wishful thinking...

Qantas' new first class lounge.
Photo: Janie Barrett

See
- Qantas unveils new first-class lounge (The Age)
- Lounging Around (Sydney Morning Herald)

Design aside, the lounge, housed in a new building on top of the international terminal with floor-to-ceiling views of the tarmac, includes a Payot Paris day spa and a restaurant with menus by Neil Perry. The premium brand names proliferate, from Australian Kevin Murphy hair products in the bathrooms to wool carpets by Hong Kong's Tai Ping and Italian Carrara marble on floors and walls. Soaring oak dividers break up the lounge into areas for entertainment, business, dining and general lounging, with a library at the end featuring leather flooring, a sliver of a view towards Botany Bay and a ban on mobile phones.
...

The minimum time spent in a first-class lounge is 45 minutes, but my tip would be to give this one a few hours (and given a first-class return ticket to London costs $15,448, plus taxes and charges, unsurprisingly all services are free). You'd want to have one of the 10 spa treatments on offer - a full-body massage, or energising facial, perhaps - while remembering to pause at the spa entrance to admire the lush vertical gardens by international botanist Patrick Blanc.

You'd also want to leave time for a meal in the 48-seat a la carte restaurant (tables and chairs by Italian designer Cappellini): breakfast options include organic egg omelettes; after midday, the sample menu ranges across schnitzels, pasta, stir fries and salads. With enough time, you might later sample the self-serve buffet.

Apart from the French champagne and Italian mineral water, beverages include an Australian wine list. Nudie juices, too, are among the locals to get a look-in.

Designed by Marc Newson


Marc Newson and his stylish Qantas lounge at Melbourne Airport are part of a global trend to offer premium services for first-class travellers.

Newson's first project with Qantas was the Skybed. He has since refitted the airline's first-class cabins and is working on the interiors of the A380, which, he revealed during the course of publicity for the airport lounges, will have an on-board spa.

Last year the Sydney-born, Paris-based designer assumed the title of creative director for Qantas and eventually the Newson sensibility will filter through to the back of the bus and be as familiar as the 'roo on the tail. "That is still a couple of years off," he says.

But first things first. Yes, Newson is quietly content with his handiwork on the lounges.

"It is cool, it has dynamic, it is the kind of place people want to be," he says.

Sigh!

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I had a pretty good extra long weekend in Melbourne from Friday to Monday, staying at Michelle's place while she is on vacation in Italy.

On Friday I went to see my team train at the grounds opposite their hotel. It was cold and wet and there were television cameras and crews everywhere. They didn't train for very long and apart from Blacky, I didn't speak to any other players.

On Saturday, I met up with Paul and Tim again at the Turf Bar at midday, and we were joined by other supporters, Simon and Peter, visiting from Brisbane. Footy blokes and beer... yeah!

We went to the game together, and I sat with Tim enduring a dreadful game. Brisbane Lions lost, but they played my other team, Essendon Bombers, who won.

I didn't do much on Sunday, apart from catching the train to the city to wander around.

On Monday morning, I went to Windy Hill, the home of Essendon Football Club and watched my other team train. It was awesome. I had an opportunity to speak to Bachar Houli who is a new player and also a devout Muslim so we had a good discussion. Great guy.


Henry Slattery and Bachar Houli


Gussy, Froggy and Big Mal