Botham's about: Ahead of the Ashes, cricket legend Sir Ian takes a grand tour of Australia

By SIR IAN BOTHAM


Putting in a major innings: Sir Ian goes into bat against an Australian tuna...


Usually when I go to Australia it involves cricket, but this time the only nets we saw were the fishing variety. It was a boys' trip. My wife Kath, who has been Down Under several times, gallantly volunteered to mind the fort at home in Yorkshire while I enjoyed two weeks of high-adrenaline bonding with our son Liam.

We flew out with Qantas on the new A380 double-decker, which is so quiet, massive and spacious it's like sitting in a five-star hotel. After a stopover in Sydney to ease our jet-lag at the oh-so-comfortable Four Seasons Hotel, we set off for Hamilton Island on the Great Barrier Reef.

A small plane took us straight to the island, where we met up with the Oatleys, a big wine-growing family from New South Wales who developed and own the Qualia resort. They must be very proud of what they've built - it's like going into another world. Nothing has been skimped on, everything is of the highest quality: the staff, the food, the wine, the service.

In season you catch marlin and sailfish off the Barrier Reef, but we were out of season for the fishing. That didn't bother me too much as the fantastic array of water sports, the coral reefs and passing tall ships meant I was happy just taking photos.

There is a magnificent golf course across the harbour from Qualia. Liam, who knows his golf courses, played nine holes and said the views alone make it the most stunning he's been on.

Qualia has a great spa. If you want to lock yourself away and chill out for four to five days, it takes some beating.


... and manages to score the equivalent of a century by snaring this big beast


My suite had its own plunge pool where I took an unexpected dip. I'd had a hot shower, it was a lovely evening, I wrapped a towel round myself, went down to the little wooden terrace, knelt to test the temperature and next thing I knew, myself and the towel were in the plunge pool. It woke me up, let's put it that way - very refreshing. It's a shame someone didn't catch it on camera.

From the east coast of Australia, we flew down to Adelaide on the south coast and hopped over to Kangaroo Island. I'd been there once before, 25 years ago, and it hadn't changed very much, apart from a few more asphalt roads.

The island was cut off from the mainland thousands of years ago so it has its own ecology - the wallabies are smaller than those on the mainland and there are black tiger snakes unique to the island. The seal colonies are so tame you can get within 50ft with your camera.

I've been to many amazing hotels around the world but Southern Ocean Lodge is something else. It is spectacular: built on the clifftop overlooking the Southern Ocean. There's nothing between you and Antarctica... the next stop is literally the South Pole!

The view was breathtaking in a flat calm. What it's like when there are rollers coming in, I can only imagine. Apparently the pounding is like being in a trench under bombardment; we're talking 60 to 70ft waves breaking over the cliffs - mind-blowing. I've promised Kath I'll take her there, and hopefully we'll get one night (only one!) with a storm.

Inside the hotel there is a huge bar from which you can help yourself. If you want a coffee, all the finest machines are provided.


Family affair: Sir Ian travelled with son Liam - who found plenty to enjoy on the fairways at Qualia


Everything is very private - you can sit in the whirlpool at night - and also eco-friendly with power from solar panels.

The following morning we were taken on our first fishing trip. We started early, enjoying a magnificent sunrise as we drove through farmland before arriving at a little bay in the middle of nowhere. Here we boarded a fishing boat which took us half a dozen or so miles off shore for some fantastic sport.

I don't know how many species of fish we caught and returned - snapper, coral trout, every fish you can think of. We broke off for an hour for lunch and a few glasses of wine (and why wouldn't you - it's one of the best wine-making regions of Australia). All in all a perfect day.

Another morning we caught some King George whiting and when we landed, the staff rigged up a big open formation of tents, trestle tables and gas burners for us in the bush (being very careful with fire as the bush is protected). The whiting, which had come out of the sea literally an hour before, tasted absolutely superb. There's no problem with dwindling fish stocks Down Under - they've been keen on conservation for years.

On a tour of the island, I became a bit of a pain in the backside because I kept telling our guide to stop so I could get out my camera and photograph the wildlife. I was particularly intrigued by the kangaroos, which aren't just found in grassland or woods, as you might imagine. They were within yards of the sea, so are obviously adapted to living on Kangaroo Island.

KI is also a working place - about 4,500 people live there - and it's almost self-sufficient. Interestingly, the only thing they don't have is an abattoir: the farmers are allowed to slaughter livestock only for their own families, so all meat comes from Adelaide.


The rock formations on Kangaroo Island are so Australian that they resemble the shape of the country


They make their own wine, a special brie cheese and blue cheeses, and do a lot of things with lavender. It's altogether a very special place. If you want to see another side of Australia, Kangaroo Island is to be recommended and I am delighted I went there. When I take Kath, we definitely plan to hire a guide to take us to see the seal colonies and salmon in the surf.

Liam and I did another hop by charter flight, to Port Lincoln on the Eyre Peninsula, west of Adelaide. It's a little fishing village that has become a millionaires' row because of the tuna-farming industry.

We were lucky to hit South Australia in the prime fishing season - and went out looking for bluefin tuna, spending five days living on board the beautiful charter boat Strictly Business. The crew took us to some marvellous spots. We fished in the middle of the ocean, then moored overnight at islands, enjoying dinner on board.

Our guide, Shane Mansforth, knows these waters like the back of his hand. If you have a few days to spare, I strongly recommend getting away from it all on his boat. If you go at the right time of year, from February onwards, you will catch bluefin tuna - it's an unforgettable experience.

We used big tackle but also fished on smaller, 13lb lines - if you use light tackle to land a nine-and-a-half-stone fish, that's a battle. We had a bit of an England v Australia fishing contest and won - after shaking off a few of the other side's fish!

We said our farewell to the tuna by getting down in the water with them. In Port Lincoln you can swim with the tuna in a massive netted enclosure with the water flowing freely in and out.

Putting on a mask and flippers to feed the tuna is quite an experience. These fish weigh at least eight stone and are incredibly fast. If you're brave enough, take some sprats. You hold them out for less than a minute, then the tuna rip them out of your hand, flying past at 60 to 70mph. Hopefully you will still have your fingers! Quite stunning.

Our last stopover before the long flight home was at the Adelaide InterContinental. I'm very fond of Adelaide and everyone should put it on their list of cities to visit in Australia. I've had so many great times there playing cricket - especially when we won! It's a very special place to me. The Adelaide Oval was always one of the prettiest cricket grounds. I gather they've spent a fortune on a refurbishment, but I won't see what they've done until I get out there in December.


Cosmopolitan chic: The Torrens River runs through the heart of Adelaide


But if you're in Adelaide for the Ashes, don't sit in your hotel room waiting for the cricket - get out and explore. It's a city of open streets and beautiful green spaces. You can walk from the hotel down to the Torrens river and on for miles. This city is made for walking: the pathways are very well done, the river looks entrancing in the early morning and you can go all the way to the ocean.

You've got to go to the bush outfitters RM Williams for authentic Australian boots. I have a pair at homee that I reckon are 25 years old, and in that time I've had to resole them only once. They're comfortable cattleman's boots. Go to the factory shop on Frost Road in the suburb of Salisbury. Back in downtown Adelaide, if you wander down Waymouth Street you'll come across a little restaurant called Georges - probably my favourite in the world. A lot of the customers are from the wine trade or Adelaide businessmen, a cross-section of people. The combination of the wine, the food and the owner, George, makes it fantastic.

Adelaide is in the heart of the South Australia winelands. The climate is great for making wines - it's hot! There's McLaren Vale and a lot of big bold red Shiraz coming out of Coonawarra, where it's hotter. Then as you go up the Clare valley, it gets cooler and you find places such as the Pike vineyard, where they make good Riesling.

A trip to the vineyards for the winetasting and the magnificent restaurants is a must. Good food and good wine go together. Make it a day out and take a driver - Australia has drink-drive laws, quite rightly. You can book minivans with aircon or, in smaller groups, hire limos - it's not expensive and well worth it. Relax, have a great day and really enjoy some of the best wine and food.

My old England teammate Bob Willis and I have joined forces with local winegrower Geoff Merrill to produce our own Botham Merrill Willis wines. If you go up to Mount Hurtle, about 15 miles outside Adelaide, you won't meet a more hospitable or flamboyant character than Geoff. We're delighted with the progress we've made as a label, but then I'm biased. There are so many wonderful wineries around Adelaide, I couldn't really single one out - just go and make up your own mind.


Feeling jumpy: One of the resident wallabies on Kangaroo Island


There is too much snobbery about wine. People say things such as, 'What, you want red wine with fish?' I'll have what I want. If we cut the snobbery, the wines are available at reasonable prices, so you can buy them and enjoy them.

At the end of the trip, Liam and I reminisced at Georges about what a great fortnight we'd had - the Great Barrier Reef, Hamilton Island, Kangaroo Island, the wineries, the bluefin tuna.

And in a few weeks' time I'll be back for the Ashes...
The Vodafone Ashes Series 2010/2011 in Australia runs from November 25 to February 6. Ian Botham will be commentating for Sky Television.


Travel Facts

Qantas (www.qantas.com) offers return flights from Heathrow to Sydney from £794. Rooms at the Four Seasons Hotel, Sydney, start from £138 per night, including tax. For reservations, call 00800 6488 6488 or visit www.fourseasons.com/sydney.

For more details on Qualia, Hamilton Island, visit www.qualia.com.au. For more on South Australia go to www.southaustralia.com. For more information on Australia, see www.australia.com.

You can download Tourism Australia's Go Ashes phone app for in-depth destination information on the five host cities, team news and live updates, available free from the iTunes store.

Outback Encounter offers a range of fishing tours of Australia. For details go to www.outbackencounter.com.


source: dailymail