I used to think ‘professional’ meant no kidding around. I thought it meant suits and straight faces. Turns out, I was horrible at it so I starting mucking around. If they were going to fire me, dammit, I was going to enjoy myself. But a funny thing happened. I started getting better results. People seemed [...]

If you’re keen to ensure your next holiday is stress-free and full of fun, read on for the dos and don’ts of packing wisely. 1. Don’t Pack in a Rush It’s common to be running around trying to tie up a myriad of loose ends before you go on holiday. From making sure pets will [...]

It’s really easy to look around and give everyone else credit. You love that woman’s shoes, she has pretty eyes, she is so articulate … the list goes on. Why aren’t we this positive about ourselves? If you’re completely honest, do you think more negative than positive things about yourself? I am constantly criticising my [...]

Feeling out of touch with the spirit of life? Need to reconnect with yourself or your loved ones? One of the best places to shed the hard edges of city living and embrace the softness of nature is Hawaii’s big island. Get some sand between your toes, sun on your skin and head off on [...]

I am a pauper with a Champagne-soaked work life which is brilliant except when it comes to holidays. A lot of my friends mistakenly believe that my work trips are holidays but no. Just no. Most of those trips involve me being cooped up in a hotel room, wrestling with the free WiFi and drinking bucketloads [...]

‘Dear Aunty Em, A guy has asked me out but I suspect he doesn’t respect women, and perhaps isn’t even a grown-up, and the more time I spend with him, which hasn’t been much so far, the less I seem to like him. I’m attracted to him and it’d be nice to have a fling, [...]

It’s one of the most powerful things you can do, and also the hardest. What happens when you outgrow an intimate relationship? Most of us have been there at some point. The gut-wrenching realisation that you have to walk away from someone you love; someone you have a shared history with. Things don’t actually have to be [...]

If drinking wine was a sport, I would be a gold medallist. I am very, very good at it. That’s why I feel a deep yearning to go to wine mecca. In the same way marathon runners line up to get to Hawaii, wine lovers dream of South Australia. I have been to the Barossa and guzzled ballsy, old vine [...]

  ‘How do we stop being scared of living?’ – Scaredy Cat Dear Scaredy Cat, Stopping is not the point. Life is about being scared. If you’re scared, there’s a good chance you’re doing something. The point is the doing. What I understand from your question is that you’re thinking about doing something and those [...]

I have had mixed experiences with Airbnb, the upshot being that I’m a terrible host but a good guest. I have stayed in Airbnb properties in Tasmania and Brooklyn, NY, with great success. What I found curious was that all around New York, there were ads promoting how Airbnb was helping residents pay their living [...]