Villa Alaia,Cedars Mount View.
★★★★★
Hotel reviews

Perfect score for this luxe NSW wine country gem

Hunter Valley newcomer Villa Alaia makes one of the strongest cases for staying indoors we’ve seen.

  • byKatherine Scott
Group travel is now more streamlined,thanks to a raft of new tech across booking platforms.

Being travel planner for a group holiday is a pain. It just got easier

A group trip with friends resulted in me doing months of research,messy text threads,payment chasing and answering the same questions over and over. Relief is here.

  • byKatherine Scott
Morning light on Port Macquarie’s Shelly Beach.

The scenic coastal spot that punches above its small-town weight

Midway between the Gold Coast and Sydney,Port Macquarie is shrugging off its “God’s waiting room” label.

  • bySheriden Rhodes
Oaks Ranch Mossy Point
★★★★½
Hotel reviews

Former NSW jillaroo camp is now an oasis between beach and bush

This Spanish Mission-style boutique hotel on NSW’s South Coast has undergone a renovation while respecting its 1970s roots.

  • byRiley Wilson
Dig It and Thunderbird Park.

Kids driving diggers? Australia’s newest theme park is mind-blowing

Dig IT bills itself as Australia’s first digger park for kids. You read correctly:kids get to drive real-life earth-moving equipment.

  • byBen Groundwater
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Elysia’s new ice bath,launched in January 2024.

This upgraded retreat now mixes wellness with indulgence

An ice bath and sauna to play at virtue between visits to local cellar doors? Oh,yes,you can “do you” at this Hunter Valley retreat.

  • byKatherine Scott
The CSIRO Parkes radio telescope was at the centre of the Australian film ‘The Dish’.

Six must-see astronomical sites in NSW

There are many ways to take in the star-spangled universe from rural Australia,but these are surely some of the most dazzling.

  • byBrian Johnston
Sydney’s new Metro has become a tourist attraction in itself.
Opinion
Opinion

If Australians value our cities,why aren’t we holidaying in them?

There’s something about staying in a hotel rather than your house that feels like a holiday,even in your own city.

  • byLee Tulloch
Overwater hammock at The Moso,Vanuatu.

Four-day mini-breaks that are actually mega memorable

It’s not the length but what you do with it when it comes to a great holiday,and these short domestic and overseas trips are fab – and,crucially,fuss-free.

  • bySheriden Rhodes
The Gold Coast’s new Cheshire Cat Motel.

Australia’s best (and easiest) short breaks under three days

The key to short-break success is not returning more exhausted than before you left,and these two- and three-day trips promise dual adventure and relaxation.

  • bySheriden Rhodes