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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Two Days in Mackay: What’s Actually Worth It
The Mackay weekend that earns its petrol money: the Bluewater Lagoon, soldier crabs at low tide, a 1932 pie dynasty and whales…
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A Saturday in Ponsonby: Shops, Coffee and the Good Stuff
A Ponsonby Saturday as a timetable: Allpress espresso, lunch at Ponsonby Central, a Thai massage reset, then degustation or 36-hour sourdough pizza.
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Ulladulla: The South Coast Stop Most People Drive Past
A working harbour, 270-million-year-old fossils and proper fish and chips. Three versions of the Ulladulla stop, sized to the time you have.
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Where Locals Eat in Nelson Bay
Nelson Bay’s reliable core: 6:30am cafes, honest fish and chips on Teramby Road, and the boathouse booking worth planning a night around.
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The Australian Bakery Order, Ranked: What to Get and When
Sausage roll first, pie before 10am, finger bun for the road. The definitive guide to ordering properly at an Australian bakery.
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Where to Eat in Cabramatta: A Local’s Shortlist
A day of eating in Cabramatta: pho and Vietnamese coffee at Cafe Nho, ube everything at Cafe 86, dry-ice theatre at Valet…
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A Weekend in Bendigo, Done Properly
Bendigo is a gold town that spent its money well. Two days done properly: down the mine, into Chinatown’s story, then parks,…
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A Saturday in Fremantle: Shops, Coffee and the Good Stuff
A walkable Fremantle Saturday: DUKES-roasted coffee, the markets early, a dense run of bookshops, and a beachfront lunch three steps from the…
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Is Yamba Worth the Detour? An Honest Answer
Yes, Yamba is worth leaving the highway for. Here is the one-day sequence that proves it: ocean pool, lighthouse, Clarence Street lunch,…
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The Mildura Food Guide: A Local’s Shortlist
Mildura’s shortlist: specialty coffee on Deakin Avenue, lunch off Eighth Street, an 1891 coffee palace and dinners that lean on Murray Darling…
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The Counter Meal: Australia’s Great Pub Food Tradition
The counter meal is Australia’s default good dinner. Where the pub tradition came from, how the ordering ritual works, and how to…
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Eating Newtown: The Places Locals Queue For
Newtown eats along two streets: King Street for bakeries, brunch and sharing plates, Enmore Road for martinis, bao and izakaya flames. Walk…