freelance writer & editor
Each year, the uber-organised among us will lay out a budget for Christmas expenses while the rest of us spend with wild abandon, buying lavish presents for friends and family. All financial woes are set aside till after the festive period. But who wants to face fresh debts come the New Year? To help
It’s often said that those with money have it because they don’t spend it. They’re savvy frugaleers who know where every cent is spent and exactly how much they have squirreled away in savings. Then there’s those who are keen to save but still wonder where their wages have gone at the end of
Frequency H2O bottled water promises increased health benefits thanks to its innovative ‘vibration treatment’ – a clever marketing ploy that is helping it sell 30,000 litres a month in Oz. But as industry bodies say, the water tastes really good, so it begs to reason that this gimmick actually works – but how? Highlights
Just over nine years ago, the worst bush fires in Australia’s history devastated the small town of Marysville, a scenic hideaway at the foothills of the Great Dividing Range, only 90 minutes from Melbourne. Since this terrible event, known as Black Saturday, Marysville has well and truly risen from the ashes. Determined residents have
Is it time to admit that dog-friendly offices are more exclusive than health-friendly? Illustration by Brittany England Names have been changed at request of interviewees. It builds slowly. I start coughing — one of those annoying, tickly coughs that’s hard to listen to. My eyes itch, and the tip of my nose starts to
An amazing job in my field came up a few weeks ago. It was a short contract, part-time position and I was perfectly qualified to apply. Yet, I didn’t. I couldn’t, because like so many other roles I have seen advertised recently the office was pet-friendly. And not just any pets – cats. Dogs
Working from home can be a lonely gig for social butterflies like me. I crave human interaction and enjoy a bit of banter during the day. Co-working spaces offer a great alternative, even for a few days a week. They’re a dime a dozen where I live, with new offices popping up every few
Cycling along the jetty, I spot a dark flash in the water just outside my villa. A pectoral fin breaks the surface. It’s a black tip reef shark. Not too huge; about a metre long. I park the bike by the front door and fumble for the keys in the depths of my tote,
The second annual Parrtjima – A Festival in Light has opened in Alice Springs, home of the Arrernte. Illuminating Alice Springs Desert Park for 10 nights, the free outdoor public event showcases contemporary art by talented Aboriginal artists from around Central Australia. Derived from the Arrernte group of languages, Parrtjima (pronounced Par-CHee-ma) suggests shedding
Fast fashion – clothes produced at low cost to mimic the latest fashion trends – is unwittingly spurning an explosive trend in sustainable apparel. Here we share 6 Australian fashion brands that put planet before profit. To meet demand for fast fashion, clothing producers churn out collections of questionable quality and, sometimes, ethics. The
Only an hour’s drive from Melbourne, Woodend is a small town in the Macedon Ranges. It was settled during the gold rush in the early 1800s and was the main thoroughfare for prospectors heading up through the Black Forest to Bendigo and Ballarat. Today, it’s a quiet town, but has a quintessential Australian village
When I first ventured into the outback, I wanted to discover the real Australia. I wanted to see the red earth, the corrugated roads, and the billion-year-old rock formations. Having travelled to many remote places before, I thought I was well-prepared for a few weeks travelling through the great Australian outback. Oh, how wrong