Meet some luxe hotels offering special Valentine's Day experiences

Are you leaving it late to book for Valentine's Day?

You might want to check out the romance packages being offered by Sofitel and MGallery Collection Hotels across Australia.

On offer: "Candlelit dining, indulgent spa rituals and dreamy overnight stays designed for two".

Here are some of the deals:

At Sofitel Melbourne On Collins, No35 Restaurant is offering a French-inspired menu that aims to replicate Paris above Melbourne. Choose from a three-course set lunch ($139 per person, including French sparkling on arrival), an early three-course dinner ($199 per person, including Champagne and amuse bouche), or a four-course dinner ($349 per person, including Champagne on arrival and free-flowing beverages). There will be live music in the evening and guaranteed window seats are available for an additional $50 per person. https://www.sofitel-melbourne.com.au/offers/valentines-day-celebrations/

Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour's Atelier restaurant offers a "romantic" five-course menu ($160 per person) designed to be savoured slowly, together, finishing with a strawberry rose parfait. Add matching wines for $85 per person. https://www.sofitelsydneydarlingharbour.com.au/offers/valentines-day/

At Sofitel Sydney Wentworth, romance takes on a Asian accent with a four-course Vietnamese–French set menu ($119 per person) starring fresh seafood and signature noodles to the table. For something more classic, Tilda offers a five-course Valentine's Day menu ($139 per person). After dinner, perhaps, a Romantic Escape package that includes an overnight stay, a bottle of Champagne, a romantic in-room gift and a room service breakfast, from $774 per room. https://www.sofitelsydney.com.au/special-offers/valentines-dining-offer

Out of town, Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains by MGallery has three-course dining experience that begins with a glass of sparkling cuvée on arrival, followed by "a thoughtfully crafted menu designed for a memorable night in the mountains". https://www.fairmontresort.com.au/offers/valentines-day-dinner/

Hotel Chadstone Melbourne – MGallery Collection is offering a special three-course Valentine's Day dinner at Pastore Restaurant, which begins with house-baked bread and olive oil, followed by a selection of cicchetti, seafood or slow-roasted lamb for main. Priced at $109 per person food only or $164 with each course paired with a selection of Italian and local Victorian wines. Extend the romance with an overnight stay including in-room breakfast for two, a 2pm late check-out and a chilled bottle of sparkling wine and a box of Koko Black chocolates in your room. Priced from $390 per room. https://www.hotelchadstone.com.au/offer/valentines-day-dinner/

Seafood stars at The Brighton Hotel Sydney – MGallery Collection  restaurant Ammos with a Valentine's set menu featuring the restaurant's most-loved dishes, elevated with highlights like Sydney rock oysters; Thessauri Ossetra caviar with blini; wood-fire cooked king prawns; and Kinross Station lamb rump, followed by a chocolate karidopita, and hand-made Ammos truffles to take home. It is priced at $169 per person, including a glass of sparkling on arrival. https://thebrightonsydney.com.au/special-offer/ammos-valentines/

In South Australia, The Playford Adelaide MGallery Collection hotel has a  four-course dinner at the two chef-hatted Luma, which includes a cocktail on arrival. The sharing menu includes a selection of canapes, house-made mini loaf, Atlantic salmon ballontine with sea herbs, cucumber and roe for entrée, a choice of baked snapper or beef fillet for main, and chocolate delice dessert with Adelaide Hills strawberries and coconut sorbet, for $185 per person.  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/valentines-day-dinner-at-luma-restaurant-on-14th-february-2026-tickets-1977107839771?aff=oddtdtcreator

Calling all fans of garlicky goodness

 

Garlic has been used for thousands of years as a seasoning, culinary ingredient, and traditional medicine.

It is celebrated at the South Gippsland Garlic Festival, which will be held for the second year at Korumburra Showgrounds on Saturday, February 28.

The success of the debut event last year will see twice as many growers in attendance, trucking in close 2 tonnes of the best fresh Australian garlic and garlic products.

Victorian growers in attendance will include Balmattum Garlic, Pure Garlic, Gerdavale Garlic and Franklin River Garlic, along with Garlic Kingdom from Countegany, New South Wales.

The event is billed as the most significant garlic event in Victoria and aims to showcase and educate visitors about the huge array of garlic varieties grown in Australia, how to cultivate it at home, and how to use it in the kitchen.

There will be line-up of chefs and cooks from Gippsland and Melbourne, showcasing their favourite garlic dishes in interactive cooking demonstrations..

The Kitchen will be hosted by Victorian author and food and drinks writer Richard Cornish.

The Festival Stage will keep the tunes pumping throughout the day, with local performers playing, while there will also be kid’s activities.

Tickets: Adults $15, children $5, family (2 adults 2 kids) $35, concession $10, children under 3 free.

Australia's love affair with Japan sets new record

Australia's love affair with Japan has continued with December 2025 visitor data released by the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) revealing a new record for Australian travellers. 

No fewer than 1,058,300 Australians visited Japan during the 2025 calendar year, making it the first year that Australian visitors to Japan have broken the one million mark. 

That marked a 15% increase on 2024. 

A total of 121,300 visitors flocked to the country during December 2025, coinciding with school holidays, festive breaks and the start of the ski season.

The month of January saw the highest number of Australian visitors throughout the year with 140,185 visitors. There were 115,235 Australians arriving in April during cherry blossom season. 

The love affair with Japan goes beyond Australians, with Japan also achieving a new annual record for total international arrivals during 2025, 42,683,600.

“We are thrilled to begin 2026 on such a positive note, celebrating the arrival of one million Australians during 2025,” said Naoki Kitazawa, executive director for JNTO Sydney. 

“What is particularly pleasing is the growth in visitors in addition to the popular Golden Route of Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto, with prefectures such as Fukuoka, Gifu, Niigata and Iwate showing a significant increase in stays over the past 12 months. 

"During 2026, we are encouraging Australian travellers, to take the time to travel far and wide and discover the lesser-known regions of Japan, from rural retreats and remote hiking trails to coastal camping and tranquil islands, in order to raise awareness of Japan’s diverse experiences, and to share the economic benefits nationwide.”

JNTO Sydney media and marketing manager Andrew Coombs added: “We are seeing a new segment of travellers who are embracing Japan’s wilderness and adventure activities and seeking authentic cultural immersion, from staying in traditional inns and joining local craft workshops to meditating with monks, and attending fascinating festivals. 

"Japan is a truly multi-dimensional destination with something for everyone, from families and wellness travellers to hikers, cyclists and lovers of luxury. We look forward to continuing to welcome responsible Australian travellers to discover it all during 2026.”

Image: Shibuya, Winsor Dobbin

Meet the unique vodka helping aid the Ukraine war effort

There is always good money to be made from a war.

Munitions sales; weapons, vehicles, uniforms.

But now there is a vodka being sold to help the Ukrainian forces in their war against the Russian invaders.

And it is no ordinary vodka.

Meet a 3-litre Ukrainian Spirit Limited Howitzer Edition with special packaging made from used artillery shell propelling charge cases.

The vodka is being distributed by SPYRT Worldwide, a veteran-founded importer that sells "Ukraine’s finest wines and spirits to the US" and online to the rest of the world.

The company's press release says 10% of the profit from sales is donated to Invictus Global Response, a team of US Veteran bomb technicians who clear landmines in Ukraine as volunteers and train de-mining teams.

“We’re incredibly proud to introduce the Ukrainian Spirit Howitzer Limited Edition,” said Sam Lerman, co-founder and CEO of SPYRT Worldwide.

“This release is far more than an extraordinary 3-liter vodka, as it’s [packaging] is hand-crafted from repurposed military powder charge tubes and finished with meticulous leatherwork.

"With a portion of all proceeds from the manufacturer supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine, this product allows consumers to directly support a powerful cause while experiencing exceptional quality.”

The Ukrainian Spirit Limited Howitzer Edition 3-liter is bottled at 40% ABV/80 proof using SPYRT’s Ukrainian Spirit Reserve Vodka. It is made using a "single water" technology, in which the water, spirit, and vodka all originate from the same artesian well, first tapped since 1876.

This spring water is drawn from 200 meters beneath the pine forests of Volyn and combined with specially selected grain from the steppes of Western Ukraine.

If aesthetics are a concern, "each tube is carefully refurbished to restore its appearance and smooth out any dents from previous use".

The Ukrainian Spirit Limited Howitzer Edition is available only in a 3-litre bottle and retails for $US999.99.

See www.SpyrtWorldwide.com

Patience will be a virtue at Western Sydney's new international airport

Are you planning to fly into the new Western Sydney International Airport (WSI) at Luddenham when it opens later this year? 

If your final destination is downtown Sydney, or beyond, you may need to be very, very patient. 

Ongoing delays with the Metro station that is supposed to serve the 24-hour airport mean you'll need to wait for up to 30 minutes after you land and clear customs and immigration, then catch a shuttle bus, and then switch to a suburban train. 

Transport for NSW this week proudly announced that it will offer a free bus service connecting WSI to St Marys railway station/bus interchange as delays continue on the new Metro rail line.

The buses will operate on a half-hourly basis between 4.30am and midnight Sunday to Thursday, and 4.30am until 1am on Friday and Saturday. The ride will take around 30 minutes. 

Then you will wait for a local train. 

A train trip from St Marys to Sydney CBD (Central Station) typically takes around 60-75 minutes on the T1 Western Line, often requiring a change at Strathfield or Lidcombe for faster routes. 

That sounds fun if you are dragging luggage with you. 

But Transport for NSW is proclaiming proudly that "free public transport will connect Western Sydney International Airport when it opens its doors later in the year". 

"The interim service will provide the connection to the wider Sydney public transport network that will be delivered by the new Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport when it opens next year," it says.

The free airport buses will apparently "complement a comprehensive bus plan for Western Sydney, which is set to provide new services every 30 minutes linking the airport to Penrith, Leppington, Liverpool, Campbelltown and Mount Druitt".

The new 23-kilometre Metro line, jointly funded by the Australian and NSW Government, will have capacity to move up to 7,740 passengers every hour in each direction. When it opens. Maybe next year. 

The six-stop line will connect Western Sydney International Airport to St Marys in just 15 minutes. 

Track laying on the line is now 70% complete, while the toll-free M12 motorway that will link the airport to the Sydney motorway network is due to open "in coming months". 

Vanuatu's Grand is getting grander

The Grand Hotel Vanuatu in Port Vila is set to officially re-open its doors and welcome guests back on March 6 after a journey of renewal. 

Following the re-opening of its casino late last year, the hotel’s re-launch will showcase refreshed rooms and suites, upgraded facilities, and a new coral-coloured exterior. 

The re-opening follows the completion of an extensive restoration program prompted by the December 2024 earthquake that affected Port Vila’s waterfront. 

In the aftermath of the event, the hotel undertook one of the most ambitious refurbishment efforts in its history. 

Think strengthened internal framing, modern lightweight structural materials, and a full re‑engineering of its core systems. 

“After a period of rebuilding and strengthening, the Grand is back and better than ever,” says Bettina Mahieu, managing director of the Grand Hotel & Casino Vanuatu. 

“This reopening celebrates resilience, pride, and hospitality. We’re thrilled to invite our guests, patrons, team, and the community back to enjoy the experiences they know and love, now refreshed and strengthened for the future.”

Perched on the edge of picturesque Port Vila harbour, the Grand is Port Vila's only waterfront four-star hotel that is central to the city, while also just 15 minutes from the airport.

The re-launched hotel will feature 74 rooms and suites, some including harbour views, private balconies, marble bathrooms, and modern amenities.

To celebrate the reopening, the hotel is offering a re-opening package for three nights starting from $1,190 in Australian dollars. 

It includes accommodation in a deluxe harbour view room, midday checkout, daily breakfast, a welcome glass of Taittinger Champagne, a VT 10,000 hotel credit per room, per stay, redeemable at the Grand Dining Room, Pool Bar, or Lobby Bar, free wifi and complimentary return airport transfers. 

The deal is available for stays from March 6 to May 30, subject to availability. 

Bookings can be made directly at www.grandvanuatu.com