The best time to drop into Orange

The Orange region of New South Wales boasts a busy events calendar and an impressive food and wine culture. 

As autumn kicks into gear, the change of season signals the celebration of all thing's food as the apple and vineyard harvests are underway. 

Orange FOOD Week at the end of the month is one of the busiest and most sought-after times to visit. 

Here's what is coming up this month with the Orange Chamber Music Festival running from March 12-15, a night in Nashville on March 14 and the Orange Running Festival on March 15. 

FOOD Week (now more than a week) will run from March 20-29 with the 10-day celebration marking 35 years with a full program of events celebrating the region’s chefs and producers. 

Think shared dining experiences, markets and immersive foodie events. 

Highlights include the Night Market on March 20 and the Sunday Producers Market & Brunch on March 29. 

See event program

Central West Comedy with Nina Oyama is on March 27, with the Handa Opera at Millthorpe from April 2-5 and Canowindra International Balloon Challenge running from April 11-19. 

Shop swap: Wellness focus at new London hotel

Many new hotels in London are located in the East End, but Six Senses Hotels has gone west for its first UK property. 

Six Senses London has opened its doors within The Whiteley building, the former Whiteley's emporium and department store on Queensway in Bayswater. 

Close to Hyde Park and Notting Hill's colour, Six Senses London offers 109 rooms and suites, many with private terraces, alongside 14 branded residences. 

Crowning the hotel, the Whiteley Suite has a 125 square-metre roof terrace. 

“We wanted Six Senses London to feel like a hotel that embraces you from the moment you arrive," says GM Nick Yarnell. "Warm, genuine, and instinctive, yet delivered with exacting standards and quiet precision. 

"As part of The Whiteley, we honour the heritage of British craft and innovation while creating something that gives back to the neighbourhood and feels deeply connected to its community.”

The Whiteley's original Grade II listed façade has been maintained, along with its Art Deco heritage. 

At the centre of the hotel is the restored grand staircase, once the defining feature of the original department store. Deconstructed, lengthened, and rebuilt by hand, it now ascends through three floors up to the glass-domed ceiling.

Alongside London's first hotel magnesium pool, which supports muscular recovery and nervous system regulation, there is a 20-metre indoor swimming pool, a 325-square-metre fitness centre, and dedicated yoga and mindful movement studios along with a spa. 

Thirteen wellness spaces and six treatment rooms encompass cryotherapy, flotation, red-light therapies, a traditional hammam, and a sensory suite. 

Six Senses London offers "maverick British cuisine" at Whiteley's Kitchen, Bar and Café. 

Executive chef Eliano Crespi and head chef Jose Jara present vegetable-forward menus while at the bar, cocktails are constructed to work with or without alcohol. 

Above the lobby sits the world's first Six Senses Place - a social and wellness members' club. 

Reservations for Six Senses London are now open at sixsenses.com 

Where to enjoy Tasmanian wines with a touch of sea spray

 

There are few better gourmet experiences than enjoying a glass of wine with some freshly shucked oysters while taking on some spectacular water views. 

The recently opened Le Gulch wine bar in Bicheno, on Tasmania's east coast, overlooks the churning waters of the the local gulch, a natural breakwater.  

Years ago, the venue was home to the Blue Waters seafood factory. A couple of decades ago you could visit to enjoy a roasted crayfish paired with Apsley Gorge wines. 

Now the venue has re-opened in the space known as Bicheno Winery, used for winemaking by Apsley Gorge owner Brian Franklin, who is known for producing outstanding Burgundy-inspired pinots noir. 

The Le Gulch Wine Bar is operated by Myles Franklin, son of Brian, together with business partner Shelley Bickerstaff, a wine industry veteran. 

There is a super chilled coastal vibe with a small but thoughtful selection of wines by the glass, from French rosé to Tassie bubbles and local labels like Freycinet Estate, along with current and back-vintage Apsley Gorge releases. 

The snack menu offers oysters, cheese and charcuterie plates, served, when we visited last week, by a charming French hospitality operative. Local beers and spirits are also on offer. 

"We are ready to welcome a new generation of guests to experience the magic of this east coast location and catch up with old friends," Myles Franklin says. 

It would be all too easy to settle in for a long session here. 

Summer opening hours are Wednesday-Thursday 3-8pm; Friday-Saturday 1-8pm and Sundays 1-6pm. 

You'll find Le Gulch at 54 Waubs Esplanade, Bicheno. See https://www.legulch.com/

Direct flights to open from Sydney to French Polynesia

It is about to get a lot easier for Australians to fly to French Polynesia. 

Air Tahiti Nui this week announced an expansion of its international network with the launch of a new direct route between Papeete and Sydney. 

The new service is part of the airline’s strategy to strengthen long-term connectivity between French Polynesia and the major regional hubs of the South Pacific. Air Tahiti Nui previously used to serve Sydney until 2009.

The route is scheduled to launch on Monday, December 14. Air Tahiti Nui will operate two flights per week, providing travellers with a direct, regular and nonstop option between Tahiti and Australia. 

The new connection will significantly reduce travel time and simplify journeys between the two regions, travel news hub Travel Mole reports. 

French-accented Tahiti and its Islands have a growing appeal for Australian travellers with 8,165 Australian visitors in 2025. 

“We are very pleased to announce this new direct route between Papeete and Sydney," Lionel Guérin, CEO of Air Tahiti Nui, said. 

"With two direct flights per week and thanks to the code-share agreement with Qantas, this service will provide Australian travellers with greater comfort and more frequency options, especially when combined with our twice-weekly service to Auckland in New Zealand.”

Ticket sales are expected to open later this month. 

St Regis to make its New Zealand debut in Queenstown

 

Global luxury hotel brand St. Regis Hotels & Resorts is to make its New Zealand debut in Queenstown. 

Marriott International this week announced a signed agreement with PHC Queenstown Limited with the property due to open late next year. 

The hotel is set to be located on a prominent corner site in central Queenstown, with views to The Remarkables mountain range and Lake Wakatipu. 

Expected to feature 145 rooms, the new-build luxury hotel is set to be Marriott’s inaugural foothold in Queenstown as the first St. Regis hotel in New Zealand. 

"Securing a luxury presence in Queenstown has been a strategic priority for Marriott, and we’re thrilled to soon establish the iconic St. Regis brand in such an exceptional destination," said Richard Crawford, vice president for Hotel Development, Australia, New Zealand and Pacific for Marriott International. 

"Founded on New York’s 5th Avenue more than 120 years ago, St. Regis is a globally revered name in luxury that is sought after by discerning travellers worldwide. 

"Queenstown attracts more than two million visitors annually, making it ideal for a world-class luxury hotel.

“This latest signing is another example of Marriott’s leadership as the world’s largest operator of luxury hotels, a rapidly growing segment in the industry. The St. Regis Queenstown is set to be undeniably the destination’s finest hotel offering and will further elevate Queenstown’s status as a must-visit destination.”

The St. Regis Queenstown is expected to feature an all-day dining venue and an event space. 

St. Regis’ butler service has been a signature offering of the brand for over a century, and will offer guests personalised service that ensure their preferences are understood and realised," the media release says. 

It will also offer a hydrothermal facilities zone and a relaxation and wellness lounge, complemented by the hotel’s indoor heated pool and fitness centre.

The St. Regis portfolio now consists of more than 65 properties globally. It will also open a property on the Gold Coast in Australia in 2027. See marriottbonvoy.com.

Bloodsuckers poised to descend on Sydney

It's about to get bloody in Sydney.

Bloodsuckers: Nature’s Vampires, an award-winning exhibition, will open at the Australian Museum in time for the autumn school holidays with the curtain dropping on Thursday, April 2.

The immersive exhibition features more than 100 objects, specimens, large-scale models, digital interactives and installations, combining science, pop culture and curiosity.

The exhibition was developed by the Royal Ontario Museum in Canada.

Kim McKay, director and CEO of the Australian Museum, said the exhibition would bring visitors face to face with some of nature’s most sophisticated micro-predators, but with a new appreciation.

“Some of nature's most extraordinary survivors often give people the creeps, but this new exhibition, Bloodsuckers: Nature’s Vampires, showcases just how astonishing these species are," she said.

"They have mastered the art of survival in ways that are impressive, demonstrating the power of evolution in action, playing critical roles in maintaining healthy ecosystems.

“By bringing this exhibition to Sydney, we're inviting people to look beyond the misconceptions and engage with the science that shapes our world. Inspiring curiosity and deepening visitors’ understanding of biodiversity is at the heart of the Australian Museum’s mission.”

The exhibition features vampire bats, black flies, candiru catfish and medicinal leeches, while exploring bloodsuckers’ impact on literature, mythology and popular culture.

Check out australian.museum/exhibition/bloodsuckers/ General public tickets go on sale on March 18.