Travel & Lifestyle

Canberra three-piece Safia continue to make waves and move to the forefront of Australia’s next biggest musical exports with their blend of indie rock, delicate soul, and various styles of electronica. Last year, the group travelled to the USA for a run of shows that included SXSW, and the trio kept the AU review in the…

Taken from their debut album Raw Nerve, Melbourne’s metal powerhouse Jack The Stripper have just released a new music video in “Nibiru”, and to celebrate they’re touring Australia, Europe and Japan in the coming months. Jack The Stripper’s ‘Nibiru Tour’ starts this month in Australia before the band embarks on their first ever European tour which includes shows with fellow Aussie…

Docklands’ and South Yarra’s popular Italian eatery, A25 Pizzeria have made its way to the heart of the CBD, extending the team’s well-loved pizza place to the vigorous scene on the corner of Lonsdale Street and Hardware Lane. The new restaurant maintains a strong focus on classic Italian coffee and quick ‘on-the-go’ breakfast options for CBD…

Exciting times ahead for Westfield North Lakes with the introduction of a new event, The Laneway Weekender, which runs from Friday, 24th June until Sunday 26th June. The family friendly affair (although, as a venue serving alcohol, minors must be accompanied by a responsible adult, parent or guardian at all times) will feature great food, live music, pop-up bars and even entertainment for…

The days of eating Nutella on white bread are over. The team behind the beloved chocolate hazelnut spread are on a food drive designed to get people thinking about new ways to eat and enjoy Nutella. In an Australian first a Nutella food truck will be travelling through New South Wales and Victoria handing out…

Methyl Ethel have been having a dream run overseas in 2016 so far, having won over many more fans in both the UK/Europe as well as in the States off the back of successful shows at The Great Escape, Primavera, London Calling and SXSW so far. Now, the Perth trio are kicking things up another notch…

The States have been loving Marlon Williams so far this year, most recently falling further for the New Zealander while on tour with Sam Beam and Jesca Hoop. Come September however, American and Canadian fans will have some unmissable opportunities to see Williams and his band, The Yarra Benders, perform in a headline capacity. On tour over a run of…

I talk food, write food and occasionally cook food from the comfort of my own kitchen but can I put my money where my mouth is and deliver a truly authentic French dining experience? Probably not, but there is no reason why I shouldn’t give it a go.  Last weekend I was able to do just that…

Following yesterday’s exciting announcement that the ultimate food bucket list awards, The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, will be held in Melbourne for the first time ever next year, the 2016 edition of the coveted list has been released. Surprisingly, only one Australian restaurant (Melbourne mainstay Attica) made the the top 50 this year, while regional…

2016 marks the 150th anniversary of the Jack Daniel Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee, which today famously stores 2.3 million barrels of Whisky across 88 barrel houses. It’s an impressive and landmark achievement for one of the most well-known names in the drinks industry, so of course they are pulling out all stops for events to…

From the airport lounge to the runway landing, United Airlines new business class product, United Polaris, will ensure weary business travellers journey to and from their destinations in comfort and style. Launching on 1st December, 2016, the United Polaris service will offer enhanced in flight food and beverage options, new custom bedding supplied by Saks…

Last year, the AU headed to Calgary in Alberta, Canada for the Calgary Stampede. Now in its 104th year – though with origins dating back to the 1800s – the event is steeped in tradition and an icon of the Canadian Summer. It’s the sort of festival you have to attend to fully comprehend, and, naturally, we…

Last year, Sydney hip hop crew True Vibenation let the AU in on what life is like playing festivals and shows in places like Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Swaziland. Peep their tour diary below which they sent us just before their African adventure came to an end in South Africa. It’s crazy to think it’s been just…

Not too long ago I jumped off a plane from Spain, following a week in Barcelona for the annual Primavera Sound Festival – which, in its 16th year, is one of Europe’s most iconic and popular events. And there’s a good reason for it – it is unequivocally one of the world’s finest festivals. That’s a matter…

This year’s Canadian Music Week gave Melbourne artist Woodes (aka Elle Graham) the opportunity to not only introduce herself to some newcomers to her music, but to also embark on her first ever run of shows overseas. A talented songwriter and producer, Woodes’ time in Toronto brought her a solid response, not to mention the benefits of being…

Confession time: who hasn’t ever promised their friends/partner/family the responsibility of booking dinner at a restaurant, only to completely forget (or just find the task all to arduous), and pray, to every food god in the universe, that there will be a table available for Friday night, no booking made? New dining reservations app, Quandoo, works to remedy the problem. As…

Nestled in the industrial back streets of Newstead, The Triffid is one of Brisbane’s few live music venues, with a twist. Its beautifully lit, paved red brick beer garden and newly added rooftop terrace offer Brisbane foodies an intimate space to relax, share a few drinks and have a casual bite to eat surrounded by…

Further placing Australia as a major player on the global food industry scene, Tourism Australia has announced that, in 2017, Melbourne will become the host destination for the prestigious World’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards – a culinary institution often described as the “Olympic Games of food”. This news follows the earlier two phases of Restaurant…

Following a successful first year, William Grant & Sons have once again opened up submissions from the 2016 Glenfiddich Artists in Residence Prize to Australia, highlighting the iconic distillery’s commitment to the arts and the community which has made Glenfiddich one of the most iconic Whiskies in the world. While only it’s second year in…

What happens when some of the top chefs from Sydney and the Hunter Valley are split into two teams and tasked with battling it out in the name of charity? I found out last weekend while up in the Hunter for the Hunter Culinary Association’s (HCA) 7th Annual Food Fight. The event aimed to raise…

Sitting on the corner of Fitzroy and Grey Street, Freddie Wimpoles is the latest renovation of The George Hotel in St Kilda. It’s been given a charming hunter-lodge meets classic American diner revamp, with it’s rustic dark timber, antler chandeliers and a feature wall of beer cans perfectly framing the glowing neon signs and brightly…

Saturday 11th June will once again bring in a global celebration of one of the most popular and adaptable spirits in the world: Gin. With so many high quality Australian Gins being produced, plus the current World Negroni Week smashing it with sales of the classic Italian cocktail, the eighth year of this annual celebration…

The Queens Birthday Long Weekend is here! Of course, going out and enjoying all you can possibly enjoy within the boundaries Mike Baird has so carefully set for us is imperative. Luckily, there’s plenty on this weekend so we thought we’d ’round up some of our favourites. Make sure you’re across these options below! Yeezy…

Hilton Hotel Sydney will be celebrating Vivid by presenting visitors with colourful delights throughout their many essential food and drink outlets – Marble Bar, Caffe Cino, Zeta Bar, and glass Wine Bar. Each venue will be amplifying some of their most popular offerings with the heart of Vivid Sydney, resulting in – for example –…

Fresh from a run of shows around the country, Sydney quartet Caravãna Sun have revealed their fifth and biggest ever international tour, set to take them around the UK and Europe through July and August of this year. The shows come in support of their latest single “Eye of the Storm”, taken from their forthcoming record Guerrilla…

This month, STA Travel are set to offer $50 flights to Auckland, New Zealand (only a few hours from Hobbiton, pictured) as part of a special “Flash Sale”. The only catch is that only 50 of the tickets are available, and you have to go in person to their stores to get your hands on…

Canada’s national airline carrier, Air Canada, have just launched a brand new Australian service – connecting Brisbane in Queensland to Vancouver, Canada for the first time, in the only non-stop service offered between the coastal destinations. And earlier this month, this service launched, with the inaugural flight AC35 from Vancouver touching down in Brisbane on June…

As we reported last month, Virgin Australia have launched the first upgraded service of their 777-300ER fleet, featuring a brand new Business and Premium cabin, as well as an Economy Space +, which can be booked for flights from 30 August onwards – though the cabin itself is already in operation in the one fitted aircraft. But…

With World Gin Day coming around again (Sat 11th June) the teams at Vintage Cellars and Archie Rose Distilling Co. have collaborated on the release of am exclusive limited edition Gin to make their own unique mark on the global celebration. The Archie Rose Tailored Gin is being made available exclusively at Vintage Cellars stores,…

One week from today, on 16th June 2016, Disney’s newest Theme Park and Resort – their sixth internationally – will open in Shanghai, on mainland China, with tickets for the opening day festivities well and truly sold out. When it opens, the Shanghai Disney Resort will include two themed hotels, Disneyland Hotel and their first ever Toy…