9 easy Sydney weekend getaways for a romantic escape

Easy Sydney weekend getaways - Blue Mountains, Bundeena, Pearl Beach, Kangaroo Valley, Hunter Valley, Hyams Beach, Port Stephens, Orange, Mudgee

Escaping Sydney might sound like a strange desire – she’s such a beautiful city. But like anywhere, the need to get away from it all is still there. Here are our top 9 easy Sydney weekend getaways. Christina and I love a road trip. We love Sydney too, but thankfully the two don’t have to … Read more

How to make this peated whisky cocktail from an old family recipe

Peated Whisky Cocktail

Sweet, sharp, spicy and smoky, this peated whisky cocktail from an old family recipe fits Pure Scot’s new blended peated whisky perfectly. And if you’re not sure what peated whisky or blended scotch is, read on! I love peated whisky. I love the intensity of flavours, the savoury depth, the sharp tang of iodine and … Read more

Where to Stay in the Hunter Valley – Aldora Cottage, Pokolbin

Where to stay in the Hunter Valley - Aldora Cottage in Jindalee Estate, Pokolbin hotel review

Not far from the broad feet of the Broken Back Mountains and even closer to some of the region’s best wineries, Aldora Cottage in Pokolbin is the perfect romantic hideaway for a Hunter Valley escape. Let’s get straight to the point. Aldora Cottage is horribly overlooked. Stared at by everybody. The Sun, the Moon, a … Read more

Pub lunches, posh dinners and A Day on the Green in the Hunter Valley

Weekly Edition - Day on the Green, Hunter Valley

With so much going on recently – compared to this time last year when nothing was really allowed to happen – we’ve got quite a bit to catch up on in this Edition. Not to mention it’s my birthday today!  We’ve got a local brewery rebrand to tell you all about, great burger finds, movie … Read more

Lucio Pizzeria – where to find a slice of Naples in Sydney

Lucio Pizzeria Sydney

Puffy, chewy, a gentle crunch and a soft gooey centre – it’s the perfect Neapolitan pizza crust and it’s impossible to perfect. Impossible unless your name is Lucio De Falco – owner of Sydney institution Lucio Pizzeria in Darlinghurst. As the Harbour Bridge has always spanned the city’s sparkling waters, and the sails of the … Read more

7 amazing ways to see the Blue Mountains

Blue Mountains Scenic World

Through the beryl-blue haze of eucalypt forests, the bounding landscape of the Blue Mountains National Park spreads over almost 2,700km². Here’s how to explore this abundance of natural beauty only 90 minutes west of Sydney. What must Governor Phillip and co have thought when they looked the swaths of eucalyptus trees and towering 1000-metre-plus mountains … Read more

Awamori – the spirit of Okinawa and the soul of Japan

Helios Distillery Ryukyu Bijin Awamori, Okinawa

Awamori – the local spirit of Okinawa in Japan’s far south – embodies this beautiful prefecture’s unique history, culture and personality. Here’s what awamori tastes like, how to drink it and its new relationship with yuzu. With tropical shores more like Hawaii, a location that’s closer to Taiwan than its mainland and a culture that’s … Read more

Is it worth going to the Hobbiton Movie Set?

Hobbiton Movie Set, Waikato, New Zealand

Amidst the green, rolling hills of Waikato is the incredible Hobbiton movie set from Peter Jackson’s film adaptations of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Here’s what to expect in Hobbiton, New Zealand. Sign up to our free newsletter here for more travel inspiration. You also get your own copy of our travel … Read more