Heading to Byron Bay this July to flail around to The Cure, be obliterated by sound of The Avalanches and burl the words to The Strokes? You can't do all that without a little pre-game with your mates, preferably at a stunning beach house right on the ocean, with some of Australia's best upcoming artists playing sets just for you. Luckily for you, Concrete Playground has teamed up with Sonos to throw one heck of a beach party — and you could be on the guest list. We're putting on an intimate pre-festival gathering at one of Byron Bay's most iconic locations. It's called Beach Break (because you need one, we need one, everyone needs one). You could be joining mates CP and Sonos for a big ol' warm-up on Saturday, July 23, to be held at a secret location which only the guest list will know. You'll be kicking back at our Byron beach house with a cocktail, catching sets from Australia's one-to-watch artists Kllo and Banoffee, and listening to Sonos-curated party playlists. Register your interest and we could be seeing you at our pretty little beach house. ENTER HERE. This event is independently presented by Concrete Playground and Sonos, and is not associated with Splendour in the Grass or Secret Sounds.
It was the hit of Cannes, a highlight at both Sydney and Melbourne's film festivals, and has been selected as Germany's entry in the best foreign-language category at next year's Academy Awards. It's none other than Toni Erdmann, the almost three-hour German comedy about a father trying to spend time with his adult daughter. The memorable movie can't really be described accurately — it has to be experienced, trust us — and now, thanks to the just-announced German Film Fest Australia program, it's making its way around the country. The critical smash is just one of the highlights of the annual showcase German cinema, which notches up its 15th year in 2016. It sits amidst a packed lineup that boasts 31 features, five documentaries and more than 25 Australian premieres, and will tour Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra from November 15 to 30. Other standouts include opening night's road trip drama Goodbye Berlin, box office smash The Most Beautiful Day, a factual look at a young Burmese music fan in My Buddha is Punk, and tragicomedy Me and Kaminski, with Captain America: Civil War's Daniel Brühl as journalist doing whatever it takes to get ahead. Everything Will Be Fine, the latest effort from veteran director Wim Wenders, also pops up — in 3D and featuring James Franco, Rachel McAdams and Charlotte Gainsbourg. Yep, variety is the spice of German cinema as well as life (and James Franco has to pop up just about everywhere). Of course, great film fests look at ace flicks from years gone by, as well as new hits, adding another reason to get excited about GFFA's picks. Nodding to the nation's movie-making past, the festival closes with a restoration of silent trapeze artist drama Varieté from 1925, which stars the first-ever Oscar winner Emil Jannings. Elsewhere, doco Fassbinder explores the work and impact of New German Cinema pioneer Rainer Werner Fassbinder, while the director's legendary love story Ali: Fear Eats The Soul will also screen. The German Film Fest Australia tours the country from November 15, screening at Sydney's Chauvel Cinema and Palace Norton Street from November 15 to 29, Melbourne's Palace Cinema Como, Kino Cinemas and Palace Westgarth from November 17 to 30, and Brisbane's Palace Barracks and Palace Centro from November 25 to 30. For more information, visit the festival website.
After spending so much time indoors in 2020, we're all keen to be outdoors as much as possible (while the good weather lasts). And one spot you can soak up the good vibes is Federation Square, which is transforming into a garden oasis this season. On January 15, the CBD space will unveil new grass zones, deck chairs, colourful beanbags and a jam-packed program of free happenings to keep you entertained (and comfy) for those lazy summer afternoons and evenings ahead. The roster of events includes live music, wellbeing classes — think yoga, cooking demos and life drawing — plus screenings of major sports events and an outdoor cinema screening classics like Muriel's Wedding, The Great Gatsby and Red Dog. In collaboration with ACMI, Fed Square will screen a silent film on the digital facade with a live score accompaniment on selected evenings, too. And, when you get hungry, you can get food delivered from any of the surrounding Fed Square restaurants and bars, including Riverland, Mama's Canteen and Atiyah Lebanese Kitchen. Image: Liam Neal
The Melbourne International Film Festival dropped its full lineup earlier this week, and we've been frantically flicking through the program guide ever since. Packed with some of the year's most anticipated movies in local, foreign, arthouse, and experimental flavours, plus special events and retrospectives galore, it's a butt-numbing, movie-loving marathon of truly epic proportions that reminds us why we love going to the cinema in the first place. After an intense few days of highlighting, here are our picks for the ten must see movies of the festival – as well as a whole bunch of special mentions we just couldn't not include. QUEEN OF EARTH After helming one of the most popular pictures of MIFF 2014 with the acerbic New York comedy Listen Up Phillip, writer-director Alex Ross Perry returns to the festival with a movie of a very different kind. Described in the program as a darkly comic psychological thriller, Queen of Earth stars Elisabeth Moss and Katherine Waterson as two old friends whose relationship begins to fracture while holidaying at a lakeside cabin. Colour us intrigued. Also: Fans of American indie cinema have plenty to choose from this year. Kevin Corrigan, Guy Pierce and Cobie Smudgers get caught up in a love triangle in Andrew Bujalski’s Results, while Allison Brie and Jason Sudeikis play a pair of sex addicts in Leslye Headland’s Sleeping With Other People. And let’s not forget closing night film Mistress America, which marks the latest screwball collaboration between writer-director Noah Baumbach and writer-actor Greta Gerwig. THE DAUGHTER Among a strong dramatic contingent of Australian films at the festival – including opening night feature Force of Destiny and centrepiece gala Holding the Man – it's the debut feature from celebrated theatre director Simon Stone that has really peaked our interest. Translated from Stone’s own critically acclaimed stage adaptation of Ibsen’s The Wild Duck, this dysfunctional family drama garnered solid reviews when it premiered at SFF, and boasts a top-notch local cast that includes Geoffrey Rush, Ewen Leslie, Miranda Otto and Sam Neil. Also: There’s plenty of buzz building around locally made crime drama Downriver, and we can also highly recommend Jennifer Peedom’s Mt Everest documentary Sherpa. A dig into the shorts program reveals even more local gems, including Adam Elliot’s newest work Ernie Biscuit and two thirty minute films from Indigenous media organisation the Karrabing Film Collective. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRktvTd5KZo OUR LITTLE SISTER One of Japan’s most talented storytellers, Hirokazu Kore-eda follows up his Cannes Jury Prize-winning Like Father, Like Son with another intimate family drama. Our Little Sister follows three adult sisters who share a house in Kamakura, who discover upon the death of their estranged father that they have a teenage half-sister who they decide to welcome into their home. A touching portrait of familial responsibility and love, the film stands out as an absolute festival highlight. Also: As always, the Accent on Asia section is absolutely packed. Prolific South Korean director Hong Sang-soo returns to MIFF with The Hill of Freedom, the latest in a string of disarming low-key comedies; while his compatriot Shim Sung-bo tackles the brutal world of people smuggling in the critically acclaimed drama Haemoo. And if you're after something a little more introspective, check out the latest film from Thai auteur Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Cemetery of Splendour. THE LOBSTER The winner of the Jury Prize at the most recent Cannes Film Festival, The Lobster is the first English language feature from Yorgos Lanthimos, director of Alps and Dogtooth and a leading figure in the so-called Greek weird wave movement. A pudgy Colin Farrell stars alongside Rachel Weisz, Ben Wishaw and John C. Reilly as citizens of a not-too-distant future, where single people are turned into animals if they can't find a romantic partner within 45 days. Like we said. Weird. Also: Another big Cannes winner was Taiwanese martial arts film The Assassin, for which Hou Hsiao-Hsien took home the gong for Best Director. American coming-of-age film Me and Earl and the Dying Girl won both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at Sundance, while the three part epic Arabian Nights was awarded top prize at the Sydney Film Festival in June. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwxyrLUdcss RACING EXTINCTION Six years after astounding audiences with his Oscar winning documentary The Cove, National Geographic photographer turned filmmaker Louie Psihoyos returns with another guerrilla-style environmental doco, Racing Extinction. Using covert shooting tactics, and aided by both scientists and activists, Psihoyos and co. force viewers to confront the devastating effect human activity is having on the natural world. With endangered species disappearing on an unprecedented scale, it's unlikely you'll see a more important film all festival – or indeed, all year. Also: Kirby Dick tackles the endemic problem of rape on campus in The Hunting Ground, while The Act of Killing director Joshua Oppenheimer furthers his investigation into the Indonesian communist purges with The Look of Silence. For something a little less grim, try Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine, a fascinating portray of the Apple founder from Oscar winner Alex Gibney. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0E2Qh6wLS4 THE GUEST Director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett follow up their home-invasion horror movie You're Next with The Guest, a wildly entertaining thriller that plays like a cult classic in the making. Downton Abbey star Dan Stevens play against type as David, a handsome young war vet with a dark secret who wreaks havoc on the lives of an unassuming American family. Mixing sly comedy with paranoid suspense and genuinely terrific action sequences, this is exactly the kind of movie you want to see late at night with a crowd. Also: Horror buffs should definitely see Goodnight Mommy, an Austrian film featuring the creepiest set of twins since The Shining. Japanese gore-master Takashi Miike, meanwhile, delivers another blast of demented mayhem with his vampire gangster movie Yakuza Apocalypse. And for the super committed, there's an entire retro stream on psychedelic cinema, featuring the likes of Enter the Void, The Holy Mountain and Yellow Submarine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPcRnEVl4vA THEORY OF OBSCURITY There's always plenty for music lovers at MIFF, courtesy of the ever-popular Backbeat section. This year, one major highlight would have to be Don Hardy's documentary Theory of Obscurity, which delves into the history of San Francisco's most mysterious rocking eyeballs, The Residents. While uninitiated viewers will likely just be baffled, fans of the band will be fascinated by the unprecedented access gained by the filmmakers. And if nothing else, the soundtrack should be pretty damn great. Also: Elsewhere in the Backbeat section, Alex Gibney chronicles the life of James Brown with Mr. Dynamite, while actor Ethan Hawke makes his documentary filmmaking debut with Seymour: An Introduction, an understated portrait of classical pianist Seymour Bernstein. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALSwWTb88ZU TANGERINE One of the wildest, raunchiest and most entertaining pictures in the MIFF 2015 program, Tangerine follows transgender prostitute Sin-Dee as she tears around Los Angeles trying to track down her cheating boyfriend/pimp. Director Sean Baker shot the entire movie using tricked out iPhone 5s, a bold and innovative approach that suits his characters to perfection, and helps suck viewers into the film's grimy, hard-bitten world. Also: Baker's not the only filmmaker pushing the boundaries of the medium this year. German heist flick Victoria unfolds in a single, two-and-a-half hour take, while Gaspar Noe's provocative new film Love serves up some hard-core sex in eye-popping 3D. But the boldest movie of all comes from Iranian director Jafar Panahi, whose latest film Tehran Taxi was made in defiance of a state-imposed ban on filmmaking. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyMSzeXI5NE WALKABOUT This year MIFF pays tribute to one of Australia's most legendary actors, with a retrospective of the films of David Gulpilil. Screening at the festival on 35mm film almost 45 years after it first premiered, Nicholas Roeg's dreamlike tale of colliding cultures in the outback launched Gulpilil to international stardom and remains one of the landmark titles in the Australian film canon. Don't miss your chance to see it on the big screen. Also: Other films in the Gulpilil retrospective include Peter Weir's The Last Wave and Philippe Mora's Mad Dog Morgan, as well as the actor's recent collaborations with director Rolf de Heer in The Tracker, Ten Canoes and Charlie's Country. The festival will also present separate retrospectives covering the careers of Chilean director Sebastian Silva and American siblings Josh and Benny Safdie. VERTICAL CINEMA This short film showcase at Deakin Edge is turning cinema on its head – or rather, on its side. Projected onto a ten metre high, vertically hung screen from a custom built 35mm projector, the shorts in this package make use of a very different type of cinematic space, with an emphasis on height rather than width. Could this be the future of motion pictures? No, probably not. But it's an interesting experiment, that's for sure. Also: At the end of the day, a festival like MIFF isn't just about the movies, but the experiences that surround them. This year you can catch a film at the Melbourne Planetarium, enjoy a gourmet meal as part of Culinary Cinema, or take part in one of the countless Talking Pictures panel discussions in the festival lounge. The Melbourne International Film Festival runs June 30 – August 16. For the full program and to book tickets, visit the festival website.
Virtual reality may finally be about to hit the mainstream, with Sony announcing that PlayStation VR will be on the market by the end of the year. Compatible with the PS4, the long-awaited virtual reality headset will go on sale in October, and is now available for preorder from the PlayStation website for the surprisingly accessible price of AUD $549.95. Expensive gimmick or the future of gaming? Suppose we'll have to wait and see. The company made the announcement at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco this morning. According to Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Andrew House, more than 230 developers are working on VR games, including a VR version of Star Wars: Battlefront. House expects there will be more than 50 games available by the end of the year, many of which will incorporate both the VR headset and a TV screen, allowing for multiplayer experiences that don't require multiple headsets. While there are still some doubts about the mass marketability of VR technology, Sony's announcement undoubtedly marks a significant step forward — not least because of its relative affordability. When accounting for shipping, both the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift — which both require a high-powered desktop computer to operate — are expected to cost more than double that of the PlayStation headset. Although, as the guys at Lifehacker have predicted, to use PlayStation VR to its full capabilities you'll probably need to purchase a PlayStation Camera and a Move controller or two, which will bring the price closer to $700. Those after a bargain basement alternative can always go with Google Cardboard, but we suspect that won't be compatible with your PS4. Via Wired.
Forget space travel, the internet and the mapping of the human genome. Our greatest technological achievements pale in comparison to the one unveiled by Dominos (yes, that Dominos) in Brisbane last night. Developed by the pizza chain in partnership with technology startup Marathon Robotics, the Dominos Robotic Unit, or DRU, is a fully functioning autonomous vehicle built for the sole purpose of delivering pizza. The future is here. Designed to travel along footpaths, DRU weighs 190kg, can reach speeds of up to 20km per hour, and navigates unassisted using GPS. It is also capable of navigating around obstacles, ensuring your food arrives unscathed. Once DRU rolls up outside your house, you simple enter a unique mobile code and the heated storage compartment opens right up to reveal the sweet, sweet pizza within. Sadly, Dominos expects it'll be at least another two years until DRUs are ready to begin regular service, as there are still various technological and regulatory hurdles to overcome. Turns out the government is a little tetchy when it comes to unsupervised robots roaming the streets... which is probably fair enough. Dominos also acknowledges that there could be problems with vandalism and theft. DRU is worth around $30,000, making it a prime target for unscrupulous robot-nappers. Of course, that pales in comparison to the real danger that no one seems to want to talk about. We've seen enough dystopian science fiction films to know the beginnings of a robot uprising when we see one. Pretty sure Skynet started out as a pizza delivery system, too. Just sayin... [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqzLoXjFT34[/embed] Via Lifehacker. Image: Marathon Robotics.
As if alcohol alone doesn't do enough to unleash your inner, six-year-old self, you can now embrace it shamelessly — that's if you happen to be in San Francisco and anywhere near that city's latest thing: a pop-up ball pit in your local bar. Yep, you read that right. A brilliantly regressive-thinking organisation by the name of Forward Motion has turned every kidult's dream into a reality. The team is heading into willing bars and nightclubs, setting up enormous pits, and filling them to the brim with balls of all colours. And you're welcome to jump straight in — even if, or especially if, you're armed with a cocktail. Forward Motion held its first pop-up on Saturday, March 19 and Sunday, March 20 at San Francisco's Romper Room. "It took a little over a year to actually make it happen, as the biggest obstacle was trying to raise enough money to purchase 40,000 ball pit balls," Forward Motion founder Ryan Lum told Mashable. "After several failed crowdfunding attempts, I decided to just start selling tickets to [the] event that didn't even exist. It took a long time trying to raise the money but it was all worth it in the end." Not only did stacks of people attend, they made the most of it. Some dressed as brides and one as a kangaroo. There were ball fights, conga lines, limbo matches and Macarena displays. The bar staff got on the bandwagon, too, throwing a plastic green turtle into the pit and offering a free shot to the first person to find it. Forward Motion, you are hereby officially invited to Australia. In the meantime, readers can cry with envy at ball pits happening on the other side of the Pacific by following announcements on Facebook. Via First We Feast and Mashable. Images: Dollar Photo Club and Miracles Ramirez/Forward Motion.
Danny Boyle’s iconic 1996 film Trainspotting is finally getting the sequel you kind of don’t want to see but can’t look away from. Boyle officially confirmed the news an interview with Deadline — the sequel has a script and is definitely going ahead. The only problem is coordinating the schedules of the now-famous OG actors. The sequel will be based on Irvine Welsh’s 2002 novel Porno, which was released six years after the film of Trainspotting. The film version of Porno will pick up eight years after Trainspotting left off, with the same crew. But the biggest difference is in the title — obviously, this one is about porn. While Trainspotting was perhaps the most effective campaign against shooting up heroin (and the need to learn the dialect and slang of Edinburgh youth), Porno may well do the same for the amateur porn industry. Don’t worry, there'll probably still be gratuitous drug use. Boyle told Complex that Porno will bring back the “four main actors” which the Internet has interpreted to mean Ewan McGregor, Jonny Lee Miller, Robert Carlyle and Kevin McKidd. Even John Hodge, the screenwriter of Trainspotting, is working on the sequel. There has been no confirmation whether Ewan Bremner or Kelly Macdonald will be included, however the plot of Porno has a sizeable role for Bremner’s character 'Spud', so we’re cautiously optimistic. For those of you wanting to read the book before seeing the film, be warned: the plot might be changed when it goes to the silver screen. The project has been in the works for the while now and author Irvine Welsh told The Big Issue two years ago that, "The sequel I wrote — Porno — is already ten years old, so I don't think you can just use the book as the source for the script. You need other stuff that makes it more fresh and contemporary. The porno stuff might feel a bit passé now after Fifty Shades of Grey." It would seem that Welsh and Boyle have some (probably not very) sexy surprises in store for us. Via Deadline and Complex.
From the Matilda's success in the FIFA Women's World Cup to Michelle Payne's historic win at last year's Melbourne Cup, national interest in women's sports is at an all time high – and it looks like the media is finally paying attention. In an awesome development, albeit one that probably should have happened a hell of a lot sooner, Australia is getting its first major website dedicated to women's sports. Operated by SBS with The World Game host Lucy Zelic at the helm, Zela is being spruiked as an online community, complete with "a strong presence in social media feeds with the latest video, highlights, news and views delivered straight to followers." The site will feature profiles of established and emerging female athletes across a wide array of sporting codes, as well as coverage of the wider sporting world from a female perspective. Zelic and company also plan to establish connections and syndication deals with existing networks and blogs. The launch was driven in part by the success of SBS's Women's World Cup coverage, which attracted more than 2.6 million viewers. "The Women’s World Cup went so well that we began to explore what else we could do to service women’s sport, a badly neglected area of the current media landscape, especially in the mainstream media," said Zelic. "With Zela, I hope to lead the way, to prove the audience is out there if you provide them with interesting and engaging content," added editor Danielle Warby. Visit Zela at www.sbs.com.au/topics/zela. You can also check them out on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Victoria's newest boutique hotel is set to take a weekend on the Mornington Peninsula to a new level of luxury. Opening to guests on Saturday, April 1, Jackalope Hotel is smack-bang in the middle of the Peninsula's wine region in Merricks North, just next to Red Hill. The hotel is the 'passion project' of 28-year-old entrepreneur Louis Li, who worked with architecture firm Carr Design Group and Fabio Ongarato Design studio to design the hotel, which is his first. From what we've seen, the exterior is quite impressive and maintains a modern austerity while naturally fitting into the rolling landscape. At the entrance to the hotel, guests will be greeted by a seven-metre-tall sculpture of a Jackalope, the mythical horned rabbit of North American folklore the hotel is named after, which does seem overdone — but then, that also seems to be the point of the hotel's 'extravagance to surreal proportions' mindset. The 46 rooms offer terrace or vineyard views, with their double-the-size 'lair' suites offering the best views in the house. Each room boasts floor-to-ceiling windows, private terraces and hand-crafted bespoke furnishings. If you're one for a good bath, the deep-soak, black Japanese tubs and exclusive Hunter Lab bath products will keep you utterly relaxed while you admire your fabulous self in the double vanities. It's a bathroom well deserving of a nice glass (or bottle) of local wine, that's for sure. If your private bath isn't quite enough, the landscaped gardens include a black 30-metre infinity pool with an adjacent pavilion for spa treatments. The hotel also houses an extensive art collection, commissioned and installed specifically for the space for anyone looking to soak up some culture instead of sun. Yes, it's incredibly luxe. And to be certain they are not outdone, Jackalope is also home to not one, but two restaurants, headed by chef Guy Stanaway. The fine dining option, oddly named Doot Doot Doot, centres around a menu of seasonal, local produce, while the cellar door, Rare Hare, is set amongst the hotel's winery and offers the requisite wine and food pairing. If you somehow get bored in this lap of luxury, the Peninsula is already home to over 50 cellar doors and restaurants, not to mention golf courses, natural hot springs, national parks and bay beaches. You can use our weekender's guide to the area to navigate. Of course, all this will cost you a pretty penny — rooms start at around $650 and go up to over $1000 per night. But for those looking to give themselves a little (or a lot) of pampering, Jackalope sounds like it'll be the ideal spot for it. Jackalope Hotel will open on Saturday, April 1 at 166 Balnarring Road, Merricks North. For more info or to book a room, visit jackalopehotels.com.
Trying to stay healthy while eating the food you love can sometimes feel like an exercise in futility. Basically, we want to have our cake, and eat it too, but to also have that cake not ruin any chance at being healthy as blazes. Luckily, the good folk at food delivery service Youfoodz have put together a couple of recipes that offer unexpectedly healthy takes on some of our all time culinary favourites. Say goodbye to the grease-sodden offerings from your local fish and chip shop because, for dinner, they suggest a healthy, homemade alternative, that subs out those deep-fried chippies for baked roast veggie chips and a good-for-you superseed crust instead of batter. Alternatively, if you've got a hectic sweet tooth, they've got the perfect protein packed recipe for blueberry pancakes with a light honey ricotta that looks every bit as good as it sounds. Add some extra berries on top for added antioxidants and deliciousness. Healthy eating ain't so bad after all. Check 'em out and enjoy the spoils. FISH AND CHIPS Ingredients (fish) 120g cod 1tbs almond meal 1tbs slivered almonds 1tbs quinoa 5g chia seeds 5g sesame seeds Lemon wedges Salt Ingredients (chips) 60g sweet potato 60g carrot 60g potato Paprika Ingredients (tartare sauce) 2-3 tbs of your favourite prepared aioli 2 large Gherkins (chopped) 1tbs Capers (chopped) Juice of 1 lemon Zest of 1 lemon 2tbs fresh dill (chopped) 2tbs continental Parsley (chopped) Method 1) Pre heat oven to 180 degrees. 2) Cut vegetables into chip shapes and sizes and combine with some paprika. Bake in oven until roasted and delicious. 3) Combine almond meal, nuts and seeds and mix well, sprinkle heavily on top of cod and bake for 12-15 minutes or until cooked. 4) Add chopped gherkins, capers, dill, lemon juice and zest and parsley to prepared aioli and mix well. 5) Garnish with lemon wedges and a sprinkle of sea salt. BLUEBERRY BAKED PANCAKES AND HONEY RICOTTA Ingredients (pancake mix) 4 eggs 1 cup almond meal Half cup gluten free flour 100g protein powder Lemon zest of 2 lemons 1.5 cups natural yoghurt Quarter cup white sugar 1tsp bi carb soda 1 cup blueberries Ingredients (ricotta and honey mix) Ricotta cheese Honey Method 1) Lightly beat eggs with sugar till combined well. 2) Add almond meal, gluten free flour, protein powder and bi carb soda and mix well. 3) Add yoghurt, blueberries and lemon zest, combine all ingredients and cook in medium hot non stick fry pan till risen and golden. Combine ricotta and honey, spoon over cooked pancakes with additional berries and honey. Want someone else to cook these for you? Youfoodz will bring them right to your door. To view the full menu, head to youfoodz.com.
For all of us in Melbourne, it’s a wonderful time to be alive. We’re living in golden period of entertainment and what this means, practically, is there’s a tonne of slides (apparently it’s a scientific fact that more slides equal greater happiness). And if you missed out on this waterslide, don’t worry, you’ve got options. Slide the Square is opening in Federation Square from January 9 and we’re so ready for the summer of slides. The slide is a 75-metre run of slippery fun that will be with us for a week in January. Sessions last for 50 minutes and will set you back $20 (plus BF) for adults ($17 for concessions and children). It’s a bit exxy for the opportunity to barrel down a wet piece of plastic but you know it’s going to amazing fun and way better than lying on the couch covered by a wet cloth to avoid the heat. You can even slip and slide in your clothes (no bathers necessary) but unfortunately all jewellery, glasses, buckles, shoes and GoPros must be left in coat check (so as not to damage the precious slide and prevent awkward selfies). And they’re pretty adamant that no naked butts will be going down the slide (sorry everyone, cover those butts). Slide the Square, from January 9-16 in Federation Square. Grab your tickets here. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
Find true love without ever lifting a finger. A brand new smart watch app is eliminating the most physically arduous part of Tinder by selecting your matches for you based on the beating of your heart. Yep, it swipes right for you. This is isn't just like putting your Tinder profile on auto-swipe (actual thing). Developed by American creative agency T3, Hands-Free Tinder works by measuring your pulse rate. According to T3, "The heart doesn't lie." The display on your smartwatch will show you a potential date’s profile picture and then gauges your physiological reaction. If your heartbeat quickens, it may well be true love/casual sex time. If it slows, it clearly wasn’t meant to be. Check out their classy, classy promotional video, below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkVLJiJj7qQ We’re not buying the whole ‘always listen to your heart’ shtick, but you’ve got to give the company credit for really boiling Tinder down to its bare essentials. You literally have to press one button, and everything else is taken care of. This is especially great news for frequent and/or desperate Tinder users, many of whom have begun to experience the symptoms of repetitive strain injury as a result of too much right swiping. The hands-free functionality also has the added benefit of removing any lingering traces of guilt you might feel for snap-judging a potential match based solely on their physical appearance. After all, it’s not like you can control your heart rate. Just don’t use the app while you’re on the treadmill. Could lead to some pretty awkward, terribly-matched first dates. While the concept video makes specific mention of the Apple Watch, the agency claims the app will be available via both Google Play and the Apple App Store, although no word yet as to when. It’s also worth pointing out that the app isn’t actually affiliated with the creators of Tinder, so there may be some rebranding before it hits stores. In the meantime, we’ll be huddled around our phones, swiping like a bunch of soulmate-seeking Neanderthals. Via Mashable. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
Dumplings are a hot commodity in this city. The ability to encase pure, unbridled joy in an edible cocoon of merriment is an art respected by Melburnians citywide. Select few dumpling palaces are at the top of their game, those you’d happily wait many an agonising minute for. But Sydney has long-hogged one of the best, the formidable Din Tai Fung chain. But start mixing that chilli/soy balance, the dumpling monarchs have opened in Melbourne. In their biggest and most ambitious restaurant yet, Din Tai Fung have opened their their first venue outside of New South Wales. Sitting on level four of Emporium Melbourne, the epic 235-seat restaurant has been a long time coming for the city. "It’s about time we brought our well-loved dumplings to Melbourne," says Australasian director Dendy Harjanto. "I’ve been a visitor to this city for years but we had to wait until the time was right. We feel Emporium, in the heart of the city, is a great location for our world-famous dumplings." Each Din Tai Fung space has its own stylin' interior, and the design brief for the Melbourne eatery has be described by the team as 'yin yang' with a mainly monochrome fitout. The Melbourne restaurant even has three private rooms, a Australian-first for the group. But there are some classic DTF elements of that are making the interstate trip; the chain's signature glass-enclosed dumpling kitchen, as well as their weirdly famous handbag holders. So what of those famous Xiao Long Bao delights? Made to order, each 'soup dumpling' is steamed in exactly three minutes and served moments later. Din Tai Fung pumps out over 6000 dumplings daily, with dumpling training carried out at the World Square HQ in Sydney. It takes two years to become a dumpling master. Two. Years. RESPECT YOUR DUMPLINGS. Din Tai Fung can be found on level four of Emporium Melbourne, 287 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. Open Monday to Wednesday 11.30am–2.30pm, 5.30pm–9pm; Thursday and Friday 11.30am–2.30pm, 5–10pm; Saturday 11am–3pm, 5–10pm; Sunday 11am–3pm, 5pm–9pm. View all Melbourne Restaurants.
The globe can now melt into a solid savasana, with thousands of International Yoga Day sessions finishing up worldwide today. From New Delhi's 35,000-strong Guinness World Record-breaking session to a bright yellow-themed session beneath the Eiffel Tower and early morning lawn sessions at Sydney's Museum of Contemporary Art, yoga newcomers and hardcore yogis alike found a moment of peace and flexibility this Sunday, June 21 for the official day of yoga. It's a UN-approved international day, introduced by Indian prime minister Narendra Modi last year after he convinced the UN to dedicate a public day to yoga — a move that hasn't come without controversy. But aside from the religious debate, corporate piggybacking and general eye-rolling surrounding the event, International Yoga Day saw hundreds of thousands of yoga enthusiasts taking part in both epic public classes and smaller private sessions, from the record-setting session on Delhi's ceremonial Rajpath boulevard, to a rainy Times Square event to seaside solo ventures. Take a peruse at these early-rising, flexible fiends. DELHI, INDIA TIMES SQUARE, NEW YORK CITY Time Square shut down for yoga! So amazing! #SolsticeTSq #yoga #yogaday #Bellavita #centerpfitall #timesquare #NYC #namaste A photo posted by 161 w 22nd street, NYC (@bellavita_wellness) on Jun 21, 2015 at 5:21pm PDT Celebrating #internationalyogaday in Times Square which ended with a very satisfying torrential downpour and a free yoga mat ?????????????? #NYC #yoga A photo posted by Anna Jordan (@ajhealth) on Jun 21, 2015 at 7:59pm PDT EIFFEL TOWER, PARIS Today, is many things. For those in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s #SummerSolstice. For those in the U.S. and U.K., it’s #FathersDay. And for all those around the world, it just so happens to be #InternationalYogaDay. #Yoga-fans took part globally, with people in more than 192 countries said to have taken to the mat. Click the link in our profile to see more striking images of record setting yoga classes around the world. #Paris #YogaDay (Image: AP Photo, Kamil Zihnioglu) A photo posted by Mashable (@mashable) on Jun 21, 2015 at 5:05pm PDT Today was the first #InternationalYogaDay! Hundreds of people practiced #yoga under the #EiffelTower. Wish we could have been there. (Pic: Getty Images) A photo posted by Huffington Post (@huffingtonpost) on Jun 21, 2015 at 7:27pm PDT SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA And.... it's a wrap! G'day everyone and thank you to all the participants of #YokoOnoPeace this morning! @lululemonausnz #yoga #Sydney A photo posted by MCA Australia (@mca_australia_now) on Jun 20, 2015 at 9:05pm PDT Namaste, world!! Sydney says good morning to @themuseumofmodernart and all #YokoOnoPeace participants around the world. Kicking off the festivities with Vinyasa #yoga courtesy of @lululemonausnz, facing the Harbour Bridge and Opera House A photo posted by MCA Australia (@mca_australia_now) on Jun 20, 2015 at 5:03pm PDT UNITED NATIONS, GENEVA VARANASI, INDIA HANOI, VIETNAM TORONTO, CANADA #internationalyogaday #summersolstice #yoga #yogaday #love #loveeverydamnday #namaste #namastebitches #lalala #bums ???? #distillerydistrict #toronto #yyz #together #the6 #6ix #mylife #life #live #livehard #bekind #kindawesome #summer #yogaoutside #everyday #peace #trueloveisbluelove #grateful #balance A photo posted by Ruby Fra (@rubytues101) on Jun 21, 2015 at 6:45pm PDT INDIAN NAVY, INS VIRAAT REDONDO BEACH, CALIFORNIA Taken at @redondopier 3rd Saturdays monthly free yoga class yesterday with @theflybuddha benefiting #cscrb #internationalyogaday #yoga #redondopier #visitredondo A photo posted by Redondo Beach Pier (@redondopier) on Jun 21, 2015 at 6:06pm PDT GANGTOK, INDIA ??????Yoga is the journey of the self through the self to the self?????? #yesterday#internationalyogaday#instagram A photo posted by Sangay Diki Bhutia ???? (@_to_the_universe) on Jun 21, 2015 at 6:36pm PDT BOARDMAN, OHIO My @puryoga family #summersolstice #108sunsalutations #internationalyogaday A photo posted by Alexa Marie (@howdoyoueatanelephant) on Jun 21, 2015 at 6:35pm PDT PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI International Yoga Day celebrated at the Oxygen Health & Fitness Expo at the Karibe Convention Center. #oxygenexpo #Motivation #yoga #internationalyogaday #michellelewin #enjoy #motion #fit #igfit #FitFam #fitspo #fitness #HaitiFIT #haiti #openair #nature #stretch #yogis #international #caribbean A photo posted by FloM???? (@fitness__flo) on Jun 21, 2015 at 10:43am PDT VERACRUZ, MEXICO Grabación del evento por el día internacional del #yoga con @studioyogaenequilibrio e Israel Chiang. ???????? #namaste #veracruz A photo posted by José Alfredo Zayas Rodríguez (@zayas04) on Jun 21, 2015 at 7:49pm PDT EDMONTON, CANADA Early morning yoga with this one? Not a bad way to start the day. #sunrisesolsticenamaskar #sunrise #yoga #yegyoga #edmontonyoga Thanks to @sattvamisle for leading the class and to @robindra for the sick beats. A photo posted by deantumibay (@deantumibay) on Jun 21, 2015 at 7:57pm PDT MONUMENT CIRCLE, INDIANAPOLIS Today was the first International Day of Yoga, on the Summer Solstice. Indianapolis was one of four cities given a grant to celebrate! Got to practice yoga on Monument Circle downtown. #Indy #Indianapolis #yoga #internationalyogaday #yogi #health #SummerSolstice #namaste #outdooryogis A photo posted by Eric Gettelfinger (@egettelfinger) on Jun 21, 2015 at 6:14pm PDT JAMAICA What a dream come true it was tonight to see 580 Jamaicans, from all walks of life, practicing Yoga in honor of the first ever UN designated International Day of Yoga! My heart is full. Changing Jamaica one Breath at a Time! #livefitlivelifelivelove #everythingispossible #internationaldayofyoga #yoga #jamaica A photo posted by Sharon Feanny (@sharonfeanny) on Jun 21, 2015 at 7:54pm PDT One Love. One Yoga. One Jamaica. 580 souls practicing together in honor of International Day of Yoga. So much Love Peace and Understanding tonight. This, more than anything is what Jamaica needs now! #internationaldayofyoga #everythingispossible #yoga #jamaica #livefitlivelifelivelove A photo posted by Sharon Feanny (@sharonfeanny) on Jun 21, 2015 at 8:02pm PDT TWIN FALLS, WASHINGTON Celebrating Summer Solstice with a dip in Twin Falls! ???? Connect to the light within you and around you. Share the joy of this life with each other! #aloha #spirit #dailybliss #yoga #retreat #yogamusewest #muktiyoga #dream #believe #move #unite #strengthen #evolve #manifest #magic #divine #connection #earth #sun #love #light #namaste A photo posted by Heather Archer (@heathernamaste) on Jun 21, 2015 at 7:56pm PDT BHARATPUR, INDIA #yoga #day #morning #policeparedground #bharatpur #21june #sunday #people #photography #mobilephotography #htc #health #yogaday #uniformity #instanaturefriends #india #psxxo A photo posted by Glory (@gloryxxo) on Jun 21, 2015 at 7:57pm PDT MEDAN, INDONESIA #internationaldayofyoga #medan #yogamedan #yoga A photo posted by Kamalini Yoga Studio (@kamaliniyoga) on Jun 21, 2015 at 7:55pm PDT AUSTIN, TEXAS #YogaMob #Unify #Yoga #ATX #Austin #Texas #NationalYogaDay A photo posted by Maria Lucente (@mariaisinverted) on Jun 21, 2015 at 7:47pm PDT ANAMAYA, COSTA RICA Happy International Yoga Day from all these Beautiful Souls || Surrender to the Love and Happy Summer Solstice?? #AnamayaResort #CostaRica #Montezuma #Yoga #YogaInspiration #YogaEveryDamnDay #YTT #YogaTeacherTraining #Namaste #SummerSolstice #YogaLove #InternationalYogaDay A photo posted by Anamaya (@anamayaresort) on Jun 21, 2015 at 7:43pm PDT VALENCIA, SPAIN Otra hermosa toma de este Día Internacional del Yoga. Juntos bajo el samán. Felices y plenos. NAMASTE. #Yoga #Yoga24horas #ViveEnYoga #Valencia #YogaValencia #diainternacionaldelyoga #internationalyogaday #internationalyogaday2015 A photo posted by ? Uma Devi ? (@climbyogagirl) on Jun 21, 2015 at 5:18pm PDT
Honestly, how does this not officially exist already? Tokyo's seen its fair share of Hello Kitty pop-up restaurants in the past, but now China's making things permanent with Sanrio's feline monarch. The world's first Hello Kitty dim sum restaurant is about to open in Hong Kong, bringing with it possibly the most Instagrammable menu this side of a Pikachu pop-up. Set to swing open its adorable doors on June 1, Sanrio's first Hello Kitty restaurant would have presumably opened in Japan, Ms Kitty's birthplace. But restaurant owner Man Kwong told TIME that Hello Kitty was much more popular in Hong Kong. Kwong spent a year negotiating with Sanrio developing each adorable dish — that individually had to be given the thumbs up by Sanrio executives. So what's going to be filling Instagram feeds and HelloKitty-loving bellies? The menu includes 37squealworthy dim sum items, from Hello Kitty-shaped noodle dishes to shrimp buns, made from all-natural ingredients (Kwong is the founder of a Chinese health magazine, so he's practicing what he preaches). Just look at these outrageously cute buns (that have 17 steps each to make, including making the beetroot-coloured bow and dotting squid ink for the eyes): Kitty's first restaurant will open in the traditional Yau Ma Tei neighborhood on the Kowloon peninsula. Though we predicted a garish, cartoon-like interior, Kwongs' chosen a more modern, tasteful approach in theming. The pink-bowed mogul is splashed everywhere, from the teapots and chopstick holders to the restaurant mirrors and window panes — featuring Kitty as the Four Beauties of ancient China. Even Kitty's taken a modern revamp for the menu and website design, happy to serve her own face in a dumpling steamer, what a champ. The world's first Hello Kitty restaurant will open on June 1. Charge your phones and book that flight, Kitty fans. Via TIME. Images: TIME/Man Kwong.
When most people think of Father Christmas, a very particular image comes to mind. We're talking about a jolly, roly poly man with a red and white suit and a twinkle in his eye. He's got a whole fleet of reindeer, a workshop full of elves, and brings joy and yuletide spirit to children around the world. He's been described as a lot of things, but chic has never been one of them. That is, until now. Presenting Fashion Santa: Dayummmm. We suddenly know what we want for Christmas. Setting up shop in Toronto's Yorkdale Shopping Centre, Fashion Santa is part of the mall's annual holiday campaign. Decked out in only the finest of menswear, this stylish Saint Nick, played by model Paul Mason, has been hanging at the centre snapping selfies with shoppers, offering beard primping tips and generally looking fabulous. The best thing about Fashion Santa, aside from his steely blue eyes, perfectly manicured whiskers and strong, strong arms... ...sorry, lost our train of thought there for a moment. Let's try that again. The best thing about Fashion Santa is that he's out raising money for sick kids. For every selfie with Fashion Santa posted online using the hashtag #YorkdaleFashionSanta, the shopping centre will donate $1 to Canada's Sick Kids Foundation. It's a pretty awesome initiative, one that more countries should get on board with. And we're not just saying that because we want to sit on Santa's lap. Via QZ.
If you have reservations about eating non-traditional breakfast food before midday, Easey's may not be your scene. Or maybe it is. After all, if there was ever a good place to turn those preconceived Western ideas about what defines 'breakfast food' on their heads, it's a place that takes Frosties and Pop Tarts and pairs them with fried chicken. Having just opened for business on Friday night after many months of hype, Easey's is now flipping burgers and frying chicken at 48 Easey Street in Melbourne's heaving hospo suburb of Collingwood. The five-storey venue — where you can eat in the disused train carriages that sit on the roof — comes from Jeremy Gaschk and Jimmy Hurlston, the guy behind the legendary burger-reviewing blog, Jimmy’s Burgers. But it's not just the burgers that's got us intrigued — it's the breakfast menu, too. They're not the first to offer fried chicken in the early slot — Belle's Hot Chicken does theirs with waffles and a dusting of icing sugar for brunch on weekends, as do Bowery to Williamsburg — but they're certainly the the first to pair it with two of America's most celebrated sugary breakfast foods. The fried chicken is covered in finely crushed, crunchy bits of sugar-coated corn flakes (otherwise known as Frosties), and comes with a serve of deep-fried Pop Tarts. It's a double whammy in all senses of the word. But take note: this is strictly breakfast food, and it's only available from 8–11am. For all other times, you'll just have to be satisfied with Jimmy's all-day Easey Cheesy beef burger. And for the health conscious, Fare, a wholefoods cafe, will open on the ground floor of the venue shortly. Easey's is located at 48 Easey Street, Collingwood and is open Mon–Thurs 7am–11pm, Fri–Sat 7am–1am, and Sunday 7am–11pm.
If you've been looking for a reason to go away for the weekend, block off a couple of days in March and head to Canberra for Enlighten 2017. Touted as the original Vivid, Enlighten celebrates art, culture, music, performance and innovation. Held in Canberra's iconic Parliamentary Triangle, the event site is transformed into a buzzing hub of activity, with spectacular architectural projections on iconic national attractions and a programme of free and ticketed interactive performance and installation works. Over each weekend from March 3-12, the city will light up with live music, performances, events and exclusive exhibitions. Large-scale projections will bring to life Canberra icons including the National Portrait Gallery, Australian Parliament House, National Library of Australia, National Gallery of Australia and Questacon. Highlight events from the programme include Pedaleando Hacia El Cielo by Theatre Tol (a large-scale aerial act featuring performers, singers, video imagery and pyrotechnics), the amazing, interactive digital architectural projections splashed across the National Portrait Gallery, the pop-up wine bars, roving entertainment and Enlighten Night Noodle Markets (which based on Canberra's population should be significantly less hectic than the Sydney version, meaning you'll be able to jump in and eat as many dumplings as you can). There's also Sunset on the Roof — drinks, music and snacks at the Australian Parliament House's rooftop bar for two nights only (March 3 and 11). The festival's live music line-up features indie band Tigertown, Australian singer/songwriter Cleopold and electronic duo Mondecreen, as well as Cookin' On 3 Burners and Bustamento, who will bring the funk vibes to the stage. A glowing, black-light, industrial 'dance zone' is popping up in a high-security factory production corridor on March 3. DJ Robot Citizen will lead the charge in showcasing Canberra's underground dark-electronic music scene on the night (who knew), and high-vis vests and glow-sticks will be supplied. Visit Enlighten 2017 and delve into the whole programme.
Australia has some highly reputable wine regions producing top-notch whites and reds that give their European and American counterparts a run for their money. The Barossa, Hunter Valley, Margaret River — we all know and love these esteemed regions, but what about the lesser-known regions also killing it on the Australian viticulture scene? Unless you're a bona fide wine buff or a local of the region, we're assuming your Australian wine knowledge may not stretch past the ever-popular ones. So, we're here to broaden your knowledge of Australian wine. Here are five alternative wine regions in our fair country — may we suggest you tour them with a juicy red or crisp white (Australian, of course) in hand? From pristine beaches and bountiful wine regions to alpine hideaways and bustling country towns, Australia has a wealth of places to explore at any time of year. We've partnered with Tourism Australia to help you plan your road trips, weekend detours and summer getaways so that when you're ready to hit the road you can Holiday Here This Year. Under current COVID-19 restrictions in Australia, there are some restrictions on where you can go on a holiday. But, you can start dreaming. Bookmark this for when you can explore once again. [caption id="attachment_735941" align="alignnone" width="1920"] David Flanagan via VisitCanberra[/caption] IF YOU LIKE THE HUNTER VALLEY: DISCOVER THE CANBERRA DISTRICT Instead of heading three-ish hours north of Sydney to the historic Hunter Valley, why not use that time to head southeast to Canberra to discover a well-kept secret of award-winning wineries? Not just a region of politicians and government types, the Canberra District is also home to 140 vineyards, boasting a tight group of 40 wineries all within 35 minutes of the capital city. While in the Hunter you find savoury shiraz and dry semillon, in Canberra, wineries present their own take on shiraz by adding some spice — best represented by Clonakilla's shiraz viognier — and deliver dry whites in the form of touted crisp rieslings, like those from Helm Wines. Plus, these ACT wineries expand their offering to several other delicious cool-climate reds and whites including viognier, pinot noir and chardonnay. In early 2020, Samuel Leyshon from Mallaluka Wines was named in Young Gun of Wine's top 50 winemakers, so be sure to add his family-run boutique winery to your hit-list. [caption id="attachment_706722" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Visit Victoria[/caption] IF YOU LIKE THE YARRA VALLEY: DISCOVER THE KING VALLEY The Yarra Valley is known and loved for its cooler-climate wines, celebrated vineyards and attractive sites that lure many visitors to the area. But off the beaten wine trail, northeast of the Yarra and away from the crowds, you'll find the 'Little Italy' of Australian wine production. King Valley is the epicentre of Italian farming and grape growing in Australia, and the resulting wine varieties, along with the surrounding Italian heritage, make the region a top spot to visit. Sangiovese and prosecco are the key players here, thanks to the strong Italian influence. With all this Italian epicurean culture around, it's incredibly easy to find a delicious meal to pair with these local wines. Take a trip down Prosecco Road and discover bubbles (and great eats) from the likes of Chrismont, with its cellar door and restaurant overlooking rolling vineyards, the famed Brown Brothers and its top-rated restaurant Patricia's Table, and Dal Zotto, run by Otto Dal Zotto, who first introduced prosecco to Australia. [caption id="attachment_617800" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Delinquente Wines[/caption] IF YOU LIKE THE BAROSSA: DISCOVER THE RIVERLAND With the largest collection of old vines in Australia, there's no doubt the prestigious Barossa is up there with the most impressive wine regions. But for those on the hunt for something edgy and truly different, neighbouring Riverland is one to watch. Think of Riverland as the hipster hub of Australian winemaking — it's known for organic drops and challenging those Aussie wine norms. Riverland growers and producers are working to change opinions on the region — it's long been associated with mediocre wines and bulk commercial sales. There's been a shift from your classic cabernet sauvignon, merlot, shiraz and chardonnay to lesser-known varieties, especially those that thrive in Riverland's warmer climate, like Sardinian vermentino, Sicilian nero d'avola and Abruzzan montepulciano. Along with alternative varieties, growers and producers have increased their organic output, quickly transforming the region into the place for organic viticulture. Leading the charge are wineries like small batch, handmade, vegan-friendly Delinquente (whose winemaker Con-Greg Grigoriou also made the Young Gun of Wine 2020 list), Whistling Kite with its award-winning montepulciano and Ricca Terra, which helped establish the Riverland Alternative Wine Group. It's time to jump on the Riverland bandwagon now, so you can say you were drinking its wines before it was cool. [caption id="attachment_617587" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Forest Hill Winery via Tourism Western Australia[/caption] IF YOU LIKE THE MARGARET RIVER: DISCOVER THE GREAT SOUTHERN Founded in the 70s around the same time as neighbouring Margaret River, the Great Southern region has struggled to gain recognition like that of its celebrated sister region. It doesn't help that the region is pretty remote — and that it's massive — but you'd be a fool not to plan an adventure to the Great Southern, dubbed the most ideal wine-growing region in Western Australia. With many pockets of small, revered wineries producing some of the finest WA wines, not to mention visually stunning surrounds in every direction, the region is worth using up your precious annual leave for a proper visit. The Great Southern is so large that it's divided into sub-regions — Albany, Denmark, Frankland River, Mount Barker and Porongurup — with varied terroir allowing for a spectrum of wines. While its nearby sissy mainly grows bordeaux and chardonnay grapes, the Great Southern's repertoire extends to fantastic shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, riesling and a rare full-bodied sauvignon blanc. There's also a young but rich history in the region with the Great Southern vineyard pioneers still shining bright today, including Plantagenet Wines, Alkoomi, Galafrey and Forest Hill, the winery that planted the very first vineyard in the area. [caption id="attachment_769768" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Courabyra Wines via Destination NSW[/caption] IF YOU LIKE TASMANIA: DISCOVER TUMBARUMBA Established only in the early 80s, Tumbarumba's vines are new kids on the block in comparison to Tasmania, a more established and sought-after sparkling wine region. But thanks to its cool climate and pure mountain air, the region produces some standout chardonnays (2016 was a good year) and pinot noirs — the two key grapes for good sparkling wines. Some oenophiles even go as far as drawing comparisons between the NSW region and France's Burgundy and Champagne. So, in case you haven't cottoned on, Tumbarumba is a region for those who love white, and especially those who love bubbles. However, there are still a few reds grabbing some much-deserved attention like Excelsior Peak's pinot noir. And though the fine Tumbarumba grapes are often sold to bigger wineries, there are still some producers keeping things local and opening their own cellar doors at the foot of the Snowy Mountains. Courabyra Wines is a favourite, winning best small cellar door in Gourmet Traveller Wine's 2019 awards. Tumbarumba, with Snowy Mountains peeking in the distance, gurgling streams and picturesque greenery, is a wine lover's fairy tale with crisp days, beautiful sights and remarkable wines. Whether you're planning to travel for a couple of nights or a couple of weeks, Holiday Here This Year and you'll be supporting Australian businesses while you explore the best of our country's diverse landscapes and attractions. Top image: Brown Brothers, King Valley
There are so many cafes, restaurants and bars in Melbourne that it's easy to be overwhelmed with choice. You put yourself under so much pressure to impress your friends, and yourself, by always choosing the best coffee, the best place for drinks, or the most decadent and delicious fancy dinner in the area. We've decided that we're going to make it extremely easy for you to feel like a local, with the first of our neighbourhood guides we're producing with Adina Apartments. Have a read of our picks for St Kilda, and the next time you're staying in the area consult this list for a reliable, local option for a coffee. We promise that none of these options will disappoint. BEST PLACE FOR A COFFEE Hannah Hannah serves Proud Mary Coffee, which is juicy and full of flavour — just as it should be. The cafe prides itself on a well-considered approach to coffee, food and interior design. Vinyl records provide the soundtrack, while ferns pepper the interior. The all day brunch features porridge with date jam and hazelnuts ($11) and coconut pancakes with pink peppered berries and vanilla mascarpone ($16.50), while lunch is a mouth-watering selection including the likes of smoked trout, cavolo nero, witlof, radicchio, poached egg and samphire salsa ($19) and octopus salad with silverbeet, watercress, purple congos, capers and marjoram salmoriglio ($18.50). BEST PLACE TO GRAB BREAKFAST Matcha Mylkbar St Kilda is home to Melbourne's most popular and Instagrammable vegan eatery, which is fuelled by matcha. The plant-based café comes from the same people that brought you (and basically every cafe in Australia) Matcha Maiden. Dubbed Matcha Mylkbar, the cafe serves the regulars like smashed avocado with heirloom tomatoes and corn fritters, but then there's the coconut bacon and the matcha pancakes with dark chocolate sorbet. There are also the famous mushroom lattes, and beetroot lattes. BEST SPOT FOR FISH & CHIPS Paper Fish A kickass fish and chippery is located right off the St Kilda Beach boardwalk. Paper Fish offers sustainable, healthy(ish) eat-in and takeaway options all throughout summer. Open noon until late seven days a week, now until the end of daylight savings, Paper Fish will serve up sustainable seafood and fresh quality produce in environmentally friendly packaging. Menu items include flathead, blue grenadier, salmon or gummy served grilled or tempura fried, as well as fritto misto (small fried bits of seafood), sweet potato cakes and crinkle-cut chips in a cone. BEST PLACE TO GRAB A BEER Freddie Wimpoles Freddie Wimpoles features 13 taps pouring a rotating lineup of local and international craft brews, as well as additional beers by the bottle and can. They also have a number of wines, plus more than 180 premium spirits and a selection of classic cocktails. The food is inspired by corner delis in NYC – think hot dogs, beef jerky, pickled vegetables and slow-cooked meat subs. BEST PLACE FOR A CHEESEBOARD Milk the Cow You don't just go to Milk the Cow for fresh mozzarella and just-made ricotta — you go for the selection of over 150 cheeses. There is cheese that's been imported from France, Ireland and Norway as well as the Yarra Valley; cheese that's been washed in chai, paprika and cognac; aged in caves and sat ripening out the back until just the right time to eat. There's all sorts of soft, hard and in-between cheese — all curated on a rotating basis by head cheesemonger Laura Lown. This, and Milk the Cow's Carlton location, is the best place for cheese in all of Melbourne, not just St Kilda. BEST ROOFTOP BAR Captain Baxter St Kilda Sea Baths may not be Melbourne's Mecca of fine dining, but in a city convinced they are starved of sun, you can rarely beat a seat at a beachfront venue once the weather warms up. The same could be said about Captain Baxter. Nestled in with Republica at the baths, its large upstairs dining room and looming facade is the perfect place for a beer, a cocktail and a bowl of hand-cut fries. BEST WEEKEND FOOD MARKET Hank Marvin Market Over 40 street food vendors set up shop at Hank Marvin Market, a street food market on every Saturday at Alma Park in St Kilda East, transforming it into a hub of fresh produce, food trucks and street food stalls. Old favourites Overdosa, Hammer & Tong, Happy Camper Pizza and the Little Mushroom Co. are generally there, along with artisan doughnuts from Cobb Lane Bakery and traditional wood-fired bagels from Shtetl Bagels. BEST SPOT FOR A FANCY DINNER Cafe Di Stasio The upper echelons of elegance, service and rich Italian food. If we're talking about institutions, Cafe di Stasio is right at the top of the list. After 26 years on Fitzroy Street, the restaurant and bar still exudes elegance, sophisticated service and decadent Italian food. Here the lunches are long, the wine is expensive and the atmosphere is right on point. There's a place for old-school, classy dining and this is it. BEST SPOT TO PACK A PICNIC Catani Gardens For the discerning picnicker with a preference for a cool sea breeze, St Kilda's Catani Gardens is an idyllic fusion between urban and ocean. One of the only places in Melbourne where it is acceptable to find a palm tree lined avenue, six hectares of brilliantly landscaped gardens hugging both the city and the sea is located right on the St Kilda foreshore. While not as secluded as other options, the boardwalk setting provides the perfect vantage point of ample amounts of people watching, as well as immediate access to a host of fancy fish and chips shops. Extra points will be given for those who rollerblade with basket in hand to picnic point of choice. Book yourself in at an Adina Apartment Hotel and have a St Kilda staycation — it's the easiest way to tick all these off.
Another year of the craft beer overload that is the Great Australasian Beer SpecTAPular has come and gone and many of us are still feeling the aftermath of the Sydney and Melbourne sessions. This year was a strange one, with a beer made from in-house smoked bone marrow, two purple beers, a whopping three Thai inspired beers and a lot of dessert beers. Some were surprisingly tasty and on-point, others were over-the-top flops. Alas, many of the weird and wonderful GABS brews never hit pubs or bottle shop shelves, but a lucky selection of the 146 festival beers do make it to market. Here are five strange, yet peculiarly palatable, new brews to try post-GABS and where to find them around town. PIRATE LIFE BREWING — VANILLA MALT THICKSHAKE SWEET STOUT (7% ABV) Adelaide favourite, Pirate Life, is better known for their big IPAs, but they took a decidedly sweet turn for GABS. A beer thickshake sounds, well, disgusting, but this brew tastes much more like a milkshake than a beer, which is actually pretty impressive. It's cloudy, sweet and creamy with a distinct thickness from the truckload of added lactose. The use of rich Munich malts and real vanilla beans only heightens the decadence of this luscious brew. This is another beer that is only available in limited quantities on tap, so grab some while you still can. Where to get it: On tap at The Quarrymans, The Royal Albert and The Grain Store (Newcastle). BIG SHED BREWING CONCERN — #63 THAI GREEN CURRY SPICED HERBAL BEER (5.5% ABV) There were, somehow, three Thai-inspired beers at this year's GABS, but Big Shed's version, Thai Green Curry, really lives up to its name. The Adelaide-based brewery's pale ale is layered with Thai spices, from basil, coriander and lemongrass to cumin, chili, garlic and lime leaf. The bright chilli and kaffir lime on the nose gives way to a herbal creaminess on the palate, giving the illusion of actually tucking into a steaming bowl of curry. We heard this separately from multiple punters, so we know it wasn't just the sinking-beers-all-day haze talking. It helps that the beer also has a slightly green tint. This one will only be available at Hotel Sweeney's Rooftop, though, so get at it before it's all gone. Where to get it: On tap at Hotel Sweeney's Rooftop. BATCH BREWING CO — A CURRANT STATE OF INFUSION DARK SOUR ALE (6% ABV) This beer is such a mish-mash of styles and flavours that it's a true wonder the Batch boys pulled it off. The brew was first cold-steeped with Campos-sourced, Ethiopian coffee beans that give the beer its deep hue, while also imparting citrus and stonefruit notes. The team punched up the sour, fruity element by adding fresh blackcurrants, giving the brew a slight cherry tinge while still maintaining its rich, malty backbone. The finished product is a well balanced beer of complimentary elements. If you're looking for an extra special taste of it, the beer is also available in nitro cans, but only at the brewery and in very limited quantity. Where to get it: In bottles at Bucket Boys, Steve's Cool Booze, Beer Cartel and Oak Barrel; on tap at The Local Taphouse, Carlisle Castle Hotel, and Petersham Bowling Club (to name a few — check with the brewery for full list). MERCHANT BREWING CO. — FRUIT TINGLE KETTLE SOUR ALE (5.7% ABV) Merchant Brewing Co.'s kettle-soured ale made headlines this year thanks to its purple hue — seriously, it's a violet beer. Named after those bright blue, fruity cocktails, the beer is kettle-soured and infused with raspberry, citrus and pea flower, then dry-hopped to amp up the fruity notes. It's tart and wild — and surprisingly pleasant, with some punters calling it the best sour of the night. We wouldn't go that far, but it's definitely worth a try, or at the very least worth enjoying that surprised look on your friend's face. Where to get it: In bottles at Bucket Boys, Camperdown Cellars on Kingston Road, and The Henson bottle shop, on tap at The Quarrymans. HOPDOG BEERWORKS — PANDAPOPPINFAIRYTURKISHFLOSS BELGIAN IMPERIAL STOUT (7.5% ABV) Man is that a mouthful. HopDog BeerWorks is known for its weirdo beers but this one might take the cake. Despite being brewed with popcorn kernels, fairy floss and Turkish delight, the beer is not overly sweet and takes on more of a chocolaty, malty characteristic. This Belgian imperial stout gains its creaminess from the added lactose, with a deep colour and a roasted, toasty finish. It was a polarising GABS beer, with punters very staunchly on the love or hate spectrum. Lucky for those that missed out, it will be available across Sydney so there's still time to see which side you're on. Where to get it: In bottles at Bucket Boys, Oak Barrel, Camperdown Cellars (Parramatta Road and Kingston Road), Oldfield Cellars and Porter's Balgowlah; on tap at the Basement Brewhouse (to name a few — check with the brewery for full list).
It goes without saying, Melbourne's characteristically buzzing cultural ecosystem has thrived this year, with the city's most innovative, forward-thinking residents taking bold risks in their field. Our bars are more groundbreaking and imaginative, our events more unique and immersive, and our restaurants more inventive and experimental. With new openings left, right and centre, Melbourne is more vibrant, playful and fun than it ever has been. At Concrete Playground we encourage exploration and showcase innovation in our city every day, so we thought it fitting to reward those most talented whippersnappers pushing Melbourne to be a better, braver city. And so, we are very pleased to announce the winners of Concrete Playground's Best of 2016 Awards. Melbourne's newest restaurants have defied traditional fine dining, turning small dinner clubs into full-blown establishments, reexamining degustation formats and prolifically pedestalling barbecue. Cafes continue to redefine our coffee breaks, building neighbourhood day-to-night warehouse spaces, championing local producers and making an art of vegan nosh. Our bars that have been upping the city's already renowned libation reputation, with countless interpretations of the age-old wine bar. Our new (or renewed) pubs that have the biggest hurdle to face — history. Pub renovations in 2016 moved into more contemporary, fine dining-focused territory with some of the city's best design teams at hand. Melbourne's new event producers that have found new ways to celebrate city life, reinvigorating dwindling or hidden spaces, and creating dedicated festivals from unexpected (and highly niche) themes. This year, we've awarded a People's Choice and Overall award in each of the following five categories: Best New Bar Best New Restaurant Best New Cafe Best New Pub Best New Event These 30 outstanding Melbourne (or Melbourne-based) ventures have been handpicked by Concrete Playground for their combination of originality, innovation, creativity, approachability and sustainability. We straight-up love them. And the winners are... BEST NEW RESTAURANT OVERALL: NORA Up until recently, Nora was a tiny, immaculate cafe in Carlton — from the outside, it looks like an art gallery. The white walls and simple furnishings faded into the calm ambiance and an arrangement of fresh flowers and raw ingredients that sat on a large dining table in the centre of the space. Co-owner and head chef Sarin Rojanametin comes from a photography and advertising background — and it certainly shows. Nora has a reputation among those in the know for being off-centre — as evidenced by the experimental Thai breakfast and lunch menu that earned them big ups in Melbourne's food scene. But it seems they reached the creative boundaries of what can be achieved with a daytime menu. So they've packed it in and reopened as a degustation restaurant. "It's Nora the nighttime girl now," Sarin says. "We started a thing called Small Dinner Club, which was a Friday night event that stemmed from the frustration of the inability to create more." The idea behind the dining club has now taken over, and the Nora team is unleashing their creativity over five courses every Thursday to Monday. PEOPLE'S CHOICE: COPPER POT SEDDON It's a self-described road trip across Europe. A celebration of the unusual and unexpected in cuisine, technique and style. On paper, everything about executive chef Ashley Davis' Seddon restaurant Copper Pot shouldn't work. Instead, the chef — who's previously been awarded two Michelin stars while heading the kitchen at London's Hélène Darroze — proves again why he, his team and menu are worthy of award. The Copper Pot team show a real dedication and belief in their cause. If the produce is not ready to come out of the ground, then they will not use it. You should expect the menu to be malleable as a result, and there's an emphasis on local and gathered ingredients. Copper Pot Seddon is also delightfully unpretentious. The feeling throughout is cosy, and their passionate staff only help to complete the experience. BEST NEW BAR OVERALL: BAR LIBERTY If you've ever wondered what would happen if two ex-Attica young guns teamed up with the guys behind Rockwell and Sons to open their own wine bar, well, you need not ponder any longer. That's exactly the situation at Johnston Street's new addition Bar Liberty, and we can tell you it's working a treat. The boys have taken over the lo-fi corner joint once home to La Condesa, tidying up the exterior only just enough to let you know it's Mexican no longer. The space within is contemporary, but unaffectedly so; they've kept the glitz to a minimum. Sommelier Banjo Harris Plane will wheel around his old-school globe bar trolley to tempt you with the evening's pouring wines. Seasoned beer fans will appreciate the brew selection, which is heavy on the sours. Meanwhile, the food menu is geared towards clever grazing, with shareable small and medium dishes the stars of the show. PEOPLE'S CHOICE: VAPORETTO BAR & EATERY Few of us have been to Venice. But now Hawthorn has its own Venetian bar and eatery, Vaporetto. And it's basically the same thing. Chef Greg Feck and his business partners Kim Coronica, Stephanie Edgerton and David Wickwar love Venice and they've done an excellent job in recreating its vibrant and enchanting atmosphere on Glenferrie Road. Leave Melbourne behind as you step through an old tobacco store shopfront from Venice, and take in the dark timber, marble, aged brass and hand-blown Murano chandeliers. BEST NEW CAFE OVERALL: HIGHER GROUND The team behind quintessential Melbourne cafes Top Paddock and The Kettle Black have finally cut the ribbon on their long-awaited new venue. Located at the Southern Cross end of Little Bourke Street, Higher Ground has been in the works for well over a year, and after a technical fault that further delayed the opening last week, they've finally opened their doors to the public. And boy is it a beauty. The huge, high-ceilinged 160-seat venue sits on the corner of Little Bourke and Spencer Streets in a former warehouse. The venue is serving up the same kickass cafe fare that its two siblings are known for, with the all-day menu including the likes of avo on toast, spiced cauliflower scrambled eggs and semolina porridge with cherry, umeshu, shiso and plum. PEOPLE'S CHOICE: MATCHA MYLKBAR Melbourne has a new vegan eatery — and it's fuelled by matcha. The plant-based café comes from Sarah Holloway and Nic Davidson, the same people that brought you (and basically every cafe in Australia) Matcha Maiden. Dubbed Matcha Mylkbar, the cafe will serve an entirely vegan menu to St Kilda locals needing something new to Instagram. Despite what you might assume, Holloway and her business partners aren't actually vegan themselves. Knowing about the benefits of plant-based eating, they wanted to fuse it with their love of matcha and make it available and affordable to everyone — not just vegans. BEST NEW PUB OVERALL: STOMPING GROUND BREWERY & BEER HALL Melbourne's craft beer scene is a global contender, well deserving of a craft brewery dedicated to its culture. Stomping Ground Brewing Co.'s new brewery and beer hall is just that, and the next great venture by craft beer heroes Guy Greenstone and Steve Jeffares. The duo are well known in the beer scene as two of the originators of craft in Australia — they're the minds behind The Local Taphouses in Melbourne and Sydney, as well as the GABS festival which is now considered one of the best beer festivals in the world. PEOPLE'S CHOICE: GARDEN STATE HOTEL Melbourne's latest CBD pub looks set to tower over the competition. Opening after years of planning, the Garden State Hotel is a sprawling four-storey watering hole complete with public bar, beer garden, private dining room, subterranean saloon and New York-style grill. Garden State is located at 101 Flinders Lane, inside a 130-year-old building that began its life as a saw mill before playing host to Rosati, one of Melbourne's top dining destinations in the '80s and '90s. Now, under the new ownership of Sand Hill Road Hospitality – the same team behind the Prahran, Bridge and Terminus Hotels – the space has been transformed once again. BEST NEW EVENT OVERALL: THE LOST LANDS The cats behind Falls Festival created a brand new two-day festival this year, The Lost Lands, a two-day camping festival that not only featured music, but centred around art, theatre, comedy and outdoor activities as well. It was held over the Saturday and Sunday of the October long weekend just outside of Melbourne at Werribee Mansion, the luxe AF mansion and grounds that has played host to So Frenchy So Chic and the late Harvest Festival (RIP). But the real point of difference for The Lost Lands is that was designed to be hella family friendly. Festival organiser and Falls founder Simon Daly has a family of five, and he recognised the need for a more European style of festival in Australia that not only lets kids attend, but actually involves them in the festival's activities, 'shared experiences' that can be enjoyed by everyone — be that parents, kids, friends, and anyone who rocks up. Think bushwalks, bike rides and even day trips to the Werribee Open Range Zoo. They also offered a range of workshops to expand the mind (such as cooking and songwriting) or lengthen the legs (like circus play and yoga). PEOPLE'S CHOICE: ITALIAN FOOD + WINE FESTIVAL If you're ever uncertain about the massive contribution Italians have made to Australian society, just stop for a minute and think about your favourite foods. Pizza. Pasta. Salumi. Gelato. And don't even get us started on the booze. We found all that and more at the Italian Wine + Food Festival. Taking over the Royal Exhibition Building on Sunday, May 29, this day-long gastronomic bonanza welcomed the proprietors and chefs from some of most beloved Italian eateries in town. We're talking Bar Idda, 400 Gradi and Rosa's Kitchen, to name but a few. There were cooking demonstrations, pasta-making classes and workshops with Victoria's top sommeliers.
We get it. Everyone loves an espresso 'tini. We've got a bar that even does them on tap — and Sydney recently got a whole venue dedicated to that God-sent concoction of chilled coffee and vodka. And now — not to be outdone by Sydney — Melbourne is getting the country's very first espresso martini festival. Sleep, who needs it? The festival, to be held on Saturday, November 5, is being gifted to our espresso-loving, cocktail-filled city by the fine boozehounds at Mr Black, a NSW-based cold-pressed (and damn fine) coffee liqueur. In short, they know how to capitalise on our weaknesses and we're not even mad about it. The affair will involve some of Australia's best coffee suppliers, cafes and bars, and will come together to create a beautiful array of alcoholic caffienated beverages. As with any festival of this kind, there will be an array of food trucks as well as a game or two of coffee pong (whatever that is). The festival is to be held at North Melbourne's Meat Market and tickets will set you back $25 a pop, which includes an espresso martini and a try of Mr Black's coffee liqueur (yum!), free tastings (yay!) and license to drink espresso martinis to your heart's content (yeah!). The Mr Black Espresso Martini Festival will take place on Saturday, November 5 at Meat Market in North Melbourne. For more info and to buy tickets, visit espressomartinifest.com. Image: Alana Dimou.
Over the past few years, Melbourne's famed floating bar has become a summer staple — because soaking in the warm weather and partying on the Yarra clearly go hand-in-hand. That wont't change in 2019, with Arbory Afloat back for spring and summer. Arbory Afloat, which made its debut in 2015, has reclaimed its prime position in front of on-shore sister venue Arbory Bar & Eatery on the Yarra. It's will hit the water earlier than last year, which already marked a significant extension to its season. That's not the only change, either. As part of its annual revamp, the temporary bar and restaurant is taking inspiration from Miami — which means palm trees, pastel blue and pink hues, art-deco touches and a 70s vibe. Chef Nick Bennett has again designed the menu, which is inspired by all things Latin American, including the Caribbean, Cuba and Mexico. A woodfired pizza oven will once more take pride of place in the open kitchen, pumping out American-style pizzas. You'll also be able to tuck into grilled meats, empanadas and lots of seafood — think oysters, ceviche and anchovies. Would it be a visit to Miami without cocktails? We think not. Luckily, there'll be plenty. Patrons will also be able to sip their way through an extended rum menu, peruse a curated gin offering or opt for one of the many spritzes on offer. [caption id="attachment_754394" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Simon Shiff[/caption] To complete the picture, the floating bar also has an upper deck complete with — wait for it — an onboard swimming pool. Sticking with the bar's breezy Miami theme, the eight-metre-long pool is flanked by its own bar, sun lounges and five private cabanas, which can be booked out for your next poolside sojourn. Towels, hats and sunscreen are all available to purchase from the bar, and there'll be a lifeguard on patrol whenever the pool's open. The opening hours are set to vary depending on the weather, but you can jump over to Arbory Afloat's Instagram to keep an eye on the schedule and plot your visit. The bar will be open every day from 11am–1pm until the end of summer — and yes, that includes Christmas Day and New Year's. Updated December 11, 2019. Images: Simon Shiff
After attracting hordes of art lovers to its Sydney editions for two years in a row, The Other Art Fair is making its way to Melbourne. The four-day fair, which started in London in 2011 as an alternative to commercial art market giants like the London Art Fair, will land in Melbourne on Thursday, May 4. As it has done in London and Sydney, The Other Art Fair will present works by more than 100 emerging and unrepresented artists, which have been handpicked by a dedicated bunch of experts. Those on the panel include artists Patricia Piccinini and Kathy Temin, plastic surgeon and art patron Dr Terry Wu, Mossgreen Gallery director Lisa Fehily and Australian Centre for Contemporary Art curator Annika Kristensen. "The Other Art Fair is unique in its approach to supporting artists, providing a platform to make original art accessible by directly connecting emerging artists with galleries, companies and individual collectors," said The Other Art Fair's director Zoe Paulsen. On top of the exhibition — from which you can purchase works directly from the artists — Melburnians can expect four days' worth of workshops, talks, and food and drinks. The full program, including the venue, will be announced in April. Since launching almost six years ago, the Other Art Fair has been incarnated 16 times — in Sydney, London and Bristol. Last year's Sydney fair saw 15 artists sell out their entire shows, five artists each sell over $20,000 worth of works and eight artists each sell over $10,000 worth. The Other Art Fair will take place in Melbourne on May 4–7. For more information, including the program and venue when announced, visit melbourne.theotherartfair.com. Image: Julian de Lorenzo.
In recent years, we've encountered the likes of the cronut, the cruffin and even the macanut. Now, joining this ever-growing foodie family of hybrid frankenpastries is the baklava muffin, an outrageously logical invention by chef Peter Conistis for Sydney's acclaimed Alpha restaurant. Featuring a honey-spiced batter with roasted walnuts, hazelnuts, sesame seeds, cinnamon and dark chocolate, the muffin is topped with Alpha's signature chocolate hazelnut baklava, baked in filo pastry and drizzled with spiced honey syrup. What do we call you? A 'bakluffin'? A 'mufflava'? A 'bluffin'? Conistis' creation is a contemporary interpretation of traditional Greek food. "I wanted to create muffins for our Alpha Foodstore that are synonymous with Greek cuisine," he says. "They're an indulgent reflection of the dishes we serve at Alpha." Featuring on Alpha's breakfast menu alongside the already crowd-pleasing spanakopita muffin, the baklava muffin is bound to become a favourite amongst Sydney food lovers, so expect to see it all over your Instagram feed very soon. Find Alpha at 238 Castlereagh Street, Sydney. Open Monday to Sunday, 7.30–10.30am for baklava muffins, then 12–3pm, 6–9pm.
A small country pub on the NSW South Coast is ditching pokies in favour of live music. For years the Tathra Hotel has been home to a dozen poker machines, with 50 percent of the venue's total value tied up in the licences required to have them on site. Despite this, when veteran publican Cliff Wallis took over the hotel last year, he decided the machines had to go. "Poker machines have destroyed hotels in many respects," Wallis told the ABC. "Some hotels have become primarily poker machine venues, and they do best in the lowest socio-economic areas." Tathra has a population of just 2000 people, yet had 70 poker machines before Wallis took his stand. The plan is to use the money made from the sale of the gambling licences to revamp the hotel's accommodation. The venue had already begun to host regular live music gigs before renovations began last month. The old pokies room, meanwhile, will make way for a microbrewery. Although the decision to remove the poker machines has alienated some former regulars, it has also attracted other types of clientele. "We have a lot of people coming in who didn't come here before — retired people, professionals, and more women coming in on their own to have a drink and listen to the music," Wallis said. Wallis has spent decades working in the industry, and has owned the Sundeck Hotel in the Perisher Valley for 25 years. Ultimately, he says he wants the Tathra Hotel to be "a place that the community is proud of." Via Music Australia. Image: Wiki.
It's mid-August, so you should probably start getting your New Year's Eve plans in order. Victorian NYE festival Beyond the Valley has revealed the lineup for its celebrated four-day festival in Lardner Park, Victoria and it's pretty bloody good, so could be a solid option. At five festivals old, starting out in 2014, Beyond the Valley has become a regular fixture on the Victorian New Year's circuit. And, once again, it has managed to secure a rather colossal lineup. Chart-topping American rapper Tyler, The Creator, will heading to Australia — for the first time since releasing his highly lauded album IGOR — as will the ARIA Award-winning three piece, Rüfüs Du Sol. Joining them will be techno and house legend Green Velvet, gold masked German DJ duo Claptone, British rapper Skepta and genre-blending producer Honey Dijon. From the local contingent are Hayden James — fresh off the back of dropping his latest album Between Us — alt-pop group Cub Sport, dance floor regulars Bag Raiders and soulful singer Meg Mac. Beyond the Valley will once again take over Lardner Park, Warragul, Victoria from December 28 to January 1. Anyway, here's what you came for: BEYOND THE VALLEY 2019 LINEUP Tyler, The Creator Rüfüs Du Sol 16BL Bag Raiders CC:Disco! Chris Lake Claptone Confidence Man Cub Sport Dena Amy Denis Suita DJ Seinfeld Dom Dolla Floating Points Green Velvet Hayden James Heidi Hobo Johnson and the Lovemakers Honey Dijon I Know Leopard Jordan Brando Kettama Lastlings Late Nite Tuff Guy Lion Babe London Topaz Made in Paris Mallrat Matt Corby Meg Mac Methyl Ethel Motez Noir Owl Eyes Patrice Bäumel Rebuke Sama Set Mo Shoreline Mafia Skepta Snakehips The Veronicas
If you've always dreamed of owning a brewery, you're about to get your big shot. Initially Sydney-based, Hopsters Co-op Brewery is the first Australian brewhouse made by the people, for the people. Craft beer entrepreneur Marco Vargas is the man behind the plan and he's collaborating with mates Ross Hynard and Louie Jahjah to get this big dream off the ground — a cooperative brewery that's funded by membership. "This is our passion project," says Vargas. "We've met a lot of home brewers who are really passionate but don't have the capacity to do it themselves, so we realised that the best way is together." Co-op breweries have seen considerable success in US, with five currently in operation, but Hopsters is the first of its kind in Australia. "I believe it will be a strong business because everyone in the community has a stake in it," says Vargas. The Hopsters motto "drink like you own the place" sums up the concept well. Member benefits will include access to brewing equipment, community collaboration brews, exclusive events and discounts at the brewery's taproom. Anyone from the community can join — from craft beer industry leaders to home brewers and beer geeks. "We plan to hold a monthly social where members can meet and talk beer," says Vargas. The team's goal is to open five breweries with 5000 members Australia-wide, the first of which is set to open in Leichhardt by the end of 2016. They dream big — as in expecting 2000 members by the end of the year big. The building they're currently locked onto is owned by the same landlord as the Wayward Brewing Co., a good sign for the brewing liberties to come. A lifetime membership costs $250 per person, which, all things considered, is quite the bargain. While they aren't taking payments until the brewery is set to go, you can register your interest to get in at ground level. Check out Hopsters' website for more details on how to become a member.
Huge news for Australia's bar and restaurant scene, Keystone Hospitality Group has been place in receivership. The sprawling empire behind Australia's Jamie's Italian restaurants, Sydney's The Winery, Gazebo, Manly Wine, Cargo Bar, Bungalow 8, alongside multi-city venues Kingsley's and Chophouse, will sell their collection of venues after being unable to settle on their financial structure with lenders, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. Keystone's venues, including 17 bars, pubs and restaurants across the country and six Jamie's Italian joints, could be sold as a whole package or individually. Cargo Bar, Keystone's very first venue opened in 2000, has been up for sale since March, but now the likes of Kingsley's, Manly Wine, Sugarmill Hotel and Sweethearts Rooftop and The Rook and the rest of the portfolio will go on the market — and SMH puts the value at more than $100 million. Keystone also has over 1000 employees nationally, according to news.com.au, who'll be sitting tight until more details come through. So, what about that elephant in the room? Lockouts. Have NSW's controversial lockout laws had anything to do with this? We don't have solid data on Keystone's venues and their takings pre- and post-lockouts, but many of their venues like Cargo Bar, The Winery, The Sugarmill, Sweethearts Rooftop, Gazebo and Bungalow 8 all sit within the lockout zone in Sydney. And in a statement published on news.com.au, Keystone executive Richard Facioni and managing director John Duncan included the lockout laws in a host of pressures on their businesses. "Two years ago the Keystone Hospitality Group undertook a major expansion program, including acquisitions, to become a significantly larger, national group," they said. "However, the debt raised to undertake its expansion, combined with changes to the local market, including lockout laws, have placed significant financial strain on the business." It'll be business as usual for the Keystone venues until the receivers assess each business's assets, takings and brand for the sale. Receiver Morgan Kelly told SMH they expected selling the portfolio to be easy peasy. "Given the current buoyant hospitality market, we anticipate a lot of interest in the sale of the venues," he said. Via SMH and news.com.au. Image: Cargo Bar/Keystone.
Carving out some much-deserved 'me time' can be tricky but when you do it, the benefits are undeniable. Move your body and pamper yourself just a little and you'll feel strong, confident and ready to go after what you want — nay, deserve. To help you get those great weekend vibes going, Concrete Playground is hosting an intimate (and free) early-morning event on International Women's Day — Saturday, March 8 — in partnership with Revlon. Starting at 7.30am at Bossley Bar and Restaurant at the Rydges Melbourne, Get Up and Glow will kick off with a 45-minute guided yoga flow led by Nike Ambassador Zoe Klein. Following your final Shavasana, the Breakfast Bar will serve smoothies, coffee and treats for you to refuel and a professional makeup artist will assist you in shade matching products from Revlon's Illuminance range. These products are packed with skin-loving ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and squalane, to hydrate and nourish the skin giving you that glam lit-from-within finish. You'll also get a gift bag filled with goodies from Revlon including the Illuminance Glow Filter, Illuminance Serum Concealer, Illuminance Glow Wands, Illuminance Glow Primer, Illuminance Balm Primer, a makeup brush and red nail varnish. This exclusive event is only open to 20 people (and their plus-ones). Click here to enter the draw and be in with a chance to get your name on the guest list.
What a slam dunk of year it's been for Bastille. The British four-piece have spent 2014 touring internationally, and casually celebrated a Brit Award win for British Breakthrough Act off the back of their UK #1 album, Bad Blood. Not too shabby. Singles 'Of The Night' and 'Pompeii' both reached #2 spots on the UK charts, and they’ve been working relentlessly on their second album to be released in 2015. Before we get to wrap our ears around their highly anticipated second effort, Bastille have released their third mixtape VS. (Other People's Heartache, Pt. III), featuring latest single 'Torn Apart'. The lads already visited Australia this year in June, and will be returning for Sydney's Field Day on New Year's Day. We managed to get hold of bassist Will Farquarson, and had a chat about the new album, the art of battling your friends and his unrelenting desire to go shark diving. The Second Album is Going to Sound REALLY Different Bastille’s first album, Bad Blood, is certainly going to be a tough act to follow, but the lads have seized the opportunity to do things very differently second time around. Firstly, there will be guitars in the new album. This sounds like an anticlimax, but guitars actually don't feature at all on Bad Blood. "On the first album, we got halfway through and realised we haven't really used any guitars. It became a little bit of a challenge to finish the record without putting any guitar on,” says Farquarson. "On this new one there’s loads of guitar stuff, which is cool because I play guitar, so it felt like a bit of a promotion. I get to stand on things and do solos at gigs which is all I ever really wanted to do." Despite the introduction of lead guitar, Bastille are conscious of not going too far in one direction; instead working to create a sound that mixes many different genres. "We didn’t want to suddenly sound like a guitar band, so we started to more electro, R&B and hip hop influences coming through. I think there will be quite a broad mix of musical styles," explains Farquarson. Any idea when it might be released? "We’re looking at the [European] summer, but these things can often take longer, so probably more like September. If it's not out by the end of the year we've done something horribly wrong, so hopefully it will come out!" We’ll keep our fingers crossed for. Mixtapes, Ryan Gosling and Side Projects Keep Things Fresh While recording original Bastille material, the band also brewed up a cheeky couple of mixtapes: Other People's Heartache and Other People's Heartache, Pt. 2. They've just released VS. (Other People's Heartache, Pt. III), but before you can accuse these lads of procrastinating the real album game, Farquarson is quick to point out that the mixtapes are not so much a distraction but more of a creative side project. "It gives us a chance to move away from the Bastille sound and the restrictions of having the band identity. It’s a Bastille project but it’s a collaborative thing. It’s not distracting but it’s a nice break." Another creative side project that they recently took part in was a rescoring of the Ryan Gosling-tastic film Drive, orchestrated by BBC Radio 1 DJ, Zane Lowe. "It was really nice to be asked to do that. It was quite interesting because we've not really set music to a film before, and it's quite different to just writing a song, says Farquarson. "We were in the studio and had the Drive scene playing, and we were trying to get a bit of a mood going. Working within the confines of a preexisting visual was an interesting challenge." Other prominent musicians also featured in the rescoring include Foals, Banks, SBTRKT, Jon Hopkins and CHVRCHES. They Enjoy Sporadically Battling Their Friends VS. (Other People's Heartache, Pt. III) will feature much collaboration and head-to-heads with Bastille's buds. "We don’t have any collaborations on Bad Blood or the second album," says Farquarson, explaining the mixtape offered up a great chance to explore new territory and test the waters of other genres. When Farquarson was asked who he particularly enjoyed working with, it was pretty clear he had difficulty choosing a favourite. "I personally was quite excited to work with Skunk Anansie because I'm from a generation that listened to that sort of music. Haim were wicked, we love them a lot. Angel Haze is a crazy rapper chick, and there's also Rag N Bone Man (who's also on the song with Skunk Anansie), who’s going to blow up really big and is a friend of ours. It's nice to get all your friends down." Previous mixtapes have included songs such as 'Of The Night' (a mash up of Corona's 'Rhythm Of The Night' and Snap!'s 'Rhythm Is A Dancer') as well as covers such as City High's ‘What Would You Do?' and reinterpretations ('No Angels' is TLC versus The xx). Interestingly, these songs are not exactly amongst the band's all time favourite tunes. "The idea behind them was to do songs that were not necessarily songs we particularly loved, but were just in our consciousness a lot," says Farquarson. "It's also kind of funny to choose songs that perhaps you wouldn't expect us to cover. Instead of picking a similar genre, we pick something completely different." They've Played Some Pretty Weird (and Somewhat Ancient) Venues Being in an internationally acclaimed indie band, you're bound to perform in some pretty whimsically novelty locations. Around the time their colossal single 'Pompeii' was released, the British Museum were curating an exhibition called Life and Death: Pompeii and Herculaneum. "I made a joke that we should play there because of the collection, and then they actually phoned us up, which was a bit strange, and we got the curator of the exhibition to give us a private viewing of it two days before it opened, which was amazing," says Farquarson. Bastille performed their hit single for the opening of the exhibition in front of an audience of press and leading archaeological figures. "We got to play our song 'Pompeii', we stood in a reconstruction of one of the rooms from the town of Pompeii which was slightly surreal." Funnily enough, the boys were asked to play at a French museum just a short while later. "For a bit it started to become a thing that we were the band that played in museums," chuckles Farquarson. They've Got a Soft Spot for Dangerous Creatures International touring this year saw Bastille performing to massive crowds over the Northern Hemisphere summer, including Glastonbury and huge shows in South Africa. Despite doing three 15,000 capacity shows in South Africa earlier this year, the highlight for Farquarson was going on safari. "We all got to meet baby lions. Holding a baby lion is the highlight of my life,” Farquarson enthuses. When they arrive in Australia for Field Day they also have similar animal adventures in mind. "I want to go shark diving. We went skydiving last time we were in Australia, and it seems like the most Australian thing we can do. Either that or have a barbecue,” he says. Sadly their New Year's resolutions don't include any more baby animal holding. "My New Year's resolution last year was to have more fun and drink more, maybe I should take that one back. I don't really go for New Year's resolutions, but I hope to release the second album, so maybe that can be it. Bastille are playing Sydney's Field Day in the Domain on January 1. More info right this way.
Giving back and scoring some sweet new threads sound too good to be true? Naysayers, HoMie is here to dispel your doubt. A pop-up store with a heart of gold, HoMie is an initiative of Homeless of Melbourne, who put a creative spin on social justice. Boasting both up-and-coming as well as established local designers, the store will donate a piece of clothing to a member of the homeless community for each item purchased. For co-founder Nick Pearce, this 'one for one' policy "is a new way of trying to reinvigorate that whole outdated op-shop scenario and bring in something new and diverse, and hopefully have a bit of an impact in the homeless sector". With its first-hand clothes, new fit-out and mix of paying and non-paying clientele, HoMie aims to create a dignified shopping experience for Melbourne's homeless. Their crew of dedicated suppliers will be going that extra mile too, donating their time and expertise to running workshops that focus on increasing employability and life skills for Melbourne's most vulnerable. If their inventive project hasn't hooked you in already, a scroll through their Facebook page is sure to fix that. The charity has been collecting the stories of the city's battlers for the past eight months and sharing them online to debunk misconceptions about homelessness. They've garnered close to 15,000 followers. "We wanted to make people stop and think about where these people come from, so we're not just walking past, making judgements," says Marcus Crook, the other half of HoM. Marcus and Nick devised this latest three-month concept store following the success of HoM's Street Store in Federation Square in December last year. Armed with stacks of paper coat hangers and a budding team of eager volunteers, HoM gave Melburnians in need a chance to snag some pre-loved garments. "The response we got was unbelievable," says Nick, "we found that a lot of people on our page really wanted to help and donate stuff, but they just didn't know how to do it or where to go." That led them to look for a more permanent guise for the Street Store, and so shopfront HoMie was born. Speaking of dedication to the cause, Nick and Marcus are finding out just what it's like to live on the streets, spending two nights this week camping out in Melbourne's CBD for a humbling insight into the realities of life without a secure home. "We don't think its anything special because obviously people do it every night of their lives," says Marcus, "but we're going to be going out there with a sleeping bag and a phone in case of an emergency and just seeing what happens." Great intentions aside, these grand visions don't come cheap. As a grassroots organisation, HoMie is all too aware of the costs of CBD rent. They've turned to Pozible to raise $10,000 towards the rent and associated start-up costs, vowing to employ homeless labourers and designers as much as possible in the process. At time of writing, they're over halfway to their goal, with 17 days to go. Along with the Many Hands online art gallery and the Youth Food Movement Melbourne, the organisation is also in line for additional funds if they meet their target, thanks to burger chain Grill'd's Local Matters donation program. HoMie is vying for $2,000 that goes to the winner of the in-store customer vote at Grill'd restaurants. There's also $500 in it for each project that reaches its Pozible target. With goals of turning this three-month appearance into a long-term venture, HoMie hopes to open its arms to Melbourne this May. To help make it happen, grab a bite to eat at one of Grill'd Melbourne CBD locations or contribute directly to the Pozible campaign, which includes rewards like art prints and T-shirts.
A team of hospitality heavyweights is set to shake things up on the fine dining front, with their revamp of Carlton’s iconic Astor Hotel due to open within the month. The project sees head chef Hayden McMillan and restaurateur Darran Smith partnering up to introduce to us a long-planned, interactive dining concept they’re hoping will put some of the fun back into food. Borrowing from the idea that we eat with our eyes, the 50-seat restaurant (fittingly named The Roving Marrow) will feature yum cha-style food trolleys to accompany a seasonal, produce-driven menu; drawing inspiration from Europe, Australia and the head chef’s native New Zealand. "We’re a bit over tablecloths and stuffiness, but we don’t want to move away from exciting food and wine, and great service," explains McMillan. "With this approach, we’re breaking up the dining experience a little bit." We’ve seen a few incarnations of the dining trolley of late — namely, in place of a dessert menu at the likes of Epocha and The Estelle — but it’s awarded a higher billing at this new venture. As McMillan explains, their version will be serving up snack-style items from the moment you’re seated (think freshly shucked local oysters and house-baked bread) as well offering sharing dishes from both on and off the menu throughout your meal. If you’re in more of a mood to interact with a good cocktail, then you’ll feel right at home in the 50-seat front bar — where the menu has been curated by Mike Enright of Sydney's celebrated cocktail bar, The Barber Shop. With this duo at the helm, it’s a project worthy of high expectations. McMillan has been making a name for himself in kitchens across the ditch and overseas, under the likes of Michael Meredith and Simon Wright and as head chef of Auckland’s Tribeca restaurant. Meanwhile, Smith has notched up management time at some of Sydney’s hottest restaurants, including Icebergs and Merivale’s Hemmesphere. Not only do we Melburnians love a new food concept, as we’ve proven plenty in recent years, we’re also just as happy to have our high end food and wine without the side of pretentiousness. So, it seems these boys have found just the thing to whet our appetites. “In a big dining scene like this one, you need to have something different, something original,” acknowledges McMillan. “People here are keen to try new things. This is a concept where we can have a lot of fun and the guests can have a lot of fun too." The Roving Marrow is set to open at 418 Lygon Street, Carlton by mid-April.
Fancy old world cocktail spot The Everleigh is expanding the family, finding a spot for a late night sister bar named Heartbreaker — a more free-spirited sibling inspired by sexy, seedy LA drinking dens. Opening soon on Russell Street, Heartbreaker taps into that one universal reason why people drink late into the night — tragic love woes. But with a full kitchen, pool table and retro jukebox, we’re sure you’ll soon forget about it all (and inevitably dance emotionally to 'Bad Romance'). Just don’t expect the classy leather couches and glassware that defines The Everleigh. Heartbreaker is touted as the loveless little sister; opening up when The Everleigh calls last drinks and sweeping all the dregs into her maw to let the good times keep rolling. And drunk or sober, loveless or loved up, Melburnians appreciate a good late night kitchen and Heartbreaker knows it. In terms of the vibe, it’s very specific. It’s old school glamour meets old school grunge; it’s a True Detective double exposure with a foreground of Marilyn Monroe shooting Steve McQueen in the foot; it’s Lana Del Rey drinking in a wedding gown but she’s been living alone in the desert for three days, y'know what we’re saying? No? You’ll get it when meet this lass. The front bar serves a variety of Australian and American beers, while the back bar is all about hard liquor — tequila, mezcal and whiskey. And if you want to stay classy on the inside but look hard on the outside, you can try one of The Everleigh’s classic bottled cocktails via The Everleigh Bottling Co. Choose from a Martini, Old Fashioned, Negroni or Manhattan and never risk someone bumping into you and spilling your entire drink again. Oh Heartbreaker, you really get us. Find Heartbreaker at 234 Russell Street, Melbourne. Opening soon. Image: The Everleigh.
When your nine-to-five plays out like a well-oiled machine, it can sometimes feel like each week is a little same-same. But Melbourne is brimming with a fine bounty of things to experience and explore each and every day. So aside from casual laziness and a little lack of inspiration, there's really nothing stopping you from squeezing some adventure and spontaneity into your schedule. We've teamed up with Mazda3 to celebrate the landmark 40th anniversary of their iconic small cars, and in turn, help you celebrate the little things that bring that sense of adventure to life. Shake things up, as we give you seven different detours to take each week in Melbourne. From Monday to Sunday, enrich your everyday with one completely achievable activity that inspires you to take the scenic route as you go about your daily routine. This week, play mini-golf inside a pop culture-themed bar, break a sweat dancing it out like Beyoncé and stock up on crafty presents at the Finders Keepers markets. Plus, we've got your future detours sorted for the next few weeks here. All require no more effort than a tiny break from the norm — what's your excuse for not trying them all?
Australians looking to travel to New Zealand must consider the current COVID-19 advice. For information on quarantine-free travel between Australia and New Zealand, head over to the NZ Government's COVID-19 hub. When the colder months roll around, it's natural to reach for anything that screams warm and comfort — even when you're on holidays. The trans-Tasman bubble is finally open, so you might be planning a midyear jaunt to New Zealand; however, don't think you have to spend your time away staying cosy inside. There's a time and place for that, of course. But NZ's winter festivals will give you a stack of reasons to get out and enjoy the crisp air. From slopeside music festivals to month-long food celebrations and kaleidoscopic light shows, here are ten festival across New Zealand that you should drop into your winter getaway itinerary. [caption id="attachment_720775" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Audiology.[/caption] MARDI GRAS, OHAKUNE/QUEENSTOWN Mardi Gras is arguably New Zealand's biggest winter party — and this year its spreading the fun over two weekends in two different locations. On Saturday, June 19, Ohakune is the spot to catch a lineup of dance floor favourites. Promoters Audiology have teased six international acts ahead of this year's first lineup announcement, including UK-based electronic producer Dimension, drum and bass DJ Culture Shock, Australian singer-songwriter Nyxen and trap producer Quix. They'll be joined by a monster lineup of local talent. The event in Queenstown on Saturday, June 26 comes with snow-capped peaks and an intimate capacity of only 3000. [caption id="attachment_624534" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Serena Stevenson.[/caption] MATARIKI FESTIVAL, AUCKLAND While we have to wait until next year for the first-ever Matariki public holiday, there are still plenty of ways to celebrate the beginning of the Māori new year in 2021. Every year Auckland Council's Matariki Festival consistently delivers a series of delightful events. The exact details are yet to be announced for 2021, but you can expect everything from street food and live performances, right through to light festivals, stargazing, Māori art workshops and film screenings. Matariki is seen as a time to reflect on Māori identity, as well as an opportunity to look to the future. The 2021 festival runs from June 19 to July 11 right across Tāmaki Makaurau. [caption id="attachment_797316" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Matt Wiseman.[/caption] SNOW MACHINE, QUEENSTOWN After making its debut in Japan last year, alpine music festival Snow Machine is hitting the slopes for four snow-filled days of music and adventure. Attendees at the New Zealand edition from September 8–11, 2021 will be treated to action-packed days on the slopes, aprés ski events on both Coronet Peak and The Remarkables and a lineup of international acts against the idyllic backdrop of Queenstown. A who's who of Australian electronic acts will warm up the frosty evenings, including headliners The Avalanches, Flight Facilities, Hayden James and The Presets. Tickets to Snow Machine 2021 are all-in-one, offering a variety of accomodation options and lift passes. VISA WELLINGTON ON A PLATE, WELLINGTON After being forced out of its usual slot in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Visa Wellington On a Plate is set to return for its 13th year from August 1–31, 2021. The huge event typically sees more than 100 flavour-packed events, special dining menus, burgers and craft cocktails take over the capital city. This year's edition will keep the three-tiered format — Dine Wellington, Burger Wellington and Cocktail Wellington — celebrating the immense depth of culinary talent within the region. Sibling events Road to Beervana and (August 6–15) and Beervana (August 13–14) are there, too, giving you plenty of reasons to drop by or hang around the capital. WINTER PRIDE, QUEENSTOWN Combining winter sports with community and inclusion, Winter Pride is all about locals and visitors embracing the cool weather and their diversity. The event is typically packed with dance parties, speed dating, skiing, boarding and all-round good times. There's a number of different packages to choose from between August 27 to September 5, including passes to all events and revolving door access. Stay tuned for the full lineup announcement. SNOWBOXX, QUEENSTOWN Typically held in the heart of the French Alps, Snowboxx is a multi-discipline winter festival that shines a spotlight on electronic music and snowsports. Previously expected to arrive in 2019 — and then 2020 — the event will finally slide Down Under this September for one week of international acts, slope-side parties and off-mountain experiences in the adventure capital. Landing between Treble Cone and Cardrona from September 7–14, Snowboxx will see Shapeshifter, Lee Mvtthews and Concord Dawn hit the stage. Attendees are also invited to enjoy on and off-mountain activities like bottomless disco brunches, igloo parties, sled races, comedy nights, snowball fights and aprés ski experiences throughout the week. [caption id="attachment_636636" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Simeon W.[/caption] LOEMIS FESTIVAL, WELLINGTON Lōemis Festival returns for its sixth year with a lineup of events celebrating the winter solstice from June 11–21, 2021. The winter solstice is marked by the shortest day and longest night of the year and has often been associated with regeneration, rebirth and self-reflection. Each year the festival aims to deliver an innovative program with a strong focus on the ritualistic, mystical and fantastical elements of the solstice. Previous ritualistic events have included spiritual dance theatre works, multi-course fish degustations and spooky storytelling cocktail evenings. It comes to an end with the burning of a massive art installation right on the harbour. LUMA SOUTHERN LIGHT PROJECT, QUEENSTOWN After pulling the plug in 2020, Queenstown's kaleidoscopic light festival will return for its fifth outing this Queen's Birthday weekend. Luma Southern Light Project brings together illuminated art, light sculpture, performance and community over four days from June 4–7, 2021. As the sun goes down over the long weekend, the Queenstown Gardens will be transformed into a creative outdoor stage of visual arts, performing arts, music, film and digital media. 500 local artists and contributors have contributed to this year's festival. As well as light installations dotted around Queenstown Gardens and shore of Lake Wakatipu, previous events have featured moving images projected right onto the lake, works created from recycled materials and roaming performers — from hypercolour fairies to acrobatic tree dancers. TAUPO WINTER FESTIVAL, TAUPO The sixth annual Taupō Winter Festival offers an action-packed program over two weeks in 2021. Running from July 9–25, you'll have the choice of hitting a lakeside ice rink, jumping in a giant inflatable snow globe with cold white stuff directly from neighbouring Mount Ruapehu, attending a mountain-themed film festival, catching live circus acts and downing free hot chocolates. What's more, most of the events are free to attend. [caption id="attachment_790171" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Vanessa Rushton.[/caption] WELLINGTON JAZZ FESTIVAL, WELLINGTON The capital's annual celebration of jazz music is set to return this June 9–13 with more than 100 free and ticketed gigs taking place over just five days. This year's lineup is bursting with fresh new music from around the country, including the likes of Opera House headliners Whirimako Black, The Nathan Haines Octet and Michael Houstoun with the Rodger Fox Big Band. Elsewhere, there'll be big bands, tribute gigs, world premieres and album launches. There really is something for everyone — as long as you can shake your jazz hands at it. Top image: Snow Machine, Zachary Zaza.
If ever there's been a time to put aside the man/woman/child breakdown of gift-giving, it's surely Christmas 2015. After a year spent contemplating gender fluidity, superhero marketing and man buns, it makes sense to celebrate the season by just giving beautiful things to beautiful people and enjoying the resulting beauty explosion. Need some help pulling that off? Try putting a bow on one of our suggestions — they're only the best, most innovative and most lust-worthy products we've seen this year. FOR THE PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE WHO DO EVERYTHING WITH STYLE The Beach People roundie Oh, you didn't get the memo? Beach towels are round now. Round, oversized, luxurious and very giftable. Freed from being a mere drying implement, the roundie is a picnic rug, beach blanket and ultimate Instagram prop. There's a few of these around but our faves come from Australian company The Beach People, where they retail for $110. O Six Hundred flat pack kayak For the one you truly love, there's this $2200 Australian-designed kayak that you assemble from flat pack, much like your Ikea bookcase. Unlike your Ikea bookcase, it's also tough and light (10kg, so any solo voyager can lift it above their head), perfect for taking out on Sydney Harbour whenever the mood may strike. Get it from Sorry Thanks I Love You. ChaBottle from Life of Cha For your friend who loves to tote their own tea or infused water (love you lemon, cucumber and mint), or who seems like they might want to start, there's the ChaBottle. Its 2-in-1 infuser can be used for tea, coffee and fruit drinks. $50 from Life of Cha. Stonemen briefs When you need a gift that says, "your pants contain the world", there's Stonemen briefs. With graphic prints including mountainscapes, skylines and the universe, they're the most epic smalls around. Also available in women's styles, with prices starting at $40 from Etsy. Forbes & Ike salt basin and pepper mill The kitchen benchtop has rarely known such beauty as this Melbourne-crafted pepper grinder. It's hand-poured concrete, New Zealand beech timber and brass, and it's a flinch-worthy $250 from Sorry Thanks I Love You. Sunnylife watermelon beach ball All anyone will see is your giftee blithely throwing around a half watermelon with apparent superhero strength. Only you will know the inflatable truth. For this privilege, you're looking at just $18.95 from Sunnylife. FOR THOSE WHO LOVE GADGETS WITH ALL THE ZEAL OF A CHILD Chromecast Audio The gadget junkie in your life is likely to be all over Chromecast for TV. But do they have the dongle equivalent for audio? Possibly not. Chromecast Audio was released this October and allows you to stream music over Wi-Fi to any speaker in your house. So nice, and just $49 from Google. BB-8 droid by Sphero Just. Look. At. Him. Who wouldn't want to pull the wrapping off this little face on December 25 (aka eight days after The Force Awakens comes out)? Playable through a variety of apps and programmed to "patrol autonomously" when left on its own, the miniature BB-8 is the fun toy/baby robot/substitute pet perfect for all ages. Look at him in action here and buy for US$150 ($205) from Sphero. The Keyboard Waffle Iron You know life is good when you come down to breakfast and are greeted with this syrupy sight. And, since the Keyboard Waffle Iron includes both keyboard and kitchen gadget elements, the tech lover in your life is sure to appreciate this. US$85 ($116) from thekeyboardwaffleiron.com. Moto 360 smartwatch The smartwatch is the wearable of the moment, and it'll be on a whole lot more wrists after Christmas. Different strokes for different folks, but the Moto 360 is a good option when you weigh up nice styling vs old functionality (telling the time) vs new functionality (notifications, battery life etc). Prices start at US$299 ($408) at Motorola. Flic wireless smart button For the person who has everything, get them one little button that lets them do three things faster. Flic can be programmed to play music, make calls, snooze an alarm, turn on lights, share a location, order pizza and a bunch more stuff, all at a light touch. An addictive bit of life-hacking, it's US$34 ($46) from flic.io. FOR THE CULTURE LOVERS WITH AN IMPRESSIVELY CONSTANT FINGER ON THE PULSE The Gramovox Floating Record Player Marry me, Gramovox floating record player. That's what your giftee will say upon opening this package, containing the turntable that took Kickstarter by storm earlier this year. It's the perfect fusion of state-of-the-art technology and aesthetics, and it's US$400 ($555) in walnut or maple from the Gramovox website. Whimsical Miranda July pillowcases Words and phrases on home decor can be hit and miss, but when those words and phrases are filmmaker/artist/writer/All About Women speaker Miranda July's, they're all hit. These wistful pillowcases make the perfect addition to any literati's bedding. $105 from Third Drawer Down. Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari with Eric Klinenberg Odds are at least one of your circle is obsessed with Aziz Ansari's insightful Netflix series, Master of None. What they might not have heard of is Modern Romance, the well-reviewed screed on relationship trends he's whipped up with sociologist Eric Klinenberg. Get it in hardcover for $39.75 from Booktopia. Twilight concert tickets The pretty, pretty sights of Twilight of Taronga and Melbourne Zoo Twilights return in 2016 with the likes of Courtney Barnett, Violent Femmes and Jose Gonzalez. Give a loved one the gift of beautiful music, starlit picnics and baby animals. Tickets from $50 at Twilight at Taronga and Melbourne Zoo. FOR THOSE WHO BELIEVE FAMILY, FRIENDS AND FOOD ARE THE MEANING OF LIFE A personally tailored spirit by Archie Rose Sydney's distillery bar Archie Rose impressed us a dozen times over this year — and one of those times was with their brilliant idea of a tailored spirits range. That means you can pick up to 3–5 botanicals (think: river mint, dorrigo pepperleaf, blood lime) and the name on the label. Prices are $84 for vodka, $89 for gin or (*gulp*) $2000+ for whisky. So we hope your friend likes white spirits. It's all happening on the Archie Rose website. Bespoke chocolate bar from Chocolab Yet another, perhaps more conventional (but never unwanted) thing to customise. With Chocolab chocolate, you can chuck in confectionary like Nerds, spices like chilli, fruit like freeze-dried acai, biscuits, nuts — almost any foodstuffs your giftee has at some point professed a fondness for. Prices start at $6.75 at ChocoLab. The Great Australian Cookbook Give your friend the gift of cooking you dinner with this epic book compiling recipes and stories from chefs like Neil Perry, Dan Hong, Kylie Kwong and Anna Polyviou. Diverse as it is, the book also includes this country's legendary farmers and producers — as well as Australia’s original cookbook queen, Margaret Fulton. Get it discounted to $42.50 at Booktopia. A subscription to wine-by-the-glass tasting service Secret Bottle By delivering their wines by the glass (in sleek screw-top vials), Secret Bottle lets its subscribers experience a wide range of Australian varietals and get to know what they like. Sign your giftee up as a founding member and they'll get a bunch of bonus gifts along with their subscription, which starts at $24.95/month from Secret Bottle. Sprout coloured pencils Honour your giftee's love of adult colouring in and fresh produce with these pencils that grow into herbs. They just plant them once they've worn down to stubs. €16.95 ($23) from Sprout World. Top image: Dollar Photo Club.
Settling in for The Martian, you could be forgiven for feeling a little deja vu. Interstellar might be flooding your memory, given that Jessica Chastain and Matt Damon grapple with space again. Alien and Prometheus could also pop into your head, seeing that director Ridley Scott seemingly heads into familiar territory too. Thankfully, their resumes aside, the rehash largely stops there. That’s not to say that The Martian doesn’t recall many other intergalactic efforts such as Gravity, Moon, Sunshine, Contact and Apollo 13, nor that it doesn’t work with themes and narrative components recognisable to anyone who has seen a survivalist film like Castaway or All Is Lost. What this adaptation of Andy Weir's 2011 novel of the same name does do, though, is soar forward with two things in mind: optimism and practicality. Botanist Mark Watney (Damon) is the key. He's residing among a group of astronauts manning the latest mission on Mars — until a storm strikes, he gets knocked out and blown away from his colleagues, and they head back home. When he wakes up to discover he's now the only human left on the planet, he focuses on attempting to remedy his predicament. Finding a way to grow food in the inhospitable environment is his first priority, followed by trying to communicate to NASA that he's alive and ready to return to Earth. Solving problems rather than wallowing in sentiment is the approach Watney takes, as does Scott and screenwriter Drew Goddard (The Cabin in the Woods). As the repercussions of the Watney's situation ripple through those trying to rescue him — be they space agency head (Jeff Daniels), other members of the ground-based team (including Kristen Wiig, Sean Bean, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong and Donald Glover), or Watney's departed crewmates (Chastain, Michael Peña, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan and Aksel Hennie) — action rather than emotion sits at the film's fore. Accordingly, The Martian favours procedure and process over psychology. It traces the steps needed to bring the stranded man home. It springs from a position of simply believing that resolution is possible. It presents characters using science (or sciencing the shit out of things, as the MacGyver-like Watney puts it in the video logs that comprise much of the storytelling) to make things happen. People, teamwork and ingenuity reign supreme, even over the capably rendered 3D spectacle. Anyone fearing a lack of wonder or feeling in the film can rest assured; they are there, and they spring from the way the cast subtly handle their roles (particularly an empathetic Damon) rather than the script hitting audiences over the head with horror or sappiness. A keen sense of humour is also evident in perhaps the most upbeat survivalist offering for some time, with Lord of the Rings fans likely to have the biggest laugh. There's also the endearing soundtrack, which includes moments of dancing along to disco hits or letting a classic, perfectly chosen David Bowie track (though not the one you think) play out in full. That it all adds up to one of the most enjoyably pragmatic sci-fi stints seen in the cinema is refreshing and perhaps surprising, even given its pedigree. In fact, The Martian doesn't just solidly engage from start to finish — it entertainingly and convincingly colonises its own patch of space movie territory.
The Australian rideshare economy is set to go the way of Asia and Europe, with new company Scooti ready to unleash its fleet of scooter taxis on Melbourne next month. CEO and founder Cameron Nadi boasts the service as a cheaper, faster and more eco-conscious mode of transport. "The main advantage of Scooti is, of course, getting where you want to go sooner," says Nadi. "Two wheels have a distinct advantage in busy traffic. It's [also] more cost-effective than other chauffeur-driven ride sharing options, and creates less emissions than most other public or shared transport options available." It may sound odd, but Scooti is by no means a novel idea. Motorbikes already act as taxis all across Asia, as well as in European cities like Amsterdam and Florence — though this is the first time the concept has been implemented in Australia. The fleet currently consists of around 50 drivers and they're recruiting for more — so if you've got a scooter or motorbike and need some extra cash flow, listen up. As with any rideshare company, drivers can use their own motorbikes as long as they meet Scooti's mechanical, safety, comfort and hygiene standards. Alternatively, drivers will be given the option to invest in one of the company's branded blue electric Fonzarelli scooters. Scooti is also offering up benchmark pay rates and rewards in the transport services/delivery category, which should mean the pay will sit fairly within Australian salary standards. If true-to-word, this could set them apart, as pay continues to be a major issue within the ridesharing and delivering industries. Nadi also claims the company's recruitment standards "go beyond the likes of Uber", assessing for things like scooter skill and an arbitrary marker of "common sense". Riders can request a pickup using the Scooti app, though keep in mind you'll only be able to legally ride solo — so it's a good option when you don't have anyone to split an Uber or Taxify with. The drivers are also required to have an extra helmet for you, with hair nets on hand for those that are skeeved out by the idea of sharing headgear. The company is committed to offering female drivers to women riders upon request too. In addition to more drivers, Scooti is also actively looking for investors to grow the business. If Melbourne proves successful, you'll likely be seeing Scooti up in Sydney and Brisbane in no time, with expansion planned over the next 12 months. In the lead up their launch, you may notice some trial drivers around town. Keep a lookout — some heavily discounted fares will apparently be available for the first riders using the app. Scooti will launch in Melbourne this April, so keep an eye out for blue bikes around town. For more information or to download the app, head to their scooti.com.au.
Global ride sharing service Uber have teamed up with the legends at Gelato Messina for a one day only office ice cream delivery service. This Friday July 24, heroic Uber drivers will be dispatched across Australia with ice cold scoops of fudgy, wafery, milk choc chippy goodness. As if you needed another reason to look forward to Friday. Here's how it all works: Step One – Starting at 11am, Uber users can log into the app and enter the promotional code 'IceCreamOz' along with their location. Step Two – There is no step two. Your tub of ice cream is already on its way. The #UberIceCream promotion is being run in Sydney, Parramatta, Wollongong, Byron Bay, Canberra, Melbourne, Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Townsville, Cairns, Hobart, Adelaide, Perth and Bunbury. Existing Uber users will be charged $15 for the transaction, while first time users get their ice cream free of charge. The company has also teased some less conventional delivery methods, including dog sleds and jet skis. This could be very interesting. Messina have even created a new flavour for the occasion, consisting of hazelnut gelato with white chocolate, hazelnut fudge, chocolate chips and cream filled wafers (unfortunately there's no backup option for people with egg or nut allergies.) Uber have actually offered ice cream delivery before, along with a number of other novelty promotions such as gourmet lunches and kittens (the kittens were not for eating, thankfully.) And while their legal status in Australia is still a little murky, as long as they keep pulling clever stunts like this – not to mention just being better than regular cabs in pretty much every way – we get the feeling that they won't be going anywhere.
Hotels aren't often associated with the world of conceptual art and curated design — and it's even rarer that they pull the connection off. But QT Melbourne — the new hotel that just opened on the historic site of Russell Street's Greater Union Cinema — manages to merge specially commissioned video art, European furnishings and well-designed public spaces with a premium hotel experience pretty seamlessly. Developed over the past three years, the hotel's high-end design slots perfectly into the city's 'Paris end' and directly interacts with the site's distinctive arts and culture heritage. The hotel's opening is a big one for Melbourne; while QT has hotels in Sydney, Canberra, Falls Creek and the Queensland coast, this is their first foray into Melbourne's boutique accommodation scene. As such, they had a mark to make. Here's how they did it. BY CREATING ARTISTICALLY AUTHENTIC DESIGN QT is known for its interior design, and their 188-room Melbourne hotel is no different. The commitment to create an authentic arts experience was clear from the outset, with award-winning art advisor Amanda Love bringing together an eclectic array of visual delights. The director of New York- and Sydney-based art advisory LoveART, Love was voted Best Art Advisor 2010 at Sydney's inaugural Art Month Awards and has worked with a number of successful benefaction groups associated with both Sydney's Art Gallery of New South Wales and Museum of Contemporary Art. QT Melbourne and Love have brought together a collection of acclaimed local and international artists whose work is showcased throughout the hotel's guest rooms, restaurants, bars and public spaces. Artists include Melbourne-born twin sisters and video art duo Gabriella and Silvana Mangano, renowned American installation artist Jennifer Steinkamp, Sydney-based site-specific artists Claire Healy and Sean Cordeiro, video artist Grant Stevens, and conceptual installation pairing Janet Burchill and Jennifer McCamley. BY BRINGING THE MELBOURNE'S OUTSIDE, INSIDE Taking advantage of this world class mix of artistic talent, QT Melbourne's public spaces designer Nic Graham explains that "using a local story or sense of place" is essential to creating an appealing and modern hotel experience. Born and raised in Melbourne, Graham has enjoyed a multifaceted career working across architecture, furniture and product design. Following a number of internationally recognised projects, Graham moved to Sydney and founded design firm G+A in 1999. Inspired by Melbourne's iconic idiosyncrasies, Graham carefully considered the broader urban landscape of the city to instil guests with a unique sense of Melbourne life. "For QT Melbourne, we used the story of the Paris-end of town, mixed with the inner-city laneways and rag trade culture," says Graham. "We also like to include a lot of local contemporary art, curious graphics and accessories – mix vintage with modern." With more than 15 years experience in hotel design to call-on, Graham believes that what makes a hotel a truly enriching encounter is its attention to detail. Whether it is the delicate gold-studded metalwork detailing in the hotel's restaurant, Pascale Bar & Grill, or the ornamental French toile wallpaper seen throughout the restaurant, the contrast of materials used throughout the numerous spaces contributes to an overall feeling of warmth and familiarity. BY CONTINUING THE BUILDING'S ARTISTIC LEGACY INTO A NEW ERA Graham collaborated with guest rooms architect and design expert Shelley Indyk, and together they shaped several engaging public spaces inside QT Melbourne. Endeavouring to capture the features of Melbourne that make it one of the world's most creatively influential cities, they've pulled together an interior where exposed concrete and black steel sits alongside provocative graffiti-like graphics, and eye-catching LED digital art hangs from the ceiling reflecting the winding backstreets and alleyways throughout Melbourne's built environment. This "industrial chic" style carries through into the hotel's 188 guest rooms, with Indyk describing the design as an "investigation of Melbourne city's character". Indyk and her design practice, Indyk Architects, were responsible for the conception and creation of each room's furniture. Collaboration with award-winning lighting designer Electrolight sees black powder-coated brass and metal light fittings, which is finished with oak timber floors. While the brutalist façade of the Greater Union cinema is gone, its legacy is carried on through QT Melbourne's artistically considered design. QT Melbourne is located at 133 Russell Street, Melbourne. For more information, visit their website. Images: Alexandra Anderson.
Melbourne, you asked for it (sort of), and the Victorian government are delivering it (maybe). We're getting five new train stations. In unexpectedly great news, the state government has committed to funding the long-debated Melbourne Metro Rail project in this year's budget, which includes two new tunnels and five underground train stations. These new stations, should the project go ahead, will be located in Parkville, Arden Street, CBD North, CBD South and the Domain and create a new path into the city that doesn't rely on (but connects to) the City Loop. The idea is that it will ease congestion in the City Loop and allow more trains to be getting in and out of the city. It will hopefully help with that peak hour sardines in a carriage issue too. Here's what it will look like: Pretty cool, huh? But as we know, a budget proposal does not a train station make; it's still yet to be seen whether the budget passes in parliament unscathed. However, things are looking promising. The Federal government has just promised to sling Victoria some funds for the project (thanks boys) and this morning Premier Daniels Andrews tweeted the first artist's impression of the Parkville station. It looks super slick (check out all those yo pros making their way in the world, bless). Here's your exclusive first look at what the Metro Tunnel station at Parkville will look like. #springst pic.twitter.com/ZTs0D6jeGF — Daniel Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) May 11, 2016 Notice the big sneeze guards protecting the train? Not only will they prevent winter snot getting on train windows, but are also designed to organise passenger flow and prevent accidents. All train stations will feature the guards and — the most exciting news of all — trains will apparently run every two to three minutes, potentially leaving so much more time for activities. It doesn't completely solve the Melbourne east-west transport black hole, but it would sure help. Via The Age. Image: Global Panorama via Flickr.
Consider yourself quite the origami expert? Can you assemble an IKEA wardrobe with your eyes closed? Do cardboard boxes flood you with happy memories of making forts as a kid? Get excited, this guy has literally just manufactured a super sturdy bike — made entirely out of cardboard. The kicker? It costs roughly the same as your lunch to make — a minuscule $10 per vehicle. This cycling enthusiast/marketing genius is one Izbar Gafni of Cardboard Technologies, who's really putting the cycling into recycling. He cites his interest in cardboard utility developing as stemming from the invention of a working canoe made from the humble cardboard. After speaking to not one, but three engineers, Gafni was told it was impossible to apply this logic to a useable cardboard bicycle. Ignoring this advice, he pedalled on (sorry) and created the first eco-friendly, operative cardboard bike. How does one essentially craft a functional bike out of cardboard? Quite easily, according to Gafni. Using cardboard of varying degrees of thickness, he folds the cardboard on itself to increase thickness and durability — making it strong enough that it can actually support the average human weight (and then some). After he's fashioned the cardboard to the ideal shape and dimensions, Gafni applies resin to resist rain and other weather conditions and applies a coat of paint. For those who aren't content with mere feet pedaling, there's also the option of purchasing an attachable electric motor. Here's the building process if you don't believe us: It's an idea that avoids the pesky rusting of steel bikes. Riding on this cardboard contraption has taken recycling to the next level — all those discarded shoe boxes, all of those boxes used to move house, transformed into a mode of transport that does not harm the environment. For people who live in areas with high bike thievery rates, despair no more; the bike is so cheap it's probably not worth the energy deployed trying to steal it. The bike is not without its resistors — critics have asked why Gafni doesn't account for the manpower that has contributed to manufacturing process, only advocating the $10 worth of material used to make it. Questions of efficiency have been brought up, as the amount of time and manpower dedicated to the manufacturing of the bike being deemed as unnecessary. Qualified bike experts have also questioned if the single speed setting of the bike would be useful at all in difficult terrain. The bike has featured on the streets of New York as part of the bike sharing implementation. It's not quite on the market yet, but Gafni has indicated that it will retail for around $60 – 90. Via Inhabitat.
Ever wanted to try your hand at those insane Gelato Messina laboratory cakes but haven't really know where the hell to start? Want to make your own Messina cake right at home, to create your own personal cake filled with the creamy goo of the gods? Well, gird thy loins Messina fans, your favourite iced confection wizards have just released a gelato cake cookbook. Founder Nick Palumbo and head chef Donato Toce have knocked up a sexy little creation named Gelato Messina: The Creative Department which features recipes for a collection of their gelato cakes. Messina have built a reputation for their cakes, not only because they’re crammed full of that quality gelato we know and love, but also because they look incredible and a little unreal. The Dr Evil’s Magic Mushroom cake, Hazelnut Zucotto or the Black Forest are our picks for the ‘Cakes most like to make us cry with delight and not share with anyone’ category. And yes, we know ours will probably end up looking like an inside-out duck when it’s done but heck, we’ve simply got to try it. If you’re looking for the recipe for the standard gelato, you can also check out the 2014 cookbook Gelato Messina: The Recipes which details instructions on how to make those beloved foundation flavours, such as dulce de leche, pear and rhubarb, poached figs in marsala and salted caramel and white chocolate. For your own personal information, we’ll add some advice on how to best consume the resultant gelato: tape a serving spoon to each hand and don’t stop them whirring until you’ve hoovered up all the gelato in range. Grab your copy of Gelato Messina: The Creative Department from today, at all bookstores who know what's what or from the Book Depository.
Mere months after Neil Perry brought his acclaimed Burger Project to the CBD, another beloved Sydney burger joint is on its way to Melbourne. Chur Burger is the brainchild of chef Warren Turnbull, who's been satisfying burger cravings in Sydney and Brisbane for years. Now, after some delay, he's firing up the grill in our neck of the woods under the — and needless to say, we can't bloody wait. Opening Monday August 22 on Swan Street in Richmond under the watch of Turnbull's business partner Johnny Moukachar, the menu at Chur Burger Melbourne will be much the same as it is in Sydney. Think mouthwatering burgers including signature lamb and pulled pork options, as well as a particularly tasty number made with beef, blue cheese and onion rings. They also happen to make one hell of a milkshake — and like all our favourite burger joints, they're more than happy to throw in a little booze. A photo posted by Chur Burger Melbourne (@churburgermelbourne) on Aug 20, 2016 at 1:59am PDT Technically, this isn't Chur Burger's first foray into the Melbourne market. Turnbull actually shared his recipes with publican David Carney when the latter took over management of Hotel Kew late last year – although they've since been removed from the menu. Moukachar tells Concrete Playground there are "a few other Melbourne venues in the works," and earmarked Eastland Shopping Centre as one potential location. We also heard rumblings about another scheme out in Chadstone, where Chur Burger recently put out a job call for crew members as part of a collaboration with Hoyts Cinemas. Burger and a movie? Don't mind if we do. Other plans include the first Chur Burger food truck which will service "festivals and the beach", and a pair of international stores in Saudi Arabia – the first of which Moukachar says should open in January next year. Chur Burger will open at 176 Swan Street, Richmond on August 22. For more info, visit their Instagram.
Melbourne artist Louise Hearman has won the Archibald Prize for her strike portrait of Australian comedian Barry Humphries. The award was bestowed today by the Art Gallery of New South Wales' board of trustees, with Hearman, a first time finalist, beating out 50 other finalists including Natasha Bieniek, Wendy Whiteley and Carla Fletcher to claim the $10,000 prize. "There was much deliberation and many worthwhile Archibald contenders, but Louise Hearman's portrait took centre-stage in the end," said board of trustees vice-president Mark Nelson. "It stood out as a portrait that truly captured the spirit of the sitter – she has caught Barry's sardonic smile brilliantly." Hearman's portrait, titled simply Barry, marks the sixth time that Humphries has sat for the Archibald – the first was back in 1969, when he was painted by artist John Brack as his iconic character Dame Edna Everage (below). "I'm the happiest girl in the world right now!" said Hearman. "Winning the Archibald is an extraordinary, extraordinary thing for an artist, but the best thing about the Archibald Prize really, is that it gets all artists in the public eye. Today is the one day each year artists eclipse sportsmen in the news!" Also announced were the finalists for the Wynne and Sulman Prizes. The former was awarded to family members Tjungkara Ken, Yaritji Young, Freda Brady, Maringka Tunkin and Sandra Ken for their mural Seven Sisters, while the latter went to Esther Stewart for her painting Flatland Dreaming. The results mark the first time that all three awards have been won by female artists, with AGNSW director Michael Brand remarking that "the success of Louise Hearman, the Ken Sisters and Esther Stewart will be celebrated not just at the Art Gallery of New South Wales today but right around the country." All the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman finalists will be on display at AGNSW from July 16 until October 9.
We don't know what you got out of your last road trip, but odds are it wasn't a 432-page cookbook profiling 100 food heroes and shot through with gush-worthy photography. Acclaimed food writers Helen Greenwood and Melissa Leong are different that way. After six months on the road with a production crew, they've emerged with The Great Australian Cookbook, a document that features recipes from leading chefs like Neil Perry, Dan Hong, Kylie Kwong and Anna Polyviou but also from farmers and producers such as Tathra Oysters, Bruny Island Food and the Pyengana Dairy Company — as well as Australia's original cookbook queen, Margaret Fulton. And how do you visually communicate this breadth of Australiana so the book might be judged by its cover? With a specially commissioned illustration from Mambo artist Reg Mombassa, of course. Topping off this love fest, royalties from the book will go to OzHarvest, the Australian charity distributing unwanted food to people in need. It's a pretty special project, one that meant figuring out what constituted Aussie cuisine in the first place — the modern version, not just sausage rolls and prawns on the barbie. For Greenwood and Leong, former collaborators on The Good Food Shopping Guide, it was a natural progression of their work in recent years. After the success of The Great New Zealand Cookbook, the pair were approached to do the same for Australia. They jumped at the chance. "We loved the idea of a cookbook that reaches into many regions of Australia, showcases many different kinds of cooks and presents a snapshot of how Australians eat today," says Helen. It was also an opportunity to present a contemporary and inclusive picture of Australian cuisine. "Australia has a great reputation overseas for its food," she says. "If we have any problem representing Australian cuisine, it’s that we struggle to define it." The pair set out to speak with foodies both familiar and lesser known. Considering the successes of Australia's produce and cooking on the international food scene, whittling down the 100 contributors to include was not easy. "We had to cover a lot of ground [in the road trip] ... and had to ask ourselves a lot of questions," says Helen. "Have we represented the regions and the cities? Have we covered the country and the coast? Do we have classic Aussie dishes? Do we have people who reflect our Indigenous and migrant heritage? Do we have the legends and emerging talents of food? When we’d answered these questions, we’d check and check again, and fine-tune it some more." The end result marries the recipes with personal reflections from each chef and photos taken in their private homes and gardens. While the co-editors are reluctant to name an all-out favourite recipe in the book, their personal highlights include superstar Aussie chefs like David Moyle (Tasmania's Franklin and Peppermint Bay), Nick Holloway (far north Queensland's Nu Nu Restaurant) and Scott Huggins and Emma McCaskill (South Australia's Magill Estate, the home of Penfolds). But Helen is quick to point out The Great Australian Cookbook is not just about chefs. "This book is about Australians who grow, harvest, cook and eat food for a living — chefs, cooks, bakers, fishers, farmers and more," she says. "It’s a snapshot of Australian food culture today." It's also a personal document in some ways, reflecting Helen and Melissa's years of gustatory discovery. "A lot of my first-time experiences as a food writer are in this book. The first time I tasted Jim Mendolia’s sardines and was transported back to a glorious holiday on a beach in Portugal," evokes Helen. "My first visit to Darwin when I ate at Jimmy Shu’s Hanuman restaurant and experienced his fusion Asian cooking ... My experience of being on the receiving end of a fork loaded with great food, and meeting the people who’ve grown or cooked or sold that great food, has shaped The Great Australian Cookbook." The Great Australian Cookbook is published by PQ Blackwell and distributed by The Five Mile Press. It's in bookstores now for RRP$49.95. Get a taste of what's inside by trying out this spring roll recipe from Angie and Dan Hong. ANGIE AND DAN HONG'S VIETNAMESE SPRING ROLLS Makes: 60 | Prep Time: 30 mins | Cook Time: 20–30 mins | Skill Level: 2 (Moderate) FILLING INGREDIENTS 500g minced pork neck 1/2 cup water chestnuts, finely chopped 1/2 cup of each of the following, all shredded: -wood ear mushrooms -shiitake mushrooms -carrot? -onion -mung bean thread ?(1cm lengths, softened in cold water) METHOD In a mixing bowl, combine the filling ingredients with the seasonings and mix thoroughly. Carefully pour hot water into a shallow, wide dish along with the soy sauce. Stir to combine. Take a rice paper wrapper and quickly immerse it in the hot water, then place on a clean, dry plate. Spoon a tablespoon of the mixture into the centre of the rice paper in a sausage shape. Fold the top and bottom ends in, then roll the rice paper up like a cigar. Set aside and repeat until all of the mixture has been used up. Heat the oil in a heavy-based pot until it reaches 180°C. In small batches, fry the spring rolls for 7–10 minutes or until the outside is crisp and golden. Drain onto paper towel and serve hot with your favourite dipping sauce. Images by Lottie Hedley Photography.
