New role for this little Fokker

After its final flight across Australia a QantasLink Fokker F100 jet aircraft has a new home at Shellharbour Airport, where it will begin a new chapter with the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS).

The recently retired 100-seat aircraft has been donated by QantasLink to HARS, where it will join its collection of aircraft as a public exhibit.

VH-NPU “Meekatharra” is the second aircraft to be donated to HARS, with another QantasLink F100 domated to its Parkes Museum in February.

Meekatharra will sit alongside Qantas’ first Boeing 747- 400, VH-OJA, that was donated by the Australian flag carrier in 2015. City of Canberra arrived at HARS following 26 years of service and is one of the museum's most visited attractions.

QantasLink’s fleet of F100s are being replaced by Embraer E190 aircraft to improve reliability, fuel efficiency and customer comfort. The first E190 is expected to arrive in Perth next month.

Meekatharra began flying for QantasLink in December 2016 and was the final F100 to be added to the fleet. The aircraft has flown more than 11,250 hours for QantasLink, carrying around a million passengers across regional Western Australia.

HARS President and chief pilot Bob De La Hunty said: “We're honoured that QantasLink has entrusted HARS with another important piece of Australian aviation history.

“Meekatharra will help tell the story of the aircraft that connected regional communities and supported industry across Western Australia.

“Our volunteers are passionate about keeping these stories alive and giving visitors the opportunity to experience these remarkable aircraft up close.”

* VH-NPU joined the QantasLink fleet in 2016 and prior to that it flew for American Airlines and Austrian Airlines. It recorded 9 million kilometres and 7,543 flights flown for QantasLink.

Sydney gets a new French-style wine bar

Sydney has a new French-style wine bar. 

Not sure if they are aiming for a Willi's vibe, or a Baron Rouge feel, but La Buvette has opened on Challis Avenue in Potts Point, under the direction of The Goodies Hospitality, the team behind Bar Copains, Bessie's, Alma's and Vin-Cenzo's.

Led by friends and co-owners Sali and Nathan Sasi and Morgan McGlone, La Buvette is a neighbourhood wine bar "inspired by the intimate, lived-in bars of Paris". 

The venue offers a menu of small plates and classic bistro dishes and a wine list with a strong French focus. The venue takes over the original Challis Avenue site and name of a much-loved Potts Point institution that closed in 2019.

"The best wine bars in Paris have a sense of ease about them - they're places you drop into for a glass, end up ordering dinner, and somehow the whole evening disappears," says chef and co-owner Nathan Sasi. 

"That's the feeling we wanted to bring to La Buvette. It's a neighbourhood wine bar first and foremost, with classic French cooking, a great wine list, and warm hospitality. We feel incredibly lucky to be writing the next chapter for this much-loved corner of Potts Point."

The menu at La Buvette draws on a recent research trip Nathan and Morgan took to Paris. The dishes are classically French, but with a modern, playful edge. 

Menu highlights include: oysters with Champagne granita; comté custard gougères; raw diced tuna and goat's curd tart; escargots with café de Paris butter; and duck neck and pork sausage with seeded mustard. 

For dessert, think dishes like apple pie with French vanilla bean ice cream; a charred macaron with yuzu and finger lime; and a mini crème caramel. Although, come to think of it, dessert is a rare treat in Paris wine bars.

 
The drinks program is from group sommelier, Ishan Kaplish (formerly Mimi’s, Tetsuya’s). 

There are 23 wines by the glass, alongside a line-up of French-inspired cocktails including the Buvette Martini with Tanqueray gin, dry vermouth, cornichon and brine; Garde la Pêche Spritz with French aperitivo Rinquinquin and prosecco; and the French Maid with cognac, Falernum, cucumber, mint, lime and ginger beer.

The room is intimate, with just nine bookable seats inside and 30 walk-in seats outside. 

Interior design firm Studio Gram fitted out the space to "feel comfortable and lived-in", with aged timber, brass, mosaic tiles and worn upholstery, in a palette of warm ambers, caramels and mustard tones with a deep red accent. 

La Buvette will be open from 4pm Monday to Thursday, and for lunch and dinner from Friday to Sunday. Bookings are available now at https://labuvettesydney.com/

Images: Andrea Veltom

Australians now rely on their mobiles when travelling

Mobile phones are now an essential accessory for how Australians manage safety while travelling, new research reveals. 

Nearly one in three Australian travellers would feel unsafe abroad without access to mobile data, new research from travel eSIM provider Saily reveals.

The survey of 7,861 people found that 32% of Australians who travelled internationally in the past two years would feel somewhat or very unsafe without mobile data. 

“Mobile data used to be something travellers relied on for convenience," says Vykintas Maknickas, CEO at Saily. 

"Today, it is how they navigate unfamiliar places, access reservations and boarding passes, translate conversations, contact family, or call a ride. 

"When all of those tools disappear at once, being offline can quickly feel less like a digital detox and more like losing a safety net.” 

Australians reported slightly more concern than the global average across the eight countries surveyed, where 29% of international travellers said they would feel unsafe without mobile data. 

Across eight countries surveyed, 29% of international travellers said they would feel unsafe without mobile data. 

Younger travellers feel the most exposed without a connection

Even travellers who arrange mobile data in advance should be prepared for low-signal areas, technical issues, or a dead phone battery.

Maknickas recommends:

* Downloading offline maps for the destination before departure.
* Saving accommodation details, tickets, and emergency contacts directly on the device.
* Taking screenshots of essential booking information and directions.
* Carrying a charged power bank.
* Setting up mobile data or an eSIM before traveling rather than relying on airport or hotel wifi after arrival.
* Agreeing in advance on a meeting point when travelling with others in case someone loses connectivity.

“Travelers do not need to choose between staying connected and being prepared to go offline," he said. "The safest approach is to arrange reliable connectivity before the trip while also keeping essential information available offline.” 

Image: Andrii Shablovskii, Scop.io 

New vibe for one of Sydney's most recognisable hotels

Change is underway at one of Sydney's most instantly recognisable hotels.

Ovolo Sydney, on the Finger Wharf  at Woolloomooloo, is to be given a dramatic transformation with re-styled rooms at the forefront.

General manager James Clark said the hotel would be writing a new chapter.

“We’re incredibly excited to be making some big changes to Ovolo Sydney to enhance our offering, while evolving our unique sense of style,” he said.

“This is a major transformation of a heritage-listed property and one of only a handful in Sydney to be located right on the water. This evolution seeks to evoke luxury that feels effortless, hospitality that feels personal, and experiences that resonate long after checkout.

“We’re examining every stage of the guest experience - from the rooms to the shared spaces - to constantly ask ourselves, ‘how can we do better?’ to deliver ‘more’ with a sophisticated traveller in mind.

“The re-imagined Ovolo Sydney will serve as a luxurious haven for travellers, and the local community. Some places ask you to choose between destination and experience. Here, it is one and the same.”

A highlight of the overhaul will be the Rockstar Suite concept - two exclusive suites with private balconies overlooking Woolloomooloo Bay, with views and space to either entertain in style on the sun loungers, or retreat in private saunas and ice baths. 

“Each Ovolo property globally is a reflection of its surroundings - its art, its music and its hidden rhythms," Clark says. 

"Ovolo remains a cohesive collection but allows the local soul to shape the story it tells. We believe that true hospitality is felt, not seen. By obsessing over the details and removing friction before it occurs, we create a sense of cocooning calm. We don’t just provide a room; we curate a flow where every moment feels instinctive, fluid and entirely natural.”

Ovolo Sydney celebrates the history of the Finger Wharf, which was  built at the height of Australia's wool trade in 1915. 

It remains the world's longest timber-piled wharf and one of Sydney's most significant heritage landmarks, located next door to The Royal Botanic Garden and Art Gallery of New South Wales. 

See https://ovolohotels.com/ovolo/woolloomooloo/

Hobart to celebrate deep Antarctic links

The Tasmanian capital of Hobart has multiple links with the continent of Antarctica, being one of only five premier Antarctic gateway cities in the world. 

Hobart serves as the primary operational, logistical, and scientific base for Australia's engagement with the frozen continent and has one of the highest concentrations of polar and Southern Ocean scientists globally. 

It was also the final staging post for legendary explorers like Sir Douglas Mawson and Roald Amundsen.

The city will celebrate its links that week with the Australian Antarctic Festival, in what Destination Southern Tasmania CEO Alex Heroys describes as another key winter event for Tasmania.

“The Antarctic Festival returns to Hobart from August 20-23, celebrating Tasmania's unique connection to Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, Heroys said.

“The Festival will transform Hobart's waterfront with a diverse program of expert talks, films, exhibitions, family activities, live entertainment, Antarctic-inspired food and drink, bringing Australia's Antarctic story to life.”

One of Hobart's favourite Friday night events will be transformed into an Antarctic experience when the Brooke Street Pier Hobart Twilight Market joins forces with the Australian Antarctic Festival on Friday night.

“For one night only, the popular waterfront market will embrace the spirit of Antarctica, with more than 40 stalls offering Antarctic-inspired food and drink, artisan products, books, family activities and polar-themed experiences,” said Lara Colrain, CEO of the Mawson’s Huts Foundation. 

“Visitors may even encounter a wandering penguin or hear a choir performing songs reminiscent of those that entertained and inspired early Antarctic expeditioners during long winters in the far south.”

The Aurora Flavours Trail, meanwhile, will feature Antarctic-inspired hospitality experiences at participating venues across the city. Many events are free, making the festival an accessible winter event for both locals and visitors.

https://www.mawsons-huts.org.au/australian-antarctic-festival/

Cuddly concierge to hang up his lead

A stay at Peppers Silos Hotel in Launceston, Tasmania, is not complete without a cuddle with canine concierge Archie. 

But after greeting an estimated 300,000 guests, posing for countless photos and becoming one of Tasmania's most recognisable tourism ambassadors, Archie, the beloved black Labrador concierge is preparing to hang up his lead.

Archie has begun easing back his duties before officially retiring later this spring, bringing to a close an eight-year career.

Archie's story began before the doors of Peppers Silo Hotel even opened. 

Following a family visit to Canada, hotel owner Errol Stewart was inspired after meeting a canine concierge working in a hotel. 

Wanting to create the same warm and memorable arrival experience in Launceston, he approached Guide Dogs Tasmania to find an appropriate hound from the guide dog training program that possessed the exceptional temperament and training that make these dogs so special.

At four years old, Archie joined the opening team of Peppers Silo Hotel in 2018. His calm nature, impeccable manners and genuine love of people made him the perfect fit for a life in hospitality.

Kim Ryan, business manager at Guide Dogs Tasmania has been alongside his journey since he was eight weeks old and said Archie is a wonderful reminder that every dog has their own unique purpose. 

“Not every dog is suited to guide work, but every dog has unique strengths," Ryan said. "Archie has clearly found his calling, and we're incredibly proud to see the happiness he's brought to so many people over the past eight years. We wish him a long, happy and well-earned retirement.” 

Thousands follow his adventures online (@archiethesilodog) and guests regularly arrive bearing squeaky toys just for him. 

Peppers Silo Hotel general manager Paul Seaman said Archie had become far more than the hotel's canine concierge. 

“Archie has never simply been the hotel dog - he's been a colleague, a greeter, a conversation starter and, for many guests, the highlight of their stay. People genuinely ask if Archie is working before they book. He's become part of the story of Peppers Silo Hotel and part of Tasmania's tourism story."

His successor will be announced later this year, ensuring the much-loved tradition he began continues for years to come.