True-crime documentaries aren't just having a moment. They've been monopolising everyone's viewing lists for the past decade, and making us all fans of the gripping genre in the process. The secret (well, other than the thousands of secrets each true-crime doco is brimming with)? The breadth of topics, because this field can cover everything from fast food scams and unsettling cults to personal quests to catch an elusive serial killer. No matter the subject matter, scenario, illicit acts or people responsible, great true-crime documentaries all have two other things in common: they're impossible to stop watching once you've started, and they'll make you want to seek out more once your series of choice has come to an end. Of course, there are so many to choose from, so we've teamed up with streaming service Binge to pick five standouts that you can feast your eyes on right now — including via a 14-day free trial for new customers.
One of the most famous artworks in the world is coming to your home, ready for you to peer at whenever you want. Even better: you don't need a hefty bank balance or to be a Glass Onion-style tech mogul to afford it. You will have to build the iconic piece yourself, however, and it will be fashioned out of plastic bricks — all thanks to the latest addition to Lego's art range. That masterwork: The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai, aka the woodblock print that dates back to 1831, is part of the artist's Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji series and is instantly recognisable. Depicting a stormy sea with Mount Fuji in the background, the piece might just be the best-known Japanese artwork ever, with original versions on display everywhere from the Tokyo National Museum to the British Museum in London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The Great Wave is certainly one of the most reproduced in history, but making the leap to Lego is a first. How many bricks does it take to turn such a beloved nearly 200-year-old print into a Lego creation? That'd be 1810, including tiny circle blocks for intricate detail. Indeed, this layered 3D set doesn't just recreate just the design of Hokusai's original, or the overall image, but its lines and depth as well. The Lego Art Hokusai: The Great Wave kit has started hitting stores worldwide, and will be available Down Under from Wednesday, February 1. Genuinely big enough to hang on your wall, The Great Wave set is unsurprisingly aimed at adults — a group that Lego has been courting for years, including with succulents, orchids, bouquets and bonsai fashioned out of bricks, because the toy brand knows that you don't ever really grow out of its interconnecting blocks. Lego's latest artistic reimagining follows in the footsteps of the company's The Starry Night set in 2021, which gave Vincent van Gogh's masterpiece the same treatment. Also included in The Great Wave kit, which'll cost AU$169.99 / NZ $179.99 when it goes on sale: a decorative tile with Hokusai's signature. Plus, Lego has created a soundtrack to go with it, so you can listen along as you build, as part of its ongoing focus on adults using its bricks to relax. For more information about Lego's new 'The Great Wave' kit, which goes on sale on Down Under on Wednesday, February 1, head to the company's website.
Brisbanites already have plenty of excuses to hang out in, on, near and around the water. This is the River City, after all. But since earlier this year, we all now have another reason to hit the brown snake — and, to do so in multiple spots. GoBoat first splashed into town back in April, setting sail from Kangaroo Point while it was still finalising its permanent home. Now, delayed from its original May target date, the Denmark-born company is letting Brisbanites hop onto the water in its eco-friendly picnic boats from Breakfast Creek as well. At the Breakfast Creek Lifestyle Precinct, GoBoat has set up its own pontoon — and, while it officially launches at the spot on Thursday, September 30, you can already start hiring vessels from there now. 'Tis the perfect season for heading out, filling a picnic basket, hanging with your mates and soaking in big river vibes, although Brisbane's weather is perfect for doing just that all year round. GoBoat has been busy launching its eco-friendly picnic boats in cities all over Europe over the past few years, as well as in Canberra, Melbourne and the Gold Coast. And if you're new to the concept, the company is all about making the whole boating caper more accessible for everyday folk. In fact, the Scandinavian-designed vessels are slow-moving, a breeze to operate and don't require a boating licence, making for some fun, fuss-free sailing sessions. In a win for the planet, they also run on silent, pollution-free, electric engines, and are crafted from a mix of reclaimed timber and recycled PET bottles. Each of the contemporary GoBoats clocks in at 18-feet long, boasting a central picnic table with room for eight people (and all the necessary snacks and booze). And despite what you might be thinking, they're even affordable enough to fit your budget — simply BYO food and drinks, find enough eager sailors to jump aboard and a GoBoat session will start at around $15 per person, per hour. That's $119 hourly for the first hour, but the longer you book, the cheaper it gets. The Brisbane fleet sails seven days a week — and the company's vessels are pet-friendly. So, surely you've got a very good boy who deserves a river jaunt. GoBoat is now operating in Brisbane from Breakfast Creek and Kangaroo Point. For further details and to book, head to the company's website. Images: Lean Timms
There's no shortage of museums in Germany. Berlin has a whole area dedicated to them, serious and important centres exploring the events of Second World War can be found all around the country, and separate spaces celebrate everything from currywurst and Easter eggs to lipstick and David Hasselhoff. The European nation's newest addition just might be its cutest, however — and a reason to make a dash to the Bavarian town of Passau, particularly if you're a dog lover. With a name like Dackelmuseum, there's only one four-legged critter that could be in the spotlight: the daschund. Also known as the Dachshund Small Residence, it boasts the world's largest collection of dachshund-related items. Inside, you'll find more than 4500 objects, and here's guessing that they're all as adorable as dachshund themselves. Drawing upon a collection compiled by florists Seppi Küblbeck and Oliver Stor over the course of 25 years, the museum steps through the history and impact of the sausage-shaped pooch in 21 display cases, with types, cultural references, music, toys and their connection to nobility all covered. Other topics include the dachshund as a muse — which is something anyone who has spent too long looking at the elongated doggos can relate to — plus dachshunds and beer, famous dachshunds, sleeping dachshunds and the 1972 Olympic mascot (who, you've guessed it, was a dachshund called Waldi when the event was held in Munich). Next time you're in Germany, you'd be barking mad to miss it. Images: Dackelmuseum
Brisbane's Indooroopilly Shopping Centre really comes alive during the holiday season with lavishly festive decorations, a full-on Santa World and, most importantly, its annual Christmas market. The four-day pop-up market will return from Thursday, December 6 through Sunday, December 9 and feature the best independent artisans in the city. It'll be your go-to for handmade gifts for loved ones, whether it be homewares, fashion or just out-of-the-ordinary presents. You can expect to find quirky printed fashion from Black Milk Clothing — think Star Wars dresses and Harry Potter leggings — and sustainable festive homewares from Native Interiors. And for your best canine companion, check out Pablo and Co. The brand sells all manner of adorable pet accessories including hoodies, hats, toys and tees (there's even matching human shirts if you're into that kind of thing). As the market is exclusive to Brisbane makers, you know you're getting something that's completely unique. For more information and to be the first to see the list of designers, head to the website.
When Kate Reid's cult-famous Lune Croissanterie released its first-ever cookbook back in 2022, it put the ability to make its creative pastries into everyone's hands. But sometimes, you just want someone to whip up the treats for you. And sometimes, you want those bites to be something that Lune does particularly well: mashups of its croissants and other baked goods with fellow beloved foodstuffs. One such favourite is the chain's twice-baked finger bun croissants, which are back in February 2024 as part of its monthly specials menu. So, you've got until Thursday, February 29 to get your hands on Lune's traditional croissants with milk and coconut frangipane, strawberry jam, and with whipped coconut icing and a hefty sprinkle of coconut on top. This is in Reid's recipe book — so you can consider picking up the end result from the brand's Fitzroy and Armadale stores in Melbourne, and South Brisbane and Burnett Lane in Brisbane, research for your future baking endeavours. This month, Lune also wants you to choose between the finger bun option and a cherry ripe pain au chocolat. The latter is available at all venues — so from the CBD in Melbourne as well — and packs the pastry with cherry frangipane, maraschino cherries and chocolate batons. On top: more cherry frangipane, freeze-dried cherry and toasted coconut. Of course, you can always pick both — and also a tiramisu pudding, berry juniper cruffin, and harissa and goats' cheese escargot. The first takes a Lune pudding, then adds coffee caramel and coffee-soaked savoiardi, plus mascarpone cream and powdered chocolate to finish. You'll find it at the Fitzroy, Armadale, South Brisbane and Brisbane CBD venues. As for the cruffin — which is available at the same four venues — it's rolled in juniper sugar, filled with blueberry juniper jam and white chocolate ganache, and features white chocolate drizzled on top as well. And, at all locations, the escargot obviously features harissa paste, as well as goat's cheese, spiced chilli sesame sprinkle, flaked salt and fresh mint. Treating yo'self here can be both sweet and savoury, clearly. Lune's February specials menu runs until Thursday, February 29, 2024, with different specials on offer at Fitzroy, Armadale and the CBD in Melbourne, and South Brisbane and Burnett Lane in Brisbane. From the Fitzroy, Armadale, South Brisbane and Burnett Lane stores, you can also order them online. Images: Pete Dillon.
When New Year's Eve rolled around in 1999 with its blend of Y2K excitement and anxiety — including fears about how the world, or at least the technology relied upon to run it, might crash — Emily Browning wasn't yet a teenager. Thanks to the film The Echo of Thunder and TV series High Flyers, she was also already an actor, however. Over a quarter of a century later, the Australian Ghost Ship, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Uninvited, Sucker Punch, Magic Magic, God Help the Girl, Legend, Golden Exits, The Affair and American Gods talent is back at the last evening of the 90s. In One More Shot, she can't escape it. The Aussie comedy, which premiered at SXSW in Austin before its local debut at the 2025 Melbourne International Film Festival, and will hit streaming later in the year via Stan, is a time-loop movie. Rather than Bill Murray waking up each morning to Sonny and Cher's 'I Got You Babe', Browning resets to the front door of a NYE shindig where the sounds of James' 'Laid' echo from the just-starting party inside. After a career so far that's taken her to Hollywood and back Down Under on multiple occasions, Browning is making her own return: to Australian film. The last time that she starred in a homegrown picture was in 2011's Sleeping Beauty. The only other local fare that she's had reach screens between then and now is 2023 Prime Video series Class of '07, which is set at a high-school reunion as an apocalyptic wave hits. The Fox with Jai Courtney (Dangerous Animals), Damon Herriman (Together) and Miranda Otto (The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim) is next, as written and directed by Danger 5's Dario Russo. Genre-wise, Browning is charting new territory in each of her three latest Aussie projects, too, embracing her comedy era. When you're leading a movie about reliving the same night over and over again — One More Shot's New Year's Eve cycle is sparked by a magical bottle of tequila — then you're leading a film about choices. Whenever the genre pops up, be it with Groundhog Day, Edge of Tomorrow, Happy Death Day and its sequel, Palm Springs, video-game adaptation Until Dawn or TV series Russian Doll, decisions and selecting the right options are always at their heart. That's a theme that aligns with Browning's approach to her career, especially in the two decades after playing A Series of Unfortunate Events' Violet Baudelaire opposite Jim Carrey (Sonic the Hedgehog 3) as Count Olaf. The film hit cinemas when she was just 16. That kind of fame wasn't her dream, even though she grew up with an avid love of movies. As Minnie Vernon, her One More Shot character, also does as she keeps retracing her steps as the new millennium dawns, Browning learned from it. Her Lemony Snicket experience has influenced how she has chosen projects since. "It's very much feelings-based, and also a desire to not repeat myself — not for the sake of optics or anything, but just because I get bored really easily. So really, I just go towards what interests me," she tells Concrete Playground. "Of course, there's about ten people in Hollywood who get their pick of any movie they want, and I'm certainly not one of them. And so a lot of it is also what's available to me at the time," Browning continues. "It's a combination of that and things that I love. But I've only done one or two things that I really didn't like and that I did because I needed to work. And I think I'm too — I just don't think I have the constitution for that. And so I really mostly just wait for something to come along that speaks to me in some way, and sometimes I wait for a really long time — sometimes I have huge breaks in work. I mean, I'm so incredibly lucky. There are so many talented actors out there who don't ever get the opportunities that I've been given, and so I feel like incredibly lucky for that, but I just follow my gut. I'm just going with what feels right to me." In One More Shot, Browning's Minnie is an anaesthetist who's having a chaotic day that she thinks rekindling her on-again-off-again romance with Joe (Sean Keenan, Exposure) will fix. More than that, she believes that plunging into a relationship with him now that he's back from New York will solve her general sensation that something's missing from her existence. Their loaded pal Rodney (Ashley Zukerman, In Vitro) and his wife Pia (Pallavi Sharda, Spit), who are parents to an infant and feeling the stress of the change to their lifestyle, are their hosts — but the night instantly alters for Minnie when she meets Joe's new girlfriend Jenny (Aisha Dee, Apple Cider Vinegar), then swerves again (and again and again and again) when taking a swig of tequila sees her kick off the party from the beginning once more. [caption id="attachment_1017510" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nick Robertson | @nickmickpics[/caption] When Class of '07 gave Browning her first taste of comedy as an actor, she was apprehensive. As the series proved, she needn't have been. Browning was also uncertain when One More Shot came her way — especially about playing drunk, one of acting's most-challenging tasks. Again, the same applies. A particular highlight of the Nicholas Clifford (Monologue)-directed, Alice Foulcher- and Gregory Erdstein (That's Not Me)-co-written film, which also features Hamish Michael (Scrublands: Silver), Anna McGahan (Darby and Joan) and Contessa Treffone (Totally Completely Fine) among its cast: Browning's ability, even though every protagonist in every flick hopefully changes and evolves, to convey that shift when those changes and evolutions are firmly in the spotlight — each step along the way, each tweak. How do you respond when a time-loop rom-com that sparks its temporal trickery with slinging shots hits your inbox? What's exciting about diving into comedy more than two decades into your career? Does a transformation arc change how you approach playing a character in a movie like this? In our chat, Browning also filled us in on all of the above, plus finding Minnie's mix of vulnerability and selfishness, acting tipsy, her journey since her first on-screen credit at the age of 11 and the thrill of making Australian projects. On How You React When a Time-Loop Comedy About a Magical Bottle of Tequila Comes Your Way "So every script you get sent, there's sort of a little blurb, like the kind of elevator pitch of the story that's trying to like sum it up in a paragraph or two. I guess that's for the actors who get sent so many scripts that they don't have time to read them all, but I'm just always happy to read a script. The blurbs are also never written by the creatives — they're written by someone at an agency somewhere. And so I read the blurb and I was like 'romantic comedy about a time travelling bottle of tequila?'. I was like 'aaah, I don't know about this. I'm not so sure'. But then I read the script, because I just like to read scripts, and I got not even probably 10–15 pages in and I was like 'oh, wait a sec'. I could just tell immediately that the quality of writing was really good. And I found it really funny. And then by the time I was through it, I was really nervous. I wasn't immediately sold, mostly because I didn't know if I could pull it off. When I first read it, I read it as though Minnie was getting progressively drunker through the whole film. And playing drunk is really, really, really hard to do, and so I was like 'oh, I don't know, this might be too much of a challenge'. But I really related to the themes of the choices that you make in life meaning that you have to say goodbye to other possible choices, and how do you decide what you want your life to look like — and the feeling of regret, and the kind of grass-is-always-greener feeling. And I really loved it. And then I when I spoke to Nick Clifford, the director, he just really further sold me on it. And yeah, I'm really excited about it. I feel really, really proud of it now." On Embracing Comedy After Initially Being Apprehensive Before Class of '07 Gave Browning Her First Comic Role "I love it. I love it so much. And I love it because it still feels really hard to me. I'm a person who gets bored really easily and I like to be challenged. I mean, I know that's a really trite thing to say. I know everyone says that. But without the fear of failing spectacularly, I feel like I don't have the — how do I explain this? I only really am able to be my best, most-creative self when I'm under a lot of stress and when I'm feeling really anxious. I guess it's maybe kind of an ADD thing where I just don't have enough dopamine in my brain unless I'm kind of borderline panicking. And so I think, yeah, comedy still feels really scary, and that's why I love to do it. And I really also, I really credit Class of '07 and Kacie Anning [Madam], the creator of that show, for opening that up in me — because she really put me through the wringer. We were playing improv games and doing a bunch of crazy stuff to prepare for that show. And she was pushing me. She was like 'you're still too afraid of being embarrassed. You still have to be more of a dickhead'. Like, 'you have to embarrass yourself more'. And it really broke something open in me, because I think before that I was really terrified of embarrassing myself, and I kind of wanted — I did a lot of straight drama, and I think I got to the limits of what I could do in my career without being willing to embarrass myself. And so now that's a fun and exciting risk for me — when I read a script where I'm like 'ohh, I'm going to look like a real idiot doing this', that's a pro now instead of a con." On Playing a Character Whose Change and Evolution Scene by Scene Isn't Just in the Spotlight — It's One of the Key Points of the Film "It was a challenge — there's so much repetition of setpieces and of moments, but ideally you don't want it to be repetition of the emotion or the acting, because then it becomes a really boring film. So that was a huge challenge, was like 'okay, how do I make sure every loop, the similarities between every loop' — like the literal similarities — 'feel different enough every time we're doing it?'. And I try not to think too much about how the audience is going to respond to a film. I don't really think that's my job when I'm filming it, when I'm acting. But I definitely wanted to make sure that Minnie, that there was some or a lot of variation between each time loop. But I think having such a clear transformation arc was really fun, actually. I love playing kind of an unlikeable character, and I just think it's more interesting and more fun. And I think Minnie, the fact that we get to watch Minnie over the course of the film go from unlikeable to a-little-bit-more likeable is really great. There's nothing more fun, honestly, than playing a character who has no self-awareness. There's something really freeing about it. As someone who's a total people-pleaser, there's something so enjoyable about playing a character who just doesn't give a shit about other people's feelings." On Finding Minnie's Balance of Yearning and Vulnerability, But Also Selfishness and Recklessness — and Plenty More "It's interesting. I think so much of that is a credit to the writing. I'm trying to get better in my work. I'm trying to get better at being proud of myself and owning the things that I'm good at — which I think growing up in Australia can sometimes be a tricky thing, when it's always like 'oh, don't get too full of yourself'. But I have always thought of myself or I've thought of actors as a medium in the way that paint is a medium. Like, I'm a paint colour and a director chooses to paint with me. And I know I've said this to a few actors and they're completely horrified by it, but an actor has very little control in the outcome of a film. And I think that this is why actors can become such nightmares sometimes, because they have this delusion of control and this need for control, where there really isn't any. It's really a job where you don't get much creative control. And so I think that I just am trying to tap into exactly what I imagine Minnie feels in the moment, and I get that from the script. I know that sounds like kind of a cheap answer. It makes it sound like I have no agency. But I'm a real overthinker in every other area of my life — but when it comes to work, if a character feels right and if a story feels right, something clicks for me where I'm really not thinking very much. I'm not a studious actor. I'm not poring over the script every day. My favourite thing is to get in there and talk about the scene with the director and with the other actors, and then just do it. And when I'm doing, I'm not thinking about it at all." On the Difficulties of Acting Drunk — But Only Really Needing to Act Tipsy Here "One of the ways that Nick Clifford reassured me about taking on the role was by telling me that she doesn't get progressively drunker. She actually resets for every loop. So really, Minnie is only ever tipsy, which is a lot easier — because I think that there's a broader area to play with with tipsiness. Some people, you can tell if they're tipsy — some people, you can't. Minnie is an anaesthetist. She's in a very serious profession. She probably went to a great school and her job means that she's taken very seriously. So I feel like Emily's normal personality-level silliness is probably Minnie's tipsiness. So I wasn't really thinking about playing tipsy. I was just thinking about playing Minnie being maybe slightly less reserved than she normally would be — or than she would be at work. The only moment in the film that I really felt that I was playing inebriated in some way was the scene with Sean in the bathroom, where Minnie does a line of C-Word's [Michael] cocaine. I've had conversations with a lot of people who were on cocaine, and I found that much easier than playing drunk — because essentially, a person on cocaine is just talking a bit faster and a bit more excitedly and animatedly, but really they just don't give a fuck what you have to say. They just want to hear the sound of themselves talking. And I was like 'yeah, I can do that.' That's a lot easier to act than drunk. Whereas drunk is like — when I see a great drunk performance, I'm really, really, really impressed by it. People think it's impressive when actors cry easily. I'm like 'no anyone can do that'. When someone can play drunk, that's when I'm really — I think that's really incredible. I don't know if I can really do it, to be honest with you." On Browning's Path From Making Her Screen Debut Almost Three Decades Ago in The Echo of Thunder Through to Now "That was my first acting role, and it kind of happened by accident. It was very random. A friend's parents saw me in a school play and knew a casting director, and the casting director was looking for an eight-year-old girl — and it kind of just happened. Before then, I loved movies so much. I loved movies. All I did was watch movies. But I just didn't think — I never made the connection in my mind that that was a job you could do. And then it just happened, and I was like 'cool, I guess this is my job now'. And it meant that I got to be out of school for a few months of the year, and it felt more interesting to me than school did. But I think from the beginning, I was like 'well, this is what I do now, I guess'. And then I remember doing Lemony Snicket when I was 14, and I loved that experience, but it was my first time in LA and it really freaked me out in a way that was like 'I actually don't think this is the life that I want'. I was there, I was in West Hollywood, and I was meeting all these young actors who seemed so — they just seemed to not have any other life outside of making films and it just all felt a bit yuck to me. And so I actually kind of quit for a few years, and didn't start again until after high school. But even that, it's only really in the last few years, since COVID, that I've really felt like I fully committed to wanting to be an actor — which is crazy because I'm in my mid-30s now. But it took me a long time. I was very afraid for a long time. The idea of being famous has always been terrifying to me. I'm only now at the point where I'm like 'okay, I think I know myself well enough and I can let myself accept the fact that I would like to be successful'. I still don't want to be famous. I still have no interest in being — like, I don't want to be in superhero movies, really. But I would like to do this for the rest of my life, and I would like to be able to do really interesting roles. And that means learning how to play the game to some degree, I guess, which feels gross, but I think it's just part of it. I've spent a lot of time leaning in and then pulling back, and hiding from the scarier elements of the industry — or the elements that were scary to me. And now I finally feel like I'm at a place where I'm like 'okay, I want to do this for real', even though I have been doing it for real for a long time. But I finally feel ready for it." On Coming Home for a Project — and One More Shot Being Browning's Australian Film Since 2011's Sleeping Beauty "Honestly, other than my gut, it's the fact that I get to come home. It's a huge drawcard to be able to work at home. And honestly, more and more recently, so much of the most interesting stuff that I've been reading has been Australian stuff. So it's been a really lucky thing — especially during the strike and everything, when a lot of my friends just had to wait it out. And the fact that I was still able to be reading stuff in Australia, I feel really, really lucky for that, that I have this other — it's not a second career, it's all part of the same career, but the fact that I can come home and work is really, really incredible, especially now considering that everything's a bit more global now. With streaming, people see things from all over the world and you can be anywhere. I'm not going to take a job in Australia just because it's in Australia, but if something is in Australia that I already love, it's going to make me even more excited about it. I think One More Shot — and The Fox as well — are both things that I'm incredibly excited about. And they both happen to have been made here, which is really cool. It makes them even more special." One More Shot screens at the 2025 Melbourne International Film Festival — and will stream via Stan later in 2025. MIFF 2025 runs from Thursday, August 7–Sunday, August 24 at a variety of venues around Melbourne; from Friday, August 15–Sunday, August 17 and Friday, August 22–Sunday, August 24 in regional Victoria; and online nationwide from Friday, August 15–Sunday, August 31. For further details, visit the MIFF website. One More Shot images: Ben King/Stan.
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.
When COVID-19 first started making an impact around the globe, the pandemic felt eerily familiar to movie buffs, all thanks to decades of films about contagions and outbreaks. Now, the coronavirus has forced much of the world to retreat indoors, cancel all plans for the foreseeable future and practise social-distancing — and, via a whole heap of flicks about isolation, getting stuck inside and being trapped in one location, cinema has plenty of tales that feel overwhelmingly relevant. For years, we've all been heading to cinemas to see movies about folks stranded in space, renting DVDs about kids left home alone and adding features about sisters confined to their house to our streaming queues. Unsurprisingly, these types of films seem like perfect viewing material at this very moment. As always, it's important to remember that they're only fiction — and that whiling away your days inside won't really make Jack a dull boy — but if you're looking to watch a few movies about being cooped up while you're cooped up, here are ten that you can stream right now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cb3exxD2nGo MOON If you're looking for new hobby ideas while you're stuck in one spot, Moon's Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) has more than a couple of suggestions. During his three-year stint living solo in a mining base on the far side of earth's only natural satellite, he has worked up a regular exercise routine, watched plenty of old sitcoms and whittled a miniature village out of wood. But, as this stellar sci-fi film explores, Sam's attention soon gets diverted elsewhere. Two weeks before he's due to be sent home, he crashes his lunar rover — and nothing is quite the same again. The debut feature by Duncan Jones (the director of Source Code, Warcraft: The Beginning and Mute, and also David Bowie's son), Moon proves smart, sharp, contemplative and engaging as it charts a distinctive scenario. And, while it was made nearly a decade before Rockwell won a Oscar for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, this remains his absolute best performance. Moon is available to stream on YouTube, Google Play and iTunes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ftmr17M-a4 THE THING There are few places on the planet as isolated as Antarctica, the setting for not one, not two, but three versions of The Thing. And, with zero offence meant to 1951's The Thing from Another World, John Carpenter's 1982 remake is the best of the bunch (no, the recent 2011 film with Joel Edgerton and Mary Elizabeth Winstead doesn't come close to beating it). All three draw upon John W. Campbell Jr's 1938 novella Who Goes There?; however Carpenter's sci-fi/horror classic finds the perfect mix of action thrills, unnerving frights and existential dread. It also benefits from a perfectly cast Kurt Russell leading the charge. The setup: in an American research station at the globe's southern-most point, a parasitic alien life-form starts not only attacking the residents, but taking over their bodies first. The Thing is available to stream on Foxtel Now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=td_ksayX4tU MUSTANG While many movies about confinement and solitude toy with horror and sci-fi scenarios, Deniz Gamze Ergüven's Mustang instead ponders the grim reality of life for women in conservative Turkey. Set in a remote village, the Oscar-nominated film steps into the teenage existence of five orphaned sisters (Güneş Şensoy, Doğa Doğuşlu, Elit İşcan, Tuğba Sunguroğlu and İlayda Akdoğan), who take a trip to the beach with some boys from school. Upon returning home, the quintet are forbidden from leaving the house by their horrified uncle. When the sisters start rebelling against their isolation, their grandmother decides to start marrying them off. While The Virgin Suicides might instantly spring to mind, Ergüven's debut feature is marked by its cultural specificity and its spirited tone — and this account of female empowerment and camaraderie has much to say about the expectations placed upon girls in patriarchal societies. Mustang is available to stream on Kanopy, YouTube, Google Play and iTunes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcBPzqxBnRU WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE In Where the Wild Things Are, Max (Max Records) doesn't need to be trapped in one place to feel lonely. His parents are divorced and his sister barely pays him any attention, so the eight-year-old spends more time by himself — and dressed in his favourite wolf costume, too — than with anyone else. After a fight with his mother (Catherine Keener) about her new boyfriend (Mark Ruffalo), Max runs away. And, as anyone who read and re-read the book of the same name when they were a kid will know, he soon finds himself on an island inhabited by beasts known as Wild Things. Brought to the screen with imaginative visuals, excellent effects and a rich vein of thoughtfulness, the result is a moving and melancholy delight that contemplates being alone on multiple levels. Director Spike Jonze has helmed plenty of gems, including Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, Her and a heap of Beastie Boys videos, but this is his most tender and heartfelt work by far. Where The Wild Things Are is available to stream on Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5C5Az-239uM JEANNE DIELMAN, 23 QUAI DU COMMERCE, 1080 BRUXELLES Unfurling in real time across more than three hours, Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce 1080 Bruxelles charts the highlights of three days in the life of its titular character (Delphine Seyrig). At first, 'highlights' might seem like an overstatement, with Jeanne's housebound routine revolving around cooking, cleaning her house, taking care of her son and — in order to earn money to pay the bills — sleeping with men for money. As the time passes, however, Belgian writer/director Chantal Akerman not only examines the ins and outs of Jeanne's daily existence with meticulous precision, but uses one single mother's time in her home to lay bare the minutiae of domesticity. Both when it first released in 1975 and still today, Jeanne Dielman is unquestionably experimental; however it's also unshakeably brilliant at immersing viewers in its eponymous figure's reality. Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce 1080 Bruxelles is available to stream on Kanopy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZspM1JrOmA8 THE SHINING Stephen King famously hated it. The Simpsons parodied it. Last year, cinemas welcomed its long-awaited sequel. For four decades now, Stanley Kubrick's The Shining has cast an enormous shadow over popular culture — as you'd expect of one of the greatest films ever made. Whether you're watching it for the first time or the hundredth, this horror masterpiece is never less than nerve-rattling. Indeed, that's the case from the moment its iconic opening scene, with its windy drive through the Rocky Mountains and its ominous theme music, initially creeps across the screen. As the Overlook Hotel's new winter caretaker Jack Torrance, Jack Nicholson puts in an exceptional performance as a man plunging into unhinged delirium in his isolated (and haunted) new surroundings, while both Shelley Duvall and Danny Lloyd also make an imprint as Torrance's wife and son. The Shining is available to stream on YouTube, Google Play and iTunes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8KBYAvYpO4 BURIED Before he became Deadpool's merc with a mouth, but after he was one of the titular figures in 90s sitcom Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place (hint: he wasn't the pizza place), Ryan Reynolds endured an incredibly tense stint in a coffin. In the economical and supremely effective Buried, he plays Paul, an American civilian working in Iraq who awakens one day to find himself stuck in a casket. Said coffin is already six feet under when Paul discovers his unfortunate predicament. He's desperate to escape; however he only has a lighter and a mobile phone on hand. Dedicating its concise 95-minute running time to its trapped protagonist's efforts to extricate himself from the situation, Buried serves up Hitchcock-level thrills, smarts and style with its one-location setup. And, while his character obviously feels otherwise, Reynolds adapts to the scenario by dishing up one of his most memorable performances. Buried is available to stream on Stan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKdVYUXyBzU GREEN ROOM If you only see one movie featuring Patrick Stewart as a fascist, heavy metal club owner, make it Jeremy Saulnier's follow-up to the criminally under-seen Blue Ruin. The actor also known as Jean-Luc Picard and Professor Xavier will send chills down your spine — but there's a just as impressive bunch of actors trying to fend him off. As the title suggests, the bulk of Green Room takes place backstage. After punk band The Ain't Rights (Anton Yelchin, Arrested Development's Alia Shawkat, A Prayer Before Dawn's Joe Cole and Emma's Callum Turner) stumble across something they shouldn't have, they become trapped behind the scenes as the locals endeavour to make sure they don't talk. Prepare to feel on edge as you watch this violent, claustrophobic and all-round excellent thriller — and prepare to appreciate Yelchin's many talents for one of the last times as well. Green Room is available to stream on SBS On Demand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzdpqRGA1qc HOME ALONE At some point in the next year or so, it's likely that a brand new Home Alone movie will be demanding your attention. Yes, the 90s classic is getting remade — by Disney+, and with Jojo Rabbit's Archie Yates, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's Ellie Kemper and Catastrophe's Rob Delaney among the cast. But the Mouse House's streaming platform is already serving up classic Home Alone delights, with the 1990 original, 1992's Home Alone 2: Lost In New York and 1997's Home Alone 3 all currently available. Naturally, the first flick is the one that not only calls everyone's names each Christmas, but whenever you find yourself sitting in your house solo (i.e. quite often in today's COVID-19 times). Home Alone was the highest-grossing live-action comedy at the US box office for more than two decades for a very good reason, after all. Watch as Macaulay Culkin puts in a star-making performance, Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern play bumbling burglars, and plenty of inventive booby traps get in the way. Home Alone, Home Alone 2: Lost In New York and Home Alone 3 are all available to stream on Disney+. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5BKctcZxrM I AM MOTHER Sci-fi thriller I Am Mother might seem familiar, story-wise; however this Australian-made standout definitely finds its own niche. Led by certain future star Clara Rugaard — who channels shades of science-fiction cinema's best leading ladies, such as Alien's Sigourney Weaver and The Terminator's Linda Hamilton — writer/director Grant Sputore's movie introduces viewers to a girl who has been raised in a high-tech underground bunker by a supremely intelligent robot she calls Mother (voiced by Rose Byrne). For years following the decimation of the human race, the pair have only had each other for company. Then, unexpectedly, a stranger (Hilary Swank) arrives asking for help. The rest is best discovered by watching, with an already bleak and twisty movie delving further into its dystopian premise. I Am Mother is available to stream on Netflix. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
When it comes to organising birthday parties, it's easy to understand why even the best-laid plans often turn into a defeated and last-minute 'meet me at the same bar we go to every weekend at the normal time we go there' situation. Conflicting schedules, differing interests and varying spending capabilities all play a part in making anything other than another simple dinner and drinks session sound like a nightmare option. But don't despair, to make things easier for you, we've found the best places in Brisbane to unleash your inner child and have the kind of birthday you've been dreaming of since you were a kid. Plus, with Suncorp's Platinum Credit Card*, you can earn extra points for every dollar you spend on the celebration of your existence — from the decadent birthday cake (you deserve it) to the candles on top. From designing your own t-shirts to belting out tunes in a 70s-themed karaoke room, each of these eight spots will have you counting down the days 'til your next big bash. [caption id="attachment_669756" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cole Bennetts[/caption] DESCEND INTO NETHERWORLD FOR VINTAGE ARCADE GAMES AND DRINKS If rows of arcade games and a drinks menu packed with punchy cocktails, like the bubblegum-infused vodka Acid Queen, sounds like fun then it's time you take a trip to Netherworld in Fortitude Valley. Despite its hellish name, the place isn't the local satan-worshippers hangout, but rather a nostalgic arcade bar filled with every game you could ever hope to play. From board games including Settlers of Catan and Battleship to 80s favourites like Atari and Pac Man, there's something for everyone. Once you've roamed all of the venue's three monster-themed rooms, be sure to try one of the juicy burgers at the Buffy-inspired Hellmouth Diner — the beetroot-laden Bunyip Burger is one of the best bites you'll find in Brisbane. HAVE A TEE PARTY AT A BREWHOUSE Okay, we know what you're thinking. A tea party, really? But we're not suggesting you spend your birthday sipping from fine china – although there is something to be said for a hot drink and a nice selection of sugary pastries. At Only T, the world's first t-shirt and tea brewhouse, you can enjoy a good cuppa while also creating your own t-shirt, tee (tote) bag or tee (plant) pot — genius, right? Set in a gorgeous warehouse space in Windsor, this unique creative gathering is held every Friday night and Sunday afternoon, but spaces are limited, so book ahead if you're planning to have a big bash. [caption id="attachment_672989" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cole Bennetts.[/caption] DON YOUR BEST GOLF DIGS FOR A FEW ROUNDS AT HOLEY MOLEY Chances are that if you enjoy fun and games, you've already hit a few holes-in-one at Holey Moley on Warner Street. But thanks to recent renovations, even regular visitors to the multi-level putting green will have plenty of new additions to explore. The converted old church now has Stranger Things, E.T., Dazed and Confused and Uno-themed holes with tongue-in-cheek names like Par for the Corpse, The Loop Hole and Draw Fore, plus two 60s- and 70s-style karaoke rooms to belt out your favourite tunes in. The menu has also received a facelift, with highlights including quirky cocktails like the Duck, Duck Joose, which is served in a mini bathtub with rubber ducks. PLAY FOR KEEPS AT B.LUCKY AND SONS Having a few drinks with your mates is one of life's simple pleasures. But on your birthday, you might want something more — and that's where B.Lucky and Sons comes in. Hidden away behind a pawn shop inside the historic TCB Building, this adults-only arcade bar is brought to you by the same team behind Holey Moley, so you know it's going to be a ripper. Glitzy casino-style chandeliers, lush green ferns and bright red booths are just some of the strange furnishings that give the venue its eclectic vibe. Daytona, Mario Kart and Space Invaders arcade games all make an appearance — except instead of winning something cheap and plastic, you'll get one of the pawn shop's wares, which includes anything from vintage Chanel bags to forgotten vinyls you'd find in your dad's garage. GET BOUNCY AT SKY ZONE'S TRAMPOLINE PARK Sky Zone is not your average trampoline park. The space has hundreds of connected floor and wall trampolines that make up one huge, springy wonderland. You'll be flipping through the air in no time, whether you meant to or not. When you get tired of literally bouncing off the walls, there's also a surreal Alice in Wonderland-themed laser tag area that'll have you ducking and dodging behind giant chess pieces while attempting to overcome your mates (aka enemy combatants). PLAY DIGITAL BEER PONG AT IPONG BRISBANE Yes, technically this one involves drinking — but it's interactive, so we're letting it past. If you've ever been to a house party, then you've probably played some version of beer pong before. For those unfamiliar with the game, players set up cups filled with beer in a triangle pattern (similar to a ten-pin bowling set-up) and attempt to throw ping pong balls into each other's glasses. If you land a ball in one of your opponent's cups, they have to drink the contents. It's usually a pretty good time, and iPONG in MacGregor has taken it up a few notches. Featuring neon-lit tables with crazy sound effects, dazzling lights and smart sensors that track your progress, these high-tech tables take the old-school game to a whole new level. CATCH FREE COMEDY AT BRISBANE POWERHOUSE Love a good laugh? Well, prepare yourself for an hour full of smile-inducing fun at Brisbane Powerhouse's free hour of comedy. Every Sunday from 5pm, a bunch of talented Australian and sometimes international comedians grace the stage to bring you cracking stories and hilarious one-liners that your dad could only dream of thinking up. GET CRAFTY AT MAS & MIEK CERAMIC HOUSE If we learned anything from Demi Moore in Ghost, it's that mucking around with pottery and clay is a surefire way to put a smile on your dial. So, why not grab your closest pals and head over to Mas & Miek Ceramic House's hip warehouse space in Newstead for a beginner-friendly hand-building session? Unfortunately, there'll be no Patrick Swayze encounters, but you will learn how to make your own ceramic household items like cups, plates and even incense holders. Seize the day, make your everyday moments count and get rewarded all the while with Suncorp. *Issued by Citigroup Pty Limited ABN 88 004 325 080 AFSL No. 238098 Australian credit licence 238098. Top Image: Only T.
If you've seen A New Zealand Food Story then you'll already know the backstory behind new downtown restaurant Ahi. The eight-part online series follows acclaimed chef Ben Bayly and his team as they set out to discover what local cuisine is all about and where our produce comes from. It sees him enter rough Fiordland waters to harvest paua and crayfish, stalk deer through the Avon Valley, join a hook-to-plate fishing expedition in Foveaux Straight, and munch an absolutely enormous fig in Marlborough. The end goal is to create a truly unique New Zealand restaurant for the 28 March deadline. Five months later, in this year from hell, it's finally here. Ahi, translating from te reo Māori to 'fire', opened its doors for the first time on 31 August inside the new Commercial Bay precinct. Inside, Bayly and co-founder Chris Martin expand on the concept of fire with an open hearth in the kitchen. The 120-seat, hyperlocal space also features a woven oak ceiling to represent traditional Māori kete baskets, handmade plates from a West Auckland potter and an abundance of native timber which was salvaged by Bayly during the course of construction. Bayly says that Ahi's menu has been devised as a "culinary representation of what it means to be home, celebrating the diversity of the New Zealanders who bring produce to our tables." From whenua and moana, the land and the sea, diners can enjoy oysters by way of Waiheke Island, buffalo cheese from Whangaripo, speared butterfish from Cook Straight and cauliflower from Pukekohe. Snack items include tahr tartare with wild garlic and fermented hot sauce, hāngī pāua with kahawai, sour cream and kawakawa, and an interpretation of the 'Trumpet' made with buffalo ice cream and chocolate from Auckland's Miann. The larger courses complete the nationwide food tour. There's Fiordland crayfish soup with kūmara and saffron ravioli, Gisborne butternut with toasted harakeke flax and māhoe shoots, and 'Boil-up Toast' made with Berkshire pork, watercress and egg. From A New Zealand Food Story comes Bayly's wild-shot fallow deer in loin and cheek form, while the half crayfish you may have seen being charcoaled on the rugged Fiordland coast now comes with green onion and ginger sauce and lemon-sorrel salad. The restaurant comes complete with picturesque views out over the Waitematā Harbour — something which Bayly says is essential so diners know that they are in Aotearoa. Find Ahi on the second floor of the Commercial Bay precinct at 7 Queen Street. It's open 11.30am til late, seven days a week. Images: Manja Wachsmuth.
Brisbane, it's time to get the word "Jellicle" stuck in your head — again. To mark 40 years since it first hit the stage in Australia, Cats announced in 2024 that it would perform a new season Down Under from 2025. Originally the show was just headed to Sydney, but the feline-fancying experience has been adding stops elsewhere around the country. After it stops in Adelaide, Perth and Melbourne, then, it'll make its way to Brisbane. Back in July 1985, Aussie audiences initially experienced Andrew Lloyd Webber's acclaimed production, which turned a tale inspired by poems from TS Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats into an award-winning theatre hit. The place: Sydney, aka where Cats is playing again from June 2025. Brisbane's turn comes from February 2026, at QPAC's Lyric Theatre. "Cats is a legendary show that I've admired for over 40 years. A sparkling fusion of music, dance and verse, it was revolutionary when it first opened and enticed new audiences into the world of musical theatre," said producer John Frost for Crossroads Live about the new Aussie performances. "I'm thrilled to bring the original production of Cats back to Australia to celebrate its 40th anniversary, and I know Brisbane audiences will love to revisit one of their favourite shows. Australia has an enduring love for Cats and it's time to let the memory live again." If you're new to Cats, it spends its time with the Jellicle cat tribe on the night of the Jellicle Ball. That's the evening each year when their leader Old Deuteronomy picks who'll be reborn into a new Jellicle life by making the Jellicle choice. And yes, "Jellicle" is uttered frequently. Of late, audiences might be more familiar with Cats as a movie. In 2019, the musical made the leap from stage to screen with a star-studded cast including Idris Elba (Hijack), Taylor Swift (Amsterdam), Judi Dench (Belfast), Ian McKellen, (The Critic) James Corden, (Mammals) Jennifer Hudson (Respect), Jason Derulo (Lethal Weapon), Ray Winstone (Damsel) and Rebel Wilson (The Almond and the Seahorse) playing singing, scurrying street mousers. If you ever wanted to see Swift pouring cat nip on a crowd of cats from a suspended gold moon, or were keen to soothe your disappointment over the fact that Elba hasn't yet been James Bond by spotting him with whiskers, fur and a tail, this was your chance. For its efforts, the Tom Hooper (The Danish Girl)-directed film picked up six Golden Raspberry Awards, including Worst Picture. But while the movie clearly didn't hit the mark, you can see why this feline-fancying musical has been such a huge theatre hit when it makes its Brisbane stage comeback. Cats 2025–26 Australian Tour From Tuesday, June 17, 2025 — Theatre Royal Sydney From Saturday, September 20, 2025 — Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide From Saturday, November 8, 2025 — Crown Theatre, Perth From Sunday, December 21, 2025 — Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne From February 2026 — Lyric Theatre, QPAC, Brisbane Cats is touring Australia from June 2025, with its Brisbane season kicking off in February 2026. Head to the musical's website to further details and to sign up for the Brisbane ticket waitlist. Images: Alessandro Pinna / international tour company in Xiadong.
Have you always wanted to reenact the Office Space printer smashing scene? Well, your chance has finally come. Melbourne got The Break Room way back in 2016, then Sydney welcomed Smash Brothers in 2018 — and now it's Brisbane's turn. Rage Cage has opened in Highgate Hill, and it's following the same concept: letting folks work through their stress, manage their anger and even get a workout, all by hitting stuff with a baseball bat. It's taking the workplace term 'break room' to a very literal sense — and you might even find yourself swinging and smashing office electronics, including printers. You can shatter everything from glassware and dishes to frames, clocks, garden gnomes and other knickknacks, too — and household electronics such as phones, laptops, microwaves, televisions and guitars as well. So how does it work? Choose your weapon of choice (crowbars, bats and sledgehammers are on offer, as well as a few surprises) and you'll be escorted to a room and given a milk crate filled with smashable goodies to break to bits. You'll be outfitted with overalls, gloves, boots and a face shield, so you can go at it without the machines taking their revenge. Waste is the obvious eyebrow-raiser here — but you can bring your own items to destroy or, even if you're not keen to get swinging, donate your old clutter. This may sound like a team sport; however for safety reasons you can only smash solo. You're allowed 30 minutes to break your batch — with $45 buying you a milk crate full of smashable gear, and the likes of phones ($10), printers ($30), flatscreen TVs ($50) and guitars ($50) all costing extra. Rage Cage is open seven days a week, with both bookings and walk-ins accepted. To schedule a session, head over to the venue's website and kiss those TPS reports goodbye. Find Rage Cage at 7 Mabel Street, Highgate Hill — open Monday–Friday from 10am–5.30pm, Saturday from 11am–6.30pm and Sunday from 2–6.30pm. Images: Rage Cage.
There's something about the end of winter that gets Australian music festivals locking in their plans for spring, summer and beyond. Already as 2024's frostiest season come to a close, Meredith, Always Live, Beyond The Valley, Bluesfest, Lost Paradise and SXSW Sydney have either announced or added to their lineups. Next up: Good Things. Back when winter was just beginning, the fest confirmed that it'd be back this year and set its dates across the country's east coast. Now, its roster of acts is here just before spring arrives. Korn, Sum 41, Violent Femmes and Billy Corgan will lead the bill when Good Things heads to Melbourne on Friday, December 6, then Sydney on Saturday, December 7 and finally to Brisbane on Sunday, December 8. [caption id="attachment_970650" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Maurice Nunez[/caption] As in previous years, Good Things is again taking over Flemington Racecourse, Centennial Park and Brisbane Showgrounds. That's where you'll hear 'ADIDAS', 'Got the Life', 'In Too Deep', 'Pieces', 'Blister in the Sun', 'Add It Up', 'Today', '1979' and more from the fest's first four big names alone. The complete lineup features both international and local highlights, including Germany's Electric Callboy, plus America's Mastodon, The Gaslight Anthem, Kerry King and L7. Among the homegrown acts, Jet, The Living End and The Butterfly Effect will all take to the stage, as will Killing Heidi performing their 2000 album Reflector in full. Festivalgoers can also look forward to carnival-style stunts and acts at STAGE 666, which returns after proving a hit in 2023. This year's hefty list of bands follows in the footsteps of the reunited TISM, Bring Me the Horizon, The Amity Affliction, NOFX, Millencolin, Devo, Fall Out Boy, Limp Bizkit, Corey Taylor and Pennywise, all of which have graced Good Things in the past two years alone. Good Things 2024 Lineup: Korn Sum 41 Violent Femmes Electric Callboy Billy Corgan Mastodon Kerry King The Gaslight Anthem Jet The Living End L7 Northlane Bowling for Soup Alpha Wolf Sleeping with Sirens The Butterfly Effect 311 AViVA Destroy Boys Dragon Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls From Ashes to New Grandson Highly Suspect Imminence Killing Heidi (performing Reflector in full) Loathe Reliqa Taylor Acorn Good Things 2024 Dates: Friday, December 6 — Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne Saturday, December 7 — Centennial Park, Sydney Sunday, December 8 — Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane Good Things hits Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane in December 2024. Presale tickets go on sale at 10am AEST on Tuesday, August 27, with general sales from the same time on Thursday, August 29. Head to the festival website for more information. Good Things images: Kane Hibberd.
Classic cocktails are called classics for a reason. They've stood the test of time, they're easy to whip up anywhere and — perhaps most importantly — they're almost impossible to mess up. But what if the recipes were a little more…nutty? Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey is here to throw a curveball into your bar cart staples. There's no shortage of novelty spirits on the shelf, but this one has done it right. Created by husband-and-wife team Steve Yeng and Brittany Merrill Yeng in California, this flavoured liqueur blends American whiskey with natural peanut butter flavour, resulting in a spirit that's sweet, smooth and nutty. When used right, it can unlock a completely different kind of cocktail. Whether you're a cocktail aficionado or just partial to a decent drink after work, swapping in this whiskey gives old favourites an edge that's unexpected, yet weirdly spot-on. Don't believe us? Here are seven classic cocktails that get even better with a peanut butter twist. Old Fashioned The old fashioned is simple: whiskey, sugar, bitters, ice. No garnish, unless you really feel like showing off. Swap in Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey and you're still staying true to that formula, just with a bit more flavour. The roasted peanuts round out the sweetness and soften the citrus in the bitters. So, you get a richer, smoother version of the drink you already know. Serve it with a big ice cube and a twist of orange peel for a fresh take on the old school, without losing any of the ritual. Get the recipe here. Manhattan This one's a little wild, but it works. Strong, slightly sweet and built for sipping, the manhattan is a go-to for good reason. A hint of peanut butter doesn't mess with its DNA, but it does add to it. This recipe keeps the bones of the original but trades out sweet vermouth for Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey and a splash of amaro. The result is a silky, peanutty drink you can garnish with a cherry and orange twist. Get the recipe here. [caption id="attachment_1014576" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] iStock[/caption] Mudslide A classic mudslide should taste like a milkshake with an extra kick. And this one doesn't disappoint. The Skrewball version blends peanut butter whiskey with equal parts Irish cream liqueur and coffee liqueur, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and served with a chocolate syrup drizzle. You could sip this slowly, but let's be honest — it'll be gone in minutes. Get the recipe here. Irish Coffee Peanut butter and coffee are a match made in heaven, which makes the classic Irish Coffee another cocktail worth reinventing. This cold-weather go-to gets an upgrade by swapping out traditional Irish whiskey for a hit of peanut butter and hot black coffee. Enjoy it as is, or top with whipped cream and dust it with chocolate powder for a little sweetness. Get the recipe here. Espresso Martini While we're on the coffee bandwagon, here's another classic twist: the espresso martini. Strong, bitter and full of peanut flavour, this espresso martini remix skips vodka in favour of the richer and smoother, Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey. Shake it with coffee liqueur, freshly brewed espresso and ice, then strain into a martini glass with a couple of espresso beans to garnish. Yum. Get the recipe here. Paloma The Paloma is usually a tequila-heavy spritz, but this version dials up the fun with a peanut butter backbone and a splash of grapefruit juice. It's still refreshing and citrusy with tequila and Aperol, but that nutty flavour turns it into something you'll start to crave when the sun's out. To make, simply pour Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey, tequila, sour mix and pineapple juice over ice and garnish with lemon. Get the recipe here. Margarita This one sounds wrong on paper, until you try it. An extreme riff on the classic margarita, here tequila and lime take a backseat to Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey and pineapple juice. It's fruity but not sugary, and sharp but not tart. If you're the kind of person who likes to experiment with strange flavour combos, this is your moment. Get the recipe here. Adding peanut butter whiskey to your favourite classic cocktails may not be the obvious choice — but once you've tried it in one, you'll want to remake them all. Explore more Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey cocktail recipes on the website.
Urban beekeeping will never be the same. A brand new Australian-designed beehive has raised over $1 million on Indiegogo in less than three hours. Why? The honey's on tap, straight from the hive. New South Wales beekeepers and Lords of the Bees Stuart Anderson and his son Cedar have devised a brand new means to collect honey without disturbing the bees, meaning the golden, sticky goodness flows out of a tap using a channel system. This means you can literally put your toast under a tap at the hive. Looking to the crowdfunding platform, the Andersons hoped to raise $70,000 to help their invention, Flow Hive. The pair have now raised a whopping $2,588,820 USD — that's $3,304,369 AUD. BOOM. So how does it work? Stuart Anderson talked the ABC through it. It all hinges around a plastic frame design, on which the bees get busy building their honeycomb. Twisting a lever allows the honeycomb to fracture, allowing that sweet, sweet honey to flow and drip down through special channels, all without breaking the honeycomb. Then, the good stuff makes its way to a pipe leading out of the hive and into your mouth. Then the whole process can start again by twisting that lever back into place and returning the cells back to their position. Just LOOK at that honey. Beekeepers will be losing their minds about now. No suits? "If you know your bees, you can sit there in shorts and a t-shirt and it's safe, because you're not opening the hive and you're not banging around disturbing the bees," Anderson told Radio National. This is huge news for novice urban beekeepers, unknowing noobs who think they can chuck a hive in the backyard and have fresh honey without getting stung. The whole kit (without bees) will set you back $600, but it's a honey tap. A honey tap. Via ABC.
Netflix viewers, toss a coin to your new favourite watering hole — the only spot in Australia that'll bring The Witcher, Stranger Things, Squid Game and more to life while you're sinking a brew. For five days only, the Who's Watch Inn will pop up in Melbourne, offering fans of the streaming platform's hit shows a unique pub experience. Always wanted to throw down a beverage or several while sitting under a mounted demogorgon head? Yes, that's on the menu. Also on offer: coveting the piggy bank jackpot, reclining on Emily in Paris' Parisian garden bench and just generally feeling like you've stepped inside (and you're drinking inside) your Netflix faves. That covers the food and drinks menu, too, which'll showcase pub grub favourites and themed tipples — including the 'Emily in Parma' (taking on the old pub classic, obviously) and a Squid Ink Dark Ale. Even better: everyone who drops by the Who's Watch Inn will get a free drink on arrival (although there is just one per person). That's probably all the excuse you need to head to Carlton's Clyde Hotel across the Netflix takeover's five streaming-worshipping days, running from Wednesday, September 28–Sunday, October 2. The pub pop-up is only happening in Melbourne, which means you'll need to be in the Victorian capital this week to enjoy the fun. Whether you're a local or you'll be travelling down south, the Who's Watch Inn will also host a Netflix pub trivia night on Thursday, September 29, plus a comedy evening on Friday, September 30 featuring Urzila Carlson, Nazeem Hussain and Melanie Bracewell live — and all events are free. Bookings are recommended, and if you're wondering why the themed watering hole is happening at all, that's because it's been a big couple of days for Netflix — all thanks to a celebration that the streaming platform calls Tudum: A Netflix Global Fan Event, where the company drops details about and trailers from its upcoming slate. That's why you might've seen a sneak peek at The Crown season five, a trailer for Dead to Me's third and final season, and a clip from Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story over the past few days, for instance. Also, Netflix sure does love these kinds of pop culture-themed shenanigans. Over the past 12 months, it has given away free clothes at a Heartbreak High uniform shop, set up a barber giving out The Gray Man-style moustaches and goatees, opened a Stranger Things rift and had the Squid Game doll lurking about, after all. Find Netflix's Who's Watch Inn at The Clyde Hotel, 385 Cardigan Street, Carlton, Melbourne, from Wednesday, September 28–Sunday, October 2 — open from 7–11pm on Wednesday, 12–11pm on Thursday, 11am–1am on Friday, 12pm–1am on Saturday and 12–11pm on Sunday.
First, Good Things confirmed that it would be back in 2025, and also announced its dates. Now comes the next key detail: where the festival is heading this year. Music lovers already knew that the event is returning to its three annual stops — Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane — but now organisers have locked in the specific venues in each city. There's no change in the Victorian capital, with Flemington Racecourse again playing host to Good Things. In the Sunshine State, Brisbane Showgrounds is doing the honours again, too. But Sydneysiders will be hitting up Sydney Showground instead of Centennial Park, in a move made to increase capacity, shelter, transport options and accessibility. As it has in past years, the fest will play all three cities across one huge weekend. So, you can mark Friday, December 5 in your diaries for the Melbourne, then Saturday, December 6 in the Harbour City and Sunday, December 7 in Brisbane. As for who'll be on the bill, that still hasn't been revealed as yet, but it's safe to expect it soon. While 2022's lineup dropped in June, 2023's and 2024's each arrived in August. Last year, Korn, Violent Femmes and Billy Corgan were on headlining duty, with Electric Callboy, Mastodon, The Gaslight Anthem, L7, Kerry King, Jet, The Living End, The Butterfly Effect and Killing Heidi among their company. 2023's fest featured Devo, Limp Bizkit, Corey Taylor, Pennywise, Bullet for My Valentine, Taking Back Sunday, I Prevail, Enter Shikari, Pvris, Behemoth, Sepultura, Spiderbait, Frenzal Rhomb, Jebediah and Eskimo Joe, among other acts. In 2022, the reunited TISM, Bring Me the Horizon, The Amity Affliction, NOFX and Millencolin led the roster. Good Things 2025 Dates and Venues Friday, December 5 — Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne Saturday, December 6 — Sydney Showground, Sydney Sunday, December 7 — Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane Good Things will hit the Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane in December 2025. We'll update you when the lineup is announced and tickets go on sale — head to the festival website for more information and to sign up for the event's mailing list in the interim. Images: Kane Hibberd.
Already named one of the world's greatest places of 2023 by TIME magazine, Brisbane has just scored another massive global tick of approval: it's now home to the best hotel in Oceania, the best in Australia and the only accommodation spot in both to make the World's Best 50 Hotels list in 2023. The Calile has earned that honour, with the Fortitude Valley venue coming in 12th in the world for "channelling a luxe 1950s-style Miami beachside vibe in the heart of the city". The World's Best 50 Hotels is the latest addition to the 50 Best stable alongside the World's 50 Best Restaurants, the World's 50 Best Bars, Asia's 50 Best Bars, Asia's 50 Best Restaurants and more. Debuting this year, the new countdown highlights excellence among places to stay, and favoured Europe heavily among its selections. Across a list featuring 35 destinations on six continents, European hotels scored 21 slots, with hotels in Asia notching up 18, North American hotels nabbing six, accommodation in Africa getting three and South America joining Oceania with one apiece. [caption id="attachment_694717" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sean Fennessy.[/caption] In flying the flag for luxe stays Down Under, The Calile's location on James Street, design by Brisbane-based architects Richards & Spence, 1960s Aussie motel-meets-Palm Springs air, tropical feel, pastel colour scheme and 30-metre pool surrounded by cabanas all earned a shoutout. The World's Best 50 Hotels dubbed its vibe a "relaxed, barefoot Australian style of luxury", while also celebrating onsite restaurants Hellenika, Same Same, Sushi Room, Bianca, SK Steak & Oyster and Lobby Bar. Brisbanites, that's your next staycation spot sorted. Folks elsewhere, you now have a number-one place to check into on your next River City visit. Wondering where else you should be booking in around the world? The top ranking overall went to Passalacqua in Moltrasio in Italy, while Rosewood Hong Kong came in second and Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River ranked third. [caption id="attachment_918889" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Passalacqua © Ruben Ortiz[/caption] The rest of the top ten featured Hong Kong's The Upper House in fourth place, Aman Tokyo in fifth, Marrakech's La Mamounia at sixth, Soneva Fushi in the Maldives nabbing seventh spot, One&Only Mandarina in Puerto Vallarta at eighth, Four Seasons Firenze in Florence placing ninth and Mandarin Oriental Bangkok perched at tenth. And, sitting between the top ten and The Calile at 12th is another Bangkok spot: Capella Bangkok, which was also named the Best New Hotel as well. Per continent, Passalacqua was named Europe's best hotel, Rosewood Hong Kong the same in Asia, La Mamounia did the honours in Africa, One&Only Mandarina in North America and Rosewood São Paulo in South America. [caption id="attachment_819667" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rosewood Hong Kong[/caption] Also, London's hotels enjoyed a particularly strong showing, taking out four places. On the list: Claridge's (at 16th), The Connaught (number 22), NoMad London (coming in at 46th) and The Savoy (ranking 47th). The World's Best 50 Hotels winners were picked by 580 international travel experts, all with a significant number of stamps on their passports — and also with a 50/50 gender split among them. Their votes come in as a ranked list of the seven best hotels that they've each stayed at during the last two years. [caption id="attachment_909119" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Calile[/caption] [caption id="attachment_895685" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Four Seasons Bangkok[/caption] [caption id="attachment_694714" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sean Fennessy[/caption] For the full World's 50 Best Hotels list for 2023, head to the awards' website. Top image: Sean Fennessy.
Here's a question we bet you're eager to know the answer to: how much pasta can you consume in a single sitting? No matter what type you happen to be devouring, the Italian dish is oh-so-easy to just keep eating. So at Salt Meats Cheese in Newstead from 5pm on Monday, October 25, that's exactly what's on offer. This all-you-can-eat pasta night is being held to celebrate World Pasta Day. Yes, it's a case of another food-focused date, another reason to fill your plate. With this one, we're betting your carb-loving tastebuds won't be complaining. Four types will be on the menu, so you can tuck into bottomless serves of lamb pappardelle and crab linguini, as well as SMC's beloved carbonara rigatoni — and a vegan zucchini and pesto tagliolini. The pasta free-for-all will set you back a highly affordable $25, although you'll have to also buy a drink. You'll need it, clearly, to wash down all those bowls.
If there's one thing that Ben & Jerry's loves above all else, it's the obvious: ice cream in a huge array of ridiculously named flavours. It's the brand behind Chunky Monkey, Cherry Garcia, Phish Food and The Tonight Dough — and has been responsible for Liz Lemon Greek Frozen Yoghurt, Stephen Colbert's AmeriCone Dream and Schweddy Balls, too. And, once a year to the delight of your sweet treat-loving tastebuds, it loves giving away free scoops just as much. Indeed, to share its wares with the masses for nix, these frozen confection masterminds gave the world Free Cone Day, which is exactly what it sounds like — a day where your ice cream is on the house. It ran annually until the pandemic, then took a break for obvious reasons. And on Monday, April 3, it's finally back for the first time since 2019. Here's how it works: if you adore ice cream as much as Ben & Jerry's adores ice cream, then you just need to hit up your local participating store between 12–8pm AEST. You can choose whichever flavour you like, and you can also line up for a free cone as many times as you like within that eight-hour period. Free Cone Day is happening Australia-wide — worldwide, too, in more than 35 countries — at both Ben & Jerry's Scoop Stores and its Hoyts outlets. In New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, that means hitting up Manly, Bondi Beach, Newtown and Parramatta, plus cinemas in Blacktown, Wetherill Park, Penrith, Broadway, Phillip and Belconnen. Victorians have St Kilda and Burwood East stores, and Hoyts venues in Melbourne Central, Docklands, Ringwood, Chadstone, Greensborough, Maribyrnong and Ringwood to choose from. If you're in Queensland, head to South Brisbane, Broadbeach Waters, Burleigh Heads, Gold Coast, Mooloolaba, Noosa Heads and Cairns, or Hoyts Sunnybank. In Western Australia, Fremantle, Hillarys and Northbridge Scoop Shops are taking part, plus Karrinyup and Cannington cinemas. And in South Australia, Hoyts Norwood is your destination. Free Cone Day runs from 12–8pm on Monday, April 3, 2023 at Ben & Jerry's Australian stores. Head to the brand's website for further details.
Australia, you will feel it coming after all: in what's been a chaotic time for fans keen to see Abel 'The Weeknd' Tesfaye Down Under, the musician is finally bringing his After Hours Til Dawn tour this way. Come October 2024, the Canadian singer-songwriter and The Idol star will hit the country for four gigs, playing two in Melbourne, then another two in Sydney. The details for your diary: The Weeknd will take to the stage at Marvel Stadium in the Victorian capital across Saturday, October 5–Sunday, October 6, then do the same at Accor Stadium in the New South Wales capital on Tuesday, October 22–Wednesday, October 23. Missing from the rescheduled tour dates is a Brisbane stop, which is no longer happening "due to schedule and logistical constraints", tour promoter Live Nation has advised. [caption id="attachment_970220" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hyghly Allene[/caption] It was this time last year that The Weeknd announced that his latest massive stadium tour was on its way to both Australia and New Zealand in November and December 2023 — even adding extra shows before general tickets went on sale — only for it to be postponed just two weeks out "due to unforeseen circumstances" without new dates being set. Then, in April 2024, the tour was cancelled for the time being, with ticketholders receiving refunds. "The Weeknd After Hours Til Dawn Tour for Australia and New Zealand is still in process of being rescheduled," said a statement on the Ticketek website earlier in the year, leaving hope then that the tour might be announced again in the future. "Whilst we continue to work through the rescheduling process with the artist, tickets for the existing 2023 tour will be cancelled. All purchased tickets will receive a full refund," the message continued. Revealing the new Aussie shows now, The Weekend said that he feels "a strong pull to perform in Australia before moving on to the next chapter" and that he wanted "to make sure you all know I hadn't forgotten about you". "When I return now, it will be the right time, and I promise it will be such a special experience. I can't wait to see you all!" his announcement about the new dates continued. Mike Dean, Chxrry22 and Anna Lunoe will join The Weeknd Down Under. And if you've spotted that there's no New Zealand gigs this time around as well, his stop in Aotearoa is no longer on the schedule, just like Brisbane. An arena spectacular, The Weeknd's global tour began in 2022, notching up soldout shows far and wide. In the UK, The Weekend saw 160,000 folks head to London Stadium across two nights, smashing the venue's attendance record. And in Milan, he became the first artist to sell out the Ippodromo La Maura for two nights. Those feats are just the beginning. In Paris, the 'Starboy', 'I Feel It Coming', 'Can't Feel My Face', 'The Hills' and 'Blinding Lights' artist scored Stade de France's biggest sales this year — and in Nice, the 70,000 tickets sold across his two shows are the most in the city's history. The reason for the whole tour, other than just because, is celebrate The Weeknd's 2020 record After Hours and its 2022 followup Dawn FM. Obviously, he has been playing tracks from 2013's Kiss Land, 2015's Beauty Behind the Madness and 2016's Starboy as well. The Weeknd's 'After Hours Til Dawn' Tour 2024 Dates: Saturday, October 5–Sunday, October 6 — Marvel Stadium, Melbourne Tuesday, October 22–Wednesday, October 23 — Accor Stadium, Sydney The Weeknd is touring Australia in October 2024 — and if you had tickets to his cancelled 2023 dates, you can nab new tickets via the past purchaser presale from 12pm in Melbourne and 1pm in Sydney on Wednesday, August 21. Other presales start from Thursday, August 22, with general sales from Monday, August 26. Head to the tour website for more information. Top image: Rafael Deprost.
When February 2024 arrives at QPAC's Lyric Theatre in Brisbane, expect three words to echo with enthusiasm: "be our guest". And, when June hits at Melbourne's Her Majesty's Theatre, expect the same. Both venues will be home to the next Australian seasons of Disney's Beauty and the Beast musical, which has arrived Down Under as a newly reimagined and redesigned production. Exact dates haven't yet been announced, but the huge show will bring a tale as old as time to the Queensland and Victorian capitals after its current Aussie-premiere run in Sydney — and marks the latest in a growing line of Disney hits to come our way. Frozen the Musical did the rounds in recent years, as did the musical version of Mary Poppins. This version Beauty and the Beast first made its way to the stage in the UK in 2021, and reworks the original show that premiered in the US in the 90s — adapting Disney's hit 1991 animated movie musical, of course. Fans can expect the same Oscar-winning and Tony-nominated score courtesy of composer Alan Menken and lyricist Tim Rice, including all the beloved tunes such as 'Be Our Guest' and 'Beauty and the Beast'. It also comes with new dance arrangements by David Chase, and with original choreographer Matt West revisiting his work. When the British return was announced, Menken said that "Beauty and the Beast is a testament to the genius of my late friend and collaborator Howard Ashman, but the show's richness comes from the combination of Howard's style and that of the brilliant Tim Rice, with whom I expanded the score to give voice to the Beast." "It's clear that audiences the world over want to return to the world of Beauty, which continues to amaze and humble those of us who created it." Cast-wise, the production features all-Australian talent, including Brisbanites Shubshri Kandiah as Belle and Jackson Head as Gaston, the Gold Coast's Jayde Westaby as Mrs Potts, Melbourne's Gareth Jacobs as Cogsworth, plus Brendan Xavier as Beast and Rohan Browne as Lumiere. "We are thrilled to return to Brisbane and Melbourne with Beauty and the Beast, as re-imagined by members of the brilliant original creative team. This beloved show — and Belle herself — are somehow as contemporary today as when the film premiered in 1991, even more meaningful to those who first discovered them decades ago and to new generations," said Thomas Schumacher President & Producer of Disney Theatrical Productions, announcing the Brisbane season. "Each time we've returned to Australia over the last quarter century we see audiences grow larger and more appreciative and the deep pool of extraordinary home-grown musical theatre talent grow even deeper. We cannot wait to bring this cherished story to two of our favourite Australian cities once more." DISNEY'S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST: THE MUSICAL 2024 AUSTRALIAN DATES: From February 2024 — QPAC Lyric Theatre, Brisbane From June 2024 — Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne Disney's Beauty and the Beast musical will hit QPAC's Lyric Theatre in Brisbane from February 2024 and Melbourne's Her Majesty's Theatre from June 2024. We'll update you with exact dates when they're announced. For more information, or to sign up for the ticket waitlist — with Brisbane pre-sales from Monday, October 16 and Melbourne's from Monday, November 13— head to the musical's website. Images: Daniel Boud.
After a few years absent from screens, the Guardians of the Galaxy are back in a big way. First, they popped up in this year's Thor: Love and Thunder, although Marvel's ragtag space-hopping superhero crew only made a brief appearance. Then, they scored their own — and the Marvel Cinematic Universe's first-ever — Disney+ holiday special. Next comes the long-awaited Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which'll soar into cinemas in 2023, and just unveiled its first trailer. When this threequel hits, it will have been six years since 2017's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and Vol. 3 knows it. "We've been gone for quite a while," Peter Quill aka Star-Lord (Chris Pratt, Jurassic World Dominion) says in the just-dropped sneak peek — and yes, the film is set to have a sense of occasion about it. Not only do Quill, Mantis (Pom Klementieff, Westworld), Drax (Dave Bautista, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery), Groot (Vin Diesel, Fast & Furious 9), Nebula (Karen Gillan, The Bubble) and Rocket (Bradley Cooper, Nightmare Alley) arrive back in cinemas in their own flick, but this might be their last mission. "We'll all fly away together one last time, into the forever — that beautiful sky," says Rocket, which might be the calmest thing he's ever uttered. There's no Kevin Bacon in the trailer, or likely in the movie, but there is the return of another familiar face — because Vol. 3 is serious about getting the team back together. Off-screen, that includes usual writer/director James Gunn (The Suicide Squad), after a chaotic few years that saw him fired by Marvel, then make the switch to the DC Extended Universe — where he's now actually co-chairman and co-CEO of DC Studios. Gunn returned to the MCU, however, for the holiday special and Vol. 3. The new film picks up after the festive episode, after the rest of the MCU's mayhem over the past few years, and with Quill still coping with big events. But, the Guardians still need to defend the universe, including on that possibly last quest that could lead to their end. Also back is Sean Gunn (The Terminal List) as Kraglin, while Bodies Bodies Bodies and Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan's Maria Bakalova voices Cosmo the Spacedog as she did in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. Plus, Will Poulter (Dopesick) joins the cast as Adam Warlock — and Chukwudi Iwuji (Peacemaker) as The High Evolutionary. Check out the trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 below: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 releases in cinemas Down Under on May 4, 2023.
It is instinctive for human beings to question what the future could hold and and will look like. But just like most aspects of our lives, buildings of the future are incredibly difficult to predict. Here are some of the most mind-boggling futuristic building designs which are in the planning stage or already under construction. New Orleans Arcology Habitat In an attempt to revamp both the aesthetics and economy of New Orleans in the face of the terrible destruction of 2005's Hurricane Katrina, an incredibly modernistic Arcology Habitat has been proposed. The design includes hotels, condos, commercial property and casinos all floating on the surface of a water basin between the Mississippi River and the CBD. Spaceport America Spaceport America is now in its initial stages of development in New Mexico and has already seen a series of flights launched from its lunar pads last year. This sleek construction is set to be the first commercial spaceport the world has ever seen and would unlock the potential to allow anyone to enjoy the wonders of space. Shimizu Mega-City Pyramid This enormous construction proposed for Tokyo would be 14 times higher than the ancient Great Pyramid of Giza, and would house an incredible 750,000 people. Designed as a solution to the over-population issue in Japan, this design is on hold until super-strong lightweight materials appear in the future. Kingdom Tower This enormous skyscraper has been approved for construction in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah at the preliminary cost of $4.6 billion as part of the proposed Kingdom City to be located along the Red Sea. If completed according to plan, the tower will not only become the tallest building in the world, but also the only on the planet to exceed a height of 1 kilometre. Kuwait Airport A new terminal is undergoing construction at Kuwait International Airport this year, set to be completed by 2016. The reconstruction, designed as a three point star, should increase the passenger handling capacity from 7 million to 13 million in the first phase. Trio Vertical Garden French designer and botanist, Patrick Blanc, is starting a revolution with his amazing designs of vertical gardens. His projects started in Sydney in 2009 by embedding 4,500 seedlings into a recycled felt surface, creating a contemporary artwork that is both environmentally friendly and aesthetically pleasing. Taiwan Tower Sou Fujimoto was the winner of the Taiwan Tower International Competition with his interpretation of 'Primitive Future'. The 300 metre tower is inspired by the Taiwanese banyan tree and is designed to be a model of green architecture for future generations. Keret House Instead of just discounting the space of an 133 centimetre alleyway between two houses in Warsaw, architect Jakub Szczesny saw the possibility for an ingenious house. Designed as a creative workspace for Israeli writer, Etgar Keret, the hermitage would range from 72-122cm in width with remote control stairs and boat-inspired water and sewage systems. Project Utopia Floating Island After numerous references to floating civilisations in literature comes finally an inventive floating island design more like an oil rig than a yacht. The volume of the Project Utopia would be equivalent to a present-day cruise liner, measuring more than 100 metres across and including more than 11 decks.
Architects across the world are adopting the idea of exhibitionism in their design of some very ‘open’ houses. Not leaving much to the imagination, people who live in these see-through structures obviously aren’t shy about exposing their true selves. Ranging from a three level, blue-tainted glass box set in snowy Milan, to an oversized toy house in the middle of Tokyo, these houses are perfect for the eccentric exhibitionist looking to reveal some of their quirkiness to the outside world. The Glass House by Philip Johnson — New Canaan, Connecticut Farnsworth House by Mies van der Rohe — Plano, Illinois Glass House by Unit Arkitektur AB — Träslövsläge, Sweden Glass House by SANTAMBROGIOMILANO — Milan, Italy Glass House by JM Architecture — Lake Lugano, Italy House NA by Sou Fukimoto Architects — Tokyo, Japan Jodlowa House by PCKO — Krakow, Poland The Sebastopol Residence by Turnbull Griffin Haesloop Architects — Sebastapol, California
Already in its 24th year, the National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest never ceases to amaze and excite with its stunning displays of photography from around the world. With the current increase in popularity of amateur photography and the pervasion of social media, this year's competition already has a whopping 12,400 entries. Flick through the entries at the National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest 2012 website and experience some of the most incredible and awe-inspiring sights, people and moments this Earth has to offer. This year's contest has four categories - Outdoor Scenes, Sense of Place, Travel Portraits and Spontaneous Moments - to cover a wide range of spectacular photo opportunities. Here we've collated just a sample of what we find to be some of the most remarkable shots from the 2012 contest. Keep a lookout for the winners, which will be announced in August. Northern Lights by Christine Peterson Location: Northern Iceland Monsoon by Enrique Lopez-Tapia Location: Sundarbands, Bangladesh The Rise by James Davies Location: Lizard Point, the UK's most Southerly location, Cornwall African Queen - Madagascar by Lisa Labinjoh Location: North West Madagascar Sun-Kissed Faces by Erwin Choachuy Location: San Remigio, Cebu, Philippines Tamblingan Lake by Agung Krisprimandoyo Location: Gubug Temple, Tamblingan Lake, Bali, Indonesia Up in the Air by Martin Fietkiewicz Location: Wreck Beach, Vancouver, BC, Canada Fox in the Grass by Kathryn Triplett Location: Kodiak Island, Alaska Butts by Laysa Quintero Location: Samburu National Reserve, Kenya Outside Pandora's Box by Johnathan Bareng Location: Ubud, Bali. Indonesia The Great off Isla Damas by Esteban Delgado Location: Puntarenas, Quepos, Isla Damas, Costa Rica
For the past few years, Eleven Rooftop Bar has welcomed Brisbanites eager for a drink with a view, pairing a 270-degree vantage across the city with cocktails and tapas. Now, after a significant makeover, the Fortitude Valley venue is home to Maya Mexican. The revamped bar serves up mezcal cocktails, tequila, margaritas and bites to eat inspired by the country that gives the bar its name — as well food influenced by the Pacific Coast, Yucatan and Sonoran regions. Expect dishes such as spicy tuna tostadas, snapper tacos and wagyu steak asado. Also prominent: decor to suit the site's change of focus. That includes plenty of stone, marble and timber, a hefty use of white and a scattering of plants, including desert cacti. The venue now also benefits from a bigger seating area and a renovated courtyard, plus booth and lounge seating. Casual in vibe, Maya is open from 12pm till late Wednesday through Sunday for openair beverages with quite the backdrop — and with DJs spinning tunes, too. Images: Eleven Rooftop Bar
Pickles and beer are a winning mix. If you've ever paired meat, cheese and fermented vegetables with a pint or several — and who hasn't? —then you clearly think so too, even if you don't realise it. Ploughman, Alderley's latest cafe-bar hybrid, certainly does; indeed, that's what the new addition to Samford Road is all about. Because you can't beat a good food-and-drink combo, you'll find platters overflowing with all the usual charcuterie essentials and house-made pickles, plus taps flowing with a rotating range of local, national and international brews. Yum. If it sounds rather straightforward, that's because it is — but sometimes the best things in life are the simplest. Plus, it's a nifty idea for a bar that's housed within a former 19th century general store and saddler, has been overhauled by an electrician and architect, and also serves grilled cheese toasties and small-batch spirits. And yes, like the name suggests, ploughman sandwiches stacked with leg ham, cheese, bread, mustard and pickles are also on the menu.
UPDATE: Thursday May 6, 2021 — New COVID-19 restrictions have been announced. We'll keep you updated on this event as the situation changes. For the latest information, visit NSW Health. What time is it? Showtime! After taking the world by storm when it hit Broadway in 2015, Lin-Manuel Miranda's critically acclaimed musical Hamilton is finally coming to the "greatest city in the world": Sydney. If, like us, you've been watching the filmed version of Hamilton with the original Broadway cast on repeat since it was fast-tracked to Disney+ in July, then we bet you could not be more satisfied with the news you'll finally be able to see it live on stage. The record-breaking production, which nabbed 11 Tony Awards (including Best Musical), six Laurence Olivier Awards, a Grammy Award and a Pulitzer Prize, was inspired by Ron Chernow's 2004 biography Alexander Hamilton. It tells the story of Caribbean-born immigrant Alexander Hamilton, who rose to become America's ten-dollar Founding Father ("without a father"). Directed by Thomas Kail, the musical tracks Hamilton's arrival in New York in the early 1770s, fighting in the Revolutionary War, and working alongside the likes of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and his rival Aaron Burr to form the United States of America. On paper, the subject matter may sound a little dry. But Miranda's energetic lyrics and music, which spans hip hop, R&B, soul and traditional show tunes, as well as Andy Blankenbuehler's choreography ensure it's anything but. You'll be captivated by cabinet rap battles, hip hop-heavy duels and heart-wrenching ballads about Hamilton's complicated love life. The Aussie production has also continued the Broadway musical's colour-blind approach to casting, by enlisting BIPOC actors to play historical white figures. The cast includes Jason Arrow (Disney's Aladdin, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical) as Alexander Hamilton, Lyndon Watts (Disney's Aladdin, West Side Story) as Aaron Burr, and Chloé Zuel as Eliza Hamilton. A common feature of Hamilton is actors playing two different roles throughout the show — Marty Alix, who played Sonny in Sydney Opera House's season of Miranda's other Tony Award-winning musical In the Heights, has signed on for the dual roles of John Laurens and Philip Hamilton. If you want to be in the room where it happens, Hamilton is opening at the Sydney Lyric Theatre on Wednesday, March 17, 2021, booking through to September. Tickets will set you back $70–250 a pop. There are flexible ticket options available, now including gift vouchers, which might suit those planning to travel to Sydney especially for the show. They'll also make excellent Christmas presents. The Sydney Lyric Theatre also has a COVID-19 safety plan in place, in accordance with NSW Health. Top images: Images 1–5, US National Tour, Joan Marcus; Images 6–7, Broadway. Courtesy of Destination NSW.
Like commemorating the birth and life of famous figures? Like multicultural festivities that shed a light on diversity and harmony? If so, it's party time. Brisbane's annual Buddha Birthday Festival is back for its 25th festival, this time taking place at the Chung Tian Temple in Priestdale. Running from Friday, May 6–Sunday, May 8, the 2022 program is serving up three jam-packed days of lion dances, calligraphy, art, performances and more. While it might not cater to 200,000 people as it has in pre-pandemic years, you still won't find yourself lacking in either company or something to watch. The festival isn't just about seeing other people strut their stuff, though. With a vegetarian food fair serving up culinary delights, tea ceremonies keeping you hydrated, meditation sessions taking care of your mental bliss and red lanterns on display, this isn't just a feast of entertainment; it's a complete mind and body experience as well. Images: Buddha Birthday Festival
Whether you're self-isolating or social-distancing, we bet your couch has seen more of you in the past week than it has all year long. And if you've been looking for some motivation to (temporarily) pause powering through your chocolate reserves and flipping between Netflix and COVID-19 news, here it is: free fun workouts. While you can't get to the gym or go to your bootcamp, you can work up a sweat at home without spending a dime — and without running 66 kilometres in laps around your apartment like this guy. Here are some actually fun (and free) ways to work out at home. NIKE TRAINING CLUB If you want to get fit like the pros, the Nike Training Club is the way to do it. The app offers over 190 free workouts focused on strength training, cardio, endurance and even yoga and mobility. These workouts have been designed by the Nike Master Trainers, who offer video guidance via the app. Workouts are designed for all fitness levels and heaps are body weight-only, so you don't need at-home equipment, either. The more workouts you complete, the more customised the app becomes, and it even offers daily recommendations for regular users. Basically, it's created to make you feel like you have a personal trainer in your living room. Download the free Nike Training Club app for iOS or Android. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--jhKVdZOJM YOGA WITH ADRIENE Yoga trainer Adriene Mishler must be doing something right — she has over 6.55 million subscribers to her YouTube channel. Her chilled-out and calming disposition make her one of the best online yogis out there. And she has a lot of videos up, with more to come, too — so you you won't run out of workouts anytime soon. Her classes are also much more specialised than your average hatha, with videos themed around yoga for almost anything and anyone. Yoga for hangovers. Yoga for writers. Yoga for chefs. For runners, self-love, cramps, couch potatoes and lower back pain — which may be particularly important in this work-from-home culture. Mishler also offers a 30-day class flow, which you can follow along with daily. Oh, and you'll also get to work out with her dog, Benjamin the blue heeler. Check out all of Yoga with Adriene's videos on her YouTube channel. SMILING MIND Odds are, you aren't just going stir crazy physically, but mentally, too. It's important now more than ever to check in with yourself, watch your stress levels and look after your mental health. One of the ways to do this from home is through guided meditation. While there are heaps of meditation and mindfulness apps out there, Smiling Mind is absolutely free. So, you can enjoy all of the benefits of a meditation guru without the monthly subscription fee — and without leaving the house. The app only suggests ten minute a day, so it isn't a huge commitment, either. Its offering is broken down into age groups, too, and even offers meditation for kids and teenagers. Download the free Smiling Mind app for iOS or Android. 30-DAY SQUAT CHALLENGE When you're staring down the barrel of a few weeks (or more) at home, it can be good to have a daily exercise goal to keep you sane. This 30-Day Squat Challenge app offers just that. The month-long workout plan focuses on — you guessed it — squats, but there isn't just one way to do this move, either. The app focuses on a whopping 13 squat variations used across six different workouts. The intensity of the workout increases by the day, so that on day 30 you'll be a squat master — and have the booty to show for it. Download the free 30 Day Squat Challenge app for iOS or Android. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofddKYnkxTQ&t=5s THE FITNESS MARSHALL For a fun workout at home (that'll have you smiling if not sweating), it's time to start following fitness teacher Caleb Marshall. His YouTube channel already has 2.3 million subscribers, and for good reason — his workouts are actually fun. They're more dance classes than workouts, and you'll be grooving along to pop songs. Think Work by Rhianna, Truth Hurts by Lizzo and Womanizer by Britney Spears. Marshall's dance moves are for novices, not the pros — so anyone really can join in. And most of his videos are only the length of one song (three–four minutes long), so you can even dance along as part of a quick five-minute break. Check out all of The Fitness Marshall's videos on his YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukDLb3rAmTY JANE FONDA ON BEFIT If you haven't watched the famous 1982 VHS Jane Fonda's Workout, you've definitely heard of it. Selling over 17 million copies, the video workout accompanied Fonda's bestselling book of the same name. While you can't watch the OG VHS for free, you can watch a heap of Fonda's slightly-more-recent videos on the BeFit YouTube channel. These oldies-but-goodies are fun, easy and a bit of a laugh. Fonda offers a wide range of workouts, from cardio and fat burning to yoga energy booster and even a questionable dance class. So dust off your leg warmers and sweatbands and prepare for some indoor aerobics. Check out all of BeFit's Jane Fonda YouTube videos over here.
Another year, another collaboration between two big cinema names who keep making stellar films together. With Bugonia, Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos combine for their fourth joint feature, following 2018's The Favourite, 2023's Poor Things and 2024's Kinds of Kindness. The first of the bunch earned them both Oscar nominations. The second scored Stone her second Academy Award and made Lanthimos a contender again. The latest? It's a remake of a South Korean sci-fi comedy. If you've seen Save the Green Planet!, then you'll know the story. If you haven't, get ready for Lanthimos' take on it. Either way, the Greek filmmaker's new movie is all about a CEO of a major company, two men obsessed with conspiracies, the belief that said head honcho is an alien who'll destroy earth and, as a result, a kidnapping plot — as the just-dropped initial teaser trailer illustrates. Stone (Fantasmas) is the CEO. Doing the abducting to the sounds of Green Day's 'Basket Case' in the flick's debut glimpse: Jesse Plemons — who also worked with Lanthimos on Kinds of Kindness, and won the Best Actor Award at Cannes for his efforts — plus feature first-timer Aidan Delbis. And the mindset that sparks the kidnapping? "It all starts with something magnificent: a flower, then a honey bee. The workers gather pollen for the queen," explains Plemons' character. "But the bees, they're dying. And that's the way they planned it — to make us the same as the bees. But it is not in control anymore. We are." Bugonia's cast also spans Stavros Halkias (Tires) and Alicia Silverstone (Y2K). Behind the camera, while Lanthimos directs, Will Tracy (The Menu) adapted the screenplay from Jang Joon-hwan's 2003 film. Stone is one of Bugonia's producers, too — and so is her Eddington director Ari Aster (Beau Is Afraid). The movie has a date with cinemas Down Under from Thursday, October 30, 2025, but you can probably expect to hear more about it before then if you follow international film festival news — premiering at the Venice International Film Festival, where Poor Things did and won the Golden Lion, seems more than likely. Check out the trailer for Bugonia below: Bugonia releases in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, October 30, 2025.
UPDATE, February 8, 2021: The White Tiger is available to stream via Netflix. Adapted from Aravind Adiga's 2008 Man Booker Prize-winning debut novel, The White Tiger shares an animal metaphor in its name. It works it into the story, obviously, and mentions it in dialogue as well. As a boy, after proudly demonstrating that his reading abilities eclipse those of his classmates in his poverty-stricken village, young Balram Halwai (Harshit Mahawar) is likened to the titular jungle cat by a teacher. He's "the rarest of animals that comes along once in a generation," he's told. That statement arrives within the movie's opening minutes and is meant to linger over the film, which it does. That said, another animal metaphor, also uttered early but pondering roosters and coops, truly cuts to this biting picture's core. Like poultry in a cage awaiting slaughter, India's poor are kept in their place as servants, explains Balram (Adarsh Gourav, Hostel Daze) as an adult. At the mercy of cruel and ruthless masters, the country's workers are well aware that they're being treated thoughtlessly at best, and watch on as everyone is stuck in an unending cycle of drudgery. But, ever-dutiful at every moment, they're unwilling to break free or even mildly defy their employers. That's the compliant life that Balram is supposed to lead, as he notes in the always-pacy, often-winking narration that drives this smart and savage thriller. Balram's existence does play out that way, too, at least for a time. He ingratiates his way into a driver position for Ashok (Bollywood star Rajkummar Rao) and Pinky (Baywatch's Priyanka Chopra Jonas), the American-educated son and New York-raised daughter-in-law of the rich landlord (Mahesh Manjrekar, Slumdog Millionaire) who owns his village and demands a third of all earnings from its residents. But The White Tiger starts with a car accident outside Delhi involving Balram, Ashok and Pinky, then unfurls in flashbacks from an unapologetic Balram in the future. As a result, it's immediately apparent that he won't always be kowtowing to those considered above him in his country's strict caste system. It's also instantly evident that his tale, as cheekily told via a letter penned to 2003–13 Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, will take the audience on quite the wild journey. Balram's plan to work for the man who rules over his home stems from his burning ambition to enjoy a life far removed from his struggling childhood. So does his scheme to supplant the family's first driver, as well as his efforts to later forge his own path. When he is given the white tiger label as a kid, he is also advised that "any poor boy in any forgotten village can grow up to become Prime Minister of India". Politics isn't on his agenda, though. During his time with Ashok and Pinky, he starts thinking bigger. He doesn't just want to win "a million-rupee game show" either — the film's wink to fellow rags-to-riches saga Slumdog Millionaire. As viewers watch Balram evolve from an attentive servant to the self-made entrepreneur who unfurls the movie's twist-filled tale with a sense of mischievous glee — and a clear feeling of accomplishment, too — one truth haunts every moment: that the vast chasm between the wealthy and not-so has wide-reaching consequences, and not just those that the rich, powerful and blinkered foresee. The White Tiger's framing device is a little clumsy, and its overt, blackly comic observations about the well-off taking advantage of everyone they consider inferior definitely aren't new. Nonetheless, this is still a ferocious, compelling and entertaining film with something sharp and accurate to say, and an engaging way of conveying its central perspective. As long as the world remains beholden to the few at the expense of the many, eat the rich-style tales will never get old — Oscar-winner Parasite certainly felt anything but — and this one also skewers globalisation and its ramifications, especially as new technologies are supposed to be bringing everyone closer together. Thanks to 2005's Man Push Cart, 2007's Chop Shop and 2015's 99 Homes, Iranian American writer/director Ramin Bahrani is no stranger to street-level stories about everyday folks trying to survive and thrive under capitalism's boot, or to the twisted power dynamics that can ensue in society at large and in close quarters. Accordingly, he's a perfect fit for the material here. Whether he's focusing on a ponytailed, moustachioed Balram as he narrates away, or following the character from dusty shacks and crowded markets to the basements of Delhi's sky-high apartment blocks, Bahrani brings a constantly probing eye to Adiga's tale in both a storytelling and visual sense. (He's was also one of the author's college classmates.) Also ideal is Gourav, so much so that it's almost impossible to imagine the movie being as captivating without him, or as slick yet scathing. The actor is in excellent company, with Rao and Chopra Jonas each finding multiple layers in their characters' lives of privilege, and their eagerness to regard Balram as a friend while it suits — but, as a bright-eyed but still calculating young man trying to work his way up, and then as a cynical experienced hand who has seen much, endured more and knows how he wants the world to work, Gourav is electrifying. It's a performance that's bound to catapult him into other high-profile roles, and it's also the likeable and empathetic yet also hungry and slippery portrayal this rollercoaster ride of a story hinges upon. Or, to put it in Balram's words, Gourav plays his part as "straight and crooked, mocking and believing, sly and sincere, all at the same time", and it's never less than riveting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35jJNyFuYKQ Top image: Tejinder Singh Khamkha/Netflix.
The BrisStyle team is a rather busy bunch. A few times a year, it puts on twilight markets in King George Square, but that isn't its only regular event. If you're particularly after a treasure trove of handmade goodies — and who isn't? — it hosts another opportunity to browse and buy that's dedicated to exactly those kinds of objects over at the Queensland Museum. And, because it's that time of year, it's putting on a Christmas version of the latter. Fashion, art, jewellery, homewares — if someone's been using their nimble fingers to make it, then you can probably trade your hard-earned cash for their hard work. In fact, there'll be a long list of artisans — 60 locals, actually — selling their wares. And, while you're shopping, you'll also be able to grab a bite at the onsite cafe and listen to live tunes from local musos. The BrisStyle Handmade Christmas Markets take place on Saturday, December 10, so that's when you can take care of your gift-buying needs. Head along from 9am–3pm, with it all taking place in the Queensland Museum's whale mall. Image: BrisStyle.
Whether he's co-writing and starring in sketch comedies, directing two of the best horror films of the past few years, producing an Oscar-nominee or reviving a science-fiction classic, Jordan Peele has amassed an impressive resume. So, whenever he adds a new project to the lengthy list, it's worth paying attention. Already, he has Key & Peele, Get Out, Us and The Twilight Zone to his name— and he produced BlacKkKlansman, and produced and co-wrote the upcoming new Candyman flick too. This year, he also executive produced Al Pacino-starring TV series Hunters, about hunting down Nazis in the 70s. And, come August, he's doing the same with Lovecraft Country, a 50s-era exploration of both otherworldly and actual monsters. Based on the 2016 novel of the same name by Matt Ruff, Lovecraft Country follows a road trip across the US in the time of the Jim Crow racial segregation laws. Atticus Freeman (Jonathan Majors, Da 5 Bloods) is looking for his missing dad (Michael Kenneth Williams, The Wire), enlisting his friend (Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)) and his uncle George (Courtney B Vance, Ben Is Back) to trek around the country with him. Cue the unwelcoming, discriminatory and hostile reality of white America, as well as terrors of the supernatural kind (aka, the type that American sci-fi and horror writer HP Lovecraft is synonymous with, hence the show's title). Yes, it sounds like it's completely in Peele's wheelhouse. Lost and Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker's JJ Abrams is also one of the new ten-episode series' executive producers, too, alongside showrunner and writer Misha Green (Underground), directors Yann Demange ('71) and Daniel Sackheim (True Detective, Game of Thrones), and producers Bill Carraro (Blade Runner 2049) and David Knoller (Power, Big Love). Lovecraft Country hits HBO in the US in August, with the exact date yet to be announced. As for airing Down Under, Australians can likely expect it to screen on Foxtel and/or its new streaming platform Binge, with local details yet to be revealed as well. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJV9acMsDwM Lovecraft Country starts airing on HBO in the US in August. A release date Down Under is yet to be announced — we'll update you when one comes to hand. Top image: Elizabeth Morris/HBO
Ever since the world initially watched Squid Game in 2021, Netflix has been obsessed with bringing everyone's favourite South Korean streaming series into real life. First came pop-up stunts. Then arrived reality competition show Squid Game: The Challenge, obviously without a body count. Experiences that let everyone play the show's games without appearing on TV are also part of the IRL fun. As the show's second season approaches, dropping on Boxing Day 2024, Australia keeps welcoming Squid Game activations — starting in St Kilda, where 200 pink guards relaxed on the Melbourne suburb's beach to kick things off. Three years back, however, Young-hee made its eerie presence known in Sydney. The Red Light, Green Light doll has now returned to the Harbour City, crossing the famous waterway by ferry with 300 pink guards as an escort to get to Luna Park Sydney for Squid Game: The Experience. On Thursday, December 12, 2024, a towering sight joined the harbour alongside the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House — and, as the pictures show, it was quite an image to behold. From Saturday, December 14, you can head to Luna Park to be in the doll's company. Just in time for the Christmas holidays and Squid Game season two's release, Squid Game: The Experience will get everyone playing with Young-hee. Call it Red Light, Green Light. Call it Statues. Call it Grandmother's Footsteps. Whichever name you prefer, how good are you at the game that involves folks a-sneaking, ideally without being caught? Now, how would you fare trying to creep forward while avoiding being spotted when Young-hee is lurking? Squid Game: The Experience lets you find out. Get your green tracksuit ready. Front Man will be there to dare you to take the Squid Game challenges IRL. Busting out your marbles skills and walking over the glass bridge are also on the agenda. Some games are inspired by the Netflix program. Others are brand new. You'll only know if Squid Game: The Experience takes any cues from the thriller's second season, though, if you drop by after Thursday, December 26. Players can take part individually, or in groups of up to 25. As you work through the challenges, which get harder as you go along, you'll earn points. Another difference from the series: if you get eliminated from a game, you'll still be able to take part in the challenges that follow. Squid Game: The Experience arrives at Luna Park Sydney, 1 Olympic Drive, Milsons Point, from Saturday, December 14, 2024. Head to the venue's website for more information and to buy tickets. Squid Game season two streams via Netflix from Thursday, December 26, 2024. Season three will arrive in 2025 — we'll update you when an exact release date for it is announced.
More than a tenth of the best steak joints around the planet are located in Australia. That's one of the big pieces of news from 2024's iteration of the World's 101 Best Steak Restaurants. Aussie eateries might be well-represented in general, but the annual ranking's sights are firmly set on just two Down Under cities: Sydney and Melbourne. If you live elsewhere in the country, you might disagree, but the New South Wales and Victorian capitals are now officially the Australian spots to hit for a top-notch slice of beef. Sydney took care of six places on the list, while Melbourne notched up five. Only Sydney's eateries made the top ten, however — including Neil Perry's Margaret topping the local entries by coming in third in the world. Buenos Aires' Parrilla Don Julio seared itself into the number-one position, while Bodega El Capricho in Jiménez de Jamuz in Spain came in second. Following Margaret, Cote in New York placed fourth and Carcasse in Koksijde sits in fifth. The other Sydney venue in the ten best of the best? Rockpool Bar and Grill, which was ranked eighth globally. On either side, it's joined by I due Cippi in Saturnia in Italy in sixth, Laia Erretegia in Hondarribia in Spain in seventh, then AG in Stockholm in ninth and Cut at 45 Park Lane in London in tenth position. Melbourne's first recognition came via Victor Churchill, which is knocking on the door of the top ten by sitting in 11th place. It also took out a second position in the top 20 with Steer Dining Room in 17th spot. From there, Sydney also notched up 24th place via The Gidley, 45th thanks to Bistecca, 71st with Porteño and 89th via Kingsleys. Melbourne's other showings span Entrecote at 86th, Gimlet at Cavendish House at 94th and Grill Americano at 98th. If you've checked out our picks for the best steak restaurants in Sydney and Melbourne, plenty of the above should sound familiar — Porteño, Bistecca, Rockpool Bar and Grill, Kingsleys and The Gidley all made the Concrete Playground cut, too, as did Steer Dining Room, Entrecote, Gimlet at Cavendish House, Grill Americano and Victor Churchill. [caption id="attachment_956587" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dominic Loneragan[/caption] [caption id="attachment_675814" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dominic Loneragan[/caption] [caption id="attachment_674682" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Leticia Almeida[/caption] [caption id="attachment_837205" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lillie Thompson[/caption] [caption id="attachment_860199" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Earl Carter[/caption] For the full rundown of the World's 101 Best Steak Restaurants for 2024, head to the list's website. Top image: Nikki To
If someone were to mention pre-fabricated housing, most people would probably conjure up images of dingy, ugly and generic box-like houses inferior to standard homes. However, recent prefab homes have taken a leap forward in terms of sustainability, practicality and comfort. The eco-friendly materials which make up the pods or modules of prefab houses are constructed in factories and can be configured in various ways to allow the buyer to add some creative flair to their housing style. Standard prefab houses are a great way to save money and time when building a house, and ensuring it is highly sustainable, yet imagine if they were tiny prefab houses. Small prefabricated houses are an incredibly effective use of space, help with the increasingly pertinent issue of urban sprawl and housing density, and are also easily transportable and even less costly in terms of both time and money. Here are ten of the most sustainable, imaginative and simply bewildering tiny prefab houses that will be sure to convert you in your thinking about the buildings of the future. Tiny House Number Two This portable house is Kent Griswold's second self-built house with tiny proportions. This 8.2 x 16.2 foot wide house manages to fit in five wooden windows, a pitch and steel roof, walls reinforced with hurricane straps and foam insulation. This little goldmine would be perfectly suitable as a beachside cottage, a guest house or even just a house for tiny living. Gifford Box Bungalow This majestic snow retreat is 99 square feet of luxury with endless interior design options. Complete with porch and even a loft area at the top, the box bungalow is the ultimate in effective use of space whilst ensuring comfort is still a high priority. The house is available from Tumbleweed Tiny House company, which was founded in 1997 by Jay Shafer. Shafer is dedicated to crafting high-quality and inventive small houses which have minimal impacts on the environments and are conducive to a slower, more relaxed style of living. The XS House This tiny construction is the smallest green house available in Jay Schafer's range and comes from the 'House to Go' series, meaning it can easily be transported and towed anywhere. The XS stands for extra small and extra space-efficient because with only 11 feet in length and 7 feet in width, this house manages to somehow fit in a living room, kitchenette, bedroom and bathroom. If you're planning to go caravaning across the countryside, why not just go 'housing' instead, because if built yourself this little beauty will only set you back $16,000. Weehouse Don't be fooled by the deceptive name, because this modern house offers much more than just a place t0 urinate. This construction by Alchemy Architects is spacious living in a non-spacious area at its best, and at an incredibly affordable price: the cost works out to be only $125 per square foot. The interior features IKEA cabinetry and kitchenware and floor to ceiling Anderson windows, making this off-grid living unique yet nevertheless comfortable. Solo 36 Bunkie This eco-friendly pine wood home is a trendy and creative design from Sustain Minihome. Complete with bar, sleeping loft, living room, bathroom and kitchen, you wouldn't know once inside the solo 36 bunkie that it's only 36 feet by 12 feet. As long as you have level ground, this prefab home can situated virtually anywhere, say on a rocky cliff overlooking the stunning Lake Rosseau in Canada. Micro Compact Home A team of researchers and designers from London and the Technical University of Munich have really abided by the lore of less is more with their development of the m-ch. This tiny construction is designed for students, businessmen and sportsmen who require short stay living. The m-ch uses compact living methods as used in aircrafts, yachts and cars to create a 266cm cubed space that conveniently fits in two double beds, shower and toilet, a fold-out table, kitchen and storage space - what more could you want? Ideabox's Minibox Minibox is 200SF of ecological and simple living. These versatile homes can be whatever you want them to be - a studio, backyard feature or a micro-home. Despite the small space, these prefab houses have been designed so effectively that you won't have to make any compromises on comfort. And these efficient, green houses come at only $42,500, making them within most individual's or family's home buying budget. kitHAUS' K4 This stylish little wooden structure is the perfect option for those looking to live tiny, and in style. Kithaus offers a range of modern and revolutionary prefab homes, which are all made from patented lightweight M.H.S construction systems. The creation of their homes, such as this K4, takes only days and can be done almost anywhere because of the lightweight properties - a wilderness retreat made easy. Fish Camp Katrina Cottages produces quaint and dainty little cottages, which are tiny, versatile and easily transportable. This Fish Camp styled house was designed by Steve Mouzon and is a mere 170 square feet. With it's effective use of space this cottage is not only cute to look at but also highly practical, incorporating a porch, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom into the small space. Max's Cabin Max had his 10ft x 20tf cabin built last year by Birky's Better Built Barns as his holiday and meditation retreat 25 miles north of his home in Washington State. The construction added up to about $10,500, which isn't bad for an off the grid, self-sufficient house set with all the necessities required for tiny living.
If you looking to write something poignant but can't seem to get the words to form in your mind or onto the page, you may just need a bit of inspiration to kick your creativity into gear. Some words of wisdom from the mouths of some of history's best writers and poets may help you do just that. From T.S. Eliot to George Orwell, here are some creative tips to help you put pen to paper. Elmore Leonard Anton Chekhov F. Scott Fitzgerald George Orwell Ernest Hemingway Kurt Vonnegut Mark Twain Saul Bellow T.S. Eliot G.K. Chesterton Gertrude Stein Toni Morrison [Via Buzzfeed]
Embarking on an adventure need not be at the expense of the planet. In a world where conscious living is becoming a mantra, wanderlust and sustainability now walk hand-in-hand. Say goodbye to travel guilt with this list of ten feel-good adventures that promise awe-inspiring moments and a lighter impact on our precious planet. Together with B Corp-certified travel group Intrepid Travel, we've selected the trips that allow you to explore the planet with a green conscience. Europe by Rail One of the best low-impact ways to explore Europe is by train. The countries of the continent are all interconnected by rail networks. You can hop on a train in London and travel under the English Channel to arrive in the City of Lights: Paris. Spend a couple of days exploring the French capital, from the Eiffel Tower to the artistic neighbourhood of Montmartre in Paris — once home to artistic legends Van Gogh and Picasso. Then hop on a train south to Nimes to discover ancient Roman monuments and swim or kayak in the Gardon River. Next, it's on to Catalonia in Spain to the colourful city of Barcelona before journeying to the heart of Spain, the capital city of Madrid. Not only is this adventure more convenient — no long airport queues or driving days — it's also more carbon-friendly as you will travel by public transport the entire way. Hiking the Dolomites If an adventure for you includes lacing up your hiking boots and traversing a mountain range, then The Dolomites should definitely be on your travel list. The stunning, rugged scenery of the epic mountain range in the northern Italian Alps is next to none. You will make most of the footprints on this journey, not carbon emissions. This adventure to The Dolomites covers the Three Peaks of Lavaredo loop, a full-day walk that is widely regarded as the most scenic hike in the region. The trip will require you to hike up to 14 kilometres a day — although there is a cable car ride one day — so you'll want to pack light and consider hiking poles. You'll be fuelled on your hike with breakfasts, an apple strudel tasting, a cheese tasting, a gourmet picnic lunch and the guesthouses along your route have bustling restaurants with schnitzel and beer on offer for hikers. New Zealand by Bike Jump in the saddle and follow the Central Otago Rail Trail through the unforgettable landscape of South Island. Kick things off in the outdoor paradise of Queenstown at the base of The Remarkables mountain range, then meander through valleys, wine regions and small gold-mining towns. Not only will you see the epic landscapes of New Zealand without impacting the environment, but also by travelling on this trip, you'll directly support Intrepid Foundation partner World Bicycle Relief. It provides school kids, health workers, and farmers in remote areas with bicycles that provide access to education, healthcare, and income. Trek or Train the Inca Trail Machu Picchu is on the bucket list of most wanderlusting travellers. The fascinating ancient Incan civilisation perched atop a mountain range in the Sacred Valley. As you journey to the iconic site, you will pass through local villages, marketplaces and maize crops. Stop for lunch and chat with locals — see if you can pick up a few words of the local Quechua language — before climbing to the summit. Did you know you have many options to see this epic clifftop wonder? This trip allows both trekkers and non-trekkers to visit Machu Picchu with the Inca Trail and Quarry Trail for those who want to travel by foot and train option for those who wish to have a more comfortable climb. Morocco by Foot Where are my ladies at? This women-only trekking tour of Morocco promises an epic adventure off the beaten path. Take in the beauty of the M'goun Valley over four days of hiking. You'll need to be relatively fit for this adventure as you'll be walking up to seven hours daily meandering through picturesque valleys and rocky terrains. By travelling on this trip, you may only make a low environmental impact, but you will make a major impact on the lives of the young women and girls of the High Atlas Mountains — as this trip is led by a female leader and supports female-owned businesses throughout the area. Explore the Red Centre The spiritual heart of Australia is Uluru. The Red Centre is a must-visit for all Australians and visitors to this country. Circumvent the sandstone monolith and witness heart-soaring sunsets and sunrises where the red ground changes to orange and purple. Lace up your hiking boots and walk the Kings Canyon Rim Trail in Watarrka National Park. Then, wind through two of the Kata Tjuta's towering domed rock formations on the Walpa Gorge Walk. This is a camping and trekking adventure for those who want an action-packed trip that doesn't cost the earth. Central America by Bus and Boat Feel the calming sea breezes on Playa del Carmen, trek through the lush jungle and cruise to Rio Dulce on this three-country trip to Central America. Amble down the coast by ferry, shared boat and bus with options to hire a bike to explore the region on two wheels. Public transportation allows you to live like a local and reduce your impact while exploring the local wonders of Mexico, Guatemala and Belize. Vietnam by Train Travel by sleeper train from Hoi An to Ho Chi Minh City on this adventure to Vietnam. Bike through the UNESCO-heritage ruins of Ninh Binh, kayak between the limestone islands of Lan Ha Bay and Cat Ba Island and explore the local markets and nightlife of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Take in the stunning scenery from the local point of view, all without the carbon guilt. Hike, Bike, Kayak Through Japan Embark on an epic adventure from Tokyo to Osaka by boat, public bus, metro, bullet train, train, taxi, walking, bike and kayak. This is an adventure for those adventurous travellers who love to get their hearts pumping. Cycle along the Shimanami Kaido to the Inland Sea, hike between the preserved post towns of the Nakasendo Way and traverse the World Heritage-listed pilgrimage trail (one of only two in the world), The Kumano Kodo. This trip also supports World Bicycle Relief, which provides bicycles to school kids, health workers, and farmers in rural areas. Walk the Camino De Santiago If you spend your weekends walking the bush and hiking up mountains, amp up your adventuring travel with this iconic 100-kilometre trail, the Camino de Santiago in Spain. Uncover the real Galicia as you trek through quaint hamlets, ancient bridges, and Roman ruins on your journey from Sarria to the ancient city of Santiago de Compostela. This is more than just a physical challenge, it's a journey to the past and one that respects the environment you'd be travelling through — there are no buses or cars on this adventure, just your own feet, so be sure to pack sturdy (and comfy) walking boots. Also, this trip directly supports Intrepid Foundation partner Open Arms, which helps safeguard the rights of migrant people. Intrepid Travel offsets emissions on its trips on its travellers' behalf. The company also has a carbon reduction target you can read about on the website. Get out, explore, dive into adventure and find your WOW with Intrepid Travel. Find out more on the website.
It's no wonder Uluwatu translates to "rock at the end of the land", with its instantly recognisable cliffscapes and edge-of-the-earth drama. For the wellness-inclined traveller prioritising panoramic views and scenic natural landmarks, Uluwatu could be the perfect Balinese hiatus. Situated on the southwestern tip of Bali (the Bukit Peninsula), this beach-abound surfer's paradise has reached icon status. South of the airport, Uluwatu exudes laidback, coastal, rugged energy, and self-care offerings in spades. Here, we walk you through all the must-stay accommodation spots to book, the places to move your body, and some extracurricular activities to help recalibrate a busy mind. If you're ready to embark on a holistically nourishing journey, we've done the groundwork for you — all that's left to do is take the plunge. WHERE TO STAY Alila Villas Uluwatu Architectural majesty, considered wellness offerings and breathtaking ocean vistas are the hallmarks of Alila Villas. A reverent oasis, Alila spans private pool villas that range from 300 sqm to 3,000 sqm. Perched dramatically on limestone cliffs overlooking the Indian Ocean, this luxe location has proximity to famed surf spots and the Uluwatu Temple. Dreamt up by award-winning sustainable architects WOHA, polished interiors meld modern style with traces of Balinese storytelling. Alila's renowned open-concept design brings the natural world in, to show off endless blue. Surrender yourself to culinary grandiosity with various in-house dining options, such as The Warung, Cire and Sunset Cabana Bar. Panoramic views with your wholesome traditional Balinese plates? That's the norm here. Elegant health-based offerings define Alila, with 'A Day of Pure Wellness' preplanned for you on their service menu. This 10-12-hour itinerary is a specialty of the utopic destination. Begin with a sunrise private yoga session followed by a flavourful breakfast overlooking the ocean, followed by a series of deeply therapeutic rituals, through to a nourishing lunch for restoration of inner balance. Lastly, succumb to soundhealing, chakra work and reflexology designed to instil harmony within. Umana Bali A nod to Bali's heritage and a stride toward its future, Umana's name comes from 'Uma': the word for ancient Balinese rice paddies. Rooted in a deep respect for human connection, Umana has a commitment to impression-making, people-first stays. Nestled 70 meters upon the staggering limestone cliffs of Uluwatu, Umana Bali is located a short 35- minute journey from Ngurah Rai International Airport Enveloped by the verdant landscape on the southern tip of Bali, Umana features 72 villas (all complete with private pools). Opulence is embodied here, as well as limitless activities to embark on: the Uluwatu Temple, renowned surfing locations and tranquil beaches. A multitude of food and beverage offerings are proudly served at Umana, including Commune Restaurant (all-day dining), Oliverra (speciality restaurant), Pad Pool Bar, Mer Lounge and Uma Beach House. From sunrise to moonlight, there is something to entice every traveller. And if you're craving a day of uninterrupted seclusion, imagine waking to a gourmet in-villa floating breakfast. Laden with fresh tropical fruits and nourishing fare, this special service is not just a meal, but an exalted initiation into a day of holidaying well. If you aren't already allured, may we point you in the direction of the innovative wellness sanctuary at Umana. In the contemporary spa, embrace Bali's cultural traditions with a modern twist. There is a vast spectrum of daily activities on offer, from sound healing and soul blessing ceremonies, to consultations with a local spiritual leader for profound insights into past lives. For movement, turn to the 24-hour Duplex Fitness Center, indoor yoga pavilion, steam room, sauna, cold and hot tubs, as well as a spa pool. The Asa Maia This luxury wellness retreat transforms any holiday into a rewarding self-care journey. Poised within a private enclave in Uluwatu, The Asa Maia curates bespoke rituals, mindful service and eco-conscious design. Merely a stroll from Bali's iconic beaches and surf swells, this central accommodation offsets the vibrancy of Uluwatu with intentional tranquility. Atmospheric bliss is expected as you enter this 10-suite-only destination, built from restored 100-year-old Javanese Gladaks. The exclusivity of The Asa Maia makes it an idyllic honeymoon destination, or a true hideaway for the solo traveller seeking peaceful dwellings. Here, the idea is deliberate disconnection for restorative reconnection. The dining repertoire includes an on-site restaurant and bar boasting fully organic, seed-oil-free, vegan, vegetarian and pescatarian cuisine offerings. Rest assured, The Asa Maia holds nourishment as the highest priority, reflected through sustainable ingredients and treasured local recipes. With wellness at its very core, The Asa Maia has programmed an award-winning lineup of therapies including massage, indulgent facials, full-body gua sha detoxification and more. Delight at a Himalayan salt and infrared sauna, and subterranean hot and cold pools adjacent to an inviting outdoor fire pit zone. Six Senses Uluwatu If looking out from an infinity pool onto expansive blue sounds like a dreamscape worth pursuing, consider Six Senses Uluwatu for your next Balinese sojourn. This high-end choice balances privacy, ease of access (being 35 minutes from Denpasar airport) and a paradisiacal position on Bali's rugged coastline. Respecting the footprint of cultural design, every space here is enriched by Indonesian artifacts, heritage details and warmth, immersing guests in the spirit of Indonesia. The resort's architecture marries minimalist design with tropical influences and local materials. Embrace uninterrupted views, terraces and quiet pockets of garden at this wellness mecca. With generous food offerings, guests might rarely contemplate leaving the vicinity. Rocka celebrates farm-to-table dining and international culinary techniques, while Watu Steakhouse showcases premium steak and fusion dishes in a refined setting. Crudo is fittingly flaunting sushi and ceviche, and the Cliff Bar has Mediterranean-esque bites with drawcard scenery. The Six Senses Spa is top-tier, with Balinese-inspired treatments in spades. There are holistic wellness programs to detox, improve sleep quality and uplift the spirit, often personalised with smart health screening tech. The standout facilities include a relaxation area, sauna and steam rooms, a dedicated yoga pavilion and a fitness haven set within verdant gardens. Guests can partake in daily yoga and meditation or signature rituals like Balinese massage and scrubs for an all-bases-covered approach to mind and body renewal. WHERE TO TRAIN Bambu Fitness Touted as one of Uluwatu's most established fitness destinations, Bambu Fitness is relished by surf enthusiasts, athletes and disciplined movers. It's all about functional training and works towards serious results, minus the intimidation. Openair spaces are spliced by raw timber, concrete and tropical greenery. Move freely in capacious training zones and lock in for purposeful sessions that prioritise community. This is a wellness playground for the nomad needing an invigorating gym moment between bouts of relaxation. Bambu's program fixates on strength, conditioning and injury prevention, offering a drop-in class model suited to busy travellers wanting ease in their Balinese itineraries. Whether you're lifting or lightly jogging, every breath here mixes with ocean air streaming through, making it as visually compelling as it is functional. Era Pilates The first on-demand reformer pilates studio has arrived right in the heart of Bingin. At Era Pilates, it doesn't matter what time your flight lands or takes off, because this self-led studio utilises screens above each reformer bed for autonomous classes (that retain expertly curated lesson plans). You can plug in and plug out whenever is most convenient, regardless of jetlag or timetables. This boutique setting is very bright and minimalist, showcasing timber floors and copious light. Every inch of Era feels primed for your next travel TikTok or Instagram inclusion, while retaining a sense of stabilising calm. Reformer Pilates is the bread and butter offering, with a library of instructor‑led video sessions you can choose from rather than set group times. Whether you're leaning into strength, flexibility or tone, each session has been constructed by the pros to maximise movement quality (and burn). 360 Move At 360 Move, holistic training, community and recovery is housed under one bold roof. A true fitness hub, this tight-knit community advocates for growth and connection, as well as performance for travellers who need more than a treadmill. If you're after motivation and a bustling environment full of like-minded individuals, 360 Move is the antidote to mainstream gyms. A visually engaging interior combines indoor and open-air zones with dedicated areas for strength, cardio and speciality classes. Movement is medicine in this gym. 360 Move's schedule is sprinkled with Hot Pilates, HIIT, functional conditioning, 'Stronger' strength sessions and gym access with all the best equipment and free weights. La Tribu A pillar of Uluwatu's yogi community, this renowned yoga studio emphasises consistency, presence and accessibility. All levels of expertise are welcomed with open arms — all that's required is a determined mind and positive energy. With the philosophy of "looking at life with the eyes of a child", La Tribu is about finding courage and passion in the everyday. Leaping into the unknown with a zest for play is the idea. The space is reflective of this idea, with abundant natural textures and warm finishes that feel like an extension of the wild outdoors. Classes feature functional strength, breathwork, yoga and mobility sessions. There is a deep appreciation for body awareness here, with balance training and soft flows ever available. It's an ideal pitstop for travellers looking to temper form with fluidity for a gentle reset. There's also surf‑specific conditioning and personalised coaching available — making it ideal for finessing your skills out of the water. A holistic approach is heralded at La Tribu, with a slew of recovery sessions and physiotherapy options available via partner facilities. After all, regeneration is just as important as exertion. WHAT TO DO The Istana In sync with the clifftop oases we've already covered, The Istana is an elevated (literally and figuratively) movement retreat built for inner healing and multifaceted slow days in Uluwatu. Yoga decks overlook the vast ocean, framed by sculptural architecture and open sky. This context alone will be sure to quieten the busy traveller's perspective before their return to routine. Movement sessions at The Istana can be matched with chef-made, wellness-driven meals utilising the creme de la creme of local seasonal produce. On the never-ending program, enrol in sound healing workshop experiences at 'The Temple of Sound', or 9D Breathwork Down Regulation experiences. There's even Sound Dome Mantra Healing, Karmic Cleanse workshops and so much more, making The Itsana a wellspring of meditative modalities. Pura Luhur Uluwatu & Cliff Path Ritual Walk Perched atop the Bukit Peninsula, Pura Luhur is one of Uluwatu's most iconic sea temples. Beyond sightseeing, travellers can plan a meditative walk along the cliffside paths for an itinerary inclusion that fuses movement with meaning. The temple sits dramatically above the Indian Ocean, embellished with limestone cliffs, frangipani trees and dreamlike vistas. A bucket list location for pensive, low-impact hours spent reflecting, this path invites quiet reflection to the score of crashing waves. Time your visit for sunset to transform the journey into a contemplative ceremony, with guided experiences on offer to enrich your understanding and appreciation of this sacred Balinese jewel. BaliSurf.Pro Surf Lessons Whether you're an avid wave-chaser or total amateur, BaliSurf.Pro has a diverse array of expertly guided surfing lessons across the Bukit Peninsula. For an unconventional wellness adventure, travellers can connect through active movement and natural wonders, while potentially giving something entirely new a brazen go. Lessons take place against Bali's beloved coastal landscape, with white-sand beaches and wide horizons. Meeting points are varied, but typically include Dreamland. Different spots are allocated to best suit ability, the changing tidal conditions, and the individual traveller's goals. BaliSurf.Pro hosts private, semi-private and group surf sessions, all including board hire, rash vest and sun protection to ensure a smooth and confidence-building experience. The surf in Bali isn't purely about the waves — it's an invitation to focus on rhythm, breath and presence, while tapping back into nature's bounties to think about something greater than oneself. Rest assured, receptive instructors are on hand to guide you through the fundamentals while helping you stay grounded and exhilarated by the sea. For more information to help with planning your next trip to Bali, visit Bali Tourism Board here. By Genevieve Phelan Image Credits: Supplied
You've probably already heard of WeWork, the international coworking movement. They have 230 coworking spaces around the world. In 2016, they opened their first coworking venture in Sydney and they've just thrown the doors on their first massive Melbourne space in the London Stores building. Located on the corner of Elizabeth and Bourke Street, the WeWork office is a little bit fancy with some distinct Melbourne flair. And when we say massive, we mean massive. With six floors and space for more than 700 creatives to shack up and compete for funniest coffee mug, it's set to become the hippest place to work in Melbourne. But don't expect a cookie-cutter corporate office that will put you to sleep. The interior was designed, interestingly, by graphic designer Sui Yao, and has been decorated by Australia artists Georgia Hill, Mik Shida and FunSkull. With an open-air terrace, and an endless supply of kombucha, nitro cold drip coffee and fruit-infused water, you won't mind staying late at work. So, what kind of perks can you expect from a coworking space? The best part of coworking (apart from meeting likeminded folk and working in a beautiful office) is the events. You can schmooze at ample networking dos, lunch and learn sessions, happy hours, and even yoga and massage events. The WeWork system also gives members access to each other at locations across the globe, like your own in-real-life LinkedIn. The Elizabeth Street location is taking enquiries now and WeWork have already announced a second venue, opening 2018, on Collins Street. WeWork Melbourne, located at 152 Elizabeth Street in the CBD, is open now.
Ever wanted to tap into Melbourne's rich indigenous history as you walk around the city? Well, now there's an app for that. The brainchild of AIATSIS — the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies — the Melbourne Dreaming app launched late last year as a new platform for sharing stories and information about the area's vibrant cultural heritage. With it, users can customise self-guided tours exploring significant sites around the city, from the former hunting grounds of Chapel Street, to the Burnley Ngargee (or 'corroboree') tree in Richmond. The app is loaded with travel information to help streamline your historical explorations, and even comes with handy audio commentary. "Aboriginal culture is a living breathing part of Australian life that is easily accessible if you know where to look," explained AIATSIS CEO Craig Ritchie. He said the app is designed to help users "see past the concrete jungle and be exposed to real and local Aboriginal culture right in the middle of one of the world's top cities." Download the Melbourne Dreaming app now from iTunes and Google Play.
The ability to shop online, in-between emails and before we drift off to sleep, is a thing of beautiful convenience. But despite international brands like Zara, H&M and COS launching a string of retail stores in Australia, we've been largely left in the cold (or in long fitting room lines in shopping centres) when it comes to buying these clothes online — which, in a world where we can order same-day deliveries from The Iconic, seems a little behind. But today — Wednesday, March 14 — Spanish fashion chain Zara has officially launched its Australian online store, seven years after its first bricks and mortar store opened on our shores. The site is now live, with the brand's extensive women's, men's, kids and TRF collections all available to peruse and — most importantly — get your hands on without having to enter the chaos that is the Pitt Street/Bourke Street/Queen Street store. Delivery is the game-changer for Zara fans here. Next-day delivery is free on orders over $75 (or $7.95 if you're spending under that) as long as you're in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra or Brisbane and order before 4pm. Sydneysiders can get same-day delivery for $12.95 if they order before 2pm — the goods will arrive between 6 and 9pm that evening. Importantly, there are no charges for exchanges and returns, which you can do in-store or via a drop-off point. Zara's Australian online store is now live. You can spend all your money at zara.com/au.
Usually surrounded by trees and nestled into a remote, almost-hidden patch of forest, a secluded cabin in the woods is a familiar on-screen setting. When a group of people step inside, unpleasant events tend to follow, as the horror genre taught viewers long before there was a movie specifically called The Cabin in the Woods. And, in the very first episode of new HBO series Lovecraft Country, this exact scenario plays out — with returned soldier Atticus 'Tic' Freeman (Da 5 Bloods' Jonathan Majors), his uncle George (Project Power's Courtney B Vance) and his friend Leti Lewis ((Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)'s Jurnee Smollett). During a cross-country trip across America, the trio soon find themselves holed up in a rustic hut and fighting for their lives; however they're not just stuck in the kind of stock-standard unsettling scenario that audiences have seen several times over. Ravenous, towering, swift-moving beasts are definitely on Tic, George and Leti's trail, as Lovecraft Country makes creepily and compellingly plain. Also lurking outside: a team of racist police officers who pulled them over purely because of the colour of their skin, and had equally brutal plans before things took a turn into supernatural territory. The message here is obvious, showing both the paranormal and actual monsters the series' three central characters are forced to face. Of course, sometimes the most effective way to make a statement is to take the straightforward route — even if nothing about this textured and layered show can ever be classed as simple. If following the above train of thought has you thinking about Get Out or Us, two recent stellar films that also explored US race relations through a horror lens, that's hardly surprising. Lovecraft Country joins them on Jordan Peele's growing resume, after all. Whether he's co-writing and starring in sketch comedies, directing those two exceptional movies, producing BlacKkKlansman, reviving a science-fiction classic with The Twilight Zone or co-writing the upcoming new Candyman flick, the actor and filmmaker has amassed an impressive body of work that continually interrogates the reality faced by Black Americans. And, in terms of examining the insidious and ever-present horrors that have been a part of the US for far too long — including in the 50s, in the time of the Jim Crow racial segregation laws, when the ten-episode first season of Lovecraft Country is set — Peele's latest project is as powerful as anything else he's ever made. [caption id="attachment_782361" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Elizabeth Morris/HBO[/caption] As based on Matt Ruff's 2016 novel of the same name, executive produced by Peele with Lost and Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker's JJ Abrams, and overseen by showrunner and writer Misha Green (Underground), Lovecraft Country benefits from a smart and engaging overarching premise — one that's extremely well-executed from the get-go, too. Tic has come back to Chicago from Florida, where he has been living since returning from his Korean War service, to search for his suddenly missing dad Montrose (Michael Kenneth Williams, The Wire). That quest leads to a road trip into the US midwest, which also doubles as research to add African American-friendly places to the Green Book-style guide that George publishes. As for Leti, she's tagging along for the ride, en route to see her brother and sort out her own family problems. From teenagers spitting slurs at service stations to murderous white mobs chasing them out of small towns, Tic, George and Leti are treated abysmally from the moment they leave home. To call their encounters unwelcoming, discriminatory and hostile is accurate, but also underplays the heartbreak they endure. Indeed, when the show's titular elements complicate their path — with the series named for famed real-life sci-fi and horror writer HP Lovecraft, and travelling to a part of the country where he found inspiration for his tales — Lovecraft Country has already purposefully unnerved viewers with real-life terrors. From there, not only oversized creatures but also secret occult societies and haunted mansions await in the first three episodes alone, all while the series constantly and probingly conveys the experiences of black Americans. Impressive special effects help bring the otherworldly side of Lovecraft Country to life, but its other big drawcard — other than its concept, mastery of genre, potent message, excellent cast, and how commandingly and movingly it hits every target it aims for — is its detail. The lavishly made program couldn't look more meticulous in recreating the past, or feel more authentic at the same time. Every painstaking aspect of each set and scene is crucial not just in evoking the era, but in anchoring the wild journey its central characters traverse. This is a big, fantastical, pulpy horror series but, at every single instant, it's also grounded in recognisable experiences and actual emotions — and it never lets the audience forget it for a second. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvamPJp17Ds The first three episodes of Lovecraft Country are available to stream via Binge, with new episodes added weekly on Mondays. Top image: Eli Joshua Ade/HBO.
Merivale CEO Justin Hemmes' buying spree has continued with the purchase of yet another venue. This time, the hospitality mogul has purchased 115 Jonson Street in Byron Bay. Formerly home to Cheeky Monkey's Bar, as well as an adjoining massage spa, the far New South Wales north coast site will become the Sydney-based group's first Byron Bay venue — and its closest to Queensland. The acquisition of the Byron Bay outpost comes at a busy time for Merivale, with the company buying three new venues in the past week — and a total of five this year. The purchase of 115 Jonson Street follows similar transactions that have added the Lorne Hotel in Victoria, Norton's Irish Pub in Sydney's inner west, Tomasetti House in the Melbourne CBD and The Quarterdeck in Narooma to the group's portfolio. The two Victorian sites will mark Merivale's first outside of NSW. The Byron Bay property has been purchased from fellow hospitality group Red Rock Leisure, which currently own venues across NSW, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia, including Ludlow Bar & Dining Room, The Toff and the PJ O'Brien's Irish Pub chain. While no concrete plans for the venue have been announced, Merivale has confirmed that it will reopen the site as a restaurant and bar later this year. It'll receive the keys on Friday, May 28, but hasn't announced opening plans as yet. "I've been going to Byron since I was ten years old, so it has always been a place close to my heart. I can't wait to open our first venue on the north coast and spend more time in the area. There's simply no place like it," said Hemmes. Merivale currently operates more than 60 venues across Sydney, including popular restaurants Totti's and Mr. Wong, pub stalwarts The Beresford and Vic on the Park, and expansive bars Ivy and Coogee Pavilion. The group's growth has been especially noticeable in recent years, with high-profile purchases of The Duke of Gloucester Hotel and Hotel Centennial preceding this recent run of venue purchases. [caption id="attachment_813258" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Justin Hemmes[/caption] Merivale will open its first Byron Bay venue at 115 Jonson Street, Byron Bay. For further details, keep an eye on the company's website. Top image: Google Maps.
For too long, Brisbane has been missing out on one of the best aspects of a European Christmas. Yes, we lack snow — but we've also been missing out on proper seasonal shopping. In what can only be described as a holiday miracle, Wandering Cooks is about to change that. Think festive aromas, fresh baked goods, drinks, cheer and all things Christmasy at Wandering Cook's first ever Christmas Markets. On December 9th and 16th, Fish Lane will be transformed into a delicious, festive wonderland — and the perfect place to stock up on all those last minute Christmas gifts. If you're shopping for someone with a sweet tooth, hit up 31 Degrees Custom Chocolates or Bee One Third Neighbourhood Honey. If you're looking for something to put on the dinner table and claim credit for, Fiori Bakehouse can help. There are dozens of local producers, crafters and cooks who will also be out and about selling their products. Make sure to bring friends and family along to these two very special nights. Dinner can be grabbed from a range of food trucks, and there's even a bar in case you need a beer or wine to get into the festive spirit.
The photography of Charlotte Tegan is not so distant from what one might label as 'happy snaps'. That is, her photographs foster a sense of familiarity and comfort in anyone who's looking at them. Tegan focuses on identifiable places, everyday scenarios and playful, light scenes that you could probably pull from your old family photo albums. It's in her latest exhibition Superimposition, that the full spectrum and force of Tegan's analogue film photography comes together, acting as a vehicle for personal memory and recollection. Tegan's work has a habit of breaking scene —and in turn, viewer's recollections — through her sharp and angular imagery, and use of inversion, repetition and superimposition. Each of her pieces is like a gem, mirroring each another and cutting through whatever sense of nostalgia it might stir. The result is something quite confusing and uncomfortable. While the subject matter is quite innocent, it results in a sense of disquiet and anxiety that places the audience in doubt of their own mind, and provides a window into the fragility of human memory. Charlotte Tegan's Superimposition shows at Bakery Lane's This Must Be The Place until February 12. Opening night is January 22 6pm to 9pm.
When an arts festival gifts its chosen city with shows, it also brightens up the darkness whenever its program spills into venues and spaces around town after night falls. Many such fests like taking that idea literally. At Brisbane Festival, for example, after-dark light event Lightscape was on the lineup in 2023 and 2024, getting the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens glowing. The same fest is heading to the same place in 2025, but with something different: the fiery Afterglow. Brisbane is hosting the world-premiere run of this luminous experience, which is part of the 2025 Brisbane Festival program. Across Friday, September 5–Saturday, September 27, Afterglow will fill one of the River City CBD's leafiest parts with fire sculptures and candlelit installations, and also live performances. If you want to be among the first on the planet to enjoy it, you'll need to be in the Queensland capital. At Afterglow, you'll wander. You'll follow the flame-lined 1.4-kilometre path through an inner-city patch of greenery. You'll soak in the work of fire artists, too, and you'll watch the evening blaze away in the process. "Across time and cultures, people have always felt a connection to fire — as an element of nature, a force of renewal, or a symbol of ceremony and ritual," said Brisbane Festival Artistic Director Louise Bezzina, announcing Afterglow as part of 2025's lineup. "Afterglow is a slow-burn experience, an invitation to deliberately and respectfully engage with the artistry and power of fire." [caption id="attachment_1008781" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Markus Ravik[/caption] If this sounds familiar, that might be because you're thinking of Fire Gardens, another installation event with flames at its centre. It was last in Australia in 2024 for Illuminate Adelaide — and back in 2019, it was meant to also be part of the Brisbane Festival program. A hit everywhere from Stonehenge to the Pont du Gard before it began making stops Down Under, Fire Gardens hails from French art collective Compagnie Carabosse, a group that has been starting fires professionally for more than two decades. Its planned Brisbane trip six years ago didn't eventuate, however, due to devastating bushfires carving a destructive path across the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast at the time, plus a total fire ban that was put in place across southeast Queensland as a result. Afterglow is completely separate to Fire Gardens, though — and will run every 15 minutes each evening across its dates from 5.45pm. The trail is family friendly, and also accessible. The event falls within the jam-packed 2025 Brisbane Festival program, which also includes a Gatsby-themed show and pop-up club, turning some of the city's pedestrian bridges into an art trail, a tribute to beloved restaurant Sultan's Kitchen, and a world-premiere dance work by acclaimed choreographer Benjamin Millepied and LA Dance Project, to name just a few of its 106 productions and 1069 performances. [caption id="attachment_1008784" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Andrew Ogilvy[/caption] Afterglow will take over the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens, Alice Street, Brisbane between Friday, September 5–Saturday, September 27, 2025 during Brisbane Festival. For more information and tickets, head to the fest's website. Brisbane Festival 2025 runs from Friday, September 5–Saturday, September 27 at various venues around Brisbane. Head to the fest's website for tickets and further details. Top image: Mellumae and Sean Dowling. All images: Sony Music Entertainment.
