Travel & Lifestyle

Pacific Hotel Brisbane Review: A comfortable stay in Spring Hill, with an Asian influenced kitchen worth the trip

In Spring Hill, Brisbane, you might have driven past a white building with a fairly unique, cascading design. If you spotted it, you probably thought it was an ordinary office building. I can’t imagine how many times I’ve driven past it without noticing it. But office building it it not. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it’s been sitting…

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Aussies Abroad: DZ Deathrays, Hockey Dad & Horror My Friend to tour Canada (and Milwaukee) together in December

In what must be the most epic Australian rock triple header to ever hit Canada (and Milwaukee), DZ Deathrays, Hockey Dad and Horror My Friend are joining forces to tour the country this December. For DZ Deathrays, the tour comes off the back of their current Australian tour, which sees them touring with Polish Club,…

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Singapore’s luxury hotel brand The Fullerton makes major debut in Sydney

Singapore’s widely acclaimed The Fullerton Hotels and Resorts has officially stretched outside of the lion city with its debut in Sydney. The Fullerton Hotel Sydney, taking over the historic address of No.1 Martin Place, site of the former General Post Office Building, has been tastefully transformed into a luxury 416-room hotel set to become one…

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One of New Zealand’s longest running wine festivals is this month

One of New Zealand’s most iconic wine regions will once again be on full display during the one-day 28th annual Toast Martinborough festival, scheduled for Sunday 17th November. The long running festival of wine, food and music amongst the vines will highlight the spirit of Martinborough’s passionate wine community and task the participating vineyards in…

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Melbourne’s epic Juniperlooza announces 2020 program

With 2019 rolling to a close, it’s already time to start planning what Australian events you want to hit up in the first quarter of 2020. First up, the consistently excellent (and sell-out) gin festival of Juniperlooza will be back for Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th of February. Taking over The Boatbuilders Yard and Polly…

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Portland, Oregon: The musical heartbeat of America’s West Coast

When one thinks of the music industry in the US, there are three cities that immediately comes to mind: LA, New York and Nashville. The vast majority of music companies are based there, and on face value a lot of the creativity is happening there, too. Historically that’s not wrong – but in 2019, it…

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Here’s how to score some free Ben & Jerry’s in November

Everyone likes free ice-cream, even more so when it’s the flavourful Ben & Jerry’s. The ubiquitous ice creamers are celebrating their 10th anniversary this November by giving away some scoops. Although this one won’t be as simple as just rocking up and asking nicely. This weekend (2nd and 3rd Nov), anyone named Ben or Jerry…

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Aussies Abroad: Kim Churchill launches massive Forgetting Canadian tour through November

Aussie singer/songwriter Kim Churchill is no stranger to Canada – in fact the brand new EP Forgetting, which he released last week, was recorded there. And this week he’s landed back in the great north to celebrate the new album, with a run of shows that will take him across the entire country through November,…

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Tour Diary: Bobby Alu on the road with Xavier Rudd in North America as Flow releases

Gold Coast legend Bobby Alu recently returned from a massive 17 date tour of North America, supporting fellow Aussie Xavier Rudd. Taking in dates throughout the USA and Canada, it came just before the release of Alu’s brand new record Flow – and an Australian tour which he kicked off this past weekend. Now back…

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You can now take gin-themed tours of the Sydney Opera House

If you have ever wanted to go behind the scenes of the iconic Sydney Opera House, and blend your own gin as you soak up Harbour-side views, then you’ll want to get around this exclusive Gin & Tour experience coming early next month. Archie Rose Distilling Co. and the Sydney Opera House have collaborated on…

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Museum dedicated entirely to the Empire State Building opens in New York

New York City’s iconic 1,454 foot Empire State Building has undergone an enormous change, revealing the second phase of its completely reimagined “Observatory Experience”, which now includes the city’s only museum open seven days a week from 8am to 2am. A 10,000 square foot series of galleries now occupies the second floor of the mammoth…

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Flight Review: KLM Royal Dutch Airlines from Abu Dhabi to Amsterdam (KL452)

Once you become dedicated to a certain flight network, you find that you tend to travel the world on a lot of the same airlines. But every now and then, you’re thrown a surprise in your journey that means you don’t get the points you were hoping for, but you do get the chance to…

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Pocket Change: Japanese machine helps you save while travelling

According to Japan’s tourism organisation, JNTO, Australians were the highest spending tourists in Japan in 2018, dropping an average of 242,050 yen per person (or AUD $3,075) per visit. After 2020, Japan is expected to hit 40 million annual tourists, so we can only expect that number to grow. Us Aussies love to spend in…

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What to do in Sydney over the next few weeks (October-November)

Entering an immersive world of alt-circus performers and steampunk oddities, watching in awe as one of the most beautiful coastal walks in the world is transformed by art, and taking part in deep, serious and playful discussions about what goes on in a city after the sun sets. These are just a few of the…

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Food Tours: Five places to eat and drink in London’s Soho & Chinatown

There are few better ways to get to know a city than by eating your way through it. Sure, Google Maps can help – just make sure you’ve got unlimited data for your UK trip. But even if you live in that city, sometimes it takes being “in the know” to uncover the best spots….

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If you’re looking for Gold Coast’s creative scene, you’ll find it here

Gold Coast is a city built of soft sand and hardy skyrises. At least that’s the short version of it, with the famous beach destination unfairly shouldering the burden of many rash stereotypes throughout the years, the most unfortunate of which has to do with the raucous yearly celebration of “Schoolies”. Much like Canberra and…

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The best live music venues in Seattle

Insular, rainy and oft ignored for bigger cities like New York and L.A, Seattle’s music scene in the 90’s benefitted greatly from its relative obscurity. While no one was paying attention, the city birthed some of the greatest artists and bands that have ever lived, sprouting an everlasting impact that would change music and pop…

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Amari to make its debut in Japan with a Niseko resort

Japan is about to get its very first hotel from renowned brand Amari, coming in the form of a 126-room resort nestled in the heart of ski-haven Niseko. Announced today, ONYX Hospitality Group will be opening Amari Niseko in 2024 as part of mixed-use development Aruku-zaka Street, designed to complement the Hirafu area’s unique character…

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Melbourne’s newest luxury hotel is inspired by high fashion

Melbourne is just weeks away from its newest luxury hotel, which is part of the prestigious and highly curated M Gallery by Sofitel collection. Titled Hotel Chadstone Melbourne, the $130 million five-star property of 250 rooms, suites and penthouses (2 penthouses to be exact) will welcome guests from the 1st November. Featuring a wellness retreat…

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Etihad

Etihad Airways and Virgin Australia are launching numerous “bonus points” offers

To mark 10 years since Etihad Airways and Virgin Australia first announced their endearing partnership, both carriers have announced a very significant “Bonus Points” campaign which will help passengers build loyalty points over the next few months. In addition to this, Etihad will also be rolling out additional rewards throughout the rest of this year…

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Hey Australia: BWS is giving away rare 6-packs for free this Friday

Coming into the warmer parts of the year, there’s sure to be an increased intake in the nectar of the gods. With a massive push in the past decade towards micro and craft breweries, the domestic and international beer scene has seen astronomical growth, with seemingly every man and his dog now brewing their own…

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Cornucopia: In Whistler, we found one of the world’s best food festivals

Next month Whistler Village will once again kick off one of the world’s greatest ski seasons, but in the lead up to that, it’ll transform into a veritable oasis of food and wine, highlighting the many fine restaurants and bars that make up British Columbia’s adventure capital in new and interesting ways. Each November, this…

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Back to a Golden Age: Exploring the quiet restoration of Buffalo, New York

When I told people I was travelling to Buffalo, New York – a city which sits just off the Canadian border, a couple of hours from Toronto and next door to the Niagara Falls – I was meant with some level of skepticism. “Why are you going there?”, one friend asked me. Indeed, I had…

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Interview: Steph Grace on what it means to be an Australian Musician living in Berlin

Australian musician Steph Grace has made the move to Berlin, and we find out what that’s meant for her career – playing shows in Europe with artists like Passenger, and now playing The Aussie BBQ in Reeperbahn, where we filmed the interview. We talk about her latest single “As Far As I Can Go” and…

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Air New Zealand is now using NASA technology for airline pillows

The humble airline pillow is often an overlooked detail in the overall passenger experience. Too soft? Not soft enough? Not supportive enough? Too warm? Those who aren’t bringing their own rely on this amenity to get that necessary sleep in. Air New Zealand have acknowledged this by becoming the first airline in the world to…

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Kiyomi, Broadbeach Review: Chasing perfection on the Gold Coast

It’s always exciting to re-visit one of your favourite restaurants on the Gold Coast, more so when it’s even better than you remembered. When Chase Kojima (of Sydney’s celebrated Sokyo, and the more recent Chuuka) first opened this slick modern Japanese restaurant at The Star back in 2015, reception was instantly, and understandably, enthusiastic. Sokyo…

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Review: The Calile Hotel brings true five-star luxury to Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley

This month marks the one year anniversary of the opening of one of the finest new additions to the Brisbane hotel scene, the five star Calile Hotel, set on the edge of the Fortitude Valley, on the booming and revitalised James Street. Local architects Richards and Spence designed the $100 million urban resort, with balconies…

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Flight Comparison: Air North or Air Canada – who should you fly with to the Yukon in Canada’s North?

Not to be confused with the airline of the same name from Australia’s Top End, Canadian airline Air North has been taking passengers to the Provence of Yukon since 1977, first as a Charter airline and then servicing passengers from the 1980s. This month I flew with them for the first time, travelling on a…

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A music-themed luxury hotel has opened in the Maldives

The Maldives is in the midst of one the island’s most exciting changes to date, with the introduction and ongoing development of the country’s first and only integrated island resort, CROSSROADS. The lifestyle precinct has added some seriously lush hotels to go along with it, one of which is the upbeat, recently opened Hard Rock…

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Betty’s Burgers is giving away 1,000 free burgers in North Sydney this week

Queensland born burger chain Betty’s Burgers & Concrete Co are opening up a new location on Mount Street, North Sydney next week, and to celebrate they’ve committed to give away 1,000 free burgers. As the fresh new venue transforms into “the ultimate beach party oasis” with DJs and a general party vibe, the kitchen plan…

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