History was made. For once, the vibe was casual and relaxed rather than tense and overdone. And it seems that even the Academy itself was surprised by the very last winner of the night. Yes, the Oscars have now been and gone for 2021, albeit a couple of months later than usual — one of the many changes implemented in response to the pandemic. First, the exceptional news: after nominating two female directors for the first time ever — yes, the first time in the awards' 93-year history — the Academy also gave one of these talented ladies the nod. Only The Hurt Locker's Kathryn Bigelow has ever won the coveted field before, so Chloé Zhao's win for Nomadland is the hugest kind of deal there is when it comes to finally recognising that women helm movies, too. Zhao is also the first woman of colour to ever win the Best Director prize. Also phenomenal: the wins that went Daniel Kaluuya and Yuh-Jung Youn's ways, for their supporting roles in Judas and the Black Messiah and Minari respectively. Their individual speeches were something special as well. When you're thanking your parents for having sex and therefore bringing you into this world, and trying to cosy up to Brad Pitt, you're going to grab attention. But, in a year filled with worthy winners and just-as-deserving nominees, the thing that everyone will be talking about for the next 12 months is the Best Actor field. It seems that the folks behind the Oscars thought that Chadwick Boseman would win posthumously for Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, with the category moved to the last slot of the evening — breaking with tradition. But, then Anthony Hopkins emerged victorious for The Father, wasn't in attendance or available via video, and the show came to a close without a big speech. Perhaps that kind of chaos is apt, given that nothing about the past year has been normal — in cinema, or in life in general. It's also worth remembering that this year's Oscars ceremony was partly brought to the world by Steven Soderbergh, with the prolific filmmaker producing the awards broadcast. Yes, that means that the man who made the most prophetic movie of the past decade, aka Contagion, had a hand in the making Hollywood's night of nights happen in the pandemic era. Now that the longest Oscars season in memory is done and dusted for the year, more fun awaits. Whether you're watching them for the first time or the tenth, a list of stellar winning films is there to be seen by your movie-loving eyeballs. Some you can stream at home right now. Others, you'll need to head to the biggest screen near you. Either way, we've rounded up ten of 2021's Academy Award-winning must-sees. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSFpK34lfv0 NOMADLAND Frances McDormand is a gift of an actor. Point a camera her way, and a performance so rich that it feels not just believable but tangible floats across the screen. That's the case in Nomadland, which has earned McDormand her third shiny Oscars statuette just three years after she nabbed her second for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Here, leading a cast that also includes real people experiencing the existence that's fictionalised within the narrative, she plays the widowed, van-dwelling Fern — a woman who takes to the road, and to the nomad life, after the small middle-America spot she spent her married life in turns into a ghost town when the local mine is shuttered due to the global financial crisis. Following her travels over the course of more than a year, this humanist drama serves up an observational portrait of those that society happily overlooks. It's both deeply intimate and almost disarmingly empathetic in the process, as every movie made by Chloé Zhao is. This is only the writer/director's third, slotting in after 2015's Songs My Brothers Taught Me and 2017's The Rider but before 2021's Marvel flick Eternals, but it's a feature of contemplative and authentic insights into the concepts of home, identity and community. Meticulously crafted, shot and performed, it's also Zhao's best work yet, and the best film of 2020 as well. Won: Best Picture, Best Director (Chloé Zhao), Best Actress in a Leading Role (Frances McDormand). Where to watch it: In cinemas, still — and it'll be available to stream via Star on Disney+ from Friday, April 30. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0ox9ExOA1M&feature=youtu.be THE FATHER Forgetting, fixating, flailing, fraying: that's Florian Zeller's The Father, as brought to the screen in a stunning fashion from Le Père, the filmmaker's own play. Anthony's (Anthony Hopkins, Westworld) life is unravelling, with his daughter Anne (Olivia Colman, The Crown) springing the sudden news that she's about to move to Paris, and now insistent that he needs a new carer to replace the last home helper he's just scared off. He also can't find his watch, and time seems to jump suddenly. On some days, he has just trundled out of bed to greet the morning when Anne advises that dinner, not breakfast, is being served. When he brings up her French relocation again, she frostily and dismissively denies any knowledge. Sometimes another man (Mark Gatiss, Dracula) stalks around Anthony's London apartment, calling himself Anne's husband. Sometimes the flat isn't his own at all and, on occasion, both Anne (Olivia Williams, Victoria and Abdul) and her partner (Rufus Sewell, Judy) look completely different. Intermittently, Anthony either charms or spits cruel words at Laura (Imogen Poots, Black Christmas), the latest aide hired to oversee his days. So goes this largely housebound film, which is also a chaotic film. Despite its visual polish, and that mess, confusion and upheaval is entirely by design. All the shifting and changing — big and small details alike, and faces and places, too — speak to the reason Anne keeps telling Anthony they need another set of hands around the house. And, diving into it all is simply heartbreaking. Won: Best Actor (Anthony Hopkins), Best Adapted Screenplay (Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller). Where to watch it: In cinemas. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbE96sCJEjo MINARI Although they can frequently seem straightforward, films about the American dream aren't simply about chasing success. The circumstances and details change, but they're often movies about finding a place to call home as well. Such a quest isn't always as literal as it sounds, of course. While houses can signify achievement, feeling like you truly belong somewhere — and that you're comfortable enough to set your sights on lofty goals and ambitions that require considerable risks and sacrifices — transcends even the flashiest or cosiest combination of bricks and mortar. Partly drawn from writer/director Lee Isaac Chung's (Abigail Harm) own childhood, Minari understands this. It knows that seeking a space to make one's own is crucial, and that it motivates many big moves to and within the US. So, following a Korean American couple (Steven Yeun, Burning and Yeri Han, My Unfamiliar Family) who relocate to rural Arkansas in the 80s with hopes of securing a brighter future for their children (first-timer Noel Cho and fellow newcomer Alan S Kim), this delicately observed and deeply felt feature doesn't separate the Yi family's attempts to set up a farm from their efforts to feel like they're exactly where they should be. Complete with a film-stealing performance from Youn Yuh-jung (Sense8) as Monica's mother, the result is a precise, vivid, moving, and beautifully performed and observed film told with honest and tender emotion — so much so that it was always bound to be equally universal and unique. Won: Best Actress in Supporting Role (Yuh-Jung Youn). Where to watch it: In cinemas. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ivHf4ODMi4 JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH The last time that Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield appeared in the same film, Get Out was the end result. Their shared scene in Jordan Peele's Oscar-winning horror movie isn't easily forgotten (if you've seen the feature, it will have instantly popped into your head while you're reading this), and neither is Judas and the Black Messiah, their next exceptional collaboration. With Kaluuya starring as the Black Panther Party's Illinois Chairman Fred Hampton and Stanfield playing William O'Neal, the man who infiltrated his inner circle as an informant for the FBI, the pair is still tackling race relations. Here, though, the duo does so in a ferocious historical drama set in the late 60s. The fact that O'Neal betrays Hampton isn't a spoiler; it's a matter of fact, and the lens through which writer/director Shaka King (Newlyweeds) and his co-scribes Kenneth Lucas, Keith Lucas (actors on Lady Dynamite) and Will Berson (Scrubs) view the last period of Hampton's life. The magnetic Kaluuya has already won a Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe for his performance, and now he has an Oscar as well — and if he wants to keep acting opposite his fellow Academy Award nominee Stanfield in movies this invigorating, ardent, resonant and essential, audiences won't complain. Won: Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Daniel Kaluuya), Best Original Song ('Fight For You' by HER, Dernst Emile II and Tiara Thomas). Where to watch it: In cinemas. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ord7gP151vk MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM Chadwick Boseman didn't end up winning an Oscar for his last screen role, but the late, great actor really should've. Boseman is just that phenomenal in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. He has earned that term before in Get on Up, Black Panther and Da 5 Bloods, but his performance in this stage-to-screen production is such a powerhouse effort that it's like watching a cascading waterfall drown out almost everything around it. He plays trumpeter Levee Green, who is part of the eponymous Ma Rainey's (Viola Davis, Widows) band. On a 1920s day, the always-nattering, big-dreaming musician joins Ma — who isn't just a fictional character, and was known as the Mother of Blues — and the rest of his colleagues for a recording session. Temperatures and tempers rise in tandem in the Chicago studio, with Levee and Ma rarely seeing eye to eye on any topic. Davis is in thundering, hot-blooded form, while Colman Domingo (If Beale Street Could Talk) and Glynn Turman (Fargo) also leave a firm impression. It's impossible take your eyes off of the slinkily magnetic Boseman though, as would prove the case even if he was still alive to see the film's release. Adapting the play of the same name by August Wilson (Fences), director George C Wolfe (The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks) lets Boseman farewell the screen with one helluva bang. Won: Best Makeup and Hairstyling (Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia Neal and Jamika Wilson), Best Costume Design (Ann Roth). Where to watch it: On Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs--6c7Hn_A SOUL Released early in 2020, Onward definitely wasn't Pixar's best film — but Soul, its straight-to-streaming latest movie that capped off the past year, instantly contends for the title. The beloved animation studio has always excelled when it takes big leaps. Especially now, a quarter-century into its filmmaking tenure, its features prove particularly enchanting when they're filled with surprises (viewers have become accustomed to seeing toys, fish, rats and robots have feelings, after all). On paper, Soul initially seems similar to Inside Out, but switching in souls for emotions. It swaps in voice work by Tina Fey for Amy Poehler, too, and both movies are helmed by director Peter Docter, so there's more than one reason for the comparison. But to the delight of viewers of all ages, Soul is a smart, tender and contemplative piece of stunning filmmaking all on its own terms. It's Pixar at its most existential, and with a strikingly percussive score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross to further help it stand out. At its centre sits aspiring jazz musician-turned-music teacher Joe (Jamie Foxx, Just Mercy). Just as he's about to get his big break, he falls down a manhole, his soul leaves his body, and he's desperate to get back to chase his dreams. Alas, that's not how things work, and he's saddled with mentoring apathetic and cynical soul 22 (the always hilarious Fey) in his quest to reclaim his life. Won: Best Animated Feature, Best Original Score (Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and Jon Batiste). Where to watch it: On Disney+. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vdaJcoKk0s PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN Promising Young Woman would've made an excellent episode or season of Veronica Mars. That's meant as the highest compliment to both the bubblegum-hued take on the rape-revenge genre and the cult-status private detective series. Writer/director Emerald Fennell clearly isn't blind to the parallels between the two, even casting Veronica Mars stars Max Greenfield (New Girl) and Chris Lowell (GLOW) in her feature debut. Don't go thinking the Killing Eve season two showrunner and The Crown actor is simply following in other footsteps, though. At every moment, the brilliant and blistering Promising Young Woman vibrates with too much anger, energy and insight to merely be a copycat of something else. It's a film made with the savviest of choices, and provocative and downright fearless ones as well, in everything from its soundtrack to its weaponised pastel, peppy and popping Instagram-friendly imagery. You don't include Italian quartet Archimia's orchestral version of Britney Spears' 'Toxic', Paris Hilton's 'Stars Are Blind' and an abundance of vibrant surface sheen in a movie about a woman waging war on the culture of sexual assault without trying to make a statement — and Fennell succeeds again and again. She has also made the smart decision to cast Carey Mulligan (The Dig), and to draw upon the acclaimed actor's near-peerless ability to express complex internalised turmoil. Mulligan's fierce lead performance scorches, sears and resounds with such burning truth, and so does the feature she's in as a result. Won: Best Original Screenplay (Emerald Fennell). Where to watch it: It's available to rent or buy via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFOrGkAvjAE SOUND OF METAL When feature filmmaking debutant Darius Marder begins Sound of Metal just as its title intimates, he does so with the banging and clashing of drummer Ruben Stone (Riz Ahmed, Venom) as his arms flail above his chosen instrument. He's playing a gig with his girlfriend and bandmate Lou (Olivia Cooke, Ready Player One), and he's caught up in the rattling and clattering as her guttural voice and thrashing guitar offers the pitch-perfect accompaniment. But for viewers listening along, it doesn't quite echo the way it should. For the bleached-blonde, tattooed, shirtless and sweaty Ruben, that's the case, too. Sound of Metal's expert and exacting sound design mimics his experience, as his hearing fades rapidly and traumatically over the course of a few short days — a scenario that no one wants, let alone a musician with more that a few magazine covers to his band's name, who motors between shows in the cosy Airstream he lives in with his other half and is about to embark upon a new tour. That's not all the film is about, though. Ruben's ability to listen to the world around him begins to dip out quickly and early, leaving him struggling; however, it's how he grapples with the abrupt change, and with being forced to sit with his own company without a constant onslaught of aural interruptions distracting him from his thoughts, that the movie is most interested in. Won: Best Sound (Nicolas Becker, Jaime Baksht, Michelle Couttolenc, Carlos Cortés and Phillip Bladh), Best Film Editing (Mikkel EG Nielsen). Where to watch it: In cinemas and on Amazon Prime Video. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5R46NgopPw&feature=emb_logo ANOTHER ROUND Even the most joyous days and nights spent sipping your favourite drink can have their memory tainted by a hangover. Imbibe too much, and there's a kicker just waiting to pulsate through your brain and punish your body when all that alcohol inevitably starts to wear off. For much of Another Round, four Copenhagen school teachers try to avoid this feeling. The film they're in doesn't, though. Writer/director Thomas Vinterberg (Kursk)) and his co-scribe Tobias Lindholm (A War) lay bare the ups and downs of knocking back boozy beverages, and it also serves up a finale that's a sight to behold. Without sashaying into spoiler territory, the feature's last moments are a thing of sublime beauty. Some movies end in a WTF, "what were they thinking?" kind of way, but this Oscar-shortlisted Danish film comes to a conclusion with a big and bold showstopper that's also a piece of bittersweet perfection. The picture's highest-profile star, Mads Mikkelsen (Arctic), is involved. His pre-acting background as an acrobat and dancer comes in handy, too. Unsurprisingly, the substances that flow freely throughout the feature remain prominent. And, so does the canny and candid awareness that life's highs and lows just keep spilling, plus the just-as-shrewd understanding that the line between self-sabotage and self-release is as thin as a slice of lemon garnishing a cocktail. Won: Best International Feature. Where to watch it: In cinemas. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSfX-nrg-lI MANK In 2010's The Social Network, David Fincher surveyed the story of an outsider and upstart who would become a business magnate, wield significant influence and have an immense impact upon the world. The applauded and astute film tells the tale of Mark Zuckerberg and of Facebook's development — but it's also the perfect precursor to Fincher's latest movie, Mank. This time around, the filmmaker focuses on a man who once spun a similar narrative. A drama critic turned screenwriter, Herman J Mankiewicz scored the gig of his lifetime when he was hired to pen Orson Welles' first feature, and he drew upon someone from his own life to do so. Citizen Kane is famous for many things, but its central character of Charles Foster Kane is also famously partially based on US media mogul William Randolph Hearst, who Mankiewicz knew personally. Accordingly, Mank sees Fincher step behind the scenes of an iconic movie that his own work has already paralleled — to ponder how fact influences fiction, how stories that blaze across screens silver and small respond to the world around them, and how one man's best-known achievement speaks volumes about both in a plethora of ways. Mank is a slice-of-life biopic about Mankiewicz's (Gary Oldman, Crisis) time writing Citizen Kane's screenplay, as well as his career around it. It's catnip for the iconic feature's multitudes of fans, in fact. But it also peers at a bigger picture, because that's classic Fincher. Won: Best Cinematography (Erik Messerschmidt), Best Production Design (Donald Graham Burt and Jan Pascale). Where to watch it: In cinemas and on Netflix. Read our full review. Top image: Nomadland. Image courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2020, 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved
A place that has been serving up steaks, schnitzels and pub grub to the good people of Brisbane for over 130 years, The Breakfast Creek Hotel is the carnivore's ultimate destination. With ten cuts of premium quality beef sourced predominantly from south-east Queensland, you'd be a mad cow to order anything but. Whether it's a grass-fed rib eye fillet medium-rare with jacket-potato and slaw , a 1kg tomahawk done medium with salad and chips, the Wagyu rump cooked to recommendation served with the lot or even an eye fillet steak done well, the guys on the grill can do it all — but you will be heavily judged for ordering a well done steak. And we whole heartedly believe you deserve such shaming. At The Breakfast Creek Hotel, it's pretty much 'pimp my steak', and you're in the driver's seat. Choose your cut, your sides, your sauce (mushroom, pepper or classic gravy for the win) and even add fresh seafood for a bit of surf and turf action. Whatever your choices of customisations, the end result is pretty much guaranteed to be a winner. However, if the waft of sizzling steaks really doesn't get the mouth watering, the menu still offers up some pretty delicious combos. For seafood lovers, the bounty is plentiful, with options like the king prawn and chorizo spaghetti, miso glazed snapper or oysters with a champagne dressing. Failing that, no one can go past a good chicken Caesar salad or a lemon and thyme fillet of kangaroo. It's all served in the Brekkie Creek's famed openair beer garden, where the vibe is totally Queensland, which is to say that it goes perfectly with an icy cold pint or a fruity cider on a balmy evening. If that's not to your taste, its wine list is pretty decent, or you can select from the collection of rum at the Substation No.41 Rum Bar. And when we say collection, we mean collection. Like a 400-varieties-strong kind of collection. This historic pub is still at the top of its steak-cooked-to-pink-perfection game. As they say, if it ain't broke... Top image: monkeyc.net via photopin cc.
Known for its minimalist design, Japanese home goods giant MUJI made a sizeable leap back in 2015, adding houses to its range. As well as selling items to fill your home with, it started selling prefabricated homes as well. Compact but functional — and, perhaps most importantly, affordable — the new additions understandably garnered plenty of attention. But, while the company also released a tiny hut in 2017, it hasn't expanded its house lineup since. Until now, that is. And while MUJI's first three flat-pack houses were all multi-storey abodes made for city living, it has just designed its first one-storey version. Called Yano-no-ie, it's a response to customer demand — and its designed to adapt to different living requirements. Thanks to sliding doors that open out onto a deck, it's also the result of a concerted effort to combine indoor and outdoor living. https://www.instagram.com/p/B2atw0eHEUu/ Taking over 73 square metres of floor space, with a total construction area of 91.50 square metres, Yano-no-ie's standard configuration features a bedroom, living area, combined kitchen and dining room, bathroom and outdoor area — so, as you'd expect, it keeps things simple. That said, its spaces are meant to be multifunctional. The bedroom features furniture that can be used throughout the day as well, for example, with the company suggesting that you can deploy it as a place for reading or using a computer throughout the day, and to have a drink in of an evening. Designed in a box shape, Yano-no-ie is fashioned out of wooden siding made from Japanese cedar. Linking in with MUJI's existing products, it's made to accommodate the brand's storage range in its kitchen — and, in the bathroom, it features the same type of wash basin used in MUJI's hotels. https://www.instagram.com/p/B3wNEt9HMkc/ Like MUJI's existing prefab homes, it's also far more economical than your average house, starting at 15.98 million yen or around AU$211,000. Alas, although the company has stores in Sydney and Melbourne — including its first Australian MUJI concept store — the houses aren't available to buy outside of Japan as yet. Via: MUJI.
There's getting away. And then there's disappearing to your own private, tiny house in the wilderness — miles from any sign of human interference. Meet Unyoked, a new, Australian independent accommodation option that lets you do just that. Importantly, this is not a hotel. Founded and run by twins Cam and Chris Grant, the off-the-grid experience brings you the convenience and comforts of four solid walls, alongside the adventure, spontaneity and closeness-to-nature of camping. Here's how. With the help of designer/builder Alice Nivison and builder/eco-consultant Richie Northcott from Sydney design studio Fresh Prince, the brothers have designed and built two tiny houses — both sustainable and solar-powered. They've been placed in secret patches of wilderness on private properties, in the middle of nowhere. Anytime you want to flee the city, disconnect and recharge, all you have to do is book one and jump in your car. Both houses are no more than two hours' drive from Sydney. "We grew up camping and hiking," the Grants say. "But once we started to work full-time, we noticed we weren't doing that as much. We were spending too much time in the grind. Unyoked came about because we wanted to get back to nature." The idea is that, rather than having to wait for your annual vacation, you can add a nature escape to your regular routine. "We wanted to give people more of a balance ... to give them the chance to get off the grid, but without necessarily having to go to Nepal," the Grants say. The houses aim to "make you feel like you're part of the environment". Think timber, oversized windows, solar power, composting toilets and a blissful lack of wi-fi. At the same time, though, simple comforts are taken care of, so you get a cosy bed, kitchen appliances, firewood, coffee, milk, herbs and the like. Plus, the locations have been carefully selected. "We went through a detailed process of finding the right properties," the Grants say. "There's a set criteria. Each property must be secluded, away from the sight or sound of any human-made elements and have wildlife." For example, the first-built tiny house, which is named Miguel, sits on a 300-acre property, surrounded by 400-year-old rainforest, waterfalls, walking trails and kangaroos. Unyoked aims to make sure your stay is a bit of an adventure, by keeping the exact address of your chosen house secret until two days before you're due to set off. You'll be given a vague idea of the location, but nothing more. "We want people to feel like they were walking in the wilderness and suddenly came across a cabin." More Unyoked tiny houses are on their way — Melbourne's next. https://vimeo.com/202315726 Images and video: Samantha Hawker.
Just can't wait for another date with The Lion King in one of its many guises? For more than three decades now, since the original animated flick first arrived and became a beloved favourite — as well as a box-office smash and an Oscar-winner — no one has had to. Movie sequels followed, as well as a photorealistic remake with its own prequel. Spinoffs and TV shows have popped up, too. For almost 30 years, The Lion King has also taken to the stage. No stranger to Australia, the film-to-theatre musical has just announced a new date Down Under in 2026. Let's call it the circle of stage productions: a local version of The Lion King initially trod the Aussie boards in 2003, then a second take arrived in 2013. Just as both of those two tours did, the new production will open in Sydney. In fact, it's playing at the same venue, the Capitol Theatre, that The Lion King first roared into when it made its Australian theatre debut. So far, only a month has been announced in terms of timing, with The Lion King set to open in April 2026. No other cities or dates have been revealed as yet, but prior productions have taken the story of Simba, Mufasa and Scar beyond the Harbour City. In the past, almost four-million audience members have enjoyed the show Down Under. Worldwide, that number is more than 120 million, all watching a performance that's played more than 100 cities in 24 countries, and is the biggest-grossing title in history. On the stage, The Lion King is as acclaimed as it is popular, including collecting six Tony Awards in 1998, Best Musical among them — and making its OG director Julie Taymor the first woman to receive a Tony for Direction of a Musical. Can you feel the love tonight? This theatre hit has, repeatedly. [caption id="attachment_990210" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Deen van Meer, Disney[/caption] "Every time we return to Australia, we are reminded of the region's considerable talent pool, both onstage and off, and we can't wait to gather a talented and exciting company for The Lion King," said Disney Theatrical Group Executive Producer Anne Quart and Managing Director Andrew Flatt, who have been with The Lion King onstage since its 1997 US premiere. "We are thrilled to welcome The Lion King back to Sydney, the place where it all began in Australia over 20 years ago. The Walt Disney Company ANZ is proud to be one of only three places in the world where, alongside Broadway and the West End, we self-produce musicals, directly employing hundreds of Australian theatre professionals," added The Walt Disney Company Australia and New Zealand Senior Vice President and Managing Director Kylie Watson-Wheeler. [caption id="attachment_803460" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Matthew Murphy, Disney[/caption] [caption id="attachment_803461" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Joan Marcus, Disney[/caption] The Lion King will open at the Capitol Theatre, 13 Campbell St, Haymarket, Sydney, from April 2026. For more details, and to join the ticket waitlist, head to the production's website. Top image: Matthew Murphy, Disney.
When it's hot and humid you'll find us hurling ourselves into the nearest water source to take the heat off. And after the past couple of years we've all had, we're pretty keen to cool off somewhere extra special in 2022. One place that is overflowing with waterfalls and crystal clear freshwater swimming holes is Tropical North Queensland. Autumn is the perfect time to see the rainforest and its waterfalls truly thrive thanks to higher rainfall. From natural rock waterslides to rope swings in the Daintree, there's no shortage of incredible ways to make a splash and extend your summer in the north this year. Just make sure you always follow the advice from Queensland Parks and steer clear of out of bounds zones, flooded waters or dangerous areas so you're always swimming safely. [caption id="attachment_830046" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tropical North Queensland[/caption] SLIDE DOWN A NATURAL WATERSLIDE AT JOSEPHINE FALLS When you drive 75 kilometres south of Cairns to Josephine Falls, you'll quickly realise why this picturesque playground is so popular among locals and tourists. Located in Wooroonooran National Park, which is home to the Noongyanbudda Ngadjon people, this incredible waterfall cascades through World Heritage-listed rainforest near Queensland's highest peak, Mount Bartle Frere. From the carpark, you'll wander 600 metres through lush rainforest before reaching the viewing decks that overlook the falls. Here, you can take a few snaps of the incredible view before making your way down to the water peppered with smooth boulders for you to perch on — then it's time to get wet. If you're feeling adventurous, have a crack at the natural waterslide in the main pool. Or, if you like to take your swimming at a slower pace, there's plenty of space to float about in the rejuvenating water fresh from the mountain. [caption id="attachment_830048" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tropical North Queensland[/caption] HIKE THROUGH AN INCREDIBLE NATIONAL PARK TO CLAMSHELL FALLS If you want to get properly warmed up before jumping into fresh rainforest water, take the track through Behana Gorge to discover the impressive swimming spot that is Clamshell Falls. Situated 30 minutes drive south of Cairns, the track winds its way alongside a babbling creek for 3.5 kilometres before opening up to a dreamy dip destination. The waterfall itself acts as an active backdrop to the gentler swimming hole that sits below. The incline of the walk can be challenging in parts which means it's likely there won't be too many people around. Just make sure you take all your essential items with you as there are no amenities when you're this deep into the jungle. [caption id="attachment_830044" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tropical North Queensland[/caption] GET UNDERNEATH THRIVING FALLS IN THE ATHERTON TABLELANDS If seeing one waterfall in a day isn't enough, head to the highlands to experience the beauty of the Atherton Tablelands waterfall circuit. With a bunch of tumbling waterfalls and vast crater lakes to explore, the trip up the mountain range to these rainforest delights is essential Tropical North Queensland travel. Take the Gillies Highway from Cairns to Crater Lakes National Park to dive into Lake Barrine and Lake Eacham. Unlike their explosive origins, these water-filled volcanic craters are ideal for a serene morning float. Next, drive to the nearby town of Millaa Millaa to find out why its eponymously named falls are one of the most photographed cascades in the country. Have a soak in the swimming hole at the base of Millaa Millaa Falls or get underneath its 18-metre drop to have your very own rainforest shower. And, if more waterfall action is what your heart desires, visit nearby Zillie Falls and Ellinjaa Falls to round out the circuit. [caption id="attachment_830047" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tropical North Queensland[/caption] SWING INTO THE PRISTINE WATERS OF THE DAINTREE RAINFOREST Willing to head off the beaten track to find a quality swimming hole? Then head a couple of hours north of Cairns to beat the heat at Emmagen Creek. You'll bounce down an unsealed road to reach this picturesque pool located five kilometres north of Cape Tribulation in the Daintree National Park. From the carpark, head toward the Emmagen Creek road crossing and take the track on the left-hand side to the swimming section of the creek located a few hundred metres upstream. If the water is high, consider plonking yourself in the clear rainforest water via the rope swing. Or, clamber down the twisting tree roots to enter the freshwater swimming hole slowly and try to spot a cassowary from the creek. [caption id="attachment_830054" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tropical North Queensland[/caption] BE SPOILED FOR CHOICE AT CRYSTAL CASCADES When you want to get wet on a whim in Tropical North Queensland, head to Crystal Cascades. This stunning swimming spot is a popular place for locals to plunge and it's located only a 20-minute drive from the Cairns CBD. Crystal Cascades boasts a series of swimming holes and waterfalls that tumble down the mountain in a section of Freshwater Creek. If you don't feel like walking far, cool off in one of the cascade's lower pools. Or, if you're keen for a longer stroll, head to the top to take a dip at the larger waterfall at the track's end. The arching rainforest canopy provides for shady swimming and the granite boulder-filled creek helps to keep the pools cool year-round. There are picnic tables and barbecue facilities available too, so pack yourself some seasonal tropical fruit to refuel after all your waterfall exploration. [caption id="attachment_830049" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tropical North Queensland[/caption] SPEND THE NIGHT CAMPING AT DAVIES CREEK Drifting off to sleep to the sound of falling water doesn't have to be created through a mindfulness app and your imagination when you're in Tropical North Queensland. If you head to Davies Creek National Park and Dinden National Park, you can listen to the sounds of an actual babbling creek situated right next to your campsite. To get there, drive an hour west of Cairns and then pitch a tent at either the Lower Davies Creek or Upper Davies Creek campsites. Then, spend a couple of days exploring the hikes, mountain bike trails and waterfalls throughout the neighbouring parks. Just make sure you book your campsite in advance as there are only eight spots available at each campground. [caption id="attachment_832593" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tropical North Queensland[/caption] EXPLORE THE JUNGLE AT STONEY CREEK In the rainforest at the back of Cairns, you'll find locals cooling off at much-loved swimming hole Stoney Creek. Whether you want a quick dip not too far from town or to hike your way to a waterfall further afield, this series of private swimming holes has all your swim cravings covered. It's just a short walk from the carpark in Barron Gorge National Park to the first pool perched underneath a small footbridge. Swim here or continue down the left side of the creek adjacent track past a series of swimming spots before reaching the spilling waters at Old Weir Falls. If you're keen for even more mountain action, head back to the footbridge after a swim at the falls and take the right side track up to Glacier Rock. [caption id="attachment_832594" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tropical North Queensland[/caption] DIVE INTO THE MAGIC OF FAIRY FALLS If you make your way to Crystal Cascades, it's worth checking out its little sister swimming spot located close by, too. Tucked away in the dense rainforest next door to the cascades, you'll soon realise what's so magical about Fairy Falls. Take the track to the left of the carpark at Crystal Cascades to make your way to the mystical falls a 15-minute walk away. The narrow waterfall shoots into a clear blue swimming hole and the log wedged in the centre of its stream makes it easy to imagine fairies frolicking in this picture-perfect rainforest pool. Just make sure you follow the path along the creek when you're trying to find this veiled treasure — the alternative track at the fork won't lead you to the magical place you're seeking. [caption id="attachment_832597" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Raging Thunder Adventures[/caption] FLOAT DOWN THE TULLY RIVER TO PONYTAIL FALLS A couple of hours south of Cairns is where you'll find the spectacular sights of Tully Gorge National Park. The Tully River churns its way down the mountain creating rapids and world-class white water rafting throughout this stunning gorge. But it's not all rough and tumble in at every turn along this river. You have two options to find Ponytail Falls — by car or by raft with Raging Thunder Adventures. For drivers, follow signs to Cardstone Weir until you spot the number 11 painted on the road. Then, take a short stroll through the rainforest to uncover the hair-like spout that spills into pale blue water below. Or, if you want to see the falls from a raft, sign up to a white water rafting adventure and a guide will take you there via wet and wild rapids. Ready to extend your summer by soaking up waterfalls and freshwater swimming holes in Tropical North Queensland? For more information and to book your holiday in the tropics, visit the website. Top images: Tourism Tropical North Queensland.
It is said that the Lord Krishna opened his mouth and revealed the entire universe inside. Want to wear the entire solar system on your wrist, orbiting in real time? Try the Midnight Planetarium, which may well be the most beautiful watch ever made. Leading watchmakers went head to head at a private trade fair in Geneva, showing off their latest designs and being incredibly punctual. All manner of elegant and unusual timepieces debut at this convention, putting your plastic Swatches and iPhone clocks to shame. At the 2014 Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, Van Cleff & Arpels unveiled a watch like no other, a watch so original, finely crafted and whimsical that its US$245,000 price tag almost seems reasonable: the exquisitely named Complication Poetique Midnight Planetarium. So what's the deal with this thing? How do you even read the time? The watchface contains tiny globes representing the planets visible from earth, from Mr. Sun to Saturn. Made of precious and semi-precious gemstones like red jasper, blue agate, turquoise, serpentine and more, our celestial neighbours are encased on their orbit inside an 18 carat rose gold mount, with a black alligator strap to hold your personal planetarium in place. They rotate on a glittering starscape, accurately mimicking the movement of the planets IRL — yes, that means the Mercury gem will rotate fully in three months, and Saturn? Twenty-nine and a half years. Such a meticulous and gradual rate of motion is truly a feat of fine engineering. The process of painstakingly assembling the 396 components must have required nothing less than a Pacific Ocean of Red Bull. As for clocking regular Earth hours, a tiny shooting star along the outer rim of the watchface indicates the hour. There's also a cute bonus in the form of a whimsical 'Lucky Star' which you can set to appear over the Earth on an appointed day, casting luck on all your doings. The Midnight Planetarium is one of a series of Complication Poetique watches which explore time in its poetic as well as literal dimensions. They're all worth checking out here. As for our little stargazer, watch the video below for more angles on this artistic marvel.
It's not often that you look at a Christmas present and you're more interested in the wrapping than what's inside. But with MECCA's Holiday 2023 artwork, this might just be the case. The Australian brand has become one of the biggest beauty retailers across Australia and New Zealand throughout its 17 year tenure, establishing itself as the place for Aussies and Kiwis to shop for high quality skin, make up, hair and fragrance products. For the past eight years, MECCA has worked with the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne to find an artist to create their holiday packaging, which adorns MECCA's carry bags and gift boxes throughout the silly season. The design also acts as a backdrop for MECCA's very own holiday gift sets, which include everything from Christmas crackers filled with sunscreen to tree ornaments made out of lip oil. Not only will MECCA's packaging get a makeover, the chosen artist will also have their designs shown in the National Gallery of Victoria, a huge platform for budding artists. The artist who was bestowed this honour for 2023 is Kaylene Whiskey from the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands in the northwest of South Australia. To create her design, Whiskey combined pop culture references – such as the Wonder Woman-inspired figure that appears throughout her work – with her knowledge of Anangu traditions,reflecting elements of Whiskey's life in her community. With her vibrant, colourful design, Whiskey wanted to show the culture of the Anangu community and what she learnt growing up, layered with how the current generation of children from her community are growing up. Created using former tourism flyers, Whiskey shows how these two generations can exist alongside each other, illustrating Anangu traditions like hunting amidst the Australian landscape while women sing and play instruments and a superhero figure flies above. Whiskey's artwork can be summed up by a phrase she plugged herself whilst creating the design, which hits the nail on the head when it comes to the holiday season and MECCA: "Everyone together, looking so good". MECCA Holiday 2023 is now available online and in stores throughout New Zealand and Australia. Head to the MECCA website to see the full range of Whiskey's artwork.
When someone spots a giant spider, they take notice, even when it's simply a tall metal piece of art. Seeing one of Louise Bourgeois' towering arachnids is indeed a stunning experience; however, so is watching people clock her lofty works. Her Maman sculptures demand attention. They're the type of public art that audiences just want to sit around, soak in and commune with. They're photo favourites, too, of course — and one has just arrived in Australia. This is the first time that Maman has displayed Down Under, with the world-famous piece arriving in Sydney as part of Sydney International Art Series. Bourgeois is one of three hero talents scoring a blockbuster exhibition during event, alongside Wassily Kandinsky and Tacita Dean. [caption id="attachment_927829" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Installation view of the Louise Bourgeois 'Has the Day Invaded the Night or Has the Night Invaded the Day?' exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Felicity Jenkins[/caption] The nine-metre-high, ten-metre-wide sculpture that Bourgeois is best known for is currently on display on the forecourt of the Art Gallery of NSW, towering over the historic South Building. The sculpture hails back to 1999, and boasts its name because it's a tribute to Bourgeois' mother. The artist described her mum as "deliberate, clever, patient, soothing... and [as] useful as a spider". If you're keen to see Maman on home soil, Louise Bourgeois: Has the Day Invaded the Night, or Has the Night Invaded the Day? is running at the gallery from Saturday, November 25, 2023–Sunday, April 28, 2024, boasting 120 different works — the most comprehensive exhibition of Bourgeois's work ever to grace a gallery in the Asia Pacific. [caption id="attachment_927824" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Installation of Louise Bourgeois 'Maman' at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Felicity Jenkins[/caption] "Bold artists inspire art museums towards new approaches," said Art Gallery of New South Wales director Michael Brand. "I am proud that Bourgeois' art has inspired an exhibition that is itself exploratory and fully exploits the dramatic potential of our expanded art museum to reveal the ceaseless exploration of life's extremes that characterised her work." "This ambitious exhibition is like none other presented at the Art Gallery, and we are very proud to bring this unique experience to Sydney this summer." The Bourgeois exhibition is on display 13 years after the Paris-born artist passed away in New York in 2010, and after she stamped her imprint upon the art of the 20th century. Visitors will see her Arch of Hysteria work down in the gallery's underground Tank, textile works of the 1990s and 2000s, and plenty in-between. [caption id="attachment_927827" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Installation view of the Louise Bourgeois 'Has the Day Invaded the Night or Has the Night Invaded the Day?' exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Felicity Jenkins[/caption] Other highlights include The Destruction of the Father, which is among the pieces that've never been displayed in Australia before; Clouds and Caverns, which is rarely seen in general; and the mirrored piece Has the Day Invaded the Night, or Has the Night Invaded the Day?, which shares the exhibition's moniker. Alongside the display of art, there will be a free film series curated by the AGNSW's Ruby Arrowsmith-Todd. A heap of Louise Bourgeois' favourite flicks will be screened at the gallery's cinema, including 1958's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, 1971's Harold and Maude, David Lynch's Eraserhead, John Waters' Pink Flamingos and The Wizard of Oz. [caption id="attachment_927832" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, courtesy of Roadshow PPL[/caption] [caption id="attachment_927830" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Installation view of the Louise Bourgeois 'Has the Day Invaded the Night or Has the Night Invaded the Day?' exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Felicity Jenkins[/caption] [caption id="attachment_927831" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Installation view of the Louise Bourgeois 'Has the Day Invaded the Night or Has the Night Invaded the Day?' exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Felicity Jenkins[/caption] [caption id="attachment_927826" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Installation view of the Louise Bourgeois 'Has the Day Invaded the Night or Has the Night Invaded the Day?' exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Felicity Jenkins[/caption] Louise Bourgeois: Has the Day Invaded the Night, or Has the Night Invaded the Day? runs from Saturday, November 25, 2023–Sunday, April 28, 2024 at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery Road, The Domain, Sydney. Head to the gallery's website for more information and to purchase tickets. Top image: installation of Louise Bourgeois 'Maman' at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Felicity Jenkins.
Offering a hearty dose of Mother Nature's magic, there's something pretty special about a good cave, rocky and majestic as they are. After all, what better antidote to that hectic city life than a visit to an impressive natural rock formation? Without trekking too far out of Brisbane, you'll find a handful of captivating grottos to light your adventurous spark — from glow worm caves and underground marvels to huge limestone beauties filled with stalactites. And, if you're keen on a trip further afield, more beauties await. Here are seven caves near and far in Queensland that are worth the visit. [caption id="attachment_894335" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] Natural Bridge, Springbrook National Park As far as caves go, this specimen in the heart of Springbrook National Park is downright majestic. Located about an hour and a half south of Brisbane, Natural Bridge is a striking rock archway, created by the force of a waterfall running onto a basalt cave. The result is a stunning natural oasis, where daylight spills through the cave's top and onto pools of water below. By day, you'll catch a glimpse of creatures like tusked frog, paradise riflebirds and koalas, while come night, it's buzzing with microbats, fireflies, luminous fungi and a sizeable colony of protected glow worms. Glow Worm Cave, Tamborine Mountain If you like your caves with a little extra sparkle, Tamborine Mountain's offering will be right up your alley. Constructed in 2004 as part of an eco preservation project, the Glow Worm Cave at Cedar Creek Estate is home to a booming population of native glow worms, which are carefully nurtured to help control insects and boost local glow worm numbers in the wild. You can jump on a 30-minute tour of the cave, seeing these creatures in all their glowing glory while learning about their life-cycle and behaviours. It's a man-made cave, but with the realistic rock formations and plethora of creepy crawlies, it feels a whole lot like the real deal. [caption id="attachment_894337" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] Mount Maroon Caves, Scenic Rim One of several peaks in Mount Barney National Park — alongside the eponymous Mount Barney, of course — Mount Maroon in the Scenic Rim is known for its shrubland, hiking tracks, and lake and waterside camping ground. Thanks to the latter combination, it's a haven for sailing, fishing, canoeing and kayaking, all around an hour's drive from Brisbane. Don't miss Mount Maroon's caves, though. That said, you will literally need to go off the beaten path to get to them. So, make sure you have a GPS trail map handy, and your sturdiest shoes — and get ready to go exploring. [caption id="attachment_894333" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism and Events Queensland/Nigel Marsh[/caption] Cherubs Cave, Moreton Island For a stunning hidden cave of the underwater variety, grab your dive gear and venture about four kilometres off the eastern edge of Moreton Island to discover Cherubs. A popular dive site and a photographer's wet dream, the cave is named for the concrete cherub statue that used to mark its entrance. It's a pretty hefty space, clocking in at around 20 metres wide, and boasting a series of exits to swim in and out of. And it's positively brimming with sea life, home to a colourful mix of kingfish, barracuda, turtles, trevally, gropers and wobbegong. Depending on the season, you might even spy a school of grey nurse sharks getting comfy inside. [caption id="attachment_894334" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] Kweebani Cave, Lamington National Park Set among the dense eucalypts of Lamington National Park in the Gold Coast Hinterland, this circuit of caves was once shelter for the Yugambeh Aboriginal kinship group, the area's original inhabitants. Created by wind and rain erosion, some of the caves have some serious size to them — and in one of the biggest, Kweebani Cave (or 'cooking cave'), you might even spy fragments of bone and charcoal hinting at the space's past. See these natural beauties up close and personal when you hike the park's five-kilometre Caves Circuit. [caption id="attachment_703123" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] Cathedral Cave, Near Rockhampton If you ever went on a central Queensland road trip as a kid, chances are you stopped at Capricorn Caves for a tour. But that doesn't you should write off a return trip straight away. Chances are, you'll appreciate it way more now. The limestone cave system is over 390-million-years old, and the most impressive one is Cathedral Cave — its high ceilings feel historic and sacred. You can book in a walking tour or go all out with an adventure tour. Be warned, though, as the latter includes abseiling and squeezing through tight spots. [caption id="attachment_703125" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] Undara Volcanic Caves, Undara Volcanic National Park This system of underground caves (well, lava tubes) was produced by a volcano that erupted around 189,000 years ago. Running for 160 kilometres, it's one of the longest lava tubes in the world — and it's for real exploring enthusiasts. Why? It's located a cool 18-hour drive from Brisbane. You could, alternatively, fly to Cairns then drive 300 kilometres southwest to Undara Volcanic National Park, where the caves are located. Once you're there, you'll need to join a guided tour to explore the ancient caves, because of their unstable nature. There are a heap of free hikes you can take through the crater-spotted national park, too, but keep an eye out for closures during wet season due to the conditions. Top image: Tourism and Events Queensland.
The long, lazy days of summer bring opportunities to hit up some of the best beaches in and around Melbourne. These spots are great for days of relaxing in the sun and cooling off in the calm waters, hanging out with a bunch of mates and getting the dusty boogie boards out for a little more adventure. We've teamed up with Jim Beam to pick out everything from popular bayside stretches just a quick drive from the city to secluded coves worth making a day trip for. Here's where to take your crew this summer for an adventure best enjoyed together. Recommended Reads: The Best Outdoor Pools in Melbourne The Best Swimming Holes in Melbourne The Best Waterfalls That You Can Swim Under in Victoria The Best Day Trips from Melbourne to Take in Summer [caption id="attachment_923234" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ain Raadik for Visit Victoria[/caption] St Kilda Beach Ever-bustling and never boring, St Kilda Beach is one of Melbourne's most beloved coastal spots, pulling a solid crowd of tourists and locals alike. Ideal for beach trippers after a little more than just sea, sand and sun, St Kilda Foreshore is peppered with options for eating, drinking and people-watching, and all the buzz of Acland Street lies just a short stroll from the water. Mostly flat and sheltered from ocean swell, it's a prime spot for activities like windsurfing or waterskiing, or those days when you just feel like floating around in a big sunny bathtub. [caption id="attachment_879792" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Titus Aparici (Unsplash)[/caption] Dendy Street Beach, Brighton Famed for its iconic row of brightly hued bathing boxes, Brighton's Dendy Street Beach is a picture-perfect beachscape parked just 14 kilometres from the CBD. Boasting minimal swell and a wide stretch of sandy foreshore, it attracts an eclectic mix of families, tourists and locals. It's dog-friendly too, with pups allowed on-leash at certain times of morning and night. In between dips, you'll find plenty to explore, eat and drink along the beach's namesake street, while a quick hike up nearby Green's Point will score you some excellent bayside views. [caption id="attachment_651717" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Robert Blackburn for Visit Victoria[/caption] Lorne Beach, Great Ocean Road Torn between getting in a great surfing session and playing around on the sand with your pup? Enjoy the best of both worlds with a trip down to the famed surf spot Lorne. About two hours from Melbourne down the Great Ocean Road, this area's got a beach situation for just about everyone. There's a dog-friendly northern stretch where pooches are allowed off-leash at all times, while the swimming beach further south sits just metres from the town's main splay of cafes, restaurants and shops. What's more, there's a variety of surf breaks up and down the coast, so you'll easily find a spot to suit your skill level. Check out the best places to stay along the Great Ocean Road while you're at it. [caption id="attachment_923230" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jesse Hisco for Visit Victoria[/caption] Sorrento Front Beach, Mornington Peninsula If you don't mind sharing the beach with a hefty crowd of holiday-makers, then the ever-popular Sorrento Beach should be high up on your coastal hit list. Located by one of the Mornington Peninsula's biggest and most popular tourist towns, this one comes with no shortage of wining, dining and post-swim options. Take a stroll along the 200-metre-long jetty, enjoy a leisurely swim in the protected waters, or try your luck with a spot of sea kayaking. Williamstown Beach For a beach day that doesn't require too much in the way of car time, head 20 minutes southwest of the CBD and land yourself on the sandy shores of Williamstown. Williamstown Beach, one of the best beaches in Melbourne, is sparkling clean and patrolled, with minimal waves to wrangle, though a balmy day will likely find you battling the crowds for a prime spot on the sand. When it's time for a feed, there are picnic facilities close to the esplanade, or you can nip up to the main drag to take advantage of one of the area's top-notch fish and chip shops. The Basque-inspired Sebastian is also ideally located right on the beach itself, perfect for long lunches and dinners overlooking the beach. [caption id="attachment_651724" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ian Cochrane via Flickr[/caption] Half Moon Bay, Black Rock An idyllic patch of coastline, located just south of Sandringham, Black Rock's Half Moon Bay deserves a spot on high rotation this beach season. The secluded, crescent-shaped bay stays nice and protected from the weather, so it's perfect for some laidback paddling or an easy jaunt out on the boat. The HMVS Cerberus has been sunk as a breakwater about 220 metres offshore, which means you'll also find plenty of great spots here for snorkelling. In fact, it's one of the best snorkelling spots in Melbourne. For that post-swim feed, treat yourself to a table at Cerberus Beach House, or opt for a classic fish and chips fix from the downstairs beach kiosk. [caption id="attachment_651725" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lin Padgham via Flickr[/caption] Waratah Bay, South Gippsland If you're making a weekend of your beach getaway, you'll find a picture-perfect paradise in Waratah Bay, a 15-kilometre sandy expanse along the South Gippsland coastline. The exposed beach cops all sorts of waves and breaks, making it a popular spot for surfers of all experience levels. It's a fairly chilled-out corner of the world, with the namesake town boasting little more than a caravan park, proving the perfect antidote to city life. While you're there, be sure to take a stroll along the bush fire walking track and revel in some sweeping coastal views. [caption id="attachment_651727" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nick Carson via Flickr[/caption] Somers Beach, Mornington Peninsula A holiday family favourite, Somers is a picturesque beach spot stretching three kilometres along the Mornington Peninsula's southeast edge. It's a little more low-key than its Portsea and Sorrento counterparts, with sleepier surrounds and a swell that's usually pretty kid-friendly. While there's not a whole lot in the way of nearby food and drink options, it's gold if you fancy catching a feed of your own, with great fishing off the beach or the surrounding rocks during high tide. Home to the Somers Yacht Club, this one's also a popular sailing destination. Keep your eyes peeled and you'll likely spot a frolicking dolphin or two. [caption id="attachment_923236" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Robert Blackburn for Visit Victoria[/caption] Anglesea Beach, Great Ocean Road A popular pit-stop along the Great Ocean Road, the small surf town of Anglesea feels far removed from the city hustle and bustle (as well as the increasingly busy Torquay), though you can knock out the journey in an hour and a half by car. The adjacent river mouth makes for an excellent fishing spot, while the easy conditions offshore prove popular with beginner surfers. It's fairly safe and patrolled throughout the summer, and the town centre plays host to a tidy array of restaurants, shops and cafes, located just a short stroll from the sand. It's an easy addition to this list of the best beaches in and around Melbourne. [caption id="attachment_651726" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Russell Street via Flickr[/caption] Flinders Beach, Mornington Peninsula A white sandy strip along the bottom of the Mornington Peninsula, Kennon Cove in Flinders is guaranteed to charm your socks off with its quaint, seaside feel. Here, you can do it all — get some air with a dive off the old-school pier, explore the assortment of critter-filled rock pools, enjoy a spot of snorkelling through the reefs, or take to the calm waters for a cruisy swimming session. There are loads of great spots here to fish from, or you can leave dinner to the professionals and buy ocean-fresh mussels directly from the fishermen at the pier. Like Jim Beam, surfing and other outdoor adventures are all about bringing people together, so get out there this summer and find your tribe in the great outdoors. Top image: St Kilda Beach by Ain Raadik for Visit Victoria
In a sultry city such as Brisbane, a place where winter weather lasts for approximately a week each year, letting everyone cool down in public pools for less than the cost of a coffee — less than the cost of almost everything — was always going to be a hit. Accordingly, after its first-ever run from December 2023–February 2024, Brisbane City Council's $2 Summer Dips scheme might return at the end of 2024. Announced in June 2023, and running for the entire three months of summer, $2 Summer Dips slashed entry fee at all 22 of Brisbane City Council's public pools around the River City. During its debut season, more than 660,000 Brisbanites took advantage of it, with over 88,000 of those folks heading to Newmarket's pool alone — increasing its summer attendance by 85 percent from 2022–23. [caption id="attachment_904760" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brisbane City Council via Flickr[/caption] Love swimming laps? Prefer a leisurely soak as your favourite way to cool down? Does nothing could say summer to you quite like hanging out poolside? Whichever category fits, you may be able to live the pool life for cheap at Brisbane City Council's public venues — again — between Sunday, December 1, 2024–Friday, February 28, 2025. And yes, having a splash will only cost you $2, with that discounted price applying to everyone, adults and kids alike. The saving drops the adult entry price from $6.40 to $2. The reduced rate covers every single day across the period, too, which includes all of the Christmas and New Year public holidays. [caption id="attachment_741063" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cieran Murphy[/caption] The return of the scheme has been promised by Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner as part of Brisbane's local government elections. So, it may depend on who wins — or it could be the kind of initiative that returns no matter who emerges victorious. There's no other catches — including no limit on how many times you can take advantage of the deal. Fancy going for a swim at your local every day during summer? Working your way around Brisbane's public pools, diving into a different one daily? Both are options. Across the summer of 2023–24, Jindalee, Carole Park and the Emily Seebohm Aquatic Centre also saw a doubling of attendance rates — and entry numbers across the full 22 overall doubled in the month of December alone. [caption id="attachment_904761" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brisbane City Council via Flickr[/caption] Brisbane City Council's public pools include Centenary Pool, Spring Hill Baths and the Valley Pool, plus Musgrave Park Swimming Centre, the Colmslie Aquatic Centre in Morningside, Ithaca Pool in Paddington, Dunlop Park Memorial Swimming Pool in Corinda and Hibiscus Sports Complex Pool in Upper Mount Gravatt. Chermside Pool, Bellbowrie Pool and Manly Pool are all covered as well, as are Yeronga Park Memorial Swimming Pool, Mt Gravatt East Swimming Pool and Sandgate Aquatic Centre — and more. [caption id="attachment_621822" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brisbane City Council[/caption] [caption id="attachment_777650" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brisbane City Council via Flickr[/caption] [caption id="attachment_777649" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kgbo via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] [caption id="attachment_777652" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brisbane City Council via Flickr[/caption] If Brisbane City Council's $2 Summer Dips program returns, it will run from Sunday, December 1, 2024–Friday, February 28, 2025. To find your closest public pool, head to the council website. Check out our list of the best outdoor swimming pools in Brisbane for 2024. Top image: Cieran Murphy.
Adapting The Narrow Road to the Deep North was always going to require a dream cast and crew. More than that, any attempt to bring Richard Flanagan's acclaimed 2013 novel to the screen was always set to demand a roster of creatives dedicated to doing the book justice, and to honouring the very real history that the work of fiction draws upon. The author didn't spin a true tale on his pages; however, much is shared with reality. Flanagan's text is steeped in the experience of Australian POWs during World War II, specifically those forced to work on the Burma Railway by the Japanese military. IRL, his own father was one of them. A cream-of-the-crop lineup is the aim for every screen project, of course, whether it's destined to grace cinemas or television. Streaming via Prime Video from Friday, April 18, 2025, The Narrow Road to the Deep North's talents should make other TV shows envious, Australian and international alike. For the first time in his career, filmmaker Justin Kurzel plies his skills on the small screen. For the five-part miniseries, he adapts a Booker Prize-winning novel again, as he did with True History of the Kelly Gang. Kurzel collaborates with screenwriter Shaun Grant once more, and unpacks complicated Aussie history again in the process as well, as the pair previously navigated with their take on Ned Kelly, plus Snowtown beforehand and Nitram afterwards. Standing before the lens for the duo: Jacob Elordi (Oh, Canada) on a rare return Down Under, Odessa Young (My First Film) falling into the same category, plus everyone from Irish great and Belfast Oscar-nominee Ciarán Hinds, as well as Japan's Shô Kasamatsu (Tokyo Vice), through to the Aussie likes of Olivia DeJonge (Elvis), Thomas Weatherall (Heartbreak High), Simon Baker (Boy Swallows Universe), Heather Mitchell (Love Me) and Essie Davis (One Day). In one of only five Australian texts to ever claim the prestigious literary award — Thomas Keneally's Schindler's Ark, DBC Pierre's Vernon God Little, and Peter Carey's aforementioned True History of the Kelly Gang and Oscar and Lucinda are the others — Flanagan charts the path of Dorrigo Evans. Before the Second World War, he has a future in medicine calling. Afterwards, he carves out a career as a respected surgeon. The Narrow Road to the Deep North jumps between the two, as well as his ordeal while being held captive as a prisoner of war. Elordi plays the younger Dorrigo in the series' 40s-era sequences. Hinds steps into the character's shoes in its 80s-set segments. The Narrow Road to the Deep North is a character study, as well as an exploration of multiple sides of war. It delves into culture clashes, interrogates heroism and steadfastly stresses the importance of remembering horrors gone by so that they aren't repeated. It's as much a love story, and a portrait of a long-lasting marriage, though — and yet those two aren't quite one and the same. As a young man, Dorrigo's future is also tied to Ella (DeJonge), whose family have ties back to drafting the Australian constitution. Decades later (played by Mitchell), she remains by his side. But before shipping out, before his medical prowess is needed in Syria, before being transported like cattle through Thailand to the jungle and before the compulsory strenuous labour that will claim the life of some of his friends, Dorrigo spends a summer embarking upon a secret affair with Amy Mulvaney (Young), the wife of his uncle Keith (Baker). It's this romance that he thinks of as he endures war's cruelties, and that also stays with him long afterwards. Casting Elordi and Young as the youthful Dorrigo and Amy are the best choices that The Narrow Road to the Deep North's guiding forces could've made for the two roles. For both actors, it also brought them home. Since 2018's Swinging Safari marked Elordi's first film, he's largely been busy overseas, meaning that Australian projects have been rarities his your resume. With Young, since The Daughter and Looking for Grace each made a splash in 2015, the same has also proven true. On the path from there to The Narrow Road to the Deep North, the pair have amassed an array of credits: The Kissing Booth trilogy, The Mortuary Collection, Deep Water, The Sweet East, Saltburn and Priscilla among them for Elordi; Sweet Virginia, A Million Little Pieces, Shirley, The Stand, Mothering Sunday, The Staircase (with DeJonge), Manodrome and more for Young. They also each have Sam Levinson projects to their name; as the world knows, Elordi is one of Euphoria's stars, while Young led the film Assassination Nation. "There couldn't be a better opportunity to come home," Elordi tells Concrete Playground about The Narrow Road to the Deep North. In fact, he responded so strongly to Flanagan's novel when Kurzel sent it his way that he started advising his family that the book was the key to understanding him, a statement that "I kind of regret saying", he also notes now. The Macbeth and Assassin's Creed filmmaker's involvement was crucial for him, too, as "an enormous fan of his work for my whole conscious movie life". [caption id="attachment_1000037" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Graham Denholm/Getty Images for Prime Video[/caption] That's similarly the case for Young, who reteams with Kurzel for the second time in two years, after featuring alongside Jude Law (Skeleton Crew) and Nicholas Hoult (Nosferatu) in the director's excellent 2024 crime-thriller The Order. "I would do anything that he asked me to do. I would love to work with him for the rest of my life, because I believe that he makes me a better performer," she shares. In our chat with Elordi and Young, we also dug into why Elordi felt such a powerful connection to The Narrow Road to the Deep North, and how infrequent that reaction is for him; Kurzel's penchant for difficult stories; and how Elordi and Young built chemistry together, as characters that Flanagan has compared to stars exploding in galaxies in real time. Covered as well: Elordi and his co-stars' commitment to authenticity in the POW scenes, and the sense of responsibility to the real-life men who worked on the Burma Railway that came with it — and what the two make of their respective journeys from starting out at home to overseas success, then coming back for a series they're clearly both proud of. On Why The Narrow Road to the Deep North Was the Right Project to Bring Both Elordi and Young Home After Their International Successes Jacob: "For me, it was Justin Kurzel. I've been an enormous fan of his work for my whole conscious movie life. So it was just the opportunity to be able to work with him." Odessa: "Yeah, me too. Sorry to copy." Jacob: "No, no, no. But of course, then you double down when it's Richard Flanagan's text. It's just there couldn't be a better opportunity to come home and try to make some cinema." On Elordi's Strong Reaction to the Novel, So Much So That He Told Family Members That the Book Was the Key to Understanding Him Jacob: "I kind of regret saying that now, because if you read the book, like it doesn't remind me of myself at all." Odessa: "You've changed." Jacob: "I think there's so many parts, there so many bits of him that are so inherently Australian, that it reminded me so much of a lot of the men in my life and the people that I know, and things like that. But it is a rare thing — but I feel like those things always happen for a reason. The right thing does find you at the right time, and you read it at a moment in time when it speaks to you. And that's always such a great treat." On Young Working with Justin Kurzel on Two Projects in a Row, with The Narrow Road to the Deep North Following The Order Odessa: "I think sometimes you just meet directors who make you a better actor, and he's one of them. I feel like I got a really lovely introduction to him working on The Order, because for me it was a low-pressure environment. I kind of got to be a bit of the relief from the very, very difficult story. He likes difficult stories, does Justin. And it was lovely. We just got to know each other under really low-pressure circumstances. And I just really, really love the way he works. It feels very natural to me. I would do anything that he asked me to do. I would love to work with him for the rest of my life, because I believe that he makes me a better performer." On the Importance of the Series Being Many Things, Including a Love Story, a Character Study, a Look at Multiple Sides of War, an Interrogation of Heroism and a Reminder Not to Forget Past Horrors Jacob: "I think that's what makes for great cinema, is all of those human elements and the minutiae in those moments. I think all of them compounded, especially in a piece about memory — it is what cinema is about. It's a whole life compressed and contained and examined and looked at and explored. And I think having them all is what makes it such a complete piece." On Building the Type of Chemistry That Author Richard Flanagan Compared to Stars Exploding in Galaxies in Real Time Odessa: "I think we just both probably sensed in each other quite early on in the rehearsal process that we were both ready to just put it all there. And, I don't know, we were just going to take it seriously. We're going to give as much as we could. Sorry, I'm using like sports terminology. Leave it all on the field." Jacob: "Full credit to the other side." Odessa: "Yeah, everyone was a great player today. No, but I think we got very lucky. I think we have just a natural understanding and trust in each other. You never know if that's going to work out that way, but it did." Jacob: "Yeah." Odessa: "And I think that for me — I won't speak for you, but I do sense this in you — there's no point in doing it if you're not doing it fully." Jacob: "Yeah." Odessa: "And I think we're both that kind of actor." Jacob: "Which is really just — it's either casting from Justin or just some profound luck." On Committing to Authenticity in the Series' Prisoner-of-War Scenes, and the Sense of Responsibility to the Real-Life Men Who Went Through It That Comes with It Jacob: "It would probably be the most-important thing. We're talking about real men, and we're talking about Richard Flanagan, the writer's, father — and Shaun Grant's grandfather. These are real people and the history, it's still there. And the trauma of it lives on generationally. So it's not about entertainment. It's not about shooting guns and making some great spectacle. It's about telling the truth and immortalising something as best that you can." On What Elordi and Young Make of the Journeys That They've Each Taken Since Their Early Australian Breakthrough Roles Odessa: "It's hard to characterise it. I think it's actually helpful not to think about it, and not to try to maybe intellectualise — at least for me — why I've chosen the things that I have. I think so much of the course of a career happens on instinct, and some of it's also dumb luck. But I feel incredibly proud and incredibly lucky, and I guess I haven't done so bad if I'm here celebrating this." Jacob: "It's an immense amount of luck — and I would say probably shared with a deep love for movies. And if you love movies and you love cinema, it's not so deliberate but you seek out the things that hopefully move you and mean something to you in that moment." The Narrow Road to the Deep North will stream via Prime Video from Friday, April 18, 2025. Images: Prime Video.
He was one of the youngest cast members in Saturday Night Live's history. During his eight-season run on the iconic US sketch-comedy series, he riffed on his own life aplenty, then did the same in The King of Staten Island on the big screen, plus in streaming series Bupkis. If you've caught Pete Davidson's comedy specials, you'll know that the same applies when he's onstage, too — which Australian audiences can witness live in September and October 2025. Davidson has just locked in an Aussie leg on his latest stand-up tour, playing three cities: Perth, Melbourne and Sydney. The whirlwind trip will see him perform three gigs three nights in a row, kicking off at Riverside Theatre in the Western Australian capital on Monday, September 29. Next stop: Palais Theatre in Victoria's counterpart on Tuesday, September 30, then Enmore Theatre in the Harbour City on Wednesday, October 1. [caption id="attachment_776175" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The King of Staten Island © 2020 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS. All Rights Reserved.[/caption] Beyond SNL and otherwise fictionalising his own experiences in cinemas and on TV — and beyond his Pete Davidson: SMD, Pete Davidson: Alive From New York and Pete Davidson: Turbo Fonzarelli specials as well — Davidson has rarely been far from screens over the past decade. Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Trainwreck, Big Time Adolescence, The Suicide Squad, Bodies Bodies Bodies, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Fast X, Dumb Money: they're all on his resume. Davidson's Aussie dates come just after his latest film, heist comedy The Pickup co-starring Eddie Murphy (Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F), drops on Prime Video in early August. [caption id="attachment_897860" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bupkis, Heidi Gutman/Peacock[/caption] He also has the Australian-shot Wizards!, which is directed by Animal Kingdom's David Michôd and co-stars Orlando Bloom (Deep Cover) on its way to the screen. Similarly in the works for Davidson: How to Rob a Bank, the latest film from Atomic Blonde, Bullet Train and The Fall Guy director David Leitch, which will release in 2026. Pete Davidson 2025 Australian Tour Dates Monday, September 29 — Riverside Theatre, Perth Tuesday, September 30 — Palais Theatre, Melbourne Wednesday, October 1 — Enmore Theatre, Sydney Pete Davidson is touring Australia in September and October 2025, with presale tickets available from 10am local time on Thursday, July 31 and general tickets from 10am on Friday, August 1. Head to the tour website for more details.
Many a Brisbane cinephile has had their love of movies cemented — their devotion to film forged, stoked and expanded as well — via a date at the city's major annual ode to cinema. Getting comfortable in a picture palace is always a slice of magic, whichever theatre you're heading to and whatever flick you're seeing, of course. But there's a heightened sense of discovery, plus the heftiest dose of filmic worship there is, that emanates from an event like the Brisbane International Film Festival. With 120 movies on the 2022 bill, it's easy to see why from this year's BIFF lineup alone. Within that mass of movies, all livening up Brisbane's silver screens between Thursday, October 27–Sunday, October 6, anything and everything can happen. A savage satire of wealth and luxury can heave its brutal insights and piercing wonders, as Triangle of Sadness does this year, for instance. A documentary that starts with ridiculous car-parking rules can twist and weave and flat-out astonish, as Mister Organ also does in the 2022 program, too. And the whole festival can begin with Seriously Red's tribute to the one and only Dolly Parton, in a movie that enlists Rose Byrne to play Elvis Presley (yes, in the second Australian-made flick to feature the King of Rock 'n' Roll this year), as BIFF's latest iteration does as well. Any festival where all of this occurs, and more, is a festival worth attending — and BIFF 2022 also has an exquisitely touching Moroccan-set love triangle, an award-winning Afrofuturist musical, and a playful, soju-soaked South Korean musing on creativity among its selection. Oh, and Timotheé Chalamet turning cannibal, in a late addition to the program. Clearly, there's plenty to watch. Covering some of the above highlights and others, here's ten standout flicks from BIFF's 2022 program that we've seen, reviewed and heartily recommend. TRIANGLE OF SADNESS Ruben Östlund isn't interested in keeping his viewers comfortable, no matter how cushy their cinema chair. To watch the Swedish filmmaker's features is to feel yourself reacting — emotionally, always, and sometimes physically as well. It was true of 2014's phenomenal Force Majeure, aka as clever and cringe-inducing a portrait of marriage and masculinity as the 21st century has provided. With dropped jaws over a divisive piece of art within a divisive piece of art, it was true of 2018's The Square, the writer/director's first Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or-winner, too. And, earning him that same prestigious prize again in 2022, it's also wholly accurate of Triangle of Sadness. Make a movie with a shape in its title, score one of the biggest filmmaking awards there is: that's been a nifty formula for Östlund of late. But even if he directs a flick called something like Hexagonal Dreaming next, or anything else with a geometrical bent, and it too nabs that Cannes gong, beating Triangle of Sadness' vomit sequence is highly unlikely. To remind audiences that responding to films and life alike is an involuntary reflex, Östlund shows plenty of his characters doing just that — to existence, and to a choppy luxury cruise. It makes for simply unforgettable cinema, but it's also just one part of Triangle of Sadness and its sublimely shot unpacking of wealth, privilege and social hierarchies. Appearing to be coasting through perfection is an ongoing quest for Carl (Harris Dickinson, See How They Run) and Yaya (Charlbi Dean, Black Lightning), well-known models-slash-influencers, and the movie's focal point. When they take to the sea among the uber rich, they're still working the requisite angles (and snapping everything for Instagram from every angle). But then, under the captain's (Woody Harrelson, Venom: Let There Be Carnage) watch, being stranded on an island becomes their fate — and the way that Östlund satirically carves into the resulting chaos is equally hilarious and and astute, even when his film is both obvious and hardly subtle. THE BLUE CAFTAN In The Blue Caftan, a tailor's hands say everything that needs conveying about how he holds himself in the world. That garment-maker is Halim (Saleh Bakri, My Zoe), and he plies he trade in the Moroccan city of Salé, in a humble store overseen by his no-nonsense wife Mina (Lubna Azabal, Rebel). Refusing to use machines, Halim is meticulous in his work. He's patient, careful and thorough, as one needs to be in the painstakingly detailed job of hand-embroidering women's traditional tunics. As a result of his precision and artistry, he isn't short on customers — and that rigour and commitment seeps from him like breath whether he's letting Mina run the show; training Youssef (first-timer Ayoub Missioui), the apprentice brought on to help meet the demand for his exquisite wares; or finding ways to deal with his feelings, including the pull he feels towards his new protege. For her sophomore feature after the also-tender and moving Adam, writer/director Maryam Touzani again makes a delicately layered and intricately woven film — a movie that digs deep into a subject considered taboo in Morocco, too, via an exceptionally well-observed triple character study. If her pictures say everything they need to about the filmmaker herself, then Touzani clearly values intimate and weighty connections, examining the needless pressures enforced by antiquated attitudes, the bonds that spring in such complex circumstances, and heartbreakingly poignant pictures about that list. She both appreciates and elicits sensitive performances, too, with Adam alum Azabal again superb under the helmer's gaze, and Bakri just as wonderful. It's no wonder that The Blue Caftan, with its resonant tale, rich cinematography and willingness to surprise while remaining emotionally raw as well, has been chosen Morocco's 2023 Best International Feature Oscar contender. ARMAGEDDON TIME What's more difficult a feat: to ponder everything that the universe might hold, as James Gray did in 2019's sublime Ad Astra, or to peer back at your own childhood, as the writer/director now does with Armageddon Time? In both cases, the bonds and echoes between parents and children earn the filmmaker's attention. In both cases, thoughtful, complex and affecting movies result. And, as shared with everything he's made over the past three decades — The Yards, The Immigrant and The Lost City of Z among them — fantastic performances glide across the screen, too. Here, in a portrait of a pre-teen's growing awareness of his privilege, the world's prejudices, the devastating history of his ancestors, and how tentative a place people can hold due to race, religion, money, politics and more, young stars Banks Repeta (The Black Phone) and Jaylin Webb (The Wonder Years) manage something remarkable, in fact, more than holding their own against a reliably excellent Anthony Hopkins (The Father), Anne Hathaway (Locked Down) and Jeremy Strong (Succession). Repeta plays sixth-grader Paul Graff, Gray's on-screen surrogate, and Armageddon Time's curious and confident protagonist. At his new public school circa 1980, he's happy standing out alongside his new friend Johnny (Webb), dreaming of being an artist despite his dad's (Strong) stern disapproval and disrupting class whenever he can to his mum's (Hathaway) dismay — and outside of it, he's happiest spending time with his doting grandfather (Hopkins). But Paul will start to understand the luck he has in the world, hailing from a middle-class Jewish family, compared to his black, bused-in friend, even if that comfort is tenuous, too. And, he'll keep seeing the way the world has Johnny at a disadvantage in every way possible, from their instantly scornful teacher to Paul's own parents' quick judgement. As lensed with the look and feel of a memory, Armageddon Time is clear about the small moments that leave an imprint, and the small deeds left undone that cause craters. It's a powerful work from a filmmaker surveying happy and sorrowful slices of the past, and doing so with unflinching eyes. MISTER ORGAN A single tweet has sparked many things for many people; however, the chaos started by a social-media missive from New Zealand journalist and filmmaker David Farrier has few parallels. In 2013, he commented on Twitter about a friend parking their car at Auckland's now-closed Bashford Antiques, then weathering an unpleasant experience: the threat of towing, instant abuse, and an immediate demand for $250 in order to be allowed to leave. Farrier next began writing articles about it all, and what seemed like a clamping racket, in 2016. In his first piece, he covered being asked by his employer three years prior to delete his tweet, too. But his own ordeal was only just beginning, because his ordeal involves Michael Organ. "You pay a soul tax for every minute you spend with him," Farrier notes in the documentary he's made about all of the above, complete with far more twists than anyone can imagine going in — and watching Mister Organ, the feeling behind that observation is starkly apparent. As well as helping impose onerous conditions on folks parking outside an antiques store, and becoming the owner's constant companion in the process, claiming to be royalty is also part of this tale. Organ has defended himself in serious court cases, and assisted with bringing legal proceedings against others, including Farrier. His web of interpersonal dealings, as fleshed out through discussions with ex-housemates and acquaintances, brings bewildered and infuriated interviewees into the doco. Finding someone to say a kind word about him is almost impossible, other than the endlessly talkative Organ himself. For newcomers to this situation, it's best to get the ins and outs by watching, stolen boats and all, because no description does them justice — but Farrier's time with Organ, as he tries to get to the bottom of his story, never fails to surprise. Viewers of filmmaker's Tickled and Dark Tourist will easily glean why he was drawn to tell this tale, though; for starters, it's another disturbing, perplexing, so-messy-it-can-only-be-true slice of life. THE NOVELIST'S FILM Bong Joon-ho won all of the Oscars for Parasite. Park Chan-wook has enjoyed a cult following since Oldboy, as he should, and just directed one of the films of the year with Decision to Leave. Saying that Squid Game was an enormous hit for Netflix is like saying that everyone wishes they lucked into a windfall of cash — aka oh-so-obvious. Clearly, South Korea's film and TV scene is having a moment on the global stage right now, although it's been responsible for fantastic work for far longer than the past few years. In this current wave of affection, though, Hong Sang-soo deserves some love as well. Indeed, he deserves plenty. There's always an opportunity to appreciate his talents, given how prolific the Hill of Freedom, Right Now, Wrong Then, Yourself and Yours, The Woman Who Ran and On the Beach at Night Alone filmmaker is; he's nearing 30 features since 1996 now. And yes, The Novelist's Film deserves that attention and appreciation wholeheartedly. Hong's usual obsessions are all present: alcohol, conversation, musings on creativity, a focus on small moments and acknowledging twists of chance. Plenty of his familiar stars feature also, such as Lee Hye-young (In Front of Your Face), Kwon Hae-hyo (Hotel by the River) and Kim Min-hee (Introduction). And, the black-and-white film is shot in his usual observational, mostly fixed way, sports a playful sense of humour, and ebbs and flows with naturalistic dialogue. That said, the director never makes the same movie twice — his ability to wrangle so many recurrent elements into something new and freshly revealing each time is one of his biggest strengths. In The Novelist's Film, that involves following the titular writer (Lee) when she crosses paths with a filmmaker (Kwon) she was supposed to work with in the past, and a famous actor (the always exceptional Kim) who has stopped appearing on-screen — and deciding, amid loaded and insightful chats, including about artistic freedom, to make an experimental short film herself. ROBE OF GEMS In the very first moments of her very first feature as a director — after working as an editor on films such as 2012's Post Tenebras Lux and 2014's Jauja — Natalia López demands her audience's attention. She earns it and ensures it as well, and looking away while Robe of Gems unfurls its story is impossible afterwards. To kick things off, a patient and painterly glimpse at the rural Mexican landscape comes into sight, fading up and bringing more and more dusty grey details with it with each second. Then, without the frame moving, a frenetic man is seen bashing and slashing through the plants. Next, it becomes apparent that there's a reflection as part of the image. And, it's also quickly evident that viewers are seeing someone else's vantage as they look on at the landscape. In fact, a couple peers out, in the middle of getting intimate (and immediately before flinging wooden furniture around, strewn pieces flying everywhere). With the 'start as you mean to go on' maxim in mind, it's a helluva opening. López does indeed begin as she goes on, in a film that scored her this year's Berlinale's Silver Bear Jury Prize. The pivotal villa belongs to Isabel's (Nailea Norvind, Julia vs Julia) family, and offers somewhat of a respite from a marriage that's splintering like that thrown-about furniture, with the clearly well-to-do woman settling in with her children Benja (first-timer Balam Toledo) and Vale (fellow debutant Sherlyn Zavala Diaz). But tension inescapably lingers, given that the onsite caretaker María (newcomer Antonia Olivares) is unsettled by the disappearance of her sister, a plot point that makes a purposeful statement. The police are investigating, the cartel has a local presence, corruption is an ever-present force, and the gap between the wealthy and not-so is glaring. Progressing carefully from that powerhouse opening, Robe of Gems quickly seeps under your skin — and as its first visuals make abundantly clearly, every second is a marvel to look at. NEPTUNE FROST Films can break boundaries, chalk up firsts and give audiences something they've truly never seen before every single day, and in plenty of ways — but there really hasn't ever been anything like Neptune Frost until now. Helmed by poet and musician Saul Williams with playwright Anisia Uzeyman (Dreamstates), who co-direct together, the Rwanda-set sci-fi musical won the inaugural Bright Horizons Award at this year's Melbourne International Film Festival for being so bold and inventive. It's been attracting well-earned acclaim as it makes its way around the international film festival circuit, too, for its visionary — and vastly experimental — approach to filmmaking as an artform. This is a movie that thrums with a beat and a pulse that's firmly steeped in its Afrofuturist vibe, style and thinking, and that approaches time, space and gender with the utmost fluidity. It's also a feature that never makes the obvious move, or the straightforward one, or the visually and acoustically standard one — and doesn't hold back with its on-screen trip or wide range of targets alike. Narrative-wise, Neptune Frost meets its hacker namesake (first played by Elvis Ngabo, then Cheryl Isheja) in world rife with division — and where authority is enforced with a heavy hand, and exploiting both resources and people is the status quo. This is a story of an awakening and a resistance, with voiceover stressing how the intersex Neptune's whole existence truly kicks in at the age of 23; however, it's also a tale about technology and its costs, connection, information, life's twists and turns, and seizing power against oppressive forces such as capitalism and colonialism. Nothing is wasted, including being subtle about the film's points. Every second ripples with potency, with artistry, and with the determination to celebrate Black, African, queer, avant-garde and boundary-pushing perspectives at every turn. The end result: simply mesmerising, although there's nothing simple about Neptune Frost. GLORIAVALE Exploring the story of the religious community that shares its name, New Zealand documentary Gloriavale makes for stunning, gut-wrenching and infuriating viewing. It's a year for NZ films that earn that description — see also: Mister Organ above — but this true tale was always going to stand out and leave an imprint. Given that it involves chatting to survivors of the cult-like organisation, particularly excommunicated members relaying their heartbreaking experiences, being aghast at their ordeals is a natural reaction. Feeling angry that this can happen is, too, including as the film charts legal proceedings to bring Gloriavale's horrors to light. What has gone on behind closed doors, in a closed community, in the West Coast-based sect heartily requires this type of exposé — and with brother and sister John and Virginia as their key interviewees, filmmakers Fergus Grady and Noel Smyth (reteaming after 2019's Camino Skies) are up to the task. The specifics date back to the late 1960s, when the organisation was founded and started drawing in members, who were soon living under the sect's strict beliefs. Here, for instance, women are expected to work all through their waking hours to keep Gloriavale running — not even sitting down for meals — and cramming the group's many families all under one big roof is the norm. Also, when sexual abuse claims arise, including with children as victims, blame is directed everywhere but the accused perpetrators. As Gloriavale steps through details like these again and again, it's unsurprisingly harrowing from the outset. Archival footage from within the community only adds to the distressing mood, and charting the legal cases ups the drama, but the accounts of what's gone on at the titular place would be damning and gripping as is even if Grady and Smyth only had talking-head interviews at their disposal. THE PASSENGERS OF THE NIGHT The Passengers of the Night gleans its title from words uttered by talkback host Vanda Dorval (Emmanuelle Béart, Margaux Hartmann) — words used to greet her listeners and callers in the evening's deepest hours. Heard in fits and spurts, the Radio France program is the film's glue; however, it's not its focus. Without it, Elisabeth Davies (Charlotte Gainsbourg, Sundown) wouldn't have a job when her marriage breaks down. She also wouldn't meet teenager Talulah (Noée Abita, Slalom), who becomes a guest first on the airwaves, then in the Davies family's home, including befriending Elisabeth's daughter Judith (Megan Northam, Robust) and son Mathias (Quito Rayon Richter, Dark Heart of the Forest). But writer/director Mikhaël Hers (Amanda) is interested in the titular phrase as an emotional concept far more than its mentions within the movie's narrative. Aren't we all travellers in the darkness, riding our journeys until light breaks again? That's the path Elisabeth takes, too, from election night 1981 when the feature begins, through to the end of the decade. Amid cinematography and a soundtrack evocatively steeped in all things 80s, Gainsbourg is luminous as a woman initially adrift when the life she thought she'd always live crumbles, then navigating her first-ever jobs, then committing to forging a new existence. Indeed, there's a spark in all three of The Passengers of the Night's key performances, spanning Abita's resilient but vulnerable turn as the drug-addicted Talulah and Richter's earnest work as the high schooler who's quickly smitten as well. Hers has built a layered feature, and one that keeps reaching towards the light wherever it can — surveying and understanding the joys of a night out dancing, of sneaking into a cinema, of new love, of moving past old regrets and the like. The Passengers of the Night beams brightest as a character study of Elisabeth, though, and her efforts to reclaim her sense of self post-divorce. LEONOR WILL NEVER DIE To create is to become immortal. Write something that's hopefully committed to print or pixels forever, or direct a film that'll ideally keep reaching eyeballs in some format year after year, and a part of you — the part you've invested in time, sweat, tears and creativity — lives on eternally. That notion haunts playful and perceptive Filipino genre-bender Leonor Will Never Die, which understands the power that making a movie has both for the talents involved and the audiences watching. The eponymous Leonor Reyes (Sheila Francisco, Gulong) is an action-film director, albeit one whose heyday is behind her. She stopped stepping behind the camera after a tragedy, and her family has suffered in the aftermath. With her husband Valentin (Alan Bautista) gone and her favourite son Ronwaldo (Rocky Salumbides and Anthony Falcon) dead, only her other offspring, the concerned, discontent and constantly critical Rudie (Bong Cabrera), remains at her side. But Leonor still types away her ideas, and fantasises about how they'd turn out — including when she's knocked unconscious in an accident, only to wake up inside one of her scripts. To create something, such as a film, its screenplay or both, is also to become a deity in a way. That concept also lingers over Leonor Will Never Die, too, because we're all gods over our own existences. When first-timer feature writer/director Martika Ramirez Escobar has her protagonist thrust into a space that should only dwell in the character's head and pages, this constantly twisting feature ponders agency, control and the power of our choices — and, often, the lack thereof. It explores escapism and wish fulfilment as well, all while proving an inventive and pulpy action flick itself, a thoughtful family melodrama, a rumination on life and regrets, a musing about grief and, frequently, an absurd comedy. Case in point re the latter: Leonor, the cinema-obsessed filmmaker, is knocked into her coma by a falling TV. Once you've seen the film, you'll realise that that sounds like something she'd dream up herself. Looking for more BIFF recommendations? We've taken a look at a couple of others already this year. So, you can also check out our thoughts on Piggy and Mass. The 2022 Brisbane International Film Festival runs between Thursday, October 27–Sunday, November 6. For further information, or to buy tickets, head to the festival website.
Clubhouse is a coffee-first sort of cafe, the kind that was started with one particular ethos: maintain the happiness and caffeine levels of locals. The coffee comes in three typical blends supplied by Coffee Supreme (South Blend and 5 Star Day) and Cavalier Coffee Roasters (Tall, Dark and Handsome), but a fourth place is reserved for specials. The specials are selected weekly, typically single origin but sometimes special blends. Two previous house favourites have been Flower Dance Filter Blend by Headlands Coffee, and Yoshimi from Wide Open Road. One of Clubhouse's notable offerings in a world of ever-expanding coffee preferences (and cost-of-living crisis) is a house policy of no additional charge for alternative milks, extra shots or added syrups. Food-wise, expect plenty of grab-and-go sandwiches, pastries and sweet treats to pair with your drink — and the at-home brewers or coffee snobs can buy beans and equipment to take the good stuff back to their setup at home.
We know it's nothing revelatory, but we've spent far more time staring at our own four walls these past 18 months. Our homes have become our havens (and our hells), meaning it's high time to spruce up our pads. And one surefire way to give your living room a lift or brighten up your bedroom — even if you rent — is with some brand-new homewares. But this is your sanctuary, so any old couch won't do. Instead, pick up some wares that'll spark serious joy, and save yourself from the less-than-joyful activity of assembling flat-pack furniture while you're at it. In partnership with Great Southern Bank, we're helping you skip the flat-pack struggle — and still stick to your savings goals. In fact, with Great Southern Bank, you can actually top up your savings account with The Boost, which lets you add small amounts (between $0.01 and $5) to your savings as you spend on stunning new wares. So, if you're after colourful handmade ceramics, plush sofas, linen sheets and quirky chairs, check out these eight stores with homewares that won't break the bank. CASTLERY If you'd describe your taste in homewares as 'modern minimalist' then check out Castlery. There's something decidedly homey and comfortable about its affordable furniture range, though it still has a sleek edge. This 100-percent online store also makes it dead easy to browse from the comfort of your couch. Want a new dining room set? Take your pick of retro-style sideboards, mango wood tables and sleek dining benches. Or, maybe it's time to finally get rid of your nan's hand-me-down sofa and replace it with a luxe sectional. Whatever you're looking for, Castlery probably has it — and at a competitive price — so jump online stat. Be sure to sign up to its mailing list for a cheeky $50 off your first order, too. BED THREADS The clue is in the name here, so if you're looking to level up your bedding, look no further. Bed Threads is your go-to for linens and will set you up with the snoozing ensemble of your dreams. You can mix and match its 100-percent flax linen sheets, with more than 20 colours to pick from. Plus, you can currently score 20 percent off its 'build your own bundle' sets. The great news, though, is that Bed Threads services other rooms, offering a great selection of bath and table accessories to bring some pep into every space, including waffle towels, vibrantly hued table linens and quirky serveware. It's got a concise-but-killer collection of cookbooks, too. [caption id="attachment_798511" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cassandra Hannagan[/caption] OPUS DESIGN Fun and functional, Opus Design's homewares range from subtle and understated to ostentatious and fun. Whether you're after a new set of knives or big-ticket items like coffee tables and chairs, everything here looks and feels high-end — but without the hefty price tag. A great shout if you're looking to pick up a few pieces to breathe new life into your living room, it also offers free delivery across Australia on orders over $100. Result. THIRD DRAWER DOWN Melbourne-based shop Third Drawer Down is a top homewares contender (which thankfully has a comprehensive online store, too). Stocking bold (and sometimes tongue-in-cheek) designs from an impressive list of local and international artists, Third Drawer Down celebrates individualism and playfulness with its carefully curated selection of wares. Everything here is as much a work of art as it is a functional piece of furniture, so expect a heap of bright colours, out-there drawings, crude knick-knacks and pop-culture influences. This is a great store if you're after a fun statement piece (or a few) without wanting to fork out a fortune. GOODSPACE Goodspace is a humble Instagram page dedicated to redeveloping and repurposing preloved furniture. Not only will you score something unique for your pad, but you'll also be doing the earth a solid with these sustainable pieces. The social media store sells all manner of small and large storage units, tables, chairs, sofas and lamps, to name but a few. The price on these beauties varies greatly, so be sure to check its swag regularly. It also recently launched its own line of bright-hued checkerboard rugs that'll add a splash of colour and help spiff up any room. MUD Founded in 1994, Mud has been going strong for 27 years with its minimalist ceramic designs. Perhaps best known for its handmade porcelain range brought to life by designer Shelley Simpson, Mud is all about clean, colourful pieces that are as much about the artistic process as they are functionality. So, if you're in the market for a statement salad bowl, a new mug or some unique hanging lights, check out its online store. SUNDAY SOCIETY This Brisbane-based store delivers across Australia, which is the first bit of great news you need to hear. The second? Sunday Society embraces individualism and creativity while remaining approachable in aesthetic and, perhaps more importantly, price. It has a diverse range of lounge and bedroom furniture as well as a timeless selection of outdoor wares. Style and sophistication go hand in hand every step of the way here, so no matter what you're looking for, you're bound to find something that suits your taste. LOUNGE LOVERS Whether it's the comfortable, stylish sofas or rustic, asymmetrical tables stocked at Lounge Lovers, you may find yourself being surprised at the price tag on these slick pieces. Lounge Lovers keeps things simple by offering concise variations on a number of easily workable themes. Classic and contemporary designs are brought to life via chic colour palettes that range from neutral to jewel tones, allowing you to add your personal flair to any of these accessible pieces. Great Southern Bank is empowering Aussies to get clever with their banking. Whether you want to stick to your savings goals with The Boost or hide your house deposit fund from yourself with The Vault, Great Southern Bank helps you get there. For more information on savings tools and home loan options, head to the Great Southern Bank website. Top image: Opus, Cassandra Hannagan
In the age of streaming, DVD commentary tracks are no longer as much a part of the home-viewing process. If you're keen to hear insider details about the making of Sydney-shot 1999 sci-fi great The Matrix and 2025's Melbourne-made horror hit Together, however, SXSW Sydney has you covered. 2025's event has unveiled more details of its Screen Festival program for this year, with the return of its Screen Commentary sessions among the highlights. Costume designer Kym Barrett, who has also worked on everything from Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet, The Nice Guys, The Shallows, Aquaman and Us to Charlie's Angels, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Three Thousand Years of Longing — and on The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, plus the Wachowskis' Speed Racer, Cloud Atlas and Jupiter Ascending — will talk through her efforts on The Matrix as the film plays. For Together, writer/director Michael Shanks will dig into his debut feature, which also opened 2025's Sydney Film Festival. SXSW Sydney has also announced Screen conference sessions as part of its roster of seminars, workshops and more, with Whitney Fuller, the Development Executive of Jordan Peele's Monkeypaw Productions, one of the big names. Fittingly, Fuller will be part of the festival's Women in Genre panel. Also, producer Liz Watts (The Royal Hotel) and filmmaker Tony Ayres (The Survivors) are teaming up for the What Is an Australian Story? session, while Fantastic Festival Director Lisa Dreyer, Rachel Watt from Watt Social, Yellow Veil Pictures' Joe Yanick and Oscilloscope's Alexandra Fredericks are set to get chatting as well. The panel lineup also spans Jill Kingston from Pacific Shadow Pictures, Enzo Tedeschi and Helen Tuck from Deadhouse Films, and Lake Martin Films' Kate Separovich unpacking all things indie horror from a filmmaking perspective, as well as Invention Studios' Carmen Knox and actor Remy Hii (Arcane) on deciding whether to make the leap to LA. SXSW Sydney's latest screen-centric additions join Paul Feig (Another Simple Favour) hitting the Harbour City as the Screen Festival keynote speaker and its first recipient of the new SXSW Sydney Screen Pioneer Award — and also a 14-hour Freaks and Geeks marathon, plus sessions of Bridesmaids and The Heat, to go along with his time at the fest. There's more to come; however, as similarly announced earlier, viewers will also be able to catch By Design, $POSITIONS, Dead Lover, Zodiac Killer Project, The Last Sacrifice and Bokshi. Among that group, body-swap effort By Design features Juliette Lewis (The Thicket), Mamoudou Athie (Kinds of Kindness) and Robin Tunney (Dear Edward); horror-comedy Dead Lover is a SXSW Austin award-winner; Charlie Shackleton (The Afterlight) digs into a famed serial killer; and everything from comedy to folk horror features. [caption id="attachment_967878" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jaimi Joy[/caption] [caption id="attachment_923287" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brendon Thorne/Getty Images for SXSW Sydney[/caption] [caption id="attachment_923317" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brendon Thorne/Getty Images for SXSW Sydney[/caption] SXSW Sydney 2025, including the SXSW Sydney Screen Festival, runs from Monday, October 13–Sunday, October 19 at various Sydney venues. Head to the SXSW Sydney website for further details and tickets. The Matrix image: Ronald Siemoneit/Sygma/Sygma via Getty Images. Together image: Ben King, Neon.
In 2019, after opening 90 bars over the prior eight years and 94 worldwide, Scottish brewery BrewDog finally set up shop in Australia. And, sprawling across a hefty parcel of land by the banks of the Brisbane River, it arrived with a splash. That said, while a brand-new jetty was built right next to the company's Murarrie site, aka DogTap Brisbane, opened, don't go planning on pairing your brew with a dip in the ol' Brown Snake. Brisbanites, you really do know better than that. Acting as the brand's Australian base, the Brisbane brewery is pumping out beer that gets shipped around the country. It also has a huge taproom with food and plenty of opportunities to learn more about craft beer. Brewery tours are available, and eager drinkers can also enrol in Beer School — aka guided tasting sessions where one of BrewDog's Cicerone-certified staff talk you through the BrewDog and craft beer basics. First announced in 2018, and only the company's fourth taproom directly attached to one of its breweries, BrewDog's $30-million street art-covered Brisbane site boasts a range of other reasons to drop by. Heading to the end of a Murarrie industrial estate hasn't ever been high on locals' to-do lists, but making the journey to sip freshly poured cold ones on a 485-square-metre riverside patio should be. The sizeable outdoor area comes with views towards Hamilton and the Gateway Bridge, as well as ample seating. There's also a selection of games, such as giant Jenga, giant chess and giant Connect Four. And, both the public and staff car parks are licensed too, so they can host beer festivals and other events. If you're coming by for the beer, BrewDog's headliners (its famed Punk IPA among them) sit alongside a heap of small-batch brews, including options that nod to the local and Australian craft beer scenes. Should you want something other than beer, choices span wine, spirits and soft drinks. Food-wise, it's a lineup of familiar bar favourites. Think: various burgers, tacos and pizzas, plus a 300-gram rib-eye, truffle cheese fries, chicken parmigiana, and fish and chips. Head by on Mondays and you can tuck into two-for-one vegan dishes, while Wednesdays are all about all-you-can eat wings — chicken and cauliflower. In addition to 16 blue leather booths and high-top tables, DogTap's industrial indoor area also has arcade games. Really love BrewDog? There's a merchandise stall. Want a few brews to take home? Stop by the takeaway area on the way out the door. Images: Pandora Photography
After a hefty renovation, Fortitude Valley favourite The Wickham has reopened its doors. Hitting up the heritage-listed Wickham Street now means enjoying a revamped beer garden — one that's now weather-proof, too, taking not only Brisbane's sunshine but the city's storms into account — and spying pops of colour everywhere, spotting Jennifer Coolidge among the artwork and tucking into Disco Fruit Tingle cocktails served in disco balls. It was back in August 2022 that the 138-year-old venue's makeover was announced, with Australian Venue Co advising that it'd be putting $1.5 million into The Wickham's fresh look. Renovating a bar that dates back to 1885 isn't a small task, though. Accordingly, in early March the hospitality company advised that hotel's do-over cost $3.1 million. As seen across the revamped outdoor area and two newly done-up indoor spaces, that sum has gone into a new design by Newline Design — well, as new as the site's heritage listing allows. Walk through The Wickham now and you'll notice a mix of the old and the fresh, aka balancing historic charm with upgrades. A new kitchen has been put in as well. Among the existing areas of the pub that've been given a new lease on life, The Wickham's old corner bar and studio spaces are now welcoming in patrons in their new guise. They've both been renamed, dubbed The Peacock Room and Garland Room, respectively. And yes, they now sport decor to match. The Peacock Room is decked out with vintage furniture, work by local artists — heroing LGBTQIA+ talent — plus nods to the Wickham's peacock Frankie. It's also the venue's favourite option for cruisy drinks. Garland Room is the venue's new club space, which means that DJs, performers and parties will be filling it ASAP. The Wickham's reopening also sees it bring back Thursday night trivia in the beer garden, live tunes from Friday–Sunday and drag shows on Friday and Saturday evenings. The Peacock Room is also set to host bottomless burlesque brunch sessions once a month. Menu-wise, Executive Chef Dylan Kemp is overseeing the new food lineup, which spans stone-baked pizzas, bar snacks and late-night options, including a sizeable range of vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free dishes. On offer: cauliflower hot bites, fried quail with truffle mash — and a menu just for dogs that spans crispy pig skin, meat balls, gravy and peanut butter. Taking cues from the 70s and its fondness for disco, the drinks list has scored a once-over as well. Think: those aforementioned Disco Fruit Tingles; Glitter Bellinis, complete with edible glitter; and frozen G&Ts made with pineapple tonic. If you're keen on a tipple without the booze, the venue has upped its non-alcoholic range of wines, spirits, beers and cocktails as well, which'll feature a No-groni and the Espresso Marti-no. The Wickham is no stranger to nips and tucks during its century-plus existence, of course, including last undergoing a refresh back in 2014 and gaining five completely new spaces in the process.
One of the biggest mistakes that novice surfers make is thinking they can learn anywhere. Soft-top board in hand, they plunge idealistically into thrashing waves and rips, before returning to shore after two hours of near-drownings without a single catch to brag about. Start in the right place, however, and it's a different experience altogether. What newbies need are small waves breaking over sand, as opposed to rocks or reefs. You won't find them at just any old beach — which is why we've teamed up with Jim Beam to find just the right spots for you and your mates to get to grips with Australia's favourite beach pastime. Assemble the squad, grab your boards and pay a visit to a few of these beginner-friendly surfing destinations. Umina Beach If you (or God) were to design a beach specifically for apprentice surfers, it would like the Central Coast's Umina. Its blissfully protected location — along the north east curve of Broken Bay — means the ocean's relentless hammering is barely felt. Only a serious storm can mess matters up. What's more, the long, sloping sea bed gives the waves buckets of time to exhaust themselves before reaching you. Surf lessons and hire are available at Central Coast Surf School. Palm Beach (Southern End) When the swell is powering in from the south, grab your boardies and hotfoot it to Palm Beach. The sheltered southern corner is a beginner's Nirvana. You can count on mercifully consistently waves, giving you ample time to conquer the whitewash and, when you're ready, take off across smooth, green faces. Need some tips? Cast an eye around for the Manly Surf School van. For après-surf leisure, there's the Barranjoey Lighthouse Walk or a dip in the ocean pool. Collaroy Beach (Southern End) Like Palm Beach, Collaroy is shielded at its southern end. Long Reef Point (a splendid spot for snorkelling, by the way) juts into the Pacific, separating the beach from neighbouring Dee Why. So, it's also at its best in south swells. Once you've racked up some experience, have a crack at the gloriously long point break. One word of warning: this one is better avoided when seas are rough or north winds are raging, when the shore break can turn into a dumping ground. Long Reef Beach On the city side of Collaroy Beach lies the northern end of Dee Why Beach, formally known as Long Reef Beach (the two beaches are separated by the mouth of Dee Why Lagoon). Here, Long Reef Point also does its protective duty. It, in combination with some solid sand banks, keeps the waves smooth and regular. For practising in whitewater, head down at low tide; if you're ready to tackle faces, high tide is more promising. When winds are strong, you'll find milder conditions in Dee Why's southern corner. Freshwater Beach Freshwater Beach is the birthplace of Australian surfing. Exactly 100 years ago, residents got a shock when they saw a Hawaiian by the name of Duke Kahanamoku carve a board out of local timber, jump into the sea and ride the waves, on his feet. Soon enough, everyone was giving it a go. For lessons, get in touch with Surf Skool. Once you're done, the nearby Harbord Beach Hotel (aka the Harbord Hilton) will vanquish your post-surf appetite with some fresh tucker and cocktails. Manly Beach (Southern End) Get started along Manly's southern stretch and you'll land yourself in esteemed company. Midget Farrelly, Pam Burridge and Layne Beachley are just a few of the surfing legends to have had their early rides here. Like those at Palm Beach and Collaroy, the waves are best when the south winds are a-blowing. Chaos reigns when a north swell is coming in. Options for surfboard hire and lessons are plentiful. Try Manly Surf School or Manly Surf Hire. Bondi Beach (Northern End) When you've a north wind on your hands, make tracks to Bondi. The waves can get wild in the middle of the beach, but in the northern corner, you're protected by Ben Buckler headland. The only catch is that crowds can be intense, especially on sunny weekends. So if you can, pop along on a weekday or in the late afternoon. For lessons, give Let's Go Surfing a call. Greenhills Beach Backed by grassy sand dunes, Greenhills is the northen end of Cronulla Beach. It tends to be less busy than South Cronulla — and many of Sydney's other beaches for that matter — which is a bonus for learner surfers. There's no need to worry about driving your out-of-control board into an unsuspecting swimmer. Go here during north-east winds. If you're in need of a teacher, try Cronulla Surf School or Cronulla Surfing Academy. Thirroul Beach (Southern End) One hour and 15-minutes drive (or 90 minutes by direct train) south of the Sydney CBD along the Illawarra Coast, Thirroul is home to a kilometre-long strip of golden sand. According to former international surf master Terry Richardson, the Illawarra is home to "the best surfers in the world". Beginners should visit when the swell is weak and the wind is coming up from the south. Leave the big surf to the pros. Plus, you can always drop by Thirroul village instead for great coffee, art galleries and records. Illawarra Surf Academy offers classes and gear hire. Corrimal Beach (Northern End) Drive ten minutes south of Thirroul, and you'll find Corrimal Beach. It's also best for learners in small surf. Stick to the northern end, which is sheltered (to an extent) by Bellambi Point. The Illawarra Surfing Academy runs three-day camps here, which can be a great way to gain confidence quickly. There's a caravan park within a few hundred metres of the surf, so staying the night isn't a hassle either. Like Jim Beam, surfing and other outdoor adventures are all about bringing people together, so get out there this summer and find your tribe in the great outdoors. Images: Dollar Photo Club, MITLRproductions, Kspilling, Kyle Taylor, Terovian at English Wikipedia, Nigel Howe, George Grinsted, J Bar, Vanessa Pike-Russell
Think of a riverside pub in Brisbane, and you'll most likely think of this mainstay in Toowong. The Regatta Hotel has stood on the banks on the Brisbane River — or, more accurately, just across the road from the banks of the Brisbane River — since 1874, after all. And, the Inner West spot boasts quite the history, including several floods, famous protests, a fire and a number of renovations. This is the kind of Brissie institution that everyone in town has a story about. It's the type of place that every Brisbanite has whiled away an afternoon or several in, too (and likely more). The usual routine: find a seat outside or on the upstairs verandah, soak up the river air and enjoy a beverage. If you're looking for a brew, the main bar pours 33 draught beers on tap, as well as three ciders. For Regatta patrons after a bite to eat, The Courtyard menu changes regularly, but expect pub favourites and plenty of pizzas. Or, make a booking at onsite restaurant The Boatshed. Steaks are the big drawcard — including with Moreton Bay bugs, barbecued prawns, oysters, and salt-and-pepper calamari as toppers. Switching beer for wine is also recommended, and expect to spot more than a few group celebrations sitting down for a meal This Coronation Drive pub also does breakfast, including a big brekkie with bacon, poached eggs, salt-baked tomato, roasted mushroom, English-style sausage, hash browns, sourdough and tomato relish — a dish that's perfect for a post-walk feed after strolling along the riverwalk. Live music, sports on the venue's many screens, themed pop-ups, special-occasion lunches, fairs and festivals, a dedicated whisky bar: you'll find them all at the Regatta as well. From Thursday–Sunday from 6pm–late, underground speakeasy The Walrus Club also pours drinks, often pairing its 100-plus rum range with live jazz. Top image: Markus Ravik.
Since opening in 2018, the Howard Smith Wharves precinct has given Brisbane a riverside CBD brewery, plus an overwater bar beneath the Story Bridge. It's gifted the city top-notch Greek, Japanese and Cantonese restaurants by the water, too, alongside a luxe hotel with a rooftop bar boasting killer views — and a new CityCat stop as well. But, if a new proposal gets the tick of approval, that's not all that everyone will be able to enjoy at the end of Boundary Street. Artemus Group has announced that it has lodged a development application on plans to transform the site. There's no shortage of ambition in the outlined ideas, including building a second hotel featuring 77 rooms, creating more public spaces and making taking a dip over the river (no, not in it) a reality. Move over South Bank (which has its own transformations plans in the works): Brisbanites might soon be swimming in an overwater pool on a new HSW pool deck, having a splash while overlooking the river on the northern side of the CBD. The deck will also include more places to eat and drink with a view, thanks to a new bar and dining precinct. If you're keen on another staycation spot, the idea is to add a nine-storey hotel with 77 rooms. If it doesn't seem like there'd be space for it in the current setup, that's because Felons Barrel Hall would need to be torn down to build the new spot to slumber. The latter's much-loved use as a venue to catch live tunes would remain part of the plans, however, with the ground floor featuring a theatre and music hall. There'll be shops on the bottom level as well. Also proposed: revitalising Bougainvillea House, complete with two storeys of landscaping; creating new open spaces; adding a couple of new cliff lifts to get folks down to HSW; and enhancing the pathways, boardwalks and parklands. And, the precinct would also gain 12 beverage storage tanks to help reduce packaging waste. "Positioned along the iconic Brisbane River, the precinct is already a thriving destination. We believe this next chapter at Howard Smith Wharves will play a central role in the Brisbane 2032 Olympics and Paralympics, where the river is our stage to showcase Brisbane and Queensland to the world," said Artemus Group Founder and Director Adam Flaskas. "Our goal is to deliver something truly world-class for Brisbane; a destination that celebrates our city's heritage, landscape and natural beauty. We are creating a hospitality and tourism gateway that will connect locals and visitors to some of Brisbane's best experiences including exceptional dining and access to the world's largest, pristine sand islands. Brisbane River is our city's superpower and this development maximises its potential." "This project puts people at its heart. The design is welcoming, comfortable and engaging, creating a space that is truly for everyone," added the project's architect Mark Damant. "Artemus Group's vision positions Howard Smith Wharves as the most-sustainable precinct in the world. The design incorporates subtropical landscape elements, integrating rooftop gardens and facade greenery, while world-first initiatives focus on reducing environmental impact and enhancing liveability," Mr Damant said. Find Howard Smith Wharves at 5 Boundary Street, Brisbane — and head to the precinct's website for more details.
Dining out is back in — and it's back with a vengeance. As we cruise to the mid-way point through this gloriously lockdown-free year, Australia's wining and dining scene is returning to its former glory. And it seems the rest of the world is taking notice, too. The esteemed World's 50 Best Restaurants awards unveiled their annual 51-100 list overnight, with one Aussie restaurant named among them — celebrated chef Andrew McConnell's Melbourne diner, Gimlet at Cavendish House. [caption id="attachment_860200" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ben Moynihan[/caption] The CBD restaurant took out the number 84 spot in the Top 100 longlist, on its World's 50 Best debut. It was in good company, too, ranking alongside a diverse spread of lauded venues from Singapore to São Paulo, and Munich to Marseille. If you're plotting an overseas food holiday, this lineup is well worth a look. The awards' 51-100 list was unveiled at a ceremony in the UK yesterday, with the restaurant world now holding its breath for the Top 50 lineup, set to be announced on the evening of Monday, July 18 (UK time). Just two Aussie restaurants claimed spots in last year's awards, both of them Victorian, with Dan Hunter's Brae placing 57th and Ben Shewry's Ripponlea fine diner Attica coming in at number 97. [caption id="attachment_826376" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jo McGann[/caption] Running annually since 2002, the World's 50 Best awards are chosen by a panel of over 1000 culinary experts, guided by a strict voting procedure. They're now hosted by a different country each year, with Melbourne playing host city back in 2017. To check out the full World's 50 Best Restaurants Top 100 list, see the website. Top Image: Earl Carter
In recent years, there's been a growing perception that Australian nightlife is in decline, as rising cost-of-living pressures push more people to stay in and "enjoy their rent." With social habits shifting, particularly among younger generations, more than a quarter of nightclubs have closed since the pandemic. At the same time, Gen Z is increasingly being described as the "sober curious" generation, with drinking rates continuing to fall. All of these factors have resulted in quieter streets, restaurants that close earlier, and fewer people spending money in bars and clubs. The Visa Vibe Economy report, commissioned by Visa and conducted by McCrindle, surveyed Australians to learn how we spend our evenings (and how much cash we splash on a night out). It turns out that there are still a number of Australians getting out and about after dark. [caption id="attachment_1032801" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Getty Images Maskot[/caption] What's prompting Australians to get out? It should come as no surprise that we are a nation of foodies, with the research revealing the main reason we leave our homes after dark is to go out for dinner. With our major cities having thousands of world-class restaurants to choose from, it's no wonder that seven in ten Australians put food at the top of the list when deciding on a night out. Next on the list was the quality of entertainment, and interestingly, whether or not you can grab a pint at a night-time venue is low on Aussies' priority list. Only 28 percent of people surveyed felt that alcohol availability was necessary when choosing where to spend a night out. Aussies are heading out after dark for more than just a good time with mates—though that's still a big part of it. Half say they're hitting the streets to unwind and shake off the day, while many are keen to break the routine and discover something new. The call for fresh nighttime experiences is loud and clear, with over 50 percent of people wanting more night markets, festivals and late-night culture in their neighbourhoods. Of course, the cost of living also plays a crucial role, with 52 percent of us looking for more affordable options for a night out. With restaurants charging premiums due to the price of produce and the cost of living not seeming to slow down anytime soon, people's leisure budgets are clearly taking a hit. On average, 81 percent of Australians spend up to $120 per person on a night out, and cost was the most significant barrier for people not getting out and about in the evening. Who's getting out of the house the most frequently? The Visa Australia Night-time Index 2025, a new in-depth analysis measuring data such as spending, vibrancy, and venues open after dark, found Melburnians are the cohort spending the most evenings away from the couch, with the city being crowned as the number one night-time hotspot in the country. From the city's CBD laneway restaurants to the pubs in Brunswick and Fitzroy, Chapel Street's nightlife strip and St Kilda's live music scene, Melburnians have a number of precincts to choose from, all with a high standard of food, drink, and atmosphere. After the Victorian capital, Sydney was next on the list of Australian nightlife hotspots. The city and Inner South, Eastern suburbs, Parramatta, Inner South West, Inner West and North Sydney were all locations that saw the most spending after dark. Although you may feel your friends are staying in more than usual, the report finds that almost half of Australians go out in the evening at least once a week. Not bad. And despite their sober curious nature, Gen Z is leading that charge with 73 percent of the cohort getting out once or more a week. On average, the generation is spending 9.4 nights out per month, and boosting the economy at the same time. [caption id="attachment_1032802" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Getty Images Klaus Vedfelt[/caption] Where to next? Australians clearly love a night out. While we might not be hitting the clubs at the same rate as a few decades ago, the night-time economy is still contributing a lot to our way of life. So, get out there and try new restaurants, head to a night market you've not been to, and cheers to enjoying your city after dark. Discover the vibe near you. Lead image: Getty Images Thomas Barwick
Do you adore greenery, wish your house could be filled with blossoming petals and gorgeous leaves, but don't have the greenest of thumbs? That's a hugely relatable predicament. Now, a second question: do you firmly think that you never grow out of Lego, and also find building with the plastic bricks peaceful? The toy brand's latest range has answers to both queries. At the beginning of 2021, Lego unleashed its new Botanical Collection — part of its growing range for adults, because we're all well past pretending that Lego is just for kids. Back then, it boasted a flower bouquet and a bonsai, letting you add both to your home without worry about care, water, wilting or the expiry date that always comes with cut florals. Or, they made great gifts to your nearest and dearest for all of the same reasons. The two latest items in the range also tick those boxes. If you're terrible with keeping greenery alive, they're ideal for you, too. And no, even you can't kill these succulents or orchids — from under- or overwatering, not enough sun or too much, or the usual long list of things that can go wrong when you become a plant parent. The 771-piece succulent kit features nine different Lego cacti and the like in different shapes, sizes and hues, all in their own separate containers. Connect them together for one striking piece, or keep them apart and place them in different spots — the choice is obviously yours. As for the 608-piece orchid set, it'll see you build a towering bloom with six large flowers and two newly opened flowers, all in a blue fluted vase. And it really isn't small, measuring 39 centimetres in height. Available now in Australia and New Zealand, both kits are customisable, and also based on actual plants — so they look as lifelike as Lego succulents and orchids can. Sure, fake flowers exist, but they're nowhere near as engaging to put together as this build-your-own low-maintenance option. As well as catching the eye and adding some splashes of green to your decor, Lego's newest products are designed to help you destress and get mindful — something that the brand has been promoting for adults for a few years now. Both kits cost $89.99 each in Australia and $99.99 each in New Zealand. And if you're keen on more, the original two sets are still available, as is a bird of paradise in a pot, plus small sunflower, rose and tulip kits. For more information about Lego's new Botanical Collection, including the flower bouquet and bonsai tree kits, head to the company's website.
Laneway Festival has revealed its full 2026 lineup, marking a milestone 21st anniversary edition of the beloved summer series. Returning next February, the festival will expand its route across Australia and New Zealand, adding three new venues to the circuit. Fans can expect another year of sold-out crowds after the 2025 festival drew over 200,000 attendees across main dates and a further 40,000 at sideshows. "It's incredible to be celebrating 21 years of Laneway. What began as a little street party in a Melbourne laneway has grown into a summer ritual across Australia and New Zealand," festival co-founders Danny Rogers and Jerome Borazio said. "Every year we're blown away by the response from the artists, fans, and community that make Laneway so special — 2026 is about honouring that history while looking to the future." See the full lineup below. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Laneway Festival (@lanewayfest) Laneway 2026 will run from February 5–15, with shows confirmed for Auckland, the Gold Coast, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. Tickets and more information are available now from the Laneway Festival website.
As the creator and host of This American Life, one of modern radio's truly great story hours, Ira Glass needs little introduction. But now Ira is trying his hand as a film producer. Marcus Costello caught up with him ahead of the Australian release of Sleepwalk with Me, a comedy based on the life of, directed by and starring Ira's longtime friend and collaborator Mike Birbiglia. There's a sequence in Sleepwalk when Matt (Birbiglia) stays overnight in a hotel. For a guy who moonlights in a bar to support himself, this is the sign of making it — so he orders room service and dances on the bed. You also had a day job when you first started making radio: temping as a secretary. Was there a jump-on-the-bed-moment when it dawned on you that radio was going to work out? There were a few moments, but they were not early in my career! I took longer to figure out how to make a living making radio than anyone I've ever met. I was always a very good editor but all the other parts of making a radio story — being a solid interviewer, writer, knowing how to write something that could be read out loud — I was just so bad at these things. And I don't say that with false modesty. If you poke around you can find examples of my early stuff. I have. And, yeah, well, you only got better and better. [laughs] All through my twenties my parents kept telling me "you've got to get out of radio, you've got to get out of radio!" and I always thought they were being so unsupportive. But when I go back and listen to what I was producing, I completely understand where they were coming from. Did you ever turn to them and say, "look at me now"? Yes. Well, not in so many words. When they saw me on The David Letterman Show they stopped telling me I should go to medical school. Nice. Staying with the hotel experience, I have you as saying, "Just when did I get to the point when staying at a hotel wasn't fun?" I have a cousin who's a composer, Philip Glass, and when he was starting out his mother said to him, "You're just going to be travelling around staying in hotels", and he said, "Yeah, exactly!" But, you know, the novelty comes and goes. These days, I've come back around to embracing the escapism of hotels. In that scene, Matt looks around the hotel room sort of awestruck and I remember seeing it in the script and thinking "Well, that's going to look stupid" but it worked! It's a perfect example of something that's utterly convincing on film but if you think about it, 100 percent BS. And that was one of the key things I've learnt about filmmaking. And what about bumping into famous people at fancy hotels and thinking "I'm famous too, I can talk to them!" Is there still novelty in that? I mean, This American Life is a show about ordinary people's stories. Tell me, who's the most memorable person you've met? I can definitely answer this question but it's hard because if an interview is going well I fall in love with that person a little bit... Are you falling in love me with, Ira? Exactly. And after this interview, where are you taking me, Marcus? [laughs] I guess, be it with a man, woman or child, any age, I know an interview's going well, that we're both feeling good about it, when I start talking honestly about myself with them. Okay, here's something that really stands out in my memory. We did a show about babysitting and I interviewed a guy called Myron Jones. It was one of those stories that starts out light-hearted and funny but gets darker and sours. The deeper into it we went, I realised the story wasn't about what we thought it was about but actually about his mum; she was kind of crazy. At one point she actually followed through with her threats to send him away to an orphanage, like, who does that? It was the kind of complicated, emotional story that is so hard to come by. I mean, he was from another generation, another part of the world, there's no other way I would have had access to a story like his. And he really opened up to me. But the thing that touched me most was how graceful he was about his past. I mean, his mum did some terrible things, some really terrible things, and yet he had no bitterness about it. He was beyond bitterness and almost onside with his mum. I remember thinking to myself after that interview, when I get old I want to be like Myron. It's so touching and telling that people open up to you. I wonder, if you're asking someone who you've just met to talk about a traumatic period of their life, have you ever felt you've pushed too hard, gone too far? Hmm. Well, there have certainly been times when people have told me too much without having to push for it. I remember when I was a producer for the daily news back in the '80s when AIDS first hit, I was interviewing this couple and I asked them, "Do people still have sex when they have HIV?" And then they gave the most graphic, like, graphic, account of how they do it. I thought, wow, you are just so much less inhibited than I am. Well, journalists are compelled to get the truth out there in all its graphic detail. On the other hand, artists are compelled to create truths. As a sort of hybrid of these two, what compels you? Truthfully, I feel that my interests are really basic. I'm looking for something that is exciting or amusing. I like to be entertained. Balancing funny moments with emotional moments in the one story is always powerful. I like being told stories about people I don't know or places I haven't been but told in a way that I can relate to. I certainly relate to This American Life, and I'm an Australian. Have you ever thought about selling the concept to other countries? Say, This Russian Life? [laughs] The name of the show goes to show just how shortsighted we were! Back in the early '90s when we started out, we honestly never thought anyone outside of America would ever hear us. I don't know how we'd go in Russia, but we're on in Canada and they're such chauvinists up there we actually thought about inserting a little snippet into the intro so it's like, 'This North American Life'. I often reflect on what you have to say about starting out, "For the first couple of years you make stuff and it's just not that good. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. You gotta know it's normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work." (Read the full quote here.) I loved This American Life the TV series, but it was abandoned so early on! Yeah. Basically, for things to work in the This American Life format things have to unfold, somebody has to learn something, somebody to change. On radio, we get people to tell us what happened to them but on TV you want the cameras to be there rolling as the events transpire. So it becomes a really tall order to find something worth filming before it's happened. Look, I'm proud of what we produced and we even won some awards for it, but it was just so hard, like, really hard, and we had trouble meeting our deadlines. And it's so much more expensive to experiment with stories in TV than it is to run with something in radio then let it go if it's not working out. We asked to be taken off television and very graciously Showtime let us out of our contract. You seem to have a love-hate relationship with hard work. Speaking about your first time producing a film, you said, "It was a shocking amount of work — the despair-making sort of work where you aren't really sure if it's ever going to work." And yet your team is ploughing ahead with six more films. Something tells me it's all going to work out just fine. [laughs] Thank you. Ira's Sleepwalk with Me collaborator Mike Birbiglia is currently in Australia with his show My Girlfriend's Boyfriend, on at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival until April 4 and at the Sydney Opera House on April 6. He'll also be appearing at a special Q&A session and Sleepwalk with Me screening at the Dendy Newtown on April 5. Read our review of Sleepwalk with Me here.
Literally massive news, movie lovers: IMAX is bringing its big-screen experience to Queensland. Australia's number of giant spots to catch a film is expanding to three, with the Gold Coast joining Sydney and Melbourne. Cinephiles will be able to check out the new screen before 2024 is out, with the country's latest IMAX set to open before Christmas and Boxing Day. The Sunshine State has been in this situation before, however. South Bank's Cineplex in Brisbane was previously an IMAX but, while it still has the towering screen in operation, the picture palace hasn't shown the format for more than a decade. Accordingly, Brisbanites are set for a trip down the highway — and tourists to the Gold Coast who are keen on catching a flick during their stay have somewhere huge to hit up. The movie haven to head to: Event Cinemas Pacific Fair in Broadbeach, with an existing auditorium transforming for IMAX, which is being custom-built in. Expect a 1.1:9 aspect ratio screen, with images flickering across it thanks to IMAX 4K laser projection. There's no word yet if, like its counterparts down south, the Gold Coast's IMAX will be one of the biggest cinema screens in the world. IMAX Corporation and hospitality company EVT are aiming for a Thursday, December 19 launch, which means opening with Mufasa: The Lion King — and then showing 2024's Boxing Day slate. On an ongoing basis, film fans can expect to see not just blockbusters, but also concert films, documentaries and live events make the most of IMAX. The Gold Coast will now boast two sizeable ways to get a movie fix, with surround-screen viewing experience ScreenX making its Australian debut at Event Cinemas Robina back in 2023. Three walls, three screens, a 270-degree field of view: that's the maths behind that concept, which uses multi-projection across a screen area measuring 67.7 metres. Also in 2023, after IMAX Sydney reopened at Darling Harbour following a seven-year period where it was demolished and then rebuilt, it was revealed that another IMAX was on its way to Sydney. While it's planned for an existing Event Cinemas location as well, it hasn't come to fruition as yet. "At EVT, our vision has always been to provide experiences that escape the ordinary, and IMAX embodies that ethos. Queenslanders have long desired an IMAX cinema, and we are thrilled to bring this incredible cinematic experience to the Gold Coast," said Daniel McCabe, EVT's General Manager, Cinema Operations Australia. "Australia boasts an exceptionally passionate moviegoing audience and 2024 has already become the highest-grossing year for IMAX in the country since 2016. With audience demand at an all-time high, we couldn't be more excited to bring The IMAX Experience to the Gold Coast," added IMAX Chief Sales Officer Giovanni Dolci. IMAX will open at Event Cinemas Pacific Fair, Pacific Fair Shopping Centre, Level 1/1571 Hooker Boulevard, Broadbeach, in the lead up to Christmas 2024 — expected on Thursday, December 19, 2024. Head to the cinema's website for more details. Images: IMAX Queensgate NZ and IMAX Sydney.
In its very first moments, House of the Dragon's opening episode delivers exactly what its name promises: here be dragons indeed. Within ten minutes, the Iron Throne, that sprawling metal seat that all of Westeros loves fighting about, also makes its initial appearance. By the time the 20-minute mark arrives, bloody violence of the appendage-, limb- and head-lopping kind fills the show's frames as well. And, before the debut instalment of this Game of Thrones prequel about House Targaryen's history even hits its halfway mark, a brothel scene with nudity and sex is sighted, too. Between all of the above, the usual GoT family dramas, squabbles over successors and power struggles pop up. Of course they do. Kicking off on Monday, August 22 Down Under — via Foxtel and Binge in Australia and SoHo, Sky Go and Neon in New Zealand — House of the Dragon was always going to check all of the above boxes. None of this can constitute spoilers, either, because none of it can come as a surprise. Game of Thrones' fame and influence have become that pervasive, as have its hallmarks and trademarks. Everyone knows what GoT is known for, even if you've somehow never seen this page-to-screen franchise yet or read the George RR Martin-penned books that it's based on. Also, everyone knows that Game of Thrones was the most-talked about and obsessed-over show on television between 2011–19, and that it didn't exactly go out with a bang when it wrapped up its eighth and final season three years back. Accordingly, trying to recapture past glories was bound to be HBO's main aim in its first step back into this fantasy world, rather than daring to tread new territory. House of the Dragon happily sticks to the saga's basics, so much so that everything you think will happen does — and making a drinking game around it is as easy as spotting feuds, orgies, incest, gore and fraying bonds of blood in the Seven Kingdoms. After green-lighting a different prequel to pilot stage, scrapping it, then picking this one to run with instead — and also making plans to bring novella series Tales of Dunk and Egg to TV, working on an animated GoT show, exploring other potential prequels and forging ahead a Jon Snow-focused sequel series — House of the Dragon is the first Game of Thrones successor to arrive in streaming queues. Its focus: the Targaryen crew 172 years before the birth of Daenerys and her whole dragon-flying, nephew-dating, power-seeking story. Cue silky silver locks aplenty, of course, including cascading from King Viserys I's (Paddy Considine, The Third Day) head as he takes to the Iron Throne over his cousin Princess Rhaenys (Eve Best, Nurse Jackie). She had a better claim to the spiky chair, but is also female. New show, same male-dominated hierarchy and accompanying bullshit. History repeats itself several times over, with Viserys' leap to power just the starting point. House of the Dragon is concerned with the same fights about the throne, but over whether the king's dragon-riding daughter Princess Rhaenyra (Upright's Milly Alcock, then Mothering Sunday's Emma D'Arcy) becomes his heir, or the future son he's desperate to have, or his headstrong younger brother Prince Daemon (Matt Smith, Morbius). No one wants the latter, and everyone around Viserys has an angle. It isn't out of kindness that Hand of the King Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans, The King's Man) tells his own daughter Alicent (The Lost Girls' Emily Carey, then Slow Horses' Olivia Cooke) to cosy up to their ruler at his loneliest. And when Rhaenys' husband Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint, It's a Sin) suggests an option, it's all about tying his Valyrian bloodline with the Targaryens. Even if the word "succession" wasn't uttered every couple of minutes — and it is — it'd be clear that another HBO series has left an imprint on showrunners Miguel Sapochnik (an Emmy-winner for directing Game of Thrones' 'Battle of The Bastards') and Ryan Condal (Colony). If House of the Dragon's key pair had written both GoT's and Succession's main characters and narrative beats on post-its, stuck them on a wall, then rearranged the lot to create a slightly different story, this would easily be the end result. That familiarity and formula is exactly what HBO want, too. Sitting down with House of the Dragon is meant to feel like slipping back into an old favourite like no time has passed, and it does. Seeing recognisable places, spying already-explored character dynamics, revisiting how difficult it is to be a woman in Westeros, hearing names such as Lannister and Baratheon get a mention: that's all part of the comfortable design. Some prequels evoke their predecessors perfectly, while also evolving into their own spaces. One of the absolute best examples, Breaking Bad spinoff Better Call Saul, just finished up its run. From the first six episodes in its ten-chapter debut season, House of the Dragon is content with the initial part of that equation, flapping the same wings and getting the same reaction as GoT — doing what HBO knows will work, and endeavouring to put Game of Thrones' lacklustre ending in its slipstream. Thanks to its visibly hefty budget, as seen in what makes it on-screen (dragons and all), it easily and instantly looks the part; however, House of the Dragon's biggest strength in achieving its main aim springs from its packed cast. New show, similar story, more dragons, thrilling performances: that's also the blueprint — and when it works, it works. Considine, Smith, Alcock, D'Arcy, Carey, Cooke and company navigate been-there-done-that tales, but ensure this prequel do-over never plays like a mere and rote rehash. Considine can bring depth to any part he takes on, including House of the Dragon's Ned Stark equivalent, while Smith ranks alongside Ben Mendelsohn as one of the most compelling actors at playing shady and shifty that's working today. This isn't really Viserys and Daemon's story, though. It's Rhaenyra and Alicent's, and Alcock and D'Arcy, plus Carey and Cooke, are up to that task. Here be dragons, and here be the women forced to deal with more and worse, including their own complicated relationship. Yes, as sure as winter is coming, this is a Game of Thrones spinoff. Check out the full House of the Dragon trailer below: House of the Dragon airs and streams from Monday, August 22 Down Under via Foxtel and Binge in Australia and SoHo, Sky Go and Neon in New Zealand. Images: Ollie Upton/HBO.
Tasmania has firmly established itself as a go-to destination on Australia's culinary map. The island's verdant farmlands and inventive chefs produce some of the finest cuisine in the country. Plus, a budding collection of paddock-to-plate restaurants are helping visitors to better appreciate the island state's incredibly rich variety of produce. Here, we've teamed up with Tourism Tasmania to highlight a selection of incredible restaurants where almost everything you feast upon is locally grown and produced. Got a penchant for restaurants that champion sustainability and seasonality? It's time to push Tassie to the top of your travel list. [caption id="attachment_866855" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Van Bone[/caption] VAN BONE Set against the backdrop of Marion Bay's picturesque coastal landscape, Van Bone's eco-conscious philosophy ensures it stands out as a quintessentially Tasmanian fine dining experience. Led by chef Tim Hardy and his partner Laura Stucken, the venue offers seasonal and hyperlocal dishes with incredible vistas and refined architecture to match. Seating just 20 guests, the intimate venue sees diners gazing upon rolling green hills as the chefs prepare the daily degustation menu in an open kitchen. Much of the produce on offer here is grown in the kitchen garden and orchard, while nearby suppliers provide everything else. [caption id="attachment_865477" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jarrad Seng[/caption] THE AGRARIAN KITCHEN EATERY Rodney Dunn and Séverine Demanet have long been fascinated by the relationship between everyday food and the earth that provides it. After opening in 2015, The Agrarian Kitchen Eatery has helped the couple explore this dynamic further, with their spacious venue in the rural community of New Norfolk serving local, seasonal cuisine that celebrates its origins. Many of the ingredients used across the restaurant's woodfired and hot-smoked dishes are grown on a nearby farm and showcase a relaxed expression of Tasmanian cuisine focused on local, small-batch makers and producers. Soon, the duo will share their skills via a new cooking school and kitchen garden which are set to open alongside the restaurant in October this year. [caption id="attachment_865491" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nat Mendham[/caption] STILLWATER Set in a 19th-century flour mill overlooking a charming estuary in Launceston, Stillwater has been recognised as one of the country's top paddock-to-plate restaurants since its launch. Renowned for its casual fine dining, the venue boasts a highly seasonal menu with almost everything on it grown locally. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Stillwater delivers a distinctly Tasmanian dining experience that's only made better by its picturesque setting. Plus, the knowledgeable staff will be more than happy to walk you through where each ingredient is sourced, from the meat to the herbs. [caption id="attachment_868520" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jason Charles Hill[/caption] WATERLOO INN Overlooking the east coast of Tasmania about a 30-minute drive from Freycinet National Park, the Waterloo Inn offers simple, seasonal cuisine that reflects its stunning location in Swansea. Housed inside an unassuming hotel, Waterloo Point, the restaurant is guided by chef Zac Green's (ex-Movida) ode to cosy pubs that dot the island's often chilly coastline. Taking cues from the weather and the available local produce, the three-course Sunday set lunch changes by the week so it's best to keep an eye on the restaurant's socials for updates. Head along soon to experience this local favourite before it becomes a bona fide interstate icon. Booking are essential. [caption id="attachment_865478" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Liam Neal[/caption] FAT PIG FARM Matthew Evans and Sadie Chrestman (of Gourmet Farmer fame) have established Fat Pig Farm – a thriving working property that hosts a multi-course Friday Feast (as well as the occasional Thursday session) — on a 70-acre block in the Huon Valley. These long lunches almost exclusively showcase ingredients grown on the surrounding paddocks. Its heritage apple orchard, market garden, chooks, cows and namesake Wessex Saddleback pigs offer a communal experience for diners to explore the flavours of the Huon Valley. Matthew and Sadie even take guests on a guided tour of the farm between courses, bringing diners closer to the source of their food. [caption id="attachment_865479" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kelly Slater[/caption] TIMBRE Just a short drive from Launceston in the Tamar Valley, Timbre offers an ever-changing seasonal menu that highlights the region's very best producers and growers. Plus, you can soak up the pastoral views and serene landscapes of the grounds of adjacent Vélo Wines as you enjoy a variety of woodfired dishes. You can choose from standard or deluxe banquets or opt for a selection of tasty shared plates. Although the offering is constantly changing, some recent highlights include pork rib with fermented manzano chilli and miso caramel mousse topped with honeycomb. With exceptional wine coming from the vines outside, Timbre is a must-visit dining destination to add to your Tasmanian food itinerary. Ready to plan a trip for your tastebuds around Tasmania? To discover more, visit the website. Top image: Tourism Tasmania and Peter Whyte
Melbourne's cultural tapestry weaves some of its most dynamic colours in South Melbourne where the pulse of the city's south beats with a rhythm that promises something truly stunning for every hour. About 12,000 people call South Melbourne home and lucky them, they get to experience the joys of an Albert Park lake stroll and a South Melbourne dim sim every day. But as for the rest of us, we'll have to settle for just visiting. But what if you only had one day? How would you make the most of your time? Well, let's find out. MORNING If the early bird gets the worm and the second mouse gets the cheese, the South Melbourne visitor needn't worry about any of that, because chances are if you're reading this, you're a human. However, no matter your species, it is recommended to rise just before the sun so you can be at Albert Park Lake as that giant fireball in the sky says good morning to the planet. Yes, waking that early sucks, but if you can do it, the reward will be immense. The lake and its surrounds are stunning at all times of day but with a dynamic pastel backdrop of orange sky and brightening light it is particularly special. Next, we need coffee. A morning is only as good as the coffee that accompanies it — cue The Kettle Black, where baristas craft seriously decent coffee. Stick around for a while and take in the vibe, the airy sun-drenched space is worth lingering over. [caption id="attachment_925199" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Oven-fresh croissants at Chez Dre[/caption] Next, head to the Austro Bakery and nab yourself a giant pretzel, loaf of sourdough or anything else your heart desires. You really can't go wrong here as the bakery effortlessly blends tradition of centuries-old European baking inspiration with a modern twist. Speaking of baked goods, you might also want to swing by Chez Dre, a French-inspired cafe serving cakes and brunch that will transport you to Paris with every flaky bite of its chocolate croissants. Finally, round off the morning with a visit to See Yup Temple, built originally in 1856 then rebuilt and expanded a decade later. The oldest Chinese temple in Australia is a real historical treat right here in Melbourne and the perfect place to take a quiet moment before things start ramping up for the rest of the day. AFTERNOON By afternoon, South Melbourne Market beckons with the siren call of a South Melbourne dim sim — it would be a crime and an affront to all things good and holy not to. This is a sacred place for dim sim lovers the world over, a place of deep historical and spiritual significance. To taste the South Melbourne dim sim is to experience a little piece of delicious Australian history. So go on, grab one, or grab a few, and let's get going. Next up? Get in loser, we're going shopping. Check out Clarendon, Coventry, Cecil and Park streets for a little bit of retail therapy at some of Melbourne's coolest boutiques. If you're into good design, cute homewares and anything even remotely fashion-related, this is your time to shine as you hunt for a hidden gem in South Melbourne's leafy shopping streets. To keep the artisanal vibe going, pop into the Australian Tapestry Workshop on Park Street. It's been spinning some of Australia's most stunning tapestries since 1976 and is the only one of its kind in Australia, as well as among just a handful around the world. Guests can check out its two galleries, which showcase exhibitions of tapestries and modern art on a rotating basis. It also runs tapestry classes and workshops regularly. And finally, for a laidback interlude, pop into Westside Ale Works — a cosy laneway brewpub hidden on Alfred Street just begging you to stay for a while and enjoy a nice afternoon pint (or several). EVENING As the sun dips and evening colours the sky, a stroll along Port Melbourne Beach offers the perfect canvas for a sunset walk — bonus points if you're with that special someone, this is seriously romantic. And if you don't have that special someone, you'll find someone one day, or maybe you won't! Either way, a sunset stroll on the beach is lovely. Next, follow the scent of a woodfired grill to Half Acre, a once dilapidated mill that's been transformed into a fine spot to enjoy a hearty feast of great, simple food with Middle Eastern and Euro influences amid an instantly warm atmosphere that feels like elevated dining at a friend's place. Afterwards, head to Bellota Wine Bar and enjoy a glass of red, or white, or orange — given it is home to literally thousands of wine bottles. Whether you're sitting at the bar, the tables, or in the courtyard, the vibe is sure to be immaculate. LATE-NIGHT FUN The night is still young; it's only natural we go bar hopping. Head to gorgeous Hatted bistro James for a European wine bar feeling with hints of Japanese inspiration on its fantastic degustation menu. Or for something more casual venture up to The Albion Rooftop to enjoy the spectacular cityscape vista, or pop by The Montague in the leafy backstreets for a nice cocktail in the inviting outdoor seating. Obviously, we suggest all three, as well as any more you might encounter on your journey. South Melbourne is your oyster, and all its bars lead to a good time. And now for the best part of the night. Head to Dessertopia for some of the most visually pleasing desserts you'll ever see. Seriously, they look so good you'll almost feel bad eating them (almost). Don't take our word for it, check out its Insta. Yes, that's right, glow-in-the-dark cupcakes. What a time to be alive. Enjoy and bask in the sweet glow, you had the ultimate day (and night) in South Melbourne. Now go get some rest, you must be exhausted. Looking to make the most of your next city break? Explore more of your city this summer with the City of Port Phillip.
Last-minute shopping, over-indulging at celebratory shindigs and pretending not to be annoyed about receiving another pair of socks: they're all a part of every Christmas. For kids and adults alike, so is many a seasonal-themed film. If it has Santa or Christmas in the title, it's optimal viewing at this time of year. The folks at South Bank certainly think so, and are putting together their yearly Christmas Cinema Series to add movie merriment to the precinct's seasonal festivities. But these free films are never just for families. Any yuletide movie held under Brisbane's starry skies and by the water at South Bank's Cultural Forecourt at this summery time of the season is perfect for, well, everyone. Pack a picnic and enjoy a flick every night from Friday, December 14–Sunday, December 22. On the movie lineup: Elf, A Christmas Carol, The Holiday, Love Actually, The Grinch and more. Attending is free, with the films kicking off at 7pm. From 4pm, there'll also be live music, as well as food trucks serving up bites to eat.
Death and destruction are no strangers to our screens at the moment. When Avengers: Endgame isn't pondering the decimation of half of humanity, then Game of Thrones is getting kill-happy with dragons — and then there's John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum's astonishingly staged action and ample body count, plus Godzilla: King of the Monsters' world-destroying mayhem as well. But when it comes to sheer horror of the bone-chilling kind, not to mention the kind of soul-crushing dismay that can only stem from the bleakest of tales, they all pale in comparison to HBO's hit new mini-series Chernobyl. Currently streaming on Foxtel Now in Australia and Soho in New Zealand, the five-part show explores the aftermath of the 1986 nuclear disaster, which saw the reactor inside the Ukrainian facility explode. The fallout, unsurprisingly, was catastrophic, with the incident considered the worst nuclear power plant accident in history as well one of the worst man-made events ever. Releasing approximately 400 times more radioactive material than the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki will do that, as will the disaster's significant environmental and human toll. While the dramatisation begins with the fiery explosion, it's what happens next that earns the show's focus — the initial salvage attempts by workers condemned to suffer and die just for doing their jobs; the arrogant cover-ups, including by stubborn plant supervisors who refuse to believe what's happened; the clean-up and rescue missions, sacrificing more lives to the incident; and the inevitable investigation. Every aspect of the series is detailed, thorough, and even more relentless and unnerving than you'd expect given the real-life situation, with creator and writer Craig Mazin drawing upon meticulous research, interviews with nuclear scientists, chats with former Soviet residents and first-person accounts from those who were there. Expect a grim tone, grey imagery, the galvanising feeling that comes from watching such an enormous disaster unfold, and a slew of great performances as well. Mad Men's Jared Harris leads the cast as the Soviet nuclear physicist who first grasps the full scope of the accident, Stellan Skarsgård pops up as the Soviet Deputy Prime Minister assigned by the Kremlin to lead the government commission into the incident, and Emily Watson plays another physicist determined to work out what caused the disaster. Other familiar faces among the hefty cast include Beast's Jessie Buckley, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' Adrian Rawlins and American Animals' Barry Keoghan. A word of warning: Chernobyl isn't easy viewing. If you're not fond of constantly feeling tense, terrified and panicked, don't fare well with body horror, and have no time for cruel and clueless political machinations from inept folks cowering in the face of catastrophe, this isn't for you. But the US-UK series, a co-production between HBO and British broadcaster Sky, is as masterful as it is haunting and shocking — which is exactly what a show about such a dark chapter of recent history should be. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9APLXM9Ei8 Chernobyl's first four episodes are currently available to stream via Foxtel Now and Soho, with the fifth and final episode arriving on Monday, June 3. It'll also air weekly on Foxtel Showcase from Wednesday, June 12. Images: Liam Daniel/HBO.
Not many people read Australian fiction. The industry is small and in a spot of trouble, and a lot of Australians seem to have cultural cringe when it comes to the artistic output of their own country. Part of thois may be attributed to the fact that the local books we're taught in school are so serious and forbidding. But once you take a look at the books they don't teach you, you realise how rich and beautiful Australian literature really is, and you wonder why nobody let you in on it before. It's been an exciting time for local books of late. With the recent announcement of this year's Miles Franklin Award as well as the release of the Text Classics range — a collection of locally-written books at cheapskate prices — the time is right for the best of Australia's oft-forgotten cult classics to be embraced en masse. So, to help you out, Concrete Playground has picked out some of our finest local wordsmiths' efforts. Loaded by Christos Tsiolkas Tsiolkas, of The Slap infamy, published his first novel in 1995 and arguably hasn't written anything as powerful since. Set over one hedonic night in Melbourne, Loaded follows Ari, who's unemployed, misanthropic and refuses to be defined by either his Greek heritage or his emerging homosexuality. The novel's prose hums with the intensity of alcohol-soaked late nights and pill-fueled early mornings; it's the kind of novel you'll read in one sitting and be left breathless by once you're done. Loaded was also made into a brilliant film, Head On, in 1998. Available here Wake In Fright by Kenneth Cook If you ever want a reason not to go out into the outback, this is it. Wake In Fright is a horror story set in a fictionalised Broken Hill, where a pale and naive city kid, John Grant, is trapped in a hell of alcohol-fuelled violence, sexual humiliation and spiritual nightmare. Made into a film, which was restored and re-released in 2009, in 1972, Wake In Fright is a terrifying and sadly neglected classic in both its forms. Available here Praise by Andrew McGahan The ultimate novel about being young, unemployed and not caring in early '90s Brisbane, Praise pretty much defined the 'grunge lit' genre when drugs were cheap and Kurt Cobain was still loping around stages in a grotty cardigan. The novel follows Gordon Buchanan, chain-smoking asthma sufferer, his girlfriend Cynthia, a former heroin-addict with chronic eczema, and their awkward attempt to stay together. Written in a simple style and often described as 'raw' in a frustratingly ambiguous way, Praise isn't for the faint-hearted. Available here Monkey Grip by Helen Garner Published in 1977 and made into a film in 1982, Helen Garner's first novel of share houses, junkies, and irrational, anarchic desire in 1970s Melbourne has, over the years, become a counter-cultural Australian classic. Like reading somebody's journal, Monkey Grip bears a remarkable resemblance to the lives of most Australians in their twenties, with the main character Nora trying and failing to extricate herself from a messy relationship with Javo, an actor and a junkie. Monkey Grip is available as a Popular Penguin, so you only need a spare tenner to get your hands on it. Available here Candy by Luke Davies If you've heard about Candy it's likely to be the film version featuring Heath Ledger and Abbie Cornish. But we're here to tell you that the book is better. While it's not like there's a dearth of novels about heroin addiction, Candy is one of the best, and just so happens to be Australian. Davies had a habit for over a decade, so he brings the reality of his experiences to a story where the horror of addiction is coupled with love, tenderness and utter confusion. Easy to read, Candy isn't always easy to deal with, because unlike other counter-cultural mavericks, Davies doesn't glamourise a story which, although beautiful, is still one of heartbreak and loss. Available here Blue Skies by Helen Hodgman Only recently re-published, Blue Skies is a bleak insight into the life of a new houswife and mother trapped in the bland hell of 1970s Tasmanian suburbia. Bored with a husband who rarely comes home, she lives for the two days a week she can escape the suburbs and lose herself in weird affairs with, amongst others, her best friend's kaftan-wearing husband. Hodgman's books were praised to the skies when they were published in the '70s, but then circumstances intervened and her writing went out of print until Text brought them back to life this year as 'lost classics.' Available here And The Ass Saw The Angel by Nick Cave Is there anything Nick Cave can't do? Alongside fronting The Bad Seeds, Grinderman and The Birthday Party, penning the screenplays for The Proposition and Lawless, and generally being one of our all-round favourite people, Cave has written two novels; one good, one less so. And The Ass Saw The Angel, published in 1989, is the good one, told from the perspective of a mute living as an outcast in a small town in the Southern US. It's a world of incest, religious fanatacism, madness, and drinking, and like anything Nick Cave, a terrible Biblical revenge will be wrought. Available here
Forget only celebrating Christmas for one day, or even just 12. Don't limit yourself to a mere 25 days of getting festive, either. At Lune for the entire month of December — including on Christmas Day at some stores — the specials menu is enjoying a merry makeover. Whether you're after croissants, cruffins or a savoury pastry, there's something to suit the occasion right through until Tuesday, December 31, 2024. Each month, Lune Croissanterie whips up a fresh batch of limited-time offerings, giving you something tasty to look forward to when you flip over your calendar. If you've tucked into hot cross cruffins, lasagne pastries and Tim Tam pains au chocolat this year, you'll have tasted the results. Now, with festive season upon us, the Kate Reid co-founded bakery brand is dishing up appropriate treats. Start with stuffed turkey pastries, then move onto gingerbread croissants. First, the sweet stuff. Lune's gingerbread special is a twice-baked croissant made with pecan frangipane, baked gingerbread and molasses caramel, then topped with frangipane, gingerbread, white icing and gold dusted chocolate pearls. From 2023's specials, the choc peppermint twice-baked pain au chocolat is back for 2024, featuring chocolate frangipane and a peppermint patty, then dark chocolate crumb, melted chocolate and crushed candy cane on top. It wouldn't be Christmas without eggnog and pudding, with Lune whipping up its own versions. You can eat your eggnog, rather than simply drink it, courtesy of Lune's latest cruffin. It's stuffed with rum syrup and eggnog custard, then dusted with icing sugar, and also finished with sweetened meringue cream, nutmeg and a spiced chocolate quill. The bakery's Christmas pudding comes filled with brandy caramel and muscovado brandy soaked fruit cake, and is then brushed with a caramel glaze, before being topped with brandy crème pâtissière, candied orange peel and grated nutmeg. For a savoury option, enter The Stuffed Turkey. This pastry is filled with a turkey and croissant pastry stuffing, with sage powder, cranberry sauce, crispy chicken skin and fried sage leaves added on top. Back on sweet dishes, Lune is giving Brisbane a bonus special. Befitting the River City's sultry weather, the chain's ice cream sandwich will be on offer — only at the South Brisbane store, and only between Monday, December 2–Tuesday, December 31. It takes a pain au chocolat, slices it open, then pops in two scoops of croissant infused ice-cream that's been folded with caramelised croissant pieces. After starting off as an off-menu staff snack, it's now being shared with customers. Lune currently operates in Melbourne and Brisbane, so you'll find its December specials available at its Melbourne CBD, Fitzroy and Armadale stores in the former, plus South Brisbane and Burnett Lane in the latter — but the range varies per venue. Online pre-orders are also available at some shops, for some products. Over the Christmas break, stores will be operating as normal until Christmas Eve, then just Fitzroy and South Brisbane will open from 8–11am on Christmas itself. All venues will be up and running from 8am–3pm from Boxing Day until New Year's Day, then standard operating hours return from Thursday, January 2, 2025. Lune's December specials menu runs from Sunday, December 1–Tuesday, December 31, 2024, with different specials on offer at Armadale, Fitzroy and the CBD in Melbourne, and South Brisbane and Burnett Lane in Brisbane. From some stores, you can also order them online. Images: Peter Dillon.
"The grid. A digital frontier. I tried to picture clusters of information as they moved through the computer. What did they look like? Ships? Motorcycles? Were the circuits like freeways? I kept dreaming of a world I thought I'd never see. And then one day, I got in." If you've watched 1982's TRON and its 28-years-later sequel TRON: Legacy in 2010, or listened to the latter's sublime Daft Punk-scored soundtrack, then you've heard those words. But what if everything that Jeff Bridges (The Old Man) describes as Kevin Flynn wasn't relegated to the virtual realm? In TRON: Ares, viewers will watch what happens when the program that shares the movie's moniker makes the jump from the digital space to the real world, giving humanity its first encounter with AI beings. Indeed, amid its heavy lashings of laser-red hues, the just-dropped first trailer for the feature has a monster-movie vibe when worlds start to collide. Flesh-and-blood folks such as Greta Lee (The Studio) stare up, then start fleeing. While things happen quickly in the digital realm, films about it clearly don't always earn the same description, given that it has now been over four decades since the first TRON film made its way to cinemas, and 15 years since its first sequel. A third movie was announced the very same year that TRON: Legacy released, in fact, but TRON: Ares has taken time to return cinemagoers to the grid. For much of the past decade and a half, it's been one of those pictures in the "I'll believe it when I'm actually sitting in a theatre watching it with my own eyes" category, until Disney not only announced that the feature had a date with picture palaces in 2025, but also dropped a first image from it. The date that you can see the next TRON on the big screen: Thursday, October 9, 2025 Down Under. Cast-wise, Jared Leto (Haunted Mansion) plays Ares, aka the threatening face of AI. Bridges is also back as the software-company employee who first found himself in the digital world in the initial flick. Evan Peters (Agatha All Along), Hasan Minhaj (It Ends with Us), Jodie Turner-Smith (The Agency), Arturo Castro (The Vince Staples Show), Cameron Monaghan (Shameless) and Gillian Anderson (Sex Education) co-star in TRON: Ares, while Joachim Rønning (Young Woman and the Sea) directs. Following on from Daft Punk's masterpiece of a score for TRON: Legacy was always going to be a tough feat, but TRON: Ares isn't skimping on musical talent. Doing the honours, as heard in the feature's first trailer: Nine Inch Nails, adding to Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' run of film work (see also: Soul, Mank, Bones and All, Empire of Light, The Killer, Challengers, Queer and The Franchise just in the 2020s alone). Check out the first trailer for TRON: Ares below: TRON: Ares releases in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, October 9, 2025. Images: courtesy of DIsney. © 2025 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Travellers are already obsessed with Japan's wild natural landscapes and hyper-organised cities bursting with a delightfully diverse culture. You've also got ancient temples, onsen baths and picturesque towns scattered about the islands. But cover all of this in snow, and see it become something far more magical. And, yes, cold. But magical, nonetheless. In the colder months, Japan comes alive with a range of activities like skiing, snowboarding and a vibrant selection of seasonal festivals. There is a rich winter culture in Japan that is seemingly underrated — read on to see why we are obsessed with Japan when it's doused in snow. [caption id="attachment_878150" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sam Lee (Unsplash)[/caption] WINTER WONDERLAND VILLAGES Head to remote mountain villages to find Japan's own version of hygge. The steep pitched roofs of alpine homes are covered in snow and surrounded by frosted trees. Deep blankets of white consume the streets and cover frozen lakes, too. Yep, it's a lot of snow. The two most famous villages to visit — Shirakawa-go and Gokayama — are both UNESCO World Heritage sites. You'll want longer than a day trip to experience them, so stay in one of the farmhouses that have been converted into small family-run bed and breakfasts to experience rural Japanese culture authentically. Take your time exploring these winter oases, getting to know the people who call them home. [caption id="attachment_878141" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Japan National Tourism Organisation[/caption] SKIING AND SNOWBOARDING With all the snow and countless mountain ranges, it's no surprise that Japan is one of the world's biggest skiing and snowboarding destinations. There are over 500 ski resorts here, and they've even hosted two Winter Olympics. If you're into winter sports, then heading to Japan in winter is a no-brainer. On the main island, visit Hakuba Valley to find a series of connected resorts. The northern island is also incredibly popular for its very reliable snowfall. Rusutsu, Niseko and Furano are some of the most popular in this region. But, if we're being honest, just about any ski spot in Japan will be spectacular. Editor's tip: book the ultimate Japan ski tour (including lift passes, transfers and all your accommodation for seven nights) around the Hakuba Valley here. [caption id="attachment_878154" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Steven Diaz (Unsplash)[/caption] ONSEN HOPPING There's no need to run all the way to Iceland to soak in hot natural springs. Japan, a collection of volcanic islands, is full of this naturally heated water that bubbles up to the surface. It's great for your skin and your soul. And, yeah, you can visit these all year round — but nothing beats a winter onsen. Just think: vistas of Japan's snow-covered countryside while you soak your troubles away. It's an experience like no other. And, when you're searching for onsens, be sure to check out the other nature parks nearby. See snow monkeys bathing in hot springs at the Jigokudani Monkey Park, feed foxes at Zao Fox Village and watch cranes dance in the fields within the Kushiro Marsh. [caption id="attachment_878166" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alva Pratt (Unsplash)[/caption] SEASONAL FOOD AND DRINK While you're soaking in onsens, hanging out at ski resorts and wandering rugged-up around the country's towns and cities, few things will heat you up like a shot of sake. It's like a delicious instant heat pack for your insides. And hot sake is popular for that very reason. Head to an izakaya or two during your stay and drink a few tipples. We all know the cuisine in Japan is next level, and there are dishes that are traditionally made for winter. First off, there's oden. It's a one-pot dish of various savoury goodies simmered in a soy sauce and dashi kelp broth. You can get this anywhere, even convenience stores. Nabe is also a must-try. It's a classic hot-pot dish that's similar to Korean and Chinese hot pots — just with quintessential Japanese flavours. Get cosy around these brothy bowls on a cold winter evening with your mates. [caption id="attachment_878147" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Japan National Tourism Organisation[/caption] WINTER FESTIVALS We all know that Japan uniquely blends its traditional customs with its modern culture and technology. And we believe the best way to experience this phenomenon is by hitting up some local festivals. The spring cherry blossom festival is the best known, but Japan has its own winter celebrations that rival those throughout other times of the year. Christmas and New Year's Eve are big in Japan, but are very family oriented. If you're visiting with mates, or don't know any locals, we recommend you hit up Japan during the Sapporo Snow Festival from February 4–11. The city of Sapporo is taken over by snow and ice sculptures, with live music, street food and carnivals rides too. Be sure to check out the nearby Otaru Snow Light Path Festival and Tokyo's Winter Illuminations as well. [caption id="attachment_878169" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alessio Roversi (Unsplash)[/caption] SUMO WRESTLING When you have mates visiting from overseas, it's not abnormal to take them to an AFL or NRL match. The same can be said for sumo wrestling in Japan. Not only is the sport so much fun to watch, it's also one of the best places to do some people watching. A wide cross-section of Japanese people will attend these games, having a big day of drinking, eating and cheering on the athletes. Winter is one of the best times to do some athletic spectating here, too. There are a few big tournaments in January and February, with Tokyo being the best place to see them. Just make sure you plan ahead and book tickets early. Make a proper day of it: tickets usually give you access to the arena for the entire day, so take your time learning all the intricacies of the sport with a few drinks in hand. [caption id="attachment_878170" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jezeal Melgoza (Unsplash)[/caption] SUPER SALES A lot of people come to Japan for the shopping. It's a thing. The city is full of unique fashion stores and all the best tech companies selling the latest devices. But you'd be a fool to come to Japan for shopping any other time than the start of the year — as bargains abound in the major cities. It's also when you'll find fukubukuro (literally 'lucky bag'). These Japanese New Year treats are put together by store owners, and hold a bunch of mystery items that are usually worth a lot more than the price you pay for the bag. It's a lucky dip and hugely popular — people go nuts for them. While visiting Japan in winter, be sure to nab a couple and see what you find. Feeling inspired to book a Japanese getaway? Through Concrete Playground Trips, our new travel booking platform, can you purchase holidays specially curated by our writers and editors. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips at destinations all over the world — check it out. Top images: Japan National Tourism Organisation
We're off the see The Wizard again: in not one but two movies, the first arriving in cinemas in November 2024 and the second in 2025, the wonderful world of Oz is returning to screens. It took a mere two years for L Frank Baum's 1900-published book to reach the theatre, with the debut film version following almost four decades later. Now, 85 years have passed since The Wizard of Oz initially entranced cinemas. Its latest big-screen comeback owes debts to both the page and the stage, but beyond the novel that started it all. Wicked first enchanted in print in 1995, when author Gregory Maguire conjured up an alternative Oz-set tale. Since 2003, it has worked its magic as a Tony-winning Broadway musical, before it too makes the eagerly anticipated leap to picture palaces. The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, the novel's subtitle, explains Wicked's focus. Whether reading the book, seeing the play or watching the upcoming two features, audiences are whisked into origin-story territory — not only for the green-skinned Elphaba but for Glinda. At the Land of Oz's Shiz University, the pair meet and, despite their differences, cement a friendship. Even before they cross paths with The Wizard, everyone who has ever seen Judy Garland follow the yellow brick road with the Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion and Tin Man knows Elphaba and Glinda's destinies. Giving Wicked the movie treatment: a wide-ranging cast and crew led by director Jon M Chu, with the Crazy Rich Asians filmmaker making his second and third stage-to-screen musicals in succession following In the Heights. On-screen, he's enlisted Emmy-, Grammy- and Tony-winner Cynthia Erivo (Pinocchio) as the misunderstood Elphaba, Ariana Grande (Don't Look Up) as Glinda and none other than Jeff Goldblum (Kaos) as The Wizard, plus Michelle Yeoh (A Haunting in Venice), Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton), Bowen Yang (Saturday Night Live) and more. Off-screen, a six-time Oscar-nominee — five of them for Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer) films — also couldn't be more pivotal. When Academy Award recognition comes your way for art direction on The Prestige and The Dark Knight, then for production design on Interstellar, Dunkirk and Tenet — and for Damien Chazelle's First Man as well — jumping to Oz on Wicked's two parts might seem like a massive change. But English production designer Nathan Crowley is interested in world-building first and foremost, and has been ever since his first screen credit on as a junior set designer on 1991's Hook. Also on his resume recently: The Greatest Showman and Wonka. And, he's a veteran of Bram Stoker's Dracula, Braveheart, Mission: Impossible II, Escape From LA, Insomnia, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight Rises, John Carter and the Westworld TV series as well. When you're taking a well-trodden path thanks to multiple books, the Wizard of Oz movie that's been beloved for generations, blockbuster stage musicals, and everything from The Wiz to Oz: The Great and Powerful, you're embarking on an enormous task. That isn't lost on Crowley, he tells Concrete Playground, although the full scope dawned on him slowly. Not only does he need to bring Oz to life beyond the painted backdrops of the Garland-starring film, but he has the job of creating Shiz University — not to mention a field filled with nine-million tulips as part of Munchkinland and a throne room featuring a mechanical version of Goldblum's head, plus various forms of transport, such as by rail, river and air. Ahead of the first Wicked film's release in cinemas — including premiering at Sydney's State Theatre on Sunday, November 3, with Erivo, Grande, Goldblum, Bailey, fellow stars Marissa Bode (a screen debutant) and Ethan Slater (The Marvellous Mrs Maisel), plus director Chu, all in attendance — we also chatted with Crowley about those nine-million flowers, the joy of practical effects, aiming to get audiences to fall into a fantastical world, what he makes of his career so far and more. On How Planting a Field of Nine-Million Tulips in Norfolk Is Symbolic of the Scale of the Task of Bringing Wicked to the Screen "It was the first major challenge for me. My thing is, I love doing things practically because there's a colossal joy to it. So one of the first challenges was: what do all the munchkins do? I need something for them to do in their village. Okay, they're flower farmers and they use the dyes to make colours, because they're colourful people. And so each house, that allowed me lots of scope with the colours of the buildings. So then it was like — and I think it must have been Jon — 'well, what if it's the colours of the rainbow?'. Which is a massive thing. So then what goes in strips of colour? Tulips? You grow tulips in strips of colour. So that's kind of where 'oh we need tulips'. And then it was like 'well, let's grow them'. It was myself and the location manager Adam [Richards, Wonka], who I've worked with many times before. It like 'where can we grow tulips? We can go up to Norfolk'. He found a tulip farmer and was like 'let's go up there and see if we can grow'. I'm going quickly, but there's lots of between. I planted 500 acres of corn in Interstellar in Canada. So I've been a farmer before and I knew if could find the right farmer — and with Adam's help, because ultimately it was crown property; I needed it to be without trees, because in Oz trees are circular. I needed it to be a perfectly large sky, a tulip sky. So we found Mark the farmer, who's just simply brilliant, and he got us our bulbs. Then I had to go back to the production and explain: 'we have a field, we have permission from crown properties to plant, you need to write a check for tulips. You've got to get them from Holland. And we've got to get them in the ground quickly before it freezes'. When you're a flower farmer, you've got to get the bulbs in the ground. And so there's a lot of umming and aahing, and it was difficult, but I think it set the pace of what we were trying to achieve. And Jon, and Donna Langley from Universal, was very into it. She was like 'I love it. Let's do it'. We planted them and we got to know the farmer. He was into it, and we got the colours — and it was just a great life experience. You need to step out of your department occasionally and get into the real world. So, practical filmmaking. So that started it off, and then of course, it snowballs. But they all grew, they all worked. It was brilliant." On Valuing Practical Effects in Age Where CGI Is Everywhere in Visual Effects — and Combining the Two "That [CGI] is very powerful tool now. But you have many tools. We have 120 years of filmmaking experience. My thing is if we can make it enough for real, and light it and get real photography, we can tell visual effects what it should look like and their job becomes symbiotic with ours — and we become one rather than working as a line. So I always feel the balance is essential and we can do it. I guess it's so obvious to me that you build as much as you can until you can't foe whatever reasons: landscape, weather, money, time. So you have to balance it — and then if you balance it, and this really goes back to the audience in the cinema, can you not make them not notice how you did it? Can you do a film, especially a fancy film, where they don't pay attention, they're into the film, they're not paying attention, nothing bounces them out, so you fall into the film? Ever since I was little, when I go to the cinema, I want to fall into the telling of the story. And so I believe that we almost have to go quietly — and to do that, I strongly believe you have to do it practically, because if you suddenly cut to visual effects, I think audiences know that. The emotion is taken away from the audience. It flattens it. So if you can make it seamless, I don't want the audience to notice. Because then you're just in it and you're into the emotion of it." On the Massive the Scope in Not Just Bringing One of the 21st Century's Biggest Stage Musicals to the Screen, But Reimagining Much That's Crucial to The Wizard of Oz "I guess I was a little naive about how big Wicked, the stage show, was. I had three daughters who had grown up and they were like 'what, oh my god!'. And The Wizard of Oz, to me, they sit side by side. What was brilliant is that Wicked is the alternative story to The Wizard of Oz — so together, what a piece of cinema. The realisation I had to recreate Oz kind of slowly dawned on me. And that was like 'oh'. It was like 'Jesus, we've got to remake, we've got to figure out Emerald City'. And Emerald City was just a painting on a backdrop, and everyone's childhood, everyone's reimagined what that is — it's very clever. Everyone's filled in all the blanks of what they didn't show you. So we're going to tread on people's nostalgia for Emerald City — and how do we do that? And then you've got the Wicked fans, there's little things that they want in the film, Shiz details, and it's very important. But luckily we had Marc Platt [the film's producer, and also the stage musical's], who's all things Wicked. So he was my constant guide to Wicked. And then Wizard of Oz was just making sure I didn't hurt and I enlarged people's opinion of what Oz is, rather than shrunk it. So, it was a massive challenge. The biggest challenges, the two films in my career that sit as giant design challenges: Wicked and Interstellar. And they both hurt your head. It's not a physical thing, it's like they hurt your design brain. On How the Wicked Set Became the Most Complex of Crowley's Career So Far "First of all, it was the design, because Shiz, there's so many versions of Shiz — the school, Hogwarts, Cambridge, there's all these perceived ideas. So, one, you have to find a design. And secondly, I realised that the first day of school when everyone comes in, we've got no horse and carriages because the animals aren't enslaved. We've got no trains because they belong to The Wizard, and we have to introduce them later. We can't come by airship, because the balloon belongs to The Wizard. There's no cars. So how do you get anywhere in Oz? And then it was like 'oh, we go by a river' — which is a tradition. Of course we go by river. But what that means is the set, we have to build a giant water tank for the set so we can row the boat into the Shiz courtyard. And of course I like everything practically, so it's like 'we've got to build a giant water tank that takes seven days to fill'. And that was a challenge because, if you know about practical filmmaking, there's never been a tank that didn't leak. So you have a servicing problem with it. Every tank always leaks. Then Shiz for me was about finding architecture. The Wizard of Oz is an American fairy tale, so I need Americana, so White City of Chicago, 1893 World's Exposition, those giant Burnham and Root arches. I need to put some Americana in it. I need to put the scale of America in it. But then I need the nostalgia of every great ancient educational facility. So I need you to, when you walk into to Shiz, you feel this sort of ancient learning vibe. I need to take architecture from all over the world and change the materials of it, and try to blend it — from onion domes to Venice staircases. So I was really trying to make it fantastical, but familiar. So when you watch it, you'll see something that's kind of familiar to you. And if you've been a tourist in in Italy, you'll feel it a bit — or if you've been to Spain, to the Alhambra, you'll feel it a bit. Or maybe a little bit of Melbourne. Not much Georgian architecture, I'm afraid. On the Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity of Building a Throne Room Around a Mechanical Version of Jeff Goldblum's Head "It was so exciting. Every film has influenced the last one. So back on The Prestige — and really Bram Stoker's Dracula, we did automatons and mechanics, and we had to puppeteer the head and get expressions. So the joy of realising we had, one, a phenomenal special effects scene. Who could do that? And puppeteer it? And then secondly, okay, we've got the head, and if we could come through the curtain and say 'I am Oz' and put an eye through it, that's exciting. But then you think, 'well, what about the curtain?'. And so we came up with all these string curtains, it's almost like an art installation. We sat there for a very long time with drapers and mechanical people. We'd sit there at the end of the day and try all different things. And we had Joss [Carter, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom], the puppeteer, who was just brilliant. It comes down to just trying something, developing it and and being with the right people. And it's people — you're with all these people, and they're all creative, and the fun out of it is remarkable." On What Crowley Makes of His Career Three-Decade-Plus Career in Cinema So Far — and What Gets Him Excited About a New Project "I think when I look back, I just think 'wow, I got a bit lucky with the people I met'. There's a huge part of luck in if you happen to bump into the right people when you're younger. It's just like if you turn left at a certain time. So I look back at it and wonder 'how did all that happen?'. And I just like to get excited. So what does that mean now? Still to this day, I remember walking on to the old MGM lot for my first day at Hook and there was a ship on stage 27. They built a water tank. There was a ship in it, the Hook ship. It was giant, and it was just like 'this is incredible'. [caption id="attachment_614251" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Interstellar[/caption] So I'm really just looking to world-build. Films like Wonka and Wicked opened those doors — things I've not done before. I wouldn't have said, I couldn't have said to you that I would end up making lots of musicals. To me, that wasn't even in my mind when we were doing Interstellar. 'I do lots of musicals? You're going to do four musicals?' I couldn't imagine that, but they've been some of the most-interesting design jobs I've ever had. So definitely new experiences, new journeys. You've got to keep yourself interested, you especially as you get older." Wicked releases in Australian cinemas on Thursday, November 21, 2024, with limited previews on Wednesday, November 20 — and tickets for the latter on sale now.
Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis, Hit-Monkey), Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham, Smurfs), Keeley Jones (Juno Temple, Venom: The Last Dance) and Leslie Higgins (Jeremy Swift, Snow White) all sit in a diner booth looking adoringly at each other: that's it, that's your first glimpse at Ted Lasso season four. The heartwarming Apple TV+ hit comedy is now officially back in production, after a new season was locked in earlier in 2025. And no,"we're not in Richmond anymore" — at least initially. The streaming platform has unveiled a first image from the series' fourth season, and also dropped a "now in production" video that matches the filming of the moment that the still is from with some behind-the-scenes audio. On YouTube, the clip comes with that Wizard of Oz-paraphrasing note about the setting, too, aptly given that Lasso is famously from Kansas. If you've been believing that more Ted Lasso would be on the way ever since the kindhearted show seemed to wrap up its storyline for good at the end of the third season, that faith has proven well-founded — and here's more proof. Sudeikis is back in his two-time Emmy-winning role, donning the American college football coach-turned-English soccer manager's moustache again. While only Waddingham, Temple and Swift are also in the debut image from season four, they're not the only fellow returning cast members. As The Hollywood Reporter confirms, Brendan Hunt (Bless This Mess), aka Coach Beard, is back both on-screen and among the new season's producers — a behind-the-camera role he also held in the first three seasons — and Brett Goldstein (Shrinking) is also doing double duty, reprising the part of Roy Kent and executive producing. These familiar Ted Lasso faces will have company from a number of new cast members, with Tanya Reynolds (The Decameron), Jude Mack (Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning), Faye Marsay (Andor), Rex Hayes (getting his first screen credit), Aisling Sharkey (Jurassic World Dominion), Abbie Hern (My Lady Jane) and Grant Feely (Chicago PD) all joining the series. The latter is now portraying Ted's son Henry. And no, that "we're not in Richmond anymore" description won't prove true for long, with Ted Lasso season four set to chart its namesake's Richmond comeback to coach a second-division women's team. As Sudeikis noted when the new episodes were announced, "as we all continue to live in a world where so many factors have conditioned us to 'look before we leap', in season four, the folks at AFC Richmond learn to leap before they look, discovering that wherever they land, it's exactly where they're meant to be". There's no trailer yet for Ted Lasso's fourth season, but check out Apple TV+ "now in production" video below: Season four of Ted Lasso will stream via Apple TV+ — we'll update you when a release date is announced. Read our full review of season two and season three, our interview with Brendan Hunt and our chat with Bill Lawrence, who co-developed the series.
Fashion isn't the first industry that most rugby stars choose post-retirement. For Lewi Brown, however, it was a chance to channel his creative streak into a self-run project. Earls Collection is an elevated menswear label that creates nostalgic and sport-inspired looks. Now in its sixth year, the brand is going from strength to strength with new collections and its Paddington brick-and-mortar store. We caught up with founder Lewi Brown in Sydney to learn more about Earls Collection and why it's helping him find the community he lost after leaving the NRL. Founded just days after retiring from the NRL in 2018, Earls Collection represents a strong family connection for the Māori creative director. Lewi grew up as the child of a single mother and used his creativity to get by. While it would be decades until he explored the fashion world seriously, Lewi always had a creative streak, crediting skaters as his ultimate sport and style inspiration. "I had to get creative with what we had," he says. "We didn't have much money so I wasn't wearing designer stuff. Half the time I was wearing my aunty's skate shoes, my sister's skate shoes, just to try and piece things together. As I grew up, I started to embrace the creativity of dressing." The name also ties to Lewi's family legacy. Earls is the middle name of Lewi, as well as his father and grandfather, both of whom passed by suicide. "This brand is built off mental health [awareness]." Now, Lewi is channelling a whole new community using the creativity he didn't know he had as a child. Through working with creative collaborators on shoots or via the face-to-face relationships built in the Paddington store, Earls Collection is helping foster a sense of community that can often be lost when leaving an institution such as the sporting world. [caption id="attachment_1028531" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Declan May - Galaxy Z Flip7 is featured[/caption] "When I played rugby league, community was huge. You had your community within the boys at training each day, then the wider community, then the fans." As a business owner, the founder and creative director has to wear many hats, but Lewi loves the juggle and credits tools such as the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 to his creative drive and success. From booking meetings on the fly to campaign photoshoots and helping make styling and business decisions, the phone is supercharged by Google Gemini*, making it even easier to run his self-made brand. "I always knew it would be a challenge. Some days I'm logistics, some days I'm designing, some days I'm in the warehouse packing orders. When you love something, and you're so passionate you'd do anything for it," he says. In addition to his familial and community inspiration, Lewi often looks to vintage stores and clothes to help inspire Earls Collection's aesthetic. During our catch-up, Lewi takes us to the consignment store SWOP Darlinghurst. "The most beautiful thing about vintage wear is that you can't emulate that. The textures of the fabrics [get] better with age and time and patience. That's the beauty about thrift shopping." While many celebrity ambassadors take on similar projects to chase fame and money, it's clear that the sporting community spirit is at the heart of Earls Collection. "I'm not just here for money or fame or to have a profile. I'm really passionate about clothing." Explore more at Samsung. Images by Declan May If you or anyone you know is experiencing emotional distress, please contact Lifeline (131 114) or Beyond Blue (1300 22 4636) for help and support. *Gemini is a trademark of Google LLC. Gemini Live feature requires internet connection and Google Account login. Available on select devices and select countries, languages, and to users 18+. Fees may apply to certain AI features at the end of 2025. Editing with Generative Edit results in a resized photo up to 12MP. Accuracy of results is not guaranteed. Flex Mode supported at angles between 75°and 115°. Some apps may not be supported in Flex Mode. Gemini is a trademark of Google LLC. Requires internet connection and Google Account login. Works on compatible apps. Features may differ depending on subscription. Set up may be required for certain functions or apps. Accuracy of results is not guaranteed.
Supermarkets sell them. Almost every bakery does, too. But there's a difference between most croissants and Lune's croissants. The latter have been described as "the finest you will find anywhere in the world" by The New York Times, are made and baked inside a climate-controlled glass cube, and are the result of a time-consuming process overseen by the Melbourne-born croissant haven's founder Kate Reid, an ex-Formula 1 aerodynamicist who brings scientific precision to her craft. For a full decade now, Lune Croissanterie has been earning praise and fans — and sparking hefty lines — for its signature item. The many different playful variations it offers up each month, such as finger bun croissants, birthday cake croissants and lamington cruffins, have scored the same adoration. But from Wednesday, November 2, those baked goods aren't just available at Lune's multiple Melbourne and Brisbane outposts (with a debut Sydney store slated to open in 2023). Now, thanks to the brand's first-ever cookbook, you can also whip them up at home. Clear your kitchen bench, switch on the oven, and stock up on flour and butter — in a variety forms — plus eggs and milk: you have some baking to do. Penned by Reid, LUNE: Croissants All Day, All Night's title says everything it needs to, and fills 272 pages with all your new favourite snacks. Unsurprisingly, the tome is thorough, stepping through how to make the perfect dough, the layers and lamination process, and getting the right shapes, including for danishes and pain au chocolat. From there, the range of recipes includes croissants, obviously, but also a hefty lineup of other edible delights. Think: lemon curd cruffins, pecan sticky buns, reuben croissants, croissant 'bread and butter' pudding, chocolate-dipped croissant 'biscotti' and croissant croutons, for starters. Other highlights span ham and gruyère croissants, cheese and vegemite escargots, chocolate plum sake danishes, pepperoni pizza escargots, those aforementioned lamington cruffins, four-cheese tousades, fish pies, pulled-pork croissants and lobster rolls. Amid all of the above, and more, the book is filled with food porn-style shots of plenty of dishes, images of Lune's stores and tidbits of history from the company's decade of operations so far — since setting up shop back in 2012 as a pint-sized store in Elwood. Your new problems: picking which of Lune's treats to make yourself, and somehow not devoting every waking hour to cooking your way through the new tome. If you want to set yourself a Julie & Julia-style challenge to work through them all, however, we're sure that your tastebuds will approve. LUNE: Croissants All Day, All Night also covers what to do with leftovers, stale croissants and how to freeze your dough and pastries — and all of the classic recipes, of course. Happy baking — and yes, if one of your nearest and dearest loves making pastries, you might've just found their Christmas present. LUNE: Croissants All Day, All Night hits Australian bookstores on Wednesday, November 2, with the hardback edition retailing for $55.
Visiting a zoo, checking out all creatures great and small, then going home to slumber in your own bed: that's one way to get an animal fix. But menageries around the country have started offering more than just a day trip — with Taronga Zoo home to a wildlife retreat, as well as its own glamping experience; Melbourne Zoo letting folks stay overnight in its elephant exhibit; and Queensland's Australia Zoo now launching its own cabins. If this news sounds familiar, that's because the move was first announced back in 2019, with an opening date of 2020 originally planned. Obviously, we all know what's been holding life in general up over the past few years. So if you're keen for a sleepover among the animals at the Irwin family's Beerwah zoo, The Crocodile Hunter Lodge is now up and running. Guests can choose from eight rustic cabins, complete with roomy decks that peer out over the site's bushland surroundings — and at the wildlife within it. Indeed, the zoo is calling the whole Crocodile Hunter Lodge setup a "multi-species habitat". As well as the cabins' various human visitors, red kangaroos, emus, echidnas and koalas that were affected by the 2019–2020 summer bushfire season also call the venue home. Fancy keeping an eye out for animals while taking a dip? The Billabong, the Crocodile Hunter Lodge's 25-metre infinity pool, also looks out over the native wildlife. Unlimited Australia Zoo entry — where more than 1200 animals await — and a peek inside the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital comes with every stay as well, for every guest. Back in the cabins, which are made out of timbers recycled from the zoo's famous crocodile viewing grandstands — which Steve Irwin built himself — you'll find a queen bed and two singles; a kitchen equipped with a fridge, microwave, cooktop and dishwasher; and a lounge with a TV. There's a dining space on the verandah as well and, to munch on while taking in the breeze, each booking comes with a breakfast pack, too. And, you'll also score a welcome gift. A stay doesn't come cheap, though, with prices starting at around $949 for an overnight visit for two adults. If you're keen on a restaurant feed, The Crocodile Hunter Lodge opened alongside the zoo's new Warrior Restaurant & Bar — and it's welcoming in lodge guests and general punters for breakfast, lunch or dinner, and also for group bookings in its private dining room. The focus inside its charred timber-clad walls: Aussie cuisine, locally sourced ingredients, and paying homage to Indigenous Australians and the plants that have long been part of First Nations diets. Breakfast options include haloumi and corn fritters with poached eggs, corn and tomato salsa, avocado, fresh herbs and tahini yoghurt — plus cranberry and pecan granola, with Maleny cane sugar yoghurt, bee pollen and berry compote. The lunch lineup features duck liver parfait with kumquat chilli marmalade and toasted brioche; salmon rillettes with toasted sourdough, capers, cucumber and, pickled shallots; and a selection of sandwiches. And, for dinner, there's pan-fried snapper, blue pumpkin and rosemary risotto with wattleseed crumb, and river mint-crusted Tasmanian lamb loin — among other dishes. At the bar, a small snacks offering helps line the stomach — think plates with cheese, ham and quandong chutney — while the wine menu spans three pages. Opening The Crocodile Hunter Lodge, Terri Irwin said that "Steve always had a dream that one day, people would not just visit Australia Zoo, but stay overnight, and have the immersive experience of listening to and being around wildlife after dark." She continued: "it was so important for us to make his dream come true through the opening of The Crocodile Hunter Lodge. This stunning luxury accommodation is surrounded by our conservation work, providing a home to endemic wildlife species while further continuing Steve's important legacy." Sustainability and conservation is a big focus of Australia Zoo's new addition, with the grounds featuring more than 3000 native trees and shrubs, including greenery that provides food for species such as the endangered glossy black cockatoo. "By building this luxury accommodation with lush bushland around for our animals, we are achieving Dad's vision of a world where humans and wildlife can peacefully coexist, making this planet a better and more harmonious place for future generations," said Robert Irwin. Find The Crocodile Hunter Lodge and Warrior Restaurant & Bar at 88 Irwin Road, Beerwah, Queensland. For further information, visit the venue's website.
Which film can boast besting a Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone collaboration, a Silver Bear-winner at Berlinale, and the 2023-defining duo of Barbie and Oppenheimer? Only one: Italy's There's Still Tomorrow. First, the melodrama defied the Barbenheimer phenomenon to top the box office in its homeland last year. Now, the hit flick has beaten Kinds of Kindness — aka Lanthimos and Stone getting weird again after The Favourite and Poor Things — and ten other movies for 2024's coveted Sydney Film Festival Prize. Actor Paola Cortellesi (Petra, Don't Stop Me Now) both stars and makes her directorial debut with SFF's cream of the crop for 2024, earning the event's $60,000 cash prize for her efforts. Set in post-Second World War Rome, There's Still Tomorrow follows a wife and mother who dreams of a different future, with the feature no stranger to accolades. At the David di Donatello Awards, Italy's equivalent of the Oscars, it took home six gongs in May. (And if you missed it during's SFF official dates, it's among the fest's encore screenings between Monday, June 17–Thursday, June 20.) Tasked with rewarding "audacious, cutting-edge and courageous" filmmaking, the 2024 jury comprised of Bosnian writer and director Danis Tanović (The Hollow), Indonesian director Kamila Andini (Before, Now and Then), US producer Jay Van Hoy (The Lighthouse), Australian producer Sheila Jayadev (Here Out West) and Aussie director Tony Krawitz (Significant Others) picked There's Still Tomorrow for welcoming "audiences into one of the historic cradles of cinema". "Set in post-war Italy, Paola Cortellesi's debut feature C'è ancora domani (There's Still Tomorrow) feels intensely relevant today. We relive every woman's struggle for equality through Cortellesi's Delia, we face the brutal cycles of domestic violence with an immense empathy that ultimately proclaims and affirms the virtues of democracy," they continued in a statement. "C'è ancora domani deftly weaves humour, style and pop music into a dazzling black-and-white cinematic event, then it delivers an ending that will take your breath away." There's Still Tomorrow joins an impressive list of past SFF Prize-winners, including Moroccan documentary The Mother of All Lies in 2023, Lukas Dhont's Close in 2022, Mohammad Rasoulof's There Is No Evil in 2021 and Bong Joon-ho's Parasite in 2019. Before that, The Heiresses (2018), On Body and Soul (2017), Aquarius (2016), Arabian Nights (2015), Two Days, One Night (2014), Only God Forgives (2013), Alps (2012), A Separation (2011), Heartbeats (2010), Bronson (2009) and Hunger (2008) have all taken out the accolade since its inception. 2024's recipient was announced at this year's closing event, where body-horror The Substance made its Australian premiere and the rest of the film festival's annual prizes were handed out. Another big winner: 11-minute short film First Horse. Hailing from New Zealand filmmaker Awanui Simich-Pene, it received SFF's first-ever $35,0000 First Nations Award. "Members of the jury were thrilled with the quality and variety of the works programmed for the inaugural First Nations Competition, noting the power and beauty in the collection of these storytellers' films which represent all types of cinematic art. The jurors also celebrate the launch of this meaningful prize and congratulate the Festival for making it a reality," said producer and programmer Jason Ryle (Amplify), Australian First Nations producer Erica Glynn (True Colours) and Aussie producer Kath Shelper (The New Boy). "In awarding the winning work, the jury recognises its originality, elegance, and cinematic achievement in story and form. In a few short minutes, the talented creative team has crafted a deeply impactful film with a resonant emotional punch." The fest's annual shower of love also covers films focused on sustainability, Australian documentaries and shorts. SFF's fourth-ever Sustainable Future Award, which now hands out $40,000, went to documentary Black Snow about the Siberian eco-activist who has earned the nickname the "Erin Brockovich of Russia". The Feast and Wilding received high commendations. Welcome to Babel, which puts Chinese Australian artist Jiawei Shen at its centre, took out the $20,000 Documentary Australia Foundation Award for Australian Documentary. In the Dendy Short Film Awards, Die Bully Die won Best Australian Live Action, while the Yoram Gross Animation Award for Best Australian Animation went to Darwin Story. Say picked up two prizes, the AFTRS Craft Award for Best Practitioner for screenwriter Chloe Kemp and the Event Cinemas Rising Talent Award for lead actor Bridget Morrison. And the Rouben Mamoulian Award for Best Director went to Pernell Marsden for The Meaningless Daydreams of Augie & Celeste. The 2024 Sydney Film Festival ran from Wednesday, June 5–Sunday, June 16, with the festival screening four days of encores until Thursday, June 20.
Fancy reliving your childhood film favourites on the stage? That seems to be the current trend. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is doing big business in Melbourne, the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory musical has been taking its golden tickets around the country, and now Shrek the Musical is bringing its all-singing, all-dancing version of the animated movie franchise to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Expect plenty of green when this Tony and Grammy award-nominated stage show finally makes its way to our shores, after first premiering on Broadway back in 2008. Since then, everyone's favourite ogre has sung his way through theatres in the UK, Asia Europe, Canada, Latin and South America, Israel and Scandinavia. Although exact dates haven't been revealed, the character originally voiced by Mike Myers will bound across the Sydney Lyric Theatre at The Star from early January 2020, then hit up Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne and the Lyric Theatre, Brisbane. You know the story, of course — unless you somehow managed to miss the original 2001 Oscar-winning film, its sequels in 2004, 2007 and 2010, and the heap of spin-offs, shorts, TV specials and series that all followed. Based on the 1990 picture book Shrek!, the tale follows the reclusive but kindly titular figure who endeavours to rescue the feisty Princess Fiona from the the fairy tale-hating Lord Farquaad, all while trekking along with a talking Donkey sidekick. Australian cast details haven't been revealed, but Shrek lovers can expect a whopping 19 songs, an obvious colour scheme and plenty of other fairy tale references. Check out the trailer for the production's UK run below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2VQ2pfXbyI Shrek the Musical will tour Australia from 2020, starting with a Sydney season at the Sydney Lyric Theatre, The Star from January. Complete dates — including for the show's seasons at Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne and the Lyric Theatre, Brisbane — are yet to be announced. Sydney tickets go on sale on Friday, July 5, with pre-sales from Monday, July 1. Head to ShrekTheMusical.com.au to join the waitlist, and for further details. Image: Helen Maybanks.
Feel like startin' something? Now's the time to finally perfect your moonwalk—a celebration of Michael Jackson's unique artistry has hit Australia in the form of multiple Tony Award®-winning MJ the Musical, with the Australian Premiere now playing at the Sydney Lyric Theatre. The global touring musical's Sydney stint is brought to you by director and choreographer Christopher Wheeldon and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage, supported by Destination NSW. [caption id="attachment_991797" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image supplied.[/caption] Centred around the making of The King of Pop's 1992 Dangerous World Tour, MJ the Musical offers a rare look at the creativity and collaborative spirit that landed Jackson legendary status. You'll be out of your seats in no time. The musical features 25 hits, including all your favourites like Beat It, Billie Jean and Bad, plus plenty more. If you want the full VIP experience, why not go in the draw to win a bunch of epic experiences? Lucky winners will score four A-reserve tickets to a performance of MJ the Musical on select nights from Sunday, March 9 onwards, two nights of accommodation at Novotel Darling Harbour for a group of four, and a pre-theatre dinner at the Ternary for four people on one night. Winners will also get their hands on the official MJ Program and Merchandise pack and be treated to a backstage tour and meet and greet with some of the cast. Not in Sydney? No worries. We will hook you up with return flights from the nearest capital city. The competition is only open to those in Victoria, Queensland, ACT and New South Wales, and all prize elements are subject to availability. [competition]991802[/competition] Images: Original Broadway Cast, supplied. For more information on MJ the Musical, visit the website.
