Come wine and dine with us: Australia's invitation to the world

Is Australia a great food and wine destination? 

When Tourism Australia conducted a survey it found a huge perception gap. Only 26% of would-be visitors to Australia associated the land down under with "good food and wine". 

Sydney's Quay restaurant offers dramatic views

But a massive 60% of those who had visited had a positive opinion of Australia as a culinary destination - second only to France. 

So in response to the growing demand globally for food and wine as part of the travel experience, Tourism Australia has evolved its "There’s nothing like Australia" campaign include a focus on wining and dining that is known as "Restaurant Australia".

Tourism Australia heavyweights are currently touring the nation launching the campaign in all states and territories after research conducted across 15 of Australia’s key tourism markets showed that "great food, wine, and local cuisine" is a now a major factor influencing holiday decision making. 

The new campaign highlights striking venues and world-class restaurants, wineries and culinary experiences. 

The new $10 million campaign is based on the idea of Australia being the world's greatest restaurant 'Restaurant Australia' and includes TV, cinema, online and print campaigns, a dedicated online hub (www.australia.com/restaurantaustralia), consumer promotions in key international markets and attendance by 80 international media and key food and wine influencers at the 'Invite the World to Dinner' gala event at Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in Tasmania on November 14.

Tourism Australia managing director John O'Sullivan said the roll-out of the campaign would occur in stages, leading up to the Tasmanian finale. 

Dining out in style in Tasmania

"Restaurant Australia is all about bringing together the incredible stories of our people, place and produce to demonstrate to the world that every day, unique and exceptional food and wine experiences are being served-up in remarkable locations, and then sharing these stories through the creation of rich and compelling content," he said.

O'Sullivan said the best way to get the world to notice was by Australia's tourism, food and wine businesses working together to tell the country's stories, something that had never been done before.

"When we originally launched 'There's nothing like Australia', we did it by asking Australians to talk about their 'nothing like' experiences. This time our rally cry is to industry, with Tourism Australia providing the platforms to help show the world Restaurant Australia.

"The word-of-mouth advocacy this familiarisation will generate internationally is aimed squarely at closing the gap on perceptions of Australia's food and wine offering internationally and motivating people to travel here to indulge in our local cuisine. 

"We want to win over their hearts, minds and their stomachs so that the dream of visiting Australia becomes reality." 

Tourism Australia chief marketing officer Nick Baker said the new campaign had been developed based on recent research which showed Australia was well placed to capitalise on growing demand among international travellers for local culinary experiences as part of their travel.

"For people who've never visited Australia awareness of our food and wine offering is low," he said. "However, once they visit, people realise the variety and quality of our food and wine experiences is world-class and Australia moves to the top of the rankings as a one of the world's best culinary destinations.

To view the new TVC or find out more about the campaign: www.australia.com/restaurantaustralia or www.tourism.australia.com.

www.twitter.com/TourismAus

Carry on Regardless: Thai Airways keeps flying high

Things have got a little hairy in Bangkok over the past few days; martial law has been declared with a curfew in place from 10pm to 5am. 

But Thai Airways, who have been flying for 54 years and have seen a disturbance or two come and go, have announced that all Thai flights are continuing to operate as usual despite the unrest.

Thai have always been one of my favourite airlines, known for their always gracious service and tasty meals, even in economy class. 

Like on most international carriers, the seats are a little closer together than they used to be but if you are lucky enough to find a couple of empty seats and stretch out then it is almost as good as flying business.

And with many holidaymakers having postponed their trips, flights are unlikely to be full right now.

Thai Airways advises customers arrive at airports three hours prior to the scheduled departure time - and should you wish to change your dates. for tickets issued on or before May 22 then you will be allowed to change your dates to and from Thailand by June 30 without fees and surcharges.

Passengers travelling to/from and within Bangkok are advised the the National Peace and Order Maintenance Council has issued a curfew order until further notice, although Suvarnabhumi Bangkok International Airport remains open and operating normally.

Departing passengers who are due to travel to the airport during curfew hours will be required to show their travel documents at check-points, hence a request to allow extra travel time.

The shuttle bus service between Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports is also operating as usual but for information and updates on travel to Thailand, visitors should take a look at the Department of Foreign Affairs advisory at www.smartraveller.gov.au.

Thai Airways International flies 40 times a week from Australia to Bangkok with connections domestic Thailand, Asia, India and Europe, South Africa and Los Angeles.

Thai's World Sale fares in economy and Royal Silk Business class start from $876 return from Australia; or from $3456 return. www.thaiairways.com.au.

Thai Airways International is a founding member of the Star Alliance, the world’s largest airline alliance. For member rewards and entitlements, visit www.staralliance.com.

Tasmania Heats Up For Winter

Tasmania can be a little, how shall we put this tactfully, chilly during winter and mainlanders used to joke that Tasmanians went into hibernation for several months. No more. The coldest nights will signal some of the hottest events in the island state as MONA presents its second solstice festival of music and art, Dark MOFO.  The 2014 program will feature a 10-day journey towards winter's longest night, with the festival program featuring art, music, film, food and drink, while Rafael Lozano-Hemmer's large-scale public artwork Articulated Intersect will cut through the night sky with powerful beams of light. Avant-garde musical pioneers Sunn O))), chanteuse Chrysta Bell and New York artist Vito Acconci will head the invitees while late-night revellers will hit nightclub Dark Faux Mo and foodies will head for the City of Hobart Winter Feast (June 19-21). The festivities run from June 12-22. See www.darkmofo.net.au for details.  The Huon Valley, south of Hobart, will hold its own encore to Dark MOFO with its own Huon Valley Mid-Winter Festival. A new initiative, led by the crew at organic cidery Willie Smiths, will be based around "the ancient tradition of wassailing, popular in the West Country of England,'' event organiser Sam Reid said. "The purpose of wassailing is to awake the cider apple trees and to scare away evil spirits to ensure a good harvest of fruit in the Autumn. "We want to awake the Huon Valley during the middle of winter to clearly show that the Huon Valley is open for business year-round.'' The festivities will be held on July 19 and will feature local produce, storytelling​​​​​, folk music​, bonfires, Morris dancing and a wassailing celebration. Other highlights around the state during winter will include the Festival of Voices (July 4-13), which celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2014, The Taste of the Tamar in Hobart (July 19-20) Launceston's seventh annual Pinot Noir Showcase (July 26), the Devonport Jazz Festival (July 24-27) and Latrobe's Chocolate Winterfest (August 10). For a full and up-to-date listing of Tasmanian events, and information on travelling to Tasmania, visit the Tasmanian Tourism website www.discovertasmania.com.au.

The best little boutique hotel in Johannesburg

There is no shortage of great accommodation in Johannesburg but choosing the right location is key is you do not wish to spend to much time in traffic. 

If you are looking for a boutique hotel that's well situated, quirky, with spacious suites and attentive service then Ten Bompas just might be your perfect home away from home. 

The all-suite hotel and restaurant is part of the distinguished Design Hotels portfolio and flies a little under radar. It is situated in a garden setting in the upmarket neighbourhood of Dunkeld - close to the business and entertainment hubs of Rosebank, Hyde Park and Sandton but a little oasis of calm. 

The suites are super chic; combining contemporary style with space and light. Suites have lounges, fireplaces, steam baths, high-speed wi-fi, multi-channel satellite television, iPod deck and music system, Nespresso machines, and complimentary laundry, minibar and newspapers. 

Each was styled by a different designer and leads on to a private terrace or garden.

The public areas have an Art Deco vibe and security is low key, but very effective while the hotel's Winehouse restaurant is eclectic and inspired by a painting of Amy Winehouse by Joanna Flatau a Polish-born artist living in Paris. 

The owners of Ten Bompas met the artist in the Languedoc and purchased her work. 

The menu ranges from starters like pear, Roquefort and walnut tart to duck ravioli, and roasted aubergines, while mains may include fresh steamed mussels, or roasted baby chicken with potato rosti. There is a good selection of vegetarian dishes, using fresh produce sourced from the hotel’s gardens.

Prices are ludicrously low in South Africa with starters around $6-7 and mains between $9.50 and $17 for grilled fillet of beef. 

Desserts are appealing with choices like a plum tarte tatin, chocolate fondant or baked mango cheesecake. 

In addition to the walk-in cellar, there is a good selection of ports, sherries, grappa and cognacs, as well as some South African dessert wines. 

Canapes are served in the suites each evening and meals can also be served in the hotel suites for those seeking privacy.

Space is a new on-site event and meeting facility catering for events and conferences. 

Ten Bompas Hotel, 10 Bompas Road, Dunkeld West. +27 11 325 2442. www.tenbompas.com Book through Mr and Mrs Smith to score a free bottle of wine on arrival. 
www.mrandmrssmith.com/luxury-hotels/ten-bompas

A 1-litre bottle of French wine for $12. Is it worth taking a chance on?

When a public relations operative, albeit one that I know and like, told me that she was sending me four 1-litre bottles of wine to sample, I was less than enthusiastic. 

In the wine world you get what you pay for, and while there are several good budget Australian labels offering value for under $15 (Yalumba's Y Series, De Bortoli, Zilzie, Westend, Jacob's Creek, Yarran and others are doing good work in this segment), I had no real sense of excitement about some generic French wines in bigger-format bottles. 

But in the wine business it never pays to have preconceptions, and I have to admit that I quite enjoyed the wines under the Grand Sud label: a merlot, a shiraz, sauvignon blanc and chardonnay, all from the 2012 vintage.

The merlot was the biggest surprise; a nice fleshy and very drinkable red, supple and uncomplicated with dark cherry flavours, it was streets ahead of many Australian wines made from the same variety. 

With reds from the Pays d'Oc region in the south of France (Pyrénées-Orientales, Aude, Hérault and Gard) and whites from Gascony, both home to some very good value wines, the brand was created in 1999 and takes a page out of Australia's book by being marketed as being "full of sunshine".  

Owned by a company called Le Grand Chais de France, Grand Sud is sold in 85 countries (and under screw cap in Australia, a bonus for picnic-style wines) and is the second-largest French wine brand. 

Imported into Australia by Ian Leckie, Grand Sud wines are available at Chambers Cellars and Porters Liquor outlets, and are distributed nationally by Single Vineyard Sellers.

The best way to sample these wines is to enjoy them for what they are; pour them into a carafe, as they would be served in a southern French bistro, match them with rustic dishes and enjoy with some good friends. 

They won't set your world on fire, but all of them offer decent drinking at a more than fair price.


  

       

Where to find the cheapest club sandwich on the planet

I have a love-hate relationships with surveys that tell us what the most expensive and cheapest cities in the world are. They are simultaneously fascinating and ridiculous.  

Some of these surveys actually seem to involve a lot of serious research (which doesn't matter as everyone knows Sydney is now the most expensive place on the planet). Others, like travel website Hotels.com, work out the costliest city on the globe by comparing the cost of club sandwiches in five-star and three-star hotels.

Club sandwich with crisps. Pic: Wikipedia

Because everyone orders club sandwiches wherever they go, right?

Using this ultra-scientific method (which also doesn't specify whether the sarnies come with crisps, chips or cornichons, or simply nude), Hotels.com breathlessly informs us that "Geneva is the most expensive city for a club sandwich for the second year running, while Australia ranks 15^th most expensive".

The real news here is that Hotels.com thinks Australia is a city - but let's not be picky. 

The Hotels.com PR machine says that "using the classic hotel staple of a chicken, bacon, egg, lettuce and mayonnaise sandwich as a barometer of affordability, the Hotels.com Club Sandwich Index (CSI) offers holidaymakers an indication of the costs associated with their destination of choice.

"The CSI average price is calculated from the real prices paid by guests for a club sandwich in 30 hotels in either the capital or an important tourist city in the 28 countries surveyed, across five-, four- and three- star categories.  In total, 840 hotels globally were canvassed."

In Geneva, which also has pretty expensive Big Macs and does a good line in snootiness, the prices for the sandwich ranged from $46.22 in one five-star hotel to $16.41 in a three-star establishment - an average price of $34.83.

Either they make some pretty special club sandwiches on the shores of Lac Leman, or you'd be crazy to even consider buying one.  

Paris was second most expensive with an average price of $31.38, followed by Helsinki, which knocked Oslo out of the top three at $26.03.

New Delhi in India remains the cheapest destination for a club sandwich (which must see it zoom to the top of millions of people's most favoured next destination lists), with an average price of just $9.38. 

This survey claims Sydney experienced the greatest decrease in its club sandwich price, falling from $20.06 in 2013 to $18.10 in 2014. And that I do find hard to believe.