Travelogue: A Brutalist Concrete Retreat Opens in Hepburn and More Travel News

Hotels and places to stay: news, deals and openings

Australia

• Contemporary Hotels has launched a design-forward new residence in Surry Hills, Sydney. Newly renovated by Pattern Studio, whose previous credits include The Standard Store and Reliquia in Sydney and Three Blue Ducks in Melbourne, the apartment has polished concrete floors, cork-lined walls in the upper level, a freestanding bath in the master bedroom and a sunny private deck overlooking Crown Street. The apartment is available for stays of three nights or more. 

• A three-level brutalist concrete retreat has opened in the regional town of Hepburn, Victoria. The architecturally designed residence has oversized circular skylights and full-height windows, floating stairs, an open fireplace and views of lush native bushland. Though it feels secluded, it’s only a short drive to Daylesford and Hepburn Springs, where local dining favourites like Cafe Lotte, The Surly Goat and Bistro Merenda await.

International

• Norrona, the 97-year-old Norwegian outdoor brand, is set to launch a luxury lodge on one of Norway’s most remote coastlines. Built around what was originally a research centre for studying basking sharks, the lodge will encompass 15 guest cabins constructed from solid timber, a lounge and bar, a restaurant built around locally sourced Arctic produce like king crab, sea urchin, foraged berries and wild herbs, two woodfired saunas and a Norrona shop. The Norrona Lodge at Andørja is opens in June 2027, with bookings available from the end of October.

• Las Vegas has launched a citywide sale, with up to 60 per cent off hotels and resort stays, plus discounts and offers on dining, nightlife, entertainment, wellness experiences and even wedding packages. Timed neatly with the launch of Qantas’s direct Sydney to Las Vegas flight in December, the sale is good for travel up until the end of February 2027. Book before 5pm AEST on September 27.  

Flight deals and news

• Qantas will launch a new non-stop service between Sydney and New York from mid-2028, with tickets for the inaugural flight on sale from August 2027. The flight will clock in at around 18 hours, which is about three hours less than what current one-stop services offer.

Destination dining

• Wayfinder Wines has opened an ambitious cellar door, winery and restaurant in the Margaret River. Located in Cowaramup, Wayfinder Winery & Farm encompasses an airy dining room, a casual outdoor dining space, a market garden and a cellar door, where the label’s entire portfolio is available on pour. The Dining Room is led by Brendan Pratt (a chef so versatile he can switch effortlessly between fine dining and superlative sangas), who’s been given free rein over the market garden to create a seasonally driven, five-course set menu, an à la carte offering and light snacks to enjoy on the lawn. 

• The Hunter Valley has scored a new destination restaurant with the opening of Lucia Roche Estate in Pokolbin. Situated within the broader Roche Estate – which is also home to the Tempus Two and McGuigan Wines cellar doors – Lucia offers stone-fired pizzas alongside a snacky, shareable menu inspired by chef Jack Zideluns’s Italian heritage. The wine list, appropriately, is dedicated to locally made wines. Lucia Roche Estate is open Wednesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner.

• Fowles Wine, located in central Victoria at the foothills of the Strathbogie Ranges, is opening a garden bar to complement its existing restaurant and cellar door. The winery has had a challenging year after losing more 150 hectares of vines in the January bushfires, along with the Fowles family home: there’s never been a better time to visit. The garden bar is open Saturday and Sundays from October until March.

Wellness and retreats

• Rare Hare, the destination diner at Mornington Peninsula’s Jackalope, has partnered with Alba Thermal Springs and Spa for a Spring Revival package. Available Monday to Friday, the experience includes lunch at Rare Hare followed a leisurely afternoon of bathing across Alba’s 25 geothermal pools. 

Art and entertainment

• An immerse exhibition devoted to Studio Ghibli is opening in Singapore in December. Spanning almost 3500 square metres, the exhibition will bring the stories of Hayao Miyazaki to life across 12 distinct spaces dedicated to My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Howl’s Moving Castle, The Boy and the Heron and more. The Story of Studio Ghibli runs December 18, 2026, to July 4, 2027; tickets are available via Klook.