Ferry compo failures damage Tasmania's tourism image

Tasmania's image as a welcoming tourist destination has been hobbled by failures from ferry operator TT-Line. 

TT-Line cancelled ferry sailings by Spirit of Tasmania 1 from Devonport to the Australian mainland during the week, leaving some travellers high and dry. 

Worse, ferry passengers were denied overnight accommodation and food vouchers when they were forced to spend extra days on the island. 

Spirit of Tasmania 1 travelled to Singapore in July as part of its scheduled maintenance program. 

Its departure from Singapore was then delayed by faults and paperwork problems, meaning TT Line had to cancel several services. 

People booked to sail on August 5, for instance, told the Hobart Mercury their sailing had been pushed back to Thursday."

Remember that the Spirit ferries are the only option for people travelling between Tasmania and the mainland with a vehicle. Unlike with airline passengers, there are no alternative sailings. 

TT-Line refused the delayed passengers any compensation, leaving passengers to fend/pay for themselves for the period they were delayed. 

They did offer to refund fares - which was absolutely useless for those travelling with a vehicle. 

A spokesperson for TT-Line told the newspaper that "no compensation outside of refunds would be offered".  So basically an FU to customers.

    
Perhaps because caretaker Tasmanian premier Jeremy Rockliff has a totally unneeded stadium to pay for. And budget bottom lines are out of control in Tassie (see below). 

TT-Line Company Pty Ltd, trading as Spirit of Tasmania, is a Tasmanian Government-owned business enterprise that has provided ferry services between mainland Australia and Tasmania since July 1993.

As it refuses to accept any responsibility when it lets its customers down potential users might want to make sure they have travel insurance. 

The team at Tourism Tasmania must be pulling their hair out in frustration. 

* TT-Line and TasPorts are the entities responsible for the fiasco regarding the two new Finnish-built ferry vessels currently on their way to Tasmania from Europe. These vessels cannot be used until a new dock is completed in Devonport - at the earliest sometime next year. The budget for the dock project has blown out from $90m to $375m during delays. The two new ferries were originally promised for 2021. 

The Tasmanian Government last week increased the debt limit for TT-Line after learning it would exceed its existing cap.

Tasmanian Treasury advised presumptive treasurer Guy Barnett that the TT-Line would breach its $990 billion debt cap in September. The approval enables TT-Line to borrow up to $410 million more from state financier TASCORP.

Happy days. 

Wine Australia launches new marketing campaign

Wine Australia has launched a new marketing campaign aiming to highlight the versatility of wine styles from around the country.

A barbecue "just because" the sun came out. A lazy night in with your favourite person. A camping trip where the fire crackles and the stories get better as the night goes on.

The campaign is billed as a "fresh new message inviting Australians to see wine differently".

It showcases wines not only as suitable for celebrations and more formal occasions, but as something to share alongside smaller, unscripted moments using the slogan "We make a wine for that."

Australian winemakers use over 100 grape varieties grown in 65 wine regions around the country.

From August 4, people across the country are being invited to take a moment to make a moment, and share their Aussie wine experiences with @_australianwine for the chance to win one of 20 "We make a wine for that" prize packs, valued at $240 each.

A national calendar of Australian wine events is now live at www.wemakeawineforthat.com showcasing wine experiences across the country that wine lovers can get involved in.

How old do you need to be to buy a drink?

If you are old enough to vote, are you old enough to buy a bottle of wine?

The answer is that it varies wildly depending on where you are on the globe, the drinks business reported this week. See https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/

There are hugely different ideas about what constitutes adulthood, and what you can do when you achieve that landmark.

Some countries set no age limit at all for buying alcohol, others insist on 18, and a few insist on 21 - an age at which young folk are routinely sent to die for their country.

The World Health Organisation says Burkina Faso is often cited as having the world’s youngest legal drinking age - effectively 13, though enforcement is minimal and the law rarely applied.

Many European countries, including Germany, Austria, Denmark, Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland, allow 16-year-olds to purchase beer and wine. Spirits, however, are restricted until 18.

Malta is unusual in having set its legal drinking age at 17 since 2009, when it was raised from 16. It represents a compromise, designed to curb school-age drinking without removing what had become a social norm.

Eighteen is by far the most common legal drinking age worldwide. It is the standard in much of Europe (France, Spain, Italy), Latin America (Brazil, Argentina, Mexico), Africa (Kenya, South Africa) and Oceania (Australia, New Zealand).

The reasoning is that 18 is the age of legal majority in many places, when individuals may vote, marry, sign contracts, and, logically, consume alcohol.

Canada's rules depend on the jurisdiction, with most provinces at 19 and a handful at 18, while the US has enforced 21 nationwide since 1984, credited with reducing drink-driving fatalities. The rule means Americans can vote, marry and serve in the military at 18, but cannot legally buy alcohol for another three years.

Several other countries, including Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and various Pacific islands, also opt for 21, often driven by religious or cultural attitudes.

Then, of course, in some countries, alcohol is illegal regardless of age, rendering any “legal drinking age” irrelevant. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran, Libya, Yemen, Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan, Brunei and the Maldives operate complete bans, often grounded in religious law.

Image: Giuseppe Lombardo, Scop.io 

An Australian wine made in a French style with an American name

The great Californian wine marketer Robert Mondavi created the name Fumé Blanc in the 1960s to differentiate sauvignon blanc aged in oak barrels from the simpler unoaked style.

The term Fumé Blanc has been used for decades by wineries in California and Washington State to denote wines made in a similar style to many chardonnays with rich, toasty and sometimes smoky flavours.

There are several Fumé Blanc wines made in Australia and a Reserve Fumé Blanc is now the latest addition to the Crayères Vineyard range produced by Xavier Bizot and Lucy Croser under their Terre à Terre label.

Terre à Terre was founded in 2008 as an amalgam of historic winemaking families in Champagne and the Adelaide Hills respectively.

Bizot and Croser say their new wine was inspired by the winemaking traditions of Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé in the Loire Valley.

The wine is made from fruit grown on the western side of the Crayères Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc block in Wrattonbully that were 19 years old in 2023.

The wine was aged in the bottle for 18 months before release.

If you are looking for a traditional high acid, herbal and tropical SB then this is not for you.

There are a lot of textural elements here, mouthfeel and intensity to the fore, with oak supporting but not dominating.

“We believe this wine can age for 20 years or more, as can be seen in early releases of our Crayères Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc,” Bizot said.

“We draw on French winemaking traditions from the best producers in Sancerre and Bordeaux - in doing so, we aim to produce the definitive fruit expression of sauvignon blanc from the unique Crayères Vineyard terroir.”

The wine will be released on Monday with an RRP of $59. See https://terreaterre.com.au/ear on year. 

A foreigner? You'll pay more to visit France's treasures

Visiting France? Want to see the Palace of Versailles, or go inside The Louvre?

If so, you can soon expect to pay more than the locals.

French minister of culture Rachida Dati says non-EU citizens will pay more from January 1, 2026, to visit national treasures and museums across France.

Among the destinations where visitors will pay more are Chambord Castle in the Loire Valley, the Opéra Garnier and several other sites managed by the National Monuments Centre (CMN).

Respected newspaper Le Monde reported this week that the ticket price for visitors is expected to be set at €30 (approximately $53 Australian).

Currently entrance for all visitors at The Louvre museum costs €22 while a visit to The Palace of Versailles costs €21.

The proposed differential pricing will act as a tool to generate funds for critical renovation efforts.

A recent report by the French Court of Auditors suggested the Opéra Garnier and the Opéra Bastille could temporarily shut down by 2027 due to deteriorating infrastructure and aging technical systems.

The Louvre Museum hopes the new pricing model will raise €20 million annually, helping to cover part of the urgent needed repairs as the institution is now close to 9 million visitors a year.

Mangan dishes up a pre-theatre dinner treat

Heading for the theatre, or maybe a concert, in downtown Sydney and looking for a decent meal?

Luke Mangan's Luke's Kitchen might be the answer. 

If you’re heading out to see a show Luke’s Kitchen boasts that it "offers one of the most seamless, delicious and great-value pre-theatre dining experiences in the CBD".

Located inside the heritage-listed Kimpton Margot Sydney, the restaurant starts dinner service from 5pm, giving diners plenty of time to enjoy their meal, and make it to their seat with time to spare.

Guests can choose from a quick one-course dinner for $35 per person, two courses for $55 per person, and three for $65 per person, each served with a glass of wine. 

Available Tuesday to Saturday, the menu features dishes like cured and seared hiramasa kingfish with nam jim and coconut yoghurt (above); roast chicken breast with pumpkin and coconut; and banana toffee pudding with ginger caramel and double crème.

“You don’t want to feel rushed before a show, but you also don’t want to be watching the clock," says chef Mangan.

"Our menu offers dishes that are light, flavour-packed and perfectly timed. You can enjoy two or three courses in under an hour and still feel like you’ve had a proper dining experience.” 

I haven't visited yet, so can't comment, but it is on my "to do" list. 

For info and bookings see www.kimptonmargotsydney.com/eat-and-drink/lukes-kitchen