What did your inbox look like today? If it was a constant influx of pointless CC’s and follow-ups then you’re one of many hardworking Aussie men in need of a little R and R.

It’s a wonder, really, that we live in one of the world’s most naturally beautiful countries yet we spend so much of our time cooped up indoors.

If you’re becoming consumed by wanderlust, or just getting a little mid-year stir craziness, we’ve put together an epic list of Australian destinations where you can truly switch off. No iPhones allowed.

#1 Magnetic Island, Townsville

Magnetic Island, or Maggie to the locals, is so relaxing that even Australia’s most chilled out animal, the koala, calls it home. In fact, Magnetic Island has a huge population of koalas, who along with the locals, have become part of the island’s breathtaking landscape.

Magnetic Island is actually 70% National Park but also boasts a whopping 23 pristine bays and beaches for those who just want to kick back and relax.

#2 Bay Of Fires, Tasmania

Picture this: turquoise-coloured ocean breaking onto a breathtakingly white beach fringed with huge boulders draped with iconic orange lichen. That’s what you’ll find at Tasmania’s Bay of Fires.

Named by Lonely Planet in 2009 as the world’s hottest travel destination, Bay of Fires is perfect for spending peaceful hours snorkelling in the region’s crystal clear lagoons, inlets and bays or leaving your footprints along the endless stretches of perfectly white sand.

#3 Hayman Island, Great Barrier Reef

A place of astonishing natural beauty, Hayman Island is perhaps best known for its One&Only resort which offers a whole new level of Magnificent Bastard-approved luxury.

With direct access to the Great Barrier Reef and world-famous Whitehaven Beach, One&Only Hayman Island offers everything from helicopter rides to seaplane tours, diving, snorkelling and fishing for the hardworking adventurer, plus plenty of incredible dining experiences and spa services to wine, dine and truly switch off.

One&Only Hayman Island was even awarded Best Australian Family Property in Luxury Travel Magazine’s 2016 Gold List, so it’s a must-go if you’re keen on luxury travel.

In fact, Hayman Island’s One&Only resort is currently offering ‘An Appetite for Paradise Curated by Neil Perry’ as part of MasterCard’s Priceless Cities, which encourages cardholders to travel boldly and live every day to the fullest, with access to unique experiences to over 40 priceless destinations globally. It’s definitely worth checking out if you’re looking for a bit of a luxe getaway and you’re a MasterCard user.

#4 Kangaroo Island, Adelaide

Sea-lions basking on white beaches, koalas dozing in lofty eucalypts, pelicans soaring over shimmering lagoons…Kangaroo Island is Australia at its very best.

Featured above is Kangaroo Island’s Snellings ViewHome, one of many incredibly properties dotted around the island, which to many is referred to as one of earth’s last unspoilt refuges.

From food and wine to wildlife, Kangaroo Island invites you to ‘go bush’ and immerse yourself in the art, scenery and natural delight.

#5 Wolgan Valley

Nestled private and protected by soaring bush escarpments, Wolgan Valley’s Emirates One&Only is a unique, conservation-based resort that not only encourages unplugging from your busy life back home, but combines luxury style with a quintessentially Aussie bush experience.

Conservation is at the heart of the Wolgan Valley resort and in addition to being built according to Ecologically Sustainable Design principles, it undertakes extensive and wide-ranging conservation at the property.

Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley was recently named TripAdvisor’s Top Hotel in Australia for 2016 and was awarded a Banksia Award in the recent Traveller’s Choice Awards for an ongoing commitment to a cleaner environment.

A guilt-free luxury getaway? Too easy if you’re a MasterCard holder. Along with One&Only Hayman Island’s ‘An Appetite For Paradise Curated By Neil Perry’, One&Only Wolgan Valley is also currently offering a luxury getaway for cardholders who want to wind down, kick back and enjoy an exclusive 5-course degustation dinner hosted by Neil Perry, as part of MasterCard’s Priceless Cities. Is it time to treat yourself?

#6 Maria Island, Tasmania

With historic ruins, sweeping bays, rugged cliffs and mountains, and remarkable wildlife, Tasmania’s Maria Island looks like something out of a dream.

The post 6 Australian Destinations Where You Can Truly Switch Off appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

If you’ve been daydreaming about escaping Sydney’s cold and miserable temperatures then we’re not going to be any help bringing you back to reality.

Travel + Leisure magazine has just announced the winners if the 2016 World’s Best Hotel Awards, so prepare to be impressed. From grand Californian farmhouses to an oceanfront Indonesian paradise and French Polynesian island getaway, these mind-blowing escapes are put together from the opinions of Travel + Leisure readers from around the world.

There’s even an Aussie hotel tying for 4th place. “Southern Ocean  Lodge wrote the book in terms of luxe wilderness in Australia…Despite its obvious glamour and exclusivity, the property manages to retain an unstuffy, youthful vibe – but with the correct formalities when required,” a Traveller.com.au review of the Kangaroo Island hotel said.

The post These Are The Best Hotels In The World appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Looking more like the ultimate bachelor pad than a dreaded place where dreams go to die, The Great Room is Singapore’s answer to the modern day co-working space.

The floor is designed to free traditional office dwellers from the obsolete confines of a desk and chair whilst offering up things like private telephone booths, lockers, showers, a yoga studio and one hell of a series of themed meeting rooms. Think vintage leather furniture, suede, velvet pillows and Okume timber desks along with open-plan natural lighting. Those lucky enough to call this place work will also be greeted with luxury appointments such as Tappeti rugs, exclusive art pieces and a good lashing of Mother Nature in the form of indoor plants.

Jaelle Ang who is the space’s co-founder said that, “Increasingly, workers and companies are realising they need to use a wide range and typology of work spaces to accommodate this increasingly diverse workforce and the different expectations of what work is, and where and when that work should happen.”

RELATED: 8 Items Interior Design Experts Avoid In Their Homes

“The best performers are measured by the value they bring into the business, and this value is no longer created by sitting for 40 hours in a traditional fixed office in front of the desktop.”

“They [traditional office spaces] no longer fulfil today’s evolving needs and co-working spaces. We decided to focus our workspace offering on the very ancient and primal act – which is about taking care of people and about communal consumption.”

The ambitious project was a result of Ang as well as designers Matt Shang and Paul Semple of Hassell Studio who overlooked the entire design process.

The post The Great Room In Singapore Is Cooler Than Your Workplace appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Black watches are fast becoming a major trend in 2016 with their masculine and versatile appeal persuading more watchmakers to join the dark side. Breitling is the latest to come out with a new black piece in the form of the Colt Chronograph Automatic Blacksteel – a beautifully crafted watch made for the adventure man.

Born from military roots, the new watch features a robust 44mm satin-brushed steel case finished with a high-resistance carbon coating. Within the case beats a self-winding chronograph movement which is certified by the COSC (Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute) to satisfy the astute requisites of superior precision and reliability.

A Volcano Black dial meanwhile shows off three separate dials at 9 o’clock,12 o’clock and 6 o’clock as the 1/4 seconds, 30 minute and 12 hour counters. A date window sits at the 3 o’clock marker. Oversized hands and hour markers are finished with luminescent coating to ensure visibility extends well into the evening.

To ensure that the watch can keep up with the most adventurous of men in this world, it comes with an option of either a rubber strap or a reinforced military grade fabric strap to suit any need.

The watch rounds things out nicely with a water resistance rating of 200m and an impressive power reserve of 42-hours.

The post Breitling Unveils The Colt Chronograph Automatic Blacksteel appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

As a testament to the power of drones in today’s world of professional photography, National Geographic have teamed up with Dronestagram to showcase the winners of the 2016 International Drone Photography Contest.

This year’s event marks the third annual competition to showcase a diverse range of aerial photos from around the world. From picturesque landscapes to the fiery pits of active volcanoes, over 6,000 images were submitted to the competition with three categories that could be chosen from. These were Travel, Nature and Wildlife and Sports and Adventure.

RELATED: Take Flight With Gabriel Scanu’s Sweeping Drone Aerial Footage Over Australia

To sum up the experience of capturing these unique photos, Max Seigal who is one of the drone photographers explained that the new technology had allowed him to capture images that were once unheard of.

“Two years ago I started flying drones, and I quickly realised their potential to capture stunning, never-before-seen views. I’ve been hooked ever since!”

The post Winning Entrants From The 2016 Drone Aerial Photography Contest appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Despite no official release date, there are still plenty of rumours circulating as to who will replace Daniel Craig as the next James Bond. While everyone from Idris Elba to Tom Hardy have been in the running, up until recently Thor’s Loki, Tom Hiddleston was a clear favourite.

Unfortunately, while Hiddleston has been busy globetrotting with new love Taylor Swift, a fresh face has snuck in to claim the highly anticipated role.

Meet James Norton, a British actor who, according to English bookies, originally ranked as an outsider but has had odds change dramatically in his favour from 25/1 to 2/5. In fact, Norton has out ranked Aidan Turner, Idris Elba and Damian Lewis to fill the shoes of Daniel Craig.

30-year-old James Norton has appeared in films like ‘An Education’ as well as TV series like ‘War and Peace’, ‘Happy Valley’ and ‘Grantchester’.

What does Daniel Craig think of Norton as a frontrunner? “I don’t give a f***…Good luck to them! All I care about is that if I stop doing these things we’ve left it in a good place and people pick it up and make it better. Make it better, that’s all.” Cheers for your input, Craig.

The post Meet The New Actor Rumoured To Be The Next 007 appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

House 1: a pad so spectacular, it doesn’t even need a name.

Located in Ubud, a town in the uplands of Bali, Indonesia, House 1 takes on the character of its surroundings. The area is known for its rainforest, its rice paddies, its temples and shrines, its traditional crafts and dance. German-born architect Alexis Dornier culled inspiration from all of these to build this tropical paradise.

The architect writes that the home was “designed around three historic ‘centerpieces’ of traditional javanese ‘joglo’ building style”. Residents and visitors are invited to explore those three artifacts through multiple levels, including a mezzanine, and from every angle.

The post Find Your Bliss In This Airy, High-Ceilinged Bali Home appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Christ the Redeemer, The Great Wall of China, Buckingham Palace, The Mona Lisa – iconic landmarks you’d recognise anywhere. But no matter how familiar you think you are with these sights, this is a perspective you’ve never seen.

It started 12 years ago, when photographer Oliver Curtis travelled to the Pyramids at Giza. Visitors faced the pyramids, jostling for space and fighting for the perfect shot. An idea struck. He turned around and snapped a photo.

That image evolved into a series over the next dozen years. Called “Volte-face”, the project is a unique take on travel photography. Instead of focusing on the landmark, Curtis takes his shots in the wrong direction, capturing the view looking away from the monument. The images are a playful reminder that there is life around each one, perhaps as interesting as the monument itself. Viewers and travellers alike are challenged to expand their perspectives.

The post The World's Most Familiar Sights Captured In A Totally Unfamiliar Way appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

When it comes to consumerism, Tyler Durden says it best: “The things you own end up owning you.”

When was the last time you made an unnecessary, excessive, and ultimately unsatisfying purchase? The impulse to acquire more can be overwhelmingly powerful, particularly in the age of social media. One quick scroll through Instagram or Facebook and you’re bombarded with examples of people showing off their things. And the natural, mundane, utterly human, response is want the same.

There’s nothing wrong with caving to your wants now and then, but losing control is a serious problem. That fleeting spike in happiness ends in clutter, buyer’s remorse, and a bruised bank account.

So how do you say sayonara to the rat race? Arm yourself with the following strategies on how to stop buying stuff you don’t need.

Shop With Purpose

Never enter a store – physical or digital – unless you know what you’re there to buy. Think of it like grocery shopping on an empty stomach. When you’re starving, everything looks good. You end up leaving the store with more food, and most of it junk, than if you’d planned ahead.

Shop with purpose. Head straight for your intended purchase and avoid wandering the aisles. There’s no such thing as “just browsing” or “window shopping”. It’s far easier to avoid temptation if you don’t put yourself in its path.

Change Your Mindset

It’s not just about setting goals, it’s about setting the right goals. Would you rather have a new work suit or put that money towards a bucket list trip? Do you need the new iPhone exactly when it comes out, or would that money be better spent paying off your debt?

Have a bigger goal in mind – you’re aiming for long-term comfort and happiness, not short-term satisfaction. Shifting your mindset can help you splurge while remaining financially savvy.

Take Inventory

Don’t wait for spring to do a major evaluation of your life. Spring cleaning can and should happen all year round. Ask yourself how well you really know what you own. Odds are, there are things stuffed in cabinets and tucked away in closets that you’ve completely forgotten about.

Conduct regular inventory checks and toss out anything that no longer serves you. It could be ill-fitting or out of style clothing, broken gadgets, duplicates of things you already own, or something you’ve just grown tired of.

Prioritise Quality

There’s a difference between stocking up on affordable basics and stockpiling them. No one needs a full shelf devoted to 2-pack H&M tees. The art of owning stuff is counterintuitive.

Buying inexpensive items isn’t always the path to financial frugality because the quality is comparably low. You may end up spending more in the long run by replacing the same item, when shelling out more for the better brand up front would have been the cheaper choice. You don’t always have to choose quality over price and quantity, but don’t be afraid to when it’s the right call.

Understand Store Psychology

Stores are messing with your mind. They exist only if you continue to spend, so they’re naturally invested in encouraging you to do so.

Retailers use a variety of tricks to get you to part with your hard earned. They manipulate your senses, your emotions, and even your body to increase the likelihood that you’ll buy. For example: navigation roadblocks. Stores commonly force you to walk around things you don’t need in order to access the things you do, thereby drawing your attention to new items. Research retail tricks to build up your immunity.

Shop For Needs, Not Deals

You don’t need to buy it just because it’s on sale. End of.

Delay Gratification

Sometimes avoiding pointless purchases comes down to diamond-tough willpower. Force yourself to delay purchases – 24 hours, 48 hours, 4 days – however long it takes to honestly evaluate your need for it.

While the pause button is pressed, have a serious think about the item and your current financial situation. There’s a good chance you’ll no longer feel a strong urge to buy it when the waiting period is over. And if you do, you’ll know the purchase was based on logic instead of whim.

Pay In Cash

Ditch your credit cards. Not only does it keep you from racking up debt, it also reminds you that the funds in your bank account aren’t just numbers on a screen. Money feels more real when you can see it. Likewise, it’s easier to squander abstract money than cold, hard cash.

The post How To Stop Buying Sh*t You Don't Need appeared first on DMARGE Australia.