Better than a staycation? Qantas this week announced a one-off flight to Uluru.

The initiative follows Qantas’ “flight to nowhere” which sold out almost instantly (and which flew around Uluru, the Great Barrier Reef and the Gold Coast, without ever touching down, before returning to Sydney in the same day).

Continuing the series – and taking off on Saturday the 5th of December – the new “flight to somewhere” goes to Uluru, costs $2,500 ($4,000 for business class) and includes a one night stay (in twin share accommodation) at Sails in the Desert.

The overnight outing also includes a pre-flight lounge champagne breakfast, low level flybys of Sydney Harbour on departure and low level circuits to offer passengers a bird’s eye view of Uluru and Kata Tjuta.

Qantas is partnering with Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia to bring guests the Red Centre experience.

According to Qantas, “During their stay guests will enjoy a hands-on Indigenous art workshop, a Night at Field of Light including a three-course dinner under the stars using native ingredients, with a didgeridoo performance and an Indigenous interpretation of the night sky.”

The next morning, passengers will watch sunrise over Uluru and walk to the Muṯitjulu Waterhole as well as a visit to neighbouring Kata Tjuta, before a late morning brunch and a flight back to Sydney.

When Qantas posted the announcement to Instagram many positive comments came in, suggesting the airline keep the route as a permanent fixture and congratulating the initiative.

The announcement has also been met with much media fanfare.

However, judging by Qantas’ enticing (but chock full) itinerary, there doesn’t appear to be much time for passengers to loll in the luxury provided.

While few will admit to being disappointed by this (it’s all about the experience and soaking up cultural icons like Uluru anyway), taking some time to relax is arguably a fundamental part of the resort experience – and something which a flying overnighter will always struggle to provide.

Various cheeky Instagram photos with the hashtag (and geotag) ‘Sails In The Desert Hotel’ provide a taste of what the Qantas one nighters will likely be missing out on.

From posing awkwardly in the patio…

 

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A post shared by Pedro Carvalho (@pedroown) on Mar 25, 2020 at 7:14pm PDT

… to swimming in the pool…

 

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A post shared by Amy (@amyracheloc) on Mar 14, 2020 at 6:41am PDT

… to having a lazy afternoon with wine…

 

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A post shared by Rachael Hardy (@rachaelhardy) on Oct 19, 2020 at 9:00pm PDT

…to yoga…

 

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A post shared by denbysheather (@denbysheather) on Dec 11, 2017 at 1:57pm PST

… there will be a lot of potential ~lounging~ that goes unexperienced.

Though the stalwarts will say visiting The Red Centre is not about all that anyway (a sentiment we broadly agree with), we imagine there will be a few people who will secretly regret not having more time to lounge by the pool (but too ashamed to admit it).

An awkward dilemma indeed.

But hey: it’s a smart initiative, and will hopefully provide Australians with a greater understanding of one of Australia’s most culturally significant sites.

 

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A post shared by Qantas (@qantas) on Oct 28, 2020 at 3:04pm PDT

On that note: Qantas Group Chief Executive Alan Joyce said there has never been a better time to be creative in promoting our own backyard and supporting tourism operators.

RELATED: I Tried Bali’s Instagram-Famous Floating Breakfast Experience & It Was A Total Disaster

“Now that more borders are starting to open, we’re partnering with tourism operators on the ground to offer special flights to special destinations. Even though seats are limited, we think the awareness generated by these flights is a great way to get more people thinking about where they might holiday as we head towards summer,” Joyce said.

“As well as a handful of these special scenic flight experiences, we’re ready to ramp up our regular services with very competitive fares to help reunite families and friends by the end of the year.”

“Across Qantas and Jetstar, we’re currently operating at just under 30 per cent of our pre-COVID domestic capacity and if borders continue to be relaxed, we’re hoping that will reach about 50 per cent by Christmas. That will be great news for a lot of people in the travel and tourism industry as well,” added Mr Joyce.

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The post Flights To Uluru: Photos Reveal Awkward Problem With Qantas Flight appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Never one to veer too far from the headlines, Irish MMA fighter and UFC poster boy Conor McGregor has again found himself in the DMARGE pages for his choice in clothing. We recently saw ‘The Notorious’ stand out in an all-matching flower-print tracksuit (an extension of the summer trend we’ve seen from the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Kevin Hart and LeBron James) and his latest outing has again seen him teaming his top to his bottom.

Posting an image to his Instagram account to promote his August McGregor clothing line, Conor rocked the notoriously tricky to master double denim ensemble along with a true-to-form Patek Philippe, this time the World Time Ref. 5231J worth a cool AU$170,000. An entirely new interpretation of the company’s world timer that was first introduced in the 1940s, this latest model boasts a familiar Cloisonné Enamel dial and a 38.5mm yellow gold case. It’s as beautiful a watch as you can expect from the Swiss manufacturer.

 

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A post shared by Conor McGregor Official (@thenotoriousmma) on Oct 29, 2020 at 5:56am PDT

But for now, we’re more focussed on the outfit. Looking more muscular than ever (thanks in no small part to his Mediterannean water-cycle escapades along with countless hours in the gym) – and more thug-like thanks to an all-over shave – the recently-retired fighter pulls off the double denim look, of denim jacket and denim jeans, with absolute ease.

That’s no easy task, as the Candian Tuxedo, as it is also known, was long-deemed a fashion faux pas of insurmountable proportions. It’s claimed the look was conceived in 1951 in a fancy hotel in Vancouver, Canada where one Bing Crosby attempted to check-in. Instead of wearing a more formal suit, Bing instead wore head to toe denim from Levi’s. The concierge initially refused him entry to the hotel because “he looked like a bum”. The situation was quickly resolved and Bing was allowed to stay.

Following the mishap, denim eventually broke away from its working-class shackles and became a prominent part of mainstream culture, with more and more denim manufacturers encouraging the wearing of double denim. However, unlike Conor’s look, it was (and to an extent, still is) encouraged for people to wear denim of different shades or colours, as opposed to going full matchy-matchy.

That’s not to say you can’t or shouldn’t, wear a denim jacket or shirt with matching jeans, but if you do, make sure you have a more focal piece to break them up, such as a brighter colour t-shirt. Or, in Conor’s case, a t-shirt with a large centrally-placed graphic.

His new look has garnered much praise, with comments such as “Dope asf”, “Details are something else” and “Proper Denim”.

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The post Conor McGregor Lands Knockout Blow With Patek & ‘Canadian Tuxedo’ Combination appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Sydney Airport is usually a pretty exciting place, with a trip to Australia’s busiest airport normally meaning you’re off on a holiday or picking up someone you haven’t seen in a while. Today, however, it was exciting for an altogether different reason: it held one of the most spectacular car launch events anywhere in the world.

One of the great ironies about performance cars is that you’re very rarely ever going to be able to unleash their full potential during day-to-day driving, if ever. But a dearth in air traffic thanks to the pandemic has meant that Sydney Airport’s passenger traffic has slowed to a trickle. Bad news for airlines perhaps, but great news for a certain enterprising sports car manufacturer from Stuttgart with a new sports car on their hands.

Porsche and Sydney Airport coordinated with multiple government and regulatory agencies to safely and temporarily close runway 16L/34R, one of two runways that extends out into the Harbour City’s azure Botany Bay, for Porsche’s ‘Launch Control’ event this morning, which gave VIP guests and potential Porsche customers the unprecedented chance to send the new Porsche 911 Turbo S down a long, straight stretch of tarmac.

The new Porsche 911 Turbo S is based on the eight-generation of the ‘Neunelfer’, internally designated the 992. Its 3.7L twin-turbocharged flat-six makes a very healthy 478kW plus 800Nm of torque, does zero to 100km/h in 2.7 seconds, zero to 200km/h in 8.9 seconds and has a top speed of 330km/h, which drivers were able to tickle as they made their way down the 2.2km stretch of runway.

The lucky thrillseekers were able to get the Porsche to speeds in excess of 300km/h – for comparison, a Boeing 737-800, one of the world’s most common commercial planes and the mainstay of Australia’s domestic fleet – averages around 260/290 km/h on takeoff. If they were sharing the runway with some Qantas pilots, they’d give them one hell of a scare.

RELATED: How Australian Pilots Are Overcoming The New Challenges In The Aviation Industry

‘Launch Control’ sounds like a relatively simple concept. Get an open stretch of runway, some fast cars, and hope for good weather. But the event almost didn’t happen: such an undertaking required a great deal of planning and imagination.

“It started as a far-fetched idea that turned into a reality and once in a lifetime experience… it’s probably never going to be repeated,” Belinda Coen, Marketing and Events Manager of Porsche Centre Sydney South relates.

“Logistically there’s so many things to consider, first and foremost safety… a lot of work went into understanding the length of the runway, speeds the vehicle would be able to get to at various lengths and then working backwards … so we could deal with any situation.”

“COVID-19 has taken a massive toll on the aviation industry, and with our passenger traffic down by 97% we were able to consider an event which simply wouldn’t have been possible in normal circumstances,” Josh Clements, Head of Media & Communications told DMARGE.

One of the upsides of 2020 has been how it’s forced businesses of all shapes and sizes to innovate and take risks. We applaud both Porsche and Sydney Airport for such an amazing collaboration – and for the opportunity to experience some of the world’s finest sports cars pushed to the absolute limit of their immense capacity.

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The post Porsche Sydney: Carmaker Shuts Down Runway At Sydney Airport For Entire Day appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Despite its small size and geographical isolation, Australia has a uniquely saturated car market. There are over 50 different mainstream brands active in Australia – not to mention the countless tuning houses, bespoke manufacturers and importers that also add to the rich mix of cars on our roads.

But not every brand can survive such a competitive market. Over the years, brands have come and gone, with the automotive landscape in constant flux. Some brands have departed the Australian market because they’ve gone bust globally, like Leyland, Saab or Studebaker.

Others, like Opel, Daihatsu or Smart, still produce or sell cars in other markets but no longer maintain an Australian presence, leaving any cars that made their way Down Under as ‘orphans’. Whatever the case, there’s a surprisingly large number of ‘orphan’ car brands in Australia.

Despite the somewhat depressing name, orphan cars are often an incredibly attractive proposition. Not only are they a little bit left of field; rare by virtue of their orphan status, but they’re often priced incredibly competitively. For example, you can pick up a good condition Rover 75 for around $7,000, which compared to its competitors from the same era – such as the BMW 5 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Classes or the Jaguar X-Type – is a pretty good deal. But what’s the catch?

DMARGE spoke exclusively with Carsales Editor-in-Chief Mike Sinclair, who suggests that orphan cars can often be a gamble.

“The biggest issue with orphan cars is finding parts,” Sinclair relates. If there’s no longer a dealer or aftersales network to support the cars, it can be a real hassle if anything goes wrong… And some of these cars left the Australian market precisely because reliability was an issue.

“Saab parts [for example] are pretty easy to find, because they had a good dealer network. But Rovers? The Rover K series engines in the Rover 75 are grenades… Good luck.”

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A post shared by Kollector (@kollectorcars) on Mar 16, 2020 at 12:56pm PDT

It’s also worth being wary of cars that might not be from an ‘orphan’ brand, but because of importing or manufacturing quirks, they stand out in their class. A good example is the Holden Piazza. Only sold for two years in Australia between 1986 and 1987, the Piazza might have had a Holden badge but it was actually an Isuzu. The Giorgetto Giugiaro-designed liftback coupé was both incredibly expensive and received negative reviews for its dodgy handling, and so wasn’t a sales success back in the day.

Combine that with a short sales run and a lack of local parts (unlike its Commodore or Camira stablemates, it was made in Japan as opposed to Australia) and the Piazza has all the makings of an orphan car, despite coming from a mainstream badge.

Time will tell if all Holdens then become orphan cars, now that GM is shuttering the brand – although by virtue of Holden’s large historical sales network and legacy of domestic manufacturing, things won’t be as dire for Holden owners as, say, Geely owners.

RELATED: Timeless Bondi Beach Photo Unearths Forgotten Era Of Australian Motoring

Whether or not a car is considered an ‘orphan’ is quite subjective, and is often a matter of time. Holden might not be considered an orphan car brand in 2020, but in twenty years time when parts and support have dried up, it might be a different story.

Virtually any car from any manufacturer, if old or rare enough, will be a pain to look after. Toyota might be the world’s biggest auto maker and they still maintain a sizeable presence in Australia, but you’ll still struggle to find parts for a Corona or 2000GT.

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The post Orphan Cars: Expert’s Big Warning For Australians appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Sydney is known as an expensive, culture-less city. The LA of Australia. A soulless place of activewear and suits. The domain of personal trainers, recruitment agencies; bankers. A place where students thrive in pockets but ultimately escape to pastures with more milk crates and alleyways (usually Berlin or Melbourne). A culinary fugazi.

However, despite the ‘basic’ jibes, when the sun’s out, the thermometer’s singing and Christmas is close, there’s nowhere better to be than Opera Bar or its ilk.

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A post shared by Opera Bar (@operabarsydney) on Nov 24, 2019 at 10:00pm PST

Around the corner from Opera Bar (Sydney’s most iconic, Instagram-famous oyster shucker), one street back from Circular Quay, The Morrison Bar and Oyster Room is more of the quintessential weekday lunchtime Sydney oyster experience.

While Opera Bar is real estate agents, influencers; British expats who live in Bondi and work in insurance, The Morrison Bar and Oyster Room is more: well off CBD workers; lunchtime dates.

It also, arguably, offers a classier experience, thanks to the option to take your oysters with a Tanqueray gin and tonic granita, which Chef Conolly told DMARGE was inspired by Queen Elizabeth.

“They remind me of summer in an English garden, drinking gin and tonics on the lawn.”

I visited at the start of last month to get a taste of their freshly shucked Australian oyster offering, as part of their October Oyster festival.

Though the festival deal saw $1.50 oysters being served up everyday between 6-7pm, I visited at lunch where I ordered half a dozen oysters for $30.

Though I had been invited to eat for free, thanks to a Google Calendar malfunction on my end, I turned up a day earlier than invited, and was too awkward to be the guy that asks the staff “do you know who I am?”.

Suffice to say, I paid the bill myself, and also got the authentic experience of what it’s like to eat at The Morrison Bar and Oyster Room.

Of the six oysters, I ordered two with fermented chilli sauce, two with Tanqueray gin and tonic granita, one with kimchi vinaigrette and another with horseradish crème fraiche.

“I’m here for work,” I claimed to the staff upon arrival, who sat me down gently, helped me sign in, and politely found me a table despite the booking I claimed to have (I only realised my booking was for the following day after leaving) not existing.

I completed the image of ‘rich, lonely weirdo’ by sitting down by the window, uncomfortably looking at my phone every two minutes, and ordering the most expensive oysters I could find on the menu – with a side of hot chips.

Here’s everything I learned throughout.

It’s hard to embrace your inner ‘Anthony Bourdain’ this close to Barangaroo

Let’s start with an admission: I’ve lived by the coast my whole life, but I’d never eaten oysters before trying them at The Morrison Bar and Oyster Room.

So – though they were presented to perfection – after trying my first one I felt a little queasy (I’m not a huge seafood fan).

Trying to put images of the barnacle-covered Manly ferry out of my mind, I dug deep, searching for my inner Anthony Bourdain or Bear Grylls. Unfortunately, not being in the back streets of Vietnam or a greasy underground French kitchen, this proved tricky.

I tried to summon strength from an iconic Bourdain quote (“It’s about danger—risking the dark, bacterial forces of beef, chicken, cheese, and shellfish”) but found myself wanting, with the next part of said sentence hovering in my brain…

“Your first two hundred and seven Wellfleet oysters may transport you to a state of rapture, but your two hundred and eighth may send you to bed with the sweats, chills, and vomits.”

The granita is designed to be slurped with the Oyster, not as an ‘aperitif’

Panicking after putting the first oyster in my mouth, I got cold feet, slurped the gin and tonic granita, and then was left with nothing but bare oyster in my mouth.

I swallowed, shuddered, and returned to my hot chips.

Drowning them in lemon is not the answer

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A post shared by The Morrison (@themorrisonsydney) on Oct 22, 2020 at 7:00pm PDT

After eating my first oyster proved somewhat harrowing, and after realising I was only 1/6th of my way through the ordeal lavish experience, I tried a new tactic: lemon juice.

I quickly discovered a hint of lemon goes well – exceptionally well, in fact – with the oysters. A great big pool, however, does not.

The longer you go about eating oysters, the braver you get

Around oyster number three I developed the tentative strength to chew.

Barangaroo business people love to move their hands when they talk

As I usually eat lunch in Redfern or Surry Hills, I felt like an amateur anthropologist in The Morrison. Maybe I’m not the weird one after all?

If I ever want to be a food blogger, I need to be more brazen about how I take photos

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A post shared by Alexandru Harrington (@als___adventures) on Aug 6, 2019 at 6:23am PDT

Terrified of being outed as a food blogger, my quick snaps pale in comparison with other shots taken by other patrons who have posted their experience of the restaurant on Instagram (see above).

It’s more like a wine tasting than you might think

I even cleansed my palette between dressings with mineral water.

It would be better to have gone with a friend

It didn’t feel so much like ‘people watching’ as ‘people watching me.’ I can now empathise well and truly with anyone who has ever been stood up.

There is a substantial difference between a high quality and a low quality oyster

The Morrison Chef, Sean Connolly, told me via email, after my lunch, when I asked what the difference was between a cheap and expensive oyster, “When we’re choosing an oyster, we look for fullness and depth in the shell.”

“The deeper the shell, the bigger the oyster meat will be. If oysters are harvested too early they aren’t as fleshy. They’ll be skinny and not as meaty with a poor mouth feel.”

First time oyster eaters should start off gently

Chef Conolly also told me beginners should, “Start with a small to medium sized Pacific oyster,” thinking of them as “training wheels.”

“They are mild in flavour and minerality. They are sweet, creamy and less pungent than a Rock Oyster.”

In contrast, “Whilst Rock Oysters are great, they are not for the faint of heart,” Chef Connolly said.

Final thoughts

Despite being mildly horrified at first, being an ‘oyster virgin’ this kind of experience was probably the only way I could have ever got through six of them. I’m also now ruined for life: if I was this nervous about eating some of Sydney’s best oysters, imagine what I’ll be like next time I’m offered something that’s been hanging around a while at my local beach shack?

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The post I Tried Sydney's Classiest Oyster Establishment & It Ruined Me For Life appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

When you think about ‘coffee countries’, Japan is perhaps not the first to come to mind. Maybe you’d think of countries like Italy, France or Australia, places well-known for their coffee cultures. Perhaps you’d think of Brazil, the world’s biggest producer of coffee; or Finland, the world’s biggest consumer of coffee per capita.

The Japanese love their coffee too – but they enjoy the bean in a very different way to everyone else.

If you’ve ever travelled to the Land of the Rising Sun, you’ll have noticed how many vending machines there are. Vending machines are ubiquitous in Japan, with around 5 million on the ground today – that’s about one for every 25 people. They do more than just serve drinks, too: vending machines in Japan dispense everything from hot chips, fresh eggs, and even lingerie… You know, the essentials.

More pertinently, most vending machines serve up a wide variety of canned coffee. Served either hot or cold, canned coffee is incredibly refreshing – imagine a smooth cold brew, then add just the slightest hint of milk and a bit of sugar. The cans tend to be double-walled, and there’s a huge variety of brews, strengths and flavours available. Plus it’s cheap as hell: a standard can costs around ¥110 / $1.50.

While it used to be a uniquely Japanese phenomenon, canned coffee is now making inroads in Australia. Normally only available at Asian grocers or other specialist importers, Japanese market leader Boss (owned by drinks giant Suntory) has started selling canned coffee in Australian supermarkets, backed by a huge marketing campaign. Others like British brand Minor Figures and Melbourne-based roaster Seven Seeds have also jumped in on the canned coffee trend, their brews finding their way to Aussie shelves.

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A post shared by Seven Seeds Coffee Roasters (@7seedscoffee) on Oct 23, 2020 at 9:20pm PDT

What makes canned coffee different from iced coffee brands like Dare or Ice Break that have been a staple of Australian milk bars for years? Firstly, many ‘iced coffees’ are simply flavoured milk containing very little actual coffee. In comparison, canned coffee uses… Well, actual coffee. Plus, the ‘flash brewing’ method that’s used to make canned coffee preserves the flavour of complex brews far better than other brewing methods, producing a more robust flavour. It’s also possible to get canned nitro coffee – something the humble milk carton can’t handle.

Secondly, canned coffee can be consumed hot or cold – although cold’s definitely the way to go, in our humble opinion. They’re the perfect solution for Aussie coffee snobs on the move – throw a bunch of canned coffees in an esky and take it to the beach and you’re golden. The purity of their flavour also makes them perfect mixers for cocktails.

RELATED: How To Make The Ultimate Sweet & Stimulating Espresso Martini

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The post Japanese Canned Coffee: Latest Trend Poised To Take Over Australia appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Formula 1 is one of the world’s most popular spectator sports, and is experiencing an unprecedented boom in popularity – in no small part thanks to the unparalleled success of Netflix’s docu-drama series, Drive To Survive.

F1 drivers are also some of the fittest athletes on the planet and take their jobs very seriously. While a few like Daniel Ricciardo know when to have a bit of fun (if only for the cameras), most F1 drivers are serious (and smooth) operators. There’s no room for too many off-track antics.

While it’s refreshing to see a sport where the athletes are, well, athletes, it does leave some die-hard F1 fans longing for a return to the more flamboyant nature of years gone by.

F1 used to be known for the larger-than-life characters (and antics) of its drivers. The womanising, rule-flouting James Hunt; the hate-filled rivalry between the hot-blooded Aryton Senna and the master tactician Alain Prost; the stratospheric egos of team owners like Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone…

The comparatively straight-laced modern grid pales in comparison to the ‘I don’t give a fuck’ attitude that has defined F1’s history. Just take a look at this photo of Keke Rosberg and Emerson Fittipaldi chatting off the track in the 80s.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Classic F1 (@classic.f1.images) on Aug 24, 2020 at 4:34pm PDT

Take it all in: Rosberg’s positively pornographic moustache, the incredible retro sunglasses both are wearing, Fittipaldi’s tight polo into even tighter jeans… Never mind the fact that Rosberg’s parading around with his shirt off.

Modern F1 drivers wouldn’t dream of being so casual, despite being in better shape than any F1 driver from the 20th century and perhaps more entitled to flex their gains. Hell, Rosberg’s clutching a pack of Marlboros – could you imagine Max Verstappen or Sebastian Vettel having a smoke? The closest modern F1 drivers come to having a vice is Lando Norris’ obsession with streaming or Lewis Hamilton’s love of flashy clothes.

Another driver who loved getting his kit off (in more ways than one) was the legendary James Hunt. Here he is, in his element, at the 1975 US Grand Prix:

This weekend will see round 10 of the 2022 Formula One World Championship, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone Circuit.

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The post Less Abs, More Kebabs: Retro Photos Show How Formula 1’s Culture Has Changed appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Victoria this week clinked glasses to celebrate the end of (a phase of) a strict lockdown. What many Australians are not aware of, however, is that thousands of Victorians have been free for some time, having already moved to Queensland – even while stage four restrictions were still in place.

Though this has been characterised by various media outlets as “sneaky,” a Victorian who was part of this “migration” (and now resides in Noosa) has told DMARGE, of the people he knows who have moved, it has all been above board.

That said, our source – and many others who have crossed into Queensland via legal channels – are still “scared of backlash on social media,” such has been the venom directed at those who have stretched the rules (stories like this rich family being filmed by A Current Affair stopping in NSW on their yacht – with crew members getting off and allegedly walking around – on their way to Queensland probably haven’t helped).

In any case, thousands of Victorians reportedly fled the state for good during stage 4 restrictions (which were downgraded to stage 3 this week), with the most common reasons given being: the lifestyle, the freedom, the affordability, and the work from home revolution.

The best part? According to DMARGE’s source: “the weather, the weather and the weather.”

“Until yesterday in Melbourne, you couldn’t even leave your house other than for specific reasons – and if you did leave the house you had to stay within a 5km ring.”

“Up here it’s almost completely normal (other than a few stickers on the ground, hand sanitizer and bar codes).”

 

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A post shared by Noosa Fairy Pools (@noosafairypools) on Feb 21, 2020 at 2:23pm PST

“We left in August – the lockdown was already on. I remember talking to people – some thought it would be a few weeks, others said closer to November.”

“I was in the latter group – I thought it was going to last for months and months, which made the move worth it.”

“The borders were closed but you were allowed to relocate.”

News.com.au reports, “Under stage 4 restrictions, removalists [were] still considered essential businesses and Victorians [were] permitted to move house, within curfew hours.”

As DMARGE’s source confirms, many took advantage of this.

“To get across the border, Victorians need to be able to prove they have a valid lease or residency in Queensland and will have to go through mandatory two-week hotel quarantine,” he told us.

“You do it all on the Queensland government website, get your permit, get all your paperwork, show it to them at both Melbourne and Brisbane airports [and you’re good to go].”

“At the airport they look for a proper long term lease (not just an Airbnb for 2 weeks), and permits from the Queensland government website.”

“We had a new address and everything, did our 2 week mandatory quarantine in Brisbane then moved up to  Noosa – lots of people have done it.”

“Many people have done it – some via Brisbane, some via the Northern territory – where you can also quarantine.”

Some people have moved to Queensland to wait and see what happens next with Victoria, while others plan to stay for years.

“I know of people for whom this is absolutely permanent – businesses as well.”

“There used to be businesses based in Melbourne with a few people working from home in Queensland, and they’ve flipped it – now the bulk of the office is in Queensland and there’s a few people working from home in Victoria.”

 

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A post shared by Noosa Fairy Pools (@noosafairypools) on Jan 12, 2020 at 1:36pm PST

This trend has had various side effects – both good and bad. Though our source acknowledges that – from the perspective of a Queenslander – there are definite downsides to this influx of Melbourne lifestyle refugees, he also said there were positive aspects.

“Some people say it’s negative; Victorians are taking over.”

“In terms of rental properties being available it is a negative, but on the flipside, all this money is getting pumped in.”

“Yes it has put pressure on prices for rentals and buying houses, but at the same time the restaurants, bars and cafes up here rely on tourism, and they haven’t got that right now so the fact that there are more people up here is injecting money.”

“It’s good in that sense.”

As for the most popular Queensland cities, it’s a mixed bag.

“I’m in Noosa but I’ve heard it’s impossible to get rental properties on the Gold Coast and The Sunshine Coast. Brisbane is popular too, but being a bit bigger there’s more rental stock.”

“Even house prices are seeing a mini-boom right now.”

“Talking to real estate agents in Noosa I’ve heard they’ve been listing things and selling to people in Victoria via Facetime within 7 days.”

This fits with news.com.au research, which shows Victorians have been snapping up million-dollar properties, without seeing them in person first.

“According to online removalist platform Muval, 20,000 Victorians have looked at relocating since stage 4 lockdown was announced a week ago,” news.com.au reported in early August.

“Brisbane was their top choice, with 21 per cent wanting to relocate there, Muval said. About 17 per cent wanted to go to Perth and 15 per cent to Sydney.”

It’s not just Queensland seeing an influx of people; northern NSW holiday spots like Byron Bay are also incredibly popular right now, with Byron Bay locals allegedly “declaring war” on Melbourne “border hoppers” wearing “puffer jackets and ironed jeans.”

As for the so-called sneaky aspect to the migration, suggested by phrases like “border hoppers,” DMARGE’s source said he had heard of “people who said they were moving up to stay with a friend.”

“I don’t know what that involves. I don’t know how they did that but I have heard of people that did it.”

“But we did it properly and permanently with a long term lease.”

“We have always loved Queensland and wanted to live here, and the lockdown in Melbourne combined with working from home meant it was now possible.”

It’s not all fairy rock pools and beers by the beach, however, with various Victorian “migrants” missing aspects of home.

“Melbourne is a fantastic city,” our source told us. “But the weather is no good.”

“What makes up for it is the bar scene, restaurant culture, comedy clubs, music festivals, and sporting events.”

“But they have now all (at least for the time being) been squashed by Covid 19 and such a long lockdown.”

“Although Queensland can’t compete on all that, the weather and lifestyle are really attractive and working remotely is increasingly possible.”

This attraction is so strong that by the time our source spoke to a real estate agent in Noosa, in August, there was no surprise he was from Melbourne.

 

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A post shared by #VisitNoosa (@visitnoosa) on Oct 7, 2020 at 1:50pm PDT

“By the time we were talking to the real estate agent to get the lease, they were being inundated with people from Melbourne so there were no questions; they were very aware of the migration [phenomenon].”

“One friend moved to The Gold Coast – a similar situation to me; he’s always wanted to do it [and saw this as his chance].”

Knowing things were getting “snapped up” quickly, ” he got a place as soon as could, and figured he’d look for something better once they got up there.”

“Now there’s nothing else available so they’ve extended the lease of little spot they’re in.”

Tough times, beachy measures.

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The post Moving To Queensland: Victorians Seek Sunnier Life In Queensland appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

What to say about Lewis Hamilton… The British Formula One star regularly appears on this here website thanks to his consistently on-trend looks, such as this ‘matchy-matchy’ summer ensemble; his endless collection of envy-inducing IWC timepieces; and last but not least, his hairstyles.

Lewis channels almost as much time into his fashion choices as he does his on-track antics and, following his record-breaking 92nd Grand Prix win at the Portuguese Grand Prix – and by a huge 25-second margin over second-place teammate Valtteri Bottas – the Mercedes-Benz megastar has celebrated with a bold new look.

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Just one of them days #grateful

A post shared by Lewis Hamilton (@lewishamilton) on Oct 28, 2020 at 12:34pm PDT

Posting a photo to his Instagram page on October 28th alongside the caption, “Just one of them days #grateful”, Lewis revealed he’s ditched the corn-fro ponytail he’s been rocking for some time now, and let his hair fall freely into more of a shaggy afro/loose perm.

It’s a bold look for sure, but one that further cements the fastest man on earth as a go-to role model for style inspiration.

The post has not only attracted several thousand likes from fans but comments from some of his celebrity chums too.

All Fear of God founder Jerry Lorenzo had to say was “Cousin!” followed by a couple of laughing emoji, EDM DJ Steve Aoki joked that the pair can be “twins now” and close friend and supermodel Naomi Campbell commented, “What a mane lil bro.”

To be honest, a mane is probably the best way to describe it.

Lewis’ hair has often attracted its own headlines and has been known to change more often than his grid position. It has been previously suggested that the British racer has undergone a hair transplant to battle what was a receding hairline – a condition he blamed on the use of hotel soap – although he insists it has simply grown thicker naturally with the use of dedicated products (although, DMARGE has previously spoken to the professionals who doubt Lewis’ claims).

What’s apparent from this latest Instagram post is that the receding hairline has certainly been banished.

Whether Lewis keeps the new look for the next race on the season calendar, the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola from the 31st October to 1st November remains to be seen (we highly doubt he’ll be able to fit his helmet on).

What is clear, however, is that Hamilton is well on his way to joining Michael Schumacher as one of the most successful F1 drivers of all time. He’s currently 77 points ahead of teammate Bottas in the driver standings, and with the unrelenting form he appears to be in yet again this season, we can’t see any reason why he won’t win his seventh championship this year.

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• Lewis Hamilton’s ‘Classy’ Move Proves Money Isn’t Everything In 2020
• The On Trend Curly & Wavy Hairstyles For Men Will Get You Noticed

The post Lewis Hamilton Celebrates Record-Breaking Achievements With Bold New Look appeared first on DMARGE Australia.