Every year, So Frenchy So Chic asks Sydneysiders and Melburnians a question: do you fancy prancing through a field laced with the charm of provincial France, but without needing to book a flight? If your answer is yes, which it should be, then you'll be pleased to know that that exact setup is just casual summer weekendery when the fest rolls in each January. The ever-popular French celebration will bring the can-can back to Melbourne's Werribee Park Mansion and, for the first time, to Sydney's Centennial Park — a new venue for 2024. The dates: Sunday, January 14 in Victoria and Saturday, January 20 in New South Wales. For newcomers, expect an entire afternoon of French-inspired niceties, including (but not limited to) gourmet picnic hampers, très bon crepes and steak frites sandwiches, and supremely good wine — all set to a blissed-out French soundtrack. So Frenchy So Chic hinges on an eclectic lineup of artists, both taking cues from the classic sonic stylings of France and showcasing top-notch French talent. On the 2024 bill: La Femme, Marlon Magnée and Sacha Got's psych-punk rock group; Kill The Pain, aka Australian singer and songwriter Phoebe Killdeer with French vocalist Mélanie Pain; Laure Briard, fresh from releasing album Ne pas trop rester bleue; and the Serge Gainsbourg- and Angus and Julia Stone-loving Malo'. As always, the wine and food will flow just as easily as the tunes, headlined by an abundance of bubbly courtesy of Champagne Lanson, one of France's oldest champagne houses and a So Frenchy So Chic favourite. Eateries such as Frederic's, Hotel Gitan, Loulou and Bouillon Entrecôte will be doing the culinary honours, going big on French favourites in the process. So, expect oysters, croque monsieurs, duck liver parfait, mussels, chocolate eclairs, macarons and cheese upon cheese. [caption id="attachment_917827" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Christophe Crenel[/caption] Of course, there'll be plenty of French beer, cocktails, and rosé, red and white wines, too, no matter what you choose to snack on throughout the day. For groups of ten, this year's festival also includes a $199-per-person option that gets you your own prime spot with low-seated wooden tables decorated with flowers, rugs and cushions to make things comfy, two bottles of champers, a shady umbrella, and two charcuterie hampers and two cheese hampers. If you've got kids, you'll be happy to know that the whole thing is very family-friendly, with children's tickets starting from $25 (and entry free for kids under 12). [caption id="attachment_917828" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Taylor Kezia, Smith Street Agency[/caption] SO FRENCHY SO CHIC 2024 AUSTRALIAN DATES: Sunday, January 14 — Werribee Park Mansion, Melbourne Saturday, January 20 — Centennial Park, Sydney SO FRENCHY SO CHIC 2024 AUSTRALIAN LINEUP: La Femme Kill The Pain Laure Briard Malo' So Frenchy So Chic hits Sydney and Melbourne in January 2024. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the event's website. Top images: Liz Sunshine and Tekni.
From a field of 52 finalists — including, for the first time in its history, an equal number of works from both male and female artists — the 2021 Archibald Prize has been awarded to Melbourne-based artist Peter Wegner for Portrait of Guy Warren at 100. An unanimous decision by this year's judges, Wegner's portrait of the centenarian and fellow artist won the gong in a fitting year, with the Archibald turning 100 in 2021 as well. "Guy Warren turned 100 in April — he was born the same year the Archibald Prize was first awarded in 1921," Wegner said. "This is not why I painted Guy, but the coincidence is nicely timed." "I have been working on a series of drawings of people who have turned 100, beginning with my Aunty Rita seven years ago. I've gone on to draw more than 90 centenarians," Wegner continued. "I chose to paint Guy Warren because he is one of the most incredible centenarians l have ever met. This portrait honours Guy in the 101st year of his productive and meaningful life." [caption id="attachment_814783" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Winner Archibald Prize 2021. Peter Wegner, Portrait of Guy Warren at 100. © the artist. Photo: AGNSW, Jenni Carter.[/caption] Winning for the first time, Wegner was also a finalist in the 2020, 2016, 2011, 2004 and 2000 Archibalds. Warren won the prize himself in 1985 with a portrait of artist Bert Flugelman — and became an Archibald subject for the seventh time with Portrait of Guy Warren at 100. Wegner's win comes after 2020's history-making recipient Vincent Namatjira, who became the first Indigenous artist to receive the prize. In 2019, when Tony Costa emerged victorious, he did so with the first portrait of an Asian Australian to ever win the award. In 2021's main field, two artists also received high commendations: Sydney artist Jude Rae, who was recognised for her self-portrait Inside out; and Brisbane artist Pat Hoffie, who submitted Visaya in a c-collar, a portrait of her daughter. [caption id="attachment_814782" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Winner Wynne Prize 2021. Nyapanyapa Yunupiŋu. Garak – night sky. © the artist. Photo: AGNSW, Mim Stirling.[/caption] The winners of the Wynne and Sir John Sulman prizes were similarly revealed today, Friday, June 4, spanning a number of other pieces. Yolŋu painter and printmaker Nyapanyapa Yunupiŋu took out the former — which awards the best landscape painting of Australian scenery or figure sculpture — for Garak – night sky. The piece represents Djulpan, the Seven Sisters star clusters that are also known as Pleiades, and marks the second time that Yunupiŋu has been a Wynne finalist. This is also the sixth year in a row that an Indigenous Australian artist has been awarded the Wynne prize. The category also hands out three other gongs, with Tjungkara Ken receiving the 2021 Roberts Family Prize for Seven Sisters, Noel McKenna winning the Trustees' Watercolour Prize for South Coast headland (2), Ottoman rose, and Leah Bullen awarded the John and Elizabeth Newnham Pring Memorial Prize for Arid garden, Wollongong. [caption id="attachment_814779" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Winner Sulman Prize 2021. Georgia Spain, Getting down or falling up. © the artist. Photo: AGNSW, Mim Stirling.[/caption] The Sir John Sulman Prize goes to the best mural, subject or genre painting, and was this year awarded to Georgia Spain for Getting down or falling up. Limbs feature heavily in the piece, which was selected as the winner from 21 finalists by fellow artist Elisabeth Cummings. Across the three prizes, 2144 entries were received this year — the second-highest number ever after 2020. And, the three prizes received the highest-ever number of entries from Indigenous artists. The winning portraits and finalists will be on display at Sydney's Art Gallery of NSW from tomorrow — Saturday, June 4 — up until Sunday, September 26. If you don't agree with the judges, you can cast your own vote for People's Choice, which will be announced on Wednesday, September 1. ARCHIBALD PRIZE 2021 DATES Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney, NSW — June 4–September 26, 2021 Gippsland Art Gallery, Sale, Victoria — October 8–November 21, 2021 Hazelhurst Regional Gallery & Art Centre, Gymea, NSW — December 3–January 16, 2022 Maitland Regional Art Gallery, Maitland, NSW — January 23–March 6, 2022 Cowra Regional Art Gallery, Cowra, NSW — March 18–June 22, 2022 Manning Regional Art Gallery, Taree, NSW — July 8–August 21, 2022 If you can't make it to any of the above dates, you can check out the award winners and finalists of the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes on the Art Gallery of NSW website. Top image: Winner Archibald Prize 2021. Peter Wegner, Portrait of Guy Warren at 100. © the artist. Photo: AGNSW, Jenni Carter.
On a hot summer's day, a sweet frozen treat will always hit the spot. A new brand has just launched in Australia that's providing a dairy-free solution to your sweet summer cravings. Originating in Thailand, Buono has created 100 percent plant-based frozen desserts that are vegan, gluten-free and contain no artificial colours or flavours. Buono has two types of frozen treats available in Australia currently. The first, Buono Boru Boru, is a tub of bubble tea-inspired ice cream. It's vegan, of course, made using coconut milk and containing flavour-filled balls reminiscent of the those you get in bubble tea. The Buono Boru Boru comes in two different flavours: classic Thai tea and genmaicha, which combines the flavours of green tea and roasted rice. The second range of dessert goodness Buono has created are called Mochi Ice. Made with coconut milk, these ice cream-filled mochi balls are a great bite-sized snack, but, be warned, you might find yourself returning to your freezer multiple times a day to grab one. They come in a range of flavours including strawberry, black sesame, vanilla, mango, coconut, chocolate and Japanese green tea. If you find yourself craving a cold creamy treat this summer, the Buono range is available at Coles and Woolworths stores nationally — and can be delivered to your door via Coles Online. Buono's range of plant-based desserts are available to order online or at select Coles, Woolworths and specialty stores nationwide. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are back in business — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbE96sCJEjo MINARI Although they can frequently seem straightforward, films about the American dream aren't simply about chasing success. The circumstances and details change, but they're often movies about finding a place to call home as well. Such a quest isn't always as literal as it sounds, of course. While houses can signify achievement, feeling like you truly belong somewhere — and that you're comfortable enough to set your sights on lofty goals and ambitions that require considerable risks and sacrifices — transcends even the flashiest or cosiest combination of bricks and mortar. Partly drawn from writer/director Lee Isaac Chung's (Abigail Harm) own childhood, Minari understands this. It knows that seeking a space to make one's own is crucial, and that it motivates many big moves to and within the US. So, following a Korean American couple who relocate to rural Arkansas in the 80s with hopes of securing a brighter future for their children, this delicately observed and deeply felt feature doesn't separate the Yi family's attempts to set up a farm from their efforts to feel like they're exactly where they should be. The result is a precise, vivid, moving, and beautifully performed and observed film told with honest and tender emotion — so much so that it was always bound to be equally universal and unique. When Jacob Yi (Steven Yeun, Burning) introduces his wife Monica (Yeri Han, My Unfamiliar Family), pre-teen daughter Anne (first-timer Noel Cho) and seven-year-old son David (fellow newcomer Alan S Kim) to their new 50-acre plot, he's beaming with pride. He's bought them "the best dirt in America," he says. It might only span a trailer, a field and a creek, but he's certain that it will revolutionise their lives. Although both Jacob and Monica still spend their days in a chicken sexing factory to pay the bills, Jacob is confident his agrarian dream will reap rewards. The path he's chosen isn't a glossy fantasy, though. From trying to work out where best to build a well to provide water for his crops, to endeavouring to convince stores to buy his wares, Jacob weathers more than his fare share of struggles. Monica's worries about their isolation, and about money, also weigh heavily, as she'd rather live in a larger city as part of the Korean diaspora. Also joining their daily woes in a movie that eschews overt conflicts for everyday dramas: Anne and David's attempts to fit in, the latter's heart murmur and the change that sweeps through the family when Monica's mother Soonja (Youn Yuh-jung, Sense8) comes to live with them. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eg7QTqm_i4o THE TRUFFLE HUNTERS Northern Italy's woods are abundant with truffles, especially the tuber magnatum — otherwise known as the white variety. But before these highly sought-after morsels can make their way into kitchens, onto plates, and into many a willing and eager mouth, someone has to spend their time and expend their energy finding the edible fungus. Accordingly, The Truffle Hunters introduces viewers to multiple elderly men and their adorable dogs who all do just that, with their lives revolving around roving the forest and searching out the prized food. It might sound like a relaxed pursuit — as walking through trees with your pet pooch to fill your pockets with a delicacy is bound to — but it's a highly competitive endeavour, and one that the documentary's central figures are intensely passionate about. For Aurelio, the only thing he loves more than foraging for truffles is Birba, his canine partner in the hunt. The cantankerous Angelo has become disillusioned with the way that the industry has evolved over time, so he now attacks his typewriter with gusto instead, using it to chronicle his myriad woes and complaints. Then there's Sergio, who enjoys his task with his dogs Pepe and Fiona by his side. As for Carlo, his beloved pastime is forbidden by his wife. Unperturbed, he routinely sneaks out at night to search with a torch in hand. Cycling between these men's stories, directors Michael Dweck (The Last Race) and Gregory Kershaw (cinematographer on The Last Race, and also on this) chart their individual efforts. The titular subjects try care for their canines, argue with others encroaching on their turf, type missives about how the world has changed and, in Carlo's case, keep absconding by moonlight. Their hounds remain a focus, including their efforts to avoid poison baits. Devoted to capturing the pooch perspective however they can, Dweck and Kershaw aren't above using puppy cam as well. Seeing truffle hunting from a dog's viewpoint may be an easy gimmick, but it's also both a joy and a thrill — and emblematic of the film's fondness for flavour and character above all else. Narration is absent, talking heads don't clog up the screen, and no one is on hand to describe the ins and outs of the business in the spotlight, with Dweck and Kershaw favouring immersion rather than explanation. It's a fitting approach, and a purposeful one, even if the documentary takes on a relaxed air from start to finish. The Truffle Hunters is a leisurely movie that's content to chronicle its subjects' easy-going lives, lean into their eccentricities and survey their lush surroundings — and, even clocking in at just 84 minutes, it's an unhurried gem of a film — however, it's also carefully compiled. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3REMs9I9Tg FIRESTARTER — THE STORY OF BANGARRA More than three decades since it was first formed, Bangarra Dance Theatre is still going strong. In just the last ten years alone, the Sydney-based organisation has unleashed the beauty and potency of works such as Blak, Patyegarang, Lore, OUR land people stories, Bennelong and Dark Emu across Australia's stages, and repeatedly confronted the nation's colonial history head-on in the process. As an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts outfit, it can't avoid it. It similarly can't ignore the impact that the country's past has had upon Indigenous culture, and the trauma that's rippled across generations as a result. And so, as excellent new documentary Firestarter — The Story of Bangarra tells the company's tale, these struggles are firmly part of the narrative. Co-directors Wayne Blair (The Sapphires, Top End Wedding) and Nel Minchin (Matilda & Me, Making Muriel) know their power. Indeed, the two filmmakers are well aware that they can't step through Bangarra's history without placing the acclaimed dance theatre in its rightful social, political and cultural context. What audiences have seen on stage over the years is stunning, astonishing and important, of course, but all of those exceptional performances haven't ever existed in a vacuum. For those unacquainted with the details of Bangarra's origins, evolution, aims and achievements, Firestarter recounts them, starting with its leap out of the National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association and the Aboriginal Islander Dance Theatre. Actually, it jumps back further, not only stepping through Bangarra's predecessors, but also charting how Stephen, David and Russell Page became its most famous names. Just as it's impossible to examine the dance company's accomplishments and influence without also interrogating and chronicling Australia's history, it's simply unthinkable to do so without focusing as heavily on the Page brothers as Blair and Minchin choose to. Stephen would become Bangarra's artistic director, a role he still holds. David was its music director, while Russell was one of its best dancers — and their path from growing up in Brisbane in the 60s, 70s and 80s to helping shape and guide an Aussie arts powerhouse is a pivotal component of Bangarra's overall journey thus far. If it sounds as if Firestarter has been set a hefty task — doing triple duty as a celebration, a record of Australia's past and a portrait of three siblings with dreams as big as their talents — that's because it has. But this dense and yet also deft documentary is up to the immense feat, and dances through its massive array of material, topics and themes as skilfully as any of Bangarra's performers ever have. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HZAnkxdYuA THE LITTLE THINGS Before you've even seen a single frame of a film, much can sometimes be gleaned by merely knowing who's in it — if they've been cast to type. The Little Things features Denzel Washington, Rami Malek and Jared Leto, which means it can brag that it stars three Oscar winners, as its trailer does. This 90s-style serial killer thriller has also happily deployed its trio of main players exactly as you'd expect. So, adding yet another cop to his resume, Washington plays unflinchingly dedicated and determined, as well as a character who's far from perfect. Malek has a much shorter acting history, but once again combines the blend of awkwardness and meticulousness that seeped from his pores over four seasons of Mr Robot. As for Leto, he's asked to mine not just his recent cinematic past, but also his overall status in popular culture. From his overcooked take on the Joker in Suicide Squad to the misplaced swagger that's defined his off-screen persona and his rock stardom with Thirty Seconds to Mars, he's hardly widely beloved. The Little Things wants everyone watching to remember that, and perhaps to even stoke the flames of their existing Leto hatred. It works; he's been nominated for a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award for his greasy-haired turn, and he's so one-note and over-the-top that it's near-impossible to fathom why. Washington's Joe 'Deke' Deacon was once a well-admired Los Angeles detective; however, when writer/director John Lee Hancock (The Blindside) begins The Little Things, his central character is now a deputy sheriff in Kern County. Deke's current and former colleagues all see that shift as a step down, but he's just as dogged in his new job — and, when he's reluctantly sent back to LA to collect evidence for an important trial, then gets brought in on a new case by Malek's hotshot newcomer Jim Baxter while he's hanging about, he's downright unrelenting. A number of women have been found murdered, and in gruesome circumstances. Baxter doesn't realise it, but the details prove familiar to Deke from years earlier. As the pair's new investigation leads them to repair store employee Albert Sparma (Leto), neither Deke nor Baxter is willing to rest until they solve the case. Off-putting and unpleasant from the moment he's first seen, the creepy, possibly psychotic Sparma likes being seen as a suspect, though, and enjoys toying with the men following him. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e9w0IL2U0c&feature=emb_logo DAYS OF THE BAGNOLD SUMMER For everyone of schooling age, the onset of warm weather means a lengthy break from classes, teachers, and the child and teenage version of the daily grind. It's a time of freedom, of never needing to worry about what day of the week it is, and of roaming around like there's no tomorrow. For Daniel Bagnold (Earl Cave, True History of the Kelly Gang), he's looking forward to leaving his suburban British existence far behind for a few weeks by visiting his father in Florida. As an added bonus, his librarian mother Sue (Monica Dolan, The Dig) — who he's constantly embarrassed by — isn't coming with him. Then his dad's new life, wife and soon-to-arrive baby daughter get in the way of Daniel's plans, leaving the 15-year-old stranded at home and unhappy about it. He'd be content holing up in his room, listening to metal and fantasising about starting his own band, but Sue is adamant that he tries to find a job. She also complicates Daniel's days by going out on a date with one of schoolteachers (Rob Brydon, The Trip to Greece). That's the leisurely story at the heart of Days of the Bagnold Summer, a coming-of-age comedy driven more by mood than by narrative developments. It has an overall arc, watching on as Daniel and his mother reconnect; however, this adaptation of the graphic novel of the same name is at its best when it sinks into the annual season of teen dreams and disappointments. First-time feature filmmaker Simon Bird is no stranger to the subject, having spent three seasons and two movies starring in The Inbetweeners. Fans of that franchise's irreverent humour will find themselves in far more laidback territory here, though — and watching a film that, visually and tonally, strives to offer a Wes Anderson-esque view of adolescence. Days of the Bagnold Summer's meticulously framed widescreen images don't ever feel like a cheap imitation, thankfully. Rather, they're artful and probing, especially when they manage to peer on at Daniel and Sue doing different things in the same household space. Indeed, this is a movie with a keen sense of how living in the same place and weathering the same struggles doesn't always make two people a family if one of them is determined to resist the concept. It's that insight, always tinged with bittersweet emotion, that helps Bird's feature strike a chord. Working with a script adapted by fellow first-timer Lisa Owens, he also finds the right balance between deadpan quirkiness and lived-in naturalism. Also assisting is Cave, son of Nick, who wears Daniel's malaise like a second skin — and the soundtrack by Belle and Sebastian, which is perfectly pitched. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1aOK-4UmoM ZAPPA Not everyone can brandish the swagger and charisma of a rock star, but that might actually be the easiest part of the job. To truly earn the term is to genuinely stand out from the ever-growing crowd and, often, to become the kind of music icon that can be referred to with just a single word. Frank Zappa was that kind of figure. Almost three decades after his death in 1993 to cancer, he still is. His music isn't for everyone, but his talent is undisputed, and he has more than 100 albums (62 released while he was alive, and 50 that've hit stores since his passing) that showcase his efforts as a singer, songwriter, composer, bandleader and multi-instrumentalist. While he was alive, he also amassed an enormous archive of materials from across his career, spanning his work with his band Mothers of Invention, his collaborations with other artists and, of course, the 1982 hit single 'Valley Girl' that he recorded with his then 14-year-old daughter Moon Zappa. Combine all of the above, and you get Zappa. Lively, detailed and riveting, this documentary attempts the difficult feat of condensing Frank's life and impact into 129 minutes — and, regardless of whether you're already a fan or not, it does an impressive and engaging job. You could say that Alex Winter — yes, the star of the Bill and Ted franchise that's not Keanu Reeves — took on an easy task when he decided to direct Zappa. Thanks to all the footage, songs, clips and photos at his disposal, as well as the participation of Frank's family, friends and colleagues, he definitely wasn't short on material to weave into this wide-ranging chronicle. Candid chats, eye-popping claymation and home videos all feature, and the film zips happily from one to the other with enthusiasm. But great documentaries don't just splice together the obvious bits and pieces, then throw in a few left-field choices. They explore and examine their subjects, even when they're celebratory. And, in Zappa's case, they wholeheartedly interrogate a man seen as a genius by some and considered too out-there and inaccessible by others. There are moments in the film that prove both viewpoints. There are others that appear to veer off on tangents, but firmly showcase the breadth of Frank's musical experimentation along the way. In his sixth stint as a documentarian (with Downloaded, Deep Web and The Panama Papers among the other titles on his resume), Winter circles and leaps through his central figure's existence and enigma, and it's never anything less than fascinating viewing. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on November 5, November 12, November 19 and November 26; and December 3, December 10, December 17, December 26; and January 1, January 7, January 14, January 21 and January 28; February 4 and February 11. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as The Craft: Legacy, Radioactive, Brazen Hussies, Freaky, Mank, Monsoon, Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's Dead Aunt), American Utopia, Possessor, Misbehaviour, Happiest Season, The Prom, Sound of Metal, The Witches, The Midnight Sky, The Furnace, Wonder Woman 1984, Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles, Nomadland, Pieces of a Woman, The Dry, Promising Young Woman, Summerland, Ammonite, The Dig, The White Tiger, Only the Animals, Malcolm & Marie, News of the World, High Ground, Earwig and the Witch, The Nest, Assassins, Synchronic and Another Round.
With its latest movie-fuelled event, Immersive Cinema is hoping that you've never felt like this before — and that you love Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey dancing up a storm in a much-adored 1987 romantic drama. The second part is easy. As for the first, you might've actually stepped into this interactive Dirty Dancing experience back in 2019 when it first came to Australia. Who doesn't want to have the time of their life twice, though? For its second Aussie stint, Dirty Dancing: The Immersive Cinema Experience is only heading to Melbourne, taking over the Flemington Racecourse on Saturday, April 1–Sunday, April 2, 2023. If Francis 'Baby' Houseman can take a trip to Kellerman's Mountain House in the Catskills with her family, you can hit up the venue — and the Victorian capital if you're not a Melburnian — to get whisked away to the next best thing. Here, attendees will get plunged into the world of Dirty Dancing. Taking over the outdoor venue, Dirty Dancing: The Immersive Cinema Experience won't just screen one of Swayze's biggest film roles, but will recreate the world of the popular film. That means that attendees will travel back to 1963 in spirit, check into the flick's setting, and enjoy a day of painting classes, volleyball, croquet, mini golf and — of course — dance lessons. You can probably also expect a stint of carrying watermelons, and definitely a dance showcase. And yes, it all ends with an evening screening of Dirty Dancing on the big screen. You'd be just a fool to believe that's all that's on the agenda. Actors and dancers will roam around like the wind and, food- and drink-wise, Americana-style eats will be available at 12 different dining spots, while seven pop-up bars will sling summery cocktails — all on offer for those with hungry eyes (and stomachs). Also, there'll be a dedicated watermelon stand, plus a picnic area among the rose bushes. You'll also be able to wander through recreations of Kellerman's famous fictional spaces. That includes the staff quarters where Baby Houseman gets her first taste of dirty dancing, as well as the studios where she learns all the steps from and starts swooning over Johnny Castle. Wherever you head, nobody will be putting Baby in a corner. Like the film version of Kellerman's, the event is also an all-ages affair — and everyone is encouraged to dress up like it's the 60s, but appropriate footwear for dancing is a must. Also, because no one had phones back in the 60s, it's a technology-free experience as well. The only screen that matters: the big one showing the movie, of course. Dirty Dancing: The Immersive Cinema Experience will take over Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne on Saturday, April 1–Sunday, April 2, 2023. Ticket presales start at 10am AEDT on Monday, November 28, with general public tickets available from 10am on Wednesday, November 30. Images: Mushroom Creative House.
Starting any business is a risky venture, and establishing a hospo business — let alone one that endures and succeeds in the industry — can be an especially challenging endeavour. But don't let that scare you off — there's lots of help at hand, from the community of your team and other business-owners to tech-driven business solutions like Square, who have helped countless companies expand. If you're keen to get your idea off the ground but can't wrap your mind around how and where to start, we've partnered with Square to uncover some advice for new business-owners from the teams behind two longstanding Aussie venues, Melbourne's American Doughnut Kitchen and Sydney's Terminus Hotel. Respect for Legacy and History One of the city's oldest pubs, the Terminus Hotel in Pyrmont dates back to the 1840s and was recently revived by David Mathlin and Binu Katari in 2018. Meanwhile, American Doughnut Kitchen (ADK) has been a fixture of Melbourne's Queen Victoria Market since 1950, slinging fluffy, jam-filled doughnuts for almost seventy-five years. Belinda Donaghey now co-owns ADK's two outlets with Justin Donaghey, after her grandfather Arnold Bridges took over the business 30 years ago. [caption id="attachment_772352" align="alignnone" width="1920"] American Doughnut Kitchen[/caption] When asked about the one thing they would have wanted to know before starting their respective businesses, both Belinda Donaghey and David Mathlin underscored the significance of asking questions about the establishment's history. "As the third generation to be running the business, I wish I had asked my grandfather many questions before he passed," said Donaghey. "Looking back now, I wish I'd asked him about his vision, the challenges he overcame, his approach to business, and so much more." Technology and Simple Systems After stepping in full-time management of the business in 2020 and then ownership in 2023, Donaghey attributes the success of the business to "our strong, established team, our loyal customer base, and the technology that supported our new way of working." She continued, "Just before the pandemic, I introduced EFTPOS through Square Terminals, which turned out to be a critical move as we rapidly shifted to cashless transactions. Card payments quickly became the norm, with cash usage dropping to as low as 10%." Mathlin's saving grace when they first opened the refurbished Terminus Hotel was "training before opening, and a great team." Similarly, Donaghey's advice for what new businesses should focus on before they open is "Systems, and comprehensive training of the team on how to use the systems." She adds, "Keep it simple. There is beauty in simplicity and it is easier to scale when the foundations are strong and simplified." When asked what she would have done differently if opening her business today, Donaghey shared, "We would have invested earlier in software, technology and equipment that was perhaps a little bigger than we needed at the time, so we had space to grow into them without having to change too often as the business needs grew." She adds, "We have done that now, but it took a long time to step into that space and embrace new ways of thinking and working because there was a lot of history of doing things a certain way that didn't involve technology." Community Support Donaghey and Mathlin both emphasised the integral role that the community plays in shaping and growing a business. Mathlin's thoughts on what most new businesses overlook is that "They forget to put the community and customers first." When asked to recall the moment he knew his business was working, Mathlin's response again focused on the people, "We saw good reviews and saw people having a great time at functions." [caption id="attachment_978216" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Leigh Griffiths[/caption] Donaghey shared a similar sentiment, "By the time I started working in the business full-time, we were already well-established, with over 60 years behind us. The true test came during the pandemic, when we realised just how special our business was because of the people who continued to support us." She continued, "The messages we received during that time were incredibly heartwarming. Customers shared beautiful memories and it was clear we were bringing joy to people who were isolated from family and friends and disconnected from the world." ADK's success is reflected in their popularity, which is still going strong. "Our weekend queues have become famous — not because our team is slow, but because our popularity has grown so much that people are willing to give us their most precious resource: time. They happily stand in line to get their bag of joy: our hot jam doughnuts. Our business model works. It's simple, it brings people joy, and it's the perfect snack to enjoy while exploring the market." Find out how Square can kickstart your business at squareup.com.
Whether on screens big and small, when an audience watches a Steven Soderbergh project, they're watching one of America's great current directors ply his full range of filmmaking skills. Usually, he doesn't just helm. Going by Peter Andrews and Mary Ann Bernard — aliases from his parents' names — he shoots and edits as well. And he's prolific: since advising that he'd retire from making features after Side Effects, he's directed, lensed and spliced nine more, plus three TV shows. Among those titles sit movies such as Logan Lucky, Unsane, Kimi and Magic Mike's Last Dance; the exceptional two seasons of turn-of-the-20th-century medical drama The Knick; and now, streaming on Binge from Thursday, July 13 and Neon from Friday, July 14, gripping New York-set kidnapping miniseries Full Circle. Soderbergh will always be the filmmaker who won Cannes Film Festival's Palme d'Or at 26 for Sex, Lies and Videotape. He's the talent who earned two Best Director Oscars in the same year for Traffic and Erin Brockovich, winning for the former, too. He brought the Ocean's franchise back to cinemas in 2001, and eerily predicted the COVID-19 pandemic with 2011's Contagion — and he's in his element with his latest work. Six-part noir-influenced thriller Full Circle reunites Soderbergh with Mosaic and No Sudden Move screenwriter Ed Solomon, boasts a starry cast, involves money and secrets and deception, and proves a twisty and layered crime tale from the get-go. It also couldn't feel more relevant to now, both in its understanding of how pivotal technology is to daily life — Soderbergh shot the aforementioned Unsane, plus High Flying Bird, solely on iPhones, after all — and its unpacking of today's attitudes on class, race, power and capitalism. Full Circle starts with a murder, then a revenge plot, then a missing smartphone. As the show's name makes plain, these early inclusions all tie into an intricate narrative that will indeed demonstrate inevitability, cause and effect, the repercussions of our actions, and decisions looping back around. The pivotal death forms part of a turf war, sparking a campaign of retaliation by Queens-based Guyanese community leader and insurance scammer Savitri Mahabir (CCH Pounder, Avatar: The Way of Water). She enlists freshly arrived teens Xavier (Sheyi Cole, Atlanta) and Louis (Gerald Jones, Armageddon Time) to do the seizing under her nephew Aked's (Jharrel Jerome, I'm a Virgo) supervision; one of the newcomers is the brother of the latter's fiancée Natalia (Adia, The Midnight Club), who is also Savitri's masseuse. The target: Manhattan high-schooler Jared (Ethan Stoddard, Mysteries at the Museum), son of the wealthy and privileged Sam (Claire Danes, Fleishman Is in Trouble) and Derek Browne (Timothy Olyphant, Daisy Jones & The Six), and grandson through Sam to ponytailed celebrity chef Jeff McCusker (Dennis Quaid, Strange World). Savitri is convinced that this is the only way to stave off the curse she's certain is hanging over her business — a "broken circle", in fact — but, much to the frustration of the US Postal Inspection Service's Manny Broward (Jim Gaffigan, Peter Pan & Wendy), his go-for-broke agent Melody Harmony (Zazie Beetz, Black Mirror) is already investigating before the abduction. As a filmmaker frequently obsessed with heists — see: not just Ocean's Eleven, Ocean's Twelve and Ocean's Thirteen, but Out of Sight, Logan Lucky and No Sudden Move — Soderbergh is well-versed in the reality that little about stealing and swindling goes smoothly. Full Circle's kidnapping is quickly botched, the Brownes' attempts to pay the $314,159 ransom become a mess and everyone from the perpetrators to law enforcement makes questionable choices. Soderbergh and Solomon also know how to toy with tropes and expectations, as illustrated so devastatingly and delightfully in their staging of the suspense-dripping snatching itself. Viewers think they're seeing clearly what's happening, only to then discover what's actually occurred, and also how cleverly Full Circle has stitched together the whole incident to comment on perception, misdirection, mistruths and people acting without gleaning the full picture. This is an intelligent and precise series in every detail, making connecting the dots both addictive and satisfying — for viewers, that is, but rarely for the show's characters. None of Full Circle's key figures are ever being completely honest, and each time that truth is revealed, more arcs appear, questions are posed and tangents sparked. There's a savvy statement echoing, too, about how everyone who thinks they're intelligent and precise, be it a detective, crime matriarch, business leaders, famous folks, rebellious teens, people chasing a dream or those endeavouring to do the right thing, so rarely are. Again, it's right there in the title that all of these complications will come full circle — and, visually and within the narrative, Soderbergh and Solomon find shrewd ways to play up the spherical motif — but less expected is the emotional weight that spins along with the labyrinthine storyline. That Full Circle is terrifically performed isn't a surprise for a second; Julia Roberts and Benicio del Toro both won Oscars in the same year for different Soderbergh films, and the director's way with actors has been a hallmark of his work since the 80s. Here, there's no weak link, even among stars who remain in comfortable territory. Danes and Olyphant's involvement is dream casting for that very reason — she just played highly successful and highly stressed in Fleishman Is in Trouble, and is equally as stunning in this; whether in Deadwood, Justified or Santa Clarita Diet, he's always excellent at weathering and navigating crumbling facades. Jerome seems worlds away from I'm a Virgo, and Pounder from The Shield, and Beetz from Atlanta, yet each brandishes some of their best traits in those projects and now: yearning and desperation, potency and determination, and wiliness and playfulness, respectively. An intriguing premise, astute scripting, admirable actors, outstanding filmmaker: combine them and an all-round superb series results. There's a circular element to the way that each of these core aspects feeds the other; without Soderbergh's virtuoso craftsmanship in everything from probing closeups to sharp editing, or the cast's commitment in examining complex characters and their motivations, or a knotty script that might just owe a debt to Akira Kurosawa's High and Low, Full Circle mightn't have swirled so rivetingly. The one query that it leaves viewers with, particularly those outside of the US: why the postal service needs cops? Of course, that's a minor concern in a taut, tenseand intoxicating major must-see. Check out the trailer for Full Circle below: Full Circle streams via Binge from Thursday, July 13 and Neon from Friday, July 14.
The 90s were great. That shouldn't be a controversial opinion. Whether you lived through them or have spent the last couple of decades wishing you did — aka binging on 90s pop culture — this late-night shindig at Brunswick's Stay Gold will indulge your retro urges. Drinks, tunes, fashion — expect all of the above at the No Scrubs: 90s and Early 00s party from 11pm on Saturday, April 17. Of course, it's up to you to make sure the clothing side of thing is covered, and to get into the spirit of the party. If you want to use Mariah Carey as a style icon, it'd be fitting. Expect to unleash your inner Spice Girl and Backstreet Boy too. TLC, Destiny's Child, Savage Garden, Usher, Blink-182, No Doubt — we'd keep listing artists, but you all know what you're getting yourselves into. Tickets are $15.15 online, with the fun running through until 3am. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WEtxJ4-sh4
Melburnians, get ready to venture a little further from home — and to play golf, tennis and other outdoor activities with your mates, and hit up a few personal training sessions, too. Victoria's recently announced roadmap out of lockdown is about to reach its first milestone, with 80 percent of the state's eligible residents expected to have had their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by Tuesday, September 28. So, at 11.59pm that evening, a few restrictions will ease. If this sounds familiar, that's because the current roadmap highlighted most of these changes when it was unveiled back on Sunday, September 19; however, there have been a couple of amendments. Firstly, it was initially expected that 80-percent single-jabbed threshold would arrive today, Sunday, September 26, but that hasn't proven the case. Secondly, as Premier Daniel Andrews has just revealed, some of the easing rules have been tinkered with. Wondering what life holds from Wednesday, September 29 onwards (because you'll only have a minute to enjoy the new rules the day prior)? Firstly, the ten-kilometre radius is expanding to 15 kilometres — so that's how far from home you'll be able to mosey to shop, for exercise and for outdoor social interaction. Also, what you're allowed to do in groups outdoors will change to include 'contactless' recreation. So, things like golf and tennis will be permitted, as will boating. They'll be allowed under the same picnic rules that are in place now — which includes one person who isn't from your household if you aren't fully vaxxed, and up to five adults from two households, plus their dependents, if all adults have had both their jabs. The current four-hour limit on outdoor exercise and socialising remains in place. And, personal training is also back for five fully vaxxed people outdoors, plus a double-jabbed trainer. Plus, there'll be no more restrictions on playgrounds, which'll now fall under the general outdoor gathering rules. After another big week of vaccinations we're set to hit our roadmap's 80% first dose target on Tuesday. That means from Tuesday 11.59pm, on the advice of the Chief Health Officer, there will be a modest easing to restrictions across Victoria. pic.twitter.com/omzZcnzmlA — Dan Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) September 26, 2021 These relaxed restrictions form part of Melbourne's path out of its current (and sixth) lockdown. The city first went back under the present stay-at-home conditions at the beginning of August — just nine days after the previous lockdown ended — and has seen those rules extended multiple times so far, and a nighttime curfew implemented as well. Earlier in September, the requirements regarding outdoor social interaction and the distance you're permitted to travel away from home for those outdoor gatherings, exercise and to shop eased slightly; however, the changes now coming into effect on Tuesday, September 28 will relax the rules a little further. After this, more restrictions are slated to ease when 70 percent of the state's residents aged over 16 have been fully vaxxed, which is when lockdown will end, the curfew will be ditched and the the travel radius go up to 25 kilometres. Also, ten fully vaccinated people will be allowed to gather outdoors, and outdoor community sport will return. Plus, pubs, clubs and entertainment venues can open to 50 double-jabbed people — but outdoors only — and weddings and funerals can do the same. And, for the fully vaxxed, five people can go to a hairdressers at once. Following that, at the 80-percent double-dosed threshold for over 16s, groups of ten, including dependents, will be allowed in homes. Groups of 30 fully vaxxed people can gather outdoors, too. Dining indoors at hospitality venues will resume, with up to 150 double-vaxxed folks allowed, and the cap will go up to 500 outside. There'll be no travel radius, so intrastate travel will be back with no limits. Indoor community sport will return as well, there'll be a 150-person cap on hairdressing for the fully vaxxed, and all retail stores will reopen. Indoor entertainment venues, plus weddings and funerals, will follow those 150 and 500 caps mentioned above. And, masks will only be required inside from this point. Reported yesterday: 779 new local cases and 0 cases acquired overseas. - 34,280 vaccines administered - 46,322 test results received - Sadly, 2 people with COVID-19 have died More later: https://t.co/OCCFTAtS1P#COVID19Vic #COVID19VicData pic.twitter.com/8J2JOHhd7O — VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) September 25, 2021 Finally, when 80 percent of Victorians over 12 are completely vaccinated, the state will align with the rules under Australia's new 'National Plan to transition Australia's National COVID Response' that was announced in July. That's when double-jabbed Australians are expected to be able to travel overseas again without restrictions, when there's set to be no lockdowns, and when vaxxed Aussies will be free from domestic restrictions anyway. The Federal Government is expected to flesh out these rules in the coming months. Also, Victoria has committed that for Christmas, 30 people will be permitted inside homes. Exactly when that'll kick in — obviously before December 25 — hasn't been revealed. It's worth noting that the national plan requires all of Australia to reach each vaccination threshold overall before an individual state or territory that's met that milestone can ease restrictions — but that hasn't been mentioned in Victoria's roadmap, other than at the final phase. Wondering where you can currently get vaccinated? There's a handy online map that helps you find your nearest clinic. Keen to keep an eye on vaccination rates? A heap of online resources will help you do that as well. Victoria's latest round of eased restrictions will come into effect at 11.59pm on Tuesday, September 28. For further information about Victoria's reopening roadmap, head to the Victorian Government website. For more information about the status of COVID-19 and the current restrictions, head over to the Department of Health website. Top image: Royal Botanic Gardens, Visit Victoria.
In 2021, within the space of mere months in the middle of the year, viewers who love watching things going awry at lavish resorts on super-scenic getaways — and digging into star-studded small-screen mysteries as well — were spoiled for choice. First, the debut season of The White Lotus hit. Then, the first season of Nine Perfect Strangers followed. Four years later, The White Lotus is a season ahead of Nine Perfect Strangers, but they're both back. Indeed, as the former wraps up its third season, you don't have long to wait until the latter arrives for its second run. Mark Thursday, May 22, 2025 in your diary, as that's when you'll be able to start watching Nicole Kidman (Holland) in wellness guru mode again. As with the first season, the Australian actor plays Masha Dmitrichenko. Also, her character is back at a retreat with a group of folks that she's invited, and getting through the week is likely to prove a twisty experience again. While the first season of Nine Perfect Strangers was shot in Byron Bay, the second definitely wasn't, given that it is set in the Austrian Alps — and Byron can't double for that. The cast around Kidman has also changed, starting with Henry Golding (The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare), Lena Olin (The Darkness), Annie Murphy (Fingernails), Christine Baranski (The Gilded Age), Dolly de Leon (Jackpot!) and Mark Strong (Dune: Prophecy). Murray Bartlett (The Last of Us) also features, after starring so memorably in The White Lotus' first season. Also joining him and the above actors: Lucas Englander (The Day of the Jackal), King Princess, Maisie Richardson-Sellers (Wolf Hall) and Aras Aydin (To Betray). David E Kelley (Presumed Innocent) remains one of the driving forces behind the series — and author Liane Moriarty (The Last Anniversary), who wrote the novel that the first season was based on, is one of Nine Perfect Strangers' executive produces again. Accordingly, Kidman continues her link with both. Kelley was also behind Big Little Lies, which, like Nine Perfect Strangers, also adapted a book by Moriarty. While The Undoing didn't initially stem from the Australian writer's pen, it did also connect Kidman and Kelley. The new on-screen lineup follows in the footsteps of Melissa McCarthy (Only Murders in the Building), Michael Shannon (The Bikeriders), Luke Evans (Weekend in Taipei) and Asher Keddie (Fake), plus Bobby Cannavale (Unstoppable), Regina Hall (O'Dessa), Samara Weaving (Azrael), Melvin Gregg (Fight Night), Grace Van Patten (Tell Me Lies), Tiffany Boone (Mufasa: The Lion King), Manny Jacinto (The Acolyte) and Zoe Terakes (The Office), who all starred in season one. An important note: season two of Nine Perfect Strangers is dropping weekly episodes, so you won't be binging it unless you wait until they've all been released There's no trailer for the second season as yet, but you can check out more images from it below: Nine Perfect Strangers season two will start streaming in Australia and New Zealand on Thursday, May 22, 2025 via Prime Video. Images: Prime Video / Reiner Bajo.
If someone was to ask you to imagine a dinosaur, and to picture one type only, it's likely that the Tyrannosaurus rex would come to mind. The towering ancient creature is just that fascinating to kids and adults alike, and not solely because it's rarely far from screens. Head to any museum with a T. rex fossil on display and you'll be surrounded by crowds, whether or not they've seen King Kong, a Jurassic Park movie or Night at the Museum. Head to Melbourne Museum from Friday, June 28–Sunday, October 20, 2024 in particular and expect to have plenty of company, then. Thanks to the Victoria the T. rex exhibition, that's when the fossil of Tyrannosaurus rex Victoria will make its Australian debut in the state with the absolute best name for the occasion. The specimen dates back 66 million years, and is one of the world's largest and most complete T. rex skeletons. Showing exclusively at Melbourne Museum, it's also marks the first time that a real T. rex has ever been on display in Victoria. How big is big? Found in South Dakota in 2013, Victoria is comprised of 199 bones, including a skull that weighs 139 kilograms. The fossil reaches 12 metres in length and 3.6 metres in height. And, because the skull is so heavy, it has to be displayed separately as it can't be mounted upon Victoria's body. Victoria the T. rex will also feature interactive elements, such as multi-sensory installations that'll let you experience how the Tyrannosaurus rex saw and smelled, plus dioramas and a section where you can make your own customised 3D T. rex. Welcome to... the cretaceous period, then. The informative side of the showcase will step through recent palaeontological findings, so that you'll get an idea of what Victoria's life was like all that time ago — and also find out what brought about her end. If that's not enough dino action to make you feel like David Attenborough — or his brother Richard in Jurassic Park and The Lost World — Victoria the T. rex will display alongside Triceratops: Fate of the Dinosaurs, which has been open at Melbourne Museum since 2022. The latter permanently features Horridus, the world's most complete Triceratops fossil, and entry to both exhibitions is included in one ticket. At IMAX Melbourne, 45-minute documentary T.REX 3D will also be showing — complete with footage of Horridus — from Friday, June 21. Images: Neon Global.
When it comes down to it, there are two boxes a good neighbourhood pizzeria needs to tick: it needs to be inviting, like an extension of nonna's kitchen, and the pizza needs to be damn tasty. Set in the heart of leafy Greensborough, Prefisso 3088 ticks these boxes with confidence. Its humble appearance on the corner of a strip of local shops on Hopkins Street belies the fact that Prefisso 3088 is very much a local pizzera in the modern-day format, where pre-bought bases and eerily uniformly shredded pizza ham instead give way to handmade Neopolitan-style bases and ingredients like mozzarella and n'duja. More authentic than Aussie, in other words. On the menu, you'll find a solid range of classic and signature pies — we've got our eyes on the slow-cooked lamb pizza that features mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, basil pesto and yoghurt — as well as a tight selection of pasta (and no, you won't find cream in this carbonara), shares and sweets. There's also a fortnightly pizza and pasta special, which might take the form of a salami, capsicum, onion and olive pizza, which was recently brought back due to popular demand. Beyond the food, you'll also find a handy one-page list of Italian wines. All bottles are available by the glass, with prices starting at just $9.
By this point in Netflix's lifespan, and in its history of releasing original series, viewers know what marks the streaming service likes to hit. It's mostly fond of well-known faces, twisty tales and unfurling stories at a fast pace. It also likes ending each jam-packed episode with a big reveal or a new mystery — yes, a cliffhanger — so that you'll keep watching the next one straight away. We don't call these kinds of series 'clickbait', because serialised TV has been leaning on all of these elements since before the term was around, and far longer than we've been streaming television shows via internet platforms, too. But that word is apt when it comes to Netflix's latest eight-part limited series, which is Clickbait by both name and nature. The setup is designed to lure viewers in quickly. The casting is as well. And, they're both meant to be buzzy enough to keep you watching after you've clicked the buttons on your TV remote or laptop, then clicked them again — another task that's easily achieved. Here, the day after a tumultuous family dinner ends with Nick Brewer (Entourage's Adrian Grenier) telling his sister Pia (Zoe Kazan, The Big Sick) that he wants her out of his life, he can't be found. Worse: a video has popped up on the internet featuring him looking bloody, dishevelled and unhappy, and making a shocking claim. In the clip, he holds a card that says "I abuse women. At 5 million views, I die." People start clicking, because of course they do. While attending to a patient at work, nurse Pia sees it and understandably freaks out. Quickly, she starts doing anything she can to try to find and save her brother. So too does Nick's distressed wife Sophie (Betty Gabriel, Get Out), teenage sons Kai (Jaylin Fletcher, Snowpiercer) and Ethan (Camaron Engels, R#J), and detective, Roshan Amiri (Phoenix Raei, Stateless), who has been assigned to the case — and seeing how a situation like this spirals out, looping in more and more people as they watch, chase leads, share information, search online and offer their two cents' worth, is all part of the drama. Playing fictional movie star Vincent Chase for eight seasons — and in the forgettable (and terrible) Entourage movie, too — Grenier got rather comfortable playing someone who was constantly in front of the camera. It's his most famous role, and audiences know it. Clickbait leans upon that awareness, but thankfully not via any overt winks or nods. The series casts him as a man thrust into the spotlight unwittingly. It tracks how his nearest and dearest handle the situation without him, given that he's missing. In multiple ways, it flips the situation that viewers have associated with Grenier for almost two decades now, and plays it for pulpy, tensely directed thrills (as helmed by Hounds of Love's Ben Young, The Newsreader's Emma Freeman, Beirut's Brad Anderson and Thank God He Met Lizzie's Cherie Nolan). Across eight episodes, Clickbait follows the efforts to locate Nick, and to discover why the kidnapping, video and everything it sparks have come about — all by switching between different characters' perspectives. As conveyed through performances a tad weightier than the narrative, the nervy, flighty Pia kicks things off, before the ambitious, promotion-chasing Roshan gets his time in the spotlight, and then the shocked but slightly aloof Sophie. Next comes other figures, including some only revealed as the story dives deeper. The show's structure teases and taunts, and strings out the detail a little longer than it should, but it also remains bingeable. This is a detective tale, with almost everyone on-screen either sleuthing or proving a suspect — among a cast that also spans Daniel Henshall (A Sunburnt Christmas), Abraham Lim (The Boys), Ian Meadows (Dead Lucky) and Jessica Collins (Free State of Jones) — and, even after just an episode or two, viewers get invested enough to want to learn the outcome. Created by Australian filmmaker Tony Ayres (Stateless, Cut Snake) with screenwriter Christian White (Relic) — both of whom pen several instalments — Clickbait also aims to make larger statements, including about the big, important and constantly relevant intersection between our identities and our increasing use of social media. Just how our online and real-life selves can differ, and what types of behaviours we might indulge virtually that we wouldn't IRL, is only going to continue to garner the world's attention. So, this Melbourne-shot series attempts to tap into the conversation, and to make other broad nods towards issues such as racism and sexism. It's less successful in its pondering than in its puzzling, including when it thinks it's making giant swerves in unexpected directions to stress various points about the repercussions of our digitally mediated existence. As the name makes plain. Clickbait is still slick, suspenseful and very easy to keep devouring, though. Check out the trailer below: All eight episodes of Clickbait are available to stream via Netflix. Top images: Ben King/Netflix.
Back in simpler times, say about 30 years ago, it felt like every special occasion was topped off with a slice of Viennetta. Call it nostalgia, but this frozen treat seemed like the height of culinary indulgence, at least compared to the usual scoop of the most generic Neapolitan ice cream imaginable. However, things have changed in the world of dessert, especially since serious ice creameries like Gelato Messina hit the big time. Now that most of us have somewhat higher expectations when it comes to rounding out our meals, inspired creations like the Milo Messinetta offer a throwback bite with a lot more quality. Conceived as the ultimate Aussie summer dessert — and playing on the once-loved Viennetta — the experts at Messina have teamed up with the malt-based favourite to serve a reimagined frozen dessert featuring Milo gelato layered with Milo fudge and chunks of baked Milo cheesecake, finished with Milo crème chantilly. As malty as it sounds, the Milo Messinetta is available for pre-order online from Tuesday, October 14, or for pick up in stores from Friday, October 17–Sunday, October 19. For those seeking even more Messina-Milo goodness, the crew has also whipped up a decadent Milo Dinosaur Sundae for its Keng Eng Kee collaboration.
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 set to return once more. This time, it's coming back even sooner. Arbory Afloat, which made its debut in 2015, will reclaim its prime position in front of on-shore sister venue Arbory Bar & Eatery on the Yarra from mid-September. While the exact launch date hasn't yet been revealed, it will hit the water earlier than last year, which already marked a significant extension to its season. That's not the only change in store, 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. To complete the picture, the floating bar has extended its upper deck to feature more dining and lounging space, plus private cabanas. And, if that's not enough, there'll also be an onboard swimming pool. 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. Find Arbory Afloat at Flinders Landing from mid-September. We'll update you with exact dates when they come to hand. Images: Simon Shiff
If you're partial to a soothing dip in some steamy natural hot springs, it looks like you'll soon have another local destination to add to your pamper hit-list. The Mornington Peninsula is set to score another premium wellness hub next year, with the launch of Alba Thermal Springs & Spa. The expansive bathing retreat is on track to open to the public in June 2022. Located just a stone's throw from the long-running Peninsula Hot Springs, Alba is vying to become the state's "most sought-after bathing and wellness experience". It's set to deliver a suite of luxurious offerings within a low-impact development that remains sensitive to the natural environment. Spread across a generous 15 hectares of natural bushland, the property is expected to feature 25 pools, a series of treatment rooms and various other experiences across a mix of indoor, outdoor and open-air spaces. The design of those spaces comes courtesy of landscape architects Mala Studio and award-winning architectural design firm Hayball — the same one behind Brisbane's West Village and Library at The Dock in Melbourne's Docklands. Expect lofty, light-filled structures with windows onto idyllic views that celebrates the property's "unique surrounds". Both Mala Studio and Hayball have posted recent progress shots of the build to their Instagram accounts if you want to take a sticky beak. View this post on Instagram A post shared by MALA studio (@mala_studio) For now, you'll have to leave the rest up to your imagination — full details of Alba's offerings and facilities are set to be unveiled in the coming months. Alba Thermal Springs & Spa is slated to open at 282 Browns Road, Fingal, from June 2022. Stay tuned and we'll share more information as it drops.
Your local takeaway spot might be convenient when you've been stuck at work all day, but it's far from kind on the environment — or your wallet, for that matter. With the right know-how, you can spice up your midweek meals without too much hassle. We've partnered with Glad and its Glad to be Green range to bring you six simple, eco-conscious dinner ideas that'll not only keep more cash in your bank account, but also see fewer takeaway containers ending up in landfill. Roll up those sleeves and get ready to whip up feasts every night of the week. ADD MEAT-FREE MONDAYS TO THE DIARY After an indulgent weekend, you'll want to put your best foot forward when the new week comes. Regardless of whether you're consciously looking to go full vegan, starting the week off a plant-based dinner means you're cutting back on one of climate change's biggest contributors: the meat industry. If you're someone who likes numbers, according to this study beef has a carbon dioxide equivalent of 59.6 kilograms. To compare, tofu has an equivalent of three kilograms. These days, about 12.1 percent of Aussies eat a fully or mostly vegetarian diet. Don't know where to start? Treat yourself to a couple of cookbooks. Some go-tos include Hetty McKinnon's To Asia, With Love and Neighbourhood; Smith & Daughters' Shannon Martinez's cookbook Vegan with Bite; and, of course, Ottolenghi's newest title Flavour (or any from his Plenty series). Once you've cooked up your veg-packed feast, simply cover any leftovers with Glad to be Green cling wrap — made from 50 percent sugarcane and with a smaller carbon footprint — and consider tomorrow's lunch sorted. HAVE POTLUCK DINNERS WITH MATES Next time you're having mates round, organise a potluck dinner rather than hitting up the local pizza shop for a mediocre slice (and subsequent greasy box that can't be recycled). First up, it's a gamble as to what everyone will bring and, therefore, you'll be tucking into all sorts of delicious dishes. Plus, it's likely to save everyone some cash and your friends get to flex their kitchen skills. With everyone bringing a plate — and some quality stories — to share, this is a great way to add some more home-style cooking and community to your life, too. And, there'll be a lot of food going around the table, which means no one will go hungry. SLOW ROAST AS YOU WFH Many of us have come to know the pros and cons of WFH life. But one undeniable benefit of working from your home office (or couch) is that you can slink away from the computer to prepare a glorious dinner. Whether you're cooking for your partner who has to go into the office or prepping a feast for your friends, slow roasting is super easy — when you actually have the time to do it. So, as time is on your side when you're commute-less, you can try out new roast dinners each week. Whether you prefer sticky pork, rosemary-covered lamb shoulder or bourbon- and honey-glazed brisket, these slow-roasted meats are heartwarming meals for when the cold weather hits. Just be sure to layer your roasting pan with Glad to be Green compostable baking paper to cut down on the messy cleanup. It's certified home compostable, and it even breaks down in a worm farm. KEEP THINGS SIMPLE WITH ONE-POT WONDERS Replace the convenience of takeaway with an even more practical one-pot dinner. Although your meal might not get delivered straight to your door, there's not much cleaning involved when you throw all the ingredients into the same cauldron. Which, let's be honest, is a big reason why we often turn to delivery apps in the first place. From quick 'n' easy stir-fries and soups to veggie laksas and casseroles, there are plenty of one-pot wonders out there. Plus, you can put any leftovers in Glad's new plant-based resealable sandwich bags, which are made with 50 percent sugarcane (a renewable resource). These bags are also freezer safe, so you can store leftovers for longer, ensuring you have a quick, fuss-free dinner for the next time cooking from scratch is too much of a chore. MAKE A HOUSEMATE ROSTER Coming up with homecooked dinner ideas doesn't have to be harder than picking something on Uber Eats. But, sometimes inspiration is lacking after a day at your nine-to-five, we get it. If you live with others, why not come up with a roster? That way, it's easy to plan for, everyone gets a night off the pots and pans, and you don't have to cook those sad dinner-for-one meals. After all, food is better when shared, right? To make your new schedule a success, it's a good idea to liven up each night of the week with some broad themes, too. It'll also help ensure no one is stuck for ideas. Of course, you'll want to take into account your housemates' culinary and dietary preferences to avoid encountering any awkward dinner conversations. COME TO LOVE LEFTOVERS Leftovers are a godsend when you've got an itch for cheeky takeaways. Instead of having to dip into your savings (and even possibly impact your chances of a future homeloan), you can swing open your fridge or freezer and pull out a tasty creation cooked by yours truly. Not to mention, you're doing your bit for the planet, too. In fact, you can store your leftovers in Glad's plant-based snack and sandwich size resealable bags if you want to divvy them up into perfect portions. So, when you CBF to cook next week, you've already got yourself covered. Go green and visit the Glad website for more tips and tricks.
UPDATE, July 16, 2021: Blade Runner 2049 is available to stream via Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Binge, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. Do sci-fi fans dream of immersive future worlds, neon visuals scored by dark synth notes, and existential musings on what it means to be human? Yes, and they dream of Blade Runner 2049. The sequel to Ridley Scott's influential 1982 film comes to cinemas with a task that's harder than spotting a replicant — or, more accurately, a task that's quite comparable. Directed by Arrival's Denis Villeneuve, and written by the original's Hampton Fancher with Logan's Michael Green, can this follow-up deliver the real deal, or just a convincing copy? The answer, in fitting Blade Runner style, isn't as simple as that. Audiences won't spend decades arguing about it; rather, they'll lap up a movie that's every bit as spectacular as its predecessor, largely because it's built from similar pieces. Taking its cues from the other Harrison Ford behemoth that recently received a long-awaited next instalment — aka Star Wars — Blade Runner 2049 finds the right balance between venturing forward and nodding to the past. With a noir-ish, detective-focused narrative, and plenty of time spent pondering the difference between artificial and flesh-and-blood life, the film proves both a bold second chapter and a loving pseudo-remake. Set 30 years after the events of the first feature, Blade Runner 2049 follows Los Angeles cop K (Ryan Gosling), a blade runner charged with finding and "retiring" old androids. In the intervening period, replicants have fallen out of favour, then come to the fore again in newer, more compliant models, and ultimately found something of an equilibrium with humanity, with tech tycoon Niander Wallace (an ill-placed Jared Leto) leading the charge. Alas, K's latest case threatens the fragile harmony between man and machine, while also leading him to someone who once had his job: an older but far-from-friendlier Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford). That description might seem sparse on details, but the 164-minute film itself is anything but. In soaring overhead shots of crumbling urban sprawl, grey-hued storage facilities, and orange-tinted landscapes, cinematographer Roger Deakins (Skyfall) serves up a masterclass in making every image look like it belongs in an art gallery. In each thrum and drone of the score from Benjamin Wallfisch (It) and Hans Zimmer (Dunkirk), moodiness and mystery intertwine with a rollercoaster of emotion. And, in Gosling's stoic turn at the centre of it all, a look over the top of an upturned collar, and a pause during a slow walk, say much more than the dialogue. Playing a hologram that embodies the next technologically assisted step in the quest for connection, Ana de Armas (War Dogs) proves similarly effective. For a film that overwhelms with its extraordinary sights and echoing sounds, Blade Runner 2049 revels in the little things, and in the potent cumulative toll that they can have. Accordingly, it paints a broad, bleak picture of the past dictating the future that's vivid and convincing because it takes the time to soak in the minutiae — be it the glow of a busy street, the texture of a dead tree or the sorrow in a grizzled face. Again, it's apt — as adapted from Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, the franchise's dystopian vision started with Deckard checking for incriminating glimmers in replicants' eyes, with a tiny flash telling a much bigger tale. Villeneuve achieves the cinematic equivalent, making each moment resound with meaning while honouring the legacy of the original. Oh, and if you thought that every sci-fi flick over the past 35 years took its cues from Blade Runner — and they did — prepare for three further decades of new movies doing the same with Blade Runner 2049. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGa3M0hfTCo
Streaming platforms have become one of modern life's certainties, with new instances continuing to pop up all over the place. In fact, this year along will see two huge players giving Netflix, Amazon and the like a run for their money — not only Apple, which will release Apple TV+ in the second half of 2019, but Disney as well. First revealed last year, Disney+ will boast a swathe of high-profile content, including new Star Wars and Marvel TV shows, plus all of your favourite Disney animated movies in one place. Now the service has announced a US launch date of November 12, as well as "plans to be in nearly all major regions of the world within the next two years." Just how long viewers Down Under will have to wait is yet to be seen; however given the array of titles heading to the platform, here's hoping it's sooner rather than later. With Disney recently merging with competitor Fox, Disney+'s US range is hefty — not only spanning Disney, Marvel, Star Wars and Pixar, but National Geographic and the entirety of The Simpsons, too. During its first year of operation, it's due to release more than 25 original series and 10 original films, documentaries and specials. And, to make its catalogue available from US$6.99 per month, in both HD and 4K, and "on a wide range of mobile and connected devices, including gaming consoles, streaming media players and smart TVs". [caption id="attachment_689920" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Marvel Studios[/caption] In the Marvel sphere post-Avengers: Endgame, new series Loki, WandaVision and The Falcon and The Winter Soldier will all focus on their eponymous characters — Tom Hiddleston's trickster Loki, Elizabeth Olsen's Wanda Maximoff and Paul Bettany's Vision, and Anthony Mackie's Falcon and Sebastian Stan's Winter Soldier, with all of the actors retaining their roles. A Hawkeye series with Jeremy Renner is also in the works, as is animated program Marvel's What If…, which'll take inspiration from the comics of the same name, asking the titular question about important Marvel Cinematic Universe moments. Fans of Star Wars can not only look forward to the $100 million live-action series The Mandalorian from The Lion King, The Jungle Book, Iron Man and Iron Man 2 director Jon Favreau (and with Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi helming an episode), but look forward to it soon — it'll launch when the platform does in the US. Also zooming to screens from a galaxy far, far away is a spinoff from Rogue One about Diego Luna's Rebel spy Cassian Andor. Set before the events of the film, it — like all of Disney+'s big-name series — will also feature the star reprising the character. Elsewhere, two new Toy Story-based projects — animated short series Forky Asks a Question and one-off short film Lamp Life — are on their way, well-timed to hit after the release of Toy Story 4. If you just can't let it go, a Frozen 2 making-of special will also feature, about the sequel headed to cinemas later this year. And, because everyone loves Jeff Goldblum, National Geographic's The World According to Jeff Goldblum will involve the actor delving into the fascinating stories, science and facts behind seemingly familiar objects. Going big when it comes to bringing the company's well-known properties to the new streaming platform, a High School Musical TV series, another show based on Monsters, Inc. and a live-action Lady and the Tramp movie will also be on the bill. On the classic front, Fox titles like The Sound of Music, The Princess Bride and Malcolm in the Middle have been named as part of a lineup of more than 7500 television episodes and 500 films — alongside "the entire Disney motion picture library" according to CEO Bob Iger, which should be available "at some point fairly soon after launch". Viewers can also likely expect Disney and Fox's recent flicks to be made available on Disney+, and for subsequent cinema releases due to hit the service within a year of their big-screen release. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrXNtj84owc Disney is also reportedly contemplating buying a bigger stake in existing streamer Hulu according to Variety, which would give it full control over that platform. Like the timing of Disney+'s international rollout, just how the purchase might affect the company's new service hasn't been revealed. In Australia, a big batch of the aforementioned existing Disney content is currently available on Stan, spanning both movies and TV series — but you can reasonably expect that that arrangement will be impacted by Disney+, whenever it does finally hit locally. Top image: Marvel Studios.
The underworld beckons: in 2025, hit musical Hadestown is set to take to the stage for the first time in Australia. Initially premiering as an indie theatre piece in 2006 in Vermont, then reaching off-Broadway in 2016 and Broadway in 2019, the show from musician and playwright Anaïs Mitchell plunges into the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice. Audiences at Theatre Royal Sydney will be able to see the production give the ancient Greek myth a new spin from February. The Harbour City will host the Aussie debut season of the musical that spent 2019 and 2020 collecting accolades after accolades. From 14 Tony nominations, it won eight awards, including Best Musical and Best Original Score. At the Grammys, it took home Best Musical Theatre Album. If you're new to the show – which has been seen by more than three-million people and streamed over 350-million times — two love stories get Hadestown's narrative burning. Orpheus and Eurydice share the spotlight with King Hades and Persephone, as Mitchell accompanies their intertwined affairs with a soundtrack of New Orleans-inspired jazz and American folk. Aussie audiences have Opera Australia and JONES Theatrical Group to thank for Hadestown making its way Down Under. "I'm absolutely thrilled that we're able to bring this incredible new musical to Australia for the first time, and I'm sure it will be as adored here has it has been overseas, finding a whole new legion of fans," said Opera Australia's Artistic Director Jo Davies. "Creator and writer Anaïs Mitchell is just such an amazing talent, I'm very much looking forward to working with her and her team to realise this production here," Davies continued. "Hadestown is one Broadway musical experience you remember forever. It is magical, bold, exciting, and full of love and promise," added JONES Theatrical Group's Suzanne Jones. "It transports the audience in a way that only great theatre can. JONES Theatrical Group is extremely excited to be bringing this incredible production to Australia with Opera Australia and can't wait for Australians to embrace it just as audiences all over the world have." Just like exact dates for the musical's inaugural Down Under run, there's no casting announcements for the show as yet, with open-call auditions happening in June — on Saturday, June 15 in Sydney and Sunday, June 16 in Melbourne. There's also no word as yet whether Hadestown will make a trip to any other Australian cities. Accordingly, if you're excited about descending into the local production, you might have a visit to Sydney in your future. Hadestown will open at Theatre Royal Sydney, 108 King Street, Sydney, from February 2025 — head to the musical's website for further details and to join the ticket waitlist. Images: Hadestown Original London Cast.
Brisbane's culinary scene is no stranger to big openings, but it's likely that only Settimo, the new restaurant that's set to settle into The Westin Brisbane, has been likened to Italian film icon Sophia Loren. The person making the comparison: Melbourne's superstar chef Guy Grossi, who is behind the soon-to-open eatery, and calls it "really light, fun and breezy" — but also vibrant and sophisticated. Grossi's first venture into Brisbane — and his second beyond his hometown, alongside Perth's Garum — Settimo is slated to open its doors in either spring or summer 2022. Given that it takes inspiration from the Amalfi Coast, that's fitting timing. Indeed, pairing coastal Italian dishes with Brissie's sunny, summery weather is a big motivation behind the restaurant. Another aim: whisking tastebuds away to Positano, courtesy of a menu that heroes the best of the Amalfi Coast. Exactly which dishes will be on offer hasn't yet been revealed, but they'll focus on seasonal produce from international and local producers, as paired with a considerable wine list. Settimo will join Grossi's stable of restaurants alongside Melbourne's Grossi Florentino, Ombra and Arlechin, and also the aforementioned Garum in Western Australia — which is located inside The Westin Perth. "I am truly delighted to be bringing a new Grossi restaurant what is already such an exciting market for hospitality in Brisbane, working with The Westin Brisbane to bring to life a playful, Amalfi-inspired restaurant, in the heart of the city," commented the chef, author and TV personality in a statement announcing Settimo. "We're thrilled to continue building on the wonderful partnership between The Westin and Guy Grossi. Garum at The Westin Perth has showcased incredible success and we're looking forward to bringing this collaboration to Brisbane's burgeoning world-class dining scene." said Brad Mercer, The Westin Brisbane's General Manager. The eatery is now recruiting — and if you're keen for a look at what's in store, check out the video featuring Grossi below: Settimo will open sometime in spring/summer 2022 in The Westin Brisbane, 111 Mary Street, Brisbane — we'll update you with an exact opening date when one is announced.
Every December, the Geminids meteor shower lights up our skies. Considered to be the most spectacular meteor shower of the year, it's caused by a stream of debris, left by an asteroid dubbed the 3200 Phaethon, burning up in Earth's atmosphere. The shower is expected to be visible from around 10.30pm in Sydney, 11pm in Melbourne, 10pm in Perth and 9pm in Brisbane on Saturday, December 14 through to the early morning on Sunday, December 15. The best time to catch an eyeful will be after midnight, when the moon has set and its light will not interfere, and before sunrise. While some years you could catch as many as 120 meteors every 60 minutes, this year, unfortunately, there's almost a full moon (a waning gibbous), which will make it harder to see as many. [caption id="attachment_699423" align="alignnone" width="1920"] NASA, Marshall Space Flight Center, Jeff Dai.[/caption] But the Sydney Observatory says it's "still worth a try". So, get as far away from bright lights as possible — this could be a good excuse to head out of the city to a clear-skied camping spot — and pray for no clouds. To see the meteors, you'll need to give your eyes around 15–30 minutes to adapt to the dark (so try to avoid checking your phone) and look to the northeast. The shower's name comes from the constellation from which they appear to come, Gemini. So that's what you'll be looking for in the sky. To locate Gemini, we recommend downloading the Sky Map app — it's the easiest way to navigate the night sky (and is a lot of fun to use even on a non-meteor shower night). If you're more into specifics, Time and Date also has a table that shows the direction and altitude of the Geminids. The Geminids meteor shower will take place during the night on Saturday, December 14. Top image: A composite of 163 photos taken over 90 minutes during the Geminids by Jeff Smallwood for Flickr.
There's nothing better than receiving a "guys, you've gotta see this!" message in your crew's group chat. Have they found elusive cheap return tickets to Tokyo? Did they finally pop the big question? Is there a new puppy about to join their family? Big life milestones aside, heading off on a trip with your mates is the next most special thing. It's a chance to switch off, escape the big smoke and explore our beautiful backyard. And the cooler months are the time when we all need a break from the daily grind with a long weekend or a well-earned week away. If you've done the cosy cabin retreat to death, why not shake things up with a bit of adventure this winter? Hit the slopes, strap on your helmet and gear up for a chance to try something new, from thrilling aerial adventures over World Heritage sites to snowy escapes filled with snowshoeing and fondue-ing. Partnering with Hugo Boss, we've whittled down the endless list of Aussie adventures to just five that will leave you feeling amped up and ready to take on the world — much like its newest fragrance, BOSS BOTTLED Infinite. Go on, give these pulse-racing sports a go and you'll get a new perspective on the stunning land of Oz. [caption id="attachment_720491" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism and Events Queensland.[/caption] CAPE TRIBULATION HELICOPTER AND LAND ADVENTURE TOUR It's not every day you get to knock not one but two UNESCO World Heritage-listed areas off your bucket list. But then again, this ain't your average adventure tour. You'll spend a jam-packed day exploring the best of tropical north Queensland, including the Great Barrier Reef, Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation. The tour kicks off with a two-hour scenic helicopter flight over world-class reefs and cascading waterfalls before touching down in the oldest living rainforest in the world. Then, the choice is yours: spend your afternoon on horseback as you weave through the Daintree to the ocean's edge, or head straight for the treetops with a zipline experience. Head to Red Balloon to book. [caption id="attachment_720598" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Luke Tscharke.[/caption] CRADLE MOUNTAIN HUT WALK: WINTER OVERLAND TRACK It takes guts (and possibly a swig of gin) to sign up for a multi-day trek through the icy terrain of Tasmania's Cradle Mountain in the dead of winter. There's no wifi out here, friends. Just ancient landscapes, frozen lakes and long nights enhanced by a glass or two of Tasmanian wine. The eight-day Cradle Mountain Huts Walk winter overland track is one of the most challenging routes that the Tasmanian Walking Company offer, but it comes with plenty of rewards. Climb the peaks of Cradle Mountain, explore Lake Will and finish at Lake St Clair, Australia's deepest natural lake. [caption id="attachment_720745" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Skydive Noosa.[/caption] SKYDIVE NOOSA Jumping out of a plane at 15,000 feet is one way to get the blood pumping in the morning. But when you're freefalling over the sparkling Sunshine Coast, the terrifying drop can't be that bad, right? Strap in for an adrenaline junkie's dream with Skydive Noosa. The experience sees you spend 60 seconds in freefall — a minute the company describes as "life-changing" — before your instructor opens the parachute and you gently cruise your way to solid ground while soaking in the views. [caption id="attachment_720600" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kane Naaraat and Pinkbike.com.[/caption] BLUE DERBY MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDING TRAILS The historic town of Derby in Tasmania's north-east hasn't always been known for its 125 kilometres of purpose-built mountain bike trails. It was tin mining that first put Derby on the map before the tragic bursting of Briseis Dam ended that. The town has been revitalised since the opening of the first section of the Blue Derby Trail Network in 2015. Today it boasts trails to suit every experience level, meaning it has something for you and all of your crew. HOTHAM SHOWSHOE TO FONDUE If exploring Australia's mountains and sleeping under the stars are on your to-do list, this is the tour to make it happen. Say hello to Alpine Nature Experience's Snowshoe to Fondue trip, an unforgettable overnight adventure set on the outskirts of Victoria's Alpine National Park. You'll snowshoe your way to your tipi-style eco-village accommodation before spending a night sipping hot glühwein, dipping your way through gooey French cheese fondue and soaking in the warmth of the outdoor campfire. When the sun comes up, the crew will make sure you leave fed and watered with a hearty warm breakfast. Hitting that work-life balance is hard. But shutting your laptop, splashing on some new BOSS BOTTLED Infinite and getting out in nature will help you seize the day and live your best life. Top image: Snowshoe to Fondue Experience.
UPDATE, November 3, 2021: The Harder The Fall is available to stream via Netflix from Wednesday, November 3. Idris Elba. A piercing gaze. One helluva red velvet suit. A film can't coast by on such a combination alone, and The Harder They Fall doesn't try to — but when it splashes that vivid vision across the screen, it's nothing short of magnificent. The moment arrives well into Jeymes Samuel's revisionist western, so plenty of stylishness has already graced its frames before then. Think: Old West saloons in brilliant yellows, greens and blues; the collective strut of a cast that includes Da 5 Bloods' Delroy Lindo and Jonathan Majors, Atlanta's Zazie Beetz and LaKeith Stanfield, and If Beale Street Could Talk Oscar-winner Regina King; and an aesthetic approach that blasts together the cool, the slick and the operatic. Still, Elba and his crimson attire — and the black vest and hat that tops it off — is the exclamation mark capping one flamboyant and vibrant movie. Imaginative is another appropriate word to describe The Harder They Fall, especially its loose and creative take on American history. Where some features based on the past take a faithful but massaged route — fellow recent release The Last Duel, for example — this one happily recognises what's fact and what's fantasy. Its main players all existed centuries ago, but Samuel and co-screenwriter Boaz Yakin (Now You See Me) meld them into the same narrative. That's an act of complete fiction, as is virtually everything except their names. The feature freely admits this on-screen before proceedings begin, though, and wouldn't dream of hiding from it. Team-up movies aren't rare, whether corralling superheroes or movie monsters, but there's a particular thrill and power to bringing together these fictionalised Black figures in such an ambitious and memorable, smart and suave, and all-round swaggering film. After proving such a commanding lead in HBO series Lovecraft Country, Majors takes centre stage here, too, as gunslinger Nat Love. First, however, the character is initially introduced as a child (Anthony Naylor Jr, The Mindy Project), watching his parents get murdered by the infamous Rufus Buck (Elba, The Suicide Squad). A quest for revenge ensues — and yes, Nat shares an origin story with Batman. Samuel definitely isn't afraid to get stylised and cartoonish, or melodramatic, or playful for that matter. One of the keys to The Harder They Fall is that it's so many things all at once, and rarely is it any one thing for too long. This is a brash and bold western from its first vividly shot frame till its last, of course, and yet it's also a film about the tragedies that infect families, the violence that infects societies, and the hate, abuse, prejudice, discrimination and bloodshed that can flow from both. It's a romance, too, and it nails its action scenes like it's part of a big blockbuster franchise. As an adult, Nat still has Rufus in his sights. It'll take a few twists of fate — including a great train robbery to free Rufus en route from one prison to the next — to bring them face to face again. The sequence where the outlaw's righthand woman Trudy (King) and quick-drawing fellow gang member Cherokee Bill (Stanfield) take on the law is sleek heist delight, and the saloon clash with marshal Bass Reeves (Lindo) that gets Nat back on Rufus' trail is just as dextrously handled. Nat also has bar proprietor and his on-again, off-again ex Stagecoach Mary (Beetz) on his side, plus the boastful Beckwourth (RJ Cyler, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl), sharp-shooting Bill Pickett (Edi Gathegi, Briarpatch) and diminutive Cuffee (Danielle Deadwyler, P-Valley). Everyone gets their moments, and every one of those moments sashays towards a blood-spattered showdown. It might seem like a pure boilerplate affair on the page, particularly when getting roguish with the western genre — and using it to muse on race — has peppered Quentin Tarantino's resume courtesy of The Hateful Eight and Django Unchained. One of the other keys to The Harder They Fall is how openly and confidently that Samuel knows whose footsteps he's following in, because this is a realm with a past as sprawling as the plains it frequently covets. Seasoned fans can spot the nods in a multitude of directions, including to 60s and 70s spaghetti westerns, and to plenty of other flicks from the same era starring Clint Eastwood. But this is act of reclamation built on the bones of all that's come before, rather than a homage; it slides into a busy field to assert a place for Black cowboys, and does so as beguilingly as Samuel knows how. Perhaps better known as a songwriter and music producer, aka The Bullitts, Samuel brings a thrumming, dynamic, take-charge energy to The Harder They Fall. He writes, directs and composes the movie's soundtrack, too, so that applies across the board. Indeed, the way that he weaves the sounds of hip hop, reggae and afrobeat into a score that also takes cues from the late, great Ennio Morricone — the man behind the music to all of Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns, as well as an Oscar-winner for The Hateful Eight — perfectly encapsulates his overall approach. Samuel has room for all that's come before, and reverence for it, but he's also committed to challenging and redefining the stories and mythology it represents. The Harder They Fall has purpose, pluck and panache — oh-so-much flair, in fact, that it drips across everything from the cinematography to the production design and dapper costuming. It has pace as well, with its 130-minute running-time whizzing by amid several shootouts filled with rapid-fire bullets and enough strong glares to fuel a franchise of flicks. It also boasts the absolute best posse that Samuel could've hoped for. The Harder They Fall's cast is the kind you build an entire movie around, not that that's the gambit here. It'd be hard to thrust this ensemble together and have something other than a spectacular acting showcase result, but this is a rollicking pleasure with the exact right cast, an abundance of smarts, savvy and style, and an unwavering backbone. Top image: David Lee/Netflix.
Next time you watch a movie under the stars in Elsternwick, you might feel a little shaken — not stirred. When the Classic Rooftop Cinema restarts its projector, it'll screen the long-delayed new Bond flick No Time to Die. And if you just can't wait to see it the very second that you can, there's a 12.07am, session on Thursday, November 11. Espionage thrills at midnight? Yes, that's pure 007. The rest of the Classic's openair lineup for 2021–22 hasn't been revealed as yet; however, you can expect plenty of new and classic films to grace its towering outdoor screen. And if you're wondering why the venue isn't launching outside sessions in October, the moment that Melbourne comes out of lockdown and outdoor cinemas are allowed to operate, that's because it's giving its rooftop picture palace setup some repairs. That said, the bar will open on Friday, October 22 — so you can still head up for drinks from 4–8pm on weekdays and 2–8pm on weekends.
Let's face it: finding the perfect plans for New Year's Eve is stressful. With all the parties, festivals, ticketed venues and firework displays on offer in our cities, sometimes it feels like new year planning — which you're expected to start now, mind you — is more trouble than its worth. But if you're looking to ring in 2019 by getting away from it all, we've got you covered with some top-notch alternatives to your usual New Year's happenings. Here's our top picks for getting out-of-town this year — which we're bringing to you early so you can get a head-start on booking, too. TASTE ALL THAT TASMANIA HAS TO OFFER Each year, revellers make their way down to Tassie for Falls Festival at Marion Bay. But, if you want to avoid the chaos of navigating stages and finding your tent in the dark, we have a festival of another kind that's worth the trip. Food lovers can indulge in the best of Tasmania's culinary scene as The Taste of Tasmania food festival returns to Hobart's Princes Wharf from December 28 to January 3. Entry is free, but the range of masterclasses are ticketed and run by some of the best chefs in the region — think cheese making with Analiese Gregory (Franklin and ex-Sydney's Bar Brosé) and sausage making with Rodney Dunn (Tassie eatery The Agrarian Kitchen), plus a long-lunch hosted by Alice Chugg and Vladimir Panevin (local bar Ettie's). And that's just three of the 15 events on offer. Apart from the eats, there will also be 120 live bands and circus, cabaret and dance performances, along with a twilight cinema. For more information and to book masterclass tickets, head to the Taste of Tasmania website. This will require flights and accomodation, so you might need to book this ASAP. CLEAR YOUR MIND WITH A YOGA OR DETOX RETREAT If you're looking to enter the new year with a clear mind, there's still time to book into a full on retreat. Billabong Retreat offers an annual new year's yoga getaway, for either five or seven nights, spanning from December 26 to January 2. The eco resort is located 45 minutes northwest of Sydney and the program features twice-daily yoga, nighttime meditation, daily wellness workshops and tranquil treehouse accommodation. Plus, two New Year-specific ceremonies: a letting go ceremony on New Year's Eve and a setting intentions ceremony on New Year's Day. If you're looking to be closer to Queensland, another retreat option is the Gwinganna new year detox, which is a seven-night spa getaway just south of the Gold Coast, taking place from December 27 to January 3. It's no doubt pricey, but includes massages, facials, all organic meals, evening meditation sessions and a wellness consultation, along with a $100 therapy credit. [caption id="attachment_695264" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ray and Lystra Bisschop[/caption] TAKE AN EPIC OVERNIGHT HIKE (WITHOUT BOOKING A THING) Australia is home to some of the most stunning national parks and coastlines in the world, with many of the best hiking tracks taking more than a day to complete. One of the best is the Six Foot Track in NSW's Blue Mountains, which spans a 45-kilometre distance from Katoomba's famous Explorers Tree to the stunning Jenolan Caves. This challenging hike is most comfortably done in three days and two nights. Luckily, the overnights are free and don't need to be booked ahead of time, thanks to the easily accessible campsites along the route at Coxs River and Black Range. Another booking-free option up in Queensland is the newly completed Brisbane Valley Rail Trail, which offers free overnight camping at several spots along its 161-kilometre trail, including outside Fernvale, Toogoolaawah, Harlin, Moore, Linville and Benarkin. There are plenty of coffee stops along the way too, so you don't need to plan (and lug around) all your meals. CAMP OUT AT ONE OF AUSTRALIA'S MOST STUNNING BEACHES Spending New Year's at the ocean is as Australian as it gets, and some of the country's best spots across Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland offer top-notch beachside camping that will truly take your breath away. If you really want to go all out this new year, our pick is Mesa Camp at Cape Range National Park in Western Australia. You'll have to spend a pretty penny on flights to Exmouth, but the site is set overlooking a secluded bay within the UNESCO Heritage-listed Ningaloo Coast and is perfect for canoeing, kayaking, snorkelling or swimming holidays. Booking ahead is a must, but prices are set at an incredibly reasonable $11 per adult per night. For more information and to book Mesa, head over here — but it's best to book in advance, as there are only 23 campsites available and they'll likely book out fast. If you're looking for even more options, check out our list of the top beach camping sites around Australia. [caption id="attachment_660068" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Berry Springs[/caption] FINALLY TAKE THAT TRIP TO DARWIN If a trip to Darwin has been on your list for a while now, heading up north over New Year is an ideal time to see the Northern Territory capital in full swing. Explore the George Brown Botanic Gardens, go for a swim at Berry Springs or be the ultimate tourist and cuddle a crocodile at Crocosaurus Cove. For New Year's specific entertainment, The Darwin Waterfront hosts an annual New Year's Eve party with live music, entertainment, food stalls and the requisite fireworks at 9pm and midnight — all for free. Picnics, beach blankets, lawn chairs and booze-filled eskies (no glass, though) are all encouraged and there's plenty of space for the masses. The event continues into New Year's Day, when another free live concert will take place. [caption id="attachment_693452" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mark Pickthall[/caption] CHECK ULURU OFF YOUR BUCKET LIST Uluru is on the bucket list of most Australians, and what better time to finally take the trek to this sacred site than at the start of a new year. Once you've got flights to Alice Springs, you can easily organise your own trip. Of course, you'll want to cop an eyeful of Uluru and learn about its history and that of Arrernte country (as it's known to the traditional custodians of the land). Make sure you see the landscape lit-up by visiting Field of Light at night, stop in at the Kangaroo Sanctuary and go for a swim at Ormiston Gorge. We've got a few other ideas here. If you really can't be bothered, Intrepid Travel hosts a three-day, two nights Uluru adventure from December 30–January 1 — and for a relatively reasonable $695 per person. Your group will be honoured to have a Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander guide, who will explain the spiritual significance of this ancient site while you hike to Kings Canyon, Kata Tjuta and Uluru. Transport, meals and tent accommodation is all included, so you can just focus on being in complete awe of your incredible surrounds.
Since 8pm on Thursday, August 5, the entire state of Victoria has been in lockdown in an effort to stop the latest COVID-19 cluster from spreading. The stay-at-home period was initially put in place for seven days, and looks set to remain in effect for at least that whole period in Melbourne — but folks in regional parts of the state are getting an early mark. Just like back in your school days, if you live anywhere in regional Victoria, you'll be allowed to ditch the rules and resume some fun earlier than expected. As Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews advised at the state's daily coronavirus press conference today, Monday, August 9, lockdown will end everywhere other than Melbourne from 11.59pm tonight. "There have been no new coronavirus cases in regional Victoria and thousands of primary close contacts have been cleared from the regions over the last few weeks," said the Premier in a statement. Accordingly, the five reasons to leave the house will be lifted in regional Victoria this evening. As always happens after a lockdown, a number of other restrictions will be put in place, however. These restrictions will largely mirror the rules in effect before this lockdown — so yes, they'll sound familiar. Folks in regional Victoria will able to go out for whatever reason they like. The five-kilometre rule is also being scrapped, so you can roam far and wide without worrying about the distance. Of course, the state's border rules, and those of other parts of Australia, may hamper your trip if you're planning on heading interstate. And, if you're planning to head to Melbourne, you can only do so for a permitted reason, and you'll still have to follow Melbourne's lockdown restrictions while you're there. Obviously, that travel rule doesn't work both ways. People in Melbourne still can't venture more than five kilometres from home, and therefore can't leave their house to visit regional parts of the state. [caption id="attachment_818003" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Robert Blackburn via Visit Victoria[/caption] Also permitted in regional Victoria from 11.59pm tonight: catching up with your nearest and dearest, but you'll have to gather outdoors in public, and only in groups of up to ten people. You still won't be able to have anyone come over to your house, so nothing is changing there. Masks will still remain mandatory both indoors and out, too — so the rules there aren't changing there, either. Also, food and hospitality businesses will be able to open with a cap of 100 people, as well as a density quota of one person per four-square metres. Retail stores, gyms, hairdressers and beauty salons can reopen as well, with the same density cap. Entertainment venues can welcome in up to 300 people per outdoor space and 100 people per indoor space, with the one person per four-square metres density requirement. That said, businesses that are permitted to reopen in regional Victoria but must remain closed in Melbourne — so places like restaurants offering dine-in meals, beauty services and venues — will be required to check the IDs of everyone they serve. [caption id="attachment_787513" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Rob Blackburn via Visit Victoria[/caption] The lockdown changes come as Victoria now has 103 active COVID-19 cases, including 11 new cases identified in the 24 hours to midnight last night. All of the current stay-at-home rules remain in effect in Melbourne until at least 4pm on Thursday, August 12, which means only leaving your home for five reasons: shopping for what you need, when you need it; caregiving and compassionate reasons; essential work or permitted eduction that can't be done from home; exercise; and getting vaccinated against COVID-19. Regional Victoria's lockdown will end at 11.59pm on Monday, August 9. For more information about the rules that'll be in place from that time, head to the Victorian Department of Health website. Top image: Robert Blackburn via Visit Victoria.
Apologies to your usual streaming queue — and to everything from the past month you're still trying to catch up with, too — but if you're a horror fan, there's only one acceptable way to spend your viewing time during October. Filling every spare second with unnerving flicks new and old is what the lead up to Halloween is all about. Scary movies work all year round, of course, but this is their season. Here's one to add to your list for your next couch session: Jordan Peele's Nope, the comedian-turned-filmmaker's third stint behind the camera, and a movie that's just as great as his Oscar-winning Get Out and equally exceptional Us. Yep, when it comes to making the leap from an iconic sketch comedy series to helming horror fare — and having a hand in bringing everything from BlacKkKlansman and the ace latest Candyman flick to Hunters and Lovecraft Country to our eyeballs, too — the former Key & Peele has been having a helluva time of it. Nope only hit cinemas in mid-August, and it's actually still showing on the big screen — so it joins the list of films that've been fast-tracked to digital while still gracing picture palaces. That's no longer a rarity, given that everything from Dune, The Matrix Resurrections, Spencer and West Side Story through to Everything Everywhere All At Once, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent and Elvis have done the same thing this year. Still, the timing of this digital release couldn't be better, especially if you've spent the first few days of October working out which chilling movies you're going to enjoy all month. The film reteams Peele with Get Out star and Judas and the Black Messiah Oscar-winner Daniel Kaluuya, with the latter playing Haywood's Hollywood Horses trainer OJ. His family ranch is proudly run by the only Black-owned horse trainers in show business (with Hustlers' Keke Palmer as his sister Emerald), with their connection to the industry dating back to the very birth of cinema. But their remote patch of inland California soon becomes home to a disturbing discovery — and the fact that everyone spends a fair amount of time either looking up in horror or running away from something chilling in the sky in the trailers says plenty. Emerald decides that they need to capture what's happening on film, which is where Michael Wincott (Veni Vidi Vici) and Brandon Perea (The OA) come in — one charged with standing behind the lens, the other selling tech equipment. And, the Haywoods aren't the only California residents seeing this uncanny presence in the sky, with neighbour, rodeo cowboy and former child star Ricky 'Jupe' Park (Steven Yeun, The Humans) also peering upwards. As with all of Peele's celluloid nightmares so far, the less you know going in, the better. Get ready for a whirlwind of unsettling imagery, though, including fields of colourful inflatable tube men waving in the breeze, the creepiest of clouds and shadows, and a big leap into X-Files territory. Check out the full trailer for Nope below: Nope is currently screening in Australian cinemas (and NZ cinemas), and is also available to stream online via video on demand — including via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video in Australia, and Neon, Google Play and iTunes in NZ. Read our full review.
Sometimes it can feel like Melbourne is a canvas. Mazes of laneways reveal stunning murals and there are incredible structures at almost every turn. You basically can't fail to find something photo-worthy. But we're still in Oz and we're still on the coast so, in true Aussie fashion, there are also unmissable beaches and the incredible views that come with them. We've teamed up with Samsung to guide you towards our pick of the most Instagrammable locations in the Victorian capital. Not only that, we've split them into the best ones to visit during the day, and the ones that lend themselves more to a night-time trip. That's because the Samsung Galaxy S22 series features an incredible Nightography feature which means you don't have to worry about blurry images, regardless of the time and no matter how much light there is available. Get your camera ready. DAY Federation Square Over 100 million visitors can't be wrong. Over its 20 years, Federation Square has become one of Melbourne's premier destinations for art, entertainment and dining. In terms of its views, you're spoiled for choice. Look up and find an interesting angle to capture this multi-faceted structure, head to the southern edge of the public square for expansive views across the Yarra, or even go down to the riverbank itself for a snap of the tree-lined, riverside promenade. Brighton Bathing Boxes At the end of Dendy Street you'll find one of Melbourne's most photographed tourist attractions. Originally installed to protect the modesty of oceangoers changing into their togs, this row of more than 80 wooden huts adds a pop of colour to Brighton Beach. There was uproar in 2019 when talk of them being moved or relocated was mooted but for now they're here to stay, so find a vantage point and get clicking. On a clear day, you can even snap a shot with the CBD in the background. St Kilda Foreshore Sydney gets all the attention when it comes to city beaches but that truly does St Kilda a disservice, with sunbathers and swimmers alike flocking to this iconic spot to enjoy the golden sands and picturesque views. And you're truly spoiled for choice when it comes to views — there's the iconic St Kilda Pier which offers panoramic vistas of Port Phillip Bay, the St. Kilda Sea Baths, and Luna Park, the amusement park that predates its Sydney counterpart by over two decades and features two rollercoasters, a ghost train and a ferris wheel among other rides. Centre Place Melbourne is often said to be more like a European city rather than an Australian one, and that's partly due to its famous laneways festooned with hole-in-the-wall cafes, buskers and artists. Pick of the bunch is Centre Place, a Parisian-style thoroughfare where it seems it's impossible to take a bad photo. There'll be so much going on in your shot it will be more like a Renaissance painting than an Insta post. Pink Lake Incredible phenomena like Pink Lake are pretty much what Instagram was made for. Located in Westgate Park, the high salt content of the lake means that when conditions are right (high temperatures, plenty of sun, not much rain), the algae within release a pigment upon photosynthesising which turns the water its distinctive hue. Incredible for pictures, most definitely, but it's advised you stay out of the water, as it's a relatively fragile ecosystem. Royal Exhibition Building The Royal Exhibition Building is the kind of grandiose structure we're not used to seeing on these shores. Completed in 1880, it became the first building in Australia to be awarded UNESCO World Heritage status in 2004. It sits within the majestic Carlton Gardens — a perfectly manicured landscape that feels like it should come out of a Jane Austen novel rather than sit on the outskirts of the CBD. Ulster Lane Ulster Lane seems just like any other dead-end alleyway in Melbourne, but with one crucial difference. At the entrance is a piece of artwork so mind-bending, so incongruous, that it's impossible not to photograph it. Visual artist DREZ has designed a piece featuring bright colours and gradients that both alters your perception of depth and reality (while simultaneously reminding you of 1990s Windows screensavers). It's wonderfully confusing from every angle, and a sure conversation starter for your feed. [caption id="attachment_876194" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dylan Lu (Unsplash)[/caption] NIGHT Flinders Street Station With its imposing dome, by night Flinders Street Station looks more like a palace in an eastern European capital than a railway terminus. Lit up, this icon of Melbourne is like a beacon for the city – it's no coincidence that if you tell someone to meet you "under the clocks" or "on the steps" they immediately know you mean Flinders Street. The warm glow of the station against the pitch black of a moonless night makes for a simply unbeatable tableau. Chinatown Chinatowns around the world tend to be food-focused areas, bustling with people, and Melbourne's is no different — though there's still a distinctly Melbourne edge to our city's two-block stretch. Lanterns and lights illuminate the laneways, giving an after-dark intimate feel, but one particular installation really ups the ante. Known by the name of Neon Lane, this public artwork consists of 60 neon lights and lightboxes installed in a previously unlit alley. It brings the energy of one of Melbourne's most bustling precincts while also providing an irresistible photo op. Drewery Alley Yet another one of Melbourne's otherwise nondescript laneways, what really makes Drewery Alley stand out is its distinctive mural. Created by street artist Jaz Mishap and inspired by her Chinese heritage, childhood ghost stories and her love of Japan, it's a vibrant work you'll immediately want to photograph. But why is something like this in the night section? Well, lights have been incorporated into the design, making the piece truly come to life. NGV The pride of Melbourne's creative landscape, the National Gallery of Victoria is Australia's most visited art museum. Obviously, international artworks of renown abound behind the doors, but it's arguably just as stunning on the outside. By night, subtle lighting brings a warm ambience that highlights the gallery's brutalist exterior without being too showy, and with the magnificently tree-lined stretch of St Kilda Road acting as a backdrop, your photo can't fail. Stevenson Lane Melbourne, you're seriously spoiling us with all these hidden laneway treats. Stevenson Lane is yet another entry in the canon of alleys with spectacular street art. The horseshoe-shaped laneway is truly an exercise in treating the city like a canvas, with every available surface providing the base for a diverse range of expression. Murals, cartoons, portraits and patterns jump at you from every direction — you could spend more time here than in some galleries. Princes Bridge One of Melbourne's oldest bridges may primarily be a means for pedestrians, cars and trams to cross the Yarra, but framed with the CBD in the background and the river in the foreground and it bisects any photograph beautifully. Wait until the sun goes down and the glow of the lamps on each pier imbues the cityscape with a cosy feel, the hazy reflection of the lights in the glistening water below transforming the view of a busy city centre into high art. Melbourne Town Hall Designed by Joseph Reed, who was also behind the Royal Exhibition Building and State Library, Melbourne Town Hall was completed in 1887 and is an imposing presence in the heart of the CBD. It has a large clock tower, an impressive auditorium and is famous for being the site of a visit from The Beatles back in 1964. Most importantly for you, however, is that it gives good photo, and lit up at night, it shines from every angle. Make nights epic with Samsung Galaxy S22. For more info, head to the website. Top image: Christian (Unsplash)
After another helluva year, we find ourselves once again entering the festive season. This time maybe a little more wearily, but still aching to hug our loved ones, and, in many cases, shower them with gifts. We all have that one person we have trouble buying a present for. Maybe it's your stubborn old man? Perhaps a wealthy aunt? Or it could be your partner (who you know got you something awesome and, even though it's not at all a competition, you still want to make sure you got them the better gift). Whatever your motivation, there's never a better gift option than to give someone an experience. If you add travel into the mix, you're also supporting some great regional areas around the country that are home to unique cultural experiences. It's a win-win. We've teamed up with Tourism Australia to put together ten top-notch cultural experiences to help you give a memorable, meaningful gift this holiday season.
Were Picasso's Cubist portraits of women true to life? It would suggest there were a lot of chicks with displaced eye sockets hanging round Paris in the 1900s. Now a Spanish fashion photographer, Eugenio Recuenco, has reimagined Picasso's Cubist muses as live beings, styling his models in the same surrealist manner that Picasso painted them. Recuenco's portraits are weird, emotional and lovely in their own right. His women subjects mirror the poses of the originals, with elegant silhouettes, painted skin and outlandish costumery all projecting a moody atmosphere. Post-production by Recuenco gave the photographs the same feel as the paintings via color manipulation, while the mysterious spaces he used amp up the dreamlike quality. Recuenco has a large dossier of equally stylised art and fashion projects. Beside this project, which was published in the Spanish weekly SMODA, his website shows fairytale scenes and tableaux vivants that suggest their own narrative worlds channelling the work of artists Goya, El Greco and Zurbaran. Check out a selection of the Picasso-inspired portraits below. Via Flavorwire.
Brick Lane Brewing tapped its very first keg at the Queen Vic Winter Night Market in 2018, and now — five years later — the team is set to launch its latest bricks-and-mortar restaurant and bar across the road from that very same spot. On Wednesday, November 29, on the second week of this season's Queen Vic Summer Night Market, Brick Lane Brewing's huge new venue — aptly named Brick Lane Market Upstairs — will open to the public. Brick Lane already has its brewhouse in South Dandenong, Brick Lane Shed on Queen Vic Market's String Bean Alley and Brick Lane Market located beneath the new venue — but the upstairs section will be altogether more impressive. Taking over the second floor of the former Mercat Cross Hotel, the totally renovated space will now boast a 120-seat dining room with an open kitchen, a 16-seat private dining room and a 150-seat wrap-around terrace overlooking the market itself. And this proximity to the market isn't just about foot traffic and views. The team is set to work collaboratively with vendors, featuring local produce throughout the site. This will most notably be seen in the Brick Lane Market's raw bar. Here, the team will serve up fresh oysters and seafood sourced directly from QVM's newly refurbed Food Hall, which is also set to open in November. Chef Ankit Padmani (ex-Indu, Mejico and Collins Quarter) will oversee the restaurant's main menu, pushing a market-to-plate ethos, serving up dishes chock full of local and seasonal produce sourced from the market itself. Of course, beer will be the star of the show at Brick Lane Market Upstairs. Thirty-six taps will be scattered throughout the venue, pouring the brewery's core range, seasonal specials and one-off Pilot Batches. These more experimental brews are for those wanting to try something a little different and are set to be inspired by Queen Vic Market itself. Brick Lane Market Upstairs will open on Wednesday, November 29, at 456 Queen Street, Melbourne, operating seven days a week from 11.30am till late. For more information, check out the venue's website. Images: Carmen Zammit.
2020 will forever be known as the year everyone wore an extra groove into their couch. And because the past 12 months have just been so chaotic, you probably haven't managed to do everything you wanted to — even working through your streaming queue. You've been distracted by quite the hectic circumstances, so that's perfectly natural. Now that life slowly seems to be returning to normal — and now that holidays are upon us, too — you're probably wondering which series you should catch up on. 2020 delivered a heap of stellar new shows, however, so that isn't a straightforward question. Thankfully, in collaboration with streaming service Binge, we're here to help. Here are five of the year's absolute must-sees, all of which you can binge in full now — including via a 14-day free trial for new customers.
In what's unsurprisingly being deemed the first of its kind, an abandoned slate mine in the Llechwedd caverns of Wales has recently been converted into an amazing trampoline playground. Featuring neon lights, huge bouncy netting, and awe-inspiring natural surrounds, this is one fantastical deathtrap that will be well worth all the hours of therapy it will inevitably necessitate. Though it officially opens next week (July 3) Bounce Below is the stuff dreams are made out of. Particularly those dreams where you wake up falling inexorably to your death. Of course, we kid. This underground wonderland has been well fitted out with safety precautions — we're just lashing out because we're bitter about being on the wrong side of the world to experience it. And, with three levels of incredible trampolines and a spiral slide measuring 20 metres in height, there's an awful lot to be jealous about. Far from your average cave tour, thrillseekers and historians visiting the seemingly unpronounceable small town of Blaenau Ffestiniog, North Wales can spend one hour bouncing around these unconventional caverns for a mere £15. Equipped with hard hat and matching overalls, both kids and adults alike can explore the many levels of bouncy bliss while enjoying the creepy serenity of being trapped underground. With the recent announcement of a a giant boobie bouncy castle at the Museum of Sex in New York, it seems like bouncing is the new hip activity around the world this week. If you need us, we'll be practicing our double-bouncing techniques at home while waiting for this giant novelty trend to hit Australia and New Zealand. Via Huffington Post.
It's won 11 Tony Awards and is one of the Obamas' favourite musical, and now Lin-Manuel Miranda's game-changing musical Hamilton is finally coming to Australia. The critically acclaimed hip hop musical, for which Miranda wrote the music, lyrics and the book, is about the life of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, as well as inclusion and politics in current-day America. As well as its 11 Tony Awards, which include Best Musical, it has nabbed a Grammy Award and even a Pulitzer Prize. After hitting Broadway in 2015, then West End in 2017, and beginning its third tour of the US earlier this year, Australians can finally catch Hamilton — when it makes its Southern Hemisphere premiere at the Sydney Lyric Theatre in March 2021. According to the SMH, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane began vying for the rights to stage the musical in mid 2018, and Sydneysiders will be happy to have come out on top (this time). There's no word yet on whether it'll head to other Aussie cities later on — it's possible, other big musicals, such as The Book of Mormons, have. But, if you don't want to risk it, those located interstate should to start planning a trip ASAP — we think it'll be more than worth it. [caption id="attachment_722617" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hamilton by Joan Marcus.[/caption] It's not Miranda's first musical to hit Australia, either, his take on the classic 200s film Bring It On: The Musical hit Melbourne last year and quadruple Tony Award-winning In The Heights just finished a short season at the Sydney Opera House this January. Hamilton will make its Australian premiere at the Sydney Lyric Theatre in March 2021. You can sign-up for pre-sale tickets now. Image: Hamilton, Broadway. Photo by Joan Marcus.
If you've ever had a sneaky little go with some small person's Lego blocks once they're all tucked up in bed, Legoland sees you, tips you their hat… and raises you an adults-only night at its Melbourne Discovery Centre. And, because it's the time of year for it, the venue is throwing in some Halloween shenanigans as well. With no children to get in the way (or outdo your creations), you'll be able to have free rein of Legoland to check out the 4D cinema and rides, then build to your heart's content in the brick pits. Challenge yourself by taking on the master builder or a speed build, and vie for the prizes up for grabs — there'll even be a scavenger hunt so you can go full inner-child mode. This adults-only evening will be getting spooky, too, given the occasion. Fancy going monster hunting through Lego? This is your chance for that as well. Wearing a frightful costume is encouraged, too — so, having the full kidulting experience. It all takes place from 6–9pm on Friday, October 27 — and BYO shameless excitement, taste for glory and love of Halloween.
The latest cure for festival FOMO is here: for the first time ever, two of Glastonbury's headline performances are being livestreamed around the globe for everyone to watch. Won't be in the UK during the fest? Always wanted to see big names take to the event's famed Pyramid Stage? A fan of Dua Lipa and/or Coldplay? Thanks to the BBC, you're now in luck. When Coachella rolls around each year, it's not just an exciting time for folks fortunate enough to be on the ground in California, but for audiences worldwide via the fest's arrangement with YouTube. Glastonbury and the BBC might only be streaming two sets across the planet and not the majority of the British event, but it's still a welcome development. [caption id="attachment_926976" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anna Lee[/caption] Your destination: the BBC's Glastonbury website, where you can catch Dua Lipa's set on the morning of Saturday, June 29, then Coldplay's — before the Chris Martin-fronted group returns to Australia and New Zealand later in 2024 — on the morning of Sunday, June 30. Dua Lipa's stint in the high-profile slot also marks her first-ever time on the Pyramid Stage. As for Coldplay, they're headlining the fest for the fifth time, albeit in their first visit since 2016. [caption id="attachment_963580" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Raph_PH[/caption] "The Glastonbury Festival is an icon of British culture, and this livestream will give fans around the globe a front row seat to headline performances like never before. This is just the latest example of our focus on bringing more cultural-defining moments like Glastonbury to fans on our platforms outside the UK so users can experience the best of British culture wherever they may be," said BBC Studios' Chief Commercial Officer Tara Maitra, announcing the global livestreams. "From this exciting live music experience from two of the biggest names in music, to the BBC News channel livestream that is coming soon in Australia, our digital platforms offer immediate, unrestricted and tailored access for all audiences," added BBC Studios Australia and New Zealand General Manager Fiona Lang. Also on the Glastonbury 2024 bill across Wednesday, June 26–Sunday, June 30 UK time but not being beamed to the world, sadly: SZA, LCD Soundsystem, PJ Harvey, Cyndi Lauper, Janelle Monae, Shania Twain, Disclosure, The Streets, Camilla Cabello, Bloc Party, The National, Avril Lavigne, Jessie Ware, Sugababes, Jamie XX, Kim Gordon, James Blake, Sleafod Mods, Orbital, The Breeders, Peggy Gou, The Cat Empire, Eric Prydz and a whole heap more. Glastonbury 2024 Livestream: Saturday, June 29 — Dua Lipa, 7–8.45am AEST / 6.30–8.15am ACST / 5–6.45am AWST / 9–10.45am NZST Sunday, June 30 — Coldplay, 6.45–8.45am AEST / 6.15–8.15am ACST / 4.45–6.45am AWST / 8.45–19.45am NZST [caption id="attachment_963582" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Raph_PH[/caption] [caption id="attachment_926978" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anna Lee[/caption] Glastonbury's 2024 livestream will broadcast Dua Lipa's set globally on the morning of Saturday, June 29 Down Under, and Coldplay's show on the morning of Sunday, June 30 — head to the BBC's Glastonbury website to watch. Dua Lipa images: Raph_PH via Flickr.
What's better than catching one of Broadway's biggest hits of the 21st century right here in Melbourne during its latest Australian run, and being whisked off to the Land of Oz in the process? Catching Wicked at the Regent Theatre for just $20. The production opens its next Victorian stint on Saturday, March 2, and it's dubbing that night a preview where folks lucky enough to click their ruby slippers together three times to get tickets can head along for cheap. No red-hued shoes are actually required among the audience, nor bumping of heels. But, because this is a one-night-only special price to start Wicked's 2024 Melbourne season, it does require nabbing your seat in person at the Regent Theatre box office. You can't hop online for this deal, and it's a first come-first served affair — so lining up early when tickets go on sale for the 7.30pm show is recommended. That date: Wednesday, February 7, with the $20 passes on offer from 8am. Each customer can only purchase two tickets, and you'll need to show valid ID while you're making the transaction (and dreaming about defying gravity, of course). After premiering in Sydney, Wicked is set to play the Victorian capital until at least Sunday, May 12, 2024 — the last date that tickets are available for at the time of writing. The overall production just marked its 20th anniversary, after composer Stephen Schwartz and playwright Winnie Holzman took a book inspired by The Wizard of Oz, put it to music and turned it into a smash. Indeed, even if you haven't seen the show before, including on its past Aussie run from 2008–11, then you've likely heard of it. Following the Land of Oz's witches — telling their untold true tale is the musical's whole angle, in fact — Wicked has notched up more awards than you can fit in a hefty cauldron over the years. That spans three Tonys from ten nominations, a Grammy, an Olivier Award and six Drama Desk Awards. Also huge: its worldwide footprint, playing in 16 countries around the globe since its 2003 debut. And, when it makes its way to the Regent Theatre for its second stop on its current Aussie run, it'll do so after enchanting itself into fourth place in the list of longest-running Broadway shows ever — even surpassing Cats. Story-wise, Wicked starts before The Wizard of Oz and continues its narrative after Dorothy Gale lands, adapting Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. The text itself has sold 5.5 million copies, five million of those since the musical first opened. Here, before Dorothy blows in, two other women meet in the Land of Oz: Elphaba and Galinda. One will later be known as the Wicked Witch of the West, while the other will become Glinda the Good Witch. Exactly why that happens, and how, and the pair's relationship from rivals to unlikely friends to grappling with their new labels, fuels the show's tale. The production is taking to the stage again before the in-the-works two-part film adaptation starring Cynthia Erivo (Pinocchio) as Elphaba and Ariana Grande (Don't Look Up) as Galinda, and directed by Jon M Chu (In the Heights, Crazy Rich Asians), is due to start reaching cinemas at the end of 2024. Wicked will play Melbourne's Regent Theatre from Saturday, March 2. For $20 tickets to the preview show that night, head to the Regent Theatre box office from 8am on Wednesday, February 7. For other tickets and further details, visit the production's website. Images: Jeff Busby.
When Tenacious D return to Australian and New Zealand stages in winter 2024, it won't just be a tribute — it'll be the real two-man comedy rock group, aka Jack Black and Kyle Gass, performing their first Down Under shows since 2013. The duo has announced July dates in seven cities, playing arenas as part of their The Spicy Meatball tour fresh from sellout gigs in the US, UK and Europe in 2023. In the 11 years since Tenacious D last took to the stage Down Under, plenty has happened, including for Black and Gass. Black's acting resume has added everything from Goosebumps and two Jumanji movies to Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, voice work on Rick and Morty and lending his vocals to Bowser in The Super Mario Bros Movie. Gass popped up in Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Hacks. And in 2018, the band released their fourth studio album Post-Apocalypto. [caption id="attachment_939746" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Raph_PH via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Now, the Grammy-winning pair, which first came together in the 90s as theatre students in Los Angeles, has locked in dates in Sydney, Newcastle, Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide in Australia — plus Wellington and Auckland in Aotearoa. Expect tickets to go quickly if the overseas response is any guide. In London alone, Tenacious D's O2 show was all snapped up the week that it was announced. [caption id="attachment_939740" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Travis Shinn[/caption] From not just their latest record, but also Tenacious D's self-titled 2001 debut, 2006's The Pick of Destiny — the soundtrack to the film of the same name — and 2012's Rize of the Fenix, attendees will hear 'Wonderboy', 'Tribute', 'Kickapoo', 'Low Hangin' Fruit' and more get a spin. Also on the band's current setlist: 2023's 'Video Games', the group's first single in five years, and their cover of Chris Isaak's 'Wicked Game'. They've been busting out Thin Lizzy's 'Jailbreak', Gerry Rafferty's 'Baker Street' and Led Zeppelin's 'Good Times Bad Times', too — but not The Super Mario Bros Movie's 'Peaches'. Tenacious D The Spicy Meatball Australia and New Zealand Tour 2024 Dates: Sunday, July 14 — ICC Sydney Theatre, Sydney Tuesday, July 16 — Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Newcastle Thursday, July 18 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane Saturday, July 20 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Monday, July 22 — Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide Wednesday, July 24 — TSB Arena, Wellington Friday, July 26 — Spark Arena, Auckland Tenacious D are touring Australia and New Zealand in July 2024, with ticket presales from 9am AEDT on Wednesday, February 7 and general sales from 12pm local time on Friday, February 9 — head to the tour website for further details. Top image: Sven Mandel via Wikimedia Commons.
It's a nice feeling to bring a little something into the world. Feeding it, taking good care of it. A plant is just like a pet, or even a child – just half the trouble. But if you live in an apartment, there's not always the room to undertake extensive horticultural projects. If your green thumb is itching to get gardening, IDEA award-winning Simple Garden will tickle your fancy. They've created a gardening 'starter kit' with everything you need to cultivate your own piece of earth. They even throw in the earth itself – just add water and the NutriRich soil brick will be just the stuff to raise your seedlings into healthy plants. Gadgets like the Lite Stick help provide enough natural light to indoor plants, while the colourful plastic pots are specially designed to improve air flow, water circulation and nutrient absorption. Sweet and self-contained, this is one hell of a city-living solution. [Via Cool Hunting]
Those chocolate-filled advent calendars are fun and all, but after 12 months of aiming for a spot on Santa's 'nice' list, a few wines feels like a more fitting reward. Wine subscription club Good Pair Days agrees, so it's put together the ultimate pre-Christmas treat for grownups: the 12 Wines of Christmas Advent Calendar. The festive box features 12 different full-sized bottles of wine, as chosen by the Good Pair Days experts. They're each hidden behind a pop-out cardboard door and individually wrapped so each one is a little surprise gift. And the options are endless. You can gift the box to yourself and unwrap one wine at a time in the lead-up to December 25, or snap one up as an early Christmas present for that wine-loving mate. Or, simply have an advent box on hand so that you're extra prepared for the calendar of silly season parties to come. There are three boxes to choose from: one with reds, one with all chillable wines (sparkling, whites and rosés) and one with a mix of the two. Then, you decide how expensive you want to go — the cheapest is $189 and the most spenny is $465. And while you won't know what wines are in them until you open the box, you can be reassured that there are some ripper drops in there as the bottles have been picked from the highest rated of Good Pair Days' local and international collection. Wine pairing suggestions, tasting notes and recipes are also included. Good Pair Days (previously The Wine Gallery) was founded back in 2015 by mates Tom Walenkamp, Beto de Castro Moreira and acclaimed sommelier and Bar Liberty co-owner Banjo Harris Plane. It's a personalised wine subscription service that aims to hook you up with your perfect vinous matches through an expert curation and a nifty wine taste tester app. The 12 Wines of Christmas Advent Calendar packs are available now via Good Pair Days.
Red Gum BBQ — the biggest craft beer and barbie destination in Australia — is bringing its Independence Day bash back for yet another year. Swing by on Friday, July 4, for 12-hour-smoked hog, peach margaritas, line dancing and live Americana. Doors open at 5.30pm, and an hour later, pitmaster Martin Goffin will carve the whole beast in front of your eyes. Pile your plate with as many slices as you can handle, along with sides galore, from mac 'n' cheese and pit beans to slaw, pickles and rolls. Then tuck into dessert: homemade s'mores pie. With all that keeping you fuelled, you'll be ready to power through line dancing lessons and a live Americana band. Need a little motivation to get your toes tapping? Head to the bar for July 4th-inspired cocktails, including a Kentucky Apple Pie and peach margaritas. Tickets, which include snacks, dinner and the band, are $59. Take the kids along for the ride at $29 a pop.
One of modern art's most argued-about works is finally up for auction. Tracey Emin's famously debated 1999 work My Bed is going under the hammer for the very first time, complete with dirty sheets, cigarette butts and condoms. Emin gained notoriety when her work Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963–1995 debuted at a 1997 Charles Saatchi's Sensation exhibition at London's Royal Academy. After getting drunk, going on national TV and getting all sweary, she'd release My Bed two years later to colossal debate. One of modern art's classic "Is this art? What is art? Is this bag of wrenches art?" generators, My Bed is expected to sell between £800,000 and £1.2 million (roughly $1.4 million to $2.2 million) at auction in July. The highly-scrutinised installation is a recreation of Emin's actual bed during a rough time — the artist spent days in the bed during relationship difficulties and dealt with suicidal thoughts. Scattered with paraphenalia from the artist's own bedroom (condoms, menstrual-stained underwear, slippers), My Bed caused controversy not for the collective sum of confrontingly personal items but for the stains on the sheets. Gallery-goers saw the traces of bodily secretion as a little too human. "It's a self-portrait, but not one that people would like to see," Emin said. "I took everything out of my bedroom and made it into an installation," Emin said. "And when I put it into a white space, for some people it became quite shocking. But I just thought it looked like a damsel in distress, like a woman fainting or something, needing to be helped." The new owners might be able to recreate the work of two performance artists, Yuan Chai and Jian Jun Xi, who jumped on Emin's bed in a performance creatively titled Two Naked Men Jump into Tracey's Bed. Most interestingly will be the conditions under which the new owner must actually display My Bed. Previously (when not displayed in a gallery setting) the work has been on display at the home of its owner Charles Saatchi. As The Guardian reports, the work — a flurry of seemingly random miscellany — has very meticulous installation instructions. "It's a very complicated piece to put together," Director of Cadogan Tate Fine Art Stephen Glynn says. "It comes with a dossier of photographs of every object, and a list of where exactly everything needs to go." A bit like an Ikea instruction manual, then? "A bit. You're certainly trying to make sure that everything goes in the right place." Displayed at the Tate Modern in 1999, My Bed was shortlisted for the Turner Prize that year. Christies will put the Saatchi-owned work to auction, with proceeds going straight back to the Saatchi Gallery — the team are moving to make the gallery have free admission. Via Reuters and The Guardian.
It's been 100 years since the art world welcomed an icon with the birth of Jeffrey Smart, who went on to become one of Australia's most celebrated artists. And this summer, the National Gallery of Australia is paying homage to his life and work when it hosts a retrospective exhibition, aptly dubbed Jeffrey Smart. Running from Saturday, December 11–Sunday, May 15, the exhibition will dig deep into the renowned artist's legacy through a major survey of his works. Greatly inspired by the urban environment and the age of industrial modernity, Smart was known for his hyperrealist streetscapes, theatrical stylings and penchant for geometric composition. Vehicles, highways, factories and water towers are common motifs within Smart's art, as are eerily empty streets occupied by solo travellers. The National Gallery of Australia's centenary showcase will feature pieces from throughout his illustrious career and highlight the many varied themes Smart explored via his painting, as well as chronicle his evolution as an artist. Book your timed visit to check out Jeffrey Smart here — it'll be open daily (except Christmas Day). [caption id="attachment_834494" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jeffrey Smart, Wallaroo, 1951, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, purchased 1959, © The Estate of Jeffrey Smart.[/caption] Top Images: Jeffrey Smart 'Self portrait, Procida', National Gallery of Australia, copyright The Estate of Jeffrey Smart. Jeffrey Smart 'Corrugated Gioconda', National Gallery of Australia, copyright The Estate of Jeffrey Smart.
Back in 2018 for its 13th instalment, Opera Australia's popular Mazda Opera in the Bowl returns to the Sidney Myer Music Bowl for a wonderful night of opera under the stars on the last night of spring — and it's absolutely free. Featuring some of Australia's top vocal talent in sopranos Stacey Alleaume and Artist Anna-Louise Cole, mezzo-soprano Anna Dowsley, tenor Walter Fraccaro and baritone José Carb, Opera in the Bowl will have you whistling along to famous tunes you didn't even know you knew. Gather the crew (and your trusty picnic basket) and settle in for a night of some of opera's most famous and most beautiful moments. But don't worry if you don't actually own a picnic basket — a whole heap of the city's best food trucks will be there cooking up a storm and the garden bar will be slinging all sorts of cusp-of-summer drinks. As for the soundtrack, songs from William Tell and Carmen will entertain you, whether you're an opera aficionado or you don't know Bellini from a bellini. If nothing else, it's a perfect cheap date idea.
You could say life has been somewhat colourless over the past couple of years thanks to a pesky thing called a pandemic. That may be a touch melodramatic, but you catch our drift. With summer on the horizon, we're itching for days at the beach, road trips with mates and kicking back with our families and loved ones. Bliss. Here to inject a big dose of colour into the months ahead is Aussie artist Mulga (AKA Joel Moore), whose super-fun designs radiate summer vibes. Recently, the Sydney-based muralist and illustrator teamed up with go-to outdoor retailer Kathmandu for a limited-edition collection of beach essentials. To celebrate the new range, we chatted to Mulga to get a sense of what it's like to be in his brightly hued, quirky character-filled world — plus what he's got planned over summer. Then, you can head to our competition to go in the running to win some of the next-level beach gear. MULGA THE LATE BLOOMER First up, Mulga wasn't always creating art; he only picked up the practice in 2012. "I worked in financial planning. I realised I didn't like that," hey says. Once he got serious about his art, though, he didn't look back. He began painting murals — which he still loves doing — then expanded to making his own products such as printed tees, boardies, totes, art prints and oh-so-COVID-appropriate face masks. He's also a big fan of brand collaborations, which has seen his work pop up in Sydney streets, on buses, across swimming costumes and even on Maxibon wrappers. In his art, you'll find a lot of bearded dudes and chiller animal characters — think koalas holding surfboards, sunglasses-clad chickens and cockatoos eating ice cream. One of the first animals he got into painting was gorillas after a visit to Taronga Zoo, which has become a motif in his years-long practice. "I use lots of bright colours and try to inject a little bit of humour into my creations." HIS VISUAL CATCHCRY Looking at Mulga's work, it's clear that laidback summer vibes are Mulga's visual catchcry. "I love summer and the beach and surfing and my love for that just flows out through my art," he says. It makes sense, considering he's an avid surfer: "One of my dreams is to spend a year on a tropical island doing nothing but surfing and making art." Why summer specifically? "It's a time of summer holidays and Christmas and pool parties. What's not to love?" The man's got a point. And when the mercury's soaring, he'll be at the beach with his kids, getting an ice cream, cruising around on a boat and "chilling in the hammock under a palm tree". HIS LATEST COLLAB So, it makes sense that his collab with Kathmandu is all about making the most of sunny days at the beach. The range combines Mulga's signature bright, quirky prints and patterns with Kathmandu's functional designs. "I did my thing which is making funky artworks and Kathmandu did their thing which is making quality products, and the result is funky quality products." There are t-shirts, sand-proof towels, water bottles, camping chairs, sun shelters and beach umbrellas — all of which will take your summer adventures to the next level. "The beach tent is pretty rad." Mulga says. "I'm looking forward to the moment when I go to the beach and see someone with the Mulga x Kathmandu tent. I'll stroll by and say 'nice tent'." Check out the full Kathmandu x Mulga beach collection on the Kathmandu website. Keen to score beach gear for free? Enter our competition to go in the running to win a sweet Kathmandu x Mulga prize pack before November 14.
Next time you crack open a can of BrewDog's Punk IPA, you might find yourself motivated to welcome a new four-legged addition into your family. Teaming up with Animal Welfare League Queensland, the Scottish brewery has brought its Street Dog initiative to Australia — profiling adorable dogs that are currently available for adoption across its cans. If you're the type of person that pats every pooch you see, and takes a daily walk past the local dog park just so you can get a glimpse of those adorable canines and their little faces, then you're also the kind of person who'd love to see pictures of puppers while you're sinking a brew. The photos adorn select Punk IPA packs, which have been badged 'Street Dog'. And yes, if you fall in love with the little fluffball staring back at you from the can, you can give it a home. By picking up a few Street Dog brews — which are on offer in eight- and 16-packs — you'll also be helping doggos in need another way. BrewDog is also donating all of the profits from sales of the beer to Animal Welfare League Queensland. And, although it's brewed at the company's Australian base in Brisbane, it's only making the beer available via its new online store, so everyone nationwide can stare at these canine cuties over their next cold one. Street Dog actually started in the UK earlier this year, as inspired by comedian Ricky Gervais. The comedian tweeted about his genuine fondness for Punk IPA, while also noting that businesses in general were better off giving their money to charities than paying for celebrity endorsements — and, taking his words to heart, BrewDog decided to start supporting homeless dogs, a cause that Gervais has been vocal about. Cue BrewDog cans covered with photos of dogs, which, when they launched in Britain, helped all of the pups featured on the tinnies to find homes. If you're wondering about the timing of bringing the Street Dog initiative to Australia, it's designed to help give the profiled pooches a permanent home before Christmas hits. The 375-millilitre cans will be available to purchase online until sold out. BrewDog's Street Dog limited-edition version of its Punk IPA beer is available to buy as an eight-pack for $40 and a 16-pack for $70.
Throwing an awesome barbecue doesn't have to involve making your own bunting and painstakingly pouring pomegranate jelly shots into hollowed-out strawberries. God (who looks like Bill Hunter if you're Australian) can see you when you do that, and he doesn't approve. But your mates won't think you're a wanker if you make a little effort. Here's what you need for a barbecue: food, a case or two, music, somewhere to sit, some ice, and good people. We can't help you with meeting good people and making them like you, although inviting them over to eat meat and drink beer probably won't hurt. 1. PLAYLIST & PEOPLE This is up to you, of course, but for a breezy arvo-into-evening sit-around, we suggest a vaguely chronological mix of soul and Motown, RSL bangers (we're talking Crowded House, 'Electric Blue', 'The Horses', 'Bette Davis Eyes', 'Dumb Things') and early-90s hip hop and RnB. Only invite people who enjoy all those things, don't invite anyone who hates 'Electric Blue', and there's your guestlist sorted. 2. DRINKS Beer: buy a case. Buy at least one. Buy two if you can afford it. What, are you worried you'll be stuck with a whole bunch of leftover beer? It's not a Christmas ham. People will (and should) BYO but you should always have communals they can get stuck into. And nobody's going to complain about free beer, but if you want to step it up a notch, use one of these apps to pick yourself a solid local craft beer. Wine: Non-beer-drinkers will usually BYO too, but you can now get an award-winning bottle of wine at ALDI Liquor for a fiver. Get two white, a rose and a red, just to be hospitable, and if you end up taking one to dinner at your in-laws', they won't be able to tell from the label that it cost less than a pub steak. As for ice: schlep to the servo and buy a bag. It's like $4. If you don't have a tub-type thingy and don't want to shell out for one, here is a short list of things into which you can place a sturdy garbage bag to create a reasonably capacious waterproof ice bucket: - A laundry basket - the carton the beer came in (or literally any other large cardboard box) - a milk crate - a small shelf turned on its side If you've got an old solid-metal bottle opener around, tie it to your table or BBQ stand with a piece of string. That way you'll always have one handy, it won't go walkabout in someone's pocket, and your dumbest/drunkest mate won't break a tooth trying to prove how hard he is. 3. MEAT Buy minute steaks, not rump. They're cheaper, thin enough to stuff into a white roll with sauce, and are much more friendly to plastic cutlery, paper plates, eating on laps and all of the above at once. Sausages are mandatory. Buy two kinds. Make one of those kinds the standard straight-sided fundraising democracy Saturday sport sausage-sizzle beef variety (get some from a good butcher if you're not wild about where the beef in the budget ones come from). Make the other a nice spicy Italian, fat pork ones, or vego ones if lots of your mates lean that way. 4. CONDIMENTS The most important sauces, of course, are the holy trinity of red, yellow and brown: tomato, barbecue and American yellow mustard in big squeezy bottles. Those are mandatory. Don't get fancy about it. Heinz and Masterfoods are your friends. Other than that, it's down to taste. A couple of hot sauces (chipotle, habanero or classic pepper), sriracha, a good brown'n'sticky like HP or A1, whole-egg mayo, onions, chutney, that Beaver brand hot dog mustard with the pickle chunks in it — line 'em up. 5.BREAD ROLLS Bags of them. Supermarket. Buy about one and a half per diner. 6. FOOD THAT IS NOT MEAT It exists! Barbecuing plant matter usually yields delicious results. Here's the best way to go about it: - Classic, cheap as heck, everyone loves corn, and all you need to put on it is butter. (Spicy mayo and grated cheese works too, though.) BBQ the cobs whole (you can even do them in the husk, if you rip out most of the silk and give them a soak in salted water beforehand so they steam themselves) and pile them up on a big plate. - Buy as much asparagus as you can afford. Snap off the woody ends, oil 'em up a bit, get some good char marks on there, chuck them in any dish that's longer than it is wide and squeeze a wedge of lemon over the top. Looks fancier than a mink bidet. - Baked potatoes. Wrap them in foil, stick them in the hottest corner of the BBQ (with the hood down, if you have a hood) and forget about them until it's time to do the steaks; they're done if they give when you poke them with the tongs. - The standard vego options at BBQs are portobello mushrooms and haloumi. Those are delicious things, but herbivores are usually pretty used to fending for themselves a little at social events – don't be shy about asking them if they'd like to bring something they're actually enthusiastic about. If you want to make a salad-y thing, here's the easiest one: cook a 500g packet of risoni or orzo, and dump in a whole jar of marinated feta (oil and all — break up the big bits) and a big bag of baby spinach and some chopped fresh parsley while the pasta's still warm. The oil from the feta will become your dressing, and you can add toasted nuts or chilli flakes or roasted veg if you want. For dessert? Fresh watermelon and pineapple, and/or Zooper Doopers. 7. AMBIANCE We've already talked music, and ruled out bunting. Fairy lights are your friend: string heaps of them above head height for a star-canopy effect, drape them randomly on a wall or fence, or twine them around the clothesline for that Strayan charm. (Bonus points if you can find the old-fashioned multicoloured, full-sized light globe style.) For daytime, shade is crucial, whether it's a covered area, an umbrella or a tarp strung up bivouac-style and if you're not blessed with a truck-sized vat of chemically-treated water in your backyard, a blow-up pool is just as much fun. Sturdy citronella candles are more practical than tea lights, smell like summer, and sometimes even keep mozzies away. (Keep a can of Pea Beu handy anyway.) All you need to do, really, is to let the booze flow, watch the evening roll in, and feel the serenity. And if it all devolves into a raucous game of Goon Of Fortune, at least your neighbours will know who the legends on your block really are. Image credits: Christopher Craig via photopin cc, Johan Larsson via photopin cc, Thomas Hawk via photopin cc, "Korb mit Brötchen" by 3268zauber CC, W i l l a r d via photopin cc, Joe Buckingham via photopin cc.
Bingo. Rave. Two ends of the spectrum of fine holiday fun finally came together in Australia this year. Bongo's Bingo is a games night like you've never seen before. Part club, part rave, and, of course, part bingo night, this unlikely fusion event has been wildly popular in the UK since 2015. They took the show on the road, launching in Australia this June and coming back in August. And, it went so well, they're doing it all yet again. Patrons can expect all of the debauchery of the original British version of Bongo's Bingo, including rave intervals, dancing on tables and a loose kind of bingo that you definitely never played with your nan (well, maybe you have). The victorious players can win everything from big cash prizes to a Hills Hoist, with a range of some absolutely ridiculous surprises on offer. Bongo's Bingo heads to a secret Melbourne location on October 28, with details to be revealed via the event website.
Wins can be hard to come by, whereas fails, well, when it rains, it pours, right? When you've missed your morning train, been yelled at by your boss, come home to a huge electricity bill and then realised you've got nothing in the fridge for dinner — a win can feel like a distant memory. It's in moments like these where you've got to recognise the little wins — those seemingly minor things that can reshape your day and make you feel all warm and fuzzy. We've put our heads together with our friends at Coopers to come up with some foolproof, easy ways of making you feel like everything's coming up you. The win might be as simple as growing your own basil, but don't underestimate the effect that putting a fresh herb — one that you've nurtured from a little baby seed — into a homemade dish can have. Trust us, you'll feel like an accomplished gardener and your food will taste delicious. Win, win. Look at that, two wins in a row. MONDAY: READ A BOOK TO AN ELDERLY COMPANION Remember how soothing it was when your mum read you a bedtime story? Very. There's something really nice about being read to, so spare a thought for those who could use it. Go visit your nan, your friend's nan or even a stranger's nan, and take a book you've been meaning to read — that way you'll kill two birds with one stone, get through a chunk of your book and spend some quality time with an elderly companion. If you don't know an elderly person, just walk into your nearest respite or aged care facility — or even a hospice — and get to know someone who's no doubt lived quite a life. TUESDAY: EAT AT A NEW RESTAURANT There's nothing wrong with your tried-and-true Indian eatery down the road nor clicking the 're-order' button time and time again on Deliveroo. But there's also a lot to be said about trying new places and foods. How about Ethiopian instead of Indian? Moroccan instead of burgers? There are heaps of new places popping up across our cities all the time, so treat your tastebuds to new flavours from a fresh venue. Hit up one per week, even if you have to trek out to the other side of the river or harbour, and your stomach will thank you for it. What's more, trying a new place every week will give you a whole wealth of dining knowledge in your city. On our list, Half Acre in Melbourne, Lankan Filling Station in Sydney and Little Big House in Brisbane. WEDNESDAY: GROW YOUR OWN HERBS Making a pasta sauce from scratch is super nourishing for the soul and makes you feel like a nonna who's been doing it for generations. Every good homemade bolognese needs fresh herbs, so, why not push yourself even further and grow them in your own garden? Then you can attest to the freshness of every ingredient (well, perhaps you didn't grow the tomatoes, but if you can do parsley you can do tomatoes, too). Find a sunny — but not too sunny — spot in your backyard, plant your parsley and basil seeds in the ground or in a pot and don't forget to water them (that's probably the most important part). Now you're a bona fide green thumb, bravo. THURSDAY: DO A BOOK SWAP No more excuses, this year is the year that you'll read that Tolstoy novel. Okay, maybe next year... But this year you are going to read more, you can promise yourself that. While it can be hard to find the motivation to devour a lengthy novel, it becomes much easier when you do it in tandem with a friend — it's like a good type of peer pressure. Swap a book you love for one of theirs and off you go. Or, step things up a notch and start a book club. If you aim to meet once a month, you can get away with reading a few pages a night. And, the best part is, it'll improve your media consumption habits, too. No more Instagram right before bed? That's a win for your sleep habits, mental health and eyeballs. FRIDAY: HEAD TO DANCE PARTY You might be tired after a full work week but muster your second wind, Friday night beckons. Corral your mates, have some beers and head to a themed dance party. Nothing says 'win' more than living out your dream of dancing at a Beyonce vs. Rihanna party (seen in the past at Melbourne venue Yah Yahs). If you're in Sydney, keep an eye on what The Bait Shop is up to — often themed nights around sub-cultures and music of the noughties — or Brisbanites should monitor The Brightside, which held a Hogwarts-themed event this year. SATURDAY: GET ACQUAINTED WITH A NEW STYLE OF MUSIC Though your music likes and dislikes are probably set in stone and your favourite Spotify playlist forever on repeat, why not refresh your listening habits with some tunes outside of your usual genres? Head to live music venue — no, not your regular — and spend the evening getting acquainted with a new style of music. Head to The Night Cat in Melbourne for some rhythm and blues, Lazybones Lounge in Sydney for some folk and country or Doo-Bop Jazz Bar in Brisbane for, well, jazz. [caption id="attachment_680605" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Buffalo Bar, Brisbane.[/caption] SUNDAY: WATCH FOOTY WITH SOME RANDOMS If you've ever travelled overseas during AFL season and walked into a pub while a game is on the big screen, you'll know that it's never easier to make 20 new best friends than over footy and beer. If you're new in town, bored in your own town or just feel like you could do with some new friends, head to a pub where they broadcast live sport and shout "GO [insert team here]!". Before you know it, you will have gained a whole family of fellow supporters who'll probably have your back through thick and thin — and that's a massive win. We suggest, the Bellevue in Sydney, the Royal Saxon in Melbourne and Buffalo Bar in Brisbane. Bring on the beers and cheers. Kick off your 'easy wins' by enjoying a Coopers Dry, or two, with your mates. Top Image: Half Acre by Tim Ross.
