Queues, queues and more queues at Melbourne Airport. Photo: Eddie Jim TULLA IS TERMINAL On our return to Melbourne one evening recently from overseas, where we moved quickly and efficiently through much larger and busier airports than Tullamarine, we were confronted with a quagmire of people and luggage. The queue to reach the lines for […]
Melbourne laneways: Melbourne did it first and they’re awesome. Photo: iStock Dear Melbourne: we still love you. We still care. We still want to visit. It must have been a very strange few months in the southern capital, a feeling none of us outside the city could properly relate to. Friends might have told Melburnians […]
A time-lapse image of planes taking off from Sydney Airport. Traffic between Sydney and Melbourne has bounced back. Photo: Wolter Peeters A surge in flights between Sydney and Melbourne has seen the route climb back into the world’s 10 busiest, data shows. Flight data analyst OAG ranks the world’s busiest routes by the number of […]
Emirates economy class A380. THE ROUTE EK406 Dubai to Melbourne THE AIRCRAFT Airbus A380-800 THE LOYALTY SCHEME Emirates’ loyalty program is Skyward Miles, but I put my points onto my Qantas Frequent Flyer account. CLASS Economy, seat 45H (aisle). DURATION 13 hours 20 minutes FREQUENCY Daily (Emirates runs three daily Melbourne-Dubai services) CHECKING IN I […]
There are 461 economy seats, mostly in a 3-4-3 configuration. Photo: Supplied THE PLANE A380-800 THE ROUTE QR0905, Melbourne to Doha CLASS Economy The slim design of the seat offers more legroom and a general feeling of spaciousness. Photo: Supplied LOYALTY Qatar Airways Privilege Club, Oneworld DURATION 14 hours, 30 minutes FREQUENCY Once daily THE SEAT […]
On board Qatar Airways’ A380: The lounge is the best place to mix and mingle with your fellow travellers. Business Class on Qatar’s A380. Photo: Supplied First class on the Qatar Airways A380 superjumbo. Photo: Bloomberg First class on board the Qatar A380. The First Class seat on Qatar’s A380. Flights will run daily from […]
At the risk of sounding fussier than Goldilocks, my one gripe is this seat is actually too big for me. Photo: Supplied THE ROUTE Singapore to Melbourne THE AIRCRAFT Boeing 777-300ER. The Boeing 777 is the best-selling wide-bodied aircraft in the world and more than 2000 now traverse the skies. Singapore Airlines has about 30 of them and they’re fitted […]
Air Vanuatu Boeing 737-800. THE ROUTE Port Vila to Melbourne on Air Vanuatu NF 8. Direct flights launched on June 18, 2019. THE AIRCRAFT Boeing 737-800. THE LOYALTY SCHEME None, though some flight class bookings earn points on Qantas’ frequent flyer program. CLASS Business. The front two rows (out of 29) are reserved for business […]
Cathay Pacific’s business class cabin offers direct aisle access to all passengers. Photo: Supplied THE AIRCRAFT Boeing 777-300ER. Cathay also flies the newer Airbus A350 on this route. ROUTE Melbourne to Hong Kong CLASS Business, seat 23k. LOYALTY SCHEME Marco Polo Club, part of the Oneworld alliance, so points can be earned on Qantas Frequent […]
Japan Airlines’ business class food is a highlight. THE PLANE Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, a wide-body long-haul aircraft said to be more comfortable for passengers due to its carbon-composite body which allows for a lower cabin pressure. JAL has 25 of these in its fleet. THE ROUTE JAL774 Melbourne to Tokyo (Narita) THE LOYALTY SCHEME JAL […]
The Overland train between Melbourne and Adelaide. Photo: supplied Catching a train from platform one of Melbourne’s Southern Cross Station is like boarding a flight from gate one of an international airport – rarely done, and all the more special for that. With its undulating wave-like roof, Melbourne’s main station is an exciting place from which […]
Celebrity Eclipse. Photo: Michel Verdure AUSTRALIA HOME It’s now less than a year before Celebrity Eclipse sails into Melbourne as the newest Celebrity Cruises ship ever to homeport in Victoria. The ship arrives on December 23, 2020 from Singapore via Sydney and New Zealand, and will join sister ship Celebrity Solstice in sailing around Australia’s […]
The most boring drive on Earth? The Hume Highway near Gunning. Photo: Helen Nezdropa It starts, as all great adventures should, in a car park beneath a shopping centre in Mittagong. The clearly marked parking bays and exit ramps are perhaps to be expected; the remains of Australia’s first ironworks, perhaps not. Friends in Sydney […]
Pods of paradise: Emirates business class on the A380. Photo: Supplied THE ROUTE Dubai to Melbourne, Emirates EK 408 THE AIRCRAFT It would simply be rude to pass up the offer of a marmalade martini. Photo: Shutterstock Airbus A380-800, Emirates’ flagship and the luxury ocean liner of the skies. THE LOYALTY SCHEME Emirates Skywards; the airline […]
The Hume Highway is the fastest transport route between Sydney and Melbourne. Photo: iStock Stretching more than 800 kilometres, the Hume Highway is the fastest transport route between Sydney and Melbourne. With all town detours and bypasses completed in 2013, the route has an almost non-stop speed limit of 110km/h getting travellers between the […]
The lobby at Hyatt Place. The hotel is located next to Essendon Airport, but Melbourne Airport is easily accessible. The new sleek business hotel in Essendon Fields, Hyatt Place. The new sleek business hotel in Essendon Fields, Hyatt Place. The new sleek business hotel in Essendon Fields, Hyatt Place. The hotel’s restaurant Mr McCracken has […]
The Sir George in Jugiong. Photo: Supplied In the good ol’ days, travellers on the mighty Hume Highway would stop and stretch their legs at any number of small rural towns along its flanks, offering refreshments such as “famous pies” or “the best burger”. After filling up stomachs and petrol tanks, it was back in the […]
PHOTOS: The Queen Elizabeth’s pool deck. Photo: Supplied The ship’s main restaurant, Brittania. Photo: Supplied The Garden Lounge. Photo: Supplied Traditional English games like bowls and croquet on the games deck. Photo: Supplied The two-storey library on board. Photo: Supplied The ship features more than 700 balcony rooms. Photo: Supplied Steakhouse at The Verandah, one […]
SYDNEY Hunter Valley A vineyard in Hunter Valley Wine Country. Photo: Jann Tuxford A favourite weekend getaway for Sydneysiders, the Hunter – Australia’s oldest and most famous wine region – is much more than just wine. Home to about 60 restaurants, including the double-hatted Muse, Margan and Bistro Molines (which also both have coveted Good […]
Peninsula Hot Springs has a hilltop spa with 360-degree views of the Mornington Peninsula. Photo: Supplied Star gaze at the Peninsula Hot Springs. Photo: Supplied Warnambool Pool: You might find yourself alone, gliding up and down in the orange-tinged waters, absorbing the goodness (sulfur, bicarbonate, sodium, magnesium, potassium and chloride) into your body. Photo: Supplied […]
David Vitale tasting the malt whisky in the Queen Elizabeth’s Grand Lobby. He thought he detected a “saltiness” to the flavour. Photo: Luis Enrique Ascui Standing on the aft deck of the Queen Elizabeth cruise ship, it’s glary, windy and the engine is causing the floor to vibrate. These are the conditions experienced by a […]
Rob Libecans mixes a drink at Melbourne’s Fancy Free. Photo: Jason South Australians are drinking less alcohol, so booze-free beverage barons are concocting clever ways to cater for teetotallers. Such bars as Melbourne’s Fancy Free and local brands like Lyre’s non-alcoholic spirits and Brunswick Aces “gin” are taking the alcohol-free tipple past the tired, fruit juice-heavy “mocktails” you might […]
Bartender Fred Siggins. Photo: Kristoffer Paulsen It’s that time of year again: the race that stops the nation, and the hangover that stops it the next day, too. So in between ironing your pocket square or finding the perfect jaunty angle for your fascinator, mix up a drink that’s equally fun and fancy. Champagne cocktails have a long and […]
The alcohol-free Watermelon sangria. Photo: Supplied Tom Byrne from Melbourne’s Arbory Afloat shakes things up with spritzes to get the party started. Bottoms up! Watermelon sangria A refreshing summery drink with healthy cherry concentrate, huge in antioxidants, replacing alcohol – you won’t even miss it. INGREDIENTS 10ml (1 part) cherry concentrate (available online or from […]
Embla’s green tea infusion (Recipe here). Photo: Kristoffer Paulsenkris@kristoff Courtside cooler (Recipe here). Photo: Kristoffer Paulsen El verde (Recipe here). Photo: Kristoffer Paulsen Egyptian iced tea (Recipe here). Photo: Edwina Pickles Rosa’s afternoon drink (Recipe here). Photo: Rebecca Hallas Home-made ginger lemonade by Tony Chiodo. Click here for recipe. Photo: Eddie Jim Herbal teas by […]
Craig Pearce and Jessie Familetti at the counter. Photo: Simon Schluter Melbourne’s coffee queues are the new frontline in etiquette school, with some cafes banning customers from ordering their caffeine hit while using their mobile phone. But it’s not cafes in the hipster belt banning the technological appendage. Cafe 655 in the industrial chic part […]
The only way to travel: Emirates business class on the A380. Photo: Supplied THE ROUTE Dubai to Melbourne, Emirates EK408 THE AIRCRAFT Airbus A380-800 THE LOYALTY SCHEME Emirates Skywards. Though not a member of any of the major alliances, the airline does partner with Qantas and Jetstar. The bar on board. Photo: Shutterstock CLASS In […]
A work by John Olsen at The Olsen. Our rating 4 out of 5 THE PLACE Despite a somewhat chequered corporate history, the Deagues, Melbourne’s flamboyant property developer clan, deserve credit for introducing some bold splashes of colour to the Australian hotel industry’s monochrome palette. The Art Series Hotel group, brainchild of William Deague, is […]
Preston’s Tallboy & Moose does a cracking Sunday roast to go with your craft beer. Photo: Eliana Schoulal Sure, the pub is an excellent go-to for catch-ups, but why not up the ante? Melbourne’s craft brewers certainly have. What started about five years ago with a few canny creators seeking a way to entice more […]
Two Melbourne obsessions: Craft beer and coffee. Photo: Shutterstock What sort of beer is most likely to impress Melburnians? For Dennis De Boer, head brewer at Modus Operandi Brewing in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, the answer is obvious: one with coffee in it. “You’d be pretty hard-pressed to find a city more obsessed and innovative with […]
Romeo Lane’s trio of negroni cocktails for Negroni Week. Photo: Supplied Keep your spirits up: Classic cocktails and DIY tips to help you become a bartender at home Heading out to a bar is on ice during Melbourne’s lockdown, but that doesn’t mean Negroni Week is cancelled. This year, bartenders are bottling their takes on […]
1806 cocktail bar in Melbourne Photo: Supplied Why you should never shake a martini, according to the drink ‘Pope’ Twenty-five years ago, cocktails in Melbourne meant something basic like gin and tonic, or sweet concoctions with names more lurid than their colour schemes. Now, ordering a Cocksucking Cowboy would be like an actual cowboy demanding […]
Market Lane coffee from Melbourne. Photo: Supplied 10 of Sydney’s best coffee delivery services (all deliver nationwide) Working from home doesn’t mean skimping on quality coffee. Whether you’re time poor and can only spend the time it takes to pour hot water in a mug or devoted to the full espresso experience, we’ve got you. Code […]
Flat what? The ‘deconstructed’ coffee in question. Photo: Facebook Melbourne hipster coffee has social media steaming Cafe review: The Kitchen at Weylandts The manager of a Melbourne cafe at the centre of a social media storm in a coffee cup says its controversial “deconstructed” brew was aimed at the city’s notorious coffee snobs, not hipsters. […]
Need A Barista founders Alex Bray (left) and Tom Gould at Little Henri cafe in Northcote. Photo: Simon Schluter Melbourne now has a barista locum service so that cafe patrons do not have to drink a coffee made by ordinary cafe staff, if the usual coffee wizard calls in sick or goes on leave. Cafes […]
Nic Sandery from Molly Rose in Collingwood, one of five new brew bars on the horizon. Photo: Joe Armao Trend alert: a flock of new brewery and distillery bars where you can blow the froth off a pint or sip a nip at the source are coming in hot. On August 2, independent brewery Bodriggy, […]