The Australian Open of Surfing will be treating us to nine days of surf, skate and music in Manly Beach from February 11-19, 2012.

The free, all ages event, sponsored by Hurley and Billabong, will feature two live music concerts on the Channel [V] music stage on February 17 & 18. The Friday lineup kicks off at 4:00 PM with local acts, Grant Smillie, Bluejuice & Sneaky Sound System.  It all starts again, the next day, Saturday 18 February at 4:00 PM with the sounds of Stonefield,... read more

Toby’s Estate has been roasting coffee beans since 1998 after founder Toby Smith arrived home from a working holiday in Brazil. Since then he has taken over as one of Australia’s largest coffee companies. This includes many stand alone cafes serving up the best array of beans the world has to offer – think a Kenyan Single Origin AA Kaiguri Wet Mill and a cup of excellence coffee from El Alto in Costa Rica. Other beans come from far flung regions such as Guatemala, Ethiopia, Tanzania... read more

Fratelli Paradiso is a Sydney institution, feeding foodies since 2002. Recently we profiled the equally as delicious, and equally as near to my apartment, Fratelli Fresh. Whilst the two have no relation except the use of the word ‘Fratelli’ – ‘brother’ in Italian – both are some of the yummiest food you will ever eat. Without going into to many drooling details, this is simple... read more

After touring major festivals in a legendary burger van known as Meat Wagon, food brand Meatailer have taken over the space of a former Italian eatery in Soho, London, and set up a fabulous new restaurant and bar suitably called Meat Liquor. Using interior architects Shed for the overall concept and Singapore based design collective I Love Dust to adorn the walls using a team of graphic artists and illustrators, that in just one week covered every surface and arch with sprawling illustrations... read more

The Fratelli Fresh chain has become that of legend in Sydney. Without hesitation I can really say it is one of my favourite places. Ever. The laid back vibe, good food and lack of pretension is enough to get anyone there, any night of the week. The waiting time is testament to its greatness, and you are better off to get there earlier, rather than later! The ragu bolegnese is not to be rivaled in any restaurant I have ever eaten at and I could honestly eat it every single night! After successful... read more

We have spoken quite a bit in 2011 about Jane Pratt and her website xoJane. Tavi famously was going to be involved in the set up of this online fashion site, but then pulled out last minute due to creative differences. Anyway, xoJane is still operating, and operating out of Courtney Love’s West Village town house no less. They have been using the expansive space as a pop-up office and have just given a virtual tour of her home on the site. We LOVE seeing into noteworthy people’s houses.... read more

!Jay & Silent Bob are touring Australia in April 2012! And no, they wont be stood outside a city ‘seven-eleven’….  theatres nationally will host their live comedy PODCAST show, ‘Jay & Silent Bob Get Old’ . Thankgod Silent Bob started to talk! Rising to fame in 1994 in the cult-classic film Clerks, long time friends Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith then went on to develop their stoner ‘act’ in films such as Mallrats, Chasing Amy,... read more

Located in the heart of Playa del Carmen in Mexico, the Hotel Basico is a fascinating mix of Mexican influences only a few steps away from the invigorating Caribbean sea and white sand. An industrial contemporary vision with classical details harnessed rather than discarded, creating a new youthful cosmopolitan jumble of influences, making the hotel, and its founder the Grupo Habita, undoubtedly one of the biggest hotel stories in Mexico.

Cultural references to Mexican daily life are embraced... read more

Pharrell Williams’ cool Miami pad is more like a modern art gallery, showcasing his love of contemporary art through iconic pieces by Kaws and Murakami, amongst others. The open and airy space has the essential requirement of amazing light, paired with wow factor South Beach views, the perfect backdrop for some spectacular and colourful works. Palatial sized rooms easily house dramatic larger than life pieces, including a 20 foot tall Kaws Stewie painting, hardly looking out of place,... read more

This Saturday sees the return of the Deus surf swap to their flagship Sydney store; Deus Ex Machina Motorcycles in Camperdown.

Board collectors, take note; after throwing a gold coin towards Surfaid, who help support coastal communities over the world, you’ll be able to swap, sell or barter for surf boards from way back before the 1990’s; call them collectibles, if you will. There will also be live custom surfboard sprays courtesy of Marty Worthington, airbrushing by Tony Airspeed,... read more