All the info you need to enjoy Australia's east coast with your furry friends

You know you are on a winner when you are publishing the seventh edition of a book. 

 
Travelling with Pets on Australia's East Coast by Carla Francis is about to be re-released having proven a big hit with pet lovers who like to hit the road with their furry friends. 

Francis is a freelance writer and a devoted pet owner who cannot stand to leave her dog behind when she travels. 

Her book takes in the huge area from from Port Douglas to Port Fairy, right through Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, and features everything from cat cabins to cute cockatiel-friendly caravan parks. 

If a property or service business welcomes canines or felines, it will probably be listed; from five-star hotels to campsites. 

Francis says her mission was "to provide a definitive guide to pet-friendly accommodation". 

So think doggie days out, dog-friendly beaches, parks, cafes, pubs and wineries, plus traveller’s tips for pet-friendly sightseeing.

Well laid out and chock full of useful info.    

Travelling with Pets on Australia's East Coast has an RRP of $34.99 and is published by Woodslane Press. It is available at bookstores and at www.woodslane.com.au 

The one book the wine lover in your life needs

 

I have literally hundreds of wine books in my library.

Reference books, historical tomes, atlases, travel guides, biographies etc.

But there is one wine book that I refer to more than any other: the annual Halliday Wine Companion.

The 2025 edition (they work well ahead, the Halliday team) was released earlier in August, when I was overseas on holiday.

But I wasn't going to miss any news. My email inbox was full of newsletters detailing the high scores some of the lucky recipients received from the Halliday team.

Giant Steps from the Yarra Valley was named Winery of the Year and its 2023 Applejack Pinot Noir has won Best Pinot Noir at the awards. Winemaker Mel Chester describes the accolades as the “big daddy” of wine awards.

I don't refer to the scores that much. One reviewer's 97 is another's 93.

But the info on wineries around Australia is essential stuff.

If I need to check on who used to be the winemaker used to be at Winery X on the Granite Belt, then I know where to find the info.

And if I want to know what year the first vines were planted at Winery Z in the Swan Valley went in, the info will be right there.

The Halliday Wine Companion Award winners were determined collaboratively by the Halliday Tasting Team, including (now former) chief editor Campbell Mattinson, Dave Brookes, Jane Faulkner, Jeni Port, Marcus Ellis, Mike Bennie, Philip Rich, Shanteh Wale, and Toni Paterson MW.

That's a collection of formidable palates.

The 2025 edition of the Companion includes over 5000 tasting notes and scores, and there are more than 7500 new notes available online at winecompanion.com.au.

The new Hall of Fame inductee was Sue Hodder, from Wynn’s Coonawarra Estate.

In case you've been living under a rock, the major award winners were:

Winery of the Year – Giant Steps, Yarra Valley

Winemaker of the Year – Liz Silkman, First Creek Wines and Silkman Wines, Hunter Valley

Viticulturist of the Year – Bart Molony, Vasse Felix, Margaret River

Best Value Winery – Mulline, Geelong

Best New Winery – Sami-Odi, Barossa Valley

Dark Horse Winery – ChaLou Wines, Orange

Wine of the Year – Oakridge 864 Drive Block Funder & Diamond Vineyard Chardonnay 2022, Yarra Valley

The Sami-Odi award is a little weird as that producer has been around for almost two decades. I also noticed typos, which is disappointing. Kate Hill’s Four Winds vineyard, for example, is called Four Wines. 

The Halliday Wine Companion 2025 has been completely revised and the book provides information about wineries and winemakers, including opening times, contact details and advice on family and dog-friendly vineyards.

It would make a perfect Father's Day gift.

The 2025 Halliday Wine Companion, published by Hardie Grant Books, is now available nationwide at an RRP of $45. winecompanion.com.au

Wine writer wants to "re-imagine" online purchasing

 

One of Australia's most experienced wine writers wants to help you make the best of your next purchase.

Jeremy Oliver, author of 30 books, says it is time for a re-imagination of online wine retail.

The critic has launched his new online platform, Oliver’s Wines, which includes a website and an App (iOS and Android) which he says will "transform the way wine enthusiasts discover and buy".

‘We’re using world-leading tech to try to give our users an old-fashioned wine experience in which each customer and their own preferences are recognised’, says Oliver.

"Developed locally in Melbourne, the world’s leading wine recommendation engine is able to treat every single user as an audience of one and suggest wines for them based on their very own favourites.

"Customers can create and manage their own lists of favourite wines, buy the wines our system recommends and then give feedback to help the system do its job even better.

‘I’m excited to be going back to my old day job as an independent critic. I’ll be rating and commenting on all the major wines in Australia, regardless of whether or not they’re for sale on this platform. My opinion is not for sale, just as it never has been."

It is said that Oliver’s Wines will feature a comprehensive database of ratings, tasting notes, articles and videos that he has assembled over four decades as one of Australia’s most respected writers.

There’s no subscription charge for users to access the resource, which Oliver updates regularly.

"We’re providing wine enthusiasts with a place to learn, research, engage with and buy from," he says.

"We’re not at all interesting in discounting wines; we just want to ensure that people enjoy the wines they are buying online.

"Once they start to trust the IT, we’ll take them on a journey that will introduce them to an entire spectrum of wine they might never have heard of. That’s the exciting thing about the system we’ve developed."

When I entered Chablis into the search engine I got the response: "No products were found matching your selection". 

So some refinement is still needed.   

See https://olivers-wines.com.au/