Australians, if you thought you had a lot of food delivery options at your fingertips before, consider yourself even more spoilt for choice now. DoorDash, the US's biggest on-demand food platform for door-to-door delivery, has arrived Down Under, taking on Melbourne, Geelong and Sydney in its first expansion outside of North America. Thousands of restaurants are set to jump on board as DoorDash rolls out its platform locally. And yes, that means dinnertime decision-making just got a little more interesting. Which can't be a bad thing, given that stats show a lot of us — two million of us to be exact — use meal delivery services at lease once every three months. Even more so now, with many Australians practising social-distancing or self-isolating in a bid to slow the spread of COVID-19. During the COVID-19 pandemic, DoorDash has introduced no-contact delivery (and will leave your food at the front door) and is waiving delivery fees for a heap of restaurants, so they can generate a little more money in these uncertain times. Big-name restaurant brands available on the delivery service in Melbourne include Betty's Burgers and Nando's, along with a diverse spread of well-loved local eateries like Red Sparrow Pizza, Le Bon Ton, Huxtaburger. In Sydney, you can order from the likes of Grill'd, Restaurant Moon, Huxtaburger, Lukumades, Mr Crackles and Thirsty Bird. The app works much the same as competitors, like UberEats and Deliveroo, though it also has a 'pick-up' and 'group ordering' options — the latter making it a lot easier to coordinate big groups. DoorDash is by no means new to the game. Having launched back in 2013, it now operates in over 4000 cities across all 50 states of the USA and Canada. If you're keen to check out the new service, DoorDash is currently offering free delivery for a heap of restaurants. The DoorDash delivery platform is now available in Melbourne, Geelong and Sydney over at doordash.com. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
Break out your best green lycra outfit and get a rum-flavoured ham a-brewing. Throw in some firm thoughts about rats (no, not rapid antigen tests), a killer rendition of 'Dayman' and a hankering for cat food, and then you just might be ready. What are you getting prepared for? Your next binge-watching session — because all 15 seasons of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia have just hit Disney+. Since 2005, this television sitcom about the world's worst bar owners has immersed audiences into the devious, darkly amusing and downright odd antics of the Paddy's Pub gang — and if you have a certain sense of humour, you've likely lapped it all up, probably while sipping brews as you watch. The gloriously long-lived TV comedy is one of the least sensible yet also savagely smart shows currently airing, and now it's all in one digital spot for prime binge-viewing. Yes, even the most recent season, the show's 15th, is now available for streaming via the Mouse House, so you can watch the eight-episode run that only aired in America in December 2021, too. And if you're thinking that Disney+ is a strange place for It's Always Sunny's shenanigans, the service started branching out beyond childhood favourites, the Marvel Cinematic Universe and all things Star Wars when it added its Star expansion in Australia back in early 2021. Come February, it'll also be the Aussie home of Pam & Tommy and its sex-tape dramas, for instance. With this It's Always Sunny treasure trove, you'd best prepare for ample shenanigans — and to say "god damn it" a lot, especially if you'll be watching with someone called Dee. Obviously, you'll be basking in the comic stylings of a series with a very straightforward concept, because seeing what happens with a group of friends try to run a bar has always been the show's starting point. Those pals — as played by Charlie Day (Pacific Rim: Uprising), Glenn Howerton (AP Bio), Rob McElhenney (Mythic Quest), Kaitlin Olson (Hacks) and Danny DeVito (Jumanji: The Next Level) — usually fail at everything they attempt, of course, and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's nihilistic and irreverent sense of humour is all its own. This is a series that's dedicated most of its episodes to a whole range of taboo topics, while also watching its characters stage a twisted rock opera and make their own sequels to 80s action flicks. Indeed, when it comes to satirising despicable behaviour and attitudes, It's Always Sunny is on another level. The show has also made history, becoming the longest-running live-action sitcom ever with its 15th season. And it has already been renewed through till season 18, too, so there's plenty more to come. Check out the trailer for It's Always Sunny's 15th season below: All 15 seasons to-date of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia are now available to stream via Disney+.
2025 is a shaping up to be a big year for Netflix finales — and it will end that way, too. First, Squid Game is coming to a conclusion in June 2025. Then, Stranger Things will begin following suit with its fifth and last season. You'll be tuning in not once, not twice, but three times for this farewell trip to Hawkins, Indiana, however — starting in November 2025, then checking in again twice in December this year. Those specific dates: Wednesday, November 26 for the first four-episode volume of season five, then Thursday, December 25 for its second three-chapter volume, followed by Wednesday, December 31 for the finale. Netflix locked in the release schedule as part of a date-announcement video which also provides an initial glimpse at how everything will wrap up. Included in the clip: looks backwards at the tale that Stranger Things has told so far, which means peering at how young the cast was when the show premiered in 2016. From what's to come, comas, bedside vigils, the military, exploring via torchlight, shaking floors and a key piece of advice — "run" — all feature. Season five makes finding and killing Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower, Emmanuelle) its main aim, all while the town has been placed under quarantine and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown, The Electric State) has been forced into hiding We know already that the year is 1987 and the time is autumn, jumping forward from the fourth season's spring 1986 timing. We're also aware that one way or another, the residents of Hawkins that viewers know and love will have their last experience with the eeriness that's been plaguing their town for years. That's the promise that accompanies saying goodbye to Stranger Things, of course, even if the hit Netflix show's end won't be it for the franchise's broader universe. If it feels like there's been a lengthy wait for more — even with the series no stranger to long delays between seasons — that's because there has been. When November rolls around, it will have been almost three-and-a-half years since season four, a gap extended due to 2023's Hollywood strikes. Before that, just under three years elapsed between seasons three and four, and just under two between the second and third seasons. The 13-month gap between seasons one and two seems positively short, then. Late in 2024, Netflix revealed the titles of Stranger Things' eight season-five episodes. If you feel like obsessing over the monikers for clues, you've had eight hints for a while, then. The season will kick off with 'The Crawl', then deliver 'The Vanishing of ...', 'The Turnbow Trap' and 'Sorcerer'. Next comes 'Shock Jock', 'Escape From Camazotz' and 'The Bridge', before it all ends with the enticingly named 'The Rightside Up'. Fans also already know that this season features Terminator franchise icon Linda Hamilton, jumping from one sci-fi hit to another. Season five brings back all of the usual faces, too — so, alongside Brown and Bower, Winona Ryder (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice), David Harbour (Thunderbolts*), Finn Wolfhard (Saturday Night), Gaten Matarazzo (Please Don't Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain), Caleb McLaughlin (The Deliverance), Noah Schnapp (The Tutor), Sadie Sink (O'Dessa), Natalia Dyer (All Fun and Games), Charlie Heaton (The Souvenir: Part II), Joe Keery (Fargo), Maya Hawke (Inside Out 2), Priah Ferguson (The Curse of Bridge Hollow), Brett Gelman (Lady in the Lake) and Cara Buono (Things Like This). As for more Stranger Things-related antics after season five, when creators Matt and Ross Duffer revealed that their sci-fi show was working towards its endgame back in 2022, they also said that they had more stories to tell in this fictional realm. Instantly, we all knew what that meant. Netflix doesn't like letting go of its hits easily, after all, so the quest to find a way to keep wandering through this franchise was about as surprising as Jim Hopper's (Harbour) usual gruff mood. Check out the date-announcement video for Stranger Things season five below: Stranger Things season five will arrive in three parts, on Wednesday, November 26, Thursday, December 25 and Wednesday, December 31, 2025. You can stream the first four seasons now via Netflix — and read our review of season four. Images: Netflix.
Last time I went down to Wollongong the driver announced that the last carriage of the train would be a quiet zone. No loud conversations, no chatting on the phone, no music without headphones. This was followed by a loud, automated announcement saying the same thing again, but louder. While a quiet carriage would have to be pretty appealing for the weary reader struggling to beat Game of Thrones to the end of voluminous original A Storm of Swords, you also have to wonder what else you could mandate the end of a train carriage be used for, if only the power was at your command. In places like India and Japan, there are women-only carriages (and there were some calls for that here not long ago) and in Sydney, a group is already taking this idea into its own hands with on-train, flash mob-style music sessions. In the Czech Republic, though, they’re putting space aside for flirting. According to the ABC, commuters in Prague will soon have the option of riding in a dedicated singles carriage. Flirting on the subway in Prague is nothing new — the Prague Frommers guide even has a dedicated guide to the best lines for kissing on — but a dedicated hooking-up space still makes for a first. The planned carriage is part of a drive to convince more locals to abandon their cars for public transport. People whose hooking up is already done won't be asked to leave, nor forced do sit-ups, but it does raise the prospect of Ashley Madison-ing some already committed commuters. Or maybe making for some really awkward rides with home with colleagues during those crowded peak hours. Via ABC / Reuters. Image by Brad Hammonds.
Head up High Street into Northcote, where you'll find Kitty Somerset — perfect for a comforting and cosy environment or if your cold bones forgot to bring a proper jacket to work. The bar's fireplace will have you nice and toasty in no time, while the soft vinyl on the go will soothe your Spotify-weary thumbs and the headache you have from answering 400 emails this week. Serving up classic, seasonal and signature cocktails, the bar is well stocked and reasonably priced. Food is limited to bar snacks and cheese (what more could you want?), but you can order in from nearby restaurants if you're really hungry. Have a go at the bloody Mary to forget all about work and also get one whole dose of your fruit and vegetables down for the weekend. Kitty do a good tradish version but you can also add chilli sauce if you're a Proper Maniac and really looking to go HAM on your weekend times.
It's been 17 years since Shannon Noll was robbed of the inaugural Australian Idol title – what else is there to say about the man? He's had ten consecutive top ten singles, his work has received 17 separate platinum certifications and his track 'Lift' was the most performed Australian song of 2007. Everybody knows Nollsy has a huge following wherever he goes. Whether shown by his popularity on I'm a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, or the fact he's seemingly spending the entire month of November touring every regional venue in the state he possibly can, from country NSW to the coast. A bunch of his gigs already sold out, so if you want to see the Aussie legend — ironically or not — head over here for details. For the latest info on NSW border restrictions, head here. If travelling from Queensland or Victoria, check out Queensland Health and DHHS websites, respectively.
Zach Braff is doing it, Amanda Palmer turned it into an art form, and now crowdfunding has landed on the Sydney hospitality scene with Stanley Street's IconPark. It's a simple enough genesis story: Spreets co-founder and former CEO Dean McEvoy bought a property, asked Paul Schell (formerly of Ruby Rabbit) to open a business, and got a potentially revolutionary concept instead. Happy accidents, hey? "People get great ideas in hospitality, but they don't have access to the capital, infrastructure and knowledge to make it a reality," explains McEvoy. "And we saw that dynamic from other industries where crowdfunding was working and by early indicators we are on the right track." And, with noise already coming from New York, California and London to launch the platform overseas, it sounds like he is underplaying his hand. "Our aim is to actually go big on this one ... it's going to be a global brand." Come Tuesday, March 25, the winner of the inaugural three-month residency will be announced, and a new tri-level hospitality concept will be born at 78 Stanley Street — albeit for a brief tenure before season two. One hundred and seventeen hands answered IconPark's premier cattle call. McEvoy, Schell and their team then shrunk that number to 24 before they teamed up with mentors Darren Robertson (Three Blue Ducks), Sudeep Gohil (Droga 5), Chris Morrison (Head Sommelier at the Guillaume group), Joel Meares (Time Out) and Claire Bradley (Inside Out Magazine) to pick the final six. The ball is now in our court. "The consumer decides and lets the IconPark platform know what is the product they want to experience," says Schell. "The main reasons why hospitality businesses fail is that they are not really hitting on something the market wants — you can go and spend millions on a lease and fitout and then open the doors and find out no one really wants what you've got," elaborates McEvoy. "So this mechanism lets the customer have early input into what will and won't work." Given the explosion of the small bar scene — and how Sydney's ever-growing appetite for new culinary destinations seems only surpassed by its appetite for opening them — it is astounding to think this platform has not surfaced earlier. Okay, let's meet your season one finalists (in order of most pledgers at the time of writing) and find out what a $50 pledge will get you: https://youtube.com/watch?v=htsQ34VJKlU Stanley St. Merchants An all-hours sustainable funhouse from the mind of West Wind Gin's Jeremy Spencer with rock 'n' roll chef Matt Stone, and coffee shop of the year St Ali (from Victoria). These boys will feed and caffeinate you; settle in for amaro and dominos or head upstairs to cocktail guru Bobby Carey (formerly of Shady Pines) for a mess hall-themed tipple. $50 pledge: $50 voucher redeemable throughout the building. Ruby's BBQ Husband-and-wife team and Bondi-ites Ruby and Eli Challenger promise a man-cave to bring the fabled flavours of US BBQ to Stanley Street; smoked meats, trivial pursuit, potential for a mini-golf set-up and cocktails courtesy of Fat Rupert's bar manager Sean Duncan. Condiments, competitions and meat by the gram. $50 pledge: A share platter and booze for two. Sedgwick Ave Street art. Hip Hop. Katz-style sandwiches. NYC cocktails and coffee. All that and internationally renowned chef Alejandra Saravia. Sedgwick Ave wants to bring a bit more Brooklyn to Stanley Street than it can handle. Oh, and check out the Mr Brainwash walk-through they pulled off to prove their networking skillz. $40 pledge: Sit yourself down for a cocktail class with Paul Flynn. https://youtube.com/watch?v=tVvrQaGKd2Q Min Joo Social K-Pop karaoke, cocktails, photo booths and Korean BBQ are looking for a home on Stanley Street under the guidance of Jamie Woolcott, David Wright and Phil Bracey. $50 pledge: $50 to spend in the building. British India Trading Co. A celebration of cultural cross-pollination centred around British India and heaped with chef Matt Taylor's Michelin star experience to bring you an exploration of flavours that keep vegos, meatheads and booze hounds satiated equally. $55 pledge: A Royal British India platter for two. https://youtube.com/watch?v=2bkahk4_WcU Blackcats Jazz, gin and wagyu beef. Jay Gray (formerly of Lobo Plantation), Pia Andersen (vintage songstress) and chef Phil Tsompansis have partnered with Victor Churchill Meats (that gallery-like Woollahra butcher that's been tempting vegetarians since 1876) to promise coffee, late-night tunes and choice cuts within a 19th-century gin palace decor. $50 pledge: Dinner and a show. https://youtube.com/watch?v=g4IQRENio20 All six finalists will be vying for your attention at Taste of Sydney (March 13-16) to ensure their spot in the top four. Applying next time? Ruby's BBQ got over the line by tempting the panelists back for seconds during the tasting session and Sedgwick Ave set the bar for branding. McEvoy recalls, "We walked down to work one morning down here and the whole front of our building had been tagged with the words Sedgwick Ave; it was a really nice piece … and they only revealed who they were on the last day of applications." Mind you, if Stanley St Merchants stays in top spot, you may not get the chance. "I intend to make the profit book strong enough that they don't want us to go," says Spencer when asked about a future past IconPark. But McEvoy has his own plans: "Our goal is to really create a hospitality icon for the future that people will look to in a couple of years and say, they really set a trend for the city."
Melbourne's beloved sister-duo, Saigon Sally and Hanoi Hannah, are about to welcome a new culinary family member: Tokyo Tina. Moving away from the Vietnamese delights preferred by her siblings, Tokyo Tina will bring the best of Japanese street food to the Windsor end of Chapel Street — opening today. Solidifying the group's status as the monarchs of modern Asian cuisine south of the Yarra, Tokyo Tina will be a 100-seater restaurant spilt into four distinct dining areas meant to embody Tokyo's diverse and ever-changing culinary identity. We're talking a holding bar, an elevated dining room with both snuggly booths and open dining tables, as well as a double shopfront meant for on-street dining on Chapel. So what can we nosh at Tina's? Think Izakaya and think modern — sake cured ocean trout with a chilled wasabi infused cucumber broth, teriyaki glazed ox tongue yakitori, and hot and cold soba bowls (picked Nashi, shredded woodear mushroom and Australian Wakami dressed with spicy ginger soy). Ramen's on the menu as well, with delectable-sounding dishes like the 'new Hokkaido' bisque inspired broth infused with miso, picked Australian blue swimmer crab meat, pickled bamboo, dressed with chilli oil and finished with corn. You're going to need something cold and frosty to wash it all down, and Tokyo's no stranger to an innovative cocktail. Designed by Saigon Sally’s head bartender Michael Forbes, Tokyo Tina's drinks menu features Japanese style cocktails with a whisky focus, alongside sake plum wine and shochu, as well as a sizeable beer menu. Tokyo Tina opens from Friday, February 6 at 66a Chapel Street, Windsor. Open for dinner seven days, 5pm until late, with lunches on offer from March.
Wellington's inner heart beats with an amazing cultural offering all of its own. As New Zealand's capital, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the city is all political banter and suits. However, this microcosm of creatives is actually a place where artistry, quirkiness and creative risk taking are celebrated within one of the richest arts environs in the southern hemisphere. Best of all, you can walk anywhere in the inner city in around twenty minutes, tops. On any given night, you'll find something happening, whether it's a poetry reading, a new art showing, book launch, gig or interpretive theatre piece. If you're looking for entertaining sights during the day, you'll find Wellington's cultural identity woven along its beautiful waterfront, and tucked into its streets and laneways. Depending on the time of year, one of Wellington's many epic, internationally acclaimed arts festivals and shows might be lighting up its spaces — among them the Lit Crawl, Jazz Festival, Cubadupa, World of Wearable Arts or the New Zealand Festival (held in even years). The creatives of Wellington are wild, rigorous, obscure and genius all at once. They know how to make their own fun, and then take it to the world. Step into their home. CATCH A FLICK AT THE ICONIC EMBASSY THEATRE Wellington's Embassy Theatre is a jewel in the city's film history. The old bird has perched at the end of Courtenay Place, at the base of Mt Vic since 1924. And there's no better place to view a film in the city, whether it's a blockbuster or an arthouse piece. Maintained to the grandeur of old film theatres of yesteryear, the Embassy has hosted each world premier of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films. Each year, the picture palace also hosts the New Zealand International Film Festival. Before or after your film, pay a visit to the old orchestra pit, which is now home to the Shelley Indyk-designed cocktail bar, The Black Sparrow. With its cocktail menu full of litterati and film references, the bar is the perfect spot for a tipple while you wait for your film upstairs to start, or a post-picture nightcap. [caption id="attachment_636658" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Te Papa.[/caption] BROWSE THE LATEST EXHIBITION AT TE PAPA Should you run into inclement weather during your Wellington stay, look to Te Papa Tongarewa, the national museum of New Zealand. An excellent spot to sink a few hours, its floors of world-standard exhibitions and history are truly fascinating. Learn a bit about New Zealand itself in the permanent exhibitions, and venture to Nga Toi on level five for a revolving glimpse into Te Papa's extensive art collections — you could see anything from an early Picasso sketch to a Venice Biennale entrant. When it comes to exhibitions, the large spaces in the museum have hosted everything from gargantuan bugs to Monets and Warhols, making it a true lucky dip experience. [caption id="attachment_636607" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Stars Are Underground via Flickr[/caption] SEE A GIG AT ONE OF THE CITY'S MANY MUSIC VENUES If ever there was a place where you can find consistently good acts from Wellington and beyond, it's in the underground gig venues of the city — well not really underground, they're pretty well signposted. They're the home turf of a whole heap of great local bands — Fazerdaze, Mermaidens and Flight of the Conchords, for example — and they've all started out with Friday and Saturday gigs at either Meow, San Fran or MOON. This is where set lists are refined, live performances honed and fans made, all in intimate settings, and all with beers in hand and forgiving audiences who come out looking for a musical treat. Join them in the search for sonic gold, and you'll be rewarded. [caption id="attachment_636441" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Enjoy Public Art Gallery[/caption] VISIT THE CUBA ART QUARTER Wellington's Cuba Street is known far and wide for its offbeat inhabitants and kooky spirit. A street that was once considered shady in the '80s has come into its own with an eclectic blend of art, vintage and antiques. The best street style can be found here, while the block around Cuba and Ghuznee has some of the best art and dealers in the country. The iconic Peter McLeavey Gallery has been selling art from Cuba Street since 1968, and its neighbour, the kookier Enjoy Gallery, is famed for its non-commercial artist-run initiative MO (as well as its annual art sale). Hamish McKay, Bartley & Company and Suite Gallery up the street round out a robust, artful offering in the heart of the city. [caption id="attachment_636598" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Tony via Flickr[/caption] TAKE A STROLL ALONG WELLINGTON WRITERS WALK Opened in 2002 during the NZ International Festival of the Arts (New Zealand Festival's previous moniker), the Wellington Writers Walk is a project of the New Zealand Society of Authors. It's a beautiful route, mapped along the waters of the Wellington Harbour, that consists of 19 text sculptures. Each work features a quotation about the city from a piece of prose or poetry, penned not only by some of the world's best writers, but by scribes who made Wellington their home at some point in their lives. Writers featured on the walk include luminaries such as Katherine Mansfield, James K. Baxter, Lauris Edmond, Fiona Kidman, Patricia Grace and Maurice Gee. Art, literature and bracing beautiful sea air — it doesn't get much more Wellington than that. You can pick up a map of the walk from the Wellington i-SITE. Maybe you've been to Auckland, maybe you've gone to the snow in Queensland, but now it's time to set your sights on Wellington. The harbourside city may be compact, but that only makes for excellent walkability from its excellent restaurants, cafes and bars to its cultural hot spots and around the great outdoors. Use our planning guide to book your trip, then sort out your Wellington hit list with our food and drink, culture and outdoor guides.
MasterChef Australia fans — we know there's a heap of you out there — are in for a real treat in May when four of the show's former contestants take over Crown Melbourne's Evergreen space overlooking the Yarra. The ALUMNI pop-up restaurant will feature Kishwar Chowdhury, Callum Hann, Khanh Ong and one mystery chef who is yet to be announced. Each will have their own three-week stint at Crown, sharing some of their signature dishes and other eats from the cuisines they are best known for. The four-course set menus will cost diners $150 per person, while kids get their own $75 feast. Kishwar Chowdhury kicks off the MasterChef festivities with a menu inspired by her Bengali background, running from Thursday, May 16–Thursday, June 2. Chowdhury has a passion for sourcing rare ingredients and growing hard-to-find produce, so we are expecting a few surprises here. She's followed by Callum Hann, who placed second in the 2010 competition after cooking Peter Gilmore's famous snow egg and will run the pass from Thursday, June 6–Sunday, June 23. Hann is a champion of sustainable cooking practices, and will use his menu to showcase local farmers and discuss issues surrounding food waste. Khanh Ong, known for sharing the flavours of his native Vietnam and for his new cookbook, A Gay Guy's Guide to Life Love Food, will then take over the kitchen from Thursday, June 27–Sunday, July 14. We're yet to know anything about the fourth chef but have been told their residency will be properly announced on Tuesday, June 25. Let the wild speculating begin.
There's so much art in Melbourne, both inside and out, that getting around to see everything you should've by now is pretty much impossible. Frankly, as the days become increasingly wintery, it can be tempting to just hide away in bed. But instead, we're encouraging you to seize the chilly nights with the new Samsung Galaxy S9 or S9+ and make use of their brilliant low light camera — perfect for when the only lighting you have for your shot is but a single street light. Whether it's making up for lost time with NGV Friday Night's after-hours access or exploring the must-see street art of Melbourne's dimly lit alleyways, here's five artworks that you have to go out and capture for yourself. KEITH HARING'S MURAL ON JOHNSTON STREET, COLLINGWOOD Surrounded by trendy bars, cafes and restaurants, Keith Haring's Collingwood mural is one of the city's most well-known and loved examples of public art. Painted on the side of the former Collingwood Technical College right next to Circus Oz's quirky Melba Spiegeltent, the iconic figures appeared when the acclaimed New York artist arrived in Australia in 1984 to paint and speak on behalf of the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art. Snap some photos of this cherished mural and then find a warm bar nearby and grab yourself a drink. THIS SIDE IS THE OTHER SIDE BY SUBODH GUPTA AT NGV At first glance, This Side Is the Other Side by Indian artist Subodh Gupta can be viewed with all the wanderlust of a good ol' dusty road journey. And while travel is one of the key themes, the fact that Gupta was born and raised in India's poorest province of Bihar, it may not be the leisure travel your mind first jumped to. That said, his Hindu heritage places the divine in all objects, which explains the gold sheen over this humble, motor scooter hung with milk pails. This Side Is the Other Side is but one of the photogenic pieces in this thoughtful exhibition, aptly named Everyday Divine. INDIGENOUS BOY BY ADNATE ON HOSIER LANE, CBD Hosier Lane is famous for its graffiti and street art – and while most works get tagged and painted over with clockwork predictability, one piece stands out above all the others. Painted by admired Melbourne street artist Adnate, 'Indigenous Boy' is a 23-metre tall mural set against the rear of McDonald House. Drawing attention to the original Indigenous owners of the land that the Melbourne CBD is built upon, the photorealistic portrait is seen looking out towards Birrarung Marr. Head down after dark to photograph Adnate's massive artwork – and while you're there you might catch Melbourne's nocturnal graffiti artists hard at work. PIXCELL RED DEER BY KOHEI NAWA AT NGV Born in Kyoto in 1975, Japanese artist Kohei Nawa's work embodies numerous worldly influences. Drawing on everything from the symbolism of Buddhism and Japanese Shintoism, to the works of British and European sculptures he was exposed to while studying at London's Royal College of Art, Nawa is one of Japan's leading young artists. And lucky for us, the NGV was able to acquire one of Nawa's 'PixCell' works back in 2013. Coined by the artist himself, PixCell is the process of combining organic cells with minute digital pixels. With deer appearing throughout Nawa's work, this is a special piece in Nawa's collection and one you have to see in person to fully appreciate (but don't let that stop you taking a few snaps). FINTAN MAGEE'S MURAL ON AC/DC LANE, CBD Growing up in Brisbane, Fintan Magee has travelled the world painting massive murals and hosting exhibitions for his smaller-scale works. From London and Las Vegas to Tunisia and Turkey, Magee's brand of street art has earned him fans wherever he goes. Often creating work around the environment, climate change and the global refugee crisis, Magee's works make you reflect on the world around you. Tucked away down the end of the CBD's AC/DC Lane, hidden amongst the surviving dive bars and newcomer cafes, his Melbourne mural towers high above the streets, showing a man carrying a tree trunk through the densely urban landscape. It's a little less crowded than Hosier Lane too, so you'll be able to get plenty of snaps without the random strangers. Instead of spending your winter nights on the couch, discover all the after-dark happenings in your city here — and don't forget to document it all on the new Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+, designed especially for low light so you can capture your best moments no matter what. Images: Cole Bennetts.
It was first teased close to two years ago and has had us dreaming of hot springs-based Gippsland getaways ever since. And now, after flooding put a hold on last month's planned launch, Metung Hot Springs is finally officially open for business. The first phase of the $100 million precinct from the minds behind Peninsula Hot Springs opened its doors on Friday, November 18 — so lock in a road-trip and let the pampering begin. As we've all been eagerly dreaming about, the 25-acre site is primed to be a haven of wellness and indulgence, surrounded by coastal bushland and located within strolling distance of the quaint lakeside village of Metung. While it's not quite all systems go just yet, the precinct's initial offerings are enough to warrant a well-deserved road-trip. You can soak away your worries in the various hot springs pools, treat your feet to a reflexology walk, bathe beneath geothermal showers and get the blood pumping with dips in the icy plunge pools. And up at the Hilltop Escarpment, overlooking Lake King, there's a collection of private cliff-top barrels where you can float while revelling in some very dreamy views. Those looking to indulge in some extra 'me' time can immerse themselves in the offerings of the onsite day spa, centred on authentic Larn'wa Aboriginal Lore wellness rituals incorporating ethically-sourced native botanical spa products. You'll find a range of treatments and packages to complement your bathing adventures, from facials and full-body relaxation massages, to aromatherapy rituals and things done with hot stones. Since its location four hours out of Melbourne is a touch too far for day trips, onsite accommodation will be a big part of the Metung Hot Springs offering — currently, that includes safari-style glamping tents, located both by the lagoon and along the hillside. Each is decked out with its own four-poster bed complete with luxe soft furnishings, plus a private balcony and geothermal bathing barrels. As announced earlier, the bathing precinct is also joining forces with — and renovating — the nearby former Kings Cove Golf Course, soon to relaunch as the Metung Country Club. It'll have its own resort-style accommodation and facilities, and a revamped clubhouse and restaurant, with 'stay, bathe and golf' packages on offer across the two sites. The whole project is being brought to life with the help of $1.5 million in funding courtesy of the Victorian Government's Gippsland Tourism Recovery Package, as well as an additional $1.5 million from the federal and state governments' Local Economic Recovery Program. Want more? Victoria's proposed bathing and hot springs trail is set to start taking shape over the coming summer months, while the Mornington Peninsula's much-anticipated Alba Thermal Springs and Spa is already taking guests. Find Metung Hot Springs at 73 Storth Ryes Avenue, Metung, Victoria. Online bookings are now open for bathing, spa services and accommodation. Images: Sharyn Cairns
Australia's cities are lighting up this winter thanks to a slew of dazzling arts festivals — and if you're planning to spend the middle of the year hopping between them, you've now got another destination. While Melbourne's Rising festival, Sydney's Vivid, and Hobart 's Dark Mofo will all unleash their delights in June (with Vivid even starting in late May), Illuminate Adelaide is set to brighten up the South Australian capital throughout July. And, based on its just-dropped lineup, there's plenty to tempt both locals and interstate visitors alike. Returning for its second year, Illuminate Adelaide is all about creativity, art, music and light, and will unfurl all of the above from Friday, July 1–Sunday, July 31. Topping the bill: Gorillaz, with Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett's chart-topping act adding an Adelaide show to their Australian tour, which already includes headlining this year's Splendour in the Grass, plus sideshows elsewhere. Also set to be huge: Ouchhh Studio's Wisdom of AI Light, a major exhibition that's all about art and artificial intelligence. A multisensory experience, it'll take up a specially designed pop-up exhibition space in the East End of the Adelaide CBD, with quite a wonder inspired by renaissance painters as its centrepiece. Here, AI has been trained to analyse billions of brushstrokes by some of the best artists who've ever lived — with a particular focus on Leonardo da Vinci — and create its own new moving image work. [caption id="attachment_850982" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ouchhh Studio[/caption] The exhibition also includes a number of other pieces by the Istanbul-based Ouchhh Studio, such as art made in conjunction with the Machine Learning Scientists at CERN in Switzerland and with NASA. In the former, called Dark Machine, you'll peer at AI-processed data from subatomic particle collisions — while the latter, Data Gate, sees AI play with data from the Kepler Space Telescope, drawing upon its nearly ten years in space observing 2500-plus planets, more than 530,000 stars and over 61 supernovae. Still on all things radiant, 2022's festival will welcome back some of last year's big light installations (because peering at shiny sights never gets old). Making a comeback is Light Cycles, which'll once again transform the Adelaide Botanic Gardens with light projections, lasers, sound and special effects, all thanks to Montreal's Moment Factory. And, the Adelaide Zoo will host the return of Light Creatures, so there'll be another round of enchanting interactive animal installations — think: giant tiger lantern puppets, huge rainbow skinks, giant pandas and giraffe lanterns — giving the place an enormous glow. The City Lights program is returning as well, once again featuring a range of acclaimed artists — and turning the CBD into an after-dark art trail in the process. 2022's version will notch up more 40 free site-specific works over 17 days, spanning creative photobooths, illuminated laundry, 15 giant glowing seesaws and a chandelier harp in various spots around town. There'll also be a 50-metre-long walkway of moving light and mirrors, an interactive geometric LED cube, bouncing glowing orbs, and Vincent Namatjira's Going Out Bush turned into animation and projected onto the Art Gallery of South Australia's facade. [caption id="attachment_850978" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Chandelier Harp, Jen Lewin. Photo by Aaron Rogosin.[/caption] Other standouts from the hefty full Illuminate Adelaide program include the Australian premiere of seven-channel video piece We Will Slam You With Our Wings by Joanna Dudley, which takes notoriously sexist speeches from throughout history and reframes them as feminist war cries; the Aussie debut of concert series KLASSIK underground, which pairs classical music with live visuals; and experimental and electronic music celebration Unsound Adelaide. And if you're already starting to make plans to head along, expect to have a heap of company — last year's fest was impacted by COVID-19 lockdowns and wild weather, but still attracted more than 500,000 attendees. Illuminate Adelaide 2022 runs from Friday, July 1–Sunday, July 31. Check out the festival's website for the full program and to grab tickets. Top images: Light Creatures, Adelaide-Zoo. Credit: Frankie the Creative. // Futures, part of City Lights // Submergence, part of City Lights. Credit: Rikard Osterlund.
If you're planning on heading into the new year sans frustration and worry, you might want to avoid catching public transport for the first few weeks of it. The Victorian Government today announced that sections of 11 Melbourne train lines will be closed in January to complete more work on the Metro Tunnel make way for a shiny new fleet of high-capacity trains. What does that mean? Replacement buses. If you travel on any of the lines that service the east, southeast and western suburbs, you'll have to switch from the train to a bus as you come into the city. Those on the Glen Waverley, Alamein, Belgrave, Lilydale Werribee, Williamstown and Sunbury lines will only have to deal with it for a weekend, but Cranbourne, Pakenham and Frankston passengers will need to do the switch for a whole two weeks after the new year. The Cranbourne and Pakenham lines are already closed from Westall onwards, with the government offering free travel up until December 23. Passengers won't be able to claim free travel for this round of closures. Here's what's happening on each of the affected lines. Cranbourne and Pakenham: Buses will replace trains between Flinders Street and Westall stations between January 2–13. Frankston: Buses will replace trains between Flinders Street and Moorabbin stations between January 2–13. Sandringham: Buses will replace trains between Flinders Street and Elsternwick stations between January 2–6. Glen Waverley, Alamein, Belgrave and Lilydale: Buses will replace trains between Flinders Street and Burnley stations for the weekend of January 12–13. Werribee, Williamstown and Sunbury: Buses will replace trains between Kensington and the city for the weekend of January 19–20. Plus, V/Line services will be affected as well. Buses will replace trains on the Gippsland line right up until January 23, and you'll have to swap to a bus if you're travelling past Sunbury to get to Bendigo, Swan Hill or Echuca from January 12–27. Something to keep in mind if you're travelling home or out of the metro area over the holiday period. The good thing is that the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines will have new seven-carriage high-capacity trains up and running by mid-2019. The new vehicles will have the ability to carry 20 percent more passengers than any other train on the network — so maybe you'll actually be able to sit down on your commute. The State Government is advising commuters to leave an extra 45–75 minutes for travel in the case of delays, so it's advisable that you plan your trip carefully. For up-to-date info, your best bet is to check the disruptions map on the government's Big Build website. Image: Visit Victoria.
Pups usually get all the cafe fun, but New Yorkers have saved some coffee for the kitties. In one of the most Internet-anticipated cafe openings in NYC since Dominique Ansel's cronut shop, Purina One's pop-up Cat Cafe takes pet friendly to the next level, with cat'achinos aplenty. Populated with sixteen outrageously squeal-inducing adoptable cats from the North Shore Animal League, the Cat Cafe has everything your tabby could want in a downtown hotspot: multiplatformed towers, little mouse things on sticks, and All The Pats. You can take Duchess, Zander or Sushi to a good home after you've chilled out together over free pastries and cat'achinos with feline face latte art. Photos and bios of the adoptable fuzzies are framed proudly on the walls, or you can meet the crew over here. Sitting at 168 Bowery in lower Manhattan, the pop-up Cat Cafe is open from today for four days until April 27. Taking home a Health Department Sanitary Inspection Grade of "A", the cafe sits in its own space sectioned off from the kitty hang zone and can hold up to 65 cat-loving punters. Sure to follow the lead of Every Other NYC Opening, queues are expected down the block and to be solidly represented on Instagram. Nothing stops a New Yorker from lining up. Purina's Niky Roberts told Gothamist that the cat food company wanted to raise awareness of feline health issues and get some furry faces adopted in the meantime, simultaneously promoting their healthy cat food. With no other plans to open another cat cafe at present (or one in Australia, dayum), Purina are open to the possibility. For everyone not in NYC sipping cat'achinos and making buds with Duchess, it's going to be on Livestream a la Pandacam. Via Gothamist. Images by Tod Seelie.
It's been whispered about for the last few years — Geelong is definitely one to watch on the Australia restaurant scene thanks to its underground culinary renaissance. The perfect storm of cheap rent, creative freedom and an active foodie base all collide to create an influx of exciting new restaurants. Some of Melbourne's big culinary names have jumped ship to Geelong, the place where gastronomic ideas go to germinate, making it an excellent destination for a mini food safari. Geelong, only 40 minutes away from Melbourne by train, is also connected by an impressive bus network that has been designed to open up the city and make it super accessible with simple routes and frequent services. We teamed up with PTV to bring you the best of the best restaurants in Geelong that are all only a hop, skip and myki tap away. FRANKIE BAR AND EATERY Found on Malop Street, Frankie is a place to settle into. The interior is divine — all polished leather, beige leather couches and soft rose-gold accents. It's the kind of interior we all want but are too clumsy and messy to manage. But let's not be superficial. Frankie serves up both atmosphere and a killer drinks menu featuring wines from local and state wineries and decadently garnished cocktails (try the mango bramble for $18 — just trust us on this). Once you've quenched your thirst, their pan-Asian dinner menu has the rest of your night covered. They dabble in a little Japanese cuisine with okonomiyaki pancakes with pickled veggie salad ($14), a little Indonesian with their nasi goreng ($22) and some Korean by way of crispy Korean pork belly with hot pepper glaze ($27). Plus, there's everyone's favourite finger food — bao buns. Try the sticky pork belly with pickled pineapple, coconut slaw and crushed peanuts ($20) for a flavour combo you won't forget in a hurry. 9–11 Malop Street. IGNI Behind a sleek black facade on Ryan Place (on the 24, 40, 41 and 42 bus lines), you'll discover one of Victoria's most acclaimed regional restaurants, Igni. Here, chef and owner Aaron Turner (also the guy behind Hot Chicken Project around the corner), is fearless in pushing the culinary envelope, as he champions the best of the region's small, bespoke producers. No two visits promise the same experience, thanks to an oft-changing menu directed by whatever top farm-fresh haul Turner gets his hands on each day. This is where the term 'produce-driven' is taken to a whole new level. Offered via five- or eight-course dining journeys, the fare, like the space, is a celebration of simplicity, where serious technique is showcased with minimal fluff and fanfare. Prepare to be wowed by some revelatory flavour combinations, as everyday ingredients are driven to mind-blowing new heights. To match, you'll find a brief but diverse rotation of wines, with expertly curated pairing menus available with each degustation. Ryan Place. LE PARISIEN Conveniently located on the foreshore (and accessible on the number 1 bus line), Le Parisien is the spot to go for a fancy night out — it is French, after all. The setting is one part classic foreshore (think palms and ocean views) to two parts Euro-chic (think white linen, cane chairs and low timber beams). The atmosphere is intimate and romantic, so prepare to gaze lovingly at whoever you're sharing a meal with. But enough about what it looks like. The menu is very French and protein-heavy (but with a few veggie options if you stick to entrees and sides). If you're brave, try the escargot as an entree (12 for $35), and if you're not, order the onion soup served with caramelised, confit and charred onions ($20). For mains, the bouillabaisse ($47) is phenomenal, made with crab, prawns, mussels and market fish all tumbling around in a tomato and fennel broth. Really, you can't go wrong with anything on this menu. And if you want to treat yourself, look into the duck fat potatoes ($12) for an indulgent side. 15 Eastern Beach Road. THE HOT CHICKEN PROJECT If you love Belle's Hot Chicken, you'll feel right at home at The Hot Chicken Project. It's actually owned by the original creator of Belle's and you could say it's a levelled-up version. Located on Little Malop Street (on the 22, 25 and 43 bus lines), HCP is a cornucopia of the best things on earth: excellent wine, indulgent specials and, of course, crunchy, spicy chicken. The menu set-up is similar to Belle's (a hefty serve of chicken with a side) but you'll find more variety at HCP. Plus, with sporadic specials like pork ribs, traditional mac and cheese and deep-fried banana split, you'll just keep going back. The wine menu is populated by Australia's best (and most experimental) winemakers and the staff are passionate about pairings, so don't be shy to ask for their seasoned opinions. 84A Little Malop Street. TULIP BAR AND RESTAURANT Tulip, found on Pakington Street in Geelong West along the 22 bus line, is an award-winning restaurant with absolutely none of the snobbery you'd expect from your typical award-winning restaurant. Headed up by chef friends Matt Dempsey (Gladioli) and Graham Jefferies (a Baveras alum), Tulip has a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere and a local, seasonal menu. Their food philosophy is share and share alike, with the menu consisting of many small share plates and an all-Victorian winelist. Try the cured market fish, finger lime, cucumber, prawn oil and green chilli ($17) for a fresh starter and the roasted chicken served with charred butter beans and anchovy vinaigrette ($58) for a more substantial main. A side of grilled zucchini, squash, almonds, shanklish and paprika ($14) would not go amiss either. You'll be struggling to lean into their share philosophy with food this good but give it a red hot go. 9/11 Pakington Street. Jump on a bus to Geelong for some serious culinary delights. Find your best route here.
We've said it before. We'll say it again. There really is an international day for every single food, and this time around, it's International Falafel Day. In the time-honoured cuisine-celebrating manner, that means a free lunch. While the actual occasion doesn't hit until Tuesday, June 15, Just Falafs is bringing it forward by a day to pair their giveaway with the public holiday. Drop by North Fitzroy between 2-5pm on Monday, June 14 and all your dreams will come true — as long as said dream involves chowing down on a classic pita stuffed with falafel (of course), plus pickled cabbage, Israeli salad, hummus and tahini. Yes, that makes it not only a free lunch but a free vegan lunch. Yes, your wallet and your stomach will thank you for heading along.
UPDATE Wednesday, April 6: The format for New Crush has changed slightly and the event will now run across one extended session, from 12–6pm on April 9. The following article has been updated to reflect this. For more details, see the website. It's no secret that in the drinks department, Victoria knows what's what, churning out a whole stack of top-notch sips, both boozy and alcohol-free. But in case you needed a reminder, Melbourne Food and Wine Festival is hosting a party dedicated to showcasing the state's latest and greatest drops. Across one glorious session at the Queen Victoria Market on Saturday, April 9 (12–6pm), New Crush will see you sipping your way through hundreds of the freshest homegrown bevs, while enjoying snacks, tunes and a bumping dance floor. There'll be liquid offerings to tempt all palates, poured across five dedicated zones: wine, spirits, beer, cider and 'nolo' — booze-free or low-alcohol — drinks. Get acquainted with new brews from the likes of Bodriggy, Stomping Ground, Tallboy & Moose and Molly Rose; and sate your cider cravings with drops from Napoleone and Fin. Vinous offerings come courtesy of favourites including Kerri Greens, Rob Dolan and Dal Zotto; while distilleries like Patient Wolf, Starward and Jimmy Rum will be offering a taste of the local spirits scene. You'll also be able to dabble in a range of tasting paddles, score surprises from a lucky dip tinny bar, and level-up your skills and knowledge at the pop-up Sip School. Tickets come in at $40, which gets you entry, plus one tasting at each of the five drink zones. Further eats and drinks are available to purchase on the day. [caption id="attachment_847107" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Charlie Hawks[/caption] Images: Charlie Hawks
If your 2021 New Year's resolution is to make up for last year's lack of live music, then you've probably already started off strong. But now, that gig calendar's about to get even fuller, thanks to a brand-new two-week music festival headed to St Kilda next month. April Sun is here to brighten up your autumn in a big way, dishing up a swag of live tunes from G-Flip, Touch Sensitive, Hiatus Kaiyote, You Am I and more. Gracing the St Kilda Triangle (beside the Palais Theatre) from Friday, April 16 to Sunday, May 2, the new outing is set to deliver a diverse program of day parties, headline shows, mini-festivals and family-friendly fun, assembled by some of the country's best-loved curators and tastemakers. It'll be a COVID-Safe, outdoor affair, with tickets available for four different audience zones, ranging from grand stand seats, to an open lawn area smack bang in front of the stage. Indie label Future Classic kicks off the fun on Friday, April 16, with a lush evening soundtracked by internationally-acclaimed multi-instrumentalist G-Flip, self-confessed synth-freak Touch Sensitive, Brisbane favourite Sycco and rising indie-pop star Thomas Headon. [caption id="attachment_802165" align="alignnone" width="1920"] G Flip by Jo Duck[/caption] The inclusivity-focused party stars at Poof Doof are also on board, dishing up a hip-shaking day rave featuring tunes from dance floor veterans Sneaky Sound System, drag DJ act Jawbreakers, Electric Fields, Sgt Slick, Yo!Mafia and more. Elsewhere in the program, settle in for a sweet serve of neo-soul headlined by jazz-funk heroes Hiatus Kaiyote, funk synthesist Harvey Sutherland and Perth five-piece Grievous Bodily Calm. There'll be a rock-heavy night of sounds from You Am I, Geelong's Magic Dirt and Dallas Crane, along with a sparkly, pop-soaked session from the likes of Cosmo's Midnight and Eves Karydas. Throw in a big dose of house and techno curated by Thick As Thieves, and a couple of shows from Sydney grime-rap hero Chillinit, and those ears of yours are in for a very busy autumn. April Sun hits the St Kilda Triangle for a series of shows from April 16–May, with tickets on sale from 11am Friday, March 5. To see the full program and nab tickets, head to the website.
In as much as anyone can be one, Janette Sadik-Khan is an urban development rockstar. Spearheading the re-design of both New York City's transport system and the world-renowned Times Square public space, she is a global leader in her field. And, in speaking at this year's Velo-City conference in Adelaide, Sadik-Khan has offered some advice for Australian cities. Namely, our streets should be more like "living rooms" and — surprise, surprise — we definitely need better bike lanes. With six years under her belt as the Transportation Commissioner of New York City, this lady knows exactly what she's talking about. "Our streets are where we play and meet, kind of like the living rooms of New York," she told the crowd at Velo-City this week. Fighting a war against congestion, Sadik-Khan endeavoured to make New York's public spaces accessible for all — walkers, cyclists, drivers and those relying on public transport. In one of her biggest projects, last year she transformed Times Square into a communal pedestrian space with hundreds of fold-out chairs. It proved to be a huge win for businesses as well as the local community, and in fact shot the area into the top ten retail spaces in the world for the first time ever. In her trip down under, Sadik-Khan has praised cities such as Sydney, Adelaide and Auckland, stating that they seem to have a great deal of leadership at the local level. In fact in just this last week, Sydney has announced a new speed limit for their CBD in order to limit pedestrian accidents, and Melbourne City Council is considering the closure of many main streets in favour of an innovative new walking plan. However, the area all cities are lacking in is undoubtedly their facilities for cyclists. Sadik-Khan claims we must invest in better bike lanes and sustainable bike-share programs. Though many of our major cities have such programs in place, they're understandably not functioning as well as they could. With car doorings a regular occurrence, and animosity towards cyclists at an all-time high, it's clear more can be done. Of course, New York is far from the perfect example. I personally would be terrified to ride my bike through the main city streets and I don't think the local cabbies would be happy to share the road with me either. But it's undoubtedly a beacon of hope. With your feet up on a deck chair in the middle of an NYC icon, you can't help but think something's gone right. Via ABC. Photo credit: hadsie via photopin cc and cuellar via photopin cc.
When you're a single player in the arduous dating game, swiping can get old fast. You spend all your time sifting through the timewasters and sleazeballs, while your true love potentially slips through your too-busy-swiping fingers. Thankfully, lovers, there's a new app on the block pulling out all the stops to ensure you have a quality dating experience. The Inner Circle is a unique dating platform that brings together like-minded singles — online and offline. Turns out looking for love can be fun, after all. We've broken down the key features of the app below and paired them with a date idea for you to enjoy with your new flame. Bring on the lovefest. [caption id="attachment_637902" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Katje Ford.[/caption] NIGHTS OUT The Inner Circle brings members face-to-face through unique events. You can rub shoulders with other singles while enjoying a night out with friends. For a similar vibe, take your date to pub trivia and get to know them within a social setting — and maybe nab a sweet cash prize. It's a win-win, literally. Sydneysiders, head to the Botany View Hotel in Newtown for Thursday trivia with a cash prize. Melburnians, make tracks to The Penny Black for trivia in the beer garden, and Brisbanites, you can catch beer-garden trivia at The Wickham. NO CATFISHING With its involved screening process, The Inner Circle cuts out any risk of catfishing. Basically, all the rotten fish are thrown back to sea. See a literal representation of this and plan a date to go fish picking with your partner. Then, spend the evening cooking your catch with your other 'good catch' while enjoying a glass of crisp riesling. For an upscale fishmonger experience, head to the Fish Butchery (Sydney), run by the Saint Peter crew. Or, for a no-frills affair, head to Ocean Made (Melbourne) or The Fish Factory (Brisbane). PERFECT PAIRINGS The Inner Circle's dedicated team carefully considers each and every application to ensure members are well suited, much like pairing a good wine and cheese. To channel the same meticulous attention to detail and to sample some tasty treats, take your date to a cheese and wine tasting. There are loads of fromageries around, but we suggest, Formaggi Ocello in Sydney, Milk the Cow in Melbourne and Fromage the Cow in Brisbane. If all goes well, grab some gooey delights and vino to go and enjoy them together back at home. ON THE GO The Inner Circle has a ton of travel features that make it is easy to use at any time. So you have access to the best, even when travelling. Take your date on a scenic hike; it's a great way to get to know someone while you both enjoy a nice rush of endorphins from the exercise and get a dose of vitamin D. No matter where you are in Australia, you can always find a good trail. Check out our guides for Brissie, Melbourne and Sydney, then get planning. NO SWIPING Forget about the awkward left and right swipes that have started to hurt your fingers. Say goodbye to RSI. The Inner Circle has no swiping, which means your hands are free to do other fun things, like dabble in pottery or craft a terrarium. Plan a phone-free date with your new main squeeze and not only will you enjoy the use of both hands, but you'll pick up a new skill, too. To relive that pottery moment from Ghost and try your hand at ceramics, head to Bea Bellingham (Sydney) or Céramiques Elsternwick (Melbourne). Or, if you'd prefer something more organic, make a succulent-filled mini-garden at Work-Shop in Brisbane. Get off the tired, old dating apps and jump into The Inner Circle. Sign up here and get exploring.
With Sydney in lockdown, Gelato Messina has been pumping out new specials with quite the enthusiasm. That's been great news for dessert fiends not only in the city, but wherever the gelato chain has a store. And, while Messina's latest one-off creation has a strong Sydney skew, you definitely don't need to be familiar with a beloved dish made by pastry chef Andy Bowdy of Enmore's Saga to enjoy a mouthful — or several. Bowdy's peanut butter and banana sundaes have long been considered the stuff of legend in Sydney. Now, Messina is reinventing them as a cookie pie. The gelato brand does like giving other much-loved desserts a twist, as seen with its takes on Iced VoVos, lamingtons, Viennetta, Golden Gaytimes, fairy bread and Cinnabon-style scrolls, so it has plenty of form in this area. Also, Bowdy used to make his cakes in Messina's Rosebery headquarters. This limited release has been dubbed a 'banana split kit', because there's multiple parts to it. You'll get a peanut butter and banana custard cookie pie, which comes topped with peanut crumble — and you'll also nab a one-litre tub of peanut butter and pretzel cluster gelato, a 350-gram serve of dark chocolate fudge sauce and six maraschino cherries. From there, once you've baked your pie, you can scoop gelato on top, pour the sauce and then add a cherry for maximum pie-meets-sundae fun. Like all Messina specials, this one can only be ordered online on Monday, August 30. It will set you back $55 for the kit— and, because Messina's specials always prove popular, the brand is staggering the on-sale times. Accordingly, folks in Queensland and the ACT are able to purchase at 9am, Victorians at 9.30am, and New South Wales customers split across three times depending on the store (with pies from Circular Quay, Surry Hills, Bondi, Randwick and Miranda on sale at 10am; Brighton Le Sands, Tramsheds, Parramatta and Darlinghurst at 10.30am; and Darling Square, Newtown, Rosebery and Penrith at 11am). The catch? You'll have to peel yourself off the couch and head to your local Messina store to pick up your order. They'll be available for collection between Friday, September 3–Sunday, September 5. Sydneysiders, remember to abide by lockdown restrictions when it comes to picking up your pie — with folks in most suburbs required to stick to their Local Government Area, or within five-kilometres from home, and a strict five-kilometre limit in place in LGAs of concern. Melburnians, if lockdown is extended again until then, you'll also only be permitted to travel within a five-kilometre radius to pick up food. Then, after you've got the peanut butter and banana custard cookie pie safely home, you just need to whack it in the oven for 25 minutes at 165 degrees and voila! You can preorder a Messina banana split kit from Monday, August 30, to pick up from Friday, September 3–Sunday, September 5.
It was only in the '90s that the sage Cher Horowitz said "So, okay, I don't wanna be a traitor to my generation and all, but I don't get how guys dress today. I mean, c'mon, it looks like they just fell out of bed and put on some baggy pants and take their greasy hair (ew) and cover it up with a backwards cap and, like, we're expected to swoon? I don't think so!" Although these were years with many charms (grunge, Yoho Diablos, etc), we feel blessed to now be into the 2010s, where men are free and willing to shower, blow the occasional pay cheque on dapper duds and experiment with wacky sartorial choices, like colour. There are plenty of shopping destinations in Melbourne to encourage your haberdashery habit, but a few do it more stylishly than others. These are our picks of the best menswear boutiques fit for a new-age dandy, an old-fashioned brute and something in between. Incu If you live in Melbourne you're probably already a frenzied Incu evangelist, likely to froth at the mouth and start speaking in tongues at the very mention of twin brothers Brian and Vincent Wu, the men behind the myth, who as it stands are actually far too normal and nice to be cult leaders in the weird, non-fashion sense of the word. What might come as news to you is that late last year the Flinders Lane store was joined by a new outpost that took up residence right across the way from the QV women's store. Now the two siblings can stare out lovingly at one another all day as numbed office workers walking by shovel sushi into their mouths and drool at the window displays featuring the likes of A.P.C, Norse Projects, Saturdays Surf and Incu's in-house label, Weathered. Shop 6A, 247 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, 03 9663 9933; Shop ACL9, QV, Albert Coates Lane, Melbourne, 03 9662 3730; incuclothing.com Up There This one might not be number one, but it's, you guessed it, Up There! Calling a clothing store what you say when you see sky writing made sense for the original store, which was situated above ground on McKillop Street, but since the South Melbourne sibling, which opened late last year, lies firmly on street level amidst the steaming dim sim enjoying locals, it’s just downright silly. Forgive them that small oversight and the charming shop boys (who also double as fashion bloggers) will woo you with literal fancy pants (and other items of clothing) by Yuketen, Norse Projects, Bleu De Paname, Monitaly and more. Heck, they'll even repair your pants when you inevitably split them in a humiliating fashion. Level 1, 15 McKillop Street, Melbourne, 03 9670 6225; 224 Clarendon Street, South Melbourne, 03 9690 5226; uptherestore.com Customer Just like Incu's Wu brothers, Alexander and Tim Britten-Finschi are super-stylish siblings who live, socialise, design and run a menswear store together. Heck, they may as well have been born conjoined, although that may have hindered the sewing process somewhat. The duo's Flinders Lane store is filled with a hi-lo blend of wares by Pageant, Christopher Esber, Song for the Mute and the boys' own label From Britten, which recently received the coveted L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival's National Designer Award. We presume that as children, their mum, fashion designer Linda Britten, dressed them in threads so fine they'd make Suri hang her head in shame — fashion's in their blood. Level 6, 289 Flinders Lane, Melbourne; customerstore.com.au Aussie Disposals Although it's not exclusively a menswear store, there is something that really gets the pheromones going about a chap decked out in a military jacket who looks like he could yield a Swiss army knife like Bear Grylls whilst pitching a tent with his spare hand. Approach this store with caution though, as the overzealous shopper is likely to emerge wearing a legionnaires hat, zip-off pants and a high-visibility vest that screams 'unhinged' rather than the desired 'doing camo with aplomb'. You have been warned. Multiple locations; aussiedisposals.com.au Handsom According to their website, Handsom "make nice clothes" — plain and simple. While that statement is true, it kind of sells the label's artfully speckled chambray shirts, slim-cut woollen slacks that cannot be described as anything less than dapper and delightful cardigans that look fit for Paddington Bear himself and make you want to snuggle into them and breathe in the wearer's presumably oaky scent short. They make flipping fantastic clothes (for the fairer sex, too) is more like it! 163 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy, 03 9078 7306; handsom.com.au Someday Store Stumble into Someday and you could be forgiven for thinking you've teleported to a leading flagship concept store in Tokyo or New York, until you wander to the nearby stairwell to be slapped in the face with the heady scent of fish and stale beer wafting upstairs from the Toff. No such luck, you're in Curtin House, princess. That doesn't seem so bad when you’re surrounded by a superbly curated selection of wares by the likes of Neighbourhood, White Mountaineering, Visvim and of course PAM, the fashion label by the store's co-owners and real-life partners in crime and covetable items, Misha Hollenbach (Perks) and Shauna Toohey (Mini). Not a pair to be limited in anything they do, alongside menswear the duo has filled Someday with girls' get-up, rare books, music and miscellaneous collector's items. Level 3, Curtin House, 252 Swanston Street, Melbourne, 03 9654 6458; somedaystore.com Images via incuclothing.com, uptherestore.com, From Britten, handsom.com.au, somedaystore.com
Perhaps you enjoyed Netflix's Heartbreak High revival and can't wait for its second season. Maybe you're fond of Aunty Donna's Big Ol' House of Fun instead. Or, via Stan, Bump, Black Snow, True History of the Kelly Gang and Nitram might've sat among your homegrown highlights. When you're getting cosy on the couch streaming something filled with Australian faces, accents and places, these titles likely stood out, too, because they're a rarity. Aussie content comprises a tiny portion of digital platforms' catalogues, which has been the case since Netflix officially launched in Australia back in 2015; however, that's about to change thanks to Australia's new streaming content quotas. First, some background: for Aussie commercial free-to-air television and pay TV stations, programming is subject to quotas requiring a certain contingent of each channel's content to hail from Australia. Such rules haven't applied to streaming services so far, though, even as more and more have popped up Down Under. So, for years, there's been a hefty to push to change the situation, placing the likes of Netflix, Disney+ and more under similar content rules. A green paper on the topic was published in late 2020, and a heap of well-known Aussie talents helped raise attention to the cause back in 2021. Now, the Australian Federal Government has confirmed that streaming content quotas are coming as part of its just-announced National Cultural Policy. "It's been ten years since the last National Cultural Policy. During that time, online streaming platforms have taken off, but our Australian content obligations haven't. I know we can do better," said Minister for the Arts Tony Burke on social media. Accordingly, the new $286-million National Cultural Policy locks in streaming content obligations, which it deems pivotal given there is "an increasing consumer trend away from broadcast and subscription television services to online subscription content". "In 2020–21, for the first time, Australians were more likely to have watched an online subscription service than live or recorded free‑to‑air television," the policy continues — saying what plenty of us already know from our own viewing habits. As a result, the Federal Government has committed to introducing "requirements for Australian screen content on streaming platforms to ensure continued access to local stories and content", and will do so by July 1, 2024. Beforehand, Burke will consult further with the industry, which'll be the focus for the first half of 2023, before legislation implementing the Aussie content quota for streaming platforms is put in place. What the quota might look like in terms of hours of Australian shows and movies required, or percentages of streaming services' roster of content, hasn't yet been revealed. Still, the aim is clear: more Aussie series and films on all of those platforms constantly competing for your eyeballs, and in the near future. Past proposals, including the Make It Australian campaign with backing from Blaze's Simon Baker, Hungry Ghosts' Bryan Brown and Justine Clarke, and Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's Dead Aunt)'s Marta Dusseldorp — and more — have lobbied for all streaming services operating in Australia that have at least 500,000 subscribers to spend 20 percent of their local revenue on new Aussie dramas, documentaries and content for children. Some streamers have put more cash into developing original local stories already, doing so voluntarily, but now they'll all be required to — and to boost an overall buffet of movies and TV shows that has noticeably lacked new Aussie content from the get-go in the process. Indeed, it took more than two years for Netflix to finally announce that it was making its first Australian series, Tidelands, after it launched on our shores. For more information about Australia's new National Cultural Policy, head to the Australian Government's website. Top image: Heartbreak High, Netflix.
In the midst of Melbourne's COVID-19 second wave last year, two high-density public housing estates in North Melbourne and Flemington were sent into an abrupt hard lockdown in a bid to contain the outbreak. The government-imposed restrictions were considered so harsh they made headlines across the world and were eventually found to have breached human rights laws by the Victorian Ombudsman. Now, over a year on, residents of the nine towers have united to develop their own community-led cookbook — drawing on their own rich and varied culinary traditions. Available to download for free, Cooking, Recovery and Connections has been created with help from not-for-profit community health organisation Cohealth and is packed full of treasured recipes from all corners of the globe. The book is designed to celebrate resilience, reinvigorate community connections and give back some of the autonomy that residents lost during the lockdowns, via the simple but universally-cherished act of sharing food. It features 18 recipes, interspersed with illustrations and stories, all contributed by public housing residents with roots from South Sudan, Ethiopia, Egypt, India and Somalia. You can learn how to whip up Jameia Mohamed's lentil fatteh, try making a batch of homemade falafel courtesy of Aisha Suliman's recipe, or impress your mates by mastering Sara Zakaria's Sudanese baklava. [caption id="attachment_822608" align="alignnone" width="1920"] An example of the Egyptian dish koshari, Omar Elsharawi,via Unsplash[/caption] Najat Abdullah, a resident and co-developer of the cookbook, called the experience of being involved with the project "empowering and joyful", saying: "I feel so proud because the project was ours from the very beginning. We came up with the idea as a group and we saw it through all the way to the launch." "I loved learning about the different cultures behind the recipes. I've cooked every single recipe in the book!," Abdullah says. "The stories that come with each have been a really special way to learn more about the people that we live side-by-side with. It's helped to break down barriers and started conversations." The cookbook is free to download here, but if you'd like to give back to the community, organisers encourage you to do so by donating to SisterWorks, with funds going to support the organisation's training programs. Awatif Taha's Sudanese Lamb Kofta Meatballs in Curry Sauce Ingredients: Juice and finely grated zest of one lemon ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil 1 white onion, thinly sliced 500g lean lamb mince 1 brown onion, coarsely grated 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1/3 cup (25g) fresh white breadcrumbs ¼ cup coriander leaves, chopped, plus extra leaves to garnish ¼ cup mint leaves, chopped 1/3 cup (100g) korma curry paste 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger 400g can chopped tomatoes 400ml coconut milk 1 cinnamon quill Method: In a bowl whisk lemon juice with 1 tablespoon oil. Add the sliced onion and set aside. Place mince, grated onion, garlic, zest, breadcrumbs and herbs in a bowl. Season and mix to combine. Rinse your hands under cold water and, without drying them, use your hands to share the mixture into 16 small balls. Place a deep non-stick frypan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil and when hot, add the meatballs and fry, stirring for one minute. Stir in tomato, coconut milk and cinnamon until combined. Season and bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer gently for 3 minutes. Return meatballs to the pan and cook for a further 10 minutes or until cooked through and the sauce is reduced. Add the cucumber to the white onion mixture, mix to combine and season. Find and download Cooking, Recovery and Connections via the website. Top image: Public housing residents who collaborated on the Cooking, Recovery and Connections cookbook, captured by John Tadigiri, Street Studio.
True Detective started with Matthew McConaughey (The Rivals of Amziah King) and Woody Harrelson (Last Breath) as its leads. Next came Taylor Kitsch (American Primeval), Colin Farrell (The Penguin) and Rachel McAdams (Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret). Mahershala Ali (Jurassic World Rebirth) and Stephen Dorff (Bride Hard) did the honours, too, followed by Jodie Foster (Nyad) and Kali Reis (Rebuilding). And if the world is lucky, Nicolas Cage (The Surfer) could join that list. Variety is reporting that Cage is in talks to star in True Detective's fifth season — which The Hollywood Reporter notes is expected to arrive in 2027. So far, the only details confirmed include that the new episodes will be set in New York's Jamaica Bay area, and that Tigers Are Not Afraid filmmaker Issa López, who wrote and directed every one episode of True Detective: Night Country, is due to return. [caption id="attachment_793116" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jim Bridges/HBO[/caption] Cage can and has played everyone from Dracula, a man who thinks he's a vampire, himself, a heartbroken lumberjack and an alpaca-milking dad to black-and-white film noir-style Spider-Man, twins, an Elvis obsessive, a terrorist switching faces with an FBI agent, a man everyone dreams about, a serial killer and an Aussie expat who just wants to hit the waves at his childhood beach (and much, much more). A cop on the case in True Detective? It'd be dream casting. The series was renewed for season five after its fourth season dropped in January 2024 and became the most-watched season of the show ever. Across the show's run, it's always been a case of new batch of episodes, new police officers, new case, as the series has been delivering since 2014. "Issa Lopez is that one-of-a-kind, rare talent that speaks directly to HBO's creative spirit. She helmed True Detective: Night Country from start to finish, never once faltering from her own commendable vision, and inspiring us with her resilience both on the page and behind the camera," said Francesca Orsi, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming, Head of HBO Drama Series and Films, back when season five was revealed. "From conception to release, Night Country has been the most beautiful collaboration and adventure of my entire creative life. HBO trusted my vision all the way, and the idea of bringing to life a new incarnation of True Detective with Casey, Francesca and the whole team is a dream come true. I can't wait to go again," added Lopez. There's obviously no trailer yet for True Detective season five, but check out the full trailer for True Detective: Night Country below: Season five of True Detective doesn't yet have a release date, but we'll update you when more details are announced. True Detective: Night Country streams via Max in Australia and Neon in New Zealand. Read our review. Via Variety/The Hollywood Reporter. Top image: Jason Bollenbacher/SXSW Conference & Festivals via Getty Images.
Having sat dormant for six years, since being bought by new owners Colonial Leisure Group in 2014, the 137-year-old Albert Park Hotel was set to reveal a grand makeover in March. But, just days before the big reveal, COVID-19 hit and the unveiling was delayed. Now, it's finally ready to show Melburnians its new look. Joining a stable of popular venues that includes the likes of Lucky Coq, Bimbo Deluxe, Brunswick's The Penny Black and the Portsea Hotel, The Albert Park Hotel is jumping back onto the scene with a contemporary new look. And it's dishing up a modern Chinese food offering in place of the classic pub grub. Headed up by Six Degrees Architects and stylist Anna Roberts, the full revamp has seen the once dark and enclosed space transformed into something bright and upbeat, with light pouring through the windows of a new four-storey atrium. The interiors cleverly blend old and new, with modern finishes bringing new life to the pub's original brickwork and historic features — from the front bar and restaurant to the streetside beer garden and through to a cosy upstairs lounge. [caption id="attachment_772310" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Simon Shiff[/caption] The contemporary food offering from Head Chef Karloong Yee is available throughout the venue, but takes centre stage within the restaurant, Happy Valley. It's a menu heavy on familiar Chinese flavours, while celebrating modern technique and local ingredients. Expect dim sum aplenty, alongside the likes of san choi bao, peking duck pancakes, XO pipis and a kung pao chicken laced with facing heaven chilli. Crisp Eugowra quail is done with lashings of szechuan pepper salt; char siu salmon pairs with coriander, sesame and a soft fried hen's egg; and ice cream comes fried with a chocolate fortune cookie crumb. You can match snacks — barbecue pork buns, perhaps, or a Taiwanese-style Bunnings snag — with a few crisp brews and some footy in the front bar, or perhaps take advantage of the Aussie-led wine lineup and a reserve list that's at once high-end and affordable. [caption id="attachment_772311" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Simon Shiff[/caption] Upstairs, a comfy hideaway awaits in the elegant lounge bar, where crafty cocktails come courtesy of Bar Manager Asher Spitz (Boilermaker House). Settle in with the likes of an Espresso Tropicale (vodka, szechuan spices, espresso, lime and coconut) or a Nightwatchman (gin, liquorice root vermouth and sesame oil). At the moment, Albert Park's capacity is limited — as per the government's COVID-19 restrictions — so if you want to ensure you'll get a table, we suggest you head online to book before heading in. Find The Albert Park Hotel on the corner of Montague Street and Dundas Place, Albert Park. It's open from 12pm–late Wednesday–Sunday. Images: Simon Shiff Until at least Wednesday, July 29, stay-at-home orders have been reintroduced in 12 Melbourne postcodes, which means their residents can only leave for one of four reasons: work or school, care or care giving, daily exercise or food and other essentials. For more information, head to the DHHS website.
How do you know that a new year is officially in full swing? If you're a movie lover, it's when Australia's film festivals start dropping their lineups. The Mardi Gras Film Festival jumped in first for 2023, and next to unveil its program is Sydney and Melbourne's Europa! Europa — aka the cinema celebration that's all about new and classic flicks from across the entire European continent, and will screen titles from 24 different countries in February and March. 2023 marks Europa! Europa's second year, after debuting in 2022 with an impressive lineup — a feat it aims to match in its sophomore run. This time around, there's 29 movies on the bill, showing at Sydney's Ritz Cinemas in Randwick, and Melbourne's Classic Cinemas in Elsternwick and Lido Cinemas in Hawthorn between Thursday, February 16–Tuesday, March 7, and covering everything from awards contenders to beloved masterpieces. Hailing from France, eco-thriller The Blaze will kick things off, while Europa! Europa 2023 will come to a close with the Judi Dench- and Jennifer Saunders-starring British drama Allelujah. In-between, the range of flicks includes fare from Italy, Estonia, Ukraine and Croatia, plus Georgia, Spain, Germany and Romania. The list goes on, with France particularly well-represented. Gallic cinema buffs, consider this your warm up for the upcoming Alliance Française French Film Festival. An absolute must-see, especially if you've never had the pleasure before on a big screen, is Krzysztof Kieślowski's Three Colours Trilogy. With Three Colours: Blue starring Juliette Binoche (The Staircase), Three Colours: Red led by Irène Jacob (The OA) and Three Colours: White focusing on Julie Delpy (the Before trilogy), this trio of masterpieces are among the most influential international films of the past three decades. Each one will show as a 4K restoration, too. Among the new titles, eight movies on Europa! Europa's bill were submitted as their country's entries for this year's Best International Feature Film Oscar. Highlights include Armenian documentary Aurora's Sunrise, which tells a 14-year-old genocide survivor's story; Safe Place from Croatia, which unfurls its story over 24 hours; and Moldova's dark comedy Carbon, about the effects of war. Or, there's Il Boemo from Czech Republic, which steps through opera composer Josef 'Il Boemo' Myslivecek's tale — and road-trip effort Orchestra from Slovenia. Elsewhere, illness drama More Than Ever stars Vicky Krieps (Bergman Island), alongside Gaspard Ulliel (Moon Knight) in his last role; La Vie En Rose director Olivier Dahan is still in biopic mode, with Simone: Woman of the Century telling French feminist icon Simone Veil's tale; Wunderschön, about five women in Germany, was the country's highest-grossing local film of the 2022 box office; and the Charlotte Gainsbourg (Sundown)-starring The Accusation heads Down Under after premiering at the Venice Film Festival. Europa! Europa will screen in Sydney and Melbourne between Thursday, February 16–Tuesday, March 7. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the festival's website.
Moon Dog's new 800-person wild west-themed bar in Footscray's former Franco Cozzo building has not had an easy run. The size and ambition of the new Melbourne bar led to a few delays in building, but the worst came when the Moon Dog team had to cancel the launch party mere minutes before it was meant to begin. They blamed the council. The council said it had nothing to do with it. It was chaotic. But the rogue fire hydrant that caused the main kerfuffle has now been sorted, and the huge new Moon Dog Wild West is officially open as at Friday, April 26. So, it's time to don your favourite pair of cowboy boots and start exploring the huge saloon. Guests will now find bars on each level pouring Moon Dog beers and seltzers from over 100 taps. Three-time Australian Bartender of the Year Chris Hysted-Adams has also been brought in to design the cocktail list and shots menu. This includes an old-school pickleback shot, a regularly changing old fashioned that'll be served in a barrel for four people and a layered tequila sunrise slushie. A mechanical bucking bull takes centre stage down on the ground floor, where people can compete in actual tournaments with prize money. There's also a secret little Pianola Bar, an arcade, pool tables, a private dining space, a barrel-ageing room, and a stunner of a dog-friendly rooftop that's littered with cacti and fake dessert rocks. The Moon Dog crew has completely packed this space out. Then you've got the food, which is all Tex-Mex-inspired. The team is pumping out sizzling fajitas, buffalo chicken ribs, double-decker tacos, Mexican twists on prawn cocktails and a big ol' one-kilogram t-bone steak. "We're so excited to join the vibrant Footscray community in such an iconic location; the support has been overwhelming, and we can't wait to finally throw open the doors and welcome everyone in for a cold beer," said Moon Dog co-founder Karl van Buuren. Everything at the new Moon Dog Wild West in Footscray just screams unabashed fun. It's one of the brand's three planned new venues for 2024, too, alongside upcoming Docklands and Frankston sites. Moon Dog Wild West is located at 54 Hopkins Street, Footscray, operating from 3pm–late Monday–Tuesday and 11.30am–late Wednesday–Sunday. For more information, head to the venue's website. Images: Arianna Leggiero.
Cue John Williams' rousing score: Indiana Jones is cracking the whip again. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny marks Harrison Ford's return to the titular role a whopping 42 years after Raiders of the Lost Ark, 39 since Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and 34 since Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade — and 15 years after Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull. This time, he has Fleabag favourite Phoebe Waller-Bridge for company, but still a trinket to hunt down and Nazis to fend off. And, whether you're keen to see the movie on the day it hits general release or in the nights afterwards, your tastebuds can also have company via a three-course menu inspired by the picture. That's what Village Cinemas is serving up around Melbourne on three evenings: Wednesday, June 28; Friday, June 30; and Saturday, July 1. For $120, which includes your Gold Class ticket to the film, you'll tuck into bites with New York, Moroccan and Sicilian influences — all settings in the movie. Start off a pretzel with honey mustard, washing it down with either a glass of sparkling wine or Brooklyn lager. Next comes a New Moroccan grilled spiced chicken burger with chips, plus a glass of either red or white wine. And then for dessert, enjoy chocolate and custard cannoli, all while sipping either a Sicilian negroni or an Aperol spritz.
Traditionally, Albury hasn't made many a traveller's bucket list. Drivers tend to whizz past on their way to quainter spots, like the gold rush town of Beechworth or the alpine village of Bright. But, over the past couple of years, this 45,000-person city on the northern banks of the Murray River has transformed itself into a destination. There's a blockbuster-capacity gallery, a sculpture trail, a designer hotel, and a slew of new restaurants, bars and cafes. In between art-ing and eating, you'll find mountain biking and paddling adventures a-plenty. So, next time you're racing along the Hume, stop over for a night — or three. Albury lies 462 kilometres southwest of Sydney and 326 kilometres northwest of Melbourne. Let's get into all things Albury. STAY Stretch your legs after the easy drive and check in to one of Albury's best modern stays. With its oversized industrial light fittings, Scandi-inspired high stools, vintage-style bicycles and open plan, the Atura Hotel's foyer feels more like an inner-city warehouse than a hotel lobby you'd stumble across in Albury. And this is just what Atura, a brand belonging to the AHL Group (which also owns QT, Rydges and Art Series) is going for — more art and better design in regional places. The reception 'pod' flows into the bar, where guests crowd around a retro-inspired pool table. The bar morphs into the Roadhouse Grill, dishing up popcorn prawns, braised lamb shanks and local Gundowring ice cream sundaes by night, and buffet breakfasts from 6.30am. Through the glass back wall, black and white NEMO face chairs look over an arc-shaped pool. Keep an eye out for inflatable pink flamingos around the place and Friesian cattle, who drop by occasionally. [caption id="attachment_563142" align="alignnone" width="1279"] Supplied by Atura[/caption] For excellent views of Albury's motley skyline, ask for an east-facing room on the seventh floor. That said, each of the 140 rooms is decorated with the fun yet sophisticated aesthetic informing the entrance. You'll be napping in a king-sized bed, swinging a cat around in loads of space, cleaning up with Malin + Goetz toiletries in a mural-covered ensuite, sipping free coffee from your own machine and tapping into free wifi. To save some dosh, jump on one of Atura's packages, which top up your stay with gallery tickets, cocktails, movies and more. EAT AND DRINK Make your first stop the River Deck Cafe, open daily for breakfast and lunch, and Thursday to Saturday for dinner. You'll find it right on the Murray, among the leafy plane trees of idyllic Noreuil Park. For years, there was only a kiosk here, but in May 2015, Alex Smit, who's been proprietor since 2011, transformed it into a 120-seater restaurant, bringing in Mauritian-born Ludo Baulacky as head chef. Goat's cheese is turned into dollops of pannacotta, carefully arranged among pickled mushroom, baby beetroot, stonefruit and dukkah. For a light lunch, it's a good match with the herby quinoa salad, which comes with candied walnuts, honey dressing, tomatoes and olives. Among the share plates, there's a Milawa cheese platter and a salmon brushcetta with smoked salmon, crème fraiche and caperberries. If you're looking for a hearty main, try the seared barramundi with cauliflower and dill puree, pickle, clams, soy bean and chicken jus. A map in the menu shows you what produce comes from where — one of the River Deck's local mainstays is Rad Growers, a small farm in Bungowannah, twenty kilometres west of Albury. On the main drag, Green Zebra has been making housemade Italian food for 15 years. You can design your own dish by choosing from the pasta, sauce and ingredients menus. Do not stop yourself from ordering the lemon tart for dessert. On Townsend Street is The Proprietor, a friendly, pendant-lit, checkered-floored cafe, serving Padre coffee from Brunswick, and an all-day menu driven by local suppliers. Go for grilled haloumi and dukkah eggs with hummus, salty lemon, watercress and sourdough, or the mushroom toastie, with cheese spread, haloumi, garlic and green sauce. Another of Albury's outstanding new additions is Boom Boom. Tucked away in AMP Lane, this wine bar and eatery feels like a transplant directly from Melbourne. Owner Matthew Carrington has made sure that every element is on point — from the beautifully-curated, globe-spanning wine list to the impeccably-balanced cocktails to the in-house charcuterie and laidback soundtrack. The star share plate arrives crowded with wagyu bresaola, finocchiona-wrapped caperberries, pancetta, pickled grapes and oyster mushrooms. Unwilling to share? Go for a 'Big Thing', like the ling en papiotte with chilli, lemon, coriander and kipfler medallions, or the scotch fillet with potato rosti and tomato bourbon relish. You can relax in the laneway at a table for two, perch at the bar or take over a communal bench. Another dinner option is the long-standing Border Wine Room. If wine bottles could speak, this place could tell a tale or two — the walls are dotted with empty Grange vessels. The a la carte menu changes monthly, while the six-course tasting menu is revamped fortnightly. Keep an eye out for special events — from French wine tastings to chocolate degustations. DO In late 2015, after a $10.5 million makeover, the Albury Regional Gallery reopened as MAMA (Murray Art Museum Albury), with a 14-metre-high curved wall and a visionary director named Jacqui Hemsley, who's passionate about getting people excited and engaged. To that end, MAMA is currently hosting its first blockbuster: Marilyn: Celebrating an American Icon, showing till May 8. Live circus is coming up on April 22 and 23, and, on May 21, the MAMA Art Foundation National Photography Prize, worth $50,000, will move in. The gallery also now has its own modern, casual eatery: Canvas. It's hidden away from the main street, overlooking a quiet, grassy square. Concertina windows allow natural light to stream into the high-ceilinged space, and the menu features luxurious twists on classics. Think coddled egg with truffled mushroom duxelle and brioche soldiers, and duck benedict with house-smoked duck ham, brioche, poached eggs, beurre noisette hollandaise and spinach. Canvas is open daily for brunch and lunch, and Wednesday-Saturday for dinner. Back alongside the Murray, you'll find the five-kilometreYindyamarra Sculpture Walk, stretching between Kremur Street and Wonga Wetlands. It's part of the Wagirra Trail, a work-in-progress that will ultimately consist of 70 kilometres of riverside shared paths. Every sculpture — from the giant-sized Maya Fish Trap by Uncle Tunny, Darren Wighton and Andom Rendell, to Reconciliation Shield by Tamara Murray — was created by local indigenous artists and is a response to the river. Whether you walk or cycle, take your mobile, to access augmented reality at each stop. Despite Albury's sizeable population, wild places are easy to access. To get on the river, hire a canoe from Murray River Canoe Hire, who'll drop you eight or 12 kilometres upstream for an easy one-two hour paddle back to town. Prepare to meet cheeky flocks of white cockatoos, cormorants and white ibises — 350 bird species live along the Murray, which, at 2,700 kilometres, is the third longest navigable river in the world, after the Amazon and the Nile. There's also some cracking mountain biking terrain. And, four years ago, elite biker Indi Boer, who's won 19 international and national titles, set up a coaching school named The Fastline Bikademy. If you're a beginner, sign up for a basic skills lesson and by the end of it, you'll be conquering scary dips and powering around corners. Experienced? She'll spend hours helping you to refine your skills, so you can take on tougher rides with more skill and strength. If you're looking for an excuse to head to Albury sooner rather than later, the annual Gold Cup is coming up on March 17 and 18. With more than 15,000 people expected to attend, it's the most popular country race in NSW — and an official public holiday for Albury residents. There'll be live music, craft beers and pop-up stalls peddling local produce. LET'S DO THIS; GIVE ME THE DETAILS By car: Albury is about six hours drive southwest of Sydney, and about three-and-a-half hours' drive northwest of Melbourne. By train: The XPT takes seven-and-a-half hours to reach Albury from Sydney, and three hours and twenty minutes from Melbourne. By plane: QANTAS, Virgin Australia and REX all fly the 80-minute route between Albury and Sydney. REX flies between Melbourne and Albury, taking about an hour. Jasmine Crittenden travelled as a guest of Destination NSW. Images: Peter Saw (unless otherwise specified).
In Brisbane until October, a massive Chiharu Shiota exhibition is on display — and it's well worth the trip north. But Melburnians can check out the Japan-born, Berlin-based artist's pieces without hopping on a plane, all thanks to the Anna Schwartz Gallery. Until Saturday, July 23, the Flinders Lane venue features just-as-stunning works. Red and black are a big feature, colour-wise, as they always are in Shiota's work. String, yarn, wool — they all make an appearance as well. This showcase is smaller, more intimate, but still inescapably striking. Staring at a room filled with dangling, intertwined, labyrinthine threads always will be. Called State of Being, this exhibition spans both 2D and 3D pieces, including a red sculptural human figure that's being displayed for the first time beneath one of Shiota's wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling webs. Attendees can also peruse other sculptures, works on canvas and paper — and reclaimed love letters, diaries and photos picked by by the artist at flea markets. "I believe that we are all connected. Were you able to see the invisible, all human connection is one. Thread from each heart is expressed as words linking us. In the flea market I found old love letters and diaries and although I never met the writer, I felt connected," explains Shiota.
Yackandandah's historic pub is officially pouring again. First built in 1868, the beloved watering hole — known locally as 'The Bottom Pub' — has long been a social hub for the gold rush-era town located a nip over 300kms northeast of Melbourne, and it's now reopened with a refreshed look and a team of Melbourne hospitality veterans at the helm. Led by ex-Yolk Group Executive Chef Dale Kemp (Terror Twilight, Convoy, Hi Fi) and his partner Britney Hart, alongside mates and hospo pros Jackson Cartwright and Sian Haycock, the expansive pub has undergone a thoughtful restoration that preserves its old-world bones while adding a few new touches. There's still the original brown brick bar and ceiling plasterwork, which are now joined by plush tartan carpets, crackling fireplaces, a horseshoe-shaped bar top crafted from reclaimed red gum from a nearby farm and a large communal table fashioned out of a 500-year-old local tree. Out the back, a spacious, sun-washed beer garden features a raised cast iron chiminea for winter warmth and a stage for local musicians. [caption id="attachment_1016059" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bec Haycraft[/caption] The menu keeps things familiar with a little finesse. The chicken parma, for example, is topped with smoked ham and vodka sauce, the pot pie is loaded with slow-cooked brisket and cheddar ale and served with roasted root veggies and onion gravy, while 24-hour lamb ribs are finished with a Sichuan-inspired coating and served with a bright cucumber and mint salad. There's also a steak selection starring regional cuts like Mitta Valley ribeye, plus hearty desserts like sticky toffee pudding spiked with Rutherglen muscat. Drinks also lean local. At the bar, you'll find craft beers from Bright Brewery and Bridge Road Brewers, wines from Beechworth and Rutherglen and a cocktail list that champions spirits by neighbouring Backwoods Distilling Co, alongside a stable of classic pub pours. Later this year, six charming upstairs rooms will open to the public, offering visitors a place to stay among the trees and rolling hills of Victoria's High Country and overlooking the streets of one of the state's most creative regional towns. [caption id="attachment_1016057" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bec Haycraft[/caption] Images: Bec Haycraft.
Amongst the many large-scale events that've cancelled or postponed in the wake of COVID-19, is perhaps the one we could all use the most right now — the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. With the government banning non-essential mass gatherings of over 500 people, and, today, indoor gatherings over 100, the huge annual laugh-fest was one of the first to be axed from the 2020 calendar. But if it's some chuckles you're after, fear not, because some of Australia's best-loved comedians, many of which were slated to perform at MICF, are coming soon to a streaming device near you. And even those bunkering down at home in a state of enforced self-isolation, or voluntary social-distancing, get to enjoy this little lineup as well. Hitting screens from next month is Amazon Prime's new special series of stand-up shows from ten big-name Aussie comics. Two specials will be released each week from Friday, April 10, including Tom Gleeson's sell-out show Joy, Zoë Coombs Marr with Bossy Bottom, Judith Lucy, Anne Edmonds and Tommy Little. Lano & Woodley, Celia Pacquola, Tom Walker, Dilruk Jayasinha and Alice Fraser are also on the bill, promising to inject a bit of sunshine into your socially distanced life. The comedy specials were all filmed last year at Melbourne's Malthouse Theatre and are set to stream worldwide. You can watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dz3dmDUeydw The ten new comedy specials hit Amazon Prime Video from Friday, April 10.
When it comes to buzzy capital cities, Australia has no shortage of options — but Sydney really does have it all. From cutting-edge underground bars and classic pub fare to historic sights and iconic performances, Sydney is a rich tapestry of creativity, culture, and natural splendour. It's hard to go wrong here, but a little insider intel can help you get it just right. If you're planning a weekend in the Harbour City, Marriott Bonvoy is offering 10% off your stay across six hotels—all you need to do is sign up to become a member (for free). It's also the perfect excuse to extend your stay. To play the role of your well-informed mate on the ground, we've curated a short list of reasons why Sydney is always worth checking into. Descend Into Sydney's Awesome Subterranean Bars When it comes to vibey watering holes, Sydney's list just keeps growing. But when the lights dim and the city starts to wind down, the real magic begins underground. Scattered across the CBD and its surrounding boroughs, these hidden gems require a little insider knowledge — knowing which alley to turn down and which door to knock on. From Mucho Group's Herbs Taverne and Swillhouse's swanky new Caterpillar Club, to The Gidley and Double Deuce Lounge, Sydney's subterranean bar scene is constantly evolving. Check out our full guide here. Check Into a Cosy Hotel Choosing the right hotel can make or break your Sydney stay. While there are plenty of options, it's the city centre's stunning skyline, harbour backdrop, and expansive parklands that set it apart—so you'll want a base that captures all that charm. Marriott Bonvoy's collection of premium hotels promises a memorable stay, plus, with 10% off it's the perfect time to plan a quick trip or extended getaway. From luxury stays like The W Sydney, Pier One Sydney Harbour and the Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park to stylish, family-friendly options like the Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel Circular Quay and Four Points By Sheraton Sydney in Central Park, you're spoilt for choice. Watch a Performance at The Sydney Opera House Sure, visiting the Opera House for a quick picture is a Sydney bucket list moment for locals and travellers alike — but catching a show inside? That's when the magic really takes place. Beyond the grandeur of the Concert Hall, this cultural icon also houses intimate spaces that host everything from indie gigs and theatre to symphonies and ballet. Visit in the coming months and you can expect atmospheric sets by the likes of early-thousands throwback Bachelor Girl, Lime Cordiale with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and The Australian Ballet — plus a post-show drink with a view that's hard to top. If you're looking to stay within walking distance of the Sydney Opera House, check into the Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel Circular Quay for a stylish slice of convenience. Devour an Award-Winning Steak at Bistecca When it comes to must-try meals, few live up to the hype — but Bistecca delivers. Tucked down a CBD laneway, this moody, Tuscan-inspired spot has earned international acclaim, and a place on our list of Sydney's best steaks, for its signature bistecca alla Fiorentina, a thick-cut T-bone, prepared over ironbark and charcoal. You'll surrender your phone at the door, leaving you to focus solely on your steak, vino, and conversation. Equal parts speakeasy and Italian fine dining steakhouse, it's a must for meat lovers and experiential diners. Catch a Film at Sydney's Revamped IMAX Theatre After a seven-year hiatus, Sydney's IMAX theatre has roared back to life — and it's bigger and bolder than ever. Now home to the world's third-largest screen (a jaw-dropping 693 square metres), the high-tech space is tucked beneath the W Sydney and reserved for only the biggest blockbusters. Whether you're seeing Superman, F1 The Movie, or Fantastic Four, expect next-level visuals via a 4K laser projection, crystal-clear surround sound, and custom-designed lenses that'll make every explosion, car chase and close-up feel massive. Tickets are limited, so get in quick. Oh, and be sure to grab a pre-blockbuster cocktail at the W Sydney's rooftop bar, 29/30. Hook Into a Sunday Roast at The Lord Dudley When it comes to winter pub fare, few places are as beloved as The Lord Dudley in Woollahra. Established in 1895, this old-school charmer channels the ambience of a British country manor, with its open fireplaces, dark wooden interiors, and traditional English ales. The main event? It's legendary Sunday roast — chicken or pork — served with crispy roast potatoes, steamed greens, rich gravy, and a golden Yorkshire pudding. Just be warned: if it's cold outside, or there's a good game on, you might be fighting for a patch of carpet, let alone a table. Wander The Halls Of Sydney's Art Institutions Art galleries say a lot about a city — and if Sydney's gallery walls could talk, they'd speak of multiculturalism, a complex past and an enduring thirst for artistic ingenuity. The city is home to a broad stroke of galleries, and wandering through them on a chilly winter's day is the perfect antidote to a deep chill. From intimate spaces like China Heights, Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, and White Rabbit Gallery to internationally revered institutions like the Art Gallery of NSW and the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, there's something to suit every creative appetite. Hot tip: The Art Gallery of NSW stays open late every Wednesday for Art After Hours, an enticing lineup of talks, art, and music, while White Rabbit Gallery is just a stone's throw from Four Points By Sheraton Central Park. Rug Up And Cheer On Your Team At Accor Stadium Another true Sydney bucket list moment? Watching your ride-or-die team go head-to-head at one of the country's largest and loudest stadiums. Whether you're into rugby league, rugby union, AFL, soccer or cricket, Accor Stadium creates an electrifying atmosphere—especially when 83,000 fellow fans surround you. This winter, the stadium will host a string of rugby league finals, plus the third and final State of Origin showdown. It's an easy trip by public transport, but if you're feeling fancy, split a limo with a few mates—it can cost about the same as a cab. Or better yet, check into the Moxy Sydney Airport Hotel and stay in style just a short drive from the action. Book your Sydney escape before September 30 to access 10% off your stay and dining with Marriott Bonvoy. All you have to do is sign up as a member—and it's completely free. Book 10% off your stay and rediscover Sydney. T&C's apply and vary by participating hotels including blackout dates, cancellation restrictions and more. Offer may not apply in properties not participating in the award and redemption of Marriott Bonvoy. By Elise Cullen
Durex is about to launch its Naked Box project, a design competition that will let your work be seen by naked people everywhere. Specifically calling for young designers, the Naked Box competition offers a rare opportunity for emerging artists to work with a global brand and have their work showcased around the world. If you're quite keen on drawing, design, or otherwise have an arty bone in your body (pun gleefully intended), Durex wants you to help them out by designing their new condom pack, to be sold globally. This means your designs could be the first thing people turn to during critical moments in bedrooms from Brisbane to Bratislava. While you're not allowed to be too rude and have to mind your language, the Naked Box competition website offers tools like Vibrating Pencils and Ribbed Rollers to help you out in the design process. There's also a design gallery where weekly winners are announced so that you can see what you're up against. Aside from the grand prize, there's also a bunch of other assorted cool stuff you can get your hands on, including iPads, underwear, t-shirts and other non-specific Durex paraphernalia. To enter, all you need to do is submit your design through Facebook. Entries open on March 7 and close on April 17 at midnight GMT, so there's plenty of time to get designing. Punters can also vote on Facebook for their favourite designs and evaluate each entrant's hard work for themselves.
Named after the traditional Argentinian style of slow-cooked barbecue and the relaxed dining experience it informs, Asado is centred around an open firepit and a custom-made three-metre-long charcoal parrilla grill. Bright, bold and buzzy, the 250-seater steers away from the moody, intimate feel of its siblings (Palermo, San Telmo, Pastuso), boasting soaring windows and vibrant art deco features. To match its fit-out, the menu is brimming with Argentinian flavours with Spanish touches. You'll spy snack-friendly jamón boards and tinned anchovy with guindilla peppers alongside kingfish ceviche with celeriac tiger's milk and grilled beef tongue skewers with smoked chilli and kampot pepper. Rounding out the fun is a drinks list worthy of celebration — think sangria, Patagonian pilsner, sherry and a wine selection that highlights the best of Argentina's Mendoza region.
The two main reasons people know about Armenia are so starkly different, it's kinda concerning. Either they've studied the Armenian Genocide, or just watch a lot of Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Melbourne itself is a dry zone for Armenian food. This probably has something to do with the miniscule Armenian population here — according to the last Census it was only about 3500 — but Sezar is one restaurant proudly showcasing what Armenia has to give. Nestled in Melbourne Place, the restaurant offers contemporary Armenian food that also pays homage to other Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines. The restaurant's interior itself is beautiful. At night it's dark, fit out with leather banquettes and warm lights to make a romantic atmosphere. During the day Sezar is perfect for a business lunch. The menu is quite expansive. Sharing dishes come in the forms of spinach and feta pastry cigars ($12 for three), oysters with compressed apple and anise ($9 for two) and the knockout spanner crab manti — Armenian dumplings served with yoghurt and paprika butter ($16 for four). What takes the food to another level at Sezar is how anchored the spices are in the dishes. Powerhouse flavours such as cumin, paprika, cardamom and chilli sing out from the plates. That goes for the cocktails too, which almost make for a separate dining experience. The cocktail list features concoctions such as the Good Fortune, which is packed with Noy brandy (from Armenia), pomegranate, chilli and lemon ($22). Subtract the alcohol and this drink is almost good for you. Sezar also has a range of wines, beers and mocktails available. But back to the food. When you're ready to move onto something more substantial, consider the dangerously addictive twice-cooked chicken wings with pomegranate glaze ($18) — it comes highly recommended by the waitstaff. For lamb lovers, try the shish kebab with eggplant caponata and some of the smokiest babaghanoush out ($22). But the anoush (that is, sweets) menu is where the tongue trembles. The new-style baklava is a must, made with layers of filo pastry and Ricketts Point's vanilla and walnut praline ice cream ($14 for two pieces). The honey cream is a great choice if you don't feel like something too sweet, topped with saffron poached pear and brik pastry ($14). You can also order a dessert tasting plate if choosing one is all too much ($40). On that note, there's also a banquet option, where the stress of choosing is alleviated. Be prepared for a never-ending mix of dishes to land on your table for $59 — seafood, pastries, dips, meat, dessert, the lot. And the lot is exactly what you want — at Sezar, you're going to want to eat it all.
If Brisbane has a centrepiece other than the river snaking through the city, it's the most-famous bridge that sits atop the waterway. The Story Bridge is one of the Queensland capital's best-known landmarks. Its steel expanse is frequently the image used to depict Brissie. Now, whether you're a local or a tourist, it's also the perfect place to explore the city from a great height and from a First Nations viewpoint in tandem. Scaling the Story Bridge thanks to Story Bridge Adventure Climb has been a quintessential Brisbane activity since 2005. Taking in the stunning vista is only part of the new Indigenous Story Bridge Adventure Climb experience, however. You'll still reach the structure's heights, but you'll do so led by either Birrunga Wiradyuri and Jessica Skeen, with the two artists sharing stories about history, Country and culture in Meanjin along the way. Set to open in August 2024 — and already taking bookings from Tuesday, August 6 onwards — this is a two-hour, first-of-its-kind climb that's all about sharing the First Nations perspective on the city and honouring the storytelling that goes with it. Story Bridge Adventure Climb, Howard Smith Wharves and Birrunga Gallery, Wiradyuri's gallery, are behind the new experience. And while the new climb itself promises a must-do addition to Brissie, you can also expand it with native herb- and spice-seasoned crocodile and kangaroo as part of an Indigenous food platter, plus Skeen's boomerang-painting workshop. Via the Birrunga Gallery Cultural Creative Development Program, artist talks will also be on offer, and so will workshops about the importance of place. "Storytelling is an important part of Indigenous culture across Australia. Creating this experience with my friends and colleagues has been an incredibly rewarding and exciting process," said Wiradyuri. "Our goal is simple: it's to provide a safe, inclusive and creative space to immerse yourself in the history, tradition and practices of First Nations Australians. The bridge climb represents the upward journey we are on together and like all journeys, it starts with one foot in front of the other." "We hope that visitors take away a fresh perspective on Brisbane, art and their life. It's more than just a bucket-list experience, it's an opportunity to see life from another point of view." Brisbane's Indigenous Story Bridge Adventure Climb starts operating from Tuesday, August 6, 2024 — head to the Story Bridge Adventure Climb website for further details and bookings.
There are few bands with enough unfaltering stamina to line up a debaucherous, beer-fuelled pub crawl to kick off every night of their Australian tour. But Brisbane's Dune Rats leave the rules at home, abiding by one big ol' proviso: "no kooks, no gutties." Whatever the blazes that means, these bloody corker dudes surf self-generated waves of laidback party-fuelled philosophy. We checked in with the Dunies in Kuala Lumpur during the South East Asian leg of their world tour, or "Koala Kangaroo" as bassist Brett Jansch calls it. The Brisbane lads have been on a furious bender around the globe, rambling around South Africa, Europe and South East Asia in mobile homes and tour buses — with their sights set back home for June. "It's fuckin' awesome," Jansch says "Last night was like, the first time I've slept in a bed for like, the last however long it's been. Just chilled. We had like, a motorhome, then a little campervan all tour." It's good for the Dunies to kick back after months on the road, with all the modern conveniences that come with the gloriousness of hotel life. "I watched this thing on the TV last night called 100 Most Favourite '90s Songs or something, they had like LL Cool J and Marky Mark and shit, it was sick." https://youtube.com/watch?v=CjJ0ABIwOfo On An American Death Trip of Dreams Dune Rats' BC Michaels, Danny Beusa and Jansch have been away from home for some time now, heading to the US, staying in a New York AirBnB warehouse, driving along the West Coast from San Diego to Vancouver and filming their own (sorta) web series American Death Trip of Dreams. Then they bailed over to Europe and the UK. "Ah fuck, I just had such a sick time in the UK and Europe... In America I just get super fat and then washed up, then you get hungover and then you get fat again. Then it's ok, then you get fat again. It's not good for your health, America." "When we just came back, there was about two weeks at home and we all dissipated to our families' respective, like, sanctuary zones because everyone was just wrecked. Too much of America. Then we came to the UK and everyone's like, BC's gettin' a full six pack hey? Eatin' lots of fruit and veg for the last few weeks!" The Dunies made their way to Liverpool, playing an Aussie BBQ during the city's legendary festival Sound City. "That was fuckin' super fun. There were so many Brisbane bands there and we were all "How the fuck are we all here in one place?" That was actually a corker of a time hey." After months on the road, the Dunies will head back home to Australia for a national tour, showcasing their debut album set for release on June 1. It'll be the first time the trio have played to home audiences for months. The tour kicks off on the west coast and ends up back where they all started. "I'm pretty fucking excited to get home, that's for sure. We haven't played in Brissy for ages," says Jansch. "We've been away for so long and hopefully we can just get back and hang out with our buddies and just talk about anything else, find out what they're doin'. https://youtube.com/watch?v=0APj4u-56Jw On Turning an Australian Tour into a Pub Crawl Pieced together like a rambunctious escapade of regrets, the Dunies will host a pub crawl in every city before the gig for fans who've preordered their debut album (out June 1). "Well I guess you just want to get as fucked up as possible before the gig with all our friends and buddies that have preordered the album in order to come to the pub crawl," Jansch says in a wink-wink, nudge-nudge moment of please-buy-our-albumness. "We'll find the right place where we can all hang out together near the venue or whatever and just go pub to pub. "So honestly, we'll be going on a pub crawl all around Australia I guess. I wonder if anyone will come all the way with us. If someone does, they can definitely have a fuckin' t-shirt! They can have a hangover as well." Supporting Dune Rats will be different buds in each state. "We've kind of put together just all our fucking favourite bands and our friends to play, you know... So it's going to be a fucking party every night, especially now with our pub crawls and shit.," Jasnch realises. "Fuck, I think it's going to be a full wash up by the end of it." https://youtube.com/watch?v=1TKRT5IQtjQ On Writing at Brett's Mum's House The Dunies' debut album came to fruition in the most unlikely of locations. The trio headed to Brett's mum's house and started writing. Well, planted a vege patch, went surfing, wrote a bit, hung out, went surfing, wrote again, played a bit, all with Mum's permission. Has to be said: Coolest. Mum. Ever. "She was frothing! You know, I bet whenever the door was shut she was probably sitting on the fuckin' step outside, like with a megaphone in her ear. She was just lovin' it man," says Jansch. "Like, I fuckin' hate all our neighbours at home. But mum would always be like, play as long as you fuckin' want, as loud as you fuckin' want, fuck everybody," he laughs. The World's Best Mum and a solid support base has proved the best grounder for the Dunies, who wholly appreciate everything on their plate. "I guess we're all just fuckin' blown away that we can even go around the world on fuckin' tour... We don't take it for granted or anything. We're always constantly stoked, we're always frothing about all this shit." https://youtube.com/watch?v=lU3n6vRX8yY On Their Debut Album Like all groundbreaking things (Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Ian McEwan's Atonement, Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock's The Lake House) the whole thing hinges around an important letter. "You know there's like, a letter from Steve Albine that surfaced, when Nirvana recorded 'In Utero'? He just outlined the idea of like, fuck all the bullshit, there's no need to slave over shit and try to get everything perfect. The best thing to ever do is probably just punch it out as it would come naturally. And what happened with that album is it turned out fuckin' awesome. [That's] exactly what we were kinda talking about. "We just didn't wanna fuckin' do all this stupid shit that bands do with an album. We just wanted to record the song that we made up in the shed. And that was just this nice inspiration to think oh fuck, you know what? We actually can do it the way that that we'd like to and it'll turn out right." The album was recorded and mixed at Melbourne's Red Door Studios, in the capable hands of Woody Anderson (tour manager and sound engineer for Children Collide). The whole process — recording, mixing, the lot — took just four weeks. "It was all super chilled, all with Woody — just fuckin' easy peasy," says Jansch. "It was pretty much just a bunch of us in the studio, fuckin' chillin' out, makin' the songs." Dune Rats is a rambunctious ride through moments of pure silliness ('Dalai Lama' has five words in total: "Dalai Lama, Big Banana, marijuana,") and heartfelt bouts ('Home Sick'). Jansch is insistent, however, the trio didn't set out to make a particular type of song any given day. "It wasn't like "Ahhh what's today fellas? Let's try and write a funny song." All of them just fuckin' turned out." DUNE RATS TOUR DATES: June 12 - Mojo's, Fremantle WA June 13 - Amplifier, Perth WA June 14 - Uni Bar, Adelaide SA June 19 - Karova Lounge, Ballarat VIC June 20 - The Corner Hotel, Melbourne VIC June 21 - Oxford Art Factory, Sydney NSW June 28 - The Zoo, Brisbane QLD TO REGISTER FOR THE DUNIES PRE PARTIES: 1. Pre-order the album Dune Rats for ten beans at iTunes or JB HiFi. 2. Forward your iTunes or JB HiFi album preorder receipt and your mobile number to stuff@ratbagrecords.com. 3. Let the Dunies know which pre-show you'd like to go to from the dates above. 4. Wait. Recieve the deets on the morning of the show. Then party on dudes. For more details about the Dune Rats pub crawls and to preorder the album head over here. Dune Rats debut album is out Sunday, June 1.
Halloween's just around the corner and if you're anything like us you're busy collecting classic horror films to scare your weak-willed friends and family. For those not inclined to dress up as zombies from The Walking Dead and make trouble all over the city, the scary movie marathon is naturally the go-to plan. But it wasn't always that way. Every good horror fan got their start somewhere a little more tame. And, if you were young or shameless enough in the early 1990s, that start was through the work of R.L. Stine. The legendary Goosebumps writer responsible for a ridiculous number of YA hits, R.L. Stine was a God in every primary school. In the popularity pecking order, your coolness was inevitably judged by how many of his books you had read and everyone would have a copy handy to retreat into during reading time. It was the closest thing we could get to the blood and gore our parents wouldn't let us watch on screen. But, what if all that hysteria and literary mystery never had to end? Some bona fide genius on Tumblr has solved all the problems we never knew we had — they've re-imagined our favourite horror flicks as Goosebumps books for adults (or very inappropriate reads for children). Covering classics like Friday the 13th, The Shining, Carrie and Psycho, If It Were Stine looks at all the hardcore stories through the gloriously pulpy lens of Stine. Of course, if these were available in our childhood we would have grown up with serious problems. Paranoia, sleep problems and anxiety to say the least. When I was eight, my dad let me watch The Candyman with him because I thought it was about Willy Wonka. Who knows how I would have turned out had that been avoided. But, on the plus side, these books would make bestsellers for adults. Let's bring it back; make it cool again. Copyright, be damned. Someone should launch a Kickstarter campaign to make this a reality ASAP. Via AV Club. All images via If It Were Stine.
It was one of the last camping festivals that Victorians got to enjoy pre-pandemic, squeezing in just under the wire with its last edition in March 2020. And now, the much-loved Pitch Music & Arts is set to be one of the state's first camping festivals to make its glorious post-lockdown comeback, returning to the Grampians from Friday, March 11–Tuesday, March 15. It's a fittingly huge comeback, too, with a tasty lineup of 54 local and international acts delivering the goods across a five-day fiesta, served up by the minds behind Beyond the Valley. On the bill, you'll catch overseas heavyweights including Glasgow-based DJ and producer Denis Sulta, British electronic star Floating Points, Detroit's Inner City, Canadian DJ Jayda G, and German house icons Fjaak and Ben Böhmer. Joining them will be a diverse cast of homegrown legends, such as internationally-loved techno-house act Skin On Skin, dance floor favourite CC:Disco, producer Tornado Wallace and disco fiends Wax'o Paradiso. Fellow Aussie names including Fantastic Man, Jennifer Loveless, Claire Morgan, Sleep D, jamesjamesjames and Cassettes For Kids will also be making an appearance. As always, the dance-friendly house, techno and disco tunes will be backed by a smorgasbord of visual delights, to help energise your sweet return to festival life. It's all happening on a sprawling rural property in Moyston, around a two-and-a-half-hour drive northwest of Melbourne. Here's the full lineup to look forward to: PITCH MUSIC & ARTS 2022 LINEUP: 30/70 (LIVE) Anastasia Kristensen Ben Böhmer (LIVE) C.Frim Cassettes For Kids CC:Disco! Cinthie Claire Morgan COLLAR (LIVE) Crescendoll Cromby dameeeela Denis Sulta DJ Holographic DJ Jnett DJ pgz DJ Seinfeld - Mirrors (LIVE) Elli Acula Eris Drew b2b Octo Octa Fantastic Man Fjaak Floating Points (DJ) Fred P Haai Inner City (LIVE) jamesjamesjames Jayda G Jennifer Loveless Job Jobse Jordan Brando Juno Mamba (LIVE) Kee'ahn (LIVE) Laura King LCY Loods Maceo Plex Made In Paris Matrixxman Mella Dee Memphis LK (LIVE) Moopie Omrann & Ali (LIVE) PARTIBOI69 Peach Pink Matter (LIVE) Sally C Sherelle Skin On Skin Sleep D The Illustrious Blacks Tornado Wallace Tred Wax'o Paradiso X Club Pitch Music & Arts will take place in Moyston, from Friday, March 11–Tuesday, March 15, 2022. Register online for presale access before 4pm on Tuesday, December 7. Presale tickets are on sale from 6pm on Tuesday, December 7, with general public tickets available from 12pm on Wednesday, December 8.
It seems Melbourne's historic tramcar restaurants have been saved from extinction, two weeks after it was announced the tourist attraction's vehicles had been deemed unsafe and were no longer allowed to operate. As revealed by The Age last night, the famed moving restaurant has now been given a second chance, with Public Transport Victoria (PTV) offering to hook the company up with a newly upgraded W8-class tram while its own carriages await upgrade works. Colonial Tramcar Restaurant CEO Paul O'Brien took to Facebook last month to share the reasons behind the shutdown, blaming "a bureaucratic deadlock with Yarra Trams". The company had reportedly been given just two weeks to make safety improvements to its carriages in order to keep running, though were unable to schedule in for the necessary works until at least 2020. The 35-year-old attraction has proved it's got quite the backing, regardless of any safety concerns — we saw a lot of disappointed comments on our original story, and over 6000 people signing a change.org petition calling for Yarra Trams and Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan to step in and help save it. According to The Age, following a meeting with PTV chief executive Jeroen Weimar, the Colonial Tramcar Restaurant will now get to borrow an upgraded W8-Class tram from this November, and, after a bit of schedule shuffling, its own vehicles will get in to see the tram doctor from as early as this December. Should it choose to take PTV up on its offer, Colonial would have to pay for both the fit-out of the loaned tram and the major upgrades to its own historic trams, which could be costly. Either way, it looks like it won't be too long before the tramcar will be rolling slowly through the city again. Via The Age.
If you've had the words "bring on the Deadpool and Rob McElhеnney" stuck in your head since 2022, or "we've got Mullin, super Paul Mullin" instead — or as well — then you're either a fan of Welcome to Wrexham or Wrexham AFC, or both. It was back in 2020 that It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Mythic Quest's McElhenney bought the Welsh football club with Deadpool & Wolverine's Ryan Reynolds. Two years later, a documentary series about that huge move dropped its first season on Disney+. Success has followed both on the field and on the screen, including a run of promotions for the club and three more seasons of the series — the latest of which, the fourth, arrives on Friday, May 16, 2025. Thanks to a show that's not too far from an IRL Ted Lasso, Wrexham's fanbase has gone global. Hollywood's involvement will do that — but, as the series has chronicled to touching effect, Reynolds and McElhenney have always put revitalising the club, its stadium, and the town and community around it first. In 2025, Wrexham are heading Down Under, too, in a literal sense. The club has announced three games across Australia and New Zealand in July, visiting the two countries on its pre-season tour. "From the very beginning, we wanted to help make Wrexham a globally recognised team, town and brand," said McElhenney and Reynolds, announcing the Down Under trip, which will see the team play in Melbourne, Sydney and Wellington. "We could not be more excited to bring the Red Dragons to Australia and New Zealand, and we are particularly proud that this announcement features neither a Men at Work or Hugh Jackman joke. The latter of which took maturity and tremendous restraint. We're proud of Ryan. Of course, we make no promises going forward." Wrexham will face off against a trio of local squads: lining up against Melbourne Victory at Marvel Stadium on Friday, July 11; taking on Sydney FC at Allianz Stadium on Tuesday, July 15; and competing against Wellington Phoenix at Sky Stadium on Saturday, July 19. For their past two pre-season tours, Wrexham have unsurprisingly journeyed to the US, including playing games against fellow UK sides Manchester United and Chelsea. Now, they're hitting Australia and Aotearoa as part of their plans to ideally be in the same league as both of those powerhouse English teams come the 2026–27 season. Since the 2022–23 season, Wrexham has been promoted every year under manager Phil Parkinson, first from the National League to League Two, then from the latter to League One — and next, in the 2025–26 season, they'll play in the Championship League, aiming to get promoted to the top-tier Premier League from there. If you can't make it to Wrexham's two Australian matches or one NZ game, they're being streamed via Paramount+. And for something to watch in the interim, check out trailer for Welcome to Wrexham season four below: Wrexham Down Under 2025 Fixtures Friday, July 11 — Melbourne Victory vs Wrexham AFC at Marvel Stadium, Melbourne, from 7.30pm AEST Tuesday, July 15 — Sydney FC vs Wrexham AFC at Allianz Stadium, Melbourne, from 7.30pm AEST Saturday, July 19 — Wellington Phoenix vs Wrexham AFC at Sky Stadium, Wellington, from 5pm NZST [caption id="attachment_1003973" align="alignnone" width="1920"] John Lord via Flickr[/caption] Wrexham's Down Under tour is taking place in July 2025. For more information, head to the Wrexham website — and for tickets, visit Ticketek in Australia and New Zealand. Welcome to Wrexham streams via Disney+, with season four arriving from Friday, May 16, 2025.
If there's one thing summer has in abundance it's activities. Whether you're heading on a trip or staying local, there's always plenty to do, see and explore when the sun comes out to play. Yet, somehow, we still seem to always do the same old things: quick dips in the ocean and having mates round for a Sunday session in your backyard. Don't get us wrong, they're both great. But, after a pretty rough year, why not take things up a notch and make this one more memorable? We've partnered up with Bacardi to help you be a bit more unconventional over the warmer months. Here are seven ways you can make the most of the glorious weather, without resorting to the predictable. Think underwater art museums, camping with the crew, multi-venue festivals and cocktail parties in parks. TAKE A HIKE Sure, it might not be the most original summer activity on the list, but getting out into nature is rewarding at any time of year. You'll want to avoid heatstroke, so it's best to get going early or in the late arvo when the temperature starts to drop — which means you'll see some mighty fine sunrises and sunsets. So, put on your best outdoor shoes, slap on some sunscreen and ready yourself for an adventure. If you're in Sydney, you can cruise along one of the city's many coastal walks or hike in a national park, where you'll find some swimming holes to cool off in. In Brisbane, you can conquer epic mountains, check out rushing falls and look out over stunning vistas, without having to venture too far from the big smoke — check out five of the best walks here. Down south in Victoria, there's everything from out-of-town seaside strolls to epic multi-day hikes, boasting idyllic views of pristine beaches, sprawling countryside and serene vineyards, plus plenty of local wildlife. [caption id="attachment_784354" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Disney+ Drive-In[/caption] CATCH A FLICK AT A DRIVE-IN CINEMA Looking for an idea for a date or fun night out with mates? Forget the recliner, keep to social-distancing requirements and catch a movie under the stars, while keeping cool in your car at a drive-in cinema. Head to Skyline Drive-In in Blacktown, Sydney, where you can catch something on the big screen every night of the week, whether it's a new blockbuster or cult classic. If you grew up in Brissy, you've probably already been to old fave Yatala Dive-In and, with such a great rotating program, who could blame you? If you'd rather do something different, though, head to The Tivoli Drive-In on a Saturday. Melbourne locals, you're spoiled for choice with Dandenong Lunar Drive-In and Village Cinemas Coburg Drive-In and, come December, a pop-up Disney+ Drive-In. HOST A COCKTAIL PARTY IN A PARK Know a good patch of green near you? Then, take your next event to the park and impress your mates with an impromptu cocktail party — with a dress code encouraged, of course. Grab some picnic blankets, portable speakers and fun snacks, then get ready to whip up some next-level bevvies. For tropical tipples, you'll need a few bottles of Bacardi, then check out these four super-easy rum cocktails. We recommend batch-making some frozen strawberry daiquiris to keep things simple — just make sure your party guests know to arrive on time. And, because no good cocktail party is complete without snacks, head to a park with a barbecue so you can throw on some snags, too. [caption id="attachment_770817" align="alignnone" width="2000"] White Rabbit 'And Now' by Kimberley Low[/caption] STAY COOL AT A BLOCKBUSTER ART EXHIBITION While being outdoors when it's sunny is ace, sometimes you just want to kick back in air-conditioning. If that's the case, head to an indoor art exhibition where you can get your cultural kicks — and stay cool. Check out contemporary Chinese art at White Rabbit Gallery, the MCA's landmark summer exhibition Lindy Lee: Moon in a Dew Drop or head to Eveleigh arts and cultural institution Carriageworks. Or, step into Brisbane's Queensland Art Gallery (QAG) and Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), with Unfinished Business: The Art of Gordon Bennett currently showing, or see some Bauhaus designs at the Museum of Brisbane. But, perhaps the most exciting of all is Victoria's NGV Triennial, running from December 19 till April next year. Expect to see marine monsters, giant mirrored sculptures by Jeff Koons and a multi-sensory walkway at this massive exhibition. The capital currently has a groundbreaking exhibition showing at the NGA, too, profiling prominent Aussie women artists. GO CAMPING WITH THE CREW No matter where you are in Australia, there's always a spot waiting nearby for you to set up camp. Whether your crew wants to be close to sandy shores or in a remote pocket of wilderness under luminous stars, camping is an awesome way to escape the daily grind. Because we're big fans of reconnecting with nature here at Concrete Playground, we've already sought out some of the top camping spots around the country, too. New South Wales has a bunch of free campgrounds — you can find our pick of the bunch over here, from riverside spots to mountainous getaways. If you're more into the high life, Queensland has plenty of luxe glaming stays. Otherwise, pitch your own tent in Lamington National Park or right by the beach at one of these ten spots. If you're keen to check out regional Victoria, there's beach camping galore as well as plenty of top-notch free grounds not too far from Melbourne. As most of us won't be travelling far this summer (or at least not overseas), many campgrounds are already starting to book out, so be sure to do your research before hitting the road. [caption id="attachment_792466" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mushroom Creative House[/caption] SEE A LIVE GIG If there's one thing Australia does well across the country, it's live music — even now amid a global pandemic. After months of catching live tunes from our living rooms, it's time to chair-dance at IRL gigs once again. Sydney's Enmore Theatre, Mary's Underground, The Vanguard and Oxford Art Factory all have stellar lineups over the next few months and the annual Sydney Festival never disappoints. If you're in Queensland, or can make it up to the Sunshine State over summer, there are a bunch of COVID-Safe festivals going ahead, including To The Point Festival, This That, The Tivoli's Open Season and Mountain Goat Valley Crawl. Although Melbourne is still waiting for live gigs to come back, punters can see a live comedy show at The Catfish in Fitzroy and be sure to keep an eye out for gig announcements likely to come to a heap of Melbourne live music venues. HIT THE HIGH SEAS There's nothing like diving into the ocean when the mercury is rising. But, rather than just splash about by the shore, there are plenty of other ways you can hit the highs seas instead. Think paddleboarding, kayaking and surfing Sydney seas, or swimming with turtles and scuba diving with manta rays, which are particularly grand on the Queensland coast. While you're there, you should check out the southern hemisphere's first underwater art museum, too. Melbourne may not be known for its beaches, but you can chase plenty of nearby waterfalls instead, or take a windsurfing lesson at St Kilda Beach. Do what moves you this summer with Bacardi. Once you've ticked off all the above adventures, check out Bacardi's competition, where you and 20 mates could win the chance to attend Australia's smallest music festival. Top image: Bec Taylor
The northern suburb of Preston is set to farewell four of its existing railway level crossings as part of the government's extended Level Crossing Removal Project. In their place, locals will score a giant green gift: an additional 60,000 square metres of public open space, equivalent to the same size of three MCGs. Removing the four crossings by creating an elevated train line over the roadways will make way for this new green space. The designs for the additional space were unveiled this week, featuring two new nature-based playgrounds, more than 700 trees, and an infusion of around 150,000 shrubs, grasses and groundcover plants. Locals can also expect a shared walking and cycling path linking the new Preston and Bell stations, and a new fitness zone with outdoor exercise equipment to be installed near Preston Oval. A range of other planned multipurpose facilities includes a barbecue area, casual seating and an amphitheatre located close to Bell Station. [caption id="attachment_825516" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Render of the new amphitheatre — artist impression only, subject to change, supplied by the Level Crossing Removal Project.[/caption] The designs were created in collaboration with the Preston Open Space Advisory panel, off the back of community feedback and consultation that was undertaken last year. Construction on the project is currently underway, though it'll be a while before residents can enjoy their suburb's new green addition. The removal of the boom gates and opening of the new stations are both slated for completion by the end of 2022, with the open space set to be ready for use sometime in 2023. The Level Crossing Removal Project has already seen similar green upgrades launched in other parts of metropolitan Melbourne. Find out more about the Preston Level Crossing Removal Project and the program as a whole at the website. Renders: Artist impression only, subject to change, supplied by the Level Crossing Removal Project.
Cinco de Mayo – Mexico's annual celebration of its victory over France in 1862 – is coming up on Monday, May 5. And Melbourne is taking on the festival like is its very own, with a bunch of margarita-fulled parties, including Cinco Sounds at Yarraville's Hotel Mexico. Another spot getting into the spirit is La Cabra. Head along to any of the Mexican eatery's venues on Sunday, May 4, or Monday, May 5, and order any tasty bite to be in with a chance to challenge a staff member to Taco! Scissors! Rock! The game follows the same rules as the classic Paper! Scissors! Rock! But the prize is so much more than playground glory – it's a taco of your choice, be it beef, chicken or eggplant. On top of that, margaritas, including the agave, jalapeno and frozen versions, will be just 10 bucks on both days, and there's a limited-edition paella on the menu. Get in on the action in Ballarat, Carlton, Carnegie, Hampton, Hawthorn, Mordialloc, Mornington, South Yarra and St Kilda.
