Confident Qantas earns Government ire

Qantas has reopened bookings for all overseas flights from July 1 - but has earned a rebuke from the Australian Government for doing so. 

The actual start date of international flights resuming will be subject to the easing of respective border controls and the progress of the Covid-10 vaccination rollout.

"We continue to review and update our international schedule in response to the developing Covid-19 situation," Qantas said in a statement.

"We have aligned the selling of our international services to reflect our expectation that international travel will begin to restart from July 2021."

Long haul destinations open for booking include the US and the United Kingdom.

Scheduled international flights have been grounded for months although repatriation flights have continued subject to the limits imposed on inbound passenger traffic by the government.

Qantas chief Alan Joyce recently said passengers will likely need to supply proof they've received the Covid-19 vaccine before they are allowed to fly.

Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack said while ticket sales were a commercial decision for airlines, it would be for the government to decide when international travel resumes.

"International borders will be reopened when international arrivals do not pose a risk to Australians," he said in a statement. "Decisions about when international travel resumes will be made by the Australian Government."

Add a taste of the south of France to your summer

Some of my fondest memories of living in France revolve around a glass or two (or sometimes a bottle or two) of rosé wine. 

From pinks of indeterminate origin served in pichets in rustic restaurants in impossibly picturesque Luberon villages, to chilled bottles in sophisticated Monte Carlo after helicoptering in from Nice (that actually happened a couple of times).   

I recalls meals in fabulous little Avignon bistros (aren't they all), and our local Lebanese eatery in Paris, where we always drank rosé, as did the BCBG locals. 

This was well before rosé became fashionable - back when ordering a glass of pink wine in Australia might well have earned a bloke a punch on the nose and a "poofter" taunt. 

In 2021, of course, rosé is all the range, from rooftop bars on Hollywood and Vine to downtown Cygnet, where chaps in blue singlets happily quaff a glass or two of chilled pink before heading off to chop down some trees. 

Today's rosé wines, often pale and bone dry, are a million miles away from the sickly sweet, slightly spritzy Portuguese Mateus Rosé we used to quaff a generation ago. 

The Chateau de Aix en Provence. a Provencal rosé, is one of the labels cashing in on the latest trends. 

Aix produces wines in sizes ranging from 750mls to 15 litres (a great party talking point) - and the new-release 2019 vintage is a step up in class from 2018. 

Think fruity freshness with a dry savoury finish designed to be enjoyed well chilled. the 2019 vintage is a blend of grenache, shiraz, cinsault and carignan, all classic grape varieties from the south of France. 

The fruit was grown in the vineyards of a 135-year-old domain in the heart of the Coteaux d’Áix-en-Provence appellation. 

Aix Rosé is available in Australia via Independent Fine Wine retailers including Camperdown Cellars, Chambers Cellars, Corkscrew Cellars and Porter’s Liquor in NSW, McCoppins and Gum Tree in Victoria, Wine Emporium in Queensland and Liquor Barons in Western Australia. The RRP is $35.

Three days in and Brexit travel chaos is already a thing

Three days into Brexit and British residents of Spain have been denied boarding by British Airways staff at Heathrow Airport as they tried to return home perfectly legally. 

The potential travel chaos and restrictions that Britons voted for is already becoming a reality. 

Over the first weekend since the Brexit transition period ended, passengers booked on BA flights say they were wrongly denied boarding at Heathrow's Terminal 5, Travel Mole and The Independent reported.

Passenger James Elliot said on Twitter: "I was booked on BA0482 flying to Barcelona, Spain today. I had all the correct documentation including UK passport, green residents' card, negative Covid test and was turned away by the check-in manager. Tried explaining that the green card meant that I'm a resident of Spain but was told by two BA staff that it wasn't.

"Also read out both the UK and Spanish governments' websites information with no success. Absolutely shocking, seems like I'm not the only one either."

With the ending of the Brexit transition, British passport holders are no longer granted automatic access to European Union countries. And Spain - in common with many other EU countries - is imposing tough regulations to try to minimise the spread of Covid-19. 

Only Spanish nationals and legal residents of Spain are allowed to board flights from the UK until 19 January.

British people who live in Spain are required to carry one of two documents demonstrating their right to travel: either a green EU residence certificate or a tarjeta de identidad de extranjero (TIE), a new biometric residency card specifically for Spain.

They must also have a PCR test for coronavirus within 72 hours of arrival in Spain.

Stephen Meldrum contacted The Independent after he was booked on British Airways flight 454 from Heathrow to Malaga on Saturday.

He said he had all the right documentation but was incorrectly told only Spanish passport holders were allowed on board. 

“They told me the booking had been cancelled as a ‘no-show’ and they could not book me onto a new flight.”

Eventually BA agreed it had acted incorrectly, but its apology was less than fulsome. BA’s decision wrongly to deny him boarding made him eligible for €400 in compensation under European air passengers’ rights rules. 

But the airline told him: “Hi, Stephen. I'm afraid we won't be able to offer you any compensation. I'm sorry to disappoint you.” 

On a joint British Airways-Iberia flight from Heathrow to Madrid, a further nine people were reported to have been denied boarding. 

A spokesperson for BA said: “In these difficult and unprecedented times with dynamic travel restrictions, we are doing everything we can to help and support our customers.” 

Right. 

A novel way to lift tourism: create more public holidays

Thailand has been one of the hardest-hit countries by the Covid-19 pandemic with its travel industry in difficulty.

In a bid to lift tourism numbers in 2021, the Thai Government has announced eight new public holidays for 2021 in a bid to stimulate domestic travel.

Several of the extra bank holidays fall on a Monday or Friday, allowing for long weekend stays.

The Government unveiled four national holidays and four applicable to different regions across Thailand.

The changes include an extra day for the Thai New Year Songkran holidays and a day in lieu for Buddhist Lent, the Bangkok Post reported.

Deputy government spokesperson Traisuree Taisaranakul said regional governments and businesses can make their own decision to grant the extra holidays based on their operational needs.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand, meanwhile, said the extension of the domestic tourism stimulus campaign has seen a spike in bookings for early 2021.

It received 200,000 hotel room bookings within the first 12 hours, said TAT governor, Yuthasak Supasorn, which is up about five-fold.

 

Check out a new rustic retreat in Tasmania

While other states struggle with state government incompetence and confused Covid-19 messages, Tasmania has so far sailed out of trouble.

I was on the East Coast last week - and Bicheno was packed.

For those looking a rustic Tasmanian retreat, I have received a press release about a luxury new option - one I shall attempt to check out in due course. 

Two-bedroom Cedar Cottage Meander offers premium self-catered accommodation at the foot of kooparoona niara/the Great Western Tiers. 

Located just minutes from World Heritage wilderness, Cedar Cottage Meander is billed as "perfect for couples and small groups".

Potential activities include fly fishing, bushwalking, river sledding, horse riding, canyoning, caving, cultural tours and other adventures, or just kicking back and enjoying the tranquillity.

Gourmets can stock up at Launceston’s famous Harvest Market, the Cradle to Coast Tasting Trail and the Deloraine-Latrobe Produce Loop, with handcrafted local chocolates, cheeses, smoked salmon, truffles, honey, raspberries, ice cream, craft beer, cider and boutique wineries and distilleries close by.

The cottage boasts a full chef’s kitchen, fire-pit and grill, plus exclusive access to an organic kitchen garden. 

Guests can unwind in a hot tub on a private deck facing the the mountains, look out for curious wildlife and take in the pristine beauty of an uninterrupted night sky.

Sounds perfect for a romantic weekend away.

See www.discovertasmania.com.au/accommodation/cedarcottagemeander

Discover a very special part of Italy

High on a mountain range in the far north-east of Italy, is the Alto Adige, a wine region that also has plenty to offer walkers, hikers and bikers.

 Done Tuscany? Discovered Piedmont? Why not sample one of Italy’s most idiosyncratic wine regions: the Alto Adige. 

Overlooked by the Dolomites, the Alto Adige is bordered by Austria and Germany and is also known by its German name of Sud Tirol. 

The scenery is spectacular, the wines excellent and the skiing stunning during winter (the famous winter resort of Val Gardena is just a short drive from the regional capital of Bolzano). In summer, alpine trekking is popular.

Your base for exploring the steep vineyards will almost certainly be the delightful city of Bolzano (known as Bozen in German). 

The Parkhotel Laurin, in the heart of the small city, just a short stroll for the cathedral, is a delightful upmarket hotel with lovely gardens. Dining al a carte here is a real pleasure.  More affordable, but part of the same group and just around the corner is the Hotel Greif, with a rooftop garden on a side street just off the Piazza Walther. 

This design hotel has different themes in each room and offers free wifi and a gym.

The staff are excellent and the breakfasts big enough to set you up for a day of exploring the hillsides that are home to various grape varieties including pinot grigio, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, pinot bianco, riesling, müller-thurgau, moscato, sylvaner and gewürztraminer as well as lighter reds like lagrein, schiava, pinot noir and cabernet franc. 

In just a short period of time, Alto Adige has become Italy’s top premium white wine region due to its Alpine-Mediterranean climate, the quality of the soils and the enviable locations of the vineyards.

The local food is a heady mix of Italian and German influences. Think dishes like spatzle, small gnocchi made with eggs, flour, and water, which can be eaten with a simple butter and chives condiment.

A traditional meal will often involve some type of cured meat, the most famous being speck, a dry-cured, lightly smoked ham, eaten sliced by itself or with rustic breads. There are also several local cheeses (you’ll see dairy cows on many of the hillsides) chief among them trentingrana. 

Desserts are often made with apples, pears or plums, as these fruits are widely cultivated in the region. The quality of food is generally high; you don’t necessarily have to go to a fancy restaurant – just stop at a local malga (mountain hut). 

When it comes to wine, the Alto Adige is Italy’s version of Tasmania with the cool climate producing bright wines high in acidity. Like Tasmania, too, Alto Adige produces only 1% of all Italian wines, but has a reputation with many of its wines exported to Australia. Grapes have been grown here since early Roman times. 

The peaks of the Dolomites, a UNESCO World Heritage site, rise to more than 3,000 metres and offer surprises whichever way you turn. Situated in north-eastern Italy, the name “Alto Adige” was created in the late 18^th-century by the French occupier Napoleon Bonaparte. 

The region was annexed to Italy in 1919, after World War I, but the Austrian/German influences are dominant, not least its range of fragrant white wines and German-accented syllables.

During our stay in late 2019, the centre of Bolzano was taken over by German bands for a massive beer festival that resembled a mini Oktoberfest. The province of Bolzano is dotted with picturesque small towns and is noteworthy for the fact that three cultures and languages live in harmony: Italian, German and the local Ladin dialect. 

History and architecture buffs are drawn to the magnificent Benedictine Abbey of Monte Maria and the medieval Castel Coira on the rocky surface of the Venoste Alps.

The South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology features the Neolithic mummy called Ötzi the Iceman.

For wine lovers, Cantina Terlano, a co-operative founded in 1893 in the village of Terlan, welcomes visitors and produces stellar white wines. It is worth a walk to take in the terraced Vorberg vineyards. 

In the village of Magré, Alois Lageder’s Löwengang winery is a relative newcomer, built in 1995 to strict environmental and ecological criteria. 

Both of these producer’s wines are available in Australia, along with Tieffenbrunner, Kurtatsch, Castelfeder, Peter Zemmer and several others. 

THE FACTS 

If you are already in Europe you can fly direct to Bolzano and hire a car. Alternatively, Emirates Airline flies to Munich, from where you can catch a train or shuttle bus to Bolzano. Innsbruck is another nearby local airport.  

For more details visit www.suedtirol.info or www.altoadigewines.com.

# The writer was a guest of the Alto Adige Wine Summit and was assisted by Eurail, which offers a range of travel passes. This is an edited version of a story that first appeared in Ciao Magazine.