Australia is foodie paradise. You’ve got wine in Western Australia and the Barossa, more dining options than you can throw a plate at in Sydney, and cold brew paradise in Melbourne.

But there’s one blooming foodie destination in NSW often slips under the radar: Orange. In the past Orange has suffered from the perception that it’s a long way to drive for ‘essentially the same kind of restaurants you’d get in the Blue Mountains’ (admit it: you’ve thought it).

But over the last few years, it has become a foodie hotspot and now has over 80 vineyards (and more than cellar doors than you can throw a glass of vino at). Some of these are just a short walk away from each other, so you can door hop your way through the region, as Eat Drink Play puts it, “tasting wine and meeting the lovely, inviting locals welcoming you with a vino in hand.”

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A post shared by Yung Leenz (@lil_litna) on Jun 24, 2020 at 4:02pm PDT

There’s also a nice cafe and restaurant scene.

Interestingly, then, for Sydneysiders looking for a quick escape (especially with the international travel ban still in place), Qantas has announced the launch of an “in demand” service to Orange, just in time for the July school holidays.

This will be the carrier’s first ever route from Sydney to Orange, and the first Q200 aircraft (Qantas’ designated aircraft for this route) will take off on the 20th of July. Flights take 50 minutes, which is a nice improvement to the usual four hour drive (or pricey REX flight).

The service was meant to launch earlier in the year, but was delayed due to The Pandemic.

The launch is also part of a wider strategy to ramp up Qantas and Jetstar’s domestic networks, which the airline hopes to increase to 40 per cent of pre-coronavirus capacity levels (it’s still quite low right now) in July.

The new route will also break regional carrier Rex’s “monopoly” (nine.com.au) on the route, which it has enjoyed for years.

How far it will bring prices down remains to be seen (Qantas is currently offering round trips in the $360 vicinity while Rex is offering the same for $412), but remarks from QantasLink CEO John Gissing suggest The Red Kangaroo is not going to shy away from a contest.

Gissing said the launch would bring much-needed competition, as well as connecting those with itchy feet (and curious tongues) to the town’s food and wine.

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A post shared by Urban List Sydney (@urbanlistsyd) on Jun 19, 2020 at 7:06pm PDT

“After years of locals calling for the flying kangaroo to fly to Orange, the iconic red tail will touch down there for the first time in a few weeks,” he said.

“These flights to Orange will make it easier for Sydney residents to discover one of NSW’s most beautiful regions and its world-class restaurants and wineries.”

“While our business has been challenged like never before by COVID-19, the launch of these flights is another step towards a recovery and getting more of our people back flying again,” he added.

As nine.com.au reports, “The airline will operate three weekly return flights between Sydney and Orange on its Q200 aircraft from July 20, with plans to increase the frequency later in the year.”

Read Next

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• Unlikely Aircraft Qantas Is Now Using For Sydney To Melbourne Flights 

The post Qantas Orange To Sydney: New Route A Dream Come True For Foodies appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

There’s a lot you can get up to in the back of a Maybach. But we’ve never seen a ‘biker Rolex’ debuted in one before.

Thanks to Aubrey Drake Graham, aka Champagne Papi, one of the biggest musicians on the planet, worth a cool 170 million USD, now we have.

The chart-topping Canadian’s got a taste for the finer things, and already boasts an extensive watch and jewellery collection, including a huge Stone Island chain, blinged-out Piagets and Jacob & Co timepieces, and huge Toronto Raptors NBA Grand Final winner commemorative rings.

His latest flex? Drake posted an Instagram story showing off an icy custom ‘Rollie’ whilst enjoying a beautiful summer’s day out on the road.

Relaxing in the back of an extremely luxe Mercedes-Maybach S-Class Landaulet, Drizzy’s clearly proud of his latest watch, which appears to be a Rolex Day-Date that’s had some serious work done.

Firstly, the Rolex has a bezel chock-full of baguette-cut diamonds, arranged vertically. The Day-Date is available with a baguette bezel but the factory arranges their diamonds horizontally.

Arranging the diamonds vertically cleverly imitates the common fluted gold bezel that comes standard on the Day-Date – whilst adding at least twice the amount of diamonds that a normal Day-Date baguette bezelled model would have.

Secondly, Drake’s swapped out Rolex’s classic ‘President’ bracelet for what looks like a Chrome Hearts-inspired solid gold number, with bejewelled cross motifs.

Chrome Hearts is a cult LA-based accessories brand, known for their Gothic, biker-inspired motifs. Hugely popular in the 90s, they’re famous for their luxe leather jackets, sunglasses and jewellery. Drake’s been a fan of Chrome Hearts for a while, having been spotted wearing one of their denim pieces court-side at a Raptors game.

It’s hard to put a price on Champagne Papi’s new watch – after all the customisation, it would be easily worth over 200,000 USD (289,000 AUD). It’s some insane stunting from the hip-hop superstar, who’s gearing up to release his highly-anticipated sixth studio album this North American summer.

He can also be spotted flexing a diamond-encrusted crucifix, as well as trying on an 1017 ALYX 9SM x Audemars Piguet Royal Oak later on in his Instagram Story, just for good measure.

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The post Drake Rolex: Singer Debuts Outrageous $200,000 Biker Watch In Typical Baller Fashion appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

As 2020 continues to recoil from The Bat Kiss, many of us are looking for ways to stay sane; ways to distract ourselves from the increasingly depressing global situation.

Necessity is the mother of invention, and lockdown’s birthed some seriously inventive (and off-the-wall) ideas as people around the world try to keep themselves entertained and maintain business as usual.

The Gran Teatre del Liceun in Barcelona recently reopened with a ‘plant audience’ – performers playing for an audience of over two thousand potted plants whilst humans tuned in via livestream in a spectacular piece of pandemic performance art.

In the absence of local sports content, Australian soccer fans have turned to the Belarussian Premier League and became only semi-ironic FC Slutsk supporters.

These are examples of wholesome, pandemic-appropriate activities for people to partake in. However, some young Americans clearly don’t give a f*ck, as a shocking new party trend has emerged in the United States.

Students in Tuscaloosa, Alabama have allegedly been throwing ‘COVID parties’ where the point of the party is to intentionally get infected.

Some young people in Alabama are throwing Covid-19 parties, a disturbing competition where people who have coronavirus attend and the first person to get infected receives a payout, local officials say. https://t.co/dfCQA4FxCE

— CNN (@CNN) July 2, 2020

“At first, I couldn’t believe it… they’re putting money in a pot, and they’re purposely trying to get COVID from the person who has COVID. And apparently whoever gets COVID first gets the pot,” Tuscaloosa City Councillor Sonya McKinstry told CNN.

This is hardly the first irresponsible pandemic trend that’s been observed in America. As summer rolls in around the Northern Hemisphere, Americans have flocked to beaches and tourist hotspots in defiance of social distancing rules, like this wild Missouri lake party on Memorial Day.

Alabama is one of the worst-hit states in America, with over 38,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Whilst some US states are starting to successfully ‘flatten the curve’, Alabama is one of a few states that has observed nearly four-figure daily jumps in cases in the last month.

The US remains the epicentre of the pandemic, with over 2.7 million confirmed cases – and rising. With the Fourth of July public holiday looming on the horizon, many are worried that Independence Day festivities will see a further spike in cases.

Read Next

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The post COVID Parties Amidst Surge In Cases Prove America’s Lost The Plot appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

There’s dedication, there’s commitment, then there’s Joe Rogan on an elliptical machine. No, really.

Though it’s a random image, visualising the 52-year-old podcaster, comedian and UFC commentator sprinting and competing with himself on a piece of equipment most of us leave for people recovering from ACL injuries, sums him up well.

But when you look at most people, you can pinpoint a moment in their lives when they were inspired to get hyper-competitive: some dude stole Muhammed Ali’s bike, Bulls GM Jerry Krause doubted Jordan… The list goes on.

A video of Joe Rogan, however, which recently came to DMARGE’s attention, suggests he’s always been committed to his training with a religious fervour.

 

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Here’s a story that no sane man would believe by Joe Rogan.

A post shared by Jordan B. Peterson (@jordan.b.peterson) on Aug 22, 2019 at 12:17pm PDT

The clip, posted on Instagram on August the 23rd 2019 by Canadian psychologist, polemicist and self-help author Jordan Peterson in June 2019, comes from a two and a half-hour interview Peterson did with Rogan on the 16th of June 2019.

“There was a girl that I was dating in high school who wanted to have sex at the gym,” (which Rogan had the keys to), he shared.

“I was like, ‘there’s no way. This place is sacred… This place is like a church to me.'”

Though on face value, it’s just a funny anecdote, it also shows what’s lacking in many people’s fitness – bloody-minded dedication and respect for their craft (not the half-arsed bicep curls you force yourself to do twice a week).

Though Rogan may be talking about a taekwondo gym, not your local Anytime, the point remains: if you want to make serious progress with your physique, find an outlet that you find so intensely interesting you actually want to train.

That’s step one.

Step two is: surround yourself with individuals who make you want to better your craft, to the point where you don’t even want to take short cuts (or do anything that would disappoint those who put their faith in you) even when you get the chance.

Of course, not everyone in the comments was convinced, with one writing “yeah right Joe, yeah right.”

Another commented: “He took her up there…. because he needed to get a workout in? lol I need to hear this in full context.”

Read Next

• Why Alcohol Is Better For You Than Self Help Books
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The post Joe Rogan Workout Reveals Extreme Level Of Dedication You Need For 'Serious' Gains appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Mark Wahlberg has been a fitness icon since the early 90s. The 49-year-old actor, restaurateur and former rapper has always had an incredible rig, and keeps in tip-top shape through a frankly ridiculous daily routine including a pre-dawn workout and cryotherapy.

Wahlberg owns a stake in Australian international fitness phenomenon F45, and even produced some (now cringy) workout videos in the 90s during his Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch days. In short? He’s a fitness inspiration for men the world over, who’d like to emulate his remarkable build and youthful vigour.

But his latest fitness escapade, a recent trip to an immunologist, perhaps shouldn’t be so quickly emulated.

The big Boston boy posted a photo of his (huge) back covered in welts from an allergy sensitivity test, also called a ‘scratch test’. For those who are unfamiliar, sensitivity or tolerance tests involve having your skin pricked with a variety of different, common allergens in order to diagnose potential allergies or intolerances.

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It only took me 49 years to realize I’m allergic to almost everything.

A post shared by Mark Wahlberg (@markwahlberg) on Jun 29, 2020 at 4:25pm PDT

Wahlberg’s comment is obviously a joke, but allergy tests can be scary (and a pain in the arse). Getting treated like a corkboard and getting a nasty rash to boot? It’s hardly the kind of thing you’d do just for kicks.

Fellow actor (and Hollywood heartthrob) Chris Pratt saw the funny side too.

“I’m no doctor, but based on the inflammation near the puncture marks it looks like you’re allergic to getting poked by needles,” Pratt commented on the Instagram post.

Mark’s nephew Jeff joined in on the fun, commenting “what if u found out u were allergic to wine”.

All jokes aside, Wahlberg’s allergy experiment might have done him more harm than good.

DMARGE spoke to A/Prof Sheryl van Nunen, Senior Staff Specialist in the Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergy at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney, and Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Sydney. As an internationally recognised authority on allergies and clinical immunology, she warns that sensitivity tests can sometimes return false positives.

“While it is possible to develop allergies later in life, it’s more common among kids or the elderly.”

“You’re likely to return a positive reaction towards something, but that doesn’t mean that you have a serious allergy. Whatever you do, make sure your testing is factually and clinically based. Different testing regimes pick up different things, too,” she explains.

In short? Just because Wahlberg’s back looks bad, doesn’t mean he necessarily has a bad allergy, and certainly doesn’t mean you need to run off and get an allergy test.

Because strong allergies are so uncommon, it’s unlikely that cutting out a food or allergen you have a sensitivity to isn’t going to miraculously improve your health. So keep that cat around and keep eating prawns (unless have an anaphylactic reaction, in which case, uh, don’t).

Prof van Nunen reveals that the most common allergy in Australia is hayfever, 74% of which is caused by dust mites.

“Australia’s climate makes it easy for dust mites to proliferate – they thrive in warm conditions. Additionally, dust mites are more prevalent on the coast, as they like humidity. Essentially, good weather equals more dust mites.”

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The post Mark Wahlberg Health Test Every Man Can Learn From appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

It’s that time of year again where the hard-working team at DMARGE venture deep into foodie territory to track down some of the country’s most handsomely succulent cuts of meat (if you’re a regular reader of this piece, you’ll soon come to learn that it is always that time of year to seek out succulent steaks).

With Sydney on our doorstep, a city devoted to the culinary arts, singling out the very best steaks is both a tough and an easy task. Easy, because there are several restaurants slinging steaks, making them easy enough to find, but tough because – not only can we eat so much in a couple of days – deciding which should be awarded a ‘best’ title poses a significant challenge.

This is no $10 pub steak contest either (even though there is a pub on the list). Some of the places featured here aren’t even dedicated steak houses. Instead, these are the coveted Sydney eateries which have all executed a signature steak dish within the culinary expertise fostered by their own imagination and unique interpretation of what the perfect steak is.

You want premium cuts and big flavour with a dash of flair? You’ve come to the right place. This is your ultimate steak guide for Sydney.

Firedoor

Rifling your way through hipster territory ground zero will lead you to one of Surry Hills’ more upmarket eateries called Firedoor. Head Chef Lennox Hastie leads the way with this innovative establishment which uses only select types of fire wood to cook their food, hence producing a distinct aroma to every dish.

Firedoor presented us with their famous 160+ day dry aged rib on the bone which comes in at a hefty 500g.

Cool fact: The Firedoor kitchen is completely open and you can watch the staff make your food without using any gas or electricity. We don’t recommend you stare and smile for too long though as this can creep them out.

Location: 1a/23-33 Mary St, Surry Hills

Vic’s Meat Market

Ever been to the Sydney Fish Markets only to smell the sweet char of BBQ? That’s Vic’s doing. Anthony Puharich is the man behind Woollahra’s Victor Churchill (a.k.a ‘The Bulgari of Butchers’) and also heads up this meat station in Glebe which includes a Wagyu Bar. On the menu? Australia’s most prized Wagyu beef by David Blackmore.

Vic’s Meat Market presented us with their top of the line Blackmore Wagyu sirloin with a marble rating of 9+. Don’t let the 250g serving deceive you though – each extravagant bite packs more succulent flavour than an entire herd of cows.

Cool fact: Eric is the Wagyu Bar’s dedicated chef. He’s a maestro behind the grill and a marvel to watch. He will also gladly grill you if he sees you pointing your chopsticks the wrong way. Think of him as a cross between Karate Kid’s Mr. Miyagi and the Seinfeld’s Soup Nazi.

Location: 50-60 Bank St, Pyrmont

Fratelli Paradiso

Steak at an Italian joint? Believe it. Besides running like clockwork as per any authentic Italian cafe with lots of shouting, Fratelli Paradiso also dishes up one of Sydney’s meanest looking steaks. Simplicity is key, they tell us, even though the elaborate plate up looks anything but simple.

Fratelli Paradiso presented us with their signature Fiorentina, also known as O’Connor Black Angus weighing in at a massive 1kg.

Cool fact: The exuberant staff at Fratelli Paradiso appear to run on coffee and adrenaline. We got offered coffee no less than five times until we said “Yes, Nonno”. The restaurant manager also told us that back home, the Fiorentina is usually up to 5kg of premium cow, but they had to downsize it to suit local tastes.

Location: 12-16 Challis Ave, Potts Point

The Oaks Hotel

The classic steak and pub gets a well deserved make-over across the bridge at The Oaks Hotel. Renowned for their 2kg Tomahawk steak challenge, we approached the kitchen and asked what would a real gentleman eat. Enter The Oaks signature dry aged rib eye. It’s no monstrosity of a steak but it was certainly a gorgeous piece of prime cut with sides to boot.

The Oaks presented us with their dry aged rib eye on the bone complete with roasted bone marrow.

Cool fact: There’s a huge Oak tree growing in the beer garden which probably explains the name of the place. The staff are also exceedingly friendly to a point where you want to hug them when they bring you your bill.

Location: 118 Military Road, Neutral Bay

Porteño Sydney

One of Sydney’s most famous Argentinian restaurants also has a dish that flies under the foodie radar. Their Wagyu skirt is one of the most unique cuts of steak you’ll ever taste this side of town. Prepared in the signature Porteño way with charcoal, the dish comes served in a hot iron pan.

Porteño presented us with their Wagyu beef outside skirt grilled over charcoal.

Cool fact: All the cooks at Porteño dress better and have cooler haircuts than you. In fact, they’re all models who just cook for fun.

Location: 50 Holt Street, Surry Hills

Rockpool Bar & Grill

You can’t say steak without thinking of one of Sydney’s finest steak houses. Perched in the centre of Sydney’s CBD is Neil Perry’s award-winning Rockpool Bar & Grill. The steak menu is extensive to say the least and the high ceiling design of the space is fit for any modern Gatsby-goer.

Rockpool Bar & Grill presented us with their Cape Grim rib eye which has been grass fed and dry aged for 60 days.

Cool fact: This expansive establishment has enough slick decor to match its high pedigree of food. The bar downstairs has a wine glass feature which houses at least a thousand glasses above your head.

Location: 66 Hunter St, Sydney City

Black Bar & Grill

The Star isn’t only good for a punt at the tables. It also accommodates one of Sydney’s slickest restaurants which does a beast of a premium cut steak. Inspired by both classic American grill and contemporary European dining, Dany Karam is the man at the helm of the kitchen who dished up their signature 1kg, 28 day dry aged Wagyu rib eye.

Cool fact: Their larger tables have real coral features which can cut your hands if you play with it. They look really cool against the backdrop of the water but we don’t recommend you take selfies with it. You also need two people to move it.

Location: The Star Level G/, 80 Pyrmont St, Pyrmont

The Cut Bar & Grill

The Rocks precinct in Sydney isn’t just good for ghost stories and touristy types. They also have a premium steak house which gives the title for best steak in Sydney a run for it’s money and it’s called The Cut. Housed within the heritage stone walls of The Rocks, The Cut carries an extensive selection of Sydney’s best tasting steak. And as they say, go big or go home. So we went big.

The Cut Bar & Grill presented us with their signature cut called, wait for it, The Cut. A 4-hour slow roasted Wagyu clocking in at 1kg.

Cool fact: Dining in The Cut is like dining in a dungeon with lots of happy people and great medieval/industrial interior design. The vibe of the area can also make you want to drink regardless if it’s a Tuesday morning.

Location: 16 Argyle St, The Rocks

The post Sydney's Best Steaks Are Hidden Away At These Restaurants appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

2020 is shaping up to be an annus horribilis. From bushfires and floods to deadly diseases and culture wars, it's been so crazy we can't shake the feeling something worse must be around the corner.

But even as New Yorkers slurp Prosecco (as protests rage in the background) and Sydneysiders cheek...

↬ Click here to view the full article/gallery on D'Marge

The post Youtuber Exposes The Glaring Hypocrisy Of The Australian Media appeared first on DMARGE.

Fitness is big business.

The global fitness and health club industry generates almost 120 billion AUD in revenue per year. It’s an entire industry built around selling dreams: that you can lose weight, become ripped or get healthy by doing x thing and spending x amount of time and money.

There’s a lot of bullshit out there, too. It can be incredibly difficult to sort the fact from the fiction and the marketing spin from evidence. Let’s face it, if fitness was a settled science, we wouldn’t be writing about it, would we?

One man’s made it his personal mission to dispel common health and fitness tips, and he doesn’t care about being too polite. James Kew, “body transformation coach” and founder of The Transformation Academy, is an acerbic English fitness fanatic who’s blunt style and considered advice has netted him a significant online following.

His latest piece of advice? Stop “farting around” at the gym and reconsider your approach to exercise.

 

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How long should you train for?’⁣ ⁣ The most important thing to understand is how LONG you spend in the gym is far less important than what you actually accomplish while you’re there!⁣⁣ ⁣ The number of people I see spending hours in the gym every day but wasting their time with excessive cardio or doing random exercises is mind-blowing.⁣ ⁣ If only they understood the basic principle of progressive overload, they could spend much less time in the gym and get WAY better results!⁣⁣ ⁣ Outside of controlling your diet, the most important factor in reshaping your body is making measurable strength gains!⁣

A post shared by James Kew (@jameskewfitness) on Jun 22, 2020 at 11:00pm PDT

There’s growing evidence to suggest that the key to gains is not about how much time you spend training, but the quality of your training.

It’s why high intensity interval training (HIIT) has become so popular: by pushing your whole body hard for a short period of time instead of slowly working out different parts of your body, you’re able to burn more calories more effectively in a shorter period of time.

We’re all time-poor, but having a considered and structured approach to your workout, sticking to the basics like Kew suggests is far more useful in the long run than chasing the latest and greatest new training technique.

Never forget the British Army’s ‘7 Ps’: Proper Planning and Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance.

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The post How To Get Ripped: Fitness Coach Reveals Sneaky Secret appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Ben Affleck’s played many roles over the years. A grizzled Bruce Wayne in Batman v Superman, hardened CIA operative Tony Mendez in Argo, a schlocky mobster in Gigli…

But his best role, and maybe the one he was born to do? A Burt Reynolds impersonator.

The 47-year-old actor was spotted out in Los Angeles on Tuesday sporting a luscious ‘lockdown beard’ and aviator shades, looking like a dead ringer for 70’s sex symbol Reynolds.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Mr. Reynolds, he was a TV and film star of epic proportions throughout the mid 20th century, starring in films like Deliverance, The Longest Yard, Smokey and the Bandit and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.

A pop culture icon, the late Reynolds is remembered as “the easy going cannonball of old school Hollywood manliness” – an attitude Affleck appears to be channeling of late (the easy going part at least).

Hitting the streets of LA to walk their dogs, Affleck strolls alongside girlfriend and Knives Out star Ana de Armas, wearing a maroon and white short sleeve tee, black jeans and blue sneakers.

He also wore a face mask, which he removed to smoke a cigarette, giving us a good look at his impressive ‘salt and pepper’ (but mostly pepper) iso beard.

Affleck joins the likes of Chris Hemsworth and Conor McGregor, who also, in recent months, have given up the ghost on clean-shaven grooming.

He also (whether consciously or not) joins thousands of men worldwide, who are growing their beards out this year in support of Melanoma charity Beard Season (which, in itself, has sparked a number of hilarious new face fuzz styles).

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The post Ben Affleck Beard: Actor Pays Tribute To Burt Reynolds appeared first on DMARGE Australia.