The list of ways that Brisbane's inner city will change when Queen's Wharf launches from August 2024 — and the range of new eateries opening to help — is hefty. The $3.6-billion precinct has 12 hectares to fill, after all. Don't go thinking that you've heard about all of them yet, either. Lúc Lắc is the latest restaurant and bar that's been announced for the revamped riverside stretch of the CBD, with the Ghanem Group getting in on the Queens Wharf's action. This hospitality crew is already behind Donna Chang, Boom Boom Room, Bisou Bisou, Iris Rooftop, Byblos Bar & Restaurant and Blackbird Bar, Dining & Events in the Queensland capital — and for Lúc Lắc, it's keeping a focus on Asian cuisine, as the first two fellow venues on that roster also sport. This time, rather than Chinese or Japanese meals, Indochine-inspired cuisine will be on the menu. So, you'll be tucking into flavours from Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore, all in an 159-seat site within The Star Brisbane. Set to open sometime in September 2024, Lúc Lắc takes its name from a dish, in fact: Bo Lúc Lắc, aka shaking beef. Brothers Adonis and Nehme Ghanem, Ghanem Group's directors, came across it on a research trip to Asia. They're aiming to make their new venture as memorable and as vibrant as they found the traditional Vietnamese staple — and as flavoursome. Under Executive Chef Jake Nicolson, Lúc Lắc will indeed serve up its namesake, but as a peppered beef tossed with lemongrass and betel leaf. That's one of the restaurant's signature offerings, alongside spring rolls with pork and snail, baby goat yellow curry and crispy spotted blue grouper. Elsewhere on the menu, claypot curries, plenty of dishes tossed in the wok and grilled meats will feature, plus Australian produce such as Fraser Isle spanner crab, Moreton Bay bugs, King River wagyu, Skull Island prawns, scampi caviar from Western Australia, and periwinkles and abalone sourced from Victoria. While enjoying a bite — starting with lunch and running through till late, when DJs will provide a soundtrack — patrons will peer into the open kitchen. Around the place, subtropical decor featuring floral fabrics, brass and animal prints are designed to leave an imprint. If you choose to eat indoors, you'll be in the 58-seat main area with booths. Outdoors, 46 guests can get cosy. Made from jade onyx stone slabs, the bar sits in a space that also caters to 58 people, all beneath its rattan pendant lights. That's where Asian beers and international wines, including a riesling from the Clare Valley's Rieslingfreak made especially for Lúc Lắc, will hail from — as will cocktails crafted with Asian ingredients. "We are thrilled to be a part of a world-class entertainment and leisure destination of the calibre of The Star and to bring another unique Ghanem Group concept to the city's dynamic dining landscape," said Nehme Ghanem. "Our family has earned its hospitality stripes in Brisbane since 1978. With two successful Asian restaurants already in our portfolio, our love of Asian food and culture inspired us to extend these culinary credentials further. We have poured much love, meticulous detail, and incredible design into Lúc Lắc, which we are looking forward to unveiling in coming months." [caption id="attachment_701902" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Donna Chang[/caption] [caption id="attachment_784444" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Boom Boom Room[/caption] Find Lúc Lắc at The Star Brisbane, Queen's Wharf Road, Brisbane from sometime in September 2024 — we'll update you with an exact opening date when it is announced. Head to the restaurant's website for more details in the interim.
When Yo came out we thought it was totally ridiculous. A single use app that just sends the word 'Yo' to your friends, it seemed like another sign of the world going app crazy — a new age equivalent of the creepy and superfluous Facebook poke. (Seriously, that thing was solely used by your grandparents and first-time flirters). But, despite our cynicism, the app took off in a big way and has now led the way for something even better. Working in exactly the same as Yo, but bearing a different message, Beer?! has been born. Finally saving your text-tired thumbs from making six separate motions on the keypad, Beer?! allows you to assemble your drinking buds with a single effective motion. There's no ambiguity; no unique invitation to be carefully crafted. Beer?! is as simple as it gets. It's about drinking beer. Soon. Possibly with you. With no emojis, no timestamps and no awkward 'seen' messages, single use apps like Beer?! have a strangely alluring appeal. As people become increasingly confounded with their smartphone's latest fandangled features and constantly evolving uses, simplicity like this is looking pretty good. Available now from the app store, it helps that the service is both free to download and free to use. It also comes with a surprising endorsement from Portugal The Man. So, that's something. Of course, to use the app properly you'll have to arrange some details in advance. Your friend is only able to communicate with the word 'Beer?!' so you'll need to figure out if a reply equals confirmation, and if so, where you'll be heading. There's never been a better time to adopt a pub as your local. We'd advise you to just call them, but really, that would defeat the whole purpose. Via PSFK. Photo credit: Daveybot via photopin cc.
Imagine if you got to take photos of your musical icons for a living. Wouldn't that be the life? Yeah, well, Tony Mott does that every day, and there's plenty more to be jealous of. 450 album covers and more than 700 magazines are adorned with Tony's photos, and he has snapped everyone from the Rolling Stones to Nick Cave, Bob Dylan and Silverchair. The Sydney-based artist first picked up a camera during his teenage train spotting years, taking still black and white photos of trains as a hobby. He got his start as a professional photographer in the early 80s, following The Divinyls, with his first paid photograph used as a tour poster. His now epic collection of band portraits spans more than 30,000 photographs in total. Mott's impressive resume includes an extensive list of high-profile musicians, yet several touring gigs with the Rolling Stones remains the highlight of his career. He has also travelled with Silverchair, Fleetwood Mac, Paul McCartney and Bob Dylan, and that's only a name dropping a few! The exhibition A Retrospective of Work from the Last 30 Years by Tony Mott is full of familiar famous faces and magical music moments including images of Queen, Midnight Oil, Bob Dylan, Tina Turner, Elton John, Nick Cave, Powderfinger, Neil Finn, Ozzy Osbourne and Björk. Mott's book of the same name is also currently available via his website.
A cucumber is more or less responsible for Andrew Mowbray's obsession with the gourd. Wandering around his garden one fateful morning, he made a rather unusual discovery. Between his fence and a tree, a cucumber was growing, but as a result of being squashed on both sides, it looked more like a hard, green pancake - 'pressed flat with rounded edges and completely trapped'. Finding the form 'formally interesting' and 'architecturally amazing', he started thinking about how he might be able to re-create it in a manner that would not be threatened by decomposition. Research led him to the Lagenaria gourd, which won't come as a surprise to those acquainted with the robust plant. When people initially came up with the idea of cultivating plants, the Lagenaria gourd was one of the first with which they experimented. Once dried, it becomes as tough as wood, making for a trusty container, bottle, ladle or birdhouse. The West Africans were the first to transform it into an instrument, and the concept soon spread through Asia, the Americas, the Caribbean and the Pacific Islands. The gourd is one of the few plants that we grow for aesthetic and practical purposes, rather than to feed ourselves. Now, Mowbray is taking its functionality to new heights, by transforming the gourd into a building block. He grows each one in an acrylic container, which is cubic, with semi-circular depressions enabling the development of 'nubs or buttons'. A modular unit' can be created by locking several of them together. At the same time, he is exploring the sculptural potential of the gourd's form, through emulation with plaster, cement and other materials. [VIA Inhabitat]
After four decades of shows, performances, exhibitions, films, workshops and other creative events, Metro Arts is closing its CBD doors — and re-opening at a new venue in West End's West Village. The move was sparked by the sale of the multi-arts organisation's heritage-listed Edward Street home for more than $10.5 million in December. As well as funding the move, proceeds from the sale will be used to create the Metro Arts Future Fund, which will fund more arts projects and initiatives. When it launches in West Village on Wednesday, April 1, art fans can expect sprawling new digs as part of West End's 2.6-hectare precinct. Metro Arts' new 680-square-metre home will have an underground theatre, two galleries, two rehearsal rooms and access to an outdoor event area. And, obviously, it'll benefit from moving from a 129-year-old building to a development that's barely a year old. It's a huge move, so to mark the occasion — and say farewell to its home for the past four decades — Metro Arts is hosting a two-week festival called Metro Arts, With Love from Saturday, February 1–Saturday, February 15. The organisation will keep putting on shows in Edward Street right up until Tuesday, March 31, before opening its doors across the river the next day. As for the old site itself, its new owners are "committed to restoring the Heritage-listed building to its former glory", according to Metro Arts' statement on the move. It'll be refurbished to feature both retail and office space, with all changes adhering to requirements of the State Heritage Register. Metro Arts will continue to operate at its current home of 109 Edward Street, Brisbane, until Tuesday, March 31, moving to West Village, Boundary Street, West End from Wednesday, April 1. For further details, visit the Metro Arts website. Images: Jason Blight of Blight Rayner.
No one needs an excuse to welcome in their Sunday with a boozy brunch, but Fiume Bar atop the Crystalbrook Vincent just came up with a new one anyway. Pairing your meal and drinks with a killer view is always reason enough to get up, and get eating and sipping — and the vantage from Howard Smith Wharves' resident rooftop bar sure is mighty spectacular. Wherever you find yourself at this inner-city precinct, you'll be staring at the Brisbane River. You may as well take a gander while you're enjoying a three-course Italian brunch, though, and knocking back cocktails, spritzes, beers and wine. That's what's on the menu at Fiume's La Dolce Vita Brunch, which run every Sunday through spring and summer from Sunday, September 12–Sunday, February 27. Your $115 ticket will nab you multiple choices when it comes to each course, so hazelnut and coffee castagnoles (aka mini Italian-style doughnuts), a pain au chocolate, chargrilled watermelon with parma ham, and a potato and thyme terrine topped with a poached egg could be in your future. Drinks-wise, you'll be saying cheers for two hours, including with mimosas, bloody marys, spritzes, prosecco, wine and Italian beers. And, you can choose between 10am–12pm or 12.30–2.30pm sessions (because yes, on weekends, brunch can start after midday if you want it to). Images: Markus Ravik. Updated November 16.
What do Saturday Night Live and film festivals have in common? Plenty. No episode of the long-running sketch-comedy series or iteration of a film fest is ever the same twice. Both always feature a helluva cast. At their best, each feels like anything could grace the screen. Here's something else that unites the two in Brisbane in 2024: when the Brisbane International Film Festival returns for this year, it'll open with Saturday Night, the new backstage comedy that recreates how SNL's first-ever episode came to be. BIFF is back, running from Thursday, October 24–Sunday, November 3 — and launching with a film about SNL's premiere that's directed by Juno, Young Adult, Tully and Ghostbusters: Afterlife's Jason Reitman. The Fabelmans' Gabriel LaBelle plays Lorne Michaels, leading a cast that includes Dylan O'Brien (Fantasmas) as Dan Aykroyd, Ella Hunt (Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1) as Gilda Radner, Matthew Rhys (IF) as George Carlin and Matt Wood (Instinct) as John Belushi as well. Also featuring in Saturday Night: Finn Wolfhard (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire), Rachel Sennott (The Idol), Kaia Gerber (Palm Royale), JK Simmons (The Union), Cooper Hoffman (Licorice Pizza), Lamorne Morris (Fargo), Nicholas Braun (Dream Scenario) and Willem Dafoe (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice). The full BIFF program for 2024 will be unveiled on Thursday, September 26, but the fest has dropped a few other details for now. While Saturday Night will launch this year's cinema celebration, the Australian premiere of documentary Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story will close it. The tennis star herself chats about her experiences, including as a refugee and in her chosen sport, with Pam Shriver and Lindsay Davenport among the other interviewees — and Dokic will be at the screening. BIFF has also revealed where it'll be screening, bringing its lineup to six cinemas around the city. Movie lovers, you'll be heading to Palace Barracks, Dendy Coorparoo and Dendy Powerhouse — so, outdoor screenings must be on the bill — as well as Reading Newmarket, Five Star Cinemas New Farm and Angelika Film Centre. 2024 marks 32 years since BIFF first launched in 1992, as well as its fourth year under Film Fantastic, which is also behind the Gold Coast Film Festival. After a stable first 20 years, the fest has been through a chaotic past decade. It was unceremoniously cancelled after its 2013 fest in favour of the short-lived Brisbane Asia Pacific Film Festival, then revived by Palace Cinemas in 2017, and then run by the Gallery of Modern Art from 2018–20 before falling under Film Fantastic's remit. The 2o24 Brisbane International Film Festival runs between Thursday, October 24–Sunday, November 3 at Palace Barracks, Dendy Coorparoo, Dendy Powerhouse, Reading Newmarket, Five Star Cinemas New Farm and Angelika Film Centre. For further information, or to buy tickets, head to the festival website — and check back here on Thursday, September 26 for the full program.
Next time that you're keen to peer out over Brisbane from a great height, Queen's Wharf has a new view waiting for your gazing eyes 100 metres above the city, all thanks to its Sky Deck. Keen to grab a bite and a drink while you peer over the horizon? You'll find that there, too. Eager to escape your own four walls for a luxe staycation? Perched on the CBD's north bank, the just-opened patch of the River City has that taken care of as well at its five-star hotel. Perhaps you're eager to tuck into southeast Asian dishes at Luke Nguyen's reimagined Fat Noodle, or to get a taste of Japanese fine-dining at the first outpost beyond Sydney for Sokyo? All of the above awaits also — plus much, much more — at the Queensland capital's just-launched $3.6-billion precinct between Alice, George, Queen and William streets. After years-in-the-making, the day that the city has been waiting for is here. As at Thursday, August 29, 2024, this riverside stretch has been transformed — and it has finally started opening its doors. If it felt like this moment mightn't come over the past decade, that's understandable. There were plans to launch in 2022 and in April 2024 that clearly didn't come to fruition. While the 12-hectare precinct is now officially open, Queen's Wharf is getting up and running in stages. Accordingly, while Brissie just gained a hefty list of additions, there's still more on the way over the coming months. Starting at the top, literally, the Sky Deck is among the first Queen's Wharf spots to welcome in patrons. The towering deck filled with restaurants and bars is launching one of its sky-high venues on opening day, with the drinks-focused Cicada Blu pouring beverages backdropped by a spectacular vista. The rest of Brisbane's rooftop bars now have some stiff competition from the openair cocktail joint, which is operating day and night, features a particular focus on sips with botanical infusions and does tunes by sunset. It also sports a lighting installation that takes its cues from cloud formations and summer storms. For something familiar, Fat Noodle has moved from the now-closed Treasury Casino to Queen's Wharf, setting up shop in a light-filled space. And for a dining experience that was previously solely the domain of the Harbour City, Sokyo has launched under Executive Chef Alex Yu, who worked at Sydney's version for eight years from 2014 and became renowned for his fish platters featuring floral arrangements — earning the nickname "sashimi florist" for his efforts. Cocktail bar Cherry, a Brisbane version of The Star's Sydney and Gold Coast haunts, is also part of Queen's Wharf's initial wave of openings. So is the brand-new Sports Bar, with its focus right there in its name, and 100 square metres of LED screens with stadium-style sound to back it up. The new LiveWire, which has been reborn as a live music-focused venue, is also up and running — as the dining hall-inspired Food Quarter. For slumbering, The Star Grand Hotel will now check you in. Sat by the riverfront, the 340-room addition to Brisbane's accommodation options includes 60 suites and four penthouse suites if you're feeling particularly flush with cash. Also part of The Star, and also open now: the Event Centre, now home to the largest hotel ballroom in Brisbane; and the Leisure Deck, aka 12,000 square metres of openair public space. To get to Queen's Wharf from South Bank, the ribbon has been cut on the new Neville Bonner Bridge as well. It's one of three new bridges that Brisbane is gaining this year, with Breakfast Creek's new Yowoggera green bridge getting pedestrians and cyclists crossing its expanse at the beginning of 2024, and Kangaroo Point's long-awaited new green bridge set to launch before the year is out. As years of announcements have made plain, there's plenty more that'll fill Queen's Wharf — and soon. Sky Deck's steak and seafood restaurant Aloria is due to open in the coming months, as is its casual eatery Babblers, giving visitors three options if more than the view beckons at the lofty perch. At The Terrace, a dining precinct within The Star, the buffet of restaurants and bars opening between September–November 2024 include Italian eatery Cucina Regina, the relocated Black Hide Steak and Seafood, the Indochine-inspired Lúc Lắc, French champagne bar and restaurant Pompette, the lamb-heavy Dark Shepherd and Latin American spot Azteca. From there, albeit without a specific timeframe, the tower with the 4.5-star Dorsett and Australia's only Rosewood hotel is also on its way, as is Brissie's first riverside bikeway cafe and a swathe of retailers in a huge new shopping precinct. More dining, such as an ice creamery, Asian cuisine and other spots themed around parts of the world, will come, too. And, so will the revitalised heritage buildings, which will feature food, beverage and retail options. Queen's Wharf Brisbane starts opening between Alice, George, Queen and William streets in the Brisbane CBD from Thursday, August 29, 2024. Head to the precinct's website for further details.
Since the first jabs started being put in arms around Australia at the beginning of 2021, two words have monopolised the discussion about the country's COVID-19 vaccine rollout: AstraZeneca and Pfizer. They're two of the companies with jabs approved for use in Australia so far, and it's their shots that folks who've been vaxxed to-date have been receiving. But from September, a third company's vaccine will be available to everyone rolling up their sleeves. On Monday, August 9, Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration gave the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine approval to be used in Australia. As announced in a press conference by Prime Minster Scott Morrison, the TGA "has given provisional approval for the use of Moderna for Australians aged 18 and over." In its own statement explaining its decision, the TGA advised that "the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine has shown strong efficacy preventing symptomatic COVID-19 and severe COVID-19 in clinical trials." Elsewhere around the world, the vaccine has also received approval or authorisation to use in emergency situations in countries such as United Kingdom, Canada, the European Union, the United States, Switzerland and Singapore. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (@TGAgovau) has provisionally approved Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine for use in Australia.https://t.co/Yr7dj0G0ja pic.twitter.com/Kp0EMpck7V — Australian Government (@ausgov) August 9, 2021 Partly funded by a donation from the one and only Dolly Parton, Moderna's vaccine is actually the fourth to get the nod in Australia, following AstraZeneca, Pfizer and a jab from Johnson & Johnson — the latter of which hasn't been included in the country's vaccine rollout so far. Like the Pfizer vaccine, the Moderna jab is an mRNA-based vaccine. So, it uses a synthetic genetic code called RNA, which tells the cells in our bodies how to make the coronavirus' unique spike protein. Then, once our bodies have done just that, making the protein that's encoded by the mRNA vaccine, we're able to recognise the spike protein as being foreign to our system and launch an immune response against it. Two doses of the Moderna vaccine are required — and while the AstraZeneca jabs are recommended four–12 weeks apart, and the Pfizer jabs three weeks apart, Moderna's should be administered within 28 days of each other. Wondering what that the Moderna approval means in terms of boosting Australia's vaccine ability (because actually getting a jab isn't particularly straightforward as part of the country's slow-moving rollout)? The Prime Minister advised that Australia will be adding 25 million doses of Moderna to the 125 million doses of Pfizer and 53 million doses of AstraZeneca that are already part of the vaccine campaign. "We will have ten million of the Moderna doses arriving before the end of this year. The first one million doses is on track to arrive next month and will go to pharmacies. Then we will have three million in October, three million in November and three million in December," he said. With the addition of the Moderna vaccine, the Prime Minister also noted that he expected that 70-percent of eligible Australians would be fully vaccinated by the end of 2021 — the threshold at which the second phase of National Cabinet's National Plan to transition Australia's National COVID Response is set to kick in. At that stage, which applies both when Australia reaches that figure and each state and territory does as well, restrictions will be eased on folks who've had the jab, including around lockdowns and border controls. Lockdowns are expected to be less likely, low-level restrictions will still help minimise the spread of cases and assist contact tracing, inbound passenger caps for unvaxxed returning Aussies will be restored to previous levels and more vaccinated returning Aussies will be allowed to come home. For more information about the Therapeutic Goods Administration's approval of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, head to the TGA website.
It's no surprise that many of us are looking to upgrade our home comfort level at the moment. Aussie furniture brand Koala is keen to help you do just that with its Boxing Day sale where you can nab up to 20 percent off mattresses, sheets, sofas, desks and armchairs to help you upgrade your pad or improve your night's sleep. A heap of products from across the brand's range are on sale from Thursday, December 24 to Sunday, January 3 including the popular Koala mattress. Also on offer in the sale is the WFH desk, which is made in Ballarat from hand-sanded timber, easy to assemble and designed with home office use in mind. If you've found yourself working from home a lot more this year, you can pick up the desk for a sweet 15 percent off. Comfy Koala sofa beds, TV units, pillows, bed bases and more are going with a 20 percent discount, too, so you can give your whole house a makeover. And everything comes with a 120-night trial — though, it might be hard to give any of these up after four-months of comfort. 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.
After a four-year hiatus, all-femme rockers Electrelane are back! Announcing their re-emergence to play a number of festivals throughout the UK and Europe, the quartet is now set to come to Australia for shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane this March. Having built a cult following since forming in 1998, Electrelane are renowned for their ability to fuse a cappella ensembles, Spanish sonnets, krautrock and indie-pop (and actually make it sound good). Having toured with the likes of Arcade Fire and worked with renowned producer Steve Albini (Nirvana, PJ Harvey), Electrelane reach an audience as eclectic as their sound. Originally from Brighton, UK, these British ladies had us all worried when they called it quits in late 2007 but their recent announcement has had fans frothing at the mouth with the thought of their return. There are few bands that can cover so much musical ground by perfectly mixing equal measures of cerebral with visceral, pop with expressionism and gritty rock with sweet harmonies. With a focused and thrilling live show that minimises audience interaction, come witness their unique collision of genres, which has already had punters and critics alike heralding their sweet return.
If everyone looked at strangers in the same way as French New Wave icon Agnes Varda (Cléo from 5 to 7, Vagabond), the world would be a much kinder place. Indeed, when Faces Places begins with the Belgian-born filmmaker and oldest ever Academy Award nominee hitting the road with street artist JR, the octagenarian can't hide her excitement. "I'm always game to go towards villages," she explains, "toward simple landscapes, toward faces." It's with honesty and humour that she expands upon why: "In fact, JR is fulfilling my greatest desire. To meet new faces and photograph them, so they don't fall down the holes of my memory." So commences Varda's 22nd film, one of this year's best documentary Oscar contenders. Co-directed by JR, the movie centres on the pair's jovial jaunts through the French countryside. Zipping about in JR's custom-made vehicle — a van with an in-built large-scale photo printer — Varda and her younger companion do just what the doco's title promises: they take photos of different faces in different places. The photographs are her obsession; for him, it's just the start. Thanks to his distinctive car's printing abilities, it's not long before JR is standing in a cherry picker, zooming up the exterior of rustic, historic, often crumbling buildings and pasting the giant photos on their facades. As pieces of large-scale art, the results of their efforts are never less than striking, each installation towering down in all of its detailed glory. Moreover, their odd couple collaboration makes for a heartwarming project, requiring and encouraging openness, curiosity and warmth. Wide smiles beam from lofty heights, sparking wide smiles from those below — regardless whose portrait is on the wall, or if it's a goat instead. A sense of community also springs up around the photographs, cultivated not only by something as simple as paper stuck on buildings, but by the willingness to pay a stranger some attention. "I like your laughing eyes," Varda tells one woman, whose likeness will soon adorn a stack of dockside shipping containers. "We wanted to pay homage to you," she tells another, who refuses to move out of her slated-for-demolition home in an old mining town. With her friendly, empathetic chatter and her distinguishing mop of grey and red hair, Varda looms as large over the project as the images she makes with JR. As the duo roam through small yet lively villages, Varda makes new memories while reminiscing about older ones — about love, work, times passed, friends lost and past moments immortalised in earlier photos. She's looking forwards and backwards in tandem, observing, sifting and making sense of her lengthy life in the process. Of course, all photos, films, paintings and the like are informed as much by the artist's aims as their experiences. Faces Places doesn't pretend to coin this idea, but rather explores it in a thoughtful and affectionate manner. In her travels, in the people she meets and in her blossoming friendship with a man six decades her junior, Varda interrogates how she chooses to capture her existence as it's inching towards an end. Well known for making personal documentaries across her career, hers is a sometimes melancholy but always enchanting journey, accepting the changes that time brings and acknowledging the fact that nothing is permanent. Served up with charm and heart, that's a perspective we could all benefit from embracing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKbjnLpxv70
For beer lovers, the Great Australasian Beer Spectapular is the kind of festival that you plan your calendar around. When one year's fest is over, everyone instantly starts looking forward to the next year's. It was back in May and June that 2023's GABS took place, and you can now lock in your 2024 dates around the same time in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Of course, the New South Wales, Victorian and Queensland capitals host beer festivals most weekends, but GABS is its own unique beast. It dedicates itself to weird, wild, wonderful and inventive varieties that are made exclusively for the booze-fuelled party. Think of a foodstuff — peanut butter, coffee, earl grey tea, chicken salt, pizza, fairy floss, bubblegum, doughnuts, red frogs and sour gummy bears, for instance — and there's likely been a brew made to taste exactly the same at GABS. Only dates have been confirmed so far, and not venues, the brewers heading along or the beers they'll be whipping up. Still, attendees can look forward to an event that's considered to be one of the best craft beer and cider festivals in the Asia Pacific region. If you're a newcomer to GABS, it started off as a Melbourne-only celebration of ales, lagers, ciders and more. Then it began spreading along Australia's east coast capitals, as well as to New Zealand. Now, in its Aussie stops, it pours at least 120 different types of brews each year. The event surveys both Australian and New Zealand breweries, with more than 60 normally showcasing their wares annually. Also on the bill: other tipples, including non-alcoholic beers, seltzers, whiskey, gin, cocktails and wines. GABS is known for dishing up a hefty lineup of activities to accompanying all that sipping, too, which usually spans a silent disco, roaming bands, circus and sideshow performers, games and panels with industry leaders, plus local food trucks and vendors to line your stomach. Fancy getting in on the GABS fun at home now? Every year, the crew behind the fest also pust together the Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beer poll, which is open for votes until Sunday, January 14 for 2023's best brews. GREAT AUSTRALASIAN BEER SPECTAPULAR 2024 DATES: Friday, May 17–Sunday, May 19 — Melbourne Friday, May 31–Saturday, June 1 — Sydney Friday, June 14–Saturday, June 15 — Brisbane GABS will take place across Australia's east coast throughout May and June 2024 — head to the event's website for further details.
For a lot of us, 2020 so far has involved a whole heap less travel than we'd usually like. With devastating bushfires raging across the country, many had to forego our annual summer trips and stay at home. Then, COVID-19 hit Australia, resulting in nationwide restrictions on travel. Recently, the Australian Government announced its three-step roadmap out of COVID-19 lockdown, with talks of interstate and possibly trans-Tasman travel happening before the end of July. Finally, we can start dreaming of our next trip away. And to help inspire your post-iso plans, Tourism Australia is hosting an online program of virtual travel experiences and entertainment. Best of all, it's completely free. Dubbed Live from Aus, the program will run from Saturday, May 16 to Sunday, May 17 via its YouTube channel and Facebook page. It'll feature everything from Phillip Island's penguins to underwater reef tours at the Great Barrier Reef, music by First Nations artists with Uluru as its backdrop, Mona's Spectra light show, an Australian wine tour with Adelaide Hills' Unico Zelo, a cheesemaking session with Jo Barrett and Matt Stone, sunrise yoga at Byron Bay and cooking the ultimate Aussie brunch with Darren Robertson, Mark LeBrooy and Andy Allen from Three Blue Ducks (if you want to cook along, you can check out the recipes here). All up, expect a taste for Australia's natural beauty, food, music, wildlife and culture. Other highlights include a disco party with The Wiggles, an exploration of Indigenous Australian ingredients with famed chef and MasterChef Australia judge Jock Zonfrillo, tours of Australia's greatest golf greens, pub trivia, a coffee making tutorial with Ona Coffee, a tour of Kangaroo Island, a night at the Opera House and Dreamtime stories with Darren 'Capes' Capewell. You can check out the full program and times here. Live from Aus will kick off at 7am AEST on Saturday, May 16 till Sunday, May 17. You can tune in for free via Facebook or its website. Images: Uluru Sunset Session with First Nations music curated by Sounds Australia, Underwater Reef Tour at the Great Barrier Reef, Penguin Parade Bedtime Stories from Phillip Island and Kangaroo Island Tour with Craig Wickham — all courtesy of Tourism Australia.
Spring in southeast Queensland means hanging out in Toowoomba, where the annual Carnival of Flowers takes place. In autumn, folks eager to be surrounded by petals have a date with the Scenic Rim instead. On the agenda: the Kalbar Sunflower Festival, which celebrates golden-hued blooms over a big April weekend, with 2024's event happening from Friday, April 19–Sunday, April 21. Sat just over an hour outside of Brisbane, the Kalbar Sunflowers farm couldn't be more vibrant at this time of year. It's no wonder that its festival has become a much-loved and hugely popular autumn event, with more than 12,000 people attending annually. If you're lucky enough to score a ticket, expect to spot sunflowers as far as the eye can see at the Jenner family farm. In its early years, more than 200,000 blooms reached up to the sky, which is a hefty number. In 2023, over one million sunflowers were planted across 24 acres — and the same number will bloom in 2024. All those golden petals also help the fest play host to a highlight to get lost in, literally: a four-acre sunflower maze. Also on the program, other than picking sunflowers at $3 per stem: yoga sessions among the sea of gold, art classes amid the blooms and helicopter rides over the fields, all of which have been drawcards in past years. Photo sessions will be back, of course, taking Kalbar's eye-catching sight to social media feeds. As always as well, the farm makes one helluva picnic spot. For eating and drinking against a stunning backdrop, Kalbar Sunflower Festival opens with a lunch, is hosting a fundraiser luncheon as well, has a sunset soirée on the itinerary, and will pair jazz with a midday meal. Or, enjoy a stint of Devonshire tea, shop market stalls, then make flower crowns. This year's Kalbar Sunflower Festival won't just be gorgeous to look at and frolic through. It'll also support a supremely worthy cause. To pay tribute to her husband Russell, who battled oesophageal cancer for 18 months and passed away in July 2023, the event's organiser Jenny Jenner is aiming to raise $100,000 for cancer research and care at the Mater. With picking sunflowers a huge part of the event, every sunflower sold during the festival will also see $1.50 go to the hospital and its Cancer Care Centres in South Brisbane and Springfield. The Kalbar Sunflower Festival came about after Russell and Jenny changed direction during Queensland's ongoing drought conditions. Previously, they farmed lucerne but, with water levels low, they opted to switch to a crop that doesn't require as much H2O. And, with all those sunflowers then looking rather striking, the couple wanted to let everyone else enjoy their golden petals.
When you're taking your pet pooch to the park in the cooler months, you want your four-legged friend to look its best and be warm. Yes, all puppers are adorable anyway, because that just comes with the territory. But your furry little woofer is certain to dial up its natural cuteness in a piece from Big W's new winter pet range. Whether your dachshund would look dapper in a cosy knitted vest, your jack russell terrier needs a faux fur-trimmed jacket or your shih tzu could do with an 'Always Snackin' sweater, you'll find it on offer in this new line. It's super-affordable, too, with sweaters starting from $9 and jackets from $15. More than 100 items are currently available (including various sizes and colours), spanning collars, harnesses and leads, as well as cable-knit jackets, tartan jumpers and novelty beds. Yes, if you and your pooch are looking to to go on an 'indoor camping adventure' — we've been WFH for a while now — you can get them a teepee: The fashion and accessory line will add further items throughout the year, too, because even your doggo's wardrobe can change with the seasons. While Big W has dubbed the line its 'petwear', so far it's all for dogs. That said, if you can somehow manage to get your cat into a vest or sweater, then you're well-equipped to slip them into something from this range. Big W's petwear is currently available to purchase online, with contactless home delivery and pick up available.
Parachute Youth present their Count To Ten Tour! This duo have become one of Australia’s most sought-after acts, with their debut single Can’t Get Better Than This shooting to the coveted #1 spot as most played and requested on Triple J, while taking over the AIR charts. They’ve now got the award for Best New Act under their belts as presented by In The Mix, and have been nominated for Best New Act and Best Australian Single by AIR. The flattery isn’t restricted to their homeland of Oz, with the UK and US signing the boys, as well as Europe proving to be a solid fan base. As such, this could be the last opportunity to see Parachute Youth in an intimate environment, and where better than the Hi-Fi? Supported by Clubfeet, this is a show that will prove an absolute treat. The early bird tickets have already flown the coop, so get in quick for the remaining General Admissions!
Some films are just fun. They don’t have to be particularly good, and can even be so enjoyably bad as to become 'guilty pleasures'. Consider 2012’s Battleship. It’s an unbelievably stupid movie, so devoid of plot that the two-page instruction manual for the board game contains better exposition, but if it’s on, you can bet I’ll end up watching it. The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is almost one of these films. It’s fun, definitely, but not quite enough to feel like it will satisfy the ‘re-watchability test'. Like Mission Impossible, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is based on a '60s television spy series, and in fact owes several of its key characters to Ian Fleming (who only withdrew from production once EON became worried it might impact upon his Bond films). The concept revolved around two agents, one an American named Napoleon Solo (played here by Man of Steel’s Henry Cavill) and the other a Russian named Illya Kuryakin (The Social Network’s Armie Hammer), who together took on the amusingly named T.H.R.U.S.H. Organisation. The forced partnership of antipodes has often proved a fertile device in storytelling, from Lethal Weapon's pairing of a black cop with a white one in 1980s LA during a period of tense race relations to that of a male spy with a female one in 1977’s The Spy Who Loved Me. The original Man From U.N.C.L.E. debuted less than two years after the Cuban Missile Crisis, making the undercurrent of Cold War cooperation both radical and remarkably progressive, as well as contributing significantly to its combined critical and popular success. Today, it carries a lot less weight, meaning The Man From U.N.C.L.E. feels particularly low in chemistry and tension, especially since the East/West clash is scarcely addressed. After some early (and excellent) bickering between Solo and Kuryakin, the unwilling companions never again wrangle over anything more substantial than the use of pet names for each other — ‘Cowboy' and 'Red Peril' — robbing the film of perhaps its only source of weighty antagonism. The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is, of course, just the latest in a series of, well, series that have been adapted for the big screen, only in this case there are two key distinctions. For one, it remains in the era of its progenitor, meaning the film is every bit swinging '60s, with its swanky costumes and groovy soundtrack matched by direction from Guy Ritchie that makes frequent use of split screens and transition wipes. Secondly, it’s not a parody. There are no in-jokes or tips of the hat to the original series, as per other recent offerings such as The A-Team, 21 Jump Street or Charlie’s Angels. That The Man From U.N.C.L.E. plays it straight makes for a refreshing change, but — just as was the case with 1998’s The Avengers and 2013’s The Lone Ranger — its attempt to recapture the charm of the original series unfortunately falls short of the mark, and its US-PG status renders it a particularly tame outing for someone like Ritchie at the helm. It feels more like Ritchie doing Soderbergh doing Mad Men, and while that may make it more child-friendly, it dulls the film for anyone who might actually remember the TV show. The cast, too, while aesthetically perfect, somehow fails to quite hit the mark. Cavill looks and sounds impossibly smooth (think Patrick Bateman minus the psychosis), while Hammer sports a cartoonish Russian accent and plays it with all the charisma of a turnip. Alongside them, Alicia Vikander somehow feels absent despite loads of screen time, Australian Elizabeth Debicki has fun as the unflappable villain, and Hugh Grant puts in the film’s best performance, making his cameo a tempting substitute for the lead should the film ever actually progress to the sequel it unashamedly sets up at its close.
A cracking view is usually pretty high on the priorities list when booking a sweet holiday pad, but you probably don't go into it expecting one quite like what Oman's newest accommodation has to offer. Luxury hospo and hotel group Anantara has just opened the doors to an epic new five-star resort, Al Jabal Al Akhdar — and, boy, does it have views. Sitting at a lofty 2000 metres above sea level on the edge of a canyon in Oman's mountainous north (about four hours from Dubai), it's the Middle East's highest retreat. It towers over the Saiq Plateau in a way that's sure to cause a few goosebumps on the drive up. Just look at it. Basically the height of luxury, Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort is definitely worthy of a spot on the old if money was no object bucket list — the designer interiors reflect that eye-poppingly rugged terrain and each of the 115 luxury rooms lay claim to panoramic views. Of course, there's a price to pay for such luxury — rooms start at around 720 AUD a night and go up to 4000 AUD. Along with the rooms, there's six different restaurants and lounges, and the culinary situation sounds as interesting as the location. You can even get the best of both at Dining by Design, which sits on a cliff-edge platform named Diana's Point, after its most famous royal visitor. And if a peek from your room's window, or your dinner table, doesn't provide enough of an adrenaline rush, the resort also offers a 'via ferrata' climbing route, where you can boss up and actually scale the side of the cliff. If that's too much, you can always just take a dip in the canyon infinity pool, go mountain biking or get one of the hotel's 'mountain gurus' to take you on a hike of the area. Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort is located in the Al Hajar mountains, about 30 minutes from the ancient city of Nizwa in Oman. For more information on the hotel, visit jabal-akhdar.anantara.com.
One of the world's most-visited multi-sensory experiences will come alive in Brisbane this year. After successful runs in Sydney, Auckland and Adelaide, immersive exhibition Van Gogh Alive is bringing The Starry Night to the Sunshine State — alongside a heap of Vincent van Gogh's other artworks — as part of its Australian tour. The project is the brainchild of Melbourne-based Grande Exhibitions, which, for the past 15 years, has hosted immersive exhibitions and gallery experiences in over 150 cities across the world. The company also owns and operates Rome's Museo Leonardo da Vinci. A family-friendly experience, Van Gogh Alive creates the sensation of walking right into the Dutch artist's paintings — and you definitely won't feel like you're just standing in an ordinary gallery. Attendees encounter van Gogh's world-famous works in fine detail thanks to Grande Exhibitions' state-of-the-art technology, which uses 40 high-definition projectors. A classical musical score accompanies the vibrant colours, too, as presented in cinema-quality surround sound. And, as part of the experience, two of van Gogh's most popular works have been transformed into vivid new guises. So, when you see The Starry Night, you'll actually be walking through it. Love Sunflowers (the painting, as well as the plant)? An immersive Sunflower infinity room is also included. The Brisbane season of Van Gogh Alive will pop up at Northshore Hamilton from Friday, October 29 — with tickets on sale from Friday, July 30, or from Wednesday, July 28 via pre-sales. Van Gogh Alive will run from Friday, October 29 at Northshore Hamilton. Tickets will go on sale from Friday, July 30, with pre-sales from Wednesday, July 28 — for further details, or to join the waitlist, head to the event's website. Images: Morgan Sette. Updated July 26.
For almost two decades, Love Actually has been everyone's go-to British rom-com with festive flavour. This year, Last Christmas wants to give the star-studded classic a run for its money. And, given that it pairs Game of Thrones' Emilia Clarke with Crazy Rich Asians' Henry Golding, is directed by Bridesmaids and A Simple Favour's Paul Feig, and features the music of George Michael — including the Wham! tune that shares the movie's title, obviously — this new dose of cinematic sweetness might just achieve that aim. Admittedly, Last Christmas sounds a little like the result of overlapping Venn diagrams mapping things that absolutely everyone loves. Its leads hail from one of the biggest shows of this century and one of the huge film hits of the past year, respectively. Its director has a following of his own. Even folks who aren't all that fond of Christmas manage to find a soft spot for festive flicks. And, there's never a bad time for George Michael's music — or, as Always Be My Maybe demonstrated earlier this year, for upbeat rom-coms that take their title from a beloved pop track. But, based on the just-released first trailer, this Christmassy movie doesn't just hit obvious crowd-pleasing beats. It also has plenty of charm. The fact that it's co-written by Emma Thompson, who has an Oscar for screenwriting (for Sense and Sensibility) and also co-stars in the flick, clearly helps. And, if Michael's existing hits didn't provide enough of a soundtrack, the film will also feature new, previously unreleased tunes by the late singer. Story-wise, the movie follows the cynical, Scrooge-like Kate (Clarke), who works as an elf in a year-round Christmas shop but has a distinct lack of seasonal cheer herself. She has ample reasons for her unhappy demeanour, including her stern boss (Michelle Yeoh), although she might also have some motivation to start feeling more jovial when she keeps running into the endearing Tom (Golding). Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9CEIcmWmtA Last Christmas releases in Australian cinemas on November 7.
If you want something done, you just have to do it yourself. When artists around the globe came to this conclusion, the concept of the Artist-Run Initiative, or ARI, was born. ARIs allow creative folk the freedom and agency to produce their art as they see fit, and you might not be aware that there are plenty of them buzzing away right here in Brisbane. We caught up with a few to find out more and ask them about the importance of ARI's in any thriving cultural community. INHOUSE ARI Inhouse was established in early 2012. It emerged as a response to the lack of opportunities for emerging artists and arts writers, as well as the lack of opportunities for critical discourse surrounding their practices. Inhouse aims to foster an active critical dialogue surrounding arts practice. Each exhibition pairs an artist and writer to form a platform for discussion. In the lead up to and after an exhibition they host a series of meetings between the artist, arts writer and ourselves; these meetings act as an open forum to critique and analyse arts discourse. They also treat the artist and arts writer as equals by evenly paying (when possible) and promoting both parties. Jenna Baldock & Meagan Streader say: "Artist Run Initiatives tend to form as a reaction to something that is lacking within the arts community, filling the gaps that the institutions, universities and galleries cannot or might not provide. This may be anything from a lack of opportunities to a lack of studio spaces. For us we formed in a response to the lack of critical discussion surrounding practice for emerging practitioners after graduating university. We also noticed there was a growing number of arts writers in Brisbane but not a lot of opportunities for them." CURRENT PROJECTS Current Projects was initially a group of 8 QUT visual arts graduates that completed honours together in 2010. They formed in 2011 as way to maintain the dialogue they had developed during our studies, and also to create opportunities for themselves and other local emerging artists. A key part of this amazing ARI is that it isn't actually just an "artist-run-initiative", as they in fact have a couple of curators as part of the group. As a result, they've been keen to share their different perspectives within the group and explore new ways for artists and curators to work together. They have also been keen to explore collaborative work, such as in their Pair Shaped series of exhibitions at Metro Arts last year, and develop new connections to help foster new work and alternative frameworks for artwork, such as in their Dispatch project. Richard Stride says: "I think the common idea is that ARIs fill a gap between university and establishing a career through commercial galleries or public art. I think this can be true, but it's only a part of the picture. I think they are more broadly act as incubators for ideas and provide artists with the space and freedom to experiment. At the same time, they provide innovative frameworks for artists to work within that may be outside the possibilities of financially orientated art opportunities." DIAGRAM Diagram was established in 2010 when Jared Worthington was approached by artist Martin Smith to curate the window space at Ryan Renshaw Gallery. Jared, Sean Barrett, Genevieve Reynolds, and Hannah Piper were the founding members. They've accomplished a lot since then, having had an exhibition of our own individual works at the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts, run a pop up art store called Art Snack, and created our latest work Let's Talk About Us. Capable of irony but preferring sincerity. They’re curious about the world around us now, about others and about themselves. Their initiative now consists of Jared, Sean and Genevieve - a 3 headed monster. They work closely as a group to push and support each other and bring out the unique talents they all have. That idea of a collective mentally runs throughout all their endeavours. Sean Barrett, Genevieve Reynolds, Jared Worthington say: "ARI's can afford artists with freedom that isn't always available. Constraints that exist with institutions or commercial galleries can be relaxed a little so artists can experiment with different aspects of their work, such as the location, scale or duration. Being part of the scene has also allowed us to build valuable relationships with other similar groups, artists and galleries." THE HOLD ARTSPACE The folks at The Hold began planning at the beginning of 2013 and had their first show on the 1st of March, 2013. The gallery started as an opportunity for the organisers to remain active in the Brisbane art scene after our completion of our honours at QCA at the end of 2012. Their ethos is hinged on critical artistic practice. They take what they do seriously and they look for artists who are equally serious about their artistic ambitions. Luke Kidd says: "Where do I start? ARIs play a very important role in the visual arts. Many ARIs work with a high level of experimentation; Witchmeat is a great example of this. ARIs are also a great way for emerging artists to transition from their 'art school' phase to becoming full-time artists. ARIs can help you get exposure to the public, they provide you with experience in exhibiting your artwork and provide a way for you to get feedback on your work. All of these things are important if you wish to have a long-term career in the visual arts." There are heaps of amazing ARI's around Brisbane, these are only a small sample of some of the top notch organisations around. Be sure to also check out the stuff going on at Witchmeat ARI and Level!
If you fancy a glam getaway close to home, you're in luck. Brisbane is blessed with loads of dreamy destinations within a credit card's throw of town, ideal for blissed-out breaks with your partner or posse. Concrete Playground has teamed up with boutique hotel specialists Mr & Mrs Smith to round up some of the best luxury hotels and self-catering stays in Australia and New Zealand, including everything from sexy city stays to romantic rustic retreats. And don't worry, we've got you covered for spa hedonism, winery wandering and island hopping, too. So grab your your wallet and your girl or boy, and go. Byron Bay Villa Where: above Wategos Beach, Byron Bay (address details shared on booking), NSW Even if it wasn't languishing above one of Byron Bay's most blissful beaches (the wonderful Wategos), Byron Bay Villa would get our vote. A double-decked diva of a beach house, this boho pad offers open-plan, white-on-white contemporary interiors with hip retro touches. Kenzo-striped sofas and cheery patterned cushions stop the styling getting sterile, as do seductive Asian sculptures. Killer Pacific Ocean views are a given (admire them from the lap pool or spa), so look out for dolphins year-round or whales if you're here between June and November. This glam abode sleeps up to eight, with a knock-out kitchen. Then again Bryon Bay's mellow cafés and restaurants are always pretty tempting too. Spicers Balfour Hotel Where: 37 Balfour Street, New Farm, Brisbane, QLD There's nothing like a lazy brunch and a rooftop bar, and we're pretty partial to the petite one at Spicers Balfour Hotel in Brisbane. With skyline city views, it's a sultry spot for an evening rendez-vous – try the Scarlett O'Hara, a moreish mix of Southern Comfort, cranberry and lime. The Balfour Dining Room is open daily for breakfast and champagne high tea, too, with chef Tyson Buchanan whipping up seasonal, organic fare, best sampled on the breezy Queenslander veranda. Thread counts are high in the nine bedrooms, where tactile sheets by lustworthy Italian label Society ensure a good sleep. Night owls are well catered for, too; New Farm and nearby Fortitude Valley are the Brisbane neighbourhoods du jour, so get out and play. Capella Lodge Where: Lagoon Road, Lord Howe Island Set in an incredible location, elegant escape Capella Lodge on Lord Howe Island may be a two-hour flight away, but it definitely ticks the 'getting away from it all' box. There are a lot of birds here, but you don't have to be a binoculars-toting twitcher to get on a natural high. Soak up views of tropical peaks, turquoise lagoons and coral reefs from the hotel's nine stylish suites, the dreamy infinity pool or the terrace bar, where cocktails and sunset go together like sunglasses and Stevie Wonder. Grab a free bike to tour the island's beaches before returning for some fine dining and spa pampering. Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa Where: 2600 Wolgan Valley Road, Blue Mountains, NSW So, you need a country fix, but don't want to schlep too far from civilisation? Lovers of all things rural will go ga-ga for Blue Mountains boutique hotel Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa. A luxe eco-retreat set in over 4,000 acres of Jurassic Park-style wilderness, it's less than three hours' drive from Sydney. Once there, work the cowboy look with a spot of horse-riding, mount a mountain bike or just hit the seductive pool or spa. Then again, it's hard to tear yourself away from skinny-dipping in your own plunge pool, which come as standard in the 40 swish, standalone suites. Cate Blanchett and The Sartorialist fashion blog crew are all fans of Wolgan's just-remote-enough charms. The Cullen Where: 164 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC Flex your art muscles at The Cullen boutique hotel in Melbourne, a stylish homage to Aussie art's 'enfant terrible', Adam Cullen. Hip, modern interiors in the lobby and 119 sleek bedrooms are decked out with Adam's vibrant, cartoonish paintings and prints, including iconic Ned Kelly bushranger images. The ground-floor is a sociable spot to hang out, with brunch and casual bites at the Terrace bistro by day, and Chinese dumplings galore at Hutong by night. Prahran Market is right opposite if you feel a Melbourne foodie moment coming on, and Chapel Street's fashion-savvy shops are a stroll away. For eco-chic exploring, hire one of the bespoke red Swedish pushbikes or a Smart car for the day. Hotel DeBrett Where: 2 High Street, Auckland, New Zealand New Zealand is well within mini-breaking distance, so consider going trans-Tasman when you next get out of town. Just a three-hour flight from Brisbane, Hotel DeBrett in Auckland's CBD is the perfect place to roost, just a skip away from convivial Vulcan Lane and High Street's fashion-forward stores (handy for scoping NZ labels such as Kate Sylvester, Zambesi or Karen Walker). This stylish haven has long been popular with in-the-know locals, who throng the intimate, speakeasy-style Housebar come evening. Brunching at in-house restaurant Kitchen has become a hot weekend ticket, too, and as a guest you'll have first dibs. Bring your shades as the stripy rugs in the 25 rooms are ultra bright; art deco goes Pop. The Farm at Cape Kidnappers Where: Hawke's Bay, New Zealand What do you get when you combine a 6,000-acre working sheep and cattle farm with jaw-dropping Pacific Ocean views, a glam golf course and soothing spa? Luxe boutique hotel The Farm at Cape Kidnappers, on New Zealand's dramatic Hawke's Bay in the North Island.
Picking where to have brunch isn't always easy, especially in a city that likes mid-morning meals as much as Brisbane does. Here's a new way to make a choice: opting for the venue that lets you hang out by the pool afterwards. Located at the W Brisbane hotel, Three Blue Ducks is adding a top-notch meal and bottomless booze to your Sundays, starting from October 10. Each week between 11am–2pm, you can book in for an al fresco brunch session that comes complete with seafood dishes, breakfast favourites and desserts. Think: Moreton Bay Bugs with fermented chilli and lemon, freshly shucked oysters with mango hot sauce, and grilled local prawns with pickled seaweed, chilli, garlic and avocado mousse — plus harissa scrambled eggs on sourdough with grilled chorizo, pickles and red onion, as well as sea salt meringues and vanilla ice-cream sundaes. The food spread will cost you $90 per person, and if you'd like to add two hours of drinks — including spritzes and mimosas made using Australian Distilling Co's gin — that'll up your price to $126 each. That's all great, and so is the live tunes providing a soundtrack; however, the best part comes afterwards. Once you're done eating and drinking, you can access the hotel's Wet Deck — to either laze around by the eye-catching zebra-patterned pool or swim in it.
Everyone’s favourite beer festival is back with more malt and hops than you can poke a sachet of yeast at. Brisbane’s thirst for good brews has resulted in 65 venues jumping on board to host a massive 120 events across the week. From fancy beer dinners and simple baked goods to bearded bogans, beer bingo and hop aromatherapy massages, there’s plenty of ways to reconnect with the glory of beer. Whatever you do, make sure you check out a venue you haven't tried before. Meet some new beer buddies. Brisbane has never had a more vibrant and exciting beer culture. Raise a new beer to your lips, breath it in and gulp it down.
A spoonful of sugar isn't needed to make this medicine go down: the Mary Poppins musical is coming to Brisbane. Umbrellas at the ready for the most supercalifragilisticexpialidocious news that you'll hear all day, and all year as well, with the tale of the singing nanny set to take over QPAC's Lyric Theatre from Saturday, October 22. Mary Poppins comes to Brissie fresh from its Australian-premiere Sydney season, and marks a homecoming for two if its stars. Brisbane performers Stefanie Jones and Jack Chambers, who've been acting together since childhood, play Mary Poppins and Bert, respectively. Hailing from Disney and theatre producer Cameron Mackintosh, this current version of the show tells the same enchanting tale that everyone knows from the hugely popular, five-time Oscar-winning 1964 film — which, as well as inspiring this stage adaptation, also gave rise to big-screen sequel Mary Poppins Returns in 2018. Everything to do with the English governess harks back to PL Travers' books about the character, of course, and pop culture has been thankful for and downright delighted with her stories for almost six decades now. When it soars through its Brisbane season between Saturday, October 22–Sunday, January 15, local theatre fans can look forward to a new version of the show that last graced Australia's stages — and won eight Helpmann Awards — back in 2011. Since Mackintosh first teamed up with writer Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey) to bring Mary Poppins to the theatre in 2004, the production has won four Olivier Awards and a Tony as well. A Cinderella musical is coming the city's way this winter, too — and Frozen started off 2022 as well — so it's clearly a great year to love stage musicals based on beloved tales. If you'd been crossing your fingers that a date with Poppins, the Banks family and their Cherry Tree Lane abode might also come Brissie's way, consider that wish granted. Consider 'A Spoonful of Sugar', 'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious', the Oscar-winning 'Chim Chim Cher-ee' and 'Let's Go Fly a Kite' stuck firmly in your head until October blows in, too. Images: Daniel Boud.
My yoga studio has a basketball court below it. During a calming session of yoga, it is not uncommon to hear the piercing screech of a whistle, frequent cheering and the intermittent shrieks of "Great shot Mike!". One time, I kid you not, there was a marching band procession going down, and the instructor had to calmly try and talk over the incessant drumming. Quite un-zen. Flow After Dark Silent Disco Yoga seeks to give yoga enthusiasts the exact opposite experience. How exactly does one silent disco yoga? Quite easily with the introduction of wireless headphones. These bad boys give participants a one-on-one with instructor, Flow Athletic co-founder Kate Kendall, while simultaneously pumping out beats from Sydney DJ James Mack. Also, they're neon. This one-off, 90-minute Vinyasa yoga session will see yogis come together at Southport Sharks Health and Fitness. It's probably your best (possibly only) chance to show off your best warrior pose while simultaneously jiving to some seriously smooth music. Silently.
Formerly the Milton Tennis Centre and Milton Bowls Club, the Roy Emerson Tennis Centre is a rejuvenated sports complex, playground and parkland just a short train ride from the Brisbane CBD. As the home of tennis in Queensland since 1915, it has seen some of the greats play here — but you don't have to be a grand slam champ to have fun at these courts. The Tennis Centre is open seven days a week, offering coaching and private lessons with Tennis Australia-qualified coaches for players of all levels. You can hire a court with your mates and play your way for $20 during the day or $27 after 5pm. Don't have the gear? No need to sweat from the sidelines. You can hire or buy equipment on site and save your perspiration for the game. If you're looking for an extra challenge and want to lean into your competitive side, consider joining the club and Tennis Queensland for a whole year for just $20. The membership gives you access to a bunch of benefits, including cheaper court hire rates, making it that little bit easier to start serving aces. The Emerson Coffee Shop is open 8.30am-6pm for simple post-match refreshments of coffee and cake, savoury quiches, slushies, smoothies and milkshakes.
Flipping through a newspaper, feeling the flimsy paper in your hands and finding your fingerprints smudged with ink might by a dying ritual; however The Wall Street Journal is hoping that people still want to take the time to sit, peruse and consume the news at a leisurely pace. Instead of hanging out at a cafe rifling through physical pages, readers can now enter an architect-designed virtual New York apartment to get their news fix thanks to the publication's just-launched VR news app. WSJ VR is the newspaper's new virtual reality app for Google's Daydream platform, ushering news junkies into a different kind of reading experience. Now available to download via Google Play, it allows users to view a wall filled with a live feed of breaking news, watch interactive 360-degree videos and see a visualisation of real-time market data, all in swanky digs designed by architecture firm Michaelis Boyd. Interactive storytelling is the WSJ's main focus, particularly allowing "the Journal's reporters and editors to take readers and viewers of our journalism anywhere in the world," said Andy Regal, WSJ's Global Head of Video, in a statement. Whether that's something anyone actually wants is yet to be seen, but it's certainly quite different to scrolling through newsfeeds on a smartphone screen. Users can do more than read, watch and see the news while they're using the app; they can also engage with the space — which is based on a mix of the firm's real-life residential projects — on a 360-degree axis. Accordingly, even if you're not keen on staying up-to-date on global events and financial developments in the most immersive way possible, the app also offers views of the New York City skyline — and it's cheaper than a plane ticket. Via Dezeen.
International travel might be off the cards for the next little while, but that means it's time to soak up all the goodness in your own backyard. Australia and New Zealand are chock full of world-class travel opportunities, with lush rainforests, dazzling coastline, pristine outback and more, just waiting to be explored. And one lucky local will get to hit the road and see part of it for free, thanks to a bumper new competition from Surf Stitch. The fashion retailer has joined forces with campervan hire crew Travellers Autobarn to give away a two-week road-tripping adventure of a lifetime. The winner will score 14-day van hire — with the chance to go cruising around either New Zealand or Australia with their besties, kicking off from a location of their choice — as well as a $1500 wardrobe worth of fresh threads from Surf Stitch, to keep you all looking extra good on tour. Where and when your adventure will unfold, is entirely up to you — and COVID-19 restrictions, of course. At the moment, there are restrictions on travelling between states and territories in Australia, all of Victoria is in lockdown and you can't fly between Australia and NZ — so, if you do win, be sure to check the laws before heading off on your adventure. Restrictions aside, you could go tripping along NSW's north coast, splitting your time between sandy beach and rainforest. Touring the untouched wilderness of Tassie. Or maybe gallivanting your way around the famed Fiordland National Park and Milford Sound on New Zealand's south island. Whatever your local travel bucket-list looks like, this prize is sure to help you tick off a few gems, while giving that holiday itch a good scratch. To be in with a shot at winning your ultimate road trip, simply jump on the competition website and enter your details. Then, decide just which part of this grand old backyard is calling to you the loudest. You can enter the competition by filling in your details over at the Surf Stitch website. Entries close at 11.59pm AEST on Friday, August 14. The competition is open to citizens and permanent residents of Australia and NZ. 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.
Australia's film and television industry can't help falling in love with the year's biggest homegrown movie, the director behind it, and the actors bringing to life one of the 20th century's music icons and his wife. At the 2022 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, Baz Luhrmann's Elvis Presley biopic said "thank you, thank you very much" to a swag of gongs, winning 11 from 15 nominations. Yes, Elvis was truly in the building, and revelling in a hunk, a hunk of burning love. Back in October when the list of contenders was announced, Elvis was instantly the frontrunner, with the film maintaining Luhrmann's history of making flicks that earn AACTA's affection. Indeed, Australia's biggest movie and TV awards have also given Best Film to Strictly Ballroom and The Great Gatsby in the past, and showered all of the director's features with nominations. It comes as zero astonishment, then, that his take on the king of rock 'n' roll has come out on top this year. As well as Best Film, Elvis earned the Best Actor gong for Austin Butler for playing the man himself, the Best Supporting Actress prize for Olivia DeJonge for her role as Priscilla Presley and Best Director for Luhrmann. Also among its trophies: Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Editing, Best Production Design, Best Hair and Makeup, Best Visual Effects or Animation, and Best Sound. Elvis wasn't the only Aussie hit of the past year to win big, however, with Mystery Road: Origin collecting seven awards from 15 nominations in the television fields: for Best Drama Series, Best Lead Actor in a Drama (for Mark Coles Smith), Best Lead Actress in a Drama (Tuuli Narkle), Best Cinematography in Television, Best Direction in Drama or Comedy, Best Editing in Television and Best Sound in Television. In an impressive night for Australia's Indigenous actors, Coles Smith and Narkle were joined by Leah Purcell, who picked up Best Actress in the film fields for The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson, plus Heartbreak High's Thomas Weatherall, the recipient of the Best Supporting Actor in a Drama gong back in the TV categories. Elsewhere among the contenders, River won best documentary; The Stranger's Sean Harris won Best Supporting Actor and writer/director Thomas M Wright nabbed Best Screenplay; A Stitch In Time won Best Indie Film; and Brooke Satchwell won Best Supporting Actress in a Drama for The Twelve. Across both film and TV, a heap of international names graced the acting nominations — a common AACTAs trend over the years — including Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton for Three Thousand Years of Longing, both Butler and Tom Hanks for Elvis, Harris for The Stranger, Jackie van Beek and Jemaine Clement for Nude Tuesday, Joanna Lumley for Falling for Figaro and Jamie Dornan for The Tourist — but only Butler and Harris emerged victorious. Elvis' domination in the film categories isn't a surprise for another reason: AACTA history. When the Aussie academy loves something, it goes all in, with Nitram 2021's big winner, Babyteeth picking up seven awards in 2020, The Nightingale receiving six the year before, Sweet Country doing the same the year before that and Lion nabbing 12 in 2017. (Thanks to the likes of Hacksaw Ridge, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Dressmaker, The Great Gatsby and The Sapphires before that, the trend goes on.) Here's a rundown of 2022's major AACTA nominations — and you can check out the full list on AACTA's website: AACTA WINNERS AND NOMINEES 2022: FILM AWARDS: BEST FILM Elvis — WINNER Here Out West Sissy The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson The Stranger Three Thousand Years of Longing BEST INDIE FILM A Stitch In Time — WINNER Akoni Darklands Lonesome Pieces Smoke Between Trees BEST DIRECTION Baz Luhrmann, Elvis — WINNER Hannah Barlow and Kane Senes, Sissy Leah Purcell, The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson Thomas M Wright, The Stranger George Miller, Three Thousand Years of Longing BEST LEAD ACTOR Austin Butler, Elvis — WINNER Rob Collins, The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson Joel Edgerton, The Stranger Idris Elba, Three Thousand Years of Longing Damon Herriman, Nude Tuesday BEST LEAD ACTRESS Aisha Dee, Sissy Leah Purcell, The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson — WINNER Julia Savage, Blaze Tilda Swinton, Three Thousand Years of Longing Jackie van Beek, Nude Tuesday BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Simon Baker, Blaze Jemaine Clement, Nude Tuesday Malachi Dower-Roberts, The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson Tom Hanks, Elvis Sean Harris, The Stranger — WINNER BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Jada Alberts, The Stranger Jessica De Gouw, The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson Olivia DeJonge, Elvis — WINNER Joanna Lumley, Falling For Figaro Yael Stone, Blaze BEST SCREENPLAY Baz Luhrmann, Sam Bromell, Craig Pearce and Jeremy Doner, Elvis Jackie van Beek, Nude Tuesday Leah Purcell, The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson Thomas M Wright, The Stranger — WINNER George Miller and Augusta Gore, Three Thousand Years of Longing BEST DOCUMENTARY Ablaze Clean Everybody's Oma Franklin Ithaka River — WINNER TELEVISION AWARDS: BEST DRAMA SERIES Bump Heartbreak High Love Me Mystery Road: Origin — WINNER The Tourist Wolf Like Me BEST TELEFEATURE OR MINISERIES Barons Savage River The Twelve — WINNER True Colours Underbelly: Vanishing Act BEST COMEDY PROGRAM Aftertaste Five Bedrooms Hard Quiz Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell — WINNER Spicks and Specks Summer Love BEST LEAD ACTOR IN A TELEVISION DRAMA Mark Coles Smith, Mystery Road: Origin — WINNER Jamie Dornan, The Tourist James Majoos, Heartbreak High Sam Neill, The Twelve Hugo Weaving, Love Me BEST LEAD ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION DRAMA Isla Fisher, Wolf Like Me Claudia Karvan, Bump Kate Mulvany, The Twelve Tuuli Narkle, Mystery Road: Origin — WINNER Bojana Novakovic, Love Me BEST COMEDY PERFORMER Wayne Blair, Aftertaste Patrick Brammall, Summer Love Harriet Dyer, Summer Love Tom Gleeson, Hard Quiz — WINNER Charlie Pickering, The Weekly with Charlie Pickering Doris Younane, Five Bedrooms BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A TELEVISION DRAMA Hayley McElhinney, Mystery Road: Origin Jacqueline McKenzie, Savage River Heather Mitchell, Love Me Brooke Satchwell, The Twelve — WINNER Magda Szubanski, After the Verdict BEST GUEST OR SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION DRAMA Steve Bisley, Mystery Road: Origin Brendan Cowell, The Twelve Daniel Henshall, Mystery Road: Origin Damon Herriman, The Tourist Thomas Weatherall, Heartbreak High — WINNER
If you're like us, you've probably excitedly hummed along to the theme song at the start of every Game of Thrones episode (yep, all 73 of them). Now, you can do just that again, but you'll be joined by a live orchestra, a choir and tens of thousands of other spectators when the internationally renowned Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience finally hits Australia. Having toured North America and Europe, the grandiose musical show will head to Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide in early 2020. The immersive show sees Emmy Award-winning composer Ramin Djawadi's emotive scores — from all eight seasons of the HBO show — brought to life with an international cast of soloists, an orchestra and a choir, and accompanied by the equally dramatic footage. Over in the States, according to MTV, the show featured 360-degree stages (designed to replicate locations throughout the Seven Kingdoms), 800 feet of video wall, an 80-piece orchestra and custom-made instruments, such as a 12-food Wildling horn. Expect things to be equally large and OTT Down Under, too. Expect, also, to relive some of the season's most dramatic moments — SPOILERS (if you somehow haven't watched it already) — such as Hodor's sacrifice, Arya's conquering of the Night King, Joffrey's (brilliant) death, the Battle of Winterfell, the Red Wedding and so much more. Pack the tissues, folks. What's more, the show will coincide with a series of 'VIP experiences' that we can definitely get around. These include a pre-show medieval banquet (hopefully without any Freys), the chance to sit on a Iron Throne and a dedicated butler, who'll deliver food (hopefully pies) and drinks (hopefully wine in goblets) to your seat. While you're waiting for the show to arrive next summer, you can re-listen to all eight seasons' scores on Spotify — including the nine-minute epic that is 'The Night King Theme' (we've handily embedded that below). If that's not enough to fill your time, you can also listen to some of Djawadi's other scores. He has created the music for Westworld, Prison Break, Pacific Rim and Iron Man, too. Get ready, winter is coming (back) to Aus. GAME OF THRONES LIVE CONCERT EXPERIENCE 2020 DATES Brisbane — Brisbane Entertainment Centre, February 7 Sydney — ICC, February 9 Melbourne — Rod Laver Arena, February 12 Adelaide — AEC Theatre, February 15 Perth — RAC Arena, February 17 Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience pre-sale tickets are available from 9am on Tuesday, August 13 with general sale starting at midday on Friday, August 16 via Live Nation. Images: Ralph Larmann
Cheese and pasta go together like few food combinations. As great as they both are individually, a particularly enticing alchemy of flavours occurs when they join forces. But simply sprinkling grated mozzarella or ground parmesan over your spaghetti is yesterday's news. Eating pasta served out of a cheese wheel is what it's all about now. Salt Meats Cheese has long been hopping on everyone's current favourite Italian culinary bandwagon with its weekly night dedicated to the dish — and while Australia's restaurants and eateries are currently in takeaway and delivery-only mode, that doesn't mean you have to miss out on your cheesy pasta fix. Every Wednesday, you can order one kilogram of brie cheese spaghetti for $39, and either pick it up or have it brought to your home via UberEats or Deliveroo. While you're sitting at your own dining table, you'll be able to tuck into the cheesiest bowl of pasta you're ever likely to taste, with each serving designed for two people. Flavour-wise, there's a few available, because even a meal like cheese wheel pasta can use a few additions. Just classic cheese is on the menu, as are black truffle sauce, carbonara and a supremely indulgent four-cheese sauce.
Igloo season has hit southeast Queensland, with winter's arrival seeing plastic domes popping up at bars around the region. Some pitch their see-through spaces on a rooftop. Others welcome folks in by the river. On the Gold Coast, you can hang out in a beach-themed bar that's given itself a winter lodge makeover. Or, there's Bribie Island Hotel's version: garden pods. No one is pretending to be in icy climes at this northside pub, but it is only unleashing its newest addition for the frosty season. The garden pods are residing in the venue's fairy light-lit beer garden from June till the end of August, and they're exactly what they sound like. These domes come decked out in greenery and florals, furniture and cushions to look the part, and even feature a few plastic flamingos. There's six pods in total, each catering for up to eight guests for two-hour sessions. If you're keen, you'll need to book in a package, which starts at $60 per person and covers a share-style menu, plus a drink on arrival. You'll tuck into an antipasto platter filled with meats, cheeses, olives, arancini, chargrilled vegetables, dips and toasted sourdough — as well as grilled teriyaki beef skewers, buffalo chicken wings and barbecue pork ribs with roasted potatoes, parsnip, and salads as sides — with seafood available for an extra $35, and chocolate lava cake for $10.
The sun is forever shining and those with hayfever are starting to sneeze, which means ones thing: spring is well and truly upon us. We at Concrete Playground thought it necessary to find the best garden eateries in Brisbane for you to enjoy these endlessly sunny days. From business lunches in the heart of the CBD, to weekend drinks, or garden spots that will have you shedding the winter woollies and basking in the warmth of spring, we hope you enjoy these dining delights. Java Coast Café Located on George Street in the CBD, this little oasis provides diners with a much needed break from the hustle and bustle of the city. Boasting a scrumptious array of lunch time turkish melts Java Coast Café is a cosy nook filled with yummy treats. Be sure to try the salmon, cream cheese and capers turkish melt – delicious! Don't be fooled by the unassuming entrance, the pebbled pathway down the side of the cafe leads to an expansive courtyard with towering palms and Buddha statues. The outside eating area is cool in the hot weather and is a popular choice for businessmen and women taking time out to grab a bite to eat. Unwind and recover your Zen in this relaxed cafe. 340 George Street, Brisbane CBD; 07 3211 3040; www.javacoastcafe.com.au Gillian's Garden Café Gillian's Garden Café is one of Brisbane's best kept secrets. Nestled inside the Cottage Garden Nursery in East Brisbane, this little gem is a green thumb's paradise. The combination of fresh ingredients, quality homemade meals and quirky décor is unbeatable. Although the cafe is open for breakfast and lunch, for something a little bit special, head to Gillian's Garden Café for a tasty morning tea. The variety of loose leaf teas and fresh cakes surrounded by healthy plants is a great way to start the day. 99 Stanley Street East Brisbane; 07 3391 1001; www.gilliansgardencafe.com.au Lock 'n' Load Bistro If you're after a drink on a lazy Sunday with friends, you can't go past Lock 'n' Load. A laid back vibe and a tranquil garden setting make this place a welcome weekend escape. The courtyard is filled with leafy trees and a cool ambience thanks to the eclectic music that plays unobtrusively. Lock 'n' Load provides an extensive cocktail menu filled with intriguing drinks. A Concrete Playground recommendation is the Jungle Juice, a delicious blend of Jagermesiter, Malibu, lime, mint, pineapple and ginger beer. What better way to see the week out than enjoying a drink in a secluded leafy haven? 142 Boundary Street West End; 07 3844 0142; www.locknloadbistro.com.au Sassafras Sassafras offers hearty meals such as their vegetarian big breakfast - a plate filled with organic scrambled tofu, toasted turkish bread, relish, tomato, avocado, homemade baked beans and mushrooms. This café is another example of those little wonders that appears larger on the inside than it looks from the outside. Inside the converted Queenslander you can take your pick from rooms with rustic furniture and splashes of colour or enjoy the fresh air in the outdoor seating area. As the weather warms up, Sassafras's outside dining area is pleasant and the tropical garden provides a private oasis. Their sharing platters are perfect to be enjoyed with a group of friends. 88 Latrobe Terrace Paddington; 07 3369 0600; www.sassafrasfoods.com.au The Corner Store Café The Corner Store Café in Toowong incorporates a classic country veggie patch into their dining area. Cheerful sunflowers, fresh herbs and vegetables and scrumptious food, such as their wide variety of homemade cakes and cookies make for a joyful experience. The menu is child friendly with breakfast, lunch and dessert options for littlies. For a lip-smacking lunch, try the lentil burger. For all of those who would love their own veggie patch but lack the time or skill, The Corner Store Café will provide a homely substitute. 113 Sylvan Road Toowong; 3870 2223; www.cornerstorecafe.com
Is this the real life? Yes, Queen — the legendary rock band behind hits Bohemian Rhapsody, Don't Stop Me Now and We Will Rock You — is coming to Australia. And, they are hoping to rock you. Two of the original band members Brian May (lead guitar) and Roger Taylor (drums) will be heading Down Under, along with long-time collaborator and frontman Adam Lambert — a Grammy nominated American singer who has been touring with the group since 2011 — keyboardist Spike Edney (who's been performing with the band since the 80s), Neil Fairclough on bass and Tyler Warren on percussion. Lambert will be performing Queen hits — made famous by iconic moustached frontman Freddie Mercury, who passed away in the early 90s — from across the band's 15 albums. John Deacon, the band's original bass player, retired in the late 90s will also not be part of the Australian tour. [caption id="attachment_696706" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rami Malek in Bohemian Rhapsody[/caption] Queen rose to prominence in the 70s and 80s, with their famed Live Aid performance — oft referred to as one of the greatest concerts in rock history — happening at Wembley Stadium in 1985. But, the band has once again been in the spotlight with the release of the Rami Malek-starring film Bohemian Rhapsody. After the biopic was released, the song 'Bohemian Rhapsody' reentered the US top 100 — for the third time. While the Aussie Rhapsody Tour — hitting Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and the Gold Coast in February 2020 — won't star Mercury (or Deacon), it's set to be one rockin' show. With tickets most likely to sell out, put the below dates in your calendar ASAP. QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT 'THE RHAPSODY TOUR' 2020 DATES Brisbane — Suncorp Stadium, Thursday, February 13 Sydney — ANZ Stadium, Saturday, February 15 Melbourne — AAMI Park, Wednesday, February 19 Perth — Optus Stadium, Sunday, February 23 Adelaide — Adelaide Oval, Wednesday, February 26 Gold Coast — Metricon Stadium, Saturday, February 29 Queen + Adam Lambert The Rhapsody Tour pre-sales start on Wednesday, April 10 with general sale from Monday, April 15. For all sale times, head to the Ticketek website. Image: Queen + Adam Lambert, 2014. Photo: Diana Kat, Wiki Commons.
Melbourne will be stepping up its hotel game in the coming years, with Adina's new Pentridge Prison development, Bennetts Lane's proposed jazz-era hotel, and the upscale CBD outpost of Mornington Peninsula's Jackalope. And now the city's is set to welcome yet another luxury accommodation offering into the fold, as the internationally renowned St. Regis Hotels & Resorts makes its Aussie debut, with a 168-room hotel slated to open in 2022. The grand hotel will spread over ten floors of the yet-to-be-built, 33-storey Flinders Bank precinct, towering above the CBD on the corner of Spencer and Flinders Streets. And it's set to be a pretty swanky operation, sporting luxury interiors by famed design studio Chada and a cutting-edge building design by Melbourne's own Fender Katsalidis Architects. It will have an onsite wellness and fitness centre, too, complete with a spa, a salon and a 25-metre indoor pool, and the acclaimed St. Regis Butler Service will let guests customise every last detail of their stay. The hotel will also feature a bunch of upscale wining and dining options, including a specialty restaurant and the elegant St Regis Bar. For the uninitiated, the St Regis New York's King Cole Bar was the supposed birthplace of the Bloody Mary back in 1934 and the hotel brand has claimed the spicy cocktail as its signature sip ever since. Here, the bar will be whipping up a special Melbourne edition of the drink — we wonder just what that entails. The St Regis Melbourne has 40 hotels worldwide — including in New York, Mallorca and the Maldives — and is one of the Marriott International's brands. The parent company has announced more plans to open hotels Down Under, too, with the recent launch of the W Hotel in Brisbane and W Hotels also planned for Sydney and Melbourne. St Regis Melbourne is slated to open in the new Flinders Bank precinct in 2022.
It has been 13 years since Planet Earth, the 11-part documentary series that combined stunning high-definition images of this place we all call home with David Attenborough's inimitable narration. It has been three years since Planet Earth II, the show's six-part sequel, did the same too. A third program, Planet Earth III, is slated to join them in 2022 — but you don't need to wait that long for your next Attenborough-voiced nature doco fix. Four years in the making, Netflix's Our Planet will help fill the gap. Releasing in April, it isn't related to BBC's Planet shows — which also include The Blue Planet and Frozen Planet — but it does still feature Attenborough's informative tones. Across eight episodes, the iconic broadcaster and natural historian will talk viewers through the planet's remaining wilderness areas and their animal inhabitants. The series is made in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund, so expect to see plenty of astonishing and majestic critters. And we do mean plenty. Our Planet was filmed in 50 countries across all the continents of the world, heading everywhere from the remote Arctic wilderness to the South American jungles — and to sprawling African landscapes and the depths of the ocean, as well. In total, it took 600 crew members to shot the series, who helped capture a plethora of never-before-filmed sites over more than 3500 filming days. It's also filmed in ultra high-definition at 4K resolution, so should your TV support it, you'll be in for quite the detailed glimpse at the natural world. Check out the full trailer below: Our Planet starts streaming on Netflix on April 5. Image: (c) Ben Macdonald/Silverback Films.
Winter is upon us, the gloves and beanies are out of storage, and it's time to start loading up on sweets and carbs. That's how every June starts — and, this year, Krispy Kreme wants to help with the latter. How? By giving away an extremely excessive number of doughnuts. You're probably now wondering what constitutes an excessive amount of doughnuts. No, polishing off a packet by yourself doesn't count, at least in this instance. Krispy Kreme's giveaway is going big, with the chain slinging 100,000 original glazed doughnuts in conjunction with National Doughnut Day. Whether or not you're a big fan of food 'days', we're guessing you are quite fond of free doughnuts. To snag yourself a signature glazed freebie, head to your closest Krispy Kreme store around Australia — other than in the Northern Territory — on Friday, June 3. That gives you 33 places to flock to, with Sydneysiders able to hit up 12 stores stretching from Penrith to the CBD, Victorians needing to visit nine locations from the airport to the city, and Queenslanders given eight different doughnut shops to pick from (with the most central in Albert Street in the CBD). And, in Perth, you can head to one of four Krispy Kreme stores. The National Doughnut Day deal isn't available at BP outlets, 7-Eleven stores, Jesters or Woolworths, or via online orders or third-party deliveries. There's also a limit of one freebie per person, and the giveaway only applies to the original glazed variety. The 100,000 doughnuts will be spread across the participating stores, so you'll want to get in relatively early if you want to kick off your Friday with a free sweet and doughy treat. Obviously, whether you nab one or not is subject to availability. Krispy Kreme's free doughnut giveaway is happening in the chain's stores around the country on Friday, June 3. To find your closest shop and check its opening hours, head to the Krispy Kreme website.
The past 14 months or so haven't delivered many reasons to laugh. They haven't seen many big-name international comedians hit our stages to try to get us giggling and guffawing, either. But Bill Bailey is about to help end both of those unwanted streaks, with the British favourite bringing his En Route to Normal tour to our shores this October and November. It has been three years since Bailey last had the country chuckling back in 2018 — and then rewatching Black Books yet again and chuckling some more, naturally. This time, he's coming our way following a sold-our tour of New Zealand, where he also been filming a new trans-Tasman comedy panel series called Patriot Brains. So, if you need something to watch while you wait to see him live, consider this a hearty suggestion. Known for everything from Have I Got News for You and QI to Spaced, Hot Fuzz and Skins, Bailey will be pondering some of life's big questions during his En Route to Normal sets. And, while the pandemic is certain to get a mention, he actually named the show before lockdowns, social distancing and always knowing how many active cases are in your state became our current definition of normal. Bailey will kick off the tour in Queensland, before making his way — and taking his distinctive locks — to Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. Plus, in some states, he won't just be sticking to capital cities. BILL BAILEY EN ROUTE TO NORMAL TOUR 2021: October 23 — Empire Theatre , Toowoomba October 25 — QPAC Concert Hall, Brisbane October 28 — The Events Centre, Caloundra October 29 — Star Theatre, Gold Coast October 31 — Mandurah Performing Arts Centre, Mandurah November 1 — Riverside Theatre, Perth November 5 — Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide November 8 — Princess Theatre, Launceston November 8 — Wrest Point Entertainment Centre, Hobart November 12 — Ulumbarra Theatre, Bendigo November 13 — Costa Hall, Geelong November 14 — Civic Hall, Ballarat November 15 — Palais Theatre, Melbourne November 19 — Wollongong Town Hall, Wollongong November 21 — State Theatre, Sydney November 23 — Coliseum Theatre, Sydney November 27 — Royal Theatre, Canberra November 28 — Civic Theatre, Newcastle Bill Bailey's En Route to Normal tour will make its way around the country this October and November. For pre-sale tickets between 12pm Thursday, May 20–5pm, Sunday, May 23, for general ticket sales from 12pm Monday, May 24 and for further information, head to the tour website. Top image: Andy Hollingworth.
Another week, another new hotel in Brisbane — or so it seems of late. Only months after the revamped Ovolo Inchcolm launched in Spring Hill and just weeks after the W Hotel set up shop on North Quay, Novotel South Bank has joined the fold — adding another place to stay to the city's go-to riverside precinct. It's Novotel's third site across Brisbane, joining existing hotels on Creek Street in the CBD and out at the airport. Three years in the making, the new hotel boasts 238 rooms adjacent to the 17-hectare parklands, not only giving visitors access to the onsite facilities — a heated outdoor swimming pool and a banquet space included — but also the surrounding greenery, shops, cultural venues and scenic walkways. Plus, the seven-hectare Musgrave Park is nearby as well. Indeed, the Novotel is taking its location seriously, with the building's design apparently taking inspiration from nearby landmarks such as the South Bank Grand Arbour and the Kurilpa Bridge. Food and drink is also a central focus of the hotel, with the onsite Spice Central Kitchen & Bar serving up a modern Australian menu influenced by Asian flavours. Find Novotel South Bank at 38 Cordelia Street, South Brisbane.
The world's most-famous enigmatic smile is beaming down on Australia in 2024, all thanks to the team at Grande Experiences. The Melbourne-based company is the mastermind behind the immersive walkthrough art experiences that've been sweeping the country, both touring them and opening the nation's first permanent digital-only art gallery The Lume — and Leonardo da Vinci and the Mona Lisa are its latest point of focus. The Lume in the Victorian capital is all-in on the artist and inventor. The site's major 2024 exhibition is Leonardo da Vinci: 500 Years of Genius, with the gallery is calling its "most ambitious, immersive and breathtaking yet". That's quite the claim for a collection that follows a van Gogh celebration, a focus on Monet and his contemporaries and the current First Nations-centric Connection. Leonardo da Vinci: 500 Years of Genius displays to art lovers from Saturday, March 16. The Last Supper also enjoys the spotlight in a big way, because Grande Experiences' whole setup is making iconic, important and stunning works larger than life, surrounding attendees like never before. The Mona Lisa links in with the segment of the exhibition that's all about French optical engineer Pascal Cotte, who invented a multispectral camera and has peeled back the artwork's layers using his research. So, get excited about Mona Lisa Revealed, which will include an exact 360-degree replica — the only one in the world — as created thanks to Cotte's 240,000,000-pixel multispectral camera. That said, Leonardo da Vinci: 500 Years of Genius isn't just about its namesake's well-known works, with the 3000-square-metre multi-sensory gallery also exploring his inspirations and contemporaries. So, you can also scope out Botticelli's The Birth of Venus, Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling and works by Caravaggio. Melbourne is home to an experience that steps through da Vinci's journey, too, including Florence's streets, Venice's canals and Milan — as brought to life via sight, sound, scent, touch and taste. Also among Leonardo da Vinci: 500 Years of Genius' highlights: 50 of da Vinci's "machine inventions", which are on loan the Museo Leonardo da Vinci in Rome. Alongside the Mona Lisa, The Last Supper and his anatomical drawings — and more — da Vinci is well-known for his flying machine concepts, with his 15th-century vision of human flight set to score The Lume's attention. This part of the exhibition heroes recreations made in Italy from the artist and inventor's sketches, and also using the materials and techniques he would've at the time. Updated Friday, October 25, 2024.
As you read this, Kiwi charity Live More Awesome are getting their hands dirty, literally, constructing the world's biggest waterslide. This 650m long monster is the length of two Sky Towers and is located just 30 minutes from Auckland, New Zealand. The aim of the event is to raise funds and increase awareness for depression, as the not-for-profit charity is all about combatting mental illness through life changes, not just drugs. D-day is set for the 23rd and 24th of February and will feature three waterslides (the others will be a more standard 60m and 80m), food, and a shady area to hang out, complete with Kiwi entertainment (courtesy of George FM). Co-founder Jim Hunt says, "The World's Biggest Waterslide is all about pushing boundaries and creating the ultimate summer event. We have some epic entertainment planned for the day and we can't wait to see the reaction on people's faces as they come down the slides, it will be a truly unique experience". According to MentalHealth.org.nz, depression in New Zealand has affected as many as 1 in 5 people within the past year alone. "We're a couple of Kiwi guys who like so many others have really suffered at hands of depression," co-founder Dan Drupsteen says. "It was really tough, but having come out the other side we decided the best way for us to keep depression at bay was to 'Live More Awesome'. We hope this amazing project will encourage others to do the same and we want people to know it's ok to ask for help." Ticket prices start at $46 and are limited to 2000 people. You can contribute to the building of the waterslide through Indiegogo. Check out their progress so far in the video below.
He's going to Newport: Johnny Cash, that is. Twice in A Complete Unknown, the iconic singer-songwriter graces the lineup at the famous folk festival in Rhode Island in the 60s. Twice in the Bob Dylan biopic, he crosses paths with the film's subject at the event. The details depicted are in the service of Dylan's story — while James Mangold is in the director's chair, he's not remaking Walk the Line — but these wouldn't be the moments that they are, and nor would A Complete Unknown be the movie that it is, without Boyd Holbrook (The Bikeriders) as Cash opposite Timothée Chalamet's (Dune: Part Two) Dylan. The term "goes electric" will always be synonymous with Dylan at 1965's Newport Folk Festival, where he dared to play an electric guitar in one of his sets — and the response as much as the act ensured that it went down in history. Cash helped him get there, not only by picking up the same type of instrument at the same place the year before, but through his pen-pal friendship with and encouragement of Dylan. The eight-time Oscar-nominated picture makes clear how much that Cash's words, and the effort of him taking time to commit them to paper, meant to Dylan. It goes electric, too, when Chalamet and Holbrook share scenes. A Complete Unknown is a movie with Chalamet as Dylan, Monica Barbaro (Fubar) as Joan Baez, Edward Norton (Asteroid City) as Pete Seeger and Scoot McNairy (Speak No Evil) as Woody Guthrie. So, it's a flick filled with impressive actors portraying music greats. Given that this a film by Walk the Line director Mangold, however, it's also a picture that gives Holbrook a completely different job to his co-stars, since he's portraying Cash. What happens when the filmmaker behind an Academy Award-winning Man in Black biopic asks you to be the next actor to slip into the legend's shoes? Holbrook had been keen on a different role in the feature, he tells Concrete Playground, at a time when Cash wasn't even in the script — then found himself with a "daunting task". Still, for anyone who has charted Holbrook's career since his 2008 big-screen debut in Milk — a span that's taken him through Behind the Candelabra, The Skeleton Twins, Gone Girl, Jane Got a Gun, The Predator, Narcos and The Sandman, just to name a few projects — it should come as no surprise that he feels like he's been preparing for this part for more than a decade. It helped that he'd made two previous films with Mangold, Logan (which uses a Cash song over its closing credits and in its trailer) and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. In fact, he sees his relationship with the filmmaker as similar to Dylan and Cash's, but with Mangold as the mentor and Holbrook the protégé. And, it equally assists that he'd also perfected swagger on-screen, which can be an elusive trait, including in his two prior roles in The Bikeriders and Justified: City Primeval. Yes, his A Complete Unknown performance meant facing "the Joaquin element", Holbrook explains — with Joaquin Phoenix (Joker: Folie á Deux) Oscar- and BAFTA-nominated, and the winner of a Golden Globe, for playing Cash two decades back for Mangold. But he also knew that the filmmaker, who worked with fellow screenwriter Jay Cocks (Silence) to adapt Elijah Wald's 2015 book Dylan Goes Electric! Newport, Seeger, Dylan, and the Night That Split the Sixties, had a fresh angle into Cash here. As Mangold himself also told us about the pair's relationship as pen pals, "this correspondence suddenly became central to me, because as I was trying to assemble — as much as I was trying to tell Dylan's story, he is a bit inscrutable, and I felt like you could learn more by also telling the story of those that surrounded Dylan, and the way his genius affected each of them differently". "And what was so necessary about bringing Johnny into the story was that he's the devil on that shoulder. If you have Pete and Lomax and Joan Baez all on this shoulder saying 'stick with the team; don't cross over to that dangerous, suspicious popular music', you had Johnny Cash on the other shoulder who was saying 'track mud on someone's carpet'," Mangold continued. "Which was literally one of Johnny's lines in his letters to Bob. And that he made it his business to encourage Dylan to stay bold and to stay on the leading edge, was so wonderful to me." For Holbrook, taking on the part meant exaggerating his music skills to Mangold to begin with; however, the quest to make good on that promise became a key part of his preparation process. We also chatted with Holbrook about his repeat collaborations with Mangold, perfecting swagger on-screen, drunk acting as Cash in one of the movie's standout scenes, and what excites him about working on a new movie or TV show — next he'll pop up in season four of The Morning Show — at this stage of his filmography. On Having a Cash-and-Dylan Relationship with Director James Mangold After Logan, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Now A Complete Unknown "I don't think I would have gone anywhere near the Johnny Cash character unless it was Jim making the movie. And it was odd, because I'd read the script before we did Indiana Jones together, and I was angling at a part that I was probably too young for, but the Johnny Cash role wasn't even in there yet at the time. And so we went off and did Indiana Jones, and then I got a call, like maybe six months before we made it. And he said 'hey, I want you to play Johnny Cash'. And I said 'how's that possible? He's not in the script'. And so he had added him because he didn't know that when he made Walk the Line that him and Bob Dylan were these pen pals. And so by his research into Bob, he found out this because Bob had kept the letters and Johnny hadn't kept the letters. So he really just let me go off and do what I had to do, which is conjure up a character and an impression in the daunting task of playing Johnny Cash. Jim really gives you a lot of space. And the great thing about when you get to work with Jim, on the day, if you come in prepared, he enhances your performance in a very cinematic way." On Exaggerating His Music Skills Going Into the Film — and How Learning to Make Good on That Promise Helped Holbrook Step Into Cash's Shoes "I knew at the end of the day that they could shoot from here up [Holbrook motions to his mid-chest] and we could get by. But it feels like I've been preparing for the last 15 or ten years to play this part. Because I played guitar. I couldn't count music. I couldn't hold a tune. I couldn't play and sing at the same time. But there is this awesome opportunity where if I just eat, breathe and sleep this character, I can pull it off. And I think there's something really exciting about that amount of pressure, being a performer — I want to have a performance and I want to build this thing. So it almost bottlenecks down into the day of this, like 'well, you're going to sink, or you're going to swim'. And I think that's pretty exciting. So yeah, I think the week of it all started like 'okay, I can do it at the tempo' — and it wasn't just hanging on. I was able to control the song and control the voice, control the pacing." On Bringing Swagger to the Screen — as Johnny Cash, and Across Holbrook's Career "Film acting is really different from theatre acting, and there's also the practical of being relaxed enough that, you know, there's this 800-pound gorilla being the camera staring at me at all times. Like, how do I just relax and embody this? And really it's from a bunch of stuff of the art of not giving a fuck — being really adamant that 'this is who I am, take it or leave it'. And having a sense of humour about yourself. And doing all this so many times that it's just become existence. I'm not even thinking about it anymore. I'm sort of lost in what I'm doing. It comes down to that. It comes down to a lot of rehearsals, a lot of preparation. I almost prefer the preparation to making a movie than making the movie." On What Went Into Capturing Not Just the Essence of Cash, But the Essence of Drunk Cash "It was from one line in particular, 'I saw the ocean', that I just knew how. I just knew where he was in a daydream. You catch yourself doing laundry or whatever around the house and you are just in a dream, and you kind of see the performance, or I do — and you just understand it. So now it's a real idea. Then it just takes the physicalisation of staying on a word and just finding it, or whatever it is. The super subtlety of that is difficult to verbalise, but comes down to playing around with it. I definitely wouldn't recommend going method on a long work day like that." On Whether the Unique Task of Playing an IRL Figure for a Filmmaker Who Has Already Made a Separate Movie About Him Helped Holbrook Prepare "I was concerned that I had to portray someone who was an iconic person and so people, so many people, have strong memories of him and who he is. Then there's the Joaquin element, facing his great performance and following that up. But I think that Jim and I made the film, and he really understood the importance of Johnny's role in Bob's life at that time, because Johnny had been so — he's doing 200 shows a year on the road. I mean, you are a road dog. You have so much experience in this. And when you're becoming the most-famous person in the world within a year's time, Johnny was able to meet him at that fork in a road where 'hey, it's going to get weird if you don't keep your voice' or 'it's going to be okay if you just stay true to who you are'. And I think in commerce and industries and stuff like that, when a lot of money is on the table, your voice can be compromised — and I think it's really all about that moment in the film where Bob is choosing what his voice is telling him, what he wants to say, how he wants to express himself. And that's going electric in that particular time, because he's just skyrocketing with creativity. And so I think Johnny was able to nudge him in the right direction, remind him who he is." On What Excites Holbrook About a New Project, Including A Complete Unknown, at This Stage in His Career "The performance element. I never really have never sang in front of a bunch of people before. There is a sensation that goes along with that that's exciting. I just did The Morning Show and I found out that the guy was a stand-up comic. I don't know how funny I am, but I like to be funny. I like to practice being funny. But I'd never been onstage and done a set in of people. So that's exciting. That's like 'wow', that's slightly — not terrifying at all, but I want to know what that feels like and to do that. And I think there's all an art and a craft to how the instrument of our humanness can be used. So I just love seeing which way I can bend and which way I can go — and how different I can sound, how different I can look? 'What is this character? What is this character going to go through? At what level? Is it kind of like he's going through like a number-two heartbreak?' But no, I want a number ten on everything. And so I really look for that highest value of expression." A Complete Unknown released in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, January 23, 2025. Images: courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2024 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.
Inner city north dwellers rejoice! Sol Breads West End has a younger (and slightly sleeker) sister: Sol Natural Foods in Fortitude Valley. Of course you can expect Sol's iconic artisan breads, wholesome loaves, muffins, raw foods and breakfast delights (think acai bowl, house toasted granola or smashed avocado on freshly baked rye) to be on the menu, but it's the vegetarian, olive oil base pizzas (gluten free available of course) and craft beers that people go cray cray for. Oh and spelt cookies. Don't forget the spelt cookies. The rather cavernous space located on Ann Street oozes hipster mod and is decked out with yellow steel chairs, mini cacti and painted black brick walls. Whether you choose to sit inside or outside the vibes have you pining for your Birkenstocks, loose tee and denim. But the key feature of the whole cafe really is their display cabinet. Freshly baked banana bread, carrot cake with swirls of cream cheese icing or raw cakes with multi-tiered layers will have you drooling like a St. Bernard. Brownies, bliss balls and chia puddings also make the mouth water while the savoury tarts, quiches, rolls and fresh salads make you start thinking about lunch before you've sat down for breakfast. The coffee here is pretty darn good too. Just make sure you ask for a double shot if you don't want a mug. It's also an excuse to order a spelt cookie... Photo credit: Sol Natural Foods Facebook
By now you’re probably well acquainted with the rooftop pool terrace, so it’s time we introduced the restaurant. A welcome addition to Brisbane CBD’s central dining scene, Lennons Restaurant & Bar is here to cater for everyone at any time, on any day, at any budget. A simple escalator ride from the mall, indulge in the a la carte menu, speed through the 60-minute 'Lunch Timed' concept or take your pick of the daily lunchtime deals. Located within the new Next Hotel, the venue is named after the original dwelling. With floor-to-ceiling glass windows that look onto Queen Street Mall, the interior finds that warm balance between modern sophistication and comfortable class. Large spaced with natural light? Tick. Executive chef worth writing home about? Tick (Todd Adams previously worked at Stokehouse and the Euro). Business lunch? Tick. Cheap and quick bite? Tick. Totally air conditioned? Tick (can’t be underestimated in summer). Breakfast, lunch and dinner? Tick. The a la carte menu offers everything from salads and burgers to pasta and woodfired pizza, but if you’re out to treat yourself, order a steak ($32–$38) hot off the parrilla grill. Lennons steaks could be the best you find outside of a specialty grill restaurant in Brisbane. Served with a whole bulb of roasted garlic, it's even better if you add the roasted honey pumpkin with spiced nuts and seeds side. Realising the Monday to Friday clientele consisted mainly of time-poor business people who wanted quick food (not fast food), the restaurant introduced Lunch Timed. "Making your time count", the express lunch menu delivers a three-course meal in under 60 minutes, or you get half off the bill. Either way, you’re winning. The menu consists of a set entree and dessert, and your choice of three mains. If you’re penny-pinching, from Monday to Friday there is also a daily lunch deal, $10 burgers on Monday, "veal-like-a-schnitzel" Thursday $15, and so on. The range Lennons shows makes it a winner among hotel restaurants. And if you haven’t been up to the pool terrace yet, then you’ve got some work to do.
Whenever 90s rom-com Pretty Woman comes to mind, Roy Orbison's song likely does as well. When the musical based on the hit flick arrives in Australia for the first time, you'll be getting Bryan Adams tunes lodged in your head, too. The Canadian singer-songwriter helped bring the Julia Roberts (Leave the World Behind)- and Richard Gere (The Agency)-starring film to the stage, penning the music and lyrics for the show — and during his latest Aussie tour, it was announced that Pretty Woman: The Musical is finally heading Down Under, debuting in Brisbane. From Sunday, October 5, 2025, the late 80s-set tale of Vivian met Edward will roll into the QPAC Lyric Theatre in the Queensland capital, following a romance that's already fuelled a box-office smash as a movie, then premiered on Broadway in 2018 as a theatre production. If you've seen the film, you'll know the story, as an escort and a corporate raider fall in love — and you'll also know that it made Roberts a star, complete with a Golden Globe win, plus her first Best Actress Oscar nomination. Alongside America's most-famous theatre district, where it broke records at the Nederlander Theatre, Pretty Woman: The Musical has graced the stage in London's West End, plus Spain, Italy, Poland and Germany. There's no word yet regarding the local cast, so who'll be following in Roberts and Gere's footsteps — and Laura San Giacomo (NCIS) and Hector Elizondo's (Mr Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie) as well — hasn't been announced. Whether Pretty Woman: The Musical will head to other Australian stops also hasn't yet been revealed. Behind the curtain, Adams worked with his songwriting partner Jim Vallance, who he wrote 'Summer of '69', 'Run to You', 'Cuts Like a Knife' and 'Heaven' with, on the music and lyrics. Late filmmaker Garry Marshall (Mother's Day), who directed the Pretty Woman movie — plus Roberts and Gere's on-screen reunion in 1999 in Runaway Bride — penned the book with the OG flick's screenwriter JF Lawnton (Yellow River Christmas). Images: UK tour, Marc Brenner.
