Great Christmas gifts for travellers

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year – especially for travellers. Once family time is over, it’s a chance to jet off somewhere new, enjoy those business class trimmings, and embrace all the joy and adventure that comes with it.

With the holiday season swiftly approaching, it’s time to start thinking about the perfect gift for the frequent traveller in your life (and perhaps get some inspiration for yourself too).

These are some of our favourites:

Hellyers Road Sherry Cask 7 Year Aged Single Malt Whisky

Hellyers Road Distillery is Australia’s oldest continuously operating distillery. With such a status comes an expectation of exceptional quality and flavour, and on that it delivers – and then some.

Take its Sherry Cask Single Malt, for example. Aged for seven years in Oloroso sherry casks from Spain, it’s sweet and spicy with notes of tobacco and leather, cinnamon and dark chocolate.

The small batch release is highly prized by those able to get their hands on one.

Mashed, fermented, triple-distilled and bottled by Hellyers Road Distillery in northern Tasmania (the cellar door just outside Burnie is a must-visit) this is a drop that will make any single malt fan very happy on Christmas day.

$139.99 from Hellyers Road Distillery.

Montblanc Explorer Platinum

Never underestimate the power of a quality eau de parfum. Designed to last, it can lift your mood and keep you smelling fresh no matter how far or wide your travels may take you.

Featuring notes of violet leaves, grapefruit and clary sage (often cited for its health benefits) leading to an elegant aroma of cedarwood, the Explorer Platinum from Montblanc is an exceptional choice for the frequent traveller.

Explorer Platinum is available on 30ml, 60ml and 100ml.

Starting at $83 from Myer.

Boox Note Air 3C

Lightweight, well-made and easy to use, Note Air 3C from Boox is an e-notebook ideal for those on the go: a personal companion with tools for arts, note taking and more.

Easier on the eyes than regular tablets, the Air 3C is ideal for periods of extended use, whether that’s reading a book or magazine, annotating documents or sketching your latest masterpiece or technical drawing.

A film across the screen gives it a paper-like texture.

The screen is also coated in a special film so it feels like you’re writing with a real pen and paper – but with the ability to write, sketch, save, delete, add links, share and more.

USD $499 from Boox.

Pt. Leo Estate Lon to Laura Package

Victoria’s sweeping coastline is home to numerous gems. Among them is Pt. Leo Estate on the Mornington Peninsula – an exquisite winery with a passion for art and architecture. The estate’s ‘Lon to Laura’ package is a fabulous way to discover it.

The package includes two nights’ accommodation at the Bellarine Peninsula’s Lon Retreat & Spa, from which you’ll sail across Port Phillip Bay to Sorrento, where a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter waits to whisk you off to the Pt. Leo Estate for dinner and back.

Relaxation is assured with this indulgent escape.

A breakfast tray on your first morning, access to a heated mineral pool, bottle of Pt. Leo Estate 2018 Methodé Traditionnelle and antipasto platter are also part of the deal.

$3,360 per couple from Pt. Leo Estate.

Four Pillars Australian Christmas Gin

Every year people eagerly await the release of Four Pillars’ Christmas gin – for good reason. It’s Christmas in a bottle; a festive gin laden with all the spices and flavour of a plump pudding, finished off with a richness from extended barrel ageing.

Ready to go under the tree, or straight to your bar.

To celebrate its eighth year of liquid yuletide joy, Four Pillars has released nine distinct labels by artist Jo White.

Grab your 2023 Christmas gin online, at Four Pillars Gin shops in Surry Hills and Healesville, or from good bottle shops around the country.

$100 from Four Pillars.

Tumi Alpha X Org Portfolio Brief

Whether checked in or stored in the overhead compartment, Tumi luggage is not only stylish but built to last. But why should it only be on holidays that the brand comes out to play?

The Tumi Alpha X Org Portfolio Brief is an everyday accessory: a slim briefcase with room for documents, tablets, a phone and whatever else you may need on your commute. 

The brief is made of a durable, high-performance fabric.

Rather a mere standalone statement, it’s part of wider Alpha X range, which includes a wheeled case, compact sling, carryall tote and backpack, among others.

$1,150 from Tumi.

Wintjiri Wiru Sunset Dinner

Australia’s Red Centre is prime storytelling country: a place where the learnings of the past have long been passed down the generations through Inma (songs and ceremony). That storytelling has now received a 21st century upgrade: Wintjiri Wiru.

A collaboration between the Anangu, or ‘people’ in the Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara languages, who’ve long called the desert region home and Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia, Wintjiri Wiru is a drone spectacular thousands of years in the making.

A shape-shifting spirit floating in the sky before Uluru.

Uniting lasers, projections and some 1,100 tightly-choreographed drones – all against the backdrop of sacred Uluru – it’s a remarkable way of learning stories that have shaped the Red Centre, while giving back to the community at the same time.

A sunset dinner featuring drinks, canapes and a bountiful hamper celebrating native ingredients is the perfect way to take your experience to the next level.

$190pp for Wintjiri Wiru, or $385pp for the Wintjiri Wiru Sunset Dinner.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones

The next-gen of Bose’s acclaimed QuietComfort series, the QuietComfort Ultra headphones live up to their name and pedigree by delivering what is arguably the best noise-cancelling listening experience on the market.

Available in black and white smoke, they look great and are well-constructed with a mix of aluminium and faux leather. They’re also comfortable for an extended period, like on a long-haul flight.

The QuietComfort Ultra also comes in an earbud equivalent.

A new touch-sensitive volume slider allows you to easily adjust tunes to your liking, while the Immersive Audio feature creates an impressive depth of sound that wraps around you.

$649 from Bose.

Grown Alchemist ‘Giving Me Time’ Gift Set

Low humidity on planes is renowned for drying out your skin. Rather than feeling like you’ve trekked through the Sahara post-flight, you can stay hydrated with an on-the-go skincare regime. Grown Alchemist has just the one.

A skincare regime you can take with you.

Its four-piece ‘Giving Me Time’ kit features four essentials: a gentle facial cleanser, exfoliant and smoothing serum, as well as a day cream to help counteract the dry cabin environment.

$140 from Grown Alchemist.

Bollinger Special Cuvée

Champagne and Christmas are a perfect match. With that in mind, a bottle of Bollinger Special Cuvée could be exactly what you need to ignite the holiday cheer.

Cellar aged twice as long as regulations require, the Special Cuvée is composed of over 85% Grand and Premier crus of the three main Champagne varieties: 60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay and 15% Meunier.

Celebrate in style with a bottle of bubbly.

The result is a wonderfully-aromatic Champagne with notes of ripe fruit and spicy aromas; hints of roasted apples, compote and peaches.

RRP $97.99 from all good bottle shops.

Breitling Avenger Automatic 42

Equally at home in the boardroom or cockpit, the Avenger Automatic 42 is a fresh take on Swiss watchmaker Breitling’s aviation-inspired Avenger, one retaining the best of the past but redesigning it for the rigours of the modern world.

The slimmest in the three-strong collection, it has the robustness of its 44mm counterparts but in a trimmer diameter. Its engine? That’d be the COSC-certified Breitling Caliber 17 automatic three-hand movement, which delivers up to 38 hours of power and has a two-year warranty.

Breitling's ties to flying date back to the 1930s.

Available in black, naval-blue, or camo-green dial, it also comes with the choice of a matching military leather strap or three-row stainless-steel bracelet.

Starting at $6,390 from Breitling.

AERWAY Rise+

Fragrance has an incredible power to evoke memories and influence mood, whether it’s the scent of gingerbread transporting you to a Christmas market or the salt spray taking you back to a holiday cruising along California’s Highway 1.

Sydney perfumier AERWAY takes that a step further with its neuroscience-powered fragrances, each designed to stimulate the olfactory and trigger physiological responses to improving clarity and cognitive performance.

The Australian-made scent is unisex and designed for everyday use.

Among them is Rise+ – said to boost focus and promote brain activity with its subtle marine notes, alongside the calming forest-like fragrance Breathe+ and stimulating zest of Connect+.

Starting at $145 from AERWAY.

GoPro HERO12 Black Creator Edition

The most recent iteration of GoPro’s hugely-successful action camera, the HERO 12 Black is, as you’d expect, the best one yet. And if you’re serious about taking your captures to the next level, the Creator Edition is the one to buy.

Complementing the 12’s under-the-hood enhancements like extended battery life and the ability to shoot cinematic 5.3K60 + 4K120 footage, the Creator Edition comes with a directional mix, battery hand grip and LED light.

The HERO12 is available in multiple variations to suit your travel style.

The Volta battery grip, in particular, is worth its weight in gold as it both charges and acts as a remote, while also providing additional mounting options to suit your situation and need.

Starting at $949.95 from GoPro.

STAX. Zip Jacket Nandex

Staying fit and active on the road is always a consideration for frequent travellers. That’s where fashion-focused activewear label STAX. comes in. Founded in Perth, its racks are lined with everything from singlets and shorts to tights and tees.

The STAX. Zip Jacket is available in six colour variants.

The nylon-spandex blend Zip Jacket – sporting a cinched waist, high neck fit with zip and full length sleeves with thumb loops – is a prime example. It’s both buttery-soft and made to last, taking wearers from workouts to active daily life.

$94.95 from STAX.

Bahen & Co Happy Pack

Margaret River’s Bahen & Co produces chocolate the old-fashioned way, with no shortcuts from bean to bar.

That includes grinding cacao by stone and using vintage machines and weaves through to its relationship with those growing its ingredients. And the result? A mouth-watering assortment of small-batch chocolates, of course.

Each bar is wrapped in prints inspired by locations beans are sourced from.

Gift bundles such as the Happy Pack, which contains six bars and three coated products like confit orange peel and persian figs, is the perfect way to sample the range.

$99.90 from Bahen & Co.

Sydney Seaplanes Sunset Dinner Flights

The Emerald City, the Harbour City… whatever you call it, one thing almost everyone can agree on is that Sydney is up there with the most enchanting harbour cities in the world.

Rather than enjoy it from ground level, why not take to the sky? That’s the idea with Sydney Seaplanes, whose Sunset Dinner Flight gives travellers a chance to enjoy a bird’s eye view of the city at golden hour.

Sydney Seaplanes' Cessna aircraft capture the adventure of a bygone era.

After a 15-minute scenic flight, the sunset odyssey continues at Empire Lounge – a buzzy Rose Bay restaurant where you can sit on the deck and breathe in the harbour views as a three-course dinner flows your way.

Starting at $350pp from Sydney Seaplanes.

Oakridge 864 Winery Block Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

Yarra Valley is arguably one of the best wine regions in Australia, and Oakridge Wines is among its shining stars. It has five of them to back up that claim too, with the winery picking up a coveted quintet of stars in the 2024 Halliday Wine Companion.

864 Single Block is its top-tier offering. Produced in small quantities and only released in the best years, it’s a terroir-driven release delivering with wines that are good to drink now or pop in the cellar to enjoy later.

The 864 release also includes a chardonnay and pinot noir.

The 2021 864 Winery Block Cabernet Sauvignon is described as “a dense, powerful and structured wine, with a core of perfectly ripened black fruits, crushed violets, dark chocolate and graphite.”

$96 from Oakridge.

Fish Butchery and Meatsmith books

What’s better than receiving a cookbook by an acclaimed chef and author? Two books, of course. And Hardie Grant has just the double dose of culinary excellence you’re after too – each exploring a different aspect of home cooking.

Meatsmith by Andrew McConnell and Troy Wheeler; and Fish Butchery by Josh Niland.

More than just recipes, the pages of ‘Fish Butchery’ by chef Josh Niland are divided into Catch, Cut and Craft. These three sections take you through ways of value-adding to your fish at every stage, with step-by-step instructions showing you how to break down the various cuts and recipes to help you transform them into tantalising dishes.

‘Meatsmith’ from chef Andrew McConnell and butcher Troy Wheeler, on the other hand, is about much more than its title suggests. It revolves around home cooking and respect for your ingredients, and features sensational recipes from starters to mains and dessert.

Fish Butchery: $70 from Hardie Grant.
Meatsmith: $60 from Hardie Grant.

Victorinox Signature Briefcase

Effortlessly gliding from day to night, the Victorinox Signature Briefcase is an all-day companion – the kind of bag you could take to the office, hop on a flight, or drape over a chair at dinner.

A removable pouch doubles as a clutch, while the main compartment has room for 14” laptop and 10” tablet, as well as ample pockets and pouches to keep belongings in check.

A device compartment separates private and professional items.

For completionists out there, the Signature Briefcase is part of a larger matching collection including a 16” over-the-shoulder tote, plus a deluxe and slimline backpack.

$529 from Victorinox.

INIKA Organic Into the Wild Travel Kit

A perfect gift for any beauty enthusiast, the ‘Into the Wild’ travel kit from Australian-owned INIKA Organic features 12 on-the-go favourites encased in a vegan leather bag – one that folds all the way open, so you don’t need to go digging to find each item.

Naturally luminous makeup and high-performance skincare.

Within the travel-ready case is a primer, a cleanser, a bronzer, day cream, mascara and a brow pencil… plus another six standout options to keep wearers looking fresh and fabulous throughout their trip.

$199 from INIKA Organic.

Orlebar Brown polo

British fashion brand Orlebar Brown is tailor-made for travel, from its famous swim shorts to leisurewear that looks as good at the beach club as it does in Michelin-starred restaurant.

Available in white or ‘night iris’ navy blue, the classic fit Dominic knit polo is a fine addition to any wardrobe. It’s more than just good looks too – the knitted cotton blend is soft to the touch, with quality stitching and ribbed detail resulting in a product that’s made to last.

$395 from Orlebar Brown.