Memphis, Hawaii and Dylan Alcott’s favourite wine

With travel gearing back up, it feels like everyone’s heading overseas at the moment. We’re still in the planning stage, but things are coming together. In the meantime, we’re getting our itchy feet and travel bug tended to by meeting with some friends from Memphis and Hawaii tourism boards, and distracting ourselves with visits to … Read more

Do you really know what relaxation means? Spa Anise at Spicers Tamarind Retreat

Spa Anise Tamarind, Maleny

Within earshot of the cascades of Gardners Falls outside the Hinterland town of Maleny, Spa Anise day spa brings another level of tranquility to this beautiful part of the Sunshine Coast. Maleny is famous for its verdant landscape and deep sense of peace. Not to mention its food offerings. But east of the town, hidden … Read more

How to bring back the dinner party

Wedgwood - the modern dinner party

Gone are the dusty days of the dinner party, where everyone was there to out-do each other and the tables were decorated like a spoilt child’s doll’s house. But the modern dinner party has reinvented itself, and its comeback is presenting something quite different. From Ancient Greece and the Romans to Henry VIII to VIP … Read more

How to enjoy Dry July

Craftzero & Dry July - MMR - Lyre's Highland Malt, Beneficial Beer Co lager, 1920 Sauvignon Blanc alcohol free

Starting in 2008 and quickly snowballing into a major fundraiser, Dry July and its month-long alcohol-free challenge is seen by many to be just that: a challenge. Forcing overly sweet soft drinks or bland-tasting alcohol-free drinks down at the bar or worse, hermitting yourself completely for the month were once the only option.  But there’s … Read more

A UK whirlwind, a double birthday and Newton’s apples

It’s amazing how just a couple of years of not being able to travel internationally feels like a lifetime. Especially when the dearest to us don’t live in the same country. Finally though, I was able to fly back to the UK for a quick two-week trip to see my folks, celebrate my dad’s big … Read more

Japanese wagyu, Four Seasons BKK and a Greek feast on the waterfront

A Japanese wagyu chef, an American single malt distiller and a Bangkok Four Seasons director walk into a bar… It sounds like a joke, doesn’t it?  Well, it’s when only the bar itself isn’t true, you realise what a strange, fascinating week we’ve had.  With Christina meeting wagyu chef extraordinaire Hisato Hamada, me lunching with … Read more

A Sunshine Coast adventure, a Brisbane preview and a Melbourne conference with 420 distillers

Probably as much of an understatement as it is banal, but the last couple of years have been tough. For the travel industry, we’ve had to come to almost a complete stop. But a bit like buses, all kinds of things have come together at once. Christina and I have now found ourselves living from … Read more

Singapore, Vanuatu, the rest of the world… and Ita Buttrose

It’s felt like this moment would never come again, but it has. And it’s as exciting as we thought it would be. This week just gone has been the most positive for the travel industry in Australia than any other over the last two years—it really feels like things are moving in the direction of … Read more