Rising star winemaker gets new gig

Rising winemaking star Nicole Brasier has been appointed senior winemaker at historic Langhorne Creek producer Bleasdale.

Brasier, who joins after two years working for Accolade Wines at Tintara in McLaren Vale, will be working with winemaker Sam Rowlands (the pair is pictured above) as Bleasdale undergoes a changing of the guard.

There has been recent turnover at Bleasdale with Paul Hotker exiting earlier this year to work as a consultant, and Matt Laube stepping down to work on other projects. Laube will work with Brasier over the changeover. 

Brasier has over 10 years of experience and a degree in winemaking and viticulture.

She has worked with premium fruit from regions including the Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale, Clare Valley, the Hunter Valley, Tumbarumba, Margaret River, Tasmania and Coonawarra inclding stints at Fourth Wave Wines and at Margan Wines.

Brasier has been a judge on the show circuit and recently completed the coveted Len Evans Tutorial.

Sustainability in the wine industry is also one of her passions.

She will be working closely with Bleasdale’s viticulturist and grower liaison officer, Sarah Keough, the Nuffield Australia 2020 Scholarship winner, who is actively involved in the EcoVineyards projects.

It has been a busy time at Bleasdale with wine industry veteran Iain Riggs AM last week named as the new Chair.   

Budget flights between Sydney and Bangkok resume

Budget airline Thai AirAsia X has resumed direct flight services to and from Sydney, Australia, operating from its main hub in Bangkok at Don Mueang International Airport.

The inaugural flight from Bangkok took off on Friday last week and returned from Sydney on Sunday.

The revived Bangkok-Sydney service offers a total of six weekly flights.

The new route launch makes Thai AirAsia X the only low-cost airline providing direct services from Bangkok-Don Mueang to Sydney, offering connections for passengers traveling from Sydney to a range of destinations across the AirAsia Group network.

These include favourite destinations among Australian travellers such as Krabi, Phuket, and Chiang Mai, as well as popular international destinations including Japan, South Korea, India, China and more.

“The return of Thai AirAsia X to Sydney comes along with an enhanced flight network within the AirAsia Group that will give travellers the much sought-after convenience and seamlessness," said Tassapon Bijleveld, CEO of Thai AirAsia X.

"Guests from Australia will also find the flight schedules between Sydney and Bangkok very favourable and they can choose from six flights per week. As a show of appreciation to our valued guests, we are also introducing a new meal set exclusively for our Premium Flatbed guests.

“Operating from Don Mueang greatly enhances connectivity with AirAsia Group’s extensive network, particularly to destinations in India, where there is a strong and growing demand for travel to Australia.

"Our Fly Thru service also provides a hassle-free experience, allowing guests to travel seamlessly as they only need to clear immigration and collect their luggage at their final destination.”

Thai AirAsia X currently operates a fleet of 10 Airbus A330 aircraft with three seating zones - Premium Flatbed, quiet zone and economy.

The airline now serves eight key destinations from Bangkok, with direct flights to Tokyo, Osaka, Sapporo, Nagoya (Japan), Seoul (South Korea), Shanghai (China), Sydney (Australia) and New Delhi (India).

Meet an airport hotel with a room style for everyone

It is the time of the year when family groups travel together.

There may be young children who need an eye kept on them, or more elderly family members who appreciate being close.

The Moxy Sydney Airport Hotel, which recently celebrated its first birthday, has room configurations that fit just about any family need, along with a location with visibility along both Joyce and Qantas Drive. It offers easy connectivity to the Sydney CBD.

Along with 301 rooms it also houses Moxy Kitchen, Moxy Bar, Little Baxter Café, meeting rooms, a fitness centre, and a guest laundry. 

I've stayed at Moxy properties before - they usually have a fun vibe - and will be checking this one out in the new year. 

There are several different room types, including:

Moxy Queen Sleeper – 228 Rooms
Queen bed, bathroom, AC, safe, wifi, tea & coffee
Airport runway or city views – 18 sqm

MOXY Twin Sleeper – 51 Rooms
Two double beds, bathroom, AC, Safe, wifi, tea & coffee
Airport runway or city views – 20 sqm

MOXY LOFT Airport – 9 rooms
One queen and one single king bed, bathroom, mini fridge, AC, safe, wifi, tea & coffee
Airport runway or city views – 21 sqm

MOXY QUAD BUNKS – 8 Rooms
Four king single beds, bathroom, mini-fridge, AC, safe, wifi, tea & coffee. 

 Airport runway or city views - 21 sqm

MOXY KING SLEEPER – 5 Rooms
King bed, bathroom, mini fridge, AC, safe, wifi, tea & coffee.
Airport runway or city views 39 sqm

MOXY FAMILY ROOM – 5 Rooms
Two queen beds + 1 single king bed, two bathrooms, AC, one mini-fridge, safe, wifi, tea & coffee. Airport runway & city views

MOXY Family Bunkhouse – 4 rooms
Queen bed + four single bunk beds, two bathrooms, AC, one mini-fridge, safe, wifi, tea & coffee. Airport runway and city views.

For details see www.moxysydneyairport.com

On the right track: Vietnam plots a railway revolution

Clunking through rural Vietnam on a slow-moving long distance train may soon be a thing of the past - although probably not soon enough.

I recently spent a whole lot of hours each way on a vey slow train from Hanoi to Hue, and then from Danang back to Hanoi.

I was in a four-berth sleeper cabin and it was an adventure, but not one I'd repeat in a hurry.

While the cabins have been tarted up, they are claustrophobic and the rolling stock rattles and clunks its way up and down the country. How fun your journey is might well depend on who your travelling companions are. Pot luck.

The various classes of travel on Vietnamese trains are soft sleepers, hard sleepers, soft seats, and hard seats, with soft sleepers as the most expensive.

Most tourists opt to journey in a soft sleeper because each berth has a pillow, sheet, a soft quilt, and a personal reading lamp. There are power points - and even wifi most of the time. Snacks are provided and you can buy food from vendors who roam up and down the carriages,

You need to stay on the lower berths in the daytime - and need the agility of a gymnast to scale an upper berth. Make sure to book a lower berth!

But now two sections of Vietnam's north-south high-speed railway - to connect Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City - are slated to begin construction in late 2027, according to the Ministry of Transport.

Vietnam's parliament this week approved a resolution supporting the $67 billion high-speed rail project.

The railway, Vietnam's most ambitious infrastructure project, will eventually run all the way from the capital Hanoi to the southern business hub of Ho Chi Minh City. The 1,541-km (958-mile) project is expected to be completed in 2035.

The Hanoi-Vinh and Nha Trang-HCMC sections will break ground in late 2027, and construction of the Vinh-Nha Trang segment is scheduled to start between 2028 and 2029.

The proposed railway is designed to support trains travelling at 350kph.

Ticket prices will be offered in three tiers, depending on the service class.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha has suggested extending the line beyond its current endpoints to include the northern province of Quang Ninh, home to UNESCO heritage site Ha Long Bay, and to the southernmost province of Ca Mau.

It can't come a moment too soon.

Proposed new airport could transform tourism in Bali

The north of Bali remains largely undisturbed by the mass tourism that clogs the southern half of the Indonesian holiday island.

But that might be about to change with construction scheduled to begin in 2027 of the proposed North Bali International Airport.

NBIA will be Indonesia's second-largest airport. To be built on reclaimed sea land, it will comprise two parts: the Aerotropilis complex and the airport itself.

The latter will consist of a main terminal and three boarding satellites and will have two parallel runways, a heliport and a seaport. The site will also include a cargo terminal and maintenance area.

Indonesia’s Minister for State-Owned Enterprises, Erick Thohir, spoken to the media this week about how the plans for the major new international airport are rapidly coming together, the Bali Sun reported.

He is anticipating construction to start by 2027 as capacity at the current I Gusti Ngurah Rai International in the south of the island is close to being reached.

'There needs to be a plan to start construction in 2027," he said. "[We can’t] say, ‘oh, it’s still a long time until [we reach] 32 million.'

“[If] we just [begin thinking] to start construction in 2029, it would be too late.”

The Minister echoed President Prabowo Subianto’s comments that the airport would be on par with Hong Kong and Singapore in terms of modern facilities.

The complex will ultimately see a whole new city built at Kubutambahan,in Buleleng Regency, on the far north coast of Bali.

During its first phase of development, the North Bali International Airport will be able to support 32 million passengers annually, with a maximum capacity of over 50 million to be available by completion.

Image: The proposed North Bali International Airport: KUNKUN Visual.

Brisbane gets a distillery with a difference

Lovers of free spirits - and artisan spirits - in Brisbane have a new venue to put on their radar: BY.ARTISANS. 

It sounds like they are shouting, but BY.ARTISANS is billed as a distillery and creative retreat in the inner suburb of West End. 

Opened this week, the Jane Street space is home to tasting rooms, a bar, café, event space, opportunities for interactive workshops and experiences and a retail space with local products.

Co-founder Ginn Lai said BY.ARTISANS was born to bring together brands, artists and creators to craft world-class, Queensland-made products.

“The name BY.ARTISANS reflects our commitment to craftsmanship, shining a light on the artistry and dedication behind every creation,” Lai said.

“There are no shortcuts - each product is hand-made in small batches with carefully sourced ingredients and a focus on quality.”

The opening of the flagship space coincided with the launch of an inaugural product, BY.ARTISANS Signature Gin. 

Co-founder and distiller Alexander Bell said the Signature Gin blended the native botanicals of lemon myrtle, cinnamon myrtle, lavender, wattle seed and the refreshing minty note of eucalyptus, capturing the essence of Australia’s landscape.

Bell, a chemical engineer, designed BY.ARTISANS’ still to use considerably less energy and fewer resources, making the distillery one of the nation’s most energy-efficient.

“This is a first-of-its-kind distillation system, capable of producing not only spirits but also a diverse range of essential oils and hydrosols from local botanicals,” Bell said. 

“What sets our distillery apart is its versatility. We use the same equipment to produce spirits of exceptional quality as we do to craft lifestyle products such as bespoke soaps, candles and natural dye merchandise - all while minimising our energy and resource use.”

BY.ARTISANS Signature Gin’s white bottle (above) is designed by co-founder and brand director Alexander Lotersztain. 

The bottle’s silicone sleeve, custom silicone cap and modern, minimalist white design aim to showcase artistry and collaboration.

“This is a blank canvas because we want this aesthetic to encourage community collaborations," Lotersztain said. 

"There are already strategic partnerships in the works with artists we admire, but we also want to support the undiscovered so would love to hear from emerging local artists too.” 

BY.ARTISANS is at 99 Jane Street, West End. See byartisans.com.au

Images: Florian Groehn