Finnair ready to fly to Melbourne

It will soon be possible to fly from Melbourne to Helsinki with Finnair. 

The Finnish flag carrier has unveiled plans to expand its long-haul network and start flights to Melbourne late in 2026. 

The route will be operated daily via Bangkok with an Airbus A350 aircraft.

The Melbourne route marks a completely new destination for Finnair and connects Australia directly to Finnair’s extensive network via Helsinki.

“We are very excited to introduce service to a new continent," said Christine Rovelli, Chief Revenue Officer at Finnair. 

"By connecting Helsinki and Melbourne, two cities on opposite sides of the world, we can offer a truly unique bridge between the northern and southern hemispheres. 

“We expect that this new route will appeal to travellers from Europe heading to Australia, as well as Australians exploring northern Europe and beyond.”

The flight is scheduled to depart from Helsinki shortly after midnight, arriving in Bangkok in the afternoon, and continuing to Melbourne after a brief stop, reaching Melbourne the following morning. 

On the return, flights will leave from Melbourne in the afternoon, with a stop in Bangkok in the evening, and land in Helsinki early the next day, aligning with Finnair’s first morning departures across Europe. 

The Melbourne flights will be available for booking on Finnair.com as of today, and the first flight is expected to be on October 25, 2026, subject to government approval.

In addition to Melbourne, Finnair’s network for 2026 comprises a total of 93 European destinations, 11 Asian destinations, seven North American destinations, including Toronto, which opens in summer 2026, and two destinations in the Middle East.

Urban winery experience opens in Melbourne

Talented winemaker Rory Lane, who makes wines using fruit from several different regions on Victoria, has just opened a new urban winery and tasting room in the Melbourne suburb of Moorabbin.

Lane's The Story Wines, a five-star Halliday-rated producer. has unveiled a new home - an innovative urban location in a district that is a fast emerging hub of breweries, distilleries and craft makers.

Open Wednesday to Sunday, the new space gives Melburnians access to premium, small-batch Victorian wines close to home.

Grapes are sourced primarily from the Grampians, Henty and other premium Victorian regions and brought directly to the urban winery, where they are made in a "hands-off"’ style in small quantities.

“I’ve dreamt of opening up a space like this for 20 years - where top-flight wines can be sampled from bottle and barrel, without the need to travel an hour or more to wine country,” says winemaker/owner Lane, who founded The Story Wines in 2004.

The Story Wines is best known for its single-vineyard syrahs (shiraz) and Rhône-inspired Victorian whites.

Visitors to the tasting room can drop in for a glass of wine and a snack, book a guided tasting experience, and tour the working winery.

“Our tasting flights level up from pet nat Prosecco, white blends and light, lunchtime reds to terroir-specific syrah comparisons and vertical tastings, and we’re hopeful that the locals will embrace it and want to learn more - or just drop in for a glass on a Friday arvo,” Lane says.

Snacks on offer include classic cheese and charcuterie plates from local farmers and fresh crusty loaves from nearby bakers. Lane also plans to run food truck events and open up the space for functions.

“Wine for us has always been about sharing stories,” he says. “We change our Grampians Syrah label every year to reflect the story of that vintage, and we have connected with the Melbourne writers’ scene by running short story competitions and sponsoring literary events, but with the tasting room open we finally have a place to share stories face to face.”

The Story Wines is at 47 Alex Avenue, Moorabbin, for tastings, tours and bottle sales from 11am-6pm Wednesday and Thursday, 11-7 on Friday and Saturday and 11-6 Sundays.

For more info and bookings visit www.thestory.com.au.

Adventure tourism boom hits Hobart

Adventure tourism is all the rage right now with Hobart set to be the next to enjoy the TreeClimb experience. 

TreeClimb is now constructing a new venue in the Tasmanian capital, marking a major milestone in the company’s national expansion.

Until now, TreeClimb has operated exclusively in Adelaide, Salisbury and Kuitpo Forest, establishing a reputation as South Australia’s leading aerial adventure experience. 

Set to launch in February 2026, the Hobart venue will be TreeClimb's first interstate site, with two more to follow: in Queensland's Logan Gardens and Hervey Bay.

The new wave of expansion follows a year of significant growth for the operator after TreeClimb founder and managing director Seb Packer’s recent acquisition of the iconic Otway Fly and Illawarra Fly Treetop Adventure parks in Victoria and New South Wales, respectively. 

Together with the new Hobart site and upcoming Queensland locations, TreeClimb is emerging as a major national player in Australia’s nature-based tourism landscape.

“We’re incredibly excited to be bringing TreeClimb to Tasmania,” said Packer. “From our beginnings as Australia’s first inner-city aerial adventure park in Adelaide, to now building a presence across multiple states, we can’t wait to expand TreeClimb into a truly national brand.”

Construction is now underway on the Hobart adventure park, which will feature TreeClimb’s signature aerial high-ropes challenges – including numerous ziplines over 100 metres long – along with a range of new experiences and family-friendly courses designed to suit all ages and abilities.

“Hobart is the perfect next step for us,” Packer said. “The city has a strong culture of outdoor adventure, and we can’t wait to deliver an experience that connects people with nature in a fun, safe and memorable way.”

TreeClimb Hobart will be located in The Lea Centre in Kingston, around a 10-minute drive south of the Hobart CBD. 

For more info see www.treeclim                b.com.au

What infuriates travellers the most

From flyers who recline their seats immediately after take-off to people who cough and sneeze without using a tissue, there are many travel habits that are infuriating. 

Now a new survey, commissioned by travel eSIM company Saily, has revealed the travel habits that are most annoying. 

Coughing or sneezing without covering up and leaving litter on the beach annoy Australians the most (52% of travellers find these annoying).

Then there are loud talkers in public places, and people who fly barefooted. 

Two offences tied for first place: coughing or sneezing without covering up and leaving litter on the beach: both hated by 52% of travellers across the country. Over‑reclined seats took third place (50%).

Noise dominates the rest of the list: loud arguments (47%), talking too loudly on a train, bus or plane (46%), speakerphone calls (43%) and music or videos without headphones (42%). 

Rounding out the top 10 were idle chatter in quiet spaces (42%), smelly snacks (40%) and playing loud music in public spaces (39%).

Classic holiday irritations - like guests reserving pool chairs for hours or showing up late for excursions - didn’t make the top 10. 

But many travellers admit their own sins. 

No fewer than 25% confessed to standing up the moment the plane lands, and one in four (24%) admitted to peeing in the sea, or a lake. 

“We wanted to take an honest look at travel habits,” says Vykintas Maknickas, CEO of Saily, the company that commissioned the survey. 

“The holiday season is one of the busiest times to travel, and with so many people in motion at once, it’s the perfect moment to see what really annoys us on the road – and how often we’re the ones doing it.”

A total of 57% of travellers said they’ve asked someone to stop doing something irritating, suggesting that even though many admit to their own bad habits, they’re still willing to speak up when others cross the line.

Maknickas notes that there are ways that can help smooth out traveling experience. “Nobody wants to start their trip by becoming somebody else’s travel horror story. Being mindful, putting in a little preparation and packing some technology items can help.”

The survey was conducted by the external companies Cint and Norstat on November 17–December 2, 2025. The survey’s target group were residents of the US, the UK, Australia, France, Germany, Spain and Japan aged 18-74. 

For more info see https://saily.com/blog/annoying-tourist-behaviors/

Image: Tiago Gomes, Scop.io

Margaret River puts on its party pants for 10 weeks of summer fun

Margaret River holds more festivals and wine events than just about any wine region in Australia. 

Next up: Margaret River Summer of Wine, a festival featuring a program of more than 50 winery events and pop-ups, kicking off on Thursday. 

Now in its second year, the event spans small artisan producers to iconic estates. 

The program includes outdoor films in vineyards, live-music picnics, pop-up markets, helicopter joyrides, family-friendly carnivals and wine celebrations.

“Margaret River Summer of Wine is a relaxed festival created by our wineries, with events that reflect how the locals love to spend summer in our stunning coastal region," said Margaret River Wine Association CEO Amanda Whiteland. 

"Start your day at the beach, and when the sun’s too bright or the sea breeze is in, enjoy a glass of wine, art, film, music and local produce with a sunset at one of our wineries.” 

This year’s Margaret River Summer of Wine festival runs from December 18 through to March 1, 2026.

“Margaret River has always been popular between Christmas and New Year," says Whiteland. "January and February are also abuzz with the arrival of our international vintage crews. 

"Two of the signature Summer of Wine events - Open Vineyards Weekend (Jan 24-26) and the Vintage Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony (Jan 29) - invite the public to experience the culture, anticipation and adrenalin of harvest.” 

The full program is available at margaretriver.wine/summerofwine.

Several vineyards that are not usually open to the public will be visitable during Open Vineyards Weekend, with pop-up cellar doors and winemaker-cooked barbecues. 

Almost 40 nights of outdoor films will take place at Cape Mentelle with dumplings, wine and treats while Perth Opera Voices will pair musical classics from the Golden Age of Hollywood with oysters and chardonnay at Domaine Naturaliste. 

One of Margaret River’s most popular sunset wine sessions, Vino Paradiso at Cherubino Wines returns as a series of six events. 

Townsville gets a new riverside lifestyle precinct

 

Townsville has welcomed a new riverfront dining and events precinct with a range of indoor and outdoor spaces.

Flinders Street Wharves sees an 1895 heritage building re-created as a multi-level hospitality and entertainment destination.

Set to create 120 local jobs and welcome more than 350,000 visitors in its first 12 months, the new venue is expected to inject around $6 million into Townsville’s economy.

Designed to host up to 1,000 guests, Flinders Street Wharves is aimed at drawing people in from morning coffees to sunset drinks and long evenings by the water.

Lisa Woolfe, Townsville Enterprise director for visitor economy and marketing, said the project demonstrated strong confidence in Townsville’s growing visitor economy.

“Congratulations to the Flinders Street Wharves team on opening Townsville’s newest waterfront icon," she said.

"Not only have they invested into our city by revitalising an 1895 heritage building, but they’ve created an inviting multi-level hospitality and entertainment destination that will leave a lasting legacy for locals and visitors to enjoy.

“Flinders Street Wharves elevates our city’s waterfront experiences and offerings, adds vibrancy to the CBD and reinforces why Townsville is becoming a must-visit destination in North Queensland.

"This project also reflects the growing confidence investors have in Townsville’s hospitality and tourism landscape.

“We can’t wait to see the community get behind this incredible new venue and make the most of it over the Christmas and New Year period.”

Townsville Mayor Nick Dametto welcomed the opening of the city's newest waterfront venues.

“Flinders Street Wharves represents so much more than Townsville’s newest dining establishment - this $30 million investment represents confidence, employment opportunities and growth for our city and I congratulate all those involved in bringing this vision to life," he said.

“Not only is it terrific to see people backing this kind of investment and putting faith in our city, but it is wonderful to see developers integrating seamlessly into Council’s Flinders St East boardwalk and activating what is envisaged to one day play a key linkage from the stadium to the Strand.”

Flinders Street Wharves co-owner Grant Morgan said the project had been several years in the making.

“We are incredibly proud to deliver a destination where locals can celebrate the best of their city and visitors can experience a new, vibrant tourism offering in North Queensland.”

The venue will operate seven days per week, from 6am until midnight Sundays through to Thursdays and 6am until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays.

The Docks and marine tourism hub will open later this summer.