The beauty of not making any plans is the freedom to be able to make last minute snap decisions, and take the recommendations of people you meet on the road. This was a concept that I had a hard time grasping years ago, when I would almost manically plan down to the day. Thank goodness I’ve been able to free myself from this phase! Before I landed in Portugal I’d never heard of Sagres, a little town at the western-most point in the south of Portugal. But thanks to the recommendations of my new

Enjoy all the spoils of being a Doreen local, with the bustling Laurimar Town Central a short stroll away, which includes gymnasiums, coffee shops, food purveyors, medical professionals and retail stores, plus two community centres. Or get your retail fix at Westfield South Morang, home to all your favourite brands. Convenience centres are also located on both major local intersections of Yan Yean Road and Plenty Road for petrol and other grocery items.

Perfume and champagne: the ultimate pillars of luxury, right? If you’re feeling like a little indulgence to warm up this weekend, you might want to grab a friend and hop along to The Powder Room’s Champagne and Perfume Master Class. Hosted by Melbourne-based fragrance and sensory branding specialist Samantha Taylor in partnership with The Champagne Dame Kyla Kirkpatrick, the intimate sessions will showcase the glamorous worlds of champagne and fragrance, and look at how their paths connect and

Just like broadsheet papers or Brynne’s career on television, analogue photography is a dying art. With all the wiz-bang editing functions of today’s digital camera, most people have said farewell to their analogue friend along with its ability to capture that which is imperfect. In spite of this, two Melbournians who both have a deep love for the rawness of film have made a magazine celebrating what the rest of us are trying to leave behind. Lucy Guernier and Andrew Buchanan met on the job an

“Girl who cannot eat with chopsticks is girl not worth talking to,” or so says the newest resident of the ever-growing Windsor end of Chapel Street, Mr. Miyagi. Based on the iconic sensei from the Karate Kid films, the restaurant/bar is a welcome addition to the brunch-heavy end of Chaps. Co-owner and creator Andy Restein says the concept was born on a regular boys’ night out along the shopping strip. “If I was on death row, my last meal would be Japanese,” says Restein. “And every week we’d p

Melbournians love a food trend. First it was Mexican, then we got an influx of American-style diner cuisine. Lately it’s been the zesty but humble Vietnamese flavour palette that has deservedly caught our attention. Its latest incarnation Banoi can be found in the Docklands, perched on the water’s edge with sweeping views of the Bolte Bridge. What was once the baron wasteland of the CBD, the Docklands is slowly but surely attracting office workers, restaurateurs and punters. Following the succ

Brighton might be known for many things: beach houses, SUVs and Shane Warne, and now it’s home to Melbourne’s newest burger joint: Royale Brothers. Opened just before Christmas, RB is owned by Daniel Vaughan, Guy Mainwaring and Tim Purton-Smith – who also happen to own The Pantry, conveniently located next door. In two months Royal Brothers has already has some big names through the door. Harry Kewel took on the boys’ “Custom Built Giant Quad Burger”, while Sir Viv Richards and tennis ace Anna

Renowned dance troupe Bangarra return to Melbourne this month with the world premiere of Terrain. This new work, by celebrated Aboriginal choreographer Frances Rings and artistic director Stephen Page, is a powerful fusion of contemporary dance and traditional dreamtime storytelling. Set in the Lake Eyre, Terrain is described as a hymn to country and a celebration of one of the few untouched natural waterways of the world. Composer David Page, who wrote Terrain’s score, says it’s the family at

Set amongst the cafes and homewares shops at the quieter end of High Street lies a gallery…or is it a clothing store? Well for shop owner and swimsuit designer Roxy Green it’s both, and it’s aptly titled Fin, after Green’s swimwear label Finnigan. Green got the idea of creating her fashion and art fusion gallery space after sensing the need for a retail space that offered more than just clothes. “While I wanted Fin to be primarily known as a swimwear store, there needed to be a quirky, origina

The number one piece of advice I heard when asking Sri Lanka tips was “you MUST make sure you go on the most beautiful train ride in the world!” So like the good little servants we are, we hustled and booked our tickets a day in advance – from Ella to Nuwara Eliya, Nuwara Eliya to Kandy – to ensure we could get a spot on this famous locomotive. I’ve become more lax with leaving things til the last minute when I travel, but if you are wanting to claim an actual seat on the train (everyone reckon