New market to lift Sydney beachside suburb

The Sydney beach suburb of Maroubra is to get a new monthly food and goods market featuring more than 100 stalls.

The new markets will be held at Broadarrow Reserve from May 5 and will include a selection of fresh produce, artisan food products, fashion, homewares, crafts, plants, flowers, and art.

There will also be onsite dining areas and a variety of vendors selling foods for immediate consumption.

There will also be a section of the market edicated to vintage and recycled goods.

The markets will be a collab between Randwick City Council and market curators Cambridge
Markets.

Randwick Mayor Philipa Veitch says the new markets will bring together the community and help
boost the local economy.

“Not only will the Maroubra Beach markets activate a wonderful outdoor public space, but they will provide residents with another great event to look forward to each month and give Sydneysiders from outside the area another reason to visit our beautiful beachside suburb,” Veitch said.

“In addition to the markets, there are plenty of cafés, restaurants and shops at Maroubra Beach for everyone to explore and enjoy.

”“Residents wanted markets that offered a variety of things, from fresh produce to artisan and
general goods.”

Cambridge Markets director Madelienne Andersen said: “We’re so delighted to bring a monthly
market to this beachside location. Markets are such a great way to strengthen community spirit,
bolster local economies and support small business, as well as showcase emerging artisans.

"This monthly event is for everyone to enjoy. Come down for breakfast, lunch or a coffee and browse the incredible array of merchandise on offer. All our stallholders are very passionate and happy to chat with customers about their products."

The markets will run on the first Sunday of each month from 8am–2pm.

Mudgee now offers a chic stay under canvas

Mudgee is a fast-growing gourmet destination and visitors can now enjoy staying in "chic eco tents" with the launch of new accommodation at Parklands Resort Mudgee.

The deluxe addition to Mudgee’s accommodation offering sees guests treated to four poster beds, Mudgee providore provisions, continental breakfast hampers and sunset wines on the deck.

In addition, the eco-tents are pet friendly, so canine friends are welcome to enjoy the stay (for an additional fee).

The 15 brand new eco-friendly canvas tents, known as Mudgee Retreats, boast luxurious four-poster king-size beds with private en suite bathrooms.

As part of the Parklands Resort complex, the Retreats are surrounded by 30 acres of countryside but are close to the town centre. Facilities include access to a private tennis court, indoor pool, fitness centre and heated spa.

With a commitment to sustainability, each of the Retreats have been built using the Eco Anchor foundation system and Eco Decking flooring made from recycled rice husk composite material that provides thermal insulation.

Shaun Ormbsy, Head of Commercial at owning group Elanor Hotels, said “After seeing an increase in demand for sustainable and immersive travel experiences, we developed Mudgee Retreats at Parklands Resort Mudgee as an alternative option for travellers looking for an authentic glamping experience in the heart of Mudgee.

"Our Retreats are ideally located a stone’s throw away from the historic town centre and close to some of the region’s best wineries and restaurants, so guests can immerse themselves in the beauty of Mudgee and then relax at the end of the day in the ultimate in comfort and sustainability.”

Overnight accommodation at Mudgee Retreats starts from $698 per night and includes a continental breakfast for two people.

For more information see https://parklandsresort.com.au/accommodation

Images: Amber Hooper 

Marriott swoops to sign up Japanese hotels

If you've booked into an independent hotel in Japan for the summer season you might just find yourself staying in a Marriott.

Marriott International has just signed a re-branding deal with Japan’s HMI Hotel Group to convert seven existing HMI properties in five major Japan cities.

The deal will see the hotels rebranded to Marriott Hotels and Courtyard by Marriott properties, Travel Mole reports.

The Marriott Hotels properties rebranded are:

Grand Hotel Hamamastu to Hamamastu Marriott in Naka-ku, Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture

Hotel Heian no Mori Kyoto to Kyoto Marriott in Sakyo-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture

Hotel Crown Palais Kobe to Kobe Marriott in Chuo-ku, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture

Rizzan Seapark Hotel Tancha Bay to Okinawa Marriott Rizzan Resort & Spa in Onna Village, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa Prefecture

The properties planned for Courtyard by Marriott are:

Hotel Pearl City Kobe to Courtyard by Marriott Kobe in Chuo-ku, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture

Hotel Crown Palais Kokura to Courtyard by Marriott Kokura in Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu-shi, Fukuoka Prefecture

Hotel Crown Palais Kitakyushu to Courtyard by Marriott Kitakyushu in Yahatanishi-ku, Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture

“We are very pleased to welcome these properties to the fast-expanding portfolio of Marriott International properties across Japan,” said Rajeev Menon, president, Asia Pacific excluding China, for Marriott International.

“Conversion continues to drive a robust growth for the company on a global scale.”

The Japanese hotels are located in several of the country’s most popular travel destinations.

Visiting this country? Be very afraid

The US Department of State issues travel advisories for its citizens visiting destinations around the globe.

Its website has several warnings for one particular country that "terrorists have targeted, and could continue to target".

Visitors should "remain vigilant toward their personal security and exercise caution".

They should be "aware that robberies, burglaries, assault, and auto theft are common in larger cities and that foreign visitors in popular tourist areas are targets for pickpockets, purse-snatchers, and petty thieves."

Night-time is particularly dangerous. 

"Be careful when visiting bars or clubs in the entertainment areas of major cities, as “bar brawls” and other assaults sometimes occur. You should watch out for drink spiking when consuming alcohol with unfamiliar people".

Which country are are our trigger happy US "friends and allies" talking about? Australia, of course.

Check out the dangers here: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Australia.html

Note: As of March 31, a total of 208 people had been killed and 419 people had been wounded in 125 shootings in the US this year. In Australia there has been one mass killing in 2024, in which seven people died.

Image: Juli Bell, Scop.io 

The pitfalls of BYO: always ask first

BYO has been popular with Australian diners for decades. While it may be an alien concept in many other countries, in Australia many eateries offer the option.

BYO stands for “bring your own”, and it means that you can bring your own wine, usually, to a restaurant, whether that business is licensed to sell alcohol or not.

In the 1970s, many small restaurants were able to open without having to pay thousands of dollars for a liquor license. Today, many restaurants do hold a liquor license but still offer diners the choice between BYO and purchasing from the house wine list.

Some offer this option for free, others impose a charge still known as "corkage", even though over 90% of wines in Australia are sold under screw caps.

But corkage can be a source of controversy.

A corkage charge covers the cost of the restaurant's glasses, ice bucket and the assistance of the waiting staff. 

BYO is particularly popular with members of the wine industry, who get to bring expensive wines to dinner without paying a restaurant list mark-up, and with collectors, who can bring older wines from their cellar that would be unlikely to feature on wine lists.

The problem is that restaurants set their own corkage rates and there are no industry guidelines. It may vary from a charge per person, or per bottle. Anything from a nominal $1.50 per person to as high as $50 per bottle in a top-end establishment.

But if you don't check first there can be unpleasant surprise when the bill arrives, as Hunter Valley wine industry personality Leigh Dryden posted on LinkedIn this week.

Dryden works for Hunter wine producers Hart & Hunter, so is familiar with the industry norms.

"We all love a good BYO and we don't mind paying a fair corkage fee especially if we have some quality wine in our cellars," Dryden said.

"A mate of mine and his wife went to a local restaurant here in Newcastle over the weekend, its a reasonable standard, so-so wine list but it had BYO but here is the kicker. "At the time of booking he discussed about bringing his own wine, no worries from the venue, no mention of the corkage fee, upon arrival no mention by the wait staff concerning the corkage fee, paying the bill once again no mention about the corkage fee - the assumption was they may not have one, or choose not to enforce it.

"Sadly this was not the case , after arriving home my mate thought the bill was a little heavy given they had taken their own wine and had not had a big lash out the bill was very overweight.

"On the bill was a fee for $38, so next day he rang the owner of the venue and he was told the fee was for corkage, wooooo this is pretty hot given the average fee in Sydney is around $6 per person.

"After much discussion it was admitted that there had been a mistake and [the restaurant] would reduce the fee to $25."

So a lesson there. Always ask first.

"The fact that no one had made mention what the fee was at any stage is very unprofessional," Dryden says.

"The moral of the story: people are prepared to pay for fair value, they are not prepared to be ripped off, and, more importantly, not suitably communicated to concerning the corkage fee practices."

Image: Yoann Jezequel, Scop.io 

Go West - and double the length of your stay

Fancy a country coastal break in Western Australia?

Seashells Hospitality Group has launched an offer to double the length of your stay at Seashells Broome and Seashells Mandurah properties.

As part of the Double Your Stay offer, prices for a one-bedroom self-contained apartment start at just $130 per night at Seashells Broome for a four-night stay, and $148.50 per night at Seashells Mandurah for a four-night stay.

And the perks escalate from there: reserve three nights and enjoy a six-night retreat, or opt for five nights and settle in for a 10-night escape.

Seashells Broome (top image) is located 300 metres from Cable Beach and has a choice of self-contained one- and two-bedroom apartments and three-bedroom bungalows surrounded by tropical gardens and blessed with a resort-style temperature-controlled swimming pool.

Seashells Mandurah is perched on the shore of Comet Bay, providing sweeping ocean or Marina views. Choose from one- and two-bedroom apartments using this offer.

The Double Your Stay offer is available for bookings made between April 17 and May 19 for stays in 2024 and 2025. There are some blackout dates.

There are, of course, some drawbacks: bookings must be pre-paid at the time of reservation and are non-refundable with non-transferable dates. Travel insurance is therefore recommended.

The offer is not valid for Seashells Yallingup and Scarborough due to limited availability.

For bookings call 1800 800 850or visit www.seashells.com.au.