The Scoop — Blog
Local guides, news & tips
Where to eat, stay, shop and play across Australia & New Zealand — from people who actually live here.
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Where to Eat in Chatswood: A Local’s Shortlist
Learn Victoria Avenue and Chatswood opens up: smoked brisket, Cantonese roast duck, Korean banchan and truffle benedicts, mostly on one street.
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A Weekend in Bundaberg, Done Properly
Bundaberg runs on two clocks: the Burnett River and the Mon Repos turtles. A weekend plan for both, plus strawberries and a…
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Nelson Bay on a Day Trip: Port Stephens Without the Overplanning
A Nelson Bay day trip with four commitments: a Fly Point snorkel, a headland or cruise, fish and chips, and marina ice…
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Where Locals Eat in Dunedin
Dunedin’s eating shortlist: 7am bagels on Dundas Street, an Octagon all-dayer, two Turkish kitchens covering 11am to 10pm, and a distillery tour.
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Parma Night: The Weeknight Institution, Explained
Why pubs sell cheap chicken parmigiana on Tuesdays, the parma-versus-parmi border dispute, and how to find a schnitzel worth the ritual.
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Eating Parramatta: The Places Locals Queue For
Parramatta eats street by street: Church Street theatre, twelve-hour lamb on Macquarie, a laneway coffee district and one sprawling beer garden.
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Rockhampton for a Weekend: A Local’s Plan
A Rockhampton weekend built on its two landmarks: Quay Street heritage on the Fitzroy River, and Mount Archer’s boardwalk at sunrise.
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A Saturday in Paddington: Shops, Coffee and the Good Stuff
A walkable Paddington Saturday: laneway coffee, two bookshops, a sunken heritage garden, gallery-hopping and a basement cocktail to finish.
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A Merimbula Long Weekend: The Far South Coast, Sorted
Three days in Merimbula: the lake circuit, one good feed a day, whales off Tura Headland, and an honest note on what…
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The Tauranga Food Guide: A Local’s Shortlist
Seven places carry Tauranga’s eating, from a 7am Chapel Street coffee to an aged-meat locker at the Mount. The local shortlist, with…
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How to Spot a Good Chippy Before You Order
The queue, the oil smell and a minimum of chips tell you everything about a chippy before you order. Here is how…
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Springvale Food Guide: What’s Actually Good
Springvale eats like a world tour: bun bo hue and charcoal pork, Taiwanese fritters, Eritrean injera, Saudi fried chicken and more, block…