Qantas Frequent Flyer hack: what you need to know now, what to do next

Fasten your seatbelts and change your passwords: Qantas just announced its customers have had their data stolen as a result of an external hack. Here's what happened and what you need to do next.

Change your passwords. Right now

First things first: if you're using any common passwords, change them right now. Don't even finish reading this. Go change them.

I've previously worked in cybersecurity for a big bank, and what I can tell you is that shared or common passwords have to be the number one way that people (and companies) get breached these days.

Think of it like this. You've got a key to your house, your car, maybe a locker or maybe even an office. There's a reason all of those keys aren't the same. Because if hackers got one key, they'd be able to unlock and ransack every aspect of your life! It's the same with passwords:  if you've got one shared password between your social networks, banks, superannuation account or even MyGov/Medicare, a breach of one is a breach of all. 

There's a reason that remembering unique passwords feels hard. It's because it is. The human brain isn't meant to remember 100 different passwords. Thankfully, there are a tonne of free ways to be more secure thanks to password vaults. There's probably one on your phone right now and you don't even know it.

A password vault locks up all of your individual and (more importantly) unique passwords behind a PIN, password or even your biometrics like your faceprint or fingerprint. They're then locked up safely on your device inside the most secure enclave your device has (Apple, for example, literally calls it the Secure Enclave, by the way) and they're not online in some honeypot waiting for a hacker to swipe it. That way, you only have to remember the one password. Or if you use biometrics, you won't have to remember one at all.

If you want to set up your device's built-in password vault, follow the instructions here for Apple devices, here for Samsung devices or here for Google Accounts.

On with the show.

Qantas: what got hacked?

Hackers managed to gain access to a system used by a company Qantas works with and made off with a bunch of customer data. The company breached was one of its "contact centres". Think call centres, external marketing firms, any of the hundreds of companies Qantas uses to outsource to these days, really. It isn't giving the name of the company at this time.

Instead, Qantas' CEO has said that all of its own systems "remain secure at this time" after the breach was contained.

So what did they take? Not anything of vital importance, to be honest. Qantas says that "the compromised data includes some customers' names, email addresses, dates of birth and Frequent Flyer numbers".

Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson has been at pains to point out that really meaningful stuff - like credit card or passport information - was not taken as a result of this hack. 

These sorts of details on you and your friends/family are probably already out in the wild, anyway. The number of data breaches over the last year alone has seen billions of records leaked and sold on the dark web.

How did it happen?

Hackers didn't exactly kick down the door and make off with a computer full of files. Instead, they breached a business that works with Qantas instead.

Here's how Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson describes what happened:

On Monday, we detected unusual activity on a third-party platform used by one of our airline contact centres. We immediately contained the incident and can confirm all Qantas systems remain secure.

Our initial investigations show the compromised data includes some customers' names, email addresses, dates of birth and Frequent Flyer numbers. Importantly, no credit card details, personal financial information and passport details are held in the system that was accessed. No Frequent Flyer accounts, passwords, PIN numbers or log in details have been compromised.

Honestly, it's unsurprising. It's actually very common these days for businesses who work with lots of other businesses to get hacked this way. Hackers figure it's pretty tough to crack the steel walls of a bank or telco, but their customer's data probably lives on systems outside the secure area so that contractors can do business with them. It's these so-called "third-party hacks" that you're likely to see the most in the wild these days.

Given how much of our data is online and the ongoing boom industry that is cybercrime, scams and phishing, every single service that keeps data on its customers is bound to be hacked eventually. It's a matter of "when" and not "if" these days.

What do you need to do to stay safe after the Qantas hack?

Right now, you don't really need to do anything. Even if you have upcoming travel, this hack won't affect your plans. 

The only action you need to take is to make sure your passwords are all different across all your services, including Qantas. If you are using common or shared passwords, check out the section up top to change your passwords quickly and easily so your whole life doesn't fall into the hands of scammers. 

According to Qantas, passwords weren't leaked as part of this hack, but remember: everyone will get hacked eventually. Better to be prepared earlier!

If you're worried, Qantas has set up a dedicated line you can call to ask questions: 

"Contact our dedicated support line on 1800 971 541 or +61 2 8028 0534 for assistance, including specialist identity protection advice, or visit our webpage for more information."

Freak wind gusts made worse by climate change threaten airline passenger safety

Unexpected severe turbulence injured crew and passengers on a Qantas Boeing 737 during descent at Brisbane on May 4 2024. The subsequent Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigation suggested the severity of the turbulence caught the captain by surprise.

This is not an isolated event. Thunderstorms featuring severe wind gusts such as violent updrafts and downbursts are hazardous to aircraft. Downbursts in particular have been known to cause many serious accidents.

Our new research suggests global warming is increasing the frequency and intensity of wind gusts from thunderstorm “downbursts”, with serious consequences for air travel.

We used machine learning techniques to identify the climate drivers causing more thunderstorm downbursts. Increased heat and moisture over eastern Australia turned out to be the key ingredients.

The findings suggest air safety authorities and airlines in eastern Australia must be more vigilant during takeoff and landing in a warming world.

Warm, moist air spells trouble for planes

Global warming increases the amount of water vapour in the lower atmosphere. That’s because 1°C of warming allows the atmosphere to hold 7% more water vapour.

The extra moisture typically comes from adjacent warmer seas. It evaporates from the surface of the ocean and feeds clouds.

Increased heat and water vapour fuels stronger thunderstorms. So climate change is expected to increase thunderstorm activity over eastern Australia

For aircraft, the main problem with thunderstorms is the risk of hazardous, rapid changes in wind strength and direction at low levels.

Small yet powerful

Small downbursts, several kilometres wide, are especially dangerous. These “microbursts” can cause abrupt changes in wind gust speed and direction, creating turbulence that suddenly moves the plane in all directions, both horizontally and vertically.

Microburst wind gusts can be extremely strong. Brisbane airport recorded a microburst wind gust at 157km per hour in November 2016. Three planes on the tarmac were extensively damaged.

On descent or ascent, aircraft encountering microbursts can experience sudden, unexpected losses or gains in altitude. This has caused numerous aircraft accidents in the past. Microbursts will become increasingly problematic in a warming climate.

Microburst analysis and prediction

Microbursts are very difficult to predict, because they are so small. So we used machine learning to identify the environmental factors most conducive to the formation of microbursts and associated severe wind gusts.

We accessed observational data from the Bureau of Meteorology’s extensive archives. Then we applied eight different machine learning techniques to find the one that worked best.

Machine learning is a field of study in artificial intelligence using algorithms and statistical models to enable computers to learn from data without explicit programming. It enables systems to identify patterns, make predictions and improve performance over time as they take in more information.

We found atmospheric conditions in eastern Australia are increasingly favouring the development of stronger, more frequent thunderstorm microbursts.

We investigated a microburst outbreak from a storm front in 2018. It produced severe surface wind gusts at six regional airports in New South Wales: Bourke, Walgett, Coonamble, Moree, Narrabri and Gunnedah.

Regional airports in Australia and around the world often use small aircraft. Small planes with 4–50 passenger seats are more vulnerable to the strong, even extreme, wind gusts spawned by thunderstorm microbursts.

Widespread consequences

Our extensive regional case study identified the weather patterns that create severe thunderstorms in eastern Australia during the warmer months.

High cloud water content creates a [downward force] [https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/11215] in the cloud. This force induces a descending air current. When the heavier air reaches the ground, wind gusts spray out in multiple directions.

Sketch showing a thunderstorm microburst and its effect on wind gusts and the flight path.
A small yet powerful downburst can deflect a plane from it’s intended path of descent, pushing it down towards the ground.
Mehmood, K., et al (2023) Fluids., CC BY

These wind gusts endanger aircraft during takeoff and landing, because rapid wind shifts from tail winds to head winds can cause the aircraft to dangerously gain or lose altitude.

Our analysis highlights the elevated aviation risks of increased atmospheric turbulence from thunderstorm microbursts across eastern Australia.

Smaller aircraft at inland regional airports in southeastern Australia are especially vulnerable. But these sudden microburst-generated wind gusts will require monitoring by major east coast airports, such as Sydney and Brisbane.

Beware of heightened microburst activity

Flying has long been recognised as a very safe mode of travel, with an accident rate of just 1.13 per million flights.

However, passenger numbers worldwide have increased dramatically, implying even a small risk increase could affect a large number of travellers.

Previous research into climate-related risks to air travel has tended to focus on high-altitude cruising dangers, such as clear air turbulence and jet stream instability. In contrast, there has been less emphasis on dangers during low-level ascent and descent.

Our research is among the first to detail the heightened climate risk to airlines from thunderstorm microbursts, especially during takeoff and landing. Airlines and air safety authorities should anticipate more strong microbursts. More frequent wind gust turbulence from microbursts is to be expected over eastern Australia, in our ongoing warming climate.The Conversation

Milton Speer, Visiting Fellow, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney and Lance M Leslie, Professor, School of Mathematical And Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Virgin Australia is coming back to the share market: here's what the new chapter could mean

It is finally happening. After five years of being a private company, Virgin Australia will relist on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) on June 24. The company is expected to raise A$685 million through the initial public offering (IPO).

So, who will benefit from Virgin Australia’s return to the share market? Having paid $3.5 billion for the bankrupt carrier back in 2020, private equity firm Bain Capital will be the most immediate winner.

Earlier this year, Bain had sold 25% of the company to Qatar Airways. Now, with the IPO, Bain will reduce its stake from about 70% down to 40%. Most of the $685 million raised will go straight to Bain.

With Virgin’s anticipated market capitalisation close to $2.3 billion and enterprise value of reportedly up to $3.6 billion, it is now evident that Bain has – with Jayne Hrdlicka at the helm of the airline – not only managed to turn the company around, but to also profit nicely from doing so.

Without Bain’s rescue at the beginning of the pandemic (which was catastrophic for airlines globally), the situation may have become quite detrimental for travellers. It also avoided having the Australian taxpayer foot the bill for a bailout.

Will the airline’s customers be better off after this? It will depend on how much, if anything, Bain chooses to reinvest in Virgin after this share offering is over. But Virgin has also recorded substantial recent profits, some of which are expected to be spent on newer aircraft and improved services.

Stronger competition for Qantas?

Looking at the strategies of both Virgin Australia and its biggest competitor, Qantas, in recent years, it seems both have learned to love playing the duopoly game.

Based on our own calculations, Virgin controls roughly 33% of Australia’s domestic seat capacity and the Qantas group (which includes Jetstar) much of the rest on the country’s core flight network. The ACCC also backs this up with its quarterly observations on the market.

In the 2010s, the two airlines were out-competing themselves in adding capacity to the market, which drove down yields (or revenue per passenger) and nearly killed Virgin Australia 1.0.

Now, Qantas and Virgin have new chief executives who understand both airlines can be very profitable if they show some (capacity) discipline in how many seats they create and sell.

Better services

For that reason, it’s likely not much will change in terms of competition, at least in the domestic market. But this is only true as far as capacity is concerned.

It seems reasonable to assume Virgin’s recent profits and any funds from the capital raise will only be used to support future growth if it is profitable. The majority of the profits will likely go towards fleet renewal and improvement of the airline’s product.

For consumers, this wouldn’t necessarily mean lower airfares in the domestic market. But it would mean newer aircraft and enhanced services, which is a positive for both flyers and the environment.

International departures

Virgin Australia will become a more formidable competitor to Qantas, thanks to its newly formed relationship with international partner Qatar Airways and the additional cash from relisting.

It will be interesting to observe what Qatar will do next and whether a new player – perhaps Singapore Airlines – will enter the scene and take a stake in the airline once Virgin Australia is trading publicly again.

It would not be the first time an international airline has taken a stake in Virgin Australia, and could create some interesting dynamics.

Another beneficiary is Virgin Australia’s management team, who’ve been somewhat shackled by the priority of getting the IPO off the ground. The IPO will free up management to deploy resources towards more longer-term priorities.

Many will see a significant payday – it’s estimated staff are sitting on shares that could soon collectively be worth $180 million.

Why now?

Bain Capital has timed this IPO carefully. Virgin Australia has (in tandem with Qantas) produced a stellar financial performance in the last financial year. It may deliver an even better one in the current reporting period.

To maximise returns, it is likely Bain did not want to waste the opportunity to capitalise on the moment. Global markets are still full of volatility and geopolitical uncertainty. What may diminish is the financial performance of the core business Bain Capital is trying to sell.

At $2.90 a share, Virgin Australia will have a price-to-earnings ratio (used to assess how relatively expensive a share price is) of seven times its expected earnings this financial year. This is lower than Qantas’ ratio of ten times expected earnings this financial year.

Profits are likely to remain high this year, with continuing strong demand, high yields and low jet fuel prices. The brokers and underwriting investment banks will use this to sell the story.

IPOs can sometimes deliver those already holding shares in a company significant day-one windfall profits. In this case, however, Bain’s expertise in the venture capital market means it is unlikely to leave any money on the table.

One may also argue while Virgin appears to be priced at a discount compared to Qantas, there may be legitimate reasons for the price differential, such as Qantas’ very profitable loyalty business.

Given uncertainties around demand and geopolitical tensions, there is no guarantee the share price of Qantas will remain at record highs for too long, which means the opportunity to present Virgin shares as a bargain may be short-lived.

In the long term, it is widely agreed airlines are by definition volatile investments and not necessarily something the average investor should have in their portfolio.

Moving forward

Symbolically, the decision for Virgin to use a new stock ticker – VGN instead of the old VAH – may avoid bringing back bad memories.

Five years can be a lifetime in aviation, but maybe not to bond holders who got just 10 cents in the dollar and shareholders (including the large airline partners who held equity stakes) who got nothing when the airline collapsed in 2020.

From a strategy perspective, it will be important for management to avoid history repeating itself with international airlines buying into Virgin and securing board seats.

This can be one way of influencing the strategy of the carrier’s domestic arm to funnel more passengers to their own international flights.

It is positive, for both Virgin Australia and the Australian aviation industry, that Bain Capital appears set to pull this off and that the revitalised airline is now truly Virgin Australia 2.0.

The Conversation

Rico Merkert, Professor in Transport and Supply Chain Management and Deputy Director, Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies (ITLS), University of Sydney Business School, University of Sydney

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Qantas and Virgin's true market supremacy revealed by ACCC

Thought the domestic aviation market was a two-horse race in 2024? As the ACCC reports, in 2025 it’s way worse than you think.

Back in 2023, Treasurer Dr Jim Chalmers asked the ACCC to keep a watchful eye on the skies. The government asked it to make sure as tourism started taking off again that the airlines weren’t price gouging. Enter the Domestic Airline Competition Report, which is a quarterly update of the watchdog’s findings. 

According to the ACCC’s latest report released today, there’s not a whole lot of competition going on in the skies above our great nation. Qantas Group (made up of Qantas, Jetstar and QantasLink) and the Bain Capital-owned Virgin Australia, now account for a staggering 94.4% of all domestic passenger carriage. The Qantas Group alone holds over 60% of the market.  

Virgin, boosted by the collapse of Bonza and the retreat of Rex from capital city routes, has lifted its share to 34.4% as of March 2025.

Those figures reflect more than just strong demand for travel. It’s the result of a year that saw the cascading failures of smaller players in the domestic carriage market. 

That dominance isn’t just reflected in passenger numbers—it shows up on the balance sheet. Qantas posted $1.5 billion in EBIT in the first half of FY2024–25, with $916 million coming from domestic flying. Virgin, while private under Bain Capital, confirmed record profits during the same period.

Jetstar, which is now Australia’s only low-cost carrier, saw its earnings jump 53.7% year-on-year to $269 million. With no other budget competitor in the market, its margins have expanded alongside its market share.

The ACCC warns that this level of consolidation isn’t just a matter of good corporate performance. It has pretty serious implications for prices, service, and consumer choice.

“Jetstar has been able to capitalise on the continued absence of competitive pressure,” said ACCC Commissioner Anna Brakey.

And that absence may not change anytime soon. 

Bonza’s crash out of the Australian market in April 2024 marked the second failed attempt at a third domestic player in a decade. Meanwhile, Rex has largely returned to its regional roots, operating with government backing as it navigates voluntary administration.

Despite seasonal swings in demand and weather disruptions in March, airfares are still up compared to historical norms. The ACCC noted that while fares dropped in early 2025, they had risen again by 9.6% in March—a pattern that may become familiar in a low-competition environment.

The market may be moving, but it’s not opening up. And for investors watching Qantas and Virgin’s grip on the skies, the story now is about how long they can hold altitude before competition returns, or regulators intervene.

Union wants Qantas to pay through the nose in COVID outsourcing case

Qantas has landed back in court this week to find out how much it’s going to pay in penalties for outsourcing staff during COVID.  (more…)

Air Force Trump: Inside Trump’s gifted $400m Qatari 747-8 jumbo jet

Ever copped a lavish gift through your job? Ask US President Donald Trump and he’ll tell you all about the latest gift he’s accepting - his very own Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from the Royal Family of Qatar. Let’s take to the skies together in Trump’s latest toy. (more…)

Trump slump: Expedia expects US travel decline, but are Aussie carriers worried?

Trump’s work on reciprocal tariffs has certainly dinged up our portfolios, but is it also hurting US tourism? Expedia thinks so. (more…)

Bhutan will let you pay for your next holiday in Bitcoin

I’ve just come home from a trip and every time I went to pay for something, store owners shook their heads to decline my American Express. One country is going above and beyond just tap-and-pay systems however, with the nation of Bhutan now saying it will accept tourist payments via Bitcoin. (more…)

How to enjoy Australia’s finest dining for less

A RECENT publicity lunch at a Sydney restaurant celebrated the longevity of a business that helps restauranteurs attract those who love eating out. It was fitting that this momentous occasion that hailed the work of the Entertainment Group was held at one of Sydney’s best restaurants, Catalina, in Rose Bay.

While most Australians probably don’t know the well-named Entertainment Group, they’d certainly know about their famous book that listed thousands of restaurants, and, in doing so, provided discounted price experiences that benefitted both customers and business owners.

But these weren’t the only beneficiaries of this innovative business that was conceived in the US. Over the past 30 years, the Entertainment Group has raised an incredible $110 million for local charities.

The funds were raised from the involvement of over 15,000 unique businesses, comprising a number of Australia’s most prestigious eateries including ESQ, Glass Brasserie, NEL, Pilu, Pony Dining, Public Dining Room, Ormeggio, Berowra Waters Inn and Din Tai Fung.

One prominent charity to enjoy the support from The Entertainment Group is the McGrath Foundation, with McGrath co-founder Tracy Bevan (and a close friend of the late Jane McGrath) singing the praises of this restaurant guide business. Along with the generosity of others, the contributions of The Entertainment Group have helped provide the funding that has produced wonderful results for women challenged by breast cancer. “We have 233 breast care nurses so are well on our way to our goal,” she told attendees at Catalina. “I remember when we were setting the foundation up, Jane said ‘If I could help just one family’ — I can imagine her great big smile at the knowledge that we’ve so far helped 143,000 families.”

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by McGrath Foundation (@mcgrathfoundation)

To other pluses, according to the company’s number crunchers, “the average family saves over $960 per year using their Entertainment Membership…” — and in some offers, diners could get up to 50 per cent off at a number of premium restaurants.

At a time when eateries are feeling the backwash from 13 interest rate rises and their impact on recreational spending, these discounts provided by The Entertainment Group are timely. For those not feeling the economic pinch, this guide is now a subscription digital offering and the company’s CEO Heidi Halson thinks the business model “…is a community-building service that brings together the best dining experiences, travel, shopping and entertainment for a ‘quid quo pro’ arrangement that both raises critical funding and allows Australian people to discover new spots.”

Halson loves the fact that her business not only helps diners in tough times but adds support to restaurant businesses. All up, it helps create a “dining with a conscience” experience.

An expert guide to staycationing in Perth and Fremantle

WHAT IS IT about Western Australia? Is it the sunset over the water (Perth’s sunset was recently credited as being the ninth most beautiful in the world), the vast coastline offering a myriad of aquatic experiences, the ever-increasing sophistication of its cities, or the largely untamed landscape? Perhaps there are too many reasons to narrow down to just one.

If you’re tired of enduring the 20-plus hours flying overseas for a holiday or simply desperate to avoid long queues at foreign customs desks, then maybe traversing the western side of this massive island of ours is a way to not only understand this country of ours better, but to have ‘no worries’ about the foreign exchange imbalance every time you buy something, or the exhausting after effects of jet lag after having had such a relaxing European experience.

Western Australia, our biggest state, should be high on your list of options for your next escape. Its capital city Perth might be described as the most remote city on the planet, but along with its coastal cousin, Fremantle, the offerings to a traveller are on par with some of best tourist destinations in the world.

How do I spend a day in Fremantle?

Once off the plane in Perth, take a car to Fremantle, a port town that was once the bastion of strong unions, which explains why the city’s AFL team is called the Dockers. Founded in 1829 (six years before Melbourne) and located at the mouth of the Swan River, the city was the first settlement in WA.

Its trade union roots and an unwillingness to give into what some might have called ‘progress’ meant that the architecture of this city is classic colonial, Victorian and Federation — strolling down the city streets is like being on the sets of Bridgerton or The Gilded Age, for those partial to a period drama. Grand buildings mix in with warehouses converted into restaurants, distilleries, galleries and all manner of hospitality destinations.

For history buffs seeking a unique experience, stay a night or two at The Warders Hotel. These historic limestone cottages were the warders’ homes for the world heritage-listed Fremantle Prison, and have since been reimagined as a boutique hotel in the middle of the city. Fremantle Prison itself was included on the National Heritage List in 2005, and was the first WA site and the 13th national site listed alongside icons such as the Sydney Opera House, Port Arthur Historic Site and the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne.

There are many diversions in Fremantle for the holiday-hungry traveller. Everywhere you turn, you encounter culinary delights that you’ll find hard to forget. This is a bookshop lover’s town and if you’re into vinyl LPs or Indigenous art, you’ll be captivated by what’s on sale for the artistic holiday-goer.

Vin Populi

After a day of getting to know the old-world streets and shops of Fremantle, your first night out should be a visit to the Italian restaurant Vin Populi. Located in a heritage building in High Street, the chef is from Lazio (the Italian region where Rome resides), while the manager is Tuscan-born. The owners, Emma Ferguson and Dan Morris, have a history of creating incomparable Italian eateries with their Perth-based restaurants No Mafia and Balthazar being cases in point. The exposed plaster walls, mosaic-tiled floors, softly fluttering linen valance curtains, charming yet timeless furniture oozes authentic Italian vibes, and the food unique yet quintessentially Italiano.

If you’re a brunch enthusiast, the appropriately named Moore & Moore Café‘s more-than-ample servings mean you’d be very unlikely to ask for seconds. Everything from the hearty sourdough toast to the smashed avocado squeezed between the smoked salmon or bacon means this is a breakfast sure to amply fuel the rest of the day’s adventures.

More walking is essential after stomaching the fare at Moore & Moore, and when that’s done, you could do worse than lining up for an eye-opening tour of the Republic of Freemantle distillery in one of Fremantle’s classic warehouses, where you’ll learn that these almighty stainless steel and copper vats take wine and turn it into vodka, which is then turned into gin. And for your ‘sins’, you’ll get to test and taste the different gins and vodka that this internationally-awarded distillery produces. Even as a non-gin or vodka drinker, your taste buds will thank you for the experience.

Republic of Fremantle Distillery

This certainly is a business that’s going places, with the Republic of Fremantle Full Bodied Gin named the Best International Contemporary Gin at the 2021 American Distilling Institute Awards, becoming the first ‘from scratch’ grape base spirit to take out the Best in Category for International Contemporary Gin. Meanwhile, its Signature Vodka became the first Australian Vodka to receive the prestigious Double Gold in the history of the Awards.

Powered by a taste or two of the gin and vodka, take lunch at the famous Kallis Fishmarket Café, where there’s no end of seafood to whet your appetite. This must be one of the world’s most impressive fish eateries. After savouring some red emperor and the mandatory chips, the most sensible strategy is to stroll through Fremantle’s Markets — but the best tip is to hit this place once you’ve worked up a bit more of an appetite, because the variety and quality of the food at these markets is tummy-rumbling.

Nearby is the UNESCO-listed Fremantle Prison. The tour of this World Heritage jail, which paints a picture of extreme hardship for the poor convicts who were sent by the British to the struggling settlement in 1850, because workers were needed to make the town work.

For a final escape in Fremantle, try an evening meal in the highly rated and popular innovative restaurant called Nieuw Ruin, where chef Blaze Young cooks outside the square.

Fremantle Markets

Fremantle Markets

Fremantle Prison

How do I spend a day in Perth?

Pulling up stumps, you couldn’t do much better for a place to stay than the Como Treasury, a 48-room contemporary luxury hotel buried in the state buildings from the mid-19th century. (If you love the idea of afternoon tea straight from a BBC period film, definitely add Como Treasury to your travel diary.)

For those keen to know about Perth’s natural surrounds and its Indigenous heritage (the land is known by its original owners as Boorloo), a visit to King’s Park and a Djurandi Dreaming tour with Wadjuk man Justin Martin, a qualified tour guide and Aboriginal artworks specialist, is an essential education experience.

And if education is your go, make sure you get to the WA Museum Boola Bardip, whichfor over 120 years has been making the State’s natural and social heritage accessible and engaging. This is a museum in a state that arguably has the greatest mining resources and therefore the most enthralling geological stories you could ever imagine. This is a place where you can actually touch a meteorite.

Como The Treasury

Como The Treasury

If you need a swim or a meal after a day’s touring, then swan out to Cottesloe Beach where you can savour the delicious food of Latin America at Indigo Oscar.

Of course, delicious food is not all WA offers for your savouring: The state also has some of the highest-rated wineries in the country. Forty-five minutes from Perth, Mandoon Estate must be one of the best put-together vineyard-meets-hospitality ventures you’ll ever see. And yes, the wine is worth the very easy car drive from Perth to these ‘easy on the eye’ fields of drinking joy.

If you want to finish off the day with a sampling of the rich produce of the Swan Valley, slip into Old Young’s Kitchen, where the menu — on the chef’s own admission — is “both thoughtful and thought-provoking”. And their gin and vodka is worth a sampling too, in case you needed convincing.

Mandoon Estate

Como Metropolitan is the lush hotel for curious Londoners

IF YOU really want to dive into London life by walking the historic streets of this unique city, basing yourself at a hotel like the Como Metropolitan is a smart move.

Located in Mayfair’s famous Park Lane (which many have tried to ‘buy’ when playing the board game Monopoly), rooms at the “Met,” as it’s affectionately known, have views over the extensive fields of Hyde Park, one of London’s Royal Parks established by King Henry V111 in 1536 for use as a hunting ground. The parklands now form a majestic chain of over 700 acres, where you can stroll, run, cycle, horse ride or even, if you’re lucky, catch a concert — and there have been many held by the likes of The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Bob Geldorf, Pink Floyd, Elton John and Eric Clapton, to name a few).

Buckingham Palace, the lively Soho, the crowds of Piccadilly and the high-end shops and restaurants of Mayfair are all within walking distance of the Met hotel, while the shops of Oxford Street and the debaters of the renowned Hyde Park Corner are on your doorstep.

While historically well-placed, Como Metropolitan is anything but old fashioned. With its décor tagged as ‘hip’ and minimalist, Como’s rooms are über cool, tech-savvy and bright, aesthetically telling you it’s a new-age hotel experience, while delivering what would be expected of high-end accommodation.

Shopping addicts will love the nearby fashionable shops of Mayfair, Bond Street, Belgravia and Knightsbridge, while the ubiquitous corner pubs are great to frequent when a glass of bubbles or a cool pint break is needed before heading back to Como’s in-house Japanese-Peruvian restaurant Nobu. Nobu is an “in” place for food in London — but best to book in advance if you want to experience the cuisine and ambience of this top-notch eatery and nightspot. Although, Met guests do get priority bookings, just if you need anymore reasons to stay there!

And there are Asian touches from a hotel that had its birthplace in Singapore (Como hotels were founded by Mrs Christina Ong) so the bright white zen-like lobby, the rock garden in the penthouse suite, shiatsu and Thai massages are hardly surprising. A further addition for good food lovers is the healthy in-room dining that includes Shambhala cuisine, which focuses on a menu of raw and cooked ingredients, all inspired by Mrs Ong’s passion for nutritionally-balanced food.

The Met houses 144 rooms, suites and 19 private residences. Click here for more information and booking.