The world's most-famous enigmatic smile is beaming down on Australia in 2024, all thanks to the team at Grande Experiences. The Melbourne-based company is the mastermind behind the immersive walkthrough art experiences that've been sweeping the country, both touring them and opening the nation's first permanent digital-only art gallery The Lume — and Leonardo da Vinci and the Mona Lisa are its latest point of focus. The Lume in the Victorian capital is all-in on the artist and inventor. The site's major 2024 exhibition is Leonardo da Vinci: 500 Years of Genius, with the gallery is calling its "most ambitious, immersive and breathtaking yet". That's quite the claim for a collection that follows a van Gogh celebration, a focus on Monet and his contemporaries and the current First Nations-centric Connection. Leonardo da Vinci: 500 Years of Genius displays to art lovers from Saturday, March 16. The Last Supper also enjoys the spotlight in a big way, because Grande Experiences' whole setup is making iconic, important and stunning works larger than life, surrounding attendees like never before. The Mona Lisa links in with the segment of the exhibition that's all about French optical engineer Pascal Cotte, who invented a multispectral camera and has peeled back the artwork's layers using his research. So, get excited about Mona Lisa Revealed, which will include an exact 360-degree replica — the only one in the world — as created thanks to Cotte's 240,000,000-pixel multispectral camera. That said, Leonardo da Vinci: 500 Years of Genius isn't just about its namesake's well-known works, with the 3000-square-metre multi-sensory gallery also exploring his inspirations and contemporaries. So, you can also scope out Botticelli's The Birth of Venus, Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling and works by Caravaggio. Melbourne is home to an experience that steps through da Vinci's journey, too, including Florence's streets, Venice's canals and Milan — as brought to life via sight, sound, scent, touch and taste. Also among Leonardo da Vinci: 500 Years of Genius' highlights: 50 of da Vinci's "machine inventions", which are on loan the Museo Leonardo da Vinci in Rome. Alongside the Mona Lisa, The Last Supper and his anatomical drawings — and more — da Vinci is well-known for his flying machine concepts, with his 15th-century vision of human flight set to score The Lume's attention. This part of the exhibition heroes recreations made in Italy from the artist and inventor's sketches, and also using the materials and techniques he would've at the time. Updated Friday, October 25, 2024.
The shock of unkempt hair, the Irish brogue, the misanthropic attitude: there's no mistaking Dylan Moran for anyone else. It was true in beloved British sitcom Black Books, when his on-screen alter ego abhorred mornings, ate coasters and claimed that his oven could cook anything (even belts). And it's definitely true of the comedian's acerbically hilarious live shows. Moran is no stranger to Australia, and last headed our way in 2019. Whether you've guffawed at his bleak wit live or you've always wanted to, you'll be able to see him on Saturday, May 8, too — thanks to a streamed version of his Brisbane show from his last visit. Expect the kind of deadpan gags, wine-soaked insights and blisteringly sharp one-liners that've kept him in the spotlight since 1996, when he became the youngest-ever winner of the Edinburgh Fringe's Perrier Award. Dr Cosmos once again features Moran's grumpily lyrical musings on love, politics, misery and the everyday absurdities of life, which you can watch for $18 from your couch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMfRpM5PJRw
How much green will be seen at 2025's Laneway Festival? With Charli XCX headlining, expect the Brat hue to be everywhere. After all of the talk talk of announcing its dates and venues, then splashing around everyone's current favourite slime colour, St Jerome's Laneway Festival has confirmed that Charlotte Emma Aitchison is indeed leading its 2025 lineup. Given the fest's February timing — kicking off in Auckland on Thursday, February 6, then hitting Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth by Sunday, February 16 — it's going to be Brat summer Down Under. It's set to be a Beabadoobee-, Clairo-, Barry Can't Swim- and Remi Wolf-soundtracked summer as well, with the quartet also among the big names on Laneway's bill. Charlie XCX was last in Australia in 2023 for Sydney WorldPride and For the Love, and before that in 2020 at Laneway. If you're keen to see the 'Guess', '360', 'Apple', 'Speed Drive', '1999', 'Doing It' and 'Boom Clap' talent this time, you'll need a Laneway ticket, as she's playing exclusively at the fest. In 2025, she'll have company from BICEP doing their CHROMA AV DJ set, Olivia Dean, Eyedress and Skegss, too, alongside STÜM, RONA, Hamdi, Joey Valence & Brae, 2hollis, Fcukers, Ninajirachi, Julie, and Girl and Girl. The event started by Danny Rogers and Jerome Borazio in the mid-00s will head to Western Springs in Auckland, then hop over the ditch to Brisbane Showgrounds, Sydney Showground, Melbourne's Flemington Park, Bonython Park in Adelaide and Wellington Square in Perth. Laneway joins the list of festivals locking in their comebacks after a tough year of cancellations across the live music scene. Also returning: Golden Plains, Bluesfest (for the last time), Wildlands, Good Things, Lost Paradise, Beyond The Valley and Meredith. Laneway Festival 2025 Lineup Charli XCX Beabadoobee Clairo Barry Can't Swim BICEP present CHROMA (AV DJ set) Remi Wolf Olivia Dean Eyedress Skegss STÜM RONA Hamdi Joey Valence & Brae 2hollis Fcukers Ninajirachi Julie Girl and Girl + Triple J unearthed winners Laneway Festival 2025 Dates and Venues Thursday, February 6 – Western Springs, Auckland / Tāmaki Makaurau Saturday, February 8 — Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane / Turrbal Targun Sunday, February 9 — Sydney Showground, Sydney / Burramattagal Land & Wangal Land Friday, February 14 — Flemington Park, Melbourne / Wurundjeri Biik Saturday, February 15 — Bonython Park, Adelaide / Kaurna Yerta Sunday, February 16 — Wellington Square, Perth / Whadjuk Boodjar St Jerome's Laneway Festival is touring Australia and New Zealand in February 2025. Head to the festival's website for further details, and to register for ticket pre sales — which kick off at 10am local time on Tuesday, October 15, 2024 — or get tickets in general sales from 10am local time on Wednesday, October 16, 2024. Top Charli XCX image: Harley Weir. Laneway images: Charlie Hardy / Daniel Boud / Maclay Heriot / Cedric Tang.
One month. Two countries. 32 teams. A single, shining, much-coveted, hard-contested trophy. They're the basic numbers behind the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, which is being played across Australia and New Zealand from mid-July to mid-August. Football fans — and no, we don't mean AFL, NRL, rugby union or gridiron devotees — this is your time to shine. Here are a few other pivotal figures: two nights, one hotel suite, and you and three mates. And some more: one Aussie soccer squad, a world-first place to stay and one pivotal match. Throw in one football star, too, and you have everything you need for the ultimate Matildas-themed staycation (for Sydneysiders) or vacation (if you hail from beyond the Harbour City). To celebrate the FIFA Women's World Cup heading Down Under, The Star Grand Hotel Sydney is giving its two-storey penthouse a Matildas-worshipping makeover for a couple of nights, and just for a few guests. As part of a partnership with Destination NSW, it's decking out the place in green and gold — what else? — for you and a a trio of your soccer-loving besties to call home from Wednesday, July 19–Friday, July 21. The timing coincides with Australia playing the Republic of Ireland on Thursday, July 20, with tickets and transfers to the game included in your stay. The one big catch: you'll need to win this football fanatic's dream of a stay in a game of skill, by explaining why Sydney is the best place on the planet to see Australia's women's team compete for the cup, with entries open until 9pm AEST on Wednesday, July 12. If you're the lucky recipient, you'll score that curated suite that pays homage to Sam Kerr and her teammates, which comes decked out with a four-metre-long Matildas scarf, various football ornaments, books about the team's history, a staircase adorned with football quotes, and framed photos of past and present Matildas legends. Autographed jerseys also feature, and international trophies — yes, real ones — already won by the squad, such as the AFC Women's Asian Cup, Cup of Nations and the Tournament of Nations. And, there's a foosball table for you and your crew to get playing yourself. Michelle Heyman will also pop up to meet and greet you, and chat about football, the FIFA Women's World Cup and a career that spanned becoming the A-League Women's top goal scorer. "This is the ultimate experience for any football fan! Not only do you get to stay in this incredible football suite, you get to fully immerse yourself in the Matildas hype ahead of their first match on home soil. You even get tickets to the Matildas soldout opening game, so overall it's a money can't buy experience and an incredible way to get behind the Matildas and celebrate women's sport here in Sydney," said Heyman. You'll also take home a heap of Matildas merchandise, and get a pre-game party playlist curated by Nina Las Vegas. Live outside of Sydney? Domestic flights are included, too, and you might be extra keen on the harbour and Harbour Bridge views from the penthouse. Now that's how you kick off the World Cup in style — and cheer on the Matildas to hopefully make football history. Entries to stay at the Matildas Fan Suite are open until 9pm AEST on Wednesday, July 12, for a two-night stay from Wednesday, July 19–Friday, July 21 — head to The Star Grand Hotel website for further details. The FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 runs from Thursday, July 20–Sunday, August 20 across Australia and New Zealand, with tickets available from the FIFA website. Images: Scott Ehler. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
When Jamie Campbell wore a dress to his high school dance, he couldn't have known what would come next. In 2011, his story hit the small screen thanks to TV documentary Jamie — Drag Queen at Sixteen. In 2017, it became an acclaimed West End stage musical, nabbing five Olivier Award nominations in the process. And in 2020, the show is finally heading to Australia for a huge national tour. Premiering at the Sydney Opera House in July before hitting up Western Sydney, Wyong, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Perth and Adelaide between September 2020–February 2021, Everybody's Talking About Jamie tells Jamie's coming-of-age tale, complete with an upbeat pop score by The Feeling's Dan Gillespie Sells. Drawn from reality but universal in its emotions and resonance, it's a story of friendship, being yourself and overcoming obstacles such as bullies and prejudice. Here, Jamie New is a 16-year-old living in a council estate in Sheffield in Northern England. He's teased about his sexuality by his classmates, but dreams of attending prom in drag. And, despite the taunting and the small-minded attitudes around him — except from his supportive mum and his loyal friends — he's determined to make that dream a reality. In the Australian production, Fan Girls' James Majoos will play Jamie and Helen Dallimore will play his mother, with the rest of the cast including Simon Burke, Elise McCann, Shubshri Kandiah, Christina O'Neill and Harry Targett. The musical's Aussie run couldn't be better timed, too, with a movie adaptation of Everybody's Talking About Jamie due to hit local cinemas in early December. EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE 2020-21 AUSTRALIAN SEASON Sydney — Saturday, July 18–Sunday, August 30, Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House Western Sydney — Friday, September 4–Sunday, September 13, Sydney Coliseum Theatre, West HQ Wyong — Monday, September 28–Sunday, October 4, The Art House Melbourne — Friday, October 9–Sunday, October 25, Arts Centre Melbourne Brisbane — Friday, November 13–Sunday, November 29, QPAC Canberra — Friday, December 11–Sunday, December 13, Canberra Theatre Centre Perth — Friday, January 22–Sunday, January 31, 2021, His Majesty's Theatre Adelaide — Friday, February 5–Sunday, February 14, 2021, Her Majesty's Theatre Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3mjSUeOg5g&feature=youtu.be Everybody's Talking About Jamie's Australian season will premiere at the Sydney Opera House's Drama Theatre between Saturday, July 18–Sunday, August 30, before touring to Western Sydney from Friday, September 4–Sunday, September 13; Wyong from Monday, September 28–Sunday, October 4; Melbourne from Friday, October 9–Sunday, October 25; Brisbane from Friday, November 13–Sunday, November 29; Canberra from Friday, December 11–Sunday, December 13; Perth from Friday, January 22–Sunday, January 31, 2021 and Adelaide from Friday, February 5–Sunday, February 14, 2021. To join the ticket waitlist, visit the production's website — with Sydney ticket pre-sales starting at 9am on Wednesday, March 11 before general public sales open at 9am on Tuesday, March 17. Top images: Alistair Muir / Johan Persson.
If you're a caffeine fiend who spends your weekday hours in the CBD, you've probably hit up Industry Beans Adelaide Street for your daily cuppa. After launching its first Brisbane cafe, Melbourne's beloved specialty coffee outfit Industry Beans has set up its second Sunshine State location right in the thick of it. There's one crucial difference between the brand's 150-person Newstead digs and this inner-city spot, however. This cosy ten-seat newcomer places a hefty focus on takeaways — no matter how you like your caffeine hit. Using beans roasted at its other site, it's serving up all the Industry Beans mainstays, including milk-based espressos coffees and its beloved cold brews. Yes, that means that the tapioca pearl-filled specialty bubble coffee and the wattleseed Fitzroy Iced are both on the menu. Also getting plenty of attention on Adelaide Street: beans to purchase, including a rotating lineup of single origins for both espresso and filter (which are obviously also available in your cuppas as well). Or, you can buy ready-to-drink cold-brew cans, specialty coffee pods and coffee equipment. You'll be doing all of the above within Industry Beans' usual minimalist decor. Pastries and other small bites to eat are available, too, in case you need a snack with your coffee.
The COVID-19 situation in Australia is changing every day, with the federal government first implementing a ban on non-essential events with more than 500 people and then mandating that everyone arriving from overseas self-isolate for 14 days. In response to the first restriction, events and venues around the country are cancelling and postponing their 2020 plans, as well as temporarily closing — including Brisbane's popular Eat Street Northshore. In a statement, the riverside spot announced that the Prime Minister's ban on gatherings of more than 500 people meant that "Eat Street Northshore will be closing temporarily". This is an indefinite shuttering, with no end date set as yet. The venue will reopen "when we have the all clear to do so," it continued. Eat Street Northshore's last day of operation was Saturday, March 14, with the site closed from Sunday, March 15 onwards. Usually, it runs between Friday–Sunday weekly, attracting large crowds to peruse its more than 70 food and drink vendors. https://www.facebook.com/EATSTREETNorthshore/photos/a.185572034962469/1454338751419118/?type=3&theater Eat Street Northshore joins a growing list of cancelled events and closed venues, with large swathes of cinemas shutting across Asia, the Middle East and Europe, and theme parks doing the same in Asia, Europe and the US as well. We've also seen the cancellation of Texan music and film festival South by Southwest and postponement of Coachella. More locally, the Melbourne Grand Prix, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Tasmania's Dark Mofo, the Sydney Royal Easter Show and Vivid Sydney have all been cancelled. Eat Street Northshore's site at 221D Macarthur Avenue, Hamilton is closed until further notice. For more information, visit the venue's website. 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.
When 2023 arrived, it marked two decades since composer Stephen Schwartz and playwright Winnie Holzman took a book inspired by The Wizard of Oz, put it to music and turned it into one of Broadway's biggest hits of the 21st century. Before 2024 is out, the year is giving Brisbane musical theatre fans their latest chance to see that very show right here at home — because Wicked is flying into the Queensland capital from Thursday, September 12. Even if you haven't seen the stage blockbuster before, including on its past Aussie run from 2008–11, then you've likely heard of it. Following the Land of Oz's witches — telling their untold true tale is the musical's whole angle, in fact — Wicked has notched up more awards than you can fit in a hefty cauldron over the years. That includes three Tonys from ten nominations, a Grammy, an Olivier Award and six Drama Desk Awards. Also huge: its worldwide footprint, playing in 16 countries around the globe since its 2003 debut. And, when it makes its way to QPAC's Lyric Theatre for its next stop on its current Aussie run, following its Sydney season and Melbourne season, it'll do so after enchanting itself into fourth place in the list of longest-running Broadway shows ever — even surpassing Cats. Story-wise, Wicked starts before The Wizard of Oz and continues its narrative after Dorothy Gale lands, adapting Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. The text itself has sold 5.5-million copies, including five million since the musical first opened. Here, before Dorothy blows in, two other women meet in the Land of Oz: Elphaba and Galinda. One will later be known as the Wicked Witch of the West, while the other will become Glinda the Good Witch. Exactly why that happens, and how, and the pair's relationship from rivals to unlikely friends to grappling with their new labels, fuels the show's tale. Popping on your ruby slippers, clicking your heels three times and defying gravity at the Brisbane stage show means seeing Courtney Monsma in her debut lead role as Galinda/Glinda, Sheridan Adams as Elphaba, Robyn Nevin as Madame Morrible and Todd McKenney as the Wizard — plus Liam Head as Fiyero, Adam Murphy as Dr Dillamond, Shewit Belay as Nessarose and Kurtis Papadinis as Boq. Wicked has been brought back to Australia by John Frost for Crossroads Live Australia, Marc Platt, Universal Pictures, The Araca Group, Jon B Platt and David Stone — and is taking to the stage again before the two-part film adaptation starring Cynthia Erivo (Pinocchio) as Elphaba and Ariana Grande (Don't Look Up) as Galinda, and directed by Jon M Chu (In the Heights, Crazy Rich Asians), is due to start reaching cinemas from November 2024. Images: Jeff Busby. Updated Thursday, July 4, 2024.
If you want something done, you just have to do it yourself. When artists around the globe came to this conclusion, the concept of the Artist-Run Initiative, or ARI, was born. ARIs allow creative folk the freedom and agency to produce their art as they see fit, and you might not be aware that there are plenty of them buzzing away right here in Brisbane. We caught up with a few to find out more and ask them about the importance of ARI's in any thriving cultural community. INHOUSE ARI Inhouse was established in early 2012. It emerged as a response to the lack of opportunities for emerging artists and arts writers, as well as the lack of opportunities for critical discourse surrounding their practices. Inhouse aims to foster an active critical dialogue surrounding arts practice. Each exhibition pairs an artist and writer to form a platform for discussion. In the lead up to and after an exhibition they host a series of meetings between the artist, arts writer and ourselves; these meetings act as an open forum to critique and analyse arts discourse. They also treat the artist and arts writer as equals by evenly paying (when possible) and promoting both parties. Jenna Baldock & Meagan Streader say: "Artist Run Initiatives tend to form as a reaction to something that is lacking within the arts community, filling the gaps that the institutions, universities and galleries cannot or might not provide. This may be anything from a lack of opportunities to a lack of studio spaces. For us we formed in a response to the lack of critical discussion surrounding practice for emerging practitioners after graduating university. We also noticed there was a growing number of arts writers in Brisbane but not a lot of opportunities for them." CURRENT PROJECTS Current Projects was initially a group of 8 QUT visual arts graduates that completed honours together in 2010. They formed in 2011 as way to maintain the dialogue they had developed during our studies, and also to create opportunities for themselves and other local emerging artists. A key part of this amazing ARI is that it isn't actually just an "artist-run-initiative", as they in fact have a couple of curators as part of the group. As a result, they've been keen to share their different perspectives within the group and explore new ways for artists and curators to work together. They have also been keen to explore collaborative work, such as in their Pair Shaped series of exhibitions at Metro Arts last year, and develop new connections to help foster new work and alternative frameworks for artwork, such as in their Dispatch project. Richard Stride says: "I think the common idea is that ARIs fill a gap between university and establishing a career through commercial galleries or public art. I think this can be true, but it's only a part of the picture. I think they are more broadly act as incubators for ideas and provide artists with the space and freedom to experiment. At the same time, they provide innovative frameworks for artists to work within that may be outside the possibilities of financially orientated art opportunities." DIAGRAM Diagram was established in 2010 when Jared Worthington was approached by artist Martin Smith to curate the window space at Ryan Renshaw Gallery. Jared, Sean Barrett, Genevieve Reynolds, and Hannah Piper were the founding members. They've accomplished a lot since then, having had an exhibition of our own individual works at the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts, run a pop up art store called Art Snack, and created our latest work Let's Talk About Us. Capable of irony but preferring sincerity. They’re curious about the world around us now, about others and about themselves. Their initiative now consists of Jared, Sean and Genevieve - a 3 headed monster. They work closely as a group to push and support each other and bring out the unique talents they all have. That idea of a collective mentally runs throughout all their endeavours. Sean Barrett, Genevieve Reynolds, Jared Worthington say: "ARI's can afford artists with freedom that isn't always available. Constraints that exist with institutions or commercial galleries can be relaxed a little so artists can experiment with different aspects of their work, such as the location, scale or duration. Being part of the scene has also allowed us to build valuable relationships with other similar groups, artists and galleries." THE HOLD ARTSPACE The folks at The Hold began planning at the beginning of 2013 and had their first show on the 1st of March, 2013. The gallery started as an opportunity for the organisers to remain active in the Brisbane art scene after our completion of our honours at QCA at the end of 2012. Their ethos is hinged on critical artistic practice. They take what they do seriously and they look for artists who are equally serious about their artistic ambitions. Luke Kidd says: "Where do I start? ARIs play a very important role in the visual arts. Many ARIs work with a high level of experimentation; Witchmeat is a great example of this. ARIs are also a great way for emerging artists to transition from their 'art school' phase to becoming full-time artists. ARIs can help you get exposure to the public, they provide you with experience in exhibiting your artwork and provide a way for you to get feedback on your work. All of these things are important if you wish to have a long-term career in the visual arts." There are heaps of amazing ARI's around Brisbane, these are only a small sample of some of the top notch organisations around. Be sure to also check out the stuff going on at Witchmeat ARI and Level!
For three decades, Hank Azaria's voice has echoed from the TV screen in almost every possible variation imaginable. Being one of The Simpsons' six main cast members will do that. He's gotten gruff as perennially short-tempered bartender Moe Szyslak, especially when answering prank phone calls. He's cheerfully announced "hi, everybody!" as Dr Nick Riviera. He's hardly bothered with police work as Chief Wiggum, oozed beer-loving self-importance as Duffman, been nerdy as Professor Frink and uttered many a stern reprimand as Super Nintendo Superintendent Chalmers. The list goes on, including characters he no longer voices — such as Kwik-E-Mart owner Apu Nahasapeemapetilon — and everyone from Frank Grimes to Disco Stu. Azaria hasn't just been heard, and often, since The Simpsons' debut episode in 1989. He's virtually synonymous with the long-running animated sitcom, but his resume isn't short on other highlights. His first film role came courtesy of Pretty Woman, and he's featured in fellow flicks such as Heat, the 1998 American version of Godzilla, Mystery Men, Shattered Glass and Lovelace from there. On the small screen, he's stepped in front of the camera in Herman's Head, Mad About You, Friends and Ray Donovan, too — and led excellent two-season drama Huff, plus sportscaster comedy Brockmire. Now, he's stealing scenes in Apple TV+'s Hello Tomorrow!, a retrofuturistic sci-fi dramedy set in an alternative version of the 1950s where The Jetsons-style technological advancements are commonplace. Also an ordinary part of life, amid the hovering cars and robot waiters: everyday folks relocating to the moon. A workplace comedy as well, the series focuses on BrightSide Lunar Residences, specifically regional manager Jack Billings (Billy Crudup, The Morning Show) and his door-to-door salesmen crew. They head from town to town on earth selling timeshares on the planet's only natural satellite. Azaria's Eddie doesn't just sling getaways to whichever customers are willing to pay, either; he's desperate to take the trip north himself. Azaria uses his own vocal tones in Hello Tomorrow!, but his acting is just as elastic as his voice has repeatedly proven in his best-known gig. Eddie makes a living selling the American dream and, despite seeing that his customers' launches keep getting pushed back, he's bought into it himself. He's also as cynical as they come, and has the kind of gambling addiction that has physical consequences, yet remains hopeful of saying hello to his own better tomorrow. It's a powerful performance in a show filled with them, including from Crudup — who Azaria has always wanted to work with. "I chased this job down. I've always wanted to work with Billy. I know Billy, I love him as a performer and a person, and I wanted to be a part of this," Azaria tells Concrete Playground. Also part of our chat: what else appealed to him about Hello Tomorrow!, the show's many layers, the kinds of roles he looks for beyond The Simpsons and busting out his voice work on salesmen himself. ON HIS FIRST REACTION TO HELLO TOMORROW! "I imagined a gritty, realistic, Glengarry Glen Ross take on it. I was very surprised by this retrofuturistic element, that to me almost feels like an episode of The Twilight Zone from the 50s that we've expanded into a series. It's this kind of low-tech but high-tech high-concept idea in a morality play playing out in the context of a futuristic sci-fi premise. It reminds me of a Rod Serling-type idea. And then [there's] the heightened language of the thing, the kind of Damon Runyan sort of 1950s heightened speak that we all engage in. So it was more of a stylised thing than I had imagined." ON HELLO TOMORROW!'S EXPLORATION OF THE AMERICAN DREAM "It's this metaphor of the American dream being out of reach. Is it or isn't it? What's hope? What's delusion? What really struck me about Billy's character Jack is he's this really pretty ruthless conman who is believing, I think — it could be hope, it could be delusion on his part. But the hope he's giving people, even though it's an utter lie, [he believes] is good for them. And in many cases, it is. It's kind of what saved his life, and he wants to pass that along. Billy also refers to the pursuit of money as almost religious zealotry in this world we're in. These folks, there's a religious fervour around their pursuit of the American dream and the capitalist vision that these folks have — like even more than our current society has that we live in. So it's making that extreme version of what these ideals were and holding it up as satire." ON PLAYING THE GAMBLING-ADDICTED, LUNAR-DREAMING EDDIE "That's interesting isn't it? He's the most cynical. I think he believes he's bought into what they're selling, but he doesn't need to do that to sell. He's happy to con people — and knowingly con people, if that's what he's doing. But it speaks to, I think, the potency of that dream that Billy's character is selling — if even a cynic like Eddie, a gambling-addicted, negative, maladaptive, self-destructive person like Eddie, buys into this. He doesn't need it to sell. I don't think it affects his selling style at all. But even Eddie sees his dream of love and happiness, [living] happily ever after with his beloved Shirley [BrightSide's office manger Shirley, played by Truth Be Told's Haneefah Wood], as happening up there. It speaks to the power of that delusion, that dream." ON THE RESEARCH THAT GOES INTO PLAYING A LUNAR TIMESHARE SALESMAN "There aren't too many travelling salesmen around these days to talk to. There's a brilliant movie called Salesman, a documentary — I believe from the 60s — about bible salesmen that we all watched, and that really affected me a lot. Just the lives of these guys and their attitudes going door to door. The movie Tin Man is a great other piece of source material, [about] these conmen salesmen who were just that kind of bottomline, have to sell, really living or dying by whether you sell or not types. And then, as an actor, just wrapping your mouth and mind and heart around the language, the way these guys are talking — which is so much fun, but challenging at times. This is more the mind you apply to [Glengarry Glen Ross writer David] Mamet or [The West Wing creator Aaron] Sorkin or Shakespeare, where that's not how I would express myself, and I have to transpose my truth, what's real to me, to how this guy's expressing it. Which takes like a little bit of practice. It's almost like a skill, like a language you learn — or not as hard as that, but related to that. It is a rhythm thing, though. You find that there's a rhythm and a way of speaking that's sells it, but finding what that is takes a little bit of practice at first." ON THE TYPE OF ROLES HE LOOKS FOR BEYOND THE SIMPSONS "It's always different but always the same. Honestly, it's good writing. If I could write, I would. I can write, but I'm sort of a C+ writer. The stuff I write I guess gets made, but I probably would turn it down if I were offered it, if writer me came to me, with rare exception — Brockmire being one that I helped develop, which I loved, it was an idea I'd had since I was a teenager. But it's really writing, whether it's comedy, drama, this role, that role. Once you weed out what you really respond to in writing for whatever reason, there's not all that much left. And if you're fortunate enough to not have to work, then there's not much — to me anyway, there's not that many things that come along that I go 'oh, I could see doing that'. This was one of them." ON HOW HIS PENCHANT FOR VOICES COMES IN HANDY WITH TELEMARKETERS "It's rare that you run into a travelling salesman anymore, let alone one that's offering you up on the moon — you'd be crazy not to be immediately suspicious. But we're all barraged by telemarketers if you still have a home line, or even if you don't! You just get spam calls, and we're all pretty familiar how we usually react to those. I usually adopt a different voice and try to engage, and turn it around on the folks that call me up at dinnertime. It's one of the fun little perks of being a voice guy." Hello Tomorrow! streams via Apple TV+. Read our full review.
Melbourne's NGV International is celebrating the unique designs and lasting legacy of fashion icon Christian Dior, in a world premiere exhibition launching this Sunday, August 27. Running until November 7, The House of Dior: Seventy Years of Haute Couture will be one of three major surveys of Dior's groundbreaking work, alongside exhibitions in Paris and New York. The Melbourne show will include more than 140 show-stopping garments, stretching the length and breadth of the label's extraordinary history. "Highlights of the NGV's House of Dior exhibition will include one of the few surviving examples of Christian Dior's New Look collection, which revitalised women's fashion in the post-war era," said gallery director Tony Ellwood last year. "And of course it wouldn't be a Dior exhibition without their sculptural tailoring, their signature ball gowns and their glamorous evening dresses which have become synonymous with the fashion house." "Audiences will discover the nuances of Dior's fashion design, and observe the ways in which these have evolved through the decades. The exhibition will also celebrate the milestones of Dior's six successive designers," he added. A key element of the exhibition will be an exploration of Dior's historic 1948 spring fashion parade at David Jones in Sydney, considered to be the first complete Dior collection to be shown outside of Paris. The exhibition will also tie in with the gallery's first ever Gala Ball on Sunday. If you're heading to Melbourne in the next few months, add this to your must-do list. Images: Installation view of House of Dior: Seventy Years of Haute Couture at the National Gallery of Victoria. Shot by Sean Fennessy.
Tranquility and Lutwyche now go hand in hand. So do pastels and Lutwyche; Mediterranean-style bathhouses and Lutwyche; and escaping life's chaos in saunas, steam rooms and ice baths in Lutwyche. The reason: Contro Wellness. First announced earlier in April and now welcoming Brisbanites through the doors from Monday, April 29, the venue is the River City's latest place to relax, slow down and put your wellbeing first. Brisbane has no shortage of wellness studios — indeed, Albion is also set to score a new bathhouse before the middle of 2024, opening in June — but adding more is always welcome. With its soft and calming hues, Contro Wellness has gone dreamy with its bathhouse setup. Patrons will find both traditional and infrared saunas, float therapy, mineral soaks, red-light therapy and salt therapy inside, too. Also, if you're keen on not just relaxation, but some alone time — or sharing your experience with a date or mate — this isn't the kind of place where you'll be using the facilities with other folks. All services are private, which is handy if you're also the type of person who finds trying to de-stress surrounded by people who don't know anything but calming. Price-wise, you'll be forking out at least $40, which is where Contro Wellness' services start. Sessions are also available in packs of five and ten, so you can plan out your future visits. And, the bathhouse lets you book in via its app, letting you lock in your next stint of unwinding at the touch of a button. "Contro Wellness is the ultimate escape from the everyday hustle and bustle of city life," said Madeleine Snaith and Jake Salomone, the venue's co-founders, when the wellness spot was first announced. The pair are Brisbanites, but are opening Contro Wellness as part of their homecoming after establishing pilates and yoga studios — also called Contro — in north Queensland, in Mackay and Rural View. "Our extensive range of private health solutions offer calm amongst the chaos. Whether you're after a float, sauna or ice bath, we've got something for everyone to help rebalance, revive and rejuvenate." Find Contro Wellness 488 Lutwyche Road, Lutwyche, from Monday, April 29, 2024. Head to the studio's website for further information. Images: Contro Wellness, Luke Donegan.
Pulling from the culinary trends taking over Japan, the team at Harajuku Gyoza is always working on sweet surprises. Now, for a limited time, they're launching a hidden dessert pop-up in the heart of the CBD on Albert Lane. Riffing on the classic Mont Blanc dessert, sweet-tooths will encounter four colourful cones priced at $12 each, layered with fluffy air cheesecake, castella cake and mochi. Then, for the crowning touch, classic Mont Blanc strands are pressed on top right before your eyes. With each option as bright and toothsome as the last, you're welcome to delve into classic fruit flavours like strawberry and mango. Meanwhile, Asian-inspired flavours like taro and matcha round out this Instagrammable lineup. Served out of the Harajuku Gyoza window, this pop-up storefront has got the design to match — think kawaii ice cream shop vibes. Available daily until mid-October from 11.30am–late, make sure you discover the Mont Blanc Cone Pop-Up before it's gone for good.
Fancy chowing down on Los Pollos fried chicken for reals? Breaking Bad fans, hold on to your tortugas. There's a very real possibility that the Los Pollos fried chicken chain from the now-finished AMC series could become a real restaurant. During his recent Reddit AMA, Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan dropped a sneaky teaser; that there have indeed been serious chats to make Gustavo Fring's fictional chicken empire into a real fast food joint. "[T]here is talk of a Pollos Hermanos becoming a real restaurant," he said. "This is not an idea that I generated personally. But it's one that's been presented to me, through the good folks at Sony, and the idea came to them from a businessman who has an interest in doing just that. Speaking for myself, I'd love to see that happen!" Whether or not this goes ahead remains to be seen, but for now we're happy to join the inevitable fan-brainstormed wishlist of novelty Pollos features. Reddit user elijoker suggested every store should have a Gus Fring look-a-like and ask random customers if their food is to their satisfaction. immorta1 pitched every purchase of a combo meal as coming with a free GPS tracker installed under your car by a serial killer. Bic_Parker practically pondered menu items like ice cream covered with blue pop rocks, while Ivanbulls suggested blue rock candy in baggies for dessert. We're also pretty sure the restaurant could smuggle anything they damn well wanted to, crying 'theme' if the Feds started to raise an eyebrow. Hardcore fans who can't wait for Sony negotiations can find their way to a pretty great Next Best Thing. Pointed out by Vanity Fair, Albuquerque burger and burrito restaurant Twisters functioned as a stand-in for Los Pollos Hermanos during shooting, training their employees to answer Los Pollos FAQs. Understandable. Very understandable. Via Vanity Fair.
When it opens its borders in early March, Western Australia will allow travellers from interstate and international destinations to visit for the first time in nearly two years — and, if it's beaches you're after, you have plenty of reasons to make the trip. Already in 2022, WA's Misery Beach was named Australia's best beach for the year. Now, the state's Turquoise Bay has nabbed its own accolade, topping a list of best beaches in the South Pacific for 2022. In Tripadvisor's just-announced 2022 lineup of the region's best beaches, which ranks ten idyllic locations, seven Aussie spots made the cut — and two from New Zealand. In fact, the only patch of sand that wasn't from either country was Bora Bora's Matira Beach, which came in fifth. Yes, that means three Aussie beaches and one NZ spot pipped French Polynesia. Located in Exmouth, Turquoise Bay came in third in Tripadvisor's top ten list of beaches around the world, too, moving up a spot from sixth in 2021. So, if you're making beachy holiday plans, this WA locale has been given the tick twice over. [caption id="attachment_844142" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Greens Pool, Denmark, Western Australia[/caption] On the South Pacific list, Broome's Cable Beach, also in WA, came in second — followed by New Zealand's Kaiteriteri Beach at third, then Greens Pool in Denmark, WA at fourth. Norfolk Island's Emily Bay ranked sixth, Queensland's Mooloolaba Beach came seventh, Cape Le Grand National Park in Esperance, WA sits eighth and 2021 best beach in the world winner Whitehaven Beach in Queensland came ninth. Rounding out the rankings: Tahunanui Beach in Nelson, NZ. Clearly, WA beaches scored big — with most locations named this year also placing in 2021. [caption id="attachment_844140" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kaiteriteri Beach, New Zealand[/caption] On the worldwide list, Grace Bay Beach in the Turks and Caicos Islands emerged victorious — moving up from fourth place in 2021 — followed by Varadero Beach in Cuba at second. Brazil's Quarta Praia in Morro de Sao Paulo came fourth, Aruba's Eagle Beach sits fifth and Radhanagar Beach on Havelock Island in India ranked sixth. They were followed by Baía do Sancho in Fernando de Noronha, Brazil at seventh; Trunk Bay Beach in the Virgin Islands National Park, US Virgin Islands at eighth; Baía dos Golfinhos in Praia da Pipa, again in Brazil, at ninth and Italy's Spiaggia dei Conigli in Lampedusa at tenth. The global list also named spots from 11th to 25th place, with Broome's Cable Beach coming in 11th. Across both the worldwide and South Pacific rankings, winners were chosen as part of Tripadvisor's Traveller's Choice awards, which is based on reviews and ratings left on the online platform across 2021. [caption id="attachment_844145" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Grace Bay Beach in the Turks and Caicos Islands[/caption] TOP TEN BEACHES IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC FOR 2022: Turquoise Bay, Exmouth, Western Australia Cable Beach, Broome, Western Australia Kaiteriteri Beach, Kaiteriteri, New Zealand Greens Pool, Denmark, Western Australia Matira Beach, Bora Bora, French Polynesia Emily Bay, Norfolk Island, Australia Mooloolaba Beach, Mooloolaba, Queensland Cape Le Grand National Park, Esperance, Western Australia Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Island, Queensland Tahunanui Beach, Nelson, New Zealand TOP TEN BEACHES IN THE WORLD FOR 2022: Grace Bay Beach, Grace Bay, Turks and Caicos Varadero Beach, Varadero, Cuba Turquoise Bay, Exmouth, Western Australia Quarta Praia, Morro de Sao Paulo, Brazil Eagle Beach, Palm, Eagle Beach, Aruba Radhanagar Beach, Havelock Island, India Baía do Sancho, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil Trunk Bay Beach, Virgin Islands National Park, U.S. Virgin Islands Baía dos Golfinhos, Praia da Pipa, Brazil Spiaggia dei Conigli, Lampedusa, Italy To check out the full list of top beaches for 2022, head to Tripadvisor. Top image: Tourism Western Australia.
Canned sundaes. Could be a trap. Sounds a little too dreamy. Seems the man who gave the world Cronuts has another trick up his sleeve, tailormade for the hardworking holidayers of the Hamptons. The latest experiment from award-winning pastry chef Dominique Ansel, canned sundaes are making their way to New York's Hamptons this weekend to be sold in a fancy ol' truck outside Lisa Perry's East Hampton boutique. One-off Ansel desserts, Lisa Perry boutique. HAMPTONS REPRESENT. "Dominique was a perfect match for this collaboration, as both of our brands celebrate art, pop culture and fun," said Perry. "He infuses each of his confections with creativity and imagination and the end result is always a treat in more ways than one." Somewhat fancier than Burger King's bacon sundae and channelling the same respect for showstopping dessert flavours as Messina, Ansel has created quite the gourmet canned good in this want-now dessert. Inspired by Warhol's cans, the mash-up sundaes are based on the classic root beer float (apparently Perry's favourite) — with root beer-flavoured ice cream, stracciatella ice cream (vanilla and chocolate chips) macerated cherries and mascarpone semifreddo and toasted marshmallow hanging out in the can. On top, Ansel's tiny signature 'Mini Me' meringues. You could say it's the most decadent thing someone's put in a can since the Candwich (canned sandwich, obviously). Meant for sharing, the sundaes will set Hamptonites back $15 and have enough canned goodness for two dessert fiends. Ansel will only be serving up 500 of these babies, so watch the 'grams for bragging rights. But before you get all Gossip Girl hater over this decadent dessert stunt, it's for a good cause. Ansel is giving 20 percent of sales from his fancy, fancy treat to City Harvest. Whattaguy. Via Grub Street. Image: Courtesy of Dominique Ansel Bakery
Homebrewers and beer lovers in Perth have a new local playground for their craft. Brew U: Brew University is taking the existing brew-on-premises model and gearing it toward craft beer enthusiasts, giving locals the ability to brew beer that is actually tasty while digging deeper into the science behind the process. If you're not familiar with the model, a brew-on-premises facility allows novices to bulk brew their own beer on the cheap. It saves money (when you compare it to buying retail) and avoids the bloody mess of doing it at home in the garage. Brew U is just taking this concept to the next level. The whole thing has been started by six Perth locals and aspiring brewers: Jon Stockey, Jenna Lippert, Eliza Stockey, John Lewis, Richard Allen and Lisa Allen. Together, they're offering much more than your typical extract brewing facility — which is most likely the method your mate used to make that nasty home brew, which you then vowed to never drink again. Instead, Brew U provides patrons with the added opportunity to try out grain brewing (just like professional brewers) and use rare yeast strains in their beer, all from a customised menu. The brewing menu uses fresh, local and high quality ingredients and includes specialty brews like a sour cherry Berliner Weisse, an India pale lager (IPL) and a New England-style IPA. As well as beer, the facility also allows for the production of cider and ginger beers. The space is inspired by US microbreweries, with the refurbished venue taking on an American varsity theme using chain-link fencing, ivy vines, school lockers, park benches and AstroTurf, along with a 30-metre custom mural by artists Steve Browne and Jerome Davenport. Apart from the brewing bit, the space will host beer education classes and seminars with local brewers, kegerator sales, keg hire and custom installations. The team also has its own microbrewery in the works with a full-on site production facility, bar with indoor beer garden and packaged products planned for the near future. Brew U is now open at 3–176 Bannister Road, Canningvale, Perth. It's open 3.30–7.30pm Monday to Friday, 8am–5pm Saturday 10am–5pm Sunday. For more info, visit the Facebook page.
Being a sports fan involves taking every opportunity you can get to show your love for your chosen team. Attending matches, nabbing all the merchandise, decking yourself out in the appropriate hues: they're some of the easy ways to go about it. If you're particularly dedicated, so is naming a pet after your favourite player or squad. We can't all call a koala joey Matilda, however, like the folks at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary have to celebrate the 2023 Women's World Cup. Over the past few weeks, the fortunes of Australia's national women's soccer team have been the best conversation topic there is. How is Sam Kerr's calf? How many goals can Hayley Raso kick? How stunning was that game against Canada? Here's the latest question: how cute is this Gold Coast koala that now shares the Matildas' name? The answer: very. Matilda the koala is now 12 months old, about 25 centimetres in size and has been given her moniker to honour the Aussie squad. "The real Matildas are achieving great things, and many of the staff and volunteers at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary have been following their journey closely," said Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary Koala Specialist Sarah Eccleston. "When discussing a name for the newest addition to our Koala nursery, Matilda was a clear favourite and seemed very fitting." "Matilda is very sweet but also a bit cheeky. She is already making herself known in the nursery, just like the Matildas in the FIFA Women's World Cup tournament," Eccleston continued. At Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Matilda was born from the breeding and conservation program, and will soon join it to help the endangered species' future. The wildlife haven is home to more than 50 of its own fluffy-eared marsupials, which visitors can see on a trip to the park or via a daily behind-the-scenes tour, breakfast with koalas sessions five days a week and regular grazing experiences in its koala habitat. [caption id="attachment_912105" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Shiftchange via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Find Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary at 28 Tomewin Street, Currumbin — head to the venue's website for further information. The FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 runs until Sunday, August 20 across Australia and New Zealand, with tickets available from the FIFA website.
If you didn't have a great time watching some of cinema's many sequels, remakes and riffs on well-known characters in 2023, you weren't alone: franchise fare and flicks linked to familiar figures scored big among the nominations for the 44th Golden Raspberry Awards. These annual accolades include a specific category for Worst Remake, Ripoff or Sequel, but perusing its current list of contenders means seeing titles that continue sagas and the like everywhere — including all five movies vying for Worst Picture. Up for the award: The Exorcist: Believer, Expend4bles, Meg 2: The Trench, Shazam! Fury of the Gods and Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey. Among the rest of the fields, they have company from Fast X, Magic Mike's Last Dance, Ant Man & the Wasp: Quantumania and Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny. As everyone already knows, last year was a great year to be Barbenheimer, which showed that films that weren't follow-ups could amass a massive audience. The same can't be said for movies that arrived with a been-there-done-that vibe already baked in. Obviously, not all flicks can be excellent. Some are, and gongs like the Golden Globes and Oscars reward them accordingly. For those that aren't, the Razzies make its choices — and from 2023's releases, Expend4bles leads the way with seven nominations, including for Worst Supporting Actor (Sylvester Stallone), Worst Supporting Actress (Megan Fox), Worst Screen Couple (for any two "merciless mercenaries"), Worst Director (Scott Waugh), the aforementioned Worst Remake, Ripoff or Sequel, and Worst Screenplay. If you're wondering where Fast X was recognised, Vin Diesel received a Worst Actor nod. Magic Mike's Last Dance picked up nominations for Worst Actress (Salma Hayek) and Worst Screen Couple (Hayek with Channing Tatum). Ant Man & the Wasp: Quantumania has two contenders for Worst Supporting Actor in Michael Douglas and Bill Murray — plus director and sequel — and Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny pops up in the sequel and screenplay camps. Among the other big-name actors, Chris Evans and Ana de Armas are on the list for action-comedy Ghosted, and so is Russell Crowe for The Pope's Exorcist (exorcism movies were big in 2023, and with the Razzies). Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu got the nod for Shazam! Fury of the Gods, Jennifer Lopez for The Mother and Jason Statham for Meg 2: The Trench, while Megan Fox picked up a second nomination for Johnny & Clyde. Sometimes, films receiving the Razzies' attention also earn some Oscars love, as Elvis and Blonde did last year. That seems less likely in 2024, but the Golden Raspberry Awards are always timed to make the comparison. Its nominations drop the day before the Oscars do the same and, when it anoints its winners on Sunday, March 10, Australian and New Zealand time, it'll also do so the day before the Academy Awards ceremony. Check out the full list of Razzie nominees below: Golden Raspberry Nominees 2023: Worst Picture: The Exorcist: Believer Expend4bles Meg 2: The Trench Shazam! Fury of the Gods Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey Worst Actor: Russell Crowe, The Pope's Exorcist Vin Diesel, Fast X Chris Evans, Ghosted Jason Statham, Meg 2: The Trench Jon Voight, Mercy Worst Actress: Ana de Armas, Ghosted Megan Fox, Johnny & Clyde Salma Hayek, Magic Mike's Last Dance Jennifer Lopez, The Mother Helen Mirren, Shazam! Fury of the Gods Worst Supporting Actor: Michael Douglas, Ant Man & the Wasp: Quantumania Mel Gibson, Confidential Informant Bill Murray, Ant Man & the Wasp: Quantumania Franco Nero (as The Pope), The Pope's Exorcist Sylvester Stallone, Expend4ables Worst Supporting Actress: Kim Cattrall, About My Father Megan Fox, Expend4bles Bai Ling, Johnny & Clyde Lucy Liu, Shazam! Fury of the Gods Mary Stuart Masterson, Five Nights at Freddy's Worst Screen Couple: Any two "merciless mercenaries", Expend4bles Any two money-grubbing investors who donated to the $400 million for remake rights to The Exorcist Ana de Armas and Chris Evans (who flunked screen chemistry), Ghosted Salma Hayek and Channing Tatum, Magic Mike's Last Dance Pooh and Piglet as blood-thirsty slasher/killers in Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey Worst Director: Rhys Frake-Waterfield, Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey David Gordon Green, The Exorcist: Believer Peyton Reed, Ant Man & the Wasp: Quantumania Scott Waugh, Expend4bles Ben Wheatley, Meg 2: The Trench Worst Remake, Ripoff or Sequel: Ant Man & The Wasp: Quantumania The Exorcist: Believer Expend4bles Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey Worst Screenplay: The Exorcist: Believer Expend4bles Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Shazam! Fury of the Gods Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood & Honey The Golden Raspberry Awards will be announced on Sunday, March 10, Australian and New Zealand time. For further details, head to the awards' website.
Attention aestheticians, minimalists and lovers of Tumblr, this is a public service announcement: there's Pantone-themed café just opened in Monaco and it’s fifty shades of beautiful. The eatery, named Pantone Cafe (keepin’ it simple, classic Pantone), has been set up on Avenue Princesse Grace overlooking the Côte d'Azur and against the vibrant backdrop of the Mediterranean Sea. They'll be serving up treats and drinks that perfectly match Pantone’s famed hues. You know what this means, people. Bring your goddamn cameras. Everything at Pantone Cafe has been matched to a Pantone shade — even the staff uniforms. The menu reads like summer incarnate: ice creams, eclairs, granitas, soft drinks, 'fruit alcohol', cold sandwiches and juice. Try the in-vogue Pantone 13-0221 Pistachio Green éclair or the Pantone 13-2804 Parfait Pink ham sandie. A ham sandie has never been so lux. In case you hadn't guessed from the Côte d'Azur/Mediterranean location, Pantone Cafe has a summer theme and is therefore only open for the summer months until September 9. That is still ample time to quit your job, leave your family, bail to Monaco and really focus on your Tumblr aesthetic. But you better crack your piggy bank wide open because according to 2014 stats from the World Bank, the Monegasque are the richest people on earth. A Pantone 15-5534 green salad will set you back $13, so all you poor colourphiles might have to stick with a $3 croissant instead. Find the Pantone Café at Grimaldi Forum, 10 Av. Princesse Grace. Open from 10am-8pm daily, until September 9. Images: Pantone Cafe.
Lovers of utes — or Aussie cars in general — should make tracks to Deniliquin this October, for the 21st annual Deni Ute Muster. The town sits in the southwest corner of New South Wales, making it a relatively quick 3.5-hour commute for Melburnians (it's 7.5 hours from Sydney). The 'rural-themed' camping festival attracts some 20,000 visitors, as well as utes of all models and vintages. There are so many trucks in attendance that each year the festival tries to break its own 1999 Guinness World Record for the largest parade of utes (currently 2839, if you're interested). Country music fans have their own reason to visit, with a full lineup of local and international acts taking the stage across two nights. This year's program is headlined by Tim McGraw. Driving competitions, building challenges, lawn mower races, whip cracking, wood chopping and a go-kart track are also on the docket. The $269 ticket price also covers camping, so you can bring your own tent or caravan — or simply roll out a swag in the back of your ute.
There are so many things we love about BYO dining. You get to drink your favourite beverages at a fraction of the price, everything feels that little bit more relaxed, and the night usually leads to friends swapping drinks, sharing food and getting a little extra chirpy around the dinner table. The only problem is that BYO is usually synonymous with wine, and if you're not a big wine drinker you often feel like you have to bring a bottle of red to look 'fancy' when really you'd love to crack open an ice-cold beer. We're helping you out of this predicament by tracking Brisbane restaurants that allow you to BYO beer. Now you can go to a lovely restaurant and crack into your favourite tinny without fear of judgement or having to pretend you're enjoying the rosé.
Mindfulness practice — achieving the mental state of focusing on the present moment — is gaining popularity as people attempt to regulate their stressful lives. People have turned to everything from meditation to colouring books to achieve mindfulness, but perhaps few people would think of doing a triathlon to achieve inner peace. Take three activities that promote mindfulness — specifically running, yoga and meditation — and you've got yourself a 'mindful triathlon'. Wanderlust 108 has been running these triathlon festivals since 2014, and the standard day has a few main components. First, there's the five kilometre run, although the site reassures you that you can walk instead of running — or even "prance, skip, stroll or strut" — as long as you reach the finish line. After that, theres 75 minutes of yoga accompanied by a DJ set, and finally 25 minutes of guided meditation to round out the whole-group activities. Once the structured section of the day has wrapped up, participants can also head to activities such as acroyoga and hooping, or to lunch. It's part exercise, part dance party, part fest — and 100-percent focused on helping attendees feel great inside and out. You can also browse your way around a marketplace, which will help you take your new blissed-out state home with you. Returning to Brisbane on Saturday, October 19, this year's Wanderlust 108 will take place in West End's Orleigh Park. By Siobhan Ryan and Sarah Ward.
Being selected for the Melbourne International Film Festival's Bright Horizons is an achievement. Only one movie each year can take home the competition's $140,000 prize, however. 2025's just-announced victor: A Poet, which follows a once-celebrated literary figure who is having trouble writing, premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival and marks the second feature by Simón Mesa Soto (Amparo). The fest's annual competition for emerging filmmakers has given its coveted accolade to "a tragicomic satire and microcosm of melancholy and irreverence", as the Bright Horizons Jury led by Aftersun director Charlotte Wells described A Poet. The same group also made its pick for MIFF's Best Australian Director of 2025, with photographer James J Robinson winning the award for his filmmaking debut First Light. Bright Horizons has been part of MIFF's program since 2022, when Australia's oldest film festival started its yearly prize for new directorial voices. Afrofuturist musical Neptune Frost won the award in its initial year — which Aftersun contended for — followed by Senegalese-French love story Banel & Adama in 2023, then Canadan dramedy Universal Language in 2024. "A Poet depicts Óscar, a failed poet turned reluctant mentor drifting between aspiration and self-destruction. The film is a biting fable of art as both an inescapable burden and a personal compass, breaking convention through its refreshingly brisk pace, unpretentious use of 16mm cinematography, deadpan performances by a mostly first-timer cast and pared-back jazzy score," the 2025 jury continued about A Poet. "The film's balancing act of unflinching character study and social satire marks Simón Mesa Soto as a vital voice in contemporary Latin American cinema." [caption id="attachment_1018710" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dijana Risteska[/caption] Of First Light — a Bright Horizons competitor, too — as the Best Australian Director recipient, Wells, Pavements and Videoheaven director Alex Ross Perry, Harvest filmmaker Athina Rachel Tsangari, composer and musician Caitlin Yeo (Last Days of the Space Age), author and screenwriter Nam Le (The Boat), performer Tamala (Late Night with the Devil) and IMDb founder Col Needham said: "James J Robinson's First Light is a moving and powerful meditation on faith, institutional corruption and moral awakening". "The film is anchored by a pitchperfect performance from Ruby Ruiz [Expats] and a sensorial mise en scène, inviting the audience into the spiritual grandeur of the landscape and the sacred intimacy of the convent to interrogate, alongside Sister Yolanda, not only the crime at hand, but also the Catholic Church and modern society itself." "As the first Australia–Philippines co-production to debut at MIFF, First Light not only showcases Robinson's promise as a cineaste but also marks a noteworthy milestone in cross-cultural cinema." 2025 is the third year of MIFF's Uncle Jack Charles Award, aka the First Nations Film Creative Award, as won this year by Yarrenyty Arltere Artists the art direction of short The Fix-It-Man and the Fix-It-Wooman. If you went to the festival and had your say in the Audience Award voting, you also contributed to 2025's winners lineup, too. After Australian documentaries Voice and Left Write Hook shared the accolade in 2024, another has won it outright in 2025: the aged care-focused Careless. For those who haven't caught them at MIFF, add the recipients of this year's accolades to your must-see list ASAP. Check out the trailers for A Poet, Careless andThe Fix-It-Man and the Fix-It-Wooman below: The 2025 Melbourne International Film Festival runs from Thursday, August 7–Sunday, August 24. For more information, visit the MIFF website. Bright Horizons Jury image: Dijana Risteska.
Woolloongabba isn't short on places to enjoy a drink, especially on game days, but only one craft beer pub and brewery sits directly opposite the Gabba. Brisbane's famed football and cricket ground literally casts a shadow over Easy Times Brewing Co. Stop in for a pre-match brew, and you won't have to venture far to get into the stadium. Heading by on a regular day, during the venue's Wednesday–Sunday operating hours, is welcome as well. Open since 2020, Easy Times is a laidback addition to the Logan Road precinct. The name gives that away, obviously. Here, you can sip beers made onsite, with 20 taps pouring different varieties — or, there's a wine and spirits selection for those after something not-so-yeasty. With two levels and two street frontages, patrons can pick their view, including onto Stanley Street. When it comes to food, you'll be selecting from a SoCal-inspired menu. Pair pints of Gabba Draught, Hazy Times IPA and Sunshine State of Mind pale ale with five different types of tacos, including pulled pork with pineapple salsa verde, braised beef with salsa roja, drunken mescal beans, barbecue chicken with corn guacamole, and grilled saltwater barramundi with pickled slaw — or, opt for four kinds of tortas, nacho boxes and burrito bowls. To spice things up, the venue makes two hot sauces in-house, too, so you can hop out the door with an extra spring in your step. On Sundays, Easy Times also hosts live tunes — and for weekday lunches, it does $20 beer and taco deals. Top image: Darren Ward.
Each month, Netflix adds a whole heap of new movies, shows and specials to its lineup. It's impossible to watch all of them, and if you tend to gravitate towards its big series and films — Stranger Things and The Witcher, plus features such as Marriage Story and The Trial of the Chicago 7 , for instance — that's understandable. But don't scroll your way past the service's comedy offerings. As with everything on every streaming platform, the selection can be a bit hit and miss; however, Netflix was responsible for one of the best sketch comedies of 2019, aka the sidesplitting I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson. In 2020, Netflix is hoping that its latest addition to the genre will also strike a chord, this time with Aussie comedians Aunty Donna at its centre. The troupe's absurdist gags, satire and wordplay is heading to the streamer via the six-part Aunty Donna's Big House of Fun, which'll be available to watch from Wednesday, November 11. As the just-released first trailer shows, viewers are in for silliness galore, as led by Aunty Donna's Mark Samual Bonanno, Broden Kelly and Zachary Ruane. The Office star Ed Helms also pops up, and executive produces the series — with Comedy Bang! Bang!'s Scott Aukerman and David Jargowsky also falling into the latter category. Since forming in 2011, Aunty Donna just keeps expanding its resume. It has played gigs everywhere from the Melbourne International Comedy Festival to Edinburgh Festival Fringe, toured the country several times, made a number of web series and released an album. In a year where we could all use a genuine reason to laugh, Aunty Donna's Big House of Fun adds to that list. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BVoYKwTc4E Aunty Donna's Big House of Fun will be available via Netflix from Wednesday, November 11.
The last time that Patricia Arquette graced the small screen before High Desert, she was icy and commanding, pulling company-controlled strings and overseeing a corporate-styled sci-fi nightmare world. Other than also streaming via Apple TV+, 2022's instant-standout first season of Severance has little in common with the Boyhood Oscar-winner and The Act and Medium Emmy-winner's latest project. Here, she leads a private investigator comedy that dapples its jam-packed chaos under California's golden sun, against the parched Yucca Valley landscape and with an anything-goes philosophy — not to mention a more-mayhem-the-merrier tone. In High Desert, the always-excellent Arquette plays Peggy Newman, who isn't letting her age get in the way of perennially struggling to pull her life together. That said, when the eight-part series opens — streaming from Wednesday, May 17 — it's Thanksgiving 2013 and she's living an upscale existence in Palm Springs, with gleaming surfaces abounding in her expansive (and visibly expensive) home. Then, as her husband Denny (Matt Dillon, Proxima) jokes around with her mother Roslyn (Bernadette Peters, Mozart in the Jungle), and her younger siblings Dianne (Christine Taylor, Search Party) and Stewart (Keir O'Donnell, The Dry) lap up the lavish festivities, DEA agents swarm outside. Cue weed, hash and cash stashes being flushed and trashed, but not quickly enough to avoid splashing around serious repercussions. A decade later, High Desert's protagonist has been sharing Roslyn's house and trying to kick her addictions while working at Pioneertown, a historical attraction that gives tourists a dusty, gun-toting taste of frontier life. Peggy would love to step back in time herself when she's not pretending to be a saloon barmaid — to when her recently deceased mother was still alive, however, rather than to her glitzy post-arrest shindigs. Still angry about being caught up in a drug bust, Dianne and Stewart have zero time for her nostalgia and a lack of patience left for her troubles. Their plan: to sell Roslyn's abode with no worries about where Peggy might end up. Her counter: doing everything she can to stop that from happening. High Desert doesn't just embrace the fact that living and breathing is merely weathering whatever weird, wild and sometimes-wonderful shambles fate throws your way; in a show created and written by Nurse Jackie and Damages alumni Jennifer Hoppe and Nancy Fichman, plus Miss Congeniality and Desperate Housewives' Katie Ford, that idea dictates the busy plot, too. The end result isn't quite in Mrs Davis territory but, as Peggy decides to talk her way into moonlighting as a private investigator for local detective Bruce Harvey (Brad Garrett, Bupkis) after he rips off her best friend Carol (Weruche Opia, I May Destroy You), it repeatedly proves gleefully ridiculous. Instead of a nun fighting AI, this series spans stolen art, an anchorman-turned-guru (Rupert Friend, Obi-Wan Kenobi) whose motto is "everything is stupid!", a missing mafia family member (Tonya Glanz, Hightown), and father-daughter assassins (American Horror Story's Carlo Rota and Tuning In's Julia Rickert) with debts to collect and a penchant for slicing off nipples. Also filling High Desert's frames: blasting people out of canons, a wine- and car-stealing teen (Jayden Gomez, Love) with an all-seeing drone, Denny getting out of prison and chasing new schemes, a talking parrot plucking out its own feathers, and an actor who looks so much like Roslyn (and is also played by the great Peters) that Peggy decides to write a cathartic play around her to work through her mummy issues. For a show taking place in sleepy surroundings — Yucca Valley's IRL population is just over 21,000 — there's nothing placid about the hectic parade of capers it unfurls against the rocky setting. As an illustration of life's non-stop bedlam, though, this happily shaggy ode to sleuthing, hustling and trying to get by always feels authentic. How does anyone navigate their days when there's a lifetime of pain to sift through and just as much baggage to carry, everyone's right choice is someone else's wrong option, and we're all just making it all up as we go along? That's High Desert's vibe — and while it's never afraid to be OTT, it's also wonderfully astute. Adding another memorable role to a four-decades-long resume filled with them, and bringing to mind True Romance's Alabama but 30 years on, Arquette is a key reason that the series plays as engagingly and thoughtfully as it does. She's a committed comic gem as a woman who is never willing to be anything less than herself no matter the costs and consequences, and she's also both a source of pandemonium and a trusty anchor. Arquette is in fine company, with Dillon in There's Something About Mary mode, Friend demonstrating his knack for comedy as the immediately absurd Guru Bob, Garrett adding another interesting part to his post-Everybody Loves Raymond resume and Peters an on-screen treasure as always. Indeed, High Desert's stacks-on feeling echoes everywhere under director Jay Roach's (Bombshell) guidance, from the series' lead performance to its supporting players, and also including its bouncing plot and vivid imagery — brightly, involvingly, entertainingly, and never just throwing more and more hijinks in for the sake of it. With a PI job front and centre, hitmen to avoid and a disappearance to solve, High Desert joins Apple TV+'s packed lineup of mysteries. Severance, Servant, Black Bird, The Afterparty, Bad Sisters, Hello Tomorrow!, The Big Door Prize, Silo, this: they all fit the mould, filling the platform's catalogue with what's clearly its favourite genre. In fact, High Desert's biggest disappointment is that it doesn't lean in further, giving more time and attention to Peggy's no-nonsense detective talents in the spirit of Veronica Mars and Poker Face. Perhaps that's a road for season two to drive down, should another go-around eventuate. With Arquette being a delight at the show's the centre again, more would be welcome. Check out the trailer for High Desert below: High Desert streams via Apple TV+ from Wednesday, May 17.
He was the subject of the world's first narrative feature film, has been played by everyone from Mick Jagger to Heath Ledger and Down Under director Abe Forsythe, and has long been considered Australia's version of Robin Hood. A folk hero to some and a ruthless outlaw to others, Ned Kelly is firmly entrenched in the nation's history. But, while every Australian knows his name and his supposed final words, no one has seen a version of Ned Kelly quite like the one cooked up by director Justin Kurzel, screenwriter Shaun Grant and author Peter Carey in True History of the Kelly Gang. With the Macbeth filmmaker in the director's chair, and his Snowtown scribe Grant adapting Carey's eponymous Booker Prize-winning novel, True History of the Kelly Gang doesn't just tell the usual bushranger tale. It steps through Kelly's story, naturally, but it also makes plain that it's playing fast and loose with reality — and interrogating the myth that's surrounded the notorious figure since his hanging at Melbourne Gaol in 1880 in the process. The result is an astonishing Australian film that's set to be one of 2020's finest and, as its just-dropped first trailer shows, an energetic, propulsive and visually stunning movie as well. True History of the Kelly Gang also boasts a killer cast, with rising British star George MacKay (Ophelia, 11.22.63, Captain Fantastic) playing Kelly as an adult, stellar first-timer Orlando Schwerdt exploring his boyhood, The Babadook's Essie Davis stepping into his mother Ellen's shoes and Russell Crowe playing fellow bushranger Harry Power, who initiates the young Kelly into his lawless way of life. Charlie Hunnam and Nicholas Hoult also pop up as cops, Leave No Trace's excellent Thomasin McKenzie features as the fictional love of Kelly's life, and Earl Cave — son of Nick Cave — plays Kelly's brother and accomplice. Already one of the most anticipated Australian films of recent years, True History of the Kelly Gang proved a hit at this year's Toronto International Film Festival — and, following a trend made popular by Netflix and Amazon of late (see: The Irishman, Marriage Story, Brittany Runs a Marathon and The Report), will hit both cinemas and Aussie streaming platform Stan in January 2020. Check out the trailer bellow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RE7YVZA5YVc&feature=youtu.be True History of the Kelly Gang releases in Australian cinemas on Thursday, January 9, 2020, then drops on Stan on Sunday, January 26.
When an Australian series becomes the Foxtel Group's most-watched original scripted show of all time, it's bound to keep bounding back for more seasons. That program is Colin From Accounts — and after 2022's gem of a first season saw it renewed for a second, the latter has sparked a third as well. Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall will be back on-screen, and also writing and executive producing, as the Aussie rom-com follows what comes next for their characters Ashley and Gordon. "We're very excited to bring you season three of our show. To be honest, with the way we ended season two it would have been weird not to make a third, so here we are. We promise we won't leave you hanging like that again. Probably," said Dyer and Brammall, confirming Colin From Accounts' third run. "We couldn't pass up the opportunity for fans to see what's next for Ash and Gordon (and Colin!). Colin From Accounts has delighted fans the world over and we're proud to commission a third season of this hilarious, chaotic and relatable series that has stolen our hearts," added Foxtel Group's Head of Scripted Lana Greenhalgh. When the series began, Dyer's (American Auto) Ashley and Brammall's (Evil) Gordon first crossed paths thanks to a flashed nipple and an injured dog, then an agreement to co-parent the pooch as it recovered. As a relationship blossomed beyond more than just taking care of the titular canine, little has gone smoothly — with the adorable Colin, and also with the pair's romance. As well as proving an Australian hit — complete with AACTAs and Logies to prove it — for real-life couple and No Activity stars Dyer and Brammall, the show has earned fans overseas, with Foxtel Group licensing it to 150 territories globally. There's no word yet as to exactly when Colin From Accounts will return, what the narrative will follow, and who among the rest of the cast and past guest stars will be back, but renewing the series comes at a crucial time for Binge. With Max launching in Australia at the end of March 2025, the latter has lost its initial big selling point: HBO's content. Here's hoping that more homegrown shows like this charming hit will get the green light to help fill the gap. There's no trailer for season three of Colin From Accounts yet, but check out the trailers for seasons one and two below: Colin From Accounts streams via Binge — we'll update you with a release date for season three when one is announced. Read our review of season one and our review of season two, plus our interview with Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall. Images: Lisa Tomasetti / Tony Mott / Brook Rushton.
Gone are the days when film buffs got their fix in one of three ways: at the cinema, via the video shop and thanks to whatever happened to pop up on TV. Lately, streaming platforms have become a cinephile's best friend — especially with COVID-19 restrictions keeping everyone at home. We say 'platforms', plural, because there's just so many to choose from. Netflix may be the industry's big gun, but Aussie audiences can also subscribe to Stan, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+, DocPlay, iWonder, Quibi and OzFlix, too. And, as even the most casual movie fan probably knows, that isn't even the end of the list. Feeling spoiled for choice? Can't pick which platform to splash your cash on? There is an easier way. Australian viewers can also access a number of free streaming services such as SBS On Demand, Tubi and Kanopy — which don't skimp on film options, but won't cost you a cent. And in the interests of budget-friendly movie marathons, we've rounded up ten excellent flicks you can stream for free right now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLdhN4oMxCQ BAD GENIUS Mark our words: in the next couple of years, an English-language version of this Thai thriller will reach our screens. A high-stakes high-school exam flick, it's smart and slick, funny and fast-paced, as well as tautly made and tension-filled — and it turns a situation we can all relate to into a nail-biting heist caper. Straight-A student Lynn (Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying) is the misbehaving high-achiever of the title, who first hatches a plan to make money by feeding her classmates test answers, and then bands together with her customers to cheat at the biggest test there is. The premise was taken from reality, and part of the movie was shot in Sydney, but the real highlight is Bad Genius' lively style and thoroughly entertaining narrative. Bad Genius is available to stream via SBS On Demand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8oYYg75Qvg YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE In Lynne Ramsay's long-waited fourth feature, an ex-soldier and former FBI agent grapples with his own trauma while trying to save others from theirs. Joe (Joaquin Phoenix) rescues children abducted and abused by pedophile rings — and if that sounds like an astonishing story, just wait, because You Were Never Really Here isn't done yet. Indeed, it's hard to pick what's more stunning here: Ramsay's empathetic and expressive direction, which keeps making unexpected choices to immerse viewers in Joe's headspace, or Phoenix's internalised performance, which won him the best actor prize at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. Call it a tie, and call this film an exceptional achievement that isn't easily forgotten after watching. Phoenix might've won an Oscar this year for Joker, but this is his best performance. You Were Never Really Here is available to stream via Kanopy. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gg9nzOFVwtQ THE FIFTH ELEMENT The 90s didn't shy away from big-screen sci-fi, but there's nothing quite as entertaining as The Fifth Element. Forget Independence Day, Armageddon and Men in Black — if you're eager for a film about humanity battling aliens and trying to save the planet, Luc Besson's action-packed flick is the best pick. Come for Bruce Willis and a pre-Resident Evil Milla Jovovich at their kick-ass best. Stay for the eye-popping set and costume design, with the latter by Jean-Paul Gaultier. And, story-wise, get immersed in an ambitious and entertaining futuristic tale about a taxi driver saddled with finding four mystical stones to fend off an intergalactic attack. The Fifth Element is available to stream via SBS On Demand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36iHKZmeH60 BRIMSTONE & GLORY It's human nature to stare at the sky whenever fireworks ascend to the heavens. We hear the popping sound, spy the bright flashes of light and simply can't help ourselves. Set in Tultepec, the tiny town at the heart of Mexico's fireworks industry, Brimstone & Glory captures that feeling more effectively than anyone could've expected. Indeed, the gorgeous documentary commits the vibrance of watching colourful explosions twinkling above to film as it charts the locale's National Pyrotechnic Festival, explores the lives of those both working and watching, and proves as spellbinding as the substance at its centre. Brimstone & Glory is available to stream via Kanopy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKD0sMntjWE THE TRIBE Writer/director Miroslav Slaboshpitsky's first feature was always going to be a hard sell. The film runs for more than two hours without a word of dialogue, a hint of music or even any subtitles, with its characters — a group of classmates at a Ukrainian boarding school for the hearing impaired — communicating only through sign language. And it's not just a difficult concept; in an effort that becomes both violent and haunting — all the more so because it demands audiences pay the utmost attention to what they can see — it's also difficult to watch. Reports of fainting are widespread, but those who can stomach its brutal sights will find a movie completely unlike anything else they've ever seen before. The Tribe is available to stream via Tubi. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-70r7GkiBGM HEATHERS These days, Heathers is a stage musical, a TV series and (in Brisbane at least) a regular dance party theme. If you've ever wondered why this dark high school-set tale just keeps spawning new adaptations and celebrations, then you owe it to yourself to watch or rewatch the original 1988 movie. For Veronica Sawyer (Winona Ryder), every day at Westerburg High School is hell. Even though she's part of the popular clique — with her three closest friends all called Heather — that still proves the case. Then brooding loner JD (Christian Slater) arrives at school, instantly shaking up the status quo. The result: murder, mayhem, teen angst and one incredibly acerbic, sharp and amusing satire. Heathers is available to stream via Kanopy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVsAixfCL4Q HOLY MOTORS Cinematic mind-benders don't get much better — or more strange, eccentric and surreal — than Leos Carax's Holy Motors. Following a man called Oscar (Denis Lavant) who rides around in a limousine, attends unusual appointments in various costumes and plays an array of different parts, it's the type of film that can't be neatly summarised. Indeed, as Oscar goes about his day, anything could happen. Sometimes, he's dressed up as a beggar in the Parisian streets. Later, he's an old man listening to Eva (Kylie Minogue) sing. As it hops between kaleidoscopic vignettes, Carax's vibrant film ponders and probes identity and individuality, all while serving up dazzling visuals, exuberant performances and constant surprises. Holy Motors is available to stream via SBS On Demand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9QrvLd2pbY RIVER OF GRASS Kelly Reichardt boasts quite the filmography. She explored the companionship only a pet can bring in Wendy and Lucy, delved into the western genre in Meek's Cutoff and contemplated eco-activism in Night Moves. Then, she brought Michelle Williams, Laura Dern and Kristen Stewart together for contemplative triptych Certain Women, and stepped back to 19th-century America for her stellar latest film First Cow. Before all that, though, Reichardt spun a story of social isolation and disconnection in the Florida suburbs, all thanks to her debut feature River of Grass. And as with every entry on the director's resume, this not-quite road movie couldn't feel more authentic or keenly observed. River of Grass is available to stream via Kanopy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzp2HP4gaJ0 PURPLE RAIN 'Purple Rain', the song, is one of Prince's all-time greats. Purple Rain, the album, ranks just as highly. And Purple Rain, the 1984 film, is exactly the kind of movie that a Prince-starring rock musical should be. Focusing on an aspiring musician trying to balance his troubled home life with his band and his girlfriend, the storyline is straightforward — but when you plonk a charismatic star like Prince in the middle of it, bathe the flick's frames in plenty of purple, and crank up the killer soundtrack, sparks fly. Given the narrative, the array of live concert scenes also work a treat. And while the sequel, 1990's Graffiti Bridge, doesn't reach the same heights, this is a mighty entertaining, toe-tapping way to spend 111 minutes. Purple Rain is available to stream via Tubi. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-_LxiRETWA THE CONVERSATION In 1974, Francis Ford Coppola directed a little film called The Godfather Part II. Yes, everyone has heard of it. But that was just one of his movies that year — and with zero scorn aimed towards the Oscar-winning crime flick, which is rightfully considered one of the best sequels ever made, The Conversation is actually even better. Winning the Cannes Film Festival's top gong, this Gene Hackman-starring thriller delves into a topic that's still very relevant today: the moral dilemma around surveillance. Hackman is fantastic as the film's conflicted protagonist, while Coppola crafts a tense, moody and brooding masterpiece. Keep an eye out for a young pre-Star Wars Harrison Ford, too. The Conversation is available to stream via SBS On Demand.
When Sydneysiders want to spend a day carving up the snow, they usually have to jump in a car for at least five hours and head to one of NSW's ski resorts. But, in a few years, it might be as easy as jumping on a train to Penrith, thanks to a new $300-million indoor Winter Sports World that's been proposed for the city — and has just received Penrith Council's official endorsement. Set to be built in Jamisontown on the corner of Jamison Road and Tench Avenue, the centre will include a 300-metre indoor ski slope, an Olympic-size ice skating rink, and both ice and rock climbing facilities. If executed to plan, the proposal claims the ski slope will be one of the top ten high-performance training centres in the world. And yes, it'll use real snow. A food and drink precinct featuring bars, restaurants and cafes, and a 120-room hotel have also been included in the proposal. One of those eateries will be a revolving fine diner, too, and everything will have snow views. A snow play area is also part of the plan, alongside conference and function rooms. Visitors will be able to learn to ski onsite, as part of the resort's positioning as a feeder site to outdoor snow fields. The idea: that you'll learn the ropes indoors, then later head out of town to try the real thing. The development, which sought public feedback last year and is being put forward as a new major attraction for the area, is part of the Penrith City Council's plan to double visitors and tourism revenue in the area by 2025. If it goes ahead, Winter Sports World is expected to contribute $80 million to the NSW economy each year. Once built, the facility is hoped to provide a boost to Australia's Winter Olympians and their training, providing a venue for alpine skiing, freestyle skiing, snowboarding and figure skating, as well as ice hockey, speed skating and curling (and possibly cross country and biathlon as well). The Winter Olympics haven't traditionally been one of Australia's sporting strong suits — the national team first competed in 1936 and didn't win its first medal until 1994. The proposal has been in the works since November 2018, and in development for the past seven years in total. Site owner and developer Peter Magnisalis will now finalise the plans with the council and the NSW Planning Department, with an aim to start construction in 2022 ahead of a 2024 target opening date — in winter, of course. If construction does kick off, it certainly won't be the only big new development happening in Western Sydney, with Badgerys Creek set to become home to Sydney's next major airport. For more information about Winter Sports World, head to the proposed venue's website. Images: artists' impressions of Winter Sports World.
Whether you like them filled with jam and cream or prefer plain cake all the way, the lamington is a perfect dessert. It's a piece of sponge cake covered in chocolate sauce and desiccated coconut — what's not to love? And, as excellent as it is on its own, it also fares exceptionally well when it's combined with other foods. Everything from lamington gelato to lamington milkshakes have already proven this fact, as has lamington-flavoured vodka, too. One particularly creative and ace take on this Australian favourite? A lamington-cruffin hybrid — which turns one food mashup into a bigger food mashup like the baked-goods version of Inception. Sorry, lamington purists, this definitely isn't cube-shaped. But it exists thanks to Lune Croissanterie. The Kate Reid-founded bakery fills its Frankenstein's monster of a lamington-croissant-muffin with raspberry jam and whipped cream, then dips it in chocolate ganache and desiccated coconut. Without the latter, it just wouldn't be a lamington. And if that description has got your tastebuds in a tizzy, you can nab one — or several — in-store only at Fitzroy, Armadale, South Brisbane and Burnett Lane until Saturday, September 30. The lamington cruffins lead Lune's September specials menu, because the chain likes serving up a different mix of limited-edition treats each month. Some are returning favourites, like these coconut-topped numbers, while others are newcomers. Either way, your stomach will be thankful. Also on the list across the first month of spring: baklava ka, aka Lune's take on the Greek dish. Instead of filo, this version uses Lune's laminated pastry, then fills it with orange blossom, honey, walnut and pistachio. Or, depending on the store, you can tuck into Lune's carrot cake croissants, complete with carrot and walnut frangipane; Middle East-inspired beetroot goat's curd pastry, which is made with beetroot hummus, beetroot powder, goat's curd and za'atar; and The Turtle, aka a pain au chocolat that goes big on chocolate (frangipane), pecans (candied) and salted caramel (gooey). Lune's September specials are available until Saturday, September 30. Different stores — including Fitzroy, the CBD and Armadale in Melbourne, and South Brisbane and Burnett Lane in Brisbane — boast different specials. From Armadale, South Brisbane and Burnett Lane only, you can also order some online. Images: Peter Dillon.
After four decades of shows, performances, exhibitions, films, workshops and other creative events, Metro Arts is closing its CBD doors — and re-opening at a new venue in West End's West Village. The move was sparked by the sale of the multi-arts organisation's heritage-listed Edward Street home for more than $10.5 million in December. As well as funding the move, proceeds from the sale will be used to create the Metro Arts Future Fund, which will fund more arts projects and initiatives. When it launches in West Village on Wednesday, April 1, art fans can expect sprawling new digs as part of West End's 2.6-hectare precinct. Metro Arts' new 680-square-metre home will have an underground theatre, two galleries, two rehearsal rooms and access to an outdoor event area. And, obviously, it'll benefit from moving from a 129-year-old building to a development that's barely a year old. It's a huge move, so to mark the occasion — and say farewell to its home for the past four decades — Metro Arts is hosting a two-week festival called Metro Arts, With Love from Saturday, February 1–Saturday, February 15. The organisation will keep putting on shows in Edward Street right up until Tuesday, March 31, before opening its doors across the river the next day. As for the old site itself, its new owners are "committed to restoring the Heritage-listed building to its former glory", according to Metro Arts' statement on the move. It'll be refurbished to feature both retail and office space, with all changes adhering to requirements of the State Heritage Register. Metro Arts will continue to operate at its current home of 109 Edward Street, Brisbane, until Tuesday, March 31, moving to West Village, Boundary Street, West End from Wednesday, April 1. For further details, visit the Metro Arts website. Images: Jason Blight of Blight Rayner.
Brisbane is home to plenty of glorious cinemas, new and old, in former skating rinks and in art galleries alike, but sometimes you just want to see a movie somewhere other than an indoor picture palace. Cue outdoor cinemas, which the River City has its fair share of, too, including the permanent year-round setup at Dendy Powerhouse. Here's another that's just launched to get you catching flicks under the stars: Queen's Wharf's new Skyline Cinema. A place to watch films was long promised as part of Queen's Wharf, over the years that the precinct was in the works before it finally opened in 2024. Skyline Cinema sits on the site's Leisure Deck on level seven, and pairs its range of movies with Brisbane by twilight as a backdrop. The one catch: it's only operating once a week, getting the projector whirring on Wednesday evenings. From 6pm, you won't be catching brand-new releases, but rather settling in to watch recent-ish and retro fare while also peering out over the city. On the upcoming lineup at the time of writing: Timothée Chalamet (A Complete Unknown) proving super sweet in Wonka, Sydney-shot action rom-com The Fall Guy, a blast of ABBA with Mamma Mia!, more musical throwbacks courtesy of Grease, and Aussie favourites The Castle and Red Dog. Tickets cost $10, which gets you entry, a comfy perch on a beanbag, plus popcorn and a soft drink. Luke Nguyen's Fat Noodle is also delivering dishes such as chicken salad, seafood laksa, wok-tossed pad thai and caramelised honey pork bowls to your seat, although that'll cost you extra. Add Skyline Cinema to the list of reasons to check out Queen's Wharf, which also includes restaurants Pompette, HUA, Dark Shepherd, Luc Lac, Sokyo Brisbane, Cucina Regina and Black Hide Steak and Seafood — plus the Sky Deck's Cicada Blu, Babblers and Aloria. It also joins not just Dendy Powerhouse, but also the seasonal Moonlight Cinema and Brisbane City Council-hosted pop-ups, among Brisbane's outdoor cinemas. Skyline Cinema operates on Wednesday nights from 6pm at the Queen's Wharf Leisure Deck, level seven, Queen's Wharf Road, Brisbane — head to the cinema's website for tickets and more details.
Under current COVID-19 restrictions in Australia, you can't go on a holiday (locally or overseas). But, you can start dreaming. Bookmark this for when you can explore once again. Among all of the dream jobs that everyone wishes they had, picking the globe's top stretches of sun, surf and sand sits up there with taste-testing new gins and trying out every bar and eatery in Tokyo. That particularly proves true whenever a new list of the world's best beaches is revealed — although, Australians can always pretend by heading to one of the high-ranking spots on our own shores. In FlightNetwork's just-announced 2018 lineup of the planet's best beaches, which ranks 50 idyllic locations, six Aussie spots made the cut. And, in news that will come as no surprise to anyone, the Whitsundays' Whitehaven Beach came in at number two. It's the latest accolade for the picturesque Queensland favourite, which also came in second last year. Blinky Beach on Lord Howe Island also made the list, coming in at number 30, while Hyams Beach in New South Wales' Jervis Bay placed at number 33. Western Australia was responsible for two more of the country's top spots — with Lucky Bay at 35th and Cable Beach at 34th — and Tasmania's Wine Glass Bay rounded out the Aussie offerings at 44. If you're wondering which coastal oasis beat them all to first place, that'd be Shipwreck Beach on Zakynthos. On a Greek island in the Ionian Sea, the picturesque spot has a shipwrecked boat on its sands, crystal clear waters and sunny weather approximately 275 days of the year. Alongside the World's Best Beaches, FlightNetwork released a list of the World's Top 50 Untouched Beaches — featuring Tasmania's Wine Glass Bay at fourth and Binalong Bay at 19th — and the World's Top 50 City Beaches, where Sydney's Bondi Beach got top gong, Surfers Paradise Beach came in at 11 and NSW's Manly Beach at 12. The picks were made by more than 1200 travel journalists, editors, bloggers and agencies, aka folks who work in the travel and beach trade, and therefore know their stuff. Thinking about taking your own trip to Whitehaven Beach? Check out our Outside Guide to the Whitsundays. Image: Damien Dempsey via Wikicommons.
Ovolo Brisbane is anything but understated. Set in the heart of Fortitude Valley, the boutique hotel leans fully into colour, texture and personality, delivering a stay that feels distinctly different from Brisbane's more traditional luxury offerings. Housed in the former Emporium Hotel site, it underwent a $55-million transformation before reopening under the Ovolo banner in 2018. The interiors are a maximalist mix of rich hues, layered fabrics and eclectic design details inspired by the Valley's laneways and nightlife. Signature suites take things even further, with bold, almost theatrical styling – think velvet lounges, gold accents and a subtle nod to rock-and-roll glamour. Rooms are comfortable and cleverly considered, but it's the inclusions that set Ovolo apart. Guests are treated to a complimentary minibar, daily apéro hour drinks, breakfast, WiFi and even self-service laundry — a value-add that's genuinely useful. Upstairs, you'll find a rooftop pool and bar, as well as a gym and sauna, while downstairs, the hotel places you right in the middle of one of Brisbane's most energetic precincts. There's no shortage of bars, restaurants and live music venues within walking distance, Brisbane Airport is around 15-20 minutes away, and on-site parking options are available nearby, making it an easy, high-impact base for a city stay.
Mindfulness practice — achieving the mental state of focusing on the present moment — is gaining popularity as people attempt to regulate their stressful lives. People have turned to everything from meditation to colouring books to achieve mindfulness, but perhaps few people would think of doing a triathlon to achieve inner peace. Take three activities that promote mindfulness — specifically running, yoga and meditation — and you've got yourself a 'mindful triathlon'. Wanderlust 108 has been running these triathlon festivals since 2014, and the standard day has a few main components. First, there's the five kilometre run, although the site reassures you that you can walk instead of running — or even "prance, skip, stroll or strut" — as long as you reach the finish line. After that, theres 75 minutes of yoga accompanied by a DJ set, and finally 30 minutes of meditation to round out the whole-group activities. Once the structured section of the day has wrapped up, participants can also head to activities such as aerial yoga, acroyoga and hooping, or to lunch. It's part exercise, part dance party, part fest — and 100% focused on helping attendees feel great inside and out. Also on the agenda: walking meditation, essential oil classes and the Mindful Marketplace, which will help you take your new blissed-out state home with you. By Siobhan Ryan and Sarah Ward.
A cracking view is usually pretty high on the priorities list when booking a sweet holiday pad, but you probably don't go into it expecting one quite like what Oman's newest accommodation has to offer. Luxury hospo and hotel group Anantara has just opened the doors to an epic new five-star resort, Al Jabal Al Akhdar — and, boy, does it have views. Sitting at a lofty 2000 metres above sea level on the edge of a canyon in Oman's mountainous north (about four hours from Dubai), it's the Middle East's highest retreat. It towers over the Saiq Plateau in a way that's sure to cause a few goosebumps on the drive up. Just look at it. Basically the height of luxury, Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort is definitely worthy of a spot on the old if money was no object bucket list — the designer interiors reflect that eye-poppingly rugged terrain and each of the 115 luxury rooms lay claim to panoramic views. Of course, there's a price to pay for such luxury — rooms start at around 720 AUD a night and go up to 4000 AUD. Along with the rooms, there's six different restaurants and lounges, and the culinary situation sounds as interesting as the location. You can even get the best of both at Dining by Design, which sits on a cliff-edge platform named Diana's Point, after its most famous royal visitor. And if a peek from your room's window, or your dinner table, doesn't provide enough of an adrenaline rush, the resort also offers a 'via ferrata' climbing route, where you can boss up and actually scale the side of the cliff. If that's too much, you can always just take a dip in the canyon infinity pool, go mountain biking or get one of the hotel's 'mountain gurus' to take you on a hike of the area. Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort is located in the Al Hajar mountains, about 30 minutes from the ancient city of Nizwa in Oman. For more information on the hotel, visit jabal-akhdar.anantara.com.
UPDATE, July 12, 2021: Due to Brisbane's recent COVID-19 situation, the Etsy Made Local Market has been postponed from Friday, July 16–Saturday, July 17, and will now take place in November. This article has been updated to reflect that change. 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 at the end of 2021 — and zero idea of what you'll get them? Most years, Etsy arrives towards Christmas, lending a hand with your end-of-year shopping. This year, it's doing just that again, too. It wasn't originally, but then Brisbane's recent COVID-19 situation forced the market to move from July until November. That's great timing for the festive season, of course — and it's also ideal for getting a head start on other gifts, or just browsing and buying in general. 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 Friday, November 12–Sunday, November 14, spreading across three days Because it focuses on the best local talent, every market is filled with different stallholders and unique creations. 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, this year, you'll need to check in using the Queensland Government's app upon arrival. Also, the whole thing will be cashless, so don't forget your cards.
There's no changing the iconic facade that surrounds the Fortitude Valley General Post Office building, which has stood on Ann Street since back in 1887. But when the venue known as GPO Hotel reopens its doors this winter after a massive makeover, Brisbanites can expect new spaces aplenty inside — including a Gatsby-themed lounge bar, a second bar called The Tax Office and a sprawling ground-floor restaurant filled with natural light. It was back in 2022 that Artesian Hospitality announced it was giving the locale a revamp behind its heritage-listed exterior, with more than $7 million set to flow into the renovations. Now, that figure has been upped to $9 million, all to help bring to life the GPO's new food- and drink-heavy guise. Clearly, it's a significant makeover for the 136-year-old site, which is targeting an early June opening for two of its spaces. The first is fittingly called The Gatsby, and it's a late-night cocktail and whisky bar that'll sit on the building's upper level. The vibe here will be luxe and upscale, as the name makes plain, including velvet booths, leather accents and brass features as part of the design. It'll also feature the building's original, now-restored 1887-era vault — and you'll be able to take private tours if that takes your fancy. "It feels like you're being thrown back into the soirees of the 1920s golden age — it's an incredibly unique venue, which will have exemplary service to match," says Alan Hunter. The sommelier and ex-General Manager at OTTO Brisbane is helping oversee the GPO's new guise, including TAMA, its contemporary dining venue. [caption id="attachment_896924" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Gatsby[/caption] That restaurant will take over the site's ground level, offering diners a radiant experience thanks to the high ceilings and double-storey windows. There'll be stone and marble flooring, bursts of greenery and soft furnishings, too, while making use of the original beams and custom chandeliers. And in the kitchen: Executive Chef Richard Ousby, who'll use his experience overseas and locally to shape the restaurant's menu. "TAMA offers something for all occasions with an expansive ground floor restaurant and a mezzanine that can play host to private dining for 40 guests, and more intimate rooms for parties of six to eight," Ousby notes. [caption id="attachment_896918" align="alignnone" width="1920"] TAMA[/caption] Hunter comes to the new GPO with plenty of accolades, including being named the Pol Roger 2013 Sommelier of the Year, and helping lead OTTO Brisbane to nabbing the Wine List of the Year award in the Good Food Guide in 2019. As for Brisbane local Ousby, he'll draw upon his time in England at Michelin three-star restaurant Waterside Inn, in Sydney at Sous Chef at Quay, and as Executive Chef of Stokehouse restaurants's in Melbourne and Brisbane. Both The Gatsby and TAMA are aiming for that June launch date, and will be joined by The Tax Office sometime afterwards. When it starts welcoming in patrons, it'll do so around an island bar with lounge-style seating — and it's being put forward as a go-to for post-work drinks and midweek dinners. [caption id="attachment_896926" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Tax Office[/caption] Outside, that Victorian Italianate facade has been preserved, as have the building's balconies, stairwells and ceilings (with heritage paint tones a big feature after a colour study). And back inside, the design pairs modern finishings with OG touches — so exposed beams and brick, plus fireplaces. The end product is the result of a collaboration between The Royal Historical Society of Queensland, Brisbane City Council, heritage architects, Zero9 Builders (The Dorsett Hotel, The Star, and Edwards and Co) and Space Cubed Design Studio (Donna Chang, Iris Rooftop and Boom Boom Room). "With a project of this magnitude, and a job requiring such impeccably high standards, we wanted to ensure every detail was carefully executed, from hand beaten copper detailing, one-off chandeliers to glass art installations," says Space Cubed Design Studio Director Arran Woollams. "It was recognised from inception that no expense would be spared to ensure the precinct was designed and constructed in line with the rising expectations of the Brisbane hospitality scene." [caption id="attachment_896919" align="alignnone" width="1920"] TAMA[/caption] [caption id="attachment_896925" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Tax Office[/caption] GPO Hotel is located at 740 Ann Street, Fortitude Valley, and will reopen sometime in winter 2023. We'll update you when Artesian Hospitality announces an exact launch date.
It was back in 2000 that the Gold Coast gained its own Versace-branded hotel, letting cashed-up guests and plenty of celebrities enjoy a five-star stay surrounded by the fashion house's aesthetic. Beyoncé and Jay Z, Paris Hilton and The Rolling Stones have all stayed there. Everyone in Australia has heard of it. But the Palazzo Versace is no more — instead, it's now the Imperial Hotel. In April, it was announced that Versace wouldn't be renewing its agreement with the hotel, which has been put up for sale multiple times during its existence. Now, since Tuesday, August 1, the site has unveiled a new name, plus plans for a refurbishment. That star rating remains, as does the venue's exterior and famed antique entryway chandelier, plus its lobby furniture and bespoke tableware. But the Imperial Hotel's 200 rooms will get a makeover as part of the rebrand — still surrounding guests with luxury, of course. "The Imperial Hotel will retain the essence of Palazzo Versace's grand legacy, and will continue to offer the highest standard of luxury and impeccable service, to ensure an unforgettable stay for our guests", said Imperial Hotel General Manager Richard Clarke. "With the dawn of the Imperial Hotel, we are committed to exceeding expectations and redefining the boundaries of luxury hospitality. We are thrilled to welcome our first guests, and we extend our heartfelt appreciation for their support." Also changing: the menus at Imperial Hotel's restaurants. Exactly what signature eatery Vanitas, the seafood-focused Il Barocco and high tea-slinging spot Le Jardin will soon be serving is yet to be revealed. Obviously, the Pacific Ocean and Gold Coast Broadwater views aren't going anywhere, nor the option to stay in multi-bedroom condominiums including on the rooftop and with private plunge pools. And yes, as it has been for more than two decades under its past moniker, Imperial Hotel is still firmly a treat yo'self kind of getaway spot. Find Imperial Hotel at 94 Seaworld Drive, Main Beach on the Gold Coast — and head to the hotel's website for bookings and further details. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Victoria's Grampians National Park has long been home to world-class hiking trails, but it's just scored a giant new one that's a whole trip in itself. Start stretching, hikers, because this is a big one — a 160-kilometre trail that takes 13 days to traverse, in fact. Originally set to be completed in 2020, but finally officially opening to the public on Saturday, November 12 — just in time for summer, handily — the Grampians Peaks Trail connects some of the Grampians' best mountain peaks. If you start at Mount Zero in the north and start heading southwards, you'll pass over the summit of Gar (Mount Difficult), and then hit Halls Gap. You'll also mosey through and past Redman Bluff, Mount William, Major Mitchell Plateau, Signal Peak, Mount Abrupt and Mount Sturgeon en route to Dunkeld, spying panoramic views of the southern volcanic plains along the way, and winding through the park's low-lying greenery and waterfalls, too. Eleven hike-in campgrounds are situated along the trail, complete with raised tent pads and communal shelters, plus small huts at two sites. That said, the entire track has been designed so that everyone can get some use out of it — whether you're looking for a leisurely day trip or an overnight hike, or you're ready to commit to an epic two-week adventure. Gariwerd — as it's known by the land's Traditional Owners, the Jardwadjali and Djab Wurrung peoples — is more than just its rugged, sandstone mountains. The park is heritage-listed for its Indigenous significance, including its ancient rock art paintings and shelters, as well as for its abundance of animal and plant life, plus its damn spectacular views. For the new trail, Barengi Gadjin Land Council, Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation and Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation all worked with Parks Victoria to guide the path's route — and to also have input into visitor information and stories, in order to help promote awareness of and respect for the cultural landscape. If you're now raring to get started, there are one-day treks at Mount Stapylton, the lower waterfalls of Gar (Mount Difficult), the Lake Wartook lookout, Signal Peak and from Lake Wartook lookout to Halls Gap. Overnight treks come with stopovers at either the Barigar and Bugiga campgrounds, while suggested three-day itineraries span Gar and Werdug, Bugiga and Barri Yalug, Duwul and Durd Durd, Yarram and Wannon, and Djardji-djawara and Mud-dadjug. Grampians Peaks Trail was funded via a $33.2 million project, including $23.2 million from the Victorian Government and $10 million from the Commonwealth Government via Horsham Rural City Council. The Victorian Government has also committed cash to other parts of Grampians National Park, with $7.76 million earmarked for upgrading the MacKenzie Falls visitor area, $5.8 million for Brambuk — the National Park and Cultural Centre and $5.5 million to add more access points to the trail. The Grampians Peaks Trail is now open. For further information, head to the Parks Victoria website. Images: Parks Victoria.
If there's one thing Brisbanites like, it's watching Studio Ghibli films. Understandably, a whole heap of cinemas around town have been happy to oblige, hosting their own events dedicated to the Japanese animation house over the years. Now it's Dendy Coorparoo's turn, screening four Ghibli favourites between Thursday, December 5 and Wednesday, December 11. As part of the Ghibli Films program, fans will get yet another chance to catch these Japanese gorgeous features on the big screen — in both their original and English-dubbed versions. Yes, you should make like a moving castle to see Howl's Moving Castle this time. And yes, you'll feel like you've been Spirited Away once again. Both of the above films are on the lineup, as are Princess Mononoke and My Neighbour Totoro, with dates and times for each movie varying. If you've missed these flicks in their limited cinema runs or fest appearances in the past, consider this your chance to catch up (with tickets costing $15 per session, or $12 for Dendy members). Check out the Spirited Away trailer below to get in the mood, too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsrWpFmB2bQ
Last Easter, when social distancing and public gathering rules were in place across the country, KFC did everyone a solid by offering up free home delivery for the first time ever Down Under. While this year's four-day break will look quite different for much of the country — and hopefully for Brisbanites, with the city's current lockdown due to end at 5pm on Thursday, April 1 — the fried chicken chain is bringing back the deal anyway. Yes, joining the Easter Bunny this year to spice up this long weekend is another famous figure: The Colonel. So, it's time to round up your housemates again and tuck into those 11 secret herbs and spices. The limited-time offer is available nationwide and kicks off on Friday, April 2, then runs through until Monday, April 5. To get your hands on some finger lickin' good chook with no extra cost, head to Menulog's website or use the Menulog app. No promo code is needed this time — and there is no minimum spend either. And, while your food is on its way, you can meditate with KFChill, a wellness website that lets you unwind to the sound of chicken frying, gravy simmering or bacon sizzling away in a pan. Obviously, it'll make you hungry. KFC is offering free delivery across Australia on all orders via Menulog from Friday, April 2–Monday, April 5. To order, head to the Menulog website or app.
It has been more than 40 years since Harris Farm Markets opened in Sydney, with a particular focus on fresh local produce. And if you're a Brisbanite wondering why the chain has both stood the test of time and amassed a considerable following, you'll soon be able to find out for yourself — with the family-run brand opening two Brisbane stores over the next year. The first will pop up at the current Clayfield Markets site, and it actually marks a homecoming. While Harris Farm Markets is definitely based in New South Wales, it used to own the Sandgate Road spot until it handed it over to Carlo and Susan Lorenti. The pair has run it for a couple of decades since, and will be staying onboard to manage the store when it changes its name. When it opens in November, Harris Farm Markets' Clayfield shop will feature a tomato shed, a huge deli with more than 200 cheeses on offer, and a leaderboard focusing on Queensland strawberries and mangoes — plus an organic produce section, a gourmet grocery range showcasing boutique local wares, a bakery and a hefty array of meat. The idea is to highlight Queensland and Australian products, all at a site that'll undergo a rebuild and redesign before it relaunches. Then, in May 2021, Harris Farm Markets will open its flagship Queensland store, which'll set up shop in West Village in West End. It'll sprawl across a warehouse space in part of the old 1920s-built Peters Ice Cream building, so it's safe to expect that it'll be sizeable — and, obviously, conveniently located. At both sites, shoppers will be able to buy products from more than 300 Queensland growers, creators and producers — with Barambah's organic milk, frozen fruit from My Berries in Caboolture and organic chicken from Hobbs Family Farms Organic in Pittsworth just some of the items on offer. The two new stores will mark Harris Farm Markets' first outside of NSW, with 22 locations currently open down south. Find Harris Farm Markets at the current Clayfield Markets site from November 2020, and at West Village in West End from May 2021 - we'll update you with exact opening dates when they come to hand.
At 12 years old, Jaimee Krawitz looked like she was doing just fine. She had a supportive family, close friends and a strong academic record. But beneath the surface, something wasn't right. Like so many young Australians, she was quietly beginning a battle with an eating disorder — one that would reshape her life. When she eventually made it to the other side — through determination, support and perseverance — she knew she was one of the fortunate ones. What stayed with her, though, was a question: why is it so hard to talk about eating disorders before they reach crisis point? Motivated by lived experience, Jaimee identified what she saw as a critical roadblock: the language surrounding eating disorders. Reflecting on her own journey, she realised she hadn't known how to speak up — and those around her hadn't known how to ask the right questions. At 23, she founded Hide N Seek, a not-for-profit dedicated to changing the way we talk about eating disorders. The foundation is grounded in the belief that these illnesses are often missed not because people don't care, but because they lack the skills to recognise early signs and the tools to navigate difficult conversations. "I wanted to provide others with the help I wish that I had access to — not only equipping individuals with skills to manage an eating disorder, but also recognising the broader impact on families and caregivers. At the time, there were limited resources available, and this gap sparked the idea to focus on empowering caregivers with practical tools, safe language and early-intervention support." From the ground up, she built Hide N Seek to reshape the language around eating disorders and create a community where caregivers can find the confidence and clarity to support their loved ones. To underpin the work, Jaimee became a registered counsellor and gained experience within a psychology practice, deepening her understanding of empathy-led communication. She assembled a team of mentors and advisors — including doctors, ambassadors and accredited dietitians — to ensure the organisation was grounded in clinical expertise. "The organisation exists because there is a clear gap in how eating disorders are understood. They often remain invisible until they become severe, partly because everyday language has normalised harmful beliefs around food, bodies and self-worth. Behaviours and comments that are culturally accepted are not always harmless, particularly for someone already struggling. Hide N Seek focuses on that early window, long before crisis, where awareness and language can genuinely change outcomes," says Jaimee. The scale of the issue is sobering. Current Australian data estimates that more than one million people are living with an eating disorder in any given year — around 4 to 4.5 per cent of the population — with Australia reporting one of the highest prevalence rates globally. Only one in three seek help. For Jaimee, that statistic underscores the urgency of early recognition and clearer pathways to support. While Hide N Seek does not provide clinical treatment, it focuses on prevention and early intervention — implementing safeguards and tools designed to stop illnesses escalating into crisis. As Jaimee explains, "Eating disorders are the fastest growing mental health condition in Australia, yet many people delay seeking help for years due to shame, the normalisation of behaviours and the fear that they are not sick enough." Education quickly became a priority. Believing educators can be powerful advocates, she developed the Hide N Seek Eating Disorder Recovery Program. The program, already implemented by more than 1000 educators, caregivers and students, includes sessions on early recognition and safe language, alongside broader whole-school prevention and culture change. The aim is to give educators the confidence to recognise early warning signs and respond without judgment. "Early intervention significantly reduces severity, duration of illness, hospitalisation and long-term system burden. This is why Hide N Seek focuses so strongly on early recognition through language, long before a crisis." Jaimee is also conscious of the intersection between Hide N Seek's work and Australia's food, drink and hospitality culture. In cities where dining out is central to social life — amplified by social media trends and viral food culture — language around indulgence, balance and self-control carries weight. The line between celebrating food and moralising it can be thin, particularly for someone already vulnerable. "Food is social, which makes language around it incredibly influential. Social settings are where language is most powerful. They are where norms are reinforced and where people can feel either included or quietly isolated. None of this is usually said with harmful intent, but what we say around food can either include someone or isolate them. Your friend might be laughing at the table, but in fact be deeply unwell. This conversation is not about blame. It is about awareness." In 2024, Jaimee secured a $40,000 grant to expand the organisation's reach. As demand has grown, the program has extended into sporting clubs and workplace settings — reflecting how widely eating disorders impact individuals, families and communities. As International Women's Day approaches, Jaimee reflects on the gendered reality of body scrutiny and food moralisation. "This work feels especially important to me as a woman building this organisation from lived experience. International Women's Day is not only about celebrating women, but about examining the spaces women occupy and whether they feel safe, visible and supported within them. Women are disproportionately impacted by body scrutiny, food moralisation, pressure to justify pleasure and normalised self-deprecating language, particularly in social settings. My intention with Hide N Seek is not to restrict enjoyment or tell people how to eat. It is to protect the joy that comes from social connection without shame attached to it." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hide N Seek (@hidenseekfoundation) Jaimee's long-term goal is to create a world where access to help feels clear, connected and human. "My hope is to take Hide N Seek into every community where people live, learn, work and gather — schools, sporting clubs, workplaces, businesses and government spaces. I want educators, colleagues, and employers to feel confident responding to this widespread issue. I want the government to help shape systems that catch people earlier, not later. My dream is for Hide N Seek to become part of everyday culture, so no one feels unseen, unsupported or alone during this journey." Join the Hide N Seek community now to receive the Language of Seeking Help e-book, which is tailored to empower caregivers with practical advice and knowledge of how best to support loved ones. If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, help is available via Lifeline, Kids Helpline and The Butterfly Foundation. Images: Supplied.
T-bone steak. Pork and fennel snags. Cajun spiced corn. A platter stacked to the rim with charred meat. Bacon-edged chicken mignons. Tomato ketchup in the gallons. An Esky heaving with Australian craft beers. Enough loaves of bread to feed the cast of 300. Sound like your kinda cook-up? Of course it does! You live in Brisbane, and we're the home of the great Australian barbecue. With just as many BBQ-friendly parks as it has days of summer, Brisbane is the ultimate spot to host your summer barbie. But of all the green parks, riverside abodes and Mt Coot-tha lookouts, which spot is best for lighting your flame? We can suggest a few. NEW FARM PARK Yes, it's disgracefully obvious, but when it comes to barbecue amenities New Farm Park delivers and goes beyond. There's the river view, grass as soft as panda fur, garden bed upon garden bed of flowers, that fenced-in tree begging to be climbed and, of course, grime-free barbecues. Best of all, it has a couple of gazebos plotted around, in case of scorching heat or those crazy summer storms. Only catch is, fair chance there'll be a child's birthday party taking place in them, and sometimes, the risk of wrestling a New Farm mum just isn't worth ruining a barbecue over. Brunswick Street, New Farm MOWBRAY PARK Mowbray Park is easily East Brisbane's best plot of land on which to turn up the gas and sizzle away. It's got a playground for the kids, taps, barbecue, paths, power, toilets, car park and a CityCat stop if you're up for an after-lunch spin. Shaded by Moreton Bay Figs, you don't need to fear the nasty barbecue sunburn, and there's plenty of lush lawn awaiting your picnic blanket. Best of all, if you're tong-wielding BBQer makes a mess of the meal, you've only got to cross the road to find Brisbane's best sushi. 60 Lytton Road, East Brisbane SOUTH BANK PARKLANDS The greatness that is South Bank doesn't lie totally within its beaches, ice cream vendors and ibises — it homes great barbecue spots to boot. Whether you want a river view, something closer to the sand, or a playground within a 10 metre radius of cooking, South Bank's got it. Picnic Island (the one with the state-of-the-art playground), Riverside Green (next to Streets Beach) and Aquativity (the water play park) all have BBQ facilities, plus licensing from 10am to 8pm daily. South Bank PERTH ST PARK Admittedly this isn't a park that sells itself on massive acreage like New Farm, Mowbray or South Bank, but the true beauty of Brisbane is the abundance of little green patches plonked around our 'burbs. So don't write off Camp Hill's Perth St Park because of its size — it has everything its older counterparts have, plus more. Big shady trees, gazebos, BBQ cookers, play equipment for tots and older kids, killer footpaths for scooters and skateboards, a cricket pitch, an off-the-leash dog area and a basketball hoop. It may be small, but it packs a mighty punch. 74 Perth Street, Camp Hill MT COOT-THA If you're the kind of griller who needs a scenic view to match their snag, then this is the spot for you. With nine BBQ locations to choose from, all ranging in how far you have to hike to get to them (yes, there are some you can simply pull up, park and unload), Mt Coot-tha doesn't let any incline stand between its visitors and a great meal. Gold Mine, Range View, Grey Gum, Brush Box, Simpson Falls, Silky Oak, Hoop Pine and JC Slaughter Falls all have BBQ facilities. And if they don't take your fancy, you've got 40,000 hectares of forests, spectacular views, creeks and waterfalls to choose a spot to set up — there's no risk of being too cosy here. Mt Coot-tha ROMA ST PARKLAND Roma St Parkland is the aorta of Brisbane's BBQ, picnic and outside living scene — have you seen its water feature? It's never not pumping. Everything about it is idealistic, from its facilities to its gardens to its beautiful playing green. There are forest paths to explore, bike parks to zoom around on, good-looking Swedish backpackers to swoon over and its all walking distance from the city. On the weekend, there's even a little explorer train kids can hop on and off, no Go Card required. 1 Parkland Boulevard, Brisbane NORTHSHORE RIVERSIDE PARK Those who've done the 10km Bridge to Brisbane may only have traumatic memories of Riverside Park, Hamilton. It's the halfway mark that offers little relief and has most runners panting "you kidding me?". When it's not taunting runners, Riverside Park is a perfect spot for a Sunday afternoon BBQ. It's one of the few riverside spots in Brisbane where you can use the river as it was fully intended: to put feet in. It also has a children's play section, ripple lawn, barbecue and picnic area, plus a great patch of green for some cricket or footy. 297 MacArthur Avenue, Hamilton BAYSIDE PARK Time to get those smoky summer beach vibes going. There's no better place to do it than Bayside Park on The Esplanade. This spot is fun for both kids and adults — it has a truly next- level seaside themed playground and one of the nicer beaches in Brisbane to match. There are drinking fountains, a picnic area, electric barbecues and public toilets on site. You'll probably get to see the occasional boat party and jet-skier, but don't worry, they're definitely not having as much fun as you. 450 Esplanade, Manly SANDGATE FORESHORES PARK Sandgate is the Atlantic City of Queensland. You heard it first from us. It's got boardwalks aplenty, Shorncliffe Pier runs laps around Steel Pier, and what it lacks in HBO series and saltwater taffy, Sandgate makes up with barbecue and picnic facilities. Beaches, pathways, playgrounds and pools are only a small hike from each other, with the park itself a perfect crux to base a beachside adventure from — there's 2km of scenic water's edge to explore. 1 Flinders Parade, Sandgate CAPTAIN BURKE PARK With the number of bridges in Brisbane, you'd be hard-pressed finding a BBQ spot that doesn't at least have a view of one. So why not just give in and host your BBQ under one of Brisbane most iconic — the great Story Bridge. Captain Burke Park is connected to the riverfront walk and bike path to South Bank, and is dotted with scenic and man-made features, picnic tables, barbecues and a few shelters. It's well worth the hike, bike ride or drive to get here. Holman Street, Kangaroo Point If you're after something a little more local or specific, give online public BBQ finder Meat in the Park a go. Once your location is sorted all, that's left to do is stock up on snags, pack the Esky with some craft beers and prepare for a mighty chow down. Happy feasting!
Come on Barbie, let's go party — at Brisbane's one-night-only Barbie-themed shindig. Add this to the pile of events that never want you to grow up; if you've been to a boozy Lego night, enjoyed Disney-themed shenanigans or gotten nostalgic with some So Fresh-soundtracked revelry, you'll know the feeling. Here, life in plastic, it's fantastic. So is pink as far as the eye can see. Also on the bill at Kickons from 9pm–3am on Friday, September 9: 'Barbie Girl' sing-alongs every hour, because what else is going to pump through the speakers? Actually, you can expect pop tunes aplenty, with the party taking over two dance floors on two levels. Amid the shape-making, attendees can also hop in a ball pit, enjoy pink confetti explosions and add some sparkle at the free pink glitter station. Drinks-wise, you'll be sipping Barbie-themed cocktails — think: 'Barbie juice', 'Ken's punch' and 'doll drank'. Free Chupa Chups and fairy floss are on the menu as well. Dressing up in Barbie-style attire, or pink at least, is clearly a must — and yes, you'll get plenty of chances to take snaps as part of your $21.75 ticket. And if you're wondering why this event even exists, the Barbie Party is getting in early to celebrate the Greta Gerwig-directed Barbie movie. So, channelling your inner Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling is on the agenda, too.
Back in 2011, Ben Quilty won the Archibald Prize for one of his most striking pieces — a portrait of fellow Australian artist Margaret Olley. Befitting his usual style, it fashions her likeness out of heavy yet purposeful brushstrokes and visible, tangible smudges of paint, bringing not just colour to the painting, but discernible texture, movement and vibrancy as well. When the octogenarian Olley sat for Quilty, it wasn't the first time that the pair had crossed paths. She presented him with the Brett Whiteley Travelling Scholarship in 2002, and a friendship blossomed. While Olley passed away in the same year that Quilty's portrait nabbed Australia's top art prize, the two titans of the local art scene once again sit side by side at the Gallery of Modern Art's latest dual exhibitions — with Margaret Olley: A Generous Life focusing on her prosperous career and Quilty highlighting two decades of his work. On display until Sunday, October 13, the two free showcases are filled with standout pieces, spanning delicate sketches of Brisbane from times gone by, striking still lifes, mesmerising Rorschach-style landscapes, contemplative portraits and creative sculpture, among other works. With more than 170 items decking the walls across both exhibitions, each one is worth your time; however it you're wondering which paintings to look out for, here are our six tips. MARGARET OLLEY: A GENEROUS LIFE [caption id="attachment_730009" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Victoria Bridge (1966), Margaret Olley. From the Moreton Bay Regional Council (Caboolture Art Gallery) Collection.[/caption] VICTORIA BRIDGE Living in the city on and off for much of her life, Margaret Olley turned many of Brisbane's streets and sights into art. Several pieces comprise an entire section of A Generous Life, not only offering a snapshot of the artist's work, but a time capsule of the city from five decades ago. Perhaps because it's such a crucial part of the CBD, or perhaps because it has changed significantly since Olley's 1966 work, her rendering of Victoria Bridge makes a splash. Linking the north and south sides of the river in the CBD, the overwater roadway is a functional crossing rather than anything spectacular to look at; however, in a simple inner-city landscape that combines pen and watercolour, this vivid piece will make you think otherwise. It actually depicts the previous version of the bridge, which was replaced by the current structure in 1969. [caption id="attachment_730007" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] The banana cutters (1963), Margaret Olley. Purchased 2014 with funds from Drs Philip and Lenna Smith through the Queensland Art Gallery and GOMA. [/caption] THE BANANA CUTTERS At GOMA's exhibition, separate areas are devoted to Olley's still-life paintings and her Indigenous portraits. Many straddle the divide — although, amidst bright pieces with eye-catching flowers and colourful fruit, The Banana Cutters stands out. Like her paintings of Brisbane as well, the piece captures Queensland history, showing a trio of the state's Indigenous workers plying their trade in the early 1960s. From a technical standpoint, it also achieves a significant feat as a detailed figure painting. There's much to marvel at in the intricate vision of three men making a living, as well as the window into the past that they represent. [caption id="attachment_730006" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Portrait in the mirror (1948), Margaret Olley. Gift of the artist 2001, © Estate of Margaret Olley. Photo: Diana Panuccio, AGNSW.[/caption] PORTRAIT IN THE MIRROR Olley, like many artists, wasn't afraid of using her own reflection as inspiration, as A Generous Life makes plain. Several of her self-portraits grace GOMA's walls, offering an evolution of her style in a microcosm — an overview within an exhibition already designed to provide an overview, all by focusing on Olley's own form. And just as her eyes were drawn to her own guise over and over again, attendees will be drawn to 1943's Portrait in the Mirror, which features the artist surrounded by chosen belongings. Many will be instantly recognisable to those who've wandered through the preceding pieces, given that fruit and flowers feature prominently. QUILTY [caption id="attachment_730010" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Margaret Olley (2011), Ben Quilty. Image courtesy of the Queensland Art Gallery and GOMA. Photograph: Natasha Harth, QAGOMA.[/caption] MARGARET OLLEY While it sits on the A Generous Life side of GOMA's ground floor, rather than across the wide hallway in his own section, Ben Quilty's portrait of Margaret Olley is the centrepiece of both exhibitions — a fitting status for a work that won the 2011 Archibald Prize. When he emerged victorious, it was a case of seventh time lucky for the artist. When you take in his painting, it's easy to understand why. Here, the piece gets its own wall, as well as its own space to shine. Making the most of its placement, spending time with it and truly peering at every inch is recommended. You'll not only stare into the eyes of a woman rightfully celebrated as a great of Australian art, but, through his thick, almost sculptural globs of paint, you'll see her through Quilty's affectionate but unsentimental gaze. [caption id="attachment_730005" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Fairy Bower Rorschach (2012), Ben Quilty. Purchased with funds provided by the Patrick White Bequest Fund, 2012, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Courtesy the artist.[/caption] FAIRY BOWER RORSCHACH Comprised of eight panels and taking over an entire wall, this Rorschach-style piece recreates a scenic landscape. Instead of an ink blot, Quilty uses heavy paint, a mirrored composition, and soothing hues of green and blue to depict a picnic spot in Victoria. But the place and the image both hide a darker secret, with the spot reputedly the sight of a massacre in 1834, with Aboriginal Australian women and children killed. That's why Fairy Bower Rorschach doesn't just seem peaceful, but foreboding — and why its central waterfall can't wash away that feeling. A word of warning: it's one of several paintings in the exhibition to use the visual technique, and it's easy to lose track of time while you're standing before them. [caption id="attachment_730004" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Ben Quilty. Top row: Reza (2016), Gift of Paul Walker and Patricia Mason in memory of Reza; Omid Masoumali (2016), Gift of Paul Walker and Patricia Mason in memory of Omid Masoumali; Omid Ali Avaz (2016), Gift of Paul Walker and Patricia Mason in memory of Omid Ali Avaz. Second row: Ali Jaffari (2017), Gift of Paul Walker and Patricia Mason in memory of Ali Jaffari; Mohammad Nazari (2017), Gift of Paul Walker and Patricia Mason in memory of Mohammad Nazari; Khodayar Amini (2017), Gift of Paul Walker and Patricia Mason in memory of Khodayar Amini.[/caption] LIFE VESTS Sometimes, the simplest things make the biggest statement. For a person searching for refuge in Australia, making the perilous journey across the globe by boat and putting their very existence at risk, a life jacket isn't a simple item; however, to the rest of the world, its symbolism is now well-understood. Known as an Australian leader in activist art, Quilty's series of 12 life vests draws attention to the country's asylum seeker policy. More than that, it dedicates each image to the memory of someone who didn't survive the process, all after making it to the border and enduring what came next. Placed next to each other, this dramatic dozen is disarming by design and demands attention. It shouldn't escape notice that, while they're all grouped together, each vest sits alone in a separate piece, which is how the people who inspired them must've felt at the end of their lives. Margaret Olley: A Generous Life and Quilty are both free and on show at the Gallery of Modern Art, Stanley Place, South Brisbane until October 13. Top images: Margaret Olley: A Generous Life exhibition views at the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), Brisbane. Images courtesy the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA). Photographs: Natasha Harth / Chloe Callistemon, QAGOMA.
