Get ready to pay to visit this natural attraction

Australians travelling overseas are often slugged for visiting major attractions.

Now the state of Victoria has decided it is time to gouge visitors from interstate and overseas.

It’s a bad look, but tourists wanting to visit one of Australia's iconic natural wonders, the Twelve Apostles, will now have to book in advance. And from 2027 they will be required to pay an entry fee.

That’s right, visitors will be required to pay to enter a publicly owned beach destination.

Statistics show that each year more than 2 million people travel down the Great Ocean Road to visit the remaining seven limestone rock stacks that remain in the Southern Ocean, about four hours' drive west of Melbourne.

The Victorian government has announced that from next week (October 16) visitors will need to book ahead to enter a newly constructed $126 million visitor centre and see the remaining apostles.

From April, the government will start charging tourists an as yet undisclosed entry fee although local residents and traditional owners will be exempt from paying, the ABC reported.

Acting Regional Development, Local Government and Territories Minister Catherine King said the new visitor centre would support sustainable tourism along Victoria's south-west coastline.

"The redevelopment is already playing an important part in the local economy and will encourage even more visitors to spend time in the region, boosting local jobs and businesses," King said.

What she means is that funds have to be raised to pay for a visitor centre no one asked for.

Port Campbell Community Group secretary Marion Manifold told the ABC that the group was opposed to the fee as "we believe public land should not be commercialised and should remain in public hands".

"If funds are required we prefer an airport tax on visitors into Australia," Manifold said.

"It's a good aim but in the past we believe very little money has come back to the Port Campbell national park and believe this is not likely to change."

Victorian Environment Minister Steve Dimopoulos is unmoved.

"It's only fair that visitors to the region pay a small fee to visit this world-class destination so that we can maintain it for future generations," Dimopoulos said. 

Which is a bit rich considering the state has overseen five of the 12 rock stacks collapsing. 

Tasmania celebrates a remarkable sparkling milestone

The Tasmanian wine industry is celebrating a major milestone: 200 years since Australia's first sparkling wine was made on the Apple Isle. 

Back in 1826, former convict Bartholomew Broughton was making wine from grapes grown at Prospect Farm in the Hobart suburb of New Town having planted a vineyard three years earlier. 

His 1826 vintage was advertised as “grape wine made in imitation of Champaigne,” Wine Tasmania reports.

For various reasons the nascent Tasmanian wine industry died out - and was not revived until 1956, when Jean Miguet at Providence in the Tamar Valley and Claudio Alsorso, on the banks of Derwent on what is today Moorilla Estate, revived wine grape growing and winemaking. 

Two centuries later, Tasmania has over the past 50 years built a global reputation for exceptional sparkling wine - regarded by some critics as second only to Champagne. 

Some of the best producers make only Methode Champenoise wines: House of Arras, Jansz Tasmania, Pirie, Bellebonne, Clover Hill and Henskens Rankin. 

Others make both sparkling and table wines: Freycinet Estate (Radenti), Delamere, Stefano Lubiana, Apogee, and Pipers Brook (Kreglinger) among the highest profile. 

Tasmania has proved a hugely successful island for producing key Champagne grapes chardonnay and pinot noir. Here's cheers to its sparkling success! 

Summer is looking pretty spritzy in Australia

Summer in Australia is getting a new splash of colour with the launch of Aperol’s new ready-to-serve Aperol Spritz 750ml bottle.

This will be the first time time the iconic orange, herb-based Italian aperitivo is available in this format.

Mixed and ready to drink, the new 750ml bottle delivers the signature bittersweet taste and  fruit character of a freshly made Aperol Spritz, the team at distributors Campari say. 

It contains all the ingredients you need for a spritz - Aperol, prosecco and soda -  just add a slice of  orange and it’s good to go!

 
The launch comes as the spritz category continues to surge in popularity across Australia, growing 49% in dollar value year-on-year.

Once a seasonal drink, the spritz has become a go-to choice for daytime social occasions, casual entertaining and shared moments with friends, the Aperol people say.

"Australians have truly embraced the Aperol Spritz and the social occasions that come with it,” says Jacopo Borsa, managing director for Campari Group Australia.

"With our new Aperol Spritz 750ml bottle, we're making it easier than ever to enjoy those moments at home. It's ready to pop whenever friends pop by, delivering the iconic Aperol Spritz experience in a format that's convenient, shareable and perfect for spontaneous get-togethers."

The new Aperol Spritz 750ml bottle available nationally from today with an RRP of $30.

 
# Aperol was created by Italian duo the Barbieri brothers and launched in 1919 at the Padua International Fair.

Silo art proves a drawcard for country Queensland

Silo art is an increasing drawcard for country Queensland towns with silo art and mural trails set to grow ahead of summer, with four grain silos in the Lockyer Valley to become the region’s newest art project.

Forest Hill’s grain silos, about an hour’s drive west of Brisbane, are set to be newcomers to the Lockyer Valley Murals Trail.

For decades, the four silos have stood beside the railway line at Forest Hill, a reminder of the grain-growing history of this fertile valley. Soon, they will tell a new story about the region and the people who call it home.

Mural artists Jordan Bruce of Brightsiders and Joel Fergie The Zookeeper have been selected to transform the GrainCorp silos.

 
Painting began this month with the artwork - similar to the one above - and an accompanying viewing precinct targeted for completion by mid-November.

Brightsiders is a Brisbane art collective specialising in large-scale public murals while Fergie has painted silos and water towers across Australia, including GrainCorp silos in Queensland Country's Goondiwindi region.

This time, the final design is being kept under wraps. 

Lockyer Valley Regional Council says the mural will capture the essence of the region, drawing on conversations the artists have had with Forest Hill residents and community groups. The design will also respond to the railway line beside the silos.

Lockyer Valley Regional Council Mayor Tanya Milligan said the artists had taken time to understand the place and its people.

“Jordan and Joel have already spent time engaging with the Forest Hill community, speaking with residents and community groups to help ensure the artwork reflects the stories, values and character of the region,” she said.

For Queensland Country Tourism, the new mural will be a starting point for discovering more of the Lockyer Valley. When complete, it will join the region’s existing trail of murals and public artworks in towns including Gatton and Laidley, each offering a different glimpse of country life.

Forest Hill’s transformation will build on existing public art experiences in Queensland Country, from Toowoomba’s painted silo and laneways to Yelarbon’s eight-silo artwork in the Goondiwindi region and Somerset’s town murals.

# The Lockyer Valley lies west of Brisbane, between Ipswich and Toowoomba. Forest Hill is a small heritage town between Gatton and Laidley, about an hour’s drive from Brisbane. Qantas flies direct from Sydney to Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport (WTB).

Click to explore Queensland Country’s art trails.

Hunter Valley to showcase its heritage vineyards

Heritage vineyards across the Hunter Valley will be under the spotlight this month as part of NSW Wine Month. 

Across the region, 56 vineyards are recognised as Heritage Vineyards, each more than 50 years old and planted on original rootstocks. Some date back to 1867, with 14 vineyards now more than a century old.

These vineyards are living pieces of Australian wine history. Many are still hand-tended and bottled as single-vineyard wines. 

On October 27, Hunter Valley vignerons will bring wines from these historic vineyards to Lana at  Hinchcliff House in Sydney for a special tasting and dinner.
​
Seventeen Hunter Valley producers will present single-vineyard wines from some of the region’s most significant old-vine sites. 

Guests will hear from the winemakers and custodians behind these vineyards, discovering the stories of the sites, the families who have cared for them and the wines they continue to produce today.

Producers to be showcased are: Aeon Wines, Audrey Wilkinson Wines, Bimbadgen, Brokenwood Wines, Colvin Wines, De luliis Wines, Keith Tulloch Wines, Margan Wines, Mount Pleasant Wines, 
Molly Morgan Wines, Riggs & Wiggs, Tamburlaine, Thomas Wines, Tyrrell's Wines, Usher Tinkler Wines, Vinden Wines and Winmark Wines. 

Here is the link for bookings: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/hunter-valley-heritage-vines-tasting-dinner-tickets-2002599872126?aff=oddtdtcreator

​

Marriott banking on tourism demand in Malaysia and New Zealand

Hotel giant Marriott International is putting a lot of faith in the long-term tourism industries in Malaysia and New Zealand. 

Marriott has plans to add multiple properties and more than 1,600 rooms as it targets growing demand for travel across the Asia-Pacific region.

In Malaysia, property developer IOI Properties Group has signed agreements with Marriott for four new hotels totalling 888 rooms, with openings planned between 2030 and 2032, news hub Travel Mole reports.

The projects are W Langkawi (top image), Aloft by Marriott Sepang, Aloft by Marriott Johor Bahru Plentong and The Ritz-Carlton, Putrajaya. 

The deal will bring to 15 the number of hotels owned by IOI Properties that are either operating or planned to be managed by Marriott.

IOI Properties Group CEO Lee Yeow Seng said the four new agreements strengthen the company’s position as a significant hospitality owner, while Marriott Asia-Pacific President Rajeev Menon described Malaysia as an important growth market for the company.

Marriott is simultaneously expanding in New Zealand through a separate agreement with CP Group covering three hotels and 335 rooms.

The deals will introduce the Marriott Hotels brand to Rotorua and bring Autograph Collection to Auckland and Wellington for the first time. The properties are scheduled to open between 2027 and 2029.

The Rotorua Marriott Hotel will follow a conversion of the existing Arawa Park Hotel after a 12-month renovation, with an opening planned for late 2027.

In Auckland, The Official Auckland, Autograph Collection (above) will open in 2028 with 82 rooms after the conversion of a historic building on Eden Crescent. 

Fable Wellington, Autograph Collection will follow in 2029 with 118 rooms in a repurposed 1940s office building on Lambton Quay.

The New Zealand expansion builds on Marriott’s relationship with CP Group, including the previously announced St. Regis Queenstown project. Marriott currently operates JW Marriott Auckland and Four Points by Sheraton Auckland, with Sheraton Christchurch (240 rooms) and Moxy Auckland (185 rooms) also expected to open in 2027.