Visiting Sydney's rugged Blue Mountains region is always worth the two-hour drive from the city. There are hundreds of things to do — from bushwalks, to abseils, to waterfalls, to standing around and generally admiring the view. There's also the option to do all of that in one go — with a Blue Mountains canyoning adventure. The description on this RedBalloon adventure says you don't have to be a professional adventurer (no abseiling or canyoning experience is required). But requirements are being able to walk up steep steps for 20 minutes and swim for 25 metres, which we discovered makes it a full on adventure that even the more experienced in the group will enjoy. Dedicate one day out of your weekend to abseiling off cliffs over massive valleys, jumping over rocks in freezing water, canyoning, and swimming in waterfalls. The day starts with some beginner abseiling over the Megalong Valley (see below). Later, you'll go rock jumping through caves, and eventually abseil a 30 metre waterfall. Read this and find out what you're really in for. THE MORNING Arrive at The School of Mountaineering at 8:45am. There are two instructors per group of ten, so you're sure to get individual attention throughout the day. In the Megalong Valley you'll start off with a couple of practice runs abseiling off a cliff. The shortest is five metres, and the longest is thirty metres — they vary in difficulty and overlook the massive valley below, so if you're not too terrified you should look down and enjoy the view. You're only abseiling a minuscule portion of the distance to the ground, but you'll feel the height in your gut. These smaller trips are 'practices' because they're intended to get you ready for the tough abseil of the 30 metre Empress Falls at the end of the day. THE AFTERNOON The next part of the adventure is a twenty-minute hike down a mountain. Enjoy this trip down, because soon you'll be going the other way and you'll feel every step. Once you reach the creek at the base, change into a wet-suit and pop your clothes into a dry bag – make sure you close it properly, the water you're about to jump into is cold. Very cold. Your instructors will mention how cold the water is several times, but there is no way to properly oversell this point. You'll get used to the temperature pretty quickly, but you'll definitely want your clothes nice and warm when you're out. Your group will be instructed how to trek through the canyon you're in, which can be a dangerous activity if your head isn't screwed on straight. There are four water jumps through the canyon, at varying difficulty and at a maximum height of 5 metres. The safest option is the 'Grandma' jump, but once you get confident you can go for the more extreme 'Keanu Reeves' and 'Mission Impossible' styles. Take a breather and look up among the oasis of the temperate rainforest within this sandstone gorge. The peaceful air is unparalleled and makes it easier to forget the cold. The only way out the canyon is to abseil the Empress Waterfall. This is why the adventure is not for onlookers or the faint of heart – once you commit to the canyon, you're in it. THE WATERFALL Harnessed in, you go over the ledge of the waterfall and immediately duck into its cave. This rope is heavy duty and it's the most important time to remember your abseiling training because the waterfall crashing over your head is a major distraction (even though it's beautiful). At the end of the rock, take a final leap and land in the waters of Jamison Valley. Savour your success – a few minutes later you'll be heading back up those steep steps. Change out of your wet-suit and get going while the adrenaline is still kicking in. Book your Blue Mountains canyoning adventure (or gift it to someone else) at RedBalloon. Images: Marissa Ciampi and RedBalloon.
What does Islam have to do with Baywatch? ABC's Sami Shah can probably answer that. An ex-Muslim and Pakistani comedian, Shah has been crafting his unique experience of Islam in Australia into a multi-award winning show, as heard on ABC's Radio National. How many types of Muslims can Shah identify? Grab a ticket. In the current global climate, this show honestly couldn't be more timely for Brisbane Comedy Festival. This is one of our top picks for this year's Brisbane Comedy Festival. Read the whole list.
Hendrick's, the Scottish gin distillers who would have you believe their product is harvested fresh from a Monty Python animation, are embarking on a 'horticultural quest' to make Australia their new veg patch. No longer content to raid Mr. McGregor's garden, the liquidologists and drinkticians at Hendrick's are teaming up with the University of Sydney to create the first truly Australian-grown species of cucumber. Despite the presence of a horticulture professor in their fellowship, Hendrick's are asking the public to head to Facebook and vote on soil ingredients that will produce the most distinctly Australian crop. Day One is a choice between kangaroo and emu poop. There's every reason to believe Day Ten will see Barnesy or Farnesy forced to stand waist-deep in fertiliser for six weeks. Planting begins on October 4 and the harvest will take place in mid-November, with a subsequent soiree for attendees to sample the cucumber from down under. To further celebrate the efforts of their botanical pioneers, Hendrick's are giving a Concrete Playgrounder and ten friends the chance to win a sumptuously provisioned cocktail masterclass valued at $3000. Enter below, and remember, you need to vote for your chosen ingredient on the Hendrick's Gin Facebook page to be eligible to win. [competition]589976[/competition]
If you, like us, plan your holidays entirely around food, you're in luck. We've teamed up with Zantac and we're giving away three mini holidays in Melbourne, Hobart and the Barossa Valley in South Australia. You'll wine, dine, sleep and adventure in luxe surroundings until you simply no longer can — how does that sound? Choose Melbourne and you and a guest will spend two nights at QT Melbourne in the CBD, have lunch and attend a coffee cupping course at Collingwood's famous specialty coffee house Proud Mary, and have dinner (and dessert) at Andrew McConnell's pan-Asian restaurant Supernormal on Flinders Lane. In the Barossa, you'll stay at The Louise (an incredible hotel that's side-by-side with a vineyard), head to St Hugo for a wine tasting and delicious winery lunch, then wind up at Fino at Seppeltsfield for dinner. Head to Hobart, and you'll stay at the Henry Jones Art Hotel, visit Bruny Island for a day of food, sightseeing and lighthouses thanks to Experience Oz and then feast on a South American-style dinner at Frank. Each prize includes return flights from any Australian capital city, two nights of accommodation and two foodie experiences (lunch and dinner). All you need to do is tell us your details and where you want to go — Hobart, Melbourne or the Barossa. It breaks our heart to tell you that you can only pick one destination, and you can only enter this competition once, so think long and hard about where you really want to go. If you're available to go on your adventure between Friday, July 28 and Sunday, September 10, head here to enter. To find out more about Zantac and how it tames heartburn fast, head to the website.
Queenslanders, there's some unfathomably good cheesery coming your way. Sydney's renowned food emporium Salt Meats Cheese is set to open their first interstate store in Surfers Paradise in early July. Modelled on the Sydney warehouse store, the new food emporium will take over 200 square metres within urban village precinct, The 4217 — with a dedicated cheese and meat room, imported and local artisan cheeses, fresh salads, wood-fired pizza, charcuterie delights and even artisan salt at the ready. Yep, artisan salt. So why the northern venture? Salt Meats Cheese co-director Stefano de Blasi saw plenty of potential for an unconventional deli in the beachside city, bringing a little something different (and familiar) to both visitors and locals alike. "This new hub is all about enhancing the lifestyle of locals and offering tourists a taste of home," he says. "It's not just an Italian deli. We pull together local artisan ingredients with hard-to-find products from Spain, Italy and South America." Salt Meats Cheese will be run by de Blasi's friend Alessandro Vicinanza, who'd managed the Meat Room within the Sydney store for over a year, and his partner Korine Skinner. Importantly, Salt Meats Cheese isn't a passive Italian eatery. De Blasi sees a strong need for customers to enjoy some traditional Italian food at the store, then feel empowered to become MasterChefs in their own kitchens. "The store in Surfers Paradise is a place to grab a quick panino or wood-fired pizza and then buy everything you need — the flour, the Mutti tomatoes, the hand-stretched mozzarella — to make that pizza at home," he says. To make things even easier, you'll be able to sign up for cooking classes instore — learn how to make pasta, butcher meat properly and perfect your homemade pizzas. Find Salt Meats Cheese within The 4217, Surfers Paradise from early July. More details to come.
John Cleese and Eric Idle are silly walking their way to Australia, for a brand new live show premiering early next year. The Monty Python co-founders will visit major cities around the country for a series of one night only performances, combining scripted comedy, improvisation, musical numbers, aquatic juggling and audience Q&As. John Cleese & Eric Idle: Together Again At Last... For The Very First Time will begin on the Gold Coast on February 25, before travelling to the Brisbane Convention Centre on February 27, Adelaide's AEC Theatre on March 1, Canberra's Royal Theatre on March 5, Perth's Riverside Theatre on March 9 Sydney's State Theatre on March 14, and Melbourne's Hamer Hall on March 18. Tickets for the show go on sale at 10am on Monday, December 21. "Eric and I had huge fun touring the States in October and now we can bring our show to the friendliest people in the world," said Cleese. "No one show will be the same and all of them will annoy the Politically Correct." "Having enjoyed the World Tour of Florida, we were looking for somewhere else large aquatic reptiles of the sub family Crocodylinae also thrived," added Idle. "The Nile was booked, so we are coming to Australia. Having once married a Sheila and as the father of a half Australian son I look forward to touring one of my all-time favourite places." JOHN CLEESE AND ERIC IDLE: TOGETHER AGAIN AT LAST... FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME February 25 — Jupiters Theatre, Gold Coast February 27 — Brisbane Convention Centre March 1 — AEC Theatre, Adelaide March 5 — Royal Theatre, Canberra March 9 — Riverside Theatre, Perth March 14 — State Theatre, Sydney March 18 — Hamer Hall, Melbourne Tickets on sale Monday, December 21 at 10am. Book at venue websites, Ticketek or Ticketmaster.
In 2015, Brisbane Powerhouse ushered a new festival onto Brisbane's events calendar. MELT showered the city with the best in queer arts and culture, and became Queensland's rival to the Sydney's Mardi Gras and Melbourne's Midsumma in the process. Of course it received a rather warm welcome, so it's no surprise that it's back this year with another bustling lineup of shows and performances to flock to. Brimming with variety, the 2016 program includes a missing appendage, a southern songstress, a queen of the Cross and a portrait prize — plus these ten things we think you really won't want to miss.
Bingo. Rave. Two ends of the spectrum of fine holiday fun and finally — finally — together as one. Bongo's Bingo is a games night like you've never seen before. Part club, part rave, and, of course, part bingo night, this unlikely fusion event has been wildly popular in the UK since 2015. Now, they're taking the show on the road and launching in Australia this June. In partnership with Wats On Events, Bongo's Bingo Down Under is throwing a massive bingo rave at The Tivoli in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley on June 30, after Sydney's Paddington Town Hall and Melbourne's Collingwood Town Hall. Patrons can expect all of the debauchery of the original British version of Bongo's Bingo, including rave intervals, dancing on tables and a loose kind of bingo that you definitely never played with your nan (well, maybe you have). The victorious players can win everything from big cash prizes to a Hills Hoist, with a range of some absolutely ridiculous surprises on offer. The Brisbane launch event will be presided over by founder and comic ringleader Jonny Bongo who, as one would expect, is a character in the truest sense of the word and even holds the world record for the biggest ever pub quiz. Australia is the second international location for Bongo's Bingo, which recently launched in Dubai as well and, based on popularity, we imagine the event will continue to expand around the globe.bongosbingodownunder.com.au Venues, guest lineup and DJ hosts will be announced in coming weeks, and tickets will go on sale Wednesday, May 31 at 6pm. Keep an eye on this space for further updates and brush up on those bingo-break down skills in the meantime.
How many movies can you see in 12 days? Or, to put it another way, how many titles from this year's Brisbane Asia Pacific Film Festival can you fit in between November 23 and December 4? Well, you're about to find out. Now in its third year, the event that replaced the Brisbane International Film Festival has curated a selection of 82 movies vying for your eyeballs — and they've taken a few cues from their predecessors too. That means you won't just be feasting on the best cinema the Asia-Pacific region has to offer (or an ace retrospective focusing on Japanese actresses) but a few great picks from Europe and the US as well. With 31 Australian and 33 Queensland premieres screening at Palace Barracks and Palace Centro — including 31 of the 39 films competing at this year's Asia Pacific Screen Awards — there's a lot to see this year. To make it easier, check out our top ten picks over here.
With the sun usually shining and frozen, creamy treats available on almost every corner, it's never a bad time to be an ice cream lover in Brisbane. This March, however, dedicated fiends will find a concentrated dose waiting, thanks to the city's first day-long, dedicated ice cream extravaganza: the Brisbane Ice Cream Festival. On March 11, the festival will bring together more iced confections than you've probably ever seen in one spot. And, it has found the perfect location for such sweet, sweet shenanigans. When you're about to unleash an entire city's worth of ice cream upon the eager masses, you head to a place with a history of doing just that — the old Peters Ice Cream Factory in West End. Whatever kind of ice cream or gelato takes your fancy, you can bet that you'll find it here. That means coffee-flavoured popsicles from Queen of Pops, ice cream sandwiches courtesy of Boss Bites, fruity icy poles from Frozen Sunshine, and something new and mysteriously TBC from the Red Hook gang. Because Brisbanites like doughnuts just as much as they like ice cream, Minus 32 will be on hand to serve a fantasy-level combo of the two. And, while their very own store mightn't be up and running just yet (the current ETA is April), it wouldn't be an ice cream event without Gelato Messina stopping by — their menu is to be revealed. The Doughnut Bar's scrolled deliciousness, Cowch's decadent desserts, IcePhile's deep-fried morsels and J'adore Les Crepes bon batches of batter will be on the menu too, alongside offerings from Ice Cream Curls, Ruby the Little Red Ice Cream Van, Hett's n Ice Shaved Ice and more from the yet-to-be-revealed full lineup of stalls. Live music and boozy frozen beverages will also be on available, because it's a festival after all. Wear something stretchy, because it's going to be an over-indulging kind of day. Brisbane Ice Cream Festival takes place on March 11 at Peters Ice Cream Factory, 97 Boundary Road, West End. For more information, head to the festival website and Facebook page.
It's the news Brisbane music lovers have been hoping for — and something that a couple of them have even helped bring about. After being placed up for sale and promoted as a potential development site, the iconic Tivoli Theatre is staying put. Cue a collective sigh of relief. According to Brisbane Times, Brisbanites have former Brisbane Powerhouse producer Dave Sleswick, his brother Steven and Jerome Dalton from Dalton Catering to thank for the last-minute reprieve. They clearly feel as strongly about the inner-city live performance space — which dates back 99 years, was once a bakery, and has seen a who's who of local, national and international entertainers gracing its stage over the last decade or so — as celebrated by the almost 10,000 folks who signed a petition asking the government to protect the venue. Just what the trio's plans entail is yet to be confirmed, given that the ink on the sale isn't due to dry until the end of the month, but one thing is certain: the Tiv will continue to host gigs and shows well into the future. You don't swoop in and save a beloved hangout like this from being knocked down and replaced by 180 units without pledging to keep the music playing, after all. People of Brissie, we all owe these three guys a drink. Via Brisbane Times. Image: Sherwin Huang.
Melbourne boasts a George Costanza-themed hangout, Ipswich recently welcomed a German restaurant with a Breaking Bad twist, and now Brisbane has a bar and eatery inspired by a '70s television sitcom. That'd be Ginger's Diner — and don't be concerned if you haven't picked the reference yet. The new addition to Petrie Terrace is more than a little fond of M*A*S*H, but it is being rather subtle about it. Think of Caxton Street's latest hotspot as the kind of place the classic TV show's characters would frequent if they were on a break from their mobile army surgical army hospital. Yes, Ginger's has styled itself after a Korean hole-in-the wall joint — and yes, if you can't remember from stumbling countless reruns, M*A*S*H is set during the Korean War. Cocktails such as Klinger's Closet and Seoul Sojourn keep the theme going, while the snack-heavy menu surveys the best of the country's cuisine. If wasabi peas and nuts, kimchi pancakes with sesame and soy dressing, fried chicken with hot-sweet sauce and and bibimbap get your tastebuds tingling, then you're going to love Ginger's food lineup. And, it's available until midnight daily. Other than its TV ties and Asian dishes, there's another reason that Brisbanites should get excited about the 65-seat venue: its pedigree. There's a reason Ginger's is located right next door to Lefty's Old Time Music Hall, after all. They're both owned by Jamie Webb, the man behind Sonny's House of Blues, Gordita, Peasant and Los Villanos — aka some of the city's favourite restaurants and hangouts. For more information on Ginger's Diner, keep an eye on their website. Via Good Food.
Ordering a scotch at your local is your one way ticket to mad steeze with your mates, right? But what do we know about Scottish whisky, really? Every good whisky bar has an arsenal of scotch, but do you really know what you're ordering? In order to dispel the air of mystery surrounding scotch (and just so we can stop pretending we know what we're talking about), we've called upon Auchentoshan's head distiller Rachel Barrie to set us straight about this long-loved spirit. Rachel became the first female Master Blender 13 years ago (after 12 years working in the industry), making a few waves in the industry as a result. Suffice to say, she's the perfect person to answer all our Scotch questions. Learn up. [caption id="attachment_576038" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Lindores Abbey, Nathan Baker.[/caption] Where and when did Scotch whisky originate? The earliest recorded evidence of distilling in Scotland goes back to 1494 at Lindores Abbey in the Lowlands, where Father John Cor distilled 800 gallons of aqua vitae ('water of life') from eight bolls of barley (48 Scottish bushels), on the order of King James IV of Scotland. What were the original techniques used to distil Scotch whisky? How have things changed? Prior to the Industrial Revolution, distilling was conducted on a much smaller scale (and was often illicit) using small copper pot stills. During the Industrial Revolution, sometime between 1760 and 1840, malt distilleries were granted a license to distil by government, and industrial grain distilleries were set up primarily in the Lowlands, based on the steel continuous still design using grain (wheat or maize) to provide alcohol rather than malted barley. The grain distillation process was disputed at the time, and took decades to be accepted as Scotch whisky. Around 1860, blending grain and malt whisky commenced, creating blended Scotch whisky, which heralded the growth of the spirit in the 19th and 20th centuries. The Scotch Whisky Order of 1990 defines how Scotch whisky is made. Over the years, the law has been more tightly defined, and now every distillery in Scotland must be verified for Geographical Indication (GI) to ensure the highest standards of production quality and integrity. How does Scotch whisky differ to other whiskies like Irish whiskey, Japanese whisky or American whiskey? Scotch whisky has evolved over many centuries to create the greatest diversity of style of any whisky. Scotland grows high quality barley in the east, has peat in the north and west, and a year round supply of water in deep lochs, flowing rivers, and natural springs. Microclimate shapes maturation in oak casks (mainly ex-bourbon American oak and ex-sherry Spanish oak), and seasonal weather and local microflora help unlock balanced complexity, enriching the spirit with vitality and depth from youth to a ripe old age. Scotch whisky is unique in the rich complexity of flavours unlocked from the 115+ malt distilleries. Single malts are united by malt sweetness that harmonises fruit, floral, salt and smoke flavours from each distillery. AMERICAN WHISKEY American whiskeys are mainly distilled from corn and rye, and matured in American oak for a relatively short time (mostly five years or less). Grain produces a spicy/oily spirit combining with intense vanilla and caramel sweetness from the oak. IRISH WHISKEY Irish whiskeys are distilled mostly from unmalted barley and corn (with a small amount of malt), and pot and continuous stills are employed. Most Irish whiskeys are blends that are light, sweet, smooth and grassy. There are a small number of single pot still Irish whiskeys (made primarily from unmalted barley), and even fewer (for example Connemara) made from peated malt. JAPANESE WHISKY The handful of Japanese distilleries in existence were built less than a century ago, based on Scotch whisky production methods. In this short time, Japanese whisky has moved to design different styles, from light, clean and precise through to smoky and oily. [caption id="attachment_576044" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Gary Crawford.[/caption] How does taste differ between regions within Scotland? Each distillery's character is highly individual, however similarities in style can be found between regions. The Highland region is the largest, with Speyside having the most distinct style united by malt and fruit, much of which is blended with grain to make the heart of high volume blends. Islay malts have the dominant taste of smoke (from peat) and salt, with all other tastes woven in. Although very few distilleries exist in the Lowlands, the style is vibrant and refined with predominantly grassy, sweet and floral characters. What does it mean when you define a Scottish whisky as 'single malt' and 'single grain'? Both single malt and single grain whiskies are the product of only one distillery. Single malt whisky is made 100 percent from malted barley and distilled in copper pot stills at a single distillery. Single grain whisky is made from grain (wheat or maize), distilled in a continuous still (Coffey still) distillery. Feel like you've got a handle on scotch now? If you're a bartender, bar owner or know someone in the bar industry, listen up. Auchentoshan is looking for talented bar teams to come up with a brand new scotch-based cocktail for their 'Distilled Different' competition across Australia. More details on Auchentoshan's website.
This April, Broadbeach on the Gold Coast will play host to a fun new addition in Arboria — a huge, blow-up sculpture featuring a walk-through labyrinth of winding tunnels and lofty domes. On exhibition at Kurrawa Park from April 5 to 15 as part of southeast Queensland's new arts festival running alongside the Commonwealth Games, the inflatable structure takes its inspiration from the forest. Incorporating tree-like spaces, stylised leaf patterns and a soundscape from Ecuador's Mindo cloud forest, it creates an immersive, multi-sensory experience for visitors young and old. A maze of pods and domes leads to a stunning central space, where massive columns and soaring Gothic-style windows mirror those of Chapter House at the UK's York Minster cathedral. It's the work of world-renowned group Architects of Air, who've created and exhibited a whole series of these 'luminaria' structures across the globe. Arboria took over Melbourne's Federation Square in January, even delaying its opening due to the city's heatwave. When it comes to the Gold Coast, it won't just bring a wondrous maze to the beachside — it'll do so for free.
Electronica megastar Omar Souleyman is on his way to engulf you in Arabic techno beats with a national tour this January. Souleyman has reached cult status internationally for his patented sound of insanely fast synths adapted to Syrian folk music and his "epitome-of-cool" persona, with Bjork herself labelling him as one of her favourites. Never seen without a pair of aviators and his red and white kaffiyeh, Souleyman has long been famous in his homeland of Syria, with, believe it or not, a rumoured 500 separate bootleg cassette releases recorded straight from his many performances at weddings around the country. His 2013 album, Wenu Wenu, was his first recorded outside Syria, and its blending of Western electronica beats and traditional dabke music (an Arabic form of folk dancing) promises live performances filled with electric sax solos, super high-tempo synths and vocals given alternatively in the tone of commanding pronouncements and trance-inducing chants.
Oyster lovers are in for a shucking good time at Manly's latest seafood spot, a shucked-to-order oyster bar that overlooks the seaside suburb's marina. Quietly opening in December 2017 and launching its new winter menu this week, Shucks joins The Esplanade's considerable array of eateries cooking up the ocean's finest. Here, however, diners can expect oyster shooter flights, plates of natural oysters, and grilled oysters served with bourbon and chipotle, kimchi and shallots, or herb and garlic, rather than the usual selection of fish and chips on offer elsewhere along the waterfront. Other seafood mains, such as grilled octopus tentacle with kale crisps, mackerel steak in an escabeche sauce and Creole-spiced prawns with creamy polenta, are also available, with owner Belinda Ho sourcing everything locally where possible. Oysters come from local farmers in Moreton Bay when in season — and it's Ho's own experience in the bay that inspired her to open the restaurant. During a day at North Stradbroke Island she was eating oysters in a small tinny looking back to the mainland and knew she "needed to set up an oyster bar nearby". With head chef Michelle Pickworth (ex-Lighthouse Cleveland, Seven Seas Yeronga) overseeing the kitchen, Shucks also serves up desserts of brandy flambéed pears, coconut creme caramel and chocolate beetroot cake — all without anything fishy, of course. Drinks-wise, the beverage selection highlights small batch and minimal intervention techniques across both its wine and beer range, with Aperol spritz, vodka soda and the good ol' G&T comprising the cocktail offering. The restaurant is open from midday from Thursday to Saturday — however, stopping by on Sundays is particularly recommended. Welcoming patrons from 10.30am, Shucks rolls out its weekly oyster brunch until 3.30pm with all of the usual oyster options, a 'Hail Mary' oyster shooter (with an oyster, vodka, tomato juice, horseradish, and Tabasco), a Taiwanese oyster omelette, house-cured salmon gravlax and bug tacos. Shucks is now open at 457 Esplanade, Manly. Visit the bar's website and Facebook page for further details.
If you're looking to add some magic to your Sunday, then there's only once place to head to. And, once you're at Zillmere's O'Callaghan Park, prepare to get stupefied — this event not only boasts Harry Potter markets, but the Queensland's quidditch finals. First you'll stock up on HP-themed merch, handmade trinkets, some Felix Felicis (if you're lucky) and other presumably niche-referenced items. Then, you'll watch a heap of folks take to the field to throw quaffles, hit bludgers and chase snitches (in case you haven't seen muggle quidditch, the snitch is an actual human wearing gold you have to chase). A lineup of food trucks will also enchant your stomach (fingers crossed for cauldron cakes) — and, while dressing up in costume isn't mentioned on the event's Facebook page, you already know that you're going to.
It's easy to walk into Brisbane's newest luxe hotel, the Ovolo Inchcolm in Spring Hill, and walk straight past the reception counter. Not because it doesn't stand out — styled as a 'cabinet of curiosities', as fitting with an overall look curated by stylist Anna Roberts, it definitely does — but because it also doubles as the bar. Here, patrons check-in at a desk filled with everything from David Bowie and Prince-themed crockery, to old rotary phone handsets and cassette tapes, all while staring at a wall filled with liquor. Needless to say, it's not your everyday hotel experience. Offering something a bit different from the usual accommodation stay is Ovolo's niche, with the independent hotel company taking over the existing Inchcolm, revamping it, and adding it to its now six-strong portfolio of Australian properties in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra. The existing site (which is nearly 100 years old) was already indulgent, but in a more traditional way; the kind of place that'd remind you of your parents, it was previously a private residence and medical centre before it was a hotel. Now, the Wickham Street address leans into its heritage (and heritage-listed digs) in a completely different manner, fashioning the joint like an art deco 20s, 30s or 40s-era hangout that's designed to attract a much younger clientele. Chief among the new additions is the decadent Salon de Co, the bar and restaurant that spans from the front door right to the back of the bottom floor. Featuring high tables near the entryway, cosy couches and tables in the two front rooms, plus a small dining area near the rear, it caters for both drinks and dinner — and guests are welcome to stop by for either or both. Ramping up the glamour, the space is decked out to feel like a Parisian salon (hence the name) that might be held by Gertrude Stein, and frequented by the likes of Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Picasso and Matisse. However, we're pretty certain they didn't down rhubarb martinis or goji and vodka combos while snacking on free musk sticks and Fantales, or listen to a retro playlist filled with tracks from the 70s and 80s. 'Footloose' is one of them. Food-wise, a small selection of bar snacks is available, but it's chef Anthony Hales' (ex-Spicers Peak, Medusa Dining, Esquire, Tartufo, Thomson's Reserve and Deer Duck Bistro) menu that'll whet appetites. A word of warning, though: split into bites, entrees to share, mains and desserts, it comes cloaked in mystery, only providing a three-ingredient description of each dish. Staff will fill in the gaps should you like to know more about combos like lamb, eel and desiree; beef, cabbage and horseradish; and fejoah, creme cheese and cinnamon. As for bunking down for the night, the range of rooms jumps from medium, large and extra-large standard offerings, to four styles of suite, and even a loft. Those staying also receive free in-room goodies — yep, the mini-bar is included in the price, and comes with booze, soft drink, and a bag filled with sweets and chips — as well as free breakfast if you book online. Plus, if there's a bookshelf in your room, you'll find it lined with novels to read while you're on the premises. Ovolo Inchcolm is now open at 73 Wickham Terrace, Spring Hill. For further details or to book a room, visit the hotel website.
The 2018 Alliance Française French Film Festival might be one year short of a major milestone, but the Gallic cinema showcase is still celebrating its 29th iteration in style. As always, that means a feast of films is on the agenda at the crowd-drawing and -pleasing annual event — 47 features, two documentaries and one televisions series, in fact. Touring the country from February 27, starting in Sydney before heading to Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Perth, Hobart, Adelaide, Parramatta and Casula, this year's AFFFF will bookend its program with amusement. The festival kicks off with comedy C'est la vie! from The Intouchables duo Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache, before coming to a close with rom-com 50 Is the New 30. In-between, everything from acclaimed efforts to star-studded dramas to the latest work from master directors will grace cinema screens around Australia, celebrating the best in French film from the past twelve months. Sitting high amongst the highlights are the AIDS activism-focused BPM and the Juliette Binoche-starring Let the Sunshine In, which will both receive a nation-wide run after screening at last year's Melbourne International Film Festival. In the high-profile camp, they're joined by a Marion Cotillard double, with the acclaimed actress featuring in last year's Cannes opening night pick Ismael's Ghosts and comedy Rock'n Roll; romantic drama The Return of the Hero with Mélanie Laurent and The Artist Oscar-winner Jean Dujardin; Isabelle Huppert in coming-of-age effort Reinventing Marvin; and Gael Garcia Bernal in If You Saw His Heart. Or fans of prominent French filmmakers can get their fix courtesy of François Ozon's Double Lover and Xavier Beauvois' The Guardians, marking the latest flicks from the respective directors of Frantz and Of Gods and Men. The Artist's Michel Hazanavicius tackles an icon, turning the life of Jean-Luc Godard into Redoubtable, while Laurent Cantet jumps from 2008 Palme d'Or-winner The Class to thriller The Workshop. Elsewhere, actor-director Mathieu Amalric helms and features in Barbara, about an actress starring in a biopic about a famed chanteuse AFFFF 2018 will also shine a spotlight on queer cinema for the first time, to celebrate marriage equality, and also include its usual selection of family-friendly fare for younger cinephiles. And, for those keen on catching some TV on the big screen, three episodes of Paris, Etc will whisk you away to the French capital, following the lives and loves of Parisian women. The Alliance Française French Film Festival tours Australia from February 27, screening at Sydney's Chauvel Cinema, Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona, Palace Central and Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace from February 27 to March 27; Melbourne's Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, Kino Cinemas and The Astor Theatre from February 28 to March 27; and Brisbane's Palace Barracks and Palace Centro from March 8 to April 4. For more information, visit the festival website.
When the Mountain Goat Valley Crawl kicked off in 2016, it did so in simple but great style. Recognising that the key to many a good night out is a multi-venue itinerary, it made hopping between Fortitude Valley's finest hangouts a streamlined, well-organised yet still laidback experience — with brews aplenty and an ace live music soundtrack. Five years later, the sprawling music and beer festival is still going strong — and it's coming back in 2020. On Saturday, February 15, attendees can jump between nine Valley spots to see a huge heap of interstate and local artists. And we mean a heap, with 45 musicians and bands on the bill. The simultaneous sonic fun takes place at The Brightside, The Foundry, Black Bear Lodge, Barbara, Crowbar, Blutes, The Elephant Hotel, The Valley Drive-In and the Woolly Mammoth Mane Stage. As always, the agenda includes running between each to sip frosty beverages and catch crackin' sets, with the entertainment once again sponsored by a brewery. The whole shindig kicks off at 5pm, so the only thing left for you to do is clear your calendar for an ace day of tunes, brews and hopping around the Valley. Well, that and check out the full lineup below: Tia Gostelow Arno Faraji Clea Columbus Jack Botts Seaside Eat Your Heart Out TOWNS 100 Gauci Dopamine The Lazy Susans Dopamine DVNA Stellie FeelsClub Nelipot Future Haunts Kurilpa Reach C O L T S Akurei daste. Down For Tomorrow Papaya Tree Flora Link Chakra Efendi Blue Velvet Red Entries Regular Band The Oogars Chitra Catalano Hot Coffee Briskey Elko Fields Great Sage Harmon Midnight Fuckboys Olivia's World Flag Duty Melaleuca Chillinngworth BLUSSH Dorah Jacson MARLOE. Lost Goat Found The Fools Updated December 12.
Remember a time when weekends weren't about browsing market stalls, stocking up on fresh produce straight from the farm, trying the latest artisanal treats and purchasing handmade arts and crafts? No, neither do we. And at the rate new markets keep popping up around Brisbane, we never will. Hot on the heels of Morningside's Metre Market, Carindale's Moo and Glue, and the Red Hill Farmers Markets move to Milton comes the Brisbane Daylight Markets. While the exact place and kickoff date is yet to be announced — other than north of the city, and in August — the small business-focused event is all about lazy Sundays spent indulging in a stint of outdoor shopping. Think boutique stores, food options and all the craft, fashion, design and art-oriented wares you can think of in between. Sure, every market offers that — but, admit it, you can't resist the lure of checking out a fresh batch of trinkets and tasty bites to eat at another location. And who can? More details are due to be revealed soon, but we'd recommend blocking out your Sunday mornings in August just to be safe. And if you're interested in selling your stuff rather than simply buying someone else's, you can do that too, with applications currently open for eager stallholders. The Brisbane Daylight Markets kicks off in August. Keep an eye on their website and Facebook page for more information.
Victoria's answer to Dark Mofo, WinterWild, is returning to Apollo Bay for two weekends this August. While last year's after-dark winter arts festival was structured around the death and birth, this year's theme is 'visions and ecstasies'. Creeping into the coastal shire on the eastern side of Cape Otway, the festival will take place on the weekends of August 16–18 and August 30–September 1. Each weekend will begin with braziers on the beach, before unleashing a vivid program of music, performances, feasting and workshops — all focused on the idea of peering into the darkness for inspiration, revelations and surprises. Standout events on the program for the first weekend, running from August 16–18, include Visions of Excess, which combines kaleidoscopic visuals with the music of Black Heart Death Cult and Flyying Colours; a suitably psychedelic tribute to Jimi Hendrix; and, following on from last year, another immersive (and haunting) blend of projections, lights and sounds in the quarry. Two weekends later, across August 30–September 1, WinterWild will celebrate the music of David Bowie; pair a definitely-not vegan-meal with burlesque and puppetry at the decadent Feastiality; and make shapes outside, by the water and in the cold evening air, at Moon Garden. For those eager to make the trip twice, The Redemption unfurls across both weekends — with the theatrical production playing for free in two parts, involving the citizens of Apollo Bay, and happening by the harbour. Or, if you're keen to completely dive in, you can opt for the two workshop programs, dubbed 'The Left Hand Path' and 'The Right Hand Path'. WinterWild will run across two weekends, Death from August 10–12 and Birth from August 24–26. To see the full lineup and purchase tickets, head to winterwildapollobay.com.au.
Vivid Sydney is really cranking it up this year. Announcing a kaleidoscopic festival program of light, music and ideas this morning, Vivid's 2015 plans will have you squealing over social and locking in dates. Now staged in four new precincts (Chatswood, Central Park, Pyrmont and expansion in Sydney University), as well as the usual harbourside suspects, Vivid is back for another year of technicolour merriment and reignited appreciation of your city. So what's in store? LIGHT Alongside the predictably mindblowing projections on the Sydney Opera House sails (Universal Everything), the Museum of Contemporary Art (Danny Rose and Rebecca Baumann this time), and Cadman's Cottage (a 20 multiplayer game this year, just casually), Vivid has some pretty talkworthy surprises in store. Chatswood will be turned into an aquatic wonderland with giant 3D sea creature projections, you'll be able to 'paint' the skyscrapers in Circular Quay, and the ever-popular Light Walk will feature glow swings, an interactive game of duck, duck goose, musical 'beat dice', playable piano stairs, floating fibre optic dresses from Korean artist Taegon Kim and the obligatory selfie stage (with a 'You Are Here' arrow sign). At Central Park, artists Rekko Rennie and Beastman will project on to the Carlton and United Brewery Facade, and there'll be silent discos on the lawn every Friday and Saturday night. Martin Place will once again be a super pretty illuminated food precinct, and Pyrmont Park will let you let off 'digital fireworks' and project yourself on the casino singing karaoke. Plus, the BBC's Life Story projected on the Argyle Cut sounds just about as beautiful as a weeknight gets. MUSIC Music-wise, this year's Vivid program is equal parts supersuperstars in supersupervenues to loved and local party nights around the city. For Vivid LIVE, the big names came tumbling out of today's announcement. Joining the already announced king gloomsayer Morrissey, eclectic folk dreamboat Sufjan Stevens, immortal art rockers TV on the Radio, Aussie legends Hoodoo Gurus, gravelly folkster Bill Callahan, new album-touter Daniel Johns, longtime shredders The Drones, Sydney hypecards The Preatures, garage go-tos Royal Headache and electronic powerhouse Mad Racket. Red Bull Music Academy are throwing The Studio's opening night, where Future Classic are set to celebrate their tenth anniversary with Flight Facilities, Seekae, Hayden James, Touch Sensitive, George Maple and Flume's only Australian concert for the year; alongside all the Astral People, Elefant Traks label Studio parties we love. We're a little disappointed to see only super male headliners and about three female artists in the entire Vivid LIVE lineup (Preatures, Drones, George Maple), but here's hoping for a more balanced Music at the House summer lineup. Around the city, there's a whole bunch of luminous shindiggery to be had, with Vivid Music this year curated by Sydney radio host, DJ and all-round legend Stephen Ferris. Modular's hugely successful Modulations mini-festival is coming back to Carriageworks after a huge Pet Shop Boys year in 2014. This time around, the crew are bringing together Sydney club nights Kooky, Motorik and Pelvis and inviting headliner American jazz saxophonist Pharaoh Sanders to make good use of those Carriageworks acoustics. Freda's will see the return of Sydney's favourite twist-happy party Jingle Jangle and the special performance of Andras Fox under his New Age alter ego A.R.T. Wilson. Goodgod Small Club will see newcomer Oh Reach's debut concert alongside Terry Serio's Ministry of Truth and Spookyland, while Oxford Art Factory showcases brand new Sydney label Personal Best Records (including the Personal Best Orchestra, a ten-piece all live disco electro orchestra with vintage sythesisers). One of the biggest Sydney parties around, Heaps Gay will hold an epic bash at Marrickville's Factory Theatre with the likes of KIM from The Presets, Black Vanilla DJs, Catlips and The Magda Subanskis, and Soul of Sydney are set to hold a huge block party just for Vivid (more details to come). IDEAS Switching on your brain as well as the lights, Vivid Ideas has a chockers program of talks, seminars and conferences to get you right into the global creative conersation. 'The Game-Changers' series will see Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner, Monocle and Wallpaper founder Tyler Brule and Rolling Stones/HBO designer Stefan Sagmeister chatting about their wildly overachieving existence. There's going to be a huge one-day conference at Carriageworks to examine the key factors needed to create a 'Southern Hemisphere Silicon Valley'. And the ever-popular Vivid Ideas Exchange is back, with Cool Hunting founders chatting about connecting creatively with consumers, Auxilio Venture Lab talking about the ethics of data usage for Australian business and government (timely), Junkee teaching you 'How to Survive Without a Real Job' and MTV asking if boredom fosters creativity. Phew. There's plenty more to Vivid Sydney's 2015 program than we can fit here, running May 22 - June 8. For the full schtick, head to the Vivid website.
The high priestess of dark rock is coming to Australia — PJ Harvey has announced her first Australian/New Zealand tour since 2012. Hitting epic venues like Sydney's shiny new $1.5 billion International Convention Centre for Sydney Festival, Melbourne's Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Brisbane's Tivoli and Auckland's Logan Campbell Centre, Harvey will be backed by her ten-piece band for a career-spanning set. It's been a while between drinks — Harvey hasn't performed in Australia or NZ since 2012. It's a new live show for the UK indie rock legend, one that's already toured Europe and the US and features all your favourite early classics and newer material. PJ HARVEY AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND TOUR DATES: Tuesday, January 17 — Fremantle Arts Centre, Perth Thursday, January 19 — Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide Saturday, January 21 — Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne Sunday, January 22 — ICC Sydney Theatre, Sydney (Sydney Festival) Tuesday, January 24 — Logan Campbell Centre, Auckland, NZ Wednesday, January 25 — Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington, NZ Friday, January 27 — Tivioli Theatre, Brisbane, QLD Tickets for the Sydney Festival performance will go on sale on Thursday, September 1 at 8am from Sydney Festival's website. All other shows will go on sale at 9am. More info here.
Careen down a slippery dip from the top floor of GOMA to the bottom while you still can. Probe humanity's relationship with technology. Meet the mother of American Modernism. Paradigms be damned, this month, Brisbane galleries are putting eclecticism first. Whether an autumn afternoon rainstorm is dampening your spirits, or you're a diehard art lover, find your way to Brisbane's best galleries this April for copious amounts of contemporary art. Image:Carsten Höller, Sugar Spin, installation view at GOMA (2016).
Calling all architecture fans, folks keen to explore another side of Brisbane and just anyone who likes to peek behind closed doors. Open House Brisbane has something for all three when it returns for 2018 — showcasing the city's buildings and structures, letting you peer beyond their facades, and even welcoming you into nooks and crannies that aren't usually available to the public. Marking its ninth year in Brisbane, the event will feature 114 buildings across the weekend of October 13–14, spanning places that you probably walk past every day, spots you've always wondered about and everything in between. They include the Peters Ice Cream Factory, Boggo Road Gaol and the homes inside Indooroopilly's Walter Taylor Bridge, plus the Fort Lytton Military Precinct, Archerfield Airport and the Queensland Performing Arts Centre. A selection of architecturally distinctive residential buildings also feature, if you'd like a tour of other people's houses. Some of them even won gongs at this year's prestigious Houses Awards, like the greenery-filled Terrarium House — and many require bookings, so planning ahead is recommended. 2018's lineup also features a number of spaces that are new to the program, such as The Tivoli, Breakfast Creek Hotel, Woolloongabba's new Eden Lane, the Mt Crosby Pumping Station, Brisbane Powerhouse, Cloudland and the Empire Hotel. Fancy a wander in the yet-to-be-completed 90-storey Brisbane Skytower in Margaret Street — or Queen Street's luxe new 40-storey Spire Residences? They're on the bill. Open House Brisbane isn't just about walking through spaces, whether you mosey at your own leisure or take a guided tour. It also boasts a program of talks and events running from September 20. New this year is a special after-dark section, which takes place between October 2–13, complete with everything from history workshops in the Old Windmill Tower to a screening of Jaws 2 at the Spring Hill Baths. Brisbane Open House runs over October 13 and 14 at a variety of places around Brisbane. For the full program, head to brisbaneopenhouse.com.au.
He took home this year's best director Oscar thanks to his enchanting monster romance, and now he's in the spotlight at the Spanish Film Festival. That'd be The Shape of Water's Guillermo del Toro, with the fest celebrating his 2006 Academy Award-winner Pan's Labyrinth as its closing night selection. Of course, on its tour of Australia between April 17 and May 16, the country's long-running celebration of Spanish-language filmmaking has plenty of other delights amongst its 25-film program. Marking its 21st year in 2018, that includes opening night's The Tribe, a street-dancing musical comedy inspired by real-life Spain's Got Talent winners, plus No Filter, this year's Spanish box office smash about a woman who can't stop speaking her mind. Other high-profile highlights range from screenings of Pixar's gorgeous Coco, in case you missed it in cinemas late last year; to a who's who of Spanish talent in historical epic Gold; to Loving Pablo, which features Javier Bardem as Pablo Escobar and Penélope Cruz as the journalist who falls for him. Fans of both actors can also catch them in Jamón Jamón — which, released back in 1992, was actually Cruz's first film. It plays as part of a four-feature retrospective dedicated to filmmaker Bigas Luna, alongside his fellow hits Golden Balls and The Tit and The Moon. A documentary compiled from the late director's video diaries, Bigas x Bigas, will enjoy its Australian premiere to round out the program strand. Plus, in the kind of curation that every film festival could benefit from, the Spanish Film Festival will also showcase the work of emerging Spanish female directors. While Summer 1993 actually played at last year's fest as well, the charming delight is getting another spin, with Málaga Film Festival hit Julia Is, Spanish Civil War-focused The Bastard's Fig Tree and the Goya-nominated The Open Door also on the bill. In addition, Melburnians get an extra pick thanks to doco Singled [Out], which was partially shot in Australia by the Melbourne-based Mariona Guiu and Barcelona-based Ariadna Relea. The Spanish Film Festival tours Australia from April 17, screening at Sydney's Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona and Palace Central from April 17 to May 6; Melbourne's Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, Palace Brighton Bay, Kino Cinemas and The Astor Theatre from April 19 to May 6, and Brisbane's Palace Barracks and Palace Centro from April 26 to May 13. For more information, visit the festival website.
When is a vending machine not just a vending machine? When it's a self-service cafe. That's not just marketing jargon — that's what health food merchants All Real Food are calling their automated eateries, and it's a name that fits. But you won't find the usual chips, chocolate and cans of soft drink on their shelves. With no junk food in sight, what you'll find instead are delicious, healthy snacks and meals, all freshly packaged and stocked each and every day. All Real Food is known for their green-lidded jars filled with salads and smoothies, and that's exactly what their vending machines will be serving. Customers at That Little Place in Mount Gravatt East and Flannerys Natural and Organic Supermarket in Taringa should already be familiar with the Brisbane-based business's range, which also includes ready-to-go breakfasts and sweets, and will soon boast soups, too. The idea to make their nutritious treats available in more locations and at the press of a button is a stroke of genius — and one that anyone who's ever had the hankering for a healthy snack while they're out and about will be grateful for. Their touchscreen machines also feature a vertical herb garden to bring you back in touch with nature, and a gratitude board filled with health tips and inspiring messages that change daily. Just where and when they'll start popping up all over Brisbane is yet to be determined, but one thing is certain: eating on the run has never been so appetising (or so good for you). For more information about All Real Food's self-service cafe, visit their website.
Summer is here, Christmas is coming and everyone's looking for a ticket out of the city — for a few days, when the holidays roll around; or for a longer stay, should an extended getaway be in your future. If enjoying scenic nature sights in comfort sounds like your idea of bliss, Flash Camp has just announced they'll be hosting another pop-up glamping site within Shoalhaven's Coolendel private reserve. It's Flash Camp's second stint on the site, after first enjoying the location's charms earlier in 2017. This time, they're sticking around not only through the Christmas and New Year period, but until May 30, 2018. If you can't make the 2.5-hour drive down the South Coast from Sydney (or thirty minutes from Nowra) this year, start planning next year's Easter vacation or sneaky weekender. The remote location is an easy trip to achieve a true bush experience — well, kind of. As to be expected, the tents look quite luxe. The bell-shaped, premium 'Flash Tents' come with a king-sized mattress, covered in plush bedding and perched on timber pallets. The tents also feature solar lighting, table and chairs, Biology toiletries and a hand-woven Armadillo & Co rug. For groups looking for a slightly (very slightly) more traditional camping experience, Flash Camp also offer their regular bell tents with air beds. Guests also have access to the existing Coolendel amenities, including hot showers and barbecue facilities, as well as a communal Flash Camp tent with seating, fairy lights and a campfire. The glamping site is located within Coolendel's 52 hectares of bushland along the Shoalhaven River. Nature lovers will be keen on this secluded grassy park, which is an ideal location for spotting wombats, goannas, wallabies and native birds. Apart from nature watching and bushwalking, guests can also try a spot of canoeing, biking and fishing. Rates vary from $130 to $240 per night, depending on day of the week and holidays. Food is not provided, though, so campers should make sure to pack the esky full for the duration of the trip. Flash Camp Glamping will pop up at Coolendel from through until May 30. To book, visit the Flash Camp website. For more glamping options, check out our list for the ten best glamping spots near Sydney. By Marissa Ciampi and Sarah Ward.
Zip lines, bungee jumping and treetop obstacles are just the start of Australia's newest destination for adventure seekers. Set along the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Live Wire Park is Australia's first outdoor adventure park that is completely powered by nature. Located within The Great Otway National Park, it's family-owned and designed with the environmental in mind, which means the park is completely off-grid, fully solar powered and all water is collected on-site — both reducing waste and taking advantage of the natural resources available. Apart from its minimal environmental impact, the park sounds like it packs in some serious fun, too. Set just 900 metres from the Lorne coastline, the elevated park is set among the treetops and boasts a 5250-metre-long zip line, a suspended 120-metre walking circuit among the native blue gums and even a "super circuit" of 53 physical and mental activities that test park-goers while suspended in mid-air. You'll scale trees, swing on ropes and plunge down a bungee jump, all while solving a few puzzles and problems. For kids, the short circuit is a milder version with only 26 obstacles. Plus, you can expect plenty of wildlife sightings among the pristine rainforest and waterfalls. Live Wire Park is now open seven days a week at 180 Erskine Falls Road, Lorne. For more information and to book tickets, head to livewirepark.com.au.
It has been a big year for Cheated Hearts, the Brisbane collective of young queer creatives. They even have an award to prove it, winning regular event of the year as voted by Queensland Pride’s readers. And that’s not all – they also launched Poetic Justice, Brisbane’s only queer-friendly hip hop and RnB night. No wonder they want to celebrate the end of 2014 in their trademark enthusiastic fashion. The Cheated Hearts Christmas Party isn’t just about them, of course, or about the free popcorn on offer. The party to end their year's worth of parties says thanks to everyone who helped make this a year to remember. Christmas dress-up is the chosen style, and what better attire to wear on a dance floor set to thrive and jive to the sounds spun by DJs Jane Doe, Frankie Trouble, Dzyr and Sezzo. Come, all ye faithful, and revel in the Cheated Hearts melting pot once more for 2014. Warning: the fun will be filmed for a new video.
After the announcement that Stereosonic will be going on a 'hiatus' for 2016 and other big music festivals — Future Music and Soundwave included — throwing in the towel due to poor ticket sales, it seemed that this big, bad world of the Australian festival scene was too brutal, too tough for anyone to even consider breaking into the market right now. Well, not exactly. Because while the big guys are struggling, boutique festivals seem to keep on thriving. And a new festival, Sandalphon, has even been announced for later this year. Sandalphon will commandeer 225 acres of private land in the Gold Coast hinterland for three days of music and general debauchery over the Queensland Queen's Birthday long weekend on October 1-3. The music acts are yet to be announced (although it's set to be a mix of indie bands, DJs and R&B artists), but it's all the other stuff that's got us pretty damn excited. There will be seven stages — one of which will be on a lake and can be viewed from the actual water while floating on inflatable pool toys (!!!) — a nightly outdoor cinema, daily yoga practice, round-the-clock bathroom attendants and free access to the things you don't think to take camping, like hair ties and straighteners. Other add-ons seem to take heed from other Australian festivals, like 'The Treehouse', a stage that will be hidden off the festival map in a secret location, a dress-up policy and a kissing booth. Looks like someone might have gone to Secret Garden. There'll be all the usual food vendors, of course, plus three sit-down restaurants, which are apparently five-star (whatever that means). Tickets start from $280 for a one-day pass, $290 for a two-day pass and $300 for a three-day pass. SO obviously it makes sense to go the whole hog and stick it out for three days. Tickets include camping and parking and can be bought here. According to Sandalphon's website, the lineup should be announced soon.
If you had to choose one drink that captures the essence of Sydney, what would it be? How about a handcrafted gin, made using a selection of botanicals picked from our own Royal Botanic Garden? Well, that's exactly what the folks at award-winning Distillery Botanica Gin have created with their just-released limited-edition Rather Royal Gin. In developing this one-off creation, master distiller Phillip Moore teamed up with the Botanic Garden's director of horticulture, Jimmy Turner, to pick out the most gin-worthy botanical haul this verdant, 220-year-old site had to offer. Botanicals from all over the Garden have leant their unique flavour qualities to the spirit, including mandarin leaf, lemon verbena, lovage, chamomile, and even Pope John Paul roses. An age-old technique called enfleurage was used to cold-extract the various perfumes and refine the gin to its final product — effectively, a trek through the Botanic Garden, in boozy liquid form. What's more, Rather Royal Gin will have you drinking for an excellent cause, with sale proceeds earmarked for the Garden's many conservation programs; from seed collection and banking, to research, training, and awareness. Plus, the bartenders are Bulletin Place are offering up a special limited edition cocktail using the gin. Just 1000 bottles of Rather Royal Gin have been crafted, so if you're keen to snap one up, you'd best get in quick. They're priced at $129 and are available from selected stockists, Distillery Botanica Gin's website, and over the bar at The Botanic Garden Restaurant.
Garage pop band Hinds are making the trip to Australia for the very first time. For a super young band (the youngest member is only 18), they've already had a run of successes that would strike envy in many. They've played at Primavera Sound, opened for The Libertines and have toured with The Black Keys. Perhaps the only run of bad luck they've received is being legally obliged to change their name from their previous moniker 'Deers'. It's hard not to love the girls' breezy and unfiltered take on young love and teenage fun, a charm that also translates to their live shows — known for their unpretentious, no barriers performance and oft heard outbursts of giggling. Mac DeMarco is a self-professed fan, and maybe after this run, you'll be convinced to join the club too.
When you first hear it described to you, Tangerine doesn't exactly scream 'comedy'. Set on the streets of Los Angeles one day before Christmas, the breakout feature at this year's Sundance Film Festival follows a poor transgender sex worker who has just gotten out of prison, only to discover that her pimp/boyfriend has been cheating on her. Sounds pretty grim, right? That's where you'd be wrong. Working closely with transgender actors Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor, neither of whom had any prior screen experience, writer-director Sean Baker and his co-writer Chris Bergoch have crafted one of the boldest, funniest and most memorable independent features we've seen in quite some time — one that puts transgender issues front and centre without ever becoming preachy or resorting to cliche. As if that weren't impressive enough, there's also the story of how they physically made the movie, using little more than a pair of iPhone 5s. Originally a budgetary decision, it ends up being Baker's ace in the hole, lending the film a brash, in-your-face aesthetic that could hardly be more fitting. We spoke with Baker about what it's like to make a movie on your mobile, as well as the importance of giving narratives like these the spotlight they deserve. Tell us a little bit about how this project came about? I live about a half a mile from the intersection of Santa Monica and Highland, which is sort of an unofficial red light district. It's known, especially as of late, for transgender sex workers. That intersection in particular was always known for its drama, and I would pass it and wonder why there haven't been more films that have taken place there. I was also in a situation where I was trying to get money for a much bigger film, but it never happened. The industry is really upside-down right now, and I was waiting and waiting and waiting, and I knew that if I waited any longer I wasn't ever going to make a film again. So I turned to Mark Duplass and said, "hey, a couple of years ago you offered me a micro-budget. I think I'm in the position where I'm going to have to take it." So does that mean the decision to shoot on the iPhone was primarily a budgetary one? Yes. Or at least, it started off that way, and then of course it became an aesthetic. Were there other films that influenced you, in terms of the way the movie looks? No, that was the cool part about it — that it seemed to me to be a pretty original aesthetic. We combined a bunch of tools. This anamorphic adapter that we used allowed us to shoot in true scope; true widescreen cinema. Then there was an app called FiLMic Pro that has a bunch of bells and whistles and allows you to shoot at 24 frames per second. And then we used the Smothee, which is a handheld stabiliser that stabilises the iPhone. Then in post production we ended up pumping the colours through the roof, which really enhanced the LA sun. So all of a sudden you have these four tools working together creating this look that I'm really happy with. When you're on location, what are some of the advantages and/or challenges of shooting on a phone? What it did was that it allowed us to basically work clandestinely. If you saw us shooting from across the street, you'd never know we were shooting anything professional, except for the fact that we had a boom pole. We got permits, but we didn't have to announce that we were shooting, so we were able to capture real street life. Of course, then we had to ask them for their releases after I yelled 'cut', which is a risk because you then have to chase people down and beg. But for the most part people are pretty nice. From what we've read elsewhere, it sounds like a lot of research went into the film. How important was it that you immerse yourself in this world? I think it's the only way. I think it's best to allow the world to speak to you, as opposed to you speaking to a world that you're not a part of. That's just an irresponsible way of storytelling. Chris and I, we're cisgender white males who are not from that world whatsoever. So we needed to do a lot of research. We had to find a collaborator and put the time in. And the collaborators in this case were our leads. Mya especially. She was the first person we met who gave us the enthusiasm we were looking for. On its face, the film's subject matter sounds fairly grim. Was there ever a version of the script without the comedic elements that played like a more straightforward drama? It's funny that you mention that, especially with you being from Australia, because the cinema coming out of Australia has been incredibly influential on me. Snowtown is such an amazing masterpiece, and that's what I thought the film was going to be originally. Not the murders, but that social realist style with that really desaturated look. So then what changed your mind? Getting to know the women, and hanging out with them regularly, I saw that even though they were dealing with incredible hardships, they used humour to cope. And I knew that the film would be dishonest if I didn't incorporate that humour. It was actually part of Mya's request as well. She said to me point blank, "I've seen your other films and I trust you, and I want to make this movie with you, but you've got to promise me that it will be funny. You've got to make a film that is entertaining for the people out here. We don't want a 'plight of' film that's all drama, hitting people over the head and leaving the audience feeling terrible." And I'm really glad she sent me down that road. On that point, how has the transgender community reacted to the film? It's been really positive. I thought this film was going to divide audiences, but so far there's been a really nice amount of love given to us across the board. One of our first reviews from a transperson came from Australia, at the Sydney Film Festival, and she was very, very positive about it. And having travelled with the film a little bit already, I've been able to see how members of trans communities react in different countries. I was in Columbia, in Bogotá, and members of the local trans community came to the premiere, and they said to me afterwards through a translator that while there are lots of cultural differences, they really connected and indentified with the sisterhood between the two main characters, which was a real nice thing to hear. With television shows like Transparent and Orange Is the New Black, as well as all the recent media coverage surrounding Caitlyn Jenner, it feels as though transgender stories are finally getting attention in mainstream culture. How important is this, and are you pleased to be part of the trend? Most definitely. Setting down this road two and a half years ago, we had no idea it was going to be as much a part of the zeitgeist as it is now. Any time visibility and awareness is increased it's a positive thing. The unfortunate part of all of this is that the murder rate here in the United State has almost doubled from last year, assuming it stays at this rate. It's hard to get up-to-date statistics because of the fact that a lot of these murders aren't investigated correctly. But we're already up to 15 murders of transpeople here in the United States in 2015, and we're only at the end of August. The hope is that increased awareness and visibility will eventually lead to acceptance, but we still have a long way to go. I also think we need a number of these types of narratives. I'm making a film about a microcosm — about transwomen of colour who happen to work as sex workers in a very small area of Los Angeles. So this is only representative of a tiny, tiny portion of the transgender community. This has to be one of many, many different narratives that are being told. Tangerine is in cinemas in Sydney and Melbourne now.
File this one under news that probably won't happen, but damn would it be cool if it did: Italian architect Piero Lissoni has won a competition to design New York City's new aquarium, and it's easy to see why. The proposed 'Aquatrium' would be situated at Long Island City's Anable Basin, and would consist of two circular elements submerged in the East River. Picture the underwater lair of a '70s era James Bond villain, and you probably won't be too far off the mark. The plans feature an open-air basin sitting just below water level, boasting eight clear 'biomes' that would house aquatic creatures from the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian and Southern oceans along with the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Red and Tasman seas. An iceberg in the centre would represent the poles, while at night the space would be covered by a sliding domed roof, transforming it into a planetarium (casually). You can't accuse this guy of having a lack of imagination. "Having the water level define the starting point of the project, the site is excavated to become a spacious and innovative water basin," Lissoni's team told Dezeen. "The main idea is to generate an environment whereby visitors feel that they themselves are entering the water to discover the beauty of the marine life on display." Sadly, the design competition isn't anything official, so don't expect to be walking through Lissoni's futuristic aqua-dome any time soon. But feel free to stare longingly at the pretty pictures. Via Dezeen.
"Well, this changes everything." It's a common enough expression, used almost entirely hyperbolically in circumstances like preparing a bowl of cereal before discovering your milk's already past its due by date. Every so often, however, the adage is justified, as was the case in 1974 when it was revealed to the world that Germany's infamous WWII 'enigma code' had in fact been cracked some 30 years earlier by a small group of English mathematicians. That announcement changed history. Textbooks were rewritten, curriculums revised and almost every detail of the global conflict reexamined. For three decades, credit for the extraordinary intelligence windfall that helped expedite the War's end by as much as two years fell to an unnamed Allied spy within Berlin operating under the codename 'Ultra'. That man did not exist, and now The Imitation Game, based on the biography Alan Turing: The Enigma, explores the true source of the Allies' codebreaking secret. Benedict Cumberbatch plays Turing, a man whose name should rightly be known the world over, twice, and yet whose story remains largely unfamiliar. For one, he was the genius behind the machine that cracked the Nazi code, and two, he effectively pioneered development of both artificial intelligence and the digital computer. It's an astounding story, both for its marvel and misery, and The Imitation Game seeks to capture both. Artistic licence notwithstanding (there are no recordings of Turing, or at the very least no declassified ones), Cumberbatch's masterful performance brings to life a man whose mathematical genius was matched only by his social dyslexia and his torment at being gay in an age when homosexuality was still illegal under British law. Surrounding him is an all-star, all-English ensemble, including: Mark Strong, Keira Knightly, Matthew Goode, Charles Dance and Rory Kinnear. Newcomer Alex Lawther also deserves special mention in his turn as the young Turing, whose flashback scenes are perhaps the film's most poignant and emotionally charged. Director Morten Tyldum (Headhunters) balances his three timelines well, using the prep school years and wartime experiences to inform Turing's later disposition during his 1952 police interrogation in which he was charged with 'gross indecency'. Turing's ultimate fate was a despicable one, sentenced to state-sanctioned chemical castration by the same government that only ten years earlier had been saved by his extraordinary abilities. It was only in 2013, in fact, that he received a posthumous pardon by the Queen, and if there's a problem with The Imitation Game, it’s the way the subject of homosexual persecution is largely dispensed with upon the film's conclusion, despite being so deftly introduced and explored earlier. "Sometimes it's the people no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine." These words, first uttered to Turing by his childhood sweetheart (and then repeated — albeit a little clumsily — several further times throughout), underscore The Imitation Game's representation of Turing as an astonishing man who almost singlehandedly achieved the impossible without ever seeking, or receiving, any acknowledgment for it. His is a story that needs to be known, and thanks to this film, more will not just learn of Turing, but hopefully seek out and explore it in far greater detail thereafter.
Looking for a new hobby? We've got just the thing. A Slovenian company has created the world's first self-inflating stand-up paddleboard, after their runaway crowdfunding campaign rose more than $175,000 USD. The SipaBoard Air is the latest innovation in one of the world's fastest growing sports (and one of our favourite ways to get on the water in Sydney, mind you), and comes with an inbuilt pump capable of fully inflating the board in under five minutes. The initial Kickstarter campaign has closed, but units can still be ordered via Indiegogo, with the most basic model, the SipaBoard NEO, selling for $640 USD plus shipping. Each board comes with a rechargeable battery, a streamlined fin box, a board bag and a carry leash. You can also order a collapsible paddle, although that'll cost you extra. According to the Indiegogo page, production on the boards has already begun, with orders expected to ship sometime in August — perfect timing for those of us in the Southern Hemisphere. But why take our word for anything when you can watch the SipaBoard Air promotional video? Seriously, it might be the most endearingly cheesy thing we've ever seen.
Thousands of punters attending Splendour in the Grass were left stranded for hours at the North Byron Parklands site on Friday evening, with bus and traffic wait times reaching into the early hours of Saturday morning. After The Strokes wrapped up on the main Amphitheatre stage, the masses flocked to the festival's shuttle buses — only to find almost empty bus bays and unbelievable queues. Oh man. #Splendour bottleneck is absolutely burying the vibe of thousands in one fell swoop. NOT COOL @SITG 😭 — Kira Puru (@kirapuru) July 22, 2016 In a pretty chaotic scene that resembled The Walking Dead, punters were jumping ditches, ducking under fences, pissing in fields and flocking to any maxi-cab (or moving vehicle, for that matter) that passed by. Concrete Playground even saw a woman with a walking frame having to walk the 1.25km from the festival entrance to the festival gate and duck under a fence, waved to do so by a NSW Roads and Maritime traffic controller. By 1-2am, many punters even waved $50 notes at passing cars in the hopes of catching a ride back to town. Traffic was no better, with early leavers waiting up to two hours just to leave the festival site, many returning to Byron Bay by 2-3am. The "line" for the buses at #SITG2016 been waiting for 65mins so far. Poor form #Splendour organisers @secretsounds pic.twitter.com/ojhl33RLmM — BrigFee (@boo_indeed) July 22, 2016 NSW Roads and Maritime officers corralled punters down into darker, less busy parts of the pre-highway road — with little time for compassion for the stranded punters. NSW Police rolled out the riot squad, patrolling with formidable casualness. This is not Splendour's first time at the closing time rodeo — so what the heck went wrong? Using data for non-camping ticketholders versus camping ticketholders should have offered a clue into Friday night's logistical nightmare — there were simply not enough buses for the number of non-staying punters. Here's hoping Saturday's three-hour set from The Cure staggers the leaving times. so we'll wait all damn niiight by the big floodlight towers they have the buses and also the powerrrr #SITG2016 pic.twitter.com/6zQvraIz7N — spicy cinnamon taco (@Caitlin_Welsh) July 22, 2016
Twenty years ago the Australian wine landscape was shaped by French viticulture. The grapes we grew and the wines we drank were dominantly French in origin — Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. But over the last decade, an influx of Italian, Spanish, and Greek varietals have begun to make their mark across Australia, and they're now commonplace on wine lists and retail shelves all over the country. The winemakers who saw the potential for these varieties, long before they were considered cool, deserve endless credit. Before Aussie Wine Month kicks off in May, we've partnered with Wine Australia to round up five bottles of Australia's most delicious, innovative wine — keep this list in mind for your next dinner party. ASSYRTIKO Because the temperature in Australia's wine regions is continually rising, the search for varieties that thrive in warmer environments has moved to the top of every winemakers to-do list. It's taken ten years and a long wait at Australian customs to get Santorini's indigenous white grape Assyrtiko into Australia (specifically, South Australia's Clare Valley). Producing a fresh, crisp, acidic style of white wine, it's the perfect accompaniment to contemporary Australian food, and a natural partner to Australia's climate and cuisine. Think grilled octopus, fresh seafood, slow cooked lamb shoulder and cured ocean trout. In a couple of sentences: Assyrtiko is native Greek white wine that we've recently started producing here in Aus, that thrives in a warmer climate and which will quench any thirst on a hot day. Try it if you like Sauvignon Blanc, if you're bored with the status quo, or have a seafood platter to devour. One to try: 2016 Jim Barry Assyrtiko, Clare Valley SA MENCIA A wonderful little region called Galicia is tucked up high in the North-West corner of Spain. Here, among some of the steepest wine-growing mountain ranges, a delicious red grape called Mencia was found, picked and brought over to our shores. What's exciting about this grape is that it can express so many different characteristics when it's made into wine. From light and fresh, with a powerful mid-palate concentration of fruit and an elegant finish, to a rich and opulent, dark and brooding beast with structure and density. No matter which direction the flavours go, the wine is always perfumed, with a persistent juiciness that lingers in your mouth for hours. In a couple of sentences: Tastes like Pinot Noir on steroids — loads of fruit, but a nice grip on your palate. Try it if you're eating pulled pork, and you need something to match it with. One to try: 2016 Oliver's Taranga '2 Chicas' Mencia Rosé, McLaren Vale SA ZINFANDEL Zinfandel (also known as Primitivo) is a black-skinned grape variety that produces a robust red wine. Expect to experience jammy flavours of blueberry, raspberry, cherry, plum, and cranberry alongside characters of black pepper, clove and liquorice. When you taste Zinfandel, it often bursts on the palate with juicy fruitiness, followed by spice and often a tobacco-like finish. A pro-tip when searching for the right Zinfandel is to keep an eye on the back label and check the Alcohol by Volume (ABV). If you like a lighter, more red-fruited style, look for a lower ABV. If big dark fruits and savoury spices are more your speed, look for a Zinfandel with an ABV above 15%. In a couple of sentences: Originating in Italy, made famous in the USA and now found in our backyard, Zinfandel is your Friday night pizza wine. If Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot had a love child, Zinfandel would be the product. One to try: 2013 Lowe Wines Zinfandel, Mudgee NSW SKIN CONTACT/ORANGE WINE To make an orange wine you take white grapes and crush them slightly (usually under foot), and then put them in a vessel (often ceramic, or made of large cement) to ferment. The fermenting wine is left alone from anywhere between four days to over a year. The longer the time spent on skins, the darker the orange/amber colour and the more tannin (or structure) the wine receives. Orange wines are usually robust and bold, with honeyed aromas of sweet melon, hazelnut, brazil nut, bruised apple, wood varnish, lanolin, juniper, sourdough and dried orange rind. On the palate, they're big, dry, and tend to be overly acidic — not for the faint hearted. In a couple of sentences: The colour and tannin structure of orange wine comes from extended juice contact with the skin of the grape — it's white wine for lovers of red wine. Try it if you like sour ale, cider, bold flavours, tannic wines, or if you've got a lemon stuffed baked chicken in the oven. One to try: 2016 #003 by Tom Ward, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewurtztraminer, Orange NSW PÉTILLANT-NATUREL Pétillant-Naturel is a delicious, lightly-sparkling wine, unfiltered and often bottled with a crown cap (like a beer bottle) rather than a cork. Colloquially shortened to Pét Nat, it's lightly cloudy like a cider and holds the distinct vinous characters, aromas and flavours of the grape variety it's made from — meaning each bottle, or vintage will have its own unique flavour. A rustic style of sparkling wine, Pét Nat is made using mostly traditional production methods. Unlike classic sparkling wines and Champagne however, wine producers don't add sugar to kick off secondary fermentation in the bottle (the element that gives most varieties of sparkling a firmer, more pronounced bubble). In fact, most, if not all Pét Nats do not see any additions in their fermentation process. The literal translation of the name is 'natural sparkling' — meaning it's the truest essence of grape in a bottle that a winemaker can get. In a couple of sentences: Bursting with flavour, Pét-Nat is a lightly-sparkling wine with a stylistically softer bubble compared to more traditionally-made sparkling wine. Try it if you like cider. One to try: 2016 Delinquente 'Tuff Nut' Bianco di Alessandria Pét Nat Riverland, SA Celebrate all types of Australian wine by getting involved with Aussie Wine Month over May — there will be events and tasting opportunities all over the country. Images: Kimberley Low.
Swap your own four walls for some of Brisbane's most famous places: for a few days each year, that's what Brisbane Open House offers. Taking architecture fans, folks keen to explore another side of Brisbane and just anyone who likes to peek behind closed doors on behind-the-scenes tours of the city, the event notched up ten years back in 2019. Now, it's returning in 2022 for the first time since hitting that milestone, and expanding its showcase of Brissie's buildings, structures and precincts across two big weekends. If you've always liked to peer beyond the surface, then this is the event for you — because seeing past Brisbane's famous facades, and even stepping through nooks and crannies that aren't usually open to the public, is on the agenda here. After a couple of years spent at home more often than not, Brisbane Open House might just feel particularly enticing when it hosts its first-ever Villages of Brisbane day on Sunday, August 21, then holds its main two-day program across Saturday, August 27–Sunday, August 28. If you're keen on the first part, it's taking over Sandgate with a lineup of talks and walking tours. Attendees will hear about the history of the seaside spot, and also obviously go for a wander through its heritage-listed buildings. Among the places getting in on the action: Full Moon Hotel, Sacred Heart Church, Shorncliffe Railway Station, Sandgate Museum and Sandgate Town Hall. Over the main part of the fest, there's a focus on precincts — a new initiative for this year's Brisbane Open House. Fish Lane in South Brisbane is in the spotlight, which means making the most of the arts precinct that stretches through to South Bank, covering everything from museums and galleries through to restaurants and boutiques. Elsewhere, you can make a date with a hefty range of locations, and see them like you've never seen them before. In the CBD, that includes Anzac Square, Brisbane City Hall, Museum of Brisbane, Howard Smith Wharves, Parliament House, Queensland University of Technology, Roma Street Fire Station and Roma Street Parkland. Hitting up the Spring Hill heritage tours, which include the Old Windmill and service reservoirs, is always popular. Other sites welcoming folks in include performance venues such as the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Woolloongabba's revamped Princess Theatre, The Tivoli and The Fortitude Music Hall. And, depending on what kinds of spaces you're interested in taking a gander at, the Cathedral of St Stephen, Brisbane Cruise Ship Terminal, Fort Lytton, Government House and Masonic Memorial Centre are also on the list. So are the Port of Brisbane, Southbank Parklands, State Library of Queensland, Shingle Inn, The University of Queensland, Victoria Park, Wolston Farmhouse and Wivenhoe Dam, too. In total, around 40 venues are taking part — some letting you mosey at your own leisure, others hosting guided tours. Brisbane Open House's Villages of Brisbane program takes place on Sunday, August 21, with the full Brisbane Open House program then running across Saturday, August 27–Sunday, August 28 at a variety of places around Brisbane. For the full program, head to brisbaneopenhouse.com.au. Top images: Walter Taylor Bridget by Jake Churches, Port of Brisbane by Kim Williams, Government House Fernberg and Old Windmill Tower by Paul Knie.
Disney and Marvel. When the union was forged, many wondered whether it would be death of both or the start of something special. Then The Avengers made about a trillion dollars and it looked like things might be okay. Key to the acquisition was Disney’s hands-off approach, guaranteeing the gritty Marvel world would not suddenly be required to include musical numbers like: “I’m a Wolverine and I’m the best you’ve ever seen”. The latest offering — Big Hero 6 — is a Disney movie based on a Marvel comic that perhaps 11 people in the world have ever heard of. That meant the Disney team could largely ignore the source material and simply ‘Frankengrab’ the parts they liked, which in this case was little more than the film’s title. The action takes place in the city of San Fransokyo, a portmanteau blending not just names but also architecture, with the iconic San Francisco Bay playing backdrop to a very aesthetically Asian metropolis. Living in it are the bothers Hamada: technology prodigies who direct their talents in wildly different arenas. Hiro builds robots for underground gambling, while his older brother, Tadashi, tries repeatedly to entice him to the prestigious Institute of Technology. When tragedy strikes, Hiro finds himself inadvertently partnered up with Tadashi's prototype robot ‘Baymax', and it’s here that Big Hero 6 hits its stride. Baymax is, quite simply, a revelation. Tender, naive and scene-stealingly funny, he’s a bulbous inflatable carer-bot, a sort of Stay Puft Marshmallow Man with a med degree. Voiced by Scott Adsit (30 Rock), Baymax is singular in purpose: he wants to help people. But with several kinks yet to be ironed out, his efforts often prove more troublesome than beneficial. Add to the mix a mysterious, murderous villain who compels Hiro to train Baymax in martial arts and you get a Kung Fu Panda adventure mixed with the traditional Disney themes of loss, love and learning. There is, of course, a video game undercurrent to the action, because tied into the release of Big Hero 6 is a video game; however, the blend of characters, comedy and carnage is in the right ratio. The animation is also spectacular. Speaking at the screening, producer Roy Conli showed us some of the new technology developed specifically for this film to be made, and none was more impressive than the world-building engine responsible for San Fransokyo. The city is enormous and unbelievably detailed. It feels real, which keeps the story grounded when it might otherwise stray too far into silliness. The star, though, is Baymax. Adsit’s ability to emote through an expressionless blob is a giant accomplishment, responsible for more than few tears and sniffles throughout. Big Hero 6 may not be quite up to the level of Pixar in terms of story, but it’s still a great addition to the Disney family of films and one that all members of the family will enjoy.
If you're one to buy a whole new wardrobe every season, we can't change you. But what if you bought sustainably, invested in eco-friendly fabrics, or bought second-hand? What if... you repaired your jean crotch hole instead of buying a new exxy pair? Sustainable fashion is something Sydney folk trio Little May feel pretty damn passionate about, and seeing as though they're about to kick off a national tour at Sydney's Metro Theatre, we thought we'd hand over the reins to multi-instrumentalist and eco-boss Annie Hamilton and let her school you on their favourite places to buy sustainable fashion. Handing over to Annie. Hello! I've just finished a year of buying-no-new-clothes in an effort to be more sustainable and to force myself to put more thought into the things that I buy and what impact they have on other humans, the environment and my own body. I studied textile design at uni and have always been interested in sustainable and ethical fashion, so I put together a list of a few Australian/NZ brands that are doing pretty awesome things in the world of sustainable fashion. In the wake of Fashion Revolution Week, it seems that more and more people are starting to question where and how their clothes were made, which can only be a good thing in the world of mass-produced, trend-driven fast fashion. Everyone has their own personal values and you should think about what yours are and try to reflect those in your purchases. But for a start, you can look for organic natural fibres, buy either locally-made or fair-trade, and look for traceability throughout the supply chain. And of course, buy clothing that is made to last, that won't fall apart or go out of fashion after a couple of wears. NUDIE JEANS CO In terms of sustainable clothing brands, Nudie ticks a lot of boxes. Nudie clothing is organic, traceable and made to last. Check out their website and you can find out exactly where the organic cotton for their jeans was grown in Turkey, or where the organic, fair trade cotton used in their shirts was grown in India. Information regarding their entire supply chain is available to the public, all the way down to the origins of their buttons, zippers and care labels. My favourite thing about Nudie is that they offer free lifetime repairs of their garments from their Paddington store, so if your much-loved jeans start to come apart at the seams, they will patch them right up for you. VEGE THREADS You can't make a list of sustainable designers without including Vege Threads. Every piece in the Vege Threads range is organic and locally made, utilising organic vegetable-based dyes. They have also collaborated with BB Shoes to create hand-made vegetable-tanned kangaroo leather sandals. They're based in Adelaide, mainly stocked online, but also available in Sydney at Newtown's You, The Earth and Me. HER SWIM It seems weird to be talking about swimwear when it is technically almost winter, but considering the fact that we're enjoying sunny, 26-degree days in Sydney, it seems evident that this summer may never actually end. This Sydney-based swimwear label uses 100 percent recycled post-consumer polyester and nylon to create simple, clean and minimal swimwear designs. NICO Nico is a Brisbane-based basics and underwear label with a huge focus on ethical and sustainable production and materials. With a minimal aesthetic, their pieces are all made of organic cotton, bamboo or modal, because who wants to be wearing chemicals-laden synthetics near your hoo-ha? Not me. KOWTOW Kowtow is a NZ based label that is truly committed to traceability and sustainability in their production. They use 100 percent fair trade organic cotton grown in India, with the entire production chain explored in the 'Seed To Garment' documentary on their website. Kowtow has several Sydney stockists (including the Somedays store in Surry Hills, which also stocks organic and ethical BaseRange underwear/basics). YOUR LOCAL VINNIES After all, nothing is more sustainable than buying second-hand (especially when that money is going back into charity). Go find yourself a bargain. [caption id="attachment_571217" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Celeste Tesoriero, Winter 2016 for Fashion Revolution Week.[/caption] WELLMADECLOTHES.COM A pretty awesome resource for buying ethically and sustainably. Full stop. SWEDISH STOCKINGS They're not Australian, but they make stockings out of 100 percent recycled plastics, and will offer you a discount if you send them your old/ripped stockings to recycle. GOOD ON YOU An Australian app that rates the sustainability of different brands to help shoppers make informed choices. Now you're all dolled up in eco-friendly threads thanks to Annie, go see Little May. Here's where: LITTLE MAY 2016 AUSTRALIA TOUR DATES Thursday, May 5 — Wollongong Uni Bar, Wollongong Friday, May 6 — Metro Theatre, Sydney Saturday, May 7 — Small Ballroom, Newcastle Thursday, May 12 — ANU Bar, Canberra Friday, May 13 — Max Watts, Melbourne Saturday, May 14 — Waratah Hotel, Hobart Friday, May 20 — Adelaide Uni Bar, Adelaide Saturday, May 21 — Amplifier Bar, Perth Friday, May 27 — Solbar, Sunshine Coast Saturday, May 28 — The Zoo, Brisbane Sunday, May 29 — Studio 56 @ Miami Marketta, Gold Coast Tickets on sale now from littlemaymusic.com/tour.
Because you’re reading this, we know you’re not someone who received a pet for Christmas, only to decide it wasn't for you. We know you're one of the good folks. You're probably wishing that you did receive a loveable animal as a gift, even if you already have one — or several — that you adore. We understand your yearning, and so does RSPCA Queensland. In trying to find permanent homes for dogs, cats, puppies and kittens surrendered into their care from all over the state, they’re bringing all those cuddly creatures to the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on Saturday 17 January for their first-ever pop-up adoption event. Entry is free, and includes demonstrations, entertainment, food, and activities, as well as RSPCA stalls and information. And then there’s the hundreds of animals waiting for your affection — and for you to take them home with you. Although you can't put a price on the happiness a new four-legged friend will bring, discounted rates do apply on the day for those willing to adopt an older cat or dog. Kittens and puppies aged under four months will also be looking for someone to love them. The time and place is perfect for many a Brisbane resident, coinciding with the first day of the biannual secondhand free-for-all that is Lifeline Bookfest. Who doesn’t want to go out for a day of book browsing, puppy perusing and cat patting? You might just come home with six month's worth of reading, and a new pal to keep you company. There's more to pet adoption than overdosing on cuteness, of course, with making the commitment to care for an animal serious business. For further information, read RSPCA Queensland’s FAQs. The RSPCA Queensland Pop-Up Adoption Drive is being held at Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on Saturday 17 January, free entry.
Bring a little colour to your summer G&Ts, thanks to a new Australian made small batch gin. Produced by the family-owned Husk Distillers in Northern NSW, Ink Gin is made with organic botanicals and infused with the petals of the butterfly pea flower. The result is a spirit with touches of lemon myrtle, pepper and orange that stands out a mile away thanks to its royal blue hue. That's right, blue gin. The coloured spirit came about after three years of experimenting by Husk owner Paul Messenger. Botanicals used in its creation include citrus peel, juniper berries, elderflower and cinnamon, while its unique appearance comes from the butterfly pea, which is traditionally used in South East Asian cooking. The flower's pH sensitivity also means that the gin changes colour when mixed with tonic water, going from deep blue to pale pink. Not a bad trick to have up your sleeve the next time you invite somebody over for drinks. Speaking to The Gold Coast Bulletin, Paul's daughter Harriet said that the demand for the gin has been enormous. "We sold out of our first batch in three days," she said. "We have been keeping up the distilling to make sure we could meet demand but we really did not expect people to embrace it so quickly." So how can you get your hands on one? 700mL bottles of Ink Gin can be purchased online for $80 plus a $10 shipping fee Australia-wide. It is also available in select bars around Queensland, NSW, Victoria and WA. Just make sure you store it somewhere dark, so that it retains its natural colour. Lastly and importantly, it won't stain your teeth. Via Australian Bartender and The Gold Coast Bulletin.
Good (or just pretty good) news for the Australian arts community today. The federal government has once again redesigned its controversial arts funding scheme, following months of heavy campaigning by artists around the country. Communications and arts minister Mitch Fifield announced today that the widely maligned National Program for Excellence in the Arts (NPEA), which was introduced by his predecessor George Brandis with next to no consultation with the artistic community, will have its funding reduced by $32 million over four years, with the money instead being reallocated to the independent Australia Council — from whose budget it was originally cribbed. Top stuff. The change comes after the government received significant pushback from artists and political opponents, who were outraged by the decision made under the Abbott government to redirect $104 million from the Australia Council to the newly created NPEA — a move many believed would prove fatal for small, independent arts groups. Calls were made for Turnbull to take over the troubled portfolio, and here we are. Under this latest round of changes (and let's be honest here, there'll probably be more down the line), the NPEA budget will drop from $20 million a year to $12 million, with the savings being returned to the Australia Council. Brandis' brainchild will also be getting a brand spanking new name, going from the National Program for Excellence in the Arts to Catalyst - Australian Arts and Cultural Fund. Yeah, it doesn't exactly roll off the tongue either, does it? Now, while this definitely seems like a step in the right direction, don't start planning your celebratory interpretive dance show just yet. I'm no mathematician, but $32 million still seems like a lot less than $104 million. Let me just quickly check the numbers on that... yep, it's definitely less. Moreover, despite the budget cut and the name change, it appears that Catalyst will still function in much the same way as the NPEA would have. Like they say, a rose by any other name. Although in this case, a rose probably isn't the best analogy. Fifield is expected to announce further details regarding these changes later today. In the meantime, the National Association for the Visual Arts has issued a statement suggesting the fight is far from over. "We are relieved that the Minister is prepared to go some way towards alleviating the havoc being caused by the original decision of his predecessor," said NAVA Executive Director Tamara Winikoff. "However, the renamed Catalyst program is still being created at the expense of ensuring the survival of organisations that are the engine room for developing and presenting new Australian work." Via SMH. Image: Chunky Move.
As the taxi industry and Uber continue to trade blows, a new app targeted exclusively at women and children could prove safer and more comfortable than either. Mum's Taxi is the brainchild of comedian and single mother George McEnroe, and is currently seeking backers via the crowdfunding platform GoFundMe. Assuming it gets over the line, the service would only be available to women and children, while also providing female drivers employment opportunities in an industry dominated by men. Speaking to The Age, McEnroe said she came up with the idea while weighing up the potential dangers of driving for Uber. ""I registered a couple of times and realised I was just too scared, there are too many risks," she said. "I thought of the name Mum's Taxi, which is a bit daggy, but who else do you want to pick you up?" In addition to offering a safe environment for passengers, the service would provide employment opportunities to female drivers. McEnroe points out that only 12 per cent of rideshare drivers are women, despite the fact that women make up more than half of the casual workforce. The plan is to launch the service in Sydney in October, before eventually rolling-out nationwide. Drivers would be expected to complete police and working with children checks, and in return get to keep 85 per cent of each fare. Once Mum's Taxi is national, McEnroe intends to donate a further one per cent of every fare to a charity that improves the lives of women and children. For more information or to donate to Mum's Taxi, check out their GoFundMe campaign. Via The Age. Image: Splitshire.
Heston Blumenthal’s London restaurant Dinner will soon be losing a head chef to a Melbourne version of the Michelin-starred restaurant. But in an international switcheroo, Blumenthal is taking back quite the culinary talent to the UK to reopen The Fat Duck in Berkshire: a MasterChef from Ballina. Confused? Let's break it down. Last night saw the greatly anticipated MasterChef finale, and after a two-and-a-half hour tension headache, a winner was crowned (spoiler alert: it was Ballina chef, Billie McKay, who beat competition golden girl Georgia Barnes in a shocking twist that took a long, long while to get there). But the real star of the show was (as always) wacky, inflatable arm-flailing Blumenthal who appeared with a dish from another dimension: the Botrytis Cinerea dessert, a dish more art than food. After the winner was crowed, Heston offered McKay a job at The Fat Duck when it reopens in Berkshire, which she graciously accepted. So, Australia is losing its newly crowned MasterChef to the UK, but at the same time Melbourne is gaining a new Blumenthal restaurant, Dinner, complete with ex-Fat Duck head chef, Ashley Palmer-Watts. Dinner will take up residence in the Crown Melbourne in October, taking over from The Fat Duck's now-closed, six-month Melbourne residency. Farewell Fat Duck classics as snail porridge and quail jelly with crayfish cream, and welcome Dinner specialties like the fabled meat fruit. Dinner Melbourne will be modelled on the Blumenthal's Michelin-starred London restaurant which serves a typically jaw-dropping menu — inspired by 15th century manuscripts and 'the fanciful dramatic dishes of the royal courts of King Henry VII'. Expect dishes such as the infamous meat fruit (chicken liver parfait contained within a mandarin jelly skin), and ‘rice and flesh’, which is made of saffron, calf tail and red and hails all the way from 1390AD (where it perhaps should have stayed). It’s an ode to historical British gastronomy, which in Hestonspeak means: be wary of your meal because there’s almost certainly four and twenty blackbirds baked into it and about to sing somehow. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will open in late October at the Crown Melbourne, 8 Whiteman Street, Southbank. Open for lunch Friday and Saturday, and dinner daily. Via Good Food. Images: Alisa Coonan, Ashley Palmer-Watts.
After spending the last few years in the grasp of tweens and sexless Mormons, it's good to see the vampire movie finally biting back. From the ingenious goofiness of What We Do in the Shadows to the eerie urban decay of Only Lovers Left Alive, it's been a banner year for big screen bloodsuckers, a trend that continues at ACMI this month with the most fascinating shakeup to the genre yet. Sexy, scary and fearlessly subversive, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is a last minute contender for one of the best films of 2014. Billed as the world's first Iranian Vampire Western, the debut film from writer-director Ana Lily Amirpour takes place on the outskirts of an industrial ghost town, ominously named Bad City. It's here that an aloof young vampire in heavy eye makeup and billowing chador (Sheila Vand) stalks the streets in search of victims to devour. What she doesn't count on, however, is the romantic attention of a handsome local drug dealer (Arash Marandi), who unwittingly presents her with a difficult choice: pursue a relationship or eat him for dinner. If the plot sounds thin, that's probably because it is. A spiritual descendent of David Lynch and Jim Jarmusch, the California-based Amirpour is far less concerned with narrative than she is with style and atmosphere. The moody black and white cinematography further enhances the film's already palpable sense of menace, while also calling to mind prototypical vampire movies such as Vampyr and the original Dracula. The eclectic soundtrack is equally evocative, Amirpour spinning a Tarantino-esque blend of European and Iranian pop music combined with the rousing strains of an old school Spaghetti Western. Yet despite her aesthetic self-consciousness, Amirpour's film is in no way lacking in substance. While vampire stories are traditionally about sexuality, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night reframes the discussion to focus more on gender. It's obviously not a coincidence that Vand's vigilante vamp feeds exclusively on misogynistic men. Likewise the pointed choice of costume: her traditional head-to-toe black garb, so often viewed as a sign of oppression, re-appropriated as a symbol of her power. Even the film's title is misleading. Amirpour sets us up to expect a helpless victim, only to deliver something very different indeed. Bold and surprising, this is a truly stunning debut. Do everything you can to seek it out.
Most people's reluctance to get tattooed stems from the niggling suspicion that Kermit the Frog may not be timeless. But before at least there was solace in the idea that when you died, your skin would rot away and all tattoo sins would be forgiven (unless we get that cheapo tattoo removal cream we’ve been promised). Now, as we always knew they would, tattoo artists have found a way to conquer death. Save My Ink is a tattoo preservation service that you never knew you wanted, offered by the National Association for the Preservation of Skin Art (NAPSA). And by preservation service, this is what we mean: when you die, they come and cut your tattoo off and frame it. (?_?) So here’s the deal if you want to preserve your butterfly tramp stamp to pass along to your children. The tattoo preservation service is only available to NAPSA members, which requires you to pay a sign-up fee and annual membership fee. Then, when you die, your beneficiaries (the lucky ones who will receive your decorated skin flap) will notify NAPSA who will send in their technicians to hack off your skin art. Within three to six months, your presumably still-grieving family will receive your tattoo and will be able to promptly try to clone you with the DNA therein. You can have as many tattoos preserved as you please, as long as they’re not on the face or genitals (that would be way too creepy). In all seriousness though, while this is a pretty morbid service, it kind of makes sense. Tattoos are often sentimental, unique and used to commemorate big life events, so for some it may be comforting to preserve them. And it would be an easy way to resolve the practicalities of issues like this. For more information, check out the Save My Ink website here.
