Travel & Lifestyle

Gourmet Cinema will be returning to Melbourne this March, calling upon six of the city’s best restaurants to complement an eclectic film program screemed at the Caufield Racecourse. The annual outdoor movie and food experience will feature food and drink from four restaurants per session, with one hero restaurant taking creative licence with a special…

Just a 90 minute drive from Sydney, and about half an hour away from the beaches of the Central Coast, the Mercure Kooindah Waters Central Coast is an affordable, but luxurious getaway that sits alongside an 18 hole championship golf course (ranked in the Top 100 golf resort courses in Australia), an Endota day spa with…

In the latest episode of my Podcast Jetlag, I talk about the Queen of the Skies, the Boeing 747. Here’s a transcript of some of the episode, in which we look at just how significant the introduction of the 747 was for the future of air travel. So significant in fact, that it may have…

At his flagship MOJO restaurant in Sydney, and in front of his test kitchen – where many of the dishes that end up on a Virgin Australia flight are designed (with Virgin’s on board equipment seen sitting amongst the usual array of kitchen equipment) – I recently had the chance to taste Luke Mangan‘s new…

From now until the 21st February, Mantra Hotels is offering their largest ever global sale, featuring significant savings on more than 130 hotels across the Mantra, Peppers, BreakFree and Art Series Hotel properties in Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii. The sale represents a big savings opportunity for both visitors and staycationers with stays up to…

Indonesia’s first ever internationally branded Marriott Hotel has made its debut with the opening Yogyakarta Marriott Hotel. Referencing the country’s rapidly growing market for both domestic and international travel, the renowned hotel brand is strategically positioned in an area of Yogyakarta where guests are able to immerse themselves in local culture and explore the city’s…

One of the most unique hotels in Australia will sadly be shutting down – or should we say, zipping up – later this year. Melbourne’s urban glamping concept St. Jerome’s – The Hotel, the brainchild of Laneway Festival co-founder Jerome Borazio, has announced a sad farewell set for April 25th, packing up their 21 world-class…

Newcastle heroes Vacations have announced a massive world tour, including dates in the USA, UK and Europe. The band are no strangers to live performance, earning their stripes playing parties and venues across Australia, winning over fans with their unique brand of guitar pop. Fresh off the back of their hugely successful EP Vibes, the…

Heating up for its second year in Portland, Maine will be Sunaana (an inuit word meaning “what is it”), a winter beer and music festival taking place across the enormous 30-acre Thompson’s Point and representing a surprising connection between the New England city and the Nordic country of Iceland. It was such a roaring success…

Magnum, everyone’s favourite indulgent ice cream, has lifted the lid on three new exciting flavours worked up in collaboration with numerous designers and influencers from Australia’s fashion industry. The flavours, each inspired by a different designer, are being described as “artisan-inspired” and have hit shelves across the country to what will undoubtedly be some feverish…

Joining the already announced venues of Belles Hot Chicken, Fishbowl, Edition Coffee Roasters, Toby’s Estate and the Sydney debut of Melbourne’s famed 8Bit at Darling Square’s forthcoming Steam Mill Lane will be five new eateries, each reflecting a very diverse palate. Darling Square, part of the $3.4 billion plan to reshape Darling Harbour by the…

Singapore-based design hotel group, Naumi Hotels, have just made their official debut in Australasia with the 193-room Naumi Auckland Airport property. With the playful addition just minutes from the international and domestic airports, the group are hoping to absorb and reflect a unique contemporary design that borrows from local culture, evident in the hotel’s central…

King Tut: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh will make its world debut at the California Science Centre in Los Angeles, showcasing an extraordinary and exclusive exhibition to mark 100 years since his tomb was discovered. It will remain in California from March 24 2018 until January 2019, before continuing its ten-city international exhibition tour. The…

Break away from the bustle of Sydney to wile away in the Hunter Valley for the weekend. A mere two-hour drive will bring you to resort accommodation Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley, and it’s most certainly an ideal getaway to explore the wine region. Sleep It Off The twin bed deluxe room is reasonably sized, furnished…

Lunar New Year is right around the corner, ushering in the Year of the Dog with the traditional festivities which always inspire a general celebration of Chinese culture, good fortune, longevity, wealth and happiness. As always, there will be a bunch of celebrations from some of the city’s best restaurants and precincts and to make…

Hilton Sydney have partnered up with Veuve Clicquot for to stage a bunch of “Yellow Hour” pop ups throughout the lush CBD property, presenting a number of specials each day between 5pm and 7pm Tuesday 13th February to Sunday 15th April. Zeta Bar, Marble Bar, and glass brasserie will each be flecked by yellow hues…

Legendary Woollahra restaurant Bistro Moncur are planning a very special dinner to celebrate their 25th anniversary. The French dining institution’s impressive legacy will be highlighted and showcased on Friday 2nd March with a simple, elegant set menu designed by Head Chef Mark Williamson and Damien Pignolet, the original founder who will be returning especially for…

Johnnie Walker have announced a forthcoming Australian launch for the premium Blue Label Ghost and Rare, the first in a brand-new series of special releases from the whisky giants. The special release series will highlight the use of rare whiskies from “ghost” distilleries that have long since closed, blended with other very rare malt and…

Luxury Thai resort Sri Panwa has recently revealed two new developments under their Baba Beach Club brand, bringing both Phuket and Hua Hin lush beachfront properties that should fit in well with the islands’ famously relaxed lifestyle. Finessing their established concept, both properties have been carefully designed to include a residential element alongside a beachfront…

Yeah Disney’s biannual company expo D23 has just wound up its first stop for 2018 in Japan, dropping a slew of trailers for Disney properties and many major company announcements. Among these announcements are a number of high-profile additions coming to Disney Parks across the world including some of your Disney-Pixar faves, a ton of…

Spring themed masterpeices will be exhibited this year at the the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo, Japan’s first national art museum, to coincide with the internationally recognised cherry blossom festival. Works will be on display from March 23 to April 8, and include Kawai Gyokudo’s “Parting Spring” depicting cherry blossoms, which is designated…

Mike McEnearney has added a second iteration of his famed Kitchen By Mike concept to Sydney Airport’s improved dining scene, but this time it’s the spin-off “Express” version. Designed to offer high quality meals for passengers on-the-go, Kitchen By Mike Express has popped up at Sydney Airport’s T1 International before the security checkpoints for those…

The entrance to Kid Kyoto should be on busy Bridge Street, but the logical way into the modern Japanese restaurant is shut. Instead you get signage gently redirecting you to Bridge Lane, where the real entrance to Kid Kyoto lies, almost opposite to dumpling favourite Mr Wong. There’s a reason for this, and the many…

t seems the big nostalgia-satisfying rebrand of Pizza Hut Australia is going to roll out at a rapid pace this year. Not long ago Sydney’s Waterloo became the flagship location for their new concept store, a crowd-pleasing shot at bringing back the beloved Pizza Hut all-you-can-eat sessions of yesteryear with a few modern twists like…

Linked by an immersive technology setup, groups in Singapore and Sydney are set to sit down and dine together as the Singapore Tourism Board partners with Sydney’s Shangri-La Hotel and numerous celebrity chefs to host a “Singapore meets Australia” dinner party. Set for the 22nd February the “SGxAUFoodies” event will be a unique way of…

In mere months, Primavera Sound Festival will return to Barcelona for its eighteenth edition from May 30th to June 3rd. Scheduling a lineup across a wide range of genres, we’ll hear from the likes of Arctic Monkeys, The National, Bjork, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, CHVRCHES, Father John Misty, The Breeders, A$AP Rocky and…

The Pyeongchang Winter Olympics is officially on! Our Melbourne writer Anastasia is currently travelling in Seoul, shivering through bitterly cold winter nights – in the third part of her Travel Essential series, Ana gives us a list of her favourite comfort-food must-haves, perfect for battling the chill in South Korea. 호떡 (Hotteok) Hotteok is a…

Some of Australia’s top chefs are joining together for an epic fundraising dinner in memory of the late Jeremy Strode, the talented and widely loved chef who is best known for his work at The Fish Shop and Bistrode CBD. As a testament to his influence on this country’s hospitality industry, the dinner will feature…

Going the classic route for Valentine’s Day doesn’t just mean a nice dinner out anymore. You’re going to have to get that special someone (assuming that’s how you’re spending the day) a gift for tradition’s sake, and you’re going to be flooded with ideas left, right and centre in the lead-up to one of the…

With wine on a tap fast becoming a norm for modern bars across the country it was only a matter of time before we got some wine tinnies on the shelves, taking one of the most refined drinking experiences interpreted through ‘Strayan culture. BWS have now launched a huge variety of wine-in-a-can with the good…