Crudo adds a new gourmet offering to Gippsland waterfront

Gippsland has a new gourmet destination with the opening of Crudo | Wine & Provisions in Lakes Entrance.

 

The new Mediterranean-inspired deli and wine store is part of popular waterfront restaurant Sodafish and has opened on the lower deck beneath the floating restaurant.

Following five successful years of Sodafish, executive chef and owner Nick Mahlook decided to  expanded his operation, creating a providore experience that brings together local seafood, European pantry staples and a wine selection in a relaxed coastal setting.

Crudo - Italian for ‘raw’ - aims to replaicte the Sodafish ethos with quality, simplicity and respect for produce, including gourmet offerings from Spain, Italy and France.



Guests can browse cheeses, anchovies, sardines and antipasto ingredients, plus pantry staples designed to elevate everyday cooking. 

Freshly baked breads and sourdough pizza slices are available daily, with toppings such as mortadella, stracciatella and pistachio, or capers, confit tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella. 

Sounds good for picnics, or anyone in self-catering accommodation in the sun, sand and surf destination. 

Crudo also offers grazing platters for pre-orders, also ideal for picnics, boating days or entertaining. A new jetty allows guests to pull up by boat, collect a platter and wine, and head back onto the Gippsland Lakes.

Images: Nicky Cawood

City of Sydney aims to boost nightlife precincts

The City of Sydney has unveiled plans to boost nightlife, saying 5000 businesses across more than 20 special entertainment precincts are set to benefit.

Venues within the precincts will be able to trade later and gain access to NSW Government benefits, including liquor licence fee discounts and extended licensing hours.

“This will be the largest overhaul of late-night trading of its kind in Australia,” Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore AO said.

“Our community has resoundingly voiced its support for our plans so far, highlighting the fact that we want to see a nightlife that reflects our status as a global city.

“The community has also asked us to allow some areas to trade even later and we’ve listened.”

The proposals seek to expand some of the City of Sydney’s existing late-night precincts and add new ones.

Special entertainment precincts would now include:

*a new area along Harris Street in Ultimo, including the Powerhouse Museum
* expanded precincts along Meagher Street and Shepherd Street in Chippendale
* an expanded Oxford Street precinct, covering The National Art School and Qtopia.

“In response to community feedback we have expanded special entertainment precinct status to some new areas," Moore said. "We have heard the concerns of residents in some of those areas and we will continue to work with them as well as businesses, workers and visitors through this next phase to ensure we get the balance right.” 

The following areas would be upgraded to a later ‘tier’, unlocking later hours for businesses:

* Walsh Bay Arts Precinct, Wharves 3 and 4
* several streets around the Mercantile Hotel in The Rocks
* part of Oxford Street to the east of Taylor Square
* Regent Street, Botany Road and parts of Redfern Street
* The Hollywood Quarter around Campbell, Foster and Commonwealth streets in Surry Hills.

“It’s clear our communities are invested in these proposals but it’s a very technical process, so by consulting them every step of the way we’re ensuring they understand and support us at each stage of this journey,” Moore said.

The changes are part of a broader suite of proposals to recognise established and understood late-night trading areas with special entertainment precinct status.

“We all want a nightlife we can be proud of, and that our global city deserves,” Moore added.

Image: City of Sydney, Ed Hurst

Sunshine Coast now linked to two major Asian destinations

The Sunshine Coast now has air links to two major Asian destinations: Bali and Singapore.

Sunshine Coast Airport today welcomed its first international service to Singapore via Bali.

The new Jetstar service will operate three times per week. 

Sunshine Coast Airport CEO, Chris Mills said more than 200 passengers boarded the inaugural flight heading off to Bali.

“Today is a proud moment for our airport and our community," Mills said.

“Direct services to Bali and through to Singapore strengthens our region’s accessibility and helps unlock new opportunities for tourism, trade and investment.

“The new service represents significant planning and investment in our airport to make sure it continues to grow alongside our region.

“We’re delighted to partner with Jetstar to deliver this service and look forward to welcoming more visitors to experience everything our region has to offer.” Mr Mills said.

Jetstar’s head of network fleet strategy and planning, Ted Knight, said the airline was proud to be leading the way in opening new international connections for the Sunshine Coast.

“Asia is closer than ever for Sunshine Coast residents and visitors with today’s inaugural service from Maroochydore to Bali and Singapore," Knight said.

“We’ll be offering more than 70,000 low-cost seats a year on this route so our customers can afford to take off more for less to Bali or continue to Singapore and beyond."

Jetstar currently operates direct services from Sunshine Coast Airport to Auckland, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Cairns, making it the airport’s largest carrier.

Jetstar is offering one-way sale fares from the Sunshine Coast to Bali from $209 and from Sunshine Coast to Singapore from $249. See jetstar.com.

Singapore Airlines goes large on new Western Sydney International Airport

 

Singapore Airlines will launch daily non-stop flights between Singapore and the new Western Sydney International Airport from November 23.

The airline will operate its Airbus A350-900 medium-haul aircraft, which features 303 seats in two cabin classes: 40 in business class and 263 in economy class, subject to regulatory approval..

The inaugural flight, SQ201, is scheduled to depart Singapore at 11:30am on November 23 and arrive at 22:20pm. The return flight, SQ202, is scheduled to depart Western Sydney International Airport on the same day at 23:55pm and arrive in Singapore at 05:05am the next morning.

Combined with SIA’s four-times-daily services to Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport, the airline will operate five daily flights to Sydney: Australia’s financial hub.

With the addition of Western Sydney International, SIA will serve eight destinations in Australia. Scoot, SIA’s low-cost subsidiary, serves three destinations in Australia.

“Singapore Airlines’ services to Australia’s newest gateway at Western Sydney will deliver more choice and strengthen connectivity to this popular destination for our customers," says Dai Haoyu, senior vice president for marketing and planning.

"Western Sydney’s late-night departure capacity will enable a seamless travel journey and connections through Singapore Changi Airport, to more than 130 global destinations served by the SIA Group.”

Simon Hickey, CEO of WSI, said: “Western Sydney International Airport is thrilled to be partnering with Singapore Airlines, bringing more of its Skytrax certified 5-Star service to the people of Greater Sydney.

"Our 24-hour capacity, coupled with Singapore Airlines’ extensive global connectivity, will open our city to the world in new and exciting ways. From Sydney to Singapore and beyond, we are pleased to help herald this new era of aviation that will ultimately give Australian travellers more choice and flexibility on when, where, and how they choose to fly.”

Tickets are on sale from today.

Drink well; help the environment during April

Yalumba's Y Series wine range, drinks retailer Endeavour Group, and 4 Pines Brewing Co will combine to celebrate World Earth Day on April 22. 

The trio will aim to transform everyday purchases into making a tangible national impact on the environment. 

The Our Power, Our Planet campaign will see every purchase of 4 Pines Pacific Ale cans or Y Series wines directly fund the planting of native flora and the restoration of vital bushland across the country.

Dan Holland, Chief Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Officer at Endeavour Group, outlined said that Earth Month across April serves as a powerful reminder of the collective action needed to protect the planet. 

“At Endeavour Group, we believe that when our customers, trade partners and our team act together, we can make a difference with even a day-to-day choice of which drinks to enjoy,” he said.

Throughout April, 4 Pines Brewing Co. has committed to planting one native tree, shrub, or groundcover for every carton of 4 Pines Pacific Ale sold. This initiative contributes to a multi-year partnership with Landcare Australia. 

Simultaneously, Y Series is ramping up its conservation efforts. It is pledging to regenerate 10,000

square metres of koala habitat from proceeds raised throughout April in partnership with Greenfleet.

"Through our Y Series Earth Month campaign, we aim to make a tangible and positive impact on the environment by planting vegetation in areas that need it most," says winemaker Sam Wigan.

"Sustainable practices go beyond our winemaking. It’s about our community, its people and future 

generations.”

Recent Y Series releases ($15-16) include Y Series Lighter Cuvée, Y Series Pinot Grigio 2025, Y Series Lighter Pinot Grigio 2025, Y Series Riesling 2025, Y Series Chardonnay 2025 and Y Series Lighter Shiraz 2024.

I’m working through the wines right now: the chardonnay is very good value and pinot grigio is fine. The lighter shiraz and pinot grigio didn’t work for me. They tasted like they’d been diluted with water. 

Products can be purchased during April at any Dan Murphy’s or BWS outlet, or via their online stores. 

New wine deal with Europe will see an end to Australians exporting "prosecco"

A new Australia–European Union Free Trade Agreement will see the removal of tariffs on Australian wine exports to EU member states - but will mark the end of exporting Australian wines labelled as Prosecco. 

Australian wine exported to the European Union will not be subjected to tariffs upon entry, resulting in an expected saving of $14.5 million per year, a deal welcomed by umbrella body Australian Grape & Wine (AGW).

But the deal means the EU's position that prosecco is a protected trade mark means Australian sparkling wines will have to use a new name for their product in those markets. 

I recommended the adoption of OzSecco, or AusSecco, a couple of years ago but the wine industry is very slow to pivot. 

AGW said today: "The industry position is that prosecco is a grape variety, in the same way that shiraz or chardonnay is, and they shouldn’t have to change the name of it; consumers know what it is. etc."

The body says it has “welcomed key elements of the Australia–European Union Free Trade Agreement, including the removal of tariffs on Australian wine exports to EU member states” while highlighting the “significant implications” the agreement will have for producers exporting Australian prosecco.

The CEO of AGW, Lee McLean, said that the tariff outcome was a “commercially meaningful result for the sector”.

“The removal of tariffs on Australian wine entering the EU is good news for our exporters and for the long-term competitiveness of Australian wine in a major global market."

Australian prosecco producers will retain the right to call their wines prosecco in the domestic market but will no longer be able to export Australian wine labelled prosecco to Europe, following a 10-year phase out period.

“We continue to maintain that prosecco is a grape variety and that efforts to restrict its use are nothing more than protectionist measures used to distort trade to the advantage of EU producers," McLean said. 

"This is clearly a blow for those Australian producers who currently export Australian prosecco, who will need to transition away from using that term for export markets."