You don't have to fall down a rabbit hole or stumble across a secret garden to find Vaquero Dining — but you do need to do the next best thing. Just look for The Albion Butchery on Sandgate Road, walk past an array of displayed, cured meat (and maybe think about taking some home to eat), and then prepare for a stashed-away restaurant and bar to materialise. That's the first fun part. Obviously, the second stems from everything you'll consume while you're there. If devouring Spanish-influenced dishes, and drinking wine and cocktails in cosy yet chic decor — complete a back-lit bar, intimate dining room and airy al fresco area — sounds like your kind of thing, then Vaquero Dining is the place for you. Food-wise, that includes sliced-to-order, meat-stacked charcuterie boards, marinated olives, kingfish ceviche and plenty of options cooked up in the charcoal oven — and a tasty meringue blackberry sorbet. And as for beverages, expect to choose from more than 70 wines, some great house cocktails and all the classics, such as old faves like old fashioneds and negronis.
Headphones aren't your crappy, service station-bought, tinny pieces of shit anymore. They can help you get high, they can edit the sound around you, they can even respond to your own damn ear. An Australian-based startup called Nura has raised over a million bucks on Kickstarter to develop a new pair of headphones that respond to the listener's various ability to perceive sound — and they casually tailor your music to fit your inner ear perfectly. The project has just hit an unbelievable AUD$1.2 million on Kickstarter (people reeeaaally want a good set of headphones) and is headed up by a Melbourne-based team. Kyle Slater, Luke Campbell and Dragan Petrovic dreamt up the scheme before teaming up with engineer Wilson Shao. Together, they're the A-Team of futuristic cochlear science. Slater has a PhD in psychoacoustics, human machine interfaces and helped design the first bionic eye. Campbell is an MD who's spent his life studying the mechanics of hearing, performing surgeries (on, you guessed it, ears!) and has a PhD in hearing science. Dragan is an electrical engineer from Berkeley with experience in product management. What a dream squad. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXU3cZSJ2wg[/embed] So how does it work? "Some headphones sound tinny and lack beat, others have too much bass which drowns out the detail," says the Nura team on Kickstarter. "The acoustic separation of Nura's design allows for the deepest bass and clearest tones. "The over-ear cup delivers bass you can feel through your skin. The earbud prevents the bass from drowning out the detail and delivers crystal clear notes directly into your ear. Your brain combines the sensations into a fully immersive experience — you hear and you feel the music." The laundry list of achievements is probably one of the reasons their Kickstarter went off — these boys aren't playing around. But they're not the only ones getting serious (and weird) about audio quality. The future is now, so go right ahead and throw away your $2 pair of temporary headphones and prepare to hear a whole new woooooorldddd. Uh. Sorry. EAR-FREE HEADPHONES Earlier in the year, Sony unveiled their latest gadgetry: ear-free headphones. Concept N (very sci-fi name, you guys) sits around your neck and, using a series of multi-directional speakers, directs sound up towards the ears. It's a device for people who don't want to zone out completely, but still want to listen to their tunes. HEADPHONES THAT GET YOU HIGH Then, of course, there's the offering from Nervana, a startup from San Diego — a pair of headphones that gets you high. A low-power electric stimulation is synced up with whatever music you're listening to, triggering the release of dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin in the brain, which sounds like the perfect way to listen to music. The product has also been crowdfunded and isn't quite on the market yet, but testing is going well. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzpqWMM_HrY[/embed] SOUND-PERFECTING HEADPHONES Finally, there's Doppler Lab's crowdfunded Here earbuds. They're not exactly headphones, but 'sound perfectors'. The technology aims to equalise the noise of the world and perfect your experience of sound without the noise. They allow you to turn up the volume, bass and treble, mute sounds you don't want to hear (like crying babies on planes). Best bit? There's an 'Instagram your ears' function with premade filters to overlay your hearing with selective enhancements. Only in 2016.
With a steady string of new live venues opening across the east coast lately, seeing doors opening – rather than closing – has happily become the status quo. Alas, every now and then some bad news reminds us of the opposite extreme that we’d much rather forget. And when it comes to bad news, this could be right up there. The Music is reporting that the company behind The Hi-Fi has been placed into external administration over a dispute with a major creditor. Unable to resolve their differences with The Hi-Fi Group, the creditor has taken over running the business while a new buyer is sought. All three Australian venues have been affected, meaning Brisbane’s West End mainstay, Melbourne’s Swanston Street spot and Sydney’s recently revamped former Forum Theatre location as well. It was due to almost two decades of success in Melbourne that the company branched out into Brisbane in 2009, with Sydney following in 2012. All signs point to the venue remaining open and running — for now. "It's business as usual, see you at the gig," said a post on the venue's Facebook page. Shows are slated from now until June – including The Smith Street Band, Sticky Fingers, Seth Sentry, DJ Shadow & Cut Chemist, and the only just announced debut album tour by Courtney Barnett, depending on the city, so current ticket holders should be taken care of. As for what happens after then: watch this space. Via The Music.
Moo Moo the Wine Bar + Grill establishes itself as a pretty schmick steakhouse from the moment you reach the Port Office entrance. Step inside and you'll see the restaurant name illuminated on the wall next to a winding staircase. Ascend this to reach the main counter, where the open kitchen and the glass dry aging cabinet make for a striking display. Turn right from here and you're in Moobar, with a selection of tapas to keep you occupied while you sip on a drink or two. Turn left instead, and you are in the restaurant. This is where you want to be. There are plenty of tasty sounding dishes on the menu but we are here for the steak – and there is a lot of it to choose from. The least expensive is the Southern Darling Downs 18-24 months aged tenderloin. The priciest is the Japanese Black Wagyu with 48 months age. Quite a mouthful to say and quite an expensive mouthful to eat. If you're after value for money, the Moo Moo Signature is the one for you – a spice rubbed 1kg AACo Wagyu rump roast, carved at the table and served with a chef's selection of two sides and a trio of sauces. Though it's possible that the steaks are a little over-seasoned for some tastes, they are delicious and succulent all the same. We recommend the very flavourful Jack's Creek black angus scotch fillet, grain fed for 150 days with 36-42 months of age. Mouth-watering brilliance. Mustards and garnishes are complimentary and there is something highly satisfying about polishing off a big slab of beef by dunking each forkful in a different condiment or sauce. The sweet and tangy smoky BBQ is our pick. As a general rule at Moo Moo The Wine Bar and Grill, a steak doesn't come with any sides, so it's best to order a few. Wagyu fat new season potatoes — oven roasted with thyme and rosemary — are crunchy and bite-sized, and do a good job of using up any excess sauces. Wash it down with one of the many wines (hundreds available by the bottle, and plenty by the glass), and call it a night. Or even better, finish it all off with a Basque cheesecake.
There aren't too many shoes we'd put in our own mouths, but Nike's latest release is a top contender. Set for release on April 2, Nike SB's new edition of the Dunk High takes inspiration from the ultimate fusion of fried savoury goodness and dessert breakfast — chicken and waffles. Screw inspiration, it literally looks like the damn dish, with textured waffle imprints, syrup drips and insoles covered in waffle-chicken illustrations. Only available at select Nike SB stockists, the 'Chicken and Waffles' Dunk Highs will walk out the door with hungry sneaker fans worldwide on April 2 at 10am EDT. Feast on these close-ups in the meantime and pass the napkins. Via Sneaker News. Images: Nike, SN and Dollar Photo Club.
Ivan Sen and Aaron Pedersen have become one of the great double acts of Australian cinema. The former is a writer, director, producer, cinematographer and composer who first burst onto the scene with his debut feature Beneath Clouds, while the latter has lit up the nation's big and small screens in everything from influential crime television series Wildside to expressive Indigenous dance film Spear. Together they're the driving force behind two of the best local releases in the last four years, as well as the reason that their central character of Jay Swan is fast becoming one of the nation's enduring screen heroes. First, they collaborated on the sun-drenched western 'noir' Mystery Road. And now they're back to serve up the second chapter that is Goldstone. Like its predecessor, this companion piece explores the efforts of Pedersen's Indigenous detective as he investigates unseemly dealings in the remote reaches of the Aussie outback. But Goldstone doesn't just offer up another Swan-centric story (as pleasing as that concept is). No, once again, it not only navigates the country's distinctive landscape, but also provides a politically-charged examination of the complex state of the nation's race relations in the process. With the feature currently screening in Australian cinemas, Ivan and Aaron sat down with Concrete Playground to discuss the conflicts of their protagonist, the process of making movies in the middle of nowhere and what comes next for the duo. ON TELLING POLITICALLY CHARGED STORIES WITHIN GENRE CONFINES Ivan: "It's all inbuilt into the fabric of the character. He's a character who's a political character. He's an Indigenous police officer, and those two words together immediately creates a conflict within him — and there's a conflict on each side of him. Not many people trust a black cop from the Aboriginal perspective, and he's looked at with suspicion from the white side as well. They see him as a tool for them to liaise with the community, whereas he's actually there in the centre trying to help this community and keep people from being locked up. So he's just got all these political, social aspects inbuilt. And I think that's why when you place that into a genre arena, automatically you're going to have a genre effort that's going to have political subtext that's inbuilt from the beginning." ON RETURNING TO THE CHARACTER OF JAY SWAN Ivan: [Looking at Aaron] "He wanted a job." Aaron: "Yeah, I wanted a job. Nah, look, I was very inspired by the first one. I thought it was saying a lot of things. I thought he [Jay Swan] walked quite strong in the world. And as Ivan says, he's just a good man doing the right things — and I liked that. It was a simple profile of the man, but it was such a beautiful in-depth conversation he was having about the type of person you should be in the world. So I just said 'let's do it again, brother', because it seemed like people had gravitated towards him in a lot of ways. And throughout the whole journey of Mystery Road, not one person questioned the colour of his skin — they just thought 'good on you, you're doing the right thing'. And that for me was a win — and a coup — because you're trying to paint strong, male Indigenous images that are pertinent to helping this country, rather than being looked down at as a lesser kind of a person. So I just wanted to bring him back. I thought he had an audience, and he had people there who loved him, and people wanted to see him again — there was a bit of a hunger there. And I wanted to work with Ivan again, which not a lot of actors get the chance to do. So, it was a great chance to work with him again. And Ivan's note was: 'well, we just fuck it up a bit. We reshape it. We make it more jagged — and make a different film'. And the truth is, it works — you know? He's a little bit more damaged, but people are with him, so immediately people are emotionally connected, like 'whoa, what's going on here?' So he's already got friends and family in amongst audiences, so it felt like a no-brainer really. Obviously it's a lot of work to do it, whether you ask it or not. Ivan had a couple of other projects he was working on that didn't go the way he thought they might at the time, so it opened the door to write it. He sat down in a small period time — less than a fortnight — and penned the film, and then called me and said 'wrote it, bro'. And I was like 'yes! Here we go!' It's one thing to ask [for a second film], but it takes a lot to [actually] do it. So I asked the question and Ivan did the hard work for it. I'm glad I asked him. I didn't push it too much, but I wanted to see if he thought it was possible. For me, Ivan is heading in a direction that, if I don't catch him and ask him to do it now, then the stratosphere is his world. In years to come, it might be something we revisit later, but it was worth asking now." ON SHOOTING THE FILM IN OUTBACK QUEENSLAND Ivan: "To us, it's nowhere. Middleton's a pub, right? There's three people who live there. To us, it's just land. There's nothing there — there's no services. There's nothing that you need to look after a crew and house them and all that stuff. And we had to actually build the sets as well as our accommodation. To shoot a film out there, full-time, for under $3 million is unbelievable. It feels like a much bigger film than what it is. It's a couple of hundred grand more than my first film in 2002. And to look at it, it's quite an epic film." Aaron: "And we worked every day, really." Ivan: "Me doing five jobs helps the budget — I don't get the money for that, by the way." ON TRYING TO MAKE GOLDSTONE BOTH MORE POLITICAL AND MORE ACCESSIBLE THAN MYSTERY ROAD Ivan: "It's another stepping stone to a wider audience...and that's partly why I wanted it to be a two-hander. So Alex Russell [who plays Goldstone's only permanent cop], his character is white, with a country background, and people connect with him. As they do Jacki Weaver, as they do to David Wenham. So that was all conscious, you know. And you've got [Indigenous actors] Tommy Lewis and David Gulpilil on the other side. And Cheng Pei-pei. It's inviting the audience in to see different perspectives. I was joking out on location that it's like a trifle. You've got your favourite piece of the trifle — whether it is the cake or the jelly or the custard — and you go for your favourite bit. But at the same time you're going to taste the custard and the cake as well." Aaron: "I like trifle." Ivan: "It was a very consciously-made trifle." ON THE POSSIBILITY OF A THIRD FILM Aaron: "I've already planted that one, too. But it's true. What happens in our careers — whether my career or Ivan's — is unbeknown, but I know Ivan is a great creator of his own destiny too. So the question is asked for that reason — but where's the window for it? That's really all it is, because I know maybe he'd love to revisit it or even just look at it, but where's the window for it? I asked the question a lot earlier in the piece. We had the discussion in the Middleton pub during the shooting of this one and talked about it in bits and pieces over the whole shoot. So, the seed has been planted and there's a little bit of watering going on, but it's just a matter of where the window is." Ivan: "I had an idea, actually, about two years or a year and a half ago about a story — and after talking to Aaron out on location I realised that that story could be the basis of another. I mean, that story could've involved Aaron and just a totally different character, but we could see how [this story and Jay Swan] could interconnect...And the whole thing would be quite radical. And very different to the other two films as well. And extremely political." Aaron: "Extremely political. It's outrageous." Ivan: "It'll blow the walls out. But in saying that, it's extremely accessible at the same time because of that. Because that outrageousness is also what's attractive at the same time." Aaron: "Yeah, totally. Look, there's a lot of unanswered questions still, as there was in the first. And the first and second complement each other in a lot of ways, and they're separate, too. It's just about the time it takes place. In the three years since Ivan and I did the last one, our worlds have shifted — personally and privately — and that happens with the characters too. And they can shift quite enormously, and there can be quite the chasm between them. I always say this: look at the last image of Mystery Road and the first image of Goldstone. There's this chasm. You go 'hang on, have I missed a film here? What the hell happened? That's not the same person'. But it is. There's great beauty in how people make that connection, too. So, whatever that is, the leap that we're talking about won't feel ridiculous — it'll feel like life has taken place, and things have happened. And that's exciting too, because the excitement of shooting this film was the fact that it's the same character, but it was like you stepped onto another planet." Goldstone is currently screening in Australian cinemas.
Because you're reading this, we know you're not someone who received a pet for Christmas, only to decide it wasn't for you. We know you're one of the good folks. You're probably wishing that you did receive a loveable animal as a gift, even if you already have one — or several — that you adore. We understand your yearning, and so does the RSPCA. And, to find permanent homes for pups, cats, bunnies, guinea pigs and ponies surrendered into its care from all over the state, it's lowering the adoption fee to $29 this weekend. The weekend-long initiative is called Clear the Shelters and will run from Friday, February 23 until Sunday, February 25. Although you can't put a price on the happiness a new four-legged friend will bring, it's hoped that the low adoption fee will encourage people who have been thinking about adding a pet to their fam (and have considered it thoroughly) to make the commitment this week. Last year, the RSPCA found new homes for 793 pets in NSW through the campaign. This year, Clear the Shelters will run across Australia in all states except WA and Tasmania. The adoption fees — which usually range from $20–600 — help cover some of the costs of vaccines, training and microchipping for the animals. Whether you're in NSW, Victoria or Queensland, there are hundreds of animals that need a new home full of love and pats. There's more to pet adoption than overdosing on cuteness, of course, with making the commitment to care for an animal is serious business. For further information, read RSPCA's FAQs and head to a shelter this weekend.
Portraits aren’t all regal furs and awkward “Oh, didn’t see you there,” poses. They can be weird, abstract, figurative, unrecognisable, or downright adorable. That last one sums up French-born Sydney artist Bruno Jean Grasswill's portrait of Australian actor and The Castle legend Michael Caton, winner of the 2015 Packing Room Prize and one of the finalists for the Archibald Prize, announced today. One of 47 artworks picked as Archie finalists in the Art Gallery of New South Wales' annual Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes, Grasswill's portrait of Caton took home a Packing Room cash prize of $1500, judged by the gallery staff who receive, unpack and hang the entries. There's no jousting sticks in sight, but we're pretty sure this one's going to go straight to a lucky gallery's pool room. Caton apparently congratulated the AGNSW packing room staff “on their excellent taste in art.” What a boss. After 832 Archibald, 653 Wynne and 518 Sulman entries, this year, these 47 Archibald finalists are the top tier of artists trying to make us wake up and pay attention (whether for great or WTF reasons) to Australia’s big ol’ faces. It's not an easy task; capturing a realistic, unrelentingly vulnerable likeness of your own reflection, someone you’ve just met or one of your oldest buds takes a fair few stories, maybe a few beers and a willingness to tackle the intimidating notion of thinking up something new after decades of Archie winners. There's a few standouts for us this year, which you can see when the exhibition opens to the public on July 18. There's this striking portrait of Australian fashion designer Jenny Kee by Carla Fletcher: This pretty damn impressive self portrait of Australian artist and political activist Richard Bell: Adam Alcorn's sharply figurative portrait of Sydney award-winning writer, comedian, podcaster and radio host Alice Fraser: Julian Meagher's candy-coloured portrait of Daniel Johns: And Stewart MacFarlane's got Corey Bernadi holding some kind of whip? The Archibald Prize exhibition opens to the public at the AGNSW on Saturday, July 18. To view all the Archibald, Sulman and Wynne finalists, head over here. Images: Archibald Prize, AGNSW.
There's a reason Sydneysiders love their city so much. Beneath the reputation that our lovely lockout laws have un-wilfully bestowed on us, there's an unbeatable combination of food, drink, beaches and atmosphere that you won't find anywhere else in Australia. The trick is that you just have to know where to look for it. That's why we're here. If you're in the mood to treat yourself, book yourself a flight, then book yourself a room at Pullman Hyde Park (try and get the suite that's designed by Matt Blatt) then indulge in the luxury that Sydney has to offer. In partnership with Pullman Hotels and Resorts, we've created a guide so you can make sure you're getting the best of the best in a limited time frame. When you're in the mood for some sunshine — what's better than a spontaneous weekend trip? [caption id="attachment_587798" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Kepos Street Kitchen. Image: @stillsbyrash via Instagram.[/caption] SATURDAY On a quiet, leafy corner in Redfern, you'll find a laid back cafe serving some of the best brunches in town. It goes by the name of Kepos Street Kitchen, and it's the perfect place to start your weekend in Sydney. Israeli-born chef Michael Rantissi has earned a Good Food hat for his creative Middle Eastern dishes. Try the warm hummus with burnt butter, poached egg and taboon bread, or granola with berries and halva yoghurt. Whatever you order, the plates are designed for sharing, so get into sampling as many flavours as possible. From there, it's a half-hour stroll westwards through Redfern's park-dotted streets to Carriageworks. This left-of-field arts centre is housed inside the huge spaces of a former rail yard. At any given hour, you'll see art installations, dance experiments and live gigs. Saturday, though, is always farmer's market day, an event overseen by chef Mike McEnearney. More than 70 growers and producers congregate to peddle their organic and biodynamic wares. Try handmade sweet treats from The Dessert Makers, truffles from Hartley, the latest bakes from the Bread and Butter Project, goat's cheese from Willowbrae and loads more. You can coffee and dine on the spot, as there's plenty of freshly-cooked fare available, or stock up on picnic supplies. [caption id="attachment_587145" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Chowder Bay walking track.[/caption] Speaking of which, your next stop takes you to the harbour, where a good portion of any Sydney weekend should be spent. Jump on a ferry at Circular Quay bound for Taronga Zoo. Walk east and you'll soon find yourself on a track surrounded by bush, and weaving in and out of secret harbour beaches and lookouts. Keep an eye out for water dragons and kookaburras, as you continue for four kilometres, eventually landing in Chowder Bay. If the weather's nice (which it will be, it's Sydney), pack your swimmers because there's a harbour pool. A fine glass of red is on offer afterwards in the East Coast Lounge, alongside hand-stuffed olives with almond, lemon and chilli. Come evening, make your way to Potts Point, where a string of small bars and eateries have popped up over the past few months. A favourite with the locals for pre- (and post-) dinner cocktails is Jangling Jacks, opened in January this year by artist Orlan Erin Raleigh and her partner Jon Ruttan, founder and former owner of Mojo Record Bar. The walls are covered in classic rock 'n' roll posters — from Tom Waits to David Bowie — and the signature cocktail list features classics with a creative twist, like the Tiki's Hummingbird, which is margarita, with the addition of a homemade sherbet rim and a dash of orange blossom. [caption id="attachment_587146" align="alignnone" width="1280"] The Powder Keg.[/caption] Just a stumble down the road, you'll arrive at The Powder Keg. This 17th century inspired hideaway owns the biggest collection of gin in the Southern Hemisphere. Take your pick with your tonic of choice or go for a cocktail, like the Honeymead Sour (vodka, apple liqueur, honeymead and organic cider). The quirky menu includes quail scotch egg with smoked potato, crispy pancetta and mushrooms, as well as oysters with gin and tonic sorbet. [caption id="attachment_587154" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Rose Bay.[/caption] SUNDAY There's no brighter way to start a Sydney Sunday than with a trip to Bondi Beach for brunch overlooking the ocean at Jo and Willys Depot Cafe. You can expect high standards — it's owned by a former Olympic sprinter by the name of Heather Turland and her son Guy, who's CV includes Icebergs. Tuck into the ultimate hippie breakfast: poached eggs on red rice and organic quinoa, piled with toasted seeds, hummus and kale chips. For the least interrupted views, grab a seat on the pavement. Once you're fuelled up, you'll be ready for a paddling adventure. Pop over to Rose Bay and hire a kayak from Rose Bay Aquatic Hire or Point Piper Kayak Centre. If you feel like playing it safe, keep to the shore, following it towards Point Piper or Vaucluse. Otherwise, get brave and paddle out to Shark Island, which lies about a kilometre from the shore. With its sandy beaches and grassy slopes, it's one of the prettiest islands in the harbour. Before landing, call (02) 9253 0888 to buy a national park entry ticket or, should you have a spare $3300 on you, hire the entire place for your own private use for the day. [caption id="attachment_587156" align="alignnone" width="1280"] 10 William St.[/caption] Next up, you're heading into town for a spot of lunch. In Paddington, swing by 10 William Street. Owned by the team behind Fratelli Paradiso, this pocket-sized bar is a simple, stripped-back and has excellent food and wine. On the international drinks list, you'll find drops from Italy, Portugal, France and Switzerland, while the tapas-style menu features dishes like citrus with white radicchio and black olives, and quail with sesame and daikon. Post boozy lunch, leave time for a casual stroll around Paddington. William Street is home to a handful of super-cute boutiques, selling everything from antiques to hair cuts to fancy clothes. Wander to Oxford Street, heading towards the city, to visit Parlour X, an extraordinary collection of designer fashion handpicked by Eva Galambos and occupying St Johns Church. Just down the hill, you'll come across Paddington Reservoir. Once Paddington's main water supply, it's now a sunken garden, inspired by the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. For the grand finale, you're heading to Circular Quay to visit the Pullman's newly opened Hacienda. This Cuban-inspired bar calls itself a 'botanical oasis'. Garden trestles and luxe pastel furniture are surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows, looking over Sydney Harbour and the city. The folks behind the design — Applejack Hospitality - have also taken care of Bondi Hardware, The Butler and Della Hyde. As you might've guessed, you'll be sipping on Cuban-influenced cocktails, like the Old Smoked Presidente (aged rum, orange curacao, dry vermouth, house-spiced raspberry syrup and Angostura bitter). Meanwhile, the menu represents a Cuban-American reunion, with fusions like yuka fries, buttermilk fried chicken and pork neck mojo. You also have the option to finish off your weekend with a drink at Mobius Bar and Grill — it's a convenient 500 metres away from the terminal at Sydney airport. Pullman Hotels and Resorts make a great base to explore Sydney for a weekend.
If you find yourself in our fair capital this summer, don't leave without checking out Hyper Real at the NGA. Featuring nearly 50 extraordinary digital art and ultra-real sculptures by 32 international artists including Ron Mueck, Patricia Piccinini, Sam Jinks, John DeAndrea, Carole A Feuerman and Marc Sijan, you can expect to see everything from a frozen sculpture made from an artist's blood, a virtual journey through a human skull floating in space and a transgenic creature giving birth. An incredible opportunity to see sculpted forms so true to life you'll get goosebumps (prepare to suppress the urge to reach out and touch them), Hyper Real takes humanity and amplifies it, asking 'what makes us human?' whilst displaying the ever-expanding artistic potential of the genre itself. "Contemporary hyperrealism has pushed beyond static sculpture and into the digital realm. It is a shape-shifting genre, simultaneously traditional and innovative, familiar and provocative" says Jaklyn Babington, NGA Senior Curator of Contemporary Art. Trust us, you won't have seen an exhibition like this before. Image: Patricia Piccinini, The long awaited, 2008, silicone, fibreglass, human hair, plywood, leather, clothing, Collection of Detached Cultural Organisation and the artist, Hobart. Courtesy of the artist, Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney, Tolarno Galleries, Melbourne and Hosfelt Gallery, San Francisco.
When a new bar opens and unleashes its name upon the world, you don't expect it to change just a few weeks later. That's the case for Brisbane's newest Vietnamese beer cafe, though. Yes, Uncle Ho has just gotten a brand new moniker — after a stormy weekend of protests over the eatery's namesake. The latest addition to Fortitude Valley welcomed its first patrons in late March — and while its celebration of Hanoi-style eating and drinking has been a hit (think authentic street food and fresh beer), its name has been more than a little controversial. Protests from the city's Vietnamese community forced the Ann Street hotspot to shut its doors for a day over the weekend. According to the ABC, around 100 peaceful protesters turned up on Sunday, angered by the cafe's name, which references communist North Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh. This nod to the former dictator brought up memories of his punishing, violent regime for protestors, as did the restaurant's online advertisements: [caption id="attachment_567340" align="alignnone" width="700"] @unclehonewfarm via ABC.[/caption] Taking the protests (and alleged death threats) seriously, restaurant director Anna Demirbek has announced a different title. Say goodbye Uncle Ho and hello Uncle Bia Hoi. The new name links to the style of place — aka a beer hall — and to a particular brand of foamy beverage as well. Now, when you stop by for a few rice paper rolls, an evening tipple and a couple of hours of hip hop-scored hangouts while sitting under twinkling lanterns, you'll do so in a place that doesn't make everyone think about a dark chapter of Vietnam's past. Find Uncle Bia Hoi at 826 Ann Street, Fortitude Valley. For more info, visit their website. Via ABC.
Just when you thought you knew everything that dining in New Farm has to offer, you stumble across a gem like The Balfour Kitchen. The Balfour Kitchen is the restaurant component of Spicers Balfour, a boutique hotel tucked away on Balfour Street and best described as an inner-city sanctuary. Blink and you'll miss this place twice over, but behind its unassuming façade is a tranquil, top quality dining experience and maybe even a room for the night if you're in the mood to imbibe. The trend of highly stylised, themed spaces and 'hipster' trimmings has passed the Balfour Kitchen by, which is a refreshing change. The building itself is a classic Queenslander at heart, with a wide timber veranda that makes the most of Brisbane's long summer evenings. Lush greenery and the bamboo-lined driveway create a tropical feel that lends itself nicely to a Mojito or a Long Island Iced Tea. The Balfour Kitchen has received rave reviews for its breakfast and high tea for quite some time now, but only began a dinner service in recent months. Dishes are priced between $10 and $35 and are designed to share, making it an ideal destination for group dining. The tropical theme finds its way onto the dinner menu with Asian-influenced dishes such as chilli caramel tofu with green pawpaw, coriander and pine nuts ($15), chicken spring rolls with lime and coconut dipping sauce ($16) and pan fried salmon with pak choy, shitake, grapefruit and rice noodles ($30). If comfort food is more your thing, try the cider braised pork belly with white bean puree and pickled apple ($19), which is an inspired combination of flavours and textures. Other larger meals include a classic eye fillet dish with potato and caramel onion mash, asparagus and red wine jus ($34) and a wild barra with asparagus, leek and pea risotto and tomato pinenut salsa ($30). Sugar lovers will delight in the chocolate brulee ($15) and the Frangelico affocato ($14) dessert options, or choose a selection of cheeses. While the meal may be over the night is still young, so pop upstairs to the rooftop bar, which has a well-stocked fridge plus sprawling views over residential New Farm and Brisbane city. Ah, the serenity.
With the world still reeling after losing one of its most iconic voices, two of Australia's best repertory cinemas are paying tribute to his legacy. In the wake of Prince's sudden passing, both The Astor in Melbourne and the Hayden Orpheum in Sydney have announced upcoming screenings of 1984's Purple Rain, giving fans the chance to see the artist weave his magic on the big screen once more. The Astor will hold two screenings — one on the afternoon of Saturday, April 30 and a second (added due to the first selling out in record time) a week later on Saturday, May 7. What's more, $1 from each ticket sold going to Edgar's Mission, a non-profit sanctuary that provides assistance to rescued farm animals. More than 2,000 people have already expressed their interest on Facebook, so anyone hoping to attend had better snap up tickets fast. The screening at Hayden Orpheum will take place a few weeks later, on the evening of Friday, May 13. The cinema previously payed tribute to rock legend David Bowie and recently departed actor Alan Rickman with a special screenings of Labyrinth and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 earlier in the year. Prince's death has sent shock waves through popular culture and inspired countless tributes, from Spike Lee's massive Brooklyn block party to landmarks lighting up purple in cities around the world. US President Barack Obama described him as a "creative icon." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuXK8ZbTmLk Find out more about Purple Rain at The Astor here and The Hayden Orpheum here. Updated: April 26, 2016.
When is a festival event more than just a festival event? When it is a thrumming, buzzing hub of activity. In 2015, Brisbane Festival unveils Arcadia as the free-entry space that weird and wonderful dreams are made of. They're not calling it the Wild West meets Willy Wonka without good reason. In an adult playground that occupies a site at South Bank more than five times the size of previous years, two performance tents, four bars, ten boutique food trucks and a host of activities will take up residence. Whether indulging in sassy new show Club Swizzle, entering an edible world at Fear & Delight, marvelling at pavement art at the 3D Chalk Walk, or just hanging out in the purpose-built, two-storey Little Creatures Treehouse is your thing, there's something here for everyone. Of course, don't miss the Big Festival Opening on September 5 — aka the perfect sampler of Bris Fest mayhem.
Those final-round, half-popped remnants of the once-brimming popcorn bag have a solid fan base it seems, with two companies (two!) now selling bags of almost-there popcorn. Washington-based company HalfPops and Minnesota-based company Pop'd Kerns have decided that fully-popped kernels are wildly overrated, now selling half-popped corn as an actual snack. Their premature little bag buddies make for quite the potentially teeth-breaking snack, selling 170-gram bags at over 2000 locations America-wide and online (not for international delivery yet, so we'll have to live with the few skerricks in our popcorn bags for now). How the companies purposely half-pop the corn isn't made entirely clear on either of their websites, so we're willing to conjure up an image of the team hiding behind unsuspecting popcorn eaters and stealing their bags when they're almost done. Hiiiiiissssss, the sweet, sweet half-popped gold! The partially-popped friends made a strong appearance at New York City's Summer Fancy Food Show, the city's first ever specialty food week. Taking over NYC's Javits Centre from June 28 to 30, the inaugural SFFS15 nabbed the title of largest specialty food trade event in North America; a leading showcase of food industry innovation. For three days, American foodies found themselves surrounded by the newest and weirdest edible developments in the game. Half-popped corn wasn't the only thing turning heads at SFFS15. Probably the most grown-up type of ice cream in the freezer, wine ice cream is the work of an upstate New York dairy called Mercer's. Don't think this is simply wine-flavoured, these creamy, creamy confections have up to five percent alcohol. Other 'fancy foods' making waves at the specialty food week included the controversial maple water, tomato butter and the retch-inducing camel milk. Like, milked from a camel. Yeesh. Via The Kitchn.
Whenever Vivid takes over Sydney to kick off winter, the city instantly gets brighter. Unleashing a huge festival of lights and vibrant installations, live music, food and talks will do that, of course. Mark Friday, May 26–Saturday, June 17 in your calendars for 2023, with the annual festival returning with a typically massive program. One headlining event is an appearance from Mike White, creator and writer of HBO's The White Lotus alongside the hit show's star and entertainment icon Jennifer Coolidge. The duo is coming to the Harbour City's Aware Super Theatre at the ICC Sydney for an exclusive in-conversation session moderated by Benjamin Law as a part of Vivid Ideas. Lights-wise, more than 50 installations will be bringing bursts of colour to the Harbour City, with public installations, 3D projections and ticketed events all part of the lineup. The Vivid Light Walk is back with free public works inspired by nature popping up from over 100 light collaborators and 26 international light artists from 13 countries. First Light will also return, celebrating Australia's original custodians and opening the festival with a performance from Yolngu supergroup Yothu Yindi. Other notable installations include Written in the Stars, which will see over 1000 drones light up the night sky and a huge Tumbalong Park activation called Dance Together, which will have you shaking your hips underneath three giant floating rings suspended above your head. Plus, the previously announced Lightscape will also be a part of the program. The after-dark light festival will be taking over the Royal Botanic Garden from 5.30pm each night. 2023 marks the first time the festival has introduced Vivid Food, a dedicated lineup of culinary events, to the program. The next-level eats are headlined by a two-week residency from New York chef Daniel Humm f the three Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park at Matt Moran's Aria. There will also be a range of collaborations as part of the Vivid Chef Series, a dedicated barbecue pop-up featuring Firedoor's Lennox Hastie, Chefs on the Harbour, a view-heavy overwater dinner on the luxury superyacht The Jackson with Nel's Nelly Robinson, plus popular chefs Khanh Ong and Mark Olive, and Mary's Group's one-day HERE NOW food, wine and music festival. Music is always a huge component of the festival, and this year's lineup does not disappoint. The Sydney Opera House has rolled out a predictably showstopping and diverse mix of artists, starting with Devonté Hynes (also known as Blood Orange) performing selected classical works with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. The bill also features José González celebrating the 20th anniversary of his album Veneer, Cat Power recreating and reinterpreting a 1966 performance by Bob Dylan, and appearances from the likes of Thundercat, Yaeji, Ella Mai, Weyes Blood, Hiatus Kaiyote, Ethel Cain, Sleaford Mods, Squarepusher, Iceage, Kimbra and Budjerah. Outside of the Sydney Opera House, Vivid's music lineup will include A Bend in the River: A Celebration of the Life & Music of Archie Roach at the Sydney Town hall with Paul Kelly, Emma Donovan, Dan Sultan, Kutcha Edwards and Becca Hatch among the friends, collaborators and contemporaries that will perform during the tribute. Tumbalong Park will again host 12 nights of free live music featuring Yothu Yindi, Hatchie, Kaiit, A.Girl, Ziggy Ramo, Cornelius and a celebration of 15 years of triple j's Unearthed High competition. And, Carriageworks has curated a genre-spanning lineup with the like soft Desire Marea, Flying Lotus, Molchat Doma, Liv.e, Floodlights and Soft Centre. [caption id="attachment_892843" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption]
The man who conquered Melbourne’s laneways has set his eyes on the sky. Co-creator of Laneway Festival and the man behind Thousand Pound Bend, Ponyfish Island and Sister Bella, Jerome Borazio will stake his claim to a prime piece of high-altitude Melbourne real estate, with an upscale camping ground on the Melbourne Central roof set to open on May 20. "I was literally just looking at the building, and I had this idea," Borazio tells us. "I’ve worked with Melbourne Central on and off on projects for five or six years now, and I know they’ve been trying to activate it, so I knew the space was available. But I wasn’t just going to put another pop-up restaurant or pop-up bar up there." Christening the project St. Jerome’s – The Hotel, Borazio promises "five-star intelligent design" and "high level personalised service" to go along with panoramic views of the Melbourne skyline. The accommodation consists of 30 canvas bell tents, with a combination of standard 'rooms' and suites. There's the 'Luxe' (a four-metre Homecamp bell tent) and 'Luxe Plus' (five-metre Homecamp bell tent, with mini-bar, electric blankets and heating) option to pick from, both fitted out with pretty stunning bed linen from Linen House's latest collection — and they'll provide you with one of their fluffy white robes too. Guests will have access to a range of amenities including 24-hour concierge service, free wi-fi, a guest-only communal lawn area, complimentary breakfast hampers, morning coffee by Plantation, goodies from the Swisse Body Care range and free Tai Chi and meditation sessions every morning. The St. Jerome’s – The Hotel General Store will be stocked up with everything from postcards to bed socks, amenities to Laurent Perrier Champagne, Victorian wines from Treasury Estate to Melbourne-based Fire Drum Vodka (yeah, not your average camping ground kiosk). The five-star trappings also mean a five-star bill, and Borazio says prices would start from around $330. That puts it about in line with other high-end CBD accommodation, but a tad more expensive than just pitching a tent in your own backyard. But this is a pretty unique stay in a significantly epic setting. The Melbourne Central rooftop has seen sporadic use over the years, and was recently home to a pop-up tennis court during last year’s Australian Open. The space is expected to open for business on May 20, and Borazio remains undeterred by Melbourne’s notorious winter weather. "We actually think it’s quite romantic," he says. "You’ll be in the tent, hearing the rain on the canvas. It's a pretty unique experience." St Jerome’s – The Hotel currently intends to occupy the space for a limited time only. St. Jerome's — The Hotel opens on May 20. Stay glued to their Facebook page for more updates.
You're trekking across Botswana and Victoria Falls, putting one foot in front of the other from Beijing to Shanghai, kicking off your shoes on the coast of Goa. First thing you do? Take an Instagram of your feet — it could win you the whole damn trip. Thanks to STA Travel, the popular act of taking a photo of your feet is now deemed a 'shoefie'. This new term isn't just for social media fun, but for charity. Instead of simply making your followers jealous with your toes in the sand, do some good with those kicks. STA Travel is teaming up with Soles4Souls Australia for #mynextstep, an unprecedented travel adventure coupled with a charitable cause. Enter and you could win a return trip to some of the world's most adventurous, beautiful locations. The shoefie gig is simple: take a shot of your feet and Instagram @statravel with #mynextstep and your dream destination. The most creative shot wins a return trip, an adventure tour and $2000 in spending money. All for taking a shoe pic. The catch? There isn't one. But since CP readers are decent people, we're betting you'll also follow through with the other half of the partnership — hit up an STA store and donate a nicely worn pair of shoes for a cause to Soles4Souls. The Australian charity raises more than just awareness for disadvantaged people, both locally and internationally. The partnership between STA Travel and Soles4Souls is a no-brainer, and them combining forces for a great cause is the icing on this sweet, sweet deal. At its core, this campaign is asking Aussies to 'put their best foot forward', both socially and charitably. And with the bonus possibility of winning tours that span sailing Croatia to an epic adventure from Delhi to Kathmandu, what better way to nab your dream holiday. STA Travel's #mynextstep promotion runs until 30 November, so get your shoefie on. To find out how you can enter the competition, head to the #mynextstep website.
If you think you’ve missed your chance to nab tickets to an epic New Years' music festival, think again. Jump across the Tasman and head to the unassuming vineyard city of Gisborne for three days of pumping beats and good vibes this December. Now in its 13th year, Rhythm and Vines has roped in some of the globe's best and brightest international and local artists to welcome in the first sunrise of 2016. From hip hop heavyweights to smooth electro sets, you’re guaranteed to be making at least one solid resolution after seeing this year's huge lineup. Heading up the bill on opening night, Pittsburgh-based rapper Mac Miller will be delivering tracks fresh from his latest record GO:OD AM after playing to sell-out crowds across the States earlier this year. Night two sees local rascals Sticky Fingers take the stage, along with iconic Canadian dupstep/house duo Zeds Dead. Throw in killer DJ sets by Grammy award-winning electro trio Nero and English producer Sub Focus and you'll be throwing shapes long into the night. Rounding off the festival, siblings Angus and Julia Stone will put their serenading skills to the test, before the ever-epic Pendulum kick things up a notch alongside NZ DJ Sir-Vere, plus many more legendary acts. Phew, it’s going to be a hell of a ride. If the thought of forking out the funds for an airfare is dampening your spirits, we’ve got some good news. Thanks to the crew at Air New Zealand, you and one lucky music-loving mate could be jetting off to Rhythm and Vines in A-class style. With return flights, a four-night stint at the Quality Hotel Emerald Gisborne and Vintage Club VIP access to the entire festival, you’ll be the envy of all your pals. Did we mention you’ll even score stageside access to Peking Duk’s opening night performance? Our Concrete Playground NZ team will host you on a backstage tour of the festival before getting side of stage to Peking's highly-anticipated set. Talk about a party to remember. To land a spot to this ripping NYE bash, click here to enter the Party with Peking competition. Image: Nick Gee/Paul Hoelen.
There’s been a lot of well-deserved hype surrounding British band alt-J recently, following the release of their second album This is All Yours. Hell, their October 2014 shows in Sydney and Melbourne sold out in a matter of seconds, leaving a whole raft of fans who were gearing up to stomp and sing along to the pounding ‘Breezeblocks’ pretty disappointed. If that was you, well, chances are you already know that the Mercury Prize-winning band is returning to our shores this May. There’s no more Forum for these Leeds lads, though. This time round, they’re playing the slightly-harder-to-sell-out-instantaneously Rod Laver Arena. What the show will most likely lack in Miley Cyrus (who sings the ‘I’m a female rebel’ line in ‘Hunger of the Pine’ and is a big alt-J fan and should really just go on tour with them already), it will make up for with killer support acts Asgeir and Mansionair.
Actual post-gender human and girl your mum definitely warned you about Peaches has been uncharacteristically quiet recently. It’s been a good six years since her last album I Feel Cream, which featured the super danceable ‘Talk to Me’, so seeing Peaches on the Groovin’ the Moo lineup was a pleasant surprise — if pleasant could ever be used to describe the woman behind lyrics such as “hair in a mullet, you know you gotta love it, so sexual and so conceptual” and, of course, “fuck the pain away” — and the announcement of a Hi-Fi (now Max Watt's) sideshow on May 6 even better. Peaches, of course, hasn’t been twiddling her thumbs this whole time. She’s done a film, put together a book (out in June, pre-order it here, you’re welcome) and just completed her sixth studio album Rub, which features Kim Gordon and Feist, and is due out later this year (fingers crossed we get a teaser). That title though. Oh, to be able transform a fairly innocuous one-syllable word into a blush-worthy imperative. No wonder we all wanna be her. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcKMg7eEjj8[/embed]
Taking his fearless, self-reflective tracks on the road yet again, Perfume Genius gives Aussie audiences a brave insight into what makes him tick. This Seattle native has a knack for pushing boundaries, famous for his daring depictions of sexuality and high-strung ballads that bleed with angst, anger and alienation. Off the back of two soulful records, Mike Hadreas (the man behind the stage name) struggled his way to completing his third studio offering Too Bright, released late last year. Thwarted by expectation, Hadreas has overcome insecurity and doubt to return with sleek, spine-tingling songs notably richer in vocal textures than his previous works. Donning a sharp new look to accompany his shift in sound, Hadraes plays up his divisive trademark style with an album exploring the universal experience of self-awareness and discovery. Touring across Canada and the States later this year, catch Perfume Genius before he heads home at highly-anticipated shows in Sydney and Melbourne.
Kraków makes for an enriching stopover if you're travelling through Europe on an extended trip. Though the city carries a notoriously sombre history, Kraków is an endlessly charming and friendly place to visit with plenty to discover. On the long list of eye-opening sights, expect castles and churches in the medieval Old Town, lush parks and bike paths, as well as Oskar Schindler's famous Enamel Factory and the Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau. There's no shame in following the well-worn tourist route — but when your feet are weary, the crowd fatigue starts to set in or you simply wish to do as the Cracovians do, consult this list of less obvious activities in Kraków. In partnership with Topdeck, here's the instalment of our Less Obvious city guides. Episode four: Kraków. SAMPLE LOCAL FOOD TRUCKS IN THE JEWISH QUARTERS Venture south of the Old Town and you will wander into Kraków's historic Jewish Quarters. Once an independent town, Kazimeirz is a bustling and bohemian neighbourhood packed with synagogues, bars, cafés, food trucks and street art. Sample some of the local food truck delicacies, like polish fries or pierogi (a type of Polish dumpling) and take yourself on a street art tour. In between cobbled laneways and quaint courtyards, the area has an eye-catching range of murals, some of which commemorate the displaced Jewish community and former inhabitants. HIDE FROM THE CROWDS AT MASSOLIT BOOKS & CAFÉ On the outskirts of the Old Town you will come across Massolit Books & Café, a cosy place to whittle away an afternoon. This English language bookstore is stocked with an impressive range of literature. Although they specialise in Eastern and Central European literature, you'll find everything from classic and contemporary fiction through to politics, poetry and philosophy. They also host events such as literary readings, lectures and political discussions (though these are mainly in Polish). Settle down with some baked goods and a cup of coffee and enjoy hiding from the crowds for a little while. [caption id="attachment_595236" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Pierogi (polish dumplings).[/caption] DEVOUR HOME-STYLE POLISH CUISINE IN THE CITY'S MILK BARS Poland's milk bars are an easy way to avoid tourist traps. These unique and unassuming cafés were established as early as 1897, but became popular as government-subsidised worker's canteens in the Communist era. Typically, the menu is short and simple, consisting of pierogi (those Polish dumplings again), omelettes, goulash and potato pancakes. It's deliciously hearty, authentic and affordable Polish fare. Some old fashioned milk bars have recently been revitalised, such as Milkbar Tomasza in the Old Town which has a more modern touch. On the other hand, Bar Mleczny in Nowa Huta hasn't changed since the '70s. TRAVEL BACK IN TIME TO NOWA HUTA For an alternative spin on the city, take the tram out to Nowa Huta in Eastern Kraków. Funded by the Soviet Union and built in the architectural style of socialist realism post WWII, the area was envisaged as a utopian testament to the humble proletariat. It was also the site of many protests and solidarity movements during the dying days of Communism. These days, you can find historical remnants, such as the Ludowy (People's) Theatre and the Arka Pana church. It's an interesting place to visit — just a short tram ride from Kraków's city centre, but what feels like a completely different place. GET CULTURED AT BUNKIER SZTUKI While the monumental Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCAK) is probably the cultural kingpin of Kraków, Bunkier Sztuki offers something slightly different. Burrowed in the lush gardens encasing the Old Town, this cutting-edge institution is fringed with a little café and publishing house. With a focus on innovative multimedia, the gallery spans three levels and features emerging and lesser-known artists, mainly from Poland and Eastern Europe. QUENCH YOUR THIRST AT HOUSE OF BEER While Poland is more famous for vodka than beer, House of Beer is a fun and relaxing place to sample a hefty range of brews, particularly after traipsing up and down cobbled streets. Many of the drafts come from small to medium-sized breweries across Poland, Germany, Lithuania and Ukraine. The knowledgeable staff will give you some pointers and knock together a tasting paddle. You can also curl your mitts around a mulled wine in winter. HANG OUT WITH HIPSTERS AT FORUM PRZESTRZENIE The Brutalist silhouette of the Forum Przestrzenie looms large over the Vistula River. Once a major drawcard, the Communist-era hotel has fallen into disrepair. However, it has been repurposed as a vibrant hub of cultural activity – there are a cluster of clubs, workshops, bars and art galleries surrounding it. As there's plenty of space for diversity and reinvention, it's always changing. Grab a beer and a deck chair by the river at dusk, and then explore some of the nightclubs once you're acquainted with the area. EAT ZAPIEKANKA IN KAZIMEIRZ This historic round building nestled in the heart of Kazimeirz (in Old Town) contains a number of food stalls. Built in 1900, Okraglak in Plac Nowy is a popular market square where many of the vendors sell zapiekanka, a Polish-style snack featuring your choice of topping on half a baguette. It's insanely cheap and filling, making for a satisfying stomach-liner before sampling some of Kraków's nearby nightlife. The locals have their personal preferences; however Endzior seems to be a firm favourite. ADMIRE AWARD-WINNING DESIGN AT THE MALOPOLSKA GARDEN OF ART This recent addition to Kraków's cultural landscape is renowned for its innovative architecture. Boasting a multifunctional space, the structure is sleek and skeletal – casting sharp, geometrical shadows across the street. Out the front you will see a garden with a scattering of benches and a maple tree in the middle. There's a theatre, library and exhibition centre to explore once you're inside, and plenty of festivals and events are hosted here, so you'll always have somewhere to go if you come across a spare moment on your Kraków adventure. Visit Europe (including Kraków) with a Topdeck trip and make 2017 a year to remember. Book early (that means now) and save up to $999.
At a time when every food truck in Brisbane seems to be opening their own permanent store, a Coorparoo favourite is bucking the trend. After five years of delighting Eastsiders with their hearty American dishes, Carolina Kitchen is expanding their operations and opening their own food truck. Later in October, expect to find their meals-on-wheels offering elsewhere across the city, serving up all the dishes regulars know and love. They might not quite be able to recreate the diner experience, complete with red-and-white chequered tablecloths, with their new truck, but fans of their food won't be complaining. For those fond of warm, baked, crusty goodness in both sweet and savoury guises, that means more chances to wolf down a traditional US-style pie. Their key lime, pumpkin, apple and pecan are well-loved treats, plus their cherry pie takes the fancy of more than just Twin Peaks aficionados. And yes, it is damn fine indeed. This isn't the first time the eatery has jumped ahead of the pack, with their menu of hoagies, burgers, hotdogs, barbecue ribs, Buffalo wings and New York-style fries somewhat of a rarity when the store opened. Now, American flavours can be found all over the city, though this slice of Carolina remains a must-eat destination. Find Carolina Kitchen's permanent store at 38 Macaulay Street, Coorparoo, and keep an eye on their Facebook page for further details of their food truck.
When you're spending your spare moments glued to your phone, trying to cram more work into the 9-to-5 or scoffing down a snack as quickly as possible, it's easy to forget what taking a break really means. And, while enjoying a coffee throughout the day is one of life's simple pleasures, that's only the beginning. Sure, your morning, lunch or afternoon break might be brief — and the window of time after work and before you head home, too — but that doesn't mean you can't find something fun to do. Try venturing beyond your closest cafe for these activities. They'll make your day brighter, trust us. Take the rewarding break you, as a hardworking human being, deserve. BOWL A FEW STRIKES When we mention the words strike and work in the same sentence, we're not encouraging you to stay away from your place of employment. Sorry. Instead, we're suggesting the cathartic activity that is hurling a bowling ball at some pins, and trying to knock down as many as possible. Strike Bowling isn't just the CBD's only bowling alley, though it has everything you need to help you live up to its name. If you want a little more fun, you'll find that too — Strike is also a bar, and boasts karaoke, laser tag and escape rooms as well. THROW SOME CASUAL SHAPES Learning a new skill — and some new fancy footsteps — is as easy as heading to a public place at the right time. On the Little Stanley Street Lawns at South Bank Parklands, you'll find classes on a variety of dance styles, so everyone's tastes are covered. From a rotating range, the likes of ballroom, latin and hip hop classes are on offer, covering the foxtrot, tango, salsa, merengue, bachata and more. Head along, pick up some fresh moves for free and then wow your friends next time you're on the d-floor. CLIMB THE STORY BRIDGE It's the most prominent bridge in Brisbane — and it's the only one in the city that you're allowed to scamper up. Yes, we're talking about the Story Bridge, which now offers twilight and evening climbs. Nothing will help you forget the day's stresses like scaling a huge structure, peaking at 80 metres about sea level and peering out at the city below. Plus, anyone feeling extra adventurous can abseil back down again. Who needs stairs when you have a rope? GET HANDY — AND BOOZY — WITH A PAINTBRUSH What's better than taking an art class? Taking an art class that also involves booze. At Cork and Chroma, the wine is as crucial as the painting supplies, however, while the latter are supplied, it's up to you to bring the former. Sessions occur every weeknight other than Mondays and cover a variety of creative topics, including pineapples, floral shadows, the Opera House and Ziggy Stardust. Booking in advance in recommended — yes, committing your own images of stormy seas, the Story Bridge and Parisian strolls to canvas is quite the popular endeavour. TOUR THE CITY'S MOST GRUESOME SPOTS If you like wandering through the CBD while learning about the area's sordid or spooky past, then there's only one thing to do. Set aside a night, get active and get a head filled with unnerving tales of Brissie's criminal or haunted history by venturing out on a Bloody Brisbane Crime or Ghost Tour. A guide will fill you in on details of hangings, gunfights, creepy occurrences and more as you mosey around. If you get queasy hearing all the gory details, this isn't for you. And even if you don't, you'll never look at the inner-city the same way again.
She became the Queen of France at the age of 18, is famously associated with the phrase "let them eat cake", and got the biopic treatment courtesy of Sofia Coppola and Kirsten Dunst. Now, Marie Antoinette has her own bar. Not bad for someone who lost her head, literally, back in 1793. No, you won't need to travel back in time to check out the long-deceased monarch's new digs — but you will need to head to New York. Brooklyn restaurant Chez Moi has converted the basement space beneath their French eatery into a decadent lounge bar fit for royalty, using Antoinette's own bedroom in the Palace of Versailles as inspiration. Adorned with all things velvet and vintage as far as the eye can see, Le Boudoir endeavours to recreate Antoinette's inner sanctum, complete with reproductions of 18th century oil paintings, sconces sourced from actual French castles, an exact replica of her private powder room and an original monogrammed doorknob from Versailles. Plus, patrons enter through a secret passageway hidden behind a bookshelf — just like the Queen's had in her personal library. It's a very lavish, rouge-laden, late-night version of the royal boudoir. Here's Sofia Coppola's pastel-happy interpretation: And here's Brooklyn's: The theming doesn’t stop there, courtesy of snacks ranging from French fries to crispy frog's legs to truffle mushroom croquettes, and a drinks list boasting plenty of wine from the Austrian-born Antoinette's adopted country. Alas, cake isn't on offer — but cocktails served in silver-plated and crystal goblets are. With concoctions such as the 1793 (with toasted sunflower seed-infused rye and oloroso sherry) and the Guillotine (mescal, blended scotch, banana liqueur and honey), you'll want to have a tipple and drink it too, of course. Book that airfare and this'll be you: Via Travel and Leisure. Images: Nicole Franzen, Le Boudoir.
Grab a dose of the world's best short films when the 25th Flickerfest International Short Film Festival comes to Brisbane on its national tour. Kicking off Thursday, February 11 at the Judith Wright Centre, Flickerfest will see three jam-packed nights of shorts, including great local Brissie content, inspiring Australian shorts and four short films that have been nominated for an Oscar this year — Ave Maria, Shok, Stutterer and Alles Wird Gut (Everything Will Be Okay). Flickerfest is the only competitive short film festival in Australia to be both Academy®Accredited and BAFTA-recognised, so expect these films to be top tier. Opening night on February 11 will see the 'Best of Australian Shorts' session, which includes The Meek, the story of a very small person trying to quit a very big bad habit, written and directed by Queensland-based Joseph Brumm and produced by Laura DiMaio, narrated by Myf Warhurst and scored by The Cat Empire’s Ollie Mcgill. Join opening night and you'll nab tickets to the post-screening afterparty. Friday and Saturday night, we'll heads overseas for the 'International' programs including four short films up for Academy awards. A not-to-be-missed highlight of Friday, February 12 is Balcony, winner of the Flickerfest Award for Best International Short Film, a powerful story set in a neighbourhood rife with racial tension. Then, on Saturday, February 12, it's the second 'International' program, with Alles Wird Gut (Everything Will Be Okay) which received a special mention from the Flickerfest jury for Best International Short Film, and sweet UK romantic comedy Stutterer — both nominated for Academy awards. Flickerfest is happening over February 11-13 at the Judith Wright Centre. Thanks to Flickerfest, we have a double pass to give away for each night. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter and then email us with your name and address at win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au.
Sydneysiders have been pretty damn stoked with their lofty tourist attraction, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, since it opened on March 19, 1932. Then, in 1998, Bridgeclimb Sydney let keen beans walk all over it — bringing even more sweet, sweet tourist dollar to the city. Even we walked over it. Now, Melbourne wants a piece of the high-flying action, with a brand new attraction planned for the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Confirmed by Sports Minister John Eren on 3AW Breakfast and reported by The Vine, the Victorian and Federal Government are planning to spend $3 million on a 'tourist walk' at the MCG, built high above the hallowed turf. Apparently you'll be able to survey your crickety kingdom from 70 metres up — the ultimate spot for one heck of a Classic Catch. The best bit? There are reports of a flying fox or zipline to send you whizzing across the MCG. A ZIPLINE FLYING FOX. Official plans and dates haven't been revealed as yet, but we can dream. Via 3AW and The Vine. Image: Sascha Wenninger.
Southpoint's heritage-listed Collins Place is about to add another chapter to its eclectic history with Solotel — the Matt Moran-led hospitality group behind Riverbar & Kitchen, Aria and a multitude of Sydney venues — set to relaunch the venue as a contemporary party pub called Little Big House. Having previously operated as a private residence, the former home of the South Bank Police Station and Spaghetti House restaurant during World Expo '88, the iconic Queenslander is now being earmarked by Solotel as 'Brisbane's newest house party destination'. The group's opting for an old-meets-new aesthetic, bringing in palm trees, lush foliage and strings of fairy lights to complement the 128-year-old building's historic facade. According to Solotel Director Bruce Solomon, the offering will be unlike anything else in the area. "This is my third venture in Brisbane with Matt and we can't wait for the locals to see what's inside," he said. "The building and its history really demanded we create something special." Full menu details are being kept under wraps for now, though punters can expect a drinks list that heroes seasonal Queensland ingredients, alongside an offering of rotisserie chicken, meats and seafood from the kitchen. Regular events will be announced soon too — by the sounds of things, we can expect club nights, DJs and plenty of parties. Little Big House will open at 271 Grey Street, South Brisbane in December. We'll update you with more information when we can — in the meantime, visit littlebighouse.com.au.
Ever had an urge to try something different or learn a new skill, but haven't known where to start? That's where Work-Shop comes in. Since 2013, the community class collective has been waging a creative crusade, and now they're bringing it to Brisbane. Come August 7, fun, affordable and diverse short courses in life skills, alternative art and unleashing your inner awesome will take over The Autumn Co. at 29 Merivale Street, South Brisbane. Whether you want to learn about making Polish paper chandeliers, the basics of hand lettering or the Japanese art of flower arranging, this is the place to do it. Work-Shop is the brainchild of Sydney's Matt Branagan and Chester Garcia, who wanted to create a space where broadening your horizons was something people actually did, not just something they said — or something they typed into a screen. If it sounds like the kind of idea someone would come up with over a drink, well, that’s because it is. When the duo first conjured up the concept, "It was just two guys getting together in a pub, talking about some ideas around a bar, and about things that we love," says Branagan. They soon discovered that quite a large number of folks were on the same wavelength — 23,705 to date, in fact, because that's how many students have come through their doors so far. After initially setting up their headquarters in Redfern, Branagan and Garcia then expanded to Melbourne and added another Sydney site. Now, Brisbane beckons. "I feel like Brisbane is the next big town for art, music, all those things," observes Branagan when asked about Work-Shop's new location. "There’s a lot of great talent coming out of there, and I think it is time to unite the community and show that you don’t need to be in Sydney or Melbourne to do these things." That's good news not just for anyone who wants to discover new skills, but also for Brisbane's existing creative forces. Capitalising upon artistic heart of the city is the organisation's mode of operation, after all. “We like to tailor our classes to the local community, so we try to work with all the artists that we are surrounded by, and to collaborate with as many of them as possible," Branagan says. So what can Brisbanites expect when they head to Work-Shop — other than becoming experts in everything from succulents to DIY resin jewellery, that is? "They can expect to be surrounded by a supportive environment of like-minded individuals and a teacher that is passionate and inspiring — and hopefully this can lead to a new hobby, a new career or a new way of life," advises Branagan. If that's not reason enough to rush out to a Work-Shop class on zine making, herbs, or — our personal favourite — watercolour, whimsy and wine, we don't know what is. Find Work-Shop at 29 Merivale Street, South Brisbane from August 7, or head to their website for more details.
Never has the saying 'good things come in small packages' rung truer than at West End's latest boutique bar, The End. Although accommodating 60 people at capacity and being a tiny bit squeezy, The End is cosy rather than claustrophobic. The deep, dark hue of the walls, interesting artwork, low hanging lights and pot plants make for an appealing interior. Long tables with high stools and opposing comfy couches add to the snugness of the venue and make it almost impossible to not meet new people or run into friends at The End, mirroring the friendly West End vibe. Although the front steps are covered in fake grass, this does not indicate the greater feeling of the bar as The End has genuine rustic elegance. This little hideaway may be a hot spot at the moment but it doesn't feel like it's trying too hard and its effortless charm adds to the appeal. Unlike other bars, you won't hear generic background music, here, house DJs spin vinyl, making you feel as if you've been transported into the not too distant past. The End offers craft beers, house brews, a list of rum as long as your arm and tropical cocktails. If you want to treat yourself, try the Lucky Number 13. This cocktail is a delectable blend of spiced rum, white cocoa, cold drip coffee and maple syrup. Although the cocktail took a little while to arrive as the bar staff were run off their feet due to the popularity of the venue, it was well worth the wait. If you're hoping to have a few drinks there on a Friday or Saturday night, make sure you head down early to avoid a long wait outside. Along with a wide array of drinks, The End boasts a selection of lip smacking morsels. The munchies on offer include bar snacks, dips and yummiest of all – a platter of cheeses, quince, meat, olives, fruit and crackers for $20. Situated just out of the main hub, The End is one of West End's best bar lounges. It makes for a perfect spot to kick start a Saturday night, enjoy Sunday afternoon drinks and is an ideal midweek escape. It may be pocket sized, but The End packs a punch.
When it comes to finger lickin' goodness, fried chicken isn't the only delicious dish in town. Who doesn't love getting all sticky eating a big batch of ribs? And as regulars at the Boundary Street Markets will agree, Big Roddy does some of the best. Since April this year, Big Roddy's Ripping Rib Shack has been one of the best places in the city to get your Chicago-style barbecue fix — and they're not done filling your stomachs just yet. Like so many market stalls before them, they're making the leap to a permanent store because everyone really does need more beef and pork ribs, buffalo wings, poutine and burgers in their lives. Also following in the footsteps of plenty of other Brisbanites, Big Roddy's is setting up their bricks-and-mortar shop in Fish Lane in South Brisbane. Their new venture won't open its doors until January 2017, but hey, being able to feast on their American-influenced bites in their very own diner is worth waiting for. Until then, keep heading to West End on Fridays and Saturdays for all your rib needs — and keep an eye on their Facebook page for any other pop-up appearances around the city. Be warned: if you weren't a rib lover before, you will be soon if you keep looking at pictures of their drool-worthy dishes. Find Big Roddy's Ripping Rib Shack on the corner of Cordelia Street and Fish Lane in early 2017. For more information, visit their Facebook page.
If ever there were proof of the benefits of giving rent-free spaces to artists, it's Newcastle. A decade ago, the city centre was haunted by more than 150 empty shops — largely thanks to the 1999 closure of BHP's steelworks, which pushed unemployment to 12 percent. Fast-forward ten or so years. You could be mistaken for thinking you were in an inner suburb of Melbourne. Café seating spills onto pavements, where Novocastrians chat over blends roasted just a few blocks away. A sprawling microbrewery buzzes near old Tower Cinema. Brunchers lazily make their way through brekkie bowls. Shoppers browse windows crowded with homemade sculptures and jewellery and millinery. Locals lead visitors through laneways plastered with street art. Luckily, most chain stores are hidden away in big, loud shopping malls. This creative explosion is the work of local Marcus Westbury. In 2008, he returned home to a city that "felt like it was not merely slipping, but accelerating into decay". So, he persuaded a bunch of landlords to lend their vacant buildings to artists, thereby launching a nonprofit called Renew Newcastle. By 2011, Sydney's underrated sister city was one of Lonely Planet's top ten destinations in the world. Not only is it home to a thriving arts scene, it's also surrounded by water. On the northern side, there's the still beauty of the Hunter River and, on the southern, surf beaches and ocean pools and coastal walks — with plenty of shaded picnic tables and beach cabanas to keep locals sun safe. EAT AND DRINK In 2009, a self-described "rogue collective" of Novocastrian caffeine-obsessives dropped their day jobs to pursue a common goal: Newcastle's best and most environmentally-friendly coffee. They nabbed a heritage-listed building, where mad scientist John Winter built a revolutionary, waste-powered roaster, while law grad Chelsea Daoust got busy sourcing Rainforest Alliance certified beans. And so, Sprocket Roasters was born (68 Hunter Street; (02) 4009 1237). Many other premium coffee joints have opened since then, but this idiosyncratic, couch-dotted cafe is still serving some of the finest in town, as well as running a coffee school. In the West End, Silverchair's bassist, Chris Joannou, and barista Chris Johnston, have turned the warehouse that was Joannou's parents' laundry business into The Edwards (148 Parry St; (02) 4965 3845) It's a fun, unpretentious cafe-bar, with beer taps made from steam presses, lights made from tumble dryers and loads of space for ping pong matches, art exhibitions, live music and night markets. Generous, creative dishes are served nearly all day. For breakfast, we tuck into wood-smoked ocean trout with poached egg, zucchini and asparagus salad, labna and toasted quinoa; and French toast with berry compote, ricotta, passionfruit curd and pistachio chocolate crumble. The most summery views in the area are at Merewether Surfhouse (Henderson Parade; (02) 4918 0000). Perched on absolute waterfront, with floor-to-ceiling-windows, this architect-designed masterpiece looks over panoramas of Merewether Beach and beyond. Executive chef Ryan Baird has made fresh seafood king in the top-floor restaurant - from oyster samplers to a posh version of surf and turf (chargrilled pork cutlet, apple and thyme butter, half-lobster mornay, steamed greens, lemon) to pan-fried Daintree barramundi with panzanella salad and chargrilled sourdough. This joint has stolen a bit of thunder from neighbour and longtime rowdy local The Beach Hotel, but for now, the two seem to be enjoying symbiotic success with post-ocean-thirsty locals. Come evening, the buzzing Darby Street Village Precinct gives you a diverse choice of small bars and offbeat restaurants. At The Bowery Boys, executive chef Steven Zielke (Buffalo Dining Club, Chester White, Table for 20) and bartenders Ryan Hawthorne and Ethan Ortlipp (The Ivy, Sticky Bar, Coal & Cedar) are bringing a dose of 19th century New York City to 21st century Newcastle. Named after the notorious 1840s gang who, when not feuding in the streets, worked as butchers, the eatery specialises in all things pickled, smoked and cured. Photographs of New York City line the walls. Sweeney Todd-style cleavers hang alongside meaty delicacies. Cloudy brown bottles hide their contents (hint: top-shelf liquor). Pickles, olives, charcuterie, cheeses, spanner crab with chilli green mango coconut, spiced dutch carrots and ricotta gnocchi arrive on abundant share plates, matched with small-batch cocktails and exotic wines, like rioja, malbec and zinfandel. Also worth visiting if you've got the time: Darby Street's One Two Seven Darby for a kickass brekkie, 5 Sawyers for a tipple, Parry Street Garage for a damn good dinner, MoneyPenny for cocktails, The Lass for a bloody good beer garden, The Happy Wombat for craft beer, The Grain Store for drinks and nibbles, One Penny Black for insane pourovers, Roladoor for vintage-clad brunch, Goldberg's for a tried and true local, and Foghorn Brewhouse for locally-brewed beer. Or just take a picnic to Nobby's or Bar Beach — remember to slip, slop, slap y'all. SEE AND DO Despite having inspired Lonely Planet's admiration, Newcastle is yet to be detected by the mass tourism radar. You won't see glazed-eyed groups straggling behind flag-waving guides and you needn't fear overwhelming crowds — even on weekends. But, if you do want an insider's perspective, there's a handful of quirky tours to choose from. We meet Neroli Foster for an Underground Epicurean adventure. "There are so many great places for foodies in Newcastle," she says. "But they're not always easy to find." Rather than following a box-ticking itinerary, she takes a casual approach - we feel more like we're with a local friend than a tour guide. We sample gourmet doughnuts at Doughheads (where flavours include citrus cheesecake, Turkish rose and caramel toast); work our way through a wine flight curated from hundreds of bottles cellared beneath Reserve Wine Bar; and dessert on gelato overlooking the water at Estabar, among numerous other delicious stops. My favourite is The Tea Project, where tea expert Becci Fowler pours me the finest cuppa I've ever tasted. More than 70 teas are on the menu and they're all premium quality and beautifully blended. Beer and comfort food more your thing? Let One For the Road be your guide. When I say beer and comfort food, I mean a four-hour stroll through town, taking in ten craft beers and ten moreish, moreish bites. At Chook and Broosky, we discover the many ways in which beer and fried chicken can dance together; at Foghorn, we watch Newcastle's only onsite brewery in action, while feasting on pizza; and, at The Hop Factory, we explore a few of the 20 beers on tap, paired with mini-burgers. Along the way, our easy-going, funny guide fills us in on Newcastle's history — from the convicts who dug out the Bogey Hole (New South Wales's first ocean pool) to current disputes over the railway, which, by the way, has been cut at Hamilton for the time-being. Once you're fuelled up (or, in my case, thoroughly stuffed), you'll be ready to work it off. Slip a hat, slop on some sunscreen and meet Simone Sheridan for a street art tour. Former director of This Is Not Art (TINA) and passionate place maker, Simone shows us painting and drawings in the most unexpected of spots, as well as telling us stories behind the city's best known pieces, such as Adnate's portrait of an indigenous boy in Wickham, which was horrifically graffitied with a racist slur just a month after being completed in November 2013. Simone's tours run by foot or bicycle. We save the Newcastle Memorial Walk (aka ANZAC Walk) for sunset. If you're keen to tackle it by day, don't forget some skin-saving protection — the sun can get mighty hot. $4.5 million and 64 tonnes of steel went into this 450-metre-long walkway, which opened in April 2015 and spans the cliff tops between Strzelecki Lookout and Bar Beach, affording 360-degree views. For a more epic journey, make it just one part of a six-kilometre trek, from Merewether Ocean Pools to Nobbys Beach. Speaking of beaches, a trip to Newy's not complete without diving into the ocean. Closer to the city, Newcastle Beach is where you'll find the annual Surfest and the stunningly preserved Ocean Baths, while Nobby's is the big postcard-perfect beach (and home to Horseshoe Beach, the dog-friendly beach). Bar, Dixon and Merewether Beach is one long ocean crawl worth doing to the historic Merewether Baths, and you can even follow this line along to Glenrock Lagoon if you're feeling energetic. Burwood Beach is unpatrolled but great for surfing. If you're keen to venture out of the city centre a little, Redhead Beach is worth the trek, and even further is Caves Beach (which has literal caves on the beach). Meanwhile, for indoor escapades, there's the lively Newcastle Museum. Should you visit before 28 February, you'll find yourself face-to-face with ten tyrannosaurs. And, between 2014 and 2018, the First World War effort is being explored in Shadows of Sacrifice, an exhibition that changes every six months, reflecting how life in Newcastle changed as the war wore on. To check out the latest creations from the city's vibrant arts community, take a wander through the former David Jones store in the CBD, which is now partitioned into independent pop-up shops, or along aforementioned Darby Street (by day, rather than night). STAY After six years hiding behind a facade, The Lucky Country Hotel reemerged in 2014 like a rock star making a glamorous come-back jazz album. The (albeit controversial, ask a Novocastrian) McCloy Group poured six million bucks into giving it a good gutting, but kept the bits that worked, like the raw iron beams and warm, red brick work, and dropped the middle name. These days, the hotel is referred to on a first name basis, as The Lucky. What you notice first will depend on which way you enter. Head into the Drum Bar and an enormous chandelier made of an actual drum kit will be dangling over you. Peer into the courtyard and you'll be mesmerised by vast, dreamy light projections across the back wall, filled with flying birds and dancing figures. Wherever you sit in the 428-capacity pub, you can get stuck into a hearty serving of American barbecue, cooked slow over hickory wood for up to 14 hours; craft beers; and cocktails based on seasonally available ingredients. Upstairs, forty en-suite rooms spread over two floors. We catch the lift to a deluxe suite with a sofa. Ironically, for a hotel where the menu's pretty meaty, the wall art reads: "A rabbit's foot may bring you good luck, but it brought none to the rabbit", a quotation from American satirist Ambrose Bierce's 'Epigrams'. Each room shares a different philosophy on luck and fortune. Large windows let in plenty of sun, making the most of the bright, white walls. They're softened by dark carpet and furnishings in muted tones: gentle greys, charcoals, mustards, beiges and browns. The straight-forward, white-tiled bathroom is sparkling clean and the l'Occitane toiletries are a luxurious touch. Despite the positioning, close to the main road, sound proofing keeps out traffic noise. All in all, The Lucky makes for a comfortable sleep, in a neatly composed, refreshing space — just what you need before another day of sun, surf, art and feasting in Newcastle. LET'S DO THIS; GIVE ME THE DETAILS By car: Newcastle is about 160 kilometres, or two hours' drive, along the Pacific Motorway north of Sydney, or about ten hours' drive from Melbourne. By plane: Rex flies to Newcastle from Sydney at least once a day, with the flight taking 45 minutes. Both Jetstar and Virgin fly from Melbourne, taking 90 minutes. By bus/train: Sydney Trains travel direct from Sydney to Broadmeadow, taking about 2 1/2 hours. From Broadmeadow, connecting buses take you to Newcastle central. From Melbourne, it's a 14 1/2 hour ride. Jasmine Crittenden travelled to Newcastle as a guest of Destination NSW. Top image: Flickr. All other images Peter Saw.
Forty years ago, a filmmaker wanted to journey to a galaxy far, far away, and he needed a republic cruiser's worth of epic tunes to go with it. Enter John Williams and the theme everyone now knows. When the first notes of Star Wars: Episode VI — A New Hope's score started playing over the film's opening crawl, movie and music history was made. Neither Williams nor George Lucas could've known just what they'd unleashed, nor that Luke and Leia, Han and Chewie, and the next generation of wannabe jedis and empire lackeys would still be gracing cinema screens decades later. To celebrate not only the space opera saga's longevity, but the upcoming release of Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi in December, St Kilda's Palais Theatre is hosting the Star Wars event to end all Star Wars events: Star Wars: The Force Awakens in concert. We've got a good feeling about what promises to be a force-filled evening of sound and vision, with the last film in the franchise screened in all its Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac and Adam Driver-starring glory, and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra picking up their instruments to perform the corresponding score. Conducted by Nicholas Buc, who'll be living out one of his dreams, they'll play Williams' Oscar-nominated music from the saga's seventh flick live across three concerts on December 8, 9 and 10. Following in the footsteps of the similar Harry Potter shows enchanting audiences this year, also featuring a score by Williams, this is not a trap — but BYO lightsaber, droid and wookie. And if you're a Sydney jedi master or Brisbane rebel who can't make it south, try taking Yoda's advice and trusting the force. The Melbourne gigs have been badged as the series' Australian premiere, so this mightn't be your only hope. Fingers crossed the show will jump on the Millennium Falcon and tour the rest of the country. Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens will screen at the Palais Theatre on December 8, 9 and 10, 2017. Grab tickets here.
With floor-to-ceiling windows, classy cream coloured booths and impossibly high ceilings, this Fortitude Valley restaurant has one of the finest dining rooms in Brisbane — and it does an impossibly good steak, too. With a mini grand-piano in the centre of the room, it's the kind of place you'll want to have dressed up for. Got a hot date? Bring them here. High powered business meeting? This is the joint. Trying to prove to your parents you're not a bum? Welcome, take a seat (just remember to bring your wallet). When class is called upon in Brisbane, SK Steak and Oyster have you covered. The menu starts off with its selection of oysters, served natural with a side of champagne mignonette. Its selection of seafood cocktails includes Fraser Island spanner crab, Mooloolaba king prawns and Tasmanian rock lobster, while the seafood platters range from affordable to "actually, Dad you can get this bill", and include the likes of oysters, prawns, scallops, lobster, mussels and crab. The raw seafood options include a king salmon tartare with shallots and capers and yellowfin tuna with mayonnaise, while the hot seafood delivers Moreton Bay Bugs and Southern rock lobster. From the grill, and let's be honest, that's why we're here, enjoy a steak Diane with cognac and Worcestershire, a veal schnitzel with lemon and tartare or a wagyu burger served American style. The steaks include a 180-gram petit fillet Angus at the lower end, while the costlier options max out with a Kiwami BMS 9+ 400-gram New York cut Sirloin. Pair these with a mixed lead salad, some honey roasted carrots and lobster mac and cheese. The wine list here is impeccable, with literally hundreds of bottles available. Be sure to seek out one of the highly skilled sommeliers when searching for the perfect drop. There are some great wines by the glass, too, with standouts including an Australian 2021 grüner veltliner, a Rias Baixas Albariño and a Henschke shiraz from Eden Valley. SK Steak & Oyster is a luxe fine-diner in Brisbane that any surf and turf lover should save for a special occasion.
After a year full of lockdowns and restrictions, travelling around Australia is finally possible again. Now, the bumper-to-bumper summer season of the country's top galleries is within reach to out-of-town art lovers too. We've pulled together a taster of major exhibitions that span both new and recognisable art and will encourage reflection on this crazy year. Each state is offering something unique, from an expansive all-women artist exhibition in Canberra to shows revealing the diversity of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art from across the country. Join us in celebrating culture and open borders with an Australian summer full of art, performance, community talks and tours.
Imagine a time when Twin Peaks and Will & Grace were on TV, Jumanji was heading to the big screen and you could head to a bar to get immersed in Britpop's greatest feud. Yes, that was the '90s — and it's also now. It's really the decade that keeps on giving. With streaming services and cinemas making the first two points come true, it's up to Black Bear Lodge to take care of the latter. What's the story? It's their Blur x Oasis Appreciation Night from 8pm on October 19, aka the place where girls and boys can pretend they're going to live forever or feel like they're out of time. If music is your radar, or if you're feelin' supersonic, you'll want to be there. Don't look back in anger because you've missed out — head along for an evening filled with DJs playing Damon Albarn and the Gallagher brothers' best tunes, and the inevitable 'Wonderwall' and 'Parklife' sing-alongs.
We've all been there. You're hungry and/or thirsty, but choosing just what to consume is proving a hassle. Whether you're lazy or just want to simplify the process of picking something to eat and drink, we have the answer — and, we can tell you what you'll be sipping on August 3, too. Another day, another food or beverage-themed holiday might prove the case come the first Thursday in August; however if you're stumped for something to devour, these celebrations of specific edible and drinkable fare really can help. On this particular date, IPA is in the spotlight. Trust Newstead Brewing to throw a shindig to celebrate. On IPA Day at the brewery's Milton and Newstead haunts, they'll be revelling in the hoppy taste of Indian pale ale from opening to closing, with each venue offering up six different tipples on tap. Taste your way through them, and sample their new Astra IPA with hints of melon and peach in the process. We'll say cheers to that.
If you like pinball, video games and arcade games, Netherworld has you covered; however, there's more to the Valley bar's gaming exploits than smashing all of those buttons. Grab a table, roll some dice, move a few tokens and go old school with a boardgame or two, or three, or as many as you can fit in on International Tabletop Day. Firstly, yep, a day dedicated to boardgames is a real thing and not just something Brissie's own game bar made up. Secondly, it sounds like a whole lot of fun. While Netherworld's huge pile of 120-plus games are always on offer, heading along between midday and 6pm on April 29 will see experts talk you through any rules you mightn't know, teach you about new games and share their tips. There'll also be competitions and game giveaways. Game on.
Since late 2016, the One Day crew has been hitting the road, bringing their famous daytime block parties to live music venues around Australia. Now it's time for another round, with DJs from the beloved Sydney hip hop collective bouncing back to Brisbane for a One Day Sundays session on April 30. Taking its cue from the group's massive monthly blowouts in Sydney, One Day Sundays will see the One Day crew team up with local DJs and artists as they roll through Ric's in Fortitude Valley. Expect food and booze, live graffiti and a whole bunch of hip hop. This time around, catch Joyride, Lupi, Damelia, Finehouse and DJ Dzyr. And, in even better news, there'll be more where this came from. That's right, One Day Sundays will become a regular Brissie event in 2017. Keep your eyes peeled for future dates.
Tibet is the type of place everyone wants to visit — and the kind of destination few of us will actually make it to. Don't worry, the Festival of Tibet offers up the next best thing. It'll either help ease the pain of not jumping on a plane, or make you book a ticket overseas as soon as you can. Learning how to practice meditation, paint, cook, use singing bowls and unfurl fancy letters with calligraphy, all Tibetan-style, will do that of course. And there's more where that came from. For the ninth year running, the event celebrates the resilience and optimism of a people and culture under threat through a showcase of the country's way of life. That includes the panel Our Tibet Story, which asks three young Tibetan activists to tell their tales, plus a Songs of Freedom concert. We'd recommend the festival exhibition as well. Nothing will help you understand the plight of the Tibetan people like witnessing artworks from some of the most prominent contemporary Tibetan artists from around the world.
After shining a spotlight on films that engage with social justice and human rights issues for the past decade, the Human Rights Arts and Film Festival is back for another packed lineup of topical titles for 2017. Screening in Melbourne before bringing a selection of highlights to Brisbane from June 1–3, HRAFF's tenth anniversary program boasts four features and a selection of shorts. HRAFF 2017 will open with The Opposition, the debut effort from Australian filmmaker Hollie Fifer — and a film tackling content so controversial that legal disputes and injunctions have attempted to block its release. Also screening at the Sydney Film Festival after its HRAFF berth, the documentary steps through the struggles of Papua New Guinea's Paga Hill community. In 2012, their homes were bulldozed by developers to make way for a luxury resort, sparking a battle of David vs Goliath proportions. Other films showing include The Freedom to Marry, a doco that follows the landmark US Supreme Court ruling for marriage equality and Quest, which heads to HRAFF from Sundance to chronicle the efforts of the Rainey family to create a musical sanctuary for their North Philadelphia community.
There's something oh-so-relaxing about staring at the sea; however, despite our glorious sunshine most the of year around, Brisbane isn't really a coastal city. Forget the fact that we have rivers, pools and man-made beaches instead by heading to the Ocean Film Festival Australia. From April 10 to 12, it'll unleash a cinematic feast of water-focused wonders onto the big screen at the riverside Brisbane Powerhouse. Viewers will spend time both above and below the ocean's surface thanks to a compilation of seven short films from the UK, the US, Mexico, France and New Zealand. Chase migrating humpback whales with scientists, tag along on a 13,000 kilometres from the Pacific to Patagonia via Antarctica, find out what it's like to love surfing in Iceland, and watch freedivers plunge the depths of a shipwreck — and they're just some of the sea adventures on offer. Together, the program is united by a love of the ocean, an appreciation of the creatures who dwell in its waters and a curiosity to explore the substance that comprises more than two-thirds of the earth. It's the next best thing to diving in, all without getting wet.
With the horrors of war never far from cinema screens, audiences could be forgiven for thinking they've seen every combat tale there is to tell. Thankfully, while that might feel true when it comes to the emotional journey at the heart of Land of Mine, the film's real-life details evoke plenty of intrigue. Come for the usual mix of cruelty, camaraderie and emotional revelations. Stay for something you probably haven't come across before: a literally explosive story of post-World War II efforts to clear landmines from Denmark's coast. Indeed, when the global conflict came to an end in 1945, life didn't just go back to normal. Not in a country recovering from Nazi occupation, with a landscape still peppered with more than 1.5 million buried bombs. Under the supervision of Danish Sergeant Carl Rasmussen (Roland Møller), it's left to a group of German POWs to rifle through the sand. Most are little more than teenagers — including twin brothers Ernst and Werner (Emil and Oskar Belton), as well as the gang's self-appointed leader Sebastian (Louis Hofmann). But the fiery Rasmussen shows them little sympathy, despite their difficult and dangerous task. It's not hard to guess that Rasmussen will eventually warm to his charges. However, even when Land of Mine charts a predictable path, it remains gripping from start to finish. If there's one thing that the best foreign-language Oscar-nominated film perfects, it's the tension and suspense surrounding the scouring, searching and defusing of the deadly explosives at the centre of its story. Every time a character handles a mine, the fear that they're feeling oozes from the screen. And when tragedy occurs, as you know it inevitably will, it's delivered with quiet devastation. Along with the underlying historical reality, part of the reason that the film's atmosphere of unease hits home so strongly is just how picturesque everything appears. Even when they're littered with weapons capable of killing thousands, beaches tend to catch the eye, a fact that sets up many of the movie's thematic contrasts. Something that appears beautiful soon proves otherwise, just as people who act one way can harbour hidden depths. It's not Land of Mine's most subtle comparison, but courtesy of Camilla Hjelm's lingering cinematography, it works. Directing only his third feature film, writer-director Martin Zandvliet also wins big with his cast. If the quietly ominous terrain that fills the film's frames stresses the impact of war, then the growing creases on the actors' faces help convey the personal costs. It's Møller who has the trickiest role and provides Land of Mine's standout performance as a result. It's one thing to predict ahead of time what's going to happen with his character. It's quite another to believe it when it happens. Thanks first and foremost to his phenomenal work, you'll find yourself captivated by everything Land of Mine has to offer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWnwiqIWI0I
Acrobatic tricks, displays of skill and daring, impressively choreographed routines, and the kinds of stunts no one should try at home: yep, that's what you'd expect to get at the circus. Outfits such as Cirque du Soleil might've changed the way we think about stepping into the big top, but extraordinary feats remain a circus constant. Mixing them with the myths of modern Australia isn't quite as usual, though. At Model Citizens at QPAC's Playhouse from April 12 to 15, Australia's 39-year-old Circus Oz will blend all of the above into a show that'll make you exclaim with wonder, and make you think at the same time. Prepare to ponder just what it means to fit the performance's title in this fine country of ours today, all while you're watching a display of eye-popping, sometimes absurd theatricality. On the stage, Model Citizens takes place within a model kit world which has been designed to challenge perspective, scale and normality. Yep, you can see what they're doing here. Prepare to look at everyday objects in a new light, as well as the concepts Circus Oz will be exploring — complete with a 6-metre safety pin.
Say hello to Brisbane's newest festival, and prepare to heartily embrace its truly excellent aim. Live Large brings together the usual elements — food! music! markets! Brissie sunshine! — in an effort to offer a couple of great days out, as well as something more. Here, accessibility and showcasing folks of all abilities are in the spotlight. Live Large has dubbed itself "Australia's first truly accessible festival", and it's endeavouring to back that up in two ways. Firstly, it wants to get people thinking about what it really means to live large and celebrate diversity. Secondly, ensuring the layout and facilities have been optimised to provide the best accessibility possible is 100% on the agenda. Taking place at the South Bank Cultural Forecourt on April 15 and 16, the festival will feature tasty fare from Ze Pickle, Carolina Kitchen, The Bun Mobile, Dumpling Envy and How We Rolls , as well as performances by The Three Handed Beat Bandits, DefWill, William Barton, Rudely Interrupted, Sousltice, Inside Outside Dance Ensemble and Screech Theatre. Eat, be entertained, and then wander through markets selling candles, sweets, and other bits and pieces.
