Travel & Lifestyle

On September 7th each year, people stop and reflect on the fact that on this very date in 1936, Australia’s Tasmanian tiger slipped over the extinction line.  Sixty years later, in 1996, WWF Australia (World Wildlife Fund) founded in partnership with the Australian Government’s Natural Heritage Trust the National Threatened Species Day to commemorate the…

I haven’t flown American Airlines since before the pandemic, but recently I had the chance to jump on their regional “American Eagle” service between DC and Toronto. So what is their in flight offering now? And what Covid-19 precautions remain in place? Here’s a look at the experience on that service. Flight Number: AA 5667…

Tokyo is a mecca for all things delicious, yet if you venture further afield you will discover even more to tantalise your tastebuds. With Japan gradually reopening its borders (guided tours have been available since 10th June 2022), it’s time to get one’s winter holiday planning underway in time for unrestricted travel for Australian visitors….

Caravãna Sun is very much a band on the up. If there was one Australian band at the Byron Bay Bluesfest this year that had plenty of hype around them, it was this one. They have a raucous energy and are all ridiculously gifted musicians. Watching them live, it’s difficult to know quite where to…

Once you’ve done the long-haul journey from Australia to Europe – where no one enjoys compromising on comfort or food quality – there’s often only one airline that is available for short, very affordable hops around the continent: Ryanair. I was travelling from London to Bremen, Germany, and there were no direct flights from London…

There are a few less obvious markers that always separate a quality hotel from an average one. We aren’t talking about an overarching design, plush beds or high-end hotel restaurants – although they do all help of course. Quite often the magic is found in the smaller details. And those smaller details – well, they’re…

Canberra is the most underrated state in Australia. Bold statement, I know. But if you haven’t visited the land of the politicians since your year six excursion to Questacon, it’s time to dust off the nostalgia, shine up the tyres and commence operation Capital. Here’s a quick list of must-dos if you’ve got 48 hours…

Picture this: it’s a gloomy night, rain is thundering against the window, and it’s cold – by Australian standards, at least. What sort of drink would you be craving? Let me guess: a red wine or perhaps a whiskey? That certainly would be the usual. But according to the wine connoisseurs at Brown Brothers, we…

Many will know the Hard Rock brand for having delivered music themed cafes/restaurants around the world for the last 50 years – including recently closed locations in Sydney* and on the Gold Coast. However, the brand’s true star power these days is found in their hotel & casino brand. With locations from Sentosa Island in…

It’s no secret that flying out of Toronto Pearson International is currently fraught with issues and delays. In fact, you may have seen the airport make headlines for having the most delays – affecting more than 50% of outbound flights – of any airport in the world. Simply put, due in large part to short…

Gold Coast theme park Warner Bros. Movie World will be putting the ‘Oz’ in The Wizard of Oz, with a brand new precinct themed around the classic film set to open in 2024. Taking over the space previously occupied by the Arkham Asylum coaster (some may also remember it as Lethal Weapon – The Ride),…

Having opened in September 2019, the Moxy East Village sits as one of the newer hotels in the ever-booming Manhattan – and the most recent of the four Moxy by Marriott hotels to open in the city. For those unfamiliar with the Moxy Hotels brand, they are designed around being playful and affordable, with carefully,…

Pre-pandemic, a long time favourite offering by the U.A.E. carrier Etihad Airways were the free stopovers in their home city, Abu Dhabi. It was one of the many things taken away from us during the pandemic, due to the country’s travel restrictions – but now the airline is returning the offer to service! Known as…

While Disney try to figure out what went wrong with their highly anticipated, but seemingly disappointing Star Wars Hotel, they are also celebrating a similar concept they have very much gotten right: Space 220. Located at Disney’s Epcot in Orlando, and built above the long running Mission: SPACE attraction that gives guests the experience of…

With Baz Luhrmann’s anticipated new film Elvis hitting cinemas in Australia and around the world, I flew out to The King’s home city of Memphis, Tennessee, to see the real life locations that Luhrmann and his team re-created when they filmed back in Australia. These are the six essential places to go and things to…

When Universal Studio Florida’s second gate, Islands of Adventure opened 23 years ago in 1999, it looked destined to be holy ground for roller coasters in Florida. I distinctly remember the TV ads showing The Incredible Hulk coaster weaving its way over the body of water that sits at the centre of the park. It…

While other theme parks have long focused on making their roller coasters bigger, better and faster, Disney has generally tried to answer the question: what can we do that no one else has tried before? Of course, not ever new addition to the park has ticked this box, but of late, that trend has picked…

Going for high tea at one of Sydney’s best hotels is fallen out of favour in the past few years, as bottomless brunches take over as the afternoon activity of choice for groups looking to pack a sesh into their weekends. But that’s just because high tea has become such a standard affair, with the…

After a tumultuous past few years of health precautions and border restrictions, many countries have reopened and are welcoming international travellers again. One of those destinations is Dubai. This is the place where you can find everything you need from luxury hotel accommodation to extreme activities. Another attraction of the emirate is that you can…

It’s summer 2019. The weather is perfect. The window is down and I am cruising down the Pacific Coast Highway. It’s my first time on this section of the highway, taking me from the south of the US state of Oregon, up to the capital in Portland. It’s by no means the only way to…

I’ve been lucky enough to be a regular visitor at Disneyland, California, since I was a little kid. For me, the joy of attending it has never waivered; it is the “Happiest Place on Earth” after all, so even without the nostalgia, it’s a place that guarantees a pretty magical time. But for many years,…

Not far from Grand Central Station in New York City sits a striking, tall and thin 35 floor building with four distinct colour strips on it. This is EVEN Hotel’s New York Midtown East location, one of four IHG have for the growing brand in New York. You enter on the ground floor and are…

Australia is a fantastic place to plan a road trip. However, each country has its do’s and don’ts. Let’s see what you can do to have some fun in Australia and stay safe! Toll Roads Can Pop Up Anywhere In Australia, you can encounter toll roads in all sorts of places, and their fares might…

The Austin City Limits Festival has just dropped its 2022 lineup, and once again it spans many decades, genres, and music tastes. This October, over two weekends, an eclectic mix of the biggest names in music will join the next generation of artists, as they fill Zilker Park in Austin, Texas in what is one…

The land of the long white cloud beckons – now that borders are opening and temperatures are dropping, New Zealand comes alive in winter. If you’re dreaming of an international skiing holiday but your budget doesn’t quite allow for Canada or Japan, New Zealand is only a three hour hop from the east coast –…

In our new series, we’re taking a dive into local independent breweries and doing our best impression of being a Cicerone, by matching the brewery’s beers with a band. We’ll be taste testing the best a brewery has to offer and teaming tipples with tracks, all to make that drinking experience even more special. This…

In case you missed it, iconic Aussie brand Mambo has returned to its roots with the launch of Mambo Surf De Luxe. Merging old and new, the brand will celebrate iconic heritage artics such as Reg Mombassa and welcome a new era of talent, including Nathan Seahan and Chloe Kovska. Aussies everywhere have a memory…

Set at the very start of St Kilda Road, a new family and pet-friendly bar and food truck park has aimed to recapture the historic beauty of the Holy Trinity Church Hall. Majestically transformed into a bright and luxurious bar with a separate wine room, Trinity St Kilda also features a huge outdoor space with…

The annual Ohana Festival, a festival born in 2016 on the beaches of California, has dropped its 2022 lineup – and it’s a beauty! Over three days, and as many stages, on a 14,500 capacity beach in Orange County, California, the event is set to feature some of the most iconic names in music, joining…

One of our favourite international events, Pickathon, which takes place quite literally in the woods outside of Portland, Oregon, has just announced its 2022 lineup. The annual festival takes place at Pendarvis Farm in Happy Valley, Oregon, and is such a unique and magnificent event we gave no less than five stars to their last…