Travel & Lifestyle

48 Hours in Winnipeg, Manitoba: Five things no visit to the Canadian city is complete without

Winnipeg is the capital and largest city in the Canadian Provence of Manitoba, and is known as the “Gateway to the West” thanks in part to its location on the country’s rail network; sitting almost exactly halfway between Toronto and Vancouver on the itinerary of the iconic train experience that is “The Canadian”. Recently I…

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A three day BBQ festival is coming to Sydney’s Hills District in November

BBQ Festival’s are all the rage right now; just look at how packed out Meatstock gets every year. It’s no revelation that Aussies love their BBQ so the more of these things popping up around the country the better. Enter the Australian Hotel and Brewery who will be putting on an epic three-day BBQ Food…

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Vino Paradiso set to return to The Rocks this November (Sydney)

Two-day wine and food festival Vino Paradiso is returning to Sydney’s historic The Rocks district next month with a crowd of 50,000 expected to attend across the weekend. Posted up right by the sparkling waters of Sydney Harbour, the curated blend of food, wine, coffee, craft beer, cider and spirits will be highlighted by numerous…

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Curio Collection by Hilton plan botanical inspired luxury hotel for Sydney CBD

Upscale full service hotel brand Curio Collection by Hilton has today announced the signing of its very first hotel in Sydney, a 182-room new-build property on Sussex Street that is due for completion by the end of this year. Curio Collection, which is one of Hilton’s 14 brands alongside the likes of Doubletree by Hilton…

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James Squire is opening an all-day dining brewhouse in Circular Quay (Sydney)

Australia’s first commercial brewery, James Squire, is coming to the Overseas Passenger Terminal building at Circular Quay with the opening of The Squire’s Landing, an all encompassing brewhouse featuring a restaurant, bar and micro-brewery. A joint venture between The Mantle Group and Lion, the venue will be taking over the former Doyles’ Restaurant space with development…

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Bombay Sapphire are hosting an immersive gin series in Sydney and Melbourne

Bombay Sapphire are bringing back their atmospheric experience Project Botanicals: A Journey to the Edges of Food, Music & Imagination, taking the avid gin drinker and cocktail enthusiast back to the origins of their gin mix. Each two hour session promises to take guests on an interactive sensory journey with audio-visuals designed by artist Ta-Ku…

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Local businesses band together for special Newtown Festival menu (Sydney)

It’s about that time again, when one of Sydney’s most eclectic and exciting communities is channeled into the unbridled celebration that is Newtown Festival. Yep, the famously bohemian inner-west suburb is about to once again throw the party of the year as the festival, in its 39th year, takes over Camperdown Park for a glorious…

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Tour Diary: LA’s Entrance take us to the Desert Daze Festival at Joshua Tree

Recently, the likes of Iggy Pop, Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile, Ty Segall and Spiritualized gathered at the Joshua Tree for the 2017 Desert Daze festival – a three day music and arts festival that has grown exponentially since its inception in 2012. Performing on this stacked line up was Entrance – the project of Guy Blakeslee – hitting the Mystic Bazaar. Armed with his…

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W Brisbane announce casting call for dream-role: Australia’s first “W Insider”

Ahead of the exciting return of the W Hotel brand to Australia, with W Brisbane opening early next year, a callout has been issued for the country’s first “W Insider”. It’s basically a dream-role, integral to W’s unique culture where the W Insider is tasked with connecting hotel guests to what’s “new and next” in…

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Review: Five-star comfort meets Baltic charm at Swissotel Tallinn in Estonia

Tallinn, Estonia is one of Europe’s most underrated travel destinations. That much has been cried out by numerous travel websites and blogs for years, championing the growing Baltic city along with its close neighbours Riga in Latvia and Vilnius in Lithuania. It’s no longer just a popular day-trip from Helsinki, with the stunning medieval city…

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Emirates welcomes its 100th A380 Superjumbo jet

Emirates is continuing its position as the world’s largest operator of the A380 super-jumbos, by receiving its 100th aircraft next month. Since joining the fleet nine years ago, over 80 million passengers have hit the skies in one of the colossal A380 airbuses. Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline said the airline is continually investing to enhance…

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Indonesia’s Komodo Island is scoring its first five-star Hotel

AYANA Resort is opening up the first and only Luxury five-Star Hotel on Komodo Island along the beautiful Waecicu Beach in Labuan bajo. The AYANA Komodo Resort, anticipated to open Summer 2018, will feature 12 suites and 1289 guest rooms. Inspired by light, comfort and open living, Ayana Komodo Resort’s contemporary rooms feature ocean views…

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Flight Review: AirAsia X packs value for money into budget flights from Australia to Kuala Lumpur

Flying ‘budget’ is no longer seen as the ugly alternative for travelers wanting to get from Point A to Point B in comfort without damaging the pocket. Now, budget airlines are flying further than before, aiming further than domestic connections and bringing passengers the world over to different countries for the first time. Our latest…

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Pringles launch Chilli Sambal flavour in Australia

After recently releasing both Meat Pie and Chicken Salt flavoured editions as part of their limited edition Aussie Favourites range, Pringles have went and scoured South-East Asia for their next out-there iteration, bringing the Australian market something for those who like their potato chips a full of spice and tang. As you can probably tell…

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Cabarita institution Angelo’s on the Bay has made some big changes after three decades (Sydney)

Former Director of Hotels and Bars at The Keystone Group, Simon Barbato, has made some significant changes over at Cabarita institution Angelo’s on the Bay now that he is the newly appointed owner. This means a large refresh to the bayside dining and function venue and a menu overhaul by new Head Chef Mario Pedavoli…

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An ex-Chin Chin chef leads the kitchen at Windsor’s new Thai restaurant (Melbourne)

Windsor locals have waved goodbye (for now) to beloved dining spot Saigon Sally and have welcomed BKK, a new Thai restaurant coming from the Commune Group who are best known for their alternative sister restaurants including Hanoi Hannah and Tokyo Tina. Helmed by chef Sean Judd (ex Longrain, Chin Chin) the restaurant, which is an…

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Bistro Moncur launches a series of rosé inspired events for the rest of 2017 (Sydney)

To welcome the warmer months, Bistro Moncur are hosting a series of events that are all things rosé –  from rosé wine, rosé cocktails and rosé champagne to rosé dinners and degustation pairing. The rosé themed lineup will run from October to December 2017, and takes place at both the Mosman and Woollahra venues. Over the next two…

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Winners of the 2018 Good Food Guide Awards: Attica takes out top honours

The 2018 edition of the Good Food Guide Awards have officially been announced, celebrating a nation brimming with superb talent that’s clearly progressing and evolving at a rate on par with some of the culinary capitals of the worlds. That much is obvious from this list of winners, ranging from Restaurant of the Year (which…

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The chefs behind Pinbone are opening an American-style Italian diner with Merivale (Sydney)

Sydney chef duo Mike Eggert and Jemma Whiteman are two names which are always welcome at any table in Sydney, stemming from their time running the city’s hugely popular Pinbone before closing up shop in 2015. Since then they’ve been spotted in and around the likes of 10 William Street and their own Kensington restaurant,…

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Harvest is South Yarra’s new all-day coffeehouse, bar and eatery (Melbourne)

South Yarra’s got a new all-day coffeehouse, bar and eatery with Harvest, a new venture from chef and owner Tim Martin that focuses on a refined menu of wine, aged meats and fermented products. Martin, who brings 16 years of experience to his debut solo restaurant, aims to channel plenty of European influence into local…

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Bar Luca is opening a massive build-your-own burger bar in Newtown (Sydney)

The team behind Bar Luca and BL Burgers are taking the next very impressive step in solififying their burger empire, which to date includes acclaimed burger bars in Bondi, Darlinghurst, Parramatta and the CBD. That step: a build-your-own bowl and burger bar with eight bases to choose from, 70 ingredients and toppings, and 20 different…

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Review: Ballaro brings Sicilian street eats to Newtown (Sydney)

Sitting smack bang in the middle of King Street’s more energetic half, Ballaro is a small but bright new shop pumping out authentic Sicilian-style street eats. Owned by two Italians, the space draws on inspiration from the oldest and most vibrant street market in Sicily with images of fresh produce and crates used to craft…

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Jock Zonfrillo opens Bistro Blackwood on Rundle Street (Adelaide)

An “all-Australian” bistro has had a big relaunch on Adelaide’s Rundle Street, coming from world renowned Scottish chef Jock Zonfrillo. Bistro Blackwood, sister and neighbour to Zonfrillo’s highly acclaimed fine diner Restaurant Orana, has brought the chef a platform for his commitment to indigenous Australian ingredients used in a classic bistro style and for guests,…

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Primus Hotel opens New York inspired rooftop bar (Sydney)

Sydney CBD’s Primus Hotel has lifted the lid on their new New York inspired rooftop bar, Level Seven. In preparing for the busy Summer period, the hotel elaborate art deco hotel has hooked up with Veuve Clicquot to turn their exclusive rooftop pool into a lively champagne and cocktail destination for the public. With a…

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Melbourne’s free dumpling festival returns this weekend

Mark Friday 20th October in your calendar dumpling lovers because following last year’s debut the folks at 206 Bourke Street have decided to bring back their epic free-entry dumpling festival, with some of the city’s best on board. Exclusive pop-ups, a tea cocktail bar, a Brooklyn Brewery beer garden and live entertainment will be set…

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Review: Holiday Inn’s Ontario Airport location boasts exceptional service and comfort

My experience with the Holiday Inn Ontario Airport, California (about an hour east of Los Angeles) started two days before I was set to arrive. I wanted to make sure that arriving late at night after a music festival would be acceptable, and that I could have a late checkout the next day. The woman…

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Marhaba have opened a premium pay-to-access lounge at Melbourne Airport

Melbourne Airport’s international terminal has recently received an Australian first pay-to-enter premium lounge by passenger service company Marhaba. Located in Terminal 2 the lounge, which is staffed by a team of 26 from 6am to midnight daily, is available to passengers departing Melbourne on any airline and offers a number of brag-worthy features including comfortable…

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Bali’s new Palm Springs inspired cliff-side beach club looks incredible

Bali’s newest beach club, the recently opened Ulu Cliffhouse, stands 35 metres above sea level and is unsurprisingly glamorous and ambitious, giving the area of Uluwatu a distinctive clifftop playground defined by a 1950’s Palm Springs aesthetic. The 4600m² property is part of the ongoing evolution of the island’s cultural scene, drawing on the surrounding…

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Changes to Eurail Pass set to make Europe more accessible for Australian travellers

Beloved by Aussies travelling to Europe for their flexible options and access to 28 European countries via train travel and various partnerships, Eurail are set to introduce a number of deals for jet-setters coming from down under following the reveal that Australia is one of the biggest markets in the world for the European travel…

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The Middle Aisle brings popular Melbourne Macramé institution to Sydney this weekend

The Middle Aisle, developed and led by Melbourne graphic designer, stylist and Macramé artist Maggie May, has flourished into a popular fixture within the Melbourne arts scene in recent years. Holding an impressive following online and spurring on that momentum with the opening of Think Thornbury (a creative enterprise established by Maggie and fiancée, musician Josh Kelly, to facilitate…

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