Friday marked the first anniversary of the opening of Universal Studios’ fourth Orlando park, Epic Universe. It promised one of the most ambitious launch offerings in theme park history, truly giving purpose to its “epic” name across five themed lands. So, a year in, how does it all stack up? Just before the one year…
Virgin Australia is bringing a little infinity – and beyond – to the skies. Ahead of the release of Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 5 on June 18th, Virgin Australia has unveiled a brand-new themed Boeing 737-800 decked out with some of animation’s most beloved faces, including Woody, Jessie and Buzz Lightyear. It’s the airline’s…
Melbourne’s favourite makers of boozy Italian good times are back with a new flavour that’s impossible to ignore. Tommy’s Booze – the locally made liqueur brand born from friendship, hospitality and a whole lot of fruit – has unveiled Kiwi, a limited-edition release that might just be its boldest concoction yet. Sweet, tangy and unapologetically…
There’s no shortage of hotel options in Niagara Falls, Canada. Some trade entirely on their proximity to, and view of, the falls. Others offer a more boutique option, their own fun attractions (like a water park), and some also operate as a Casino. And then there’s the Sheraton Fallsview, which sits at the base of…
Illuminate Adelaide is a beacon of light and energy in the midst of the city’s chilly winter. Expect the City of Churches to transform between July 1st and 19th into a vibrant winter playground of light, art, music, technology, and culinary discoveries. With world premieres, Adelaide exclusives and over 100 experiences and performances, this year…
As of early this year, I’d never flown either of Japan’s major carriers, ANA or JAL. However, that all changed last month when I flew from Seattle (USA) to Tokyo (Haneda) on All Nippon Airways (ANA) for the first time. I booked this flight using Virgin Australia’s Velocity Points, for whom ANA is one of…
Two weeks ago, on 29th March, Disney’s newest theme park Disney Adventure World officially opened its doors in Paris. Adventure World sits on the site of Walt Disney Studios Park, which opened as the second gate to Disneyland Paris in 2002. But it’s not just a rebranding. It’s a complete reimagining of 90% of the…
Last year, we reported on how the new Fast & Furious themed roller coaster Hollywood Drift would be arriving at Universal Studios Hollywood in Summer 2026, breaking a tonne of records along the way. It will be Universal Studios Hollywood’s first ever high speed outdoor roller coaster, and the fastest coaster of any Universal theme…
You can’t really understand New York City’s food scene until you’ve been up to New York State. The entire land is like one big farm, giving the epicentre of capitalism access to the top shelf of American produce. The Culinary Institute of America is up there, smack bang in the heart of leafy Hyde Park,…
Paddington just is. It’s a rich, well-to-do area with some of Sydney’s best pubs, incredible restaurants and a seemingly endless roster of upscale boutiques. It’s never been a dynamic part of Sydney, but it has always been one of the city’s most coveted neighbourhoods. And so it’s always been odd that it’s never had a…
Arriving in Sydney’s vibrant inner-east feels like stepping into a city that has learned how to reinvent itself without losing its edge. Just past the iconic Coca-Cola sign at the crossroads of Kings Cross and Potts Point, where neon glow meets leafy side streets and boutique energy, you’ll find a pocket of Sydney perfectly suited…
The Adelaide Beer & BBQ Festival (ABBF) has been a staple event in the brewing community for a decade at the Adelaide Showgrounds. Between 2015 and 2025, it’s grown to be the largest brewing event of its kind in Australia, with more brewers under one roof than any other festival in the country. It’s survived the…
Soaking in really hot, mineral-stacked water with a dozen naked strangers is one of the most important traditions in Japan. And that’s saying a lot in a country that has turned intentional stillness into a life-giving art form, whether it’s at a gentle tea ceremony or along a quiet path in a scrubby forest. This…
Sim Local has simplified the eSIM process to the point where it’s now much cheaper, easier and much less stressful to dial in high speeds when your overseas. Vicious roaming charges were once a bugbear for Aussies travelling overseas, but the widespread availability of SIM cards and the increasingly seamless set-up process changed that. And…
In his book Sacred Journeys in a Modern World, Roger Houdsen describes pilgrimage as a “prayer of the body as well as the mind”. In their 1978 works, Victor and Edith Turner explored pilgrimage as a “liminal” experience, fashioning such epic inner journeys as “temporary breaks” from social structures that result in a sense of…
Tucked beneath the streets of Brisbane, Boom Boom Room isn’t just a place to eat – it’s a full-bodied, late-night experience that leans into mood, music, and indulgence. Equal parts supper club and sensory playground, it promises modern Asian dining with a theatrical edge – and it delivers. From the moment you step inside, the…
Trip.com, in partnership with China Southern Airlines, is set to transform Pitt Street Mall into an immersive travel experience with its upcoming “Journey to China” pop-up, running from 27 to 29 March 2026 (10:00 AM – 7:00 PM daily, both dates inclusive). Designed as a city-centre activation, the three-day pop-up invites Sydneysiders to explore China’s…
The gestation period for high-profile hotels often gives me whiplash. Hotels, one of my favourite things about travel, always excite me, especially when news hits about a big new opening in a city as addictive as New York City. But when one is announced, I always let a huge sigh when I see that the…
Brisbane’s underground favourite Boom Boom Room is ready to make some noise again. After a short break, the Ghanem Group venue reopens tonight (Friday 6th March) with a refreshed concept that leans harder into late-night energy, live entertainment and bold modern Asian flavours. The idea is simple: a night that evolves. Early evenings begin with…
It’s hard to imagine something so beautiful can come from something so… ugly. And yet freedom is an ecosystem that rarely functions without friction. It’s the endpoint of a long, arduous and often cruel journey, and the beginning of a life so wonderfully and exclusively yours that it’s impossible not to take the good with…
Forget any preconceptions you might have of Louisville as a sleepy southern town. Many of the bars here are open until 4am and it doesn’t take long to see why Kentucky’s largest metropolis bills itself as Whiskey City. With close to a dozen downtown distilleries (and more on the way), bourbon and rye lovers will…
Rolling down windows, music blasting, endless stretches of Australian landscape unfold ahead. Road trips hit differently when you’re behind the wheel in South Australia, where vineyards give way to rugged coastlines faster than you can say “pull over for photos.” We’ve spent countless weekends chasing sunsets along SA’s most stunning routes, discovering wine regions tucked…
Between classic Las Vegas residences in all the major resorts and scheduled concerts at The Sphere, the Entertainment Capital of the World isn’t slowing down with shows in 2026. It’s impossible to sink into the neon wash of Las Vegas and not want to see every type of show imaginable. The “Vegas cadence” is something…
There really isn’t much to Hilton New York Fashion District. It’s a simple, unfussy hotel that happens to hide one of the “best-kept secret” rooftops in the area. Rooms are comfortable but undorned, and the lobby is so distinctly lacking in any notable features that the nighttime journey from door to room is barely noticeable….
Nelson, the third of six children, was the most intellectually ambitious of the Rockefeller family, whose staggering influence was best put to use as patrons of the arts. Although his legacy isn’t without its spots, the former US Vice President was less concerned with expanding industrial wealth than he was with using it to shape…
When I first reviewed the Hilton New York Times Square for another publication in 2023, I noted that space and height were the hotel’s biggest selling points. Having stayed again in 2025, following a multi-million-dollar refurbishment that mainly brightened the hotel’s street-level entry and recast the sky lobby with a cleaner, more modern design, that…
Santa Monica Pier is my bookend whenever I do a multi-city trip in the USA. At least my preferred one. I’m one of those masochists who actually enjoys having LAX as an entry point to any US adventure, because it sets the scene. The City of Angels is sprawling, sunny and varied. It’s the perfect…
Los Angeles’s swag of massive art galleries and museums isn’t talked about in the same way people talk about the art scene in dense urban centres like New York and Chicago. It’s clearly much different, in more ways than one. In New York, art is vertical. Museums and galleries play around with scale, weaving through…
If your Margarita order says more about you than your star sign, Iris Rooftop is ready to introduce you to your cocktail alter ego. Perched high above Hotel X in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley, the Spanish-inspired rooftop bar is stretching World Margarita Day (February 22nd) into a six-week sky-high celebration, running from Wednesday, 18th February through…
Porter Airlines have fast become my favourite airline in Canada. They offer great rates, free Wi-Fi and beer on board, and no middle seats on any of their aircraft. In the last few years, they’ve been fast expanding their reach, shaking up markets that had long been exclusively catered to by Canada’s two major airlines…
