Last Thursday, I was invited to attend the launch of Way2go, a bi-monthly user-generated magazine backed up by NRMA which offers inspiring and entertaining stories, personal tips and advice from passionate travellers. Call it Magazine 2.0 if you like.
The magazine is packed with real life experiences and quirky photography and travel tips. My favourite in this first issue was the DIY security with a rubber doorstop! The magazine even offers some awesome prizes for great stories.
Just before I take you behind the scenes to this media launch party, I am proud to announce the first giveaway on JENIUS! Scroll down to the end of this post for more info on whats up for grabs and how to win. I'm overwhelmed with excitement as PR and media agencies begin to embrace bloggers as this means there's plenty of good stuff coming your way. This recognition is rather flattering and I must admit that I'm enjoying the opportunity to network with some amazing people (as well as the free food, of course!).
Aerial view of function
The Way2go launch party was held at Mezzaluna, a modern Italian hotspot on Victoria Street, Potts Point. The restaurant was staffed by its 2 owners, bartenders and wait staff. I found myself rotating between the gorgeous warmth on the outdoor terrace which had a stunning view of the city skyline and the air-conditioned floor which featured a scrumptious array of traditional Italian bites.
Food on offer included this oven roasted stuffed suckling pig, freshly shucked oysters, grilled eggplant and zucchini, celeriac salad, crab and fish cakes, risotto balls, salmon carpaccio, figs wrapped in finely sliced proscuitto and much more. I finished off with not one but two servings of fresh gnocchi, the first with tomato sauce and the second with gorgonzola & cream sauce. It then only made sense to pair it with two pieces of chocolate and ricotta filled cannoli. Delish!
Oven-roasted stuffed suckling pig
Celeriac salad
Fresh figs wrapped with prosciutto
Mushrooms with blue cheese
Grilled zucchini and eggplant
Marinated capsicum
Crab and fish cake balls
Risotto balls
Lamb rolled in poppy seeds
Carpaccio of salmon
City views
Gnocchi freshly made
Fresh gnocchi cooking with tomato sauce
There was a business card pot competition which I coincidentally won as well! You can tell how thrilled I was in the pic below. It was the first time I had ever won anything decent! With $200 worth of lunch or dinner, I'll be back soon to try the a la carte menu.
Me winning business card pot prize
Cannoli
I left the night with a goodie bag of NRMA Publishing mags and a very cool USB key-chain photoframe! And there's something for you too... (scroll down a tiny bit more)
Goodie bag
Win 1 of 5 one-year subscriptions to the Way2go magazine!
Thanks to Zing, 5 lucky JENIUS readers will win an one-year subscription to the Way2go magazine!
To enter, simply leave a comment in 25 words or less about why you want this subscription to the magazine. Be the most creative to win.
Sorry, this promotion is open to Australian and NZ residents only.
Entries close on Friday, 27th February 2009 at 11:59pm. Winners will be announced on Tuesday 3rd March 2009 and will be notified via email for their address.
Good luck!
Way2go magazine is on sale bi-monthly at newsagents across Australia for $5.95. Issue 1 is out now. For more info, visit the official site.
This competition has now closed.
Congratulations to Julia, Marcel, Wynn, Laurachel and Mecho.
yum and double yum! i love me some piggy goodness :)
Hey Jennifer I was at the Way2Go launch also. Had to go out for dinner afterwards so sadly I couldn't eat much of the great food that was on offer. And I remember you winning the biz card prize draw also (lol, didn't even know there was one!).
Oven-roasted stuffed suckling pig is scary. Great party
I felt sorry for the pig since it was only half eaten. The handmade gnocci was really good though.
I actually don't remember you winning. Only thing I recall was that they had to draw it like 3 times to find someone that was still there!
Nice food pics btw.
Way2go Magazine
Who needs porn mags? Way2Go is all I need to get me going.
Hey Sweets how you doing?? Looks like you're doing just excellently! Just booked taste of Sydney tickets for me and the boy, soooooo excited! Hope your valentine's day was fantastic, mine was subliiiiiiiiiime, spent in haberfield - colefax, papa pasticceria, om nom nom!! We had tickets to Sydney Shakespeare Festival for last night but it got cancelled de to rain... I had prepared a picnic of chargrilled veg, stuffed mushrooms and smoked salmon and cheam cheese toasts which we ate at home instead. I took photos with H's phone because mine is on the blink, I might even upload them oneday! :P
Now that I have purchased our tickets for the Thursday night Taste of Sydney session, I better go get out of my dressing gown so that we can head into Balmain - Zumbo's here we come!
Take care petal xx
Deb Roach
Shez, as off-putting as the pig's head was, it was so delicious!
John, pity I didn't get to meet you! the food was great, wasn't it!
rajee, LOL! totally agree! But it's only scary up until you eat it. Yum!
inspiredworlds, thanks! Yes, surprised people had left early... but it meant I won, so their loss :-P
Julia, fantastic response!
Debzillah De Luxe, hey darl, I'll see you at the Taste of Sydney! Yay! Your picnic sounds divine -I'd love to see pics.
give aways? i wanna give away!
mmmmm fooooood..... ooooh travel...... the best of two worlds! nice giveaway - we deserve a getaway... ;)
I should win because I love food and I want ideas of places to go ;)
I want to read this mag
Where people like to brag
About their trips and tips
And fries they ate or should I say chips?
hope my entry is not too late
didn't know entries closed on yesterday's date
reminded by your blog of mezzaluna's gnocci plate
a dish i could never create
i'll just have to salivate
chances of winning way2go mag are up to fate!!
=p