Browsing gallery category Gadgets

We asked Patricia Schultz, author of the #1 “New York Times” bestseller “1,000 Places to See Before You Die” what she always packs when she travels and she said 20 zip-lock bags in three sizes! What a great idea. They come in countless sizes and their best quality is that they’re clear, so you know exactly what’s inside everyone one of them without having to madly rustle through countless bags, lurking in suitcases or carry-on, for your shoes/make-up/other wot-nots… New-Yorker Patricia is a veteran travel journalist with over 30 years of experience, so you know a good tip when you hear one. Available at every supermarket.

Last week, in our ‘Come Fly With Me’ story, we met Lisa Byrne, the president of Cycling Victoria, and asked her for the one thing she always packs when she travels. She’s been “incredibly fortunate”, in her own words, to travel a lot, both within Australia and overseas, on trips with and without a bike.  On her bike, Lisa has climbed two, Tour de France-course mountains: l’Alpe d’Huez and Mont Ventoux. Amazing! Lisa says she never leaves home without “sunscreen, Band-Aids, lip balm, nail file and Deep Heat” because, “on every trip, at least one of these things has been worth its weight in gold!” So, this week, we’ve bundled up the adhesive strips with some other supplies, in a kit from St John’s Ambulance for you. Safe travels! Normally $49.95 but on special for $29.95. shop.stjohn.org.au

We recently featured the gorgeous Melbourne fashion designer Rebecca Thompson in Come Fly With Me and asked her to name something she always packs when she travels. Her answer? “Metallic shoes! Flat, wedge, pump and even sneakers. This way, your foot attire works with every outfit you pack.” Thanks for the advice and the inspo for my favourite this week, Rebecca. I have selected these fun silver numbers in your honour! $52. au.shein.com

Hot off the gadget press, the Aussie headphones called ‘nuraphone’ are dubbed “the world’s only headphone that automatically learns and adapts to your hearing by monitoring otoacoustic emissions — tiny tones the human ear generates in response to sound”. To personalise them, you simply create your own unique hearing profile and control your nuraphone settings using the nura companion app — for iOS and Android. $499. nuraphone.com

Every family road trip needs careful planning and that includes a kit of kid-friendly activities to keep the back seat happy between pit stops. Enter: Aussie Road Trip Games. These printable templates are the go-to for games to make long road trips lots of fun. The maker, Katrina Springer AKA The Organised Housewife from the Gold Coast, says her games “make them concentrate which results in some quiet time, gotta love that”. Amen! Each game comes in a set of 4. Games include Scavenger Hunt, which can also be used as bingo, Tic Tac Toe, The Dot Game, Riddles and other games. NB: This is a digital file that will be available for download after a payment has been made. A physical product will not be sent to you. $4.95 theorganisedhousewife.com.au 

You know how I love my Aussie wool, well, just the other week, I found this gorgeous, 100% South Aussie grown and knitted Merino wool product where you can make a personalised baby blanket, with Australian animals on it. Such a cute gift. You can specify the baby’s name and/or birth date and/or birth weight, in your preferred font in up to 30 characters. These one-metre-square-sized blankets are available in grey, blue or pink, all with a cream/natural base colour, and you can choose from kangaroo, koala, emu, platypus, or kookaburra emblems. $114. ewe2you.com.au