Qantas magazine - May 24

Find & Seek

Lofoten, Norway

CHILL OUT

Seeking something raw and real? A rebellious rush? If you’re open to the soul-deep pleasure of icy invigoration and discovering that nature does indeed feel best when you bare all, the annual Nude Solstice Swim (darkmofo.net.au) is for you. On 21 June, join about 2000 fearless Tasmanians and visitors from around the globe on the banks of Hobart’s River Derwent to plunge completely naked into midwinter waters in the pale light of dawn. You’ll emerge with a fresh glint in your eyes, a spring in your spirit and a sense of bonhomie with your fellow swimmers.

Craving more? Venture 40 minutes south of the city into the wilds of the Huon Valley to submerge yourself in the chilly depths of the Huon River. The only thing to top the thrill of resurfacing is the chance to warm up afterwards at Fancy Granny Secret Supper Club, an Off Season-only dinner party series at Franklin’s gritty-turned-glamorous retreat, The Bowmont (thebowmont.com.au).

OFF KILTER

As the temperature drops, the Off Season in lutruwita / Tasmania vibrates with eclectic experiences that’ll upend your expectations of a winter escape.

FEEL THE HEAT

If the embrace of warm water is more your speed, head to Tasmania’s rugged north-west, where you can sink into an open-air spa bath surrounded by nature at Eagle’s Nest Retreat (eaglesnestretreat.com.au). All three villas (each with private spa) boast views across the majestic Mount Roland – a scene that can only be improved when set to the soundtrack of a popping champagne cork. The outside air will be crisper than the crackle of the eucalyptus leaves you’ll step on as you climb into the hot tub but the bubbles – in your glass and caressing your skin – will soon warm you up.

For those who prefer the hot kiss of a dram of dark liquor, winter is whisky season in Tasmania. Distilleries all over the island will pour generously for guests during Tasmanian Whisky Week (taswhiskyweek.com), running from 5 to 11 August, with events and tours planned across the state, from the distinguished Hellyers Road in the north to Overeem Whisky, 15 minutes south of Hobart.

LIGHT UP

You have to be patient. And still. Only then will the eerie wisps appear, twisting across the night sky and lighting it up like a silent carnival. This is the Aurora Australis – the great Southern Lights – and Tasmania is the best place to view these phantom acid-green and magenta spectra in the Off Season. Finding them is a fitting reward for braving the bite of the winter night air. According to Daniel Schoedler, owner of Premier Travel Tasmania (premiertraveltasmania.com) and a devoted lightseeker, the top spots to catch the ethereal show around Hobart are at Bellerive Beach, the summit of kunanyi / Mount Wellington and Goat Bluff on the South Arm Peninsula, just south-east of the capital.

If you’d prefer to be guided into the light, August’s Beaker Street Festival (beakerstreet.com.au) is a weeklong celebration of science and art centred in southern Tasmania that will be hosting a galaxy of night-time experiences. Think guided glow tours where you’ll investigate fluorescent flora and fauna, a dark-sky dinner hosted by astronomer Professor Alan Duffy and lots of aurora-chasing.

GO DARK

What’s the most exciting way to delve into the dark recesses of Tasmania’s heart? Go underground. The Wild Cave Tours (wildcavetours.com) at Mole Creek, in the central north, plunges cavers – experienced or amateur – into the island’s fascinating depths, where the earth grows and recedes with stalagmites and stalactites and natural light dares not go. This exhilarating tour, which takes place on kooparoona niara / Great Western Tiers, is led by caver Deb Hunter. The Off Season is the only time of year when water runs through the World Heritage-listed caves, giving a unique insight into the natural forces that saw them carved out more than 500 million years ago.

Having braved subterranea, drive 30 minutes east for a hearty welcome at Love Lucy Boots Wine Room in Westbury (lovelucyboots.com.au). Throughout winter, you can share a platter of fine local cheeses and red wine by the fire in the private lounge bar or discuss local lore with new friends at the Winter Solstice Weekend Long Table Dinner.

GO BEYOND

Venture into the richly forested west on West Coast Wilderness Railway’s (wcwr.com.au) heritage diesel train, passing by the vast King River Gorge, through a ghost town and over Teepookana’s Iron Bridge. Indulge your festive side by hopping aboard the railway’s Christmas in July experience from Strahan to Lower Landing – the train and the stations will be festooned with Christmas decorations and there’ll be yuletide treats to enjoy.

At Cradle Mountain, you’ll be able to explore the far reaches of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area on its more than 20 self-guided walking tracks. Add a frisson of indulgence to your Off Season adventure with dinner by the fireside at the Highland Restaurant at Cradle Mountain Lodge (cradlemountainlodge.com.au), followed by an overnight stay in a luxurious Spa Cabin. Plates of Cape Grim beef fillet, wallaby scallopini and fresh Tassie oysters will replenish weary travellers after a day of wilderness wandering.

GATHER CLOSE

Come together with friends and family on the island’s east coast for the Winter’s Bounty Feast at Piermont Retreat (piermont.com.au) and listen to the waves crash on the shore of wild Great Oyster Bay. Expect generous servings of woodfired meat, oysters pulled straight from the briny waters and lashings of warm mulled cider. A night spent in one of the retreat’s cottages – filled with cosy wool textiles and rich Tasmanian timbers – is all part of the Off Season experience. Bonds strengthened, head north to The Truffledore (truffledore.com.au) in Lower Barrington, a few clicks south of Devonport. Pull on your wellies, take in the scent of wet earth and prepare to dine on the spoils of the land. You’ll be joining Cody the Truffle Dog and his humans to forage for winter truffles before indulging in a four-course lunch beside a roaring wood fire.

GET LOUD

Fill your lungs with the brisk air then let out that breath in song as pure and clean as the morning frost: that’s the instruction at the Big Sing Bonfire in Hobart, which is part of the Festival of Voices (festivalofvoices.com) from 28 June to 7 July. You’ll join thousands of others in communal harmony around the glow of a crackling fire. You don’t need to be able to hold a tune but come prepared to experience shared joy and connection.

Want to get even louder? You’ll find live music, rollicking parties and a little bit of chaos as a new exhibition drops at the Museum Of Old and New Art (Mona) (mona.net.au). The Off Season sees the launch of Namedropping, a wry and wonderful comment on status and fame, on 15 June. There’ll be plenty of big names, with featured works by Pablo Picasso, Barbara Kruger, David Bowie and Ai Weiwei among others.

BE STILL

Hush your tones and tune in to the quiet hum of a forest floor on the Table Cape Sound Walk (tablecapexp.com).

Starting from 1 July as part of Permission to Trespass, a winter event series that grants visitors exclusive access to some of Tasmania’s best private properties, the experience invites you to explore the state’s rugged north-west tip guided by the gentle lullabies of its flora and fauna, recorded by renowned local sound artist Rachel Meyers. Walking by the sound stations between the Table Cape Lookout and the lighthouse will trigger the recordings –the tumble of a stream or the shuffles of a jack jumper ant colony hurrying back to its nest – accompanied by atmospheric electronic music.

Once you’re done drinking in the natural world, it’s time to take a drop of something human-made: a glass of whisky at the nearby Alchymia Distillery (alchymiadistillery.com).

Its Distiller’s Bench experience takes whiskyphiles behind the scenes to witness the golden nectar being “mashed in” at the start of its creation. You’ll get to taste several styles, including the first release of Alchymia’s Tasmanian Single Malt Whisky, along with a light lunch.

For live updates on events and more Off Season highlights, download the Discover Tasmania app (discovertasmania.com.au).

Seljalandsfoss, Iceland

Photo by Steve McCurry

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MALAGA • GIBRALTAR • LISBON • PORTIMAO

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82

The Journey

90 THE INSIDERS

Want to know the best places to eat, drink, stay, swim and shop in Paris? Four local experts share their favourite spots and what’s new in town.

100 A COUNTRY MILE Walk in the footsteps of monks, pilgrims and emperors on Japan’s challenging Kumano Kodo trail (with comforts guaranteed).

INTO THE LIMELIGHT Cruise the coast of Norway in search of the Northern Lights and another world of stark natural beauty will be revealed to you. 100

COVER: Photography by Denis Belitsky

The List

24 Book It: Garma Festival of Traditional Cultures, Northern Territory, and Gauguin’s World: Tōna Iho and Tōna Ao, NGV, ACT

27 Epic Stay: Mandarin Oriental, Singapore

28 Trending Now: 5 things to know

30 Piece Of Mind: Heather Mitchell

32 The Ride: Mercedes-Benz GLC300 4MATIC

34 On Trial: Cryogenic therapy

36 Get Smart: Reading list

38 Clockwise: Grand Seiko Heritage Collection Caliber 9R 20th anniversary limited edition SBGA497

40 Hot Spot: Cairns, Far North Queensland

The Menu

44 Main Course: The hole-in-thewall eateries that the locals head to time after time.

50 The Special: Fairy bread ice-cream sandwich at The Waratah, Sydney

52 New Order: Where to eat, drink and be seen right now.

54 Taste Maker: Gerald Duffey, owner, Gerald’s Bar, Melbourne

56 Neighbourhoods: Launceston, Tasmania

58 Wine List: Gamay

The Break

62 Long Weekend: Canberra, ACT

64 Epic Escape: Dairy Flat Farm, Daylesford

66 48 Hours In... Fremantle, Western Australia

69 Trip Around The World: Go beyond Tokyo’s neon and skyscrapers to discover a host of extraordinary experiences.

Melbourne Special Report

111 Heading to Victoria’s capital this winter? Plan your trip with our round-up of everything that’s new in dining, drinks, places to stay and events in the city.

The Look

122 Creative Process: Lindy Lee

124 Foundations: Potato Head Studios, Bali

126 Packing List: Fashion for travelling in style

130 Spotlight On: Argyle Ellipse earrings

132 How I Travel: Steve Cordony

The Business

136 The Interview: Anna Marsden, managing director, Great Barrier Reef Foundation

140 Firsts: Shane Webster, CEO, Jawun

142 Masterclass: How to... tap into intuition

147 The Big Idea: SpeeDx

148 Check In: Shanghai

151 Think Tank: Experts discuss the skills needed for the workplace of the future – from EQ to AQ.

Health, safety and security on board and when you land

CAPABLE OF GREAT THINGS

EDITORIAL

Editor-in-Chief Kirsten Galliott

Editor Genevra Leek

Content Director

Faith Campbell

Content and Qantas

Hotels Editor

Bridget de Maine

Online Editor

Christina Rae

Senior Digital Producer

Maxim Boon

Digital and Social Producer

Anneliese Beard

Content Producer

Anna Neville

Creative Director

Tony Rice

Art Directors

Kate Timms

Nick Clark

Copy Director

Rosemary Bruce

Deputy Copy Director

Sandra Bridekirk

Copy Editor

Pippa Duffy

Production Manager

Chrissy Fragkakis

For editorial inquiries, contact: qantaseditorial@mediumrarecontent.com

ADVERTISING

Head of Sales, Travel and Luxury

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Senior Account Manager, NSW

Anthony Sullivan

+61 408 447 148 Sales Manager, Qld, WA and SA

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Sales Manager, Victoria Lauren Casalini +61 424 980 800 S enior Account Manager, Victoria Miranda Adofaci +61 410 387 707

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RARE CREATIVE Strategy and Partnerships

Head of Rare Creative Paulette Parisi Content and Partnerships Director Mark Brandon Senior Campaigns Editor Melanie Colwell Senior Writer Terry Christodoulou Creative Director Philippa Moffitt Art Director Katrina Mastrofilippo Designer Jenny Lee Strategy and Insights Director Jane Schofield Commercial Solutions Manager Rebecca Reilly Qantas Partnerships Manager Molly Maguire Qantas Partnerships Manager Emily Ryan Qantas Partnerships Campaign

Executive Kellie Hammond Content and Events Campaign Manager Jessica Manson

For Rare Creative inquiries, contact: rarecreative@mediumrarecontent.com

Managing Director Nick Smith Chief Commercial Officer Fiorella Di Santo Head of Content, Travel and Business Kirsten Galliott Head of Design, Travel and Business Tony Rice Head of Digital Production and Operations Hana Jo Head of Audience Intelligence Catherine Ross Financial Controller Leslie To Finance Manager Yane Chak Junior Accountant Yongjia Zhou

Qantas magazine is published for Qantas Airways Ltd (ABN 16 009 661 901) by Medium Rare Content Agency (ABN 83 169 879 921), Level 1, 83 Bowman Street, Pyrmont, NSW 2009. ©2024. All rights reserved. Printed by IVE Group. Paper fibre is from sustainably managed forests and controlled sources. No responsibility is accepted for unsolicited material. Articles express the opinions of the authors and not necessarily those of Qantas Airways Ltd or Medium Rare Content Agency. ISSN 1443-2013. For a copy of Medium Rare Content Agency’s Privacy Policy, please visit mediumrarecontent.com.

From the Editor

On my first trip to New York, in 2001, I lugged around a ridiculously hefty document – pages and pages of recommendations that a very fashionable friend had gathered during her years of travelling to and from the Big Apple.

Back then, the internet was a thing, of course, but it was nothing like it is now. So I didn’t turn to Google to make the most of my time in NYC; I relied on my trusty photocopied pages that had personal, detailed information on the top bars, the secret doors, the locals-only restaurants. It still remains one of my best-ever trips.

I’m reminded of that (halcyon) time as we compile this issue, which focuses on finding hidden treasures. There are two ways to approach travel stories. One is to send someone in with wide-eyed wonder, to appreciate it all just as the reader might. You don’t need a local to go on safari in Tanzania or check into an over-water villa in the Maldives – the thrill of the moment is what makes these bucket-list travel experiences so special.

But when we do city guides or need writers to scratch beneath the surface (and the reams of information out there), we turn to trusted experts who know the places intimately and can share the experiences that will take your travels from cookie-cutter to immersive.

I dare you to read our story on Paris (The Insiders, page 90) and not want to book a flight to uncover the corners that our four French locals bring to life. Similarly, Kirsty Munro, who’s lived in Japan for 15 years, offers her unique take on Tokyo (Trip Around the World, our partnership with Regent Seven Seas Cruises, page 69) – I’m already hatching a plan as to how I can get to that 12-seat sake bar in Nishiazabu.

We spend a lot of time, energy and anticipation on our travels. It’s these kinds of details that make them truly memorable.

Kirsten Galliott Editor-in-Chief

kirstengalliott

Our writers are not armchair travellers. Rest assured any assistance we accept from the travel industry in the course of preparing our stories does not compromise the integrity of our coverage.

Meet the team

Mel Korotki AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE ENGINEER

Connect to Qantas Fast and Free Wi-Fi

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My parents met at Qantas in 1967. Dad was an apprentice and Mum was working in production planning in Hangar 96. So I’ve been around aircraft my whole life. Dad flew light planes and got his hot air balloon licence when I was a kid. He and I were inseparable so it was natural I’d follow him into aviation. We’re a real Qantas family; my sister is married to an engineer and his dad was an engineer, too.

I did two weeks work experience in 1992, then applied each year but didn’t get in, which makes sense – I wasn’t even 18! I started working here in 1995 and, 29 years on, I still love it. Every day is different. I could be over at the international terminal checking arriving aircraft. We get onboard, fix anything that needs it, like a seat or a reading light. We might be changing a tyre. Some days could be doing maintenance on aircraft that are on the ground, which could be anything up to changing over an engine. Another day I might be moving aircraft in and out of hangars and to the gates.

Engineers are amazing – I don’t think we’re like anyone else. Everyone I work with is so passionate and particular and they have incredible attention to detail. It’s such an exciting time with all of the new aircraft we have coming. I’d say to anyone thinking of a career in aviation to just go for it. It’s an incredible industry and an engineering background can take you just about anywhere in aviation. The people are clever, you’ll learn heaps and you’ll become part of a family. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.

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We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work, live and fly. We pay our respects to Elders past and present and are committed to honouring Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ unique cultural and spiritual relationship to the land, water and sky.

I just got back from... New Zealand

Adrenaline-fuelled adventures, a food safari and nature at its most pristine. Qantas travellers share highlights from their recent trips.

Mish Wright Gold Frequent Flyer

FLEW QANTAS FROM MELBOURNE TO AUCKLAND

“Both the North and South islands have so much to offer and we drove from top to bottom, starting at Kerikeri in the far north, about four hours from Auckland. In nearby Mahinepua Bay, the coastal walk is off the beaten track and offers a different view at every turn. It’s stunning. In the south, visiting Milford Sound is incomparable. We did a full-day cruise, stopping along the way so we could do short bushwalks. There were hundreds of waterfalls and our guides stopped the boat so we could stick out our hands and catch the glacial water to drink straight from the falls.”

Courtney Wilton Bronze Frequent Flyer

FLEW QANTAS FROM BRISBANE TO CHRISTCHURCH

“We’d earned Qantas Points travelling to Canada and Mexico and redeemed them on flights to Christchurch. The food at Riverside Market in the CBD was diverse and delicious, we ate everything from Greek to Mexican and excellent fish and chips. At the Antarctic Centre, it was so much fun to see the penguins and pretend we were in the middle of a snowstorm in the Storm Dome. After driving south, we chose to stay in Arrowtown rather than Queenstown, which allowed us to have beautiful early morning walks through the Millbrook Resort golf course, complete with a dawn sighting of a hot air balloon.”

Cameron Dawson Gold Frequent Flyer

FLEW QANTAS FROM CANBERRA TO QUEENSTOWN (VIA SYDNEY)

“Queenstown is the adventure capital of New Zealand and taking the world’s steepest tree-to-tree zipline is an exhilarating way to see the town. The guides from Ziptrek EcoTours made it even more fun and encouraged us to try tricks in the air. Hiking up Queenstown Hill was more peaceful – the air was crisp and all I could hear was birdsong. Afterwards, I sat by Lake Wakatipu and enjoyed takeaway from Erik’s Fish & Chips. Flying Qantas Business Class on the way home was a nice way to end the trip.”

Explore New Zealand with Qantas. Fly direct to Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Book now on qantas.com

Photograph:

©Studio PONANTNathalie Michel.

THE LIST

A Gumatj man dances at the Garma Festival of Traditional Cultures, at Nhulunbuy in the Northen Territory

Two events worth travelling for

Garma Festival of Traditional Cultures, Northern Territory

“Without giving too much away, there’s a renewed sense of purpose to this year’s festival,” says Joel Ulbricht, director of the Garma Festival of Traditional Cultures, held at Nhulunbuy in north-east Arnhem Land (2 to 5 August; yyf.com.au).

Conceived in 1999 by late Yolŋu leaders Dr Mandawuy Yunupingu, former frontman of iconic rock outfit Yothu Yindi, and his activist brother, Galarrwuy Yunupingu, Garma is a celebration of First Nations history and culture. Named for a Yolŋu Matha term meaning “two-way learning process”, it’s where local Elders sit shoulder-to-shoulder with visitors – from lay people to politicians – to tell their stories on their Country.

“As a four-day event held in a remote setting, the festival gives people the time and opportunity to immerse themselves deeply in different aspects of Yolŋu culture and develop meaningful connections with the local community,” says Ulbricht. “The songs [manikay], the dances [bunggul], the stories – they stretch back millennia. It’s a slice of life that very few Australians have seen.”

This year, highlights include the Gapan Gallery, an outdoor art space set in a grove of stringybark trees; the Women’s Health workshop, where female festival-goers have the chance to experience traditional healthcare; and the daily bunggul, when clans of the region perform ceremonial dance at sunset, accompanied by the call of the yidaki (didgeridoo), the rhythm of the bilma (clapsticks) and the voices of the songmen.

Gauguin’s World: Tōna Iho, Tōna Ao, ACT

A master of Post-Impressionism, Paul Gaugin’s legacy is sizable – and controversial. The French artist’s depictions of life and culture in the South Pacific in the latter part of the 19th century have been the subject of ongoing debate in the art world. The thought-provoking exhibition at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra (29 June to 7 October; nga.gov.au) will take an unflinching look at Gauguin in context, showing 140 of his pieces from more than 65 international collections alongside works by contemporary Pasifika artists. There’ll also be talks, a public symposium, a podcast series and films.

The Sacred Mountain (Parahi Te Marae) (1892; below) and Femmes de Tahiti (1891; bottom) by Paul Gauguin are among the works in the NGA exhibition

Mandarin Oriental, Singapore

This revamped stalwart offers a vibrant glimpse of the Lion City.

Story by Rachel Lees

Leaving the curtains open is recommended at the Mandarin Oriental Singapore, which recently reopened after its $150-million refresh (qantas.com/hotels/mandarinoriental singapore). The 510-room hotel’s 87 suites were reconfigured so the views of Marina Bay Sands and sunrise over the Singapore Strait can be enjoyed from your king-sized bed.

But the outlook isn’t the only thing that’s been transformed. In place of the heavy wood panelling – a stylistic hangover from the stay’s opening in 1987 – is abundant natural light, dramatic public spaces and live greenery that reflects the tropical setting.

Each room and suite category is as pretty as the view. Those looking onto Marina Bay are awash with steel-blue shades, while the suites with balconies keep to the colours of the national flower, the Vanda Miss Joaquim orchid, renowned for its dazzling mauve and magenta hues. Understated and elegant, the interiors have a subtle Art Deco-era glamour, punctuated with hints of rattan, frosted glass lamps, rain showers and flat-screen TVs that are almost as big as the beds.

A well-devised program of experiences (at an additional cost) helps to plunge you into the city’s fabric. There’s a bespoke Vespa sidecar tour and a scent-making workshop with boutique parfumerie Maison 21G, while time spent painting a tingkat (tiffin box) offers an appreciation of Singapore’s unique Peranakan (Straits Chinese) culture.

Some bookings can also unlock the island state’s more exclusive side. Suite guests have access to members-only Mandala Club (mandala.club) in nearby Tanjong Pagar, with its restaurants, co-working spaces, private gym and cellar of more than 1000 rare wines, as well as the hotel’s Haus 65 lounge, where breakfast is served on bone china plates and free daily wine tastings are led by sommeliers.

Not staying in a suite? No worries. The Mandarin’s on-site MO Bar is number eight on Asia’s 50 Best Bars list – and it pours a stellar adaptation of Singapore’s namesake sling.

a damning email about Deborah, sent by Ava to producers she’s trying to impress, resurfaces. Will the ladies fall out again and ruin each other’s careers? Watch it on Stan from 3 May.

enough to don at night. Which is exactly what actress Olivia Wilde did at Saint Laurent’s Fall 2024 show in February, while fashion maven Grece Ghanem is often seen in them. But it was Top Gun: Maverick star Glen Powell who cemented the style as a cool status symbol when he wore a pair to the Vanity Fair Oscars party in March.

Luxury Redefined.

KANGAROO ISLAND

LORD HOWE ISLAND

DAINTREE RAINFOREST

BAROSSA VALLEY

ULU RU-KATA TJU TA

Heather Mitchell

This star of Australian stage and screen has a career spanning 40 years. Here’s what she’s into away from the limelight. As told to Natalie Reilly

The movie I just watched… Triangle of Sadness is basically three movies in one and the central theme is of the working classes rising up against those in charge. I loved the script and the performances; it was so dark and funny.

Books I read recently… I’ve just finished Wifedom by Anna Funder. It’s part biography, part historical fiction, about the wife of George Orwell, Eileen O’Shaughnessy, who was also

a writer. So little is known about her but she had a huge influence on Orwell’s work and Funder does a brilliant job of exploring their relationship. I’ve also been reading Richard Flanagan’s Question 7, which was fantastic. It’s a historical drama, memoir and love story.

The podcast I love… My favourite podcast is one that’s been around for a while: The Rest is History. It covers every historical event you could think of in rich detail. It’s hosted by two historians – Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook – and is very well-researched. I really enjoyed the episode they did on the Mitford sisters, who lived in London: Diana, who was a great beauty, and Unity, who entered into a relationship with Hitler. It’s a fascinating look at events that still reverberate today.

The latest shows I binged…

The dialogue and relationship dynamics in The Bear are just amazing. The Newsreader is an Australian series I’ve been watching – the director, Emma Freeman, is brilliant. I also love watching nature documentaries. A favourite is My Octopus Teacher, about a South African filmmaker’s [Craig Foster] friendship with a female octopus and how much he learnt from her. I find anything to do with animals very calming, especially with everything that’s going on in the world right now.

Julie Adams

HOMAGE TO AN EPIC JOURNEY

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This stunning necklace forms part of our latest ‘Coral Coastline’ collection, with half of the proceeds from each necklace sold being donated to the Gnaraloo Wilderness Foundation’s Turtle Conservation Program.

Exclusively available at Linneys. To find this highly sought-after design, please shop online at linneys.com.au or visit us in-store at one of our three showrooms.

Mercedes-Benz GLC300 4MATIC

As one of the high-end brand’s bestsellers, the next-generation SUV is worthy of the hype.

Story by Noelle Faulkner

Mercedes-Benz GLC? It’s no stranger to the roads. No, it isn’t. This midsize SUV is one of the German marque’s top-selling vehicles in Australia and abroad. This is the first next-generation model since its launch in 2015 so there’s a lot to live up to. What’s there to know about it? While there’s also a GLC coupé available, the GLC300 4MATIC is now the only variant of this model available in Australia – and the approach is all killer, no filler, especially when it comes to standard equipment that would have previously cost you extra. Such as? How does a panoramic sunroof, head-up display, electric and heated front seats, 20-inch AMG bi-colour alloy wheels, larger front brakes, privacy glass, ingenious semi-autonomous safety equipment and a very cool 360-degree camera system sound? Great! What’s powering it? With a total of 190kW/400Nm in output, you’ll find a 2.0-litre turbo engine under the bonnet, which is aided by a new 48V mild hybrid electrical system. The latter gives some major fuel-efficiency benefits for city driving but also provides the car with smoother movement in traffic. What about space? Compared to its older self, the GLC300 is slightly longer and has 50 litres more luggage capacity (for a total of 630 litres). The good thing is that it doesn’t feel like a huge SUV, the reason why it’s considered the Goldilocks of its category. But it’s still luxe, right? Beautiful signature Mercedes-AMG trims are available, the cabin is clean and uncluttered, and there’s plenty of tech on offer, including the carmaker’s own clever MBUX AI-enabled system and a 15-speaker Burmester 3D-surround sound system. Plus, the car is incredibly comfortable; there’s really not much more any family would want or need in an everyday SUV. What’s the price and is it available to test drive? From $103,370. Book a test drive through your local LSH Auto dealer. lshauto.com.au

Discover More

Extraordinary and enriching, more than just a river voyage

Discover more of the world along the most majestic waterways, with travel experiences created for the curious-minded. Visiting multiple countries with ease, think of a Viking Longship as your oating hotel, traversing foreign lands at a peaceful pace that allows you to enjoy the scenery like no other.

Experience the most extraordinary way to see the world and book your river voyage before 31 May 2024 to save up to $4,600 per couple.

Cryogenic therapy

Can a cryogenic facial do anything more than cool you down?

Story by Natalie Reilly

There is a school of thought that applying ice to the face can increase dopamine levels and reduce inflammation, just like cold-plunging. Dave Asprey, the father of biohacking, writes, “Sticking your face in ice water works because the vagus nerve in your face is connected to nerves in the rest of your nervous system throughout your body. By using this simple trick to get the nerves in your face used to the cold, it will translate to the rest of your body.”

Somewhat less extreme, a facial with a cryo element aims to stimulate circulation, lessen puffiness and firm up skin. But when I arrive mid-morning at the W Hotel’s Away

Spa (marriott.com) in Sydney’s Darling Harbour, I’m hoping the treatment will slough off my hangover (a result of sampling the Margaritas at the hotel’s 29/30 rooftop bar the night before). The dimly lit spa is decked out with communal-style cabanas and manicure and pedicure pods in a bid to promote wellness and pampering as a group activity with friends, as opposed to the usual solo self-care pursuit.

A central bar serves alcohol after midday but in the morning, it offers coffee and juice. I throw back a shot of green stuff, which I’m told has anti-inflammatory benefits. I hope so; I’ve got a throbbing headache and tightness in my chest. My wellness therapist, Maddie, arrives, all translucent skin and fluffy eyebrows, to escort me to a darkened room.

We begin with a cleanse and light exfoliation then out come the big guns – two stainless steel “spoons” or “chill wands”, which have been resting in a bowl of ice water.

Maddie has warned me that they may feel uncomfortable. But I’m not prepared for just how uncomfortable. Blame it on that pesky nervous system but I feel an ache in the base of my spine from the cold on my face. I resist the urge to wriggle under the freezing spoons.

After what seems like an eternity in purgatory (read: two minutes) the cryo part of my facial is over. Maddie then begins the massage and some 10 minutes later, I’m woken by a grunt. It’s my own. I’d been snoring. “I take it as a compliment,” Maddie tells me when I apologise, my cheeks red from ice and embarrassment. “It means you’re relaxed.”

We may never know if it was the ice or the massage (or both) but that hangover has gone, replaced by a calm nervous system and a desire to fall back asleep. My skin does feel firmer. Now I’ve learnt I don’t need to plunge my entire body in ice to get that dopamine hit when I’m feeling dusty – I can just dunk my face.

To find out more about our personalised beach drop-off experience visit qualia.com.au

Reading list

From the latest novels to essential reads, these are our page-turning picks.

Story by Michael Williams

The book everyone is reading

There’s a reason that Marian Keyes is an international publishing phenomenon: she writes engaging, funny and, at times, exasperating characters, following their struggles with work, love, family and modern life. Her latest, My Favourite Mistake, is a classic rom-com in which protagonist Anna Walsh is forced to make the trip from New York to Ireland (where she was born) in the face of a personal and professional disaster. A romp about trying to find a middle-age do-over.

The book you should be reading

I’ve been a big fan of Winnie Dunn’s writing in journals and anthologies for years and her debut novel, Dirt Poor Islanders, doesn’t disappoint. Half-white, half-Tongan Meadow Reed is growing up in Western Sydney, navigating family, culture, tradition and identity. It’s a funny, moving, deeply personal book – and proves that Dunn is a writer to watch.

The non-fiction book to know about Australian-British barrister, academic, broadcaster and author Geoffrey Robertson has built a career on his prowess at human rights law and unflinching assessments of legal morality and global injustice. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, works of history and

political theory have tried to make sense of the war. In The Trial of Vladimir Putin, Robertson meticulously mounts his case against the Russian president.

The Australian book to read now

Anyone who read Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens will already know that Miles Franklin winner Shankari Chandran is an expert at sketching communities of people whose dependency on one another is matched by their care for each other. Chandran’s new novel, Safe Haven, has it all: a group of refugees only too aware of the fragility of their position; bonds of love and trust; a mysterious death; and similarly beautiful storytelling to her prize-winning book.

The classic book to revisit It’s been 20 years since Michael Robotham’s debut novel, The Suspect, hit the shelves. Follow clinical psychologist Joe O’Loughlin as he wrestles with early onset Parkinson’s, which is threatening to consume his life and work, and a set of lies that’s swiftly catching up with him. It’s a cracking tale from a modern master of the crime thriller.

Grand Seiko Heritage Collection Caliber 9R 20th anniversary limited edition SBGA497

Even in our digital world, the analogue charm of a mechanical timepiece is alive and ticking.

Story by Luke Benedictus

The age-old technology behind the clockwork mechanism maintains a beguiling blend of craftsmanship, heritage and style. Yet the trade-off comes at the cost of accuracy. The reality is that quartz watches – those driven by batteries – still tell the time with far greater precision.

At least, that was the case until the arrival of Seiko’s Spring Drive in 1999, an innovation that finally succeeded in closing the gap on quartz. This groundbreaking

movement combined the best of both worlds to create a watch that was essentially mechanical – in that it was propelled by a traditional mainspring – but also included an electronic regulator to make it incredibly precise. Five years later, a superior version of the Spring Drive, the Caliber 9R65, was developed for the company’s luxury offshoot, Grand Seiko. It offered automatic winding, a 72-hour power reserve and startling accuracy that limited any deviation to less than one second a day.

This new limited-edition model, SBGA497, celebrates the 20th anniversary of the historic movement. It’s propelled by the Caliber 9R65, proudly displayed through an open case back, yet the exterior of the watch

is also impressive, thanks largely to a headturner of a dial. Subtly textured, the delicate pink hue is purportedly inspired by sunrise in the mountains of Japan’s Nagano Prefecture, where Grand Seiko’s Spring Drive watches are produced. The aesthetics are backed with hard-nosed functionality – the 41-millimetre case and bracelet are made from high-intensity titanium to give a more lightweight feel on the wrist. Displaying Grand Seiko’s exceptional attention to detail, this is a watch that manages to combine poetry with pragmatism.

Grand Seiko Heritage Collection Caliber 9R 20th anniversary limited edition spring-drive titanium watch / $9400 / grand-seiko.com

Commissioned artworks, vivid colour palettes and eclectic furniture and fixtures – it’s all in the details at these designer hotels. Use and earn Qantas Points on your next city break when you book with Qantas Hotels and Holidays. Save your money, use your points

Stay in style

CALL A HERITAGE GEM HOME

A striking installation by local artist Tony Twigg greeting guests in Kimpton Margot Sydney’s lobby is the first hint of the considered design present throughout the heritage-listed building. Art Deco and contemporary Australian style meet in the CBD hotel’s 172 spacious rooms and suites and five hospitality venues, which include a swank rooftop bar and an all-day restaurant by Luke Mangan.

Stay two nights from $735 or 66,254 points for two guests.¹ Offer ends 31 May 2024

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BASE YOURSELF IN BRISBANE’S COOLEST NEIGHBOURHOOD

With quirky wallpaper, velvet bedheads and pop culture references galore, Ovolo The Valley is well-suited to its home in vibrant Fortitude Valley, where you can delight in boutique shopping and topnotch dining. Stay two nights from $499 or 45,382 points for two guests.¹

When you book this offer with Qantas Luxury Holidays, you’ll receive: Daily continental breakfast for two Late check-out until 12pm One-time complimentary minibar All-day access to the candy bar Social hour at cocktail bar Kazba with one drink per person, per stay

Offer ends 31 May 2024

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The boutique Hotel Indigo Adelaide Markets takes its design cues from nearby Central Market, the city’s rich festival history and even flamboyant former South Australian Premier Don Dunstan. Stay two nights from $450 or 54,076 points for two guests.²

Qantas Hotels

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Cairns, Far North Queensland

Story by Bridget de Maine

Photography by Fiona Harper

Where the rainforest meets the ocean – that’s where you’ll find Yidinji Country. Depending on the season, everything from barramundi to jammy quandongs, as well as the eucalyptusflavoured sugarbag honey of the endemic stingless bees, flourishes in this bountiful pocket of Queensland’s Tropical North.

The Great Barrier Reef Drive, recently reopened after flooding caused by Cyclone Jasper in 2023, cuts a 140-kilometre route that stretches from Cairns to Cape Tribulation. The journey offers glimpses of rainforest or reef depending on which window you’re gazing out of. Here, pit stops are as plentiful as the fresh produce: worthy spots include Port Douglas, jumping-off point for the Reef and the Daintree Rainforest, and tranquil Mossman Gorge, where granite stones peep out of the water like curious seals.

THE MENU

A selection of gamay wines

Jake Roden

Psst! These are the neighbourhood secrets, holes-inthe-wall and treasured local restaurants that you only know about by asking.

Story by Alexandra Carlton

“In North Hobart, on a residential street, there’s this incredibly delicious, tiny Ethiopian joint.” When a renowned chef like Sophie Pope, from Hobart’s exquisite, Japanese-inspired kaiseki restaurant Omotenashi (omotenashihobart.com) shares a hot tip like that, you open Google Maps and mark it with a green flag. “The food is so wholesome and has so much flavour.”

Pope is talking about Queen Sheba Injera Catering (queenshebainjera.com.au) and unless you’re a local – or know a local in the know – you probably haven’t heard about it. Currently, it’s a food truck serving classic North African dishes five or six days a week, including rich and spicy doro wat (a kind of chicken stew) or a beef or vegetarian alternative served in a blanket of spongy, homemade injera bread. One reviewer in the depths of Reddit describes it as “the best food I’ve ever had”.

“We don’t advertise and we don’t do much on Instagram or anything like that,” says Zemenay Gebremichael, who works alongside the truck’s owner and chef, Yodit Tafara. “Most people find us because we’ve been recommended by a friend or their family.”

Almost every city and town has its own Queen Sheba – or a bunch of them. Perhaps not quite as small but they’re the under-the-radar eateries that locals tell their friends to visit when they’re in town. They’re spots that don’t scoop the city’s restaurant awards or have 20,000 followers on Instagram but their devotees return again and again.

In Sydney’s Marrickville, for example, Banh Cuon Ba Oanh (343 Illawarra Road; +61 2 9059 0259) deservedly attracts long queues for its Vietnamese rolled rice cakes but Viet Rolls (275 Marrickville Road; +61 2 9560 2032), a few blocks away, does a version that’s just as good and you can also order a plate of free-range, crisp-skinned goose on the side. It’s pretty hard to find a bad café or lacklustre produce-focused restaurant in Hobart (“Small and cosy is Hobart’s bread and butter,” says Pope) but you’ll find a great version of both, plus clued-in locals ordering plates of pasta and pizzette as vinyl records spin, at Trophy Room (trophyroomhobart.com) in the city’s north.

Stan’s Grill in Spotswood, Melbourne

Chef Ahana Dutt from Indian eatery Raja (raja.sydney) in Sydney’s Potts Point got a suggestion from a mate several years ago and never looked back. “A friend recommended Kowloon Cafe (kowlooncafe.com.au) in Haymarket and it’s been part of my dining roster ever since,” she says. “It’s a no-fuss, Hong Kong-style café and restaurant. Service is efficient and the food is delicious.” Dutt always orders the Hong Kong-style toast with condensed milk, the traditional tomato fried rice and the curry fish balls. Her other insider tip is Tenacious Bakehouse (@tenacious.bakehouse), a Korean bakery in Darlinghurst. “The injeolmi croissant is perfection and my other favourites are the black garlic crown and milk madeleines.” There are hundreds more places like Queen Sheba, Kowloon Cafe and Trophy Room all over the country. So, go on, ask around.

Where to find other hidden dining treasures

VIC Soi 38

Wedged up the back of a carpark down an unremarkable laneway off Bourke Street, the deceptively basic-looking Soi 38 (soi38.com) serves some of the best Thai noodles anywhere in Melbourne, especially the crowdpleasing classic spicy boat noodles. Don’t skip the desserts: mango and pandan-scented sticky rice is a sure winner. This if-you-know-you-know hideaway is a favoured haunt of chef Shannon Martinez from Smith + Daughters, who reckons the plastic stools and streetlamp glow give it a sheen of late-night cool.

Stan’s Grill

Literally a hole in the wall – a serving window cut into a jaunty red-and-white striped box – Spotswood newcomer Stan’s Grill (stansgrill.com.au) serves up banging Balkan street food, such as chevapi (Balkan sausages) and a variety of other Eastern European eats wedged into bread. Even if you’re not into sangers, the hot chips and fire-engine-red house-made capsicum ajvar are worth the trip.

NSW Eat at ROBs

If you’re looking for the best North American-style breakfast in Sydney, head to Happyfield (happyfield.com. au) in the Inner West suburb of Haberfield and order The Happiest Meal of chicken and egg muffin, hash browns and pancakes. But where does Canadian chef/owner Jesse Orleans go when he wants someone else to cook him an American-style burger? That would be Eat at ROBs (eatatrobs.com. au) in Rozelle. The Oklahoma-style smashburger – a juicy beef patty fried with a fistful of onion then smooshed onto a soft bun – is the real deal.

Curry fish balls from Kowloon Cafe in Haymarket, Sydney

Casa Do Benfica

You don’t need to be into ball sports to visit Marrickville’s Hardcourt Tennis Club in Sydney’s Inner West; you just need to be a fan of excellent homestyle Portuguese cooking. The club is the surprising location of Casa Do Benfica (marrickvilletennis club.com.au), a properly authentic restaurant – try the exceptional seafood rice and the molotof lemon meringue flan – beloved by the city’s Portuguese community.

Birds of Paradise Rotisserie

Vale Fleet, the delightful Brunswick Heads fine-diner that was one of the key reasons to go to NSW’s Northern Rivers region. But hello to the equally enchanting Birds of Paradise Rotisserie

(boprotisserie.com.au), which Josh Lewis has opened inside a low-slung building with a tin roof in the same town. An old-school charcoal chicken shop, you come for the roasted bird and thick crinkle-cut chips doused in bone gravy but you stay for the generous salads and the handchurned ice-cream.

QLD

Scugnizzi

Pizza tastes best when it’s served by the slice and that’s the concept of this sunshine-yellow joint tucked into a strip of shops in Brisbane’s CBD (scugnizzi.com.au). Expect square-cut, Roman-style pizza; the capricciosa topped with mozzarella,

artichoke, ham and olives, and the salamina with salami, stracciatella and olives are both excellent.

TAS

Masaaki’s Sushi

Huon Valley, at the southern tip of the Apple Isle, seems an unlikely place to find what many agree is some of the most creative sushi in Australia (masaaki.com.au). Chef Masaaki Koyama fashions rainbowcoloured boxes of ocean freshness every Saturday and Sunday in Geeveston using fish like bright-pink imperadore, gurnard and, of course, tuna, all caught locally. His offerings are limited so it’s wise to order ahead.

WA

Two Hands Noodle Shop

The promise is East Malaysian food. The location, at the base of an apartment block in Como, south Perth, is curious. And the reality? Some of the finest handmade noodle dishes anywhere in the city (@two_ handsnoodleshop). Order the Sarawakstyle laksa, which is made with a base combining coconut milk and tamarind, or the saucy hokkien mee.

SA Ying Chow

Known for decades as Adelaide’s most-loved late-night haunt, this Chinatown classic (“Yingers” to the locals; @yingchowchineserestaurant) has scaled back on its party-time opening hours but still serves stellar Cantonese and Sichuan food. The star anise tea-smoked duck, the red vinegar ribs and the BBC (broad beans, bean curd and Chinese chutney) are the top picks.

Capricciosa pizza from Scugnizzi in Brisbane’s CBD

Great southern dram

Provenance and patience have helped Hellyers Road gain critical acclaim in the world of whisky.

In the hills of north-west Tasmania, Havenview, a suburb of Burnie, is home to Hellyers Road, the country’s oldest continually running single malt whisky distillery. That achievement isn’t one managing director Derek Charge takes lightly. “We’re so fortunate that we started the distillery in 1997 and laid down whisky in barrels 25 years ago. As Australian whisky comes of age, it means we’re ahead of the curve.”

The mission for Hellyers Road was always to create a collection of Tasmanian whiskies that are not only an expression of the region – by using local malted barley and water – but also a showcase of the complexity and flavour that can only be achieved with long, patient maturation.

“The climate on the north-west coast is quite mild, which leads to a gentle maturation environment for the casks in our bond store,” explains head distiller Fiona Coutts (above). “Our use of large-format 200-litre casks and extensive ageing allows us to release whisky that has had the opportunity to develop wonderful maturity through a myriad of reactions within the cask.”

The final product is a complex spirit such as the Hellyers Road Double Cask. “We take whisky that’s been aged in American oak for five years and allow it a second maturation in French oak that had previously been used for Tasmanian pinot noir,” says Charge.

Coutts adds that “you get a whisky that combines the spice of the ex-bourbon barrels with the stewed fruits of the pinot to have notes of raisin toast, candied orange and hints of clove.”

Championing the region and the dedication of time has seen the Hellyers Road label win multiple international accolades, including most recently Best Australian Single Cask Single Malt for its Hellyers Road American Oak 16 Years Old at the World Whisky Awards. “It’s not just the awards themselves,” says Charge. “It’s the commentary from judges singling out our product when looking for a point of difference against other world whiskies.”

To experience Hellyers Road’s Whisky Walk tour or learn more about its latest whisky releases, visit hellyersroaddistillery.com.au

Straight from the cask

About 35,000 guests pass through Hellyers’ cellar door each year. The Whisky Walk tour includes a visit to the bond stores, filled with selected oak barrels, to sample the award-winning 2016 Port Cask Matured Single Malt Whisky and a tasting flight of three different tipples. The highlight, according to Charge, “is being able to pour your own bottle of 20-year-old Australian single malt whisky directly from the barrel.”

Fairy bread ice-cream sandwich at The Waratah, Sydney.

“Remember when you were a kid at a birthday party? Fairy bread was always the favourite and always the first to go,” says Cynthia Litster, co-founder of The Waratah (thewaratahsydney. com) in Sydney’s Darlinghurst. “We’ve taken it and elevated it.”

That elevation shifts this tongue-in-cheek dish from its original white-bread-and-margarine formula to a fun and slightly more grown-up ice-cream sandwich. The filling is Messina gelato (with an outlet a few doors down, there’s virtually a limitless supply) and the “sandwich” is constructed by glueing on old-school Arnott’s Tina Wafers with a smoosh of sour honey. The sprinkle of hundreds and thousands ties back to the dessert’s roots and makes it a delightfully messy thing to eat with your hands, further amping up the sense of kids’ party nostalgia.

The Waratah is the debut solo venue for entrepreneur Litster and bartender big gun Evan Stroeve (formerly of Re, The Baxter Inn and Bulletin Place) and Australiana features

everywhere. The upstairs dining room cocktail list uses produce sourced from across the country, including the Daintree, while the geometric wall tiles in the bathroom are designed to look like the waratah flower’s jagged leaves.

There are also plenty of retro touches, such as the amber glow of the bar’s cocktail board that’s inspired by the tones of a bottle of VB, and the hand-drawn sketches of neighbouring terraces by Stroeve’s mum, Wendy.

But it’s the fairy bread sando that’s winning hearts, even convincing those who didn’t see themselves as “ice-cream sanger enthusiasts”, as Litster puts it. “It’s the most popular dessert by a mile,” she says, adding that the team loves watching Aussies explain fairy bread lore to friends from overseas. The recipe has so far stayed the same, although Litster says the kitchen is toying with replacing the Tina Wafers with Maxibon-style soft chocolate biscuits. The hundreds and thousands, however, are non-negotiable.

It takes passion to make good whisky. It takes patience to make it great.

AUSTRALIA'S FINEST AGED WHISKY

Where to eat, drink and be seen right now.

Story by Alexandra Carlton

VIC Samesyn

The ethos informing the recently reopened and reimagined Samesyn (samesyn.com.au), in Torquay on the Victorian surf coast, is one of circular sustainability. Chef Graham Jefferies uses “odd bunch” produce, such as carrots that are too knobbly to be sold in a supermarket, as well as repurposed proteins, including beef from retired dairy cows, and turns them into finedining dishes that in no way compromise on flavour or technique. Jefferies’ payit-forward manifesto also means that a percentage of profits goes to a local food bank charity.

NSW Pleasure Club

The team behind Newtown’s Odd Culture bar and restaurant has fought valiantly to open the Sydney suburb’s first bar with a 4am liquor licence in more than 100 years and the spectacular end result (alwaysapleasure.club) doesn’t disappoint. Tucked into a basement underneath neighbourhood stalwart Thai Pothong restaurant, the moodily lit bar serves off-kilter cocktails (cocreated by Matt Whiley of Re Bar) based on nostalgic childhood memories – like

the Cherry Ripe and Mr Whippy. The space will host regular live music and performance art.

Centro 86

When your bar serves more than 100 types of tequila, as is the promise at Centro 86 (centro86.com), you’d better have more ambitious plans than shots and Margaritas. Thankfully, the artful mixologists at this subterranean CBD spot, brought to you by the same folks as the award-winning Cantina OK! and Bar Planet, have limitless imagination. The emerald-green Rebujito blends the classic agave spirit with celery soda, Thai basil and Granny Smith apple, while the slushy Morada gets its magenta blush from dragonfruit. Along with the jewel-toned drinks, a mosaic bar, nattily waistcoated staff and colour-splashed artwork combine to make this a proper grown-up good time.

QLD Chalong

The fiery cooking of southern Thailand has found a home in Brisbane’s Chapel Hill with the opening of this discreet eatery (chalong.com.au). The neutral, putty tones of the décor provide the perfect visual canvas for the vibrant, flavoursome dishes. Anything involving chef Kantima Pachnoi’s homemade curry pastes is a surefire winner but

it’s also impossible to overlook her signature fried whole fish with green nam jim sauce.

Monal Dining

Chef Yogesh Budathoki worked his way through some of Brisbane’s best restaurants, including Greca and Honto, before branching out with Monal Dining (monaldining.com.au), his own project in Newstead. The short, sharp menu is built around small plates that borrow flavours from all over the globe (the intercostal beef skewers sit on a creamy slick of labne, while the roast chicken gets a crown of fried curry leaves). The wine list, however, sticks to home base, with more than 90 per cent of the bottles from Australia.

SA LVN

For the past couple of years, the family behind Bird in Hand winery (birdin hand.com.au) in the Adelaide Hills has been quietly upgrading the guest-facing side of their business, adding a tranquil terrace garden and a selection of fine art. The property’s restaurant has now opened its doors, led by former Restaurant Botanic chef Jacob Davey, and serves a range of uniquely Australian ingredients, including muttonbird and wallaby from Tasmania and South Australian pipis.

(Opposite, top) LVN restaurant, Adelaide Hills; (bottom, from left) Chefs Émie Vitteaut, Ned Dodds and Jonte Carlson with owner and chef Graham Jefferies at Samesyn, Torquay

Gerald’s Bar founder Gerald Diffey recalls a memorable meal near San Sebastián, Spain.

As told to Pat Nourse

The little medieval fishing village of Pasai Donibane lies within the port complex of Pasaia, about five kilometres east of San Sebastián. For centuries it was only accessible by boat, making it a haven for smugglers, separatists and the resistance. Casa Cámara, leaning over the sea on stilts, has seen it all in its 140 years, with ownership of the restaurant retained within the same family for all of that time.

It’s a single room, with windows on three sides to let the cool sea breeze through. The tables are large and generously spaced, laid with old-school damask linen, silver cutlery and quality glassware. It has a timeless, unfussy elegance; it’s genteel, serene.

The fare is traditional Basque with a nod to France, a mere 20 kilometres up the coast. There are oysters, flat native belons from Aquitaine, alongside more traditional Basque dishes of hake throats, crab baked in its carapace, bowls of clams steamed in wine and tender grilled octopus tentacles. It’s all

superb. There’s no lemon served with the fish – it’s too fresh to need it. The dry white wines of txakoli, godello and albariño do the job.

But we – me and my wife, Esther – are here for the parrillada de mariscos. When an order goes through, a cage is hauled up on a rope-and-tackle rig right in the middle of the dining room. The rest of the time the cage sits in the cellar below the waterline, the tide washing through it. Our waitress flips out a magnificent lobster and some spiny crabs and hurries off to the kitchen. The carnival of shellfish is about to begin. And what a carnival it is: razor clams, surf clams, the sweetest langoustines, red prawns, half a lobster, king crab claws, sweet little red crabs, all grilled over coals. There’s cracking and crunching and slurping and laughter; this is pure joy.

As the day draws on, we have some cooked milk, Basque cheesecake and little sorbets while watching the fishing smacks bob on their moorings. This magical restaurant in this mystical village… it doesn’t get much better. Remember to save a shiny euro to pay the ferryman to take you back over to San Pedro. As you chug back to reality, you’ll vow to return.

Casa Cámara Donibane 79, 20110 Pasai Donibane, Gipuzkoa, Spain; +34 943 52 36 99; casacamara.com

Gerald’s Bar 386 Rathdowne Street, Carlton North, Victoria; (03) 9349 4748; geraldsbar.com.au

This is the insider’s guide to dining out in Launceston, Tasmania.

As told to Stephanie Wood

When visitors to cafés Sweetbrew (sweetbrew.com.au) and Tatler Lane (tatlerlane.com.au) tell Archana Brammall (above) that they’re from Melbourne and love coffee, she responds with, “I’m Ethiopian and I love my coffee, too.” In 2014, Brammall and her Tassie-born husband, Tim, opened Sweetbrew, one of Launceston’s first serious coffee spots. Tatler Lane debuted last year and serves a brunch menu that ranges from an omelette of the day to a Feisty Egg Butty. These are the other local places that Brammall loves.

Sun & Moon Eatery for the vegan gyoza

“This Thai-Korean fusion restaurant (sunandmoon eatery.com) is run by a lovely couple – she’s Thai and he’s Korean – and their food is fresh and beautiful. I’m vegetarian so my go-to dishes are the vegan gyoza with chilli oil and the vegan Thai yellow curry. They also serve a range of meat dishes, including beef bulgogi and Korean fried chicken.”

Du Cane Brewing for the beer and pizza

“Du Cane (ducanebrewing. com.au) is a fantastic, architect-designed venue that’s perfect for a casual catch-up over beer and pizza with friends – it always has a great buzz about it. My favourite pizza is The Earth, a combo of potato, rosemary, garlic, pecorino and mozzarella.”

Bar Urbane for the Sidecar cocktail

“They do a great job at this beautifully appointed spot (urbanebar.com.au) on the Seaport boardwalk. There’s a selection of top spirits and they use Tasmanian brands as much as possible. My cocktail of choice is the Sidecar – cognac, curaçao and lemon juice.”

Grain of the Silos for a fancy meal

“If you want to go a bit upmarket, this restaurant (grainofthesilos.com.au) is the place. The food director, Massimo Mele, serves a rotating menu of seasonal, paddock-to-platestyle dishes that celebrate Tasmanian produce. I had a wonderful gnocchi with

truffle oil last time and there’s usually excellent seafood on the menu.”

The Barrel Collective for the gin and tonic

“This is where I head for an after-work drink (thebarrel collective.com.au). It’s an intimate, long, dark, skinny space and Michael Bernhagen, who runs it, is very knowledgeable. They make a gin and tonic using Taylor & Smith Dry Gin, which is distilled in Hobart.”

Bar Two for a glass of Tasmanian red

“When you find this tiny bar (bartwo.com.au) at the end of a laneway, you know you’ve come somewhere special. The name stands for ‘Tasmanian Wines Only’ and they serve a plethora of drops. I usually order a red, maybe a shiraz, syrah or pinot noir. They also have light food – oysters, cheese and little pizzas.”

Spice Lounge for the palak paneer “Spice Lounge (spicelounge. net.au) on the boardwalk is my go-to Indian; it’s my comfort food when I’m tired, can’t be bothered thinking and just want a good feed with a good view. I like the palak paneer (cottage cheese and spinach with garlic and cream), with cumin rice and garlic naan, and the malai kofta (mashed potato and cottage cheese dumplings in cashew nut and tomato gravy).”

Chris Crerar

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Perfect for a party, gamay is the cool cousin of pinot noir.

Ravensworth Gamay Noir

Bryan Martin left his winemaker role at Clonakilla to focus on his own brand, where he makes wines as quirky as his personality. This release has floral tones of rose petal and crushed strawberry, with a silken palate and vibrant finish.

2023 / Tumbarumba, NSW / $40

Meadowbank Gamay

Gerald Ellis grows the grapes; Peter Dredge makes the wines. That winning combination has spawned this succulent, fresh raspberry- and cranberryflavoured gem. Perfect with pizza topped with goat’s curd, caramelised onion and anchovy.

2023 / Tasmania / $50

Story by Peter Bourne

Is gamay a grape or a wine? It’s the name of the grape and the mandatory red variety in the Beaujolais appellation, which encompasses Beaujolais-Villages and 10 prestige crus with floral names including Fleurie, Saint-Amour, Juliénas and Chiroubles. Does it grow in Australia? Yes and here it’s labelled by its varietal name, gamay. It’s been a slow burn since the pioneers planted vines in about the 1980s but now it’s gathering pace. Sites that are a tad warm for pinot noir seem to work best – serious pinot growers, such as By Farr (as Farr Rising), Bass Phillip and Eldridge Estate, are key players. The Australian benchmark is Beechworth’s Sorrenberg, a rich, multilayered gamay in the muscular style of a Brouilly or Moulin-à-Vent. Beaujolais is typically fresh and bright. Is Australian gamay the same? Absolutely. It’s a juicy, red-fruited variety (think strawberry, raspberry and cherry) with mild tannins and a refreshing acidity. A cool gamay is dangerously drinkable. So, it’s okay to chill? Sure is. Gamay is the perfect picnic red partnered with pâté, rillettes or charcuterie. More serious wines slot into pinot noir territory; sip them with duck or a gutsy cassoulet. Take gamay to a party and leave the pinot for the dining table. Where are the best local wines grown? Gamay likes granitic soils (pinot prefers limestone) so look to regions where gold was mined, such as Beechworth, Macedon Ranges, Geelong and Orange. And the names to look out for? In addition to Sorrenberg, Bass Phillip and Farr Rising, there’s Punt Road, Mac Forbes and Mayer from the Yarra, Lyons Will from Macedon, See Saw from Orange and Sinapius from Tassie. Oh, and Te Mata and Mount Edward from New Zealand. How much does it cost? Local drops range from $30 to $50; Beaujolais fetches similar prices, while cru wines hit $80 and beyond.

Pierre-Marie Chermette

Origine Beaujolais Vielles Vignes

First bottled in 1986, this old-vines cuvée raised the bar for non-cru Beaujolais. Intense plum and boysenberry aromas lead to savoury flavours, a tight structure and a lingering aftertaste.

2022 / Beaujolais, France / $45

Château Thivin Les Sept Vignes Côte-de-Brouilly Six generations of the Geoffray family have farmed on Mont Brouilly, creating the benchmark for this sought after cru. Dried herbs mingle with dark berry fruits and fresh aniseed, while mild tannins shape the finish.

2021 / Beaujolais, France / $58

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THE BREAK

Dairy Flat Farm, Daylesford, Victoria

CANBERRA, ACT

There are still plenty of surprises to uncover in the nation’s capital.

Story by Bridget de Maine

For everything that stays the same in Canberra – the sturdy spire of Parliament House, the diminutive dwellings of Cockington Green, the delightful lack of traffic – there’s a lot that pushes the envelope. From the known to the new, here are the places to visit on your next trip to the ACT.

The restaurants

CLASSIC

Whether it’s a whole pineapple, an imposing tomahawk steak or the freshest bonito fillet, the preparation of produce at Terra (terracanberra. com.au) has one thing in common: fire. The application takes different forms – it could be chargrilled, smoked, woodfired and turned on the custom-built rotisserie – but the unmistakable flavour of flame remains. Almost six years on from opening, this CBD eatery remains one of the city’s best.

COOL

Canberra’s terroir is in the spotlight at Beltana Farm (beltana farm.au), a sprawling new stay that’s surrounded by 800 truffle trees in the western suburb of Pialligo. Anchored by luxury yurt accommodation with slate floors and fireplaces, the farm hosts truffle-hunting tours and long, lingering meals at the on-site farmhouse restaurant. The menu sparkles with hyper-local spoils,

from native oregano to Pialligo honey. The must-try? The decadent truffle ice-cream with white chocolate and malt caramel.

The breweries

CLASSIC

For a small city, Canberra has a notable number of microbreweries. Seven years in, carbon-neutral Capital Brewing Co. (capitalbrewing.co) in Fyshwick fills to capacity during postwork hours, with punters lingering over the extensive list of pours. Try its latest tipple: a zingy, alcoholic ginger beer made with roots from Buderim.

COOL

The newest addition to the scene is Cypher Brewing Co. (cypherbrewing. com.au) in the city’s north, a spin-off for Capital’s former head brewer Matt Thiele. There are the requisite pale ales and pilsners but keep an open

mind – a Raspberry Sundae Sour or NEIPA (New England Pale Ale) could be just the ticket, especially when paired with a lobster roll.

The family fun

CLASSIC

Despite celebrating its 35th birthday in 2023, the science odyssey that is Questacon (questacon.edu.au) is just as captivating as you remember. For parents, visiting the multi-level museum is layered: while fondly recalling its drawcards (the caged lightning strike, the dizzying array of oddities at the gift shop), you’ll also admire how timeless it is. All eyes are on the refurb of Mini Q, the STEMbased activity area aimed at kids aged zero to six that rolls out this year. It’s a full update (the first in 20 years) of the activities, aesthetics and direction of the sensory space – it already has a calm zone for over-stimulated littlies.

COOL

The National Museum of Australia recently added the Tim and Gina Fairfax Discovery Gallery (nma.gov.au), a joyfully immersive place of foam pits and sunshineyellow slides. There’s also the magical POD Playground at the National Arboretum (nationalarboretum.act. gov.au), west of Capitol Hill, where you’ll discover climbable, cubby-sized acorns joined by tunnels of nets that could be straight from Enid Blyton.

The stay

The jet-black box of A By Adina (abyadina.com) marks the corner of Constitution Place, bringing Canberra’s architecture into the now. Inside, spacious and quiet apartments have kitchenettes and Hunter Lab amenities, while Dreamcatcher beds coax restful sleep (even more likely with the kids in an adjoining room).

(From opposite) Beltana Farm; the National Museum of Australia; a two-bedroom apartment at A by Adina; Terra restaurant

DAIRY FLAT FARM, DAYLESFORD

Commune with country life at a luxury stay by the team from much-loved Lake House.

Story by Catherine Marshall

Dawn announces itself differently at Dairy Flat Farm (dairyflatfarmdaylesford. com.au), a 15-hectare regenerative property near Daylesford, a 90-minute drive from Melbourne. The first thing you’ll notice is the beguiling aroma wafting from the Bake House, tucked away inside the turreted homestead. If you amble (warm croissant in hand, of course) towards the walled garden and olive grove, you’ll meet British White cattle feasting on the sweet pastures. Back “home” – for such is the sense of belonging that’s evoked

here – you’ll find the breakfast table brimming with other home-grown offerings: paprika-roasted mushrooms; yam and potato hash browns; and sourdough from the bakery, drizzled with honey from the farm’s beehives.

The property is a sister site to Lake House, the famed boutique hotel founded by the Wolf-Tasker family, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary and houses the two-chef-hatted Lake House Restaurant. With the same gentle grandeur of its distinguished sibling –claw-foot baths, antique furniture and bespoke art – the communal areas at Dairy Flat Lodge are shared by the occupants of the six suites. There’s a cedar hot tub overlooking chardonnay and pinot noir vines and a relaxed living

space where the concierge can often be found brewing coffee or chatting with guests (perhaps about the beekeeping workshop and sourdough baking class that are available).

There are paintings on the walls by the late Allan Wolf-Tasker and fresh farm flowers blooming in delicate vases by local potter Bridget Bodenham (bridgetbodenham.com). You can meet her, by appointment, at her studio in nearby Hepburn Springs or browse her work at eCasa (ecasadaylesford.com. au), a homewares store in Daylesford. Passing Clouds Winery (passingclouds. com.au) is an excellent spot for a generous spit roast lunch, served from Friday to Monday, before you return to the farm to call dibs on the hot tub.

explore seasonal offers

Journey on a 30-minute ferry from the coast of Perth to the home of the iconic quokkas. Take in the island’s unique landscapes as you cycle along peaceful roads and winding paths to discover pristine trails and secluded beaches on a day trip or overnight stay.

Now is the time to slow down, take a breath and relish the wonder of Wadjemup / Rottnest Island with seasonal offers on transfers, accommodation, tours and dining experiences at one of the island’s many restaurants.

FREMANTLE, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Discover the happening food scene in this heritage city just 30 minutes from Perth’s CBD.

Brian Scantlebury

Story by Maxim Boon

The stay

It took nine years of restoration to transform 23 heritage-listed cottages into the now-luxurious guestrooms of Warders Hotel (wardershotel.com.au), in the historic heart of Walyalup (Fremantle). Built in the 1850s to house warders working at the nearby jail, the property marries many of its original features, from raw limestone to open fireplaces and reclaimed timbers, with contemporary touches, such as marble-clad ensuites.

Portraits of famous locals by artist Tessa MacKay line the walls and complimentary minibars are stocked with regional treats, including Warders’ own ale, Calamity Rod, brewed just 200 metres up the road. In an adjoining terrace is Gimlet (@gimletfreo), the hotel’s snug café-by-day, gin-bar-by-night, where guests can enjoy a morning coffee or an evening G&T surrounded by nautical knick-knacks and plenty

of period charm. Taking over the cottages’ former backyard is Asian-fusion eatery Emily Taylor (emilytaylorbar.com.au), which nods to the city’s multicultural history with a menu that melds Eastern cuisine with WA produce. Expect exceptional dumplings from brunch to lunch and beyond – don’t miss the lobster with Manjimup truffle and the Linley Valley pork xiao long bao.

The

restaurant

Slick Italian newcomer Vin Populi (vinpopuli.com.au) deals in classic antipasti and housemade pastas, such as rigatoni amatriciana and tagliatelle osso bucco. Heroing seasonal ingredients at their peak, the menu changes daily and is scrawled on a giant chalkboard. Even the wine list is constantly in flux, sometimes changing several times a day. You can bank on plenty of Italian imports alongside a range of top drops from the state’s smaller boutique vineyards.

The café

Taking pride of place on South Terrace’s so-called “cappuccino strip”, Sailing for Oranges (sailing fororanges.com.au) is an ode to the Mediterranean merchants who brought the flavours of the Iberian Peninsula to the Antipodes in the mid-1800s. The most inspired examples? Eggs Benedict spiked with guindilla pepper and chilli scrambled egg with fiery chorizo, best paired with Five Senses coffee.

The

walk

Fremantle has been a centre of trade and an important ceremonial site for the Nyoongar people for thousands of years. An In Culture (inculturetours.com.au) walking tour along the Manjerri Trail, led by Whadjuk man Steven Jacobs, offers a personal perspective on the ancient lore and customs of Walyalup Country, while also taking in the glorious waterfront between the port and South Beach.

(From opposite) Fremantle’s historic Mediterranean Shipping Co. building; Vin Populi restaurant; Warders Hotel

Japan’s beating heart

For more than 60 years, luxury watchmaker Grand Seiko has embodied the spirit of takumi, the artisanal pursuit of perfection. These three milestones showcase the precision, legibility and Japanese aesthetic of the feted watchmaker.

1967: A new design language

Throughout Grand Seiko’s history, accuracy, performance and a distinct design language have been the brand’s markers of achievement. In 1967, seven years after it was founded, the watchmaker released the first 44GS –a timepiece that utilised the interplay of shadow and light and nine design elements that are still used by the manufacture today. Models such as the Grand Seiko Heritage Collection (ref. SBGY011, below) embody the “Grand Seiko style” by featuring a double-width index at 12 o’clock; multi-faceted markers and hands; a curved side profile that softens the angles of the case; a semi-recessed

1999: The precise Spring Drive is born

The quartz crisis of the 1970s almost ended the need for mechanical watches as the former were cheaper and more accurate than their luxury counterparts. Knowing this, Grand Seiko set itself a mission to combine the two technologies and, in 1999, after nearly 600 prototypes and 20 years of development, engineer Yoshikazu Akahane succeeded. He built a watch that was powered by the wearer’s movement, propelled by a mainspring and regulated electronically – making it accurate to +/- one second. In 2004, the Grand Seiko Spring Drive was launched using a calibre 9R65. The following year, the brand released the Snowflake (ref. SBGA211, above), its most iconic Spring Drive model.

2024: The brand’s philosophy evolves High-beat movements have long been produced by Grand Seiko in pursuit of efficiency, stability and accuracy. For the first time in more than 50 years, the brand has unveiled a hand-wound high beat movement, the calibre 9SA4 (right),

new collection, visit the Sydney boutique or grand-seiko.com

which beats 10 times per second and boasts an 80-hour power reserve, thanks to a Dual Impulse Escapement and two barrels. It sits inside the new Evolution 9 Collection ref. SLGW003’s 38.6-millimetre Brilliant Hard titanium case, a proprietary alloy brighter than traditional titanium and lighter and more scratch-resistant than steel. The final touch is the textural dial that has been moulded in brass and silver-plated to represent the slender white birch trees that grow near the brand’s Shizukuishi studio.

Presented by Grand Seiko

Tokyo story

It’s

known as a sprawling metropolis of neon and concrete but there are pockets of tranquillity, deep-rooted tradition and charming neighbourhoods to discover in the ever-evolving Japanese capital.

STORY BY KIRSTY MUNRO

Test your sake skills

Explore a playground for grown-ups

Shinjuku’s Kabukichō entertainment district hasn’t always enjoyed a glowing reputation. But that began to change when the Shinjuku Toho Building cinema and hotel complex (shinjuku-toho-bldg.toho.co.jp) opened in 2015, marked by a giant Godzilla figure that watches over the labyrinthine streets below. Last year, Tokyu Kabukichō Tower (tokyu-kabukicho-tower.jp) debuted nearby with two hotels, restaurants, live-music venues, public artworks and amusement arcades, cementing the area as a top destination for shopping and nightlife. The food hall (above) on the second floor – all retro neon signs, colourful paper lanterns, authentic street food and DJ events – is straight out of an anime. Head upstairs to Namco Tokyo to play family-friendly interactive arcade games.

Aficionados and novices alike should head to Eureka! sake bar (@eureka.sake) in Nishiazabu, about 15 minutes by taxi from Shibuya. The seasonal menu of small plates has been designed by owner and sake sommelier Marie Chiba to showcase her collection of rare and small-batch sakes. Pick a few dishes, such as karaage fried chicken, yellowtail tartare or signature curry, and let Chiba pair them with the ideal drop. With only 12 seats, it's best to book ahead but there's also a small standing area for drop-ins.

Rediscover Shibuya

Tokyo’s centre of street fashion, music and skate culture continues to offer reasons to visit. Base yourself at Hotel Indigo Tokyo Shibuya (left; qantas.com/hotels/ hotelindigotokyoshibuya), a boutique property with rooms that overlook the famous Shibuya Scramble Crossing and a rooftop bar to take it all in. No time to climb Mount Fuji? You can eat it instead at Shorakuen Tea Salon & Boutique (below, left; shorakuen.com). This tiny tea shop has a Wes Anderson vibe, with plush pink velvet banquettes and staff dressed as 1930s maids, but it’s the extraordinary cakes that steal the show. Try a topographically accurate, scale model of Mount Fuji (below) or a number of other famous mountains in Japan, filled with sponge, fruit and ganache. Online reservations are essential.

Japan may be the land of therapeutic hot springs (onsen) but the capital is currently in the throes of a sauna obsession. One of the most stylish and user-friendly is Saunas (saunas-saunas.com) in Shibuya. With nine sauna rooms, four cold baths and a private garden, it’s a relaxing escape from the hustle and bustle. Dine on vegetarian dishes at the on-site restaurant, overseen by chef Yusuke Nomura of the Michelin-starred Shojin Ryori Daigo.

… and its surroundings

A few steps from the frenetic pace of Shibuya, the Tomigaya neighbourhood has a laid-back atmosphere with boutiques selling retro furniture, vintage clothing and art books, plus some of the best coffee in the capital. Browse Fuglen Tokyo Tomigaya (above; fuglen. no), an outpost of Oslo’s Fuglen café that serves coffee and cocktails in a cosy, woodpanelled space. Nearby, Coffee Supreme Tokyo (coffeesupreme. com) offers strong flat whites with a side of local artworks and a soundtrack of ‘90s indie music (co-owner Hiroki Matsumoto is a huge Dinosaur Jr. fan). After refuelling, bibliophiles should check out Shibuya Publishing & Booksellers (shibuyabooks. co.jp) for new and used books and magazines.

On the other side of Shibuya, Nakameguro has a hip collection of indie fashion shops, galleries and restaurants lining the Meguro River. Head for 3110NZ by LDH Kitchen (@3110nz), a small gallery behind a mysterious, organically shaped door. Designed by New York collective Snarkitecture, the venue hosts free exhibitions during the day. At night, it turns into an exclusive eight-seat sushi counter by renowned restaurant Sushi Saito.

Immerse yourself in art and design

Taking up several city blocks, the Azabudai Hills complex (below, right; azabudai-hills.com) near Roppongi opened in late 2023 as a “modern urban village”. Here, you’ll find the latest iteration of the renowned Borderless digital art museum (above) by Japanese art collective teamLab, featuring more than 50 immersive works that combine interactive LEDs, projections and soundscapes to create a world of artistic expression. Seek out Microcosmoses, Beyond Borders, in which reflective spheres move along a winding path in a mirrored infinity room, then take a break at the on-site En Tea House, where projected flowers bloom and dance in your bowl of matcha tea. Buy timed-entry tickets to the museum online up to two months in advance and select the earliest entry to beat the crowds. Once inside, you can stay as long as you like.

Nearby, you’ll find a food market, the Janu Tokyo hotel (part of the Aman Group; janu.com) and some of the city’s most celebrated restaurants, including relocated Michelinstarred Florilège (aoyama-florilege.jp) and a branch of café % Arabica (arabica.coffee). But the architecture alone makes the trip worthwhile: London-based Heatherwick Studio designed Garden Plaza, a series of undulating concrete forms that appear to grow out of the streetscape. The complex is connected directly to Kamiyachō Station.

Dining in the land of the rising sun

Culinary traditions rooted in a rich history and authentic regional ingredients deliver the unforgettable taste of Japan, on land and aboard, with Seven Seas Explorer.

Discover Japan

The secrets to an ancient and intoxicating food culture are unlocked with every hidden ramen bar and lively street market on Regent’s 11-night Blossoms Across Japan tour. Cast off to explore the traditions of six Japanese ports, including Hiroshima, Kochi and Beppu, then continue the gastronomic journey on board.

Redefining luxury at sea for its 746 guests, the all-suite, all-balcony Seven Seas Explorer features an elegant design aesthetic that informs sweeping common areas, with marble floors, crystal chandeliers and an incredible 2000-piece art collection that includes works by Picasso, Weidermann and Chagall. The attention to detail extends to an array of all-inclusive restaurants and dining experiences, putting fine food and drink front and centre across the entire itinerary from the moment guests embark.

Shimizu

Mount Fuji serves as a dramatic backdrop to the energetic port of Shimizu. Take in views of the snowcapped peak and the bay from the 17th-century Kunozan Toshogu Shrine, accessible by cable car. Back at sea level, the waterfront Kashi no Ichi seafood market is the city’s culinary heart, filled with colourful displays of the day’s catch. At a lunch stop inside the covered market, slurp briny oysters or enjoy a plate of freshly sliced sashimi, including pink sakura shrimp – a local specialty. For an immersive experience, join a Regent excursion to a local green tea plantation, where you’ll learn to pick, make and serve the refreshing brew.

Kyoto

The imperial capital, south-west of Tokyo, is a vision of shrines, temples and lantern-lit doorways. Staying overnight in Kyoto (below) leaves time for a Regent excursion to a traditional kaiseki dinner –a multi-course banquet. The meal is accompanied by a performance by some of the city’s famous geisha, who sing, dance and play musical instruments.

The region is also home to the city of Osaka, where you’ll explore the multi-tiered Osaka Castle, one of Japan’s most renowned landmarks. Or perhaps you’ll be unable to resist the delicacy of Kobe (Wagyu) beef prepared on a teppanyaki grill at a top restaurant in the city of Kobe.

Kochi

Found on mountainous Shikoku, the smallest of Japan’s four main islands, Kochi (right) is a haven for nature lovers. The port city is set on the Pacific coastline, which has earned UNESCO Global Geopark status due to rock formations such as the 175-million-year-old Ryugado limestone caves, which contain stalactites, stalagmites and a 20-metre waterfall. The region’s pure water and high humidity help make Kochi’s sake unique. The rice wine is best paired with a snack from one of about 60 street-food vendors crowding the centrally located Hirome Market. Grab a plate of katsuo no tataki (flame-seared bonito), known as the soul food of Kochi.

Hiroshima

This city is mindful of its wartime past as the numerous memorials, including the Atomic Bomb Dome and the flickering Flame of Peace, attest. After being destroyed in 1945, the Shukkeien Garden –a lake garden that once served as a refuge for the 17th-century nobleman Asano Nagaakira – now stands with meticulously planned ponds, bridges, tea houses and groves of trees. You’ll work up an appetite walking the wide boulevards of this vibrant modern city – the perfect excuse to sample the potato-and-cabbage savoury pancake known as okonomiyaki, which locals enjoy layered with fried squid and noodles.

Nagasaki

Taking in Nagasaki and its treasure trove of sights is best done from Mount Inasa. A scenic drive there is part of Regent’s excursion to the Peace Park commemorating the city’s history. Back in the town centre, street stalls dish out snacks, such as the French-influenced tonkatsu (crumbed, deep-fried pork cutlet). In downtown Nagasaki, you’ll find Japan’s oldest Chinatown; the red-lantern-festooned city blocks are the ideal place to try the

Chinese-influenced noodle dish chanpon, which has fried pork, seafood and vegetables served in a chicken broth.

Beppu

Japan’s onsen epicentre is a place to steam and soak your way to relaxation. This hillside town on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu is home to naturally heated springs bubbling with restorative, mineral-rich water, heated sandpits and cleansing mud baths. The adjoining village of Kannawa, built directly on top of a boiling spring, is famous for its steam-plumed streets and local cuisine style of jigoku mushi, which translates to “hell steaming”. Street-food vendors serve items cooked over the onsen, including soft-boiled eggs, sweet corn and pork dumplings.

Cast off for an onboard food odyssey

The journey’s epicurean enrichment crosses from shore to ship. Once back onboard, guests are given the chance to sharpen their skills with cooking classes led by expert chefs: master the art of perfectly searing proteins over open flame and high heat; demystify the delicate details of fish cookery, whether sautéing, sizzling on the grill, curing or baking; and learn how to pair like a pro while acquainting yourself with Seven Seas Explorer ’s first-rate collection of fine wines.

There’s a world of choice for discerning travellers keen to expand their culinary horizons. Sophisticated pan-Asian restaurant Pacific Rim welcomes diners in through a dramatic entryway featuring a Tibetan prayer wheel and the menu features fresh sushi, plump chicken and foie gras gyoza and lobster tempura with a trio of Japanese dipping sauces. Parisian finediner Chartreuse serves king crab salad and Dover sole with beurre meunière in a salon-style room decorated with contemporary French flair. Saluting the great American steakhouse, Prime 7’s dry-ageing program enhances New York strip steak and filet mignon, while things take an Italian turn at Sette Mari at La Veranda, where the comfort of pesto gnocchi and ossobuco alla Milanese is enhanced by the ocean views from Deck 11.

Enjoy your barista-made brew at any time of day at Coffee Connection or if you’re craving a burger and shake, you’ll find them at the relaxed Pool Grill. For the full white linen tablecloth service and a moment to toast your adventure, Compass Rose (right) invites guests to feast on shrimp cocktail and towering croquembouche beneath a sculptural ceiling of blue teardropshaped glass.

DEPARTS 5 MAR 2025 DURATION 14 NIGHTS UP TO 44 EXCURSIONS

• • • • TOKYO KYOTO (KOBE)

SEOUL (INCHEON)

SHANGHAI

THE JOURNEY

The Northern Lights over Vestågøya in Norway

In the limelight

Is there really any way to guarantee a Northern Lights sighting when Mother Nature is in charge? Alexis Buxton-Collins sails through Norway on the lookout.

A snow-covered massif erupts dramatically from mirror-still Hardangerfjord, dwarfing a row of cute red-and-white boatsheds so they look like tiny gingerbread houses. Ribbons of pastel pink swirl around the dark granite peak before dispersing across the sky as captain Roar Winther steers Hurtigruten’s MS Trollfjord (hurtigruten.com) in a broad circle so his 500 guests can take in the scene from every angle.

I’ve come to Norway in the middle of winter in search of the Northern Lights but instead I’m watching the sun apply a gentle dusting of violet and rose to the summits as it attempts to rise. It was already low in the sky when we departed Bergen on the 13-day North Cape Express itinerary and now, after almost a week without any true daylight, I’m ready to let out a cheer. As we cruise the coast toward Europe’s northernmost point, we’re plunged into an icy world of frozen fjords, faraway fishing villages and mountain ranges that are white and sharp like a row of shark’s teeth. This is the “polar night”, when the sun sits below the horizon and the landscape is suspended between darkness and a glacial blue twilight for months at a time.

“I have to be quick because these dogs are like kids around an ice-cream truck. And we’re the ice-cream.” It’s minus-20 degrees and the still, pre-dawn air is broken by a chorus of yaps, wails and howls. Guide Lola still has time to crack jokes as she preps us for an unforgettable dash through the snow. Because our route stays close to a coastline dotted with innumerable fjords, inlets, bays and islands, we stop at a different port each day, including Honningsvåg (mainland Norway’s northernmost settlement), cosmopolitan Kristiansand and Lødingen, a fishing village with a population of less than 2000. Shore excursions range from gentle hikes and history lessons to challenging all-day adventures but today, outside the Arctic capital of Tromsø, an icy wind sneaks in through every gap in my clothes while eight floppy-eared Alaskan huskies strain against their harnesses to haul our three-person sled along groomed runs. When we finally come to a halt, I hop off to thank my team for their efforts and barely hear Lola’s warning before it’s too late: “If you get close enough for them to reach you, you’re consenting to French kisses.”

On day 10, Sammy, an architect from Sydney, is in raptures when we return from the small settlement of Ålesund. “What an incredible place, I’ve never seen anything like it,” he gushes. “I took so many photos, my phone ran out of battery.” Destroyed by fire in 1904, the town was hastily rebuilt as an Art Nouveau wonderland filled with elaborate spires, stained glass windows and façades of whimsical designs. Another outing takes us to the neighbouring archipelago of Vesterålen, where we snowshoe around a frozen lake. Clouds and fresh snowfall soften the edges of jagged mountains and leafless trees until it feels like I’m walking through a black-and-white Impressionist painting.

We dock in darkness a little further south at Svolvær in the Lofoten Islands and learn how thousands of cod are plucked from the seas and dried on giant A-frame racks. “The sea between Lofoten and the mainland is sometimes called the world’s largest maternity ward,” our guide tells us as we return to the ship. Every year, millions of Arctic cod migrate from the Barents Sea to spawn here and make it one of the world’s richest fisheries; lunch on board the next day includes a small taste of that bounty in the form of panko-fried cod cheeks served with a dill emulsion and a lovely light chablis.

Hurtigruten means “express route” and for more than 130 years the company has provided a vital link between these remote coastal communities. The MS Trollfjord was once used to ferry passengers and cargo before being retrofitted for cruising and, as a result, every cabin has slightly different dimensions. My mini suite boasts two portholes, a comfortable double bed and sofa, as well as enough storage space to easily stow two suitcases’ worth of luggage out of sight.

In all, more than 80 per cent of the ship’s food supplies are sourced from ports along our route and my onboard diet includes umami-rich seaweed soup studded with medallions of sweet king crab meat, skewered lollipops of langoustine and tarragon, and gamey reindeer tartar with porcini mayo and pickled cloudberries. In addition to the fine-diner Røst, the ship has a bistro serving flame-licked proteins inspired by Norway’s native Sámi people and a lunch buffet with more varieties of seafood than I normally eat in a year. But on days when it’s dark by 2pm, 1893 Bar becomes the natural gathering point. It’s the only place that ever feels crowded and Sondre, whose rakish moustache and white tux give him the air of

a young Robert Downey Jr, is adept at whipping up concoctions such as the warming Valhall, which blends bourbon, spiced mead and beer served in an eye-catching goat’s horn.

At a certain point, the cold becomes as much a question of philosophy as temperature. How can one describe the difference between minus-10 and minus-20 degrees? Is it the number of photos I can take before I need to put my gloves back on; how long it takes to warm up in the ship’s sauna; or the need to add a sixth layer to my outfit? All suite guests receive a complimentary all-weather coat, beanie and a wool jumper and these additional pieces might just be the difference between sitting by the portholes in my cabin or standing on deck as we pass through an avenue of snow-clad spires on the way to Alta, several days into our journey. From nine stories up, the triangular fins slicing through the water below look like dolphins swimming alongside the boat; it’s not until another guest says the word that I realise we’re watching a pod of orcas. Although we soon outpace the magnificent creatures, the views for the next half hour are interspersed with plumes of spray from whales

and tall black dorsal fins emerging against a backdrop of fearsomely tall mountains.

The extra clothes are essential when we sail through chunks of ice that look like scattered tesserae. An atomic orange glow bathes the horizon and the clouds above are lit up in electric pink and yellow. “It looks like a sunrise we’d get at home,” says Ruth, half of a honeymooning couple from Darwin. As we look towards the east, every breath is instantly transformed into a cloud of condensation by the Arctic cold. “Except for all the ice, of course. Who knew winter in Norway was so colourful?”

“It’s like there’s green rain coming down from space,” says Dallas, Ruth’s husband, who can hardly believe his eyes. Beside him, she stares wordlessly at the scene playing out overhead. There was plenty of nervous energy when the skies remained inky black through our first night onboard – breakfast chatter the next day naturally turning to Hurtigruten’s guarantee of a free trip if the Northern Lights aren’t sighted on our voyage. But that talk is silenced as we watch the aurora borealis slowly build in intensity over the following three nights, long flares of light suffusing the sky with a soft green glow that shifts ever so subtly.

As we sail into the heart of the “auroral oval” that surrounds the North Pole, the source of the light begins to shift from the northern horizon until it’s directly above us. This is the zone where the aurora is at its very best and each afternoon we’re given a daily forecast that includes sunlight hours, temperature and geomagnetic activity. “We measure the last one on a scale of one to nine,” says Julian, the spry 45-year-old German who leads many of the ship’s hiking expeditions. “And where we are now the lights look incredible, even if it’s only at a one or two. If there are no clouds, you can see them almost every night, especially if you are on a ship at sea.” He has spent the last few days gently encouraging guests to put their phones away and take in the full majesty of the display. So after spending several evenings (and early mornings) excitedly pointing my phone to the skies, posing for grainy selfies and observing the spectacle through my screen, I do my best to heed his advice. He’s right – the photos don’t do it justice. But when the skies above seem to crack open and rays of lime-green ectoplasm flood directly down towards me, I can’t help myself.

Six questions to ask before installing solar at home

Luke Stratford’s family-owned company, Quality Energy, has been operating in the energy sector for more than 35 years. Here, the managing director shares his experience to help Australians looking to make the switch.

How has solar technology evolved over the past 20 years?

“In the early days, solar panels were much less efficient and a lot more costly. While they’ve come down in price and are now higher quality, energy prices have risen and the demand for residential solar has dramatically increased. A solar power system is really attractive for homeowners wanting to reduce their energy costs, especially with batteries now at a reasonable price point.”

What’s important to know about installing a solar power system?

“When you’re picking a supplier and installer, look for a company with longevity in the industry. You want the company you choose to assess your current and future energy needs accurately and you want to buy a system that you can expand down the track if required. Finally, warranties on solar panels are generally 20 years or more but that guarantee is worthless if the supplier has gone out of business, which is why choosing a reputable company is vital.”

Should solar panels be paired with a battery?

“For residential solar energy it makes sense, as most electricity usage is in the evening when the sun’s not shining. It’s really important to be able to generate power with solar panels during the day and store it in a battery system for when you need it. LAVO recognises this by including a high-quality battery as part of its total home energy solution. I’m sure that, in the future, all household solar energy systems will have a battery included, no matter what.

Adding batteries to residential solar will be a big part of Australia’s energy transition.”

Is an EV charger necessary?

“While some customers don’t have an electric vehicle (EV) yet, they’re definitely coming so LAVO includes EV chargers as part of its package. Bidirectional power will be another big part of our energy transition in the next few years – that’s where energy stored in EV batteries can be pushed back into the home.”

How does a solar power system look once it’s in place?

“LAVO has focused on making sure its systems look great, have all the technological advancements and are built to withstand Australia’s harsh environments. The inverter and battery are designed as an all-in-one unit, which is really slick – unlike older systems where they’re separate components. The design is also

dedicated to safety, with minimal cabling, and has real-time monitoring of battery health that’s accessible through an app.”

What does an installer look for in a solar energy system?

“The all-in-one inverter and battery module – like the one offered by LAVO – makes installation neat, fast and seamless. My company’s installation crews love working with them. The other thing that’s appealing is the modularity of the system because people’s needs change over time. If your energy usage goes up, you can add more batteries in the future without needing to do a major upgrade. LAVO has thought about every detail. It has designed its solar power systems with so many in-built efficiencies for both residential clients and installation teams. This has enabled it to reduce the price point, making it an attractive proposition for homeowners.”

To find out how to get started, visit lavo.com.au/lavo-life

Designed by Australians for Australians

LAVO Life is a total clean-energy package developed for Aussie homes and includes an all-in-one battery and inverter, solar panels and EV charger.

� The high-performance battery comes with a 10-year warranty, with real-time remote monitoring of its health as a backup for the longevity.

� LAVO battery cells and minimalist solar panels are cobalt-free, which helps ensure they can be ethically sourced and produced.

� The included LAVO EV home charger will be critical to building out the infrastructure for Australia’s transition to electric vehicles.

� The slimline box housing the inverter and batteries has minimal exposed cabling, making it aesthetically pleasing and safer for children.

� The final feature of LAVO’s tough Aussie design? Its compact form is snake-proof.

The insiders

Four locals of impeccable taste and connections share their favourite new (and hidden) haunts in Paris.

As told to Kendall Hill

Vincent Leroux

Cravan

Chef Manon Fleury ’s stellar CV includes L’Astrance in Paris and Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York State, as well as a previous life as a national fencing champion. In September she opened Datil (datil-restaurant.fr), where her predominantly female-staffed kitchen creates plant-based, harvest-driven menus.

Michelle Mabelle exterior (above) and its croque monsieur (top)

Cravan

Pauline Gouablin

“Without leaving Paris or even the neighbourhood in which I live and work, Maison Proust (qantas.com/ hotels/maisonproust) takes me back in time but feels like home. This warm hotel in the heart of the Marais district is an oasis of refinement. A moment of relaxation in the spa is the gift I like to give to those I love – and to myself, too! My friends Camille Guillaud and Alessandro

Candido recently opened Michelle Mabelle (candide. paris) in Belleville. It’s a temple for hearty lunches on the go – I enjoy the croque monsieur. All the ingredients are sourced directly from producers and you feel the generosity of Alessandro’s cooking.

In the 6th, Cravan (cravan paris.com) is a very chic bar where the stylish décor fits perfectly into the atmosphere of Saint-

Germain-des-Prés. The cocktail menu is incredible and the sharing plates are delicious; it’s the ideal place for a date on the romantic Left Bank. My go-to café, all day long and whatever the season, is Bing Sutt in the 3rd (bingsutt paris.com). I love eating a comforting congee there. Its refined interior and microscopic size allow you to find serenity and calm, even though its

Hong Kong-style setting is located only a stone’s throw from Place de la République. And Măm from Hanoï (mam fromhanoi.com), in the so-called Silicon Sentier on Rue du Sentier in the 2nd, is a really delightful Vietnamese restaurant that works with local and seasonal products of the highest quality. I go there during the week for lunch and the excellent pho, in particular.”

Datil

Bing Sutt

Kimberley Cohen is the artistic director of family-owned Maisons Pariente (maisonspariente.com), the luxury hotel group famed for its unique Hôtels de Famille styled as elegant, art-filled private homes. The Martin Brudnizki-designed Le Grand Mazarin opened last year in the Marais.

“Eternelle Notre Dame (eternellenotredame.com) is an innovative virtual reality (VR) experience in La Défense. You put on a VR headset and backpack and dive into Notre Dame Cathedral, which is amazing because you really feel like you’re inside. You see all the visuals and get to walk in areas that you can’t normally visit. I went with my mum and my mother-in-law and we loved it. In the Marais, Tityaravy (en.tityaravy. com) is a jewellery shop run by a woman called Titya Tin. The brand has a bohemian style. It’s one of my go-to places when I need to find a gift for someone or want to treat myself. Copains (copains-paris.com) opened its first bakery in 2021 but has just launched a new one in the 16th. It’s totally gluten-free but you have no idea because it tastes so good. The Mathilde bread is made from chestnut and rice flour and has figs and nuts inside – it’s delicious! The restaurant Boubalé opened in Le Grand Mazarin (legrandmazarin. com) in September and was conceived with chef Assaf Granit [whose Shabour restaurant in Paris has a Michelin star]. The idea was to revisit Ashkenazi-style food and Assaf really twisted it –it has a lot of spice and is very tasty and colourful. There’s a salmon gravlax with arak, dill and pickled mustard and the desserts are sublime.”

Clément Guégan. Hong-Ly Lao. Vincent Leroux

Boubalé

Tityaravy jewellery store and a display of some of its pieces

Today, choose freedom and recovery

Sandra Mielenhausen, former international group manager of Parfums Christian Dior, founded Plaq Chocolat (plaqchocolat.com) with her partner – in chocolate and life – Nicolas Rozier-Chabert. At their ethical factory in the 2nd, they “find, taste and transform great cocoa into a chocolate that reflects us”.

“Le Doyenné restaurant and farm [in the grounds of the Château de SaintVrain, an hour south of Paris; ledoyennerestaurant. com] is an incredible project. Australian chefs James Henry and Shaun Kelly work with the seasons and what’s available in the garden to present a unique menu. Go for Sunday lunch or the full experience – dinner, a night in the guesthouse and breakfast. Its simplicity, quality, generosity and purity are real luxury. Every Monday, I swim at Piscine Boulogne Billancourt (piscineboulognebillancourt. com) and afterwards get a vegan bento from Hiroko Shiraishi (@hveganbento). It’s full of small dishes like creamy korokke (croquette) with mixed mushrooms. Opening in autumn, Nouvelle Vague Grecque (nouvellevague grecque.com) is a venture by a couple I know, Symeon Kamsizoglou and Delphine Pique, who spent two years in Greece sourcing all the product for this restaurant and épicerie [grocery store]. Not far from Gare du Nord, Rue de Maubeuge isn’t fancy but I like to have breakfast at Leandres (leandres.paris), a cosy Colombian coffee shop there. I have a cappuccino and a pan de bono, a soft bread made with cheese – the texture and taste are so addictive. I often check @__amuse_bouche__ on Instagram to keep track of the Parisian hospitality scene. It has the best new food and culture, beauty and art de vivre spots, plus fashion and gift ideas.”

Le Doyenné

Chef Ruba Khoury trained at Michelin-starred Septime and Frenchie. She’s now shaking up the Paris bar scene with womenand queer-friendly spot Dirty Lemon (dirtylemonbar.com), which serves creative cocktails and sophisticated fare.

“I saw an exhibition recently on the photographer Rachel Fleminger Hudson, which was quite astonishing. It was showing at La MEP (Maison Européenne de la Photographie; mep-fr.org), a bite-sized museum in the heart of the Marais. The best flat white I’ve had in a while was at Café Kaldi (cafe-kaldi.fr), an authentic Ethiopian coffee shop located just outside the city limits in an up-and-coming neighbourhood called Montreuil. Café Singuliers (@cafe.singuliers) is a coffee shop during the day and, in the evenings, a restaurant that has chef residencies. I dined there when it hosted a friend of mine, chef Zuri Camille de Souza. Her mostly plant-based food was colourful, flavourful and served in a beautiful space in the 11th that’s super-cosy and full of greenery. Chef Erica Paredes started doing supper clubs and pop-ups before opening her own place serving Filipino-inspired food, Reyna (reyna.paris), 18 months ago on Rue de Montreuil. Erica is known for her chicken wings but I love her burrata, served with a garlic-lemongrass chilli oil and spring onions. Sichuanese restaurant Le Lac de L’Ouest (7 rue Volta, 75003; +33 1 42 77 30 82) has been in the city for a very long time but only locals eat there – it’s a hole in the wall so you don’t go for the ambience. Order the marmite de boeuf, peanut salad, aubergine and minced pork.”

Quentin Chevrier. Quentin Tourbez

La MEP (Maison Européenne de la Photographie)

Café Singuliers Reyna

A once-in-a-lifetime discovery

Cruise past wildlife playing on ice floes, soar over seldom-seen valleys and uncover Antarctica’s history on the ultra-luxurious Scenic Eclipse II.

If a voyage into the stark white realm of the Antarctic feels like a dream of immense proportions, that’s because it is for many. Sail on Scenic’s 24-day Antarctica’s Ross Sea: Majestic Ice & Wildlife journey to make the dream a reality. The voyage showcases the region’s natural beauty in such a way that even experienced travellers will be in awe, while first-timers will be inspired to go further than most for a truly immersive exploration of one of the most remote areas on earth.

Departing from Hobart or Dunedin, the journey follows in the footsteps of famed explorers, such as Sir Ernest Shackleton, towards the Ross Sea, a deep bay in Antarctica’s Southern Ocean and gateway to the South Pole. Unlike Shackleton’s

expeditions, however, Scenic Eclipse II allows guests to spot wildlife, take in epic landscapes and look at treasured relics from the verandah of their spacious suites. Guiding you through the experience is a 20-strong discovery team of experts, including geologists, ornithologists, glaciologists, marine biologists, historians and ecologists, who are on hand to point out penguins and seals frolicking on ice floes and share fascinating facts about minke whales as they breach.

Take the path of pioneers

On a shore excursion to Ross Island (if conditions allow), a Scenic-guided discovery tour visits the huts of early explorers, including Captain Robert Scott’s 1902 Discovery Hut. Learn

To find out more about the 24-day Antarctica’s Ross Sea: Majestic Ice & Wildlife itinerary, visit scenic.com.au

The 6-star discovery yacht

Once onboard, the all-inclusive ultra-luxury Scenic Eclipse II offers a butler service and an almost one-to-one crew ratio for each of the 200 guests. The luxurious suites have private verandahs and the public spaces are just as indulgent: nine bars and lounges; up to 10 dining experiences, including French fine-diner Lumière; a soothing sauna at Senses Spa; a yoga and Pilates studio; and fully equipped gym. Also onboard are two helicopters^ and a submersible^ ready for your next adventure.

about their adventures and the race to the South Pole that drove these pioneers to the frozen end of the earth.

Explore icy islands by Zodiac

Take a Zodiac to Franklin Island in the Balleny archipelago and you’ll have a front-row seat to a 160-kilometre-long chain of volcanic isles. Go solo and glide past ice shelves in a kayak or on a stand-up paddleboard.

Soar above an Antarctic desert

Get a bird’s-eye view of the McMurdo Dry Valleys – the largest relatively icefree area in Antarctica – in one of two on-board helicopters^. The arid terrain resembles Mars and is only accessible by air. It’s an unrivalled way for guests to gain a new perspective on Antarctica.

Charming traditional inns, home-cooked meals… and 65 kilometres of walking. Benjamin Law finds out if reward outweighs effort on Japan’s most renowned multi-day hike.

Photography by Ben Richards

A country mile

On day three of the Kumano Kodo (tb-kumano.jp), I brace myself before asking my boyfriend the most taboo mid-hike question: “Have we made a mistake?” We’re about halfway through our 65-kilometre journey and it feels like things are conspiring against us. Rain is relentless. Dirt has turned to mud. Our calves burn. “Also,” I add, “I can’t be completely sure my toenails are still attached.”

We soldier on for several more hours until, suddenly, the rain stops and daylight cuts through the forest. We step out of moss-rich woodland and hit pavement. After 11 hours of hiking, we’ve arrived at our destination: Yunomine Onsen, a town renowned for its hot springs. The relief is almost visceral. That evening, relief turns to gratitude as I slide into mineral-rich water in a cypress hot tub, feeling the virtuous burn of my efforts. None of this was a mistake. Japan just gets it: multi-day hiking that’s a luxury experience on an everyday adventurer’s budget.

(Previous pages, from left) A tombstone at the start of the Kumano Kodo; Japan’s largest torii gate at the entrance to Oyunohara, seen from the Nakahechi route. (Opposite) Ancient stone stairs on the Daimon-zaka slope, on the way to the Shinto shrine of Kumano Nachi Taisha

Although I’ve been travelling to Japan for more than a decade, all my experiences to this point have been city-based. Shinkansen bolting out of metropolises at 300 kilometres an hour, sushi trains and sake bars on bustling neon streets, theme parks and high-tech rides that induce brain-spin. For me, it’s always been frenetic and fast.

Then I reached middle-age and the hiking phase of my life. Friends started telling me about a trail deep in the forest between Osaka’s electric buzz and Kyoto’s war-shielded splendour. It took me this long to even realise Japan had hiking trails but it makes sense. The Japanese invented the idea of shinrin-yoku – “forest bathing” – something doctors actually prescribe to patients for the purported wellbeing benefits.

Nowadays a full-fledged UNESCO World Heritage site, the Kumano Kodo is so ancient and steeped in Shinto and Buddhist traditions that monks, pilgrims and emperors have trekked its trails for millennia. It’s also become a showcase for what happens when you mix the wilderness with Japan’s renowned hospitality and capacity for innovation. This is the hike for people who love being in nature but detest all the other stuff that comes with it.

Loathe carrying and pitching shelter? Don’t worry, you stay in a mountainside lodge every night. Resent lugging a backpack around? No sweat: transfer services pick up and ferry your luggage between stops. Hate dehydrated camping food? Your accommodation can make you hot dinners and serve breakfast the next day. Some will even offer a packed lunch for your next stretch of the walk.

On my last multi-day hike in Australia, I carried about 20 kilograms of bedding, clothes, toiletries and dried food on my back. For the Kumano Kodo, all I take is two litres of water, insect repellent, sunscreen, walking poles, charger, passport, wallet, bandana, snacks, swimmers and a set of spare clothes. My pack is so light, I may as well be going on a primary school excursion.

There are various trails you can take but we choose the popular Nakahechi route, from Takijiri-oji to the Kumano Nachi Taisha shrine, near the coastal hot spring resort of Katsuura. At the visitor centre on day one, we pick up novelty passports that you can stamp along the way. It’s a cute gimmick and makes the entire adventure feel like a game.

We reach Hatago-Masara after a short one-hour walk past shrines with fresh fruit offerings and hydrangeas in full pastel bloom. The charming ryokan is owned by a French-Japanese couple with a young child. As I watch them take our packs and prepare us food, baby in a carrier, I reflect on what an extraordinary life their kid will have, ensconced in the mountains and ostensibly isolated but meeting travellers from around the world every day. The meals served are a fusion

Seigantoji Temple and Nachi Falls, near the end of the route

of their Asian-European union: for dinner, housemade plum wine alongside a hearty French beef stew and a little lasagne with a sesame-dressed salad. In the morning, it’s traditional Japanese fare of miso soup with okra, mackerel, salad and rice.

Along the walk, we make new friends: a 20-something German female police detective trekking solo; men who are best mates from Australia, one of whom just got engaged; a Kiwi family who regularly trek together as a nuclear unit; and a cheery band of fit Americans who live in different countries but pick a multi-day hike every year for a reunion. Not only is the Kumano Kodo friendly, it’s also safe. Any worries about getting lost evaporate when you see the first of many signs announcing “not Kumano Kodo” at even the slightest hint of ambiguity on the path. We walk past rice paddies and majestic views of mountain ranges as cute little forest crabs and toads scuttle and hop past our feet.

Our various hosts include a 60-something couple who are chronic over-feeders (seafood hotpot, sashimi, pickles, seaweed salad, egg, rice, noodles, grilled mushroom and crème caramel for dessert); the multigenerational staff at a familyowned hostel who serve us in yukata robes; a young duo

who bought their waterfall-side shack when it was derelict, before restoring it from scratch.

Turns out we need all of this charm and comfort to prepare us for our fifth and final day of the Nakahechi, an absolute quad-wrecker and hamstring-melter. It might not be the longest of the sections but it’s definitely the steepest. As we trek past Waroda-ishi Rock, with three symbols carved into it – Sanskrit characters representing wisdom, compassion and healing – I start to question my wisdom for attempting it, whether I’ll have any self-compassion if I give up and if my kneecaps will ever heal. A notice tells us that the famous Japanese poet Fujiwara Teika felt the same centuries ago when he wrote in the year 1201: “This route is very rough and difficult; it is impossible to describe precisely how tough it is.”

Yet just when it feels as though my legs might buckle, we arrive at our final destination: the spectacular Nachi Falls, Japan’s tallest vertical-drop waterfall, and the Seigantoji Temple in front of it. Also waiting for us when we reach town? A public onsen – this one offering a custom-designed warm footbath for weary Kumano Kodo travellers. Told you they think of everything.

(Above left) The Hosshinmon-oji shrine, at the entrance to the grand shrine of Kumano Hongu Taisha (above right)

Queenstown’s winter playground

The Rees Hotel is a luxurious base for an action-packed snow escape.

A roaring fire, glass of Otago pinot in hand and floor-to-ceiling windows framing a view of The Remarkables; it’s just one of the indulgent moments that will define your stay at The Rees Hotel. Perched on the edge of Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown, the property provides endless opportunities to immerse yourself in the surrounding landscape. With warm, welcoming staff and luxury services on hand, this is the ideal place to base yourself for the ultimate snow holiday.

Ski concierge at your service

With all four of the region’s major ski fields (Coronet Peak, Cardrona, The Remarkables and Treble Cone) within 20 to 90 minutes by car from The Rees Hotel, taking to the slopes is sure to be on the agenda. Leave it to The Rees’ dedicated ski concierge to handle everything from hiring top-shelf rental gear (ready and waiting for you at the hotel) to lift passes and private transfers to the ski fields. The service

is available to residents of all of the 60 hotel rooms, 90 apartments and five Lakeside Residences (right). So the only thing left for you to do is to sink into a private hot tub at the end of the day.

Turbocharge your alpine experience

Skiing and snowboarding aren’t the only ways to get your heart pumping in the alps. Thrillseekers chasing an extra adrenaline rush can book a tour with Queenstown Snowmobiles. Hop in a helicopter and fly over the Remarkables to Garvie Plateau, your exclusive winter playground, where you’ll snowmobile over pristine powder 1800 metres above sea level. When you’re back at The Rees, unwind with an in-room massage. Both experiences can be organised by the hotel’s concierge.

Take off on a heli wine tour

From the sky, the undulating vineyards of Gibbston Valley and Kawarau Gorge spread out beneath you in a 180-degree panorama.

Book your winter break at The Rees Hotel Queenstown. For more information, visit therees.co.nz

Accompanied by your personal wine guide, the chopper will set down at two local wineries for a private tasting and lunch, before returning you to The Rees’ Bordeau Wine Lounge, which stocks a range of vintages from France, Italy and Australia in addition to local New Zealand drops that pair perfectly with your uninterrupted vista.

Effortless travel

Did you know you could make your journey to and from eligible airports a seamless experience when you request your Uber trip ahead of time with Uber Reserve?

Plus, you can earn Qantas Points at the same time*.

Whether you’re heading away with family and friends or for business, you can use Uber Reserve to schedule your trip to and from eligible airports*.

Request a ride up to 90 days in advance – at any time of the day – and count on your ride to be there when you need it.

Earn with Uber

You’ll earn Qantas Points when you travel to and from some of Australia’s most popular airports, including:

• Adelaide

• Avalon

• Ballina (Byron Bay)

• Brisbane

• Cairns

• Canberra

• Darwin

• Devonport

• Gladstone

• Gold Coast

• Hobart

• Launceston

• Mackay

• Melbourne

• Newcastle

• Perth

• Rockhampton

• Sunshine Coast

• Sydney

• Toowoomba

• Townsville

For more information, visit qantas.com/uber

How to reserve your ride...

1. Link

Select “book” in your Qantas App then tap the Uber icon. Follow the prompts to link your Uber and Qantas Frequent Flyer accounts.

2. Reserve

Request your Uber up to 90 days before your trip to or from an eligible airport by tapping the Reserve icon in your Uber app.

3. Ride and earn

Complete your ride with Uber Reserve to earn 1 Qantas Point per $1 spent.

Melbourne Special Report

New in town

Dynamic, diverse and forward-looking, Melbourne promises fresh discoveries with each visit. From eateries to events and everything in between, this year’s packed winter line-up means there’s always something new under the sun (or whatever the weather is doing). Here’s what to bookmark in the Victorian capital. Story by Kendall Hill

The hotels

After a two-year makeover and with new ownership, 51-room southside institution The Lyall (thelyall.com) has reopened with plush interiors of marble, parquetry and velvet, a café and a penthouse suite with twin fireplaces and furnished terrace.

Across the river in boho Fitzroy, The StandardX (above; standardx.com) – the “rebellious” and more affordable offshoot of hotel group The Standard – makes its world premiere on Rose Street. The pick of its 125 rooms – served by rooftop Mexican and all-day Thai eateries – are the 48-square-metre suites with their city views, local art and built-in bars.

For a weekend getaway, the recently launched Re’em Yarra Valley at the Helen & Joey Estate winery (helenandjoeyestate. com.au) is just the ticket: with more than a dozen wines to sample, an “experimental” Chinese restaurant and intimate 16-suite boutique hotel, you’re all sorted for a satisfying country escape.

The cafés

Pickles Milk Bar (@pickles_milkbar) in Carlton North is a nostalgic throwback to the 1950s but this time… it’s vegan. There are “sausage” rolls, Contraband Coffee served with (plant-based) milk and even a vegan ganache hot chocolate.

Over in Elsternwick, Elster (above; elster.com.au) serves twice-baked cheese soufflés for breakfast alongside singleorigin beans and seasonal blends, as well as millennial musthaves such as turmeric chai and organic matcha lattes.

The eclectic menu at Moon Mart (moonmart.com.au) in West Melbourne is complemented by Viet-style condensedmilk lattes and cold brew with a citrus burst of orange juice. Meanwhile, the ascetic Disciple Roasters in Brunswick, notable for serving only black coffees, has opened Kōhī No Deshi (@kohinodeshi), which – in a groundbreaking twist –serves its coffees with the milk/mylk of your choice.

The casual eats

Melbourne’s sandwich boom –Hector’s Deli (hectorsdeli.com.au), Nico’s (nicos.melbourne), Ca Com Banh Mi Bar (@cacom.banhmi.bar) and the best BLTs in town at Babka Bakery Café (@babka.fitzroy) – has expanded into Genovese focaccia at Zita’s (zitasfocaccia.com) in South Yarra. Have a taste by the slice with squacquerone cheese and olives or filled with combos such as octopus and nduja or vitello tonnato.

Turn the flavour dial up at East Brunswick establishment Rumi’s new sibling Rocket Society (below; therocketsociety.com.au), which sticks to a Middle Eastern brief with flatbread wraps stuffed with shredded chicken and bastourma or fries and garlic sauce.

You’ll have to arrive early at Lygon Street bakery Madeleine de Proust (madeleinede proust.com.au) for Hyoju Park (ex-Attica) and Rong Yao Soh’s exceptional sponge cakes, including a golden hazelnut praline version.

The restaurants

Bourke Street’s Greek pop-up Kafeneion (kafeneion. com.au) was such a sensation last year that it found itself a permanent home at lounge bar The Melbourne Supper Club (left; melbournesupperclub.com.au) in Spring Street. Although the locale has changed, you can expect the same Hellenic hits, from ouzo-cured kingfish to lemony slowcooked lamb and carafe wines.

The latest addition to the city’s restaurant-wine-bar line-up is Brico (bricomelbourne.com), which pairs the likes of panisse and pork neck with sustainable wines from around the world, behind a storied North Carlton corner shopfront.

Queen of the vegan dining scene Shannon Martinez (Smith + Daughters) has hit the big time with the launch of a sprawling American grill, Friends of Fire (friendsoffire. com.au), and upstairs bar Amphora at Marvel Stadium in Docklands. Chef Aaron Rodrigues, also executive chef at The George on Collins, will steer meat and fish offerings while Martinez works her usual magic with meat-free dishes.

The events

Britain’s Opera North brings tenors to the tennis centre for a week’s run of Puccini’s opera Tosca (right; opera.org.au) at Margaret Court Arena, with sopranos Nadine Benjamin and Karah Son sharing the title role.

Add perennial favourite Sunset Boulevard, featuring renowned soprano (and Phantom star) Sarah Brightman as Norma Desmond, at the Princess Theatre from 21 May (sunsetmusical.com.au) to the schedule.

And don’t miss Rising (rising.melbourne), a two-week festival of art, performance and music, from 1 to 16 June. Hottest happenings on the program? Rock opera-esque Big Name, No Blankets, a tribute to the pioneering First Nations Warumpi Band, and Shouse: Communitas, a house party by the Melbourneborn electro music duo in St Paul’s Cathedral.

Proving Melbourne’s mania for all forms of sport, the city has also made space in its packed winter AFL calendar to host game two of the NRL State of Origin at the MCG on 26 June (nrl.com).

The bars

Circl Wine House (@circlwinehouse) is about to make a splash in the CBD with a 1500-label wine list, about 10 per cent of which can be ordered by the glass. “It’s definitely one of the largest in Australia,” says sommelier and owner Xavier Vigier, who’s spent two years assembling the line-up. There are weekly pours of rare and “iconic” wines by the glass – perhaps a Coche-Dury or Romanée-Conti – as well as a mod-Oz menu of prime Victorian produce from Swedish chef Elias Salomonsson (ex-Scott Pickett Group).

Carlton stalwart restaurant Scopri has opened Bar Olo (barolocarlton.com.au), a 40-seat enoteca that showcases Piedmont’s finest drops and dishes, while Goodwater in Northcote (above; goodwater.melbourne) leans hard into American whiskeys, with more than 200 on offer.

The exhibition

It’s blockbuster season at the National Gallery of Victoria (ngv.vic.gov.au). Beginning 14 June, the Winter Masterpieces program has Pharoah, the most extensive array of Egyptian artefacts shown in Australia and the largest international exhibition – more than 500 works – ever loaned by the British Museum. Tracing 3000 years of art and culture, highlights include pieces created for and about royals Nefertari, Ramses II and the child king Tutankhamun. There’s also a free, hands-on exhibit for junior Egyptologists.

(Above) Shabti (funerary figure) of Pharaoh Sety I from the Valley of the Kings in Thebes, Egypt; (left) Tomb painting representing Amenhotep I from the Tomb of Kynebu in Thebes, Egypt

The out-there eateries

Cult craft brewery Moon Dog’s sprawling new Wild West venue in the former Franco Cozzo Footscray furniture showroom combines 100 taps with Tex-Mex cuisine and a mechanical bull-riding machine (moondog.com.au).

If that’s not your speed, head to Fomo Cinemas (fomo cinemas.com.au), a dine-in movie house in East Brunswick, or South Melbourne Market’s Ugo Burrata Bar (left; ugo.com. au), which serves the creamy mozzarella balls from breakfast time – on toast with salmon, spinach and hollandaise, in a sandwich with porchetta and salsa verde, and even as Black Forest dessert with chocolate sponge and cherry liqueur.

Fitzroy ice-creamery Fluffy Torpedo (fluffytorpedo. diamonds), famous for its deliciously wild inventions such as Vegemite and white chocolate, Berocca and choc chip or buttered baguette, has expanded its reach into Brunswick with the launch of its second outlet.

Fabio

Risi

Exhibition organised by the Musée Carnavalet – Histoire de Paris, Paris Musées. Image credit: Georges Stein, Riders and carriages on the avenue du Bois c.1900. Musée Carnavalet.

CC0 Paris Musées / Musée Carnavalet – Histoire de Paris.

In partnership with Airbus, we are investing in the development of local biofuel production using agricultural by-products in Queensland, working together towards our goal of a domestic SAF industry.

To drive sustainability of this industry for the long term, we are also building demand for sustainable aviation fuel through Australia’s first corporate membership program – our Sustainable Aviation Fuel Coalition.

Learn more at qantas.com/safcoalition

This month on Marketplace

From cutting-edge tech to fresh new styles to update your home, these are just some of the top buys to discover this month. Earn points, use points and shop it all on Qantas Marketplace.

PAUSE FOR NOTHING

Bose has reinvented earbuds with OpenAudio technology, combining complete openness to your surroundings with rich, private sound only you can hear. Enjoy the best of both worlds with the new Bose Ultra Open Earbuds

78,090 PTS OR 2000 PTS + $437.50

SMART CONTROL

When you’re programming a room’s ambience, why stop at temperature control?

Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool™ Formaldehyde heats or cools the entire space while automatically trapping dust particles and allergens. For added peace of mind, sensors cleverly detect formaldehyde and airborne gases and report them in real time*.

199,830 PTS OR $1149

STYLE ON THE MOVE

Consider the Pierre Cardin Hardshell 80cm Large Suitcase to be your wardrobe on wheels. As stylish as it is sturdy, it has plenty of packing space and multiple internal compartments, plus it also comes with a matching Beauty Case.

71,140 PTS OR $409

REST EASY

Getting out of bed will be even more of a challenge with Bambury’s Linen Sheet Set . Crafted from the finest French linen, the pieces feel soft and breathable from the very first use. Available in six neutral or statement shades, Bambury linen is the perfect bedroom refresh this winter.

53,440 PTS OR $395**

THE LOOK

Potato Head Studios, Seminyak, Bali

Lindy Lee

Story by Danielle Teutsch

The Brisbane-born artist draws inspiration from burning – both physical and metaphorical – to meld her sculptures.

Lindy Lee was in snowbound Beijing for an artists’ residency in 2009 when she felt a compulsion to work with fire. She bought a soldering iron and started to burn endless holes in long rolls of paper. At the same time she was listening to podcasts about Buddhism and ideas of burning away self-delusion.

“It was very, very cold and I literally went into solitary confinement and started to burn stuff,” she says of that pivotal moment in her career.

Up until that point, Lee had explored the complexities of her identity as a Chinese-Australian growing up in Brisbane (Meanjin) through painting. The paper-burning epiphany opened up a new urge to work with metal and sculptural forms.

Lee moved on to perforating burnished metal and raw steel in raindrop patterns and concentric circles. She charred logs of wood and flung molten bronze in organic patterns, the chaos always giving way to universal harmony and the oneness of all things. “I’m invoking the dark and unknown aspects of our existence because I can’t really know what shape will come out.”

In the past decade, Lee has been in demand in Australia and internationally for public artworks. In 2021, she received the largest-ever commission from the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra for the Ouroboros (snake eating its tail) sculpture, which will cost $14 million and is due to be completed this year.

A resident of NSW’s Northern Rivers region, Lee balances the intensity of collaborating on colossal artworks with a retreat into solitude. She rises early to walk her beloved Scottish terriers, swim laps, meditate and draw.

“It takes me many weeks just to distil an idea. The simpler the form, the more perfect it has to be.”

Exhibited at: Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney; Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide; Sullivan+Strumpf Singapore; Heide Museum of Modern Art, Melbourne.

Breakthrough moment: In 1977, Lee travelled overseas and was inspired by Italian art. In the ’80s, she was accepted to study at the Chelsea School of Art in London

(Opposite) Lindy Lee with a wooden maquette of Life of Stars in her studio at Coorabell in the Byron Bay hinterland, NSW; (above) her Moon in a Dewdrop exhibition at Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art Australia in 2020-2021

Anchored by the ocean in Seminyak, this hotel complex sets the standard for hyperlocal craftsmanship, says designer Sandra Githinji. Potato Head Studios, Bali

As told to Rachel Lees

Potato Head Studios is a remarkable architectural hotel in Bali. It was designed by Dutch firm OMA and is one component of the much larger Desa Potato Head, which is a massive development designed to be a hub or village. There are hotels, art galleries and music spaces, alongside food and wellness offerings. The Studios join Potato Head Beach Club and Potato Head Suites, which were both designed by Indonesian architect Andra Matin.

Buildings often assert their dominance over a space but this one doesn’t. I like that Potato Head Studios feels embedded in the landscape. It’s a bit of a journey to get to it but once you’re inside, it has this lush landscaping and there’s nothing that seems excessively shiny or devoid of texture.

The light quality, both natural and artificial, is well-considered. The corridors have breezeblock walls to let air flow through but they also cast beautiful light projections in the space. The design has a warm palette, which extends inside the rooms. The bathrooms have timber throughout, even in the showers, and the basins are terracotta clay vessels. It’s striking.

There’s a real integration with the community. You could stay here and still actively have a Balinese experience. You can do yoga in the morning or join an artist talk where they highlight the local artworks in the resort; they’re intentional about sharing why they’ve done things.

In the rooms, custom-made Max Lamb chairs were crafted by Balinese furniture maker Kalpa Taru, each using 833 plastic water bottles. Elsewhere in the village, 1.8 million terracotta bricks were made with traditional methods by local craftsmen. Other innovative techniques, such as using a recycled plastic material as a weave, have a methodology or gesture that feels very Balinese.

The architects didn’t look at Balinese craft and culture as something in the past, like a relic. They found interesting ways of recognising what the future might look like. Sometimes collaborations can feel extractive and there’s no inclusivity of the people whose stories you’re trying to tell. In this instance, it feels authentic. I’d love to see more projects like this.

Sandra Githinji is an interdisciplinary designer based in Melbourne (Naarm). She launched her design studio (sandragithinji.com) in 2020 and has been a sessional lecturer at RMIT University since 2021. Last year, she was included on Australian Design Review ’s 30Under30 list and was invited to participate in the inaugural Biennale College Architettura in Venice.

Potato Head Studios (opposite and above) and one of the hotel’s custom-made Max Lamb chairs (top)

Built for speed

2. Maje coat / $910 / maje.com.au

3. Le Specs sunglasses / $80 / lespecs.com

4. Weekend Max Mara bag / $505 / maxmara.com

5. Pol pants / $299 / polclothing.com.au

6. Sportmax sneakers / $925 / maxmara.com

1. Chanel Première Édition Originale yellow-gold and leather watch / $10,400 / chanel.com/au

Styling by Nadene Duncan

Photography by Edward Urrutia

1. L.G.R sunglasses / US$530 / lgrworld.com

3. Jac + Jack jumper / $340 / jacandjack.com

4. Hublot Big Bang Unico Full Magic Gold 44-millimetre watch / $60,500 / hublot.com

5. Lacoste sneakers / $230 / lacoste.com.au

6. Song For the Mute jacket / $1495 / songforthemute.com

2. Gucci duffle bag / $3610 / gucci.com

Argyle Ellipse earrings

The rosy shade of these rare sparkling stones makes for a thrilling loop-the-loop.

Story by Natasha Inchley

There’s an undeniable magic attached to these glorious Argyle Pink Diamond earrings, not only because the hero stones are an enchanting deep rose but also due to their rarity. The Argyle Ellipse pair forms part of a limited-edition collection at Sydney jeweller J Farren-Price, one of just 28 ateliers worldwide entrusted with selling the precious gems.

The stones have become the ultimate collector’s aspiration: more than 90 per cent of the world’s pink diamonds were sourced from the Argyle mine in Western Australia before it closed in November 2020. In the 37 years after the deposit’s discovery in 1983, more than 865 million carats of rough diamonds were unearthed there – and less than 1 per cent of them were the valuable pinks.

The prized partnership with the diamond company is a coup for J Farren-Price, which was established in 1942 as an exporter of luxury watches and has since built its reputation on presenting exquisite creations. The earrings are the luminous cherries on the cake, featuring 2.10 carats of Argyle Pink Diamonds and 0.62 of a carat of Asscher cut white diamonds set in rose- and white-gold. Each limited-edition set is individually numbered on the back. Rare beauties, indeed.

Argyle Ellipse limited-edition earrings with Argyle Pink Diamonds and white diamonds in 18-carat rose- and white-gold / $28,800 / from J Farren-Price, jfarrenprice.com.au

Celebrate 20 years of style with Viktoria & Woods

Explore the latest collection at Qantas Marketplace. Shop with cash and earn 3 Qantas Points per $1 spent or use points.

Steve Cordony

This interior and events stylist takes his cues from the streets – and the street style

–

of the Tuscan capital, Florence.

Interview by Bek Day

What do you love most about Florence? The intimacy of it. There’s something about the proportions of the streets – you feel enveloped by history. I was there for Pitti Uomo last year and the entire city was a catwalk. Do you plan your outfits? I plan for weeks – getting outfits from the tailor or making sure I have enough skin product – then I throw it all in last-minute! So, are you packing for “just in case”? I like to leave room for purchases. Sometimes I have an outfit in mind and aim to buy the perfect shoes to complement it while I’m away. Cruel question but what if you could only pack one pair? Ooft. I’d have to say black leather loafers by Saint Laurent or Gucci (far left; gucci.com). Florence calls for a bit of theme dressing. And for garment care? I bring a Muji clothes brush (below; mujiaustralia.com) and a portable steamer for refreshing pieces I want to wear twice. The one thing you always pick up at the airport? A new scent so that I’ll have an olfactory reminder of my trip. What is your flight take-off ritual? I learnt transcendental meditation from Tim Brown, who sadly passed away last year. He taught me that the key is learning to quieten your mind anywhere. So I try to do a 20-minute meditation and then we’re off. On the ground, do you follow an itinerary? The first thing I do is put on my trainers and get out for a walk. I always go to the nonna restaurants – the ones with no menu. You must have found some gems! So many! My pick is Osteria del Cinghiale Bianco (cinghialebianco.com). I have a picture of me there with two desserts, just ridiculously happy. What’s the best place for a nightcap? La Terrazza at Hotel Continentale (left; lungarno collection.com), a little rooftop bar overlooking the Ponte Vecchio. Do you have a favourite place to stay? Portrait Firenze (top; lungarnocollection.com). It’s elegant and understated all at once. The first thing you do when you get home? I can’t relax until I’ve completely unpacked but next stop is Orchard St. café in Sydney’s Paddington.

Shane Webster, CEO, Jawun

THE BUSINESS

Anna Marsden

The head of the Great Barrier Reef Foundation says she has just one customer. But with that comes enormous responsibility.

Current role Managing director, Great Barrier Reef Foundation

Tenure Eight years

Previous roles CEO, Queensland Ballet; general manager creative, Rowland; head of development, QAGOMA

Interview by Kirsten Galliott Illustration by Marc Némorin

How do you define good leadership?

Leadership has changed. I used to think it was climbing to the top, being an inspiring leader, having the road map and understanding the DNA. Now I really believe it’s when a team is able to stick together, bear the burden of disruption and challenge, and achieve great things. If you have multiple leaders across an organisation who feel confident, valued and validated in what they do, they then inspire others. So it’s a cosmos of leadership – a patchwork quilt of good people working together. You need everybody to be a leader in a room. It can’t just be one or two people at the top who carry it and everyone else simply does as they say.

You’ve driven record fundraising. How different are those conversations in 2024 as opposed to eight years ago?

One of the first things that struck me in this job was I couldn’t believe how easy it was to sell the Great Barrier Reef. People want it to survive; they want it to be okay. But there is no doubt that right now there is something in the air with ocean conservation and there is something about coral reefs that is very special, very pertinent. People are no longer arguing about climate change – they just want to know that we are making progress. We’re a practical, pragmatic, environmental NGO. We get our hands dirty, we bring people together, we are unashamedly obsessed with impact and we are a really trusted bridge to industry. We’ve just closed off one of the largest fundraising campaigns for the environment in Australia’s history but oceans are still hugely underfunded – from a philanthropic lens – everywhere in the world. So we need to do more.

What’s your secret tactic when it comes to getting donors across the line?

Someone said to me a long time ago, “It’s not that Australians don’t give; we’re just really bad at asking.” Well, I’m not squeamish about asking for help when I believe in what I’m asking for and that the person or company I’m talking to could make a difference. I’m not just selling it – I believe in it. And with the scientists around us, there is a way through.

How do you determine truly genuine partnerships?

We do a lot of diligence on any partner who is interested in supporting us. They have to believe that climate change is the number-one threat to the reef and they have to be on the net-zero journey and doing great work. There are multiple times we’ve walked away from significant amounts of money because the investor wasn’t in it for the right reasons. Our former chair, John Schubert, had a great phrase that everybody lived by: “We have one customer and that’s the Great Barrier Reef.” So every single decision we make has to place the reef first and make the reef better.

So, what’s the current status of the reef? Some parts of it are in recovery but there are new losses, aren’t there? Yes, there are. We’re suffering the fifth mass coral bleaching event. What’s interesting about this one is that the previous bleaching events have played out in the middle and northern parts of the Great Barrier Reef. This time, cyclones have cooled down the weather up north and the southern part is experiencing bleaching. It’s not dead coral – in fact, it’s beautiful to swim over because you get these white corals and all the fish and turtles are still doing what they’re doing – but if the heat stays for longer than 30 days in a month, the coral will starve because the heat-stressed coral is not taking food. So it’s under extreme stress. Most people will visit the Great Barrier Reef and they’ll swim over the size of a tennis court when they do their snorkel from a boat or from an island but the reef as an ecosystem is the size of 70 million football fields.

Did you say 70 million ?

That’s how big it is! So when people say, “It wasn’t looking good”, they’re not seeing the whole thing. I spent a lovely time before Christmas doing an outer reef expedition. We didn’t see a boat for seven days and I swam at reefs I’ve never seen before. It was so beautiful and untouched. Even though we’re experiencing bleaching, there’s not a blanket bleaching across the whole Great Barrier Reef. The public wants a simple frame – is it good or is it bad? It’s mixed. It’s a highly resilient natural system that’s facing immense pressures. She is fighting and she is trying to repair herself. But for the very first time, she needs human help and conservation.

It’s such a balancing act, isn’t it? You want to inform people about what’s going on but you don’t want to scare off travellers who bring such critical revenue. Absolutely. The most common question during COVID was, “Gee, the reef must be doing so well with no tourists.” That is so wrong. Tourism is one of the conservation levers we must pull. First, by visiting the reef you’re paying money that goes to the conservation of the reef and helps manage it. Second, it’s so well-managed – you’re hosted by the ultimate guardians of the reef. We’ve also seen that by visiting the reef, people are more likely to adopt more sustainable practices. So we constantly tinker with the communication and evolve it and hold our breath. It’s a busy space out there and sometimes things land the wrong way.

It’s a huge responsibility. How do you shoulder it?

It’s an honour to have this job at this moment, when we aren’t in a dress rehearsal. This is game time for coral reefs globally. I am constantly surprised that it doesn’t get on top of me more – because it is tough – but the organisation is very optimistic. We don’t hover on the problem; we hover on the solution.

The foundation works with scientists and government, communities and big business. How do you successfully manage all those stakeholders?

A lot of programs that have been super-successful have started with meetings that were very clunky, with a lot of egos and elbows out. But we’ve become quite trusted as a group that can bring the right players together. We’re very good at building the right-sized governance and consultation so people can see their lane in that collective program. We’ll push them so it’s a bit of a ballet but we’ve learnt to trust our instincts on understanding the dynamics of human behaviour and motivations. That means we can be more reasonable in understanding what it looks like for them and create room for that.

In 2018, you were drawn into a media storm when the Coalition government gave the foundation a surprise donation of $443 million with no tender process. What do you remember most about that time?

I felt surprised at the backlash and how personal it became. It was the first time I’d ever been caught up in a political media

storm, where you’re fielding calls and calls and calls. There was an insatiable appetite to prove that we were a bad group and there was something smelly at the core. But it was a lot of public money and people wanted to know that the investment was going to make a difference. The best way through it was to deliver A-plus work, to be transparent and to build best-inclass governance. So we just put our heads down and did that. I don’t want to relive those few months but without that scrutiny we may not have been challenged to be so focused and to look for perfection and not settle for anything less. So the reef benefited.

What did you learn about yourself in that process? I was driven by what people thought of me. I realised that was probably not the best use of my energy and my spirit so it has allowed me to understand the opinions that I value and not look for validation from every single person. It’s not a popularity contest. But we felt every barb and every media article because people who work for purpose organisations intentionally have a thin skin to feel the cause. There were often times when I thought to myself, “You’ve got to toughen up.” But I fought against that because I want to feel the work, I want to feel it in my heart.

You work closely with First Nations people. What have you learnt from those partnerships?

Larissa Hale, who is chair of our Traditional Owner advisory group, said to me, “Remember that you’re joining our bus. This is our journey and we’ve been on this bus for a very long time.” That was a beautiful “aha” moment. There’s such a deep connection and understanding of the pace in which the natural environment moves when you spend time on Country with Traditional Owners. You appreciate conservation in a different, richer way. There’s a fantastic statistic that says Indigenous cultures or peoples make up five per cent of the population and yet they have custodianship or responsibility for up to 85 per cent of the remaining world’s biodiversity. There are two ways

to look at that. One is that they’ve been looking after their Country a lot better than we’ve been looking after ours. And if you aren’t working with First Nations knowledge and people at the centre of your solution, you’re not going to get the kind of biodiversity and nature repair that you want. We’re all in this car together. But they were in the car first so we join that journey and add value as we can.

What’s your biggest strength as a leader?

I’m curious and I’m always open to giving things a go, which I think is what people really like. Others tell me that it’s a pretty flat structure – anyone can walk in and ask me anything and I’ll give them my honest opinion. But I do think it’s that curiosity, which means the journey is never finished, we can always find something bigger and there’s always the possibility of a further ambition or something else to achieve. That curious lens helps me a lot.

And what about your biggest gap?

In my older age, I’m getting impatient. Things take a while and that bothers me a bit. I’m also always running around doing too many things. I’m still not great at being able to identify the things that really need more time. I still don’t think this generation of working women has got the work-life balance right. We’re a lot better but there’s still this aspiration to get an “A” in both places. If I had more time, I could probably ponder and solve things deeper.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to be a CEO?

Being a CEO is not the destination. The destination is to find something you love. Then you’ll be a CEO.

Qantas is a long-time partner of the Great Barrier Reef Foundation and is investing $10 million over 10 years to support scientists, Traditional Owners and local tourism operators restoring corals across Australia’s reefs.

Take-homes

Personal motto

Don’t put off what needs to be done.

Communication approach

If it doesn’t need to be in an email, say it in person or pick up the phone. The old-fashioned way worked well for centuries.

Motivation tactic

We won’t get to where we want to be if we go it alone. We are better together.

Productivity hack

Step away from work. I like to take my daughter to netball practice, binge a TV series

or go for a run. It’s how I recharge and refocus.

Business book or podcast

I love to read and listen to lots of things but I can’t go past anything by Jim Collins.

Rule you don’t break Use-by dates on food.

Favourite piece of advice

You don’t work with organisations, you work with the people in those organisations.

What this CEO knows about purpose

Greg Keith shares how, with the right approach, a professional services firm can deliver more for its clients.

Leading accounting and advisory business Grant Thornton Australia lines up its values of collaboration, authenticity, responsibility and excellence in the acronym of CARE. Knowing that values are empty unless they’re lived, the organisation tests every major decision against its CARE principles. Greg Keith has been CEO of Grant Thornton since 2015 and says

that respecting those values has made working at the business a more enjoyable experience for team members and clients. Here, Keith details how the company lives its purpose.

“Grant Thornton’s 6-Box Model is used to guide collaboration with our clients. The framework focuses on areas of growth, including strategic ambitions, leadership and talent, risk and regulation, optimising operations, shareholder value and finance growth. We use it to guide conversations and help clients achieve their goals.”

“Authenticity is having the courage to be you and recognising that differences bring valuable diversity. When we first assessed our support of LGBTQI team members, the results were poor. Yet we made the results public because we accepted that our current policies and practices weren’t good enough. We then engaged team members who identified as part of the LGBTQI community and we listened, grew and improved the way we cared for all of our people.”

“We take responsibility for delivering on our promises. Last year, we were the largest professional services firm to introduce a firm-wide nine-day fortnight to protect our team’s mental health and our staff report that their wellbeing has improved. In 2016 we were one of the first to offer 26 weeks of paid parental leave with superannuation included. Since then, we’ve installed flexible working arrangements that see up to 86 per cent of our people work from home in a typical week.”

“Excellence is ensuring quality is the cornerstone of everything we deliver. In 2008, we chose to move away from a partnership model to become a publicly unlisted entity. We are independently audited and our accounts are publicly available, including our transparency report. We comply with the rigour of the Corporations Act, which is overseen by ASIC. It’s a structure and level of governance that ensures trust and integrity for our stakeholders.”

Shane Webster

A proud Torres Strait Islander man, the CEO of Jawun – an organisation that brings corporate and government partners together with First Nations communities to affect change – puts relationships and shared values at the forefront.

As told to Julie Lee

I was 15 or 16 when I started as a dishwasher at a local Italian café in Adelaide. That small business had two owners and the first would watch us like a hawk and come down hard on anyone not performing. The second owner took the time to know us and ensure we had everything we needed to do our jobs – no-one wanted to let him down. The first owner was the burning fire. The second was the calming water – always be the water.

My first real boss was a political chief of staff. He was intensely focused on cutting through the rationale for why an action was being put forward. He was kind, he was patient and he was unbelievably brilliant. He had a knack for lowering his voice and drawing people in – quite the tactician. To this day, my starting point whenever anyone presents me with a problem is to understand the rationale before moving forward.

The first time I was disappointed in a business outcome goes back to when I worked in politics as a ministerial adviser. I was tasked with opposing a draft bill from a minor party. Had that bill succeeded it would have had an extremely positive effect and righted some wrongs with the Aboriginal community in South Australia. It was a really heartbreaking experience for me. I learnt then that it’s important to do what’s effective and to do what’s expected but you never really want to stray too far from your own personal cultural values. I think success is shrinking those three points of the triangle with yourself squarely in the middle.

My first failure at Jawun is somewhat of a folk legend. I was a few weeks into the job in a mid-level role and we took a group of professionals out camping as part of an induction experience. On the morning of the fourth day, we packed up camp and headed off like we’d done all the previous mornings. It wasn’t until we reached our destination that we realised there was one person less than when we started. It all ended well but looking back it was a pivotal moment. It would have been easy to blame my training manager but even then, I knew good leadership requires you to take ownership of issues. Our mantra at Jawun is “safety is not a secret”. We share failures – they’re learning opportunities – and encourage a culture of reporting near misses. That was, and remains, a teachable moment.

The first time I knew I was making a difference was when I was working with the Ngarrindjeri Nation in SA through the Jawun partnership. There was a small team of rangers that were about to lose their jobs due to some grant funding cessation. Together we called in every favour, we applied every tactic and we approached every major business or agency that we could to keep these guys employed. We ended up building the most profitable Indigenous fishery business in the country. That business broke the mould of what good partnering should look like. There was opportunity in chaos and we built something that was better than what we found.

Defining moment

“It was 2013 and I was playing an important part in the amendment of the South Australian Constitution Act [of 1934] to recognise Aboriginal custodianship of lands and waters – so effectively to change [the wording of] the constitution. If you had walked past Parliament House that day you would’ve heard thunderous applause from the public gallery, with members of the Aboriginal community standing alongside parliamentarians from all sides of politics. I realised then that to move forward as a nation we have to connect both the head and the heart in matters of reconciliation.”

How to… tap into intuition

Neuroscientist and The Intuition Toolkit author

Joel Pearson reveals when it’s a good time to follow your gut (and when it’s your biases talking).

As told to Alison Boleyn

CEOs will say in private that they use intuition. Yet they won’t mention it to their board or the public because it’s still taboo and a bit woo-woo. But intuition is real and can be understood and measured with science. It’s the learnt use of unconscious information to improve your actions or decisions.

Intuition can be both good and “misintuition” or misguided feelings. It’s like AI – junk in, junk out. If you’ve trained your intuition in a workforce dominated by one type of person, you might underestimate others’ abilities. And we should never try to “feel” our way around numbers. When a trend or technology takes off exponentially there’s that hockey stick function but the way our brains work is linear. We are blind to exponential functions and get probabilities totally wrong.

Intuition that works well in one context won’t transfer to another. Steve Jobs leaned into intuition during his leadership in product design at Apple. His intuition was phenomenal, honed by experience to a sharp level of mastery. But when faced with challenges outside work –his health – he made poor decisions. During the pandemic, people who’d honed their intuition at work noticed they couldn’t apply it as well at home – it was a mismatched environment.

Don’t use intuition when you’re emotional. We tend to confuse emotional arousal with intuition. The level of emotion, like noise, can drown out intuition.

By early next year, I think we’ll have digital personal assistants and outsource biological intuition. An AI assistant will track everything from our emails to our physiology via wearables, learn from the patterns and point out biases in decision-making – “I just noticed your heart rate spiked when you talked to X. Was it something they said?” Such AI raises hundreds of questions, of course, but it’s basically inevitable.

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Thinking like a customer has kept Sails Restaurant Noosa at the top of its game for more than 30 years. Regular travel gives them the face-to-face connections they need to excel, as co-owner Chris Moe explains.

Let your business fly

“Travelling to wineries is invaluable to our business and using Qantas Points means we can send our team as often as possible.”

Chris Moe, co-owner, Sails Restaurant Noosa

Plenty has changed on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast since Sails Restaurant Noosa first opened its doors to the ocean breeze in 1994. Three decades later, its particular brand of barefoot luxury is more in demand than ever. “We had our record year last year, after 30 years in business,” confirms co-owner Chris Moe.

With a clientele that’s equal parts local and out-of-towners, Sails artfully navigates the line where white linen tablecloths meet beach umbrellas on the deck. The stunning Laguna Bay

beachfront and long-time executive chef Paul Leete’s produce-led menu keep everyone satisfied but the drawcard is undoubtedly the wine list, 600 labels strong and housed over four sprawling cellars. Building the list has been a long-term labour of love for Sails founder and co-owner Lyndon Simmons but maintaining it has become a collective passion, says Moe. And as with so many aspects of running a hospitality business, nurturing in-person relationships is an important factor in its success.

BRISBANE > AUCKLAND

“To give our guests a memorable experience, we need to think like a customer”

“My business partner, Lyndon, is always focused on thinking like a customer and not like a restaurant operator – he believes this is how we continually improve the experience for our guests. To foster this mindset, we encourage our team to see firsthand how other restaurants do it around the world. To do this effectively, we access

AUCKLAND

flight savings through our Qantas Business Rewards Account and then put the Qantas Points we earn towards our next flight. It leads to our staff bringing back valuable experiences to implement in the kitchen and on the restaurant floor. Last June, we sent our functions and events manager, Jessica Exley, and senior sous chef, Zach Kelly, to Craggy Range Winery in Hawke’s Bay, home to some of the finest New Zealand pinot noir as well as a two-hatted restaurant. A trip like this means that when Jess is speaking with a couple planning their wedding reception at Sails, she can share the story behind the Craggy Range wines on our list. Her enthusiasm and knowledge add so much to the guests’ enjoyment of their time with us.”

BRISBANE > ADELAIDE

“Meeting winemakers ensures we get the first pick of their best products”

“Sails has one of the most extensive wine lists in Australia and we regularly visit winemakers to taste new vintages and ensure we’re receiving their best products. Using our business’s points on flights through Qantas Business Rewards makes it possible for us to travel to wineries as often as we can, plus the extensive Qantas network makes our regional travel around

Australia efficient. At Yangarra Estate in McLaren Vale last winter, we were the first to be invited on a tour of the new cellar door and I had a private tour of the vineyards with the winemaker. We added the High Sands Grenache from Yangarra to our wine list after that trip. A wine like this is available in such limited quantities, perhaps only a few hundred bottles, that it will sell out – it’s just a matter of which restaurants receive an allocation. Building these long-term face-to-face relationships with a winery helps us have first pick of their wine and gives us access to the very best vintages.”

BRISBANE > PERTH

“Attending food and wine events inspires our own events program”

PERTH

“We take chardonnay very seriously at Sails. It’s one of the most popular varieties with our guests and we have a dedicated chardonnay cellar to store our 2000 bottles at exactly the right temperature. Chardonnay is king of the grapes in Margaret River, where Lyndon travelled to Leeuwin Estate for a special winemakers’ dinner. He used points to upgrade his flights to a Business cabin, ensuring he was wellrested for the event. We’re hosting our own wine dinner as part of the Noosa Concours d’Elegance weekend in July, so it was insightful for Lyndon to attend one of these events. At ours, we’ll be pouring Leeuwin Estate and Craggy Range wines alongside a four-course menu. You could say that Leeuwin Estate and Sails at Noosa are equally iconic establishments on opposite sides of the country.”

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Sails used the business’s Qantas Points to send Chris Moe on an Adelaide winery tour (below); Moe with executive chef Paul Leete (right)

Think Sharper, Better, Faster.

EXECUTIVE BRAIN PERFORMANCE

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Tests that go beyond diagnosis by guiding doctors to the right drugs? A passion for precision medicine was the driving force, says co-founder Dr Alison Todd.

Fact file

Co-f ounders Adjunct Professor Alison Todd, 66 (left); Dr Elisa Mokany, 48 (right)

Investors Northpond Ventures, Platinum Asset Management, Tenmile

First customer SpeeDx’s debut product was released in 2016 and sold to pathology laboratories around Australia

Headquarters Redfern, Sydney, with laboratories in nearby Eveleigh at Cicada Innovations in the National Innovation Centre and subsidiary offices in London and Austin, Texas

Staff 100 (67 per cent female)

Interview by Jane Nicholls

What’s your elevator pitch?

“We provide innovative, diagnostic solutions to help clinicians select the most appropriate drugs to improve patient outcomes with a single PCR-based test. Our tests can also identify mutations in the DNA of the disease, which can influence an individual patient’s response to specific drugs. Some of the tests we’ve developed promote antibiotic stewardship for infectious diseases and others assist in the selection and monitoring of cancer treatments.”

What was the problem you were trying to solve?

“Antibiotic resistance is a looming global catastrophe, compounded by rising rates of infection, particularly sexually transmitted infections (STIs). We released a world-first test which can simultaneously detect an STI and whether the bacteria have a mutation that predicts resistance to a commonly prescribed antibiotic. That test paved

the way for new clinical practices that have increased cure rates. By giving clinicians information about drug resistance, they can prescribe alternative antibiotics first.”

How did you get it off the ground?

“Elisa and I were working together at Johnson & Johnson (J&J), where we had patented a novel DNA technology with broad application for the diagnosis of disease. When the GFC led to the closure of J&J’s Australian research branch in 2008, we set out to establish SpeeDx (plexpcr.com) to commercialise our invention. We negotiated the assignment of our intellectual property from J&J in exchange for a stake, raised venture capital and established offices and laboratories at Cicada. We generated early revenue by licensing our technology for oncology to Belgian molecular diagnostics company Biocartis, to make products for which we receive royalty payments.”

How did you convince investors?

“The fact that our technology addresses critical, unmet clinical needs opened doors for us with investors and large laboratory customers. The people who invested came onto our board and had business acumen that helped us through those early years. We’re extremely grateful for the funding support from the federal government and the NSW Medical Device Fund. SpeeDx started in 2009 with four scientists and today we have more than 200 granted or pending patents and sell a range of 45 products into 19 countries. We’ve sold more than 10 million tests for clinicians to help their patients.”

What’s next?

“Our new test, RespiV PlexPlus, is a PCR assay that detects 14 respiratory viruses in one simple test. We’re working hard to get it launched by mid-year, initially for research purposes. It’s the first application of transformational technology we’ve developed that can give clinicians more answers from a single test.”

Shanghai Four of the best stays for business travellers.

Story by Bridget de Maine

1. Artyzen New Bund 31 Shanghai PUDONG

If you value proximity to the New Bund 31 state-of-the-art cultural hub, opt to stay at this neighbouring property (artyzen.com). All 202 of the hotel’s pastel-hued, art-dotted rooms include bathtubs, 400-thread-count goose-down bedding, complimentary minibars and free services such as clothes pressing and shoe shining. The lightning-fast commute home from a night out with colleagues at the theatre? That’s a bonus.

2. UrCove Shanghai Jing’an JING’AN DISTRICT

At the 265-room Hyatt spinoff UrCove (qantas.com/hotels/urcoveshanghai),

in the central Jing’an neighbourhood, even the shortest of trips feels fuss-free thanks to functional guestrooms (comfy, window-adjacent workspaces, pod-powered coffee machines) and thoughtful amenities (light-flushed meeting rooms, a self-service laundry). The on-site restaurant, 24-hour gym and 12pm checkout don’t hurt, either.

3. Amanyangyun MINHANG DISTRICT

Swap the city’s bustle for secluded bliss at the ecological and historical haven of Amanyangyun (qantas.com/ hotels/Amanyangyun), south-west of downtown. Nestled in tranquil camphor woodlands, any of the 61 restored antique villas, pavilions and contemporary courtyard suites lend themselves to deep work as much as they do relaxation. Begin at your cedar

desk, transition to a fireside lounge then clock off and explore almost 3000 square metres of space dedicated to wellness. If a face-to-face meeting calls, the city is only a 30-minute drive (via private limousine) away.

4. Capella Shanghai XUHUI DISTRICT

There are only 55 villas at the intimate Capella Shanghai (qantas.com/hotels/ capellashanghai), a boutique stunner set in a row of traditional, ivy-covered shikumen townhouses from the 1930s. With quiet courtyards, complimentary minibars of local snacks and an inviting library space, the stay has a residential feel that takes the sting out of even a flying visit. And the in-house French restaurant by famed chef Pierre Gagnaire is an excellent place for client introductions.

Georg Roske

Memory warriors

Now in its 25th year, Dementia Australia Research Foundation is charting a new future for people living with dementia and mild cognitive impairment.

More than 420,000 Australians live with dementia and it’s the leading cause of death for women. Without a medical breakthrough, that number is expected to double within the next 30 years. It’s a sobering statistic and one that, with enough funding, Dementia Australia Research Foundation hopes to turn around.

“Within the next five years, we hope to make use of a blood test that will be able to indicate those people who are likely to succumb to dementia 20 years before the symptoms set in,” says Professor Graeme Samuel (above), chair of Dementia Australia Research Foundation. Currently, Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, characterised by certain proteins that build up in the brain like plaque and cause brain cells to die.

Early detection is only one piece of the dementia puzzle; better

treatment is another. “We envisage that the drugs being developed will be delivered either by injection or by a tablet. And they won’t have some of the current risks, which can include brain swelling and brain bleeds.

“Additionally a focus for the organisation is how to better support the estimated 1.6 million carers, including in many cases, members of their family,” says Professor Samuel. “It’s an extremely difficult task, not least because there is a strong preference for keeping people living with dementia in the community –we know that staves off the continued onset of the disease.”

“Caring for someone living with dementia is a 24/7 job and it can wear people out. If you or a family member are noticing changes in your memory, you can call the helpline on 1800 100 500 – someone is always available to help.” For

Looking to the future

Dr Rebecca Nisbet is at the forefront of new research into dementia treatment, which until now has not only been high-risk but prohibitively expensive. “My research has shown that if we enhance delivery to the brain, we get better treatment outcomes,” she explains. Dr Nisbet’s trials have used ultrasound technology to deliver therapeutic antibodies to the brain. Her work now centres on delivering DNA or mRNA that encodes antibodies. She likens it to an “instruction manual” for the brain cells to make the antibodies that fight against Alzheimer’s.

“We pack the DNA or mRNA into small vesicles that can enter the brain. From there, the brain cells can take it up and produce the drug,” says Dr Nisbet.

From

EQ to AQ: The skills we need for the workplace of the future. Three leaders shared their insights at Think., Qantas magazine’s thought leadership series that combines smart conversation with great food and wine. The panel discussion, at Brent Savage’s Brasserie 1930 in the Capella Sydney, was moderated by Editor-in-Chief Kirsten Galliott.

Jenelle McMaster

The deputy CEO and markets leader at EY Oceania has been leading transformational change for more than 20 years. She has a BA in Economics with an honours degree in Psychology from the University of Sydney. A member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and of Chief Executive Women, McMaster is committed to driving cultural change and shifting mindsets about the realms of the possible.

Dom Price

Manchester-born Price is the resident work futurist at Australian-born tech giant Atlassian. He originally studied accountancy and recently earned his MBA from AGSM at UNSW Business School. With his passion for elite human performance and building effective distributed teams, Price has worked and travelled far and wide (50-plus countries and counting) but Australia has been his home for 20 years.

Sally Bruce

The chief operating officer at Culture Amp, an employee experience platform and one of Australia’s tech unicorns, has a Master of Applied Finance from Macquarie University. She’s a former CEO of AMP Bank Ltd, has held senior leadership roles at National Australia Bank and Macquarie Group and is an experienced board member of not-for-profit organisations. Bruce is passionate about what she calls “positive disruption”.

KIRSTEN GALLIOTT: We all know what IQ is but what are EQ and AQ – and why should we care?

JENELLE McMASTER: EQ is emotional quotient – your ability to understand and regulate your own emotions, your empathy and awareness of other people and how you problem-solve using social skills. AQ is your adaptability quotient – your capacity to adapt, your resilience, flexibility, willingness to understand context and to move with that. The reason we need to care is the complexity of the world around us. Humans have always been adapting. Charles Darwin called it a long time ago: we have an exceptional ability to adapt. But today, no matter who I speak to, whatever their demographic profile or industry, everyone says something feels different now. Maybe it’s social media, the polarised geopolitical landscape, climate change, the tectonic shifts of AI – or the confluence of all those things – causing it. But there’s so much complexity that trying to navigate it only with IQ – being smarter and more technical – isn’t enough to understand the landscape. You need the ability to grasp the complexity and adapt to it.

Sally, does IQ matter anymore?

SALLY BRUCE: I’m never going to say that IQ is irrelevant; it’s immensely helpful. But I agree, the rate of change in an AI world does require us to be able to adapt. This isn’t new, of course. Jenelle referenced Darwin and there’s also American psychologist Carol Dweck, who’s been studying this since the 1970s, with her theory of the growth mindset. It’s about believing that you can change your capability through

persistence and perseverance and not seeing failure as an impediment to progress but rather a necessity. One of my favourite lines is that “FAIL” stands for “first attempt in learning”. IQ will always be the wind beneath your wings but constant learning is required – and an appetite not only to do it but to find joy in it.

There’s the grit piece, too, isn’t there?

SB: Dweck tracked a group of American teenagers who were national champions at school but none of them became champions as adults. Because their champion status was confirmed as teenagers, they developed fixed mindsets and didn’t want to put their status at risk. The juniors who came third or fourth felt they had nothing to lose so they were the ones with the determination to build their capability and they became world number ones. The growth mindset is “failure is my fuel”.

I know you’re big on risk, Dom.

DOM PRICE: Understanding the growth mindset isn’t a problem. As a society we suffer from knowledge obesity –we know more than we’ve ever known before but we do sod all with it. The skill is applying that knowledge but the problem is the system – whether that’s education or the workplace –doesn’t encourage us to take risks, be bold or adapt. It says, “Comply.” It says, “I’m going to hire smart people who are creative and give them a process to follow.” The real challenge for us as leaders is what risks are we willing to take so those around us are encouraged to follow?

Chase lifelong learning

“The best thing we can do is skill ourselves in skilling – learn to become an expert learner. It’s not just formal learning but the way in which you approach problems and ask questions. Organisations need to create the motivation, the access, the reward and the recognition for continuous learning.”

— JENELLE MCMASTER

What do the people who are successful at being adaptable look like, Jenelle?

JM: As Dom said, they are the people who are willing to take risks and are genuinely curious. When they ask a question they aren’t doing it for the opportunity to validate their own position. They are willing to park their technical expertise and become the expert learner and say, “But what if this happened or that happened? What do you think?” It’s multiple scenarios, trying something out, failing and coming back to it.

SB: What I like about that is it’s continuous learning without being high risk. We talk about creating safe environments to fail – that’s a leadership challenge and incredibly important. But what you’ve just described doesn’t need permission or a safety net; it’s something you can enact without either of those things.

Sally, what can organisations do to encourage people to fail in a safe way?

SB: At Culture Amp, it’s part of our stated values. It’s the courage to be vulnerable and the concept of failing fast –it’s okay to try things. Last year, for example, we ran more than 80 brand experiments, expecting some to be successful and some to fail. We’d watch them with great interest, amplify the ones that worked, learn from the ones that didn’t, iterate and keep going. We love to think about how many more experiments we can run, creating an environment where iteration is progress, not failure – it’s how we get smart quickly.

You and Dom both work for tech companies where it’s almost incumbent on you to be failing and experimenting. Jenelle, how does that translate in a more corporate setting?

JM: It’s challenging, to be honest. There’s always the talk –we say we want to work like that but it can be unsafe, knowing there are clear areas where we can’t expose our organisation or other companies. Our purpose is to build a better working world. The slogan is: “The better the question, the better the answer, the better the world works.” But it’s more than a slogan because we work with our clients to come up with a better brand question, rather than accepting the one that’s on the tender. When you do that, the conversation changes and possibilities open up. We definitely have more parameters than a tech company but our clients and our people expect us to innovate and adapt.

Dom, you’re passionate about the process of “unlearning”. What does that mean?

DB: It’s confronting the fact that if things aren’t going well, you might be the problem. The unlearning exercise is called the Five Ls: what do I Love about myself as a leader; what do I Long for; what do I Loathe; what have I Learnt; and what have I Laughed at in the past 90 days? What am I going to remove that isn’t working for me anymore and what’s new that I’m going to sprinkle in and try? You don’t evolve as a leader by adding, you evolve by subtraction. As a society, we’ve gotten carried away with addition. You have to remove things first to give yourself the space, the time and the freedom.

Be purposeful about reskilling

“There’s been research that shows accountants are best-placed to retrain as cybersecurity experts. It takes lateral thinking to identify these transferable skills when AI takes over tasks. It’s not your job title or role but what your tacit skills are and where you can be redeployed. It requires us to think about society as a whole and to do that on purpose; we won’t do it by accident.”

— DOM PRICE

What’s the best thing you’ve subtracted?

DB: I removed a lot of meetings, saying each was either a boomerang or a stick. If it’s a boomerang, there’s a purpose and it will come back. If it’s a stick, it doesn’t come back. I got 15 hours of my week back to spend on better things. But I can’t blame meetings – I blame my ego for attending meetings, thinking they’re better when I’m in them. It was a me issue, not a meeting issue.

Sally, how do you identify the people who have the adaptability quotient when you’re hiring?

SB: When I interview someone, I ask them for the biggest mistake they’ve made and how they recovered from it. It’s a way to uncover the people who can share their learning journey and say, “I got it wrong, I stank, the outcome was terrible and here’s how I recovered.” How honestly they answer and how big their mistake is accelerates how I feel about someone in a conversation – and it never lets me down.

We need to prioritise reskilling the workforce. How do we go about that?

JM: Things are changing at a faster pace but the pace at which we’re learning is dropping. In 2013, [the rate of] non-formal learning was at 32 per cent. In 2020, it had dropped to 27 per cent and since then, it’s reduced again. The half-life of skills – the point at which half of your skills are obsolete – is also shrinking. It’s now at five years and only about two-and-a-half years in some areas of tech. The validity of learnt skills is getting shorter and shorter while our rate of learning is

becoming slower and slower and that’s a divide we can’t afford to have. We need to learn continuously to bridge the gap.

What should people be doing about upskilling around AI?

SB: Be thoughtful about the AI tool you’re using – where is the information going and where is the data stored? AI is a great enhancer: I’m not going to be replaced by a robot, I’m going to be replaced by someone who’s harnessing what’s at their disposal and can do my job better than I can with it. The example we’ve been living with for a long time is that someone, like me, who’s directionally challenged can become a competent Uber driver when you put a maps app in their hand. The opportunities are amazing. And the ability for us to create more value and more interesting work is very real.

Do those opportunities extend to people translating old skills into new ones, Dom?

DP: Wearing my Atlassian hat, I’m optimistic about productivity gains for knowledge workers – it’s super-exciting because AI offers so much to improve how we work. But in the United States right now the largest employment role is “driver” – bus driver, taxi driver, Uber driver, delivery driver. What could they retrain to be? Now is the time to look at the morals, ethics and potential impacts of AI and to do it in a way that everyone benefits from. We have to be purposeful and considerate. And whose job is it to do the reskilling –government, the education system, corporates, not-for-profits? Or should the individual educate themselves? We’re spending so long having that argument, no-one is gaining the skills.

How can AI help us improve EQ in the workplace?

SB: We’ve been doing some work using generative AI for feedback. We provide online tools for people to provide feedback, which becomes part of the repository for an individual’s performance and is shared with them and their manager. When someone is giving feedback, they can be in any kind of frame of mind and their assessment can be constructive – or not. But when they’re crafting their response, generative AI can be used to prompt, “Hey, I find this kind of feedback lands better if you couch it this way.” Even if they dismiss the suggestion, they’ve ingested the information. The next time they provide an appraisal, generative AI will again suggest an alternative pathway. You’re creating microlearning moments that can change behaviour and lead to constructive feedback. This isn’t going to replace someone whose EQ is already highly evolved but it can take someone on a journey that evolves them.

What are some practices that people can employ to become more adaptable?

DP: Use the words, “How might we?” If we had to make that thing that seems impossible a thing... How might we? Often because we’ve got a deadline, we close things down and go to our default thinking. Instead, let’s try it quickly, the smallest possible thing. Did it work? Yes, do more. No, then stop. But keep saying, “How might we do it differently?”

JM: We did a version of that with an exercise called “Yes, and…” Rather than shutting it down with “No, because…”,

no matter how crazy the idea was, you would say, “Yes, and…”, then build on that. Even if we came up with something ludicrous, by the time you’d accumulated “Yes, ands…”, a world of possibilities had opened up. And then you move into experimental mode.

SB: When someone is asking you for something, another unlocking question you can use as a leader is to respond with, “What would you ask for if you could have everything you needed right now?” Someone comes to you preconditioned to what they think they can get a “yes” for because of all the “no” responses in between. If you say, “If you could have anything in this moment, what would it be?”, even if it’s not possible, it invites creativity and unlearns all the ways you’ve modified your request through previous learnings.

What would each of you like the audience to take away from this discussion?

DB: Give it a red hot go. We over-index on the consequences of trying things. Do you perform heart surgery? No? Then whatever idea has been ruminating in your head for a while,

You’re invited...

Don’t be afraid of AI

“We can think about AI and the challenges it presents with fear and loathing but the opportunities are amazing. The ability for us to create more value and interesting work is real – there are lots of causes for optimism.”

— SALLY BRUCE

give it a try. You might damage a few egos but no-one is going to die. If the idea works, do more of it. If it doesn’t work, try something different. If you don’t try and just watch what happens around you, you’re allowing mediocrity to continue.

JM: Let go of the idea of being a learned expert and embrace being an expert learner. Go in with genuine curiosity, ask a different question and challenge yourself to come up with “What if?” If you run an organisation, are you fostering curiosity and exploration? All of our structures reward busy work, getting lots of stuff done, ticking things off and efficiencies. It takes time to be curious and pause and reflect. Are you creating the conditions to allow that to happen?

SB: Wisdom is everywhere, in every room, in every experience. Take the time to notice it and listen to it. If, like me, you’re on the wrong side of 50, speak to as many young people as you possibly can because your perspective is dated and your relevance is at risk. You aren’t the experience or knowledge expert anymore. The landscape is changing constantly and wisdom is everywhere. Make sure you use it.

Our next Think. event will be in Brisbane on 29 July 2024 For more information, visit thinkbyqantasmagazine.eventbrite.com.au Enquiries: rsvp@mediumrarecontent.com

Compiled by Jane Nicholls

Readying the workforce for today’s customer

LSH Auto Australia’s managing director, John Good, shares how the country’s leading Mercedes-Benz retailer is building a culture of resilience, flexibility and growth.

What does AQ and EQ mean in the LSH Auto workplace?

“The terms refer to adaptability quotient and emotional intelligence and both are a measure of how our team members respond to new circumstances. Equally, as a business, it’s about how we accept change and look for new opportunities for growth. At a managerial level, we’re working to create greater organisational resilience.”

Can you share a time when the business has shown this resilience?

“The Mercedes-Benz business has pivoted from a traditional retail model to an agency model, which has changed the way we operate in various sections of our company. This has involved

adopting a growth mindset, from senior leadership team to frontline staff, while ensuring a focus on excellence. The industry is going through its biggest and fastest changes in 50 years.”

What training does your leadership team receive?

“We’ve spent a lot of time on leadership development programs, courses and retreats focusing on what makes a resilient organisation and the traits needed to adapt to new challenges. These include having a positive growth mindset and looking at problems as opportunities to find solutions that drive the business forward.”

How do team members benefit from a culture focused on EQ and AQ?

“Emotional intelligence is a vital tool for bettering how we work with others

and interact with our customers. It’s one of the qualities that helps LSH Auto differentiate itself from its competitors and build long-term customer relationships. Team members also have the benefit of working for an organisation that has a culture of positivity and has been recognised as one of the best places to work in the automotive industry.”

How does all this lead to a better customer experience?

“Our culture is such that the team is a family of employees and the customer is treated as an extension of our automotive family. Having EQ is essential because you’re dealing with individual customers in a luxury environment and part of our brand ambition is to deliver a world-leading customer experience.”

ON BOARD

Kick back and catch up on the latest releases

Poor Things

Emma Stone (above) won the best actress Oscar in March for her portrayal of Bella Baxter, a young woman unbound by societal demands in this allegorical ode to feminist liberation. Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos (The Favourite, The Lobster), whose knack for quirk and originality remains unmatched, the film is based on a 1992 novel by late author, artist and poet Alasdair Gray and was adapted for the screen by Australian writer Tony McNamara, whose credits include The Great and classic Aussie TV shows The Secret Life of Us and Love My Way. Poor Things exists in a steampunk version of Victorian England, in which a young woman (whose original name was, ahem, Victoria) is brought back to life by

mad but well-meaning Frankenstenian doctor, Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe), who Bella calls “Daddy God”. While her body is that of an adult, her brain begins as an infant, eager and curious about the world. As Bella evolves, learning about life, travelling and becoming educated, her caddish paramour, Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), devolves into an emotional toddler, frustrated at Bella’s lack of “ladylike” need for his approval and her shameless approach to relationships. The overall effect is a thoroughly modern retelling of Pygmalion, where an uncouth girl turns into a proper lady, made new and wonderful not by her creator but by her own creation and on her own terms. With Ramy Youssef and Jack Barton. Rated MA15+

Pianoforte

The Chopin Competition, the most prestigious piano contest in the world, is held every five years in Warsaw, Poland. Young pianists, who have trained their entire lives to compete, view it as the piano Olympics – and they’re not wrong. This documentary shows the discipline and rigour required just to participate, the heartbreak of missing out and the ultimate joy of triumphing after years of hard, unrelenting work.

Riceboy Sleeps

In 1990s Canada, a Korean mother raises her young son alone. Teased by his classmates for being different, Dong-Hyun (Ethan Hwang) learns resilience from his mum (Choi Seungyoon, above, with Hwang, right, and Anthony Shim), who is herself fighting loneliness while she tries to build a better life for them both. Rated M

Words by Natalie Reilly

The Iron Claw

This film is based on the tragic true story of four of the six Von Erich brothers, who entered the world of wrestling in the 1980s and ’90s, only to ultimately succumb to the physical and emotional brutality of the sport. It opens in the late ’70s, when the young men (played by Zac Efron, far right, The Bear ’s Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson and Stanley Simons) are still coming to terms with the accidental childhood drowning of their eldest brother, years earlier. Their dictatorial father, Fritz (Holt McCallany), a former wrestler who serves as the coach, employer and manager of the group, is meanwhile unrelenting in his demands for not just fame for himself and his sons, but adherence to a hardened, narrow version of manhood. The boys, who grow into depressed young men, talk a lot about the family “curse” as though it were a mysterious entity casting a shadow over their days and not a parent whose cruel demands slowly destroyed their self-worth and, eventually, their lives. Rated MA15+

The Great Escaper

Cinema is populated with movies about World War II but few of them document what happens to veterans after they return home and try to process the unfathomable, even many years after their experience.

The Great Escaper manages to capture this emotional reckoning beautifully. It’s based on the true story of 89-year-old Royal Navy veteran Bernard Jordan, who in 2014 slipped away from his nursing home in England to attend a 70th-anniversary D-Day commemoration on a Normandy beach in France. Starring a still-brilliant Michael Caine (left, centre) in his final fiilm role as Jordan and the late Glenda Jackson as his stoic and supportive wife, Irene, the movie highlights how easy it can be to underestimate older people, not realising the lives they’ve lived and battles they’ve fought to make it this far. Rated M

Television

The best shows to binge this month

Curb Your Enthusiasm

For a show that began as a one-off mockumentary in 1999 by Seinfeld co-creator Larry David (above), it’s strange to think it has outlasted that iconic sitcom by 15 years. Part of it is down to David himself, who has remained true to the stubbornly socially inept character he claims is the “real” him, even up until this 12th season. Featuring the usual associates and frenemies – Jeff Garlin as manager Jeff, housemate Leon (J.B. Smoove) – this hilariously cringeworthy season also has appearances by Sienna Miller, Sean Hayes (Will & Grace) and Dan Levy (Schitt’s Creek). Rated MA15+

The Family Stallone

Sylvester Stallone was 29 when he wrote Rocky the boxing film that won a slew of awards and earned millions at the box office. It’s helpful to be reminded of this when watching him spar with one of his three daughters or his wife, Jennifer Flavin, in this family docu-drama. Rated M

The Act

Based on the chilling true story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard (Joey King) a chronically ill teenager confined to a wheelchair and cared for by her doting mother, Dee Dee (Patricia Arquette, below, left, with King). But Dee Dee is hiding a terrible secret from everyone – including her daughter. Rated MA15+

Will Trent

Imagine if Batman were born in Atlanta and became not a masked vigilante but a driven detective in search of justice. This is the premise of Will Trent, based on Karin Slaughter’s novels and starring Ramón Rodríguez (below). Rated MA15+

Scavengers Reign

This animated science fiction show, designed for adults, has won praise for its depiction of a strange and dangerous planet, which the survivors of a crashed spaceship must learn to navigate in order to stay alive. Rated MA15+

Audiobooks

Listen in to these great stories

Bridge of Clay

With their mother dead and father gone, the five Dunbar boys have to fend for themselves. To survive, they’ve had to write their own rules. Clay, the quiet fourth brother, will be the one who creates a miracle of sorts, building a bridge for his family to transcend life as it is for something better. This Australian coming-of-age story from Markus Zusak, author of bestseller The Book Thief, is about the possibility of love and dignity in the midst of terrible loss and cruelty.

The Dressmaker’s Secret

In 1950s Melbourne, Tilly Dunnage is toiling away in a down-at-heel dress salon – but she has good reason to hide her talents. Back in her fictitious country hometown, Dungatar, the locals are keen to find her after she left the main street in flames in an act of vengeance. In Rosalie Ham’s darkly comic sequel to The Dressmaker, which was made into a film starring Kate Winslet, Tilly must face the secrets of her past.

When All is Said & Done

When he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) in 2013, former AFL player and manager Neale Daniher had two choices: give in to the incurable condition or create hope for other sufferers. Raised in a large family in regional NSW, Daniher had an illustrious career across three clubs. Post-diagnosis, he founded FightMND, which has raised millions for research into what he calls “The Beast”. Here, Daniher reflects on his life and how to make every day count.

Enjoy unlimited access to theaustralian.com.au, afr.com.au and themonthly.com.au when you are connected to Qantas Wi-Fi onboard and in Qantas lounges.

Connect to Qantas Free Wi-Fi and Entertainment App

Once onboard, connect your own device to Qantas Free Wi-Fi on domestic flights in three simple steps to access the internet and Qantas Entertainment App.

STEP 1

Enable Aeroplane Mode and select the “Qantas Free Wi-Fi” network in your Wi-Fi settings .

STEP 2

Follow the prompts on the “Welcome Onboard” screen to connect.

STEP 3

Once you’re connected, you’re now ready to access the internet and the Qantas Entertainment App.

Having trouble connecting?

Make sure you are connected to the “Qantas Free Wi-Fi” network and go to wifi.qantas.com in your preferred browser to start exploring.

Inflight entertainment varies by route and aircraft. Voice calls are not permitted inflight.

Quick clues

Across

10. Seek support from (4,2)

11. Internet message (5)

12. Sadder but wiser (6)

13. Gilligan’s Island craft (1,1,6)

14. Gibberish (5,5)

15. Māori hello (3,3)

16. Phone bug (3)

18. Former NE France province (8)

19. Green liqueur (8)

21. Action-replay technique (4,6)

24. Mandibles (4)

25. Owned (9)

27. Line of rotation (4)

28. Conventional greeting (3,2,3,2)

31. United (8)

33. New World monkey (8)

36. Arrange, ... up (3)

37. One-run hit (6)

39. Ancient times (3,4,3)

41. Balderdash (8)

42. Having correct pitch (2,4)

43. Roll (dice) (5)

44. Disruptive periodic climate pattern (2,4)

Down

01. Swiss cereal (6)

02. Immune response proteins (10)

03. Dejected (8)

04. Principal evidence-giver (3,7)

05. Old MacDonald had one (4)

06. Reddish-orange colour (8)

07. Fervour (6)

08. Peevish and sullen (8)

09. Controlled (anger) (6)

17. Distributed (leaflets) (6,3)

20. Congratulatory cheer (5)

22. Chocolate ... cake (3)

23. Postponed, put ... (2,3)

25. Settle (debt) (3)

26. Customs beyond criticism (6,4)

27. Estranging (10)

29. Rehearsal (5,3)

30. Modern (2-2-4)

32. Brief communications (8)

34. Greek capital (6)

35. Ocean floor (6)

38. Commits to memory (6)

40. Elephant-eared root vegetable (4)

Cryptic clues

Across

10

Ask for help from taciturn tourist (4,2)

11. How to get a communication back from parliament? (5)

12. Consumed with regret when the Paris street’s nearly full (6)

13. Vessel used by the Professor and Mary Ann to fish behind ship (1,1,6)

14. Mother and Ms Derek in front of elephant? Nonsense! (5,5)

15. Kiwi initial address on routine arrival (3,3)

16. Pat returned faucet (3)

18. Where Norman and Andrew briefly landed on June 6, 1944? (8)

19. Sailors in the Bohemian drink (8)

21. Strange to own limos that go at a snail’s pace (4,6)

24. Goes on and on about shark epic (4)

25. Had to be controlled by evil spirit (9)

27. As about eleven make enemies of allies (4)

28. Formal enquiry at first meeting (3,2,3,2)

31. Amalgamated harvester didn’t start (8)

33. Endangered South American had doctor set arm inside (8)

36. Tiger’s starting point in the middle of the fifteenth? (3)

37. Serenade the French spinster or bachelor (6)

39. Since when can anyone remember the twelve months with little Dorothy? (3,4,3)

41. Humbug and peas for the wise on clay tray (8)

42. As orchestra should be for fashionable melody (2,4)

43. Deliberately lose blanket? (5)

44. Online stormy weather feature (2,4)

Down

01. Mule is making breakfast food (6)

02. Against organisations for disease fighters (10)

03. Disheartened actors hide under feathers (8)

04. What he saw may unlock the case for police investigators (3,7)

05. Practise agriculture for distant military leader (4)

06. Blazing duck or wading bird? (8)

07. Intense emotion sounds harder for the Cockney (6)

08. Sulky Downtown singer supported by section of Bible (8)

09. Restrained place for dog nap? (6)

17. Fainted when training completed (6,3)

20. Second letter on the radio is well done (5)

22. What you might wallow in, in Bermuda (3)

23. Set aside where skaters perform (2,3)

25. Earnings left out of play (3)

26. Targets for iconoclasts in India? (6,4)

27. Off-putting foreigner accompanied by horrible giant (10)

29. It’s a trial getting baby supplies? (5,3)

30. The latest thing as far as fruit? (2-2-4)

32. Notes to the wise in army dining hall (8)

34. Extreme athlete opens Games venue (6)

35. What fish sleep on in Davy Jones’s locker? (6)

38. Hears what beginner earns (6)

40. Steam room even has tropical plant (4)

Wheel of words

Create as many words of four letters or more as you can using the given letters once only but always including the central letter. Don’t use proper nouns or plurals ending with “s”. See if you can find the nine-letter word using all letters.

Match-ups – Thrillers

Work out all the missing parts of these films that can keep you on the edge of your seat and find them hidden in the box of letters. The letters left over will spell out the name of a dramatic tale of vengeance that hit the big screen in 1992.

Spot the difference

Can you spot the seven differences between these two images? Circle what’s changed on the image below.

Quiz

By Hazel Flynn

01. Who was the first leader of the Soviet Union?

02. And who was its last leader?

03. What river runs through Liverpool in the United Kingdom?

04. What was the first city in Asia to host an Olympic Games?

05. The nictitating membrane, part of some animal eyes, is more commonly known as what?

06. Three sports-focused films have won the Best Picture Oscar. Name one.

07. One million seconds is almost 12 days. Approximately how many years is one billion seconds?

08. The Ballon d’Or is the peak award for players in which sport?

09. Which is first alphabetically of the eight countries or territories in the Arctic Circle?

10. Party Royale, Save the World and Creative are playing modes in what online game?

11. What colour are the berets and helmets worn by United Nations peacekeepers?

12. Rotten Romans and Terrible Tudors are titles in what children’s educational franchise?

13. How far are competitors from the target in Olympic archery?

14. Which was completed first, the Statue of Liberty or the Eiffel Tower?

15. The Lord of the Rings character originally named Sméagol is more often called what?

16. In what year were professional players first allowed to compete in tennis Grand Slam events?

17. What is the only mammal fully covered in scales?

18. What 1984 movie theme song begins, “If there’s something strange in your neighbourhood”?

19. Louise Bourgeois, Henry Moore and Donatello are known for what art form?

20. What does cc stand for in email?

Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain

Solutions

If you’ve filled in the answers, please take the magazine with you so the cabin crew know to replace it with a new copy.

Sudoku

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Wheel of words

Airy, Arty, City, Clarity, Clay, Cyan, Early, Entry, Inertly, Inlay, Interlay, Irately, Lacy, Laity, Larceny, Latency, Layer, Litany, Literacy, Lyre, Lyric, Nearly, Neatly, Nicely, Nicety, Racily, Racy, Rainy, Realty, Reality, Relay, Rely, Tearily, Teary, Tiny, Tray, Treacly, Tyre, Yarn, Year, Yearn, Yeti Nine-letter word: CERTAINLY

Spot the difference

01. Building added

02. Windows added

03. Building changed to green

04. Pink building enlarged

05. Windows removed from building

06. Tree added

07. Red building extended width

Crossword

Match-ups

10 Cloverfield Lane, A History Of Violence, Along Came A Spider, Angel Heart, Atomic Blonde, Basic Instinct, Birthday Girl, Black Swan, Blue Velvet, Body Double, Carlito’s Way, Cruel Intentions, Donnie Darko, Dressed To Kill, Eagle Eye, Fatal Attraction, Layer Cake, Lost Highway, Mulholland Drive, No Country For Old Men, Panic Room, Shutter Island, Single White Female, The Dead Zone, The Devil’s Advocate, The Girl On The Train, The Number 23, The Sixth Sense, The Talented Mr Ripley, Twelve Monkeys Solution: The Hand That Rocks The Cradle

Quiz

01. Vladimir Lenin 02. Mikhail Gorbachev 03. River Mersey 04. Tokyo (1964) 05 . The third eyelid 06. Rocky, Chariots of Fire or Million Dollar Baby 07. 32 years 08. Football (soccer) 09. Canada 10. Fortnite 11. Blue 12. Horrible Histories 13. 70 metres 14. The Statue of Liberty 15. Gollum 16. 1968 17. The pangolin 18. Ghostbusters 19. Sculpture 20. Carbon copy

Inflight workout

These exercises are designed to provide a safe way to stretch and enjoy movement in certain muscle groups that can become stiff as a result of long periods of sitting. They may be effective at increasing the body’s blood circulation and massaging the muscles. We recommend you do these exercises for three or four minutes every hour and occasionally leave your seat to walk down the aisles. Each exercise should be done with minimal disturbance to other passengers. None of these exercises should be performed if they cause pain or cannot be done with ease.

01

Start with both heels on the floor and point feet upwards as high as you can.

Ankle circles

Lift feet. Draw a circle with toes, moving one foot clockwise and the other counterclockwise at the same time.

Reverse circles. Rotate in each direction for 15 seconds. Repeat if desired.

Knee lifts Lift leg with knee bent while contracting your thigh muscle. Alternate legs. Repeat 20 to 30 times for each leg.

Neck roll

With shoulders relaxed, drop your ear to your shoulder and gently roll your neck forward and back, holding each position for about five seconds. Repeat five times.

Knee to chest

Bend forward slightly. Clasp hands around left knee and hug it to your chest. Hold for 15 seconds. Keeping hands around the knee, slowly let it down. Alternate legs. Repeat 10 times.

In the air

Mobile phones and electronic equipment: All transmitting electronic devices, including mobile phones, tablets and laptop computers, must be switched to flight mode* prior to departure. Smaller devices such as mobile phones, e-readers, electronic games, MP3 players, iPads and other small tablets may be held in your hands or stowed in a seat pocket. Unless otherwise directed by the captain, these devices may remain switched on and used in flight mode during take-off, cruise and landing. Larger electronic equipment such as laptop computers may only be used from when the aircraft seatbelt sign is extinguished after take-off until the top of descent. After landing, the cabin crew will advise when flight mode may be switched off.

Headsets: Do not use a personal single-pin audio headset in the Qantas inflight entertainment system unless it is supported by a two-pin airline headset adaptor. Personal headsets that connect via a cable

to a handheld device can be used at any time from boarding until arrival. Headsets and other devices that connect via Bluetooth must be switched off for take-off and landing but can be used during cruise.

*Flight mode enables you to operate basic functions of your mobile phone or personal electronic device while its transmitting function is switched off, meaning you cannot make phone calls or send an SMS.

Fly Well

Your wellbeing is our priority. Our Fly Well program brings together a number of measures to give you peace of mind during your flight.

Cabin air: Our aircraft air conditioning systems are fitted with hospital-grade HEPA filters, which remove 99.9% of all particles including viruses. The air inside the cabin is refreshed every few minutes, ensuring the highest possible air quality.

02

Put both feet flat on the floor. Lift heels high, keeping the balls of the feet on the floor.

03

Repeat these three stages in a continuous motion and at 30-second intervals.

Forward flex

With both feet on the floor and stomach held in, slowly bend forward and walk your hands down the front of your legs towards your ankles. Hold for 15 seconds and slowly sit back up.

Shoulder roll Hunch shoulders forwards then upwards, backwards and downwards in a gentle circular motion.

Inflight: The aircraft configuration, including the seats and galley, act as a natural barrier, and people are not seated face to face. The direction of inflight airflow is ceiling to floor.

Enhanced cleaning: Our aircraft are cleaned with a disinfectant effective against coronaviruses, with a focus on the high contact areas of seats, seatbelts, overhead lockers, air vents and toilets. Our people are trained in the latest hygiene protocols.

Face masks: Some destinations require you to wear a mask during your flight or at the airport. Ensure you check the latest government requirements before you travel. Your face mask needs to cover your mouth and nose, fit securely and must be worn unless you’re under 12 years of age or have a medical exemption.

Your inflight health: When flying, passengers can be seated and inactive for long periods of time. The environment can be low in humidity and the

Foot pumps (foot motion is in three stages)

cabin pressure equivalent to an altitude of 2440 metres above sea level. The following advice helps you stay healthy during your journey.

The importance of inflight blood circulation and muscle relaxation: When walking, the leg muscle action helps return venous blood to the heart. Sitting in the same position for a long period of time can slow this process and, in some people, leads to swelling in the feet. Some studies have shown that immobility associated with travel of longer than four hours (by air, car or rail) can also lead to an increased risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), or clotting in the legs. Personal factors that increase the risk of DVT include: Age over 40 years

Personal or family history of DVT or pulmonary embolus

Recent surgery or injury, especially to the lower limbs, pelvis or abdomen

Cancer

Inherited or other blood disorders leading to clotting tendency

Pregnancy

Oestrogen therapy (oral contraceptive pill or hormone replacement therapy).

There are a number of ways to help reduce the possibility of DVT, including the following:

Avoid leg-crossing while seated

Ensure adequate hydration

Minimise alcohol and caffeine intake before and during your flight

Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothes

During your flight, move your legs and feet for three to four minutes per hour while seated and move about the cabin occasionally Do the light exercises we recommend here (see above) and through the inflight entertainment system.

If you have concerns about your health and flying, or you feel that you may be at risk of DVT, Qantas recommends that you talk to your doctor before travelling. Additional measures such as well-fitted compression stockings or anti-clotting medication may be recommended for high-risk individuals.

Jet lag: Unlike other forms of transport, air travel allows for rapid movement across many time zones, which can disrupt the body’s biological clock. This is commonly known as jet lag. This disruption can affect various body rhythms such as the sleepwake cycle and the digestive system, leading to symptoms such as tiredness and lack of energy and appetite. In general, the more time zones crossed, the more disruption of the body clock and the more symptoms experienced after the journey. We recommend the following to minimise the effects of jet lag.

Before your flight:

Get a good night’s rest

During your flight:

Eat light meals

Wear loose, comfortable clothing and sleep when you can

Stay hydrated – drink plenty of water and avoid excess tea, coffee and alcohol

At your destination:

If possible, give yourself a day or two after arrival to adjust to the new time zone

Go out in the daylight and do some light exercise

Try to eat meals and do other social activities at appropriate destination times to adjust to the new time zone

Cabin humidity and hydration: Humidity levels of less than 25 per cent are common in the cabin, as the outside air that supplies the cabin is very dry. The low humidity can cause drying of the surfaces of the nose, throat and eyes and it can irritate contact lenses. If normal fluid intake is maintained during the flight, dehydration will not occur.

We recommend:

Drink water and juices frequently during the flight

Drink coffee, tea and alcohol in moderation

Remove contact lenses and wear glasses if your eyes are irritated

Use a skin moisturiser to refresh the skin

Cabin pressurisation: During flight, aircraft cabin pressure is maintained to a sufficient density for your comfort and health. As the aircraft climbs, the cabin may reach the same air pressure as at an elevation of 2440 metres above sea level. Cabin pressure does not pose a problem for most passengers. However, if you suffer from obstructive pulmonary diseases, anaemias or certain cardiovascular conditions, you could experience discomfort at these altitudes. These passengers should seek medical advice before flying, as some may require supplementary oxygen. Qantas can arrange this but requires at least seven days’ notice before travelling. The rate of change in cabin pressure during climb and descent is also carefully maintained and does not usually cause discomfort. However, children and infants, and adults who have sinus or nasal congestion, may experience some discomfort because of pressure changes during climb and particularly descent. Those suffering from nasal or sinus congestion because of a cold or allergies may need to delay travel. The following advice may assist:

To “clear” your ears, try swallowing, yawning or pinching your nose closed and gently blowing against it. These actions help open the Eustachian tubes, equalising pressure between the middle ear chamber and throat. If flying with an infant, feed or give your baby a dummy during descent. Sucking and swallowing help equalise pressure in an infant’s ears. Give children something to drink or chew during descent.

Consider using medication such as nasal sprays, decongestants and antihistamines 30 minutes prior to descent to help open up your ear and sinus passages.

Motion sickness: Air travel, especially if turbulence is experienced, can cause motion sickness, as it leads to a conflict between the body’s sense of vision and its sense of equilibrium. Maintaining good visual cues (keeping your eyes fixed on a non-moving object) helps prevent motion sickness. When the weather is clear, you should look out at the ground, sea or horizon. If the horizon can’t be seen, closing your eyes and keeping your head movements to a minimum will help. While over-thecounter medications are available, we recommend

you consult your doctor about the appropriate medications. More information can be found: At qantas.com.au/info/flying/intheair/ yourhealthinflight

Through the onboard entertainment system On our information leaflet available from Qantas or your travel agent

Smoking: Government regulations prohibit smoking on all flights operated by Australian-registered aircraft. The use and charging of all e-cigarettes and other personal vaporisers are not permitted on board an aircraft. There are smoke detectors in all toilets and penalties for regulation breaches.

Travelling with children: Please ask cabin crew for help if required. Baby food and nappies (diapers) are available on most flights, while some washrooms are fitted with baby change tables. Please dispose of nappies etc. in the waste bins.

When you land

Leaving flights: On international flights, the cabin crew will distribute the necessary Customs and Immigration forms. If you are stopping en route, you will need your boarding pass to re-board the aircraft. If you’re travelling as a domestic passenger on an international flight within Australia, retain your boarding card with the large D sticker. This will be required to clear Customs at your destination.

Transferring from Australian domestic flights numbered QF400 and above to international flights: At check-in you will be issued with your international boarding pass. Your international boarding pass and baggage will be tagged through to your final destination. There is no need to claim your baggage or attend check-in at the transfer airport. Follow the signs for international transfers passengers to the complimentary transfer bus (not necessary in Melbourne and Darwin).

Transferring from international to domestic flights numbered QF400 and above: On arrival at your Australian transfer port, go through Immigration and collect your luggage. Proceed through Customs and follow the signs to the domestic transfer area to re-check your luggage. A complimentary transfer bus (not necessary in Melbourne, Adelaide and Darwin) departs at regular intervals for the domestic terminal for your connecting Qantas flight within Australia. If your connecting domestic flight is numbered QF1-QF399, there is no need to clear Customs and Immigration. These flights depart from the international terminals. Customs and Immigration clearance will be completed at your final destination.

Transferring to a Jetstar domestic flight: If your next flight is with Jetstar (JQ) or a Qantas codeshare flight operated by Jetstar (QF5400-QF5999), you will need to collect your baggage and follow the signs to the Jetstar counter to check in for your flight and re-check your baggage.

What you need to know about your onboard security, safety and health

Qantas security policy

The Qantas Group has a strict policy of denying boarding, or off-loading any passenger who makes inappropriate comments or behaves inappropriately inflight or on the ground. Qantas will not accept any inappropriate comments as “jokes”. It will also seek to recover all costs incurred, including diversions as a result of security incidents, from those involved.

Group-wide security

Security screening is subject to the laws and regulations of the country of operation. The Qantas Group ensures that its passengers, staff and aircraft are safe and secure through an outcome-focused, risk-based approach to security management. Qantas security standards apply across the business, including QantasLink and Jetstar.

A dedicated operations centre monitors global security events 24 hours a day.

Security advice

Pack your own luggage

Do not carry any items for another person

Carry valuables, approved medication and keys in your carry-on baggage

All knives, sharp objects or cutting implements must be in checked baggage

Security measures can include random frisk search after consent is obtained. Passengers may request privacy and must be searched by a screener of the same gender

Important note: Security screening is subject to the laws and regulations of the country of operation.

Restrictions on powders and liquids, aerosols and gels (LAGs)

On all international flights to and from Australia: Each container of LAGs in your carry-on baggage must be 100ml or less

All 100ml containers must be placed in a single transparent one-litre plastic bag

Plastic bags containing LAGs are to be screened separately from other carry-on baggage

All powders must be screened separately with restrictions on the carriage of inorganic powders over 350ml (350g)

Passengers may still carry prescription medicines or baby products sufficient for the flight

If departing, transiting or transferring on an international flight at an Australian

international gateway airport, duty-free powders and LAGs must be sealed, with receipt, in a security tamper-evident bag issued at the time of purchase

Full-body scanners

The Australian federal government has introduced full-body scanners at international gateway airports: Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Perth, Melbourne and the Gold Coast

The Australian Federal Government has commenced introducing full-body scanners at major domestic airports: Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Canberra, Darwin, Gold Coast, Hobart, Launceston, Melbourne, Newcastle, Perth, Sunshine Coast, Sydney and Townsville

At international gateway airports passengers refusing to pass through the scanner will be banned from entering the sterile area or boarding an aircraft for 24 hours

Exemptions apply for people with serious medical conditions, infants and small children, and people in wheelchairs

As per advice, the energy exposure is comparable to that from a mobile phone several metres away

There are no known safety concerns for people with pacemakers and metal implants or for pregnant women

Dangerous goods

Common items used every day may seem harmless but on an aircraft they may become dangerous. When the aircraft changes altitude, variations in temperature and pressure may cause items to leak, create fumes or catch fire.

Items that are forbidden on aircraft or have carriage restrictions include lithium batteries, other battery types, camping stoves, fuels, oils, compressed gases, aerosols, household cleaners, matches, lighters, paints, explosives (including flares, fireworks, sparklers and bonbons), emergency position-indicating radio beacons, radioactive material, biological and infectious substances and fuel-powered equipment. This list is not exhaustive so please carefully consider what items you pack for your next flight.

If you’re unsure about an item in your baggage, ask a member of our friendly cabin crew. For further information, go to qantas.com or email dg@qantas.com.au.

Travel advice

Qantas is a partner in the Australian government’s Charter for Safe Travel. Travellers may obtain the latest travel advice for their destination by visiting smartraveller.gov.au.

Automated immigration clearance

Several countries are introducing automated immigration clearance procedures to cope with growing air-travel numbers. The goal is to provide a faster, smoother immigration experience to eligible passengers without compromising border security. Please note that some automated clearance options may not be available due to COVID. Countries providing facilities across our network:

Australia SmartGate: e-passport holders of Australia, Canada, China, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Macau, New Zealand, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and US

China e-Channel: citizens of China

Hong Kong e-Channel Residents: citizens and residents of Hong Kong

Hong Kong e-Channel Visitors: frequent visitors that are visa-exempt, including Australians

Indonesia Autogate passport gates: citizens of Indonesia

Japan Speedy Immigration: citizens and foreign nationals with re-entry and special re-entry permits

New Zealand SmartGate Plus: e-passport holders of Australia, New Zealand, UK and US

Singapore enhanced-Immigration Automated Clearance System (eIACS): citizens, permanent residents, work permit holders and APEC cardholders

UAE eGate: UAE citizens and residents

UK ePassport gates: e-passport holders of UK, Switzerland and European Economic Area (EEA)

USA Global Entry system: US citizens and permanent residents, Dutch citizens, South Korean citizens and Mexican nationals. Canadian citizens and residents with NEXUS membership

USA Automated Passport Control: for US, Canadian and Visa Waiver Program passport holders

Fee applies

Pre-enrolment required

Enjoy one status on 13 airlines.

Access to preferred or pre-reserved seating is in accordance with the individual policy of the oneworld member airline operating the flight. First and business class check-in desks and lounges are not available at all airports. Fast track is not available at all airports. Priority baggage handling is not available on flights operated by British Airways. Extra baggage allowance benefits differ for Sapphire and Emerald tier members. oneworld benefits are available only to passengers on scheduled flights that are both marketed and operated by a oneworld member airline (marketed means that there must be a oneworld member airline’s flight number on your ticket). Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian, SriLankan Airlines and oneworld are trademarks of their respective companies. Some limitations and exceptions may apply. For more information, visit www.oneworld.com/benefits. Fiji Airways is a oneworld connect partner which provides select alliance benefits to oneworld members. For more information, visit www.oneworld.com/oneworld-connect. For detailed information on the oneworld Lounge Access policy, visit https://www.oneworld.com/airport-lounges.

Qantas Domestic Route Network