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Peering out from the Royal National Park’s dusky greenery, the little village of Bundeena glows with the warm charm of a secluded, out-of-the-way village.

Christina and I have visited Bundeena plenty of times over the years. In fact, for its size — Bundeena’s population stands at just over 2,500 — we have so many connections with this place.

But as our car trundles down the hill and crosses the boundary marking the end of the Royal National Park and where Bundeena begins, excitement builds as we head to Simpson Cottage: our home for the next couple of nights.

The funny thing is, we’ve been spying on this place a bit recently. Not in a creepy way. Simpson Cottage was one of the settings of the excellent 2025 TV drama The Last Anniversary. It’s well worth a watch.

Simpson Cottage, Bundeena

Simpson Cottage has stood here for some 160 years after George Simpson, who was granted land here in 1863, built it using sandstone quarried by convicts. You can still see the cuts and grooves from their tools on the cottage walls.

From the lawn, views out over the sandy shallows of Simpsons Bay towards Maianbar and Burraneer are magnetic and we find ourselves staring out across the water, lost in the vista.

We turn back to the verandah with its wrought iron filigree and push through the great green door of the cottage.

Inside the cottage

Down the long corridor, with doors to the lounge and bedrooms, lights swathed in great linen-covered shades cast the warmest glow the welcome us in.

We explore each room, marvelling at the depth of detail and the way that form, comfort and style have made a home for the perfect Venn.

Each of the three bedrooms has its own personality and feel. Art hangs from the walls, antique sideboards and mantelpieces collect a clever eclecticism of old-world items. From ink wells to champagne cages fashioned into little dolls’ chairs, the longer you look, the more you see.

Cotton reels, old bugles, seashells and old keys, rope knotted into monkey fists, glass floats and trophies.

Interesting books and soft linen fabrics sit on timber chairs, and table lamps make you want to sit down and write like Hemingway.

Anything that builds a picture of texture, of warmth, of a carefully curated yet lived-in quality, is here.

Nothing feels off the wrack and nothing is left to chance.

Kitchen, bathroom and dining

At the back of the cottage, the bathroom takes up the left side and is a modern work of art. The polished concrete floor is heated, which is a lovely touch in winter, and it holds up a magnificent deep-fill bath that stands to one side. Next to it is the luxurious shower with a big rain-fall head.

Along the far wall, the sink vanity continue the cottage’s aesthetic though sparingly, with artwork and dried flowers maintaining the homely yet styled feel.

The row of pegs holding up the dark tan linen towels along the wall reminds me a little of a leather shop or maybe a scene from a jump flick, but the towels are soft and generous, and having so many towels for our stay is a nice touch.

The kitchen is on the opposite side to the bathroom and is fully operational. Unlike other guesthouses or holiday homes we’ve stayed in, this feels like you could live here immediately and long term.

Every appliance you can think of is here at our disposal, there’s even some little pots with different types of teas as well as more than enough coffee pods to get mornings started.

As far as styling goes, as you’d expect, the kitchen hasn’t been left out. Old-world cooking apparatus decorate next to functional modern things. Cabinetry is subtle and where it can’t be (there’s not much you can do with a fridge or freezer), a linen curtain keeps things on the down low.

There’s an abundance of glassware, crockery, flatware, silverware… you really have everything you need. There’s even a glass cloche covering a cheese platter waiting for us in the fridge.

Between the kitchen and bathroom is the dining room; a neat little space with a dining table that looks through French doors to the raised patio and its outdoor fireplace, but more about that later.

The Living Room

Back at the front of the house, the living room is a cosy nook full of squashy sofas and old armchairs. There’s a real fireplace here too that you can get going in the winter months. The hearth is surrounded with yet more detail.

Shelves create stages for all sorts of oddments: little paintings, balls of twine, tiny model sailing boats, lanterns and antlers — no doubt found on the lawn where deer roam at night.

We also discover a selection of board games tucked away here, which makes us realise that there’s not a single TV anywhere in the house. It dawns on us that we haven’t seen everything yet. There’s still the recreation room to explore.

The Rec Room

Back down the path next to the driveway and gate is what we presume was once a lock-up garage.

Now a canny rec room, it’s here you’ll find the TV — and since we’re here, we rewatch a couple of episodes of The Last Anniversary in situ, which is pretty cool.

But even better, you’ll find an original pinball machine in here.

I’d forgotten how much fun these things are to play, even if I’m not much good at them. I think this is Christina’s first time on one of them!

Of course, not even the rec room is immune to the touch of the styling fairies, with elegant touches like the captain’s chair and writing desk decorated with tankards full of paintbrushes and a stack of old books or the side table adorned with a carriage clock, a ceramic and a tiny globe atlas.

Ropes, filament bulbs, artworks and animal hides create depth and texture, and the ‘honesty cabinet’ full of locally hand-crafted ceramics shows just how much we’re trusted as guests.

Pick your ceramic and either pop the cash in the jar or tell the owners and they’ll debit your account. Isn’t trust and honesty a healthy acumen?

There’s even a full bathroom here complete with shower, saving you the trouble of hiking all the way back to the cottage in your moment of need.

The Grounds

The outsides of Simpson Cottage are just as entertaining, enthralling and good looking as what’s inside.

Wicker chairs and plant pots line the verandah, along with a wonderfully aged wheelbarrow and handcart carrying fuel supplies for the fire pit, which is also fully stacked ready to go.

Around the back, looking into the house through the French doors, is the elevated patio and its own brick fireplace. Comfy sofas amongst the flowerbeds make this the perfect evening sundowner spot with friends.

However, on the grass under the gum tree round the front is the picnic table. Strings of fairy lights above make this a magical spot in the evening and by day, the elevated views out across the sparkling waters of the bay are spectacular.

There’s even a little path that wends its way down the shallow cliff to the esplanade and the water’s edge from here.

But it’s no wonder Simpson Cottage was picked for a TV drama; it’s a dressed and ready-to-go film set in its own right.

We stayed as media at Simpson Cottage, but our experiences and opinions remain our own.

The post Picture-Perfect Coast Escape — Simpson Cottage, Bundeena appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

Brought to you by Auras Insurance.

Travel insurance is never going to be the most exciting part of your trip, but you don’t want it to be the one thing you regret not having either.

Having the right travel insurance can save you a fortune, save your holiday from disaster and maybe even save your life. *

Now, we don’t want to come across as scare mongers or pessimists, but things can happen when you’re on the road. It’s part of the adventure of travel. But when the adventure takes a turn for the worst, the safety net of insurance is worth its weight.

Should You Buy Travel Insurance?

It’ll probably be no surprise to you that we’ll tell you that you should always have insurance when you’re travelling, but it can come in a few different formats *.

Sometimes your credit card will have automatic insurance included. This will only give you limited cover, but things like care hire excess and things like that are sometimes covered.

Sometimes, home insurance will cover some personal possessions while you’re away from the house.

Of course, you’ll need to check your policies.

But for comprehensive travel security, proper, specifically designed travel insurance is the only way to go. International travel insurance is still a high priority for travellers with over 75% of us taking out policies before we head overseas.

There are lots of companies and policy types out there for a host of different purposes.

From the best travel insurance for Asia from Australia to adventure sports holidays to round-the-world trips, it’s important to pin down exactly what your travel plans are so you can be as fully covered as possible.

This is key to getting the most out of your insurance budget. If you’re off on a beach holiday, there’s no point in paying the extra you need for ski cover.

But if that beach happens to be in a country that has a reputation for a difficult customs department, you might want to look at policies that cover embassy refunds if your visa unexpectedly falls foul of the country’s system.

What about travel insurance for domestic travel in Australia?

Domestic travel insurance (for Aussies travelling within Australia) is an interesting one. Over the last couple of years, companies have reported a drop in customer priority for domestic travel insurance — down to about 40% according to Southern Cross Travel Insurance.

With medical expenses already covered by Medicare and private health insurance, things like car rental excess by some premium credit cards and people driving their own vehicles for road trip holidays, it’s an understandable trend.

However, travel insurance for domestic trips does fill gaps like lost or stolen luggage, and cancellation and disruption to trips. Unexpected illness, family crisis or severe weather events probably won’t be covered elsewhere, but may be with your travel policy.

Whatever you decide to do, make sure you’re happy with your decisions before you leave and to stay as safe as possible wherever your destination takes you. We all love Type 2 Fun — horrible when it’s happening, but funny after — but let’s not go crazy.

The post Is It Worth Getting Travel Insurance? appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

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Christmas in July is a fun, popular pastime for Australia. Our real Christmas is a much hotter, less conventional affair, swapping silly sweaters for shorts and suncream, and the full roast and trimmings for salads and seafood.

So we make up for it by having two Christmases, and the effort some go to in July is truly impressive.

But where can you go for the best mid-year Christmas?

Christmas in July in Orange, NSW

Obviously, for a proper Christmas experience, you want to be somewhere cold, but on the other hand, you don’t want it to be too cold either.

That’s why Orange in NSW is such a great option.

Its high altitude and distance from the sea (Orange sits at around 860m above sea level and is about four hours from Sydney) means Orange gets snow in July, but not too much. Perfect!

Christmas in the Oriana Motel’s Peacock Room restaurant

We’re in Orange for the Oriana’s Christmas in July. This cool, retro motel is owned by the excellent Espen Harbitz. He’s from Norway originally and brings all of his childhood experiences of Christmas to this July experience in one of Orange’s best restaurants.

You can read our full review of the Oriana Motel here.

First, we gather in the garden amid crackling fire pits the staff have set up, and enjoy glasses of Norwegian glogg. This is something like mulled wine but not as sweet, and supercharged with brandy.

We sit by the fire and chat with the other party-goers for a while until we’re called in for dinner.

Inside, we make our way to the Peacock Room, where the restaurant has been transformed. Tables are laden with Christmas decorations, there’s a huge tree in the middle of the room sagging under the weight of lights, tinsel and tasteful baubles.

Everyone gets a fun Christmas hat and a cracker to pull, and the atmosphere is joyous and happy — and not just because of an abundance of glogg!

Christmas Dinner at the Oriana

As is Espen’s way, wine is the priority as we sit down, then plenty of chewy bread and butter to keep us company.

Dinner is served swiftly and efficiently, and what a dinner it is. A feast of juicy turkey, rich roast duck, porchetta with crunchy crackling, sumptuous stuffing, creamy mash, and fresh sprouts and red cabbage.

Not to mention the richest, thickest, tastiest gravy you’ll have.

All the things I miss about a cold Christmas.

With the main course over, we wonder what’s next. The answer: Christmas pudding. Of course it’s Christmas pudding. A dense, rich, dark ball of flavour, accompanied by ramekins of warm custard, whipped cream, and rum and raisin ice cream.

But the final flourish is yet to come.

Soon, Espen is standing next to us with a jug of OP rum and a lighter. He pours the rum over the pudding and sets it afire. Everyone loves a bit of food theatre — especially when it tastes this good!

We leave feeling full and wholly satisfied, just as Christmas should be.

Double Down on Norwegian Winter Vibes

If you want to really go full Scando, Espen has installed a proper Nordic style sauna next to the Oriana’s pool.

Motel guests can use the sauna anytime and all through the year, but in the middle of winter, you can work up a sweat (we got the sauna up over 60°C) then leap into the unheated horrors of the pool for an invigorating cold plunge.

We didn’t see the need to do this last bit as the air temperature was around zero degrees anyway.

Plus Espen had already started pouring the glogg!

The Oriana’s Christmas in July feasts happen every Friday and Saturday night throughout July, but reserve your table quick as this books out fast.

We attended the Christmas in July feast at the Oriana Motel as media, but our experiences and opinions remain our own.

The post Where to have Christmas in July — the Oriana Motel, Orange appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

With so many incredible places around the world to visit, you might wonder why Christina and I love sticking so close to home.

The funny thing is, when we’ve been overseas and have made our way home, we’re always impressed with just how good Sydney and NSW stands up against the most beautiful destinations around the world.

And while we’re always on the lookout for our next far-flung adventure (and the opportunity to get some use out of the world’s most expensive passport!), exploring our own backyard never gets boring.

But don’t worry, we’ve still got plenty of stories on some our favourite places like Lake Como.

Where to travel in New South Wales

Let’s follow the compass on our journey round NSW!

Go north

The Hunter Valley

Who guessed I’d start this guide with wine? No, I’m not surprised either! And the Hunter Valley certainly deserves as much credit as it always gets.

The oldest wine region in Australia, the Hunter has some incredible places to visit with astounding countryside and cellar doors to match.

If you don’t believe me, check out these tips on wineries recommended by long-time local and winemaster, Ian ‘Scarbie’ Scarborough of Scarborough Wines fame. These guys make the best Chardonnay you’ll ever taste by the way, and their cellar door experience is incredible.

We have a host of other reasons (not just wine… but mostly!) to visit the Hunter Valley. Check out our other reasons to visit this beautiful part of the state.

Port Stephens

Right next the Hunter Valley on the coast, Port Stephens is still (amazingly) a gem hiding in plain sight and not far from Sydney.

We’ve been coming to this pretty peninsula for years now and know the area well. Not only are there plenty of places to eat and drink, the beaches in Port Stephens are astounding. What better way to unwind after a long lockdown?

Here’s our essential guide to Port Stephens to give you a taste of what you’ll find here.

Maitland

Caught between the Hunter Valley to the south and Newcastle to the east, Maitland has long had the reputation as a ’30-minute town’ – in that it’s half an hour’s drive from both its bookend destinations.

But back in the mid-1800s, Maitland and its even smaller neighbour Morpeth were an epicentre of the colony.

There are still vestiges of those thriving times still to see now, but the real joy of this town isn’t its history; it’s the food.

There are so many remarkable places to eat here, we left after a weekend barely able to fit into our car, let alone our clothes!

Here’s where to eat in Maitland, plus our other stories on this fascinating part of NSW, whose history we’ve all but forgotten.

Byron Bay

Perhaps the biggest punctuation on the northern NSW coastline is Byron Bay. And justly so. Not just the town, but the whole area is brimming with beauty… and superb food.

You’ll find eating here very satisfying with so many venues offering local produce grown and crafted with love.

There’s a whole host of places to try here, as you’ll see from our compilation of where to eat in Byron, but there’s also so much to do here.

And of course, the whole area is so pretty – check out our Postcards story if you don’t believe me. 

Head south

Southern Highlands

Southwest of Wollongong, the Southern Highlands makes for a perfect escape from the city and a wonderful place to get away from the long lockdown.

Each little town in the highlands offers something different, as well as a burgeoning wine-making culture, though all are connected by one wonderful filament of gold: pies.

And every year, the Southern Highlands has Pie Time – a celebration of everything pastry.

Pie Time – a wonderful week in June of pie glory in the Southern ‘Pielands’ – is has this region at its best.

2020’s Pie Time is going virtual, with 1-7 June going for ‘Pie-solation’ celebrations, encouraging Aussies far and wide to pie up at home and share their pastry yarns online with #pietime and #piesolations. 

Berry

On the other side of the mountains to the highlands, this wealthy country town has been a popular stop for motorists for many years – though now the bypass misses Berry, it’s mercifully a lot quieter.

You’ll find pies to die for here too and Mt Hay Retreat up in the hills is a superb place to rest your head.

South Coast and Mollymook

The NSW South Coast has long been a popular haunt for Sydney holidaymakers, and rightly so. It’s absolutely stunning here. Pristine beaches, delightful food options, friendly locals… it’s hard not to like the South Coast.

One of the highlights of our time in the South Coast was when we stayed at Bannisters by the Sea at Mollymook. It’s a pretty little retreat in a quaint little seaside town with the other obvious asset of Rick Stein’s famed restaurant.

This iconic eatery aside, there are so many excellent food options in this part of the Shoalhaven to try. 

Other parts of southern NSW

Our last roadtrip before Covid-19 struck was down through the southern parts of NSW and into Victoria. We had decided to do our own Empty Esky in aid of the terrible bushfires that ravaged so much of the state.

That all seems so long ago now – even though it’s only a few months back as I write this.

It was, however, a blessing, as we were able to experience some amazing parts of the state that hopefully will still be the same the next time we visit.

Places like Batemans Bay and Moruya, Tumut and its wonderful brewery, the bakery at Howlong and Corowa’s distillery – you can find them all detailed here in our Empty Esky story… and you’ll find them all in person as you enjoy the beauty of New South Wales.

Enjoy the Central West

Travelling west of Sydney is such a different experience to going north or south along the coast. The landscape is so different, and the locals even more so.

Orange

One of the first places west of the Blue Mountains we ever visited, Orange is packed with truly superb food and wine. It’s a mountainous area, with a cool climate and high elevation, which makes the produce here even better.

Here’s our essential guide to Orange, NSW to get you started. 

Mudgee

Another wonderful western town that’s even friendlier than Orange and with perhaps even better wine and produce is Mudgee. There’s something about this place that really kept our hearts. We can’t wait to go back.

Here’s a hit list of where we’ll be eating when we go back plus our top tip for where to stay while you’re there. Honestly the most comfortable bed I’ve ever slept in… and I’m really picky!

The Blue Mountains

Arguably the most famous inland landmark of New South Wales are the Blue Mountains. This little section of the Great Dividing Range, which runs north to south some 3,500km, has so much history and beauty to it.

Here are seven ways to experience the grandeur of this landscape, which we highly recommend if you haven’t been here for a few years (it’s all been updated). And here’s where stay in the Blue Mountains too.

For more of our stories of the Blue Mountains, click here. 

The City

Of course, there’s no need to go too far if you don’t want to – or if you don’t have enough time. Sydney has so much to offer visitors and locals alike. We love a staycation here in the city, and we’ve written so much about our times here.

You’ll find everything from Sydney hotels and restaurants in the city to things to do and places to see.

But if you’re only in town for a short while, here’s what you can do in 24 hours.

And for more ideas for easy Sydney weekend getaways, check out this champion story!

If you’ve got more time on your hands and want to deep-dive into the research, here are more of our stories on places we’ve explored in New South Wales. 

Of course, we haven’t been everywhere in New South Wales… though we’re working on it. We’d love to go west and see what it’s like further inland. The farthest west we’ve been in NSW is Mendooran – a tiny town near Dubbo, where a particularly good whisky is made.

But every town between Sydney and Broken Hill has its story. And there’s time to hear them all.

Do you have a place of priority you want to visit as soon as travel restrictions lift? Tell us in the comments.

The post Where To Go In Australia’s First State – our NSW destination guide appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

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Right on the shores of Sydney’s waterfront entertainment quarter, Sofitel Darling Harbour is perfectly positioned for a luxe Sydney getaway or – in our case – a romantic staycation.

Darling Harbour is packed with restaurants, bars and fun things to do — from bowling to one of the world’s biggest cinema screens, the aquarium and Wildlife World, not to mention an impressive weekly fireworks display over the water framed by the city and the historic Pyrmont Bridge.

Also within walking distance to the Sofitel Darling Harbour, you’ve got the ever-evolving dining scenes of Chinatown and Thai Town, King Street Wharf and Barangaroo.

But that’s if you even want to leave the comfort of your hotel room, a dilemma we certainly struggle with during our stay!

Where to Stay in Sydney — Sofitel Darling Harbour

Though it’s not the tallest hotel in Sydney (or even in the area for that matter), Sofitel Darling Harbour still has amazing views out over the city and way out to the west — a point that really stands up as the sun sets.

And it’s certainly worth booking a room as high as you can — above level 28 in particular — as this gives you access to Accor’s exclusive club service ‘Millesime’. But more about that later.

Inside our Superior Room

Compact but still very comfortable, especially for our two-night stay, our room is generously furnished and well designed. But it’s the extra features that elevate Sofitel’s rooms to the quality you expect from this internationally renowned hotel group.

The room has all the basics covered: bed, bathroom, table and chairs, but they’re all done with a bit of flex.

The bed is enormous and has a beautifully finished headboard and end-of-bed bench. The bedside furniture is generous and has multi-format power outlets as well as uncomplicated light switches. It might not sound like a big deal, but these last two points are actually so refreshing.

The bathroom not only has a high-powered shower with overhead and angled heads, it also has a beautiful deep-fill bath that looks through the sliding doors to the views of the city. My only gripe about the bathroom is the strongly opaque door to the toilet. More and more hotels seem to think that the greater the opportunity to see your partner on the throne, the more romantic/luxurious/modern the room. This needs to be addressed; any proximity to another human emptying themselves is none of these things!

One little treasure we discover in the bathroom that seems to have gone the way of the dodo in hotels is the amenity kit. Occasionally these days you might get the odd cotton bud or a shower cap, but not in the Sofitel Darling Harbour. Harking back to the good old days, this has to be one of the most comprehensive kits we’ve seen. Toothbrushes, combs, nail files, cotton pads and buds, and even a shaving kit — I’m impressed.

The table and chair in the room are comfortable and well-sized, and the second ‘chair’ is in fact a chase longue that you can recline on and enjoy the views through the entire wall of windows.

There are lots of other little details like the lovely lamps, the fabric textured wardrobe doors and the quaint vignette of old photos on the wall that add to the room’s style.

Mind you, the carpet pattern keeps making me think there’s an electrical cable laying across the floor.

As I’ve mentioned, the views here are outstanding, but there’s another bonus to being on floor 29: we get access to the Millesime club level.

Club Millesime Level, Sofitel Darling Harbour

Right up on the 35th level, Club Millesime — meaning ‘great vintage’ in French — takes up the whole top floor of the Sofitel and offers some of the best views of Sydney.

As well as a full reception (with its own secret stash of Champagne btw!), where you can check in and out without using the ground level concierge at all, there’s a dedicated kitchen here that opens three times a day starting with breakfast.

From 6.30am to 10.30am (11.00am on weekends and public holidays), the complimentary breakfast at Club Millesime offers a wonderful spread of pastries, croissants, in-house jams, fresh-from-the-comb honey and breakfast cereals.

There’s also a full spread of hot buffet options. The bacon is excellent here — a yardstick I mark all hotel breakfasts with. At your table, you can also order a small selection of a la carte items like eggs Benedict and avocado on toast.

Le Gouter and Apero Chic at Club Millesime

In the same way the Italians have aperitivo, le gouter is a traditional snack time in France, replicated in Club Millesime between 2.30pm and 4.30pm.

Sit and enjoy tasty sweets, sandwiches and snacks, as well as complimentary hot and soft drinks, while you sit back and take in the view.

As the afternoon leans into evening, Club Millesime offers Apera Chic, a kind of opener before dinner between 5.30pm and 7.30pm.

There’s a wide selection of hot morsels available, including garlic prawns, and wagyu and cheese jalapeno spring rolls, you can build your own salad, grab a bit of cake or hit the cheese board. You can also order complimentary beers, wines, spirits and cocktails too.

It’s the perfect opportunity to relax and take in the sunset views over Sydney.

Other Bars And Facilities at Sofitel Darling Harbour

On Level 4 is the infinity pool and sun deck, open to all hotel guests. If you’re not in the mood for a swim, there’s still Le Rivage, the poolside bar (open Thurs-Sun 11am-6pm). And if you fancy something more active or pampering, the hotel gym is here too, right next door to the day spa.

On the ground floor just by reception is the lobby bar Esprit Noir, perfect for a quick drink before dinner and a great rendezvous point if you’re meeting up with friends.

Level 3 is home to the famed Champagne Bar, an elegant late-night venue with superfluous views, cocktails and French-style snacks, and a refined Champagne menu.

Here you can also have your bottle of Champagne ‘sabraged’ — a very cool way of opening the bottle with a swift strike of a sword. It’s a tradition that originated with Napoleon, a way of him celebrating victory in battle.

Perhaps most impressively, Sofitel Darling Harbour is home to one of the exclusive, elusive and very impressive Les Clef d’Or – the Golden Keys Concierge.

Recognisable by their golden crossed keys pin, these guys aren’t like regular concierge people, they’re like X-Men. They know everything that’s going on in the city, they can get you into sold-out shows, they know every bar, restaurant and hidden spot in the area, and they have fingers on every pulse beating.

We met a Golden Keys in Paris and his knowledge was incredible. You can read about it here.

Fine-dining at Sofitel Darling Habour — Atelier by Sofitel

The real crowning glory of Sofitel Darling Harbour, two-Hatted Atelier is an icon in French fine dining in Sydney.

On Level 3 and conveniently close to the Champagne Bar, Atelier sets the scene for a most romantic dinner, and the food and wine make it an occasion to remember. In fact, it feels more like the hotel was built around the restaurant than the other way around.

To get to the restaurant, you go past the kitchen and what seems to be a lot of empty seats, but this area is in fact where breakfast is served for hotel guests without access to the Club Millesime level.

It feels a bit strange going through such a big empty space, but once in the warm, salubrious inner sanctum of the restaurant proper, with its discrete bar and the city lights twinkling through the window, we settle in for a meal to remember.

The kitchen here has a few special tricks up its sleeve. There’s a cabinet specifically for dry ageing duck to superb effect. They also use a charcoal-fired Mibrasa oven for the steaks here, which acts as a combination grill and oven. This specialised Spanish oven sears, cooks and smokes all at the same time.

Needless to say: I’m excited.

In fact, you can read our full review of Atelier here!

Getting to Sofitel Darling Harbour

Being right next to the ICC and in the midst of one of Sydney’s major tourism drawcards means that Sofitel Darling Harbour is really well connected.

Of course, a taxi will bring you to the door, but there are public transport options too.

From Central or the city, the light rail is an easy option and drops you right outside the hotel.

Alternatively, you could walk in from the city across the historic Pyrmont Bridge — the world’s oldest surviving electronic swing bridge — and see Darling Harbour from all sides.

But the nicest way to get there is to catch an F4 ferry to Pyrmont Bay. From there you have the option of walking through Darling Harbour or go one stop on the light rail from Star Casino.

After all, a romantic stay in a hotel of this quality deserves an enjoyable journey to arrive by.

We stayed as media guests of Sofitel Darling Habour, but our experiences and opinions remain our own.

The post Where to Wake Up In Sydney — Sofitel Darling Harbour appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

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The neatly plated, bite-size city of Parma is home to some iconic Italian dishes and foods. Reggiano parmigiano and Parma di Prosciutto (world-famous parmesan cheese and Parma ham) both come from here.

And if you pull the camera back a little, the broader Emilia-Romagna region is where things like bolognese, balsamic vinegar, tagliatelle, tortellini, ragu and even mortadella all come from.

So it’s little wonder that Parma is full of bars and restaurants serving just the most delicious dishes.

Locals here know what good food and good produce means, and the high standards are set, met and respected everywhere you go in this gracious yet down-to-earth river city.

If you want to know exactly what to eat while you’re here, check out our story on 7 Things You Must Eat in Parma.

For the best activities and tours in the region, click here!

Find the best rates on accommodation in Parma here.

Our Top Picks on Where to Eat and Drink in Parma

Only a short train ride major travel hubs like Milan and Bologna, we’re surprised to find Parma quite unused to tourism. Locals are friendly enough, though they seem surprised to see visitors.

Once we’ve fulfilled our primary goal of visiting a parmesan factory and a prosciutto farm a little out of town (you have to do this tour by the way, it’s fascinating), we settle down to exploring the food offerings of the city.

Trattoria del Tribunale — authentic Parma-centric dishes in an old-school setting

Map link

Just off the main food street of Luigi Carlo Farini, this immense, Tardis-like old-school restaurant is packed with the charm of proper Italian hospitality.

The menu is full of Parma classics served with relish and pride. I came to Parma with a list of things I wanted to eat here; I tick most of them off in here!

Everything we order here is superb, and the service and atmosphere are impeccable. Get here early though as queues for tables build up fast.

Trattoria Corrieri — where the locals go for atmosphere and great food

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A recommendation from another restaurant, Trattoria Corrieri snatched the crown from our favourite — Trattoria del Tribunale — on our very last night in Parma.

Down the side of the University of Parma, this wonderfully homely little trattoria is full of warmth and life. We walk into a dining room packed with laughter and happy voices, staff move with purpose and good manners, and the food is simply splendid.

Add to that the exposed brick, the gingham tablecloths, the waistcoated waiters and the ‘meat cellar’ full of prosciutto legs and all kinds of other salumi, and there’s nothing Corrieri doesn’t have.

Osteria Virgilio — a bright friendly lunch spot

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On the western side of the Parma River, in amongst the alleys and once working class neighbourhoods of the Oltretorrente, the little Osteria Virgilio serves well-made Parma classics with a sense of flare that matches its wine lists.

We stopped in here for a spot of lunch and were impressed. They also had one of the dishes I was seeking: the caval pist — horse tartare. But this is so finely minced that it has almost a pesto smoothness.

We’re so comfortable in this little osteria that we find it hard to leave, especially with so many tempting bottles of wine around us.

Tabaccheria Caffetteria Giulia — drinks and snacks for aperitivo hour

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On one of the main streets of the passeggiata through Parma, Giulia is a lively little cafe with street-side seating, a quick-serving bar and plenty of tempting snacks in the cabinet.

We stopped here for a couple of glasses of wine at aperitivo hour, where you can grab bites to eat with your drink at a nominal fee.

The service is friendly, the drinks are well-priced and the snacks are very tasty. Tick all those boxes!

Enoteca Tabarro — fantastic people-watching and pretty good wine too

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Close to where we were staying in Parma, this funny little wine bar likes to take itself a bit seriously, but if you can overlook the man-splaining, you can score some excellent people-watching.

Order quickly so the guy who works here can’t get settled and grab an outdoor seat at one of the giant wine barrel tables. The wine, which is great by the way, will taste all the better.

Honorable Mentions

We didn’t get round to eating in these last few places, but they’re worth checking out. We’ll definitely try them the next time we’re here.

Osteria dei Servi — for meat grilled over coals and handmade pasta

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At the edge of the markets by the river, this place was completely full when we were here (in winter), but they did recommend we go to Trattoria Corierri, so that deserves credit.

Focused on authentic, homely dishes from the region, this place specialises in house-made pasta and grilled meat that they cook on a huge round charcoal grill.

Da Pepen — for top-level panini

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There’s nothing quite like a freshly made panino from a deli in Italy, and these guys are well-known for theirs. They do things like fresh fig, prosciutto and gorgonzola panini, but also horse meatballs in a sandwich if you’re game.

Ciacco Gelateria — for Parma’s best gelato

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This is a big call — especially without having tried it — but this is apparently the best gelato in a town that knows good food. The website looks slick and the flavours on offer sound quite avant guard, but owner and food scientist Stefano Guizzetti seems to know what he’s doing. We’ll be back, Sefano.

The post Where to Eat and Drink in Parma, Italy appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

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Christina and I wake to the buzz of our alarm and push through the flap of our tent at Hintok River Camp into the already steamy pre-dawn air.

It’s too early for the birds, but too late for the night noises. Everything is silent and still.

Before long, we’re clambering down flights of steel steps by torchlight to the floor of a deep gully known as Konyu Cutting — better named Hellfire Pass.

We’re in western Thailand in Kanchanaburi Province, which pushes against the border of Myanmar.

Known for its thick verdant rainforests, sprawling thunderous waterfalls and broad, wild rivers, Kanchanaburi is also famous for the Thai-Burma Railway (better known as the Death Railway) and its deadly role in World War II.

Anzac Day at Hellfire Pass, Thailand

Today is 25th April — Anzac Day — and Hellfire Pass is one of the most venerable sites in the world for the Anzac Day Dawn Service. It commemorates all who have been lost to military endeavour, but in particular those who fell here as prisoners of war in the 1940s.

Hellfire Pass got its name from the appalling conditions the POWs had to endure, but also from how it looked from the top of the cutting.

In the 1940s, paraffin lamps lit the way for POWs forced to toil throughout the night. From above, the flames in the ravine looked like the very mouth of hell itself.

This morning, the path is lit with similar lamps, giving the cutting an eerie air. Shadows move and jump across the rock walls, and silent figures in full military dress march next to us and before us.

Looking back, we see the high, narrow walls of Hellfire Pass pinching in above our heads, the sky beyond still full of the night’s dying darkness.

The path is wide (it had to be wide enough to fit a train down) and brings us to the end of the cutting, where it opens out into a broad shallow bowl. On one side is grandstand seating, on the other, giant rock steps act as more tiered seating, and both are filling up fast.

More and more people pour in from the pass until there is almost nowhere to stand, but only a low murmur of voices comes from this great gathering.

In the centre of it all is the cenotaph, the black angular marble memorial to those that war has taken.

Dawn Service in Kanchanaburi

Soon, the first crisp navy shadows of dawn show through the blackness in the sky and the service begins.

The Catafalque Party — a ceremonial guard of four armed service personnel — marches down the steps of the cutting and stand watch at the compass points of the cenotaph, their heads bowed, their weapons inverted. The soldiers maintain such incredible stillness, which adds to the solemnity of the moment.

From the opening prayers to the haunting Last Post and the two minutes’ silence, and the final dismount and retire of the four soldiers in the Catafalque Party, the service is one of those things that stay inside you.

An indelible memory.

After the Dawn Service

The walk back through Hellfire Pass is no less significant or symbolic, but there seems to be less tension in the already hot morning air.

Groups of military stop along the cutting to get photos together, and the chatter of the crowd is lighter and louder than before. But messages and motifs lodged in the rock of loved ones and comrades lost to the war effort cast a grim light darker than the shadows from the looming walls.

At the top of the cutting and in front of the excellent Hellfire Pass Interpretive Centre, we find breakfast is in full flow.

Stalls are turning out sausage sizzles, meat pies and Anzac biscuits, but also some outstanding local fair. We tuck into a pot of rich spicy green curry as the crowd relaxes and the happier side of this important day takes form.

Soon, Two-Up rings form and the British Club Bangkok Pipe Band – a marching band of pipers in full kilt regalia full the air with music.

As we finish up breakfast, we’re aware that back home, Australia’s Anzac Day celebrations would be in full flow and lunch would just be about to begin.

We travelled to Kanchanaburi as media guests of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, but our experiences and opinions remain our own.

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Imagine Sydney Harbour, but instead of water lapping at its stony shores, picture it full of rice. Right up to the high tide mark. Over it in fact. That’s what 540 million tonnes of rice looks like. That’s how much rice we humans grow and consume every year.

But where does it come from? How is it grown?

While we were in Laos recently, Christina and I had a crash course in working a real life rice paddy. We went through each of the stages of the process, from seeding to consumption (yes, there were snacks at the end), and we were surprised at how complex and laborious rice farming is.

But it wasn’t just a lesson in agriculture.

We got a glimpse of the cultural connection that Laos has with rice — especially sticky rice — the role paddy fields play in Laos and in Asia more broadly.

Check out our other stories on Laos here, including where to stay in Luang Prabang.

Click here for other exciting and cultural activities in beautiful Luang Prabang.

And for more great deals of hotels in Luang Prabang, click here.

Rice Farming with Living Land Experience, Luang Prabang

Not far outside the ancient city of Luang Prabang, we find ourselves at Living Land Farm, an organic rice farm that still uses traditional and ancient agricultural methods to grow rice.

They offer visitors a hands-on experience that goes through the 13 stages of traditional, organic rice farming.

Our young guide, Mr Johnny, is a rice farmer of many generations, but who is also excellent at taking us through the various stages, his dry wit and affable manner making the experience even more enjoyable.

13 Stages of Rice Farming

I won’t go through each of the stages — I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise.

The farm is split into the various stages of the rice harvest with paddies at all the significant steps of the crop.

The tour begins with planting the rice seeds saved from last year’s harvest. We learn how to separate the good grains from the empty ‘ghost’ grains using saline water.

Then we clamber into the mud of the paddy fields, sowing the grain, harvesting new seeds and tilling the earth.

These days, farmers use tractors (or as locals call them ‘Chinese buffalo’), but for our demonstration, we get to drive a hand plough behind a real water buffalo. It’s not an easy task; the sucking mud is thick and sticky, and the buffalo is determined and brutally strong.

We learn about the growth stages of rice, how long it takes for the crop to develop and the clever irrigation systems of the paddy fields. At its different growth stages, rice needs more or less water.

Once the plant has reached the panicle stage, when the grains have developed at the top of the stalk, the farmer drains all of the water out of the paddy by cutting into the surrounding bank. This allows the rice to mature ready for harvesting.

We have a go harvesting with a sickle that’s so sharp it cuts through the tough rice stalks like butter.

This experience was part of our trip to Laos with InsideAsia Tours, a travel company that does all the hard work for you and lets you enjoy the experiences that the destination offers. 

We were really impressed with this company. They thought of everything, but at the same time weren’t intrusive on our own plans or time. And their itineraries find you things to do and places to go that you’d probably miss if you were doing it all yourself. 

Highly recommended.

Back at The Homestead

After the harvest (and when we’ve washed the mud off our legs and feet), we move back to the homestead for the rest of the tour.

Here, we learn about how the farmers thresh the rice grains, remove all the chaff, polish the grains and cook the rice.

We also see what other things the community get up to after the growing season has finished.

There’s a forge and smithy for making tools, there’s a sugar cane ‘juicer’ — a massive timber cog and hand-wheel system — and also a cottage industry of weaving.

The older farmers who can no longer work the fields turn their hands to making hats, fish traps, tools, furniture and ornaments from bamboo and rice grass.

Finally, we sit down to enjoy the fruits of our labours. Kind of. An assortment of rice-based snacks — including Laos’ number one passion: sticky rice.

This cultural experience is a great thing to do while you’re in Luang Prabang — it makes you appreciate rice a lot more too!

We visited Living Land with Inside Asia Tours, but our experiences and opinions remain our own.

The post That Time We Worked On A Rice Paddy appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

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From the Südtirol to Sardinia, from Palermo to Polignano a Mare, Italy’s food map is a patchwork of gastronomic endeavours.

To Italy, geography is food.

Every step you take here brings you to another dish, another local speciality, another unique morsel that owes its existence to the plates of that place. Some have just one food that equates to that region.

And then there’s Parma.

Ninety minutes south of Milan, the town of Parma and its broader region of Emilia-Romagna is the origin story of many of Italy’s keystone foods.

From Parmesan cheese (parmigiano reggiano) and Parma ham (prosciutto di Parma) to balsamic vinegar, mortadella, bolognese and even lasagne, they all come from here.

Check out our Naples food safari, where we find a dozen tasty things native to Napoli

We did this tour of a proscuito and a parmigiano factory in Parma – it was awesome!

Find the best rates for hotels in Parma here

7 Things You Must Eat In Parma, Italy

– Tortelli – (a.k.a tortelli d’erbetta) is a stuffed pasta usually with chard, spinach and ricotta. This is a popular dish in restaurants, but we found this one in a food truck at the markets in Piazza Ghiaia.

You can also find sweet tortelli, filled with crushed grapes and mustard served with butter cheese sauce. This is still considered a savoury dish and is served as an entree or main. It’s also handy to remember that tortelli is vegetarian while ravioli is the same shape pasta, but is usually meat-filled.

– Torta fritta – is often served with entrees of cheese and meats, these delightful crispy crunchy bread squares are fried so they puff up into pillows.

In Bologna these are called crescentina and in Modena they’re gnocco fritto, but they’re the same thing.

– Coppa – refers to ‘single-muscle’ cured meat. In this case, we’re talking about the precious culatello di Zibello. Taken from a particular part of the prosciutto pork leg, this rare and highly-prized cut is known as the ‘king of salumi’. 

– Anolini – is a little ‘bellybutton’ filled egg pasta stuffed with beef stew and cooked in a beef or capon broth. This is a hearty, satisfying dish.

– Caval pist – is a controversial dish. It’s tartare — therefore finely chopped or minced raw meat — but made with horse. It’s so finely minced, the consistency is like pesto. This dish is also sometimes called ‘pesto di cavallo’.

I’d never tried horse before and was expecting the meat to have quite a strong gamey flavour, but it was incredibly mild, almost bland. A touch of salt and lemon lifts the flavour, but it’s the fine texture that’s most impressive.

– Culatello tagliolini – uses prosciutto di parma crisped in sage butter and covered in parmesan cheese to sauce and flavour the tagliolini thin ribbon pasta. As you can imagine, this is a superb dish. I could eat this every day and never get bored of it.

– Mostarda di mele – apple mustard is a typical northern Italian condiment, but it commonly comes with prosciutto di parma and parmigiano reggiano as an entree.

The sweet, warming spiciness of the mustard is the perfect accompaniment to Parma’s two greatest creations!

Bonus – Rosa di Parma – the Rose of Parma

This is quite a dish. It consists of a veal fillet rolled up with prosciutto di parma and parmigiano reggiano so that, when it’s sliced, it looks like a rose. The middle must be rare. We never found this one, but you can see a photo of it here.

Aperitivo Hour

Although Parma is in a different region to Milan, aperitivo hour is strong in this town. At around 6pm, so many places around Parma have plates and plates of different types of food – from sandwiches to salumi to pastries.

All you need to do is find a seat, order a drink and pick your plates. Some places have this as a free snack with your drink, others offer it as an inexpensive pre-dinner bite and everyone gets involved!

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I’ve often wondered why the Central Coast doesn’t hold bigger sway among domestic and international visitors. But with the first major hotel opening in the region for 15 years, I can finally rest easy and worry about something else!

Heralding what’s sure to be some major changes to the region’s profile, the voco Gosford by IHG opened its doors to guests in late 2025.

But it’s not just the 130 rooms across 11 storeys that spell this cultural epiphany for the Central Coast. It’s the rest of the building too.

The voco Gosford sits within the brand new Archibald Precinct, which brings six dining and hospitality options, including an elegant rooftop cocktail bar on the 28th floor with panoramic vistas across the landscape and over Brisbane Waters.

voco Gosford by IHG

As the winding Central Coast Highway twists us down to sea level, our attention moves from the sparkling waters of the bay to the impressive twin towers of the voco Gosford, its distinctive black and white sculpted walls standing taller than any other building in the area.

For now.

Evidence of major construction is poking up all over town, another sign that things here are changing.

The lobby

We’ve timed our drive north to Gosford poorly. We were hoping to pick up a pie from the legendary Shhmoakesy’s Gourmet Pies on the way in, but they run out by lunchtime. Instead, we see if our room’s ready for check-in. Two hours early.

The warmly lit and pleasantly scented lobby is also home to the welcoming Lobby Bar, which doubles up as a cafe during the day. At least we can spend an easy hour there if our room’s not ready.

But we’re in luck; the room’s ready and the friendly reception staff check us in and send us on our happy way. From the lobby, you can also take the stairs at the back to the main dining areas of the precinct. But that’s for later.

The room

Our room is up on the 11th floor, technically the top floor of the hotel. Above that, from 12 to 27, are high-end residential apartments.

The room is also right on the corner of the floor.

And it’s a king suite!

From the front door, a short passageway leads to the enormous bed with a chase and small dining table nearby. The bar fridge and tea caddy is in a cabinet that’s been made to look like a little drinks cart, which is fun.

The TV is tucked into another piece of custom furniture and is — like the bed — huge.

While I’m inspecting the TV and the curtains that cover the windows running the length of the wall, I notice chairs on the narrow balcony outside. I can’t see a door anywhere and jump to the conclusion that this must be a communal balcony. I’m initially outraged.

Then Christina finds the door.

Sliding behind the TV unit, the door opens to a full private balcony that wraps around the corner giving us wonderful views of the town below, the wooded hills and bushland around, and then all the way out to the bay and its coruscating waters.

As we peer down, we can also see the hotel’s rooftop pool and swim-up bar. This is down on the 5th floor — the top of the connecting building between the two towers.

The chairs I spotted — by the way — are ours.

Back in the room, we discover the bathroom behind a door we initially thought was one of those doors that connect to adjoining rooms. This is perhaps the best part of the room, with tactful lighting, a large vanity and luxurious amenities from Apotheke.

And then we see the giant, deep-fill bath tub and the striped tiling that mirrors the exterior walls of this hotel. The tiling continues into the roomy shower with its rippled glass art deco door that glides along on industrial style mechanism of polished brass.

The detail makes the difference

But it’s the details of the suite that give it that comfortable yet elegant edge.

It’s the brass finishes in the bathroom, it’s the (surprisingly satisfying) cyclonic directional flush of the WC, it’s the lush deep pile of the carpet, and best of all it’s the labels on the light switches and the USBs by the bed.

Too many times in too many hotels have we struggled to find the correct light switch, being left either blinded or broken-toed in the middle of the night. The multitude of illumination options here though are clearly signed, removing the guesswork.

If we had any negative points to make, they would be so minor: there are only two bath towels in the room (an easy fix) and the tap is a bit far from the sink, making it awkward to wash your hands and leaving a lot of drips on the vanity (an impossible fix).

Other than that, this room hits all the sweet spots.

The dining options

We’ve mentioned the Lobby Bar and the swim-up Pool Bar but that still leaves four other venues.

The pool bar, by the way, has complicated hours. On paper, its a 10am-8pm option, but in reality, staffing and weather can play a problematic part, so bear that in mind.

Behind the Pool Bar and on dry land, however, is Saltfire. This broad space is — for the moment — only open for breakfast, though this may change in the future. Breakfast is a buffet affair and one that offers the crispiest hash browns on earth. The bacon, though it might not look like it, is the tastiest I’ve had at a hotel buffet.

A big statement, but I’ll stand by it.

Downstairs on the ground floor is Archie’s. Once the Union Hotel, this is now set up to be ‘Gosford’s new local’, and it’s got everything you need for a good old pub and has a big, friendly family vibe.

It also operates as the bar for the two dining options here: Paolo’s Pizzeria and Ironbark.

We find our table at Ironbark and prowl through the menu, all the time glancing over at the dry-ageing cabinet stocked with huge slabs of beef. We’ve heard the tomahawk is excellent here.

The only problem is there are lots of other things catching our eye as we peruse the options. We even debate the pub classics for a while, but in the end settle on a couple of entrees and steaks.

In a way, I wish we’d gone for the burgers or parmies.

Sadly, the steak tartare didn’t really hit the spot for us. It was covered in a strange mayonnaise dressing and — rather than bread or crisps, the kitchen had taken pains to make their own potato sticks that didn’t stay crispy for long enough and weren’t the best vehicle for the tartare.

The steaks came out a bit under-done, which is usually fine by me, but the fat hadn’t rendered properly and the result was quite a sickly scotch fillet.

On the plus side, the portions are enormous. Both our steaks have us beat and we try to finish the side of broccolini, but fail there too. The wine list here also deserves a mention with plenty of NSW options, which we always enjoy seeing.

The glass of Robert Stein Shiraz — a Mudgee favourite of ours — goes down well with all the meat!

The nightcap

Our favourite part of the voco Gosford comes at the end of the night when we step out of the lift on level 28.

Astra, the hotel’s rooftop bar and restaurant, is lovely.

With views almost right around the area through windows that have been thrown open to allow the cool evening sea breeze in, Astra is part cocktail bar, part izakaya, offering excellently crafted drinks and carefully sculpted Japanese dishes in a refined, city-style setting.

We’re more than full from dinner, so we skip the menus and find a spot at the long bar. Andy behind the jump mixes us two superb martinis and we chat about the various virtues of gin for a while.

It’s the perfect end to the day and once back in our palatial room, we settle into the ecstatic comfort of our soft bed in deep contentment.

We stayed and dined as guests of voco Gosford by IHG and Archibald Precinct, but our experiences and opinions remain our own.

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