Author: Chris Singh

Chris Singh is an Editor-At-Large at the AU review, loves writing about travel and hospitality, and is partial to a perfectly textured octopus. You can reach him on Instagram: @chrisdsingh.

JBL Xtreme 3 Speaker Review: Powerful, portable and pricey

I don’t know what JBL did but their speakers lately have been hitting more home runs than the brand usually does. And with this current winning streak, of course the reliable, bass-obsessed brand is going to lift their game for their Xtreme series of wireless Bluetooth speakers. As such, the JBL Xtreme 3 is one…

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Little National Hotel Sydney Review: Designed for city staycations

The gentle tune of minimalism sweeps through Sydney’s Little National Hotel. Opened in September of last year, the latest from Canberra-dominating Doma Group is a conscious push against the often irresistible excesses of big-city hospitality. Not just that, the hotel’s soft, soulful accommodation is an obvious embrace of Japanese-influenced, less-is-more philosophy, gently sketched onto Sydney’s…

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De’Longhi PrimaDonna Soul Review: Wow factor guaranteed

The De’Longhi PrimaDonna Soul is a very expensive fully automatic coffee machine, but it continues the brand’s very solid reputation of putting out class-leading devices designed for hard-to-please coffee enthusiasts. Experimentation sits at the heart of the enormous $2,799 machine, which requires quite a bit of counter space and is perhaps a bit too large…

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Nokia 5.4 Review: Keeping it simple might just be the point

As budget phones begin to adopt more attractive value propositions, Nokia are in a nice position to maintain its reliable reputation, but are they doing enough with the Nokia 5.4? Though Apple is now playing heavily in the mid-range, and wallet-friendly Android options are solid from the likes of Samsung, Google, and Oppo, Nokia still…

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KitKat’s new Australian flavours are some of their greatest yet

KitKat have released a 2-flavour “Dark Down Under” collection that is, in our opinion, some of their finest work to date. The Australian flavours focus on Tasmania and South Australia, creating two distinct ingredients from two of the country’s most abundant produce regions. KitKat Dark Tasmanian Mint makes use to refreshing mint chocolate using oil…

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AAT Kings’ Inspiring Journeys plans luxury Dark Mofo weekend tour for next month’s epic Hobart arts festival

Inspiring Journeys, the luxury arm of renowned tour operators AAT Kings, is planning on heading down to next month’s Dark Mofo in absolute style with a four-day excursion. Designed to dive in deep to Hobart’s famously controversial winter arts festival, the immersive luxury tour has been carefully curated to pair the highly anticipated event with…

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Australia goes ‘big’ for domestic tourism in 2021

Australia may have plenty of kitschy, human-made ‘big’ things, but no amount of overblown bananas or prawns could match the country’s epic landscape. With full respect to our beloved behemothic icons, “thinking bigger” is the crux of Tourism Australia’s next phase in their ongoing “Holiday Here This Year” campaign, and it couldn’t be more inspiring….

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Southern Comfort takes premix drinks to the next level with peach and apple flavours

The recent boom that’s taken premixed drinks sector to the next level hasn’t just had the benefit of making your giving those bottle shop shelves some much needed colour. It’s added a much needed diversity and variety to go far beyond that standard rum & coke you used to to rely so heavily on at…

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Mothers Day Gift Guide 2021: From kitchen essentials and furniture, to new gadgets, wines, and spirits

With Mother’s Day coming up, the inevitable choice anxiety is starting to settle in. “Mother’s Day Gift Guide” is frantically being searched on Google in the hopes that dependable publishers will sort through the product bog and serve up some curated suggestions. We aren’t sitting this one out at the AU review. Here’s our annual…

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Review: The Bistro at Manly Pavilion skews Italian with new chef

Manly Pavilion holds a special place in the Northern Beaches. There are of course many time-tested institutions in the area, but few can boast the same sparkling, impressively serene location of this venue. Perched on the water’s edge, in a restored heritage building, it’s rightfully a top choice for long-lunches, evening cocktails, and more relaxed…

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Park Hyatt Sydney rooms now come with a $10,000 Fujifilm GFX100s camera

Luxury staycations are hot enough right now, but what if you’re five-star room came fully-equipped with one of the world’s highest performing large format digital cameras. We’re talking a 102 Megapixel beast worth almost $10,000, ready and willing to help you capture everything from those direct Sydney Opera House and harbour views, to strolls along…

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Freshwater’s Hardbord Hotel announces Froth Fest: Ruby Fields, Layne Beachley, and more

Freshwater’s recently refreshed Harbord Hotel has been drawing praise from beyond the Northern Beaches thanks to a swift, smart update. The legendary hotel, a Northern Beaches fortress of frothies, good food, and – quite honestly – the best spicy margs in Sydney right now, is now gearing up for their first big event. That would…

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Tour Talk: Bushfire relief trips return as AAT Kings partner with EmptyEsky

Now that domestic tourism is pumping, operator AAT Kings has once again teamed up with the #EmptyEsky movement and various regional tourism businesses. Why? Well it’s the return of the popular Bushfire Relief Giveback experiences – short and insightful tours aimed at directing support to communities that were directly impacted by 2020’s devastating bushfires (and…

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Bose Sport Earbuds Review: excellent sound, superb fit… the best out right now?

Bose’s flagship QuietComfort Earbuds are understandably some of the most impressive and highly sought in-ear music headphones on the market. But at $400, they are also a demanding investment. Look down lower on the price scale and you’ll find the newer Bose Sport Earbuds, which are obviously designed more towards the fitness/running crowd, but sound…

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Win a pair of JBL Quantum 200 Gaming Headphones

JBL have taken their reliable headphone prowess into the gaming world with the Quantum line-up, and we’ve got the slick JBL Quantum 200 Gaming Headphones to give away to one lucky winner who wants to experience this. With a flip-up mic, these headphones and 50mm drivers, these offer far more than the sub-$100 price point…

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Bose Sleepbuds II Review: Helping you get those eight hours

Inconsistent battery performance and some design flaws lead to Bose discontinuing their first iteration of the Bose Sleepbuds a few years ago. Which was disappointing. It’s an incredible concept – having some buds designed and in complete dedication to getting quality sleep, as opposed to music -playing in-ear phones that also threw in a bunch…

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JBL Quantum 800 Review: The perfect mid-range gaming set?

JBL’s recent focus on gaming is long-overdue and so very, very welcome. The brand has been at, or at least near, the very top when it comes to professional-quality headphones, with an obvious love to big, meatier sounds that still retain plenty of detail. That’s replicated over on the Quantum series, which tackles just about…

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Australia’s first Fairmont hotel to open in Port Douglas

Plans have been announced for Australia’s first ever Fairmont hotel, adding more than just a touch of luxury on the fringes of both the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest. The $300 million Fairmont Port Douglas will be the first new-build hotel from Accor’s legendary Fairmont brand, which is inextricably tied to the railroad…

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papparich nasi lemak burger

PappaRich’s ungodly nasi lemak burger has returned to Australia

PappaRich has finally bought back their monstrously popular Nasi Lemak burger, which is now on the menu across their Australian stores for a limited time only. A crowd-favourite every time it has been popped back onto the menu, the burger is available from until 30th May – that’s a good amount of time you have…

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D-Link Full HD Pan-Tilt Pro Wi-Fi Camera Review: Flexible and reliable, with some drawbacks

An indoor camera that is able to rotate and tilt for a full 360-degree view is of unquestionable value when it comes to smart home tech. Lucky, then, that the ever-reliable D-Link launched one towards the end of last year as part of a small addition to their already solid line-up of smart security tech….

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Arlo

Arlo Pro 4 details announced: Australian availability and pricing

Taking a break from their flow of Essential series products, Arlo has announced the latest edition to their popular high-end Pro series. The Arlo Pro 4 is now being prepped for an Australia launch, designed specifically to focus more on an easier DIY setup, with features including 2K HDR video quality and a handy 160-degree…

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Flash Sale: Accor are selling ibis budget rooms for $48 per night

Hotel snobs may turn their nose at the bare-bones basicness of Accor’s least expensive brand, ibis budget, but they’d be missed the point entirely. The typically well-located hotels have always served as reliable and ultra-convenient bases for those wanting to save more money on exploring than staying. So it’s a surprise to see them cut…

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QT at Home Easter

QT Hotels are packing lush Easter dining boxes for home entertainers

Given they have some of the best hotel restaurants in Australia – shout out to Gowings & Parlour Cucina in Sydney and Santini Grill in Perth – QT Hotels and Resorts are doubling down on their at-home dining concept which was introduced late last year. QT’s best chefs from across Australia – representing awarded restaurants…

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Banksia Bakehouse

Banksia Bakehouse has created a Hot Cross Croissant… and its beautiful

Sydney CBD’s Banksia Bakehouse has been making quite the name for itself with inventive creations that keep pumping across social media. And it seems the formidable kitchen isn’t slowing down anytime soon, nodding towards Easter with the creation of the Hot Cross Croissant. Keep in mind this was a bakery that just last week revealed…

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Air New Zealand sets sights on Hobart with new service from Auckland

Once quarantine-free travel is up and running, Air New Zealand will introduce a non-stop service between Auckland and Hobart as its tenth Australian destination. The route will provide a much-needed economic boost to both cities and their respective tourism industries, as well as open Kiwi’s up to the absolute wonder of one of Australia’s best…

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Dyson target formaldehyde with their most advanced air purifiers to date

Look, I’m a bit of a Dyson fanboy so please excuse me if any of the below sounds overly-fluffed. And this isn’t even a review; it’s a news piece. It’s news to let our readers know that this week the renowned brand has lifted the lid on its latest generation of purification machines, headlined by…

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Opera Kitchen is now a vibrant Italian & Japanese food hall

It’s one of Sydney’s most sought after dining spots, given it sides right up to Sydney Harbour, and now Opera Kitchen has reopened with a fresh new approach to dining. The venue is now a multi-cuisine food hall, giving Opera Bar more than a few new neighbours for anyone keen to mix-and-match their dining experience….

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Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning Review: A vital title for the Nintendo Switch

It disturbs me just how often Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is overlooked and underrated when it comes to talking about the great action-RPGs of the past decade. Skyrim? Sure. Dark Souls? Definitely. The Witcher 3? You betcha. All three games were superior of KoA, but that doesn’t at all diminish just how intensely playable and…

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Junipalooza Sydney eyes August launch with a two-day homage to gin

Two-day gin superfest Junipalooza is eyeing an August 2021 debut for its Sydney iteration, following five successful years staging its Melbourne festival. The homage to all things gin will be taking over Carriageworks on 28th and 29th August, rounding up dozens of distillers under the one roof. Given the way the festival works and its…

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Travel Gear: Icebreaker’s City Label is a game-changer for the brand

New Zealand brand Icebreaker may be best known for travel apparel that you’d wear far outside of any dense concrete settings, but their still-fresh City label plays by a different set of rules. Although timing may have been a bit off, Icebreaker’s tightly curated City capsule launched early last year and has instantly become an…

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