If Mother Nature had a favourite child, her name would be Alice. Like two outstretched arms giving the dusty red town a warm (sometimes too warm) hug, the East and West MacDonnell Ranges wrap around Alice Springs/Mparntwe in a way that places the Red Centre amongst the world’s most impressive geographical wonders. The local Arrernte…
Where’s the best place to stay in Los Angeles? In a city so annoyingly spread out, being strategic about where to stay in L.A. is important. The city’s famously horrendous traffic isn’t something you’d want to contend with, and it can take over an hour to get from somewhere like Downtown L.A. to Venice. Getting…
I think one of the most noticeable things about growing up is what you pay attention to in your home. You’re no longer focused on saving up that latest piece of home technology or buying expensive art pieces. And while those things are nice if you’ve got the money, maturing is realising that it’s those…
Getting to your final destination without any breaks is always going to have more appeal for the modern traveller. Yet I feel like the art of a well-chosen layover isn’t talked about enough as it should be. To me, it all comes down to your buffer. When you’ve worked in a layover on your way…
In travel writing, the word “hack” is thrown around so often that it’s become a meaningless nonsense phrase, like “literally,” “narcissist,” and “we should totally start a podcast.” Shortcuts made to improve certain bugbears of the travel experience are well-documented, and just about every self-fashioned influencer and their TikTok account claim to hold the key…
With direct flights into Hawaii – at least from Australia – only taking you to Honolulu on the island of Oahu, many guests to the closest American State to our country don’t take the opportunity to explore the surrounding islands. Or at least don’t go further than Maui. In fact, it took me more than…
Even when we don’t consider the frustrating AUD to USD exchange rate, New York City ain’t cheap. But when Qantas’ direct flight from Sydney to New York set to launch next year, the city will have never been more accessible for Australian tourists. So you’re going to have even more reason to make the trip…
While we travelled around Hawaii this past December, we took in so many breathtaking sites, sounds and tastes; we truly fell in love with the island and its culture. This led to us wanting to deepen our understanding of Hawaii and its neighbouring Pacific islands. By fully immersing ourselves at the Polynesian Cultural Center, we…
I always love visiting Seattle. Between the endless culinary delights of Pike Place Market, the stacked cellar doors in Woodinville and the restorative Pacific Northwest climate, few places in the USA can charm with such gentleness and generosity of spirit. It’s not America’s most frenetic city, but it’s easily one of the most livable with…
Few (big) cities worldwide are as lovingly cradled by nature as Vancouver. Nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the snowy peaks of the Coast Mountains, the biggest and most diverse city in British Columbia perfectly fits the bill for both outdoor adventure and urban excitement. There’s world-class art (one of my favourite museums in the…
With LA 2028, the Los Angeles Olympics, just over three years away, the city is busy preparing for the influx of tourists with new infrastructure and entertainment options for visitors and residents alike. This is happening in tandem to clean up efforts, following the devastation of the wildfires last month. So we firstly want to…
Kauai, or “The Garden Isle” is a true gem of the Hawaiian Islands. It may be the state’s fourth largest island, but it hosts more beaches and hiking trails than any of the others. Known for its lush flora and fauna, it has set the scene for iconic movies such as Jurassic Park, Pirates of…
It’s no secret that Canberra punches above its modest weight. The food (and wine) is some of the best in the country, spoiled by the finest of both Victoria and New South Wales produce. Then you have the relaxed pace, barely-there traffic, world-class art and bucolic lifestyle. That’s one of the few things Melbourne and…
“There are 200 million sandwiches eaten a day in America”, according to Australia’s Ben Gollan. One might say he’s a sandwich aficionado, and he’s not shy to admit it, remarking on a beautiful New York autumn afternoon, “the Sandwich is a global dish that beings people together, which is why I do this tour and…
We’ve talked at length about how Downtown L.A. has become one of the most exciting precincts in the Californian city – a long overdue rebirth of this historic hub. But when you’ve got just 24 hours to spend here, where should you go? Where should you stay? What should you see? And perhaps most importantly:…
When The Phantom of the Opera closed last year, after almost 14,000 performances, it ended its reign as the longest running production on Broadway. While it technically still holds the crown as Broadway’s longest running show (of all time), the move passed the mantle of longest running productions currently on Broadway to the 1996 revival…
On a recent visit to Buffalo in New York, right by Niagara Falls, I was lucky enough to spend a weekend in a historic 1898 mansion, InnBuffalo. This building is now a quaint Bed and Breakfast (or “BnB”) that sits within Buffalo’s vibrant Elmwood Village. It was as typical a BnB as you could expect…
As a kid who grew up in the 90s – between the US and Australia – I was gifted with a potpourri of ever-evolving options to celebrate a birthday with friends. Since the 1970s, there’s been all-you-can-eat pizza places with arcades and playhouses, from Pizza Hut to Chuck-E-Cheese. In the mid-1980s, laser tag entered the…
If you’ve ever been looking for that storybook Halloween experience, look no further than New York State and New England in the northeast of the United States. With picture perfect communities pulled straight from the movies, the day of trick-or-treating is filled with incredible costumes, houses that go all out with decorations, and a seemingly…
Though you wouldn’t immediately think of Las Vegas for its museums and galleries, the city has its fair share of high quality attractions scattered around the city. And it’s a surprising mix – who would have thought, for instance, that The Punk Rock Museum would find a home in Nevada? While some are temporary or…
Earlier this year I had the opportunity to enjoy an incredible night at the Californian tiki bar Strong Water. Just a stones throw from Disneyland in Anaheim – where so much of the modern tiki bar aesthetic was popularised – this James Beard Award semi-finalist is now one of the hottest destinations in the city….
This past July, I had the pleasure of returning to Las Vegas. But this time, the focus of the trip shifted in a surprising way: I got schooled in the history of the Las Vegas strip. This offered a new perspective of this vibrant city, learning about the glitz and glamour that gave Vegas the…
When director Baz Halpin and executive producer Bernie Yuman approached two-time Academy Award-winning actor Sir Anthony Hopkins, I doubt they expected him to say yes to their proposal. Yuman, a Vegas veteran, was manager to Siegfried and Roy from a very young age and stuck by the legendary performers’ until their last day. He even…
For decades, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) was one of the most dreaded entry points in the USA. No one I’ve spoken to likes flying into L.A., and at its best, the furiously busy airport is a functional failure. At its worst, it’s a nightmare. But things have finally changed in 2024, the first full…
When you think about where to get yourself some great Chinese dumplings and Dim Sum, it’s fair to say that the American desert doesn’t immediately come to mind. Nonetheless, Las Vegas in Nevada proves to hold a secret treasure trove of some of the best dumplings in North America, with plenty of options on the…
With the the launch of the hi-tech Sphere and a multitude of modern new experiences in Las Vegas, it may seem that the classic “Las Vegas Residency” isn’t getting the attention it once did. But the reality is, more major artists are performing in the city than ever before, each bringing in tens of millions…
Last Fall, I was lucky enough to travel through the northeast of the United States – an area known as New England – with my Mum. It was a trip we’d planned to do for many years. Originally, in the Spring, as the leaves on the streets were freshly growing and the flowers freshly blooming;…
Right now New York’s iconic theatre district – Broadway – may have the most amount of chart-topping artists represented in its catalogue than ever. And this was well recognised at this weekend’s Tony Awards, with the two most nominated productions being Hell’s Kitchen, featuring the catalogue of Alicia Keys, and Stereophonic, with original music from…
Since 2018, CUPRA has developed a reputation as one of Europe’s fastest-growing car brands. Originating from Spanish manufacturer SEAT’s motorsport division, Cupra Racing, the move for the brand to launch in its now standalone form has led to growing popularity in a number of markets, including Australia. CUPRA’s line of vehicles brings the performance dynamics…
The “World’s Fair” – known outside the United States as “World Expositions” or just “Expo” – used to be a big deal. A real big deal. It would attract tens of millions of visitors to a city over a number of months (generally three to six – but sometimes over multiple years), featuring dozens of…
