Posts Tagged ‘ Sydney ’

Modern Villas (Literally).


Modern Villas create world-class luxury architecture, in a more time, and cost-effective way than prima donna “starchitects”.  A lot of their projects are “cross border”. A Belgian building in a luxury home Spain, a Dutchman building villas in the Caribbean, an American building mansions in Africa, or a Chinese building in Sydney the list goes on and on.  Their network of architects makes it safe and easy to build anywhere.  The videos may be virtual reality, but what you see is what you get.  Modern Villas is at the forefront of high tech architecture software. The luxury architects design in a virtual 3D environment, so they can create more beautiful, creative and luxurious home designs. Better, and faster.  It would be amazing to see your house before a single shovel hit the ground.  Check out some their spectacular designs already in existence.

Sydney’s ‘Prettiest’ Beach House.


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From the beginning, Pretty Beach House set a new standard not just because of its exquisite location and its exclusive home-like setting of just four private villas, but it also exceeded all expectations in terms of cuisine.  We stayed there every year and consistently kept it on our 10 best places to stay list, together with Castello Di Reschio in Italy , El Palauet in Barcelona land Saffire in Tasmania.  But it late 2012, a fire destroyed much of the main pavilion and our favorite resort closed for more than two years for complete restoration.  The main pavilion is elegantly restored with decommissioned railway timbers from 1883 and each of the four pavilions – Treetops, Bayview, Hideaway and The Retreat – are beautifully appointed with works and craftsmanship of local and international artists and artisans.

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The resort continues its tradition as a foodies paradise with its spectacularly cool new kitchen led by distinguished chefs and restaurateurs, Stefano Manfredi and Julie Manfredi Hughes, whose incredible cuisine impresses us every single time.  The interior design of the villas is un-pretentious and  beautifully fitting for the environment. Natural fibres, muted colours and restful accents create a perfect setting for the views of the incredible landscape with hundreds of old gum trees standing there like living sculptures.  The villas interiors are luxurious but not over the top and feature raw, natural materials which blend in with the more ‘designer’ elements. Privacy is paramount which is why, three of the four villas also has its own private swimming pool. The villas have their own old school record player along with a selection of vinyl, iPods with songs already loaded on it, king size beds have linen sheets, bathtubs and wireless internet (for online-junkies) so there’s nothing else to do but slide from day bed to pool and back again in a haze of sedation, facilitated by attentive staff who materialise at your every whim.

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Apps that will make travelling so much easier


With my Australia tour about to kick off in the middle of June, I know what a pain in the bottom planning a trip can be. These apps however are great tools to help manage your travel plans and activities. I’ll for sure download some of them! Check them out below!

1. Roadtrippers

Roadtrippers is a must-have for anyone planning a road trip in the United States. You enter where you want to go, make selections depending on what you want to see (natural wonders! weird stuff!), and the app will create a customized map for you.

2. Hotel Tonight

Get last-minute discounts on top-rated hotels using Hotel Tonight. You can only book a week in advance, so it’s not the best option for a long-planned family vacation…but for a fun, spur-of-the-moment getaway? Perfect.

3. Hopper

You’ll get your lowest airfares ever thanks to Hopper’s finely tuned price-prediction feature. First it figures out the best time for you fly, then it figures out the best time for you to buy tickets for that flight.

4. Travel Math

If your brain is frazzled at the mere idea of organizing a trip, let Travel Math do all the calculations for you: it’ll measure distances, travel times, budgets—whatever you need to know.

5. Ship Mate

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Cruise crazy? This is the #1 app when it comes to vacations taken on a ship. You can take a look at deck plans, read reviews of the different ports you’ll be stopping at, chat with other people who will be on your ship, and more.

6. CityMaps2Go

If you’re traveling outside your country and have to depend on Wi-Fi for internet, it’s smart to download all the maps you’ll need in advance at CityMaps2Go: they’re stored offline, so you’ll avoid roaming charges.

7. Pack Point

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Pack Point helps you decide what to pack depending on where you’re going, what the weather will be like, and what sort of activities you’ll be participating in.

8. Tripit

Tripit merges your flight, restaurant, hotel, and car rental confirmation emails into one “master itinerary” to keep you organized

9. Roomer

Your daughter is throwing up everywhere and suddenly going on vacation is no longer an option: What do you do about your hotel room? Get rid of it using Roomer. You list your room and wait to hear from someone who wants to take over your reservation — no more losing money on cancellation fees!

10. Jet Lag Rooster

Jet Lag Rooster will tell you how to shift your sleeping schedule in the days before a trip so you won’t be exhausted once you reach your destination.

11. Dude Where’s My Car?

The last thing you want to do when you get back from a trip is wander around the airport parking garage for 30 minutes, exasperatedly searching for your vehicle: Dude Where’s My Car keeps track of *exactly* where you parked and will guide you back to that spot. Plus, it also helps you find parking.

12. Loungebuddy

Did you know that you can use a ton of airport lounges even if you aren’t a first class passenger? Sometimes it’s worth paying a fee if it means getting to wait for your flight in a comfortable spot—Loungebuddy will let you know what your options are at the airport you’re flying out of.

13. My TSA

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Can you bring _____ through airport security? Open up My TSA and you’ll know in an instant. You can also use the app to look up how long the security wait times are at your airport so you’ll be sure to arrive early enough to make your flight.

14. Track My Tour

This app allows your loved ones to “join” you on a trip from the comfort of their homes: they “follow a breadcrumb trail of your tour by visiting the link you sent them,” while you document the most exciting spots you visit as you go—it’s the easiest way to keep people in the loop.

15. Unlike

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Put together your dream trip itinerary using the guides at Unlike, an app that “connects tastemakers and trendsetters around the globe with unique, essential and inspiring places.”

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16. iTranslate

Providing you with “90+ languages in your pocket,” iTranslate is one of the best translator apps available. If you’re heading to the Netherlands and you can’t speak Dutch, this is a necessity.

17. City Papers

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Find out what’s happening in the city or town you’re visiting using the collection of local newspapers available on the City Papers App: you’ll be able to discover concerts, craft sales, and other events that may not even be listed online.

18. Untappd

When you’re in a new place (for work or on vacation), open up this app and it will give you a list of popular nearby bars *plus* what sorts of beer are on tap there. You want to to find someplace that serves a state-specific microbrew? This is how to hunt a glass of that down.

19. TV Food Maps

If you’re more interested in food tourism than beer tourism, take a gander at TV Food Maps: it’s a guide to restaurants that are featured on popular TV series like Chopped and Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.

20. Happy Cow

Depending on what part of the country (or world) you’re in, it can be difficult to find vegan or vegetarian friendly restaurants: When you want some help with your search, browse through the listings on Happy Cow—you’ll find dining establishments with meat-free options all over the world. Lucky me, I can find bacon pretty much everywhere!!

21. LogMeIn

It’s a horrible moment when you realize that you need a file stored on your home computer when you’re 700 (or even just 30) miles away from it: LogMeIn allows you to access (and control) your home computer from anywhere.

22. Vayable

Vayable is a way to discover “unique experiences offered by locals” on your next trip. All of the available options sound so much cooler than traditional city tours: A midnight street food crawl! A guide to the most photogenic places in Paris! DIY seafood with a sea forager!

Sydney Australia Is Gettin All GeeDup.


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Fashion changes drastically from place to place, and touring Australia for a few weeks made me want to look into whats hot in the Land Down under.  The most striking brand I came across was Geedup, an Australian clothing company, started by two brothers. Their style is extremely reminiscent of the Cali streetwear scene, the selection of pieces is wide enough that I could wear a full outfit from them everyday for two weeks and still not have run through them all.  Check the method below.

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Established in the summer of 2010, the group of young entrepreneur’s that founded Geedup set up shop in Darlinghurst, and Parramatta, Australia.  I hope at some point they get a location in the States, however, you don’t have to fly to Australia to get your hands on their gear.  Their online shop has a great selection as well as accessories, which you can view by clicking any of the photos in the post, or right here.  I’m making it a priority to grab a few pieces before I head out.

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Dinner In The Sky 0ver Venice


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Guests at Hotel Cipriani on the isle of Giudecca in the Venetian Lagoon will be in for a truly celestial meal: 22 guests at a time will be invited up for a Dinner in the Sky — at a big table on a rotating platform raised 164 feet in the air over the hotel pool. Two chefs will take turns feeding the fearless guests. Up there in the air, the paying guests will be able to relish a whole gourmet meal or just appetizers, prepared alternately by Cipriani Hotel chef Renato Piccolotto or Cips restaurant’s Roberto Gatto.

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Those opting for the smaller meals will be served appetizers and pre-dinner libations. These half-hour dinners will be offered daily at 5:15, 6 and 6:45 PM. The three-course dinner with assorted wines,  one-hour meals will commence daily at 8 and 9:30 PM. Dinner in the Sky has already been served in several major cities, including Paris, London, Dubai, Las Vegas, Sydney, Monaco and Brussels.

Contemporary private Palm Beach property, Sydney


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Australian interior designers and architects Pike Withers Interior Architecture have designed a stunning residential property in Palm Beach, Sydney, Australia. According to the architects:

The client had visited our recent project, the exclusive Qualia resort on Hamilton Island and wanted us to bring this resort feel into his beach house. He wanted a laid back feel that was intrinsically calming. A particular request was ‘to be able to sit on the view’. This required an extensive re-think to the planning of the whole house. The kitchen and living areas were completely re-planned to create larger spaces that flowed seamlessly into one another. Balconies were extended and an automated sliding roof was installed over the living area to allow the house to literally ‘open up’. It was important for us to maintain an Australian feel and avoid the Bali cliché’s in producing a resort aesthetic. Although the aim was to have open spaces that were more communal and social this needed to be balanced with quieter spaces. The use of built in banquettes throughout the contemporary Australian house created intimate spaces to sit and escape or soak up the view. A particular innovation was the installation of the retractable roof that spanned over the whole living area.As the project was a refurbishment, there was always a carefully considered approach to what we could re-use. The bones of the house were good, so nothing was demolished without justification. Some of the elements from the existing house, such as some large timber beams were re-used into the landscaping. There was also an emphasis on improving the amenity of the contemporary house. The building changes meant that ventilation and light penetration were improved greatly. The use of custom made sliding timber and glass louvered screens meant that these elements could be controlled and flexible and therefore prevented a drain on artificial heating/cooling and lighting.

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Concrete Blonde.


I’m the type of guy who’s quite infatuated with blondes, and I also, like… uh concrete, I suppose.  Anyway, point being, is that Concrete Blonde doesn’t have a whole lot to do with either of those lovely concepts (cept for the interior design), but it’s still a wonder to behold.  I really like the work of Sydney’s Dreamtime Australia Design.  Dreamtime director Michael McCann and team are the designers of the Concrete Blonde restaurant recently launched in Potts Point at Kings Cross in Sydney.  Concrete Blonde is a 100-seat restaurant presided over by chef Patrick Dang who has brought the many nuances of his international experience to the stylish tables of Concrete Blonde. I love the stunning fireplace, the retro comic-book mural and the clever metal “tin-can” wall slots for firewood. The strong focus on metal evokes thoughts of industrial kitchens and huge dining halls, yet the atmosphere manages also to exude inviting warmth.  As it should be, the best feature of Concrete Blonde is the food. There are many options, plus the menu changes – the chefs here are capable of experimenting and improvising while focusing on freshness, local produce, Berkshire Pork, Murrylands Farm lamb.  But for now, all I can offer you is photos of the design.  Check the method.