Qantas mystery flight touches down in Orange for wine
With its relaunch of mystery flights more than 20 years after the concept was put to bed, Qantas has produced a winner.
With its relaunch of mystery flights more than 20 years after the concept was put to bed, Qantas has produced a winner. A few key changes, including an all-inclusive airfare, gift bags, a day’s sightseeing and a route not usually flown by the airline, ensured a very excited planeload of passengers boarding in Brisbane last month on the first mystery departure of the 21st century.
Few of us guess the 130-seater Boeing-737 is headed for the NSW Central Tablelands town of Orange. But when cabin crew don orange hats and hand out visitor guides shortly before landing, it’s a welcome surprise, with applause resounding through the cabin before the wheels even hit the tarmac. Passengers are then allocated groups of autumn, winter, spring or summer (a nice nod to the fact Orange has four distinct seasons) and directed to respective tour buses. The level of anticipation is palpable as the “autumn” bus takes off for our vineyard lunch at Borrodell Estate. Beautiful vistas unfold, ever more photo-worthy. The soil is rich in nutrients and Orange sits about 900m above sea level, the highest point west of the Snowy Mountains.
Near the peak of Mount Canobolas, a long extinct volcano, Borrodell Estate staff soon confirm the widely held belief that country hospitality cannot be matched. Mayor Reg Kidd provides a brief history lesson of the town after a rousing welcome to Wiradjuri country. And that curious fruity name? He tells us that originally a convict settlement known as Blackman’s Swamp, the town was renamed Orange in 1846 by Major Thomas Mitchell in honour of Prince William of Orange. It’s a running joke that despite producing almost every other fruit, there are no oranges nor other citrus grown around here because of the cold climate.
What does grow well in Orange, apart from apples, pears and cherries, are grapes. With at least 80 high-altitude vineyards and more than 30 cellar doors to visit, a day in Orange passes as mere reconnaissance. And thanks to its prime position and seasonal menu of local produce, Borrodell is among the must-visit options, but too soon we’re back on the autumn bus for our next stop at family-run vineyard Heifer Station about 7km from the town centre. True to its name, the estate runs a small herd of heifers and assorted farm animals, increasing its tourist appeal in addition to the serious business of winemaking.
Owners Phillip and Michelle Stivens make engaging hosts with their commitment to producing top-quality wine, sharing tales of the challenges they face even beyond drought, bushfires and COVID-19. Today, it’s the advent of too much rain that has Phillip worried, with vines at the point where water can dilute the flavour of the grapes.
“But after three, four years of drought I’ve learnt not to complain about water,” he says wryly. A creamy glass of sparkling kicks off our station tour, which takes the form of an easy stroll through the vineyard with several stops to sample other drops. There’s a delicate rosé, then a light chardonnay followed by a dangerously good shiraz to go with the “lollipops” – lamb cutlets straight from the barbecue. With the sun slipping from view, our return leg beckons, but not before one last treat – a cup of freshly churned gelato at Orange airport. Landing back in Brisbane in a tidy 90 minutes, the first Qantas mystery flight this century is undeniably a hit with passengers and crew. Although it’s unlikely Qantas will add a Brisbane-Orange service to its regional schedule any time soon, the odds of more mystery flights being rolled out could be much better. Watch this air space.
In the know
A mystery flight from Sydney on April 18 headed to Hamilton Island. The next is from Melbourne on May 1 – tickets started from $737, a figure matching the aircraft type, and sold out within 15 minutes of release.
Robyn Ironside was a guest of Qantas.
