Direct flights launched between Bali and Phuket

Ever wanted to combine trips to two of Asia's most popular beachfront destinations?

How about time in Bali, and then Phuket?

Kompas and the Bali Update report that TransNusa Airline has launched a direct flight service connecting Depnpasar (DPS) and Phuket (HKT), in Thailand, as of this month.

​Nugroho Jati, general manager of PT Angkasa Pura Indonesia at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, said the new route strengthens air connectivity between Indonesia and Thailand.

“The launch of this direct Bali-Phuket route is good news for bolstering tourism connectivity within the Southeast Asian region,” Nugroho said in a media statement.

​The new Bali–Phuket route operates four times weekly on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, and will expand to daily service from October 3, 2026.

​TransNusa’s scheduled flight, 8B 541, will depart Bali at 11.30 am and arrive at Phuket International Airport at 14.35, while the return flight, 8B 542, will depart the Phuket International Airport at 15.35pm and arrive in Bali at 20.35pm.

​For the four-hour scheduled flight from Bali to Phuket, TransNusa will be utilising its Airbus A320, which has 174 seats.

​To celebrate the launch, TransNusa is offering introductory promotional fares starting from Rp 2,399,000 ($190 in AUD) one-way, bookable via the official airline website.

“We see this route as having the potential to strengthen I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport’s position as an Indonesian tourism hub," said Nugroho. "The easier the access between destinations, the greater the opportunity for travelers to extend their trips and enjoy a wider range of experiences.”

See TransNusa Website

One of Tasmania's iconic events is back

One of Tasmania's iconic events returns over the Christmas-New Year break. 

The annual summer celebration Taste of Summer will run from December 27 to January 3, bringing together some of the state’s most popular food and drinks alongside what organisers say is its biggest live music and entertainment program over its almost 40-year history. 

The annual NYE party - which draws up to 8,000 people to the Hobart waterfront - will feature The Potbelleez, Furnace & The Fundamentals and DJ Track & Field. 

Tickets go on sale next week.

More than 100,000 visitors are expected to head to the Princes Wharf complex during the event, which features over  85 food and drink vendors across the festival’s many spaces, including The Shed, Outdoors, Clover Hill Atrium, Yacht Club and Sports Bar. 

The program will showcase more than 120 live music acts and entertainment across multiple stages over the eight days.

The annual NYE party is Tasmania’s biggest New Year’s Eve celebration. This year will be Space Cowboy themed. 

“Taste is such a huge part of summer in Tasmania, and we’re really excited to be bringing an even bigger program to the waterfront this year,” said event GM Katharine Dean.

“The Potbelleez are an iconic Australian act and having Muma Megs join them on stage is going to make for a huge live show. Add the fireworks, the waterfront setting and everything else happening across the night, and it’s going to be pretty spectacular way to see out 2026.”

Taste’s New Year’s Eve Party is a separate ticketed event. 

Further details, including the full program, participating vendors and ticketing information, will be announced in the coming months.

Tasmania’s Taste of Summer is supported by the Tasmanian Government through Events Tasmania.

For more info see www.tasteofsummer.com.au

Calling cyclists who love a red wine or two

Fancy combining cycling and wine tasting in McLaren Vale?

Australian Cycle Tours has launched a new three-day self-guided cycle tour from Adelaide to McLaren Vale, taking cyclists from the city to the vineyards via riverside trails, coastal paths and one of South Australia’s most scenic rail trails.

Located just 45 minutes from Adelaide, McLaren Vale is a haven for food and wine lovers - particularly lovers of bold reds - and is promoted as an ideal region to explore by bike.

The new McLaren Vale Cycle begins in the heart of Adelaide, following the River Torrens Linear Park Trail to the coast before continuing along beachfront paths and the Coast to Vines Rail Trail into McLaren Vale.

Cyclists spend two nights in McLaren Vale township, with a flexible second day offering between 30 and 60 kilometres of cycling. 

Travellers can set their own pace exploring the region, with the option to cycle the Shiraz Trail. A wine tasting experience is also included.

The final day covers 40 kilometres, following quiet country backroads via Clarendon towards the Adelaide Hills and Belair National Park with a transfer from Belair National Park back to Adelaide CBD is included.

The cost from $1,650 per person includes two nights boutique accommodation in McLaren Vale, electric mountain bike hire with helmet, lock and repair kit, luggage transfers, wine tasting experience, route notes, maps and GPS information. 

Riders are promised they can set their own pace and follow their own interests cycling between towns and cellar doors.

For more info see https://www.australiancycletours.com.au/south-australia/self-guided/mclaren-vale-cycle

Image: McLaren Vale Wine Region  

New identity for Moreton Bay retreat

 

All change at Moreton Bay, the popular waterfront area just a short drive from downtown Brisbane.

A multi-million-dollar transformation of the former Mercure Clear Mountain has seen the property re-branded as Peppers Clear Mountain by Mandala Hotels & Resorts. 

The redevelopment included guest rooms, dining and event spaces, and the surrounding grounds. 

Set across 20 hectares of bushland overlooking the Glass House Mountains, the 51-room retreat sits above the bay and joins the Peppers collection across Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia. 

The Glasshouse Restaurant has two private dining rooms, including one with its own balcony, while events can cater for up to 150 guests. 

A dedicated billiard room and newly equipped gym provide additional leisure facilities for guests throughout their stay.

“The transformation of Peppers Clear Mountain marks an exciting milestone for Mandala Hotels and Resorts, Accor, and the entire Moreton Bay community," said Adrian Williams, Chief Operating Officer for Accor in the Pacific region. 

"By elevating this iconic property into the region's only five-star hotel, we aren't just opening doors to a new hotel - we're setting a premium new benchmark for Queensland hospitality [ahead of the 2032 Olympic Games]. 

"As we look toward the arrival of the world's greatest sporting event, we are entering a golden era of growth. Tourism demand is surging, flight capacity is rising, and the energy in the market is palpable."

Gemma McCourt, Chief Operating Officer for Mandala Hotels & Resorts, said: “Peppers Clear Mountain marks a confident and deliberate investment by Mandala Hotels & Resorts into one of Queensland's most naturally compelling regions, elevating the property with a renewed focus on the experiences today's travellers seek."

Peppers Clear Mountain offers stays from $309 per night (which, to be honest, seems a little steep), including breakfast for two. To book, visit ALL.com or see https://peppersclearmountain.com.au/

Art adds new elements to cycling trial

Dramatic street art, improved amenities and new visitor experiences are adding value to one of Victoria's great cycling journeys.

A major $8.5 million enhancement of the Murray to Mountains Rail Trail is providing visitors with even more reasons to slow down, stop, explore and stay longer across the towns and villages of Victoria's High Country.

Supported by the Victorian Government's Regional Tourism Infrastructure Fund and led by Tourism North East in partnership with the Rural City of Wangaratta, Indigo Shire and Alpine Shire, the Murray to Mountains Rail Trail Enhancements Project has introduced a collection of public art, landscaping, upgraded amenities, improved signage and infrastructure and new opportunities for visitor experiences along the trail.

The investment is expected to attract more than 17,500 additional visitors each year, generate $12.3 million in annual economic activity and support 65 ongoing jobs.

Tourism North East CEO Bess Nolan-Cook said the significance of the investment extended far beyond the physical trail.

“This $8.5 million investment is about much more than enhancing a cycling trail. It is an investment in the communities, towns, villages and businesses that sit along it and make the Murray to Mountains experience so distinctive,” Nolan-Cook said.

“Every rider who stops for coffee, visits a cellar door, stays overnight, buys from a local producer or discovers a town they may otherwise have passed by creates an economic ripple that extends throughout the region.

“The Murray to Mountains Rail Trail is unique because the trail itself is only part of the experience. It connects people with our landscapes, our food and wine and, importantly, the people behind the businesses they encounter along the way."

Installations include Beci Orpin's colourful Harvest Trail between Oxley and Milawa; Emily Floyd's larger-than-life Magpie Family between Bowser and Tarrawingee; Ronan Holdsworth's Birds of Seasons murals at the Rutherglen Silo Precinct; and Ben Gilbert of Agency of Sculptures at the Beechworth Railway Precinct.

At Yackandandah, Drez Studios' Mindful Tunnel transforms the rail-trail underpass into an immersive passage of rhythm, colour and perceptual play, while Alexander Knox's sculptural gateway sign creates a striking sense of arrival at the King Valley's Oxley entrance. Further along the trail, Skunk Control's Colour Bridge at Porepunkah celebrates the High Country's changing seasons through wildflower-inspired panels and integrated light.

Stretching through some of north-east Victoria's most celebrated landscapes and destinations, the Murray to Mountains Rail Trail connects visitors with Rutherglen, Wangaratta, Milawa, Oxley, Everton, Beechworth, Yackandandah, Eurobin, Porepunkah and Bright and their surrounding communities.

High-speed trains to link Italy, Austria and Germany

Italy’s Frecciarossa high-speed trains are very much on the move with the launch of direct services between Italy, Austria and Germany getting closer. 

Across Europe, trains can provide travellers with an affordable alternative to short-haul flights.

Testing of the trains began in Germany and Austria last week as part of the international approval process. 

Subject to successful certification, commercial services between Milan and Munich and Rome and Munich are expected to start in summer 2027.

The project is being developed by Italy’s Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane (FS), through Trenitalia, in partnership with Germany’s Deutsche Bahn (DB) and Austria’s ÖBB.

The initial service will comprise four connections across the two routes.

The Milan-Munich journey will take about six and a half hours, covering roughly 600 kilometers. Planned intermediate stops include Brescia, Verona, Rovereto, Trento, Bolzano and Innsbruck.

The Rome-Munich service will take approximately eight and a half hours, with stops at Florence, Bologna, Verona, Rovereto, Trento, Bolzano and Innsbruck.

The services will use the Frecciarossa 1000, Trenitalia’s flagship high-speed train. The train is certified to European interoperability standards and is designed to operate across different railway systems, power supplies and signalling technologies, news hub Travel Mole reports.

The network is planned to grow substantially from December 2028, when the full program is expected to reach 10 connections between Italy and Germany.

Future services will extend the network to Berlin and Naples, including planned routes linking Milan with Berlin and Naples with both Munich and Berlin. The longer-term network is expected to create five daily round-trip services across the Germany-Austria-Italy corridor.