Qantas | September 2026

SPARK YOUR IMAGINATION.

Osaka, Japan

The Future of Furniture is King

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L E XU S H Y B R I D R A N G E

SEPTEMBER 2026

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Join a food and wine tour in the glorious Abruzzo region of central Italy

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Here comes the night – time to dine, dance and discover the Pigalle district of Paris

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Lean Timms

Three generations connect with each other in family-friendly Osaka, Japan

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Journey to the frozen frontier of subarctic Canada for polar bear encounters through a lens

SEPTEMBER 2026 24 Suyian Lodge, Laikipia, Kenya 26 Now Open

Restaurants and Bars

28 The Diary

Events

30 Molong, Central West, NSW

Place To Be

80 Packing List Mix chic separates and playful extras for style with a French twist 86 Creative Process Interior designer Peter Mikic on the boldly luxurious Faena New York hotel 88 Moodboard Van Cleef & Arpels Lucky Spring Butterfly Clip 90 Bulgari Octo Finissimo 91 Honda Prelude

Case Study The Ride

95 Special Report Inventive new Australian design projects 48 On The Menu Star chef fans the flames of fire-led cooking

134 The Interview Lisa Havilah, chief executive, Museums of Applied Arts and Sciences

52 Hot Plate Chocolate tart at South End, Newtown, Sydney

138 Brains Trust This Way To The Top: Four CEOs who took unconventional paths to the C-suite

54 The Drop Great Southern shiraz, Western Australia 58 Prospect, Adelaide

144 Aigentsphere

Big Idea

Ask A Local

62 A Meal To Remember Chef Jung Eun Chae of Chae on Balwoo Gongyang in Seoul 68 Mooloolaba, Queensland

Short Break 119 Postcard From...

Nathalie Morris on Stanley, Tasmania 121 Reading List

Cover: Photography by Thorsten Henn

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Entertainment

150

Games

154

Health, safety and security onboard and when you land

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The Qantas Group Fleet

Book Club

Melanie Maya. Matthieu Salvaing. Lean Timms. Jo Bainbridge

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Epic Stay

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EDITORIAL

Editor-in-Chief Genevra Leek

Creative Director Tony Rice

Content Director Faith Campbell Senior Editor Katrina O’Brien

Art Director Kate Timms Visual Director Jo Bainbridge

Branded Content Lead

Production Manager Michelle O’Brien

Copy Director Rosemary Bruce Deputy Copy Director Sandra Bridekirk Associate Copy Director Kylie Matthews

Head of Content, Travel, Business and Membership Kirsten Galliott

Victoria Kingsbury

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Digital Managing Editor Christina Rae Digital Editor Edwina Hart Senior Social and Digital Producer

For editorial inquiries, contact qantaseditorial@mediumrarecontent.com

ADVERTISING

COMMERCIAL STRATEGY AND PARTNERSHIPS

National Sales Manager, Travel Callum Bean +61 404 729 224

Every year, Salone del Mobile brings the world’s design community together. We go to discover what’s next and ideas that inspire the PARISI collection and the spaces we

parisi.com.au/salone

General Manager, Growth and Commercial Strategy Paulette Parisi Head of Rare Creative Mark Brandon Associate Content Director

Katrina Holden

Senior Account Managers, NSW Crystal Wong +61 420 558 697 Anthony Sullivan +61 408 447 148 Samantha Pan +61 411 844 120 Sales Manager, Qld, WA and SA Nicola Timm +61 424 257 527 Senior Account Manager, Victoria Miranda Adofaci +61 410 387 707

Creative Director Philippa Moffitt Art Director Katrina Mastrofilippo Designer Frida Lindstrom Group Commercial Strategy Director

Digital Sales Director Mike Hanna +61 402 640 095 Digital Campaign Manager and Product Specialist Anna Delgado +61 404 855 041

Qantas Senior Partnerships Manager

INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATIVES Greater China and Japan Peter Jeffery +852 2850 4013 peterjeffery@asianimedia.com South-East Asia and the United Kingdom Nick Lockwood +65 9776 6255 nick.lockwood@pharpartnerships.com The United States Ralph Lockwood +1 408 879 6666 ralph.lockwood@husonmedia.com

Content and Events Campaign Manager

For advertising inquiries, contact qantasadvertising@mediumrare content.com

create.

SALONE MILANO 2026

Tony Rice

Hollie Wornes

Head of Sales, Travel and Luxury Tony Trovato +61 404 093 472

Milan shapes the future of interiors.

Head of Design, Travel and Business

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. ©2026. All rights reserved. Printed by IVE Group.

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Qantas Partnerships Manager

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Managing Director Nick Smith General Manager, Operations and Partnerships Teagan Barr General Manager, Creative Production Chantelle Love Head of Social Sarah Macrae Head of Digital Production and Operations Hana Jo Head of Finance George Thompson

JACK ROBINSON - PRO SURFER

THE SPIRIT OF SURFING I N S P I R E D B Y WAV E S , W O R N I N T H E O C E A N Captured in Western Australia’s Margaret River Region with world-renowned surfer Jack Robinson, this campaign reflects the raw beauty of the coastline and the essence of modern Australian luxury.

Jack is wearing Linneys signature neoprene and men’s jewellery designs, each piece is handcrafted to be worn from sea to shore.

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FROM THE EDITOR

The card that carries more weight Qantas Money Titanium Credit Card

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150,000 bonus Qantas Points*

20% bonus Status Credits on eligible Qantas flights*

One of the great joys in life is to travel with multiple generations of your family.

Precious time spent together, making memories, reconnecting. It can also be one of life’s great trials. Who hasn’t tried to wrangle grandparents, siblings, teens and toddlers via a WhatsApp group groaning under the weight of indecision, differing opinions and a nanna trying to locate the Smiling Face with Heart-Eyes emoji? It’s why I loved reading Benjamin Law’s story Days of Wonder (page 107) this month. His description of Osaka as the ideal destination to thrill all ages had me taking notes. A “city that doesn’t take itself too seriously” is just the place to inspire play and creativity, which is what this issue is all about.

Good food, good conversation and experiences that swell the heart and spark the imagination is what travel should be. It could be traversing the agrarian hills of Abruzzo, central Italy, with a top chef and a group of new friends learning the culinary secrets of the locals along the way (Homecoming, page 35). Exploring the boulevards of Pigalle, following in the footsteps of French music legends on a solo sojourn to the City of Light (Midnight in Paris, page 73). Or taking your photography skills to the next level in subarctic Canada, where polar bears roam and the aurora borealis ignites the sky with an otherworldly glow (Golden Hour, page 125). For this edition, we’re encouraging you to tap into your inner creative spirit on a journey packed with inspiration.

And if you can, take your mum.

Genevra Leek Editor-in-Chief

Complimentary Lounge Invitations*

qftravelinsider

10% off the base fare on eligible Qantas operated flights twice per year*

Apply now qantasmoney.com/titanium *Credit criteria, fees, charges, T&Cs apply. Bonus Qantas Points: New cardholders only. Min spend $5k on eligible purchases within 90 days of card approval.

Offer may be withdrawn at any time. Bonus Status Credits: Awarded to the Qantas Frequent Flyer member who holds a Qantas Money Titanium credit card and flies on a Qantas operated flight booked via qantas. com with a Qantas Money Titanium credit card. The Discounted Fares Benefit is available for up to two adults, two children and two infants per booking, twice per Qantas Money Titanium primary cardholder credit card per Anniversary Year on domestic and international flights operated by Qantas and QantasLink. For full T&Cs, visit qantasmoney.com/titanium National Australia Bank Limited (ABN 12 004 044 937, AFSL and Australian Credit Licence 230686) (“NAB”) is the Credit Provider and Issuer of Qantas Money Credit Cards on behalf of Qantas Airways Limited ABN 16 009 661 901.

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.

FROM THE CEO

MEET THE QANTAS TEAM

20 A new era of long-haul flying is getting closer.

Our A350-1000ULR aircraft recently touched down in Australia for the first time after an extensive test flight from the Airbus factory in Toulouse. This is one of the first aircraft built for Project Sunrise, which will see us fly non-stop between Sydney and London from October 2027.

It has since returned to Toulouse to complete its test campaign, and it took the long way around the world. That historic flight covered 23,075 kilometres in 24 hours and 24 minutes, across the Pacific and over the Americas, and carried its crew through a shift from winter to summer, making it the longest flight ever flown by an Airbus aircraft. More than 3.5 million people tracked it online, one of the largest audiences any flight has ever had.

As we work to transform the future of flying, we’re also reimagining what our customers experience on the ground. The upgrade to our Sydney International Business Lounge, where those first non-stop flights will depart, is on track to open in the coming year.

And in Melbourne, we’re working with the airport on the biggest upgrade in its history, which will change how our customers travel through there. A new International Business Lounge is being designed, with sweeping views across the airport and up to a third more room than we have today. It also includes more seamless check-in for international travellers, new premium check-in areas, automatic bag drops, and more space to collect your bags when you land.

We also plan to base some of our new A350-1000ULRs in Melbourne, which will let us fly to international destinations we can’t reach from there today. Qantas and Jetstar currently serve 17 international destinations out of Melbourne, and that number is expected to grow.

Thousands of people across Qantas sit behind all of this, and some of them have been working on Project Sunrise for close to a decade. All of it comes back to making travel with us better than it has ever been. What’s coming is a credit to them.

Thank you for choosing to fly with us.

Vanessa Hudson CEO, Qantas Group

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qantas.com

Manager, Production Engineering and Base Maintenance Planning

I always had an interest in aviation, particularly troubleshooting and repairing components.

So applying for a Qantas apprenticeship felt like a good fit for me. I joined the airline in 2010 and started by learning to repair VCRs for inflight entertainment before moving onto jets.

Since 2023, I’ve managed the production engineering and planning teams at our Base Maintenance facility in Brisbane.

Our team was tasked with the planning and modification of Qantas’ Economy Plus rollout.

We worked closely with other teams across the airline. For the 737 fleet, we reconfigured the cabin by removing seats and adjusting legroom.

At our busiest, we were reconfiguring up to four aircraft a day. It felt like an

Qantas would like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the local lands and waterways on which we live, work and fly. We pay our respects to Elders past and present.

Qantas Reservations

Dion Sant

Qantas Holidays Ltd 13 14 15 (ABN 24 003 836 459; Licence No. 2TA003004)

Qantas Club and Frequent Flyer Service Centre 13 11 31 From overseas +61 3 9658 5302

F1 pit stop! From November to February, we completed 60 aircraft in Brisbane. I’m proud of the team and what we achieved. I flew Qantas Economy Plus recently and heard how much our customers liked the extra space. Knowing the effort we put in, that feedback makes it all worthwhile.

a little island

can do wonders

How to use points to try for an upgrade Consider these tips if you’re aiming for a premium-cabin upgrade on your next international or domestic trip.

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3.

2.

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Where to start You can request Classic Upgrade Rewards using Qantas Points as soon as you’ve made an eligible booking through qantas.com under “Manage Booking” or through the Qantas App. These are the best value when using points and are also prioritised over other waitlisted upgrades.

Be strategic with timing To increase your chances of a premium-cabin upgrade, choose flights on off-peak days (such as mid-week and non-school holidays) on quieter routes and larger aircraft.

Check out more tips and tricks on how to earn and use your Qantas Points at qantas.com/pointsinsider SYDNEY | MELBOURNE | BRISBANE | PERTH SARAHANDSEBASTIAN.COM

Have your Qantas Points ready If you’re planning to use points to request a Classic Upgrade Reward, ensure you have enough at the time you request it and when the upgrade is confirmed. If your points balance needs a quick boost, consider Topup Points or Family Transfers to make sure you have the points available.

Domestic On Departure Upgrades These allow eligible* Frequent Flyers to redeem points to unlock lastminute upgrades to Business from three hours before take-off. If eligible, you can request one on the Qantas App on checking in and, if available, it will be confirmed on the spot.

Classic Upgrade Rewards requests only available on eligible paid and confirmed tickets on Qantas operated services with a QF flight number on your ticket. Subject to capacity controls. Limited availability. Bid Now Upgrade offers are considered after Classic Upgrade Reward requests are confirmed. All offers accepted or rejected at Qantas’ sole discretion. For more information, visit qantas.com/en-au/manage-booking/upgrade. * Available to Platinum One, Platinum, Gold, Qantas Club and Points Club Plus members.

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EPIC STAY Story by Kendall Hill

KENYA

SUYIAN LODGE, LAIKIPIA The Laikipia Plateau lies between Mount Kenya and the Great Rift Valley, a region of peaks, savannahs and granite kopjes as noteworthy for its unparalleled beauty as for its vital role as a sanctuary for some of Africa’s rarest mammals.

About 20 private and community-run conservancies in Kenya’s equatorial highlands form a wildlife refuge for rhinos, elephants, endemic antelope and zebra species, and elusive black leopards.

The latest to join is the 18,000-hectare Suyian, a former cattle station off-limits to tourism before andBeyond opened a 14-suite property there in July last year.

Spectacular surrounds are a backdrop to this safari camp where breakfast comes with views of wildlife at play.

The solar-powered Suyian Lodge (andbeyond.com) hugs an escarpment above the hippo-friendly Ewaso Narok River, its earth, stone and glass forms echoing the shapes and colours of the landscape. Interiors are strikingly designed and grandly proportioned; barrel-vaulted and domed suites feature fireside daybeds and plunge pools on private terraces. From the rooms, main lodge, pool, spa and gym, Suyian acts as a scenic balcony for viewing elephants, giraffes and the odd basking leopard in the valley below. Secluded and perfect for families, the property’s five-suite Suyian Homestead opened this June.

Keep your eyes peeled for animal action during leisurely breakfasts and lunches in which shared platters are

matched with South African wines or stiff cocktails from the Samburu Bar. Dinners range from buffet-style ranchers’ feasts of Laikipian lamb and beef to refined tasting menus of Kenyan produce and African culinary traditions.

Twice-daily game drives bring closer encounters with the wildlife, perhaps lions at a kill, gerenuk antelopes or a brush with bad-tempered buffalos.

Night game drives, walking safaris and horse riding are also available.

Most of the staff are local recruits who can discuss anything from lion mating habits to the finer points of a Bordeaux-style red blend. Try to time your stay to witness one of their weekly Spirit of Swahili cultural performances.

Not to be missed.

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NOW OPEN Story by Alexandra Carlton

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Where to eat, drink and be seen around the country.

NSW

KRUNG

This newcomer in Sydney’s Haymarket (krungthaibar. com.au) is no ordinary Thai restaurant; it’s an expressive exploration of regional cuisine. The chilli dip set is a great place to start, a fiery quad of relishes that represent different parts of the country. Four styles of pad Thai will encourage repeat visits, as will the Thai-inspired cocktails packed with herbs and tropical fruits.

VIC

ROMA

NSW

FISHNETS The tuna katsu and the lamb cutlets with miso eggplant are two solid picks at this new Japanese-inspired restaurant, a stablemate of the popular Table Manners, in Sydney’s beachside Bronte (above; fish-nets. com.au). But local lore says the sea-fresh sashimi and nigiri are the true stars of the menu, with sleek cuts of kingfish, mackerel, paradise prawn and more. It’s not a surprise, given that head chef Sanghyeop Kim worked the omakase counter at Sokyo.

It’s a restaurant, gelateria and somewhere to enjoy a leisurely brunch on the terraza. In short, Roma (romamelbourne.com.au) feels exactly like the name suggests: a chic slice of the Italian capital. Brought to you by Con Christopoulos, the restaurateur behind Kafeneion, the spot on Collins Street offers the kind of dining that feels fun and generous, from the neat little crostini through to biscotti and nocino to finish.

SA

TREAD LIGHTLY

At this charming wine bar in Willunga, McLaren Vale (treadlightlywillunga.com. au), a no-bookings policy invites you to stop by whenever you’re in the area. It’s worth it simply to admire the heritage building that’s stood for 166 years but the real draw is the solid selection of local and international wines, as well as the

veg-forward small plates, such as radish hash browns with green bean kimchi and cured egg yolk.

NT

SALTED EGG DARWIN

The Northern Territory is one of the best places in the country to eat South-East Asian food and Salted Egg, on the waterfront inside the Vibe Hotel (vibehotels. com), is a strong addition to the Top End dining scene. Native Australian ingredients pair naturally here, from the crunch of saltbush topping a Thaistyle chicken curry to an entree of kangaroo spring rolls served with a tangy Kakadu plum dipping sauce.

WA

WAYFINDER

Western Australian food royalty leads this new 60-seater at Wayfinder winery (wayfinderwines. com.au) in the Margaret River region. Executive chef Brendan Pratt cut his teeth at The Fat Duck and The Ledbury in London, as well as local jewel Vasse Felix. Here, he works with the off-grid winery’s market garden and a little black book of regional suppliers and producers to create a menu that’s equal parts delicious and of place.

THE DIARY Story by Bek Day

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Four unmissable events worth packing your bags for.

ACT

VIC

SPECIAL OLYMPICS AUSTRALIA NATIONAL GAMES Sport can help break down barriers between people and nowhere is that more on display than the Special Olympics National Games (special olympics.com.au). Held in Melbourne, the 2026 event will celebrate 50 years of the Special Olympics in Australia and welcome more than 900 athletes with intellectual disabilities and autism on the track, court and pool across 12 sports.

19 to 23 October 2026 Don’t miss: DanceSport will make its debut as a demonstration sport, with interactive dance workshops, community showcases and a dedicated competition day.

The best way to sum up this NGA (nga.gov.au) exhibition of works by the late English artist David Hockney is in his own words: “The most interesting aspect of other people – the point where we go inside them – is the face.” This collection of more than 60 pieces from the NGA’s own holdings spans nearly 30 years and depicts some of Hockney’s closest relationships.

An Image of Celia (19841986) by David Hockney

5 September 2026 to 14 February 2027 Don’t miss: The portraits of designer Celia Birtwell (above) and muse Gregory Evans – each work reveals a new aspect of the evolving bond between Hockney and his subject.

QLD

BLEACH FESTIVAL

If you needed any more proof that the Gold Coast is now a cultural contender, this 11-day arts festival curated by Darwin Festival former artistic director Felix Preval will convince you (hota.com.au). Catch a hypnotic (and free) set by Lady Blackbird & Electric Fields on HOTA’s outdoor stage, take in Beacon, an art installation by Morag Myerscough x Everybody NOW! and check out dance group The Farm’s Nobody Gets Out Of Here Alive.

1 to 11 October 2026 Don’t miss: Thaw, to watch a lone figure, suspended in the air, balancing atop a three-tonne block of ice as it melts in the sun.

SA

NATURE FESTIVAL

This collaborative effort returns for its seventh year, exploring and honouring the connections to the natural world in South Australia (naturefestival. org.au). The communitydriven program includes hundreds of experiences – many free and familyfriendly – from botanical drawing and bird-watching walks to First Nations weaving at the Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, the oldest Aboriginal-owned arts centre in Australia.

25 September to 11 October 2026 Don’t miss: Seed Stewards, featuring the restaurateur and writer Durkhanai Ayubi from Adelaide’s Parwana Afghan Kitchen in conversation with Aboriginal farmer and author Bruce Pascoe at the Art Gallery of South Australia. .

David Hockney (artist), Tyler Graphics (printer and publisher), An image of Celia, 1984-86, National Gallery of Australia, Kamberri/Canberra, purchased with the assistance of the Orde Poynton Fund 2002, © David Hockney

DAVID HOCKNEY: PORTRAITS IN PRINT

When a bestseller is this good, you leave it alone. We didn’t. New case.

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PLACE TO BE Story by Hannah Ralph Photography by Emily Wilde

In the farmlands of the NSW Central West, a big-hearted community readies itself for an epic show.

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In Molong, a small country town about 4.5 hours west of Sydney, the start of spring doesn’t just thaw a bucolic tapestry of cherry trees, horse paddocks and grapevines – it signals the return of the Molong Show. This celebration of Aussie agriculture on 5 September is a bumper crop of high-jumping kelpies,

prize-winning livestock, scarecrow contests and rides fuelled by family recipes and classic country grub. The old-time charm spills into Molong’s historic main street where, under wide verandahs, local legend Robbie Carroll (above) custom-fits stetsons at Molong Stores. Opposite the popular Telegraph

Hotel, Sona (sona-molong.com.au) is your stylish crash pad: a five-bedroom stay inside a reimagined Art Deco bank.

From here, the surrounding Cabonne Shire, known as “Australia’s food basket”, beckons. Head south to Orange, just 25 minutes away, for its 10-day wine festival (16 to 25 October).

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Q ANT

Qantas Frequent Flyers share their experiences in some of Asia’s most-loved destinations, from buzzy megacities to lush tropical islands.

Mix culture with cocktails in Bangkok

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“Friends and I travelled to Bangkok for my best friend’s hens’ celebration, staying at Centre Point Hotel Chidlom, an ideal central location. Some of the group wanted to relax but I explored, wandering through the dazzling Grand Palace before watching a classical Thai masked dance. I rented a bike to tour The Ancient City, a 128-hectare open-air museum with more than 100 replicas of historic Thai landmarks, and tested my bargaining skills at Chatuchak Weekend Market. I even went to a digital nomad get-together and met some expats. I ate regional Thai food at The Local, which is in a colonial house.

I sipped on cocktails at sunset at View Arun Restaurant & Bar, as the Buddhist temple Wat Arun lit up across the river.

It was the most magical experience.”

Katrina Yan Bronze Frequent Flyer Flew Sydney to Bangkok

Slow down in Bali and dive in “I visit Bali annually and this trip with my 16- and 24-year-old kids and friends ranks highly. We stayed at the Westin Resort Nusa Dua and loved the newly refurbished rooms with comfy beds, big bathrooms and Nespresso machines.

And the breakfasts were mind-blowing.

I started my days with a bike ride on the beachfront. I even finished a book for the first time in months. My mustvisit spots were Sundays Beach Club

and Waterbom Bali – water slides are fun no matter what age you are. We took a boat tour to Nusa Penidas and snorkelled over vibrant coral, spotted sea turtles and swam in a quiet cove with manta rays gliding serenely underneath us.”

Meile Worrad (far right) Silver Frequent Flyer Flew Sydney to Denpasar

*Number of hotels correct as at 30 August 2026 and is subject to change ^You must be a Qantas Frequent Flyer to earn and use Qantas Points. A joining fee may apply. Membership and points are subject to the Qantas Frequent Flyer Terms and Conditions.

I just got back from…

Asia

Book your next adventure to Asia with Qantas Editor’s Tips

Moments for shopping and culture in Manila Buzzing nightlife, amazing food and shopping – that’s what Manila is for me.

When I visit my family there, I usually stay in the Makati CBD to be close to the action. Music and dancing are a huge part of the culture so you’ll find a live band and dance floor in almost every bar. There are so many shopping malls and they’re all huge – comfortable shoes are a must. My favourites are

Glorietta, Mall of Asia, Megamall and Greenbelt, which has beautiful outdoor spaces. For a culture fix, I like to visit Intramuros, a walled city built in 1571, Fort Santiago and San Agustin Church, the oldest stone church in the country and a UNESCO World Heritage site.”

Anna Delgado Qantas magazine travel expert

Flights Book your next Asian adventure with flights from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Darwin

Hotels Choose from over 77,500 hotels in Asia*

Crew View Taste memories in Hong Kong “I’ve travelled the world as a Qantas crew member but when I’m in Hong Kong, I go to Mak Man Kee, a Kowloon noodle shop my grandmother took me to when I was a little boy. We’d share wonton soup made with tiger prawns.

The restaurant has barely changed – its menu and kitchen are as I remember them – but these days there’s usually a queue, thanks to its Michelin Bib Gourmand. Afterwards I head next door to the Australian Dairy Company, a Hong Kong institution, for its egg or milk pudding, which is like steamed set custard. Every visit to Hong Kong brings back memories of my grandmother.”

Peter Chau Qantas cabin crew

Points make it possible Use Qantas Points to book flights and request upgrades to over 1,300 destinations^ Book now at qantas.com or on the Qantas App

For your chance to be featured in the magazine, email travel@ mediumrarecontent.com

E XC LU S I V E O F F E R

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E N Q U I R E TO DAY

A RT I S T I M P R E S S I O N

A JOYOUS FOOD TOUR IN THE AGRARIAN HILLS OF ITALY’S ABRUZZO REGION MAKES GUESTS FEEL LIKE FAMILY. 35

INDULGE

STORY BY MARY GRAY PHOTOGRAPHY BY LEAN TIMMS

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HOMECOMING

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On a spring morning just outside Villalago, in the verdant region of Abruzzo, central Italy, the sun beats down and a goat bleat warbles in the open air. One baa quickly gives way to another, before a chorus breaks out, accompanied by bells ricocheting off the Apennine Mountains in the distance.

“You hear that?” asks fourth-generation shepherd and cheesemaker Angelo Rossicone (above), grinning and gesturing toward his animals in their straw-lined shed. “I call the goats by name and they respond to me individually.”

I’ve just been introduced to Angelo, his wife, Tina, and their son Lorenzo (above right) by my host, Byron Bay-based chef Daniela Maiorano, who was born and raised in Abruzzo by a family of restaurateurs. I’m here on her Spring Harvest and Walking Mountain Towns itinerary (danielamaiorano.com), one of a series of small-group food and wine tours she runs four or five times a year with her Australian partner, Bess Prescott. The charming couple is steering our group of 14 food-obsessed Italophiles on a six-night journey through home-cooked meals, hands-on workshops and off-the-map excursions to meet regional producers who greet us like long-lost family. Each of the

programs is distinguished by its season but all are united in showcasing the beauty of our host’s hometown of Sulmona and wider Abruzzo, which borders Lazio to the west and the Adriatic Sea to the east.

This morning on Angelo’s farm, I’m coming down off the high of our tour’s opening feast of maccheroni alla chitarra – served with saffron, ricotta and pork cheek – at Ristorante Clemente (ristoranteclemente.it), the Maiorano family restaurant and beating heart of Sulmona. Traversed by a medieval aqueduct and backdropped by snowcapped mountains, the town’s centre hums around the clock except at lunch, when the scene goes so quiet you could hear a single confetti – Sulmona’s signature almond candy, best enjoyed at Confetti Rapone (confettirapone.com) – fall to the ground.

Defined by jagged yet gentle topography, Abruzzo is a place where coastal breezes, stone villages, fertile slopes and harsh alpine conditions coexist. Italian writer Primo Levi once described this land as forte e gentile (strong and kind) and the phrase became shorthand for the character of Abruzzo’s residents. As I take in the scene around me – Angelo and the goats, Tina setting

up a cheese-tasting table nearby – it strikes me that Maiorano, with her tattooed tough-girl exterior and effortlessly warm hospitality, may be the slogan’s ultimate personification.

She’s brought us to the Rossicone farm after a trek through the nearby nature reserve of Lago di San Domenico e Lago Pio. We chatted as we climbed toward a perch overlooking the Gole del Sagittario, the steepness enough to keep heart rates up but not so tiring to stop me from sniffing wildflowers along the way. Our ascent ended in Villalago’s town centre, where we dipped into the old town hall that now houses the Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions.

A small collection of farming tools, domestic supplies and photographs gives an impression of what rural life and farming culture in Abruzzo has been like through the decades.

But there’s only so much one can glean from objects frozen in place; the Rossicone farm gives us a real-time snapshot. We gather around a spread of bread, homemade ricotta, strawberry preserve and honey, all accompanied by moka pot coffee that Tina encourages us to cut with pungent goat’s milk. Soon after refueling, we’ll accompany Lorenzo on a portion of his daily pasture walk.

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We’re told it will be scenic but not all that physically taxing; Lorenzo intuits immediately – and correctly – that we’re all mostly here for the cheese.

Remarkably, it’s not yet lunchtime and we’ve already taken a grand tour of local mountain flavours. A breakfast that included tomato bruschetta and cold cuts was served on the panoramic terrace of Il Marchese del Grillo, a onetime noble home and our group’s base throughout the week; each evening we retire to individual B&Bs or apartments in Sulmona but this is where we meet each morning. Later, we stop in Scanno for lunch at family-run agriturismo Valle Scannese (vallescannese.com), where regulars feasting on ricotta-filled ravioli puzzle over how we found the place (before clocking Maiorano, above).

Tomorrow in the mountain town of Pacentro, Maiorano’s friend Virginia Sciore will demonstrate the process of making ricotta but only after trying her mother, Stella’s, fiadoni Abruzzesi (soft cheese-filled hand pies).

Stella and the elder Rossicones all clearly treat farm life as a vocation but I can’t help wondering whether the new generation, represented by Virginia and

Lorenzo, has ever considered a different path. Both separately share with our group that they have explored urban living but have always been drawn back to “their” mountains. It’s not hard to understand why. I’ve been trailing Maiorano, Prescott and friends for just 24 hours and can feel some healthy skepticism about city life bubbling up in me. This was billed as a small-group tour but I feel less like a tourist and more like a onetime Abruzzo resident who’s been away a smidge too long, now welcomed back into the fold by old friends.

Angelo, of course, is one of these new old friends. He disappears into the goat pen, Maiorano not far behind. They reemerge with a wide-eyed kid in hand.

“Eighteen hours old,” exclaims Angelo and Maiorano asks what the newborn’s name will be. When Angelo says he hasn’t decided, she doesn’t pause: “What about Angelino – Little Angelo?” she suggests, looking to the group for approval, which comes unanimously. Angelo blushes but happily obliges. Maiorano places a congratulatory hand on his shoulder as members of our group take turns nuzzling the newborn, who we all understand will grow up to be forte e gentile.

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Presented by Tassis Group

Perfect pairs Two leading Brisbane restaurants tackle Greek cuisine differently but both champion elevated, approachable food with exceptional wine lists. Here are their essential dishes and the ideal drops to accompany them.

The dish: Youvetsi with slow-cooked beef The best restaurant dishes often begin as staff meals. Dark Shepherd’s youvetsi, however, started on the menu and quickly became a favourite for the waiters and barkeeps.

The chefs have elevated this traditional claypot stew, building on its silken orzo base with braised beef and a bread cover on top (below left).

Cracking it open at the table reveals the ultimate comfort food. “It’s such a homey dish and the bread on top makes it easy to eat and share.”

Dark Shepherd Dark Shepherd roams away from the coastal cuisine that founder Michael Tassis is known for and into food styles associated with other parts of Greece and the Mediterranean.

“The restaurant sits towards the back of the riverside Queen’s Wharf precinct, so we used that as an opportunity to reference the hillside villages,” he says.

The menu centres on prized White Pyrenees lamb from Victoria but there’s also a robust beef selection, seafood, including woodfired octopus and lobster, and farm-to-table dishes such as keftedes in creamy mustard sauce and woodfired eggplant with capsicum, feta and kasseri.

The venue’s textured walls and vertical dark timbers frame a sunken dining room, a favoured spot for office workers and locals. “The restaurant gets this huge buzz,” says Tassis. So it’s no surprise it was recently crowned Best Mediterranean Restaurant (Qld) at the Restaurant & Catering Awards.

The wine: Two Paddocks Pinot Noir 2024 Two Paddocks was always more than a passion project for its founder and owner, the late New Zealand actor Sam Neill. This 2024 take on what’s now a classic Central Otago pinot is an elegant, mediumbodied red with plenty of sinewy juiciness but with the structured tannins, acidity and mineral cadence to converse with the more rustic elements of the youvetsi.

Opa Bar + Mezze Opa is intended to capture the spirit of a traditional Greek taverna but there’s something both modern and uniquely Brisbane about this restaurant.

Sitting on the Brisbane River and also as close to the true heart of the CBD as you can get, Opa’s water-level aspect provides every table with vistas of a city undergoing a pre-Olympic transformation. “The restaurant has views of both the Story and Kangaroo Point Pedestrian bridges. If there’s an event, this is where you want to be.”

Opa suits the role of occasion restaurant with its light, bright palette – white terrazzo and marble, timber accents, plush booth seating and hanging greenery.

On the menu, expect Mykonian-style ocean trout, chargrilled Moreton Bay bugs with ladolemono sauce and lobster from the tank. “Opa brings together all kinds of diners, which only adds to the atmosphere.

That’s why it’s one of the most popular restaurants in the group.”

The dish: U/6 garidas (king prawns) in a creamy garlic sauce with Greek cheese These colossal, locally sourced king prawns are expertly pan grilled by Opa’s chefs, finished in a garlic sauce and the Greek cheese melted through (left).

On the plate it’s a silken creation packed with umami.

“It’s a great starter to prime your palate. But you’ll want to eat it with a second plate – maybe the lamb cutlets – and village bread to mop up that delicious sauce.”

The wine: Sidewood Estate Mappinga Chardonnay 2024 A quintessentially modern Adelaide Hills chardonnay, the Mappinga is produced from estate-grown fruit, wild fermented in large-format French oak to create precise wine with a pronounced minerality. It has the body to stand up to the dish but also the acidity to cut through its more decadent elements.

To book your table at Dark Shepherd or Opa Bar + Mezze, visit darkshepherd.com.au or opabar.com.au

ON THE MENU Story by Alexandra Carlton

48

This hotly anticipated opening from a superstar Melbourne chef joins the list of restaurants working with flame.

Best of the rest...

VIC

FLORENTINO DINING ROOM

Meat, fish and vegetables cooked over the main grill at Melbourne’s refreshed Florentino Dining Room (florentino.melbourne) are kissed by the sear and smoke of charcoal and Australian hardwood.

Equally impressive is the pale-green, gas-burning Parisian rotisserie, which rotates fragrant roasts, including a crisp-skinned porchetta every Sunday.

TAS

STONE & FLAME

Basque country, from the Atlantic coast to the Pyrenees, is one of the most beautiful places restaurateur Andrew McConnell has ever been. Not least, he says, because of the food.

“Basque people have mastered the art of grilling, a tradition shaped by generations of cooking over charcoal and open flame. The produce from the ocean is pristine and the beef is among the finest in the world.”

It’s a spirit he’s set to emulate at Côte Basque (cotebasque.com.au), the latest addition to a dining empire that includes Gimlet, Cutler and Marion. The new Melbourne (Naarm) CBD restaurant sits inside a heritage Crossley Street building that’s packed with charm, from the original green terrazzo flooring to

a striking stainless-steel-framed facade.

At the heart of it all is a woodfired grill and wood-burning oven turning out platters of Blackmore Rohne beef and calamari à la bruta (left) – grilled Victorian Southern calamari dressed in its own ink and given a fiery Basquestyle kick with chickpeas, paprika and garlic. Like all of McConnell’s venues, guests are also welcome to pop by for just a drink – a little vermouth, perhaps, or a fiano that might originate as near as Heathcote or as far away as Spain.

Above all, McConnell hopes that Côte Basque will blend simplicity and sophistication with a sense of “come as you are” warmth and spontaneity.

“There are no rules,” he says. “Everyone is welcome.”

The food at this new Japanese-style restaurant inside Hobart’s Henry Jones Art Hotel (@stone andflame_hobart) is given depth and deliciousness via hibachi grills, charcoal and open flames. Yakitori, Wagyu and wallaby shank, a true taste of Tasmania, are highlights.

SA

ARKHÉ

Adelaide’s sizzling stalwart Arkhé (arkhe.com.au) uses only wood and charcoal to cook its entire menu.

That dedication is a big part of why it currently sits at number 16 on the World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants list. Beef is the drawcard but charred carrots with brown butter hummus and fresh-caught fish also make compelling reasons to visit.

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50

The Wood

QLD

SAN TELMO

San Telmo

FIREDOOR

NSW

THE WOOD

Two open-flame parrillas sit in the middle of the restaurant at Brokenwood Wines in the Hunter Valley (brokenwood.com.au) so guests can hear every sizzle and smell every tempting scent. New executive chef Sam Alexander, previously of Bistro Molines and the now-closed Yellow Billy, leans into Argentinian flavours with a Manning Valley Angus rib eye served with racy chimichurri. The barbecued Hawkesbury spatchcock with paprika is another good shout.

Florentino Dining Room

No discussion of openflame dining could exclude one of Australia’s pioneers of the technique, Lennox Hastie, and Firedoor (firedoor.com.au) with its electricity- and gas-free kitchen in Sydney’s Surry Hills. Hastie learnt to tame the flames at worldrenowned restaurant Asador Etxebarri in Basque country. He now translates those skills into a menu that coaxes the best flavour from proteins, such as Westholme Wagyu rib-eye, and vegetables alike by carefully controlling their exposure to heat and fire.

The pipis with garlic and karkalla is among the most popular dishes.

MJK Creative. Fergus Hurst. Kate Shanasy

Melbourne’s beloved temple to everything parrilla-grilled has opened its first Brisbane location (santelmo.com.au). It’s a love letter to all things beef in the true Argentinian tradition of asado: a shared, abundant barbecue, with a choice of prime O’Connor cuts. Live-fire cooking over the central grill turns meals here into theatrical experiences (as does the famous dulce de leche flan).

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HOT PLATE Story by Alexandra Carlton

A bittersweet tart that takes its inspiration from Hong Kong and Paris is the talk of Sydney.

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NEWTOWN, NSW

SOUTH END

There are plenty of chocolate tarts in the world. Many are fudgy, gooey and dense, a style delicious in its own right. But the chocolate tart à la Bernard Pacaud made by chef and co-owner Alex Tong at South End (southendrestaurant.com) is something else entirely. The pastry shell is thin, crisp and unsweetened. The filling, a combination of ganache and sabayon, has a deep flavour of bittersweet dark chocolate and is as airy as a morning mist. The result? A tart that’s now one of Sydney’s most remarkable desserts, drawing diners from across the city to the Newtown restaurant.

“It’s not really reinventing the wheel but taking a classic recipe and executing it to the best of my ability,”

says Tong, who first tasted a version of the sweet in Hong Kong when he worked briefly with chef Daniel Calvert at neoFrench fine-diner Belon.

Calvert’s version was itself an homage to a very famous tart created by chef Bernard Pacaud, a master of French haute cuisine, who is credited as the dish’s inspiration on the South End menu. “I think that’s a little bit romantic,” says Tong.

Guests think it’s pretty special, too. “People always assume chocolate will be rich and decadent but the lightness of this one catches people off guard,” says Tong. “And I think that’s what you want with food. A little bit of extra spark.”

THE DROP Story by Peter Bourne

54

Chilly Antarctic winds bring spice and finesse to WA’s Great Southern shiraz.

HOWARD PARK SCOTSDALE SHIRAZ

The Margaret River region claims centre stage in the Western Australian wine world. What about the Great Southern?

This region’s wine quality is on par with Margs (as the locals call it) but receives much less attention. It covers a large area yet lacks the concentration of cellar doors, restaurants and surf beaches.

That said, the water along the Southern Ocean coastline between Denmark and Albany is stunning, though quite cold given the currents and winds straight from Antarctica. So Denmark and Albany are part of the region? Yes, it’s a wedge stretching more than 100 kilometres inland to the Frankland River subregion. Porongurup and Mount Barker are also sub-regions. The total area under vine is 2,545 hectares, which is less than half the size of the Margaret River region. What makes the Great Southern special? Those icy Antarctic airstreams define the region, rather than the warmer breezes off the Indian Ocean that act as a thermal blanket further north. Warm summer days with cool nights moderate the climate so different grapes thrive. Which grapes do best here? Shiraz is the dominant variety, while riesling is a regional speciality.

Chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon and sauvignon blanc also grow well. Is it

different in style to, say, the Barossa or McLaren Vale? Very much so. Great

Southern shiraz is finer and spicier than the warm-blooded South Australian styles. There are more red fruits than black, as well as cinnamon, nutmeg and pink peppercorn with refreshing acidity due to the mild climate. What food goes well with it? It’s lamb country so barbecued chops, lamburgers or a roast leg. A mushroom risotto or eggplant parmigiana would also be good. Names, please. Larry Cherubino, Castle Rock, Forest Hill, West Cape Howe and 3 Drops.

And a base to explore from? Heyscape cabins (heyscape.com.au) in Denmark put you at the centre of things.

With its foundations in Mount Barker, this winery marks its 40th anniversary this year.

The Scotsdale is trim and tight with a bouquet of boysenberry, red cherry and star anise. Lifted flavours of the same ilk carry through with pumice-like tannins extending the finish.

2024 / Great Southern, WA / $40

FRANKLAND ESTATE ISOLATION RIDGE SYRAH

The Isolation Ridge vineyard dates back to 1988, its maturity being the hallmark of this impeccable syrah.

Raspberry, damson plum and clove aromas combine with a taut structure, strong savoury flavours and a long, graceful aftertaste.

2024 / Frankland River, WA / $65

SWINNEY FARVIE SYRAH The Swinney family engaged Rob Mann as their winemaker and it proved a masterstroke.

This 2024 Farvie uses two-thirds whole grape bunches, giving an earthy overtone to the rich plum and blueberry fruits. It’s taut, fine and has a long finish. Better in a decade but decant now.

2024 / Frankland River, WA / $165

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Presented by Tamar Ridge and Pirie Tasmania

Launceston, a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, and the surrounding Tamar Valley are famous for cool-climate wines and great food, and now there’s a new reason to head to this unforgettable region.

“It’s easy living around here,” says Tom Wallace (opposite), head winemaker at Brown Family Wine Group, who oversees the drops at Tamar Ridge, a 20-minute drive north of Launceston. “There’s the farmland, the agriculture, the river. Not many traffic lights. It’s pretty stunning.”

Recently it’s become even more impressive with the much-anticipated opening of the combined Tamar Ridge and Pirie Tasmania refurbished cellar door. The two award-winning wine estates have come together in one beautifully designed venue with impeccable interiors that nod to the Tasmanian landscape, making it a destination in itself. Guests can relax in one of the intimate lounge spaces by the

double-sided feature fireplace, enjoy regional produce and sweeping views of the vineyard and Tamar River, or head out onto the grassy lawn when the sun is shining. And, of course, there’s the chance to sample a glass or two of Tamar Ridge and Pirie Tasmania’s exceptional drops.

“It’s a unique opportunity to try world-class Tasmanian wines,” says Wallace, whose top picks include the consistently excellent Tamar Ridge chardonnay or the pinot noir, a notoriously tricky grape that he coaxes into an elegant red.

Once there, it’s worth lingering a bit longer and booking one of the curated tasting experiences run by the expert team at the cellar door. Here’s our selection.

Natasha Mulhall

Discover the Tamar Valley’s best food and drink destinations

While you’re in the area

Finding the right blend For the passionate wine connoisseur, the Winemaker for a Day experience is more than just a tasting. Guided by the cellar door team, you can learn the art of pinot noir blending and craft your own special drop, or take inspiration from the Tamar Ridge range. You’ll also be able to taste individual pinot noir clones from each of the Tamar Valley vineyards – a well-earned reward for all your hard work.

Getting into character Think you know your pinot noir?

Enthusiasts will walk away with fresh knowledge of the characteristics of premium Tamar Ridge wines after an Ultimate Expressions of Pinot Noir experience. Enjoy a guided tasting of the Estate, Reserve, Research and Single Block expressions, and learn about the craftsmanship that goes into making exceptional Tamar Valley pinot noir.

A taste of land and sea The ultimate food and drink combination, oysters and crisp sparkling wines, are on the menu for the indulgent Oysters and Pirie: A Merroir and Terroir Experience.

It showcases three varieties of Tasmania’s most delectable locally sourced oysters, which are each paired with a glass of selected Pirie Tasmania sparkling wines.

Be sure to book well in advance to ensure oyster availability.

Book experiences and tastings at tamarridge.com.au and pirietasmania.com.au

Sparkling sensations For those who like the finer things, The Supreme Indulgence is a luxurious experience that offers a guided tasting of Pirie’s prestige sparkling wines, enhanced with a pairing of exquisite sturgeon caviar, which highlights the complexity of the cuvées and their elegant flavours. It’s a delectable way to spend your day.

Beyond Tamar Ridge, the surrounding region is also home to some of Tasmania’s best bars and restaurants.

Wallace’s recommendations include Stillwater Restaurant (stillwater.net.au) set on the banks of the Esk River. “It’s an amazing building with topend fine dining and incredibly delicious wines.” Attached is accommodation Stillwater Seven. “You can wander downstairs and have something to eat – you barely need to leave the place.”

Timbre Kitchen (timbrekitchen.com) also makes Wallace’s list. “The food is casual, relaxed and Tassie-focused but what I really like are the vegetable swaps.” Locals give the eatery any excess of their homegrown produce and the chef cooks them something delicious.

Woodfired pizzas, a climbing wall for the kids plus “really, really good hot chips”, says Wallace, are all on offer at Du Cane Brewery and Dining Hall (ducane brewing.com.au) in Launceston.

And for a quiet drink? “Havilah (above; havilahwine.com.au) is quite modern and has almost a Melbourne feel,” he says of the wine bar and retailer in the centre of town. Head there for the interesting wines and share plates.

ASK A LOCAL As told to Stephanie Wood

A well-known chef shares his favourite cafes, bites and flavours in Adelaide’s buzzy Prospect neighbourhood.

58

“Gelato is my favourite thing in the world and pistachio is always the litmus test for me. These guys (bottegagelateria. com.au) use Fleurieu Milk Company full-cream milk and cream, plus Robinvale pistachios from the Murray region so it’s greeny-brown, not artificially bright-green.

Perfection.”

COTTO … for the coffee and breakfast

CALLUM HANN, CO-OWNER OF PANTRY ON PROSPECT MasterChef alumnus Callum Hann and his business partner, Themis Chryssidis (above right, with Hann), have had a hand in shaping Adelaide’s food scene since launching Sprout Cooking School 15 years ago. Their popular city venues Roma (romaadelaide.com.au) and Olive (oliverestaurant.com.au) followed and this year they’ve added Pantry on Prospect, aka POP (pantryonprospect.com.au), to the portfolio. “It’s about top produce and products,” says Hann of the restaurant, wine bar and providore in a new apartment building in Prospect, north of the CBD. “Dishes in the restaurant are inspired by things we sell in the pantry.” Here, the chef shares some of his go-to spots nearby.

“I picked up a lot of takeaway coffees here (cotto.com.au) when we were building POP – they make really good coffee in a space that has classic small-cafe vibes. I don’t shy away from a rich breakfast so I love the decadent beef brisket Benny.”

BOTTEGA BANDITO … for the croissants

“This hip high-end bakery and coffee spot (@bottegabandito) is known for its pastries.

They flex their culinary muscles with a quirky croissant of the month, such as an apple crumble spin and a s’more version with housemade graham cracker, chocolate and marshmallow.”

SCHINELLA’S … for the fruit and vegetables

“People drive from the other side of town to shop at this family-run market (schinellasmarket.com.au).

It’s part fruit and vegetable store, part delicatessen.

They stock unusual, high-quality produce like purple daikon, zucchini flowers, cara cara oranges and the kind of figs your nonna would grow.”

WASSAIL … for quiz night

“This 1890s house has been turned into a wine bar (@wassail_prospect).

It’s like being at a friend’s place, with cosy nooks, multiple fireplaces, old furniture and quirky decor, such as a wall covered with vintage mirrors. The wine list focuses on South Australian makers and there’s a small snack menu.

My wife and I are suckers for the quiz nights but they also host live music.”

RED PANDA BBQ … for pork skewers

“Here (@redpandabbq), you grab a tray and choose the skewers you want – squid, fish ball, prawn, pork, corn, rice cake and more – from the cold cabinet. They’re cooked for you and brought out in a big paper cup. It has a late-night, South-East Asian feel.”

Eleni Tzanos

BOTTEGA GELATERIA … for pistachio gelato

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Bottega Bandito

Red Panda BBQ

Kay Cann

Bottega Gelateria

Cotto

Savour the journey All destinations have their signature flavours but few capture a sense of place quite like Champagne. Discover where to enjoy Lallier before, during and after your travels to France.

Stay in the City of Light Spend a few days in Paris and check in to one of the city’s famed palace hotels, Le Meurice Dorchester Collection, which overlooks the Tuileries Garden.

After exploring the nearby Louvre and Place Vendôme, return for a cocktail at intimate Bar 228 then dinner at two-Michelin-starred Restaurant le Meurice Alain Ducasse. A glass of Lallier Blanc de Blancs is the best way to begin your Parisian evening.

When you're home

Visit the heartland

Dining in Champagne

The road from Reims, the home of champagne, soon gives way to villages where neat rows of vines climb gentle hills and church spires dot the horizon.

Stay at Best Western Premier Hôtel de la Paix before you explore this extraordinary terroir, nurtured by generations of growers, which gives Champagne Lallier its freshness, elegance and enduring sense of place.

Le Clos restaurant understands that champagne is made for lingering.

Choose between the dimly lit wine bar or the leafy courtyard, where orange and olive trees shade long lunches and leisurely aperitifs. Sharing plates pair beautifully with a glass of Lallier Blanc de Blancs or Blanc de Noirs.

It’s the sort of place where one glass becomes two.

The journey doesn’t end when you walk through the arrivals gate. Bistro Rex brings a taste of France to Sydney’s Potts Point, with classic French dishes, warm hospitality and a thoughtful wine list. Linger over the signature triple cheese soufflé, or settle in for a long lunch or dinner with friends and a glass of Lallier Réflexion R.021 Brut. Let every bite and sip transport you to Champagne.

Lallier Réflexion R.021 Brut and Lallier Réflexion R.021 Brut Rosé are now served in Qantas First lounges. Try Lallier at home and earn or use Qantas Points when you purchase the range at qantas.com/wine

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A MEAL TO REMEMBER As told to Pat Nourse

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Lunch at Seoul’s Balwoo Gongyang made the simple extraordinary for Victorian chef Jung Eun Chae.

“I’d heard good things about Balwoo Gongyang. It’s the first restaurant that serves Korean temple food to win a Michelin star, and it’s on the fifth floor of a Buddhist cultural complex directly across from Jogyesa Temple. Temple food is a centuries-old culinary tradition of Korean Buddhist monasteries. It excludes meat, seafood and the ‘five pungent vegetables’ – garlic, chives, spring onion, wild chives and leek – which are believed to disrupt focus and stimulate desire during spiritual practice. What’s left is extraordinarily clean: familiar ingredients, stripped of everything that might get in their way.

I went alone, on an ordinary day, with no occasion to mark. I ordered the Seon course: a bowl of rice, a bowl of doenjang soup and side dishes. It was simple food. Soft tofu wrapped in slices of zucchini, shiitake mushrooms fried then braised in soy sauce, steamed lotus root, seasoned bean sprouts, spinach and kimchi. These are flavours I grew up with and yet the absence of those ‘pungent’ notes made everything taste more itself than I had expected. It might sound ascetic, spare even, but it was a meal alive with flavour and full of satisfaction.

The dining room is arranged into private spaces and the quiet there isn’t the quiet of a room that happens to be empty. It’s quiet by design, quiet with purpose. Outside, the Gyeongbokgung Palace draws tourists and the city moves at its usual pace. Inside, none of that reaches you. What stayed with me after the meal wasn’t so much about the dishes served. It was the shift in perspective the food required of you. You were asked to be present, to approach each ingredient with a sense of gratitude for the season and for whoever prepared it. In that, something very familiar became completely new.”

Balwoo Gongyang 71 Gyeonji-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea; +82 2 733 2081; balwoo.or.kr Chae 33 Mountain Road, Cockatoo, Victoria; chae.com.au

Qantas Travel Insider | Seabourn

SYMI, GREECE

This under-the-radar island is the place for magical meals, hillside walks and swimming in crystal-clear waters.

Story by Georgia Hopkins

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With a population of 2,500, this small Dodecanese island is under an hour by ferry from Rhodes. Its harbour, Gialos, is where most of the action happens. In its village, cafes and fishing boats line the water’s edge and the Kali Strata, a steep 500-step stone staircase, climbs to Chorio (the upper village).

It’s not for the fainthearted but the reward at the summit is the sight of colourful hill-hugging houses and 14 churches strung along donkey-width lanes.

TUCK IN

Head for family-run taverna Niki’s Cookhouse (@to_magereio_tis_nikis), near the top of Chorio, where the tables are filled with as many locals as visitors and the daily specials of traditional Greek fare are described to you rather than printed on the menu. Go for the moussaka and ask for a table out on the terrace, which looks out over the rooftops towards the harbour. For dinner by the water, there’s Pantelis Fish Restaurant (@symipantelis), a favourite spot for Rhodes daytrippers. Nab a seat close to where the boats come in and order the garides Symis, the island’s tiny, bright red shrimp.

Agora (agorasymi.com) is an awardwinning fine-dining restaurant set on the terrace of The Old Markets (the oldmarkets.com), a boutique hotel that’s built inside the island’s 19th-century marketplace. Chef Chris Sidiropoulos and pastry chef Vaso Yiamoura work through an ever-evolving tasting menu that might pair a fillet of grouper with celeriac and a black-olive-laced bouillabaisse. To finish, it could be

Esra Başlar

BREAK BREAD

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something as simple as watermelon with sheep’s yoghurt and basil, all paired with a wine list that leans into small Greek producers. Secure a spot at the chef’s table, where Sidiropoulos will talk you through each dish. Be sure to book in advance.

HIT THE BEACH

Nanou is the stretch of shore that locals will recommend. It’s a scoop of pale pebbles between two headlands where wild goats amble along the tree line and a shaded taverna does a brisk trade in long lunches, which you can enjoy between dips in the sea. A little further along, low-key Gyala beach can often be overlooked in favour of its busier, more organised neighbour, Nimborio.

There are no sunbeds on Gialos but there is a makeshift trailer bar serving drinks and food, plus a few chairs and tables by the water to enjoy them at.

TAKE THE AEGEAN HOME

Anna Yakymenko

Down on the harbour, Dinos Sponge Center (dinos-sponges.gr) has sold natural sea sponges gathered using traditional diving methods since 1939.

Its founder’s grandchildren now run the

business and they’re happy to share the family’s story, their ethical and sustainable practices and the benefits of a sponge sourced directly from the ocean. Signs throughout the store tell where and how each batch was harvested.

UPHOLD A TRADITION

At the island’s southern tip sits the 18thcentury Holy Monastery of Panormitis, an important Greek Orthodox pilgrimage site and home to Symi’s patron saint of sailors, the Archangel Michael. Locals believe in tama (offerings), a kind of spiritual exchange with the saint. If you ask him for help and you receive it then you owe him something in return. But if that promise isn’t fulfilled, the Archangel will take it for himself – which explains his affectionate nickname of “Thief”.

In association with

Presented by Seabourn

Explore Europe, one idyllic coastal town at a time Discover hidden harbours and bustling ports aboard a Seabourn European cruise.

The thoughtfully curated itineraries and intimate ship sizes allow you more time to linger in these iconic coastal destinations.

The first thing you’ll notice as you cruise quietly into the harbour of the picturesque Greek Island of Symi is the stillness. In the early morning there’s not a breath of wind and any ripples on the water’s surface come solely from the bow of the Seabourn cruise ship you’ve been calling home for the past week. The second thing you’ll see are the distinctive colours: the ochre, pink and terracotta façades of the Neoclassical homes that line the waterfront. Time moves differently onboard; it slows, allowing you

moments, minutes and hours to enjoy all-inclusive luxury as you discover the Mediterranean, one famous European destination after another.

At Calvi on Corsica (right), you glide past a medieval stone citadel. On Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast, you anchor near limestone cliffs topped with centuries-old villages.

The size of Seabourn’s boutique ships means you can sail into these small bays and secluded coastal destinations for complete cultural immersion.

Lean into life onboard When you’re not heading ashore to explore one of the 77 destinations offered across Seabourn’s European voyages, your time is spent fine dining, sipping cocktails and being pampered in the spa. If you’d rather soak in the view – and with destinations like Portofino (left) in Italy, Olbia in Sardinia, Volos in Greece and Fréjus in France, you’ll certainly want to make time for this. There are plenty of vantage points, including the verandah of your oceanfront suite. Order caviar and champagne or pull something out of your personalised minibar. Then put your feet up and relax as you watch the Mediterranean unfold in front of you.

Dive into clear blue waters Admiring the azure of the sea from your suite’s balcony is one thing; diving in from the watersports platform at the stern of the ship is next-level. The Mediterranean waters are refreshingly clear and, thanks to the high salinity, are perfect for floating through the afternoon. During Marina Day onboard,

there are plenty of activities to try throughout the day but where they happen all depends on the conditions. You might be sailing in a two-person canoe on the Aegean at Symi, Greece, or kayaking under rugged limestone cliffs at Cinque Terre, Italy.

Shopping with the chef Wandering through vibrant European food markets is a highlight but walking the stalls with the ship’s executive chef turns the experience into an adventure.

Open to small groups only, the chef takes you to his favourite local haunts (top right) and ensures you sample plenty along the way. You’ll taste sweet, sun-dried figs in Kuşadası, Türkiye, olive-rich tapenade and creamy goat’s cheese in Marseille, France, and peppery Tuscan salami in Livorno, Italy. The real magic, though,

You’ll find your perfect European itinerary at seabourn.com

happens back on the ship, where the provisions you helped to gather are transformed into unforgettable dishes.

Music among the ruins Near the port city of Kuşadası lies one of the seven wonders of the ancient world: the Temple of Artemis in the city of Ephesus.

Once a trading hub for the Roman Empire, you can still see hints of how the citizens lived as you wander past the façade of the Library of Celsus and a semi-circular open-air theatre, the Odeon. It’s here that Seabourn guests will make some incredible memories, enjoying cocktails and canapés before listening to a private performance by a chamber orchestra. The evening – a complimentary Seabourn Signature Event – draws to a close as the sun sets and the classical music drifts away, over the ruins.

SHORT BREAK Story by Pippa Duffy Photography by Rhiannon Taylor

Surf, seafood and a luxe new hotel – Mooloolaba in Queensland is having its moment in the sun.

About an hour’s drive north of Brisbane and less than 20 minutes from Sunshine Coast Airport, the beachside town of Mooloolaba is getting a glow-up. New accessible upgrades are taking place on the foreshore and an extended pathway north to Alexandra Headland is set to open this month, all in anticipation of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games. Off the sand, a lauded restaurant, local knowledge and the unveiling of a new international hotel make this Sunshine Coast haven a must-visit.

CHECK IN

On the foreshore, the new Avani hotel (qantas.com/hotels/avanimooloolaba) is an elevated addition to this familyfavourite destination. The 180 minimalist but warm rooms feature neutral tones, ochre and natural woods throughout, while the pillow menu, plush robes and full-sized bathtub (try the Ikkari rose and neroli soak) inspire deep rest. Go for a dip in the rooftop infinity pool fringed

with striped double cabanas, or workout in the onsite gym. At the spa, a Mooloolaba Melt treatment is full-body relaxation.

TOP-TIER DINING

Sully Rooftop bar on level 12 offers an eat-in à la carte breakfast menu for hotel guests. From 11am it’s open to walk-ins, offering beach views from the balcony and tasty bites, such as fresh oysters with passionfruit, salmon caviar and finger lime or charcuterie with house pickles, paired with a cold Sully’s lager. At dinner, executive chef Marky Godbeer, formerly of Longitude 131°, creates share plates “I’d want to eat with my family”. Order the smoked Wagyu sausage or the pork and prawn schnitzel with fennel slaw.

For dessert, there’s a seasonal Sgroppino macaron and lime liqueur cocktail with a champagne base, prepared tableside.

BY THE SEA

The award-winning Fish House Steak & Grill (fishhousedining.com.au) is on Parkyn Parade, between the Pacific Ocean and the Mooloolah River, where seafood providers deliver daily to the restaurant. The dining room, with its green velvet booths and sophisticated

atmosphere, has been refurbished by owners Todd and Kristine Young, of local Italian Bella Venezia (bellavenezia. com.au). Sample the Japanese-leaning Land or Sea Tasting Menu from executive chef Ben Achurch, including grain-fed Sanchoku Pure Wagyu aged for 400 days, matched with a wine list of 350-plus labels, 40 by the glass.

ON THE WATER

Take your tastebuds on the Bushtucker Cruise aboard the 118-year-old Spray of the Coral Coast, cruising Kabi Kabi Country with Simon Thornalley and his crew from Saltwater Eco Tours (saltwater ecotours.com.au). Taste native Australian ingredients such as pepperberry, lemon myrtle and finger lime in canapes of fresh oysters and smoked fish, and sip a strawberry gum syrup and vodka cocktail while listening to stories of local history and culture.

BACK ON LAND

After disembarking, stroll The Wharf waterfront precinct and stop at Fior di Latte (fior.com.au) for a pecan pie gelato made with milk sourced from the nearby town of Eumundi.

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SERENITY IN MOTION For Melbourne photographer Rhiannon Taylor, swapping back-to-back shoots for an EV-powered road trip to the Bellarine Peninsula was an exercise in mindful surrender.

Story by Bek Day | Photography by Rhiannon Taylor

“What I noticed first was how quickly I was able to properly relax.” A thriving

creative career can make “getaways” a logistical challenge for Rhiannon Taylor, a travel photographer who usually finds herself on assignment with her young family. “Often it takes me a few days after we’ve arrived to come down from the cortisol spike of everything it entails,” she says. “So I was surprised at how calm I felt almost as soon as I hit the road in the Volvo EX30 to go out of town. My first thought was, ‘Is this car even on?’ because the electric motor makes it whisper-quiet.”

Inspired by Scandi-minimalism, the EX30’s interior design has stripped away all visual clutter, including airconditioning vents that blend into the dashboard. Driving on the highway is a dream, as the car’s intuitive safety features are quietly at work in the background. “Even the reversing sound is soothing,” says Taylor. And with fast charging and a 462-kilometre range, the trip is smooth and reliable.

“The drive is spectacular. You come over a rise and suddenly you’re surrounded by 180-degree ocean views, with the city skyline still floating in the distance.”

Taylor’s destination is the boutique Lon Retreat & Spa (lonretreat.com.au) on the Bellarine Peninsula, about an hour outside Melbourne. On the peninsula’s north coast, with vines trailing gently down its slopes towards the expanse of Port Phillip Bay, is Terindah Estate (terindahestate.com) – a great place to stop for a leisurely meal with a beautiful outlook. “Lunch was at The Shed, the vineyard’s restaurant, and it was exactly my style of dining – pared back but polished with a stunning view. It’s such a special spot.”

Taylor spent the remainder of the drive listening to music, with the EX30 giving her information to assist when required. “I hate driving next to trucks but the EX30 monitors the surrounding lanes and when a truck is approaching, an animated symbol on the screen alerts me.”

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Travel Insider | Volvo

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“Everything at the retreat is designed for total reset and relaxation.” Nestled

on 100 hectares of coastal conservation land, Lon Retreat & Spa is a Nordicinspired haven of warm timber and sandstone. It’s recognised as one of the world’s best, with two nominations for this year’s World Spa & Wellness Awards.

With natural mineral springs that flow through ancient limestone beneath the property, a Finnish sauna, contrast therapies and a premier range of treatments, this beachside escape invites complete rejuvenation from the moment you arrive. “It feels like one large, cosy house with individual rooms but at the same time you feel quite separate from the other guests,”

“I was surprised at how calm I felt almost as soon as I hit the road in the Volvo EX30 to go out of town.”

says Taylor. “You can access the beach from the property and I walked along the beach track in the morning before I took a short drive to the Point Lonsdale Lighthouse, which was gorgeous and so peaceful.”

By the time that Taylor was in the EX30 on her way back to Melbourne, the getaway had worked its magic. “To be honest, this was only the second or third time I’d spent the night away from my children,” she says. “Sleeping in that plush bed without little knees poking me in the back and having space to think outside the minute-by-minute logistics was incredibly refreshing. When I got home, I felt that I was able to give my family a better version of me.”

IN THIS STORIED ARRONDISSEMENT, THE CITY OF LIGHT COMES ALIVE AFTER DARK.

Matthieu Salvaing

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IMAGINE

STORY BY EDWINA HART

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS

Matthieu Salvaing

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It’s 10pm in South Pigalle. I’m dining alone at the hottest new spot in Paris’s former red-light district and a quick glance at the menu reveals this isn’t your standard hotel restaurant fare.

As my eyes settle on the Thai-style pig’s trotter, the waitress reads my mind.

“The chef is super cool,” she says of Valentin Raffali, a rising culinary star from Marseille. “He likes to break all the rules. He brings old French dishes back and makes them sexy.”

Sometime between the main course and dessert, a woman wearing red lipstick leans over from the marble bar: “Tu veux te joindre à nous?” (“Would you like to join us?”). She gestures to a corner banquette of stylish Parisians dressed ready for the discotheque.

Without hesitation, the waiter rearranges the table settings and someone orders a round of French 75s. I’m already halfway through my strawberry glacé when my companions’ mains arrive.

At any other establishment, all this might raise some eyebrows but at 6 Rue Pierre Fontaine, far stranger things have happened.

Back in its hedonistic heyday, Bus Palladium (qantas.com/hotels/ buspalladium) was the address for legendary parties, hosting an eclectic crowd of beatniks, artists, socialites and young clubbers from the suburbs who would arrive on a late-night shuttle bus. The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and Patti Smith were on the star-studded guest list. Serge Gainsbourg was a regular and Jane Birkin described it as a “mental laboratory”. Salvador Dalí is said to have once waltzed in with a panther on a leash.

After a four-year transformation, Bus Palladium has now been reborn as a 35-key boutique hotel with a glam street-level bar and restaurant plus an underground club, modelled on the rock’n’roll institution when it first opened in 1965. The original mirror ball still shimmers.

The morning after my long dinner and some dancing, breakfast in bed is a cure-all, with pancakes and bacon served on a silver tray. The retro vibes of the club extend to my room: the

Matthieu Salvaing

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Edwina Hart

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Matthieu Salvaing

flamingo-pink carpet and cork-clad walls nod to the recording studios of the Swinging Sixties. There are playful design touches, such as light switches that resemble amplifiers and artfully stacked cassette tapes on the bedside table. I select one of the in-room playlists, which streams through the timber Ojas speakers. Fleetwood Mac provides the backing track to my soak in the standalone tub.

When I finally step outside the “Le Bus” universe, I’m in one of the city’s most artistic quarters. South Pigalle, or SoPi, sits below the Moulin Rouge in the northern reaches of the 9th arrondissement. A three-minute walk from the hotel, secreted away on Rue Chaptal, Musée de la Vie Romantique (museevieromantique.paris.fr) was once the studio-home of painter Ary Scheffer, who hosted Friday evening salons with illustrious figures of the Romantic period, such as George Sand and Frédéric Chopin. The 1830s townhouse-turnedmuseum reopened in February following a 17-month renovation. Its greenhouse tearoom is especially charming so I linger over a lemonade in the rosescented courtyard.

Over the past two decades, Pigalle has undergone a bold reinvention, shedding its risque reputation to become one of the city’s chicest precincts. When I lived here in 2013, the first wave of hip hangouts were beginning to open: Hôtel Amour, Dirty Dick tiki bar and Le Carmen nightclub – a seductive Belle Epoque setting for after-dark revelry.

By the time the Italian trattoria Pink Mamma was serving housemade pasta in 2017, the postcode was drawing comparisons to Brooklyn, New York.

Beyond its neon-lit nightlife, the neighbourhood is a magnet for music lovers. At 1950s-style brasserie Le Mansart (@lemansart) – complete with Formica furniture, a foosball table and rock-driven tunes – students, bobos (bourgeois bohemians) and long-time locals convene from morning until late.

I stop by for a light lunch of courgette and burrata and strike up a conversation with a 20-something musician, his scooter helmet slung over the back of

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his chair. He tells me to visit “the most dangerous street in Paris” and gestures casually in the direction of Rue de Douai, a narrow strip of vintage instrument stores known as “Guitar Street”. He clarifies where the threat lies: my bank account.

The area’s main artery, Rue des Martyrs, is lined with organic grocers, patisseries, fromageries, bookstores and street-side cafes. KB Coffee Roasters (kbcoffeeroasters.com) is the go-to for a caffeine hit and footsteps away is boulangerie Mamiche (mamiche.fr), which has reached cult status with its chocolate babka and chantilly-filled choux. It’s the perfect pit stop before poring over 165 years of recorded sound history at the Phono Museum (phonomuseum.fr), where curator and audiophile Jalal Aro takes me on an impromptu tour, only pausing to furiously crank gramophones that crackle with old-time tunes. Close to the Sacré-Cœur Basilica, record store Balades Sonores (baladessonores.com) is a haven for crate diggers. I’m thrilled

when I excavate a second-hand vinyl featuring Gainsbourg’s Qui est “In” Qui est “Out” – the ’60s pop song that pays tribute to the Bus Palladium.

On my last night in Paris, I step behind the crimson-coloured facade of Madame Arthur (madamearthur.fr) into a world of musical drag cabaret. The historic venue was the first of its kind when it opened in 1946 and it’s also where a young Gainsbourg got his start as a piano accompanist. After the show, I wander over to Le Trente, a restaurant adjoining the recently opened Hôtel Massé (hotelmasse.com), to indulge in a Trente Sour cocktail and tarama with black radish.

At midnight, it’s back to Bus Palladium for one final boogie. The concierge offers me a choice: “Would you like the key to your room or will you go down to the club?” Hotel guests enjoy the perk of a separate VIP-style entrance through the lobby, where the psychedelic carpet leads to a simple chrome door.

It’s as if I’ve been given a backstage pass to the very pulse of Pigalle.

PACKING LIST Edited by Katherine Green

Mix chic separates and charming extras for style with a French twist.

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1. Polo Ralph Lauren trousers, $799,

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4. M.J. Bale jacket, $599, mjbale.com

ralphlauren.com.au 5. Local Supply sunglasses, $150, 2. R.M. Williams Craftsman boots, $699,

rmwilliams.com.au 3.

Aquila belt, $99, aquila.com.au

localsupply.com

6. IWC 40-millimetre 18-carat 5N gold

Pilot’s Watch Mark XX Le Petit Prince, $36,400, iwc.com

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Calibre sneakers, $279, davidjones.com

8. Pose Portable light, $580, from

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Tommy Hilfiger top, $299, au.tommy.com

11. Prada scarf, $510, prada.com

Living Edge, livingedge.com.au 12. Reiss shirt, $220, reiss.com/au 9. Linneys Tahitian circle pearl and silver 8

bangle, $850, linneys.com.au

1. Canturi Affinity earrings in 18-carat

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Celine sunglasses, $880, celine.com

6. Seed sneakers, $149, seedheritage.com

yellow-gold, $6,300, canturi.com 4. Bianca Spender skirt, $495, 2. Oroton shirt, $399, oroton.com

7. Zimmermann dress, $3,500,

biancaspender.com 5.

zimmermann.com

Burberry bag, $5,500, au.burberry.com

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8. Hublot Classic Fusion 33-millimetre

10. Polo Ralph Lauren trench coat, $999,

titanium and diamond watch, $16,300, hublot.com

ralphlauren.com.au 11. Helen Kaminski tote, $650,

9. Toteme pumps, $1,590, from Net-a-Porter,

helenkaminski.com.au

netaporter.com 12.

Henne jeans, $229, henne.com.au

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Presented by Range Rover

Driven by design 84

From Victoria’s High Country to a Sydney suite where your story becomes the design.

For the first time on Australian shores, Range Rover will be launching a dedicated SV Bespoke Commissioning Suite in Sydney’s Mascot, offering discerning tastemakers a truly bespoke experience.

Here, every detail of their vehicle can be thoughtfully considered and customised in an innovative and immersive environment.

It’s a concept that allows drivers to reimagine and personalise how their vehicle can look and feel, all guided by Range Rover’s world-class expertise and luxury design materials available for selection at the suite. With almost unlimited customisation available, clients will be able to book an appointment to customise their own dream car.

Iconic inspiration In celebration of the opening of the Sydney SV Bespoke Commissioning Suite at the end of October, Range Rover has created an incredible Bespoke one-of-one vehicle – the Pioneer 1972 (above left) – inspired by the first Range Rover to arrive in Australia.

In late 1970, three demonstrator two-door Suffix A models landed ahead of the brand’s official 1972 launch. One of them – a Davos White (above right) – went to work in Victoria’s High Country and proved that durability and opulence don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

That Davos White two-door Range Rover is the inspiration behind the special edition Pioneer 1972. “Our greatest challenge was striking the right balance between modern luxury and our heritage,” says Range Rover materiality chief Hannah Custance of the design philosophy behind the commemorative model. “We wanted to

create a vehicle that feels contemporary and relevant today, while also preserving the visual cues and character that make the original Range Rover an enduring icon.”

Crafted connections While the first Davos White model conjured images of the Swiss Alps, the Pioneer 1972 draws inspiration from Mount Kosciuszko. The Pioneer 1972 mirrors its snow-capped influence with a custom Bespoke White Gloss finish infused with luminous fine metallic flakes, while the interior features rich leather in Caraway and Ebony, with tailor-made embroidery, referencing Kosciuszco’s peaks. Both the Pioneer 1972 and the Davos White twodoor 1972 model will be on display at the SV Bespoke Commissioning Suite until the end of November.

Personal preferences Custance says that personalisation of Range Rover vehicles can extend to embroidery, marquetry, material selection, veneers, exterior paint finishes and more.

“Choices rooted in memory or emotion can often provide the strongest sources of inspiration,” she says. “Our clients will get the chance to share these memories and anecdotes with the Bespoke Materiality team to further develop and ultimately bring them to life through one-on-one creation.”

She oversees a team of talented designers charged with creating the bespoke vehicles that Range Rover has launched across the globe, as well as those developed privately with clients. Custance adds that memories and connection are at the heart of luxury design. “The stories that we want to tell through design need to have emotional resonance so we often create material strategies that are tied to places or objects of desire. There is a world of rich and tactile storytelling that can amplify preferences in unimaginable yet highly desirable and meaningful ways.”

To book an appointment, contact your preferred Range Rover retailer at rangerover.com

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CREATIVE PROCESS Story by Virginia Jen Photography by Nikolas Koenig

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PETER MIKIC

While Queanbeyan, NSW, might seem a far cry from London and New York, Peter Mikic (below) believes his homeland has grounded his work. “Growing up in Australia gives you that free spirit where you feel like you can achieve anything,” says the London-based interior designer.

“I always go back to my roots and remember that colour in Australia is much more vivid than colour abroad.”

Mikic’s unabashedly bold use of colour to create immersive environments is on full display at Faena New York (faena.com). The 120-key Manhattan bolthole is a first on a number of fronts: it’s Argentine entrepreneur Alan Faena’s first bite of the Big Apple and the

Brimming with art and whimsy, Faena New York is a vibrant hotel with a distinctly Australian spirit.

Australian designer’s inaugural hotel project. “Alan is all about creating spaces for artistic communities,” says Mikic.

“I worked closely with him on a daily basis – we played around with different ideas, concepts and fabrics, and pushed a lot of people to their limits when it came to lighting and furniture.”

The result? A glamorous property that draws on the creative spirit of its West Chelsea location while also revealing Mikic and Faena’s penchant for a touch of theatre. At the entrance, a sweeping gilded staircase is matched in scope by a Diego Gravinese mural, while Pulse of the City, Keith Haring’s energetic eight-panel painting from 1983’s Montreux Jazz Festival leads to the leopardprint lounges, drop

chandeliers and lacquered wood of the Living Room, where you can enjoy a cocktail and live music.

But it’s the restaurant, La Boca by Francis Mallmann (below) – with its sumptuous red upholstered seating, pink accents, gleaming gold ceiling and dramatic leopard painting by Argentine artist Edgardo Giménez – Mikic says best expresses the hotel’s spirit. “The opulence and the luxury, the charm of that room. It feels casual yet very special.”

HOMEGROWN FLAIR

Mikic isn’t the only Australian connection to the stay. In the suites, the rugs are by Sydney-based Silvana Azzi Heras of House of Heras. And the curved headboards?

“All the headboards and furniture are made of eucalyptus,” says Mikic.

Melbourne | Geelong | Sydney | Brisbane | Perth coshliving.com.au

Johanna Eliptical Table & Otway Armchairs by Kett.

Exclusive to Cosh Living.

MOODBOARD Story by Genevra Leek

Nature blooms bright as fine jewellery falls prey to the butterfly effect.

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VAN CLEEF & ARPELS LUCKY SPRING BUTTERFLY CLIP

(Above) An image from Australian Lepidoptera and their Transformations (1864-1898) by Alexander Walker Scott, illustrated by Harriet and Helena Scott

Could the beat of a butterfly’s wings 120 years ago have set off a chain of events that shapes a luxury jewellery maison to this day?

It was a pearl, ruby and emerald creation found in archived sales records dated 1906 that cemented Van Cleef & Arpels’ (van cleefarpels.com) love of the delicate insect. The vibrant motif has gone on to adorn necklaces, rings and emblematic clips. This

year the brand marks the turning of the seasons with a new Lucky Spring collection featuring plum blossoms, a lily-of-the-valley bud and delicate foliage picked out in yellow-gold, motherof-pearl, blue and green agate, and lapis lazuli (left).

See the maison come to life when Van Cleef & Arpels collaborates with French illustrator Charlotte Gastaut on an installation adorning Martin Place in Sydney’s CBD (3 to 13 September) after brightening up the Rockefeller Center (above) in New York in May. For a further nature fix, The Scott Sisters: Pioneers of Science and Art at the State Library of NSW (sl.nsw.gov.au; 25 to 27 September) is a multimedia work about 19th-century natural history illustrators Harriet and Helena Scott’s “butterfly book”, as part of the library’s 200th anniversary festivities. And on the first day of spring, the Botanic Gardens of Sydney will release What the Flora? Incredible Stories from the Brilliant and Bizarre World of Plants (left)

by Vanessa Fuchs.

Let your finances take you places Earn over 200,000 bonus Qantas Points across our range of Financial Services partners

Points make it possible qantas.com/financialservices Except for Qantas-branded products, products are offered or issued by the relevant AFSL or ACL holders and not Qantas. Over 200,000 bonus Qantas Points is based on a member spending and earning on various partner products and services. Eligibility criteria, fees, terms & conditions may apply.

CASE STUDY Story by Felix Scholz

90 BULGARI OCTO FINISSIMO The origin story

For more than a decade, Bulgari has been dominating the world of ultra-thin watchmaking with its angular eightsided collection, the Octo Finissimo.

It’s an extensive and complicated line, featuring tourbillons, minute repeaters and more. But for many devotees, it’s the automatic model – 40 millimetres wide and a mere 5.15 millimetres deep – that’s the standout. Clad in sandblasted titanium, it eschews the brand’s typical bold and glamorous jewellery aesthetic in favour of something more industrial.

The striking style, amplified by the lightness of the titanium case as well as its slenderness, makes wearing the watch, with its strong lines belied by its feather-like weight, an experience of elegant dissonance.

The new frontier

Earlier this year, Bulgari released a new, 37-millimetre Octo Finissimo model, transforming it into a slim watch in both height and width. A major consideration of ultra-thin watchmaking is that space is at a premium and trimming the width means that there’s less room for the components inside. As a result, this version, complete with the new BVF 100 calibre, is slightly thicker than its predecessor, coming in at a total height of 6.35 millimetres. The upsides of the changed dimensions? Notably improved power reserve and more harmonious proportions on the wrist. bulgari.com

The dramatic ultra-thin design now comes in a smaller shell.

THE RIDE Story by Noelle Faulkner

After 25 years on hiatus, this beloved daily drive is reborn as an affordable, sporty grand tourer.

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HONDA PRELUDE Is the Prelude back? Yes, it sure is. After

a 25-year absence, Honda has revived one of its most storied nameplates, an affordable and innovative coupe that earned a devoted following across its five generations. This sixth-generation model arrives as a two-door, 2+2 seater petrol/electric grand tourer, carrying the spirit of the original into the hybrid era. It looks chic. What’s powering it?

Underneath its sleek, curvaceous skin is the brand’s excellent e:HEV hybrid system, a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine working in tandem with an electric motor to produce 135kW/315Nm in power and torque, all sent to the front

wheels. Then there’s the impressive claimed fuel economy of 4.3 litres per 100 kilometres, making it a great choice for the daily commute. What’s it like to drive? In a word – joyous. The power output might not seem like a lot compared to some of the super GTs on the road but that’s the charm – the Prelude is great fun at safe speeds. Along with adaptive dampers and an enhanced braking system, the latest model borrows the dual-axis front suspension from the iconic Civic Type R, which gives it an incredible sense of confidence. There’s even a simulated eight-speed S+ Shift system delivered via the paddle shifters, which adds a layer of engagement. All of this results in an excellent car that blurs the line between refined grand

tourer and an appealing driver’s machine.

That seems like a rare thing these days.

Exactly. We’ve seen many of the highend marques release new, super grand tourers but at $65,000 driveaway, the Prelude is unique. It’s a more mature mover – not a hot hatch, traditional sports car or luxury coupe. What’s the interior like? Simple and driver-focused, with a flat-bottomed leather steering wheel, a nine-inch touchscreen, a Bose eight-speaker audio system and heated front leather seats, plus the safety and connectivity features we’ve come to love from Honda. The rear seats are snug for adults but the 760-litre boot (loaded to the roof, with the seats down) makes it viable for two people and a weekend’s worth of luggage. honda.com.au

Canada, Alaska & USA 2027 Luxury Land Journeys

Exploring Canada, Alaska & USA with Scenic is more than an escorted tour; it is a handcrafted luxury journey designed from more than two decades of expertise in the region.

From the moment you arrive, enjoy immersive discoveries, iconic stays, unrivalled inclusions and the guidance of expert Tour Directors throughout.

Each Scenic Special Stay has been handpicked for its history, character and sense of place. From landmark heritage lodges to properties of genuine architectural distinction, including the iconic Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, these are luxury hotels that leave a lasting impression.

Enhancing this sense of personalisation, Scenic Freechoice excursions included throughout your journey, You have the flexibility to tailor each day to your preferred pace and interests, from active to moderate, or more relaxed.

Experience whale watching off the coast of Victoria, a thrilling heli-flight over the Banff Rockies, and immerse yourself in Old Montréal on a vintage Cadillac tour, the choice is yours.

Savour once-in-a-lifetime Scenic Enrich experiences for a true insight into rich cultural traditions, local wildlife and picturesque landscapes. Enjoy an afterhours Indigenous-inspired feast and cultural demonstration at the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre. In Whistler, join a renowned black bear expert for an enlightening discussion on local wildlife.

Scenic, in a class of its own.

THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS ALASKA’S INSIDE PASSAGE DENALI NATIONAL PARK EASTERN CANADA Conditions Apply: For full booking terms and conditions visit scenic.cruises/terms-conditions. Valid for new bookings only. Prices per person, twin share in Australian dollars. A non-refundable deposit of $1,000 per person is due within 7 days of booking. A second non-refundable deposit of $2,000 per person is due by 30 September 2026, if booking the flight offers. All tour prices include Super Earlybird offers and must be paid in full by 11/12/2026. RHAV price is based on 23/4/2027 departure. TTUN price is based on 8/5/2027 departure If sold out if full payment is not received the standard offer will apply. Offers are not combinable with any other promotional offers. Flight Offers: subject to availability until 31/10/2026 and must be paid in full by 11/12/2026. For new bookings only and may be withdrawn once sold out or at Scenic’s discretion. Flight offers cannot

Majestic Rockies & Alaskan Cruise 16 Days | Departs Apr, May, Jul & Sep 2027 Banff > Vancouver From $13,095pp* Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier

Experience the Scenic Difference

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Smaller group journeys of no more than 36 guests Exclusive Scenic Enrich events

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Eastern Canada & USA Explorer 15 Days | Departs May, Aug & Sep 2027 Montréal > New York City From $14,395pp* Canada

An expert team consisting of your experienced Tour Director, knowledgeable local guides and a dedicated Cruise Liaison on your Alaska cruise.

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scenic.cruises | 138 128 | Contact your local Travel Advisor be combined with any other offers and must be via Scenic’ s chosen airline, booking class and routing. Valid ex Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane return to Vancouver. Once a seating class is sold out surcharges shall apply. Airline schedules are subject to change without notice and Scenic is not liable for any additional costs incurred due to airline schedule changes. Business Class offer Fly from price is $8,595 per person based on Air Canada P class including applicable air taxes of $620 per person.Premium Economy offer Fly from price is $3,595 per person n Air Canada A class. including applicable air taxes of $530 per person. Tax coverage will vary based on tour departure, dates and routing. Surcharges may apply on selected credit card transactions. Prices, dates, taxes and availability correct at 13/07/26 & subject to change. Scenic Pty Ltd ABN 85 002 715 602.

Rivière, Applecross – Move-In Ready 2026 WA Property Council Award for ‘Best Residential Development’

Destinations worth arriving home to.

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SPECIAL REPORT

DESIGN INNOVATION ON LOCATION Story by Julie Lee

Therese Bourne

Australian designers are breaking new ground in everything from sound integration to public infrastructure.

Here are the exciting new projects to explore around the country.

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SPECIAL REPORT

Access to an icon reimagined The Sydney Harbour Bridge had a problem: stair-only access for bike riders. “They faced 55 steps to get onto the bridge so unless you were fit, you weren’t going up or down,” says Sacha Coles (below), global design director at Aspect Studios. “Our brief was to make a cycle ramp that everyone could use.”

The 170-metre Sydney Harbour Bridge Cycleway Ramp opened in January and connects Bradfield Park North in Milsons Point to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It was a joint project between urban designers Aspect Studios, architects Collins and Turner, engineers Eckersley O’Callaghan and heritage consultants Design 5.

The bridge itself, completed in 1932, posed one of the biggest challenges. “It’s on state and national heritage registers so we wanted our addition to look like it’s always been there,” says Coles. “The bridge is made of steel and cast bronze so we chose those materials. We added about 1500 cast-bronze balustrades that look like the ribs of a serpentine creature floating above Bradfield Park.” They also made use of Moruya granite to match the stone used in the bridge’s pylons.

Aspect Studios engaged with Traditional Custodians on both sides of the harbour. “We had deep engagement with Gadigal Elders on the city side and Cammeraygal Elders on the northern side. The crossing of the two Countries over water is represented in the ramp’s paving, an artwork by Aboriginal artists

Madwings Murals using 130,000 handlaid granite pavers to depict two eels meeting and crossing.”

The success of the cycleway can be counted in wheel rotations. “Usage is up about 35 per cent and it supports diverse groups, including those riding cargo bikes to transport children. It’s making cycling more equitable.”

Ruth Gold

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DESIGN

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David Chatfield. Jessie Prince

A city shaped by dining For Jared Webb (above), restaurant design is as much about the narrative as it is the building. “You have a captive audience for two hours and the dream is for patrons to be so immersed in sharing the meal that they’re not going to pick up their phones,” says the architect responsible for some of Brisbane’s most exciting venues, including Marlowe, a bistro set inside

a heritage-listed Art Deco apartment building on Fish Lane.

With his design firm J.AR Office, Webb is focused on creating communal spaces. “Brisbane is severely lacking in public space or places of congregation.

So a narrative for us as a practice is about designing that space. It’s not where you live or where you work but where you play. A big thing with our projects is offering a sense of reprieve from the city’s climate.”

Located in a basement, Cantonese restaurant Central has an illuminated ceiling and exposed sandstone and tuff stone walls that help convey the cultural story. “The venue mimics the proportions of the Cantonese opera stage with sight lines to the kitchen, which is the stage where your food is prepared,” says Webb.

At Golden Avenue (left and top) – a Middle Eastern-inspired eatery that’s described as “Brisbane’s Babylon” thanks to its subtropical greenery and pink Juparana stone used throughout – Webb told its story through the environment.

“There’s a lack of naturally ventilated places of climactic relief in the city so this space has a courtyard with fans and skylights so you can see the sky but you’re protected from the elements.”

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DESIGN

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Crafting a sense of place

Jack Lovel

Design studio Foolscap took a local approach for the interiors of the Garde Hotel in Fremantle. “By collaborating with our network of makers, we’ve shaped a space that reflects the city’s identity,” says founder and principal Adèle Winteridge (right).

Originally built in 1897 as the police headquarters, Garde sits in a heritage precinct, alongside the Fremantle Prison and the Old Courthouse. It’s been reborn as an 83-room property designed by Matthew Crawford Architects and Meyer Shircore Architects, with

Winteridge’s team leading the interior design of bar and restaurant Anglesea (below), which draws its identity from the city’s rich port history.

Among other Western Australian craftspeople, Foolscap collaborated with ceramicist Gavin Carver on the custom light fixtures and with artist

Jordy Hewitt, who hand-painted the sails and curtains in the colours of Fremantle’s sunsets. “Jordy’s work complements the interiors, creating this softness and warmth,” says Winteridge. “We wanted to create a space that makes you feel like you’re part of the fabric of the place.”

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DESIGN

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Stargazing takes on fresh meaning inside the new foyer of Launceston’s Albert Hall. “We designed the interior to feel as though you’re standing under a starry canopy at night, with light just poking through the perforated ceiling,” says Emily Slevin (far right), principal at design firm Terroir, which was responsible for bringing this Victorian-era landmark into the 21st century.

Built in central City Park in 1891, the Albert Hall has long served as a cultural hub for the northern Tasmanian city, hosting everything from recitals to graduations. “The building had become spatially unaccommodating,” says Slevin. “The foyer was undersized, the amenities were at the end of their lives and there was no disabled access at all.”

To address these challenges, the Terroir team aimed for “preservation through renewal”, she says. “After looking at the ornamentation and the beauty of the timber work in

the main hall, we decided not to replicate those existing qualities. We wanted the addition to feel decidedly different and rather than extending the materiality of the hall out, our idea was to bring the park right up to the original wall of the building.”

The expansion draws colour and material influences from the landscape, integrating the basalt ground plane and details of the wrought-iron gates.

“The new extension is a dark shadow that sits between the qualities of the existing building and of the park.”

Brett Boardman. Adam Gibson

Heritage brought to renewed life

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DESIGN

Connection through sound Claire Markwick-Smith (below) had a clear brief for Honeydripper, a vinyl listening bar in Adelaide’s CBD: 1970s Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles. “The client wanted walnut, leather and brilliant acoustics,” says the architect.

“At their core, listening lounges are about community and I wanted to celebrate that.”

The dual-level space, with a lounge downstairs (top) for casual listening and an intimate club-like bar upstairs (left), is lined with perforated raw MDF and acoustic curtains and carpets where more sound absorption is needed. “We kept those materials low-fi and contrasted them with materials like studded vinyl flooring, glass mosaic tiles and walnut leather,” she says. It’s open in the morning for coffee and bagels but Honeydripper’s low-lighting and cozy banquettes are made for lingering in the evenings.

Markwick-Smith worked with acoustic engineers Volta Acoustics on the material selection and placement.

“It’s quite a balancing act to be using reflective and absorbent materials and get it right.”

Jonathan van der Knaap

SPECIAL REPORT

Milan shapes the future of interiors.

Every year, Salone del Mobile brings the world’s design community together. We go to discover what’s next and ideas that inspire the PARISI collection and the spaces we create.

SALONE MILANO 2026 parisi.com.au/salone

Designing along songlines The Twelve Apostles on the Great Ocean Road in Victoria aren’t just about stunning views – it’s also a recognition of Country. “You’re at a meeting point of the sea, sky and land in this beautiful, wild environment,” says Eastern Maar citizen and Keerray Woorroong woman Dr Vicki Couzens. “When they visit, people are invited to be in ceremony with the spirit of Country and an awareness of Country as a living entity.”

The redevelopment of the Twelve Apostles and Poombeeyt Koontapool lookouts was a collaboration between architects Denton Corker Marshall, landscape architects McGregor Coxall and the Eastern Maar Aboriginal

Corporation. “We wanted our designs to reflect Eastern Maar culture and values while being sensitive to these unique landscapes,” says Neil Bourne (above), senior director at Denton Corker Marshall. “We also wanted to reinforce the multi-sensory experience: the spray, the wind, the smells and the thrill of almost hanging over the cliff.”

The lookouts each offer a unique experience. At the Twelve Apostles (left top), two rectangles, representing clapsticks, cantilever from the cliff face. “Clapsticks are used as musical instruments in ceremony,” says Dr Couzens, who was a member of the Eastern Maar working group and a consulting artist on the project. “The colours represent the black and white cockatoo moieties, which are key to our mob’s social structure. The sulphurcrested white cockatoo is the white and yellow clapstick and the red-tailed black cockatoo is the black and red one.” The Poombeeyt Koontapool Lookout (left and below) at the blowhole in Loch Ard Gorge, about four kilometres from the Twelve Apostles, is more recessive.

“We wanted the landscape to do the talking,” says Bourne. “You can hear the blowhole before you see it so we wanted to create a sense of concealing then revealing with the design.”

Named Poombeeyt Koontapool, which means “breath of the whale” in Keerray Woorroong language, the lookout is a low-profile wave form that arcs around the cliff. It’s inspired by the shape, motion and colours of the southern right whale. “The pattern embossed on the structure’s interior maps the spray of an exhalation of its breath,” says Dr Couzens.

The project connects important parts of the Shipwreck Coast for the Eastern Maar Traditional Custodians by creating a songline from the Twelve Apostles to Poombeeyt Koontapool.

Simpson Construction Co. Neil Bourne. Therese Bourne

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where magic happens An extraordinary mix of history, art, fashion and nightlife is squeezed into West Hollywood’s three distinct neighbourhoods – the neon-lit Sunset Strip, the style-setting Design District and the city’s LGBTQI+ epicentre, the Rainbow District. So take to the streets and discover the City of Angels’ magical heart.

The West Hollywood Edition

Where classic...

West Hollywood has oldschool glamour rubbing shoulders with the city’s creative cutting-edge.

Historic hotels, celebrity haunts and legendary music venues share the spotlight with design-led stays and boundary-pushing eateries.

Heritage stays The Sunset Tower Hotel’s pink-hued glamour (above) made it a favourite of Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe. Soak up its Art Deco style in one of 81 rooms and suites, and enjoy a martini while spotting stars at the Tower Bar and Restaurant, where photos are strictly forbidden.

The colourful rock ’n’ roll history of the Sunset Strip’s Andaz saw it dubbed

“The Riot House” for good reason – the Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards once threw a TV from his balcony here, for starters. These days, the hotel is more luxe than louche, with a cabana-ringed pool at LA’s highest rooftop pool bar.

The Sunset Marquis is nestled in subtropical private gardens. Book a table on the terrace at the hotel’s renowned Cavatina fine-dining garden restaurant, where the tuna crudo and Wagyu burger have made it a premier power-lunch destination.

Discover these stays at qantas.com/hotels.

Sunset Tower Hotel, Photo by Laure Joliet; The West Hollywood Edition, Photo by Carley Rudd

Presented by Visit West Hollywood

Legendary tables

Chic hotels

Straight out of Central Casting, Dan Tana’s (dantanasrestaurant.com) is the quintessential red sauce joint with leather booths, gingham tablecloths and memorabilia. Slinging classics such as Clams Casino since 1964, the storied diner has dishes named after famous regulars, including George Clooney.

Featuring in films such as Grease and Body Double, the century-old Barney’s Beanery (barneysbeanery.com) is one of West Hollywood’s most-loved dive bars.

Join the eclectic crowd for spicy chilli, tequila sodas and arcade games.

In all its 1930s splendour, The Formosa (theformosacafe.com) is a great spot for Chinese-American comfort food and theatrical cocktails.

Grab a booth in the red trolley car and order chicken chow mein, the dish Frank Sinatra ate here after winning an Oscar for From Here to Eternity in 1954.

Minimalism underscores the eye-catching art at high-end The West Hollywood Edition (qantas.com/hotels). The 190 rooms and suites each have a French balcony or terrace, while The Roof bar

mixes cocktails with great views. Don’t miss Ardor’s vegetable-centric menu or the disco-ball-dazzled basement club, Sunset.

Crowned by a rooftop park with firepits, picnic tables and ball courts, Public West Hollywood (bottom; public hotels.com) is noted hotelier Ian Schrager’s latest homage to LA. Opening soon, it’ll have in-room entertainment featuring three-metre screens and laser projectors.

...meets cool

Hot seats On Melrose Avenue, Italian-American restaurant Craig’s (craigs.la) has serious star pulling power. Order the lobster tagliatelli and honey truffle chicken and settle in for some primo people-watching.

Take a seat in the marble-floored dining room or on the palm-fringed terrace at Cecconi’s (centre; cecconisrestaurants. com). This modern Italian trattoria shines at aperitivo hour, when cicchetti are paired perfectly with a refreshing Aperol spritz.

Find Mexican coastal cool at the Valorian’s Casa Madera (above; thecasa madera.com), where you can taste the vibrant flavours of the Yucatan Peninsula in the sea bass tacos and tequila cocktails.

visitwesthollywood.com

Chic boutiques and contemporary galleries within architectural landmarks sit alongside buzzing streetside cafes and some of West Hollywood’s most talkedabout restaurants. Pack your walking shoes – in this compact neighbourhood, the best itinerary is on foot.

Grand designs

Where art and style...

A primer for West Coast Modernism, the MAK Center for Art and Architecture (left; makcenter.org) occupies architect Rudolf Schindler’s 1922 Schindler House.

The residence remains a pioneering blueprint for Californian homes with its redwood partitions, stark concrete walls and rooftop lofts serving as bedrooms.

Take in some contemporary art at Hauser & Wirth (hauserwirth.com). The Swiss institution’s Santa Monica Boulevard outpost is housed in a Spanish Colonial Revival space that exemplifies Hollywood’s Golden Age architectural style.

Fashion finds The mix of high fashion, hip streetwear and everything in between makes the Design District section of Melrose Avenue (visitwesthollywood.com/neighborhoods/ design-district) a shopper’s dream. Don’t miss Melrose Place, which is lined with boutiques and cafes.

Fashion meets art at H.Lorenzo (hlorenzo.com). The renowned retailer’s gallery-like flagship elevates its avantgarde labels – think Yohji Yamamoto, Ann Demeulemeester and Comme des Garçons – with ethereal displays.

At Sporty & Rich (left; sportyand rich.com), vintage T-shirts hang alongside limited-edition sneakers in a powder-pink space that also houses a cafe serving wellness smoothies and matcha.

Presented by Visit West Hollywood

Suite eats

Schindler House, 1922. Courtesy of the MAK Center for Art and Architecture, Los Angeles. Photography by Tag Christof, 2021.

Sip and savour Plant-based dining gets creative at The Butcher’s Daughter (thebutchers daughter.com). The greenhouse-like venue turns vegetables into stars, from tomato tartare to seared lion’s mane mushroom steak. Kanna-infused mocktails stick to the theme – or there’s a spicy margarita if you’re feeling less virtuous.

The Rainbow District is all the more colourful for the artfully curated shelves of Laurel Supply (above; laurel supply.com), a newly opened organic grocery store that serves woodfired pizza, sushi, gelato, juices and smoothies.

Artful lodgings Get your art fix at The Valorian, where a ground-floor gallery space stages pop-up exhibitions by local creatives.

The 236 guestrooms and suites lean sleek and gallery-like, pairing crisp whites and soft lighting with bursts of bright colours.

Petit Ermitage (right) is adorned with Modern masters, such as de Kooning and Dalí, while fireplaces add boho charm to the 80 suites. End the day with a cocktail in the rooftop lounge before dining by candlelight at the alfresco restaurant.

Discover these stays at qantas.com/hotels.

visitwesthollywood.com

Mediterranean flavours take centrestage at Ladyhawk, the signature restaurant of the Kimpton La Peer Hotel (centre) in the heart of the Design District.

Lebanese staples such as falafel and baba ghanoush anchor shareable mezze platters, while punchy small plates like charred octopus in chorizo butter are just the ticket for solo travellers.

Steps away from 1 Hotel West Hollywood on Sunset Boulevard, Madeo Ristorante (madeoristorante.com) serves up traditional Tuscan family recipes in a striking high-ceilinged space that blends old-world polish and a breezy Californian sensibility.

Discover these stays at qantas.com/hotels.

...meet great taste

Where total relaxation...

Here, sunrise yoga and late, late nights can happily co-exist. By day, healing rituals and glow-ups make it a wellness hub. By night, famed music venues and dimly lit bars beckon revellers to burn the midnight oil.

Rest and recharge A sustainable sanctuary on Sunset Boulevard, 1 Hotel West Hollywood (above) has a sky-high pool with panoramic views. Greenery is woven across its two towers, with garden paths that mimic a walk in the Hollywood Hills.

There’ll be no fighting over cabanas at The London West Hollywood (left), where the pool and sundeck are only for guests. This stay also boasts a 110-seat screening room for private movie nights.

Discover these stays at qantas.com/hotels.

Presented by Visit West Hollywood

Stay up late The Sunset Strip is right on the doorstep but Hotel Ziggy (left) dances to its own rock’n’roll beat. Live DJ sets feature at summer weekend pool parties, while a Shred Shed lends guitars and amps to aspiring axe masters. Vintage concert posters and record players in the rooms keep the good vibes going.

Stevie Wonder and Nick Jonas have played cabaret-style music spot The Sun Rose West Hollywood and you may see surprise sets from festival acts during Coachella. Another drawcard? The luxury 149-room hotel has its own bowling alley.

Discover these stays at qantas.com/hotels.

...meets big after-dark energy

1 West Hollywood Property, Photo by James Baigrie;

Eat, drink and play Angelenos flock to Harriet’s (harriets rooftop.com) for first-class cocktails and Asian snacks. Head to the top floor of 1 Hotel, where it’s like a lavish garden party with fairy lights and striped umbrellas, and chase your cognac, ginger and peach spritz with spicy tuna rolls.

Since exploding onto LA’s music scene in 1964, the Whisky a Go Go (whiskyagogo.com) has hosted the biggest names in rock. Catch a gig where The Doors and Led Zeppelin made history, whether it’s a classic rock tribute band or an emerging act.

The inspiration for Chappell Roan’s Pink Pony Club, iconic gay bar The Abbey (theabbeyweho.com) is a Rainbow District landmark. The drag brunch is a Sunday tradition – expect free-flowing mimosas, fabulous divas and a raucous crowd.

Sumptuous speakeasy Delilah (right; delilahrestaurants.com) is where you can sink onto a velvet banquette for a shrimp cocktail and glass of champagne.

And don’t forget your dancing shoes.

visitwesthollywood.com

Find your balance An oasis of pampering, The Spa at The West Hollywood Edition (edition hotels.com) offers treatments that marry ancient wisdom and modern science, such as the bamboo stick and Hypervolt percussion deep-tissue massage.

IV drips and cryotherapy are on the wellness menu at medi-spa Next Health (next-health.com). Head there for a vitamin shot or to explore the longevity program with ozone therapy.

Get awards-ready at The Spa by Joanna Vargas (joannavargas.com). The celebrity pick Triple Crown Classic Facial has microdermabrasion and microcurrent therapy, finished with an oxygen blast.

Presented by Visit West Hollywood

Where everything is within reach So you think every visit to Los Angeles requires a car and endless hours on the freeway? West Hollywood begs to differ.

An LA neighbourhood where you can stroll to brunch, browse through designer boutiques and indulge in a high-tech spa treatment before heading out to dinner and dancing – all without starting an engine – sounds like the invention of a Hollywood writers’ room. Yet that’s everyday life in West Hollywood, which has long been recognised as California’s most walkable city.

And when you’re ready to venture further afield, it’s an ideal launchpad. Hike canyons in the nearby Hollywood Hills, dive into the waves at Malibu or catch a football game at SoFi Stadium, a show at Crypto.com Arena or a ride at Universal Studios. They’re all an easy Uber ride away, which makes for a carefree (and car-free) LA stay.

To Universal Studios

Sunset Blvd To Hollywood

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Santa Monica Blvd/U.S. Route 66

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To Beverly Hills

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Scan here to see more at visitwesthollywood.com

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Pastabilities

Tarte Bakery & Cafe

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THE WHIMSICAL, WONDERFUL AND JUST PLAIN WEIRD MAKE OSAKA A UNICORN PLAYGROUND FOR THREE GENERATIONS TO CONNECT. 107

Melanie Maya

BREATHE

Luis Garcia

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STORY BY BENJAMIN LAW

DAYS OF Alfred Kenneally

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One boomer, three millennials and a baby are trapped inside a giant bubble.

It sounds like the start of a joke but this is reality at Kids Plaza Osaka (kidsplaza. or.jp), where five members of my family have found the holy grail: a Japanese tourist attraction where everyone, at any age, can have a great time.

Since arriving in Osaka, our group – which is made up of my mum, Jenny, my sister, Michelle, her husband, Dave, and their nearly-one-year-old son, Arnold – has had to automatically rule out certain attractions. Necessary because the eldest of us is a Seniors Card-holder with mobility issues and the youngest is a pre-verbal toddler requiring constant nappy changes. Universal Studios? Too hectic. Traditional onsen? Too slippery.

Fancy restaurants? Sweet lord, no. After eliminating those options, what’s left?

Enter Kids Plaza. A cross between an indoor playground, science centre, theme park and educational museum, it’s been open for nearly 30 years but is relatively unknown to international visitors and gloriously, unapologetically strange. On arrival, we’re greeted by a giant inflatable duck’s head. At the ticket desk, we’re hypnotised by the most elaborate Rube Goldberg machine, in which silver balls ricochet, glide and bounce their way through obstacles, hoops, pulleys, sprockets and carousels, with a trio of friendly cartoon crows looking on benevolently.

After paying the thrillingly modest entry fee (it’s free for babies aged zero to two), a Roald Dahl-esque glass elevator pulls us up above a TV studio to the tri-level museum. The centrepiece here is Kids Town, a dizzying playground designed by the late Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser, where children enter slides and rope bridges on one level, only to emerge on another.

It’s a winning combination of ridiculous,

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adventurous and – crucially – safe. On the other levels, toddlers race each other in cardboard cars, while bigger kids craft block towers taller than their parents. One family busily hacks away the fake hair of a gigantic fibreglass head, like Lilliputian barbers. Teenagers wage water battles from transparent pods that are suspended above the floor.

Meanwhile, we find ourselves enclosed inside enormous soap bubbles, Mum and I laughing in delight. In awe, Arnold pops one with a little finger.

The staff seem almost as happy as the children. Many are retirees, guiding visitors with an infectious enthusiasm. Watching grandparents become children again turns out to be one of the museum’s greatest attractions – it’s the ABC’s Old People’s Home For 4 Year Olds come to life.

A few days earlier, in Tokyo, our multigenerational travel experiment had looked considerably less promising.

While on paper it sounded manageable, the capital’s faster pace challenged us.

Prams – even compact travel ones – proved to be incompatible with crowded train stations, elevators were often hidden deep within subway stations and walking distances felt much longer than expected.

Osaka, just under three hours by Shinkansen from Tokyo, immediately feels different. Children are everywhere.

Teenagers cheerily linger by food vans and at skate parks. Colleagues sit beside rivers on picnic blankets after work, while people happily push strollers and wheelchairs around the city without any hassle. Somehow, Osaka manages to cram in nearly three million people yet feels surprisingly spacious.

While apartment-style Mimaru (qantas.com/hotels/mimaruosaka) in the city centre is able to accommodate a group like ours with its various needs, it can book out quickly. So we decide to base ourselves in a multi-level Airbnb in Nishinari Ward, a traditionally workingclass neighbourhood boasting many tri-level terrace-style houses. This way,

Andrew Faulk

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Doorstep to departure Uber One members who link their Qantas Frequent Flyer and Uber accounts can earn Qantas Points on eligible premium Uber rides and Uber Eats restaurant delivery orders.

qantas.com/uber

Points make it possible

*Qantas Frequent Flyer members with linked Uber accounts and an Uber One membership, will earn 1 pt per $1 on Comfort, Comfort Electric, and Black rides, and 1 pt per $2 on eligible Uber Eats restaurant delivery orders over $20. All earn and order eligibility calculated on total $ spend after applicable fees and discounts. For full terms and conditions visit www.qantas.com/uber.

not only does each generation have their own room but a whole floor to themselves.

The area is a more tranquil alternative to busier districts: at night, the streets are quiet, lanterns softly illuminating families making their way to the sento (communal bathhouses) together.

After the Kids Plaza, we venture on a daytrip to Nara, about 40 minutes away by train. Like most visitors, we want to see the deer that have roamed wild through Nara Park for more than 1300 years. It means that we have to keep protective eyes on my mother, in case a particularly enthusiastic animal knocks her over in its pursuit of rice crackers. Thankfully, disaster doesn’t materialise.

As well as the deer, the historic city offers gentle walking paths, colourful themed cable cars, such as the Kintetsu Ikoma, craft activities, including papermaking, confectionary classes and tea ceremonies, plus enough open space for us to roam without getting lost or creating news headlines.

Back in Osaka, we find even the famously chaotic entertainment district of Dotonbori surprisingly manageable if we go there during daylight hours. The broad promenades accommodate a pram with ease. Giant mechanical crabs wave oversized pincers above restaurants and dragons, octopuses and cartoon mascots compete for our attention overhead. To Arnold, it’s a theme park. For us adults, it’s a reminder that Osaka doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Travelling with a cross-section of generations is often presented as an exercise in compromise: grandparents slow things down and kids’ nap times dictate outings. Yet Osaka meets us where we are. And even though I usually prefer a frenetic pace when travelling, I experience something unexpected: gratitude for the chance to stop trying to optimise every minute and simply spend time together. Those moments when five people, separated by more than 70 years, get to enjoy exactly the same thing.

George Pachantouris

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Presented by American Express

P O INTS TIP S

A recipe for earning Qantas Points: How this entrepreneur uses Qantas American Express Cards to level up work and family travel The Business Card that helps you expand your business Dylan Eisenhut and Ben Pichon owned rival hospitality ventures before they teamed up to start Pocket Pizza. “We wanted to offer a versatile product that can be consumed at home, in a restaurant or even at the beach,” says Eisenhut. “In 2015, the New York-Italian specialty pizza concept didn’t exist in Sydney.” From their first restaurant in Manly, on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, they’ve now expanded to four, with smart use of the American Express® Qantas Business Rewards Card enabling them to manage cash flow while earning Qantas Points for their business trips.

Unlock cash flow and flexible spending Pocket Pizza has grown by opening new stores, which have big upfront costs. The Card’s payment terms help Eisenhut manage that. “When I put big-ticket items on the Card, I know that I’ll have up to 51 days to pay,¹ which is fantastic for our cash flow. When we opened our second store in Brookvale, we took advantage of the Card’s line of unsecured funding2 and put $30,000 worth of new kitchen appliances on the Card. The flexible spending power allows us to purchase equipment as and when we need it during renovations and new openings. With up to 51 days to pay from time of purchase, we have time to trade and earn the income to pay off these big expenses.”

American Express approval criteria applies. Subject to Terms and Conditions. Fees and charges apply. All information is correct as at 1 September 2026 and is subject to change. This offer is only available to those who reside in Australia. American Express Australia Limited (ABN 92 108 952 085). ®Registered Trademark of American Express Company. American Express Consumer Credit Cards are offered, issued and administered under Australian Credit Licence No 291313. American Express Qantas Business Rewards Card: 1. Extend your cash flow by up to 51 days: Depending on your method of payment, when you make a purchase, when your statement is issued and whether or not you are carrying forward a balance on your account from your previous statement period. If you pay by direct debit, your payment will be processed 10 days after your statement is issued. 2. Flexible spending power: Unless we tell you otherwise, your American Express Charge Card comes with flexible spending power, also known as no pre-set spending limit.

This means that the amount you can spend is dynamic and can adapt based on your transaction patterns, your Business credit rating and other factors. The way you use your Card can help your spending power grow, particularly in the first few months. To help maximise your spending power, you can make regular transactions and don’t miss any payments. 3. Employee Cards: $0 annual Employee Card fee for up to 99 cards (this limit includes both active and cancelled Employee Cards). Employee Card Members must be over 18 years of age. The Business and the Primary Card Member are jointly and severally liable for all Employee Card spending. Each employee is entitled to only one (1) Employee Card. Qantas American Express Ultimate Card: 4. Qantas Travel Credit: Qantas American Express Ultimate Primary Card Members are eligible for an annual $450 Qantas Travel Credit, subject to the full Qantas Travel Credit Terms and Conditions at go.amex/ult-travel-credit-terms. The Qantas Travel Credit can be redeemed through American Express Travel Online at go.amex/qff-amex-travel on a single eligible travel booking for Qantas Flights (i.e. a QF flight number on your ticket) by selecting the Qantas Travel Credit when you checkout. All Qantas Flight travel is subject to Qantas Conditions of Carriage available at qantas.com/carriage. To redeem the Travel Credit, the full value of the Travel Credit (or more) must be charged to the eligible Primary Card.

The Qantas Travel Credit can be used for 365 days from the benefit anniversary date and cannot be used past the expiration date. To check the expiration date of your Qantas Travel Credit if you have not already redeemed it, please visit go.amex/qff-amex-travel; log in and click ‘Travel Credit’. If your booking is cancelled, and your Qantas Travel Credit has already been used and associated statement credit applied to your account, you will forfeit your annual Qantas Travel Credit benefit and American Express may reverse the statement credits issued. You need to be able to spend on the Card to access the Qantas Travel Credit benefit and it should be credited to your Card Account within 3 business days but may take up to 30 days. Your account must be in good standing and you must have paid the annual fee and minimum payment by the due date. If you cancel your Card, change your rewards program or Card type, you will no longer be eligible for the Qantas Travel Credit. 5. Qantas Club Complimentary Lounge Invitations: You will be eligible to receive two Qantas Club Complimentary Lounge Invitations each anniversary year of your Qantas American Express Ultimate Card (Card) Membership, provided you: (a) register your Qantas Frequent Flyer

The Card helps streamline expenses “I was using a petty cash tin – and constantly trying to balance it. The Amex Qantas Business Rewards Card helps me tidy up small transactions so I moved all our business expenses to the Card.

You can get up to 99 Employee Cards at no additional fee.3 Staff use their Employee Cards for petrol in our eight vehicles. All Card transactions go into Xero so it’s easy to see each one and also to make repayments on time.”

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The Card that unlocks cherished family holidays Family time is a top priority for Eisenhut and it was especially important in the early years of Pocket Pizza when he was working long hours. He pays for family trips on his personal Qantas American Express Ultimate Card. “My wife, Bridget, and I love to take our sons on annual international holidays.

These years are fleeting so it’s really important to us.”

Turn Card benefits into memories By putting his family expenses on the Card, Eisenhut sees his personal Qantas Points balance grow – he’s earned enough points for some reward flights and also makes sure to use the Card’s Annual $450 Qantas Travel Credit.4 “So far we’ve been to Fiji, the Philippines, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. We really value being able to go to a new country together and for the kids to experience different cultures.”

Unlock multiple travel perks “When Bridget and I travel together we like to use the Qantas Club Complimentary Lounge Invitations.5 Our boys are also really sporty – basketball, rugby, jujitsu, swimming and surfing – and their sporting gear and fees all go on the Card.

They’re both very tall now and recently we used Qantas Points earned on the Card to upgrade our red-eye flight home from Asia – that was a game changer!”

Earn up to 1.25 Qantas Points per $1 spent on everyday purchases.* *T&Cs apply.

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number with your Card Account; and (b) make a purchase on selected Qantas products and services using your Card. Selected Qantas products and services are the purchase of (a) a Qantas passenger flight departing from Australia with a QF flight number purchased in Australian Dollars (AUD) directly from Qantas.com.au using your Card; or (b) using your Card to pay for joining or annual fees for Qantas Frequent Flyer or Qantas Club membership. Subject to Qantas American Express Card Points Terms and Conditions at go.amex/qff-card-points. Within 2 weeks of purchasing selected Qantas products and services, two Qantas Club Complimentary Lounge Invitations will be assigned to the Qantas Frequent Flyer account. In order to use your invitations, login to your Qantas Frequent Flyer Account or use the Qantas App to access your invitations and link them with an eligible Qantas flight booking prior to use (must be done at least 24 hours prior to your departure time). Each Complimentary Lounge Invitation is valid for a single visit by one guest to a Qantas Club domestic lounge, Qantas International or Qantas International Business Lounge, and must be used prior to expiry. Access and use are subject to the Complimentary Lounge Invitation Terms and Conditions available at qantas.com/lounge-invitation-terms and the Lounge Entry Terms and Conditions available at qantas.com/loungeterms. Invitations may be revoked or withheld if your Card account is not in good standing, if the selected Qantas products and services are refunded in full or if you have not complied with these Complimentary Lounge Invitation Terms and Conditions at qantas.com/ lounge-invitation-terms and the American Express Credit Card Terms and Conditions at go.amex/amex-terms. 6. Bonus & Eligibility: To earn up to 120,000 bonus Qantas Points, you must apply online by 17 November 2026, be approved, and meet the following criteria. You’ll receive 70,000 bonus Qantas Points when you spend $5,000 or more on eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 3 months from the Card approval date. To receive an additional 50,000 bonus Qantas Points, you need to remain a Qantas American Express Ultimate Card Member and spend $5,000 or more on eligible purchases within the first 3 months of your second year of Card Membership. Eligible purchases do not include Card fees and charges, for example annual fees, interest, late payment, cash advances, balance transfers, traveller’s cheques and foreign currency conversion. Please allow 8-10 weeks after the spend criteria has been met in both your first and second years of Card Membership for the bonus points to be credited to your Account.

You will still be eligible to earn the additional 50,000 bonus Qantas Points in your second year of Card Membership even if you did not meet the $5,000 minimum spend criteria to receive the 70,000 bonus Qantas Points in the first year of membership. This offer is only available to new American Express Card Members. Card Members who currently hold or who have previously held any Card product issued by American Express Australia Limited in the past 18 months are ineligible for this offer. Qantas Points are earned in accordance with and subject to the Qantas American Express Card Points Terms and Conditions at go.amex/ qff-card-points . Qantas Frequent Flyer membership and the earning and redemption of points are subject to the Terms and Conditions of the Qantas Frequent Flyer program available at qantas.com/terms . $450 Annual Card Fee applies. This advertised offer is not applicable or valid in conjunction with any other advertised or promotional offer. Information is correct as at 29 July 2026.

POSTCARD FROM...

Actor Nathalie Morris trades the limelight for time in Tasmania’s peaceful North West.

As told to Eliza O’Hare

Best known for her leading role in the award-winning Australian TV series Bump, the Canberra-born, Frenchspeaking actor is set to hit the stage in E.M. Forster’s A Room With a View in Sydney at the Belvoir St Theatre and at the Melbourne Theatre Company’s Southbank Theatre. But it’s to Stanley, the “quietest little village”, in Lutruwita/ Tasmania’s North West that she returns for rejuvenation. “It’s very creative and especially peaceful in winter.”

playing in the shallows and penguins coming ashore.” hurseyseafoods.com.au SHOP

THE ANGEL’S SHARE

“Stop for a whisky tasting and grab a bottle or locally crafted sweaters and scarves to take home with you.” theangelsshare.net.au RESET

THE NUT

STAY

SHIP INN STANLEY

“Time stands still here [left]. These old-world boutique accommodations have incredible views and gorgeous touches like freshly baked bread and homemade compote delivered to your door.” shipinnstanley.com.au EAT

STANLEY HOTEL BISTRO “Best pub meal I’ve ever had [left]. I devoured the apple crumble and sticky date pudding in seconds.” stanleyhotelbistro.com.au

HURSEY SEAFOODS

“The fish served at this restaurant [above] is caught locally by Hursey’s own fleet of red fishing boats.

It overlooks the bay and one morning, I saw a whale

“This is the core of an extinct volcano. I love to walk around the summit for panoramic views across Bass Strait [left]. There’s an abundance of wildlife, too. Walking in the late afternoon to watch the light change is magical.” parks.tas.gov.au

DOVE LAKE

“The six-kilometre hike around Dove Lake at Wulinantikala/Cradle Mountain [below] is 2.5 hours from Stanley.

One moment you’re in thick rainforest, the next you’re by the lake shore.” parks.tas.gov.au

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Earn 5,000 bonus Qantas Points on your first Qantas Marketplace order when you spend $139 or more on kitchen appliances

Use code MPFIRSTORDER at checkout

Earn up to 3 points per $1 spent

Free delivery when you spend $300 or more in value

Qantas Marketplace *Promo code is valid for one order per member, cannot be used with any other offer or promo code, and is valid for first-time Qantas Marketplace customers only. Spend $139 or more on your first purchase with Qantas Marketplace, enter MPFIRSTORDER promo code at checkout in order to receive 5,000 bonus Qantas Points. Excludes gift cards and Apple.

BOOK CLUB Story by Michael Williams

Our pick of the page-turners to spend time with this month.

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THE CLASSIC TO CATCH UP ON Celebrated novelist and Goorie woman Melissa Lucashenko is a writer of singular talent who can be outrageously funny, even in high literary mode. In the 2019 Miles Franklin Award winner Too Much Lip, Kerry arrives home to say goodbye to her dying grandpa but there are arrest warrants out for her and she’s turned up riding a stolen motorbike.

THE ONE EVERYONE IS READING

THE HOMEGROWN HIT TO READ NOW

THE ONE YOU SHOULD BE READING

Richard Osman is a world-wide

The new essay collection, Heresies, from one of Australia’s finest writers, Richard Flanagan, is a reminder of his consummate skills. His observations on the major topics of our time – politicial, environmental, philosophical, personal – are a joy and a privilege to read. Nobody captures this country like Flanagan, a masterful stylist who never loses his compassion.

Angel Down by Daniel Kraus has

literary sensation, who’s best known for his Thursday Murder Club books.

We Chase Shadows is the second in his other thriller series, We Solve Murders, which follows crime-solving duo Amy Wheeler and her father- inlaw, Steve, now with Rosie D’Antonio from the first book. It’s a fast-paced, laugh-out-loud escapade.

been out for a while but is now readily available in Australia. The winner of this year’s Pulitzer Prize for fiction is constructed in a single, unbroken sentence. Set amid the horrors of World War I, it tells the story of an American soldier, Private Cyril Bagger, and four of his comrades, who find a fallen angel in No Man’s Land.

THREE STAYS YOU ’ LL LOVE

Luxury by design

Earn 3 points per $1 spent^

Local artistry and a respect for heritage make a stay at these hotels a true aesthetic journey. It’s all possible with Qantas Points.

Plus, enjoy premium inclusions

Further Hotel, Bali

Calm with a diffused layout Tucked around the bars and restaurants of Pererenan, Further Hotel is made up of four clay-brick-clad buildings.

Inside the 25 suites, some of which have private courtyards and outdoor baths, timber, concrete and leather blend together to create a design sensibility that feels both rarefied and warm.

Earn or use points on this booking with Qantas Hotels & Holidays

Garde, Fremantle

Hannah St Hotel, Melbourne

Heritage meets cool

Cutting-edge urban escape

There are two parts to this newly opened getaway: the main hotel, which is a remodelling of former police headquarters, and the convict-era Warders Cottages.

Heritage details such as travertine blend with contemporary tactile materials. At eatery Emily Taylor, the oxtail dumplings are a must.

Book with Qantas Luxury Holidays.

2 guests · 2 nights from $585 or 57,678 points. Offer ends 10 October 2026 ²

This new wedge-shaped hotel in Melbourne’s Southbank is equal parts grit and glamour. Signature elements include custom-made furniture and Australian artworks.

There are wellness and coworking spaces, while five venues, from a bistro to a rooftop bar, have you covered from coffee to cocktails.

Book with Qantas Luxury Holidays.

2 guests · 2 nights from $599 or 59,024 points. Offer ends 30 September 2026 ¹

SAVE 49% Plus, enjoy premium inclusions

Every stay is better with points. Search Qantas Hotels & Holidays to book and earn today. Prefer to book over the phone? Call our team of travel experts on 13 70 66 (no additional fees apply).

^ You must be a Qantas Frequent Flyer member to earn and redeem points. Membership and points are subject to the Qantas Frequent Flyer program terms and conditions.

1. Offer ends 11:59pm (AEST) 30 September 2026, unless sold out prior. See website for full T&Cs. 2. Offer ends 11:59pm (AEDT) 10 October 2026, unless sold out prior.

See website for full T&Cs.

SAVE 52%

The Tokyo EDITION, Toranomon, Tokyo

Every stay is better with Qantas Points Earn or use points on over 500,000 hotels worldwide Qantas Hotels & Holidays

Points make it possible Qantas Frequent Flyer membership and points are subject to T&Cs.

Business Passport The best travel tips for Australian small and medium businesses.

Rewards for you and your business, too Earn more Qantas Points and save on travel costs with Qantas Business Rewards

Earn more Qantas Points Qantas Business Rewards works together with Qantas Frequent Flyer so both the business and the traveller earn Qantas Points for the same trip. It’s a win-win.

Access flight savings Enjoy up to 10 per cent off the base fare (excluding taxes, fees and carrier charges) on selected flights. Look for the blue star in your Business Account.

Tip: How to save on flights and earn more Qantas Points Bridget Carmady, the founder of Clémence Organics, based in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, regularly travels overseas to visit the distributors of her products.

“I’ve been a member of Qantas Business Rewards since I started Clémence in 2016 and it’s helped us expand our global reach. Now we’re a Level 3 member and the rewards mean that we can fly more frequently.

“It allows us to earn Qantas Points for the business and save on Qantas Club memberships –

it’s so good to be able to relax or work in lounges around the world before our flights.” It’s the kind of value that keeps business owners like Bridget coming back.

If you’re looking to get more value from business travel, you can enjoy member-only flight savings to more than 1,300 destinations with Qantas, oneworld and partner airlines. Plus, both you and your business will earn Qantas Points that can then be used to redeem future flights, upgrades and more.

Manage travel in one place Manage business travel, track flights and points balance, and maximise your benefits in your Business Account. Plus, book flights, hotels and car hire all in one place.

ACCESS EXCLUSIVE OFFERS Log in to your Business Account to be among the first to access offers exclusive to Qantas Business Rewards members.

These can include extra savings on flights, bonus points and offers from our partners.

Save on flights and earn more points in the air and on the ground with 50+ partners. Find out how members unlock more for their business at qantas.com/business A business must be a Qantas Business Rewards Member to earn Qantas Points for the business. A one-off joining fee of $89.50 applies, is inclusive of any applicable GST and may be varied by Qantas from time to time, without notice, at its absolute discretion. Membership and Qantas Points for business are offered under the Qantas Business Rewards Terms and Conditions and earning thresholds apply. For full T&Cs, see qantas.com/businesspassport.

A PHOTOGRAPHY EXPEDITION IN SUBARCTIC CANADA DELIVERS POLAR BEAR ENCOUNTERS, AURORA GLIMPSES AND EXTRAORDINARY SNAPS. 125

CONNECT

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GOLDEN STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY JO BAINBRIDGE

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HOUR

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I peer through the viewfinder, my index finger hovering over the shutter. Taking a slow breath, I’m careful to avoid any sudden shifts that might tilt the lens resting on the window frame. My focus is locked on a willow scrub and the cream-coloured fur behind it.

“It’s waking up! It’s coming our way,” a fellow traveller whispers. The polar bear emerges, its massive paws treading through pools of slush ice on the shores of Hudson Bay. It pauses, offering a perfect profile. The bear’s black nose lifts and its ears twitch. As the amber hues of the afternoon sun wash over the apex predator’s face, it stretches and then sinks back down.

Shutters click in rapid, rhythmic bursts – the adrenaline is contagious. The warm glow and dramatic shadows transform an already defining visual into something otherworldly.

This experience is far from ordinary for me but it’s a regular day at the Tundra Buggy Lodge with Frontiers North Adventures (frontiersnorth.com).

What began in 1987 with a small group of adventurers who wanted to dine on the ice has evolved into sophisticated modular-style accommodation at Polar Bear Point, about a 90-minute drive from Churchill. Elevated above the land on oversized tyres, the 40-guest lodge (above) looks and feels like a subarctic space station – snug and self-sufficient on the inside and seasonally positioned exactly where the action is.

I’m here for the six-night Photo Adventure, an itinerary that’s paced to allow extended time on the tundra in the Churchill Wildlife Management Area. Considered “the polar bear capital of the world”, Churchill is a lesson in history. During a tour on our first day, after flying in from Winnipeg (there are no roads into town), I notice nods to its past in explorers’ forts, remnants of the fur trade, abandoned railroad parts and crafts and artworks that tell the ancestry stories of First Nations people. But the town’s varied human history soon gives way to flat,

wind-beaten landscapes on the drive out to the tundra. The temperature drops as a blizzard sets in, turning everything into a magical, hazy-white wonderland.

An arctic hare vanishes into its camouflage surrounds and in the distance a male polar bear cleans its fur in the fresh powder with the playful energy of a golden retriever.

We arrive at the cosy lodge and are led down the corridor to our assigned bunks. There’s a wholesome, ski chalet spirit to the place and our group bonds quickly over camera gear and anticipated animal sightings. Mornings start with a hearty Canadian breakfast of scrambled egg, crisp bacon and waffles topped with fruits and jams – necessary fuel before layering on thermals. Then it’s out into the wild in a custom-built Tundra Buggy for a full eight-hour expedition. Though the vehicle is raised to offer better views and keep a respectful distance from wildlife, the natural curiosity of the polar bears often draws them closer, leading to heart-stopping

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encounters and a rush to reach for the right lens. The layout provides a dedicated window for each of the 18 travellers, a mix of professional photographers, hobbyists and polar bear enthusiasts. Dorothy from Pittsburgh has been making this pilgrimage north for more than a decade. “Others go to the beach for their holidays,” she tells me. “I come for the polar bears and the landscape – it’s just so beautiful.”

Our Australian driver, Jamie, scans the horizon with an expert eye and keeps our hands warm with coffee and Amarula liqueur after we spend time on the outdoor observation deck. Alongside him is Mark, the group’s photo specialist, who offers tips on the ever-shifting Arctic light and acts as something of an interpreter for our subjects. As we drive past a group of polar bears cleaning the ice after a recent meal, he observes that for the hungry animals, finding a sleeping seal is like “winning the lottery”. Later, the reality is reinforced at an evening lecture from Dr Louise

Archer of Polar Bears International, a non-profit that uses the Tundra Buggy as a base to conduct its research. She explains that climate change has forced the mammals to endure an average of one extra month on land while they wait for the bay to freeze so they can hunt their favourite prey, ringed and bearded seals.

Our own wait for a meal is considerably shorter. In the evenings we gather back at the base for dinner at Dan’s Diner, where chef Larz (right) prepares nourishing soups with housemade croutons, fillets of burbot and freshly baked chocolate brownies.

We chat about the day’s highlights and tally our sightings but one night turns into an impromptu show as a thump on the ceiling signals a call from the observation deck. Even though it’s not peak aurora borealis season, the luminous ribbons of green light appear. There’s a communal scramble, a fumbling of snow gear and a quick calibration of camera settings. Stepping outside, I find that the elements have

added to the theatrics as millions of ice crystals in the atmosphere create a glowing ring of light around the moon – a lunar halo (far right). It’s as breathtaking as the minus-15°C wind whipping around my head.

While a great photograph is a wonderful souvenir, I discover that the real prize is a front-row seat to life on the tundra. I watch an Arctic fox dart through the willows and vanish into the brush. I witness a battle for hierarchy between massive male polar bears (top right), who spar until they overheat then gulp mouthfuls of snow to cool down. I see one bear snatch a lemming and encounter a mother foraging with her cub before retreating as a dominant male approaches.

“Initially you see the landscape and think there isn’t much here,” says Elfie, a photographer from Germany.

“But then you see all the little animals, the algae growing, the birds. It’s full of life and the light here for photography is like nowhere else.”

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THE INTERVIEW Interview by Kirsten Galliott Photography by Nic Walker

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LISA HAVILAH Current role Chief executive, Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences Tenure Nearly eight years Previous roles Director, Carriageworks; director, Campbelltown Arts Centre; assistant director, Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre

This arts leader is overseeing the new $915 million Powerhouse Parramatta, a project that scares her every day.

You grew up on a beef cattle farm and your first job was as a horse strapper to a country music star. How did those early experiences shape you?

In a small community – where everyone knows everyone – there’s a real sense of connectedness and responsibility.

But I wasn’t the greatest student. I felt connected to my community but not to school or learning at all. However that sense of community was a real through-line. When I eventually went to university, we started an artist-run space in Wollongong. I was 19 and knocking on the door of the mayor’s office asking for money: “We’ve got this idea. How can you help us?” Going to the bus company: “We saw your amazing space, can we have it?” It was achieving something together with a group of people and doing something that had some sort of purpose attached to it.

You’ve had to revive a lot of struggling institutions. You’ve always started with the community that surrounds them, haven’t you?

The first step in working out what a cultural institution should be is making it true to its context. That was really true for Campbelltown [where she was director of Campbelltown Arts Centre from 2005 to 2011]. I had to consider how the program would reflect the communities that the institution sits within. It was a time of extreme change – a lot of social housing was moving into a private-public housing mix and the demographic of the local area was changing. I saw a useful role for the arts centre to be helping with that change. Artists play an important role in cultural cohesion and connection.

You’re now in charge of an almost billion-dollar project with Parramatta.

What’s the role of a museum today and how do you ensure you’re not just repeating what’s been done before?

Powerhouse Parramatta is a museum made of and for its time. How do you make this building and this institution relevant for the next 100 years? We’ve had to rethink what museums are. Being

open and flexible about the future makes it more relevant, more connected and ensures it has greater impact. There’s the importance of the Powerhouse collections across the applied arts and sciences, the support we give to industry, plus how we connect communities and audiences with Australian and international innovation. But there are also the opportunities we’re responsible for providing – a kid who lives down the street meeting one of the world’s leading scientists or a young person from Dubbo who has an experience that expands their frame of thinking.

What’s something about this museum that feels genuinely different?

We’ve created an infrastructure that can support a real diversity of programming and opportunity, and I hope we’ve moved the form – the practice of museums – forward in a new way. But I’m excited to see it actually having impact; I’m excited to see the machine working. The Lang Walker Family Academy is a 60-bed accommodation for regional and Western Sydney school kids to come into immersive learning programs. We’ve developed that in partnership with the NSW Department of Education — syllabus-aligned programs with specific opportunities for young people to meet leaders in their fields, have tertiary experiences and an experience of the museum that is connected to their own fields of learning.

How are you working with First Nations communities on this project?

We’re on the lands of the Dharug, Burramattagal people and we have a major project adjacent to the river, which is a Burramattagal gathering place. That space on the river was co-designed with First Nations communities and will be a place for First Nations programming. One of our opening exhibitions will connect audiences with the incredible scientific and cultural work that First Nations communities are doing to protect waterways.

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You’ve been living and breathing this project for almost eight years.

I know you love pressure. Is that what keeps you going?

Yes, probably. I like working at a level that is almost outside of my capacity.

I like not actually knowing the path but having to work it out. I like working in ways that are unprecedented – because most people in their work fall back onto precedent and in institutions that gets institutionalised. I love working alongside people who are interested in rethinking everything.

You’ve said if you’re not scared then you’re not doing your job.

What’s scaring you right now?

Oh God, everything! I don’t think a job should be comfortable. If you’re really delivering something, a job should be

a fight forward. That’s how I see it for myself. I don’t naturally show people I’m scared but if I’m feeling vulnerable or I don’t know something, I do try to make sure I articulate that. I think it’s really important for people to see.

“I DON’T THINK A JOB SHOULD BE COMFORTABLE. IF YOU’RE REALLY DELIVERING SOMETHING, A JOB SHOULD BE A FIGHT FORWARD.”

Every arts leader deals with so much risk. Will a show sell?

Will people come? How do you live with that and keep pushing the boundaries?

I have an innate belief that if you create something that is culturally relevant and reflective of the communities that an institution sits within, it’s never going to be an issue. Ideas trump everything – and they’re not the Powerhouse’s ideas. Our job is to present the ideas of thousands of other people and then get out of the way.

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How do you get back up when things just don’t go your way?

Someone said to me, “If you have a problem, you’ve got to run towards it and hold on to it.” I really took that advice to heart.

What would you like to see change in the arts?

I’d like to see the arts not be so subject to the culture wars that go on around it.

And I’d like it to be recognised as something that’s not optional but an embedded part of life. I’d also like to see clearer pathways for people into the arts.

You’ve knocked on a lot of doors in your career. What’s the secret to getting funding?

Funding isn’t asking for something and someone giving it to you. It’s actually establishing a point of shared interest or connection and then working on something together. I see it almost as a co-design process where you bring it to life together. My job is to take advantage of every opportunity for the benefit of my institution, which is in the service of the community that pays for it. I don’t like to let things go.

To me, that’s failing. Someone once said, “No is just a pathway to yes.”

Are you an optimist?

Totally. You have to be – to be alive. You have to believe in something and then you have to get other people to believe in the same thing. So you have to be optimistic.

What’s your greatest strength as a leader?

I think my greatest strength is that I’m very connected to my purpose. But that purpose can only be achieved through collaboration. I spend time working with people rather than telling them how to work. I prefer shoulder to shoulder.

I love detail, too. That can drive some people insane but I think caring about the details is everything.

And your biggest gap?

Getting out of people’s way. I have to do that better.

“I’VE TRIED TO PUSH EVERYTHING TO THE NTH DEGREE. THERE’S MORE PUSHING TO DO. ALWAYS.”

When you’re on such a lengthy project, how do you keep the team motivated?

I think it’s easier now because we can see the finish line. The construction industry has amazing milestones and when they reach one, they celebrate it.

We don’t do that as well in the arts.

I’ve learnt a lot from the construction industry, actually.

Ten years ago, you said your generation needed to push harder, be less polite. Are you as impolite as you’d like to be?

No, I’m polite. But I’ve really tried to not leave anything on the table. I’ve tried to push everything to the nth degree.

There’s more pushing to do. Always.

You have to be as uncompromising as possible.

How do you find time to think creatively when your diary is full of meetings?

I don’t and that’s one of my failures.

When I left Carriageworks, someone asked if I had a regret and I said, “Yes, I went to too many meetings.” And now I’ve repeated it. I don’t know how to fix it. I’ve been reading Stolen Focus

by Johann Hari. It’s about how we’re living in this epidemic of stolen focus.

People can’t concentrate anymore – they barely lift their eyes from the screen. There’s a really serious role that places like the Powerhouse play in trying to address that. It’s about engagement – standing in front of an object and connecting with it, being in an experience, being in a story, connected with people alongside you.

People have such strong feelings about the arts and you have quite a fiery advocacy group to deal with.

How do you weather the criticism?

It’s been hard. The criticism comes because people care about the institution – and sometimes they care about the institution from the perspective of their own legacy within it. I respect it and take it seriously. When it’s about the institution and making it better, that’s fine. When it turns personal, that’s when it’s harder. My relationship with my ego has shifted. You have to subjugate that to a degree. You have to be okay with the personal attacks because you need to keep focused on your work.

When are you happiest at work?

I’m happiest in the process – being with the team, working through something where we don’t actually know what the answer is. That’s when I’m happiest.

Happy when I don’t know.

Qantas has announced a 10-year partnership with the Powerhouse and is lending the museum more than 6000 objects from the Qantas Heritage Collection. The Qantas Avro 504K, a replica of the airline’s first-ever aircraft, will feature in Task Eternal when it opens at the Powerhouse Parramatta in November.

From operating theatres to playing the tuba, these CEOs were chasing very different dreams before reaching the top.

All have one thing in common – they followed their passion.

Story by Jane Nicholls

Music and management MICHAEL STERZINGER CEO, Queensland Symphony Orchestra Original training: Orchestral tuba player All through his studies to be a professional tuba player in his homeland of Germany, Michael Sterzinger loved taking small management jobs, from stage managing at university, running youth orchestras and administering classical music festivals. “I always did it on the side, next to my playing,” he says.

While Sterzinger completed his tuba performance degree at university, he also played with professional orchestras. “A performance career is absolutely beautiful – you get to play great music and feel that instant connection with audiences. There’s a magic.” All the same, he chose arts management for his postgraduate studies and in 2009, when he moved to Brisbane for love – his husband is Australian – he switched to

Glenn Hunt

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THIS WAY TO THE TOP

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the other side of the stage. “It was the end of my professional music career and the beginning of my management career,” says Sterzinger, who still plays in a community orchestra.

He built his new work life in the familiar field of music, working for seven years with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra (QSO) in artistic planning.

“I was curating performances, engaging conductors and soloists, and getting to know the ins and outs of the orchestra – it was fantastic.” After three years as executive director at Camerata, the state’s chamber orchestra – “I honed my leadership skills, including working with the board” – he returned to the QSO as CEO in 2024. “All my jobs showed me different facets of running an orchestra – being CEO brings it all together.”

He brings a musician’s ensemble mindset to the role and it’s hitting the right notes: the QSO’s main-stage performance attendance grew 4.5 per cent between 2024 and 2025. “When you come together as musicians in a professional orchestra, every voice is needed to create that rich sound. I try to take that mentality to my leadership.”

Biology and business MIKAELA JADE CEO and founder, Indigital Original training: Environmental biologist “I failed school and matriculated through TAFE at 18,” says Mikaela Jade of her circuitous path to CEO. A mentor at TAFE “saw my connection to Country and encouraged me to pursue science”. The proud Cabrogal woman of the Dharug Nation says her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Biology cohort at UTS Sydney in 1998 was just 20 students. “People were telling me, ‘It’s for hippies, there won’t be any jobs.’

But I’d always loved being in nature so if there’s a job that pays me to look after Country and culture, that’s what I want to dedicate my life to.”

Some 21 years in park ranger and conservation roles in the Whitsundays, Kakadu, Ningaloo and northern NSW followed, before she ended up in Canberra working in federal government policy. Her parks roles were mostly about engaging with visitors and Jade was frustrated by how poorly First Nations cultural heritage was being communicated.

“In 2012, I saw augmented reality and thought, ‘Imagine if we could have Elders popping up as holograms telling cultural stories in situ’ so I built a business model around that.” She side-hustled at night, learning the technology needed to build an app and launch Indigital. “My first customers

“I’D ALWAYS LOVED BEING IN NATURE SO IF THERE’S A JOB THAT PAYS ME TO LOOK AFTER COUNTRY AND CULTURE, THAT’S WHAT I WANT TO DEDICATE MY LIFE TO.” Mikaela Jade

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were First Nations communities – I was working with Elders in Kakadu.”

Her post-graduate studies include Indigenous land management, a business diploma and a Master of Applied Cybernetics at ANU. Along the way, Indigital partnered with Microsoft and Telstra for an edu-tech platform to bring cultural stories into schools. Today, it works with First Nations communities and the METS (mining equipment, technology and services) sector to merge cultural knowledge with technology.

Through environmental science and digital storytelling, Indigital aims to contribute to building community and communication. “It’s a big ambition, drawing on the technical skills of my science career, the forecasting of my cybernetics qualification and the grit of my ancestors.”

Patience and patients “I THREW MYSELF INTO EVERYTHING… I WANTED TO EVENTUALLY BE A CEO WHO UNDERSTOOD ALL ASPECTS OF THE BUSINESS.” Louise Shardey

LOUISE SHARDEY CEO, Adeney Private Hospital Original training: Registered nurse “I was a little bit naughty at school and always questioned things,” says Louise Shardey. “I wanted to be in a people industry so I thought I’d give nursing a go. Once I got my degree and started working I knew I’d found my people.”

Shardey says two people in particular sparked her fire to become a CEO. “A senior nursing executive, Penny Newsome, called me a ‘bright young thing’ and said I had the right attributes for a leader,” recalls Shardey.

“That was the first catalyst.” The second was her dad. “I’d go home and whinge about people, systems and processes.

‘Why do they do this?’ and ‘Upper management doesn’t understand.’

Ever the practical engineer, my father said, ‘You have two choices: shut up and deal with it or do something about it.’ I knew I had to go back and study – I could have all the natural leadership attributes in the world but you need to have the paper and the theory to back it up.”

Studying at night, she earned a Graduate Diploma in Advanced Nursing and Management, followed by a Master of Health Administration.

She also heeded her father’s advice to put herself forward for every possible job. “I threw myself into everything – quality, safety, education, finance, board sub-committees. I wanted to eventually be a CEO who understood all aspects of the business.”

In July 2021, she became CEO of the brand-new Adeney Private Hospital in the inner Melbourne suburb of Kew. It opened in March 2025, offering a nogap model for patients with approved health insurance. “This is a startup and

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having that apprenticeship, learning by throwing myself into things and finding knowledge independently, meant as CEO I could create something that no-one in this country has ever done, which I’m extremely proud of.”

She spent years getting to the C-suite but Shardey keeps her nursing skills and registration up to date. “You’ll sometimes find me in the operating theatres helping the staff in recovery,” she says. “Caring for another human being is a privilege and even when you’re leading the team you have to be a part of the team to make a difference.”

Sums and sport TRAVIS AULD CEO, Australian Grand Prix Corporation Original training: Chartered accountant There was no grand plan when Travis Auld enrolled in a Bachelor of Business Administration at La Trobe University.

His first job as a chartered accountant led to the next – with one of his clients.

“Essendon Football Club approached me to join their finance team. I love sport and the opportunity to combine that passion with what I’d studied was an offer too good to refuse.”

It was a great fit: Auld spent just over 12 years with the AFL club, working his way up to COO. “I had a desire to branch out of a single discipline – I enjoyed understanding the entire business and how all the bits come together,” he recalls. Auld says he didn’t have a conscious ambition to pursue leadership but “people around me saw opportunities for me” at Essendon, which set him up with an executive coach. “My CEO, Peter Jackson, had more belief in my ability than I did at the time and would push me into situations.” Extra responsibility was like fertiliser. “I grew up playing team sport, I’m highly competitive, I enjoy

achieving through teams and helping others grow and develop,” he says.

“I thrived in that environment.”

His first CEO gig came in 2009, leading a new AFL club, Queensland’s Gold Coast Suns, where he was the inaugural chief executive. “I stepped into an organisation that was in its infancy, being built in a city that hadn’t had success in AFL.” Auld says his accounting background was important as “you need to understand your numbers”. He also needed to sharpen his sales skills: “I had to sell the club and the code.”

In more than five years with the Suns, he says he learnt a lot about leadership and himself, which he took with him to a nine-year stint at AFL

headquarters, where he was CFO and GM of broadcasting and clubs. In 2023, he switched sports and became CEO of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, where he has helped deliver recordbreaking crowds.

While he no longer has a formal executive coach, Auld’s early experience of one made him a fan of frequent feedback. “I’ve been fortunate to have lots of mentors – some formal, others who I can just pick up the phone and have a conversation with and others who wouldn’t even know that I observe how they go about their roles. I see every day as an opportunity where I can learn something and that’s a trait I adopted very early on in my career.”

Presented by Suntory Oceania

The ripple effect For Suntory Oceania, water is more than an ingredient – it’s shaping how the region’s newest multi-beverage player is investing and growing across the region.

Australian Rivers Institute Director Professor David Hamilton and senior research fellow Liliana Pagliero conducting fieldwork as part of Suntory's $1-million water research partnership

Take a look at the label on any bottle or can, and the first ingredient is almost always the same – water. It’s the foundation of every beverage but also one of the world’s most precious natural resources.

It’s a connection that has shaped Suntory’s approach since it was founded in Japan more than 125 years ago. For generations, water has influenced how this family-owned business has pioneered new beverages and invested heavily in sustainability and local communities.

It comes at a time when water quantity and quality are under growing pressure. Droughts are lasting longer, rainfall is becoming less predictable and scientists are working to understand how climate-driven pressures are reshaping the world.

Deeply committed to water science and conservation, the company has recently announced a $1-million, threeyear partnership with Griffith University’s Australian Rivers Institute, its largest local water commitment to date.

The research will examine “Earth System Boundaries” and how climate change, drought, flooding and shifting rainfall patterns are reshaping Australian waterways, helping identify where restoration efforts can deliver the greatest environmental and water security benefits.

Importantly, the research will draw on evidence from a new water replenishment project in the Lockyer Valley, part of the Brisbane River catchment that supplies Suntory’s new $400-million carbon-neutral facility in Ipswich, Queensland. Working with local landholders on conservation activities, the project aims to replenish 100 per cent of the water used while supporting long-term catchment health and water security in South-East Queensland.

Professor David Hamilton, Director of Griffith University’s Australian Rivers Institute, sees waterways themselves as carriers of early warning signs. “They are the canary in the coal mine, ringing the

alarm bell for where human activities and climate change are causing the greatest stress on our ecosystems,” he says.

The partnership forms part of Mizu Mirai, meaning “Water Future” – Suntory Oceania’s platform for research and education initiatives across SouthEast Queensland.

“For Suntory, water is fundamental not only to the products we make but to the communities and ecosystems around us,” says sustainability director Ian Goldschmidt.

“Through Mizu Mirai, we’re bringing together science, community partnerships and practical action to help strengthen water system resilience. It’s about understanding the challenges facing our local waterways today, while helping create positive outcomes.”

Inspiring future generations is another important part of the approach.

Through Mizuiku, Suntory’s global water education program, and in partnership with Earthwatch Australia, the company is helping primary school students better understand water cycles, conservation and the role they can play in protecting local waterways.

While these initiatives are uniquely local, they reflect a philosophy that has guided Suntory for more than a century.

Around the world, the company invests in water stewardship programs tailored to local catchments, from Japan to the United States, Mexico, Scotland, France, Spain and India. With the goal of becoming net water positive by 2050, the company has created an Institute for Water Science to deepen understanding of the water used and conserve water resources for the future.

“Suntory Group is committed to being a positive force in promoting healthy water cycles in the regions in which we operate,” says Jun Asaki, chief sustainability officer of Suntory Holdings. “By working with local partners and communities, we develop tailored, science-based approaches that address specific water

The new Ipswich facility where Suntory Oceania’s Ready-To-Drink portfolio is manufactured (above); Suntory Oceania has a portfolio of more than 40 market-leading brands (below)

“Suntory Group is committed to being a positive force.”

– Jun Asaki

Discover how Suntory Oceania is growing for good in Australia and New Zealand.

Visit suntoryoceania.com.

challenges and promote water stewardship for generations to come.”

For Suntory Oceania, this is what growing for good looks like in practice: bringing together pioneering research, local partnerships and practical action to help protect the water systems that support communities and the beverages people enjoy across Australia and New Zealand.

BIG IDEA Interview by Jane Nicholls Photography by Kiren Chang

A new platform is helping companies to bring new rigour to the growing digital workforce.

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AIGENTSPHERE Co-founders CEO Quinton Anderson, 44, and chair Kelly Bayer Rosmarin, 49 Investors Main Sequence (CSIRO-backed deep tech fund) Headquarters Sydney, Australia Employees Nine

What is it?

QUINTON ANDERSON: “Aigentsphere

(aigentsphere.com) is an independent, vendor-agnostic enterprise AI agent workforce management and governance platform. While the core product operates as a SaaS [software as a service] platform, some of the larger, highly regulated and risk-averse organisations prefer to have it deployed directly within their own environments.”

KELLY BAYER ROSMARIN: “It enables leaders to get organisation-wide visibility into agent costs, performance KPIs and compliance posture.”

Why do it?

“Anybody can now build an AI agent – the term is ‘citizen-agent creation’ – and that’s only going to KBR:

increase. If employees create agents and then change roles or leave, how do you know what those agents are out there doing? It’s an issue called ‘agent sprawl’, which is what our system solves.”

QA: “The risks are realised when people deploy agents but the organisation simply doesn’t know they exist. We support the full life cycle, starting with discovery, which makes it easy for the organisation to know what agents have been brought in, onboarding them and putting them under management, as you would with a human employee.”

How does it work?

“Aigentsphere connects to an enterprise’s AI agents through OpenTelemetry, making it completely QA:

agnostic to underlying AI platforms.

When an agent goes outside of risk appetite or becomes non-compliant, the operational team [humans] get an alert through their favourite channel, such as email or Slack. They click an investigate button and it shows them the interaction and gives suggestions on how to correct it.”

KBR: “Our platform does no agent creation; you build them in another platform and onboard them onto ours to ensure they are monitored properly against approved policies. Aigentsphere acts as a centralised system of record – organisations start by uploading policies, setting risk appetite and providing KPIs for their agents.”

How did it all start?

“Not many people understand what it’s like to be accountable for a whole organisation – its people, processes, systems and technology.

I am one of those people [Bayer Rosmarin was CEO at Optus from 2020 to 2023]. In the mad frenzy to build agents, no-one was thinking ahead to when you have hundreds or KBR:

“THE RISKS ARE REALISED WHEN PEOPLE DEPLOY AGENTS BUT THE ORGANISATION SIMPLY DOESN’T KNOW THEY EXIST.”

thousands of these agents interacting with other agents and how to manage them at scale. I’m an engineer by background so I built a prototype and shared it with Quinton.”

QA: “We spent time developing that prototype from screen mock-ups to functional versions, bouncing ideas off trusted people.”

How did you grow?

“We landed our first paid pilot in November 2025, which converted into a full customer and a multi-year agreement. Our client base is now across highly regulated sectors, including media, insurance and tier-one banking.”

KBR: “Aigentsphere provides independent governance that complements enterprises already building with tools from Microsoft, Google, AWS and OpenAI. We secured seed funding after Main Sequence partner Mike Zimmerman overheard me explaining it to a potential customer and asked me why we hadn’t asked them for funding.”

QA:

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What’s next?

“We’re rapidly growing our engineering team and looking at expanding into America.”

QA: “Aigentsphere has been built for the top end of town but on our roadmap for the fourth quarter, we have a standardised version of the platform with self-service onboarding for smaller organisations.”

KBR:

We think ahead, so your farm may be prepared for what’s ahead Backed by years of insurance expertise, Elders Insurance looks beyond the now, so you can try and prepare for the future.

Whether it’s cover for your equipment or property, we’ll help you understand the range of cover options.

Talk to a local insurance expert about cover options today.

13 56 22 eldersinsurance.com.au Elders Insurance (Underwriting Agency) Pty Ltd, (ABN 56 138 879 026, AFSL 340965), acting under its own AFSL, distributes Elders Insurance products on behalf of QBE Insurance (Australia) Ltd (ABN 78 003 191 035, AFSL 239545), the product issuer. Please visit www.eldersinsurance.com.au to consider the relevant Policy Wording or Product Disclosure Statement and Target Market Determination to decide if a product is right for you.

QM10426-0326

ENTERTAINMENT

Movies

Kick back and catch up on the latest releases.

Pressure

Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu In a galaxy far, far away, ruthless Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) has teamed up with a young sidekick, the Yoda-like Grogu, who’s still doing his Force apprenticeship. This is the 12th live-action film in the Star Wars universe, set after the Empire has been defeated in Return of the Jedi.

The mismatched duo is called upon by Republican Colonel Ward (Sigourney Weaver) to rescue Rotta the Hutt (voiced by Jeremy Allen White), son of the odious Jabba. In return, the Republicans hope to gain vital information about what their enemies are up to. In true Star Wars tradition, our heroes encounter odd, sometimes grotesque creatures – including four-armed street vendor Hugo Durant, voiced by Martin Scorsese – and face numerous tests of their mettle.

It’s 72 hours from the D-Day landings and General Dwight Eisenhower (Brendan Fraser) has to decide whether to launch the largest seaborne invasion in history – or risk losing World War II. As is often the case with major events, the go-ahead hinges on the weather.

Enter chief meteorologist James Stagg (Andrew Scott, above right, with Fraser), who brings bad news – storms are coming, putting thousands of Allied troops in peril before they’ve even hit the Normandy sands.

In the Grey

Backrooms

How do you retrieve $1 billion lent to a crime boss if legal threats don’t do the trick? You forget the law and send in the muscle. This is how lawyer Rachel Wild (Eiza González) gets the job done for her corporate client. Rachel enlists the best brawn, Sid and Bronco (Henry Cavill and Jake Gyllenhaal, pictured far right with Cavill and González), to do the fighting, car chases and high-stakes protection while she confronts

Failed architect Clark (Chiwetel Ejiofor, above) runs a down-at-heel furniture store – a metaphor for his self-image – in this rule-breaking horror film.

Finding a portal into another world in the basement, Clark sets out to explore a seemingly endless series of rooms, all bathed in a fretful yellow light.

“I found a place,” he tells his therapist, Mary (Renate Reinsve). When Clark disappears into this parallel reality, she follows.

the gangster in person. It’s written, produced and directed by Guy Ritchie (Snatch, Wrath of Man) so the pace is fast, the heavies well-dressed and the action explosive.

The Mandalorian and Grogu © 2026 & ™ Lucasfilm Ltd. © 2025 HACIENDA PRODUCTIONS LIMITED. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. © 2026 / STUDIOCANAL SAS All Rights Reserved. © 2026 Backrooms Rights LLC, PC Films, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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Television

The best shows to binge this month.

Connect to Qantas Free Wi-Fi and Entertainment App

© 2026 Universal Studio Group. All Rights Reserved. © 2026 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved. © 2026 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved. © Magic Light Pictures Ltd 2026

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

Hacks

The Other Bennet Sister

Stand-up comic Deborah Vance (Jean Smart, above) is a Vegas legend whose fame is starting to wane. She’s thrown together with a younger writing partner, Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder), and the fireworks are immediate. The sass and barbed one-liners come thick and fast as this odd couple create comic gold and an unlikely friendship.

In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen’s beloved tale of the Bennet sisters and their quest for suitable marriages, the bespectacled Mary is constantly overshadowed by her siblings. But in this series, Mary (Ella Bruccoleri, above centre) is given the chance to shine, enjoying independence away from her family and her own admiring suitors.

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’re 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.

Dutton Ranch

Zog

Ranchers Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser, above, with Reilly) decide to up sticks and move to Texas. But strife soon finds them, in the form of tough-talking Beulah Jackson (Annette Bening), boss of a rival cattle empire.

Come along for the ride with Zog the dragon (voiced by Samson Kayo), who’s learning to be a fire-breathing beast – if only he wasn’t so clumsy.

In this animated series, he meets Princess Pearl (Patsy Ferran), a doctor, and Sir Gadabout (Will Merrick), a surgeon, and together they care for all manner of fantastical creatures.

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Toy bricks (6) Hapless dupes (5) Instant (6) Notable achievements (8) Menaced (10) Personal albums (10) Spring flower (8) Bring to ruin (4) Notifies (7) Pentecostal music (6) Inside plane (6) Calls up (7) Reed instrument (4) Against (4) Say again (7) Shows compassion (6) French town (6) Generally speaking (7) Temperate (4) Brow (8) Late (4-6) Persisted (10) Formal daytime repast (8) Cardini’s salad (6) Fights of honour (5) Reclining (6)

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Crosswords and puzzles compiled by LOVATTS

Dictionary (7) Joint effort (13) Boat maker (11) Pasta topper (5) Light-bulb units (5) Tiger’s markings (7) Frightening (7) Transparent (5) Requirements (5) Clenched hands (5) Fossick (7) Grace in victory (13) Flee to wed (5) Hillbilly instrument (5) Alpha’s opposite (5) Augments (11) Heavy knife (7) Requisitioned (7) Deflate (3,4) TV serial, soap ... (5) Alleviates (5) Sill (5) Retails (5)

Opposes divisions in city (6) Hocks pans, including first wok (5) The right person for you (6) With former partner, I am involved in plans for daring adventures (8) He’d rate ten, possibly, as endangered (10) Get rid of library stock to make way for collections of memorabilia (10) Prudish Ms Byrne in pale yellow (8) Found out about reverse operation (4) Tells how students are grouped? (7) Absolute truth of biblical text (6) A bit of timber on a ship (6) Sends for court directive (7) Not all back Borneo boycott of orchestra member (4) Granting central characters may appear hostile (4) Reaffirm that the others had dinner (7) Feels sympathy for mine that is to the south (6) Tooth can be ruined by brandy (6) Confused lover embraces Gore, by and large (7) Lacking fire but warm (4) A fringe depends on it (8) Endure a moment at the eleventh hour (4-6) Returning agent was cut off but managed to hang on (10) Meal has one problem: it’s formal and at midday (8) Sees a speech written for Roman general (6) Speed-drawing contests? (5) Sue, having knocked back a shot of whisky, is lying down (6)

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The French put cross next to “symbol” in vocabulary list (7) Company ball brought up before speech on teamwork (13) Expert craftsman? (11) Strangely, pets love basil sauce (5) They have the power to light up the room (5) Part of US standard for bands (7) Leading senator being concerned is alarming (7) Calculator button is obvious (5) Wants to make a point in send-off (5) They have no place in open-handed gestures (5) Ferret running around gear, Mum (7) Fairness of Marsh’s top spin is questionable (13) Secretly join a union (5) Bluegrass player covered by urban journalists (5) Give me a go at translating letter in Greek (5) Newspaper pull-outs showing health food store products (11) Councillor about to take off in chopper (7) Under instructions to be well organised (7) Told new version was a disappointment (3-4) Tangled rope – a drama set to music (5) Provides relief in overseas establishments (5) Puzzled geologists look for hidden rock shelf (5) Hawks in inmates’ rooms, apparently (5)

Sudoku

Wheel of words

Tough puzzle, simple rules: each row, column and 3x3 box must contain the numbers 1-9.

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.

20 28 34+

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Good Very good Excellent

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© Lovatts Puzzles

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Moderate

Match-ups – Acclaimed stars Work out the missing parts of these famous names and find them in the box of letters. The letters left over will spell out what every one of these talents has.

Quinn

9

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Denzel Wiest Dustin Elizabeth Frances

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U M H S R C G E Waltz Day-Lewis

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Hackman

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Glenda

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Jack

Swank Bergman

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Jodie Katharine Maggie Brando

Robards Lange

Meryl Caine

de Havilland De Niro Penn Tracy Hanks Leigh

Another puzzle and all the solutions are over the page

GAMES Spot the difference Can you spot the seven differences between these two images of Bodrum, Türkiye? Circle what’s changed on the right-hand image.

152

Solutions

Sudoku 7

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Easy

Match-ups

Crossword S E C O N D B L O C K S P A W N S O C H L E T A E E T H R E A T E N E D E X P L O I T S L P A R I I T D T S C R A P B O O K S P R I M R O S E U O B N E U N D O G O S P E L I N F O R M S U P R L L I O B O E S U M M O N S A B O A R D U R T A E M M P T P I T I E S R E S T A T E A N T I J S O G G P O V E R A L L C O G N A C M I L D L A E E R L A S T M I N U T E F O R E H E A D S A P A E E D E E L U N C H E O N P E R S E V E R E D G E R E L I W T E C A E S A R S U P I N E D U E L S © Lovatts Puzzles

Anthony Quinn, Cate Blanchett, Christoph Waltz, Daniel Day-Lewis, Denzel Washington, Dianne Wiest, Dustin Hoffman, Elizabeth Taylor, Frances McDormand, Gene Hackman, Glenda Jackson, Hilary Swank, Ingrid Bergman, Jack Nicholson, Jason Robards, Jessica Lange, Jodie Foster, Katharine Hepburn, Maggie Smith, Marlon Brando, Meryl Streep, Michael Caine, Olivia de Havilland, Robert De Niro, Sean Penn, Spencer Tracy, Tom Hanks, Vivien Leigh Solution: They have all won at least two Oscars J

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Wheel of words

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Deli, Died, Dire, Doer, Dole, Drew, Idle, Idol, Lewd, Lied, Lode, Lord, Owed, Redo, Ride, Rode, Weld, Wide, Wild, Word, Doled, Dowel, Dried, Idled, Idler, Odder, Oiled, Older, Redid, Riled, Rowed, Weird, Wider, Widow, Wield, Wired, World, Wowed, Riddle, Weirdo, Wilder, Worded, Dowdier, Widowed, Widower.

Nine-letter word: WORLDWIDE.

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Spot the difference 01. Nets removed from water 02. Boat added 03. Umbrella and chairs added 04. Umbrella changed to red 05. Red flowers added to right of path 06. Cat added in shade 07. Towels added to table

Igor Pyrig

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.

Enjoy one status on 16 airlines.

Earn and redeem Qantas Points on all oneworld member airlines Earn Status Credits on all eligible oneworld flights Access to Business Class priority check-in Access to preferred or pre-reserved seating Priority on waitlists and when on standby Access to Qantas Club and International Business lounges Priority boarding Extra baggage allowance Priority baggage handling Access to First Class priority check-in Access to First lounges 'Fast Track' or 'Priority Lane' access at select airports worldwide 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, Fiji Airways, Finnair, Hawaiian Airlines, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Oman Air, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian, SriLankan Airlines and oneworld are trademarks of their respective companies. Some limitations and exceptions may apply. Qantas Frequent Flyer membership and the earning of points are subject to the Qantas Frequent Flyer program Terms and Conditions, visit https://www.qantas.com/au/en/frequent-flyer/discover-and-join/terms-and-conditions.html. For more information, visit www.o neworld.com. For detailed information about specific lounges and the oneworld Lounge Access policy, visit https://www.qantas.com/ au/en/qantas-experience/at-the-airport/airport-lounges/qantas-lounge-access-eligibility.html.

153

HEALTH AND SAFETY Inflight workout

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Foot pumps (foot motion is in three stages)

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.

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.

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

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.

01

02

03

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

*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.

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.

Fly Well

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

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.

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.

155

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

156

Qantas security policy The Qantas Group has a zerotolerance policy for any passenger who fails to follow crew directions, is intoxicated from alcohol, or is found smoking or vaping on board.

Inappropriate comments, behaviour, or actions, whether inflight or on the ground, will result in denial of boarding or off-loading. Qantas will not accept inappropriate comments as “jokes”.

It will 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.

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. 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

Travel advice

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

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.

Fee applies Pre-enrolment required

THE QANTAS GROUP FLEET

A new era to land in the west QantasLink will soon take delivery of its newest Embraer E190, bringing greater comfort, improved reliability and a better cabin experience for customers travelling across Western Australia. The aircraft is the first of up to 14 E190s that will progressively replace QantasLink’s Fokker F100s as part of a major fleet renewal program. For more than 30 years, the F100s have connected millions of QantasLink customers to regional communities and supported WA’s resources sector.

The E190s bring a brighter, more spacious cabin, along with a number of cabin improvements for customers. QantasLink engineers will make the final enhancements to the aircraft over the coming months before the aircraft enter service in early 2027.* The regional airline is also refurbishing its broader WA-based fleet, with Wi-Fi being rolled out across its A319 and A320 aircraft, while the A320s will be fitted with new seats and other cabin enhancements.

These upgrades are expected to be completed by early 2027.

This fleet renewal program represents a significant investment in Qantas’ regional operations and its ongoing commitment to the critical resources sector and regional communities in Western Australia. *Subject to regulatory approval

Qantas

157

QantasLink Aircraft type

Length (m)

Maximum passenger capacity

Number of aircraft

Aircraft type

Length (m)

Maximum passenger capacity

Number of aircraft

A380-800

72.7

485

10

A320-200

37.6

180

19

A330

58.863.7

297

28*

A319-100

33.8

150

9

787-9

62.8

236

14

A220-300

38.7

137

12

A321XLR

44.5

200

7

F100

35.5

100

12

737-800

39.5

174

79

E190

36.2

97

32

Q400

32.8

78

43

*A330 fleet includes two dry-leases from Finnair

Jetstar 787-8

56.7

335

11

A321-200

44.5

230

6

A321LR

44.5

232

25

A320-200

37.6

186

50

A320neo

37.6

188

5

Other subtypes in fleet are not shown Number of aircraft as at 30 June 2026

09:30

Qantas Domestic Route Network

SEA ARAFURA ARAFURA SEA

Melville Island

GOVE (Nhulun GOVE (Nhulunbuy)

Maningrida

Effective 1 September 2026. Routes shown are indicative only

DARWIN

TIMOR SEA

Oenpelli Jabiru

Batchelor

08:00

ARNHEM LAND

Daly River

KAKADU

Pine Creek

Wadeye

Kalumburu

Groote Eylandt Groote Eylandt

Katherine Ngukurr

Oombulgurri Wyndham

INDIAN OCEAN

KUNUNURRA

KIMBERLEY

Daly Waters

Derby

McArthur River

Gu Carp

Borroloola

Borroloola

Newcastle Waters

Kalkarindji

BROOME Halls Creek

Dooma

NORT H E R N

GU

T E R R I TORY

COUN

Tennant Creek

PORT HEDLAND Dampier

GREAT SANDY DESERT

KARRATHA

MT IS Marble Bar

ONSLOW

Barrow Creek

Pannawonica

Exmouth

Camooweal

Camooweal

Tanami

LEARMONTH

Telfer Solomon PILBARA

Tom Price

NEWMAN

PARABURDOO

GIBSON DESERT

Jigalong

ALICE SPRINGS

CHAN

Areyonga

Kaltukatjara

Carnarvon

ULURU (AYERS ROCK)

W EST E R N AUST R A L I A to COCOS ISLANDS & CHRISTMAS ISLAND

Meekatharra

COUN

Uluru Warburton

Amata

Finke

Wiluna

Oodnadatta GREAT

VICTORIA

DESERT

Mount Magnet Laverton

GERALDTON

Leonora Three Springs

Coober Pedy

Menzies Dalwallinu

Maralinga

Moora Coolgardie Southern Cross Merredin

Northam

Karonie Boulder Kambalda

NULLARBOR

Widgiemooltha

Fremantle

Andamooka Andamooka Leigh C LeighDam Creek Olympic Dam Olympic Lake Torrens Lake Torrens Parachil Woomera Parachilna Woomera

Wynbring

PLAIN Lake Everard

Eucla

Coorabie

Norseman Brookton

Kondinin

Lake Gairdner

Penong Ceduna Smoky Bay

Bunbury

Harvey Collie

BUSSELTON

Wagin

Newdegate

Katanning

Margaret River

Hopetoun Northcliffe Walpole

Port Augusta

WHYALLA Peterb

WHYALLA

Port Pirie

Port Pirie Ravensthorpe

Cowell

Great Australian Bight

Esperance

Manjimup

Augusta

Haw

Hawker Port Augusta

Streaky Bay Narrogin

Marree

Marree

AU ST R A L I A

Cook

KALGOORLIE

PERTH

Mandurah

L Grego

S OU T H

Morawa

M

Lake Eyre

Lake Eyre

Yalgoo

Mullewa

B

Ernabella

Cue

Kalbarri

SIMPSON DESERT SIMPSON DESERT

Mount Barker Denmark Albany

Cowell Burra

PORT LINCOLN

M ADELAIDE ADELAIDE Victor Harbor

KINGSCOTE KINGSCOTE

T Victor H M

Kangaroo Island Kangaroo Island

ROUTE KEY Qantas and QantasLink route Codeshare partner operated route Jetstar hub and port QantasLink hub and port Ports serviced by other airlines for Qantas Qantas Club and Qantas regional lounge locations Qantas Group international gateway port National capital International and Domestic flights remain subject to Government and Regulatory approval.

Qantas domestic partners and codeshare airlines

Qantas

Jetstar

Airnorth

Skytrans Australia

©2026 MAPgraphics, MAPgraphics, Brisbane.

Brisbane. Since Since 1989 1989 ©2026

M

HORN ISLAND

Thursday Island

nbuy) WEIPA CAPE

T EA GR

CORAL SEA

Gulf of Carpentaria

Cooktown

Laura

Mossman

CAIRNS

Atherton

Karumba Normanton

Doomadgee

IER RR BA

Burketown

Port Douglas

Mareeba

Mungana

Tully

Croydon

Georgetown Forsayth

GULF

Ingham

TOWNSVILLE

COUNTRY

Ayr Kajabbi

MT ISA

HAMILTON ISLAND

PROSERPINE (WHITSUNDAY COAST) Hughenden

Richmond

CLONCURRY

MACKAY EF RE

AT GRE

Dajarra

Bowen

Charters Towers Julia Creek

QUE E NSLAND

MORANBAH Winton

Saraji Blair Athol

Boulia

Yeppoon

EMERALD

LONGREACH

ROCKHAMPTON

Blackwater

BARCALDINE

CHANNEL

GLADSTONE

Springsure

Bedourie

Biloela

Moura

VI

DI

BLACKALL

DI

Yaraka

Monto

Theodore

NG

COUNTRY

BUNDABERG HERVEY BAY

Windorah Augathella

Birdsville

Maryborough

Gayndah

Injune

Gympie

Charleville

Quilpie

Mitchell

Kingaroy

Roma

Noosa

NG

RA

MILES

MAROOCHYDORE (SUNSHINE COAST)

E

Dalby

BRISBANE

TOOWOOMBA

Moonie Thargomindah

Moomba

GOLD COAST

St George

Cunnamulla

Goondiwindi Dirranbandi

L Gregory

Texas

Mungindi Tibooburra

Lightning Ridge

MOREE Inverell

Milparinka

Coonamble Cobar

Wilcannia

Olary

ING

NE W SO UTH Ivanhoe

Peterborough

WA L ES Burra

MILDURA

GRIFFITH

Hay Ouyen Pinnaroo

Tocumwal

Bordertown

VICTORIA

Horsham Kingston South East

Batemans Bay Cooma

Narooma

PA C I F I C OCEAN

Bombala

MERIMBULA

Seymour

Ballarat

Eden

Alexandra

MELBOURNE

MELBOURNE (AVALON) Portland Warrnambool

CANBERRA

Mt Kosciuszko 2228m

BENDIGO Ararat

Hamilton

Wodonga Wangaratta

Shepparton

Naracoorte Millicent Mount Gambier

ALBURY

GR

Birchip

Kiama Nowra

Yass Gundagai

Deniliquin

Meningie

SYDNEY Wollongong

Goulburn

WAGGA WAGGA

Swan Hill

Gosford

WESTERN SYDNEY

EA T

Tailem Bend

NEWCASTLE

Bathurst Katoomba

Narrandera Murray Bridge

Maitland

Lithgow

West Wyalong

Renmark Berri

ORANGE

Parkes

Geelong Colac

Sale Traralgon

Moorabbin

Wilsons Promontory

Bass

Strait

King Island

Flinders Island

Smithton

BURNIE

Georgetown

DEVONPORT

Savage River

LAUNCESTON

Longford

Rosebery Strahan

LORD HOWE ISLAND

Taree Forster

Scone Muswellbrook

DUBBO

Menindee

PORT MACQUARIE

Gilgandra

BROKEN HILL Yunta

TAMWORTH Kempsey

DIVID

wker

Gunnedah

NORFOLK ISLAND

COFFS HARBOUR

Coonabarabran

Nyngan

BALLINA BYRON

ARMIDALE

RAN

Narrabri Lake Frome

Lismore

Grafton

Glen Innes

Walgett

Bourke

Casino Tenterfield

GE

L Blanche

lna

Harbor

10:00

PENINSULA

Creek

E

Coen

YORK

Queenstown

TASMA N IA

St Helens

Bicheno Campbell Town Orford

HOBART

Strathgordon Huonville

Port Arthur

TASMAN SEA

Qantas International Route Network Effective 1 September 2026. Routes shown are indicative only

ABERDEEN BELFAST

Barents Sea

LEEDS LONDON

I N T E R N AT I O N A L PA R T N E R S K E Y ● Qantas codeshares on flights operated by these airlines ● Qantas Frequent Flyer program partner airline ● oneworld member airline

BASEL

REYKJAVIK TOULOUSE MARSEILLE

OSLO STOCKHOLM

EUROPE EDINBURGH GLASGOW Jetstar ●●

Air France ●●

Aircalin ●●

American Airlines ●●●

Airlink ●

Emirates ●●

Air New Zealand ●●

Alaska Airlines ●●●

NORTH AT L A N T I C OCEAN

Algiers

Astan

Kyiv

Black Sea

Sofia

ROME

Sea

ATHENS

Tunis

Erbil

MALTA

Rabat

CASABLANCA

Tashkent Baku

Yerevan

Ankara

Tripoli

LARNACA BEIRUT TEL AVIV

Mediterranean Sea

Jerusalem

Damascus

Cathay Pacific ●●●

China Airlines ●●

Fiji Airways ●●●

China Eastern ●●

IndiGo ●●

Finnair ●●●

LATAM ●●

Malaysia Airlines ●●●

Niamey Ouagadougou

Conakry

Japan Airlines ●●●

Asmara

N’Djamena

Royal Air Maroc●●

Arabian Sea

Sana’a

ADDIS ABABA

Abuja Lagos

ACCRA

AFRICA

Libreville

Oman Air ●●

Juba

Bangui

Mogadishu

Kampala

NAIROBI

Kigali

VICTORIA (MAHE, SEYCHELLES)

Kinshasa Dar es Salaam

Luanda

Royal Jordanian●●

INDIAN

Moroni

OCEAN

Lilongwe Lusaka

Skytrans Australia●

SriLankan Airlines ●●●

Westjet ●●

SOUTH

Livingston Victoria Falls Maun

AT L A N T I C OCEAN

Walvis Bay

Windhoek Gaborone

JOHANNESBURG Bloemfontein

ROUTE KEY Qantas routes Jetstar routes Qantas codeshare routes operated by Emirates Qantas codeshare routes operated by American Airlines Routes operated by other airlines for Qantas Qantas Club and associated lounge locations Qantas dedicated freight route Too many lines to read easily? Go to qantas.com for more information.

International and Domestic flights remain subject to Government and Regulatory approval.

Cape Town

Harare Antananarivo Bulawayo

George

Mauritius

Kruger National Park Hoedspruit Skukuza Mpumalanga Maputo Maseru Durban

East London Port Elizabeth

H

GOA

MANGALURU COIMBATORE KOCHI THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

Djibouti

Dodoma

Qatar Airways ●●

INDORE

Jeddah

Khartoum

Brazzaville

Philippine Airlines ●●

Riyadh

Nouakchott

Monrovia

KLM ●●

D

JAIPUR BAHRAIN Doha DUBAI Abu Dhabi MUSCAT AHMEDABAD

MUMBAI PUNE

Bamako

Iberia ●●

AMR C

DAMMAM

Dakar

Hawaiian Airlines ●●●

Kabul Islamabad

Basra Kuwait

SAHARA El Al ●●

Tehran

AMMAN

Madinah

China Southern ●

Dushanbe Ashkhabad

Baghdad

CAIRO British Airways ●●●

Bi

Caspian

Tbilisi

ISTANBUL

PALMA IBIZA

MALAGA

Bangkok Airways ●●

Moscow Vilnius Minsk

HAMBURG WARSAW AMSTERDAM DUSSELDORF BRUSSELS PRAGUE FRANKFURT PARIS VIENNA MUNICH BUDAPEST ZURICH GENEVA Zagreb LYON VENICE MILAN Bucharest BOLOGNA NICE

Lisbon

Air Tahiti Nui ●●

Riga

LONDON

BARCELONA MADRID

Airnorth ●

Tallinn

COPENHAGEN NEWCASTLE

MANCHESTER DUBLIN BIRMINGHAM

ZAGREB PISA

HELSINKI

©2026 MAPgraphics, Brisbane. Since 1989

Qantas ●●

BERLIN

Norwegian Sea

BE

T

ARCTIC

GREENLAND

OCEAN

HARBIN

Hudson Bay

CHANGCHUN

Urumqi

Asahikawa

SAPPORO

NORTH

Prince George Edmonton

RO CK

SHENYANG

Y

DALIAN

TAIYUAN

Pyongyang

JINAN

Busan Hiroshima Matsuyama

Fukuoka

Jeju

CHENGDU

WUHAN

Guiyang

GUANGZHOU Macau LUANG PRABANG Chiang Rai

abad

CHIANG MAI

INDORE

AI UNE

GOA

LURU BATORE KOCHI APURAM

LUCKNOW GUWAHATI PATNA KOLKATA

NAGPUR HYDERABAD VIJAYAWADA

BENGALURU

TIRUCHIRAPPALLI

HONG KONG

Kaohsiung

Haikou

Vinh

South China Sea

Sanya Hue

DA NANG

BANGKOK

Clark

MANILA

Pleiku

SIEM REAP Buon Ma Thuot Nha Trang TRAT (KOH CHANG) Da Lat PHNOM PENH HO CHI MINH CITY

HONOLULU CEBU

KOH SAMUI

MAUI (KAHALUI) KONA Hawaiian Islands

Gulf of Mexico

Guadalajara Mexico City

Puerto Vallarta

Guatemala City San Salvador

KRABI KOTA KINABALU

PENANG Medan

Madison Cedar Rapids Des Moines Grand Island Omaha Peoria

Halifax

Detroit

Boston

Cleveland Pittsburgh

Chicago

Hartford

Denver

Havana

Cancun

NORTH AT L A N T I C

Port-au-Prince

Tegucigalpa

West Indies

Caribbean Sea

OCEAN

Caracas

San Jose

Panama City

Bandar Seri Begawan

KUALA LUMPUR

BOGOTA

SINGAPORE

BAY OF ISLANDS (KERIKERI)

KUCHING

Pekanbaru

PALAU

AUCKLAND

Palembang

Labuan Bajo

NEW PLYMOUTH

Solomon Islands HONIARA

PORT MORESBY DARWIN

PALMERSTON NORTH

Samoa

CAIRNS

APIA

Espiritu Santo LUGANVILLE

PORT VILA

NADI

Fiji

NUKU’ALOFA

ADELAIDE

LIMA

WELLINGTON BLENHEIM

DUNEDIN

FLORIANOPOLIS LA SERENA

PORTO ALEGRE

SANTIAGO Buenos Aires

AUCKLAND

CONCEPCION

HAMILTON

QUEENSTOWN

RIO DE JANEIRO

CURITIBA

Canberra

Tasmania

SAO PAULO

ANTOFAGASTA

INVERCARGILL

NEWCASTLE SYDNEY

Tasman Sea

BELO HORIZONTE

CHRISTCHURCH QUEENSTOWN

MELBOURNE

BRASILIA

La Paz Sucre

Cook Islands RAROTONGA

SUNSHINE COAST BRISBANE GOLD COAST PERTH

SOUTH AMERICA

PAPEETE Tonga

AUSTRALIA

French Polynesia

SUVA

NOUMEA

NELSON

NAPIERHASTINGS

S

DILI

DE

CHRISTMAS ISLAND

Quito

TAURANGA ROTORUA GISBORNE

Surabaya

DENPASAR (BALI)

Galapagos Islands

AN

JAKARTA

Sioux Falls

Montreal

Toronto

Grand Rapids

Managua

Hat Yai

LANGKAWI

COLOMBO

COCOS ISLAND

Grand Junction

San Jose del Cabo

LIHUE

Phu Quoc

PHUKET

CHENNAI

NORTH PA C I F I C O C E A N

Shantou

Shenzhen

Hai Phong Thanh Hoa

Yangon

DELHI

ABAD

HANOI Tho Xuan Vientiane

AMRITSAR CHANDIGARH

Okinawa

TAIPEI

XIAMEN

Bishkek

nt

Milwaukee

NEW YORK Dayton Philadelphia Kansas City Columbus Indianapolis Baltimore Cincinnati Manhattan Aspen Washington D.C. Columbia St Louis Louisville Lexington Colorado Springs Evansville Wichita Greensboro Richmond SAN FRANCISCO Durango San Jose Norfolk Nashville Knoxville Tulsa Fayetteville LAS VEGAS Santa Fe Oklahoma City Raleigh-Durham Memphis Chattanooga Albuquerque Charlotte Fort Smith Amarillo Little Rock Huntsville Greenville Palm Springs LOS ANGELES Lubbock Columbia Birmingham Atlanta Phoenix DALLAS Santa Ana Monroe Charleston San Diego Midland Jackson Montgomery Savannah Shreveport Tucson Waco Alexandria Pensacola El Paso College Station Mobile Ft Walton Beach Austin Jacksonville Gulf Port Tallahassee San Antonio Houston New Orleans Lake Charles Orlando Baton Rouge Tampa Corpus Christi Lafayette West Palm Beach Ft Myers McAllen Fort Lauderdale Brownsville Loreto Monterrey Miami Vail

Reno

Sacramento Santa Rosa

WENZHOU

FUZHOU

KUNMING

Jackson Hole

Salt Lake City

NANCHANG

Ottawa

Minneapolis Boise

HANGZHOU

CHANGSHA

JAIPUR

Portland

Takamatsu Kochi

CHONGQING

Astana

Bismarck Billings

Bozeman

Miyazaki

Kagoshima

SHANGHAI

Wuxi

ASIA

Winnipeg

Spokane

Seattle

Anchorage

TOKYO

S MT

Nanjing

NAGOYA

OSAKA

Oita Kumamoto

Nagasaki

Regina

VANCOUVER Victoria

QINGDAO Xuzhou

XI’AN

Alaska

SEOUL

YANTAI

B

Kelowna

Shonai

AMERICA

Saskatoon

Calgary

BEIJING

DUNEDIN

SOUTH AT L A N T I C

WELLINGTON CHRISTCHURCH

MONTEVIDEO

PUERTO MONTT

SOUTH PA C I F I C O C E A N

PUNTA ARENAS

OCEAN

InIn The The Greatest Greatest Strength Strength Lies Lies Softness Softness

InIn The The Greatest Greatest Strength Strength Lies Lies Softness Softness

TheThe J12 J12 ceramic ceramic is seven is seven times times stronger stronger than than steel. steel.

Yet Yet its greatest its greatest strength strength lieslies in its in softness: its softness: polished polished with with diamond diamond powder, powder, it feels it feels as smooth as smooth as silk as silk against against thethe skin. skin.

Combined Combined with with thethe Calibre Calibre 12.112.1 Manufacture Manufacture movement, movement, thethe exceptional exceptional material material embodies embodies all the all the expertise expertise of CHANEL of CHANEL Watchmaking.

Watchmaking.

An An invincible invincible softness softness thatthat becomes becomes oneone with with whomever whomever wears wears it. it.

TheThe J12 J12 ceramic ceramic is seven is seven times times stronger stronger than than steel. steel.

Yet Yet its greatest its greatest strength strength lieslies in its in softness: its softness: polished polished with with diamond diamond powder, powder, it feels it feels as smooth as smooth as silk as silk against against thethe skin. skin.

Combined Combined with with thethe Calibre Calibre 12.112.1 Manufacture Manufacture movement, movement, thethe exceptional exceptional material material embodies embodies all the all the expertise expertise of CHANEL of CHANEL Watchmaking.

Watchmaking.

An An invincible invincible softness softness thatthat becomes becomes oneone with with whomever whomever wears wears it. it.