Travel & Lifestyle

Ray-Ban Launches New ‘Ray-Ban Remix’ Custom Sunglasses

For the first time, Ray-Ban is offering customers the exclusive opportunity to design their own eyewear with Ray-Ban Remix. By choosing and mixing colour combinations, including frontal and temple colours, lenses and even personalized engraving, anyone can create their own unique Ray-Ban sunglasses. There is a range of models available, such as the Ray-Ban Aviator…

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Hotel Review: Kensington Riverside Inn – Calgary, Alberta (Canada)

Boasting excellent service and a great location for those visiting Calgary, the Kensington Riverside Inn is a high level, contemporary boutique hotel. Situated in the trendy area of Kensington, this hotel is just across the road from the beautiful Bow River, an easy walk to the beautiful Prince’s Island Park and just around the block…

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On The Shelf: Handsome Devils Co. Quality Hotsauce

For far too long, the idea of hot sauce in Australia didn’t go much further than Tabasco or Sriracha. Or just a pile of chili. While both are sound additions to a meal, and some extra chili always goes down a treat, those of us who have travelled to the American south know that hot…

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F&L Guide: The 5 Best Burgers in Brisbane (Queensland)

Photo Credit Lucky Egg’s Facebook Page. Today is National Cheeseburger Day, so to celebrate we’ve headed to Brisbane to taste test the burgers from around the city. We’ve tasted some pretty incredible burgers and now we’re delivering to you our five favourites, in no particular order. Not all of them are cheeseburgers, mind you, but…

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United Airlines to replace all flights to and from Australia with their 787-9 Dreamliner fleet

In what is pretty major news for Australian travellers, US carrier United Airlines have announced that their fleet of 777-200s – currently utilised for the long haul flight over the Pacific, connecting the East Coast of Australia to the West Coast of the USA – will next year be replaced exclusively with their 787-9 aircraft….

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

Earlier in the 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…

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United Airlines offering $1099 return flights to LAX from Sydney in a flash sale this weekend

On the off chance you missed Virgin Australia’s happy hour deal last night, which saw discounted USA flights for February 2016, United Airlines are giving you the weekend to get your hands on a discounted fare that will take you to the USA through three departure periods, for $1099 round trip* (economy booking class only)….

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Flight Review: Porter Airlines – Toronto City Airport to Newark, New Jersey / New York (PD147)

Getting in and out of Toronto’s Pearson International Airport can be a bit of a pain. Though a new express train service installed for the Pan Am Games in June has made the process of getting in and out a slightly less tiresome affair, it remains an expensive one. Luckily, for some routes, another airport…

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Disney’s D23 Expo: Toy Story Land is coming to Hollywood Studios in Orlando

In addition to Star Wars Land, which was also announced today at Disney’s D23 Expo in California, Orlando’s Hollywood Studios will be seeing another 11 acre expansion in the form of Toy Story Land. Unlike Star Wars Land, however, Toy Story Land has already been a tested formula among Disney Parks in Paris and Hong…

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Disney announce Star Wars Land expansions for their USA theme parks at the D23 Expo 2015 in Anaheim

It was perhaps a destiny Disney signed into action the minute they took over the iconic franchise – but it still has us very, very excited. As Universal Studios has done with the Harry Potter series’ Wizarding World, Disneyland will be expanding both Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios in Florida and Disneyland in Anaheim, California, to…

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Toy Story Land is coming to Hollywood Studios in Orlando

In addition to Star Wars Land, which was also announced today at Disney’s D23 Expo in California, Orlando’s Hollywood Studios will be seeing another 11 acre expansion in the form of Toy Story Land. Unlike Star Wars Land, however, Toy Story Land has already been a tested formula among Disney Parks in Paris and Hong…

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Hotel Review: Dream Downtown Hotel – New York City

Located between Chelsea and the Meatpacking District on the West side of Manhattan in what was once the National Maritime Union headquarters, a building sticks out with a unique design – like a cruise ship sitting amongst the concrete waters of New York City. This is the home of the not-so-inconspicuous, hip boutique hotel Dream…

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Seven reasons why we can't wait for the Calgary Stampede

With history and tradition that stems back to the late 1800s, the Calgary Stampede is one of the world’s longest running events. Part rodeo, part exhibition, part Easter Show-esque carnival, part music festival, the Stampede kicked off in Calgary, Alberta, Canada today, starting an impressive ten day event that will bring in over a million…

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Eating with the AU: Grill’d Nourish & Flourish Burger launch with nutritionist Lola Berry

Grill’d Ambassador Lola Berry with celebrity personal trainer Dan Adair There’s nothing like a good burger, one that barely fits in your mitts or your mouth, the crunch of fresh ingredients and soft bun giving way as you bite into it, catching driblets of juicy goodness before they stain your shirt. Yep, there are a…

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Five places to enjoy your evenings in San Antonio, Texas

After you survive the day in San Antonio you can read about my day HERE, then it’s time to head out on the town for the evening. There are a myriad of options in the city, and if you know where to look there’s even quite a lot of what you don’t expect. And while…

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Flight Review: Air Canada – Los Angeles to Toronto (AC786)

We continue our Flight Review series, this time flying from Los Angeles to Toronto via Air Canada. Click through to check out Editor Larry Heath’s service review, covering everything from in-flight entertainment and meals to comfort and hot tips for traveling… Airline: Air Canada Route: Los Angeles to Toronto (Pearson International) Seat: 26D (Aisle in…

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A Day in San Antonio, Texas: Part Two – Touring the missions, visiting El Mercado and eating plates and plates of tacos.

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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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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Hotel Review: Ace Hotel – Midtown, New York City

It’s almost midnight as I arrive at the Ace Hotel, jumping out of a taxi, having flown into Newark Airport on the other side of the Hudson. I walk past someone taking a selfie with a man who I assume is famous; he is ushered into a car moments later (then again, with Uber, who…

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Six things you have to eat when in New York City

In our new regular series on AU Abroad, we take you around the world and deliver you our culinary picks for the things you just have to eat when you head to some of our favourite cities. We continue this series in one of the best cities to eat in the world: New York. You…

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Travel News: The long awaited Union Pearson Express arrives at Toronto International Airport

Much like Melbourne, for a city with one of the best public transport systems in the world, the airport seems to have been neglected over the years in Toronto, Canada. In the past, to get downtown from the airport it took a bus, a couple of trains and roughly over an hour to get to…

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F&L News: Oscar Gorosito introduces a new dining experience at the Bridge St Garage Bar & Deli in Sydney's CBD

In the venue’s biggest update since it opened its doors in August 2013, the Bridge St Garage Bar and Diner in Sydney’s CBD has just launched a brand new, fully equipped second bar and deli at the back of the diner. Opening up to the public earlier this month on June 9th, the new Bridge…

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Eating with the AU: The Smoking Panda’s first birthday – CBD (Sydney)

The Smoking Panda is one of those blink and you’ll miss it places, a nameless sign stamped with a cute furry panda is the only clue that this hidden gem of a bar even exists. Which is just the sort of thing to be expected from its cheeky collaborators barman/mad scientist Grant Collins (White Hart, The Powder…

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Jumping with the AU: Big Air Festival – Sky Zone’s 1st Birthday Party – Alexandria (Sydney)

Sky Zone came to our backyard, took one look at that lone, depressingly rusty trampoline drowning in overgrown lawn and decided Australia needed more awesomeness in its life. In the spirit of one upmanship they took a stadium, lined it with trampolines (and padding you know, for safety’s sake) and said ‘hey kids, have at it!’…

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Event Recap: The Cake Bake and Sweets Show – Olympic Park (Sydney)

Gravity defying tea cup cake, cake decorating championship finalist Sydney Olympic Park Stadium braced itself over the weekend when it opened its doors to thousands of sugar-crazed patrons for the annual Cake Bake and Sweets Show. Three glorious days of sweet treats and basically anything that goes in, on or around a cake is hardly…

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Harry Potter and Hogwarts are coming to Universal Studios Hollywood in Spring 2016

Following its success at The Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, and at Universal Studios Japan, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is set to open at the world’s original Universal Studios Park, in Hollywood, in Spring 2016 (Autumn in Australia, should we get technical). Though this has been known for a…

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More flights to cross the pacific as Qantas and American Airlines expand their trans-Pacific relationship

There was some big news yesterday for those of us who travel to the US. Qantas and American Airlines (AA) announced they’d be expanding their trans-Pacific relationship, which will introduce AA to the popular and competitive Los Angeles to Sydney route for the first time, while Qantas will return to flying direct from Australia to…

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A world first Puss in Boots family coaster and the return of Battlestar Galactica at Universal Studios Singapore

The world’s newest Universal Studios Theme Park – Universal Studios Singapore – turns five years old this year, and there have been a few new additions to the park to celebrate. Towards the end of last year, a new Puss in Boots themed show “The Dance for the Magic Beans” launched that preceded “Puss in…

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F&L Guide: Where to find the best laksa in Sydney

Photo by Dan Freeman As anyone in Sydney would know, it’s well and truly Winter time in the city, and there are few meals that warm the body up as well as a good Laksa. Around the city, there are plenty of places to get your fill, but where can you get the best? Our…

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Melbourne Burger Spotlight: Easey’s – Collingwood (Melbourne)

As far as burgers go, Jimmy “The Burger Lord” Hurlston, also known as the man behind Jimmy’s Burgers, just may be the most experienced and well-traveled guy in history. He has spent years trekking all over the world tackling one of the most famous food creations of all time, attempting to eat, record, and review…

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