Latest news with #Aussie-owned
7NEWS
28-05-2025
- Business
- 7NEWS
This dentist-directed teeth straightening treatment used by millions of shoppers is half the price of Invisalign
Confidence starts with your smile and achieving straight white teeth can be the key to increasing it. It's no secret that dentist appointments can be incredibly expensive, but one Aussie-owned brand is determined to provide shoppers with incredible results, for a much more affordable price tag. Meet Linea, the dental aligners brand, offering effective and safe solutions to straightening teeth. Used by millions of shoppers in the last 20 years, Linea is a dentist-directed treatment with involves partnering with licensed dentists all over Australia. Selling clear aligners directly to shoppers, you can score a happier smile than half the price of other aligner brands such as Invisalign. Kickstart your teeth alignment journey by taking the FREE 30-second online smile quiz to see how Linea can help you achieve your goals. Clear aligners have transformed the orthodontics landscape over the last two decades, used by millions worldwide to achieve straighter, healthier smiles. But the clear aligner market has long been split into two models: dentist-directed treatments and at-home kits. At-home brands surged in popularity during the pandemic due to their convenience, but they've since faced criticism — and even regulatory scrutiny for poor outcomes, medical risks, and lack of professional oversight. These kits typically rely on DIY impressions without scans, x-rays, or dental involvement, leading to unsafe or ineffective results. On the other end, dentist-directed brands like Invisalign provide a higher standard of care but come with a hefty price tag, thanks to a distribution model that passes costs down to the consumer. The result? Identical treatment plans quoted at wildly different prices, depending on which dentist you visit. Linea bridges this gap. Its hybrid business model offers direct-to-customer pricing while preserving the clinical oversight of licensed dentists. That means consistent, lower costs — without compromising on safety nor quality. Linea Co-Founder, Nicholas Van Leeuwen explains that Linea's unique business model is the reason the company has so many return customers. 'We cut the middleman out but retain a high level of dentist involvement. It's the best of both worlds. ' The Linea journey starts with a 30-second Smile Quiz to assess your suitability. From there, the experience is seamless, professional, and transparent. Firstly you receive a consultation and you're matched with one of Linea's partner dentists across Australia for a full assessment, including x-rays, 3D scans, and intraoral images. Then you're provided with a customised plan which is a tailored treatment created with Linea's dental team, and you'll preview your future smile through a 3D simulation Your dentist fits your aligners, performs any required procedures (like IPR or attachments), and monitors your progress. The Linea app provides 7-day support, reminders, photo uploads for monitoring, and direct access to Linea's clinical team. Post-Treatment which is included in your plan are medical-grade retainers and professional teeth whitening, to ensure your results last and your smile shines. 'I had an amazing experience, brilliant customer service every step of the way,' one person wrote. 'The results are beyond my expectations,' another shopper added.
The Age
24-05-2025
- Business
- The Age
The 15 big cruising trends you'll want to get behind
Land and sea connections Last year we reported on the rise of land tours before and after a cruise, which range from port-city hotel breaks to short, guided getaways to inland destinations. But far more ambitious land-sea journeys are becoming more common, too. Cruise lines want a slice of the lucrative land market, and customers in an uncertain world are increasingly keen on single, seamless holiday packages. Some travel companies with both land and cruise arms are perfectly placed to deliver. Scenic is unrolling a collection of worldwide Grand Journeys in 2026 that range from 41 and 86 days and match land journeys with ocean and river cruises. Examples include a Portugal to Switzerland and Machu Picchu to Caribbean journey. See Nile River cruising In the last 15 years Egyptian tourism has been battered by the Arab Spring and COVID, and it looked as if the Gaza conflict might put tourists off again. Yet this ancient country, as it has done numerous times over the last two centuries, is becoming a hot destination all over again. Bookings on the Nile surged this year, the season has been steadily lengthening, companies such as Scenic and Travelmarvel are making a return in 2025 and 2026 respectively, and new ships are launching. A total solar eclipse over Egypt in 2027 is creating further demand for special eclipse cruises. Viking Cruises recently launched two new ships and is taking its Nile fleet to 10 by 2026. Its popular cruise-tour will be bolstered by 221 new departures by 2027. See Expedition cruising Nothing new about this style of small-ship adventure, but this once niche segment is booming. Ten years ago, fewer than 100,000 passengers took an expedition cruise. This year, four times as many set sail on some 100 expedition ships belonging to 20 cruise lines. Australians shine on the expedition front, with Aussie-owned companies such as Aurora Expeditions, Chimu Adventures, Coral Expeditions and Scenic sending ships to the far corners of the Earth. APT also offers expedition cruises on chartered ships. Expedition ships average 160 passengers with cruises lasting an average 11 days. As for the next big things within expeditions, expect more millennial, Gen Z and solo travellers, and increasing itineraries in 'water-water' destinations such as the Indian Ocean and West Africa. See Ships with sails OK, you're allowed to raise your eyebrows at the thought of sails on ships being the way of the future rather than a relic of the past. Only a few companies such as Star Clipper and Windstar offer cruises under canvas. But if research and development go the right way, a more futuristic 'sailing' ship might become more common as companies seek alternative propulsion systems to fossil fuels. They won't only be very small ships, either. Orient Express Silenseas, due to sail in mid-2026, will have French-developed SolidSail technology, with three huge sails made from glass panels reinforced with carbon fibre. Ponant and Hurtigruten are looking at adding sails to their new ships, too, while Carnival Corporation is studying vertical rotors that will be powered by wind. See Persian Gulf cruising Why this region didn't emerge as a cruise destination long ago is a mystery: it has good tourism infrastructure and airline connections, a predictable climate, distinctive culture and conveniently close ports. You'll have plenty of opportunity to cruise the Persian Gulf in future, with Dubai's cruise terminal positioned as a major hub, and other new terminals gracing harbourfronts from Bahrain to Muscat, Kuwait, Doha and Abu Dhabi. MSC Cruises is a regional regular and homeports MSC Euribia in Dubai over the winter cruise season. Small-ship company Celestyal Cruises has extended its Persian Gulf options and will have two ships in the Gulf this coming season. Explora Journeys meanwhile is launching into the 2026-27 season, and many other cruise lines make occasional visits. Expect more to come. See Cruise-free ports It isn't all good news in cruising. A growing swell of public pressure against overcrowding and pollution is seeing more ports ban or limit cruise ship arrivals. From July this year ships carrying more than 2500 passengers will be turned away from Nice and adjacent Villefranche-sur-Mer, long staples of the Mediterranean cruise circuit. Some are calling for ships to be banned entirely from the French Riviera. Nice joins a list of other cruise-sceptic ports from Juneau in Alaska to Palma, Majorca in Spain that have put varying limits on cruise ships. Cities such as Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bordeaux and Venice have moved ships out of city centres. In Europe, you might expect more noisy anti-cruise demonstrators holding signs and placards, or chanting and banging saucepans, as you disembark your ship. Alaska cruises Alaska has long been a cruise staple, but the next few years will see more ships than ever before sail its glacier-nibbled coastline and fabled Inside Passage that runs between the coast and islands of Alaska and British Columbia. By 2026, Royal Caribbean will have four ships homeported for Alaska cruises, Princess will offer itineraries on a record eight ships, and MSC Cruises and Virgin Voyages will send ships for the first time. Azamara returns after a seven-year absence. The boom has been fuelled by Americans looking for post-pandemic domestic destinations, increased ship capacity and the development of new ports and more varied itineraries. More ships are now visiting smaller ports such as Valdez, Kodiak Island and Homer. See The vast majority of river cruising is undertaken in Europe and a great chunk of that on the Rhine and Danube rivers. But we'll see more river cruises developed elsewhere in years to come as demand for river-cruising grows and European rivers get more familiar – and congested. Two choice examples are up and running this year, with AmaWaterways offering cruises on Colombia's Magdalena River and Australia Star launching on our own Murray River. Cruising isn't new to the Murray but the new ship, a partnership between Murray River Paddlesteamers and APT, ups luxury levels. The Mekong, Peruvian Amazon, Ganges, Mississippi, Chobe River in Botswana and Intracoastal Waterway (partly on rivers and canals along America's east coast) are also tipped for growth. See Great Lakes cruising The outsized lakes that straddle the border of Canada and America have hovered under the radar for a long time, with only local companies St Lawrence Cruise Lines and Pearl Seas Cruises sailing there. Then Viking Cruises began operating its expedition ships on the lakes in 2022 and found so much international demand that it doubled capacity the year after. It is adding two new itineraries in 2026. Now things are hotting up even more, with American small-ship company Victory Cruise Lines returning to the region this year with itineraries that visit all five lakes, and French expedition company Ponant also sending two ships to the Great Lakes. Numbers are still modest, with only 22,000 passengers projected in 2025. An uncrowded cruise destination awaits – for now. See Winter cruising in Europe As summer crowds and heat continue to surge, we'll be seeing more off-season cruising in Europe – although soon it will hardly be off-season at all, and the steep discounts once offered on fares will steadily shrink. The attraction? Fewer tourists in monuments and museums, seasonal atmosphere and an alternative experience, though unpredictable weather and short daylight hours are downsides. A flotilla of cruise ships is now sailing the Mediterranean into November and resuming as early as February, and even in the Baltic Sea some are lingering right through winter. Copenhagen expects more than 50 cruise ships to arrive this 2025-26 winter season. Cruises to see the Northern Lights in Norway and Christmas-market river cruises on the Rhine and Danube are also growing in popularity. See Ocean lines take to rivers Time will tell if this is the next big thing, but two ocean cruise companies have already announced a move into the river-cruise market and, given its potential for more expansion, we might assume others are considering it. This year French expedition company Ponant acquired a stake in Aqua Expeditions, a boutique operator on the Amazon and Mekong rivers. The hefty bank balance of Ponant's parent company Artemis Group suggests expansion of Aqua Expeditions might be on the cards. Meanwhile, Celebrity Cruises has announced an order for 10 river ships, open for booking this year but the first not sailing until 2027. The company remains tight-lipped on details but will sail first in Europe before expanding to other world rivers. See Short-break cruising Loading Sometimes it pays to look to Americans, who form the world's largest cruise market, to see what might be happening elsewhere soon. And considering the trend towards three-and four-day cruises among Americans, you can bet they might soon be booming in Australia, too. Short-break cruising is increasingly popular because it provides a quick getaway at a budget price. Many younger first timers want to see if they enjoy the cruise experience. Cruise lines like it because onboard revenue is higher per day than on longer cruises. Carnival, Celebrity, Princess and Royal Caribbean all offer short-break cruising from Australia, which range from between two and five nights. Short cruises also make for interesting add-ons while visiting destinations such as Singapore, Europe or the Caribbean. See
Sydney Morning Herald
24-05-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
The 15 big cruising trends you'll want to get behind
Land and sea connections Last year we reported on the rise of land tours before and after a cruise, which range from port-city hotel breaks to short, guided getaways to inland destinations. But far more ambitious land-sea journeys are becoming more common, too. Cruise lines want a slice of the lucrative land market, and customers in an uncertain world are increasingly keen on single, seamless holiday packages. Some travel companies with both land and cruise arms are perfectly placed to deliver. Scenic is unrolling a collection of worldwide Grand Journeys in 2026 that range from 41 and 86 days and match land journeys with ocean and river cruises. Examples include a Portugal to Switzerland and Machu Picchu to Caribbean journey. See Nile River cruising In the last 15 years Egyptian tourism has been battered by the Arab Spring and COVID, and it looked as if the Gaza conflict might put tourists off again. Yet this ancient country, as it has done numerous times over the last two centuries, is becoming a hot destination all over again. Bookings on the Nile surged this year, the season has been steadily lengthening, companies such as Scenic and Travelmarvel are making a return in 2025 and 2026 respectively, and new ships are launching. A total solar eclipse over Egypt in 2027 is creating further demand for special eclipse cruises. Viking Cruises recently launched two new ships and is taking its Nile fleet to 10 by 2026. Its popular cruise-tour will be bolstered by 221 new departures by 2027. See Expedition cruising Nothing new about this style of small-ship adventure, but this once niche segment is booming. Ten years ago, fewer than 100,000 passengers took an expedition cruise. This year, four times as many set sail on some 100 expedition ships belonging to 20 cruise lines. Australians shine on the expedition front, with Aussie-owned companies such as Aurora Expeditions, Chimu Adventures, Coral Expeditions and Scenic sending ships to the far corners of the Earth. APT also offers expedition cruises on chartered ships. Expedition ships average 160 passengers with cruises lasting an average 11 days. As for the next big things within expeditions, expect more millennial, Gen Z and solo travellers, and increasing itineraries in 'water-water' destinations such as the Indian Ocean and West Africa. See Ships with sails OK, you're allowed to raise your eyebrows at the thought of sails on ships being the way of the future rather than a relic of the past. Only a few companies such as Star Clipper and Windstar offer cruises under canvas. But if research and development go the right way, a more futuristic 'sailing' ship might become more common as companies seek alternative propulsion systems to fossil fuels. They won't only be very small ships, either. Orient Express Silenseas, due to sail in mid-2026, will have French-developed SolidSail technology, with three huge sails made from glass panels reinforced with carbon fibre. Ponant and Hurtigruten are looking at adding sails to their new ships, too, while Carnival Corporation is studying vertical rotors that will be powered by wind. See Persian Gulf cruising Why this region didn't emerge as a cruise destination long ago is a mystery: it has good tourism infrastructure and airline connections, a predictable climate, distinctive culture and conveniently close ports. You'll have plenty of opportunity to cruise the Persian Gulf in future, with Dubai's cruise terminal positioned as a major hub, and other new terminals gracing harbourfronts from Bahrain to Muscat, Kuwait, Doha and Abu Dhabi. MSC Cruises is a regional regular and homeports MSC Euribia in Dubai over the winter cruise season. Small-ship company Celestyal Cruises has extended its Persian Gulf options and will have two ships in the Gulf this coming season. Explora Journeys meanwhile is launching into the 2026-27 season, and many other cruise lines make occasional visits. Expect more to come. See Cruise-free ports It isn't all good news in cruising. A growing swell of public pressure against overcrowding and pollution is seeing more ports ban or limit cruise ship arrivals. From July this year ships carrying more than 2500 passengers will be turned away from Nice and adjacent Villefranche-sur-Mer, long staples of the Mediterranean cruise circuit. Some are calling for ships to be banned entirely from the French Riviera. Nice joins a list of other cruise-sceptic ports from Juneau in Alaska to Palma, Majorca in Spain that have put varying limits on cruise ships. Cities such as Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bordeaux and Venice have moved ships out of city centres. In Europe, you might expect more noisy anti-cruise demonstrators holding signs and placards, or chanting and banging saucepans, as you disembark your ship. Alaska cruises Alaska has long been a cruise staple, but the next few years will see more ships than ever before sail its glacier-nibbled coastline and fabled Inside Passage that runs between the coast and islands of Alaska and British Columbia. By 2026, Royal Caribbean will have four ships homeported for Alaska cruises, Princess will offer itineraries on a record eight ships, and MSC Cruises and Virgin Voyages will send ships for the first time. Azamara returns after a seven-year absence. The boom has been fuelled by Americans looking for post-pandemic domestic destinations, increased ship capacity and the development of new ports and more varied itineraries. More ships are now visiting smaller ports such as Valdez, Kodiak Island and Homer. See The vast majority of river cruising is undertaken in Europe and a great chunk of that on the Rhine and Danube rivers. But we'll see more river cruises developed elsewhere in years to come as demand for river-cruising grows and European rivers get more familiar – and congested. Two choice examples are up and running this year, with AmaWaterways offering cruises on Colombia's Magdalena River and Australia Star launching on our own Murray River. Cruising isn't new to the Murray but the new ship, a partnership between Murray River Paddlesteamers and APT, ups luxury levels. The Mekong, Peruvian Amazon, Ganges, Mississippi, Chobe River in Botswana and Intracoastal Waterway (partly on rivers and canals along America's east coast) are also tipped for growth. See Great Lakes cruising The outsized lakes that straddle the border of Canada and America have hovered under the radar for a long time, with only local companies St Lawrence Cruise Lines and Pearl Seas Cruises sailing there. Then Viking Cruises began operating its expedition ships on the lakes in 2022 and found so much international demand that it doubled capacity the year after. It is adding two new itineraries in 2026. Now things are hotting up even more, with American small-ship company Victory Cruise Lines returning to the region this year with itineraries that visit all five lakes, and French expedition company Ponant also sending two ships to the Great Lakes. Numbers are still modest, with only 22,000 passengers projected in 2025. An uncrowded cruise destination awaits – for now. See Winter cruising in Europe As summer crowds and heat continue to surge, we'll be seeing more off-season cruising in Europe – although soon it will hardly be off-season at all, and the steep discounts once offered on fares will steadily shrink. The attraction? Fewer tourists in monuments and museums, seasonal atmosphere and an alternative experience, though unpredictable weather and short daylight hours are downsides. A flotilla of cruise ships is now sailing the Mediterranean into November and resuming as early as February, and even in the Baltic Sea some are lingering right through winter. Copenhagen expects more than 50 cruise ships to arrive this 2025-26 winter season. Cruises to see the Northern Lights in Norway and Christmas-market river cruises on the Rhine and Danube are also growing in popularity. See Ocean lines take to rivers Time will tell if this is the next big thing, but two ocean cruise companies have already announced a move into the river-cruise market and, given its potential for more expansion, we might assume others are considering it. This year French expedition company Ponant acquired a stake in Aqua Expeditions, a boutique operator on the Amazon and Mekong rivers. The hefty bank balance of Ponant's parent company Artemis Group suggests expansion of Aqua Expeditions might be on the cards. Meanwhile, Celebrity Cruises has announced an order for 10 river ships, open for booking this year but the first not sailing until 2027. The company remains tight-lipped on details but will sail first in Europe before expanding to other world rivers. See Short-break cruising Loading Sometimes it pays to look to Americans, who form the world's largest cruise market, to see what might be happening elsewhere soon. And considering the trend towards three-and four-day cruises among Americans, you can bet they might soon be booming in Australia, too. Short-break cruising is increasingly popular because it provides a quick getaway at a budget price. Many younger first timers want to see if they enjoy the cruise experience. Cruise lines like it because onboard revenue is higher per day than on longer cruises. Carnival, Celebrity, Princess and Royal Caribbean all offer short-break cruising from Australia, which range from between two and five nights. Short cruises also make for interesting add-ons while visiting destinations such as Singapore, Europe or the Caribbean. See
Sky News AU
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
Retired tennis star Jelena Dokic stuns in fashion photo shoot for Commonry after massive transformation
Jelena Dokic has shared a sneak preview from an upcoming modelling gig to her social media followers following her recent weight loss journey. The 42-year-old retired athlete is currently back in the spotlight as part of Channel 9's sports team covering the upcoming French Open. Dokic, who lives in Melbourne, took to social media on Tuesday to share a behind the scene's look at a photo shoot for the clothing brand Commonry. 'The look for today's campaign shoot with @commonry,' Dokic wrote on Instagram. 'Glam by @alexmunromakeup.' The Aussie-owned clothing brand markets itself for offering 'premium wardrobe solutions' for women 'regardless of shape and size'. 'Wonderful how you've turned your life round,' one fan wrote underneath Dokic's post. 'You are just radiant,' wrote another. The Croatian-born Aussie tennis star was just 16 years old when she advanced to the semifinal at Wimbledon in 2000 and reached a peak of World No. 4 in 2002. Privately, the star allegedly suffered abuse at the hands of her father and coach Damir Dokic, which culminated in the player firing her father and rebooting her career. In 2009, Dokic enjoyed an unforgettable run at the Australian Open after entering the draw as a wildcard and ultimately advancing all the way to the quarter finals before retiring in 2014. In a December 2023 interview, Jelena said she has been estranged from her father for more than 10 years, and claimed he has never apologised for his alleged verbal, emotional and physical abuse. Dokic harrowingly detailed her father's alleged abuse, which allegedly occurred regularly throughout her childhood and during her professional career, in her 2024 autobiography, Unbreakable. The retired tennis star's glamorous new gig comes months after Dokic opened up about her weight loss journey. In March, Dokic posted a side-by-side comparison of her before-and-after weight loss, musing that she is the 'same hardworking person' regardless of her weight. 'What is the difference between the two images?,' she wrote. 'Nothing except what you see on the outside, my BODY SIZE. 'I am the same hardworking person, respectful, generous, empathetic, compassionate, humble, kind, driven, strong, resilient, capable and loving person, woman and friend.'
National Business Review
08-05-2025
- Business
- National Business Review
‘Steady as she goes': ANZ first half net profit up
Investment 3 mins to read 'Steady as she goes': ANZ first half net profit up The country's largest Aussie-owned bank says businesses are cautious but the dairy sector is a bright spot. The bank is cautiously optimistic about the economic recovery this year.
