El Camino Cantina is known for its colourful interiors, cheap Tuesday tacos and giant margaritas, including across its existing southeast Queensland stores. From early September through until mid-October, its newest local outpost in Surfers Paradise is celebrating those oversized drinks with a six-week-long festival dedicated to the frozen cocktail. Head by from Friday, September 9, which is when inaugural Ritapalooza will feature 24 limited-edition margaritas, as well as food and drink specials. Skittle, Hubba Bubba and marshmallow margaritas will be on offer alongside classics like mango, strawberry and passionfruit — and Wizz Fizz, Jelly Belly, fairy floss, grape Nerd and fairy bread as well — and you can nab them as part of four-flavour and metre-long 13-flavour tasting paddles. The ten-cent Wing Wednesday tradition will be on offer, too, as well as $2 tacos on Tuesdays. El Camino is also doing 15 limited-edition wing flavours for Ritapalooza, such as satay, chimichurri, and soy and sesame. And yes, there'll be special varities of both of tacos and fajitas for you to much on as well.
Feeling cashed up? Want to own your own bar, restaurant and entertainment precinct? Then we've got the perfect investment opportunity for you — or, more accurately, Brisbane entrepreneur Damian Griffiths does. The man that has given the city the Limes Hotel, Alfredo's Pizzeria, Chester Street Bakery, Alfred & Constance, Doughnut Time, Kwan Bros, Les Bubbles and Mister Fitz is selling up part of his business empire. The Limes hit the market last year, and is still in need of a buyer. If a lotto win or an overstuffed bank account means that's you, you can also snap up Alfredo's, A&C and Kwan Bros too — either as a package deal, or separately. Yes, times are a-changing at the Constance Street complex that single-handedly revamped an otherwise unloved corner of Fortitude Valley over the last decade. Of course, given that expressions of interest remain open until early May, just what's in store is yet to be confirmed; however any new owner really should keep Brisbane's favourite boutique hotel, tasty pizza joint, laid-back chill-out spot and late-night Asian eatery up and running. According to The Courier-Mail, Griffiths plans to turn his attention to more food and drink concepts once the sale goes through. And to expanding his ever-popular Doughnut Time and Mister Fitz even further, as well. The country needs more doughy treats and ice cream sandwiches, after all. Via The Courier-Mail.
From writer and director Luc Besson (of The Professional and The Fifth Element fame), comes Lucy, a highly anticipated sci-fi thriller starring cinema legends Scarlett Johansson and Morgan Freeman. Johansson plays Lucy, who unwillingly becomes the centrepiece of an international drug trafficking scheme after a brutal kidnapping. After some drug residue leaks into her stomach, she is able to exploit the full potential of her brain capacity — surpassing the limited 10 percent urban legend tells us we usually have available to us. Suddenly, she has some pretty enviable superpowers: she can absorb information instantaneously, move objects with her mind and choose not to feel pain, among other handy skills. Lucy brings up ideas of cognitive enhancement, while exploring paradigms of mind versus body. The film is the epitome of an action thriller, complete with some pretty nifty special effects and a cargo pants-clad Johansson kicking some serious arse. Lucy (© 2014 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved) is in cinemas on July 31, and thanks to Universal Pictures Australia, we have ten double in-season passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au Follow Lucy at facebook.com/universalpicturesau and www.lucymovie.com.au.
Japanese photographer Shinichi Maruyama has captured nude dancers from an unsual viewpoint, representing their motion in a series of complex whirls and swirls. The result is an elaborate yet beautiful depiction illustrating some of the amazing movements the human body is capable of. Maruyama has gracefully encapsulated the swaying of legs, swinging of hips and twirling of arms and combined the movements to create a single, intertwined image of motion patterns that enthralls and amazes. Take a look at these shots from Maruyama's remarkable series of blurred nude dancers.
Located on the ground floor of the Royal on the Park Hotel, The Walnut is old school territory — when you imagined fancy dinners as a kid, this is the kind of place you were dreaming of. Wooden panelling, white leather seats and gold finishes coupled with views of the City Botanic Gardens create a calm, sophisticated vibe, but that's just the beginning. There are two reasons to get cosy in the restaurant's surrounds: the faultless service, which'll make you feel like you've suddenly become a celebrity; and the exceptional food, which turns even the most familiar menu items into something truly special. You can have the twice-cooked pork belly as an entree, but we recommend saving it for the main course when it accompanies the chargrilled 180-gram 100-day grain fed eye fillet steak. Instead, opt for pan-seared scallops or a selection of oysters (served three ways: natural, Mornay and Kilpatrick). Other mains on offer are the smoky slow cooked beef short rib, spanner crab spaghettini and confit chicken maryland. On to desserts and old favourites — including bombe Alaska and crème brûlée — shine. The Walnut also has a fab breakfast menu and an afternoon tea experience — think crustless finger sandwiches, freshly baked scones, an assortment of small desserts as well as sparkling wine, teas and coffee. Sure, you've had most of these dishes before, but you haven't had them while feeling like the most important person in the city.
Brewsvegas is a time for drinking, eating and being merry. But if you don't partake in animal products, you might be apprehensive about joining the fun. Boozy meals, especially those focused around beers, often feature plenty of meat — which is what makes Eat No Evil stand out. Actually, it's just one highlight of the one-night dinner, which takes place from 7pm on Tuesday, March 19. The other big drawcard is that you won't simply be sitting in one spot and tucking into vegan dishes with matched brews. Instead, each of your four courses (and their accompanying drinks) will take you to a different venue. Start with canapes at Bosc, then head to Catchment Brewing Co for your entree, before moseying on over your Brisbane Brewing Co for mains. As for dessert, it'll take you to Archive Beer Boutique — and this West End walking tour, complete with vegan meals and beers, will set you back $80 per person.
It's one of the most famous lines in cinema history, and it just keeps proving true. When Arnold Schwarzenegger said "I'll be back" in 1984's The Terminator, he clearly meant it — and so did James Cameron's franchise. Like Skynet-controlled robot killing machines trying to exterminate humanity and take over the world, this series just keeps coming, with 1991's Terminator 2: Judgement Day, 2003's Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, 2009's Terminator Salvation, 2015's Terminator Genisys, TV's short-lived Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and animated show Terminator Salvation: The Machinima Series to its name. The saga's fortunes have been varied, to say the least, with the last few films hardly leaving anyone clamouring for more. But, no matter how Terminator: Dark Fate turns out, it does have one big trick up its sleeves. While Arnie has been a part of every Terminator movie except Salvation, which was made while he was the Governor of California, Linda Hamilton's Sarah Connor hasn't had a significant part in the franchise since T2. The character has still popped up on-screen, played by everyone's favourite duelling Game of Thrones queens — that is, by Lena Headey in The Sarah Connor Chronicles and by Emilia Clarke in Genisys — but now the kick-ass Hamilton is making a proper comeback. Timeline-wise, Dark Fate actually takes place after T2, ignoring all of the other sequels. If it's a success, it'll start a new trilogy, although the same was expected of Salvation and Genisys, too. As well as the return of Hamilton as Connor — and Arnie as the T-800, of course — the movie stars Halt and Catch Fire's Mackenzie Davis as a new terminator-human hybrid sent from the future. She's charged with protecting Birds of Passage's Natalia Reyes from the deadly ways of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Gabriel Luna, who plays their not-so-kindly cyborg assassin foe. After writing and directing the series' first two flicks, Cameron returns as a producer, while Deadpool's Tim Miller is in the director's chair. Catch the trailer below — yes, the saga is back: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCyEX6u-Yhs Terminator: Dark Fate releases in Australian cinemas on October 31, 2019.
In 2007, Dublin-born writer-director John Carney released his low-budget indie musical Once to widespread critical acclaim. Seven years later he returns to the genre with Begin Again, a similarly plotted follow-up, just with a far bigger budget and cast. The additional gloss and star power runs somewhat contrary to the film's subject matter, about two unlikely collaborators making music on the cheap. Still, with leads this charismatic, it's difficult to go wrong. In a role that recalls his likeable loser persona from The Kids Are All Right, Mark Ruffalo plays washed-up New York record executive Dan. Once a successful music producer, he's long become disillusioned with the biz, pissing off everyone who matters and getting fired from the company he helped found. His personal life is in a similar state of disarray — when you need to borrow beer money from your teenage daughter (Hailee Steinfeld), it's a sign that things aren't exactly going great. While drowning his sorrows in a bar in the East Village, Dan hears a melancholy performance from Gretta (Keira Knightley), who we soon learn is the recently ditched girlfriend of up-and-coming British pop-star Dave Kohl (played in a fun, self-deprecating turn by Maroon 5 front-man Adam Levine). Convinced that she's got what it takes, Dan approaches Greta with a record deal. The catch is that neither of them has any money, so they'll have to record it live on the city streets. More than once, there's a sense that Carney wants to have his cake and eat it too. The film is highly critical of the music industry — embodied by Levine's sell-out Kohl — and champions the DIY approach of independent artists for whom music is about a lot more than money. It's a message that felt perfectly suited to the micro-budget Once but seems a little bit at odds with the A-list names and glossy production values found here. Begin Again is also a far perkier film than Carney's previous work, gliding over more serious plot points, such as Dan's apparent alcoholism, with relentless, fairytale positivity. Yet only a cynic would begrudge the film its optimism. Even as you're aware of the script's somewhat hypocritical construction, it's hard not to be won over by its considerable warmth and charm. Ruffalo and Knightley have wonderful chemistry, and the fruits of their partnership are a joy to hear come to life. The songs, like the rest of the film, are cutesy but ultimately enjoyable. And who knew Knightley could sing? https://youtube.com/watch?v=zqRL2dY5-us
Enjoy being served by a human being at a cafe or restaurant and being able to ask "what are your specials for today?" whilst you can because food delivery techniques are changing fast. Scrap that, they are dropping fast. After flying drones recently emerged to deliver food to patrons at London's renowned YO! Sushi restaurant and beer to festival revellers in South Africa, a group of innovative Melburnians have decided that wasn't cool enough, so they have decided to deliver double the cool. Not only are they serving delicious jaffles in Flinders Lane, they have elected to do it by parachute. That's right, by parachute. Then they gave their service an excellent pun-moniker: Jafflechutes. COOL. Describing themselves as the world's first float-down eatery, Jafflechutes has a process that sounds simple enough. You select your delicious filling (cheese and tomato; cheese, ham and pineapple; or the all-out cheese, roast beef, dill pickles, mushroom and mustard), pay via Paypal, stand on the 'X' at 349 Flinders Lane at your nominated time and catch your snack. Just be aware, if it gets stuck in the tree, then the people at Jafflechutes cannot stress enough to not climb the tree. Wind gods permitting, delicious pockets of cheese filled dough will be raining down on Flinders Lane tonight from between 10pm and midnight, and whilst they have sold out this time around (the Jafflechuters have got 600+ likes on Facebook since starting their page on August 12), they hope to be back in the near future should everything work out fine. What could possibly go wrong? You can follow Jafflechutes on their Facebook and Twitter.
If Game of Thrones has taught us anything, it's that no one is ever happy. After all, this is a world where weddings end in slaughter, kings are poisoned mid-feast, queens casually mention that they wiped out your entire family, killing a zombie leader still can't save a girl from dragon fire, and finally finding love usually comes with betrayal — and the discovery of new relatives. But if every fictional Stark, Lannister and Targaryen has seemed less than chipper across the hugely popular HBO show's eight seasons, they've got nothing on a group of disgruntled fans who absolutely hate the last batch of episodes. These GoT watchers don't just dislike the five episodes of season eight so far. Rather, these folks despise them so much that they're demanding for all of them to be remade. The idea of agreeing to disagree, realising that wrapping up nearly ten years of storytelling was never going to please everyone, recognising that endings are always tricky or just accepting that a few disappointing episodes of your favourite show won't spark a white walker-filled apocalypse is clearly lost on some. The uproar spiked after GoT's latest instalment, the carnage- and dragon-heavy The Bells, which is also the series' second-last episode ever. Plenty of viewers have plenty of opinions about the show's narrative arc, its soaring body count, character development and how the expected showdown between Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) and Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) turned out, sparking a Change.org petition to "remake Game of Thrones season eight with competent writers". The petition was actually launched after the preceding episode, but took off in the past week. Thanks to darkly lit battle sequences and a quick glimpse of a modern-day takeaway coffee cup, GoT gripes have been coming in thick and fast this year. At the time of writing, more than 900,000 people have signed up — because "there is so much awful crap going on in the world, people like me need to escape into things like Star Wars and Game of Thrones," explains the petition's originator, Dylan. The main source of misdirected ire are showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who were tasked with conjuring up the show's storylines when it overtook George RR Martin's books. And if you're wondering about the Star Wars reference, that's the pair's next gig, overseeing a new trilogy that'll launch after this year's Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker. There's even a second petition now, directed towards Disney, asking for Benioff and Weiss to be pre-emptively removed from the space opera franchise. Online tantrums and outlandish fan service demands like this aren't new, as the backlash to the female-led Ghostbusters and to most women characters in big-name series have shown. Unsurprisingly, both Game of Thrones and Star Wars have specifically been plagued by the latter kind of ridiculous complaints. DC Comics fans also tried to shut down Rotten Tomatoes when they didn't like Suicide Squad reviews, too — before said fans had even seen the film themselves. There are countless more examples, but just because these entitlement-fuelled hissy fits are popping up regularly, doesn't mean they should be considered normal behaviour. Unless Game of Thrones ends with a dragon on the throne, it's never going to make everyone happy. Okay, that idea won't thrill a lot of people either. But not only whining loudly and incessantly because a movie or TV show doesn't meet your specific personal hopes, dreams and expectations, but insisting that it be remade to suit you, is as silly as GoT wrapping up with a resurrected Ned Stark (Sean Bean) as king or everyone learning that they're just a figment of the Three-Eyed Raven's imagination. Game of Thrones' final episode arrives on Monday, May 20, Australian and New Zealand time. Images: Helen Sloan/HBO.
What would 19th century Paris look like if it was depicted on MTV? If you're seeing visions of Baz Lurhmann’s Moulin Rouge!, that's understandable. The courtesan that inspired the film is also the basis for this new Australian musical. Marie Duplessis is the woman in question: a party girl, liar and legend who transitioned from a life of extreme poverty to a position as the most notorious woman in France. Hers is quite the tale, and Songs for the Fallen promises to be quite the show — the extraordinary true story it charts aside, it did just win best show and best actress at the 2015 New York Musical Theatre Festival after all.
Maybe you love checking out live bands, especially today's up and comers that'll become tomorrow's huge stars. Perhaps you like hearing the inside word from folks in the music business who've been there, done that and seen everything. For 22 years, BIGSOUND has offered both, operating as both a music festival and a conference — and its 2023 run just nabbed a few more impressive speakers. Back in April, the Brisbane event revealed the first folks that'd be chatting this year, with its initial speaker lineup headlined by ROC Nation's Omar Grant — who was once the road manager for Destiny's Child and now shares the President role at Jay-Z's entertainment agency. Now, the fest has added talents with experience managing Wham! and composing the score for Avatar: The Way of Water. Meet BIGSOUND 2023's two Simons: Simon Napier-Bell and Simon Franglen. The first also managed George Michael and Boney M, wrote music alongside Dusty Springfield, and made a documentary about Michael — and also one about Frank Sinatra. The second is a Grammy-winning composer with experience working with Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Madonna and Barbra Streisand. Plus, among Franglen's screen credits also sits music roles on Titanic, Moulin Rouge!, Skyfall, SPECTRE, Space Jam, Cool Runnings and Se7en. Both will discuss their hefty careers on a conference bill that's just added Clockenflap Festival promoter Cora Chan and South by Southwest's Senior Music Programmer Dev Sherlock, among others, as well. Over the past two-plus decades, BIGSOUND has highlighted Australia's music industry, getting power players sharing their experience and advice, championing emerging talents, fostering crucial connections, and celebrating live tunes and the folks that make them happen in general. In 2023, it'll do so across four days, at 18 venues, with 141 artists getting behind the microphone and via 300-plus showcases, all from Tuesday, September 5–Friday, September 8. The music lineup was announced in early July, as chosen from more than 1300 applications. Among those making the bill: Brisbane's own Full Flower Moon Band, Zheani, Felivand and Baby Prince; Sydney's Moss and Little Green; Melbourne's PANIA, Moaning Lisa and The Slingers; Perth's DICE and Siobhan Cotchin; and Adelaide's Aleksiah and The Empty Threats. From New Zealand comes Reb Fountain and SWIDT, while Casey Mowry and MF Tomlinson are heading to Queensland from the UK. [caption id="attachment_907796" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dave Kan[/caption] BIGSOUND 2023 SPEAKER LINEUP: First conference announcement: Ash Stahl (Flightless) Cabrea Casey (Downtown Music) Hazel Savage (Soundcloud) Michele Ronzon (Interscope) Omar Grant (ROC Nation) Scott Cohen (JKBX) Vanessa Palmer (Paramount) Second conference announcement: Chloe Pean (AEG Presents) Chris Brearley (Greyline Touring / School Night) Chris Duncan (The Orchard) Christiaan Kröner (FUGA / Downtown) Cora Chan (Clockenflap Festival) David Telfer (DMT Law Firm) Dev Sherlock (SXSW) Ed Lilo (Festival Republic) Eli Gelernter (Wasserman) Hallie Anderson (Rareform) Hannah Sklonick (Secretly Group) Jackie Palazzolo (Riot Games) Jaclyn Ulman (Grandstand Media) Jacob Daneman (Pitch Perfect PR) Jamie Shaughnessy (CAA) Jule Konrad (FMLY) Kate English (Parallel Lines) Louisa Robinson (Form Presents) Matt Hanner (Runaway Artists) Patrick Daniel (Reeperbahn) Seth Hubbard (Polyvinyl) Seth Kallen (This Faction) Silke Westera (FKP Scorpio) Simon Franglen (Composer/Producer) Simon Napier-Bell (Manager) Steve Zapp (ITB) Tony Kiewel (Sub Pop) BIGSOUND 2023 will take place between Tuesday, September 5–Friday, September 8 in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane. For more information, visit bigsound.org.au. Check out BIGSOUND's 2023 artist lineup. Top image: courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2022 20th Century Studios.
When a music star drops news that they're heading Down Under on their very own podcast, believe them. Jessie Ware did just that back in May, advising that she'd be playing Australian music festival Summer Camp later this year — and now the fest has confirmed that she'll be headlining. Ware will play the event's two stops in December 2023, with Summer Camp kicking off on in Melbourne on Saturday, December 2, then heading north to Sydney on Sunday, December 3 — with inner-city venues for each city still to be revealed. [caption id="attachment_899478" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Raph_PH via Wikimedia Commons.[/caption] It's been a long time between Australian visits for the UK disco-pop queen. The last time she graced our shores was for Laneway Festival all the way back in 2013. In the period since, she's released four albums, including the immensely critically acclaimed What's You Pleasure in 2020 and its equally vibrant recent follow-up That! Feels Good!. But now Ware's drought of Aussie appearances is officially coming to an end. Ware initially let the news slip on an episode of her podcast Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware, when the singer and her mother Lennie were joined by a fellow pop icon: Australia's very-own Dannii Minogue. While the episode traverses the dynamics of the Minogue family and the delights of panna cotta, one eagle-eared Twitter user noticed that Ware dropped the unannounced goss that she'd be heading Down Under. "I'm actually going to Australia in November for this festival called Summer Camp," Ware said while discussing travel plans, and the possibility of doing a Table Manners series here in Oz. [caption id="attachment_911167" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jack Grange[/caption] Summer Camp hosted its inaugural festivals in Sydney and Melbourne in 2022, combining top-notch tunes and LGBTQIA+ pride through a stacked lineup featuring Years & Years, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Big Freedia, Cub Sport and The Veronicas. 2023's full plans haven't yet been revealed, other than Ware doing the honours. Who'll be joining her is among the details still to come. Ware has also just dropped her latest single, a new duet version of 'Freak Me Now' with Róisín Murphy, which you can check out below: SUMMER CAMP FESTIVAL 2023 AUSTRALIAN DATES: Saturday, December 2 — Melbourne, venue TBC Sunday, December 3 — Sydney, venue TBC Summer Camp will play Sydney and Melbourne in December 2023. For further details or to nab tickets, head to the festival's website.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe's phase four is so 2022, and earlier. In 2023, the comic book-based blockbuster screen saga is all about phase five. And, to begin with, it's 100-percent focused on the MCU's tiniest superhero: Ant-Man, as adorably played by Paul Rudd. Here, entertaining things come in small packages, as the character's two solo big-screen outings have shown. Yes, those past flicks have also wavered between charming and familiar, but whenever the ageless star himself pops up — and wherever, given that he hasn't just been confined to his own franchise within the franchise — he's always proven a treat. So, of course a third Ant-Man movie is on its way, because who doesn't want to give the world more Paul Rudd more often? The MCU clearly does, and that new film is Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, which dropped its first trailer in 2022 and will buzz into cinemas this February. This time, the MCU's insect-sized superheroes — including both Scott Lang aka Ant-Man (Rudd, Ghostbusters: Afterlife) and Hope van Dyne aka The Wasp (Evangeline Lily, Crisis) — are thrust into a secret universe beneath the one they already know and inhabit, and also face a new enemy. The chaotic space? The quantum realm, hence the Quantumania part of the upcoming movie's title. The adversary? Kang the Conqueror, as played by Lovecraft Country and The Harder They Fall's Jonathan Majors. And yes, both pop up in just-released new trailer for Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, too, where the story gets dark quickly. Also part of the movie is the return of Hope's parents Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer, French Exit) and Hank Pym (Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method), plus Scott's now-older daughter Cassie (Kathryn Newton, Freaky). Viewers of 2015's Ant-Man and 2018's Ant-Man and the Wasp will know that Janet spent decades stuck in the quantum realm, so it's unsurprising that she's a key part of Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. But, she hasn't told her family and friends everything about the place — as the film is set to explore. When it hits cinemas, the movie doesn't just spark Marvel's fifth phase — it also notches up the MCU's 31st film. Of course, if you're reading this, you know that, and you're ready for the company's latest silver-screen adventure after 2022's Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Check out the new Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania trailer below: Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania hits cinemas Down Under on February 16, 2023. Images: courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2023 MARVEL.
If you've ever wished for your own personal sommelier, you're in some serious luck. The Wine Gallery is an Australian-based, online wine store that delivers wine curated by one of the best wine sommeliers in Australia right to your front door. And when The Wine Gallery say "one of the best wine sommeliers", they mean it — for this project, Australian entrepreneur Tom Walenkamp has teamed up with three-time Sommelier of the Year Banjo Harris Plane, whose resume also boasts former head sommelier at Attica and co-owner of Fitzroy's Bar Liberty. The idea originated when Walenkamp was studying abroad in France. "My European classmates already knew so much about wine from their culture and I thought the Australian market would really benefit from this type of knowledge," says Walenkamp. "I love drinking wine but always felt a bit on the outside — I call it playing wine roulette because you never know what you're going to get." Not so with The Wine Gallery. The deal is simple: subscribers take a palate quiz and receive three recommend bottles each month based on personal preferences. The bottles on offer are hand-selected by Plane's wine team and each bottle comes with tasting notes, detailed information on the grapes and stories behind the wine makers, along with recipes and food pairings. If you aren't happy with a bottle they'll replace it without a fuss and there's also no lock-in so you can pause, skip or cancel your membership whenever you like. "It's a fully interactive site, with ratings and feedback systems, so after two months no two people will have the same recommendations," says Walenkamp. "You don't have to go with our recommendations, either — you can always swap bottles, add more, or decide to go with all reds for colder months, for example." They've also just rolled out a new, 'state of the art' rewards program — thanks to third co-founder and expert coder Humberto Moreira — which keeps track of the different wine types, production methods and wine regions of each bottle you receive. This allows members to log in and track their wine journey in a visual way, with a few free bottles of plonk as you earn 'badges'. The three bottles are reasonably priced at a uniform $69 and The Wine Gallery will ship anywhere in Australia for a flat rate of $9 (they offer complimentary shipping for orders over $150). Morning orders will even be dispatched same day, so you don't have to wait long to crack one open. "The site is an access point for people that don't really know where to start exploring, and being an independent, online store mean can share our love and knowledge of wine with a much broader part of the Australian population," says Walenkamp. The Wine Gallery will ship anywhere in Australia. To sign up or for more info, visit thewinegallery.com.au.
Technology has changed the way we travel, and as the world gets smaller it's becoming an increasingly complex place to navigate. Where once we relied on the endorsements of friends and family to help shape our plans, we now treat the opinions of total strangers on TripAdvisor, Expedia and Stayz as gospel. As Lonely Planet roll out their trusty guide books in every digital format imaginable, niche publishers like Wallpaper and le cool are getting in on the act by creating city guides for people seeking experiences that complement their new Paul Smith socks. And what's more, social networking sites Facebook, Path and Google+, paired with photography apps like Instagram and Hipstamatic, let us share things as they happen and make us look like we actually know how to use our SLRs. But what generally lies at the heart of a traveller's wishlist is not the desire to micromanage every detail of their holiday, but to witness something truly beautiful. What these new technologies provide us with is rapid access to the places and people that capture the imagination. Here are 21 locations from around the world that do just that. Mount Roraima, Venezuela Wineglass Bay, Tasmania Multnomah Falls, Oregon, USA Preikestolen, Norway Paterswoldsemeer, Netherlands Blue Caves, Zakynthos, Greece Petra, Jordan Huangshan, China Skaftafell, Iceland Ebenalp, Switzerland Kawasan Falls, Philippines Anse Lazio, Seychelles Yi Peng Festival, Thailand Sagano Bamboo Forest, Japan Santorini, Greece Bora Bora, French Polynesia Moraine Lake, Alberta, Canada Soufriere, St Lucia Capilano Suspension Bridge, British Columbia, Canada Siminopetra, Greece Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, Iceland [Images via Coolhunter]
Already boasting zip rides, bridge climbs, tower walks and bungy experiences, there's an endless number of reasons why Queenstown is dubbed the 'adventure capital of New Zealand'. Now there's one more, with the introduction of a human catapult that reaches speeds of almost 100 kilometres per hour in 1.5 seconds. Launched by the leaders of adventure tourism in New Zealand, AJ Hackett Bungy, the world-first Nevis Catapult is found in the Nevis Valley. The attraction, which has been called the "biggest and most extreme catapult in the world", sees thrill seekers shoot 150 metres out across a ravine before dropping towards the valley floor and experiencing a series of vertical bounces. From release to recovery the experience takes between three to four minutes. Only accessible by 4WD bus and housed in a pod alongside the Nevis Swing, the catapult is a combination of height, flight and speed using a winch system developed over years of research. The technology for the multi-million-dollar catapult was developed with the company's research team before being built in a testing facility in Christchurch. Testing has been conducted over the past nine months — beginning with weighted barrels, before moving on to a test dummy phase and finally human testing. Co-founder Henry van Asch says he first came up with the idea when travelling around France during the 1980s with Bungy co-founder, AJ Hackett. "I played around with the idea by riding my mountain bike with a Bungy cord attached, off bridges." he says. Adult tickets for the Nevis Catapult ring up at NZD$255. For more information, visit bungy.co.nz. Image: James Morgan Photography.
Biding your time until the next season of Stranger Things drops, or just looking for a fun new procrastination technique? Thanks to Netflix's latest addition, you can now do both. The streaming platform has just jumped into the mobile games realm, adding five titles to its Android app — and two of them are Stranger Things-themed, because of course they are. If you have an Android device (and the Netflix app installed on it, obviously), you'll now be greeted with the option to play Stranger Things: 1984 and Stranger Things 3: The Game — as well as the non Stranger Things-related Shooting Hoops, Card Blast and Teeter Up. Mashing buttons obviously isn't why you normally open up Netflix on your phone, but clearly the streaming behemoth is hoping that'll change. The company is aiming to leap into mobile gaming in a big way, in fact, offering the same kind of mix that it's launching with — so, titles linked to its streaming content, plus a range of others. While Netflix's gaming options are only available on Android for now, they'll be rolled out to iOs as well in the near future. If you now know how you're going to spend your public transport trips to and from work, you'll be able to access Netflix's new games as part of your existing subscription — and there's no in-app purchases, either. Netflix is offering its games in multiple languages, too, and on all devices linked to each account — but not via kids profiles. Here are the five games available to download and play, with a whole lot more coming! 🕹Stranger Things: 1984 🎮Stranger Things 3 🏀 Shooting Hoops 🃏 Card Blast 🎱 Teeter Up — Netflix Geeked (@NetflixGeeked) November 2, 2021 This isn't the first time that the streaming service has flirted with gaming, if it all sounds a little familiar. Back in 2017, it released a retro-style, side-scrolling online video game that also nodded to Stranger Things — and in its streaming content itself, it's given viewers choose-your-own-adventure style movie specials such as Black Mirror: Bandersnatch and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs the Reverend. Also, we've all clearly just watched Squid Game. Yes, you can probably expect a mobile game linked to the hit Korean series to pop up at some point as well. Netflix's mobile games are now available via its Android app. For more details, head to the Netflix website.
Get ready rock fans, for the Arctic Monkeys will be returning to Australia and New Zealand next year. The British band will embark on their biggest down under tour to date this autumn for their latest album, AM. The album, which was released this past September, is the band's fifth consecutive number 1 in the UK and also debuted at the top spot in the ARIA Albums Chart. So, Aussie and Kiwi fans, get stoked because you'll soon have the chance to hear their awesome collection of new jams, including chart toppers such as 'R U Mine?' and 'Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?' Original fans needn't worry, because the Monkeys never forget to pay tribute to their old school favourites. You'll probably still get your chance to belt out 'Fluorescent Adolescent's, "Oh the boy's a slag / The best you ever had / The best you ever had." Arctic Monkeys 2014 Tour Dates: Auckland: May 2, Vector Arena Wellington: TSB Arena Sydney: May 6, Entertainment Centre Brisbane: May, Entertainment Centre Melbourne: May 9, Rod Laver Arena Adelaide: May 10, AEC Theatre Perth: May 13, Perth Arena Tickets go on sale December 11 https://youtube.com/watch?v=6366dxFf-Os
Planes are not the first mode of transportation you associate with relaxation. Sure, Qantas plaster their lounges with posters about gourmet dining at 30,000 feet and if you're in first class you can settle into the flight with a warm lavender scented towel on your face (I assume). But for most of us, flying is a literal rollercoaster of anxiety and frustration. On every trip, I have the same devastating thought: Is this how I die? "She went peacefully," the eulogy will read. "The air hostess plied her with a $10 plastic cup of wine and she seemed mildly entertained by the rerun of Modern Family." Anyway. Apparently, it's not all that bad. When planes are stationary, closer to the ground and filled with handcrafted luxury items, they're okay by me. Enter Costa Rica's Costa Verde resort — the world's premier destination for finery and fuselage. Crafted from the airframe of an abandoned 1965 Boeing 727, Costa Verde's Phoenix Suite is understandably the hotel's 'most exclusive' accommodation. The two-bedroom luxury suite is entirely fitted out with Costa Rican teak panelling and hand-crafted Indonesian furniture, and it also a large deck on what was once the plane's right wing. Nestled at the edge of the Manuel Antonio National Park, this suite offers amazing access to the nation's wildlife too. Sloths, iguanas, birds and butterflies roam freely around the area, but most famously the grounds are home to a large variety of monkeys — squirrel, howler, and white-faced. As you might expect, it's somewhat exxy ($250-750 per night without taxes). Perhaps you could write it off as a medical expense — an entirely necessary measure to cure your fear of flying. Regardless, in the land where money is no object and all the animal kingdom are at one with us, we would like to be taken there immediately. Via Lost At E Minor.
No one has been travelling far over the past year — for a holiday, at least — with the international travel industry changing dramatically as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. If and when things start returning to normal, however, one airline has added another reason for you to book a ticket, get comfy on its seats and fly to somewhere other than the city you live in. That'd be Qantas. Since 2014, the Australian carrier has begun each year by being named the safest airline to travel on for that upcoming year — and, while little has turned out as anyone planned over the past 12 months, Qantas has once again picked up the highly sought-after accolade. By winning in 2021, the Aussie carrier has now topped AirlineRatings.com's list for eight years in a row. Entering its 101st year of operation, the airline emerged victorious from a pool of 385 carriers from around the world, with Virgin Australia and Air New Zealand also making the site's top 20. In order, the other 17 airlines span Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Emirates, EVA Air, Etihad Airways, Alaska Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways, British Airways, Hawaiian Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, SAS, Finnair, Lufthansa, KLM and United Airlines. If you're a budget-conscious flyer, the website also outlined the ten safest low-cost airlines. Jetstar made the list — which it also did back in 2019, but missed out in 2020 — with Air Arabia, Allegiant, easyjet, Frontier, Jetblue, Ryanair, Vietjet, Westjet and Wizz also featuring. Factors that influence a carrier's placement on the two lists include crash and incident records, safety initiatives, fleet age, profitability, and audits by aviation governing bodies, industry bodies and governments. No one needs any extra encouragement to dream about overseas holidays at the moment — or even local ones in some places — but this just might be it. For the full AirlineRatings.com list, visit the airline safety and product rating review outfit's website.
On the lookout for a dope new denim jacket? Or do you want to be rid of that weird-looking lamp taking up space in the living room? Then, by golly, you're in luck. The Garage Sale Trail works with local council partners Australia-wide to get as many trash-and-treasure troves happening on the same day as possible. More than 8000 garages opened their doors to bargain hunters in previous years, and they're doing it for the seventh time on October 22. Aside from the retro goodies up for grabs, the Trail is all about sustainability. Instead of ending up in landfill, unwanted clutter becomes a fantastic find. So get that tight pair of sunnies for peanuts and help the environment at the same time. The Garage Sale Trail began humbly in Bondi in 2010 and is growing bigger every year. Register online to make a quick buck from your old junk and hang out with the friendly folks in your hood.
That's right, folks, Banksy's been at it again. The infamous camera-shy street artist sure knows how to draw a crowd, all without showing his face. Back in October 2013, Banksy took over the Big Apple for a month-long stint of pop-up installations and ol' fashioned street art. Now, you can watch the best bits in Chris Moukarbel's doco Banksy Does New York. From the Central Park stand where priceless originals were anonymously sold for $60 to the livestock delivery truck carrying bleating stuffed animals, Banksy's 'New York residency' was designed to shock, inspire and amuse. Eager fans followed Banksy's daily social media updates for hints to his location. What ensued can only be described as the best kind of adult art scavenger hunt across New York's city streets. Comprised of clips from fans plus footage recorded by Moukarbel and his team, Banksy Does New York looks at the audience, rather than the artist. Focusing on frenzied crowds of New Yorkers, iPhones at the ready, the film begs the question: who really is Banksy's subject? Banksy Does New York is in select cinemas (Dendy Newtown, Cinema Nova, Palace Centro, Palace Eastend, Luna Leederville and Palace Electric) on April 23. Thanks to Madman Films, Concrete Playground has ten double passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to our mailing list and then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au
It's a problem that everyone can relate to: your stomach is grumbling, but your tastebuds are craving two completely different types of food. You could make the hard choice and pick between them — or, if you happen to be hankering for mac 'n' cheese, pepperoni pizza and dumplings, you could make a beeline to Harajuku Gyoza. From Thursday, March 5, the Australian gyoza chain is serving up a new menu that turns the aforementioned dishes into gyoza. Come for the mac 'n' cheese variety, which stuffs deep-fried dumplings full of cheesy macaroni, then drizzles them with mayo — and stay for the pepperoni pizza version, which is "filled with all the flavours of a pepperoni pizza", and features pepperoni chips and oregano sprinkled on top. You can also tuck into a plate of buffalo chicken wing gyoza — another type that's "filled with all the flavours" of the relevant dish, and served with with blue cheese sauce and celery sticks. Harajuku Gyoza is also serving up two old favourites: cheeseburger gyoza, which is stuffed with burger pieces, aged cheddar, onion, pickles, mustard and tomato sauce; and mozzarella gyoza, which is filled with the obvious, then deep-fried and sprinkled with Twisties salt. Available for a limited time, the whole range has the cringe-worthy name of 'sumo dude food'. Of course, if you've always wondered what a dumpling-mac 'n' cheese combo would taste like — or if you're suddenly desperate to know now you've heard of this Frankenstein's monster-like food mashup — you won't care what it's called. Harajuku Gyoza's 'sumo dude food' range is currently available at all Australian stores — at Darling Harbour in Sydney; at South Bank, the CBD and Indooroopilly in Brisbane; and in Broadbeach on the Gold Coast — for a limited time.
It’s become a ritual of late for musicians to tour year after year. It’s something that brings hope to the fans that miss out on tickets, and no doubt puts some cash in the performers’ pockets too. No strangers to the ritual are Kiwi band, The Black Seeds, who were only here last year for Splendour. If you didn’t get to catch their absolutely blistering set, you will be pleased to know they are back again to tour the country on their 2012 Australia Dust and Dirt Release Tour. The Black Seeds dropped their sophomore album in April and since then the reggae masters have gone from strength to strength, garnering exceptional live reviews here and abroad. This show is a chance to gain a much-coveted first live listen to their newest stuff. The Black Seeds aren’t one trick ponies, with their latest release being self-recorded and produced in a modest Wellington studio. This exciting, organic step has created a new level of hype for the group, as their sound is evolving and changing. Make sure you catch their set, along with guests Cheap Fakes, and no matter if you miss out on tickets or if you go, I’m sure they’ll be back to amaze us all once again.
Part of the month-long Brisbane Festival, Riverfire is a city-wide celebration where fireworks are launched from various locations along the Brisbane River. While most people gather along the water, particularly at South Bank, you can skip waiting in the cold by securing a table at Supernormal for its Riverfire Banquet. The seafood-led hotspot, headed up by Andrew McConnell, sits at riverside level with floor-to-ceiling windows and a view that's reflected in mirrored panels along the back wall, ensuring you'll see the fireworks no matter where you're sitting. If you've already had the privilege of dining at Supernormal Brisbane, you'll be aware of fan-favourite menu items, like the New England lobster roll and Moreton Bay bugs. Inspired by McConnell's time spent in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo and Seoul, this mostly seafood menu is packed with Asian flavours. For your multi-course Riverfire Banquet, indulge in a shared menu celebrating early spring produce and some of Supernormal's most-loved dishes. Start with seasonal pickles, Moreton Bay bug toast, prawn and chicken dumplings with chilli vinegar and of course, those delectable lobster rolls. Then, enjoy a juicy grilled stockyard striploin served with marinated eggplant, spiced yoghurt and coriander, along with a daikon salad and steamed rice. Finally, end the night with a peanut butter parfait with salted caramel and soft chocolate. Book a table for Riverfire at Supernormal and prepare for a night of utter elegance while you absorb Brisbane's beautiful city skyline and fireworks display.
In an Australian first, Queenslanders heading for a night out and to music festivals will be able to check their illicit substances for dangerous ingredients on an ongoing basis. The Sunshine State's government has announced that it is introducing pill testing for the first time — and not simply allowing it for one specific event, but permitting fixed and mobile sites in general. The move comes after trials in Canberra, which has included Groovin' the Moo in 2018 and 2019. The Australian Capital Territory also launched the country's first fixed testing site as part of a six-month trial. [caption id="attachment_760714" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Groovin the Moo, Mackenzie Sweetnam[/caption] While protocols for pill testing in Queensland are still being developed, and a provider to oversee the service is still being sought, sites will be established as a harm reduction strategy — aiming to minimise overdoses and other adverse effects resulting from party drugs. "Pill testing is all about harm minimisation; we don't want people ending up in our emergency departments or worse losing their life," said Queensland Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Yvette D'Ath, announcing the news. [caption id="attachment_809941" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dave Byrne[/caption] "It is important to note that pill-testing services do not promote that drugs are safe; however, they are among a suite of options that can positively affect outcomes regarding illicit drug use. Pill-testing services will inform people what chemical substances are in their drugs. We know people make better decisions when they are equipped with unbiased information," the Minister continued. "Drug testers can also influence a drug taker's behaviour, making them more likely to dispose of substances, decrease the amount they take, tell their peers and be more likely to seek help if they or others are experiencing adverse effects. The other benefit to pill testing is it provides critical information to law enforcement and health services about high-risk substances in the community or drug trends." A timeline for rolling out pill testing in Queensland hasn't yet been announced either, and neither has where folks will be able to head to beyond music festivals. But the Sunshine State has been reforming its drugs policies in general, including also newly expanding the Queensland's Police Drug Diversion program — which takes a tiered approach to minor drug-possession offences — to all types of illicit substances. The first instance now receives a warning and police referral to a support service, while the second and third involve mandatory participation in a Drug Diversion Assessment Program, with the fourth bringing a notice to appear in court. Drug checking has been used overseas since the 90s, but remains a controversial topic in Australia. Indeed, when Groovin the Moo conducted its first trial in 2018, calls to offer pill testing had been circulating for the prior two years, after a 15-year-old collapsed from an overdose at the fest's Maitland event in 2016. For more information about pill testing in Queensland, head to the Queensland Government website.
Taylor Swift's Australian Eras tour month is finally here. Nabbed tickets in the frenzy, but want more than the memories to celebrate? Missed out, but still keen for a souvenir to remember the occasion? Here's your mantra for February: look what you made me buy. Concert tours and merchandise always go hand in hand, but Swift's involves an official merch pop-up, plus days of presales prior to her gigs at the MCG in Melbourne and Accor Stadium in Sydney. And in the case of the one-day-only pop-up, you even need to reserve your place. [caption id="attachment_939192" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Paolo Villanueva via Wikimedia Commons.[/caption] If you're in the Victorian capital, mark Tuesday, February 13 in your diary, then make a date with Crown Melbourne. From 9am–6pm, you'll be able to pick up everything from t-shirts and hoodies to totes and water bottles. Yes, bracelets are also on the merch list. Only folks with a reservation, which can be made from midday AEDT on Wednesday, February 7, can attend, however. The other must-know pieces of info for the official merch pop-up: reservations are being allocated on a first-come-first-served basis, are free and can cover two people per booking. Once you've got yours, which come in half-hour lots, it's non-transferrable. [caption id="attachment_939193" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ronald Woan via Wikimedia Commons.[/caption] For Sydneysiders, those heading to the Harbour City for their Eras fix or folks in Melbourne who can't hit up Crown on the day in question, merchandise presales will start on the Wednesdays before Swift's gigs in each location. So, the MCG will be up and running from 10am–6pm between Wednesday, February 14–Thursday, February 15, and also during the concert dates from 12pm on Friday, February 16–Sunday, February 18. Accor Stadium will do the same in advance from 10am–6pm between Wednesday, February 21–Thursday, February 22, then from 12pm during the show dates from Friday, February 23–Monday, February 26. There's no reservations needed to get merch from the MCG and Accor Stadium. [caption id="attachment_939194" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ronald Woan via Wikimedia Commons.[/caption] When Sydney and Melbourne stops for Swift's career-spanning showcase were announced back June 2023, it sparked a rush for seats. Before general sales even started, the 'We Are Never Getting Back Together', 'Shake It Off' and 'Bad Blood' musician had announced an extra gig in both cities. And, the Victorian Government even declared her Melbourne stint a major event so that anti-scalping legislation would apply to tickets. At all gigs, Swift will have Sabrina Carpenter in support before she breaks out a showcase that steps through her entire career so far, playing tracks from each of her studio albums in a three-hour, 44-song, ten-act spectacular. If you saw Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour as a movie, aka a concert film of her latest shows that hit cinemas Down Under last October, you'll know what you're in for. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour Australian Merchandise Locations and Dates 2024: Tuesday, February 13 — Australia official merchandise pop-up, Crown Melbourne, Melbourne Wednesday, February 14–Thursday, February 15 — merchandise presale, MCG, Melbourne Friday, February 16–Sunday, February 18 — merchandise presale and show merchandise, MCG, Melbourne Wednesday, February 21–Thursday, February 22 — merchandise presale, Accor Stadium, Sydney Friday, February 23–Monday, February 26 — merchandise presale and show merchandise, Accor Stadium, Sydney Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour Australian Dates 2024: Friday, February 16–Sunday, February 18 — Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne Friday, February 23–Monday, February 26 — Accor Stadium, Sydney Taylor Swift is bringing The Eras Tour to Australia in February 2024. Head to the tour website for further details. Crown Melbourne's official Australian merchandise pop-up takes place on Tuesday, February 13 from 9am–6pm, with reservations required — and bookings open from 12pm AEDT on Wednesday, February 7. Head to the booking website for more information. Top image: Paolo Villanueva via Wikimedia Commons.
For not the first time in his career, Steven Spielberg deserves some serious credit. Lincoln is not only the director's most accomplished, audacious, and affecting film of perhaps the past 20 years but also his most surprising given the focus of the story he chose to tell. It's actually hard not to envisage the faces of the DreamWorks executives as he walked into their offices and said: "I'm ready to make another film". Jackpot. "And I want to do it about Lincoln." Double jackpot. Our most beloved president — bring on the inevitable Oscars and fortunes! "But instead of focussing on the Civil War=" ...uh-huh... "-and rather than looking at his assassination" ...yeeeeah… "-I want to spend three hours talking about the passing of some legislation by the House of Representatives." …Okay, umn…Steven, are you SURE you don't want to do it about the War? Because the War was VERY interesting…I mean there were explosions and everything. Well, screw that imaginary Dreamworks executive, because it's precisely that specificity and lack of action that makes Lincoln such an unexpectedly compelling biopic. It's also a notable counterpoint to 2011's Iron Lady in that, instead of covering the president's entire life, it essentially focuses on just a few weeks in January 1865 when Lincoln attempted to enact the 13th Amendment to the Constitution to abolish slavery. The traditional challenge for any historical narrative is that the audience already knows how it ends, meaning tension must be sought elsewhere, in the emotions rather than the events. Apollo 13 is a fine example of this. We all know Lovell and his crew made it back safely, but those final few minutes remain impossibly tense because we're so invested in the characters that didn't know. Hence the drama in Lincoln comes not from 'Would the anti-slavery bill pass?' but rather 'How did it pass, and at what cost?' The result is a beautifully nuanced film about statesmanship, quiet contemplation, and — above all else — principle. After years of devastating Civil War, Lincoln (in another mesmerising performance by Daniel Day-Lewis) finally finds himself presented with an opportunity to end the bloodshed subject only to the southern states' right to maintain slavery. With even his own children on the battlefield, the decision to make peace seems obvious, and yet, so too does equality — something deemed so obvious as to be self-evident. "We are stepped out upon the world stage now," he declares to his cabinet amid fierce opposition to the bill, "with the fate of human dignity in our hands." That he persisted and triumphed is why history reveres him, but how he did it and with whose help is why it's so worth watching.
Whether you're an old pro at visiting in Tasmania, a trip down south has always been on your to-do list or you're simply exploring your summer getaway options, the Apple Isle is about to welcome a lavish new spot that's tailor-made for Tassie holidays. Set to open in December, The Tasman marks the first Australian outpost for Marriott International's Luxury Collection hotels brand — so this is definitely a treat yo'self type of place to stay. Perched between Hobart's Salamanca Place and Parliament Square — complete with views out over the Sullivan's Cove waterfront — The Tasman will feature 152 rooms. Whichever one you're booked into, it won't be the same as any others on the property, because celebrating the character of the site is one of the hotel's main aims. Given that The Tasman features an original 1840s heritage building, a 1940s art deco building and a new glass-heavy pavilion, it's easy to see why that's such a focus. Some rooms nod in the heritage direction, others embrace art deco — and guests will enjoy original artworks by local creatives, island baths and fireplaces across the property. And, when you're not using the hotel as a base to explore the city, including not only Sullivan's Cove but also Salamanca Market and St David's Park, you can also pop into the onsite restaurant and bar. At Peppina, chef Massimo Mele will be serving up a Tassie take on Italian dishes, and pairing it with old-world hospitality. At Mary Mary, you'll sip cocktails by Proof & Company's Charlie Ainsbury — after finding the bar perched deep within The Tasman's sandstone walls. Price-wise, rooms start at around $400 per night. That said, you can expect to pay around $5000 a night for the Aurora Suite — the hotel's one-bedroom presidential suite, which comes with water views and its own rooftop terrace. The Tasman opens at 12 Murray Street, Hobart, in December 2021 — with bookings currently available from Tuesday, December 21 onwards. For further information, head to the hotel's website.
Brisbanites, your recycling routine is about to change, and, as well as being great for the planet, it's good for your wallet. Come Thursday, November 1, Queensland's Containers for Change refund scheme will come into effect, letting you exchange your used containers for a ten-cent refund per eligible vessel. Announced last year, it's the state's latest effort in the war on waste, after phasing out single-use plastic bags on July 1. And while similar schemes exist in most of the country — in South Australia, the Northern Territory, New South Wales and the ACT, with SA's dating back four decades — it's a case of better late than never. Apparently almost three billion beverage containers have been used by Queenslanders this year alone, so here's everything that you need to know. HOW DOES IT WORK? While we've all become accustomed to popping our empty drink containers into our yellow-topped wheelie bins, Containers for Change wants you to break that habit. From Thursday, November 1, you'll be able to take your beverage containers to one of Queensland's 230 refund sites instead (more on where they are below). The container refund scheme (CRS) does include a few rules, however. Queenslanders are asked to remove the lids from their containers before taking them to a collection site, and to make sure they don't contain sand or dirt, paint, petrol, noxious substances. You don't need to rinse them, but they do need to be empty. The CRS is also only open to containers purchased within Queensland. WHAT CAN YOU RECYCLE? Most aluminium, glass, plastic, steel and liquid paperboard beverage containers that range between 150ml and three litres in size can be recycled. To be eligible, they need to display the refund mark — many of them already will, but the ones that don't have until December 1, 2019 to add it. That said, there are some exceptions. You can't get a refund on any containers that held plain milk, or concentrated or undiluted cordial or syrup. The CRS also won't accept glass wine or pure spirits bottles of any size, or containers over one litre that held flavoured milk, pure fruit or vegetable juice or cask water. These containers can still be recycled through kerbside collection. And if you accidentally (or purposefully) place CRS-eligble containers in your wheelie bin, the kerbside operator and/or local council will be able to collect the ten-cent refund. WHERE DO YOU NEED TO TAKE YOUR EMPTY CONTAINERS? Container Exchange, the organisation managing the CRS, has set up 230 refund sites across the state. They include over-the-counter depots, drop-off sites (where you can leave already bagged and tagged containers), reverse vending machines that collect your containers and spit out refunds, and mobile and pop-up refund points. In Brisbane, the spread of sites spans the entire city, including depots located in West End, Geebung, Seventeen Mile Rocks, Salisbury, Tingalpa, Creastmead, Yerongpilly, Banyo, St Lucia, Darra, Samford Valley and Kedron. HOW WILL YOU GET PAID? To receive the ten-cent-per-container refund, you have several options. Some sites offer cash, but for those that process the payment via EFT, you'll need to sign up for a scheme account. You can also opt to not only do the environment a solid, but someone in need as well. The CRS allows you to donate your refund to a community group, not-for-profit or school, either at the collection point, or by taking your containers to a drop-off site run by a registered group or charity. Queensland's drink container refund scheme comes into effect on Thursday, November 1. For more information, visit the Containers for Change website.
Gin lovers, the start of Christmas season has officially arrived. Four Pillars is releasing its limited edition 2017 Australian Christmas gin tomorrow, Saturday, November 4. The Healesville distillery first debuted this smash-hit creation last year, with a gangbusters response demanding it become an annual occurrence. Building on a family tradition of making Christmas puddings every Derby Day, co-owner Cameron McKenzie distills some of those homemade puddings, adding a base of cinnamon, juniper, star anise, coriander and angelica. The blend's finished with a touch of Rutherglen muscat to create a luscious, spiced gin akin to Christmas in a bottle. This time around, the recipe features muscat matured in aged sherry puncheons at the distillery, stepping up the richness and adding even more complexity. Also new for 2017's gin is the striking label artwork, created by Melbourne-based artist Darren Song and inspired by Australia's own little beacon of Yuletide cheer, the Christmas beetle. A limited amount of Four Pillars Australian Christmas Gin is available online and at selected retail stores for $100 from Saturday, November 4.
Opposite the tranquil Maroochy River, you will find the Loea Boutique Hotel. An easy-breezy coastal retreat along the Maroochy River. Setting itself apart from other coastal hotels along the Sunshine Coast, Loea Boutique Hotel have opted for a refurbished vintage Citroën truck as their reception and check-in. Loea offers 10 rooms, each outfitted with crisp white sheets, beige tones, and natural wood and wicker elements throughout. Guests can opt to use Lea at a base to explore the pristine beaches and world-class surf of the Sunshine Coast, you can even borrow one of the free bikes that Loea offers guests, or stay and chill by the magnesium pool under tasselled white parasols. This is the spot for you if you're after a quintessentially Australian holiday. You're spoilt for choice food-wise, can flex your shopping muscles in curated local boutiques and if you're there for a weekend, can sample the produce of the near-tropics at Sunday-morning markets. Images: Loea Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
At a time when most IKEA furniture ends up deep in the Gumtree 'For Sale' ads or left on the side of the road, the Swedish retailer has come up with a pretty clever plan to give those unwanted flat-pack ensembles a second lease on life. In good news for those moving house and face with an accumulative collection of Malm blond wood pieces, IKEA has launched its furniture buy-back service at all of its Australian stores. From today, Australians will be able to bring in their retired IKEA pieces to be sold on to a new home — and score a voucher for their efforts. The program is being rolled out nationally after a year-long trial at Sydney's Tempe store which saw 1600 pieces bought back from customers. Now, you'll be able to do the same at the other two Sydney stores — in Rhodes and Marsden Park — as well as stores in Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide and Perth. The initiative was initially spurred by findings from the company's latest People & Planet Positive Report, which suggested Aussies threw away up to 13.5 million pieces of furniture that could have been recycled, reused or repaired. So how does it work? If you've got some furniture you want to get out of your life, you'll need to get an estimated quote online. Then, you'll need to take it and your furniture — still fully assembled, mind you — to the nearest IKEA store. Once there, your furniture will be assessed by an IKEA staff member, and they'll decide on a value and give you a buy-back refund card to use in-store. The buy-back scheme is only for IKEA furniture, and not for other products like lighting, mattresses, textiles, kitchen components or appliances. That's because the bought-back pieces need to be in good enough condition to be sold on to other customers in the As-Is store. It does, however, have separate recycling schemes for mattresses, batteries and light bulbs. If your Malm bed frame or chest of drawers isn't in quite good enough condition for the As-Is store, you might need to consider donating it to charity or finding another way to recycle it. And if you are buying new furniture, consider buying something secondhand from the As-Is store, or at least investing in something that you plan to keep long-term. You can get a quote on your IKEA furniture here, and then you'll be able to take it to the Tempe, Marsden Park, Rhodes, Richmond, Springvale, Logan, North Lakes, Adelaide, Canberra or Perth stores to redeem a refund voucher.
This year, the World's 50 Best Restaurants awards will be held in Melbourne, and will see the globe's biggest culinary names descend on Australia to shed some light on what goes into creating the world's best dishes. But what about the food that gets left behind? Well, none other than the world's best chef Massimo Bottura will tackle the issue of food waste head-on when he teams up with a slew of local chefs and food waste charity OzHarvest for an exclusive degustation in Sydney on Sunday, April 2. Bottura — the super affable renowned chef behind Italy's Osteria Francescana, which was again named the number one restaurant in the world last year — will host the eye-opening event at OzHarvest's Alexandria headquarters. While he won't be cooking, he'll be joined by a hand-picked team of local chefs who will, including Rob Cockerill (Bennelong), Josh Niland (Saint Peter), Monty Koludrovic (Icebergs, The Dolphin), Clayton Wells (Automata) and James Viles (Biota). They'll plate up a fine dining feast made with food that's usually destined for the bin, matched to some top Aussie wines. The 130 lucky diners will enjoy sharp service led by Rockpool Dining Group's food and beverage director Jeremy Courmidas, the sommelier skills of Icebergs' James Hird, and a stunning setting designed by George Livissianis and decorated with works from some leading Australian artists. Plus, with everyone's time and all produce and products donated, all proceeds from the night will head straight to OzHarvest, as well as Bottura's Italian food waste non-profit Food for Soul. It's set to be a once-in-a-lifetime dining event, so, naturally, it comes with a once-in-a-lifetime price tag. Tickets will set you back a cool $1000. Tickets to Massimo Bottura's OzHarvest degustation dinner go on sale at 9am this Tuesday, March 14, and are available here.
If you've never hallucinated a coyote, or simply really really like hot chilli, then get to Kettle and Tin for their annual Chilli Cook Off. If Kettle and Tin's last six cook-offs proved anything, it's that this festival isn't one for the timid of stomachs. Things will really heat up on Sunday, March 24, when some of Brisbane's best chefs compete to win the event's coveted trophy. The competitors don't mess around, the chilli proves off-the-scale delish and everything from the food to the drinks bites hard. Admission is $25, and includes live music, one free beer and all the chilli you can eat. Our tip: if you're not a fan of spice, BYO milk. The Chilli Cook Off begins at 9.30am and is expected to run long into the evening, with plenty of craft brews all part of the fun. If you think you can handle the heat, pack your chilli spoon and head along.
Often the most memorable Oscar moments occur between awards. Like the sight of watching Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong’o jump out of her seat to dance with Pharrell during his live performance of his hit single 'Happy'. Not to mention 18-time nominee Meryl Streep doing her best nonchalant shimmy-shimmy in Mr Williams' face. After storming the stage (in yet another one of those hats) with the incredibly upbeat number and his huge team of dancers, Pharrell must have noticed that a lot of the seated Hollywood crowd seemed a tad, shall we say, reluctant to stand up and get involved at the risk of looking stupid. Thankfully, Meryl’s loved to boogie ever since her days of rolling around idyllic Greek holiday resorts for Mamma Mia! and wasn’t afraid to pull a discreet dance move. And Nyong’o is presumably one of the most genuinely happy people at the ceremony considering the critical adoration she’s received for 12 Years a Slave. She went on to win in her category, Best Supporting Actress.
It's official: after a dream of a first season, Rose Matafeo's delightful rom-com sitcom Starstruck is back to make you fall head over heels for its firmly 21st-century take on dating a famous actor all over again. It's also official for Matafeo's (Baby Done) on-screen alter ego Jessie and Tom (Nikesh Patel, Four Weddings and a Funeral), the celebrity she had a one-night stand with on New Year's Eve, then navigated an awkward will-they-won't-they dance around every time they ran into each other in London. Once the show's newly arrived second season gets a few episodes in — it's now streaming in full via ABC iView in Australia and TVNZ OnDemand in New Zealand — they're officially dating. Starstruck's debut run ended with a glorious jump in Jessie and Tom's relationship. She was set to leave the UK to return home to New Zealand, but he showed up at just the right moment to inspire her to stay. Indeed, when the season came to a close, they sat on the backseat of a bus, blissful smiles slowly slipping as they each internally grabbled with what'd just happened, like they were were Dustin Hoffman and Katharine Ross 55 years back. That nod to The Graduate couldn't have been more knowing, just like the show's entire narrative arc across its first season. Co-writing the series as well as starring — and playing a movie-loving cinema employee at that — Matafeo and co-scribes Alice Snedden and Nic Sampson recognise that the best way to create a smart, savvy, affectionate and heartfelt entry in such a well-populated, often schmaltzy and cheesy genre is to call out all of the conventions and tropes. And, to play with and twist them, then layer them with truth, wit and depth. Indeed, rom-com self-awareness has always been one of Starstruck's big assets — it basically takes Notting Hill's setup and fast-forward two-plus decades, after all — and that hasn't changed in season two. This next batch of six episodes has a key question in mind, however: once you've enjoyed the wild meet-cute, ridden the courtship rollercoaster and been bowled over by a grand romantic gesture, what comes next? It's the stuff that rom-com sequels might cover, except that for all of Hollywood's eagerness to rinse and repeat its most popular fare, the romantic-comedy genre is comparatively sparse in the follow-up department. It's easy to understand why everything from Pretty Woman to Amelie hasn't sparked on-screen continuations — or the likes of Clueless, 10 Things I Hate About You and, yes Notting Hill, too. Getting to live happily ever after is always the point, as well as the end point. Thankfully, merely recharting that familiar path wasn't ever going to be enough for Starstruck, as wonderful a job as it did of doing just that in its first season. As a result, season two picks up exactly where its predecessor left off. Jessie and Tom's bus ride segues into a WTF realisation, as in "WTF do we do now?". That's a query that Jessie isn't ready to answer, even though she's made the big leap and missed her flight home. So, she avoids even tackling the situation, instead dragging Tom along to play tourist for the day. He's meant to be flying off to Ireland for a new film shoot and delays leaving for Jessie, so her decision to simply ignore what they've both just done affects them both in multiple ways. The mess of any and every relationship, which rom-coms don't typically show when they end with that happily-ever-after moment, fuels Starstruck's new episodes. Like everyone, Jessie and Tom have plenty. They both have pasts and exes, which shapes how they approach romance now. They know they want to be together, but Jessie isn't as committed to putting in the effort that an ordinary, everyday, long-term relationship requires. Tom has a judgemental brother Vinay (Parth Thakerar, Vigil), too, who doesn't make a great first impression. Plus, Jessie's last boyfriend Ben (Edward Easton, Porters) reappears in her life, much to her devoted best friend and roommate Kate's (Emma Sidi, Pls Like) dismay. Starstruck wades through all of this chaos, and through the inescapable fact that getting what we want can also spark a spiral of self-sabotage one throwaway comment, pointless disagreement and lie of omission at a time. The show's second season is light but also deep, the exact opposite of one of its key watery settings, and remains a rom-com that's as aware of what relationships in 2022 are really alike as it is about how romance is typically portrayed in its genre. Matafeo, Sneddon and Sampson (who also plays Jessie's fellow Kiwi-in-the-UK pal Steve) still keep the screwball vibe alive, and the dialogue sharp and relatable, of course. They keep the fellow rom-com references weaved in as well (Love Actually and Bridget Jones' Diary fans, prepare to feel seen). There's no morning-after stride of pride to the sounds of 'Return of the Mack' this time, but everything else that made Starstruck's first season such a gem is accounted for. Matafeo is still a multi-layered marvel as Jessie, especially as the series wades through more of her tumultuous choices. Patel keeps finding the ideal balance of charisma and earthiness while playing a well-known actor who knows the trappings of his work, what he values and what he wants out of a relationship. The supporting cast — the returning Minnie Driver (Cinderella) as Tom's Agent and Russell Tovey (Years and Years) as the director of his latest project included — remains top-notch, and the direction is breezy but never fluffy or frothy. Yes, Marry Me is now flirting with the same concept on the big screen, but Starstruck is the clever and charming rom-com to truly swoon over. Check out the trailer for Starstruck's second season below: Starstruck's second season is available to stream in Australia via ABC iView and in New Zealand via TVNZ OnDemand. Read our full review of Starstruck's first season.
Whether you like it or not, summer's balmy weather is hanging around a little longer this year. Most of Australia is forecast to score a hotter-than-average autumn, and although that doesn't sound all that unusual in Queensland, Brisbanites are about to endure a second successive week of 30 degree-plus temperatures. Tipping a maximum temperature of 36 degrees on Monday, March 11, the Bureau of Meteorology expects the mercury to rise up to eight degrees above average. That's verging into record-breaking territory. Indeed, the organisation is calling the temperature spike a heatwave, with the city also predicted to reach 33 degrees on Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday, then hover between 31–33 until Saturday. https://twitter.com/BOM_Qld/status/1104224028066283520 The early autumn warmth will spread across southeast Queensland, affecting Brisbane, Ipswich and the Gold and Sunshine coasts — and if 36 degrees sounds hot, spare a thought for Ipswich residents, who'll swelter through a 39-degree max on Monday. Of course, it hasn't exactly been cool in Brissie for the past week, exceeding 30 degrees every day since Monday, March 4. Showers and storms are possible from Tuesday onwards; however they won't bring a cool change, but an increase in humidity. The hot spell comes off the back of a record-breaking summer, with January was the hottest month ever recorded in Australia, and the entire season marked the warmest the country has ever experienced. Historically, Brisbane's March average is 29.1 degrees, while the month's hottest temperature came in 2007, courtesy of a 37.9-degree maximum. When BOM released its climate outlook for the March to May period back in mid-February, it revealed that most of the country is in for warmer days and stickier nights than we usually see at this time of year — so yes, the soupy weather is set to continue. In fact, there's an 80 percent chance that mainland Australian will experience autumn temperatures that are a whole lot warmer than the median. Don't go putting away your pedestal fans or losing your air-con remote just yet. Image: Kgbo via Wikimedia Commons.
If spending your days indoors has you feeling nostalgic, that's understandable. As the world reacts to the COVID-19 pandemic, pining for happier times gone by is a completely natural response. So far, you've probably adjusted your viewing — lapping up plenty of retro animated favourites, such as Studio Ghibli's back catalogue. And, thanks to San Churro, you can now send your tastebuds back to a simpler, rosier era as well. The nationwide chain has just launched a new 'throwback edition' range of churro snack packs, which combine its eponymous dish — aka those long, thin, fried-dough pastries — with a number of retro dessert staples. Think churros with fairy bread, churros with chocolate crackles, and churros sprinkled with strawberry and grape Nerds. Each pack comes with mini churros, its chosen nostalgic dessert, your choice of drizzled white, dark or milk chocolate, and either ice cream or strawberries. The fairy bread pack features speckles and white chocolate ice cream, for example, while the chocolate crackle pack keeps the theme going with chocolate ice cream — and the Nerds pack drops its sugary lollies over the pinkest of fruits. If you're not already getting playground flashbacks, San Churro is also hosting 'throwback Thursdays' throughout May, with its snack packs on offer at 90s prices every Thursday from 4–8pm. That'll reduce a $17 snack pack down to $11, with packs available for takeaway, or for delivery via DoorDash, Menulog, Deliveroo and Uber Eats. And, for those who prefer going retro with a warm, milky beverage instead, 'throwback edition' hot chocolates are also on the menu. Yes, that means that you can sip a hot choccy topped with fairy bread, chocolate crackle pieces or Nerds — or choose honeycomb pieces instead. San Churro's 'throwback edition' range of snack packs are available in-store now, with 'throwback Thursday' pricing available every Thursday from 4–8pm until Thursday, May 28. For further information, visit the chain's website.
If you're a Queenslander with a trip to Melbourne in your future — or vice versa — the pandemic has just interrupted your plans. With the Victorian capital currently in day one of a snap five-day lockdown in attempt to contain the Holiday Inn COVID-19 cluster, the Sunshine State has declared the area a coronavirus hotspot. And, as a result, Queensland has closed its borders to the city. The change was announced yesterday, Friday, February 12, and came into effect at 1am today, Saturday February 13. It specifically applies to Greater Melbourne, with 36 Local Government Areas in the region all now considered hotspots by the Queensland government. Accordingly, folks who've been in Greater Melbourne are no longer be permitted to enter Queensland, unless they receive an exemption and then go into government quarantine for 14 days. The border will be closed for at least the next fortnight, and affects anyone who has been to Greater Melbourne in the past 14 days or since Tuesday, February 9 — whichever is shorter. Noting that some folks from Melbourne will already be in Queensland — and some Queenslanders who've visited the city and then returned home recently, too — the state government is also asking anyone who has been to Greater Melbourne since Friday, February 5 to get tested immediately and isolate until they receive their results. And, if you've been to a venue named by the Victorian government as an exposure site, you're asked to get tested and then go into self-isolation for 14 days, regardless of whether you're showing any symptoms. Queensland has brought back its Border Declaration Pass for anyone who has been in Victoria in the past fortnight, too, as announced earlier in the week. That also came back into effect at 1am today, Saturday, February 13. https://twitter.com/AnnastaciaMP/status/1359674995878727681 Queensland joins the rest of the country's states and territories in introducing new requirements for Greater Melbourne residents and, in some cases, folks from all of Victoria as well. New South Wales has placed everyone returning from Victoria from Saturday, February 13 into the same five-day lockdown; Western Australia completely closed its border to anyone who has been in Victoria, effective 6pm on Friday, February 12; and South Australia also did the latter from 12.01am on Saturday, February 13. Tasmania has similarly shut its border to Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory requires non-residents to obtain an exemption and go into lockdown and the Northern Territory has brought back 14 days of quarantine for Victorian arrivals. For more information about southeast Queensland's COVID-19 border restrictions, or about the status of COVID-19 in the state, visit the Qld COVID-19 hub and the Queensland Health website. For more information about COVID-19 in Victoria and the state's current restrictions, head over to the Department of Health and Human Services website.
Everybody loves a countdown. Watching rage, voting in Triple J's Hottest 100: they're all Australian traditions. In Brisbane, we love all of the above — and we're also very fond of 4ZZZ's Hot 100. It's the poll voted by locals, celebrating locals and brimming with the best of everything that's hit local airwaves throughout the past year, and it's coming to The Triffid once more. See in the new year with a song (or 100) as the Newstead venue throws their first hangout of 2018. From midday, the entire 100 tracks will be blasted through the Triff thanks to the power of radio, as you sit, drink, recover or do whatever it is you need to on January 1. There'll be beer, ace tunes and hair-of-the-dog hangover cures aplenty. Happy 2018 indeed.
A new year isn't the only reason to book a vacation. Any excuse will do, including a new season. Not everyone can escape Australia's winter by swapping it for a European summer, but a trip closer to home might still be on the cards — and if so, Virgin's latest round of cheap fares wants you to spend time in Hamilton Island, Byron Bay, Cairns, Hobart, Darwin, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast and more. This new batch of discounted flights spans more than 300,000 domestic fares. Prices start low at $45 one-way, which once again gets you from Sydney to Byron Bay — the normal cheapest fare in any Australian flight sale — and vice versa. From there, everywhere from the Alice Springs and Emerald to Canberra and Mackay is also covered, with no starting prices over $300. This getaway-inspiring sale only runs for two days, until midnight AEST on Saturday, June 8 unless sold out earlier, with fares to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide also covered. That means paying $79 one-way from Melbourne to Hobart, $69 from Sydney to the Sunshine Coast and $109 from Brisbane to Hamilton Island. Also among the local fares: Sydney to Cairns from $115, Melbourne to the Gold Coast from $79, Sydney to Perth from $119 and Brisbane to Launceston from $109. If you're wondering when you'll need to travel, these deals are all about winter breaks for select periods between Monday, July 1–Saturday, August 31, 2024, with all dates varying per route. Inclusions also differ depending on your ticket and, as usual when it comes to flight sales, you'll need to get in quick if you're keen to spend most or part of this winter anywhere but home. This sale is separate from the carrier's other round of discounts to Uluru, which runs until 11.59pm AEST on Saturday, June 8, 2024, to celebrate the launch of direct flights to the Northern Territory landmark from Melbourne and Brisbane. Virgin's latest domestic sale runs until midnight AEST on Saturday, June 8, 2024 — unless sold out earlier. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Just a few short months ago, no one could've predicted that the Queensland border would become one of 2020's most debated topics. It's a subject that has inspired plenty of comments, especially among interstate and federal politicians calling for Queensland to open back up — with the state closing its border to help stem the spread of COVID-19, then keeping it shut while other restrictions have been easing. Today, Tuesday, June 30, that chatter can finally stop — with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk confirming Friday, July 10 as Queensland's official date for reopening to interstate visitors from all states and territories except Victoria. That date was initially outlined in Queensland's COVID-19 roadmap, and discussed earlier in June, with a final call on opening up the border always expected at the end of this month. That's great news for folks who live in New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory, of course — however, with coronavirus case numbers spiking in Victoria over the past couple of weeks, residents of that state won't be allowed into Queensland as yet. In fact, as Premier Palaszczuk announced, "Queensland has very large concerns about the state of Victoria", which means that, "due to current community transmission levels, the border with Victoria will remain closed — and will be strengthened". https://twitter.com/AnnastaciaMP/status/1277816426724638721 A week prior to the Queensland border opening to all other areas of the country, the state will implement a new regime for visitors from Victoria — to come into effect from noon on Friday, July 3. Anyone travelling from Victoria, including Queenslanders, will be refused entry unless they go into forced quarantine for 14 days, in a hotel, at their own expense. Folks coming to Queensland from other states from July 10 will also need to complete a border declaration form. On it, they'll need to certify that they haven't travelled to Victoria in past 14 days — and the government has advised it'll be checking these statements, and that making a false statement will be an offence. Also, while Victoria has been singled out at present due to its COVID-19 situation, Queensland will review its border position with other states should outbreaks occur elsewhere. The aim is to avoid community transmission in Queensland, with Premier Palaszczuk noting that "if the Chief Health Officer reviews any state or territory at any time, and there is community transmission like Victoria, we may have to take action". If you're a Queenslander hoping to hop over the border for a mid-year holiday — and come back home without any hassle — the confirmation of July 10 as the official border reopening date is also a welcome development. That said, Premier Palaszczuk has urged all Queenslanders not to go to Victoria. Queensland's announcement comes on the same day that South Australia revised its plans to open its borders, revealing that it won't open to Victorian residents on July 20 as initially advised — with details to come regarding NSW and ACT residents, and inhabitants of other states already allowed to enter SA. To find out more about Queensland's COVID-19 restrictions, and the status of the coronavirus in the state, visit Queensland's online COVID-19 hub. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. Top image: Hill Inlet in the Whitsundays by Tourism and Events Queensland.
It's a trend so common, it inspired a movie — and it's something that every Brisbane resident is familiar with. Whether they're chasing a specific job, looking for more opportunities (especially in a creative field), following their heart or yearning for a bigger city, people leave Brissie for a new life down south with frequency. Yes, that's exactly what the 2007 film All My Friends Are Leaving Brisbane is about. Exhibition All My Friends Are (Leaving) Returning to Brisbane riffs on this common idea, and also reflects a very recent phenomenon: people flocking back to the Queensland capital, rather than relocating down south. Thanks to the pandemic, Brissie has attracted plenty of folks over the past year, which is what artists Elizabeth Willing, Chris Howlett, Archie Moore, Alice Lang, Sam Harrison and Mia Boe are all pondering in their contributions to this thoughtful and relatable showcase. Curated by Isabella Baker and displaying at Fortitude Valley's Outer Space Gallery until Saturday, May 16, the exhibition also muses on why people leave Brisbane in the first place — and what's driving their return. Pop in to contemplate, too, from 12–6pm Wednesday–Friday and 12–4pm Saturday. Feels Good Man, Feels Bad Man. Alice Lang. Courtesy of the artist. Top image: Grass is Greener, Archie Moore. Courtesy of the artist.
All of the taste, none of the hangover: that's what the recent move towards booze-free beers, wines, spirits and cocktails has promised. And, whether you're playing designated driver for a night, embracing Dry July midyear or just don't partake in the hard stuff for whatever reason you fancy, the trend has been rewarding non-drinkers' tastebuds with much-welcomed sipping options other than the usual soft drinks, juices and sparkling waters. Even bottle-os have been getting in on the zero-alcohol action, as you've likely spotted if you've browsed through your local rather than heading straight for your favourite tipple — and Dan Murphy's is now taking the idea a step further. The big booze-store chain has just launched its first-ever bar, a standalone venue, but it's strictly a teetotalling affair. Indeed, this Melbourne hangout only serves up drinks that won't give you a fuzzy head and fast-food cravings the next day. Bars that don't serve booze aren't new — back in 2021, Melbourne also became home to Brunswick Aces' Aussie-first temptation-free drinking destination, and it's no longer alone across Australia — but a brand as synonymous with alcohol as Dan Murphy's ditching the hooch is clearly designed to make a statement. The resulting watering hole is called Zero% by Dan Murphy's and pours more than 30 different non-alcoholic beverages at the bar, as well as selling 200-plus other booze-free drinks to take home. So, Melburnians can now stop by the Hampton spot for zero-booze beers from $2.99, including on tap — sips such as Urban Alley Pale Ale and Mornington Free Pale Ale — and 11 different wines sans alcohol starting from $5 a glass. Cocktails are also on the menu, as are booze-free premixes. And while Zero% dishes up snacks as well, patrons are able to order in their own food via delivery services. Folks eager to get drinking while staying stone-cold sober can head along seven days a week from 11am, with the bar staying open until later on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. But, although clearly aiming to get customers equating Dan Murphy's with more than just liquor long-term, Zero% is only sticking around for a few months — operating until the end of June. While there's no booze on offer — some drinks might contain up to 0.5-percent alcohol by volume, but they're considered non-alcoholic by Food Standards Australia — you might still get carded upon entering or ordering a tipple at Zero%. That's part of Dan Murphy's policy to ensure that alcohol-like products aren't sold to under-18s. So yes, with no kids, dim lighting and bartenders serving drinks, the aim is to recreate the usual bar experience — just without the headaches. Zero% by Dan Murphy's is now open at 470 Hampton Street, Hampton — trading 11am–9pm Thursday–Saturday and 11am–7pm Sunday–Wednesday.
This July, it's time to deck your halls with boughs of whichever greenery you'd like. Yes, we know it's not Christmas yet. Winter in Australia means pretending 'tis the season — but early — and VEND Marketplace is doing just that with a huge Christmas in July Twilight Market. There'll be more than just succulents, cacti and indoor-friendly plants on offer; however, given that the northside spot is home to its own indoor greenhouse — aptly called the Greenhouse, naturally — that's definitely a big drawcard. Between 4–9pm on Saturday, July 16, you'll also be able to get festive at VEND's 100-plus shops, and at the array of pop-up stalls that it's setting up outside. Food trucks will keep your stomach satisfied, and there'll be a pop-up cocktail bar serving boozy beverages, included mulled wine. Hot chocolates and Christmas dinner will be on the menu as well. Also, VEND is also doggo-friendly — should you want to bring your four-legged pal with you for a stint of Christmas in July fun. There's also a competition for dressing the part, with a $100 voucher up for grabs. That's a good enough reason to bust out your jolliest outfit — whether it's a red-and-green number or a festive costume. And yes, getting your Christmas shopping early is also a huge motivator. Just think how smug/good you'll feel come December, when everyone else is rushing about. Images: VEND Marketplace.
Usually when Cirque du Soleil hits cities around the world, it has audiences rolling up to its big top to see stunning acrobatic feats. But with the Montreal-based circus company's latest show, which also marks a pioneering display for the organisation, viewers will be hitting up arenas instead — because CRYSTAL takes place on ice. Cirque du Soleil's first-ever ice show, CRYSTAL still features all the trapeze, juggling, aerial acrobatics and more that fans have seen and loved across the company's past 41 productions — seven traditional circus acts, in fact, including banquine and hand balancing — but then adds a frosty surface rather than its usual stage setup. And, it includes figure skating and extreme skating into the spectacle as well, two disciplines that've never been featured in a Cirque du Soleil production before now. Even better: CRYSTAL will make its debut Down Under in 2023, kicking off in — when else? — winter. The show will start unleashing its frosty wonders in New Zealand, starting in Christchurch and then heading to Auckland, before making its way to Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth in Australia. This'll mark Cirque du Soleil's first visit since KURIOS: Cabinet of Curiosities in 2019 and 2020, although that production's run was interrupted by the pandemic. Also part of CRYSTAL, and another Cirque du Soleil first: remastered pop songs, including Beyoncé's 'Halo', U2's 'Beautiful Day', Nina Simone's 'Sinnerman' and Sia's 'Chandelier', in the company's only touring show so far to use such tracks. CRYSTAL has been doing the rounds worldwide since 2017, with more than 1.8-million people in 115 cities in 12 countries checking it out over the past five years. The all-ages show takes its name from the production's protagonist, who acts as the audience's guide as she follows her destiny to become herself. CIRQUE DU SOLEIL'S CRYSTAL — AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND TOUR 2023: Friday, June 16–Sunday, June 18 — Christchurch Arena Tuesday, July 4–Sunday, July 9 — Spark Arena, Auckland Friday, July 21–Sunday, July 23 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre Thursday, August 3–Sunday, August 6 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Thursday, August 17–Sunday, August 20 — John Cain Arena, Melbourne Thursday, August 31–Sunday, September 3 — Adelaide Entertainment Centre Friday, September 15—Sunday, September 17 — RAC Arena, Perth Cirque du Soleil's Crystal will tour New Zealand in June–July 2023, and Australia in July–September 2023. For more information, or to buy tickets from 12pm on Wednesday, November 16 — with various presales beforehand — head to the show's website. Images: Matt Baker / Olivier Brajon.
Food fans, rejoice. One of the most anticipated food festivals in Queensland is back this year — Moreton Bay Food and Wine Festival. And, to make up for last year's cancellation, it's set to be even bigger and better than previous years. The event will take place from Friday, August 19 till Sunday, August 21 at Apex Park in Woody Point as part of the wider Tastes of Moreton Bay Feastival event. Shining a spotlight on farmers, local producers and the freshest seafood, the event will highlight the abundance of local produce in the Brisbane and Moreton Bay areas. You can expect a line-up of talented chefs and big-name restaurants from throughout the region who'll be doing live cooking demonstrations at the festival. Plus, there'll be live music to enjoy as you gaze over the glorious bay with a local wine in-hand — bliss. Keen to head along? The full program and tickets are now available. For more information and to book your tickets to enter the festival precinct, visit the website.
