Travel & Lifestyle

Melbourne’s Space Hotel describes itself as “budget accommodation as it was never meant to be”, and there’s a lot true in that statement. The backpacker hotel, which also calls itself a “poshtel” rather than the typical “hostel”, offers the perfect range of accommodation options for travelers – from family-sized private rooms with ensuites, to shared…

Philippines’ airline Cebu Pacific is expanding its network within the Visayas regions and announcing a flight sale to Australia, with one-way all-in fares starting from AUD$269, available until 28 July 2016. As for the new flights, Cebu Pacific (CEB) have announced new daily flights between Cebu and Ormoc and Cebu and Roxas, as well as…

Last week at the Farnborough Airshow, the winners of the coveted 2016 Skytrax World Airline Awards were revealed, which – among a slew of awards – ranked the world’s top 100 airlines, voted for by airline customers around the world. Last year’s winner, Qatar Airways, dropped one spot top number two, while Emirates, who were…

Highlighting some of the best in the country, Melbourne’s 8th annual Sommeliers Australia Long Lunch will be returning to Albert Park early August with wines and dishes from three of the city’s best establishments – Embla, Rockpool Bar and Grill, and Dinner by Heston Blumenthal. A three-way battle of sommelier supremacy will be pitting Christan…

Starting from 17th July, on the last Sunday of each month, Mio Locale will be hosting a special four course Sunday Feast lunch event. Located on the quieter end of Melbourne’s lively Brunswick Street, Mio Locale is a family run café serving Italian and Mediterranean influenced cuisine. Mio Locale’s new Sunday Feast lunch events are…

The Edinburgh Castle, or ‘The Eddy’, has gone through a complete renovation, in both its interior styling as well as in its food and beverage offering. Once home to Australian writer and poet, Henry Lawson, this iconic Sydney landmark was where Lawson wrote many of his great stories. Paying homage to the venue’s history meant…

Located in Sydney’s greater western suburb of Liverpool Gemelle Ristorante Italiano is taking the Italian tradition of warmth and generosity to a new level with the launch of their ultimate Butcher’s Feast. The restaurant which established itself firmly in the community in the early 90’s has become known for its sophisticated take on hearty, regional…

Awarded chef Jason Atherton and his exciting Sydney establishment Kensington Street Social have been pulling their weight at The Old Clare Hotel for months, and now that they have a growing following the team have decided to kick up their offerings to include an Express Lunch menu. From Monday through to Wednesday, KSS will be…

With International IPA Day (Sunday 7th August) coming up, the best teams in Australia’s craft beer scene are no doubt going to be coming out with special brews to celebrate. To get the ball rolling, the legendary 4 Pines Brewing Company have jumped into the brewery with Sydney’s Grain Bar to create an exclusive India…

Being that it’s truffle season, and pretty much everyone with a palate can’t get enough of the rich ingredient, renowned providore-cafe-bar Salt Meats Cheese have unsurprisingly gotten involved with the delicacy in a big way, bringing a dedicated truffle menu exclusively to their Drummoyne and Broadway locations. The very mention of truffles is enough to…

Sydneysiders are gearing up for the epic return of the Italian Wine and Food Festival which takes place at Sydney Town Hall on Sunday 21st August for 10 hours of the best the city has to offer, from chefs and restaurants, to providores and wine distributors. Rows of stalls and cooking demonstrations are set up…

Cuckoo Callay may be best known for their annual Bacon Festival Menu, but this chirpy Newtown café deserves a closer look at their ever-changing all day menu, which has recently been overhauled for the winter season. We’re not talking about one or two additional dishes either; the owners regularly experiment with massive, inventive combinations that…

Apex burger joint Pub Life Kitchen have ventured on down to the former digs of Darlinghurst’s notorious Club 77 (where Starfuckers regularly had night-crawlers in a frenzy), which was recently overturned and transformed into a stylish subterranean diner simply called 77. In the underground diner, PLK have set up a residency called PLK Express, offering…

In today’s flight review, we take on the second half of Emirates’ award winning service from Dubai to Melbourne, via Singapore. Airline: Emirates Route: Singapore to Melbourne, Australia – EK404 Seat: Economy, 27D, Middle Aisle (3-4-3 Layout) Aircraft: 777-300ER Scheduled Flight Time: 7 Hours On Schedule? Departed 20 minutes late and arrived about the same. In…

In the past, we’ve described Sydney’s Betty & Oswald as “having their own brand of music– a swirling blend of jazz, cabaret, folk and something a little more slippery.” Now, they bring their international adventures home with them in the form of one awesome and insightful travel diary for AU Abroad. Enjoy all the behind-the-scenes…

The nation’s capital is known for its spectacularly crisp winters, and as Canberra cools all the way down, the cuisine from Molto Italian, along the Kingston Foreshore, warms visitors and locals alike with its new seasonal menu. Sticking with the team’s the aim of using only the best locally and internationally sourced produce, Head Chef Giuseppe Pappalardo has created the…

Chippendale pub The Lord Gladstone have always been playful and open-minded with their events, throwing some of the city’s best bashes in recent memory and offering up some seriously delicious pub food on the regular. The last thing you’d expect is for the venue to be embroiled in a feud with One Nation supporters, but…

Doughnut Time seem to be working hard to constantly bring us a stream of new and exciting creations, and they aren’t above dipping their toes in current gaming trends for inspiration. Just recently they played around with world politics to introduce a limited edition Donald Trump doughnut at their Australian stores; now, with the Pokemon…

Australian pastry chef Kirsten Tibballs enjoys a sterling reputation across around the globe, no doubt fueled by the title of “Queen of Chocolate” that follows her around wherever she goes. She has won gold medals at international pasty events, judged chocolate competitions in Paris and Japan, and has well and truly become one of Australia’s…

As we enter the second half of the annual Ottawa Bluesfest in Canada (running until 17th July), we’re bringing you the second half of our feature on a summer’s weekend in Canada’s capital city. A couple of weeks ago we filled you in on the places to eat, drink and shop, and now this week…

As if a three-hour set from The Cure and finally witnessing The Avalanches post-Wildflower wasn’t enough, this year’s Splendour in the Grass is promising its biggest food and lifestyle line-up to date. Following the success of having Mary’s up there last year (in the Gold Bar though), Secret Sounds have tapped into some of the…

Unless you’ve had your head buried deep underground like a subterranean fungus, you’ll know that Canberra’s annual Truffle Festival, held over 12 weeks from June to August, is currently in full swing.  Part of the festival includes a showcase of the nation’s best truffles at participating venues like Hotel Kurrajong Canberra and Vibe Hotel Canberra Airport….

As their 200th year anniversary celebration continues, Sydney’s Royal Botanic Garden have welcomed in a new café from indulgent kings Piccolo Me; yeah, the same Piccolo Me that have perfected the Giant Deep-Fried Nutella Ice Cream Ball, and other lip-smacking treats. Not only have Piccolo Me opened up at the iconic location, but to celebrate…

Premium food delivery service Deliveroo are prepping to unleash their Deliveroo Treat concept this Friday 15th July, offering to deliver free burgers from some of the best names in each city across Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. For three hours, Deliveroo drivers will be riding around their service areas delivering freebies from the likes of Hashtag…

With the immediate area surrounding Waterloo hotspot Abbotts Hotel becoming a hotbed of Pokémon activity, the team behind the pub have officially declared it a dedicated “PokéPub”, temping frenzied Pokémon Go players with special themed offers that will last all this week. It was only a matter of time before venues jumped on this whole…

This time last year, I flew from the Calgary Stampede to Ottawa Bluesfest (both happening right now!) on board Air Canada‘s regular service between the two cities. Lucky enough to get bumped up to Business Class on the flight, here’s a look back at that journey. Airline: Air Canada Route: Calgary, Alberta to Ottawa, Ontario – AC118 Seat:…

On my last trip to the Hunter to cover the famous Hunter Valley food fight, I was lucky enough to sample more Hunter fare. I say Hunter fare here because even though it isn’t too far from Sydney (slightly more than a two hour drive), a lot of the food I tried tasted like an entirely…

Escape the hustle and bustle of Sydney for a change of scenery to explore regional New South Wales. Bathurst is a mere three-hour drive from Sydney, offering a perfectly charming winter getaway. A town alive with history, culture, and a growing food scene, there’s something to see and do for everyone. An overnighter in Bathurst…

Good Turkish cuisine is few and far apart in Sydney, so it came as a surprise when the very first permanent restaurant at the much-discussed Barangaroo development was announced to bring a contemporary take on share-style Ottoman dining to the ongoing precinct. A few months ago, Anason opened to huge expectations, seeing as highly regarded…

Australia’s iconic gelato champions Gelato Messina are finally expanding to include a store in the inner-west, and it’s going to be located right smack bang in the middle of Newtown’s King Street. Taking over the former Gelatomassi store at 262 King Street, Messina will be setting up towards the end of August (exact date not…