Travel & Lifestyle

Being home to numerous renowned wine regions such as the Barossa Valley, Hunter Valley and Margaret River, it’s no secret that Australia is one of the world’s most exciting markets for wine. Although we locally produce a large variety of premium wines such as Shiraz and Chardonnay, Australians also have a taste for an array of…

A little over a month ago, Anthony Prior, Director of Hotels and Bars for hospitality giant The Keystone Group, participated in an intimate panel on Sydney’s controversial lockout laws and offered insight from a hospitality industry perspective. The panel, which was organised by Diageo, also included industry players Martin O’Sullivan (President of the Small Bars…

While the controversy over Kanye West’s recently released visuals for “Famous” continues to make headlines, the rapper, producer, designer, and media villain has dropped a major announcement with long-time collaborator adidas, pointing to a massive expansion with the footwear giant which includes new collections and co-branded stores. Looking far beyond the wildly popular Yeezy branded…

Over the past few months on AU Abroad, we’ve been taking you in and out of the West Coast Canadian city of Vancouver, from a look at the Airport’s incredible Fairmont Hotel, to reviewing our flight from Vancouver Airport back to Sydney with Air Canada. We filled you in on the airline’s expansion to Brisbane, and…

Yesterday we took you to the beaches of Santa Monica, and now today we take you to the other end of the new Expo Line – the revamped, revitalised and culturally vibrant Downtown LA. At the heart of this is the Ace Hotel, an old United Artists Theatre turned Church (“Los Angeles University Cathedral”) turned 13…

Australian Business Traveller reported this week that Australian airline Qantas will introduce the ability to purchase single entry lounge passes for most of its international lounge network. Domestic Qantas Club lounges will cost $49 (or 7,000 Qantas Points), while International Business Class lounges will be $69 (or 9,990 Qantas Points). Their new single-class Premium International lounges in…

Backed by Dark MOFO, Events Tasmania and the Huon Valley Council, the annual Huon Valley Mid-Winter Fest will be returning to the apple valley for a three-day pagan inspired celebration of the long-standing and renowned apple history of the region. Home of the largest organic apple orchard in Australia, Huon Valley’s The Apple Shed will…

Iconic Potts Point institution Gazebo is getting a bit of a makeover, redefining itself with a new Mediterranean inspired menu, a wine list that champions regional and international names, and music to bring the community together. The move to a more culinary Mediterranean experience includes the introduction of shared plates, a wider range of local and international…

“We like to have fun at Mr Burger“, read a statement released by hugely the hugely popular Melbourne food truck this week. “And giving someone burgers for life if they change their last name to ‘Burger’ seems about the most fun thing we can do”. The team behind Mr Burger were running what was perhaps…

Health food sampling service GoodnessMe box are teaming up with The Grounds of Alexandria to put on a huge dessert-themed wholefood night market with leading health food brands offering up their finely crafted treats to highlight the balance between indulging dessert lovers and providing them with options a bit more guilt-free than the usual doughnut…

On July 7th, the annual music festival Ottawa Bluesfest will take over Canada’s capital city for 11 days, attracting some of the worlds finest bands (including our very own DZ Deathrays and The Paper Kites, among many others). But with many days of the festival not taking place until the evening – and some days…

How many times have you been promised an “Ocean View Room” only to find out your hotel is miles away from the Ocean and you can only see it with a pair of binoculars (BYO, of course). Well we have found at least one hotel that proves itself worth every buzz word in the brochure. Say…

While most fly to London via Asia or the Middle East, Air New Zealand offer a service that take you via Auckland and Los Angeles. It’s a longer journey, but depending on the needs of your travel could end up being a better option. Our own Jennifer Quinlin recently flew from Melbourne to London on Air…

Fresh from playing (and being evacuated from) Hurricane Festival in Germany and the iconic Glastonbury in the UK, Perth rockers Tired Lion are currently conquering Europe and the UK with a string of festival dates and headline shows. The tour continues later this week at Bravalla Festival in Sweden, before heading to Switzerland for Open…

Following last year’s success, Darling Harbour will once again turn into Sydney’s “winter playground” for 2016’s Cool Yule, an event that runs from 2nd to the 17th July, during the winter school holidays. When Darling Harbour transforms into a winter wonderland, visitors can meander through an bewitching frozen forest, do a couple of rounds on the ice rink or enjoy some ice-skating…

In the lead up to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, confectionary giant Cadbury has decided to celebrate its proud partnership with the Australian Olympic team in the sweetest way possible, by releasing two limited edition quintessentially Australian flavoured family blocks of their signature milk chocolate. The move not only boosts support for the team (fitting…

When Kingswood returned from Canadian Music Week in Toronto, they shared with us their experiences on the road. From an intense game of oversized Jenga, giant pizza, and maple bacon donuts, to Niagara Falls and the upside down house, the band share their adventures and funny stories for us to enjoy.  If you have ever been to Bigsound in…

The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels’ (HSH) renovation of The Peninsula Beijing is well on its way to completion, set to unveil a first peak into the $US123 million upgrade in August 2016.  Changes to the hotel, which began in late 2015 and will be complete in early 2017, include redesigned public spaces, restaurants, rooms and suites.  Changes in the first phase…

AMC’s enormously popular The Walking Dead has seen inspired theme park attractions pop up around the world, but Universal Studios Hollywood are just about to unveil the most ambitious addition yet. Working closely with AMC, the world renowned film studio and theme park will build upon the “Halloween Horror Nights” maze that has been so…

One of the most exciting developments in Sydney’s ever growing craft beer scene has been the recent opening of The Noble Hops, a Redfern small bar with an unwavering focus on inventive and rare brews. While the city’s craft beer scene has seen some fantastic pubs dedicated to local brews, Noble Hops sets itself apart…

World renowned Sydney staple The Grounds of Alexandria remains one of the most unique spaces in Sydney, a precinct in itself that seems to always be transforming and delivering new, unique concepts. The latest evolution for The Grounds encompasses three separate experiences, first a Pizza Solo, secondly a dedicated Soda Barn, and lastly a Backyard BBQ,…

Australia’s fastest growing holistic lifestyle hub, About Life, has expanded to now include eight stores, with its latest sprouting up in the growing lower North Shore suburb of Crows Nest. Fashioned as a one-stop shop for natural groceries and wholefoods, including a range of staples and superfoods, About Life continues to rise along with a…

Though plenty of international festivals, including the Calgary Stampede which we will feature later in this article series, still embrace our most basic culinary appetites – fried, salty, greasy carnival food – the popularity of the modern, often “gourmet” food truck has undeniably changed the landscape of what we eat at festivals and how we…

Memphis, Tennessee. Though perhaps best known around the world as being the home of Elvis and Graceland, the American city is also the home to some of the best BBQ in the country. And in popular revitalised areas like Overton Square and the Cooper-Young district, the city is finding that its cuisine is reaching even further, often…

The culture of Tapas in Spain is one that dates back to the 16th Century. Its exact origins are often argued, but many say its core purpose can be found in its name. The word comes from “tapar”, or “to cover”, and many believe the tradition started with breads and meats being used to cover drinks…

The line up for the 17th annual AmericanaFest has continued to roll out some brilliant names for its 2016 event, with the likes of Billy Bragg & Joe Henry, Amanda Shires and Bruce Hornsby & the Noisemakers being announced in their latest artist reveal. The festival is already boasting artists including Wynonna & The Big Noise, Jay Nash and The Black Lillies, while Kasey…

On Wednesday night in Morrison, Colorado, Sia opened the US Festival SeriesFest with a special performance at the historic Red Rocks Amphitheater, headlining the opening night of the festival in its second year. SeriesFest aims to be the “Sundance of Television”, offering a platform for independent television writers, producers and creators to have a platform to…

It’s been nine months since West End’s long standing cocktail bar, the Lychee Lounge changed hands to new owner Peter Bierton, and he’s ready to show Brisbane he’s got what it takes to run this flagship venue. As a longtime customer of the previous owner, Peter Bierton has a love for cocktails and big dreams…

With Melbourne but a few hours away, a visit to Geelong doesn’t sound too tempting to the everyday food and beer lover, that is until one realises that the quiet seaside locale is home to the Little Creatures Brewing Village. For fans of the ever-growing craft beer scene in Australia there are few experiences as…

The change to the colder months has brought about a big change over at Bondi staple Porch and Parlour, with the restaurant bringing on a brand new team to lead their ‘Evenings at Porch’ sessions, including Head Chef Patrick Coleman. This change has resulted in a new evening menu drawing up Coleman’s rich culinary experience…