When one venue closes, another one usually opens. That's a unshakeable fact in the hospitality realm — in general, and also right here in Brisbane. Take the pile of containers set up on MacLachlan Street in Fortitude Valley, for instance. The site's original inhabitant, bar X Cargo, has now shut down; however, newcomer Summa House has just taken over its boozy setup. Here, you'll still find those metal boxes stacked high, grass sprawling out between them, and big beer garden vibes — all under the Brissie sun and, by night, beneath the stars as well. You'll also find fairy lights, couches, picnic tables, striped umbrellas and a giant flamingo mural. Oh, and cocktails to sip, pub-style food to tuck into and parties to dance through, too, with the latter taking over once evening hits. In total, there's also 14 event spaces — and the venue can host 1200 people. When you're not getting comfy on the ground level amid the gardens, you can literally take your hangout session up a level, and also peer at the city thanks to the venue's 360-degree vistas. If it's drinks you're after, the beverage menu spans reds, whites, sparkling, rosé, a range of beer on tap — including Balter, Byron Bay, James Squire and XXXX, and also Brookvale ginger beer — and summery-themed share jugs. There's an eight-option roster of cocktails for one, too, with names such as 'Tidal Wave' and 'Summasalt'. Bound to be a hit: Summa House's choc espresso martini. That pub grub-esque food lineup includes chicken parmigiana, beer-battered barramundi, steaks and lamb cutlets with sides like truffle mash and chat potatoes, as well as four types of burgers. For something light, there's spring rolls, tempura cauliflower, barbecue corn ribs and buffalo wings, too. And, on weekdays, you can grab a $15 lunch special, which features a choice between tacos, schnitzels, rumps and cheeseburgers (with a beer or wine costing $5 extra). X Cargo was known for its boozy weekend brunches, so Summa House is also doing its own version from 12–3pm on Saturdays and Sundays. This time, you'll get a tapas spread for two hours, and either cocktail jugs, beer and wine (for $55 per person), or menu cocktails, brews, vino and spirits (for $99).
As we're sure you've heard, Japan has quite a reputation as a travel destination. But even beyond the most hyped experiences — like eating endless bowls of ramen in Tokyo, walking among cherry blossoms with views of Mount Fuji, feeding deer in Nara — the country has an incredible array of lesser known regions that, if you cover, will take your holiday from great to practically life changing. For instance, the region of Tohoku in Japan's northeast is one of the country's less travelled but no less impressive destinations. It presents visitors with outstanding dining, unique stays and natural landmarks that'll blow your mind. So, if you truly want to make your next trip to Japan one to remember, consider riding the shinkansen (bullet train) just a couple of hours north of Tokyo, where you'll discover a wealth of experiences that you likely weren't aware existed (until now). VISIT AN ANCIENT EARTHQUAKE-PROOF PAGODA Found throughout Yamagata Prefecture, the Three Mountains of Dewa are considered some of the holiest anywhere in the country. And while Mount Haguro, Mount Gassan and Mount Yudono each provide a spectacular setting to explore during sun or snow, only the foremost has a 600-year-old pagoda buried deep within its cedar forest. Make your way down Mount Haguro's famous 2446 stone steps and you'll soon be surrounded by towering cedar trees. After a short walk, you'll come across the so-called Five-Storey Pagoda, which features an interior wooden pendulum that counteracts the shock of an earthquake. The pagoda dates back to the Heian Period (794–1185) and was rebuilt in the late 14th century — and it's been standing strong ever since. DO A FOUR-DAY PILGRIMAGE WITH A MOUNTAIN MYSTIC You'll also have the chance to reconnect with nature in the most fascinating way possible within the holy Three Mountains of Dewa. Link up with a mountain mystic such as Master Hoshino — a white-robed priest who teaches the ancient Japanese mountain religion known as Shugendo — and you'll learn about a range of traditional techniques to refresh your body and soul. This practice is called yamabushido. During your four-day 'journey', you'll hike a series of sacred trails, stay in a pilgrim lodge and try waterfall meditation. Shugendo dates back to the eighth century and combines elements of Shinto, Buddhism, Animism and mountain faith to explore ways to reduce excesses in day to day life. Here, you can try it for four days and see how you go. PRETEND YOU'RE WALKING ON THE MOON AT THIS EPIC CRATER Set along the border of Miyagi and Yamagata Prefectures, Mount Zao features some of Tohoku's most spectacular scenery. Besides the steaming hot springs and sprawling ski resorts that dot the landscape, the area's biggest draw is the renowned Okama Crater. Surrounded by three soaring mountaintops, the active volcano's distinctive shape has earned it the nickname of the 'cauldron'. Great to visit all year long, Mount Zao's steep landscape comes alive with alpine flowers during summer, while autumn reveals a charming smattering of red and yellow vegetation that contrasts with the turquoise crater below. SEE CONTEMPORARY ARTWORKS FROM YOKO ONO AND YAYOI KUSAMA Japan's well known for its forward-thinking tech innovations, but it's also the birthplace of some of the world's greatest contemporary artists. Featuring a permanent collection of 38 commissioned projects, the Towada Art Center, in Aomori Prefecture, is dedicated to showcasing many of the nation's top artists, alongside some international superstars, too. Inside, you'll come across an eclectic mix of installations by the likes of Yoko Ono, Ron Mueck, Yayoi Kusama and Ana Laura Aláez, among many others. With the gallery's airy, purpose-built design linked intrinsically with the outside world, there's a range of striking exhibition rooms, a café and a collaborative art space to explore. DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF SAKE AT A 400-YEAR-OLD BREWERY The precise origins of sake might still be something of a mystery, but who better to guide you through its ancient history than a producer who's been making it for more than 400 years? Situated in Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture, the Toko Sake Museum highlights the work of Kojima Sohonten, a renowned sake brewery that, 24 generations on, is still owned by the original family. Inside the museum, you'll be guided through the traditional brewing techniques and tools that provide the foundation for the brand. Meanwhile, in the adjoining shop, you'll get to sample a variety of sakes and umeshu, a plum liqueur that'll please your tastebuds. STAY IN A HOTEL INSPIRED BY YAMAGATA'S NATURAL BEAUTY Shigeru Ban is perhaps one of Japan's more famous architects and was the brains behind some of the world's most beautiful buildings. Having moved to Yamagata in 2014, Ban was struck by the natural beauty of the area and soon set about translating this into the design of the Shonai Hotel Suiden Terrasse. With everything but the foundation and the building's core made out of wood, the entire two-storey structure is designed to sink into the surrounding rice fields, making for one very peaceful stay. Featuring stunning views of the mountains and fields in the distance, the hotel also has a luxe onsen and a restaurant serving local produce. SAMPLE JAPANESE VINO AT A RENOWNED WINERY Japan might be most famous for its rice wine, but those who love the grape-based variety are in for a treat — if they know where to look. During your visit to Tohoku, drop into Takahata Winery, in Yamagata Prefecture, and take your pick from some stellar vintages, which are produced from grapes surrounding the property or on a nearby farm. Inside the shopfront, you'll come across award-winning wines ranging from chardonnay and pinot noir to cabernet sauvignon. Plus, there's a host of locally produced cheeses and snacks to pair with your wine. Need more reasons to visit Japan's stunning Tohoku region? For more travel inspiration and to start planning your adventure, head this way. Top image: Okama Crater by Σ64 via Wikimedia Commons.
Melbourne isn't the only patch of Victoria that's gaining a new place to celebrate creativity in 2025, and adding something different and welcome to Australia's cultural scene in the process. While the state's capital city is set to become home to the Australian Museum of Performing Arts in December, championing the nation's contribution to music, theatre, opera, circus and dance in a city that's never short on any of those artforms, Halls Gap at the foothills of Gariwerd/Grampians National Park is gaining the National Centre for Environmental Art before winter is out. Again, the venue's focus and its location match perfectly. If you're going to open an Aussie-first gallery that's dedicated to works about the natural world, doing so in stunning surroundings is a must. The National Centre for Environmental Art is the brainchild of the Wama Foundation and, as it hones in on artistic narratives heroing the earth, will form part of the organisation's new art and environment precinct. When it begins ushering patrons through its doors — at a yet-to-be-revealed midyear 2025 date — the National Centre for Environmental Art will launch as stage one of the broader hub, alongside the Gariwerd/Grampians Endemic Botanic Garden, plus new artwork around the grounds. From there, immersing art within the landscape will continue to be a highlight of stage two, which will also boast a sculpture trail. So, you'll be enjoying the site's affection for both creativity and nature indoors and out. Inside, Western Australian artist Jacobus Capone will be in the spotlight at the centre's debut exhibition, with End & Being contemplating the planet's warming, the crisis as a result and the influence that humans have had upon the situation. The Fremantle-based artist creates everything from paintings and video installations to photos and performances — and will take visitors to Bossons Glacier at Mont Blanc in France without leaving Victoria, all by documenting a performance staged above and beneath the icefall. [caption id="attachment_1006306" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Astrid Muller[/caption] "Our program, encompassing new commissions, group exhibitions and nationally touring shows, will be rooted by a spirit of inquiry. Our take on the genre of environmental art is expansive, offering ample space for both playful exploration and deep contemplation," explains Wama Foundation CEO Pippa Mott of the National Centre for Environmental Art's aim. "Jacobus and I are deeply honoured to be part of Wama's inaugural exhibition and to present a project that, like Wama, seeks to foster a dialogue between art, humanity and the environment," added curator José Da Silva, who is also UNSW Galleries' Director and previously was part of the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art's team in Brisbane, including leading the Australian Cinémathèque. "Capone's work, with its profound sensitivity to environmental change and human vulnerability, speaks directly to that mission, and has guided our decisions to present this particular project." [caption id="attachment_1006309" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Astrid Muller[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1006310" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jacobus Capone and Moore Contemporary[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1006311" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jacobus Capone and Moore Contemporary[/caption] Find the Wama Foundation and The National Centre for Environmental Art at 4000 Ararat-Halls Gap Road, Halls Gap, Victoria, Australia sometime from winter 2025 — head to the Wama Foundation website for more details.
UPDATE, May 30, 2021: High Ground is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Violence is never splashed across a cinema screen unthinkingly. Depicting physical force is always a choice, even in by-the-numbers action films where fists and bullets fly far more frequently than meaningful moments. Accordingly, when brutality and bloodshed arrives in a movie that peers back at Australia's colonial past, there's no doubting that the filmmakers responsible have considered what they're including, why, the message it conveys and the impact it'll have on the audience. High Ground is one such Aussie feature. This outback western joins a growing number of homegrown efforts, such as Sweet Country, The Nightingale and The Furnace, and it's just as exacting about its scenes of confrontation and carnage. All excellent films, they each ensure that watching atrocities committed by white Australians against First Nations people and people of colour isn't a passive act — because having a visceral and emotional reaction, facing the horrors of Aussie history and releasing the imprint such violence still leaves today is the only natural response. High Ground's main forceful encounter occurs early, motivating everything that follows and proving impossible to forget. In 1919, ex-World War I sniper-turned-police officer Travis (Simon Baker, Breath) sets out across the area now known as Kakadu National Park, leading a law enforcement team on a routine expedition to track down runaway criminals. Travis is respectful of Arnhem Land's Indigenous residents; however, it doesn't take much — namely, the decisions of his less fair-minded colleagues — for the journey to end with slaughter. Twelve years later, in the 30s, Travis is still haunted by the incident. Thanks to one of High Ground's most important choices, it doesn't require any effort at all to understand why he feels the way he does, or why his eyes have taken on a sorrowful glint. The movie's viewers have witnessed the same awful events, with Aboriginal men, women and children who were enjoying a peaceful waterside gathering all suddenly and savagely killed, and a boy called Gutjuk (debutant Guruwuk Mununggurr) only managing to leave the scene alive due to Travis' intervention. The bulk of the film takes place in its later time period, when Travis is enlisted by his superior Moran (Jack Thompson, Never Too Late) and ex-partner Eddy (Callan Mulvey, Shadow in the Cloud) to address the still-lingering aftermath of the massacre. One of the few survivors, Baywara (Sean Mununggurr, Lucky Miles), has been waging a campaign of revenge — and, despite the fact that Travis turned in his badge in disgust after his bosses covered up the incident, he's given the task of locating him. Baywara is also Gutjuk's uncle, which sparks a reunion between the ex-cop and the child he saved. Of course, the latter is now a young man (fellow first-timer Jacob Junior Nayinggul), has spent the past decade-plus at a local mission with the kindly Father Braddock (Ryan Corr, Hungry Ghosts) and his sister Claire (Caren Pistorius, Unhinged), and is as begrudging about the new expedition as Travis. He's also just as aware that a showdown looms between Australia's colonisers and its original inhabitants, and that whatever eventuates isn't likely to be peaceful. Even when untainted by blood, the country's landscape has blazed with red, orange and ochre hues since long before European settlement — since the sun first started beating down upon it, undoubtedly — with those colours helping many an Aussie film bake heated feelings of fury and torment into their frames. Indeed, simmering anguish goes with the territory in High Ground. That's true of every movie that recognises that Australia was far from terra nullius when the First Fleet arrived, but there's no escaping the scorching mood that radiates here, as director Stephen Maxwell Johnson (Yolngu Boy) intends. Working with cinematographer Andrew Commis (Babyteeth) to bring screenwriter Chris Anastassiades' (The Kings of Mykonos) script to the screen, the filmmaker fills his first feature in two decades with picturesque yet also pulsating scenery. Peering down at eye-catching swathes of the Northern Territory, the nation's earthy beauty is striking and stunning, and so is the knowledge that it has been walked upon by Indigenous Australians for tens of thousands of years. And one goes with the other, as the movie's soundtrack also helps reinforce, layering the noises of birds and wildlife with songs by Yolngu singers such as Yothu Yindi's Witiyana Marika — who also appears in the film as Gutjuk's grandfather Dharrpa — and his son Yirrmal Marika. Johnson has a history with Yothu Yindi, directing music videos for the group, including for its 1991 hit track 'Treaty'. He also grew up in the NT, and has ties with Arnhem Land and Kakadu National Park's Yolngu and Bininj Aboriginal communities. And, he worked with the elder Marika and the late Dr M Yunupingu, also of Yothu Yindi, as the script for High Ground and the project in general evolved. It should come as no surprise, then, that the film stings with authenticity. It tells a fictional tale, but does so to illuminate inescapable truths. Everyone involved knows that they're interrogating a difficult but vital subject, and aims to get their audience thinking as long and hard as Johnson and his collaborators clearly have about the details, the violence, and the way the country's historic treatment of its First Peoples still echoes today. In one of his rare homegrown roles of late, Baker belongs among High Ground's intensely contemplative talent. He's one of the film's executive producers as well, but he's ideal on-screen. That said, he's at his best when he's acting opposite the exceptional Nayinggul, who seems to live and breathe Gutjuk's pain and conflict with such soulfulness and sincerity that his performance appears near-effortless. Their pairing speaks volumes at every turn, too. They play men pushed together by circumstance, with one made to confront the ills that an entire nation would rather ignore and the other forced to help clean up an invading culture's unspeakable acts. That juxtaposition alone paints a potent picture, and a purposeful one — but that's this latest great Aussie film all over. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WL-G4oCoDF0
A road trip along Victoria's Great Ocean Road should be on every Australian's travel bucket list. Hit up the small beach towns of Torquay, Lorne, Apollo Bay, Port Campbell and Warrnambool to discover Aussie surf culture at its finest and spend some time within the region's stunning natural surrounds. But first things first: you've got to sort out your accommodation. You can live that camping life, but we have curated this list of luxe hotels, guest houses and villas for those wanting more comfort. TORQUAY RACV TORQUAY RESORT The RACV Torquay Resort is located right at the beginning of the Great Ocean Road, boasting sweeping views of the coast and the surrounding golf course. Whether you join a chill yoga class, unwind with a sweaty sauna session or treat yourself to a day at the luxurious day spa, there are plenty of ways to unwind at this Torquay property. BOOK IT NOW. THE SANDS TORQUAY The Sands Torquay has been a mainstay of the area's luxe accommodation offerings for quite some time. People come back here, over and over again. And now that it has had a massive makeover, there are even more reasons to stay here. We're talking an indoor pool, outdoor tennis courts, large dog-friendly rooms, and Bunker restaurant, which serves up elevated pub classics to locals and hotel guests alike. BOOK IT NOW. WYNDHAM RESORT TORQUAY This large resort is one of the only hotels located right on the beach in Torquay — most are set back further, with local beach houses lining the shores instead. The location is one of Wyndham's greatest features. You can get down to Torquay's Fisherman's Beach within a couple of minutes and walk right into town in under 20 minutes. It's ideal for those wanting a chill beachside getaway. BOOK IT NOW. LORNE MANTRA LORNE This old-school resort has been a popular place to stay in Lorne for decades, and it's easy to see why. Mantra Lorne's heritage buildings are set right on the beach, within 12 acres of landscaped gardens (including tennis courts and croquet lawns). No other local accommodation will beat this location nor its traditional feel that's been seamlessly blended with modern amenities. The refurbished indoor mineral pool and glam steam rooms are just a couple of examples of such contemporary offerings. BOOK IT NOW. CUMBERLAND LORNE RESORT Cumberland Lorne Resort is located up on the hills above Louttit Bay, boasting stunning views across town. But it isn't up in the middle of nowhere. It's still close to the best bits, surrounded by local cafes and boutique stores. Head here for a sleek and modern stay, with luxurious penthouses as well as one- and two-bedroom apartments available to those road-tripping along the Great Ocean Road. BOOK IT NOW. APOLLO BAY SEAFARERS GETAWAY Few Great Ocean Road accommodations compare to this one. You have uninterrupted views up and down the coast from each of the studios and lodges that sit within eight hectares of grassland. From here, you can either head up to The Otway National Park's undulating green hills and woodland or walk down to the Seafarer's pristine beach within minutes. Whales and dolphins can often be seen in the surf, koalas can be found in the gumtrees and alpacas can be hand fed in the field. What more could you ask for? BOOK IT NOW. APOLLO PANORAMA GUESTHOUSE Perched up in the hills, a little further back from the beach, this five-bedroom guesthouse looks down over Apollo Bay and a big stretch of the Great Ocean Road. It is made for groups of mates or a big family, thanks to its many rooms, the kitchen with double-vaulted ceilings and the large deck with barbecue. We wouldn't blame you for stopping your trek along the coast to spend the rest of your time up here. BOOK IT NOW. PORT CAMPBELL EASTERN REEF COTTAGES Staying here feels like spending time at your mate's old family beach house. It isn't a glam hotel nor is it a bougie bread and breakfast. It is a humble set of cottages set within lush green surroundings not too far away from town. Either go for the large four-bedroom cottage or nab one of the smaller units that look out over the courtyard. Each accommodation has its own kitchenette and all the essential amenities. Eastern Reef Cottages is a really decent budget option in the sleepy town of Port Campbell. BOOK IT NOW. SOUTHERN OCEAN VILLAS If you're coming up this way for the 12 Apostles, then this spot will more than do. The famous cliffs and rock plinths are just a five-minute drive from the accommodation, while the town centre is easily walkable. The villas also offer a variety of different accommodation options. Capable of comfortably accommodating two to six people, each villa has an open-plan kitchen, lounge and dining room with two or three bedrooms and a scenic outdoor deck (each with a barbecue). BOOK IT NOW. WARRNAMBOOL DEEP BLUE HOTEL & HOT SPRINGS The Deep Blue Hotel & Hot Springs, Victoria's very first hot springs hotel, is made for those who want to run away and really relax. We mean it — lean into that self-care lifestyle. Book some time in the many indoor and outdoor geothermal pools, treat yourself to a massage and scrub, then finish with champagne and oysters at the hotel's restaurant. You can then spend other days exploring the town and the nearby beaches — which can be seen from many of the rooms' private balconies. BOOK IT NOW. LADY BAY RESORT The Lady Bay Resort in Warrnambool is a self-contained accommodation located right across the street from the beach, allowing guests to do what the locals do — swim along the coast, hit the local bars and pubs and even do some work (if you must). There's also an in-house restaurant, arcade room and outdoor pool for those who just want to rest at the property. BOOK IT NOW. Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips to destinations all over the world. Top image: Weyne Yew (Unsplash)
Brent Farrell is a Brisbane icon when it comes to the foodie scene, having successfully run his eponymous restaurant for more than eight years. Rebranding Brent’s Restaurant to 85 Miskin St at the end of last year saw the dining experience shift from “fine” with white gloves and silver service to a more “casual/relaxed” vibe where families are welcome. However, when it comes to the food there is no mistaking Brent’s signature artistry. Each dish is a guaranteed masterpiece, delivering incredible and innovative flavour combinations using the freshest of ingredients from the garden out the back. Plating is an art form, both allowing individual components on the plate to shine as well as being so visually striking that you may experience a sudden urge to take a photo of your food... The menu is designed so that you can “eat as you please” with the option to choose a three-course structure or share multiple starter and main plates. Don’t be fooled by the descriptions – they may seem simple but each dish you choose will pack a complex, mind-blowing punch. To start, opt for an antipasto style option or choose the impeccably light house-made Semolina crusty loaf and cultured butter. For entrée you simply can’t go past the sautéed scallop and broth with cauliflower and lemon oil (kid you not the broth is the tastiest, fluffiest, creamiest soup you will ever experience) or the Citrus cured ocean trout with edible ants (YES, ants!), rosehip sorbet, dill crème fraiche and radish. And for mains the crispy skinned glazed pork belly with mandarin, chilli and ginger and wild rice is a must. Finally, the desserts (although seemingly simple) are sweet surprises that tantalise the tastebuds and leave you in a state of awe. The fresh berries with Madagascan vanilla and garden flowers is served in a terracotta pot with chocolate dirt and the intriguing and unexpected yoghurt, dill and nasturtium comes with fragrant dill ice cream, a tangy yoghurt and French vanilla pannacotta and a halo of toffee. Highly recommended. Whether it’s a fine food experience you seek in relaxed surrounds, or you’re looking for something to excite and delight the taste buds then 85 Miskin St is your ultimate destination.
Sydney's no stranger to world-class drinking dens, but even we're due for a few surprises when one of the world's best, and most enduring, speakeasies hits Aussie shores next month. Since the first Employees Only bar opened its doors in New York back in 2004, it has picked up a whole swag of accolades — including ranking among The World's 50 Best Bars for ten years running, this year coming in at 26 — and its founders have successfully taken the concept global, launching outposts in Singapore, Hong Kong and Miami. And now, they're headed Down Under, taking over a heritage basement space in Sydney's CBD and bringing in Sydney native Anna Fang, for the bar's much-anticipated Australian debut. Here, Employees Only is sticking to its original principles, promising memorable cocktails and sophisticated fare in a beautiful space. But it'll also be rounded out with a distinctly local edge and a healthy dose of Sydney style. The Sydney outpost is being run by EO co-founder Dushan Zaric, along with EO New York bartender Robert Krueger and Fang as venue manager. And it seems no one is deterred by the city's ongoing lockout law woes, with Krueger saying, "We're excited to work with the incredible local bar community, together helping to reinvigorate Sydney's nightlife and bring it back onto the global stage." To that end, expect a cocktail offering that lives up to the hype, with some of the New York outpost's favourites sitting alongside a slew of new, Sydney-exclusive creations. Must-try classics that will appear on the menu include the Amelia, crafted on vodka, elderflower liqueur, puréed blackberries and fresh lemon, and the Provençal, with lavender-infused gin, vermouth and Cointreau. Meanwhile, the kitchen is taking its cues from classic New York bistro fare, the menu sporting a mix of Employee's Only favourites — think house-made pork sausage cavatelli, bone marrow poppers with bordelaise sauce, and the now legendary steak tartare, here done with hand-cut filet mignon — and Head Chef Aurelian Girault's latest Australian-inspired creations. Enter beneath the signature neon "psychic" sign, pull up a seat at the curved, brass-topped bar and get ready for some pretty exceptional boozing. Employees Only Sydney is slated to open in November at 9 Barrack Street, Sydney. Images: Robert Krueger and Anna Fang, by Joe Cheng.
Whether it sports a catchy beat, an intoxicating riff, a punchy melody or instantly quotable lyrics, a brilliant pop tune never gets old. As Girls5eva demonstrates with its second season, the same proves true for smart and hilarious sitcoms about pop stars who climbed the charts, lived the late-90s/early-00s girl group fantasy and, two decades later, are trying to become more than one-hit wonders. And yes, this Tina Fey-executive produced sitcom — which shares the same joke-avalanche approach that 30 Rock, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Great News and Mr Mayor do, too — is also filled to the brim with ridiculously infectious songs. When it first hit streaming in 2021, Girls5eva introduced viewers to the eponymous band when reclaiming their fame wasn't even a blip on their radars — until, unexpectedly, it was. Dawn Solano (Sara Bareilles, Broadway's Waitress), Wickie Roy (Renée Elise Goldsberry, Hamilton), Summer Dutkowsky (Busy Philipps, I Feel Pretty) and Gloria McManus (Paula Pell, AP Bio) had left their days as America's answer to the Spice Girls behind, barely staying in contact since the group split and their fifth member, Ashley Gold (Ashley Park, Emily in Paris), later died in an infinity pool accident. But then rapper Lil Stinker (Jeremiah Craft, Bill & Ted Face the Music) sampled their single 'Famous 5eva', and they were asked to perform backing vocals during his Tonight Show gig. Jumping back into the spotlight reignited dreams that the surviving Girls5eva members thought they'd extinguished long ago — well, other than walking attention-magnet Wickie, who crashed and burned in her attempts to go solo, and was happy to fake it till she made it again. Dawn had settled into life as a mother (to four-year-old Max, played by debutant Julius Conceicao), wife (to school guidance counsellor Scott, played by Billions' Daniel Breaker) and manager at her brother's (Dean Winters, Joe vs Carole) Italian restaurant. Summer was an Insta-celebrity among conservatives and Christians thanks to her longstanding marriage to ex-boy band member Kev (Andrew Rannells, The Prom). And Gloria was a successful dentist whose other claim to fame since Girls5eva was being part of the first gay couple to get divorced in New York City. It's a glorious premise, as brought to life with a pitch-perfect cast — there's zero weak links among Bareilles, Goldsberry, Philipps and pell — with Girls5eva's first eight-episode season bopping through the group's contrasting personalities and their shared dynamics. As they reunited, Wickie's oversized ego, Dawn's uncertainty, Summer's seeming ditziness and the now-forthright Gloria's engrained trauma from pretending to be straight back in the day all swirled around. So too did a cavalcade of clever and perceptive gags about the show's two favourite topics, unsurprisingly: the ludicrous chaos of the entertainment industry, in the 90s and now alike; and the way not only showbiz but the world in general treats women, especially anyone beyond their 20s. Arriving on Stan in Australia and TVNZ On Demand in New Zealand on Friday, May 6, dropping three episodes at once before unfurling weekly afterwards, season two picks up where its predecessor left off, in narrative, vibe and themes. It's also back with more rapid-fire pop-culture references and digs; the same knowing, light but still sincere tone; and a new parade of delightful tunes composed by Jeff Richmond, Fey's husband and source of music across every sitcom she's produced. Having stormed the Jingle Ball stage at the end of the last batch of episodes, Girls5eva now has a new record deal on their own terms, with Dawn penning all of their songs. That said, they're signed to a label owned by the Property Brothers, they've been given just six weeks in the studio by their assigned executive (Grey Henson, Suburgatory), and Gloria busts her knee during a show as they're hitting the publicity circuit. One of the joys of Girls5eva — one of many — is how gleefully absurd it skews, all while fleshing out its central quartet, their hopes and desires, and their experiences navigating an industry that treats them as commodities at best. That silliness is as much a trademark of Fey-produced comedies as Richmond's soundtracks, and it's a template that creator/showrunner Meredith Scardino clearly learned while writing for Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and co-scripting the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs the Reverend movie. It's easy to watch Girls5eva and spot similarities with 30 Rock, Kimmy and the like as a result, but the devil is in the detail in everything with Fey's name attached. Wickie boasts plenty in common with 30 Rock's Jenna Maroney and Kimmy's Titus Andromedon, for instance, but feels like a sibling, not a clone. She's a new song from a familiar band, rather than a cover version — and the same can be said of Dawn, Summer and Gloria, all of whom have counterparts in fellow sitcoms that feature Fey's fingerprints. Girls5eva has always been about second acts, second chances and new beginnings — and wading through the baggage that can hinder all three — so the fact that it hums to a recognisable refrain has never been anything but extremely fitting. The show's sophomore season finds much to satirise with that in mind, while also diving deeper and pushing Wickie, Dawn, Summer and Gloria to grow. Another of its supremely apt underlying riffs: how difficult it is to follow your own heart and let your light shine when life keeps putting you in the same old box. That pulsates through as Wickie falls in love with someone other than herself, Dawn keeps trying to balance her home and work commitments, Summer adjusts to singledom and Gloria woos back her ex-wife (Janine Brito, Wine Country), only to wonder if that's what she really wants. Along the way, there's an onslaught of goofy gags for every occasion (Wickie's boyfriend is a "lunch lord", for example), as well as a tune. Sometimes, Dawn is trying to work all 430 definitions of the word 'set' into a song. Elsewhere, the group belts out bangers such as immediate earworm 'BPE (Big Pussy Energy)'. At one point, they take cues from The Beatles and hit up a rooftop to play the anthemic 'Bend Not Break', which is actually about Gloria's knee injury, to the NYC streets. And season-one highlight 'New York Lonely Boy' gets an equally melancholic and lovely sequel called 'New York City Moms', too. There's power and self-reflection, ridiculousness and earnestness, determination and heart in everything about this series, music, jokes, characters and storylines included — and it just keeps proving a laugh-a-minute gem to watch. Check out the trailer for Girls5eva season two below: The first three episodes of Girls5eva's second season hit Stan in Australia and TVNZ On Demand in New Zealand on Friday, May 6, with new instalments dropping weekly afterwards. Read our full review of season one. Images: Stan/Peacock.
Direct flights from Australia's east coast to New York — and London, too — are on their way, with Qantas committing to make the massive trips from 2025. But first, the Aussie airline is heading non-stop from Auckland to the Big Apple. The carrier has announced two pieces of exciting news for travellers Down Under, both of which might change your holiday plans from 2023 onwards. Firstly, it's starting those direct Auckland–New York routes, kicking off on June 14. Secondly, it's recommencing flying to NY in general, including a new Sydney–Auckland–New York flight. Initially, the new service will run three days a week, starting in Sydney before soaring non-stop from NZ to NY. The latter part will take a whopping 16 hours, which is slightly shorter than the 17-hour direct Perth–London route that first hit the air back in 2018, but will still be a mammoth undertaking. Yes, time feels like it means nothing when you're on one plane for that long. Yes, if you're keen on as few stopovers as possible whenever you're jetting around the world, that hefty non-stop leg is worth it. When Qantas returns to NY for the first time in three years due to the pandemic, travellers will be flying on Boeing 787 Dreamliners, with the airline taking delivery of three new aircraft in 2023. If you now know what you're doing next winter — enjoying a hot NY summer, obviously — the Sydney–Auckland–New York flights have just gone on sale today, Thursday, August 25. The airline will also increase its daily services from Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne to Auckland from six to 11 when the new route commences, to help Aussies can take advantage of it. In flying direct from NZ to NYC, Qantas follows in the footsteps of Air New Zealand, which announced its plans back in 2019 and will start the route in September 2022. Qantas will restart flying to New York via its new Sydney–Auckland–New York route from June 14, 2023. For more information or to make a booking, head to the airline's website.
In the latest development of wearable tech, luggage company Samsonite has teamed up with Google to bring you a smart backpack that syncs to your smartphone. The Konnect-i Backpack can receive calls and text messages, sync to your navigation and music apps and even take selfies — just to name a few features. It's basically the wireless headphones of backpacks. The bag — powered by Google's latest toy, dubbed Jacquard — connects to the users smartphone via Bluetooth and allows you to perform heaps of commands by moving your hand over and tapping the left strap panel. Users can control music, receive phone calls, use navigation apps, drop pins, save locations and receive rideshare alerts. Jacquard can also start a photo countdown for selfies and, if you have a Google android, it can chat to Google Assistant, too. You can also fix the LED light on the left strap to light up according to different alerts. Of course, the Jacquard will still need to be charged, but a single charge can last ten days-to-two weeks, depending on how much you use it. Keen shoppers can choose between two styles, slim or standard ($299–329) — which come with a vertical or horizontal zipper, respectively. Each is water-repellent, easy-care fabric coated and comes with matte silver reflective trimming. Yes, it looks (and sounds) like something Batman would own. Apart from the futuristic elements, the backpack comes with all of the usual features of a pricey bag, including extra padding along the back panel and shoulder straps, plus a padded laptop compartment and heaps of storage pockets. If you have the cash to splash, hands-free travel is in your future. The Konnect-i Backpack is now available Australia-wide. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
The two-kilometre coastal walk between Bondi and Tamarama is always a stunning Sydney sight no matter when you mosey along it, but it's especially impressive during Sculpture by the Sea. Once a year since 1997 — except during the pandemic's early days — the outdoor art event displays large-scale pieces with the ocean as a backdrop. Understandably, it isn't just one of the annual highlights of Sydney's cultural calendar, but of Australia's. That excuse to soak up the great outdoors in the Harbour City returns again in 2023, from Friday, October 20–Monday, November 6. On the agenda once more: 100-plus artworks by Australian and international sculptors, all along a two-kilometre walk. But this is the 25th Sculpture by the Sea, so it's celebrating notching up that milestone with pieces by artists who displayed at the event back at its beginning. Paul Bacon, Stephen King, Michael Le Grand, John Petrie, James Rogers and Margarita Sampson earn those honours, bookending a quarter-century run. Sculpture by the Sea 2023 will also feature works by Philip Spelman and Ron Gomboc, who reach double decades displaying at the event; Lucy Barker and Ayako Saito, who hit a decade; and Chinese artist Chen Wenling. Discovering exactly who'll be showing what and where is part of the fun of taking the spring stroll, but this year's event won't be short on talent. As always, the exhibition is set to draw a crowd. Each year, Sculpture by the Sea attracts approximately 450,000 visitors over 18 days, with the same number of art lovers expected this time around. The past few years have been particularly eventful for the exhibition, which had to sit out 2020 like oh-so-many festivities around the world, then tried to make a comeback in October 2021 but also had to scrap those plans due to the pandemic. It did successfully stage a CBD spinoff, Sculpture Rocks, in autumn 2021, however. Even before the current global health situation interrupted its annual plans, organisers were also at loggerheads with the Council over the construction of a new path back in mid-2019, and were scoping out alternative locations for the long-running art exhibition. In fact, it was only early in 2021 that the parties came to an agreement to remain in Bondi until 2030, with the organisers and Council agreeing to a ten-year deal. Amid all of the above, the Sculpture by the Sea team also branched in 2022, opening the Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail. It's a permanent 100-kilometre collection of outdoor art along the Snowy Valleys Way, passing through the towns of Adelong, Batlow and Tumbarumba, the hamlet of Tooma, plus the Tumbarumba wine region's cellar doors. Sculpture by the Sea will return to the Bondi–Tamarama coastal walk for 2023 from Friday, October 20–Monday, November 6. For more information, head to sculpturebythesea.com. Images: Charlotte Curd, Reni Indrawan, Clyde Yee, Jack Bett, Jarrad Seng, W Patino, G Carr and Samantha Burns.
For his latest solo exhibition at the Museum for Contemporary Art in Tokyo, Tokujin Yoshioka has again indulged his fascination with organic structures and natural processes, embracing the interaction between prisms, space and light. In his series of striking sculptures and installations, Yoshioka aims to expose the beauty and energy present within self-generating wonders such as crystal formation, harnessing the process to become part of the art itself. He quite literally grows his artworks, using a special liquid that allows natural crystals to develop into whatever shape they choose, after which he sometimes decides to attach them to a base of some kind. And, like any true gardening fanatic, he believes in playing music to his 'plants' as they grow. His series entitled Swan Lake apparently blossomed under the soothing companionship of Tchaikovsky. Whilst we happen to think the huge fairy floss-like clouds of crystal comprising Tornado 2007 are pretty spectacular, the large-scale installation Rainbow Church has been heralded as the exhibition's highlight: a huge window made of 500 crystal prisms inspired by Henri Matisse's designs for the Rosaire Chapel. Yoshioka is known for combining architecture, design and installation art. His furniture designs appear at Salone del Mobile annually and he has also designed store interiors for high fashion brands such as Hermès and Issey Miyake. Via Yatzer.com. Images from the MOT.
Whatever your plans are on Tuesday, November 8, change them — or find a way to include peering at the sky into your diary, too. For 85 minutes, folks Down Under will be treated to a blood moon and a total lunar eclipse, giving you a stellar reason to spend your night staring upwards. While blood moons aren't particularly rare, there is one big reason to look up this time around. This total lunar eclipse is the last one that'll be able to be seen in Australia and New Zealand until 2025. If you're wondering what else you need to know, we've run through the details below. WHAT IS IT? If you're more familiar with The Mighty Boosh's take on the moon than actual lunar terms, here's what you need to know. When a full moon happens to coincide with a total lunar eclipse, it's also called a blood moon. Why? Yes, it has to do with the colour. When the astronomical body passes directly into the earth's actual shadow, it turns a blood-red shade thanks to sunlight that's filtered and refracted by the earth's atmosphere. WHEN CAN I SEE IT? If you're keen to catch a glimpse, you'll want to peek outside on Tuesday, November 8. According to Timeanddate.com, the total lunar eclipse is due to begin at 9.16pm AEDT in Sydney and Melbourne — and, because of daylight saving in the southern states, at 8.16pm AEST in Brisbane. Those times adjust accordingly in Adelaide (8.46pm) and Perth (6.16pm) — with the full total lunar eclipse running for 85 minutes. In NZ, you'll be looking up from 11.16pm. Moonrise will happen before that, and the partial eclipse will begin 67 minutes prior to the totality times, too — so at 8.09pm in Sydney and Melbourne and 7.09pm in Brisbane, for instance. WHERE CAN I SEE IT? You can take a gander from your backyard or balcony, but the standard advice regarding looking into the night sky always applies. So, city-dwellers will want to get as far away from light pollution as possible to get the absolute best view. Naturally, you'll be hoping for cloud-free skies that evening. If you can't get a clear vantage, The Virtual Telescope Project will be live-streaming from the skyline above Rome from 8.30pm AEDT / 7.30pm AEST / 10.30pm NZ time. The blood moon and total lunar eclipse will take place on Tuesday, November 8, with the full total lunar eclipse starting at 9.16pm AEDT / 8.16pm AEST / 11.16pm NZ time. For further information, including about timing, head to Timeanddate.com.
Sure, we all know Cleveland — but when was the last time you've actually spent an afternoon there? With plenty of history, the bayside town will make your day trip feel like a mini holiday. While Cleveland was settled in 1850, the town's biggest drawcard — other than the ocean — popped up in 1864: the Cleveland Point Lighthouse. Though this seaside watchtower shuttered for good in 1976, it still remains quite the place for scenic snaps and pretending you're in Round the Twist. Oh, and make sure you complete the experience with a trip to the bar-café-kiosk for some fish and chips. As for the seaside itself, trekking along Brissie's east coast offers an array of delights. Wander past historical buildings, go for a dip and grab a drink at the 166-year-old Grand View Hotel overlooking Moreton Bay. Image: Redlands Council.
Lorde is back — but she won't be back doing live gigs for a bit longer. After five years away from music, the New Zealand pop sensation returned this year with a third studio album, with Solar Power releasing back August. Back in June, she also announced a massive 2022 tour of Australia and New Zealand; however, those shows have now been delayed until 2023. The tour has been postponed due to New Zealand's current COVID-19 outbreak and the uncertainty surrounding what'll be permitted next February and March, which is when Lorde's gigs were originally set to take place. "I am beyond devastated to be postponing these shows. Starting the tour in New Zealand was always really important to me, and would have been a huge high," Lorde said in a statement. "I fought this decision for a long time, but the truth is that touring internationally through a COVID outbreak has a ton of unforeseen moving parts, and I'd much rather play for you when we're all confident it will go smoothly. I want to apologise wholeheartedly to the fans. I'm so gutted to let you down, but so grateful for your understanding." [caption id="attachment_816623" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Come Up Show[/caption] When it kicks off in 2023, the tour will now run from Tuesday, February 21 through till Saturday, March 18. Australians are scoring eight dates across Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, while New Zealanders can choose from seven shows. The Australian and New Zealand tour will begin at Days Bay at Lower Hutt on Tuesday, February 21 and Wednesday, February 22. From there the 'Royals' singer will make her way around New Zealand throughout late February and early March, and arrive in Australia on Tuesday, March 7 for two shows at the Brisbane Riverstage. Australia's east coast will be treated to two more shows each at Melbourne's Sidney Myer Music Bowl and the ICC's Aware Super Theatre in Sydney, before the tour wraps up with a couple of gigs at Perth's Belvoir Amphitheatre. The last time either country was treated to Lorde's live set was her headline set at Splendour in the Grass 2018, a full circle moment for the singer as she returned to the stage of one of her first ever performances as a last-minute replacement for Frank Ocean back in 2013. A year prior, in 2017, Lorde also toured some of Australia's largest and most iconic outdoor venues including the Sydney Opera House Forecourt. Existing tickets will remain valid for the new dates, while tickets to newly announced gigs in Lower Hutt, Brisbane and Perth start pre-sales on Wednesday, November 17 ahead of general ticket sales on Friday, November 19. LORDE 'SOLAR POWER' 2023 TOUR DATES Tuesday, February 21 – Days Bay, Lower Hutt Wednesday, February 22 – Days Bay, Lower Hutt — new show Saturday, February 25 – Electric Avenue, Christchurch Monday, February 27 – Neudorf Vineyards, Upper Moutere Wednesday, March 1 – Black Barn Vineyards, Havelock North Friday, March 3 – TSB Bowl of Brooklands, New Plymouth Saturday, March 4 – Outer Fields Western Springs, Auckland Tuesday, March 7 – Riverstage, Brisbane — new show Wednesday, March 8 – Riverstage, Brisbane Friday, March 10 – Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne Saturday, March 11 – Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne Monday, March 13 – Aware Super Theatre, Sydney Tuesday, March 14 – Aware Super Theatre, Sydney Friday, March 17 – Belvoir Amphitheatre, Perth — new show Saturday, March 18 – Belvoir Amphitheatre, Perth Lorde's Solar Power Tour will now take place between Tuesday, February 21–Saturday, March 18, 2023. Head to the Frontier website for all info on tickets. Top image: Liliane Callegari via Wikimedia Commons.
If you're thinking small for your next domestic getaway, there's a new pint-sized accommodation option to add to that holiday radar. NRMA, aka the National Roads and Motorists' Association, has just unveiled two new stylishly-repurposed shipping containers it's calling 'glamtainers' — and they'll be making their home on New South Wales' Central Coast until autumn next year. Easily movable and extendable in size, the seven-metre-long luxury tiny homes have room to sleep four, each boasting two queen beds, a full bathroom and a decent sized kitchenette. What's more, they're fitted out in style, with upscale features including comfy King Koil mattresses, plush linens, air-conditioning and attached outdoor entertaining spaces. No slumming it here, that's for sure. Currently located at NRMA Ocean Beach Holiday Resort, the two new glamtainers are the work of Melbourne company GlamXperience, which makes a whole suite of glamping tents and mini retreats — and whose creations you might have spied at the likes of St Jerome's The Hotel and the newly launched Clifftop at Hepburn. They're designed to allow guests to experience staying amongst the great outdoors, without sacrificing comfort. Bookings are already filling up fast for the glamtainers' debut stint on the NSW Central Coast, with prices starting from $180 per night. And, because the entire concept of turning shipping containers into places to stay means they're easily portable, the pair of glamtainers will be packed up and shuttled off to NRMA's Jindabyne resort come late autumn — where they'll enjoy a second iteration during ski season. The glamtainers are now available to book at NRMA Ocean Beach Holiday Resort. Head to the website to check availability and make a booking. Images: Shan Rose Photography
Everyone's favourite 'candy man' made his way to Aussie shores back in 2019, which is when the smash-hit musical production of Charlie And the Chocolate Factory premiered in Sydney. After also travelling to Melbourne the same year, it was meant to make the trip Brisbane in 2020; however, the pandemic had other plans. Thankfully, Brisbanites won't miss out on the popular musical. Instead, it'll now bring its song-filled stage show to the Queensland Performing Arts Centre's Lyric Theatre in September. Flowers won't be the only thing blooming around the city between Thursday, September 2–Sunday, September 19 — because a hankering for more than a few sweet treats will be, too. In the popular musical, Roald Dahl's classic sugar-dusted tale is brought to life by a collaboration between theatre producers John Frost, Craig Donnell, Langley Park Productions, Neal Street Productions and Warner Bros Theatre Ventures. Following the worldwide popularity of both the original book and the 1971 Gene Wilder film, the musical has been confirmed a sweet success internationally, scoring rave reviews during its stint on Broadway and selling out a heap of shows in Sydney. With original songs like 'The Candy Man' and 'I've Got a Golden Ticket' featured alongside new tunes from the songwriters of Hairspray, this confection of a show promises to lure audiences of all ages into, shall we say, a land of pure imagination. It's directed by three-time Tony Award winner Jack O'Brien, with music by Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award winner Marc Shaiman, lyrics courtesy of Grammy and Tony Award winners Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, and choreography by Tony Award nominee and Emmy Award winner Joshua Bergasse. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory's Brisbane season will run from Thursday, September 2–Sunday, September 19, with tickets on sale from 9am on Friday, May 21. Images: Brian Geach.
If there's a question that no employee wants to hear from the person setting company agendas, pulling strings and signing paycheques, it's "what do we do?". In The Consultant, Regus Patoff (Christoph Waltz, Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio) asks a variation of it early — "what do we make?" he queries at CompWare after he arrives amid grim circumstances. The mobile gaming outfit came to fame under wunderkind Sang (TV first-timer Brian Yoon), so much so that school groups tour the firm's office. Then, during the visit that opens this eight-part Prime Video thriller, a kid shoots and kills the company's founder. That doesn't stop Regus from showing up afterwards clutching a signed contract from Sang and spouting a mandate to do whatever it takes to maximise his legacy. Regus is as stern yet eccentric as Waltz has become known for — a suit- and tie-wearing kindred spirit to Inglourious Basterds' Hans Landa, plus Spectre and No Time to Die's Ernst Stavro Blofield. He first darkens CompWare's door in the thick of night, when only ambitious assistant Elaine Hayman (Brittany O'Grady, The White Lotus) and stoner coder Craig Horne (Nat Wolff, Joe vs Carole) are onsite, and he won't take no for an answer. There's no consultant job for him to have, Elaine tells him. There's no business to whip into shape, she stresses. By the next morning, he's corralling employees for an all-hands meeting and telling remote workers they'll be fired if they don't show up in-person within an hour, even if he proudly doesn't know what CompWare does — or care. Giving the small screen its latest moody and mysterious workplace nightmare, The Consultant adapts horror author Bentley Little's 2016 novel of the same name, but plays like Severance filtered through Servant. Similarities with the former come with the setting, tone and keep-'em-guessing setup, while commonalities with the latter arise from sharing creator Tony Basgallop. Both series kick off with a blow-in, unsettle a group already coping with tragedy and reorder their status quo with severe methods. Both lace the chaos that follows with nods towards the supernatural, and both ask what bargains we're willing to make — or not — to live the lives we're striving for. The Consultant hinges upon two ideas: the disdain all workers have for head honchos who slash and restructure without knowing the daily grind, bothering to understand it or even pretending to get to know their staff; and the lengths someone might be willing to go to, including what they may accept and overlook, to advance their own careers. Regus doesn't waste any time earning ire, whether through arbitrary firings — he claims one worker smells of "putrid fruit" — or by pitting his employees against each other to fight for a management office. But, as he sits in the top-floor suite still splattered with Sang's blood, he also accepts Elaine's self-given title bump to Creative Liaison and rushes Craig's new game into production. There's still plenty getting Elaine and Craig questioning, such as Regus' around-the-clock calls, the basement records room filled with invasive personal files that no one previously knew about, his sudden rule changes — one day, shoes are verboten — and how he whisks off Sang's visiting mother (Gloria John, Shifter), who actually now owns the company, but doesn't take her to her hotel or anywhere else she can be found. Elaine and Craig also have a romantic past to deal with, The Consultant's most obligatory narrative detail. Plus, Craig is preparing to marry the Catholic Patti (Aimee Carrero, Spirited), who isn't fond of his slacker vibe or his at-work friendships. And, there's a helluva mid-series night that involves a sky-high nightclub, a Russian model (Gena Heylock, Chicago Med) with prosthetic limbs and a wild car ride. The heavy splashes of red that colour The Consultant's opening titles and much of CompWare's office lighting aren't subtle. Neither is the "devil made me do it" excuse offered by Sang's boy killer or the soundtrack's use of Elvis Presley's '(You're the) Devil in Disguise'. But Basgallop excels at keeping viewers guessing about whether the diabolical events that come his characters' way have nefarious sources, or if they're as easily explainable via everyday details. His two currently streaming series are also masterclasses in using their confined settings — The Consultant steps beyond CompWare HQ rarely, like Servant and its Philadelphia brownstone — to bubble with unease. The Severance comparisons kick in again here, too, weaponising and satirising a tech company's look and feel, as well as its attitude and atmosphere. While O'Grady backs up her stellar turn opposite Euphoria's Sydney Sweeney in The White Lotus with another astute performance — and character — and Wolff conveys disaffected but driven with ease, The Consultant wouldn't be as quick a binge without Waltz. Quentin Tarantino has built two films around him, with both Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained winning the actor Oscars, and he's perfectly cast here. There's also a slipperiness to Waltz's involvement that matches Basgallop's fondness for the same trait. Viewers know exactly how the series' biggest-name star will play Regus and he doesn't disappoint, but that alone doesn't explain everything about the sinister character. As Waltz gets menacing and malevolent, and O'Grady and Wolff flit from shock to acquiescence and back again and again, The Consultant makes expected points about corporate culture, its cut-throat dynamics and increasingly 24/7 demands; the 21st-century employment landscape and its ruthlessness towards employees; and the engrained mindset that has everyone dutifully complying with authority. Familiar but still topical, sly, smart and shrewd: that's the thematic terrain the series traverses, and well. Try not to think of recent social-media moves when Regus starts throwing his weight around, for instance. Try not to ponder your own horrible bosses — yes, Waltz has played one before in Horrible Bosses 2 — and career pressure points, too. There's no point trying not to get drawn into this tense, suspenseful and slickly made series, however, which boasts Destroyer and Yellowjackets' Karyn Kusama among its directors, and lures in viewers as easily as addictive mobile games. Check out the trailer for The Consultant below: The Consultant streams via Prime Video.
If you're starting to feel like a new season hasn't truly started until Finders Keepers has come to town, you're not alone. The ever-expanding art and design market has been bringing us face-to-face with some of the country's most quirky and creative designers for over a decade now — and it's set to do it all over again when it returns from Friday, April 23–Sunday, April 25. The focus remains, as ever, on helping you discover and connect with the next wave of independent and emerging artisans. Expect to find everything from jewellery, fashion and ceramics to leather goods, body products and items for your pets. Many of the market's seasoned vendors will also return — so, if you've been kicking yourself since last round that you didn't pick something up, you're in luck. And, you're covered when the inevitable shopping-induced hunger strikes, with food trucks and coffee spots on offer. Tickets are $5, which you'll need to buy online this year in advance — whether you're planning to head along on Friday from 3–9.30pm, on Saturday from 10am–7pm or on Sunday from 12–5pm. Keen to start creating your shopping list now? You can head to the Finders Keepers market lineup to see the full scope of vendors. Images: Samee Lapham.
Beyond: Two Souls is a staggering achievement in gaming. If you're a semi-regular gamer, you already know that. But it's if you don't include games in your current recreational repertoire that the information is most pertinent. Because Beyond is quite unlike your Grand Theft Autos, Call of Dutys, Wii tennises and nearly every other blockbuster title on the market, and it might be the one that sucks you in. Made for a reputed $28 million, Beyond stars Ellen Page and Willem Dafoe in leading roles and screened its demo at this year's prestigious Tribeca Film Festival. It sits somewhere between cinema and what we think of as games, crafting an interactive drama that you play in the first person. French studio Quantic Dream, who explored a similar form with Heavy Rain (2010), are really concerned with the possibilities of immersive storytelling using new technologies. Curious? Here are a few reasons to give Beyond: Two Souls a go. Because you like film and TV Let's face it, of all the screen arts, video games are not the ones known for their complexity of story, character or emotion; they're known for their abundance of things to shoot at. But storytelling comes first in Beyond: There are some action scenes, but they happen in the broader context of the life of one specific girl, Jodie Holmes (Page), who is blessed/cursed with various psychic powers that make her valuable to the CIA and government research departments but chilling to her parents and peers. Her whole life she has felt a connection to the invisible 'entity' Aiden, and much of the tension in the game comes from the love/hate relationship she has with her constant companion. As the player, you see Jodie from the ages of six to twenty-one, though you play the chapters out of chronological order, piecing together the puzzles of her life. "We tried to create an interactive experience, more than just another video game," said Beyond's writer/director David Cage at a recent game preview in Sydney. He takes his cues from the world of cinema, adding elements from the game designers' toolkit to make you even more invested in the story. Because you want to see Ellen Page's Oscar-worthy performance There are so many sub-reasons it's great to see Ellen Page in the main role in Beyond, and the fact that she's not some 'sassy' and pneumatically boobed animation — she's Ellen Page — is just the tip of the iceberg. "A mix of technology and talent" is Cage's catch cry for Beyond, which would've been a far lesser game without the perfect female lead to embody your journey. And embodying it really is — Page is not just lending her voice or her face; she and the rest of the cast acted out this 2000-page script in a bare room kitted out in the latest in performance capture technology. They even developed a new method of capturing eye movement, placing small markers all around the eye to track minute muscle contractions and so basically eliminating that 'cold dead eyes' effect that has long plagued computer-generated imaging. The process is truly a sight to behold. In this sometimes testing, sometimes liberating environment, Page puts in an entrancing performance as Jodie, a character who's a pretty intense contradiction of feelings over many years of her life. "It's really bare acting," says Cage. "It's just you in this silly suit and all you can trust is your imagination, the script, the director helping you and, of course, the other actors. But it's really about acting in its pure, pure form." Because you think emotional journeys are the core of story "The idea is really to make you feel emotions that are usually rarely found in video games," says Cage. Specifically, rather than stress, competition and (a hopefully cathartic) rage, there's more hurt, mourning, nervousness, pride and love. Beyond's emotional palette is that of growing up, moving forward and mourning (Cage was inspired to write the story after the death of someone close to him). While there's plenty of this kind of exploration going on in indie games, such as That Game Company's phenomenal Journey, Beyond is perhaps the only big-budget, high-production-value game with this agenda. "We really tried to put you in the shoes of this young woman," says Cage. "You will feel like you've known her since she was a kid because you've been with her in the happy and difficult moments of her life, you know what she went through and where she comes from. My hope is that by the time you are done with the game and you turn off the console you will be a little bit sad, because you may never see her again." Because you won't get stuck on level 6 Or any level before or after. Beyond is all about the consequences your actions have on a life. And just like life, there are no do-overs. Instead, the game will funnel you on to the next chapter, via a slightly different road. Get caught by the cops? Maybe your invisible friend can help you out of those cuffs. Asphyxiate in a fire? Here's that 'come toward the light' sequence you were definitely going to see at some point. You will not keep dying at that one tricky spot in perpetuity. That means no matter your skills, Beyond will take you about 12 hours to play through. The control scheme is also a bit different and quite simple — an annoyance to some regular gamers but great for newbies. Quantic Dream have carefully designed the gameplay to be so integrated into the story that it's basically invisible, and at its best moments, it's very elegant. The goal is not to pull you out of the story with the trials of a complex controller dance but to allow you to lose yourself in it. And if it's the controller itself that unnerves you, Beyond even allows you to sync up your Android or iOS device and use familiar swipes and taps instead. Because you won't be able to help it Beyond has its successes and failures it's true, but its single-minded inventiveness is so inspiring, film and new media makers are lapping it up. It's a bold step in the direction of 'convergence', which sees film and games blend, borrow from each other and sometimes forge something completely new. Don't play it now and you'll instead see some flicker of it, in some medium, some time in the future. Beyond: Two Souls is out now on PS3.
If you live in Brisbane, you’ve heard all about the city’s connections with Asia; we are the home of the Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, and the new Brisbane Asia Pacific Film Festival, after all. Since 2013, the BrisAsia Festival has also been on that list, paying homage to the culture of our neighbours. This year’s program features another mix of traditional and contemporary Asian arts, channelled into events across Brisbane. It all kicks off at the Opening Night party on February 6 at Reddacliff Place, as headlined by The Bombay Royale, but the fun really is just beginning. Dance in cosplay to DJs, cook a variety of South-East Asian desserts or learn how to play Mahjong. Hear traditional Japanese music in Mt Coot-tha’s Japanese garden, watch Asian short films in Chinatown for Lunar New Year, or paddle a 12-metre dragon boat from Breakfast Creek. Then there’s our pick: the too-cute-for words world of amigurumi — or knitted and crocheted small stuffed animals — as found in the city’s oldest laneways.
True Detective started with Matthew McConaughey (The Rivals of Amziah King) and Woody Harrelson (Last Breath) as its leads. Next came Taylor Kitsch (American Primeval), Colin Farrell (The Penguin) and Rachel McAdams (Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret). Mahershala Ali (Jurassic World Rebirth) and Stephen Dorff (Bride Hard) did the honours, too, followed by Jodie Foster (Nyad) and Kali Reis (Rebuilding). And if the world is lucky, Nicolas Cage (The Surfer) could join that list. Variety is reporting that Cage is in talks to star in True Detective's fifth season — which The Hollywood Reporter notes is expected to arrive in 2027. So far, the only details confirmed include that the new episodes will be set in New York's Jamaica Bay area, and that Tigers Are Not Afraid filmmaker Issa López, who wrote and directed every one episode of True Detective: Night Country, is due to return. [caption id="attachment_793116" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jim Bridges/HBO[/caption] Cage can and has played everyone from Dracula, a man who thinks he's a vampire, himself, a heartbroken lumberjack and an alpaca-milking dad to black-and-white film noir-style Spider-Man, twins, an Elvis obsessive, a terrorist switching faces with an FBI agent, a man everyone dreams about, a serial killer and an Aussie expat who just wants to hit the waves at his childhood beach (and much, much more). A cop on the case in True Detective? It'd be dream casting. The series was renewed for season five after its fourth season dropped in January 2024 and became the most-watched season of the show ever. Across the show's run, it's always been a case of new batch of episodes, new police officers, new case, as the series has been delivering since 2014. "Issa Lopez is that one-of-a-kind, rare talent that speaks directly to HBO's creative spirit. She helmed True Detective: Night Country from start to finish, never once faltering from her own commendable vision, and inspiring us with her resilience both on the page and behind the camera," said Francesca Orsi, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming, Head of HBO Drama Series and Films, back when season five was revealed. "From conception to release, Night Country has been the most beautiful collaboration and adventure of my entire creative life. HBO trusted my vision all the way, and the idea of bringing to life a new incarnation of True Detective with Casey, Francesca and the whole team is a dream come true. I can't wait to go again," added Lopez. There's obviously no trailer yet for True Detective season five, but check out the full trailer for True Detective: Night Country below: Season five of True Detective doesn't yet have a release date, but we'll update you when more details are announced. True Detective: Night Country streams via Max in Australia and Neon in New Zealand. Read our review. Via Variety/The Hollywood Reporter. Top image: Jason Bollenbacher/SXSW Conference & Festivals via Getty Images.
Summer in Australia must've treated Kesha well at the beginning of 2025, because she has just confirmed a return visit in 2026. In January, the pop star ventured Down Under for two gigs, playing a House of Kesha show in Sydney and also the Australian Open's music lineup in Melbourne. Next year, she'll be taking to the stage at a series of headline concerts around the country, with stops in four cities confirmed so far. Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth are on the two-time Grammy-nominee's itinerary when she brings The Tits Out tour this way. The gigs are part of the biggest headline run of Kesha's career so far, which kicked off in July 2025 in the US and also has European shows locked in for March 2026. In Australia, Riverstage in the Queensland capital is the singer's first destination, hitting up the venue on Thursday, February 19. She'll also play Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne on Sunday, February 22; Adelaide's AEC Arena on Tuesday, February 24; and Perth HPC on Thursday, February 26. At the time of writing, there's no Sydney gig on the agenda to date — but if you want to start speculating about a Harbour City stop, it's worth noting that Kesha will be in the country during 2026's Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. It's taking place from Friday, February 13–Sunday, March 1, with the parade on Saturday, February 28. No lineup details have been announced as yet. [caption id="attachment_975223" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brendan Walter[/caption] With ten top-ten singles across her career so far, plus six albums under her belt — 2023's Gag Order and 2025's Period among them — Kesha has no shortage of tunes to draw upon live. 'JOYRIDE', 'TiK ToK', 'Only Love Can Save Us Now', 'Your Love Is My Drug', 'Take It Off' and 'We R Who We R' are among the tracks on her current setlist. Kesha is making the trip Down Under in what's already a big month for tours, with February 2026 also welcoming Lorde's Australian shows and seeing G Flip kick off their next national run of gigs. Kesha The Tits Out 2026 Australian Tour Dates Thursday, February 19 — Riverstage, Brisbane Sunday, February 22 — Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne Tuesday, February 24 — AEC Arena, Adelaide Thursday, February 26 — Perth HPC, Perth Kesha is touring Australia in February 2026, with ticket presales from 10am on Tuesday, August 5, 2025 and general sales from 10am on Friday, August 8, 2025 — head to the tour website for more details. Top image: Ryan Bakerink/FilmMagic.
Let's be honest. Buying something for your dad gets harder every single year. He doesn't need another hardware store gift voucher and he's probably still working his way through the bottle of whisky you got him three years ago. What he does want is to see you happy and to spend more time together. Now, you can do both at once. That's the beauty of an experience over a gift. You get to do it together, talk about it for years — and secretly — you get to choose the thing you've actually been wanting to do. Dad will be happy just to come along for the ride. So, whether he's a rev head, a big softie, or somewhere in between, these dad-approved ideas in and around Brisbane are the perfect way to spend the day. Here are seven experiences you can gift for Father's Day. Take a V8 for a Spin at Queensland Raceway This one's for the dads who claim to have taught you everything you know about driving. With this experience, you can let him prove it. At Queensland Raceway, he'll get to drive five solo laps in a real V8 race car — then switch seats and hold on tight as a pro driver takes over for three full-speed passenger laps. It's fast, loud and exactly the kind of Father's Day gift your dad won't be expecting. And if you're up for it too? You can book back-to-back sessions and make it a full family showdown. Book a V8 race car drive experience here. Spend Half a Day Learning to Drift If your dad wants even more adrenaline, this drifting experience (also at Queensland Raceway) will take things up a notch. It's a half-day session where he'll learn the art of controlled chaos in a purpose-built drift car, including skills like high-speed slides, tyre smoke and plenty of sideways action. With pro instructors guiding him through each step, he'll be pulling off smooth drifts in no time. If you want to see him go full fast and furious, this one's a must. Book a drifting experience here. [caption id="attachment_961956" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] default[/caption] Climb Brisbane's Story Bridge at Twilight For a change of pace, skip the cars and take dad to the top of Story Bridge instead. This twilight climb is something you can enjoy doing together, and gives you panoramic views of the Brisbane River, CBD and beyond — with the golden-hour glow making it even more special. The climb is guided, safe and surprisingly peaceful, with just enough height to feel like an adventure. Plus, the view from the summit makes for a pretty unbeatable photo together. Book a story bridge climb here. Grab Breakfast at Farm House, Kedron For a proper Father's Day breakfast before a day of adventures, head to Farm House in Kedron. It's a local favourite for big brekkies, specialty coffee and country-style charm without going too far from the city. Here you'll find eggs benedict, hash browns and fresh juice all made with ingredients from local family farms and food producers. It's also dog-friendly, so dad can bring along his fur baby too. Go on a Fishing Charter If adrenaline spikes aren't really your dad's vibe, maybe fishing is. Queensland has heaps of options when it comes to getting out on the water. You can choose from half-day or full-day fishing experiences on the Sunshine Coast or the Gold Coast, which will see you and dad head out on a boat for a few relaxed hours of casting lines, meeting new friends and, if you're lucky, reeling in something for dinner. Book a fishing charter here. Watch the Sunrise From a Hot Air Balloon This hot air balloon experience ticks every box for a great Father's Day gift. You'll take off just before sunrise from Ipswich, then spend 60 blissful minutes floating above the Scenic Rim, Great Dividing Ranges and Moreton Bay. Your pilot has over 32 years of experience and will spend the trip telling you all about the balloon and surrounding areas. Once you've landed, breakfast and coffee is served for some good quality time with dad. Book a hot air balloon here. Book Dinner at Agnes in Fortitude Valley Finish strong with a booking at Agnes, one of Brisbane's most acclaimed restaurants and a guaranteed way to impress dad. The entire menu is cooked over open flame, including meats, seafood and even desserts, which gives everything a smoky flavour that always hits the spot. There's also a great wine list and impeccable service. If your dad loves good food (who doesn't?) then this is the move. This Father's Day, skip the shops and choose an experience you'll both remember. Whether it's a surprise flight, a hot lap or a bridge climb, the most important thing is that you get to spend time together. Book dad an adventure with Adrenaline — five-year validity, instant delivery and memories made together.
What runs the film world right now? Concert flicks, which are having a big-screen moment again. In the space of mere months, three huge examples of the genre will play cinemas worldwide, much to the delight of folks who like getting their movie and music fix in one go. First comes Taylor Swift's Eras tour concert film in October. In Australia, Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense, aka the best concert flick ever made, will return to picture palaces in November. And now RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ will do the same worldwide from December. Beyoncé is no stranger to splashing her sets across a screen, after HOMECOMING: A Film By Beyoncé did exactly that on Netflix back in 2019. That movie covered the superstar singer's time on the Coachella stage, and came with a 40-track live album as well. This time, Bey is focusing on her 56-performance, 39-city world RENAISSANCE tour in support of the 2022 album of the same name. Now wrapped up after starting in Stockholm in Sweden in May and finishing in Kansas City, Missouri in the US on Sunday, October 1, the RENAISSANCE tour featured everything from 'Dangerously in Love 2', 'Cuff It', 'Formation' and 'Run the World (Girls)' to 'Crazy in Love', 'Love On Top', 'Drunk in Love' and 'America Has a Problem'. Sadly, audiences in Australia or New Zealand haven't experienced that setlist for themselves, with the tour skipping Down Under shows so far. Accordingly, RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ is the first chance for Bey fans in this part of the world to join in without heading overseas. "When I am performing, I am nothing but free," says Beyoncé in the just-released trailer for the new concert flick, which dropped along with the news that the movie exists. "The goal for this tour was to create a place where everyone is free," the musician continues, in a sneak peek that includes behind-the-scenes glimpses, crowd shots and, of course, spectacular concert footage. RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ charts the tour from its first show until its last, as well as the hard work and technical mastery that went into it on- and off-stage, as 2.7-million-plus fans have seen in person. In North America, it'll hit cinemas on Friday, December 1, and play for at least four weeks from Thursday–Sunday, including in IMAX. Exactly when the film will debut Down Under hasn't been revealed as yet — nor where the movie will screen — but prepare for lift off ASAP afterwards. Check out the trailer for RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ below: RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ will start screening in North America from Friday, December 1, with opening dates in other locations still to be announced — we'll update you when Australia and New Zealand details are revealed. Images: Julian Dakdouk / Mason Poole.
Imagine that you're 22, you're settling into your chosen career and you're suddenly the name on everyone's lips. Imagine you've gone from never seeing an episode of the past decade's biggest TV sensation to starring in its prequel, in fact. In other words, imagine that you're Australian actor Milly Alcock, who has had a better, brighter and more chaotic 2022 than the rest of us. Before August, the Sydney-born talent was best known for an impressive resume of homegrown parts. Now, she's forever the young Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen in HBO's Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon. Ask Alcock what the year has been like and she's candid. "It's all weird. One day you're you, and then suddenly someone places value on you," she advises. "And you're like 'why me? Why me? Okay, I guess I'll take it. I guess I'll run with it'. So life's been weird, wacky and wonderful, basically, but yeah, it's been such a big year. This year feels like the longest year of my life but in the best possible way." Alcock is chatting with Concrete Playground on the phone from the UK, where she shot House of the Dragon in 2021, and where she's now based as her international career takes off. But after working her way through roles on Australian shows such as Wonderland, Janet King, A Place to Call Home, Pine Gap, Fighting Season and Les Norton, she knows the part that made 2022's dreams happen: her AACTA-nominated role on Upright. Created by Chris Taylor from The Chaser, the show's' first season cast her as Meg, a 13-year-old pretending to 16 who literally collides with Tim Minchin's Lucky while she's running away across the country. An odd-couple dynamic ensues, and so did one of 2019's Aussie TV standouts. Three years later, a second season is here. This time, the headstrong, whip-smart Meg is 17 and no longer speeding across the desert. But Upright wouldn't be Upright if it didn't send Meg and Lucky on another soul-searching, life-defining road trip, this time to Far North Queensland to find Meg's mum. The old adage proves true once again: it isn't just about the destination but the journey. At the heart of the show is a sense of connection and solace, as two lost souls forge a bond that helps them process their individual struggles. That means that Upright's lead performances couldn't be more pivotal; indeed, without Alcock and Minchin as Meg and Lucky, it wouldn't be the success it is, let alone have returned for season two. With Upright's second season now airing on Foxtel and streaming via Binge, Alcock fills us in on the series that helped bring her to attention, making the leap to 2022's biggest TV blockbuster, playing determined young women and handling everything that House of the Dragon's fame has brought her. ON INITIALLY GETTING CAST IN UPRIGHT "You just read the audition scene for Meg and you're like: 'I want to play this character'. You don't even usually see those types of characters on Australian telly at all, and I felt such a kinship with her as soon as I read her on the page. Then when I met Tim, I was like 'please hire, please hire me, this is incredible!'. I owe my Upright my career, because it gave me such a beautiful body of work at such a young age." ON MAKING UPRIGHT'S FIRST SEASON "It was incredibly exciting. I was 18, I just dropped out of school, and I went and travelled around Australia for three months shooting a TV show. I'd never worked like that in my life — I'd never gotten a part like that ever, and I just wanted to do it so well. I just remember being like 'I can't fuck this up, I have to do it right, I have to do it right, I have to nail it, I have to make sure I'm making all the right choices and looking after myself and everything'. I was travelling around and I was without my family, and it got a bit difficult, but it was a massive learning experience." ON RETURNING FOR UPRIGHT'S SECOND SEASON "I didn't think that a second season was going to happen because of the way the story wrapped up — and the time passes. I was like, 'oh it's been three years, we're not going to do another one'. But we did. Meg is such a beautiful person and I'm always excited to talk about Meg, and play Meg." ON CO-LEADING UPRIGHT WITH TIM MINCHIN "We're friends; we just get on and act. And we just go 'these people have chemistry, let's give them the kind of chemistry that this scene warrants because of where they're at in their heads'. I think that Lucky is a bit of a mentor to Meg without her wanting to admit it. He's the only parental figure in her life that kind of guides her in any way. I think Tim and I's relationship reflects that narrative a bit, and we pull from that." ON JUMPING FROM AUSTRALIAN TV TO A HUGE HBO PRODUCTION "It was incredibly daunting. It was the most amount of fear I've felt in my entire life because I was like 'if you fuck this up, you're not going get to another chance'. It really felt like I had to prove myself very quickly, and I wanted to. I was Australian. Everyone was British. It was the pandemic. I didn't get to see my family while we were shooting. I didn't know anyone in London. So I really focused on my work because it was why I was there. I was there to do a job. But quickly, you realise that it's all the same, people are lovely and they're the same — and just the way that it functions is different and bigger because there's more cogs in the machine than there is in a smaller production like Upright, and like other jobs I've done before. I met a lot of amazing people and a lot of beautiful people, and they saw me and were like 'okay, we've got to look out for this one because she's a long way from home'. I was mortified for the first three months, basically. Yeah, absolutely mortified." ON NOT WATCHING GAME OF THRONES UNTIL BOOKING HOUSE OF THE DRAGON "When Game of Thrones is like 'we're doing prequel auditions', and you haven't really done a lot of acting before like I had, you're like 'oh yeah, of course I'm going to audition for this'. It's a massive show — not only a big show, but a very well-written show. It had great characters, and a great story, too. I was like 'yeah, of course'. But I hadn't seen the show before. I knew of it. I knew the accolades, I knew the reputation it had, I knew the status of it, but I hadn't seen it until I booked the job. It was incredibly exciting but also incredibly daunting, because I was like 'oh fuck, I have to do this. I have to live up to that. I don't know if I can do that'. It was exciting and scary. It was a rollercoaster, but you just keep going up. I haven't gone down yet. Then I read a bit of Fire & Blood. I wanted to really get an understanding of what was at stake in this world and be able to contextualise it into the world that we live in on earth. I would go to the library and just kind of study, basically. I would make graphs on what the houses are, what that means, what their titles were, what their status was like in our kind of world — all to understand it." ON PLAYING STRONG, DETERMINED YOUNG WOMEN "That's the way the jobs have landed because until House of the Dragon, I haven't been able to pick and choose — I still can't really pick and choose. I'm so young, I'm still starting out. With House of the Dragon, I was working against amazing actors — Paddy Considine and Rhys Ifans and Matt Smith — who have had a very big and beautiful and broad careers that I admire. I think that it's difficult because on one side, I want to play everyone. But then on the other hand, I know I'll read a script and be like 'this is a great part but I know I'm not that girl'. You just read a part and you're like 'I just can't play her, I'm just not her. In my heart and in my soul, I know I'm not her'. Unless you're a phenomenal character actor like Paddy, like Meryl Streep, like all those kind of legends, you kind of have to lean into parts of who you are. I think that I've been so lucky that there's parts of me that people have picked out and been like 'you can play that role'." ON THE CHANGE THAT HOUSE OF THE DRAGON HAS BROUGHT "I didn't expect anything. I didn't go in expecting anything with this. I think I was protecting myself, because everyone was like 'it could be a flop because it's a prequel'. But I think very early on, we realised that it had a lot of potential just from reading the script alone — but no, I didn't prepare myself at all. I just thought that if nothing comes of this, my life stays exactly the same. If something comes of it, everything changes. I think that for me to be able to do the work while we were shooting, I needed to not get swept up in what could happen because I needed to really focus. The opportunities have changed massively. People around me have changed. A Pandora's box has been opened, and I got to have a little peek inside. I think that just the way that people treat me is a bit different, which is the hardest thing to grapple with. It's weird. One day you're just you and then you're not. And you're like 'why am I chosen, what made me so special?'. I don't see it because I see me every day, I can feel the good bits and the ugly bits — especially the ugly bits, because you're stuck with yourself. It's just tricky. I mean, I'm 22 — I still can barely use a washing machine, let alone [process] what all of this is. But the most important thing is just keeping the right people around me and keeping my head on my shoulders, having that screwed on right — which I think I'm doing." Upright screens on Foxtel and streams via Binge, with both seasons available to watch in full. House of the Dragon's first season is available via Foxtel and Binge. Read our full review.
Spoiler warning: this interview incudes specifics about The Survivors if you haven't watched the full series before reading. "Being new," Thom Green offers. "If it's fresh. If you haven't tackled it before. That's always a good drawcard, right?". "I really love a strong perspective in storytelling," adds Shannon Berry. "Good team, good filmmaker," pipes back in Green. "If it's someone you've always wanted to work with, whether that be a director or producer, a writer, an actor or an actress, that's always another good keyword or a key factor when picking a job," he furthers. And for Berry, too, " I think well-written". She continues: "I love reading scripts. Scripts are the baseline for everything, and I think when you get a script and it's just really good and you can really imagine everything, that's what's super exciting. It's reading a script and you go 'I cannot wait to see how this turns out' — or 'I cannot wait to be a part of it'." These are some of the pivotal elements that Green and Berry, co-stars in The Survivors, look for in a new project. With the six-part Netflix adaptation of Jane Harper's 2020 novel of the same name, they've ticked those boxes. Green comes to the series with a packed resume that already spans Beneath Hill 60, Dance Academy, Halo, Downriver, Eden, Of an Age, Ladies in Black, Exposure and Apple Cider Vinegar, to name just a few of his previous credits. Berry is an alum of Offspring, Romper Stomper, The Wilds, Foe, Winner, High Country, Fake, Watson and more. The pair have encountered all of these crucial aspects before, then, but bringing an adaptation of such an acclaimed author's work to the screen — a writer whose Aaron Falk books have proven huge hits on the big screen as The Dry and Force of Nature — was always going to stand out. In The Survivors, Green plays Sean Gilroy, one of two of characters who lost their older brothers to a tragedy 15 years prior. When Toby Gilroy and Finn Elliott attempted to rescue the latter's sibling Kieran (Charlie Vickers, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power) from flooding coastal caves during a storm and didn't make it home, the scenic Tasmanian town of Evelyn Bay was forever changed. Kieran left quickly. Sean remained. Their respective parents — Damien Garvey (Nugget Is Dead?: A Christmas Story) and Robyn Malcolm (After the Party) portray Brian and Verity Elliott, Martin Sacks (Darby and Joan) is Julian Gilroy — are understandably still haunted by their grief a decade and a half later. As the anniversary of the incident approaches, Kieran comes home, his partner Mia Chang (Bridgerton season four's Yerin Ha), another ex-local, plus their new baby with him. The pain of a loss like this won't ever subside. The town's close-knit community hasn't been telling itself the full story, though. Everyone knows that someone else went missing on the same day that Toby and Finn drowned, but 14-year-old Gabby Birch's (Eloise Rothfield, How to Make Gravy) disappearance isn't treated in the same way. Berry plays recent arrival Bronte, who is staying with Gabby's sister Olivia (Jessica De Gouw, The Union), has become close with her fraying mother Trish (Catherine McClements, Apple Cider Vinegar) and is so furious that the teen's absence keeps being overlooked that she begins investigating it herself. With Kieran's return at its core, The Survivors charts the past lingering over and colliding with the present in multiple ways, then, including when there's another tragedy and the police start searching for a killer. [caption id="attachment_1008349" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Graham Denholm/Getty Images for Organic PR.[/caption] With George Mason (Black Snow), Miriama Smith (End of the Valley), Johnny Carr (Strange Creatures), Julian Weeks (Prosper) and Don Hany (Neighbours) also among the cast, Australia's newest Harper adaptation is filled with folks grappling with trauma, no matter where their tale starts or ends. Some have lived it for much of their lives. Others are determined to interrogate it. In their roles, Green and Berry are tasked with tackling the reality in different ways. Sean might appear externally laidback, but he's clearly deeply impacted by the events of 15 years ago. Bronte views Evelyn Bay, plus Gabby's disappearance and Finn and Toby's deaths, with outsider eyes — and, while making friends and settling in, even if only briefly, is driven to do what she can to redress a wrong. Being cast in The Survivors was an exciting prospect for both Green and Berry for an array of reasons — those key factors listed above and more. Green was already a fan of the book, while Berry revelled in the experience of reading it knowing that she'd be stepping into its tale. What does being part of a series like this mean to the two Australian talents? What did they initially see that they could bring to Sean and Bronte? When an intimate dynamic among a tightly bound community teeming with secrets and complicated family dynamics is so pivotal, how do you cultivate that with your co-stars? They're some of the other topics that we dug into with Green and Berry, alongside leaving an imprint in a limited time, the sense of responsibility that accompanies translating Harper's novel to the screen, the long-running appeal of murder-mysteries in Australia and more. On Being a Part of a Tasmania-Set Mystery Series About Tragedies Past and Present Colliding — and One That Adapts a Jane Harper Novel Shannon: "Well, this was my first time going to Tassie. I've never been to Tassie before. So it was amazing to come with the show. And I was just so excited to work with so many Aussie legends. And I've worked before with both Cherie Nowlan [The Irrational] and Ben Lucas [Nautilus], the directors, so it was really exciting to come back together with them again. And I think just it's really amazing to tell Australian stories and to film them here, and to show how beautiful our country is. Tasmania is just such a beautiful place, it kind of became a character within itself. And that's what I really loved about it." Thom: "I think for me, I loved the book. I absolutely adore the book. So that was a huge reason why I wanted to do it. Tasmania as well. I love Tasmania. And then it was the cast. It was the cast, and Cherie and I had worked together on Dance Academy so many years ago, and so that was also — there were so many factors on why I wanted to come do this. But I think that it was the book, mainly, because I was such a big fan. I was like 'I've got to be a part of this'." On Green and Berry's Starting Points with The Survivors on the Page — and Their Approaches to Helping Bring the Book to the Screen Thom: "I read it the year it came out — and then when I was cast in this, I didn't actually go back to the book. I knew the story, but I think I was actually drawing more from stuff I'd seen, to give it my own flavour. So that was building the wardrobe, and the hair and makeup, and you're building all that. So I didn't go back to the book. I didn't try to draw anything from that. I decided to take a step back and do my own thing, so hopefully it did it justice." Shannon: "I read the book. I had read The Dry previously, so I was familiar with her work. Love The Dry. But I had not read The Survivors until I found out that I was cast on the show. So that was super exciting. I think it's such a rare experience to read a book for the first time and see your character's name and go 'that's me' — which was just a really cool, really cute experience. And I'm a huge reader. I love to read. So it was just really special to read it and imagine myself in that world and imagine all the potential. And I think it's been absolutely amazing to watch it. It makes me giddy to think about." Thom: "Yeah, it's one of those things as well, like you can do jobs and sometimes the experiences can be less than glamorous — and this was actually so much fun. We all just got along so well as well, so it just makes it, you go into work each day enjoying it, and then you're wrapping for the day and everyone's hanging out with each other. And it reads on the screen." Shannon: "100 percent." Thom: "It always reads on screen." On Building the Show's Close-Knit Character Dynamic with the Rest of the Cast Shannon: "I feel they made it so easy. It got to the point where I knew I wasn't going to be working on it for a whole lot of time, and meeting you all, I then got very jealous that I wasn't going to be able to spend as much time with you guys [to Thom] as the rest of them — because everyone was just so lovely and so welcoming, and it very quickly really did feel like a family vibe. I always feel that when I step into Aussie spaces with Aussie cast and crew. Everyone's just absolutely the best. So I did feel quite jealous when all of my stuff was done and I had to leave you guys to your own devices." Thom: "I think a good indicator is that, what, it's been 14 months since we wrapped, and George Mason was Facetiming me yesterday from Perth, from his next job, to have a yarn. So that's just a good indicator of how well we all got along." [caption id="attachment_1008351" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Graham Denholm/Getty Images for Organic PR.[/caption] On What Green and Berry Were Excited to Bring to Sean and Bronte Thom: "I think that I felt very comfortable talking to Tony [Nowhere Boys, Glitch, Stateless, Clickbait and Fires' Ayres, who is behind The Survivors' streaming adaptation] and to Ben and to Cherie about the complexity of Sean. So that I felt I was able to bring — from my first take, I remember thinking 'I think I know how to do this'. And you kind of do your take and you sort of go 'well, this is what I think'. And Tony came back and said 'that's what we think as well'. So talking to Ben, there's so many layers. Everyone, every single character in this story, has layers. But I think that was what I felt — that's the part I'm quite happy with what I did, was that vulnerability and intelligence." Shannon: "I think with me, I really enjoyed relating to Bronte. We both moved out really young, moved across the country to a different place, and had to make our own friends and find our own way. So that was really exciting, reading the book, to relate to her in that way. And also talking with Cherie a lot about her art project, and she's so passionate about what she does, and I really relate to her in that sense as well. So it was really exciting to talk about her shared passions and how that drives her in this universe. And I just really related to that a lot. So that was super exciting, to remind me of my young days." Thom: "I'm going to say as well, but for Shannon, Shannon wasn't with us the entire time. So when an actor has to come on, and only come in to do a day or two, and then knock it out of the park and get on the plane and leave — that's a testament to Shannon." On the Task of Conveying the Impact of Trauma in Layered Performances Thom: "It takes a lot. You've got to really sit with the script for a while, I think. It sounds really morbid to think, but if you've dealt with it, you can draw from that — if you dealt with it your personal life. Some people don't like to do that. Some people do. I like to — I do sometimes. I feel like it helps. But I think it just takes a lot of time of sitting with the director and really fleshing out each layer, as I was previously mentioning — fleshing out each single layer and just building on top of it. So when you get on the set and you're setting up for the take and you look at the director, you go 'okay, now what do we need to remember? This, on top of this, on top of this, on top of this'. And then as long as you're thinking, it usually shows in your eyes and your body. That's how I approach it." Shannon: "Yeah, taking it with the instinct on the day. You've done all your research." Thom: "Yeah. Yeah. Exactly right. You're letting it go. How about you?" Shannon: "Yeah, I agree. I agree with everything that you said. Because a lot of Bronte exploring Evelyn Bay and this, she has this whole relationship with Trish that we never get to see in the show but is so prevalent and so alive throughout conversations — I think a lot of it was, yeah, sitting with the script and thinking a lot about 'what would those conversations have been like?' What would their relationship have been like?'. And having that in the back of my brain. So then, when I went in on the day thinking about where I had met these people before, even where I'd met Sean, when we meet each other, and thinking about how I met Ash [Mason's character] — I think it was just doing a lot of prep, and I write a lot of diaries for characters that I do sometimes. So I wrote a lot in Bronte's POV about where I met those people and what we had done together, and then coming in with that. And then just going on the day with instinct." Thom: "Then, I think on top of that as well, so if you've seen very strong series that deal with it and seeing what works — like what affects you when you watch it? What part of the show do you like? You know, in shows you might watch. So that's another visual to draw from, going 'okay, well that works on camera for that type of genre' — especially for this, the mystery, the murder-mystery genre in particular. You watch some of your favourites, there's too many titles to name right now, but watching what you enjoyed the most of that and going 'okay, can I use that? Can I take a little bit from that and a little bit from that, and put it all together in my little tool chest?'." On Leaving an Imprint and Making the Most of Your Character's Scenes When They're So Pivotal to the Narrative Shannon: "I think before doing the show, it reminded me a lot of Twin Peaks — it reminded me a lot of Laura Palmer. So I was privately calling myself the Laura Palmer of the show. But I think it was definitely a challenge to make sure that — I think the most important thing, for me rocking up, was making sure that I had a strong sense of self within her. And that I had a strong sense of who she was, what her dreams were and why she was there. And yeah, I think it was just made really easy by the fact meeting everyone and getting to work with you [to Thom] and getting to work with everyone, it was easy for her to feel fleshed out and like I belonged — which I think made it a whole lot easier." [caption id="attachment_1008350" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Graham Denholm/Getty Images for Organic PR.[/caption] On Expressing a Laidback Air, Alongside Pain and Vulnerability, in a Storyline That's Keeping Audiences Guessing Thom: "It's so difficult trying to, that balancing act. I still remember days on set with Cherie — and particularly with Cherie with her episodes, and going 'we need to do this again because of A, B and C', and then having to say 'well, we don't, we can't show our hand too early. We can't show this. We can't show that'. So trying to mask certain things. We're trying to throw a curveball. I kept saying to Cherie my biggest thing was trying to mask one aspect with another, and that was trying to help throw people off for the whole thing. But you're 100-percent right, just trying to convey that, it's really tricky. You really need to go through each episode and see where your character's come from, where they're going, and make sure you're following that line, that throughline, the entire way through. Otherwise, people who watch it will go 'that doesn't make sense. Why was this person doing this after doing this?'. I think in the end, I think we did pretty good. I think we did pretty good with keeping that balance. But it's hard to say, right? You watch something and you're like 'could have done this, could have done this'. It's very, very hard — I think, probably the hardest I've had to do that." On Whether Any Pressure Comes with Starring in an Adaptation of a Well-Loved Novel From an Author Whose Other Books Have Already Sparked Hit Films Thom: "I think so. Definitely. The Dry was so successful. And you've got Eric Bana — then you've got Force of Nature with Anna Torv. And then it's like, then you're like 'alright, now it's Shannon and Tom and The Survivors'." Shannon: "I think at the end of the day, you just want to make sure you're walking away, when you're doing the job and then also when you finally get to see it, that you have that feeling of doing it justice." Thom: "Yeah, you're right." Shannon: "And that you feel like you've done the best that you can." Thom: "Yeah, 100 percent." Shannon: "I think I'm really happy. Are you happy? [to Thom]" Thom: "I'm happy. But we had a good team. Like Tony, and Andy Walker [The Survivors' producer, Deadloch], were ... " Shannon: "Amazing." Thom: "I think at times, I don't know about you but for me, it only really dawns on me, I think, when someone like yourself [to Concrete Playground] raises that or brings that up. On set, it didn't feel like that. On set, it just felt like we were making a cool project with our friends and a cool crew. And then afterwards, you go 'oh yeah, shit, that's right. This is — yeah, we're in good company here'." On Why Murder-Mysteries Seem to Strike Such a Chord in Australia — Whether We're Making Them, Watching Them or Both Thom: "It's like when that time — was it like 2010? — when Nordic noir really blew up with Trapped. And I inhaled Trapped and Fortitude, all on SBS On Demand, and it was like then it exploded. And then The Bridge was also happening at the same time, and the American adaptation. And there was Broadchurch. So it was all happening elsewhere, and I think Aussies just flocked to it. As to say why, are we just perverse? Do we just want to watch it?" Shannon: "I think maybe also, I think Australia as an environment is so vast, and I think it's just such an excellent backdrop, too, to a lot of murder-mystery." Thom: "Yeah." Shannon: "Like you think of really good shows like Mystery Road, and there's all of that desert. We always just have such beautiful landscapes for such devastatingly twisted stories, which I think there's something to be said in that contrast." Thom: "I can't understand like the psyche, why we all love it — but I mean, I inhale them. I absolutely inhale them from everywhere, from each country. So I think now, it's like we've got some cracker series that are murder-mysteries, and I'm sure there's more to come. But as to saying why, like why we and devour them so much, I don't know. But hopefully people ... " Shannon: "Devour this one." Thom: " … devour this one the same." On What Green and Berry Make of Their Respective Paths to The Survivors Thom: "My foundation is coming from — I mean, my first job was a murder-mystery, actually, now that I'm remembering. It was actually a murder-mystery for Channel Ten back in the day. But for stuff like Dance Academy, I started with young-adult television, and then I think mine was quite diverse. I went from that to the Halo series for Microsoft in Canada. And it was like guns and aliens. And then it's Of an Age, this romantic, queer love story set in Melbourne. And now it's this murder mystery, which is so, at times, can be quite confronting. Diverse, I think, is the keyword there." Shannon: "I think I agree. It's been — I love working in Australia, and I'm so lucky to have done so many Australian things in my time. And yeah, I think I'm just really lucky to be able to sit here and say 'yeah, I'm an actor. I did it'. I'm from Perth originally, so it was always that feeling of isolation being in Perth and wanting to do acting. But I've just been really lucky. And I've been really lucky to do a lot of incredible things, meet so many incredible people. And then, yeah, getting to work with Cherie and Ben both on The Wilds, separate seasons, and coming back to work with them again, was just such a treat. I've just been really lucky. I think that's the main word, lucky. I'm so honoured to be able to do a lot of things in Australia and beyond." The Survivors streams via Netflix from Friday, June 6, 2025. Images: courtesy of Netflix © 2025.
If you're looking for your latest glimpse of the next Star Wars movie, there's no need to travel to a galaxy far, far away, because the full final trailer has just dropped in this one. Two months before the main franchise's ninth episode (and 11th theatrical flick overall) hits cinemas, Disney has delivered its last sneak peek of Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker — as well as reiterating the claim that this flick will end the whole Skywalker saga. Don't worry — more Star Wars movies are definitely in the works, courtesy of two big-screen spinoff trilogies by Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi helmer Rian Johnson and Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, respectively. Just next month, new TV series The Mandalorian will start screening on Disney's new streaming platform as well. An Obi-Wan Kenobi-focused television show is also in development, with Ewan McGregor returning as the beloved Jedi master. And, even if The Rise of Skywalker wants to tell us otherwise for now, we have a good feeling that we won't see the last of all of the other Star Wars characters that everyone already knows and loves. Given The Rise of Skywalker's title, the way that The Last Jedi wrapped up and the theories that have been swirling around Daisy Ridley's Rey since she was first introduced in Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens, it should come as no surprise that the scavenger-turned-pilot takes centre stage in the new trailer — as she did in the first teaser earlier this year. Also popping up are Oscar Isaac's Poe Dameron and John Boyega's ex-stormtrooper Finn, helping out the film's plucky heroine once more; Adam Driver's Kylo Ren, wielding his red lightsaber for the dark side yet again; and long-standing series favourites Chewbacca, R2-D2 and C-3PO, of course. The late Carrie Fisher features as well, with the actor's appearance as General Leia Organa made possible by using previously filmed footage. And two other familiar characters also rejoin the fold, including Billy Dee Williams' Lando Calrissian and a sinister figure who's once again heard rather than seen. The huge cast list keeps going, with Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran and Lupita Nyong'o all returning, Mark Hamill also included, and Richard E. Grant, Keri Russell and Naomi Ackie among the Star Wars newcomers. As he did with The Force Awakens, JJ Abrams also sits in the director's chair. Feel the force with the full final trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Qn_spdM5Zg Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker releases in Australian cinemas on December 19. Images: (c) 2019 and TM Lucasfilm Ltd.
There is not a lot that can beat a truly great sandwich and banh mi is right up there with the best of them. A French-influenced, Vietnamese creation, the banh mi is a delicious cultural fusion — a baguette spread with pate, butter/mayo piled with meats (preferably pork), batons of lightly pickled carrot and daikon, ribbons of cucumber, whole sprigs of coriander and maybe even a little sliced fresh chilli. Fresh and flavoursome, it is an ideal workday lunch. Though the below list of the best banh mi in Brisbane is ordered, we understand that sandwiches are a highly personal matter, so take it as a guide, not a decree. Minh Tan Bakery If you’re not lucky enough to live nearby to the Minh Tan Bakery it may be quite a trek to get there, but it is at this suburban bakery that you will find probably the best banh mi in Brisbane. On the fringes of the Inala Plaza food court, a banh mi with pork, pork mince, pork loaf or chicken will set you back $4. The bread is exceptional – crisp on the outside, soft on the inside and the fillings are top notch. It is all these factors, plus their generosity with the pate, that takes Minh Tan to the top of this list. 156 Inala Ave, Inala Plza, Inala Scotts Rd Deli In truth, it’s difficult to separate Scotts Rd Deli from Minh Tan in terms of quality. Scotts Rd Deli is a little takeaway shop in Darra, and they only offer one banh mi – a classic banh mi thit. So confident are they of their chosen speciality that its name takes up prime position on their sign ‘banh mi Thit – Pork Roll’. The bread is wonderfully flaky (first and second place on this list is bestowed primarily for the superior baguettes), the pork slow cooked and tender. At a measly $3.50, you simply can’t invent a reason to complain. Service is delightful and they sell Vietnamese iced coffee in plastic sealed cups – the perfect thing to wash down your pork roll. 146 Scotts Road, Darra Mrs Luu’s Moving closer to the CBD, prices inevitably rise and at Mr’s Luu’s the banh mi is $7. You are, however, paying in part for the privilege of eating your meal in the sunny alcove that is their shop. The three little piggies (with Viet porchetta, Viet ham and BBQ pork) is an easy favourite, but they also do grilled marinated flank steak, sweet glazed chicken fillet, soy and shallot grilled pork-chop and omelette with caramelised onions. Drinks include homemade lemonade, coconut juice, orange juice and excellent (very strong and very sweet) Vietnamese coffee. 25 Railway Terrace, Milton Cafe O-Mai At Annerley breakfast hotspot Cafe O-Mai, variety is the name of the game. The options (ranging in price from $5 to $9) abound: bacon and egg, classic pork roll, pork meatball and quail eggs, tamarind chicken, house-made crackling pork, lemongrass beef, BBQ pork, salad and tofu. With baguettes from Patisseries Bakery and De Francs in Sunnybank Hills, any choice would be a good one. 15 Cracknell Rd, Annerley Kim Thanh Hot Bread West End stalwart Kim Thanh has long held the affections of locals for their fresh bread and sweet baked goods. They do good banh mi too, particularly suited to those who prefer their baguette with a nice bit of bite and chew. banh mi thit ($4.50) is the only kind on offer, but this lack of variety is not a problem; best to do one thing well. 81 Vulture St, West End The Rice Hut A favourite amongst patrons of Jan Power’s Farmers Market, The Rice Hut’s banh mi is the priciest on this list, coming in at $8. However, the stall owners are very friendly and they drizzle their banh mi with a zesty dressing that adds a bit of punch. It’s an ideal bit of street food to munch on as you meander around the market, and the ginger beer makes for a nice accompaniment. Jan Power's Farmers Markets Rice Paper Scissors You may be inclined to pity Rice Paper Scissors for having to compete with fellow Miltonite, Mrs Luu’s. An unfortunate position on the face of it perhaps, but they do appear to hold their own. Banh mi are $7 and they season their meats and sandwiches with some atypical condiments and sauces. Fillings include ‘the classic’ (with three types of pork), ‘the brown cow’ (lemongrass beef), ‘the vegetarian’ and ‘the belly bun’ (roast pork belly). A roll here will definitely fuel you for the afternoon, and they have seating too, unlike the majority of places on this list. Shop 13, 1 Park Road, Milton The Roll Shop Not everyone can make their way out to Darra or Inala on a weekday for a sandwich, so for inner-city workers The Roll Shop is the next best thing. Banh mi are priced at $6, and they offer a wider than average variety of meats — BBQ pork, black pepper beef, lemongrass chicken, roast crackling pork and sweet glazed grilled pork. Chances are that it’s the roast crackling pork that really grabbed you, but be warned, it only becomes available after around 9.30 in the morning. Shop 2, 88 Creek Street(in Gresham Laneway), Brisbane CBD
Kangaroo Island is known for its spectacular coastal views, wildlife, wineries and pristine beaches. It's clear to see how it got on the New York Times list of the best places to visit in 2023 and our own list of the best islands to visit in Australia. To help travellers get the most out of a trip to Kangaroo Island, we decided to create this complete guide. It highlights the best places to stay, where to eat and drink and what special activities to book ahead of time — whether you're looking for adventure or a little bit of luxury. All you have to do is get yourselves there, either by ferry or plane from Adelaide. [caption id="attachment_759309" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bay of Shoals Wine by Meaghan Coles[/caption] EAT AND DRINK Straight off the ferry? Head to Millie Mae's Pantry for a full brunch made with ingredients from the kitchen garden, or pick up something to take with you for lunch while you adventure through the island. If you've stayed in Kingscote, start the day off with coffee from Cactus. It's well worth coming back later in the day for dumplings, tacos or whatever is on the menu that night. A winery tour is a must while you're in town, so make sure to hit Bay of Shoals Wines, which boasts the closest vines to the sea in the southern hemisphere. Nearby, there's also The Islander Estate Vineyards for vino made by a renowned Bordeaux winemaker and, for balance, Kangaroo Island Brewery where you can stop for lunch and try a few local cold ones. Also worth checking out on the far east side of the island is False Cape Wines — known for its minimal intervention drops — and Dudley Wines, which has incredible views and live music on the first Sunday of the month. But if organising this alone seems like too much hassle or you'd rather someone else drive you around, then wine tours are the way to go. This full-day wine and nature tour starts from Kangaroo Island and this alternative food and wine tasting safari starts from Adelaide. On each of these Kangaroo Island day trips, you'll taste great local vinos, eat some tasty local produce and get up and close with friendly Aussie wildlife. [caption id="attachment_759308" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Penneshaw Hotel by Adam Bruzzone[/caption] For the island's best fish and chips, we have to recommend KI Fresh Seafood in Kingscote. It's attached to a petrol station, but don't let that put you off — take away and enjoy on the water's edge. For a finer affair, head to dinner at Sunset Food and Wine. The modern bistro looks out over American Beach and is owned by Jack Ingram, former executive chef of Southern Ocean Lodge, a Kangaroo Island favourite that was sadly destroyed in the bushfires of 2020. The menu is stacked with fresh local seafood and produce, including rock lobster, kingfish sashimi and Kangaroo Island honeycomb. Otherwise, the Penneshaw Hotel is perched on a clifftop and offers a decent pub feed overlooking the wide open sea. And lastly, you should check out the monthly farmers and community market day at Penneshaw Oval, which also happens on the first Sunday of the month (between October and April). [caption id="attachment_759315" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Chapman River[/caption] DO If you're arriving by ferry, you'll get into Penneshaw — and from there you can head straight to Kangaroo Island Ocean Safari to swim with dolphins. In Lashmar Conservation Park, you can also watch out for wildlife as you kayak along the Chapman River to Antechamber Bay, where you'll find a lovely private beach perfect for a dip. Making your way west, seafood lovers should spend an afternoon at American River, where The Oyster Farm Shop will sort you out with fresh local oysters, marron, abalone and King George whiting, before you explore the protected wetlands of Pelican Lagoon. Of course, one of the best things about Kangaroo Island is the beaches: crystal clear, blue waters, long stretches of glittery white sand and lazy days spent soaking it all in. The best ones? Emu Bay on the island's north coast, where you can drive your car right onto the four-kilometre stretch of white sand and spend a day in the tranquil waters, or — a little further west — Snelling Beach for an epic sunset. Spend a day exploring the shops and sights of Kingscote, the island's largest town, just south of Emu Bay. Stop in at the Spinners and Weavers Shop for handmade natural fibre treasures, take a tour of Island Beehive and pick up some local honey, shop art at Shep's Studio and Fine Art Kangaroo Island, and visit Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Oil distillery. Be sure to make time for a two-hour blend-your-own-gin experience at Kangaroo Island Spirits. Next, you should head southwest to Vivonne Bay for surf and to sandboard down Little Sahara with the help of Little Sahara Adventure Centre. Alternatively, you cab join a quad bike tour to explore the grass and bushland before heading to the Seal Bay Conservation Park for a guided tour of the sea lion colony. [caption id="attachment_759307" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ecopia Retreat by Stirling West[/caption] STAY Kangaroo Island has lots of luxury accommodation and you can go off-grid in style at Stowaway Kangaroo Island. Imagine curling up in the window seat of a luxurious private cabin on the edge of Lathami Conservation Park and a privately owned sheep farm, soaking in views of the bush and ocean in the distance. Both of the cabins, aptly named The Nest and The Sleepy Hollow, come with a huge soaker bath with sweeping views, a hot tub out on the deck, a sauna and a local produce hamper. Otherwise, make yourself at home at Ecopia Villas on a vast property in the middle of the island, complete with exclusive access to the Eleanor River and hundreds of acres of wilderness. Or you can book an all-inclusive package with bespoke 4WD tours at the Sea Dragon Lodge and Villas, or fall asleep to the sound of waves crashing against the cliffs of the island's eastern-most point at Mercure Kangaroo Island Lodge within the Cape Willoughby Conservation Park. If you'd rather keep it simple (and cheap), pitch a tent at one of these gorgeous camping spots that are all mere steps from the beach and have their own toilets, barbecues and picnic facilities. These stunning sites help place Kangaroo Island on our list of the best camping spots in Australia, as voted by our readers. We aren't the only ones who love Kangaroo Island — you guys do, too. Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips in destinations all over the world. All images courtesy of the South Australia Tourism Commission.
Nestled into the fast-growing Howard Smith Wharves precinct underneath the Story Bridge, Mr Percival's looks out over the Brisbane river — and, if that's not enough, the octagonal bar and restaurant is actually perched right on top of it. Here, you can grab a beverage and a bite to eat while both peering at the snaking central waterway and sitting in a structure elevated above it. When it opened, it became Brissie's first venue of its type since Oxley's on the River in Milton was destroyed in the 2011 floods — although Mr Percival's is less about sit-down dinners and more focused on chilling out in a scenic and stylish spot. From 11am every day, Brisbanites can relax in a watering hole that's been designed with European beach clubs and the Brisbane's own park rotundas equally in mind. Think decking, six arched doorways, outdoor seats with a view underneathpink umbrellas, plus an indoor colour scheme that takes inspiration from the Mediterranean. Star windows, round lights, eye-catching wallpaper, 70s-style upholstered chairs, terracotta marble and a brass-fronted bar round out the hangout's inside decor, which was overseen by Brisbane interior designer Anna Spiro. Mr Percival's menu aims to match its look and feel. Unsurprisingly, seafood features heavily among the range of small and large plates. As for the drinks selection, it includes three types of spritz, spicy watermelon margaritas, shared cocktail jugs and more — plus rosé, bubbles, aromatic whites and light reds among the vino range. Beer-wise, Mr Percival's keeps things super local by pouring four brews from fellow HSW spot Felons through its taps. And if you're wondering about the moniker, it's a nod to Australia. Pelicans are a common waterside sight around the country, and the 1976 Aussie classic film Storm Boy — which was remade in 2019 — features a pelican called Mr Percival.
Home meal delivery providers HelloFresh and Youfoodz are in hot water with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), with the popular services accused of misleading customers over their subscription and cancellation terms. With legal proceedings underway, the ACCC claims that both HelloFresh and Youfoodz breached Australian Consumer Law by advertising that consumers could easily cancel subscriptions using their online account settings before a specified cut-off time. However, the watchdog suggests the reality was much different, with consumers only able to cancel the first delivery if they spoke with a customer service representative. Meanwhile, the ACCC statement says many customers were still charged for their first delivery after they'd attempted to cancel. "Despite what HelloFresh and Youfoodz represented to new Australian subscribers, tens of thousands of consumers were charged for their first order, even though they cancelled their subscription before the cut-off date," said ACCC Commissioner Luke Woodward. There were also widespread complaints about customers unknowingly signing up for subscriptions. Here, the ACCC alleges that HelloFresh required consumers to provide payment details to view the service's meal selection. When consumers visited the page, they were unaware they had entered into an ongoing subscription and were charged for a first delivery. Following the Australian government's recent announcement of a crackdown on misleading cancellation policies and so-called subscription traps, draft legislation is expected to arrive in early 2026. In the meantime, the ACCC is seeking compensation orders for affected consumers from HelloFresh and YouFoodz. For more information, head to the ACCC website to read the full statement.
What do The Simpsons, Star Wars and Shrek have in common? They've all graced the big screen, they clearly share a love for the letter S and they're each huge hits. Oh, and they've all inspired their own firmly adults-only stage parodies, as pop-culture favourites starting with the 19th letter of the alphabet happen to do in Australia, it seems. Somebody once told us that Swamplesque is the burlesque and drag satire of pop culture's favourite green ogre that you didn't know you needed — and we're telling you that now. (And no, nobody informed you two decades ago that the animated hit would turn out like this, because no one could've predicted it.) On the bill at the aptly named show: a irreverent and raunchy take on all things Shrek, which might share a general storyline and a fondness for the colour green with the much less satirical — and actually family-friendly — Broadway hit Shrek the Musical that came our way a few years back, but couldn't be more different in a heap of ways. Swamplesque returns to Brisbane as part of Wynnum Fringe 2023, playing George Clayton Park from Friday, November 17–Sunday, November 19. Wearing green is obviously recommended — although you'll be seeing plenty of it on-stage anyway. And if this is exactly your sense of humour when it comes to beloved pop-culture commodities, all that glitters is gold, naturally. Images: SomeFX.
Is sand crab lasagne Queensland's most famous dish? Since the early 90s, when Gillian Hirst put it on the menu at the now-closed Il Centro on Eagle Street, the seafood spin on an Italian staple has been a firm Sunshine State favourite. Your latest spot to tuck in: West Village in West End, which has added both Zazu Dining & Bar and Hirst's lasagne to its ever-growing culinary offering. The Boundary Street precinct has welcomed this newcomer on the corner of Mollison Park. Zazu Dining & Bar's menu heroes pan-Asian and modern European fare, which means tucking into tiger prawn cone spring rolls, Balkan-style beef and pork kebabs, six types of oval-shaped pizza and three kinds of dumplings, as well as bao, carpaccio and chicken karaage. Other Zazu Dining & Bar highlights include oysters with creme fraiche or pickled jalapeno and chilli floss, crispy duck pancakes, glazed pork hock pancakes and a one-kilogram slow-cooked lamb shoulder. And the lasagne? It comes in a 500-gram serving with abalone cream and black caviar, and is recommended to be shared. The dessert lineup dishes up vanilla cheesecake, sorbet and chocolate fondant — and there's no shortage of indulgences on the cocktail roster. Three daiquiris (strawberry, mango and passionfruit) sit alongside six martinis (classic, French, espresso, spiced rum espresso, passionfruit and pink lychee), three negronis (classic, silver and cloud) and five margaritas (classic, chilli, strawberry, flamingo and Tommy's), for starters. Wondering what a cloud negroni is? It's topped with pineapple foam, crushed chocolate and crushed honeycomb. From there, you can also sip whisky sours, old fashioneds, mojitos, cosmopolitans and more. A number of the cocktails also come in mini versions if you're only after a smaller beverage. A hefty 90-plus-option wine menu, an array of spirits and beers, and also mocktails round out the drinks list — with the vino choices on the eye-catching wine wall spanning the globe but also favouring Australian drops. Design-wise, Zazu Dining & Bar's look is sleek, featuring glass, black, grey and greenery aplenty. Mood is a big focus here, with noise and lighting sensors to help. And, if you've got an occasion to celebrate, the venue also includes a sunken private dining room and a mezzanine function space.
After winning a devoted following at Cibaria on Sydney's Manly beachfront, Alessandro Pavoni and Anna Pavoni have brought their breezy all-day Italian trattoria north, opening Cibaria Noosa on Hastings Street. Sitting within the newly unveiled Elysium Noosa Resort — the former Sofitel Noosa — the Sunshine Coast outpost delivers the same warm hospitality and polished comfort fare that's made the original a much-loved local favourite. Designed as a lively social hub in the spirit of an Italian piazza, the expansive venue unfolds across several zones. There's a 120-seat main dining room, open daily from 11.30am and extends into a 60-seat openair terrazza overlooking the resort pool, while Bar Capri seats up to 100 for everything from early-morning breakfasts to sun-washed aperitivo hour and elegant nightcaps. Wherever you land, the throughline is one of shared plates, generous pours and unhurried socialising. [caption id="attachment_1054489" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Markus Ravik[/caption] In the kitchen, Head Chef Lucas Bach — whose CV includes Michelin-starred Meo Modo in Tuscany and the Pavonis' two-hatted Sydney restaurant Ormeggio at the Spit — delivers a menu that balances Cibaria Manly favourites with new dishes inspired by Queensland's coastal bounty. Leading the charge are crudi and chilled seafood, from yellowfin tuna crudo lifted with green chilli, smoked salmon roe and chives to a signature poached king prawn cocktail featuring finger lime, cos and a rich salsa aurora. Premium salumi and both hot and cold antipasti round out the snack-and-sip selection. From there, the menu broadens into handmade pastas, including spaghetti aglio e olio finished with Mooloolaba tuna crudo and risotto al granchio with Queensland spanner crab and Noosa red tomatoes, before moving into wood-grilled mains and shareable bistecca. Highlights include dry-aged Mooloolaba swordfish with Trapanese pesto and mustard leaves, plus a standout 400-gram Rangers Valley black angus sirloin cooked on the bone over flame. [caption id="attachment_1054486" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Elise Hassey[/caption] Bar Capri, meanwhile, presents a deliberately less structured proposition. Open from early morning for coffee, pastries and breakfast pizzette, the Hastings Street-facing bar slides seamlessly into a relaxed all-day hangout. Snackable plates anchor the menu, from freshly shucked oysters and scallop crudo with lemon oil and finger lime to fritto misto, lasagne fritters and crostini topped with kingfish crudo or wagyu tartare. Larger bites — like a wagyu cheeseburger, chicken schnitzel club and classic tiramisu — might entice you to settle in a little longer. Drinks lean Italian, with a spritz-forward cocktail list designed for aperitivo hour and long afternoons. Alongside classics like the americano and negroni sbagliato, you'll find house signatures such as the rosemary-scented Capri Spritz, as well as an Italian-focused wine list, beers on tap and a deep bench of rum, whisky and digestivi. Interiors by Mitchell & Eades channel relaxed Mediterranean glamour, with gentle citrus hues and softly textured finishes layered alongside sea-inspired blues. It strikes a well-judged balance between casual coastal ease and polish, resulting in a venue that feels just as welcoming for a quick post-beach spritz as it does for lingering evenings. [caption id="attachment_1054487" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Elise Hassey[/caption] Top images: Elise Hassey.
Sipping on a cocktail is an end-of-week tradition. When the working week is done, everyone just wants to have fun — and, sometimes, on the day before as well. If Thursday or Friday afternoon beverages help you get through the 9-to-5, then let Madame Rouge make that cathartic tipple even better. Between 4pm to 6pm on both days, they're serving up $1 oysters. There's no missing numeral there. One shiny coin is all you'll pay for freshly shucked molluscs at Fortitude Valley's French bar and bistro. You will have to buy a drink as well to get the super cheap seafood — but, as we've already established, that's one of the main reasons you're in a watering hole for some post-work fun. As well as a range of made-to-order cocktails, drinks on offer include a two-page list of Champagne, reds, whites, rose, and sticky and sweet wines. Unsurprisingly, many hail from France — and some cost a pretty penny, if you're feeling flush — but you can grab a glass of pinot gris and oysters for $10, pair them with something crimson for $11, or opt for some champers for $13,
'Big call' we hear you scoff. Well, yes, it seems like every Brisbanite has a ride-or-die sushi joint they are loyal to. But hear us out: Sushi Kotobuki has got some serious game. What started as a tiny East Brisbane standalone has expanded to include a sparkly new sister venue in the CBD. But hey — you are a discerning sushi connoisseur! You aren't easily swayed by shiny new things! Fair call, but we challenge you to try the cream cheese chicken roll and not be impressed. It's that darn good. Takeaway Tuesday be damned — this food deserves to be enjoyed on a plate, not in plastic.
From the wild, WTF and wonderful finalists, the Art Gallery of New South Wales has announced their 204 Archibald Prize winner. Fiona Lowry has won the prestigious prize for her portrait of Penelope Seidler. Runner up was Mitch Cairns with his portrait of Red Richardson AM. The Wynne and Sulman Prizes have also been announced. Taking the Wynne for landscape or sculpture was Michael Johnson with his abstract Oceania High Low: And the Sulman (best subject painting, genre painting or mural project) landed on Andrew Sullivan's T-Rex: Check out our picks for weirdest and most wonderful Archibald finalist tales over here.
Having recently spent a crazy couple of months living in Berlin, the news of East Berlin club Salon Zur Wilden Renate installing a real life maze in the two-storey abandoned building comes as no surprise. With the intention of creating an other-worldly, ethereal experience, the Peristal Singum labyrinth uses confined spaces to confuse your sensory perceptions, where one visitor at a time is forced to crawl, duck, and slide to their salvation. Prepare for a lucid mind where your whole metaphysical being is questioned while disproportionately-sized objects create the illusion of fantasy characters that roam rooms that seem smaller than they actually are. There is no marked pathway, so drinking too much prior to entering may not be the wisest of ideas. Peristal Singum
From June 2 until October 7, the Queensland Art Gallery is showcasing the work of Indigenous artist Tony Albert — one of both the state's and the country's exciting contemporary talents. It marks the Townsville-born, Brisbane-raised talent's first major solo exhibition in an Australian state gallery. In an exhibition entitled Visible, Albert confronts the standard representation of Australia's Aboriginal people, as well as the frequent misrepresentation, through object-based displays, painting, photography, video and installation works. Visitors can expect everything from a burnt-out car shell that also features video — referencing a real-life incident in Sydney's Kings Cross in 2012, and created with Bangarra Dance Theatre's artistic director Stephen Page and his late brother David — to more than 300 items from Albert's collection of reclaimed kitsch 'Aboriginalia'. Among the latter, a playable pinball machine is one just one of the objects on offer. For patrons with little art lovers in tow, the exhibition also extends to the Childrens Art Centre across the forecourt over at the Gallery of Modern Art. In Tony Albert: We Can Be Heroes, kids can view artworks created with children and artists from Warakurna in Western Australia, create their own digital superhero identity inspired by the pieces on display and make a monster using Albert's designs. Plus, across Visible's opening weekend of June 2-3, QAG will be hosting talks and tours — including with Albert himself. On Sunday, you can even make playing cards during a free workshop with the artist. The workshops will be repeated on August 5, September 9 and October 7. Image: Tony Albert, David C Collins and Lucy Lewis; Warakurna – The Force is with us #1. 2017. Archival pigment print, ed. of 3 + 2 AP. 100 x 150cm. Collection: The artist. Courtesy: Sullivan+Strumpf, Sydney.
WOMADelaide is returning to Adelaide's Botanic Park/Tainmuntilla from Friday, March 6 to Monday, March 9, 2026 — and the festival's first lineup announcement has landed, featuring 49 artists from around the globe. Headlining the 29th edition are Yothu Yindi, Obongjayar and Marlon Williams, with a program that will span from Bhutan to the Kimberleys, Cuba to Ukraine, and far beyond. View this post on Instagram A post shared by WOMADelaide (@womadelaide) Yothu Yindi will celebrate 35 years of Tribal Voice, while London-based Nigerian artist Obongjayar — known for his feature on Fred again..'s hit 'adore u' — will bring his blend of Afro-funk to Adelaide. Marlon Williams will perform alongside Kapa Haka group Ngā Mātai Pūrua, and Indian-American artist Ganavya will showcase her fusion of spiritual jazz and South Asian classical music. Other highlights include 82-year-old First Nations gospel singer Kankawa Nagarra, Cuban Grammy-nominee and Buena Vista Social Club alumnus Roberto Fonseca, Palestinian DJ Sama' Abdulhadi (returning after seven years), and soul sensation Jalen Ngonda, fresh from his Glastonbury debut. The festival will also feature Australian exclusives, including Belgian choreographer Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker's groundbreaking Rosas danst Rosas, Ukrainian-Canadian project Daughters of Donbas, French electronic act Orange Blossom, and Bhutan's first-ever representatives, the Bhutan Balladeers. They join previously announced acts including Yolngu rapper and dancer Baker Boy, US singer-songwriter Iron & Wine, Irish folk group Beoga and Pacific Break winner Mantis from Vanuatu. Since its debut in 1992, WOMADelaide has become one of Australia's most beloved festivals, celebrating music, arts and dance from across the world. The 2026 event will also see the return of Taste the World, WoMarkets, KidZone, Planet Talks and The Sanctuary Restaurant, alongside Around the Park performances scattered throughout the site. "Few festivals in the world are able to showcase the breadth and diversity of music, arts and dance on such a large scale while appealing to all ages and tastes," says WOMADelaide Director Ian Scobie. "It's a glorious opportunity to discover new sounds and embrace artists you love." WOMADelaide 2026 will run from Friday, March 6 to Monday, March 9 at Botanic Park/Tainmuntilla in Adelaide. Head to the WOMADelaide website for tickets and the full lineup. Images: Supplied
If you spend your weekday working hours in Brisbane's CBD, you're likely always looking for ace coffee spots. Everyone has their favourites, but variety is the spice of life and the best way to break up the nine-to-five grind. So, from mid-March, you might want to add inner-city newcomer Lait Noir on Edward Street to your caffeine-and-pastry rotation — especially if you like filling your breaks with sleek surroundings. Feel like getting a taste of Paris over a Toby's Estate coffee and a raspberry almond coconut tart, too? That's also on the menu at this fresh addition to 144 Edward Street, which is taking over the space previously home to Roll'd Vietnamese. Lait Noir takes its cues from French cafes, complete with luxe decor designed by Outkast. Here, you'll get a caffeinated brew beneath seven-metre-high ceilings and over A-grade marble bench tops. "I have lived in Brisbane for ten years, and there has never been a go-to destination for takeaway or dine-in on the finer side in the CBD," says Charlotte Bourguignon, Lait Noir's Operations Manager. "We will launch Brisbane's first Parisian-style dining with guests able to watch the hustle and bustle go by from their seat." "We are so proud to be opening our doors for workers, visitors and locals to experience a little bit of Paris, right here in the CBD. We pride ourselves on quality and service, with all of our pastries and desserts made with true French ingredients from some of the best French suppliers in Brisbane. Our oven is world-class and trust me when I say all of Brisbane need to taste one of our pies." [caption id="attachment_891100" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kgbo via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] That oven is Queensland's first Unox Speed-X oven, and it'll be pumping out a hefty range of baked goods. Lemon muffins, apple tarts and mini French doughnuts sit among the sweet bites, while quiches, frittatas and beef bourguignon pie are highlights from the savoury range. And, from a dessert-focused range, lemon meringue tarts, passionfruit tarts, choc-fudge caramel brownies and carrot cake are sure to tempt tastebuds. Lait Noir will also do salads, including a roasted vegetable option, plus sandwiches, toasties and wraps. The cheesy egg and bacon croque toastie instantly sounds like a must-try. If you happen to work in the building, it's also planning to do a concierge service for tenants. [caption id="attachment_891101" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kgbo via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Find Lait Noir at 144 Edward Street, Brisbane, from mid-March — operating from 6.45am–5pm Monday–Friday.
Cold winter weather demands comfort-inducing food, with soups, pastas and pies making up much of the weekly menu. Yet when you need a sweet treat, few bites go down better than a hot cinnamon doughnut. And with Friday, June 6, welcoming the return of National Donut Day, there's no better time to order up a steamy bunch. Best of all, Donut King isn't taking any half-measures when it comes to celebrating the big day in 2025, with the iconic brand giving away free hot cinnamon doughnuts from dawn to dusk to mark the occasion. "The magic of our hot and fresh cinnamon doughnuts bouncing along the conveyor belt and landing in a delicious carousel of sweet cinnamon is the moment we seek to share with our loyal fans every day," says Raquel Hine, Marketing Manager at Donut King. "It's what makes us famous for being the home of the hot cinnamon doughnut and why we make every National Donut Day a huge celebration for everyone to take part, absolutely free, all day!" All you have to do to score your free hot cinni doughnut is find your nearest participating Donut King store on Friday, June 6. With over 200 locations spread around the country, there's a good chance one is easily within touching distance. Alternatively, just follow that enchanting cinnamon sugar aroma that wafts from every store. On a side note, we meant it when Donut King isn't cutting any corners this National Donut Day. The team recently revealed a seriously sweet escape — the 'Hot Cinni' Hotel' — produced in collaboration with Ovolo Hotels and available for strictly limited bookings. Transforming two suites in the heritage-listed Ovolo Woolloomooloo, expect shimmering pink accents, cinnamon-painted walls, colourful pop art and even exclusive room service dedicated to hot cinnamon doughnut deliveries. Plus, the rest of the hotel features spice-forward cocktails and cinnamon-inspired nibbles. Donut King's free cinnamon doughnuts are available at participating Donut King locations on Friday, June 6 — limited to one free doughnut per customer. Head to the website for more information.
Mad Nanna are the kind of band you probably wouldn’t put past leaving the iron on while ducking to Woolies. Or calling you by your fat cousin’s name for the entire Christmas lunch. Or even putting a teaspoon of salt in your cup of tea. They’re wildly sporadic, endearingly sloppy, but you can’t not love them for being just that bit weird. Now, with a bundle of LP's, dozens upon dozens of gigs, and some super new songs under their belts, Mad Nanna are travelling up north to say hello to their friendly Queensland fans. Brisbane’s totally under-appreciated, super cheap, and geographic-dream, Beetle Bar, will be hosting these fellas for a night of grungy head nods, the occasional off beat and a collection of scene-spinners that aren’t too cool for you yet, but soon will be. Brisbane’s own Scraps, Scrabble, Blank Realm – hailed by The Guardian as one of Australia’s best live bands, and spinsters Gravel Samwidge will also be adding their own dash of special something to this night of psychedelic fusion meets the downright dirt. Based on the bands, line up and venue, this gig is probably going to get a little wild – wear closed in shoes and be sure to take a sweater.
Through our travel booking website Concrete Playground Trips, you can book unforgettable travel packages, exclusive accommodation deals and a whole series of experiences and tours. For this particular article, we're focusing on Australian adventure trips that are currently available on CP Trips for travellers who are keen to get out in nature and go exploring. These packages will take you swimming under remote waterfalls, hiking to breathtaking vistas and cycling from vineyard to vineyard. Book any of these deals to experience some of Australia's greatest sites in style, taking your holiday to the next level. QUEENSLAND [caption id="attachment_891464" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Guillaume Marques (unsplash)[/caption] KAYAK, SANDBOARD AND SNORKEL AT MORETON ISLAND Travel to Moreton Island from either Brisbane or the Gold Coast for a full day of fun in the sun. Your guide takes you by 4WD along the sands to the famous Tangalooma Wrecks, where you'll see incredible coral reefs on snorkel and kayak outings. You'll also go inland for an exhilarating sandboarding experience on the famous massive sand dunes. This action-packed tour also includes a lunch on the beach and time to soak up the scenery of Moreton Island, the third largest sand island in the world. BOOK IT NOW. ROCK CLIMBING IN BRISBANE AFTER DARK The Kangaroo Point cliff face is a unique sight in the heart of Brisbane. For this experience, you'll climb the urban cliffs while they are lit up in the evening, looking out at Brisbane's glimmering skyline and serpentine river. And thanks to the different climbing routes, it doesn't matter what your experience level is. Beginners to total pros can enjoy this three-hour adventure. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_891465" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lacie Slezak (Unsplash)[/caption] OVERNIGHT TWEED COAST CAMPING AND SURFING GETAWAY This Tweed Coast overnight surfing getaway provides a two-day surf camp experience as you discover this world famous section of the Australian coast. Surf all day, make some new mates, spend the night camping, and enjoy provided meals including a beachside barbecue. Select your pickup location when booking; several locations are available from Brisbane to Gold Coast and Byron Bay. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_891469" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Frankie Dixon (Unsplash)[/caption] THREE-DAY 4WD TOUR AROUND K'GARI (FRASER ISLAND) This is a proper Queensland bucket list experience for lovers of the outdoors. On this trip, you'll explore both coasts of the world's largest sand island on one eco-adventure. Start your getaway in style with a pre-night stay at Kingfisher Bay Resort. Relax on island time and enjoy full access to the resort facilities before you spend two days driving around K'gari's crystal-blue lakes, wild rainforests, hidden stretches of coast and cameo appearances from the island's wild dingo population. And if you want to charter your own yacht around the island (with your own skipper) then check out this luxury tour. BOOK IT NOW. VICTORIA CYCLING TOUR AROUND THE YARRA VALLEY WINE REGION This guided cycling trip will take you to several wineries in the Yarra Valley region, giving you the opportunity to taste some wine (in moderation, since you will be cycling on roads), tuck into some woodfired pizza for lunch and soak up the sights of this world-famous wine region. During the day, you'll cycle up to 20-kilometres — so prepare to get a bit active. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_891472" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Shawnn Tan (Unsplash)[/caption] TWO-DAY CAMPING AND SURFING TRIP ALONG THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD This small-group tour (of 10-15 people) will start from Melbourne and take you down to Victoria's dramatic Great Ocean Road. You'll stop off at beaches for surfing lessons and lunches before setting up base at a new campsite — staying in a spacious teepee-style tents built by the beach. The two guides will take you to all the best secret viewing spots for kangaroos, koalas and Australian native birds before you set your sights upon the Twelve Apostles. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_818655" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Julia Sansone[/caption] PRIVATE WILSON'S PROMONTORY HIKING TOUR FROM MELBOURNE Wilson's Prom is huge. It can be challenging to explore — especially if you don't have your own car. That's when a bespoke tour like this one is the perfect option. Your guide will take you on hikes to private beaches and sand dunes as well as epic summits with views across the whole region. You'll find some of the very best coastal views during this tour. And if you're looking for something a little more cost-effective, you can try this tour of Wilson's Prom. BOOK IT NOW. WHITE-WATER KAYAKING ADVENTURE ON THE YARRA RIVER Head to Wonga Park for a high-octane day trip just an hour or so out of Melbourne's CBD. You'll be geared up with life vests and helmets before jumping into a two-person inflatable kayak that will take you down the rolling rapids. Prepare to get soaked and have a good laugh. If you go in the wetter months, you're guaranteed even bigger rapids. BOOK IT NOW. WESTERN AUSTRALIA SUNRISE HIKE AND MEDITATION IN THE PERTH HILLS This one is for the morning people out there. Or those of us who wish we could be. Meet at Sullivan Rock carpark nice and early and follow the guide on a leisurely hike through jarrah and banksia forests before reaching the summit of St Vincent at sunrise. Find a spot on the large granite slopes overlooking the expansive Western Australian plains and let the first sunlight of the day wash over you during a guided meditation. It's an altogether unique and rejuvenating experience. BOOK IT NOW. QUAD BIKE AND SANDBOARDING EXPERIENCE This is a super fun way to explore Western Australia's Lancelin Sand Dunes. You'll ride quad bikes, get driven in dune buggies and go down massive dunes on sandboards with a bunch of other travellers. It's a great vantage point from which to see this part of the country, overlooking the Indian Ocean and surrounding bushland. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_683983" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Western Australia[/caption] ROTTNEST ISLAND CYCLE, SNORKEL AND FERRY TRIP Getting to Rottnest Island is easy enough – just jump on the ferry from Perth. But once you get there, getting around to explore the best bits of this spectacular natural playground could require a little direction. That why this tour is so good. You'll get a bike for the arvo and ride around hidden beaches before snorkelling in calm pristine waters, marvelling at the bright coral and marine life. Alternatively, you can book this five-day Perth staycation that will take you to Rottnest Island and the Pinnacles. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_891479" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tobias Keller (Unsplash)[/caption] SIX-DAY COARAL COASTER FROM PERTH TO EXMOUTH (VIA NINGALOO REEF) Go on a proper Western Australia adventure during this week-long trip. With unspoilt beaches, deep red deserts and an abundance of wildlife, this will be an unforgettable Australian holiday. You'll also tick a bunch of spectacular destinations off your bucket list — including the Pinnacles, Hutt Lagoon Pink Lake, Murchison Gorge, Kalbarri National Park, The Stromatolites at Shark Bay and Ningaloo Reef. BOOK IT NOW. NEW SOUTH WALES UNDERWATER SCOOTER EXPERIENCE IN CLOVELLY This is a proper local Sydney experience set in the waters of beloved Clovelly Beach. You'll get to use an underwater scooter which is basically a small propellered device that you hold in your hands) that pulls you along underwater. Use this device to find the infamous blue groper or simply pretend you're chasing your favourite Bond villain for 90 minutes. Instructors will also be on hand to help you out. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_891481" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jacques Bopp (Unsplash)[/caption] BLUE MOUNTAINS 4WD ADVENTURE If you've got a car and are willing to hike a little, you can see some spectacular parts of the Blue Mountains — but this trip takes you even deeper. Your driver will traverse rough roads to take you into rarely explored parts of the national park including exclusive access to private property in Capertee Valley and experience the epic views. It will also include a lunch in a cosy country pub. Winner. BOOK IT NOW. BATEMANS BAY OYSTER TASTING KAYAK TOUR Yup, you read that right. This trip combines oyster tasting with kayaking — think of it as a pub crawl, but on the water and with super fresh oysters. Paddle around local oyster farms along the Clyde River Estuary system in Batemans Bay with a guide, tasting some of the freshest molluscs you'll ever have the pleasure of eating. It's a whole lot of fun. And done in stunning surrounds. BOOK IT NOW. FULL-DAY CANYONING TRIP IN EMPRESS CANYON For the uninitiated, canyoning is a type of mountaineering that involves travelling into canyons in a variety of ways. And this trip ticks most of them off the list. The day will include abseiling down waterfalls, cliff jumping and bouldering. It has got to be one of the most thrilling ways to explore this rainforest in New South Wales. BOOK IT NOW. NORTHERN TERRITORY [caption id="attachment_840362" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Helen Orr for Tourism NT[/caption] KING'S CANYON HIKING TOUR King's Canyon, famously where the queens from Priscilla Queen of the Desert hiked in feather-clad bird outfits, is a big bucket list destination — not just for fans of the film. Located between between Alice Springs and Yulara, this has to be one of the very best places to go hiking in Australia. Walk along red rock cliffs, through maze-like gorges and around beautiful bushland. The views across the surrounding desert are also just next level. And this big day trip takes you to all the best bits. BOOK IT NOW. CHAMBER PILLAR AND RAINBOW VALLEY 4WD TRIP Go off-road during this full-day tour around the Rainbow Valley — a remote region in Australia's Red Centre. The small group 4WD experience takes you deep into the Red Centre's beautiful and remote sand hill country in comfort and style. You will discover the history of the early explorers, local First Nations culture and stories, the iconic Simpson Desert and stunning landscapes and rock formations. In between short hikes, you'll be driven around in an air-conditioned 4WD car to catch your breath and cool down. BOOK IT NOW. DAY TRIP TO LITCHFIELD NATIONAL PARK WATERFALLS If you've ever seen images of people jumping into spectacular natural waterholes and pools in a tourism ad for the Northern Territory, there's a very good chance the footage was shot at Litchfield National Park. Making a visit here is an experience we should all have at some point in our lives. And booking this package will get you right there. You'll be picked up from Darwin and transported to the famous Florence Falls for a day of exploring and swimming in extraordinary (croc-free) waters. BOOK IT NOW. TASMANIA [caption id="attachment_891488" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Josh Fotheringham (Unsplash)[/caption] THREE-DAY ACTIVE ADVENTURE FROM LAUNCESTON TO HOBART This trip explores some of Tassie's most scenic locations. Start your journey with a huge day out at Cradle Mountain World Heritage area, an area of immense grandeur with amazing walks and scenery. Travel onwards to Hobart via the Wineglass Bay lookout for some of the world's best coastal scenery. Keep your eyes open and your footsteps light to encounter the local animals in the wild. Lastly, walk amongst the history at the World Heritage Port Arthur Historic Site and enjoy the action of a Tasmanian Devil feeding. It's an incredible way to experience Tasmania's vast natural landscape. BOOK IT NOW. SAILING TRIP IN HOBART'S BAY AND THE DERWENT RIVER During this experience, you'll be sailing in a Sydney to Hobart race maxi — really sailing. This isn't a champagne-and-sunset-dinner on a luxury yacht kind of experience. You'll be getting a workout as you cruise around Hobart's breathtakingly beautiful bay. You might see penguins, dolphins or seals (regular visitors) and sometimes even whales and orca. That is when you're not grinding the winches and taking a turn on the helm. End the experience with an altogether civilised afternoon tea in town. BOOK IT NOW. KAYAK IN THE TASMAN PENINSULA Get up-close and personal with the southern hemisphere's highest sea cliffs and resident Australian fur seals. At sea level you'll truly appreciate its scale, gazing up at 200-metre-high fluted rock formations, peering into natural sea caves, photographing the towering Candlestick, and searching for climbers on the Totem Pole — a sheer column famed amongst thrill-seeking rock climbers. BOOK IT NOW. BMX RIDE DOWN MOUNT WELLINGTON On this adventure, you'll ride a mountain bike down the foothills of Mount Wellington past bushland and wildlife as you feel the wind rushing through your hair. At the end of the ride, you'll be invited to join the guide at a local Hobart pub for a few beers and enjoy the unique opportunity to drink from the famous (to locals, at least) handlebar that holds a glass of beer. Look it up. BOOK IT NOW. SOUTH AUSTRALIA FARM FOR OYSTERS IN COFFIN BAY This is a great little experience to tag onto any trip along South Australia's Eyre Peninsula. You'll don some sexy looking waterproof overalls, wading in the water as you learn about oyster farming while tasting some of the freshest oysters you'll ever have — straight out of the clear blue waters. For more sightseeing, you can even take this longer boat tour around the oyster farm. BOOK IT NOW. KANGAROO ISLAND QUAD BIKE TOUR Explore an otherwise inaccessible part of Kangaroo Island on a guided ATV tour through open grassland, native bush and rocky terrain. Master the controls of your own bike as your group zooms past gorgeous scenery, and Australian wildlife such as kangaroos, koalas and more. For something a little different, check out the Sunset Safari, a more wildlife orientated tour which heads out just as more of the island's famous critters start to emerge for the evening. Or do you prefer two wheels? Try this cycling tour of the island instead. BOOK IT NOW. KAYAK TRIP IN A DOLPHIN SANCTUARY It's not every day that you get the opportunity to paddle your way down a 10,000-year-old mangrove forest creek with the opportunity to see dolphins along the way. But that's not all. You'll also be kayaking up close to shipwrecks and relics of a bygone era. It's a special experience that simply can't be replicated anywhere else. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_883581" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Michael Skopal (Unsplash)[/caption] THREE-DAY ADVENTURE IN THE FLINDERS RANGES This is small group Eco tour of the famous Flinders Ranges gives guests the opportunity to see the incredible rock formation of Wilpena Pound and the Ranges themselves while learning about local Aboriginal culture. You'll search for the rare Yellow Footed Rock Wallaby, see an abundance of kangaroos, emus and wedge tailed eagles, visit ancient Aboriginal cave paintings, meet the locals and enjoy campfires and camp cooking. BOOK IT NOW. Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips in destinations all over the world.
You can pop along to the zoo any day, but seeing a wild thing in its native habitat is far more exciting — although, it's admittedly slightly trickier. While spiders and mozzies don't have too much trouble making themselves known, our cuter, fuzzier, more loveable creatures are shy, shy, shy. Whether you want to lunch with a 'roo, catch penguins on parade, swim with a whale shark or spot a platypus, there are plenty of places around this big ol' country of ours that will help make that dream you've been harbouring since your mum read you Blinky Bill come true. Just remember, you're heading into their territory — you can look (and make awwwing noises), but don't touch. Or feed them. Or do any shitty stuff. Basically, let them do their thing and enjoy being a quiet observer in the presence of 100% adorable animals. If you can do that, here's where to find them. FOR KANGAROOS: PEBBLY BEACH, MURRAMARANG NATIONAL PARK, NSW Finding a kangaroo in the wild isn't difficult. In fact, far too many of the unsuspecting, headlight-blinded creatures hang out on country roadsides. But if you want to meet a particularly friendly bunch, head for Murramarang National Park's Pebbly Beach, near Batemans Bay, about four hours' drive south of Sydney. But be warned: they might well expect to share your lunch. FOR LITTLE PENGUINS: SUMMERLAND BEACH, PHILLIP ISLAND, VIC Come sunset every evening, Victoria's little penguins waddle along Phillip Island's Summerland Beach to rest after a hard day's fishing at sea. These tiny guys are the smallest type of penguin on the planet. To prevent disturbance, viewing is organised by Phillip Island Nature Parks. You can jump on a platform, opt for a skybox or take a ranger-led eco explorer tour. [caption id="attachment_553183" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Arturo Pardavila III via Flickr[/caption] FOR KOALAS: KENNETT RIVER ON THE OTWAY COAST, GREAT OCEAN ROAD, VIC There's only somewhere between 43,000 and 100,000 koalas left in the wild in Australia, so they're not easy to spot. But one place where you're pretty much guaranteed to find them is along the Otway Coast section of Victoria's Great Ocean Road. Your best bet is to pull over in Kennett River, 174 kilometres west of Melbourne, and take the Kennett River Koala Walk, starting on Grey River Road. [caption id="attachment_552453" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Didier B via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] FOR AUSTRALIAN SEA LIONS: SEAL BAY CONSERVATION PARK, KANGAROO ISLAND, SA Due to widespread hunting in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Australian sea lion is one of the world's rarest seals. Thankfully, the surviving population is now protected in a few places, including Kangaroo Island's Seal Bay Conservation Park. Sheltered bays and beaches provide plenty of spots for seals to rest — in between fishing and teaching babies to swim. You can get amongst it with self-guided tour or one with a tour guide. [caption id="attachment_552418" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Jolene Faber via Flickr[/caption] FOR QUOKKAS: ROTTNEST ISLAND, WA European invasion didn't do much for the poor old quokka, whose mainland population has suffered over the past couple of centuries. But, on Rottnest Island just off the coast of Perth, it's a different story. Thanks to a distinct lack of predators and loads of food, the cat-sized marsupial is thriving, with latest counts at 12,000 or so. However, you can't feed them, as it tends to poison them — and if you see anyone behaving like these jerks, let someone know. [caption id="attachment_552450" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Martin Pot via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] FOR NUMBATS: TONE-PERUP NATURE RESERVE, PEMBERTON, WA In the 1980s, Australia's numbat population reached a near-extinction low of 300. The only places where they'd managed to survive were two reserves in south-west Western Australia: Tone-Perup and Dryandra Woodland. Today, they have been re-introduced to a few more sanctuaries around the country and their numbers have slightly increased — but to see them in their natural habitat, you'll need to go to one or the other. Understandably, numbats aren't particularly extroverted, so be prepared to wait. Give yourself more time with an overnight stay — there are a few accommodation options in the reserve. FOR WHALE SHARKS: NINGALOO REEF, WA Between April and July, hundreds of whale sharks head to Ningaloo — Western Australia's answer to the Great Barrier Reef — to feed their 18-metre long bodies on generous plankton feasts. Despite their mammoth size and disconcerting name, they're gentle creatures and you can swim alongside them without fearing for life or limb. It's not a free-for-all though — the human to whale shark ratio is generally limited to 10:1 and travelling with a tour group is mandatory. Every May, Exmouth hosts its annual Whale Shark Festival. [caption id="attachment_552409" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Manuel Heinrich via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] FOR TURTLES: HERON ISLAND, GREAT BARRIER REEF, QLD In November every year, two of the world's most vulnerable turtle species — green turtles and loggerheads — head to the Great Barrier Reef's Heron Island to nest. If you're staying nearby, all you have to do is wander down to the beach to see them. That said, the folks on Heron Island are fiercely protective of their precious guests, so strict guidelines apply to turtle watching. Keep your distance and don't flash lights in the sweet little critters' eyes — it confuses them. FOR PLATYPUSES: BROKEN RIVER, EUNGELLA NATIONAL PARK, QLD After numbats, the platypus is the hardest animal on this list to find. You need to patient, quiet, still and willing to hang around at either dawn or dusk. To make your mission easier, try your luck at Broken River, in Queensland's Eungella National Park. Right near the picnic ground, you'll find a platypus-dedicated viewing platform. FOR CROCODILES: MARY RIVER, NEAR KAKADU NATIONAL PARK, NT You won't catch any sane person swimming in Mary River — two hours' drive east of Darwin — as there are more saltwater crocodiles here per square metre than there are anywhere else on Earth. (Salties, by the way, are the killers — the freshies aren't so bad.) The good news is, you can watch them from a safe distance by taking a boat ride. Top image: Craig Siczak via Flickr.
Before craft and microbreweries popped up on every corner of the city, the combination of Brisbane and beer meant one thing: XXXX. The company's Milton brewery loomed large over the inner west, with tours providing a taste of their tipples, and the Alehouse combining yeasty beverages with tasty food. Of course, the building hasn't moved (and taking a tour still features high on local booze-lovers' to-do lists), however the bar and restaurant at the end of the beer-coloured rainbow has recently had a facelift. Prepare to find a completely different Alehouse next time you want to sit back, relax and enjoy the freshest XXXX on tap. Fans of drinking outdoors — i.e. everyone — can flock to the all-new beer garden, while anyone seeking something a little more intimate can hole up in the inside dining room. Thanks to Brisbane-based design firm Elm Interiors, the whole place has been decked out with a rustic meets industrial feel. Think classic feature pieces, plenty of greenery and a vibe that knows how to make you feel welcome. Extended trading hours from Monday to Saturday means that there's now more chances to enjoy the all-day Alehouse experience — and their new menu, too. With pub staples such as beer-battered fish with hand-cut chips, grain-fed beef burgers, sirloin with bearnaise sauce and roasted salmon, perhaps beer won't be the only thing luring patrons to this iconic, 135-year-old brewery. XXXX Brewery tours are $32 for adults and $18 children. Tours run Monday to Thursday (11am, 12:30pm, 3pm, 5pm), Friday (11am, 12:30pm, 3pm, 5pm) and Saturday (11am every ½ hour until 2pm, 3pm and 5pm). To book, head over here.
Next time you head to the Fortitude Valley institution that is The Wickham, two new things await. Firstly, for spring and summer, the watering hole has decked out its beer garden California-style. Secondly, it's doing boozy bottomless pancake brunches every Saturday. The pop-up theming takes its cues from Palm Springs, so you'll be sitting in deck chairs, underneath umbrellas and pretending you're on a getaway on the other side of the world. Cadillacs and neon cacti are part of the decor, too, because of course they are. As for that brunch, it's happening from midday each week. The pancakes won't stop — and they come with both maple syrup and jam. There's also a two-hour drinks package included in the $59 price, plus drag entertainment. You'll also find cocktail slushies and other themed tipples on the menu all week, which are all perfect for helping you get into the holiday mindset whenever the urge hits. Or, there's share plates and cocktail jugs for $45 a pop every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evening from 5–9pm.
