People in New Zealand's South Island are generally an active bunch. There is so much adventuring to do that your visit to the Christchurch region will most likely be packed with hikes, fishing trips, seal swims and mountain biking trips. After all of that, you're going to want to wind down, soothe your nerves and relax a little. Luckily the Christchurch region has just as much to offer to those who want to take life a little slower, and enjoy the creature comforts. Whether you're soaking in the warmth of the region's natural hot springs, glamping in luxurious nature at Lavericks Bay or sampling a couple of cheeky vinos at Black Estate, it's easy to kick back and relax in Christchurch. We've shouldered the heavy burden and picked five of the region's most relaxing activities — so you can take it easy. RIDE THE SCENIC TRANZALPINE TRAIN If you're looking to relax and explore at the same time, board the TranzAlpine train at Christchurch and wind your way through towering beech forests, over the Southern Alps and across the sweeping Canterbury Plains. You'll feel at ease in the comfort of the on-board cafe and cabins which are fitted with wide wall and ceiling windows, through which you can enjoy the views of majestic snow-capped mountains. Take the day trip returning from picturesque Arthur's Pass to Christchurch, or ride the whole way and several hours later you'll arrive at unspoiled Greymouth on New Zealand's West Coast, the ideal base from which to explore the world-renowned Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers, or perhaps hide away and relax somewhere beautiful and isolated. TASTE TEST LOCAL WINE AT BLACK ESTATE Black Estate has rustic, locally-sourced food, wine made on-site and good times guaranteed, all in a picturesque vineyard setting. Less than an hour drive from Christchurch's city centre, you'll know you've arrived when you see Black Estate's minimalist, black barn cellar door. It's set at the foot of a burnt orange hill covered in dry grass and bordered by acres of lush vines. All wine is made on-site by a fella named Nicholas, who believes in simple winemaking using organic locally sourced ingredients free of unnecessary additives. Nicholas's wife Penelope takes care of the business and restaurant, where they serve rustic country cuisine like Canter Valley duck and organic greens, or Akaroa salmon caught just down the road. Pop in, stay a while and indulge in the best cuisine, wine and hospitality that the Canterbury region has to offer. WARM UP AT THE HANMER SPRINGS THERMAL POOLS A quick 90-minute drive from Christchurch you'll find Hanmer, a small alpine town rich with character. This little region is like the setting of an adventure film, with old Victorian cottages set against a backdrop of rugged mountains and towering pine trees. The town's main attraction is Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Spa — the ultimate in slow paced, remote relaxation. Dip your tired body into naturally heated water and soothing rock pools, or perhaps treat yourself to a day of pampering at the premium on-site spa. SPEND THE NIGHT IN A PRIVATE GLASSHOUSE If you fancy spending a night stargazing and surrounded by nature in your own private glasshouse, then the completely isolated, sustainable PurePods that are scattered around New Zealand are perfect for you. Each PurePod has walls, a floor and ceiling made of heavy-duty glass, so you can see everything from the stars above you to the nature beneath your feet. The PurePod in Little River (just over an hour out of Christchurch) is a ten to 15 minute bush walk away from reception, so you're sure to get some peace and quiet for a night. Food packages can be ordered when you book, so you won't need to leave for a whole 24 hours — you'll only need to sit back and immerse yourself in the 360-degree views of the beautiful New Zealand landscape. CANOPY CAMP IN LAVERICKS BAY Under the clean white folds of a spacious tent, look out over the lush farmland and rolling waves of Lavericks Bay. This is glamping how it should be, with your own private black sand cove to relax in that's only an hour and 40 minute drive from Christchurch. Bathe and sunbathe at the same time in the outdoor bath on the campsite, or relax with a book on your own private deck. There are exposed rockpools at low tide and the appearance of Hector's dolphins and seals is not uncommon around your 'campsite'. Maybe you've been to New Zealand's North Island, but have you ever ventured down South? Christchurch, and New Zealand's surrounding Canterbury region, is the perfect place for a quick holiday. Use our planning guide to book your trip, then sort out your itinerary with our food, adventure and nature guides. Top image: Black Estate.
Sport in Melbourne is definitely one of those culturally ingrained things that is AVBD (a very big deal), and chances are you have a team you find yourself getting invested in particularly over a few beers at the pub. Whether you're a casual follower or a professional who weeps regularly and loudly over your chosen ones' performance, sometimes your lounge room just doesn't make the cut – and neither does that tray of frozen chips you popped in the oven. Help yourself and your team out by picking a good venue to watch the game. We've teamed up with the Hahn Brewers and created a list with some of our picks – settle back with some good pub grub, a pint of something heartening, and the ability to yell at the screen without worrying about your neighbours. THE EMPRESS The Empress in the north of Fitzroy rocks a quieter vibe than its counterparts on Brunswick Street, so head here for a pint and a game of AFL. Food-wise it's upmarket pub food and a lot of choice for veggie or vegan fare, so you can settle in for the night in their cozy beer garden with the footy and a very very tasty chicken parma. THE LOMOND The Lomond is one of those pubs that isn't the swishest kid on the block, but will give you a solid case of the warm and fuzzies thanks to beers-a-plenty on tap and an open fire inside. If you're lucky it'll be live Irish music night (classic). There's always a game or two on at The Lomond – and a punter or five betting on it. Top it all off with glass of Hahn and a pulled pork burger and you'll be tottering off home to bed once the fourth quarter is over. THE GREAT NORTHERN The Great Northern holds fairly true its name, in that it's both in Melbourne's north and pretty great. A huge beer garden out the back and ten HD screens littered throughout the venue means you'll probably end up watching sport whether you're planning on it or not. The Northern is the "unofficial home of Freo", so be prepared to be defending yourself if you don't go for the Dockers. Also, the pub also shows most of the other sports you may follow so don't feel like you have to limit yourself to AFL. THE IMPERIAL A big space in the CBD can be hard to find, but kickin' it at the very top of Bourke Street is The Imperial, the third oldest pub in Melbourne. An accommodating hotspot for Premier League followers, you can also head here for the rugby or the cricket or the tennis or even the golf – basically, pick a sport, any sport and head to the Imperial. It's the home of the Liverpool FC supporters in Melbourne, so expect a sea of loud red fans. Other pluses? A huge rooftop bar with great city views, and a new menu with plenty of good food to line your belly. LONDON TAVERN If you're looking for a bar situated near the G, have a gander at the London Tavern; it's been there since 1921 and is somewhat of a footy icon in the area. Watch the match there of a weekend night, and/or enter the hefty meat raffle every Thursday. If you don't make too much of a ruckus yourself perhaps you'll be able to hear the live MCG action from your seat. THE COLLEGE LAWN HOTEL Head southside to the back streets of Prahran for a pub that sticks to what it knows, and does it well – friendly vibes and lazy Sunday afternoons in the sun. At College Lawn, rabid rugby fans are in the house on the weekend, but don't feel left out if that isn't sport of choice; the College Lawn has scores of screens, so we've no doubt you'll find something you dig on at least one. There's also a bottle shop on-site, and $6 pints from 5pm-7pm on Fridays. THE CORNER HOTEL While The Corner is through and through one hell of a music venue, it boasts other non-gig-related attractions. There's a good trivia on every Wednesday, for a start, and despite their ample rooftop beer garden being closed for reno's at the moment there's an American food-truck operating downstairs. More importantly though, it has big screens, a great atmosphere and is right in the heart of the action. Pick this as a place to set up shop on grand final day CHARLES DICKENS The Charles Dickens is one of those old-fashioned British pubs which is actually endlessly charming and makes you feel like you've stepped back in time a few decades. You should probably listen to Brit logic and have a pie (you always deserve a pie) here to go along with a game. There are four screens showing rugby, Premier League or AFL. If your team wins and you want late kick-ons, the Dickens does takeaway beer too. TURF BAR If it's American footy or baseball you're after, Turf Bar might be the pick for you. Their schedule packs in a bit of everything and the facilities are good: big screens with volume loud enough to hear the match, and private screening booths if you so desire. Friday nights offer $6 pints and bar snacks early on in the night. THE LEVESON It's chicken parmatastic over here at The Leveson, one of North Melbourne's nicer pubs, and the menu is as good as the happy hours are generous. The Leveson is a popular place to be on Grand Final day (or Superbowl morning), and as well as sport on the telly there's live music on Fridays. A good steak menu and an open fire will warm the cockles of your heart, and a solid Grand Final day party (featuring an espresso martini bar) should put this high up on your list this year. Sign up to Hahn Brewers and settle down with a drink this weekend.
Staying at home, binge-watching House of Cards and polishing off a few chocolate bunnies solo is one way of spending the Easter long weekend. But when you're trudging back to work on Tuesday, don't you want to feel like you used the time a little more actively? That instead of lounging on the couch you explored sea caves? Instead of going on a YouTube bender you went paddleboarding in crystal-clear water? That you could have finished Fallout 4 but instead you saw the sun set over stunning snowy mountains? Use those glorious four days wisely, you don't get this time off every week. Look, you don't even have to plan anything. These five Instagram-happy globetrotters have put together the perfect itinerary for five different four-day holidays you could taken over the Easter break. Pick your favourite and get going. FIND WATERFALLS, MIDDLE EARTH AND CHEESE FACTORIES IN AUCKLAND by Nicola Easterby @polkadotpassport. Spend a few jam-packed days exploring Auckland and its surrounding countryside, beaches and bubbling restaurant, cafe and bar scene — and make time for an adventure to the stunning Kitekite Falls. Start your trip by enjoying a cup of New Zealand's world-class coffee at Auckland's Fort Lane and a treat from the cafe's European-inspired patisserie cabinet. Head up Mount Eden, the city's highest natural point. Then get ready for a drastic change of pace from the metropolitan buzz as you head out to West Auckland, with rolling green countryside and the boutique wineries of Kumeu, then up to North Auckland with endless stretches of beaches and picturesque regional parks to explore. Make sure you find the Puhoi Cheese Factory. Then head south of Auckland for two hours and you'll end up at the town of Matamata, home to the one and only Lord of the Rings Hobbiton movie set. For the full four-day itinerary. head over here. RIDE SCOOTERS AND LEARN TO COOK IN BALI by Laurie Young @theruecollective. Bali is one of those enchanting places that will transport you from ordinary life into a world of spiritual culture, vibrant colours, and beautiful people. Whether you're looking for a calming escape, a new adventure or simply a few blissful days in paradise, Bali has you covered. Watch the Nusa Dua sunrise and spend the afternoon lounging on the beach drinking from fresh coconuts and enjoying a massage in your own beach chair. Hire a scooter and drive to Uluwatu Temple. Climb down into ocean caves and let the waves lap at your feet. Eat dinner at Jimbaran's traditional seafood restaurants lined up along the beach. Find infinity rooftop pools in Seminyak, learn to cook a traditional Indonesian or Pan Asian dish and spend the afternoon on the beach watching the surfers. For the full four-day itinerary. head over here. EXPLORE TEMPLES AND SEA CAVES IN PHUKET by Helen Chix @helenchikx. For those who have never been to Phuket and need an itinerary packed with the essentials to get a taste of what this city has to offer, then read on. Be warned though – you may find yourselves booking your return (or perhaps one way?) flights and I take no responsibility for this – or maybe just a little. First-timers should opt for a day tour to check out Phi Phi Island or just arrange transport to be ferried to and from. Visit Monkey Beach, swim at Maya Bay (made famous by the movie The Beach), and explore Phi Phi Island. If you're after a day of pampering, then check out the Darin Massage Spa. Explore the Monkey Cave Temple (Wat Suwannakuha), kayak through the mangroves and sea caves at Talu Island, and visit the Muslim fishing village erected on stilts on Koh Panyee. Head over to Krabi for beachfront restaurants and bars with a view fit to enjoy a sunset dinner. Snorkel just off the beach at Chicken Island – but beware of stepping on sea urchins. For the full four-day itinerary. head over here. FIND A FOODIE'S PARADISE IN QUEENSTOWN by Chrizelle Lategan @chrizellelategan. Roam around the little streets of Queenstown over the Easter break — and we mean walking. Visit cute little coffee shops, invest in homemade woollen products, pig out on pork ribs and nibble on delicious seasonal canapés in front of the fire in the beautiful Bordeau Wine Lounge. And that's just the start of your trip. Take a 20-minute scenic drive to gold mining town Arrowtown and visit The Chop Shop, have modern French cuisine in Wanaka, and take the gondola up to Skyline Restaurant. Visit Milford Sound to experience one of the most breathtaking places in the world, wait in line at Ferburger for a feed you won't forget (choose the Codfather if you know what's good for you), and take a stroll alongside the Lake Wakatipu pier. For the full four-day itinerary. head over here. FIND SMALL SURF TOWNS ON THE GOLD COAST by Brigette Dyer @BlkWhiteBlog. Start big with wine and theme parks in and around Broadbeach and then take (short) road trip just over the New South Wales border to the one and only Halcyon House located in Cabarita Beach, a small town with a renowned surf break. Once a run-down 1960s' motel, Halcyon House has been beautifully renovated into a European-inspired boutique hotel. Only a short drive from the Gold Coast you have Queensland's capital city, Brisbane (Concrete Playground can help you here). Then, make your way down to Tallebudgera Creek. Find a comfortable spot under the trees, hire a stand-up paddleboard, or join the locals in jumping off the bridge into the crystal clear water below. Only a two-minute drive from Tallebudgera you have Burleigh Heads, where you can visit the Heads' very first rooftop bar — and order the Deep Fried Nutella Ice Cream Sandwich. For the full four-day itinerary. head over here. Haven't clicked with one of these adventures? Check out more #4PricelessDays itineraries on MasterCard's website.
Leave your table manners at the door, as Sydney's beloved crab shack comes scuttling into St Kilda. Dinner at House of Crabs promises to be a messy affair, but then again that's half the fun. We're talking hammers, bibs and seafood straight from the bag, as you suck down shellfish like it's going out of style. Opening March 4 in the basement of The Newmarket Hotel, House of Crabs takes its cues from crab joints in the American south. The menu features a mix of crabs, prawns and mussels served with Cajun, oriental, Mexican or lemon pepper sauce, along with snacks including smocked ocki tacos, lobster fries and Creole corn. They've also got steak and baby back ribs – although if you're in a restaurant called House of Crabs and not ordering seafood, we think you may have slightly missed the point. No word yet on whether the ice cream waffle sandwiches from their Sydney setup will be making the journey south, but we've got all our fingers claws crossed. The drinks list includes a healthy selection of cocktails, including Blackberry Mint Juleps, Alabama Slammers, Hurricanes and Frozen Margaritas. They also serve beer and a small number of house wines. House of Crabs will begin trading March 4 below 34 Inkerman Street, St Kilda. For more information check them out on Facebook or visit www.houseofcrabs.com.au/stkilda. Image: House of Crabs Sydney.
It’s time to fire up your barbecues and perfect your spice rub recipe, because Melbourne is about to host their second Barbecue Festival. The one-day event — which made its debut at the Queen Vic Market last year — will feature free classes and demonstrations, more barbecued meat than you can poke a skewer at, live entertainment and, of course, the great barbecue cook-off. The cook-off is sanctioned by the too-legit-to-quit Kansas City Barbeque Society, and the winner will go on to compete at the world championships in the U.S., as well receive as a sweet cash prize and — most importantly — unrivalled barbecue glory. We spoke to festival director Matt Vitale about the festival, the different styles of American barbecue, and got all the pro tips on how to barbecue like a boss. MEET THE EXPERT: MATT VITALE Matt had always been an avid backyard barbecue cook, and a few years ago he decided to try his luck at the big time by entering a barbecue competition for the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. Matt teamed up with his wife and they won — sending them to the World Championships of barbecuing, held at the Jack Daniel’s distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee. "It was an amazing experience, and unexpected," he says. "I met a bunch of great people from the Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS), which is the largest organisation of barbecue enthusiasts in the world, and the organising body for this sport — it is a sport in the States.” The KCBS wanted to sanction a contest to Australia, and with Matt's assistance the first Yaks Barbecue Festival was brought to Melbourne. Now, it's back for a second year, with the festival also being held in Sydney for the first time. THE FOUR TYPES OF AMERICAN BARBECUE According to Matt, there are four different regional styles of barbecue in the U.S. Texas barbecue is mostly beef-focussed; the rubs are a lot simpler, mostly salt and pepper, with not much sauce that is usually served on the side. In Memphis, they generally favour a dry rub on their ribs, and again sauce is usually on the side. North and South Carolina have more of a focus on pork where the sauce is more vinegary with a bit of chili thrown in for good measure. But it's Kansas City, Matt says, that takes the best elements from all of the regions. "They're really well known for their beef brisket and burnt ends, which are these cubes of meat taken from the point end of the brisket. They’re also known for their ribs with rich, tomato, sticky sauce, which I think a lot of people really associate American barbecue with. That’s what Kansas City barbecue is really famous for.” [caption id="attachment_555155" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Dollar Photo Club[/caption] HOW TO COOK THE PERFECT BBQ CHOOK Kansas-style barbecue may be well known for their trademark tomato-based sauce, but sometimes it's worth knowing how to perfect the basics before you go slathering on a sticky sauce left, right and centre. One never-fail barbecue recipe that Matt is happy to divulge is his cherrywood-smoked chicken. "Smoked chicken is an achievable dish to do," he says. "A lot of these things you need to cook for a long period of time, but chicken you can get done in a couple of hours." So how do we recreate this magic for ourselves? First, grab a split chicken from a good butcher or poultry and game supplier, as getting it split makes it easier to cook. You're going to need a smoker for this recipe — a very worthy investment if you're serious about your meat. Fire it up to a bit over 100 degrees celsius, and put some wood chunks in there. Matt recommends cherrywood because it's easily available in Australia. Cook the chook for about an hour and a half breast-side down, then turn it over, baste it with olive oil, and leave it for another 30 minutes. Unlike beef brisket, which can take 10-12 hours, this takes a little over two hours and you're ready to eat. Matt recommends pairing this with fresh vegetables cooked over charcoal, such as charred corn, sliced eggplant and asparagus, as they get nice and caramelised. Drink of choice? Beer, of course — either a Fat Yak or a Lazy Yak goes perfectly with any barbecue. PRO TIPS FOR BBQ NOOBS While a lot of Australians love to consume barbecued goods, not all of us are as talented at making it as we are eating it. Matt recommends starting with a solid fuel BBQ to get the most out of your meat. "Gas BBQs are great, but there's so much more that you can do on a solid fuel BBQ. Cooking with wood and charcoal, you'll always get a better result.” Another piece of advice Matt leaves us with is to not be afraid to just give it a go: “sometimes you’ll get it right, other times you’ll get it wrong, but the more you practice, the more you'll get it right." The Yaks Melbourne Barbecue Festival is happening on Saturday, February 6 at Flemington Racecourse. For more information, check out the event. Top image: Dollar Photo Club
The team behind quintessential Melbourne cafes Top Paddock and The Kettle Black have finally cut the ribbon on their long-awaited new venue. Located at the Southern Cross end of Little Bourke Street, Higher Ground has been in the works for well over a year, and after a technical fault that further delayed the opening last week, they finally opened their doors to the public this morning, Monday, July 4. And boy is it a beauty. The huge, high-ceilinged 160-seat venue sits on the corner of Little Bourke and Spencer Streets in a former warehouse. The interior is impressive to say the least; a palette of exposed brick and green marble is spread across a multi-level space, which includes a raised area, an open kitchen, and a large mezzanine that holds couches, tables and its own bar. This is what it looks like: A photo posted by Concrete Playground Melbourne (@concreteplaygroundmelbourne) on Jul 3, 2016 at 9:11pm PDT The venue is serving up the same kickass cafe fare that its two siblings are known for, with the all-day menu including the likes of avo on toast, spiced cauliflower scrambled eggs and semolina porridge with cherry, umeshu, shiso and plum. The famous Top Paddock ricotta hotcake has made the menu too. But they'll also be departing from the usual formula by staying open Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. If you come by after dark, expect some pretty well-priced dinner dishes, like cured kingfish, ricotta gnocchi, lamb ribs and half a chook with truffle and lemon. When we visited today, the eatery was already running like a well-oiled ship, even on their first day of service. Unsurprisingly, it seems these hospo legends have done it again and elevated Melbourne's cafe scene to — dare we say it — higher ground. Higher Ground is now open at 650 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne. They're open for breakfast and lunch seven days a week, and dinner on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. For more info, visit higherground.com.au. Words: Tom Clift and Lauren Vadnjal. Images: Tim Grey.
Thought Friday Nights at the NGV ended with summer? Nup. They're back. Complementing the new Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition, Degas: A New Vision, the gallery is inviting visitors to enjoy a jam-packed late-night program complete with food, booze, talks and live performances. The 13-week program will run the length of the exhibition, kicking off on opening night this Friday, June 24 with headliner Clare Bowditch. Other musical guests on the program include The Grates, Augie March, Mick Harvey, The Goon Sax and Kid Congo, amongst others. In addition to the music lineup, other Friday night activities include talks on the Degas exhibition, performances by a jazz quartet and drinks and snacks in the Great Hall. All in all, it should make for many top-notch Fridays at the gallery.
Melbourne's Gracie Greco feels like Greece. It's airy and bright, the furnishings are wooden and worn, whicker baskets act as chandeliers lending a soft orange glow late in the evening, and the room is always full of laughter, boisterous conversation and plenty of hugs and back-slapping. The two brothers who opened the restaurant grew up around the family business, which taught them to have a passion for food and hospitality. It was always their dream to open a restaurant together, and luckily for the people of Camberwell and all of Melbourne generally, they've gone and done it. The cuisine here has a special focus on the sea and everything is chargrilled or spit-roasted. To start with, look towards the caviar dip with pita bread, some marinated olives in fennel oil, grilled haloumi with honey and toasted sesame along with some eggplant dip and tzatziki. Moving on to the small plates, which are designed to be shared, order a plate of chargrilled octopus with lemon and oregano, some spicy, shallow fried school prawns, Hellenic croquettes with potato, fish and tarama aioli and a bowl of traditionally cooked whitebait. Pair them with a Cypriot gran salad of grains, nuts and pulses with yoghurt dressing. A bowl of lamb or chicken gyros completes the starters. For mains, highlights include the moussaka, a traditional beef, eggplant and potato bake; a gemista with peppers stuffed with beef, rice and seasonal vegetables; barbecue grilled calamari; char grilled king prawns or the fish of the day. If you've left room for dessert we're impressed, so treat yourself with a baklava, a custard filo or some Greek doughnuts. When it comes to wine, it's got an approachable and well-curated list, with Aussie, Greek and French drops intermixed. There's the obligatory list of ouzu, too, as well as beers and cocktails, including a few classics, such as negronis, cosmos and mojitos. Gracie Greco is clearly focusing on the classics, doing them to the book. It's not reimagining the cuisine. It's not trying to be fine dining, either. And there's absolutely no need to when you're working with Greek dishes and drinks that have been perfected over centuries. If it ain't broke.
Listen up: Listen Out is back for its 11th year and, after first announcing its dates and venues, it isn't slouching on the lineup front. The just-dropped bill for the touring festival boasts 21 Savage, Skepta, Tyla and Flo Milli among its hip hop and R&B names. On the electronic side, John Summit and Sub Focus feature. Yes, the list goes on from there. Fans of 21 Savage, Tyla and Flo Milli — and of Teezo Touchdown, Jessie Reyez and Jazzy, too — should be especially excited. When they each take to Listen Out's stages this spring for the fest's 2024 trip around Australia, they'll be hitting the country for the first time. Among their company, Lil Tjay, Lithe, Folamour, The Blessed Madonna, Cassian and Disco Lines are just some of the fellow acts that'll have festivalgoers in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth dancing. With Groovin the Moo announcing its dates then cancelling, and Splendour in the Grass sadly doing the same, everyone's plans for 2024 have been missing a few music festivals. But Listen Out is aiming to buck the trend, locking in its return for September and October. Adelaide's Listen In is also taking place this year, and has similarly just unveiled its lineup. 2023's fest was Listen Out's most successful in terms of ticket sales ever, and the crew behind it are hoping to continue that trajectory. Something that might help: turning the fest into a 16-plus event, age-wise, which is a first for 2024. As the roster of names on the lineup demonstrates, the festival's focus is staying true to its niche, filling its stages on electronic and hip hop artists — both international and local talents, too. Four stops are on the Listen Out agenda: Caribbean Gardens in Melbourne, HBF Arena in Perth, RNA Showgrounds in Brisbane and Centennial Park in Sydney. If you've been worried about missing the NRL final in Sydney and the AFL final in Perth thanks to Listen Out's dates, the fest has news there: at both legs, there'll be screens showing the football. Listen In, the condensed version of the fest with a smaller lineup, is headed to Ellis Park in Adelaide. It'll feature 21 Savage, Folamour, Jessie Reyez, John Summit, Lil Tjay, A Little Sound, Skepta and Theodore Kittens. Listen Out and Listen In 2024 Lineups: Listen Out: 21 Savage Skepta Lil Tjay Tyla Flo Milli Jessie Reyez Teezo Touchdown Lithe John Summit Sub Focus Folamour The Blessed Madonna Cassian Disco Lines Jazzy Koven Conducta A Little Sound Ben Gerrans AK Sports Foura B2B Tom Santa Miss Kaninna Djanaba Soju Gang Melbourne: Yo! Mafia Sixten Kelly T J-OK Perth: Sammythesinner Janeethevirgin Dr Pepper Bodie Brisbane: Trance Mums Jacob Tompkins Mikalah Watego Melanin Mami Sydney: Dayzzi Malfunkt x Banno Bodego Collective Bella Backe Listen In: 21 Savage Folamour Jessie Reyez John Summit Lil Tjay A Little Sound Skepta Theodore Kittens Triple J Unearthed winners + more [caption id="attachment_957218" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jordan Munns[/caption] Listen Out and Listen In Australian 2024 Dates: Friday, September 27 — Listen Out Melbourne, Caribbean Gardens, Wurundjeri Land / Melbourne Saturday, September 28 — Listen Out Perth, HBF Arena, Mooro Country / Joondalup Sunday, September 29 — Listen In Adelaide, Ellis Park / Tampawardli (Park 24), Kaurna Country / Adelaide Saturday, October 5 — Listen Out Brisbane, Brisbane Showgrounds, Meanjin / Brisbane Sunday, October 6 — Listen Out Sydney, Centennial Park, Gadigal Country [caption id="attachment_957226" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jordan Munns[/caption] [caption id="attachment_957221" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sam Venn[/caption] [caption id="attachment_957224" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mitch Lowe[/caption] [caption id="attachment_957228" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anna Warr[/caption] Listen Out and Listen In's 2024 season tours Australia in spring 2024. For more information — and for tickets from midday local time in each city on Thursday, June 6 — head to the festival website. Top image: Sam Venn.
It's going to be a battle of bird and Budapest this year at the Academy Awards; the nominations for 2015 have been unveiled this morning. However, the nominations have been met with fierce criticism for a lack of diversity. The big guns at the front of the game: Richard Linklater's Boyhood nabbed six noms as did Clint Eastwood's American Sniper, but right out in front Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's Birdman each clocked up nine nominations each. Everyone's talking about the snub to Selma; the Martin Luther King Jr.-focused film missed out on nominations for lead actor David Oyelowo and director Ava DuVernay. Bradley Cooper's nomination for Best Actor in Clint Eastwood's American Sniper was another surprise, a nomination omitted from the Golden Globes. There's a few more Easter eggs in there; Jennifer Anniston missed out on a Best Actress nomination for Cake, the spot instead going to Two Days, One Night's Marion Cotillard. Guardians of the Galaxy is nominated for Best Makeup Design (#iamgroot). Christopher Nolan's Interstellar (one of 2014's most talked-about films that was tipped to possibly miss out) nabbed five nominations including Best Original Score. And Studio Ghibli's The Tale of Princess Kaguya nabbed a Best Animation nom, despite terrible box office figures and the closure of Ghibli's feature film department. And The Lonely Island's Andy Samberg was nominated for Best Original Song for The Lego Movie's Everything is Awesome'. So there's that. There's significant debate over the diversity of the Oscar nominations this year, observations that the Academy have been taking great pains to change over the years. It's been brought up by social media that all 20 of the nominated actors are white, leading to the trending Twitter hashtag #OscarsSoWhite. The Selma snubs have been constantly referenced. The dominance of white Academy voters was also pinpointed by this infographic; 94 percent of voters are white and 77 percent of these are male — black and latino voters made up just 2 percent each. Needless to say, debates are swirling webwide. All will be analysed, prodded, celebrated and scorned on February 22. AND THE NOMINEES ARE: Best Picture American Sniper Birdman Boyhood The Grand Budapest Hotel The Imitation Game Selma The Theory of Everything Whiplash Best Actor Steve Carell, Foxcatcher Bradley Cooper, American Sniper Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game Michael Keaton, Birdman Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything Best Actress Marion Cotillard, Two Days, One Night Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything Julianne Moore, Still Alice Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl Reese Witherspoon, Wild Best Supporting Actor Robert Duvall, The Judge Ethan Hawke, Boyhood Edward Norton, Birdman Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher J. K. Simmons, Whiplash Best Supporting Actress Patricia Arquette, Boyhood Laura Dern, Wild Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game Emma Stone, Birdman Meryl Streep, Into the Woods Best Cinematography Birdman The Grand Budapest Hotel Ida Mr. Turner Unbroken Best Director Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Birdman Richard Linklater, Boyhood Bennett Miller, Foxcatcher Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel Morten Tyldum, The Imitation Game Best Original Screenplay Boyhood Birdman Foxcatcher The Grand Budapest Hotel Nightcrawler Best Adapted Screenplay American Sniper The Imitation Game Inherent Vice The Theory of Everything Whiplash Best Foreign Language Film Ida, Poland Leviathan, Russia Tangerines, Estonia Timbuktu, Mauritania Wild Tales, Argentina Best Makeup and Hairstyling Foxcatcher The Grand Budapest Hotel Guardians of the Galaxy Best Original Score The Grand Budapest Hotel The Imitation Game Interstellar Mr. Turner The Theory of Everything Best Costume Design The Grand Budapest Hotel Inherent Vice Into the Woods Maleficent Mr. Turner Best Documentary Feature Citizenfour Finding Vivian Maier Last Days in Vietnam Salt of the Earth Virunga Best Documentary Short Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1 Joanna Our Curse The Reaper White Earth Best Film Editing American Sniper Boyhood The Grand Budapest Hotel The Imitation Game Whiplash Best Animated Feature Big Hero 6 The Boxtrolls How to Train Your Dragon 2 Song of the Sea The Tale of Princess Kaguya Best Original Song “Lost Stars,” Begin Again “Grateful,” Beyond the Lights “I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me “Everything is Awesome,” The Lego Movie “Glory,” Selma Best Production Design The Grand Budapest Hotel The Imitation Game Interstellar Into the Woods Mr. Turner Best Animated Short Film The Bigger Picture The Dam Keeper Feast Me and My Moulton A Single Life Best Live-Action Short Film Aya Boogaloo and Graham Butter Lamp Paraveneh The Phone Call Best Sound Editing American Sniper Birdman The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Interstellar Unbroken Best Sound Mixing American Sniper Birdman Interstellar Unbroken Whiplash Best Visual Effects Captain America: The Winter Soldier Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Guardians of the Galaxy Interstellar X-Men: Days of Future Past
Kath and Kim's Kel Knight might be the ultimate sausage creator to many, but there are plenty of local butchers who give the purveyor of fine meats a run for his money. And the Builders Arms Hotel brings a few of them together every year when it hosts its epic Sausage Festival. For its 11th iteration, the pub's Andrew McConnell-run kitchen will be pumping out five specialty sausage dishes from Friday, June 21–Sunday, June 30 — made by butchers local to the Gertrude Street watering hole, with many produced by Troy Wheeler and his team at Meatsmith. Get around a classic merguez sausage served with three fresh oysters and mignonette sauce ($22), a layered mortadella sandwich in a milk bun and finished with salted butter ($14), spicy Thai sausages with green nam jim ($23), a blood sausage loaf topped with a fried egg and relish ($24) and an epic choucroute garnie that includes a heap of sauerkraut topped with smoked frankfurters, lyonnaise sausages and pork belly ($36). Each of the dishes also comes with a suggested wine, beer or cocktail pairing for those looking to take it all to the next level. Plus, if you rock up on Wednesday, June 26, you can join the Builders Arms' special sausage-themed trivia. Snag the win by showing off some of the most obscure sausage facts you know, all while chowing down on some less-than-classic bangers.
Independent artist-run record label Two Bright Lakes have been releasing exceptional, gamechanging music for the last eight years. Sadly TBL are calling it a day, but thankfully they'll continue to release music through a new venture, affectionately dubbed Little Lakes Records. To celebrate the end of an era, Two Bright Lakes are throwing one huge final bash at Schoolhouse Studios. Both current talent and TBL alumni will be performing on the night, with Kid Sam putting in an extra special performance. There'll also be troubadour extraordinaire Brendan Welch, the divine dance moves of Collarbones, and utterly gorgeous Melbourne group The Harpoons. The fun doesn’t end there, as Seagull, Nick Huggins, Hello Satellites and of course, Two Bright Lakes DJs, will celebrate eight glorious years of independent music. If you're a music fan, a TBL fan, or just a lover of damning the man with independent art, this is your party. Image: Two Bright Lakes.
Healthy eating may be about to get a whole lot simpler, with the launch of Melbourne's first About Life supermarket. Opening in Port Melbourne at the end of April, the store will mark the first inroads into Victoria for the natural and organic grocery chain, which has been operating in Sydney since 1996. The Bay Street store will offer an extensive range of groceries, including fresh local produce and free range meat, dairy, deli and baked goods, plus eco-friendly health and beauty items ranging from toothpaste to body butter. Their Private Label range will feature a number of premium products, including dips, salads and various ready-made meals. The store will also boast an About Life Cafe, selling superfood meals and salads alongside organic and fair-trade coffee, therapeutic herbal teas, and a number of juices and smoothies. There'll also be a self-serve food bar with hot and cold meals on rotation. Standouts include the beetroot quinoa risotto, the turmeric mustard pork, and About Life's signature raw lasagna. Everything on the menu will be pre-approved by an in-house nutritionist. In related news, they have an in-house nutritionist! "The 'new healthy' is a journey of — it is about having a broad perspective of diet; whole foods, clean eating and locally produced food," said About Life COO Vladia Cobrdova. "While we consider wellness innovations from superfoods to raw, our core focus is on sustainable, ethical, locally sourced produce and a balanced diet." About Life will open at 120 Bay Street, Port Melbourne on Saturday April 30. For more information visit www.aboutlife.com.au.
Melbourne's favourite controversial stage practitioners, Malthouse Theatre, have announced an intriguing, weird and broad 2017 program. Malthouse are known for pushing boundaries with their next-level productions but this year is particularly saucy with a big international quotient. They've announced that 13 productions will make up the 2017 program, featuring a mix of Aussie and international talent. Some of the highlights include the spine-tingling The Black Rider, by Matthew Lutton and Tom Waits. The Black Rider is based on the German folk tale of the freischutz, a marksman in contract with the devil for bullets that always hit their mark, and stars Kanen Breen, Paul Capsis and cabaret dynamo Meow Meow (otherwise known as Melissa Madden Gray). We also like the look of Wild Bore, created, directed and starring Zoe Coombs Marr, Ursula Martinez and Adrienne Truscott (so much talent in one play — bring the smelling salts, we're overwhelmed). They aim to turn the tides on critics and criticism they've received over the course of their illustrious careers and give it right back in their characteristically sassy and off-centre way. The Homosexuals, or Faggots, is another not to be missed — it's self-described as "[swerving] across the road like a drunken driver to create a howlingly funny hour of blistering satire". Written by funny man and one-half of theatre group Sisters Grimm Declan Greene and directed by Griffin Theatre's artistic director Lee Lewis, the play explores hypocrisy and political correctness from the point of view of two married gay men. The rest of the jam-packed program includes an exploration of the psychological effects of China's one child policy directed by Wang Chong, an unapologetically furious critique of language, behaviour and feminism written by Alice Birch, and the story of an up-and-coming country music star and her tumultuous road trip love affair by siblings John and Margaret Harvey. Hold on to your butts. Check out Malthouse Theatre's entire 2017 program at their website.
After last week dropping a couple of new tracks from his forthcoming album Starboy, The Weeknd again has fans hopping with excitement, announcing the locations for four new pop-up stores around the world. The Canadian musician took to Twitter to reveal the locations of four more Starboy merch pop-ups: Tokyo, Toronto, Berlin and our very own Melbourne. They follow a round of stores that popped up in Miami, LA, New York, and London earlier this month. SEE YOU IN TORONTO pic.twitter.com/kF42jdlQXn — The Weeknd (@theweeknd) November 21, 2016 The Australian outpost will pop up in Melbourne Central this weekend, from November 25-27. Of course, if this retail venture proves to be anywhere near as insanely popular as Kanye's Pablo pop-ups, you'd best start lining up now. Find The Weeknd's Australian pop-up shop from November 25-27 at shop 239, level 2, Melbourne Central Shopping Centre, 211 La Trobe Street, Melbourne. It will be open from 10am - 8pm on Friday, 10am - 6pm on Saturday and noon - 6pm on Sunday.
Get food from your favourite restaurant delivered right to your door, courtesy of a premium restaurant delivery service that has just touched down in Melbourne. Suppertime is an online platform with its own fleet of drivers that partners with local restaurants and takes care of home delivery on their behalf. Now excuse us while we delete the Dominos app from our phone. Online takeout services are by no means a new idea, but where Suppertime differs from its competitors such as Menulog or Delivery Hero is that it only partners with restaurants that don't already offer home delivery, using their own drivers to pick up the food from the restaurant and deposit it into your waiting arms. They've been operating in Sydney for some time now, and have already set up partnerships with several dozen Melbourne eateries, including +39 Pizzeria, Nieuw Amsterdam, Thailander, Mr. Big Stuff, Afghan Valley and Mamak. "Melbourne is considered the foodie-hub of Australia," said co-founder Nathan Besser in a statement that accompanied the Melbourne launch. "With so many delicious feeds to be had across this diverse city, launching Suppertime locally is an exciting move for our brand ... We’re continuing to add new partners daily and we’re hoping to further expand our footprint as the business develops a following." For the time being, Suppertime only delivers to the Melbourne CBD, but there are plans to expand into the surrounding suburbs in the near future. To browse the full list of available restaurants, visit the Suppertime website.
One of those people who doesn’t care what your food looks like, as long as it tastes good and there’s plenty of it? Turns out you might be psychologically abnormal. If you’ve been wondering what all the fuss is about when it comes to 'plating' (i.e. how chefs in fancy pants restaurants arrange the food on your plate), new research has some answers for you. Chef and scientist Charles Michel has led a brand new study at the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford, which shows that we react best to food when it's shaped in a triangle. Not just any old triangle, mind you, but one that points away from us (just like the image above). When this optimised arrangement turns up on our table, we’re willing to pay for more for it and we feel safer. Safer? Well, apparently a triangle that points towards us is perceived as threatening. Conducted in conjunction with The Science Museum, London, and published in Food Quality and Preference, the study drew its conclusions from the responses of 16,667 participants. "(Plating is) such a small detail of the dining experience — something people rarely think about — but it does matter," Michel told Vice. "It seems that many principles of visual aesthetics and art perception apply when it comes to food. "I guess my aim is to make people have more thought when it comes to placing the food on their plate, heightening awareness. At the same time, using modern tech and the internet to give tools to chefs and people serving a lot of food a way to enhance the enjoyment." Via Vice.
Getting out of the house just got a little bit easier as the sunny spring months have finally returned. To welcome back the much needed warmth and clear blue skies, we've got another selection of contemporary art exhibitions that are full of energy and creativity. September sees a host of inspired visual delights on display as the National Gallery of Victoria presents the luminous collage works of living legend Gareth Sansom, the TarraWarra Museum of Art brings together local and international artists who explore our connection to history, and Junior Space ponders the place of tropical plants. With an abundance of art to choose from, this month's exhibitions blossom with excitement and imagination.
Between work, family and maintaining an impeccable (but relatable) online presence, life can sometimes get away from us. We tend to romanticise going interstate, going overseas, heading out to the country for a weekend without looking closer to home for new experiences. But the city you call home might surprise you if you let it. Melbourne is a melting pot of cultures, a final destination for so many creative enterprises and we're #blessed (not even sarcastically) with world class restaurants on every corner. These foodie experiences might cost a small fortune, but, when you think about it, they're cheaper than a weekend away — and the best (and most delicious) way to find luxury in this fine city of ours. We've partnered with Grey Goose, one of the most luxurious brands of vodka you can get, to bring you the best luxury experiences in your city, start ticking these foodie experiences (and paired cocktails) off. OMAKASE AT MINAMISHIMA If you're prepared to pay big bucks (and willing to never again be able to eat shopping mall sushi rolls with satisfaction), the omakase selection at Miniamishima is for you. Omakase means chef's choice so you'll be in the very capable (and diligent) hands of chef Koichi Minamishima while he serves up an incredible 15 courses of Melbourne's best sushi. Cocktail to try: Keep it simple, let the Japanese flavours come through and try a Grey Goose Vodka on the rocks. THE 16-COURSE DEGUSTATION AT LÛMÉ Lûmé is an establishment that needs no introduction. If you haven't considered a Lûmé degustation to celebrate a special occasion, hand over those dollar bills and do so now — you won't regret it. You can choose between three degustation options ranging from 4 courses to 16, but the big daddy here is The Road, a 14 to 16-course journey through culinary enlightenment. It'll set you back $170 per person (and another $120 each for bevs) — but you'll then be able to let the experts take you on a journey that's part artistic, part culinary and fully life changing. Cocktail to try: A pre-dinner Dirty Martini — made with vodka, vermouth and muddled olives. A THREE-COURSE MEAL AT THE TOWN MOUSE The Town Mouse inhabits a dark little corner of Carlton away from the hustle and bustle of Lygon Street, but within the chic, tiled interior is a warm venue bursting with character. The protein-heavy menu can cater to you whether you're just feeling peckish or grappling with the hunger of a bear — but we recommend going the whole hog with three courses. The wine list is perfectly matched as well and the dessert menu in itself is worth a trip — as are the oysters with Chardonnay sorbet. Cocktail to try: A simple Gimlet — made with vodka and lime juice. PRIVATE DINING AT SAKE Sake offers a banquet-style dining experience in their Hamer Hall restaurant, overlooking the Yarra. The set menu will walk you through the Japanese classics for which Sake is renowned, plus a few more you might not be game enough to try if given the choice. Expect the freshest seafood alongside umami flavours galore. Cocktail to try: Sake's Japanese Ice Tea — vodka, Umeshu, Monin peach syrup, ginger, fresh mint and soda served over ice. THE SEVEN-COURSE TASTING MENU AT ESTELLE BY SCOTT PICKETT The menu at Scott Pickett's fine dining room of Estelle is Australian in more ways than one. The seven-course tasting menu — which features smoked wallaby alongside a medley of Aussie seafood — is served up simply but packs in big flavour. The northside restaurant is beautifully (and monochromatically) decorated to tick all your luxury dining experience boxes. Cocktail to try: Estelle's Capnophobia — made with vodka, single-malt whisky and bitters. SIT AT THE CHEF'S TABLE AT DINNER BY HESTON A visit to Dinner by Heston is a visit you will remember for a long time. The menu of Blumenthal's Crown restaurant is inspired by classic British gastronomy, so while it's not exactly vegetarian-friendly, it certainly is educational as it walks you through a history of dinner and dessert dishes. You can dine à la carte or spend your entire pay cheque on a seat at the chef's table, where Executive Chef Ashley Palmer-Watts will serve up your food himself and you'll get your own personal sommelier. It's perhaps a little less luxurious than dining at The Fat Duck, but that doesn't make it any less worthy of a visit. Cocktail to try: Dinner by Heston's Bloody Mary — made with Worcestershire Sauce-infused vodka, horseradish, clear broth, pepper distillate, tomato consommé and celery oil. THE TASTING MENU AT NORA When you step into your Nora degustation, discard any preconceived notions you have about Thai food. Chef and owner Sarin Rojanametin's approach to cooking and degustations are refreshingly playful, taking you on a journey through his childhood favourites. He describes the Nora experience as "punch in the face, dance in the mouth flavours of Thailand", so you know you're set for a wild ride. Cocktail to try: Mint Julep made with mint, sugar, lemon, soda and vodka. THE SET MENU AT IDES Peter Gunn's new project Ides started as a pop-up and only transitioned to a permanent venue in Collingwood earlier this year. The ethos behind Ides is experimentation. On Sundays, you can get right into the spirit with their experimental rotating tasting menu or go for the more traditional six-course offering throughout the week. It's well-priced luxury at $110. Cocktail to try: A Grey Goose Dry Martini — made with vodka, vermouth, orange bitters and lemon zest. THE DEGUSTATION AT CUTLER & CO. Cutler & Co. is an understated but must-do Melbourne dining experience. The elegant hole-in-the-wall on Gertrude Street serves up some decadent dishes (that look more like art than food, mind you) alongside a well-paired drinks menu. It's $150 for six courses, and another $80-130 for matched bevs. And make sure you stop by their sister venue, Marion, next door for a post-feast digestive. Cocktail to try: Cutler & Co.'s The Black Drum Martini — made with vodka, Vermut Negre, orange, cucumber, olive and brine. THE TASTING MENU AT VUE DE MONDE Okay, this one's an obvious one. But if your idea of luxury equates to eating some of the city's finest food by one of the city's best chefs atop the city's highest buildings, then Vue de Monde will tick all the boxes. Located on the 55th floor, the restaurant is the epitome of fine dining in Melbourne — and dishes like one above are just the start. The tasting menu costs a small fortune at $230-275 per person, but takes you on a dazzling journey that will brilliantly blind you to anything but the food in front of you (including, hopefully, the bill at the end of the night). Cocktail to try: Lui Bar's Vodka Pour Over for a pre-dinner drink. It's vodka, 5 senses coffee and a hint of white chocolate served ice cold.
More than 1500 silver bicycle frames have been installed in the foyer of the National Gallery of Victoria, in the lead up to the feverishly anticipated Andy Warhol / Ai Weiwei exhibition, which is set to open next week. It's the latest iteration of Ai's Forever Bicycles, an ongoing project that dates back to 2003, and offers a towering visual metaphor for social and political change in the artist's native China. 'Forever' bicycles are a popular brand of mass produced Chinese bicycles that Ai himself desired as a child. Now, he has more than a thousand. Connected together, the frames create a giant, three-dimensional arch more than nine metres high, which the outspoken artist has called "a moving abstract shape that symbolises the way in which the social environment in China is changing." The enormous installation is one of 300 works that will make up the exhibition, which opens to the public on Friday December 11. Among them will be a number of new commissions by Ai, including a work that consists of hundreds of delicate porcelain flowers, as well as a room-scale installation featuring portraits of Australian human rights activists. He will also be creating a large scale work out of Lego, using bricks donated from all around the world after Lego turned down a bulk order by the artist on the grounds that it "cannot approve the use of Legos for political works." Ai is expected to visit Australia this week for the opening of the exhibition. The artist, who has long been critical of the Chinese government, had been barred from travelling abroad since being imprisoned by the authorities in 2011, but had his passport returned to him earlier this year. The Andy Warhol / Ai Weiwei exhibition runs from December 11 until April 24. For more information, visit the NGV website.
It's been nearly a year since we first got word that Chin Chin's Chris Lucas would be opening a three-storey Japanese restaurant on Flinders Lane, and several months since we learnt that he'd recruited Korean chef K. S. Moon. Now, with just a few days left until service begins, the Lucas Group has finally revealed what diners can expect from their latest venture — and from the looks of things, it'll be well worth the wait. Located on Flinders Lane just across the street from Supernormal, Kisumé will open for the first time on Monday, May 15. There's a lot going on, but here's the configuration. The restaurant will take over the entire basement level, while a sushi bar will occupy ground floor with a different menu. The second storey — dubbed Kuro Kisumé — is where things get a little more intimate. This floor features a Chablis bar that heroes the so-named Chardonnay from northwest Burgundy alongside the Kisumé Winewall (which they've apparently trademarked) — it has four separate glass cabinets devoted to Chablis, Pinot Noir, Riesling and a mix of sake and Japanese whisky. From mid-June Kuro Kisumé will also play host to The Table, an omakase-style dining experience that can accommodate just a dozen people at a time, and a pair of private dining rooms fitted with artworks from Japanese photographer Nobuyoshi Araki and Australia's Polly Borland.. Inspired by classic Japanese design, the interior of the restaurant is minimalist in nature, featuring timber flooring, grey leather and matte brass complemented by dusty pink curtains. But what about the food? Standout dishes on the Kisumé menu include steamed king crab gyoza with quail egg and bonito vinaigrette, crispy wagyu truffles with miso and mozzarella, foie gras and beef tenderloin with yakiniku soy, and seared yellowfin tuna tataki with wasabi tofu and chilli yuzu ponzu. The sushi bar also promises an array of specialty rolls and sashimi, such as Alaskan king crab with spring onion, flying fish roe and soy paper. The restaurant (basement): The sushi bar (ground floor): The Chablis bar (level one): The table (level one): The Winewall (level one): Kisumé is located at 175 Flinders Lane, Melbourne and will open for dinner only from Monday, May 15. From Monday, May 22 onwards, they will be open from 11am until late, seven days a week. For more information or to book a table, visit kisume.com.au.
See the other articles in our Wine Lover's Weekenders series. With its rugged scenery, lush waterfalls and cool climate wines, the Southern Highlands is like the Blue Mountains and the Hunter Valley combined, but without the crowds. One reason it's still a bit of a secret is that, for a wine region, it's young. "Official status" was only granted in 1999. However, the oldest winery in the area, Joadja, was set up back in the 1980s. And since then, more than 60 vineyards and 16 wineries have joined it. At an altitude of more than 600 metres, the area specialises in cool climate varieties, like pinot noir and riesling. Here's your guide to wining your way through a weekend in the Southern Highlands. DRINK For consistently cracking boutique wines, head to Tertini (Kells Creek Rd, Mittagong; (02) 4878 5213; 10am-5pm Thu-Mon or by appointment), which has been winning awards since dropping its first bottle ten years ago (the 2005 riesling). Unassuming yet skilled wine maker Jonathan Holgate is committed to old-fashioned processes. That means hand pruning, hand picking and low cropping. He produces in small batches and experiments with alternative varieties, such as arneis and lagrein. Meanwhile, at the majestic Centennial Vineyards (252 Centennial Rd, Bowral; (02) 4861 8722; 10am-5pm daily), on the outskirts of Bowral, the cellar door affords dazzling panoramas over 80 acres of vineyards, where chardonnay, riesling and pinot noir as well as exotic varieties like albariño, pinot meunier and tempranillo grow. At 760 metres above sea level, the fruit ripens gradually and is all the richer for it. To linger over the views, stay for a meal at the onsite restaurant. Further south, near the historic, haunted town of Berrima, there's Joadja (cnr Greenhills and Joadja Roads, Berrima; (02) 4878 5236). A self-guided tour takes you through the winery and gardens, where you're welcome to picnic, or, in cold weather, stay inside sampling wine next to the wood fire. Other wineries to visit include Artemis, the home of Sun Shack Cider (46 Sir Charles Moses Lane, Mittagong; (02) 48721311; 10am-4pm Mon-Fri; 10am-5pm Sat-Sun and public holidays); McVitty (434 Wombeyan Caves Rd, Mittagong; (02) 4878 5044; 10am-5pm weekends); Eling Forest (12587 Hume Highway, Sutton Forest; (02) 4878 9499; 10:30am-4:30pm daily); and St Maur (Old Argyle Rd, Exeter; (02) 4883 4401; 10:30am-4:30pm Thu-Mon). For the official Southern Highlands wine trail map, visit the Southern Highlands Wine website. EAT There are two hatted restaurants in the Southern Highlands. Biota (18 Kangaloon Rd, Bowral; (02) 4862 2005; lunch Fri-Mon; dinner daily), awarded Regional Restaurant of the Year in 2014 and 2015, has two. The focus is on local produce, grown in the restaurant's onsite kitchen garden and combined in creative ways. If you don't want to sit down to a full meal, try the rather unusual bar menu, featuring dishes like smoked South Coast oyster with nasturtium, and pork parts with citrus caramel. Then there's the one-hatted Eschalot (24 Old Hume Highway, Berrima; (02) 4877 1977; lunch Thurs-Sun; dinner Wed-Sun), housed in an atmospheric sandstone heritage building. Alternatively, to mix some reading with your dining, try Bendooley Estate (3020 Old Hume Highway, Berrima; (02) 4877 2235; lunch daily), where you can wander through the Berkelouw Book Barn and visit another cellar door. Or go for some excellent Italian at the family-owned Onesta Cucina (5 Boolwey St, Bowral; (02) 4861 6620; lunch Thu-Sat; dinner Mon-Sat). STAY The Highlands' rich-and-famous experience (a la Nicole Kidman, Jimmy Barnes and Peter Garrett, all of whom own estates in the area) is on offer at the five star Milton Park Country House Hotel and Spa. Set on 300 acres of hilltop woodland, it comes with the works: a grand mansion, world-famous landscaped gardens, deluxe rooms with four-poster beds, marble bathrooms, a spa and, of course, helicopter and limo transfers. For a stay less grandiose yet still luxurious, historic and charming, there's the 170-year-old Fitzroy Inn (1 Ferguson Crescent, Mittagong; (02) 4872 3457). Meanwhile, Biota is home to some relaxed, contemporary rooms, from where you can access the restaurant's 3 acres of grounds, complete with duck pond. DO Possibly the most fun way to see the Southern Highlands is from the back of a shiny red Boom Trike, with Highland Trike Tours (0412 555 757 or 0419 461 106) Choose a ready-made tour or design your own, incorporating as many wineries as you can handle. To move at a slower pace — while seeing some of the region's best scenery — hire a bicycle at Ye Olde Bicycle Shoppe (11 Church Street, Bundanoon; (02) 4883 6043; 8.30am–4pm Sun–Fri; 8:30am-5pm Sat). From there, an easygoing, 12 kilometre circuit visits 12 lookouts, as well as waterfalls and swimming holes. Your weekend art fix can be had at the Milk Factory Gallery (33 Station St, Bowral; (02) 4862 1077; 10am-5pm daily). This enormous, airy space with its 7 metre high ceilings incorporates a variety of rooms and a dynamic contemporary exhibition program. For design, pop into the Sturt Gallery (cnr Range Rd and Waverley Parade, Mittagong; (02) 4860 2083; 10am-5pm daily), which was established in 1941 and is the oldest craft and design centre in Australia. The grounds are beautiful and an onsite cafe is open Wednesday to Sunday.
Sleeping under the stars on holiday is a romantic notion of old, taking us back to the days of our ancestors and bringing us closer to nature — that is, until nature finds its way into your campsite and rummages through all of your Tim Tams. Hotels and resorts around the world are finding creative ways to bring the open-air to you in style, allowing guests to embrace their surroundings in pure luxury. If you love glamping, you're going to go nuts for these five-starry retreats. [caption id="attachment_582573" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Atelier für Sonderaufgaben.[/caption] THE ONLY STAR IS YOU WHERE IN THE WORLD: Swiss Alps, Switzerland WHAT IT WILL COST: $310AUD per night Making headlines for the last couple of weeks, this brand new hotel in the Swiss Alps lets travellers experience a roofless, door-less and even wall-less night's stay — the luxury double bed is all that makes up this hotel 'room'. Be prepared to really immerse yourself in your surroundings, since the great outdoors will act as your bathroom and shower. This project comes as the antithesis to Null Stern Hotels' 2008 project, Zero Star Hotel, which was built in a nuclear bunker. THE LOISABA STARBEDS WHERE IN THE WORLD: Loisaba Conservancy, Kenya WHAT IT WILL COST: $300AUD per night Among Loisaba Conservancy's 56,000 acres of wildlife lies their Starbeds — handcrafted, four-poster beds which are wheeled onto raised wooden platforms. These are built into the rock face and offer unrestricted views of the African night sky, as well as the illusion of being suspended in mid-air. The communal area includes brass-fitted bathrooms, wooden decks and dining rooms, all overlooking the Kiboko Waterhole which is frequented by hippos and other wildlife. AMANGIRI WHERE IN THE WORLD: Canyon Point, Utah WHAT IT WILL COST: $3000AUD per night Open-air hotels don't get more glamorous, or pricier, than Amangiri. The 600-acres of protected desert is approximately two hours from the Grand Canyon. The resort is built into the rock-face for maximum exclusivity, with each suite offering indoor and outdoor sleeping arrangements. Travelling with friends? The four-bedroom mesa home includes a 15-metre private pool, fireplace, underfloor heating and personal bar, and will cost you a cool $12K per night. CABRIOLET ROOM WHERE IN THE WORLD: L'Albereta Resort, Italy WHAT IT WILL COST: $550 AUD per night If you're looking for romantic star gazing, nothing beats the Cabriolet room at L'Albereta, where a push of a button reveals a retractable roof and the gorgeous Italian night sky beyond. The plush canopy bed is only out-luxed by the marble-clad bathroom, which includes a hydro-massage tub. The views aren't limited to the stars, either — the balcony faces the resort's vineyards, as well as Lake Iseo. VIEW WITH A ROOM WHERE IN THE WORLD: Bangkok, Thailand WHAT IT WILL COST: $285 per night Bangkok Tree House is an eco-conscious, 12-room boutique located on the island of Bang Krachao, just outside the smog of Bangkok. The hotel takes us back to the basics, allowing visitors to sleep in a seven-metre-high, bamboo floored treehouse which is open to both the sky and surrounding mangroves. The showers are heated by the sun, and free homemade fruit ice cream is available 24/7. In this case, living out your childhood will also do some good — the hotel removes one kilogram of rubbish from the nearby Chao Phraya River with every booking made, having removed over 3000 kilograms of trash to date.
American communications company ViaSat has teamed up with aerospace manufacturer Boeing on a project that will bring high-speed internet to some of the remotest places on earth. The two companies announced plans this week to build a trio of satellites whose capacity will dwarf those of the existing satellite network, and have the potential to help billions of new users get online. The three ViaSat-3 satellites are each expected to have network capacities of 1 terabyte (1,000 gigabytes) per second, more than double that of the world's current 400-strong satellite network combined. The satellites will be capable of delivering service of more than 100 megabits per second to parts of the world too isolated for hardwired internet service, and will also allow for better internet services on airplanes, ships and offshore oil and gas platforms. "The innovations in the ViaSat-3 system do what until now has been impossible in the telecommunications industry – combining enormous network capacity with global coverage, and dynamic flexibility to allocate resources according to geographic demand," read a statement from ViaSat chairman and CEO Mark Dankberg. The first two ViaSat-3 satellites are expected to go into orbit in 2019 and will provide service to the Americas and Europe, the Middle East and Africa, respectively. The launch date for the third satellite, which will service Asia, has yet to be announced. Via Fast Company. Image via Dollar Photo Club.
One big ol’ picnic party is coming to the Mornington Peninsula, with a day-long luncheon filled with great food, wine and music this Sunday, March 29. The Peninsula Picnic will see tasting plates and dishes from some of Melbourne’s best chefs roaming Mornington Racecourse, including The European’s Ian Curley, Terminus at Flinders Hotel’s Pierre Khodja, and Pope Joan’s Matt Wilkinson. But the local culinary wizards are fronting up too — so you can match autumnal nosh with peninsula wines from vineyards such as Terre, Montalto, Circe and Crittenden Estate. But perhaps you're keen to get picnicking early, or want to learn the secrets behind those peninsula nosh offerings? We've coerced the kitchens of Montalto and Terre into handing over their specially created recipes for Peninsula Picnic, so you can make your own delectable picnic food at home. Some of them might seem a bit tricky, but you'll get there. Consider it a culinary challenge. They've even paired a playlist for each cook-up. And if it doesn't all go to plan, at least there'll be plenty of wine. MONTALTO ENTREE Tomato tart with main ridge goat cheese Serves 4 200g of homemade or good quality store-bought butter puff pastry 1kg pulp heirloom tomatoes 250g main ridge goat chevre 80g sugar 80ml red wine vinegar 4 cloves of garlic 10 sprigs of thyme 2 bay leaves olive oil salt and pepper Preheat oven to 130 degrees. Cut tomatoes into halves and remove seeds. Place tomatoes in a bowl and toss with salt, pepper, chopped thyme and sliced garlic, then cover and place in fridge. Heat sugar in a pan over a medium flame until sugar is dissolved and starts to turn golden caramel, then take the pan off the heat and pour in the vinegar. Return back to the heat and stir until all combined. Add your caramel to tomatoes then place on baking tray place in oven for 1.5 to 2 hours. When tomatoes are cooked, grab a baking dish and olive oil the bottom. Place tomatoes on the bottom, arranging them close together. Discard any thyme stalks or big pieces of garlic. Set aside until cool. This can be done up to a day ahead and left in the fridge. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Cut puff pastry to cover tomatoes and then bake in oven till pastry has risen and turned golden brown and 15 to 20 min, let cool for about 5 min then turn out onto a plate crumb over goats cheese and garnish with fresh garden roquette. MAIN Cocotte of free range chicken with cider tarragon jus and autumn vegetables Serves 4 2 x 1kg free range chickens or 1 1.6kg chicken Cider and tarragon jus: 200g unsalted butter 1 bunch French tarragon — picked and chopped 750ml good quality apple cider 30 ml sherry vinegar 500ml veal glaze 200ml chicken stock 1 tsp tarragon mustard 1 carrot 1 celery 1 onion 1 head garlic 1/2 bunch thyme Autumn vegetables: 100g green beans 12 baby carrots 12 baby turnips 6 baby leeks (cut in half lengthways) 12 baby squash 12 baby zucchini Salt To prep the chicken: Remove the breasts from the bone. Remove leg and thigh, remove knuckle from leg then separate leg and thigh at the joint. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Season pieces with salt, then in a hot cocotte, brown off leg and thigh. Once golden, add breast, brown skin side down. Place in oven with 2 crushed garlic cloves and half a bunch of thyme for 8-10 minutes (or until just cooked). Remove, add nob of butter and cover set aside. Important note: chicken is to be cooked after the jus is made. To prep jus: Chop remaining bones into small pieces. Place into hot pan with small amount of oil. Cook until browned and remove excess fat. Place 50g butter into pan and brown until nutty. Add chopped onion, carrot, celery and 2 crushed cloves of garlic, and lightly brown. Deglaze with apple cider, reduce by half. Add tarragon stalks and quarter bunch of thyme, add veal glaze and chicken stock, reduce by half. When reduced, strain through fine sieve and set aside. Before serving bring sauce to boil and add tarragon mustard, sherry vinegar and freshly chopped tarragon. To prep vegetables: Cook each vegetable separately in salted boiling water and warm through with a nob of butter and a splash of jus before serving. To serve: Serve chicken in cocotte, garnish with vegetables and pour over jus. Serve with a side of baby chat potatoes with fresh parsley. DESSERT Lemon and blackcurrant gratin chiboust with green apple sorbet Italienne meringue: 12g sugar 25g glucose 50g water 185g egg whites Cream powder mixture: 60g Flour 30g Corn flour 10g Rice flour 190g lemon juice 125g double cream 7 egg yolks 5 gelatin leaves Blackcurrant jam: 500g blackcurrants 100g sugar 50g water Apple sorbet: 500g Granny Smith apples 90g glucose powder 250g sugar 400ml water 10g sorbet stabiliser mix To prep jam: Put all ingredients in a pot. Cook till you've got a jam consistency. To make cream mixture: Bring cream and lemon juice to the boil. Whisk eggs, sugar and cream powder together. Pour hot cream and lemon juice into egg mix, make into paste, return to pot and cook out until thick. Soak gelatin and add to cream pat mixture, then place mix into large bowl, cover with clear wrap and let cool. To prep Italian meringue: Mix water, glucose and sugar together and bring to 121 degrees. Whisk egg whites in mixer till soft peak and slowly add the hot sugar. Whisk till cool. Fold egg whites into cream, pat mix and fill moulds halfway. Add blackcurrant jam and then fill the rest of the moulds. To make apple sorbet: Mix and boil glucose, water, sugar and stabiliser. Let cool. Blend apples together, then pass through strain and churn. Wine suggestion: late harvest Riesling. MONTALTO'S PLAYLIST Montalto from PeninsularPicnic on 8tracks Radio. TERRE ENTREE Barbecued whole garfish with heirloom tomato, white anchovy and parsley salad To prep garfish: Ensure cleaned well — wipe out belly cavity with paper towel. Drizzle with olive oil and sea salt, especially in the belly cavity. Barbecue over high heat until just cooked through. To prep tomato salad: Chop tomatoes roughly. Tear flat leaf parsley. Cut anchovy fillets in half. Toss together in large bowl with sherry vinegar, sea salt and olive oil. MAIN Slow roasted lamb shoulder with minted yoghurt To prep lamb shoulder: If there's a bone, you'll get better flavour, but if the bone's out that's ok — it's just a shorter cooking time. Trim any large pieces of sinew. Cut a shallow cris-cross pattern into lamb to allow marinade to better infuse. To prep marinade: 3 tbsp pomegranate molasses 2 tbsp ground cumin 2 sprigs finely chopped rosemary 2 cloves garlic, grated 80ml canola oil Sea salt Combine marinade ingredients with a whisk and massage into lamb. Marinate overnight, or at least three hours prior to cooking. Preheat oven to 240 degrees. Place on roasting rack and place in oven for 20 mins. Turn oven down to 120 degrees and continue to roast till meat is falling off the bone (roughly three hours). The outside should be dark and caramelised, but the flesh should still be moist and tender. Cover loosely with foil and allow to rest at least 20 minutes before serving. To prep carrots: If the carrots are very young and fresh — don’t peel them — just give them a good wash to remove any dirt (especially around the tops) To prep dressing: 150g honey 150 whole almonds – roughly chopped 100ml cider vinegar 40ml orange blossom water 150ml extra virgin olive oil 1/2 green chilli — deseeded and finely sliced Combine almonds and honey in heavy based pan over a gentle heat. Cook until the honey is lightly caramelised and the almonds are toasted (roughly 5 minutes stirring constantly). Add the cider vinegar, the orange blossom and the chilli and stir to combine. Allow to cool before seasoning with salt and pepper and then add the olive oil. To prep freekeh: Soak 150g freekeh in 400ml cold water for an hour before cooking. Bring to boil and then gently simmer adding more water as needed. Season towards the end of the cooking process. Cook until al dente and then drain and place on a tray to cool in the fridge. Place the carrots in generously salted cold water and slowly bring to the boil. When the carrots are al dente, remove from water and while warm, toss in the honey dressing. Mix the freekeh with the remaining honey dressing. Place carrots on top and garnish with torn coriander to serve. To prep minted yoghurt: 200ml natural yoghurt 1 lebanese cucumber, diced Mint leaves — chopped Combine ingredients with a good pinch of salt. Allow flavours to mellow at least 1 hour before serving. DESSERT Apple, rhubarb and blackberry pie To make sweet pastry: 250g unsalted butter, softened 250g pure icing sugar, sifted Finely grated zest of 1 lemon 1 egg 60ml milk 500g plain flour, sifted Beat butter, zest and icing sugar until pale. Add eggs one at a time and beat after each addition until well amalgamated. Add milk and finally flour, beating until combined, do not overwork the pastry. Wrap in cling film and chill for 1-2 hours, or overnight. Roll pastry to 3mm thickness, cut in circles and place in pie tins or on baking tray lined with parchment. Fill as desired, cover with pastry or lattice strips, or alternatively pull the edges of the pastry roughly to centre for a more rustic pie. Sprinkle pastry generously with demerara sugar and bake in a preheated oven at 200° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Dust with icing sugar if desired when cold. Left over dough can be refrigerated for one week or frozen for two months — tart filling can be frozen for two months. To make tart filling, roast rhubarb and apple: 1 bunch rhubarb 4 Granny Smith apples, peeled 200g brown sugar Juice and rind of 1 orange 200g blackberries Slice rhubarb and apples into batons and toss with juice, rind and brown sugar until sugar dissolved. Spread onto parchment paper and bake 160° until just tender, approximately 20-25 minutes. When cool mix with blackberries. If fruit mixture is too wet strain off excess liquid. Serve with clotted cream, mascarpone or good quality vanilla bean ice cream. TERRE'S PLAYLIST: Terre from PeninsularPicnic on 8tracks Radio. Peninsula Picnic is happening this Sunday, March 29 at Mornington Racecourse. More info over here. Words by Hannah Valmadre and Shannon Connellan. Recipes by Montalto and Terre.
Cinephiles, picnic-lovers and everyone in between, rejoice — the annual combination of movies, outdoor eating and park hangouts that is Moonlight Cinema is back for another round of film-watching fun. Kicking off their 2016-17 season on the first day of summer (when else?), Australia's biggest outdoor cinema returns with all the elements you know and love. Big screen shimmering beneath the stars? Check. Food trucks serving the ultimate movie munchies? Check. Letting super-organised patrons BYO their own snacks? Check. A huge lineup of new releases and cult classics? We'll confirm that when the 2016-17 film program is announced in the coming weeks. Of course, heading to Moonlight isn't just about the movies shown, as fun as getting a sneak peek of upcoming flicks or sharing the joyous glow of watching iconic favourites like Dirty Dancing and Top Gun on a big screen is. It's also about the experience, which is why you're allowed to start getting excited without knowing which films you'll be watching — and why you should be blocking out December through to April in your calendar. MOONLIGHT CINEMA 2016-17 DATES: Sydney: December 1 – April 2 (Belvedere Amphitheatre in Centennial Park) Adelaide: December 1 – February 19 (Botanic Park) Brisbane: December 3 – March 5 (New Farm Park at Brisbane Powerhouse) Perth: December 3 – April 2 (Kings Park and Botanic Garden) Melbourne: Dates and venue TBC Moonlight Cinema's 2016-17 season starts screening around the country from December 1. For more information and bookings, visit their website.
We thought we'd ceased to be wowed by 3D printing. Then this newbie shows up. A brand new printer introduced at the 2015 TED conference in Vancouver, Carbon3D takes 3D printing to the next level — pulling a brand new object out of a pool of goo. If you're thinking it sounds like something out of Terminator 2, Carbon3D CEO and co-founder Joseph DeSimone and his team were were indeed inspired by the straight-up terrifying T2 T-1000 robot. Oh god. Pulling printed items from photosensitive resin, Carbon3D doesn't use the regular, snail-like layering technique we've seen in 3D printers up until now. Instead, the Carbon3D uses light and oxygen to 'print' from resin. The printer shines a light on the resin, causing it to harden, while oxygen causes the resin to liquefy and become malleable to the printer's design. Apparently the printer makes objects up to 100 times faster than your regular 3D printer, with no frayed edges, no rough surfaces, only smooth 3D printed swag. Watch the video here: Yep, the creepy, creepy '90s-predicted future is nigh. Via Quartz. Image: Carbon3D.
There was a time in the not-so-distant past when snacking in the city returned a very low success rate. A time when lunch breaks meant toasted focaccias, a $6 curry don with a gratuitous piece of broccoli (love you Don Dons) and a 90% chance of sushi rolls. It was a time when coeliacs stuck to rice cakes, and fruit salad was the only raw thing on any menu — a time pre-health food, pre-Paleo, pre-Emporium cafe court. Maybe it was a more innocent time. Who knows. But in 2016 you can get acai bowls in takeaway containers, Brazilian cheese rolls made out of a mysterious Brazilian vegetable flour, almond milk that's been squeezed that morning and everything you've ever eaten 'cooked' now comes in raw form. Of course, Mr Burger is still on the agenda. As is a peanut butter shake or a 3pm nip to Short Stop for a cruller. But for the days you're still feeling virtuous, it's nice to be able to grab something sans sugar — something that's actually going to fulfil some of your daily nutrient requirements. Whether you're on your lunch break or just passing through, here are five places you can drop into for something raw, gluten free and good for you.
The CBD's historic Waterside Hotel has entered a new phase of life, relaunching last week at the hands of prominent pub group Sand Hill Road, who are behind the relaunches of Melbourne's Garden State, Prahran and Bridge hotels. Building on the bones of the impressive three-storey building, the new owners have reimagined the pub as a multifaceted drinking and dining destination that nods to the past. A considered array of antiques, art and furniture sourced from across Europe lends plenty of personality. This place is huge and houses five separate spaces. Gracing the largest of the ground floor spaces is the Ale House, a sprawling public bar where the focus is on crafty American beers. It sits alongside the Doghouse, a US-inspired dive bar slinging hot dogs, tinnies and bottled cocktails, and an old-world dining space dubbed the Chophouse. In the kitchen here, Head Chef Stuart Munro (ex-QT Melbourne, Cumulus Inc. and the now-closed Merricote) is delivering a tidy selection of seafood, vegetarian plates and quality meat cuts, including a 1.2-kilogram Rangers Valley black onyx Angus tomahawk that feeds four. One floor up, the Bubblehouse features a dedicated cocktail and Champagne lounge, with a drinks selection curated by Kevin Peters — he a former Eau De Vie bar manager and responsible for that stellar cocktail lineup at Garden State Hotel. The Waterside's crowning glory is a rooftop bar known simply as the Roof, boasting sprawling CBD views and serving a streamlined version of the menus offered below. That corner of the city is a little bereft of quality drinking dens, so the pub's bars are sure to get some serious uptake. The Waterside Hotel sits on the corner of Flinders and King streets, Melbourne, and is open daily. For more info, visit watersidehotel.com.au. Images: Brook James.
It's no surprise that many of us are looking to upgrade our home comfort level at the moment. Aussie furniture brand Koala is keen to help you do just that with its end-of-financial-year sale, where you can nab major discounts on Koala's bedroom range, sofas and even its brand new desk built for WFH. That sturdy desk is made in Ballarat from hand-sanded timber, is easy to assemble and designed specifically with home office use in mind. During the sale, you'll get ten percent off this WFH lifesaver (which brings it down to $360). Other living room products on sale include 25 percent off the two-seater sofa, bookshelf (in three different sizes) and television unit, as well as 15 percent off the three-seater sofa and sofa bed. If it's the bedroom you're looking to elevate, you can also score 15 percent off the award-winning Koala Mattress, the Koala bed base, the gel-infused memory foam pillow and the incredibly silky sheets. The mattress, for the uninitiated, feels a little like memory foam and latex, but without the sink factor. All products come with free four-hour delivery (to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane) and a 120-night trial — though, it might be hard to give any of these up after four-months of pure comfort. 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.
When last year's Dark MOFO program dropped, House of Mirrors immediately rocketed to the top of everyone's must-do list. Created by Australian installation artists Christian Wagstaff and Keith Courtney, it's exactly what it sounds like: a walkthrough space filled with reflective surfaces that will not only strands you in a maze of your own image, but turns your likeness into a kaleidoscope. Since then, the installation has made its way to Brisbane and Sydney for a stint at January's Sydney Festival. And now, eager Melburnians will soon get the chance to wander through the disorienting, perception-altering, panic-inducing, optical illusion-based labyrinth for themselves. From April 7–30, the mirror maze will take over Rosalind Park adjacent to Bendigo Art Gallery for three weeks of reflective roaming, with the modern, minimalist twist on the fairground classic featuring 40 tonnes of steel and 15 tonnes of mirrors — and no added gimmicks, no special effects, no special lighting, no soundtrack or soundscape. It'll be the first time House of Mirrors has come to Victoria — and with Bendigo less than a two-hour drive (or train ride) away, it's an easy one to do on a day trip. The installation will be open each day from 2–9pm and tickets are $10 on the door.
When your last festival screened 48 films to 168,000 people around Australia, what comes next? It's a problem many events wish they had, however, in their 28th year, the Alliance Française French Film Festival is on the case. With the massive celebration of Gallic cinema continuing to draw huge crowds, the beloved annual festival is offering up more of the same. The lineup has changed, of course, but the eclectic nature audiences have come to expect of the event is back. Kicking off on March 7 in Sydney before touring to Melbourne, Canberra, Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide, Hobart, Parramatta and Casula until April 9, the 2017 program begins and ends with a bang — or, with two very different journeys. In pole position at the start of the fest sits The Odyssey, an adventure-filled biopic focused on famous oceanographer Jacques Cousteau, and co-starring Audrey Tautou as Cousteau's wife Simone. Then, after running through the bulk of its 45-film selection, the fest comes to a close with maternal comedy A Bun in the Oven, featuring The Bélier Family's Karin Viard as an unexpectedly expectant 49-year old. In between, the AFFFF delivers on two fronts: stars and a vibrant array of big screen stories. There's plenty of both. The former includes 2017 Oscar-nominees Isabelle Huppert and Natalie Portman, with Huppert showing up twice — playing a woman with a secret past in the rom-com Souvenir, and a philosophy professor in Things to Come — and Portman joining forces with Lily-Rose Depp (yes, Johnny's daughter) in Planetarium. Depp also stars with French singer-actress Soko in The Dancer, while Marion Cotillard does double duty too in romance From the Land of the Moon and the Xavier Dolan-directed family drama It's Only the End of the World. Inglourious Basterds actress Mélanie Laurent co-directs environmental doco Tomorrow, the great Gérard Depardieu takes a road trip in Saint Amour, and one of the last roles played by Amour's Emmanuelle Riva, as an elderly aunt in Lost in Paris, also features. Elsewhere, the 2017 fest tells the tale of the first popular Afro-Cuban artist of the French stage in Monsieur Chocolate starring The Intouchables' Omar Sy opposite James Thierrée (aka Charlie Chaplin's grandson), examines the real-life circumstances surrounding a pregnant nun in The Innocents, dives into coming-of-age affections with Being 17 and gets ghostly with the haunting Daguerrotype. Or, viewers can catch Juliette Binoche at her most slapstick in farcical detective effort Slack Bay, and enjoy the kind of moral dilemmas the Dardenne brothers explore so well in The Unknown Girl. Looking back as well as forwards, a two-movie retrospective steps into the court of Versailles courtesy of the Marie Antoinette-centric Farewell, My Queen and music drama Mozart's Sister. Plus, if all of the above isn't enough for the most eager film buffs, dedicated cinephiles can take A Journey Through French Cinema for 191 minutes of movie history. The Alliance Française French Film Festival tours Australia from March 7, screening at Sydney's Chauvel Cinema, Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona and Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace from March 7 to 30; Melbourne's Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, Kino Cinemas and The Astor Theatre from March 8 to 30, and Brisbane's Palace Barracks and Palace Centro from March 16 to April 9. For more information, visit the festival website.
First there was camping, but nature is icky and the hard ground is no Posturepedic. Then there was glamping, which is certainly a step up but still requires you to be outside with only a thin velour track pant and tasteful white canopy between you and the bugs. But now, thankfully, there's a way to get the best parts of camping (good company and fire-cooked food) without having to leave the city or wear ugly hiking shoes and unflattering shorts. Hunter and Barrel is the new dining concept hitting Sydney and Melbourne. With a menu focused on coal-roasted meats and seasonal vegetables, big barbecued skewers, sharing boards, stews, soups, pies, and generally hearty fare, H&B delivers the sensory experience of camping without the inconvenience of actually, y'know, camping. Think warm, hearty dishes such as slow-roasted beef rib, seafood and pork belly cooked over the restaurant's coal grill (hot tip: order The Hunter's Feast), washed down with your classic craft beer or barrel-aged wine. Although contemporary horror films have taught us to fear the foreboding idea of a remote cabin (thanks Evil Dead and Cabin in the Woods), the primal part of our psyche still longs to get back to nature. Bradley Michael, the CEO of Seagrass Boutique Hospitality Group who own Hunter and Barrel, told Good Food the venue had a “sexy camping, hunter’s cabin feel.” The décor at Hunter and Barrel, designed by ODO, features big rocks and rustic pipes — and your drink comes delivered by a suspended wall covered with barrels. Hunter and Barrel is now open at Eastland Town Square, Shop R04, 171-175 Maroondah Highway, Ringwood. Via Good Food.
Traditional gardening takes time, effort and a propensity for getting your hands dirty. Saving you on every count, a team of art students from the University of Maribor in Slovenia have developed a CNC (computerised numerical control) machine that lets you print your own garden and pot plants, because art. And because environmental awareness. And because seeing grass grow from a mud outline of your own face is peak eerie. Called PrintGREEN, the printer pipes out a mixture of soil, water and grass seed onto a felt-covered sponge surface in sophisticated shapes — think typography, intricate mandala-like designs and yes, even human faces. For extra cool factor, it can also print along the z-axis, forming three-dimensional mud pots that sprout their own grass. [embed]https://vimeo.com/68193572[/embed] The world needs more greenery. Leaving aside the fact that if we don’t have enough of it life on Earth will literally collapse, studies have shown that trees are nature’s valium and an extra ten on every block can actually calm us down. And they're pretty. PrintGREEN is so far just an art piece, but it’s not the first venture 3D printing has made into the horticultural realm. Thanks to the wonders of technology, you can print your own grow box valve, your own urban farm, and your own hanging window garden. (That last one is also designed by a college student, this time from Philadelphia University. Kids these days.) This kind of technology has been touted as the future of manufacturing. See 3D-printed clothes, 3D-printed furniture and this 3D-printed 80s Knight Rider car. Sigh. We get these little glimpses into the future and it’s scary but beautiful. Via Mentalfloss.
After almost two decades in the political wilderness (and also briefly prison), ultra-conservative politician Pauline Hanson has once again been elected to the Australian Federal Parliament. Thanks a bunch, Queensland. While we can't say we're looking forward to having Hanson back in the public arena, we think we may have at least found a bit of a silver lining to the whole shemozzle, in the form of a new Pauline Hanson-styled poutine at Belleville in the Melbourne CBD. Fittingly inspired by the flavours of her less-than favourite meal, the Halal Snack Pack, the 'Pauline Hanson' consists of beer battered chips topped with cheese, chilli sauce, mint yoghurt and rotisserie lamb. According to a post on Belleville's Facebook page, the dish will be available from this week until it finishes with a Royal Commission. So there you go. At least now you've got something delicious to eat as you watch the country collapse around your ears. Democracy, hurrah!
Despite being in the grips of one very chilly winter, Melbourne is getting a new gelateria. Johnny Di Francesco, the genius behind 400 Gradi, is branching out into sweet, sweet Italian iced confection and opening a gelateria. When the man who won the 2014 World Pizza Championship sets his sights to gelato, you know it’s going to be good. Di Francesco will open a standalone gelateria dubbed Zero Gradi on Lygon Street in Brunswick East in the summer, alongside a new 400 Gradi chapter in Essendon with a dedicated gelato counter. Both venues aim to bring yet more traditional Italian classics to greedy Aussie mouths, so Gelato Messina had better watch out. According to Di Francesco, this will be gelato done the traditional way — ‘panna’ — which means it's served with whipped cream on top, just in case you need some more indulgence (what a world we live in). The aim of the game with Zero Gradi is freshness. The new gelateria intends to be known, like the rest of the Gradi family, for making its product fresh in store daily and will be whipping up your classic, staple gelato flavours as well as organic and seasonal options. Via Good Food. Find Zero Gradi at Shop 1, 93-97 Lygon Street, East Brunswick, opening this summer. 400 Gradi's Essendon chapter details TBC.
If ever there's been a time to put aside the man/woman/child breakdown of gift-giving, it's surely Christmas 2015. After a year spent contemplating gender fluidity, superhero marketing and man buns, it makes sense to celebrate the season by just giving beautiful things to beautiful people and enjoying the resulting beauty explosion. Need some help pulling that off? Try putting a bow on one of our suggestions — they're only the best, most innovative and most lust-worthy products we've seen this year. FOR THE PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE WHO DO EVERYTHING WITH STYLE The Beach People roundie Oh, you didn't get the memo? Beach towels are round now. Round, oversized, luxurious and very giftable. Freed from being a mere drying implement, the roundie is a picnic rug, beach blanket and ultimate Instagram prop. There's a few of these around but our faves come from Australian company The Beach People, where they retail for $110. O Six Hundred flat pack kayak For the one you truly love, there's this $2200 Australian-designed kayak that you assemble from flat pack, much like your Ikea bookcase. Unlike your Ikea bookcase, it's also tough and light (10kg, so any solo voyager can lift it above their head), perfect for taking out on Sydney Harbour whenever the mood may strike. Get it from Sorry Thanks I Love You. ChaBottle from Life of Cha For your friend who loves to tote their own tea or infused water (love you lemon, cucumber and mint), or who seems like they might want to start, there's the ChaBottle. Its 2-in-1 infuser can be used for tea, coffee and fruit drinks. $50 from Life of Cha. Stonemen briefs When you need a gift that says, "your pants contain the world", there's Stonemen briefs. With graphic prints including mountainscapes, skylines and the universe, they're the most epic smalls around. Also available in women's styles, with prices starting at $40 from Etsy. Forbes & Ike salt basin and pepper mill The kitchen benchtop has rarely known such beauty as this Melbourne-crafted pepper grinder. It's hand-poured concrete, New Zealand beech timber and brass, and it's a flinch-worthy $250 from Sorry Thanks I Love You. Sunnylife watermelon beach ball All anyone will see is your giftee blithely throwing around a half watermelon with apparent superhero strength. Only you will know the inflatable truth. For this privilege, you're looking at just $18.95 from Sunnylife. FOR THOSE WHO LOVE GADGETS WITH ALL THE ZEAL OF A CHILD Chromecast Audio The gadget junkie in your life is likely to be all over Chromecast for TV. But do they have the dongle equivalent for audio? Possibly not. Chromecast Audio was released this October and allows you to stream music over Wi-Fi to any speaker in your house. So nice, and just $49 from Google. BB-8 droid by Sphero Just. Look. At. Him. Who wouldn't want to pull the wrapping off this little face on December 25 (aka eight days after The Force Awakens comes out)? Playable through a variety of apps and programmed to "patrol autonomously" when left on its own, the miniature BB-8 is the fun toy/baby robot/substitute pet perfect for all ages. Look at him in action here and buy for US$150 ($205) from Sphero. The Keyboard Waffle Iron You know life is good when you come down to breakfast and are greeted with this syrupy sight. And, since the Keyboard Waffle Iron includes both keyboard and kitchen gadget elements, the tech lover in your life is sure to appreciate this. US$85 ($116) from thekeyboardwaffleiron.com. Moto 360 smartwatch The smartwatch is the wearable of the moment, and it'll be on a whole lot more wrists after Christmas. Different strokes for different folks, but the Moto 360 is a good option when you weigh up nice styling vs old functionality (telling the time) vs new functionality (notifications, battery life etc). Prices start at US$299 ($408) at Motorola. Flic wireless smart button For the person who has everything, get them one little button that lets them do three things faster. Flic can be programmed to play music, make calls, snooze an alarm, turn on lights, share a location, order pizza and a bunch more stuff, all at a light touch. An addictive bit of life-hacking, it's US$34 ($46) from flic.io. FOR THE CULTURE LOVERS WITH AN IMPRESSIVELY CONSTANT FINGER ON THE PULSE The Gramovox Floating Record Player Marry me, Gramovox floating record player. That's what your giftee will say upon opening this package, containing the turntable that took Kickstarter by storm earlier this year. It's the perfect fusion of state-of-the-art technology and aesthetics, and it's US$400 ($555) in walnut or maple from the Gramovox website. Whimsical Miranda July pillowcases Words and phrases on home decor can be hit and miss, but when those words and phrases are filmmaker/artist/writer/All About Women speaker Miranda July's, they're all hit. These wistful pillowcases make the perfect addition to any literati's bedding. $105 from Third Drawer Down. Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari with Eric Klinenberg Odds are at least one of your circle is obsessed with Aziz Ansari's insightful Netflix series, Master of None. What they might not have heard of is Modern Romance, the well-reviewed screed on relationship trends he's whipped up with sociologist Eric Klinenberg. Get it in hardcover for $39.75 from Booktopia. Twilight concert tickets The pretty, pretty sights of Twilight of Taronga and Melbourne Zoo Twilights return in 2016 with the likes of Courtney Barnett, Violent Femmes and Jose Gonzalez. Give a loved one the gift of beautiful music, starlit picnics and baby animals. Tickets from $50 at Twilight at Taronga and Melbourne Zoo. FOR THOSE WHO BELIEVE FAMILY, FRIENDS AND FOOD ARE THE MEANING OF LIFE A personally tailored spirit by Archie Rose Sydney's distillery bar Archie Rose impressed us a dozen times over this year — and one of those times was with their brilliant idea of a tailored spirits range. That means you can pick up to 3–5 botanicals (think: river mint, dorrigo pepperleaf, blood lime) and the name on the label. Prices are $84 for vodka, $89 for gin or (*gulp*) $2000+ for whisky. So we hope your friend likes white spirits. It's all happening on the Archie Rose website. Bespoke chocolate bar from Chocolab Yet another, perhaps more conventional (but never unwanted) thing to customise. With Chocolab chocolate, you can chuck in confectionary like Nerds, spices like chilli, fruit like freeze-dried acai, biscuits, nuts — almost any foodstuffs your giftee has at some point professed a fondness for. Prices start at $6.75 at ChocoLab. The Great Australian Cookbook Give your friend the gift of cooking you dinner with this epic book compiling recipes and stories from chefs like Neil Perry, Dan Hong, Kylie Kwong and Anna Polyviou. Diverse as it is, the book also includes this country's legendary farmers and producers — as well as Australia’s original cookbook queen, Margaret Fulton. Get it discounted to $42.50 at Booktopia. A subscription to wine-by-the-glass tasting service Secret Bottle By delivering their wines by the glass (in sleek screw-top vials), Secret Bottle lets its subscribers experience a wide range of Australian varietals and get to know what they like. Sign your giftee up as a founding member and they'll get a bunch of bonus gifts along with their subscription, which starts at $24.95/month from Secret Bottle. Sprout coloured pencils Honour your giftee's love of adult colouring in and fresh produce with these pencils that grow into herbs. They just plant them once they've worn down to stubs. €16.95 ($23) from Sprout World. Top image: Dollar Photo Club.
Stub out those ciggies. The State Government today announced that Victoria will join the rest of the country in banning smoking in outdoor dining areas. The ban is set to come into effect in August 2017, and will affect cafes, restaurants, beer gardens and any other outdoor venue where food is served. "We know that smoking kills, and we know that second-hand smoke puts the health of non-smokers at risk," Victorian Health Minister Jill Hennessy told The Age. "These new bans will ensure all Victorians can enjoy a meal outside with their family and friends." She also said that the decision to hold off the ban until 2017 was to give businesses "enough time to prepare for these changes." Under the new laws, smokers who light up in outdoor dining venues could face on the spot fines of $152, with a maximum penalty of $758. Victoria is currently the only state not to enforce such a ban, after NSW introduced similar laws earlier in the year. The changes are part of a concerted crackdown on public smoking by the Andrews Government, who in April introduced bans on smoking near the entrances of many public buildings, including schools, hospitals, courthouses and police stations. Smoking is also banned at train stations and raised platform tram stops and within ten metres of playgrounds, skate parks and under 18s sporting venues, while the Melbourne City Council already enforces a smoking ban in a number of laneways in the CBD. Current figures show that approximately 4000 Victorians die from smoking related illnesses each year. Via The Age. Image: Dollar Photo Club
When the World's 50 Best Restaurants awards descended on Australia earlier in the year, we were lucky enough to not only have the world's best chefs on our shores, but also the world's best sommeliers. Over April, Wine Australia took 50 talented wine professionals on a tour of our best wine bars, restaurants and wine regions — starting in Sydney before moving on to Melbourne and visiting bars including Embla and Bar Liberty, then stopping to experience wine regions in Victoria, Tasmania, Canberra, South Australia and Western Australia. For one of their first stops at Newtown's Continental Deli, established wine writer Mike Bennie took the sommeliers on a wine-tasting journey. We couldn't lose an opportunity to get all patriotic, so we asked them for their thoughts on Australian wine. A pattern appeared in their answers: Australia, once known only to produce bulk, heavy wine varieties like Chardonnay and Shiraz, is going through a renaissance of sorts. A new generation of winemakers are jumping in and producing unique vintages with a true expression of the Australian terroir. All that small-batch, natural wine you've been hearing about is finally garnering the interest it deserves from international sorts. Sitting at the table was Alessandro Perricone of Copenhagen's relaxed, fine dining establishment Relae, Heidi Nam Knudsen, a wine buyer who works closely with Yotam Ottolenghi in the UK, Fahara Zamorano, head sommelier at Curtis Stone's restaurant Gwen in Los Angeles, Ambrose Chiang, of Australia's own Momofuku Seiobo, and Hiroshi Ishida, a multi award-winning sommelier from L'aube (an established restaurant in Tokyo with little online presence). Over the morning, each of them tasted around ten different Australian wines — they remained controlled and professional at all times, but make no mistake, they were drunk. [caption id="attachment_619886" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Fahara Zamorano.[/caption] What did you know about the Australian wine industry before coming to Australia? Alessandro Perricone: I knew little. While working in Italy at the beginning of my career, I came across some famous Australian brands which, in my opinion, speak more for themselves rather than talking about a territory. Now in Copenhagen, some of the new-generation winemakers are getting more and more popular, but my knowledge was quite confused before I arrived. Hiroshi Ishida: I know quite a lot about Australian wine as I've visited before. Australian wine is really diverse, it honestly offers the A-to-Z. I am more familiar with established regions such as the Hunter Valley, Yarra Valley, Barossa, Clare Valley and Margaret River. These are all sophisticated and sustainable wine growing regions, with well-known large wineries that we are familiar with in Japan. Fahara Zamorano: My knowledge about the Australian wine industry was limited to the wines I had been shown in the US. I do have the privilege to taste some beautiful Aussie wines in California, but the selection is quite limited in comparison to everything that's happening in Australia right now. Heidi Nam Knudsen: To be honest I didn't know a lot. I stopped paying attention a few years back because I felt that all the wines I tried were too big and heavy. It was all about Shiraz and Chardonnay, but without much terroir-driven personality. Only recently did I start taking notice again, when I tried the wines from a new generation of winemakers in the Adelaide Hills. [caption id="attachment_619884" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hiroshi Ishida.[/caption] How has your perception of Australian wine changed? Ambrose Chiang: This program has shown me how physically big Australia is — Portugal to Poland is almost as far as Perth to Sydney. Imagine the different micro and macro-climates! The Australian wine industry has seen tremendous growth in the past decade. From internationally recognised as a single wine region for big, bold, alcoholic Shiraz and cloying, toasted Chardonnay, to establishing a country with a diverse range of terroirs which produce wines not only reflective of place, but good farming, skilled winemaking and dedication toward quality wines. FZ: My perception changed immensely, I was extremely surprised in the best possible way to find a renaissance happening in Australian wine right now. The energy is contagious, the collaboration between winemakers within regions is inspiring, and the unification of the country to elevate the world's perception of Australian wine is just a wonderful thing to witness. AP: Yes! I certainly went deeper regarding some territories. I see a change in style with the last vintages and in general a much better approach to winemaking with less intervention. Different to what my thoughts of Australian wines were. Many of the wines in Australia have a hard time talking about a terroir, as the approach to agriculture and viticulture is wrong, but this new wave of producers makes me hope for a better future. HI: On this trip to Australia I felt dynamism. There is much more diversity in the styles that winemakers are crafting, from conventional to funky. It's obvious there is some great talent within the new generation. There are new, emerging regions and I saw a lot of potential. [caption id="attachment_619905" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alessandro Perricone.[/caption] Describe Australian wine in one sentence. AP: Australian wine is a total lack of rules and pure freedom. It can easily turn into something marvellous, or just as easily, into a mess! FZ: Renaissance. HNK: There's more history to Australian wine than one might think, and judging from what I've seen on this trip there's a big, bright future ahead of it. I guess the biggest difference is that Australia is such a large country and almost every climate and soil type can be found. That means Australia can produce all of the major wine types from red, white, fortified to sparkling wines. AC: I believe that it's almost impossible to describe Australian wine in one sentence. Our freedom of viticulture and vilification and the dedication of so many producers, along with the multiplicity of terroirs, drives us to be one of the most diverse and innovative wine industries in the world. [caption id="attachment_619888" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Heidi Nam Knudsen.[/caption] What were you looking forward to seeing the most, and did it live up to your expectations? HI: I wanted to see the potential in new regions and explore the Victorian High Country and Tasmania. Absolutely, this trip lived up to more than I expected. All the sparkling wine from Tasmania was fantastic. We tried sparkling wines from House of Arras, Josef Chromy, Pipers Brook. FZ: I was very excited to visit Tasmania because not much of their wine makes it out of Australia (thanks Melbourne and Sydney). The little exposure I had prior to this trip left me wanting more. Tasmania lived up to and surpassed my expectations. For such a young wine growing region, there's some serious talent that's 'put all their eggs in that one basket' as we say in America. That alone is an indication of the potential of the region. Now they just need to make more juice so we can get some too! HNK: I was really excited about visiting Adelaide Hills and visit some of the vineyards there. On my last day I went to Manon Farm up in Forest Range. It was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to. Spending time with Tim and Monique on their beautiful farm was very special indeed and their approach to farming really inspired me. [caption id="attachment_619907" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ambrose Chiang.[/caption] What was the most notable wine you've tasted, or thing you've seen on the tour? FZ: The wine that left me speechless was Henschke Hill of Grace. There's a lot of high end/expensive wines out there and I've been fortunate enough to taste many, but not many have the soul that wine has. Every vintage I tasted, from 1986 to current vintage was absolutely stunning. That kind of depth is only developed with the wisdom of time and those vines have attained it and pass it along in their fruit. It's hard to describe in technical notes. Like I said, it left me speechless. AC: Out of the 1000-plus wines tasted, the most notable wines were 2014 Si Vintners Halcyon Cabernet Sauvignon, 2004 Yarra Yerring Chardonnay and 1996 Henschke 'Hill of Grace' Shiraz. They were wines that displayed incredible flavour. One of the best trips in the program was visiting Western Australia. The sunset at the White Elephant Cafe was out of this world. What are you taking back home? AP: The passion of the people, organisers and winemakers who worked so hard and beautifully showed me their jobs, their produce and their land. I'm taking home Australia, as it deeply touched my heart. I will start importing some of the young and small producers I met during my trip. I look forward to coming back to Australia. FZ: Love. HI: I'll be taking a huge amount home. I use Australian wine very often in wine pairings in my restaurant, and I'd really like to showcase more Australian wine so Japanese diners can recognise its diversity. HNK: The energy and excitement of the new generation of winemakers in the Adelaide Hills and Basket Range and the outstanding quality of food on display everywhere we went. Celebrate Australian wine by attending Aussie Wine Month over May — there are events and tasting opportunities happening across the country. Images: Kimberley Low.
Dumplings are a hot commodity in this city. The ability to encase pure, unbridled joy in an edible cocoon of merriment is an art respected by Melburnians citywide. Select few dumpling palaces are at the top of their game, those you’d happily wait many an agonising minute for. But Sydney has long-hogged one of the best, the formidable Din Tai Fung chain. But start mixing that chilli/soy balance, the dumpling monarchs have opened in Melbourne. In their biggest and most ambitious restaurant yet, Din Tai Fung have opened their their first venue outside of New South Wales. Sitting on level four of Emporium Melbourne, the epic 235-seat restaurant has been a long time coming for the city. "It’s about time we brought our well-loved dumplings to Melbourne," says Australasian director Dendy Harjanto. "I’ve been a visitor to this city for years but we had to wait until the time was right. We feel Emporium, in the heart of the city, is a great location for our world-famous dumplings." Each Din Tai Fung space has its own stylin' interior, and the design brief for the Melbourne eatery has be described by the team as 'yin yang' with a mainly monochrome fitout. The Melbourne restaurant even has three private rooms, a Australian-first for the group. But there are some classic DTF elements of that are making the interstate trip; the chain's signature glass-enclosed dumpling kitchen, as well as their weirdly famous handbag holders. So what of those famous Xiao Long Bao delights? Made to order, each 'soup dumpling' is steamed in exactly three minutes and served moments later. Din Tai Fung pumps out over 6000 dumplings daily, with dumpling training carried out at the World Square HQ in Sydney. It takes two years to become a dumpling master. Two. Years. RESPECT YOUR DUMPLINGS. Din Tai Fung can be found on level four of Emporium Melbourne, 287 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. Open Monday to Wednesday 11.30am–2.30pm, 5.30pm–9pm; Thursday and Friday 11.30am–2.30pm, 5–10pm; Saturday 11am–3pm, 5–10pm; Sunday 11am–3pm, 5pm–9pm. View all Melbourne Restaurants.
Another year of the craft beer overload that is the Great Australasian Beer SpecTAPular has come and gone and many of us are still feeling the aftermath of the Sydney and Melbourne sessions. This year was a strange one, with a beer made from in-house smoked bone marrow, two purple beers, a whopping three Thai inspired beers and a lot of dessert beers. Some were surprisingly tasty and on-point, others were over-the-top flops. Alas, many of the weird and wonderful GABS brews never hit pubs or bottle shop shelves, but a lucky selection of the 146 festival beers do make it to market. Here are five strange, yet peculiarly palatable, new brews to try post-GABS and where to find them around town. PIRATE LIFE BREWING — VANILLA MALT THICKSHAKE SWEET STOUT (7% ABV) Adelaide favourite, Pirate Life, is better known for their big IPAs, but they took a decidedly sweet turn for GABS. A beer thickshake sounds, well, disgusting, but this brew tastes much more like a milkshake than a beer, which is actually pretty impressive. It's cloudy, sweet and creamy with a distinct thickness from the truckload of added lactose. The use of rich Munich malts and real vanilla beans only heightens the decadence of this luscious brew. This is another beer that is only available in limited quantities on tap, so grab some while you still can. Where to get it: On tap at The Quarrymans, The Royal Albert and The Grain Store (Newcastle). BIG SHED BREWING CONCERN — #63 THAI GREEN CURRY SPICED HERBAL BEER (5.5% ABV) There were, somehow, three Thai-inspired beers at this year's GABS, but Big Shed's version, Thai Green Curry, really lives up to its name. The Adelaide-based brewery's pale ale is layered with Thai spices, from basil, coriander and lemongrass to cumin, chili, garlic and lime leaf. The bright chilli and kaffir lime on the nose gives way to a herbal creaminess on the palate, giving the illusion of actually tucking into a steaming bowl of curry. We heard this separately from multiple punters, so we know it wasn't just the sinking-beers-all-day haze talking. It helps that the beer also has a slightly green tint. This one will only be available at Hotel Sweeney's Rooftop, though, so get at it before it's all gone. Where to get it: On tap at Hotel Sweeney's Rooftop. BATCH BREWING CO — A CURRANT STATE OF INFUSION DARK SOUR ALE (6% ABV) This beer is such a mish-mash of styles and flavours that it's a true wonder the Batch boys pulled it off. The brew was first cold-steeped with Campos-sourced, Ethiopian coffee beans that give the beer its deep hue, while also imparting citrus and stonefruit notes. The team punched up the sour, fruity element by adding fresh blackcurrants, giving the brew a slight cherry tinge while still maintaining its rich, malty backbone. The finished product is a well balanced beer of complimentary elements. If you're looking for an extra special taste of it, the beer is also available in nitro cans, but only at the brewery and in very limited quantity. Where to get it: In bottles at Bucket Boys, Steve's Cool Booze, Beer Cartel and Oak Barrel; on tap at The Local Taphouse, Carlisle Castle Hotel, and Petersham Bowling Club (to name a few — check with the brewery for full list). MERCHANT BREWING CO. — FRUIT TINGLE KETTLE SOUR ALE (5.7% ABV) Merchant Brewing Co.'s kettle-soured ale made headlines this year thanks to its purple hue — seriously, it's a violet beer. Named after those bright blue, fruity cocktails, the beer is kettle-soured and infused with raspberry, citrus and pea flower, then dry-hopped to amp up the fruity notes. It's tart and wild — and surprisingly pleasant, with some punters calling it the best sour of the night. We wouldn't go that far, but it's definitely worth a try, or at the very least worth enjoying that surprised look on your friend's face. Where to get it: In bottles at Bucket Boys, Camperdown Cellars on Kingston Road, and The Henson bottle shop, on tap at The Quarrymans. HOPDOG BEERWORKS — PANDAPOPPINFAIRYTURKISHFLOSS BELGIAN IMPERIAL STOUT (7.5% ABV) Man is that a mouthful. HopDog BeerWorks is known for its weirdo beers but this one might take the cake. Despite being brewed with popcorn kernels, fairy floss and Turkish delight, the beer is not overly sweet and takes on more of a chocolaty, malty characteristic. This Belgian imperial stout gains its creaminess from the added lactose, with a deep colour and a roasted, toasty finish. It was a polarising GABS beer, with punters very staunchly on the love or hate spectrum. Lucky for those that missed out, it will be available across Sydney so there's still time to see which side you're on. Where to get it: In bottles at Bucket Boys, Oak Barrel, Camperdown Cellars (Parramatta Road and Kingston Road), Oldfield Cellars and Porter's Balgowlah; on tap at the Basement Brewhouse (to name a few — check with the brewery for full list).
Fine-dining Nordic restaurant Freyja (one of the best restaurants in Melbourne) has invited the Executive Chef of the three Michelin-starred restaurant Les Prés d'Eugénie to join the team in the kitchen for an incredible dining experience across three nights only. From Thursday, February 8–to Saturday, February 10, Freyja's Jae Bang and Les Prés d'Eugénie's Hugo Souchet will serve up a six-course degustation unlike anything Melbourne typically has on offer. These chefs are some of the very best in the world, and to have them work together here in Melbourne is a proper treat. The 4 Hands Dinner will set folks back a hefty $350 per person but it is set to include some hard-to-find, high-end produce from all over the globe. [caption id="attachment_938039" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Arianna Leggiero[/caption] For one, Oscietra and Beluga caviar will feature strongly throughout the six-course menu as the event is sponsored by the ultra-luxurious Sturia Caviar. Beyond that, all we know about the menu so far is that the duo will recreate some of Les Prés d'Eugénie's famous flame-grilled dishes, reimagined with Freyja's distinct contemporary Nordic culinary stylings. There'll also be an option to add wine pairings to the experience for those looking to really treat themselves. Either think of the 4 Hands Dinner at Freyja as an early Valentine's Day date night or simply head over with your crew of gourmand friends who deeply appreciate fine food.
It's mid-August, so you should probably start getting your New Year's Eve plans in order. Victorian NYE festival Beyond the Valley has revealed the lineup for its celebrated four-day festival in Lardner Park, Victoria and it's pretty bloody good, so could be a solid option. At five festivals old, starting out in 2014, Beyond the Valley has become a regular fixture on the Victorian New Year's circuit. And, once again, it has managed to secure a rather colossal lineup. Chart-topping American rapper Tyler, The Creator, will heading to Australia — for the first time since releasing his highly lauded album IGOR — as will the ARIA Award-winning three piece, Rüfüs Du Sol. Joining them will be techno and house legend Green Velvet, gold masked German DJ duo Claptone, British rapper Skepta and genre-blending producer Honey Dijon. From the local contingent are Hayden James — fresh off the back of dropping his latest album Between Us — alt-pop group Cub Sport, dance floor regulars Bag Raiders and soulful singer Meg Mac. Beyond the Valley will once again take over Lardner Park, Warragul, Victoria from December 28 to January 1. Anyway, here's what you came for: BEYOND THE VALLEY 2019 LINEUP Tyler, The Creator Rüfüs Du Sol 16BL Bag Raiders CC:Disco! Chris Lake Claptone Confidence Man Cub Sport Dena Amy Denis Suita DJ Seinfeld Dom Dolla Floating Points Green Velvet Hayden James Heidi Hobo Johnson and the Lovemakers Honey Dijon I Know Leopard Jordan Brando Kettama Lastlings Late Nite Tuff Guy Lion Babe London Topaz Made in Paris Mallrat Matt Corby Meg Mac Methyl Ethel Motez Noir Owl Eyes Patrice Bäumel Rebuke Sama Set Mo Shoreline Mafia Skepta Snakehips The Veronicas
If you've been looking for a reason to go away for the weekend, block off a couple of days in March and head to Canberra for Enlighten 2017. Touted as the original Vivid, Enlighten celebrates art, culture, music, performance and innovation. Held in Canberra's iconic Parliamentary Triangle, the event site is transformed into a buzzing hub of activity, with spectacular architectural projections on iconic national attractions and a programme of free and ticketed interactive performance and installation works. Over each weekend from March 3-12, the city will light up with live music, performances, events and exclusive exhibitions. Large-scale projections will bring to life Canberra icons including the National Portrait Gallery, Australian Parliament House, National Library of Australia, National Gallery of Australia and Questacon. Highlight events from the programme include Pedaleando Hacia El Cielo by Theatre Tol (a large-scale aerial act featuring performers, singers, video imagery and pyrotechnics), the amazing, interactive digital architectural projections splashed across the National Portrait Gallery, the pop-up wine bars, roving entertainment and Enlighten Night Noodle Markets (which based on Canberra's population should be significantly less hectic than the Sydney version, meaning you'll be able to jump in and eat as many dumplings as you can). There's also Sunset on the Roof — drinks, music and snacks at the Australian Parliament House's rooftop bar for two nights only (March 3 and 11). The festival's live music line-up features indie band Tigertown, Australian singer/songwriter Cleopold and electronic duo Mondecreen, as well as Cookin' On 3 Burners and Bustamento, who will bring the funk vibes to the stage. A glowing, black-light, industrial 'dance zone' is popping up in a high-security factory production corridor on March 3. DJ Robot Citizen will lead the charge in showcasing Canberra's underground dark-electronic music scene on the night (who knew), and high-vis vests and glow-sticks will be supplied. Visit Enlighten 2017 and delve into the whole programme.
You could trawl every art gallery and every private collection on the planet and you'd only find 800 paintings signed by Vincent Van Gogh. That's the sum total of what remains of the Dutch genius's output. So, it's insanely, insanely exciting that 60 of his masterpieces will be travelling to the National Gallery of Victoria in 2017. Set to open on April 28, the blockbuster exhibition will be titled Van Gogh and the Seasons and is expected by NGV to draw one of the gallery's biggest audiences yet. You can expect around 40 painting and 25 drawings, collected from some of the world's top-shelf galleries, including Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum and Otterlo's Kröller-Müller Museum. The curating is being taken care of by Sjraar Van Heugten, author of a genuine bucketload of books about Van Gogh and ex-head of the Van Gogh Museum's collections section. What's more, you'll also get to see a bunch of Van Gogh's letters, as well as some of the artworks he collected during his 37 years on Earth. These will be arranged to give some insight into how various artists have responded to the seasons. "It's a huge coup for the NGV and another reason why Victoria is the creative state," said Martin Foley, Victoria's Minister for Creative Industries, when announcing the exhibition on Friday 16 September. "Van Gogh is undoubtedly one of the most recognisable and famous names in art history. His incredible work laid the foundation for modern art and influences artists to this day." Van Gogh and The Seasons is the 22nd exhibition in the Melbourne Winter Masterpieces series, which the former Labor Government set up in 2004, to treat Melburnians to the best art in the world at least once a year. Also in the 2017 series will be the NGV's inaugural Festival of Photography, featuring works from William Eggelston (US) and Melbourne's own Zoë Croggon. Van Gogh and the Seasons opens on April 28 at NGV International. It's part of the gallery's Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition for 2017. Image: Vincent van Gogh, Dutch 1853–90, Orchard in Blossom, Bordered by Cypresses (1888), oil on canvas, 64.9 x 81.2 cm, Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, © Kröller-Müller Museum.
Most of us hit up Melbourne's best high tea spots because we want to spoil ourselves with some old-world luxury. It's not one of your three main meals of the day. The finger sandwiches don't have to have the crusts cut off. And who really needs to sip on tea and champagne in a grand dining room while eating tiny ornate cakes? No one. But that's kind of why we love afternoon tea so much. It's just for the sake of it — to really treat yourself to something special. And while we are fans of traditional high teas that some of Melbourne's best hotels create, there are stacks of neighbourhood tea rooms and cake shops that have made the whole affair more contemporary. Some are a modern interpretation with Japanese elements. Others are all about chocolate. But just about everyone comes with freshly made scones — so you can continue the age-old debate of whether the jam or cream goes on first. We won't participate in that feud, but we will round up some of the best Melbourne high teas for you to try for yourselves. Check them all out here. Recommended reads: The Best Bakeries in Melbourne The Best Bottomless Brunches in Melbourne The Most Romantic Restaurants and Bars in Melbourne The Best Day Spas in Melbourne
A team of hospitality heavyweights is set to shake things up on the fine dining front, with their revamp of Carlton’s iconic Astor Hotel due to open within the month. The project sees head chef Hayden McMillan and restaurateur Darran Smith partnering up to introduce to us a long-planned, interactive dining concept they’re hoping will put some of the fun back into food. Borrowing from the idea that we eat with our eyes, the 50-seat restaurant (fittingly named The Roving Marrow) will feature yum cha-style food trolleys to accompany a seasonal, produce-driven menu; drawing inspiration from Europe, Australia and the head chef’s native New Zealand. "We’re a bit over tablecloths and stuffiness, but we don’t want to move away from exciting food and wine, and great service," explains McMillan. "With this approach, we’re breaking up the dining experience a little bit." We’ve seen a few incarnations of the dining trolley of late — namely, in place of a dessert menu at the likes of Epocha and The Estelle — but it’s awarded a higher billing at this new venture. As McMillan explains, their version will be serving up snack-style items from the moment you’re seated (think freshly shucked local oysters and house-baked bread) as well offering sharing dishes from both on and off the menu throughout your meal. If you’re in more of a mood to interact with a good cocktail, then you’ll feel right at home in the 50-seat front bar — where the menu has been curated by Mike Enright of Sydney's celebrated cocktail bar, The Barber Shop. With this duo at the helm, it’s a project worthy of high expectations. McMillan has been making a name for himself in kitchens across the ditch and overseas, under the likes of Michael Meredith and Simon Wright and as head chef of Auckland’s Tribeca restaurant. Meanwhile, Smith has notched up management time at some of Sydney’s hottest restaurants, including Icebergs and Merivale’s Hemmesphere. Not only do we Melburnians love a new food concept, as we’ve proven plenty in recent years, we’re also just as happy to have our high end food and wine without the side of pretentiousness. So, it seems these boys have found just the thing to whet our appetites. “In a big dining scene like this one, you need to have something different, something original,” acknowledges McMillan. “People here are keen to try new things. This is a concept where we can have a lot of fun and the guests can have a lot of fun too." The Roving Marrow is set to open at 418 Lygon Street, Carlton by mid-April.
Deck the halls and unpack the plastic tree — the festive season is well and truly upon us. And while that whole Christmas tradition stuff is nice, we're not going to deny what we're most excited about: a whole stocking-load of new films. Along with the cricket and stampeding through shopping centres, going to the movies is one of our favourite Boxing Day traditions. After all, what better place to recover from your post-Christmas food coma than in a nice, dark, air-conditioned cinema? Of course, not all of the end-of-year titles measure up. That's why we're reporting in with our annual Boxing Day Battle Royale, to ensure that you get maximum bang for your Kris Kringle gift voucher buck. Or you could just go see the new Star Wars movie for the third time. That's also a totally valid option. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rgO_TyyOoU CALL ME BY YOUR NAME We give it: 5 stars It's easy to fall in love with Call Me By Your Name on sight. Full of the kind of sumptuous visuals that director Luca Guadagnino (A Bigger Splash) is known for, the '80s-set effort proves a gorgeous piece of filmmaking from its opening frames. That said, it's the movie's sun-dappled dalliance that will really make you swoon, as Guadagnino follows the blossoming romance between 17-year-old Elio (Timothee Chalamet) and grad student Oliver (Armie Hammer) over the course of a sweltering Italian summer. A seductive and sensual queer romance, and a pitch-perfect account of yearning and desire — one that features an emotionally intricate turn from Chalamet in particular — Call Me By Your Name is the film that stories about first love will be judged against for many years to come. – Sarah Ward https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNCz4mQzfEI COCO We give it: 4 stars It's with vibrant detail that Coco bursts onto cinema screens. A tale of following your heart while honouring your family, Pixar's latest effort is both a colourful sight to behold and an exuberant journey; a film exploding with dazzling visual and emotional fireworks. Within frames heaving with intricacy, there's never a dull moment as the movie sashays from modern-day Mexico to the Land of the Dead during the country's Dîa de los Muertos celebrations. Often it's the little things that stand out, from the grain of the many flowers never far from view, to the weathered skeleton bones that literally dance through the streets, to the melancholy look on an old woman's face. – Sarah Ward https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QKg5SZ_35I JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE We give it: 3.5 stars Updating itself, quite literally, for more modern times, the new Jumanji sees the board game from the original film transform itself into a mid-90s video game cartridge. Fast-forward 20 years and, in a clear nod to The Breakfast Club, the game is discovered in a storeroom by four motley teens during high-school detention, who soon find themselves sucked in to the perilous jungle. But there's a twist: they're now in the bodies of the game character they chose. Each of the main cast members plays impressively against type: Dwyane Johnson as the allergy-afflicted nerd, Kevin Hart as the jock cut down to size, Karen Gillan as the introverted loner and – most amusingly – Jack Black as the vacuous popular girl. The laughs are frequent, coming mostly from the body-swap setup, but also from the tongue-in-cheek references to point and click video games. – Tom Glasson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fN46DCFr2Y0 JUST TO BE SURE We give it: 3 stars As a comedy, Just to Be Sure doesn't always hit the mark. As an insightful look at life, love and family, however, the French film proves both thoughtful and charming. In her third feature, writer-director Carine Tardieu explores the story of widower Erwan (François Damiens) and his pregnant 23-year-old daughter Juliette (Alice de Lencquesaing) — plus the man he has always called dad (Guy Marchand), the man who might be his biological father (André Wilms) and the attractive doctor (Cécile De France) that links them both. With great performances all round, the movie is at its best when it's getting to the heart of the various characters' emotional reactions, rather than trying to find laughs. – Sarah Ward https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_YnYrLfjxA BREATHE We give it: 2.5 stars Based on the exploits of polio sufferer Robin Cavendish, Breathe comes to the screen with the best of intentions. Indeed, Cavendish's son produced the film, showing just how personal this true tale is. Sadly, celebrating his father's fortitude and crafting a rousing movie aren't one and the same, despite the fact that many of the right tools are there. As Cavendish, Andrew Garfield (sporting his natural accent) flits between frustration and determination, while Claire Foy gives a moving performance as the dependable wife by his side. The production also boasts thoroughly handsome cinematography that captures its '50s, '60s and '70s setting. And yet the directorial debut of motion-capture actor Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings, War for the Planet of the Apes) ultimately proves heavy on sentiment but light on emotional impact. – Sarah Ward https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCrBICYM0yM DOWNSIZING We give it: 2.5 stars It's a great concept: to help save the planet, humanity gets shrunk down to size. But the unmistakably odd Downsizing isn't just an eco-friendly, statement-making update of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, even if it comes with a few ace sight gags. While director Alexander Payne has long been fascinated with ordinary guys struggling with their lot in life — think Sideways, The Descendants and Nebraska — the theme doesn't quite work in this ambitious but messy sci-fi-esque comedy. The film isn't helped by Matt Damon rolling out his usual everyman routine, though other cast members fare better. Christoph Waltz is considerably more jovial than usual, and Hong Chau turns a thinly written, stereotypical character into something more memorable. – Sarah Ward https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXCTMGYUg9A THE GREATEST SHOWMAN We give it: 2 stars If Hugh Jackman's mega-watt smile and Zac Efron getting musical out of high school can't save The Greatest Showman, then nothing can. Turning the life of 19th-century American circus whiz P.T. Barnum into a family-friendly musical, the film prefers easy sentiment over anything more than the most obvious of themes and the simplest, flimsiest of narratives. The flat, uninvolving pop songs scattered throughout don't help or demonstrate any depth, and neither does their music video-like staging by first-time Australian director Michael Gracey. There might be warm intentions behind this broad, unsubtle underdog story about dreamers and outsiders, but they're lost in a movie that resorts to painting a critic as the villain — as if to pre-emptively scold anyone who isn't enamoured with its empty spectacle. – Sarah Ward
Widely touted as Australia's most prestigious portraiture prize, the Archibald Prize is a curated collection of the year's best portrait paintings. This year, the lineup includes 58 talented finalists who were selected from a whopping 794 entries. After an obligatory stint at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the exhibition will move to Geelong Gallery. All the winning portraits and finalists will be on display from September 22 to November 18. The works depict an eclectic mix of subjects, from celebrities and politicians to artists and authors. Melbourne-born artist Yvette Coppersmith nabbed the 97th annual Archibald Prize — and $100,000 cash along with it — for her work Self-portrait, after George Lambert. No stranger to portraits or the comp, Coppersmith has been an Archibald finalist five times, finally nabbing the well-deserved win. And, being only the tenth female artist in history to have taken out the top prize, it's a win to celebrate. In addition to this piece, be sure to check out the portrait of actor Guy Pearce by Anne Middleton — it won the People's Choice 2018 and is eerily realistic. Pop-up bars and cafes, talks and weekly events will also take place throughout the exhibition. We recommend dropping in on the Little Creatures After Dark event because, beer and art, need we say more? Image: Self portrait after George Lambert, Yvette Coppersmith. Photo shot by Jenni Carter courtesy of AGNSW.
Thousands of punters attending Splendour in the Grass were left stranded for hours at the North Byron Parklands site on Friday evening, with bus and traffic wait times reaching into the early hours of Saturday morning. After The Strokes wrapped up on the main Amphitheatre stage, the masses flocked to the festival's shuttle buses — only to find almost empty bus bays and unbelievable queues. Oh man. #Splendour bottleneck is absolutely burying the vibe of thousands in one fell swoop. NOT COOL @SITG 😭 — Kira Puru (@kirapuru) July 22, 2016 In a pretty chaotic scene that resembled The Walking Dead, punters were jumping ditches, ducking under fences, pissing in fields and flocking to any maxi-cab (or moving vehicle, for that matter) that passed by. Concrete Playground even saw a woman with a walking frame having to walk the 1.25km from the festival entrance to the festival gate and duck under a fence, waved to do so by a NSW Roads and Maritime traffic controller. By 1-2am, many punters even waved $50 notes at passing cars in the hopes of catching a ride back to town. Traffic was no better, with early leavers waiting up to two hours just to leave the festival site, many returning to Byron Bay by 2-3am. The "line" for the buses at #SITG2016 been waiting for 65mins so far. Poor form #Splendour organisers @secretsounds pic.twitter.com/ojhl33RLmM — BrigFee (@boo_indeed) July 22, 2016 NSW Roads and Maritime officers corralled punters down into darker, less busy parts of the pre-highway road — with little time for compassion for the stranded punters. NSW Police rolled out the riot squad, patrolling with formidable casualness. This is not Splendour's first time at the closing time rodeo — so what the heck went wrong? Using data for non-camping ticketholders versus camping ticketholders should have offered a clue into Friday night's logistical nightmare — there were simply not enough buses for the number of non-staying punters. Here's hoping Saturday's three-hour set from The Cure staggers the leaving times. so we'll wait all damn niiight by the big floodlight towers they have the buses and also the powerrrr #SITG2016 pic.twitter.com/6zQvraIz7N — spicy cinnamon taco (@Caitlin_Welsh) July 22, 2016
