Travel & Lifestyle

Just because Sydney is winding down from three of June’s biggest events (Sydney Film Festival, Vivid, and Supanova), doesn’t mean that there is a shortage of excitement around the city this weekend. There’s quite a few exciting happenings around town, and we’ve picked out some of our favs for you get across, including some that…

As we continue our culinary tour around North America, we come to Ottawa in Ontario, Canada for their annual mammoth event the Ottawa Bluesfest, which takes over the Canadian capital city over 10 days every July. As they are about to kick off the event for 2016, we’ll take you back to the event last…

In today’s Flight review on AU Abroad, we take you on Southwest Airlines‘ service from Memphis, Tennessee to Chicago Midway in the USA. Airline: Southwest Airlines Route: Memphis, Tennessee (MEM) to Chicago Midway (MDW) – WN1470 Seat: 22C (aisle, 3-3 layout) Aircraft: Boeing 737-700 (73W) Scheduled Flight Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes On Schedule? Departed 15 minutes late, arrived about 5 minutes late Frequent Flyer Program: Southwest have…

The quirky trio behind Netsuke recently took to New York for the CMJ Music Marathon. Freya, Elias, and Danny’s style of intricate indie electronica began in Sydney and they currently call London home. To give us a taste of life on the road, the trio documented their travels through the states with some stunning images….

There is no shortage of good ramen in Sydney, with the popular Japanese creation rightfully treated as an art and held to a high standard. The presence of such quality, from the CBD to Kingsford to Crows Nest, forces many ramen-focused restaurants and stalls to constantly up their game but none can really compare to…

This has been an incredible year for Aussie musician Julia Jacklin, who has not stopped touring the globe since the beginning of the year, taking in SXSW in the US and The Great Escape in Brighton, England, bookended by what were her first interstate Australian shows in January, and a sold out tour at home…

Tigerair Australia have made a big move in expanding options for those looking to book flights with the low-cost carrier, opening up both domestic and international payments to PayPal. The main benefit of this is that those using the PayPal service to purchase flights will be have access to a cost less than half of…

Circular Quay’s famed ARIA Sydney will be pushing further into winter with an exclusive Whisky tasting experience early July, with the restaurant’s team joining up with one of the country’s leading Whisky experts, Franz Scheurer. Those who head along to the special dinner will have a rare opportunity to sample some of Scotland’s most robust…

One of Kew’s quintessential restaurants, Mister Bianco, now has a little brother with the opening of Massi in Little Collins Street. Chef Joseph Vargetto has opened up the new 50-seated Italian restaurant in the CBD with an aim to bring the flavours of Italian region Piedmont to Melbourne with a casual approach, offering up morning…

With their debut EP gaining solid acclaim upon its release and their single “Eye to Eye” generating some great momentum, Sydney’s Wild Honey kicked off 2016 joining The Delta Riggs for a tour down the east coast – a perfect way to start a promising year! Spending the tour travelling along the Great Ocean Road, lapping up the sun…

Earlier this week, we took you to Vancouver Airport’s incredible Fairmont Hotel, and now we’re heading into the mountains of Whistler, about two and a half hours away from the city (we got there thanks to Pacific Coach Lines), for a meal and view you have to experience in your lifetime. It’s the Aura Restaurant at the Nita…

Shelby Sidecar Tours have officially launched in Sydney to bring something a little bit different to your average city tour for both locals and visitors. Now, you can cruise the streets of Sydney from the comfort of a vintage sidecar as the first-of-its-kind tour operator makes a big push for their program of bespoke tours…

Neutral Bay institution The Oaks has teamed up with iconic Japanese beer Kirin Beer to stage a unique pop-up designed to recreate a Sakaba (an informal Japanese Bar). The temporary takeover has shaped the space into a vintage Japanese garden with traditional lanterns, bamboo archways, and decorative bonsai trees (including an LED cherry blossom tree…

Mulled Wine and Munich Biers will rule during Australia’s official travelling Winter Festival this year as Munich Brauhaus have come on board for a pop-up Bier Hall. The European flavour of the winter festival will also be upheld by a Food Truck focusing on German sausages and a Belgian Waffle truck, sitting alongside award-winning restaurants…

With the opening of their brand new restaurant Eat’aliano, restaurateur Alessio Ali and Head Chef Pino Russo have decided to bring a little taste of the Mediterranean to the neighbourhood of Windsor, where Asian cuisine has dominated so far. The pair, who previously worked together at Mascalzone Pizzeria in Williamstown, aim to make their wood-fired pizzas the star…

Glebe marches to the beat of a different drummer. Erudite misfits call it home, as do students, families, travellers and long-time residents. It’s affectionate and invigorating, a place where old terrace houses sit a stone’s throw away from UTS and Sydney University. Future leaders and creatives rub shoulders with the traditional and the comfortable. This is where you’ll find Bombay Street Kitchen. Run…

Singapore Airlines have announced they are increasing their services to California from October, with a new non-stop service to San Francisco on their brand new A350s, and a second daily flight to Los Angeles. From 23rd October 2016, the award winning carrier will commence daily non-stop flights between Singapore and San Francisco. Singapore will be…

Melbourne group Miss Destiny are not one you can pigeon hole into one particular genre. Even their own biography has some troubles, describing the group’s music as “post-hippie, pre-punk era rock ‘n’ roll meets the origins of New Wave of British Heavy Metal, with a glimmer of Sunset Strip feel-good excess”. Say that ten times fast. And…

GoEuro – an online service which helps you book flights, buses and trains within Europe – has unveiled a handy new European Summer Festival guide that might help you plan some excellent musical experiences over the coming months. The comprehensive guide breaks down just about every festival happening in Europe across Summer 2016 into a…

It’s World Martini Day today (Sunday 19th June) and being a traditionally lazy day of the week we thought you’d want to stay home and mix up some classics so you can still get involved in the global celebration. More so than most other classics, the martini is so deeply embedded in popular culture that…

As many travellers would know, the Fairmont Hotel and Resort brand is one associated with luxury, with stunning accommodations scattered all over the world. But there’s only one hotel in their chain that’s been built into an Airport, and that’s in Vancouver on the west coast of Canada – the entry point for all Australians who…

There’s a lot going on around Sydney, and while most of it’s fun there’s some tearful goodbyes too as we farewell two of the city’s biggest events – Sydney Film Festival and Vivid Sydney – for yet another year. This is your last chance to charge up with the energy of both events while also…

Time to Get Schwifty. Announced on their Facebook page last night, the furious duo of Brooklyn’s El-P and Atlanta’s Killer Mike – collectively known as Run The Jewels – have gotten into the often overcrowded world of collaborative fashion by teaming with Adult Swim series Rick & Morty and clothing label Daylight Curfew. The fusion…

Last year, Adelaide avant-pop band Ghyti took their particular brand of alternative rock to Toronto for the Canadian Music Week festival. They have written a detailed yet entirely unreliable account of the tour, and sent it to us with a selection of grainy smartphone photos. Behold! DAY 1 Flying. Lots of flying. Once upon a time,…

The tenth Treasure Island Music Festival has unveiled its line up for this year and, for its final year being held on the island in San Francisco Bay, the organisers have planned a memorable list of artists. Headlined by Sigur Rós and Ice Cube, the Treasure Island Music Festival also features James Blake, Purity Ring and Sydney’s Flight Facilities (the…

Most people love it but what do people really know about chocolate? The team at The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney look set to change all that with a fun and informative new exhibition. Sweet Addiction allows people to experience chocolate as a botanical adventure that fuses together art, education, theatre and flora. The exhibition is…

Nestled within Q Station, a heritage retreat and Australia’s first and oldest Quarantine Station, Boilerhouse Harbourside Restaurant & Bar has upped the ante with Matt Kemp at the helm. With an impressive list of lauded restaurants under his belt, Matt Kemp took on the role of Executive Chef of Q Station in March 2016. Formerly…

One of Double Bay’s most loved restaurants, Vine, are launching a new collaborative dinner series with some of the best chefs across the city, kicking off over the latter half of 2016. A concept spearheaded by Executive Chef Drew Bolton, the Origins Dinner Series will be aimed at celebrating local produce and mold to suit…

New retro restaurant/cafe/bar Zebra Green makes its home in the heart of Bondi Junction, giving surrounding eateries a run for their money with their niche comfort food offering. The brainchild of Shane Lurie from Blue Orange,  this new venue draws on Lurie’s experience as a world traveller and childhood in South Africa, where he learned about fine dining at his parents’ restaurant, Les Marquis….

In today’s Flight review on AU Abroad, we take you on Delta Air Lines‘ brief connection service from Burlington, Vermont to La Guardia Airport in New York City in the USA. Airline: Delta Air Lines (Shuttle America Connection) Route: Burlington, Vermont (BTV) to La Guardia, New York (LGA) – DL3377 Seat: 15C (window, 1-2 layout) Aircraft: Embraer ERJ145…