Remote walking holidays make huge strides

Remote walking tours are booming as more travellers seek off-the-beaten-path experiences, one leading travel company is reporting. 

More Australians embracing active travel in Europe than ever before, UTracks has said, saying demand for immersive experiences in remote destinations is among their fastest-growing segments.

These journeys take travellers deep into some of Europe’s most remote landscapes, from Romania's dramatic peaks in Romania to Iceland's Nordic wilderness.

Albania is a trending destination, gaining attention for its rugged terrains and rich cultural history. 

The remote village of Theth, nestled in a stunning valley, provides access to some of the country’s most spectacular trails, including the renowned Peaks of the Balkans Trail. 

This multi-country guided hike weaves through Albania, Montenegro, and Kosovo at elevations of up to 2,300 metres. 

“Travellers are increasingly drawn to destinations that offer a sense of discovery,” says Kate Baker, general manager of UTracks (www.utracks.com.au). 

“Places like Albania deliver that in spades, offering pristine nature, deep history, and warm local hospitality.

"With more people seeking out destinations that feel personal and unspoiled, our walks offer the perfect balance of exploration and cultural immersion.” 

UTracks offers a range of hiking experiences in wild and remote destinations, including: 

# Iceland: Footsteps of Thor https://www.utracks.com/Iceland/Guided-Walking/Iceland-Footsteps-of-Thor

# Poland Pieniny and Tatra Mountains Hike https://www.utracks.com/Poland/Alpine-Hiking/Poland-Pieniny-and-Tatra-Mountains-Hike

and 

# Transylvania Castles amd Mountains https://www.utracks.com/Romania/Self-Guided-Walking/Transylvania-Castles-Mountains 

Image: Walking in Albania 

From wine to whisky: all change on the Hobart waterfront

All change on the Hobart waterfront.

Callington Mill Distillery today announced it will take over the lease of the waterfront venue on the ground floor of the Macq01 hotel in Hobart.

The venue, previously operated by Frogmore Creek Wines, will serve as the distillery’s new city location from May.

It will "offer a space to showcase their world-class Tasmanian whisky and be a gateway for visitors to explore their home base in Oatlands".

Frogmore Creek, which designed and opened the Macq01 location in 2017, has enjoyed success using the venue to promote their premium Tasmanian wines and drive visitors to its cellar door and restaurant in Cambridge.

The revamped venue will see whisky and wine showcased together.

John Ibraham, owner of Callington Mill Distillery, said: “We’re excited to extend our brand’s reach to Hobart and offer our visitors a chance to experience Callington Mill Distillery before they make the journey to our Oatlands distillery.

Callington Mill Distillery built its distillery in the historic town of Oatlands, an hour north of Hobart but off the tourism track.

Frogmore Creek, under the leadership CEO James Skabo, is in the midst of a 60-hectare vineyard expansion, responding to the increasing market demand for premium cool-climate Tasmanian wines.

It will continue to operate its restaurant, cellar door, and function centre Cambridge.

“We are excited about the coming years and opportunities, including expanding our working relationship with John and the team at Callington Mill, as we both strive to build iconic Tasmanian brands," Skabo said.

"In the coming months, we look forward to enjoying a whisky on the waterfront and embracing this exciting new chapter in Hobart’s hospitality scene.”

Further details regarding the new offerings and experiences at the venue will be announced closer to the opening.

Discover a Devil of a new Tasmanian gourmet experience

Innovative Tasmanian east coast winery Devil’s Corner - known for its stunning views and food and wine experiences - has launched a new signature experience: Moulting Lagoon Adventure.

The luxe journey offers guests an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at The Hazards vineyard and nearby scenic Moulting Lagoon, showcasing the region’s landscapes, premium produce and award-winning wines.

The Moulting Lagoon Adventure is described as "a curated luxurious exploration of the Devil’s Corner site" and includes a vineyard tour; learning the art of oyster shucking straight from the back of a ute overlooking Moulting Lagoon; indulging in a gourmet lunch in the exclusive underground cellar (The Devil’s Den); and concluding with a hosted premium wine tasting.

I'd schedule the wine tasting before lunch, but that would just be my preference. 

“We are incredibly excited to offer this bespoke and premium experience to our visitors,” says Devil’s Corner senior winemaker Tom Wallace.

“The Moulting Lagoon Adventure truly encapsulates the essence of Devil’s Corner, combining our passion for winemaking with the unparalleled beauty of our surroundings. It's a chance to connect with the land, the people and the flavours that make this region so special."

Devil’s Corner cellar door is at Apslawn on the east coast of Tasmania. The experience runs from noon-3pm and costs $195 per person. Bookings via the cellar door team on 0448 521 412 or at devilscorner.com.au.

The sun is back shining on the Sunshine Coast

Things are back to normal.

That is the message from the Sunshine Coast tourism industry in Queensland, which says it is ready to welcome holidaymakers with accommodation, attractions, and tours open and back to business as usual. 

Visit Sunshine Coast CEO Matt Stoeckel said his thoughts go to those who have been impacted by ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred and offered thanks to the emergency services personnel who worked around the clock to keep the region and its visitors safe.

He said Sunshine Coast Airport was fully operational along with the public transport network, hotels, attractions, tours and restaurants. Some facilities, however, may remain disrupted due to a handful of roads remaining closed. Beaches suffered less damage than those on the Gold Coast. 

“We have a lot of ground to make up though - I haven't seen hotels this empty since the pandemic," Stoeckel said.

“But the good news is that our events are in full swing with everyone is looking forward to the Noosa Festival of Surfing this weekend that will show that our world-class beaches like Mooloolaba and Noosa are in great shape and ready to be enjoyed.” 

Stoeckel said the Sunshine Coast was getting back to business as usual. 

“To help the tourism industry, VSC has launched a new Real Time Social Media Campaign to show holidaymakers what the Sunshine Coast really looks like, right now, through photos and videos.

“The Real Time content will be shared using the hashtag #SunshineCoastForReal across VSC's official Instagram and Facebook pages and focus on showcase that our tourism industry is back open for business.  

“The best way to get people travelling again is by showing people exactly what the Sunshine Coast looks like right now.

“Some tourism businesses have not had any customers for a week, and it's so important that we get the tourism industry flowing again.”

A new Sydney eatery has different designs

New restaurants usually focus on their food and wine offerings, but a new Italian CBD venue is also "design led". 

Venue entrepreneur, businessman, designer and hotelier Raffaelle Lombardi is combining with  his interior designer wife Victoria Hampshire (daughter of shopping guru Jilly Hampshire and niece of actress/hotelier/designer Anouska Hempel) to create Conte Sydney, an ambitious multi-level, multi-purpose drinks and dining destination that will open next month.

Conte Sydney will be the sibling of Bar Conte in Surry Hills, promoted as the world’s first dedicated negroni bar.

Now Lombardi and Hampshire have landed in Clarence St in Sydney with a European but contemporary drinks and dining space a long-held ambition of Lombardi and Hampshire. It will feature late-night dining.

“I have dreamt of this concept for the past 10 years," says Lombardi.

"The negroni is, of course, my drink of choice and has been since I was a young man growing up in Sorrento on the Amalfi Coast.

"It's the ultimate pre-dinner drink and pastime but there has always been more to Bar Conte in us. The venue’s popularity has completely blown us away so the time felt right for a larger, ‘grown-up’ offering realising the dream of a chic and contemporary dining and drinks space that we know Sydneysiders will want to visit as much as we do!”

The 130-seat, multi-level space, will feature signature moss green tiles and contrasting green marbles and deep brass highlights to complement the inside of a deep, red-walled room.

Wallpapers from Milan brand Fornasetti, and Italian leather seats will also star.

“I have always been attracted to the intensity of deep green and brass," says Hampshire.

"The moss green tiles and Verde Alpe marble complement the warmth of the parquetry floor and the deep red walls adorned with rare posters, then we have the brass accents, a Victoria Hampshire Designs trademark. These elements reference our home, hotels, life and travels in Italy.”

Diners can expect an a la carte menu with an Italian accent, and a 40+ choice negroni list.

Conte Sydney will have the largest collection of Italian Vermouth, Amari (digestives), and Italian Gin seen in one venue. The team will introduce both negroni and martini food pairing experiences.

Conte Sydney will be at 151 Clarence Street, Sydney and will be open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 11am-midnight, and Thursday, Friday, Saturday from 11am–1am. Details will be unveiled at https://www.barconte.com.au/. Opening date is April 2. 

Angry Canadians turn on former national hero turned wine producer

Angry Canadians have turned on former national hero Wayne Gretzky - an ice hockey player known as "The Great One".

Gretzky, now a wine producer, is a pro-Trump, MAGA supporter.

Which has not made him popular in his homeland, local media report.

Images of Wayne Gretzky Estates wine bottes went viral after appearing on social media platform Reddit with some derogatory descriptions, leading to accusations that a Toronto store had tampered with them. 

Others argued the images had been photoshopped.

On-shelf signage showing the price and information underneath Gretzky’s pinot grigio describe the wine as “weak & backstabbery,” while claiming it “delights with notes of elitism, and affluence.”

A cabernet merlot in Gretzky’s range also bore a shelf-description claiming that the “sad and two-faced” wine is as “weak as its namesake’s moral fibre” and should be paired with “boiled raccoon.”

His chardonnay was said to “reek of betrayal”, with “acrid” hints of “treasonry”.

After conducting an investigation, The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) - which runs all retail wine stores in the province - announced that “we have found no evidence to suggest that any product label was altered in our stores”, and suggested that the images on Reddit had been photoshopped.

Gretzky played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for teams including the Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers and St Louis Blues and is the top-scoring NHL player of all time.

Gretzky, who founded his wine business in 2007 at Niagara on the Lake, is an outspoken Trump supporter and has been photographed wearing a MAGA baseball cap.

Trump has declared him “a good friend” and “a fantastic guy” on his media channel Truth Social, and some Canadians feel Gretzky hasn’t done enough to oppose Trump’s goal of making Canada the “51st state of America”.

With anti-Trump sentiment running high in Canada, many are boycotting businesses seen to support the US President.

The Toronto.com website reported that residents in Niagara-on-the-Lake have called for a boycott of Wayne Gretzky Estates winery and distillery.

A petition to re-name a road named Wayne Gretzky Drive in Edmonton, Alberta, has also reportedly gathered more than 13,300 signatures.