Get Lost

Sip on the Real McCoy’s newest flavours

Forget smoky drams in leather chairs and tasting notes that read like a perfume label — Real McCoy is here to blow the cobwebs off your liquor shelf with two new flavours: Salted Caramel and Buttered Popcorn. Yes, you read that right. It’s whiskey, but it tastes like movie night and dessert. At the same time. Incredible.

Launched by VOK Beverages and brewed for chaos (the fun kind), Real McCoy is a whiskey liqueur that’s bold, buttery, and unapologetically unpretentious.
The Salted Caramel version is like a Werther’s Original gone naughty — silky vanilla, toasty caramel, and just enough sea salt to make you wonder why every single piece of candy in the world doesn’t come with a kick. Meanwhile, the Buttered Popcorn flavour is straight out of a cinema snack bar on school holidays — creamy, nostalgic, and suspiciously addictive.

At 30% ABV, both are dangerously sessionable, whether you’re throwing back chilled shots, jazzing up your espresso martini, or just sipping them over ice and giving major main character energy.

This isn’t an alcohol brand that’s asking for permission, and it definitely isn’t trying to impress the whiskey snobs. It’s made for the kind of night that starts with “just one” and ends with karaoke, kitchen dancing, or regrettably texting your ex. And maybe all three (at the same time).

Now available in 700mL bottles and cheeky little 50mL minis. Drink it how you want, but the one thing you can’t call it is subtle.

Bluesfest 2025

Two minutes to open, and we saw the silhouette of the queue outside.

The staff were all smiles, but there’s a hum in the air: Is this the calm before the storm? Bluesfest 2025, the gates opened to a crowd that absolutely dwarfed last year’s. The fear of this being the last ever Bluesfest had attracted the third-largest crowd in the festival’s history: 109,000 patrons strong. The sun is blazing down, and the sky a perfect Byron blue. We’re back. And it’s big!

This year, we had the joy of backstage access, and we saw that the buzz was just as much in the artists as it was in the crowd. We witnessed musos cheering each other on from side stage, jumping in for surprise collaborations, and sticking around long after each set just to share the moment. There’s something contagious about that kind of joy, it’s the kind that ripples out from the stage and hits every person in the audience. You can tell when a musician is having an absolute ball on stage.

Almost every Aussie artist shared a personal Bluesfest story; the festival has always been more than just a lineup. It’s a reunion. A celebration. A chance for artists, fans, crews, and families to come together and be part of something bigger than themselves.

Kim Churchill was introduced as the “golden child” of Bluesfest. He first debuted on the busking stage in 2009, and now belts it out to a full crowd on one of the main stages. We saw him everywhere: side of stage at other sets, hopping in to play with Ash Grunwald, vibing with The Beards (big bushy fake beard included), and joining the Pierce Brothers’ incredible set. It became a thread running through the entire weekend. As with so many other musicians, the weekend wasn’t just about playing their own set, it was about coming together and celebrating each other’s music: “Bluesfest has always been my happy place. My musical home. And it’s all the little moments that make it that. All the in between bits of absolute life affirming wholesomeness.”

John Butler told the story of playing Bluesfest twenty years ago. The tent was barely a quarter full, “Then the rain brought everyone in… It was like petrol and fire, and we just exploded!” A crew formed around him after that set and became a family that still rolls with him to this day.

“Music runs through my veins,” said Missy Higgins – her third Bluesfest performance. When Melbourne Ska Orchestra hit the stage, they reminded us that this festival kickstarted their career too, landing them their first-ever record deal. The Cat Empire launched into How to Explain and reminded us why this festival still matters. “Music is the language of us all,” they sang, and the crowd screamed it back. Other highlights included the massive, thousands-strong singalong to Toto’s Africa, Chaka Khan absolutely belting it like it’s 1978, Xavier Rudd grounding us all, before making us jump up and down to Follow The Sun.

Because music really is the language of us all. It’s connection. Especially at a time when we’re all feeling a little disconnected. John Butler, Nicky Bomba, and Xavier Rudd all shared this message. In times like this, it’s important that we find common ground, that we dance and sing together, that we celebrate the good parts of humanity. Live music isn’t just entertainment. It’s culture. It’s connection. It’s sticky floors and shared anthems. It’s strangers hugging in the dark because that one track just hit. It’s a rite of passage for teenagers, a returning pilgrimage for adults, and a heartbeat for regional towns that host these moments of collective joy.

It’s been a rough few years for the Australian live music scene. Fires, floods, and the pandemic delivered blow after blow, cancelling show after show. More recently, its economic woes have quietly and cruelly crushed festivals. Longstanding events, pillars of the Aussie music scene, are falling over like dominoes in a country known for its music and easy-going lifestyle.

These events remind us that we’re not alone. It shakes something loose in us and breaks the routine. Music festivals give us a reason to drive ten hours, to camp in the rain, to throw our arms around strangers and scream the lyrics until we lose our voices, and to volunteer days of work just to dance in front of the front row when Hilltop Hoods perform The Nosebleed Section.

So, here’s to the venues still opening their doors. To the events rolling the dice, the staff and vollies holding it all together, and to the artists playing their guts out. We need live music now more than ever. And thank goodness: Bluesfest isn’t done yet.

Desert Island Survival’s newest adventure is here

Sick of “holidays” where you lie by a pool pretending you’re not still checking work emails? Enter Desert Island Survival’s newest experience in the Maldives where the only infinity pool in sight is the ocean, and the Wi-Fi password is “how ‘bout you build your own fire.”

Let’s get one thing straight, this isn’t a relaxing holiday. Yes, you’ll spend 11 glorious days in a paradise people regularly dream about (just me?), bu you’ll also spend the same 11 glorious days learning how to do stuff you never thought you’d need, like making fires without a lighter, catching your dinner without crying, and building a shelter that doesn’t look like a sad blanket fort from your childhood.

But your first five day is strictly for training. You’ll learn jungle hacks from actual survival experts, then the real fun begins. You’re dropped off on another uninhabited island, sans guide, with only your newly acquired skills, a few supplies, and a can-do (read: mildly panicked) attitude.

Unlike every other sanitised, over-curated “adventure tour,” this one strips away all the comfortable fluff. No buffets. No butlers. Just you, your hammock (if you’re lucky), and your rapidly improving ability to open coconuts without chopping off a finger.

You may ask, “Why would I do this?”, and the answer’s pretty obvious. Because it’s the antidote to your screen-addicted, city-soft, soy-latte life (ouch). You’ll come back with calloused hands, crazy stories, and a weird pride in your ability to identify edible roots.

Fiji’s Loloma Hour turns sustainability into a good time

Fiji’s newest national initiative is basically a love letter to the planet, written in biodegradable ink, of course. It’s called Lolomo Hour and it’s doing great things for the environment. But first, a bit of background info.

Loloma means love in Fijian, and honestly, if love were a happy hour, it would look a lot like this: a chance to give back to the islands we so often take from (minus the hangover, inflated bar tab, or cringey karaoke).

Their idea is simple: take an hour out of your holiday to do something good for the environment, the community, or the culture. In return? You get a soul cleanse with a side of smug satisfaction. That’s the kind of shot we can all handle.

Created by the legends at Tourism Fiji, Loloma Hour is the world’s first environmental happy hour (move over espresso martinis), and it’s rolling out across resorts, hotels, and dive boats faster than a coconut can fall on your head. Their goal is to rack up 5,000 hours of guest-led goodness in the first year. That’s 300,000 minutes of reef planting, litter collecting, and cultural immersion.

The initiative is built on four very noble pillars: giving back to wildlife, giving back to the community, giving back to the reef, and giving back to the coastline. Which roughly translates to ‘pat an iguana, chat to a village elder, rehome some coral, and pick up someone else’s beer can without grumbling’.

One day you’re sipping something tropical on the deck of the Seventh Heaven floating bar, the next you’re knee-deep in coral fragments at their reef rehabilitation program. Maybe you’re weaving mats with local women at Sofitel’s Culture Hour, or cruising with sharks off Barefoot Kuata Island in a citizen-science shark dive. At Viani Bay Resort, you can even get up close with giant clams, nature’s answer to the big-budget action star.

Some resorts go all in, like Likuliku Lagoon’s Fiji Crested Iguana Conservation Program (adorable lizard alert) or Six Senses Fiji with their coral nursery that’s basically an underwater botanical garden for Nemo’s cousins. Meanwhile, over at InterContinental Fiji, you can literally trade beach trash for a latte. That’s right, Litter for a Latte may be the best incentive ever invented for tidying up.

The beauty of Loloma Hour is that it doesn’t feel like an obligation. There’s no guilt-trip, no plastic pledge, no sob stories playing on loop. It’s just you, some sunshine, and a little slice of feel-good action. Like going to the gym and discovering it serves fresh coconut water, and thanks you personally for attending.

The best part? You don’t need to be a marine biologist or a UN diplomat to get involved. You just need an hour. And, ideally, a strong sunscreen.

The Great Barrier Reef earns environmental nomination

Move over, Sir David Attenborough, there’s a new eco-icon in town, and it’s made entirely of coral. That’s right, the Great Barrier Reef is up for a United Nations Lifetime Achievement Award – the first non-human nominee ever. And frankly? It’s about time.

With 10,000 years of being fabulous, biodiverse, and biologically generous, the reef has been mentoring marine life, inspiring millions of travellers, and keeping it real for generations of fish, First Nations communities, and curious snorkellers. According to the team behind the nomination (Reef Guardian Councils, Traditional Owners, marine biologists, and a bunch of wide-eyed school kids from Reef Guardian Schools), the reef isn’t just a pretty face, it’s a healer, a teacher, and a full-blown environmental influencer.

To help the nomination along, A Lifetime of Greatness Project campaign was created, asking the world to get behind the Reef and celebrate it like the living, breathing legend it is. The submission video even features Master Reef Guides (yes, that’s a real job title) and local students fan-girling about plankton and biodiversity. Cute and educational.

And the best is that the nomination cleverly uses the UN’s own rulebook, arguing that the reef qualifies as a “living individual” because UNESCO said it’s a “distinct entity.” It’s a bold move and we love to see it.

So, if you’ve ever swum over this natural wonder and thought, “wow, this thing is really beautiful,” now’s your chance to show it the love it really deserves. Head to A Lifetime of Greatness to get involved because not all heroes wear capes, some are actually covered in clownfish.

Relax at Wilderluxe Lake Keepit

Redefine your idea of ‘roughing it’ by treating yourself to a stay at Wilderluxe’s newest opening, Wilderluxe Lake Keepit. Nestled on the sparkling shores of, you guessed it, Lake Keepit in New South Wales, this premium property promises a next-level escape; a place where natures meets a touch of decadence.

Forget battling zippers on tiny tents – here, it’s all about luxurious safari-style accommodation equipped with plush king-sized beds, stylish ensuite bathrooms, and panoramic views of the lake (sans monster).

While away the hours in one of eight Star Tents, or in a private guest lounge, with a locally sourced cheese platter on the table beside you and a glass of Hunter Valley’s finest in hand. Kangaroos might even grace you with their presence, hopping right by your private deck as if you’re David Attenborough and they’re auditioning for a part in your upcoming nature documentary.

If adventure is what gets you going, Wilderluxe offers paddle boarding, kayaking, gravel riding, fishing, access to hiking trails and stargazing – ain’t no city smog in these rural parts.

As if that wasn’t enough to convince you to put your name down for an inaugural stay, Wilderluxe is also passionate about sustainability. Every inch of the site has been designed with eco-consciousness in mind. Solar power, rainwater harvesting, and zero-waste initiatives make your stay as kind to the planet as it is to your Insta feed.

And you just have to participate in The Experience: a communal feast full of a carefully curated selection of local food and refreshments before Uncle Len Waters looks to the night sky to uncover a few magical Aboriginal stories. We’ll see you there.

Relax at The Calile

From the moment I was scooped up from Brisbane Airport in The Calile’s very own custom Range Rover, I knew I was in for a stay dripping with luxury and style. I mean, nothing says, “I’ve arrived” quite like reclining in air-conditioned leather after sitting next to the gum-smacker and aggressive screen-tapper on the flight over.

Rolling up to the hotel, I was met with soft pink hues, breezy archways, and staff who somehow managed to be both effortlessly cool and incredibly attentive. I immediately vowed to become one of these impossibly chic people – or at least pretend to be one for the next 12 hours.

As soon as I got to my room, I headed straight for the balcony to spot my first look at the iconic pool. Which was also my first stop as soon as I had unpacked.

The water was the perfect temperature; refreshing but not “gasp-and-lose-your-dignity” cold. Lined with striped loungers and fringed umbrellas, it felt like I’d stumbled into a Slim Aarons photoshoot. I ordered a cocktail (classic marg of course), threw on my best “I refuse to look at my emails” face, and let the book I was reading whisk me away.

Before I knew it, the sun was setting and dinner at Hellenika was beckoning; I couldn’t wait for a feast of Greek decadence. The saganaki? A bubbling, golden masterpiece. The pastitsio? So gooey and bechamel-y that I wondered if it would ruin normal lasagne for me forever. I washed it all down with another marg (when on assignment, am I right?) and left feeling deeply satisfied and only slightly regretful about my much-too-full-stomach.

And as I flopped onto my crisp linen-clad bed, I thought: “I could get used to this.” Then I immediately checked my bank balance and laughed. Ah well, it was worth every penny.

NZSki’s Superpass has just landed

Ski bunnies and après enthusiasts, rejoice. NZSki has just dropped the ultimate winter game-changer: the Superpass. This bad boy gives you access to 10 of New Zealand’s most iconic ski resorts with just one pass. That’s right, no more agonising over which mountain to conquer. Now, you can chase the best powder across the country without a care in the world.

The Superpass covers some of New Zealand’s best slopes, including Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, and Mt Hutt, plus a handful of other winter wonderlands from Auckland to Canterbury. But wait, you thought that was it?

Feeling a little après over actual skiing? You can swap your day pass for credit on over 60 après activities, think hot tubs, fine dining, and adventure experiences. It’s basically a golden ticket for snow lovers who also appreciate a bit of luxury (guilty).

Not only is this Superpass a milestone for winter tourism, it also means more freedom, more fun, and fewer commitment issues when booking your ski trip. Like, it’s never been easier to ski, stargaze, and soak in a hot tub – all in one day.

So Aussies, if you’ve been stalking snow forecasts and dreaming of your next winter escape, consider this your sign. Grab a Superpass, chase the snow, and swap ski boots for champagne whenever the mood strikes.

Minecraft-ify your New Zealand holiday

Pack your virtual backpacks and sharpen those pickaxes, because Aotearoa New Zealand has officially entered the Minecraft multiverse.

That’s right, our mates over at Tourism New Zealand have teamed up with Warner Bros. and Mojang Studios to bring us a world-first: a full-blown New Zealand DLC for Minecraft. Translation for the game-challenged? You can now paddle a waka through Abel Tasman, spelunk glowworm caves in Waitomo, and stargaze in Tekapo — all without leaving your gaming chair.

This pixel-perfect paradise isn’t just about sightseeing, it’s an interactive playground brimming with Māori culture, native wildlife, and adrenaline-pumping adventure. Fancy a digital deep dive into Māori traditions? Want to get lost (without actually getting lost) in the misty fjords of Doubtful Sound? Done. You can even jam out to the ancient sounds of taonga pūoro while plotting your next quest.

And here’s the best bit, if you fall in love with blocky New Zealand (which you will), you can turn those pixels into plane tickets with the real-life 100% Pure Minecraft Itinerary. Because why stop at virtual bungy jumping when you can do the real thing?

Launching just in time for A Minecraft Movie (filmed in NZ and starring Jason Momoa and Jack Black), this DLC is your chance to explore Middle-Earth 2.0 before booking the adventure IRL. New Zealand: now available in 4K and 8-bit.

EYRE.WAY’s newest cabin opens

Everyone’s fave eco-conscious cabin company, EYRE.WAY, has just dropped its third off-grid tiny home, and it’s called Bandari.

Tucked away on the coastal cliffs of South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula, Bandari is as close to the ocean as you can get without turning into a mermaid. Think sweeping ocean views, pristine native flora, and a cabin that’s basically a hug for your soul, wrapped in timber, terracotta, and all the earthy tones your Pinterest board could ever need.

But this isn’t your average tiny home; it’s a luxurious, sustainable, eco-conscious retreat powered entirely by solar batteries (what?!?) Inside, you’ll find a fully equipped kitchen, a cosy lounge that turns into a dreamy double bed, and premium bedding so soft you’ll wonder if you’ve just snuck into the clouds.

You’ll also find all the modern comforts – reverse-cycle air, instant hot water, and high-speed WiFi – meaning you can escape the hustle, but still scroll on TikTok before bedtime.

With Bandari, EYRE.WAY is flexing its sustainable muscles again, following the smashing success of its siblings, Maldhi and Yambara. Co-founders Amanda and Tim Hogg have managed to create a space where you can truly disconnect and live your best, eco-chic life.

Just a heads up, you’ll never want to leave, but that’s exactly the point. Book your stay now, this view isn’t going to ‘gram itself.

WHICH LETTER DOES YOUR DESTINATION START WITH?

region: Oceania