Due to the laws of nature, 16-metre-high fibreglass pineapples aren't capable of growing — but Queensland's favourite towering attraction is expanding anyway. As part of a $150 million redevelopment, the space around The Big Pineapple is about to look a whole lot different. As well as viewing the giant tropical fruit, you'll soon be able zoom down a zipline, cool off in a water park, sink a few beers at a craft brewery and even stay for the night. For those keen on climbing and soaring, TreeTop Challenge's new course will be a big drawcard. It'll feature 120 activities across eight acres, including a two-kilometre stretch of high ropes and the 120-metre zipline — all up, it'll take half a day to complete. Alongside the water park, it'll form part of an 'adventure precinct', which is bound to get busy during peak tourism periods. Across The Big Pineapple's 170-hectare site, other additions range from a major concert event space — which means more ongoing music gigs like the Big Pineapple Music Festival — to a food hub, which will feature cafes and other eateries down the line. It will also be the new home of Sunshine Coast yoghurt company Coyo, and a new craft brewery and major distillery. [caption id="attachment_698027" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Anne and David via Flickr[/caption] For those keen to not only make the trip 90 minutes north of Brisbane to Nambour, but to truly make both a day and night of it, you'll soon be able to stay onsite too. Glamping was first mooted back in 2017, when proposals to reinvigorate the huge attraction were originally floated, and it looks set to be featured alongside an RV park, an eco resort and a hotel. In total, there will be 793 different accommodation options according to the Queensland Government's funding announcement. While the high-ropes course and zipline are due to launch in March this year, exactly when the other fresh additions will open also hasn't been confirmed. The Big Pineapple's existing attractions, such as the heritage-listed train, the Wildlife HQ zoo and the lure of snapping a selfie next to the enormous piece of fruit, will all remain. For more information about The Big Pineapple's redevelopment, visit the attraction's website. Top image: The Big Pineapple.
Preston has been slowly but surely cementing its status as a primo booze destination of late. In late 2019, the suburb welcomed Moon Dog's mammoth new brewery and, a few months, it landed Melbourne's first fully functioning independent urban winery, courtesy of renowned label Jamsheed. The brand from winemaker Gary Mills has been operating out of the Yarra Valley since 2003, but it has never had a cellar door to call its own. At the end of 2019, inspired by similar venues he'd seen during time in Portland, USA, Mills moved operations entirely to Preston and his groundbreaking urban winery was born. "I figured if all the breweries and distilleries popping up in Melbourne at the moment can work, so would a winery," Mills said in a statement. Sitting on Albert Street — a handy stone's throw from both Moon Dog World and 3 Ravens Brewery — Jamsheed's new home takes the form of a two-level, 170-person warehouse space complete with a foliage-filled winery and tasting bar downstairs, and a separate spirits-focused dive bar above. [caption id="attachment_760170" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Julia Sansone[/caption] It's a relaxed, industrial-style hangout that invites you to pull up a seat and get acquainted with some top-notch local wines, as you experience the sights, sounds and smells of a proper working winery. The whole catalogue of Jamsheed drops is on offer at the bar, including the newest releases, plus you'll find a hefty retail selection of take-home bottles. "We've been specifically cellaring something of everything we've made back to 2003 in order to be able to offer the full library through the winery and the cellar door," said Mills. There's also an assortment of craft beers and ciders from local mates such as Hop Nation and 3 Ravens, alongside a tidy range of homegrown artisanal spirits. Venture upstairs and you'll discover an even cosier escape, complete with free-to-play pool table, vinyl tunes and squashy retro couches. To eat, there's a menu of regularly changing snacks and mains by Josh Nicholson Catering, including the likes of steak tartare ($18), LP's pig's head sausage with pipis and sourdough ($20) and curried baby chats ($12) Images: Julia Sansone
Watching television can't solve many problems, but some woes can be temporarily soothed by spending your evenings enjoying cartoons from three decades ago. Had a terrible day at work? Feeling overstretched and underappreciated? Stuck hovering under a cloud of meh? You can now feast your eyeballs on Australia's new free-to-air Nickelodeon channel and its retro lineup each weeknight for a pick-me-up. Switching to channel 13 from Tuesday, August 1 Down Under now means being greeted by Nickelodeon's wares. It's the first-ever premium free-to-air Nickelodeon channel in Australia, and it's catering for all ages. That includes adults via the Nick@Nite lineup, which also makes its Aussie debut on free-to-air, and will feature Ren & Stimpy, Angry Beavers, Rocko's Modern Life, Aaahh!!! Real Monsters and Catdog. It was true when you were a kid — whether you grew up in the 90s or discovered it later — and it's true now: watching a perennially angry chihuahua and a good-natured cat fight and pal around is cathartic viewing. Nickelodeon will also screen late-night movies, digging into the brand's catalogue. Here's hoping that the SpongeBob films get a run — they're as much of a delight for adults as they are for kids, as any big-screen franchise that features What We Do in the Shadows' Matt Berry as a talking dolphin and John Wick's Keanu Reeves as a sage is meant to be. During the day, the new channel will focus on Nick Jr preschool fare such as PAW Patrol, Blue's Clues & You!, Baby Shark's Big Show! and Santiago of the Seas. In the afternoons, it'll air season 12 of SpongeBob SquarePants, plus everything from The Smurfs and Double Dare to iCarly and The Thundermans. Indeed, if you have children or sometimes babysit nieces and nephews, you might want to take note of the daylight programming, too. Watching SpongeBob will always be for everyone, though. Find Australia's new free-to-air Nickelodeon channel at channel 13 from Tuesday, August 1.
A sister to the Prince Wine Store next door, Bellota Wine Bar brings elegance to the wine game. Hark back to the golden age of food and drink within the refurbished Victorian building and be prepared to temper any stresses of your day as you're welcomed by the warm and intimate space. It's clear that quality is where this wine bars interests lie, with small details littered throughout the space. The deep wood panelling and expansive marble bar highlight and complement the dazzling selection of produce on offer. With a comprehensive liquor selection on display, it goes without saying a changing selection of wines is available. Best of all, though, is your choice to endeavour by the taster, glass or carafe. This all-encompassing offering is suitably backed up by knowledgeable staff that will guide you through the selection process — or leave you to your own devices if you feel confident to go ahead. But be sure to listen up to what they have to say, because you may find the greatest of daily specials if you do. Also note that corkage is $15 or complimentary if you select a bottle over $80. The unashamedly European menu is well balanced. Catering wholeheartedly to whatever dining experience you desire, Brigitte Hafner of Gertrude Street Enoteca has injected sensibilities of both class and pleasing flavours. A careful selection of cheeses, charcuterie and salumi form the perfect foundation for a pre-meal aperitivo, while the bar snacks and antipasti selection are a little more substantial, such as the potato and onion tortilla with sliced Culatello di Parma ($10). If you feel like going the whole distance, mains are also suitably priced and distinct in combination, such as the tart with goat's cheese, leek and herbs ($15). For something a little closer to the full experience, the spaghetti with Berkshire pork meatballs cooked in tomato sugo ($18) is a rich and comforting choice. Sometimes all you want from a dining experience is for the staff on hand to be one step ahead of you at all times, and this is what Bellota Wine Bar achieves. With your needs met and exceeded, your mind is left free to relish la dolce vita — and that's definitely not a bad thing at all.
Previously named the Richmond Seafood Restaurant, this Melbourne stalwart (now in Fitzroy) has been pumping out some of the best seafood in Melbourne for decades. Here, you won't find long lists of ingredients or an overuse of spice, because everything at RST Seafood Restaurant is kept quite simple. The team focuses on sourcing only the best produce, and when you have seafood this good, you don't need to do much to it. Start off with a round of bloody mary oysters, some lobster sliders and a couple of whitebait fritters before tucking into bigger dishes like the grilled scallops, Moreton Bay bugs and mixed seafood linguine. And with most of the fish options, you can choose how you want it cooked — grilled, fried, battered, egg-washed or panko crumbed. However you like your seafood prepared, these guys will make sure you get it.
The Hardware Lane site that previously held Campari House was completely overhauled and transformed into a huge new Mexican restaurant and bar in mid-2024. Hotel Nacional comes from a crew of hospo veterans — including Taylor Granchi and Alex Greco (Repeat Offender and Rufio) — and is an enormous undertaking. The five-level spot on Hardware Lane is pumping out Mexican-inspired eats that are entirely gluten-free across all five of its floors, including the impressive rooftop bar. Head Chef Sergio Tourn (ex-The Vale and Tino) is responsible for the menu, which combines traditional Mexican elements with plenty of European, Australian and South American influences. This all comes together in dishes like birria beef tacos with pickled onions and consommé, the slow-cooked barbacoa lamb with a Mexican-style barbecue sauce and watercress, cauliflower tofu escabeche with wakame, peanuts and salsa macha, and corn husk meringue with corn-infused cream and persimmon. Those up on the rooftop can also tuck into tostadas and other bar snacks. Tourn and his team are getting creative in the kitchen, especially as everything is 100-percent gluten-free. There are also stacks of vegan options. When it comes to bevs, there's a ten-strong margarita menu — including a beer-spiked lagerita — a selection of signature and classic cocktails, Aussie and international beers on tap — including some that are gluten-free — a stacked lineup of local and European wines, and an even more impressive collection of tequila, mezcal and raicilla. Hotel Nacional is also working hard to draw in new diners with a smorgasbord of deals. This includes its three regular banquets (one of which is completely plant-based), a selection of express lunch menus for city workers, half-priced margaritas every Monday and $30 steaks on Wednesdays. Design-wise, the team hasn't leaned too hard into Mexican-themed cliches, instead opting for a lighter touch. Hotel Nacional has an almost breezy, beachy feel, thanks to the sand-textured walls, rattan furniture, and cacti that dot the terracotta- and beige-hued space. "We wanted to create a venue unlike anything else in the city," shares Managing Director Taylor Granchi. "You walk up the stairs, and you are transported to another location across the globe. The earthy tones, the arches, the shapes, the crazy pavers, the textured walls, the cacti — there is so much Mexican feel. "Being five levels, there are so many aspects to our venue. We wanted something you could explore to create a new memory every time."
When Tenacious D return to Australian and New Zealand stages in winter 2024, it won't just be a tribute — it'll be the real two-man comedy rock group, aka Jack Black and Kyle Gass, performing their first Down Under shows since 2013. The duo has announced July dates in seven cities, playing arenas as part of their The Spicy Meatball tour fresh from sellout gigs in the US, UK and Europe in 2023. In the 11 years since Tenacious D last took to the stage Down Under, plenty has happened, including for Black and Gass. Black's acting resume has added everything from Goosebumps and two Jumanji movies to Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, voice work on Rick and Morty and lending his vocals to Bowser in The Super Mario Bros Movie. Gass popped up in Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Hacks. And in 2018, the band released their fourth studio album Post-Apocalypto. [caption id="attachment_939746" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Raph_PH via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Now, the Grammy-winning pair, which first came together in the 90s as theatre students in Los Angeles, has locked in dates in Sydney, Newcastle, Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide in Australia — plus Wellington and Auckland in Aotearoa. Expect tickets to go quickly if the overseas response is any guide. In London alone, Tenacious D's O2 show was all snapped up the week that it was announced. [caption id="attachment_939740" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Travis Shinn[/caption] From not just their latest record, but also Tenacious D's self-titled 2001 debut, 2006's The Pick of Destiny — the soundtrack to the film of the same name — and 2012's Rize of the Fenix, attendees will hear 'Wonderboy', 'Tribute', 'Kickapoo', 'Low Hangin' Fruit' and more get a spin. Also on the band's current setlist: 2023's 'Video Games', the group's first single in five years, and their cover of Chris Isaak's 'Wicked Game'. They've been busting out Thin Lizzy's 'Jailbreak', Gerry Rafferty's 'Baker Street' and Led Zeppelin's 'Good Times Bad Times', too — but not The Super Mario Bros Movie's 'Peaches'. Tenacious D The Spicy Meatball Australia and New Zealand Tour 2024 Dates: Sunday, July 14 — ICC Sydney Theatre, Sydney Tuesday, July 16 — Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Newcastle Thursday, July 18 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane Saturday, July 20 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Monday, July 22 — Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide Wednesday, July 24 — TSB Arena, Wellington Friday, July 26 — Spark Arena, Auckland Tenacious D are touring Australia and New Zealand in July 2024, with ticket presales from 9am AEDT on Wednesday, February 7 and general sales from 12pm local time on Friday, February 9 — head to the tour website for further details. Top image: Sven Mandel via Wikimedia Commons.
Winter is well and truly upon us, but that doesn't mean you need to lock yourself away. Melbourne's cultural calendar is as jam-packed as ever, with endless activities to coax you out into the cold. From ice skating in the CBD to getting dressed up and watching the ballet to hearty long lunches, there's no shortage of fun to be had in this city, which has a way of looking especially beautiful in the rain. And the best part is, you can do all of these very weather-appropriate activities with a drink in hand. So you don't miss out on any of these winter happenings, we've partnered with Tanqueray to bring you some top activities to tackle this season. HIT THE ICE AT FED SQUARE'S WINTER VILLAGE Nothing says winter quite like strapping on your skates, and there's no better place to do it than at Federation Square's Winter Village. This seasonal pop-up in the very heart of the Melbourne CBD includes an ice rink and a charming igloo village, as well as hot chocolate and dessert stations. After carving it up out on the ice, treat yourself to a late-night martini at nearby Juniper haven Gin Palace on Russell Place. Alternatively, 1806 on Exhibition Street boasts a killer cocktail selection. The gin-based options range from the classics (negronis and dry martinis) to something a little more special like the Red Snapper — a gin-based take on a bloody mary with sherry. SIP PRE-SHOW COCKTAILS BEFORE CATCHING A MUSICAL Hamilton won't arrive on our shores until 2021, but you can still get your Lin-Manuel Miranda fix this winter with Bring It On: The Musical. On stage at the Athenaeum Theatre from Thursday, July 11–Sunday, July 28, the Tony-nominated production will have you cartwheeling in the aisles as you relive your younger self's favourite movie. If you want to bring a little high-brow to this decidedly low-brow night of fun, stop by Melbourne institution Eau de Vie on Malthouse Lane for a pre-show cocktail. The Opera-inspired Carmen 23, made with Tanqueray No.10, fino sherry, rosemary and rosewater sounds fitting, don't you think? [caption id="attachment_722852" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sean Fennessy[/caption] HAVE AN ARTY AFTERNOON THEN GO FOR A LAVISH LUNCH They're often described as the eighth wonder of the world. And, for the next few months at the National Gallery of Victoria, you can see them with your own two eyes. In town as part of the Melbourne Winter Masterpieces series, the ancient Terracotta Warriors are presented here alongside new works by celebrated contemporary artist Cai Guo-Qiang — a powerful contrast of Chinese art old and new. When you're finished, why not grab a tipple and a bite to eat at The Barre next door at the Arts Centre? The food is seriously moreish — think squid ink linguine, tuna loin tataki and charcuterie boards — and it's all perfectly suited to enjoy with a Tanqueray No.10 and tonic. TUCK INTO A LUNCH DEGUSTATION THEN HEAD TO THE BALLET Enjoy a feast fit for a king, or maybe a hare and Mad Hatter, at fine dining establishment Lûmé in South Melbourne. Its recently relaunched long lunch degustation is the perfect thing for a chilly Saturday afternoon, with barbecue pork glazed in black banana, pumpkin molé tart and calamari with coconut, cucumber and chrysanthemum as just some of the options on offer. To drink, you can't go past the Negroni Fizz made with Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla, mandarin orange and vermouth. Keep the whimsy going by taking in the Australian Ballet's magical production of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, running at Arts Centre Melbourne from June 8–22. CELEBRATE WORLD GIN DAY What better way to kick off winter (aka gin season) than with a whole day dedicated to your favourite spirit? World Gin Day falls on Saturday, June 8 this year — the start to the Queen's birthday long weekend. So, in honour of this spirit and Australia's undying love for it, hit the streets and head to a Melbourne bar or restaurant for tastiest gin cocktail you can find. For an inventive tipple that can be enjoyed with some equally inventive bites, head to Saké on Flinders Street for the Berri Kawaii — this vibrant mix features spicy yuzu kosho shaken with sake and house-made berry jam. Or, if you'd like your gin served with a killer view on the side, head to Arbory Bar to sip a gin bramble, with creme de mure, lemon, blackberries and lemonade — you can order this as an individual drink or in a jug if the whole gin-loving crew has tagged along. But, if you'd rather keep things simple, make tracks to Garden State Hotel for a classic Negroni. Top Image: Gin Palace.
Serious food lovers are spoiled for choice in Melbourne, but sometimes it's hard to see the wood for the trees with so many great options on the table. There's also the problem of everybody else knowing about them, which means looking down the barrel of hour-long (or more) waits to get a seat. And then there's the hole in your wallet some of the city's top bites will burn. Don't despair though, as there are plenty of 'secret' eating spots for those in the know. We've tracked down five of our favourites that are guaranteed to impress — especially any new mates visiting the city for the weekend. These eateries still might be busy and buzzing (it's a big city after all) but each has retained an element of the underground and a focus on innovative, creative deliciousness. And the best part is that none will completely break the bank.
Fresh off the heels of opening its massive 1200-person island-themed bar in Docklands, the Moon Dog crew has announced plans for another venue — this time down the coast in Frankston. Moon Dog Beach Club is slated to open at the end of 2024, and will bring tropical island vibes to the seaside suburb. It is still currently under construction, but we can expect to find a huge balcony beer garden with day beds and palm trees, four bars slinging cocktail buckets and boozy slushies, and a beer- and prawn-filled cabana hut — because, why not? In true Moon Dog style, this is set to be over the top and a heap of nonsensical fun. Moon Dog Beach Club will also host regular DJs and live music sets that'll play late into the night, plus pour a stack of its own beers, seltzers, and playful cocktails. The kitchen will then be dishing up pub classics like parmas, burgers and ribs (you'll find these eats at just about every Moon Dog bar), alongside seafood platters, a Big Kahuna burger, and a selection of snacks. Moon Dog CEO and co-founder Josh Uljans shared, "When we found the site, we immediately knew our only option was to put a Moon Dog spin on a beach club, to make something really special and unique for the area. "We want Moon Dog Beach Club to be somewhere people can go to spend time with their mates and leave their worries at the door!" [caption id="attachment_975851" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Doglands[/caption] Moon Dog Beach Club is slated to open in late 2024 at 490 Nepean Highway, Frankston. For more information, you can check out the venue's website.
Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols should never be far from anyone's ears — but there's listening to the iconic 1977 punk album, the only studio record from Sex Pistols, and then there's hearing it played live in full. Down Under in 2025, Australian and New Zealand music lovers will be treated to that very experience, with the group locking in a tour. Band members Paul Cook, Steve Jones and Glen Matlock are heading this way in April, as part of a project dubbed Sex Pistols Featuring Frank Carter. As the band's moniker makes plain, this is a case of punk figures joining punk figures, as first happened back in August 2024 for fundraiser gigs in London. Clearly the setup worked. This will be Sex Pistols' first trip this way in almost 30 years, since 1996 — this time pairing drummer Cook, guitarist Jones and bassist Matlock with Gallows, Pure Love and Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes alum Carter on vocals. The group have announced seven stops, starting in Auckland in Christchurch in Aotearoa, before playing Aussie gigs in Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney, Brisbane and Fremantle. John Lydon, aka Johnny Rotten, the band's well-known former lead vocalist, was last part of their lineup in 2008 — which is when Sex Pistols last toured before 2024. Hearing Never Mind the Bollocks live and in full almost five decades since its original release means hearing 'Anarchy in the UK', 'God Save the Queen', 'Pretty Vacant', 'Bodies', 'Holidays in the Sun' and more. If this feels like an incredibly rare chance to experience a slice of music greatness, that's because it is — and if you need any more motivation, Sex Pistols Featuring Frank Carter's UK gigs earned rave reviews. [caption id="attachment_986909" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Henry Ruggeri[/caption] Sex Pistols Featuring Frank Carter 2025 Australia and New Zealand Tour Wednesday, April 2 — Town Hall, Auckland Thursday, April 3 — Town Hall, Christchurch Saturday, April 5 — Festival Hall, Melbourne Sunday, April 6 — Hindley Street Music Hall, Adelaide Tuesday, April 8 — Hordern Pavilion, Sydney Wednesday, April 9 — Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane Friday, April 11 — Fremantle Prison, Fremantle Sex Pistols Featuring Frank Carter are touring Australia and New Zealand in April 2025, with ticket presales from 11am on Tuesday, January 21 and general sales from 12pm on Thursday, January 23. Head to the Australia and New Zealand tour websites for more details.
Expect native ingredients, beef dry-aged in-house, woodfired flavours and nostalgic cocktails on Blackbird Melbourne's modern-Australian menu. The three-level Flinders Lane venue is the interstate expansion of Ghanem Group's award-winning Blackbird Brisbane, offering a striking cocktail bar and lounge, a split-level dining space and a private events floor. Quartzite backlit bars, mirrored ceilings and dramatic chandeliers (curated by Space Cubed Design Studio) bring the group's intention — to establish a sophisticated dining experience that is "unmistakenly Melbourne" — to life. Manning the charcoals on the Josper Basque Grill are Ghanem Group Executive Chef Jake Nicolson, Executive Chef Melbourne Tim Menger (formerly of Entrecôte) and Blackbird Head Chef Josh Moroney (formerly of Nomad). Nicolson invites Melburnians to "experience one of the best steaks in the country" with showcase premium Australian cuts such as the chocolate-fed Mayura Station one-and-a-half to two-kilogram full-blood wagyu tomahawk headlining the menu. Dishes such as paté with lilly pilly jam, Paroo kangaroo with toasted pepperberry and riberry jus, and wood-roasted rock lobster with warrigal greens and native herb butter speak to the focus on foraged native ingredients. So too does the cocktail list, with concoctions like the Pacific Highball pairing Glenmorangie Original with Davidson plum apera and black walnut bitters. Beverage Manager Aaron Clark injects the drinks list with Aussie nostalgia, creating whimsical cocktails such as the Pavlova Punch, Mango Weiss Colada and the Tim-Tam Slam. The drinks offering is bolstered by a 650-bin wine list, so you're unlikely to leave thirsty. Images: supplied
All of the kitchen staples, none of the excessive packaging: that's what's on offer at Mount Zero Olives' returning Zero Waste Warehouse Market. MZO is teaming up with a stack of small businesses for another event dedicated to encouraging sustainable consumption, where you can shop a range of products without unnecessary plastic. Plus, for the extra organised shoppers among you, there'll be lots of products available to buy in bulk. It's all going down from 9am–2pm on Saturday, October 29, at MZO's Sunshine West HQ. As the name suggests, you'll need to bring your own reusable containers with you to carry your haul. Bags, bottles, jars, buckets with lids — if you can put food in it, seal it and take it all home with you, it counts. Here's what you'll be buying and stuffing into those containers: Mount Zero Olives' olives, of course, plus olive oils, pulses and grains. You can also nab some of Koji & Co's miso and shio koji pastes, Akimbo Bakery's slow fermented natural sourdough, loose-leaf teas from Common Garden Health, low-intervention wines courtesy of Noisy Ritual and ethical beans from Market Lane. The latter will be pouring complimentary filter coffee to caffeinate your morning's shopping adventures. Koji & Co will also be running a hands-on Introduction to Miso and Koji workshop, for those keen to learn more about fermented foods and nab some new recipes for home. Tickets to the class are $30, available online. [caption id="attachment_875156" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Akimbo Bakery[/caption]
Summer is all about long nights, lazy days, cold bevs and occasionally finding a fun competitive activity so intense it brings out your inner Lleyton Hewitt. Friendships have been broken, reformed and strengthened through the tried and true method of a tournament — and everyone's game faces are all the stronger when there are beers involved. This summer, it's not just about the beach. Challenge yourselves to playing something slightly unique (think trampoline dodgeball or Finska), and rediscover your inner competitive fiend. Grab your Hahn slab, nine of your best mates and give one of these competitive games a crack — time to blow into a conch shell and assemble your team. MINI GOLF Not necessarily groundbreaking, mini golf has been around for heaps of your childhood and teenage birthday parties. But it's gotten a whole lot more fun now that you can putt along, beer in hand. Gather some mates, head to Holey Moley and see who can stay on par — or go so over it's comical. A bit of putt-putt always makes you remember how playing tiny golf with tiny clubs is actually not that easy, but at Holey Moley you'll be distracted by beloved pop culture references — like The Simpsons' couch or an Iron Throne made of nine-irons. And when you're on your seventh hit over par, just remember it's the winner who should buy the next round of bevs. Where? Holey Moley Golf Club in Melbourne (CBD), Sydney (Newtown) or Brisbane (Fortitude Valley). [caption id="attachment_649153" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Finska.[/caption] FINSKA For something a bit different, look to the Scandinavians. Finska is a game modelled on the ancient game kyykkä, which the Finns created and still take very seriously to this day (there are world championships). A lighter, less serious version, Finska can be easily purchased online so you'll be playing a casual game with your mates in no time. With the tagline, "defeat friend and enemies with strategy, skill and a lump of wood", the game has you basically throwing a cylinder of wood at other numbered wooden things. Trickier than it might seem in the description, though, a game can quickly turn into a riot, so you'll need a large area in which to Finska. Winning is an exact science (50 points only, if you go over you lose points) so you'll also probably need a few beers to keep you and your mates hydrated until that happens for someone. Where? Buy online from Australian Geographic and then find a large park, such as Princes Park in Carlton North, Melbourne; Centennial Park in Sydney; or Robelle Domain in Springfield, Brisbane. TRAMPOLINE DODGEBALL It does sound like a Ben Stiller movie, but it's actually an excellent time. Trampoline parks are already a prime throwback to your childhood days, but you can up the stakes further by incorporating a game of dodgeball. Basically, it's dodgeball with soft balls with the added benefit of feeling like you're flying — you're also getting a huge workout at the same time without even realising it. Take your mates out one by one and/or deal with your recent break up in a healthy way. Patch up your skinned knees afterwards and head out for some bridge-mending beers. Where? Trampoline parks are popping up all over the place. Try BounceInc in Essendon Fields, Melbourne or Sky Zone in Alexandria, Sydney and in Macgregor, Brisbane. CROQUET Not just for the lords and ladies of yonder years, croquet is having its moment in the sun as a low impact/high fun sport (another one that involves hitting stuff with wooden things). To play the noble game, all you need is the ability to wrangle a mallet in one hand while sipping a drink in the other — as well as some medium level of hand-eye coordination to get the balls through the hoops. It's generally a very relaxed afternoon spent in nice grassy surroundings (no golf swings over here, everything is below the knee), so head along on a lazy Sunday. Where? Try Elwood Croquet Club in Melbourne, Coogee Croquet Club in Sydney or Stephens Croquet Club in Yeronga, Brisbane QUIDDITCH Yeah, you heard us. There are leagues across the nation (and the world) that have arisen from J.K. Rowling's famed series about children who do magic and use owls as postmen. If you've always fantasised about your letter from Hogwarts, read up about the rules of Quidditch IRL, then find a big park, a bunch of mates who are in for a good (if silly) time, a broom and off you go. The general gist of the thing here is that you're obviously not flying, you're running around on the ground (so it's a pretty good workout) and the snitch is an actual person with a ball in a sock attached to their pants. It sounds ridiculous, but as far as tournaments go, it's one of the most fun — beers only increase the helpless laughter. Where? BYO broom and find a park, such as Edinburgh Gardens in Fitzroy, Melbourne; Sydney Park in Newtown, Sydney; or Roma Street Parkland in Brisbane's CBD. [caption id="attachment_649152" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kan Jam.[/caption] KAN JAM Basically, a terrible name for a super fun time, Kan Jam (aka throwing Frisbees in garbage bins) is nothing if not a) utilitarian and b) cheap. All you need is a bin and a Frisbee and at least two people to play. The aim of the game is simply to throw a Frisbee and get it into the bin 50-feet (about 15 metres) away with the help of a 'deflector' teammate. Perfect for beaches, parks or any public space where the bins are mobile and clean enough, Kan Jam might just be your jam this summer. Where? Head to your favourite beach and either commandeer some of its bins or, if you want something a little more sanitised, buy the official Kan Jam online here. GIANT CHESS Much like physical tournaments, mental tournaments can intensify swiftly — especially when it's hot. Ever the game of strategy, chess can be less cerebral when there's an enormous chessboard and you can play as a team. Suddenly, the quiet, solo game becomes a rowdy whole crew activity. Wait for a warm day, find yourself a giant public chessboard and get pawning and rooking. You may want to save any bevs until after you've checkmated, though, so your strategic thinking skills remain on point. Where? Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney all have their own respective giant chessboards. Find chess in Melbourne at Swanston and Little Collins streets, in Sydney at Nagoya Gardens in Hyde Park and the Fortitude Valley Markets in Brisbane. Challenge your mates to a game of friendly competition and, no matter who wins, celebrate your successes with a round of Hahn.
Your brain knows it as well as your stomach: food tastes a certain way after midnight. And that way is generally very good. Something happens to your tastebuds (and appreciation for food) after a night out. One minute, you're happily wandering up Swanston Street on your way to get a tram home, and the next, you're hit with a craving for noodles or dumplings. Or you're suddenly incapacitated in the middle of Lygon Street with a need for pizza or pasta. Instead of doing a futile (and probably ineffective) search through Google Maps when you're after the best Melbourne restaurants and bars for late-night eats, bookmark this page to come back to when hunger strikes. We see you and your late-night food cravings — and give you the best late-night eats in Melbourne. Recommended reads: The Best Restaurants in Melbourne The Best Bars in Melbourne The Best Bars for Dancing in Melbourne The Best Cheap Eats in Melbourne
Some cocktails feature both gin and whisky. Usually, though, if you're sipping one then you're not sipping the other. That means you're either enjoying the citrus and juniper taste that comes with gin, or indulging in the malty flavour that whisky is so well-known for. Or, you can now opt for Never Never Distilling Co and Sullivans Cove's newest release. The two Australian distilleries have teamed up on a tipple they've named Jennifer, and the South Australian gin outfit and Tasmanian whisky fiends really have combined the best of both worlds. This flavoursome spirit takes its cues from Dutch Genever, which is all about blending malt wine and botanical flavours. The aim here: to make a new concoction that nods to both gin and whisky, and works in cocktails that normally feature either. Taste-wise, you can expect notes of pine fresh coriander, spicy cinnamon scroll and pepperberry. You'll smell malt, toasted cereal and warm spice scents, too and also coriander and juniper. So, it's both rich and fruity — and it's part of Never Never's limited-edition Dark Series. Jennifer also marks the first time that two trophy winners from the World Gin Awards and World Whiskies Awards have joined forces to make to hybrid spirit style, and it's also quite the rare tipple. Only one batch has been made so far, and getting your hands on some will set you back RRP$92 for a 500-millilitre bottle. "We wanted to create something that was generous in flavour and luxurious in mouthfeel that will be appreciated by enthusiasts in both camps," said Never Never Head Distiller Tim Boast. "It was a perfect candidate for a Dark Series release, which are exciting experimentations in flavour that push the boundaries of the spirit category." "Our aim is to present, in the most delicious way possible, the most authentic expression of our ingredients and people," said Sullivans Cove Distillery Manager Heather Tillot. "An innovative mindset is vital for this, and centres around perspective, approach and detail." Jennifer will be available to purchase via the Never Never Distilling Co website from Wednesday, September 15, and from Never Never's McLaren Vale Distillery Door. Images: Meghan Coles.
When the newly engaged Lauren (Miranda Tapsell, The Surfer) and Ned (Gwilym Lee, SAS Rogue Heroes) made a whirlwind visit to Darwin in 2019 film Top End Wedding, it was to get married. Six years later, the two key characters from the hit rom-com are heading back to the Northern Territory capital. Meet Top End Bub, which is extending the world of the flick by picking up again with its central couple — this time with an added child, and by unfurling the next chapter in the pair's tale via a streaming series. Tapsell not only starred in Top End Wedding but co-wrote the script. With Top End Bub, she's in both roles again — and also co-created and executive produced the series with fellow returnee Joshua Tyler (100% Wolf: Legend of the Moonstone). Their new story: sending Lauren and Ned to the NT again, away from their settled life in Adelaide, to become the guardians of their orphaned niece Taya (debutant Gladys-May Kelly). First confirmed in 2024, Top End Bub is set to span eight episodes — and you'll be watching it soon. The series hits Prime Video from Friday, September 12, 2025. Ursula Yovich (Troppo), Huw Higginson (Ladies in Black), Shari Sebbens (The Moogai), Elaine Crombie (Invisible Boys), Rob Collins (Austin) and Tracy Mann (Home and Away) are also making the leap from Top End Wedding to its new spinoff, while Brooke Satchwell (Triple Oh!), Guy Simon (The Secrets She Keeps) and Clarence Ryan (Territory) are among its fresh additions. "Words can't describe how excited I am to bring Lauren, Ned and the Top End back to your screens. We all love a happy ending, but what happens after happily ever after? We can't wait for you to find out!" said Tapsell back when Top End Bub was initially announced. "It's been fun to dive back into the world of Top End Wedding, a world that means so much to us and to our audience. A romantic setting full of funny characters who face heartbreaking challenges in heartwarming ways. I am thrilled to be collaborating with such an incredible team," added Tyler. There's no sneak peek at Top End Bub yet, but you can watch the trailer for Top End Wedding below: Top End Bub will stream via Prime Video from Friday, September 12, 2025. Images: John Platt / Prime Video.
If you've got a hard earned thirst for some spiffy beer merch, the folks at Victoria Bitter have you covered — and that's been the case for a couple of years. Hankering not just for any old branded VB gear for your wardrobe, but for a retro knitted Christmas sweater? Then you'll be pleased to discover that the famed Carlton & United Breweries beer has just added a new woolly piece to its range. Called the Very Best Christmas Sweater, VB's new jumper looks exactly like you'd want a festive VB piece of apparel to look — and yes, it comes covered with stubbies and snowflakes. Naturally, it makes great use of the brand's red, green and white colour scheme, too. Indeed, the beer's logo has really just been screaming for the Christmas treatment. If you're eager to celebrate Christmas in July by sinking a few brews, you now have the perfect outfit for it. That said, only 500 will be available to purchase. The first 100 have already sold out after going on sale this week, but 400 more will be up for grabs — for $80 each — sometime in the week commencing July 13. Keep an eye on VB's 'Big Cold gear' website for further details. [caption id="attachment_775621" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Victoria Bitter[/caption] Also on offer: the rest of the brand's retro-styled collection, which nods firmly to the brew's lengthy history quenching the thirst of hardworking Aussies. There are crewneck jumpers, t-shirts, hoodies, beanies and caps, all emblazoned with that instantly recognisable logo. Alongside all the clothes, you'll also find VB jigsaw puzzles — plus glasses, water bottles, coolers, speakers, bar mats and even fridges. Victoria Bitter's 'Big Cold Gear' line is available for purchase online, including its Very Best Christmas Sweater. Top image: Victoria Bitter
Back in 2017, a new kind of glamping experience arrived on the scene about 2.5 hours from Sydney. That'd be Bubbletent Australia: three off-grid, inflatable and transparent domes overlooking the picture-perfect Capertee Valley by day and offering boundless stargazing by night. Now the company has returned, adding two new celestial-inspired tents, Pisces and Ophiuchus. Set on a ridge opposite the original trio, this slightly more remote expansion faces east, meaning unbeatable sunrise views. Beyond your bubble retreat, Pisces and Ophiuchus both come with extra hideaways, with the former featuring a netted bed strung between trees and the latter an elevated treehouse that captures the last sunrays of the day. After the light is long gone, it's the perfect time to peer through the provided telescopes to see what kind of interstellar formations you recognise. However, there are plenty more surprises in store. While Pisces and Ophiuchus are noticeably larger than their predecessors, both are equipped with rotating queen-size beds that make for the ultimate star-gazing experience. With two speeds available, you can drift off to sleep with a gentle spin or send the sky into a swirl as you ramp up the tempo. Once you wake up, you can convert your bed into a ping-pong table (yes, really) or even open up a hidden nook to reveal a pull-out dining table and a built-in wine cellar. What will they think of next? Outside, you've got a separate rain shower and eco-friendly Japanese toilet, set in recycled concrete pipes. But don't think you have to miss a second of the sky-show – each features a transparent roof so you can stargaze on the loo. Though this remote parcel of countryside can get a little chilly at night, a Swedish-style wood-fired hot tub surrounded by native trees ensures you keep the cold at bay. Plus, cosying up on your outdoor sofa won't hurt either. When it's time to hit the hay, your room is adorned with organic cotton linens, woollen blankets and natural bathroom amenities, as well as cosy slippers, outdoor shoes, lanterns, speakers and even an in-room iPad to set the soundtrack. As for dining, the facilities don't miss a beat. Both tents are equipped with all-weather outdoor Bushbuck kitchen stations, with bar fridges, gas burners, pizza stones and a rotisserie. Then you've got a popcorn maker, a sandwich press, and marshmallows for roasting on the fire. This being such a pristine spot, you'll be happy to know that sustainability is factored into just about every aspect of Bubbletent's setup. From solar power and cutting-edge geothermal-powered air conditioning to the elimination of single-use plastics, admiring the night sky and – surprise, surprise – the world's second-largest canyon is made possible without harming the earth. Bubbletent Australia is located in the Capertee Valley. Head to the website for more information.
It's time for another madcap, star-studded, pastel-hued adventure with Wes Anderson. Hooray! The follow-up to Moonrise Kingdom, The Grand Budapest Hotel follows Gustave H (Ralph Fiennes), a manager at the swanky eponymous establishment and his devoted lobby boy, Zero Moustafa. The suave Gustave is a hit with the mature lady guests, and when one of them dies, he is suspected of murder and theft. So he and his precious sidekick make a run for it, and the story unfolds into the whirlwind of adventure, mystery, romance and, of course, comedy that captivate us with Anderson's films. It looks like Anderson won't be abandoning his colourful, dreamy sets; dry, poker-faced humour; and eccentric characters anytime soon. The usual suspects in the cast include Willem Dafoe, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Jeff Goldblum, Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman. Tilda Swinton, Jude Law and Saoirse Ronan are also thrown in, making The Grand Budapest Hotel one Anderson's most dynamically cast films yet. The Grand Budapest Hotel is is in cinemas on Thursday, April 10, and thanks to Twentieth Century Fox, we have ten double in-season passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au https://youtube.com/watch?v=1Fg5iWmQjwk
Unsurprisingly, Paul Feig has had Wham!'s 'Last Christmas' stuck in his head for some time. Given that the Bridesmaids, Ghostbusters and A Simple Favour director's latest film is a festive rom-com based on the well-known 1980s hit, and uses 14 other songs by the late, great George Michael, that comes with the territory. "It never goes away — but in a great way," he explains. Feig isn't complaining. "The funny thing is that, when you're working on a Christmas movie, your entire year is Christmas," he says. "So, in the middle of May, when you're singing 'Last Christmas' while you're walking down the street, you're like, 'this is weird'. But now it all comes full circle and you're like, 'I'm all set!'." Starring Emilia Clarke as down-on-her-luck Londoner Kate, and Henry Golding as the handsome stranger who turns her life upside down — again, in a good way — Last Christmas isn't Feig's first Yuletide-themed movie. That honour goes to 2006's Unaccompanied Minors, although considering the higher-profile titles on his resume (he created cult TV series Freaks and Geeks, featured on-screen in the 90s version of Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and also helmed The Heat and Spy), it's hardly his calling card. Indeed, based on his past experience on that feature, he didn't particularly want to make another Christmas movie. But Feig is a seasonal film fan. His favourite picture of all time: It's A Wonderful Life. Guided by his background in the genre, his love of watching Christmas movies himself, and a witty script co-penned by Emma Thompson (after he almost directed her in Late Night), Last Christmas is his attempt to add a new perennial go-to to everyone's end-of-year viewing lists. With recently Feig visiting Australia to promote the release of the movie, we chatted with the filmmaker about all things festive on-screen, creating a "warm hug" of a movie and championing funny women — among other topics. ON RETURNING TO THE CHRISTMAS GENRE "It was really Emma Thompson's script. Honestly, I didn't want to do another Christmas movie — and she said, 'oh I've got this script together, you should read it and we should do it'. And I was like, 'oh how exciting, it's Emma Thompson'. And then you open it up and it says Last Christmas and you're like, 'oh no, it's a Christmas movie'. But it was so good. My favourite movie in the world is It's A Wonderful Life, and to me, this had elements of that. It had elements of just every rom-com I've ever loved, too. And also it had this great lead character in Kate, who's this very challenging woman who is not behaving the way that women are normally meant to act in these movies. And Emma's writing was so smart and so honest about this woman that I couldn't not do it." ON THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF A CHRISTMAS MOVIE "[On Unaccompanied Minors] I learned that a Christmas movie needs to have a lot of layers. It needs to really have emotion — and characters that people relate to, and feel that the kind of issues that come around Christmas sort are filtering through them. Those layers are what gives you depth and reality. Here, Last Christmas is not only about a women surviving a catastrophic illness, but it's also an immigrant story. And that really appealed to me — this displaced family who were doing well in their country and, because of a war, had to flee, and now they've ended up in this big city where they can't do what they normally did, and how they're all damaged by that. None of us set out to make a political movie, but at the same time, if you're going to make a film about an immigrant family in London in 2017, they are going to be affected by Brexit. It's going to affect their psyche. I really liked that that layer was in there, but not in a way of just being preachy or being anti-anything — just saying 'look, these are the consequences of how people feel because of these things'." ON TRYING TO MAKE A FILM THAT VIEWERS WILL REVISIT EVERY YEAR "You definitely think about it. It's funny — when I made Unaccompanied Minors, I'd never made a Christmas movie before. So you kind of go is 'well, the great thing about this is it's going to be a movie that people are going to watch every year, and it's going to become a favourite, a perennial!'. And then you find out that that's not true. There are a tonne of Christmas movies, and a lot of them are very forgettable. A lot of them just sort of disappear and don't make that once-a-year list. If you look at that list, it's incredibly small. So I just realised that you can't take it for granted, and you just really have to make the best movie you can. Again, it's all about the characters and story. That's the only reason that any movie works. But you also make it, as Emma calls this movie, 'a warm hug' — that, visually, it's got this beauty of Christmas to it, and it's got this happy, lovely glow. I wanted to make Last Christmas something you'd want to revisit, hopefully not just at Christmas time, but definitely when Christmas rolls around — to make it one of these things that you have warm memories about and makes you feel good. Because no Christmas movie doesn't make you feel good at the end. Maybe Black Christmas or some horror movie. Even then, I think probably the protagonist wins and defeats evil. I remember when I first saw It's A Wonderful Life in film school — and saying that if I could make a movie that makes me feel the way that I do at the end of that movie, if I could do that on my own, then I would be very happy. I definitely feel like, for me, our movie gives you that same world of feeling." ON THE CHRISTMAS MOVIES HE REVISITS AGAIN AND AGAIN "Love Actually is such a great one, because it's so uplifting. I love watching that because I can never get over what a master feat Richard Curtis did juggling all those stories in a way that you follow them all and care about them all — that's the hardest thing in the world. But then, I like Die Hard. I think that's a great Christmas movie. I know there's a lot of controversy — people say it's not a Christmas movie, but I'm on the 'it's a Christmas movie' side. And it ends with 'Let it Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!'!" ON CHAMPIONING WOMEN IN COMEDY — AND WEATHERING THE DEBATE SURROUNDING GHOSTBUSTERS "It just shows you how ridiculous and how behind the times Hollywood has been for so long — the fact that we're still arguing that. Especially about should women be in certain franchises or roles and all that kind of thing. But the most onerous part is just the 'are women funny or not?' question. You just have to scratch your head and go 'what year are we in? Is it 100 years in the past? Have I stumbled into a time machine or something?'. It's not even a valid question, but people still seem to bring it up. How many times can we disprove it? How many hilarious women can there be before people wake up. But I think it's the same thing as, when I talk to people and they go, 'oh, the food in London is terrible'. And I say, 'when was the last time you were in London?'. And they go, 'well 20 years ago'. That's the dumbest thing. You're just saying some stupid thing and passing along some trope that you heard somebody else say, and it doesn't even make any sense. So yeah, it's crazy." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=co5jWMYsr34 Last Christmas is now screening in Australian cinemas — read our full review.
Bright lights aren't hard to find in Tokyo, and neither are gorgeous patches of greenery. And yet, the city's best blend of both sits inside a warehouse on an artificial island. Lengthy lines (another Tokyo hallmark) snake outside the seemingly average building from mid-morning until early evening, with the eager masses queuing beneath a giant ferris wheel. They've ventured over the famous Rainbow Bridge to get there, and possibly spied both a replica of the Statue of Liberty and a towering Gundam monument on their travels; however what awaits inside eclipses it all. Welcome to Tokyo's Borderless Digital Art Museum. Open since June 2018 in Odaiba, and run by interdisciplinary art collective Teamlab, it's an immersive playground teeming with kaleidoscopic digital works that move, shift, evolve and interact with each other. And we do mean teeming — this hefty collection of digital art spreads across more than 10,000 square metres, using 520 computers and 470 projectors for more than 50 works. Indeed, from the moment that patrons step through the museum's black curtains, the entire space is alive with pieces begging them to look and touch. And to sit in wonder and stare at as well. As you'll see if you scroll through the #borderless Instagram feed, it also invites audiences to take many, many, many photos. If some of them look familiar, it might be because Teamlab ran an exhibition at Sydney's Powerhouse Museum earlier year. Given the astonishing digital art on display, dropping your jaw and capturing the art on camera are completely understandable reactions. There's just so much going on. One instant, you're frolicking in a field of flowers. The next, you might be relaxing on a suspended net while watching fish swim, or wandering through a sea of glowing lamps, or feasting your eyes and ears on an astonishing concert of light and music. You could be relaxing as the ocean's waves come towards you, or spying flowers bloom from your cup of tea. It just might be the most vibrant place in a city filled with more stunning sights than anyone could see in a lifetime, and it's an absolute must-see on any trip to Tokyo, with more than a million people doing just that in the museum's first seven months. For those making the journey, we've run through seven of the dazzling delights that await in this digital art wonderland. WANDER THROUGH AN EVER-CHANGING FOREST OF FLOWERS If The Forest of Flowers and People was all that the Borderless Digital Art Museum had to offer, it'd still be a stunning achievement. The space's main section is a labyrinthine assemblage of halls, corridors and open voids where animated flowers grow, bud and blossom — and weave and wind their way around the huge room. Each bloom also withers, sheds its petals and decays, and responds to both the other works in the space (think butterflies, stampeding animals, waterfalls and more), and the museum's visitors. It's never the same work twice, with its cherry blossom hues proving equally calming and energising. You could walk around all day, never be bored and never see the exact same thing, although you will want to find your way to the cavernous Rock Where People Gather at the heart of it all. WATCH LIGHT BEAMS TURN INTO A SYMPHONY OF SCULPTURE It looks so straightforward: a darkened square room, with lights mounted on all four walls, as well as along the floor and across the ceiling. You scamper inside and find a spot to sit on the ground, and then look up. But what happens next is far from straightforward. Across ten pieces with names like The Haze, Light Vortex and Descent of the Gods, beams of light erupt through the space, building both monochromatic and colourful sculptures out of nothing more than their luminous rays. Each work is also set to a mesmerising soundtrack that's played loud to truly immerse you in the moment. While the entirety of the Borderless Digital Art Museum feels futuristic, this feels like being steeped in a sci-fi film in the very best way. LET THE OCEAN WASH OVER YOU Whether rushing towards the shore in stormy weather or lapping gently under the glistening sun, the ocean is an ongoing natural artwork. It's also a soothing sight, especially at a time when we all spend our days staring at screens rather than at the planet around us. Black Waves combines the best of both worlds, turning walls into a canvas and projecting a constant barrage of digital water across it. Unsurprisingly, people don't just sit here — they recline upon the island in the room's centre and simply let the waves wash over them. Prepare to feel vey calm — you'll want to get cosy and stay here for hours. WALK THROUGH A HYPNOTIC FOREST OF COLOURFUL LAMPS To enter the Borderless Digital Art Museum, there's a line. To then enter The Forest of Resonating Lamps, there's another — but both are worth it. Specifically, this walk-through installation lets you mosey through a mirrored room where suspended lanterns made of Venetian glass and hung at different heights are the main attraction. As you get close to a lamp, the colour changes, and then the whole space starts to cycle through a palette of eye-catching pastel views. Only a select number of people are allowed inside at a time, and you won't spend more than two minutes within the forest; however you will want to queue up for a second wander immediately afterwards. JOURNEY THROUGH A MOUNTAINOUS RICE FIELD First, you'll feel small. Then, you'll feel tall. Yes, playing with size and scale are what this piece is all about. You'll enter a room that resembles a mountainous rice field, wandering beneath a sea of plant sculptures and then towering above them, and you'll feel the enormity of the landscape. That said, that's just the structural part of the artwork. The Memory of Topography is located in a digital art museum, after all. While the main projection evokes life in a real field, complete with insects and flowers and changing seasons, another fish-fuelled effort flows across the space's varying elevations, painting with colour in reaction to whoever's in the room. BOUNCE BETWEEN BULBOUS FLOATING SCULPTURES Sometimes, the simplest things are the most thrilling, which is true in this interactive installation in Borderless Digital Art Museum's more active Athletics Forest. In The Weightless Forest of Resonating Life, bulbous sculptures float through a room as you — and plenty of other folks — roam between them. Some are weighed to the floor, and tip and sway when you walk past. Others rise into the air, heading towards the ceiling. Their colours change when someone touches them, which in turn influences all of the other 3D sculptures around them. If it's busy in here, which it always is, expect a rainbow of hues and a cavalcade of movement. ENJOY AN EXTRAORDINARY CUP OF TEA Walking around the Borderless Digital Art Museum is exciting and exhilarating. Given that you can spend hours inside, it's also a little exhausting. That's where the EN Tea House comes in, and it doesn't just serve up different flavours of both hot and cold green tea. While you're sitting at long benches in a dimly lit room, your cuppa will come to life thanks to Flowers Boom in an Infinite Universe Inside a Teacup. It all starts with a flower on top of your tea, then moves with your drink. When you've finished sipping, this gorgeous piece finishes as well. Find teamLab Borderless Tokyo: MORI Building Digital Art Museum in Odaiba Palette Town, 1-3-8 Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan. It's open seven days a week — for more information, visit the museum's website. Images: Sarah Ward.
More than two decades have passed since the original live-action Lord of the Rings film trilogy finished arriving in cinemas. Middle-earth hasn't been far from screens over that period, however. From 2012–2014, The Hobbit flicks also hit the big screen. Then, in 2022, long-awaited streaming series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power debuted on Prime Video, and there's more of it on the way. Also in the works: new movie Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. That's just a working title, so the moniker could change, but there is indeed a brand-new live-action LoTR film on its way. Warner Bros Discovery announced in 2023 that it was taking the hobbits, elves, dwarves and other creatures from the JRR Tolkien-created fantasy realm back to picture palaces with another series of movies — and this is the first to be locked in. Also confirmed by Warner Bros Discovery's CEO David Zaslav on the company's first-quarter earnings conference call on Thursday, May 9: that The Hunt for Gollum is set to drop in 2026. Yes, Andy Serkis (Andor) is back as Gollum. He'll also be directing, adding to a filmmaking resume that also boasts Breathe, Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle and Venom: Let There Be Carnage.includ Oscar-winner Peter Jackson (The Beatles: Get Back), who helmed all six past live-action flicks, is returning as well. He mightn't be helming, but he "will be involved every step of the way", said Zaslav — and so will his writing partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens (Mortal Engines). The latter pair are penning the script, in fact. "It is an honour and a privilege to travel back to Middle-earth with our good friend and collaborator Andy Serkis, who has unfinished business with that stinker — Gollum!," said Jackson, Boyens and Walsh in a statement, as per The Hollywood Reporter. "Yesssss, Precious. The time has come once more to venture into the unknown with my dear friends, the extraordinary and incomparable guardians of Middle-earth Peter, Fran and Philippa," said Serkis. Of course LoTR was going to return to the movies. Star Wars did it. Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones, too. No blockbuster film franchise stays away from cinemas for too long these days. Making more Lord of the Rings pictures is a result of Warner Bros Discovery coming to an agreement with Swedish gaming and media company Embracer Group, which owns the intellectual property rights to The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and other Middle-earth-related literary works. As part of the new movie arrangement, the upcoming flicks are being produced by Warner Bros-owned production company New Line Cinema, which was behind the first two trios of hobbit-filled features. Obviously there's no sneak peek at Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum yet, but here are the trailers for The Fellowship of the Ring,The Two Towers and The Return of the King in the interim: Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is set to release in 2026, but doesn't yet have an exact release date — we'll update you with more information when it's announced. Via The Hollywood Reporter / Variety.
If you like your art medieval with a splash of mystery, you definitely need to see The Lady and the Unicorn exhibition at AGNSW this autumn. Since arriving (in separate planes at that) last month from the Musèe de Cluny — Musèe National du Moyen Âge in Paris, the six mind-blowingly exquisite wool and silk tapestries have been intriguing Sydney crowds. While art buffs know the wealthy Le Viste family commissioned them around 1500, no one knows exactly who designed them, or why, or for whom exactly. And although now widely interpreted as a meditation on courtly love and earthly pleasure through an allegory of the senses, the tapestries' potential to be read a variety of ways creates an enduring mystery that only adds to their charm. To help you get the most out of your visit, we spoke to Art Gallery of NSW curator and exhibition researcher Jackie Dunn about some of the symbols within the enchanting works, their varying interpretations and the pleasure of not ever being able to definitively solve the puzzle. [caption id="attachment_663309" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'Sight' c1500 (detail) from 'The Lady and the Unicorn' series, Musée de Cluny — Musée National du Moyen Âge, Paris Photo © RMN-GP / M Urtado.[/caption] THE MIRROR The depiction of a beautiful woman holding a mirror could be interpreted as a symbol of vanity. However, within the Sight tapestry, things are a little unusual. The Lady holds the mirror up to the unicorn, who sits tamely with forelegs in her lap and seems very taken with his own reflection. Has she used the mirror to charm him into submission? Or does the mirror have, as Dunn terms it, "strong religious underpinnings"? Many engravings of the time feature a similar configuration involving the Virgin Mary holding a mirror up to Jesus, revealing his humanity. This, along with several other elements, has led certain scholars to argue that the entire tapestry suite is a religious metaphor. Dunn however, is unconvinced. "I don't think it means the tapestries are religious per say," she says, explaining that the artist who designed the tapestries (most likely the anonymous 'Master of Anne of Brittany') would have been unavoidably influenced by the religious art of the time. "Scenes like this are part of their image bank, what they would have been brought up on." Whether about vanity, seduction, religious metaphor or all three, the mirror is just one of the tapestry cycle's "rich, crazy, mixed-up bag of symbols". [caption id="attachment_663307" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'Hearing' c1500 (detail) from 'The Lady and the Unicorn' series, Musée de Cluny — Musée National du Moyen Âge, Paris Photo © RMN-GP / M Urtado.[/caption] THE INSTRUMENT At the centre of the Hearing tapestry, we find the Lady standing up and serenely playing a portative organ. Framed by unicorn and lion, she's assisted by what is most likely her maidservant (and a none-too-thrilled one at that) who stands working the bellows. Looking to modern eyes like a strange hybrid between panpipes, a keyboard and a small harp, a portative organ was a commonly used instrument within secular music at the time. If we go with the allegory of the senses interpretation, then we could argue the instrument, creating music, simply symbolises the sense of hearing. However, according to Dunn the presence of the instrument also tells us something notable about the Lady's class status and the period's new expectations of women of her social standing. "It was seen as important that women were getting a broader education in the arts," explains Dunn, including music, dance, languages and poetry. In this light, the musical instrument might represent that the lady is well educated and highly moneyed, but also that she has the ability to create music, to make beautiful things. "The instrument is interesting because, in a way, it's showing her capacity to make art." [caption id="attachment_663310" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'Taste' c1500 (detail) from 'The Lady and the Unicorn' series, Musée de Cluny — Musée National du Moyen Âge, Paris Photo © RMN-GP / M Orated.[/caption] THE RABBITS, THE DOG AND THE MONKEY Animals abound across all six tapestries, reflective of the era's fascination with the natural world. Aside from the lion and unicorn, within the Taste tapestry alone we can also see rabbits, a monkey, a bird, a sheep and several types of dog. Rabbits often symbolise fertility, but according to Dunn, here they could also be a warning about "the dangers of sex" and the likely consequences of breaching the chaste limits of the courtly love tradition, which dictated that "you could push the limits of seduction between a young man or woman to the point that they were completely filled with desire, but they never consummate it." What about the tiny pet dog seated on the train of the Lady's dress? Gazing up at her adoringly, it most obviously conveys ideas of loyalty and fidelity. However, Dunn adds that a collared or chained animal (occurring throughout the tapestries) might also symbolise the containment of animal desire in favour of moral self-control. On another, more worldly level, the pet dog — along with the monkey — again displays the Lady's wealth and fashionable status to viewers: "Only people with money can have pets like that rather than a working dog or a scrounging hound at the back door!" [caption id="attachment_663308" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'My Sole Desire' c1500 (detail) from 'The Lady and the Unicorn' series, Musée de Cluny — Musée National du Moyen Âge, Paris Photo © RMN-GP / M Urtado.[/caption] THE CHEST OF JEWELS When you stand in front of Mon Seul Desir, the sixth and final tapestry, ask yourself whether the Lady is lifting out the jewels or putting them away. Chances are you'll be undecided. "We're delighted that it's ambiguous," says Dunn. "For a long time it was thought that she was putting them on, but the way that it's now interpreted is that it's probably her renouncing the world of material things and returning the jewels to the box." Widely agreed to symbolise the Lady's purity and ability to control her earthly desires, the putting away of the jewels could also represent a more mature woman's rejection of the vanity of youth. There is a competing scholarly argument that the tapestry cycle depicts the various stages of a woman's life, with this tapestry portraying the Lady later in life. But while finding that reading "quite a beautiful one," Dunn isn't convinced it makes sense for the suite as a whole, preferring instead to embrace a multiplicity of not wholly resolved interpretations — an approach far more in keeping with the tapestries' romantic, multi-faceted and richly poetic medieval context. "It's a world of all these symbols overlaid. They love complexity, they love cleverness, not being able to fully resolve things but to bounce between different layers of meaning. There's nothing straightforward about the way they thought about the world. It's actually very rich." The Lady and the Unicorn tapestries are on display at the Art Gallery of NSW until June 24.
No one simply likes Caramilk. Cadbury's caramelised white chocolate is adored, obsessed over and flat-out loved with undying passion, whether it's being served in standard block form or being worked into cocktails. We could keep listing more words of utter and complete devotion — and keep outlining other different ways to eat the cult-favourite dessert, too — but you get the picture. When it comes to this specific type of choccie, there's no such thing as too much. Love Caramilk? Like ice cream as well? Then you'll want to sink your teeth into Cadbury's new collaboration with Peters Ice Cream. The resulting dessert is as straightforward as it sounds, but hey, when it comes to making Caramilk ice creams on sticks, there's really no need to overcomplicate matters. Available in Australian supermarkets from today, Monday, July 26, the new Caramilk desserts coast Peters' ice cream with the beloved chocolate. So, no more needing to choose between a few squares of the smooth and creamy chocolate and something frosty. The look a little like Magnums, but in that golden Caramilk hue — and, if you're already a fan of the chocolate, they're certain to tempt your tastebuds. They come in individual servings and in boxes of four, so you can either pick up some to share or stock up on dessert for the next few days. Getting in quickly is recommended, though, given how popular all things Caramilk typically prove. Cadbury's Caramilk ice creams are now available in supermarkets — and will set you back $4 each, or $8.50 for a four-pack.
If you're a vegetarian, worshipper of eggplant or just a keen home cook, chances are Yotam Ottolenghi has had some impact on your life. In fact, we bet you've got at least one of his bestselling cookbooks in your cupboard. Next year, you'll be able to learn a few more tips and tricks from the renowned Israeli chef as he heads to Down Under for a speaking tour. The trailblazing chef, author, TV personality and restaurateur whose name has become its own cooking style is touring the country in 2023 off the back of his book Ottolenghi Flavour, which builds on his love for innovative vegetable-based recipes. And yes, this'll sound familiar, as he was planning to head Down Under in 2021 and at the beginning of 2022 — but we all know what got in the way. [caption id="attachment_864021" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Stuart Simpson[/caption] Yotam Ottolenghi — Flavour of Life will hit Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Auckland and Wellington in January — and, as well as dishing up a few spicy secrets behind mouthwatering hits like miso butter onions and spicy mushroom lasagne, the show will provide an opportunity to hear directly from the man himself about his influences and experiences. It also promises to delve into Ottolenghi's experience as the owner of famed London restaurants Nopi and Rovi, how he approached home cooking during the COVID-19 pandemic and how you can dial up the flavour in your own kitchen. [caption id="attachment_768174" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Flickr/Stijn Nieuwendijk[/caption] YOTAM OTTOLENGHI 2023 AUSTRALIAN TOUR: Saturday, January 21 — Canberra Theatre Centre Sunday, January 22 — ICC Sydney Monday, January 23 — Adelaide Convention Centre Wednesday, January 25 — Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Aotea Centre, Auckland Friday, January 27 — Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington Saturday, January 28 — QPAC Concert Hall, Brisbane Sunday, January 29 — Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne The Yotam Ottolenghi — Flavour of Life will tour Australia and New Zealand in January 2023. For further details or to buy tickets, head to the tour website.
If there's anything better than watching a movie in a darkened room, it's this: getting cosy while the flick plays, putting your feet up as your seat reclines, and snacking on more than popcorn and choc tops. In other words, it's the fancier film-going fun known as gold class in many Australian multiplexes. At Palace Cinemas, it's called Palace Platinum — and it's finally come to Melbourne. Already on offer in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth, the premium cinema experience launched at South Yarra's Palace Cinema Como on Thursday, May 23. Movie buffs will find intimate screens, some seating just 14 people, all decked out with handcrafted leather recliners with individual side tables. You'll also be able to grab a drink before the picture starts, with a separate lounge area — complete with private break-out lounges — part of the Palace Platinum offering. Decor-wise, interior designer Paul Hecker of HeckerGuthrie and architect Dean Lewis of Design and Beyond are responsible for the decor; however that's not the only opulent part of Como's new addition. When it comes to munching your way through the movie, local restaurants are providing a curated menu, as will Meats & Wine Co. That means bruschetta, garlic bread with bechemel, cheeseburgers, hot salmon poke bowls, Szechuan calamari, and halloumi and baked pumpkin salad, among other bites. Or, for a sweet treat, you can feast on pavlova, sticky date pudding, mini cannoli and a flight of five mini choc tops. Beverages include local brews and vino, with 20 wines on the list — including Piper-Heidsieck Champagne. At the moment you can book in to see Toy Story 4 and Elton John musical Rocketman. Palace Platinum is now open at Palace Cinema Como, Toorak Road, South Yarra. Images: Palace Central Sydney. Updated: June 25, 2019.
Australians haven't had many chances to attend a music festival or escape the mainland in the last twelve months. Festivals around the country have been few and far between, with even approved large-scale events being called off last-minute. And, as for travel, a lot of the nation's usual island getaways have been off limits due to domestic border closures. But, if you've been longing to sing along to your favourite tunes while surrounded by your friends and to take a trip to a secluded beachside resort, a newly announced festival has you covered. Dream Machine, the new venture from the team behind Wine Machine and Snow Machine, will see music lovers travel to The Whitsundays this October for a stacked lineup of local electronic talent. Heading up the party-forward lineup is the fan-favourite combo of Flight Facilities and Hayden James — and they'll be joined by the likes of former Triple J House Party presenter KLP, Touch Sensitive, CC:Disco!, Set Mo and Yolanda Be Cool. The Jungle Giants, Confidence Man and Cosmo's Midnight are also onboard, hitting the decks for DJ sets. If the simple activity of grooving to tunes on a tropical island isn't enough motivation for you, festival-goers will also be treated to an island-hopping adventure between Daydream Island, Paradise Cove and a surprise location. Your itinerary can also include kayaking, paddle boarding, jet skiing and waterside cocktails, and, if you stay at Daydream Island Resort, you'll have four restaurants, three bars, a pool and a spa to enjoy as well. Dream Machine will run from Wednesday, October 6–Sunday, October 10, with festival events running for three days within that five-day, four-night period. Unsurprisingly, it isn't cheap, with packages starting from $1899 per person for a yacht stay and $2099 for a stay in the resort. The extravagant price tag will get you accommodation, breakfast each morning, ferry transport to and from the airport, and tickets to the festival (of course). DREAM MACHINE 2021 LINEUP: Flight Facilities (DJ set) Hayden James CC:Disco! Cosmo's Midnight (DJ set) Confidence Man (DJ set) Dena Amy Fleetmac Wood Generik Happiness is Wealth Jimi the Kween KLP Kristina Jaman Made in Paris Mira Mira Owl Eyes (DJ set) Poof Doof DJs Set Mo Squeef The Jungle Giants (DJ set) Touch Sensitive Wax'o Paradiso Yolanda Be Cool Dream Machine takes place from Wednesday, October 6–Sunday, October 10 in The Whitsundays. Tickets go on sale on Wednesday, April 7 — visit the festival's website to sign up for pre-sale access.
If there's one thing the eastern suburbs do well, it's wine bars. It doesn't matter if you're slogging it down Chapel Street or staying away from the crowds in a quiet leafy pocket of Kew, chances are, there'll be a nice little wine bar nearby. The ones of this list stock a nice selection of traditional and new-age natural drops, and most have a kitchen or at least a good selection of cheese so you can snack while you taste a few of the open bottles. Quite a few even allow you to take away — so once you've taste tested a few, you can take a bottle home with you to drink at your leisure.
Not once, not twice, but nine times now across 46 years, cinema audiences have stepped into the world of xenomorphs, facehuggers and chestbursters — and of cats onboard spaceships, androids resembling humans and screams not heard in the universe's vast expanse. When Ridley Scott (Gladiator II) directed the initial Alien film, he helped start a sci-fi phenomenon. 2025's Alien: Earth is a first, however, given that it's the franchise's debut TV series. One of the show's twists is right there in its title, with the pale blue dot that humanity calls home giving Alien: Earth its setting. As the just-dropped full trailer for the series advises, there's another fresh element to its setup: "five different life forms from the darkest corners of the universe". In the works for a few years now, executive produced by Scott and due to debut via Disney+ on Wednesday, August 13, 2025 Down Under, this is Noah Hawley's addition to the saga — and another of his projects, after Fargo, where he's expanding upon the realm of a beloved film on the small screen. Set in 2120, his Alien entry follows the fallout of deep-space research vessel USCSS Maginot crashing onto earth, then the discoveries made as a result by a crew of soldiers that includes human-robot hybrid Wendy (Sydney Chandler, Sugar). As it peers just under a century into the future, Alien: Earth sees its namesake planet under the control of five companies: Weyland-Yutani, of course, because this is the Alien franchise, plus Prodigy, Lynch, Dynamic and Threshold. It also witnesses a society where hybrids like Wendy — the first of her kind, with human consciousness inside a robot body — live side by side with humans, cyborgs and AI-driven synthetics. Hawley's cast not only includes Chandler, but also Fargo alums Timothy Olyphant (Havoc) and David Rysdahl (The Luckiest Man in America), plus Alex Lawther (Andor), Essie Davis (The Narrow Road to the Deep North), Adrian Edmondson (Kidnapped), Samuel Blenkin (Mickey 17), Babou Ceesay (Killer Heat), Lily Newmark (A Gentleman in Moscow) and more. Alien: Earth expands a saga that began with one of the best sci-fi/horror movies ever back in 1979, and has since spanned 1986's Aliens, 1992's Alien 3, 1997's Alien Resurrection, 2012's Prometheus, 2017's Alien: Covenant and 2024's Alien: Romulus — as well as the 2004 Alien vs Predator and 2007 Aliens vs Predator: Requiem crossover flicks with the Predator franchise. The Predator world is also expanding in 2025 courtesy of the animated Predator: Killer of Killers and live-action Predator: Badlands, both directed by Dan Trachtenberg, who helmed 2022's excellent Prey. Check out the full trailer for Alien: Earth below: Alien: Earth starts streaming Down Under via Disney+ from Wednesday, August 13, 2025.
If you like your spirits dark and your booze collection could use a top-up, then we know an excellent Aussie choice to add to that shopping list. Melbourne distiller The Gospel just cleaned up in the 2023 International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) earlier this week. The Brunswick-based producer took out a gold medal in the prestigious awards, earning a score of 96 points from the judges for its signature Straight Rye Whiskey. That impressive effort resulted in the sip being the highest-awarded Aussie whiskey in the entire competition. But wait, there's more. The Gospel's score also saw it become the equal second highest ranked rye whisky in the world. Not too shabby for a small distillery located in the backstreets of Melbourne's inner north. Judges described the drop as being "decadent and complex", noting: "the palate is harmonious and well-balanced, leading to a memorable finish." And it wasn't the only Gospel creation that impressed, with the team's Solera Rye Whiskey nabbing its own silver medal at the awards. This year's IWSC pulled more than 4100 entries from across the world, with more than 250 expert judges tasked with sipping, critiquing and awarding them. Thought to be Australia's only dedicated rye whiskey distillery, The Gospel crafts its booze using unmalted rye from just one farmer, who's located in South Australia's Murray Mallee region. It's helmed by Ian Thorn, the first maker in Australia to score Master Distiller accreditation. If you're keen to sample more of the distillery's work, The Gospel's also just dropped a new limited-edition cacao husk liqueur for Easter, made in collaboration with the chocolate masters at Mork. The Gospel Straight Rye Whiskey is available to buy from the website, as well as at select bottle shops across Australia.
Melbourne's skyline is now a little bit greener, following the launch of a new rooftop garden set atop East Melbourne's Treasure Theatre building. The design is a case study for the Green Our Rooftop project, which aims to drastically increase the green infrastructure in our city by 2050. A $2.5 million partnership between the City of Melbourne, the Victorian Government and Melbourne Water, the Treasury Place proof-of-concept hopes to inspire developers, businesses and private owners alike to adopt green spaces citywide. The rooftop garden was designed with low-maintenance, hard-to-kill and climate-resilient plants in mind; think succulents, herbs and native grasses. The space also provides a haven for bees, birds and other urban fauna, as well as reduces energy costs by cooling the building and minimising stormwater runoff. The Green Our Rooftop project highlights the potential of Melbourne's unused rooftops to transform the cityscape by showcasing a retrofit design on an existing building. The program also plans to attract more green spaces on private properties, with owners encouraged to apply for City of Melbourne's matched-funding grants via the Urban Forest Fund. Following the announcement of the project in May 2019, the rooftop underwent several years of planning, research and design before launching in February 2025. As part of the planning, the government worked with industry practitioners and researchers to undergo a thorough assessment of planting mixes, green roof systems, planting installation methods and maintenance inputs. The Treasury Place namesake will be monitored by University of Melbourne researchers, in order to form a better understanding of the most effective methods for designing and building cost-effective, impactful green rooftops going forward. "With massive greening and cooling potential, we hope the Green Our Rooftop project will lay the groundwork for retrofitting existing buildings and integrating green roofs into new developments – following the success seen in cities like New York, Singapore and Munich," says Lord Mayor Nick Reece. The Green Our Rooftop garden is now open at 1 Treasury Place, East Melbourne. For more information, visit the City of Melbourne website. Images: City of Melbourne.
Taco Bell did it. Mark Wahlberg's Wahlburgers and fellow burger joint Five Guys, too. And now Wendy's is officially following suit. Add the square burg-slinging fast-food franchise to the list of American joints making the jump Down Under, with The Wendy's Company announcing that it has locked in a master franchise agreement with Flynn Restaurant Group to launch a heap of Aussie outposts. And we do mean a heap: 200 stores, in fact, as slated to open by 2034. The news comes after Wendy's started making moves to hit our shores in 2022, enlisting Australian franchise consulting firm DC Strategy to work with the burger brand to come up with an Aussie strategy. And, it follows the success of a 2021 Wendy's pop-up in Sydney, where it handed out free burgs and desserts. Indeed, Wendy's announcement mentions the one-day pop-up's success among the reasons for giving Australia a couple of hundred places to nab its burgers within the next 11 years. It's expected that the stores will largely start launching from 2025, with other timing yet to be announced. Exactly where Wendy's will set up shop also hasn't been revealed. "Australia is a strategic market for long-term growth for Wendy's. Flynn Restaurant Group has incredible experience in the restaurant space, and we are thrilled to expand our relationship with them," said Abigail Pringle, President, International and Chief Development Officer of The Wendy's Company, announcing the Aussie move. "They have a strong leadership team, great culture, vast industry knowledge, success with our brand in the US, and we are confident that Flynn Restaurant Group is the right partner to unlock growth for Wendy's in Australia." Flynn Restaurant Group and Wendy's have history, with the former already running nearly 200 of the latter's outposts across five US states. Also on Flynn Restaurant Group's plate in America: operating Applebee's, Taco Bell, Panera, Arby's and Pizza Hut restaurants. When Wendy's hits Australia, it won't be the only food joint with that name. Across 120 venues in Australia and New Zealand, that moniker also graces a South Australian-born ice cream chain which is now known as Wendy's Milk Bar. With more than 7000 stores worldwide, the American Wendy's is one of the globe's biggest and most recognisable burger chains. While most of its outposts are scattered across the US, the chain also has over 1000 international locations in countries like New Zealand, Canada and the UK. The first Wendy's was opened by Dave Thomas in Columbus, Ohio in 1969. It quickly grew due to the popularity of its burgers and iconic Frostys, growing to over 1000 restaurants in its first nine years of operations. Those square burgers, the ice cream-meets-thickshake combos, perhaps the chain's French toast sticks and pretzel cheeseburgers, too: start looking forward to eating them in Australia. [caption id="attachment_811853" align="alignnone" width="1920"] PRNewsfoto/The Wendy's Company[/caption] [caption id="attachment_869874" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sharon Hahn Darlin[/caption] Flynn Restaurant Group is set to develop 200 Wendy's restaurants across Australia by 2034. Check out Wendy's announcement for further details.
Simultaneously a wine shop and a wine bar, Public Wine Shop has been satiating the tastebuds of North Fitzroy-ians since opening at the end of 2020. Minimal intervention wines that contain organically farmed grapes and no additives are the stars of the show at Public Wine Shop. But the accompanying food is nothing to be sneezed at. [caption id="attachment_1018339" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dominic Xavier[/caption] Squeeze into the intimate setting that can fit up to 20 people and enjoy a selection of seasonally changing, French-leaning dishes put together with produce from small, dedicated local farms. Enjoy kimbito olives — that is, olives stuffed with mini gherkins — in chilli oil. Avail yourself of neighbouring baking institution Loafer's bread with cultured butter and the add-on options of salami and cervelle de canut, a Lyonnaise fresh cheese dip. [caption id="attachment_1018338" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dominic Xavier[/caption] Bigger dishes on the eclectic menu range from spaghetti with delicata squash and basil pistou to pork and crab wontons doused in a mushroom xo sauce and garnished with chervil. To finish, the dessert menu includes as many sweet treats as it does cheese. If you prefer to end your meal on a more savoury note, choose from the likes of Shropshire hard cow's cheese, Lombardy semi-hard cow's cheese and a Basque sheep's blue. [caption id="attachment_1018340" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dominic Xavier[/caption] Images: Dominic Xavier.
The mercury is soaring, cold and cloudy days have become a distant memory and enjoying a few hours of sunlight after knock-off time is a daily occurrence. Yes, it's summer — which means that soaking in Australia's sultry weather is the number-one pastime across the nation. Well, that and finding something refreshing to drink on those hot days and nights when you're hanging with your mates and having a fiesta. Enter spritzes. They're light, they couldn't pair better with our climate and they have long been a warm-weather favourite. Feel like you've tried every type of spritz there is, though? Don't want to simply serve the same old drinks to your friends next time you're kicking back by the barbecue or pool? That's where the tequila versions come in — and they're sure to get the party going at any at-home do. We've teamed up with top-notch tequila brand — and, fun fact, Matthew McConaughey's go-to agave juice — Jose Cuervo to bring you four incredibly easy spritz recipes to add to your must-drink list. THE CUERVO SPRITZ Serves one Sometimes, you don't need a complicated recipe — you just need a tasty beverage. This zesty spritz is big on fruit flavours, but still impossible to get wrong. Ingredients 30ml Jose Cuervo Especial Silver 20ml lychee liqueur 10ml lemon juice 15ml simple syrup 2 dashes Angostura orange bitters 120ml soda water 1 mint sprig (optional) Method Add ice to a tall glass, then fill with Jose Cuervo Especial Silver, lychee liqueur, lemon juice, simple syrup, Angostura orange bitters and soda water. To finish, garnish with a mint sprig. THE TEQUILA BUCK Serves one Every buck cocktail features two key ingredients: ginger beer and something citrusy. This version also adds tequila, plus raspberry cordial or grenadine and aromatic bitters for a rosy-hued tipple. Ingredients 45ml Jose Cuervo Especial Reposado 15ml raspberry cordial or grenadine 20ml lime juice 2 dashes Angostura aromatic bitters 120ml ginger beer 1 lime wedge or candied ginger (optional) Method Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, then add Jose Cuervo Especial Reposado, raspberry cordial or grenadine, lime juice and Angostura aromatic bitters. Shake for about 30 seconds. Strain into a wine glass and top with ginger beer. Then, garnish with lime wedge or candied ginger. Or, you could just watch this quick how-to video below. https://youtu.be/lxpNiYKB514 ELDERFLOWER T'N'T Serves one Tequila pairs mighty well with tonic, as this take on an old favourite shows. You'll also enjoy the distinctive taste of elderflower here, so you won't confuse this for any other spritz. Ingredients 30ml Jose Cuervo Especial Silver 20ml elderflower liqueur 10ml lime juice 2 dashes Angostura orange bitters 120ml tonic 1 cucumber slice (optional) Method Fill a wine glass with ice, then add Jose Cuervo Especial Silver, elderflower liqueur, lime juice, Angostura orange bitters and tonic. Stir, but only briefly, then top with a cucumber slice as a garnish. SPARKLING MARGARITA Serves one A margarita, but make it sparkling? This spritz is as simple and straightforward as it sounds. It's also a perfect go-to for when you only have a few ingredients on hand. Ingredients 45ml Jose Cuervo Especial Reposado 120ml lemon soda 1 lemon wedge (optional) Method Fill a wine glass with ice, add Jose Cuervo Especial Reposado and top with lemon soda, then garnish with a lemon wedge. See? Simple. Find more Jose Cuervo cocktail recipes by visiting the brand's website.
Airbnb have a habit of coming up with wacky, adrenaline-inducing places to stay the night — like this shark tank, the end of a ski jump, or the Catacombs of Paris. Their latest listing is no less exciting, though it may have your heart pounding for an entirely different reason. On October 15, Airbnb is giving one lucky chump and three of your best (and most musical) mates the opportunity to spend a night in Studio 3 of Abbey Road Studios. And on top of that, you'll be hosted by legendary DJ, singer, songwriter, producer and all-round super musician Mark Ronson. Yep, imagine snoozing in the same studio where Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon was recorded. The last time anyone slept in Abbey Road Studios was in June, 1969, when an artist requested it. Thanks to Airbnb, the next person could be you (and Ronson will be your tour guide). Ronson grew up just around the corner from the studios and will greet the four lucky guests before they explore the entire building. They will have access to everything the historic studios have to offer, from the Beatles' cigarette-burned piano to the world's largest mixing board, and will be immersed in the rich musical history of the iconic building. Later in the evening, after hearing some of Mark's tips and stories about the building, they will even have the opportunity to pick up an instrument and record their own song. All you have to do to enter is click here and tell Airbnb a bit about yourself, which song you wish you'd been at the studios to see recorded and why. And the best bit? They'll even fly you to London from anywhere in the world. The house rules are pretty simple. Among a few other directions, you can crank up the volume (they have good sound proofing, as you'd expect) and answer the phone with a simple "Hello, it's me." They also ask that you "Don't go chasing pavements," although we think they might offer an exception if it's the zebra crossing out the front. And the last rule? "Leave your mark." Don't mind if we do.
Everyone has one main motivating factor in the career path they choose, and if you're passionate about helping humanity and the state of the world, you've got a bunch of options available. Doctors, lawyers and politicians may take a lot of the credit for shaping our futures but they're not the only options. In fact, there are plenty of other avenues to explore. Whether you're at the beginning of your education, looking for a career change or wanting to gain some additional professional experience, knowing where to start can be hard. That's why we've tracked down a selection of degrees from leading Australian universities to study online via Open Universities Australia(OUA) if you're desperate to make a difference in the world. With the threat of climate change and limited natural resources becoming a reality in the not-too-distant future, the time for a focus on the environment, sustainability and education has never been greater. Here's our list of which degrees to study if you want to inspire or create change. BACHELOR OF EDUCATION Imparting wisdom to our younger generations is a hugely important undertaking — after all, these are the people that'll one day inherit the earth. Curtin University offers one of the best teaching degrees for primary education (years one to six). After studying the Bachelor of Education or the Master of Teaching degree via OUA, you will leave the course with advanced training for leadership roles in a teaching career. Although you'll be studying primarily online, the degree also includes hands-on experience in a range of schools and across year levels, and it culminates in a five-week professional placement. Your studies will also include lesson planning, classroom management, special education and digital literacy. BACHELOR OF ARTS: COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Change starts from the ground — so getting involved in community-based projects, be it services, welfare or not-for-profit organisations, is a great way to see your effort being put into action before your very eyes. A Bachelor of Arts in Community Development will hone your communication, critical thinking, ethics and social justice knowledge — and that's just the start. The program from Murdoch University (available online through OUA) focuses on a wide variety of perspectives and solutions that can benefit different communities — from Indigenous and First Nation peoples to overseas aid development. You will graduate with the ability for persuasive oral communication and a broad knowledge of research methods. DIPLOMA IN COMMUNITY WELFARE AND WELLBEING Outside of teaching, another obvious do-gooder career path is within the welfare and health sectors. Whether you're interested in nursing, community service or social work, gaining a Diploma in Community Welfare and Wellbeing from the University of New England allows you to earn credits toward many community-minded degrees — and to develop the foundational skills for employment or toward further study. The course provides students with the theoretical and academic groundwork for a career in overall social care. Within the elective subjects offered, you can opt to specialise in working with members of the community dealing with disability or ageing, or working with Aboriginal people. BACHELOR OF ARTS: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Marching for climate action is a great start, but if you're passionate about finding more sustainable ways for you and your neighbours to live and preserve the environment, this Murdoch University program is worth exploring through OUA. Sustainable Development is a newer profession but is growing in popularity. The more prominent career paths you could take from this degree include joining the public sector, a local council or an NGO, or working within research institutes or national and international aid organisations. But the skills gained here are much more far-reaching and can also lead to careers in sustainable tourism, media, education and resource management. MASTER OF ENVIRONMENT Already got a degree in environmental science under your belt? First of all, good for you. Now, keep channelling that passion and experience into a masters degree from Griffith University. After all, it's arguably one of the most important fields of study you could enter into at the moment. Within this degree, you can choose to specialise in several different areas of expertise, including climate change adaptation, sustainable business, economics and policy, environmental planning and environmental protection. Career options hit a huge range, too, and include the likes of environmental assessment officer, consultant for government agencies and environmental and biosecurity management. Explore these degrees and hundreds more from leading Australian universities, available online through Open Universities Australia. You'll be making a world of difference before you know it.
Not to be confused with recent Australian film Limbo, six-part Aussie dramedy In Limbo takes its title to heart, and also uses its eponymous idea as fuel for a supernatural buddy comedy. Before the end credits run on the show's first episode, Nate (Bob Morley, Love Me) is palling around with his lifelong best mate Charlie (Ryan Corr, House of the Dragon) from the afterlife — and the dearly departed Brisbanite is stuck. He isn't staying by choice. Instead, he hasn't moved on. He can't, and he doesn't know why he's lingering. Audiences can instantly guess in general terms, because ghost fare both comic and spooky overflows with spirits tied to the mortal coil via unresolved business, but In Limbo is never about scares and definitely isn't only about laughs. While Nate grapples with his newly loitering status, Charlie is reeling over losing his best friend unexpectedly at the age of just 38. Initially, he thinks that spying his pal again is a drunken hallucination in his grief-stricken state, especially given that he found the body. No one else can see Nate, not his widow Freya (Emma Harvie, Colin From Accounts); the eight-year-old daughter, Annabel (Kamillia Rihani, The Twelve), he doted on; or his very Catholic mother Maria (Lena Cruz, Wellmania) and affable father Frank (Russell Dykstra, Irreverent). As Charlie does his best to help his pal's family cope, he's the sole one spotting Nate as an apparition — and, more than that, he falls back into their usual rapport. It's Christmas, too, in this Sunshine State-shot and -set series, with facing the festivities after such a shock far from easy. As it heartily deploys Brisbane Powerhouse and New Farm Park as settings, that's a lot for one show to delve into — and delve it attentively does. On paper, In Limbo's mix seems delicate. It's an otherworldly sitcom with an odd couple at its centre, their bond transcending life and death, and it isn't afraid of having a sense of humour. That said, it's also a heartwrenching tragedy. In addition, it delivers a sincere musing on loss, shame and guilt, and a weighty exploration of mental health. And, In Limbo confronts how difficult it is to ask for assistance, and to notice when even your closest loved ones need it, plus the fact that men requiring a hand can still be regarded a weakness. Tackling mourning, mental struggles and suicide isn't simple, even in a show about someone haunting their best mate, and including when such topics have been increasingly popping up on Australian screens lately (see also: Totally Completely Fine). Created by Lucas Taylor, marking his second series for 2023 after Black Snow, In Limbo is clearly crafted with empathy and understanding for its subject matter, its characters and everyone among its audience that can relate. Penned by him as well, with Doctor Doctor's Tamara Asmar co-scripting and Trent O'Donnell (Ride the Eagle) and David Stubbs (Daffodils) directing, the show crucially doesn't attempt to offer any firm answers. Rather, whether facing a tough topic with humour, heart, or clear-eyed and head on, the series acts as a conversation starter — an important function. In Limbo entertains, engages and moves, potently so, but it's even more committed to being meaningful. There's zero doubt that the show knows how immensely hard it is to navigate loss — in fact, it leans in. In its opening episode, before Nate and Charlie switch from the comfortable banter that's flavoured their friendship since childhood to picking it up from the beyond, it sees the pain that becomes Charlie and Freya's second skins. It watches their expressions as everything they thought they knew crumbles. It sits with their confusion, sadness, desperation and yearning. It knows that nothing will ever be the same again, and that this will always be a part of them. In a rarity for on-screen depictions of death, In Limbo also acknowledges the mundane but essential tasks that the experience places on those left behind. It understands that finances need getting in order, funerals require planning and children need guiding. It wades through the conventions and expectations around how the bereaved grieve, and for how long; how they share the traumatic news and where; and how they start working through their new future. As the admin of mourning piles up, In Limbo also knows that everything changes but so much heartbreakingly stays the same. Here, Annabel still has soccer games to play. The festive season remains in full swing. Charlie hasn't forgotten about the looming divorce that he's been avoiding, either, and matters of addiction and domestic violence in his broader circle don't just fade away. It boasts considerate writing, compassionate aims and the right balance of comedy at its core; however, a series like In Limbo was always going to need the best cast that it could get. With Corr and Morley as its leads, it couldn't have managed better. The ever-excellent Corr plays a supremely complicated role with charm and sensitivity, which is no surprise given his Holding the Man, 1% and Wakefield-filled resume, and decades in the business. In a likeable and layered performance, he fleshes out Charlie's troubles, plunges into his doubts and challenges his grin-and-bear-it status quo. In Limbo dives deep into Charlie's whirlwind of emotions without Nate physically by his side, with Nate now his ghostly offsider and with his own problems, and doesn't ever dream of brushing past the character's flaws. Corr also makes such a great double act with Morley that filmmakers should be clamouring to pair them up again ASAP. The focus on 21st-century masculinity and friendship demands that their camaraderie feel real, which it achieves reliably and effortlessly. The series tasks Morley with providing an outwardly spirited portrayal with equal range as Corr, a feat that he similarly perfects. But In Limbo doesn't only value its main duo. Harvie's work is just as complex, Rihani makes an impact as Annabel, and Cruz and Dykstra are never reduced to grating in-laws. Cherishing everything you can while you can and peering beyond what's right in front of you beat at the heart of this thoughtful show, after all — and that's meaningful, too. Check out the trailer for In Limbo below: In Limbo streams via ABC iView.
If comedy is all about timing, then Aunty Donna have it — not just onstage. In 2020, Aunty Donna's Big Ol' House of Fun was the hysterical sketch-comedy series that the world needed, with the six-episode show satirising sharehouse living dropping at the ideal moment. While the Australian jokesters' Netflix hit wasn't just hilarious because it arrived when everyone had been spending more time than anyone dreamed at home thanks to the early days of the pandemic, the ridiculousness it found in domesticity was as inspired as it was sidesplittingly absurd. Three years later, heading out is well and truly back, as are Aunty Donna on-screen. Their target in Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe, which streams in full on ABC iView from Wednesday, April 12 and airs weekly on ABC TV: cafe culture. When we were all staring at our own four walls for months, Mark Samual Bonanno, Broden Kelly and Zachary Ruane helped us to laugh about it — talking dishwashers, tea parties with the Queen of England, silly wi-fi names, Weird Al Yankovic and 'Morning Brown' sing-alongs included. Now, with stay-at-home orders relegated to the past, they've returned to make fun of one of the simplest reasons to go out that there is. During lockdowns and restrictions, how folks were allowed to patronise their local cafe, or not, was a frequent topic of conversation. It was also a bellwether for how strict the rules were at any given junction. Grabbing a cuppa is such an ordinary and everyday task, so much so that it was taken for granted until it was no longer an easy part of our routines. Unsurprisingly, now that caffeine fixes are back and brewing, Aunty Donna finds much to parody. With fellow group members Sam Lingham (a co-writer here), Max Miller (the show's director) and Tom Zahariou (its composer), Aunty Donna's well-known trio of faces set their new six-parter in the most obvious place they can: a Melbourne cafe called Morning Brown. The track itself doesn't get a spin, however, and neither does fellow fan favourite 'Everything's a Drum'. Indeed, the show's central piece of naming is its most expected move. As demonstrated in episodes that turn the cafe into a courtroom, ponder whether Broden might still be a child and riff on Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt's 1967 disappearance, nothing else about Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe earns that description. Pinballing in any and every direction possible has always been one of the Aussie comedy troupe's biggest talents, with their latest series deeply steeped — riotously, eclectically and entertainingly, too — in that approach. Anything can happen in this Mark-, Broden- and Zach-owned coffee house, and does, just as everything could and did when they were sharing a home on-screen. Of course, anything can occur when Aunty Donna are involved anyway — they recently played corpses revived from the dead in Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves, and also released Aunty Donna's $30 bottle of wine and the Always Room for Christmas Pud picture book, after all. So, although Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe embraces its its sitcom packaging more heartily than Aunty Donna's Big Ol' House of Fun did, its main setting remains a backdrop and a launchpad for as many random skits as they can dish up. When that court takes over, for instance, Richard Roxburgh (Elvis) plays Rake, even though that's not his Rake character's name. In another episode, stanning Gardening Australia and skewering unreliable streaming services get ample attention, complete with jokes at ABC iView's expense. Elsewhere, bucks parties earn their own lampoon. So does the Is It Cake? trend, working in hospitality, shoddy landlords — a particularly timely topic during a cost-of-living crisis — and the nightmare that is dealing with real estate agents when you're a tenant. Gaming bars, kidulting, food reviews, restaurant theming: they're all thrown in as well. If it stems from the culinary and hospo world, Aunty Donna have likely touched upon it. In fact, Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe's debut episode begins with a pitch-perfect summary of cafe trends of late. The show's overall setup sees Mark, Broden and Zach desperate to make their laneway haunt a success, and determined not to let their lack of skills and experience get in the way. So, they survey all the current gimmicks, including axe-throwing, hurling abuse, selling vinyl and only serving cereal. They learn of spaces that devote their menus to popcorn and show a movie while it's consumed, and of spots to nab free books as you sip (and yes, the fact that these are just cinemas and libraries is the point). Playing fictionalised and heightened versions of themselves, Mark, Broden and Zach have a teenage employee, Stephanie (Gaby Seow, Young Rock), who is interviewed in the first instalment — which gives Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe's plenty of material about outlandish bosses. Sally-Anne (Sally-Anne Upton, Neighbours) is the resident chaotic landlord, while Michelle (Michelle Brasier, Why Are You Like This) is the kind of devoted customer that Morning Brown wants more of. With its key cast established, this is a workplace comedy, like everything from The Office, Parks and Recreation and 30 Rock to Party Down, Scrubs and Cheers before it. Swapping slinging beer and spirits for lattes and blueberry muffins, and keeping things on the lighter side of anarchic — although a recess skit gets dark, fast — Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe resembles an Australian spin on long-running absurdist great It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, too. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia has aired 15 seasons now, becoming the longest-running American TV comedy, and also has at least three more to come. That's a feat achieved in no small part thanks to its ability to keep pouring out the most out-there, OTT, nonsense situations it can, and boasting the gamest of casts. Across their television slate, Aunty Donna share the same traits. They might be notching up their screentime across different shows, but they're having just as wild, uproarious, farcical and astute a time. So is the company that Mark, Broden and Zach keep here, spanning not only a committed Roxburgh, but also Miranda Tapsell (Christmas Ransom), Looking for Alibrandi's Pia Miranda making tomato day jokes, and everyone from Shaun Micallef and Tony Martin to Melanie Bracewell, Nazeem Hussain, Steven Oliver and Sam Pang. When Aunty Donna's Big Ol' House of Fun became one of 2020's best new shows, no one watched it a mere once. Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe demands the same response, with its gags flying so thick and fast that laughing at one joke or bit of banter usually means drowning out the next with your own chuckles. In any skit-heavy series, it's impossible to ensure that every single moment lands, but Aunty Donna's shows come I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson-level close. Maybe don't watch it on your phone in your local cafe, though — no matter how trendy it is, if it's in a laneway, whether it's open till 5pm, if there's a criminal trial going on inside or ghosts are haunting the place. Check out the trailer for Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe below: Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe streams via ABC iView, and also screens weekly on the ABC at 9pm from Wednesday, April 12. Images: Richard Lowe / Jackson Flinter / ABC.
On Sunday, December 1, Australian Venue Co — one of the country's largest hospitality groups with more than 200 venues nationwide — announced its decision to no longer host events on January 26 in recognition of the trauma experienced by many of its patrons and staff on Invasion Day. In response, certain swathes of the media, social media users and even notable politicians loudly voiced their opposition to the move, with some calling for a boycott of AVC venues in retaliation. Queensland Senator Matt Canavan said during an interview on the Today Show on Monday, December 3, that Australian Venue Co were acting as "moral guardians," adding: "They should get off their moral high horse. They're a pub, for god's sake. They deal in alcohol … I mean, let people have a good time at a pub." In response to this widespread backlash, Australian Venue Co has issued an apology via its social media platforms and reversed its decision to ban Australia Day events. "We can see that our comments on the weekend have caused both concern and confusion. We sincerely regret that — our purpose is to reinforce community in our venues, not divide it," the statement reads. "It is not for us to tell anyone whether or how to celebrate Australia Day. We acknowledge that and we apologise for our comments. It certainly wasn't our intention to offend anyone … Whether you choose to celebrate Australia Day or not, everyone is welcome in our pubs, always. We have been, and are always, open over Australia Day and we continue to book events for patrons." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Australian Venue Co. (@australianvenueco) Many social media posts highlighted the confusion created by the Australian Venue Co's original announcement, which was misconstrued as suggesting its venues would be closed on January 26, when in reality the group was pledging not to hold Australia Day events while remaining open for patrons independently celebrating the day. Whether or not Australia should commemorate its national day on a date that represents a moment of profound mourning and inter-generational trauma for First Nation's communities continues to be hotly debated. However, local governments, certain major businesses and media organisations, and social groups across the country have made the decision in recent years to acknowledge the contentiousness of January 26. More than 80 councils around the country no longer hold citizenship ceremonies on this date and since 2017, radio station Triple J has announced its popular Hottest 100 rankings on January 25. Earlier this year, major supermarket brands Woolworths and Aldi both pledged to no longer stock Australia Day merchandise in their stores, while Invasion Day rallies attract thousands of peaceful protesters every year.
Sometimes really shitty weather has its upside. Pulling a solid Community Chest card, London is about to open its very first board games-centric cafe in Hackney this September. Sure, plenty of eateries, pubs and existing cafes have a smattering of Scattergoric fun times already stashed in the bookshelves, but Draughts intends to bring games to the forefront — already proven successful by Adelaide's Hungry Hippo and Oxford's Thirsty Meeples. Serving up an impressive 500+ range of old school fun inducers, Draughts will stock both your favourite table toppers like Cluedo, Monopoly and Scrabble alongside weird and wonderful niche releases like Hanabi and one apparently called Chicken Cha Cha Cha. Board game purists will be able to engage in intense bots of chess, checkers and (of course) draughts, while the cafe serves as a perfect loud group outing option (if Boggle is your style). Draughts will function as an all-day cafe, counting freshly made coffee, cakes, milkshakes and sandwiches on the menu before fuelling rambunctious rounds of Risk with ciders and lagers in the chilly London evenings. If you're into the Game of Life, you'll appreciate a few pints. Remember that family member who insisted on reading out the rules, one by one, even after everyone had given up and left them flying solo at the table? Chances are they now work at Draughts, ready to help you out with any Monopoly rule rifts, help you set up the painstaking Mouse Trap board or get you started on something you might never have tried — big fingers crossed for 13 Dead End Drive or The White Unicorn. Just trust me. Draughts know their board games so well, they decided to create a London Tube map to help you out when you're picking: Via Guardian. Photo from The Hungry Hippo.
There's no such thing as just another Quentin Tarantino film. Since he came to fame with Reservoir Dogs, the writer and director has continually toyed with dialogue-heavy, non-linear tales of crime and violence. And while there are stylistic elements that make a Tarantino film a Tarantino film, everything from Pulp Fiction to Death Proof has brought something different to the cinema. Take The Hateful Eight, for example. In his latest and eighth movie, the filmmaker delves back into the western genre (as he did with 2012's Django Unchained), he re-teams with Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen and Walton Goggins, and riffs on the scenario of Reservoir Dogs. But he also does much more than that. In its story, The Hateful Eight follows the fallout that ensues when eight treacherous characters are forced into close quarters. But it's the film's presentation that's perhaps even more interesting. For one, it revives the format of Ultra Panavision 70 — last used in 1966. It also brings back a form of movie-going rarely encountered these days, screening with an overture and intermission. That's the experience Sydney and Melbourne audiences have been gifted with this last week, via some advance 70mm sessions prior to the feature's national digital release on Thursday, January 21. Indeed, there's much to talk about when it comes to The Hateful Eight — and visiting Australia to promote the film, Tarantino did plenty. He spoke with Concrete Playground about what he has to offer one of his favourite genres, making The Hateful Eight an event, and watching audiences react to a different style of cinema. Among other topics, of course. ON MAKING WESTERNS "I've always been a big, big fan of the genre. And I think a lot of modern directors who have done westerns — like Walter Hill or somebody — before they actually got a chance to do a western, they kept flirting with the genre in modern terms to some degree or another. I mean, there's this whole aspect that Kill Bill: Vol 2 has a spaghetti western vibe, and I truly wanted Inglourious Basterds to almost have a spaghetti western feel — but with World War II iconography as opposed to western iconography. So, with Django Unchained I got my first chance at it, and I just really love the genre. And I wasn't done with it. It's kind of that simple: I wasn't done with it. And I also think it's a really good fit for me. I think as far as characters are concerned and the way violence works in my movies, it works out very good for a western." ON WHAT HE HAS TO OFFER THE GENRE "I think, in today's world, if I'm going to be able to call myself a western director and put my movies on the shelf with somebody like Anthony Mann or Budd Boetticher or Peckinpah, then I think you need to do at least three westerns. I mean, if it was the '50s, it'd be eight — but at least three westerns. And the fact that both movies deal with race in America at that time — two different times, but very close to each other — and also kind of do a vague mirror reflection on race in America today at the same time, I believe that's actually something I have to offer to the genre. That conversation is really something that hasn't been had that much in westerns — it's almost like that conversation has been avoided in westerns. And that's one of the things I think I have to offer to it." ON HIS DECISION TO SHOOT IN 70MM "One of the selfish reasons [I'm shooting in 70mm] is that I'm rather distressed at how digital projection has taken over to such a degree. I'm not really worried about shooting in digital because I'll always shoot in film — but I think something has been lost. I'm not saying that there's really anything wrong with digital projection, but I think something is lost if film projection is eradicated. And one of the benefits of shooting in 70mm is it's a little expensive. So, if a studio is going to pay to do that, they're going to at least make a token effort to make sure it gets shown in 70mm in certain cinemas. And that was a big calling card to do this. But also, I did like the idea of making this movie an event — to actually have a visual look first. And also, [I liked] the idea that I was going to be filming in this weather, and filming the weather was a big part of what we were doing. We were going for a big look. As dense as the material is, as bleak as the material is, and as dialogue heavy as the film is, there is an emphasis on the visual aspect of it." ON BRINGING BACK REAL CINEMA-GOING "It's actually kind of funny because, watching the film with audiences, there is this thing about the overture: [people think] "what is this?" I always like to sit in the middle of the cinema so I can really watch the people who are sitting in front of me, and the heads and the shoulders down the line. And you see their shoulders kind of relax as that overture goes on, as they settle into their seat and settle into the experience that they're going to have. And then there was this aspect — I think the first time I screened the film with a big audience — when the intermission happens, and it's like, "okay, what are we going to do?", and "okay, I guess I'm going to go take a pee or go have a smoke". But there is also that aspect of what you want to happen — they're talking about the movie. Apparently the toilets are abuzz, like "wow, did you just see what happened? I wonder what's going to happen next". You know, that kind of excitement about talking about the film. But also, I do like intermissions if it seems appropriate, because I think that they can be used for dramatic purpose. And I think that's the case in The Hateful Eight — that it has a dramatic moment when it happens, and there's a kind of sigh." ON THE HATEFUL EIGHT AS A WESTERN VERSION OF RESERVOIR DOGS "Having made movies now for over twenty years, there was a full circle kind of aspect with [The Hateful Eight] of me almost coming back to the start. And maybe even closing the circle. And the next couple of movies, who knows what they could be, because the circle is kind of closed and it opens up another chapter for me. I don't even know what that chapter is — but that's actually kind of exciting. But the idea of a western Reservoir Dogs was a little bit in my head as I was writing it, because I actually think that kind of pressure cooker situation could work really well in a western. There have been a few westerns that are really set-bound. One of my favourite westerns is Rio Bravo, and that really takes place between the saloon and the jailhouse — and I've always thought that Rio Bravo would be a really good play." The Hateful Eight is currently screening in Australian cinemas in limited 70mm locations, with the film's digital release opening around the country on January 21. Read our review.
The South Yarra skyline is about to score a soaring new addition, with the upcoming opening of a luxe $800 million development, dubbed Capitol Grand. Once complete, the site will boast Melbourne's tallest building outside of the CBD, which will be home to over 50 floors of six-star luxury residential apartments, gyms, pools, an elevated garden and even an in-house cinema. But what's even more exciting for locals, is that the building will also be home to a collection of exciting new restaurants, bars and cafes. Capitol Grand is promising options galore for all times of the day, from contemporary brunch spots through to late-night cocktail dens. And it'll be brought to life by a cast of big Melbourne hospitality names. While Capitol Grand itself is owned by prominent Australian property developer Larry Kestelman, the whole food precinct will be overseen by Scottish-born chef Stephen Nairn, whose impressive resume boasts stints at Estelle by Scott Pickett, Vue de Monde and New York's three Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park. He'll be leading a star lineup of yet-to-be-announced culinary talent (we're promised) — and he'll be launching his own kitchen and restaurant, which is set to open onsite early next year. While we'll have to wait until deep into 2020 to see most of the development come to fruition, the precinct's first restaurant is slated to be up and running by October this year. An all-day, 100-seat dining spot and "transformative multi-use community hub", it'll plate up a Euro-inspired menu featuring plenty of French and Italian classics. In the meantime, Melburnians will be able to get a sneak peek of the new food precinct at a pop-up restaurant. Omnia, which will open at 25 Toorak Road in mid-May, will be showcasing dishes that have already been given the tick of approval by the development kitchen — and Nairn himself. We'll update you as soon as we know more. Capitol Grand is slated for completion in 2020. Omnia will pop-up at 25 Toorak Road in mid-May. Image: Samara Clifford
Last year, Scotland's BrewDog created the world's first craft beer hotel and launched the world's first craft beer airline, letting beer lovers drink more of its cold ones in more places. Basically, the boozy flight is an ideal way to get to the brand's Ohio holiday spot, however it's not a regular service. But after the first return trip took to the skies earlier in 2019, two more flights have been announced. Aptly named BrewDog Airlines by the beer fiends— and yes, it's all about downing craft brews at 30,000 feet — the repeat trip will take eager drinkers from London to the company's Columbus facility and back. Want to mosey the other way? A second flight will also soar through the heavens while serving its passengers plenty of brews, leaving the US to head to Scotland for some beer- and whisky-sipping. If you're keen to make either journey, the London-to-Ohio leg departs Britain on Thursday, October 31, making the return leg on Tuesday, November 5, while the Ohio-to-Edinburgh trip leaves Columbus on the same departure date and heads back on the same return date as well. As was the case with the airline's maiden voyage, you'll also need to be one of BrewDog's Equity Punks, which is what it calls its shareholders — and pay between £1350–1450 per person (or £2550–2750 for two people sharing a room). Starting to pack now? Happy to make your own way to either start point? Then here's what else is in store. Boarding a Boeing 767, passengers will enjoy a spot of beer tasting, tuck into a BrewDog-inspired menu that's paired with matching beers, watch the brewery's BrewDog Network — its own streaming platform — and receive a branded eye mask and blanket. More brews will be served during the flight, obviously. And, once the plane lands, you're in for a tour of either BrewDog's Columbus or Ellon facilities, as well as relevant boozy trips in Ohio and Scotland. To ensure the flight goes smoothly — or boozily, really — BrewDog has also created its own beer that tastes better at a flying altitude. If you hop on board its airline, you'll get to enjoy more than a few sips. Cathay Pacific also did something similar back in 2017, launching a bottled beer that was made to taste as great in the air as it does on the ground. With BrewDog also opening an Australian base in Brisbane in 2019 — albeit without a hotel — here's hoping it brings this idea with it. Image: BrewDog.
The quest of Neil Young to revive the magic that has been squeezed out of digital music has now been realised with the launch of his portal listening device and digital music service called Pono [meaning righteous in Hawaiian]. Young has been working on the service and music player for last several years, chasing the goal of restoring music to its original artistic quality – as it was in the studio. The 128GB triangular, touchscreen gadget named PonoPlayer makes use of zero-feedback circuitry, a minimum phase digital filter and a whole lot of other technical stuff to eliminate the “unnatural pre-ringing” that can often be heard on digital tracks. The PonoPlayer comes alongside the online music store PonoMusic.com , which will offer downloads of songs formatted from artist-approved master recordings. Young officially launched both products at the South by Southwest music conference in Austin, Texas with a Kickstarter campaign complete with video endorsements from a plethora of music stars and offering preorders of the PonoPlayer at a discounted price. Pledgers are given the option to purchase a special edition “Artist Signature Series” PonoPlayer with autographs from the likes of Young himself, Arcade Fire, Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, as well as being pre-loaded with the artist’s all-time favorite two albums. Just don't ask Mr Young about what cut he gets, things will just get awkward.
Dispelling the old thought that art and science cannot mix, The Creators Project showcases the talent of those who have simultaneously mastered both fields. The Creators Project is a product of a partnership between Intel and Vice, and has been held in various locations throughout the United States, as well as in the UK, France, China, South Korea, and Brazil. Held in San Francisco, California last weekend, the event featured both established and new artists who use technology to create their art. “The countries we travel to in our global event series are all comprised of innovative communities at the forefront of the marriage of art and technology," said David Haroldsen, Intel's Creative Director for the project. “Many of our creators are based out of these countries which has in turn helped us further expand, enabling us to form relationships with more and more forthcoming artists in the art and tech communities.” According to Haroldsen, the goal of the The Creators Project is to find the world's most innovative tech artists and provide them with the resources necessary to give their work exposure. Hosi Simon, GM of Vice, said: "We discuss the artists’ dreams and ambitions in great detail, and find ways of how The Creators Project can help them reach their goals. We want to create long-term partnerships and collaborations." The event featured an incredible range of unique pieces. One installation piece titled 'Six Forty by Four Eighty', by Zigelbaum + Coelho2, allowed event goers to interact with giant pixels. The pixels could be controlled via remote, or cloned by holding a hand over a particular pixel and then tapping another. 'The Treachery of Sanctuary' by Chris Milk similarly allowed for interaction by using Kinect sensors to transform participating people into birds on the projection screen. Other works included a giant, LED-lit cube which featured a light show, a giant wall of Instagram photos shared by attendees, and more. [via Mashable]
Pizza Hut. The noble and long-serving ‘za provider who filled our tummies at last-day-of-school pizza lunch and, in our uni student years, staved off hunger and calcium deficiency with cheap Tuesday deals. That is until in 1983 when the Dominos chain hit our shores. Dominos grew in reach and popularity and brought the Hut to its knees (or at least, to mainly smaller takeaway-only venues, less all-you-can-eat restaurants). Sure, there's still a few floating around (lookin' at you Goulburn), but they're harder and harder to come by nowadays. Once a dignified, family-friendly palace of soft serve on-tap, mini marshmallows and slice after slice after slice, Pizza Hut is now reduced to stunt-like takeaway grotesquery such as the Four 'N Twenty Meat Pie crust and its ilk, cramming more and more fast food, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, cheeseburgers into the crust until it’s just a misshapen farce oozing with disappointment. There's not much scope for an in-house sit-down pig-out any more. Apparently someone else has also noticed the decline. Sydney-based photographer Ho Hai Tran has taken up the quest of documenting the last surviving original Pizza Hut buildings before they pass into irrelevance. Tran has travelled 14,000kms across Australia, New Zealand and the USA to try and capture the photos of the buildings, most of which have been converted for other uses. “Pizza Hut buildings might not seem like the most aesthetically compelling structures, but they do ooze a certain charm”, says Tran. His purpose in all of this is historical record-keeping and maybe making Gen Y-ers shed a little tear because our world is crumbling to pieces. He’s even launched a Kickstarter to help him on his way. The archive of photographs will eventually be compiled into a book which has, in our humble opinion, the greatest title ever: Pizza Hunt. And the special edition even comes in a pizza box. Ouch, right in the childhood. Help Ho Hai Tran on his quest to immortalise the ‘Hut through by chipping into the Kickstarter.
If your end-of-summer plans usually involve hitting up St Jerome's Laneway Festival for a day of tunes, rejoice: the beloved annual event is here with a new round of dates for 2024. Actually, it wants you to mark your calendar not once but twice. Exactly when and where it'll take place next year has been revealed, and so has when the lineup will drop. If you're all about who'll be playing, you will still need to wait until Tuesday, September 5 to get the details. So, for now, just know that Laneway has locked in returns in Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth and Auckland, all in February. There's a bit of stability to next year's list of venues, after 2023 took Laneway to a heap of new spots. The festival started by Danny Rogers and Jerome Borazio in the mid-00s will kick off at Brisbane Showgrounds on Saturday, February 3, then head to Sydney Showground on Sunday, February 4 — so, exactly where it took place this year. Still in Australia, Laneway also has a Friday, February 9 date with Bonython Park in Adelaide on the agenda, then a Saturday, February 10 run at The Park, Flemington in Melbourne and a Sunday, February 11 wrap-up show in Wellington Square in Perth. Again, these are all the same locations that 2023's fests hit up. Over in New Zealand, the event will take over Western Springs in Auckland on Tuesday, February 6. That date means that it's moving to Waitangi Day. And 2024's venue comes after 2023's Auckland Laneway stop was cancelled due to due to the Auckland floods. As for the lineup, start guessing. In 2023, HAIM, Joji and Phoebe Bridgers headlined, in what marked a comeback for Laneway for the first time since the pandemic began. Before that, in 2020, the roster of talent was headed up by the likes of The 1975, Charli XCX and Earl Sweatshirt, as well as a host of local favourites like Ruel, DMA's and Ocean Alley. LANEWAY FESTIVAL 2024 DATES: Saturday, February 3 — Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane / Turrbal Targun Sunday, February 4 — Sydney Showground, Sydney / Burramattagal and Wangal Land Tuesday, February 6 — Western Springs, Auckland / Tāmaki Makaurau Friday, February 9 — Bonython Park, Adelaide / Kaurna Yerta Saturday, February 10 — The Park, Flemington, Melbourne / Wurundjeri Biik Sunday, February 11 — Wellington Square, Perth / Whadjuk Boodjar St Jerome's Laneway Festival will tour Australia and New Zealand in February 2024. Head to the festival's website for further details, and to register for ticket pre sales (which kick off at 11am local time on Tuesday, September 12) — and check back here for next year's lineup when it drops on Tuesday, September 5. Images: Daniel Boud / Maclay Heriot / Cedric Tang.
