six nights from September 7 till October 5, will be the most comprehensive and spectacular series of fireworks displays staged in the former Portuguese enclave.

On top of this extravaganza, a special twentieth-anniversary fireworks night has been scheduled for December 20, the date of the handover in 1999, followed by the traditional New Year fireworks on December 31.

Visit www.visitmacao.com.au.