Travel indulgences that are worth the money

There are regular splurges, and then there are splurges so special that the cost becomes irrelevant. We asked Traveller experts to nominate the travel indulgences they believed justify the credit-card tap, from the world’s greatest luxury experiences to the small upgrades that make any journey infinitely better.Take a train to step back in timeThis is old-fashioned luxury at its most decadent. Book exclusive use of the Catherine Martin/Baz Luhrmann-designed Celia suite on the Belmond Pullman, complete with butler and chef. Invite your 11 poshest friends, roll through English countryside at an aristocratic pace, start speaking like a Mitford sister before you know it. From $28,700. See belmond.comA resort that actually feels like its destinationEveryone needs a little fantasy in their lives, and luxury is one of its finest vehicles. When the world feels chaotic, who doesn’t want to wrap themselves in a little Gucci-branded cotton wool and pretend otherwise? The White Lotus’s Tanya McQuoid (Jennifer Coolidge) understood the assignment. She drifted through the resorts of the first two seasons of the series with barely a grasp on reality, cocooned in a world where everyday concerns simply ceased to exist. That’s what many of us seek from a luxury resort: a glorious escape from real life. But when that escape comes at the expense of connection to place, what are we even travelling for? True resort luxury strikes a happy balance. It creates fantasy without losing sight of where you are actually located. The Anam Mui Ne in Vietnam does exactly that, making it a standout in South-East Asia, where too many resorts are either interchangeable or bubbles of design adrift from the surrounding culture. Undeniably indulgent, The Anam’s rooms feature $5000 clawfoot bathtubs, pressed-metal ceilings, original artworks and fabulous Indochine design that manages to be stylish rather than theatrical. That’s the line the whole place walks: providing an elevated experience alongside grassroots belonging. Sign up for the Traveller Deals newsletterGet exclusive travel deals delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up now.The gardens surrounding the resort swimming pools open directly to public Rang Beach, where kitesurfers and windsurfers ride Mui Ne’s famous breezes. Step outside, and local bars and restaurants are an easy stroll away.Poolside tranquillity at the Anam Mui Ne.Afternoon tea has a Vietnamese character, while the resort’s thoughtfully curated art collection exhibits the work of local artists. The fantasy never comes at the expense of the destination which is the greatest luxury of all. From around $300 a night. See theanam.comThe club sandwich at Le SirenuseWith three slices of toasted bread, guacamole replacing mayo (controversial) and pancetta instead of bacon (allowable), Le Sirenuse’s version of the multi-tiered icon is served poolside with chips. It’s not cheap, but neither is the panoramic Positano view. From $50. See sirenuse.itA safari from a hollowed-out tree trunkGliding through the Okavango Delta in a hollowed-out tree trunk hand-poled by a local, who knows the waterways like the back of his hand, followed by a view from above via helicopter. A stay at Botswana’s Xigera Safari Lodge is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. From $1478 a night. See xigera.comWhat is gliding through the Okavango Delta in a hollowed-out tree trunk if not a bucket-list experience?A late checkout The most valuable words in hotel vocabulary. Especially when your flight isn’t until 11pm. The room with a view Not every upgrade is worth taking. This one usually is.A cruise you’ll talk about for the rest of your lifeYou might wince, as if someone has squirted lemon juice in your eye, when you see luxury-ship cruise fares, but the heaven that awaits you on a Scenic Cruises ocean ship is unique: tranquillity in grey tones and mood lighting, attractively backlit bars, some of the best nosh at sea, a butler and a bed as comfortable as it gets. And of course, there’s a spa. A salt-therapy lounge. An observation lounge where you can gaze at the ocean and let your troubles blow away.One of two helicopters aboard a Scenic Cruise.But this is an active sort of heaven, so you shouldn’t just lie around on cloud nine with your cocktails, canapes and tinkling piano music. Scenic’s hybrid luxury-expedition ships take you to legendary places, from Antarctica to remote Pacific atolls. You can’t get better than gliding on a Zodiac among icebergs, catching sight of polar bears or joining traditional performances in Papua New Guinea.If that isn’t enough, its ships carry two helicopters and a submersible. Seeing the ocean floor, or marvelling at glaciers from above? Priceless. If you trade in boasting rights, your friends will have to admit you’ve trumped them all. And admit it: isn’t that part of what indulgence is about? See scenic.cruisescomSeeing Norway from the seaOne of the world’s priciest places is also one of its most beautiful, which makes a 14-day luxury cruise seem almost a bargain. Besides, this convoluted coast of fjords and islands is best seen from the sea. If you aren’t astounded by Norway, you’re beyond help. From $10,498 a person twin share (June 2027). See seabourn.com1.Lofoten Islands, Norway.iStock2.Sunnylvsfjorden fjord, Norway.Getty ImagesA private transfer after a red-eyeYou’ve already spent eight hours in the air. This is not the moment to follow the signs to the taxi rank.A chef just for youA really good sushi chef watches diners, gauging hunger and enjoyment and altering the menu as the meal progresses. See Higashiazabu Amamoto in Tokyo. From $465 a person. See omakase.inA yacht you can ski offThere’ll be wind in your sails and snow to the water’s edge when you hop aboard the yacht Nanook and explore West Greenland, sailing the fjords and ski-touring the slopes above. From $16,600 for nine days. See iceaxe.tvThe private instructorWhether you’re surfing, skiing or getting a handle on the local cuisine, learning is more indulgent when it’s done at your own pace and not that of five strangers you are randomly grouped with.Great tickets to the gameThe floor at a basketball game in NYC, or behind home plate at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. The best seats at the MCG. You don’t need to be a sports nut to get that proximity is the whole point.A hotel that knows exactly what you needWhen it comes to hotels, certain things are absolutely not indulgent: cookie-cutter design, uniform breakfast buffets, ill-considered lighting, disengaged staff. This is not the meaning of hospitality.If you’re going to fork out decent cash on a hotel, it should be generous and thoughtful, with frictionless service and a personal approach, and it shouldn’t make you regret the credit-card tap at the end. If you’re burnt out, it should restore you; if you’re seeking inspiration or novelty, it should instil a sense of wonder.Lake House in Daylesford, Victoria, is one of a handful of places in Australia that does this and more. It’s family-run by the Wolf-Taskers, with microscopic attention to detail.1.Cosy nights at Lake House, Daylesford.Supplied2.Remember how to breathe again at the very fancy spa.SuppliedFrazzled Friday night arrivals (couldn’t get away from work, babysitter was late, got stuck in traffic) are soothed by an established team who know your name, understand your pain and will escort you to the lounge for a fireside aperitif. Or maybe straight through that fragrant lakeside air – inhale! – to the Atrium Villa, where fresh flowers, bath salts and next-level room service await.The food is the antithesis of economies-of-scale catering elsewhere. Boxes of just-picked produce arrive from the owners’ sustainably run Dairy Flat Farm, where there’s also an onsite sourdough bakery. Dishes in the restaurant combine insane depth of flavour with sublime presentation. And a visit to the spa for one of the best massages of your life is non-negotiable. From $995 a night for a Lodge Studio in October. See lakehouse.com.auRoom service you don’t have to orderAn early morning tray of tea with homemade cookies, delivered through a two-way hatch in the bedroom wall (so no problem if you’re not yet decent); pizza slices straight from the wood-fired oven on your return from a sunset game drive; and a hot-water bottle tucked into your bed when the evening air turns chilly. The prices of an &Beyond safari are not for the fainthearted but the thoughtful experience is beyond priceless. See andbeyond.comActually buying the hotel robe you loved so muchThe only souvenir you’ll never regret. Note, we said buy, not “borrow”.Giving in to a very good minibarThe best minibars are little edible postcards of the place you’re in, filled with regional/artisanal items. At The Eve Hotel in Sydney’s Redfern, try the Pepe Saya x Olsson Salt buttery salted caramels – if you dare. See theevehotel.com.auA shower at 40,000 feetFlatbeds are fancy, but a hot steamy shower at 40,000 feet? That’s elite and that’s Emirates’ Airbus A380 first class. If you can bear dragging yourself away from your sumptuous suite, showering in the sky is a luxury you’ll remember forever. While those downstairs in economy are squished 10 to a row and sipping water to pass the time, you’re upstairs in a private “shower spa” beneath hot running water, in a room with a heated floor that’s large enough for a few in-flight yoga poses.A mid-flight refresh in the Emirates first-class shower spa.Lather on your chosen shampoo from a basket filled with amenities, and emerge with the refreshed feeling that only comes from showering on a plane. There’s even a hairdryer, plus a TV to see exactly which country or ocean you’ve been showering over. It’s an experience otherwise reserved for high-end private jets (or Air Force One).Slip into slippers and Hydra Active moisturising pyjamas for the proud yet difficult stroll back to your suite. At least there’s vintage champagne and unlimited caviar as you settle back to reality. The hardest part is taking any other flight after this one. Once you’ve showered in the air, a flatbed in business class loses its lustre, wouldn’t you say? Return Emirates first class trip in November 2026 from Sydney to Christchurch, from $3661. Return first class flights from Sydney to Dubai during the same period from $10,632. See emirates.comThe private boat …You could join the throng of tourists on the ferry from Sorrento to Capri, all hitting the shops and restaurants at the same time. Or you can rent a private boat, get there and leave whenever you want, and look decidedly more like you belong as you pull into La Fontelina.… or better still, a private yacht. For the week.No timetable. No other passengers. No one else’s Rod Stewart. Australian charter specialist Ahoy Club can put you aboard something like Bluestone, a 31-metre cruiser sailing out of Sydney, the Whitsundays or Port Douglas. From $110,000 a week. See ahoyclub.comCapri by private boat. One for the memory bank. Getty ImagesCaviar in a QsuiteToast to your success with caviar on a Qatar Airways Qsuite flight from Sydney or Melbourne to Doha. Pair with champagne (or vodka), glide your suite door closed and savour bump by bump. From $9590 return.The most direct flightThe ultimate luxury of flying isn’t always a better seat, sometimes it’s just less time in the one you’ve got.Luggage with a lifetime guaranteeBuy the suitcase once. Let someone else worry about what happens to it next.A Porsche to the planeWhy walk to your gate, when Delta can drive you straight to the plane in a Porsche Cayenne? You can completely skip the public terminal which is surely a true Hollywood experience to end your time in Los Angeles. From $US500 ($711).A luggage-forwarding serviceParticularly popular, and worthwhile, when navigating Japan’s efficient but space-deficient rail system.A meal worth going to the airport early forThe Japanese are known for punctuality, so don’t dare arrive late to Japan Airlines’ first class lounge in Tokyo. Missing the sushi would be a sin and trained chefs stand ready to prepare it for you, which you’d expect when return first class fares from Tokyo to London surpass $33,000. This is where a Qantas Platinum card proves its worth: you can visit the same lounge even when indulging in a lower cabin.Skip-the-line passes at Disneyland, or any theme parkMake the happiest place on Earth considerably less miserable.A private pool in the middle of the African wildernessThe price of a single night for one at ol Donyo Lodge ($2219) could buy you a seven-day budget tour of Kenya for two, with accommodation in tented camps and modest hotels, and still leave enough for champagne at each sunset.But then what’s the appeal of roughing it like the wildlife you’re watching, when you could observe them drinking at their waterhole while you wallow in a deep sudsy bath or sip a Pimm’s by your private pool?1.Ol Donyo Lodge in Kenya... so splurgy, so worth it.Beverly Joubert2.Enjoy complimentary game drives.Beverly Joubert3.A guest entryway like no other.Beverly Joubert4.Suite design blends luxury with the Kenyan wilderness.Beverly JoubertThere’s something enormously satisfying about being in raw, primal nature, while enveloped in luxury. As well as the complimentary game drives, walks and horse rides through the national park, with magnificent views to Africa’s highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro, you can also request to be summoned from slumber when a certain beast comes near.The photos will prove an enduring memory, too, especially as they are taken on a camera supplied and set up to your level of expertise (or incompetence). Then there’s the stone staircase up to bed, with a choice of your own cottage bedroom, or an alternative “star” bed on the roof draped with mosquito nets. See greatplainsconservation.com; classicsafaricompany.com.auAn open-air bath to the sound of a lion’s roarSerian’s secluded Tanzanian four-luxury-tent camp is set on the Mara River. Its interior is decorated with colonial antiques while, outside, wildlife wanders nearby as you take a bracing open-air shower or bath alongside them. From $2479 a person a night. See serian.comBathtime at Serian Serengeti camp.Quad-biking through NamibiaThe best way to explore one of the driest deserts on Earth is via quad bike. Race up dunes, down gullies, visit the local Himba people, then end up on the banks of the Kunene River, where thoughtful staff arrange petals into a heart-shape to welcome you home. See wildernessdestinations.comA private villa with your own chef and butlerWhat could be better than ticking off the Big Five while staying in the luxury of a private villa with its own plunge pool, chef and butler? Perhaps spotting one of the rarefied human regulars at South Africa’s Royal Malewane Lodge, such as Elton John or Oprah Winfrey. From $4927 a person a night. See theroyalportfolio.comSouth Africa’s Royal Malewane Lodge, where you can spot both the Big Five and big name celebrities.A spa day at seaSilversea’s Otium Spa, inspired by ancient Roman bathhouses, allows you to splash and luxuriate like an emperor, minus the murders and mayhem. From $423 for a massage. See silversea.comA table at the Polo Bar in New YorkThe popover pastries alone justify the bill, but just getting the reservation is the real thrill.A reset for your frazzled brain at a Thai sanctuaryI thought I’d ticked off every wellness treatment around. I’ve done hot saunas and cold plunges, had my back whacked with bamboo rods and punctured with needles. I’ve had oil poured over my forehead and even had a fire lit on my stomach. (OK, there was a fire-proof layer protecting my skin, but watching flames dancing on my stomach remains one of my most memorable spa sessions.)None of those, it turns out, is quite as mind-bending as eight days immersed in the brain enhancement program at Thailand’s pace-setting Kamalaya retreat in Koh Samui.A brain workout isn’t as exotic as an aerial yoga class or a session in a cryo-chamber. It doesn’t leave you oil-slicked, as a massage does, or sweaty, as a gym workout does. Often, it requires nothing more than lounging around while tiny electric currents are applied to your ear, stimulating your vagus nerves or your alpha waves. In other sessions, I literally play video games, although sporting an electrode-studded skull cap. The catch is I have to control the action using my brain waves.It sounds strange, but it brings results. After eight days, my scores for a range of cognitive functions improve significantly. More importantly, I go from feeling stressed and overloaded to feeling lighter and clearer (and, incidentally, sleeping more soundly). The eight-night Brain Enhancement program from $5965, while eight nights in a hillside room (single occupancy), from $3673. See kamalaya.comEight nights on the Brain Enhancement Program at Kamalaya retreat promises clearer thinking and more sound sleeping.Your own wellness guruHawaii’s Sensei Lanai is the retreat of choice for Silicon Valley types, but what they pay for is not the high-tech, data-driven treatments. And not the added extras such as 10 hectares of lush gardens and the Nobu restaurant. It’s the deep discussions with the resort’s sensei, or adviser, who blends spiritual wisdom and cutting-edge scientific insights that are truly priceless. Five-day Optimal Wellness Program from $2086 a night. See fourseasons.comBeing completely unavailableIt’s not one for the fidgety among us, but if you can lie still for 135 minutes, you’ll find the Wildsmith Time treatment is super-sized in more ways than one. Blending a range of techniques derived from kinesiology, craniosacral therapy, reflexology and more, it leaves you feeling like a sportscar fresh from a thorough tune-up. From $723. See heckfieldplace.comHaving laundry done halfway through a tripAn underrated luxury of travel: reaching the middle of a holiday and smelling as fresh as the day you boarded the plane.Room service breakfastWhy battle the crowd for a complimentary buffet full of things you don’t want, when you could have perfect eggs Benedict delivered under a silver cloche right to your bedside? The eggs might be overpriced but a slow morning more than makes up for it.Dinner at the restaurant that started the trendRemember the scene in The Devil Wears Prada in which a withering Meryl Streep, as magazine editor Miranda Priestly, explains to her naive PA the workings of the fashion world, the way the clothing choices everyday people make and believe to be original, were decided on a European catwalk years in the past?So it goes with food: you might think the hotshot chef doing wood-fired cooking in your hometown is an original, or that the proliferation of restaurants using only hot coals to cook is coincidental. But it’s not. Chef Victor Arguinzoniz’s deceptively simple but exquisite dish of two carabineros prawns at Asador Etxebarri.It’s the influence of one genius and it began deep in the hills of Spain’s Basque Country, at a singular and spectacular restaurant called Asador Etxebarri. Here, chef Victor Arguinzoniz has pioneered a now globally popular style of cooking, choosing the absolute finest ingredients and then simply grilling them or lightly smoking them over wood fires and coals.Arguinzoniz’s prawn dish at Etxebarri is two scarlet carabineros prawns grilled and served side-by-side on a plate. His squid is a single, whole squid served with a sauce of its own ink. His burrata is made using milk from his own buffalo herd, gently smoked and then turned to delicate, creamy cheese. Every item served is subtly flavoured by fire but never overwhelmed. Etxebarri is the work of one man’s obsession, and it won’t last forever. Arguinzoniz is 66, and you feel that upon retirement his remarkable restaurant will be no more. The clock is ticking on one of the world’s greatest and most influential dining experiences. From $490 a person (not including drinks). See asadoretxebarri.comA ship that makes you feel like a billionaireOne of Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ tags is “The world’s most luxurious fleet” and that’s no marketing exaggeration. The sheer opulence, baroque madness of marble and floral displays big as bushes will have you feeling like a billionaire, at least for a Cinderella week. Between $700 and $2100 a person a day, twin share. See rssc.comWine and cheese aboard the Regent Seven Seas Voyager ship.A wine list that could double as a museumFrom back vintages of the world’s great marques to modern cult favourites with limited production, an extensive wine cellar shoots fine dining into the stratosphere. See Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo in Monaco, with more than 350,000 rare and collectible bottles. See montecarlosbm.comA meal in unforgettable surroundsMil Centro, Peruvian chef Virgilio Martinez’s restaurant above an Incan ruin, has to have one of the world’s most perfect surroundings. From $500 a person. See milcentro.peSkiing to dinnerTake a private boat across Lyngen Fjord, climb a snowy 1200-metre mountain and ski back to the boat. A world-class dinner of reindeer, or fish fresh from the fjord, awaits. It’s just another winter day at Norway’s remote Lyngen Lodge. From $1580. See lyngenlodge.comThe epic bathing experience at Hotel Iya OnsenIf you think your Japanese onsen experiences have peaked, think again. This onsen in the mountains of the island of Shikoku invites you to ride a funicular to the Iya Valley floor, where scenic soaking awaits in idyllic pools fed by hot springs set right on the river bank. See iyaonsen.co.jpArriving at Saffire Freycinet by floatplaneFrom the window of a descending floatplane, Saffire Freycinet resembles marine megafauna, with the wings that encase its 20 suites spread wide like a stingray. Nestled against the Freycinet Peninsula coast, the ocean-inspired design of the Tasmanian lodge, that was once named the world’s best boutique hotel, creates a sense of place that never really goes away.From the moment I wake up in my Private Pavilion and press a button above the bed to open the blinds for views of sunrise on The Hazards mountains, I’m immersed in Freycinet and these musk-toned peaks. They fill every window in Saffire’s three-level main building, while the suites are arrayed before them like boxes at the opera.Then there are the experiences, each with its own Freycinet flavour, donning waders to shuck oysters thigh-deep in an estuary, or a beekeeping suit to tend hives, or dropping in on Saffire’s private Tasmanian devil sanctuary.In the Private Pavilion, I have my own outdoor plunge pool warmed to 32 degrees. Stump up another $20,000 or so and you can score the 800-square-metre Jewel Private Villa with a personal chef and guide (and an elevated wine cellar) on call.Drop another $3900 and you can fly in, as I have, by floatplane from Hobart’s docks, skidding to a watery stop by the lodge’s beachside back door. Rolling up your trouser legs and wading ashore brings the singular pleasure of arriving at a luxury lodge barefoot. Private Pavilions from $5200 a night. See saffire-freycinet.com.auDinner and bed in the same placeIs there a greater luxury than finishing a beautiful meal and then retiring directly to your equally gorgeous room? See Brae Restaurant in Birregurra. Food from $370 a person, rooms from $495. See braerestaurant.comRafting to your luxury lodgeCheck into a treetop Canopy Villa, complete with a suspension bridge into the forest, at Costa Rica’s Pacuare Lodge by rafting a river to the door. From $1450. See pacuarelodge.comThe remote Pacuare Lodge along the banks of the Pacuare River in Costa Rica.Sleeping 400 metres undergroundThe deepest sleep (literally) of your life? The luxury of Wales’ Deep Sleep Hotel is in the experience of hiking, abseiling and ziplining through the world’s deepest disused slate mine to your private log cabin or built-for-romance grotto, 400 metres underground. Log cabin from $750, grotto from $1150. See go-below.co.ukA storm viewed from a bathtubNowhere does ocean storms quite like Vancouver Island. Settle into your double-soaker tub (or among the 700 labels in the glass-encased wine cellar) to watch Pacific winter storms march ashore on a storm-watching package at Tofino’s Wickaninnish Inn. From $3000. See wickinn.comCosy up inside and watch the surfers at the Wikaninnish Inn.Wickaninnish InnThe massage after a multi-day hikeWine and a hot shower after a day of walking might be a travel luxury. But muscles kneaded by deft hands on the massage table at the Lodge Spa during Tasmania’s five-day Bay of Fires Signature Walk is next level. From $3350. See taswalkingco.com.auExperiencing the golden age of apres skiA 75-minute limo ride from Geneva Airport lands you in Megeve, France, a ski village that kicked off in the 1920s when Baroness Noemie de Rothschild deemed it “created for skiing”. Swanky hotels followed, as did the beautiful people, and there’s still beauty here.Arrive at the Four Seasons Resort and the mountain views have you gasping, but not for long. “Allow me, monsieur,” says the ski valet as he puts your boots on for you before you enjoy morning runs on perfectly groomed snow. Then you find yourself lunching on the sundeck at L’Ideal 1850, Mont Blanc in the distance, ski outfits by Prada to your left and Bogner to your right, and the only ski lift they’ll ever see is the one that got them here.You could move on to early apres at La Folie Douce, or maybe the slopes beckon, so you ski away the afternoon and land back near the hotel. But goodness me, there’s a couple of hundred metres of flat ground to negotiate. No matter, the hotel’s horse and sleigh will cover the distance and hand you back to the ski valet. Head to the spa for a massage, sauna and a swim and you’re ready for dinner at Japanese-Peruvian restaurant Kaito. Sleep and repeat. Four Seasons Resort from $4090 a night. See fourseasons.comYou haven’t done après-ski until you’ve done it in Megeve.Richard WaiteAn airport greeterA personal greeter holding a paging board with your name to walk you off the plane, fast-track you through immigration, handle your luggage and deliver you straight to your car? Once you’ve experienced it, the regular airport shuffle feels decidedly low-rent.A room with a private poolYou could use the hotel pool. Or you could never see another guest’s sunscreen slick on the water again. Your choice.An expedition to somewhere almost impossible to reachThe per-day rate for expedition cruising is eye-watering, but no matter. You get adventures in places almost impossible to experience any other way (unless you’re a survivalist with Bear Grylls-like skills). Around $1000 a person twin share a day. See ponant.comFresh tracks, all to yourselfIf your search is for untracked powder snow without the crowds, then it might be time to escape on a private heli-charter, where you, three skiing/boarding companions and a guide can make fresh tracks on remote, untouched New Zealand terrain. From $12,050. See heliski.co.nzA private museum viewingThe Louvre after hours. The Vatican without the crowds. Money can’t buy culture, but it can sometimes buy much more pleasant access to it.A hotel that will unpack your suitcaseIt sounds faintly ridiculous and completely unnecessary, until you come in from a welcome drink in the bar and see everything hanging perfectly in the closets like it’s always been there. Then it feels like the very definition of civilised.A holiday with nothing bookedThe ultimate luxury in an over-scheduled life: a few days in which nobody needs you anywhere at a particular time. Repeat after us: fly and flop.A private island for the weekend …Not a villa on an island. The whole island. Illusionist David Copperfield’s Musha Cay in the Bahamas comes with five houses, beaches, staff – and nobody else. From $US57,000 a night for up to 12 guests. See mushacay.com… Or a private jet around the worldThe Four Seasons Private Jet Experience circles the globe over three weeks, touching down at its hallowed properties, with a private chef and concierge team on board. See fourseasons.com/privatejetThe splurge on the final nightSave the best hotel until last and the holiday just gets better. It’s also likely you’ll score a late checkout so you can hit the pool or spa before a night flight. The holiday isn’t over until you’re at the airport.CONTRIBUTORS Andrew Bain, Chris Chamberlain, Justine Cullen, Jim Darby, Ben Groundwater, Julietta Jameson, Trudi Jenkins, Brian Johnston, Ute Junker, Kathryn Madden and Sue Williams