Fried chicken lovers: start drooling. KFC is set to unveil a brand new burger inspired by the flavours in Peking duck, but there's a catch: the only place you can get your hands on it will be at their new music festival on Cockatoo Island. The Colonel will throw the music festival in the iconic Sydney Harbour spot with an all-star local lineup on Sunday, March 13, and yes, all tickets include free KFC Peking Cluk burgers. You lucky ducks. The Peking Cluk burger has been created in collaboration with local TikTok sensation Dimsimlim and is made from Original Recipe fried chicken coated in a hoisin glaze sauce with a healthy topping of dry spring onions, cucumber and cabbage slaw. As for the headliners at the festival — it's Peking Duk, of course. The rowdy DJ duo are stepping up to help the Colonel as KFC's official burger spokespeople, and will be performing at the festival alongside beloved Yolngu rapper Baker Boy and Sydney favourite Thandi Phoenix. Attendees will be treated to Peking Duk's brand-new live show that they created over the last two years. The show has only been seen a few times at the likes of Field Day and features big party energy, remixes of previous material and plenty of synthesisers. "We've been in the bunker making the live set totally different, totally unique. It's going to be fun and it's going to be an experience that nobody's had before," Peking Duk's Reuben Styles told Concrete Playground. Adam Hyde of the duo put it more succinctly: "Get clucked, go cluck yourself, cluck off and have a clucking great time on Cockatoo Island with the boys." [caption id="attachment_753774" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cockatoo Island[/caption] Cockatoo Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has hosted iconic musicians including The Wailers, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Skrillex and Lorde. "We've never done Cockatoo Island and that's such an iconic spot for gigs. So many epic artists have come through and done shows there," said Styles. "We didn't expect our first time playing there to be a KFC collab, but god damn it's going to be so fun." The festival will mark one of very few gigs the pair have been able to play since the start of the pandemic. "Anytime a gig goes ahead now it feels like a huge relief that we actually get to put on a party and play a set for people," Styles continued. "It's so hard to pump people up about a gig when you know there's such a high chance it won't go ahead. Doing more intimate shows like the KFC one is so great for the interim because you can say, 'Hey, here's a show, it's going to go ahead, let's all get excited.'" Style and Hyde, alongside festival buddy Thandi Phoenix and a heap of Aussie musicians took a stand last month against the NSW Government's restrictions on live music and religious gatherings. The group of musicians labelled themselves Thrillsong after it was revealed that Hillsong hosted a large youth event with many similarities to a music festival during a time when festivals were unable to go ahead. "I think it was a great thing," Styles proclaims about Hillsong's gathering. "It shined a light on how stupid the government's rules were to allow religious events to go down but no any other form of musical events." If you want to catch Peking Duk's new set and get your hands on the Peking Cluk burger, tickets to KFC's Cockatoo Island music festival are available via Moshtix now for $50, but be quick as they're sure to be snatched up quickly. There's no word yet whether the Peking Cluk burger will be on offer more widely in KFC stores. [caption id="attachment_636228" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Baker Boy by Bec Taylor.[/caption] KFC's Cockatoo Island music festival will be on Sunday, March 13 featuring Peking Duk, Bakery Boy, Thandi Phoenix and plenty of burgers. Tickets are on sale now. Top image: Peking Duk at Sunset Piazza, DNSW
Are you an early bird who likes to get flexible to start the day? A night owl who loves spending the twilight hours bending and stretching? Whichever category you fall into, do you like getting active for free — all within West End's latest greenery-filled precinct? With West Village now well and truly open, the new space is hosting twice-weekly exercise sessions in its central area, aka The Common. Run by the folks at Goodlife Health Clubs, the classes are open to everyone, whether you live in the neighbourhood or you're dropping by on your way to or from work. And yes, if you want to go to both each week, that's perfectly understandable. Get up with the sunlight on Mondays to catch a pilates session, which kick off at 6am — or head by at 6pm on Wednesdays to bliss out over yoga. The current batch of classes run from Monday, February 4 until Wednesday, March 27. Image: West Village. Updated January 31.
The Yarra Valley is an incredibly popular year-round travel destination in Victoria. Come rain or shine, you're going to have a marvellous time hopping from cellar door to cellar door — trying world-class vinos and great food overlooking rolling vineyards. You can also hike up to hidden waterfalls, check out some local art at local museums and galleries and hit up country towns like Healesville, Yarra Glen and Marysville for all kinds of cultural experiences. To make visiting the Yarra Valley region a little easier for you, we've gathered together these 10 top-notch local stays that can all be booked on Concrete Playground Trips. WOODLANDS RAINFOREST RETREAT Woodlands Rainforest Retreat consists of a series of luxe cottages hidden within 16-acres of the Black Spur rainforest, right on the edge of the Yarra Valley. And while you won't be there alone, you will feel completely secluded thanks to each cottage being situated far away from one another, within thick fern gullies. All you'll hear is native wildlife and the babbling Hermitage Creek in the background. Light a fire in your living room, soak in the glass-walled spa bath overlooking the surrounding rainforest and head out on local hikes. You can easily spend your entire holiday right here. BOOK IT NOW. YERING GORGE COTTAGES Modern, self-contained cottages are the name of the game at this working farm. There are several one-to-four-bedroom cottages spread throughout the property, surrounded by families of kangaroos and plenty of cattle that you'll see wandering up over the hills. Hiking trails that lead down to babbling river with picnic tables are all also located within a short walk or bike ride from each of the cottages. That means you don't need to drive off somewhere else to get up and close with nature. It's all on your doorstep at this laidback spot. BOOK IT NOW. FURMSTON HOUSE AND STUDIO This recently renovated house offers up a super stylish place to stay in Healesville — feeling like a privately rented out accommodation but in fact, is actually owned and run by the nearby Healesville Hotel. It will feel as if you're staying in your own cosy private house, but you still get access to the hotel's luxe amenities and other offerings. You have a few booking options too. Either rent out the entire home that sleeps four people or add on the adjacent studio to bring that up to six. And if you are just a couple, opt for one of the individual rooms in the nearby hotel. Whatever option you choose, you'll be just a few minutes' walk from town and a short drive away from the region's famous vineyards. BOOK IT NOW. CHATEAU YERING HOTEL Escape to the Yarra Valley's own version of Versailles by staying at this lavish mansion. Expect to find ornately decorated drawing rooms, light-filled dining areas (where it hosts traditional afternoon tea experiences) and 32 individually designed suites. These guys don't shy away from colour nor pattern. It's all a more is more kind of vibe. But still keeping it classy. Chateau Yering Hotel is also set within a massive 250-acre property, so you'll also get sweeping countryside views and plenty of options for relaxing walks and picnics in the gardens. BOOK IT NOW. MYERS CREEK CASCADES COTTAGES These four self-contained cottages are engulfed by nature. Eucalyptus trees and giant ferns surround each and every place to stay on the property, creating a great sense of solitude. Soak in the two-person spa bath overlooking a waterfall and let the romance of this place simply wash over you. Staying in one of the Myers Creek Cascades Cottages is an easy win for any couple seeking a special weekend away together. BOOK IT NOW. THE STUDIO YARRA VALLEY This Yarra Glen accommodation boasts uninterrupted views across Dixons Creek Valley and the surrounding farmland. And within the studio, you'll find one large bedroom with a king-sized bed, a kitchen with all the essentials (including a coffee machine), a private verandah with table and chairs and a sun-lit lounge room with its own sofa bed. It has all the essential for a great Yarra Valley vacay and is close to all the main towns in the area — Yarra Glen town centre is only a 5-minute drive away and it will take 10-minutes to get to Healesville. BOOK IT NOW. FORGET ME NOT COTTAGES This place is full of character. Each of the four wooden cottages has been individually decorated by the owners, in their own quirky style. The Music Room cottage comes with a large canopy bed draped in colourful fabric, animal fur rugs, and an assortment of instruments — why not play the bongos or guitar while sitting around the fire one night? It even has its own outdoor heated spa on the verandah, perfect for stargazing at night. The interiors of The Rose Cottage, The Green Room and The Water Garden apartment are also just as uniquely curated. You certainly won't forget your time spent at Forget Me Not Cottages anytime soon. BOOK IT NOW. SANCTUARY PARK COTTAGES These set of cottages are really great for small or larger groups of travellers looking to stay within the Yarra Valley region. There are two-bedroom cottages that sleep up to four people, a three-bedroom cottage that sleeps up to eight people and there's also the Homestead that comfortably sleeps up to ten. They are also well spread out within the 20-acre property so there's no need to worry about noise. And you're close to a bunch of wineries, so you won't be spending a whole lot on transport to and from your accommodation. BOOK IT NOW. ARALUEN BOUTIQUE ACCOMMODATION You'll find this collection of rooms and villas nestled down in Steels Creek Valley, a seven-minute drive north of Yarra Glen. The three villas are all self-contained and boast impressive views across the surrounding countryside, gardens and swimming pool. Then there are the individual rooms. These are located within a wing of a large lodge, each with private external access and unobstructed views of the surrounding gardens. Bring back some wine from your Yarra Valley adventures, enjoying it on your private balcony or within the communal lounge areas by the fire. BOOK IT NOW. YARRA VALLEY LODGE The Yarra Valley Lodge has everything you'd expect from a country club. First off, there's the gold course — to either play on or just enjoy looking at while you sip wines on your private balcony. It has even partnered up with Heritage Retreat & Day Spa to offer up a huge selection of pamper packages to guests. Then you've got the modern rooms and suites, all of which look out at either the golf course or surrounding countryside vistas. Choosing to stay here is a no-brainer. It easily ticks all the boxes for those wanting comfort and laidback luxury in the Yarra Valley. BOOK IT NOW. Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips in destinations all over the world. Top image: Myers Creek Cascades Cottages
It has been a busy two years for Timothée Chalamet, aka the internet's current boyfriend. Not too long ago, he was best known for a bit part in Interstellar, and now he's one of cinema's biggest talents. Chalamet swooned over first love in the gorgeous Call Me By Your Name, and was nominated for an Oscar for his impeccable performance. He played one of the titular character's first loves in Lady Bird, a film that nabbed Oscar nominations for almost everyone else involved. In his latest movie, Beautiful Boy, he's grappling with addiction — and he'll likely receive plenty of awards love again. This true life drama stands out from Chalamet's recent hits, however, and not in a positive way. His work is exceptional once more, inhabiting rather than performing his troubled character, but the film doesn't do its star justice. Or, to be more accurate, it doesn't do its stars justice. Beautiful Boy is a father-and-son drama as much as it is a deep dive into the trauma wrought by drugs, with Steve Carell as journalist David Sheff and Chalamet as his bright, thoughtful, college-bound son Nic. David can only watch on as Nic escalates from casual marijuana use to an insatiable crystal meth habit, and the respective tolls of bearing witness to, and spiralling through, the depths of addiction are written across Carell and Chalamet's faces. Each actor plays their character like a man possessed, one by trying to understand what drove his boy down this path, the other by an urge that he can't and won't stop indulging. Or perhaps it's that they both seem like they're haunted — by dreams, wants, needs and choices, and by a life that's not what either originally planned. Based on separate memoirs by the actual David and Nic, Beautiful Boy's details are familiar. Viewers first meet David when he's asking an expert exactly what all of these illicit substances are doing to Nic, before the movie jumps back to show the progression to that point and beyond. The Sheff household is happy, with David remarried to painter Karen (Maura Tierney), and Nic getting along with both his stepmother and much-younger half-siblings. But then, suddenly nothing is happy. All that's changed is Nic, and his newfound penchant for getting high rather than burying his head in a book. Soon he's withdrawn and sullen, out late and disappearing for periods of time, and hiding his soulful gaze further and further behind his dark, wavy locks. Every moment that Chalamet and Carell are on screen, either individually or together, it's easy to believe the Sheffs' plight. Beautiful Boy can't answer why Nic dissolves into his addiction, other than the fact he enjoys taking drugs. It can't explain why this thoroughly middle-class family is put through such an ordeal, other than the fact that the unexpected happens. With images that feel both dreamy and gritty simultaneously, what it can do instead is depict the torturous aftermath. The results are authentic and heartfelt, thanks to the film's basis in reality, its brilliant leads, and the stellar support offered by Tierney and Amy Ryan (as David's first wife and Nic's mother). And yet, while the actors make the most intimate, internalised and difficult of emotions ring true, conveying the pain and suffering that clearly changed the Sheffs' lives, the movie itself couldn't be more heavy-handed. Even if it actually happened, having one character read "I just love drugs" in another's diary, or words to that effect, isn't the most subtle of moves. The same applies to Beautiful Boy's use of Nirvana, Neil Young, John Lennon and more on its soundtrack — songs which may stem from the Sheff's real-life music choices, yet are always deployed to obvious effect. While nuance wasn't in director Felix Van Groeningen's wheelhouse when he helmed the heartstring-tugging Broken Circle Breakdown in 2012, he's made a much less effective melodrama this time around. Beautiful Boy is still a moving, affecting picture — with its two main stars putting in some of their best work, how could it not be? — but it never trusts that viewers will respond accordingly. Chalamet and Carell show the audience what the Sheffs went through, however the film itself doesn't just want to tell their story. Rather, it wants to scream it, and to push every sentimental, blunt and cliched button. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaOhgZez1Nk
One of the most significant fashion designers of the past century is the subject of one of Australia's most significant fashion exhibitions, with the National Gallery of Victoria dedicating its big summer blockbuster show to the late, great Alexander McQueen. For fans of pioneering, boundary-pushing threads, Alexander McQueen: Mind, Mythos, Muse's four-month season promises to be bigger and better than Christmas — complete with more than 120 garments designed by the icon, plus artworks, sketches, videos and photographic works that inspired him. First revealed back in May, and now on display from Sunday, December 11, 2022—Sunday, April 16, 2023, Mind, Mythos, Muse has taken over the NGV International. Inside the Melbourne cultural institution, fashion devotees will find walls and halls filled with a stunning display, as created in collaboration with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). All things McQueen first graced LACMA, and now it's Australia's turn. While the LA venue organised the exhibition, drawing upon more than 60 garments and accessories from its own holdings, it contacted NGV about both contributing and running its own season. That's where 50 designs by McQueen from the NGV Collection come in, plus other artworks from each institution. Don't go thinking that this is a standard retrospective, however. As Katie Somerville, the NGV's Senior Curator of Fashion and Textiles, explained back when Mind, Mythos, Muse was announced, "it's not a go-to-whoa examination of him from a more biographical point of view". Instead, the aim is to go both deep and broad, and highlight his many sources of inspiration, "exploring him as a creative soul". The NGV has been hoping to put an exhibition like this together ever since the designer first made a splash in the early 90s, and Mind, Mythos, Muse does indeed venture back that far. The showcase features McQueen-designed items dating back to 1994, and 25 different seasonal collections — with 20 seasons covered from its the NGV's own holdings alone. Accordingly, attendees can check out examples from the autumn-winter 1995–1996 Highland Rape collection, the autumn-winter 2006–2007 The Widows of Culloden range, and spring-summer 2010's Plato's Atlantis, McQueen's final complete collection before his death in February 2010. Various sections of the exhibition dive into McQueen's oeuvre in different ways. With Mythos, for example, three collections inspired by mythological and religious belief systems sit together. Then, in Fashioned Narratives, four collections that showcase his knack for world-building are in the spotlight. Next comes Evolution and Existence, which hones in on his interest in life cycles and the human condition — and Technique and Innovation, which is rather self-explanatory. Finally, Dangerous Bodies is all about early collections with a focus on eroticism and empowerment. Helping pull together all of the above are behind-the-scenes snaps by photographer Robert Fairer, taking audiences backstage at McQueen's shows — because his parades were an event and an art — and 80-plus historical artworks spanning painting, sculpture, photography, decorative arts and works on paper, all hailing LACMA and NGV's collections. "Juxtaposing Alexander McQueen's designs with artworks in a wide range of media opens up a new perspective on his process and artistic legacy. We are thrilled to share this groundbreaking exhibition with Australian audiences," said LACMA CEO and Wallis Annenberg Director Michael Govan. "Alexander McQueen is beloved for his boundary-pushing and highly conceptual designs that set him apart from his contemporaries. With meticulous craftmanship and an intellectual rigour seldom seen on the runways before or since, he created a new vocabulary for fashion design that still resonates today. Comprising more than 120 works, this showstopping exhibition unites the collections of LACMA and the NGV for the very first time, and celebrates the timeless work of one of the true icons of late twentieth century fashion," added NGV Director Tony Ellwood AM. The NGV is no stranger to big fashion exhibitions while the weather is warm, of course, with Alexander McQueen: Mind, Mythos, Muse following its massive celebration of Coco Chanel's work over last summer. Alexander McQueen: Mind, Mythos, Muse displays from Sunday, December 11, 2022—Sunday, April 16, 2023 at the NGV International, 180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne. For more information, or to buy tickets, head to the gallery's website. Images: Installation view of Alexander McQueen: Mind, Mythos, Muse on display at NGV International from 11 December 2022 - 16 April 2023. Photos: Tom Ross and Sean Fennessy.
"Let's head to the casino for a nice dinner," said nobody, ever. Until recently, that is. Fat Noodle has been open in Brisbane's Treasury Casino since late 2012 and if you haven't visited yet, it's high time you got around to it. Celebrity chef Luke Nguyen — known for his SBS show Luke Nguyen's Vietnam and appearances on MasterChef — has created a dining hub where freshness and flavour are the priority. Start off the meal with a bowl of steamed edamame ($7.00) and some salt and pepper tofu ($10.00). You certainly don't have to be a vegetarian to enjoy these dishes; the edamame is as moreish as a bowl of potato chips (but healthier!) and the sweet, salty taste and fried texture of the tofu will have you weak at the knees, even if you've never been a fan of the ol' bean curd. Other options on the small plates menu include salmon sashimi ($14.00), pork skewers ($12.00) and Vietnamese chicken salad ($14.00). Larger meals are broken down into the categories 'rice', 'noodle soups' and 'woks'. Luke Nguyen's signature dish is the Fat Pho Noodles — beef broth, sliced Angus sirloin and brisket, bean sprouts, fresh Thai basil, chilli and rice noodles ($18.00). However, another standout on the menu is the Singapore laksa with prawns, fish cake, scallops, chicken breast, rice noodles, tofu and egg in a rich, coconut-spiked broth ($19.00). You better be hungry before you tackle this delicious bowl of goodness, because it is absolutely packed to the brim with seafood and chicken. The prawns and broccoli with rice ($19.00) is another nice, fresh-tasting dish, although lacking the punch of the laksa (to be fair, most dishes everywhere lack the punch of the Fat Noodle laksa). If you have any trouble deciding what to order, ask for a recommendation from the wait staff. If by some miracle you are still hungry after the main course, there are a couple of dessert options available: a jasmine tea-flavoured crème brulee ($12.00) and a lemongrass and perilla leaf-infused panna cotta with pandanus and coconut sago ($12.00). The panna cotta on its own could be more flavoursome, but is delicious with the sago accompaniment. Fat Noodle has a wide selection of drinks, including draught and bottled beer, wine, fresh juices, and cocktails.
Canberra music, food and art festival Spilt Milk is set to return to the capital this November, celebrating its third outing with a suitably huge lineup. Heading up the bill is none other than US hip hop star Childish Gambino, fresh off the back of a #1 Billboard Charts debut for his single This Is America. He hasn't yet announced any other Australian shows, but Spilt Milk isn't billing his appearance as an exclusive, so chances are he'll announce at least a few more shows. (We've still got out fingers crossed that he bring his Pharos festival here after New Zealand.) He'll be joined at the capital's Commonwealth Park on November 17 by fellow international stars, UK pop legends The Wombats and LA producer RL Grime. There's also plenty of homegrown goodness on the menu, with the likes of Sydney singer-songwriter Vera Blue, indie-pop sensation Jack River, dance floor darling Hayden James and Canberra's own high-energy duo Peking Duk all set to take the Spilt Milk stage. But the musical lineup's not to be outdone by the rest of the program, with a ripper serve of visual art, tasty eats and pop-up bars on the cards. Get ready for a multisensory feast, as Hamburg-based artist Stefanie Thiele leads a team of local talent in creating a wondrous playground of installations and art experiences. And keep those taste buds satisfied throughout the day, with eats from the likes of Dirty Bird Food Truck, Bao Brothers, Happy As Larry and Chur Burger. If you fancy being a part of Spilt Milk round three, you'd best not dilly dally — the festival's debut event in 2016 sold out in a mere 18 minutes, while the following year's tickets were all snapped up within nine minutes. This year, Canberra locals will get first dibs, with Homegrown tickets on sale July 1. After that, pre-sale tickets will be available Australia-wide from noon on July 3, with a general admission release on sale at 12pm, Thursday, July 5. In the meantime, here's what you came for — the full lineup for Spilt Milk 2018. SPILT MILK 2018 LINEUP Blanke Camouflage Rose Channel Tres Childish Gambino Cub Sport Ebony Boadu Hatchie Hayden James Jack River Kinder Kira Puru Kwame Manu Crook$ Methyl Ethel Miss Blanks Moaning Lisa Peking Duk RL Grime Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever Shockone Skeggs Thandi Phoenix The Jungle Giants The Wombats Thundamentals Vera Blue Willaris. K YG ARTISTS Faith Kerehona JBR Roskoe Stefanie Thiele VOIR (With more to be announced) FOOD Bao Brothers Eatery Chur Burger Dirty Bird Food Truck Happy As Larry Sofrito Paella Image: Cole Bennetts.
Thanks to his Oscar-nominated work co-penning The Worst Person in the World's screenplay, Eskil Vogt has already helped give the world one devastatingly accurate slice-of-life portrait in the past year. That applauded film is so insightful and relatable about being in your twenties, and also about weathering quarter-life malaise, uncertainty and crisis, that it feels inescapably lifted from reality — and it's sublime. The Innocents, the Norwegian filmmaker's latest movie, couldn't be more different in tone and narrative; however, it too bears the fingerprints of achingly perceptive and deep-seated truth. Perhaps that should be mindprints, though. Making his second feature as a director after 2014's exceptional Blind, Vogt hones in on childhood, and on the way that kids behave with each other when adults are absent or oblivious — and on tykes and preteens who can wreak havoc solely using their mental faculties. Another riff on Firestarter, this thankfully isn't. The Innocents hasn't simply jumped on the Stranger Things bandwagon, either. Thanks to the latter, on-screen tales about young 'uns battling with the supernatural are one of Hollywood's current favourite trends — see also: the awful Ghostbusters: Afterlife — but all that this Nordic horror movie's group of kids are tussling with is themselves. Their fight starts when nine-year-old Ida (debutant Rakel Lenora Fløttum) and her 11-year-old sister Anna (fellow first-timer Alva Brynsmo Ramstad), who is on the autism spectrum, move to an apartment block in Romsås, Oslo with their mother (Blind's Ellen Dorrit Petersen) and father (Morten Svartveit, Ninjababy). It's summer, the days are long, and the two girls are largely left to their own devices outside in the complex's communal spaces. That's where Ida befriends Aisha (Mina Yasmin Bremseth Asheim) and Ben (Sam Ashraf), albeit not together, and starts to learn about their abilities. One of The Innocents' most astonishing scenes — in a film with many — springs from Ida discovering what the sullen, bullied Ben can do solely with his brain. Indeed, one of Vogt's masterstrokes is focusing on how she reacts to the boy's telekinesis, as demonstrated by flinging around a bottle cap. Ida is almost preternaturally excited, and she's lured in by the thrall of what Ben might be able to do next, even though she can visibly sense that something isn't quite right. Another series of unforgettable moments arises shortly afterward when her new pal, lapping up the attention from his only friend, cruelly and sickeningly shows off without even deploying his superpowers. It's a deeply disturbing turn in a movie that repeatedly isn't afraid to find evident terrors in ordinary, everyday, banal surroundings, and Ida's response — horrified, alarmed, yet unwilling to completely cut ties — again says everything. Vogt doesn't shy away from intimating something that society often doesn't, won't or both: that childhood and innocence don't always go hand in hand. En route to their new home in the film's opening sequence, Ida is already spied pinching the non-verbal Anna just to glean what she'll do. Later, as conveyed in economical imagery lensed by stellar cinematographer Sturla Brandth Grøvlen — who already has Another Round, Last and First Men, Shirley, Rams and Victoria to his name, and uses blood here with haunting precision — she's seen escalating that pain-fulled experimentation in a gutwrenching fashion. This side to the girl's personality isn't played as a twist or shock, and neither are Ben's skills and proclivities, or the friendly Aisha's telepathic powers (including the ability to communicate with Anna). Instead, The Innocents is positively matter of fact about what its pint-sized characters are capable of, and also steadfastly avoids trading in simplistic ideas of good and evil, or offering up neat rationales. It's one thing to bake such complexity into the script, which Vogt does with ease. When it comes to working with children, it's another entirely to have those layers and that eagerness to reside in shades of grey radiate from the cast. All newcomers to the screen, Fløttum, Ramstad, Ashraf and Asheim each manage to possess both relaxed naturalism and heaving texture — like they're not being recorded at all, but also as if they've always belonged in front of the camera, playing out their intricate games. Fløttum's expressive face is particularly striking in capturing The Innocents' eerie yet probing mood, whether Ida is flirting with darkness herself, frightened by what may come, or doing whatever she can to protect her sister and her family. But she's definitely not alone in making chatting without saying a thing, throwing about frying pans without moving a muscle and twisting childhood larks in otherworldly ways feel as commonplace as hitting the sandpit or swing set. They're little alike in vibe and atmosphere — a sense of fairy tale-esque dreaminess aside, although deployed in vastly dissimilar manners — but in stepping into the realms inhabited only by young hearts and minds, The Innocents slides in nicely alongside recent French delight Petite Maman. Both movies let their youthful characters exist in worlds defined only by themselves and their own rules, rather than by ideas and norms outlined by grown-ups. Neither of the two features would ever dare suggest that how its central figures experience life isn't worthy of attention or respect, or comes second to adult routines and woes. And, the pair of flicks also dive into how kids cope with everything that's constantly thrown in their direction, including by each other, with the utmost of seriousness. Here, that includes unpacking the morals they enforce among themselves, and also come to by themselves, but never explaining away something so complicated. In The Innocents, that detailed and disarming portrait of youth sits within a daylight nightmare, too — one that's not quite on the also Scandinavian-set Midsommar's level of chills, but always festers with unease nonetheless. Parallels also lurk with the superb Let the Right One In and its account of an undead tween, with the mental scares inflicted in Carrie and The Shining, and, unsurprisingly, with Thelma, the 2017 film about a university student grappling with inexplicable powers that Vogt wrote with The Worst Person in the World's Joachim Trier. The Innocents stands boldly beside its thematic peers, however, rather than in their shadows. Its various bits and pieces have their predecessors, but its blend of uncanny candour, creepiness, empathy and intelligence is all its own. While an English-language remake is bound to follow, frolicking in this smart and savvy playground again — and making something that doesn't just play like a cookie-cutter superhero origin flick at best (yes, the recent Firestarter comes to mind once more) — won't be an easy feat.
When researching the background of musical acts you can normally find a few common threads between acts: studied music, early passion for it, et cetera et cetera, but when the history includes pirates, a school exchange to Kenya and puppetry, you start to pay a little more attention. tUnE-yArDs may be a name foreign to an uneducated few, but it’s definitely adored by a much larger number. It’s a name that brings to mind visions of a big, noisy warehouse party full of eclectic people dancing to loud and raucous music, which is convenient as that’s exactly what her shows are like. And lucky for us, tUnE-yArDs, the acclaimed project of Merril Garbus, will finally be heard live for the first time in Australia this month. As well as Merril and her magical, minimalist toolbox of instruments – think ukulele, looping pedal and drumstick - tUnE-yArDs also includes a bassist and two saxophone players, and they are all coming to the Powerhouse to promote the band’s sophomore album w h o k i l l. Well known for their distinctive vocal aptitude and crazy beats, the tUnE-yArDs show will be more like a beatnik’s paradise than a traditional show. They will also be supported on the evening by Outerwaves, Mitzi and DJ Private Velodrome, making it an evening of musical education. Don’t wait to purchase tickets however, as this show is sure to sell out. Image credit: Ashley Jordan Gordon
Remember when your mum told you that being popular wasn't everything? There are many situations where that advice holds true. Take watching movies, for example. Sure, superhero flicks look great on the big screen — but for every blockbuster you head along to, there's probably a heap of smaller films you're missing out on. They're the small players in a world that focuses on big hits, and the ones that pop up at fewer cinemas, run for shorter spans, and don't break attendance records. But just because they don't get as much love, doesn't mean they're not worth viewing. Indeed, among the ranks of the under-seen lurk some of the year's best efforts. Take these ten, which — by way of a limited screening season or lacklustre local box office performance — you may have missed, but we think you really should take the time to see. A MOST VIOLENT YEAR It has been a good year for Oscar Isaac. He's about to feature in one of the year's biggest films (that is, Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens), he made an unnerving impact in the best artificial intelligence movie of 2015 (Ex Machina), and he starred in a heartbreaking HBO TV series made by The Wire's David Simon (Show Me A Hero). But before all three, he teamed up with always exceptional Jessica Chastain in A Most Violent Year, a moody, '80s mob thriller from All Is Lost writer-director J. C. Chandor. The tale of an honest man corrupted as he follows his ambitions might seem familiar, but there's nothing that's routine — and plenty that's riveting — about this devastating dissection of the American dream. Read our full review. THE TRIBE Writer-director Miroslav Slaboshpitsky's first feature was always going to be a hard sell. The film runs for more than two hours without a word of dialogue, a hint of music or even any subtitles, with its characters — a group of classmates at a Ukrainian boarding school for the hearing impaired — communicating only through sign language. And it's not just a difficult concept; in an effort that becomes both violent and haunting — all the more so because it demands audiences pay the utmost attention to what they can see — it's also difficult to watch. Reports of fainting are widespread, but those who can stomach its brutal sights will find a movie completely unlike anything else they've ever seen before. Read our full review. LONDON ROAD When the National Theatre turned the real life 'Suffolk Strangler' case into a stage production, it probably wasn't expected. Adapting the play into a film shouldn't have been quite as surprising, but the results certainly are astonishing. Filmmaker Rufus Norris (Broken) teamed up once again with writer Alecky Blythe to bring the theatre work to the screen — not only telling the tale of the murders of five prostitutes that rocked England's Ipswich in 2006, but charting the media frenzy that followed and the reactions throughout the community. What makes London Road stand out isn't its narrative, though, but its approach. The words uttered by actual residents of the area, reporters covering the case and sex workers become a musical sung in stuttered bursts and choreographed in a highly stylised fashion. It also features a memorable performance by Olivia Colman, as well as appearance by Tom Hardy as a taxi driver. TANNA Two youths fall in love, but external forces — i.e. the wishes of their families — complicate matters. With that description, you're likely thinking about Romeo and Juliet — however, there's more to the first feature shot entirely in Vanuatu than simply following in William Shakespeare's footsteps. In fact, the film actually stems from a local tribal tragedy, uncovered by writer-director-producer duo Martin Butler and Bentley Dean after spending seven months living with the indigenous Yakel community, and then working with them to make the movie. Calling Tanna authentic is underselling its heartfelt account of the story, its impassioned performances and its arresting images — the latter of which makes the most of the South Pacific archipelago nation's lush greenery and ash-spewing volcanoes. GIRLHOOD With Girlhood, the third time is the charm for filmmaker Céline Sciamma — although, with the likes of Water Lilies and Tomboy also on her cinematic resume, the first and second times were pretty up there too. Her film might sound like a female version of Richard Linklater's 2014 hit, but even though it also serves up a coming-of-age narrative, that couldn't be further from the truth. Charting the tough times faced by 16-year-old Marieme (Karidja Touré) on the outskirts of Paris, the movie tackles maturity on the margins with a raw, realistic and intimate approach — and with stunning performances from the largely untrained cast, too. Plus, it ensures viewers will always feel fondly about Rihanna's 'Diamonds', which provides the soundtrack for the film's most striking scene. Read our full review. PARTISAN Trust a film about a charismatic figure that lures single mothers and their children into his cult-like enclave to have the same mesmerising impact upon its viewers. In relating the experience of the oldest boy in the commune, Alexander (Jeremy Chabriel), when he's deemed mature enough to complete special tasks, Ariel Kleiman's debut feature is the kind of movie you can't look away from — even if you want to. Partisan might be inspired by actual accounts of child assassins, but this is an atmospheric take on allegiance and rebellion, rather than an action flick. It's also the latest effort to feature a hypnotic performance by Vincent Cassel, who's no stranger to playing menacing men, but is rarely given a role so simultaneously threatening and understated. Read our full review. '71 The complexities and contradictions of war are thrust onto the screen in '71, and so is rising star Jack O'Connell. If both seem frenetic and anxious, that's understandable — the film recounts the terrors of The Troubles in Northern Ireland, as seen through the perspective of a rookie British solider left in unsympathetic territory by his squadron, after all. Director Yann Demange splices the two together with skill, his first-time helming efforts as intense as the movie's lead portrayal. If you thought O'Connell was good in TV's Skins, or in previous big-screen offerings Starred Up and Unbroken, prepare to see him blow those performances out of the water. Read our full review. LIFE If ever there was a match made in cinema heaven, it's the combination of Anton Corbijn and James Dean. Add actor Dane DeHaan to the equation, and you've got a movie that smoulders as much as its subject, all while peering behind the tragic star's mystique. Everyone knows that Dean was killed in a car accident at the age of 24 with just three films to his name — and while other features have attempted to give him the biopic treatment, capturing his allure is a much more difficult feat. With the same precision he demonstrated in his last account of a fallen idol, the Joy Division-centric Control, Corbijn achieves just that as he focuses on Dean's connection with Life magazine photographer Dennis Stock (Robert Pattinson). Read our full review. THE SALT OF THE EARTH If a picture is worth a thousand words, then Sebastião Salgado's efforts are worth several multi-volume encyclopaedias. Yes, his images are that intricate and informative — as they should be. The Brazilian social documentary photographer and photojournalist has travelled the world for more than 40 years, snapping the people and places few ever see. Thankfully, the film that charts his life, work and impact is just as engaging and illuminating, as directed by veteran filmmaker Wim Wenders alongside Sebastião’s son Juliano Ribeiro Salgado. Don't take the younger Salgado's involvement as a sign of the documentary's sentimentality, however. Instead, he helps craft a textured portrait of a man who has dedicated more than just his career to taking textured portraits. Read our full review. ZERO MOTIVATION One of the year's funniest and most thoughtful movies sprang from an unlikely place: within the human resources unit of an Israeli army administration office. There, two pencil-pushing women (Nelly Tagar and Dana Ivgy) dream of something more — however, they're never unaware of their status, nor of the military side of their employment. You're probably thinking that Talya Lavie’s feature sounds like it wouldn't be out of place alongside other amusing yet perceptive looks at bureaucracy and war, and you'd be right. Blackly comic as well constantly subversive, Zero Motivation is a slacker comedy and a contemplative consideration of combat, all in one package.
Time may be a flat circle, as Matthew McConaughey told us in the first season of True Detective; however the entertainment industry seems to be one too. Every popular property lives on, comes back, is remade or jumps to a different format these days, or so it appears — including another high-profile effort featuring McConaughey and his fondness for saying "all right" over and over again. Continuing the movie-to-stage musical trend that has swept up all of your favourite films in recent years, Magic Mike is making the leap to the theatre, bolstering the feature's hefty lineup of dancing and stripping with plenty of singing. It'll add to the two-film franchise in another way as well, with the production framed as a prequel to the flicks, showing how the titular character first found his disrobing mojo. Sorry, Channing Tatum fans — although he's billed as a producer on the stage version, along with Magic Mike director Steven Soderbergh and Magic Mike XXL filmmaker Gregory Jacobs according to Playbill, you can bet that he won't be treading the boards. While cast details haven't been announced, the show has just undergone a creative reshuffle. Writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Riverdale), composer Tom Kitt and lyricist Brian Yorkey (who worked together on musical Next to Normal) have all recently left, but the musical does boast director Trip Cullman and choreographer Camille A. Brown, who've been collaborating on star-studded, Tony-nominated Broadway play Choir Boy. Magic Mike The Musical is due to world premiere on November 30 at Boston's Emerson Colonial Theatre, running until early January. Next stop, or the show hopes: Broadway. It shouldn't be confused with the Magic Mike Live strip and dance show, aka the stage version that was always going to happen, which is currently playing in London until October. Magic Mike joins a lengthy list of films becoming theatre productions of late, including Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Bring It On, The Lion King, Mean Girls, Clueless, The Bodyguard, Amelie, Waitress, Muriel's Wedding and Moulin Rouge!. Versions of The Devil Wears Prada, Empire Records, Mrs Doubtfire, The Notebook, The Princess Bride and Aussie classic Starstruck are also in the works. Get a refresher on what might be in store in the all-stripping, all-singing Magic Mike musical with the trailer for the original movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd0XPRo4LZQ Via Playbill.
When Christmas rolls around each year, Brisbane gets a little bit brighter. As soon as Halloween passes, houses around the city start setting up their external decorations, giving the suburbs a glow; however, one of the most-dazzling spots in town is Roma Street Parkland. The reason: The Enchanted Garden, which has been popping up annually for festive runs for a few years now, and has locked in its return for 2024. Get ready to get lit: this luminous show lets you see one of the city's favourite green spaces in a completely new light, and is switching on its seasonal brightness for a month leading up to the jolliest day of all again — complete with food trucks and a bar so that you can make a night of it. This year's dates for your diary: Friday, November 22–Saturday, December 21, 2024. TheEnchanted Garden fills 22,000 square metres of Roma Street Parkland with lights flickering in, around and over the top of its lush greenery. As every home renovation-focused TV show has told us time and time again, a splash of colour can make a world of difference — and at this event, it can turn an already picturesque location into a glorious festive wonderland. This year, the setup will feature lasers, LED tubes, fairy lights, festive soundscapes, UV lighting and projections, all designed to immerse attendees. As you wander along the 30–40-minute walk, you'll get merry and celebrate nature at the same time. Unsurprisingly, it's a family-friendly affair — and, as there has been since 2021, there is a fee. You'll pay $9 to head along and stare up at all that dazzling brightness. Once you're in, you can soak up the luminousness for as long as you like. Attendees shouldn't go expecting the kind of setup that features on every street corner in Brissie's suburbs, though. Lights will twinkle and decorations will sparkle; however, this isn't a DIY display at all. That said, a word of warning: people love all things glittery, so prepare to a heap company. Also, tickets usually get snapped up quickly, with this year's going on sale at 9am on Friday, November 8. Sessions run from 6.30pm, letting folks in every 15 minutes until 9.15pm — and, if you're organised enough, you can always pack a picnic, arrive early and enjoy dinner beforehand. Food trucks will also be onsite at the Celebration Lawn from 5–9.30pm daily, as will a licensed bar, if you don't get around to taking care of your own nosh. The Enchanted Garden returns to Roma Street Parkland, 1 Parkland Boulevard, Brisbane, from Friday, November 22–Saturday, December 21, 2024. Tickets go on sale at 9am on Friday, November 8 — head to the event's website for further details.
Ever since Messina has been scooping out gelato, the dessert chain has also been turning beloved sweet treats into ice cream. Sometimes, it creates wonderful new flavours inspired by lamingtons and the like. Sometimes, it gives iconic biscuits the gelato treatment. And sometimes, it whips up its own version of classic dishes — such as the vanilla- and chocolate-layered ice cream cake that everyone considered the height of extravagance as a child, aka the Viennetta. The Messinetta, as Messina calls its Viennetta, debuted in 2020, then returned in 2021. That same year, it also got a Golden Gaytime twist, which is exactly what it sounds like. That Frankenstein's monster of a dessert — but in the best possible way — also made a comeback, reappearing in 2022. Now, it's time to unleash the Neapolitan Messinetta. Again, this limited-edition dish is extremely self-explanatory. And yes, that name alone points to it being supremely tasty. Once more, Messina is combining two things that everyone tucked into a whole heap when they were kids — Viennetta and the vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice cream that is Neapolitan — into one delicious package. What's in a Neapolitan Messinetta? That iconic trio of flavours is all accounted for, as are the slices of chocolate. Think: vanilla sponge layered with chocolate gelato, vanilla gelato and strawberry gel, plus those with chocolate shards, then piped with vanilla chantilly cream. It serves up to 14 people, but that obviously depends on portion sizes — and how willing you are to share. The Neapolitan Messinetta earned Messina a return spot on MasterChef on Tuesday, May 30, with Messina co-owner and head chef Donato Toce challenging contestants to make their own. If you felt your stomach grumbling and tastebuds tingling while you were watching, you can now get ordering — from 8.40pm on Tuesday, May 30. A Neapolitan Messinetta will set you back $120, and you'll collect it in-store between Friday, June 16–Sunday, June 18. Gelato Messina's Neapolitan Messinetta is be available to order from 8.40pm on Tuesday, May 30, for pick up between Friday, June 16–Sunday, June 18 — head to the Messina website for further details.
Yeronga's newest eatery clearly loves its location. Why else would it reference its distance and direction from the CBD in its name? And line one of its walls with shelves made from salvaged timber, offering a reminder of the area's flooded past? Yes, there's no escaping the distinctive local flavour at Seven South, though that's not all that the latest venture from former Home Cafe owners Gavin and Kylie Bartholomew champions. All-day offerings that give traditional dishes a tasty twist are the highlights of the Hyde Road restaurant's menu. Take their hot cakes for example, which come bursting lemon thyme, blueberry and ricotta, and topped with creme fraiche and pistachio praline. Or their fishcakes for lunch, of the smoked salmon variety. You'll find meals that don't feature the word "cake" in their description, of course, such as smokey bourbon and maple glazed beef ribs. Plus, Seven South is dog-friendly — because you can't open a new neighbourhood hangout without welcoming pet pooches, too.
When it's summertime and the weather is fine, W Brisbane puts its poolside area to work hosting shindigs with a splash. Now that the frosty seasons is definitely upon Brissie, however, it's going in the opposite direction. At Winter Reloaded at Wet Deck, rugging up, getting cosy, eating stomach-warming bites and knocking back toasty cocktails are all on the agenda — and making the most of an après-ski pop-up, too. Pretend you're in the Swiss Alps without leaving Brisbane, with ski gondolas, firepits and wintry decor all part of the fun. To hang out in one of the gondolas, though, you'll need to book in for a VIP experience. It costs $89 per person, requires between two and four people and will get you your own gondola for 90 minutes. And, it includes gruyere fondue, plus Veuve Clicquot Brut with spoons of yuzu and orange caviar. Otherwise, you can simply stop by until Wednesday, August 31, get comfy under knit blankets and on cushions, and make your way through the menu. As well as that fondue, which comes with sourdough, chorizo and broccolini dippers, there's also prawn and chorizo paella, lamb shepherd's pie, slow-cooked brisket cheeseburgers, lobster mac 'n' cheese, and baked brie with caramelised onions and pistachios, pickled figs and baguette crisps. Drinks-wise, opt for a pumpkin spice cocktail made with rye whiskey, pumpkin, pineapple, five spice, egg whites and toasted marshmallow — or a miso old fashioned made with whisky, sake, miso, shitake mushroom, soy milk, seaweed and narutomaki. There's also a French-spiked chocolate chaud, which takes a Valrhona hot chocolate topped with hazelnut orgeat foam, and adds Hennessy cognac and Frangelico. Entry to the ski lodge-style experience is free — other than that aforementioned VIP package — and you'll pay as you sip and eat.
Brent Lyall is a man that has it all. At age twenty-three he has a beautiful girlfriend, two Brownlow medals, and he captains one of the country’s most illustrious and powerful football clubs - but he has a secret. From time to time the young captain enjoys dressing up in women’s clothes and, on discovering his client’s deep and dark secret, Brent’s agent Rohan Swift sweeps in to prevent the shocking, devastating truth from coming out. The media already have a whiff of Lyall’s corseted secret and, if they get proof and unleash their story, the athlete’s promising career, and the agents financial stability, could come crushing down in an instant. But Brent’s secret is intoxicating and, sooner or later, Carmen will be set free. With 40 year’s experience behind him, and a string of box office successes David Williamson has earned a reputation as one of Australia’s most well-respected playwrights. Managing Carmen is his latest laugh out loud creation, a hilarious parody of the personalities we know and love; the no holds barred businessman, the gold digger trophy wife and the flawed footy hero.
When the original UK version of The Office turned workplace awkwardness, cringeworthy bosses and frustrating coworkers into a huge comedic success two decades ago, it found humour in parts of the 9-to-5 grind that we all recognise. When the hit show inspired the hugely popular American series, the mere fact that it sparked a spinoff also spoke to another employment truth: that office chaos, overbearing managers and unpleasant colleagues aren't a mere product of one place, company or country. It's no wonder that more iterations have kept following, with everywhere from Canada, France and Germany to Israel, India and Poland serving up their takes. Next, marking the franchise's 13th adaptation, comes Australia's own The Office — and it now has a trailer. It's time to clock on: come Friday, October 18, The Office is reopening, this time Down Under. Back in 2023, Prime Video announced that it was making an Aussie version of the sitcom, featuring actor and comedian Felicity Ward (Time Bandits) as Flinley Craddick Managing Director Hannah Howard. This is also the first take worldwide with a female boss. Move over David Brent, and also Michael Scott — it's now Howard's turn to become the manager that no one wants but everyone has worked for. She oversees a packaging company. When she receives news that head office is shutting down her branch, with everyone working from home instead, she's determined to keep her team together. Obviously, that won't go smoothly, or there'd be no sitcom antics to be had in The Office's Aussie stint. Joining Ward is a hefty cast spanning Edith Poor (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power), Steen Raskopoulos (The Duchess), Shari Sebbens (Preppers), Josh Thomson (Young Rock), Jonny Brugh (What We Do in the Shadows), Pallavi Sharda (The Twelve), Susan Ling Young (Barons), Raj Labade (Back of the Net), Lucy Schmit (The Pledge), Zoe Terakes (Talk to Me) and Claude Jabbour (Last King of the Cross). Also featuring: Susie Youssef (Deadloch), Justin Rosniak (Colin From Accounts), Carlo Ritchie (A Beginner's Guide to Grief), Rick Donald (Population: 11), and Chris Bunton (Wolf Like Me). Viewers will be able to binge Ward and company's antics, with the entire eight-episode first season of the The Office dropping at once — so get your staplers in jelly ready. Check out the trailer for the Australian version of The Office below: The Australian version of The Office streams via Prime Video from Friday, October 18, 2024. Images: John Platt and Prime Video, © BBCS and Bunya Entertainment.
Next time you're hankering for a pastry and you're in the vicinity of West Village, let Hungary's cylindrical-shaped kürtőskalács tempt your tastebuds. The traditional dish, also known as chimney cake, is caramelised, crunchy and flaky on the outside, soft on the inside, and can even come filled with Nutella — and it gives West End newcomer Kürtősh its name. Open at the Boundary Street precinct seven days a week, the bakery takes its cues from Central Europe, as its name and favourite menu item makes plain. Here, you'll also find burekas in a range of flavours — ricotta and feta, potato and mushroom, and sweet potato, rosemary and thyme, for starters — plus chocolate brandy balls. Croissants, danishes, chocolate twists and cookies, too. Another highlight: cakes by the slab that are sold by weight. Owner Ben Haikin takes his kürtőskalács seriously, travelling to learn how to make them and coming back with a 70-year-old recipe. But his now ten-store chain of bakeries also serves up everything from cheesecakes to coffee, and mixes up its menu regularly. Making many of its dishes onsite, the West End store marks Kürtősh's first in Queensland, with its other shops spread across New South Wales and Victoria — and new outposts to come in Melbourne, too. Visitors to Kurtosh West End can expect both indoor and outdoor seating, a packed cabinet full of baked goods, and a drinks lineup that also includes iced drinks — coffees, teas, chocolates and mochas — and juices.
Deciding how to spend what is potentially your first big international trip in years is a big call. If you're seeking the buzz of a big city but don't want to forgo outdoor adventures, we have an unexpected suggestion for you: New York State. Yep, The City That Never Sleeps delivers all the metropolitan hype you're craving while also being within reach of countless intrepid adventures. Extend your stay in the state and dedicate some time to experiencing all the incredible scenery and activities the blissful upstate region has to offer — it'll add another memorable dimension to your trip. Here, we've teamed up with New York State to present a selection of epic outdoor adventures that'll level up your next holiday itinerary. [caption id="attachment_851067" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mike Groll[/caption] PADDLE DOWN THE HUDSON WHILE HEARING LOCAL LEGENDS Along the Hudson River's eastern shoreline, the charming village of Sleepy Hollow is well worth a visit to check out the eclectic mix of historical buildings, multicultural food spots and recreational activities. It also happens to be one of New York's best spots for kayaking. Kayak Hudson ensures visitors of all experience levels can enjoy the scenery with an expert guide on its two-hour tour. You'll launch from a tiny beach at Horan's Landing, then paddle down the river past the 19th-century Tarrytown Lighthouse. Plus, if you're a fan of ghost stories, you'll love hearing all about The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, a spooky tale that gives the community its haunted reputation. [caption id="attachment_844987" align="alignnone" width="1920"] NYSDED, Darren McGee[/caption] TREK THROUGH DIVERSE FOREST TERRAIN The city streets offer plenty of excitement, but you don't have to travel far to find mind-blowing hiking destinations in New York. A two-hour drive from NYC, the Catskill Mountains is another hugely popular mountain range. Across a diverse network of hiking trails, populated with waterfalls, river crossings and woodland terrain, this outdoor wonderland is an undeniably rewarding area to discover. The average wayfarer won't have a problem completing the Kaaterskill Falls hike. Likewise, the Overlook Mountain summit, which you'll reach via a steady incline will reward you with sweeping views of Hudson Valley, plus old hotel ruins and a fire tower. Or, a little further afield, discover the state's highest peaks in the colossal Adirondacks — Ampersand Mountain reaches 1022 metres and you can reach the summit via a sprawling trailhead lined with wildflowers and panoramic views. [caption id="attachment_844999" align="alignnone" width="1920"] NYSDED, Darren McGee[/caption] TAKE A TOPSY-TURVY RIDE DOWN A RIVER There are many experiences that spring to mind when thinking of New York. Theatre shows. Basketball games. Eating your weight in pizza and hot dogs. But whitewater rafting? Probably not. Well, throw it on your bucket list because the state actually has a selection of places to ride the rapids. The Black River Gorge plunges visitors into a narrow ravine loaded with bumpy ledges and boulders — you'll paddle through 14 major rapids on a 3.5-hour Adirondacks River Outfitters Adventures tour. Elsewhere in the Adirondacks, Ausable Chasm is also recognised as a top-notch rafting location, with this floating tour providing a relatively calm water-going experience. Departing from Table Rock, you'll navigate through the Grand Flume canyon to soak up the striking rock formations before arriving at the Whirlpool Basin's choppy rapids. [caption id="attachment_847389" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Courtesy of Maid of the Mist[/caption] GET UP CLOSE TO NORTH AMERICA'S MOST LEGENDARY WATERFALLS Maid of the Mist has operated in the shadow of Niagara Falls since 1846, attracting nature-lovers looking to get an up-close glimpse of the three waterfalls that encompass this famous landmark. Its tours of the Falls started out in rickety rowboats 150 years ago, but you'll be glad to hear that Maid of the Mist's fleet has undergone a significant upgrade — it began tours on 90-foot zero-emission electric vessels in 2020. Prepare to be awe-struck as you make for the base of the American side of the Falls standing atop the double-decker boat in your souvenir poncho, which will (somewhat) protect you from the near 600,000 gallons of water rushing over the falls per second. You'll also be taken to check out the largest of the bunch – Horseshoe Falls – to encounter dramatic whitewater pools and towering rock formations. [caption id="attachment_845287" align="alignnone" width="1920"] NYSDED, Darren McGee[/caption] ZOOM THROUGH THE AIR AT DIZZYING HEIGHTS Step out of your comfort zone with the New York Zipline Adventure Tour. Set against the backdrop of the Catskills at Hunter Mountain, this canopy experience is the highest, fastest and longest in North America, ensuring you get a once-in-a-lifetime perspective on the surrounding mountain peaks. There are two adventures to choose from: the Skyrider Tour and the Mid-Mountain Tour. The former is the top choice, as you'll hook into five separate zip lines that stretch for over seven kilometres. As you whip along at breakneck speeds, the peak distance from the ground of 180 metres is bound to make your head spin. [caption id="attachment_844982" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Larry Tetamore[/caption] GET A BIRD'S-EYE VIEW OVER AN EXPANSIVE STATE PARK You won't find many places better for hot air ballooning than Letchworth State Park, a sprawling green expanse nicknamed 'The Grand Canyon of the East'. The landscape definitely lives up to this moniker, with dense woodlands, waterfalls and gorges, ensuring your gentle float through the air comes with a spectacular view. On a tour with Balloons Over Letchworth, you'll lift off from Middle Falls to rise high above the countryside before gliding so low you can almost touch the rivers. Tours run daily from May to October, depending on the weather, but an autumn visit guarantees you'll catch colourful changes sweeping across the hinterland. [caption id="attachment_846386" align="alignnone" width="1920"] NYSDED, Darren McGee[/caption] FLEX YOUR SKIING SKILLS AT THIS MASSIVE WINTER RESORT You don't need to trek across the country to find a celebrated ski destination — this one is just 2.5 hours from NYC. The Catamount Mountain Resort provides an excellent experience for alpine enthusiasts, particularly after a major 2018 upgrade brought new lifts and snowmaking machines to support the diverse runs (the longest of which is 2.8 kilometres) and a snow tubing park. Yet winter isn't the only time to visit, with the mountain resort remaining incredibly active throughout the warmer months. Home to the longest continuous zipline in the United States at almost 1700 metres, as well as a thrilling aerial adventure park, Catamount is the perfect spot to immerse yourself in New York's midsummer beauty. [caption id="attachment_851070" align="alignnone" width="1920"] NYSDED[/caption] DIVE SEVERAL SHIPWRECKS BENEATH ST LAWRENCE RIVER Forming part of the international border between the United States and Canada, the St Lawrence River has been a major shipping corridor for hundreds of years. Unfortunately for the vessels and some of their crew, this treacherous stretch of the Thousand Islands-Seaway region has claimed many a freighter and schooner. Today, the river is one of North America's top shipwreck diving locations for beginners and experts alike, with dozens of vessels to explore. Several local dive companies organise gear and guided underwater adventures to the most popular, including the Islander and the SS Keystorm. [caption id="attachment_846387" align="alignnone" width="1920"] NYSDED, Darren McGee[/caption] BE A BIG KID FOR THE DAY AT THIS NATURE-FOCUSED INTERACTIVE PARK Over the last 25 years, The Wild Center has become one of New York's premier attractions for outdoor encounters. Situated in Tupper Lake, on the edge of the Adirondacks, this sprawling 115-acre property's nature walks, museums and kid-friendly play areas help bring people closer to the natural world. The Wild Walk is the park's most popular activity, featuring a series of elevated bridges and tree houses leading visitors through the forest canopy. Meanwhile, a viewpoint replicating a massive bald eagle's nest provides a stellar spot to take in the landscape. Alongside a vast network of hiking trails and ponds, there's also fascinating public art and wildlife encounters. To start planning your trip to New York State, head to iloveny.com. Also, be sure to check out our recommendations for the best food and drink stops, cultural experiences, places to stay and day trips from NYC. Top image: NYSDED, Darren McGee
A year after the Valley opening of B. Lucky & Sons, Funlab — the group responsible for Holey Moley and Strike Bowling — has launched yet another kidult wonderland in Brisbane. This time it's Archie Brothers Cirque Electriq, a circus-themed arcade bar that's now part of Toombul's new entertainment and dining precinct. The Brisbane instalment is the third for the brand, which first opened in Sydney back in December 2017, and then made the move to Melbourne a year later. First announced back in February, the local version is the key tenant in Toombul Shopping Centre's $35 million redevelopment. Called Upstairs, and also opening on Thursday, November 14, the revamped space is home to new eateries, neon-lit decor, misting fountains, ballpits and more — as well as an eight-screen cinema that'll reveal its own makeover in December. The Brisbane Archie Brothers, like its interstate counterparts, boasts plenty to entertain your inner kidult — think dodgem cars, a bowling alley, an interactive theatre, air hockey, basketball hoops and virtual reality games. There's also an array of arcade games, including Mario Kart and Dance Dance Revolution, with tickets able to be used to purchase the usual OTT assortment of random objects and plastic toys at the prize bazaar. The food menu fits right in with the circus decor, focusing on over-the-top novelty American diner grub. Think three-meat burgers, giant pretzels, and potato gems and garlic aioli that's served in a syringe. You get the idea. The drinks follow suit, with a ridiculously involved cocktails such as the boozy strawberry shakes (topped with whipped cream and candy kebabs) and butterscotch schnapps concoction garnished with popcorn. Archie Brothers Cirque Electriq is now open at Upstairs, Toombul Shopping Centre, 1015 Sandgate Road, Toombul — from 11am–midnight Monday–Friday, 10am–midnight on Saturdays and 10am–10pm on Sundays. Images: Zennieshia Butts.
Bars, restaurants and a cinema have long been part of the Portside Wharf experience, but hitting the pub for a pint over a parmigiana hasn't previously featured at the Hamilton precinct. That's changing. The inner-north area is in the middle of a $20-million revamp, with a gastropub among its upcoming additions. That food-serving watering hole: Portside Social. If you're already thinking about Newstead Social, you're on the right track. The same team is behind both venues. All Stars Hospitality Group is taking its cues for its new venture from what'll now be a sibling venue to Portside Social, after the model has proved a hit since Newstead Social opened in 2022. At Portside, All Stars Hospitality Group co-directors Justin Kong and Patrick Donohue are overseeing a pub that'll sprawl across 224 square metres in the precinct's riverfront village, near Gusto da Gianni and Burrito Bar Portside, and join the company's stable of hospitality sites alongside Wonderland Nightclub, Soul Pantry and more. Fingers crossed that the full Newstead Social setup makes the jump, including bingo, trivia nights and live sports. Expect to start sinking drinks and playing games of pool around June, with the fitout kicking off in mid-March. Clui Design is overseeing the venue's decor, plus Builder Lowry Group. The vibe will be down to earth and the look will hew industrial. And on the food menu: burgers, bangers and mash, fish and chips, chicken schnitzels and parmis, salads and steaks, so traditional pub grub. The drinks will also stick with classics, aka beer, wine and cocktails. "Portside Social will be your good old fashioned local pub, with an elevated ambiance and menu," said Kong, who also called it "a space to relax and unwind with family or mates and a hotspot for locals to catch up and connect". "I live locally and think it's such an incredible location," he continued. "There's a diverse demographic in and around Hamilton who will benefit from having a bar like Portside Social in the mix, with few venues of this kind available in the area." Portside Social might be Portside's first pub, but it's part of a fresh wave of bars and eateries that've started calling the Hamilton spot home over the past year. Rise Bakery, Rosé Gelateria, Birds Nest Yakitori and Fosh are all 2023 newcomers. Choo Choo Sushi opened at the beginning of February 2024, with Sugee Ramen and Chinese restaurant Uncle Wang set to follow in the very near future. This Portside makeover is separate to the also-announced Northshore Hamilton expansion. That other project is set to see the neighbouring precinct gain an extra 1.2 kilometres, and is focused around hosting the Brisbane Athlete Village for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, then giving residents something to enjoy afterwards. Find Portside Social at Portside Wharf, 39 Hercules Street, Hamilton, sometime from June 2024 — keep an eye on the Portside Wharf website for further details.
Typewriters are probably the most-sought after and treasured piece of redundant technology in the sweeping landscape of once lame and now cool thingamajigs, including the cassette tape, the Holga camera and the record player. Typewriters are both beautifully designed and encourage a completely different, more permanent, mode of writing - one which has no 'delete' key. Ardent hipster poets, typography fetishists and Cormac McCarthy are all proponents of the humble typewriter, and with the hysterical wave of appreciation has come a range of design innovations. We've seen artists using the typewriter's punctuation keys to create art and the creation of typewriter apps for your iPhone. We've also seen some terrible, terrible poetry. The latest innovation takes the typewriter to a whole new level. American painter Tyree Callahan has created The Chromatic Typewriter, the world's first fully-functional painting typewriter. The typewriter has been built and submitted for the 2012 West Prize Competition, an annual art prize determined by popular vote. Callahan took a lonely and unused 1937 Underwood Typewriter and replaced the letter keys with colour pads and hue labels. This means that each time a key is pressed, you don't get a letter appearing on the page but a small rectangular pixel of colour. So far the typewriter has been used to create abstract landscape works on paper. The West Prize is still open, so if you feel like giving props to the Chromatic Typewriter you'll need to download the app to the iPhone we're assuming you have and vote there. [Via PSFK]
New York has come a long way since Sex and The City's Carrie bought a cupcake from Magnolia Bakery and the world went into hysteria over the cute (but sort of bland — sorry cupcake lovers) little baked treats. Thanks to rock 'n' roll pastry chefs like Christina Tosi and Dominique Ansel — and Brooklyn's sweet artisan revival — the desserts of New York City are now competing with Paris for the title of global sweet heavyweight, and calling die-hard dessert fans from around the world to the bright lights of the city. In my three-month sweet-eating season in NYC, I ate over 373 desserts — so boiling down the selection to just five is a little tough. But if you're heading to the city soon, this is a good place to begin. And just to be clear, I'm a fan of Magnolia Bakery — I'd just recommend you order the banana pudding. Now that is worth making a fuss over. BOOZY PIES FROM BUTTER & SCOTCH NYC excels in Southern-style pies and the best ones can be found in Brooklyn, where producers combine the flakiest pastry with produce-driven flavours. Must-visits are Four & Twenty Blackbirds and The Blue Stove, but for an extra dash of fun, head to Butter & Scotch. It's a bakery and bar, and almost every sweet is made with a generous slug of liquor, from boozy shakes to the extraordinary bourbon ginger pecan pie. CHOCOLATE RUGELACH FROM BREADS BAKERY Back in the '90s, a new wave of bakeries changed the game with organic flours, age-old techniques and seasonal produce, and Sullivan Street Bakery and The City Bakery are still among the city's finest today. Breads Bakery is a relative newcomer, but just as tempting. Nutella babka may be the poster child — and rightly so, it's deliriously good — but don't leave without a chocolate rugelach: a bite-sized, light-as-air, croissant-shaped pastry laminated with chocolate ganache. Actually, make that five. CORNHUSK MERINGUE FROM COSME Today, New York is enjoying the rise of specialty sweet producers, from rice pudding and cannoli to soft serve — but that's not to say there's no innovation in restaurants. Case in point: Cosme. It's the fine dining restaurant of renowned Mexican chef Enrique Olvera, and one of the city's darlings for its good vibe and modern interpretation of south-of-the-border cuisine. Then, there's the finale: corn husk meringue with corn mousse. One of the most Instagrammed desserts of 2015 is barely sweet, with notes of charred corn husk and burnt vanilla, and is French-meets-Latino heaven. [caption id="attachment_628623" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Doughnut Plant[/caption] CAKE DOUGHNUTS FROM DOUGHNUT PLANT No trip to New York is complete without a doughnut. From Dominique Ansel's world famous cronut to Dough's mega glazed yeasted doughies, the selection will blow your socks off. If you had to choose just one, make it a Blackout, carrot cake or tres leches cake doughnut from Doughnut Plant. Inside the soft-crumb ring is a secret core of flavoured cream; it's unlike any doughnut you've tried before. SOFT SERVE FROM BIG GAY ICE CREAM NYC's ice cream offering is second to none, and you could fill an entire trip eating your way through the rambunctious flavours, epic sundaes, bad-ass floats and OTT ice cream sandwiches alone. Put Ample Hills, Van Leeuwen, Morgenstern's, Davey's and OddFellows on your list. For soft serve, however, there's only one contender: Big Gay, which elevates the creamy goodness with immaculate local dairy and grown-up flavours. Go the Salty Pimp with a dark, salty choc shell and Apple Gobbler, where apple pie meets an ice cream sundae. Yasmin Newman is a food and travel writer, photographer and presenter. For the full epic list of Yasmin's sweet adventures through New York, get your hands on her part-travel journal, part-cookbook, Desserts of New York (And How to Eat Them All) — it's published by Hardie Grant and is available in bookstores and online now.
No matter how you feel about winter in Brisbane — too warm, cold, sunny, unpredictable? — the River City's bars love embracing the frostier side of the season. Our watering holes might be designed around our usually sultry weather, but they still know how to get into the chilly spirit. The latest doing just that: South Bank's Soleil Pool Bar with its Après Soleil menu. No one is going skiing in Brisbane, but you can pretend that you've just come back from hitting the slopes while eating fondue and sipping mulled wine. That's one of Après Soleil's combos for two, or you can bring two more pals and grab a mulled wine pot for four to heat up your insides. Still with group hangs, the pinot noir box comes with a charcuterie platter for four. No matter how many folks you're heading along with, you'll also find loaded Swiss cheese fries; pizzas with bacon bites, onion and creme fraiche; pineapple and jalapeño sour beers from Sea Legs; jugs of Stone & Wood, Heineken and Kirin brews; and Mumm champagne on offer. Wearing a puffer jacket, ugg boots and beanie is optional, but there'll be fires to warm up by, booths near them, faux mink blankets to get cosy under and live entertainment either way. Après Soleil runs until the end of winter at the Rydges venue, which is open Thursday–Sunday.
Let's face it: DJs sometimes aren't very attractive – they have faces suited for radio. This is not the case for NERVO. They are both stunningly beautiful DJ sisters and they have been making waves the world over. The mesmerising duo are songwriters, producers and artists, and you might have heard their skillz in David Guetta and Kelly Rowland's hit song 'When Love Takes Over', as well as their mixes in the club scene, if you're into that sorta thing. Their resident sound is electro-house and they have wowed audiences with their tag-team style disk jockey art. The list of people the blondes have collaborated with is staggering: everyone from Steve Aoki to Armen Van Buuren, at clubs and festivals across the globe, including Lollapalooza. They've also penned songs for Ke$ha, The Pussycat Dolls and our very own Kylie Minogue, and aren't showing any signs of slowing down. Sound like your cup of tea? This very exclusive party will showcase the skills of the hottest people you've ever seen spin a track and it's set to be a night of sweaty, jolly fun.
In the 1930s a Spanish pastry chef moved to Tropical North Queensland to build a castle in the rainforest. Think that sounds like something out of a movie? Well, this is a true story. Alongside his new bride Margarita, José Paronella created this fairytale paradise, complete with luxuries such as a tennis court, movie theatre and a glittering ballroom. Paronella planted more than 7000 trees on the grounds, created an artificial lake and built a swinging bridge to hang above the park's very own waterfall. Almost a century later, Paronella Park has taken on a dreamlike quality with a soft layer of bright green moss coating the handmade castle. Explore the sprawling parkland via a 30-minute guided tour filled with wildlife spotting, fish feeding and a historical storytelling of the park. Your entry fee helps fund the continued restoration of this heritage-listed site and is valid for two years so you can experience the magic time and time again. Image: Tourism Tropical North Queensland.
Everyone has a favourite Roald Dahl book, and there are so many great ones to choose from: Matilda, the Witches, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and amongst the very top favourites has to be James and the Giant Peach! Now, instead of just reading and imagining this glorious story, you can see it all brought to life on stage by Harvest Rain Theatre Company at QPAC! To recap the story of James, his parents are tragically killed and so James is sent to live with his awful Aunts, Spiker and Sponge. James thinks he is trapped, until one day he meets an old man who gives him a bag full of magic, which James accidentally spills near a peach tree and so begins his sea adventures aboard a giant peach. James makes friends with his peach inhabiting neighbours, Centipede, Earthworm, Grasshopper, Spider, and Ladybird, and together they head for New York and a host of new adventures. This will be a super fun production for kids, but also for all of the older ones amongst us who simply loved the imagination of Roald Dahl’s books as children. Belinda Heit, Sandro Collarelli and Dash Kruck are amongst the fantastic cast; basically with these guys leading the way, it is sure to refresh your memory in style. Get on board the peach and off we go!
If you're the type of traveller who chooses their hotels for the perks and extra inclusions, then you'll be particularly excited about an upcoming new addition to Melbourne's accommodation offerings. Mövenpick Hotel Melbourne on Spencer is set to launch sometime this May, marking the Swiss brand's second site in Australia, after Mövenpick Hotel Hobart opened earlier in the year — and if either the chain's name or its country of origin have you thinking of sweet treats, yes, they're part of the hotel's menu. For starters, Mövenpick Hotel Melbourne will be celebrating chocolate hour every afternoon. Going on the Hobart setup, that's when you'll receive a free dessert — such as an eclair, brownie or truffle — when you purchase a chocolate-flavoured cocktail, mocktail or affogato. Mövenpick's hotels all serve the brand's line of food and beverages as well, which means that Mövenpick ice cream is also available. The menu doesn't just cater to your sweet tooth, though. At breakfast, guests can choose to enjoy juice-blended energy shots, along with a range of health-focused and nutritious options available to eat in or grab-and-go. One of more than 80 of the brand's accommodation sites worldwide and run in collaboration with Accor, Mövenpick Hotel Melbourne will boast 172 guest rooms housed within the new 78-storey Premier Tower development on Spencer Street. It's decked out with boutique interiors, and comes complete with a 25-metre swimming pool, sauna and gym. The new hotel will also be home to a southeast Asian restaurant and bar, which'll rock a contemporary fitout courtesy of design agency Greymatters. It's slated to plate up traditional Asian grill and barbecue dishes, and will open daily for lunch and dinner. Find Mövenpick Hotel Melbourne on Spencer at 160 Spencer Street, Melbourne, from May 2021. Head to the Accor website for bookings and other information. Images: artists impressions of Mövenpick Hotel Melbourne on Spencer.
Once located in Spring Hill, Happy Boy moved to the heart of Fortitude Valley at the end of 2017. Situated under dappled fairy lights on East Street, the larger kitchen space has given the Happy Boy team room to play with the cuisines of Xinjiang, Canton and Sichuan. While the existing menu remains largely the same to appease old fans, new flavours have made an appearance over the years. The menu is perfect for sharing with friends, so make sure you order a range of dishes to experience the best of what's on offer. Breakfast is no longer on the menu, but you can come for lunch and dinner every day except Monday, tucking into some great deals. Lunch specials all come in under $17, so if you've been looking for a shake up from your usual sarnie you just might have found it with the Cha-Siu style BBQ chicken either served on fried rice or wok-tossed noodles ($17) or the rich beef brisket stew with noodle knots ($15). Dinner includes Taiwanese fried chicken sliders, prawn and pork wontons in a spicy broth and the ever-classic Beijing duck pancakes. Choose some vegetable dishes to supplement your mains or, if you're vegetarian, choose from some of the many exciting meat-free options available. Perhaps try the gold and burnt broccoli with black beans or many mushroom much tofu with broccoli and light soy. When it comes to meats and seafood you've got plenty of choices at Brisbane's Happy Boy, with the Chinese BBQ offering roast duck or crispy pork belly, or perhaps try the flash fried lamb in Sichuan spiced oil. Truly, the best option is simply to head along once and try what you like, and then come back a second time to tick the rest of your choices off the menu. The wine list is comprehensive, staff are knowledgeable and friendly and you'll love the buzzing atmosphere of the open dining room. Truly, Happy Boy is a Valley must-do. Images: Anwyn Howarth
Love cats? Like wallpaper? Can't see how the two could possibly combine? How about wallpaper featuring cats as far as the eye can see? If you have a feline friend or two, it probably sounds like your ideal kind of decor. The kitten-filled creations are actually pieces of art whipped up by Tim Andrew for his new exhibition, Kittentinuum. "'The kittens are unique-ish, but also pretty much the same, they repeat indefinitely, a kind of "kittentinuum"', as he explains. Indeed, while Andrew has chosen to focus on one of everyone's favourite cute critters, it's actually the repetitive patterns in wallpaper that remains his true fascination (and have for a few years, as his previous work demonstrates). Whether you share his interest in design and variance, or just want to look at an extended backdrop of cats, you'll find the purrfect blend of both at This Must Be the Place until September 15.
There's much that's wild and unlikely about Kneecap's story — the band, that is, but plenty of it fuels the movie of the same name, too. When Naoise Ó Cairealláin, aka the Irish-language trio's Móglaí Bap, was christened, the British Army thought that the ceremony was an IRA meeting, even bringing in a helicopter. When the Belfast group formed decades later, Móglaí Bap and Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, aka Mo Chara, found their third member in then-schoolteacher Jj Ó Dochartaigh, who took the moniker DJ Próvaí and dons a balaclava in the colours of the Irish flag onstage. Their first single 'C.E.A.R.T.A' was banned from the radio. They've now turned the whole ride so far into a big-screen music biopic. In said flick, which premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, Móglaí Bap, Mo Chara and DJ Próvaí all play themselves. It's true of Kneecap the band and Kneecap the film alike, of course: yes, their shared title springs from a form of violence well-known in the trio's parts during The Troubles. Leaning in in the name of subversion is one of the things that this threesome does best — and via their music and now their feature as well, they're passionate about reframing the way that the world thinks about their home city. Championing their mother tongue, and the sense of Northern Irish identity that it helps forge, is equally crucial. Roll all of that into a movie, then enlist Michael Fassbender (Next Goal Wins) and take some inspiration from Trainspotting, and the result is a blast of a picture — and one of the instant greats of its genre. Naturally, all of the details mentioned above — the christening, which made the newspapers; DJ Próvaí's background, plus his school's reaction to his side gig; the disdain from the airwaves; the texture of Belfast beyond the well-documented conflicts; the fight for the Irish language — were always going to be key elements of any silver-screen take on Kneecap, even a purposefully playful one that isn't afraid of diverting from the facts if it suits (director Rich Peppiatt has claimed is about 70-percent true). As Móglaí Bap and Mo Chara tell Concrete Playground, starring in the movie themselves felt just as inevitable. They call their on-screen parts the roles they were meant to play, which is a cracking line, but the proof is in the vibe and vitality of the film. The trio also co-wrote the feature with British filmmaker Peppiatt, who made their acquaintance by being persistent about trying to have a drink with them, and helmed their 'Guilty Conscience' music video. Ensuring that Kneecap reflected Móglaí Bap, Mo Chara and DJ Próvaí, their tunes, their personalities, their experience, the causes they're committed to and their view of their hometown was obviously paramount. Ask Móglaí Bap and Mo Chara, too, if they ever thought that this was a path that Kneecap would take when they formed the band, and they joke about awards and recognition — "we knew the accolades were coming after the first song," says Mo Chara; "we're waiting on a Nobel Peace Prize next, hopefully," adds Móglaí Bap — but, when they get serious, they stress that hitting cinemas was all about making a movie for Belfast. "It's a very colloquial film with lots of slang, and lots of jokes that maybe people only from where we are from would understand. And we never dumbed that down. We never made it more digestible for anyone outside of Ireland in that way," explains Móglaí Bap. "And I think for that reason, we didn't think beyond Ireland. The movie was made for Ireland, for Belfast. And we didn't think beyond that. I think that's the reason that we created such an original, authentic movie, because we weren't looking outside of Ireland to try and make it more digestible. We're just making it for people like us." Adds Mo Chara: "I think a lot of funders would like to feel like if they give half a million towards the movie, they would like to feel like they've had half a million worth of input. And whenever you let many people have input, it waters it down. It becomes digestible for the world, but it means nobody likes it, and especially people from where you're from." Kneecap haven't had to worry about nobody liking their film. After picking up the NEXT Audience Award at Sundance, it earned the three main gongs at Galway Film Fleadh — the Audience Award, plus Best Irish Film and Best Irish-Language Film — which has never happened before in the fest's history. It's also in Oscar contention, selected as the country's submission for the Best International Feature Film at the 2025 Academy Awards. Across the whirlwind last eight months, the band released their second album Fine Art as well. In March 2025, they'll tour Australia for the first time. We also spoke with Móglaí Bap and Mo Chara about everything that this year has brought their way so far, the reaction to the movie in Belfast even before it hit cinemas, riffing on reality, taking a risk in bringing their story to the screen, dream casting, balancing everything they wanted in the film, enlisting Fassbender's involvement and more. On How 2024 Has Panned Out Since the Film Premiered at Sundance — and with a New Kneecap Album Out, Too Mo Chara: "We've been busy little boys. We've been very busy, but we're getting opportunities that not a lot of young people, especially where we're from, get. So we're enjoying it. We're loving it. We've seen a lot of the world that we would probably not have seen, Iceland and all sorts of places. So we're enjoying it. It's hard to balance the music and the movie at the same time, but we're giving it a good go." Móglaí Bap: "Ying and yang." On the Response to the Film in Belfast, Even Before It Hit Cinemas Mo Chara: "I feel like people in Belfast — well, most, the majority of people — are very proud of us, because Belfast is something that has always just been negative in world media. And it's seen as a place that's not very …" Móglaí Bap: "Progressive." Mo Chara: "… or fun or whatever it is, or that people do well or get creative in. So I feel like a lot of people, especially the older generation, they're all just very, very proud and they're very happy that there's two or three young people, or bands, coming up, or movies being made that show Belfast in not such a negative light all the time, even though there's negativity." Móglaí Bap: "There's a little bit, just like with anywhere." On Bringing Their Origin Story to the Screen, Riffing with Reality and Rich Peppiatt's 70-Percent True Claim Móglaí Bap: "He made that up, surely." Mo Chara: "70 percent — how the fuck does he judge that? But the origin story of Kneecap, though – we're not getting into the blurred lines, but 100 percent, DJ Próvaí was a teacher. And we released the song, and the school started finding out that he was the man behind the mask and sacked him, basically. That's true." Móglaí Bap: "And the police meetings and the Irish language legislation, and all these things. Most of the crazier stories in the movie are true. The christening at the very start of the movie with the British Army helicopter is based on a true story, that's based on my christening. I was christened on a mass rock. It was kind of like an altar made of stone hidden away in the forests when Catholicism was outlawed during the Penal Laws, and I got christened there in the 90s." Mo Chara: "The first christening there for 200 years." Móglaí Bap: "Yeah, the first mass there for 200 years. And the British Army thought there was some sort of IRA meeting going on." Mo Chara: "Like a training camp for the paramilitaries." Móglaí Bap: "And then they hovered above the procession for the whole time as being as being squirted with water by priest." Mo Chara: "I hope it was water." Móglaí Bap: "I think it was water, anyway. And they hovered there above the whole time. There's a newspaper article about it. It was quite an iconic moment. So like stories like that are based on truth, and we like to leave it there. But as Rich says, some of the crazier stories are based on truth." On Eventually Saying Yes to Rich Peppiatt's Persistent Efforts to Have a Drink with Kneecap — and How the Film Started From There Móglaí Bap: "We were very skeptical, of course, because Rich is obviously from England." Mo Chara: "Don't be so hard on him." Móglaí Bap: "And we're very skeptical of English people who want to profit off Irish people. So we kept him at arm's length for a while. But eventually, his arm reached across with a pint and we accepted it. It was from there that we got together very well. I think because Rich is from England is actually is his best quality. It sounds like a negative thing, but it was the best thing about him because he didn't come with any preconceived ideas of what we should represent or what culture we come from. He kind of left it to us to tell him. And because of that, there was a great line of communication in the back and forth. If we didn't feel that some scenes represented our culture or the youth culture, he would listen to us in that way. So there was a great communication between us and Rich, and he was very open director." Mo Chara: "He's done a great job portraying Belfast." Móglaí Bap: "Yeah, he did a great job of portraying Belfast — and portraying the modern era of Belfast and the youth in Belfast. So kudos to Rich." On Taking a Risk by Trusting Kneecap's Story to Any Filmmaker Mo Chara: "The biggest risk of all was the fact that our music career was on the up, and we were doing very well — well, very well for where we were at that time — and the last thing that we would have needed, for example, was a really cheesy, shit movie to come out that was hard to watch and made people cringe. Nobody's going to be able to take a music career seriously after doing a really shit film, I feel. So it was a risk we didn't need to take, but some risks are worth taking and we consider ourselves to be risk-takers. And we put a lot of trust in Rich — and I think Rich put a lot trust in us." Móglaí Bap: "It paid off for him." On the Decision to Play Themselves — and Dream Casting Ideas If That Didn't Pan Out Móglaí Bap: "I wanted to get Brad Pitt, but he was too old." Mo Chara: "He was too old, too ugly." Móglaí Bap: "And then Cillian Murphy, he was too small." Mo Chara: "As we always say, they were the roles we were born to play. So we were glad it was us and we felt like we were the only ones who could probably do it justice. It was funny, we got one of the reviews that said 'at the start I thought these actors were really good rappers. It actually just turns out that these rappers are really good actors'. So we fooled a lot of people with. I'm glad we did it." Móglaí Bap: "I think actually it still happens — during some of the film premieres, some people leave the movie still not knowing that we're an actual band and think that we're just a fake band that we created for the movie. So I think that's a good sign." On the Kind of Preparation That Goes Into Playing Yourself in Your First Acting Roles Mo Chara: "We got an unbelievable acting coach called Kieran Lagan. At the very start, it was a lot of warm-up games — and as Kieran would say, in acting, if you're in your head you're dead. You have to be present. You have to be in the room. There was a lot of staring into each other's eyes for five minutes. I don't know if you'll ever be close enough to somebody to do that. It's very awkward. And you have to describe each other's face and stuff. So there was a lot of really awkward games for us at the start. But by the end of this couple of months that we did, it became very therapeutic for us to go and do these sessions, and then we would leave and everybody would be in good form." Móglaí Bap: "We all nearly fell in love, because apparently if you stare into someone's eyes for ten minutes, you fall in love. I don't know if that's true." Mo Chara: "Speak for yourself." On Covering Kneecap's Lived Experiences, the Post-Troubles Reality in Northern Ireland, the Impact of the Police, the Campaign for the Irish Language to Be Recognised and More, All in One Film Mo Chara: "We had the term 'kill your babies'. So we would have some great ideas, but it just wasn't going to work in the film. So stuff that we really liked, we had to just cut it. And that's always tough. But I suppose that's the game. Even some scenes that were in it that have been cut that we really liked, because the the first draft was like two hours and 15 minutes. And so we went and had to cut loads of scenes. So that's always tricky. But yeah, there's a big political sphere here that we wanted to represent, but we just couldn't get everything in because it's such a complex history here. But we got what we felt was important to the story and what was important for people to understand the contacts of the of politics here. I think we got most of it across with the Irish Language Act, and the Unionist and Republican politicians." Móglaí Bap: "I think the core element of the movie, which we always came back to, is identity. Identity is so important, especially in post-colonial countries that do have Indigenous languages. Language and identity are all intertwined, and I think that's something that resonates with people. We've seen in America or places where they speak minority languages, that what resonates with them mostly is identity. And people I've met people who watch the film, they literally instantly either want to learn Irish or want to learn whatever their own Indigenous native language is. That's something that we're very proud of. That's the effect this movie is having." On Getting Michael Fassbender Onboard to Play Móglaí Bap's Father Dad Mo Chara: "It made the difference." Móglaí Bap: "He was completely starstruck when he met us." Mo Chara: "We always say that, that he was completely starstruck — but he actually was a fan of Kneecap. And I feel like he really liked the script. So it was amazing to have him. So we wrote the film. We were ready to go, basically, in a few months time, but COVID happened. So it put everything back a few years. But COVID actually in itself was a blessing, because it was after COVID or towards the end of COVID, that we got Fassbender involved. So COVID actually worked in our favour. But it made all the difference. It gave the film legitimacy, whenever you have such a big star like that involved. We already had Josie Walker [The Wonder, This Is Going to Hurt, Belfast] and Simone Kirby [The Buccaneers, Hidden Assets, His Dark Materials], who've done plenty of huge, huge roles as well. But Fassbender brought this new legitimacy to it. And also it meant anyone who was on set the day of Fassbender, everybody upped their game. Everybody wore their best clothes. The catering was better. Everyone acted better." Móglaí Bap: "We got real plates." Mo Chara: "We got real plates and cutlery." Móglaí Bap: "We got real forks and knives, instead of all the paper ones we were using." Mo Chara: "So it really just upped everyone's game, having him involved, and it it just pushed everyone just to strive to be better." Kneecap opened in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, August 29, 2024. Images: Madman / Sony Pictures Classics.
Movie versions of best-selling young adult literature have become an exercise in taking the good with the bad. For every aspect book-to-film adaptations get right — presenting an intricate vision of a dystopian future, and championing strong female protagonists, for example — there are just as many elements that fail to hit the mark. The trend of splitting final instalments into two features typifies the latter, resulting in more screen time but less satisfaction. With The Divergent Series: Allegiant, the series' penultimate chapter proves its worst to date. Indeed, it's little more than filler. Having cottoned on to the manipulated, artificially manufactured status of her closed-in, factionalised Chicago society, series protagonist Tris Prior (Shailene Woodley) is now determined to discover just what lurks beyond the city's imposing walls. With her trusty band of rebels by her side, including her boyfriend Four (Theo James), brother Caleb (Ansel Elgort) and the duplicitous Peter (Miles Teller), Tris hatches a plan to find the real puppet-masters behind the only way of life she has ever known. Cue a battle between the past and future, right and wrong, and any other opposing forces that returning director Robert Schwentke can throw into the mix. Allegiant endeavours to place its feisty heroine in the grey zone between two sides and mindsets, as illustrated not only by the rift between the crusading Evelyn (Naomi Watts) and the kindly Johanna (Octavia Spencer) back in Chicago, but also in the machinations of controlling newcomer David (Jeff Daniels) out in the wider world. Yet it does so in as blunt a manner as possible. The film is loaded with obvious clashes, be it between the bonds of love and family, moving forward or retaining the status quo, or spaces of dusty desolation and shiny innovation. These conflicts are designed to liven up a narrative that is largely treading water while waiting for the final film, but they're ultimately unsuccessful. Equally problematic are storylines about superior DNA strands, child soldiers and Truman Show-like surveillance, all of which add complication but are never especially compelling. Ramping up the bickering and the subplots also comes at the expense of the series' already tenuous sense of character. If Tris and her pals felt thinly drawn in Divergent and Insurgent, and more than a little similar to their counterparts in the likes of The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner franchises, then this time around they're positively flimsy. Once again, that leaves Woodley to act grim and concerned, James to fulfil the eye-candy quota, Elgort to do very little, Teller to steal all the best lines, and all four to look very bored while doing so. Three films in, they're going through the motions, which may as well be the movie's motto. Of course, a big finale is due to be delivered by 2017's The Divergent Series: Ascendant. However with Allegiant's trying aspects clearly outweighing any lingering sense of intrigue about the underlying concept, an important question springs to mind. No, it's not whether the franchise can be redeemed, but rather if we should even care either way.
If you're a fan of mystery and delicious food, we have the juicy deets of an exclusive dinner that'll be right up your alley. This year, classy chip purveyor Red Rock Deli is hosting a series of exclusive secret suppers in mystery locations across Sydney — and you're invited. Across the next few months, some of Australia's most talented chefs will whip up mouth-watering feasts inspired by Red Rock Deli's new flavour range. And when we say exclusive, we mean it — only twenty lucky guests will be tucking into each lavish dinner. Despite everything being very hush-hush, we can reveal that the first Secret Supper will be hosted by Australian-Malaysian chef and 2010 MasterChef Australia winner Adam Liaw on Wednesday, May 15. Most of the details are still under wraps, but here's what we can tell you: after arriving at the collection point at Central Station's Grand Concourse entrance at 8pm, you'll be whisked away to a mystery location for the dining experience. During the evening, Liaw will recreate the flavours from the Thai red chilli and creamy coconut flavour from Red Rock Deli's new limited-edition Fusion range over a three-course meal. The menu will remain a secret until you arrive, but if grilled seafood, hearty curries and tropical flavours tickle your tastebuds, you're sure to be satisfied. Tickets to Fusion Adventure are priced at $110 per person and can be purchased here. Please note the Secret Supper menu will not cater to ANY dietary requirements or allergies. There are strictly no changes to the menu. Image: Kitti Gould.
Here, you can get your hands on what's known as 'true authentic sourdough', the highest standard of sourdough production that requires nothing more than flour, water and salt. Each loaf takes at least 24 hours to be ready to eat, but the wait is more than worth it. The bakery, which is only open to the public for one more per week, produces up to 800 loaves per week, alongside pizza bases, pastries and cakes.
Two cheers-worthy ideas sit at the heart of Stickybeak, a unique Woolloongabba spot to enjoy a glass of wine. Here, on the corner of Logan Road, making the world's top drops affordable is a main motivating factor. Also, so is letting patrons pour their own tipples. Throw in an 80-vino drinks list on offer across two levels, too, and Brisbane has a new must-visit watering hole. Dropping into at a wine bar for a sip doesn't usually involve getting your own drink, instantly ensuring that Stickybeak stands out — as it has since it was first announced in 2024, and continues to do so since opening its doors at the beginning of February 2025. How does it work? The venue's method for allowing patrons nab their own beverages, a cutting-edge self-serve dispensing technology, provides 25-, 75- and 150-millilitre pours. That's also how the bar can offer impressive wines without breaking the bank. The new 60-seater vino haven has taken over the site that was previously home to Thai Rose Cafe and Bar, with 64 of its wines on the menu upstairs and 16 on offer downstairs. For something to line the stomach while you're sat either indoors or out — including on the upstairs balcony — there's a small array of bites chosen specifically to pair well with its drops. And if you feel like knocking back something other than wine, canned craft beer is also on the drinks menu. Stickybeak is the latest venture from the crew behind BTG Wine, marking the team's first venue — and if you're wondering about the types of top global drops at that it's making available at wallet-friendly prices, non-vintage champagne and blanc de blancs also feature among the curated range, but championing Australian winemakers earns special attention. If both picking and pouring your own vino sounds like being spoiled for choice — and the possible reason to get indecisive — the bar's staff are on hand to help chat you through the wine selection.
A glowing palace is coming to the Gold Coast — but just for ten days. From Friday, September 16–Sunday, September 25, it'll tower outside HOTA, Home of the Arts, as part of the venue's Wonder arts festival. That structure, called Alcazar, spans seven metres in height — and 13 metres in width. Mixing art and architecture, it looks like a series of stacked circles, reaching up three levels. Yes, you can indeed walk through the installation. In fact, you're meant to in order to see how both light and colour shift throughout the space. Even better: it's a different experience in the daylight, when the sun beams over the outer facade, and at night, when internal lights get luminous. Free to see at the site's outdoor stage for ten spring days, Alcazar hails from the artists at Sydney-based design studio Atelier Sisu, and is having its world premiere at HOTA. It'll be open from 9am–9pm on September 16, 19–21 and 23; 9am–5pm on September 17, 22 and 24; and 7am–9pm on September 18 and 25. On Sunday, September 18, an early-morning yoga session will take over Alcazar, too — and on Saturday, September 24, the Lux de da Luna dinner will serve up a five-course meal with the installation as a backdrop.
Many museums say they're taking you 'travelling in time', but New York's adventurous New Museum has found an unusual way to displace you by 20 years. Their new project titled Recalling 1993 is transforming 5000 of the city's pay phones into time machines where people can escape reality and make calls 20 years into NYC's past. Until May 26, city dwellers and visitors can easily pick up any pay phone, dial 1-855-FOR-1993 and hear a recording about what was happening 20 years ago in that specific location. The installation was proposed by ad agency Droga5 and was inspired by the museum's exhibition NYC 1993 Experimental Jet, Set, Trash and No Star, which encapsulates the year in art. They describe it as "a pivotal year that began to shape the New York we know today". The stories on these geolocated time machines are told by New Yorkers to New Yorkers, including WNYC's Brian Lehrer, the Village Voice's Michael Musto, renowned chef Mario Batali, iconic trash TV presenter Robin Byrd and many others. You can hear a few select samples at the Recalling 1993 website. It's always great to see initiatives that take museum-goers beyond the building and into the streets. But this project's single masterstroke must be the way it revives the near-obsolete pay phone for one last hurrah. We'd be so bemused to pick up the receiver of one these days, it seems right there'd be a voice from the past waiting inside to connect. Via Inhabitat.
If you’ve ever fantasised about swapping your suit and computer for a smock and paintbrush, now’s the time to do it. Inside Llewyn Davis might not have done much for rosy-ing up the ‘independent artist’ dream, but a new website by the name of Behomm does. It’s an online home-exchange service that’s available exclusively to "architects, filmmakers, stylists, photographers, interior designers, art directors and ceramic artists". Rather than having to write clever things on artists’ residencies applications or scrape together spare pennies to pay for accommodation, visually creative types can now swap their homes with those of others living all around the world. From what can be seen on the site, that means access to some exquisite and quirky dwellings. Think New York loft apartments, mountain-top open plan studios, impossibly cute log cabins and lakeside villas. The range varies from modest cottages to expansive, architect-designed houses. What they all have in common, though, is the beautifying influence of an artistic sensibility — space to work, tasteful objects, inspiring views. Membership, open to full-time professionals only (sigh), is organised by invitation — from either another Behomm member or the site’s founders. Exchanges can be of any length — as brief as a weekend or as long as a year. A 50-day trial is free, after which membership costs 40 euros for three months or 95 euros for a year.
Espionage intrigue, explosions, chases, fights, Tom Cruise wearing masks: that's all heading back to cinemas, and soon, with Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning — Part One on its way in July. The seventh instalment in the spy franchise will also task viewers with the usual mission, should they choose to accept it. Since the saga's first big-screen outing back in 1996, watching Cruise work his way through all manner of stunts is a given in each and every movie — and the just-dropped full trailer for the series' latest entry enthusiastically keeps the trend going. That said, at this point in his career, all new Cruise movies seem to belong to a broader saga: "one of the world's biggest stars does death-defying stunts to lure audiences into cinemas" (see also: Top Gun: Maverick). The Mission: Impossible flicks have been keeping those daredevil flames burning for almost three decades now, and its leading man just keeps upping the ante. And yes, he's still committed to doing as many dangerous feats as he can himself, including riding a motorcycle off a cliff this time around. Hitting cinemas Down Under on July 13, Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning — Part One has Cruise's Ethan Hunt and his Impossible Missions Force team on the trail of a new humanity-threatening weapon. As usual, the fate of the world is at stake. And, saving the day means hopping around the globe and putting everything on the line, all while facing off against Esai Morales (How to Get Away with Murder) as the film's villain. This latest sneak peek comes after a first glimpse back in 2022, more than a year before the movie's release. Both trailers cover plenty of other familiar faces, of course, including the characters of Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg, The Boys), Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson, Silo), Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames, Father Figures), and Alanna Mitsopolis (Vanessa Kirby, The Son). Also in Dead Reckoning — Part One's cast: Hayley Atwell (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness), Pom Klementieff (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3), Cary Elwes (Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre), Rob Delaney (The Power), Indira Varma (Obi-Wan Kenobi), Shea Whigham (Perry Mason), Mark Gatiss (Operation Mincemeat) and Charles Parnell (Barry). Five years after helming the series' sixth film, aka 2018's Mission: Impossible – Fallout, writer/director Christopher McQuarrie returns for Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning — Part One — his third M:I flick in a row after also doing the honours on 2015's Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation. And yes, as the name makes plain, Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning — Part One will have a sequel, which is set to release on June 27, 2024. Check out the full trailer for Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning — Part One below: Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning — Part One releases in cinemas Down Under on July 13, 2023. Images: Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
Ever trekked across town for a jaffle? Until now, few people can say that they have. Thanks to Ronny's at Carseldine, expect that and your idea of toasted sandwiches to completely change. Here, they're both savoury and sweet. Traditional-style fillings are certainly on offer when it comes to these pockets of deliciousness, such as barbecue pulled chicken and pastrami; however if you're after a different kind of taste sensation, so is the likes of white chocolate and mixed berry with popping candy and pistachio ice cream, and Nutella and banana. It's one of those situations where the list goes on, with one jaffle even featuring a doughnut in the middle. Yes, really. We wouldn't joke about that Sugary hits aren't just confined to what's swiftly proving Ronny's signature dish either, with toasted brioche ice cream burgers, biscuit sandwiches and cake jars also on the menu — and cheesecakes, muffins and shakes of the Ferrero Rocher, Reese's Pieces and Oreo-flavoured variety too. Add coffees, croissants and salads, and it's an impressive selection of tasty treats for any eatery, let alone a kiosk set up in a car park. Image: stephbunnyxo via Instagram.
The Daintree Discovery Centre has drawn visitors to Cow Bay for 30 years. The famous aerial walkway, rainforest canopy tour and boardwalks offer minimal impact on precious tree root systems with maximum viewing potential for visitors. The centre works with Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service to rehabilitate degraded land in the region to help offset its carbon emissions and models best practice in waste management, recycling and water conservation. Audio guides, information displays and the interpretive centre provide insights into the ecosystem and the creatures that call this forest home, too. Image: Tourism Tropical North Queensland.
Of the official seven natural wonders in the world, Australia has one: the Great Barrier Reef. But there are loads of others that haven't made the formal ranking. Next time you're planning a holiday, consider turning it into an adventure and tick off one of these gems — from stepping on the pristine white shores of the biggest sand island in the world to scaling the highest peak in the country. We've scoped out five spots around Australia that boast spectacular natural sights. From pristine beaches and bountiful wine regions to alpine hideaways and bustling country towns, Australia has a wealth of places to explore at any time of year. We've partnered with Tourism Australia to help you plan your road trips, weekend detours and summer getaways so that when you're ready to hit the road you can Holiday Here This Year. Some of the places mentioned below may be operating differently due to COVID-19 restrictions. Please check the relevant websites before making any plans. [caption id="attachment_728425" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Queensland Tourism and Events[/caption] K'GARI (FRASER ISLAND), QUEENSLAND Welcome to the biggest sand island in the world — its 184,000 hectares are made of sands of 72 colours. If your weekend dreams are made of beaches, beaches and more beaches, then World Heritage-listed K'gari (Fraser Island) is the place to go. Spend your weekend lazing about in a four-star eco resort, complete with a day spa and pool, or pack your tent and go wild. If you're feeling especially adventurous, there's also the K'gari (Fraser Island) Great Walk — a 90-kilometre adventure that'll take you via crystal clear inland lakes, across sand dunes and through lush rainforests. It'll take around six to eight days to complete. [caption id="attachment_770906" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Australia[/caption] NITMILUK GORGE, NORTHERN TERRITORY Nitmiluk means 'cicada place' in the language of the Jawoyn and Dagomen peoples, who have maintained cultural connections to the area also known as Katherine Gorge for thousands of years. There are 13 separate gorges that make up Nitmiluk Gorge, and its sandstone rock reaches heights of up to 70 metres in some parts. One of the most spectacular sights in the national park is when the rock appears to change colour as sunlight hits the cliff face, and you can take tours at dawn and sunset to capture the moment. Nitmiluk Tours (which is a 100-percent Indigenous owned and operated tour company) run comfortable, 12-person trips on intimate cruise boats. If you prefer to explore the area via helicopter, canoe or on foot, you can do that, too. You'll find the entrance to Nitmiluk National Park 30 kilometres northeast of Katherine. [caption id="attachment_658500" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Snowy Mountains[/caption] KOSCIUSZKO NATIONAL PARK, NEW SOUTH WALES Kosciuszko National Park's claim to fame is Mount Kosciuszko, the highest peak in mainland Australia. While a climb to its summit is mandatory, there are plenty more adventures on offer, too. During winter, you can conquer the Crackenback Supertrail — the longest downhill run in Australia — on your skis or snowboard and take a dip in a piping-hot thermal pool at Yarrangobilly Caves. Come summer, explore stunning glacial lakes, spectacular wildflower meadows and magical snow gum forests on foot or by mountain bike. NINETY MILE BEACH, VICTORIA Along the southeast coast of Victoria runs Ninety Mile Beach. The 151-kilometre (or 94-mile) stretch of golden sand is the second longest beach in Australia, behind Coorong in South Australia (which is a whopping 222 kilometres). Ninety Mile separates the Bass Strait from Gippsland Lakes, so you can spend your getaway hopping from wild surf to dreamy still water. In between sunbaking, swimming, surfing and fishing, take a wander through the coastal villages of Woodside Beach, Seaspray, Loch Sport and Lakes Entrance. WINEGLASS BAY AND THE HAZARDS, TASMANIA This world-famous bay gets its name from its perfect curves and crystal-clear waters. You'll find it on Tasmania's east coast within Freycinet National Park and not far from the Hazards — pink granite mountains that rise dramatically from the water. To see both in one fell swoop, catch a scenic flight. Alternatively, follow the steep, three-kilometre hike to Wineglass Bay Lookout and then, if you have the stamina, continue along the Hazards Beach Circuit. There's also a bunch of luxe stays that offer panoramic views, so you can see everything without leaving your bed. Whether you're planning to travel for a couple of nights or a couple of weeks, Holiday Here This Year and you'll be supporting Australian businesses while you explore the best of our country's diverse landscapes and attractions. Top image: Nitmiluk Gorge via Tourism Australia.
Whenever a festival hits town, it's the shows that are meant to be the big drawcard, especially when that fest spans everything from music, comedy and theatre through to cabaret, burlesque and spoken word performances. That's still true at Fringe Brisbane when it returns this spring, but attendees can be forgiven for being just as intrigued by the event's range of venues. For its 2022 run, which takes place from Friday, October 14–Sunday, November 6, Fringe Brisbane is popping up at more than 25 spots — and hosting over 300 performances of 102 different productions in them, in fact. That hefty lineup includes gigs in bars, boats, parks, homes and the planetarium, as well as a festival hub in Stefan's old South Brisbane base. Yes, between shows, you can spend your time in former old hair salon, and even enjoy an immersive experience in its tanning room. Or, to see a performance, you can soak in the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium's domed surroundings, hit up West End's Orleigh and Bunyapa parks, mosey around Birrunga Gallery in Adelaide Street, float on the river, visit greenery go-to Plant Empire and sink brews at Felon's Barrel Hall, among other locations. That's where you're heading, sprawling across South Brisbane, Stafford, Moorooka, Woolloongabba, Yeerongpilly, Seven Hills, Fortitude Valley and more. Traditional venues such as Big Fork Theatre, Brisbane Arts Theatre and Backbone are also on the list. Now, this is what you're seeing. On the bill: a one-night-only rehearsed reading of All My Friends Are Returning to Brisbane, a sequel to the play and film; a live performance of the original version of Gustav Holst's The Planets, on two pianos, at the planetarium; bite-sized takes on Macbeth, Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet; a comedic mystic for Halloween; and, for the same occasion, David Massingham's one-man Little Sketch Book of Horrors. There's also open mic nights, French cabaret, queer cabaret, a comedy devoted to female pleasure, a sketch comedy set up like a date night, ImproMafia completely improvising a whole show, and the wonderfully named dance and physical theatre piece A Love Letter From Frozen Peas. Similarly on offer: glittery circus productions, a primer on Bollywood, J-pop, and a play described as Shakespeare meets Quentin Tarantino. It's a sizeable lineup by design, to embrace every Fringe fest's key trait: variety. "People love the diversity, the eclecticness and the accessibility of fringe, but we wanted to make a fringe festival that was uniquely Brisbane," said Festival Director Zed Hopkins, announcing the program. "Even if you only get one day, we want you to be able to explore and experience as much as possible." Fringe Brisbane 2022 runs from Friday, October 14–Sunday, November 6 at various venues around Brisbane. For more information, and for tickets, head to the festival website.
Gone are the days when South Bank was Brisbane's only food-, drink- and entertainment-filled riverside precinct, with Portside, Northshore Hamilton and Howard Smith Wharves all popping up over the past decade or so. Here's another: Rivermakers Heritage Quarter, which has turned a patch of Colmslie Road in Morningside into a new must-visit destination. If you haven't had the chance to stop by the heritage-listed spot yet, here's an excuse, too: the Rivermakers Heritage Quarter Open Day from 11am on Saturday, April 9. That's when the eastside precinct wants you to head along to check out its sights — and everything you can eat, drink and do, from sipping brews and taking brewery tours at Revel's second site through to dancing to DJs and playing lawn games on the grass. Also on the agenda at the riverfront spot across the day, as part of an event that wants to become Morningside's answer to the James St Food and Wine Festival: drinking gin at Bavay Distillery, tucking into free sausages thanks to Low n Slow Meat Co, taking a steak workshop at the latter as well, and hitting up Mas & Miek Ceramic House for some ceramics. There'll also be art on display, showcasing Max Bennett — and a Heritage Quarter archives exhibit that'll step through the location's and Morningside's past. And, the event will be raising donations as well, with everything going towards flood-relief efforts in Queensland and New South Wales.
He first caught the film world's attention with zom-rom-com Shaun of the Dead, and also toyed with both horror and comedy in Hot Fuzz. But Scott Pilgrim vs the World, The World's End and Baby Driver filmmaker Edgar Wright hasn't ever dived headfirst into mind-bending psychological thriller territory — until his next flick hits cinemas later this year, that is. In Last Night in Soho, no one is set to kill the undead to Queen's 'Don't Stop Me Now'. That said, Anya Taylor-Joy (The Queen's Gambit) does play a singer in 60s-era London who appears to be a ghost. In the movie's just-dropped first trailer, her character Sandy pops up when aspiring fashion designer Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie, Jojo Rabbit) manages to venture back in time. Mysteriously travelling six decades into the past, Eloise looks in the mirror and sees Sandy's reflection, rather than her own. In a sneak peek filled with neon hues, things only get trippier from there — and, in a feature that takes plenty of cues from horror and thriller flicks from the time, more lurid as well. Impeccable period-appropriate set and costume design, vibrant pink lighting aplenty and an all-round dreamy feel are also part of the trailer, as Eloise finds herself coming face to face with her idol while plunged into a ghost story. Similarly playing a pivotal part: The Crown and Doctor Who's Matt Smith, who pops up alongside Taylor-Joy in the film's eerie 60s-set scenes. Whether following small-town cops in Hot Fuzz or jumping into the heist genre with Baby Driver — or directing late 90s/early 00s sitcom Spaced, too — Wright's work always stands out visually, and Last Night in Soho clearly promises to continue the trend. It's also the second of two Wright-helmed flicks headed to our screens this year, following documentary The Sparks Brothers, about the pop duo that also happens to be providing the tunes for this year's Adam Driver-starring musical Annette. Check out the trailer for Last Night in Soho below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ppe1YYATQY Last Night in Soho is set to release in Australian cinemas on October 21. Images: Parisa Taghizadeh / Focus Features.
For more than six decades, the eastern suburbs of Brisbane have celebrated a red, juicy and delicious fruit. RedFest Strawberry Festival is about more than its eponymous foodstuff; however it's definitely the place to be if you're keen on strawberry sundaes — and strawberries in all kinds of other foods as well. In 2023, RedFest is back. Now it's called RedFest by the Bay, and it's taking place around the Raby Bay Harbour. And if you think that you can eat more strawbs than anyone else, an eating contest forms part of the fun. Want to wander around the Redland Showgrounds dressed as a strawberry? You'll also be in your element. And yes, the word strawberry will be uttered so many times that it'll lose all meaning. Running over two days from Saturday, September 2–Sunday, September 3, the full program also spans general show shenanigans — such as live music, arts and cultural displays, carnival rides, a sideshow alley, show bags and fireworks. Oh, there will be a heap of food other than strawberries, although they can still be your main attraction.
Do your summer plans involve hanging by the beach? Splashing around in several pools? Enjoying a few games of volleyball on the sand? Watching a movie under the stars? Would you also like to spend your sunny days and starry nights kicking back in a cabana, hopping between multiple restaurants and bars, dancing to DJs and gathering the gang on a rooftop with a view? Sometime early in 2021, Surfers Paradise will welcome a brand new attraction — and it'll feature all of the above in one spot. It's called Cali Beach Club and, yes, it's going to be more than a little jam-packed with things to do. Although an exact opening date hasn't yet been revealed, the new precinct will open on the corner of Surfers Paradise Boulevard and Elkhorn Avenue in the coming months — perched four levels about the street, sprawling across more than 5000 square metres, and boasting vantages over both the ocean and the Surfers' skyline. The Gold Coast might be known for its theme parks, but this is shaping up to be the boozy adult alternative, as run by Australian hospitality group Artesian Hospitality. Whether you're a Brisbanite heading down the highway, a Sydney or Melbourne resident enjoying the new lack of border restrictions, or hail from elsewhere in the country, you'll find quite the spread awaiting once you step inside. That includes four pools to swim in, and plenty of daybeds, sun lounges and cabanas where you can while away the hours. There'll also be exercise areas and sports facilities, such as the aforementioned beach volleyball court, and a dance floor as well. In terms of food and drink, you'll have options, thanks to two restaurants and four bars. Exact details of what they'll be serving, and what'll make them different from each other, haven't yet been revealed — but one eatery will sit right by the ocean. Come evening, a moonlit cinema will screen flicks by the water — again, though, no other details have been revealed. Showing Jaws and Point Break seems like a must, however, because everyone like catching movies about the sea while they're literally right next to it. [caption id="attachment_793063" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Map of Cali Beach Club[/caption] All the other questions you're currently pondering — such as opening hours, cost, capacity and social distancing measures — haven't been answered yet either. But, while it looks set to open during summer, Cali Beach Club plans to operate year-round. The Gold Coast does have the weather for it, after all. Cali Beach Club will open on the corner of Surfers Paradise Boulevard and Elkhorn Avenue, Surfers Paradise, sometime early in 2021 — we'll update you when an exact date is announced.
Most of us are conscious of the climate emergency the planet is facing and are trying to be more ethical consumers as a result. But how many of us really know where our home furnishings, fashion or lifestyle products come from? It's too easy to go to a chain store and not question the manufacturing process behind many of its goods, but there's often a more sustainable alternative. And while there's an array of brands around the world championing sustainable practices, The Royal Thai Government has committed to positioning Thailand as a world leader in sustainable design. It's recently announced the creation of its BCG (Bio, Circular and Green) Economy to drive economic growth via the production of goods from renewable resources. Want to see how it comes to life? We've found ten Thai innovators who are doing their bit for the planet while still making quality products that are hard to pass up. BOPE When it comes to recycling, plastic is often the planet's real bête noire. It can take around 450 years for a plastic bottle to break down in landfill and every year, the world produces 380 million tonnes of the stuff. Bope is on a mission to do its bit to rescue some of that plastic. Its products — bags, purses, coasters, pots and more — are as stylish as they are practical, coming in a range of eye-catching designs and bright colours. Operating since 2014, this Chiang Mai design studio really knows how to get the best out of plastic. PIN The concept underpinning (pun intended) this award-winning brand is "new life of waste, new life of welder". As well as finding an innovative use for scrap metal, PiN encourages the craftspeople working on its products to take pride and dignity in the work they are doing. Founded by an artist who grew up in a family-owned steel company, PiN takes unremarkable waste metal and transforms it into beautiful homewares and decorations including hanging planters and stunning artworks. PASAYA Luxury and sustainability aren't always two concepts that go together, but Pasaya is looking to change that. Its range of rugs and carpets are high-end, durable and available in a whole host of patterns. Made from upcycled plastic bottles and manufactured using cutting-edge weaving techniques, Pasaya furnishings are made with the warm Thai climate in mind — something which is also ideal for many Australian homes. The company is also committed to reducing waste in all parts of the process including monitoring water utilisation, bacterial digestion and chemical reduction in the creation of its products. TRC TRC has over half a century's experience in stone polishing. The brand incorporates the ethos of sustainability into all it does, not just finished products, with even the moulds the company uses comprising of cement debris that other contractors would throw into a skip. Its signature collection is now made from entirely recycled materials including polished stone tables with bright, geometric patterns created from smashed and repurposed stone samples. CIRCULAR Fashion company Circular is extremely aptly named. Its garments are made of recycled materials, as you may expect, but if you donate your old clothes to Circular, you can also get a 10% discount off your next purchase, thus continuing the loop. Circular doesn't just use pre-loved items — it also sources waste from textile manufacturers, so it's never wholly reliant on generous donations. The brand also make a point of keeping the original colour of any materials used, therefore helping the environment by avoiding the use of harmful bleach or other chemicals. KH EDITIONS As well as a commitment to being eco-friendly, apparel brand KH Editions also has a strong focus on the local community. The company collaborates with locals, garnering ideas and materials, but also creating income and opportunities. What this means for the customer (as well as supporting an ethical brand) is the opportunity to purchase unique items of clothing which celebrate Thai culture made from materials like galangal and banana stem. And the designs are just as innovative as the manufacturing process — KH Editions clothing stands out in the best way. EARTHTONE Using materials like water hyacinth, rice husk and hemp, eco-fashion brand Earthtone's manifesto is to "spread love, not chemicals". Founded by husband-and-wife team Sayuri Okawa and Atthapon Pongsawat in 2019 after observing the degradation of Southern Thailand's coral reefs, Earthtone strives for efficiency, sustainability and spreading the message of conservation through clothing. The brand isn't stopping there, though — it's also looking to expand into home décor. Given its website proudly states the brand has preserved over 400,000 litres of drinking water and avoided over 500 kilograms of carbon emissions through its production methods, you truly want them to succeed. DD PAPER CUPS Many of us are getting better with our keep cups these days, but there are still times when you forget your reusable vessel and can't resist the lure of a barista-made coffee. The number of single-use cups thrown away is truly frightening — and that's where DD Paper Cups comes in. The business produces disposable cups, food containers, lids, tissues (basically any kind of packaging you'd associate with food and drinks to go) that are all environmentally friendly. The coffee cup line is even biodegradable, with the "plastic" that coats the inside made from plant material, meaning they break down within six months and can be used as fertiliser. HIDE & SEEK Let's talk kitty litter. It's usually made of rocks which you have to throw away when your beloved feline friend has done what they need to do. However, Hide & Seek has a new solution: cat litter that's produced entirely from cassava — a South American shrub that's also a staple food in many regions. Cassava has the same liquid and odour-absorbing qualities as the rock ore that most kitty litter is made from, only it's biodegradable, non-toxic and won't clog the pipes if flushed down the dunny. That would be a waste, however, as Hide & Seek cat litter can have a second life as plant fertiliser. KHRAMER You may normally just think of indigo as one of the colours of the rainbow but its origins are as a dye extracted from roots. For generations, people have used indigo root for its medicinal qualities as well as for giving colour to fabric. Khramer seeks to bring this benefit and wisdom to a wider group of people via its range of cosmetics made from indigo roots which is as safe and sustainable as it is effective. The brand's core products are a facial serum and a sunscreen, meaning you can take care of your skin and the planet at once. Keen to explore more sustainable brands? For more information, visit the DITP website, or explore more of Thailand's incredible creative scene here.
