Travelogue: A Dual-Peninsula Retreat, a Playful Antler Luggage Range and More Travel News This Week

Why settle for just one of Victoria’s peninsulas when you could have two? This winter, Jackalope and The Lon have teamed up to deliver a stay that gives you the best of both worlds. This accommodation two-hander goes big on indulgence: heated mineral pools and massages come courtesy of The Lon’s spa, while Jackalope offers a more-is-more approach to drinking and dining at the lauded Doot Doot Doot. A ferry connection links the two destination stays together: where you begin and end the trip is up to you. The Jackalope x Lon package is here for a good time, not a long time, with the trip available until September 30, 2026.

Fresh off the back of a transformative five-year redevelopment, Hotel Sorrento has teamed up with Australian skincare brand Ikou for a weekend of winter wellness. Here it’s all about balance, with a pleasing mix of movement, relaxation and indulgence on offer: tend to your body with guided movement sessions and yin yoga, unwind with time in the steam room or meditation and enjoy an Ikou-led workshop on skin health. Check in from July 24 to 25.

The recently opened Crowne Plaza Melbourne Carlton marks the neighbourhood’s first internationally branded hotel. This city-fringe stay has the advantage of being surrounded by some of Melbourne’s finest drinking and dining spots – but you’ll be tempted to stay in with the in-house restaurant, Fico Restaurant and Bar. Named for the handsome Moreton Bay fig trees that frame nearby Lincoln Square, the restaurant offers a brightly modern take on the Italian food Carlton is famous for.

Located at the crossroads between Redfern and Surry Hills, the Eve Hotel Sydney is already a go-to for those who like their stays to be heavy on visual inspiration. Now the hotel has enlisted Australian artist and Dinosaur Designs co-founder Louise Olsen as its inaugural featured artist for Art House, a cultural platform that transforms the hotel through in-situ art, design collaborations and design-oriented talks, developed with creative consultancy Arts-Matter. A curated Arts House stay package is available now until October 2026.

Webjet is making a trip up north a little more enticing with a Gold Coast flight sale that could see you pay as little as $24 one way (excluding fees). Good for selected flights between July 13 and September 13, 2026, the sale provides a great incentive to check out some of the Gold Coast’s best-kept secrets. Flights are on sale for a limited time.

Kiwi adventure brand Kathmandu has launched a new range of hiking gear designed to hold up under the most adverse conditions – and still get you to base camp warm and dry. The XT Series comprises base layers, a hybrid mid-layer, down insulation and rainwear, crafted from hardworking materials that withstand the vagaries of wet weather, abrasive terrain and fluctuations in temperature. The range is capped off by the XT Pack, a 40-litre pack that weighs just 1.1 kilograms, or around 850 grams with the hip belt and frame removed. The XT Series is available online and in selected Australian and New Zealand stores.

Heritage British luggage brand Antler has unveiled a new limited-edition capsule collection that goes large on playful details: think natural raffia, jaunty stripes and swingy leather bag charms. Central to the range is a roomy raffia tote with full-grain leather handles and trims that will soften and develop unique patina with use: it feels equally appropriate for the airport lounge as it does for a weekend farmers market. The range is available now in limited quantities.