If you had a birthday sometime during the last few months, it probably didn't quite live up to expectations. Because of COVID-19, we've had (very necessary) restrictions on gatherings, which means that birthday shindig was most likely a little smaller than you'd hoped. To help ease the pain every so slightly, Krispy Kreme has announced it's giving away an extremely excessive number of doughnuts. How many? 350,000, to be exact. On Monday, July 13, Krispy Kreme is giving away a dozen Original Glazed doughnuts to Aussies who celebrated a birthday between March 13 and July 13. To snag yourself 12 signature glazed freebies, head to your closest store in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or Perth. Sydneysiders have ten stores — stretching from Penrith to the CBD — to choose from, while Queenslanders can pick from five different doughnut shops, with the most central in the CBD Myer Centre, and Perthians can head to one of three Krispy Kreme stores. The free doughnuts are not available at BPs, Jesters or 7-Elevens. Because of stay-at-home restrictions in Victoria, the deal is only valid at one of three drive-thru stores: Fawkner, Fountain Gate and Bulleen. You can find out more about those restrictions over here. The 350,000 doughnuts will be spread across all Aussies stores. So, you'll want to get in relatively early if you want to kick off your Monday with a free sweet and doughy treat – and don't forget to bring your ID. If you do miss out, however, Krispy Kreme will be offering buy one dozen, get a dozen free from Wednesday, July 15 till Sunday, July 19. Krispy Kreme's free doughnut giveaway is happening nationwide on Monday, July 13 for those born between March 13 and July 13. To find your closest store and check its opening hours, head to the Krispy Kreme website.
It is safe to say that if you know anything about modern music, you will have heard of Ringo Starr. Well, maybe not, but you’ve surely heard of The Beatles – one of the most legendary and revolutionary rock bands of the past century. Ringo Starr was a part of the band for most of its storied career and is a widely recognised name in music. After the dissolution of The Beatles, Ringo wasn’t satisfied with living idly off the royalties of their back catalogue. He has busied himself with numerous solo projects (17 albums worth!) throughout the years and, after a long time away from Australian shores, comes down under to perform for legions of life-long fans. Ringo will be performing with his All Star Band, consisting of members of similarly iconic bands like Toto, Mr. Mister, Santana and Journey. This is a rare chance to see some of rock music’s greatest musicians perform some of rock music’s greatest songs. Get in quick or miss out.
Quick, fashion capital? If you said Brisbane, you'd only be half right. Ol' Brisdawg isn't exactly known for it's...let's say, fashion ability. Footwear is optional to some, and ponchos are an acceptable form of winter attire. Fret not, fashion fiends, there are many people behind the scenes working hard to change this. Identity is one such event that is aiming to take Brisbane to bigger places, and put our name on the fashion world map. This annual celebration of Brisbane’s fashion culture is showcasing pieces from Tiffany & Co, Mitchell Ogilvie, The Frock Shop, Samantha Ogilvie, Nancy King and Richards and Richards, as well as some amazing international labels. For the first time, Identity will be held in chic Queens Park next to the Treasury Casino, making it an event like no other. Brisbane songstress Katie Noonan will also be the main entertainment, taking to the stage for an exclusive performance. So really, in one event you’ve got an amazing singer, amazing clothes and an amazing opportunity to watch the fabulous and drink Moet. And if you get a bit tipsy, you might mistake the city for Milan. Fingers crossed. Don’t wait to buy tickets though; being ‘fashionably late’ won’t get you anywhere here.
Calling all nomads and avid campers: a Japanese company called DCW has designed a mobile pod home that will fit in a mini van and can be assembled on any terrain. The pod allows you to choose your own style of living while still being at one with nature, and can be placed on flat ground, steep hills or even turned into a kit houseboat if you feel like taking to the sea. The manufacturer has said it can be easily built "by two women" in half a day but may take a little longer to pull it down, possibly a whole day. Don't let its size fool you; this mobile house may look extremely tiny but it can sleep up to 3 people when you manoeuvre the sofa bed in the right way. The Mobile House Kit has yet to be given a price tag, but surely if you love the outdoors and want to experience nature in style then it will be worth breaking the budget for.
MONA's summer festival Mona Foma is returning to Launceston this summer — and so is its airline, Air Mofo. After its debut last year, the 'private airline' will once again be on standby to usher guests from the mainland to Tasmania for the 2020 event in serious style — for free. The catch? You don't just get a seat on the purple and yellow Boeing 737 — you get the whole plane. So you'll have 149 seats to fill with your nearest and dearest, and basically anyone else who's free on the main festival weekend of January 17–19. The plane will leave from either Melbourne or Sydney, and everyone on board will be get free return airfares and a three-day festival pass. It goes without saying, you can expect more than just your average in-flight entertainment on-board. Your flight down south will be filled with all sorts of performances and is promising to be 'suitably lit'. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmcAp570GRs&feature=youtu.be To enter, you'll have to do some detective work and pinpoint the Air Mofo plane on this map of Tassie. While clues will start going up on the Mona Foma website from today, you'll have to wait until next Thursday, October 10 to enter. First person to find it wins the trip. Then, they'll have just a month to organise their 149 guests. Air Mofo is once again a collaboration between Mona Foma and Tourism Tasmania, and the prize is valued at a whopping $99,000. The summer arts and music fest will take over Launceston from January 11–19. At the moment, the lineup has DJ and producer Flying Lotus coming in to Launnie from LA and a performance from classical musician Ludovico Einaudi — but the full thing will be announced on Friday, October 18. Three-day festival passes are also on sale now — this year priced at $129 for the weekend. And, if you're looking for other ways to enjoy the festival's new surrounds, check out our weekender's guide to Launceston during Mona Foma. Mona Foma 2020 will take over Launceston, Tasmania from January 11–19. Enter the competition over here.
Brisbane loves a bottomless offering. Some of the River City's go-tos include free-flowing cocktails over lunch at Cloudland, brunch with endless gin at Covent Garden and the promise of infinite yum cha at HUA at Queen's Wharf. Now, Bisou Bisou, Fortitude Valley's all-day French restaurant, is getting on the wagon with Oui Oui High Tea. This initiative gives you one-and-a-half hours of St-Germain spritzes alongside a high-tea tower for $69 per person. To stay on theme, start with the St-Germain Hugo Spritz, a signature cocktail served in a teapot. After that, you might be tempted by the High Tea Fizz, the Lady Grey Mar-tea-ni, or the Elderflower and Peach Bellini (or all three). Also included among the free-flowing drinks are select wines, beers, mocktails, tea and coffee. Meanwhile, on the tower, you'll find brioche rolls packed with chicken and lathered in tarragon-mustard-mayo, alongside vol au vents filled with brie and fig jam. For the sweet tooths, there are house-baked scones with whipped Chantilly and strawberry jam, plus chocolate profiteroles with vanilla pastry cream. Arrive early and you'll even be given a St-Germain tote bag and water bottle. Oui Oui High Tea is happening on Saturdays and Sundays from 11.30am–3.30pm. It's $69 per person with alcohol, or $49 without.
Vivid Ideas festival director Jess Scully knows how to get psyched about winter (it ain't all wet feet and friendless Call of Duty marathons). From pickling workshops to no-holds-barred pampering sessions, DIY crafternoons to steamy hot chocolate-Robert Pattinson combos, Scully knows how to embrace winter with a big ol' hug. So throw on your favourite chunky knits and welcome the chilly season with Jess's tried and tested gear-ups. To take advantage of these and even more great Sydney winter experiences, go to lastminute.com.au and line up your fun-filled days and even cooler nights. Get pickled That used to mean something different in my twenties... how times have changed. This year my friends and I are taking a winter pickling workshop at Cornersmith in Marrickville; we're going to learn to do it ourselves, in the hopes of constructing the perfect Ploughman's Lunch down the line. Get pampered I tend to take better care of my skin and hair in winter; in summer I let the sun and sea take over, and I feel healthier just by virtue of being outdoors. But in winter, I go to the experts. My go-to place is Brad Ngata at The Ivy, where I will get a pro-keratin treatment to hydrate my hair (winter actually dries it out) and a gloss to cheat a little and get some all-over shine. Get cosy At the end of Vivid there is nothing I like better than getting a big hot chocolate, getting cosy in a cinema chair and soaking up beautiful images at Sydney Film Festival. This year I'm particularly excited about seeing The Rover — not least because I'll also be able to sit in on a chat with director David Michod and actors Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson, on Sunday June 8... Get hearty For breakfast I'll be trying out every one of the Top Five Porridges in Sydney (as selected by Concrete Playground: expect my rankings shortly!) and then I'll be hunting down the best pub roasts for lunch and dinner. I've also been dreaming of a giant schnitzel and beer from the amazing Concordia Club in Tempe; 'tis the season for mash and gravy! Get crafty After a few months of exhausting mental work, crafting and presenting the Vivid Ideas program, I always feel like doing something with my hands. So I love the workshops at Koskela, giving me a chance to get messy and tactile and hands-on. I took Gemma Patford's rope basket workshop last year, and this year I've got my eyes on a Shibori indigo dyeing workshop. Vivid Ideas runs until June 9. Check out the events still to come over here.
Natalie Portly has dysmorphia, a mental illness that creates and unhealthy fixation on body image and a preoccupation with perceived unwanted physical defects. This is a pretty hard condition for an aspiring ballet dancer to have, right? Fat Swan is a production starring Trevor Ashley, a Helpmann Award nominated performer. The show follows Trevor’s character, Natalie, as she struggles with her overbearing mother, her psychotic choreographer and her rival. Playing for a short time at The Powerhouse, Fat Swan is a reportedly hilarious and touching story about a ballerina’s attempts to become a star. It features a cast of well-known Australian performers, ‘fleshing’-out the Phil Scott written script. This is an 18+ performance due to the mature themes within the story.
If you see an unusual number of fictional characters roaming the streets this May 4, you're not crazy, but you are missing out: it's Free Comic Book Day. Every year on the first Saturday in May (this year it coincides with Star Wars Day, so expect a lot of Jedi robes and Princess Leia buns), comic book stores around the world give away free comics to anyone who walks in. Free Comic Book Day started in America, but it's been picked up by stores in Australia as well. Aiming to "reach out to those individuals unfamiliar with the comic book specialty market", Free Comic Book Day sees many publishers ship specially printed comic books, often previews of upcoming titles, to participating stores around the world. It's not just about the free stuff, though — most stores will have special events going on like artist signings, dress-up competitions and giveaways. The website also has a handy store locator, so you can see what stores are participating near you.
Update Wednesday, 9 February: More Splendour sideshows have been announce from Parquet Courts, Dayglow, Starcrawler, Surfaces & Tai Verdes. You can find all the details on how to purchase tickets to these shows via the Mistletone and Frontier Touring websites. Splendour in the Grass 2022 is a festival that has been three years in the making. After two years of cancellations and postponements, the festival is set to finally grace the fields of North Byron Parklands in July this year, with a lineup that closely resembles the set of acts it originally announced for its 20th anniversary edition back in 2020. If you couldn't score tickets to the three-day festival or haven't been able to get time off work to venture up to Byron Bay in the middle of the year, you're in luck: a heap of the international acts from the lineup have announced sideshows. Heading up the huge announcement is Oasis's Liam Gallagher who will be performing in Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth; New York indie legends Yeah Yeah Yeahs popping up in Sydney and Melbourne; and rap sensation Jack Harlow who will be making appearances in Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. Joining these superstars on the list of sideshows: Duke Dumont, Yungblood, Jungle, Mura Masa, Aitch, Tom Misch, Oliver Tree, Orville Peck, Dillon Francis, Tierra Whack, Jpegamafia, Sofi Tucker, Still Woozy, Holly Humberstone, Biig Piig, Joy Crookes, Hinds and Renforshort, as well as UK viral sensation Wet Leg who will be supporting Yeah Yeah Yeahs on their run of shows. [caption id="attachment_748423" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Orville Peck[/caption] Headliners Tyler the Creator, The Strokes and Gorillaz will also be setting out on their own previously announced sideshows, however tickets to these have already been snatched up, so if you don't have them already you may be out of luck. Sydney and Melbourne have predictably scored shows from all the acts on the roster of sideshows, Auckland and Perth will have the chance to catch a good chunk of the artists, while Brisbane and Adelaide have received one show each — Yungblood in Brisbane and Sofi Tukker in Adelaide. Brisbane is often hard done by when it comes to Splendour's touring gigs, presumably due to its proximity to Byron Bay. As for Adelaide, it's receiving its own Spin Off festival on Friday, July 22 featuring Glass Animals, Jack Harlow, Sapcey Jane, Ball Park Music and Oliver Tree. You can find all the details and the full roster of sideshows at Secret Sounds website. [caption id="attachment_842129" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Joy Crookes[/caption] Splendour in the Grass will take place at North Byron Parklands Friday, July 22–Sunday, July 24. The festival's sideshows are popping up across Australia and New Zealand in July. Tickets go on sale from 9am Monday, February 14.
There's money to be made in the business of curing hangovers. At the moment, the bakery around the corner bears the brunt of my need for three-cheese toasties on sorry-for-myself mornings, but others have had a good crack at trying to strategically break into the market. This Nashi pear juice claimed to help prevent hangovers, and late last year Sydney got its first hangover clinic (although it was soon closed after it landed a patient in hospital). The idea of hooking yourself up to a drip not all that appealing? Luckily for you, my poor, fragile hungover friend, a South Korean convenience store chain has created a much more appealing hangover cure — and it comes in ice cream form. Reuters reports that convenience store chain Withme FS has just launched the Gyeondyo-bar, which roughly translates to "hang in there". As well as providing a much appreciated motivational message, the grapefruit-flavoured ice cream bar is meant to soothe the effects of a hard night on the booze. The magic ingredient is raisin tree fruit juice, which is apparently a traditional 17th century Korean hangover remedy. If you need reassurance from more recent medical research, a 2012 article in the Journal of Neuroscience found that it reduced symptoms of intoxication in rats. This isn't South Korea's first foray into the world of miracle hangover cures. Their vast array of hangover drinks, tablets and even soups amounts to about $175 million in sales each year. This is obviously linked to the city's big drinking culture. According to a 2014 report from the World Health Organization, South Koreans drink 12.3 litres of alcohol per capita each year — that's more than any other country in the Asia-Pacific region, including Australia. So if you're a fan of the morning-after Icy Pole, then this hangover cure would be a (literal) treat. Can someone get Messina onto this? Via Reuters. Image: Alex Jones.
After the apocalypse arrived from above in the form of extra-terrestrials that leap upon any and every sound, audiences have already seen what happened on day 89 and day 471–7. We've also caught a glimpse of the day that started it all. But A Quiet Place and A Quiet Place Part II prequel A Quiet Place: Day One is going right back to the beginning properly, and not just via flashbacks. The third effort in the now-franchise is also headed to New York. On the way since 2021, and just dropping its first trailer ahead of its June 2024 release, the latest A Quiet Place film steps into the alien invasion's initial impact in the Big Apple with 12 Years a Slave Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong'o (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) at its centre. As the initial sneak peek shows, she's walking happily with a cat in her arms when the sky starts falling — and she soon realises that noise is what sets off earth's unwanted new visitors. When A Quiet Place hit cinemas in 2018, did stellar things with its mostly dialogue-free premise and gave films about otherworldly attackers a creative spin, it quickly proved a big box office hit. That's hardly surprising; Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer) added another formidable role to her resume, John Krasinski (Jack Ryan) did great work both in front of and behind the camera, both Millicent Simmonds (Wonderstruck) and Noah Jupe (The Undoing) turned in excellent performances, and the entire movie made the absolute most of its silence-heavy approach and its niche in the horror genre. So, not only was a sequel always likely, but more in the saga after that, with Day One giving viewers more time in the franchise's eerie dystopian world. The trailer for the new film shows snippets of the first two movies' Abbott family for context, but it's Djimon Hounsou (Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story) who returns from A Quiet Place Part II among the cast. In the sneak peek, he pops up late to help stress why surviving requires keeping your lips zipped as tightly as possible. A Quiet Place: Day One also features Stranger Things star Joseph Quinn, who leaves Vecna behind for different monsters. Behind the lens, instead of Krasinski sitting in the director's chair, fellow filmmaker Michael Sarnoski helms — swapping Nicolas Cage on a vengeance mission over his beloved pet in Pig for tackling invading aliens. He wrote the screenplay, too, after coming up with the story with Krasinski. Originally Take Shelter, Mud, Midnight Special and Loving's Jeff Nichols was set to direct, but left due to creative differences. Check out the trailer for A Quiet Place: Day One below: A Quiet Place: Day One releases in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, June 27, 2024. Read our reviews of A Quiet Place and A Quiet Place Part II.
If one man's trash is another man's treasure, then a trunk full of junk may as well be a treasure chest. Suitcase Rummage gets that when it comes to shopping, secondhand reaps the best bang for your buck. For years, it has been hosting regular events around town — and, after a chaotic 2020, now it's still going strong in 2021. Next unpacking its bags on Sunday, September 5 and Sunday, September 18 at Brisbane Square, Suitcase Rummage will feature a crowd of open suitcases filled with the type of clothes, knick-knacks and craft you probably don't need but definitely deserve. If you can't make it now, try again on the first and third Sundays of each month. And, if you've got a pile of unwanted bits and pieces that someone else could love, you could always take your own suitcase along. Those who wanting to sell their wares must register — and it'll cost $25 for a 'stall'. You can bring up to three suitcases, so you can lug in all those shoes you've been promising to wear but certainly will not. [caption id="attachment_760661" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Suitcase Rummage[/caption] Top image: Yan Chen via Suitcase Rummage. Updated August 27.
It is near impossible to describe Crystal Castles. They really are in a category all of their own when it comes to musical style and sound – categorised as experimental electronic music, in reality though, this hardly encompasses everything you can hear. You might know them from their heavy rotation on Triple J, particularly Baptism, which has been flogged to the high heavens. From their roots in Toronto, Ethan Kath and Alice Glass have since stormed the music scene, with their 2008 debut (self titled) listed in NME’s top 100 albums of the decade at number #39. Their second album built upon this success, reaching number one on electronic music charts and sending them off touring the globe, including Australia. This week they're in town and will perform their widely talked about stage show. Recently Glass broke her ankle, but kept up the stage antics ala our own Patience Hodgson (despite the leg in a cast). Oh yes, this will be more than a gig, it will be an experience.
Last last year beach expert (actual title) Brad Farmer released the first edition of his book 101 Best Beaches, in which he and coastal geomorphologist Professor Andy Short visited all 11,761 of Australia's beaches. Together they named Cossies Beach as their top spot of coastline in the country. However, given the fact that it's located on a secluded island in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands and is about a four-hour flight from Perth, it's not exactly an easy (or affordable) trip for the average traveller. But in more accessible beach travel news, TripAdvisor has just released their best Australian beaches to travel to in 2017. At the top of the list is Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island — its seven-kilometres of pure white sand and clear blue waters giving it ten palm trees out of ten on the paradise scale. Others on the list include tourist-heavy spots Surfers Paradise, Noosa and Sydney's Manly Beach. Turquoise Bay in Western Australia also gets a look-in, as does Broome's Cable Beach and Emily Bay on Norfolk Island. The list has been pulled together from traveller reviews and ratings on TripAdvisor over the last year, and takes into consideration the quantity and quality of feedback. Obviously the list is determined by the users of TripAdvisor — but even if you don't use it, millions of people do, so it definitely has some sway. The travel site also ranked the world's best beaches, where Whitehaven was the only Australian beach to get a place at number 17. The number one spot went to Brazil's Baia do Sancho. See the full list of beaches below. TRIPADVISOR'S TRAVELLERS' CHOICE BEST BEACHES IN AUSTRALIA 1. Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Island, QLD 2. Surfers Paradise Beach, Gold Coast, QLD 3. Noosa Main Beach, Sunshine Coast QLD 4. Manly Beach, Sydney, NSW 5. Turquoise Bay, Exmouth, WA 6. Burleigh Heads, Gold Coast, QLD 7. Cable Beach, Broome, WA 8. Mooloolaba Beach, Sunshine Coast, QLD 9. The Strand, Townsville, QLD 10. Emily Bay, Norfolk Island
Master of surreal everything (movies, TV shows, music, coffee), David Lynch has released a new track titled 'Crazy Clown Time' through his Facebook page. The experimental track is as weird as you would expect (see Twin Peaks soundtrack and Lynch's 'Good Day Today') and is part of Lynch's debut album of the same name, due to be released in November. It sounds like anything he'd include in his cooky cinematic or television work - a touch of weird appearing in the non-descript auto-tune vocals provided by Lynch himself. Of the album the song is on, Lynch thinks it's full of accidents and "should be in hospital." Is there anything the man can't do? https://youtube.com/watch?v=2GXGc4EobS8 [via Stereogum]
There is an idea in many young directors minds that to make a production amazing, they have to do something different: mix up styles, buck trends, go against convention – do anything to attract audiences, rave reviews and notoriety. But there is such a thing as ‘biting off more than you can chew’ and sometimes it can pay off big, and other times can lead to complete ruin. That is the premise of Cosi, a production focusing on an up and coming theatre director, tasked with putting on a production of Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte with psychiatric patients. Sound complicated? You have no idea. Starring two of Australia’s best young acting talents, Jessica Marais and James Stewart, and directed by David Berthold, Cosi is one of the first major productions of 2014 to take centre stage at the Roundhouse theatre. With a dynamic cast, incredible production values and a remarkable story, Cosi is a great way to kick off La Boite’s stellar theatre year.
Each year, Smithsonian invites photographers from around the world, professional and otherwise, to submit images that capture great beauty and evoke wonder across five specific categories — The Natural World, People, Travel, Americana and Altered Images. Of the 37,600 submissions, the 50 final images memorialise moments that are both astounding and mundane, but consistently beautiful. A shot of policemen running through the national congress in Brasilia competes with the everyday, yet equally poignant, image of a Texan snow cone stand at dusk. For sharing the best of their photo trail, contestants get the chance to secure some substantial coin, as well as the satisfaction of knowing they've captured a truly Kodak moment. Although the winning submissions are ultimately decided by the Smithsonian’s editor, in an appeal to democratic sensibilities, a Reader's Choice Award will be announced after tallying up online votes, which are open until late March. Naturally, only Concrete Playground has the authority to decide who the real winners are, as selected largely based on their ability to momentarily transport us to a parallel universe in which it is not a Monday morning in front of a humming computer. Scroll down to visually kiss the sky. The Natural World A pair of menacing bald eagles share a meal, as captured by Don Holland of Tennessee, bringing Hitchcock-inspired nightmares to mind. The Natural World David Morrow's Milky Way, as shot in a Washington national park, is even better than the chocolate variety. People Ilain Fain's portrait of three young girls inside a Greek Orthodox church in Nazareth suggests that childhood boredom is a universal phenomenon. People A young baby sleeps protected by the gaze of his watchful mother on a Congolese night in Paolo Patruno's photograph. Americana Ron Henderson's unaltered photograph of the mascot for underwear brand Fruit of the Loom captured on location in the Californian desert proves that sometimes truth really is stranger than fiction. Americana Times Square gets patriotic in Doug Van de Zande's image of technicolour shadows. Travel Afraid of losing the moment, Raul Amaru Linares yielded his camera instinctively when he spotted these musicians arriving pre-performance at a bull ring in Ecuador. Travel Playing with finger paints takes on a new meaning for this little boy in Indranil Sengupta's depiction of India's "tiger dance" festival. Altered Image The wrath of mother nature humbles in Tim Wright's image depicting the aftermath of a tornado in Iowa. Altered Image Pramod Shakya captures a building as it comes to life in Xi'an Jiaotong University. Images and story via Smithsonian.
Thanks to Guy Sebastian, Dami Im, Isaiah, Jessica Mauboy, Montaigne, Sheldon Riley, Voyager and Electric Fields, Australia is no stranger to heading to Eurovision. In November 2024, the iconic song contest is coming to us instead. For the first time ever since beginning in 1956, Eurovision is touring, with an Aussie show now locked in for Brisbane before spring is out. London, Paris, Stockholm, Madrid, Warsaw and Amsterdam are also on the itinerary before and after Eurovision on Tour's Down Under gigs, but its visit to Australia is different. This is the only country receiving multiple concerts, spreading Europop across the nation's east coast — in Sydney and Melbourne as well. The concept dates back to 2019, but the pandemic initially got in the way. After that, it took two years of negotiating to lock in the setup. Now that Eurovision on Tour is officially happening, it'll play The Tivoli in Brisbane on Wednesday, November 13 with 18 performers. On the lineup: Australia's own Im and Silia Kapsis, with the latter competing for Cyprus this year. Attendees can also look forward to 1991 winner Carola from Sweden, 2013 winner Emmelie de Forest from Denmark, and everyone from the UK's Nicki French, Portugal's Suzy and Malta's Destiny to Efendi from Azerbaijan, Ovi & Ilinca Bacila from Romania, and both Rosa López and Soraya from Spain — plus Italian African pop star Senhit. Eurovision on Tour Australian Lineup 2024 Senhit (San Marino) Dami Im (Australia) Carola (Sweden) Destiny (Malta) Efendi (Azerbaijan) Emmelie de Forest (Denmark) Esther Hart (Netherlands) Jalisse (Italy) Linda Martin (Ireland) Nicki French (United Kingdom) Ovi & Ilinca Bacila (Romania) Rosa López (Spain) Silia Kapsis (Cyprus) Soraya (Spain) Sunstroke Project (Moldova) Suzy (Portugal) The Roop (Lithuania) Theo Evan (Cyprus)
Yeerongpilly's Plant Empire sells greenery every day of the week, helping folks with green thumbs — and those who wish they had them, too — fill their homes with leafy babies. But on Sunday, December 3, just before the merriest day of the year, it's doing something more than that. You can still peruse the store's shelves for plants, of course; however you can also head round back to check out the pop-up Christmas market. As well as plants, you'll be able to scope out a range of pots. If you're going to buy one of your loved ones some greenery, you'll want something to put it in, obviously. Also on offer: ceramics, jewellery and other handmade crafts. And if you happen to arrive hungry — Sunday mornings can do that to even the most satisfied stomach — there'll be food and coffee available as well. Folk 'n' Broken Hearted will be providing a soundtrack, too, adding some tunes to your browsing and buying. Just drop by the Station Road spot between 9am–1pm, when the morning-long market and its 60-plus stalls will be in full swing. The usual advice applies here, as it does to all plant markets: yes, more greenery is always a good thing. Images: Plant Empire.
With plenty of IKEA furniture ending up deep in the Gumtree 'For Sale' ads or left on the side of the road, the Swedish retailer came up with a pretty clever plan to give those unwanted flat-pack ensembles a second lease on life: a buy-back service. In good news for those moving house or faced with an accumulative collection of Malm blond wood pieces, the chain allows Australians to return their retired IKEA pieces to their nearest store, ready to be sold on to a new home — and score a voucher for their efforts. For ten days between Tuesday, November 24–Thursday, December 3, IKEA is going a step further — because Black Friday falls within that period, and because it's keen to make the annual buying frenzy more sustainable. Return an unwanted IKEA piece between those two dates, and the retailer will double your refund. So yes, you'll receive twice as much as you would if you brought in a few bookshelves either now or once the special is over. And, you'll be able to use that refund for a year after its issued. So how does it work? If you've got some furniture you want to get out of your life, you'll need to get an estimated quote online. Between the aforementioned dates, that web calculator will automatically double the value of your returned item, compared to normal. Then, you'll need to take the quote and your furniture — still fully assembled, mind you — to your closest IKEA location. Once there, your furniture will be assessed by an IKEA staff member, and they'll confirm the a value and give you a buy-back refund card to use in-store. The one big caveat: to score double the refund, you'll need to be an IKEA Family member (otherwise, you'll just receive the normal amount). It's free to join, though, and you can sign up online. Even with twice as much credit on offer, the buy-back scheme still works in the same general way. So, it's only for IKEA furniture, and not for other products like lighting, mattresses, textiles, kitchen components or appliances. That's because the bought-back pieces need to be in good enough condition to be sold on to other customers in the As-Is store. It does, however, have separate recycling schemes for mattresses, batteries and light bulbs. The by-back program was rolled out nationally in 2019 after a year-long trial at Sydney's Tempe store, which saw 1600 pieces bought back from customers. Initially, the initiative was spurred by findings from the company's latest People & Planet Positive Report, which suggested Aussies threw away up to 13.5 million pieces of furniture that could have been recycled, reused or repaired. If your Malm bed frame or chest of drawers isn't in quite good enough condition for the As-Is store, you might need to consider donating it to charity or finding another way to recycle it. And if you are buying new furniture, consider buying something secondhand from the As-Is store, or at least investing in something that you plan to keep long-term. As part of the Black Friday promotion, items returned and sold at the As-Is store will be renamed after their previous owners. If your name is already Billy and you're bringing back bookcases of the same name, though, obviously nothing will change. For more information about IKEA's buy-back scheme — and its Black Friday deal — head to the retailer's website. Between Tuesday, November 24–Thursday, December 3, IKEA Family members will get double the refund amount on returned IKEA furniture, as calculated via an online quote, and then confirmed when you take your goods to the brand's stores to collect and redeem the voucher.
Bundaberg Rum might be best known for its polar bear logo and accompanying ad campaign (as well as its combo with coke), but they're no longer the Queensland distillery's only claims to fame. In fact, the Aussie brand can now add the title of World's Best Rum to its credentials, after emerging victorious at the World Drinks Awards in London. Not only was their MDC Blenders Edition 2015 crowned the globe's number one dark rum, but it was named the world's best rum overall too. Given the number of varieties that line bottle shop shelves, that's quite the triumph. It's also the first time ever that an Australian spirit has achieved the feat. Best served neat or over ice — i.e. without mixers, and definitely not as part of a rum and coke combo — it was the Blenders Edition's delicate hints of raisins, spice and tobacco coupled with a long and exceptionally smooth finish that won the judges over. It wasn't the only Bundy beverage to get a gong, with Bundaberg Small Batch anointed the world's top golden rum as well. Yes, it seems Australians aren't just great at knocking back a few drinks — we're great at making them, too. Anyone after a taste of the finest rum on the planet had best get in quick though. The award-winning tipple is so limited that it comes in numbered bottles, and is certain to fly off the shelves now that it has such a prestigious stamp of approval. Via Executive Style. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
It's possible that as much has happened in the last few weeks for The Rubens as it has in their entire musical career, but that's not a bad thing — they've only been a band for two years after all. As well as heading inland for a slot at Groovin' the Moo and being whisked off to a mystery regional location for the triple J One Night Stand festival (at which they'll headline along with Flume), April will see The Rubens head off on their biggest Australian tour to date. The shows come off the back of their debut self-titled album released in September last year, containing the catchy Black Keysish rambler 'My Gun'. New singles 'Never Be The Same' and 'Lay It Down' effortlessly layer that same backcountry clang over slower, more soulful foundations. If this is where they are after only 24 months, we can't wait to see where they're headed next. https://youtube.com/watch?v=eKrVHMTcEuc
Half-priced airfares have been quite the topic of conversation over the past 24 hours, with the Australian Government announcing a scheme that'll see the country's airlines sell 800,000 flights at the discount rate. That starts in April — but if you're keen on getting away before then, Virgin is doing a flash sale that'll also slash fares by half. Hang on, Virgin? Yes. The same airline that, less than 12 months ago, entered voluntary administration. It has since been sold to US private investment firm Bain Capital, launched a comeback sale in early July and its voluntary administration officially ended on Tuesday, November 17. With so many folks talking about the government's half-price fares, Virgin is capitalising upon the chatter; however, it's only putting this current set of cheap tickets on sale for two hours — from 5–7pm AEDT today, Friday, March 12. These fares don't form part of 800,000, and you'll need to be keen to travel in the next fortnight, with the flights covering trips between Monday, March 15–Sunday, March 28. The discounted economy flights include seat selection and checked baggage. All Virgin-operated routes nationally form part of the sale, with some of the specials on offer including Sydney to Byron Bay for $55, Sydney to the Gold Coast for the same price, Melbourne to Launceston from $64, Brisbane to the Whitsunday Coast from $78 and Melbourne to the Gold Coast from $88 (and vice versa in all cases, naturally). As we are still in the middle of a pandemic, flying is little different to normal. Virgin has introduced a range of safety measures, including hand sanitisation stations, contactless check-in and face masks provided to all passengers. Wearing masks on flights also became mandatory in Australia in January. Virgin's half-price flash sale runs from 5–7pm AEDT today, Friday, March 12 — or until sold out. Find out more about current interstate border restrictions over here.
'Madchester' pioneers the Happy Mondays have just announced an Australian tour — the first time that the original lineup of one of the most influential bands of their generation have made it all the way Down Under. Alongside bands like New Order and the Stone Roses, Happy Mondays were key to the development of the Madchester sound that defined the early '90s and revitalised English music, rescuing it from the ignominy of Spandau Ballet and Duran Duran. Fusing traditional pop elements with funk, northern soul and acid house, Happy Mondays were the poster band for the explosion of rave culture in the UK and released two iconic albums — Bummed and Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches — that remain essential listening today. Supporting them will be fellow Madchester icons 808 State for a special DJ set. Formed in Manchester in 1988 by Graham Massey, Martin Price and Gerald Simpson, 808 State's first album, Newbuild, is now regarded as a milestone in UK electronica. As the NME observed, "808 State revolutionised a whole genre of music in the late-'80s, inspiring Underworld, Orbital and the Chemical Brothers in the process." Happy Mondays Australian 2013 Tour Dates Wed 5 June – Metropolis, Fremantle - tickets via www.oztix.com.au, www.heatseeker.com.au Thu 6 June – The Palace, Melbourne - tickets via www.ticketek.com.au, www.oztix.com.au Fri 7 June – The Tivoli, Brisbane - tickets via www.ticketek.com.au Mon 10 June - UNSW Roundhouse, Sydney - tickets via www.ticketek.com.au
Looking for a top-notch tipple to sip? Plenty of prizes, nods and gongs have you covered. Looking for a great wine bar to drink them in, when and where it is safe to do so? That's the domain of the Wineslinger Awards, which has just announced its top 50 venues for 2020. As voted on by more than 100 industry experts — think sommeliers, winemakers, hospitality tastemakers and journalists — the Wineslinger Awards were created in 2018 by Rory Kent, who also founded the Young Gun of Wine Awards. Where the latter prize aims to recognise stellar up-and-comers, the former is all about excellent and innovative places where vino lovers can enjoy an ace drop. In this year's list, Wineslinger has shared the love around the country. Fifteen bars are located in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, 12 in Victoria, eight in Western Australia, and five each in South Australia, Tasmania and Queensland. Even better — almost half of the 2020 top 50 have been named for the first time, with 20 venues earning that honour. For folks looking for your next drinking spot, that means you have plenty of places to add to your must-visit list. Some are located in wine regions, others have been plying their trades for decades, and others still have only just opened — yes, during the pandemic. From the top 50, Wineslinger will single out a number of venues for trophies, which'll be awarded at a virtual presentation on Monday, October 19. The top gong is simply called 'Wineslinger', naturally, while other prizes span the self-explanatory 'Best New Haunt', as well as the 'Maverick' award for a venue that pushes the limits. And, for vino aficionados at home, there's also the 'People's Choice' prize — which is open for online votes right now, closing at midday on the day of the ceremony. As part of the public vote, Wineslinger is also supporting hospitality relief fund Tip Jar, via a $1 donation for every vote received. You can win prizes for having your say, too — including a heap of wine, obviously — but knowing that simply nominating your pick will help raise money for the industry is pretty great motivation. [caption id="attachment_781186" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Love, Tilly Devine, Darlinghurst via Nikki To[/caption] WINESLINGER AWARDS 2020 TOP 50 NSW/ACT 10 William Street, Paddington Alberto's Lounge, Sydney Bar Rochford, Canberra Bentley Restaurant & Bar, Sydney Bibo Wine Bar, Double Bay Dear Sainte Eloise, Potts Point Ester, Chippendale Fix Wine, Sydney Fleet, Brunswick Heads Love, Tilly Devine, Darlinghurst Ode Bar, Bondi Poly, Surry Hills Ragazzi, Sydney Where's Nick, Marrickville WyNo x Bodega, Surry Hills QLD Cru Bar + Cellar, Fortitude Valley La Lune Wine Co, South Brisbane La Lupa, West End Maeve Wine Bar, South Brisbane Snack Man, Fortitude Valley SA Hellbound, Adelaide Leigh Street Wine Room, Adelaide Mother Vine, Adelaide The Salopian Inn, McLaren Vale The Summertown Aristologist, Summertown TAS Havilah, Launceston Lucinda, Hobart Sonny, Hobart Stillwater, Launceston Tom McHugo's Hobart Hotel, Hobart VIC Bar Liberty, Fitzroy Carlton Wine Room, Carlton City Wine Shop, Melbourne Embla, Melbourne Etta, Brunswick East France-Soir, South Yarra Geralds Bar, Carlton North Marion, Fitzroy Napier Quarter, Fitzroy Old Palm Liquor, Brunswick East Union Street Wine, Geelong Winespeake, Daylesford WA Lalla Rookh, Perth Le Rebelle, Mount Lawley Liberté, Albany Lulu La Delizia, Subiaco Madalena's Bar, South Fremantle Petition Wine Merchant, Perth Settlers Tavern, Margaret River Wines of While, Perth To vote in Wineslinger's People's Choice Award before midday on Monday, October 19, visit the awards' website. Top images: Snack Man, Fortitude Valley; Ode Bar, Bondi; Marion, Fitzroy; Le Rebelle, Mount Lawley; Hellbound, Adelaide.
When you've been screening movies under the stars for 25 years, it's worth celebrating that fact. And when you're hosting your newest season of outdoor flicks in a year of significant worldwide change, giving viewers something comfortable and reliable to watch is a mighty sensible approach. Moonlight Cinema is doing both when it returns for the summer of 2020–21, all by packing its program with a heap of film favourites — so get ready to kick back on the grass and watch Moulin Rouge!, Black Panther, When Harry Met Sally, Bohemian Rhapsody and, depending on your city, either Pulp Fiction or Dirty Dancing. Indeed, there's a definite retro air to Moonlight's lineup this year — which arrives after the outdoor cinema first announced that it was definitely returning in this chaotic period, and then revealed its exact dates. Between November 2020 and April 2021, the event will head to Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Melbourne with a heap of old-school flicks. You'll also be able to see some recent releases, in case you haven't had the chance since cinemas started reopening (mid-year in most of the country, and this week in Melbourne). In the classic camp, a week of Christmas films will help you feel merry, with Die Hard, Love Actually, Elf, Home Alone, The Grinch and The Nightmare Before Christmas on the bill. Or, if you'd like to revisit non-festive faves from the past few years, you can check out The Greatest Showman, Frozen II, Thor: Ragnarok, Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain America: Civil War. From this year's releases, there's a little bit of everything. Christopher Nolan's Tenet will screen in the evening air, this year's new version of The Secret Garden will play surrounded by plenty of grass, and Australian comedy Rams — about feuding sheep-farmer brothers — will do the same. There's also Russell Crowe getting angry over the phone and in his car in thriller Unhinged, the cringe-worthy teen romance of After We Collided and the delightful Dickens adaptation that is The Personal History of David Copperfield. The program does vary slightly from city to city, so it's worth checking exactly what's playing on your patch of turf. And, because Melbourne's season doesn't start until January, it hasn't actually announced its lineup as yet. It's also worth remembering that every city is BYO except Brisbane — but, wherever you're settling in for an outdoor cinema session, there'll be food trucks, a bar, snacks and (if you'd like to pay for them) bean bags as well. And, in great news for movie-loving pooches, you can bring them along, too. MOONLIGHT CINEMA 2020–21 DATES Sydney: Thursday, November 26–Sunday, April 4 (Centennial Park) Brisbane: Friday, November 27–Sunday, February 21 (Roma Street Parkland) Adelaide: Friday, December 11–Sunday, February 14 (Botanic Park) Perth: Thursday, December 3–Sunday, April 4 (Kings Park and Botanic Garden) Melbourne: Thursday, January 7–Sunday, April 25 (Royal Botanic Gardens) Moonlight Cinema kicks off in November 2020, running through until April 2021. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the cinema's website.
The Friday, February 20, Chinese New Year events are cancelled due to bad weather. Sure, you’ve already celebrated the start of 2015, but what are you going to do to welcome the Year of the Goat? Fortitude Valley is the place to be when another new year ticks over, as Chinatown comes alive to commemorate the beginning of the next lunar calendar. It all kicks off with an official welcome, followed by a banquet of Chinese culture. We don’t mean the food kind, although that’s on offer too. Simply head to one of the many nearby restaurants for a tasty meal, be it a quick snack or a feast over several courses. When you’re not satisfying your dumpling cravings, stay in the mall for colourful kung fu displays, traditional lion dances and a Shanghai jazz dance performance. Firecrackers are certain to keep things going with a bang, just as roving acts will maintain a festive mood as you browse the Asian market stalls for a bargain. You can even take home a souvenir by getting your photo snapped with your birth-year animal at the zodiac display.
On Saturday, July 31, when 4pm hit, southeast Queensland went into lockdown again. Stay-at-home conditions were reintroduced to help stop the spread of locally acquired COVID-19 cases, after new instances of the Delta variant were identified in Brisbane's western suburbs. Initially, the lockdown was planned to run for three days, ending on Tuesday, August 3. However, today, Monday, August 2, Deputy Premier Steven Miles has just announced that the stay-at-home rules will remain in place until at least 4pm on Sunday, August 8. At Queensland's daily COVID-19 press conference, Deputy Premier Miles said "you'll recall we went from one [case] on the first day, then six and nine and now 13. So it's starting to become clear that the initial lockdown will be insufficient for the outbreak. So we're advising southeast Queenslanders in the 11 LGAs that the lockdown will be extended until 4pm on Sunday. That will make it an eight-day lockdown — and we desperately hope that that will be sufficient for our contact tracers to get [everyone potentially exposed to the current cases] into home quarantine." The lockdown will remain in place in all 11 LGAs currently already under stay-at-home conditions: the Brisbane City Council, Logan, Moreton Bay, Ipswich, Redlands, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Noosa, Somerset, Lockyer Valley and Scenic Rim LGAs. You can still only leave your home for four reasons: to get essential goods — for example, groceries and medications — but only within ten kilometres of your house; for essential work if you can't work from home, and for school or childcare; for exercise within ten kilometres of home, and only with one person who isn't in your household; and for healthcare, including to get a COVID-19 vaccination, or to provide help, care or support. https://twitter.com/AnnastaciaMP/status/1421984774277656576 As introduced on Saturday, the big change from past lockdowns — including from Brisbane's January, March and June lockdowns — is the ten-kilometre limit. So, you can only go shopping or exercise within that distance of your house. Also part of this lockdown: a complete ban on visitors to homes. In the past, you were allowed to have two people over, but this time you can't have anyone visit your house. Masks are already compulsory in these areas, and are required to be worn everywhere in the lockdown areas — other than if you're at your own home. Cinemas, entertainment venues, recreational venues, beauty and personal care services, and gyms are all closed, as are places of worship, while cafes, pubs and restaurants are only allowed to open for takeaway service. Funerals and weddings are also restricted to ten people. And, folks who decide to come to any of the areas going into lockdown during the stay-at-home period are bound by the same restrictions, although travel is obviously discouraged — and no one should leave their locked-down area during this period. https://twitter.com/AnnastaciaMP/status/1421984941923999750 The extension comes as Queensland reported 13 new locally acquired COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, with 66 cases currently active throughout the state. As it has been during the pandemic so far, Queensland Health is maintaining an active register of locations that have been visited by positive COVID-19 cases, which keeps growing — and which you can keep an eye on via the Queensland Health website. In terms of symptoms, you should be looking out for coughs, fever, sore or scratchy throat, shortness of breath, or loss of smell or taste — and then getting tested at a clinic if you have any. Eleven LGAs in the Greater Brisbane area will remain in lockdown until at least 4pm on Sunday, August 8. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in Queensland, head to the QLD COVID-19 hub and the Queensland Health website. More details about the lockdown and associated restrictions can also be found on the Queensland Health website.
Across four seasons and 36 episodes of Rick and Morty to date, Rick Sanchez has taken many forms. That's one of the joys of the animated show's multiverse. New universe, new Rick — and new Morty, Beth, Jerry and Summer as well. But while the labcoat-wearing, booze-guzzling mad scientist has been tiny, sported an afro and even been a wasp, one Rick stands out from the crowd. Regular Rick is great, of course; however, Pickle Rick has been an instant favourite since he was first sighted in a trailer for the series' third season. Now, Pickle Rick is taking a new journey — into doughnuts. This isn't the setup for one of the show's new episodes, but a menu item now on offer at Krispy Kreme. Taking inspiration from all things Rick and Morty, the bakery chain has launched a new R&M-themed lineup, including a Pickle Rick doughnut. It's green, obviously. It's filled with green-hued lemon creme and covered with green-coloured white chocolate. And yes, it features a picture of Pickle Rick on top. Because this is the way the news goes, Krispy Kreme's R&M doughnut range also spans Strawberry Smiggles and Simple Rick's Wafer Cookie varieties. Hope you like strawberry — the former is filled with strawberry filling, then covered with mini marshmallows, meringue pieces and confetti, while the latter is dipped in strawberry truffle and topped with a white chocolate wafer disc. There's a Fleeb Juice shake, too, which combines raspberry and vanilla, and tastes nothing like alien excretion (we hope). If you're keen to eat your Rick and Morty-loving feelings in doughnut form, you can find the new range in Krispy Kreme stores across New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, the ACT, Western Australia and Auckland until March 16 — and available via UberEats as well. You won't find them at 7-Elevens or BPs, though. Clearly, a szechuan sauce doughnut was too difficult to make. Also, let's admit it — it probably would've tasted awful. If you need something to watch while you're gorging on doughnuts, Pickle Rick has that taken care of below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSqi5s3rfqk Krispy Kreme's Rick and Morty range is available until March 16.
The buzz of January is over and if you need a little motivation to continue with those NYE resolutions, look no further than this activewear sale. Australian clothing company Active Truth is moving warehouses and, to make the move a little easier, is offering 40 percent off sitewide. Active Truth's swimwear and activewear is accessible to beachgoers and gym junkies of all shapes and sizes, with swimsuits, tights, crops, bike shorts and maternity wear all ranging from XS to 3XL. Check out these summery floral tights or this black one-piece swimsuit. As an added bonus, you'll receive free express shipping, so even though we're already more than a week into February, you'll have your new swimsuit at your doorstep before summer ends. Plus, Active Truth is committed to sustainability, supporting the The Seabin Project and making its swimwear from reconstructed recycled fibres, such as discarded fishing nets. If you're keen to snag some new togs, have a look through the catalogue and order before the sale ends at 11.59pm on Sunday, February 14. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
What’s wrong with teenagers? Why are babies so angry? What snackfoods should be avoided when dating? Should cabaret be outlawed? When did rappers start hating on ladies? Is it okay to take hot beverages into the dunny can? Is dunny can an acceptable term for toilet? What makes ham so delicious? Which religion is best for me? And of course, are all women who own cats mental? Kitty Flanagan returns with her hilarious and highly anticipated new show, and answers all the difficult questions. Best known for her work on television series like Full Frontal and The Sketch Show Kitty Flanagan has been a much favoured face on the standup seen for a number of years, since 1994, with a number of well-earned accolades to her name. A quick-witted, fast-talking, tall-story telling comic with a keen tongue and a gift for languages she is not to be missed.
Every December, the Geminids meteor shower lights up our skies. Considered to be the most spectacular meteor shower of the year, it's caused by a stream of debris, left by an asteroid dubbed the 3200 Phaethon, burning up in Earth's atmosphere. The 2021 shower kicked off on Saturday, December 4, but it really is just getting started. While the Geminids runs through until Monday, December 20 this year, it's expected to be at its peak in Australia overnight between Tuesday, December 14–Wednesday, December 15. Christmas lights aren't the only spectacle worth peering at this month, clearly. If you fancy a stint of stargazing, you'll want to look up on Tuesday, December 14 from around 9pm in Brisbane, 10pm in Perth, 11pm in Sydney, 11.30pm in Adelaide and 12am in Melbourne. The best time to catch an eyeful will be after midnight, when the moon has set and its light will not interfere, but before sunrise. Australia is also expected to get a great vantage on the on the evening of Monday, December 13, if you'd like to double your viewing. Some years, you can catch as many as 150 meteors every 60 minutes, so this definitely isn't just any old meteor shower. [caption id="attachment_699423" align="alignnone" width="1920"] NASA, Marshall Space Flight Center, Jeff Dai.[/caption] For your best chances, it's worth getting as far away from bright lights as possible. This could be a good excuse to head out of the city to a clear-skied camping spot — and pray for no clouds. To see the meteors, you'll need to give your eyes around 15–30 minutes to adapt to the dark (so try to avoid checking your phone) and look to the northeast. The shower's name comes from the constellation from which they appear to come, Gemini. So that's what you'll be looking for in the sky. To locate Gemini, we recommend downloading the Sky Map app — it's the easiest way to navigate the night sky (and is a lot of fun to use even on a non-meteor shower night). If you're more into specifics, Time and Date also has a table that shows the direction and altitude of the Geminids. The Geminids meteor shower runs from Saturday, December 4–Monday, December 20, and will be at its peak during the night on Tuesday, December 14–Wednesday, December 15. For further details, head to Time and Date. Top image: A composite of 163 photos taken over 90 minutes during the Geminids by Jeff Smallwood for Flickr.
Were you the type of kid who spent too much time trying to win prizes from claw machines? Are you now the kind of adult who likes your spirits with an amber hue? In great news for everyone who falls into both categories, Whisky Whisky combines the two — because who said that sipping drams and testing your hand-eye coordination to win whisky-themed prizes can't go hand in hand? Taking place across two sessions, from 12.30–3pm and 4–6.30pm on Saturday, October 14 at Fish Lane, Whisky Whisky comes from the folks behind Supping Club. As the event's name makes plain, this afternoon is all about whisky appreciation. With your ticket, which starts at $119 depending on how early you purchase, you'll be able to taste your way through more than 80 different local and international whiskies from 30-plus brands, including varieties from Bladnoch, Amber Lane, Archie Rose, Starward and Kilchoman. That's plenty to say cheers to, clearly. You'll also get your own glass to keep, and a lunchbox of pan-Asian-inspired eats from Hello Please to line your stomach. And, you'll score a token for one top-shelf dream dram of your choosing as well. When you're not sampling whisky — or vying for prizes at the claw machine — you can opt for beers and non-boozy beverages, although they'll all cost you extra.
If you're always on the lookout for a reason to escape to Byron Bay, here's the latest: a brand-new festival that'll have you eating, drinking, checking out art, listening to tunes and being merry, all in the seaside New South Wales spot. That's what's on the agenda at Revel Byron Bay Food and Culture Festival, which has just announced the dates for its inaugural event — and given potential attendees a glimpse at what's in store. First, block out the four days between Thursday, November 10–Sunday, November 13 in your calendar, which is when Revel will make its debut. As for what's on the program, the precise details haven't been revealed as yet, but it'll cover cuisine, drinks, music, art and culture. Think: long lunches, twilight soirees and moseying around public art installations, plus hitting up performances, taking health and wellness classes, shopping around a produce market and enjoying tours. The fest will also include panel discussions and workshops, and not only take place in Byron but across the Northern Rivers region. Chef David Moyle, who has been Chief of Food at Harvest Newrybar since 2020, is Revel's Festival Food Curator — and explains that the fest aims to "bring people back together to enjoy the company of friends and family with good food and good vibes in a beautiful setting". That'll come courtesy of the Revel Festival Village, aka a massive food, beverage, music and art precinct that's set to sprawl across the whole North Byron Hotel in the Byron Arts and Industrial Estate, and thanks to events at plenty of other spots around the area. On the list: Harvest, of course, as well as Raes on Wategos, Three Blue Ducks, Belongil Beach Italian Food, Bang Bang Byron Bay, Barrio, Capiche, The Hut, The Roadhouse, Treehouse on Belongil, and Mosey on Inn group's Ciao Mate!, The Eltham and You Beauty. Given the location, there'll be a beachside program within the larger program with views of Byron Bay Main Beach — including the fest's opening event — on the Thursday and Friday, as well as a secret Revel garden precinct operating on the Saturday and Sunday. And, while exactly what the arts and cultural side of the lineup will entail hasn't been unveiled, helping advise on that part of proceedings are Arakwal Bundjalung woman Delta Kay, plus artists Paul McNeil and Karlee Mackie. "As we all know, the hospitality industry was one of the hardest hit by the pandemic along with tourism, arts and music, and these are all industries that Byron Shire support in a large way for a regional place," said Revel Byron Bay Food and Culture Festival Founder and Director Alex Taylor, announcing the fest's dates. "Byron Bay is an incredible hub of creative talent and entrepreneurs, and we wanted to create something that would support all these industries as well as the wider community that has struggled to connect over the last couple of years," added Revel co-Festival Director Jonny Ruddy. Revel Byron Bay Food and Culture Festival will run from Thursday, November 10–Sunday, November 13 at various locations around Byron Bay and the Northern Rivers region. For more information, head to the festival's website. Images: Jess Kearney.
It's time to get schwifty, Rick and Morty fans. Yes, everyone's favourite interdimensional adventurers are finally back. It's been way too long since a certain eccentric scientist and his anxious grandson caused chaos across the multiverse, with the animated sitcom's third season releasing in 2017 — and if you've been feeling the duo's absence over the past two years, you're not alone. Even the recent trailer for the series' fourth season recognised the elephant in the room — or the lack of Mr Meeseeks and Mr Poopybutthole on our screens, to be specific. Those beloved characters are back, too, alongside not only Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith (both voiced by show co-creator Justin Roiland), but also Morty's mother Beth (Sarah Chalke), father Jerry (Chris Parnell) and sister Summer (Spencer Grammer), as well as all the world-hopping craziness that anyone could ever hope for. Oh, and Taika Waititi, Sam Neill, Matthew Broderick, Game of Thrones' Liam Cunningham and Elon Musk are among the guest voice cast. The new batch of episodes rejoins the smartest Rick and Morty-est Morty in the universe, and keeps doing what it does — not just aping a concept straight out of Back to the Future (aka a lab coat-wearing old man, his teenage sidekick, and their time- and space-jumping antics), but filtering that idea through the inventive minds of Roiland and Community's Dan Harmon. If you've been counting down the days since the last episode hit back in October 2017, then mark Sunday, December 22 in your calendar. While the fourth season has been airing week-to-week in the US since November, the first five episodes will hit Netflix in Australia and New Zealand in one bundle, just in time for some festive binging. After proving such a huge hit across its first three seasons, there's plenty more Rick and Morty to come, with the show renewed for a huge 70 episodes by US network Adult Swim last year (which is more than double the 31 that the comedy aired before season four started). Of course, all that animated insanity takes time to put together, hence the overall delay in bringing the latest episodes to fruition. And that's the wayyyyyy the news goes — check out the fourth season's trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rw6BrzB1drs The first five episodes of Rick and Morty's fourth season will hit Netflix in Australia and New Zealand on Sunday, December 22.
In news that'll come as little surprise to any Melburnian, given Melbourne's status as Australia's coffee heartland (and the predilection for complete coffee snobbery, too) — a barista from the Victorian capital has taken out top honours at the Australian Specialty Coffee Association (ASCA) National Coffee Championships. For the second year in a row, Axil Coffee Roasters has nabbed the title of Australia's National Barista Champion for 2023. Melbourne barista Jack Simpson beat out scores of other Aussie hopefuls in the annual competition. His winning caffinated offering consisted of an espresso, a milk-based coffee and his own coffee-based signature drink — a concoction featuring fermented raspberries, cold vacuum bergamot tea and clarified milk. [caption id="attachment_888451" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Axil coffee, James Butler[/caption] "I wanted my routine to reflect the constantly evolving nature of the coffee world and the need for baristas to always be thinking creatively in order to keep up with trends in tastes and technology," Simpson says. The newly crowned coffee king will now go on to represent Australia at the World Barista Championship, held in Athens this year between June 22–24. Last year, Melbourne's Anthony Douglas of Axil Coffee Roasters did Melbourne's notoriously coffee-obsessed city proud, taking out the title of Australia's National Barista Champion for 2022 at the Australian Specialty Coffee Association (ASCA) National Coffee Championships. Douglas went on to nab first place at the World Barista Championship in 2022. [caption id="attachment_888453" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Axil, Melbourne Central[/caption] Axil has a swag of cafe locations across Melbourne — find your local by jumping onto the website.
Since Australia started easing out of COVID-19 lockdown, the country's internal border restrictions have earned plenty of attention. With tactics to stop the spread of the coronavirus implemented at a state-by-state level — and case numbers in each state varying — different parts of the country have navigated the situation in different ways when it comes to letting non-residents visit. In Western Australia, that has meant a hard border and strict quarantine requirements. For folks who don't normally reside in WA, you can only currently visit the state if you're classified as an exempt traveller, apply for a G2G Pass and, if approved, then self-isolate for 14 days. If you don't have somewhere appropriate to do the latter, you have to go into a mandatory state quarantine facility for 14 days, too. As announced on Friday, October 30, Premier Mark McGowan revealed that WA will start to relax its border restrictions, with changes set to come into effect from 12.01am on Saturday, November 14. Moving to a system it's calling a 'controlled interstate border', it'll allow travellers from very low-risk states and territories to enter under eased conditions — people from places that haven't had any community transmission of COVID-19 for 28 days, who'll then be able to head to WA without isolating. At present, Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory fall into that category. So, come mid-November, residents from those states and territories can venture west. You do still have to complete a G2G Pass declaration, and you'll undergo a temperature test and health screening upon arrival — and you're advised to be prepared to take a COVID-19 test if necessary as well. If you live in New South Wales or Victoria, you're in a state that WA deems low risk. Stats-wise, that means there have been less than five community cases per day on a 14-day rolling average. For travellers, it means still self-quarantining for 14 days, and taking a COVID-19 test on the 11th day. https://twitter.com/MarkMcGowanMP/status/1322044199399690241 The above plan is contingent upon every state and territory in Australia continuing to record a 14-day rolling average of less than five community cases of COVID-19 — or even fewer, of course, as already seen in Queensland, Tasmania, SA, NT and ACT. Announcing the border change, Premier McGowan noted that "we will be closely monitoring the situation over east, and if we need to delay this introduction of the controlled border, then we will". He also noted that he "will also have no hesitation to reintroduce our hard border in the future if that's what's needed". To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Western Australia, and the state's corresponding restrictions, visit its online COVID-19 hub. Top image: Tourism WA
When Bad Moms became one of the big hits of last year, it was the film's great cast and refreshing approach to female friendship that really struck a chord. Indeed, it was those two factors that made an otherwise routine comedy about mothers behaving badly both amusing and empowering. Alas, it seems no one explained that to writer-director duo Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. Or, perhaps they simply don't care. With their inevitable sequel, the pair proves happy to take the easiest route — upping the raucousness, adding even more mums to the mix, and eschewing nuance, depth or any real comic commentary about the expectations placed upon women. This approach — taking aspects of the original and just ramping them up — is not uncommon in sequels. Unfortunately, Bad Moms 2 picks the wrong elements to highlight, at the expense of the thoughtful core that made its predecessor such a surprise. Stars Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell and Kathryn Hahn are as qualified as ever, while franchise newcomers Christine Baranski, Cheryl Hines and Susan Sarandon all impress as well. The material, though? To borrow a scenario that occurs in the movie, it's like stealing a cheap department store Christmas tree rather than finding a real one. Also called A Bad Moms Christmas in other parts of the world, the film's first attempt to heighten these overstressed mums' worries arrives via the festive season. If the holidays weren't anxiety-inducing enough, their own mothers decide to drop by out of the blue, each displaying familiar family traits. Prim and proper Ruth (Baranski) is even more of a perfectionist than Amy (Kunis); stalker-like Sandy (Hines) takes the idea adoring motherhood too far even by Kiki's (Bell) standards; and wild-at-heart Isis (Sarandon) has a looser grasp on responsible parenting even than the free-spirited Carla (Hahn). The end result pits mothers against their mothers in the kind of multi-generational hijinks that's becoming a bit too common of late, with the conceptually similar Daddy's Home 2 hitting cinemas in just a few weeks. It also comes with a heap of problematic messages. Sure, Bad Moms 2 nods to the initial flick's championing of women being themselves and refusing to conform to society's demands. But that means next to nothing when the film's female characters are now depicted as little more than caricatures. That they only bond over parenting, fighting with their mums, or chasing men does not go down well. Nor does the suggestion that they are both the cause of their own mothers' craziness and are doomed to follow in their footsteps. Perhaps the film's standout scene demonstrates the fortunes of Bad Moms 2 best, turning a male stripper's intimate waxing session into a romantic meet-cute. In a feature filled with cartoonish depictions of women with children (and women in general), of course the most relatable and resonant moment takes place between Hahn's lusty, lonely beautician and her attractive client. Lucas and Moore, who clearly aren't doing their own mums proud here, don't even think of extending the same blend of genuine humour and earnest emotions to the movie's ladies when they're together. Instead they saddle the gals with making penis gingerbread and twerking on Santa. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGDOdlBlV08
If you're after a wintry escape from the city, Victoria's High Country should be high on your hit list of destinations. When winter starts, the snow-cloaked mountains become a wonderland of cold weather experiences. From dogsledding to wintery cheese adventures to world-class alpine resorts, the snow-based activities are virtually limitless. Since 1973, Macpac has been kitting out adventurers with the latest technical clothing to protect you from whatever harsh conditions you encounter. So, together, we've picked out five of the best experiences you can organise right now for a winter getaway in Victoria this year. We've also included some packing tips — because when sweeping backcountry trails, you need to make sure you have the right gear. [caption id="attachment_669834" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Visit Victoria[/caption] SNOWSHOE YOUR WAY TO CHEESE FONDUE This isn't quite your average wine and cheese night. The Snowshoe to Cheese Fondue adventure leads you through the snow gums, concluding with some high-quality French cheese and a delightful three-course dinner. After departing at sunset, you'll follow your dedicated guide through a 30-minute snowshoe tour before arriving at a remote eco-village. Find a warm spot inside the central tipi and indulge in a spectacular meal. Up in the ice peaks, you'll also learn the culinary secrets behind making traditional fondue while sipping a glass of Scandinavian-style spiced wine by the outdoor fire. For adventurers who want to take their wintertime journey to the next level, you can also opt to spend the night in a plush alpine dome. Pack this: Macpac Men's & Women's Quest Hoody, $199.99 [caption id="attachment_669851" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Visit Victoria[/caption] LET HUSKIES GUIDE YOU THROUGH THE ALPS Among the unique activities on offer in Australia's winter wonderland, one of the best ways to experience the alpine region is going dogsledding with a pack of huskies. The Howling Huskies is one of Australia's most prominent dogsledding services. Take your pick from seven incredible tours, ranging from rapid 30-minute trips to epic four-hour ventures that include traipsing through the snowy countryside along the nation's longest commercial dogsled trail. This great alpine adventure is possible at both Mount Baw Baw (two and a half hours from Melbourne) and Mount Hotham (four and a half hours from Melbourne), and each offers its own maze of backcountry trails and special panoramic views. The husky squad is made up of 58 dogs altogether, with 47 of those rescued over the last few years. The temperature may be icy, but these doggos will give you all the warm and fuzzy feels. Pack this: Macpac Piste Gloves Unisex, $59.99 SNOWBOARD WITH AN OLYMPIC CHAMPION Falls Creek is quite possibly Victoria's most picturesque snowcapped location, featuring striking rolling hills, towering snow gums and a variety of charming stays. This section of the Alpine National Park boasts 450 hectares of skiable terrain and 90 awesome runs for snowboarders to test out. The Backcountry Tours with Steve Lee will whisk you away with the three-time Winter Olympian and legendary free-rider to visit the mountain's remote open bowls and vertigo-inducing steeps and chutes for an action-packed day. You don't have to be a pro — Falls Creek has some great runs for beginners such as the Wombat's Ramble, which is Australia's longest at just over two kilometres. Pack this: Macpac Powder Ski Jacket Men's & Women's, $349.99 [caption id="attachment_717523" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Visit Victoria[/caption] CROSS-COUNTRY SKI THROUGH SNOWY MEADOWS When it comes to cross-country skiing, Lake Mountain is the third most visited destination in the world for this gut-busting activity. The rugged landscape hosts a sprawling network of ski trails spread across the mountain, which both beginners and expert skiers are more than welcome to come and explore. As the closest snow resort to Melbourne, Lake Mountain is home to 30 kilometres of groomed trails. Meanwhile, a further 7 kilometres of ungroomed tracks present more of a challenge for the well-versed skier. After a morning of activity, warm up and share a relaxing glass of wine at Lake Mountain Resort cafe. Pack this: Macpac Tech Ski Socks, $34.99 [caption id="attachment_628046" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Andrew Railton[/caption] SKI AND SPA AT MOUNT BULLER Mount Buller is undoubtedly one of Victoria's (and Australia's, for that matter) most popular winter destinations. It presents snow lovers with a variety of slopes and terrains that stretch across the enormous mountainside. Whether you're just starting out or have grown up attached to a pair of skis, Mount Buller is bound to have a run that suits your skill level. Particularly popular amongst skiers, Mount Buller features 300 hectares of snowy scenery for you to explore. Once you've had enough action for the day, warm yourself up with dinner and drinks at one of 30 bars or restaurants situated nearby. More than just a snow sports destination, Mount Buller also offers a luxe spa resort, a cinema, a museum and even a sculpture park for when your body needs a break from the slopes. Pack this: Macpac Merino 220 Merino Baselayers, $109.99
Fantastic shows and performances are one part of MELT. Vibrant, diverse art is another. Simply take a look at the Brisbane Powerhouse's walls, and you'll understand, with the venue decking out its foyers with a host of MELT creativity. No fewer than six works and exhibitions are on display until Sunday, July 7. As you'd expect, it's an inclusive and lively bunch. You'll spot the first, Tim Glorious' Tethered Together, as you approach the venue, because you can't miss this multi-coloured projection — and that's just the starting point. From there, the annual MELT Portrait Prize celebrates LGBTIQ+ heroes, Dr Heather Faulkner's A Matter of Time looks into the lesbian experience during Queensland's more conservative days, and Matthew Taylor Thomas' Stygian Stones examines intolerance by taking inspiration from Greek mythology. There's also Talking Can Make Things Better, which focuses on conversations to reduce self-harm and suicide, plus Sophie Reid-Singer's Brood, which uses video, satire and cats to comment on the way society treats people with disabilities.
Summer always brings hot days to Brisbane — and it brings more than a few must-see exhibitions to town, too. GOMA has rolled out its blockbuster (the ninth Asia Pacific Triennial), and, with the Powerhouse's showcase of digital art, a virtual jacaranda garden and great shows at smaller galleries, you really have a lot to see before the season is out. Hop to it.
You might have thought King George Square looked pretty fine during the day and maybe a tad finer at night, but it's at twilight City Hall really shows off its colours. And what better backdrop when you're shopping the evening away — especially when the King George is filled with some of Brisbane's best designers and makers, and you're looking for Christmas presents, The festive offshoot of the regular Brisbane Twilight Markets, this event will show off a sizeable array of stalls — more than 60, in fact — all staffed by some pretty nifty and talented local artists. Expect an eclectic selection of items, so prepare to browse and buy. You'll be perusing everything from handmade clothing, accessories and leather goods to paper goods, homewares, art and ceramics (and more). And seasonal gifts, obviously. This market is all about sound, smell and sales — so live music will provide a soundtrack to the evening, and expect to be hit with that spring flowerbed smell that always lingers when there's a soap stall around. Food trucks are also on the agenda, with the market running from 4–9pm on Friday, December 2. So take along some cash and stock up on all things crafty. [caption id="attachment_666947" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] BrisStyle[/caption] Top image: Brisbane City Council.
Forget scones, jam and cream, as delicious a combination as that is — at The Lab's Showstopping High Tea in August, that classic setup is on hold. Instead, you'll tuck into Ekka-themed treats to celebrate the return of the Royal Queensland Show, with the spread available for just two days: from 1–3.30pm on Saturday, August 13–Sunday, August 14. On the menu: fairy floss, strawberry spritzes and mini dagwood dogs, and even popcorn. There'll also be ribbon sandwiches, plus petite quiches and frittatas — and cakes and pastries with strawberries. No, your sweet tooth won't go hungry here, and nor will your Ekka food cravings. And as for those spritzes, they're made with Brisbane Distillery gin, crème de framboise, framboise monin, cream and strawberries. Also a big feature: bottomless sparking wine, although it's up to you if you add that to all the food. So, you can make your high tea a non-boozy affair for $50, which includes non-stop La Maison Du Thé French hand-crafted tea. Or, you can go for the Chandon package for $70, which comes with endless Domaine Chandon brut rosé, sparkling pinot shiraz and sparkling Chandon brut across two hours.
If sport is escapism in its simplest form — the 2020 Summer Olympics couldn't have come at a better time. For all of us following along from the pub or the couch (sorry Sydney), the ultimate demonstration of human accomplishment delivers a much-needed sense of belonging and shared experience. In between staggering feats of athleticism, competitors from every corner of the world have given us countless inspiring tales all delivered with neverending grace. So, our writers' have recapped eight of the most heartwarming, unmissable moments of the Tokyo Olympic Games so far. SUZ TUCKER: Editorial Director Moment: Oksana Chusovitina, representing Uzbekistan in gymnastics. I write this from an at-home standing desk — because I've somehow injured my back doing nothing. Meanwhile, Oksana Chusovitina is a 46 year old woman who, this week, competed in her EIGHTH consecutive Olympic Games (the first was Barcelona in '92) in a sport where the majority of participants are under the age of 20. This veritable sporting icon competed in vault before announcing her retirement from the sport. I pulled a hammy just watching her. A legend. MELANIE COLWELL: Branded Content Editor Moment: Jian Fang Lay, representing Australia in table tennis. If you've read or watched the news at all this past week, you'd be aware of the major Aussie success stories at the games so far. We're dominating in swimming and Jess Fox finally got her hands on the gold medal that had eluded her for many years. They're dubbed champions. Legends. Heroes. And rightly so — they've earned it. But there is another athlete that should be getting just as much praise and recognition: Jian Fang Lay. The 48-year-old table tennis player may not have won any medals (yet) but she is competing in her sixth consecutive Olympic Games — one of only two Australian women to do so. Talk about grit and determination. As someone whose experience with table tennis begins and ends with a few successful games of beer pong (the more you drink, the better you play and you can't convince me otherwise), Jian's speed, coordination and instinct is a marvel to witness. She is an underrated QUEEN. ELLEN SEAH: National News & Features Editor Moment: Thomas Daley, representing Great Britain in diving. Very occasionally, the democratic nature of sport fosters moments that stretch far beyond a league, a game, or a medal. Tom Daley's post-dive media interview was one such moment. Sporting a plain black mask, with adrenaline still pumping from his first Olympic gold medal win, Daley told media reporters about the struggle and pressures he's faced as an LGBTIQ+ athlete, with the grace and confidence that would put most to shame. "I came out in 2013 and when I was younger I always felt like the one that was alone and different and didn't fit in. There was something about me that was always never going to be as good as what society wanted me to be," Daley said, in response to a reporter's question about there being more openly out LGBTIQ+ athletes than any other Olympic Games before. "I hope that any young LGBTI person out there can see that no matter how alone you feel right now, you are not alone. You can achieve anything." Daley and his synchronised diving partner, Matty Lee, sat between silver medal Chinese athletes Cao Yuan and Chen Aisen and bronze medal Russian divers Alexander Bondar and Viktor Minibaev. Gay marriage is not legal in either Russia or China. LIBBY CURAN: Staff Writer Moment: Ariarne Titmus, representing Australia in 400m freestyle (and Dean Boxall's reaction). Life can start to feel a little light on excitement when you've been churning through lockdowns like it's an Olympic sport. Heck, some days, putting proper pants on seems deserving of a hearty pat on the back. So, imagine the pure motivation that would come from having a personal cheerleader that gets as wildly ecstatic about your triumphs as Ariarne Titmus' coach was following her women's 400m freestyle win. Dean Boxall's joyfully OTT reaction to his charge's gold medal moment has become an instant meme and for good reason — we're talking buckets of unbridled enthusiasm and some very passionate hip thrusts. Ok, so you might not be in the running to take home any gold medals for Australia yourself. But whatever little thing you need to muster up motivation for this week, chuck Boxhall's now-famous cheer routine a watch and I reckon you'll feel ready to take on the world. SARAH WARD: Associate Editor Moment: All the new sports. The only sport I'm obsessively passionate about will never reach the Olympics, even when Brisbane hosts them in 2032. Australia would obviously win gold if Aussie Rules did ever make the cut, though. If there was a way for us to win silver and bronze at the same time, we probably would as well. Still, there's something inherently joyous about new sports being introduced to the Olympics, even if it's not my beloved form of football. All those athletes who've just had their dreams come true merely by even being able to compete at that level, and all those kids who might now turn their childhood passions into a medal-winning profession — it's nothing short of inspiring. Surfing and skateboarding obviously fall into that category this year, and the fact that many of the winners so far have such moving stories behind them, or happen to be 13-year-old girls kick-flipping their way to glory, is flat-out excellent. Also a delight: seeing baseball join the fold in Tokyo. Having witnessed first-hand just how beloved baseball is in Japan — complete with the souvenirs to prove it — it's clear how meaningful an inclusion this is. CORDELIA WILLIAMSON: Branded Content Manager Moment: Bronte Campbell, Cate Campbell, Emma McKeon and Meg Harris, representing Australia in the 4 x 100-metre freestyle relay. Despite my current opinion of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and really feeling for Japan right now, I am (somewhat selfishly) loving watching the Olympics. I listened to journalist Kieran Pender on a recent 7am episode, 'Front row seats to the world's biggest experiment', and he describes the Tokyo Games as a paradox. On the one hand, it is "deeply problematic" that the IOC has forged ahead, and it is reasonable for us to say 'who cares' when we look at the broader context. But also, as Pender states: "Sport is powerful, sport is important…[and] these games will bring joy, particularly to those in lockdown". This pretty much sums up how I feel as a veg out on the couch watching these superhumans dive, sprint, jump and backflip on the screen. One moment where all my neg energy dissipated, however, was while watching Bronte Campbell, Cate Campbell, Emma McKeon and Meg Harris absolutely slay in the pool in the women's 4 x 100-metre freestyle relay final. Beating your own world record by three seconds is bloody great. But for me, someone who doesn't really watch sport nor have much (if any) national pride, it was seeing these incredible women celebrate the team's efforts, not just themselves, and present each other with their gold medals that got me like a punch in the guts. Heartwarming stuff right there. Seriously looking forward to catching more pool action, particularly diving and artistic swimming. And the pentathlon — it blows my mind that individuals can be skilled in so many (and some random) sports. BEN HANSEN: Staff Writer Moment: Hidilyn Diaz, representing the Philippines in weightlifting. While I've been yelling at my screen consistently over the last week as the Ollyroos upset Argentina, the Boomers continue their winning streak and we dominate in the pool. The moment that brought the biggest smile to my face was weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz winning the Philippines its first first-ever Olympic gold with an Olympic Record lift. Weightlifting is already a wildly impressive sport, but Diaz's face of relief when she lifts her first place-winning weight turning to overwhelming joy was so touching. NIK ADDAMS: Branded Content Manager Moment: Owen Wright, representing Australia in surfing. I know absolutely nothing about surfing. I don't even understand what one is supposed to do when one surfs. And while I was initially drawn in by the handsome Brazilian men (whatever gets you tuned in, right?) what I do know is that — after quickly Googling the rules to try and make some sense of what I was watching — I felt like I was riding every single wave with Owen Wright, Australia's first surfing medallist. The word 'inspirational' is thrown about quite a bit in sporting discourse, but his story is one that truly merits that term — having to relearn how to walk and surf after a horror brain injury just six years ago. The post-surf interview with his beautiful family showed just how much this one meant — and I hope his son Vali got an extra scoop of ice cream to celebrate, too. Top image: IOC, supplied.
Back in May, when Australia started to look past social distancing and public gathering rules to a less-restricted future, Falls Festival announced it was powering ahead with plans for its New Year's festival. But a couple of months is a long time in 2020 — and today, Wednesday, August 26, the event has announced that it will not longer be taking place this year. In a statement released via Facebook, festival organisers advised that "given the current status of things and border restrictions in place, it won't be possible to hold Falls Festival in our regular New Year's timeframe". It's worth noting that the post doesn't say that the next iteration of Falls is completely cancelled, however. "Consider this a raincheck, and please know we will be back with more information as it comes to hand," the statement notes. As for what that entails, Falls will "work with government stakeholders and key agencies to get Falls Festival back in the calendar". Clearly, given the way the past few months have shaped up — including with Victoria's reimplemented restrictions — there are a hefty range of factors to navigate. https://www.facebook.com/fallsfestival/photos/a.103842988679/10158800587688680/?type=3&theater If it had gone ahead in its usual December/January slot in 2020/2021, the summer festival had planned to implement some big changes. Usually taking place at Tassie's Marion Bay, Lorne in Victoria, North Byron and Fremantle, it was set to feature an all-Aussie lineup this year — which, with Australia's borders currently closed and even travel between just Australia and New Zealand "still some time away", seemed the smart choice. It also had the added bonus of helping Aussie musicians, many of which have been financially impacted by the COVID-19 lockdown. When the festival does go ahead, it's still fair to expect that it might look a little different — at least in terms of punters numbers. Falls Byron usually has around 25,000 attendees, while Falls Lorne has 9000, for example, figures that seem particularly large in today's social-distancing world. Last year, the music festival was impacted by the bushfires, with the Lorne leg cancelled one day in because of extreme and hazardous weather. Falls Festival will no longer go ahead in December 2020/January 2021. We'll let you know if and when more details are announced.
When it makes its debut this June, Sydney's huge new arts and food festival will help kickstart winter in a big way. Live music paired with stargazing, country tunes in Newtown and moonlit kayaking from Darling Harbour are just some of the highlights among the just-revealed Sydney Solstice program, with the previously announced event slotting into Vivid's usual early-winter berth between Tuesday, June 8–Sunday, June 20. Aiming to reinvigorate the city's hospitality, music, arts and culture sectors after a tough 12 months, the new event will take place across four city precincts. Spaces across the CBD, Darling Harbour, Newtown and Oxford Street will host more than 200 events — in restaurants, bars, galleries, museums, music venues and outdoor areas. In the CBD, highlights include music, dance and theatre events in the YCK Laneways precinct; dancing and late-night dim sum at Mr Wong; International Pride Month events at Metro Theatre; and art installations and dance pop-ups in Chinatown. There'll also be after-dark parties at Sea Life Aquarium, where more than just the aquatic creatures will glow; a world-premiere work by celebrated composer and producer William Barton, which will soundtrack an evening of stargazing at Sydney Observatory; and Queen's Feast, Heaps Gay's multi-sensory dining and art experience at Sydney Town Hall. The latter will feature an all-female chef lineup, including Masterchef alum Sarah Tiong, pastry maven Anna Polyviou, Southside Charmers' Georgia Woodyard and Claire Van Vuuren of Newtown fave Bloodwood. The Sydney Opera House forecourt will become a hub of live music, talks and poetry readings for each night of Sydney Solstice. Head along at sunset, and you'll see this year's Badu Gili, too — a six-minute projection on the structure's eastern Bennelong sails. Or, for two food-filled days, make a date with Opera Kitchen and its Italian- and Japanese-focused festival. Nearby, Darling Harbour will be transformed into a winter wonderland, complete with an ice-skating rink and German-themed chalets. If you'd prefer to hop onto the water, you'll be able to kayak by moonlight as well. Also making great use of the waterfront location: Harbour Garden, an installation of inflatables that's designed for attendees of all ages. Just outside of the CBD, Newtown will host the inaugural (and adorably named) Country and Inner Western Festival, which'll pop up in small bars, pubs and other venues to showcase emerging and established country, alternative country, bluegrass, folk, Americana and blues musicians. And, over at South Eveleigh, a big (and free) street festival will celebrate the growing food precinct — just as Kylie Kwong launches her new restaurant onsite. Meanwhile, fermentation will be in the spotlight on Oxford Street, with Bitter Phew celebrating brewers, winemakers, bakers and cheesemakers for the duration of Sydney Solstice. Plus, Hotel Harry's Altar Danceteria will throw a series of genre-hopping parties — so fingers crossed that dancing is back again by June. And, no, you won't be bored across the festival's 13-day run. Sydney Solstice will take place from Tuesday, June 8–Sunday, June 20. We'll update you with further details when they're announced — and you can keep an eye on the festival's website, too. Images: Destination NSW
Never in history has the topic of sustainability been a more popular or important topic of conversation. Saving the environment is on the immediate to-do list of individuals and organisations across the world, but will governments go as far as to grant legal rights to Mother Nature herself? The answer is shockingly, but quite possibly, yes. Today, the United Nations will propose Bolivia's Law of Mother Earth, based on the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth, in an attempt to lead the world into a new age of conservation of natural resources and a strict reduction of pollution. The treaty includes four articles and, if passed, would grant the environment 11 legal rights, including the right to life and to exist, the right to continue processes free from human disturbance, the right to pure water and clean air, the right to balance, the right not to be polluted, the right to not be affected by mega-infrastructure and development projects that negatively affect ecosystems and the local inhabitants and the right to not have cellular structure modified or genetically altered. Does this mean no cutting down trees? It's hard to determine whether the proposal is silly or a solution. Although it is highly unlikely that the UN will approve the treaty any time soon, the truth is that especially in the suffering environment of Bolivia, Mother Nature isn't in the best shape right now. It remains to be seen whether granting a bill of rights to flora and fauna is the best way to restore her to her former glory. [Via The Guardian]
For the past few years, lime-coloured e-scooters have been popping up on Brisbane's streets. Since 2019, Neuron Mobility's orange-hued versions have been as well — and since just last week, its e-bikes have been rolled out across the city, too. That's handy if you need to get across town; however, the Singapore-based company wants you to use its vehicles for more than just hopping from one place to another. To be specific, it wants you to take a trip to get vaccinated. Today, Friday, July 30, Neuron has just announced a $100,000 giveaway, offering free rides to 10,000 Australians who are on their way to and from getting the jab. There's $10 on offer per person, with the deal available in all locations that the company operates in. That includes Brisbane, obviously, as well as Bundaberg, Townsville, Adelaide, Darwin and Canberra. To get the deal — which can be used on both e-scooters and e-bikes — you'll need to first download the Neuron app. From there, follow the vaccination promotion prompts to score your $10 ride coupons, which can then be used for one round trip to a vaccination centre, GP or hospital. If the promo sounds familiar, that's because ridesharing service DiDi is also offering discounted rides to hubs and clinics, and to GPs giving the jab — if you'd prefer to go via car. Australia's COVID-19 vaccination rollout has been unfurling at a snail's pace, and amid much confusion — especially regarding which jabs are available to Aussies under 40. They're not the only dilemmas when it comes to getting vaxxed, however. Actually being able to access the vaccine is the big issue, obviously, but getting to and from appointments might also be causing you troubles if you don't drive and aren't too keen on catching public transport. "We know that increasing vaccination rates is an integral step to stopping the spread and reducing the health, social and economic impacts of the virus in our community," said Neuron Mobility CEO Zachary Wang. "Through this initiative, we want to provide greater access to safe transport options for every Australian who is eligible to get vaccinated." "In particular, we want to take this opportunity to support frontline workers and vulnerable members of the community who are the first priority to receive their vaccinations. Our healthcare workers have been at the forefront of the vaccine rollout, and we hope to play a small part in supporting their critical work," he continued. Neuron Mobility's e-scooters and e-bikes are now available around Brisbane. For further details about its free vaccination trips, which start on Friday, July 30, visit the company's website.
