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.
When bushfires swept through the Snowy Mountains in January 2020, Selwyn Snow Resort in Cabramurra sustained extensive damage. Unsurprisingly, the facility didn't operate during winter, spending the past focusing on clean-up and redevelopment efforts instead — and it has just announced exactly what's in store as part of its rebuild. A reopening date hasn't yet been set, but work has now started on the site, after planning approval was received last month. Also pivotal: the signing of a new 40-year lease between the New South Wales Government and the Blyton Group, the venue's owner. Accordingly, the resort is sticking around for the long haul, and it has big plans. That includes a new L-shaped Selwyn Centre, which'll house all guest facilities and services in one building — spanning ski and snowboard hire, lockers, ticketing, food and drink venues, seating and the kids club. There'll also be a new resort operations centre, where mountain staff will be based, complete with a new ski patrol setup. The staff accommodation will be moved, the chairlift will be upgraded and extended, and the snowmaking infrastructure will get a makeover. [caption id="attachment_802692" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Render of new Selwyn Centre[/caption] Also on the agenda: two new snow carpets just for perfecting turns — and, as part of a bigger and relocated toboggan park, another 150-metre snow carpet. The latter facility will also score a platform atop its slope, and the snow sports learning area will move into the toboggan park's former space, giving it more room. Mainly aimed at children but also bound to welcome the young at heart, a Winter Wonderland will join the resort, too. Taking pride of place will be a skating rink that can operate in all conditions, and also double as a bumper car arena. Visitors will be able to walk through a miniature enchanted village, and take snowshoe walking tours of Kosciuszko National Park. Strictly for the littlies, there'll be a tubing carousel and kid snowmobiles. Selwyn Snow Resort will implement a new ticketing system as well, when it's ready to reopen. Announcing the rebuilding plan, Blyton Group Chairman Kevin James Blyton noted that "in the aftermath of the fires, we committed to building a bigger and better Selwyn and we meant it. I'm very pleased that the long-term future of Selwyn Snow Resort has been secured. Selwyn Snow Resort has been the place for thousands of families to learn to ski or snowboard over the years and I'm very pleased that this will continue for generations to come". Selwyn Snow Resort is rebuilding at its existing site at 213A Kings Cross Road, Cabramurra, New South Wales. A reopening date hasn't yet been announced — head to the resort website to keep an eye on the project's progress.
Looking to escape winter? We hear you. That's why we've teamed up with the wild child of luxury Cairns hotels, Crystalbrook Flynn, to give one lucky CP reader — and a plus one — the chance to win the ultimate tropical getaway. If you're looking for a big dose of sunshine and the rush of adventure, pop your details below to go into the running to score a Thrill and Chill package. The getaway includes two nights in the spacious Flynn's Suite (which features unbeatable views of the Coral Sea) with a Wolf Lane negroni on arrival; return private transfer between the airport and the hotel; daily breakfast for two at Flynn's Italian; a scenic helicopter flight over the Great Barrier Reef or Wet Tropics rainforest; 60-minute signature spa treatment for two at Eléme Day Spa; and a fully stocked cabana for a seriously lavish pool day including champagne, charcuterie, fresh seasonal fruit, poolside lunch and bottomless sparkling water and soft drinks. To sweeten the deal, we'll also throw in a $500 flight voucher to get you there and back. The five-star hotel is located in the heart of Cairns, just footsteps from Cairns Esplanade. And with so many incredible ways to experience Tropical North Queensland, you'll be perfectly positioned for the ultimate escape from winter — if you even want to leave the hotel. It's time to channel your inner thrill-seeker, and jet set to the tropics. [competition]859968[/competition]
2024 was a year of heartbreaking cancellations in the Australian music scene. Not every festival that took some time out has returned a year later, but 2025 has thankfully seen more than a few comebacks. Here's the latest: Harvest Rock, the Adelaide event that cemented itself as a fest worth travelling to in its 2022 debut and 2023's second spin, has locked in a two-day 2025 instalment in October. It was in August 2024 that Harvest Rock revealed that just two years after initially popping up, the decision had been made to postpone that year's event. The news came after Splendour in the Grass announced its 2024 dates and lineup, then ditched its plans — and following Groovin the Moo going through the same cycle of reveals and cancellations. Spilt Milk, Summergrounds Music Festival and Dark Mofo also sat the year out or said goodbye permanently. Dark Mofo returned for 2025, as is Spilt Milk — and now Harvest Rock is joining them. Only Teenage Joans have been named on the lineup for this year's stint at Rymill Park / Murlawirrapurka and King Rodney Park / Ityamai-itpina so far, but you can pop Tuesday, August 12 in your diary, as that's when the full roster of acts that'll be taking to the stage will be unveiled. Also crucial, dates-wise: Saturday, October 25–Sunday, October 26, when the festival is taking place. When Harvest Rock was first born, hailing from the Secret Sounds crew — who were also behind Splendour in the Grass — it aimed to get everyone dancing in a park in Adelaide each spring, including interstaters heading to South Australia to enjoy the fest's visitworthy lineups. The first year welcomed Jack White, Groove Armada, The Avalanches, Crowded House and Courtney Barnett, for starters. 2023 backed that up with Jamiroquai and Beck doing Australian-exclusive shows, plus everyone from Sparks and Nile Rogers & Chic to Bright Eyes and Paul Kelly. A two-day blend of music, food and wine — well, it is in SA — Harvest Rock also spans Adelaide's top restaurants and eateries serving up dishes, a culinary-focused stage and wine tastings. 2025's iteration will include Wildwoods & Cellar Door by Duncan Welgemoed and Nick Stock, for starters. "We're thrilled to see Harvest Rock return to its Adelaide home to deliver a festival that brings global stadium-sized artists to South Australia, while also championing the region's world-class food, wine and culture for interstate guests. Harvest Rock not only drives tourism and benefits local businesses, but offers a unique festival experience for all ages across the local community and beyond," advised Festival Director of Harvest Rock Ryan Sabet. "Music to the ears of festival lovers and our hospitality and tourism operators, Harvest Rock will return to Adelaide this October. The beauty of this festival is that it combines what we do best in South Australia — offering premium food and beverages and delivering memorable events," said SA Minister for Tourism Zoe Bettison about Harvest Rock's comeback. "Held in 2022 and 2023, Harvest Rock has contributed a combined $34.5 million to the state's economy. We continue to see the impact major events like this deliver to our economy, while reinforcing our state's reputation as the ultimate destination for bucket-list events — whether you are a sports fan, art lover, foodie or just enjoy a good festival." Harvest Rock 2025 is set to take place across Saturday, October 25–Sunday, October 26 at Rymill Park / Murlawirrapurka and King Rodney Park / Ityamai-itpina, Adelaide. Head to the festival's website for further details — with presale tickets available from Tuesday, August 19 and general sales from Wednesday, August 20. And check back here on Tuesday, August 12 for the lineup. Image: Ian Laidlaw / Mitch Lowe / Zennieshia Butts.
Some actors have a type. The films change, and the names of their characters as well, but it can feel as if they're always playing a variation of the same person. That sensation doesn't apply to Jackie van Beek's work. Many movie lovers discovered her on-screen as Jackie, the human familiar to a Wellington sharehouse-dwelling vampire in What We Do in the Shadows. In the decade since the hit comedy, she's helped end romances in The Breaker Upperers, which she also co-wrote and co-directed with Deadloch star Madeleine Sami — and then disrobed for Nude Tuesday, this time penning the script solo, alongside portraying a woman who attempts to reignite the spark in her marriage by heading to a couples' retreat where clothes are often optional. Now arrives Audrey, a delightfully dark Australian comedy from first-time feature director Natalie Bailey (Bay of Fires, Joe vs Carole, Run) and screenwriter Lou Sanz (The PM's Daughter, 6 Festivals) that enlists van Beek as a former star. Decades after her Logie-winning heyday, Ronnie Lipsick hasn't given up on her showbiz dreams. The world beckoned when she was at the top of the acting game, but then she had her first daughter and settled into married life; however, she still knows what she wants. Her focus after 18 years of being a mum: ensuring that the movie's eponymous figure (Josephine Blazier, Fires) makes it big as well, whether she likes it or not. Nothing is going to stop Ronnie in this quest — not even Audrey falling into a coma. There's regular second chances, and then there's Ronnie's path. When Audrey can't follow the route to fame and fortune that's been plotted out for her, Ronnie impersonates her instead. There's endeavouring to cope with tragedy, and then there's the Lipsick family's response to Audrey's plight as well — including on Ronnie's husband Cormack (Jeremy Lindsay Taylor, Force of Nature: The Dry 2) and younger daughter Norah's (Hannah Diviney, Latecomers) parts. As keeps proving the case across van Beek's filmography, no one will mistake Audrey for any other movie. After debuting at SXSW in Austin, the blackly and sharply hilarious feature now hits Australian cinemas in what's been a busy year for its lead. Off-camera in 2024, the New Zealand talent was one of the driving forces behind the Australian version of The Office, and also directed an episode of Time Bandits. Audrey appealed to van Beek's love of dark comedy, she tells Concrete Playground. Unsurprisingly, Ronnie stood out as the kind of character that isn't a standard fixture on-screen. When The Breaker Upperers released in 2018, she chatted with us, alongside Sami, about creating roles for the two that didn't exist otherwise. Now, van Beek advises that when she was reading Audrey's script, she thought "oh, she's delicious. She's so challenging to like. I thought as an actor, it'll be such a great kind of joy to try, and to try to pull her off with some degree of charm." "When I read Lou Sanz's script, Ronnie Lipsick is a morally ambiguous, very career-driven kind of obsessive mother, and I just thought 'what a delight'. Because you don't come across these characters — especially as a female — you just don't come across these characters very often. Well, I hadn't," van Beek notes. "I love dark comedy. I think I was probably told the premise, I imagine by Lou or the producer Michael Wrenn before I read the script. So as soon as I heard the premise, I was like 'ooh, this sounds perfectly dark for me'. I love comedy, but I do really like the edginess of this premise. I think someone who prioritises resurrecting her career over nursing her daughter back to health is a very interesting character to play." Also built into Audrey: recognition that being a mother shouldn't mean giving up on your own journey, an adult coming-of-age tale and a woman's quest, albeit by highly questionable means such as pretending to be her teenage offspring, to reclaim her own sense of self. We discussed all of the above with van Beek, too, alongside what she drew upon to play Ronnie, portraying such a tricky character in a heightened story, what gets her excited about a new project, what you learn making a movie like Audrey and more. On the Film's Ability Not Only to Rally Against Traditional Visions of Womanhood and Motherhood, But to Take That Idea to a Comedic Extreme "It was an interesting take, because I think we've seen a lot of films, dramas and comedies, about women who are struggling, as a lot of us do — women who are struggling with that work/life balance, being being pulled one way as a mother, being pulled another way by their career. And I think we're quite used to those stories. I think this film, obviously what I love, really pushes it to a comedic extreme. I mean, I find Ronnie kind of delusionally adorable, but also abhorrent. I hope that I'm a very different woman to her. But it was delightful to play, because pushing the idea that women aren't born simply to reproduce or mother, but are born to bring about your hopes and dreams, through a career or what have you, is fun. I did find Ronnie Lipsick to be quite mentally unhinged, and in need of some professional help, I would say. She's really spinning off the planet. She's such an egotist. She's so vain. And she's really lost sight of what's important in life. But I do love this idea, to the extreme in Lou's script, that she absolutely prioritises her career over her over her daughter's health." On Finding Inspiration to Play Ronnie — and Always Trying to Win the Audience Over "I'm a mother myself. I have three children, so obviously I was able to easily draw on my own life for the harried mum aspect of the character — organising the pickups, all the logistics with the husband, wanting them to do well. So I've drawn on a lot of that. In terms of her being dangerously delusional, I didn't have much to go on from my real life. So what I did was, I came up through theatre, I was in theatre for like 20 years before I got into TV and film, and a lot of my training was about trying to win the audience over. So whether or not you were a hero or a villain, you try to charm the audience so much that you can have them onside. I really thought that would be a fun game to play, just for myself, over the course of production, to see — by finding vulnerability or delusion or asking the audience to sympathise with me in any way — whether or not I could win the audience over to my side, so they would, I guess, forgive Ronnie for some of the choices she made." On Ensuring That Depth Shines Through When You're Playing Such a Tricky Character in a Heightened Story "It was hugely important for me to navigate a truth for the character throughout the story. And, in some scenes that was harder than harder than others, because it is a very heightened story, and a very heightened reality that we were playing within. Natalie Bailey, the director, was fantastic at helping me navigate that — as was Lou, the writer, who was on set the whole time, which was incredibly useful. But it was really important to me that I could feel truth in every single scene. And so some of the more heightened ones, I really had to lean into Ronnie's delusion, I guess — so that I thought if I, as Ronnie, can actually believe what I'm saying, even if it seems ridiculous to everybody else in the scene and in the audience, as long as I can believe it, it should feel like a real human being that's going on a journey. But some scenes are more tricky than others. That's a fun challenge. I love reading a role where I go 'ooh, this is going to be quite tricky'. And it was. It was such a fun challenge to take on that part." On Adult Coming-of-Age Stories Blossoming as a Genre — and Tales of Women Aiming to Reclaim Their Identities "I'm not sure why it's coming up more now. Maybe because more adults have access to therapy and so people are reflecting on these things? Definitely on my to-do list is to carve out time to go to see therapists. I haven't quite managed to do it yet. But I'm really enjoying the stories coming out at the moment, especially with female protagonists, about women around my age — I'm 48 — who have realised that they've lost a sense of self and they are really struggling to find a way to reclaim an identity. I think what interests me is a lot of people, they don't go deep enough, and try to just reclaim their youth through surgery or affairs or whatever. I'm really fascinated by that. I think all women that I know have just read Miranda July's All Fours, which I think is an incredible examination of that kind of reclaiming that sense of self. It's a fascinating subject." On Audrey, the Australian Version of The Office and Time Bandits All Reaching Screens Within Months of Each Other "The momentum of that is quite strange because, of course, these projects all happened at quite different times and it really is coincidence, I think, that everything lands in the same few months. It all depends on how long the post-production is or the distributor. But it's exciting to have things come out. I'm always someone who really itches to get a project in front of an audience to get that response. But I'm also someone who doesn't really dwell on the response, because I've always moved on to a million other things. But I love it — as I said before, I came up through theatre, so it was all about working as hard as you can and then opening night, the curtains open and you give the projects to an audience, you share that. So it's always a relief for me when something finally is out there and you're like 'oh good, okay, actually it's opening night, the curtains are parting, and people can actually now watch it and respond'. I think I do find it hard when you're in development for a number of things, and nothing's on-screen or you're not delivering anything to an audience. You just feel like you're working in this weird, insular bubble, and what's the point if nobody is able to see this thing you're working on and respond to it. And then, of course, with every response you learn so much about what we've created. And I then I take that onto my next projects. I'm very invested in learning, I guess." On What Gets van Beek Excited About a New Project at This Stage of Her Career "The most-exciting element for me with new projects is the team on it. There are so many people from all around the world, of all different levels of experience, that I'm just dying to work with. And so for my own projects, I of course seek these people out to collaborate with — actors, directors, writers. I think that is the driving force. Second to that, well, actually shooting location is quite important for me because I have three kids and my youngest is still only 12. So I am always trying to prioritise projects like Time Bandits that can be made here in New Zealand, so that I don't have to be away from the kids and my family for too long. And then, of course, the project itself — I'm very drawn, and always have been, to projects which will potentially polarise. I kind of find it thrilling to take on a project or be a part of a project that I think could go either way. The Office, for example, it did seem so silly to create the 13th version of The Office. But, of course, I leapt at the opportunity knowing it was going to be the first version with a female lead, and I knew that was quite high-risk because people are so besotted with the UK and the US versions. But it was that risk that really thrilled me. And the same with when I get involved in some local low-budget films here in New Zealand, sometimes it's the project that draws me, like it's something that I've never kind of seen before or they're taking a big risk on something. And I'm like 'ooh, I'd love to be a part of that because I like the thrill of it'. I'm not really drawn to something that feels quite kind of tried and true, I guess." On What van Beek Learned Starring in Audrey "It's interesting. I think when I'm acting in other people's films or projects, I learn a lot about writing and directing. And then I feel like when I'm writing and directing my own projects, I learn a lot about acting. I think I learn a lot from the other people that are surrounding me. And I really enjoy jumping between acting, writing and directing for that. So I'm constantly shifting roles and having these experiences from both sides. But I think with Audrey, I'm a real believer in 'if you say yes to a project, then you really are giving yourself over to that writer and especially to the director'. So once I say yes to something, I'm pretty much like 'what do you want me to do?' — like 'here I am, what do you want me to do? I'll do anything.'. I don't say yes to a project unless I unless I'm prepared to offer up everything." Audrey opened in Australian cinemas on Thursday, November 7, 2024.
There's no shortage of things to do on a trip to Paris, or iconic sights to see. Between now and September, visitors can add taking a dip in a canal to their travel bucket list — and while it mightn't initially sound all that special, it's the first time Parisians have legally been able to do so in nearly a century. As part of the annual Paris Plages, a summer-long event that turns the banks of the river Seine into short-term artificial beaches, the Bassin de La Villette now boasts three temporary pools. Measuring 100 metres in length in total and 16 metres across, the trio of splash-tastic bodies of water is comprised of a shallow paddling pool for kids, a second shallow pool with a depth of 1.2 metres and a 2.2-metre deep pool for adults. Given that going for a swim isn't just about jumping into some refreshing H20, with lazing around afterwards also part of the fun, the pool area includes a beach with huts, deckchairs and palm trees — aka a tropical getaway right in the heart of the city. And if you're wondering why it's all so novel, Paris' canals have historically been known for their murky state, making the fact that the Bassin de La Villette is now clean enough for people to soak in an event worth celebrating. While the pools will be dismantled at the end of the season, it is hoped they'll return next year. Paris has further plans to open up its waterways, including in the Daumesnil lake in the Bois de Vincennes on the eastern side of the city, as well as part of its 2024 Olympics bid. In Australia, similar plans have been mooted for Melbourne and Brisbane, although neither have come to fruition yet. Via The Local / The Guardian. Image: Jmpoirier1
Legendary artist GZA might be best known for his rapping career and for being a member of iconic hip hop outfit Wu-Tang Clan. But the guy just so happens to be an absolute gun chess player, too. And you'll get a chance to see his skills in action when he drops by Melbourne for a sneaky speed chess tournament next month. GZA's appearance marks the launch of The Fanatics — a new series led by award-winning Brunswick-based rye whiskey distillery The Gospel, celebrating culture, community and music. The fun kicks off Monday, May 15, at 75 Reid Street in Fitzroy North, with the chess competition you never knew you needed in your life. Entry to play in the tournament will set you back $30, plus there's also a limited number of spots at a meet-and-greet with GZA, priced at $45. Otherwise, you can opt for a $20 general admission ticket and head along to play spectator to the day's festivities. African Australian hip-hop artist N'fa is taking on hosting duties for the event, with local acts DJ Mr Lob and Deejay Mathmatics spinning vinyl tunes from 4.30pm. Of course, with The Gospel at the helm, there'll be a solid drinks offering to match, including whiskey cocktails aplenty. [caption id="attachment_898046" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Azuree Wiitala[/caption] Top image: Azuree Wiitala
Making its home on Collingwood's bustling Smith Street, co-working space Worksmith is focused on what the area does best — food and bev. In fact, it's specifically designed for those working in the industry and is set up to empower talented Australians, allowing a creative space for their professional development in the hospitality scene. Co-founded by hospo heavy hitter Michael Bascetta (Bar Liberty, Attica, Capitano) and his childhood friend Roscoe Power (a property development and construction specialist), the duo wanted to create a space that "encourages collaboration without limitation." "We've seen [Growth Assembly] bring together amazing talent, nurture friendships and provide a platform to inspire, learn and support one another within the industry," says Bascetta. "Worksmith takes it one step further by putting those amazing values into practice, every day." Launched in February this year, Worksmith supports its members by creating a community of collaborative spaces, industry events and member projects. In addition to 65 desks, as well as meeting rooms and a podcasting studio, Worksmith boasts an eleven-metre bar pumping out craft beers by partner Moon Dog and an event space that caters for up to 100 people. It'll soon open a fully-equipped commercial kitchen with a La Marzocco espresso machine. Membership ranges from a 24-hour day pass ($40) to a 'resident' ($690 per month) — the latter of which includes a permanent desk, 24/7 access, unlimited internet, coffee by local partner Square One, Unico Zelo wine, brews from a beer vending machine, a locker, bike storage and invites to all social events. Bascetta is also backed by other big wig founding members, including three-time Sommelier of the Year Banjo Harris Plane (The Wine Gallery, Attica, Bar Liberty) and Dave Kerr (The Beaufort), along with international pickup Luke Whearty (Operation Dagger, Singapore). And, in terms of members, the space has already attracted the likes of drink companies Four Pillars, Marionette and Archie Rose, plus start-ups such as posBoss, Dish app, Feastively, HoppApp, The Humble Dumpling and Eighteen Thousand Islands. The team is also looking to expand — both within Melbourne, thanks to its popularity over the past six months, as well as interstate. Find Worksmith at 450 Smith Street, Collingwood. To learn more, visit its website.
Normal life can wait, there's movies to watch: in Sydney each June, that's the mantra. 2024's Sydney Film Festival has been unveiling its packed lineup since early April, including a Midnight Oil documentary to open this year's fest, a Bondi Icebergs doco, Hellraiser with a new live score and a retrospective that pays tribute to Senegalese filmmaker Ousmane Sembène. Now arrives the full program, from Yorgos Lanthimos' Poor Things follow-up Kinds of Kindness playing straight from Cannes in SFF's official competition — and yes, it stars Emma Stone (The Curse) — through to the usual latest and greatest in Australian and world cinema. "Usual" is never quite the word for a major film fest like Sydney's winter showcase, of course. As SFF will demonstrate from Wednesday, June 5–Sunday, June 16, every year's festival looks and feels different because variety is at the heart of its choices. And with a couple of hundred flicks always on the bill — 197 films is 2024's tally, hailing from 69 countries, with 92 narrative features and 54 documentaries, and also 28 world premieres and 133 Australian premieres — Sydney Film Festival's titles can boast a heap of well-known talents and still never resemble past fests. As he has every year that he's been at the helm since 2012, Festival Director Nashen Moodley has stuffed the event's 71st iteration with everything from Hunter Schafer (Euphoria)-starring thriller Cuckoo and Sundance hit I Saw the TV Glow from We're All Going to the World's Fair's Jane Schoenbrun — which is about two teens grappling with their favourite television show getting cancelled — through to Indigenous Aussie horror via The Moogai, which makes the leap from SFF-winning short to feature vying for the new $35,000 First Nations Award. Or, there's also Dahomey, which won this year's Berlinale Golden Bear; The Bikeriders, starring Jodie Comer (Killing Eve), Austin Butler (Dune: Part Two), Tom Hardy (Venom: Let There Be Carnage) and Mike Faist (Challengers); and Grand Tour, as directed by 2015 Sydney Film Prize-winner Miguel Gomes (Arabian Nights). Kinds of Kindness, an anthology effort from Lanthimos, is joined in SFF's official competition by not only Grand Tour and opening night's Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line, but also by titles from India, Germany, Ireland, France, Argentina, Mexico, Italy and Vietnam. They include All We Imagine as Light, the first Indian film playing in Cannes' competition in three decades; three IRL Belfast rappers starring as themselves — and co-starring with Michael Fassbender (Next Goal Wins) — in comedy Kneecap; a tribute to Italian acting great Marcello Mastroianni; Sujo, the cartel drama that won 2024's Sundance Grand Jury Prize; and September Says, the directorial debut of actor Ariane Labed (which means that she's competing against her Alps and The Lobster director Lanthimos). The highlights keep coming across the rest of the program. Aussie boxing drama Kid Snow with Phoebe Tonkin (Boy Swallows Universe), the Kate Winslet (The Regime)- and Alexander Skarsgård (Mr & Mrs Smith)-led Lee about WWII reporter Lee Miller, Armand starring The Worst Person in the World's Renate Reinsve, Saoirse Ronan (Foe) as a recovering addict in page-to-screen adaptation The Outrun, Australian surfing culture documentary You Should Have Been Here Yesterday: they're all on the list. Or, get excited about Aubrey Plaza's (Scott Pilgrim Takes Off) new comedy My Old Ass, which Margot Robbie (Barbie) produced; The Convert, which features Guy Pearce (The Clearing) and is directed by Once Were Warriors' Lee Tamahori; and Japan's My Sunshine, which follows a boy who learns to figure skate solely to get his crush's attention. Problemista, directed by and starring Los Espookys' Julio Torres opposite Tilda Swinton (The Killer), is one of the standout indies on the bill. So is Stress Positions, as led by John Early (The Afterparty) and set in New York City during lockdown. Also boasting familiar faces, The Dead Don't Hurt is a feminist western helmed by and starring Viggo Mortensen (Crimes of the Future), and also featuring Vicky Krieps (Corsage) — and A Different Man features Sebastian Stan (Dumb Money), Ghostlight has Triangle of Sadness' Dolly De Leon, and Peter Sarsgaard (The Batman) and Jessica Chastain (George & Tammy) are in Memory. Sasquatch Sunset, directed by the Zellner brothers (Damsel), also sees Riley Keough (Daisy Jones & the Six) and Jesse Eisenberg (Fleishman Is in Trouble) in front of the camera, but playing a sasquatch family. From acclaimed filmmakers, Radu Jude follows up Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn with Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World, Lav Diaz (When the Waves Are Gone) is in police-procedural mode with Essential Truths of the Lake (which clocks in at almost four hours, which is short for the Filipino director), and About Dry Grasses is the newest drama from Winter Sleep and The Wild Pear Tree's Nuri Bilge Ceylan. Fancy two films from Korean action great Choi Dong-hoon (Assassination)? There's an Alienoid and Alienoid: The Return of the Future double. For feline fans, doco The Cats of Gokogu Shrine is about Japanese street cats. Still on documentaries, Untitled Blur Documentary goes to the British band's 2023 Wembley Stadium shows, Federer: Last Twelve Days hails from Asif Kapadia (Senna, Amy and Diego Maradona), Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story pays tribute to its namesake and Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger steps through the titular pair's films with Martin Scorsese (Killers of the Flower Moon). The Bones digs into the fossil trade, while Occupied City marks the return of Steve McQueen's (Small Axe) work to SFF after he won the first-ever Sydney Film Prize with Hunger. Also, if you're keen for Skywalkers: A Love Story, catch it in IMAX — it's about a couple of daredevils climbing the planet's tallest structures. And in the Box Set box seat — aka the part of the fest that serves up a TV binge — is six episodes of mystery series Exposure, as led by Alice Englert (Bad Behaviour) and executive produced by Justin Kurzel (Snowtown, Nitram). Screening at The State Theatre, Event Cinemas George Street, Dendy Newtown, Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace Cremorne, Palace Central, Palace Norton Street, Ritz Cinemas Randwick, IMAX Sydney, the Art Gallery of NSW and the State Library of NSW, SFF's 2024 must-sees keep going — because if you've got enough holiday leave for it, dedicating the full 12 days to movies, movies and more movies is one of the ultimate cinephile experiences. "The 71st Sydney Film Festival unfurls a canvas of bold narratives and remarkable visions, mirroring the evolving dynamics of our world," said Moodley about the 2024 lineup. "This year, we are proud to present films that challenge, entertain, and provoke dialogue, from the sweeping landscapes of Australian dramas to the complex human stories from global cinema. The 2024 selection reinforces our commitment to fostering a diverse cinematic experience, spotlighting works that engage with pressing social issues, personal stories and transformative historical moments." "These films invite the audience to journey through myriad cultures and experiences, reflecting the rich complexity of the human condition." [caption id="attachment_954171" align="alignnone" width="1920"] David Dare Parker[/caption] Sydney Film Festival 2024 takes place from Wednesday, June 5–Sunday, June 16 at various cinemas and venues around Sydney. For more information — and for tickets from Wednesday, May 8, 2024 — head to the festival's website.
There's no way you've ever had omakase like that at Ronin. Most Melbourne omakase joints are traditional fine-dining experiences where you delight in multiple courses of artful, meticulously crafted — but seemingly simple — seafood-centric Japanese dishes. The most intimate let you chat with the master omakase chef about the culinary techniques, produce and cultural significance of each dish. It's all about hushed tones and sophistication. At Ronin, Chef Patrick Kwong has no time for such formality. From the moment you sit down at the ten-seat omakase bar, the young chef will beckon you to "get lit" with him and every other guest. He'll likely join you in shooting some tequila and sake throughout the night while the tunes of Taylor Swift, Natasha Bedingfield and Miley Cyrus play in the background. And if you're able to join the second nightly sitting at 8.30pm, it's likely to get pretty rowdy. Vibe-wise, it almost feels like you're at a uni house party. But despite Kwong's friendly laidback attitude, he's incredibly serious about his food. He learned his craft from a Japanese sushi master (who championed the traditional Edo period of omakase) in Malaysia before heading to Sydney, where he worked in several Japanese restaurants. He learned the traditional techniques and customs but had no intention of losing himself within strict codes of how he should behave and what kinds of ingredients he should use. Like Ronin — a type of samurai who had no lord or master — Kwong went on to play by his own rules, deciding when to stick to convention and when to get playful. He started Ronin as a pop-up in Docklands, having to build and dismantle his omakase bar each night. There, he fully honed his rule-breaking style of omakase and became hugely popular. Now Ronin has a permanent location on Little Collins Street (as of December 2023) and it almost immediately books out every time new dining slots are released. If you're lucky enough to get a reservation you'll be treated to 13 courses of outstanding food and, if you're an experienced omakase patron, you'll see how Chef Kwong doesn't just break the rules when it comes to service. He regularly infuses his own Malaysian heritage into dishes — like adding laksa butter to nigiri — while also bringing more contemporary Australian flavours to the experience. For theatrics, he'll even throw glitter on nigiri. But don't let this playful attitude to food fool you. The technique here is next level. And the flavour combos perfectly balanced. Even when he purposely numbs your palate with Sichuan peppers, you'll be keen for more. We could roll through each of the courses and name all the ingredients, but a huge part of the fun at Ronin is just rocking up and going along for the ride, getting a surprise each time Kwong plates up a dish for you. This rising star of Melbourne's food scene takes big swings. And he's absolutely smashing it. If you get the chance to get lit with Kwong, don't miss it. You'll find Ronin at 445 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, open from Tuesday to Saturday. Book a seat at either the 6pm or 8:30pm sittings via the restaurant's website.
Gracie's Wine Room is one of Melbourne's latest hospitality success stories. In an industry full of shuttered venues, price hikes, and quiet nights, at Gracie's Wine Room in South Yarra you can find bottles being popped, a bustling golden hour courtyard, and bread always being broken with friends. For owner Kelsie Gaffey, whose TikTok videos showing her process of opening a venue from scratch amassed hundreds of thousands of views, the current climate of people spending less and staying in more was one her concerned family warned her of. [caption id="attachment_1036436" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Gracie's Wine Room[/caption] "Before opening Gracie's, our more conservative relatives warned us that people are spending less. [Gracie's] hasn't experienced this." According to Kelsie, Gracie's Wine Room's main demographic of 23–33 year old women are actually spending more on nights out with their girlfriends than anyone else. New data from Visa backs Kelsie's observation up. Melbourne is Australia's Number One Night-Time Hot Spot The Visa Australia Night-time Economy Index 2025 is a new in-depth analysis that measures data such as spending, vibrancy, and venues open in cities across the country. According to the index, Melbourne has been crowned the number one night-time hot spot. This doesn't come as a surprise to Kelsie. "Melburnians really know how to have a good time," Kelsie tells Concrete Playground. "The city has such a vibrant culture around wine, food, and spending quality time with mates, and we're genuinely spoilt for choice. There's always something happening, and that energy makes working in hospitality here incredibly dynamic and inspiring." [caption id="attachment_1028074" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Gracie's Wine Room[/caption] The Visa Vibe Economy report, also commissioned by Visa and conducted by McCrindle, found that venues like Gracie's Wine Room have hit the sweet spot when it comes to the reasons Australians love to go out. The main motivation for getting off our couches post-work is to enjoy a meal, catch up with friends and unwind from our busy schedules. Gen Z in particular are factoring night-time activities into their budgets with over half of them considering this type of social spending "essential". In fact, Kelsie has already seen an increase in patrons on weeknights as the weather has begun to warm up as well as a jump in their average spend per head. Kelsie recognised this cultural sweet spot within her demographic and created a curated menu of share plates for friends to split over a bottle of wine. Customers can enjoy freshly shucked oysters, focaccia, and a snack plate of cured meats, cheese, and lavosh. [caption id="attachment_1036434" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Gracie's Wine Room[/caption] "I wanted Gracie's to be known as a place where you connect with mates, drink some good wine and eat some good bread. I didn't want the frills and price tags that come with fine dining, and I really do believe that staying true to this is what has kept people coming back," says Kelsie. With 73 percent of Gen Z's going out once or more a week, tapping into her own peers has helped to increase revenue and patrons through the door — even on weeknights. How to Spend A Night Out in Melbourne What does a dream night out in Melbourne look like for the 25-year-old founder? Kelsie shares that it always starts with a sunny afternoon. "I'm definitely starting at Gracie's and then making my way down to Republic Economica before ending the night at HER Rooftop in the CBD." Data from the Visa Vibe Economy Report found that of all the generations, Gen Z is the most adventurous, choosing to stray away from their local haunts and try new things, and just under half plan two activities in the one night to make the most of their city after dark. Half of Gen Z also believe that nights offer more new experiences than the daytime. Kelsie agrees. "I love being able to experience something new every single time I leave the house for a night out. It's so exciting, and has unlocked some of my greatest memories with friends." Gracie's Wine Room hasn't yet operated for a full calendar year, but Kelsie is feeling optimistic about the state of hospitality and business projection. At the heart of her success lies the Gen Z community that she built through TikTok. "I never imagined it would grow into what it is today, but the community that's formed around Gracie's has been the most rewarding and unexpected part of it all." Discover the vibe near you. Lead image: Gracie's Wine Room
There's no shortage of Aussies trying to become global social media stars. If that's your goal too, a first-of-its-kind experience will give your influencing career a significant boost, as Australia's first TikTok content house launches in Adelaide. Known as The Party Games House, this $10 million beachfront mansion in Moana is officially on the lookout for five more influencers keen to live, create and party for free for a minimum of seven days up to two months. The brainchild of Adelaide-based entrepreneur Shane Yeend, a self-made multimillionaire who made his fortune in party games, this extravagant property already has its first tenant, Frida Khalife, a 23-year-old real estate and hospitality worker from Adelaide. With the decision still to be made on who else will be moving into this luxe home, there's still time for influencers of all stripes to submit their applications. "This is the opportunity of a lifetime," says Yeend. "We are looking for Australia's next social superstars. Huge global names like Alex Warren and Addison Rae began in content houses just like this one, and now they have billions of views, brand deals, and are selling out arenas. We believe we will find the next generation of stars right here in Australia." It's not Yeend's first venture into viral escapades. He got his start in 2001 — before most even understood the concept — by creating the official Big Brother Board Game. Becoming an overnight hit, pallets of board games were craned over the Big Brother house wall for housemates to autograph. Now Yeend is returning to the world of virality, this time targeting the Gen Z wave of influencers. "In 2026, anyone with a social media presence should be able to make $1 million a year from social commerce. There's no better time or place to get started than the Games House this summer," says Yeend. Set against the backdrop of Moana Beach, the lucky few who call The Party Games House home will have access to a private chef, a massive pool and a dedicated production team, ensuring each TikTok post does massive numbers. Best of all, influencers living in the house retain full ownership of their channels and commercial activity, with any deals made during their stay theirs to keep. Applications to live in The Party Games House are now open. Head to the website for more information. Images: Benjamin Liew.
At least one visit to Capocchi's Collingwood showroom is in order when it comes to furnishing your abode. But who are we kidding? Once you enter the eclectically decorated shop — and have a chance to fantasise about how you can fit both a chic 70s sideboard and an opulent sandstone table into your lounge room — that one visit is likely to turn into a regular ritual. After all, there aren't many family-run furniture places left that consistently source such a trendy array of multi-era designs and put them all in one place.
Chilli fiends, listen up. Can you eat Belle's Really F**kin Hot chicken wings without batting an eyelid? Choose the three chilli-rated menu items at Dainty Sichuan for a laugh? Well, have we got news for you. The team behind Hobba has recruited some of Melbourne's top food trucks to bring you the inaugural Melbourne Chilli Festival. Held on the vacant lot next to Hobba in Prahran on Saturday, June 4, each truck will create a special chilli offering just for the night. So what can you expect to be eating? Well, perhaps a few Dos Diablos tacos, a Little Mushroom Co. veggie burger, Soul Kitchen wood-fired pizza and some souvas from Hobba — all laden with chilli, of course. Billy Van Creamy will be there too, serving an intriguing chilli ice cream we're most keen to try. For the serious chilli eaters (and we mean serious), a chilli eating competition will be held on the night too — and it's set to test even the bravest, most numbed of tastebuds. If you're not a spice fiend though, they've got your kind covered too. As well as All The Chilli there will be non-chilli, vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options available, so you won't have to go home crying from the spice of it all. The night isn't simply for the love of chilli, either — the gold coin donation entry fee will go to Prahran Mission, which is committed to assisting those with mental illness and extreme social or economic hardship. Now that's some spicy eating we can get behind. The Melbourne Chilli Festival 2016 will be held on Saturday, June 4 from 6-10pm at 424 Malvern Road, Prahran (the vacant lot next door to Hobba). For more info, check the Facebook event. Image: Colin McMurry.
Weddings, parties, performances — The Thornbury Theatre does it all. The 1920s former picture house and longstanding icon of Melbourne's inner north is one of the area's most versatile venues, hosting both private events and intimate concerts by local and international musical talent. The venue is full of old-world charm, too, with art deco ceilings, ornate walls, magnificent drapes, woven antique carpets and a showstopping marble staircase to make any event feel like a proper night on the town. Images: Julia Sansone
Early in The Super Mario Bros Movie, pop culture's go-to red-capped plumber (Chris Pratt, Thor: Love and Thunder) sits down to dinner with his brother Luigi (Charlie Day, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) and the rest of their family. Pasta is on offer for the Italian American brood, but it comes with something that the Nintendo favourite and gaming mainstay since 1981's first-ever Donkey Kong title quickly advises that he hates: mushrooms. Fans know that more fungi are in his future. In this animated take on the beloved character, his sibling, and their pals and adversaries, a trip to the Mushroom Kingdom is inevitable. And, while there, Mario will meet Toad — a pint-sized humanoid with a toadstool for a head, who is part of a whole race of such folks also called Toads. From the titular brothers through to Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy, The Menu), the fire-breathing Bowser (Jack Black, Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood) and even big gorilla Donkey Kong (Seth Rogen, The Fabelmans), The Super Mario Bros Movie stacks together the bulk of the gaming franchise's best-known figures — and Toad is one of them. It also assembles an impressive voice cast to help bring its players to life, including Keegan-Michael Key as its main mushroom man. Here, the actor and sketch-comedy great's tones prove as elastic as his face and limbs long have, especially in iconic skit series Key & Peele. How do you voice a diminutive critter who is as perky as he is tiny? Someone who Key likens to a golden retriever? With ample energy, as The Super Mario Bros Movie's viewers hear. While fellow Key & Peele namesake Jordan Peele followed up that five-season 2012–15 show with a jump behind the lens, helming Get Out, Us and Nope — and earning an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for the former — Key has remained a constant on-screen. The pair also share Fargo, Keanu, Toy Story 4 and Wendell & Wild on their resumes, teaming up in front of the lens or through voice work on all four; however, Key's list of credits spans everything from Parks and Recreation and Schmigadoon! to The Predator and Dolemite Is My Name. He's broken out his vocal talents in Archer and Bob's Burgers, too, and in the photorealistic version of The Lion King as well. But signing on for The Super Mario Bros Movie couldn't have been an easier choice for the OG Donkey Kong aficionado. That instant enthusiasm comes through in a perky, peppy performance — a voice that's squeakier than viewers are used to from Key, but slides easily into a career that keeps bounding in every on-screen direction possible. During his Key & Peele days, he brought audiences President Obama's anger translator Luther, substitute teacher Mr Garvey and his creative pronunciations, a "Liam Neesons"-loving valet, one of the brilliant 'Aerobics Meltdown' sketch's fierce lycra-clad competitors and more. Of course he's been bouncing here, there and everywhere since. With The Super Mario Bros Movie now in cinemas, Concrete Playground chatted with Key about jumping at the part, finding his Toad voice, preparing for the part, drawing upon his improv background and what he looks for in a role. ON TURNING DONKEY KONG FANDOM INTO A SUPER MARIO BROS ROLE Do you need to be a Super Mario Bros fan to press start on being in one of the game's leaps to the screen? Bob Hoskins, who played the titular character in 1993's live-action movie, famously wasn't. But Key was — and instantly said yes to being involved in the second film bringing Mario and the game's characters to cinemas. "I was a fan of Super Mario, or Mario Bros in the beginning, from Donkey Kong. I was a big Donkey Kong fan way back in the day," Key advises. "So when they approached me and asked me to do Toad, I was like 'I'd be more than happy. I don't even need to see the script! I'm happy. I'm in. I'm your guy. Whatever you want, whatever you need, I'm your guy'." ON FINDING THE RIGHT VOICE FOR TOAD While Key sits among The Super Mario Bros Movie's well-known names, his vocal work stands out from Pratt, Day, Taylor-Joy, Black, Rogan and company. Listen to Mario, Luigi, Peach, Bowser and DK, viewers immediately recognise the actor behind them. That isn't the case with Toad and Key. "What I did is, I was impersonating a friend of mine and trying to get his vocal patterns and vocal rhythms. And I brought that to the table, and then the directors [Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic] and I both worked on the pitch, and trying to find where the right pitch would be — and if I could get the voice higher and higher, then higher and higher," Key notes. "And I finally got him some place up here [Key's voice gets higher], until we then got him even higher than that [Key's voice returns to its usual pitch]. Then, mostly the biggest trick was trying to figure out how to maintain that voice while I was in the booth — because sometimes you'd be in the booth for three-to-six hours, and you're trying to figure out how do you maintain that." "So I would just pretend I was — you know, I'm like: 'what would it be like if I was sucking on a helium balloon? How do I make my voice sound like that?'. And then I'm like: 'what else can I do? I don't know — wear tight pants? I'll wear tight pants!'. Anything to keep that voice at that high register." ON PREPARING FOR PLAYING A HUMANOID WITH A MUSHROOM FOR A HEAD The Super Mario Bros Movie starts in reality — animated reality, but in Brooklyn. Here, there aren't mushrooms as far as the eye can see, or coin blocks, or rainbow roads to race on Mario Kart-style. And there definitely aren't mushroom men like Toad. All it takes is a warp pipe to transport Mario and Luigi into the realm seen in Nintendo games for four decades now. That's where Toad comes in. Asked how you prepare for such a part — playing a toadstool-topped humanoid, specifically — Key is all about creativity and being upbeat (and one of humanity's favourite pets). "I think it's just making sure that you're sparking your imagination on any given day. Because what I did — I knew what Toad looked like, but I would just sometimes look at pictures of him and just go 'what am I getting from this picture? What am I getting about how I can portray this?'," he says. "There's something about him that's snappy and positive. He's also like a mushroom-man version of a golden retriever. I wanted him to have that kind of sensibility when I portrayed him." ON DRAWING UPON HIS SKETCH-COMEDY BACKGROUND In the sketch-comedy game, Key is a legend. Before Key & Peele, he spent six seasons on Mad TV, too, also often opposite Peele. And, prior to that, he's among the long list of comedy names to have come through improv troupe The Second City — as Peele also did, and Bill Murray, Mike Myers, Catherine O'Hara, Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler as well. That background came in handy with The Super Mario Bros Movie, including getting into character. "I did get to improvise. I got to improvise quite a bit. A lot of it ended up on the cutting-room floor, but I like to use the improvisation to get into the spirit of it more than anything else," Key explains. "Sometimes I would just improvise right before the line and then jump into the line, and that would give the line the feeling I wanted it to have, the sense and the spirit that I wanted it to have." "Sometimes, you can just use improvisation in that way and it still helps." [caption id="attachment_896345" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] ON WHAT HE LOOKS FOR IN A PART Key's time on-screen dates back a couple of decades, including a one-episode stint in ER in 2001, plus 00s roles in Role Models and Due Date. What appeals to him now, after Pitch Perfect 2, Tomorrowland, Win It All and The Disaster Artist as well, and also Friends From College, Veep, No Activity and Reboot? Movies and TV shows that stand out. "I look for something in the project that's a little different. Something that catches my eye is always going to be something that I've never seen before. So, if you take a project like Schmigadoon!, I go 'oh god, I've never seen anything like that — if they're interested in me doing that, I want to do that'," Key says. "And the same thing with Super Mario Bros. I figured it would make a lot of sense — I understand what the movie looked like in 1993, when they made the live-action one, but I'm like 'what would it look like if it were this animated movie with the technology that we have today to make animation?'. I thought 'this thing's going to look amazing'." "So I try to jump onboard things that have a little twist to them — some kind of fun, clever twist that makes them different than whatever your run-of-the-mill project might be." The Super Mario Bros Movie released in cinemas Down Under on Wednesday, April 5. Read our full review.
Prepare to stare at the moon in all of its glory — up close, without a telescope and without zooming into space. Prepare to get excited about Marvel's latest Disney+ series, too, all at the same place. When you're releasing a streaming show called Moon Knight, bringing the moon to Australia — to Melbourne's Federation Square, to be specific — is one huge, eye-catching and attention-grabbing way to promote it. So, that's just what the Mouse House has done. Luke Jerram's Museum of the Moon isn't new to our shores, having popped up on the Gold Coast, in Sydney and in Melbourne before; however, this time it's here in the name of superhero worship. If you're new to the Museum of the Moon, UK-based artist Jerram's creation is a detailed installation that's suspended to look like it's floating — in this case, beneath Fed Square's Atrium. It measures seven metres in diameter and features renderings of the celestial body's surface based on NASA imagery, so it's as intimate and intricate a look as you're going to get without rocketing off to take one small step and giant leap across the real thing. The massive sculpture has been touring the world since 2016, displaying in New York, Hong Kong, Mumbai and plenty of spots around Europe. Adding its latest Melbourne stint to its orbit, it'll be on display from Tuesday, March 29–Friday, April 15. The looming artwork recreates the moon at a scale of approximately 1:500,000, with each centimetre equating to five kilometres of the lunar surface. And if you're wondering just how elaborate the 120dpi imagery is, the high-resolution NASA photograph that it uses is 21 metres wide, and was taken by by a satellite carrying the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera. The spherical sculpture is lit from within, too, so it'll be adding a glow to Fed Square across its three-week stopover. It also combines its imagery and light with a surround sound piece created by composer and sound designer Dan Jones, and just how each venue displays it is up to them. Basically, it's never the exact same installation twice — so even if you've seen it before, it's worth a repeat visit. [caption id="attachment_716830" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Neil James.[/caption] Sadly, you won't find Oscar Isaac at the Museum of the Moon — but Moon Knight, the Isaac-led show that's inspired this lunar delight's latest Aussie installation, does hit Disney+ on Wednesday, March 30. The Dune, Scenes From a Marriage and The Card Counter star plays Steven Grant/Marc Spector, who has a dissociative identity disorder as well as a sleeping disorder, and also becomes the conduit for the Egyptian moon god Khonshu. Already dealing with multiple distinctive identities and not being able to tell the difference between being awake and asleep, his role as the moon god's offsider doesn't go down smoothly, unsurprisingly — especially when there's a sinister-looking figure played by Ethan Hawke (The Good Lord Bird) to deal with. Arriving more than a year into Marvel's new spate of Disney+ series, Moon Knight is the first one that doesn't overtly tie in with characters we've already seen in plenty of its past flicks. So, if it all sounds unfamiliar after the last 12 months or so served up WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki and Hawkeye, there's a very good reason for that. Museum of the Moon is on display in Federation Square's Atrium, between ACMI and The Ian Potter Centre, 111 Flinders Street, Melbourne from Tuesday, March 29–Friday, April 15.
Foliage-filled haven Plantsmith is the brainchild of horticulturist and landscape designer Liz Turner. It's stocked not just with a hefty array of plant life, but loads of pots, planters, books, stands, gardening tools and treatments to help really unleash your inner green thumb. Staffed by a team of qualified experts, it's also a primo spot to load up on plant knowledge and ensure you've got all the know-how necessary to keep those plant babies alive and happy. And there's lots more plant-ucation to be gained from Plantsmith's diverse program of classes and workshops — be schooled on the basics in Plant Care 101, or prep for spring with the Propagation and Potting session.
Forget the pub with no beer — in central western Queensland, a resurrected watering hole will soon operate in a place with no residents. After closing its doors back in 1997, the Betoota Hotel will reopen in the ghost town this weekend. Brisbane smash repairer Robert Haken is bringing the famed spot back to life, telling Brisbane Times that he first fell for its charms around 30 years ago. Revisiting the empty, rundown site in 2015, he was driven to act. "When I walked into the place I just thought, what an amazing bit of Australia history and why isn't someone doing something with it." After buying the pub before Christmas, Haken's plan was to restore it to its former glory by late-August. The pub's reopening, unfortunately, hit a snag, with a post on Facebook saying it had been delayed because of red tape and paperwork. "Owners of the iconic OLD [sic] Betoota Hotel side wish to sincerely thank all that have given so much to help us attempt to reach our goal, a goal which is not gone, simply the finish line is further away than we hoped." Although it won't be opening for good quite yet, the pub has received a temporary licence to open on Friday, August 24, and Sunday, August 26 — just in time for the famous Betoota Races, the area's signature event, which often attracts more than 400 people to the resident-less town — and all profits from sales on the two days will go to charity. On Friday, from 11.30am–6.30pm, the Betoota Hotel will host an Australian Anti Ice Campaign (AAIC) awareness and education day, with 50 percent of profits going to AAIC and the other half to Rural Aid's Buy a Bale campaign, which supports drought-affected farmers. It'll be serving steak burgers, sausage sangas and, of course, plenty of frosty beer. It'll be closed on Saturday for the races, which you can, if you're so included, buy tickets for here. As they say, "when in Rome"... The day after, on Sunday, August 26, the pub will host the Cricket Cup from 12pm–7pm, with profits once again being split 50/50 to Rural Aid and AAIC. The same Aussie snacks and refreshments will be available, and there'll be raffles and prizes for the best-dressed cricketers. Once it's up and running — for good — Betoota Hotel will operate during the area's tourist season, between April and November. Due to the heat, it won't open in summer. The pub remains the only building in Betoota, and boasts quite the past, dating back to 1885. Previous owner Sigmund Remienko ran the place for 44 years until 1997. When he passed away in 2004, the town lost its last remaining resident. If it sounds like the kind of story you might read in The Betoota Advocate, that's understandable; however, while the satirical publication takes its name from the deserted spot, this isn't one of their amusing tales. For anyone keen to make the drive when the pub reopens, expect to trek more than 1500 kilometres west from Brisbane (a 20-hour drive), 1800 kilometres northwest of Sydney (a 24-hour drive) and 20,000 kilometres north of Melbourne (a 26-hour drive). Betoota Hotel is located at 6 Daroo Street, Betoota. For more information about its opening, keep an eye on the Facebook page.
When Shane Delia's celebrated CBD restaurant Maha reopens this week, it'll also show off an impressive new addition. Namely, a snacks and cocktails-focused outdoor pop-up known as Layla. Yep — the stretch of Bond Street outside Maha will temporarily close to traffic and be reimagined as a COVID-safe hospitality space, playing host to this playful marquee site that's set to become Melbourne's new Mediterranean and Middle Eastern summertime haunt of choice. Slated to make its grand debut as Maha reopens next Wednesday, November 11, Layla is here to cure a few of those travel cravings, serving up the kind of vibe you'd be revelling in on some far-flung overseas holiday. Expect a different focus and energy here to the classic Maha offering, or even to siblings Maha Bar and Maha East, beginning with a fixed-price Middle Eastern brunch, served yum cha-style from 9.30am on weekends. Doing the rounds will be small plates starring the likes of kataifi-wrapped haloumi with fennel seed honey, or perhaps an assembly of fried eggs, burnt sesame butter, challah and sujuk. Eats are matched with a rotation of fresh juices and luxe picks from an impressive champagne menu, plus four-legged pals are allowed to join the brunch festivities. Outside of brunch, the revelry continues with mezze showcasing that trademark Delia flair, along with upbeat tunes and Middle Eastern-inspired cocktails. Think, hibiscus spritz, a sumac-infused pink negroni, and the za'atar margarita blending Alipus mezcal with grapefruit, lime and spices. You'll be able to book a table at Layla via Maha's website (online from Wednesday, November 4), although there'll be some space set aside for walk-ins as well. Find Layla at Bond Street, Melbourne from Wednesday, November 11. It'll open from 5pm Wednesday–Friday and from 9.30am Saturday–Sunday.
Tacos slathered with salsa. Chips dipped in hot sauce. A sliver of cheese accompanied by a zesty relish. Whatever your favourite food happens to be, it probably tastes better with a condiment — and, like everything from artisanal gin to plants to cocktail ingredients, there's now a curated delivery service dedicated to flavour-adding substances. Meet Condimental, which bundles a heap of pickles, preserves, sauces, seasonings and relishes into a box and brings it to your door. If an image of a boring Christmas hamper just popped into your head, then this service will wipe it away. On the menu is a changing range of limited-release and seasonal items from Australian suppliers, aka the types of condiments that you won't find in any old supermarket. [caption id="attachment_707077" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Condimental's launch box.[/caption] Condimental also leans into the concept of exclusivity — not just via its selection, but courtesy of its limited-run editions. Only 100 boxes are available with each release, and while you can't subscribe to receive a box every time the service starts shipping a new batch, you can sign up to be notified when a new edition becomes available. In other words, if you're keen on watermelon pickle, habañero and oak hot sauce, umami seasoning, fermented tomatillo salsa picante, or bread and butter pickle, then you'll need to get in quick. They're the items on offer in the first delivery, with the launch release costing $65 plus a $15 delivery fee. For more information, visit the Condimental website.
Before getting a glimpse into everyone else's lives was as simple as logging into your social-media platform of choice, a game arrived that let its players do something similar with computerised characters. A spinoff from SimCity and its city-building follow-ups, The Sims allows whoever is mashing buttons to create and control virtual people, then step through their existence. First hitting in February 2000, it has spawned three sequels, plus a whole heap of expansion and compilation packs for each — and online, console and mobile versions as well. A quarter of a century since its debut, The Sims still keeps dropping new releases. To mark its 25th birthday, there's now The Sims: Birthday Bundle. That's one way to celebrate the game's latest anniversary. Here's another: stepping inside a three-day Australian pop-up dedicated to the beloved life simulator, which is heading to Melbourne's Australian Centre for the Moving Image from Friday, February 21–Sunday, February 23, 2025. Despite The Sims' more-recent titles, thinking about the game usually means thinking about the 2000s. So, this pop-up is taking that truth to heart by celebrating the Y2K era, too. Going along involves entering inside a 2000s-era pre-teen bedroom that's been decked out by Josh & Matt Design with all of the appropriate touches. Yes, it'll be nostalgic. Yes, there'll be CD towers and blow-up couches, just to name a few decor choices. The pop-up will also feature free stations where you can play The Sims: Birthday Bundle, if the best way for you to commeroate the occasion is by diving into the franchise virtually. In addition, there'll also be a free panel about the game on the Saturday, with speakers including Josh & Matt Design's Josh Jessup and Matt Moss — who are big The Sims fans — and EA/Firemonkeys' Simulation Division General Manager Mavis Chan. "As Australia's home of videogames, ACMI is so chuffed to be celebrating the 25th anniversary of The Sims! For 25 years, The Sims has provided a platform for so many kinds of imaginative play for multiple generations, allowing them to achieve great feats of digital architecture, guide their Sims to dizzying success — or cruelly remove their pool ladders. With each new expansion and sequel, The Sims has expanded its complex social world, reflecting changes to real-life society, and facilitating even more forms of self-expression in its passionate player base," said ACMI Curator Jini Maxwell, announcing the pop-up. "As a long-term Sims player myself, I'm so thrilled to celebrate the game's cultural legacy and personal significance in this event and free talk hosted by ACMI." EA Presents The Sims 25 is popping up from Friday, February 21–Sunday, February 23 at ACMI, Federation Square, Melbourne — head to the venue's website for more details.
Put down your Kit Kat, for we’ve just discovered a break that's even better than snappable chocolate-covered wafers: smashing stuff. To be more specific, we mean smashing stuff with a baseball bat — and it's a legitimate, all above-board activity at new Brunswick pop-up, The Break Room. Currently housed in the back of Hope Street's new shoe warehouse-turned-espresso bar Kines, an appointment at The Break Room is a five-minute, sweaty task that puts you behind thick, plastic walls, wields you with a pink baseball bat and some protective headgear and lets you go to town on some very satisfyingly smashable items. For the moment, they’re using plates and glasses as collateral. But if anyone can produce it, our ‘ultimate smashable’ would be a ceramic Matryoshka filled with glitter. The Break Room was born in a moment of frustration (and through the efficacy of podcasts) by founder Ed Hunter, after he realised that everybody wants to blow off steam in their own way. And while some might prefer to hit the gym, Hunter is inviting you to hit some crockery off a stool instead. Speaking of the stools, notches of pink residue from the so-coloured bats have been passionately left on them; reminders that other members of the baseball bat cathartic club (do I hear badges?) have bashed their way to sanity before you. For anyone studying their swatch patterns, the pink is Baker-Miller, and has been used in correctional facilities across America to help calm violent inmates. Yet Hunter heeds that The Break Room’s goal isn’t violence, but rather to reduce stress and harness those destructive tendencies in a controlled and fun way. A video posted by The Break Room (@thebreakroom) on Feb 10, 2016 at 8:46pm PST At $50 to smash your way to calmness for five minutes, this emotional outlet may seem a bit on the spenny side, but the beauty is in the fact that you’re not breaking your own stuff — and some other guy will be picking up the pieces after you. These pieces are, in fact, added to the pile that hides further out back, where both shattered crockery and snapped pink swords from liberated brethren lay, which is a good indicator that the allocated time is probably ample. So wait until the shutters go down, don your best Joaquin Phoenix impersonation and swing away at those inner aliens of yours by taking your aggression out in some organised chaos. The Break Room is currently located at Kines, 11 Hope Street, Brunswick, and is open every day from 3pm every day. For more information, visit thebreakroom.com.au.
Jason M. Jones and Brahman Perera (Entrecôte and Hopper Joint) have just opened a new bar in Prahran, inspired by the 1958 cult classic musical Gigi — which they both have a great childhood love for. You'll find Gigi hidden down a bluestone laneway off Greville Street, decked out with velvet banquettes, antique crystal chandeliers, Persian carpets and hand-painted walls by artist Melissa Macfarlane. It has a whimsical camp feel and really screams old-world luxury without being gaudy or over the top. This elegantly flows through from the salon to the galerie space and into its open-air terrace. No doubt, Perera has overseen this playful fitout, for he also designed Hopper Joint, which opened earlier this year. Complementing the interiors, you'll find an extensive Euro-centric wine list that's been curated the Entrecote's sommeliers — covering everything from grower champagnes and Burgundy classics to Aussie pet nats and pinot noirs. Cocktails also get a good workout, including classic European sips and signature creations like the espresso martini made with popcorn-infused whisky, the Parisian Spritz that features a mandarin liqueur, and the signature Gigi cocktail made with sweet pea syrup, gin, elderflower and lemon. Digestifs, fortified wines, beers, ciders and mocktails round out the bev lineup, but we're sure most will be visiting Gigi for wine and cocktails. Keeping you from wandering off for a feed, the team has also dreamt up a long selection of snacks — available until late in the night. This includes oysters, caviar bumps, tuna tartare tartlets, beef party pies, sausage rolls and a miniature version of Entrecôte's famed cheeseburger. Co-Owner Jason M. Jones shared, "We're thrilled to be open and bringing Gigi to life here on Greville Street. "This place holds a special meaning for me — I celebrated my 21st birthday dinner upstairs when it was the Greville Bar. Now, we've created something new, but with that same sense of fun and nostalgia. "Gigi is all about escape and indulgence. We want our guests to step in, forget the outside world and lose themselves in a little Parisian magic." You'll find Gigi at 143 Greville Street, Prahran, open 5pm–late from Wednesday–Sunday. The bar doesn't take bookings but you can find more details at the venue's website.
Whether they riff on fairy bread or turn lamingtons into something cold and creamy, plenty of Gelato Messina's popular desserts transform other foods into a frosty sweet treat. Who doesn't love a culinary mashup? Not this chain and its devotees, clearly. And, since 2021, the brand has been taking that process a step further by whipping up a chocolates based on its already-inventive gelato flavours. With 2022 now here, Messina is kicking off the new year the way it always goes on — with a fresh batch of one-off specials, starting with a return to its gelato-inspired choccies. This time, there's four varieties available, all in one box. So yes, you'll get to try them all without having to choose which one you'd prefer. Love Messina's take on Iced Vovos, Coco Pops, lamingtons and fairy bread? They're all accounted for here. And they all look the part, because of course they do. They all look delicious, too. The Vovovroom bar comes filled with layers of raspberry cream, raspberry jam, desiccated coconut and sablé biscuit, then coated in raspberry chocolate. With the Just Like a Chocolate Milkshake bar, you're getting chocolate malt cream, milk chocolate-panned rice bubbles and chocolate sablé biscuit, all coated in milk chocolate. Obviously, the fairy bread bar is coated with 100s and 1000s — and includes layers of toasted breadcrumb cream and sablé biscuit coated in white chocolate as well. Or, for the lamington, you'll get chocolate cream, raspberry jam, chocolate-dusted desiccated coconut and chocolate sablé biscuit, as wrapped in dark chocolate. Boxes cost $40 each and you'll need to place your order on Monday, January 17, with times varying depending on your state. You can then pick up the choccies between Saturday, January 22–Sunday, January 23. Gelato Messina's chocolate box will be available to order from on Monday, January 17, from 9am local time in Queensland and the ACT, 9.30am in Victoria and between 10am–11am in New South Wales.
If you're missing fresh-off-the-grill burgers due to Melbourne's extended lockdown, Simon O'Keefe — aka Goldieboy — is here to change that with his new DIY double cheeseburger kits. You might have experienced Goldieboy's work at private parties and pop-ups, where he's been honing his creations along the way. The result is a beast-like fusion of Martin's potato rolls (the same used by Shake Shack), a patty made with a special blend of chuck and brisket courtesy of Toorak butcher Peter Bouchier, and a top-secret adobo kewpie sauce. Now O'Keefe is unleashing his finely-tuned formula in a DIY kit so you can recreate the magic at home. Each pack contains all the ingredients necessary to whip up a batch of the double cheeseburgers for two or four — patties, pillowy buns, American cheese, pickles and lashings of that secret sauce. A limited number of the kits drop weekly, with online orders open from 5pm Sundays till midnight on Tuesday or until sold out. Deliveries are then sent out on Friday between 7am and 4pm. Goldieboy has also teamed up with the folks at South Yarra's Two Wrongs, where you can collect pre-ordered burger kits each Saturday, alongside a super limited number of ready-to-eat burgs and take-home cocktails. In the coming weeks, more cafes and venues are set to jump on board, expanding the list of places where you can order and collect burger kits. And if all goes to plan, O'Keefe is looking to set up a permanent Goldieboy burger joint next year — more on that to come soon. Goldieboy's DIY kits are available to order via Mr Yum, Sunday to Tuesday. You can keep an eye on his movements over on Instagram. Otherwise catch Goldieboy from 11am Saturdays at Two Wrongs, 637 Chapel St, South Yarra.
This year alone, this fine country has seen Harry Potter brunches, dinners, movie marathons and trivia nights. And that's not to mention the Christmas feast that's happening in Sydney next month. But are you sick of it? No chance. If there's one thing we know, it's that the demand for Harry Potter will never die — and this latest pop-up, along with the fact that the next Fantastic Beasts film comes out this month, seems to prove that. The next piece of mainstream Harry Potter fandom to hit Sydney and Melbourne will be the Cauldron Bar. Inspired by the experiences that the gang had in potions class — and hopefully avoiding the botched polyjuice potion episode — the pop-up bar will mix magic and mixology. That's to say, there will be cocktails. Probably with some dry ice and bubbling substances. While details are vague for now, it sounds like it'll be sort of like a science class, except you'll wear robes and mix your drinks with a wand. And drink what you mix, too, of course. The 'experience' will take 90 minutes and be mostly self-guided. You may or may not have to take your O.W.L exam after. The Cauldron Bar will pop up in Sydney and Melbourne in April 2019. Tickets aren't on sale yet, but you can register here.
It's the first Australian-produced show to win the Tony Award for Best Musical. It's based on an adored Baz Luhrmann-directed, Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor-starring film that celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. With its tale of star-crossed lovers set to a toe-tapping soundtrack, it's been a Broadway sensation — and it's finally opening in Australia. That'd be Moulin Rouge! The Musical — and, if you're as keen to attend its Melbourne premiere season as its central duo are about each other (and about professing their affection through song), then you just might be able to nab yourself a cheap ticket. As has happened with The Book of Mormon, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and Hamilton, a ticket lottery is being held for the production's homegrown debut run. Via Today Tix, you can sign up for your chance to score a ticket for just $30. Yes, that figure is accurate. This is your spectacular (spectacular) chance to see the acclaimed screen-to-stage musical for less than the price of a dinner. To take part in the lottery, you will need to download the Today Tix app — which is available for iOS and Android — and submit your entry each week for the next week's performances. The lottery will go live at 12.01am every Thursday morning, starting from today, Thursday, November 11, with winners drawn between 1–6pm on the following Wednesday. If your name is selected, you'll have an hour to claim your tickets from when you receive the good news. If you need a reminder, you can also sign up for lottery alerts via Today Tix, too. Opening at Melbourne's Regent Theatre on Friday, November 12, Moulin Rouge! The Musical brings to life the famed Belle Époque story of young composer Christian and his heady romance with Satine, actress and star of the legendary Moulin Rouge cabaret. Set in the Montmartre Quarter of Paris, the show is known for its soundtrack, celebrating iconic tunes from across the past five decades. The film was, too; however, the stage version backs up the movie's tracks with even more hit songs that have been released in the two decades since the feature premiered. Usually, tickets will set you back $95–219 a pop — so the $30 lottery really is an absolute bargain. There's no word yet on whether Moulin Rouge! The Musical will head to other Aussie cities later on. It's possible, as other big musicals, such as The Book of Mormon, have — and Hamilton has announced a move from Sydney to Melbourne, too. But, if you don't want to risk it, those located interstate should to start planning a trip ASAP — we think it'll be more than worth it. Moulin Rouge! The Musical will make its Australian premiere at Melbourne's Regent Theatre from Friday, November 12. To enter the Today Tix $30 lottery, download the company's iOS or Android app, and head to the company's website for more information — and to set up an alert. Images: Michelle Grace Hunder.
The story of the stunning Queen & Collins building runs deep into Melbourne's history. It started in the economic boom of the late 19th century, becoming a bustling gothic bank in no time at all. Almost 150 years later, it's evolved into a dynamic workplace and thriving dining hub. To celebrate this new phase of life, Queen & Collins is offering one lucky winner the chance to win a $400 dining experience at one of the precinct's many venues. What are your options? You can start your day with a visit to Rustica. Having opened in early 2022, this outpost of the legendary bakery brings brekkie to go with locally roasted coffee or supreme brunch, and lunch feeds to CBD workers until 4pm, Monday to Friday. For something more sophisticated, you can hit fine French eatery Reine & La Rue (which opened in August to massive acclaim) for a luxe experience or head underground to the basement bar Purple Pit (by Maurice Terzini of Icebergs) for a unique take on after-work drinks. A recent addition is A25 Pizzeria — sister to the famous South Yarra venue — dishing out beloved plates of pizza and handmade pasta. Then, in early 2024, the viral KOI Dessert Bar will open in the precinct for an extra sweet treat to finish. To find a full-on meal at any of the above venues, fill out the form below. [competition]931503[/competition]
You'd be hard-pressed to find too many Melbourne cafes that have been kicking on for a whole decade. But it seems there's just no stopping Hardware Société — the CBD gem that's gearing up to celebrate its tenth birthday. The petite Hardware Street haunt is something of an institution, its creatively charged brunch fare and top-notch coffee known to pull some pretty hefty queues, any day of the week. Now, to mark the big 1-0, co-owners Di and Will Keser have opened the doors to a second, roomier venue — spread across a whole 255-square-metres — in Katherine Place. This time around, the design work takes its cues from Denmark, teaming rattan, leather and timber finishes with the likes of marble Wrong X Hay London lighting and a palette of pastel pinks and greens. [caption id="attachment_710434" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Peter Tarasiuk.[/caption] The upsized kitchen space allows for an expanded food offering, too, with an all-day brunch menu on offer from 7.30am daily. Hardware Société's signature innovative flair shines through a new suite of certain hits, from lobster benedict teamed with citrus hollandaise on a black bun, to seared tuna mille-feuille with scallop tartare, yuzu aioli and a 64-degree egg. Old favourites like the chorizo baked eggs are sticking around, alongside classic French dishes like duck au vin and croque madame. It's all matched with Padre specialty coffee — vital for pre-work sessions — or you can dial up the decadence with a tap brew, wine or breakfast cocktail. But perhaps the most exciting addition to the Katherine Place store is Hardware Société's newly minted Friday knock-off sessions — roll in from 5pm for after-work drinks and clever snacks, like charcuterie, lobster and prawn brioche buns, and jamón and manchego croquettes. Find Hardware Société 2.0 at 10 Katherine Place, Melbourne. It's open from 7.30am–3.30pm daily and 5pm till late on Friday nights. The original cafe will remain open at 123 Hardware Street, Melbourne. Images: Peter Tarasiuk.
Every time that the opening riff from 'Seven Nation Army' echoes from speakers — or around football stadiums, where it's frequently chanted by crowds at soccer tournaments — the world partly has Australia to thank. In 2002, The White Stripes were touring the country when Jack White penned the iconic beginning to the anthemic track. Its birthplace: The Corner Hotel in Richmond, giving Melbourne another reason to brag about its status as a haven for live music. Once you know this fact, hitting the Swan Street pub means having 'Seven Nation Army' stuck in your head. See White bust out the tune at the venue that helped spawn it at Always Live 2024, however, and you'll never forget this pop-culture tidbit. On a lineup that's brimming with highlights, this is up there with the must-attend standouts. White is not only doing an intimate gig at The Corner Hotel, but will also be playing Ballarat's Civic Hall, with both shows part of the festival's new effort to celebrate the state's live music venues. Victoria's Always Live debuted in 2022 with an aim that's still relevant now: supporting gigs in what continues to be a tough time for the industry. With government backing, the program has courted huge names over its past two years, including launching with Foo Fighters; welcoming Dua Lipa, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Yothu Yindi and Sampa the Great for its first event; and returning for a second year with Christina Aguilera, Eric Prydz, Jai Paul and Jessie Ware. For its third stint across Friday, November 22–Sunday, December 8, it's keeping the high-profile acts coming, with Aussie-exclusive shows by The Offspring and St Vincent also on the bill. Ready to come out and play, punk icons The Offspring will hit The Forum Theatre for one night only. St Vincent is doing three gigs, also heading to Ballarat — at Her Majesty's Theatre — alongside playing The Palais Theatre in St Kilda and The Aviary at Crown. Equally massive, and literally: Anyma, making his Australian debut fresh from a six-show residency at Sphere in Las Vegas, complete with the largest screen in the southern hemisphere being built just for the Flemington Racecourse show. In total, 289 artists will take to the stage at 65-plus events around the state. Baker Boy leading the First Nations-focused BLAKTIVISM; a 30th-anniversary Tina Arena gig celebrating her Don't Ask album with help from Richard Marx, Daryl Braithwaite and Kate Ceberano; Missy Higgins also in anniversary mode for 20 years since The Sound of White first hit at Sidney Myer Music Bowl: they're on the lineup as well. The new Live at the Gardens series at Melbourne's Royal Botanic Gardens will see Chet Faker and Tash Sultana join Always Live, too, while the Jamaican Music and Food Festival is back, as is Luliepalooza at Lulie Street Tavern and End of the Line Belgrave. From there, the hefty roster features everyone from Sarah Blasko, Andy Shauf, Bôa and INKABEE x FLEWNT through to Rico Nasty, Bimini and Jaguar — plus Keiynan Lonsdale, Birds of Tokyo, Didirri, Anees and Emma Donovan. "This year's Always Live program not only reinforces our status as the music capital of Australia but brings an extraordinary array of unique and exclusive experiences to audiences across the state," said the event's Chair Matt Gudinski, announcing the bill. "I am incredibly proud to be part of delivering this year's program, and continuing to build the legacy of Always Live. It's a privilege to contribute to Victoria's rich music history and to support our live music sector." [caption id="attachment_969967" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Michael Drummond[/caption] Always Live 2024 runs from Friday, November 22–Sunday, December 8. For more information, and to get tickets, head to the festival website. Top image: David James Swanson.
Throughout the pandemic, treating ourselves to Gelato Messina's desserts has become a tasty self-care go-to, and the chain has been releasing quite the lineup of special sweet treats — its own takes on Viennettas and Iced Vovos included — to help. Now, after a chaotic few weeks weather-wise across Queensland and New South Wales, the gelato brand is putting its OTT dishes to great use in another way, raffling them off to raise cash for flood relief. Buy a $10 ticket, go in the draw to win Messina treats, gelato tubs, chocolates, vouchers and merchandise: that's what's on offer until 11.59pm on Sunday, March 20. The gelato chain is hosting its own raffle, with $5000 in desserts and prizes up for grabs — in 150 packs filled with more than 60 of the brand's limited-edition wares. Those aforementioned Messinettas and Iced Vovo bavarians are included, with 2o of each on offer — and 20 of Messina's Basque cheesecake hot tubs as well. There's also 20 1.5-litre gelato tubs, 30 sets of its pick 'n' mix choccies, and five $150 Messina vouchers. Messina socks, caps, hoodies, t-shirts, sweatshirts and balm — they're all on the list as well. Tickets can be bought online, with 100 percent of the profits to be split between Australian Red Cross and Vinnies flood appeals across NSW and Qld. Winners will then be notified on Monday, March 21. Eating gelato, assisting folks in need: that's the best and most helpful way to enjoy dessert. Gelato Messina's flood appeal raffle is selling tickets until 11.59pm on Sunday, March 20. Head to the Messina website for further information.
By the time that 2024 is out, hopefully the Matildas will have Olympic gold medals from the Paris games. Sports fans, cross your fingers and toes now. But no matter how Australia's national women's soccer team fares midyear, the Tillies are set to score a bronze tribute to the squad before 2025 rolls in, with plans for Brisbane's ode to their 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup efforts progressing. Last year, after a whirlwind month of football that included the Matildas beating France in a stunning penalty shootout, and Sam Kerr kicking the goal of a lifetime in the semi-final loss to England, the Queensland Government announced that it would build a Matildas statue. The team will be immortalised in a bas-relief piece at the River City's Suncorp Stadium, where the epic match against France was played — was the Matildas' 3–2 loss to Nigeria in the group stage and 2–0 third-place playoff defeat by Sweden. The artwork will measure around six metres in width and two metres in height, with the Brisbane-based Urban Art Projects newly commissioned to deliver the sculpture. There's no exact date yet that the public piece will be unveiled, other than the end of 2024 — but you can factor seeing the celebration of Kerr, Ellie Carpenter, Mackenzie Arnold, Hayley Raso, Steph Catley, Katrina Gorry, Mary Fowler, Caitlin Foord and their teammates, and their history-making World Cup campaign, into your trips to the Milton stadium. Fans can expect "a high-quality, large-scale cast bronze bas-relief capturing an iconic moment of celebration from the tournament," says UAP Associate Paul Gurney, with the company employing "both robotic and hand-crafted techniques to achieve the players' likenesses in bronze". No Australian soccer team has made it as far into World Cup as the Matildas did in 2023 — not the Matildas themselves in the past, and not the Socceroos, either. Indeed, it's no wonder that their games kept smashing ratings records, with the England match becoming the country's most-watched TV program since 2001, and also likely ever. When the statue celebrating the Matildas is installed, it'll add both female and football representation to a site that currently features statues of rugby league stars Wally Lewis, Arthur Beetson, Darren Lockyer, Mal Meninga and Allan Langer, plus rugby union's John Eales. "In a nation that loves its sport, the Matildas were not only the most watched team on Australian television in 2023, their semi-final against England was the most watched event in Australian television history," said Queensland Minister for Women Shannon Fentiman. "They are inspiring women and girls to become more active and get involved in organised sport, and it is fantastic that their efforts will be recognised with a permanent tribute." Brisbane's new tribute at Suncorp Stadium celebrating the Matildas' 2023 Women's World Cup efforts is set to be installed by the end of 2024 — we'll update you when further details are announced.
