Travel & Lifestyle

Spending a day at the legendary Roskilde Festival in Denmark

Over 8 days, 100,000 passionate music lovers get together to experience music, camping culture, art, community, charity and sustainability at the Roskilde Festival. There are different zones around the festival including: street city, graffiti zone, art zone and Dream City. Roskilde Festival is about 30 kilometers from Denmark’s capital, Copenhagen, and after being built, this…

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Flights to Los Angeles (USA) from Australia drop below $700 return in record sales

In what must be some of the lowest prices we’ve ever seen on the popular East Coast Australia to Los Angeles route, several airlines are currently slashing prices on flights in October and November to below A$700 return – starting as low as A$649. From now until midday on 12th May, Air Canada is offering…

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Hunter Valley Wine & Food Festival returns for two months of events (NSW)

The nation’s oldest wine region is set to showcase the best of its wine and food culture, as the Hunter Valley Wine & Food Festival kicks off in May and June of 2016.  Visitors to the region can take part in over 70 culinary events and activities, with additional activities also taking place in various venues and wineries. It’s…

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Brisbane’s epic BBQ Festival is back and bigger than ever

Following the success of last year’s sold out event at Wandering Cooks in South Bank, the Brisbane BBQ Festival will return to the city on Saturday July 2, bringing with it an almost overwhelming amount of things to do. This year’s Festival boasts a lineup bigger and badder than before with BBQ big hitter and…

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Review: Zaaffran – Darling Harbour (Sydney)

“Butter chicken is not authentic Indian food,” said restaurateur Freddie Zulfiqar at a sit-down media event for Zaaffran this past Tuesday night. It was a sentiment shared by the 110-strong crowd gathered to enjoy the established Indian restaurant’s cuisine in the buzzing Darling Harbour precinct. What Zaaffran (meaning saffron) does well is “capture the essence…

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The New Britannia is Chippendale’s newest gastro-pub in a hertiage listed building (Sydney)

An new gastro-pub has made its way into Chippendale, fitting out a heritage-listed building on Cleveland Street with what is the latest venture from bespoke hospitality crew Idle Group, the folk responsible for Darlinghurst’s Henrietta and Bondi’s Neighbourhood. With two of Sydney’s most loved venues as part of their portfolio, The New Britannia opens to…

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Our top picks for World Class Cocktail Week 2016 in Sydney

Get ready for seven days of fine drinking as the annual World Class Cocktail Week comes to task Sydney’s best mixologists with highlighting the city’s fantastic bar culture. In the past few years, Sydney has truly stepped up to rival Melbourne’s scene of small bars; add this to the big pub revival that’s happening, as…

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On the Shelf: Sesión Mocha Tequila

Winning a Gold Medal and two Silver Medals so early in the game is a big deal for Australian owned Tequila Sesión, who only launched around six months ago. It was their Sesión Mocha Tequila that earned them the Gold (Sesión Blanco and Reposado won Silver) in the influential San Fransisco World Spirits Competition and…

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David Chang denies rumours that Momofuku Seiōbo is switching to Packer (Sydney)

Inexplicably, The Sunday Telegraph recently published a story based on rumours that world-renowned Chef David Chang will be pulling the rug out from under The Star and moving Momofuku Seiōbo over to their forthcoming competitor Crown Casino. Mariah Carey’s hubby-to-be James Packer will be opening up Crown at Barangaroo, across the water from The Star….

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Hotel Review: Junior Suite with harbour view at the Novotel Darwin Atrium (Darwin, NT)

The Novotel Atrium Darwin, or simply ‘The Atrium’ as locals call it, has been a long-standing popular hotel destination with visitors for many years now. Situated further down the Esplanade, the hotel offers a range of rooms perfectly fit for families, couples and solo travellers to enjoy. For our stay, we were put up in…

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Flight Review: On board EVA Air’s Hello Kitty Jet – Tokyo (Haneda) to Taipei, Taiwan (BR191)

On our latest Flight Review, we take you on board the Hello Kitty Jet with Taiwanese airline EVA, as Johnny flies from Japan to Taipei. Yes, the flight is full of just about everything a Hello Kitty Fanboy or Fangirl could want and then some… all the way down to the pink, themed cutlery you’re…

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Austin City Limits reveals 2016 line-up, featuring the likes of Radiohead, Drake and Kendrick Lamar

Back for its 15th year, Austin City Limits has revealed its 2016 event line-up. The Austin, Texas based music festival will be taking place over two weekends in September and October in Zilker Park, which last year saw the likes of the Foo Fighters, Drake, Tame Impala and Alt-J. Headlining the 2016 event will be Radiohead…

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P&O Cruises sets sight on Dark Mofo and Australian Open with new 2017-18 program

Been to Dark Mofo in Hobart before? If that’s a no, then just know that the annual winter solstice festival is sensory overload of oddities and experimental arts that’s unlike anything Australia has on its stacked events calendar. Each June, when the 11-day festival consumes Hobart with music, art, noise, food, light, film, and events,…

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Cebu Pacific announces super cheap fares from Australia to Hong Kong and Taiwan

Philippines airline Cebu Pacific has announced a pretty sweet sale aimed at providing Australian travelers with easier, more affordable access to two of Asia’s leading destinations: Hong Kong and Taiwan. Both on routes leaving from Sydney, passengers can now book flights for as low as AUD $229 one-way for basic packages (that exclude meals and…

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‘Culture Collective’ charity event bringing pop up bars, art, and music to Kings Cross Hotel (Sydney)

In collaboration with Sailor Jerrys, Young Henrys and Gasoline Motor Co., Kings Cross Hotel will be hosting an event on Thursday 12 May, celebrating fast and loud local culture in the name of charity. Donations will go towards supporting the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, a not-for-profit organisation that aims to document, expose and prevent illegal…

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First Impressions: Saké Flinders Lane – CBD (Melbourne)

As someone who absolutely loves their Japanese cuisine, I was overjoyed to be invited to a private dinner at Saké’s new Flinders Lane location nestled in one of Melbourne’s most iconic gastronomical strips. Three-star Michelin chef Jean Paul Lourdes would be showcasing some of his mouth watering signature dishes, accompanied by an array of impressive…

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Hotel Review: Agde Apartment Hotel in Surry Hills, Sydney (Australia)

It was an easy 15 minute walk from Sydney’s Central Station to our home for the weekend at Adge Apartment Hotel in the heart of hip Surry Hills. “Home” is the definitely the right word to use, as our stay at Adge felt more like a home away from home (please excuse the cliché) then…

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How to get to Brighton (UK) from Australia or the USA on a budget

The music conference and festival The Great Escape is one of the most popular annual events in all of the UK and Europe – serving as a place for hundreds of bands from around the region, and the world (including plenty of Australians) to make their mark. Last year, I discovered artists like Jack Garratt,…

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Aussies Abroad: Flume announces massive world tour through NZ, USA & Europe

From forth the beaches of Sydney springs greatness, and his name is Flume. The country’s biggest electronic producer at the minute has just announced a huge world tour to support his sophomore album SKIN and this one looks to be one for the books. While the Australian dates fall at the end of 2015 in November and…

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Flight Review: Virgin America – Los Angeles to Dallas (VX878)

Before heading to Austin, Texas for SXSW last year, I took a few days to explore Dallas. Flying out from LAX after landing on an early weekday morning from a long-haul flight out of Sydney, I was able to test out Virgin America‘s domestic flight service for the first time! Airline: Virgin America Route: Virgin America…

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A Day in San Antonio, Texas: Part One – Hitting the Alamo and travelling the River Walk to the Pearl Brewery

When it comes to rich cultural history, there are few cities in America with more to offer than San Antonio, Texas. Situated less than 90 minutes drive from Austin, Texas, San Antonio used to be one of the State’s best kept secrets. But now, it’s one of the fastest growing cities in the USA, with…

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Our top picks for Australia’s Top Restaurants dining program in each state

May has become one of the most exciting months of Australia’s culinary calendar thanks to the massive dining program that aims to celebrate The Australian Financial Review’s Australia’s Top Restaurants presented by Qantas, highlighting the best of the best with exclusive events and special offers in each state set to showcase what makes this country’s…

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Review: The Swanson Hotel – Erskineville (Sydney)

When we first arrived at The Swanson Hotel, I almost had to double check we were in the right place. The funky wallpaper, animal print stools and mounted zebra head on the wall was highly contrasting to the red-brick exterior and terraced houses that we’d left outside. Having passed the pub a few times on…

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David Thompson to open Long Chim in Martin Place (Sydney)

Mid-way throughout August this year Sydney will be getting a brand new Thai street food restaurant from world-renowned Chef and restaurateur David Thompson, a man who has long been considered as an authority on Thai food. Thompson has confirmed that he’ll be bringing his famed Long Chim restaurant in Sydney, adding it to his list…

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What to do for Cinco de Mayo in Sydney for 2016

Tomorrow, May 5th, will bring Cinco de Mayo around once again, celebrating Mexican culture around the world, and you can be sure some of Sydney’s best are getting involved with various specials, events, and more. We’ve put together a guide for the best happenings in Sydney tomorrow so get across these and you’ll soon be…

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Seven new Melbourne bars you really need to know about

Melbourne’s bar scene is perhaps the most influential in the country, and it’s a constant reference point for creativity and culture, always moving forward. That forward movement has resulted in some pretty epic openings in the past few months so from Fitzroy to Cheltenham we bring you seven of our favourite new and new-ish bars…

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Resort Spotlight: It’s Safari Meets the Sea at The Elandra Mission Beach in North Queensland

”Chris, we need you to fly up to Cairns and travel to a private resort near Mission Beach where you’ll stay the weekend”. Never have I heard a sentence so sweet. A unique blend of safari and suave, The Elandra, Mission Beach sits pretty in the middle of a tropical rainforest, approximately two-hours drive from…

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Travel Diary: Queensland’s Selahphonic take on House Parties in LA, Canadian Music Week, Rehab in San Jose and more!

Last year, Sunshine Coast’s Selahphonic enjoyed house parties in L.A, had a “rad” three days at Canadian Music Week in Toronto, headed to to Dive Bars and Rehab in San Jose, not to mention big water falls and big bridges… And they treated us all to their experiences in this exclusive Travel Diary. This one’s a…

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Flight Review: Norwegian Airlines (New York JFK to London Gatwick) DY7016 – Boeing 787-800 Dreamliner

Last Year, as we flew from New York City’s JFK to London’s Gatwick to make it to The Great Escape, AU Abroad’s Larry Heath tried out the service of Norwegian Airlines for the first time. It also marked his first flight on the new Boeing 787-800 Dreamliner. A budget airline along the lines of Jetstar,…

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Lunch with the man behind Melbourne’s The Meatball and Wine Bar, Matteo Bruno

When I first stumbled across The Meatball Shop in New York’s Lower East Side back in 2011, it had barely been open for a year, but the owners were already preparing to expand to two more locations – and, five years later, they now sit in six locations across Manhattan and Brooklyn. Things move pretty fast in New York. In…

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