Over 200 years of history in a bottle

The Eather family is this year celebrating 200 years of agriculture in the Hunter Valley. 

To coincide with that milestone, their Meerea Park wine label has crafted a rare special release of its benchmark BLACK Shiraz from the 2024 vintage. 

The story begins with Thomas Samuel Heather arriving in Australia on second fleet ship Neptune in 1790. He married a convict from the third fleet, Elizabeth Lee, settling near Windsor before arriving in Bulga. near Singleton, in 1826. 

Adjacent to Wollombi Brook he cleared land that become the Meerea property. Somewhere along the way the H was dropped from the family name. 

The Eather brothers, Garth and Rhys, have been making Meerea Park wines at Pokolbin for 35 years now - and the BLACK shiraz is released only in outstanding vintages.

The last was back in 2018. Only 1182 bottles were made and it sells for $350. 

It's an impressive wine. Inky and intense, complex, supple, well balanced and potentially long lived. Think asphalt and cassis. 

BLACK was originally meant to be a one-off commemorative wine, the 2011 coinciding with the 20th Meerea Park vintage release. The BLACK has subsequently been released from the 2014, 2017, 2018 and 2024 vintages.

The 2024 is made from the best three barrels of shiraz that year; open fermented with daily plunging and pumping over carried out. After 18 months in 67% new and 33% one-year-old French oak, BLACK was bottled with moderate filtration.

See www.meereapark.com.au 

New arts festival to enliven Tokyo over winter

Tokyo's streets, waterfronts, parks and public spaces will become a canvas for creativity with the launch of ARTE TOKYO, a new city-wide festival of arts and culture running from October 10 until the end of the year. 

The vibrant Japanese capital will take art beyond traditional galleries and museums. 

The inaugural festival promises to bring together art, theatre, music, performance, illuminations and entertainment across the city, encouraging visitors to discover Tokyo through culture as they explore its neighbourhoods and public spaces. 

The festival will centre on three main areas, Tokyo's Waterfront, Hibiya and Marunouchi, along with and Yoyogi and Shibuya. 

It will transform the Tokyo Bay waterfront into a stage as Odaiba Beach, waterfront parks and promenades will become settings for installations and interactive experiences. 

Visitors can also experience the festival from the water aboard the Arte Tokyo Cruise, connecting Odaiba and Tennoz from October 10 to December 20 - mainly on weekends and public holidays. 

From mid-November, ARTE TOKYO will bring contemporary art into the streets and public spaces of Hibiya and Marunouchi, from Tokyo Midtown Hibiya and Hibiya Park to Tokyo International Forum and the area around Tokyo Station. 

In December, Yoyogi and Shibuya become another major focus, with art and cultural experiences appearing throughout Yoyogi Park and surrounding public spaces. The program connects Yoyogi Park with Shibuya, Harajuku and Omotesando, encouraging visitors to explore an area where parks, shopping, entertainment and contemporary culture come together.

The festival also overlaps with Tokyo's winter light season, including Yoyogi Forest of Lights, Omotesando Illumination 2026 and Blue Grotto Shibuya 2026, which will illuminate a 900-metre stretch from Shibuya Koen-dori to Yoyogi Park.

ARTE TOKYO will also offer a different way to experience one of the city's historic landscapes.

To coincide with the inaugural festival and the 80th anniversary of Hama-rikyu Gardens, a special night-time art project is planned from November 25 to December 24. 

For more info see https://artetokyo.jp/en/

Surry Hills brewery gets a refresh

Sydney Brewery Surry Hills will re-launch its microbrewery, bar and bistro with a new design, new entertainment options and refreshed drinks and food menus from later this week. 

To celebrate, a new Hoppy Golden Pale Ale will make its debut.

Located at 28 Albion Street, and attached to Rydges Sydney Central, the brewery is just minutes from Central Station and the city centre, and within easy reach of the Sydney Cricket Ground and Allianz Stadium.

The extensive refurbishment has given the facility "a more contemporary feel" with updated furnishings, a new pool table and a large new screen for live sport. 

Sydney Brewery Surry Hills launched eight years ago with industrial warehouse vibes, exposed brick and concrete walls and street art across the walls. 

"The upgrade reflects everything we love about this neighbourhood: its energy, its character and its people,” says Brittany Peacock-Smith, general manager of Rydges Sydney Central.

“We've put a lot of care into creating a space that feels fresh while staying true to what locals and our regular guests already love about it. We can't wait to welcome everyone back."

The Hoppy Golden Pale Ale. The Renovation Edition features the Surry Hills night skyline on its label. 

Menu offerings include Sydney rock oysters with cider mignonette and steak frites with chimichurri.

Sydney Brewery Surry Hills is part of Sydney Brewery's wider footprint, which includes venues in Alexandria, Rozelle and the Hunter Valley. 

See https://sydneybrewery.com/surry-hills/ 

West Australians bring a taste of Sicily to Darwin

Darwin boutique hotel The Leea has unveiled Lido, a renovated open-air poolside dining hub where the vibe aims to see the Top End meet coastal Sicily. 

The venue consists of three areas: The Garden, Poolside Deck and Indoor Caffè in the heart of Darwin’s CBD.

On the Lido Deck, guests can sip limoncellos and negronis in palm-filled gardens and enjoy dishes starring locally sourced produce.

Designed to share over a spritz or signature cocktail, Lido's antipasti e cicchetti dishes include burrata filled with creamy stracciatella, Humpty Doo figs, walnut crumble and vincotto; crispy calamari fritti tossed in semolina, lemon, parsley, Calabrian chilli salt and herb aioli; and arancini bolognese, a nostalgic nod to the classic Sicilian dish.

 At Lido’s helm is executive chef Samantha Bennett, an award-winning chef and Darwin local who brings an innate knowledge of the Territory's produce to her menus. 

Lido's menu was overseen by Prendiville Group director of food Russell Blaikie, who said the menu was designed to celebrate the Territory's unique produce and relaxed dining culture.

"Lido has been shaped by Darwin's laid-back energy and the Territory's tropical produce, which brings a flavour profile that feels unique to the city," he said. 

"The menu’s dishes have been lightened to match Darwin's climate. Lido's menu is accessible, vibrant and full of bold flavour, fresh herbs and citrus acidity that bring every dish to life - think pickled Humpty Doo mango paired with fresh local snapper. 

"Lido takes the Italian aperitivo ritual of social grazing, drink in hand, and fuses it with the Territory's easy-going nature, offering guests an NT take on a beloved hospitality tradition."

Lido and The Leea mark the first move into the Darwin market by family-run Prendiville Group, who bring decades of boutique hospitality to the Top End and are the team behind more than 20 destination-led venues including Samphire Rottnest and Tigerfish in Cottesloe in Western Australia. They also operate Sandalford Wines.   

The opening of Lido marks the completion of the first stage of The Leea's 18-month transformation of the former Travelodge. 

Lido will officially open to the public on Monday, October 12.

Check out: The Leea : A tranquil hotel in the centre of Darwin.

Images: Jillian McHugh

Stay off our mountain: Warnings for adventurous tourists

Tourists heading for Japan should make sure they have appropriate travel insurance, particularly if they have climbing its most famous mountain on their travel agenda. 

Japan authorities are preparing tougher controls on off-season Mount Fuji climbing, including imposing a potential helicopter rescue charge for hikers who get into trouble outside the mountain’s official climbing season.

Yamanashi Prefecture, which manages the popular northern route, plans to introduce the measures from September 2027 as authorities respond to a rise in climbers attempting the mountain when conditions can be significantly more challenging.

Under the proposed rules, anyone heading above Mount Fuji’s sixth station - at almost 2,400 metres - between early September and July would have to submit a climbing plan in advance. The document would include listing the intended route and equipment being carried, news hub Travel Mole reports.

Hikers rescued by helicopter during the off-season could also receive a bill for the operation. 

Japanese media group NHK reported Yamanashi is considering a charge based on helicopter fuel costs, estimated at around ¥8,000 ($95) for every five minutes of flight time. The final fee has not yet been set.

Neighbouring Shizuoka Prefecture, which oversees routes on the mountain's southern side, is also preparing penalties for climbers who fail to register their plans during the off-season.

Authorities also plan to use barricades and sensors to restrict access and alert people attempting to climb when the mountain is officially closed.

Yamanashi Governor Kotaro Nagasaki urged the public to avoid off-season climbs, saying the measures are intended to make people reconsider what winter conditions on Mount Fuji can involve.

Mount Fuji’s official climbing season runs from July to early September, when approximately 200,000 people attempt to reach the 3,776-metre summit each year.

Outside that window, climbing is already strongly discouraged because of snow, ice, severe weather and the absence of normal mountain services.

Yamanashi has recorded 21 climbing accidents and four deaths during the seven years through 2025. In April 2025, a Chinese university student was reportedly rescued twice within several days after attempting to climb from the Shizuoka side.

Guggenheim Abu Dhabi set for opening

One of the great modern travel destinations: Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will open to the public before the end of the year. 

December 11 has been earmarked for the new major attraction to the UAE capital’s Saadiyat Cultural District. 

Travellers can now book visits through the museum’s official website, travel news hub Travel Mole reports. 

Admission will be around $26. 

The museum is located on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi, alongside Louvre Abu Dhabi and other major cultural projects including the Zayed National Museum and Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi.

Designed by the late architect Frank Gehry, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will focus on modern and contemporary art, particularly work from the 1960s to the present.

The collection spans painting, sculpture, photography, installation, moving image and new media. 

Various galleries will explore themes including abstraction, popular culture, land, language and storytelling, with works by artists including Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat, alongside artists from the Arab world, Africa and Asia.

The building itself is expected to be a major attraction. Covering 80,000 square meters, it includes 30 galleries, 11,600 square meters of interior exhibition space and 23,000 square meters of outdoor exhibition areas. 

Ten giant sculptural cones, reaching up to 88 meters, provide shade and natural ventilation.