Tuesday, February 17, marks the 2026 Lunar New Year: a time for family feasts, good fortune, well-wishing, and a fresh start. For Lotus Dining Group executive chef Steve Wu, it's his favourite time of year. "To me, it is a celebration dedicated entirely to family and connection. A holiday where relatives who haven't seen each other in a long while gather to share meals filled with blessings." Steve grew up in Tainan, the oldest city in Taiwan, a place renowned worldwide for its incredible food culture and warm hospitality. While Steve has been based in Sydney since 2012 and is now the chef behind local restaurants Pearl Dining, Lotus and the Dumpling Bar in Circular Quay and Summer Hill, his culinary roots reach back to his childhood. "My mother was a traditional housewife who mastered the craft passed down from my grandmother. Every festival, she would hand-make everything — from Nian Gao (rice cakes) to Zongzi — using the most traditional methods," Steve tells Concrete Playground. "Watching my mother cook and helping her transform raw ingredients into a festive feast was the most captivating thing to me. That process is truly what inspired me to become a professional chef." Lunar New Year in Australia may look different from the festivities of his childhood, but Steve is still using food to reconnect with his culture. "Nowadays, you see major events and activities all over Sydney, and even Western restaurants have started incorporating Lunar New Year elements into their menus. It's become a shared experience for all Australians," says Steve. "For Chinese restaurants, this is the busiest period of the year, so we celebrate in the thick of the action. However, on my rare days off, I love heading to Yummy Seafood in Beverly Hills for a proper Chinese feast." To celebrate the 2026 Lunar New Year, Steve has created a recipe for Pan-Fried John Dory Fillet made with S&B Golden Curry. The pre-mix sauce lets you easily recreate restaurant-quality flavour at home this Lunar New Year, and the sauce's golden hue fits the festive theme. "In Chinese culture, we have a saying: "Nian Nian You Yu" (年年有餘), which means "May there be a surplus every year." Because the word for fish (Yu) sounds exactly like the word for surplus, a fish dish is an absolute must-have on the table to bring good fortune." If you want to try the dish yourself this Lunar New Year, follow Steve's recipe below. PAN-FRIED JOHN DORY FILLET Ingredients: 200g of John Dory fillet (if you can't find John Dory fillet, any type of fish works well) Plain Flour (as needed) Pinch of S&B Seasoned Salt and Pepper 2 cubes of S&B Golden Curry Mild 92g 200 ml of chicken stock 1/4 piece of onion, diced 50g of diced carrot Olive or vegetable oil (as needed) Steamed rice (as needed, for serving) Pickled red ginger Method: To Prepare the Fish Use paper towels to pat the fillet dry. Season both sides of the fillets with a pinch of S&B Seasoned Salt and Pepper. Place plain flour on a plate. Dredge the fish fillets to coat them evenly with a thin layer, then shake off any excess. Make the Golden Curry Heat a small amount of oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the diced onion and carrot for 2–3 minutes until soft and translucent. Pour in the 200 ml of stock and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, then cook for 10 minutes with the lid. Add the 2 S&B Golden Curry cubes. Stir until the cubes are completely dissolved and the sauce is smooth. Turn the heat back to low, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reaches your desired thickness. Keep warm. Pan-Fry the Fish Fillets Heat a clean frying pan, then add the oil over medium heat. Carefully place the coated fish fillet into the hot oil. Pan-fry each side for about 3–4 minutes, or until the exterior is golden brown. Remove the fillets and place them on paper towels to drain any excess oil. Plating and Serving Ladle the hot Golden Curry Sauce in the middle of the plate. Place the pan-fried John Dory fillet on top of the curry sauce, served with pickled ginger. Serve with rice. Steve's top tip? "Chop up the Golden Curry cubes before you put them in the pan to prevent them from burning. And if there's any curry left on the plate, get some bread and scoop it up — you won't regret it" Feeling inspired by Steve's recipe? For the tenth year in a row, Asian Inspirations is hosting the Lunar New Year Cook Snap Win competition. There are $20,000 in prizes to be won, including the grand prize: the ultimate foodie travel adventure for two. Head to the Asian Inspiration website to learn how you could win big. Discover more recipes. Image credit: Josh Mullins
With 64 days until the lights are on, Vivid has announced its 2013 lineup. And as the festival turns five it's vastly extending its brightly coloured reach to cover more physical ground and generate more creative ideas. In 2013 Fort Dennison, Walsh Bay and the Inner West will also get a heavy splattering of neon light and artistic innovation as the festival adds more precincts to the Vivid family. Sydney's own Spinifex Group will be the artists behind the Lighting of the Sails, the jewel in Vivid's dazzling crown, with the rest of the foreshore welcoming a global assemblage of lighting designers to the walkable stretch spanning Campbells Cove to Walsh Bay. Interactivity is key this year, with Customs House featuring a dance floor so visitors can make the building move. The festival's LIVE section will celebrate the Opera House's increasingly enthusiastic approach to popular music, populating the Kraftwerk-headlined lineup with homegrown and international acts. Empire of the Sun are premiering their second album Ice on the Dune, which was announced in true theatrical style with a bizarre video last week. Other acts include legendary soul crooner Bobby Womack, Underworld's Karl Hyde, the Sunnyboys, Bon Iver frontman Justin Vernon, folk-rock tribute Sounds of the South and the 45-piece Heritage Orchestra — performing the Bladerunner score. More will be announced in the upcoming weeks. And hosting a mammoth 136 events this year is the Jess Scully-curated Vivid Ideas. Level six of the MCA will be taken over by 100 of them, with further talks and workshops spread through the Overseas Passenger Terminal, Seymour Centre, Sydney Museum and more. Semi-Permanent, Sydney Writers’ Festival and the Australian International Design Festival are getting involved in 2013, along with a slew of events supporting this year's film and photography motif. Reportage and Sydney Film Festival are two exciting additions, and a talk by Chris Ying of Momofuku-McSweeney's foodie mag Lucky Peach should give discerning ramen enthusiasts plenty to get psyched about. Check out the Vivid website for the full lineup.
2020 is already shaping up to be a great year for Studio Ghibli fans, with the Japanese animation house confirming it's working on two new films this year. But, if you need something to tide you over until those undoubtedly gorgeous new movies are released — your Netflix queue will have the answer from February 1. In a huge deal that marks the first time Studio Ghibli's films will be available to stream in most of the world, Netflix has acquired the streaming rights for the bulk of the company's back catalogue — for almost the entire planet, including Australia and New Zealand. The arrangement covers 21 films, which means that every solely Studio Ghibli-produced animated feature except Grave of the Fireflies will hit the platform. Made-for-TV movie Ocean Waves will also be available to stream as well. So, getting spirited away, spending time with Totoro and chasing a moving castle will be as easy as clicking a few buttons whenever you feel like it. Netflix is making Ghibli's films available in three batches, with seven different movies joining the platform on February 1, then seven more on March 1 and the last seven on April 1 — so you can spread out your viewing. In February, prepare to feast your eyes on everything from Castle in the Sky to Kiki's Delivery Service, plus My Neighbour Totoro, Only Yesterday, Porco Rosso, Ocean Waves and Tales from Earthsea, too. Come March, heavy hitters Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away will join the lineup, as well as Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, My Neighbors the Yamadas, The Cat Returns, Arrietty and The Tale of The Princess Kaguya. Then, in April, Howl's Moving Castle and Ponyo lead the charge, alongside Pom Poko, Whisper of the Heart, From Up on Poppy Hill, The Wind Rises and When Marnie Was There. Working your way through all of the above, you'll obviously delight in the talents of the great Hayao Miyazaki — however, films by fellow Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata, Miyazaki's son Gorō Miyazaki, and other directors Yoshifumi Kondō, Hiroyuki Morita and Hiromasa Yonebayashi are also on the bill. Until Ghibli's titles start hitting the streaming platform, feast your eyes on the delightful trailer for Howl's Moving Castle below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwROgK94zcM Netflix will start streaming Studio Ghibli films in Australia and New Zealand from February 1, with further titles available on March 1 and April 1. Top image: My Neighbor Totoro
For two days, one particular patch of Brisbane has all of your Christmas needs covered, including one that you mightn't have given as much thought to as you'd like. If you're eager to give your loved ones gifts that were created by hand, and ethically, then that's what the Brisbane Fair Trade Christmas Market is all about. It's also a chance to pick up homewares, clothing and more from other cultures, with pieces made by artisan communities in Africa, Asia, South America and other areas around the globe. No, your dad isn't getting boring old socks. And no, you're not just buying your mum flowers. The market runs from 8am–5.30pm on Saturday, November 23 and from 8am–3pm on Sunday, November 24, 2024, at the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre. An added bonus: you'll be perusing for presents in air-conditioning. Already know that all that shopping will make you hungry? There's also a cafe onsite.
Vampires might live forever, but one of the best TV shows that's ever been made about them won't be enjoying the same fate. A spinoff from Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement's big-screen sharehouse mockumentary of the same name, What We Do in the Shadows has been a small-screen treat since first sinking its fangs into streaming queues in 2019. After it airs its sixth season, however, it'll be doomed to eternal rest. As first reported by Vulture, the television take on What We Do in the Shadows will finish after its next slate of episodes. For now, that'll bring an end to the What We Do in the Shadows universe, which doesn't just include the movie and TV show, but NZ television's Wellington Paranormal — although the latter does have a newly released companion podcast. When Waititi and Clement decided to don fangs, embrace the undead and make a film spoof about vampire housemates, the end result was sidesplittingly funny, as has proven the case for the TV version for five seasons so far. That US television offshoot also boasts a killer cast, all playing an ace roundup of vamps. For the uninitiated, this iteration of What We Do in the Shadows is set in Staten Island — but no, Pete Davidson doesn't show up. Instead, the series focuses on a household where Nandor (Kayvan Novak, Cruella), Laszlo (Matt Berry, Toast of London and Toast of Tinseltown) and Nadja (Natasia Demetriou, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem) all live. Energy vampire Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch, The Office) and Nandor's familiar Guillermo (Harvey Guillen, Blue Beetle), the latter of which comes from a family of slayers, have also staked a claim in the story. Consistently one of the best returning shows of every year, including in 2022 and 2023, plenty of supernatural mayhem has followed Nandor and company over their run — and Matt Berry yelling "bat!" has never stopped gushing with gloriousness. Exactly when What We Do in the Shadows' last season will arrive hasn't yet been advised, but new seasons have dropped annually since the show debuted, so saying farewell in 2024 seems likely. There's no trailer for the sixth season as yet, but check out the sneak peek for What We Do in the Shadows season five below: What We Do in the Shadows streams via Binge in Australia and Neon in New Zealand, with the show's sixth and final season yet to announce its return date. Read our reviews of season four and season five. Via Vulture.
As cooler weather starts to creep in and summer pulls back once more, you may feel the need to start your yearly hibernation early. But this year, don't succumb to nights in on the couch watching back-to-back Netflix shows. Remind yourself that even a Brisbane summer doesn't last forever, and start planning your entertainment options for the coming months. We've teamed up with Tanqueray to track down where you can hold onto those summer vibes a bit longer or find some sophisticated indoor pursuits. As the weather gets a smidge chillier, make sure your days and nights are brimming with autumn action. Although there aren't many falling leaves about, we've rustled up a list of seasonably suitable activities that'll pair perfectly with a gin. CATCH AN EXHIBITION AND SIP COCKTAILS BY A ROOFTOP POOL Until Sunday, April 28, dive deep into an intimate story of 'architecture, art, people and place' at the Museum of Brisbane. Micro Histories is a showcase of artworks and artefacts matched with architectural designs by some of our city's most noteworthy architects. It looks at the inspirations these architects find throughout everyday life in the city and the art and objects that speak to Brisbane's cityscape and culture. After the show, head to Lennons Bar and Restaurant to contemplate your new insights into the relationship of people, art and environment in the development of Brisbane. Sip a Tanqueray French 75, gimlet or negroni as you sit by the pool, overlooking Queen Street Mall — a veritable memory lane of our city's architectural history. TAKE IN WATER VIEWS AT APERITIVO HOUR Brisbane's been getting a bit of a facelift in recent years, and the biggest, most anticipated redevelopment has finally opened at Howard Smith Wharves. Whether it's your pitstop on the Brisbane Riverwalk or an entertainment destination in itself, the Wharves have a calendar of regular and special events, from expos to open-air yoga. Not to mention enviable views along the river and under the Story Bridge. And naturally, this heritage-listed site is the perfect location for a retro, beach and boardwalk-style riverside bar. Enter, Mr Percival's. If you'd like to draw that summer feeling out into the autumn days ahead, sit back and relax on the sun-drenched deck when the weather's fine and listen to the gentle lapping of the water. Beneath a red and white umbrella, savour fresh oysters and aperitivo snacks like cured meats, zucchini flowers stuffed with crab or warm baguette with whipped cod roe dip, and sip one of the house cocktails like the G&T with a twist, featuring Tanqueray, Aperol, rosemary, black pepper, tonic and lemon zest. [caption id="attachment_622356" align="alignnone" width="1920"] TWFINEART.[/caption] PLAN A HIGH-BROW WANDER THROUGH THE VALLEY The Valley is packed to the gills with small, powerful galleries, each with its own distinct curatorial taste. Contemporary art runs rife in the area with the likes of TWFINEART, Edwina Corlette Gallery and the Institute of Modern Art all sitting within a few paces of each other and presenting paintings, sculpture, digital art and more by local and international artists. The Suzanne O'Connell Gallery works with Indigenous artists from across Australia to exhibit painting, ceramic, bark and the like, while Mitchell Fine Art shows Aboriginal art in solo and group exhibitions and hosts regular artist talks. After your arty romp, head from boutique galleries to boutique cocktail bar — Finney Isles. Order one of its signature offerings: Point The Bone, with Tanqueray Rangpur gin, orange vermouth, Genetian eau de vie and olive oil. The combination of sweet, bitter orange and botanicals is exquisite, a work of art in itself. HEAD OUT FOR A HIGHLY MUSICAL EVENING Now that The Book of Mormon has finally arrived, no one should miss out on this internationally acclaimed musical comedy. It's 'converted' even the most musical-averse theatregoers since its Broadway debut in 2011. Book tickets for a night of crass hilarity and catchy show tunes, and once the curtain falls and 'Hasa Diga Eebowai' is thoroughly cemented in your head, go from musical theatre to musical libations. Across the river at The Boom Boom Room, you'll find cocktail 'playlists' rather than mere menus and a lush setting perfect for a Tanqueray No. Ten martini. Plan it right, and you may even catch one of the regular live jazz bands during your visit — a more downtempo way to end your night of box steps, jazz hands and 'hellos!'. DISCOVER NEW DESIGNER TALENT THEN WATCH THE SUNSET OVER THE CITY On the first Sunday of every month, South Bank plays host to up-and-coming creators at the Young Designers Market. Supporting emerging talent since 2007, the market presents an array of designs, showcasing local fashion, jewellery, homewares, prints and plenty more. After a good browse, head to Stokebar Q to unwind on the riverside deck or inside, where floor-to-ceiling windows offer unparalleled city views. With these autumnal nights drawing in a little earlier, order a cocktail and watch the sun go down over the city. Opt for the Short Stack, with Tanqueray Gin, Mandarine Napoleon, falernum, quince syrup, lime juice and grapefruit powder, and ease into the evening as the sky and water go from orange to pink to purple. Celebrate the return of autumn with a Tanqueray tipple in hand at home or around your city. Top image: Mr Percival's.
Do you usually leave your gift purchasing until the last minute? Have you vowed to finally do better this year? Do you have a heap of friends and family members celebrating birthdays in the second half of 2022 — and zero idea of what you'll get them? Enter Etsy, which is hitting Brisbane IRL this winter to lend a hand with your shopping — and give you an excuse to treat yo'self. Whichever fits, including if you're keen to get a jump on Christmas, you'll have plenty to browse and buy. Etsy Made Local is a grassroots initiative that celebrates crafters, collectors and artisans in local communities, and provides them with the opportunity to sell their creations both online and in a physical space. So, whether you're on the hunt for handmade wares or vintage goods, these guys have got you covered. The market will take place in the Exhibition Building at the Brisbane Showgrounds from 4.30–9pm on Friday, July 22 and 9am–4pm on Saturday, July 23, spreading across two days. Because it focuses on the best local talent, every market is filled with different stallholders and unique creations, but there'll be more than 100 makers, designers, artists and creators at this one. Supporting creative small businesses and scoring a killer gift for your loved ones is a win for everyone involved, so head along and get your shopping sorted. Entry costs $2 — and, the whole thing will be cashless, so don't forget your cards. There'll also be food trucks slinging bites to eat, and plenty of places to get caffeinated.
UPDATE, APRIL 4: Due to concerns around the coronavirus, Sony has announced that Ghostbusters: Afterlife will no longer release on its initially scheduled date of Thursday, July 2, 2020, with the film now hitting cinemas on March 25, 2021. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. There's something strange in the town of Summerville and a group of kids are calling upon themselves to bust it. That's the premise of Ghostbusters: Afterlife, which swaps New York for Oklahoma and grown men (and women) for children — and jumps firmly on the Stranger Things-led 80s nostalgia bandwagon. Whether siblings Phoebe (Annabelle Comes Home's McKenna Grace) and Trevor (Stranger Things' Finn Wolfhard) are seeing things runnin' through their heads or they'll catch an invisible man sleepin' in their beds is yet to be seen, but the film's first trailer does lay out the basics of this threequel's plot. The central duo has moved to the isolated locale with their mother (Widows' Carrie Coon), and into a rundown old house they've inherited from their grandfather. It's filled with ghost traps, containers of spores, mould and fungus, beige jumpsuits emblazoned with the name 'Spengler' and a very familiar car — which might come in handy when the ground starts shaking for no reason and a mysterious green light starts glowing. Paul Rudd also stars as teacher Mr Grooberson, who schools the kids in Ghostbusters lore — because this is a direct sequel to the original 1984 Ghostbusters and its 1989 follow-up Ghostbusters II. In the just-dropped sneak peek, the original characters appear in news footage, and Bill Murray's voice is heard; however, Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver and Annie Potts are all set to reprise their roles in the film. (Harold Ramis, aka Spengler, passed away in 2014). Because bustin' makes everyone feel good, the Afterlife trailer is filled with other nods to the first two films, with writer/director Jason Reitman (Tully, The Front Runner) making both obvious and subtle references to the movies originally directed by his dad Ivan Reitman. Still, let's not forget that a great recent Ghostbusters film already exists, thanks to Paul Feig's wrongly maligned all-female version from 2016 — although Afterlife seems to be glossing over that. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahZFCF--uRY After being delayed from its original release date of July 2, 2020, Ghostbusters: Afterlife will now open in Australian cinemas on March 25, 2021.
How better to temporarily break free from the everyday routine than by heading on a holiday escape somewhere worlds apart from your normal life? Imagine swapping life in the city for a few nights soaking up some spectacular coastline or enveloping yourself in lush rainforest. Well, if it's a unique getaway you're after, you'll find a smorgasbord of unconventional Airbnb stays dotted all across Australia. A Newport cabin floating on the water, a converted vintage bus nestled in the Tamar Valley and even a historic French provincial castle tower in Rutherglen are all options at your fingertips. Whether you're planning that ideal vacation, or still in the dreaming stages, here are ten of Australia's best Airbnb stays. Recommended reads: The Best Dog-Friendly Hotels in Australia The Best Glamping Sites in Australia The Best Islands to Visit in Australia The Best Beaches in Australia [caption id="attachment_774843" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Airbnb[/caption] The Bus Hideaway, Tasmania This vintage bus has been retired from the roads, but it's living a pretty happy life reborn as a cosy getaway for two, moored on a remote farm in peaceful Tamar Valley bushland. It's an eco-friendly hideaway, crafted from lots of upcycled materials, heated by a cosy wood fire and stocked with organic, locally sourced goodies — right through to the luxurious linens on the comfy king-size bed. This little gem is kitted out with a full modern kitchen, proper gas-fuelled shower and a composting loo that won't have you feeling like you're roughing it too hard. And with zero wi-fi, it's the perfect excuse to unplug and unwind — the book collection, DVD player and acres of Tassie wilderness are sure to keep you happily entertained. From $220 a night, sleeps two. [caption id="attachment_774846" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Airbnb[/caption] Dinky Di's Dugout, South Australia Ever wanted to indulge your inner earthworm with a subterranean stay? Best put Coober Pedy on your holiday radar. The South Australian town is famed both for its opal mining and its underground dwellings, built to withstand the area's scorching temperatures. And you can call one of these 'dugouts' home for a few nights — namely this two-bedroom, two-bathroom number that's carved into the earth just north of the town centre. It's got all the trimmings you'll need for a comfy cave getaway, with full kitchen, laundry and an outdoor barbecue area. This underground beauty even comes with a healthy dose of natural light, thanks to the windows set right across its front. From $185 a night, sleeps seven. The Salty Dog, New South Wales This floating cabin on the sea takes 'waterfront property' to a whole new level. Featured in countless Australian travel guides and even International publications, its easy to see why this boathouse is filed under unconventional. Found in Newport, this tiny home on the ocean features a combined kitchen and dining area as well as a cozy loft bedroom. Windows are a-plenty for splendid views of the marina, and emphasising that boat-on-the-water feeling. During your stay, make sure to stop by the beach - only a 20-minute walk from the cabin - or Newport's local businesses. And yes, they give you a boat so you can leave. From $635 a night. Sleeps two. [caption id="attachment_774851" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Airbnb[/caption] The Shed at Broger's End, New South Wales Occupying a quaint patch of green between the Kangaroo River and Brogers Creek in NSW's southern highlands, this former machinery shed has been given new life as a rustic country escape. And it's got unplugged group getaway written all over it. The low-footprint, sun-powered home features lots of recycled materials, boasting a sprawling but cosy living area with vintage furniture pieces throughout. And you'll find no shortage of nifty extras to help elevate your downtime here — think, woodfired pizza oven, firepit, expansive herb garden, onsite chooks laying fresh eggs for brekkie and even an outdoor bath for soaking under the stars. Hit the river for activities, or go wildlife-spotting on one of the many kilometres of nearby walking trails. From $550 a night, sleeps seven. [caption id="attachment_774853" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Airbnb[/caption] The Tower at Mount Ophir Estate, Victoria If you've ever fantasised about living it up in a fairytale castle, you can quit dreaming and lock in a stay at this 115-year-old French provincial-style tower, located at Mount Ophir Estate in the heart of Rutherglen winemaking country. As far as couples' escapes go, this one comes with a fairly exxy price tag — though it also boasts three separate levels, some truly gorgeous interiors, a library, and a lavish top-floor bedroom suite with 360-degree views. Breakfast is included with your stay — we get the feeling it'll be top-shelf — plus you've got access to the property's bikes whenever you're in the mood for some exploring. And of course, don't forget all those wineries right on the doorstep. From $518 a night, sleeps two. [caption id="attachment_774854" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Airbnb[/caption] Alikra Eco-Glamping Retreat, Victoria Tucked away among scenic Dandenong Ranges forest, this straw-bale yurt is the ultimate antidote to all that big city craziness, with space to sleep two nature-seekers and a unique design that keeps things comfy all year round. Hang out in the wilderness of this 40-acre property, revelling in nature, getting acquainted with the farm animals or just clocking in some off-grid time in this beautifully appointed former artist's studio. There's a firepit, a rustic outdoor kitchen and a light-filled bedroom stacked with soft furnishings collected from all across the country. Hiking trails abound in this pocket of Melbourne, though you'll also find a healthy stock of books and board games for cosy days spent lounging at base camp. From $295 a night, sleeps two. [caption id="attachment_774856" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Airbnb[/caption] The Little Red Barn, Queensland Secure your own little patch of leafy, Noosa Hinterland wilderness with a stay in this cheerfully restored red timber barnhouse. With space to sleep seven, it's working a stylish old-meets-new fit-out, where timber floors and soaring vaulted ceilings complement plush white linens and contemporary bathroom features. Depending on the weather, you can snuggle up by the living room's fireplace, take a soak in the old-school claw-foot bath out on the deck, or unwind with a dip in the concrete water tank swimming pool overlooking the rolling green hills. Put this one on the list for your next group getaway — it's got a big, open living area, plus roomy wrap-around verandahs for those outdoor hangs. From $450 a night, sleeps seven. The Beach Dome, Queensland This quirky beachside dome has a look that's as cheery as its tropical Far North Queensland surrounds, nestled among palm trees just metres from the sands of Cairns' Trinity Beach. The self-contained, two-bedroom bubble is like a cool, coastal oasis, decked out in plenty of bright whites and upbeat pastel tones. Though it's compact, it's got space for four guests (plus an extra, if you use the rollout bed), a modern kitchen and bathroom, and even a cute front porch primed for afternoon wines overlooking the ocean. In addition to four other domes, the property's also home to its own pool, just in case you want to shake things up between beach sessions. From $130 a night, sleeps four. [caption id="attachment_786395" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Arabella on Airbnb by Love Space Photography[/caption] Arabella, New South Wales Settled on a 140-acre property that looks straight out of a fairytale, this tiny home is for nature lovers and off-the-grid fanatics. And when we say off the grid, we mean it. No internet, reception, two kilometres off the main road and water from the natural spring nearby. This dwelling is an eco-experience in every sense of the term. However, as unconventional as the time home is on its own, the stand-alone one-way glass shower truly takes the cake. Soak in nature while soaking in the tub with 360 views of the gardens around the entirely-glass structure. While you're having your inevitable picnic in sprawling outdoors, be sure to try to spot the wild alpacas, kangaroos, and echidnas. From $445 a night, sleeps three. Stargazing Bubble 'Etoile', Victoria Sleep among the stars from the comfort of the indoors in this award-winning accommodation. Set atop the mountains overlooking the rolling hills and ocean below, this out-of-the-box retreat is made to bring stargazing to the next level, providing panoramic views of the night sky as well as a telescope and pair of binoculars. When you're not staring at the stars, the outdoor patio comes with deck chairs and a mini barbecue to use after a day of exploring. The interior of the bubble features a four-post queen bed with wrap-around privacy curtains, a lounge area, kitchenette, and a bluetooth speaker. Bubble acoustics are out of this world! A connecting bubble for the bathroom has all the amenities for a comfortable stay, and don't forget to look up in the shower to see a mini stargazing roof. From $795 a night, sleeps two. Images: courtesy of Airbnb. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
In Stay of the Week, we explore some of the world's best and most unique accommodations — giving you a little inspiration for your next trip. In this instalment, we take you to the five-star, adults-only Tokoriki Island Resort in Fiji. We love this place so much that we teamed up with the resort to offer an exclusive five-night travel deal — including a discounted room rate, complimentary massages and a bunch of extra goodies. WHAT'S SO SPECIAL? There are so many islands in Fiji to choose from when holidaying to this tropical part of the world, but this particular private island offers up a totally kids-free travel experience. And, Tokoriki Island Resort is all about luxury — with the proof in the countless awards the spot's won for its lavish offering. If you're looking to really treat yourself on your next vacay, staying here is sure to do the trick. THE ROOMS The entry-level accommodation at Tokoriki Island Resort comes in the form of small beachfront bures. These 60-square-metre freestanding rooms look fairly rustic, but come with aircon, modern furnishings and a gorgeous outdoor tropical shower surrounded by lush gardens. You even have a cheeky hammock outside your bure for post-swim hangs with a book and glass of vino in hand. Then there are the upgrades: go for your own bure with a private plunge pool or one of the larger villas that come with or without a pool. No matter which accommodation you choose, you'll be surrounded by nature and have uninterrupted views across the surrounding beaches and coves. THE DINING When you're staying on a private island, you are fully dependent on your accommodation to provide food — so it better be good. Thankfully, these guys don't miss a beat on the dining front. For breakfast, we recommend ordering the floating champagne breakfast. When lunchtime rolls around, head to the restaurant, dine on your own balcony or get the team to make you a beach picnic hamper. This stellar offering is nothing compared to the long list of dinner options. Get around the à la carte menu championing South Pacific and Asian cuisines — using locally sourced ingredients — or splash some cash on one of the extra-special dining experiences. There's the four-person teppanyaki feast, the champagne and sashimi degustation out on the jetty or the romantic private sunset dinner. Each and every meal served at this luxury Fiji resort comes with a side of sweeping beachfront vistas. You really won't get tired of these views. [caption id="attachment_877271" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brook Sabin, Cloud 9 floating bar courtesy of Tourism Fiji.[/caption] THE LOCAL AREA Tokoriki is one of the many picturesque Mamanuca Islands in Fiji — and it has been privately owned for over 25 years. That means you won't find hordes of tourists here. It's a sanctuary surrounded by wild natural surrounds. And it's pretty easy to get to as well. If you jump in a chopper from the main airport on Nadi, you'll arrive in about 15 minutes. Or if you go by boat (which is included in the deal we are slinging on Concrete Playground Trips), it will take about an hour. Once you're here, you can explore the long white-sand beaches and lush rainforest or jump on a boat and tour around the neighbouring islands. There are over 20 islands located in this tropical archipelago, with a few floating bars also dotted about for good measure. It's in a prime position for guests who want to do a little island hopping in Fiji. THE EXTRAS This is a five-star tropical island resort, meaning you'll find extras aplenty. You can do the usual snorkelling around the local reefs or learn to scuba dive, or you can do something a little different — think fishing trips on a catamaran, small-group tours to nearby islands and a series of bespoke couple's activities. And if you book our five-night stay at Tokoriki Island Resort, you're set to receive loads of extras. This includes complimentary massages, cocktail tastings, daily afternoon tea, snorkel trips around the local reef and return transfers by boat. It's all sorted for you — just book your flights, pack your bags and get ready for one incredibly luxurious holiday in Fiji. 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.
Whistler is most famous for the mountains that surround the village, Whistler and Blackcomb, and in turn the eponymous ski resort that just so happens to be the biggest in North America. But there's much more than ski runs to explore. To begin, the scenery is jaw-dropping in every direction, and you can take it all in from way above or by getting in the thick of it. Soar over all the snow, trees and idyllic scenes via helicopter or gondola, or get up close on foot, along lakeside cross-country ski trails. And when you're looking to relax after a day of exploring, you can kick back in Scandinavian-inspired hot pools or friendly boutique hotels laden with private baths, day spas and mountain views. Meanwhile, the food and drink scene is all about local produce, independent brewers and, thanks to the cold climate, comfort — think delicious bakery treats, melted cheeses, handmade pastas and tasty ales. The trick is avoiding the tourist traps and making tracks for the locals' favourites. Luckily, we've done some research for you, and with a little help from Tourism Whistler, have developed a full guide to doing Whistler like a local. [caption id="attachment_632302" align="alignnone" width="1920"] @PurebreadWhis.[/caption] EAT AND DRINK When there's some serious, snowy adventuring ahead, it's important to start the day right: with a massive, hearty breakfast. Make your first stop Elements, where you can choose from seven different benedicts (including one with crab meat) or one of the most decadent French toasts we've ever heard of, stuffed with honey ham and double-cream brie. If your cholesterol levels are threatening a heart attack though, then head to The Green Moustache for a just as delicious brekkie, like their superfood-charged, all-organic Buddha bowl with quinoa, veg, sprouts and avocado. And if you're on the move or in need of a warming snack with your coffee, look to one of Whistler's best bakeries, Purebread, for their buckwheat sour cherry scones. [caption id="attachment_632434" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Facebook/Bar Oso.[/caption] When the midday stomach rubbles start up, set your sights on Ingrid's Village Cafe. The delicatessen has been nourishing Whistler locals and visitors for over 20 years, serving up burgers, salads, sandwiches and a daily selection of soups. And come evening, after a day out and about, the most satisfying way to refuel is with a bowl of house-made pasta and a good Italian wine at Pasta Lupino. Otherwise, it's Bar Oso for excellent tapas, including wild chilli-garlic prawns, scallop crudo and hearty fresh and cured charcuterie boards. Plus, Bar Oso has an extensive cocktail menu, with a whole section dedicated to gin and tonics using gins from around British Columbia. Finally, it'd be plain rude to visit Whistler without finding out what the local brewers have been up to. Swing by Coast Mountain to sample the signature IPA and Whistler Brewing, where, in case you're feeling homesick, you can sip an Aussie Sparkling Ale. [caption id="attachment_632417" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Whistler/Mike Crane.[/caption] DO It goes without saying that most holidays in Whistler involve a bunch of skiing, boarding, snow shoeing and dog sledding in nearby mountains. But, there are plenty of less obvious escapades to be had in and around town. To get some perspective, take a helicopter tour. You'll soar over the region's famous peaks, valleys and rivers, and fly scarily close to a glacier. You can even book into a tour that'll take you on an exploration of ice caves, ending with a dip in some natural hot springs. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF7DJBGk2U8[/embed] Another ethereal experience is the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola. Instead of taking the Whistler Village Gondola up to then ski back down with everyone else, head up and stay at the summit to take in the views and enjoy the idyllic, snowy surrounds from a journey on the PEAK 2 PEAK. As you ride over the Fitzsimmons Valley, you'll get a full view of the snowy dreamscape below from this extraordinary feat of engineering. Linking Whistler and Blackcomb summits, the PEAK 2 PEAK holds three world records: longest continuous lift system, highest lift of its kind (436 metres above the ground) and longest unsupported span for a lift of its kind (3.024 kilometres). If you prefer to see some spectacular scenery with your feet firmly planted on the ground, a snowshoeing journey around the lesser known sights for Whistler will have you feeling like a local. Transporting you to a time before Whistler existed, Parkhurst sits on the banks of Green Lake, where it started life as a logging town in the 1920s, but was emptied out by the time the '60s came around. [caption id="attachment_629882" align="alignnone" width="1920"] @katstjames.[/caption] As you wander through, you'll come across derelict cabins splashed with street art-style paintings, collapsed houses, rusty cars and a mammoth-sized tractor that looks like it froze mid-use decades ago. Snowshoe to Parkhurst from Whistler Village along the Sea-to-Sky Trail to discover the eerie, abandoned town. And to keep up the adventure, you can hoof it to Rainbow Park, Cheakamus River and the Train Wreck, featuring box cars from a 1956 wreckage that have become works of art among the trees. [caption id="attachment_632415" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Whistler/Justa Jeskova.[/caption] Meanwhile in town, there's the Audain Art Museum. Opened in March 2016, the understated building made of local materials holds a huge collection of British Columbian art, beginning with works by First Peoples and culminating in those of contemporary artists. Architect John Patkau designed the building to feel like a part of the surrounding spruce forest. "The feeling is that the museum will be quietly inserted into a void within the forest," he says. And within you'll find an exhibition program that changes three times a year, as well as 200 permanent works depicting the history of art from coastal British Columbia. [caption id="attachment_632422" align="alignnone" width="1922"] Nita Lake Lodge.[/caption] STAY There's only one stay in Whistler right on the waterfront, and that's Nita Lake Lodge, 500 metres from Whistler Mountain and the Creekside Gondola. If you choose this lakeside retreat during your time in Whistler, you'll be snoozing in a mega-sized villa on a king-sized bed, relaxing your tired muscles in a private hot tub and hanging out in front of your very own gas fireplace. There's also an onsite day spa, yoga studio and an outdoor plunge pool by the lake. The best news of all? Your dog is welcome with open paws. [caption id="attachment_630995" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Summit Lodge.[/caption] Another boutique hotel to check out is Summit Lodge, smack bang in the middle of Whistler Village. Another pet-friendly stay — in fact there are two Rottweilers among the staff members — the wintry lodge holds rooms varying from deluxe studios to one-bedroom suites. All come with kitchenettes, hot tubs and bright design features, including walls covered in colourful geometric shapes, hand-knitted toys and art works. There's also an outdoor pool, hot tub, cedar sauna and an onsite day spa. [caption id="attachment_632419" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Whistler Platinum.[/caption] Another option outside of the boutique hotel is, of course, to hire your own chalet — preferably with a few mates as a lot of these places can hold ten or more people. There are many lovely accommodations to find on Whistler Platinum. Go for rustic with the warm and cosy log-walled Horstman 4590, which comes with sleeping room for ten across five bedrooms, plus awesome panoramas. And if you're keen to wake up, strap on your skis and hit the slopes immediately, book into Kadenwood 2939. Located in one of Whistler's swishest on-snow villages, this accom has its own forest-encircled hot tub, as well as five ensuite bedrooms, a log fireplace, massive windows looking onto the mountains, a pool table and floor heating. Plan an adventure into the great Canadian outdoors, and discover all Whistler as to offer here. Top image: Tourism Whistler/Mike Crane.
It's often said that modern technology is ruining our lives; turning us more and more in on ourselves in a dangerous spiral of introversion, narcissism and disconnection from the physical world. And can you blame us? An iPhone can look significantly more appealing than the other sweating, mouth-breathing humans we sit next to on public transport or pass on the morning commute. But, occasionally there comes along a real reminder that the human race isn't totally doomed to becoming robotic unfeeling drones. A new project by Sydney photographer Pete Hawk is one such reminder. In Stranded Corridors, Hawk takes to frequented 'corridors' about town – the tunnel at Central, Newtown's King Street, and the wind tunnel opposite Redfern station. Using one light, he photographs people passing by and asks them to write something about themselves. Think Humans of New York, but in black and white, and coming to you from your own backyard. It's a simple idea, but Hawk's photographs are really quite beautiful. And the captions people have written offer snippets of their lives, aspirations and worries, which range from life advice ("Wear colour and enjoy your night.") to confession ("I fell in love. Twice."), and where they're going to (Zumba) or coming from (Japanese class). If the popularity of projects like HONY has taught us anything, it's that we love to peek into other people's lives. It speaks to some of those good old-fashioned human pastimes — like voyeurism and eavesdropping — but packaged in an artful, socially acceptable format. It's the perfect way to people watch without the awkward eye contact. All images via Pete Hawk.
It isn't the first movie about the Tham Luang Nang Non cave incident to reach screens, thanks to the underwhelming The Cave. It won't be the last project to focus on the 12 Thai schoolboys and their soccer coach who were trapped in the Chiang Rai Province spot for 18 days back in 2018, either. Ron Howard (Hillbilly Elegy)-directed dramatisation Thirteen Lives hits cinemas next year, a Netflix limited series executive produced by In the Heights filmmaker John M Chu is also set to debut in 2022 and, to the surprise of no one, more are bound to follow. Still, The Rescue earns another worthy honour. The documentary isn't just an inspirational recounting of a miraculous effort that thwarted a potential tragedy, as told by the brave people who pulled off the feat, although it's certainly that. In addition, this gripping film falls into a genre that always needs more entries: celebrations of skilled people doing difficult things with precision, passion, persistence and prowess. If documentarians Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin have a niche, it's this. As co-directors, the married couple has now made three films, all valuing hard work, expertise and when the former leads not only to the latter, but to extraordinary achievements. With 2015 Sundance award-winner Meru, they documented Chin's efforts with two other climbers to scale Meru Peak in the Indian Himalayas. Then came Oscar-winner Free Solo, the exceptional doco about Alex Honnold's quest to free-climb Yosemite National Park's El Capitan. The Rescue swaps clambering up for diving deep, and hones in on an event that captured international headlines as it happened, but still belongs in the same company as the duo's past two releases. Here, viewers start the film with an understanding of what happened thanks to all that non-stop news coverage, but finish it in profound awe of the talent, smarts, dedication and unflinching competence involved. Vasarhelyi and Chin spotlight the divers who extricated Tham Luang's 13 unwilling inhabitants, aka the Wild Boars soccer team — and did so as the world watched, as hours became days and then weeks, and as monsoonal waters flooded the cave despite a desperate pumping initiative. Thai Navy SEALs initially attempted the task, yet struggled in the ten kilometres of sprawling and narrow tunnels. In fact, due to the murky water and the constant deluge from the fast-falling rain, they weren't able to get far. To assist, civilian hobbyists including Brits Rick Stanton and John Volanthen were brought in — experts in their field, and volunteers for the biggest diving quest of their lives. When their crew found the boys and their coach almost four kilometres from the mouth of the cave, they then faced another dilemma: how to get them back out alive. With its ending already well-known, The Rescue starts at the beginning, letting those who were there talk through each step, and also weaving in footage from the rescue mission itself. No re-enactments — not the small amount The Rescue uses, as noted in its credits; not The Cave's awful docodrama approach; and not all the future dramatisations set to flow from Hollywood — can ever be as nerve-wracking as seeing this remarkable feat actually happen. That said, the film's interviews are also significant. While the on-the-ground and in-the-water clips show the immense level of skill at work and the enormous dangers faced, the accompanying discussions offer keen insights into the thought processes involved. And, they draw out Stanton, Volanthen and their team's distinctive personalities, ensuring that these heroes are always flesh and blood. In all that chatter, much of the tension springs from one point: not just the logistics of extracting the kids and their coach from the cave, but the possibility of sedating them during the dive. The Rescue's most chilling moment comes from Australian anaesthetist and cave diver Richard Harris, who likens that option to euthanasia in his frank initial assessment — a goosebump-inducing comment, even though everyone watching knows that the boys were all rescued safely. Vasarhelyi and Chin make films about survival and endurance, too, and those notions thump away in The Rescue like a heartbeat. Still, as much as it pays tribute to the individual and collective efforts behind something astonishing, and its success, the film never forgets the stakes or cost, including the death of ex-Thai Navy SEAL Saman Kunan during an early attempt. Enthralling, suspenseful and vivid — and with more time for the moral and ethical implications of the rescue than is ever likely to be committed to the screen elsewhere — this documentary has been made to emulate its subjects. Indeed, that precision, passion, persistence and prowess shines through again and again both on- and off-screen. The Rescue's meticulous splicing is particularly finessed, for instance, with editor Bob Eisenhardt (another Free Solo alum) maintaining the movie's pulsating sense of intensity while stitching together an array of talking-head interviews, plus that wealth of archival materials. The heartstring-tugging score by Daniel Pemberton (The Trial of the Chicago 7) isn't quite as convincing, however, but it's one of the film's rare weak links. There is a gaping cavern at the heart of The Rescue, though, and one that's far wider than the rock shelf where the Wild Boars sheltered for almost three weeks. Those boys and their coach aren't among the movie's interviewees, and noticeably so. National Geographic, who produced the film, was only able to secure the rights to the divers' stories — with Netflix snapping them up for the soccer team. It leaves The Rescue absent key perspectives, but Vasarhelyi and Chin have filled that chasm savvily. Indeed, the documentary's edge-of-your-seat, ticking-clock, heart-in-your-throat tribute to skill, hard work and the global team of thousands that spanned Thais, Americans and Australians, too, mightn't have sported the same focus otherwise. Once more, the movie mimics the incident at its centre, turning sheer necessity into something stunning.
Calling all steak fiends: South Bank's Little Stanley Street precinct has scored a new Argentinian go-to for a sizzling meal. Hailing from Alemré Hospitality Group, which is expanding a portfolio that includes Olé Restaurant, Mucho Mexicano, Vici Italian and Downtown Istanbul, Calida seats 180 — and naturally has plenty of meat on its menu. Think: empanadas to start with; dishes such bistec tartar, marinated lamb rump skewers, pressed beef short ribs, chorizo pork sausages and slow-cooked whole lamb shoulder; and an array of different cuts of steak from the grill, all served with chimichurri sauce and Australian red gum smoked salt. Even the bread comes with a beef jus. The steak options under Alemré Executive Group Chef Adam Starr's guidance all use S.Kidman beef, whether you're eager for a 220-gram eye fillet, 300-gram sirloin or 400-gram wagyu rump. And if you're keen to sample several choices without having to make too many decisions, you have two ways to go about it: a $120 mixed-grill platter for two or a $63 banquet with a minimum of two diners, with the latter also covering a dulce de leche sandwich cookie for dessert. Those keen for seafood instead can pick between span oysters with vinegar and chives, grilled octopus with potato salad, salmon ceviche and grilled barramundi. There's also a number of cheese-heavy dishes for vegetarians, including ricotta and mozzarella empanadas, smoked baked cheese and roasted portobello mushrooms with manchego cheese. For sweets beyond the dulce de leche sandwich cookie, Calida offers dulce de leche lava cake with vanilla ice cream; guava and passionfruit mousse with flourless white-chocolate sponge; and the traditional Argentinian torta rogel made from layers of crisp pastry and vanilla meringue, plus, yes, dulce de leche. Whatever satisfies your stomach, you can wash it down with wine from both Argentina and Europe, Quilmes beer and Latin-inspired cocktails such as the Fernet con coca — aka Fernet-Branca and Coke. If you order a Margarita de Roca, one of the restaurant's signature sips, you'll be enjoying tequila, dragonfruit, and jalapeño. With the Mermalada, bourbon and marmalade combine. And for something that catches the eye as well, the ¡Viva la Argentina! layers gin, blue curaçao and citrus flavours. Going for a warm vibe to match its food, Calida's design aesthetic favours raw brick and stonework, moody lighting and Argentinian textiles — and, if you're sitting in the booths, look out for the ficus. The fitout backdrops not just everyday meals, but also events focused on the country in the eatery's spotlight, Latin celebrations more generally, and beef and wine dinners. In other words, you have a heap of reasons to head by more than once.
If you're partial to a spot of breakfast boozing, then boy, have we found the event for you. On Saturday, August 25 and Sunday, August 26, Welcome to Bowen Hills will be transformed into a day drinker's paradise, as it plays host to its first Bottomless Mimosa Festival. Kicking off at 11am on both days, the festival will see fans of the classic morning cocktail spoilt for choice, as bar staff get creative whipping up different variations on the mimosa. These juicy bubble-laden creations will be going for a tidy $8 a pop, though serious punters will find their true calling in the $49 three-hour bottomless mimosa package — which includes food and free massages. Of course, it wouldn't be a Welcome to Bowen Hills party without some top-notch culinary treats as well. Expect tasty eats from the likes of Mr Burger, Bimms BBQ, Vira Lata, Wurst-Meister and Smart Cumin Charcoal Skewer. Image: Welcome to Thornbury.
If you've seen the Disney Pixar film Up, chances are this picture is causing you a bit of déjà vu. As part of a new National Geographic television series, How Hard Can It Be, a team of scientists, engineers and balloon pilots recreated the scene from the hit flick in which 78 year-old Carl Frederickson escapes the ennui of his retirement home by tying balloons to his house and flying far away. Ben Howie, executive producer of the show, said the team "found it is actually close to impossible to fly a real house". After two weeks of intense planning, the team was successful in using an enormous cluster of helium balloons to lift a small, lightweight dwelling with several people inside. Each balloon required an entire tank of helium for inflation, and the house rose to a height of 3,500 metres, remaining airborne for around one hour. https://youtube.com/watch?v=C71rb-4_bOk [Via NOTCOT]
When is a comedy show more than just a comedy show? When it is also supporting an excellent cause beyond getting audiences giggling, chuckling and guffawing. That's what's on the agenda at Frocking Hilarious, which isn't just about showcasing Australia's comedy queens — although that's definitely a highlight — but also about raising funds to help champion women's rights around the world. Hitting the stage: Claire Hooper as host, plus Michelle Brasier, Rose Callaghan, Emma Holland, Jo Gowda and Alexandra Hudson among the hilarious ladies busting out bite-sized comedy sets. They'll be telling jokes to champion ActionAid's work in 45 nations, and to fly the flag for battling gender inequality, poverty and injustice. Happening as part of Brisbane Comedy Festival 2023, this is a one-night only gig from 8pm on Saturday, May 6, taking place in Brisbane Powerhouse's outdoor Pleasuredome. And, it'll also be Auslan interpreted.
Trolls brings its tiny, brightly coiffed creatures to the screen with plenty of baggage. You might have played with the toys that the film is based on. You probably don't have particularly fond memories of many other toy-based franchises – think Transformers, G.I. Joe and Battleship. At the very least, you've almost certainly had Justin Timberlake's inescapable 'Can't Stop the Feeling', which features in the flick, stuck in your head for months. Here's the good news: as directed by SpongeBob SquarePants veterans Mike Mitchell and Walt Dohrn, Trolls is far from the eye-roll-worthy effort it might seem like on paper. On a scale ranging from The Smurfs to The LEGO Movie, it falls firmly in the middle — even if it does little more than swap blue critters for their brightly coloured counterparts, with elements of Cinderella thrown in as well. Here, trolls are "the happiest creatures the world has ever known," and don't they like to sing, dance and hug about it. The scrapbook-loving, party-throwing Princess Poppy (Anna Kendrick) often leads the charge, and she has plenty to celebrate. Twenty years earlier, the pocket-sized folk were frequently scooped up and eaten by huge, hungry beings called Bergens, but quick thinking on the part of King Peppy (Jeffrey Tambor) saw them escape and live joyously ever after. But their idyllic existance is suddenly shattered when an evil chef (Christine Baranski) stumbles upon their habitat. Soon, a handful of trolls are destined for the plate of Bergen Prince Gristle (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), leaving Poppy with the task of saving them, and cranky survivalist Branch (Timberlake) begrudgingly lending his assistance. There's a reason that the Bergens are so keen on catching and munching on the rainbow-hued critters: when they do, they experience a burst of ecstatic contentment that's probably on par with humans eating Nutella-slathered doughnuts. That sensation, of course, ties into the lesson at the heart of the film. As Trolls works towards the song we all know is coming — and throws up various other pop covers along the way — it serves up a heavy-handed moral about finding happiness from internal sources rather than external ones. Still, somehow the movie manages to find a balance between loud, shiny and sickly sweet, and entertaining enough. Kendrick's enthusiastic voice work helps, as do the handmade-looking visuals, which make the film's CGI appear as though it's fashioned out of felt and other crafting products. On the joke front, just as many light-hearted gags and pop culture references land as languish, which is a better strike rate than many other family films. A word of warning though: it might be dressed up in fuzzy packaging in more ways than one, but Trolls also remains the kind of flick that features glitter fart clouds and cupcakes poop. Consider yourself warned.
It's the end of an era, and it's going out with some impressive names. When Bluesfest hosts its last-ever festival in April 2025, it'll have Crowded House, Ocean Alley and Vance Joy for company. A week after announcing that the music fest only has one more run in it, the Byron Bay mainstay has started unveiling its goodbye lineup, revealing the initial 20 acts on the bill. 'Don't Dream It's Over' should take on extra resonance when it earns a spot in Crowded House's set, with the band making one last Bluesfest appearance. Ocean Alley are also no strangers to the fest, and equally onboard for the final 2025 hurrah. From there, the roster of talent for Thursday, April 17–Sunday, April 20, 2025 so far also spans Tones and I, Gary Clark Jr, Rag'n'Bone Man, RY X, Allison Russell and Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram — and more already, with future lineup announcements still to come. "As we prepare for the final chapter of Bluesfest in 2025, I am profoundly moved by the outpouring of support from thousands in our community, along with the many artists and their management eager to be part of our farewell edition. Thank you all for your heartfelt messages and expressions of solidarity," said Festival Director Peter Noble, revealing the fest's first acts for next year. "We're thrilled to unveil the first wave of artists for our grand finale. This lineup, meticulously curated to honour Bluesfest's rich legacy, features a dynamic mix of legendary and cutting-edge performers. This announcement marks just the beginning. Our second lineup is well and truly in the works and the reveal is on the horizon, promising to further enhance what is set to be an epic farewell." Bluesfest's four-day 2025 event will celebrate the Easter long-weekend fest's 36th year, as well as its last. As for who'll join Crowded House, Ocean Alley, Vance Joy and company, start guessing — 2024's headliners Tom Jones and Elvis Costello, if that helps. The last few years have been tumultuous for the Byron Bay fest. 2023's event lost a number of acts, including King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard and Sampa the Great, after Sticky Fingers were added to the bill. Bluesfest ultimately dropped the controversial band. And while the fest went ahead in 2022 after two years of pandemic cancellations (and a thwarted temporary move to October for the same reason), it showcased a primarily Australian and New Zealand lineup. [caption id="attachment_970517" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Celina Martins[/caption] Bluesfest saying goodbye means that two huge Aussie music festivals that call Byron Bay home have shut up shop, although hopefully one is only temporary. After Splendour in the Grass announced its dates for this year, then its lineup, it swiftly cancelled mere weeks later. It continues to prove a tough time for the Australian live music scene. Bluesfest calling time follows Mona Foma doing the same after its 2024 event — plus a lengthy list of festivals beyond Splendour that've ditched their plans this year, sometimes also without announcing their intentions for the future. Just two years after debuting, Adelaide's Harvest Rock has scrapped its 2024 fest as well. Spilt Milk cancelled its 2024 festivals, while Groovin the Moo did the same after announcing its lineup. Summergrounds Music Festival, which was meant to debut at Sydney Festival 2024, also pulled the plug. As announced in 2023, Dark Mofo took a breather in 2024. Yours and Owls has postponed its next fest until 2025, too, but is hosting a pre-party in October this year. Bluesfest 2025 Lineup: Crowded House Vance Joy Ocean Alley Tones and I Gary Clark Jr Rag'n'Bone Man RY X Allison Russell Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram Brad Cox Here Come the Mummies The California Honeydrops Marc Broussard Pierce Brothers Taj Farrant Fanny Lumsden 19-Twenty WILSN Cimafunk Neal Francis [caption id="attachment_969986" align="alignnone" width="1920"] LD Somefx[/caption] [caption id="attachment_969989" align="alignnone" width="1920"] LD Somefx[/caption] [caption id="attachment_969987" align="alignnone" width="1920"] LD Somefx[/caption] [caption id="attachment_867504" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kurt Petersen[/caption] [caption id="attachment_969988" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Roger Cotgreave[/caption] Bluesfest 2025 will run from Thursday, April 17–Sunday, April 20 at Byron Events Farm, Tyagarah. Early-bird tickets are on sale now — for further information, head to the Bluesfest website. Top image: Joseph Mayers.
Trying to dance like Christopher Walken, pretending you're in Cruel Intentions, being transported back to the late 90s and early 00s: that's all on the agenda when Fatboy Slim, aka Norman Cook, returns Down Under in 2023. Touring New Zealand in January and February, then hitting Australia in April and May, the British dance music legend will take to the decks to bust out a hefty range of dance floor fillers. His 1998 album You've Come a Long Way, Baby was the club soundtrack to end the 20th century — a staple of every 90s teen's CD collection, too — and responsible for hits like 'Right Here, Right Now', 'The Rockafeller Skank' and 'Praise You'. As for 2000's Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars, it gave the world 'Weapon of Choice' and its iconic Walken-starring (and Spike Jonze-directed) video. You might not be able to dance along the walls when Cook plays Christchurch, Napier, Auckland, Wellington, Queenstown and Taupo in Aotearoa — and then hops over the ditch a couple of months later to do the same in Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney and Perth — but you'll want to thanks to his big beat sound. Indeed, alongside the Chemical Brothers, The Prodigy, Basement Jaxx, The Propellerheads and Crystal Method, he helped bring the style to mainstream fame. Cook has been making music since the 80s, but took on the name Fatboy Slim in the mid-90s, starting with 1996 record Better Living Through Chemistry. His discography also spans 2004 album Palookaville and 2013 single 'Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat'. [caption id="attachment_878697" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Secretaría de Cultura de la Ciudad de México via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] If you've seen Cook live before, you'll know that this is news to get excited about right about now. His Australian tour marks Cook's return after his 2020 headline shows — pre-pandemic — with his Melbourne gig at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl recorded for an epic live video that's notched up more than 2.4-million views. FATBOY SLIM 2023 AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND TOUR Friday, January 27 — QE2 Park, Christchurch Saturday, January 28 — Tremain Field, Napier Sunday, January 29 — Gardens Music Festival, Victoria Park, Auckland Friday, February 3 — Anderson Park, Wellington Saturday, February 4 — Gibbston Valley, Queenstown Sunday, February 5 — Riverside Park, Taupo Friday, April 28 — Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne Wednesday, May 3 — Riverstage, Brisbane Friday, May 5 — The Entertainment Quarter, Sydney Sunday, May 7 — Burswood Park, Perth Fatboy Slim will tour New Zealand in January and February 2023, and Australia in March and April 2023. Tickets for NZ are on sale now. Pre-sale tickets for Australia start at 2pm local time on Wednesday, November 23, with general sales from the same time on Friday, November 25. Top image: Secretaría de Cultura de la Ciudad de México via Wikimedia Commons.
When the sun dips below the skyline, Melbourne switches from chic boutiques and specialty coffee to a city that doesn't sleep. Despite the unpredictable-at-best weather, Melburnians still turn out for after-dark activities. Whether it's seeing a gig or grabbing a late-night feed, there's no shortage of things to do in Melbourne once the sun sets. This evening culture is one of the reasons why Melbourne has been crowned Australia's number one night-time hot spot. This is according to the Visa Australia Night-time Economy Index 2025, a new in-depth analysis measuring data such as spending, vibrancy, venues open and the amount of nightworkers boosting the economy after dark. Sydney's CBD came in second with a night-time Vibe Score of 74.3 to Melbourne's 82. Data from the Visa Vibe Economy report, commissioned by Visa and conducted by McCrindle, also found that the Victorian capital is dining out at restaurants more frequently than other cities after dark. Unsurprising. Whether you want to get out of the house more now that the weather is warming up, or are looking to impress an interstate mate, here's what to do in Melbourne after dark. [caption id="attachment_1031981" align="alignleft" width="1920"] AO Live[/caption] Catch a Gig or Game Melbourne, like most of Australia, truly comes alive in the summertime, especially after dark. From The Forum's endless stream of live music to Howler and Northcote Social Club's smaller venues up north, you can see both local and international acts all season long. Over at Melbourne Park, there are sports games including soccer, basketball and in January, world-class tennis at the Australian Open. AO Live is heading to Melbourne again this summer, so you can combine sport and culture under one roof. If you prefer to play games yourself, Holey Moley has two mini golf courses in the city: one at Crown Casino and one on Little Bourke Street. [caption id="attachment_722678" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Stalactites[/caption] Late-Night Bites According to the Visa Vibe Economy Report, dining out is Australia's most loved after-dark activity, with 76 percent of respondents venturing to their favourite restaurants for a post-work feed. Night markets were also high up on the list of preferred nighttime activities. In Melbourne, venues like Butchers Diner on Bourke Street and Pizza, Pizza, Pizza (also on Bourke Street) serve up greasy comfort food that still sticks to the city's high food standards. Pizza, Pizza, Pizza also offers a hidden bar behind the counter, where you can lose track of time and enjoy cocktails until late into the evening. Chinatown is a mecca for late-night eats. Wander up the street and take your pick of the most succulent dumplings and noodle dishes the city has to offer. Another 3am institution is Stalactites in the city, a respite for late-night workers and revellers. Keep your eyes peeled for Melbourne's buzzing night markets, including the Queen Victoria Market's summer edition, which runs from now until March 2026. [caption id="attachment_984535" align="alignleft" width="1920"] NGV[/caption] Culture After Dark Melbourne is a city of culture, even into the night. Every Friday night from December to April, the National Gallery of Victoria hosts NGV Friday Nights. Punters can wander the summer exhibition (this season features Westwood | Kawakubo) after dark, soaking in the culture and art under the cover of night. Enjoy a glass of bubbles and a canapé in the Great Hall before jumping on a tram to see where the night takes you. If you prefer your science and culture child-free, the Melbourne Museum hosts monthly after-hours adult entry on Friday nights. Enjoy the exhibits (without screaming children), take in a themed talk and toast to the weekend ahead. Looking for a date night option? Try the Moonlight Cinema at the Royal Botanic Gardens. It's the perfect blend of chill and culture. Simply bring a picnic blanket and snacks, and you can watch a classic as the sun sets over the city. Keep your eyes peeled for the 2026 season. Down the road, Southbank's theatre district is a buzzy blend of music and theatre lovers, plus if you book your tickets early, you can often find good deals and soak up some premier culture. From 2am dumplings in Chinatown to catching the best in live music and culture, there's always an after-dark adventure to find in Melbourne. Discover the vibe near you. Lead image: NGV Friday Nights
Last week, Australia had its first ever drive-in concert. It took place in Sydney's Robyn Webster Sports Centre in Tempe on Thursday, May 21, with Australian Idol winner Casey Donovan as the headline act. It was free and — despite the midday time slot and the slightly off-kilter artist choice — it garnered a crowd. Drive-In Entertainment Australia's first concert was an example of how it plans to run its (many) future events. From July, the company hopes to host live music concerts for up to 600 people, in 300 cars, with plans to launch eight drive-in venues across NSW and Victoria. Depending on how successful the events are, more states may follow. So, how does it work? Much like a scene out of hit 70s film Grease — or any drive-in cinema, really — you drive in, park up and watch from your car. The sound will be broadcast by an FM radio to your car, with the option for the spectacle to be live streamed via Zoom, too. You won't be able to get out of your vehicle though, unless going to the bathroom. All ticketing will be contactless, as will any snack purchases, which will be delivered to your car from onsite food trucks. It's no secret Australia's music industry has been hit hard during the pandemic, with website I Lost My Gig reporting about $340 million in lost income since COVID-19 saw the cancellation and postponement of festivals and gigs nationwide. With Australia's proposed roadmap out of COVID-19 lockdown, mass gatherings of up to 100 will be permissible from July, which isn't a sustainable outlook for all facets of the industry. Despite Falls Festival 2020 announcing its plans to go ahead, a public health expert predicts music festivals may not be able to restart until September 2021. At least with drive-in concerts, larger live music events will be able to have a small revival — even if it means you must cut shapes in your car. Australia is not the first country to trial drive-in gigs, with one of the first happening in an LA carpark back in March and another in Aarhus, Denmark last month, which sold out in minutes according to Forbes. Drive-In Entertainment Australia plans to launch eight venues across NSW and Victoria, with other states to potentially follow. Entertainers, producers, agents and managers can register for a gig from Saturday, July 18 onwards. More information and contact details can be found on the website.
Melbourne's seen its fair share of dockless bike share systems rolled out (and often axed) over the years. But things are shifting up a gear this year when the city's first ever long-term dockless share scheme for electric bikes launches this week. The City of Melbourne, the City of Yarra and the City of Port Phillip have announced they're starting a one-year trial with Uber's much-hyped e-bike service, Jump. Jump has already been embraced by cities across the US and Europe, and is en route to our neighbours in Auckland, but this will be its Australian launch. When they lands in Melbourne tomorrow at 6am, Wednesday, 4, the bright red pedal-assisted bikes will be available to hire through your regular Uber app. You'll just need to switch to bike mode, where you'll be able to see available bikes and use the app to unlock one and ride away. For now, 400 bikes will located in the CBD, with more bikes set to roll out across the City of Yarra and City of Port Phillip over the coming months. They'll be available to use in the three council areas, only, which cover the CBD and Docklands, West Melbourne (and over to Flemington), the inner north (Carlton, North Melbourne, Fitzroy and Richmond) and down to the bay (Port Melbourne, South Melbourne, Albert Park, St Kilda and Elwood). If you ride a Jump bike outside of these areas, you may receive a penalty charge to your Uber account. In another effort to avoid the woes of past bike share networks, the councils have signed a Memorandum of Understanding outlining the rules and regulations Jump will need to stick to in order to keep operating in Melbourne past the 12-month trial. The company using geo-fencing technologies and remote monitoring to keep track of its fleet. Hopefully that'll help curb the number of bikes ditched in trees, creeks and other questionable spots around the city, as was mostly the downfall of previous players like oBike. As well as laying down requirements for parking and maintenance, it stipulates firm resolution timeframes for damaged or discarded e-bikes. Taking care of service and maintenance will be the crew from Good Cycles, a Melbourne-based social enterprise that trains and employees disadvantaged youth. Riders will, of course, have to don a helmet and play by the usual road rules when cruising around on a Jump bike, with the bikes costing $1 to unlock and 30 cents a minute to ride. When you've finished using the bike, you'll also need to park and lock the bike in one of the e-bike zones shown on the app's map. Uber hasn't announced any plans to launch Jump in any other Australian cities yet, but if the trial goes well, we'd expect that it will in the near future. The Jump bike option will be available in your Uber app from Wednesday, March 4. You can find more info on the Jump bikes here.
Australia will receive a healthy dose of 1920s razzle-dazzle, as record-breaking Broadway favourite Chicago shimmies onto stages across the country this year. An Aussie production of the smash-hit musical will debut at Sydney's Capitol Theatre in August, before heading to Brisbane's QPAC Lyric Theatre in November and wrapping up at Arts Centre Melbourne from December. The longest-running American musical in Broadway and West End history, the original Kander & Ebb musical has reached the eyeballs of over 31 million people worldwide. Inspiring 2002's Academy Award-winning film of the same name, it tells the tale of a Chicago housewife and nightclub dancer who twirls through a whirlwind of murdered lovers, jail-time, fierce rivalries and tabloid sensationalism set in the decadent 1920s. Taking the stage for Chicago's local run is a cast of well-known Aussie names — catch acclaimed all-rounder Natalie Bassingthwaighte in the lead role of Roxie Hart, musical theatre veteran Alinta Chidzey as her rival Velma Kelly, and ARIA-winning superstar Casey Donovan playing Matron 'Mama' Morton. Based on a 1926 play by Maurine Dallas Watkins, the production showcases music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb and choreography by Tony Award winner Ann Reinking. Hot on its black patent heels are two more award-winning musicals heading Down Under. Saturday Night Fever will head to Capital Theatre in Sydney this August, before Waitress hits Aussie shores in 2020. Images: Peter Brew Bevan, Jeremy Daniel.
Getting Brisbanites tasting top-notch cocktails from award-winning venues around the world has been Living Room Bar's game for a few years now — and this time, it has enlisted Matt Whiley from Sydney's acclaimd Re. One of the reasons that the Harbour City venue earns so much love is its sustainability-focused approach. Reducing waste by using ingredients that'd normally be discarded is Re's angle, and an important one. That ethos comes through at Conscious Cocktails, as the menu that's on offer for six months from Thursday, May 30, 2024 at Living Room Bar has been dubbed. It'll evolve over that period, always with reducing refuse at its core. Potato skins, pineapple rind, pumpkin seeds, cauliflower cream, carrot peel: expect to find them all featured. Take the Re Lamington Negroni, for instance, which uses a cacao husk vermouth blend alongside raspberry gin, Campari and coconut oil. Or, there's also the Re Margarita Spritz, with an entire mandarin going into the sip, plus tequila and mandarin kosho (it can also be enjoyed sans booze). You can be forgiven for wanting to order the Malt Disney for its name alone — and if you do, burnt potato skin, carrot vinegar caramel, whisky and malt vodka await your tastebuds, as does a malt cloud. Blackened pumpkin seeds are an ingredient in The Seed Money, the roasted cauliflower cream pops up with bread caramel in Space Plant 60, while salad leaves and caramelised white chocolate are among Tip of the Iceberg's necessities. And, opt for the Shroom Service for a libation with onion ash, mushroom honey and pineapple skin. Whiley has worked on the menu with Living Room Bar Bar Manager Francesco Squllacioti, and will continue to do so as the seasons change over the six-month run (because each one brings with it a new batch of ingredients that can be saved from becoming waste). The venue is also taking its commitment to sustainability beyond the pair's tipples, printing the menu on paper that was once coffee cups, using coasters made from 100-recent recycled plastic waste, composting its culinary waste that isn't part of Conscious Cocktails onsite and donating excess food to OzHarvest.
The Noosa Eat & Drink Festival is making its grand return in 2024 with a fantastic epicurean program worthy of a journey to the Sunshine Coast. There aren't many events that bring leading chefs, acclaimed restaurants, live music and beach parties together, but this event offers all that and more in one of the country's most picturesque coastal destinations across four days from Thursday, May 30 to Sunday, June 2, 2024. From multi-course lunches at Noosa's buzziest hotspots to celebrity chef masterclasses and sunset drinks on the beach, read on for the various mouthwatering ways to experience Noosa Eat & Drink in 2024. Festival Village The heart of the Noosa Eat & Drink Festival is the two-day Festival Village across Saturday, June 1 and Sunday, June 2. Grab your tickets for one of the interactive chef-hosted masterclasses including a Bandita Masterclass with Jason Jones and Seabourne Distillery, and a dessert masterclass with sweets superstar Anna Polyviou. Then grab a wine, beer or cocktail from world-class purveyors as you explore the Producers Pavilion throughout the day to procure local honey, condiments, ceramics and more. This year's Main Stage program at the Festival Village will showcase cooking demos led by notable foodie personalities and celebrity cooking competitions. Once the sun goes down, a lineup of entertaining performers will keep the crowds warmed up, from guest DJs to six-piece live band Bermuda Social. You can regularly recharge with a bite from one of the pop-up restaurants and stalls, or unwind in style at the VIP Lounge. VIP ticket-holders can enjoy a complimentary welcome drink of Chandon Garden Spritz and catering by Lanai Noosa in lounge seating on a private lawn. They'll also get front-row seating by the main stage and priority entry. Book your Festival Village tickets here. Beach Events The festival will take over Noosa Main Beach with back-to-back twilight events and a Sunday brunch from Friday, May 31 to Sunday, June 2. These sprawling oceanside shindigs are so sought after that one of them sold out within a couple of days of tickets going on sale. That's right, tickets for the official opening party on the Friday evening have already been snapped up entirely. However, the Sunday Festival Sundowner — the beach party that caps off the weekend with tequila, dancing and revelry — is now on sale so get in quick. Earlier on the Sunday, The Minuty Beach Brunch will take place with a menu curated by George Calombaris and MasterChef alumni Sarah Todd, paired to complement the flavour profile of Château Minuty rosé which will be flowing on the day. Book your tickets now. On Saturday, June 1 Noosa Main Beach will be taken over as the Saturday Beach Club where groups can book tables or picnic rugs and enjoy Italian-style grazing platters by Locale and drinks for a leisurely hang to make the most of the gorgeous setting. Rally your crew and book in for a session pronto. Restaurants It wouldn't be a spotlight on Noosa's food scene without the involvement of beloved local restaurants. Refined classics Locale, Noosa Waterfront and Season will join fresh favourites Seabourne Distillery, Mariella Mexicantina, Bandita Mexican and Sum Yum Guys for special menus and exclusive events. Among the highlights: The Locale Long Italian Lunch presented by Cloudy Bay for which the terrific Hasting Street Italian eatery is collaborating with visiting chef Will Cowper of Otto Brisbane for a traditional Italian-style feast paired with Cloudy Bay wines. Tickets go on sale from March 14. Another option is going down a little further south at the Peregian Beach Hotel for the Local Love Lunch where guests will enjoy a four-course lunch starring the best local and native produce with beverages courtesy of Seabourne Distillery and wines from Alpha Box & Dice. Get tickets here on March 14. If a Mexican feast with mezcal is more your speed, get on board for the Bandita Late Lunch, where the Bandita Noosaville team will join forces with Mextrade — Australia's top distributor of tequila, mezcal and Mexican craft spirits. Tickets will be available here from March 14. And one of the waterfront institutions of Noosa Main Beach, Season Restaurant, is hosting a lavish Asian dining feast at the Season Restaurant x Shaw + Smith Lunch with wines courtesy of the renowned Mclaren Vale winery at which winemaker Adam Wadewitz will be on hand to guide you through each pairing. Bookmark this link to secure your tickets. There's also a special collaboration between Khanh Ong and Betty's Burgers, a gin tour, a local craft beer tour, and a laneway party at Noosa Junction. There will also be a floating dining experience on the luxe Catalina Noosa and even an island takeover. Tickets are strictly limited and sold separately per event, so make sure to get in quick. Purchase tickets and find out more at the Noosa Eat & Drink Festival website.
If you haven't spotted festive decorations popping up around Brisbane yet, that means that you haven't been anywhere in Brisbane since Halloween ended and November arrived. Otherwise, you would've seen the obvious: it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around the River City. Come Thursday, November 23 until the big day, the Brisbane CBD will be brimming with even more festive cheer — whether you're keen on shopping your way through markets, peering at dazzling lights or searching for tiny doors. Brisbane City Council and Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner have unveiled the lineup of Christmas events that'll be decking out the city, and it's filled with highlights. Some, like the Enchanted Garden in Roma Street, are popular favourites set to delight again. Others, such as a Christmas party at Victoria Park / Barrambin that'll livestream the Lord Mayor's Christmas Carols, are fresh additions to your seasonal itinerary. It all kicks off on Thursday, November 23 with the return of Enchanted Garden, aka glowing sights filling Roma Street Parkland for you to wander around, which runs until Wednesday, December 20. Then, to welcome December — taking place on Friday, December 1, in fact — the annual lighting of King George Square's 22-metre-tall Christmas tree will herald a cavalcade of merriment showering the inner city. For nabbing gifts, Brisbane Arcade's two-day Christmas markets are back, as are the BrisStyle twilight Christmas markets in King George Square — both joining the city's hefty list of places to browse and buy beyond shopping centres. In the CBD, there'll also be nightly light shows at City Hall, running from 7.30pm–12am from Friday, December 8–Sunday, December 24; daily roving performances in the mall from Friday, December 1–Sunday, December 24; and the Lord Mayor's Christmas Carols on Saturday, December 9 at the Riverstage, plus the broadcast over to Herston. For the latter, entry is free and picnic baskets are encouraged, with food trucks also popping up. As for the tiny doors, they're all handmade and will be scattered throughout the city from Friday, December 1–Sunday, December 31, ready for you to find and marvel at their cuteness. The rest of the festive lineup includes a free Christmas show in the Queen Street Mall on three Fridays — December 8, 15 and 22 — plus singers and dancers taking to the same stage from Saturday, December 16–Sunday, December 24. And, at Uptown (RIP the Myer Centre), Queens Plaza and the Wintergarden, you'll have a heap of chances to get Santa snaps. Brisbane City Council's 2023 Christmas program will take over the Brisbane CBD from Thursday, November 23–Sunday, December 31. Head to the Visit Brisbane website for further details.
Almost a decade and a half after the Marvel Cinematic Universe first reached screens and began to change blockbuster entertainment as we know it, it can often seem like its sprawling range of interconnected films and TV shows has featured every actor ever. We'd start naming stars, but there's just so many. And the next show headed to the comic book company's television ranks — and set to stream via Disney+, obviously — definitely won't change that feeling, given that it features Oscar Isaac and Ethan Hawke. In Moon Knight, Isaac (The Card Counter) plays the eponymous figure — and yes, from the MCU's Phase Four ranks (because Marvel splits its movies and series into phases depending on where the overarching story is at the time), this'll be the first Disney+ series that doesn't overtly tie in with characters we've already seen in plenty of its past flicks. So, if it all sounds unfamiliar after the last year served up WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki and Hawkeye, there's a very good reason for that. On the page, Moon Knight dates back to 1975 — and, on-screen, hasn't ever gotten the live-action treatment until now. Also known as Marc Spector, the character is an ex-marine who has a dissociative identity disorder as well as a sleeping disorder, and also becomes the conduit for the Egyptian moon god Khonshu. Already dealing with multiple distinctive identities and not being able to tell the difference between being awake and asleep, the latter run-in doesn't go down smoothly, unsurprisingly. Just how that'll turn out for this Isaac-starring version of the figure won't be seen until Wednesday, March 30, when Moon Knight will start hitting Disney+ — but the first trailer for the six-part series has just dropped to give everyone a glimpse in the interim. Isaac plays frantic, stressed and panic well, and not only because he plays almost everything well (see also: last year's Scenes From a Marriage and Dune). And this sneak peek both gets twisty and teases out the show's premise. As for Hawke (The Good Lord Bird), he's the villain of the piece, and is seen drawing a crowd, looking like a cult leader and encouraging Marc to embrace the voice inside his head. Moon Knight boasts impressive talent behind the camera, too, with The Endless and Synchronic's Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead directing. And yes, this is just the first of Marvel's 2022 TV shows, with She-Hulk starring Tatiana Maslany (Perry Mason) and he-hulk Mark Ruffalo, plus Ms Marvel and Nick Fury-focused series Secret Invasion, all likely to hit this year, too. Check out the Moon Knight trailer below: Moon Knight will be available to stream via Disney+ from Wednesday, March 30.
Indian Mehfil in Taringa has vegans and vegetarians spoilt for choice with a huge offering of curries. The restaurant is based in an old heritage-style building and seats up to 150 people. With the philosophy of 'guest is god', Indian Mehfil has a knack for serving its customers with the utmost attention to detail, even those ordering from home. The extensive menu takes care of vego guests with over 12 vegetarian curries on the menu, including a malai kofta (with potato and cheese balls with roasted dried fruits), pumpkin masala and vegetable madras. And for vegans, there is a choice of seven curries, but you can't beat the dal tadka (lentil curry).
When the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras arrives each year, picking your parties becomes everyone's new pastime as the LGBTQIA+ celebrations take over the city. Is going all out both at the parade and afterwards your kind of shindig? Do you want to hit up a vogue ball? Enjoy a pool soirée? Dance on a beach? Get glittery in a laneway? They're all options — including from Friday, February 16–Sunday, March 3 in 2024. Who you'd like to listen to as you get into the Mardi Gras spirit inspires another set of questions — and the answers for this year, aka the event's full lineup, have just been announced. Adam Lambert, Ultra Naté, CeCe Peniston and Slayyyter all feature, as do Cub Sport, MAY-A, Keiynan Lonsdale, Melissa Tkautz and the cast of & Juliet. In total, more than 150 performers are on the bill across 100-plus events. [caption id="attachment_938201" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Joseph Sinclair[/caption] Lambert is at the top of the list for the ten-hour, 10,000-capacity Mardi Gras Party, taking to the stage at Hordern Pavilion. That's where Ultra Naté will also bust out 1997 anthem 'Free', on a roster that also spans ONYX, Brett Austin, Patrick Mason, DJ Monki and Mark Alsop. The same event will feature Peniston giving an Australian-exclusive performance that will have everyone singing along to 'Finally', but in The Forecourt. Also on the bill: Lonsdale, Miss Katalyna, Shigeki and Bobby Blanco, as well as SGT Slick and Ebstar. Elsewhere, Mardi Gras Party lineup's includes DJ Naian, Lisa May and AK Sports among the talents at Liberty Hall, which will be going for a boiler room-style vibe; a roster featuring DADSMAYO, Charlie Villas, Mary Kiani and more at The Big Top; Diva Cups, Mama de Leche, Dyan Tai, Drag Kings and others at Watson's; and Mary's EQ and The Entertainment Quarter hosting food trucks and bars. If revelling on the sand at Sydney WorldPride's Bondi Beach Party was one of your 2023 highlights, it might earn the same status again this year. While Sydney WorldPride was a once-off, its surfside shenanigans are returning. This time, the event will welcome in 15,000 attendees to see Slayyyter in an Aussie-exclusive performance — plus Jay Jay Revlon, Lagoon Femshaymer, Corey Craig, Josh Harrison, Tyoow, Mama de Leche and Beth Yen. Mardi Gras 2024 is similarly giving Sydney WorldPride's Ultra Violet a second run, celebrating LGBTQIA+ women in an event that takes place as day turns to night at the National Art School. MAY-A will headline, with Estée Louder, DJ Sveta, Gemma, Kinky D (UK), BVT, Jacqui Cunningham, Mirasia and Kilimi on the bill as well. The free Fair Day is where Tkautz will break out 'Read My Lips'; stage talents riffing on Shakespeare will perform; and LION, Paul Capsis, Royston Noell and DJ Nate will also be take to the stage. The doggywood pageant, karaoke cave, drag king games and First Nations circle are all also on the agenda. Gender-diverse celebration Hot Trans Summer on floating venue Glass Island will feature DJs Neesha Alexander, Yvngcweed, and Victoria Anthony, plus Fetu Taku, Bluberry Bakla and Willow Ick performing. Paradiso Pool Party's lineup at the ivy Pool Bar is bringing together Beth Yen, Enn, DJ Dolly Llama, Haylee Maree, DJ Sveta, Axl Rod, Rocky Stallone and more. And at the other excuse for a splash, the Kaftana Pool Party, Texas Gold, Miss Rosie Rivette, Sideboob DJ Hamo are among the DJs. Cub Sport lead the charge at Laneway at The Beresford to wrap up the fest, with Atomic Kiss, Amanda Louise, Dan Azzo and Jesse Boyd for company. Before then, DJ Colin Gaff, GI Jode, Kevininthecity, Faustina Agolley, John Glover and Rosie Piper are among the folks who'll be helping set the mood at the parade's viewing areas. The full 2024 Mardi Gras rundown also sees Zoë Coombs Marr host Laugh Out Proud at the Enmore Theatre, where St Clair, Wandi Cao, Steven Oliver, Michelle Braiser, Eli Matthewson, Bob Downe and AJ Lamarque will pick up the microphone. At the Sissy Ball, Jack Mizrahi will be commentating, while Legendary Tamiyah 007, Joel Bueno, Steva 007 and Daniielle Juicy Gorgeous Gucci are judging. Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras 2024 runs from Friday, February 16–Sunday, March 3, 2024. For more information, or for tickets, head to the event's website. Select images: Jeffrey Feng Photography, Lexy Potts.
When A League of Their Own hit cinemas back in 1992, it didn't just claim that there's no crying in baseball. More importantly, it told a spirited story about the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League back in the 1940s — and it hit a home run with audiences in the process. It should come as no surprise, then, that it's getting the remake treatment, this time with Broad City's Abbi Jacobson leading the show. Jacobson also co-created and executive produced Prime Video's new version of A League of Their Own, which'll slide into your streaming queue on August 12. If you've seen the movie — which starred Geena Davis, Madonna and Rosie O'Donnell as members of a women's baseball team, plus Tom Hanks as their manager (and the person who famously decided that tears didn't have a part in the bat-swinging game) — you'll know the general gist of what's in store. As seen in the show's initial teaser trailer back in June, as well as the just-dropped full trailer, the series again jumps back to World War II to follow a group of women who dream of playing professional baseball. That said, it also promises to expand its story further that the film, charting a whole generation of baseball-loving ladies with that dream, including beyond the AAGPBL — and looking at both race and sexuality on and off the field in the process. Jacobson plays Carson, while Chanté Adams (Voyagers) plays Max — and they're joined by The Good Place's D'Arcy Carden among the players, plus Parks and Recreation favourite Nick Offerman as well. Also appearing on-screen: Gbemisola Ikumelo (The Power), Roberta Colindrez (Vida), Saidah Arrika Ekulona (Better Call Saul), Kate Berlant (Search Party), Kendall Johnson (Sexless), Kelly McCormack (George & Tammy), Alex Désert (Better Things), Priscilla Delgado (Julieta), Aaron Jennings (Grand Crew), Molly Ephraim (Perry Mason), Melanie Field (The Alienist) and Dale Dickey (Palm Springs). Charting its characters' efforts to make their way onto the field — and not only be part of a team, but also discover who they really are along the way — the new A League of Their Own marks Jacobson's first ongoing on-screen TV role since Broad City said goodbye. If you're in need of a weekend-long binge in August, all eight episodes of the show will drop at once, too. Check out the full trailer for A League of Their Own below: A League of Their Own will start streaming via Prime Video on August 12.
When your artistic career spans more then five decades, that usually means one of two things: either you've become rather good at something in particular, or you've tried it all. In Gerhard Richter's case, it's fair to say that both and neither apply. That is, he's exceptional at many different methods of putting paint on a canvas. In the first major exhibition of his work in Australia, Gerhard Richter: The Life of Images assembles more than 90 of his pieces from the past 50 years-plus to demonstrate the extent of the German artist's talents. First, witness the trademark blur of his photo-like paintings, which result from using soft brushes to whip up versions of projected snaps. Then, view his abstract efforts layered over images of extermination camps. In between, gaze at portraits, landscapes, photographs, sketches, collages and cuttings. Running from October 14 to February 4, the end result provides an insight not only into Richter's phenomenal work, but into his process. To help with delving into the latter, the program also includes two documentaries that will alternate each weekend. Image: Gerhard Richter; Germany b.1932. Ella (903-1) 2007. Oil on canvas. 40 x 31cm. Private Collection © Gerhard Richter 2017
Like commemorating the birth and life of famous figures? Like multicultural festivities that shed a light on diversity and harmony? If so, it's party time. Brisbane's annual Buddha Birthday Festival is back for its 26th festival, once again taking place at the Chung Tian Temple in Priestdale. Running from Friday, April 28–Sunday, April 30, the 2023 program is serving up three jam-packed days of lion dances, calligraphy, art, performances and more. While it might not cater to 200,000 people as it did in pre-pandemic years, you still won't find yourself lacking in either company or something to watch. Drum demonstrations, storytelling, kung fu: they're all on the agenda as well. The festival isn't just about seeing other people strut their stuff, though. With a vegetarian food fair serving up culinary delights — think curries, katsu, dumplings, noodles, bao, shaved ice and matcha ice cream — you won't go hungry. With tea ceremonies keeping you hydrated, meditation sessions taking care of your mental bliss, lasers set to dazzle and red lanterns on display, this isn't just a feast of entertainment. Instead, think of it as a complete mind and body experience. Images: Buddha Birthday Festival.
Caffè sospeso — or 'suspended coffee' — is a Neapolitan tradition where you pay for two coffees at a café, drink one and the second is given to the next customer who walks through the door. It's a small, anonymous act of charity. Now laneway bar Bar Americano is bringing the tradition to the streets of Melbourne. Owner Matt Bax has subsidised espressos and two cocktails on his menu in the hope that it will encourage his customers to partake in the random act of kindness. While the first drink, for yourself, will be full price, the second espresso will cost $3, Amaro Americano (their namesake drink) $7 and Negroni $15. While it's not the first establishment to recreate the tradition down south — STREAT implemented it as an act of kindness for Melbourne's homeless — it is the first establishment to recreate it with cocktails. Bax — a renowned bar tsar who has been working in the city for over 20 years — hopes this venture encourages people to be more tolerant and kind to each other. "It may just be a $3 espresso you are buying for a stranger," he says. "But it's so much more. I think it's an investment in a better society." It might not change the world but — for those who can afford to, at least — caffè sospeso might at least help foster a sense of community in the middle of the CBD. Caffè sospeso is running six nights a week at Bar Americano, 20 Presgrave Place, Melbourne. For more information, visit baramericano.com. Image: Alicia Taylor.
If we can glean any positive takeaways from 2020, one of them has been our renewed appreciation for a casual get-together with friends. While nothing replaces the joy of hitting up your local for a few cold ones with your mates, the benefits of staying home include having the time to play games, the freedom to listen to your own music and the chance to show off the cooking skills you perfected during lockdown. To help you make the most of barbecue season, we've partnered with Jim Beam to bring you a guide to flexing your hosting skills around the grill this summer. [caption id="attachment_786631" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Erik Mclean[/caption] SWAP SAUSAGE SIZZLE FOR GOURMET SANGAS Snags are easy, which is precisely why you're going to give them a miss this time around. When you want to level up your grilled feast, swap out the sausages for a platter of steak sandwiches topped with caramelised onions and gruyere (for when you're really flexing). Pick up a ciabatta loaf, flank steak or bavette, and a few large onions, red wine vinegar and brown sugar to make the caramelised onions. You can caramelise the onions ahead of time, and warm up the ciabatta just before serving time. For those who'd like a little helping hand, Jamie Oliver has a good steak sandwich recipe, as does Gourmet Traveller. It's your turn to play MasterChef contestant, so get creative, and if you've got fussy eaters, present each ingredient individually at a serving station so that everyone feels part of the process. [caption id="attachment_786453" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cassandra Hannagan[/caption] SWAP CHIPS AND DIP FOR PIMPED-UP POTATOES Leave the corn chips on the supermarket shelf. Instead, pick up some chats, corn on the cob and prosciutto and create bowls of potato salad fancy enough to match your gourmet steak sandwiches. First, bring a pot of potatoes to the boil and cook until they're soft but still retain their shape. Leave to cool and slice into halves or quarters. Bring a pan to high heat and crisp up chunks of prosciutto until crispy. Now, make up some spiked sour cream (silken tofu, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, chilli powder and cayenne pepper) and add it to the cooled potatoes along with strips of prosciutto and a pinch of smoked paprika. To add to the feast, grill corn on the cob and leave part of the husks intact for hands-on snacking. [caption id="attachment_786622" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Steven Woodburn[/caption] SWAP FRIDGE BEERS FOR PREMIXERS OR COCKTAILS Your mates aren't going to turn up at your house empty handed, and we bet they'll bring a couple of beers along as usual. So, as you're the host, make sure you have a slab of something else to change up the booze options. We suggest picking up cans of Jim Beam and Cola, a premixed drink of Jim Beam's famed American bourbon and cola that pairs well with barbecued meat flavours. Keep the cans on ice, chilled and ready for your guests to drink from the can or to serve themselves over ice in a glass. If you like to add a little something extra, prep some wedges of lime for a citrusy addition to the premixed drinks. Or, if you have a bottle of Jim Beam in your drinks cabinet, make up a quick cocktail with 15ml of lemon cordial and 30ml of bourbon in a highball glass. Fill the glass with ice and top up with soda and a wedge of lemon. [caption id="attachment_762521" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Eric Nopanen[/caption] SWAP ARVO FOR SUNSET It can be hard to pin people down for a date if your event runs all through the day and into the night. So, make things easier for everyone by hosting yours after the peak sunshine hours when everyone can relax into their evenings and enjoy dinner together. If you have epic views from your abode, make the most of golden hour and take lots of photos just before the sun sets (trust us, you'll look amazing). And, when the sun has gone down, have lots of atmospheric lighting ready to go — think vintage festoon lighting, or a lit fire pit if you have one. Need inspiration? The Party People has clear, colourful, disco ball-shaped and festive lights for sale with delivery available across Australia. [caption id="attachment_787327" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cottonbro[/caption] SWAP TABLES AND CHAIRS FOR PICNIC RUGS Use the best of what you already have to your advantage. Got a picnic rug? Camping chairs? Cushions? You can make a cosy and super casual chill out area in your backyard, no matter how much space you have. Your mates will love your creativity, and it'll create an environment where everyone feels relaxed and able to kick off their shoes without feeling trapped at a dining table. Go one better and gather all your pot plants from around the house and bring your green friends to the party, too. It'll create a mini oasis where you might otherwise have had a lifeless concrete patio. Looking to add to your indoor jungle? The Plant People delivers low-maintenance plants across Australia. Or see our lists of the best places to buy new plants in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane. Top image: Cassandra Hannagan
Over the past two years, we've already spent too much time burning through our streaming queues, so simply settling in for a stint of TV has lost a bit of its lustre. And, there's also the fact that our day-to-days are pretty well dominated by screens anyway. From waking up and checking the weather/news/Instagram to then packing our days with staring at a computer at our nine-to-fives, sitting on the loo watching TikToks and cooking the recipes we view on iPads, it's no wonder we've got screen fatigue. So, put that remote down and treat yourself to another way to kill time: a jigsaw puzzle. Yep, it's time to get analogue. For many of us, 2020 was the year of hobbies and home activities. So, no doubt you already have a jigsaw or two lying around — which means you're in need of fresh puzzle talent. Or, you might've resisted the recent trend, only to now realise that you missed out on some wholesome, puzzle-piecing times. Either way, we're here to help. Here are our eight puzzle picks for when boredom next hits like a tonne of bricks — whether you just have a few spare hours, you're spending time in isolation or you feel like you've watched every streaming series there is to watch. AUSTRALIA UNSEEN Bring the beach to your living room with these serene coastal scenes in puzzle form. Australia Unseen's Vincent Rommelaere takes photos of Australian beaches and rock pools, and usually sells them as prints on his website. But in 2020, as iso-life became the new normal, Rommelaere began transforming some of his snaps into jigsaw puzzles. At the moment, he offers seven different puzzles available as 1000-piece ($49) jigsaws. If you're into ocean pools, you can keep your fingers busy with a puzzle of Bondi's famed Icebergs. Otherwise, there's shots of the Coogee Beach rainbow path, the Bronte Baths and people sunbathing at Bondi. Or, if you'd prefer to look at Melbourne, you can opt for one of the city's CBD skyline. Delivery within Australia is $10 and international shipping is also available, with cost and delivery time dependent on region. All jigsaw puzzles in stock are shipped from Sydney and you'll score free shipping on orders over $100. Buy via Australia Unseen's website. OKAY LADY Chances are at least one of your housemates developed a penchant for puzzles over the past two years and, if that's the case, a pressie from online jigsaw puzzle company Okay Lady will be a winner. Think of it as the perfect 'thanks for putting up with me' gift that you benefit from, too. Okay Lady puzzles champion Aussie women illustrators and come in environmentally friendly packaging — no plastic in sight. The artists also receive royalties from every single sale, which we love to see. If you happen to live with your bestie, there's a super-cute 400-piece jigsaw by Queensland artist Sophie Beer that features two besties and some adorable pups. Or, nab the Night Dancer puzzle, designed by artist Alice Lindstrom, for a truly vibrant work of puzzle art. All Okay Lady jigsaws are $59 and each 400-piece design is aimed to be more of a mindful activity than a super challenging, days-long process. Shipping is free across Australia with orders shipped from the Melbourne office every weekday, so expect about five–seven business days for your package to arrive. Can't wait? Opt for express delivery for $15. Buy via Okay Lady's website. SMOOCHY POOCHEY Ever wanted to piece together a portrait of your adorable pooch? Of course you have — which is why Queensland-based company Smoochy Poochey exists. While the company allows you to pick whichever kind of personalised puzzle you like, getting a jigsaw puzzle emblazoned with your pet's cute little face is a clear winner. Think of it this way: you've already spent so long gazing at them because they're just so adorable, and you've well and truly committed their face to your memory in the process, so this should be the easiest jigsaw you've ever done. And if you'd like to provide more than one photo for a single puzzle — as uploaded via the company's website — you can. Just simply upload multiple pics of of Fido, Fluffy, Polly or Nemo and create a collage. A number of sizes are available, ranging from a simple, kid-friendly 30-piece jigsaw to challenging 1000-piece ones for when you have hours upon hours to kill. Prices range from $28.25 for the smallest puzzle and up to $59.95 for the largest. Delivery is via Australia Post, with a standard $12.95 flat rate across Australia, or you can opt for express delivery for $16. Buy via the Smoochy Poochey website. PUZZLE POST You've done it: you've reached peak puzzle madness. You can't get enough of the brain-tickling activity and you want a regular rotation of jigsaws landing on your doorstep. Enter: Puzzle Post — Australia's first jigsaw puzzle subscription. Puzzle Post delivers a new jigsaw to your doorstep every month, and factors in your tastes. Now that's a service. From the same minds behind book subscription service Bookabuy, the idea for this new venture spawned after owners Chris and Mel Tantchev noticed something of a jigsaw puzzle resurgence. Look around these pandemic days and you'll notice those little cardboard pieces have made quite the comeback. There are a bunch of themes from over 20 categories — including cats, nostalgia, flowers, Disney and food — ranging from easy (500 pieces) to harder, 1000-plus piece puzzles. By answering a few quick questions at checkout, you'll end up with a jigsaw haul personalised just for you. You can opt for a one-off puzzle delivery ($29) or organise a three-, six- or 12-month subscription, which'll set you back between $87–348 up front (or $29 per month). If every month is too frequent, you can choose to get a new puzzle delivered in two- or three- month intervals, too. Subscribe via the Puzzle Post website. JOURNEY OF SOMETHING Journey of Something is a female-founded and Australian-owned company dedicated to combining art with activities (read: beautiful puzzles, art kits and games). But, you're here for puzzles — not the other stuff — so we'll get right to it. It stocks a bunch of jigsaws, ranging from mini puzzles to 1000-piece beasts, which are all designed by local artists. Order yourself a puzzle decorated with iconic women such as Dolly Parton, Frida Khalo and Malala Yousafzai — or, there's a cute mini puzzle that'll have you doing your daily affirmations in no time. Puzzles range from $20–64, and Journey of Something also offers some duo packs and a 12-month subscription. Shipping costs depend on how much you're buying — starting at $10 for one puzzle. Buy via Journey of Something's website. [caption id="attachment_708992" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rone[/caption] RONE If you're bored of putting together rainforest scenes or that 500-piece Monet puzzle was just too easy, Melbourne street artist Rone has come up with the goods, releasing three of his large-scale artworks (Home Wrecker, The Dining Room and The Study) as jigsaw puzzles. For those not in the know, Rone normally creates large-scale artworks on the sides of nine-story buildings or in abandoned spaces throughout Melbourne. He's particularly known for his massive portraits that combine elements of beauty and ruin, alongside concepts of new and old. Since bursting onto the local scene in the early 2000s, his work has been shown in London, New York, San Francisco, Miami and Hong Kong. So, he's kind of a big deal — and you can now build a piece of his art in your living room. Rone's puzzles are priced at a reasonable $64, considering his art prints are selling upwards of $400. Each art-cum-puzzle is comprised of 1000 pieces and includes enough detail for a challenging afternoon of puzzling. Shipping to locations across Melbourne costs $10.95, while it's $14.89 for the rest of Australia. Hot tip: buy two puzzles and you save yourself the delivery fee, thanks to Rone offering free shipping on orders over $100. Buy via Rone's website. SALTY GALLERY Similar to the popular Australian Unseen puzzles, photographer Dharma Bendersky and his gallery Salty Gallery have turned his stunning shots of Sydney beaches into 1000-piece jigsaw puzzles. So, if you're missing sunny afternoons at the beach and simply can't get enough of creating intricate cardboard artworks, then add these beauties to your cart. There are currently four idyllic puzzles on offer, featuring a selection of spots. If you're more a fan of concrete-covered bays, Bedersky also plans to unveil more designs. Each puzzle is $59, includes free shipping Australia-wide, can be delivered internationally, and are shipped in eco-friendly compostable bags. Buy via the Salty Gallery website. [caption id="attachment_822202" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Charles Conder, 'Rainy Day', 1888. Art Gallery of NSW's online art puzzles range.[/caption] ONLINE ART PUZZLES We know, we know — we told you to lay off the screens. But these digital jigsaws come in handy if you're an absolute puzzle fiend who can't wait till your next one arrives in the post, or you're a try-before-you-buy kinda person. Either way, these art-filled gems are sure to fill many hours (and save you some cash). First up, the Art Gallery of NSW has some killer online puzzles — seven to be exact — so you can digitally put together masterpieces such as E Phillips Fox's Nasturtiums and Paul Cézanne's Banks of the Marne. Melbourne Museum also has digital jigsaws on its website, including ones of fur seals, the Royal Exhibition Building and Phar Lap. Or, check out the National Library of Australia website to complete puzzles using its collection, with everything from art by Ellis Rowan to Australian birds. Head to the AGNSW, Melbourne Museum and National Library of Australia websites for some free — and wait-free — puzzling adventures. Top image: Australia Unseen
In frightening news, we're almost halfway through the year so a well-deserved escape from your desk is on the cards. Whether you're saving up your leave for a trip abroad or waiting impatiently for enough to accrue, we've got a solution that allows you to coast through the work week without using up any precious annual leave. Enjoy a scenic four-hour drive up to sunny Port Macquarie where you can trade the confines of your home office for a week of remote working with a view and mornings and evenings (and some cheeky lunch breaks) spent discovering the picturesque region. Start your day with a swim or hike at one of the surrounding beaches or rainforests, before setting up shop in a local cafe. Ditch your usual meal-prepped salad for some fresh seafood overlooking the water, and then close out a day of work with a meal at one of the city's many stellar restaurants or a cellar door. Read on for our top picks of where to stay, eat and explore around Port Macquarie. Where to Stay Ditch the fake Zoom background for a real view that'll make your colleagues jealous. Whether you opt for a cosy motel, boutique apartments or a luxe resort, you're guaranteed idyllic views of the water at each of these hotels. Keep it simple at The Mid Pacific, which offers five different room types to suit solo travellers, couples and groups alike. The modern motel overlooks the Hastings River and is an ideal base from which to post up for the week with kitchenette and private balcony in every room, plus a communal laundry. If you've convinced a mate or two to tag along, Macquarie Waters has one- to three-bedroom options for your stay. Located a stone's throw away from Town Beach, various shops and popular eateries, such as Bandwagon and Zebu Bar & Restaurant, the apartment hotel also has a pool, hot tub and free parking. For the ultimate beach vacay experience, choose to unwind at Sails Port Macquarie. The newly refurbished resort boasts sprawling views of the Hastings, an outdoor heated pool and spa, a tennis court, three restaurants and room service. Your full inbox will seem much more manageable when you're holed up in a poolside cabana with drinks and snacks on hand. Must-Try Dining Port Macquarie's dining scene has evolved in recent years. Cafes, bars and restaurants take full advantage of the region's fresh produce and seafood while working closely with local producers. Kick off your day with a picture-perfect piccolo at Banks, which serves breakfast classics and coffee by the river in McInherney Park. Drop in to the coastal cafe for seasonal brunch dishes including poached pear brioche toast, reuben benedict, butter-poached prawn croissant and chorizo scrambled eggs. On Friday and Saturday evenings, you can sip on a glass of wine or a cocktail while enjoying the sunset when the cafe transforms into a romantic restaurant for dinner. Beat the afternoon slump with a light lunch or go for a post-work wine and dine at Zebu Bar & Restaurant. The Italian restaurant offers everything from sunrise coffee to sunset cocktails in an airy space by the Hastings River, with dishes that include a blue swimmer crab risotto, gnocchi with garlic chilli prawns, chargrilled swordfish and seared chicken with portobello mushroom, smoked eggplant, hazelnut salsa and prosciutto crisp. Continue your Italian journey at Bar Florian. Inspired by the famed Caffé Florian in Venice, the inviting eatery serves a selection of antipasto, such as French brie with chilli jam, and gourmet pizzas. Unmissable Attractions Between endless emails and dreary meetings, reignite your curiosity with some of Port Macquarie's inspiring nature. Whether you want to ride the waves, hike through lush rainforests, visit koalas or wander through charming rural towns, there's an experience for every type of traveller. Tack another trip onto your time away with a short drive to nearby Wauchope. The country town is well worth visiting for a day, with historic museums, local bakeries and cascading waterfalls. If you've only got a short lunch break but are itching to get out and explore, the Sea Acres Rainforest Centre is located just three minutes from Port Macquarie's CBD. Stretch your legs with a one-kilometre stroll along the looping boardwalk before stopping in at the Rainforest Cafe for lunch or a coffee. Finally, make some new furry friends at the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital. The rehabilitation facility and research centre is committed to the conservation of koalas, with treatment rooms, intensive care units, recovery yards and a round-the-clock rescue operation. Admission is free, but the non-profit will gratefully accept donations, and any purchases from the gift shop will go towards the care of these endangered animals. To start planning your break and find out more, head to the Port Macquarie website.
You've crooned your way through sing-along screenings of Spice World, wished you could visit the huge memorabilia exhibition in Britain and just generally been following Spice Girls news since the English pop stars unleashed their brand of girl power on the world back in the 90s. Now, come 2020, Australians just might be able to spice up their lives with the group itself — according to Melanie Brown, aka Mel B, they're coming our way. As part of their Spice World reunion tour, Mel B and her bandmates Melanie Chisholm, Emma Bunton and Geri Halliwell have been playing gigs across the British Isles, bringing their zigazig-ah back to stadiums. They just played their last concert in London on Saturday, June 15 UK time, during which Mel B concluded the proceedings by saying "we'll see you in February in Australia". https://twitter.com/HalinaWatts86/status/1140009527129137152 No further details have been revealed, and nor has an official tour announcement at this stage — but here's hoping that if anyone is in the know about the Spice Girls' plans, it's one of the Spice Girls themselves while the group is on stage. If you're a fan, you'll wannabe hollering about the chance to see Scary, Sporty, Baby and Ginger perform in Australia for the first time — in a huge light and costume-filled performance, no less. Victoria Beckham, aka Posh, isn't part of the current shows, so this won't be the full Spice experience. Still, four out of five Spice Girls is better than none. It has been a big week for Spice news, with an animated Spice Girls movie also just announced, targeting a 2020 release. Unlike the live shows, it'll feature the whole Spice gang, according to The Hollywood Reporter. And, it'll include both new and old songs as well. The Spice Girls look set to tour Australia in February 2020, with dates and venues yet to be revealed. We'll keep you posted with further details as they come to hand.
Brisbanites, prepare for your next hotel getaway — but don't expect to travel very far. Come March 2018, the CBD will welcome its first new luxury hotel in decades, W Brisbane. A five-star establishment on the northern side of the river, it's the type of place that screams 'staycation'. Views beyond South Bank and Mt Coot-tha from each of its rooms, three dining and drinking venues, a lounge-style lobby that boasts a DJ booth by night: they're all part of the W Brisbane experience. In-room cocktail bars, free Netflix, a barbecue-lined poolside area and 1,100 square meters of function space are as well. Taking over the spot at 300 George Street that previously housed the city's supreme courts, and forming part of the new Brisbane Quarter development, the hotel won't be lacking in lush facilities, amenities or reasons to drop by. Those staying the night can pick from 280 standard rooms, 28 suites, two extra-luxe spaces they've dubbed "wow" suites and one "extreme wow" offering — all decked out with custom-designed furniture inspired by the state's history. If that's not blissful enough, guests can also head downstairs to the spa, which features a hair and nail salon, vitality pools, relaxation pods and rejuvenating salt inhalation chambers. W Hotels is owned by Marriott International. New hotels are also planned for Sydney in 2019 and Melbourne in 2020. As for the rest of Brisbane Quarter, it's slated to include an office tower, apartments and two levels of retail too. Find W Brisbane at 300 George Street, Brisbane from March 2018. For more information, or to make a reservation from November 2017, visit the hotel website.
Whenever its doors are open — whenever patrons are walking through its halls, too — QUT Art Museum's walls are filled creative pieces. That remains the case during Thinking Into Being, the Gardens Point venue's summer-long exhibition; however, pondering not just the final product but the method behind it is a pivotal part of this art and design showcase. Highlighting the exceptional work created by former QUT students who've gone on to do huge things in creative fields — 3D artist and set designer Benjamin Donnelly has been working on upcoming Marvel sequel Thor: Love and Thunder, for instance — this exhibition is all about the thought process that brings objects, products and experiences to fruition. Each piece on display is designed to make you contemplate its design, and how design in general can bring about change. Standout works include a seven-metre site-specific wall sculpture by design practitioner Jennifer Marchant — and a printed wall map by Kyle Bush, who studied landscape architecture and now operates in the field of social and environmental activism. Visitors will also explore sound waves, mind maps and astrophotography, and see a game of hopscotch used to explain design processes — all until Sunday, February 27, with free entry. Images: Installation view of Thinking into Being: QUT Alumni Triennial, QUT Art Museum, Brisbane, 9 October 2021 to 27 February 2022. Photos by Louis Lim.
Call that friend who dreams of being a ship captain: if they have a boat licence, they can now take you cruising on the Brisbane River on one of GoBoat's picnic boats. The Denmark-born company has announced a new addition to its River City fleet, launching premium vessels that it's calling GoBoat+. They're faster, feature a ship's wheel and require that certification before anyone can start steering. Since first getting sailing in Brisbane in 2021 — and hitting the water in Canberra, Melbourne, the Gold Coast and Sydney either before or around that time, too — GoBoat's whole angle has been electric picnic boats that anyone can operate. That's meant leisurely voyages for eight folks, and your dog, in slow-moving vessels that are easy to use and don't need a licence. Now, the company's range of experiences is expanding. Brisbane has been chosen for GoBoat+'s debut due to "its connectivity to the city and its waterways, and the demand for unique experiences on the river," the company advises. In an Australian first, GoBoat+'s boats are more powerful and cruise at three times the speed, all thanks to a six-kilowatt motor. The company notes that getting from its Breakfast Creek base to the Story Bridge will take around an hour. Made in Brisbane by Cruise Craft Boats, and launching on Friday, December 1 to kick off summer, the new vessels can still seat eight — and pets also remain welcome. And the cost: $499 for a three-hour journey. There'll also soon be a solution if you're keen on the new concept, with its levelled-up fitout, custom cushions, centre console steering and five-knots maximum speed, but you don't have a boat licence — or a mate with one. In 2024, GoBoat is starting training courses via the new GoBoat Academy, which'll operate at Breakfast Creek, delivering both boat and jet ski licensing. "We are so proud to launch our new vessel GoBoat+ in time for the summer period, with more exciting additions to come in 2024," said GoBoat Owner and Managing Director Nick Tyrrell. "We know there is strong appetite for locals and visitors to make use of the Brisbane River and, with a more powerful motor and the opportunity to travel from Breakfast Creek to the Story Bridge in around an hour, we are confident this offering will provide something special for those looking for a step up from the standard GoBoat experience," Tyrrell continued. "Come early 2024 with the launch of GoBoat Academy, locals will have the chance to obtain their boat licence in the heart of the inner city, instead of travelling upwards of 30-minutes north or south of the river." GoBoat+ launches in Brisbane on Friday, December 1 — for further details and to book, head to the company's website.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. CYRANO Love can spring quickly, igniting sparks instantly. Or, it can build gradually and gracefully, including over a lifetime. It can be swift and bold like a lightning strike, too, or it can linger, evolve and swell like a gentle breeze. In the sumptuous confines of Cyrano, all of the above happens. The latest adaptation of Edmond Rostand's 1897 play Cyrano de Bergerac, this time as a musical via playwright Erica Schmidt's own song-filled on-stage version, lends its attention to two men who've fallen for the plucky Roxanne (Haley Bennett, Hillbilly Elegy) in opposite ways. Charming soldier Christian de Neuvillette (Kelvin Harrison Jr, The Trial of the Chicago 7) gets the fast-and-infatuated experience, while the movie's namesake (Peter Dinklage, I Care a Lot), a poet also handy in battle, has ached for his childhood pal for as long as he can remember. Roxanne's two suitors make a chalk-and-cheese pair, with their contrasting approaches to matters of the heart — specifically, to winning her heart and helping ensure that she doesn't have to marry the rich and ruthless De Guiche (Ben Mendelsohn, The Outsider) to secure her future — driving much of Cyrano's drama. Also present and accounted for, as all takes on the tale have included (see also: 80s rom-com Roxanne with Steve Martin, the Gérard Depardieu-starring Cyrano de Bergerac, 90s rom-com The Truth About Cats & Dogs with Uma Thurman and Janeane Garofalo, plus recent Netflix teen flicks Sierra Burgess Is a Loser and The Half of It): insecurities about appearance, a way with words and a ghostwriting gambit. Short in stature given Dinklage's casting, Cyrano can't even dream that Roxanne could love him. But he wants her to be happy above all else and knows that she's smitten with Christian, so he secretly lends his romantic rival his letter-penning abilities to help woo her by lyrical prose. This Cyrano may have a different reason for not believing that Roxanne could reciprocate his feelings, even as she gets giddy over the correspondence he scripts for Christian — traditionally, a large nose gets in his way — but his slow-and-steady affection is especially apt in this particular film. The latest period piece from Joe Wright, it slips into the British director's resume alongside Pride & Prejudice, Atonement and Anna Karenina, and initially seems as standard a silver-screen staging of Cyrano as a musical as he could reliably muster. But all three of those aforementioned movies are stunning in their own ways, especially the gutsy Anna Karenina. Unsurprisingly, his newest feature is as well. Doing his best work since that Tolstoy adaptation, and clearly back in his comfort zone after Pan, Darkest Hour and The Woman in the Window, Wright lets Cyrano take its time to bloom and blossom. And, when it flowers partway through, it makes viewers realise that it's been a gorgeous gem of a film all along. Like on-screen love story, like surrounding flick, basically. That said, the routine air that initially seems to float through Cyrano's first act can't have been by design. Rather, the film winds up to its full heart-wrenching powers so patiently that it appears a tad too expected while its various pieces are being put into place — a fact hardly helped by how often this exact narrative or variations of it have made it to screens — until it's just simply and unshakeably wonderful. Wright doesn't change anything in his approach, helming a handsome, detail-laden, rhythmic piece of cinema from the outset, but the emotions that truly make the movie sing strengthen minute by minute. And yes, when it all clicks in just so, it's with its three main players literally crooning, conveying so much about their huge, swirling, all-encompassing feelings that normal dialogue couldn't have done justice to. Read our full review. HIVE 2021 swarmed with historic achievements for women in film, including Nomadland's Chloë Zhao becoming the first woman of colour and only second woman ever to win the Oscar for Best Director, that category's nomination of two female filmmakers for the first time in its then 93-year history and the Cannes Film Festival awarding the Palme d'Or to a woman — Titane's Julia Ducournau — for only the second time. But before all of that, Kosovo-born writer/director Blerta Basholli achieved something at the Sundance Film Festival that'd never been done either: winning the US fest's World Cinema Dramatic Competition Grand Jury Prize, Audience Award and Best Director gong for Hive. It was a well-deserved feat for a movie that'd stick in memory even without such an achievement, and it's easy to see why Sundance's jurors and viewers responded with such a show of support. A powerhouse of a true tale that's brought to the screen with a devastatingly potent lead performance, Hive is simply unshakeable. In Basholli's first feature, to peer at star Yllka Gashi (Kukumi) is to look deep into a battler's eyes. Hive directs its attention her way frequently. The also-Kosovan actor plays Fahrije Hoti, a woman who has never been allowed to stop fighting, although the men in her patriarchal village would prefer she'd keep quiet. They wish she'd just attend to her duties as a mother and do what's expected. They think she should be a silent, compliant wife, although there's a significant problem with that idea. With her husband missing for years due to the Kosovo War, she can't be a meekly obedient spouse even if that was in her nature — which it isn't — because the man she loves is gone, no sign of him either dead or alive has been recovered, and she's trapped in limbo as she waits, tries to keep caring for her family and endeavours to go on. Those dismissive, misogynistic attitudes flung at Fahrije by her community join the litany of roadblocks that she's forced to rally against with every word, thought and breath she has. In her husband's absence, her father-in-law Haxhi (Çun Lajçi, Zana) is eager to maintain the status quo, but Fahrije has been trying to make ends meet anyway, all in a town — and amidst a male-dominated culture — that couldn't be more unsympathetic to her plight. She isn't alone, however, with many of the locale's other women also widowed due to the conflict, and similarly expected to survive without upsetting traditional gender roles. So, with the beehives that she dutifully attends to unable to keep providing enough income to pay her bills, the enterprising Fahrije and her friend Nazmije (Kumrije Hoxha, The Marriage) decide to start a female-run co-operative to make and sell ajvar, a pepper relish. A picture of stinging resilience, unflappable fortitude and baked-in sorrow, Gashi is phenomenal as Fahrije. Not only does Hive keep gazing her way but, thanks to the raw compulsion of her performance, viewers eagerly do the same. The skill required to play stoic but also persistent, passionate and simmering with internalised pain can't be underestimated, and watching Gashi navigate that balance like it's the only thing she knows — because, for Fahrije after her husband's disappearance, it now is — is affecting on a gutwrenching level. Lived-in fury and resolve buzzes through every facet of her portrayal, all as the woman whose shoes she's walking in weathers derision, violence and attempted sexual assault for daring to dream of attempting to support herself. It comes as no surprise that various film festival prizes have been sent Gashi's way among Hive's collection of accolades, with ample merit. Read our full review. STUDIO 666 As the drummer for Nirvana and the frontman for Foo Fighters, Dave Grohl doesn't have many mixed bags on his resume. The music superstar has been in the spotlight for three-plus decades now, and boasts success after success to his name, complete with a list of awards and hits bound to make almost everyone else in the industry envious. But all their lives, Grohl and his fellow Foos must've dreamt of being horror movie stars — and the result, the pandemic-shot Studio 666, shouldn't entice any of them to quit their day jobs. A haunted-house horror-comedy, this rockstar lark is gonzo, gory and extremely goofy. It's a clear bit of fun for everyone involved, and it's made with overflowing love for the genre it slips into and parodies. But it's an indulgent and stretched exercise in famous folks following their whims at times like these, too. Achievement unlocked: there's Grohl's mixed bag. Studio 666's setup revolves around Grohl, drummer Taylor Hawkins, guitarists Chris Shiflett and Pat Smear, bassist Nate Mendel and keyboardist Rami Jaffee packing their bags for a live-in recording session at an Encino mansion. As the movie's 1993-set prologue shows, their temporary new home has a dark past, after the last group that inhabited the spot met bloody ends; however, ignorance is bliss for the Foo Fighters. Actually, an obligation to deliver their tenth album to their overbearing manager (Jeff Garlin, Curb Your Enthusiasm) inspires the move, as does the band's creative lull in conjuring up the record otherwise. Grohl instantly falls for the sound of the space as well, to an unhinged degree, and his bandmates begrudgingly agree to the month-long stay to make musical magic happen. Recording an album doesn't usually spark The Evil Dead-style murderous mayhem, cursed book and all, but that's Studio 666's gambit. Its Californian abode isn't just stalked by a grisly ghoul with a love of gut-rumbling tracks — it possesses Grohl with the need to craft a killer song, length be damned, and with satanic bloodlust, cannibal cravings and prima-donna rocker behaviour. Is he monstrous about doing whatever it takes to get the tune because he's bedevilled by the house's resident evil, he's on a power trip or both? That's one of the film's big gags, and also a hefty splatter of the kind of sense of humour it's working with. Winking, nudging, satirising, and sending up fame, egos and the all-devouring nature of entertainment stardom: they're all on the movie's menu, alongside as much gleefully cheap-looking viscera as any feature can manage to splash around. Amid the deaths by cymbal, barbecued faces and projectile-vomited guts — no, what's left of the Foos at the film's end won't be getting their bond back — there's zero doubt that Grohl and company are enjoying themselves. Actors, they aren't, but playfulness has always been part of Foo Fighters' mood. When the band began in 1994, initially as a one-man project by Grohl after Kurt Cobain's suicide the same year, it was instantly perkier and sillier than Nirvana. For the 'Big Me' music video from the group's self-titled first album, they shot an unforgettable Mentos ad parody in Sydney. With the 'Learn to Fly' clip in 1999, they satirised airline flicks — Airplane!, which was already a send-up, plus disaster fare Airport 1975 and Airport '77 — aided by Tenacious D's Jack Black and Kyle Gass. Getting so delightedly bloody might be new, but refusing to take themselves seriously definitely isn't. Read our full review. PREPARATIONS TO BE TOGETHER FOR AN UNKNOWN PERIOD OF TIME Will they or won't they? Do they or don't they? Every time that romance and relationships are portrayed on-screen, at least one of these questions always echoes. In the entrancingly moody and astute Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time, it's the latter. Whether Hungarian neurosurgeon Márta Vizy (Natasa Stork, Jupiter's Moon) and fellow doctor János (Viktor Bodó, Overnight) will end the film in each other's company still remains a pivotal part of the plot, but if there's ever been anything between them — or if it's all simply in Márta's head — is the far more pressing concern. She's a woman smitten, so much so that she's returned home from a prestigious job in the US just for him. But his behaviour could be called vague, rude or flat-out ghosting, if he even remembers that they've crossed paths before — and, if they ever actually have. Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time first introduces Márta as she's unloading her János-sparked romantic woes upon her therapist. What could've been a standard rom-com or romantic drama setup soon twists into something far more alluring and intriguing, however. Indeed, as writer/director Lili Horvát (The Wednesday Child) ponders the role of memory in affairs of the heart, her film just keeps inspiring more trains of thought. How can we ever know how someone else really feels about us? How long will any romantic emotions last, and can they last? Is it ever truly possible to trust whoever our hearts fall or, or our hearts to begin with? And, can we genuinely believe those intense memories of love that implant themselves inside our brains, refuse to leave and inspire life-changing decisions — or is love too subjective, no matter how deep, real, shared and strong that it feels? These queries all spring from Márta's homecoming, after she meets János at a conference in New Jersey, then pledges to do so again a month later on a Budapest bridge. She shows, but he doesn't. Worse: when she tracks him down at his work afterwards, he says that he doesn't know her. While tinkering with memory is a familiar film and TV concept — see: everything from Memento and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind to Mulholland Drive and Severance — Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time is interested in the emotional fallout from János' claims to have zero knowledge of Márta first and foremost. Confused, unsettled and still wholeheartedly infatuated, she just can't bring herself to return stateside, and also can't get János out of her mind in general. Scripted with empathy and precision by Horvát, and also shot and styled like a waking dream, Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time isn't easily forgotten either, siding its viewers with Márta over János. This is a haunting and beautifully acted psychological drama that lays bare just how all-encompassing, obsessive, intoxicating and mind-melting love can feel, all as it plays with recollection and its ability to shape our perspectives. The tone is loaded but uncanny — sweet but uncertain, too — and Horvát has fun getting both emotional and cerebral while having her characters cut open brains. The latter happens literally and yes, there aren't many movies quite like this one. Cinema doesn't boast too many performances like the exceptional Stork's, either, which draws viewers into every feeling, question, and pang of both intense affection and shattering uncertainty that flows through Márta. Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time screens in Melbourne from February 24, and opens in Sydney and Brisbane from March 17. FORTUNE FAVORS LADY NIKUKO Japanese animation has given cinema-goers a wealth of gifts, Studio Ghibli's enchanting on-screen magic across nearly four decades sitting atop the pile, and the heartwrenching Your Name and Weathering with You ranking high among them as well. But films that serve up gorgeous snapshots of coastal living and cuisine are finding their own anime niche, too, with Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko following Ride Your Wave — and proving as much of a delight. It isn't quite another romantic tale about matters of the heart, hope and H2O, as Josee, the Tiger and the Fish also was, but only because it focuses on an 11-year-old and her mother. The same swells of emotion still wash through, all in an eye-catchingly animated story set in a northern Japanese harbour town — complete with cooking up a storm, and making illustrated dishes spark hunger pangs. The film's title refers to the outgoing, happy-go-lucky, houseboat-dwelling Nikuko (voiced by Shinobu Ôtake, Shadowfall), who works as a bar waitress in the sleepy locale she now calls home, and is also never without a smile. But as Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko's introductory sequence explains — adopting a more stylised, less naturalistic type of imagery than the bulk of the movie in the process — her bad romantic luck, including the debts she's amassed from her past loves, has played a large part in her current fate. She still works hard six days a week, never complains, and is instantly recognisable around the village. The whip-smart, serious and introverted Kikuko (model and flutist Cocomi), Nikuko's daughter, doesn't share the same attitude, however, and wants nothing more than to blend in where her single mother stands out. Based on the 2011 novel of the same name by Kanako Nishi, Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko keeps its dramas grounded, as Kikuko navigates the usual struggles of school — being forced to pick which classmates to spend lunchtime with, for instance — and the standard preteen experience that is pushing away from your parents. Indeed, no one is spirited away, tasked with saving the world or left communing with water in a grief-stricken state here, but that doesn't make this slow-building film any less resonant. As well as being deeply instep with the woes of adolescence, and of the complexities of mother-daughter relationships, this affecting slice-of-life feature also laps up simply stepping into its characters' lives and their surroundings. Where watching Weathering with You felt like taking a walk through Tokyo, for example, viewing Fortune Favours Lady Nikuko whisks the audience away to its peaceful seaside setting. Filmmaker Ayumu Watanabe also directed 2019's Children of the Sea, another recent Japanese gem and fellow Studio 4°C release that proved sweet and smart, and similarly looked a treat — and he's as skilled at immersing viewers into heartfelt stories rendered through animation as his internationally better-known compatriots. There's also a sense of calm to his films that's both soothing and bewitching, as vibrant as they always look. In fact, the only misstep that Watanabe and screenwriter Satomi Ohshima (Our 30 Minute Sessions) make with Fortune Favours Lady Nikuko stems from the easy jokes made about the movie's namesake's size, which visibly contrasts with her reed-thin daughter but didn't need to also be the butt of several verbal gags. The tone is still loving, and one of the feature's big thematic threads does involve seeing past the obvious — especially given two people who are painted as such opposites sit at its centre — but it's still a rare grey cloud in an otherwise warm anime sky. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on October 7, October 14, October 21 and October 28; November 4, November 11, November 18 and November 25; December 2, December 9, December 16 and December 26; January 1, January 6, January 13, January 20 and January 27; and February 3, February 10 and February 17. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as The Alpinist, A Fire Inside, Lamb, The Last Duel, Malignant, The Harder They Fall, Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain, Halloween Kills, Passing, Eternals, The Many Saints of Newark, Julia, No Time to Die, The Power of the Dog, Tick, Tick... Boom!, Zola, Last Night in Soho, Blue Bayou, The Rescue, Titane, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn, Dune, Encanto, The Card Counter, The Lost Leonardo, The French Dispatch, Don't Look Up, Dear Evan Hansen, Spider-Man: No Way Home, The Lost Daughter, The Scary of Sixty-First, West Side Story, Licorice Pizza, The Matrix Resurrections, The Tragedy of Macbeth, The Worst Person in the World, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, House of Gucci, The King's Man, Red Rocket, Scream, The 355, Gold, King Richard, Limbo, Spencer, Nightmare Alley, Belle, Parallel Mothers, The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Belfast, Here Out West, Jackass Forever, Benedetta, Drive My Car, Death on the Nile, C'mon C'mon, Flee, Uncharted and Quo Vadis, Aida?.
Tasmania is home to brilliant restaurants and cafes that rival the mainland's best. And if you're looking to get a richer understanding of where phenomenal food actually comes from, there really is no better place. With the island's inland farms and coastal regions bursting with remarkable produce, Tassie is full of growers ready to guide you through an enlightening, hands-on adventure that will give you a unique culinary and agrarian perspective (not to mention the very likely chance that they'll feed you very, very well indeed). Here, we've teamed up with Tourism Tasmania to highlight a selection of experiences that offer hands-on foodie encounters to seek out and savour. [caption id="attachment_865676" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Australia[/caption] 41 DEGREES SOUTH Set a 40-minute drive west of Launceston on the outskirts of Deloraine, 41 Degrees South is a salmon farm, wetland and ginseng plantation. Featuring 20 freshwater ponds filled with water sourced from nearby Montana Falls, the farm invites you to take a self-guided tour to explore the sustainable processes that support this world-class producer of salmon. The property's owners, Ziggy and Angelika Pyka, also make the most of Tasmania's cooler climate with a thriving grove of Korean and American ginseng. Wander through the crops before making a purchase at the on-site store and stopping by the cafe to enjoy a dish made with the freshest salmon washed down with a local wine or beer. [caption id="attachment_866893" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Australia[/caption] TWAMLEY FARM Twamley Farm is a picturesque working farm spread across 7000 acres flanking the Tea Tree Rivulet near the charming village of Buckland. The property offers farmyard activities, accommodation and cooking classes that provide an opportunity to level up your skills in Italian and French cooking. Hosted by the gourmet catering business, Gert and Ted, the classes — fronted by the eponymous Gert — will show you how to prepare a range of dishes before you sit down for a long lunch with your fellow attendees. With several classes to choose from, including spring harvest feasts and festive season treats, Twamley Farm's stunning setting is the ideal place for a countryside culinary escape. [caption id="attachment_866852" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pure Foods[/caption] PURE FOODS EGG FARM Head to a top-notch cafe in Tassie and there's a good chance it's using Pure Foods Eggs in the kitchen. Experience what goes into this superior product via a 'Pure Tour' a foodie experience touted as the "ultimate eggspedition" that'll take you on a journey through the company's scenic property in the Northern Midlands region and the largest free-range egg farm in Tasmania. Throughout the 90-minute behind-the-scenes tour, you'll explore the custom-built facilities and see how its high-tech production methods set a new industry standard. After seeing the happy hens in action, you'll receive a dozen free-range eggs to take home so you can whip up your favourite dish with the finest eggs on the island. [caption id="attachment_866851" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sirocco South Forage and Feast[/caption] SIROCCO SOUTH FORAGE AND FEAST Mic Giuliani, the man behind Sirocco South, is a local foraging master with over 50 years of experience. So yes, Mic was doing it before it was cool. You can catch him serving delicious Tassie-inspired Italian cuisine at Hobart's Farm Gate Market every Sunday or on one of his Sirocco South foraging trips where he'll show you how to find food in the wild. Once you've collected enough seasonal ingredients, Mic goes to work producing a six-course lunch featuring quality meat and seafood paired with award-winning wines from Bream Creek Vineyard. Overlooking the spectacular Frederick Henry Bay, Sirocco South is a deluxe foraging experience in an idyllic location that helps guests appreciate the wonders of wild food. In short: it's heaven on earth for foodies. [caption id="attachment_866889" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Australia[/caption] UNEARTHED CHEFS TOUR Get a rare glimpse into the operations of some of Tasmania's top growers and producers via an Unearthed Chefs Tour. This morning or afternoon adventure sees you transported from your accommodation to the seriously delicious Tasting Trail Cradle to Coast to meet some of the North-West's finest culinary creators. The tour will take you around a saffron farm, to search for truffles and then on to a luxurious wine tasting at Lake Barrington Estate, with a stop to admire the coastline along the way. A heavenly lunch prepared by chef Naomi Parker is also on the agenda, as is a wander through Sheffield — the Town of Murals — before arriving back at your accommodation. [caption id="attachment_865666" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Australia[/caption] FORK N FARM HOMESTEAD The ForknFarm Homestead is a striking 24-acre property set in the scenic surrounds of the West Tamar Valley. It's a popular destination for farm-stays thanks to its charming cabins and it also hosts artisan cooking workshops where you can level up your talents with owners Cassie and Aaron "Lob" Lobley. Over the years, this enterprising duo has mastered a host of agrarian culinary skills, ranging from cheesemaking and open-fire cooking to pickling and preserving. There's a host of one-day and two-day sessions to consider or you can create a personalised experience if you attend in a group of four or more. [caption id="attachment_865674" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Australia[/caption] BLUE HILLS HONEY Blue Hills Honey's distinctly Tasmanian product comes from 2000 beehives hidden deep within the lush takayna/Tarkine rainforest. While this award-winning apiary specialises in leatherwood honey, the honey house also offers a selection of other varieties like manuka, blackberry and meadow. This craft honey farm has been in operation for over 60 years and you can see how it all works on its rural property in the community of Mawbanna. Alongside a factory for touring and a tasting room, there's a cafe overlooking the surrounding farmland that serves everything from honey-baked brie to Thai beef salad. [caption id="attachment_865672" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Australia[/caption] OYSTER BAY TOURS AT FREYCINET MARINE FARM Freycinet Marine Farm is beloved for its Pacific Oysters and Tasmanian Blue Mussels. Owned by Giles and Julia Fisher since 2005, the cafe makes for the perfect pitstop if you want to sample the region's famed cuisine. You can discover how the product arrives in the shop with a fantastically hands-on (and knees-in) Oyster Bay Tour. With the help of an expert guide, the tour will see you wade into shallow waters to harvest oysters straight out of the sea and show you how to shuck 'em like a pro. To finish, you'll get to enjoy your freshly claimed oysters and mussels with a glass of local riesling. [caption id="attachment_865678" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tasmania[/caption] CURRINGA FARM In Hamilton, about a one-hour drive from Hobart, Curringa Farm presents an idyllic chance to experience life on a Tasmanian working farm. Spanning 750 acres, this sheep and cropping property has won numerous awards for its charming cottage accommodation. Whether you're heading along for the day or staying overnight, Curringa Farm has two immersive tours on offer to suit your travel plans. The 'Shearers Smoko' is a two-hour walking tour of the farm where you'll meet and greet sheep and farm dogs alongside a morning or afternoon tea. Meanwhile, the 'BBQ Lunch & Farm Tour' presents an outstanding paddock-to-plate experience. [caption id="attachment_866894" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jamie Roberts[/caption] THE TRUFFLEDORE On the foothills of Cradle Mountain is where you'll find this truffle-filled farm, accommodation and shop. From October till April, The Truffledore is open for tastings and tours on Fridays and Sundays from 9am–4pm. Head off on the 45-minute tour to feed the farm animals and discover where the delicious winter truffles are grown. During the winter months, you can hunt and harvest truffles for yourself on Saturdays. Just make sure you book ahead of time to secure a spot. If one day on the farm isn't enough, book into one of the charming cottages for a delightful overnight stay. Ready to plan a trip for your tastebuds around Tasmania? To discover more, visit the website. Top image: Tourism Australia
If you can hold on tight for one teeny, tiny minute longer, the long weekend will be with us. We know you have all sorts of awesomeness planned, so to get you in the mood (and help you through this final, painful hour or two), we'd like to treat to you a little visual relaxation. These gorgeous, dreamy cinemagraphs (the technical word for GIFs that are partly animated but don’t qualify as video) are the creation of a Strasbourg-based photographer by the name of Julien Douvier. He’s a 24-year-old freelancer who studied design and is now making inroads into the visual world via various creative projects. On his Tumblr, Douvier says, "As you can see, I attach a great importance to quality and details in my work. I will never release something I'm not satisfied of [sic.], even if I have to spend a lot of extra time on it. The meaning is very important too; I could create a lot of personal projects, but I don’t want them to be meaningless." Douvier isn't in too much danger of that with this collection. Every carefully composed image is just begging you to take a moment out of your day and pause to meditate. And that would be Friday. Just. About. Over. Via PetaPixel. Image credit: Cinemagraphs by Julien Douvier
