Ever set foot in a venue and wondered, 'How?'. How did they transform the idea from a dream on a napkin into a café, bar or restaurant that gets people through the door time and time again? This is the thinking behind In Service, a new on-demand masterclass platform made for current and future hospitality owners. Created by the business solution experts Square, the free learning resource dives straight into the reality of running a hospitality business from the people who have done it themselves. From scaling to staff, marketing to menus, In Service gives you practical lessons directly from the best in the Australian hospitality industry—the ones who have built (and sustained) successful venues. It's real business owners serving up real strategies. Who's involved? A number of influential hospitality owners are offering their knowledge and experience on In Service. [caption id="attachment_1032997" align="alignleft" width="1920"] In Service[/caption] At Fabbrica, what began as a line of retail pasta kits has evolved into multiple pasta bars across Sydney. In Fabbrica's lesson, Head Chef Scott and General Manager Marlon teach business owners how to diversify their revenue and the differences between retail and restaurant operations. CHAE is a home-based intimate dining experience in Melbourne. The Korean eatery serves only six guests per session, but the exclusivity has created a wait list of thousands. Co-owners Chae and Yoora share their insights on building a community and their growth strategies. [caption id="attachment_909508" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Bar Copains[/caption] One of Sydney's most beloved wine bars, Bar Copains, has stood out in a crowded market. In his lesson, co-owner Morgan teaches why every detail counts and the mindset that has guests coming back for more. MUCHO Group, the team behind bars including Bar Planet, The Cliff Dive, Centro 86 and more, have also offered their peer-to-peer advice. General Manager, Daisy, shares their tips on service and training staff. It's not just restaurants and bars teaching their lessons. Calibrate Coffee has created an elevated brand and venue that focuses on high-end beans. Co-founder Josh shares how to build a team as well as how to create an inviting (and efficient) space. [caption id="attachment_939881" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Centro 86[/caption] As well as practical lessons on how to run a venue and team, design studios SCCO and Worktones, and Tom Mark Henry have offered their expert tips on how to design a hospitality venue and build your business's identity. Whether you're an early-stage café owner trying to find your footing or a seasoned operator looking to sharpen your team, In Service is the free platform that lets you learn from the best in the business, and all at your own pace. Square empowers local businesses to thrive by making it easier to run, manage, and grow their operations. Find out how Square can help your business grow. Sign up for free at In Service. Lead image: In Service
Australians are devastated after the Bondi terror attack that killed 16 people and injured dozens on Sunday night. As emergency services continue to treat victims, authorities are urging those who can to donate blood and offer support to the affected communities. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns praised frontline healthcare workers, referencing "extraordinary scenes" in hospitals overnight. "[healthcare workers] did an incredible job, but they need your help. They need blood, and if you're thinking about doing an act of public service in the coming 24 hours, I urge you to contact the Red Cross and do that piece of public-mindedness," Minns said. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Chris Minns (@chrisminnsmp) The Australian Red Cross Lifeblood confirmed it issued several life-threatening orders for blood products following the attack and has begun transferring supplies from other states to meet demand. A spokesperson said the need is ongoing, particularly for O-negative donors, whose blood can be used in any emergency case. "Fewer than seven percent of the population are O-negative, making it a challenge," Lifeblood said. "In the event of a serious trauma or emergency, up to 100 blood donations may be needed to save just one life." Cath Stone, Executive Director of Donor Experience at Lifeblood, said donating blood is one of the most practical ways Australians can help right now. "When tragic events occur, donating blood is a good way to help people," she said. "To donate blood or plasma, visit lifeblood.com.au, call 13 14 95 or download the Lifeblood app." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Australian Red Cross (@redcrossau) Across Sydney, hospitals continue to operate at a trauma level, and queues have formed outside donor centres. Blood from interstate is also being sent to New South Wales to meet urgent demand. Local and faith leaders have urged Australians to stand with Sydney's Jewish community and others directly affected. Organisations including Lifeline Bondi, Headspace Bondi Junction and The Junction Neighbourhood Centre are offering free mental health and counselling support. Where to donate Major Lifeblood centres in Sydney include Town Hall, York Street and Parramatta, with extended hours this week. Temporary collection sites have also opened in Bondi Junction and Coogee. Appointments can be made at lifeblood.com.au through the Lifeblood app, or by calling 13 14 95. If you need help If you are struggling with your mental health in the wake of the attack, help is available 24/7. Call Lifeline on 13 11 14, NSW Mental Health Line on 1800 011 511 or the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800. Images: iStock
Lunar New Year is famously a food-focused holiday. With celebrations traditionally stretching over about a two-week period, Lunar New Year dinner is one of the holiday's highlights. The dinner, which typically happens on the eve of Lunar New Year, is more accurately described as a feast — one where families gather, and the table teems with mouth-watering, home-cooked dishes. [caption id="attachment_987282" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Josh Mullins[/caption] We love a celebration at home centred around good food, so, in partnership with Oriental Merchant, we sought out expert advice from chef Jason Chan on what essentials to stock our pantries with for Lunar New Year and beyond. Not only is Chan the owner of Rice Kid, a newly opened pan-Asian restaurant inspired by the flavours of Southeast Asian cuisine, but he's also clocked up well over a decade as a chef in leading Chinese restaurants in Sydney. He snuck us into his pantry to show us exactly what he'll be cooking with come this Lunar New Year. Our best discovery? His go-to essentials aren't reserved exclusively for Lunar New Year — they're versatile ingredients that are just as invaluable for special celebrations as they are for midweek meals. [caption id="attachment_987274" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Josh Mullins[/caption] Surprisingly, Chan reveals that despite going all out on premium ingredients for Lunar New Year, he'll season them during the cooking process with everyday pantry staples. "Lunar New Year is more about the family gathering. You'll splurge and have things you don't normally have everyday, I think that's what makes it special. For our Lunar New Year feast, we usually have e-fu noodles, mudcrab, pipis — we go all out." On Capturing the Essence of Asian Cuisine The flavours of Asian cuisine though, are achieved with familiar products like "soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, Shaoxing [wine]." "Asian — Chinese — flavours [are] bold. I wouldn't use the word heavy, but it's flavoursome. It's every bite that you take. There's sweet, sour, bitter, salty, umami, you get the taste of all that." "I think that's what Asian cooking is all about, especially Chinese cooking, where there are so many different ingredients and so much variety [to choose between]. It's just packed with flavour." "In my pantry at the moment, I've got the Lee Kum Kee Panda Brand Oyster Sauce, the Lee Kum Kee Dark Soy Sauce, the Lee Kum Kee Premium Soy Sauce." [caption id="attachment_987275" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Josh Mullins[/caption] He also showed us his stash of Hakubaku noodles and Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chow Chilli Oil. "It's about what you can do with the ingredients out of the pantry to create something amazing," explains Chan. Some staples are genuine must-haves for Chan. "You can't cook without soy sauce, that's what I say. I think every household should have [it]." Meanwhile, others he believes are slept on. "I think oyster sauce is amazing ... it gives more body and more depth [to dishes]." [caption id="attachment_987280" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Josh Mullins[/caption] Ultimately though, it's not about a single ingredient. "It's more about how you incorporate everything together. I think every dish has a different element to it and every ingredient in our pantry, I think, works with a certain dish to enhance its flavour." On Making the Most of Pantry Essentials Chan says the special dishes of Lunar New Year can easily be translated into everyday dishes too." Let's say we did a lobster, for example, for Lunar New Year. How do you tone it down and still use all the pantry ingredients that you have? You choose a different protein. You might use fish, you might use prawns." The same applies to the e-fu Lunar New Year noodles he calls out. [caption id="attachment_987276" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Josh Mullins[/caption] "[You could substitute] egg noodles — thin egg noodles, thick egg noodles. If you're [feeling] brave, you can use ramen noodles, soba noodles, udon noodles. It's how far you want to explore, but they're all good." Experience the flavours of Lunar New Year everyday with Oriental Merchant authentic Asian ingredients.
3D printing technology is a lot to get your head around, especially in regards to the science fiction-esque breakthroughs of the medical world. But in regards to improving your herb garden, 3D printing can lend a hand here as well. Like a family tree for plants, the new 3D Printed Aqueduct Planters have a built in trickle down irrigation system so you only need to soak the top plant in water and the rest will follow. The planter utilizes the connections between each planter as a method of transferring water and saturating the soil from the top planter to the lower plants. This is especially useful for air plants or plants that don’t need a lot of soil. The planter system can be set up in an array of configurations so you can construct your living wall to complement your living space. [via inhabit]
It might seem as if there's something shiny and brand new hitting the small screen all the time — and there is — but flicking through your streaming queue isn't just about finding something that you've never heard of before to watch. Among the non-stop array of television at everyone's fingertips, beloved favourites keep proving why they're must-see TV. Some even inspire menu choices, too. 2024's returning cohort so far has had us all shouting "yes chef!" again, welcoming back one of the best detective shows there is, and stepping into the worlds of stand-up and late-night comedy. Getting ridiculously catchy (and funny) girl-group tunes stuck in our heads, adoring an Aussie rom-com and embracing superhero satire have also been on the agenda — as has saying a pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty great goodbye to an iconic series. With 2024 halfway through, we've made our picks of the top returning television shows of the year's first six months — aka the established delights that have splashed another ace new season our way, and also made us want to go back and rewatch past seasons. Your future binges will thank us. The Bear Serving up another sitting with acclaimed chef Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White, The Iron Claw), his second-in-charge Sydney (Ayo Edebiri, Inside Out 2) and their team after dishing up one of the best new shows of 2022 and best returning shows of 2023, the third season of The Bear is a season haunted. Creator and writer Christopher Storer (Dickinson, Ramy) — often the culinary dramedy's director as well — wouldn't have it any other way. Every series that proves as swift a success as this, after delivering as exceptional a first and second season as any show could wish for, has the tang of its prior glory left on its lips, so this one tackles the idea head on. How can anyone shake the past at all, good or bad, the latest ten episodes ruminate on as Carmy faces a dream that's come true but hasn't and can't eradicate the lifetime of internalised uncertainty that arises from having an erratic mother, absent father, elder brother he idolised but had his own demons, and a career spent striving to be the best and put his talents to the test in an industry that's so merciless and unforgiving even before you factor in dealing with cruel mentors. Haunting is talked about often in this third The Bear course, but not actually in the sense flavouring every bite that the show's return plates up. In the season's heartiest reminder that it's comic as well as tense and dramatic — its nine Emmy wins for season one, plus four Golden Globes across season one and two, are all in comedy categories — the Faks get to Fak aplenty. While charming Neil (IRL chef Matty Matheson) is loving his role as a besuited server beneath Richie aka Cousin (Ebon Moss-Bachrach, No Hard Feelings), onboard with the latter's commitment to upholding a Michelin star-chasing fine-diner's front-of-house standards and as devoted to being Carmy's best friend as ever, he's also always palling around with his handyman brother Theodore (Ricky Staffieri, Read the Room). They're not the season's only Faks, and so emerges a family game. When one Fak wrongs another, they get haunted, which is largely being taunted and unsettled by someone from basically The Bear equivalent of Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Boyles. For it to stop, you need to agree to give in. In Storer's hands, in a series this expertly layered as it picks up in the aftermath of sandwich diner The Original Beef of Chicagoland relaunching as fine-diner The Bear, this isn't just an amusing character-building aside. The Bear streams via Disney+. Read our full review. True Detective: Night Country Even when True Detective had only reached its second season, the HBO series had chiselled its template into stone: obsessive chalk-and-cheese cops with messy personal lives investigating horrifying killings, on cases with ties to power's corruption, in places where location mattered and with the otherworldly drifting in. A decade after the anthology mystery show's debut in 2014, True Detective has returned as Night Country, a six-part miniseries that builds its own snowman out of all of the franchise's familiar parts. The main similarity from there: like the Matthew McConaughey (The Gentlemen)- and Woody Harrelson (White House Plumbers)-led initial season, True Detective: Night Country is phenomenal. This is a return to form and a revitalisation. Making it happen after two passable intervening cases is a new guiding hand off-screen. Tigers Are Not Afraid filmmaker Issa López directs and writes or co-writes every episode, boasting Moonlight's Barry Jenkins as an executive producer. True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto remains in the latter role, too, as do McConaughey, Harrelson and season-one director Cary Joji Fukunaga (No Time to Die); however, from its female focus and weighty tussling with the dead to its switch to a cool, blue colour scheme befitting its Alaskan setting, there's no doubting that López is reinventing her season rather than ticking boxes. In handing over the reins, Pizzolatto's police procedural never-standard police procedural is a powerhouse again, and lives up to the potential of its concept. The commitment and cost of delving into humanity's depths and advocating for those lost in its abyss has swapped key cops, victims and locations with each spin, including enlisting the masterful double act of Jodie Foster (Nyad) and boxer-turned-actor Kali Reis (Catch the Fair One) to do the sleuthing, but seeing each go-around with fresh eyes feels like the missing puzzle piece. López spies the toll on the show's first women duo, as well as the splinters in a remote community when its fragile sense of certainty is forever shattered. She spots the fractures that pre-date the investigation in the new season, a cold case tied to it, plus the gashes that've carved hurt and pain into the earth ever since people stepped foot on it. She observes the pursuit of profit above all else, and the lack of concern for whatever — whoever, the region's Indigenous inhabitants included — get in the way. She sees that the eternal winter night of 150 miles north of the Arctic Circle come mid-December isn't the only thing impairing everyone's sight. And, she knows that not everything has answers, with life sometimes plunging into heartbreak, or inhospitable climes, or one's own private hell, without rhyme or reason. True Detective: Night Country streams via Binge. Read our full review. Hacks Sometimes you need to wait for the things you love. In Hacks, that's true off- and on-screen. 2024 marks two years since the HBO comedy last dropped new episodes, after its first season was one of the best new shows of 2021 and its second one of the best returning series of 2022 — a delay first sparked by star Jean Smart (Babylon) requiring heart surgery, and then by 2023's Hollywood strikes. But this Emmy- and Golden Globe-winner returns better than ever in season three as it charts Smart's Deborah Vance finally getting a shot at a job that she's been waiting her entire career for. After scoring a huge hit with her recent comedy special, which was a product of hiring twentysomething writer Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder, Julia), the Las Vegas mainstay has a new chance at nabbing a late-night hosting gig. (Yes, fictional takes on after-dark talk shows are having a moment, thanks to Late Night with the Devil and now this.) At times, some in Deborah's orbit might be tempted to borrow the Australian horror movie's title to describe to assisting her pitch for a post-primetime chair. That'd be a harsh comment, but savage humour has always been part of this showbiz comedy about people who tell jokes for a living. While Deborah gets roasted in this season, spikiness is Hacks' long-established baseline — and also the armour with which its behind-the-mic lead protects herself from life's and the industry's pain, disappointments and unfairness. Barbs can also be Deborah's love language, as seen in her banter with Ava. When season two ended, their tumultuous professional relationship had come to an end again via Deborah, who let her writer go to find bigger opportunities. A year has now passed when season three kicks off. Ava is a staff writer on a Last Week Tonight with John Oliver-type series in Los Angeles and thriving, but she's also not over being fired. Back in Vanceland, everything is gleaming — but Deborah isn't prepared for being a phenomenon. She wants it. She's worked for years for it. It's taken until her 70s to get it. But her presence alone being cause for frenzy, rather than the scrapping she's done to stay in the spotlight, isn't an easy adjustment. Hacks streams via Stan. Read our full review. Girls5eva One of the funniest TV comedies of the 2020s is back with its third season, and as hilarious as ever. So what are you waiting five? If that question doesn't make any sense, then you clearly haven't yet experienced the wonder that is Girls5eva. It starts with a numerical pun-heavy earworm of a theme tune that no one should ever skip, then bounces along just as catchily and sidesplittingly in every second afterwards. A move to Netflix for season three — after streaming its first and second seasons via Peacock in the US and Stan in Australia — deserves to see the Tina Fey-executive produced music-industry sitcom switch from being one of the best shows that not enough people are watching to everyone's latest can't-stop-rewatching comedy obsession. In other words, this a series about a comeback and, thanks to its swap to the biggest player in the streaming game, now it's making a comeback itself. If it becomes a Netflix smash, here's hoping that it'll be famous at least one more time. Two years have passed for longterm fans since Girls5eva last checked in with Dawn Solano (Sara Bareilles, Broadway's Waitress), Wickie Roy (Renée Elise Goldsberry, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and also a Hamilton Tony-winner), Summer Dutkowsky (Busy Philipps, Mean Girls) and Gloria McManus (Paula Pell, Big Mouth), but the gap and the change of platforms haven't changed this gem. Consider the switch of streamer in the same way that Dawn and the gang are approaching their leap back into their girl group after two decades: as an all-in, go-hard-or-go-home, whatever-it-takes relaunch. Now firmly reunited, the surviving members of Girls5eva have taken to the road. So far, however, their big Returnity tour has been happy in Fort Worth. In the Texan city, their track 'Tap Into Your Fort Worth' keeps drawing in crowds, even if that's all that concertgoers want to hear. Also, the Marriott Suitelettes for Divorced Dads has become their home away from home, but resident diva Wickie isn't content just playing one place. Always dreaming huge, massive and stratospheric, she sets the band's sights on Radio City Music Hall, booking them in for a gig at a fee of $500,000. Cue a six-month timeline to sell it out — a feat made trickier by the fact that the show is on Thanksgiving — or risk ruin. Girls5eva streams via Netflix. Read our full review. Curb Your Enthusiasm A quarter of a century is a long time to spend with Larry David, even with gaps along the way. Friends and acquaintances of the fictionalised version seen in Curb Your Enthusiasm might have some not-so-positive things to say about investing that chunk with TV's great curmudgeons. If you're a fan of the satirical series that's been airing since 2000, however, 12 seasons isn't enough. But David has called time on his second small-screen smash. CYE hasn't beaten Seinfeld's episode count, but it has been on-screen on and off for far longer than the famous show about nothing. And as the ending approached, of course the inimitable force behind both started Curb Your Enthusiasm's final season with the series' version of Larry going where Seinfeld's characters closed out their story: jail. He's there not due criminal indifference, though, but rather thanks to the opposite. In Atlanta to attend a rich fan's (Sharlto Copley, Beast) birthday party, on a paid gig courtesy of the success of Young Larry — CYE's in-show show about David's childhood — he gives a bottle of water to Leon's (JB Smoove, Office Race) Auntie Rae (Ellia English, Blood Pageant) while she's in line to vote. That's illegal, the cops pounce immediately and one of the season's key threads is born. Larry being Larry, of course he wasn't really trying to make a stand against ridiculous voter-suppression laws. Larry still being Larry, he's also content to capitalise upon being seen as a hero, complete with droves of media attention. And, Larry never able to be someone other than Larry, he's still his petty normal self regardless of how much praise flows from Bruce Springsteen. Before Beef was winning Golden Globes, Emmys and other awards for trivial squabbles, David got there first — and before The Rehearsal and The Curse's Nathan Fielder was inspiring cringing so vigorous that you can feel it in your stomach, David was as well. The show's swansong season is vintage Curb Your Enthusiasm, including when a lawyer who looks like one of David's many enemies, overhearing golfing lessons, throwing things at CODA Oscar-winner Troy Kotsur, getting disgruntled over breakfast menus cutting off at 11am and bickering with the late, great Richard Lewis (Sandy Wexler) are involved. As always, it continues to be fascinated with whether someone as set in his ways as David, who was the inspiration for George Constanza, can and will ever change. He won't, and watching why that's the case only stopped being comedy gold when the ten-episode 12th season said farewell. Curb Your Enthusiasm streams via Binge. Read our full review. Colin From Accounts When Colin From Accounts arrived for its first season in 2022 with a nipple flash, a dog and strangers committing to take care of a cute injured pooch together, it also began with a "will they, won't they?" story. Ashley (Harriet Dyer, The Invisible Man) and Gordon (Patrick Brammall, Evil) crossed paths in the street in Sydney when she gave him a random peek, then he was distracted behind the wheel. Thanks to the titular pet, the pair were soon intricately involved in each other's lives — and a delightful small-screen Aussie rom-com was the end result as they endeavoured to work out what that actually meant. In season two, which picks up after the duo gave Colin From Accounts to new owners and then immediately regretted the decision, a couple of things are different from the outset: Gordon and Ashley are on a quest to get their pup back and they'll stop at almost nothing for their family to be reunited, and this award-winning series is now in "should've they or should've they not?" territory about its central romance. Falling in love is easy. Being in the honeymoon period, whether or not you've actually tied the knot — Colin From Accounts' protagonists haven't — is clearcut, too. Taking a relationship further means peeling away the rosy and glowing surface, however, which is where the series follows its medical student and microbrewery owner in its second season. Accordingly, through surprising news, meeting family members, historical baggage and more, Ashley and Gordon are still trying to navigate the reality of intertwining their lives, and also who they are as a couple. Creators, writers and stars Dyer and Brammall keep performing their parts to perfection; given they're married IRL and no strangers to working together (see: No Activity), the chemistry and naturalism isn't hard to maintain, but they're not just playing themselves. They're also particularly gifted with dialogue, ensuring that everything that the show's characters are saying — be it amusing, heartfelt, acerbic, insightful or all of the above — always feels authentic. Colin From Accounts streams via Binge. Read our full review, and our interview with Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall. Outer Range It was true of season one of Outer Range and it doesn't stop proving the case in season two: thinking about Twin Peaks, Yellowstone, Lost, The X-Files, The Twilight Zone and primetime melodramas while you're watching this sci-fi western series is unavoidable. In its second go-around, throw in Dark, too, and also True Detective. Here, an eerie void on a Wyoming cattle ranch sends people hurtling through time, rather than a cave beneath a nuclear power plant — and that concept, time, is dubbed a river instead of a flat circle. The idea behind Outer Range, as conjured up creator Brian Watkins for its debut season in 2022, has always been intriguing: what if a tunnel of blackness topped by a mist of floating energy suddenly opened up in the earth? Also, where would this otherworldly chasm lead? What would be the consequences of taking a tumble into its inky expanse? What does it mean? It isn't literally a mystery box Dark Matter-style, but it also still is in everything but shape — while contemplating what effect such a phenomena has on a rancher family that's worked the land that the ethereal cavern appears on for generations, as well as upon the broader small-town community of Wabang. Getting trippy came with the territory in season one, in an entrancing blend of the out-there and the earthy. Season two doubles down, dives in deeper and gallops across its chosen soil — a mix of the surreal and the soapy as well — with even more gusto. Just like with a vacuum that materialises on an otherwise ordinary-seeming paddock, no one should be leaping into Outer Range's second season unprepared. This isn't a series to jump into with no prior knowledge, or to just pick up along the way. It isn't simply the premise that Outer Range takes its time to reveal in all of its intricacy, a process that remains ongoing in season two; the characters, including Abbott patriarch Royal (Josh Brolin, Dune: Part Two), his wife Cecilia (Lili Taylor, Manhunt), their sons Perry (Tom Pelphrey, Love & Death) and Rhett (Lewis Pullman, Lessons in Chemistry), and stranger-in-their-midst Autumn (Imogen Poots, The Teacher), receive the same treatment. Outer Range streams via Prime Video. Read our full review. Loot Across ten extremely amusing initial episodes in 2022, Loot had a message: billionaires shouldn't exist. So declared the show's resident cashed-up character, with Molly Wells (Maya Rudolph, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem) receiving $87 billion in her divorce from tech guru John Novak (Adam Scott, Madame Web), then spending most of the sitcom's first season working out what to do with it (and also how to handle her newly single life in general). That she had a foundation to her name was virtually news to her. So was much about everything beyond the ultra-rich. And, she was hardly equipped for being on her own. But Loot's debut run came to an entertaining end with the big statement that it was always uttering not so quietly anyway. So what happens next, after one of the richest people in the world decides to give away all of her money? Cue season two of this ace workplace-set comedy. Created by former Parks and Recreation writers Alan Yang and Matt Hubbard, in their second Rudolph-starring delight — 2018's Forever was the first — Loot splices together three popular on-screen realms as it loosely draws parallels with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his philanthropist ex-wife MacKenzie Scott. At her charity, as Molly's staff become the kind of friends that feel like family while doing their jobs, shows such as 30 Rock and Superstore (which Hubbard also has on his resume) score an obvious sibling. As its protagonist endeavours to do good, be better and discover what makes a meaningful life, The Good Place (which Yang also wrote for) and Forever get company. And in enjoying its eat-the-rich mode as well, it sits alongside Succession and The White Lotus, albeit while being far sillier. Loot streams via Apple TV+. Read our full review. The Boys "Superheroes, they're just like us" has been an unspoken refrain humming beneath on-screen caped-crusader tales in recent decades. Possessing great powers doesn't mean knowing how to wield power, or greatness, or how to navigate the daily elements of life that don't revolve around possessing great powers, as movies and TV shows in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the DC Extended Universe and beyond have kept stressing. Even as it dispenses a much-needed antidote to superhero worship's saturation of big- and small-screen entertainment — even as it has made distrusting the spandex-clad and preternaturally gifted its baseline — The Boys has also told this story. Across the entire extent of human history, what's more recognisable than power and dominance bringing out the worst in people? As adapted from Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson's comics series of the same name by showrunner Eric Kripke (Supernatural) since 2019, this series has stared at the grimmest vision of a world with tights-adorned supposed saviours. It's a show where murder at the hands of supes, which is then covered up by the company profiting from elevating them above the masses, is an everyday reality. It's a dark satire. It's gleeful in its onslaught of OTT violence and sightings of genitals. What it means to grapple with the struggle to hold onto humanity has firmly been at The Boys' core since its first episode, however, making it a mirror. It has never been hard to see where art imitates life in this account of its namesake rag-tag crew (Thor: Ragnarok,'s Karl Urban, Oppenheimer's Jack Quaid, Wrath of Man's Laz Alonso, One on One's Tomer Capone and Bullet Train's Karen Fukuhara) saying "enough is enough" to the US' downward spiral. With flying, laser-eyed, super-strong, supernaturally speedy and otherwise-enhanced beings commercialised by a behemoth of a company called Vought International, The Boys has never been subtle at pointing its fingers at the many ways in which pop culture and the corporations behind it hold sway. The show's parallels with American politics in its portrait of a factionalised nation torn apart over a polarising leader who considers himself above the law are equally overt. Of course, the series is just as blatant in unpacking the consequences of letting the pursuit of power run riot. In its narrative, in chasing supremacy above all else, humans and supes really are just like each other — a truth season four doesn't ever let slip from view. The Boys streams via Prime Video. Read our full review. Breeders Sitcoms about raising a family are almost as common as sitcoms in general, with the antics of being married with children up there with workplace shenanigans as one of the genre's go-to setups. Thanks to the OG UK version of The Office, Martin Freeman knows more than a little about employment-focused TV comedies. Courtesy of The Thick of It and Veep, actor-turned-director Chris Addison and writer Simon Blackwell also fall into that category. But Breeders, which the trio created and thrusts them into the world of mining parenting for laughs, isn't your standard take on its concept. As became immediately evident when the British series began in 2020, and remains the case now that it's wrapping up with its current fourth season — which aired overseas in 2023 but only hit Down Under in 2024 — this show does't subscribe to the rosy notion that being a mother or a father (or a son or daughter, or grandmother or grandfather) equals loveable chaos. There's love, of course. There's even more chaos. But there's also clear eyes, plus bleakness; again, this is largely helmed and scripted by alumni of two of the best, sharpest and most-candid political satires of the 21st century, and always feels as such. Season four begins with a time jump, with Breeders' overall path tracking Paul Worsley (Freeman, Secret Invasion) and Ally Grant's (Daisy Haggard, Boat Story) journey from when their two kids were very young — including babies, via flashbacks — to their teenage and young-adult years now. Consequently, five years on in the narrative from season three, another set of actors play Luke (Oscar Kennedy, Wreck) and Ava (debutant Zoë Athena) in this farewell run as the first is moving in with his girlfriend and the second explores her own love life, as well as grappling with the inescapable reality that her elder brother's ups and downs have always monopolised her family's attention. Paul and Ally also have the ailing health of Paul's parents Jim (Alun Armstrong, Tom Jones) and Jackie (Joanna Bacon, Benediction) to manage, in addition to the ebbs and flows of their own often-fraught relationship, plus just dealing with getting through the days, weeks, months and years in general (Ally turning 50 is one of this season's plot points). That this all sounds like standard life is part of the point; watching Breeders is like looking in a mirror, especially in its unvarnished and relatable all-you-can-do-is-laugh perspective. Freeman's knack for swearing will be especially missed. Breeders streams via Disney+. Abbott Elementary The Parks and Recreation comparisons were there from the start with Abbott Elementary. This Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning comedy charts the hustle and bustle at the titular underfunded school in Philadelphia, rather than a government department in Pawnee, but the similarities have always been glaring. Janine Teagues (Quinta Brunson, Miracle Workers) is the eager-beaver second-grade teacher keen to do everything she can for her students. Ava Coleman (Janelle James, Monsters at Work) is the principal content with coasting by on the bare minimum. There's even a newcomer in substitute Gregory Eddie (Tyler James Williams, The United States vs Billie Holiday), with whom sparks fly on Janine's part. It might seem a bold move to use one of the greatest-ever — warmest-ever, too — sitcoms as a template, or even just follow closely in its footsteps, but Abbott Elementary is up to the task. Those awards, which Parks and Recreation also deserved but rarely received, are well-earned by a series that is all heart, kindness and affection for one of the most-important careers there is, as well as appreciation for the obstacles facing US public-school teachers today. In its third season, Abbott Elementary knows that even a winning formula that's been proven elsewhere needs shaking up. So, it does the equivalent of Parks and Recreation sending Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler, Inside Out 2) to Washington by having Janine work for the school district to attempt to bring about change for her pupils at a higher level. It's a move that brings in the always-welcome Josh Segarra (The Big Door Prize) as her new boss, and also Keegan-Michael Key (IF) as the Superintendent that's his boss — and disrupts the status quo at the educational institution that she adores, including for her idol Barbara Howard (Sheryl Lee Ralph, Ray Donovan), plus colleagues Melissa Schemmenti (Lisa Ann Walter, The Right Mom) and Jacob Hill (Chris Perfetti, Sound of Metal). The idea that one person can and does make a difference, no matter the recognition they do or don't receive, beats strongly in this good-natured series, which Brunson created and co-writes. So does a sense of humour about grappling with whatever the day throws your way, be it professional or personal chaos. Abbott Elementary streams via Disney+. The Big Door Prize If there was a Morpho machine IRL rather than just in The Big Door Prize, and it dispensed cards that described the potential of TV shows instead of people, this is what it might spit out about the series that it's in: "comforting". For a mystery-tinged dramedy filled with people trying to work out who they are and truly want to be after an arcade game-esque console appears in their small town, this page-to-screen show has always proven both cathartic and relatable viewing. Its timing, dropping season one in 2023 as the pandemic-inspired great reset was well and truly in full swing, is a key factor. Last year as well as now — with season two currently upon us — this is a series that speaks to the yearning to face existential questions that couldn't be more familiar in a world where COVID-19 sparked a wave of similar "who am I?" musings on a global scale. The difference for the residents of Deerfield in this second spin: their journey no longer simply involves pieces of cardboard that claim to know where the bearer should be expending their energy, but also spans new animated videos that transform their inner thoughts and hopes into 32-bit clips. When the Morpho first made its presence known, high-school teacher Dusty (Chris O'Dowd, Slumberland) was cynical. Now he's taking the same route as everyone else in his community — including his wife Cass (Gabrielle Dennis, The Upshaws) and daughter Trina (Djouliet Amara, Fitting In) — by letting it steer his decisions. But whether he's making moves that'll impact his marriage, or his restaurant-owning best friend Giorgio (Josh Segarra, The Other Two) is leaping into a new relationship with Cass' best friend Nat (Mary Holland, The Afterparty), or other townsfolk are holding the Morpho up as a source of wisdom, easy happiness rarely follows. Season two of this David West Read (Schitt's Creek)-developed series still treats its magical machine as a puzzle for characters and viewers to attempt to solve, but it also digs deeper into the quest for answers that we all undertake while knowing deep down that there's no such thing as a straightforward meaning of life. As well as being extremely well-cast and thoughtful, it's no wonder that The Big Door Prize keeps feeling like staring in a mirror — and constantly intriguing as well. The Big Door Prize streams via Apple TV+. Read our full review, and our interview with Chris O'Dowd and Josh Segarra. The Tourist Same cast, new location, similar-enough scenario: that's the approach in The Tourist's second season, which brings back what was meant to be a once-off series from 2022. In its debut run, Jamie Dornan's (A Haunting in Venice) Elliot Stanley awoke in the Aussie outback with zero memory and his life in danger. When the first six episodes ended, he'd uncovered who he was, complete with a distressing criminal past, but was en route to starting anew with Helen Chambers (Danielle Macdonald, French Exit), the constable who helped him get to the bottom of his mystery. After the show worked so swimmingly to begin with, swiftly earning its renewal, screenwriters Harry and Jack Williams (Baptiste, The Missing, Liar) switch part of their initial setup for its next spin. The story moves to Elliot's homeland, while Helen is the tourist (as is her grating ex Ethan, as played by Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe's Greg Larsen). Remaining in the compellingly entertaining thriller-meets-dramedy's return is the lack of recollection about Elliot's history, even as he actively goes looking for it. The Tourist first rejoins its main couple on a train in southeast Asia. While not married, they're firmly in the honeymoon phase of their relationship. But the now ex-cop has a revelation: Elliot has received a letter from one of his childhood pals who wants to meet. Quickly, off to the Emerald Isle they go. Trying to shave off his bushy holiday beard in a public toilet leads to Elliot being kidnapped, plus Helen playing investigator again. As he attempts to flee his captors (Outlander's Diarmaid Murtagh, Inspektor Jury: Der Tod des Harlekins' Nessa Matthews and The Miracle Club's Mark McKenn), she seeks help from local Detective Sergeant Ruairi Slater (Conor MacNeill, Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre), but any dreams that The Tourist's globe-hopping couple had about happy reunions or relaxing Irish getaways are sent packing fast. Disturbing discoveries; feuding families led by the equally formidable Frank McDonnell (Francis Magee, Then You Run) and Niamh Cassidy (Olwen Fouéré, The Northman); again bringing Fargo and TV adaptation to mind: they're all influential factors in The Tourist's easy-to-binge (again) second season. The Tourist streams via Stan. Read our full review. Heartbreak High When Heartbreak High returned in 2022, the Sydney-set series benefited from a pivotal fact: years pass, trends come and go, but teen awkwardness and chaos is eternal. In its second season, Netflix's revival of the 1994–99 Australian favourite embraces the same idea. It's a new term at Hartley High, one that'll culminate in the Year 11 formal. Amerie (Ayesha Madon, Love Me) might be certain that she can change — doing so is her entire platform for running for school captain — but waiting for adulthood to start never stops being a whirlwind. Proving as easy to binge as its predecessor, Heartbreak High's eight new episodes reassemble the bulk of the gang that audiences were initially introduced to two years ago. Moving forward is everyone's planned path — en route to that dance, which gives the new batch of instalments its flashforward opening. The evening brings fire, literally. Among the regular crew, a few faces are missing in the aftermath. The show then rewinds to two months earlier, to old worries resurfacing, new faces making an appearance and, giving the season a whodunnit spin as well, to a mystery figure taunting and publicly shaming Amerie. The latter begins their reign of terror with a dead animal; Bird Psycho is soon the unknown culprit's nickname. Leaders, creepers, slipping between the sheets: that's Heartbreak High's second streaming go-around in a nutshell. The battle to rule the school is a three-person race, pitting Amerie against Sasha (Gemma Chua-Tran, Mustangs FC) and Spider (Bryn Chapman Parish, Mr Inbetween) — one as progressive as Hartley, which already earns that label heartily, can get; the other season one's poster boy for jerkiness, toxicity and entitlement. Heightening the electoral showdown is a curriculum clash, with the SLT class introduced by Jojo Obah (Chika Ikogwe, The Tourist) last term as a mandatory response to the grade's behaviour questioned by Head of PE Timothy Voss (Angus Sampson, Bump). A new faculty member for the show, he's anti-everything that he deems a threat to traditional notions of masculinity. In Spider, Ant (Brodie Townsend, Significant Others) and others, he quickly has followers. Their name, even adorning t-shirts: CUMLORDS. Heartbreak High streams via Netflix. Read our full review and our interview with Thomas Weatherall. House of the Dragon It's a chair made out of swords. So notes Daemon Targaryen's (Matt Smith, Morbius) description of the Iron Throne. Not one but two hit HBO shows have put squabbles about the sought-after seat at their centre so far, and the second keeps proving a chip off the old block in a fantasy franchise where almost everyone meets that description. If the family trees sprawling throughout Game of Thrones for eight seasons across 2011–19 and now House of the Dragon for two since 2022 (with a third on the way) weren't so closely intertwined in all of their limbs, would feuding over everything, especially the line of succession, be such a birthright? Set within the Targaryens 172 years before Daenerys is born, House of the Dragon keeps the black-versus-green factionalism going in season two, to civil war-esque extremes over which two offspring of the late King Viserys the Peaceful (Paddy Considine, The Third Day) should wear the crown and plonk themselves in the blade-lined chair. The monarch long ago named Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy, Mothering Sunday) as his heir. But with his last breaths, his wife Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke, Slow Horses) claims that he picked their eldest son Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney, Rogue Heroes) instead. In King's Landing, the response was speedy, with Rhaenyra supplanted before she'd even heard over at Dragonstone that her father had passed away. Based on George RR Martin's Fire & Blood, House of the Dragon has also long painted Rhaenyra as the preferred type of chip off the old block. She too wants peace, not war. She also seeks stability for the realm over personal glory. If Viserys spotted that in her as a girl (Milly Alcock, Upright) when he chose her over Daemon, his brother who is now Rhaenyra's husband, he might've also predicted the dedication that she sports towards doing his legacy, and those before him, proud. Conversely, Aegon, also the grandson of Viserys' hand Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans, The King's Man), sees only entitlement above all else. Martin's tales of dynasties trade in the cycles that course through the bonds of blood, especially in House of the Dragon. Everyone watching knows what's to come for the Targaryens in Daenerys' time, right down to an aunt-nephew romance as the counterpart to Daemon and Rhaenyra's uncle-niece relationship. (No one watching has started this prequel series, the first spinoff of likely many to Game of Thrones, without being familiar with its predecessor). Ice-blonde hair, ambition that soars as high as the dragons they raise and fly, said flame-roaring beasts of the sky, the inability to host happy reunions: these are traits passed down through generations. Some are a matter of genes. Martin continues to explore why the others persist. House of the Dragon streams via Binge. Read our full review. Looking for more viewing highlights? We picked the 15 best new TV shows of 2024, too. We also keep a running list of must-stream TV from across the year so far, complete with full reviews. And, you can check out our list of film and TV streaming recommendations, which is updated monthly.
On a future visit to Hoyts cinema in Australia, you might be catching your movie of choice not just on the big screen, but in IMAX. The two companies — Hoyts and IMAX — announced a partnership in July with the goal of launching up to five state-of-the-art IMAX with Laser systems around the country. First stop was Hoyts Melbourne Central, now we know the next four locations to follow. Before 2025 comes to an end, timed before Avatar: Fire and Ash arrives, Hoyts Chadstone will add IMAX to its offering in mid-November, before Hoyts Carousel in Perth, Hoyts Melbourne Central and Hoyts Blacktown in western Sydney open in mid-December — hopefully before the third Avatar film releases on Thursday, December 18, 2025. This isn't the first time that Hoyts and IMAX have joined forces, but they haven't worked together on an IMAX site since 2019. There could still be more additions to come, since the chain operates in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory, too. So, if you live in those states, start crossing your fingers. Wherever else Hoyts rolls out its new IMAX with Laser systems, viewers will enjoy 4K images displayed via an optical engine with custom-designed lenses — and showing the widest range of colours in IMAX yet — plus precision audio. "Hoyts is delighted to partner with IMAX to introduce four new screens across Australia, giving movie lovers even more ways to enjoy blockbusters on the big screen," said Hoyts Group CEO and President Damien Keogh. "The release of Avatar: Fire and Ash in December — and a tremendous 2026 slate behind it — represent a golden opportunity for IMAX and its exhibition partners around the world," added IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ma1x7ikpid8[/embed] Fittingly, Australia is currently embracing IMAX in a big way. From just four locations earlier in 2025 — in Carlton in Melbourne, in Sydney, and also on the Gold Coast and in Canberra since late 2024 — the country is the tenth market box-office wise for the format around the globe. Expanding the country's super-sized cinema options, this is the third round of new IMAX locations announced in the last year. Another new Melbourne venue has been confirmed as well, launching at Village Cinemas Fountain Gate the end of 2025. Plus, EVT, the hospitality company behind Event Cinemas, has a quartet of IMAX screens on the way at venues yet to be revealed. Three will welcome in movie lovers in 2026, with the fourth arriving before 2027 is out. Hoyts' new IMAX locations are set to start rolling out in November and December of 2025. Keep an eye on the Hoyts website for more details in the interim.
Auckland is a city built on stories. Some are told in theatres that once hosted Bette Davis and Bob Dylan. Some on the slopes of former volcanoes. The rest, you'll have to find for yourself in the city's cobbled streets and galleries. Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland's) charm blooms beyond the tourist stops. Past the Sky Tower and steeple of St Patrick's Cathedral, you'll spot an unassuming vintage facade. Here, at 53 St Patrick's Square, The Motor House forms the foundation of Hotel Indigo Auckland. Once a showroom for Cadillacs and motorcycles, it now acts as your key to the city. Inside midtown's tallest building, warm wood panels, Māori art, and leather touches make an unexpected home out of the building's industrial bones. [caption id="attachment_1037197" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Hotel Indigo Auckland[/caption] But the best part? The hotel's position puts you at the heart of the city. Here, your neighbours are indie bookstores, laneway bars and suburban swimming spots. Here's how to plan a weekend getting lost in the hills, islands and laneways of Tāmaki Makaurau. [caption id="attachment_1037201" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Maungakiekie[/caption] Wide Open Spaces Auckland was built around the valleys and ridgelines of 53 ancient volcanoes. You can see it in the sprawling, green knolls of Maungakiekie. Also known as One Tree Hill. These Teletubbyland-esque hills act as Auckland's best viewing platform. Back in the city's heart, find Khartoum Place. Shady trees and a fountain's trickle make it a pocket of calm that locals retreat to. Check out the tile artwork in honour of the Women's Suffrage Movement in New Zealand and have a break to caffeinate. Take a short stroll and you'll find yourself at the wharf. Catch a ferry 40 minutes off the coast and you'll land a world away on Waiheke Island. Sundrenched vineyards, shaded olive groves and your footprints on white sand beaches await. Or, dive right into the harbour at the Karanga Plaza Tidal Steps: a totally free swimming area on the shores of the city. Take Notes on the Culture Follow any street in Auckland, and you'll find yourself at a crossroads of culture. Here, Māori culture threads through so much of the city, linking with European history in the wharves, cafes and museums. Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki is home to the world's largest collection of New Zealand art. Enter through majestic kauri tree columns to spend a day working through four levels of exhibitions. Plan your visit to Aotearoa in November, and you'll catch the Elam School of Fine Arts annual graduate show. Take a stroll through midtown and you'll find a slew of independent bookshops like Unity Books, Time Out Bookstore, and Hard To Find Books. Read local stories spun into poems or get lost in the whodunnits of local crime author legend Ngaio Marsh. [caption id="attachment_1039738" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hotel Indigo Auckland[/caption] Dine Like the Locals Vulcan Lane was once an unnamed and muddy track. Today, it's a meeting point of some of Auckland's best bars, cafes, restaurants and boutique shopping. The Queensferry Hotel was one of the first to move in over 200 years ago. It's Auckland's oldest pub, but its menu is modern and best enjoyed al fresco while people-watching. Each Thursday, the laneway comes alive with free jazz performances from local music schools and seasoned pros. Follow the warm cathedral light down St Patrick's Square and you'll find Bistro Saine. Here, beyond the art-filled lobby of Hotel Indigo, you'll find this modern take on the classic European bistro is a destination in its own right. Leather banquette seating, antique tableware and perfectly cooked steak makes it easily to forget you're not in Paris. [caption id="attachment_1037203" align="alignleft" width="1920"] The Civic Theatre[/caption] Read the Stars The 1930s were Auckland's golden age. Theatres, cinemas and music halls were soundtracked by Māori soprano Ana Hato and The Beatles. Legendary spots like Everybody's, The Roxy, and Peter Pan Cabaret may be gone, but their legends live on in the feel of the streets. The Civic Theatre is perhaps the magnum opus of Auckland's golden age. Inside, giant, golden elephants and carvings of Buddha line the walls alongside gaudy chandeliers. Above it all—for no reason other than opulence—is a replica of the Auckland night sky at 10pm on Saturday, April 20, 1929. Bette Davis, The Rolling Stones, Nick Cave, Bob Dylan, and even the Dalai Lama have visited. Nowadays, you can catch a musical or comedy show there. [caption id="attachment_1037204" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Hotel Indigo Auckland[/caption] The Perfect Base When your step count is nearing new heights, Hotel Indigo Auckland makes for the perfect place to rest your tired feet. The hotel's historic home, The Motor House, plays the role of muse. In each corner, you'll find nods to the past. From the scaffold-inspired wardrobes and vintage fixtures to the factory facade still bearing the names of its former owners, you can feel the stories of Auckland past in each inch of the hotel. Step out from the lobby and you'll be met with a view of the Sky Tower and Auckland at your feet. Want to stay in the thick of it? Find out more about Hotel Indigo Auckland here. Lead image: Hotel Indigo Auckland
When looking for the perfect (or just good enough, depending on how desperate you are) Airbnb it's important to tick off the basics: walls, roof, bed, running water, no undisclosed housemates that will appear halfway through your stay etc. Then you can get to the extras. Perhaps the house comes with gratis Corn Flakes and milk, has a rooftop or has a sweet recycling system in place. While we can't be sure of the cereal situation, this Airbnb on the Brazilian island of Florianópolis certainly ticks off the last criteria. And it doesn't just feature a reclaimed piece of furniture or two — it's made almost entirely of recycled materials. Uruguayan visual artist (and, evidently, handy carpenter) Jaime has built the incredible home — dubbed 'Cabana Floripa' — from scraps he collected from homes demolished in the area. The walls are mostly built from reclaimed glass and bottles, along with other bits of 'garbage' like pieces of wood, ceramics and mirror. And not only does it looks amazing from the outside, the inside is just as (if not more) ridiculously colourful and mismatched. The home is close to the beach, can sleep you and six of your mates and comes with a loft bed, air conditioning, a kitchen, bathroom and all the basics. Jaime, who's lived on the island for 30 years, also lives on the property (although in another house), so he'll no doubt be able to show you 'round and tell you where all the bits and pieces have come from. You can book the Cabana Floripa here for around $80AUD a night. Via Inhabitat.
You get the best of both worlds with fan favourites LANEIGE and Frank Green joining forces to redefine self-care on the go. The beauty and hydration powerhouses are officially launching a one-of-a-kind innovation: a glossy 34oz Frank Green ceramic reusable bottle with a detachable lip gloss holder — complete with a full-size LANEIGE Glaze Craze Tinted Lip Serum. This limited-edition release marks the next evolution of water bottles, and is available in three shades inspired by LANEIGE's viral lip serums. Each bottle mirrors the same high-shine finish of the raved gloss. The launch also debuts Frank Green's brand-new accessory, a sleek clip-on lip gloss holder, designed to keep hydration and beauty essentials in one place. The drop caters to the rise of luxury drinkware and the craze for lip oils. "We saw the perfect opportunity to create a bespoke product that ensures our community stays hydrated and glowing all day long — inside and out," says Frank Green founder and CEO, Ben Young. The limited-edition set includes a glossy 34oz Frank Green ceramic reusable bottle paired with a matching detachable lip gloss holder, designed for both function and style. Each bottle comes with a full-size LANEIGE' Glaze Craze Tinted Lip Serum in the coordinating shade, creating a cohesive beauty-and-hydration essential that celebrates the viral lip gloss finish fans love. Launching on October 28, 2025, the collection will be available in three shades — Sugar Glaze, Peach Glaze, and Cinnamon Sugar — and will be sold exclusively through Frank Green and LANEIGE's official websites, as well as select retail partners. This is hydration with main character energy, and it's guaranteed to sell out fast. Shop the LANEIGE x Frank Green collab. Images: Supplied.
The turn of the century was a helluva time. Excitement and a nervous anticipation of a potential apocalypse filled the air. If you, like me, weren't around to see it firsthand, there was concern that computing systems worldwide would flatline at the turn of the century as the dates became impossible to compute. Obviously, that didn't happen. We're still here and, for better or worse, so are the computers. The entire situation left quite a mark on our culture. Now, 23 years later, the notion of Y2K is on the rise once more. As our world once again gets a little bit scary, we need to make every day count and just be ourselves. These are the brands that are bringing Y2K back for... Y23K? We'll workshop the name. PIT VIPER If Y2K is about being unapologetically yourself, Pit Viper gets top marks. There's no piece of eyewear on the market quite as flashy as these beauties. In Pit Viper's own words: "Sunrise to sunset, reef breaks to ridgelines, holeshots to holy sh*t, we build the functional, fun-loving gear that is serious about taking things less seriously". It's hard for an Aussie not to recognise these flashy fluorescent designs, and when you take a spin on the website, you'll be teleported straight back to the 2000s. Once you've adjusted, take a tour through the product range; from the iconic polarised range of 'The Originals' (The 1993 or The Miami Nights) sunnies to the rounded, heavier-duty range of 'The Slammers', there's eyewear of every shape and colour on offer. Pit Viper extends its identity through goggles suitable for dirt and snow, clothes for your head, top and 'power bottom', and even rigs to help keep the glasses on your face. [caption id="attachment_924540" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Oleg Shatilov via Unsplash[/caption] CHAOTIC THREADS While the cultural concept of Gen Z has really only grown in recent years, the generation was quite literally born in the Y2K era, between 1997 and 2012. We might not be able to remember it all physically, but thanks to the internet, its memory is well preserved. The style of Y2K is growing in popularity among Gen Z, and that harmony is plain to see with brands like Chaotic Threads. Chaotic Threads was founded in Melbourne and prides itself on sustainability and style in equal parts. Each piece is created from a single inspiration, meaning every design is limited-run. The upside is every bit of scrap fabric will be reused to create more accessorie. The product range is always shifting, so check the website or Instagram to see what's currently available. [caption id="attachment_924503" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Lilli via iStock[/caption] ACTUAL ANGEL A similarly Gen Z-charged brand (which also happens to be based in Melbourne) is Actual Angel. You might take a shine to these pieces if you have ever had a goth phase. Every design is handmade, ranging from heavy gothic designs to mystical pieces that tread closer to the modern fairy core. Actual Angel's range spans gorgeous stellar earring designs, chokers of all textures and colours and even tote bags made from the likes of velour satin and lace designs. It's all whimsical, comfortable and, most importantly, it's handmade independently. Actual Angel can be found on Instagram, but you can find the entire product range on Depop. [caption id="attachment_924511" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Ivan Martynov via iStock[/caption] THREADHEADS A marker of Y2K fashion is graphic design — as technology and pop culture evolved, the option to print customised designs onto clothing became more accessible. One of the most popular graphic tee brands right now is Threadheads. Quickly achieving viral status thanks to a satirical but stylish approach to designs, this is the ideal brand for anyone with a sense of humour. Design themes cover pop culture, gaming, 80s and 90s, parody, retro, anime and more. Threadheads also loves a collab, with official collections made with Rick and Morty, DC Comics, NASA, Seinfeld, Cobra Kai and others. A new addition to the catalogue is custom tees, a great gift for any lovers of bootleg designs. [caption id="attachment_924502" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] IC Productions via iStock[/caption] DIESEL Diesel predates Y2K, going back to the vintage days of 1978. But as many fashion labels move to the next new and exciting thing, Diesel reflects on all the wonder of the Y2K era with a product range that will take you back to the finest pop videos of the noughties. How so? Diesel's specialty denim line still reigns supreme, but a closer look through the catalogue will reveal the likes of tie-dyed belt bags, futuristic metallic tops, baby tees, frayed high tops and other icons of the era. Ranging across men and women, clothes, accessories, homewares and more, there has to be something for everyone in there. [caption id="attachment_922788" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Millie Savage[/caption] MILLIE SAVAGE The final cornerstone of Y2K fashion for us to discuss is the statement jewellery pieces. Big and bright — there was nothing minimalist about these pieces. A brand that keeps that trend alive is Millie Savage. Yet another fashion label based in Melbourne (though now also boasting a Bali studio), Millie Savage is run by an all-female team of designers that specialises in precious gems, all ethically sourced. Millie Savage has a particular love of opals, mainly sourced from South Australia. Every product has the Millie Savage touch: namely, a lack of playing by the rules. It's especially visible in the one-off beauties collection, where no two pieces are alike in the slightest. Check out the designs across rings, necklaces, earrings, bracelets and more. For more information on Pit Viper or its products, visit the website.
This year's best food-lover gifts are all about small-batch craftsmanship and flavour with personality. Whether you're shopping for a dinner party host, a coffee obsessive or that friend who has opinions about olive oil, we've rounded up thoughtful presents that celebrate local makers and independent producers. Think edible luxuries, clever kitchen tools and design-led homewares that make every meal feel special — plus a few foodie-friendly experiences for good measure. Also have an avid arts lover in your life? Check out our guide to the best gifts for culture seekers. The Fish Weight, Mr Niland Equally nailing the brief of form and function, this stainless steel fish weight from celebrated chef Josh Niland helps you achieve a restaurant-quality cook on anything your heart desires to sear — while doubling as a sleek bench-side sculpture. Shop now. Apéritif Gift Set, Maison Balzac Handblown in the brand's signature sculptural style, this colourful glassware set will elevate any afternoon spritz session. A dreamy choice for design-minded entertainers. Shop now. Butter Blue Seersucker Apron, Mosey Me A cheerful, design-forward kitchen essential from Melbourne's Mosey Me. The seersucker fabric gives it a retro edge — perfect for the friend who loves to cook and coordinate. Shop now. Food For Everyone Art Prints, Food For Everyone These limited-edition prints turn iconic recipes into gallery-worthy art, with a portion of proceeds going to food security initiatives. It's the gift that looks good and does good. Shop now. Messina Make-at-Home Gingerbread Cookie Pie, Two Good Co x Gelato Messina Two Good Co has teamed up with Messina to create a rich, gooey cookie pie you can bake at home. Sweet, festive and socially conscious — every purchase helps support women in need. Shop now. The Madrusan Cocktail Companion, Michael and Zara Madrusan This beautifully bound cocktail bible from Heartbreaker's Michael and Zara Madrusan dives into the history and craft of modern classics. Ideal for the person who always insists on stirring, not shaking. Shop now. Lowe Rehoned Kitchen Knife 40, The Hub General Store A limited-edition knife handcrafted by Melbourne maker Andrew Lowe using a repurposed Japanese blade and a Curly Blackwood handle. Exclusive to The Hub General Store, it's a precision tool with heirloom-level craftsmanship. Shop now. Extra Virgin Olive Oil with Basil, Yiayia and Friends Greek heritage meets playful packaging in this small-batch olive oil infused with basil. Perfect for drizzling, gifting or just admiring on the benchtop. Shop now. Lemon Squeezer Fish, Mesa Collections Whimsical yet functional, this fish-shaped lemon squeezer adds charm to cocktail hours and seafood dinners alike. Because even citrus deserves good design. Shop now. Bubblegum Chopping Board, CHOPIT Boards Made from 100 percent recycled plastic, this bubblegum pink board is naturally odourless and non-absorbent, and turns everyday chopping into a moment of joy. Shop now. Full Set of Hot Sauces, Thousand Apologies A complete lineup of this female-owned Australian hot sauce brand's creations — from mild to blow-your-head-off. For the mate who measures love in Scovilles. Shop now. Balthazar Oyster Dish, Aretae Gifting Lovingly handcrafted, these sculptural dishes take cues from oyster shells — ideal for serving, styling, or simply admiring. A luxe, coastal-inspired addition to any table. Shop now. Moccamaster Select, Alternative Brewing Precision-engineered and endlessly reliable, the Moccamaster is a design icon in the coffee world. For serious caffeine lovers who like their brew as beautiful as it is consistent. Shop now. Meat Masterclass, Victor Churchill Give the gift of experience with a hands-on masterclass at Sydney's legendary Victor Churchill. Learn from expert butchers and chefs how to prepare and cook premium cuts to perfection. Shop now. Panettone Negroni, Never Never Distilling Co. This festive twist on a classic negroni blends Never Never's Triple Juniper Gin with bitter citrus aperitif, sweet vermouth and the warming flavours of aged muscat, orange liqueur and vanilla bean. It's rich, bright and unmistakably Christmas. Shop now. Pick-Your-Own-Label Wine, Good Reason Co If you're looking for a way to make gifting personal this Christmas, head to Good Reason Co for a bespoke wine bottle label. Depending on the gift-receiver, say anything from "Happiness looks good on you" to "Good riddance". Shop now. 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.
His hotel concierges are charismatic and committed, while his lobby boys are devoted and delightful. His foxes are nothing short of fantastic, and his dogs are as resourceful as they are adorable. Every time that he turns his attention to a family dynamic — be it siblings, strained parent-child relationships or friendships so close that they feel like bonds of blood — dysfunction always reigns supreme. And, when all of the above occurs, it does so within immaculately symmetrical yet immensely eccentric frames. Yes, we're talking about Wes Anderson, and the distinctive body of work that the American filmmaker has splashed across cinema screens over the past three decades. Usually chronicling some kind of caper, often featuring a retro 60s and 70s soundtrack, and styled so meticulously that each image could happily hang on anyone's wall (in fact, he's even curated museum exhibitions), his films are like no one else's. Often brought to life by a familiar cast of faces — Owen Wilson, Luke Wilson, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Anjelica Huston, Tilda Swinton, Willem Dafoe, Adrien Brody, Bob Balaban, Edward Norton, Scarlett Johansson and Benicio del Toro, to name a few — they firmly resonate on their own frequency. And, understandably so, they've amassed quite a following. But, from a filmography to-date that spans from Bottle Rocket to The Phoenician Scheme, which is the best? As always, that's a subjective question. Like ranking Studio Ghibli movies, it's also a task made all the more difficult by a simple fact: Wes Anderson has never made a bad film, not once. That said, while some are flatout masterpieces that will always stand the test of time, others are entertaining but don't necessarily demand multiple rewatches. That's what we found when we revisited the 13 features (well, 12 and four shorts packaged as an anthology film, which we're counting) currently on his resume, and soaked in his inimitable cinematic creations. And, here are the results: our rundown of Anderson's films from worst — again, not that there's any such thing as a terrible Anderson flick — to best. 13. Moonrise Kingdom By virtue of their format, a ranked list always requires something to come in last place. Moonrise Kingdom earns that honour on Wes Anderson's filmography — not because it isn't great, which it is, but because it's the movie on his resume that can stick in the mind the least. A bittersweet story about first love and finding a home, it's also the rare Anderson film that feels as much a part of its genre as part of the director's oeuvre. In other words, it's definitely an Anderson flick, but it also charts rather recognisable coming-of-age territory. Still, watching 12-year-olds Suzy Bishop (Kara Hayward, Slayers) and Sam Shakusky (Jared Gilman, Angry Neighbours) set the New England island of New Penzance aflutter when they run off in the name of romance is typically charming. Moonrise Kingdom streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. 12. The Darjeeling Limited In Anderson's fifth film, three brothers take a train across India in the eponymous locomotive. During their trip, Francis (Owen Wilson, Loki), Jack (Jason Schwartzman, The Last Showgirl) and Peter (Adrien Brody, The Brutalist) work through their sibling baggage while literally carting around matching orange-hued, monogrammed baggage. It's been a year since they last crossed paths at their father's funeral, and life isn't treating any of them kindly — with Anderson and co-writers Schwartzman and Roman Coppola (Mozart in the Jungle) balancing the brothers' existential malaise with episodic antics both on the train and off. As stylish as any Anderson-directed feature, The Darjeeling Limited is served best by its performances, as well as its touching blend of sadness and humour. The Darjeeling Limited streams via Disney+, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. 11. Bottle Rocket When Anderson made his feature directorial debut back in 1996, he did so with this crime-comedy caper about three friends planning a series of heists in the absence of any other direction in their lives. Based on a short film of the same name that he helmed two years prior, and co-written with Owen Wilson, who also stars, Bottle Rocket establishes many of the filmmaker's trademarks from the outset — including his penchant for witty interactions, as well as his love of dressing his characters in coordinated outfits. Owen Wilson plays Dignan, the driving force; however, as his recently voluntarily institutionalised best friend Anthony, this is Luke Wilson's (No Good Deed) time to shine. A third Wilson, their elder brother Andrew (Father Figures), also pops up, because of course he does. Bottle Rocket streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. 10. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Three More It might've originally been released as four separate short films, led by Best Live-Action Short Oscar-winner The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, but this 2023 addition to Anderson's resume always made sense as an anthology. In its 39-minute namesake chapter, Ralph Fiennes (Conclave) plays Roald Dahl, who did indeed pen the tale that gives this suitably symmetrically shot affair its name — the book it's in, too. The account that the author spills to start is about a man who has learned to see without his eyes (Ben Kingsley, The King of Kings), the doctor (Dev Patel, Monkey Man) fascinated with him and the gambler (Benedict Cumberbatch, Eric) who wants to master the trick, and is one of several in a movie that enthusiastically makes Anderson's love of layers known in its playful structure as much as its faux set. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Three More streams via Netflix. Read our full review. 9. Isle of Dogs A literal underdog tale about scrappy canines, a plucky orphan and a pooch-hating politician with an evil scheme, Isle of Dogs is one of the most Wes Anderson-esque movies the filmmaker has ever made. Filled with heart, humour and witty dialogue, this doggone delight is constructed with the tail-wagging enthusiasm of man's best friend — and, as well as sporting all of the beloved Anderson traits (quirky quests, spirited characters, symmetrical compositions, a distinctive colour palette and a huge cast among them), it tells a stellar story. The setup: when his uncle, Megasaki City's mayor, bans all dogs to Trash Island, 12-year-old Atari (Koyu Rankin, Dead Boy Detectives) risks his life to follow his four-legged companion. At every moment, the director fills his narrative to the brim like an overflowing bowl of dog treats, spoiling viewers like he'd spoil his own animal companion. Isle of Dogs streams via Disney+, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. 8. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou will always be Anderson's undersung gem. It's so quintessentially Anderson and, with its length, it's guilty of sprawling — but every absurdist moment is a marvel. The premise, casting Bill Murray (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire) as a Jacques Cousteau-style oceanographer intent on getting revenge on the just-discovered jaguar shark that killed his best friend, is instantly amusing. Trapping a crew of offbeat folks at sea while Zissou pursues his quest provides plenty of comic as well as thoughtful moments, too. The soundtrack of David Bowie songs, including Portuguese-language covers by The Life Aquatic co-star Seu Jorge, sets the pitch-perfect mood. And, visually, Anderson's pans through a cross-section of the ship are always striking. Also, no one has ever watched this film and not immediately wanted a pair of Team Zissou sneakers. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou streams via Disney+, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. 7. Rushmore In Anderson's 1998 breakout film, there's nothing that Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman) loves more than Rushmore Academy. As the director conveys so engagingly, his 15-year-old protagonist has spent the bulk of his life at the exclusive private school — mainly starting extra-curricular clubs, as well as annoying both the headmaster (Brian Cox, The Parenting) and his classmates with his enthusiasm, all while barely caring about his grades. Then, just as he befriends a wealthy company owner (Bill Murray), Max falls for the new first-grade teacher (Olivia Williams, Dune: Prophecy). One of the best of Anderson's coming-of-age films, Rushmore deploys both Schwartzman and Murray to perfection, while weaving a smart yet also often dark comedy about learning to adjust your dreams. Rushmore streams via Disney+, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. 6. Fantastic Mr Fox Combine Anderson, a magnificent Roald Dahl-penned all-ages story and stunning stop-motion animation, and you get a match made in cinematic heaven. Dahl wrote the acclaimed 1970 children's novel about the canny and cunning titular fox, of course, while Anderson brings it to vibrant life with a voice cast that includes George Clooney (Wolfs), Meryl Streep (Only Murders in the Building), Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Willem Dafoe (Nosferatu) and Owen Wilson (and via a script co-written with Frances Ha, Marriage Story and White Noise's Noah Baumbach, too). While Fantastic Mr Fox marked Anderson's first animated feature, he's a natural when it comes to witty comedy paired with playfulness and a whole lot of sight gags. As for the story, it follows Mr Fox's (Clooney) efforts to outsmart a trio of mean farmers — and it's told here with energy, personality and Anderson's usual flair. Fantastic Mr Fox streams via Disney+, Stan, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. 5. The French Dispatch Editors fictional and real may disagree — The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun's Arthur Howitzer Jr (Bill Murray) among them — but it's easy to use Wes Anderson's name as both an adjective and a verb. In a sentence that'd never get printed in this film's titular tome (and mightn't in The New Yorker, its inspiration, either), The French Dispatch is another one of the most Wes Anderson movies Wes Anderson has ever Wes Andersoned. It spins three main stories and a couple of delightful interludes like it's laying out pieces from its titular magazine, and it's as symmetrical, idiosyncratic and thoughtful as the writer/director's work has even been. Plus, the cast is packed, as well as glorious in offbeat performances as always, with Tilda Swinton (The Room Next Door), Timothée Chalamet (A Complete Unknown), Benicio del Toro (Reptile) and Jeffrey Wright (The Last of Us) among the standouts. The French Dispatch streams via Disney+, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. 4. The Phoenician Scheme It'll always be a glaring oversight that Ralph Fiennes didn't win every award that he could for The Grand Budapest Hotel. Here's hoping that Benicio del Toro's efforts in The Phoenician Scheme aren't similarly overlooked. After the actor's sublime work for Anderson in one of The French Dispatch's segments, the Traffic Oscar-winner is again exceptional as Anatole 'Zsa-zsa' Korda, who starts this film in a plane crash, then trying to appoint his sole daughter Liesl (Mia Threapleton, The Buccaneers), a trainee nun, to agree to be his heir. They give each other a trial period — as a father, and as the person who'll carry on Zsa-zsa's legacy. Their other key focus: attempting to enact the titular scheme. Both del Toro and Michael Cera, as a Norwegian tutor, couldn't be more at home in front of Anderson's lens. This is also one of his movies that cuts deep emotionally, and seamlessly shows how he's a master at his usual touches while also venturing into new territory. The Phoenician Scheme released in Australian cinemas on Thursday, May 29, 2025. Read our interview with Benicio del Toro and Michael Cera. 3. Asteroid City Asteroid City is Anderson's 11th movie, also a desert spot known for a hefty crater caused 5000 years ago and a play about said locale. As the film itself tells viewers direct to-camera, however, the latter two — the setting and the theatre show — definitely aren't real, even within the world of the feature itself. Anderson gets especially playful in this film about a Junior Stargazer convention, the motley crew of folks that it brings to town in September 1955 and the otherworldly interloper who causes chaos. Staging a play within a TV show within a movie, he gets as smart and moving as his work has ever been to contemplate art, authenticity, and the emotions found in and processed through works of creativity, too. As the closest thing that the ensemble piece has to leads, Jason Schwartzman and Scarlett Johansson (Fly Me to the Moon) are astronomically spectacular, as are the film's look, feel, insightful musings, sense of humour and crater-sized impact. Asteroid City streams via Paramount+, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. 2. The Grand Budapest Hotel Many a well-known actor has graced Anderson's frames. Most have done so multiple times, with Bill Murray appearing in ten of his 13 films thus far. But no one has put in a performance quite like Ralph Fiennes as M. Gustave in The Grand Budapest Hotel. As the dedicated concierge at the titular holiday spot in the Republic of Zubrowka, he's a powerhouse — as amusing as he is charming, vibrant, confident, soulful, wily and determined. Indeed, it's no wonder that Anderson lets this layered tale of friendship, war, fascism and tragedy hang off his leading man. The rest of his ensemble cast works a treat, including Saoirse Ronan (Blitz) and then-newcomer Tony Revolori (Servant), and this is one of Anderson's most aesthetically stunning creations. Still, without Fiennes, it would've lacked quite a bit of its ample magic. The Grand Budapest Hotel streams via Disney+, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. 1. The Royal Tenenbaums In his first two films, Anderson focused on characters striving for greatness, be it through pulling off heists in Bottle Rocket or tying their identity to their school in Rushmore. In The Royal Tenenbaums, the titular family's three children were all once great. In fact, they were child prodigies. But as adults, their lives have seen more disappointment and joy, a truth that stern widower and finance whiz Chas (Ben Stiller, Nutcrackers), fiercely private playwright Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow, The Politician) and ex-tennis star Richie (Luke Wilson) are forced to face just as their father (the now-late, great Gene Hackman, Welcome to Mooseport) resurfaces and their mother (Anjelica Huston, Towards Zero) prepares to get remarried. Although undeniably whimsical, it's the most melancholy, poignant and deeply felt of the director's features. And, in its visuals and its performances, it's also oh-so-rich with affecting detail. The Royal Tenenbaums streams via Disney+, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video.
Putting one foot in front of the other and then seeing where they take you is one of life's simple pleasures. Whether you prefer to stroll along leisurely or charge forward at a brisk pace, there's always fun to be found in something as simple as a walk around Brisbane. You don't even need to leave the city to enjoy a good ol' saunter. Brisbane has plenty of gorgeous walks to offer and, with the sun often shining and the weather frequently warm, it's always a good time to head out for a stroll. Want to wander along the river? Hike around the city's main mountain? Amble through bushland? Trek over a bridge? You can do all that and more if you head to one of our ten picks for the best walks (or runs) in and around Brisbane. Recommended reads: The Best Hiking Trails Within 50 Kilometres of Brisbane The Best One-Day Hikes to Conquer in Queensland The Best Bike Rides in Brisbane The Best Snorkelling Spots Near Brisbane [caption id="attachment_847554" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] Kangaroo Point to West End via South Bank When it comes to the southern side of the Brisbane river, finding somewhere to walk in the heart of the city is easy. Between Kangaroo Point, South Brisbane and West End, all you need to do is close your eyes and point to find a top-notch place to head. For the more organised — and for those after a decent trek — kick off at Kangaroo Point, work your way through South Bank and the Cultural Precinct, then head down Montague Road in the direction of West End. On your way, you can see plenty of Brisbane's best sights, including the Kangaroo Point cliffs, the Gallery of Modern Art and Davies Park. [caption id="attachment_973282" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kgbo via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] The Brisbane Riverwalk Yes, it's the walkway that stands over the New Farm stretch of the Brisbane river — and it's the structure that's been built not once, but twice. The 2011 floods washed away the original path, but you can't keep a good walking track down. Sure, the Brisbane Riverwalk itself is only 870 metres in length from the end of Merthyr Road to the beginning of the Howard Smith Wharves; however, we recommend starting your stroll down at New Farm Park, then moseying along the riverwalk and the adjoining riverside boardwalk before coming to a stop at the City Botanic Gardens. [caption id="attachment_720391" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Matthew Taylor, Tourism Events Queensland[/caption] Mount Coot-tha Summit Track The splendid Mount Coot-tha lookout comes with some breathtaking vistas over Brisbane and, beyond that, Moreton Island. It's located just seven kilometres west of the CBD, so you can drive, catch a bus or even arrive by helicopter if that's more your speed. Once on foot, follow the Mount Coot-tha Summit Track, which begins at JC Slaughter Falls and travels along an easy two-kilometre path. Return the same way or, for a bit of added adventure, choose the three-kilometre Mahogany Trail, which loops back around to JC Slaughter Falls. [caption id="attachment_973299" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Redland City Council via Flickr[/caption] North Gorge Walk, Stradbroke Island There's never a bad reason to visit Straddie. Some go for the beaches and some go for the pub, but taking a ferry ride across the bay to go for a walk is just as valid. Your trip doesn't just have to be about trampling through nature either — you can combine it with the other two activities, of course. While you're winding your way along the 1.5-kilometre Point Lookout trail, keep an eye out for more than a breathtaking view of the ocean. The area is a prime site for spotting marine, bird and wildlife, including whales, dolphins and giant sea turtles. Make the trek during sunrise or sunset for the best views of all. [caption id="attachment_790757" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brisbane City Council via Flickr[/caption] Banks Street Reserve, Newmarket Brisbane's CBD is located in close proximity to plenty of patches of nature that are worthy of a walk, but Banks Street Reserve rightfully stands out. Located just a few kilometres from the city centre, this inner-north stretch of bushland span 30 hectares and includes remnants from the Three Mile Scrub rainforest, as well as part of the Enoggera Creek. Here, you're in for some blissful wandering that'll make you completely forget that you're a mere five kilometres away from the city's concrete and tall buildings. Enjoy a day exploring the many corners of this wide open space and leave your city woes behind. [caption id="attachment_790762" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brisbane City Council via Flickr[/caption] Jindalee to Rocks Riverside Park Riverside trails aren't the inner city's exclusive domain. Venture a bit further west and you'll find a pleasant track at Jindalee, which takes you up to Rocks Riverside Park in Seventeen Mile Rocks. And we really do mean pleasant — the hills are few and far between, and there's plenty of places to have a picnic (or just a lie down) along the way. The 3.6-kilometre walk passes by the Jindalee Pool before heading off to meander along the Brisbane River. Finish off at the park, where an 800-metre riverside promenade awaits. Cool off in the water play area (it's not just for kids, after all) and finish off your day with a picnic or barbecue in the park. [caption id="attachment_790793" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Simon Morris via Flickr[/caption] Sir Leo Hielscher Bridges Everyone in Brisbane has driven over the Sir Leo Hielscher Bridges, even if they don't know it. They're the official name of the structures that guide the Gateway Motorway across the Brisbane River, and they have their own five-kilometre return walking path. If you're wondering why you should make the trip over one of the city's busiest highways sans car, we've got a clear answer: there's nothing quite like the view from the top, which offers expansive vistas across the river and beyond. The trek starts off near the Queensport Rocks Park, which boasts its own views of the two bridges from ground level — plus plenty of picnic tables for a snack pre- or post-walk. Though the hike up the bridges is quite a steep incline, there are shelters with seating and water access at regular intervals throughout. [caption id="attachment_643649" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brisbane City Council via Flickr[/caption] Wynnum to Manly Esplanade If an ten-kilometre stroll along the seaside sounds like your kind of thing — and, let's face it, it's most people's thing — then the Wynnum to Manly Esplanade walk is your go-to spot. The full expanse runs from Elanora Park to the Lota Creek Boardwalk, but you can join the track anywhere you'd like. Your relaxing trek comes with a view of Moreton Bay, as well as ample parks and pools to drop into along the way. Afterwards, we suggest treating yourself to some post-walk fish and chips, because a bustling strip of waterfront eateries is the area's second main attraction. [caption id="attachment_703973" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brisbane City Council via Flickr[/caption] Shorncliffe to Sandgate Foreshore Think Brisbane's east-side boasts the only beachy walking spot? Think again. Anything Wynnum and Manly can do, Shorncliffe and Sandgate can do, too — and that includes offering up a scenic saunter along the foreshore. While you stroll the six-kilometre return trip, you'll traipse along Shorncliffe's historical pier, pass ornate Victorian mansions, and have the chance to stop off at a heap of waterfront and beachside picnic spots. On the way, don't miss the sandy beach at Lower Moora Park or the clifftop path along Lovers' Walk. If you want to keep the stroll going, you can add another six-kilometres by following Flinders Parade to Decker Park. [caption id="attachment_790902" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] Paddington Listing an entire suburb as a walking spot might be cheating, but few parts of Brisbane are as nice to mosey through as Paddington. This inner west destination offers notoriously hilly terrain, so you're in for a decent workout — but the many shops, bars and cafes ensure that there's always somewhere to stop when you need a rest. Scenic sights aplenty are on the docket too, including heritage-listed haunts such as the Ithaca War Memorial and the old Paddington Antique Centre. Apart from winding your way down Caxton Street, Given Terrace and Latrobe Terrace, don't forget to veer off the beaten path to discover a few hidden gems along the way. Top image: Redland City Council via Flickr.
If you enjoy getaways of the pampering, wellness-oriented and soaking kind — you're in luck. Victoria is quickly becoming a hot spring haven, with future plans including a 900-kilometre trail of bathing spots dubbed The Great Bathing Trail to span along the Victorian coast. In the meantime, there are plenty of newly-opened and established favourites to explore. Regional Victoria boasts some of the best hot springs in the country, from geothermal pools overlooking stunning views to majestic spa precincts complete with restaurants. If you're looking to escape the city for some well-earned self-care, here are the natural hot springs and wellness destinations to put on your must-visit list. Recommended reads: The Best Spas in Melbourne The Best Heated Pools in Melbourne A Weekender's Guide to the Mornington Peninsula The Best Winter Day Trips From Melbourne
Anyday is not a group that does things by halves. The powerhouse hospo group — responsible for game-changing venues including Agnes, sAme sAme and Honto — is going all in on Golden Avenue, which brings rhythm, smoke and fire-kissed Levantine fare guided by a trio of experienced chefs to Edward Street. At the helm of the group's first CBD venture is Ben Williamson — Anyday Co-Owner and Culinary Director — who returns to his culinary roots after years spent shaping Brisbane dining through woodfired cooking at Agnes and contemporary Middle Eastern at Gerard's Bistro, as well as stints at kitchens in the Middle East. He's joined by Executive Chef Adam Wolfers — who worked at Sydney fine diners Est, Monopole and Yellow before replacing Williamson at Gerard's — and Head Chef Tim Yates, most recently Head Chef of the opening team at London fine-diner Scully. [caption id="attachment_1018207" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jessie Prince[/caption] The menu is built around charcoal grills and wood ovens, creating smoky aromas that drift out of the open kitchen and through the dining space. The menu might include meze like kibbeh nayyeh with urfa chilli and sheep curd or fried quail with house chilli oil, carob molasses and za'atar. Those wood ovens also turn out larger plates like whole john dory with preserved lemon and a 700g mechoui lamb shoulder finished with fermented daikon ajvar, mint and black cardamom salt, while grill selections include king prawns with black lime and ghormeh sabzi and fenugreek-basted chicken thigh with soured onion, toum and a salad of fines herbes. There's a generous selection of sides to choose from, too, as well as creative desserts like a frozen yoghurt parfait with Iranian pistachios and rose and a sultry Turkish coffee ice cream lifted with cocoa nibs, EVOO and smoked sea salt. The venue is designed by J.AR OFFICE, the Fortitude Valley studio that's been on a tear of late, culminating in winning top honours at the Australian Interior Design Awards for its work on nearby restaurant Central. The 500-square-metre Golden Avenue space blends brutalist form with Moroccan riad influences across its interconnected, multi-level shared and private dining areas. Far from stark concrete, the design is softened with skylights, tiled surfaces and textured render, cloistered by a perforated shade sail that rests on a peristyle. Granite, off-form concrete, stainless steel and plenty of greenery create a breezy, light-filled setting that feels worlds away from Edward Street, with seven retractable roofs opening to the sky above. Adjacent to the restaurant, GA is Golden Avenue's bar that offers a more casual drop-in option. Open daily until midnight and with its own entrance, GA will have a separate snack menu and a back bar with more than 130 bottles. [caption id="attachment_1018208" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jessie Prince[/caption] Images: Jessie Prince.
If you're planning to snap up one of IKEA's joyfully sculptural Gustaf Westman tablewares next month, there's another collaboration that should be on your radar. This time, the furniture juggernaut has tapped in Tekla Evelina Severin, a Swedish interior architect who goes by Teklan. Celebrated for her playful geometric sensibilities and expert eye for colour composition, Teklan has imagined up a seven-piece collection of whimsical speakers. The standouts are a pair of KULGLASS lamps that double up as Bluetooth speakers. Their swirly shades are a delightful nod to soft-serve ice cream, rendered in reddish-brown and mint green tones drawn from Teklan's childhood memories – she even matched the mint green to a soap bar from her grandparents' home. Originally a minimalist white speaker crafted by IKEA product designer Ola Wihlborg, the SOLSKYDD speaker has been transformed by Teklan into a trio of colourful collectibles. The round speakers come in three sizes: a portable model that pops in every room; a medium version sporting green, brown and beige stripes; and a large textured orange one that can be mounted on the wall. All speakers in the SOLSKYDD family can sync up with each other and other IKEA Bluetooth speakers, so you can play your tunes throughout the house. The lineup also features the iconic FADO lamp, a mood light reimagined with a gentle brown pattern across to its surface. This isn't the first time IKEA has worked with Teklan and her distinct aesthetic — earlier this year, she released 14 climbing rope-inspired charging cables. The full Teklan range is scheduled be launched globally in December 2o25.
Already one of Brisbane's best Japanese eateries, Howard Smith Wharves' Yoko Dining wants to be one of the city's best Japanese bars as well. Five years after first opening, the waterside venue has given its top level a revamp. Meet B-SIDE, its new upstairs record bar — and get ready for vinyl-spun tunes, boozy slushies, and everything from chicken miso ramen and miso caramel soft serve to tuck into. "We wanted to create something that encapsulates the energy and playfulness of Tokyo's vibrant back-alley bars but with a Brisbane twist," advises restaurateur Jonathan Barthelmess, who is behind Yoko Dining, as well as fellow HSW eatery Greca. "B-SIDE is for those who want to kick back after work, enjoy amazing food and drinks, and let loose with good music," he continues. For years, if someone said that things were looking up in Brisbane, they were probably talking about the Queen's Wharf precinct with its 100-metre tall Sky Deck, or the city's embrace of rooftop bars over the past decade or so. Over at HSW, however, levelling up is now also on the agenda (and not just due to the broader precinct's own plans to add a new nine-story hotel to the site, plus a music hall, overwater pool, and waterside food and drinks deck). B-SIDE is one of two new additions to the riverside spot in October 2024 alone, alongside the Hong Kong-inspired Stan's above Cantonese eatery Stanley — each from beloved restaurants revamping their second levels. Welcoming in patrons from 5pm on Monday, October 14 —with 50 bowls of free chicken miso ramen on offer for the first customers through the door — B-SIDE takes inspiration from Tokyo in a number of ways. Firstly, Yoko Dining as a two-storey izakaya already owes the Japanese capital's similar joints a debt, so its record bar not only embraces that idea but runs with it. Menu-wise, however, B-SIDE is also nodding to the kind of fare that you'll find in Tokyo train stations. For bites to eat, diners can also enjoy wagyu katsu sliders, prawn rolls on milk bread and kizami wasabi octopus — plus sashimi (with kingfish, tuna, ocean trout, Hokkaido scallop, ocean trout and eel the choices), Japanese potato salad, tuna tataki and chicken karaage. The tunes come via DJs hitting the decks every night. On Monday evenings, 80s and 90s tracks are set to echo at the bar's retro vinyl sessions. On Sundays from 8pm, discounted rates for hospitality workers who show their RSA card are on offer. B-SIDE's drinks lineup has another impressive name involved: Matt Whiley, best-known of late for his acclaimed low-waste Sydney bar Re (which placed 46th in 2021's World's 50 Best Bars list and made the 51–100 longlist in 87th spot). Fresh from whipping up a sustainability-focused cocktail menu across town in Brisbane at W Brisbane's Living Room Bar, he's done the honours for B-SIDE, where slushies and highballs feature prominently. Find B-SIDE upstairs at Yoko Dining, Howard Smith Wharves, 5 Boundary Street, Brisbane — open nightly from 5pm–late. Head to the venue's website for more details. Images: Nikki To / Dexter Kim.
With its heritage-listed sandstone cottage building, melt-in-your-mouth duck dish, and connection to local farmers, Ennui in Haymarket has stood out from Sydney's food scene. Three hospitality friends, Thomas Bromwich, Peter Chan and Samuel Woods, originally envisioned Ennui as an intimate bar. It's now a two-storey restaurant with space to seat 100 guests and just celebrated its first birthday. [caption id="attachment_1026040" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Ennui[/caption] "Bringing Ennui to life was no small task," says director and cook Samuel Woods. "Three years of heritage approvals, landlord negotiations, and months of construction tested our patience and resolve. Yet the effort has been worth it." Located on the corner of Pitt and Hay Streets, opposite the Capitol Theatre, Ennui shares its interpretation of French cuisine in one of Sydney's most historic settings. In partnership with the business solution experts at Square, we spoke with Samuel to learn more about how they created a hospitality business that stands out from the crowd. From little things Samuel shares that Ennui began with a simple idea. "[We imagined] a small wine bar with food that spoke to our cultural backgrounds and connections with local farmers," Samuel tells Concrete Playground. "But when we were introduced to the Manse building, we knew this was something bigger." The cottage was built in 1846 and is one of the few buildings of its kind still standing in Sydney. Its historic, sandstone outer layer means the modern yet warm interiors stand out even more. [caption id="attachment_1026041" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Ennui[/caption] Keep it simple For Samuel, Peter and Thomas, their guiding principle to growing into one of Sydney's most popular new restaurants is simple: the guest comes first. "We want people to feel looked after, and we're always willing to be flexible in how we offer our service to make sure everyone feels welcome. That belief has shaped everything we do at Ennui." Restaurants and brands often focus on viral 'must-try' tactics to stand out in a crowded, algorithm-driven market. However, Samuel believes that the chase for uniqueness can undermine core values. [caption id="attachment_1026042" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Ennui[/caption] "For us, consistency is more important than chasing uniqueness. Guests should feel confident that the dish they saw online, or the one a friend recommended, will arrive at the table exactly as expected." "We want people to come back weeks later and relive the same great experience. That dependability is what builds trust and ultimately, lasting relationships with our guests," Samuel shares. Signature dishes One tenet of Ennui's success was knowing they wanted a dish that defined the restaurant. For Samuel, Thomas and Peter, this was always duck. Focusing on a signature dish (done exquisitely) has helped the restaurant stand out from other French-inspired restaurants across the city. [caption id="attachment_1026043" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Ennui[/caption] "I still remember dining at Monopole in Potts Point about ten years ago. The duck was unforgettable, and it stayed with me. From those early plans on paper to opening night, the idea of serving our own duck has been at the heart of the restaurant." Samuel credits this and word-of-mouth recommendations with helping to grow Ennui more than intentional marketing, proving that if you create an experience that people want to keep coming back to, they will. "It is one of the most important things in hospitality, to be hospitable." Learning and growing If you're new to the hospitality business, Samuel doesn't sugarcoat it — you're going to feel the heat. However, having a team of people in your corner can help to keep the dream alive. "We have been very lucky to have such a talented team of people around us, always pushing for new ways to drive business." He also credits Square's payment system as making the business side of the restaurant run more smoothly. "It's one less thing to worry about because I've got Square by my side." Samuel shares that muddling through and (sometimes) missing the mark can ultimately lead to business satisfaction."Some things have worked really well, and sometimes you try, but you miss the mark. Either way, we're happy with where we are now." From a history-rich building to collaboration and growth, it's clear that Ennui stands out from the Sydney food scene and keeps customers coming back for more. "What began as a dream between three friends who had worked together for years has grown into a restaurant that feels like home." Square empowers local businesses to thrive by making it easier to run, manage, and grow their operations. Find out how Square can help your business grow. Lead image: Ennui
Over the past month, Arnott's has been unveiling a new recipe for one of its famed bikkies every week. As part of the snack expert's Big Recipe Release, it has unveiled its Monte Carlo, four-ingredient Scotch Finger and Iced VoVo recipes, as well as a twist on its Tim Tam: a salted almond Tim Tam brownie. This week, it's thrown us another curveball. The recipe isn't for one of its sweet snacks; instead, like the Tim Tam brownie, it uses one of its sweet snacks. The key ingredient this time is Nice biscuits, which you'll use as a sugar-dusted base for a silky but classic cheesecake. Obviously, the new recipe still ticks another very important box: giving everyone currently working from home — or just spending more time indoors than usual — something different to bake. Australia's oldest baker will continue to release a new recipe for one of its famous biscuits every week until social distancing regulations are lifted. Next up, will it be the Mint Slice? Pizza Shapes? We'll have to wait and see. In the meantime, though, here's the classic Nice cheesecake recipe: https://www.instagram.com/p/CAeYW1GgwSs/ CLASSIC NICE CHEESECAKE 1 250 gram packet of Arnott's Nice biscuits 125 grams melted butter 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 250 gram packets of cream cheese, at room temperature 3 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup caster sugar Method BASE: Preheat the oven to 150°C. Grease a 20 centimetre (base measurement) springform tin. Place Arnott's Nice biscuits and cinnamon in the bowl of a food processor, then process until biscuits are finely crushed. Add melted butter, then process until combined. Transfer mixture to the prepared tin — and, using the back of a spoon, press over the base and up the sides of the tin until it is spread evenly. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until needed, to ensure a firm crust. FILLING: Combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract in a medium bowl, then beat until well mixed. Add eggs one by one, beating well after each addition. Pour mixture over the biscuit base. Bake for 50 minutes, or until set. Turn the oven off, but leave the cheesecake in the oven with door ajar until it has completely cooled — as this will help prevent the cheesecake from cracking. TIPS: Add a teaspoon of lemon or orange zest to your cream cheese mixture for extra flavour. Replace the cinnamon with mixed spice for a twist. Serve with your favourite berries and double cream. If you don't have a food processor, you can crush the biscuits it the old-fashioned way — by placing them in a zip lock bag and crushing with a rolling pin. Top image: Arnott's
In case you don't already have enough reasons to attend SXSW Sydney in 2025, here's more: the event's Music Festival keeps adding to its lineup, with over 50 new performers joining the bill, plus a heap of presenters as well. The latest round of names follows past announcements across all things SXSW Sydney for this year, spanning speakers, an initial batch of local and international acts, high-profile guests, more bands and folks getting chatting, Paul Feig and a 14-hour Freaks and Geeks marathon, and Tumbalong Park's free programming. Even beyond all of the above so far, there's also still lineup drops to come. Ninajirachi, 2charm, Drifting Clouds, Whitney, Picture This, Le Boom, Sonic Reducer, xiao xiao, Angela Ken, Maki, Modern Cinema Master, Lex Amor, Amy Gadiaga: they're now on the Music Festival bill, taking to the stage across Monday, October 13–Sunday, October 19. As for where you'll be catching them, SXSW Sydney's already-hefty range of venues is expanding, too, with The Eveleigh Hotel, Embassy Conference Centre, and outdoor stages at the Seymour Centre and on Kensington Street among the new places to hit up. Laneway Festival Co-Founder Danny Rogers, ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd, Support Act Wellbeing Content & Programs Lead Ash King, Skillbox Founder and CEO Anmol Kukreja, Backlash Productions's Tour and Production Manager Jamal Chalabi, UNIFIED's CEO Jaddan Comerford are just some of the speakers adding a little more conversation to the bill — and so are Tickets for Good Founder and CEO Steve Rimmer, Strawberry Fields Director Tara Medina and others. SXSW Sydney has also confirmed that a lengthy list of organisations will be putting on events, including American Apparel, APRA AMCOS, British Music Embassy, College of Hip Hop Knowledge, GYROstream, Impressed Recordings, Laneway Festival x Outside Lands, Moshtix, NPCC presents Taiwan Now, Rolling Stone, Virgin Music and more. The last dedicated Music Festival reveal came in June, and featured the likes of Rashmeet Kaur, Vandelux, The Thing and August Wahh, plus Tenxi & Jemsii, Holly Hebe, Munan and Yasmina Sadiki. In total, this year's fest is due to feature more than 300 music performances. Before that, the festival had already announced Jasmine 4.t, Freak Slug and Ristband + Pivots from the UK; Slowwves from Thailand; Japan's Suichu Spica 水中スピカ; New Zealand's Serebii and Tusekah; and Cardinals from Ireland; and Autralia's Jamaica Moana, JJ4K, RICEWINE, Sacred Hearts, Swapmeet and BADASSMUTHA. SXSW Sydney 2025 runs from Monday, October 13–Sunday, October 19 at various Sydney venues. Head to the SXSW Sydney website for further details. Select SXSW Sydney images: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images for SXSW Sydney // Jess Gleeson.
This year Kendrick Lamar, Doechii, Sara Landry and Dominic Fike are headlining a nearly sold out Spilt Milk alongside a roster of insane acts like ScHoolboy Q, Sombr, Nessa Barrett and more. Of course, Jim Beam are back at Spilt Milk again helping to deliver on one of the year's best festival experiences to bring you and your mates together. If you missed out on tickets when they dropped in May, Jim Beam have got you covered. [caption id="attachment_1040567" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Supplied[/caption] We have four sets of two VIP tickets up for grabs (for your nearest Spilt Milk location) with a Top Shelf upgrade, plus a money can't buy side of stage experience*. You can use the tickets at your closest Spilt Milk stop and even bring your mate along. To enter, just complete the form below. And, the good times keep rolling. If you've got tickets to Canberra and Ballarat, you can also crash the Jim Beam Mates Confessional and score a whole host of prizes. To free you from the guilt for past flaky friend discretions, simply step into the confession booth hosted by Will Gibb and drop the lore of the most diabolical reason you have ever flaked on your mates. Will will hear you out and determine what prize you're up for. You could be looking at VIP upgrades, merch and more. To get involved, look out for the Jim Beam Mates Confessional and bar at Spilt Milk Ballarat or Canberra from 2 - 5pm. Don't worry, that leaves you plenty of time to confess your flakiest excuses, score a prize, and catch the headliners. [competition]1040682[/competition] *Side of stage access is dependent on availability. Best enjoyed together, visit Jim Beam's website for more information.
For the person who's always between flights, cities or Airbnb check-ins, the best gifts are the ones that make travelling smoother, smarter and a little more stylish. This edit rounds up the essentials they'll actually use — sleek luggage upgrades, smart tech organisers, compact beauty kits and design-minded accessories that hold up to life on the move. Whether they're a habitual weekender or the friend who treats their home like a pit stop, these thoughtful picks blend function with good looks — and won't add unnecessary bulk to their suitcase. Shopping for someone who lives for movies, marathons and home cinema setups? Explore our guide to the best gifts for screen addicts. LED Light Therapy Face Mask, Nanoleaf A travel-friendly LED mask designed for in-flight skincare and on-the-go routines, Nanoleaf's model delivers stronger and more even coverage than others in its price range thanks to triple the LEDs. With multiple clinically backed light modes — from wrinkle-reducing red to inflammation-calming yellow — it's a compact wellness upgrade for frequent travellers. Shop now. Meridian Tote Bag, State of Escape A lightweight and structured fabric tote with rope handles and a detachable shoulder strap. It's the perfect balance between style and function — roomy enough for all the travel essentials and polished enough to match any outfit. Shop now. Heartbreaker Jewellery Case, Status Anxiety A portable pebble leather system to keep precious pieces organised and safe, perfect for jet-setters who never leave the house without their accessories. Shop now. Handheld Steamer, Philips A sleek 1400W steamer that smooths wrinkles on cotton, linen or other delicate fabrics that don't travel well. This bad boy fires up within 35 seconds — ideal for a quick outfit refresh. Shop now. Fujifilm X-T30 III, Fujifilm An uber compact yet powerful camera that comes with 20 film-like colour profiles. Our editor's verdict: it just might replace your digicam. Shop now. Avedon Dark Havana Sunglasses, P. Johnson An artsy tortoiseshell frame, handmade in Italy. Essential for brooding mysteriously at the airport. Shop now. Tech Kit, Bellroy A recycled ripstop pouch where all your wires, chargers and tech bits can live neatly — so nothing gets tangled or lost in a jam-packed carry. Shop now. LM Workroom Hat, Lee Matthews A soft, structured cotton bucket hat that takes up minimal packing room. Ideal for the loved one who disappears to warmer shores during winter. Shop now. Isla Round Luggage Tag, The Daily Edited A luggage tag for the frequent flyer might be on the nose, but a monogrammed leather one can be a luxe surprise. Shop now. Expandable Checked Bag, July If your mate's luggage is on its last legs, upgrade them with something that's built to last. This one's got a compression system and a built-in laundry bag that makes packing feel a little less chaotic. Shop now. The Watch Roll, Maison De Sabre A must-have for those who are serious about wristwear: a full-grain leather case that keeps timepieces scratch-free on the road. Shop now. Airbnb Gift Cards, Airbnb An Airbnb gift card is basically a ticket to anywhere. Perfect for the friend who always "need a break", whether they're dreaming of a beachside villa, city loft or countryside cabin. Shop now. Ceramic Reusable Bottle, Frank Green Any water bottle from Frank Green beats overpriced, single-use water bottles from the airport, but this design's triple insulation and ceramic lining help water stay cool and fresh. Shop now. Rio Passport Holder, Wolff Studios Three card slots, two passport pockets and a boarding pass sleeve – all in one buttery soft, RFID-secure leather piece. Shop now. Universal Strap, Rikka Save a pal the 'where's my phone?!' panic with this candy-coloured phone strap that attaches to any phone. Shop now. The Signature Pouch, Ouvert A plush cherry pouch that holds every serum, cream and lippie you need – with waterproof lining to keep mishaps contained. Shop now. The Christmas Ginger Shampoo Gift Bundle, Cooki Housed in travel-friendly metal tins and tucked into a chic woven bag of natural fibres, this ginger-infused haircare duo offers stylish, zero-waste hair washes on the go. Shop now. 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.
For the cinephiles, TV addicts and all-around lovers of entertainment, the gifting season can sometimes be a little challenging. After all, everything they want, they can just watch…right? Wrong. It's 2025, physical media is making a comeback, and home cinema technology is better than ever. The only thing stopping you from getting your favourite movie lover a quality present is your attitude. Here's a list curated by our own film-addicted writers for all the blockbuster fans, Letterboxd diehards, nerds and tech heads who know how to make screentime into quality time. Shopping for someone who's never home? Check out our guide to the best gifts for frequent travellers. Two-Room Speaker Set, Sonos Anyone who knows their Hollywood blockbuster from their independent arthouse flick probably dreams of replicating theatre audio at home. With this speaker duo, they'll be able to precisely shape an immersive soundscape for all kinds of movies at home. Shop now. Popcorn Maker, Heller No true movie experience is complete without a bowl or box of hot, buttery popcorn. Sure, you could get a microwaveable packet from the shops, but this adds a novelty feeling to the in-home popcorn experience. Shop now. Freestyle Portable Projector, Samsung With some creative thinking and a smooth, vertical (and preferably white) background, this portable projector can upgrade any space into a theatre with pictures up to 100 inches across, 360º sound and inbuilt Samsung Smart TV tech. Shop now. TV Backlight Kit, Govee The dream of any at-home cinema curator, a tv backlight can synchronise the colour display of its lights to the colours on-screen, blending the picture into the room and making for a seriously immersive viewing experience. Compared to other brands, this kit gives you all the gear you need for a very reasonable price. Shop now. 120" Portable Projector Screen, AIWA Perfectly matched with the Samsung portable projector, this lightweight and reliable screen means you can set up a movie night anywhere with a power supply. If that's not a cinephiles dream, we don't know what is. Shop now. 4K DVD Player, Panasonic You heard it here first: physical media is making a comeback, at least among film lovers. If your loved one has a long-forgotten collection of ancient DVDs or a burgeoning collection of new ones, this player will give them the best quality possible for every sweet, ad-free, unbuffered moment. Shop now. One Year of Pro or Patron, Letterboxd Any movie diehard has either already downloaded or desperately wants to get into Letterboxd. A social media platform designed for film lovers, by film lovers, you can gift the Letterboxd user in your life a year of paywalled goodies and bonus features for their account. You just need an account of your own. Shop now. 'Star Wars' The Skywalker Saga DVD Box Set, Lucasfilm If a special someone in your life has a soft spot for the stories set in a galaxy far, far away — and has a compatible disc drive (any DVD player, external disc drive or disc-compatible gaming console will do) — you can gift them all nine feature films that come free of streaming hassle for the rest of their life. Shop now. Movie Log, A24 If Letterboxd, or social media as a whole, isn't the style of your giftee, maybe they'll prefer something more tactile? Available on a waitlist via independent production company A24, this paper logbook is a great print method for someone to track their movie-watching activities. Shop now. 2026 Daily Tear-Off Calendar, A24 Part calendar, part shopping list for some of the best films in the game, this desktop-compatible gift offers up 365 days of A24's award-winning movies in seasonal order. It's a great accessory, and an even better guide to going from general audience member to certified cinephile. Shop now. Gift Card, IMAX At long last, IMAX screens in Australia are on the rise. These massive theatre screens are the biggest and indisputably best way to watch a blockbuster, but tickets don't come cheap. Save your resident film nerd some precious movie snack money and cover their tickets with these gift cards. Shop now. Gold Class Ultimate ePackage, Event Cinemas If movies mean date nights for you and your special someone, you can save this for the next romantic release to get admission, a welcome drink, three small plates of food, nachos and popcorn for two. Yes, the food comes into the theatre with you. Shop now. Cinephile: A Card Game, Cinephile If you want to test the knowledge of a film lover, this party game is the best way to do it. With 150 cards covering difficulties from beginner blockbusters to diehard cinephiles, it can bring a bit of friendly competition to your next cinematic trivia sesh. Shop now. 100 Movies Scratch Off Poster, Uncommon Goods Do you feel like your special someone doesn't have enough experience with Hollywood's undeniable classics? This scratch off poster makes for a decorative and motivating reason to watch 100 one of the most classic films in human history. Shop now. Movie Night Bingo Cards, Uncommon Goods Admittedly, not all movies are classics, and some are classics for the wrong reasons. If you're the sort of person who hate watches a bad film, gamify your next predictable, cliche or uninspired watch with these genre-specific movie bingo cards. Prizes not included. Shop now. 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.
When the 2025 FORMULA 1® SINGAPORE AIRLINES SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX races on the Marina Bay street circuit from Friday, October 3 to Sunday, October 5, it's not just the drivers who'll be getting in on the action. For ten days straight from September 26, Grand Prix Season Singapore takes over and the entire city transforms into a hub of parties, dining experiences, concerts and one-off events that orbit the main race. Between the on-track events and the city's best food, culture and nightlife hot spots, there's more than enough to fill a week-long stay. So, if you're making the trip over, here's your ultimate bucket list to check out beyond the track. Singapore Sidecars If you're going to navigate Singapore during race week, you might as well do it in style. Singapore Sidecars runs 60-minute vintage Vespa tours that give you front-row access to the city's hidden laneways and street food stops. For the GPSS, the rides get an F1 twist, guiding you past iconic landmarks and F1 party venues while you ride shotgun in an old-school sidecar. This year, you can even end your ride at Prego's Italian restaurant for a post-track night out. Book it here Eat. Play. Race at Harry's Race week is all about stamina, and that starts with where you refuel. Local favourite bar collective, Harry's, is getting into the spirit with an 'Eat. Play. Race.' challenge for F1 fans. To get involved, you can dine at Harry's Boat Quay, Clarke Quay and South Beach locations, collect a digital stamp card and test your skills on the virtual F1 tracks to earn your place on the leaderboard. With heaps of exclusive gifts and prizes on offer, it's the perfect place to kick off race week. Explore it here Don Diablo at Zouk Singapore's nightlife is always energetic, but it gets even buzzier during the Grand Prix. Zouk is one of the city's longest-standing music institutions and nightclubs, featuring a rotating lineup of international talent. This year, Dutch DJ Don Diablo is on the decks for one night, playing tracks from his futuristic third album, *FORΞVΞR*. The multi-hyphenate artist is known for collaborating with Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, and Justin Bieber. He is sure to keep your adrenaline pumping long after the last lap. Book it here Grand Prix Concert Lineup One of the worst-kept secrets about the Singapore Grand Prix? The concerts are just as big a drawcard as the race itself. Each year, the organisers book international A-listers who turn Marina Bay into a full-blown festival precinct. Previous years have seen everyone from Robbie Williams to Blackpink, and the 2025 lineup is promising another mix of global superstars, including Elton John, Lewis Capaldi and Crowded House. Even if you don't know your pit stops from your paddocks, these gigs are reason enough to buy a ticket. Explore it here Singapore Oceanarium After a few nights of partying, you might want to slow the pace with a visit to the Singapore Oceanarium on Sentosa. Recently reopened after a massive revamp, it's one of the world's largest oceanariums, home to more than 100,000 sea animals and immersive digital exhibitions. Wander past towering tanks, learn about ocean conservation, or book a seat at one of its underwater dining experiences. It's a chance to swap the roar of engines for the quiet hum of the underwater world. Explore it here New Bahru If you're looking to experience a different side of Singapore, make time for New Bahru. This creative hub is a cluster of design studios, galleries, boutiques and food pop-ups, all housed in what used to be a girls' school campus. It's where you'll find emerging fashion labels alongside artisan roasters, art collectives and indie events. While the Grand Prix is about the global stage, New Bahru proudly shows off local talent, brands and creativity. Explore it here PERFORMA at Plaza Singapura This year, a series of premium fitness and lifestyle events are popping up at Plaza Singapura for a first-of-its-kind experience. Across the ten days of GPSS, you can wander around the curated line-up of performance gear, join upcycling workshops that turn reclaimed plastics into racing-themed accessories, and squeeze in short, high-intensity workouts at the Speed Series sessions. There's a Refuel Bar for post-sweat refreshments, a gamified Mystery Garage Locker Wall with hidden prizes, and race-themed photo booths where you can walk away with a personalised driver profile card. Explore it here Whether you're an F1 super fan or just along for the ride, the Singapore Grand Prix gives you a chance to tap into one of Asia's most dynamic cities. Between the ten days of culture and music programming and the ever-growing list of new attractions, there's no excuse not to extend your stay. Can't make it in 2025? The 2026 Singapore Grand Prix is on October 9 – October 11. Book your limited release early bird tickets here from 13th October. Regular tickets go on sale from 3rd November
When April 1 rolls around, it's always best to approach the day's news with a sense of humour, but one of this year's best gags isn't just a joke. For April Fool's Day, Google Maps transformed into a giant online game of Where's Waldo? — and it's available to play all week. After the company's Mario Kart caper a few weeks back, and their Pac-Man April Fool's Day update a few years back as well, it's now another iconic character's turn to roam through Maps. As anyone who has leafed through the books will know — aka everyone — good ol' red-and-white jumper-wearing Waldo likes to hide in plain sight, which means that it's up to you to find him. https://twitter.com/googlemaps/status/980203086512869376 Anyone keen to play along simply needs to update their Maps app or visit the desktop version, where Waldo is waiting to be spotted. You'll first find him waving to you from the side of the screen, and then you'll work your way through the game's five levels to find him in various places around the world. If that's not enough addictive fun, you can also try to locate his friends Wenda, Woof, Wizard Whitebeard and Odlaw. Chilean snowfields, the beach at Australia's own Surfers Paradise and South Korea's Olympic Stadium are just a few of the stops on Waldo's world tour. And yes, even when he's in countries other than the US and Canada, the game still refers to him as Waldo, rather than Wally. It'll always be Where's Wally? to us, though. Via Google Maps.
In 2017, when Warwick Thornton's Sweet Country first reached cinema screens, the blistering Indigenous Australian western won awards in Venice, Toronto, Luxembourg and our own backyard. It's a sublimely shot and performed work of art that powerfully interrogates Australia's past and draws parallels with the country's present, so that's not surprising — and it joined a long list of acclaimed work by Indigenous Australian filmmakers. Thornton himself is no stranger to the spotlight, with his debut Samson & Delilah winning the Camera d'Or at Cannes in 2009. Sixteen years earlier, Australian artist Tracey Moffatt premiered BeDevil at the prestigious international festival, too, with her feature marking the first ever directed by an Australian Aboriginal woman. From Ivan Sen's Mystery Road and Goldstone to Rachel Perkins' Bran Nue Dae and Jasper Jones, the list of exceptional films by Indigenous Aussie directors goes on. Showcasing the breadth and depth of the nation's filmmaking talent — and, crucially, showcasing Indigenous Australian stories — they demonstrate Aussie cinema at its best. And if you're wondering where to start, here are 25 movies that you can stream right now. Mystery Road, Goldstone, Toomelah and Limbo When Ivan Sen and Aaron Pedersen (High Ground) teamed up for 2013 film Mystery Road, they gave Australia the ongoing gift of outback noir. Sen's writing and directing was so finessed, Pedersen's performance as Indigenous Australian police officer Jay Swan so riveting and the movie's entire concept so engaging that it's no wonder everyone wanted more. So, another followed. Across fellow big-screen effort Goldstone, Swan went to a different remote corner of the country, tried to solve a different case and became immersed in a different set of small-town politics. In both films, the franchise lays bare the state of Australia today, especially when it comes to the nation's treatment of its First Nations peoples. And if you're instantly hooked, it has also spawned its own two-season TV series also starring Pedersen — plus an exceptional prequel series as well. Also worth seeking out: Sen's 2011 drama Toomelah, as set in the titular New South Wales town, with ten-year-old Daniel (Daniel Connors, who is also in Mystery Road) at its centre. And, in 2023, Sen brought Limbo to cinemas, this time starring Simon Baker (Boy Swallows Universe) in a black-and-white Coober Pedy-shot tale about another police officer riding into a small Aussie town, and looking into a case that few people have been all that fussed about until now because the victim isn't white. Mystery Road streams via ABC iView, YouTube Movies and iTunes. Read our full review. Goldstone streams via ABC iView, Netflix, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review, and our interview with Ivan Sen and Aaron Pedersen. Toomelah streams via Netflix. Limbo streams via ABC iView, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review, and our interview with Ivan Sen and Simon Baker. Samson & Delilah, Sweet Country and The New Boy Before Warwick Thornton turned his camera on himself in the personal and reflective TV documentary The Beach — which is the best piece of Australian television that hit screens in 2020 — he directed two of the great Aussie films of the 21st century. And, since then, he's also added another, The first: a love story, a tale of fighting to survive and an unflinching look at teenage life in Australia's red centre, aka 2009's equally heartwrenching and stunning Samson & Delilah. Indeed, it's little wonder the multi-award-winning movie firmly put Thornton on the international map. With Sweet Country, he then returned to the Northern Territory with a film that makes a firm statement, as becomes clear when an Indigenous stockman (Hamilton Morris) kills a white station owner in self-defence. He's forced to flee with his wife Lizzie (Natassia Gorey-Furber), but a local posse is soon on their trail. As Sweet Country decisively confronts this all-too-real situation, it also confronts the country's history of racial prejudice. In 2023's The New Boy, Thornton headed to a remote monastery with a mission for Indigenous children, where Sister Eileen (Cate Blanchett, Tár) is in charge. Her faith is tested when the titular child (newcomer Aswan Reid), a nine-year-old orphan, arrives and has his own experience with religion, which clashes with the mission's take on Christianity. Samson and Delilah streams via SBS On Demand, Stan, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Sweet Country streams via ABC iView, Netflix, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. The New Boy streams via SBS On Demand, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review, and our interview with Warwick Thornton. BeDevil One of Australia's most astonishing films — and yet one of the country's lesser-celebrated gems — Tracey Moffatt's BeDevil took the Queensland visual artist, photographer and filmmaker to Cannes and back. That external validation is all well and good; however it's really just the cherry on top of a potent triptych of haunting tales that demands attention on its own merits. In not only her first and only feature, but the first feature by an Australian Aboriginal woman, Moffatt takes inspiration from ghost stories told to her as a child by both her Aboriginal and Irish relatives. A thoroughly distinctive and immersive horror movie is the end result, and one that smartly and engagingly explores Australian race relations in a disarmingly unique way. Surreal, eerie and simmering with intensity, it'll also show you the Aussie landscape in a whole new light. BeDevil streams via SBS On Demand and Vimeo. Sweet As In Sweet As, the red earth of Western Australia's Pilbara region couldn't be more pivotal. For this coming-of-age drama, Jub Clerc (The Heights) deploys the patch of Aussie soil as a place where teenagers find themselves. The first-time feature director and writer draws upon her own adolescent experiences for her full-length debut, while also crafting the first WA flick that's helmed and penned by an Indigenous female filmmaker. Murra (Shantae Barnes-Cowan, Firebite) is one of Sweet As' adolescents learning to be shutterbugs; with her mother (Ngaire Pigram, also a Firebite alum) grappling with addiction, the 16-year-old's police-officer uncle Ian (Mark Coles Smith, Mystery Road: Origin) enrols her on a trip that she doesn't initially want to take — with youth workers Mitch (Tasma Walton, Scrublands) and Fernando (Carlos Sanson Jr, Bump) as guides and chaperones, plus Kylie (newcomer Mikayla Levy), Elvis (Pedrea Jackson, Robbie Hood) and Sean (fellow first-timer Andrew Wallace) as her new friends. Sweet As is available to stream via SBS On Demand, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson A searing and impassioned take on a well-known Australian tale — a First Nations, feminist and anti-colonial version, too — The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson is the film that Leah Purcell (High Country) had to make. See: her lengthy history with Henry Lawson's short story of almost the same name. In 2016, she adapted The Drover's Wife for the stage. In 2019, she moved it back to the page. Now, she's brought it to the screen — and the end result is a must-see. Only minutes in, in what marks the actor-turned-director's feature filmmaking debut, it's easy to see why Purcell keeps being drawn to retell this 19th century-set story. In her hands, it's a story of anger, power, prejudice and revenge, and also a portrait of a history that's treated both women and Indigenous Australians abhorrently. And, ever the powerhouse, she writes, helms and stars. The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson streams via SBS On Demand, Stan, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. The Moogai First, The Moogai was a SXSW Midnight Shorts Grand Jury Award-winning short. Then, writer/director Jon Bell and his stars Shari Sebbens (The Office) and Meyne Wyatt (Strife) returned to turn this tale of Australia's past haunting its present on- and off-screen into a feature. This is an Aussie horror film born out of the Stolen Generations where the monsters of colonisation, White Australia policies and attitudes since remain inescapable, and where Indigenous children today are also snatched away by a literal monster — and it's a brilliant idea, as well as one that instantly feels as if it needed to have been made decades back. The Moogai begins on the Red River Aborigines Mission in 1969, where two sisters (debutants Aisha Alma May and Precious Ann) attempt to avoid being separated from their family by white men, only for one to be spirited away instead by the picture's namesake. When it jumps to half a century later, the film spends its time with Indigenous couple Sarah (Sebbens) and Fergus (Wyatt) as they prepare for the arrival of their second child, but find themselves dealing with malevolent forces. The Moogai via Netflix and YouTube Movies. Read our interview with Shari Sebbens, Meyne Wyatt and Jon Bell. Bran Nue Dae, Jasper Jones and Radiance When Rachel Perkins brought hit Aussie musical Bran Nue Dae to the big screen in 2010, she turned an already beloved stage musical into one of the country's cinema box office successes. The lively love story takes a road trip through 60s-era Australia, and brings plenty of famous faces along for the ride, with Jessica Mauboy (The Secret Daughter), Ernie Dingo (Squinters) and Deborah Mailman (Total Control) among the cast. Then, in 2017, she adapted another Aussie classic. This time, she set her sights on Craig Silvey's novel Jasper Jones, which examines race relations in a rural Australian town — particularly the treatment of the teenage titular character (Aaron L McGrath, Gold Diggers), who is considered an outcast due to his ethnicity. The book was already intelligent, thoughtful and engaging, and the film proves the same. Similarly worth watching is Perkins' moving 1998 filmmaking debut, Radiance, about three sisters (Wentworth's Rachael Maza, Deborah Mailman again and The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart's Trisha Morton-Thomas) working through their baggage after their mother's death. Bran Nue Dae streams via SBS On Demand, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Jasper Jones streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Radiance streams via ACMI Cinema 3. The Sapphires, Top End Wedding and Firestarter — The Story of Bangarra An actor and a filmmaker, Wayne Blair boasts an eclectic resume. You've seen him on-screen in Wish You Were Here, The Turning, Emu Runner, Seriously Red and The New Boy, and he both directed and featured in episodes of Redfern Now and the second season of the Mystery Road TV series. Behind the lens, he's also helmed episodes of Lockie Leonard, and directed the 2017 US TV remake of Dirty Dancing. But, Blair is probably best known for The Sapphires and Top End Wedding. They're both big films — and Blair has a definite feel for feel-good material. One follows a group of four Indigenous Australian female singers (Deborah Mailman, Jessica Mauboy, Preppers' Shari Sebbens and The Artful Dodger's Miranda Tapsell) sent to Vietnam to entertain the troops. As for the other, it tracks an Indigenous Australian woman's (Tapsell again) whirlwind quest to stage her perfect nuptials in her hometown of Darwin. Also on Blair's resume: documentary Firestarter — The Story of Bangarra, about Australia's acclaimed Indigenous dance theatre. Co-directed with Nel Minchin (Matilda & Me, Making Muriel), it's a powerful portrait that also steps through the nation's past and focuses on three siblings — Stephen, David and Russell Page — with dreams as big as their talents. The Sapphires streams via Prime Video. Top End Wedding streams via ABC iView, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Firestarter — The Story of Bangarra streams via ABC iView, SBS On Demand, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Here I Am Marking not one but two feature debuts — for writer/director Beck Cole (Deadloch) and star Shai Pittman (Around the Block) — Here I Am tells one of the oldest tales there is. It's also a prime of example of taking a familiar narrative and giving it a new voice; viewers have seen this story before in various guises over decades and decades, but never championing Indigenous women. When Karen (Pittman) is released from prison in South Australia, she embarks upon a quest for redemption, including reconnecting with her unimpressed mother Lois (Marcia Langton) and her young daughter Rosie (Quinaiha Scott). Unsurprisingly, that reunion doesn't go smoothly, but both Cole and Pittman are committed to riding the ups and downs. Both hit the big-screen for the first time in a striking fashion, and with a film that proves both intimate and clear-eyed in its multi-generational portrait. Here I Am streams via iTunes and Prime Video. We Are Still Here It begins with stunning animation, shimmering with the rich blue hues of the sea. From there, everything from lush greenery to dusty outback appears in its frames. The past returns to the screen, and a vision of the present finds a place as well — and crossing the ditch between Australia and New Zealand, and venturing further into the South Pacific, is baked into the movie's very concept. That film is We Are Still Here, which makes an enormous statement with its title, responding to 250 years of colonialism. Of course, filmmakers in the region have been surveying this history since the birth of the medium, because the topic is inescapable. Combining eight different takes from ten Indigenous filmmakers (including Here I Am's Beck Cole, A Chance Affair's Tracey Rigney, Carry the Flag's Danielle MacLean and A League of Her Own's Dena Curtis from Australia) instantly makes We Are Still Here stand out, however — and this Pacific First Nations collaboration isn't short on talent, or impact. We Are Still Here streams via SBS On Demand, Netflix, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Spear An Australian dance movie that uses its fancy footwork to step through the plight of the country's First Nations peoples, Spear is a striking cinematic achievement. First-time feature helmer, Bran Nue Dae and The Sapphires choreographer, and Bangarra Dance Theatre artistic director Stephen Page turns the company's performance work of the same name into a big-screen spectacle unlike anything crafted locally, or anywhere else for that matter. Mood, music and movement are pivotal, as a teenage boy wanders from the outback to the city to try to reconcile his ancient culture in a modern world. His journey is just as transporting for those watching as it is for everyone within the movie, as well as anchoring one of the most expressive pieces of Australian film perhaps ever made. Watch his with the aforementioned Firestarter — The Story of Bangarra for a fantastic double feature. Spear streams via ABC iView and Beamafilm. Read our full review. Satellite Boy On paper, it might seem easy to spot exactly why Satellite Boy proves so charming. Writer/director Catriona McKenzie smartly enlisted the now-late David Gulpilil (Storm Boy) as Indigenous elder Jagamarra, one of ten-year-old Pete's (first-timer Cameron Wallaby) guardians and the person teaching him about life on the land. It's a stroke of casting genius, clearly — and crucial to the film. That said, this dreamlike 2012 movie has several impressive casting touches as it traverses the Western Australian landscape, including unearthing young Wallaby as its lead and similarly finding fellow debutant Joseph Pedley to play Pete's pal Kalmain. McKenzie's feature also boasts a delightful narrative, which sees the two boys take to the bush en route to the city to save the home that Pete adores: a rundown drive-in cinema that this big-dreaming kid simply wants to get back into action. Satellite Boy streams via iTunes and Prime Video. Buckskin and Finke: There and Back The past few years have been memorable for Dylan River. The Alice Springs filmmaker directed delightful SBS web series Robbie Hood, was the cinematographer on rousing Adam Goodes documentary The Australian Dream, worked as the second unit director on the aforementioned Sweet Country, lensed The Beach (with the latter two both helmed by his father, Warwick Thornton), co-directed Mystery Road: Origin and was behind the wonderful Thou Shalt Not Steal. He also wrote, directed and shot two impressive documentaries of his own: Buckskin and Finke: There and Back. The first tells the tale of Jack Buckskin, Australia's only teacher of the near-extinct Kaurna language, while the second covers the rough, tough, two-day off-terrain trek that gives the doco its name. Both prove insightful, and showcase the astute skills of one of Australia's emerging filmmaking talents. Buckskin streams via SBS On Demand and Vimeo. Finke: There and Back streams via SBS On Demand, Netflix, DocPlay, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. It's also one of our ten best movies of 2019 that hardly anyone saw. Servant or Slave and Looky Looky Here Comes Cooky Watching a documentary directed by Steven McGregor involves exploring Australia's complicated history. There's much for the director of Black Comedy and co-writer of Mystery Road, Redfern Now and Sweet Country to cover, of course. In 2016's Servant or Slave, he turned his attention not only to the nation's Stolen Generation, but to the Indigenous girls who were forced to work as domestic servants. The powerful film features five women recalling their experiences — and it's impossible not to be moved and horrified by their accounts. With 2020's Looky Looky Here Comes Cooky, the filmmaker takes a more irreverent approach to Australia's past, while still remaining just as probing. The charismatic Steven Oliver leads the show on-screen, as this clever and engaging movie revisits the story of Captain Cook from a First Nations perspective, including via songlines with the assistance of Indigenous performers. Servant or Slave streams via SBS On Demand, DocPlay, Brollie, Prime Video, YouTube Movies and iTunes. Looky Looky Here Comes Cooky streams via SBS On Demand.
You know the scene: you're standing in front of a wall of wine bottles, overwhelmed with choice and trying to cut through the wine jargon, while just wondering which bottle will actually taste good. Dan Murphy's feels your pain — but its brand-new list of Australia's best wines is here to help. The drinks giant has unveiled the winners of its first Best in Glass Wine Awards, spotlighting the best wines in the country, plus a few from further beyond — and every single one of them clocks in under $50. Better yet, two of the top picks come in at under $15, proving you don't need to splash out to sip on something great. Over 700 bottles were blind-tasted by Dan Murphy's in-house experts, who whittled down the final list to 46 winners across a broad range of categories. Each category crowned three bottles: the Best Overall, the Best Value and the Best International. To be considered for awards, wines needed to be available in Dan Murphy's stores nationally and under $50. Looking for affordable new go-tos? Margaret River winery Fifth Leg's semillon sauvignon blanc ($13.29) and Shingleback Red Knot shiraz ($12.99) from McClaren Vale both snagged the Best Value gongs in their respective categories. "Choosing a wine can be intimidating," says Andrew Shedden, GM of Premium and Luxury at Dan Murphy's. "There is so much choice on shelves, so without a clear starting point, it can be overwhelming. The Best in Glass Wine Awards are about cutting through that... The result is a line-up of Aussie favourites and international gems that cover just about every drinking occasion you can think of, from steak night to date night." South Australia claimed the most winners with a lucky 13 in total, followed by Victoria and Western Australia. Margaret River, the Barossa and Yarra Valley were the top-performing wine regions, with each scoring four wins apiece. Tasmania also had a solid showing, dominating the sparkling wine categories thanks to labels like Jansz, Devil's Corner and Clover Hill. Internationally, France led the way with the lion's share of the international awards — but a few standout drops from New Zealand and Italy also made the cut. For more information, head to the Dan Murphy's website.
Every year, no matter which movies earn Oscars — regardless of what and who is nominated, the titles and talents that miss out, the fun of the ceremony and the scandals that pop up beforehand — the best way to celebrate a great 12 months in cinema is also the easiest. Films are made to be watched, be they blockbuster musicals, deeply personal documentaries, gorgeous animation, sci-fi spectacles, top-notch dramas or anything and everything in-between. If you hadn't seen 2025's newly anointed Academy Award-winners in advance, now's the time to change that. Almost every feature that picked up a gong on Monday, March 3, Down Under time is available to watch this second. Put Flow on your list for later, when it releases mid-March — but check out these other ten winners now. Need the full list of 2025's Oscar recipients? The nominees? Our pre-ceremony predictions regarding what would and should win? A rundown of where the rest of 2025's contenders are screening in Australia? Consider that pre-movie reading, then get comfy at your favourite picture palace or on your couch. Anora Along with playfulness, empathy, and an eagerness to look beyond the usual characters and pockets of America that tend to grace narrative cinema, tenderness is one Sean Baker's special skills, as splashed across the New Jersey-born talent's filmography for more than two decades now. It's in Tangerine, The Florida Project and Red Rocket, for instance, all three of which are stunning feats. It also couldn't be more evident in his Cannes Palme d'Or-recipient and now five-time Oscar-winner Anora. The writer/director's work has always been as clear-eyed as movies get, unflinchingly seeing the struggles that his protagonists go through, though — but their troubles are never the be-all and end-all for anyone in front of his lens. No one should be defined by their circumstances, their misfortunes, their unlucky lots in life, their woes, their mistakes, their missed chances, or how their existence does or doesn't measure up to anyone else's, and no one is in Baker's features. He pens, helms and edits with a wholehearted commitment to seeing people who they are. The fact that he undertakes all three roles on his films, each of which earned him an Academy Award here, means that the credit is almost all his, too; it isn't just the use of his beloved Aguafina Script Pro font that signifies a Baker flick. Spotting Cinderella elements and riffs on Pretty Woman isn't hard in Anora, as the picture's eponymous Brooklyn erotic dancer (Mikey Madison, Lady in the Lake) meets, dances for, hangs out with and is soon wed to Vanya, the son (Mark Eydelshteyn, Zhar-ptitsa) of a wealthy Russian oligarch (Aleksey Serebryakov, Lotereya). But just as Ani is always her own person, the magnificent Anora is always a Baker film. Fairytale experiences in life don't always come with a happy ending. Failures aren't always the worst options. Following your heart or whims is rarely either solely sublime or awful. Baker knows this, and so does this feature. Assured yet vulnerable, playing a woman capable of holding her own against mobsters — and standing up to almost anything else that comes her way — but not immune to sadness and disappointment, Madison is hypnotic as Ani. Eydelshteyn, Compartment No 6's Yura Borisov as one of the henchmen tasked with babysitting Vanya: they're mesmerising as well. The spirt of Anora — the vivid and audacious way that it bounds from start to finish, the grit and heart that it sports — is equally as pitch-perfect. Oscars: Won: Best Picture, Best Director (Sean Baker), Best Actress (Mikey Madison), Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing Other nominations: Best Supporting Actor (Yura Borisov) Where to watch: In Australian cinemas, and via Apple TV and Prime Video. A Real Pain He didn't feature on-screen in his first film as a writer/director, but 2022's When You Finish Saving the World couldn't have sprung from anyone but Jesse Eisenberg. Neither could've 2024's A Real Pain. In the latter, the Fleishman Is in Trouble actor plays the anxious part, and literally. He's David Kaplan, with his character a bundle of nerves about and during his trip to Poland with his cousin Benji (Kieran Culkin, Succession) — a pilgrimage that they're making in honour of their grandmother, who survived the Second World War, started a new life for their family in the US in the process and has recently passed away. David is highly strung anyway, though. One source of his woes: the ease with which Benji seems to move through his days, whether he's making new friends in their tour group within seconds of being introduced or securing a stash of weed for the journey. With A Real Pain as with When You Finish Saving the World, Eisenberg is shrewdly and committedly examining an inescapable question: what is real pain, and who feels it? Are David's always-evident neuroses more worthy of worry than the despondency that Benji shuttles behind his carefree facade, and is it okay for either to feel the way they do, with their comfortable lives otherwise, in the shadow of such horrors such as the Holocaust? As a filmmaker, Eisenberg keeps interrogating what he knows: A Real Pain's main train of thought, which was When You Finish Saving the World's as well, is one that he ponders himself. Although he's not penning and helming strictly autobiographical movies, his latest does crib some details from reality, swapping out an IRL aunt for a fictional grandmother, as well as a trip that Eisenberg took with his wife for a cousins' act of tribute. It's no wonder, then, that he keeps crafting deeply felt features that resound with raw emotion, and that leave viewers feeling like they could walk right into them. With A Real Pain, he also turns in a stellar performance of his own and directs another from Culkin, who steps into Benji's shoes like he wears them himself everyday (and takes on a part that his director originally had earmarked for himself). Thrumming at the heart of the dramedy, and in its two main players, is a notion that demands facing head-on, too: that experiencing our own pain, whether big or small, world-shattering or seemingly trivial, or personal or existential, is never a minor matter. Oscars: Won: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role (Kieran Culkin) Other nominations: Best Original Screenplay Where to watch: in Australian cinemas, and via Disney+, Apple TV and Prime Video. Read our full review and our interview with Jesse Eisenberg. The Brutalist Since switching from acting to writing and directing — in his on-screen days, Thirteen, Mysterious Skin, Funny Games, Martha Marcy May Marlene, Melancholia, Force Majeure, Clouds of Sils Maria, Eden and While We're Young were among his credits, spanning works by quite the array of excellent fellow filmmakers — Brady Corbet hasn't lacked in ambition for a second. Still, as excellent as both Childhood of a Leader and Vox Lux are, and they are, his third feature towers above them. With Adrien Brody (Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty) as Hungarian Jewish architect László Toth, The Brutalist is as epic as a three-and-a-half-hour drama about trying to escape life's horrors, including those of the Holocaust, by chasing the American dream can be. The buildings designed by its protagonist aren't the only things that are monumental here, career-best turns by Guy Pearce (Inside) and Felicity Jones (Dead Shot) among them. The Brutalist is a vision, too, with Corbet's ambition apparent in ever millimetre of every frame. (Shooting in VistaVision, a format used for Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest and Vertigo, but last deployed in the US for an entire movie with 1961's One-Eyed Jacks: yes, that's bold as well). Crossing the world is meant to bring the Toth family a new beginning. Waiting for his wife Erzsébet (Jones) to follow, and their young niece (Raffey Cassidy, a Vox Lux alum) with her, László arrives in New York and then Philadelphia solo, however — and etching out a fresh start with help from his cousin Attila (Alessandro Nivola, The Room Next Door) doesn't pan out the way he hopes. Neither does scoring a job revamping the personal library of the wealthy Harrison Lee Van Buren (Pearce), even when it seems to, then doesn't, then sparks the opportunity of László's dreams. Given everything that its protagonist needs to wade through, as does Corbet thematically, it's no wonder that The Brutalist clocks in at three-and-a-half hours with its intermission. Not a moment is wasted, that mid-movie pause included. As it muses on what it means to leave a legacy, this is a film to sit with. It's filled with performances that demand the same. Brody, Pearce, Jones: what a haunting trio. Oscars: Won: Best Actor (Adrien Brody), Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, Other nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (Brady Corbet), Best Supporting Actor (Guy Pearce), Best Supporting Actress (Felicity Jones), Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Production Design Where to watch: In Australian cinemas. Read our interview with Adrien Brody, Guy Pearce, Felicity Jones and Brady Corbet. Conclave Who knew that papal succession would become a film and TV trend? Fights for supremacy have driven three of the biggest television shows of the past 15 years, of course — Game of Thrones, Succession and Shogun — so repeatedly bringing the battle for the head Catholic Church job to the screen shouldn't come as a surprise. The Young Pope, The New Pope, The Two Popes, Conclave: they've all headed to the Vatican. The latter is quite the entertaining thriller, too. The idea behind this page-to-screen delight, as based on the 2016 novel by Robert Harris: cardinals, they're just like everyone else seeking power, aka bickering, gossiping, scheming, feuding and trying to find their way to the top by any means possible. Here, when the pope passes, Canadian cardinal Joseph Tremblay (John Lithgow, The Old Man), American cardinal Aldo Bellini (Stanley Tucci, Citadel), Nigerian cardinal Joshua Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati, A Gentleman in Moscow) and Mexican cardinal Vincent Benitez (feature first-timer Carlos Diehz) are among the contenders vying to step into their religion's ultimate position — all with differing views on social issues, ranging from liberal to conservative leanings. Voting for a new pope is a ceremony that lends itself to theatricality on-screen, which Conclave eagerly captures. The manoeuvring guiding the College of Cardinals' various rounds of choices is the movie's focus; trying to win support is an election campaign, and a heated one. At the heart of the drama is Britain's cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes, The Return), Dean of the College, and also responsible for ascertaining the complete circumstances surrounding the last pope's death. Aided by a stellar cast that's answering viewers' prayers (also outstanding: Spaceman's Isabella Rossellini as Head Caterer Sister Agnes), filmmaker Edward Berger swaps World War I's horrors in fellow Oscar-winner All Quiet on the Western Front for a pulpy and twisty but smart affair. He hasn't completely switched thematically, though: how tradition and modernity butt against each other also remains in the director's view amid Conclave's many secrets and scandals. Oscars: Won: Best Adapted Screenplay Other nominations: Best Picture, Best Actor (Ralph Fiennes), Best Supporting Actress (Isabella Rossellini), Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, Best Production Design Where to watch: In Australian cinemas, and via Apple TV and Prime Video. Dune: Part Two Revenge is a dish best served sandy in Dune: Part Two. On the desert planet of Arrakis, where golden hills as far as the eye can see are shaped from the most-coveted and -psychedelic substance in author Frank Herbert's estimation, there's no other way. Vengeance is just one course on Paul Atreides' (Timothée Chalamet, Wonka) menu, however. Pop culture's supreme spice boy, heir to the stewardship of his adopted realm, has a prophecy to fulfil whether he likes it or not; propaganda to navigate, especially about him being the messiah; and an Indigenous population, the Fremen, to prove himself to. So mines Denis Villeneuve's soaring sequel to 2021's Dune, which continues exploring the costs and consequences of relentless quests for power — plus the justifications, compromises, tragedies and narratives that are inescapable in such pursuits. The filmmaker crafts his fourth contemplative and breathtaking sci-fi movie in a row, then, after Arrival and Blade Runner 2049 as well. The vast arid expanse that constantly pervades the frames in Dune: Part Two isn't solely a stunning sight. It looks spectacular, as the entire feature does, with Australian cinematographer Greig Fraser (The Creator) back after winning an Oscar for the first Dune; but as Paul, his widowed mother Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson, Silo), and Fremen Stilgar (Javier Bardem, The Little Mermaid) and Chani (Zendaya, Euphoria) traverse it, it helps carve in some of this page-to-screen saga's fundamental ideas. So does the stark monochrome when the film jumps to Giedi Prime, home world to House Harkonnen, House Atreides' enemy, plus Arrakis' ruler both before and after Paul's dad Duke Leto (Oscar Isaac, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse) got the gig in Villeneuve's initial Dune. People here are dwarfed not only by their mammoth surroundings, but by the bigger, broader, non-stop push for supremacy. While there's no shortage of detail in both Part One and Part Two — emotional, thematic and visual alike — there's also no avoiding that battling against being mere pawns in an intergalactic game of chess is another of its characters' complicated fights. Oscars: Won: Best Sound, Best Visual Effects Other nominations: Best Picture, Best, Cinematography, Best Production Design, Where to watch: Via Netflix, Binge, Apple TV and Prime Video. Read our full review and our interview with Greig Fraser. Emilia Pérez As it follows its namesake character's (Karla Sofía Gascón, Harina) identity-swapping journey from cartel leader to trying to live her authentic life, Emilia Pérez isn't just a musical and a crime drama rolled into one. It's also happily and devotedly a melodrama — and French filmmaker Jacques Audiard (Paris, 13th District) goes bold in leaning in, and in embracing the juxtapositions of the movie's three main genres as they jostle against each other. That audacity; that willingness to be both spectacular and messy again and again; the feature's three key performances, including from Zoe Saldaña (Special Ops: Lioness) and Selena Gomez (Only Murders in the Building): they all assist in making this vivid viewing. Also pivotal: the clear cues that A Prophet and Rust and Bone writer and helmer Audiard has taken from the work of Spanish great Pedro Almodóvar. The Room Next Door, the latter's latest, was completely overlooked by this year's Oscars, but it's easy to connect the dots between Almodóvar's immense filmography over four decades now and the look, feel and themes of Emilia Pérez. In Mexico City, defence attorney Rita Mora Castro (Saldaña) begins the film languishing in her job and its grey areas. She wins a high-profile case, but knows that she shouldn't have. Then comes a proposition delivered via an unexpected phone call, plus a secret meeting that she's whisked off to blindfolded: a job to assist a drug kingpin with transitioning from Juan 'Manitas' Del Monte to Emilia Pérez. Making that mission happen isn't simple. Everyone connected to Manitas' old life, wife (Gomez), children and colleagues alike: none of them can know. As it unfurls its story largely through exuberantly staged songs, the film is still really just kicking off when it then hops forward in time, diving into what comes next when Emilia is living her new life and Rita has been well-compensated for her efforts — and, in the process, exploring the consequences of getting what you want, or seeming to. The entire female cast won Cannes Best Actress prize but, after years spent on-screen tinted green (in the Guardians of the Galaxy films) and blue (in the Avatar flicks) in big-budget fare, this is Saldaña's moment to shine. Oscars: Won: Best Supporting Actress (Zoe Saldaña), Best Original Song — 'El Mal' by Clément Ducol, Camille and Jacques Audiard Other nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (Jacques Audiard), Best Actress (Karla Sofía Gascón), Best International Feature Film, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Original Score, Best Sound, Best Original Song — 'Mi Camino' by Camille and Clément Ducol Where to watch: In Australian cinemas. I'm Still Here It came as no surprise when Fernanda Torres (Fim) won a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Eunice Paiva in Walter Salles' (On the Road) deeply moving political and personal drama. Her understated yet also expressive performance as the real-life wife of Rubens Paiva (Selton Mello, Bury Your Dead), who was taken away by Brazil's military dictatorship in 1971 and never seen again, is that powerful. I'm Still Here poignantly charts the task of endeavouring to endure under such heartbreaking circumstances — under oppressive rule, when your existence crumbles, when your family is fraying courtesy of the trauma and when fighting back is the only choice, too. The film sees the early happy times for the Paivas, even as uncertainty lingers. It watches their lives by the beach, where Eunice, Rubens and their five children fill busy days. It then looks on as the military raids their home, as more than one Paiva is imprisoned and interrogated, and as the husband and father who was previously a congressman doesn't return. Also, it stares solidly as the quest for answers and justice never fades among Rubens' loved ones. Conveying the pain, the fortitude, the grief and the despair of someone in Eunice's situation might seem easy, not that relaying those emotions ever is; who wouldn't feel that way in these circumstances, or understand how someone would? It isn't a straightforward ask, though, giving a part the complexity that every role should demand when much about a character's inner life appears obvious — because the job is to dig far deeper than that, and to unpack what that natural reaction means for this person and this person only. Torres perfects the task. As a director, working with a screenplay that Murilo Hauser and Heitor Lorega (also collaborators on Mariner of the Mountains) based on Eunice and Rubens' son Marcelo's memoir, Salles is in superb form as well. Teaming up with the filmmaker keeps turning out exceptionally for Torres and her IRL family, with her mother Fernanda Montenegro also Oscar-nominated for Salles' Central Station back in 1999, long before featuring here as the elder Eunice. Oscars: Won: Best International Feature Film Other nominations: Picture, Best Actress (Fernanda Torres) Where to watch: In Australian cinemas. No Other Land In No Other Land, Basel Adra films what he knows but wishes that he doesn't — and what he knows that the world needs to see. Co-directing with Israeli investigative journalist Yuval Abraham, plus farmer and photographer Hamdan Ballal and cinematographer Rachel Szor, the Palestinian activist chronicles the takeover of the West Bank region of Masafer Yatta, purportedly for an Israeli military base. As a result of the latter, families with generations and centuries of ties to the land are forced to dwell in caves, battle soldiers and fight to survive. Their possessions, their homes, their lives: none seem to mean anything to those displacing the area's villagers. The suffering, the deaths, the grief, the children growing up knowing nothing but a literally underground existence: that doesn't resonate with the occupation, either, or with the trigger-happy soldiers patrolling in its name. Also falling on deaf ears: the please that gives this documentary its title, from a woman understandably asking where else these communities are meant to go. The apathy and worse that's directed towards Adra's family and other Palestinians in No Other Land, as captured in footage spanning from 2019–2023, could never be shared by this film's audience. As is plain to see by everyone watching, making this doco is an act of bravery of the highest order. It's also a downright daring feat — not only to record its contents in the most difficult of circumstances, at a potentially fatal cost, but with two Palestinians and two Israelis coming together to make the movie happen. Viewing No Other Land, and bearing witness as Adra demands, couldn't be more essential. It's as distressing as cinema gets, too, especially as the campaign of destruction against Masafer Yatta's residents just keeps repeating within its frames. While the urgency of Adra, Abraham, Ballal and Szor's film is inherent, thrumming from start to finish, so too is the thought and care that's gone into its construction. As with 2024 Oscar-winner 20 Days in Mariupol , this is truly unforgettable cinema. Oscars: Won: Best Documentary Feature Other nominations: NA Where to watch: Via DocPlay. ano The Substance If you suddenly looked like society's ideal, how would it change your life? The Substance asks this. In a completely different way, so does fellow Golden Globe-winner A Different Man (see: below), too — but when Revenge's Coralie Fargeat is leading the charge on her long-awaited sophomore feature and earning Cannes' Best Screenplay Award for her troubles, the result is a new body-horror masterpiece. Pump it up: the sci-fi concept; the stunning command of sound, vision and tone; the savagery and smarts; the gonzo willingness to keep pushing and parodying; the gore (and there's gore); and the career-reviving performance from Demi Moore (Landman). The Substance's star has popped up in Feud, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Please Baby Please and Brave New World in recent years, but her work as Elisabeth Sparkle not only defines this period of her life as an actor; even with an on-screen resume dating back to 1981, and with the 80s- and 90s-era likes of St Elmo's Fire, Ghost, A Few Good Men, Indecent Proposal and Disclosure to her name, she'll always be known for this from this point onwards, regardless of whether awards keep rolling in. Turning 50 isn't cause for celebration for Elisabeth. She's already seen film roles pass her by over the years; on her birthday, she's now pushed out of her long-running gig hosting an aerobics show. Enter a solution, as well as another 'what if?' question: if you could reclaim your youth by injecting yourself with a mysterious liquid, would you? Here, The Substance's protagonist takes the curious serum. Enter Sue (Margaret Qualley, Drive-Away Dolls), who helps Elisabeth wind back time — and soon wants Elisabeth's time as her own. Just like someone seeking the glory days that she thinks are behind her via any means possible, Fargeat isn't being subtle with The Substance, not for a second. She goes big and brutal instead, and audacious and morbid as well, and this is the unforgettable picture it is because of it. No one holds back — not Elisabeth, not Sue, not Moore, not the also-fantastic Qualley, not Dennis Quaid (Lawman: Bass Reeves) eating shrimp, not Fargeat, and definitely not cinematographer Benjamin Kracun (Promising Young Woman) or composer Raffertie (99). Oscars: Won: Best Makeup and Hairstyling Other nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (Coralie Fargeat), Best Actress (Demi Moore), Best Original Screenplay, Where to watch: Via Stan, Apple TV and Prime Video. Read our full review. Wicked The colour scheme was always a given. "Pink goes good with green," Galinda (Ariana Grande, Don't Look Up) tells Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo, Luther: The Fallen Sun). "It goes well with green," the grammar-correcting reply bounces back. The songs, beloved echoing from the stage since 2003, were never in doubt, either, as both centrepieces and a soundtrack. As a theatre-kid obsession for decades, it was also long likely that the big-screen adaptation of Wicked — a movie based on an immensely popular and successful musical springing from a book that offered a prequel to a film that walked the celluloid road 85 years ago, itself jumping from the page to the screen — would have big theatre-kid energy as it attempted to ensure that its magic enchants across mediums. Enough such buzz and verve to fill every theatre on Broadway radiates from Grande alone in the two-part franchise's first instalment, beaming from someone who, as a kid, won an auction to meet the OG Wicked good witch Kristin Chenoweth (Our Little Secret) backstage. For audiences watching on, that enthusiasm is impossible not to feel. No one would ever want a muted Wicked, where the hues, in yellow bricks and emerald cities and more (rainbows of tulips and sprawling university campuses, too) weren't trying to compete with Technicolor — and where the tunes, with Chenoweth and Idina Menzel's (You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah) voices previously behind them in such full force, weren't belted to the rafters. Jon M Chu has a knack as a filmmaker of stage hits reaching cinemas: matching the vibe of the show that he's taking on expertly. It was true of his version of In the Heights, which is no small matter given that it's a Lin-Manuel Miranda musical. It now proves the case in its own different way with Wicked. Achieving such a feat isn't always a given; sometimes, even when it does happen, and blatantly, any stage spark can be lost in translation (see: Cats). Again, movie viewers can feel that synergy with Wicked's first part, and also feel how much it means to everyone involved. Oscars: Won: Best Costume Design, Best Production Design Other nominations: Best Picture, Best Actress (Cynthia Erivo), Best Supporting Actress (Ariana Grande), Best Film Editing, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Original Score, Best Sound, Best Visual Effects Where to watch: In Australian cinemas, and via Apple TV and Prime Video. Read our full review and our interview with Nathan Crowley. Looking for more Oscar-nominees to watch? You can also check out our full rundown of where almost all of this year's contenders are screening or streaming in Australia.
As we inch closer and closer to Christmas, it not only means that work is nearly out for the year, but also that the summer festival season is about to begin. After a short hiatus in 2024, Spilt Milk is back and better than ever this year. The lineup is positively jam-packed and there's a whole lot of fun pop-ups, giveaways and bars setting up for each leg of the festival. The festival has a legacy of kicking off Australia's summer with huge lineups, large-scale art exhibitions, and a slick lineup of food and boutique bar experiences. As usual, Jim Beam will be back at Spilt Milk helping to make sure you and your mates have this year's best festival experience. To make sure you don't miss a second of fun, we've teamed up with Jim Beam to pull together absolutely everything you need to know about Spilt Milk 2025. [caption id="attachment_1008775" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Gregory Shamus via Getty Images[/caption] Who's Headlining Spilt Milk 2025? This year's lineup is one for the ages. On the bill, you've got Kendrick Lamar, Doechii, Sara Landry, and Dominic Fike headlining. You can also catch ScHoolboy Q, Nessa Barrett, Skin on Skin, Sombr, Rebecca Black, The Dreggs and more. Kendrick's last tour of Australia was in 2022, and, if his now iconic Super Bowl performance is anything to go by, his set simply can't be missed. Expect bell-bottoms and a bunch of shade thrown Drake's way. Fresh off her Grammy win for Best Rap Album this year, Doechii is another headliner we can't wait to see live. If her hit 'Anxiety' hasn't been in your head all year, it will be now. ARIA Award-winning Aussie Genesis Owusu has also just been added to the lineup. Owusu brings his unique blend of hip hop, funk, punk, and soul to the already stacked event. His track 'PIRATE RADIO' took over our playlists at the top of the year and even earned triple j's most played for back-to-back days. [caption id="attachment_1002003" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Supplied[/caption] What Are the Set Times for Spilt Milk 2025? With a lineup this good, you can't just show up and hope for the best. You really need to map out your plan for the day. We've done the hard work and collated all of the set times for you so you can plan when to drop by the Jim Beam Container Bar to slip into their Confessional Booth, snag some prizes, and still have enough time to make it to Kendrick. Of the headliners, Kendrick will take the stage at 9:35pm, Sara Landry at 8:35pm, Doechii at 8:05pm, Dominic Fike at 6:50pm all on the Angove Stage. You can catch the full list of set times in the Spilt Milk app. [caption id="attachment_1040567" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Supplied[/caption] Where's the Best Place to Hang Out Between Sets? Alongside one of the best festival lineups, the on-ground experiences at Spilt Milk are shaping up to be this summer's moment. Expect the kind of music, vibes, and memories that will define the year for you and your mates. Head to the Jim Beam Container Bar between sets or to kick off your day at Spilt Milk Ballarat and Canberra. Of course, you'll find a bar stocked with ice-cold Jim Beam drinks, like Ginger Beer, limited edition Vanilla Cola, and the classic Jim Beam & Cola. But, beyond just icy drinks, you'll find the best place to hang out and seek shade during the festival. This year, the Jim Beam setup will feature a container bar area, plenty of shade, and huge loungers to cool off on with your mates. Plus, there's a rooftop bar section atop the container with a view out across the whole festival. [caption id="attachment_1001754" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Billy Zammit[/caption] To free you from the guilt of past flaky friend discretion, you can step into the confession booth hosted by Will Gibb. Simply drop the lore of the most diabolical reason you have ever flaked on your mates, Will will hear you out and then determine what prize you're up for. It could be VIP upgrades for you and your mates' tickets, Jim Beam merch like a slick new cap, or even a disposable film camera to capture your day. The Jim Beam Mates Confessional will be open from 2–5pm in Canberra and Ballarat. That means you'll have plenty of time to confess your sins, nab a prize, and still catch the headliners. But, it's not just partying, you'll also find art exhibitions curated in collaboration with socially conscious art studios. This year, Spilt Milk has collaborated with Studio A, an art studio focused on empowering artists with disability, and Victoria Park Art's initiative that supports the same cause, for outdoor exhibitions you can peruse between sets. Best enjoyed together, visit Jim Beam's website for more information.
Known for its pristine white sand beaches, Jervis Bay is a well-known escape for Sydneysiders come summertime — and yet during off-peak seasons parts of its 20 kilometres of shoreline will be completely deserted. If you're heading from Sydney, prepare for a three-hour drive south before you hit a vast oceanic bay fringed by national parks. Jervis Bay is one of the deepest bays in Australia, and all its underwater creatures live in a protected marine park. Whether you're paddling, snorkelling or lazing on the beach, you're bound to meet dolphins, rays, weedy sea dragons, Port Jackson sharks, fish and, from late autumn, whales, too. [caption id="attachment_770529" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Gunyah by Hutchings Camps Pty Ltd[/caption] EAT AND DRINK Before you travel to Jervis Bay, make a reservation at Gunyah at Paperbark Camp, which you'll find just east of Huskisson in the pint-sized village of Woollamia on the banks of Currambene Creek. Designed by Sydney-based architects Nettleton Tribe, this warmly lit, timber-filled restaurant feels like a treehouse for grown-ups. It's built on stilts and positioned just under the canopy — perfect for spotting possums and stars. Paperbark Camp is also one of the best glamping sites in Australia, so consider spending the night. For lunch, drop into Hyams Beach Cafe and General Store, where you'll not only meet the bay's cutest dog, Albert, but you'll also find a delicious midday meal. Owners Sue and Chris Alison, who run the cafe with their daughter Phoebe, grow much of the produce on their farm. Order a burger and you'll be rewarded with a stack of lamb (or chicken), salad and vegetables, lathered in house-made sauce and framed in soft turkish bread. Hanging out for a late afternoon tipple? The Huskisson Hotel, right on the water, is the spot for it. The pub's got a massive, well-shaded deck and floor-to-ceiling windows, so the views are panoramic. Or, for craft brews at a dog- and family-friendly beer garden, head to Jervis Bay Brewing Co. The brewery is open Wednesday to Sunday for when you want to sample pale ales and XPAs with food truck snacks, or swing by to take a growler home for a barbecue on the deck. [caption id="attachment_770531" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hyams Beach by Tourism Australia[/caption] DO For the big picture, grab your hat and start with a 90-minute dolphin cruise that takes travellers into the middle of Jervis Bay — searching for its 100 resident bottlenose dolphins, and when you return you'll have a good idea of just how epic the bay's proportions are. Jervis Bay's still, clear, safe waters are an excellent place to paddleboard. Book a lesson with Jervis Bay Stand Up Paddle and, after learning the basics, you'll take a mini-tour, watching out for eagle rays and blue gropers diving beneath your board. To go further afield, take a half-day or full-day tour with Sea Kayak Jervis Bay. You'll learn paddling techniques, trivia-comp-winning facts about the bay and, between paddling sessions, you'll stop for coffee, cake, fruit and a dip at a stunning beach. If you're feeling intrepid, venture away from the shoreline to Bowen Island. It's illegal to disembark, but there's stacks to see from your boat, including fairy penguins — approximately 5000 breeding pairs live there. For a gentle stroll, take the White Sands Walk and Scribbly Gum Track — a 2.5-kilometre loop, taking in Hyams, Greenfields and Seamans Beaches. Make sure you check the National Parks website for any alerts before you venture out. In Booderee National Park, which stretches across Jervis Bay's southern headland, head to Cape St George Lighthouse for dizzying cliffs, diving sea eagles and tragic sailors' tales. Go to Green Patch for more white sand, possums, kangaroos and camping. And, for surf, make tracks to Cave Beach or Steamers Beach, both outside the bay. [caption id="attachment_770505" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hyams Beach Seaside Cottages[/caption] STAY For proximity to restaurants and shops, stay in Huskisson. And Hukisson Hotel, located right by the water is one of our favourite places to stay by Jervis Bay. Alternatively, the Huskisson Holiday Motel Cabins is great for those who don't want to be right in the town centre. And if it's bushland and bird songs are more your jam, head to Hyams Beach. Back in the 1920s, a bunch of fishermen built a group of pocket-sized dwellings there, just 60 metres from the water. Now, they've been transformed into the Hyams Beach Seaside Cottages. Painted dusky pink, baby blue and canary yellow, each one has a little porch and ocean views, plus polished wooden floors and an ultra-comfortable, queen-sized bed inside. Travelling with mates? JB Beach Houses gives you a choice of six holiday homes. You'll find the properties metres from the beach and right on the edge of the national park. At Scarborough, you're greeted by a spacious deck overlooking Hyams Beach — a dreamy place to watch birds, read and do absolutely nothing. There's space for up to eight sleepers and it has direct beach access for when you fancy a cheeky midnight dip. Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips in destinations all over the world. Top image: Jervis Bay by Hutchings Camps via Tourism Australia
It's been 25 years since the first episode, but people are still obsessed with Grand Designs. Sure, the futuristic and downright ridiculous homes are captivating. Yet many of us are tuning in to see how the insanely optimistic budgets, disappearing timelines and inevitable pregnancy announcement resolve themselves. Through it all, host Kevin McCloud is on hand to deliver a supportive quip or dire prophecy. Now you can hear McCloud's infectious energy in person with his old mate and self-confessed architecture nerd, Tim Ross, as the pair tour the country for Live in Interesting Places. On the back of a new podcast series, Tim and Kev's Big Design Adventure, they'll regale audiences with tales of modernist marvels, utopian visions and design-fuelled banter. And, as the name suggests, McCloud and Ross will come together in five architecturally significant venues throughout Australia. [caption id="attachment_1050527" align="alignnone" width="1920"] St George's Performing Arts Centre. Credit: Scott Burrows.[/caption] Presented across multiple dates from Thursday, February 5–Sunday, February 15, 2026, the tour kicks off in Perth at the University of Western Australia's Octagon Theatre. Onwards to Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney and Canberra, audiences will gather in Brutalist theatres, heritage-listed churches and much-loved public buildings, from St George's Performing Arts Centre to the Lindfield Learning Village, fascinated by the duo's big design ideas. Several years in the making — the pair haven't appeared together since two sold-out Sydney Opera House shows in 2019 — get insight from these great thinkers and perhaps reconsider that intricate building project you had in mind. "These shows are going to be entertaining and edifying," says Kevin. "And full of surprises — you won't believe where our nerdy curiosity will take you," adds Tim. [caption id="attachment_1050526" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lindfield Learning Village. Credit: Alex Mayes.[/caption]
Brisbane has been laid bare. In one of the most-ambitious installations in a career filled with them, acclaimed New York artist Spencer Tunick has turned the River City's famed Story Bridge into the site of his latest mass nude photography work. Called RISING TIDE, the piece is a follow-up to his 2023 work TIDE. While the latter featured around 150 people posing naked by the Brisbane River, the former enlisted a cast of 5500 on one of the Queensland capital's landmarks. Tunick keeps using the River City for inspiration to celebrate diversity, equity and inclusion, with his latest instance literally stopping traffic. Indeed, it isn't just cars that've now brought Brisbane's Story Bridge to a standstill in 2024. On Sunday, October 27, the famed river crossing closed to vehicles from 1–9am to become the site of Tunick's newest nude photography work instead. In behind-the-scenes images from the shoot, the river crossing packs its expanse with unclothed participants — sometimes reclining on their backs, sometimes on their sides with their arms to the sky. Although the Story Bridge has shut for roadworks and even a market before, there's never been anything like this in the structure's 84-year history. Because taking over one iconic Brissie spot wasn't enough, RISING TIDE also incorporated the Brisbane Riverwalk. Both TIDE and RISING TIDE come courtesy of Brisbane's annual LGBTQIA+ arts and culture festival Melt — and attendees can see the images from TIDE at 2024's fest at Brisbane Powerhouse until Sunday, November 10. That exhibition marks the first time that Tunick has put his work on display for the public, as well as his first-ever Australian showcase, with both milestones coming after 30 years and 100-plus installations spent making his style of art. There's no word yet if the Story Bridge images will get the same treatment, but folks who took part in RISING TIDE will receive a print of the final artwork. "This work on Brisbane's Story Bridge and locations around it has been my most inclusive installation to date. Five-and-a-half thousand people is my largest Australian work so far and this one is very special because it celebrates the LGBTQIA+ community and allies," said Tunick about RISING TIDE. "Photographing all the participants on the bridge was like looking down the mouth of a whale, filled with love and diversity." "I wanted to be a part of something bigger. I've gone through illnesses, and you just get to a point where so many people have seen your bits over the years that you just go 'why not?'. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," noted one of the participants. "It's really nice to see so many different body types — shapes, sizes and age groups. I came alone so it's pretty fun to see that so many other people have braved it as well," added another. "It's a sense of unity that you don't often get. It's just an incredible opportunity for people to come together, to celebrate each other and to celebrate art," advised a third. Over the past three decades, Tunick's installations have seen him hit the Whitsundays with almost 100 naked Aussies in 2019 and briefly turn Bondi into a nude beach in 2022. The artist initially turned his lens Australia's way in 2001 in Melbourne, when 4500 naked volunteers posed for a pic near Federation Square as part of the 2001 Fringe Festival. Since then, he's also photographed around 5000 nude people in front of the Sydney Opera House during the 2010 Mardi Gras, then returned to Victoria in 2018 shoot over 800 Melburnians in the rooftop carpark of a Prahran Woolworths. Elsewhere, Tunick has photographed the public painted red and gold outside Munich's Bavarian State Opera, covered in veils in the Nevada desert and covered in blue in Hull in the UK. Spencer Tunick's 'RISING TIDE' installation took place on Sunday, October 27, 2024 on Brisbane's Story Bridge during Melt Festival. For more information about the fest, head to the event's website. Images: Markus Ravik.
If a cosy escape is on the cards, you've got your pick of idyllic stays located among the spectacular bushland of NSW's Blue Mountains. An hour's drive west of Sydney, this famed region is home to leafy treehouses, wilderness-hugged cottages and secluded cabins, all the perfect setting for a nature-filled mountain retreat. So you don't have to spend hours scrolling and invest more time into packing your bags, we've pulled together 15 of the most enchanting Airbnb stays in the Blue Mountains. Book a spot and plan your escape. Recommended reads: The Best Glamping Sites in NSW The Best Hotels in Sydney The Best Luxury Getaways From Sydney Romantic Orchard Escape, Blackheath A cosy farm stay for two, this open-plan beauty spills onto a spacious deck, with an incredible outlook across the mountains. From $829 a night, sleeps two. The Hill Station, Mt Tomah Adjacent to the botanical gardens of Mt. Tomah, this leafy retreat for two boasts an ultra-private location hidden among lush bushland and gardens. From $385 a night, sleeps two. Amaroo Mountaintop Villa, Katoomba With panoramic views of rolling mountains, this timber-filled retreat will have you and your mates feeling like kings. The outlook is best enjoyed from the outdoor spa. From $510 a night, sleeps 12. Cuckoo's Nest, Katoomba This lovingly restored cottage is located among bushland and has space for two, a barbecue ready for use and lots of rustic charm. From $190 a night, sleeps two. Spectacular Vineyard Lodge, Megalong Valley Enjoy a taste of vineyard living at this secluded boutique cottage, complete with a sunny deck unfolding onto vine-covered slopes. From $295 a night, sleeps four. Wondernest, Blackheath A luxe, Scandi-inspired abode, tucked away among the bushland of Blackheath. Cosy up and watch the stars twinkle through the bedroom skylights. From $476 a night, sleeps four. The Shed on Central, Wentworth Falls This one-time garden shed is now a quaint country cottage with a cosy rustic charm. A secluded couples' retreat for those who like relaxing in nature. From $198 a night, sleeps two. Cloud Parade, Leura A designer space with sweeping views to match, this elegant ten-guest home feels like it's perched at the top of the world. From $850 a night, sleeps ten. Two-Bedroom Eco Woolshed, Kanimbal Unplug at this eco-friendly cabin, set on 250 acres of Kanimbla farmland. Uninterrupted mountain views by day and fireside hangs by night. From $320 a night, sleeps four. Three-Bedroom Eco Woolshed, Blackheath A bigger version of the above getaway, this eco-friendly cabin with a sprawling backyard has a roaring fireplace and is primed for small group getaways. From $320 a night, sleeps six. Nugaroo Cottage, Bilpin A rustic hideaway complete with cosy loft bedroom, toasty woodfire and tranquil farm setting. Plus, plenty of friendly resident farm animals to visit. From $441 a night, sleeps four. The Hilltop Cabin, Kanimbla Soak in the beauty of Kanimbla valley with the perfect romantic escape — perched neatly on a hilltop. The dreamy countryside views are best enjoyed from the outdoor pool or next to the toasty fireplace. From $1030 a night, sleeps two. Seven Sisters Escarpment Views, Medlow Bath This mountaintop cottage feels worlds away from reality. Especially if you're taking in the views from one of two gorgeous outdoor bathtubs. From $340 a night, a sleeps four. Shuffkeshoes, Blackheath With its tranquil bush setting, two-person spa bath and toasty log fire, this Blackheath gem might be the ultimate hideout. From $375 a night, sleeps four. Piccolino, Wolgan Valley A tiny home with some truly spectacular surrounds. This one is stylish, eco-friendly and primed for unplugged getaways in the wilderness. From $340 a night, sleeps two. Top image: The Hill Station at Mt Tomah. All images: courtesy Airbnb. 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.
It's the first film from Andrea Arnold in almost a decade, since 2016's Cannes Jury Prize-winning American Honey. It boasts Barry Keoghan in his first big-screen role since Saltburn made him a megastar. ("He could pretty much have done anything he wanted and he stuck with my small, low-budget film, so that's pretty spectacular," Arnold tells Concrete Playground.) It gives Franz Rogowski another exceptional part for his ever-growing resume (see also: Victoria, Happy End, Transit, A Hidden Life, Undine, Great Freedom and Passages). It unearths a stellar new talent in British Independent Film Award Breakthrough Performance-nominee and first-time actor Nykiya Adams. It sports a soundtrack filled with British sing-alongs, complete with a nod to its most-famous face's film past worked in among Blur's 'The Universal', The Verve's 'Lucky Man' and Coldplay's 'Yellow'. Bird is worth watching for each of these reasons alone — as well as for Arnold's blazing empathy, a hallmark of her work since her Oscar-winning short film days, and also the brilliant naturalism that always beams through in the cinematography by her regular collaborator Robbie Ryan (a two-time Academy Award-nominee for The Favourite and Poor Things). It's also a must-see for letting audiences discover how Arnold has spun a tender and moving coming-of-age fable that blends social realism with magical realism from a unique starting point: "it was an image of a naked tall man with a long penis standing on a tall building at night in the mist," she advises. "I think it's a metaphor." Bird began the same way that Andrea Arnold's work always does: with a distinctive picture. While every film, be it a short, feature or documentary, trades in visuals, of course, the writer/director's creative process for each of her projects commences with an image that comes to her, and that she's then driven to unlock. Such was her kick-off point when she started penning a movie that now sits beside Red Road, Fish Tank and Wuthering Heights on her resume as well — plus episodes of Transparent and I Love Dick, the entire second season of Big Little Lies and heartbreaking doco Cow. Rogowski portrays the titular character, who is indeed sighted on a rooftop. Adams is Bailey, the movie's 12-year-old protagonist. Keoghan plays Bug, her single dad, who she resides with in a north Kent squat — also with her brother Hunter (fellow first-timer Jason Buda) — and whose new engagement shatters Bailey's status quo. Arnold layers Bird with journeys and searches to belong. It's true for the girl at the feature's centre, who feels like the already-chaotic existence that she's living with Bug and Hunter is crumbling. It's accurate of Bird, the mysterious stranger on a quest that's tied to his past, too. Bug's impending nuptials, Hunter's own romantic situation: it applies to them also, as it frequently has to other characters across the helmer's filmography. Chatting with us in 2016, American Honey star Riley Keough described that picture as "like an experience, rather than like a film" and "really getting to that sort of place in people's souls"; again, that applies across every Arnold project. In her Oscar-awarded short Wasp, Arnold's focus is a single mother trying to start a new relationship. Red Road follows a CCTV operator who spots someone that she knows on surveillance footage, Fish Tank charts the change in a 15-year-old's life when her mum begins seeing a new boyfriend, Wuthering Heights obviously adapts Emily Brontë's gothic great about Catherine and Heathcliff, and American Honey heads on a US road trip. A female dairy cow earns the filmmaker's attention in Cow. Each unfurls a different narrative, even if dysfunctional families and growing up are familiar themes. "None of the stories are directly connected, but I'm quite interested in those kind of families, I guess," Arnold notes. "Maybe because my own family was quite sort of chaotic as a child." Her work is linked by a sentiment that's summed up wonderfully in an unforgettable line in Bird, too: "no one's no one". That piece of dialogue was pivotal for the director. Arnold is adamant about that fact, as she was about ensuring that the line made it into Bird. As she keeps demonstrating a devastatingly evocative and effective knack for seeing working-class reality with clear eyes while equally spying the world's beauty wherever her characters can snatch it, Arnold likes to let her films speak for themselves rather than unpacking their meaning — "I really believe in cinema being something that you give to the audience to have their own experience with," she says; "you want the audience to go to the bar afterwards and argue about what they think it meant, 'I think it meant this' or 'I think it meant that', 'no, no, what about that scene, because that scene means that'" — but she's aware of how crucial those four words are. Bird's evolution from that first image of a man on a building, delving into magical realism, casting Keoghan, discovering Adams, guiding naturalistic performances out of her actors, her approach to the film's soundtrack, making three-dimensional movies about the working class: we also spoke with Arnold about all of the above. On How Bird Evolved From Arnold's First Vision of a Man on a Rooftop in the Mist "Every time I write, I have an image that I then treat like a puzzle. It's like a mystery. The image is a mystery. Who's the man? Why is he naked? Why is he in mist? Why is he standing on a building? Is someone looking at him? Is he an alien? How old is he? The image encourages me to ask lots of questions, so it becomes a puzzle that I then have to solve. And usually what happens is, I know that if the image really keeps annoying me, like it keeps coming into my head, that it's something I need to explore. So I go off and I start making notes, and I start thinking about what are the answers to some of the questions, and that starts me thinking about scenes and possible other images and characters. And then I just build it from there, really. Which takes years sometimes. Not like every day, but it doesn't always make sense straight away, and I start digging around and 'yeah, that makes sense' and 'that doesn't make sense'. I keep — I think I started Bird years ago, five years ago or something, but then I did Cow and did other things, and so I came back to it. If I'd made it straight away five years ago, I think it would be a completely film to the one I made just now, actually. I think it would have been an interesting, different film. Because in five years, you change and you grow, and you do other things and your ideas change. So it depends on the kind of person I am at the time — and actually, interestingly I wasn't sure I should do it. Because I felt like somehow, the image, although I started with the image, that maybe I didn't need to really go there. But then I just kept going and did. And then I think some of the magical realism came out of that because I was pushing the idea more than I perhaps would have done. Maybe five years ago, there would have been no magical realism, but now there is." On Bird's Flight Into Magical Realism "It came naturally out of the process of writing. I didn't have any other films in mind. I love films like Pan's Labyrinth, for example. I think that's an amazing film, but it's not a film that I ever thought was anything like my films or anything to with me. When I saw that film, which I loved, I never thought 'oh, yeah, that I'm going to do that' or 'that's something to do with me' — I loved it for what it was, for its own creation. I never even thought about it. When I started writing, it just started coming naturally — the storytelling, my imagination just went there. So I just let it. It was liberating. I thought 'well, it's a film, I can make anything happen'. It's like magic, isn't it? You can do what you like. To me, it would seem like a natural progression from what I already do. Because I think, all the nature things I film, to me they're magical anyway. If you put a camera on something like a dragonfly, for example, that's about as alien and as magical as you can get. If you look at anything that we, all these things we have naturally in our lives, that are around — look at a worm. What an amazing thing a worm is, right. If you want look at a worm, film a worm and study it, you'd be thinking 'wow, that's like an alien. That's a strange thing. Does it move? How does it work? How does it live?'. I find all the things around us magical anyway. I literally find them fascinating. I find a snail, for example — you just have to look at those things and it's magical anyway. So to me, what I did just didn't seem so weird. It didn't seem so strange to me. It felt normal. It felt like an extension and natural progression of what I'd already done." On the Importance of the "No One's No One" Line — and How It Also Echoes Across Arnold's Other Work "That line just came while I was writing and I just thought 'oh god, that just sums up everything I care about. That just sums up absolutely everything'. And I was absolutely adamant. Because sometimes when you're filming scenes — my scripts end up being quite layered, I think, and I lose so much from my scripts when we film, because filming is so clunky compared with when you do layers in a scene. I might layer a scene with all sorts of things, and of course you film it and sometimes it's like driving a tank across your scenes. It's hard to achieve some of the subtleties that I put in my in my script. Sometimes I think 'maybe I should just write, because then I can have all the things that I want in there'. So often I'm improvising — or not, no I'm not improvising, I'm allowing things from the script, I let them go because I just have to, because the situation, the timing. Sometimes they have lots of non-actors, they don't remember a line or they don't always say it like it is. So often, the scene becomes sort of an echo of what I wrote, but not totally what I wrote. But that line, I was absolutely adamant that we didn't lose it. I was like 'it doesn't matter what'. And we had to hurry in that situation, because we didn't have much time to film in the station and we had some other issues that day. So we ended up with very little time to film on the station and outside the station, but I was absolutely like 'we're putting the camera there and we're going to get that line, that's got to be there'. It's my favourite line. And I think you're right, thank you for spotting that — it is something that I really care about and I think probably is across my work, and that is something I believe." On Casting Barry Keoghan as Bug "My casting comrade Lucy Pardee, who I work with — who's an amazing woman and who I've worked with for years — she knows me really well. She knows my worlds really well. She completely understands them. I've known her for many years. And she thinks about people she thinks will fit in my world. She mentioned him very early on, like ages before Banshees came out. And I met him just before The Banshees of Inisherin came out. And I hadn't seen him very much, actually, but she sent me a picture of him and I was like 'wow, I love the way he looks' — and he looked like he could fit straight in. Then I saw him in a couple of things, just small roles in things, and then I went to meet him. I don't always need to see them in another film necessarily. I like meeting people. And I'll always go on meeting. I feel like that's the genuine feeling that you get, from meeting a person. And I met him — he came down from Scotland when I was in London, and we had a meeting, and I just loved him the minute I met him. I think I offered it, we offered it, to him the next day. But that was quite a long time before we started — but I never ever faltered. I don't think I met anyone else for Bug, actually. I think I just met him and I was like 'yeah, totally'. But that's thanks to Lucy because she just knows me so well, so she picks people that she knows what I'm going to respond to and who feel like they go in my world. And then Banshees came out, of course, and I went to see it, and I just loved him in that. He was so fantastic in that. I was like 'yeah, we definitely made the right choice, without a doubt'. But I'd cast him before that came out so. And then, of course, he was in Saltburn. And then he went stratospheric. I actually thought 'he's never going to stay with our film', because he could do anything he wants now. But he did. So that was beautiful. He stuck with us." On Knowing That Adams, Who Only Auditioned to Get Out of a Class at School, Was the Film's Bailey "The first audition was with Lucy, the casting director, and then Lucy took her along to another — when she saw her, she brought her along to meet me after. So when I met her, she just came on a Saturday. We do the auditions up near where everybody lives, so they don't have to travel very far. So we were up in the area, and she came on that Saturday. I think she'd been playing football that day. She does football and stuff. She's very physical, very sporty. I think she did it to get out of a design and technology class, didn't she? I think that's the story. I think I heard her say that the other day — I didn't know that until I heard her say that. She did the audition more to get out of a lesson than she did because she wanted to be an actor. She just did it to get out of something. So I think even, I don't know when she came to see me, I'm not sure that she was still that not sure about this thing. I think I remember her walking in like 'yeah, what is, what is this thing?'. But I remember waking up when I saw her. I felt like she had a presence. And that I really took note of, I kind of thought 'oh, this this kid has got a presence'. It wasn't quite the sort of the kid that I'd written or been looking for, exactly. She was different. But I noted her and she woke me up, and I think you've got to pay attention to those feelings. That never left me, so she ended being the Bailey." On Guiding Naturalistic Performances Out of Bird's Cast "I shoot chronologically, which I think is a huge thing, and I particularly love it. I do that mostly for the people who haven't acted before, because I think it gives them some sense of where they are, and then they don't have to jump in and out of the chronology — they're not having to do a scene from the end and then a scene from the beginning. It gives them some sense of their journey. Then, because I do that, I do that with all the actors as well, of course — and then I don't show them the whole script. I give them scenes bit by bit. And then I think the actual day-to-day directing is, for me, every person I'm working with is an individual and your relationship then is an individual relationship — and different actors, different people who haven't acted before, need you or there's different ways in which you work with each of them. So there's not one way, I don't think, that I work with anybody. But I try to have relationships with everybody with, and for that to be like a living, growing, evolving thing that is something that we do as we go along." On the Use of British Anthems in the Soundtrack "Every character, I make a playlist for. So that was on Bug's playlist, these sort of very blokey anthems. I mean, 'Yellow' is a song that I absolutely love anyway. I try, all the songs I use, I try, even though the character's songs, I still want them to be songs I love — and I usually don't pick any song that I don't love. Most songs in my films, I love. And even if they're particular character songs, I still want to love them. So I try to find songs that I love for every character. So 'Yellow' is, I think, a fantastic song and. And 'The Universal' is a fantastic song. And 'Lucky Man'. They're all on Bug's playlist. Bug had that kind of playlist, sort of anthems, because I think he likes to sing and he likes to be loud, and he likes to sing these songs. He knows all the words. Then I made playlists for everyone else. I made a playlist for Bailey, but her music got drowned out by Bug's — every time I tried to have a song that was Bailey's song, it didn't happen because she's in the house and Bug takes over. So that happened naturally, actually. That wasn't an intention. I didn't mean for that to happen, but it did happen. And actually now, I realise it happened naturally because of the character and because of the way the world was. So that was something that was sort of a truth that happened, even though I planned something different — the truth came out. And then what happened is because we had Burial do some of the soundtrack, and I've never worked with someone doing a soundtrack before, so this was a new experience for me — but his music became more like Bailey's internal world. So she had her own music, but it wasn't songs. It wasn't songs that she would have on a playlist. It was more her internal world." On Making Three-Dimensional Films About the Working Class "I grew up in a working-class family and in that kind of area, so I very much feel that's something I very much understand and feel deeply connected to. So I don't have any judgment of anybody. I don't have that in my bones. So I think that's just going to come out in what I do. I don't have any sort of — I don't need to do anything because that's just how I feel. But I think like that about everybody. I think we should all respect and be kind and caring towards each other. I feel the world doesn't — I feel like that about everybody. I try not to judge anyone when I first meet anyone, or to judge anything or anybody. I try not to. I guess, of course, we probably all do on some level, but I try not to. And I just don't have that in my bones, so it's not going to be there in the film, I don't think. I don't think I'm making political — it's not a political gesture, not really. It's more about the people, I think. And it's more about trying to show people in three-dimensional ways. It's a privilege for someone like me who comes from that working-class background to be a filmmaker. What a privilege. What an amazing place I'm in that I've come from a working-class background, but here I am making films — what an amazing thing that is. And to me, I see that as quite a responsibility. And it's almost I feel like I need to really try to present it — I mean, obviously I'm making a film from my point of view, and that I'm not trying to make a wide political gesture, I'm just trying to make one from my point of view, in a way I understand, and that's all I try to do. I don't try to pretend I know everything, or I have great, sweeping view — obviously I wish the world was a more equal, fairer place for people. And there's plenty of wealth in the world to go around, isn't there? I'd like it that people weren't struggling to eat or to have somewhere to live. Originally in the film, I put the family — because of lockdown here and COVID, nobody went to work, and London at the moment has masses and masses of buildings, it has sprouted up like some sort of Blade Runner futuristic thing. And all the people that didn't go to their offices every day didn't want to go back into the offices. And I thought 'oh, there's all of these empty buildings now, all of these big office blocks, empty — why don't put all of the people that don't have homes there? There's so many people without homes. The homeless situation, it seems to be getting worse in every single country. When I go to America, they say the homeless thing is incredibly awful there. There are tent cities, and there are avenues and streets full of people living in tents and cars. I'm thinking 'but you've got all these empty buildings. You've got all of these office blocks that no one's working in. Why don't we just put everybody in there?'. So originally in the film, I put the family them in there. But we couldn't find a building like that to film in, so we didn't end up filming there. But the intention was there. My heart was there. So there's all these little things that I do care about that I put in the film, but I wouldn't say it's a big, sweeping political gesture. It's more about the people, more about trying to tell a small world in a way that I see as being true, as true to me. It's my truth — I'm not saying it's everyone's truth or a universal truth, it's just a truthful thing for me. There's things I care about in the film always. Everything I care about. But I would say I'm not trying to make a massive statement." Bird opened in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, February 20, 2025. Images: Robbie Ryan / Atsushi Nishijima.
Usually, heading to Bondi Beach means keeping your kit on. Visitors can expect to see swimwear as far as the eye can see, but no stark-naked bodies. The morning of Saturday, November 26 wasn't a usual morning at the famous Sydney spot, however, with more than 2500 folks baring all — for art, and for an excellent cause. Back in October, acclaimed New York artist and photographer Spencer Tunick announced that he'd be staging another of his mass nude shoots in Australia, this time heading to a Harbour City beach. That destination: Bondi, which has welcomed everything from a Stranger Things rift to a WorldPride rainbow already this year, and now went naked ever so fleetingly. Kicking off before sunrise and snapping to capture the early-morning light, the art installation marked the first and only time that Bondi has become a nude beach. That said, getting starkers was only permitted for the shoot. Dubbed Strip Off for Skin Cancer, Tunick's latest work was timed to coincide with National Skin Cancer Action Week, which started on Monday, November 21 and runs till Sunday, November 27. More than making history, raising awareness about — and funds for — fighting the disease was the main aim. "Skin unites us and protects us. It's an honour to be a part of an art mission to raise awareness of the importance of skin checks. I use the amazing array of body types and skin tones to create my work, so it feels perfectly appropriate to take part in this effort in that my medium is the nude human form," said Tunick back in October, when the installation was announced. "It is only fitting that I use my platform to urge people to get regular check-ups to prevent skin cancer. I have not had a skin check in ten years, so I am one of the many who have wrongly ignored getting them regularly. One can say I am traveling all the way to Australia to get one!", Tunick continued at the time. For more than two decades, Tunick has been staging mass nude photographs in Australia. In fact, it's been 21 years since the country's first taste of the internationally famed talent's work, when 4500 naked volunteers posed for a snap near Federation Square in Melbourne as part of the 2001 Fringe Festival. Tunick then photographed around 5000 nude people in front of the Sydney Opera House during the 2010 Mardi Gras, headed back to Victoria in 2018 shoot over 800 Melburnians in the rooftop carpark of a Prahran Woolworths, and went to the Whitsundays with almost 100 Aussies in 2019. Elsewhere, he's photographed the public painted red and gold outside Munich's Bavarian State Opera, covered in veils in the Nevada desert and covered in blue in Hull in the UK. The list goes on. Wondering why Tunick amassed at least 2500 volunteers this time? That exact number of participants reflects the 2500-plus Aussies who pass away each year due to skin cancer. "With Australia recording the highest number of deadly skin cancers in the world every year, it made sense to host this monumental public awareness campaign in a city that has so many people at risk," said Scott Maggs, CEO and founder of Skin Check Champions. "Beach life is synonymous with Australian culture, but it's also where a lot of skin cancers can start... We need to send a clear message that skin cancer is real, and it can be stopped in its tracks if more people get their skin checked." Strip Off for Skin Cancer took place on Saturday, November 26 at Bondi Beach. Head to the installation's website for further information. Images: Drew Lambert.
Need some perspective? Grab your hiking boots. There's no better way to get yourself out of your head (and your altitude) than a good old mountain climb. Australia's ranges might not have the height and ruggedness of the Himalayas, but they do have snow gums, wildflowers, seemingly infinite space and wallabies. Autumn is a great season for conquering a peak or two. Depending on where you live, you can knock them out on a day trip, conquer one on a weekend away or plan a whole holiday around a climb. From pristine beaches and bountiful wine regions to alpine hideaways and bustling country towns, Australia has a wealth of places to explore at any time of year. [caption id="attachment_750964" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Snowy Mountains[/caption] MOUNT KOSCIUSZKO, NSW Start at the top. Mighty Mount Kosciuszko is the highest peak in Australia. You'll find its towering 2228 metres in the Kosciuszko National Park, around 500 kilometres southwest of Sydney. The most popular route follows the Old Summit Road for 18 kilometres, beginning at Charlotte's Pass. For a longer adventure, take the Main Range Walk, a 22-kilometre loop that takes in several impossibly blue glacial lakes. Either way, you'll find yourself surrounded by spectacular wilderness — and you'll end your journey looking down on Australia. [caption id="attachment_688566" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Trevor King/Destination NSW[/caption] MOUNT GOWER ON LORD HOWE ISLAND, NSW Perched 875 metres above the Tasman Sea on Lord Howe Island, the Mount Gower summit walk isn't just a mountain climb — it's a serious adrenalin rush. You'll need a guide in order to tackle this 14-kilometre trail through the island's most inaccessible — and most beautiful — terrain, where you can expect to meet endangered creatures and unusual plants. The peak is covered in a seemingly enchanted forest, filled with mosses and ferns, soundtracked by the sounds of waves crashing nearly a kilometre below. Lord Howe Island is just under two hours' flight east of Sydney and is one of Australia's best islands for a holiday. [caption id="attachment_690974" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jason Charles Hill/Tourism Tasmania[/caption] CRADLE MOUNTAIN, TASMANIA From a distance, Cradle Mountain, which is perched on the shores of Dove Lake, looks like a challenge fit for Frodo Baggins. And it pretty much is. The 13-kilometre circuit includes quite a bit of rock scrambling and boulder hopping among ancient rainforest, rushing streams and wild creatures. Get to the summit and your efforts will be well rewarded with absolutely magical vistas of Cradle Mountain-Lake Saint Clair National Park, part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Finish off your holiday with a food-centric road trip or continue hiking along the iconic Overland Track, a 65-kilometre, six-day adventure. [caption id="attachment_690956" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nick Rains/Tourism WA[/caption] BURRINGURRAH (MOUNT AUGUSTUS), WESTERN AUSTRALIA Burringurrah (also known as Mount Augustus) isn't just a mountain, but an island too. Like Uluru, it's an inselberg — that is, an island mountain, a single rock formation that rises dramatically from surrounding plains. But you can climb it. The tough 12-kilometre return trail spends most of its time among native shrubs and flowers, including wattle, cassias and figworts, and the views are panoramic. As the day passes, you'll notice the changing light bringing various colours out of the landscape. If this walk sounds too difficult, there are plenty of shorter trails to choose from. However, you can only climb during the day, as the Wajarri community — Burringurrah's traditional custodians — request that no one climb the inselberg after dark. [caption id="attachment_690946" align="alignnone" width="1920"] World Expeditions/Tourism Australia[/caption] MOUNT SONDER, NORTHERN TERRITORY There are two ways to master Mount Sonder: as the finale of the 223-kilometre Larapinta Trail, or as a day trip. Its rich red peak, at 1380 metres, is the highest point in the West MacDonnell Ranges and the fourth highest mountain in the Northern Territory. The trail is a steady climb, leading eventually to high slopes dotted with round-leafed mallee and native pines. Keep your eyes down for grey-headed honeyeaters and desert mice and up for wedge-tailed eagles and peregrine falcons. [caption id="attachment_724172" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Robert Blackburn courtesy of Visit Victoria[/caption] MOUNT DUWUL (WILLIAM), VICTORIA Another peak that's good for newbie mountain goats is Mount Duwul, also called Mount William. At 1167 metres, it's the highest peak in the Grampians, which lie around 270 kilometres northwest of Melbourne. You can drive much of the way to the base, so the walk is just 45 minutes. For minimum effort, the rewards are major: the summit affords mind blowing views of the Grampians' many plateaus, rocks formations and swathes of wilderness. [caption id="attachment_690954" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rawnsley Park Station/South Australia Tourism Commission[/caption] RAWNSLEY BLUFF, SOUTH AUSTRALIA There are numerous peaks to conquer in the Flinders Ranges, a mountain range 200 kilometres north of Adelaide. St Mary's Peak is the highest, but since the Adnyamathanha People have requested that walkers keep away from the summit, considerate hikers have been pursuing other possibilities. One of these is Rawnsley Bluff. The 11-kilometre return trail immerses you in a spectacular arid landscape, dotted with wildflowers, roos and emus. At the top, prepare for breathtaking panoramas of Wilpena Pound (Ikara), the Elder Range and the Flinders Ranges. [caption id="attachment_614775" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tamyka Bell/Flickr[/caption] MOUNT BOGONG, VICTORIA Mount Bogong, at 1986 metres high, is the highest mountain in Victoria. It's in the Alpine National Park, around four hours' drive northeast of Melbourne. The one of the more challenging routes is the Staircase Spur: a steep, 16-kilometre climb to the summit. You'll pass through a forest of peppermint gums before reaching Bivouac Hut, which marks the halfway point. Beyond, snow gums line the way, opening onto a rocky ridge and then Bogong's summit: an open plateau that affords 360-degree views of the High Country. If you're looking for a cosy campsite, head to Cleve Cole Hut. [caption id="attachment_690972" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Andrew Gray/Wikimedia Commons[/caption] DIDTHUL (PIGEON HOUSE MOUNTAIN), NSW If you're keen to climb, but don't have the skills and fitness of a pro mountaineer, make tracks to Didthul (Pigeon House Mountain), which lies around four hours south of Sydney in the Budawang National Park. Unlike many of the other peaks on this list, it's a relatively easy trail. The five-kilometre return walk is clearly marked and ends in awe-inspiring views of wilderness plus coast: on a good day, you'll see as far north as Jervis Bay and as far south as Bermagui. [caption id="attachment_690952" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Australia[/caption] MOUNT BARNEY, QUEENSLAND Twenty-four million years ago, the Focal Peak Shield Volcano erupted leaving behind a collection of craggy peaks, including Mount Barney, which, at 1359 metres, is the second highest mountain in South East Queensland. You'll find it within the Scenic Rim, a land of ancient rainforest, rugged scenery and little villages in the Gold Coast Hinterland. Fair warning: the trail is challenging and tricky to navigate at times, so you'll want some bush walking experience under your belt. Should you make it to the top, you'll be rewarded with uninterrupted views of nearby volcanic peaks Mount Maroon, Mount Ernest and Mount Lindesay. Top image: Cradle Mountain by Jason Charles Hill/Tourism Tasmania.
There's a sensation that sweeps over you when you enter one of the best spas in Brisbane, or near enough to head to on a day trip. It feels strange at first — probably because it's not something that you treat yourself to that often. Your phone is out of reach, your body is encased in a soft robe, calming scents waft through your nostrils and the loudest sound you'll hear is your own content exhalations. It's called relaxation. Thankfully, there are plenty of day spa and bathhouse experiences in and around Brisbane for indulgent stints of tranquillity — you just need to know where to look. Whatever your budget, skin type or preferred massage style, there's a place just waiting to wash all your stresses away. Don't wait until someone buys you a gift voucher or leave it for your next holiday; pamper yourself whenever you want and for whatever reason. Recommended reads: The Best Hotels in Brisbane The Best Glamping Sites in Australia The Best Hot Pools in Australia The Best Outdoor Swimming Pools in Brisbane The Bathhouse Albion, Albion Relaxing usually means avoiding difficult decisions. Before you ignore the world outside at The Bathhouse Albion, however, you do need to make some choices. Will a soak help ease your stresses? Would a cold plunge revitalise your senses? Maybe you'd prefer to float away your troubles? Is getting steamy — in a steam room, that is — your path to unwinding? Would you prefer a sauna instead? These are the best types of verdicts to make, of course, because you're plotting out how to level up your self-care. A European-inspired wellness haven, The Bathhouse Albion is located on Nariel Street as part the Albion Fine Trades precinct. Welcoming in patrons since June 2024, the vibe here is indulgent, opulent and luxurious. Contro Wellness, Lutwyche Tranquility and Lutwyche now go hand in hand. So do pastels and Lutwyche; Mediterranean-style bathhouses and Lutwyche; and escaping life's chaos in saunas, steam rooms and ice baths in Lutwyche. The reason: Contro Wellness. When it opened in autumn 2024, the venue instantly joined the River City's best places to relax, slow down and put your wellbeing first. With its soft and calming hues, Contro Wellness has gone dreamy with its bathhouse setup. Patrons will find both traditional and infrared saunas, float therapy, mineral soaks, red-light therapy and salt therapy inside, too. Also, if you're keen on not just relaxation, but some alone time — or sharing your experience with a date or mate — all services are private. Soak Bathhouse, West End Spring dips, summers on the sundeck, getting steamy no matter the weather and staring out over the city from a West End rooftop: since bathhouse chain Soak made its way to Brisbane in 2022, these have all become a reality. You'll find the Gold Coast-born company's first site further north in a sky-high perch in West Village, complete with seven spas and mineral pools, plus infrared saunas, steam rooms and relaxation gardens. Yes, dips, steams, massages and LED facials with a sweeping vista await. Soak's pools are meant to be shared, so you can book in for a plunge with your mates and use the occasion to treat yo'selves over a catch up. A big part of the vibe at the bathhouse is about being social, hence the communal facilities, capitalising upon a largely untapped niche: turning wellness sessions into excuses to gather the gang. Lost World Day Spa at O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat, Lamington National Park A Queensland day spa that shares its name with the sequel to Jurassic Park? Sign us up immediately. There are no dinosaurs stampeding across your back at O'Reilly's Lost World Day Spa, but what you'll get instead is a gorgeous, greenery-filled outlook over Lamington National Park, the McPherson Ranges and the Great Dividing Range — oh, and an infinity pool, steam room and couple's treatment suite, that includes a hand-crafted wooden tub and a private nature-inspired shower. It's easily one of the best day spas near Brisbane. Treatment-wise, splashing out on a three-hour vinotherapy ritual is certainly tempting. There's no drinking at this day spa experience, sadly, but it does include soaking in blends made from grapes. The Healing Stone Day Spa at Emporium, South Bank Drinking, swimming, getting a massage — they're all better when you're 21 storeys up. That's where you'll find Emporium South Bank's day spa, The Healing Stone. And yes, it's on the same level as the towering venue's sky-high bar The Terrace, if you're keen on a super-indulgent visit. Here, you can choose from your preferred type of massage (shiatsu, deep-tissue, remedial and signature bamboo) for 90 minutes, or opt for an hour-long hot rock ganbanyoku treatment. For an extra $80, you also get a two-hour access pass to the infinity pool, hotel sauna and bar, which is an easy way to make a proper day of it. Kailo Wellness Medispa at The Calile, Fortitude Valley With resort-style cabanas and poolside dining, The Calile is a great place to sit back, relax and forget that you're smack-bang in the middle of Fortitude Valley's James Street. It's also been named Australasia's best hotel not once but twice. Of course, if you want to complete the faux-holiday experience, you'll need to make a beeline to Kailo Wellness Medispa — one of the best spas in Brisbane within one of the best hotels in Brisbane. Here, wraps, massages, exfoliation, facials, manicures, pedicures, soaks and cosmetic procedures are all on the menu. Just stopping by for a short visit rather than checking in for a staycation? An express facial, which takes 30 minutes, will leave your face looking fresh, hydrated and smelling like cold-pressed plant oils. You can also get IV nutrient therapy, laser treatments, facials and a whole host of beauty pampering experiences. Away Spa at W Brisbane, Brisbane CBD When W Brisbane opened back in mid-2018, Brisbanites were instantly taken by its epic façade and impressive geometric pool — and wanted to book a night there straight away. Even if you don't want to shell out for a night at the riverside hotel, however, you can check into its luxury Away Spa for an hour or two. Located on a quiet spot on level five, the Brisbane spa has six treatment suites, relaxation pods, a sauna, steam room, a pool and a bar. The most-luxe spa packages clock will fill three hours with bliss, either getting you detoxing or glowing. The first includes a wrap, massage and facial; the second swaps the wrap for a mask, plus a polish for your hands, arms and feet. Stephanie's Vintage Spa, Cleveland An award-wining Brisbane spa located in the waterside suburb of Cleveland, Stephanie's Vintage Spa features eight treatment rooms across two very quaint Queenslanders. You can duck into the infrared sauna, get your nails done in the pedicure lounge or have a quick 40-minute facial. Fancy a longer stay, but not quite sure what you're after? Try the 90-minute aromatic revival ritual, which includes a massage, full body exfoliation and botanical foot immersion. Plus, if you can't get out to the bay, Stephanie's also has locations in Bulimba, the CBD, Noosa, Surfers Paradise and Clear Mountain. Aquarius Health & Medispa, CBD Get a massage, treat your skin and soak in an Asian-style onsen at the super-luxe Aquarius Health & Medispa. The Brisbane spa is located on Mary Street in the CBD, and we're not knocking all of the usual bits and pieces when we say that it's the latter that's worth the trip. The Brisbane bathhouse comes complete with a temperature-controlled 22-metre indoor pool, male and female steam rooms, hot and cold plunge pools, and a dry Finnish sauna. Casual daily entry is available, or you can sign up for ten-entry passes and 12-month access to make it your regular home away from home. Spa by JW at JW Marriott Gold Coast, Surfers Paradise Sun, surf and sand is a relaxing combination, as well as one of the Gold Coast's big drawcards. Soaking, steaming, sipping and staring at scenic views? That's also on the agenda if you're looking for a different kind of stint in Surfers Paradise. One such spot to put on your intinerary: JW Marriott Gold Coast's Spa by JW. This hefty 2500-square-metre wellness space joined the hotel in 2023 as part of its broader $35-million transformation. A spell here means enjoying the sounds of the ocean, a vantage over the hinterland, both tea and wine service, and a sizeable list of treatment options and spa packages. Fancy a massage solely designed to help you sleep? An aromatherapy facial? Hopping in the bath with your date or best mate? They're all on offer. Spa Q at QT Hotel Gold Coast, Surfers Paradise Sometimes, you just want to pair your indulgence with a trip somewhere beachy, whether or not you're heading away for a night or several. Here's another option. Just a stone's throw away from the surf and sand in Surfers Paradise, QT Gold Coast's Spa Q will have you unwinding in no time, including in its steam room. Social spa-ing — aka group bookings — is one of its specialities, so gather up at least two of your mates and head on down. Then you'll just have to choose between a massage and a facial, both, or the two plus a foot treatment. Top image: The Bathhouse Albion.
The Southern Highlands may be just a 90-minute drive southwest of Sydney, but its string of villages, idyllic landscape and impressive producers will have you forgetting all about city life. Here, you can stay in a 19th-century estate, taste locally produced wine and whisky, peruse a whole heap of art and feast at a hatted restaurant — all in just one weekend. And to help you get the most out of your trip to the Southern Highlands, we've put together a guide to the best places to eat, drink, play and stay. Grab your partner or some mates, base yourself in the lovely little town of Bowral for a few nights and start exploring. [caption id="attachment_770250" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bendooley Estate via Destination NSW[/caption] EAT AND DRINK Every weekend away should involve a good brunch, and Bowral offers just that in the form of The Press Shop. Part printing workshop and part cafe, the diner showcases Southern Highlands produce at its best with its farm-to-fork mentality. The cafe also offers one fine cuppa — though coffee-fiends may want to save their caffeine intake for Bowral's boutique roastery Rush. At some point during the weekend, you'll need to make tracks to Bendooley Estate, which is on our list of ten awesome NSW cellar doors. But the 200-acre property doesn't just offer a cellar door — it's also home to a luxe restaurant, an alfresco cafe and an outpost of the much loved Berkelouw bookshop, with thousands of new, secondhand and rare titles. You can also expect stunning views across the vineyard and, of course, some fine regional wine. [caption id="attachment_771032" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Peppergreen Estate via Destination NSW[/caption] The whole region is home to over 60 vineyards and 17 cellar doors specialising in cool-climate wine varieties like pinot noir and riesling. You can use this handy Southern Highlands wine trail map to get you started. Be sure to include a stop at Peppergreen Estate, where you'll find wines on sale alongside extra virgin olive oil produced from the vineyards adjoining olive grove. Then there's Artemis Wines, which has woodfired pizzas on every Saturday and Sunday — plus BYO vinyl nights, movie nights and yoga events occurring regularly, too. And you cannot miss trips to the award-winning Tertini cellar door and Tractorless Vineyard — at the latter, the biodynamic wines are made by letting sheep graze on the weeds in lieu of using machines and pesticides. Wine not your thing? Whisky and gin fans should instead head to the Joadja Distillery, where free tours and tastings of its small-batch drops are on offer every weekend. Meanwhile, lovers of craft beer should stop by Eden Brewery in Mittagong — and pop across the road to Gumnut Patisserie for a pie to enjoy with your tasting paddle. And, if you have the cash to splash for dinner, be sure to reserve a table at Eschalot, which serves up fine dining from a quaint stone cottage in Berrima. [caption id="attachment_770408" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dirty Janes via Destination NSW[/caption] DO The Southern Highland's boasts some pretty spectacular outdoor sights, including the well-known trio of waterfalls — namely Fitzroy, Belmore and Carrington — and an abundance of hiking trails. If you do plan on stopping by the Fitzroy Falls and have a few hours to spare, you'll be well-placed to complete the 1.5-hour West Rim walking track through lush rainforest. Alternatively, epic views of Bowral and Mittagong are on offer at Mount Gibraltar Reserve, or swap your bushwalk for a trip to The Southern Highlands Botanic Gardens in Bowral. If you'd rather take things at a more leisurely pace, spend some time wandering through Bowral's many boutiques and specialty stores. You'll find a mix of eclectic and antique homewares at Barbara's Storehouse, Dirty Janes and The Bronte Tram, indoor plants at The Potting Shed and delicious handmade chocolates and marshmallows at Ms Peacock Confections. Art aficionados can easily enjoy an art trail, with heaps of studios set in and around the Bowral town centre. Popular galleries include Bowral Art Gallery — which offers a regularly rotating lineup of exhibitions, painting workshops and events — and The Milk Factory, where the contemporary exhibitions are paired with a gallery shop selling resin jewellery and blown glass. Around the wider Southern Highlands region, you can also take sculpture classes, pick up some handmade ceramic homewares and even visit a puppet centre. Find more art options in the surrounding region over here. [caption id="attachment_897212" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Peppers Craigieburn[/caption] STAY Bowral's small-town vibes make staying in boutique accommodation a must. Peppers Craigieburn offers just that — each of the rooms in this country hotel overlooks the expansive 36 hectare garden estate and private nine hole golf course. For something altogether more modern and glam, hit up Berida Hotel. Not only do you get spacious rooms with lavish furnishings and fittings, but you'll also have access to the hotel's own spa — an essential for anyone wanting to really spoil themselves on a weekend away in the Southern Highlands. For those travelling on a bit of a budget, you can even rent a room at the local Bowral Hotel. This pub has a few motel-style rooms around the back that have been recently refurbished. Grab some pints and classic Aussie pub grub before taking the short walk to your room for a good night's sleep. It will help you have a proper local experience in the Southern Highlands. Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips in destinations all over the world. Top image: Destination NSW
There are baths, and then there are baths. And, we're sorry to say, your questionably clean five-foot bath with a view into your neighbour's backyard just isn't going to cut it after you've been exposed to the beauty of Japan's many bathing houses — no matter how many 'winter forest'-scented candles you burn. The ritual of visiting an onsen is one that's intrinsic to Japanese culture. As well as the healing and meditative qualities of the baths, it's pretty special to be able to sink into a hot body of water (naked, of course) with nothing but a view of a snowy Mount Fuji to distract you. People have been bathing naked in the natural hot springs of Japan since way back, and while it's basically second nature for its inhabitants, tourists are welcome to jump on board (as long as you can respect and adhere to their customs). There are over 2000 onsen in Japan, and Steve Wilde and Michelle Mackintosh visited a whole heap of them as 'research' for their new book, Onsen of Japan. While they've collected handy information about 140 onsen across the country, we've pulled out ten of the more secluded, snow-surrounded, totally idyllic spots that you should pencil in for your next trip to Japan. GOTENBASHI ONSEN KAIKAN, GOTEMBA Day or night and in any season, Gotemba offers you a knockout view of Mount Fuji that you don't have to shell out the big yen for. At around one‑and‑a‑half hours from Toyko, Gotemba makes for an excellent day trip. A shuttle bus from Gotemba Station will whisk you to an onsen where, for a rock‑bottom price, you can get the full Fuji‑san view that would cost a bomb at a ryokan or designer hotel. KAWAYU ONSEN, WAKAYAMA One of the three onsen to make up the Hongu onsen-kyo area, Kawayu stands alone due to its popular Oto-gawa River bathing. Deep in the forest, this remote, majestic river bath was discovered in the mid-1600s when a local was tipped off to its existence by an enigmatic stranger. Fast forward hundreds of years later to a township that now has actual roads and hotels, but somehow manages to maintain its reputation as an esoteric and remote haven. SHIMA TAMURA, SHIMA ONSEN Founded in 1563, Shima Tamura is a ryokan experience that shows you just how the Japanese have elevated hospitality into the realm of an art form. The building itself is beautiful, with a traditional and inviting wood–entrance and sliding doorway under a thatched peaked triangle roof that looks almost like it has grown organically from the mountain slopes around it. Shima Tamura features an outdoor bath by a waterfall and seven hot-spring baths nestled in the forest; if you've dreamed of an onsen girded by foliage, hidden from the world and touched with the scent of forested glades with woodland creatures flitting among the cypress, Shima Tamura exists to make your dreams a reality. ZAO ONSEN, YAMAGATA In winter, Zao Onsen (a 40-minute bus ride from Yamagata station) is one of Japan's top ski resorts and the trees become pudgy with snow, so much so that they are known as 'ice monsters', snow-smothered conifers that take on the appearance of a crowd of glacial goblins that huddle together on the mountains as if plotting to take over civilisation (don't worry, they're way too cold to bother). In other seasons, the abundance of nature, greenery and the changing hues of the foliage make Zao popular with lovers of the great outdoors. TSURUNOYU, NYUTO ONSEN A fairytale onsen village hidden beneath low-lying clouds among mountains thick with beech trees, Nyuto Onsen is famous throughout Japan, and the seven hidden onsen all have something magical to offer. Catch the onsen bus (it has a model onsen bath on the roof) that ferries you around to each different hot spring. We've featured Tsurunoyu, Taenoyu and Kuroyu, but everything here is something special. Ogama Onsen is housed in a picturesque old wooden building that was once a school. Ganiba Onsen dates back to 1846 and has a beautiful outdoor unisex bath hidden in a beech forest. HOSHI ONSEN CHOJUKAN, MINAKAMI Hidden in the depths of the Joshinetsu Kogen National Park, Hoshi's dreamily beautiful building with a stunning dark wooden exterior accented by flecks of green foliage, flowers, leaves or snow, will transport you to simpler, quieter times. Inside you'll find winding corridors with low ceilings showing faded photographs of times gone by, taxidermied local fauna and small mementos of the building's past – all in glass cases. The 140-year-old Hoshi is a Meiji-period onsen featuring six baths of equal size under an awe-inspiring vaulted wooden ceiling. The architecture echoes the waiting rooms and stations of the railway boom of the 19th century and its beauty has earned it status as a protected 'cultural property'. MANZA PRINCE HOTEL, MANZA ONSEN With more than a hint of the Overlook Hotel in Stanley Kubrick's horror flick The Shining, the Manza Prince, set along an alpine ridge, is a sprawling hotel that has acquired the well-deserved description of 'grand' over the years. The world surrounding the Manza Prince is a snow-dressed highland in winter (skiers flock here), an ocean of rusty gold in autumn, and intense greenery in spring and summer. Like the lord of the peaks, the Manza Prince perches serenely among the clouds surveying all before it. The hotel has a memorable bathhouse alongside its labyrinthine corridors and abundant rooms, and they happily throw their doors open to day visitors. TAKARAGAWA ONSEN, MINAKAMI Takaragawa means 'treasure river'. Legend has it that the Yamato-dynasty prince Takeru fell ill on his journey east and a hawk led him to this hidden spring where he was miraculously healed. Today you can heal your metaphysical wounds in this hidden forest retreat. Sheltered in deep, wooded groves, Takaragawa's outdoor mixed baths are perched on the banks of the Takara River and encompassed by hewn rock, weathered wood, stone monoliths and a vista of charming traditional Japanese buildings. SATONOYU-WARAKU, KUROKAWA ONSEN Kurokawa Onsen is Kyushu's heart, a 300-year-old onsen town, lost in the mountains, barely touched by modern life and channeling the true spirit of the Edo era. Twenty-four inns line the Chikugo River, housed on winding lanes with small bridges, narrow pathways, moss covered stones and lazily spinning waterwheels. It's here you'll find the onsen, as most of these ryokan open their doors to day bathers. Many of the inns have private baths for an extra cost, giving you choices usually reserved for ryokan guests. HAKONE YURYO, HAKONE The free shuttle bus from Hakone‑Yumoto Station takes you on a steep winding ride into the mountains, delivering you to this contemporary, ultra‑stylish onsen nestled among some of Hakone's most beautiful mountainside foliage. This is the perfect city day escape, a bath in a forest, surrounded by Japanese nature at its finest. The range and quality of the outdoor baths is excellent, the pinnacle being the cypress bath that extends out over the forested glade. The many spacious rock baths are perfect for lying back and gazing at trees towering into the sky while you listen to insects as they lazily drone by. Solo baths give you your own space, and well‑spaced‑out benches allow you to kick back and be nude in nature. This is an edited extract from Onsen Of Japan by Steve Wide and Michelle Mackintosh published by Hardie Grant Travel, RRP $29.99. The book is available in stores nationally and online.
If you're chronically online and/or partial to an Instagram photodump, you'll have noticed the quiet, yet decided, return of the vintage camera. Gen Z and millennials have been trawling Depop and eBay for point-and-shoots that bring back the joy (and chaos) of unfiltered photography, and those with more patience have rediscovered the magic of film. With the 24/7 convenience and technological sophistication of our pocket smartphones, this pull towards cumbersome (and often expensive) retro photography makes one thing clear — we're not looking for perfection, we want nostalgia, texture and fun. But as charming as those old cameras are, there's no avoiding the frustrations of outdated tech: short battery lives, low-resolution screens and the slow process of getting photos from an SD card to your library. Film, too, has its downsides — it's slower, pricier and less sustainable, and if you've ever experienced the heartbreak of a ruined roll, you'll know it's not always kind. Fujifilm's new X-T30 III promises the best of all worlds: the imperfection and spontaneity of early digital and film photography, paired with the reliability and ease of 2025 technology — and we got to test it out. [caption id="attachment_1037100" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The new Fujifilm X-T30 III in Silver.[/caption] Over the last few weeks, we swapped our phones for the X-T30 III — taking it to gigs, park hangs with friends and out for dinner — to see what it's like to shoot on a real camera again. The first thing we noticed was how different it feels to take photos without a phone. There's no rush to post, no automatic filters, no instant scroll. Just the act of noticing something, lifting the camera, and deciding what you want the photo to feel like. Learning simple things — such as how aperture affects depth and how exposure changes a mood — made us think more deliberately about what we were shooting. We started framing scenes with intention instead of snapping aimlessly. [caption id="attachment_1037071" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Shot on the Fujifilm X-T30 III.[/caption] And maybe best of all, we were more present. Without a phone in hand, we weren't bouncing between apps or notifications — we were actually in the moment, noticing the light, the colours, the details. Design-wise, the X-T30 III nails that balance between retro and modern. Compact but weighty, it feels like something from the early 00s — a brushed-metal body with tactile dials and a subtle vintage edge. It's intuitive enough for beginners but still gives you room to play. At just 378 grams, it's light enough to carry everywhere yet solid enough to feel serious. [caption id="attachment_1037070" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Shot on the Fujifilm X-T30 III.[/caption] Fujifilm has long been known for its colour science, and the X-T30 III feels like a love letter to that legacy. The new Film Simulation Dial, borrowed from Fujifilm's premium X Series models, makes it easy to switch between iconic looks — from the soft, creamy tones of 'Nostalgic Neg' to the crisp clarity of 'Reala Ace'. There are 20 film simulations in total, each with its own texture and tone, plus three customisable slots so you can save your own 'recipes' for different styles. It's like carrying a film lab in your pocket — but one that never runs out of rolls. With a 26.1-megapixel X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor and Fujifilm's latest X-Processor 5 engine, it's quick, sharp and reliable. Autofocus tracks everything from faces to fast-moving subjects, while the 6.2K video option and new 9:16 movie mode make it simple to capture both cinematic clips and vertical social content. It also features a built-in flash, tilting LCD screen and Wi-Fi connectivity for instant sharing or printing straight to Fujifilm's Instax Link printers. [caption id="attachment_1037072" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Shot on the Fujifilm X-T30 III.[/caption] And while shooting on the X-T30 III felt like a welcome break from our phones, it's still built for the world we live in. Through the Fujifilm Camera Remote app, photos transfer wirelessly to your phone in seconds — ready to post, send or edit on the go. You can even use your phone as a remote control, perfect for self-portraits or group shots when you want to be both in front of and behind the lens at once. We're no photography experts, and that's what made this camera such a pleasant surprise. It's genuinely beginner-friendly — from the one-touch Auto Mode lever that takes the guesswork out of exposure, to subject-detection autofocus that quietly does the heavy lifting. Once we started experimenting, we realised how much more intentional (and creative) our shooting became. Instead of solely focusing on the subject or landscape we were shooting, there was the ability to customise the feeling we were trying to capture — a little blur, deliberate overexposure, a hint of movement. [caption id="attachment_1037081" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Shot on the Fujifilm X-T30 III.[/caption] And maybe that's the real appeal of the X-T30 III: it makes you fall back in love with taking photos. It's not about chasing perfection — it's about slowing down and seeing everyday moments differently. Not unlike the deliberately B-roll shots peppered through an IG dump, shooting on a camera with this much versatility allows you to tell a whole story. We loved the Fujifilm X-T30 III for its ability to speak to the nostalgia of the film and digicam revival, but modern enough to keep up with today's tech and creative demands. It delivers film-style warmth and depth straight out of camera, while staying light, fast and intuitive enough for spontaneous shooting. [caption id="attachment_1037080" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Shot on the Fujifilm X-T30 III.[/caption] For casual photographers or creative explorers, it's the perfect in-between: accessible without being basic, aesthetic without being gimmicky, and compact enough to live in your tote or handbag. In short, it might just replace your digi cam, your film camera — and (hopefully) your phone. The brand new Fujifilm X-T30 III will be available from late November 2025. Find out more. Images: Supplied | Eliza Campbell, shot on the Fujifilm X-T30 III.
When that big city life feels like it's getting a little bit much, there's no better antidote than to whisk yourself away for a dose of countryside. Lots of fresh air, an abundance of nature and a slower pace that's guaranteed to relax and revive. And you can find all of that just a quick hop out of the big smoke, with idyllic country cottages, wilderness huts and secluded farm retreats dotted all across the state. Places where you can wake up to nature and spend your days lounging by the fire or exploring acres of surrounding bushland. Well, we've done the hard work for you and pulled together twenty of the most unique country stays you can book right now in NSW. Choose a favourite, pack those bags and get set for a taste of rural living. Recommended Reads: The Best Places to Go Glamping in NSW The Best Tiny Houses You Can Book Around NSW The Best Hotels in Sydney The Best Places to Stay in the Blue Mountains Wilderness Hut Studio, Worrowing Heights Embrace the best of country and coast, at this secluded, self-contained cabin. It's a modern beauty, surrounded by nature and crafted from reclaimed timber. From $335 a night, sleeps two. Casa Del Casson, Smiths Lake A little slice of Mexico in the coastal village of Smiths Lake. With a wood fireplace and dense wilderness surrounds, this log cabin is endlessly cosy. From $250 a night, sleeps six. Billabong Cottage, Termeil This secluded cottage for two overlooks its own lush billabong. Enjoy a cosy fireplace, sunny verandah and complete serenity throughout. From $160 a night, sleeps two. Laguna Sanctuary, Upper Colo A Balinese-inspired cottage, bordered by a freshwater lagoon. This one's got a firepit, heated outdoor spa and sun-drenched overwater deck. From $390 a night, sleeps four. The Stables, Holgate A secluded country escape, just minutes from the beach, this modern cabin is primed for relaxing and romancing. And that bath features incredible views. From $250 a night, sleeps two. JR's Hut, Nangus Escape the world at this mountaintop eco-hut, complete with 360-degree views. It's entirely off-grid, with a fire to keep things extra snug. From $660 a night, sleeps two The Shed at Broger's End, Upper Kangaroo River This former machinery shed is now a stylish cottage, cleverly built with reclaimed materials and boasting its own outdoor pizza oven. From $600 a night, sleeps seven. Japanese Studio, Fitzroy Falls Enjoy your own private Japanese-style retreat set among the lush surrounds of Fitzroy Falls, which is on the doorstep of both national parkland and wine country. From $250 a night, sleeps two. Nearest Neighbour Cabin, Cambridge Plateau Unplug at this charming, off-grid couples' cabin, backing onto heritage-listed rainforest and rolling green acreage. It's as private and peaceful as they come. From $80 a night, sleeps three. Spiral House, Robertson This unique tiny home comes complete with alfresco tub, sweeping views and 33 acres as your private backyard. From $277 a night, sleeps two. Warramba, Glen Alice A contemporary country cottage with styling that'll make you swoon. Unplug, recharge and soak up a taste of rural life. From $805 a night, sleeps six. Romantic Guesthouse, Foxground Recapture the romance at this private studio, overlooking rolling green hills. Enjoy cosy nights around the firepit and sunny days in the infinity pool. From $514 a night, sleeps two. Strikes 2, Eurunderee Enjoy an epic outlook and serenity aplenty when you book a stay at this eco-friendly couples' cottage, set high above the Eurunderee Valley. From $357 a night, sleeps two. The Treehouse, Kangaroo Valley Nab your own treehouse paradise, overlooking the Kangaroo River. This group-friendly retreat is enveloped in nature, featuring a firepit and sun-drenched deck. From $508 a night, sleeps four. The Shearing Shed, Cowra This stylishly repurposed shearing shed makes for a dreamy couples' escape, complete with log fire and loads of farm-style charm. From $250 a night, sleeps two Black Rose Cottage, Mudgee A sweet country cottage with room for ten, this stylish retreat sits just minutes from the heart of Mudgee and is surrounded by wine country. From $375 a night, sleeps ten. Kookawood, Rydal A quaint farmhouse cottage perched high overlooking the Blue Mountains. Enjoy the cosy log fireplace and some truly breathtaking views from the outdoor bath. From $550 a night, sleeps four. Loughmore Cottage, Kangaroo Valley Load up on country-style tranquility at this revamped Irish settler's hut, complete with comfy furnishings and a library full of books. From $250 a night, sleeps two. Barrington Eco Hut, Cobark An eco-friendly tiny home that's primed for an unplugged getaway, featuring a hot shower, cosy fire pit and delightfully remote wilderness setting. From $230 a night, sleeps two. Practice Ground, Glen Davis Surrounded by the rugged cliffs of the Capertree Valley, relax and unwind in this architectural wonder nestled on a 20-acre plot of bushland. From $455 a night, sleeps four. 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. Images: courtesy of Airbnb.
