This just out: Damian Griffiths, local Brisbane go-getter and owner of newfangled eateries Alfredo's Pizzeria and Chester Street Bakery and Bar (among a whole list of others) is opening a new hole-in-the-wall, artisan doughnut bar in the Valley — with the apt name Doughnut Time. Taking over a sectioned-off corner of Alfredo's on Alfred Street, and with design by Alex Lotersztain (who's provided interiors and accoutrements for most of Griffiths' other joints), Doughnut Time will start serving up its "hand-dipped artisan doughnuts" next month. If Chester Street's doughnut offerings are anything to go by (think blueberry crumble, key lime, and passionfruit meringue varieties), we're only too excited to see (taste) the sure-to-be-mod delicacies that Griffiths' dedicated doughnut shop will come up with. We're crossing our fingers for more desserts converted into doughy, iced-and-garnished circular confections of your dreams, and perhaps a good old-fashioned jam doughnut, oozing with tongue-burning strawberry conserve straight out of the oven. The bottom line is: expect to leave sticky-fingered and happily ready to sell your soul to Ned Flanders in a devil's outfit. Via The Courier Mail.
Just as NAIDOC week kicks into gear for 2019, Australia's Budj Bim Cultural Landscape has been added to UNESCO's World Heritage List — becoming the first Australian site to receive recognition exclusively for its Aboriginal cultural values. During its current meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation added the south-west Victorian site to its list of landmarks and areas that are legally protected due to their significance. Located on Gunditjmara country, the region spans the Budj Bim volcano, Tae Rak (Lake Condah), the Kurtonitj wetlands, and Tyrendarra's rocky ridges and large marshes. It also includes remnants of more than 300 round, basalt stone houses, which demonstrate the Gunditjmara people's permanent settlement in the area. Of specific interest to UNESCO, Budj Bim features a system of channels, dams and weirs, all made possible due to basalt lava flows that have been carbon-dated back to 6600 years. The complex network is considered one of the the largest and oldest aquaculture setups in the world, and is used not only to contain floodwaters, but to trap and harvest the kooyang eel. The listing comes after five years of work between Gunditjmara people and the Victorian and Australian governments to develop Budj Bim's World Heritage nomination, and marks Australia's 20th entry on the list — alongside the Great Barrier Reef, Kakadu National Park, Fraser Island, the Tasmanian wilderness, the Greater Blue Mountains area, the Sydney Opera House and the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens, among others. [caption id="attachment_729904" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Tae Rak channel and holding pond,Tyson Lovett-Murray, Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation[/caption] In total, UNESCO has added 21 new sites to the World Heritage List as part of its 2019 conference, which runs through until Wednesday, July 10, and will examine 35 nominations in total. In addition to Budj Bim, the new entries showcase spots in China, Iran, France, Iceland, Brazil, Bahrain, Canada, Germany, Czechia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Poland, Myanmar, Republic of Korea, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Burkina Faso and Iraq, including Babylon. The list of new cultural sites chosen so far is as follows: Migratory bird sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China — natural site. Hyrcanian forests in the Islamic Republic of Iran — natural site. French Austral Lands and Seas in France — natural site. The fire and ice of Vatnajökull National Park in Iceland — natural site. The culture and biodiversity of Paratyand Ilha Grande in Brazil — natural and cultural site. Ancient ferrous metallurgy sites of Burkina Faso — cultural site. Babylon in Iraq — cultural site. Dilmun burial mounds in Bahrain — cultural site. Budj Bim Cultural Landscape in Australia — cultural site. Archaeological ruins of Liangzhu City in China — cultural site. Jaipur City, Rajasthan in India — cultural site. Ombilin coal-mining heritage of Sawahlunto in Indonesia — cultural site. Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group of mounded tombs from Ancient Japan — cultural site. Megalithic jar sites in Xiengkhouang — Plain of Jars in the Lao People's Democratic Republic — cultural site. Bagan in Myanmar — cultural site. Seowon, Korean Neo-Confucian Academies in the Republic of Korea — cultural site. Writing-on-Stone /Áísínai'pi in Canada — cultural site. Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří mining region of Czechia and Germany — cultural site. The landscape for breeding and training of ceremonial carriage Hhrses at Kladruby nad Labem in Czechia — cultural site. The water management system of Augsburg in Germany — cultural site. Krzemionki Prehistoric Striped Flint Mining Region in Poland) — cultural site. UNESCO also extended the heritage listing of the Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid region, to not only include northern Macedonia but also Albania. Prior to the 2019 meeting, the World Heritage List included 1092 different sites spread across 167 countries. Need some travel inspiration — or a reminder of just how wondrous our planet is? Browsing the full list will take care of that for you. Top images: Lake Condah, Tyson Lovett-Murray, Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation / Tae Rak in flood, Tyson Lovett-Murray, Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation.
German agency Jung von Matt has given some of the world's most iconic cartoon characters a wonderful makeunder by recreating them with Lego blocks. With a distinct minimalist approach to these creations, Jung von Matt have used height and colour to cleverly mould these creations. Nothing displays this better than Marge Simpson's signature towering blue hairstyle. However, some of the other cartoons aren't so easy to make out. But once you find out the answer, you'll kick yourself for not spotting them earlier. Furthermore, your ability to name these characters will be a good indicator of how much time you spent in front of the television as a kid. Have a look at the images below, and score yourself on how many you can guess. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles The Smurfs Asterix and Obelix South Park [via Flavorwire]
An indisputable local icon, the Brisbane Powerhouse is home to theatre, music, comedy and restaurants Watt and Bar Alto. Bar Alto opens out from the main bar and performance area, with seating areas perched outside on the upper deck as well as inside the Powerhouse building. The outlook from the deck, which takes in the Brisbane River and the constant relay of CityCats, is beautiful regardless of whether you're visiting during the day or night. Bar Alto was the 2009 winner of a Best Italian Restaurant Award at the Restaurant & Catering Queensland HostPlus State Awards for Excellence, so this place knows how to do pasta. The risotto with gorgonzola, radicchio and balsamic is cheesy indulgence, while the roasted duck and mascarpone ravioli with mushroom ragout is rich and flavoursome with pine nuts adding texture. The homemade pappardelle with goat ragu also comes highly recommended by the restaurant staff. A wide range of entrees, main courses, shared dishes, sides (try the zucchini fritters) and desserts are also available. Whether you've made the journey specifically for the food or are looking for a bite to eat after seeing a show or sunning yourself in New Farm Park, Bar Alto is a great choice for a relaxing lunch or dinner by the river.
When Tenacious D return to Australian and New Zealand stages in winter 2024, it won't just be a tribute — it'll be the real two-man comedy rock group, aka Jack Black and Kyle Gass, performing their first Down Under shows since 2013. The duo has announced July dates in seven cities, playing arenas as part of their The Spicy Meatball tour fresh from sellout gigs in the US, UK and Europe in 2023. In the 11 years since Tenacious D last took to the stage Down Under, plenty has happened, including for Black and Gass. Black's acting resume has added everything from Goosebumps and two Jumanji movies to Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, voice work on Rick and Morty and lending his vocals to Bowser in The Super Mario Bros Movie. Gass popped up in Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Hacks. And in 2018, the band released their fourth studio album Post-Apocalypto. [caption id="attachment_939746" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Raph_PH via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Now, the Grammy-winning pair, which first came together in the 90s as theatre students in Los Angeles, has locked in dates in Sydney, Newcastle, Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide in Australia — plus Wellington and Auckland in Aotearoa. Expect tickets to go quickly if the overseas response is any guide. In London alone, Tenacious D's O2 show was all snapped up the week that it was announced. [caption id="attachment_939740" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Travis Shinn[/caption] From not just their latest record, but also Tenacious D's self-titled 2001 debut, 2006's The Pick of Destiny — the soundtrack to the film of the same name — and 2012's Rize of the Fenix, attendees will hear 'Wonderboy', 'Tribute', 'Kickapoo', 'Low Hangin' Fruit' and more get a spin. Also on the band's current setlist: 2023's 'Video Games', the group's first single in five years, and their cover of Chris Isaak's 'Wicked Game'. They've been busting out Thin Lizzy's 'Jailbreak', Gerry Rafferty's 'Baker Street' and Led Zeppelin's 'Good Times Bad Times', too — but not The Super Mario Bros Movie's 'Peaches'. Tenacious D The Spicy Meatball Australia and New Zealand Tour 2024 Dates: Sunday, July 14 — ICC Sydney Theatre, Sydney Tuesday, July 16 — Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Newcastle Thursday, July 18 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane Saturday, July 20 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Monday, July 22 — Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide Wednesday, July 24 — TSB Arena, Wellington Friday, July 26 — Spark Arena, Auckland Tenacious D are touring Australia and New Zealand in July 2024, with ticket presales from 9am AEDT on Wednesday, February 7 and general sales from 12pm local time on Friday, February 9 — head to the tour website for further details. Top image: Sven Mandel via Wikimedia Commons.
All across New South Wales, stages are being swept, setlists are being finalised, speakers are being stress tested, and crowds are gearing up—because the statewide Great Southern Nights is just about to make its 2025 return. With well over 300 gigs taking place across 17 nights in cities and districts from Byron Bay to Broken Hill and beyond, it's going to be one hell of a festival. Midway up the NSW coastline, you'll find one of Great Southern Nights' hubs in the live music-loving city of Newcastle and the Newcastle Midtown Gig Trail set to host over 40 gigs across the festival's 17-night runtime. We've teamed up with Great Southern Nights to pick out the must-see entries on the lineup and some suggestions on how to stay busy between them. The Lineup The fun starts on Friday, March 21, with multi-disciplinary Filipino/Wiradjuri artist MO'JU at The Stag and Hunter Hotel in Mayfield, the five-piece Kiwi band SIX60 at NU's Bar on the Hill and EDM duo Slumberjack at King Street Nightclub. The following night, back at Bar on the Hill, late 80s/early 90s indie rock legends The Cruel Sea will take to the stage with some throwback hits and new recordings. To end the first weekend, solo multi-instrumentalist Running Touch and Melbourne-native indie rock quartet The Belair Lip Bombs will take over the King Street Warehouse on Sunday, March 23. The following weekend, on Saturday, March 29, legendary Aussie Blues and Roots soloist Xavier Rudd will be performing a bit out of town at Dashville Campground in Lower Belford. When the festival heads into April, expect a few hot gigs in the King Street Bandroom. Namely, the multi-platinum-winning rapper Winston Surfshirt on Friday, April 4; five-piece folk-rock group The Paper Kites on Saturday, April 5; and indie rock favourites Slowly Slowly on Sunday, April 6. If you find yourself with a free night, hit up the Newcastle Midtown District Gig Trail. Every night throughout the festival you'll find free gigs, performers, actors and more at seven venues in the heart of the action. That's just the tip of the iceberg, all sorts of gigs are set to take happen around the headliners. [caption id="attachment_938853" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Flotilla[/caption] Local Eats and Treats Newcastle is home to a buzzing blend of eateries to refuel between gigs; if anything, you'll end up pressed for time to hit all the venues around town. For a compact taster menu of what the city has to offer gastronomically, the Honeysuckle Foreshore is right in the centre of the city, close to Newcastle's premiere hotels, attractions and waterfronts. But if you're willing to go further afield, it'll pay off. Without leaving the city, you can enjoy Spanish tapas at Bocados or a sizeable yum cha feast (on Sundays) at Ginger Meg's, and if you like something a little fancier, there's sustainable seafood at Scottie's or curated cocktails and Italian feeds at Market St Basement. Should you find yourself a bit beyond the city lights, you can find an authentic Californian taqueria at Antojitos, and one of the most popular restaurants in the area is the famous Flotilla in Wickham. If you prefer to hit the streets and let the universe guide you to the eatery for you, you'll find casual options aplenty in Hamilton, eclectic, trendy small spots in Cooks Hill, while heading out west to the Hunter Valley will connect you with some of the top wineries in the country. Things to Do and Places to See Most of the GSN gigs on offer take place after dark, so what are you supposed to do beforehand? Glad you asked. One of Newcastle's most famous, accessible and affordable attractions is its ocean baths. Found along the Bather's Way, a six-kilometre walking track that traces the coast from Nobbys Beach to Merewether Beach, these pools (and the more secluded-yet-scenic Bogey Hole) are midway on the route and are recognised as some of the most scenic ocean pools in the country. If the sun is blazing and you'd rather stay indoors and dodge the steps, the Newcastle Museum is a great place to learn some local history, as is the Fort Scratchley Historic Site if military history is your jam, being the only fort in Australia to engage enemy combatants in maritime defence during WWII. For a dose of First Nations history and culture, take a guided tour through the towering sand dunes of the Worimi Conservation Lands. Where to Spend the Night The many facets of Newcastle's identity are plain to see in the accommodation options throughout the city. The QT hotel group is known for bold interiors and luxury by the pound — and QT Newcastle is no exception. A love for music and the arts and Newcastle's prominent surf culture can be felt at this dynamic stay. Set in a heritage building with waterfront views, the hotel also boasts one of Newcastle's finest rooftop bars and an on-site luxury restaurant that exclusively serves local produce. If you want to be as close to the water as possible, it's tough to get closer than Noah's On the Beach. A literal stone's throw from the surf break of Newcastle Beach, staying here means you'll be sent off to sleep by the sounds of the sea. And though you could be catered for with the onsite eatery, you'd be well within walking distance from the Newcastle CBD. If you want something further from the action (45 minutes further, to be precise) but don't want to skimp on the luxury, secure a booking at Caves Coastal Bar & Bungalows. South of Newcastle behind Caves Beach, this resort property brings a touch of the Hamptons and a pinch of the Maldives to the mid-north NSW coast. With bungalows, townhouses and villas available for booking and the luxurious restaurant Caves Coastal, this is the perfect place for larger groups looking to explore the surrounds of Newcastle. Great Southern Nights is set to take over venues across NSW between Friday, March 21 and Sunday, April 6. Check out our gig guides for Sydney, the Central Coast and Wollongong or visit the website for more information.
He's quick, he's nimble and he has what you need to get through lockdown. Jimmy Brings is a booze delivery service that'll bring wine, beer and spirits to your doorstep in an unbeatable 30 minutes or less — from that bottle of champagne for an unexpected iso engagement celebration to a Couch Cuddle Pack of shiraz and Toblerone to spice up iso movie nights. Old-mate Jimmy has been delivering the goods since long before COVID-19, starting out as a late-night service in Sydney in 2011, dropping off extra drinks, snacks and even ciggies for your out-of-hand house parties. Those were the days. Now Jimmy is all grown up, with not only a long-serving history in Sydney but also a suite of drivers in Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast and further afield. He's still peddling alcohol on demand, but things have stepped up a notch and you can now add in a bottle of hand sanitiser, ice and a pack of Jonny Condoms for those wild nights at home. The booze offering is a small-but-mighty range that's taste-tested by the Jimmy Brings team, and wine descriptions will make you smile. Those after organic wines can find low-preservative, punchy wines from Speak No Evil, Il Villagio and Farm Hand. There's also whites, reds and sparkling from Jolly Trotter, Heritage House and Covielle. And if you're stocking up for the long haul, there are wine bundles starting from $49.99 for six — around $8 a bottle. On the spirits and mixers front, you can make things super easy with Cheeky G&Ts, Skinny Soda and Moscow Mule packages that scoop up all the necessary ingredients for you, including soda, ice and limes, so you can add to cart without having to think too much about the logistics. A Dirty Daiquiri starter pack is $49.99 and an Aperol Spritz pack, just $42.99. Your beer, wine and bubbles are delivered cold and, as always, you can order seven days a week until 11.59pm in Sydney, and until 11pm in Brisbane and Melbourne — orders must be placed 30 minutes before closing time. Though they can't leave alcohol unattended, Jimmy Brings drivers are operating low-contact deliveries during COVID-19 times, including leaving bags on the ground and sighting your ID without handling it directly, so everyone's kept safe and happy. Never used Jimmy Brings before? Download the Jimmy Brings app and use the code 'CONCRETE' to get $10 off your first go. That's two packets of Nobby's mixed salted nuts, right there. Lucky you. Check out what Jimmy Brings can offer in your suburb. Offer expires on July 30, 2020.
Who doesn't love a barbecue? Whether you're a low-and-slow convert or you're fine with throwing snags on the barbie, it's one of Australia's favourite styles of food preparation. And, in Brisbane across the weekend of Saturday, June 26–Sunday, June 27, there's even a festival to prove it. For those two days, Brisbane Showgrounds will be engulfed in the kind of smoky, spicy taste sensations that can only come from taking your time to lock in as much goodness as possible — and with every other type of barbecuing you can imagine, too. Following on from sold-out fests in previous years, 2021's Brisbane BBQ Festival will once again see a convoy of food trucks and stalls converge upon Bowen Hills to prove their culinary patience. Many of them will be starting up their ovens long before their doors open, and you'll get to devour the long-simmering rewards. Between sampling from the likes of Black Iron Smokers, The BBQ Roadshow and Ze German Sausage, you'll also watch teams of professionals battle it out to be crowned the barbecue champions. Or, sip frosty bevs at pop-up bars, listen to live tunes, and browse the marketplace for barbecue-related products to help you whip up a storm at home. Also, it's best to take some very obvious but important advice: arrive hungry. [caption id="attachment_786631" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Erik Mclean[/caption]
Sometimes an exhibition gets gallery patrons exploring one artist's work. Sometimes it pays tribute to a specific person, heads back to a certain chapter of the past, or fills walls and halls around a theme. A particular object might be in the spotlight, or a movie franchise. Then there's The NBA Exhibition, which is celebrating hoop dreams and all things basketball in its first-ever Australian visit. After premiering in Warsaw, Poland in 2021, The NBA Exhibition gets bouncing in Brisbane from Thursday, November 9 — and bounds through basketball history at the same time. Catnip for fans of Air and Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, this sports-focused showcase is big in scope and size, surveying the culture of hopping onto the court and the lifestyle that goes with basketball, too, in a hefty two-level display. Visitors can traverse 1000 square metres and make their way through 20 themed sections. Created with the National Basketball Association, The NBA Exhibition aims to lure in b-ball diehards, casual followers and folks that haven't thought about the sport since their school PE lessons alike — and attendees of all ages. Looking at basketball memorabilia is part of the presentation, but so is throwing a ball around yourself and, thanks to the virtual and augmented reality aspect of the showcase, taking snaps with your favourite NBA players. So, you can get a photo with the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy, too — aka the coveted prize that each year's NBA Finals' winner receives — and shoot hoops, see how far you can jump and test your reflexes as well. Fancy a picture showing that you can slam dunk, even if you can't? There's a section of The NBA Exhibition for that. Eager to watch NBA highlights using VR goggles? That's also on the agenda. Keen to get surrounded by iconic NBA moments? That's what the infinity room is for. With names like Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal obviously featuring — and Kobe Bryant, Steph Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird as well — other elements of The NBA Exhibition include a heap of balls and shoes on display; footwear and hand prints from past and present players; art that was commissioned for a pop-up NBA Gallery exhibit in Sydney in 2022, featuring Australian and First Nations artists; and celebrating NBA players that've made the jump from Australia, which is likely to feature Patty Mills, Ben Simmons, Luc Longley, Andrew Gaze and more. Brisbane's Queens Plaza hosts The NBA Exhibition's debut Aussie stop — just as it did with The Art of Banksy: Without Limits, which also hails from entertainment platform Fever, earlier in 2023. Updated Thursday, November 30, 2023.
Some films were always going to grace screens, and The Dry was one of them, all thanks to the huge on-the-page success of Jane Harper's beloved novel of the same name. That 2021 big-screen release's sequel, which is now called Force of Nature: The Dry 2, is another. The first movie was such a hit — notching up more than $20 million in Australian ticket sales, and coming in sixth at the Aussie box office two years back after Hollywood franchise titles Spider-Man: No Way Home, No Time to Die, Godzilla vs Kong, Peter Rabbit 2 and Fast and Furious 9 — that greenlighting this sequel must've been the easiest decision ever. In 2022, news arrived that The Dry would indeed score a big-screen follow-up, as based on Harper's second novel Force of Nature. Then it was revealed that the film would release in 2023, instantly becoming one of this year's most-anticipated flicks. Now, Roadshow Films — which is behind the movie, and will distribute it in Australia and New Zealand — has unveiled an exact release date. Mark August 24 in your diary: that's when you have a return movie date with Eric Bana (Dirty John) as Detective Aaron Falk. Actually, given that timing, you might just be able to see the film at the 2023 Sydney Film Festival or Melbourne International Film Festival. This chapter is set in Victoria, so it'd make a nice opening- or closing-night pick at MIFF in particular. In Force of Nature: The Dry 2, the focus is on a corporate hiking retreat attended by five women, after which only four return. So, alongside fellow federal agent Carmen Cooper (Jacqueline McKenzie, Ruby's Choice), Falk heads deep into Victoria's mountain ranges to try to find the missing hiker — who also happens to be a whistle-blowing informant — alive. [caption id="attachment_787502" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Dry[/caption] As The Dry was, Force of Nature is written and directed by Robert Connolly (Blueback). Again, it boasts quite the pair when it comes to Aussie crime cinema — with Connolly the producer of one of the best local crime movies ever made, aka 1998's unnerving The Boys, and Bana famously the star of the similarly excellent Chopper. "Adapting Jane Harper's remarkable Force of Nature for the cinema has been an exciting adventure, a rare privilege to be able to revisit the world of detective Aaron Falk and to work again with Eric, an extraordinary supporting cast and a wonderful team of creatives and crew," said Connolly. "Jane's novels evoke the often-terrifying beauty of the natural world, and in this sequel to The Dry we take audiences into a new landscape to solve entwining crimes in the remote Australian wilderness." [caption id="attachment_796115" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Dry[/caption] Also featuring in Force of Nature, which has a powerhouse Aussie cast like its predecessor: Anna Torv (The Last of Us) as missing hiker Alice Russell, plus Deborra-Lee Furness (Jindabyne), Robin McLeavy (Homeland), Sisi Stringer (Mortal Kombat) and Lucy Ansell (Utopia). Richard Roxburgh (Elvis), Tony Briggs (Preppers) and Kenneth Radley (The Power of the Dog) pop up, too, while Jeremy Lindsay-Taylor (Heartbreak High) is back in the role of Erik Falk. Although there are now two images from the film to check out — see the header picture at the very top of this article, then the first among the text — it's still too early for even a teaser clip. Until one arrives, revisit the trailer for The Dry below: Force of Nature will release in Australian and New Zealand cinemas on August 24, 2023. Read our full review of The Dry. Force of Nature images: Narelle Portanier.
On Sunday, December 1, Australian Venue Co — one of the country's largest hospitality groups with more than 200 venues nationwide — announced its decision to no longer host events on January 26 in recognition of the trauma experienced by many of its patrons and staff on Invasion Day. In response, certain swathes of the media, social media users and even notable politicians loudly voiced their opposition to the move, with some calling for a boycott of AVC venues in retaliation. Queensland Senator Matt Canavan said during an interview on the Today Show on Monday, December 3, that Australian Venue Co were acting as "moral guardians," adding: "They should get off their moral high horse. They're a pub, for god's sake. They deal in alcohol … I mean, let people have a good time at a pub." In response to this widespread backlash, Australian Venue Co has issued an apology via its social media platforms and reversed its decision to ban Australia Day events. "We can see that our comments on the weekend have caused both concern and confusion. We sincerely regret that — our purpose is to reinforce community in our venues, not divide it," the statement reads. "It is not for us to tell anyone whether or how to celebrate Australia Day. We acknowledge that and we apologise for our comments. It certainly wasn't our intention to offend anyone … Whether you choose to celebrate Australia Day or not, everyone is welcome in our pubs, always. We have been, and are always, open over Australia Day and we continue to book events for patrons." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Australian Venue Co. (@australianvenueco) Many social media posts highlighted the confusion created by the Australian Venue Co's original announcement, which was misconstrued as suggesting its venues would be closed on January 26, when in reality the group was pledging not to hold Australia Day events while remaining open for patrons independently celebrating the day. Whether or not Australia should commemorate its national day on a date that represents a moment of profound mourning and inter-generational trauma for First Nation's communities continues to be hotly debated. However, local governments, certain major businesses and media organisations, and social groups across the country have made the decision in recent years to acknowledge the contentiousness of January 26. More than 80 councils around the country no longer hold citizenship ceremonies on this date and since 2017, radio station Triple J has announced its popular Hottest 100 rankings on January 25. Earlier this year, major supermarket brands Woolworths and Aldi both pledged to no longer stock Australia Day merchandise in their stores, while Invasion Day rallies attract thousands of peaceful protesters every year.
Combining camping in comfort with drinking in a vineyard, winery glamping is the trend that absolutely no one will ever complain about. It's been popping up all over the country, from Bendigo in regional Victoria, to Mount Cotton just outside of Brisbane, to a luxury pod-based version in South Australia's McLaren Vale — and now the Mornington Peninsula is getting in on the action. Meet Mornington Peninsula Glamping, which is now up and running at Blue Range Estate Wines in Rosebud. At a site overlooking not only the vineyard, but with views out over Port Phillip Bay, it features a number of luxe five-by-five-metre tents. There's three onsite at the time of writing; however there'll be ten by mid-October. Available for $265 per night, each tent is decked out with a queen-sized bed with 1000-thread-count sheets, two armchairs and a coffee table, plus solar power to keep your devices juiced. Visitors also have access to a shared cooking and eating area with two barbecues, hot water, and a choice of boutique tea or coffee, plus a luxury bathrooms in a shipping container. Mornington Peninsula Glamping is the brainchild of Christian Melone, whose family own and run vineyard, with his grandparents establishing the site back in the 80s. If you glamp over Thursday to Sunday, you can also mosey up to the winery's restaurant for a meal, tucking into the likes of tagliatelle with bay scallops and prawns, slow-roasted lamb shoulder with truffled mashed potatoes and ocean trout fillet with blood orange butter. Find Mornington Peninsula Glamping at Blue Range Estate Wines, 155 Gardens Road, Rosebud, Victoria.
Back in 2019, Sydney fine-dining institution NEL introduced tastebuds to a whole new culinary world: a decadent Once Upon a Time degustation inspired by all things Disney. Unsurprisingly, it provided a magical meal and proved a massive hit, returning in 2020 and 2022 with themed dishes created by the Surry Hills' restaurant's created by Executive Chef and namesake Nelly Robinson. Come winter 2023, it'll be back again for a fourth chapter. Amid NEL's creative spreads, this one now feels like a tasty tale as old as time — repeatedly popping up amid KFC-inspired dinners, Moulin Rouge!-themed and Christmas degustations, and one heroing native Australian ingredients as well. But whenever it unleashes its 11 courses upon plates, the Once Upon a Time serves up new and fresh dishes riffing on the Mouse House's favourites. Accordingly, even if you've been before, you haven't feasted your way through the latest menu. An alfredo linguini that nods to Ratatouille? Yes, that twist on the classic dish — and flick — featuring a lasagne-style structure layered with confit vegetables, pasta sheets, béchamel, mozzarella cheese foam and basil dust is on the lineup. So is The Tugley Wood, which combines mushrooms and fresh Australian truffle to nod to Alice in Wonderland. And when things get sweet, there's a honey-soaked sponge with a nest of honey curd topped with bee pollen, then served in a honey pot, that Winnie-the-Pooh would clearly covet. As for what else will be bothering your appetite in the best possible way, discovering the full range is part of the fun of heading along — no matter whether you're a Sydneysider with more than a few nights' experience tucking into Robinson's creations or a Disney fan keen to make a date on a future interstate trip. NEL doesn't need a reason to bring back the Once Upon a Time menu again and again — it was always going to be popular — but Robinson still keeps finding plenty of inspiration in the Disney theme. "The team and I had a blast creating and curating this one. It was so much fun to create a whole new menu around some of my favourite films and we have carefully crafted dishes to bring out each diners' inner child. Indeed, we paired it with fun cocktails and some sensational wines, too," he explains. The Once Upon a Time menu's fourth chapter will start serving on Tuesday, May 30 and run for eight weeks only, with bookings available now. Price-wise, this childhood-inspired feast will require an adult salary, costing $185 per person, with beverages matched for an extra $165. Reserving a spot ASAP for dinner Tuesday–Saturday from 5.15pm is recommended — this unsurprisingly always books out. NEL's Once Upon A Time (Chapter Four) degustation is on offer for eight weeks from Tuesday, May 30 at 75 Wentworth Avenue, Sydney. For more information or to book, head to the NEL website.
Alpacas and turtles and goats... oh my! There's so much cuteness in Bundaberg, you'll need to plan ahead to make the most of all the animal encounters you can have in one trip. And that's where we come in. In partnership with Bundaberg Tourism, we've put together a list of five ways you can get up-close to curious creatures, on land and in the water. After all, Bundaberg is only four hours' drive from Brisbane, so when you're escaping the city for a weekend break or longer you can find time to not only snorkel with manta rays and befriend farmyard animals, but also enjoy the incredible dining institutions spread throughout the region. The hardest part is deciding what to do first. [caption id="attachment_788877" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tracy Olive via Bundaberg Tourism[/caption] SWIM WITH TURTLES OK, it wasn't that hard. First on anyone's list when they come to Bundaberg should be ticking off this bucket-list item. Lady Musgrave Island's 3000 acres of spectacular coral reef is home to a fascinating community of sea turtles — and, incredibly, you can swim alongside them. The Lady Musgrave Experience's glamorous catamaran is one of the easiest ways to cruise around the idyllic Southern Great Barrier Reef. You'll be whisked across pristine waters to a serene lagoon where the biodiverse habitat is the best place to get to know these loveable creatures. You can also soak up the sights from solid ground as each trip includes an island walk, where guides delve into the region's striking natural history. The full-day tour ($220 per adult) includes lunch and afternoon tea, as well as four and a half hours at the lagoon, where you'll meet loggerhead, flatback, green and hawksbill turtles. [caption id="attachment_789720" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tracy Olive[/caption] SNORKEL WITH TROPICAL FISH If you don't have the budget to set sail off the coast, you can still experience Bundaberg's natural delights closer to shore. For instance, Barolin Rocks and its heavenly dive site is a short drive from the city. Beneath the depths of this much-loved spot is a stunning coral reef thriving with colourful tropical fish, moray eels and even a dugong or two. Don't forget to pack your snorkel and mask. Meanwhile, cruise further along the Coral Coast to discover a variety of equally impressive beaches, like Kellys Beach, which has beautiful swimming holes and snorkelling spots. When you want to take it up a notch, arrange for a surprise feast to be set up by The Picnic Basket, who'll lay out a spread of local produce at a beach of your choosing. [caption id="attachment_749820" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lauren Bath via Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] SEE HATCHING TURTLES Bundaberg is where some of the world's most important endangered turtle conservation takes place. And the Mon Repos Turtle Centre plays a critical role. It cares for the largest population of nesting marine and loggerhead turtles on Australia's east coast. You can find out everything there is to know about these species by taking part in the Mon Repos Nightly Turtle Encounter ($27.45). Led by an experienced wildlife ranger, the tour includes information about the centre's vital scientific research before taking you into the rookery, where, from November to January, you can watch mother turtles returning to their birth beach to lay their clutches of eggs. If you're visiting between January and March, you'll likely witness hundreds of hatchlings rushing to dash into the ocean for the first time. To ensure social distancing measures, visitor numbers have been reduced for this experience, so make sure you book ahead to avoid disappointment. [caption id="attachment_789716" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tracy Olive[/caption] DIVE WITH MANTA RAYS Bundaberg is surrounded by a wealth of inspiring day trips, but none as unmissable as Lady Elliot Island. Although reaching it requires a quick 25-minute flight from Bundaberg Airport ($465 per person), you won't have any regrets once you touch down in Australia's home of the manta ray. Featuring more than 700 individual manta rays and over 1200 species of marine life, the surrounding waters are where you'll want to spend the whole day exploring. For those in the market for a luxurious getaway, why not stay the night at Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort? This way, you can be snorkelling in the lagoon just as the sun rises. Glamping tents start from $382 per tent, whereas beachfront units start from $415 per person in peak season. [caption id="attachment_788876" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Splitter Farm, Jane Hart Bundaberg Tourism[/caption] FEED A BABY GOAT Set on the fringes of Bundaberg CBD is Splitters Farm — a paradise for animals and their biggest fans. Surrounded by tropical bushland and bordered by the picturesque Splitters Creek, this sprawling 160-acre property is home to a variety of rescued animals who've survived bushfires, drought and neglect. Here, the self-guided Meet the Animals tour ($18 per person) is the best way to fall in love with horses and geese, goats and cheeky alpacas. Once you've finished exploring the paddocks and hand-feeding the animals, unfurl a picnic blanket and enjoy one of Splitter Farm's delicious pre-ordered hampers, which are practically overflowing with locally produced goodies. You can book ahead for the VIP picnic and tour for just $50 per adult. For more must-do experiences in Bundaberg, and to book your turtle tours, visit the Bundaberg Region website. Top image: Lady Musgrave Island by Tracy Olive via Bundaberg Tourism
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 the best sketch comedy of 2019,I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson. It has also now claimed that title again in 2020 with the just-released Aunty Donna's Big Ol' House of Fun. If you're familiar with Australian comedy troupe Aunty Donna, then you'll know what to expect. Writers and performers Mark Samual Bonanno, Broden Kelly and Zachary Ruane, director and writer Sam Lingham, filmmaker Max Miller and composer Tom Armstrong have been treating audiences to absurdist gags, satire, wordplay and songs since forming in 2011. Over that time, Aunty Donna has played gigs everywhere from the Melbourne International Comedy Festival to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, toured the country several times, made a number of web series and released an ARIA-nominated album — but now the group has channelled all of its silliness and surreal gags, and its astute ability to make fun of daily life in a smart yet ridiculous way, into a six-part Netflix series that's the funniest thing you'll watch in 2020. Now available to stream, Aunty Donna's Big Ol' House of Fun stars Bonanno, Kelly and Ruane as themselves — and housemates. Each episode revolves around a theme, starting with the search for a fourth member of their household when they decide to turf their annoying talking dishwasher (voiced by Flight of the Conchords' Kristen Schaal). The second episode, focused around treasure, also features an out-there recreation of Ellen DeGeneres' talk show, while other instalments serve up everything from a pitch-perfect takedown of trendy barber shops to a parody of male posturing when the guys turn their house into a bar. 'Weird Al' Yankovich also pops up, as does executive producer and The Office star Ed Helms (claiming that his name is actually Egg), and a tea party with the Queen of England features as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1gwkJP64xU While it's showing on Netflix worldwide, there's no doubting that this is an Aussie sketch comedy. Viewers will spot the references to Crazy John's, Four'n Twenty pies, Eagle Boys Pizza, the Hoodoo Gurus and Grant Denyer — and there's an instance of name-dropping about a well-known TV and AFL figure that's brief but sublime. Skewing more broadly, the series' parody of Family Feud is both clever and bonkers, and the show manages to touch upon the 2000 Sydney Olympics, silly wi-fi names, table manners, sports injuries, pirates and today's dating scene, too. There's nothing too over-the-top for Aunty Donna, or too trivial. The series opens with the group's existing song 'Everything a Drum' — which really is self-explanatory — after all. And, it nears its end with a tense trip to see a stylist that's a descent into chaos and madness, and yet also 100-percent relatable. Understandably, binging the 20-minute episodes in one go is very easy to do. So is starting the whole show over again once you've already watched it through. At the beginning of 2020, no one could've picked how this year would turn out. And while longtime Aunty Donna fans already knew what the group is capable of, few folks would've tipped that Aunty Donna's Big Ol' House of Fun would be just the dose of side-splitting absurdity this hectic year needs. Or, that it'd get the most preposterous and catchy song about caffeine there is well and truly lodged in everyone's heads until 2021 hits. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BVoYKwTc4E Aunty Donna's Big Ol' House of Fun is available to stream via Netflix.
After a $9-million revamp, The GPO is back and giving Brisbane a trio of gifts. If you're eager for a luxe sitdown meal, contemporary dining venue TAMA is your go-to. The sprawling 100-seat restaurant filled with natural light has taken over the site's ground level, offering diners a radiant experience thanks to the high ceilings and double-storey windows in the two-storey atrium that doubles as the main dining room. Visitors will find be stone and marble flooring, bursts of greenery, velvet-clad booths and soft furnishings, too, and both original beams and custom chandeliers. As for the vibe, it's thoroughly old-school. Here, the wine is a big drawcard, given that there's a cellar stocked with 1000 handpicked bottles of vino and champagne. In the kitchen, Executive Chef Richard Ousby is using his experience overseas and locally to shape the restaurant's menu. Standout dishes also include cold seafood platters among the starters, charcoal calamari and beef tartare, plus half and full lobsters, quail and mushroom tart. And, there's a selection of handmade pasta dishes that includes four-cheese tortellini and crab bisque linguini. Feeling particularly cashed up? Opt for the caviar service. Alan Hunter, the sommelier and ex-General Manager at OTTO Brisbane, oversees the wine list. He 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's drawing 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's restaurants in Melbourne and Brisbane.
Canadian artist Jon Rafman has presented viewers with a collection of the most bizzare, quirky and often disturbing images that are captured on Google's Street View. Named after the nine cameras that sit on top of the vehicles used to capture the images that form Google's mapping service, Rafman's work has again expanded notions of art and street photography. The collection includes four masked strangers on a highway in Mexico, a van engulfed in flames on the brink of explosion in Brazil, and a man revealing his bare bottom in Ireland. Rafman states that he collected the images through Street View blogs and his own use of the service, and has offered a lengthy essay detailing the purpose of the work and it's significance. Like the stunning images captured by Aaron Hobson, Rafman has shown us that the Internet is reaching a vastness that allows us to become virtual explorers of the world. With Google's mission to map the entire world and immortalise it online, there will be no shortage of images from fascinatingly random locations that we haven't even heard of. Next time you pass one of Google's vehicles you should quickly comb your hair and flash your best smile. After all, you might become part of an artwork. [via Buzzfeed]
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!
Are you a lager-lover keen to discover your new favourite beer? Great Northern is taking over The Jubilee with an exclusive pop-up to launch its new lager inspired by the outback: The Long Run. Launching right on time for the warmer season. Head down to The Jubilee in Fortitude Valley from Thursday, September 5, to Sunday, September 8, to have your first sip of the new lager. Long Run is made with 100 percent Australian barley and will only be available in Queensland. The beer had an exclusive launch in the outback town of Longreach to signify its connection to regional Queensland. Mural artist Jarad Danby created custom artwork in the town centre on the town's main street. At Jubilee, punters can sip on the new crisp lager as they chill at the custom-built bar or take it a step further and stock up on exclusive merch, including custom sweatshirts, tees, crew socks, caps and playing cards — which they can swap their used bottlecaps for. The Long Run pop-up will run for four days from Thursday, September 5 until Sunday, September 8.
Another winter has come and gone, and summer is fast approaching. And if you're looking for an excuse to soak up the sun right now, look no further than these top-notch venues serving up the classic drink of the summer: Aperol Spritz. Can't decide where to go for that first sunshine sip? Here are some of our favourite openair spots around Brisbane and the Gold Coast. BREAKFAST CREEK HOTEL, ALBION The legendary Breakfast Creek Hotel has a fine selection of bars to choose from to get your Aperol Spritz fix. The Spanish Garden and Beer Garden restaurants serve up fresh oysters for starters and delicious cuts of steak for mains, which you can devour before or right after your glass of Aperol Spritz from the Staghorn Bar. Whether you're a guest at the hotel or just paying a visit, extend your night by hitting the Private Bar to soak up the atmosphere of the veranda to catch up with your mates. JUSTIN LANE, BURLEIGH HEADS Chasing big summer energy? Head to Burleigh Heads' Justin Lane. This sun-drenched, Mediterranean-inspired oasis features spritz and summer-ready cocktails aplenty, as well as live music and delicious Italian fare to pair with your spritz. CALI BEACH, SURFERS PARADISE Spend your Friday evening at Cali Beach sipping on ice-cold cocktails by the pool or the sun lounges. Offering free admission, this Surfers Paradise venue boasts stunning views of the city skyline and ocean. Every week, the expansive entertainment precinct, which features everything from pools and cabanas to restaurants and volleyball courts, hosts seasoned DJs to keep the vibes high — the rotating lineup has featured names like Hot Dub Time Machine, Sneaky Sound System, Bag Raiders and more. The regular Cali After Dark parties require a reservation, but it's worth the extra effort to make sure you have access to one of the two restaurants or your very own VIP poolside area, daybed or cabana. RIVERLAND, CBD Treat your tastebuds to a variety of brews with Riverland's selection of 16 tap beers and ciders. Whether you're here for date night or celebrating a special occasion, this bustling spot on the banks of The Brown Snake also provides a smart list of local and international wines as well as innovative cocktails, both single and sharing-sized serves. Whatever your poison, you can pair your pour with a bite from one of the rotating lineup of international street food vendors dotted around the space. LINA ROOFTOP, SOUTH BRISBANE Simply put, Lina Rooftop is an absolute vibe — trust us when we say that you won't run out of Instagram content during your time here. The 1500-square-metre space is comprised of an openair terrace, restaurant and a 30-metre infinity pool. The menu is appropriately beachy, featuring spritzes, slushie cocktails and ice-cold beers. Don't forget to take a dip in the pool and soak up the gorgeous view of the city. CIELO ROOFTOP, FORTITUDE VALLEY Situated high above the streets of Fortitude Valley, Cielo Rooftop is a collaboration between the minds behind Salt Meats Cheese Group and the award-winning Sydney bar Maybe Sammy. As you'd expect with this pedigree, both the food and drinks programs are very considered — sip on modern cocktails or one of the three types of spritz, and soak it up with a Mooloolaba prawn cocktail or house-made pizzette. There's also a dedicated cocktail tree menu, perfect if you're heading up with a crew. OOH LA LA, WOOLLOONGABBA Designed by Brisbane architecture studio JDA Co., Ooh La La, a contemporary French-inspired rooftop bar situated above Woolloongabba's C'est Bon, is an impressive terrace space open for sundowners serves from Friday to Sunday. The considered food menu features elevated bar bites like lobster éclairs, angus tartare and two types of caviar, while the tight wine list features exclusively French and Australian drops, with each selection sold both by the bottle and by the glass. For more ways to elevate your summer with Aperol, head to the website.
There is a hearty debate in the food world over the true origin of the beloved hamburger, with both Germany and the USA jostling to claim it as their own. Historical origins aside, we can do nothing but pay tribute to the reckless genius who decided to throw a beef patty between two slices of bread and call it a proper meal. Without this, we would never known the true joy of ordering a juicy burger after a wretched day (even when you're just at home). Wondering where to pick up Brisbane's elite burgers? Even better — wondering how you can get them brought to your door? We've put together a list of epic choices, with our favourite sides thrown in for good measure. We've also included some very worthy vegan and vegetarian options, if you are keen to shake up your usual order or want to up the number of plants in your diet. Just remember, no matter what you choose, fries are absolutely essential.
Dinosaurs. Sir David Attenborough. This planet we call home, but 66 million years ago. That's the Prehistoric Planet template, and it's a winner. It proved a treat when Apple TV+'s impressive and immersive documentary series initially arrived in 2022, becoming one of the best new shows of the year. And, now that the program is back for a second five-episode run with more photorealistic ancient creatures and more Attenborough-narrated insights into their behaviour — streaming one chapter per night between Monday, May 22–Friday, May 26, then available to watch whenever viewers like afterwards — that formula works just as charmingly again. Prehistoric Planet achieves a magical feat, which both seasons have perfected: making viewers feel like they're travelling back in time, and spectacularly so. The concept for the program is over a decade old, coming to executive producer, veteran Attenborough colleague and BBC Natural History Unit Creative Director Mike Gunton (Planet Earth II) while filming with the iconic broadcaster in Africa, but the end result unsurprisingly took time to come to fruition. "We did a very early test — actually, in fact it became the heart of the T-rex on the beach sequence in the opening series. We did that as a sort of initial proof of concept and it was it was astonishing, actually, how good it was," Gunton tells Concrete Playground in a chat about the show with series producer Tim Walker. Being able to capitalise upon advancements in technology to make Prehistoric Planet look as stunningly lifelike as it does is a happy result of the years spent making the show happen; however, if was it's presenting wasn't scientifically sound, all that imagery would mean nothing. [caption id="attachment_779232" align="alignnone" width="1920"] David Attenborough, A Life on Our Planet, WWF[/caption] "We're very proud of the scientific rigour that underpins the series," adds Walker, who has also enjoyed a lengthy history delving into natural history on-screen, including on Attenborough projects such as David Attenborough's First Life. "Every sequence — when we talk about sequence, we're talking the short films within the film, so each episode has about five or six sequences in it — each of those sequences takes years to create, both in the research and then in the execution of it." That effort is evident, whether Prehistoric Planet is observing raptors display their cleverness, peering at mating rituals — oh-so-many mating rituals — or unpacking the often-perilous search for food and always-dangerous quest for survival. It shines through as the series surveys all the regular go-to dinosaurs, when it broadens its remit to lesser-known creatures and as it heroes non-dinosaur inhabitants of this pale blue dot during the Cretaceous age. How did it all come about? How does it look so astonishing? How important is the one and only Attenborough to making the series what it is? Gunton and Walker chatted with us about all those crucial Prehistoric Planet details and more — including the tense experience of watching Attenborough watch the show's first footage. ON HOW PREHISTORIC PLANET INITIALLY CAME OUT — AND WHY IT DIDN'T EARLIER Mike: "That's often the sign of a good idea, I think. Of course it should've have been done — it's blindingly obvious when you think about it. The idea came about actually with Sir David, doing some filming with him in Africa about 12 years ago now, maybe even more. He was doing the opening for a series I was working with him on about Africa, and his opening piece of camera was on top of this mountain on the equator in Africa. He was saying, the kind of thought was: 'nowhere on earth does nature put on the greatest show than here in Africa'. And I thought 'that's interesting — it is true, but I wonder if that's always been the case? I wonder when the greatest time of all time would have been?'. And I thought it was probably when the dinosaurs were running around here. So I thought 'could you do that?'. Could you take that crew that was standing on that mountainside, stick them in the time machine, fly them back 66 million years ago, and Sir David, and make a film, a series, as we were trying to do there, but instead of being lions and wildebeests and elephants, there'd be T-rex and triceratops. So that was the that was the germ of the idea, but it took a long time, many years, to get every all the stars to align — the planets to align, whichever the way you want to say it — and to get the team together, to get the resources and to find the right broadcaster before we finally made it. But actually, as David has said — he said 'I'm glad we waited ten years, because actually we've learned so much in those ten years'. And he's probably right. As Tim says, this is a golden age of dinosaur research now." ON MAKING THE SERIES LOOK SO STUNNINGLY PHOTOREALISTIC — AND THE HUGE TEAM EFFORT BEHIND IT Mike: "I think definitely the technology does improve all the time, but again another another sort of star alignment that I think was critical was that Jon — Jon Favreau — had in that time made The Jungle Book, then The Lion King. They basically did millions of dollars in R&D for us really, because to make those shows, Jon wanted to do that effectively — he said he wanted to try to take some of the grammar and approaches from wildlife documentary-making and apply those to those shows in terms of the look and some of the way the camera worked. And and that hyper-accelerated the sorts of CG that we needed to make to make this show. But it's accelerating — these these advances are going all the time." Tim: "[It takes] lots and lots and lots and lots of hard work. That's the basic answer. We are a multidisciplinary group of people. We've got, over the course of the the two series, we've approached almost 2000 people working on the project in various different disciplines. Marry them all together and you get a piece of work which is greater than the sum of its parts. We've got fabulous wildlife filmmakers based at the BBC's Natural History Unit, who've spent years in the field filming animals, making animal films. And then we've got wonderful CGI artists at MPC, who were the FX producers. And then we've got a wonderful relationship with the palaeontology world. So we have a lead scientific adviser who's embedded in the team. He's got his finger on the paleo pulse, and through that connection we talk to people all over the world. And of course, the internet has enabled that to happen really, really quickly — the exchange of data to happen really quickly. So marry all of those disciplines together, as in paleoclimatologists, paleobotanists, locomotion specialists, paleo artists, and you start to create this wonderful machine that starts thinking about what we're going to put in the series by looking at the fossil record so. That's our base entry level. We look to see what animals were around in the time period. Our time period that we feature is only the last five or six million years of the dinosaur evolution, called the Maastrichtian. And so we look to see what's in the Maastrichtian fossil layer. That gives us the animals — not just the dinosaurs, but the whole cast of characters. So the dinosaurs, the pterosaurs in the air, and the marine reptiles. And then the other animals that were around as well, because it was a very rich and vibrant time —so the mammals, the snakes, the amphibians, the other reptiles, the fish, the birds — to paint this very rich habitat of the of the planet. Then we start with that fossil record — that gives us the animals, it gives us the habitats — and then we start to think about the storylines based on what we know the behaviours would have been like. Animals face the same challenges to survive their daily rigours whether it's today or 66 million years ago. They've all got to find a mate. They've all got to procreate. They've all got to find food. They've all got to avoid being eaten in some cases. So that happens in Australia today, Africa today, America today. It happened in those places 66 million years ago. And so combining all of those different skills with the different personnel, that's how we start to get the series." Mike: "That's the that's the short answer, by the way." ON DAVID ATTENBOROUGH'S IMPORTANCE TO THE SERIES Tim: "One of the things that we all are very proud of is the incredible execution, not just of the CGI imagery, but also the aesthetic of the whole series. It's beautifully filmed, beautifully put together. But we always maintain that it doesn't matter how good something looks, it's all about the storytelling. And if you don't have the storytelling, the images may wash over you a little bit. So then to add the gravitas of the storytelling, we have a wonderful opportunity to work with Sir David. And Mike has worked with David for what, 35 years, Mike is it?" Mike: "Nearly, yeah." Tim: "And if anyone can tell you a story about Sir David it's Mike." Mike: "One thing that was interesting about working with David on this was that he did — actually, with one of the questions you asked earlier about why hasn't it been done before, I think he was always quite anxious that he'd seen people making dinosaur shows, and he always thought were a bit fantastical and a bit lacking in rigour. And so one of the things that he was very, very keen to interrogate was the level of rigour and the authenticity that we were bringing to the show. Not just how good the dinosaurs look, but how much evidence we were using to come up with our deductions and the representations we made. In the end, I literally had to go there to his house with two sequences to show him in story form, in sort of a storyboard form, and to explain what we're doing and how the stories will play out. And I thought 'I'll take some of the data that we've got, that we've collected, to support these two stories'. And each of those was a carrier bag, a holdall full of papers. I had to hump two massive great holdalls of paperwork up to London to talk to him about it. And sure enough, he wanted to see them. We flipped through some. So it needed that kind conviction for him to want to do it, because if he's going to do it — this is the one time he's going to do it, probably — he wanted to make sure it's going to be to the best and the most authentic and most rigorous representation you could ever have." ON DAVID ATTENBOROUGH'S REACTION TO SEEING THE FINISHED PRODUCT Mike: "When we finally showed him the first episode, we again went up there to show it. He had it on my computer, and he sat and he said 'let's watch it then'. And he sat down, he sat there — not a word, he watched it without a word, and his fingers were slightly drumming on his the arm of his chair as he was watching. He was very intensely watching it. He finished it — he's very theatrical in this way, he flipped the computer down, and then [he says] 'but I don't know how you could have done it any better'. And from that moment on he was utterly — every commentary recording, he'd say 'when's the next one? That was amazing. What's happening? I can't wait to see the next one. What are we doing next?'. Really, really, it was a great, great pleasure, wasn't it Tim?" Tim: "It really was." Mike: And those PPUs — those little behind-the-scenes ones at the end — that's David at his absolute most joyful, with an object in his hand that he could talk about and tell you about. 'This is what this tells you, and this, and this and that, and this asks this question and that question'. It's amazing. It's fantastic." Tim: "One of the things is, we've got so many people involved in this — and you know, we get notes from a lot of people. So, as we're making the film, lots of people check the films along the way and people give us notes and suggestions. When you get notes from Sir David Attenborough, that's when you listen, because you know he's seen it all and done it all. And if he points something out, 'oh yeah, good point'." Prehistoric Planet season two streams via Apple TV+ across Monday, May 22–Friday, May 26, with a new episode available each day. Read our full review of season two — and of Prehistoric Planet season one.
Memories of family holidays up and down Australia's coastlines are treasured by most of us. Stopping at roadside lookouts, lemonades in country pubs, wallabies hopping around campsites and kookaburras laughing us awake. The brief: classic charm meets no-frills fun. A staple in these trips is a classic motel. A clean and comfortable spot to rest your head, a warm welcome, a folder stuffed full of brochures from local businesses and a minibar complete with snacks and libations. You might have noticed a resurgence in these often family-owned establishments, but with one new element sticking out like a sore thumb: standout styling. Fresh paint, linen bedding, social-driven marketing and artful umbrellas offering shade by figure-eight shaped pools — it's a formulaic trend, and it works. What better way to add that dreamy nostalgic charm to your holidays this year than a night or two in a revamped motel? Together with The Bottle-O, the store slinging your favourite boozy sips all over Australia, we've curated a list of our favourites. Book in, grab your drinks and soak up the serenity of days gone by.
If you like beer and you live in Brisbane, then you've probably noticed a trend in recent years. In fact, you've probably been making the most of it. That's to be expected when a certain patch of turf starts welcoming new drinking spots with frequency. Thanks to Ballistic Beer Co and Hiker Brewing Concern in Salisbury, as well as Helios Brewing Company and Slipstream Brewing Company in Yeerongpilly, there's no shortage of breweries to have a beer at on the southside. And, while you've likely been hopping between them all anyway, Beermuda gives the area's boozy crawl an official spin. Head to any of the quartet between 1–7pm on Saturday, May 20, get sipping, then catch a courtesy bus to the other three — and drink more frothy ales at each, obviously. Entry is free, and there'll also be food and live music at each brewery. Plus, you'll be able to just generally soak in the boozy Salisbury and Yeerongpilly vibes. If you remember the event from previous years, you'll know that it was originally called Beermuda Triangle — taking inspiration from the Bermuda Triangle, of course — but with Hiker Brewing Concern a new addition for 2023, there's no longer just three venues on the route.
Australians will never be torn apart from their love of an 80s power ballad by one of the nation's most-successful rock bands: that's what the first-ever Triple J Hottest 100 of Australian Songs revealed. First announced in June 2025, open for voting for a month and unveiling its countdown on Saturday, July 26, the public-voted ranking of the country's favourite homegrown tunes of all time culminated with INXS topping the poll with the yearning refrains of 'Never Tear Us Apart'. The Michael Hutchence-crooned song was one of two by the band to make the list. The other: 'Need You Tonight', also from their 1987 blockbuster album Kick, which came in at number 59. Although Triple J advised that the largest number of voters hailed from the 18–29-year-old age group, everyone took the task of truly surveying classic Aussie tracks seriously, with more than half of that demographic's picks going to songs released before they were even in high school. Nothing in the top ten initially hit airwaves before 2011. After 'Never Tear Us Apart', the Hottest 100 of Australian Songs featured Hilltop Hoods' 2003 release 'The Nosebleed Section' in second place, followed by The Veronicas' 2007 track 'Untouched' in third, then 'Scar' by Missy Higgins from 2004 in fourth and Crowded House's 1986 tune 'Don't Dream It's Over' by Crowded House in fifth. Next came 2000's 'My Happiness' by Powderfinger — the highest-ranked former annual Hottest 100 winner — then a Cold Chisel double with 1984's 'Flame Tree's and 1978's 'Khe Sanh', Paul Kelly 1996 Christmas favourite 'How to Make Gravy', and Gotye and Kimbra's 2011 smash 'Somebody That I Used to Know'. As well as 'My Happiness' and 'Somebody That I Used to Know', a heap of other prior yearly Hottest 100 victors made the all-Aussie ranking: Powderfinger again with 'These Days', Angus and Julia Stone courtesy of 'Big Jet Plane', Jet's 'Are You Gonna Be My Girl', Flume featuring Kai with 'Never Be Like You', Augie March's 'One Crowded Hour', Vance Joy with 'Riptide', Bernard Fanning's 'Wish You Well', Chet Faker's 'Talk Is Cheap', 'Confidence' by Ocean Alley and The Whitlams with 'No Aphrodisiac'. Tame Impala's 'The Less I Know the Better' also featured after winning the Hottest 100 of the 2010s. Indeed, only Spiderbait's 'Buy Me a Pony', Alex Lloyd's 'Amazing', The Rubens' 'Hoops', Flume's 'Say Nothing' and The Wiggles' cover of 'Elephant' didn't make the Hottest 100 of Australian songs after previously topping the yearly poll. A range of artists ranked up multiple appearances in the countdown, starting with Fanning with four — three courtesy of Powderfinger. Hilltop Hoods, Crowded House, Jimmy Barnes, AC/DC, Silverchair, Midnight Oil and Gang of Youths all picked up three, while not just INXS but also The Veronicas, Higgins, Cold Chisel, Kelly, Gotye, Angus & Julia Stone, Empire of the Sun, Hunters & Collectors, The Church, Icehouse, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Avalanches and Spiderbait nabbed two places apiece. Although no one needs a reason to celebrate Aussie music, Triple J has one: 2025 marks its 50th birthday. That fact tied into one big caveat with the poll, with voters needing to choose a track that was released before the station hit that milestone on Sunday, January 19, 2025. Stats-wise, the chosen 100 tunes came from 2,655,826 total votes, the fourth highest that have ever been received for a Triple J Hottest 100. Also, more tunes sprang from the 2000s than any other decade, while 24 artists on the list championed the benefits of Triple J Unearthed, because that's where they got their start. Daddy Cool's 'Eagle Rock' from 1971 is the oldest tune that made the cut, while 2021's 'Hertz' from Amyl and The Sniffers is the most recent. And yes, both 'You're the Voice' by John Farnham and 'The Horses' by Daryl Braithwaite earned a place. Here's the full Hottest 100 of Australian Songs list: 1 'Never Tear Us Apart', INXS 2 'The Nosebleed Section', Hilltop Hoods 3 'Untouched', The Veronicas 4 'Scar', Missy Higgins 5 'Don't Dream It's Over', Crowded House 6 'My Happiness', Powderfinger 7 'Flame Trees', Cold Chisel 8 'Khe Sanh', Cold Chisel 9 'How to Make Gravy', Paul Kelly 10 'Somebody That I Used to Know', Gotye featuring Kimbra 11 'Sweet Disposition', The Temper Trap 12 'Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again', The Angels 13 'Thunderstruck', AC/DC 14 'These Days', Powderfinger 15 'You're the Voice', John Farnham 16 'Innerbloom', Rüfüs Du Sol 17 'Tomorrow', Silverchair 18 'Beds Are Burning', Midnight Oil 19 'The Less I Know the Better', Tame Impala 20 'Big Jet Plane', Angus & Julia Stone 21 'Down Under', Men at Work 22 'To Her Door', Paul Kelly & the Messengers 23 'Are You Gonna Be My Girl', Jet 24 'Walking on a Dream', Empire of the Sun 25 'Throw Your Arms Around Me', Hunters & Collectors 26 'Never Be Like You', Flume featuring Kai 27 'Can't Get You Out of My Head', Kylie Minogue 28 'Straight Lines,' Silverchair 29 'Under the Milky Way', The Church 30 'The Horses', Daryl Braithwaite 31 'Highway to Hell', AC/DC 32 'Torn', Natalie Imbruglia 33 'One Crowded Hour', Augie March 34 'Booster Seat', Spacey Jane 35 'Great Southern Land', Icehouse 36 'Treaty (Radio Mix)', Yothu Yindi 37 'Back in Black', AC/DC 38 'Better Be Home Soon', Crowded House 39 'Reckless', Australian Crawl 40 'Covered in Chrome', Violent Soho 41 'Prisoner of Society', The Living End 42 'Magnolia', Gang of Youths 43 'Joker & the Thief', Wolfmother 44 'Into My Arms', Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds 45 'Eagle Rock', Daddy Cool 46 'Shooting Stars', Bag Raiders 47 'Solid Rock', Goanna 48 'Riptide', Vance Joy 49 'It's Nice to Be Alive', Ball Park Music 50 'Holy Grail', Hunters & Collectors 51 'Brother', Matt Corby 52 'The Special Two', Missy Higgins 53 'Better in Blak', Thelma Plum 54 'I Touch Myself,' Divinyls 55 'My People', The Presets 56 'Working Class Man', Jimmy Barnes 57 'Wish You Well', Bernard Fanning 58 'Frontier Psychiatrist', The Avalanches 59 'Need You Tonight', INXS 60 'Let Me Down Easy', Gang of Youths 61 'Talk Is Cheap', Chet Faker 62 'Australia Street', Sticky Fingers 63 'I Was Only 19 (A Walk in the Light Green)', Redgum 64 'Cosby Sweater', Hilltop Hoods 65 'Confidence', Ocean Alley 66 'Power and the Passion', Midnight Oil 67 '! (The Song Formerly Known As)', Regurgitator 68 'Chemical Heart', Grinspoon 69 'Weather with You', Crowded House 70 '(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind', Powderfinger 71 'Jimmy Recard', Drapht 72 'Freak', Silverchair 73 '1955', Hilltop Hoods featuring Montaigne and Tom Thum 74 'London Still', The Waifs 75 'The Unguarded Moment', The Church 76 '4ever', The Veronicas 77 'Weir', Killing Heidi 78 'Black Fingernails, Red Wine', Eskimo Joe 79 'Hello', The Cat Empire 80 'We Are the People', Empire of the Sun 81 'Berlin Chair', You Am I 82 'High', Peking Duk featuring Nicole Millar 83 'Cigarettes Will Kill You', Ben Lee 84 'Streets of Your Town', The Go-Betweens 85 'Delete', DMA's 86 'Hearts a Mess', Gotye 87 'The Deepest Sighs, the Frankest Shadows', Gang of Youths 88 'Chateau', Angus & Julia Stone 89 'Hertz', Amyl and the Sniffers 90 'Black Betty', Spiderbait 91 'No Aphrodisiac', The Whitlams 92 'Electric Blue', Icehouse 93 'Since I Left You', The Avalanches 94 'Clair de Lune', Flight Facilities featuring Christine Hoberg 95 'Calypso', Spiderbait 96 'Evie', Stevie Wright 97 'I Want You', Savage Garden 98 'Red Right Hand', Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds 99 'Blue Sky Mine', Midnight Oil 100 'Better', The Screaming Jets Triple J's Hottest 100 of Australian Songs was unveiled on Saturday, July 26, 2025. For more information, head to the Triple J website. Top image: Fryderyk Gabowicz/picture alliance via Getty Images.
New Years Eve is the most over-hyped holiday of the year – I think people expect too much of the typical clichés that come with this fated holiday and wind up disappointed when it’s not all cute and romantic like the end of When Harry Met Sally. Basically, what I’m trying to say is that we should all stop getting upset when those clichés don’t play out like everyone says they should and just get loose and have fun because no one has to go to work the next day. If you’re going to be in Brisbane in the waning hours of 2011 then to fulfill your requirements of getting loose/having fun you’ll need to be at the Powerhouse for No Years. Returning for its second consecutive year, the festival’s first announce boasted Dum Dum Girls, Jonti and Ball Park Music. The guys at No Years have just dropped the second lineup, which sees Last Dinosaurs, Nina Las Vegas, The Jungle Giants and Charlie Mayfair being added to the bill, with plenty more to be announced soon. Early bird tickets on sale now through the Powerhouse website for $69 +BF. Head to the No Years website for more information on the event.
Following months (and months) of lockdown, the Immigration Museum is finally able to exhibit the work of South Sudanese-born, Melbourne-based artist Atong Atem. Running through January 31, 2021, Atong Atem: To be real showcases the photographer's work as part of the Photo 2021 International Festival of Photography. Revealing a new series of large-scale photographic works, Atem captures moments that verge on the surreal and hyper-real. The artist uses bright tones and textural outfits to explore themes of mythology and fantasy — as well as examine her own identity and sense of belonging in contemporary Australian life. While entry is free, booking ahead is a must. Head here to grab your ticket. Top image: Bigoa with Fan (2020) by Atong Atem
If you're a fan of Nutella, then you likely live by one rule: when it comes to the chocolate-hazelnut spread, you can never have enough. Of course, just how you interpret that idea is up to you. Maybe you slather your bread with it every morning for breakfast. Perhaps you always opt for whichever Nutella dessert is on any given menu. Or, you could head up the highway for a dedicated Nutella Festival. The Sunshine Coast's Nightquarter is throwing the latter from 4–10pm on Saturday, July 10. We recommend arriving hungry. Entry costs $5, and you'll need to pay for whatever Nutella creations you'd like to eat or drink — but this fest is rather devoted to combining its favourite ingredient with, well, everything. The food menu hasn't been announced, but last time Nightquarter hosted this kind of event back in its old Gold Coast digs, there were Nutella doughnuts, gelato, ice cream cookie sandwiches, churros, mousse and fudge — plys Nutella pizza, toasties, calzone and sliders, and Nutella milkshakes, shots and cocktails. Basically, if you're wondering what could possibly be on offer, just think of a dish and imagine adding Nutella to it.
Whether you're suffering from full-blown insomnia or just have trouble winding down after a big day, everyone knows the feeling of lying in bed, praying for sleep but failing to drop off. If counting sheep isn't working — or any number of other snooze-inducing tips, because there are plenty — then perhaps you need to listen to a list of Swedish furniture names. While a hefty walk around any IKEA store usually helps make anyone sleepy (and the crowds, decisions and meatballs too), the huge retailer thinks that the sounds of its product titles will really do the trick. Enter the IKEA Sleep Podcast. It simply features two company employees rattling off words such as sommaraster (a quilt cover), leirvik (a bed frame) and hidrasund (a spring mattress), plus everything else in the Australian catalogue's current bedroom and storage range. Two versions are available, so you can choose between hearing Sara Eriksson utter product monikers — and their English descriptions — or opt for her husband Kent Eriksson. Each under 30-minute podcast also offers a brief introductory explanation about the philosophy behind IKEA's furniture names, should you be wondering why a fyresdal (day bed) or pax (wardrobe) have the titles they have. The podcast's release is timed to coincide with the end of daylight savings in many Australian states, as well as across New Zealand — aka a time when our usual rest patterns are disrupted. Whether you'll dream about letting loose in an IKEA store, walking around a huge warehouse or kitting out your bedroom with new sheets and curtains — and whether you'll wake up with a burning desire to buy new furniture — well, that's something you'll only discover by listening. To listen to the IKEA Sleep Podcast, visit the IKEA website.
Brotherly musician duo and Australian indie legends Lime Cordiale have announced a new initiative that merges music with their passion for environmental conservation and climate action: Lime Green Festival. This new festival, which is headed to Adelaide's Point Malcom Reserve on Saturday, April 18, prioritises not only positive energy in music but also a positive impact on the environment. Organised in partnership with Chugg Music, Lime Green Festival is an experiment in live music, trialling a new model of music festival that doesn't just tick the box for environmental concerns, but puts climate action at the centre of the entire event. The festival will be 100% off the grid, delivering a quality day of live music and providing a community platform for audiences to engage and learn about the sustainable possibilities of live events in the years to come. [caption id="attachment_1065642" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] PASH[/caption] Joining Lime Cordiale on the lineup are Sunshine Coast-native folk rockers The Dreggs, Adelaide's own chart-topping pop star aleksiah and up-and-coming four-piece pop rockers PASH. Lime Cordiale have also put the word out seeking local talent, with spots on the lineup reserved for artists chosen by the duo themselves, triple j Unearthed and event sponsor City of Charles Sturt. Lime Cordiale, real names Oli and Louis Leimbach, said, "From the accelerating loss of polar ice to the devastating algal blooms currently choking the South Australian coast, it is impossible to ignore that our climate is at a breaking point. For the last five years, we've wrestled with a deep, personal dilemma as environmentalists: Is our touring contributing to the problem? Does it still make sense in a world that's hurting? Should we continue to tour at all?" "We've decided that the answer isn't to stop, but to change," the brothers add. "Live music is about the vital connection between people, and we believe that connection is exactly what we need to fuel a new way of doing things. Our aim is to stage the greenest music festival Australia has ever seen—rethinking everything from renewable stage power and transport to how we handle food and human waste." The brothers hope this new model of festivals can find success first in regional SA, then the rest of the country, encouraging Aussie music fans to attend the festival and take part in the experiment for a better future of gigs, saying "We aren't claiming to be perfect; we will make mistakes along the way, but we are trying. We're inviting you to be part of this experiment. Come and hear some incredible Aussie music, but also come to see what a different future looks like. Let's find out what we can achieve, together." Lime Green Festival will take over Adelaide's Point Malcom Reserve on Saturday, April 18. Tickets will go on sale at 9am (AEDT) on Friday, January 23rd. A presale will run from 9am (AEDT) on Wednesday, January 21st – sign up here.
In a year when so many opportunities to experience new things have been taken away, we've got fresh appetite for getting out and about in Queensland. And that zest for adventure likely extends to those on your Christmas shopping list, too — especially for those who stocked up on nice things during the long days in lockdown, bored of what surrounds them at home. To help you forgo run-of-the-mill gifts this year, we've partnered with Square, to bring you six next-level experiences from independent Queensland-based companies. There are day trips, sailing lessons, private skateboarding tutorials and the chance to hug an alpaca. All considerably more exciting than another box of chocolates. If you are a small business owner, Square has the tools you need to take payments and maximise your sales, including an ebook with tips to help you get started this holiday season. [caption id="attachment_793330" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] ALPACA EXPERIENCE, MOUNTVIEW FARM ($38) If you've got an animal lover on your list, this alpaca farm is located on a vineyard could tick multiple boxes. For the same cost as an upmarket cocktail, you can walk around the vines with your cute new mate on a lead, giving them a squeeze and feeding them from a bag of alpaca treats along the way. You can choose from the 15-minute Meet an Alpaca experience for $23, or drop $38 to spend twice as long with your fluffy new friend. You can also bolt on extras, like picnic hampers, pizzas and plush toys to take home. Or, opt for a gift card (starting from $25), to spend at a later date. [caption id="attachment_793329" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] COTTAGE FARMSTAY, TOMMERUP'S DAIRY FARM ($350) Buying for someone special? Book in for a farmstead stay in the Scenic Rim region and forget all about the challenges 2020 has thrown our way. Tommerup's Dairy Farm is a sixth-generation working farm located in the Lost World Valley with two picturesque properties available to hire on weekends (as it's a working farm during the week). The Cottage starts from $350 per night for two adults and two kids and it includes an 1880s four-poster bed, a barbecue and deck overlooking the farm as well as modern conveniences like a TV and dishwasher. You can also take up the opportunity to feed cows, collect eggs and go fishing on the property, all included in the cost. [caption id="attachment_793334" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] TWO-HOUR SAILING EXPERIENCE, LEARN 2 SAIL ($195) It's been the year of new hobbies, but most have been keeping us indoors and isolated. If you have an adventurer on your gift list, consider buying them an experience that'll give them new skills and get them out on the open water. Operating from Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast, Learn 2 Sail offers two-hour sailing experiences from $195 per person, which gives each wannabe sailor the opportunity to trim the sails, helm the keelboat and (hopefully) spot a dolphin or two as they cruise around. You can book for solo experiences, for two ($390) or for four people ($780). GREAT KEPPEL ISLAND DAY TOUR, KEPPEL EXPLORER ($150) Now, with Great Keppel Island being at least a day's drive from Brisbane, we know this experience isn't going to cost just $150; there's accommodation, the drive up and more to consider. However, if you're already planning a trip north and looking for experiences to surprise a loved one with, this day trip with Keppel Explorers could be the solution. In a five-hour, scenic boat tour, you can explore Great Keppel Island and all its wonders, including stops for snorkelling, picnics, visiting sea caves and volcanic rock formations, as well as seeing 20 beaches across five islands. And, if that sounds like something you'd love to do but can't commit to right now, you can also buy a gift card which is valid for 12 months from purchase. JET BOAT THRILL RIDE, GC JET BOATING ($65) When you're stuck for ideas for a gift, look for something that screams 'fun'. This one-hour V8 Jet Boat Thrill Ride hits speeds of 75 kilometres per hour, spinning at high speed and soaking everyone onboard. Each ride around Gold Coast's Broadwater costs $65 per adult and it includes brief stops around South Stradbroke Island, Wave Break Island, Southport Seaway and the Sovereign Islands, so you can take a stickybeak at the multimillion-dollar mansions. You can either book in for a future trip, or buy a gift voucher that's valid for 12 months from purchase. SKATEBOARDING LESSONS, CHIGGY'S SKATEBOARDING ($75) Named for the founder who has been perfecting kickflips since 1999, Chiggy's Skateboarding has been a magnet for grinders in the Coolum Beach area for years. Chiggy's team runs sessions for skaters of all ages and abilities, and you can book into its Indoor Skate Park classes online. When buying a gift, the one-hour private skating lessons are good value. For $75, you can pick your coach and lessons are tailored to the skater's abilities. Find out how Square is supporting small businesses with the tools they need to grow, here. If you are a small business owner, Square has guidance on how best to maximise sales in the run up to the Christmas holiday period in its ebook, found here. Top image: Keppel Explorer.
Hiking through forests and swimming around coral reefs can be great fun, but some of the best adventure holidays include those with close and personal wildlife experiences — and that doesn't mean just looking at birds in trees or visiting a zoo. This kind of epic getaway will have you witnessing exotic animals in their natural habitat, getting as close as you can without causing them any harm. To help you get on one of these trips, we teamed up with a bunch of local and international tour providers who curate experiences for animal lovers especially. Read on to find your fave and book your spot through Concrete Playground Trips. A HUMPBACK WHALE ADVENTURE This is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of travel experience. Adventure lovers will spend seven nights in Tonga, diving around the island almost every day. Each day, you'll follow the lead of Jono Allen — the ocean photographer, environmental scientist, marine megafauna guide and filmmaker — as he takes you to a series of different dive spots. Every year, thousands of magnificent humpback whales migrate from the freezing feeding grounds of Antarctica to Tonga's warm, azure paradise to mate and give birth. You're not totally guaranteed to see these majestic sea creatures, but this place'll be your best bet. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_899178" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Red Charlie (Unsplash)[/caption] FIVE-NIGHT LUXURY SERENGETI SAFARI This Tanzanian trek takes animal lovers to some of the country's most famous safari destinations, including Rift Valley and the Ngorongoro Crater. You'll traverse savannah grasslands in a 4WD car with only a couple of other tourists. Here, you've got an ideal vantage point for spotting zebras, leopards, giraffes and all other kinds of native wildlife. You'll also stay in incredibly glam accommodation along the way. Specifically, the Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti, Arusha Coffee Lodge and Grand Melia. It's guaranteed that you'll safari in total style on this Serengeti tour. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_893317" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Colin Meg (Unsplash)[/caption] 10-DAY BORNEO WILDLIFE EXPEDITION Borneo is a bucket list travel destination for so many nature lovers. People flock to this part of the world for its wild rainforests, rugged coastline and traditional villages full of friendly locals. Fantastically, this 10-day tour takes you to all of Borneo's best bits, including an orangutan sanctuary where you can get up close with the intelligent creatures. You'll also cruise along the Kinabatangan River, chill out on the stunning Manukan Island and get a taste of city life in Kota Kinabalu — spending your nights in luxe resorts, hotels and lodges. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_895302" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Western Australia[/caption] SWIM WITH WHALE SHARKS ON THIS NINGALOO REEF GETAWAY Swimming with the whale sharks on Ningaloo Reef should be at the top of everyone's travel hit-list when visiting Western Australia's Coral Coast. Exmouth is the gateway to the world's largest fringing reef — the iconic Ningaloo Reef — and that's exactly where you're headed on this exclusive three-day adventure. You'll enjoy a full day here, diving headfirst into the pristine aquatic wonderland that's home to dolphins, manta rays, turtles, humpback whales and, of course, the much-loved gentle giants: whale sharks. Spend the rest of your days at your own leisure. Our hot tips? Hitting up the iconic Cape Range National Park, home to native wildlife and epic walking trails. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_899180" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Juli Kosolapova (Unsplash)[/caption] CROSS THE SOUTH GOBI DESERT BY CAMEL This isn't the usual two-hour camel tour you'll find Down Under — it is altogether more epic. You'll spend 11 days trekking around the largest desert in Asia, all from atop your humped steed. Wake up, jump aboard and explore Mongolia's Gobi Desert with local guides. This part of the locale is rich in mineral resources, diverse flora and fauna, thousands of unrevealed dinosaur fossils and rare paleo findings, as well as stacks of historical and archaeological sites. And seeing them via camel just makes your trip that much more unique and fun-filled. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_899177" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jorge Tung (Unsplash)[/caption] LUXURY SAFARI AROUND KENYA This seven-day tour takes adventure travellers to some of the greatest national parks and conservation reserves in Kenya. You'll see lions, elephants and rhinos in their habitats as they thrive in protected areas — a true must-do experience. Each night will be spent in a different luxury lodge located close to the wildebeest migration routes — meaning guests will likely get the chance to see these astonishing wild animals close-up (say, while having brekkie or swimming in their private plunge pool). If an African safari is on the cards this year, consider this exclusive offering from Concrete Playground Trips. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_899195" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nick Dunn (Unsplash)[/caption] SMALL GROUP FULL-DAY TOUR OF KANGAROO ISLAND Kangaroo Island is one of the top places to visit in Australia — and this tour will let travellers see some of its cutest and most rare wildlife. Start the morning with a cuppa and some homemade treats with fellow travellers before walking along koala-filled paths by the beach. After you're fuelled, you'll be taken to a series of natural sites that'll have you right up close to wallabies and sea lions. Watch pups nursing or playing in the surf, see old bulls bearing the scars of territorial disputes and learn about their unique breeding biology. The trip even includes lunch at a private bush camp, where you'll dine on locally caught fish and drink plenty of South Australian wine. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_899184" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 2H Media (Unsplash)[/caption] EXCLUSIVE GORILLA TOUR OF UGANDA Live your Gorillas in the Mist fantasy (sans scary poachers) on this seven-day primate tour in Uganda. You'll trek around the rainforests keeping your eyes peeled for all kinds of primates — think chimpanzees, monkeys and the almighty gorilla — and even jump aboard a river boat for a day. Throughout the animal-filled getaway, travellers will stay in Rushaga Gorilla Camp, Simba Safari Camp and the Isunga Lodge — each surrounded by nature and wildlife. It's one of the greatest ways to explore this part of the world. BOOK IT NOW. Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips in destinations all over the world. Top image: Hu Chen (Unsplash).
Triple J's Hottest 100 is back for another year, counting down the best songs of 2025 as voted by listeners around the country. The nation's biggest music event kicks off from 12pm on Saturday, January 24, 2026, and while you could tune in from home, it's far better with a cold drink in hand and a crowd singing along beside you. Across Australia, venues are turning up the volume and opening their doors for Hottest 100 listening parties, complete with drink specials, live sets and all-day kick-ons once the number one song drops. From inner-city pubs and coastal beer gardens to small-batch breweries and rooftop bars, here's where to celebrate the countdown in style this weekend. NSW: Akasha Brewing Company – Five Dock The Lord Gladstone – Chippendale 4 Pines Truckbar – Brookvale Resin Brewing – Bulli Darlo Bar – Darlinghurst East Village Hotel – Darlinghurst Taphouse Sydney – Darlinghurst The Strand Hotel – Darlinghurst The Golden Barley Hotel – Enmore Bombies – Freshwater The Governor – Macquarie Park Sauce Brewing Co – Marrickville The Courthouse Hotel – Newtown The Marlborough Hotel — Newtown The Old Commodore Hotel — McMahons Point Drink West – Penrith Public House – Petersham Salisbury Hotel – Stanmore General Gordon Hotel – Sydenham The Australian Heritage Hotel – The Rocks La La La's – Wollongong The Illawarra – Wollongong VIC: The Wine List – Euroa The Catfish – Fitzroy Top Yard — Melbourne CBD Holmes Hall — Moonee Ponds Welcome to Thornbury — Northcote Esplanade Hotel — St Kilda Westside Ale Works — South Melbourne QLD: Ric's Bar — Fortitude Valley WA: Rocky Ridge Brewing Co — Busselton Inglewood Hotel – Mt Lawley Rosemount Hotel – North Perth ACT: Assembly The People's Pub – Braddon Capital Brewing Co – Fyshwick NT: One Mile Brewery – Winnellie Don't see a listening party near you? Head to the website for the full list.
Today, one month after the unmitigated frenzy that was the iPhone 6, Apple have unveiled their latest tech offerings to the world. Without quite as much fanfare, they've gifted us with the new iMac, iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3. Unlike the latest iPhone, there isn't a huge list of new features to jump up and down about. But there is this one thing — the screens of both the iPad Air and iMac are thinner than a freakin' pencil. Gone are the days of the bulky and obnoxiously colourful iMacs that we knew and loved from the mid-2000s. The screen on the latest iMac measures in at a mere 5mm and the iPad Air isn't much larger on 6.1mm. This is a size reduction of around 18 per cent from the last models (which was 20 per cent thinner than the ones before that). We know live in a time when technology has beaten the cliche of being "pencil thin". Aside from putting everything on a serious diet, Apple has given the new iPads faster processors and better cameras. The iPad Air now has all the latest updates we've seen in the iPhone 6 including an 8 megapixel camera. It will also have less glare with a new coating reportedly reducing reflections by 56 per cent, and the same TouchID fingerprint sensor that enables you to use the nifty (and only slightly scary) Apple Pay. Speaking of things which sound somewhat daunting, Apple has given the latest iMacs "5K retina display". While it sounds a lot like something to do with 5,000 lasers shooting into your eyeballs, it actually just means a really, really good image quality. Over 14 million pixels will now be shimmering around your desktop's 27-inch screen finally giving crystal-clear definition to all your Youtube cat videos. All in all, there's nothing to be too excited about unless you've been trying to jam your iPad into inconceivably small cases all year. People just love to kick up a fuss about Apple because they makes us feel like we're living in the future. If tiny, tiny technologies are really your thing, you can pre-oder these new gadgets from tomorrow. The new iPad Air will cost you between $619-1,019 depending on how tricked out you want it to be; the iPad Mini will be $499-899; and the iMac will fluctuate wildly between $2,999-5,279. Just wait and see how expensive it is once they perfect a design the same thickness as a piece of paper. And no, in case you wanted to keep your new iPad in your pocket, Apple aren't afraid of them bending. Via Wired and SMH.
Put on your thinking cap and start sleuthing through all of the internet. Converse are hosting a series of amazing A-list gigs in Melbourne, Sydney and New Zealand, and they're hiding tickets where you'll least expect them. So far we know that The Vines — who are all about the freebies lately — and Bloods are playing a free show somewhere in Melbourne on Wednesday, October 22; Remi and Collarbones are hitting up Sydney the following night; and a fresh lineup is heading over to New Zealand soon after. Oh, and we have your first clue. Converse sneakily posted an ad on Seek this morning for a casual "fist pumper". "This temporary, one night only, position is open for a front row fist pumper at a free gig," the ad read. "The successful applicant will show a willingness to party in the front row of the mosh pit ... [They also must] appreciate the epic sounds of bands, The Vines and Bloods". In case you haven't worked it out already, this is your ticket. If you're from Melbourne and maintain any of the above characteristics, we highly recommend applying for this job. They're currently taking "applications" for the position at hey@converse.com.au, but maybe trade in a full cover letter for a few photos of you in the mosh. This is possibly the only time making a resume link to your Facebook photos is a good thing. If you're hanging out for news about Sydney and New Zealand, we can't help you quite yet. When the campaign was launched last month in Europe and the UK there was a big focus placed on spontaneity, so you'll have to be pretty alert. Make your plans soft and let your friends think you're flaky; it'll be worth dropping everything when you're front and centre of a free show rubbing it in their faces.
When Dark Mofo announced its 2023 lineup, it promised a sleepover. The Tasmanian festival also promised everything from a Twin Peaks-inspired ball to Soda Jerk's latest film; however, slumbering at the gleefully weird, wild and wonderful winter event was always going to stand out. Usually, Dark Mofo attendees are doing anything but catching 40 winks, instead staying up all night and making the most of the jam-packed program — not popping on their pyjamas and bunking down for the evening. The sleepover comes courtesy of Max Richter's SLEEP, which returns to Australia for a new eight-and-a-half-hour overnight stint. The session kicks off on Wednesday, June 14, greets the day on Thursday, June 15 and, unsurprisingly, is already sold out. Fancy playing along — well, kipping along — at home in your own bed? Dark Mofo is now making that happening with a live broadcast of the entire Australian-exclusive performance. [caption id="attachment_659938" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mark Allan[/caption] If you're new to Richter's and to SLEEP, attendees get some shuteye while Richter's compositions play. The former usually happens on beds at venues around the world, and the latter is based on the neuroscience of nodding off. In the past, Richter's SLEEP performances have been held at the Sydney Opera House, Philharmonie de Paris and Grand Park in Los Angeles, as well as at New York City's Spring Studios, London's Barbican and Amsterdam's Concertgebouw. There's even a documentary about it that'll instantly get you excited if you aren't already. [caption id="attachment_659957" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rahi Rezvani[/caption] Lucky Dark Mofo ticketholders will be dozing at MAC2, but everyone else can join in and get the SLEEP experience by tuning into Edge Radio for the night. The live broadcast will start at 11.59pm on Wednesday, June 14, running until 8am on Thursday, June 15, so don't go planning an early start at work that morning. What makes SLEEP so unique? It isn't just a case of Richter and the American Contemporary Music Ensemble performing all night in different spots around the globe. The piece is informed by the neuroscience of sleep and takes its moniker seriously. Accordingly, it features slow-paced movements to help listeners tune out everything but the music as they slip into slumber — and to slow down their own pace in general. Yes, it's basically a lullaby — and it's enchanting. Here's a glimpse of SLEEP from its stint at the Sydney Opera House in 2016: Max Richter's SLEEP will broadcast live from Dark Mofo 2023 from 11.59pm on Wednesday, June 14–8am on Thursday, June 15 via Edge Radio. Dark Mofo 2023 runs from Thursday, June 8–Thursday, June 22 in Hobart, Tasmania. For more information, head to the festival's website. You can also check out our wholesome-to-hedonistic guide, which'll help you stack your Dark Mofo itinerary based on the level of chaos you're after — and our Dark Mofo picks for last-minute planners. Top image: Max Richter - SLEEP im Kraftwerk Berlin am 15.03.2016. Foto: Stefan Hoederath.
The future is here and all our problems are solved. Or, more accurately, one specific problem that bugs us a bit. Three engineering students from the US have created a device that harnesses energy from your everyday activities to charge your phone on the go. No more crouching next to power points or annoyingly asking bartenders to pop your phone behind the bar. With this, you can genuinely re-charge your battery by dancing. This kind of technology has been around for a while now, but never in such a convenient form. Fitting in the palm of your hand, Ampy is a little power pack that can easily be strapped to your arm or popped in your pocket. Each of your movements are then used to power the lithium ion battery inside and that in turn is used to charge your phone when hooked up via a USB cord. Though you don't need to use the energy right away, a 30-minute run supposedly keeps your phone on for three hours. Understandably, people are already crazy excited for this thing. A Kickstarter campaign was launched to get production underway, and it reached its $100,000 target within three days. By the end of the 30 day funding period, it will have basically taken over the world. Of course, there are a number of reasons why this thing is great. Yes, it offers convenient power for when you're out and about, but it also encourages you to get off your butt and move. Prompting you to take the stairs instead of the elevator or ride your bike into the city, this tricky device may be the best health initiative we've ever seen. It also has the added benefit of using 100 per cent renewable energy. Forget coal mining and big electricity bills; pop on some Beyonce and dance yourself into some power. Either that, or cheat and clip it to your dog. Ampy won't be available in stores until June 2015, but you can grab yourself a discounted product from the first shipment by backing their Kickstarter now. A US$75 pledge (plus $15 delivery fee) will get you the device itself, or you can grab a full accessory pack as well for US$95. Via Buzzfeed and Forbes.
On the long list of streaming services on offer to Australian viewers, DocPlay has carved out a pivotal niche: showcasing the best factual filmmaking both locally and globally. It's where you can watch 2025 Oscar-winner No Other Land — and 2024 and 2023's equivalents, 20 Days in Mariupol and Navalny — then catch the remastered version of Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense, plus not one but two recent films about Blur. It's also where you can enjoy a range of docos about Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander culture without paying a cent during NAIDOC Week 2025. Between Sunday, July 6–Sunday, July 13, DocPlay is making 11 films available to stream to everyone, no subscription required, to mark Australia's annual week to celebrate First Nations history, culture and achievements. Some of the documentaries in the platform's free collection step into the world of sport. Others contemplate art, battles to protect Country and the education system. Canberra's Aboriginal Tent Embassy and efforts to gather support for the Australian Indigenous Voice referendum are also covered. The Adam Goodes-focused The Australian Dream is one title that audiences will be able to watch for free — and, as it examines the hurtful treatment directed the former AFL player's way at the height of the champion's career, it makes for powerful and essential viewing. Still in the realm of Aussie Rules, Like My Brother charts the efforts of young women from the Tiwi Islands as they attempt to chase their dreams in the AFLW. In You Can Go Now, Richard Bell is in the spotlight, exploring both his art and his activism. With their jumps back to 1972, Ningla-A'na and Still We Rise each also follow the latter thread. Voice heads to Cairns in the lead up to 2023's referendum, while Incarceration Nation examines the impact of the judicial and prison system upon Indigenous Australians. With The Dark Emu Story, Bruce Pascoe's book of the same name is in the spotlight. Via In My Blood It Runs, so is First Nations childhood in Australia via a ten-year-old boy's experiences. And in Connection to Country, the fight to protect sacred sites in the Burrup Peninsula is front and centre. Rounding out the collection is Winhanganha, which was commissioned by the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, and sees Wiradjuri artist Jazz Money examine archives through a First Nations lens. Check out the trailers for the films in DocPlay's 2025 NAIDOC Week collection above and below: DocPlay's NAIDOC Week 2025 collection streams for free — no subscription required — from Sunday, July 6–Sunday, July 13. Head to the streaming service's website to watch.
Get ready to meet Mr Grumbles, a rufus betton; Rocky, a tree kangaroo; Yolo, Zaney, Harvey and Swarf, all Tasmanian devils; bare-nosed wombats Bell and Bruce; and Clementine, Patricia, Kandy and Keisha the koalas. They're all residents at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, one of Brisbane's long-standing tourist attractions — and they're making the venue's new nocturnal precinct their home. Joining them are potoroos, pademelons, bandicoots, bettongs, southern hairy-nosed wombats and echidnas, giving visitors to the Fig Tree Pocket animal haven an array of cute critters to peer at by night. Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary's latest addition was announced in October and opened to start November, so both Brissie locals and tourists alike have a new reason to drop by. Plenty of folks have explored the venue over the years, but not like this until now. Based around a one-kilometre stroll called The Wild Walk, which meanders through a eucalypt planation, the new nocturnal precinct heroes Australia's nocturnal wildlife and offer night-time experiences. It features seven exhibit spaces filled with ten species — half of which are new to the site especially for its latest expansion. "There's a whole world of activity that happens after dark that we aren't privileged to, but Nocturnal gives people that experience, with a tour guide, in a non-invasive way to celebrate Australis's animal superstars and educate people about the importance of sustaining their ecosystems," explains Frank Mikula, Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary Curator. "It's an Australian native animal treasure hunt, with the prize being able to see these amazing creatures up close and personal." Nestled into a leafy pocket of the River City's western suburbs, Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary already boasts the honour of being the world's first and largest koala sanctuary. It's a great place to cuddle a koala — including on Christmas Day if you're looking to for something other than the usual festive celebrations. See animals after dark is its latest attraction, with patrons able to get peering using portable thermal imaging cameras. The experience is designed around not disrupting the critters — so, no glaring beams are shone their way. Instead, you'll walk across the new elevated boardwalk, which has been custom-designed for the site. You'll also look through cameras that pick up heat signatures, and are around the size of a mobile phone. And, when an animal has been found, a non-intrusive red torch light will help you get a better glimpse. If you're keen, you can sign up for a tour that runs for 90 minutes three times a week, on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Each group will welcome 20 visitors, and spans feeding opportunities and looking at burrow cams as well. Part of a $3.2-million project, the new additions further expand a venue where getting up close and personal with wildlife — not just by cuddling a koala, but also by holding an owl, touching snakes, and watching everything from kangaroos, wombats and echidnas to birds of prey, turtles and even Tasmanian devils — has been on offer for 97 years. Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary's nocturnal precinct is now open at 708 Jesmond Road, Fig Tree Pocket, Brisbane. Head to the venue's website for more information and bookings.
When Roxane Gay released Opinions: A Decade of Arguments, Criticism, and Minding Other People's Business in 2023, the American author and academic gave readers a tome that stepped through ten years of her non-fiction efforts. With that milestone in mind, it feels apt that Gay's 2024 trip to Australia will also mark a decade since 2014's Bad Feminist first had everyone reading the commentator's books. Expect both texts to earn more than a small mention in Sydney and Melbourne come August. Gay will make just two stops Down Under this winter, both at festivals: at Sydney's Festival of Dangerous Ideas and Melbourne's Now or Never. The Harbour City will welcome Gay first — she's the first speaker announced for FODI 2024, in fact, ahead of the event's full program being released on Tuesday, June 25 — before the Victorian capital beckons. "Roxane Gay is one of the world's most-brilliant social commentators. Ten years on since her book Bad Feminist caught the world's attention, she is still unafraid to call out privilege, hypocrisy, and entrenched social injustice. But today, speaking up can come at a huge cost. I can't think of anyone else more credentialed than Roxane to talk to FODI audiences about the importance of rocking the boat and facing criticism head on," said FODI Director Danielle Harvey, announcing the news. Gay will appear as a keynote speaker, discussing the topic of being a dissenter in the age of tribal warfare, at the 12th Festival of Dangerous Ideas. The event was established in 2009 to discuss difficult issues, push boundaries and inspire debate, putting both its initial guest and her topic right in its usual remit. 2024's FODI runs from Saturday, August 24–Sunday, August 25 at Carriageworks, focusing on the theme 'sanctuary'. As well as getting Gay chatting about her work live and in person, the fest will enlist the New York Times-bestselling author on panels, too. In Melbourne, the writer that's also behind Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body and Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture — and also Ayiti, An Untamed State, Difficult Women and The Banks in fiction — will get talking about having complicated views in complicated times with Jan Fran at Melbourne Town Hall on Tuesday, August 27, in a session also presented by The Wheeler Centre. "The Wheeler Centre is thrilled to present Roxane Gay in Melbourne and celebrate this incredible compilation of her work. Roxane communicates complex ideas with honesty and power, and this is a rare opportunity to hear her in conversation," said The Wheeler Centre CEO Erin Vincent. Roxane Gay will appear at Carriageworks in Sydney as part of the Festival of Dangerous Ideas from Saturday, August 24–Sunday, August 25 — and at Melbourne Town Hall on Tuesday, August 27 presented by The Wheeler Centre and Now or Never. Presale tickets for the Festival of Dangerous Ideas go on sale on Tuesday, June 25, with general sales from Wednesday, June 26. Tickets for The Wheeler Centre are on sale now. Top image: Reginald Cunningham.
Yarra Valley wine country is set to score a bold new addition, with Levantine Hill Estate unveiling plans for a $20-million onsite hotel designed by acclaimed architecture firm — and Mona designers — Fender Katsalidis. Having just scored council approval, the award-winning winery's 33-room boutique accommodation is slated for completion in early 2024. Conceptualised to blend seamlessly into the surrounding landscape, the new hotel will be set across two levels, decked out in natural materials and raw finishes to complement the property's existing spaces. That includes the cellar door, restaurant and winemaking facilities, which are also the work of Fender Katsalidis founder Karl Fender. Guest rooms are set to feature sprawling spa baths and fully stocked wine fridges, with the 2900-square-metre hotel boasting sheltered openair hallways, a lush collection of foliage and a solar farm atop the roof. Expect lots of polished concrete, rich leather and untreated silvertop ash used throughout. Catering to the wedding crowd, there'll also be a sumptuous bridal suite complete with its own cellar, bar and dressing room. And if you fancy arriving in style, the hotel will be located just a quick stroll from the estate's helicopter landing area. The luxe accommodation isn't the only grand thing in the works for Levantine Hill, either, with plans for an additional 47-room hotel currently being finalised. That project will also be brought to life by Fender Katsalidis. Levantine Hill's accommodation plans come six months after Cedar Mill Group announced it's set to open an outdoor concert venue and 300-room hotel, also on the Maroondah Highway, at some point in 2024. Levantine Hill Estate's new hotel is set to open in early 2024, at 882 Maroondah Hwy, Coldstream, Victoria. Images: Fender Katsalidis Architects.
Pastels and poop. Step inside Unko Museum: The Kawaii Poop Experience and that's what awaits. The colour scheme is soft and soothing, but the point of focus is literal crap (well, fake versions). If you've ever called something "cute shit" before, those words have never applied quite as they will here. This Japanese-style installation takes its cues from not only Japan's kawaii poop trend, but from the Unko Museum's sites across the nation, including in Tokyo, Hiroshima and Shizuoka. Now, Unko Museum is making its Australian debut in Melbourne — originally slated to open in December 2023, but now adding some adorable crap to summer from Wednesday, January 17, 2024. The focus: "max unko kawaii", aka "the maximum cuteness of poop". Also one of the mains attractions: getting everyone taking snaps and filling their social-media feeds, so expect a heap of pastel emoji-esque shit to fill Instagram. Unko Museum: The Kawaii Poop Experience is split into zones and areas, spanning displays to take pictures of and other inclusions that are more immersive. Think: images of poop projected around the place, snapping selfies with poop props and flying poop, and retro-style games with a poop theme in a space called the Crappy Game Corner. Pastel-hued toilets are also a feature, lined up along a wall under a sign calling them "my unko maker". So are neon poop signs, giant poops, a ball pit where the balls are shaped like poops, poop hats, walls filled with toilet seats, glowing poop lights and a towering toilet-shaped doorway. Plus, exiting through the gift shop here means picking up kawaii poop merchandise and souvenirs. In Japan, as at October 2023, 1.4-million people had flushed the interactive experience into their itineraries. In Australia, Melburnians and tourists who now want to add some poo to their next Victorian visit can expect to spend 30–60 minutes revelling in endearing crap, in a family-friendly experience — because poop is for everyone.
Do you live in a dog-friendly house? Do you have some spare time on your hands? Do you fantasise about hanging around at dog parks with an actual dog? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then the good folks at Vision Australia's Seeing Eye Dogs need you — again. As part of the organisation's ongoing dog-training program, it has puppies running around the place quite often, and it's in need of volunteers to raise them. That includes right now, with more adorable pooches arriving over Easter. In other words, Vision Australia is giving away puppies — although you will need to give them back. If you put up your hand to become a puppy carer, you'll get a puppy for about a year, from around its eight-week birthday to when it turns turns between 12–15 months old. During that time, you'll be responsible for introducing the sights, sounds and smells it'll meet when it starts working as a seeing eye dog (and giving your new friend heaps of cuddles). Of course, it's not all just fun, games and cuteness. You'll have to be responsible enough to take care of regular grooming, house training and exercise, and be available for regular visits. A fenced-in backyard is mandatory, too. In return, the organisation provides a strong support network, and all food, training equipment and vet care. You'll also need to be home or with the puppy most of the time — so you won't be leaving the dog alone for more than three hours a day, sat in front of Dog TV — and to be able to put effort into training and socialising the pup. [caption id="attachment_853581" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nicola Cotton[/caption] Seeing Eye Dogs Australia is looking for people across the majority of local government areas across greater Melbourne, as well as Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat, Mornington Peninsula, Macedon Ranges and their surrounding areas. In New South Wales, you'll need to be on the Central Coast. And in Queensland, Brisbane's north and Sunshine Coast areas are the current priorities. Once the pups reach 12-15 months old, they'll return to Vision Australia — and complete their journey to become four-legged companions for people who are blind or have low vision. Keen to help? You can register for an information session or apply online right now. If you're eager but can't commit to the full year, there's also a six-month caring option. For more information about Seeing Eye Dogs Australia's puppy carers, and to apply for the volunteer roles, head to the organisation's website.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are back in business — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jWZ6P1rWy4 FIRST COW Gone are the days when every image that flickered across the screen did so within an almost square-shaped frame. That time has long passed, in fact, with widescreen formats replacing the 1.375:1 Academy aspect ratio that once was standard in cinemas, and its 4:3 television counterpart. So, when a director today fits their visuals into a much tighter space than the now-expansive norm, it's an intentional choice. They're not just nodding to the past, even if their film takes place in times gone by. With First Cow, for instance, Kelly Reichardt unfurls a story set in 19th-century America, but she's also honing her audience's focus. The Meek's Cutoff, Night Moves and Certain Women filmmaker wants those guiding their eyeballs towards this exquisite movie to truly survey everything that it peers at. She wants them to see its central characters — chef Otis 'Cookie' Figowitz (John Magaro, Overlord) and Chinese entrepreneur King-Lu (Orion Lee, Zack Snyder's Justice League) — and to realise that neither are ever afforded such attention by the others in their fictional midst. Thoughtfully exploring the existence of figures on the margins has long been Reichardt's remit, as River of Grass, Old Joy and Wendy and Lucy have shown as well, but she forces First Cow's viewers to be more than just passive observers in this process. There's much to take in throughout this magnificently told tale, which heads to Oregon as most of Reichardt's movies have. In its own quiet, closely observed, deeply affectionate and warm-hearted fashion, First Cow is a heist movie, although the filmmaker's gentle and insightful spin on the usually slick and twist-filled genre bucks every convention there is. Initially, after watching an industrial barge power down a river, First Cow follows a woman (Alia Shawkat, Search Party) and her dog as they discover a couple of skeletons nearby. Then, jumping back two centuries and seeing another boat on the same waterway, it meets Cookie as he's searching for food. Whatever he finds, or doesn't, the fur-trapper team he works with never has a kind word to spare. But then Cookie stumbles across King-Lu one night, helps him evade the Russians on his tail, and the seeds of friendship are sown. When the duo next crosses paths, they spend an alcohol-addled night sharing their respective ideas for the future. Those ambitious visions get a helping hand after the Chief Factor (Toby Jones, Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom) ships in the region's highly coveted first cow, with Cookie and King-Lu secretly milking the animal in the dark of night, then using the stolen liquid to make highly sought-after — and highly profitable — oily cakes. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcOP5kQrABk WRATH OF MAN With revenge thriller Wrath of Man, filmmaker Guy Ritchie (The Gentlemen) and actor Jason Statham (The Meg) reunite. The pair both came to fame with Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, repeated the feat with Snatch, then unsuccessfully tried again with Revolver, but they've spend the past 16 years heading in their own directions. During that stretch, the former subjected the world to his terrible Sherlock Holmes films, fared better with left-field additions to his resume like The Man From UNCLE and Aladdin, but didn't quite know what to do with King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. The latter has become an action go-to over the same time — with both forgettable and memorable flicks resulting, including three Fast and Furious movies and a stint scowling at Dwayne Johnson in the franchise's odd-couple spinoff Hobbs & Shaw. Thankfully, now that they're collaborating again, they're not just interested in rehashing their shared past glories. From Wrath of Man's first moments, with its tense, droning score, its high-strung mood and its filming of an armoured van robbery from inside the vehicle, a relentlessly grim tone is established. When Statham shows up shortly afterwards, he's firmly in stoic mode, too. He does spout a few quippy lines, and Ritchie once again unfurls his narrative by jumping between different people, events and time periods, but Lock, Stock Again or Snatch Harder this isn't. Instead, Wrath of Man is a remake of 2004 French film Le Convoyeur. While walking in someone else's shoes turned out horrendously for Ritchie with the Madonna-starring Swept Away, that isn't the case with this efficient, effective and engaging crime-fuelled effort, which finds its niche — and it's a new one for its central duo, at least together. Statham plays Patrick Hill, the newest employee at the Los Angeles-based cash truck company Fortico Securities. On his first day, his colleague Bullet (Holt McCallany, Mindhunter) dubs him H — "like the bomb, or Jesus H," he says — and the nickname quickly sticks. H joins the outfit a few months after the aforementioned holdup, with the memory of the two coworkers and civilian killed in the incident still fresh in everyone's minds. So, when gunmen interrupt his first post-training run with Bullet and Boy Sweat Dave (Josh Hartnett, Penny Dreadful), they're unsurprisingly jumpy; however, H deals with the situation with lethal efficiency. Cue glowing praise from Fortico's owner (Rob Delaney, Tom & Jerry), concern from his by-the-book manager (Eddie Marsan, Vice) and intrigue about his past from the rest of the team (such as Angel Has Fallen's Rocci Williams and Calm with Horses' Niamh Algar). Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MGhAbSsKtQ LAND Pitting humanity against nature is one of cinema's favourite setups; however, when movies dwarf a lone soul in their expansive surroundings, then watch them try to survive, the medium endeavours to explore exactly what makes us tick. The mere sight of a single figure attempting to endure against the elements can send a potent message, reminding viewers of how small we each are compared to the planet we live on, how fleeting our existence ultimately proves in its lengthy history and how witnessing one day following the next is never a given for anyone in any situation. Like everything from Into the Wild and The Grey to All Is Lost and Arctic before it, Land conjures up these ideas and themes within its hauntingly beautiful frames. It also boasts the space and patience to ponder the impressions our traumas and tragedies leave, too. None of these notions are new or unique, and Jesse Chatham and Erin Dignam's (Submergence) screenplay doesn't ever pretend otherwise or treat them as such. Rather, this thoughtful drama knows that it's traversing well-worn and universal territory, and that films past and future will continue to walk similar paths — but director and star Robin Wright (Wonder Woman 1984) is also well aware that continually interrogating and reevaluating why we're here, where we fit into this world, what we choose to do with our lives, and how we change and evolve along the way is what makes us human. In her filmmaking debut after helming ten episodes of House of Cards over the years, Wright plays Edee, a woman who can only see one way to cope with the type of pain, loss and heartbreak that has forever upended life as she once knew it. With a trailer filled with tinned and dry food, she escapes to the Wyoming wilderness, where nothing but a rustic cabin, clear lakes, trees and mountains as far as the eye can see, and the occasional animal awaits. But when a bear destroys her food supplies and the region's frosty winters prove punishing beyond her expectations, Edee struggles to find the peace she seeks. Enter the kindly Miguel (Demián Bichir, Godzilla vs Kong), a kindred spirit with his own troubles to work through, and with his own draw to the land as well. When done badly, movies about finding solace and strength in the great outdoors threaten to turn the "nature is healing" trope into a movie, but Land isn't that feature. It doesn't unravel a romance against cinematographer Bobby Bukowski's (Irresistible) scenic imagery, either. Instead, it watches as Edee works through the minutiae of her chosen new existence, faces challenges, rediscovers the value of having even just one person to reach out to and slowly comes to terms with who she is after all she's been through. Wright's internalised performance is phenomenal, and although its final act moves too quickly, this is always a compassionate, poignant and affecting film. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrpibk1CgUw CLIFF WALKERS 2016's Matt Damon-starring The Great Wall might've threatened to prove otherwise, but when Zhang Yimou makes a movie, it usually demands attention. The Chinese filmmaker's 1988 debut Red Sorghum won Berlinale's Golden Bear, 1991's Raise the Red Lantern remains stunning on multiple levels, and 2002's Hero, 2004's House of Flying Daggers and 2018's Shadow remain dazzling examples of the wuxia genre at its finest. With new release Cliff Walkers, the acclaimed director toys with an espionage narrative. Jumping into the spy realm is new for him, but when the film starts with sweeping shots of snowy Manchukuo — a Japanese-controlled state in China's northeast in the 30s and 40s, and the site of a death camp that's pivotal to the story — it's clear that he's behind the lens. Indeed, these frosty moments are so visually striking that, when the white landscape gives way to terse, tense altercations on trains and then within the city of Harbin, feeling disappointed is an instant side effect. Zhang has a meticulous eye for streets and interiors, too, however. And, for secret exchanges and fraught chases also. Benefiting from the filmmaker's regular director of photography Zhao Xiaoding as well, there isn't a single shot in Cliff Walkers that doesn't demand attention. Even the sight of fallen snow collecting in the brims of the hats worn by the feature's characters boasts its own beauty. Within its eye-catching frames and amidst its entrancing era-appropriate production design, Cliff Walkers tracks four Chinese operatives who've been tasked with rescuing a survivor of a massacre at the Manchukuo camp from the Japanese authorities — a job that's filled with peril from the outset. After parachuting into the snow in the feature's vivid and alluring opening, Zhang (Zhang Yi, The Eight Hundred) and Lan (Liu Haocun, A Little Red Flower) tackle one part of the mission, while their romantic partners Yu (Qin Hailu, The Best Is Yet to Come) and Chuliang (Zhu Yawen, The Captain) are paired up and saddled with the other. It's the 30s, and double-crossing, double agents and danger all follow, as does betrayal, heartbreak, tests of loyalty and hard choices. The film that unfurls doesn't overflow with surprises, plot-wise, but Zhang and first-time feature screenwriter Quan Yongxian focus on the details, making every coded interaction and suspenseful altercation as gripping as the movie's multi-layered cat-and-mouse games. After his previous picture, One Second, was pulled from the 2019 Berlinale at the last moment — officially due to "technical difficulties" — Cliff Walkers' patriotic leanings don't come as a shock; however, it doesn't dampen the film's visual splendour or involving narrative, either. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24umxshK1f8 TWIST Forget watches, calendars and social media reminders that tell you what you were doing on this day years ago whether you like it or not — when it comes to conveying the passing of time, the entertainment industry has a surefire tactic. There's nothing quite like seeing the now-grown child of a famous face start appearing on-screen to make you realise how quickly the seconds, minutes, hours and more melt away. Twist is the latest film to have that effect, thanks to the first-time lead actor that plays the titular Charles Dickens-penned character. Rafferty Law looks exactly like his father, sounds like him and has the same stare that's worked so well for the latter for years, including in The Third Day and The Nest of late. He also appears here opposite Michael Caine, who Jude Law co-starred with in 2007's Sleuth; however, this isn't quite the start to his big-screen career that the younger Law would've hoped for. A modern version of Oliver Twist that reframes the famed orphan as a freerunner and graffiti artist who leaps between London's rooftops and tags the tallest of buildings, it's the update that no one could've asked for — including the teenage audience it's targeting. And, at a time when even Guy Ritchie is moving on from his usual bag of tricks with Wrath of Man, it enthusiastically follows in his decades-old footsteps. Presumably director Martin Owen (Killers Anonymous), screenwriters John Wrathall (The Liability) and Sally Collett (The Intergalactic Adventures of Max Cloud), and the seven other folks given either idea or additional material credits just couldn't handle living in a world where Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Dickens hadn't crossed paths. There are no gruelling orphanage scenes in Twist, but there is a criminal mastermind called Fagin (Caine, Tenet), a gang of light-fingered pickpockets led by Dodge (Rita Ora, Fifty Shades Freed) and an abusive villain named Sikes (Lena Headey, Game of Thrones). When the eponymous teenager falls into their company, he's rightly apprehensive; however, he just wants to belong, even if that means becoming part of an art heist. If it wasn't for fellow building-leaping crew member Nancy (Sophie Simnett, Daybreak), Twist mightn't fall in as thickly with the thieves as he does. But Owen and his fellow creatives never let a cliche pass by. Similarly, as their hero and his new pals plot to pilfer paintings from gallery owner Losberne (David Walliams, Murder Mystery), the film doesn't miss an opportunity to spout hackneyed dialogue, fill its soundtrack with oh-so-literal choices and throw in more parkour whenever it seems that a few minutes might tick along without it. Caine should've left his Dickensian escapades to The Muppets Christmas Carol, while everyone else should've expended more than a couple of seconds thinking about this flimsy wannabe caper. And, while Rafferty Law's presence might remind the audience that time passes so quickly that multiple generations of families keep popping up on our screens (see also: Scott Eastwood in Wrath of Man, Lily-Rose Depp in Voyagers and John David Washington in Tenet, just to name a few), Twist makes its 88-minute running time feel like an eternity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UN9RO5SnnCs THE DEVIL HAS A NAME In one of the many courtroom scenes in The Devil Has a Name's second half, Californian almond farmer Fred Stern (David Strathairn, Nomadland) takes the stand in the $2 billion lawsuit that he has brought against Shore Oil. He's demanding compensation for the poisoning of the land beneath his property for the past ten years, and the questioning and corresponding testimony turns to matters of intention and knowledge — with Stern pointing out that the energy behemoth mightn't have deliberately contaminated his farm initially, but it also didn't change its ways once it discovered the environmental effects of its actions. Instead, regional director Gigi Cutler (Kate Bosworth, Force of Nature) sent a flunky (Haley Joel Osment, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile) to try to buy Stern off. The latter's foreman Santiago (Edward James Olmos, Mayans MC) immediately questioned the motives behind the deal, but it took the sight of toxic water streaming out of his shower to inspire Stern to fight. As told in flashbacks by a whisky-swilling Cutler to Shore Oil's slimy CEO (Alfred Molina, Promising Young Woman), the resulting battle sees lawyers both crusading (Martin Sheen, Judas and the Black Messiah) and corporate (Katie Aselton, The Unholy) become involved, a villainous fellow company employee (Pablo Schreiber, First Man) endeavour to derail Cutler, Stern's property threatened and Santiago's undocumented status given a public airing. Olmos also directs The Devil Has a Name, working with a script by first-timer Robert McEveety. Just like the company at its centre, their film has an intention-versus-reality problem. Taking its cues from the very real water contamination wars in Central Valley, passion, anger and a worthy point pump through the feature. But The Devil Has a Name isn't merely the latest in a long line of sincere dramas about corporate exploitation of natural resources and the very real consequences for everyday folks, as seen with Dark Waters, Promised Land and Erin Brockovich. Thanks to its overboiled tone, Bosworth and Molina's scenery-chewing, Schreiber and Osment's utter cartoonishness, and its eager bluntness, it strives for the comic causticity that Thank You for Smoking applied to the tobacco industry and I Care a Lot to legal guardianship. Finding a sense of balance between earnest and darkly comedic isn't Olmos' strength, though, and nor is pairing social activism with exaggerated melodrama. It doesn't help that Reynaldo Villalobos' (Windows on the World) cinematography always appears to be moving, with little reason, or that Bosworth is only ever asked to be in femme fatale or hysterical mode. When any combination of Strathairn, Olmos and Sheen share the screen, however, it's easy to see how The Devil Has a Name would've worked without its soapy, over-the-top quirks — but that's not the movie that Olmos has made, sadly. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on January 1, January 7, January 14, January 21 and January 28; February 4, February 11, February 18 and February 25; March 4, March 11, March 18 and March 25; and April 1, April 8, April 15 and April 22. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Nomadland, Pieces of a Woman, The Dry, Promising Young Woman, Summerland, Ammonite, The Dig, The White Tiger, Only the Animals, Malcolm & Marie, News of the World, High Ground, Earwig and the Witch, The Nest, Assassins, Synchronic, Another Round, Minari, Firestarter — The Story of Bangarra, The Truffle Hunters, The Little Things, Chaos Walking, Raya and the Last Dragon, Max Richter's Sleep, Judas and the Black Messiah, Girls Can't Surf, French Exit, Saint Maud, Godzilla vs Kong, The Painter and the Thief, Nobody, The Father, Willy's Wonderland, Collective, Voyagers, Gunda, Supernova, The Dissident and The United States vs Billie Holiday.
Thanks to her vibrant, playful and dot-filled body of work, Yayoi Kusama is known for many things. Her brightly coloured pumpkins, often blown up to larger-than-life size, are instantly recognisable. Her mirrored infinity rooms constantly dazzle the eye, too. But when it comes to interacting with her pieces, the Japanese artist's obliteration rooms might be her most entertaining creation. The concept really couldn't be more simple. As every visitor enters the space, they're given a page of stickers. Then, as quickly or slowly as each person sees fit, it's their job to place those stickers around the room. If you're heading along at the beginning of the exhibition's run, you might see plenty of white surfaces just waiting to be covered with circles of colour. If you're taking part towards the end of its season, a rainbow of dots might already fill every nook and cranny. First developed for children as part of an Australian show — Queensland Art Gallery's APT 2002: Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art — back in 2002, obliteration rooms have been part of Kusama's repertoire ever since. That said, in almost two decades, she hasn't extended the idea to a greenhouse — until now. As announced in mid-2019, a huge site-specific Kusama exhibition will display at the New York Botanical Garden, kicking off in May this year. KUSAMA: Cosmic Nature sprawl over The Bronx venue's entire 250 acres, both inside and out. And, while the broad details were unveiled when the show was first revealed, the site has started announcing specifics — such as Kusama's first obliteration greenhouse. Called Flower Obsession, the interactive artwork will task visitors with applying coral flower stickers throughout the interior of the space. Given that KUSAMA: Cosmic Nature is all about celebrating the natural world and its inspiration on the artist's work, it's safe to assume that the greenhouse will actually function as a greenhouse. Just don't go plastering any stickers on the plants, of course. [caption id="attachment_732283" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] New York Botanical Garden, Robert Benson[/caption] Another just-revealed highlight: Infinity Mirrored Room—Illusion Inside the Heart, which'll take Kusama's famed infinity room concept outdoors, responding to changing light throughout each day and season. Dancing Pumpkin will tower 16-feet high — and be shaped like the vegetable, naturally — while the vivid I Want to Fly to the Universe will span 13 feet in height, with the biomorphic form featuring a yellow face and polka dots. They're all brand new works; however the exhibition will also reimagine some of the artist's existing pieces. A recreation of the painting Alone, Buried In A Flower Garden might be the most striking, with the NYBG's horticulturists planting a whole garden that mimics its shapes and colours. Elsewhere, tulips and irises will be planted in formations that'll resemble pumpkins when they bloom. Also, floral presentations will bring another of Kusama's pieces to life in a new medium — using violas, salvias, zinnias and chrysanthemums. [caption id="attachment_758873" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Infinity Mirrored Room—Illusion Inside the Heart (2020)[/caption] As all of these aspects of the exhibition make plain, attendees won't just be walking through multiple halls filled with Kusama's work or moseying around an entire gallery. This is a multi-sensory experience, involving wandering around the whole grounds and spying her pieces not only placed on walls and floors everywhere, but mixed among the natural wonders outside. When the showcase kicks off in 2020, running from May 9 to November 1, visitors can also expect a host of Kusama's giant floral pieces, nature-based paintings, botanical sketches, collages and soft sculptures. KUSAMA: Cosmic Nature marks the first-ever large-scale exploration of the acclaimed artist's overflowing fondness for the natural world — and, taking its cues from nature, the show is designed to transform over the course of the exhibition. Obviously, interactive installations such as Flower Obsession will evolve thanks to audience participation, but the whole space will also change with the seasons. Transitioning from spring to summer to autumn during the exhibition's duration, the different conditions will add a new tone to Kusama's work. If you've been contemplating making New York travel plans for this year, consider this some extra motivation. Yayoi Kusama's exhibition at the New York Botanical Garden will run from May 9, 2020 to November 1, 2020. Head to the venue's website for further details — and to purchase tickets from February 26.
Multi-tasking isn't just something you do at work or when you're tweeting while watching your favourite TV show — it's a trend Brisbane's eateries are following too. Take The Produce Bulk Foods, for example. The Ashgrove establishment's name makes them sound like a spot to pick up a few groceries, and it is, but it's also a health-focused cafe as well. Given how hungry shopping for food makes most people, it's an ideal combination — and the solution to the age-old advice about never going to the supermarket on an empty stomach. And even if you don't need to stock your cupboards with The Produce's range of serve-yourself staples such as nuts, grains, cereals, flours, pastas, oils, vinegars, sauces and more, you're unlikely to leave feeling anything less than satisfied. Either way, you'd best be thinking all-natural, because that's what you'll find here. Organic fair trade coffee should keep caffeine fiends happy, while fresh cold press juices, smoothies and fruit crushes provide a non-buzzing energy boost. Food-wise, the cafe's display case lineup of salads, wraps and snacks might be modest, but it's tasty. Of course, you can't go past the acai bowl, as topped with whatever is in season — if this isn't the perfect place for them, then we don't know where is.
Missed out on staying in a replica of the Bluey house when it was temporarily up for rent in Brisbane? The home of Australia's family-friendly animated phenomenon is now welcoming a Bluey attraction so that you can experience the global hit for real life. Set to open in August 2024, Bluey's World will get you walking around life-sized sets that recreate the beloved series — whether you're taking your nieces and nephews along, or know that appreciating the Aussie show about a family of blue heelers isn't just for kids. When Airbnb listed its Bluey abode in 2022, the response was massive. Expect the reaction to Bluey's World to be the same. Opening at Northshore Pavilion in Northshore Hamilton, the space itself will be sizeable, spanning across 4000 square metres. Bluey and Bingo's bedroom, the family's living room and kitchen, the poinciana tree in the backyard: they'll all be a part of the experience. So will hearing "wackadoo!" constantly, we expect. Visitors will also find a playground and a cafe onsite, with interactive play a focus, taking cues from Bluey episodes in the process. There'll also be a soundscape to match, plus a gift shop, all in a purpose-built venue. And, for big Bluey birthday celebrations, the site will host parties as well. Bluey's World will be exclusive to Brisbane, making it a tourist attraction to fans not only locally and nationally but worldwide. Unsurprisingly, that's a big part of the push from both the Queensland Government and Brisbane City Council, who are supporting the BBC Studios- and HVK Productions-produced experience. "Our government has backed Bluey from the very beginning. Brisbane is at Bluey's core and now the show is a global sensation, we want to invite fans from around the world to come and experience Bluey's home," said Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. "Queensland is a world-class place to live and play and I truly believe that is a big part of why Bluey has captured fans around the world," the Premier continued. "Bluey is a homegrown Brisbane superstar who has captured the imagination of families worldwide. With an audience that spans more than 60 countries, Bluey's World is a unique and significant tourism offering that will draw people to our city from around the globe while giving residents more to see and do here in Brisbane," added Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner. Bluey's World will open at Northshore Pavilion, Northshore Hamilton, Brisbane in August 2024 — head to the attraction's website for more information and to join the ticket waitlist.
Spooky season has returned, a time of ghosts and ghouls, flirting with lolly-based diabetes and getting into the spirit by bingeing all things horror. Generally the impulse is to line up a movie marathon of monsters and murderers, but why not mix a little interactivity into your goosebump-inducing genre consumption this year? With horror being such a beloved creative territory there's a boundless wealth of frightening indie games around, but to help you dip your toe into the terrifying here's a list of six (aka 1/111th of the spookiest number possible) to try… if you dare. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TF3ZIJccpj8[/embed] MUNDAUN Folk horror is not a genre that shows up much in the gaming world which seems to have an overwhelming preference for sci-fi scares and general supernatural gore. Swiss developers Hidden Fields decided to buck trends with Mundaun, a first-person exploration game rendered in hand-pencilled fashion. You play as Curdin, a man visiting a small village in the alpine foothills to pay his post-funeral respects to his grandfather after the old man perished in a barn fire. Only problem is, grandpa's grave is empty. As you delve into the mystery of what happened to gramps, you uncover a historical deal made under the duress of war that has cursed the village, and it's up to you to do something about it by poking around the town of Mundaun and its surrounds, speaking with its inhabitants, and indulging in some light puzzle solving. There's a pinch of survival horror mixed in too, so you'll need to manage limited ammo and weapons to deal with a variety of enemies, from animated straw men to undead soldiers. The game's striking aesthetic lends an uneasy air that feeds excellently into the surreal, foreboding setting, steeped in a confluence of Christianity and Paganism. There's nothing else quite like it, so make sure you play with the lights off for the best experience. Spookiness Rating: 7/10 Available on: PC, Playstation 4/5, Xbox One/S/X, Nintendo Switch [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBuh9afznMg[/embed] YUPPIE PSYCHO If you've ever drawn a salary as a corporate wage slave, Yuppie Psycho is going to speak to you on another level. This survival horror game, developed by French/Spanish team Baroque Decay, puts you in the shoes of Brian Pasternack, a nervous young man on his first day at Sintracorp. His job? Kill the witch that has cursed the company for years. You'll spend your time roaming the 10 floors of the company's headquarters, rendered in gloriously retro pixel art. Almost from the get-go, it's clear that something is deeply, deeply wrong. Most of your coworkers are slack jawed and dead eyed, responding with gibberish when you try to talk to them. Someone keeps painting messages on the wall in blood. There's a cemetery in the woods on the 8th floor, and a spider monster in the archives. Alongside all of this standard horror, the game deftly mixes in the anxiety and imposter syndrome that accompanies starting a new job, as well as the existential despair that comes from mandatory motivational meetings, dealing with the spectrum of irritating co-workers and navigating the forced, two-faced jollity of a professional environment. With multiple endings based on choices you make, and even two vastly different paths to get to the end, it's a game you can pick up and play again and again. Spookiness Rating: 6/10 Available on: PC/Mac, Playstation 4/5, Xbox One/S/X, Nintendo Switch [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe4gVfZ1Q2I[/embed] WORLD OF HORROR 'A little bit of HP Lovecraft, a little bit of Junji Ito' is a great recipe for the vibe of a horror game. WORLD OF HORROR by Polish solo dev panstasz takes place at the cusp of the apocalypse. The Old Gods are awakening, panic and madness are spreading, and monsters are stalking the streets of Shiokawa, the small Japanese town where the action takes place. The primary thrust of the game sees you investigating a series of strange occurrences. It's a roguelike, so the changing raft of cases means no two runs are exactly the same which gives the game great replayability. The turn-based combat leans towards the challenging side (hey, no one said the end of the world would be easy), but an RPG-esque upgrade system will help ease the stress of late-stage runs — provided you make smart choices. Plus it's primarily an adventure game, so if you fear fast-twitch gameplay there's nothing to worry about here... beyond everything else happening. The Junji Ito inspiration comes through heavily in the lineup of monsters, mirroring the manga artist's off-putting creations in throwback 1-bit graphics that look like they came straight off the page. Fans of Japanese horror will definitely want to give this one a whirl. Spookiness Rating: 9/10 Available on: PC/Mac, Console release coming October 26th [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naCeKfdPbTs[/embed] CRITTERS FOR SALE Critters For Sale is weird, man. No other way to put it. Created by solo developer Sonoshee, this blend of point-and-click adventure and visual novel is a heady, paranoid time, as compelling as it is mildly repulsive. Play through five nonlinear short stories linked by broad themes of good vs evil, time travel and black magic, with woozy, grainy 1-bit graphics that help to heighten the general feelings of discomfort and discombobulation. Some feature multiple endings based on choices you make, which encourages multiple playthroughs supported by quality-of-life features that skip you to key story points so you don't have to start at the beginning every time. Others hide secrets that will only make sense once you've explored all the stories. Each tale comes from the perspective of a different character, so you're never quite able to find a stable narrative footing as you navigate between them, boosting your sense of unease. It's a highly-advanced horror game that bucks the modern trend of blood and brutality for an ineffable surrealism, leaving an impression on you long after you've completed its twisted paths. The faint-of-heart need not apply. Spookiness Rating: 9/10 Available on: PC [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrRWb7tFxR8[/embed] DREDGE Oceans are terrifying. Out where the water is an almost-black blue, where anything could be lurking below... that's nightmare territory. This is the niche in which Dredge, by New Zealand's Black Salt Games, floats. You're a nameless fisherman, freshly arrived to the island town of Greater Marrow after a shipwreck left you with no memories. The mayor gives you a boat and a job as the community angler and off you go to complete missions for a variety of characters, some with more sinister motives than others. The crux of the game is its day/night cycle. When the sun is up, you can roam the waves with relative impunity. Once the dark arrives your panic metre starts to fill, which can lead to reality-altering hallucinations and death if you push your luck. That's not to mention the sea monsters that inhabit the archipelagos you'll visit, which will have you navigating coastlines in frenzied fear, searching for escape. Mix all the above with a raft of compelling gameplay mechanics, such as a variety of fishing mini-games, the Tetris-like cargo management system and 128 different types of fish to catch and catalogue, and you've got an experience will truly hook you in. Spookiness Raiting: 6/10 Available on: PC, Playstation 4/5, Xbox One/S/X, Nintendo Switch [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AI9zBBTyX-E[/embed] LITTLE NIGHTMARES II The decision to include a sequel over the original game took a lot of soul searching. But ultimately, since the focus here is spooks and scares, Little Nightmares II takes the cake (it's also technically a prequel, but let's not get bogged down in details here). Developed by Swedish team Tarsier Studios, Little Nightmares II is a 2.5D puzzle platformer that is packed with peril. You're Mono, a young boy in a paper bag mask who, along with a mysterious young girl as a sidekick, must make your way through the decrepit, dank Pale City to uncover what lies inside the Signal Tower at its heart. Along the way you'll have a lot to deal with, such as the television-addicted inhabitants who fly into an incoherent rage if you sever their connection to the cathode ray tube. The strength of the game lies in its set pieces, each of which is a polished jewel of terror. Talk to anyone who has played Little Nightmares II previously and they can wax lyrical about the School, the Hospital, or the end sequence, which features a twist that will slap a gasp out of you. The character design is also outstanding, with the adult inhabitants of the world represented as twisted grotesqueries, exactly what you'd expect from the point of view of a child. With a gameplay loop centred on dying, learning and dying again, and an atmosphere that will keep your anxiety levels at a roiling boil, Little Nightmares II is a key addition to the game library of any horror fan. Spookiness Rating: 8/10 Available on: PC, Playstation 4/5, Xbox One/S/X, Nintendo Switch
Whatever happens to Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega, Death of a Unicorn) at Nevermore Academy in the second season of the Netflix series that bears her name, she'll be back at school afterwards. Before the sophomore run of the streaming hit begins dropping episodes from August 2025 — splitting season two into two parts, with the first arriving on Wednesday, August 6, then the second batch on Wednesday, September 3 —Wednesday has already been renewed for season three. Of course, all things Addams Family have been delighting audiences for almost 90 years, with the first-ever cartoon panel featuring the creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky brood published in 1938. Following a lineup of other TV shows between the 60s and the 90s, as well as a range of films — live-action and animated alike in both cases — the first season of Netflix's take on the clan became and remains the most-viewed English-language series of all time on the streamer. As for when season three will hit and what's in store, details are unsurprisingly scarce given that season two hasn't yet premiered. "Our goal for season three is the same as it is for every season: to make it the best season of Wednesday we possibly can," Alfred Gough, one of the series' co-creators and showrunner alongside Miles Millar, told Netflix's Tudum. "We want to continue digging deeper into our characters while expanding the world of Nevermore and Wednesday, added Millar. "We will be seeing more Addams family members and learning more family secrets in season three." The pair, who also penned Tim Burton's Beetlejuice Beetlejuice — and are clearly fond of working with the filmmaker, since he's also behind Wednesday, including as both a director and an executive producer — are already promising to expand the Addams crew in season two. Enter Joanna Lumley (Amandaland) as Hester Frump, Wednesday's grandmother, for instance. In the show's second season, its black-clad protagonist is back at Nevermore Academy and being heralded as a hero thanks to her efforts in season one. Wednesday is characteristically unimpressed by the attention, the trailers so far illustrate. Soon, her focus is elsewhere, however, thanks to a premonition of her roommate Enid (Emma Myers, A Minecraft Movie) coming to a grave end, with Wednesday determined to do whatever she can to stop that from happening. Steve Buscemi (The Studio), Billie Piper (Kaos) and Thandiwe Newton (Mufasa: The Lion King) are also among the series' new cast additions in season two, while Catherine Zeta-Jones (National Treasure: Edge of History), Luis Guzmán (Justified: City Primeval) and Isaac Ordonez (Color Box) are back as Morticia, Gomez and Pugsley — plus Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo (Dreamers) as Deputy Ritchie Santiago. Among its fresh faces, Evie Templeton (Criminal Record), Owen Painter (Tiny Beautiful Things), Noah B Taylor (Law & Order: Organised Crime), Frances O'Connor (The Twelve), Haley Joel Osment (Blink Twice), Heather Matarazzo (Paint) and Joonas Suotamo (The Acolyte) are also onboard — plus Christopher Lloyd (Hacks), following Christina Ricci (Yellowjackets) among the stars of the 90s Addams Family films popping up in Wednesday. Fred Armisen (Fallout) remains Wednesday's take on Uncle Fester, though — one that Netflix is so keen on that there's been talk of a spinoff about the character. Check out the full trailer for Wednesday season two below: Wednesday season two arrives in two parts, with part one dropping on Wednesday, August 6, 2025 and part two on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, both via Netflix. We'll update you with more details about season three when they're announced. Read our full review of Wednesday season one. Images: Helen Sloan and Jonathan Hession/Netflix © 2025.
If heading to the tuckshop was your favourite part of the school day, then Woolloongabba's newest cafe might inspire a few twinges of nostalgia. A kiosk-style spot at South City Square on Logan Road, Tuckshop Time is all about schoolyard-style snacks. That said, we're guessing that you didn't feast on Nutella mousse brownies, peanut butter waffles or stacked roast chicken baguettes when the bell rang back in the day. They're just some of the eatery's offerings, with vegetable-filled bowls, pizza rounders and cauliflower mac 'n' cheese also on the menu, plus vegan and gluten-friendly wares as well. Drinks-wise, patrons can sip on 'fruit cup' smoothies, fresh juice (not in popper form, though), beetroot and turmeric lattes, and coffees. The latest venture from Greg Mclean and Caity Jones, the forces behind Decisions Cafe on the Sunshine Coast eatery, Tuckshop Time also keeps school-like hours — it's open from 6am–6pm seven days a week, for both dining in and taking away. And, while you're harking back to recesses gone by, you'll do so on a vibrant patch of greenery, complete with chairs, garden views and cushions along the deck. There's also undercover seating for when the Brisbane heavens open, and dogs are welcome.
