Year: 2016

With their first ever Queensland expansion for Art Series Hotel Group, Brisbane will be getting a new five-star hotel in June 2016, The Johnson. Master colourist Michael Johnson will be the inspiration and focus of the hotel, coming on board with his work to illustrate the property with his original paintings and giclee prints. Located…

Tigerair recently announced a new schedule of flights direct between Melbourne and Coffs Harbour on the New South Wales north coast. The newly added service is providing three return flights per week. Tigerair have said that this will offer a total of 56,000 seats annually between Melbourne and Coffs Harbour, and that they are now…

Records have been broken for Hawaiian Airlines, revealing that it has welcomed a record of 10,672,667 customers in 2015, seeing a 4.7 percent increase over the previous year. The record comes after the announcement of new enhancements including the planned launch of a redesigned premium cabin with lie-flat seating and non-stop service to Narita International Airport. The…

The idea of the interactive theatre experience is nothing new. From “whodunit” dinner parties to whatever it is people get up to at those Rocky Horror screenings, there’s always been a market for those of us who want to feel a part of the action. Even sitting front row at a comedy show brings out…

Getting in and out of Toronto’s Pearson International Airport can be a bit of a pain. Though a new express train service installed for the Pan Am Games in June has made the process of getting in and out a slightly less tiresome affair, it remains an expensive one. Luckily, for some routes, another airport lays…

Tom Stoppard’s plays are just so damn entertaining and clever. They always give off such a vibe of established sophistication that he easily fits into the most respected playwrights of history, but his writing remains relevant and modern. And when one gets to experience his plays in such a production as Sydney Theatre Company’s latest…

Inspired by events in and around Kings Cross at the end of the Second World War, Mayhem Kings Cross 1945 at the opulent Elizabeth Bay House was a celebration of the end of the war and a way to bid farewell to American GI’s returning home. A coloration between Sydney Living Museums and The Festivalists,…

Sky-hi & So-lo is the first one-man show from Viktor Griffioen, formerly of music theatre group The Sadists. It’s been 24 hours and quite frankly I’m still not entirely sure what to make of it. It’s chaotic, wilfully absurd – but utterly entertaining and hilarious (if you don’t mind your humour a bit dark and…

Did you know? Ludwig II of Bavaria was known as the Swan King or the Fairy Tale King? No? How about that Ludwig II was a massive fan of Wagner and decked out his palaces in homage to Wagner’s operas? Me neither. That was until I saw Ludwig – a one-man operetta – presented by…

Melbourne’s popular riverside haunt Pilgrim Bar have introduced a new series aimed at connecting food and drink aficionados to local producers from around Australia. Titled ‘Taste + Talk’, the string of events will begin this week on Thursday 18th February, bringing in on of Australia’s most loved Gin distilleries, Four Pillars for an hour-long event…

Burgers Anonymous just popped out of nowhere on Sydney’s Oxford Street, fashioning itself after hit TV series Breaking Bad and pumping out classic American style burgers, focused on simple done good. The new burger joint only just opened and has already been selling out of burgers, unsurprisingly. As reported by Broadsheet, co-owner David Tang describes…

Last week, Merivale celebrated the start of their one-month March Into Merivale festival with it’s traditional launch party throughout their famed ivy, presenting stalls from all Merivale venues new and old, with all chefs on hand to offer some of their latest creations, some old favourites, and future staples. AU’s Head Photographer Johnny Au was…

Award-winning team Brent Savage and Nick Hildebrandt are making some big changes to their acclaimed Potts Point restaurant Yellow, today announcing that as of this Wednesday 17th February, the kitchen will be shifting their focus towards vegetables. This means that the entire dinner menu will become all-vegetarian, with dishes designed to share. “I’ve always loved…

Clinton McIver,  of Clayton Bowls Club fame, has launched Amaru, the name being a hyrbid of an Aboriginal term “Amaroo” meaning “beautiful place” and the Portuguese word “Amar”, which means “to love. Roughly translated to “a beautiful place to love”, it’s the ideal way to describe a luxurious, intimate, tasting-menu-only space, located on High Street in Armadale. “One of my…

Comedian Aziz Ansari’s has confirmed that a second season of his Netflix comedy Master of None is on the way. Netflix hasn’t spoken up about the length or when audiences can expect to see the series return yet but Aziz took to Twitter to share the news. Master of None Season 2 coming 2017. Thanks for…

There’s a new trailer for The Huntsman: Winter’s War, starring Chris Hemsworth, Emily Blunt, Charlize Theron and Jessica Chastain. The sequel to 2012’s Snow White and The Huntsman will see Hemsworth and Chastain’s characters caught up in a war for domination between two queens. Check out the trailer below: The Huntsman: Winter’s War releases in Australian cinemas on…

Iconic Hong Kong hotel The Peninsula has recently announced a new installment in their ‘Love Art At The Peninsular’ arts program. Working in conjunction with the Royal Academy of Arts, the program will launch an exhibition by British sculptor, Conrad Shawcross. Shawcross will become the second major artist to exhibit at the hotel when his…

Budget airline Tigerair are offering a sale from now until midday on Tuesday 16th February to celebrate the month of love, pushing a “Love Your Family” deal that will see 20% off all domestic routes across their Australian network. Selling for travel during April (and the school holiday period), the sale is being offered online,…

In today’s Flight review on AU Abroad, we take you on Singapore Airline‘s A380 service from Hong Kong to Singapore – with an ongoing connection back to Sydney, as well as one of the handiest check in services you’ll find in the world… Airline: Singapore Airlines Route: Hong Kong to Singapore, SQ861 (Virgin Australia codeshare…

Flying into Newark (EWR) can not only often be a cheaper way to get into New York with some airline carriers, but it can also be an easier way to get into Manhattan on arrival, too. Unlike La Guardia (LGA) and similar to the crowded John F Kennnedy (JFK), Newark has a train station connected…

When one speaks of the cuisine of Quebec, it’s impossible to ignore the simple yet much loved dish “Poutine”. Essentially chips, cheese and gravy – something which is also popular in places like Scotland – it may seem hard to understand without experiencing it for yourself just what makes this stomach pleaser such an anticipated…

Is drinking the night before a gig a good idea? Is it necessary to bring a pillow while on tour? What kind of food do you eat in Canada? When you’re a musician, sometimes it’s tough making decisions on your own. Doing what you love in a new country can be scary and with it…

A couple of years ago, Californian Andrew Smith was awarded the title of Destination NSW’s “Chief Funster”, a duty that saw him travel around the State for six months, creating digital content that shows off New South Wales in all its splendour. I had the opportunity to join Andrew for two days of his adventure,…

The island of Koh Samui is a mere 50-minute flight from Thailand’s bustling capital of Bangkok, and a popular tourist haunt among people all over the globe, particularly Aussies. While geographically Koh Samui is fairly small, it offers a little something for everyone. Those that prefer to be in the thick of it head to…

Disneyland Hong Kong is the iconic brand’s second home in Asia, after launching its Tokyo location back in 1983. It’s also the Disney Theme Park that’s geographically closest to Australia – and with the park originally opening in September 2005, that means that this year they recently celebrated their 10th Birthday! I had the chance to…

NYC & Company along with New York City officials have announced the annual NYCxDESIGN the citywide celebration of design, will be held from May 3 – 17 2016. Hosted at venues throughout New York City NYCxDESIGN focuses on commerce, culture, education and entertainment with events encompassing exhibitions, installations, trade shows, talks, launches and open studios….

Sydney Festival returned last month for their huge 40th year anniversary, once again propping up their central hub in the leafy surrounds of Hyde Park, this year presenting a re-brand of sorts as what was once known as Sydney Festival Village now becomes Meriton Festival Village. Not much has changed aside from the name though,…

The name Marilyn Monroe conjures up images of old Hollywood glamour and an enigmatic pop icon who still fascinates people to this day. The Bendigo Art Gallery will showcase some of her costumes, personal clothing and artefacts, curated and drawn from private collections worldwide, and never before seen in Australia. Those planning a visit to…

The region of New England in the North-East of North American is made up of six states; Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. It shares a border with New York, yet it’s often overlooked on the tourist trail. The region is seriously rich in history, so here are 6 unusual yet culturally…

From writing some of our most beloved pieces of musical theatre, including Wicked, Pippin and Godspell, to some of our most treasured songs from the likes of Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Prince of Egypt, Stephen Schwartz has touched our music-filled hearts in one way or another. Currently in Australia for Defying…