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

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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

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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.

Images courtesy of Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia

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.

L-R: Adam Schwab, Co-Founder of Luxury Escapes, Cameron Daddo | Chris Waite, Co-Founder of Powerhouse Comms, Anthony Dennis, Travel Editor of The Age & SMH, Ben Groundwater, freelancer and generally lovely bloke, Sarah Maree Cameron, Content Creator, Presenter & Journalist

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

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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As we close out October, Christina and I are in the thick of putting together the latest edition of Hint Magazine, our annual Christmas gift guide and e-mag (of course it’s annual; it’s all about Christmas!).

But this crazily busy time of year hasn’t stopped us having a lot of fun – and taking some time to tell you all about it!

We’ve got some amazing lunch and dinner tips for you this month, as well as some fascinating facts about Uganda when Christina got to meet the Ugandan High Commissioner. We also had our lovely niece visit with her newly engaged fiancee, the annual Balmain Regatta happened and we were once again judges for a national booze publication (this time it was prosecco). And somehow, during all of this, Christina managed to get down south for a girls’ roadtrip!

But here it is and plenty more: October ’25!

Cheers – Jim & Christina xx

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This evening, Christina and I are out in Enmore for dinner and a drink in the Queens Hotel. Usually, we head upstairs to Queen Chow (the modern Cantonese cuisine there is excellent) but tonight we’re sticking near the bar downstairs.

We’re continuing our exploration of the (reasonably) new spice bag trend and Queens has one on their menu.

Spice bags, which originated in a Chinese restaurant in Ireland, are served in a paper bag holding a pile of chunky ‘Chinese chips’, stir-fried capsicum and onions, and crispy chicken. It also comes with a curry sauce like you get in chip shops.

The spice bag here at the Queens Hotel isn’t bad – the chicken isn’t crispy and it’s not really spicy enough, but the chips are great and the corn ribs that have found their way incongruously into the bag are delicious. 

For lunch today, we’re in Lilyfield in Sydney’s Inner West. This is Bar 26, the front-of-house for OCD – Otter Craft Distilling. Part of the Inner West Distillery Trail, the spirits coming from this family-run distillery are excellent, but today we’re not just here for the drinks. 

Eduard Otter, the distiller here, is also the chef.

One of Eduard’s finest creations here are his pizzas, making the bread from scratch and topping with only the best ingredients. He and his sister Julie have come up with the superb idea of this magnificent lunch special: the panuozzo!

As Eduard describes it, this ‘charcuterie board in a pizza sandwich’, is made with the same dough as the pizza, but baked into a pocket shape. He then stuffs it with bresaola, mortadella, salami, prosciutto, eggplant, sundried tomato, mushrooms, capsicum, artichoke, provolone and pecorino!

All this for $22 takeaway, or, if you’ve got a brain, you’ll pay $30 and stay for one of their no-holds-barred bloody marys as well!

Check out our IG Reel for a behind-the-scenes look at how it’s all made! 

This morning, we have some very special guests: we’re having breakfast with our lovely niece Amy and, her newly betrothed, Damon. They’re down from Brisbane for the NRL Grand Final, so we’re making the most of it!

Breakfast, by the way, is appropriately at Dirty Red Cafe in Glebe. Named after the local team (Glebe Dirty Reds) which was formed around the turn of the 20th Century, the Dirty Reds were a foundation team for Australian rugby league. So there.

Anyway, food here is delicious. Amy orders the jalapeno and cheddar cornbread and a poached egg (with bacon) and gives us all food envy, though my bacon egg roll is also outstanding.

It’s Sunday! That can only mean one thing: a Sunday roast!

We’ve decided to come to Paddington – our old haunt and in fact where Christina and I first met and lived together way back in 2000. 

The Sunday roast at the Paddington Arms is pretty darn good, though my Yorkshire pudding is a bit overdone. Everything else is excellent though – especially as you can choose from no less than eight different mains including crispy roast pork belly, beef rump and even swordfish. At $45 each though, it is on the high side… especially as our local bowling club does one for under $20.

This evening, we’ve decided it’s time for a sundowner and a game of backgammon by the water. We haven’t done this for a little while, so we take our little Miniroll speaker and a bottle of wine down to the garden. I may or may not have brought a cheeky cigar too.

Today, we’re back at Bar 26 in Lily Field, but this time, we’re not here to eat another panuozzo (even though I really want one). This time, we’re here to be extras for a TV show!

As part of the Inner West Distillery Trail, Bar 26 and Otter Craft Distilling are being filmed for a feature on TV classic Sydney Weekender, so for the price of a pizza or two and some of their outstanding cocktails, Christina and I get to sit in the background and watch how the pros do it. 

Keep an eye out for this – it should be airing some time in the new year with the lovely Sally Stanton presenting. 

We’re at the Oaks Hotel in North Sydney this afternoon for a new round of booze tasting and judging for Shout’s National Liquor News publication. This is an industry magazine that gives venues and bottle shops info one what to stock their shelves with.

This time, we’re trying out a whole range of prosecco from Australia and around the world. It’s an interesting category, because prosecco is more often than not the most affordable sparkling wine, even though it’s technically a Blanc de Blancs (read our write-up on Blanc de Blancs here). 

It’s also a difficult category to judge. By the 23rd prosecco, we’re bubbled out and quite confused, but it’s a fascinating exercise.

Christina has just had her hair done, so, thanks to the artful crafts of Stevie English in Glebe, she’s looking even more beautiful this evening. We’ve met in the dark and moody underground surrounds of Palmer & Co in the city for a cocktail or two.

This used to be one of our favourite bars and we even wowed our discerning American friends with the bar’s lively speakeasy style. Tonight though, things are quite muted and the service is weird. Drinks are still well made though, so at least the staff behind the bar are working their magic. But 4/10 for Palmer & Co this time.

October’s skies have been very pretty this year, but this sunset has to be the best of the month, if not the whole year so far. Everything to the west looks like it’s on fire while to the east, the sky’s still deep blue and purple.

No idea what this means in terms of sailors and shepherds though.

How about this work of art! For the last couple of years, I’ve been tasked with making desserts for dinner parties every Tuesday night. Usually, I knock up a crumble or perhaps an almond cake, but tonight, as it’s one of the lads’ birthday, I thought I’d take things a little further.

This is my take on a French dessert – my apple tart a la Alsacienne. I’ll tell you how I made it… in this year’s Hint Magazine, which should be out mid-November. Watch this space!

Oh, and yes, that’s a little version of the tart in the background. I always try and make a miniature version for Christina to have while I’m out with the boys.

On the ladies’ side of this group of friends, Christina is on a roadtrip with the girls. They’ve gone down  the south coast to the beautiful waters of Tuross Heads for the weekend. This is not quite down to the Sapphire Coast, where Christina and I have visited a few times and where the best Sydney rock oysters come from, but it’s still quite a drive.

But the further south you go in New South Wales, the water seems to just get clearer and clearer, and bluer and bluer. Such a beautiful part of the world. 

Not far from where they’re staying is the pretty riverside town of Moruya, where Christina and her friends are dining this evening: at The River Moruya restaurant.

With lovely outlooks over the broad fast-running river that gives the town – and this restaurant – its name, The River Moruya offers high-end cuisine that showcases not only the incredible coastline that’s so near, but also the best of the countryside that surrounds the town too.

With entrees like the toasted sourdough with whipped salmon, pickled mussels and salmon roe, and the freshest oysters, and mains like locally caught snapper in a shellfish coconut bisque with mussels and burnt leek, I think the ladies are having a pretty good time without us!

Christina is making a point of going down to the beach at least once every day she’s down here on the south coast. The water’s still cold, but she even ventures in for a swim a couple of times too. Very brave!

L-R: Christina with Her Excellency Dorothy Samali Hyuha High Commissioner to Uganda; Bradford Ochieng from Uganda Tourism and Tiisa Susan Mugwanya from the high commission of Uganda in Canberra

This afternoon, Christina is out on assignment! She’s at the round-table talks at the Ace Hotel in Surry Hills for a tourism delegation from Uganda.

Apart from meeting dignitaries like Her Excellency Dorothy Samali Hyuha the High Commissioner to Uganda in Canberra, the Education, Culture and Tourism Officer in the High Commission Tiisa Susan Mugwanya and Uganda Tourism Board‘s Deputy CEO Bradford Ochieng, Christina is here to photograph and question delegates for Africa Beat.

Africa Beat is Australia’s only travel trade publication focused solely on Africa. They deliver the latest news, updates and reviews from the great continent, and it turns out Uganda has an incredible amount to offer in spite of its diminutive size.

For instance, did you know it has all the Big Five animals even though it’s smaller geographically than the UK? And it’s quite densely populated too – around 51 million. That’s four million more than Spain! It’s home to a phenomenal 10 national parks, the highest mountain range in Africa and is the source of the Nile!

It’s also quite easy to get to Uganda from Australia. Connecting flights from Sydney via Dubai to Entebbe go almost daily.

TL-BR: ex-work boat Sydport; Jim & Michael Petrozzi; Christina and Jim; water jets during the Work Boat convoy

Today is a special day in our local calendar. It’s the Balmain Regatta! Bringing a huge collection of boats from all walks of life together, the day culminates in a party at the Balmain Sailing Club near Birchgrove. 

For us, the highlight of the day is right at the start, when we climb aboard the 401 – one of the work boats that’s part of the Work Boat Convoy headed up by our mate Michael. He started this convoy four years ago and it’s grown to the point where it takes over most of the western harbour and has everything from small personnel vessels to floating cranes to huge tugs and historic ships. 

Next year, we’re hoping the military will also get involved. Wouldn’t that be a coup… so to speak.

This evening, we’re trying one of Rewild Wines’ new ‘Bagnum’ wines. This Aussie brand is focused on creating wines that are not only sustainably made, but also affordable, and their ‘bagnums’ – so called because you get 1.5 litres of wine like a magnum and they come in a bag – is their latest venture.

I was a little uneasy about this product as I have too many (or perhaps not enough) memories of cask wine from back in the day. This Shiraz isn’t that. I mean it’s never going to be my favourite wine, but it’s ok. It also turns an average casarecce bolognese into a banger of a dinner, so we’ll definitely get through the bag.

Find you Rewild Bagnum at BWS here for RRP $17.99.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this Flavour of the Month and a taste of our October.

Cheers – Jim & Christina xx

The post Nice Niece Visits, Big Boat Convoys and South Coast Roadtrips appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

]]> https://mrandmrsromance.com/fotm-oct25/feed/ 0 https://mrandmrsromance.com/fotm-sept25/ https://mrandmrsromance.com/fotm-sept25/#respond Sun, 05 Oct 2025 20:00:00 +0000 https://mrandmrsromance.com/?p=39368 Can you believe that three quarters of the year have already passed? Three quarters! Gone like that. Nine months. 273 days. lots of hours...

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Can you believe that three quarters of the year have already passed? Three quarters! Gone like that. Nine months. 273 days. lots of hours – even more minutes… you get the idea.

This crazy passage of time is one of the reasons we started doing Flavour of the Month series (or ‘Weekly Edition’ before I realised just how much of that rare resource we call time it took to write one of these every week). But having a record of all the things Christina and I get up to not only helps us remember it all, but also keeps us grounded and appreciative.

It also means we can basically google our lives when we can’t remember what we were doing last month!

This month marks a special date in our diary though. Among all the other fun stuff we’ve done in September 2025, Christina and I are celebrating our silver anniversary. That’s 25 years of being together! Now, that’s a sign that time goes fast!

Also this month, we’ve had a fantastic trip to the Hunter Valley for another silver anniversary and also to stay in a tiny house at a winery, we’ve been to national awards evenings, lots of birthdays, high teas, dance battles and even a regatta for model boats. It’s all happening just as spring starts its engines over Sydney.

We hope you enjoy the Flavour of this Month.

Cheers

Jim & Christina x

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It’s always great to be in the Hunter Valley – New South Wales’ premier wine region and Australia’s oldest. We’re here for a few reasons this time, but we start things off with a very cool experience at the historic cellar door of Audrey Wilkinson.

This winery was opened in 1886 by the Wilkinson family, and by 1897 it had transformed the wine-making industry with some ground-breaking technology like cement fermentation vats and steam-powered grape crushers. You can still see the actual vats and crusher in the museum here at the cellar door.

But we’re not here just for a history lesson…

Audrey Wilkinson offers a number of great experiences at the winery. We’re here to give their Premium Picnic among the Vines experience a go.

Cleverly set inside a leafy little pergola, this picnic has the magical feeling of being hidden inside a tree. On the charcuterie board is a wonderful selection of locally cured meats and cheeses, fruit, bread, roasted vegetables, salad leaves and even chocolate brownies. And our choice of wines of course.

It’s lovely and cool in the shade of our little den, but we also take advantage of the sunny weather and bring our picnic out to the blanket and chairs set up for us nearby.

This is such a lovely experience and very romantic – and I say that as one who can take or leave a picnic. In fact, I usually leave it.

You can read our full review of our time at Audrey Wilkinson here and there’s even a quick video that you can see here.

After the picnic, we head back into the cellar door and are treated to another wine tasting. This is the Sweet Indulgence Experience where we’re lead through six of the Audrey Wilkinson sweet wines, from late harvest wines to muscats and tawnies.

Each one is paired with a chocolate from Cacao Nib, a local chocolatier.

By the time we leave, we’re both incredibly full, but also hugely satisfied. Make sure you add a visit to Audrey Wilkinson the next time you’re in the Hunter Valley.

It’s only a short drive from our picnic in Pokolbin to our accommodation in Broke-Fordwich, but what a difference that 15 minutes makes!

This sub-region of the Hunter is so calm and peaceful it feels like a different place entirely. And where we’re staying is even quieter still.

Set well away from everyone amongst the vines of Winmark Wines is their tiny house Villa Vino. Small but perfectly formed, this tiny house has everything you need for a romantic getaway.

You can read our full review of Villa Vino here. 

Click this pic to watch our video walkthrough of Villa Vino and Winmark Wines cellar door!

Inside, it might not look like a lot of space, but Villa Vino has been so well put together that you actually have plenty of room.

The reason it works is that this is just the living and sleeping space. The bathroom is in an adjacent extension and the kitchen is al fresco with all the equipment and appliances we have at home. More, in fact. This one has a pizza oven!

Beyond the tiny house, we’ve also got our own fire pit and stack of timber, so we crack the bottle of wine generously left for us in the fridge, build up the fire and relax as the sun goes down over the hills of Broke-Fordwich.

As the dawn creeps through the sky, I wake to see a thin trail of mist following the little brook on the other side of the road. Then my eye catches a movement over the distant trees: a host of hot air balloons is drifting with the light wind.

I stand and watch them for a while, thinking about our balloon ride – indeed our first ever go in a hot air balloon – right here in the Hunter Valley.

After breakfast, we wander down to Winmark’s neat little cellar door. Winmark only makes Chardonnay, a varietal that’s rightly popular in the Hunter Valley, but especially here in Broke-Fordwich.

We work our way through the four ranges they do here, then take a look at the connected art gallery. Owner Karin Adcock has a deep passion for art and this gallery, which is at least twice the size of the cellar door, proves it.

Outside, there’s still more art, with large-scale pieces making up the winery’s sculpture park.

This afternoon, we’re at Whispering Brook for the main event of our visit to the Hunter Valley. This lovely little Broke-Fordwich winery, owned and run by Susan and Adam Frazier, is turning 25 this year, and we’re here to celebrate!

It’s been a surprisingly long time since we were here last. We were here for one of the Fraziers’ amazing Olive Long Table Luncheon that’s set between a row of their olive trees. It’s very good to be back.

Unfortunately, it’s too windy today to have the celebratory lunch amongst the olive trees. Instead, we’re in the wine-making room, which I think is just as good. After all, who doesn’t love getting to go behind the scenes?

Lunch is a gastronomical masterpiece, put together by the brilliant people of the hatted EXP Restaurant not far from here.

Starting with exquisite canapes of cured kingfish, caviar and oysters, as well as plenty of Whispering Brook’s excellent 2011 Alexandra sparkling wine, we soon move to the lunch table.

Here, we’re spoilt with the most indulgent focaccia and butter, EXP’s incredible crumpets with duck leg prosciutto, then sides of mash with native thyme beurre noisette and oyster mushrooms in miso butter.

This leads up to a brick of slow-cooked 72-hour brisket with a black onion jus.

Dessert comes as delightful little wattleseed ‘creme diplomats’ – choux pastry filled with wattleseed pesto and macadamia praline.

Of course, everything is carefully paired with Whispering Brook’s best museum wines.

We have a horizontal tasting of their 2017 vintage (one of the best years in Hunter history) of Whispering Brook Semillon, Touriga Nacional and Shiraz, then the modern versions of all three from 2024, 2022 and 2022 respectively. It’s so good to see what time and different vintages can do to wine grown in the same place.

Congratulations, Susan and Adam. You’ve created a wonderful place here with excellent family and friends around you. Here’s to the next 25 years.

L-R: Blackwattle Distilling receiving their award for best classic dry gin; all the women of Australian distilling in the house!; and Ester with their Best In Show award

Tonight, we’re back in Sydney for one of the most important awards nights of the Aussie craft spirits calendar: the Australian Gin Awards.

This year, Ester Spirits in Marrickville is hosting, which means one thing: a really really good party.

Chair of the Australian Gin Awards, the inimitable Mikey Enright, announces the winners of the eight different categories. We’ve heard of most of the distilleries in the line-up, but there are few we haven’t, which is awesome.

You can see the winners of the different classifications here, but it’s no spoiler to tell you that Ester not only take home two of the class winners but also the Best in Show for their Old Tom. Our mates Paul and Mark McLeay, and Kieren Doyle also take home the best Classic Dry Gin award.

Today is a special day for a special lady: it’s Chirstina’s mum Jeanette’s birthday! She’s having a great day with all the ladies at lunch at Burnt Orange. It’s also Father’s Day today so the restaurant has given the ladies their own special room. Very wise for this raucous bunch!

Happy birthday, Jeanette.

From handing out prizes as the Chairman of the Australian Gin Awards, tonight is Mikey Enright’s time to celebrate: his superb gin bar the Barber Shop is rejoicing in its amazing partnership with the Barberhood, the very business from which the bar gets its name.

For the last 10 years, these two entities have worked in perfect harmony, with the hidden entrance to this excellent bar being through the fully operational men’s hair studio on York Street.

Here’s to another 10 years, Mikey. Very nice man.

This afternoon, Christina and I have come to Woolloomooloo and its famous wharf.

The longest timber pile wharf in the world, the largest wooden structure in the Southern Hemisphere and one of the most fun places to spell in Australia, Woolloomooloo Finger Wharf is home to a string of high-end restaurants, actual home to the rich and famous (Nicole Kidman has an apartment here) and also the setting for one of the most unique hotels in Sydney.

And it’s to the hotel where we’re heading – more specifically, its new high tea.

We’re sat in a quiet booth tucked around the side of the dining venue right at the heart of this historic building. Taking care of us are Liam and Deepa, and they lead us carefully through this elegant high tea.

Starting at the bottom of the tower, we have mini lobster rolls with Avruga caviar and chives, grisini wrapped with Parma ham (we know all about Prosciutto di Parma!), rockmelon gazpacho, a ‘caprese slider’ with mozzerella, semi-dried tomato and basil pesto (a clever twist on the usual tiny cucumber sandwiches of a traditional high tea), and – my personal favourite – swordfish croquettes with Aperol emulsion.

I even keep half of my croquette to save it till last!

From here, the other two plates of the tower really amp up the Italian vibes of the high tea.

Limoncello ricotta cakes, mixed berry zabaglione and snowball tiramisu all feature in the sweet stakes. Finally, to finish off, there’s a nod to the traditional, with the makings of a scone cream tea. The question is: do you jam or cream first?

As always, we walk away from high tea feeling surprisingly full. Who’d have thought such tiny dainties would be so satisfying?!

Head to the Ovolo Woolloomooloo for their Dolce & Mare high tea.

There are two options for this high tea: $89pp comes with your choice of tea from the delicious selection by First Nations-owned Australian tea company Blak Brews (my Red Centre tea is outstanding), or for $119 each, you can enjoy a glass or two of Veuve Clicquot Champagne.

Tonight is the night!

Somehow, 25 years ago (TWENTY-FIVE!) I managed to catch the eye of this incredible woman. On the night of the opening ceremony of the Sydney Olympics, the spark caught and the fire has burnt with us ever since.

To celebrate this quarter of a century together (what?! A quarter of a what?!), we’re having dinner at the beautiful Fenwick in Balmain East.

Not only is the food here fantastic and the views out over the harbour to the Bridge are out of this world, it’s also just a quick walk home for us. Tick, tick, tick.

Thank you for putting up with all my nonsense and bad jokes, Christina. Feeling very lucky.

Today is another important day: it’s Christina’s sister Mary’s birthday! Feels like everyone was born in September round here!

We’re celebrating with her up in Palm Beach where, I’ve heard, Spaceballs II is being filmed!

It’s a lovely day, with lots of her friends coming to enjoy the impressive spread she’s put on. There are even cakes – three to be precise! Happy birthday, Mary!

L-R: the panel – Arrnott Olssen, Jay Nikolin, Chris Keely, Eloni Vunakece, Jonathon ;J.Mo’ Moran; us with Eloni Vunakece. Big, in’he?

This afternoon, Christina and I are at a very important event that our lovely friend Arrnott is holding in the beautiful Langham Hotel in the Rocks.

Arrnott has been running Men, Let’s Talk events for years now and they never get old and always have something different to learn from.

It’s a forum where men (and women) come together to explore men’s mental health. In these times when out of the nine tragic suicides that happen every day in Australia, seven of them are men.

This time, we’re talking about Connecting in a Disconnected World, and the panel Arrnott has assembled is so interesting. The panel consists of Jay Nikolin from the Langham itself, current Deputy Director Pride Chris Keely, ex-Roosters NRL star and competitor of Netflix’ new 100, Eloni Vunakece, and journalist and author of Mental as Anyone Jonathon ‘J.Mo’ Moran.

Tonight, Christina and I are on a little adventure in the city!

Our first stop is to an old haunt of ours: the iconic Irish pub P.J O’Brien’s on King Street for a spot of dinner. We’ve recently discovered the virtues of a spice bag.

If you haven’t heard of or haven’t tried spice bags before, they’re quite something. Originating in a Chinese restaurant in Ireland, spice bags feature twice-fried Chinese chips, salt and pepper crispy chicken balls, stir-fried veggies (usually capsicum) and a spicy curry gravy. In a recently released leaderboard of spice bags by Redit creator Foodies Sydney, P.J’s came third with only the Regent Hotel in Kingsford and the Green Room at Broadway above it.

Got to say, this is a good spice bag, so I’m intrigued to try its betters.

After dinner and an excellent pint of Guinness, we march down to Darling Harbour for the final night of dance battles – the all-star round in fact – from Beat Breakdown.

This civic programme sees dancers from all street disciplines and styles come together to see who’s the best. We were here for their very first year and we’re stoked to see how much it’s grown in popularity.

It’s always fun to be in at the grass-roots level of something great, and I think this is one of them. The last Sunday of September sees the inaugural Model Boat Flotilla at the historic Dawn Frazer Baths in Balmain.

Anyone with a model boat can come and join in, and anyone who wants to have a look is also welcome.

This is the brainchild of my friend Michael (bottom left) who is also instrumental in the Work Boat Convoy of the annual Balmain Regatta, which happens on the last Sunday of October every year.

It’s great to see Dawnie’s – the oldest public baths in Australia – being enjoyed. The doors are usually locked until the start of the swimming season in October, but keep an eye out for this next September. I’m pretty sure it’ll be back.

At the end of the day, Michael, our mate Brett and I retire to the Dry Dock Hotel for a well-earned schooner.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this September wrap-up as much as we have. Here’s to an even better October!

Cheers – Jim & Christina xx

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]]> https://mrandmrsromance.com/fotm-sept25/feed/ 0 https://mrandmrsromance.com/fotm-aug25/ https://mrandmrsromance.com/fotm-aug25/#respond Tue, 02 Sep 2025 02:00:00 +0000 https://mrandmrsromance.com/?p=39242 Finally! The end of winter is nigh. It feels like it’s been raining since the dawn of time, but with spring on the horizon,...

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Finally! The end of winter is nigh. It feels like it’s been raining since the dawn of time, but with spring on the horizon, we can start putting our slankets and oodies away for the rest of the year.

But the bad weather hasn’t slowed us down much. 

This August has been busy – in a good way – so Christina and I haven’t had much chance to let the cold and rain get us down.

In this Flavour of the Month, we explore northern Thailand, the east coast of the USA, Ehime Prefecture in southern Japan and we see the long-awaited launch of the new Inner West Distillery Trail!

Add to that numerous meals at some of our favourite food spots around Sydney, wine tastings, political protests and an Italian festival that took over a whole suburb, and you get the idea of just how busy we’ve been!

Hope you enjoy this one.

Cheers – Christina & Jim xx

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If August 2025 will be remembered for anything, surely, it’ll be the weirdness of the weather. This photo really sums it up for me. Skies so full of rain, yet at the same time, sunny and blue. Rainbows everywhere, clouds so low it feels like fog, but that then lift to reveal more blue sky… or more rain.

Don’t think the word ‘mercurial’ could be more fit for purpose. 

This evening, I’m out with the lads for a bite to eat at the Royal Oak in Balmain. But with all the food gone and our stay in the dining room somewhat outlived, a few of us have retired to the fireside of the main bar.

To be honest, I think we should’ve moved here sooner: it’s warmer, the chairs are comfier and the beer taps are much closer.

This evening, we’re in the city at the QT Hotel for a very cool event.

We’re learning more about the east coast of the USA – in particular the historic cities of Boston, Philadelphia and Washington DC.

Things kick off in the hotel’s cosy cinema room, where we hear the directors of each of the three cities riff against each other about which destination is better. It’s a lot of fun as they compare things like Michelin Starred restaurants (Washington has the most with 26, though the other two are no slouches), the number of Fifa World Cup matches each city will host and who has the best music.

Next, we broke into groups to hear from each city in turn. 

A mother-and-son team show us how to go-go dance, which originated in DC, we hear about the beautiful countryside around Phili and more about Boston too.

And it’s at the Boston showcase that we get to meet NBA and Aussie Boomers legend Aron Baynes (look at the size of ‘im!). His career has moved all over the world, from European teams in Lithuania, Germany, Greece and Slovenia to many different states the USA. But for the purposes of tonight, Aaron’s here to talk about his time at the Boston Celtics.

He’s also represented Australia at multiple World Cups and Summer Olympics, which is pretty cool. 

The day has finally come. My mate Brett has been threatening to put up new ‘Happy Lights’ for ages, but today’s the day. As per usual this August, it’s a bit rainy, a bit sunny and both hot and cold as well: perfect conditions for climbing up and down ladders, pulling down old broken fairy lights and putting up new industrial-strength ones. 

As this is Brett we’re talking about, every 20-30cm of this 70m string of lights has to be cable tied and snipped, even though the top of the purpose-built structure above his drive is over 4m high.

The result is pretty good though and hopefully these will stay up and working for a few years now. I don’t think either of us wants to do this again in a hurry; it takes valuable time away from the pub!

Talking of pubs, Christina and I have a few errands to do in the city today, so we make sure there’s time to pay a visit to my old local: the Royal Albert in Surry Hills.

This was once a terrible pub that then became a really good one – one of the first fully craft-beer-only pubs in fact. 

These days it’s still pretty good and the staff are as friendly as ever, but the beers are less crafty in spite of the lack of pokies and classic pub games like spin the wheel. However, while we’re here, we enjoy $10 pints – an unheard of rate these days.

While we’re in Sydney CBD, we happen upon this old beauty. It’s an MK VI searchlight and is here as part of the commemorations marking 80 years since victory was claimed by the Allies in the Pacific in WWII.

This is an original anti-aircraft searchlight used by the Allies and is even powered by its original generator.

Its huge 150cm lens can project a beam of light over 40km out on a clear night. What a pleasure to see something like this in action.

Today, we’re in the Rocks at the Campbell’s Stores to talk about beautiful northern Thailand – or ‘Lanna’ as locals call it – and the likes of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai.

Things kick off with gifts of hand-drawn personalised parasols and a photo wall – don’t worry, my parasol is bigger than Christina’s. She hasn’t suddenly grown into an Aaron Baines-esque giant!

TL-BR: Mr Naruchai Ninnad, Consul-General of Thailand; Angelo Rozos,l Deputy Mayor of Willoughby, Mr Naruchai Ninnad, Consul-General of Thailand, Mr Pichaya Saisaengchan, Director of Tourism Authority of Thailand

We hear more about Lanna from some pretty big hitters. In particular, Mr Naruchai Ninnad, the current Consul-General of Thailand here in Sydney (and a lovely guy) and the Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand Mr Pichaya Saisaengchan – or Khun Pop to his friends. 

We’ve had the pleasure of travelling with Khun Pop when we were in Kanchanaburi a few months ago.

Of course, the food at this event is spectacular. I’m thrilled to see they’ve brought in not one, but two types of Thai beer. The Carabao Dunkel is surprisingly good. Who’d have thought that Thai and German beer making techniques would work together so well!

The middle photo here shows some of the more unusual things you can eat in northern Thailand. Everything from fried insects and silkworms to red ant eggs (kai mod dang) used for sourness instead of citrus, to dried cotton tree flowers, crispy rice cakes and fermented soybean. 

Thankfully lunch isn’t all crunchy grubs and kai mod dang! The spread here is amazing. Huge nets of crispy noodles, khao soi just like they do in Laos near the northern Thai border, chilli pastes, curry pastes and pork crackling.

There’s also a huge range of tasty sweets and desserts that we barely have enough room for.

My goodness, we really want to get back to Thailand now!

While we’re waiting for our next opportunity to travel to Thailand, I’m getting my fill of Thai cooking at a rather unexpected spot.

This is the famous goat curry at the Merton Hotel in Rozelle. From the outside – and even from inside – the Merton doesn’t look like the sort of place you’d find not just good food, but mind-blowing food. However, Chef Ketsara (a.k.a Apple) does just that.

She not only makes all the curries here from scratch, she even buys the whole goat and breaks it down herself for this superb dish. And if you don’t feel like the goat curry (it’s pretty spicy fyi), there are so many other things to eat here that are (almost) its equal.

By the way, I’m here with a bunch of mates and Christina is very annoyed she hasn’t been here yet!

This evening, I’m flying solo to a fascinating event at Sake Restaurant in the Rocks. I’m here to learn more about a part of Japan I know almost nothing about called Ehime Prefecture. 

Tucked away on the western coast of Shikoku Island on the southeastern coast of Honshu Island and not far from Hiroshima.

In fact, the best way to get to Ehime is from Hiroshima. You can either get the fast ferry, which takes 70 minutes, the normal ferry, which is also able to carry cars and takes 160mins, or the luxury overnight ferry for more of a cruise experience.

There’s also a train to Ehime which is connected via Shinkansen to Tokyo and Hiroshima.

This quiet little achiever is packed with culture and history. Things like Dogo Onsen, the oldest hot spring spa in Japan, is here. It was built in 1894, but has a history dating back over 3,000 years. It’s also the inspiration to the Studio Ghibli film Spirited Away.

As you can see, I’m now a big fan of Ehime Prefecture! I’ve even got the T-shirt – or robe anyway.

Food at Sake is awesome and the menu the team here has put together mirrors just how interesting Ehime is.

Dinner starts with nori crisps piled with tuna and kingfish, togarashi chilli and sesame dressing. Then comes the sashimi – hiramasa kingfish with a coriander infused ponzu and jalapeno and kosho condiment. 

There are also plates and plates of these delicious popcorn prawns. The batter is so light and tasty, and the yuzu and chilli bean mayonnaise is so moreish. 

Next comes a basket of steamed prawn shumai dumplings with a spicy ponzu, a fillet of outrageously good salmon yaki, slices of Cape Grim beef short rib and, to finish, a deconstructed pavlova with a yuzu cremeaux.

We then hear about the town of Ozu in Ehime, where you can stay in a traditional Japanese castle and even live as the shogun lord of the town for a day, with a team of staff and samurai at your call. It’s very hard, with all this excellent food and wine (the Ross Hill Pinot Noir is excellent), and the promise of a lordship, however temporary, to not let it all go to my head!

This evening, we’re spoiling ourselves. Again!

Ordinarily, my mates and I (here you can see Brett and Nim) enjoy a humble barbecue at home head to quiet little restaurants on a Tuesday. But as there are only three of us tonight, we’ve decided to take advantage of the winter offer at The Fenwick right at the Balmain East ferry wharf. 

Food here is spectacular (especially at 50% off!). If you haven’t been here before – or even if you have – make sure you book a table. It’s excellent.

Today, Christina has become part of history. 

Every Sunday, protesters supporting freedom and peace in Palestine have been gathering in Sydney to effect change. This hasn’t worked so far, so today a special march is going across the Australian icon that is the Sydney Harbour Bridge. 

Stopping traffic in both directions, this is the first time a protest has ever taken to this particular street. In spite of the horrible weather, hundreds of thousands of people have come here in support. Let’s hope this makes a difference, because the deprivation, genocide and invasion that Palestine and its people are suffering cannot continue.

Today is the first sunny day in what feels like a whole month and its timing couldn’t be better. We’re in Five Dock in Sydney’s Inner West to check out Ferragosto – the midsummer festival celebrated in Italy every year. 

We’re expecting to find lots of good food and an excellent party atmosphere; what we’re not expecting is just how big and busy this festival is. Taking up at least a kilometre of the main road through Five Dock (poosibly more), the crowds flow along it like a river.

There are all kinds of stalls lining the way here. Some are selling Italian focused goods and services, but most of them are selling food.

We spot our mate Dom of Dom Panino fame in Leichhardt, who makes the most astonishing panini and pastries you’ll find in Sydney and the delicious work of our friends at Banks and Solander Distillery in Botany as well. Their Limoncello are Limecello the perfect fit for today’s festivities, but their Noir coffee liqueur is amazing. Made with actual espresso shots rather than cold drip or filter coffee, this stuff knocks the likes of Mr Black right out of the park.

In spite of the crowds, I’m in a pretty good mood! However, the queues for food are out of control. Instead, Christina spots a kiosk selling real prosciutto di Parma and parmigiano reggiano from Parma (we wrote a story about the behind-the-scenes prosciutto and parmesan tour we did in Italy here) with no one waiting at it, so we grab tasty little pots of ham and cheese, and run for the hills.

Five Dock Ferragosto a lot of fun, but you need to either bring snacks or more patience than I have to really enjoy it. We’ll definitely be back here though, especially as we’ve spotted an Italian deli that needs more attention!

With all this running around and (ahem) entertaining, we’re always on the lookout for ways to keep us on track. I want to say what we’ve found is new, but it’s not. This is hydration drink Posca, and it’s been around since Ancient Rome.

Full of electrolytes and prebiotics, but with 0% added sugar, this drink replenishes and protects you from everything from dehydration to lethargy. We’ve found Posca works well if we’ve just come back from the gym or a busy day, or the next morning after a big event or dinner with mates.

We haven’t tried it against jet lag yet, but I’ve got a feeling it’s really going to help. There are three flavours available at the moment – Grape, Pineapple and, my favourite, Yuzu – and they’re available in all good stores and supermarkets. Check them out.

Christina and I are back in the city today and are lining our stomachs in one of our favourite secret spots. This is the best Hainanese chicken rice in the city and it’s tucked away in a little food court called Pittsway Arcade near Town Hall Station under the Woolworths there. 

This is from Sayong Curry & Laksa, it’s about $15 and it’s the best thing you’ll eat in the city. Poached chicken (ask for the chicken breast, eating the leg with chopsticks is a nightmare) delicious rice and soup, and remember to ask for chilli on top and spicy sambal. 

But why are we lining our stomachs?

We’re on another tasting panel for The Shout magazine and their excellent Trade Buyer’s Guide for Australian bars and bottle shops. 

Today, we’re upstairs at the Winery in Surry Hills, and we’re tasked with blind-tasting 21 different rosé wines from around Australia. We’ve done rosé tastings before and it’s probably the most challenging. Rosé is usually quite light on flavour, texture and aroma, so we’re really under the pump to work out the palate of these wines.

It’s a lot of fun though and, as always, we learn so much from these judging panels.

But the fun doesn’t stop here!

After today’s rosé judging, we’re excited to be at the launch party for the new Inner West Distillery Trail (check out the video at the top of the website – we made this!). Hosted at the beautiful Red Mill Rum distillery site in Rozelle, the party brings together the nine inaugural distilleries that make up the trail.

Much like the Inner West Brewery Trail, the Distillery Trail makes a map of the most densely populated distillery district in Australia.

We’re really excited about this one and not just because these distilleries are so good. We created the video content that now sits on the new website and socials promoting the Inner West Distillery Trail! Very proud moment for us.

Here’s a slightly different render of the video.

TL-BR: Ester Spirits, Unexpected Guest, Red Mill Rum, Poor Toms, the map of the tour, Lily Fields, Otter Craft Distilling, Moonshiner, Blackwattle Distilling

The launch party is excellent. Showing off the different crafts of all nine distilleries with different cocktails and also their bottles displayed nicely here too. There’s also an epic food station laid on by Cheese Celebration in Rozelle.

Big shout-out to all the distilleries here:

Ester Spirits, Unexpected Guest, Red Mill Rum, Poor Toms, Eureka Distilling, Lily Fields, Otter Craft Distilling, Moonshiner and Blackwattle Distilling.

And in more exciting news, we’re even in the newspaper from the launch party of the Distillery Trail! Check it out.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this little taste of what we’ve been up to this August in our latest Flavour of the Month. Lots more to come in September too!

Cheers

Jim & Christina xx

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]]> https://mrandmrsromance.com/fotm-aug25/feed/ 0 https://mrandmrsromance.com/fotm-jul25/ https://mrandmrsromance.com/fotm-jul25/#respond Sun, 03 Aug 2025 21:00:00 +0000 https://mrandmrsromance.com/?p=39073 Slap bang in the middle of the Sydney winter, July has certainly coughed up a cold one for us this year, hasn’t it.  Thankfully,...

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Slap bang in the middle of the Sydney winter, July has certainly coughed up a cold one for us this year, hasn’t it. 

Thankfully, we’ve had plenty to do to keep our minds off the chilly temperatures that somehow feel lower inside than when we’re out and about. In fact, I sometimes feel like someone secretly installed a refrigeration system in our apartment that only comes on during winter.

Anyway, this month has been full of staycations and winery experiences, rum distilleries and whisky panels, not to mention a lovely trip to Orange – one of our favourite NSW country towns – and plenty of food adventures too.

Hope you enjoy this little taste of our July.

Cheers

Jim & Christina xx

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It’s lunchtime and we’re out in the city looking for a feed. Down on the fringe of Darling Harbour, one of Sydney’s best-known waterside entertainment quarters, is the Hyatt Regency. 

We’ve been here a few times, but mostly for drinks and nibbles at Zephyr, the hotel’s rooftop bar. Down at street level though is Jackalberry Bar and Restaurant.

Just off the elegant lobby of the Hyatt Regency, the Jackalberry and its botanist/explorer vibes and leafy interior is a clever take on what I’m guessing is an ‘urban jungle’ brief.

But far from offering foraged vegetation or adventurers’ rations, this quirky yet chic bistro has some outstanding food offerings to enjoy.

Even better than that, Jackalberry is currently offering an amazing lunch deal: for $39 you get a two-course meal and a drink!

Those courses can be an entree and main or main and entree… or entree and dessert if you like. As for drinks, you can choose from soft and hot beverages, or house beer and wine if you feel like it.

The offer runs from 11am to 3pm, and if you time it right, you can move from lunch right onto the happy hour (3pm-6pm) for $9 house beers, wines and spirits, and $11 mini cocktails.

Call us old fashioned, but Christina and I opt for the entree and main option for lunch, starting with a rich, sweet southwest corn chowder with vintage cheddar and sourdough cob, and housemade corn fritters with avocado, pomegranate and rocket.

I don’t know why we’ve both chosen corn-based starters, but they’re bloody good either way. 

Other options are bruschetta, prawn summer rolls and charred lamb skewers with couscous and olives.

We sit back and enjoy our wines (of course we’ve gone for wine – a lovely Montepulciano from Coriole in McLaren Vale and a zesty Riesling also from from SA) and take in our surroundings. 

The warm, interesting interior and comfortable seating make for a lovely lunch venue, though there’s still an element of ‘hotel lobby’ sterility about the place. It’s not a problem, merely an observation, and the staff work very hard to make everyone feel at home and cared for.

We’re also impressed with the serving sizes. All too often, two-course lunch specials come out half the size and with even less than half the effort in plating.

Not here.

Shortly, our mains come out and we realise this isn’t one of those skimpy ‘executive lunch’ deals. This is a proper meal.

My burger is robust and juicy, with plenty of filling and fries. It even comes with onion rings.

Christina’s bucatini carbonara is popular for a reason. It’s not the traditional style – bacon instead of guanciale and cream is involved – but the outcome is excellent. Bucatini pasta is a creative choice; a thicker ‘spaghetti’ style, though with a hollow running through the middle, which maximises contact with the sauce!

We leave Jackalberry feeling full and warm – exactly what you want from a winter lunch. Make sure you don’t miss this special. It won’t be running forever.

This evening, we’re at the London Hotel in Balmain for a mate’s big birthday. Christina’s fighting friend, Matt, is turning 50 and has thrown a party to celebrate. The theme is either come as something beginning with M or as Matt himself. 

Thankfully, he also has no hair (when he’s not dressed as George Michael) and wears glasses, so it’s an easy one for me. All I need to do is borrow Christina’s jujutsu gi for the final touch – we know Matt through Christina’s martial arts dojo.

Christina, on the other hand, has dressed as a maths teacher. I thought this was a clever idea, as it’s something that begins with M and is also something she’s quite good at. 

I did not know that Matt is, in fact, a maths teacher irl. He’s even invited a few of his friends from his faculty. I feel both stupid and somehow somewhat shamen-esque!

Anyway, happy birthday, Matt. Hope you had a good night.

This evening, we’re out in the city again, but this time we’re here overnight!

We’re staying at the Porter House Hotel on Castlereagh Street and we’re here for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, we’re checking out this hotel, which is part of the Accor group, but is in the MGallery Collection, a boutique subsidiary that has residences in some beautiful heritage buildings all over the world. This one is in a building from the 1860s, though the rooms are in fact in the modern tower next door.

This means you get the best of both worlds: dining and entertainment is in the old building while rooms like our impressive junior suite can stretch out in the new connected premises.

For our review of this lovely hotel, click here. You can also watch our video walkthrough of the Porter House here.

The other reason for our little staycation is to try out what’s going on in the ground floor.

Instead of a lobby bar, the Porter House is home to Handpicked Wines‘ cellar door, Bread and Wine. You can come in here and have a full winery experience, but with none of the effort required to head into wine country.

What’s more, hotel and the winery are working together to bring a stay and sip experience that’s perfect for winter that they’re calling the Red Affair.

With your room, you get a wine tasting downstairs of some of Handpicked’s best reds, but you also have a cheese pairing to go with it all too. An excellent way to start – or finish – a night in town.

Click here to find out more about the specials at the Porter House. 

L-R: Brett, Michael, Nim, me

This evening, a few of my mates and I are out in Balmain for dinner! We’re at Dick’s Hotel ostensibly to have a look at the new front bar they’ve installed. In the grand scheme of things, the renovation hasn’t taken that long, but we also haven’t been in for a while.

What do we think of the finished product? A little underwhelmed if we’re honest (and these guys always are!) but I think it was probably time for a bit of a facelift.

It’s a shame that more of the original features couldn’t have stayed, but at least we’re all on one of the last old tables by the wall, which makes us feel better.

What also makes us feel better is a decent parmigiana, schnitty, steak and burger to go with our respective beers.

Not another hotel, you ask! Well, yes and no – we’re out in the beautiful regional town of Orange today – a bit under four hours from Sydney. We’ve come to see the Oriana Motel (told you, not a hotel!), and we’re here for a couple of nights.

The Oriana was built in the ’60s, so it’s got some fabulous mid-century touches. Its original owner built it and named it in honour of the SS Oriana, one of the last great steam-powered cruise ships of the early 20th Century, and he wanted to emulate the glamour and sophistication of cruising in the booming ’20s. 

Things went well for the Oriana Motel and it was the place to be until the 1990s, when it went downhill until its reputation was the worst in the area.

But that was before Espen Harbritz and his late husband Ted Marr took over in 2015. With their impressive vision and experience, the Oriana is great once more.

Check out our review of the Oriana here.

While we’re here in Orange, we decide it would be rude not to check out some wineries. It is, after all, the only place in Australia that has a wine region designated by altitude – did you know Orange is the highest wine region in Australia?

Our first stop is to Ross Hill Wines for a morning tour and tasting. 

We’re led around the facility by James Robson himself, the owner of the winery. We’ve met James a couple of times before, but never at his winery, so it’s great to get to see him in his home environment.

After the tour, we sit down to some of Ross Hill’s superb wines. James also treats us to one of the elite wines he makes via the Coravin. 

Next time you’re in Orange, don’t miss out on Ross Hill. It’s a lovely cellar door with some outstanding wines.

Our next stop is at See Saw Wines, which have some superb traditional wines, but also natural wines too, which are made in a completely different way. 

Natural wines use a carbonic maceration process where whole bunches of grapes are sealed in an oxygen-starved environment for up to a fortnight, relying on yeast naturally within the berries. They’re then pressed and matured with as little intervention as possible. The result is something quite unlike many wines out there.

It’s not necessarily my favourite style, but I understand the attraction, and all the wines here at See Saw are first class. By the end of this fascinating tasting, it’s hard for us to narrow down which bottles to buy without ticking most of them on the list!

It’s lunchtime, so we head back into Orange and to Bill’s Beans East Orange. This corner cafe is an institution here in Orange and for good reason.

The coffee’s sensational, using their own proprietary roast of Seven Miles beans, and the food’s also outstanding too.

My reuben sandwich goes down a treat, and Christina’s roast pumpkin on toast comes with piles of hummus, goat’s cheese and hazelnuts.

Back at the Oriana, it’s time to get Nordic! Norwegian owner, Espen Harbritz, has installed the motel’s very own Scandi sauna, exclusively for staying guests. So we tiptoe through the freezing evening air and sweat it out in the joyfully hot confines of the steam room. 

Espen advises us to take a plunge in the cold swimming pool for the full Scandi experience, but we decide it’s cold enough in the outside air. Plus, I’m a massive wimp.

For dinner tonight, Christina and I are at the Oriana’s highly rated Peacock Room. 

As with everything that Espen and Ted have put together here at the Oriana, the Peacock Room is artfully crafted, beautifully styled and exquisitely generous.

Everything is so thoughtful and considered. From the wine list, which is home to many of the best of Orange, to things like plenty of complimentary bread on the table, and like my steak coming with not just one sauce, but all three that the kitchen offers.

Nothing’s too much to ask of the staff, the tables are well-spaced and smart, and service is perfectly paced. 

If you’re looking for a wonderful, European brasserie-style dining experience with brilliant food and a refined yet relaxed atmosphere, you can’t go past the Peacock Room.

By the way, did you notice the Christmas tree? Espen does the best Christmas in July, but that’s tomorrow night.

Tonight, Christmas has come to Orange! We’re back in the Peacock Room at the Oriana, but the restaurant has completely changed.

There are Christmas hats and crackers on every table, as well as all kinds of decoration, and the party started earlier in the garden, where Espen was serving ‘glogg’ – a kind of mulled wine. It’s less sweet though, and he’s added a load of brandy to it. 

We’re served a full Christmas dinner replete with turkey, duck, porchetta and crackling, pistachio and apricot stuffing, sprouts, red cabbage and the richest most indulgent gravy we’ve had.

Dessert is a dense Christmas pudding, flambeed with OP rum and served with warm custard, whipped cream, and rum and raisin ice cream. I’m in heaven!

You can read our full write-up of Christmas in July at the Oriana here.

All too soon, Christina and I are back home in Sydney. She’s out tonight with her mates for dinner at recently opened Cicci’s Wine Bar in Balmain. 

This airy eatery doubles as a wine shop, where you can also buy bottles to drink with your food at the table.

It’s tricky to get a booking here at the moment, so they settle with a between-service reservation, where you can still get light bites but nothing substantial. I’m sure they’ll be back as these ‘bar snacks’ look pretty good!

I’ve been trying to get this organised for ages, but tonight it’s finally happening! My mates and I are having a private tour of the incredible setup at Red Mill Rum Distillery in Rozelle. 

There’s some real history to this distillery, which actually started in the 1930s. The same family own and run it, and the rum that’s coming out is absolutely delicious. 

Thanks to Garth for spending so much time with us. The boys very much enjoyed the experience.

For your own tour of Red Mill Rum, click here.

How does the rhyme go? Red sky and blue at night… nope. No idea. Is the answer ‘tomorrow’s going to be just as cold?’

I thought so.

Today, we’re at the original Archie Rose Distillery site and bar for an exciting Aussie whisky tasting and judging panel. 

Christina and I have been judges for industry magazine The Shout and their Buyer’s Guide periodical for a while now, and this is the second Australian whisky session we’ve done, but it’s by far the biggest.

We sit down at the long table with the other judges and work our way through 12 different whiskies from around the country. There’s a real range here, from single malts to corn spirits and blends, and it’s quite challenging, but very interesting.

TL-BR: bartender mixing drinks at Archie Rose; Archie Rose old fashioned; Archie Rose martini; Jim, Kathleen and Christina

After the tasting, we head downstairs and hang out with our chum Kathleen for a couple of cocktails. Well, it’d be rude not to, wouldn’t it! 

We finish off the month with a chilled-out pizza dinner at one of the most underrated pizzerias in Sydney: Cappello Ristorante in Balmain East. Right opposite the East Village Hotel, this place turns out some of the best pizzas we’ve had – especially my favourite the diavola – plus cheap corkage if you want to bring your own bottles.

Mind you, their prices on wine by the glass are also very reasonable. But set in a beautiful little sandstone house, this pizza restaurant is one you shouldn’t go past.

The post Staycations and Saunas, Rum and Roadtrips, and Christmas in July appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

]]> https://mrandmrsromance.com/fotm-jul25/feed/ 0 https://mrandmrsromance.com/fotm-jun25/ https://mrandmrsromance.com/fotm-jun25/#respond Mon, 30 Jun 2025 02:00:00 +0000 https://mrandmrsromance.com/?p=38943 So that was June, huh? Somehow, we’ve reached the halfway point of 2025 already. And as we turn our back on the first half...

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So that was June, huh? Somehow, we’ve reached the halfway point of 2025 already. And as we turn our back on the first half of the year, we also say goodbye to the shortest day too. Here in Sydney, we’re keeping our chapped fingers crossed that this means warmer weather – or at least warmer homes. 

You might’ve seen some of the videos on social media of Sydneysiders wondering how it can be warmer outside than in, wearing a light jacket to the shops or the pub then rugging up in jumpers, fleeces and gloves the moment we walk through the door.

Someone even pointed out we’ve created a whole realm of indoor clothes for the Aussie winters; Oodies, Slankets, Uggs – they all exist because Australian homes are so poorly insulated. We have a hole in the mortar of our kitchen wall that you can see daylight through and when it’s windy, all the cupboards open as if by some ghostly presence.

Anyway, enough of me complaining about the cold.

June’s been a fun month with lots happening and plenty of food and drink to fend of the chills.

We’ve also published a whole raft of stories and videos on our time in Laos, which you should definitely check out here.

But this is the month that Vivid turns on the lights around Sydney, which is always lovely to see. We’ve had friends visit from up the coast, dinner catch-ups, big birthdays and impressive media dinners with international hotel groups. I also take a mate to a cocktail party celebration for an iconic Sydney venue, which is a lot of fun.

But I’ll let you read all about it as they say.

Cheers

Jim & Christina xx

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Every June, Vivid Sydney lights up the city with one of the most interesting activations around. Interactive light installations and events shine brightly all over town, bringing thousands of people in each evening.

Tonight, we’re seeing the lights from a slightly different angle: our friend and colleague Nick Wayland, founder of TravMedia – a travel networking company – has a yacht. Here are some of the sights of Vivid from the water.

Even Prime Minister Anthony Abanese has put the lights on for Vivid. It’s good to see Kirribilli House lit up like this.

Seeing Vivid from the water is great – not just because it’s awesome being on the harbour anyway or that you avoid all the crowds – but because you get such a different perspective from here. Thanks Nick.

Tonight we’re out with our lovely friends Sonia and Chris, who are in town from Lennox Head near Ballina. It’s great to see them, especially as it gives us an excuse to explore a couple of new venues.

This is the Baptist Street Record Club in the new development where the Surry Hills shopping centre used to be. It’s a great spot playing some outstanding tunes from the ’90s and with some excellent cocktails (and a generous little happy hour too btw). You can eat here too, but we’ve got dinner plans…

TL-BR: the menu, kefalotyri saganaki, psomi bread rolls, part of the spread incl. lamb meatballs, grilled octopus and fries

We’ve got a booking at Olympus, a beautifully designed Greek restaurant in the same building. The atrium here has a real tree growing in the middle of it and a retractable roof. Very slick.

Food here is brilliantly crafted if a little miserly for the price, but delicious nonetheless. The saganaki cheese is a highlight, frothing and bubbling in its sweet yet salty juices, and the grilled octopus is also superb.

And here are our friends. In the left and middle frames are me and Chris, and Sonia and Christina still at Olympus. The right frame is all of us having one (or two) more drink in nearby Vasco, a Surry Hills institution.

Chris has introduced me to alcoholic ginger beer with a shot of spiced rum in. Me likey – though I also ask the bartender to add a couple of dashes of Angostura bitters to the ensemble. You should give it a go.

This evening, we’re having a couple of drinks at home with our pal and neighbour Bec. A little while ago, Christina and I spotted this board game in the local Salvo’s. It’s called Boganology and is an Aussie ode to Monopoly.

Instead of buying train stations and streets, you can buy bogan icons like a Southern Cross tattoo or a technicolour yawn in Kuta, which costs other players when they land on them. Instead of collecting money as you pass the Go square, you pick up ‘$50 bucks from the Bogan Boss’ when you hit the ‘Benefits’ square.

It’s a lot of fun and we thought it would be appropriate to put on some party pies while we play.

We’re catching up with more mates tonight at the excellent Fratelli Paradiso in Potts Point. We haven’t been here in years and it hasn’t changed much, which I’m happy about.

With us are the lovely Claire and Tim Haigh. Claire used to work in the hotel industry, which is how we know them, but conversation rarely turned to work with us. Nice to have friends like that.

Food here is delicious – though three out of the four of us all go for the pappardelle with slow-cooked beef. Surprisingly filling, it doesn’t leave a lot of space for dessert, so we share a truly amazing bomb alaska with pistachio paste and lemon curd. Magnificent.

Tonight, I’ve managed to sneak to the pub after a long day clearing Christina’s mum’s house out ready for completion of sale. My mate Dom is down from the Gold Coast, so he’s out with my other buddies Brett and Brownie at the Dry Dock Hotel in Birchgrove.

This place used to be a pretty average pub, but it’s had an enormous facelift and now serves swanky things like this lovely botrytis viognier from Yalumba Estate. How very sophisticated!

L-R: me, Danny, Anton, Steve, Gareth, Simon, Richard, Bill

Somewhat less sophisticated but no less fun, I’m out at Maya da Dhaba in Surry Hills tonight with my futsal team. We’ve been playing together since 2005 and the team’s been going even longer than that, so it’s a tight group.

We’ve also been going to this curry house for a long time, but this might be the last time. Service has really fallen off in recent years but the food was always good. This time, the dishes just aren’t hitting the mark, which is such a shame.

There’s a lot of loyalty to this place, but when there are so many great Indian restaurants around, it seems a bit of a waste to persevere with somewhere that’s clearly falling from grace. RIP Maya.

This evening, Christina is flying solo! I’m gutted not to be able to come to this media event with her as it’s not only going to be a beautiful sit-down dinner with some of our favourite people in the travel industry, but it’s also at the International Sydney, a beautiful bar and restaurant in Martin Place’s MLC Centre.

To make matters worse, I’m missing out on the evening’s hosts: the good folk from Minor Hotels. These guys have some superb hotels under their umbrella, including the Anantara Riverside Bangkok, which we stayed in a few years ago, not to mention the Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort in the Hunter Valley.

The reason for these festivities is because Minor Hotels have just released their plans to expand their already impressive portfolio of over 560 properties in 57 countries (a current total of some 81,000 rooms!).

But over the next three years, Minor Hotels are planning to open another 285 new hotels – a total of 47,000 keys) across the world. As the majority of Minor Hotels’ interests are in Europe, focus for this growth is in Asia (100 new properties), the Middle East and Africa (40), and Australia and NZ (60).

When she comes home, Christina tells me about the lavish dinner that’s served at The International.

Canapes of baccala, laab and tuna sashimi, entrees of spatzle with parmigiano Reggiano, and mains of bistecca Fiorentina and John dory break my heart.

She even wins a prize! A free stay at the incredible Anantara Palazzo Naiadi in Rome or the scintillatingly beautiful Anantara Convento di Amalfi Grand Hotel on the Amalfi Coast!

Guess we’ve got to go to Italy now. What a shame!

To rub it in just that little bit more, Christina shows me this: she’s enjoying a delicious looking martini with our awesome friend Jane Lawson at the International. Thanks Chris.

Yes, I’ve complained a lot about not being able to go to the lovely evening with Minor Hotels, but my evening isn’t looking so bad really.

I’m at the Hotel Palisade in the Rocks, an iconic establishment that stands alone on the Sydney skyline. I’m here with my mate Mark a.k.a ‘Frenchie’ for an evening of celebration and entertainment.

You see, at the very top of this monolith of a pub is the elegant Henry Deane, a rooftop cocktail lounge that is turning 10 this year. To celebrate, management have two new and exciting menus on offer featuring creative cocktails and sumptuous dishes.

As we exit the lift, we’re welcomed with a glass of Champagne and a bump of chilled caviar. How very sophisticated! Views – even from here – are astounding as Sydney glitters before us.

Cocktails TL-BR: Home Slice, Tribecca Sour, El Caramello

The bar is a flurry of activity as cocktails from the new menu issue forth. Frenchie and I do our best to work our way through them while trying not to stand out too much – even when Frenchie sloshes most of his first cocktail on the floor during the speeches.

So it is that we start with one and a half Tribecca Sours – a luxuriant blend of Hennessy VS, Luxardo, red wine and a pepper tincture created by the staff behind the bar. It’s superb and encourages us that we should try some others.

A staff favourite, the El Caramello is a potent mix of Don Julio Blanco, coffee, white chocolate and salted caramel. It comes out a little like an old fashioned, with a stamped oversize ice block, but it’s devilishly sweet and moreish.

But the real show-stopper is the Home Slice. Using Kettle One vodka soaked in sourdough bread as the base, flavours from dehydrated Vegemite (yes, you read that correctly), vanilla and verjuice combine to a surprisingly wholesome and well-balanced drink.

Very impressive.

The crew of the Henry Deane have worked so hard this evening. They should be very proud of what they’ve achieved. And we haven’t even told you about the food.

Right next to the bar, succulent samples of what will be bigger dishes are finished in an entertainingly small kitchen before being served.

Here you can see marinated grilled chicken skewers with green tarator and preserved lemon, and little bowls of chopped Jerusalem artichoke, smoked mushroom, pickles and guanciale, but this is just a fraction of delicacies coming out.

Also doing the rounds is potato hash, abalone sauce and smoked pork dust, chickpea panisse with smoked carrot and macadamia feta, spiced chopped prawn and butter bean dip with fermented honey, and lightly seared swordfish with capsicum and walnut aigre-doux.

Very creative and extravagant.

As you can see, our job as cocktail tasters is going well. We try quite a few drinks on the new menu and the good news is there aren’t we don’t like. Here’s the full menu – I think you can see why we like them all:

Spill The Tea

Johnnie Walker Black Label, home brew peach ice tea, pearls

Bloom Service

Bundaberg Silver Rum, St Germaine, cherry, fairy floss, served frozen

Miss Marshie

Ketel One Vodka, toasted marshmallow, fizz, pineapple foam

Home Slice

Ketel One Vodka, Vegemite, verjuice, sourdough, vanilla

El Caramello

Don Julio Blanco tequila, salted caramel, coffee, white chocolate

One For The Hedge

Ron Zacapa rum, rhubarb, Guinness reduction, cinnamon

Tribecca Sour

Hennessy VS, Luxardo, red wine, rosemary, pepper tincture

Circa 1915

Hotel Palisade Portside Gin, coconut, mandarin, kaffir lime

There are two more on this list that I want to just highlight as my personal favourites. First, the Dijon Vu – pictured on the bottom right – is brilliant. Not only does it use one of my favourite spirits (mezcal), it blends an apple and mustard shrub (hence the name) to create beautiful balance and to finish with, the garnish is a shard of crisp prosciutto!

As for the last one…

Frenchie and I are at the end of the evening (not just because we’ve had too many cocktails, but because everyone’s going home) and finish with a superb iteration of the classic gin martini.

This is the Hatori Martini. It has a base of Tanqueray gin, but with hints of wasabi, sake and pickled radish in the mix. And best of all, it comes with a little bowl of wasabi peas! Genius.

Get yourself up to Henry Deane atop the Hotel Palisade asap to try some of these wonderful creations and soak up the stunning views over the harbour.

So this is my mate Brett. You met him earlier at the Dry Dock. We’ve convened again at the pub – this time the East Village Hotel in Balmain East – for lunch.

Why are we smiling so much you may ask. Well, we met at just after midday. This photo is happening at about 3.30pm. And no, it’s not our first glass of wine – nor will it be our last.

The problem Brett and I have is that we just enjoy each other’s company too much. The other problem is we’re both supposed to be at work!

And then there’s another issue: I’m also supposed to be playing 11-a-side football in a couple of hours…

And here were are: meet my team. And more importantly, here’s the birthday boy! Tony is turning a very surprising 50 today, so after our game (yes, did score and set up two other goals, but no we didn’t win), we head to the pub.

Happy birthday, Tony. Hope you had a great day, mate.

It’s lunchtime and Christina’s in town with our mate Rex. Ostensibly on a mission to go the art gallery for this year’s Archibald Award nominees, they’ve found their way to One Pot first.

This Taiwanese hot pot restaurant is hidden in plain sight on George Street near Goulburn Street and serves up a mouthwatering selection of hot pots and rice dishes as well as Korean fried chicken, dumplings and a host of other delicious entities.

It’s cold today, so Christina and Rex are indulging in heart-warming hot pots – you can get anything from lobster and crab to chicken, pumkin and even duck blood hot pots here!

Stomachs full, they move on to the Art Gallery of NSW to satisfy their cultural hunger. As well as the portraits from the famed Archibald Prize, there are some excellent exhibits here, including Yala by The Mulka Project.

Set up in the Nelson Packer Tank of the new Naala Badu building complex, this extraordinary display shows the different seasons and song lines from Yolngu country in North-eastern Arnhem Land.

This 25-minute immersive experience is full of surprises and really takes you into the heart of this deeply spiritual part of Australia.

Although we haven’t been to Yolgnu country, we’ve been to far-northern Arnhem Land and the most northerly point of the NT. It’s an incredible place that we’ll never forget.

Game day! And what a game it is. We’re playing Burwood FC today, a formidable team with whom we have history. But the day is ours with an impressive 4-2 win!

Perhaps we can attribute our success to our new official mascot. This is Baxter the Boarder Terrier. Even his toy ball matches our kit. The perfect fit!

His people are our mates Danny and Vicki. Thanks for bringing this hairy little bundle of luck to the game, guys!

We’re catching up with our mates Justyna and Phil today for ‘lunch’. What started as a couple of beers and a Sunday roast in Balmain Bowls Club has ended up in four bottles of wine and a win on the meat raffle!

Christina and I haven’t had a win on the raffle here for ages, so it’s good to see someone we know getting the goods. Maybe it’s beginner’s luck – this is Justyna and Phil’s first meat raffle experience.

Maybe we should bring newbies here every Sunday.

Hope you enjoyed this Favour of the Month of June.

Cheers

Jim & Christina xx

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