The downstairs lobby and back bar area of luxury boutique hotel Pier One on Sydney’s harbour has been transformed into a lush winter ski lodge where guests can sink into comfortable rich furnishings, warm up by an open flame and of course sip on a Chivas whiskey based cocktail or two. Positioned to take advantage…
There’s never an off-season for ice cream, even if that season is blasting you with icy chills. As proof, Mövenpick has edged forward with a new winter menu, which includes everything from chocolate fondant to apple strudel to freshly baked waffles. In designing the winter menu, the team have used only the best ingredients they could source,…
Chef Zachary Tan is a busy man as of late. As well as highlighting exceptional – and fun – Malaysian food at his new bar Lazy Suzie, he continues to help design new menu items for Devon Café and Devon on Danks alongside Chef Jacquie Ektoros. Now that we’ve entered the always anticipated truffle season…
Brisbane’s third ever Good Food Month is here, running up until July 31st with one of its most expansive programs to date. From Momofuku Seiōbo’s Paul Carmichael collaborating with Josue Lopez at GOMA to a pop-up from internationally awarded Bangkok chef David Thompson, the streets of Brisbane city will be full of delicious happenings all…
Margherita & Co is like a little slice of Italy. The new restaurant in the Hordern Arcade at World Square in Sydney looks poised to bring food that is buona and bella (good and beautiful – doesn’t everything sound better in Italian?) to a spot previously renowned for Asian eateries. The concept is courtesy of…
Starting from Tuesday July 5th, for the first time ever, Yo-Chi and Hanoi Hannah are teaming up to bring you a delicious combination of pho and yoghurt, aka “pho-yo”. For a limited time of only one month, the Yo-Chi fro-yo bar located in Carlton will be hosting a special Hanoi Hannah pop-up kiosk, serving a…
Celebrated Sydney chef Pasi Petanen has certainly made a name for himself, last year closing what was perhaps one of the most well received residency restaurants the city has ever seen with Café Paci which sadly ended its Darlinghurst run in December. While Petanen hasn’t announced any concrete plans to start up another pop-up anytime…
Hobbiton. It’s a real place. You want to know why? Because I totally went there. Hobbits are real, end of discussion. And they’re beautiful. OK – well, sort of real. Alexander Farm is a 1250 acre property in Matamata, New Zealand, and is home to the set of Hobbiton from the Lord of the Rings…
Born and raised Port Macquarie man Patrick James is quickly moving from strength to strength as he debuts his first album, Outlier. Building his art by busking in the streets of Sydney, James is now headlining his own sold out shows, while supporting the likes of Boy & Bear, Pete Murray, Josh Pyke, Emma Louise and more. Check out this travel…
Earlier this week, Jennifer started her journey to London with Air New Zealand with her first leg from Melbourne to Auckland (You can read that review HERE). Today she takes us on the second leg, from Auckland to Los Angeles on Air New Zealand‘s remarkable Premium Economy “Spaceseat” service, abroad their stunning Boeing 777-300 aircraft. Airline: Air New…
Those who have travelled to places like Los Angeles and New York in recent years may have come across a service called uberPOOL, an option within the Uber app that allows you to share your journey with strangers to reduce the cost of your trip. You save around 25% on your journey, with the only…
Welcoming me to The Henry Austin on a Monday morning, British restaurateur and one of the establishment’s head honchos Max Mason is positively chipper as we sit down in the empty dining room. Within five minutes of being seated, I’ve received more compliments than I’d normally get before lunchtime on a dreary Monday, met Mason’s…
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…
