Head to GPO's new 1920s-themed lounge bar, which is fittingly called The Gatsby, and you won't be able to miss the venue's old vault. It's a reminder of the distinctive building's history, with the structure starting its life back in 1887 as the Fortitude Valley General Post Office. It's also a symbol of GPO's reopening, which feels like reclaiming an iconic Brisbane location after a stint of safekeeping — or, to be more accurate, following the 136-year-old site's hefty $9-million revamp. It was in August 2022 that it was revealed that the structure was being taken over by Artesian Hospitality, with news of its key staff, three-venues-in-one setup and opening date unveiled since. Then, on Saturday, July 8, GPO started welcoming Brisbanites back through its doors. Now, the full trio of its hangouts behind its heritage-listed facade — the aforementioned The Gatsby, contemporary dining venue TAMA, and post-work drinks spot The Tax Office — are greeting patrons. The first is a late-night, walk-in-only cocktail and whisky bar on the building's upper level. The mood here is lavish and upscale, as the name makes plain, including velvet booths, leather accents and brass features as part of the design. As well as featuring the building's original, now-restored vault, The Gatsby soundtracks the sipping with DJs and a live saxophonist. Also, as demonstrated by the 74-page menu, the bar well and truly prides itself on its drinks. Highlights include the chilli-infused tequila and mango gasper, a Gatsby bellini using peach tea-infused vermouth, one cocktail made with edible citrus paint, and another that can be served either hot or cold. All of the classic sips are taken care of, too, or you can build your own manhattan, negroni, martini or old fashioned — each chosen because they're the most popular concoctions of F Scott Fitzgerald's era. At TAMA, the sprawling 100-seat restaurant filled with natural light has taken over the site's ground level, offering diners a radiant experience thanks to the high ceilings and double-storey windows in the two-storey atrium that doubles as the main dining room. Visitors will find be stone and marble flooring, bursts of greenery, velvet-clad booths and soft furnishings, too, and both original beams and custom chandeliers. As for the vibe, it's thoroughly old-school. Here, the wine is a big drawcard, given that there's a cellar stocked with 1000 handpicked bottles of vino and champagne. In the kitchen, Executive Chef Richard Ousby is using his experience overseas and locally to shape the restaurant's menu. "TAMA offers something for all occasions with an expansive ground floor restaurant and a mezzanine that can play host to private dining for 40 guests, and more intimate rooms for parties of six to eight," Ousby notes. "From pastas served tableside to carefully selected seafood and steaks, including a two-kilogram angus tomahawk and cut-to-order wagyu scotch fillet, TAMA's menu will cater to anyone looking for a casual meal through to those wanting a seriously elevated experience," he continues. Standout dishes also include cold seafood platters among the starters, charcoal calamari and beef tartare, plus half and full lobsters, quail and mushroom tart. And, there's a selection of handmade pasta dishes that includes four-cheese tortellini and crab bisque linguini. Feeling particularly cashed up? Opt for the caviar service. "The majority of bottles won't break the bank, sitting between $50–200; however, we will have a variety of selections and vintages that are exclusive to the venue and sit within our private cellar. There's something to fit every budget, taste and occasion," says Alan Hunter, the sommelier and ex-General Manager at OTTO Brisbane who is helping oversee the GPO's new guise, of the vino list. Hunter comes to the new GPO with plenty of accolades, including being named the Pol Roger 2013 Sommelier of the Year, and helping lead OTTO Brisbane to nabbing the Wine List of the Year award in the Good Food Guide in 2019. As for Brisbane local Ousby, he's drawing upon his time in England at Michelin three-star restaurant Waterside Inn, in Sydney at Sous Chef at Quay, and as Executive Chef of Stokehouse's restaurants in Melbourne and Brisbane. GPO also features The Tax Office, where folks can head to sit around an island bar. Food-wise, panko beef ribs, halloumi fries, Sriracha salmon tartare, potato scallops with chive sour cream, duck ragu and buttermilk chicken burgers are all on offer. Among the sips, beers come both bottled and on tap, accompanied by a curated wine list. Outside, the building's Victorian Italianate facade has been preserved, as have its balconies, stairwells and ceilings (with heritage paint tones a big feature after a colour study). And back inside, the design pairs modern finishings with OG touches — so exposed beams and brick, plus fireplaces. The end product is the result of a collaboration between The Royal Historical Society of Queensland, Brisbane City Council, heritage architects, Zero9 Builders (The Dorsett Hotel, The Star, and Edwards and Co) and Space Cubed Design Studio (Donna Chang, Iris Rooftop and Boom Boom Room). Find GPO Hotel is located at 740 Ann Street, Fortitude Valley — and head to The Gatsby, TAMA and The Tax Office websites for more details.
The new decade has only just landed, but already we're getting a taste of some futuristic things headed our way — like the much-hyped air taxis from Uber, for example. This week, the company unveiled the latest designs for its new flying vehicles. We already know Aussies will be among the first in the world to experience this Uber Elevate aerial rideshare network, after Melbourne was named as one of three global cities where the service will commence testing. Along with Dallas and Los Angeles in the US, the Victorian city is set to host Uber Elevate trials from some time this year. Now, the world has scored a glimpse of just what these aerial taxis will look like, as Uber Elevate and Hyundai (the company's just-announced first automotive partner) unveiled their new full-scale aircraft concept model at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Dubbed S-A1, the Personal Air Vehicle (PAV) has been designed to cruise at speeds of up to 290 kilometres per hour (similar to a helicopter), flying around 300–600 metres above the ground on trips of up to 100 kilometres in distance. Initially, the taxis would be flown by pilots, though there are plans to make them completely driverless over time. Sitting in an autonomous helicopter-like vehicle flying through the sky at 290 kilometres per hour sounds like a potential nightmare, but we're sure (or we hope) they'll do a lot of testing with drivers before it gets to that. The vehicles are also set to run entirely on electricity and will have several smaller helicopter-style rotors, instead of just one, helping to keep things a lot quieter. It's expected that during peak times, the electric vehicle will only take five to seven minutes to recharge, which is bound to seem pretty speedy to anyone who's ever been stuck in peak-hour traffic in a regular taxi. The Uber Elevate vehicles can carry up to four passengers and they'll take off and land vertically using helipad-style 'Skyports' located on high rooftops at key points around the city that might look a little like this: As this is just as concept at the moment, the PAVs (and helipads) that eventually take to Melbourne's skies could look wildly different. Last year, Uber Elevate revealed the aerial taxi system would be available to riders from as early as 2023 and that eventually, flights would cost the same as an UberX trip of the same distance. So, we guess we can get set for some Jetsons-style travel action in the not too distant future. Uber Elevate is slated to start tests in Melbourne by the end of 2020 with regular services kicking off in 2023. To read more about the program, head to the Uber website, and to check out the vehicle designs, see Hyundai's website.
Enjoying a glass of wine might come with plenty of medical benefits, but having a tipple isn't typically an exercise-heavy pastime. You sit. You drink. You get up, top up your beverage and repeat. You usually don't walk particularly far, let alone run. Then came the Grapest 5K run, a new series of wine-tasting fun runs that kicked off around Australia earlier this year. Asking participants to put in the hard yards before getting some boozy rewards, it was such a hit that it's coming back for another round in 2018. How does it work? Grapest consists of two sections. First, you sprint, jog or set forth at whatever pace suits you best, making your way through scenic vineyard surroundings. Then, you walk another kilometre — yes, in addition to the first five, or ten if you're feeling extra energetic — while stopping at tasting stations along the way and sampling the good stuff. The latter part, they're calling a "wine waddle". Don't worry, if you're not up to the active stuff and you're simply keen on wandering and sipping, that's an option (although it does defeat the idea of combining fitness with throwing back drinks). 2018's events are scheduled for March 10 at Bendigo's Balgownie Estate, May 5 at Domaine de Binet in the Hunter Valley, May 19 at Ocean View Estates near Brisbane, September 8 at Pipers Brook in Tasmania and October 6 at Leura Park Estate in Geelong. For more information, visit the Grapest 5k run website.
Even five months in, not much has felt typical about 2022 in Brisbane so far, thanks to the pandemic and wild weather. But when you're competing for music trivia glory at one of the city's beloved regular events, you'll be basking in a nice stint of normality. Yes, Not On Your Rider is back for another year, all to keep us entertained in one of the best possible ways: by creating a music quiz show filled with well-known faces, staging it live and inviting Brisbanites to play along. This pop-culture delight first returned for 2022 in March; however, that was only its initial outing for the year. Now, it has locked in its full schedule, with six big events on the agenda before 2023 rolls around — including four shows at The Triffid and two at The Fortitude Music Hall. Yes, its huge Christmas show is making a comeback, as is Not On Your Rider's birthday extravaganza. Plus, new this year is a hefty Halloween celebration. If you're not already acquainted with Not On Your Rider, it takes something that everyone loves — showing off their music trivia knowledge — and dials it up a few notches. TV hits like Spicks and Specks and Never Mind the Buzzcocks are entertaining to watch on-screen, of course. They're ace to play along with from the comfort of your own couch, too. But they always leave even their biggest devotees wanting more, which is where Not On Your Rider comes in. Here's how it works: the event is hosted by The Creases' Aimon Clark, and features Velociraptor's Jeremy Neale and The Grates' Patience Hodgson as team captains. Also, while the two on-stage teams are always filled with musos, comedians, drag queens and other guests, anyone can buy a ticket, sit at a table and answer questions along with them. Previous events have boasted folks from Powderfinger, Ball Park Music, The Jungle Giants, Dune Rats, DZ Deathrays, The Kite String Tangle, Butterfingers, Last Dinosaurs and more, because you never know which music figures might be involved on the night. For its May show, Ben Lee, Shad Wicka, Ball Park Music's Jen Boyce and Regurgitator's Ben Ely will be doing the honours. And as for the quiz itself, it's accompanied by chats about the music industry, plus other mini games involving attendees. [caption id="attachment_854737" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bianca Holderness[/caption] NOT ON YOUR RIDER 2022 DATES: Thursday, May 26 — The Triffid with Ben Lee, Shad Wicka, Jen Boyce and Ben Ely Friday, July 8 — Birthday extravaganza at The Fortitude Music Hall with guests TBC Thursday, August 25 — The Triffid with guests TBC Thursday, September 22 — The Triffid with guests TBC Thursday, October 27 — Halloween show at The Triffid with guests TBC Saturday, December 10 — Christmas show at The Fortitude Music Hall with guests TBC Not On Your Rider's 2022 season runs from May 26–December 10, with four shows at The Triffid and two at The Fortitude Music Hall. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the Not On Your Rider website.
David Byrne started 2025 by singing and dancing with Robyn at Saturday Night Live's 50th-anniversary concert, then releasing the Saoirse Ronan (Blitz)-starring first-ever music video for 'Psycho Killer' 48 years after the song's debut. In 2026, he'll kick the year into gear by bringing his latest world tour Down Under in January. The iconic Talking Heads founder and frontman is hitting the road to support his latest record, September 2025 release Who Is the Sky?. In Australia and New Zealand, he's playing his first gigs since 2018, when he brought his American Utopia tour — which none other than Spike Lee (Da 5 Bloods) turned into a concert flick also called American Utopia, aka one of 2020's absolute best films — this way. In Brisbane and thinking "this must be the place"? You're right: Byrne is venturing to the River City, playing Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Saturday, January 17. If you caught his American Utopia gigs or watched the film, you'll recognise some other familiar faces on the Who Is the Sky? tour. Byrne is taking to the stage with 13 musicians, singers and dancers, some of whom were part of the American Utopia band. Just like in those famous shows, his fellow performers will all be mobile throughout Byrne's latest set. Like tour, like album: Who Is the Sky? isn't just Byrne's first set of live gigs since American Utopia, but also his first record since that Grammy-winning release came out in 2018. Launching on Friday, September 5, 2025 — with first single 'Everybody Laughs' out now — the new album features St Vincent, Paramore's Hayley Williams, The Smile drummer Tom Skinner and American Utopia percussionist Mauro Refosco among its guests. Byrne has long been a must-see live performer — and there's long been filmic proof of that fact. Forty-two years ago this December, he made concert film history with Talking Heads when he walked out onto a Hollywood stage with a tape deck, pressed play and, while standing there solo, began to sing 'Psycho Killer'. Then-future The Silence of the Lambs Oscar-winner Jonathan Demme directed cameras his way, recording the results for Stop Making Sense. [caption id="attachment_1008708" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Shervin Lainez[/caption] Live images: Raph_PH via Flickr.
From icy winds to sudden rain and spells of balmy sunshine, it can be tricky to know how to dress for the unpredictability of Aussie winters. Layering is the key to getting through the colder months — you can still wear your favourite t-shirt or mini dress and add a light trench, puffer jacket or drapey scarf to stay cosy and elevate your look with minimal effort. We've selected some of our top seasonal clothing essentials that should be a part of your capsule wardrobe for many winters to come — provided you look after them properly. Enter the Philips Garment Steamer, which not only eliminates wrinkles on all iron-safe fabrics but also removes odours and kills bacteria so you can extend your wear between washes. The compact handheld steamer is ready in just 30 seconds and can be folded to fit in your bag so you can even bring it with you when you're going straight from work to happy hour. Trench Coat You can't go wrong with a simple trench coat. The versatile jacket has remained a beloved classic for more than a century for good reason. The layering staple is substantial enough to add warmth while still light enough to minimise bulk. Wear it on top of a t-shirt and jeans to add a layer of sophistication to a simple outfit, or style it with a dress and heels for a more elegant look. You can pick up a lightweight option from Kmart for only $35 or invest in a weightier version that'll see you through many winters to come by brands such as & Other Stories ($299), UNIQLO ($199.90), DISSH ($249.99) and Assembly Label ($300). Sweater Dress For those days when it's too cold to even think about what to wear, throw on an effortless sweater dress with a pair of boots to stay snug from day to night. We'd advocate for spending a bit more on a wool or wool blend that'll last for more than one season, like AERE's Merino wool blend dress ($170), which features a chic mock neck and slit, or Seed Heritage's knit dress ($199.95), which has a roomier fit and sits above the knee. Style it with a belt and statement earrings for an elevated look, or dress it down with sneakers for a more casual vibe. Waterproof Boots Stay prepared for bouts of unpredictable weather with a pair of waterproof boots that are comfortable and stylish. Merry People's colourful Bobbi range ($159.95) is crafted with natural rubber and boasts a comfortable neoprene lining and arch support, making it suitable for all-day wear, no matter the weather. The Victorian brand also has gumboots for kids, knee- and calf-length boots, and convenient waterproof clogs that you can slip on when you're hustling out the door. Another option is Human Premium's Jam Boots ($89.95) which are similarly made with lightweight EVA and a neoprene interior. Puffer Jacket Our Aussie winters might not be as cold as other parts of the world but that morning chill can be a brutal challenge, especially when you're trying to find enough motivation to venture out of the house. Combat the nippiness with a puffer jacket that you can easily shrug off as temperatures ease during the day. Throw it on top of your activewear to keep hot girl walks alive during winter or layer it with a sweater for some extra cosiness. There are a range of choices and prices depending on what you're after like this water-resistant jacket for outdoor adventures by The North Face ($550), a lightweight option by UNIQLO for your office commute ($99.90), or statement pieces by Toast Society and AJE ATHLETICA. Blanket Scarf Tie your whole outfit together with an oversized scarf that's basically a blanket you can wear. Not only will it keep you warm but it can be styled in a variety of ways while adding a pop of vibrance and pattern to a muted winter colour palette. The Acne Studios scarf became a coveted winter accessory two years ago but you don't have to drop $500-plus to achieve the same aesthetic. Country Road, Bul and Witchery have colourful alternatives made with alpaca, mohair and wool blends for under $200 while Princess Polly has a polyester version that's only $30. Shop the Philips Handheld Steamer 3000 Series and other products on the website.
We're just about ready to fast forward through this winter. Let's skip the low temperatures and head straight for warmer days and colder drinks. While we wish it could be that easy, we all just need to accept the situation and wait out the chill. Embrace the weather and all the winter-exclusive activities it brings — skiing, snowboarding, camping where you'll actually want to sit by the fire, and not to mention warming up in some pretty amazing hot pools. This season you can create your very own cold weather holiday with Teva's winter escape competition, which could win you $1000 to go towards planning your ideal adventure and $250 to shop Teva's shoes and match whichever destination you choose. Slip into a steaming, natural mineral water pool to rid your mind and body of any chilly winter blues. Gaze out at snow-capped mountains instead of the usual view from your desk. Escape the city's hustle and bustle and set up in a treehouse surrounded by nothing but wintry flora and fauna. The opportunities are great when you've got $1000 to splash on a bespoke escape. Grab your Teva shoes — with options good for zipping straight from your cabin into a thermal bath, or for hiking those snowy mountains — and you're good to go. To go in the running to win $1000 towards a winter escape, plus a $250 Teva gift card, enter your details below. [competition]629606[/competition]
A coffee cup you're actually encouraged to throw on the ground? Tossers, this is your moment. After acknowledging people are jerks and will continue to litter to their hearts content, Californian environmental organisation Reduce. Reuse. Grow. has created a biodegradable coffee cup, embedded with seeds from local native plants. So if you're one of those straight-up idiots who likes to chuck their cup, you won't be adding to the already existing waste in the natural environment. It's a brand new project sitting on Kickstarter, with Reduce. Reuse. Grow. attempting to raise a mere US$10,000 to fund the seed cups. So how does it work? Specific to the Californian landscape, the cups decompose within 180 days, letting the seeds of local redwood trees and poppy flowers find their way to the soil. So you're left with new seedlings and no remnants of a latte in sight. Although the concept is a purely American one — a little drawing of a state lets you know where the seeds are native to — here's hoping there's enough interest for an international range, or an Australian company picks it up. The Reduce. Reuse. Grow. team have created the cups in an a attempt to take recyclable cups even further. "In America we discard over 146 billion cups from coffee consumption annually," say the team on their Kickstarter page. "Even when we think we are recycling and doing a good deed, the paper itself within these products can only be reused two to three times before the fibres are unusable and discarded into local landfills without consumer's knowing. It is time to consume smarter." Importantly, not everyone is going bush just to throw a litter party. The Reduce. Reuse. Grow. team have already thought of this. The team have suggested cafes creating a designated bin for the seed cups, one the crew themselves would pick up and dump in spots in dire need of new vegetation. Or you can just plant the cup yourself, after soaking it in water for five minutes. Apparently the seeds from one cup could extract over one tonne of CO2, so we're hoping native Australian seeds are next for the plantable cups. Check out the Reduce. Reuse. Grow. Kickstarter page over here. Via Fast Company.
For much of his career, Ryan Gosling has perfected on-screen smouldering. He's the kind of actor who can utter few words and still convey everything, as movies such as Drive and Only God Forgives demonstrated so well. But Gosling is also exceptional at comedy, which Barbie reminded the world in 2023 with glorious ballad-crooning, beach-loving Kenergy. Next, cinema's baby goose is getting into action-comedy mode in the Sydney-shot The Fall Guy. Based on the 80s TV series of the same name, the film follows stuntman Colt Seavers (Gosling), whose career isn't what it used to be. After taking time off, he's back at work getting set on fire for a living — but the fact that his ex Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer) is directing brings chaos. That's just the first dose of the movie's mayhem. Also complicating matters: that megastar actor Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Bullet Train), who Seavers is meant to be doubling for in Moreno's flick, has gone missing. So, the stunt professional now has another task: work out what's going on by solving a conspiracy. If you're thinking "wasn't Gosling in the stunt game in Drive?", you're correct; however, The Fall Guy couldn't be in more different territory tonally. That said, when Ted Lasso's Hannah Waddingham tells Gosling "you're a stuntman — nobody's going to notice you, that's your job", in The Fall Guy's just-dropped first trailer, you'll already know that his casting means that's never going to prove true. As well as finding a missing actor, getting immersed in action intrigue to unravel a criminal plot, saving his latest movie and doing his regular job, Seavers is on a mission to win back Moreno — but IRL stuntman-turned-filmmaker David Leitch, who also helmed Bullet Train, Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2 and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, puts stunts to the fore as much as rom-com banter in the initial sneak peek. Written by Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw scribe Drew Pearce, The Fall Guy co-stars Everything Everywhere All At Once Oscar-nominee Stephanie Hsu, plus Winston Duke (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever). Also a big feature in the trailer: its Sydney shooting location, including the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Everyone in Australia knows that Gosling was in the country to make the movie — and we all know that any flick shot here will show off that fact in its footage, as seen in the trailer for the also Sydney-made Anyone But You recently as well. On the small screen, The Fall Guy ran for 113 episodes from 1981–86, starring Lee Majors after his best-known role in The Six Million Dollar Man. Check out the trailer for The Fall Guy below: The Fall Guy releases in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, February 29, 2024.
The year was 1992. Aladdin, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Batman Returns, Lethal Weapon 3 and A Few Good Men ruled the international box office. Slipping into a habit and sliding in next on the list, becoming the sixth-biggest hit of the year: Sister Act. The film about singing nuns spawned a sequel, with word of a third movie floating around for years since — and, as everything from Mean Girls and Muriel's Wedding to Groundhog Day and Beetlejuice has also done, it inspired a stage musical as well. The theatre take on the Whoopi Goldberg (The Color Purple)-led film franchise debuted in California in 2006, then hit West End in 2009 and Broadway in 2011. Now, it's finally Australia's turn — including in Brisbane. Sister Act will make its Aussie premiere at Sydney's Capitol Theatre to see out winter, then make a date with the Regent Theatre in Melbourne from November, and has then locked in a stint at QPAC in the River City after that from February 2025. [caption id="attachment_939236" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sister Act UK & Ireland Touring Production 2023-24, Mark Senior.[/caption] The first movie was filled with songs like 'Rescue Me', 'My Guy' and 'I Will Follow Him', ensuring that its soundtrack was a smash, too, so the film was always primed to tread the boards. The Sister Act musical features original tunes, with Alan Menken (The Little Mermaid) doing the honours. Among the show's rewards so far: five Tony Award nominations and six Olivier Award nominations. "It is a joyous thing to produce a musical that has never been seen in Australia before and I feel very blessed to be bringing Sister Act to our shores," said producer John Frost when he initially announced the Sydney and Melbourne seasons. "It's a brilliant, must-see show that will lift audiences up and I know Australians will get into the habit of seeing again and again." [caption id="attachment_956082" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Benny Capp[/caption] Story-wise, the production follows Deloris, who witnesses a murder and has to go into protective custody. Her hideout: a convent. It's there that the nightclub singer finds a struggling choir, which she begins to help. For the Australian run, Casey Donovan (& Juliet) is leading the cast, while Genevieve Lemon (Billy Elliot) co-stars as Mother Superior. The Brisbane season doesn't yet have exact dates, but you can sign up for the ticket waitlist online. Sister Act Australian Tour 2024: From Tuesday, August 3, 2024 — Capitol Theatre, Sydney From Sunday, November 3, 2024 — Regent Theatre, Melbourne From February 2025 — QPAC, Brisbane Sister Act will hit the stage in Brisbane from February 2025. For further information and tickets, head to the show's website. Top image: Sister Act UK & Ireland Touring Production 2023-24, Mark Senior.
From the outside, it's just another cute specialty coffee nook. Inside, Blackout holds so much more. As the retail arm of The Black Lab Coffee Co. all the blends, single origins and microlot coffees are roasted right here. That means you're getting artisanal coffee at its most fresh from folks who know exactly what they're doing with these fine beans. Whatever your perfect brew, Blackout provides the goods by serving batch, cold drip and espresso and has the full arsenal of alternative milks on hand. But it's not just coffee it's serving up. It also has you sorted for hot chocolate and chai — both from Cosecha Organics — as well as bottled juice 'n' booch, and a cabinet filled with freshly baked treats. As leaders in coffee making, Blackout also provides training courses on every manner of brew that the career coffee maker or home hobbyist needs to master, plus the equipment to go with it. It's your go-to Paddo spot for caffeination, bean-based know-how and that V60 you've been eyeing off.
If you consider yourself a bit of an adrenaline junkie, then visiting Sky Park is a must on your trip to Tropical North Queensland. Not only is it the one place in Australia where you can actually take the bungee jump plunge, but you'll get to do so while being cradled by lush tropical rainforest. Located 15 kilometres north of Cairns, here you can leap from the 50-metre bungee that teeters over a stunning natural lagoon. Or, strap into the giant swing to reach speeds of up to 120 kilometres per hour in just three seconds with two mates side by side. If you're not quite ready to take the bungee plunge, try the 140 metre high walk the plank obstacle instead. Whether you're a seasoned jumper or are ready to take your very first leap, the 16 different styles on the jump menu will accomodate for all levels of thrill seeking and ensure you experience a rush like never before. [caption id="attachment_828485" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tropical North Queensland[/caption]
Head to the Gallery of Modern Art until October and the works of two artists await: eX de Medici and Michael Zavros. The first exhibition is the most extensive retrospective to date on the Canberra-based creative and tattooist, spanning more than 100 works. The second covers 90-plus paintings, sculptures, videos, photos and performances by the Queensland artist. And, for two nights only this winter, they'll backdrop two big parties. Brisbane art lovers know that GOMA's exhibitions aren't simply dazzling to look at, whether pieces by David Lynch, Yayoi Kusama, Patricia Piccinini, Marvel or Chiharu Shiota are filling the venue's walls. For just a couple of evenings each, they usually provide a setting for ace after-dark parties surrounded by all of those creative works. Yes, the gallery's eX de Medici and Michael Zavros showcases are getting the Up Late treatment. Get ready to spend two August nights seeing everything from an original classic 90s Mercedes-Benz SL convertible with water to blood swabs — a large-scale mural depicting the Parthenon in Athens, too, plus musings on fragility, death, greed, power and conflict — while drinking, tapping your toes to DJs and listening to live music. A $42-per-night ticket gets attendees access to both exhibitions, as well as the fun. On the GOMA Up Late lineup: Lisa Mitchell and Banoffee doing the honours on the Friday, August 18, alongside DJ Zed Mero; and Nai Palm and The Riot taking to the stage on Saturday, August 19, plus DJ Neesha. The event's music component will take place on the Maiwar Green and outside GOMA's entrance. As well as art and tunes, there'll be multiple spots to grab a bite and drink around the place, including at the GOMA Bistro, Bodhi Tree Bar, River Room Bar and Bacchus Wine Room. Expect live immersive art experiences and workshops, too — including eX de Medici's temporary tattoo booth, drop-in still-life drawing, and pop-up art and opera with Panayiota Kalatzis — and, as is always the case whenever it's GOMA Up Late time, the kind of gallery visit you can't have via daylight. GOMA UP LATE — EX DE MEDICI AND MICHAEL ZAVROS LINE-UP: Friday, August 18 — Lisa Mitchell, Banoffee and DJ Zed Mero Saturday, August 19 — Nai Palm, The Riot and DJ Neesha Both nights: eX de Medici's temporary tattoo booth, drop-in still-life drawing, pop-up art and opera with Panayiota Kalatzis GOMA Up Late — eX de Medici and Michael Zavros takes place on Friday, August 18–Saturday, August 19 at the Gallery of Modern Art, Stanley Place, South Brisbane. For more information and tickets, head to the GOMA website. Michael Zavros: The Favourite and eX de Medici: Beautiful Wickedness display at Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art, Stanley Place, South Brisbane from Saturday, June 24–Monday, October 2, 2023. For further details — or to find out more about the gallery's full 2023 slate — visit its website. Images: installation views of Michael Zavros: The Favourite and eX de Medici: Beautiful Wickedness, Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane, 2023. © Michael Zavros and eX de Medici / Photographs: Joe Ruckli © QAGOMA.
Lena Dunham has announced a return to filmmaking. At the 15th New Yorker Festival, held over the weekend, she spilled the beans on her plans to adapt and direct Karen Cushman’s coming-of-age novel Catherine, Called Birdy. “I’ve been obsessed with it since I was a kid,” Dunham told author Ariel Levy on Friday night. In fact, in a 2012 interview with the New York Times, she identified it and Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita as the “two best books about girls” she had ever read. It's a project that will allow the Girls creator to extend her voice well beyond beyond her generation. Narrated as a diary and set in England in the 1290s, Catherine, Called Birdy recounts a 13-year-old girl’s struggle against arranged marriage. “[She] gets her period and her father basically says, 'Well, it's time for you to get married,' and she's like, 'Uh, no,'" Dunham explained. “It's hyper realistic and really pretty and it's full of incest and beatings, but it's a child's story.” Fortunately there were no Q-Tips in the 1290s, so audiences will at least be spared that Dunham-patented horror. The writer-director is intending to produce the film via her production company, A Casual Romance, which she set up with Jenni Konner, executive producer of Girls. However, they’re still in need financial support from “someone who wants to a fund a PG-13 medieval movie.” In the meantime, she is busy promoting her debut essay collection, Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She’s 'Learned'. Via Indiewire.
The future. What will it look, feel, sound, smell and taste like? What's the logical progression of everything that's happening today, in our rapidly changing technological and social landscape? Will the future be like now, only more so? Auteur film director Spike Jonze answers this question via the plaintive eyes and breaking voice of Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) as he wanders the Los Angeles of the near-future in Her. This future is a warm and technologically intuitive space, where highly evolved, Siri-like operating systems are capable of falling in love with humans. Watching the film, we found that despite its themes of loneliness and emotional surrogacy, there's a few predictions we hope do come true. Computers are basically therapists In the future, while artificial intelligence-based computers programs like Samantha (dreamily voiced by Scarlett Johansson) definitely listen to what you say, what really matters to them is how you say it. In classic psychoanalyst form, they listen for signs of hesitation, anxiety or affection. When his OS quizzes him about his feelings for his mother, Theodore's ambivalent tone tells the computer all it needs to know. Video games are just as savvy: Theodore spends a lot of time chatting with a funny little virtual creature with a bad case of Tourette's, whose needless rudeness greatly amuses him. So, what happens when an OS can sense and respond to your emotions? You end up getting entertainment, companionship, sympathy and advice from an entity that also has the power to sort through infinite data and provide all kinds of practical services. It becomes the 100 percent efficient bosom friend you never had. The pedestrian is king Today, Nobody Walks in LA, because everyone has a car. It's a proverbial truth well documented by SNL's The Californians. But Spike Jonze's' LA of tomorrow is one big, car-less New York Highline (he even consulted with the Highline's creators to get the feel right). Broad and tranquil sky walkways connect Theodore from work to home, and a metro system takes him from the city to the beach. What's the advantage of travelling through life on foot? Safer, more populated public spaces; a healthier body; and the end of road rage. Despite Her's overarching theme of loneliness, from developments here in Sydney we know that pedestrian spaces tend to attract food trucks, live music and events, making everyone feel happier and more connected to their local community. Something we didn't see in the film that we hope to see in the cities of the future, is a skyline of buildings carpeted with vertical gardens. Clothes, technology and interiors are kind of friendly-looking Do we see any robo-babes or steampunks in future LA? No. We see an affluent middle-class clad in garb that references the 1930s, with high-waisted pants and clean colour-blocking. No one's trying to look cutting-edge; just well-presented. The style is actually shoppable — check out Opening Ceremony's Her capsule collection. As for interior design and gadgets, there's none of the usual super-slick chrome interiors, overly stark minimalism and cold blue lighting that films usually use to represent the world of the future. Nor are there paleo-future aesthetics or dystopian ruins. Instead, we experience lights that gently illuminate when Theodore enters his apartment; a smart pocketbook that looks like an old-timey picture frame; an elevator whose walls display a moving silhouette of trees. It's a wholesome, comfortable environment accessorised with objects and furniture in shades of blush and ochre. In fact, the colour blue is largely filtered out of the movie, to create a feeling of warmth and comfort deliberately at odds with Theodore's personal isolation. While we can't exactly filter out blue IRL, we Spike Jonze's vision of a cosy, inviting built environment that isn't trying too hard to be cool. Communication is hands free and softly spoken In future LA, almost every appliance is a voice-activated Siri. From printers to video games to letter-writing computer programs, machines respond to softly murmured voice commands much like Google Glass today. Riding the metro home, Theodore discreetly instructs his smart pocketbook to show him nudie pictures of a pregnant celebrity. What's the upshot of this subtle way of communicating needs? People become more softly spoken in general. The trend carries into advertising: Theodore first hears about the new artificially intelligent OS from a slo-mo advertisement in which a soothing voice heralds a new era in technology. Machines themselves also speak enticingly, as epitomised by the husky Samantha . Her is in cinemas now. Read our review of the movie here.
City markets seem to be enjoying a moment in the sun at the moment as CBD inhabitants relish in the opportunity to purchase something found outside the surrounding chain stores. The latest market to pop up in the area is courtesy of Bleeding Hearts Cafe and Art Gallery, an artisan retail store dedicated to funding charitable and community enterprise. The Bleeding Hearts Markets are set to take place on the first Friday of every month and will offer an eclectic mix of handmade, art and vintage items on offer from local artisans, who will set up shop along the gallery veranda and in the front garden. Get your hands on some new and exclusive prints, illustrations, jewellery, accessories, children's clothing and toys and meet the people responsible for these clever crafts. The cafe will also be open so if you are only able to make it on your lunch break - well then you are in luck. Best of all Bleeding Hearts is only a 2 min walk from both Central Station and King George Bus Station. A far more appealing option compared to your local food court. Image courtesy of Peach Face.
The sun is shining, your out of office is on and you've already spent a good amount of time curled up streaming TV shows. Now's the chance to catch up on your reading — so, find a shady spot on a beach, next to a pool or by a waterfall and start making your way through our favourite ten books of 2019. It's a mixed bag this year — we've been turning the pages of a novel about a debaucherous secret society, the latest Booker Prize winner (no, not The Testaments), devastating nonfiction works about Australian bushfires and a heartwarming page-turner combining politics, royalty and queer history. Some of them are immersive, some of them knotty and uncomfortable, which makes them perfect for mulling over during the holidays, and provide flavourful fodder for dinner conversations. Take your pick. LANNY BY MAX PORTER In 2016, Max Porter won the Dylan Thomas Prize for his debut novel Grief Is the Thing With Feathers — a story in which a trickster-babysitter crow visits two grieving children. This year, Porter delivered another poetic and daring tale, this time centring on a creative and mysterious boy called Lanny. There's a rhythm to Porter's writing; he illustrates one of his most exciting characters through a scrawling, italicised font that seems to slip and slide off the page. Dead Papa Toothwort is a shapeshifting spirit that feeds on the life and grime of Lanny's village in the English countryside — one with gossip at the school gates, nosy but well-meaning neighbours, and a woodland where children like to build treehouses. Reliable old Pete is Lanny's good friend. He's an older man, an artist, and one of the more likeable characters. What starts as an eerie, but largely quiet, tale of village life gathers speed towards the end, when Lanny is missing and the village mob starts pointing fingers. SUPPER CLUB BY LARA WILLIAMS Lara Williams' novel about a secret society of women who meet after dark to feast is superb. At the centre of the novel is Roberta, and the novel jumps back and forth between her days at university, where she teaches herself to cook and dates a lecturer, and the present day, where her and her wild, intense friend Stevie start the supper club. Over bowls of pasta, slabs of meatloaf, messy bouillabaisse and gallons of wine, the women gorge themselves and behave in an incredibly 'unladylike' manner in rebellion of their oppression by men. They throw food at each other, vomit, dance topless and go wild with debauchery. Intelligent and boldly written, Williams' story is less about food and more about the characters' appetites to acquit themselves of their everyday lives. Easy to read, you'll smash it quicket than your avocado on toast. RED, WHITE AND ROYAL BLUE BY CASEY MCQUISTON It might be questionable of us to include a book that would certainly not be considered literary, and falls firmly in the romance and new adult categories. But Casey McQuiston's debut novel Red, White & Royal Blue is so joyous and hopeful that it makes you want to throw away any pretence of trying to appear cool. Incorporating, and elevating, all the best cheesy rom-com tropes — enemies to friends to lovers, fake friendships, a secret relationship and an email scandal — McQuiston's writing is heartwarming, funny and intelligent as she blends politics, royalty and queer history into a big ball of happiness. I challenge you not to fall in love with this book's diverse cast of characters: Alex, the obliviously bisexual Mexican-American son of the first woman president of the United States; Henry, the compassionate, quietly homosexual prince of England with a scholarly interest in queer history; Pez, the prince's dastardly attractive Nigerian best friend; Zahra, the president's fierce and frightening chief of staff; Amy, a transwoman and former marine-turned-secret service agent who likes embroidery. Would recommend to anyone looking for a book so firmly placed in the now — but a better one than the one we've got. If it were possible, it would make your heart smile. ON EARTH WE'RE BRIEFLY GORGEOUS BY OCEAN VUONG Ocean Vuong's debut novel found itself on a host of nominee lists for literary prizes his year, earning reviews describing it as shattering, tender, haunting and stunning. On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous is a letter from a son to a mother, tracking a family history back to its roots in war-torn Vietnam and forward to the son's experiences as a queer, biracial American, and telling a story trapped between the worlds of trauma and compassion. Vuong's poetry background makes for prose that is fluid, raw and earnest, in an intimate exploration of race, class, grief and masculinity. SALT BY BRUCE PASCOE Likely already on the radar of fans of his work, Salt offers an insight into the range and depth of influential Indigenous Australian historian Bruce Pascoe. This collection of stories and essays from the award-winning author of Dark Emu includes some of his most revered work and previously unpublished pieces of fiction — tender stories exploring country, nature and identity — just waiting to be discovered. For those with a short attention span or looking for an introduction to Pascoe's works, this is an ideal read for afternoons on the beach, and a poignant reminder of our nation's history. BEAUTY BY BRI LEE Beauty marks the second book by Bri Lee in as many years to make it onto our Summer Reading List, so she must be doing something right. Once again imbuing her words with a brutal candour, Lee explores our obsession with thinness and beauty, in a world that has made huge strides against the patriarchy, yet still finds us holding ourselves to an impossible and unattainable standard of physical 'perfection'. Readers are invited into Lee's world in a 150-page essay on her battle with eating disorders and her final rejection of society's punishing ideals. For anyone that loved Eggshell Skull — and pretty much everyone else, too. THE ARSONIST: A MIND ON FIRE BY CHLOE HOOPER Published in October 2018, this novel isn't a 2019 book. But, with catastrophic bushfires currently burning across Australia, its content couldn't be timelier. Following the trial of the man charged with lighting the Latrobe Valley fires, part of the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires that killed 173 people in regional Victoria and burnt over 450,000 hectares, Chloe Hooper's The Arsonist: A Mind on Fire is devastating and haunting. It includes harrowing accounts from those injured in the fires and fascinating details from the investigation, all delivered with captivating and lyrical prose. And, while it's a work of nonfiction, it reads like a thriller — and it's impossible to put down. GIRL, WOMAN, OTHER BY BERNARDINE EVARISTO Two books won this year's Booker Prize: Margaret Atwood's 34-year follow-up to The Handmaid's Tale, called The Testaments; and Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo. We're recommending you read the latter. Following the interconnected lives of 12 characters, mostly Black British women, from different generations, religions and social classes, it's a joyous, poetic read. You'll meet lesbian playwrights, investment bankers and farmers, all battling everyday problems and larger social issues, such as race and sexuality. As well as being a collection of 12 separate, intimate portraits, the book successfully paints a polyphonic picture of modern-day Britain. FLEISHMAN IS IN TROUBLE BY TAFFY BRODESSER-AKNER A renowned celebrity profiler — if you haven't already, we suggest you read her New York Times Magazine piece on Gwyneth Paltrow ASAP — Taffy Brodesser-Akner first dipped her toe into fiction this year with the release of her debut novel Fleishman Is in Trouble. And Fleishman, a recently divorced, now-single dad navigating the world of dating apps, sexts and raising two children, really is in trouble. As is our narrator: stay-at-home mum Libby. And Fleishman's ex-wife, Rachel. While the bulk of the novel is dedicated to Fleishman and his struggles, it also cleverly explores how women's stories are often over-looked and sidelined. Its ending more-than rewards readers for pushing through some of the less-gripping sections, too BELOVED BY TONI MORRISON The first African American woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, Toni Morrison passed away in August at the age of 88. Her novel Beloved wasn't published this year — in fact, it was published way back in 1987 — but we think this summer is the perfect time to revisit it, or pick it up for the first time. Arguably Morrison's best-known novel, Beloved follows an escaped enslaved woman who is haunted by decisions and trauma from her past. It's not an easy read, nor should it be. The Pulitzer Prize-winning novel has had far-reaching cultural influence since its publication, including on Jordan Peele's 2019 horror flick Us. If you'd like to explore this connection further, we suggest listening to this episode from The New York Times podcast Still Processing. Words by Aimee Sics, Emma Joyce, Leisha Kapor and Samantha Teague.
It's that time of year, Brisbanites. Yes, it's spring — but it's also time for Brisbane Festival. Every September, the huge annual event takes over the city, serving up every kind of creative performance that artistic director David Berthold can think of. In 2019, that's a hefty list. Get ready to walk through fire, lose yourself in a maze of doors, watch theatre in a warehouse, see a classic ballet completely reimagined and listen to a bedtime story — when you're not celebrating the birthday of a Brisbane icon, worshipping at the altar of house music and watching a saucy cabaret, that is. The program goes on, as it always does, spoiling fans of art, music, performance, comedy, cabaret, installations and culture for choice in a very big way. From Brisbane Festival's 2019 lineup, which features 454 performances of 83 shows over 23 days between September 6–28, here are our must-see highlights.
Founded in 2013 by distiller Philip Moore and coffee enthusiast Tom Baker, Mr Black has become a go-to for Australians looking to create bar-quality espresso martinis at home. Now, the distiller and coffee roaster is making things even easier by launching a new range of espresso martinis in ready-to-drink cans. These canned cocktails have been three years in the making, with Mr Black trialing 156 different recipes, two production methods and three canning technologies to create their newest product. Each can contains arabica coffee, Australian distilled vodka and Mr Black coffee liqueur, and is charged with nitrogen in order to give you the frothy head of a real espresso martini. All you need to do is shake, pour and maybe add a couple of coffee beans to the top if you're really trying to enjoy the full espresso martini experience. Canned and bottled cocktails have become an increasingly common trend in the past couple years, with many local bars also getting on board during Australia's lockdowns. Mr Black joins the likes of Kahlua, Lexington Hill and Curatif in offering canned espresso martinis, distinguishing itself with the fan-favourite taste of the brand's coffee liquor. The on-the-go cocktails have been launched just in time for warmer weather and the rolling back of restrictions in many states, allowing espresso martini fans the opportunity to bring the caffeinated cocktail with them on a picnic, to a dinner party or away on a trip without needing to pack several bottles of spirits. You can find Mr Black's canned espresso martinis online, as well as in Liquorland, First Choice, Vintage Cellars and independent liquor stores. The cans come in a four pack of 200-millilitre cans which will set you back $34.99; however, if you purchase via the Mr Black website, you can can nab ten percent off your order by using the discount code MRB10 at checkout. For more information about Mr Black's espresso martini cans, and to nab ten percent off your order by using the discount code MRB10 at checkout, head to the Mr Black website. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
In too many music biopics to count, a star is born — and also rises to fame after putting their talents towards a dream that's inspired them as long as they can remember. Weird: The Al Yankovic Story looks set to follow same formula, and also parody it. It wouldn't be a movie about Weird Al Yankovic if it didn't take something that already works, then give it a satirical spin, now would it? "My whole life, all I wanted was to do... was make up new words to a song that already exists," Yankovic, as played by Daniel Radcliffe (The Lost City), says in the just-dropped full trailer for Weird — in case you thought the film wasn't going to be gloriously ridiculous. This line bookends glimpses of a childhood Al happily thumbing through accordion magazines and getting caught at a polka party. In other words, this humorous look at the man behind oh-so-many humorous songs is taking the exact approach a film about Weird Al really has to. The new trailer follows a teaser back in May, and gives viewers plenty of gifts: accordions, obviously; recreations of Weird Al's film clips and live performances; chaotic meetings with Madonna, as played by Westworld's Evan Rachel Wood; and origin stories behind tracks like 'My Bologna' and 'Like a Surgeon'. The list goes on, and also includes Radcliffe having an absolute ball in the lead role. In his time playing Harry Potter, Radcliffe did many things. He didn't cut like a surgeon, get himself an egg and beat it, or lose on Jeopardy, though. And, he certainly didn't don the curliest of wigs, swan around in Hawaiian shirts with his chest hair flapping in the breeze or pick up an accordion, either — but Weird is making all of the above magic happen. With Radcliffe seemingly having the time of his life as the musician behind 'Another One Rides the Bus', 'Smells Like Nirvana' and 'Amish Paradise' — plus comedic riffs on pretty much every other big song of the past four-plus decades that you can think of — Weird: The Al Yankovic Story really is exactly what it sounds like. It sounds wonderful, too, naturally. Radcliffe sports wire-framed glasses, those shirts, that hair and Yankovic's instantly recognisable moustache in the music biopic, which feels like it was cast by the internet. Made for the Roku Channel in the US, and arriving in America on November 4 — with no details yet dropping about where it'll air Down Under, or when, sadly — this is 100-percent an authorised bio. Yankovic is one of the screenwriters, in fact, alongside director Eric Appel (a TV sitcom veteran with Happy Endings, New Girl, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and top-notch cop-show parody NTSF:SD:SUV on this resume). If the man in the spotlight's career has taught us all anything apart from the wrong words to pop hits, however, it's that he doesn't take a single thing, including himself, seriously. Also set to feature: Yankovic's rise to fame, all those songs, everything from "his torrid celebrity love affairs" to his "famously depraved lifestyle", and a story that follows his journey "from gifted child prodigy to the greatest musical legend of all time" — at least according to the original press release revealing the flick, which sports a healthy sense of humour. When the film was announced, Yankovic gave his input too, of course. "When my last movie UHF came out in 1989, I made a solemn vow to my fans that I would release a major motion picture every 33 years, like clockwork. I'm very happy to say we're on schedule," he said. "And I am absolutely thrilled that Daniel Radcliffe will be portraying me in the film. I have no doubt whatsoever that this is the role future generations will remember him for." Check out the trailer for Weird: The Al Yankovic Story below: Weird: The Al Yankovic Story releases in the US on November 4, but doesn't yet have a release date Down Under — we'll update you when further details are announced.
It's the first Cirque du Soleil show that uses a central stage, placing its action in the middle of the arena, meaning that patrons face each other while they watch. It focuses, fittingly for a circus troupe, on a clown. Corteo is the production in question, and is also already proving a hit in Australia ahead of its 2025 season's arrival — with an extra 25 performances freshly locked in due to demand. When a clown ponders its final farewell, what does it see? This show has the answer. When Corteo initially made its way to the stage in Montreal in 2005, it won over audiences by setting its acrobatic feats within a funeral procession imagined by a jester — a carnival-like parade that muses on humanity's strengths and vulnerabilities — in a space between heaven and earth. Two decades later, it's one of the troupe's most-beloved performances. Cirque du Soleil announced earlier in 2025 that it would celebrating that Corteo milestone Down Under this year — and now that a five-city tour of Australia has just gotten bigger. The production's stints at Perth Arena, Melbourne's John Cain Arena, Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney and Brisbane Entertainment Centre have all been extended by a week, albeit with shows focused around the weekend. Accordingly, Perth will now enjoy Corteo from Friday, August 8–Sunday, August 17; Melbourne between Friday, August 22–Sunday, August 31; Sydney from Thursday, September 4–Sunday, September 14; and Brisbane across Thursday, September 18–Sunday, September 28. Adelaide's dates at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre from Thursday, October 2–Sunday, October 5 remain unchanged. Over its 20 years of life so far Corteo has proven a smash, with over 12-million audience members in 30 countries on four continents seeing it so far. As its clown protagonist conjures up the festive parade that ushers him from this world, attendees witness a poetic yet playful performance — one where the acrobatics are unique, too, and where angels watch over. The show hits Australia after LUZIA was the last Cirque du Soleil production that bounded this way, kicking off in 2024 — and notching up another first, as the Montreal-based company company's debut touring show to feature rain in its acrobatic and artistic scenes. Before that, 2023 saw Cirque du Soleil bring CRYSTAL, its first-ever ice production on ice, Down Under. Cirque du Soleil's Corteo — Australia and New Zealand Tour 2025 Friday, August 8–Sunday, August 17 — Perth Arena, Perth Friday, August 22–Sunday, August 31 — John Cain Arena, Melbourne Thursday, September 4–Sunday, September 14 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Thursday, September 18–Sunday, September 28 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane Thursday, October 2–Sunday, October 5 — Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide Cirque du Soleil's Corteo tours Australia from August 2025. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the show's website. Images: Maja Prgomet, Johan Persson and Aldo Arguello.
Although it may be Mercedes Benz Fashion Festival in Sydney, you can still get your fair share of hot fashion tips in Brisbane this week. Held at the gorgeous Limes Hotel is Rooftop Styling, a great excuse for a night of fab fashion. Enjoy a cocktail on arrival and a bevy of delectable canapes by Limes Hotels' sister venue, Alfred & Constance, while you ogle gorgeous fashion. The night will be hosted by fashion writer for the The Style Report, Laura Stead, so insider tips are guaranteed. Three models will showcase the new season collection from South Bank boutique Denim Co. The night will focus on elegant designs that have a dark, Gothic edge. Stead will be styling up a storm and outlining new trends for the upcoming winter season. If any of the stunning pieces tickle your fancy, you'll be able to take them home with you as Denim Co. will have a pop-up store filled with specials available on the night. Get your girlfriends together and share an evening of Gothic glamour. Grab your tickets here.
If there's one way to forget that you're still in your own city, staycationing within a short drive from home rather than heading further afield, it's splashing around up high while peering down on familiar sights from a completely different angle. Sydneysiders, another place to do just that is in your future, with TFE Hotels set to launch its first Collection property in the Harbour City in early 2024 — complete with a rooftop infinity pool. The new Collection by TFE Hotels property will be a big feature of the in-development Surry Hills Village, sitting on Baptist Street as part of a precinct that'll also include shops, apartments, event spaces, work spaces and dining. The Sydney spot joins the brand's Savoy Hotel on Little Collins in Melbourne, Hotel Kurrajong in Canberra, Calile Hotel in Brisbane and Hotel Britomart in Auckland. That's impressive company, and the new boutique hotel will continue the same design-led, individual-focused approach. When it comes to slumbering, there'll be 102 rooms. While exactly what they'll feature, and what other amenities guests can expect, hasn't yet been revealed, the hotel will boast curved brickwork and stone pathways as part of its design — and greenery aplenty. Also set to be a highlight: the Cloister, the hotel's restaurant and bar space. And, yes, that sky-high pool with scenic views, of course. "Surry Hills is home to one of the city's premier restaurant, dining, and boutique precincts," said TFE Hotels CEO Antony Ritch, announcing the new hotel. "This Collection property will become a destination in its own right." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Surry Hills Village By TOGA (@surryhillsvillage) Within the 1.2-hectare mixed-use development that is Surry Hills Village itself, Sydneysiders can also look forward to a new 517-square-metre public park, plus up to 12,000 square metres of retail and commercial tenants. There'll also be a new public pedestrian thoroughfare linking Marriott Street and Baptist Street — and, as part of the hospitality offering, a new restaurant from Fink Group, the team behind Quay, Bennelong, Otto and newly anointed third-best steak restaurant in the world Firedoor. And yes, new hotels are sprouting up thick and fast around Sydney, with the new Collection by TFE Hotels site joining the soon-to-launch Porter House Hotel; the just-launched Ace Hotel, Australia's first outpost from the chain; and none other than the Waldorf Astoria, which'll also opening its first-ever Australian hotel in Sydney in 2025. That's obviously excellent news not just for staycationers, but for folks visiting the city from interstate as well. TFE Hotels' new Collection property at Surry Hills Village, on Baptist Street in Surry Hills, is due to open in 2024. Head to the Collection by TFE Hotels and Surry Hills Village websites to keep an eye out for further information.
If you've been making plans to revamp your style, but haven't been able to rustle up the coin, here's your chance. For five days, Hugo Boss will be hosting a mega sale at its outlet stores. You'll be able to score 50 percent off a massive range of premium clothing — from comfy t-shirts and soft sweaters to suave suits and women's dresses. Hello, EOFY cash splash. Whether you're after a suit for a special occasion or looking to prep your spring wardrobe early, Hugo Boss's mid-year outlet sale will have you sorted for a fraction of the fashion label's usual prices. You'll have to get in quick to score though, with the sale only running from Wednesday, June 26 to Sunday, June 30. In Brisbane, you can head to the BOSS Outlet at Harbour Town Outlet Shopping Centre to get these quality threads for such a steal. Opening hours are Wednesday, 9am–5.30pm; Thursday, 9am–7pm; Friday–Saturday, 9am–5.30pm; and Sunday, 10am–5pm. Hugo Boss mid-year outlet sale will run from Wednesday, June 26 to Sunday, June 30. To find your closest outlet, visit the website.
It has been less than a year since the sale of medicinal marijuana became legal in Australia, but the Federal Government isn't stopping there. They've now approved the export of the country's cannabis-based medicines. Yes, domestic manufacturers can now sell their wares overseas. The move applies to medicinal cannabis products, rather than cannabis itself. In a statement, Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt dubbed the move "an important step for the development of the medicinal cannabis sector and to secure long-term supplies for Australian patients," and said it "will help both the domestic supply and Australian producers by strengthening the opportunities for domestic manufacturers." Hunt expanded upon the rationale further to the ABC, noting "we would like to be, potentially, the world's number one medicinal cannabis supplier." It is believed that by helping Aussie manufacturers expand, it'll assist in warding off competition from imports by allowing local outfits to grow their market. As part of any licence authorising export, medicinal cannabis products will be required to be made available to Australian patients first. Since February 2017, local companies have been allowed to distribute the drug as a medicine, with people with chronic illness and pain — like epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and cancer — able to access the drug after getting a prescription from their doctor. "We want a robust Australian medicinal cannabis industry so that doctors have safe, quality domestic products that they can confidently prescribe to their patients," said Hunt. Just to be clear, though, recreational use of marijuana is still very much illegal and laws vary state-to-state. By Lauren Vadnjal and Sarah Ward.
When January is in full swing, the sun is out and we're all still in a holiday mood — whether or not we're actually still on holidays — no one needs an excuse for a weekend road trip. But here's one anyway, coming courtesy of Harvest Newrybar: eating dishes whipped up by acclaimed chef Danielle Alvarez. Formerly of Fred's in Sydney, Alvarez is heading to the Byron hinterland to cook up a storm for three days. That means that diners at A Weekend with Danielle at Harvest have three chances to tuck in: for dinner from 5.30pm on Friday, January 20 and Saturday, January 21, and for lunch from 12pm on Sunday, January 22. [caption id="attachment_885631" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nikki To[/caption] It's the first time that Alvarez has brought her old-world cooking techniques to the region, and her all-round thoughtful approach to the kitchen as well — and she'll be matching Harvest's own focus on sustainability and top-notch local ingredients, of course. Indeed, she's visiting the producers that the restaurant works with, and Harvest family farm Picone Orchard, to come up with her culinary lineup. On the menu: oyster with gazpacho, fish tartare with finger lime and fish sauce in betel leaf, flatbread with charred chilli and clam butter, and a plate of pickled and wood oven-roasted veggies paired with locally made fresh cheese. And, there's also squid and prawn rice with coriander and chilli tahini, roasted Bangalow sweet pork and grilled fish with summer squash. Plus, dessert spans fruit from Piccone on ice, as well as lemonade fruit granita with lychees. Bookings will cost you $130 per person for a three-course set menu, or $220 with matched wines. Harvest Newrybar images: Jess Kearney.
Every day, every beach becomes an art gallery in its own way. If you've ever taken a bucket, filled it with sand, plonked it onto the shore and shaped it with your bare hands, then you've sculpted something — and you've added a tiny piece of temporary art to the shoreline, too. So, it makes sense that part of the Gold Coast would celebrate this specific art form right by the water. At this annual festival, there's more than just sandcastles on offer, though. Now in its 19th year, Swell Sculpture Festival turns the Currumbin Beach coastline into an openair art gallery — in 2021, for ten days between Friday, September 10–Sunday, September 19. Visitors can expect to get an eyeful of stunning creations all dotted across a one-kilometre stretch of sand. Yes, by simply walking along the beach, you'll view some stellar art (and you'll also enjoy getting some grains between your toes, soaking in the sea breeze and scoping out quite the view, obviously). This year's fest features more than 65 works, including pieces made with everything from concrete, stainless steel, copper, bronze, wood and glass to plastic, natural fibres, fibreglass, bamboo, wire, silk, stone and aluminium. And, in terms of artists, it boasts creations by a lengthy list of mid-career and emerging talents, including Atelier Sisu, Clayton Blake, Danger Dave, Greg Quinton, Jessica Harris and Shiloh Perry. Some pieces take inspiration from 1000 origami cranes, while others turn everyday household rubbish into flowers — and you can also expect to see sea dragons, windows, and musings on both the environment and the pandemic as well. Also part of the festival, at a pop-up hub at Helensvale: Homer Homer. This isn't any old likeness of The Simpsons character, however. Rather, it's a five-metre-tall inflatable version that combines his yellow-hued face with that the Ancient Greek poet Homer, who is presumed to have written the Iliad and the Odyssey. The 2021 fest spans fellow pop-ups at Mudgeeraba and Lower Beechmont, and at Chevron Island Park, too — and, via guided walks and just appreciating its treasures at your own pace, is all about letting its attendees engage with the pieces on display. Images: PBR Images/Leximagery.
The lofty title of the ‘World Wide Web’ implies that we can access the internet, well, all over the world. However, with 71 percent of the Earth’s surface covered by oceanic bodies, the web is more limited than you think. Researchers at the University of Buffalo may have found a way to cross the digital gap between land and sea. Their ‘deep sea Internet’ is a sunken wireless network that will provide instant communication from beneath the surface to any device on land. Since wireless access has expanded everywhere, from subways to third world countries, why hasn’t this been thought of before? Although the internet feels like an omnipresent force that floats invisibly above our heads like the particles of a broadcast chocolate bar in Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, it’s a little more complicated. Wireless communication on land relies on radio waves from satellites and antennas, which don’t work well out in the middle of the ocean. Deep-sea communication technologies function on sound waves, which are converted above the surface and transmitted to our devices. This interaction is a bit dodgy, given that it’s nearly impossible to communicate in real time because of the various methods and standards involved when it comes to communicating with underwater sensors. To make things easier, the masterminds in New York are developing a framework that would create a singular way to collect and send data from an underwater sensor to any computer in the world. The possibilities are endless with this superpower technology. Tsunamis and hurricanes could be detected and warned of earlier, oil and gas could be detected more efficiently, pollution could be better monitored, and law enforcement agencies could track down drug-smuggling pirates. The underwater modem seems to be well on its way to doing these things; it is currently being tested at the bottom of America’s Lake Erie and will be presented at the International Conference on Underwater Networks & Systems in Taiwan this November. So on your next deep-sea dive or fishing trip, check your smartphone for Wi-Fi: BIG BLUE, password: n3m0. Via Fast.CoExist.com.
The world's greatest artworks belong in galleries where everyone can see them. With Lego's help, however, you can also put a few on your walls. The brand has already turned Vincent van Gogh's The Starry Night into plastic bricks, then Katsushika Hokusai's The Great Wave off Kanagawa. Next up: the one and only Mona Lisa. Lego's art range not only lets you display iconic works in your own home, but gets you building these masterpieces, too — so, in this case, you'll be taking Leonardo da Vinci's lead. Of course, while he used oil paints back in the 1500s, you'll be snapping together 1503 Lego elements. Maybe you've seen the real thing at the Louvre. In 2024 so far, perhaps you've hit up Melbourne's immersive da Vinci exhibition and the Gold Coast's Italian Renaissance Alive exhibition for a larger-than-life, multi-sensory Mona Lisa experience. Or, you could've only seen photos of the piece. Whichever fits, being able to construct your own version will ensure that you can look at it whenever you want. The Mona Lisa Lego kit features pieces in new colours — and if they look a bit brighter than the real artwork, that's because the hues are designed to reflect the tones that da Vinci actually used, not the paint as it looks today after 500-plus-years of ageing. We weren't kidding about hanging it on your wall, with a detachable frame in drum-lacquered gold included in the set. Once built, the full piece will measure 43 centimetres in height, 30 centimetres in width and four centimetres in depth. Also, while the eyes are a famous part of the work, Lego's iteration gives you two options with the peepers, including blank blocks to make the design more abstract. If you want to hear more about the Mona Lisa as you put it together, Lego is dropping an art podcast to coincide with the kit's release. Both will arrive on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, but you can pre-order the set now — it costs AU$169.99 and NZ $179.99. On Saturday, June 1, 2024, as part of the brand's architecture range, Lego is also releasing a Notre-Dame de Paris kit, which'll get you building the landmark from 4383 bricks. For more information about Lego's new 'Mona Lisa' kit, which goes on sale on Down Under on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, head to the company's website.
It's been 12 years since Danny Rogers and Jerome Borazio decided to fill a Melbourne alleyway with tunes in 2005. Heading back to their collection of unconventional venues for another year, Laneway Festival has announced its 2017 lineup. Returning to Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Fremantle, Auckland and Singapore next January and February, Laneway will raise a plastic cup to the middle of summer with one heck of a killer lineup. Following the already announced appearance of AB Original and Chet Faker (or is it Nick Murphy now?), Laneway will see one heck of a crew on their stages, including Aussies Tame Impala — who will be only doing Laneway this time, no sideshows. Oxford band Glass Animals will be coming out for the festival, along wiht other international acts Tourist, Tycho, Nao and riot grrl Kathleen Hanna. There's plenty of local love on the lineup too, with Gang of Youths, Jagwar Ma, Sampa the Great and Camp Cope all making appearances. In short, you'll want to be getting a tickie — they go on sale at 9am AEST on Wednesday, September 21. But, enough chat, here's the full lineup. LANEWAY FESTIVAL 2017 LINEUP A.B.Original AURORA Baro* Bob Moses Camp Cope Car Seat Headrest Clams Casino Ecca Vandal* Fascinator Floating Points (live) Flyying Colours* Gang of Youths GL Glass Animals Jagwar Ma Jess Kent Julia Jacklin Koi Child Luca Brasi Mick Jenkins Mr. Carmack NAO Nicholas Allbrook Nick Murphy (fka Chet Faker)** Roland Tings Sampa The Great Tame Impala** Tash Sultana The Julie Ruin Tourist Tycho White Lung Whitney *Melbourne only **Exclusive to Laneway, no sideshows LANEWAY FESTIVAL 2017 DATES Brisbane — Thursday, January 26 Melbourne — Saturday, January 28 Auckland — Monday, January 30 Adelaide — Friday, February 3 Sydney — Saturday, February 4 Fremantle — Sunday, February 5 Tickets go on sale Wednesday, September 21 at 9am AEST from Laneway Festival. Image: Andy Fraser.
For the inner bookworm in all of us, French designer and inventor Oscar Lhermitte has come up with a way to make torn, dog-eared pages a thing of the past. By rethinking the traditional bookmark, the Albatros is a simple yet functional product which will help keep your novel in pristine condition. Made from polyester and long lasting adhesive, the nifty structure and shape of Lhermitte’s invention follows your reading without the hassle of fumbling around with pages. The days of frustratingly forgetting your page number in a novel may be over. Currently available on IndieGoGo, you can pre-order a set of 6 for $10.
When Sony phoned the Narrabri Council to ask if Daft Punk could launch their latest album at the Wee Waa Showground, Mayor Conrad Bolton assumed the proposition was a hoax. "I thought a mate was pulling my leg," he told the Narrabri Courier. But the call was very much for real. A fortnight ago, a group of Sony's hard-hitters jetted to the 2000-person town to determine its suitability for a serious party. They liked what they saw, so May 17 will see the launch of Random Access Memories alongside the region's finest livestock at the Wee Waa Annual Show. Only 4000 tickets are going on sale. Several will be reserved exclusively for members of the Show Society and the remainder will be up for grabs from this Friday at Narrabri's Crossing Theatre. The rest of the French electro band's fans, which number in the millions, will be able to attend the celebration remotely, via live stream. Daft Punk will not be appearing live at the show; the launch of Random Access Memories will take place via playback. Last night, Wee Waa Show president Brett Dickinson told triple j, "We're still pinching ourselves. We don't know why, but why not?" According to Bolton, the tiny town's quintessentially Australian ambiance appeals to Daft Punk's maverick tendencies. "We think Wee Waa is so uniquely Australian, so the folks at Sony Music along with Daft Punk thought it fitted the bill perfectly," he explained to the Courier. "Daft Punk is known for breaking down barriers and coming up with new creative, innovative ideas to launch their albums."
Although it's tempting to live in your swim shorts all season, it's not socially acceptable unless you live on the beach. But with warmer days and nights, we don’t blame you for wanting to keep things cool and casual. This summer, there are plenty of modern styles that can be easily added to any wardrobe. We've also got a style guide for women. Here it is over here. Classic For the style-conscious man who knows what he likes: this season, be on the lookout for well-tailored and timeless pieces. Tailored shorts, short-sleeved shirts and anything in beige, white or tan are your signature summer go-to's. But classic doesn't have to mean boring, so don't be afraid to roll up your (pant) cuffs and get a little creative. Blue Suits Have to wear a suit for work? You don't have to stick to your banal black and greys. Nobody wants to be caught sweltering in the sun on their lunch break. Instead, opt for lighter-coloured suites in tans and blues. The spring and summer has seen all fifty shades of cool, from nautical navies to pale pigeons. Wear a crisp white or striped collared shirt underneath, throw on a fedora and voila: instant update. Images: Milan street style by Lee Oliveira Look from Shipley & Halmos’ SS 14 collection shot by Yannis Vlamos for GoRunway.com Suit from Dolce & Gabbana’s SS 14 men’s collection Nautical Stripes Ah, sailor stripes, a pattern that faithfully returns every season. When worn outside of the summer months, you look like a Frenchman. But once the season begins those black/navy and white stripes become the universal flag of leisure time. Whether you own a sailboat, yacht or (k)not, these laidback lines give the appearance that you know your way around a dock. Pair a tee with some Nantucket Red chinos and deck shoes, and you're ready to go. Or, if you're not exactly on holiday, throw one of those equally stylish blue blazers over for a smarter look. Striped shorts are also popping up this season, but please, limit the lines to one piece. You’re going for the seaman look, not inmate. Images: Jumper from J.Crew shot by Yannis Vlamos Jumper from Burberry Prorsum's SS 14 men’s collection Sydney Streetsyle shot by Carolina Falk for Style Creeper Cuffed Hem and No Socks Ok, this look might seem a little trendy, but if you think about it, those Italians have been doing it for years. Envision the mod Roman gentleman, propped up against a wall in a perfectly tailored suit, smoking his cigarette. Yep, his cuffs are rolled. Socks? No way. It's summer, too hot for that. The look is a no-brainer to pull off, and it's definitely not limited to suits or any type of shoe. Keep it casual by rolling up anything you like, from khakis to jeans. (Extra bonus points if you're wearing a striped tee and navy sport coat.) Images from Pinterest. Trendy When it comes to staying with-it, the trendy guy knows what's up. He's probably been rolling his pants and going sockless for years. Mixing prints and and implementing bright colours are standard. There is, however, a sexy simplicity in going monochromatic. Whichever look you prefer, you're not afraid to mix things up. Florals Once restricted to Mediterranean and Polynesian holidays, the floral print is taking spring and summerwear to the next level. Blooms are sprouting up everywhere on shirts, suit detailing, hats, jackets, shoes and, for those brave enough, pants. Think of this as the new 'real men wear pink'. Mixing other small prints such as polka dots or stripes with florals is being popularised by those who are extra adventurous. But if that's literally too bold for you, pair your piece of choice with something basic like a chambray button-up or chino shorts. We swear, you'll feel like every day is Friday. Images: Shirt from Burberry Prorsum’s SS 14 men’s collection Shorts by D’Marge Look from Marcs’ SS14 mens collection Denim on Denim (aka the Canadian Tuxedo) This has been a look sported by our North American friends for a while. Traditionally worn with flannels and work boots, the quintessential lumberjack vibe is a favourite of hipsters. Pair this tux with the three Bs (Beanie, Beard and cheap Beer), and you're pretty for the party. But the Canadian tuxedo is a little too cosy for an Aussie summer. More realistically, you'd ditch the jacket and wear a chambray over jeans or jorts. Beer is still an appreciated accessory. Images: Street style snap by Romeo Style Denim look from Calvin Klein’s SS 13 collection at men’s Fashion Week in New York Sydney street style snap by Carolina Falk for Style Creeper Neon There is nothing new about neon. Everyone has a bright thing or two, but it's probably limited to sports wear. Nike and other companies have been incorporating electric colours into their shoes and clothes for ages. Now, neon has spread outside the gym for men. Making its way onto chinos, shoes, windbreakers and even suits, neon is a huge trend for men this season. We're not expecting the execs of the CBDs to start running around in hot pink suits; rather, the gym junkies, beach bums and trendily bold will enjoy this craze. It's most sensible to limit your exposure to a pair of shorts, tee shirt or light windbreaker. You don't want to go about blinding anyone. Images: Shorts from Ben Sherman Suit from Salvatore Ferragamo’s SS 13/14 collection Milan Vukmirovic at Men’s Fashion Week 2013 in Milan shot by Lee Oliveira Maverick The true maverick isn’t afraid of to go out on a limb. You probably already own a neon suit and are about to buy ones in floral and camo prints after seeing the spring/summer runway photos. You’re also not afraid to steal ideas from the girls. Hey, they adopt men’s looks all the time (hello, blue suits), so why shouldn’t you? Hot items such as studded slipper/loafers and clutches are being revamped on such a masculine level, you'd think they'd been yours all along. The true maverick knows how to own even the craziest trends. The Man Clutch Although a man carrying a bag has been a stigmatic subject in the past, I think we can all agree that the times are a-changin'. In an age where men have increasingly more things to lug around — tech devices, work papers, gym essentials, etc — a guy needs a place to stash his stuff. If you think satchels and messenger bags are overdone, then consider this your new and lighter briefcase. But fear not, for the male clutch is nothing like its female counterpart. Depending on the size, they look more like document holders, tablet covers or big leather/suede pouches than the feminine envelope-styles. Tucked under your arm as you dash about town, an oversized pouch will make you look like man on a mission. Images: Look from Paul Joe’s SS 14 collection shot by Yannis Vlamos for GoRunway.com MBFWA street style by Style Creeper Parisian street style shot by Lee Oliveira Camouflage Suits Camouflage print was one of the biggest trends for men this past European summer. Popping up on clothes, shoes and accessories (clutch included), the print is best limited to one item per outfit. However, with the monochrome/print sensation taking off for both women and men this season, it's only natural that camo pieces have grown together to create the ultimate organic ensemble. And this G.I. Joe-inspired look is a very real thing. Directly interpreted from the New York runways by the likes of American designer Mark McNairy (who is infamous for his crazy combos), the camo combination has been seen on carpets both concrete and red. Lucky for you, it's been modified for warmer weather with shorts options. So if you're feeling like a real rebel, feel free to try out this oxymoron of army-inspired fashion. Images: Camo street style by The Sartorialist Look from Mark McNairy’s SS 14 collection shot by Yannis Vlamos Singer Pharrell Williams in a Moncler Bleu Camo Tux at the 60th Art Basel Miami Party by Getty Images Studded Loafers Leave it to the rappers and basketball players to take a female trend and make it rock star-worthy. Stars like Kanye West, Pharrell Williams and Dwyane Wade have been seen sporting spiked slippers at fashion shows and NBA finals. Somehow the trend has made it all the way down here, with sightings of the studded loafers at this year's MBFWA and on the streets of Melbourne. It's a bold look, since these kicks quite literally have an edge to them. They take any outfit, from a tux to a tee and jeans, to the next level. Images from Pinterest
Swing into London's Tate Modern until April 2018, and you'll literally be swinging thanks to their latest large-scale installation. Teaming up with Danish artists' collective SUPERFLEX, the gallery's Turbine Hall now boasts playground equipment as part of its newest commission, which comes with the apt title of One Two Three Swing! The numbers in the piece's moniker don't just refer to the countdown everyone does in their head before they set a swing in motion. They also indicate that each of the installation's pieces has been built for three. That means gathering up two pals and heading for a swinging good time is on the agenda, with the work designed to get audiences to be more social through collaboration — the coordination it takes to get a three-person swing to do its thing, for example. 22 swings feature in total, all connected by their orange frames and all conceived "as an assembly line for collective movement," according to the exhibition's press release. They comprise of the movement section of the work, which also features apathy and production components. In the former, attendees can lie on a 770-square-metre carpet — in a colour scheme inspired by British currency — and view a a large pendulum suspended from the ceiling by a 20 metre cable. In the latter, a factory station assembles swing seats, storing them for later use. During the installation's six-month run, One Two Three Swing! will also expand beyond the Tate Modern, with plans to spread the swings throughout London and even possibly further afield. If that sounds like an ambitious project, it's just the latest for SUPERFLEX, who were formed in 1993 by Jakob Fenger, Bjørnstjerne Christiansen and Rasmus Nielsen, and helped designed Copenhagen's 30,000-square-metre Superkilen park. One Two Three Swing! runs at the Tate Modern, London until April 2, 2018. For more information, head to the gallery's website. Via The Guardian. Images: Tate Modern.
Ever-fascinated by transforming the human body, Australian artist Lucy McRae has collaborated with biology professor Sharef Mansy to develop Swallowable Parfum, a perfume that isn't applied to the skin but taken as a pill. According to the website, the perfume capsule "enables human skin to emit a genetically unique scent about who we are we are and how we perform our identities." Sounds great, but what if the resulting "unique scent" isn't appealing? The prototype perfume is part of McRae's ongoing exploration of the human body and how it interacts with technology. In addition to a unique scent, "tiny golden droplets" appear on the skin upon perspiration. Wouldn't it be nice if all scents glittered too?
Brisbane is set to score a huge influx of music this festive season, thanks to the city's newest festival: Wildlands. Taking over the Brisbane Showgrounds on Saturday, December 28, the one-day event will focus on dance, electronic and hip hop, showcasing a heap of local, Australian and international talent. And while the full lineup is yet to be announced, the fest will have an exciting Aussie act among its headliners: Rüfüs Du Sol. The ARIA Award-winning three-piece — who completed a sold-out national tour earlier this year, and made appearances at Coachella and South America's Lollapalooza — have released two chart-topping (and platinum) albums in their short career, with Atlas in 2013 then Bloom in 2016. The song 'You Were Right' — from their second album — also won an ARIA Award for Best Dance Release in 2015. [caption id="attachment_728646" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Rüfüs Du Sol[/caption] Joining the Sydney alternative dance stars — as revealed today, August 1 — will be chart-topping American rapper Tyler, The Creator, who'll be heading to Australia for the first time since releasing his highly lauded album IGOR. Also on the lineup are Grammy Award-winning R&B singer Ella Mai, MC Skepta, funk duo Lion Babe and local producer What So Not. Wildlands already has an impressive pedigree, too — it's the latest venture from the teams behind two other popular Australian festivals, Melbourne's Beyond The Valley and Perth's Origin Fields. The former has played host to the likes of The Kooks, Chance the Rapper, Jamie XX, Stormzy and Mura Masa, while the latter has welcomed Cardi B, A$AP Rocky, Khalid, ScHoolboy Q, Kehlani, M.I.A and Hayden James. Although Wildlands won't simply combine the two interstate festivals into one Brissie-set package, Beyond the Valley's Michael Cristidis does describe the new fest as "bringing the best of the East and West Coast together for one very special day". Still, even if the lineups overlap somewhat, the aim is to give Brisbane a unique fest experience. "I feel that we will be able to create an event that is unique to Brisbane as Beyond The Valley is unique to Melbourne and Origin is to Perth," explains Origin Fields' Saran Bajaj. WILDLANDS 2019 LINEUP Rüfüs Du Sol Tyler, The Creator Ella Mai Green Velvet Jauz Mallrat RL Grime Skepta What So Not 16BL Big Words Claptone Don Dolla Gunma Hobo Johnson & The Lovemakers Jordan Brando Lastlings Lion Babe Made In Paris Shoreline Mafio Willaris K Wildlands hits the Brisbane Showgrounds, 600 Gregory Terrace, Bowen Hills, on Saturday, December 28. Tickets go on sale to the general public and midday on Wednesday, August 7 with pre-sale starting at 6pm on Tuesday, August 6. Top image: Beyond The Valley. Updated August 1, 2019
When bushfires raged across Australia over the spring of 2019 and the summer of 2019–20, the Hunter Valley's wine community was among the areas affected. Due to smoke from the blazes, huge hordes of grapes can no longer be used for their original winemaking purpose — so distillery Archie Rose is getting experimental and salvaging more than 50 tonnes as part of a new spirit range. The first of the series' three products is eau de vie Hunter Valley Shiraz Spirit, which is made from smoke-tainted Hunter Valley 2020 shiraz and cabernet sauvignon grapes. Clear, colourless and fruity, it's described by the company as having "notes of shortbread, icing sugar and vine leaves" — as well as hints of pineapple, guava and honeydew. Expect to taste mango, raspberry jam, crème fraîche and wafers, too, plus a slight suggestion of campfire. When you're sipping a glass, you'll be aiding Archie Rose's efforts to help Hunter Valley producers and growers, especially those with team members and and families affected by crop and income write-offs due to the fires. As well as receiving support themselves, Tulloch Wines and First Creek Wines worked with the folks at Archie Rose to identify eight smaller growers in need of assistance — particularly in the Pokolbin, Broke Fordwich and Upper Hunter sub-regions. On sale from Monday, May 25 from the Archie Rose Bar in Rosebery, Sydney, bottle shops and the company's website, 1000 bottles of the Hunter Valley Shiraz Spirit are available — in 700-millilitre sizes, for $99. Archie Rose has also suggested a range of cocktail recipes using the Hunter Valley Shiraz Spirit, so prepare to pair it with oat milk in the 'Milk & Honey' and with grapefruit in 'The Pokolbin'. Also in the works is a Hunter Valley Shiraz Brandy, using the salvaged smoke-tainted grapes — however, given that the spirit will need to be aged, it'll be available in future years. Archie Rose's Hunter Valley Shiraz Spirit goes on sale on Monday, May 25 from the Archie Rose Bar in Rosebery, Sydney, bottle shops and the company's website, with pre-orders currently available online.
In the 22 years since they formed out of Melbourne's underground scene, Eddy Current Suppression Ring haven't ever played a free headlining show — until September 2025 rolls around, that is. Whether you're a fan of Aussie Rules football or you just like an excuse for a public holiday, here's one way to spend this year's AFL Grand Final eve: catching the iconic band taking to the stage in Federation Square, putting on their first gig in nine years and doing so without punters needing to pay a cent. Over the years, Melbourne's Fed Square has hosted free concerts by the eclectic likes of Robbie Williams, Kneecap, Caribou, Glass Beams and more. Now, Eddy Current Suppression Ring are jumping onto that list. They'll take to the stage for their first major appearance since the garage-punk group's last-minute Dark Mofo set in 2016, and for their first headlining Melbourne show since playing The Palace in 2010. Word of the Friday, September 26, 2025 gig follows Eddy Current Suppression Ring's release of their new split 7-inch Shapes and Forms — and sees the group, aka Brendan Suppression, Eddy Current, Danny Current and Rob Solid, keep adding to a career that started after a jam session at a Melbourne vinyl pressing plant's Christmas shindig back in 2003. For company in Fed Square, the Australian Music Prize-winning and ARIA Award-nominated band will be joined by New York's EDAN and the Melbourne-based Wrong Way Up. "Eddy Current Suppression Ring is a band woven into the fabric of Melbourne's music history. Raw, fearless and utterly electrifying live," said Fed Square Director of Programming Sarah Tutton. "We're delighted to welcome them back to the city for what promises to be a truly unforgettable night at Fed Square, continuing our commitment to creating unmissable free, all-ages events that celebrate the best of local and international music, right in the heart of Melbourne." Eddy Current Suppression Ring are playing Federation Square, Melbourne, on Friday, September 26, 2025 — head to the Fed Square website for more details.
When Die Hard first appeared on screens back in 1988, it instantly set the new gold standard against which every action movie would be held. Sparkling dialogue, an intelligent plot and enormously charismatic leads, both as villain and (anti)hero, proved top-shelf action could absolutely exist alongside conventional storytelling elements rather than at their expense. Four sequels and 25 years later, Die Hard remains that gold standard, but sadly its latest manifestation, A Good Day to Die Hard, looks decidedly dull by comparison. Set in Moscow, it sees John McClane (Bruce Willis) team up with his son Jack (Aussie Jai Courtney) to take on a corrupt oligarch and his seemingly endless supply of expendable goons. That fact alone represents both a major and perilous departure from the franchise's initial winning formula. In the original Die Hard, even the minor henchmen were defined characters with names, looks and distinctive personalities. When it comes to A Good Day To Die Hard, the only name I can remember isn't even a name; it's just 'the Dancer' — and that's about as close as we get to knowing any of its characters, both good and bad. On the action front, things do at least begin well, with a tense and heart-thumping terrorist assault to set in motion the remainder of the day's chaos. From that moment on, however, while the action never slows down, it also fails to offer even a passing nod to plausibility. Again, in the original Die Hard, all it took were a few shards of glass to seriously impede its hero and imbue him with a genuine sense of fragile mortality. Here, now in round five, characters leap unprotected from 20-storey buildings and plough through countless panes of glass with little more than dust and one-liners to show for it. All signs point to the future of this franchise resting in the hands of Jai Courtney, with his Jack McClane taking over from John as the man who repeatedly finds himself in the wrong places at the wrong times. That raises the question, though: can it survive without Willis, whose charm and playful bombast cannot be overstated. Even in A Good Day To Die Hard, Willis exudes more charisma in a largely semi-comatose state than most of the cast combined. Courtney definitely looks, acts and sounds like a conventional action hero, and he plays the role well; however, it's John McClane's disarming smirk and New York swagger that will forever underscore much of Die Hard's enduring appeal. Without Willis at the helm, it's hard not to think this latest instalment may indeed be a very good day for the franchise to lay itself to rest and whisper 'yippee-ki-yay' no more.
Expressions Dance Company (Brisbane) and Cathy Sharp Dance Ensemble (Basel, Switzerland) have teamed up for a 60min performance, giving Australians the rare opportunity to experience European-styled contemporary dance at its very best. Inspired by old-fashioned letter writing and modern social networking between dancers from both companies, Scripsi Scriptum is a program of two dance works where the art of communication is questioned. Following the evolution of communication, conversations and questions are explored uniquely through each company’s own style. Although physically and visually contrasting, refined subtleties link the program and take the audience on a thought-provoking journey. The show comes to us after a successful opening season at The Roxy Theatre in Basel, Switzerland, where both companies enjoyed standing ovations every night. Each group are highly regarded in their own countries and the fusion of the two is proving to be an incredible success. Described by the European Press as striking, sophisticated, playful, sexy and acrobatic, each company paint imaginative pictures with their own distinctive choreography and unique style. Come explore the questions of communication and enjoy a completely new fusion of European and Australian styles of contemporary dance through this highly praised program.
Spotting the gap in Brisbane's CBD where Eagle Street Pier used to be still comes as a shock, with the riverside locale getting torn down to make way for a new $2.1-billion waterfront precinct. It isn't just the space that Brisbanites might be missing, however, but the eateries and bars that called it home. Thankfully, if it's Fatcow's steaks that you're hankering for, the restaurant has just announced some great news. One of the many hospitality venues in restaurateur Michael Tassis' portfolio — see also: fellow steak-focused joint Rich & Rare, plus Yamas Greek + Drink, Massimo, Opa Bar + Mezze and Fosh — Fatcow is making the move from one famous Brissie street to another. It's goodbye Eagle Street, where it shut up shop in July 2022, and hello James Street from autumn 2024. When Fatcow initially opened in December 2020, it did so in Cha Cha Char's former digs. When it reopens in Fortitude Valley, it'll nestle into the spot that Space Furniture and David Jones have previously called home, with the site getting a revamp as a hospitality establishment. The restaurant will sport a new name to go with its new location, too, so you'll be heading to Fatcow on James St. It's also set to level up its dining experience, including with a design led by Allo Creative and Clui Design. "We always knew the lifespan of Fatcow Steak & Lobster on Eagle Street Pier would be short and sweet — we saw the opportunity to take over the venue until 'd-day'. But the success of the restaurant and loyalty of our patrons blew us away," said Tassis. "Nearly 18 months after closing, we are still fielding emails and calls daily asking if, when, and where the restaurant will reopen. We are so thrilled to now be able to give them an answer —Fatcow is coming back!" "We are seizing the opportunity to completely reinvent the venue, which we're referring to as Fatcow's 'glow up'." Also opening in 2024 for Tassis: overwater restaurant and bar Bombora, plus landing cafe Mulga Bill's, will be part of Kangaroo Point's new green bridge. Find Fatcow on James St at 10 James Street, Fortitude Valley sometime in autumn 2024 — we'll update you with an exact opening date when one is announced.
Think of a way to group movies together — any way you like — and there's probably a film festival doing just that. Some celebrate features from a particular country or part of the world, and others revel in the weird and wonderful side of filmmaking. There's even film fests for dog flicks, and retrospectives focusing on filmmakers and genres have become as common as popcorn. But Brisbane's latest cinematic celebration, the Brisbane Only Rotoscoped Lightning Film Festival, just might've found itself a unique niche. Its focus: movies that feature hand-drawn lightning effects. Those distinctive visual touches have graced everything from David Lynch's OG big-screen adaptation of Dune through to the early-90s all-ages delights that are The Addams Family and Addams Family Values — which are on BORLFF's lineup, naturally. The fest will make its debut from Friday, July 29–Sunday, August 7, screening at New Farm Cinemas. And yes, that acronym does sound like the noise you might make when you see hand-drawn lightning effects and are so excited that you just have to exclaim something — anything — out loud. In total, 11 films will screen over the fest's ten-day run, with Lynch's Dune opening the program. While the recent Timothée Chalamet version is spectacular, that original, lightning effects and all, is also its own kind of cinematic treasure. Also on the bill: John Carpenter's Big Trouble in Little China, because every film fest needs a bit of Kurt Russell; martial arts comedy The Last Dragon; 1950s sci-fi wonder Fantastic Planet; early Marvel adaptation Howard the Duck; and the one and only Hellraiser. There's also Lifeforce, from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre director Tobe Hooper; Invasion of Astro-Monster, because every film fest needs a Godzilla flick as well; and 1993's Super Mario Bros, complete with Dennis Hopper as King Koopa. BORLFF stems from Netherworld, Two Bit Movie Club — the regular cult and classic movie event that often screens at the arcade bar — and New Farm Cinemas. It'll also feature an art show, via Feature Presentation, showcasing new interpretations of movie posters for the fest's films. They'll display at New Farm Cinemas during the festival, and you'll be able to buy prints of them, too. And yes, thanks to its Addams Family pinball machine, New Farm Cinemas is clearly the ideal venue for a fest like this.
Writing a prescient tale is the science-fiction holy grail, and a feat that Philip K Dick firmly achieved. Making a movie that becomes the prevailing vision of what the future might look like in the entire world's minds? That's a stunning filmmaking feat, and one that Ridley Scott notched up as well. The reason for both? On the page, 1968's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?. In cinemas, 1982's Blade Runner. And if you need reminding of how stunning a story that the iconic sci-fi author penned, or how spectacular a film that the legendary director then turned it into, look no further than Blade Runner's return to the big screen — with a live score. When Dick pondered the difference between humans and artificial intelligence more than half a century back, he peered forward with revelatory foresight. When Scott followed fresh from Alien, he did the same. Now, in both 2023 and 2024, with the clash between the organic and the digital a daily part of our lives in this ChatGPT-heavy reality, of course it's time for Blade Runner to flicker again. Film lovers, get ready for another dream movie-and-music pairing. Get ready for synths, too. Vangelis' stunning score will echo as Scott's feature screens in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane for Blade Runner Live — an event that premiered in London in 2019, made its way around the UK, then hit Japan earlier in 2023. If this sounds familiar, that's because Melbourne's dates were announced earlier this year; however, now Sydney and Brisbane are joining in. The Victorian capital will host four sessions at Hamer Hall, two each on Saturday, November 4–Sunday, November 5, 2o23. Sydney currently has one date at the Aware Super Theatre on Saturday, February 3, 2024 — and Brisbane will welcome the sci-fi magic at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on Saturday, February 10, 2024. Each session will screen the Final Cut version of the movie. Wondering how it differs from the OG release, and also the House of Gucci, The Last Duel and Napoleon filmmaker's Director's Cut? First unveiled in 2007 for the feature's 25th anniversary, it's the only version that Scott truly had full artistic control over. Blade Runner's narrative, if you're new to the franchise — which also includes exceptional 2017 sequel Blade Runner 2049 and recent animated series Blade Runner: Black Lotus, with a new Blade Runner TV series also on the way — focuses on the one and only Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) as cop Rick Deckard. His task: finding replicants, aka androids, which turns into quite the existential journey. It's almost impossible to name a movie or TV series in sci-fi that's popped up over the four decades since Blade Runner first arrived that hasn't owed Scott's film a massive debt — and any synthesiser-fuelled score that hasn't done the same with Vangelis. And yes, add Blade Runner to the list of favourites getting another silver-screen run that celebrates their tunes heartily, alongside everything from Star Wars: Into the Spider-Verse to The Lion King to Star Wars and Harry Potter, plus The Princess Bride, Home Alone and Toy Story. Check out the trailer for Blade Runner below: BLADE RUNNER LIVE AUSTRALIAN TOUR: Saturday, November 4–Sunday, November 5, 2023 — Hamer Hall, Melbourne Saturday, February 3, 2024 — Aware Super Theatre, ICC, Sydney Saturday, February 10, 2024 — Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Brisbane Blade Runner Live will play Melbourne in November 2023, then Sydney and Brisbane in February 2024. Head to the event website for further details and tickets — with Brisbane pre-sales from Tuesday, October 24 and general sales from Friday, October 27.
If all you want for Christmas this year, or at any time of the year, is to make your own gin, Brisbane's latest distillery is here with excellent news. First, Comiskey Distillery has revealed that it exists, opening on Friday, November 25 just in time for 2022's festive season. Secondly, as well as whipping up vodka, rum, bourbon and whisky itself, it also hosts gin-making workshops where you can craft your own 500-millilitre bottle of spirits, then take it home to drink. The latest addition to Comiskey Group's Eatons Hill setup, settling in next to the Eatons Hill Hotel on South Pine Road, Comiskey Distillery will offer cocktail classes as well, and also operate as spirit and cocktail training facility for the company's staff. And, obviously, it's where a heap of booze will be made — for use at Comiskey sites, and to buy at them as well. The Comiskey portfolio includes Eatons Hill Hotel, Sandstone Point Hotel, Samford Hotel and Beachmere Hotel, plus bottle-os, so there'll be no shortage of places to pick up a tipple. That's due to happen from early 2023, and the new distillery will sell it online from then, too. Overseeing the booze-making: award-winning Master Distiller Colleen Walters, who boasts more than 12 years experience in food and spirits. She'll be guiding a range of beverages made in a 1000-litre copper still onsite, which takes pride of place in the space. Take one of those gin workshops, though, and you'll be using a mini traditional Alembic copper still, and picking from 100-plus botanicals. Announcing Comiskey Distillery, Comiskey Group Director Rob Comiskey said that "tThis really is a passion project of ours, something my dad, brother and I have talked about for a long time. Having owned pubs and bottle shops for many years, it feels like a natural progression for us. We've been actively working on this project for over a year and are very much looking forward to seeing the concept come to life." Eleven years after the Eatons Hill Hotel opened its doors, this new addition also forms part of a big renovation of the Harry Brown bottle shop — where patrons can access Comiskey Distillery. The revamp is underway now, with the bottle-o still trading while it happens. Decor-wise, expect 300 authentic wine barrels, antique trucks and exposed brick touches, as well as a European-marketplace look and a glass window to see the the distillery's still. Also in the works for Comiskey Group: a new 150-hectare music and camping festival site 80 minutes north of Brisbane, as well as a big new Sunshine Coast music venue and hotel next to an 11-hectare parkland. Find Comiskey Distillery next door to at Eatons Hill Hotel, 646 South Pine Road, Eatons Hill.
The 2024 Paris Olympics didn't turn out as planned for the Matildas, sadly. The next Women's Asian Cup, which Australia is hosting, isn't until 2026. You can still watch Australia's national women's soccer team in action between now and then, however, starting with four friendlies against Brazil and Chinese Taipei to close out the Tillies' 2024 games — all at home, taking the squad to Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Melbourne and Geelong. First up is Brazil, who'll face off against the Matildas on Thursday, November 28 at the Queensland capital's Suncorp Stadium (which was home to plenty of 2023 Women's World Cup action) and again on Sunday, December 1 at Cbus Super Stadium at Robina. After that, Steph Catley, Ellie Carpenter, Caitlin Foord, Mackenzie Arnold and company will take on Chinese Taipei in Victoria. AAMI Park hosts the match on Wednesday, December 4, followed by a game at Geelong's GMHBA Stadium on Saturday, December 7. If you're keen to head along, there are still select tickets left to all four matches. And if you can't make it, you can still tune in from home, or the pub. To watch, 10Play and Paramount+ are your destinations — plus Network 10 on regular TV. After Tony Gustavsson stepped down following the Olympics, the Matildas don't yet have a new permanent full-time coach. Tom Sermanni, who did the job between 1994–97 and 2005–12, is taking the reins for these four friendlies. Sam Kerr remains injured, and Mary Fowler has withdrawn from the squad for the quartet of games to put her mental and physical health first, but high-profile names are still taking to the pitch — including Catley donning the captain's armband, Ellie Carpenter as vice captain, and also everyone from Ford, Arnold, Alanna Kennedy and Kyra Cooney-Cross to Hayley Raso, Michelle Heyman and Claire Polkinghorne. After this, the Tillies will play in the 2025 SheBelieves Cup in the US, making their debut in the competition, with games against Japan on Thursday, February 20; the US on Sunday, February 23; and Colombia on Wednesday, February 26. When those matches roll around, more than a year will have passed since Kerr's knee injury — so cross your fingers that she'll be back on the pitch then. The Matildas vs Brazil and Chinese Taipei Friendlies 2024 Brazil: Thursday, November 28 — Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane Sunday, December 1 — Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast Chinese Taipei: Wednesday, December 4 — AAMI Park, Melbourne Saturday, December 7 — GMHBA Stadium, Geelong The Matildas' friendlies against Brazil and Chinese Taipei take place between Thursday, November 28–Saturday, December 7 — and you can watch via 10, 10Play and Paramount+. Images: Tiffany Williams, Football Australia.
Someone else's dream job might just inspire your next dream vacation, after Tourism Australia's Beach Ambassador (how do we apply?) just announced a handy list of the top 20 Australian beaches for 2022. The enviable gig sees beach expert Brad Farmer AM survey the nation's sandy spots and draw upon his almost 40 years of writing about beaches — and this year, he's picked Misery Beach in Albany in Western Australia as his best. There's obviously a lot to consider when anointing one of the country's 11,761 beaches as the cream of the crop — and naming the next-best 19, too. If you were to do it, or even just to try to pick somewhere to hit up over summer, you might wonder which ones aren't too busy or seaweed-y, which have the whitest sand and bluest water, and where's best for beach cricket. But Farmer's 2022 list heroes "nature-based locations, many quirky spots within easy reach of cities, and also celebrates the significant cultural value of the coast to Australia's First Nations people," according to Tourism Australia's announcement. Home of the Menang Noongar First Nations peoples, Misery Beach sits 15 minutes south of Albany and five hours southeast of Perth, and is small — sitting in a bay spanning 200 metres. Farmer describes the picturesque place as coming "straight from the pages of a beachscape artist's sketchbook", and that it provides "a dramatic feast for the senses with the look and feel of a perfectly framed filmset". That includes "crystal clear, turquoise water, virgin white sand, bounded by spectacular granite outcrops," and "only a handful of beachcombers, swimmers or kayakers availing themselves of its sublime surrounds", plus "seals, dolphins and returning migratory whales, seeking its calm shelter". It wasn't always this scenic, however, as the location's moniker makes plain. Farmer explains that Australia's last active whaling station sat nearby until it closed in 1978, "and for decades, this shoreline was often awash with whale offal, staining the beach blood red". Now, thankfully, he says that Misery Beach "belies its grim name". [caption id="attachment_712446" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Loch Ard Gorge, Visit Victoria[/caption] Misery Beach claimed top position after Cabarita Beach in New South Wales did the honours in 2020, Nudey Beach on Fitzroy island in Far North Queensland did the same in 2018, and Cossies Beach in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, in the Indian Ocean, earned the title in 2017. Among the 2022 list's highest-ranked spots, Misery Beach is joined by Horseshoe Bay in South West Rocks in New South Wales' mid-north, which took second place; The Spit at the Gold Coast's northern end in third; four-place getter Flaherty's Beach, on South Australia's Yorke Peninsula; and Loch Ard Gorge, in Port Campbell in Victoria, in fifth. The full list of 20 beaches covers every Australian state and territory, including Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean Territories. Other notable inclusions span Lake Wabby on K'Gari (formerly named Fraser Island), Mots Beach at the mouth of the Snowy River, Murrays Beach in Jervis Bay Territory and Jellybean Pool in the Blue Mountains. So pack your togs, round up some mates and start ticking these off. We see many road trips in your future — not that anyone ever needs an excuse to head to the beach. [caption id="attachment_710496" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jellybean Pool, Lauren Vadnjal[/caption] THE TOP 20 BEST AUSTRALIAN BEACHES FOR 2022 1. Misery Beach, Albany (Western Australia) 2. Horseshoe Bay, South West Rocks (New South Wales) 3. The Spit, Gold Coast (Queensland) 4. Flaherty's Beach, Yorke Peninsula (South Australia) 5. Loch Ard Gorge, Port Campbell (Victoria) 6. The Neck, Bruny Island (Tasmania) 7. Blue Pearl Bay, Whitsundays (Queensland) 8. Depot Beach, South Coast (New South Wales) 9. Murrays Beach, Jervis Bay Territory (Australian Capital Territory/New South Wales) 10. Dundee Beach, Darwin (Northern Territory) 11. Dudley Beach, Newcastle (New South Wales) 12. Thompsons Beach, Cobram (Victoria) 13. Coogee Beach, Perth (Western Australia) 14. Mots Beach, Marlo (Victoria) 15. Alexandria Bay, Noosa (Queensland) 16. Emu Bay, Kangaroo Island (South Australia) 17. Lake Wabby, K'Gari (Fraser Island) (Queensland) 18. Congwong Beach, Sydney (New South Wales) 19. Jellybean Pool, Blue Mountains (New South Wales) 20. Ethel Beach, Christmas Island (Indian Ocean Territories) Top image: @merrwatson.
I'm no kidnapper. I've never tried and, unless this film critic thing really falls through, I hopefully never will. That said, were I to give it a crack, I can't help but think the overarching guideline for a successful 'grab' must be that my victim isn't dead by the time I get him. But look, I'm getting ahead of myself here. To the movie... In 2013 the world found itself subject to a ridiculous 'White House Being Taken Over By Terrorists Only To Be Saved By One Gritty Muscled Dude' genre battle between Olympus Has Fallen and the far superior White House Down. Now, three years later, we get London Has Fallen – the sequel to the former nobody was calling for. Starring Gerard Butler as Secret Service agent Mike Banning, London Has Fallen chronicles a devastating series of attacks throughout London on the morning of a state funeral, with the goal of assassinating world leaders and kidnapping the US President (Aaron Eckhart). Ah. There we are again. Kidnapping. I guess I'm just saying I'd be reluctant to use explosives near my target because of the potential for hurting him. I probably wouldn't, for example, instruct one of my generic 'international terrorist' henchmen to spend several minutes simply lobbing rocket-propelled grenades directly at the President's car. Or his hiding spot. Or his face. Anyway, minor side point. London Has Fallen boasts arguably the most outstanding supporting cast of Academy Award winners and nominees asked to do nothing but stare at a screen. Morgan Freeman, Jackie Earle Haley, Melissa Leo and Angela Bassett all shine for the several seconds that they're given in the White House Situation Room, and... Sorry. Not to get sidetracked again, it's just – they shoot his helicopter down. The President's helicopter. While he's in it. From an aviation safety standpoint alone, statistically that's a huge risk to take when you want to capture him alive. It's like using a nuke to get the toy out of a Kinder Surprise. As for the script, the terrorists speak in advertising slogans like "Vengeance must always be profound, and absolute", while Butler's hero Banning consistently spouts racist gems like "why don't you go back to Fuckheadistan or wherever it is you came from?" In fact, London Has Fallen is so astoundingly jingoistic and overtly xenophobic, you half-expect the credits to conclude with "Paid for by Trump 4 President". Plus...they just shoot at the President all the time. Especially when he's in cars. And then they ram those cars with garbage trucks, even before they know whether or not he's wearing a seatbelt. And it's not as though seatbelts are a guarantee of survival in a major collision... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AsOdX7NcJs
He gave The Social Network five stars, Hostel none, famously refused to grade Romper Stomper, and declined to cover Wolf Creek 2 at all. But how would David Stratton rate a documentary about his own life and love of film? It's a question we'll never know the answer to, although the fact that we're all wondering speaks volumes about the veteran film critic's impact. It also explains why there's now a doco about him and the Australian cinema landscape he has helped shape for more than half a century. Let's face it — for most Aussie film and television viewers, movies and David Stratton go hand in hand. For 28 years on SBS's The Movie Show and then ABC's At the Movies, he dissected the week's big screen releases on the small screen, with much of the country tuning in to catch his insights and hear his banter with co-host Margaret Pomeranz. He'd profess his hatred for shaky cam, she'd sigh "oh David," and their back-and-forth would make a conversation about an average film much, much more interesting. They even have their own board game. And while that might've all come to an end, the movie buff's movie buff isn't done sharing his love of cinema. Indeed, from the end of May, he'll talk audiences through the best flicks Australia has to offer in a three-part TV series. Consider David Stratton: A Cinematic Life the feature-length appetiser. Directed by experienced television helmer Sally Aitken, the documentary endeavours to do two things: step through Stratton's life and career, and explore a selection of influential Australian titles. The former comes complete with tales of the critic's cinema-obsessed youth, photos of his pre-beard days, a glimpse inside his catalogue of movie notes (which he refuses to digitise), and a number of famous faces popping up to sing his praises, including Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, and Mad Max director George Miller. To achieve the latter, the film takes Stratton around the country to visit locations immortalised on film while diving into explorations of the titles in question – from outback horror Wake in Fright and beloved comedy Muriel's Wedding, to the roadway thrills of the original Mad Max and the relatable warmth of The Castle. Understandably, there's plenty to fit in — the British-born Stratton arrived down under for what was supposed to be a two-year visit, became the director of the Sydney Film Festival for 18 years, and was the subject of ASIO interest thanks to his trips to overseas film festivals. Similarly, with around 100 flicks earning a mention, there's no shortage of movies in the spotlight. Using one as a gateway to the other, David Stratton: A Cinematic Life does an impressive job of weaving its two points of focus together. Hearing about Stratton's fascinating experiences will make you want to discover more (thankfully, his 2008 autobiography I Peed on Fellini can help fans do just that), while discovering his thoughts on an array of local films will make you want to dedicate the foreseeable future to an Aussie movie marathon. Deftly edited and filled with affection, David Stratton: A Cinematic Life is the kind of film the man himself would likely give several stars and probably more. We reckon Pomeranz would feel the same way, although here we have to be content with her commenting on her former sparring partner's shoes. Yes, that's another reason the documentary is worth watching. Come for the moving tribute and informative trip through Aussie film history, stay for the long-awaited David and Margaret reunion. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoTbplWKvOg
The omnipresence of satellite imaging, thanks particularly to our friends at Google, has meant we have become increasingly desensitised by the awesomeness that is mankind's ability to take detailed photographs of our neighbour's backyard from thousands of kilometres up into space. However, every so often we stumble upon images that reignite our wonder in our seemingly endless technological capacity and the epic majesty that is the natural world. These satellite photographs from John Nelson, a mapping manager at data visualisation company IDV Solutions, capture hurricanes, earthquakes and wildfires across the globe using colour coding and cutting edge data visualisation technology to beautifully and innovatively map some of the most devastating storms throughout history. 11 Years of Major US Fires After devastating fires blazed across Utah and Colorado earlier this year, Nelson gathered satellite imagery from NASA to visually map the spread and intensity of wildfire across the US over the last 11 years. The differing colours represent the intensity of the fire as compared to the average output of a nuclear power plant during Summer. The bright yellow spots, spread primarily across the West Coast, represent fires burning at a heat and intensity of roughly three or more nuclear power plants, with the hottest recorded at approximately 14 nuclear power plants in June, 2005. Every Hurricane and Tropical Storm Over the Last 150 Years With the help of a plethora of data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration including wind speeds, dates and names, Nelson was able to map every hurricane and tropical storm over the last 150 years. Using this data along with some educated predictions about the movements of 19th Century storms, Nelson "slapped it on a polar projection" and added some colour coding depicting storm intensity to create these incredible images. The maps however serve much more than an artistic purpose, with Nelson creating them in the wake of Hurricane Isaac in order to assist meteorologists in analysing storm trends and even allowing us to detect storms before they have occurred. The World's Earthquakes Since 1898 This map provides an awe-inspiring view of the tectonic boundaries of the Earth's surface. The yellow and green glow represents every earthquake over the last century that measured 4.0 or over on the richter scale, with the more luminous the glow the higher the magnitude of the earthquake.
After debuting in 2023 with Solange and Sampa The Great taking to its stages, the Art Gallery of New South Wales' Volume music series is going big again for its 2024 return. André 3000 making an Australian-exclusive stop with the Outkast rapper's experimental jazz project André 3000 New Blue Sun LIVE, Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon, Ghanaian Australian talent Genesis Owusu and Zimbabwean Australian singer-songwriter Tkay Maidza: they all lead a lineup that shouldn't just get Sydneysiders excited, but is worth travelling from the rest of the country for. Volume's main names will each play their own dates between Friday, July 5–Sunday, July 21 at The Tank, a Second World War oil tank that's been turned into a performance and art venue. It's located inside Naala Badu, AGNSW's $344-million extension that opened in late 2022 — and this is quite the way to check it out if you haven't had the chance before. [caption id="attachment_954053" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dexter Navy[/caption] Genesis Owusu will kick off Volume across Friday, July 5–Saturday, July 6 with a visual arts-inspired show. Audiences will hear tunes from his records Smiling with No Teeth and STRUGGLER, with The Black Dog Band — aka Kirin J Callinan, Touch Sensitive and Tim Commandeur — doing the backing honours. The next weekend, on Saturday, July 13, Tkay Maidza will play her first Aussie headline show in 2024 — and she has Sweet Justice, her second album, to showcase. This is a one-night-only return to Australia for the LA-based rapper, because she's also playing Chicago's Pitchfork Music Festival in June. Kim Gordon's Aussie tour — which is also stopping at Illuminate Adelaide, as well as in Brisbane and Melbourne — will bring her to Volume on Thursday, July 18–Friday, July 19. The main focus: The Collective, her latest solo record. And on Saturday, July 20–Sunday, July 21, André 3000 New Blue Sun LIVE will wrap up the AGNSW lineup. The performance takes its name from André 3000's debut solo album, which released in 2023 — and will also feature percussionist and multi-instrumentalist Carlos Niño, and guitarist and guitar synthesist Nate Mercereau, alongside Surya Botofasina playing the keyboards, plus Deantoni Parks on synthesiser and drums. This is André 3000's first trip Down Under in ten years, with Outkast's headlining slot at 2014's Splendour in the Grass his latest live gig in Australia. [caption id="attachment_954055" align="alignnone" width="1920"] @trippydana[/caption] "We are thrilled to be inviting some of the most innovative and bold local and international musicians to The Tank to create unique music experiences that will make audiences think, feel and move. We look forward to seeing how each artist responds to this remarkable space," said Art Gallery of New South Wales Director Michael Brand. There's still more details to come for Volume, which will pair its headliners with a lineup of free events that's still to be announced. If it sounds huge, that's because it is — and both AGNSW buildings, aka north building Naala Badu and south building Naala Nura, will play host. [caption id="attachment_954056" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bec Parsons[/caption] Volume 2024 Headliners and Dates: Friday, July 5–Saturday, July 6 — Genesis Owusu Saturday, July 13 — Tkay Maidza Thursday, July 18–Friday, July 19 — Kim Gordon Saturday, July 20–Sunday, July 21 — André 3000 New Blue Sun LIVE [caption id="attachment_880681" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Tank space in the Art Gallery of New South Wales' new SANAA - designed building, 2022, photo © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter[/caption] Volume 2024 runs from Friday, July 5–Sunday, July 21 at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, with ticket presales from 11am on Tuesday, May 21 and general sales from 11am on Wednesday, May 22 — head to the festival website for further details. Top image: Sven Mandel via Wikimedia Commons.
