As Sydney edges its way into winter, we look back at April – the country’s shoulder month. It’s kinda cold, kinda sunny and generally unpredictable. It’s also home to more than its fair share of public holidays. But all this hasn’t slowed us down much!

While we flutter between jumpers and jackets, and shorts and T-shirts, Christina and I have been checking out a couple of Sydney’s top restaurants, a staycation hotel and its excellent executive lounge, we’ve had an interstate family visit and we’ve been on set for a TV show.

Plus there’s been the Easter and Anzac Day long weekends to fit in! I don’t know how we do it.

Hope you enjoy this Flavour Of The Month.

Cheers

Jim & Christina xx

Sign up to our free newsletter here for more travel inspiration. You also get your own copy of our travel ebook — it’s on us!

We kick off the month with a stay in the excellently located Sofitel Darling Harbour right in the middle of Sydney’s bustling entertainment district (and an easy ferry ride from our place).

We’ve wanted to give this hotel a go for a while, so we’re excited to have a couple of nights here to put it through its paces.

Our room on the 29th floor gives us access to the hotel’s executive level on the very top floor: Sofitel’s slick Club Millesime, which has breakfast, afternoon tea and supper included – not to mention killer water views out over Darling Harbour and the city.

You can read our full review of Sofitel Darling Harbour here.

We’ve also published a video review:

Also in Sofitel Darling Harbour is the two-Hatted French fine-dining restaurant Atelier. It’s our last night at the hotel and we celebrate with a meal that we won’t forget in a hurry.

The food is absolutely superb with entrees of easily one of the best steak tartares we’ve had and chargrilled octopus in a delicate saffron sabayon, mains of house-aged duck and thick-cut angus sirloin, and a rich, dark chocolate delice…

But I shouldn’t spoil too many surprises – you can find our full review of Atelier by Sofitel here!

Tonight, for a whole host of reasons (including the anniversary of not one but two of of our dear friends’ dads passing today) we thought we’d open a pretty special bottle of wine in recognition.

We’ve had this bottle of Peterson’s sparkling Semillon from the Hunter Valley for ages. I mean, it’s a 2007 vintage, but we’ve only had it for about six years. Thankfully the winery has done most of the ageing for us.

Semillon is a funny grape. It’s obviously a white wine, but the longer you leave it, it changes from being a zippy, high-acid youthful drop to a grumpy, textured old wine. A strange oakiness develops even though it’s never seen the inside of a barrel.

We looked at whether you can age white wine here, but this bottle confirms 1000% that you definitely can! What an extraordinary drink this is. And a great way to celebrate Jerry and Kumar’s life. Cheers lads.

The first long weekend of April is upon us – Easter in fact – and we’ve decided to go out for brunch with Christina’s fam.

For one reason or another, we’ve come out to Wahroonga to the Butcher’s Block (I approve of the name) for a bite to eat. Christina’s sister picked it – I wonder if she knows there’s another Butcher’s Block at Barangaroo – much closer to us. Just sayin’.

Anyway, the food here is great. Christina orders the Butcher’s Breakfast – a veritable platter of chorizo, bacon, hash brown, eggs, mushrooms, tomato and even a wagyu flank steak!

Her mum goes for the gnocchi and I have the burger. Oddly, I ask for the cheeseburger, which somehow baffles our young server taking my order. I mean, it’s a burger and it comes with – among other things – cheese, but there you go. Whatever you want to call it, I enjoy the food either way.

My brother-in-law and nephew, however, order the chicken burger, but aren’t impressed at all, so a bit of a mixed bag.

It’s lovely to catch up with everyone and have a meal together though.

Today, we’re at one of our locals the Royal Oak Hotel in Balmain, but not for what you might think.

We’re here as rent-a-crowd for a filming session with Channel 7’s Sydney Weekender. They’re here filming for a segment on the lauded Balmain Rozelle Heritage Pub Trail, which we’ve been working on (professionally and socially) for some time now.

In fact, check out our viral IG Reel here!

We’ve been in the background before with these guys when they were filming for the Inner West Distillery Trail – you can see that Sydney Weekender episode (and glimpses of us) here.

It’s good to be back in front of the camera – especially when all you have to do is look like you’re enjoying yourself, and eat and drink what’s put in front of you! The anchovy bruschetta, and figs and ricotta are sensational by the way.

So keep your eye out for us on your TV soon.

This evening, we’re in Paddington for a very special (and substantial) dinner at the ridiculously good Izy.Aki.

This is an omakase restaurant – a Japanese style of dining where the kitchen brings what it wants to you rather than you ordering. It’s growing in popularity in Australia and I can see why.

But this is omakase with a difference.

Owner Darren Templeman and his amazing head chef Bonnie Yu create an ever-changing menu of delicacies that they bring to your seat at the bar, but where this restaurant differs from most omakase is that the majority of the dishes – they do either a 6-course or 10-course sitting – are not sushi or sashimi based.

Rather, they utilise the the charcoal-fired yakiniku grill to create more protein-focused dishes and delicate, international masterpieces.

Darren [right] comes from a history of outstanding Sydney kitchens including O Dining and his own restaurant Atelier (different to the one in Sofitel that we mentioned earlier). From Atelier, Darren has brought is signature dish The Egg.

This sensation created quite the stir in the foodie world.

Within the perfectly scalped hen’s egg, as well as the yolk itself, is a wonderfully light yet rich combination of foie gras, smoked eel and golden salmon roe. It’s do tasty.

The food keeps coming as we try not to detonate under the artillery of umami. Every single dish seems to be determined to out-do its predecessor. Thankfully, the service is not only incredibly friendly and fun, but also considerate of our struggle.

Timed perfectly to our digestion, we leave feeling sated, happy and with a new-found respect for the art of omakase.

Check out our full review of Izy-Aki here – you can also find our video short on the experience here on YouTube (like and subscribe!).

It’s always fun to go inside places that are usually closed, but every time the Rozelle Power Station, which has been locked and derelict until recently, opens up, it feels like Wonka himself has come out of hiding.

Thankfully, this being the Sydney Biennale, you don’t need a golden ticket to go in. In fact, it’s all free.

There are some brilliant pieces of art installed in the Power Station this year, so make sure you get down to check it out. There’s a free bus – one of the old heritage ones – that goes from the QVB every weekend, but otherwise the 441 and 442 takes you almost to the door.

And while you’re at the Biennale, why not pop round the corner for a quick shandy at Sydney Brewery’s Rozelle venue.

Not only are their beers all solid, they’re really coming along with changing things for the better in this enormous space.

Latest addition is the massive screen they’ve just installed. This could be (we haven’t had this confirmed yet) the biggest indoor pub or brewery screen in the country.

Sydney Brewery will be showing the big sports games here, but also they’re looking at movie nights and things like that, so keep your eye out for that.

Also, how about this brilliant offer that’s going under the radar a bit:

Sydney Brewery has a special takeaway deal where, for $50, you get two pizzas, a box of the most delicious chips and a four-pack of beer!

As we head into the Anzac Day weekend, Christina and I are excited to have some special visitors coming to town.

My two gorgeous nieces, who live up in Brisbane, are down for a holiday. They were supposed to be bringing my brother with them, but he didn’t want to because he hates me. I hope he reads this! 

Although it would’ve been lovely to see my brother, it’s great to hang out with the girls for some of the weekend. We head to Ester Spirits, one of our favourite distilleries, for their jazz night.

The music is as amazing as the drinks are, and the happy hour adds an even brighter spark to the evening: for $25 you get a choice of drinks (martinis, gimlets and the like) and a burger from the van outside.

What could be better. Well, probably sitting a bit further from the band to be honest. The boyfriend of one of the girls, who’s down for the weekend too, is sitting a bit too close to the saxophonist!

Today is Anzac Day proper, and Christina and I are up for the Dawn Service in Balmain. It’s an impressively well-attended service and beautifully executed. 

Since our Dawn Service experience at Thailand’s Hellfire Pass last year, we’ve decided to make a concerted effort to play a more active role in this important remembrance day.

The day is finally here! Our lovely friend Jane Lawson’s book Secret Japan is out and alive! 

She kindly sent us a digital preview last month, but having the real thing in our hands is quite something. Beautifully written, exceptionally illustrated with full-colour photos and structured in a way that’s not only informative and helpful, but entertaining and enthralling as well, this is a must-read for anyone interested, passionate and curious about Japan’s lesser-known features.

Each prefecture is dealt with by Jane, who has lived, visited, worked and played in Japan for most of her life. Her knowledge of this often arcane and esoteric nation is both profound and profoundly useful to anyone wanting to exist within its culture. The way that she has dealt with potential friction points is deft and delicate, while not pulling any punches at the same time.

Pick up your copy of Secret Japan – an insider’s guide to deeper travel in the world’s most fascinating country here.

Congratulations, Jane. This is a great book.

It also gives me an excuse to break out a drop of awamori, a rice spirit (like sake but distilled rather than brewed) that I brought back from Okinawa. You can read about this mysterious, delectable drink here.

This morning, Christina is speaking at a small-business workshop as a new member of the Balmain Rozelle Chamber of Commerce. 

They’re meeting at the Teras Cafe on Darling Street, where she’s telling them all about the virtues of EDM funnels and social media – and how she’s a gun for hire to help set up systems that make what is often an unsurmountable marketing mountain more than do-able. 

The rest of the morning is a networking session, getting to know other local businesses and chatting with everyone. The Chamber an excellent resource that more small companies in the Balmain, Rozelle, Birchgrove and Lilyfield area should sign up for.

We hope you’ve enjoyed the wrap up of this month’s goings on. It’s been a fun 30 days for us, that’s for sure!

Christina & Jim xx

The post French Hotels, Japanese Dinners and We’re On TV… Again! appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

March by name, march by nature! This month has definitely flashed by, hasn’t it? It’s a shame that March has gone by so quickly – this is usually the best time to be in Sydney; days still warm, evenings slightly cooler, crowds are smaller, everyone’s back to work and school.

And as is my MO for habitually complaining about how fast each month has gone by, I’m once again going to blame it on so much happening.

We have friends in town from interstate, we’re visiting friends in other states, weddings down on the NSW border and even our own wedding anniversary celebrations. We’ve got tours of ocean liners, whisky judging panels, wine tastings, Elvis biopic premiers, cocktails, St Patrick’s Day, curries, comedians and even a sneak preview of a friend’s magnificent new travel book.

And it’s all happened in these 31 short days!

Hope you’re sitting comfortably.

Jim & Christina xx

Sign up to our free newsletter here for more travel inspiration. You also get your own copy of our travel ebook — it’s on us!

We kick off the month with a bit of indie music! Our good friend Nick Beswick is playing a gig at the Gasoline Pony in Marrickville.

The band he’s in – Lost In The Woods – has been going since the mid-2000s and always puts down brilliant sets. You can find out more about the band and any upcoming gigs here on their site and their albums are all available on Spotify here.

It’s great to see Nick, especially when his parents are in town. His mum is the only other person I’ve met with the same birthday as me!

This afternoon, we get to play tour guide to our lovely friends Steve and Heather Collins in town from Perth. We met Steve in 2019 on a media trip to South Africa and we’ve stayed in contact ever since.

Steve has worn many hats in his life including a radio and podcast broadcaster, a writer, a photographer and a travel correspondent. He’s also a standup comedian, so there are always plenty of healthy one-liners on hand to keep everyone smiling.

We take them round to see some of the sights of Balmain and pop into our favourite pub The Bald Rock Hotel in Rozelle for a spot of lunch. It’s been so good to spend time with these lovely people.

All too soon, they have to head back to where they’re staying in Manly, so we pop them on a ferry and wave goodbye. Hope to see them both again soon.

We’ve had a long-running love affair with the wine, food and hospitality from Orange, NSW. This town on the Central Tablelands has worked its way deep into our hearts with its friendly nature and the outstanding quality of its produce.

But in particular, the wine coming from this town is crazy. Over 80 wineries exist in the small designation that’s limited by altitude. The beauty of this is that there are still so many wineries that we haven’t yet discovered.

Owners of Angullong Wines – the Crossing family – have been crafting outstanding wines since the late 1990s. We have the opportunity to try a couple of their wines from the latest release of Angullong’s Fossil Hill range.

This range shows Angullong’s commitment to expanding and challenging the varietals and flavours that Orange is known for.

Within this release of six varieties is a Sangiovese and a Tempranillo.

Angullong’s bright, lively Sangiovese is packed with those delightful cherry and spice aromas that open up even more on the palate, ending in a rounded, long savoury finish with plenty of fine acidity and structured tannins.

The Tempranillo is also right on the money with raspberry, cedar and spice notes running through it. Light sweetness also comes through as its fine texture leads you to a moreish finish.

Both these wines are medium-bodied reds, which suggests the Australian wine palate is progressing nicely towards a more refined, lighter style of wine.

All wines in this range, which also includes a Barbera, a Montepulciano, a Shiraz and a Chardonnay, are available from Angullong’s beautiful cellar door or online here – RRP$30.00 each.

Another wine discovery from Orange, check out our review of the full recently released range from Cooks Lot Wines here.

This evening, Christina is at Balmain and Rozelle’s home of beer: Sydney Brewery! And she’s here to be part of the Women In Business that the Balmain Rozelle Chamber of Commerce runs on a regular basis.

Christina reports that it’s great to meet so many strong women working in the community, creating incredible opportunities and shaping the way that business is conducted in and around Sydney.

Titled the ‘Cider, Sip & Connect’ event, tonight’s networking festivities are combined with a tasting session of Sydney Brewery’s cider range, which I have to say is excellent.

The original apple cider, the Bat Currant and the Agave Ginger are delicious, but I must say the Lemon Twist is a winner. Dangerously easy to drink and very refreshing.

We’re so excited about this one!

Our wonderful friend Jane Lawson is almost ready to launch her latest (and possibly greatest) travel book Secret Japan!

Jane has worked, lived and travelled in Japan for over 40 years, and her incredible depth of knowledge is all out in the pages of this beautifully crafted book – and we’ve been given a bit of an advanced viewing of it!

I’m loath to call it a travel guide, because it’s so much more than that. Yes, it has some excellent travel advice, it guides you through all the different islands, regions and prefectures of Japan, and covers all the things you want to know about the country – from food to onsen etiquette.

But the way Jane has written this is more an insight into what Japan is, how and why it’s structured the way it is and what it feels like to experience this unique, fascinating destination.

We can’t wait for this book to come out in late April, and we’ll be able to share more information with you on it then too. But until then, you can get this on pre-order here.

This afternoon, I’m in our old stomping ground in Surry Hills to be part of a tasting panel for pioneering hospitality magazine National Liquor News.

Today’s target spirit is whisky – specifically Irish whiskey and Scotch. And with 70 different whiskies from over 30 distilleries across Ireland and Scotland, the group’s more than got our work cut out for us.

The setting is perfect though. We’re in the whisky room of the Clock Hotel on Crown Street, the most appropriate place to be tasting some of the best scotch and Irish whiskey on the market.

We’re on the road again!

This time, Christina and I are driving down to the borderlands for a wedding in Albury. But first, we get in a quick stopover with our awesome friends Carly and Ben who live in beautiful historic Beechworth.

It’s so much fun to hand out with them and to see their two rapidly growing kids. We wish we had more time to spend here, but all too soon we’re in the car again heading back across the river into NSW.

But it’s certainly worth it.

We’re at our friends’ Emily and Adam’s wedding in the impressive Murray Art Museum Albury (affectionately ‘MAMA‘). With over 2,400 pieces of photographic, sculptural and indigenous art, MAMA makes an amazing, unique venue for a wedding.

Christina and I are proud to have been given formal roles for the wedding: we’re the MCs for the night! Fortunately, the celebrant does most of the heavy lifting – even telling guests where the bathrooms are and not to touch any of the artworks. So we really don’t have to do that much.

The vast entrance is full of grand exhibits, but it’s also the main arena for celebrations – not to mention the bar and dance floor when all the formalities and food are over.

The party goes on long into the night – there might even be a spot of karaoke in one of the nearby night spots, but that’s for us to know…

Congratulations, Em and Adam. We hope you have most wonderful life together.

It’s our last day in Albury and also our wedding anniversary*! After hanging out with the newlyweds this afternoon, we head out for dinner at what everyone here considers to be the best place to eat in town.

We’re in Norma’s, a lovely little neighbourhood restaurant. We manage to score a table without a booking, which is a feat in itself, and work our way through the menu.

The menu, by the way, is an interesting thing. You mark off what you want to eat, take it up to the bar and hand it in. You’re almost placing your order with the open kitchen yourself. It’s at this point that you pay as well. It’s a fun way to do things, but I do worry the excellent staff and chefs here are doing themselves out of tips.

We order the calamari and ‘nduja, the pork cotoletta, tonnato sauce and crispy capers, smoked beef, kipfler potatoes and the most amazing caper crema, and the rich rigatoni with slow-cooked beef ragu, all washed down with an excellent Riesling from Darling Estate in King Valley.

Outstanding service, food and drink, and of course the very best company. Happy anniversary, Christina.

*By the way, special shout-out to my mum and dad, who’ll be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary in a few days!

It’s time for us to leave Albury, but we’ll definitely be back – and not just because our lovely friends live here. This is a great little town with plenty to offer.

Before we head north, we drive up to the high point of the town for what everyone says are the best views of the area. They’re right – from the impressive Anzac War Memorial, you look out right across the town down to the distant hills.

This evening, Christina and I are at the cinema. Our friends from Memphis Tourism has invited us to a screening of Epic, the new Elvis biopic by Baz Luhrmann at the Gold Class screen at Event Cinema George Street.

We meet everyone at the bar – lots of friendly faces from the travel media industry here tonight – and head to our luxurious recliner seats for the show. Chris Ingham from Memphis Tourism talks us through the screening before the lights go down and the King takes the stage.

We weren’t sure what to expect from Epic. This is a kind of compilation of a whole load of b-roll and backstage video that was recently unearthed of Elvis’ seven-year residency in Las Vegas.

Luhrmann has created a kind of docu-concert with this, and although there’s no narration, no plot and it’s not even in any kind of chronological order, Epic is so compelling and so interesting. Seeing Elvis in rehearsals and on stage, hearing his voice and watching him in this never-before-seen footage is somehow so watchable.

We leave with a new appreciation for Presley. If nothing else, his work ethic was unimpeachable. In athe peak three-year period in Vegas, he ran other 1,100 shows, sometimes three concerts a day. And every time he went on stage, he said he’d perform like it was the first night of a tour. Impressive stuff.

After the film, Christina and I take advantage of being in the city and head to a bar we haven’t been to before. We find the hidden entry to The Press.

This is a Merivale venue and, as it turns out, where fine-dining restaurant EST. once stood. It’s a beautiful bar, vaulted ceilings, grand pillars and a long bar that sits to one side. It has a kind of speakeasy feel mixed with a Budapest ruin bar.

Cocktails are superb, made with outstanding skill and served by well-trained staff. We sit up at the bar and end up chatting to Kristy, who turns out is from a little town called Great Dunmow not far from where I grew up in the UK. Such a small world.

This afternoon, Christina is aboard the world’s last ocean liner: the magnificent Queen Mary II is berthed at Circular Quay as part of her 2026 World Voyage.

The tour of the QM2 starts with champagne on the poop deck (don’t laugh) with iconic photos of the Cunard sign and the Harbour Bridge in the background. Then the group delves into the elegant interior of one of the biggest and most luxurious cruise ships.

She admires the grandeur of twin-balustrade atria, the artworks lining walls and many dining options throughout the ship.

The tour leads to the old English pub and its homely welcoming feel, then to the elegant bistro with its wide windows looking out over the water. There’s even a full theatre on board with a stage big enough for concerts and seating for over 1,100 patrons.

There’s also a cinema, 15 restaurants, 14 bars and lounges, a library with over 6,000 books and audio books, a fully equipped casino, spas, gyms and wellness centres, four pools, spaces for quoits, basketball, tennis, and even golf, shops, boutiques and galleries, and the 1,260 square foot Queens Room – the biggest ballroom at sea. It’s like a floating city.

This evening, we’re back at the State Theatre (we were here last month to see a celebrity chef) this time to see comedian Laura Ramoso. Christina first spotted her on TikTok with her hilarious impressions of her Italian father and German mum. Another character Laura developed, which has since gone viral, is the Italian airline clerk. You should check her out.

The show is very funny, though there’s far too much audience participation for my liking and it makes me feel unsettled throughout the whole show. We’re sitting far enough back that we probably won’t be picked, but even the thought of being dragged up there turns my blood to pork rind.

Slainte! Today is St Patrick’s Day so the lads and I are out for a Guinness or two. We’re at the Merton in Rozelle ostensibly for their excellent goat curry, but also to join in the Irish festivities.

There’s a band playing Irish folk songs, plenty of beer and even a raffle for some Irish goodies. We win a couple of them actually, taking home plenty of packets of Taytos and some less Irish things like mayonnaise and Minstrels. But it’s a worthy little hamper I’ll not be saying no to!

This evening, we’re out with our mates Jo, Paul and Anton. It’s been quite a while since we all hung out, so we know this one’s going to be a biggy.

We kick off with a couple of beers at the Red Lion in Rozelle, mostly because it’s close to dinner, which is – that’s right – back at the Merton! Twice in a week. People will start to talk. But the goat curry, in fact all the food here, is so good I’d be happy to come back five nights in a row.

After dinner, we hop in a taxi to check out the newly opened Nacara Bar in Balmain. This was once Wilhelmina’s, but closed down and has been empty for ages.

Only open a week, Nacara feels like it’s always been here. The cocktails are off the charts, and the knowledge and creativity of the bar staff here is well worth a seat at the bar to enjoy. Just ask them about their in-house fat wash spirits.

Christina and I have been invited to a lovely party this afternoon. Local law firm Morgan and English, some of whom we met at a Christmas party for the Balmain Rozelle Chamber of Commerce recently, are having a bit of a shindig at their offices at the Waterfront Workshops.

These brightly coloured buildings right on the harbour and the little marina are a real landmark of the peninsula and aren’t usually accessible to the public. It’s great to hang out with friends and colleagues from the area, but also pretty cool to see these iconic buildings up close.

It’s an excellent party with plenty of great conversations and laughs, and we also have the pleasure of meeting Will, the office greyhound.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this (really quite massive) March edition of Flavour of the Month. See you again in a few weeks!

Jim & Christina xx

The post A Southern Wedding, A Queen In Sydney and The King Returns appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

So much for February being the short month of the year. It feels like these past 28 days have gone on forever. But now they’ve gone, I kinda miss them!

We certainly packed in a lot this month and even managed to squeeze in a little R&R trip up north for a few days.

As well as that, we worked out the cheeky ferry hack to the much-anticipated new Sydney Fish Markets, reviewed the brand new (and first in over 15 years) hotel in the Central Coast, learned how to make dumplings, discovered what could be the best martini (and burger) we’ve had and mixed it up in Australia’s biggest annual travel conference.

I wondered why March has crept up me so quickly!

Hope you enjoy this Flavour of the Month of Feb.

Cheers – Jim & Christina xx

Sign up to our free newsletter here for more travel inspiration. You also get your own copy of our travel ebook — it’s on us!

Love it or hate it – and I’ve met quite a few people with mixed opinions on this – the new Sydney Fish Markets opened for business in late January.

Many times the size of the old Fish Markets, which look quite sad and dilapidated across the bay, this $836m development is quite something. But one thing it’s lacking – and this is simply down to poor planning – is a direct ferry link and won’t be getting one for another couple of years.

But that’s not quite true.

There is a ferry to the Fish Markets that’s closer than either of the light rail stops and better than risking the site’s diminutive car park.

From Barangaroo, there’s a cute little hopper ferry, which does a loop via Pirrama Park in Pyrmont then under the Anzac Bridge to Blackwattle Bay. The trick is, don’t tap on at Barangaroo; tell the guard you’re going to Blackwattle Bay on the F10 ferry and they’ll let you through.

You pay on the boat using a credit card, then it’s a 17-minute cruise to Blackwattle Bay and it’s about a pleasant 10-minute walk round the cove to seafood heaven!

How about this for mindful travel?!

The iconic travel company Lonely Planet has released their first ever set of travel Tarot – 78 cards based on the classic Rider-Waite-Smith deck that emerged over 115 years ago, but with an eye on the horizon.

This beautifully illustrated 78-card deck blends the art of divination with the spirit of exploration, enlightening you on what to expect and how to react to a new destination, and even hints on where to go next.

Each of the cards in the deck connects to a different destination around the globe, from natural wonders and sacred sites to bustling cities and dramatic coastlines, so you can even draw a card if you’re just looking for travel inspiration.

The deck also comes with a handy 96-page booklet on how to read the Tarot set.

We love this idea. It adds a different dimension (pun intended!) to travel planning and how you see the world when you’re out there amongst it.

You can find this Travel Tarot set here at Lonely Planet or any good book shop – RRP AU$42.99.

Today, we’re heading an hour north up to the Central Coast to have a look at something pretty special.

The region’s first new major hotel in 15 years, the voco Gosford by IHG is the first stone in an avalanche of change in this much over-looked waterfront city, so we’re excited to see how it matches up to the hype.

Our room – a beautiful suite – has some lovely details and features that you can learn more about here in our full review, but it’s the bars and restaurants of this double-tower 28-floor edifice that really make the difference.

Until the voco opened in late 2025, the couple of pubs in the area – and the enormous 24-hour Leagues Club – weren’t up to the task of service the local community, let alone bringing in visitors. Having said that, the lunch we have at the airy atrium of the Hotel Gosford was actually lovely.

But with no fewer than six venues spread around its floors, the voco covers all basis.

From casual pub and pizza vibes to steaks to elevated (literally) Japanese fair at the rooftop bar, there’s plenty to choose from here.

Check out our review of the voco Gosford here and also our video walkthrough of the hotel and its venues here.

After our lovely night’s stay at the voco Gosford, we grab a lunch stop at Terrigal to catch up with our excellent friends Jess and Ben Groundwater, and their two hilarious sons.

Then it’s a couple of hours further north to our final destination: Port Stephens. We’re here for a spot of relaxation and recuperation at Christina’s sister’s little holiday house in Corlette.

Unlike anywhere else we go, we’ve been to Port Stephens so many times, we don’t feel the pressure that we usually do when we’re away from home to record and publish every single thing we get up to.

Having said that, you can see our Essential Guide to Port Stephens here, but other than that…

It’s not all beach time while we’re in Port Stephens though. We find a couple of lovely coastal walks at Lemon Tree Passage and Mallabula that not only hug the shoreline, but also snake through mangroves, woodland and parks.

The first one – the Koala Reserve and Mangrove Boardwalk – follows a 500m stretch of eucalypts that lean out over the still waters of the bay.

Birdlife along this trail is excellent and the little lizard that pops its head up as we pass is unquestionably adorable.

The second little walk is in nearby Mallabula – the Tanilba Bay Boardwalk – and is a little more rugged. From the shoreline, it soon doubles back through dense bush and trees, and leads you to the Tilligerry Habitat.

Full of all kinds of wildlife and beautiful plants, there’s also a high chance of spotting koalas in the area.

This little break really is what the doctor orders. We’re both feeling so relaxed even though we both brought our computers with us. There’s something about doing a bit of work when you’re away but under no obligation to be anywhere that doesn’t make it feel as much like work!

One of our favourite things to do in the evening is have a little drink and play some backgammon, so we’ve brought our set from home and I batched up a bottle of negronis for just this opportunity!

The sun sets on our last night here in Port Stephens and one of the resident kookaburras poses for an iconic silhouette.

It’s been a lovely few days away. Now it’s back to Sydney and whatever the rest of the month may bring.

It’s hard to believe it, but the iconic installation at Uluru – the Field of Light – turns 15 years old this year! This beautiful artwork was only supposed to be a one-year deal, but it was so popular, it became a permanent fixture.

In a nod to the wildflowers that bloom here when conditions are right, light artist Bruce Munro set up 50,000 solar-powered stems across a space covering seven football fields in front of Uluru. The nightly display has attracted over three-quarters of a million visitors over the years.

To mark this important milestone, there are a number of activations in celebration of the installation’s 15th birthday.

There’s a mural of the Field of Light in Melbourne by Anangu artist Valerie Brumby (Corner Swan and Carroll St, Richmond), VIP evenings and free Q&A sessions with Bruce Munro at Uluru and Ayres Rock Resort throughout March, and new menus for Field of Light evening events.

Realising that the Field of Light has been going so long has reminded us that the incredible drone show Wintjiri Wiru, which rises from the desert floor in front of Uluru, has also been going for three years now.

It seems like last week that we were there watching this remarkable spectacle – the largest permanent drone show in the world.

This show happens twice-nightly (three times a night during certain periods) and is one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen.

Check out our full story of Wintjiri Wiru here.

It’s dumpling time at our place!

Christina’s jujitsu friend Rex has brought some of his buddies and all of his teaching skills to ours to show us how to make dumplings in preparation for Chinese New Year!

Creating these tasty little bundles of flavour is both simple and difficult at the same time – especially as the glasses of wine add up. By the end of the evening there are more than enough dumplings for us to eat (something I never thought I’d ever say) and everyone gets a pack to take home with them.

Great success! And new skill unlocked!

Okay, we need to be serious for a moment.

Christina and I are out in the city tonight, but more on that later. For now, we’ve taken this rare opportunity (we don’t come into the CBD that much anymore for some reason) to check out the Gidley.

Christina has wanted to bring me to this place for ages and I wish we’d come here sooner.

First of all, the doorway is tucked in down a basement level staircase, and you have to ring the bell and wait to be buzzed in. But once inside, this place opens out into exactly what I imagine a filmset speakeasy would be like – better in fact.

Martinis here are served on silver platters and have a make-your-own-adventure feel. On the tray is a glass with a ready-poured martini which you can add whatever garnish you like: the bar has circles of orange, lemon and grapefruit peel for you to try, enormous briny olives and sweet pickled onions, so you can even create your own gibson.

There’s also a blue glass pipette full of house-made brine mixed with Talisker scotch to make just about the best dirty martini known to man.

But best of all, in an ice-filled bowl sits a little carafe with another serve of martini ready for you to have another go! This is such a great experience, you’ve got to try it.

On top of that, we order the burgers here.

Even the staff say these are the best burgers in the world. I don’t know about that, but I should probably edit my top ten burgers list to include these guys. Double patty, plenty of cheese, soft fluffy buns and so much flavour – not bad considering this isn’t the reason we’re out tonight!

For the main event, we’re at the State Theatre to see An Evening With Yotam Ottolenghi – a very thoughtful Christmas gift from Christina’s mum.

The show’s interesting enough, with Ottolenghi telling us stories about how he came to cooking, mistakes he’s made, successes he’s cherished and also plenty of recipes. He cooks a few dishes on stage too, showing us some tricks he’s developed.

And he sells his books pretty hard!

At the end of the evening, he also gives us a QR code with all the recipes he’s talked about tonight, which is a generous touch. We’ll give them a crack at some point – especially his roast chicken and potatoes, and how he makes aromatic feta.

The venue itself is the real winner though. What a beautiful place the State Theatre is. I can’t believe I haven’t been in here before. Talk about old-world charm.

This evening, Christina and I are enjoying the excellent hospitality of our wonderful friends Peter Hook and his wife Fiona Smith. These guys are such great hosts, and they even break out one of Peter’s favourite recent discoveries: English Champagne* by Balfour Winery!

We play this sparkling from Kent against a bottle of Veuve Clicquot and I’ve must say, there wasn’t much in it. If anything, the French stuff was a little sweet. But you can see for yourself – Balfour’s 1503 Classic Cuvee is in Dan Murphy’s.

The rest of the evening is well-fuelled with more of Peter’s top picks from his cellar, impeccably matched with the trio of classics he and Fiona dish up for us: a deconstructed prawn cocktail, a sumptuous chicken cacciatore, and an apple and rhubarb crumble.

We also have the pleasure of making new friends over dinner. Nicole and Stuart Ford – who are also deeply connected with the travel industry (Nicole works for Spicers Retreats and Stuart’s grandfather started P&O!) and the six of us talk well into the wee hours.

In fact, I should make that number seven; Archie, Peter and Fiona’s adorable Brittany Spaniel keeps us all safe in exchange for pats.

*I know you’re not allowed to call it that, but who doesn’t love a bit of a wind-up. 

All the attention has exhausted Archie, so while we finish up the last drops of wine, he takes a nap on the couch. Above him you might notice one of Fiona’s extraordinary paintings. She has a passion for Australian native birdlife and manages to bring them to life in her wonderful paintings.

You can see more of Fiona’s work here.

This afternoon, we’re back in the city to have lunch with our friend and colleague Susie Westwood, and to meet Roxy Esagunde the PR and Marketing Executive for Walk Japan. The first to market in what is now a well-established travel product, Walk Japan has been offering guided and self-guided walking-focused tours of Japan for 35 years.

We’re extremely excited about the prospect of working with Roxy and Walk Japan, so watch this space for what I’m sure will be some of the most exciting travel stories from our time in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Susie has chosen the perfect spot for lunch too. We’re at King Clarence – a restaurant eponymous by location on the corner of King and Clarence Streets.

Food here is superb. A modern Asian menu that pairs well with our conversations about Japan, we enjoy dishes like wood-fired edamame with salt and vinegar togarashi, yellowfin tuna sashimi with shiso vinegar, smoked oyster cream and sesame leaf and 14-day aged duck with such a fine, crisp glaze that it crackles as you bite into it.

But the stand-out dish is surprising; the teriyaki sea perch with grilled sweetcorn, woodear mushroom and nori jam is delicate and rich at the same time, and the sauce is so good you want a jug of it to drink!

Tonight, Christina’s out with the girls! Dinner and drinks at Corner Bar in Rozelle.

This cute little bar does excellent cocktails and has a replete wine list, but its food is often overlooked. With a focus on Tex-Mex favourites, there’s a range of smashable tacos on the menu, including the all-important pulled beef birria tacos that comes with a side of beef jus dipping sauce. Well worth checking out – just make sure you go there hungry!

And so it begins; IMM by TravMedia – the biggest travel conference in Australia.

This two-day travel extravaganza starts with the Summit, the more conventional element of the conference. We’re here at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth Ballroom filled with over 400 media and PRs to hear from a mesmerising range of industry elite.

To kick things off, Katrina Ell, Senior Economist from Mastercard somehow makes a speech on economics in travel highly entertaining. Her illustration of the Misery Index, which shows how unhappy the population is based on the combined efforts of unemployment rates and inflation, isn’t funny, but her delivery is excellent. And the good news is it doesn’t look like Australia is particularly ‘miserable’ at the moment, though there seems to be a bit of an uptick.

Having said that, according to Mastercard’s statistics, 14% of Australians are planning on spending at least one month travelling in 2026, while destinations are still trending towards the usual suspects: the USA, Europe, Japan and New Zealand. Going the other way, around 17% of visitors to Australia are coming from NZ!

There has been a slight downturn in Aussies visiting the US and UK (17% and 11% respectively) due to currency strength.

And no matter what, consumers will still prioritise travel quite heavily.

Here are some other highlights from this year’s Summit programme. We hear from a panel on the progress of wellness travel as a trend, the future of AI in travel journalism, a presentation on the State of the Industry, and TV personality and footballer Claudio Fabiano talking about British Columbia.

• Wellness Travel isn’t so much about retreats and spas anymore; it’s about what you get out of the destination.
• Wellness no longer a niche travel prospect with more people than ever looking for wellness to be a baseline when they travel. It’s gone from a luxury travel concept to more of a lifestyle category.
• A high percentage of travellers are looking for ways to restore and repair, though also acknowledging that travel shouldn’t be more of a recovery session than a holiday.

AI in tourism is still a developing prospect, though it’s growing fast. Keynote speaker Nick Abrahams (AI Pioneer and Business Futurist) makes the interesting point that “the Industrial Revolution had a 20% increase in productivity. GenAI gives 30-40%”. He also explains that while “Google is a tool, ChatGPT is a colleague” and that we should treat it as such.

I’m not so comfortable with that.

As for the State of the Industry review from TravMedia’s own Julie Ott, we learn about travel trends and where people are (and more importantly aren’t) happy to go at the moment. The top reasons for hesitation are: political environment (63%), crime rates (42%), expense (32%), health risks (30%) and bad experience – whatever that means (30%).

We also hear some very interesting data in terms of how digital is still growing, but also that print isn’t dead quite yet. There are challenges of course, but people haven’t stopped consuming traditional media.

And that publishers are greedy, writers are poor and editors have no time or patience.

After lunch, we have household name Cameron Daddo interviewing Adam Schwab, Co-Founder & CEO, Luxury Escapes. We’re not sure what the point of this one is, but it’s actually fascinating.

Luxury Escapes is enormous, currently turning over $1.4 billion per annum!

It’s a company that doesn’t just book your holiday for you, but looks for ways to help facilitate the whole experience. And these holidays aren’t just super-high end trips for the 1%, there are affordable options too.

There are bricks and mortar shops around too, and Schwab wants to create a kind of Apple Store experience. It seems to be working, with the flagship store in Chadstone VIC making $100m pa (other top travel agents do about $10m) and the Bondi store making headlines too.

Soon, Luxury Escapes are planning to bring out their credit cards, eSIMs and a full-time direct charter flight between Melbourne and the Maldives, making it an 11-hour flight.

The last session of the day is a lot of fun: it’s a panel on freelance writers with content creator Sarah Maree Cameron, our mate Ben Groundwater and his editor for The Age and SMH Anthony Dennis. It’s a bonding moment between the trio as they share their displeasure in the questions put to them by moderator and co-founder of Powerhouse Comms Chris Waite.

It’s not a complete tear-down though, and the messages are interesting, insightful and – importantly for this last moment of the conference when everyone’s hanging for a wine – entertaining.

The formalities of the conference over, we make our way to the Sofitel Wentworth’s rooftop bar for a drink. It’s absolutely pissing down, so the rooftop bar’s sadly a little redundant. We make the most of it – especially the rum daiquiri fountain – and enjoy a bit of social time with friends we haven’t seen in ages.

It’s always hard to get travel journos together; we’re famously on the move a lot.

Talking of which, getting home proves difficult. The almost 8cm of rain has caused chaos and it takes our taxi over 45 minutes and almost $80 to make the 7km drive home.

Welcome to IMM Sydney 2026. This is the important part of the conference where we get to meet travel providers and make plans for the rest of the year. Filling this vast room of the ICC are 177 tables each representing a different destination, experience, brand or RTO.

We get 15 minutes to talk to 22 of them. It’s a hectic day, but so productive.

There are all sorts of activations both with each provider (I have a crack at the VR goggles at the Travel Nevada desk) and with break-out areas.

Destination NSW has brought some tasty treats from IndigiEarth. Founded by Ngemba Weilwan woman Sharon Windsor, who has a lovely cafe in Mudgee, IndigiEarth focuses on using foraged Indigenous products in Western dishes to fuse the knowledge gap between the two. 

Her jams are so good – and you should see the food we had when we were in Mudgee – but these green ant lemon meringue tarts are sensational.

All too soon, the final meeting comes to an end and we make haste to get to the coaches; we’re going from the ICC all the way to Paddington for drinks at the all new 25Hours Hotel The Olympia.

On the site of an old movie theatre, this beautiful building has been fully restored with plenty of nods to its cinematic past, including a film library of VCRs you can borrow and play in your room!

We’re excited to see this place as our very first meeting of the day was with the lovely Comms manager for this hotel, so watch this space for a review of the Olympia.

How’s this for a before-and-after! We’re on the first coach to arrive (of course we are!) and the bar is blissfully quiet. But by the time some 350 thirsty travellers have descended, the bar is a crush and the balcony at gridlock.

It’s all a lot of fun though, and we’re all very grateful of the generous bar tab that washes away the fatigue of the day’s speed-meetings.

As far as after-after-parties go, this is pretty good. After the IMM drinks, Christina and I high-tail it to our friend’s house who is having drinks with his mates. It turns out he and his mates have very sophisticated wine cellars.

Check out the vino.

The 2013 Tulloch Chardonnay is ridiculously good and our old family friend Riccardo, who was from Tuscany, always talked about the wonders of a Brunello di Moltacino. Here’s one from 2012.

Thank you, Nim, for letting us gatecrash your party and drink all your wine!

We’ve decided to finish this strangely long February (it feels like these 28 days have gone on forever this year) with a tasty snack and wine at Cicci’s Food and Wine in Balmain.

Christina came here a little while ago with the WAGs, but this is my first time.

We score our favourite types seats: right up at the bar right in front of where the kitchen is cooking and plating, and enjoy a couple of dishes from a hugely tempting menu.

One of the specials is stracchino cheese, which is a marvellous creation. It’s a soft cheese – a bit like mozzarella – when it’s cold, but as it warms up, this stuff settles and spreads. This dish comes with pesto oil, crisp kale, caramelised onions and a few other bits.

We also spot mozzarella in carozza (basically a crispy crumbed deep-fried cheese sandwich with mortadella) on the menu. This is a little-known Italian snack that, if you ever see it on a menu, don’t miss the opportunity of ordering.

It’s the best toastie you’ll ever eat!

We hope you’ve enjoyed our highlights from February. Chat to you again soon.

Cheers – Jim & Christina xx

The post New Fish Market Tricks, New Central Coast Trips and the Greatest Martini Ever Made appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

January’s a funny month, isn’t it. Even more so in Australia.

It never feels like you can get that much done in January. I mean, the first week or so is a write-off with the new year still to build up its callouses. Even by week two, everyone’s still in Christmas holiday mode – or legitimately still on holiday.

Week three is chopped into by the Australia Day public holiday and the imminent threat of school zones coming back into action.

Then it’s a steep downhill slippery dip to the start of Feb. Craziness. 

And let’s not forget this is pretty much the heart of summer when everyone slows down a bit.

Having said that, we’ve still managed to fit plenty in since the starter’s gun went off for 2026. Here’s the low-down.

Sign up to our free newsletter here for more travel inspiration. You also get your own copy of our travel ebook — it’s on us!

What a way to kick-start the year! Dinner with some excellent friends from the travel industry. It’s a pretty close-knit realm that pretty much everyone knows everyone, and we’re so glad to be part of it. Especially when our wonderful friend sets the table for such a great group of people. 

This Ashes Series has been so strange, but it’s pretty cool that I’ve managed to book-end the whole thing. I was at the first (ill-fated) test in Perth and here I am again at the last test in Sydney.

Perth was over in two days and Sydney’s a dead rubber with the Aussies winning three of the first four tests.

Much like the test in WA, things start with a beer. I start with a few breakfast beers (as in 8am) in the Maddison Hotel in Surry Hills with my mates Nim and Brett before finding my seat with my other mates Anton, Paul and Woody.

They’re good seats, but right in the sun and we cook through the sessions before lunch.

Not long after the teams come out though, the clouds close over and the rain begins, followed by some pretty impressive lightning. Needless to say, Day One of the Sydney test is cut short. Probably just as well. I don’t think I could last much longer in the boiling heat.

Today, we’re down in beautiful Bundeena. This little out-of-the-way town at the edge of the Royal National Park is a real gem.

We’re lucky to have multiple groups of friends connected to Bundeena, which is pretty unusual. This afternoon, we’re visiting one of Christina’s oldest friends, who she’s known since school. She lives a fascinating life partly in London, partly in Macau, but she’s back in Aus for Christmas and her sister’s got a place here.

We spend the afternoon with our feet in the sand catching up and laughing. Very wholesome stuff. But it does remind us how much we miss these guys.

Today has been a bit of a drama, but it seems to have worked out ok.

Christina’s birthday is in December – a week before Christmas – and she’s decided to have a belated birthday party at our place in our garden. The only problem is the wind, rain and storms have been incessant.

A last-minute change of plan sees us tucked up in the Balmain Bowls Club. It’s not a bad venue (and the beer and food are cheap) but it would be lovely to have it at ours. Christina says ‘leave it with me’, which always makes me nervous! 

(See below for more on how that transpired)

Thank you to everyone who made it to this party though. Absolute legends. And how about that cake from Christina’s sister?!

This afternoon, Christina and I are bumming a lift off our amazing friends Brownie and Louise. We’re heading south for the Australia Day weekend. Ordinarily – like last year – we’d stop off at a couple of pie shops along the way. Hayden’s, I’m looking at you!

But because of our late start, we decide a cheeky burger is in order. 

We stop in at the iconic Paul’s Famous Hamburgers in Sylvania just the other side of the Tom Uglys Bridge. 

These are classic milk bar style burgers. No messing around, no skimping on anything. And they’re delicious. And it’s cash only here by the way. 

We arrive at our destination – Tuross Head – at around 8.30 in the evening and I think it’s all worked out for us. Almost everyone’s still up and about, and the Champagne soon starts flowing. Our friends even have a bit of dinner ready for us. The perfect landing.

We kick on into the night, chatting at the dinner table and preparing ourselves for the days to come!

It’s a slow start for most of us this morning. But as soon as lunchtime comes, we all leap into action.

We’re all at The River, a lovely little waterside restaurant in the nearby town of Moruya. This casual dining spot is a local favourite and one that Christina has been to already. 

This afternoon, there’s enough of us to go for the set menu, which is amazing value I must say. With three options for each of the three courses, this is $90 well spent.

For entree, Christina has the prawn cocktail, which comes in scallop shells with compressed watermelon, avocado and lettuce (a far cry from the cocktail glass full of thousand island of my youth!) and I have the octopus skewer with taramasalata and salsa verde. The octopus is so incredibly tender, I could happily eat a big plate of that and nothing else!

But mains come out and we know we’ve both chosen wisely. 

The beef eye fillet (cooked rare) is superb and perfectly cooked, and the crisp finger of potato gratin is more than 1:1 butter, which means delicious!

Desserts are almost too much for us to deal with. 

My chocolate hazelnut tart is so wonderfully rich that I can’t finish it all. Christina’s spiced rum pudding – not something I’d expect her to order – is surprisingly light and satisfying. It comes with a coconut gelato and a dark rum, coconut and pineapple caramel sauce. Tremendous stuff!

Everyone has been assigned tasks for food for the big Australia Day weekend feast, so after the wonderful lunch at The River, Christina cracks on with the pavlova she’ll be serving tomorrow.

She has a little help making it of course, and I think you’ll agree the results are pretty impressive.

The big day arrives and Christina’s up early enough to see the sun come up over the ocean. 

I am not, so I’m glad she’s here to show me what I missed. No, not what I missed, what I didn’t see. I think my move to stay in bed is exactly the right thing to do!

Soon, food prep and cooking begin in earnest. Not only are there two pork rolls crackling away on the coals (as well as some inappropriate physical contact going on), there’s a spit loaded with picana (rump cap) on the other rotisserie. Meanwhile, in the oven, there’s a whole lamb shoulder and slabs of pork belly cooking away.

Not to mention salads, veggies, cheese platters and so on.

I hope everyone’s hungry!

And of course, the drinks bucket is in a constant state of refuelling!

It’s been an amazing long weekend down in the beautiful Far South Coast, but all too soon, it’s time to head back home. 

Once again, we’re scabbing a life off of Brownie and Louise, and we take it easy, first stopping at Tuross Boat Shed and Cafe for a quick coffee. This rustic little spot – popular with locals – hangs over the water and is a must if you’re ever in this part of the world.

We decide to drive inland via Goulburn to get home, hopefully avoiding most of the seaside holiday traffic. 

We were hoping to hit up Bryant’s for a road pie, but the place is closed! Instead, we head to Trappers Bakery right next to the iconic Big Merino. It’s not as good as Bryant’s but it’ll do. From there it’s a pretty straightforward drive back to the city. 

Another outstanding time with our friends.

One of the best ways we know that the year has officially started is when we get an invitation to our excellent friend Peter Hook’s Visit Sunshine Coast media soiree. Always a luncheon, but one we rarely leave before 4pm, Peter’s parties are not one to miss.

This year, we’re at Fix Wine Wine Bar and Restaurant on Elizabeth Street in the city. The food is outstanding – the veal schnitzel and rump steak are excellent, as are the cripsy kataifi-wrapped jumbo prawns and the immense salumi platters – and the wines on offer have inspired a new love. 

If you’ve never heard of Picpoul wine before, get used to it. This French variety is perfect for growing in Australian conditions and delivers an almost savagely sharp minerality. If you like dry white wine, this is your lucky day!

But what about the Sunny Coast?

With the Olympic and Paralympic Games coming to Brisbane in 2032, everything in southern QLD is on hyperdrive. The Sunshine Coast is seeing huge developments in its infrastructure and tourism offerings, including – drum roll – the first major hotel here in almost 38 years!

Opening in April 2026, the 180-key 12-storey Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel will bring a host of offerings to the area, including the rooftop pool and bar. This will also be Avani’s debut property in Australia, which is exciting.

The Avani is just one of eight new hotels coming to the Sunny Coast. Highlights include the rebranding from the old Sofitel Noosa (née the Sheraton Resort and Spa) to Elysium Noosa Resort the coming of Calile Noosa. If this last one is any where near as good as the Calile in Brisbane (our review), this will be an exception property.

There are also a host new or revitalised activities and events coming the Sunny Coast. Saltwater Eco Tours, whose excellent cultural Indigenous cruise we did a while back, is bringing a new canoe tour to its inventory. This tour even has pioneering equipment to make this a fully accessible experience, which is awesome.

And of course, let’s not forget the food and drink festivals up in the Sunshine Coast. The Curated Plate is back this year (24 July – 2 August) for more Sunny Coast-focused morsels, and the Noosa Food and Wine Festival is also set to do its thing on 11-14 June, so mark these dates in your calendar!

Thank you – as always – to Peter Hook and Maddy Schilg from Visit Sunshine Coast, and Tourism Noosa’s Susan Ewington for an excellent afternoon.

This afternoon, we’re geared up for a do-over do-over party for Christina’s birthday. As I mentioned earlier, Christina’s ‘leave it with me’ echoed all the way through the very last day of January when we finally put our full trust in the mercurial Sydney weather.

Today looks like it should stay warm, dry and reasonably calm wind-wise, so Christina’s setting up the pool for the afternoon’s fun.

And fun it most certainly is! 

From daring swims to multiple sabraged Champagne bottles and kids that refuse refuse to get out of the pool, it’s an excellent day.

We’re also very keen to give our new 6m long pergola a run out and it’s doing a great job. 

And for a bit of extra entertainment, we even manage to organise a cruise ship to depart right in front of the party!

We hope you’ve enjoyed this Flavour of the Month of Jan ’26 and the the start of the year has treated you well.

Cheers – Jim & Christina xx

The post Dead Ashes, Do-Over Parties and Far South Coast Escapades appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

Well, that went quickly, didn’t it? I’m not just talking about this year, by the way. I’m talking about the first quarter of this century! How did that happen?

I remember wondering what the 2000s had in stall for us back in the ol’ 20th C.

But before we know it, we’re already this far in.

And as 2026 rolls of the forecourt, the Cuban Missile Crisis, Marylyn Monroe’s Death and the completion of Sydney’s Cahill Expressway are all now closer in time to the start of the Australian Commonwealth than they are to us.

Strange thought, isn’t it.

Anyway, the last month of 2025 was a lot of fun — probably too much, come to think of it.

Not one, not two, not even three, but four boat parties on Sydney Harbour, two celebrations of the 50-year milestone being reached, old friends in town, grand openings and more Christmas parties than we have sticks to shake them.

And of course, there’s the small matter of New Year’s Eve.

So sit back and enjoy our last Flavour of the Month of 2025.

Cheers and happy new year — Jim & Christina xx

Sign up to our free newsletter here for more travel inspiration. You also get your own copy of our travel ebook — it’s on us!

We kick things off with — you guessed it — a boat party! This one is courtesy of TravMedia, the unique entity that puts us and travel media like us in touch with the wonderful travel providers.

From government tourism boards to hotel brands and airlines to tour operators and independent entities, TravMedia has created an amazing industry network that everyone benefits from.

And at Christmas, some of us are lucky to be invited aboard the company yacht!

Even though it’s right at the start of December, the festive spirit is strong on the harbour this evening.

Thanks — as always — to the ever-generous Nick Wayland and the Trav team.

Tonight, we’re on dry land for another Christmas party, but only just.

We’re at the Balmain Rowers’ Club right on the water in Balmain. We’re here with the Balmain Rozelle Chamber of Commerce, who we’ve worked with a lot over the years.

Tonight is a triple celebration: Christmas, of course, but also the Chamber’s wonderful magazine Darling, which is marking its 5th birthday. Not bad since it was only supposed to be a one-off print in 2020.

We’re also saying goodbye to the outgoing president and welcoming Fiona Harcourt as the new head honcho.

The party’s a ripper, with free-flowing beer from Sydney Brewery (more on them later) and some outstanding rum-based RTDs from Red Mill Rum round the corner. And keeping us all bouncing around, the Grateful Dads rock out on stage.

Today, I’m out with the lads on another boat, this time just for giggles. We’re making the most of the perfect summer weather and are having a dip at Balmoral Beach.

The boat belongs to our excellent friend Michael, who’s kind enough to take me, Brett, Nim and Nev (plus a few of the kids) out for the day. A swim, a bake and a spot of lunch at the Boat House, and we discover that life doesn’t get much better.

This evening, I’m out with Brett yet again (people are beginning to talk!) and with us is Christina. We’re out at White Bay for an industry opening party (and Christmas party — why not!) for the new brewery in Balmain and Rozelle.

Where White Bay Brewery once was, Sydney Brewing Co now lives and I couldn’t be happier.

Not only are the beers better (and a bit cheaper) but this is a brewery that’s been near us since we moved to Sydney in 2004!

Once Schwartz Brewery down the road from us in Surry Hills, it became Sydney Brewery and moved to the Hunter Valley, represented by our wonderful friend Peter Hook. Balmain is now Sydney Brewery’s third venue (after Alexandria and Surry Hills), and they’re set to turn things up on this excellent site.

Not only is there plenty of food and beer going round, founder and owner Dr Jerry Schwartz is here with the current MP for the area Darcy Burns to cut the ribbon and make things official. Very exciting.

Today, Christina is with her lovely mum Jeanette at Muirfield, Jeanette’s golf club, for their Christmas party. It’s a lovely afternoon, but in under 24 hours, Christina and her mum will be back here, because…

Today Jeanette celebrate’s an amazing milestone: 50 years of membership! Chris and her mum are with Mary, Christina’s sister, and Jeanette happily receives her award from the club president. Congratulations, Jeanette.

We’re so excited to see our friends from the States today. We haven’t been in the same country as Mona and Brendan for years, and we can’t wait to catch up.

We head to a Sydney institution: Opera Bar. It’s the perfect day for it, made even better by the excellent weather. But we’re still faced with the challenge of keeping Mona and Brendan’s sweet little children awake. They’re two angelic little girls and they struggle with the jet lag of just having arrived from Florida.

They make it all the way through the Rocks Markets until they finally succumb, but next time we see them at NYE, I’m sure they’ll have a bit more energy.

It’s great to see everyone though. It’s been too long.

From Circular Quay, we head back home, get changed and head out to the pubs in Balmain for — that’s right — another Christmas party!

This one is with Christina’s jujitsu club, and by the time we get to the bar, most people are already a few beers in.

The night’s a lot of fun and I know this to be true as I can’t remember much of it! Inevitably, we end up in the Unity Hall Hotel where the band is in full flow.

I have no idea who that old geezer doing the crossword is by the way. Creepy vibes.

Today is a very special day: it’s Christina’s birthday!

We start off with a Champagne breakfast then head down to the Fenwick in Balmain East for a couple of coffees and a walk along the foreshore.

Then, it’s to the salon — Christina has an appointment with Stevie English. Her hair needs to be perfect for tonight’s party!

Christina’s birthday party is on the TravMedia boat we mentioned earlier. By luck or design (if design wins here by the way, I’m claiming it!) Nick Wayland has kindly offered his boat for the freelance writers to have a Christmas party at the same time, so Christina’s celebrations coincide with some of our favourite people and best friends – not to mention the creme de la creme of travel journalism.

I even get to hang with my doppelgänger Ben Groundwater again.

It’s a fantastic evening and everyone’s in fine form.

Tonight is — you’ll never guess — a Christmas party! But this is the one that everyone’s been looking forward to.

Hosted by our excellent friends Nim and Sunnee, this is the all-singing all-dancing shindig of the year.

Best of all, I get to see my football team again. We haven’t hung out since the end of the season, which seems like a lifetime ago now.

Somehow — probably because she didn’t stay up till 3am at Nim’s last night — Christina has made it out to another boat party today. This isn’t a Christmas party though; it’s a 50th birthday celebration for Christina’s sister’s husband’s brother-in-law Justin.

Justin has hired a beautiful boat and the family spend the whole day enjoying the harbour before pulling up for a few drinks at Barangaroo.

Because of certain parameters (such as the 3am above), I am unable to attend the party.

At long last, Christmas Day has arrived, along with our superb friends Kath and Jarrod. These guys have had a really tough couple of years, so they’re ready to really dig in and relax. Kath has not only brought more food than anyone can possibly eat, she’s done it with real style.

Homemade bento boxes filled (and I mean really filled) with sashimi, salmon roe and edamame, and separate pots of the freshest, juiciest prawns we’ve had.

After lunch, we tackle up for a fishing session — something else that Kath and Jarrod have provided. Of course, we don’t catch anything until almost the very end of the day when I haul in another bloody eel.

If you remember, back in March and the last time Kath and Jarrod were here fishing, we caught a moray that bit me when I tried to release it. Well, let’s put it this way, I got my revenge this time!

Once we’ve packed up the gear, we head up to our apartment or Christmas dinner, though I have no idea where we’re going to fit more food!

Instead, we get stuck into a game of Boganology (we all have to bail Kath out more than once) until the rest of the party arrives. Christina’s sister, brother-in-law, and our nephew and his girlfriend turn up.

Finally, some people to eat the food!

It’s a great evening and exactly what we all needed for the crescendo of Christmas.

Today — the day after Boxing Day — is a mercifully slow day. Christina and I do a bit of tidying but really, we only have enough energy to set up in the garden for a drop of wine and a game of backgammon.

Peace, once again, has returned!

I’m never too sure how much I like New Year’s Eve; Christina and I have very different opinions on the last day of the year.

This year, however, feels different.

I think it’s because we’ve got so many of our friends around us — and they’re all staying with us, which means we don’t have to go anywhere!

Not only is our lovely friend Sharon here from Tasmania, Mona, Brendan and their little girls are also here for the celebrations too!

We have a picnic in the garden with our superb neighbour Bec and her friend Sheree. Better still, Christina’s sister, our brother-in-law, and their son and his girlfriend arrive too.

We eat and drink until it’s time for the 9pm fireworks… then come back to finish the job!

The fireworks at midnight creep up on us almost without us noticing, but the show is unforgettable.

What a way to see in 2026. Happy new year, everyone!

Jim & Christina xx

The post Boat Parties, Brewery Parties, Christmas Parties And — Of Course — 2025 Comes To An End appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

Sign up to our free newsletter here for more travel inspiration. You also get your own copy of our travel ebook — it’s on us!

Each year, Christina and I trawl through the analytics of Mr & Mrs Romance and look at which of our stories have the most views and click-throughs, the most shares and comments.

It’s so interesting to see what you, our wonderful readers, have enjoyed the most over the last 12 months.

We’re stoked to see so much of our travel content go down well this year — especially our Essential Guides, which do tend to take longer to create than most other stories.

It’s also great to see some of our wine features pop up in the top ten. We really value the relationships we have with the wineries we work with, so it means a lot that the stories we create hit the mark.

As always, thank you so much for your support and attention over the past year. You’re the reason we do all of this, so if there’s something you’d like us to write about more (or less), let us know.

You can leave a comment here or on socials (we’re @mrandmrsromance on pretty much everything), or you can DM us there too.

In the meantime, settle in for your top ten, and here’s to 2026!

Cheers — Jim & Christina xx.

Top 10 of 2025

Italian Food Tour of Parma

Every town in Italy seems to be in the running for the most food-focused part of the country, but Parma really is in a league of its own.

Not only does this region produce the famous Prosciutto di Parma, it is also the home of Parmesan cheese — possibly the most ubiquitous (and copied) cheese in the world.

We go behind the scenes on a food safari to see how these two iconic Italian staples are made and what sets them apart from other charcuterie products out there.

Essential Guide to Luang Prabang, Laos

Our trip to Laos this year was a real travel highlight. This was the first time we’ve been to Laos and we really fell in love with the culture, the food, the people and the landscape.

Although we really enjoyed everywhere we went in Laos, Luang Prabang was a real stand-out, which seems to have resonated with you too.

You can find the rest of the stories we wrote about our time in Laos here.

What is Blanc de Blancs?

We all know that Champagne — whether it’s actually the best type of sparkling or just has the best marketing — is the pinnacle of bubbly. But did you know that most Champagne is in fact a blend of three different grapes?

If you’ve ever seen ‘Blanc de Blancs’ on a bottle of champagne or sparkling wine from anywhere else for that matter, you might have wondered what it is and how it’s different from regular bubbles.

We look at three different Blanc de Blancs and delve into what makes this wine different — if not better.

7 Points on The Death Railway You Must See

Easily the most poignant travel experience we’ve had to date, journeying the Death Railway in western Thailand and attending the Anzac Day dawn service at Hellfire Pass was very special.

Part of the Japanese Empire’s war efforts in WWII, the Death Railway, built in 1942 and ‘43 by Allied troops and subjugated Asian labour, once travelled from Bangkok to then Burma’s western coast.

This story follows the remaining stretch of that track and picks out some of the most important surviving points to see. I’m so glad this made the top 10 as the history behind the railway is so important.

Make sure you check out the accompanying video too!

Our Essential Guide to Perth, WA

Christina and I love making these Essential Guides — they’re some of our earliest stories on MMR.

This Essential Guide, however, is a bit different: it’s from my trip to Perth with five of my mates to watch the first test of the Ashes.

But it’s still got so many great tips for things to do, places to eat and drink and covers three major areas of Perth: the city, Fremantle and the Swan Valley wine region.

Where to Stay in Orange, NSW — the Oriana Motel

Orange is one of mine and Christina’s favourite parts of NSW. The food and wine here is always on point, and the locals are, without fail or exception, so incredibly friendly.

This hotel review is a prime example of that. The owner of the Oriana, Espen Harbitz, is magnificent and his vision of creating a chic yet comfortable retro-glam residence has come to full fruition here.

What’s more, the food and wine in the hotel’s Peacock Room bistro is not to be missed.

Our Essential Guide to Budapest, Hungary

We’ve wanted to visit Budapest for the longest time. Finally, late last year, we managed to get to the Hungarian capital and this is what we found when we got there.

Without giving away the story too much, I can tell you that Budapest far surpassed our expectations, which were already quite high.

Could this be our new favourite European city? I won’t rule it out!

Keeping The Flame — we dive into Scarborough Wines

When you think of Hunter Valley wine — especially Chardonnay — you should simultaneously be thinking ‘Scarborough’.

This winemaking family is now in its second generation and has just brought out its new ultra-premium range the Keepers of the Flame.

We have interviewed Sally Scarborough daughter of Ian ‘Scarbie’ Scarborough and his wife Merralea, to talk about her role in the family business, what it’s like to be part of such an iconic brand, and how legacy and innovation work side by side as things move forward.

Get into the Spirit of Sydney’s Inner West Distillery Trail

Sydney’s Inner West is such an interesting part of the city. Once quite run down, it’s now a thriving centre for entertainment and hospitality.

The Inner West Ale Trail has been around for a while now, leading beer fans around many of the craft breweries that have set up shop here. But at last, the distilleries are getting their time in the sun.

The Inner West Distillery Trail treks through the suburbs of the area showcasing some of the best gin, rum and whisky makers in the country.

Where to Stay in the NSW South Coast — Cupitt’s Estate, Ulladulla

We’ve been fans of Cupitt’s wines for a long time, so it was a real pleasure to be invited to visit the winery and to stay in their new accommodation offerings.

Looking out over the fields of this pretty South Coast winery and brewery, the villas the Cupitt family have built are beautifully appointed and wonderfully close to the cellar door.

We also get the opportunity to have a wine tasting amongst the barrels of the subterranean cellar!

BONUS: Our Latest Issue of Hint Magazine!

I couldn’t resist the chance of sneaking this in at the end — our latest edition of Hint Magazine and gift guide is out now! You can get your digital copy of free here, and there’s a swath of stories that we’ve published from the mag here too.

My personal favourite this year is this story we wrote on making Christmas memorable. I hope you find it as helpful in its reading as we did cathartic in its making.

Thanks again, and a merry Christmas and a happy new year to you and yours!

The post Our Top Ten Stories of 2025! appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

Sign up to our free newsletter here for more travel inspiration. You also get your own copy of our travel ebook — it’s on us!

Christmas is always such a busy time of year — which is crazy if you think about it, isn’t it. The longest, most significant holiday in our calendar and yet at the end of it, it feels like you need another break!

And all too often, after a week or two back at work, Christmas seems like such a distant fragment of the previous year.

Friends and colleagues will ask: “Did you have a good Christmas?”

The closest we can muster is a vague “yeah.” Even if you had a lovely time and worked your ass off to make it happen. It all goes by in a flash.

After all the effort, stress and planning, wouldn’t it be nice to be able to look back on this Christmas and recall the best bits?

This story was part of this year’s issue of Hint Magazine, our online guide to Christmas where you’ll find more stories like this, delicious recipes and a bumper gift guide to help with this year’s festive decisions.

Get your free copy of Hint Magazine here!

By the way, I’m not shilling a memory course or a some ‘learn how to speed read’ method here. That’s not what this is. And it’s absolutely not relationship advice.

We don’t do that.

Instead, it’s a few pointers that might help keep us all present over Christmas so we not only make the most of those late December days, but so we can keep joyful memories of them too.

Take Photos

Even if people get grumpy about it at the time, having some pictures of the festivities is priceless. Remember, this time will never come again… I mean Christmas will, but not this specific one.

A couple of candid snaps of people opening presents, the dinner spread, folks playing games or watching the cricket all make up to the story of this Christmas. Then make sure you share them on the family chat as January clicks over.

Write It Down

Keeping a note — even just on your phone — of the funny things people say or do or that happen over Christmas is a lot of fun. You don’t have to be a war correspondent about it, but by the time the new year’s kicked in, those moments will fade.

I’ve kept a note on my phone of all the funny (and wise) things Christina’s said over the years and it’s honestly the best.

Christmas is about family time, there’s no doubt about that. But it’s important to remember that your parter — the one you chose to spend your life with — is as much your family as anyone.

Quality Time

Make sure you find time to be together away from the craziness.

It doesn’t have to be long, just a few stolen minutes here or there if you’re super busy. Or maybe just a quick hold of hands between courses at the dinner table. But it makes all the difference.

Check in With Each Other

Just a quick ‘how’s everything going?’ or ‘are you winning?’ makes a lot of difference, but the real trick comes next.

First, if your partner asks you how you’re doing, you have to be honest (and realistic) with them. Second, if you’ve asked the question, be prepared to listen to and act on the answer!

Communication is everything. And so is patience.

Make Your Parter Your Priority

I know this is hard sometimes when there’s so much going on, but making sure they’ve got a drink or they’ve had chance to sit down at some stage is important.

And keep an eye out for a rescue. We all have that dodgy uncle or rambling aunt that — once they’ve got you in their tractor beam — there’s no escape!

Above all, don’t put too much pressure on yourself to make everything perfect. It doesn’t have to be the Christmas that everyone says ‘do you remember that Christmas’, but it can be the one that you all smile about when you look back on it.

The post Have Yourself A Very Memory Christmas appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

November’s a funny month, isn’t it. I think the word is ‘peroration’ – that final build-up to the finale. The opposite to the calm before a storm.

Always the bridesmaid, never the bride, November does all the legwork for December and its fancy parties, but rarely gets its due credit.

So here’s our attempt to set the records straight for ol’ snake eyes.

Our November saw a whole lot of new stuff. New magazines, new electric cars (not to mention flying cars and full-blown robots), new breweries, new pie shops, new bars, new festivals… it’s been an exciting few weeks.

Christina even managed to fit in the first Christmas party of the year and I flew to Perth for the first Ashes test – for what it was.

So here’s November in the shell of a nut. Hope you enjoy.

Cheers – Jim & Christina xx

Sign up to our free newsletter here for more travel inspiration. You also get your own copy of our travel ebook — it’s on us!

Traditionally belonging to October but never mind, we celebrated Halloween on the 1st November this year. Dressing up as one of the Louvre robbers, Christina has managed to make even hi-vis and a balaklava look good.

Meanwhile, the rest of us accumulate at our friends Justyna and Phillip’s place and try not to freak out the neighbours. 

My go-to of ‘cult leader’ is more of an excuse to pop a wig on than anything, while others have geared up as Manga characters, zombies, Wednesday Addams and even an alien abduction to name but a few. A great evening and a lot of fun (and wine!).

I’m on my best behaviour though; everyone here does jujitsu! 

Beneath their funny costumes, these guys are all from Christina’s dojo Quantum Martial Arts, and there are even national champions amongst them.

If you were at the Halloween party, you probably wouldn’t recognise these two, but Christina and our horrific host Justyna have met today to discuss matters of the mind and soul on Justyna’s podcast Flight of the Phoenix Holistic Therapy.

It’s a fascinating interview and well worth a listen or a watch. You can hear it in full here on Spotify or watch it all here on YouTube.

This morning, Christina and I are down by the water in Pyrmont for a very special event. But before we get to the nitty-gritty, let’s enjoy the incredible views from Doltone House on Jones Bay Wharf and the enormous spread of breakfast goodies laid on! 

Ok, sated? Let’s get into it.

This is the launch for Chinese car manufacturer Chery’s first car to Australia. Best known for their electric cars, Chery have cleverly decided to bring out one of the best hybrid options on the market to Australia instead.

If you haven’t heard of Chery, here are some stats that will make you wonder why you haven’t (btw, we hadn’t really heard of them either):

Founded in 1997, Chery has sold over 2mil cars in the first nine months of 2025 and is one of the top five passenger car makers in China. Every 25 seconds, a Chery vehicle is shipped overseas.

Although Chery are already in Australia with their Tiggo range (the 4, 7 and 8), the Tiggo 9 Super Hybrid is new to market and has some impressive features. Costing $59,990, this family sized hybrid electric SUV is packed with features.

Click here and a new window will open with a shot of the press conference presentation.

Oh, and yes, they make robots too!

Tell me the summer’s here in Sydney without saying the summer’s here! Jacaranda season has to be one of the prettiest – unless you’ve parked your car under one of them. 

But seeing these beautiful blue-purple blooms crowd out the leaves of their trees all around the city never gets old.

Today is an absolutely epic day for us. We have just finished our latest edition of Hint Magazine!

This 60-page beauty is packed with Christmas tips – not just gift ideas, but lots of that too. We have recipes, inspo for making Christmas better, reasons why this stuff matters… and plus a sealed section for adults only we had a lot of fun creating this year!

Check out this year’s issue of Hint Mag here for free.

This evening, we’re out in the city at Bar Mammoni to learn more about the delicious wonders of San Daniele prosciutto that Italian fine food procurers Principe Foods has brought to Australia.

We’ve experienced prosciutto from the tiny region of Parma (prosciutto di Parma in fact), but the prosciutto region of San Daniele is even smaller and artisanal.

As well as freshly sliced prosciutto straight from the affettatrice per prosciutto, we try prosciutto-wrapped arancini, scallops with a puttanesca sauce and crispy prosciutto, negronis made with a prosciutto infused gin and prosciutto garnish, and even delicious a spritz with pickled chilli, rock melon and prosciutto. 

It’s a proper prosciutto fest!

This event showcases the delicate flavours of this treasured meat and begins a month-long celebration of San Daniele di Prosciutto across the venues of Hinchcliffe House. And if you haven’t visited any of these outstanding bars and restaurants, make sure you get there asap (and before the prosciutto runs out!).

You can find more information about Hinchcliffe House here.

It’s finally happened! The day we’ve all been waiting for: White Bay Brewery in Rozelle has left the building… actually that happened a while ago, so more specifically: Sydney Brewery has entered the building! 

Christina and I have been long-time fans of Sydney Brewery – before it was even called that in fact. It was once called Schwartz Brewery and was based in our local, the Macquarie Hotel on Goulburn Street, Surry Hills – now known as Harpoon Harry’s.

This impressive brewhouse now has venues in Lovedale in the Hunter Valley, Alexandria, Surry Hills in the Rydges Hotel and now here in Rozelle. We’re very excited to see how this adventurous brewery innovates in this space – there’s plenty of it to play with – and makes this site something to really travel for. The beer at least is better!

You might notice Christina has changed a bit by the bottom right image above. That’s because that’s not Christina; it’s my mate Brett!

Prepare to be very impressed. We’re in a flying car! That’s right, the future is here! We’re the Jetsons, Marty and the Doc from Back to the Future II, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang… maybe not the last one… but how cool is this?

We’re at White Bay Cruise Terminal for another car launch! This is GAC – an impressive Chinese auto group and one that’s just come to Australia. These flying cars are already in China (and you don’t need a pilot’s licence btw!), but we’re here for the unveiling of three new cars to the world.

Beneath the black satin shrouds are three cars that are set to revolutionise the car landscape here, but before we get a look at them, we’re treated to an excellent didgeridoo concert and some background on GAC.

And if you haven’t heard of this motor company before, it’s been around for almost 30 years, and is now in over 85 countries around the world.

Its 6,000 strong R&D team has spent over US$7.6 developing the core brands (GAC, Aion and Hyptec), and over the next five years, this impressive auto firm will bring out another 10 models across the A- and B-segment SUV categories, and in the utility markets.

And here they are: from left to right, the EMZoom compact SUV (from $25,590), the Aion V medium SUV (from $42,590) and the high-end seven-seater M8 Phev (from $76,590). 

There are some incredible features across these new vehicles. 

The sporty EMZoom comes with a raft of tech that you don’t usually find at such an affordable price range – auto parking 360-degree cameras, a massive 14.6″ screen and a panoramic sunroof.

In the mid-range, the Aion V is built for comfort and even has a fridge-freezer in the central console.

With all the gadgets (and seating) the giant M8 Phev even has a combined electric-petrol range of over 1,000km and the seats all have 10-point air pump massage functions with three different modes!

These cars also have the interesting option of being remote operated. If you’re stuck in a small parking space, you can use the app on your phone to have the car extract itself without you getting in!

After the official unveiling, we’re guided to the party hall where the new models are on display for us to experience as well as some up-and-coming models like the cool Hyptec HT with its crazy gull-wing doors.

We settle in with a couple of pretty slick-looking cocktails and find out more about these cars set to completely change the Australian car market.

While we’re talking about cars, look what I’ve spotted on Sydney Harbour. Now that’s how you get through morning traffic and solve parking issues!

Exciting times for the Balmain Peninsula! Lode Pies and Pastries has finally arrived.

With three other venues around Sydney, we were starting to feel ignored by this baked-goods sensation. But officially opening its doors on 19th November, Lode has made our month. 

We try the bolognese and the beef pies (there’s also a veggie option) and are very impressed. I was expecting the top to be crusty and crunchy, but what I’m guessing is a kind of croissant laminate pastry is crumbly and delicate. And the filling is generous and delicious too.

As for other items on the menu, fellow patrons seem very happy with the burger, and the wide array of sweets is very tempting. We will be back!

This morning, I’ve hopped on a flight without Christina! I’m off to Perth with some mates to watch the first Ashes Test. It’s going to be an interesting experience, not just because both the English and Aussie teams are in a bit of disarray, but also because out of the six of us, I’m the only Pom.

Do I go Barmy Army or True Blue?

ED: well, that was a bit of a damp squib. Both teams all out by the middle of Day 2. We had tickets to Day 1 and Day 3, so only one day of cricket, but we made up for it with a day at the Swan Valley wineries and another down in Fremantle. As for allegiances, I found the Barmy Army quite irritating and the English team reckless… but I’m still not sure which way to go. 

I’ll be running a separate story on our exploits out west, so watch this space!

While I’m in Perth, Christina has had the pleasure of landing the year’s first Christmas party. Our lovely friends from Shout Magazine, for whom we do regular blind tastings and judging panels for, are throwing a shindig at Bar Reggio.

The Shout Mag team, which is a booze and hospitality media group, are a lot of fun and I’m pretty disappointed to have missed this one. There’s always next year.

This evening, Christina and I are checking out the fantastic new venue for That Plant Shop. These guys have been a peninsular institution for ages, and the owner, Ed, is a qualified botanist. If you have any questions about your existing plants – or even better – a question about the best thing to grow in your home or garden, these guys will have the answer.

Their previous venue was a real Mighty Boosh Jungle Room (minus the pack of Mod wolves) – a roaming building filled with verdant plants draped from every shelf and sitting on every surface.

But this spot, right in the middle of Darling Street, they’ve added to their unique immersive environment with a little bar. You can come here for horticultural advice or just for a glass of wine and some cheese.

And by the way, they’ve had a real-life sommelier come and pair superb cheeses with each wine. 

We’ve gone with their Ross Hill Chardonnay (we’re big fans of this winery from Orange, NSW) and a ‘brie fermier’ that goes superbly with the firm clean lines of the wine.

This has to be one of the more unique places we’ve enjoyed a romantic glass of wine and cheese – not only in Balmain but in general. If you’re looking for something special to do with your partner, book this in right now!

This morning, Christina and I have popped down to Wollongong, about 90 minutes south of Sydney, to see our ridiculously lovely friends Jules and James – Christina has known Julia since they were at pre-school. 

The sun’s out so we head to a local spot for a swim with James and Jules’ excellent kids Mo and Vinnie to Corrimal Pool. It’s a heated pool, but the weather’s still warm enough to make it feel chilly initially. 

It’s a wonderful day though, and so good to catch up with these guys. And their boys are just so funny.

We’re not expecting to stick around for dinner, but Jules and James take us to one of the family’s favourite eateries, and we trust these guys with our appetite! 

We’re right to – Katsu Tabi is one of those Japanse restaurants that is so good that it doesn’t need to take itself seriously. The manga cat- and geisha-based memes on the walls speak volumes.

More than that, the katsu curry they do here is outstanding. Christina has the chicken and rice, while I thought I’d go for the pork katsu with big fat chewy udon noodles. I haven’t had katsu curry with udon before, but I tell you what, I’m a fan now!

Today is an important day for Balmain: today is the suburb’s first proper street festival, and it’s an absolute banger! 

For over half a kilometre of Darling Street, market stalls, live music stages and bars fill the road, and really show just how diverse and interesting this little bit of Sydney is. The festival really sets the suburb off and everyone, from the shops and cafes enjoying the extra Christmas foot traffic to the visitors checking out the parks we have here, is having a great time.

We make the most of some of our favourite brands having stalls – like Blackwattle Distilling, Red Mill Rum and Bar 26, turning out wonderful spirits and cocktails – to new ones like French-style salumerie Saucisson Australia, and all kinds of artisan crafts and foods. 

Not wishing the year away, but we can’t wait to see what Balmain Festival 2026 brings!

But the real pinnacle of November is more esoteric than you might imagine. It isn’t the launch of new and exciting electric car brands or sitting in a giant flying drone. It’s not eating new-concept pies or the latest brewery to open in the area. It’s not even the most historic start to an Ashes test in over a century or eating great prosciutto.

For us, it’s winning two meat trays from our local bowlo from the same $10 ticket and enjoying a surprisingly filling whiting and chips, and a club sandwich from our local, which happens to be the oldest bowls club in NSW by the way.

Anyway, here’s to November and the mad run-up to Christmas! 

Cheers everyone

Jim & Christina xx

The post Magazine Launches, Perth Trips and State of the Art Electric Cars appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

Sign up to our free newsletter here for more travel inspiration. You also get your own copy of our travel ebook — it’s on us!

Combining the sultry savoury and spicy notes of luxurious gorgonzola cheese, the vibrantly fruity balanced sweetness of Cockburn’s ‘Ruby Soho’ Port, and the tang of fresh spring onions and herbs, this pâté is perfect for the summer platter.

Munch it down on some crusty bread or add it to a slice of apple and you’ve got yourself a flavour sensation!

You can find this port here in the Drinks section of our Hint Magazine gift guide 2025.

Port and Stilton Pâté Recipe

Makes about 150ml of pâté

Here’s what you need:

– 55g unsalted butter
– 1 spring onion – finely chopped
– 60ml Cockburn’s Ruby Soho Port (see alternatives below)
– 125g gorgonzola dolce
– Zest of ½ lemon
– 1 small bunch of coriander – finely chopped
– Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Here’s what you do:

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan and sweat the spring onion until it’s soft.
2. Add Cockburn’s Port and simmer for 3 minutes.
3. Add remaining ingredients and stir well, ensuring the cheese has melted.
4. Transfer into food processor and blitz until everything is combined and liquid.
5. Pour into ramekins and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

A couple of extra ideas:

Try other strong blue cheeses. We also tried it with stilton and the pâté was delicious. The only thing to look out for is if the cheese you substitute is vegetarian or not. The Gorgonzola we used was not.

You can also swap out the port for other fortified wines — even red vermouth — to change the flavour profile.

Instead of spring onions, try shallots or chives to give different flavours to the pâté. We gave some red onion a go and it worked beautifully.

I wonder, could you even add a touch of chilli to the mix?

The post How to Make This Easy How to Make This Port and Gorgonzola Pâté Recipe appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.