Yayoi Kusama's dots, obliteration rooms and pumpkins are rarely far Australia's shores, whether via kaleidoscopic solo exhibitions, pieces in other showcases, infinity rooms popping up in multiple places or documentaries about the Japanese artist. Your next way to get your Kusama fix on home soil is going big. Huge, in fact. Towering, even. And it's putting one of her giant pumpkin sculptures in the best place possible: a garden. When this gourd is normally found among the greenery, it doesn't usually measure three metres in length. Pumpkins aren't typically red, either, or covered in black spots. The Kusama Red and Black Pumpkin that's joining Pt Leo Estate is all of those things, however, as well as a massive new drawcard for the Victorian venue. "I am very pleased to showcase my work in such a wonderful place. The magical fusion of nature and my work is something special that can only be seen in each location," said Kusama about one of her pumpkins taking up permanent residence on the Mornington Peninsula. "At three metres wide, the monumental work is much larger than Kusama's iconic Naoshima sculpture and enjoys a spectacular Victorian coastal vista as backdrop," added Pt Leo Sculpture Park Consultant Curator Geoffrey Edwards. The Naoshima pumpkin has attracted a crowd to the Japanese art island since being installed in 1994, but was washed out to sea in a 2021 typhoon. A new piece that keeps with the same yellow and black design joined the site in 2022, and still gets tourists flocking. Or, you can now head to Victoria. Kusama's Red and Black Pumpkin is made out of bronze and stainless steel, and covered with Kusama's beloved dots, a recurring motif across her work. She's been making pumpkins for decades to nod to her childhood experience on a small farm. Art lovers around the world have been feasting their eyes on the results ever since. At Pt Leo Estate, Kusama's giant and colourful work joins more than 50 fellow works across the grounds, including pieces by KAWS, Jaume Plensa, Inge King and Reko Rennie. When you're not peering at art while wandering around the 134-hectare estate, you can enjoy a meal at the Pt Leo Estate Restaurant, fine-diner Laura and the Wine Terrace, plus some vino from the cellar door and wine shop. Find Pt Leo Estate at 3649 Frankston-Flinders Road, Merricks, with Yayoi Kusama's Red and Black Pumpkin available to see from Saturday, November 25. Head to the venue's website for further information. Images: Chris McConville.
Mildura has been a magnet for artists for more than sixty years. So, even though international touring artists don't always make it to Australia's outback towns, it's no surprise that Lenny Kravitz is doing the honours. On 28 November, he'll take over the Mildura Sporting Precinct with his Blue Electric Light Tour, hot from London, Paris and Berlin. Skip the massive crowds in Sydney and Melbourne, and catch the legend with just a few thousand avid fans. You can expect classic hits like 'Are You Gonna Go My Way?', 'Fly Away' and 'It Ain't Over Till it's Over', as well as tunes from Kravitz's new album, Blue Electric Light. As he has for decades, Kravitz is still winning crowds with his catchy hooks, high energy and undeniable charisma. While you're in Mildura, go exploring with our weekender's guide. There's a lot to see and do – from Bruce Munro's dreamy, contemplative Trail of Lights to cruising on a 19th century paddle steamer to wine tasting on the banks of the Murray River.
Unless you have the greenest of thumbs, it's not always easy knowing what to do to keep your plant babies from going to plant heaven. But if you figure out how to do it well, you'll reap the benefits of living in an environment that's good for your health and highly attractive, for that matter. Founder and editor of The Planthunter, Georgina Reid, spoke to us about the important things to keep in mind when growing plants at home, while Dr Dominque Hes, director of Melbourne's Thrive Research Hub, provided us with her own research on how plants improve our wellbeing. It's easy to hoard plants, particularly if you're drawn to their natural aesthetic. And according to Hes, science has proven it's beneficial for your health to have heaps, too. "What's important is having a variety of plants of all shapes and sizes, colours and textures. The variety is what gives us the greatest benefits as it most reminds us of nature," says Hes. [caption id="attachment_647290" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Georgina Reid of The Planthunter.[/caption] "It's part of a biophilic response left over from a time when humans spent more time outdoors than indoors, surviving based on a relationship with nature. Our brain is more relaxed and able to better deal with day-to-day activities if it feels in control," she says. "Parts of the brain still need to be connected to nature to feel that control. When this bit of the brain is relaxed, research shows that it allows improved concentration, communication, intuition, recollection, learning and creativity," she says. So, really, stocking up on your favourite plants is a win/win. Your place will look lush and your wellbeing will skyrocket thanks to plants' ability to take up fine dust particles, CO2 and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can come from new furniture, paints, carpets and clothes. Which plants are good for your space? We've taken you through choosing the best plants for your home, now here's how to make sure they (and, in turn, you) stay healthy and happy. Read on to learn how to take care of your favourite plants — and reap the benefits of having these green guys as housemates. SUCCULENTS We'll start with the easiest plant type to grow at home: succulents. They often have thick, fleshy leaves for storing water (so they also look kinda quirky) and generally aren't that needy. Because of their ability to store water, succulents aren't the thirstiest of plants. One watering each week is enough — but if the soil or potting mix around the plant is already moist, it won't need any. You can check how damp the soil is by putting your finger a couple of centimetres into the soil (this measurement can be used to test soil or potting mix moisture for other plants, too). Reid suggests putting them in full light as most succulents prefer outside life. However, if keeping plants outdoors isn't an option at your place, Reid says some succulents like jade plant (crassula spp.) and haworthia (haworthia spp.) will do just fine indoors. Plus, jade plant is a power plant. Hes explains that plants like jade plant with more stomata (like plant pores) are considered 'high removalists' because they're able to remove those fine dust particles, CO2 and VOCs at a much higher rate than other plants, meaning they are good for producing oxygen. FERNS Having spent millions of years evolving to survive in perpetually wet, humid environments, ferns are not exactly going to appreciate the drier climates of your house. If you give them a rainforest-like space to grow in they'll absolutely thank you for it. This could look like your bathroom or a shadowy part of the garden. Most ferns will require more watering than other plant types. And some ferns will need more drenching than others. But they all love nutrient-rich soil and organic liquid fertilizer is recommended for that extra nourishment. Ferns can be tricky to figure out and can differ a lot from one another, so it's not wise to put down any blanket rules. Reid confesses to having killed a fern or two. "Do your research and talk to specialist fern growers about providing the best situation for your ferny friend," she says. One fern to look for is the hare's foot fern. Also a high removalist like jade plant, hare's foot grows well in sunny environs, all while helping filter the air in your home. HERBS These guys love the sun so consider keeping them outside wherever possible. Annual herbs such as parsley, basil and mint can survive with a bit of shade (and plenty of water) but perennials such as rosemary, oregano and thyme come from the Mediterranean and want to soak up the rays — they need direct sunlight to grow. Perennials are more tolerant of drier conditions than their annual cousins. They thrive in the summer months and will need more watering then. "Water weekly in the warmer months, as this is generally their growing period," says Reid. "And water less so over winter." In order to keep them alive for as long as possible, pinch the flowers off parsley, basil and coriander. Similarly, try pruning herbs (cutting their tips off) for denser growth — it'll give them a bit more life. VEGGIES You don't need a background in agriculture and miles of fertile land to grow beautiful vegetables. All that's required is a planter box and a lot of sun (you'll need to give them at least six hours of sunlight each day). Most vegetables are annuals and will set seed after a year, meaning that they won't be able to produce anything good after this. The key to mouth-watering produce is rich, moist soil. "You want your soil to be as rich and nutritious as possible, to ensure your crops are juicy and delicious," says Reid. She suggests looking into compost and 'worm wee', both wonderful forms of nutrition. And, make sure that your veggie plants don't stay in soil that's too saturated or has been dried out for too long. Oh, and it's not just you that likes tasty produce. "Depending on where you live you may need to protect your veggie garden from hungry critters like possums and birds," she says. CACTI They're virtually the opposite of a fern and far better at soaking up sun rays than anything else you'll ever grow. If you can help it, avoid keeping them inside. In fact, if you're good at neglecting things, the cactus might be your match. It's imperative not to water a cactus more than necessary — if in doubt, it's better to hold back. "If they're not undercover, don't be fussed about watering them. Just rely on the rain," says Reid. "Otherwise, water your cactus when you remember — but make sure you don't remember too often." Now that you can go forth confidently knowing how to take care of your favourite plants, check out our guide to choosing the best plants for your home. And don't forget to add some of those home-enhancing high removalists like jade plant and hare's foot fern, as well as silver queen, pot mum, dragon tree and devil's ivy. Plant Life Balance is a new initiative designed to get Australians excited and confident about styling their homes with plants while promoting the healthy benefits plants bring. The initiative also delivers an Australian-first, virtual greening app. The Plant Life Balance app, asks Aussies to rate their space, then improve their health score by choosing a look for their room or outdoor area, grabbing a plant list and hitting the nursery. Download the app here.
We hope you've recovered adequately from Christmas lunch — because you've got less than two months to prepare yourself for the annual celebration of wining and dining that is the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival. It's back with a blockbuster program of culinary goodness in tow, descending on Melbourne from Friday, March 24–Sunday, April 2. There's something in the lineup for every palate, with events big and small, and guest chefs flying in from all corners of the globe. As the festival's new hub, Federation Square will be heating up to host a good portion of the action, including a pop-up bar pairing Tom Sarafian snacks with standout sips from the city's top cocktail shakers, plus a celebrity sausage sizzle plating up snag-based creations from the likes of Christian Petracca, Chrissie Swan and Rhys Nicholson. Plus, catch a carb-tastic lineup of favourites plating up their finest baked goods for Baker's Dozen — a two-day openair market slinging treats from Lune, All Are Welcome, Baker Bleu, Bread Club, Monforte, Tarts Anon, Totti's and more. [caption id="attachment_886740" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Moonhouse[/caption] Jeremy Chan, of London's Michelin-starred Ikoyi, will be dropping by Vue de Monde to treat locals to a taste of his wildly innovative flair by way of a ten-course degustation, while the boundary-pushing wood-fired pizza of Kyoto's Monk will be on full display when Yoshihiro Imai joins Dave Verheul for a collaborative feast at Embla. The tantalising food in the films of Studio Ghibli will be plucked from the screen and brought to life in a one-off degustation at Robata, Prahran's Maker & Monger is set to host an after-hours cheese and wine fest, and cookbook author Julia Busuttil Nishimura hits Florian Eatery for an Italian feast matched with wines by Giorgio De Maria. [caption id="attachment_886737" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mission Chinese Food's Danny Bowien[/caption] Elsewhere, you'll catch Danny Bowien (of New York's famed Mission Chinese Food) teaming up with Shannon Martinez for a spice-fuelled vegan dinner, the Mornington Peninsula's Tedesca dropping by Cutler & Co, and Sydney's Ante hitting the internationally-hyped Caretaker's Cottage for a Sunday session of stellar snacks and sake. There's a lunch dedicated to the Korean dish bo ssäm, a wood-fired collaboration from Harley & Rose and the UK's Black Axe Mangal, and a ferment-filled feast courtesy of Anchovy's Thi Le and Pok Pok founder Andy Ricker. Of course, there'll be plenty of return favourites in the mix, too, including the star-studded offerings of The Convenient Store (a pop-up shop that's part Japanese convenience store, part Brooklyn bodega), and the roving food adventures that are the Crawl and Bite tours. [caption id="attachment_886741" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Yoshihiro Imai, by Yuka Yanazume[/caption] The Melbourne Food & Wine Festival returns from Friday, March 24–Sunday, April 2, with events across the city. Pre-sale starts from January 31 for subscribers, with general tickets on sale from February 3. Top image: Embla.
Victoria's world-famous collection of silo art is about to get even bigger, with the Labor Government announcing plans to help create five more of the large-scale, tourism-boosting artworks throughout the state. Six large-scale paintings already form part of the acclaimed Silo Art Trail — a 200-kilometre-long, regional 'outdoor gallery' project, that's been headed up by Yarriambiack Shire Council and international street art agency Juddy Roller over the past two years. Now, Premier Daniel Andrews has revealed five more silo artworks will be brought to life, having each scored funding and backing through the government's Pick My Project community grants initiative. The proposed installations were among 237 successful projects pitched by Victorians, that'll share in a hefty $30 million of government funding. New designs are set to grace silos in Colbinabbin, Nullawil, Sunshine — in conjunction with an outdoor cinema screening program — Goroke and Kaniva, near the South Australian border. It's hoped that, like with the original Silo Art Trail, the new projects will help boost visitor numbers through some of Victoria's quieter regional areas, support local business and help capture the spirit of rural life. Images: Kaffeine, Nicole Reed
Every December, the Geminids meteor shower lights up our skies. Considered to be the most spectacular meteor shower of the year, it's caused by a stream of debris, left by an asteroid dubbed the 3200 Phaethon, burning up in Earth's atmosphere. The shower is expected to be visible from around 11pm in Sydney, midnight in Melbourne and 9pm in Brisbane on Friday, December 14 through to the early morning on Saturday, December 15. The best time to catch an eyeful will be after midnight, when the moon has set and its light will not interfere. At that time, you could catch as many as 120 meteors every 60 minutes — each moving at about 125,500 kilometres per hour. To catch the spectacular shower, get as far away from bright lights as possible — this could be a good excuse to head out of the city to a clear-skied camping spot — and pray for no clouds. If there are, NASA will be live streaming from its Marshall Space Flight Center via its Facebook page. The shower's name comes from the constellation from which they appear to come, Gemini. So that's what you'll be looking for in the sky. To locate Gemini, we recommend downloading the Sky Map app — it's the easiest way to navigate the night sky (and is a lot of fun to use even on a non-meteor shower night). If you're more into specifics, Time and Date also has a table that shows the direction and altitude of the Geminids. The Geminids meteor shower will take place during the night on Friday, December 14. Image: NASA, Marshall Space Flight Center, Jeff Dai. Updated: December 14, 2018.
This could be love: a classic 80s film that's been adored for decades, a new date with the big screen, and a live band and singers bringing its soundtrack to life as you watch. Dirty Dancing in Concert isn't new to Australia, but it keeps returning to tour the country because the movie at its centre is one that audiences can't get enough of. If you're a fan, you'll know which phrase fits: ideally, you'll have the time of your film-watching life. On Thursday, October 9, 2025, Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey will dance up a storm in the 1987 romantic drama at Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne. While this event is clearly hoping that you've never felt like this before, that'll only apply if you didn't go to 2022's or 2023's shows. Whether you're a Dirty Dancing in Concert first-timer or returning after seeing it before, you'll not only see the movie — you'll also hit up the party afterwards. Accordingly, as you celebrate one of Swayze's biggest and most-charming film roles, you'll be immersed in the world of the picture from the moment that you take your seat. Although no one will be carrying watermelons or checking into Kellerman's Mountain House in the Catskills, the digitally remastered feature will grace the big screen, its iconic songs will get a workout live, then the musicians will stick around afterwards to headline a party that'll naturally have you singing and dancing. If you're feeling adventurous and inspired by the movie, you might even want to try to recreate the famous lift. Here, nobody will put you or Francis 'Baby' Houseman in a corner — and you'd be just a fool to believe otherwise. Your hungry eyes will soak in Baby's first taste of dirty dancing, her eager rehearsals and her growing infatuation with Johnny Castle, as well as her parents' bitter unhappiness about the entire situation. Dirty Dancing in Concert images: Zdenko Hanout.
With catastrophic weather conditions saturating Queensland and New South Wales over the past week, good news has been in very short supply. Enter the team at Sikh Volunteers Australia, which has put in an enormous effort to help folks affected by flooding in northern New South Wales. Their actions can only be described as heartwarming, feel-good, wholesome and just all-round ace. Any other synonym for great, nice, lovely and generous that you can think, it'd fit as well. The charity, which has a mission to provide people in need with free food, is based in Melbourne. But after seeing that its services could be used further north as the devastating weather hit, its members hit the road. Cue a 34-hour drive to serve free, freshly cooked vegetarian meals to flood-affected communities in Lismore — which has been doing it tough after the wet conditions moved through the regional town earlier in the week. Team is serving free meals to flood affected communities in Lismore NSW pic.twitter.com/BsO1HjEaJw — Sikh Volunteers Australia (@AustraliaSikh) March 3, 2022 Originally, the plan was to head to Queensland — so that drive would've been even longer — but, based on community response, the Sikh Volunteers decided that there was more need for their services in Lismore. They arrived yesterday, Wednesday, March 2, and have been dishing up free meals since. Sikh Volunteers Australia's efforts in Lismore follow the organisation's ongoing work in Melbourne, including delivering meals to COVID-19 cases during the recent Omicron wave — and, before that, via 320 dedicated volunteer drivers who did the same during the city's 2021 lockdown from August onwards. That's a huge effort, and the charity aims to expand its work to other parts of the country in the future, too. In Lismore now, Sikh Volunteers Australia has set up at 60 Ross Street, Goonellabah, and is providing free meals to anyone who needs them. For more information about Sikh Volunteers Australia, or to support their work via a donation, head to the organisation's website.
Queen Vic Market is set to immerse visitors in the vibrant traditions of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year for a fifth year, promising a unique cultural outing on Sunday, April 28. From 10am–4pm, punters can follow the sound of live music and the scents of vibrant Sri Lankan cuisine to QVM's Sheds C and D, where all the festivities will take place. Food plays a huge part in Sinhala and Tamil New Year, so it's no surprise that a heap of food trucks will take up some of the prime positions within the market. Head to Taka Taka Kottu, Spice Garden, Don Daddy and more to find Sri Lankan dishes like kottu roti, devilled chicken and hoppers. Once you've got some food, park yourself at one of the picnic tables to catch some live music from Shivantha Wijesinha and The Batterii Band, dance routines from Tiya Dance Troupe and some live cooking demos from Don Sherman (AKA the Singing Chef). Sherman puts on a proper show and cooks delicious food, so pop by prior to getting your produce and let him inspire your shopping and cooking for the week. [caption id="attachment_825972" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mitchell Luoh[/caption]
Like many events, Vivid Live had its 2020 edition axed due to the pandemic. But you'll find a pretty sweet consolation prize among the Sydney Opera House's digital program — a stream of Amon Tobin's audiovisual spectacular ISAM, hitting screens this Friday, August 14. The Brazilian-born producer's immersive show wowed audiences the first time around for Vivid Live 2012 and now it's headed to a device near you, available on demand from this week. Revisit the ever-innovative artist's stand-out performance, featuring a multi-sensory fusion of technology and electronic art. Performing within a 25-foot, three-tonne cubic installation he built himself, Tobin moves in and out of focus behind a constantly shifting multidimensional screen. The artist's high-voltage soundtrack of sonic explosions and rippling waves is backed by striking visuals playing out a mesmerising story of colour and light draped across the whole scene. The streamed performance is just one show featured in the Sydney Opera House's digital season, From Our House to Yours. To check out the rest of the performances, keep an eye on the SOH website. [caption id="attachment_773326" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hamilton Lund[/caption] Top image: Prudence Upton
As 2025's Sydney Film Festival announced at its closing-night gala, if you caught Jafar Panahi's It Was Just an Accident at this year's fest, then you saw the latest winner of the Sydney Film Prize. If you sat down to Songs Inside, Floodland and Wilfred Buck, you also watched 2025's recipients of the event's Documentary Australia Award, Sustainable Future Award and First Nations Award. There's more accolades where they came from, too — this time decided not by juries, but by festivalgoers. If you voted in SFF's 2025 Audience Awards at the fest's highest-selling year in its history, then you had a hand in selecting the picks for Australian feature, Australian documentary, international feature and international documentary — plus their runners up. Over 23,000 votes were received across the four fields, with the winners showcasing the breadth of flicks on offer at this year's festival. Aussie animation Lesbian Space Princess — which features The Pitt's Shabana Azeez among its voice cast — added the Best Australian Narrative Feature Audience Award to its growing haul, after collecting the Teddy Award at this year's Berlin International Film Festival. Its counterpart in the international field: All That's Left of You, about a Palestinian family in the occupied West Bank. In the documentary categories The Raftsmen and Prime Minister took out the top prizes, the first for chronicling an effort to cross the Pacific Ocean in 1973 and the second for a portrait of Jacinda Ardern. "These four films are powerful examples of the fantastically diverse kinds of storytelling that move, inspire and connect with audiences," said Sydney Film Festival Director Nashen Moodley. "Leela Varghese and Emma Hough Hobbs' Lesbian Space Princess is a singular achievement in animated cinema. This wildly imaginative feature is hilarious, heartfelt and unapologetically out there — and our audiences adored it." "The Raftsmen is a gripping and meditative exploration of adventure and human endurance. Chadden Hunter's evocative storytelling, blending archival 16mm footage with survivor testimony, brings to life one of the great oceanic journeys in modern history." "Cherien Dabis' All That's Left of You is sweeping in scope and deeply personal in its portrayal of love, loss and legacy. Tracing seven decades of Palestinian history through one family's experience, it is an emotionally resonant and beautifully crafted film that left Sydney audiences spellbound," Moodley continued. "Finally, Prime Minister offers a rare and deeply human look behind the scenes of political leadership. With unprecedented access, this nuanced portrait of Jacinda Ardern captures a leader navigating major global and national crises with empathy and resolve — clearly something that resonated with audiences in these times." Dark comedy Birthright, Sundance Audience Award-winner DJ Ahmet, the World Porridge Making Championship-focused The Golden Spurtle and Sundance Documentary Grand Jury Prize recipient Cutting Through Rocks all claimed the runner-up spots. Sydney Film Festival Audience Award Winners Australian Feature Winner: Lesbian Space Princess Runner up: Birthright Australian Documentary Winner: The Raftsmen Runner up: The Golden Spurtle International Feature Winner: All That's Left of You Runner up: DJ Ahmet International Documentary Winner: Prime Minister Runner up: Cutting Through Rocks Sydney Film Festival 2025 ran from Wednesday, June 4–Sunday, June 15 at various cinemas and venues around Sydney. The fest is screening via Sydney Film Festival's 2025 Back By Popular Demand bonus screenings at Dendy Newtown, Palace Cinemas Norton Street and Ritz Cinemas Randwick until Friday, June 20. For more information and tickets, head to the festival's website.
If you're the kind of person who looks for hot cross buns on your local supermarket shelves the moment that December 26 hits each year, congrats — you know that these seasonal treats really should be available all year round, as everyone should. And, you're likely also aware that not all hot cross buns are created equal. Lune Croissanterie's hot cross cruffins are in a league of their own, for instance. The highly coveted Easter bites are returning in 2023, too, to the delight of pastry lovers across Melbourne and Brisbane. Whether you've had plenty of Lune Easters or just a few — Lune only opened its first interstate store in Brissie in 2021, after all — these baked goods are a must-try. Yes, they're exactly what they sound like, and they're only available for a super-limited time. Forget plain old croissant-muffin hybrids — Lune's Easter version throws hot cross buns into the mix as well, and they always sell out. The croissant-muffin-hot cross bun mashups come filled with a spiced custard and traditional hot cross bun fruit mix, which includes sultanas and candied citrus peel. They're then topped with a cross (obviously) and brushed in a sweet glaze. And, they're both vegetarian- and Halal-friendly. If you're keen, you'll find them in-store at Kate Reid's pastry haven from Monday, March 20–Monday, April 10 at all Lune sites. The chain is also doing pre-orders from Friday, March 17 for its Fitzroy, Armadale, South Brisbane and Brisbane CBD venues. Dubbed 'HCCs', the hot cross cruffins cost $10 each — and pre-ordering early is recommended. If you want some for Good Friday, Lune advises that you'll need to pre-order by Tuesday, April 4. Lune's hot cross cruffins will be on from Monday, March 20–Monday, April 10 at all Lune stores, with pre-orders from Friday, March 17 for Fitzroy, Armadale, South Brisbane and Brisbane CBD. Images: Peter Dillon.
A four-layer slice of Italian flavour and sophistication, the multi-storey Stella is Ali Mousavi's contemporary Aussie take on the classic Italian trattoria. An elegant fitout by Projects of Imagination and SUM Design Studio has lent each space its own identity while tying it back in seamlessly to the rest of the building. First, you've got the historic bluestone walls and back-lit cabinets of cellared vino gracing the subterranean private dining room. [caption id="attachment_872163" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kate Pascoe[/caption] Up on the ground floor, a light-filled restaurant space makes a statement of the kitchen's impressive Golden Onyx Marana Forni pizza oven; while above sits a moodier lounge bar lined with emerald banquettes and sporting a hand-crafted light installation hung with hundreds of glass bottles. One floor further is the openair rooftop terrace, with its lush vertical garden and vistas across the inner-south. It's a choose-your-own-adventure situation with a food offering — by Executive Chef John Park (Vue de Monde, 400 Gradi) — to match. Sipping and snacking types will be particularly happy lounging in the bar or kicking back on the rooftop, over salumi boards, mushroom arancini and beef tartare on toasted schiacciata. House-made pasta proves a highlight, with options like lamb ragu tagliatelle with orange pangrattato, truffle mascarpone-laced pappardelle funghi and blue swimmer crab tagliolini elevated with a prawn bisque. Meanwhile, pizzas come laden with classic toppings such as pork sausage, fennel and hot salami; or marinated prawns and cherry tomatoes. [caption id="attachment_872169" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Parker Blain[/caption] Primed for rooftop knock-offs, Stella's drinks offering is headlined by a mix of Italian wines and local varietals curated by sommelier Myron Kloppers (Omnia, Ike Jime). Of course, the Mediterranean-leaning cocktail lineup has plenty of terrace-worthy inclusions of its own — including the blackberry and hibiscus Stella Royale spritz; and the Violetta's sophisticated blend of tequila, Cointreau, lavender bitters and house-made lavender tea. [caption id="attachment_872171" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Parker Blain[/caption] [caption id="attachment_872167" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Parker Blain[/caption] Images: Parker Blain and Kate Pascoe
Whether you watched along from 2009–15 when it was in production or you discovered its joys via an obsessive binge-watching marathon afterwards, Parks and Recreation is one of the 21st century's TV gifts — and the beloved sitcom cemented its stars, from its lead roles through to its supporting parts, as audience favourites. Plenty of those talents also share something else in common: a fondness for touring Down Under. Nick Offerman has done it, taking to Australia's stages. Amy Poehler has made multiple promotional Aussie trips for Inside Out and Inside Out 2. Henry Winkler even headed this way to chat through his lengthy career. Now, add the latter's on-screen son to the list. Ben Schwartz, aka Parks and Recreation's Jean-Ralphio Saperstein, has a date with Melbourne in 2025. Don't be suspicious: Schwartz will be performing his Ben Schwartz & Friends live improv show, which begins with just a couple of chairs onstage. Where it goes from there, you'll only discover at Hamer Hall on Sunday, May 4, because that's the joy of improv. Schwartz isn't just known for Parks and Recreation, although that's the first thing on his resume that'll always come to mind for Parks fans. Since his time in Pawnee wrapped up — since he stopped being one of the woooooooorst people in the fictional Indiana town, that is — he's also starred in murder-mystery comedy The Afterparty, voiced a certain spiny blue mammal in Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2, loaned his vocal tones to Star Wars: The Bad Batch and Invincible, and featured in Space Force and Renfield. Top image: Disney/Image Group LA.
Moon Dog announced its plans to transform Footscray's iconic Franco Cozzo building into a huge drinking and dining venue at the end of 2022, and now we finally have news on when it's going to open. Come early March 2024, the team will swing open the saloon doors to its new Moon Dog Wild West brewery bar that's set to be twice as big as the already enormous Moon Dog World in Preston. The new 800-person venue will span three storeys, and have over 100 taps pouring Moon Dog beers and seltzers. Once guests pass through the swinging saloon doors on Hopkins Street, they'll be met with a huge bucking bull surrounded by horseshoe-shaped booths, an old western-inspired arcade and a barrel-ageing room. Up on level two, there'll be a honky tonk bar, live music stage, some pool tables, a balcony and a secret Pianola Bar. On this floor, the menu will be stacked with American barbecue eats — very on theme for the Moon Dog Wild West brewery bar. The new Moon Dog Wild West in Footscray will even have a sun-drenched rooftop with views over the city. There'll be another bar up here, plus food will come in the form of Tex Mex bites and classic gastropub dishes (it seems that no matter how far it leans into the US stylings, it can't get rid of the Aussie parma — and we're not mad about it). "With a venue of this size, we know we could achieve something that hasn't been seen before and really go bigger than we ever have. We're hoping to create somewhere for people to enjoy the outrageousness of it all!" said Moon Dog CEO and Co-Founder Joshua Uljans. [caption id="attachment_880996" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Gavin Anderson via Flickr[/caption] [caption id="attachment_744580" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Moon Dog World, Kate Shanasy[/caption] Moon Dog Wild West will be located at 54 Hopkins Street, Footscray and is set to open in early March 2024, operating from 11am–11pm Sunday–Thursday and 11am–1am Friday–Saturday. For more information, head to the venue's website. Images: Sam Schultz.
Not that you need one, but you've now got a fresh excuse to bring your pup along on that next holiday or staycation. Already pet-friendly hotel group Ovolo is upping the ante this September, with a slew of extra goodies in store for its four-legged guests. In honour of International Dog Day (August 26), Ovolo is beefing up its usual V.I.Pooch packages for stays between Thursday, September 1–Friday, September 30, at all of its Aussie hotels. It's teamed up with pet treat subscription service Waggly Club to offer furry travellers additional goody packs, filled with edible treats and toys to really get that tail wagging. Waggly's signature boxes are usually packed with a range of all-natural, Australian-made dog snacks, plus a chew treat, and a new toy or two for the collection. The popular V.I.Pooch package already includes a comfy dog bed for premium holiday snoozing, a special food and drink mat to help keep in-room mess to a minimum, and access to Ovolo's expert team of doggy support staff. The offer has been a hit since the hotel group introduced it back in 2020, helping to kick off a new wave of dog-friendly luxury hotel experiences here in Australia. The elevated V.I.Pooch package is available this September at Ovolo hotels nationwide — you'll find them in Melbourne (Laneways and Ovolo South Yarra), Sydney (The Woolstore 1888 and Woolloomooloo), Brisbane (The Valley and The Inchcolm) and Canberra (Nishi). [caption id="attachment_867004" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ovolo South Yarra[/caption] The V.I.Pooch x Waggly Club package is available at all Aussie Ovolo hotels throughout September, clocking in at $80 per pet. Has your pooch got the travel bug? Check out these other great dog-friendly stays.
When the Arbory crew's much-anticipated, multi-level HER opened its doors last week, Melbourne scored four distinct new venues in one. And, to the excitement of food-obsessed locals with a soft spot for smoky Bangkok-style street food, that lineup includes a Thai barbecue canteen by the name of BKK. Sitting on level three of the Lonsdale Street building, BKK is celebrating punchy flavours cooked over flame and coal, driven by the group's Executive Chef Nick Bennett, along with Head Chef Sungeun Mo. [caption id="attachment_842096" align="alignnone" width="1920"] By Parker Blain[/caption] Courtesy of Jackson Clements Burrows Architects, the fitout brings a youthful energy to the lofty heritage space, with a roomy, open-concept kitchen taking centre stage. Exposed brick is played against warm orange neon, terracotta floors and shiny swaths of copper sheeting. Pull up a seat anywhere here and enjoy the kitchen theatrics as you tuck into fire-driven fare centred around BKK's custom-built five-metre Zesti charcoal grill and oven. From barbecued meats to authentic curries, the menu pulls inspiration from all across Thailand, with a few modern reinterpretations in the mix. A strong snacking lineup kicks things off with the likes of a nam-jim-dressed spicy ocean trout salad, mushroom and glass noodle spring rolls, chicken curry puffs paired with a cucumber ajat (relish), and oysters finished with coconut cream and nam prik pao (a roasted chilli sauce). [caption id="attachment_842087" align="alignnone" width="1920"] By Parker Blain[/caption] There are grilled skewers both adventurous and familiar, a sweet and crispy stir-fried beef dish, and multiple iterations of the classic laab salad — including one done with barbecued pork jowl chilli and khao khua (ground toasted rice). Meanwhile, a green curry stars jackfruit and green banana, a T-bone is matched with nam jim jaew chilli sauce, and the tiramisu is reborn using rum, white chocolate and shaved ice. The drinks offering's been carefully designed to complement the gutsy flavours and heat of the menu, via a concise crop of fresh, interesting wines and cocktails that lean to the tropical. Continue your Bangkok adventure with sips like the tequila-infused Lychee Spritz or a charred pineapple margarita. And if you'd prefer to match your Thai feast with some sweeping city views, you'll find an adaptation of the BKK menu also available to order and enjoy two levels up on the HER Rooftop. Find BKK on Level 3 of HER, 270 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne CBD. It's open daily from 11.30am until late. Images: Parker Blain
One of the country's longest-running music festivals is back and bigger than ever, with the iconic St Kilda Festival returning next month with a stacked program of performances across an expanded multi-day format. From Saturday, February 5–Sunday, February 13, multiple stages across the suburb's foreshore will play host to a diverse lineup of live tunes and dance performances, backed by a jam-packed offering of food, market stalls, workshops and carnival rides. Set to fire up the Foreshore Stage are big-name acts like Daryl Braithwaite, Emma Donovan and The Putbacks, Gordi, Baker Boy, Soju Gang and The Bamboos, while on February 12, you'll catch the likes of Archie Roach, Chasing Ghosts, Kee'ahn and The Merindas here as part of the Yaluk-ut Weelam Ngargee First Peoples arts and cultural showcase. Elsewhere, enjoy pop tunes courtesy of acts like Ashwarya and Devy; R&B sounds delivered by Vetta Borne and Squid the Kid; a touch of psychedelic rock via The Lazy Eyes; DJ sets from favourites like Big Rig and DJ pgz; and a dose of signature sparkle from performance artists The Huxleys. There's a whole roster of family-friendly entertainment in the works, plus many local businesses will extend their trading hours for the occasion, amplifying the precinct's summertime buzz. There'll also be an array of food and market stalls to shop in between gigs. Images: Nathan Doran
The roll call of food favourites announced for CBD development 80 Collins are slowly starting to open their doors. We'll get our first glimpse inside opulent champagne bar Nick & Nora's when it opens on Thursday, July 2, but, before that, we can swing past Maverick for a golden waffle and a bloody mary. Fronting Little Collins Street, Maverick is the next offering from the minds behind Richmond's Mayday Coffee & Food, brother and sister duo Adam and Elisa Mariani. The space comes courtesy of Pitch Architecture and is warm and playful, filled with apricot and navy hues, futuristic lights and a terrazzo bar as its centrepiece. While CBD foot traffic isn't quite what it was pre-pandemic, with many Melburnians still working from home, those who do drop by on their lunch break can pick up coffee by specialty roaster Axil and pastries from Richmond's Penny for Pound or linger over Head Chef Eugene Yap's (The Kettle Black) eggs benedict with house-made pastrami, roast pork belly rolls and three-cheese and chilli scrambled eggs. If a coffee — albeit an oat-milk flat white, a single-origin long black or a batch brew — isn't quite going to cut it, the cafe is also licensed. You can pair a house spritz with the seasonal mushrooms on thick-cut rye, perhaps, or a Victorian montepulciano from Delinquente with a dry-aged stead sandwich — or, you can ditch the alliteration, and go for a martini with a bowl of bircher. [caption id="attachment_711890" align="alignnone" width="1920"] A render of 80 Collins[/caption] Come the end of 2020, Maverick will have some fairly fancy food company in the new food precinct. As well as Nick & Nora's, it'll be home to a new fine-diner from Chin Chin's Chris Lucas and Sepia's Martin Benn and Vicki Wild, Alejandro Saravia's new paddock-to-plate Farmer's Daughters restaurant, an urban cellar door from Handpicked Wines, a two-story dessert bar from Christy Tania and Colours Bowls from young gun chef Charlie Carrington. The giant 80 Collins development is going up on the site of the heritage-listed Le Louvre building, on the corner of Collins and Exhibition Streets. The high-rise, along with a newly refurbished commercial tower on the same block, will boast a futuristic new office tower, a 255-room boutique hotel and a luxury retail offering alongside the hospitality precinct. Find Maverick at 95 Little Collins Street, Melbourne from 7.30am–3pm Monday–Friday. Images: Michael Woods
Thousands of protesters have filled the streets of Melbourne's CBD today to march in a massive Change the Rules rally with the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU). Beginning at Carlton's Victorian Trades Hall on Wednesday, April 10 at 10.30am, protesters are marching along Russell and La Trobe streets before making their way down Swanston Street and Bourke Street finishing around 1.30pm at the State Parliament. As a result, commuters can expect closures down Lygon and Swanston Streets and major disruptions to CBD public transport. Yarra Trams has announced that there will be limited city trams running during the rally, with disruptions and cancellations on lines 3, 5, 16 and 67, and no Route 30 or City Circle trams. Route 86 and 96 are currently terminating at Parliament Station and no trams are running between the Arts Precinct and RMIT University. Passengers are being advised to walk between stops in the CBD and to use the City Loop train where possible. https://twitter.com/yarratrams/status/1115782801486503937 The Change the Rules rally calls on the Federal Government to improve working conditions, job security and ensure workers can keep up with the rising cost of living by increasing the minimum wage. Protesters are also hoping to convince Prime Minister Scott Morrison to call a federal election now. The rally extends across the country, with protests also taking place in Sydney, Canberra and in various sites across Queensland. Today's rally is follows a similar Change the Rules protest that took place last October and saw close to 170,000 people take to the streets. It's also the second rally to take happen in Melbourne's CBD this week, with animal rights protesters blocking intersections on Monday morning to protest the treatment of livestock and promote a new documentary. Head to the PTV website for live public transport updates and to the VicRoads website for live traffic delays and road closure information. Top image: Australian Unions.
UPDATE MAY 2, 2017: The Lucas Group have given us an opening date for Kisumé: Monday, May 15. Bookings can now be made on the website for the sushi bar, restaurant and private dining room. Reservations for the top-floor 12-seat omakase Kuro Kisume will open in the near future. Chris Lucas gave Melbourne foodies and cult Chin Chin queuers plenty to get excited about last year when he announced plans for a three-level Japanese restaurant on Flinders Lane. But three months out from the expected launch date, he's got us positively drooling in anticipation, finally dropping the venue's name and confirming exactly who will be heading up its food and drink offering. Parked just down the road from Chin Chin at 175 Flinders Lane, the sprawling eatery will be called Kisumé. The name roughly translates to 'pure obsession with beauty', and reflects The Lucas Group's plans for a venue that blends Japanese sensibilities with that classic hospitality that is synonymous with their restaurants Chin Chin, Baby, Kong and Hawker Hall. As Lucas explains, it's an idea that's long been in the works. "My daughter Holly was born in Tokyo, so this restaurant opening is a very personal one," he says. "It's the culmination of years of hard work and fulfils a dream that one day I could do justice to the beauty and elegance of Japanese food right here in my hometown." As previously revealed, Shaun Presland is jumping ship from Sake (where he was the restaurant's founding executive chef), to bring decades of training and a reputation as one of the country's top contemporary Japanese chefs to Kisumé. And, as if that wasn't enough skill in one kitchen, we now know he'll be joined in the executive chef role by acclaimed Korean-born chef, K. S. Moon. Known the world over for his innovative flair, Moon arrives fresh from his own Singapore restaurant, Mikuni, armed with some serious certifications and even skills as an international sake sommelier. Meanwhile, it looks like punters will be in just as good hands when it comes to the drinks offering, with The Lucas Group's general manager of wine Phillip Rich, who will be helming an extensive wine and sake program. He'll be joined by Markus Tschuschnig, fresh from his post as food and bev director of famed New York omakase restaurant MASA. The Lucas Group will open Kisumé in May. They're also opening a second iteration of their Kong restaurant on Smith Street towards the end of the year. Kisumé will open at 175 Flinders Lane on Monday, May 15. Bookings are now open. To make one or for more info, visit kisume.com.au.
Becoming something of a winter tradition in recent years, Pidapipo Gelateria's hot chocolate is back again for the season, making it easy to warm up your hands with a drink-meets-dessert creation. Borrowing techniques from the world of pastry, Pidapipo Co-Founder Lisa Valmorbida developed this recipe back in 2023 alongside Head of Production Nicola Totaro, resulting in the ultimate winter comfort. For first-timers, expect a cup of pure indulgence, where rich and silky hot chocolate is crafted from 70% dark chocolate, meaning there's soothing warmth in every sip. Topped with a generous scoop of Pidapipo's signature house-churned fior di latte gelato folded with marshmallows, the hot chocolate is crowned with caramelised hazelnut croccante — ensuring the ideal sweet crunch finish. "We didn't expect our hot chocolate to become such a thing – but it did, and it's been so nice hearing how much you all missed it. So yes – it's back, and we're so excited to share it with you again!" says Valmorbida. While previous years saw Pidapipo's beloved hot chocolate only available at select stores, the good news is that now every location is serving up this heartwarming beverage until the end of August. Featuring an unchanged recipe that resonates with nostalgic goodness, don't miss your chance to order one from the Fitzroy Laboratorio, alongside the Windsor, Degraves Street and Carlton stores. Perfect for a cold snap pick-me-up or just an extra sweet treat, have no doubt that this decadent drink will bring a little more warmth to your chilly bones this winter. Ready to sip? Pidapipo's cult-followed hot chocolate is available now for $10.50. Pidapipo Gelateria's hot chocolate is now available at all locations — Fitzroy, Degraves Street, Carlton and Windsor — until Sunday, August 31. Head to the website for more information.
Austrian-British philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein once famously stated that "the limits of my language means the limits of my world". Wittgenstein was part of a philosophical movement whose intense and sustained navel-gazing gave rise to an idea known as the "linguistic turn". This was an idea, with which everyone from novelists to zoologists jumped on board, suggesting that our creativity and conceptual imagination is limited by the fact that our languages are made up of a limited number of words. So we are stuck with a limited number of meanings. As such Wittgenstein, and his quite morbid buddies, argued that language is inadequate to the task of expressing human experience. The website "Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows" are doing their little bit to make the inexpressible more expressible, by creating an ever-growing list of new words to describe the sad little idiosyncrasies that make up modern life. This consistently hilarious and subtly insightful website believes that if words like "gif" and "trolling" deserve a place in the Macquarie Dictionary then why shouldn't words like "astrophe" or "heartworm." (Which describe, respectively, the hypothetical conversations we have with other people in our head, and those past relationships that are buried deep in our psyche.) With Dictionary.com recently releasing their "word of the year" here are our five favourite contender entries for next year from of "The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows". Contact High-Five An innocuous touch by someone just doing their job—a barber, yoga instructor or friendly waitress—that you enjoy more than you'd like to admit, a feeling of connection so stupefyingly simple that it cheapens the power of the written word, so that by the year 2025, aspiring novelists would be better off just giving people a hug. Reverse Shibboleth The practice of answering a cellphone with a generic "Hello?" as if you didn't already know exactly who was calling—which is a little like the egg requirement that marketers added to early cake mixes in the 1950s, an antiquated extra step that's only there to reassure you that it's an authentic homecooked meal, just like grandma used to make. Sonder The realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own—populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries and inherited craziness—an epic story that continues invisibly around you like an anthill sprawling deep underground, with elaborate passageways to thousands of other lives that you'll never know existed, in which you might appear only once, as an extra sipping coffee in the background, as a blur of traffic passing on the highway, as a lighted window at dusk. Astrophe A hypothetical conversation that you compulsively play out in your head—a crisp analysis, a cathartic dialogue, a devastating comeback—which serves as a kind of psychological batting cage where you can connect more deeply with people than in the small ball of everyday life, which is a frustratingly cautious game of change-up pitches, sacrifice bunts, and intentional walks. Semaphorism A conversational hint that you have something personal to say on the subject but don't go any further—an emphatic nod, a half-told anecdote, an enigmatic 'I know the feeling'—which you place into conversations like those little flags that warn diggers of something buried underground: maybe a cable that secretly powers your house, maybe a fiberoptic link to some foreign country. Entries and text from the wonderful Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows.
Welcome to the joys of major film festivals in spring, Sydney. Getting holed up in a cinema for a week or so is usually a winter activity in the Harbour City, because that's when Sydney Film Festival takes place; however, the first-ever SXSW Down Under is arriving in 2023 with its very own celebration of peering at screens. So, for eight October days, movie lovers can wander in and out of darkened rooms while the weather is pleasant outside, not frosty — and see everything from Saltburn, the new Jacob Elordi (Euphoria)-starring thriller from Promising Young Woman director Emerald Fennell, to the freshly remastered 4K version of iconic Talking Heads concert flick Stop Making Sense. SXSW Sydney's debut Screen Festival will boast 75-plus sessions that'll get projectors a-flickering from Sunday, October 15–Sunday, October 22. It all starts with opening night's Australian thriller The Royal Hotel from Casting JonBenet and The Assistant director Kitty Green (and starring the latter's Julia Garner), then features the world premiere of documentary Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles and everything from features starring Indonesian rappers and docos about Tokyo Uber Eats riders. Saltburn will enjoy its Australian premiere at SXSW Sydney, while Stop Making Sense will get The ICC's Darling Harbour Theatre echoing in glorious 7.1 surround sound. The venue will be home to the fest's biggest titles, which also includes opening night and The Wiggles doco; ONEFOUR: Against All Odds about the eponymous drill rap band; and Ryuichi Sakamoto|Opus, which covers the recorded concert by the late, great The Revenant composer, who passed away in March 2023. Also on the bill: supervillain parody The People's Joker, which gives the caped-crusader realm a queer coming-of-age spin; TLC documentary TLC Forever; Sleep, a Korean horror-comedy by Bong Joon-ho's former assistant; the Hugo Weaving (Love Me)-starring The Rooster, which follows a hermit and a cop who form a bond during a crisis; and a retro session of Aussie classic Lake Mungo. Or, SXSW Sydney's film fans can see Black Barbie, a Barbie flick that isn't filled affection; the Indian Australian Sahela, which tells a queer tale set in Western Sydney; Satranic Panic, a homegrown road movie and a creature feature; Milli Vanilli, another of the event's music docos; and Uproar, as starring Hunt for the Wilderpeople's Julian Dennison, Our Flag Means Death's Rhys Darby and Starstruck's Minnie Driver. Among a feast of screen content that also encompasses 40 shorts, plus 20 music videos and 13 XR projects, TV will get some love — that's why the event is called a Screen Festival, not a film fest. Standouts span Night Bloomers, a horror anthology from both Korea and Australia; Erotic Stories, another anthology that'll deliver exactly what it sounds like; and Doona!, a Korean rom-com led by Suzy Bae. Alongside indoor sessions at Darling Harbour Theatre and Palace Cinemas Central, free outdoor screenings are also on the bill at the SXSW Sydney 2023 hub in Tumbalong Park. The complete lineup there is still to come, but the program will survey the OG fest's best and brightest, starting with Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement's What We Do in the Shadows — the movie, not the also-ace TV show — as well as classic anime masterpiece Ghost in the Shell and Richard Linklater's Dazed & Confused. As well as viewing movies and TV shows aplenty, the 2023 SXSW Sydney Screen Festival also features an array of speakers. Black Mirror's Charlie Brooker is one of the headliners — not just of the screen component, but of SXSW Sydney overall. Similarly getting chatting: Indigenous filmmakers Leah Purcell (The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson), Kodie Bedford (Mystery Road: Origin) and Jub Clerc (Sweet As); Osher Günsberg recording an episode of his podcast Better Than Yesterday with a yet-to-be-announced special guest; and Gone Girl, The Nightingale, The Dry, Big Little Lies and Nine Perfect Strangers producer Bruna Papandrea and Binge's Executive Director Alison Hurbert-Burns. [caption id="attachment_917938" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Netflix[/caption] If you're keen to make the most of Australia's first SXSW, take advantage of our special reader offer. Purchase your SXSW Sydney 2023 Official Badge via Concrete Playground Trips and you'll score a $150 credit to use on your choice of Sydney accommodation. Book now via the website.
If you're starting to pencil in some strategic long weekends and well-deserved trips this year, here's one to add to the mix: Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort in Port Douglas has just launched a Bali-inspired floating breakfast. Designed for a loved-up pair or two partners-in-crime, this luxurious floating breakfast is available exclusively for guests staying as part of the Sheraton's Float Into Paradise accommodation package, which includes a three-night stay in a Mirage Studio Garden View Room. The menu runs to the likes of smashed avocado with perfectly poached eggs, charred sourdough and kale with whipped feta and seeds. A vegan-friendly scrambled tofu is paired with avo and tomato bruschetta, or a climate-appropriate coconut acai bowl is made with an almond-milk base and loaded with yoghurt, banana, macadamia and goji berries. If you take a more flexible approach when it comes to holiday nutrition, look towards the indulgent part of the menu. You can expect a three-cheese and tomato sourdough toastie, fresh banana bread or a brekkie burger with hash brown, smoked bacon, cheese and a fried egg. [caption id="attachment_888044" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Ellen Seah[/caption] The crowning jewel of the floating breakfast menu is a succulent half-lobster, served stuffed with creamy scrambled eggs, chives and garlic Turkish bread. Fresh fruit, yoghurt, pastries, a pair of coffees and juice are also included. The Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort itself boasts over two hectares of sparkling saltwater pools in Tropical North Queensland, meaning you can spend more time lounging by the water and less time travelling. Lagoons on-site include spots with sandy beaches, as well as serene private cabanas nestled on the waterfront. The five-star resort is also home to 147 hectares of lush tropical gardens, an 18-hole golf course and seven restaurants and bars on-site. In particular, the hatted Harrisons headed up by Spencer Patrick is a must-visit as one of Port Douglas' best restaurants. [caption id="attachment_888046" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Sunset Sessions[/caption] While the pool (and poolside) food and cocktails will keep you plenty busy, the hotel also runs Sunday sunset sessions complete with tapas and live tunes, or you can head along to a monthly rum masterclass. If you are keen to venture further during your stay, there are a variety of eco-friendly and sustainable tour options you can book. Locally-run Back Country Bliss runs swimmable tours through the Daintree Rainforest, which includes a snorkel and float tour of Mossman Gorge. Sailaway is a family business running half-day and full-day charters to Great Barrier Reef, including the Low Isles and Mackay Coral Cay on the Outer Reef. Finally, Four Mile Beach adventures with a twist can be booked with locally-operated Port Douglas Segway Tours. You can book the Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort floating breakfast via the hotel website. It is available until December 18, 2023. If you want to extend your Queensland getaway, check out our curated Whitsundays packages on CP Trips which includes a four-day stay, snorkel and sail adventure with a day cruise.
Richmond's much-loved patisserie gem Penny for Pound has officially reopened in expanded digs, just a stone's throw away from its original hole-in-the-wall venue. Known for freshly baked goodies of all sweet and savoury varieties, the new location on Bridge Road boasts a broad takeaway and dine-in menu to suit its newly-acquired space. "We are really excited about our new Richmond store, it's like coming home. Penny for Pound was born with the ethos of supplying people around Melbourne with the best tasting, freshest baked goods, and we are thrilled to be able to continue to do so," says Matilda Smith, Penny for Pound co-founder and trained pastry chef. Penny for Pound's Bridge Road store will bring along all the team's well-known artisanal pastry staples, along with new favourites for Melbourne pastry-lovers to try. Expect rich confit garlic and cream cheese scrolls, twice-baked red velvet croissants and passionfruit doughnuts. The team's infamous salted chocolate chip cookie, ricotta and honey cruffins, plus a range of fruit danishes have also made their way across to the new spot. A rotating selection of toasted sandwiches, a range of salads and hot pies running to the likes of beef bourguignon and a vegetarian Mexican bean are great options for lunch patrons. Images: Supplied. Penny for Pound Richmond is now open at 418 Bridge Rd, Richmond from 7am - 3pm.
Strictly speaking, Easter might last for just four days, but that doesn't mean you can't get in early. For a full fortnight before the long weekend, South Wharf hotel Pan Pacific will be plating up its Easter Chocolate Indulgence High Tea. Head on up to the fourth-floor Pacific Club Lounge, sink into a cosy chair and prepare to eat your way through three towers of delicious delights. All the while, you'll be taking in incredible views of the Melbourne skyline. Savoury highlights include mini lobster rolls with finger lime and Yarra Valley salmon roe, as well as egg and black truffle mousse elevated with aged parmesan, caviar, roasted onion and Tasmanian pepper. The Easter vol au vent with forest mushroom, caramelised onion and three cheeses is also a cracker. But it's the sweets that'll really knock your socks off. Marvel at a bunny made with pink apple, rose, and frangipane (which looks far too cute to eat), before sinking your teeth into a Cointreau-infused Easter egg. Of course, no high tea is complete without a fluffy scone — and in addition to a classic buttermilk and sultana version, this high tea also includes a seasonal spiced orange and choc chip variety. Your tiered tower is accompanied by bottomless TWG Tea and Vittoria Coffee, and you can spend a little extra for a glass of Veuve Clicquot champagne. Easter only comes once a year, after all.
It's time to bust out those picnic rugs because The Peninsula Picnic is returning for its annual celebration of food, wine and good times. Taking over the Mornington Racecourse on Saturday, March 25, this year's lineup promises to be as impressive as ever, showcasing the region's finest epicurean delights alongside a jam-packed musical offering. Showing off their goods on the day — and ensuring bellies and wine glasses stay happily full — will be a hand-picked selection of local producers and eateries. Expect offerings from renowned wineries like Paringa Estate, Montalto and T'Gallant, and dining hotspots like Red Gum BBQ, DOC Mornington and Lorida Greek Taverna. There'll also be boozy delights from the likes of Bass & Flinders Distillery, St Andrews Beach Brewery and Jimmy Rum, with market stalls and tastings galore. Topping it all off, The Peninsula Picnic has landed a cracking lineup of live tunes, headlined by none other than The Temper Trap. The indie-rockers will be joined by award-winning music star Josh Pyke, Mackay singer-songwriter legend Tia Gostelow, all-female mariachi band Queen of Hearts and emerging local songwriter Tahls.
Adelaide's highly anticipated Harvest Rock Festival is fast approaching and music lovers around the country are starting to gear up for the jam-packed weekend event ahead. Set to take place at Rymill Park / Murlawirrapurka and King Rodney Park / Ityamai-itpina, the festival will feature a seasoned lineup of international and local artists including headliner Jack White, The Black Crowes, Khruangbin, The Lumineers and more. While these live acts are what out-of-town fans will be travelling to Adelaide for, the City of Churches is also an excellent starting point for a number of incredible day trips. To help you out, we've gathered a list of spots for you to check out before or after the festival. From the scenic landscapes of Limestone Coast to the incredible wildlife of Kangaroo Island, these incredible locations will make you think twice about heading straight back home. [caption id="attachment_869635" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Louis Hoang (Unsplash)[/caption] ADELAIDE HILLS Less than a 20-minute drive from the city, Adelaide Hills is the perfect place to plan a boozy afternoon with friends. With more than 60 wineries calling the Hills home, you definitely won't run out of options during your time there. If you happen to be a foodie as well, a number of restaurants that serve quality produce await your arrival. Consider booking a table at the three-hatted Hardy's Verandah Restaurant, which features a refined four- or seven-course menu, as well as a multi-award-winning wine list, impressive sake collection and innovative cocktails. Or, you could opt to stop into Golding Wines and indulge in its excellent wood-fired pizza paired with a rich glass of local pinot noir. Adelaide Hills is a 15- to 20-minute drive from the city. [caption id="attachment_869645" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Luisa Denu (Unsplash)[/caption] FLEURIEU PENINSULA Whether you're looking to escape the city or immerse yourself in a one-of-a-kind culinary experience, the Fleurieu Peninsula has it all. Wine and dine in a cave nestled behind Maxwell Wines, or take it to the next level and embark on a Helivista helicopter tour for epic scenes of Fleurieu Peninsula's vineyards, beaches and coastline. Don't forget to take a dip in the strikingly blue waters of Gulf St Vincent — and if you're feeling adventurous, head into the caves of Second Valley by kayak. Fleurieu Peninsula is around a one-hour drive from Adelaide. [caption id="attachment_869648" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Sue Tucker (Unsplash)[/caption] KANGAROO ISLAND As November starts to warm up, bask in the South Australian sun while enjoying the white sandy beaches Kangaroo Island has to offer. Be sure to add Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park to your itinerary and say hello to some wildlife like koalas and kangaroos. Or, explore the underwater world with Kangaroo Island Ocean Safari and witness dolphins, seals, ospreys, sea eagles, wedge-tail eagles and more in their natural habitats. Another must-visit is Flinders Chase National Park, where you'll get to witness other-worldly landmarks like Admiral's Arch and Remarkable Rocks up close. Kangaroo Island is a 90-minute drive and 45-minute ferry ride — or a 30-minute flight — from Adelaide. [caption id="attachment_869652" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Mick Orlick (Unsplash)[/caption] BAROSSA VALLEY Barossa Valley is your one-stop destination for all things food and wine. Prior to sipping on 100-year-old Para Vintage Tawny at the historic Seppeltsfield Estate, we recommend stopping by Vasse Virgin Barossa – a brand that specialises in natural skin and body care products – and signing up for a DIY lip balm workshop, 60-minute natural perfumery workshop or olive oil masterclass. Get the full Barossa experience and make your way to the Barossa Farmers Market, which is teeming with local delicacies and produce you might not be able to find elsewhere. Barossa Valley is a 50-minute drive from Adelaide. [caption id="attachment_869655" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Mark Smith (Flickr)[/caption] CLARE VALLEY Besides its Instagram-famous pink lake (Lake Bumbunga), the historic Clare Valley is also known for its sublime riesling and diverse culinary scene. Take your wine obsession to the next level and sign up for a 45-minute interactive winemaking class at Knappstein Wines — the activity includes a welcome glass of riesling on top of a full tasting of the Knappstein range from the cellar door. Before driving back into the city, fill your stomach with bruschetta, a toastie or pizza from The Olive Bus, a quaint café and cellar door situated in an upcycled 1969 British Leyland bus. Clare Valley is around a two-hour drive from Adelaide. [caption id="attachment_869660" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Charles G (Unsplash)[/caption] LIMESTONE COAST If you're in need of a short break, unplug and unwind surrounded by Limestone Coast's natural wonders. Dive into the renowned Blue Lake — a once-active volcano that measures 72 metres deep into the ground — or appreciate the beauty of Mount Gambier's picturesque Umpherston Sinkhole. Conclude your day by treating yourself to a glass of red at Brand's Laira or a delectable paddock-to-plate experience at Mayura Station's Tasting Room. Limestone Coast is around a three-hour drive from Adelaide. Make the most of your time in Adelaide by ticking these destinations off the bucket list, as well as enjoying the festivities at Harvest Rock, which can be found at Rymill Park / Murlawirrapurka and King Rodney Park / Ityamai-itpina, Adelaide, on Saturday, November 19–Sunday, November 20. Tickets are on sale now. For more details and to purchase tickets, head to the Harvest Rock website.
A Tasmanian distiller by the name of John Hyslop has created a Willy Wonka version of the mighty whisky. The newly established Deviant Distillery has just released Anthology, a drop they claim tastes like a ten-year-old spirit, yet was made in just ten weeks. Hyslop achieved this wonder by studying what happens when you place whisky in a barrel for a decade. Then he created an environment in which this process was accelerated by manipulating physical elements governing oxidation, esterification and evaporation. The only catch is that, legally, the resulting product cannot be called whisky. It's hand-distilled in a copper pot still with the usual four ingredients — barley, water, yeast and oak — and without any additives, but the lack of conventional ageing process means that only the label "single malt spirit" can apply. "Other than the ageing process, everything about our spirits is what you would expect from an ultra-premium craft whisky — we just can't call it that," Hyslop says. "I explain it like this: instead of putting a supercharged engine into a car and racing it to the finish line, we just remove all the obstacles in its way and let it become what it wants to be." Hyslop sees two major advantages in speeding up whisky making. Firstly, it enables frequent experimentation with various flavour profiles. "With the traditional distilling model, what is bottled today was barrelled 10 years ago," he says. "But now, in theory, we can conduct several centuries' worth of flavour tests and arrive at an ultra-premium drink that no single generation ever could before." Secondly, he considers it greener. On average, when whisky ages, between 30 to 50 percent of the spirit evaporates. However, Hyslop loses only four percent to the air, meaning the distillery uses much less water and ingredients. In addition to this, the distillery produces minimal waste and is working towards carbon neutrality. Right now, the whole operation takes place in Hyslop's mum's garage in Somerset, where he produces about 120 bottles per month. He's hoping to move to bigger, commercial premises in Hobart by early 2018. While Hyslop claims the spirit tastes like an aged whiskey, we're keen to give it test it out ourselves. Anthology is available online for $86 from today and in selected bottle shops in Tassie.
So Brunetti has moved home. What does this mean? Well, it means that it has moved house from Faraday Street in Carlton to the Lygon Street centre, where Borders once used to stand. Before Borders, however, Brunetti started its journey in this exact same location in 1974. With five other locations now across Melbourne, Brunetti is showing no sign of wavering. On a sunny Sunday afternoon, to say the place is filled to the brim would be an understatement. People are searching left and right for a table and the staff are working in overdrive. This, surprisingly, isn't helped by the four or five sections to the venue. A word to the wise, food comes to your table and drinks are collected from the bar. The space is no doubt beautiful. The drinks counter in the centre is a large round bar with hanging lights, while wine barrels cut and hung on the wall make for interesting dining companions. When it comes to the food, you can rest assured all the regulars are there in the cake department. Walls of glass cabinets filled with sweet treats will make you want to skip lunch and head straight to dessert. Lemon tarts, Opera slice, ricotta cannolis, oh my. Good luck choosing just one indulgence. What is a little different is the vast a la carte menu. For something simple you can go for the torchietti alla napoletana with tomato, basil and extra virgin olive oil ($19.50) or for a classic try the linguini alle vongole with clams, white wine and garlic. Pizzas range from traditional with the Margherita (tomato, fresh mozzarella, basil and oregano, $17.40) to the fried with the Di Matteo (salami, broccoli, ricotta and chilli, $20). If you're sticking to the savoury options, we suggest heading to the al la carte menu, rather than the readymade meals, as you are bound to get a fresher, more flavoursome meal if it's being make to order. We also recommend heading in on a quieter night. The sheer size of the place (400 seater) runs the risk of losing that Brunetti charm when it is packed out.
Back in 2020, which now seems a lifetime ago, Laneway Festival celebrated 15 years since Danny Rogers and Jerome Borazio first decided to fill a Melbourne alleyway with tunes. The beloved fest marked that milestone with a characteristically jam-packed lineup that made its way to Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane and Fremantle, as well as Auckland — but since then, it's been quiet thanks to the pandemic. First, the bad news: no one will be raising a plastic cup at the fest in 2022, Laneway organisers have confirmed. Now, the great news: the event is gearing up to finally make a comeback in 2023. In a social media announcement, the Laneway crew noted that right now it'd usually "be sailing the Laneway cruise liner into Australia/NZ, docking at Adelaide." That's clearly not happening at the moment, and "for obvious reasons we have decided to sit out again this year but rest assured, we are busy bees preparing for Laneway '23," the post continued. Dates, cities and venues for 2023 haven't been announced yet, but the Laneway team also noted that they're quite advanced in the planning for next year. "It's unusual for us to have booked so many acts so early on but that is what we can confirm we have done for Laneway 23, and it's already feeling like one of those very special Laneway lineups... there are so many exciting ideas and dreams coming into the picture and we look forward to sharing them with you into the new normal," organisers revealed. View this post on Instagram A post shared by St. Jerome's Laneway Festival (@lanewayfest) If you're now already looking forward to next year, that's understandable. If you're now speculating on who might be on the bill, that's perfectly natural, too. Laneway's news comes after restrictions eased in both New South Wales and Victoria on Friday, February 18, allowing dancing again — with NSW's ban on dancing at music festivals set to lift this week as well. Laneway Festival will return in 2023. We'll update you with further details, including dates, venues and lineups, when they're announced. Top image: Anthony Smith.
Taylor Swift announcing a new album as she broke records. Barbie's 'What Was I Made For?' winning Song of the Year. Tracy Chapman. Celine Dion. Miley Cyrus' first Grammy ever. Annie Lennox's Sinead O'Connor tribute. The 2024 Grammys had them all. The awards also had SZA entering the ceremony as this year's most-nominated artist, swerving away from swords as she performed 'Kill Bill' and collecting three gongs. Next on the R&B singer's list: touring Australia and New Zealand. [caption id="attachment_939968" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jacob Webster[/caption] SZA won Grammys for Best Progressive R&B Album, Best R&B Song and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance with Phoebe Bridgers — and to appreciate why, you'll want to make a date with her shows in Auckland, Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne in April. She's playing two gigs each everywhere but Brissie, all at arenas on a seven-show visit. The S.O.S. tour is in support of SZA's second album of the same name, which dropped in late 2022. She's been performing the record live for the past year, kicking off in North America from February 2023, then playing Europe before returning to the US. Cue 'Good Days', 'Snooze', 'Shirt' and 'Nobody Gets Me' on her current setlists, plus 'Broken Clocks', 'Drew Barrymore', 'The Weekend' and 'Love Galore' from her debut album Ctrl — and everything from 'All the Stars' from the Black Panther soundtrack to 'Kiss Me More'. SZA joins a massive list of big-name tours heading Australia and New Zealand's way in 2024, alongside everyone from Tenacious D, Take That and Sophie Ellis-Bextor, and GZA this week alone. SZA S.O.S. Australia and New Zealand Tour Dates 2024: Monday, April 15–Tuesday, April 16 — Spark Arena, Auckland, Friday, April 19 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane Tuesday, April 23–Wednesday, April 24 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Monday, April 29–Tuesday, April 30 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne SZA is touring Australia and New Zealand in April 2024, with presales from 2pm on Friday, February 9 and general sales from 2pm on Monday, February 12. Head to the Australian and New Zealand tour websites for more information. Top image: The Come Up Show via Wikimedia Commons.
Break out the bibs and put away those fine dining manners, because things are about to get messy in the tastiest way possible for Good Food Month. The Church of Bang Bang Boogaloo will be the setting for an all-out Low Country Boil, just like the ones you'll find in backyards across South Carolina and Georgia. Expect tables piled high with mountains of prawns, crayfish, potatoes, crab, sausage, and corn, just waiting for you to dig in and bliss out. There'll be lots of refreshing brews to help wash it all down, and socialising options aplenty.
Alice Skye grew up in country Victoria outside the Grampians, which gave her all the inspiration she needed for her debut album released earlier this year to much national acclaim. With no shortage of awards — like Triple J's Unearthed National Indigenous Music Award and the First Peoples Emerging Artist Award — Alice is an artist on the rise. Playing for free for you as part of Melbourne Music Week, you can catch Alice at MPavilion in the Queen Vic Gardens on a Sunday afternoon.
When the end of the year hits, do you get 'Christmas is All Around', as sung by Bill Nighy, stuck in your head? Have you ever held up a piece of cardboard to tell the object of your affection that, to you, they're perfect? Does your idea of getting festive involve watching Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Laura Linney, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Keira Knightley, Rowan Atkinson and Martin Freeman, all in the same movie? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, then you clearly adore everyone's favourite Christmas-themed British rom-com, its high-profile cast and its seasonal humour. And, you've probably watched the beloved flick every December since it was first released in cinemas back in 2003. That's a perfectly acceptable routine, and one that's shared by many. But this year, you can do one better — again. A huge success during its past tours of the UK, Australia and New Zealand (to the surprise of absolutely no one), Love Actually in Concert is returning in 2023 to make this festive season extra merry. It's exactly what it sounds like: a screening of the film accompanied by a live orchestra performing the soundtrack as the movie plays. And, to the jolly delight of fans Down Under, it's heading to Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, as well as Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Dates and times vary per city, but all shows are taking place in December so that you can get your Love Actually fix in the lead up to Christmas. Here, you'll revisit the Richard Curtis-written and -directed film that you already know and treasure, step through its interweaved Yuletide stories of romance, and hear a live orchestra play the movie's soundtrack. And, yes, Christmas (and love) will be all around you. LOVE ACTUALLY IN CONCERT 2023 DATES: Friday, December 15 — 7pm, Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington Saturday, December 16 — 3.30pm, Darling Harbour Theatre, ICC Sydney, Sydney Saturday, December 16 — 3.30pm, Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, Perth Saturday, December 16 — 4pm + 8pm, The Civic, Auckland Sunday, December 17 — 4pm, Christchurch Town Hall, Christchurch Saturday, December 23 — 3.30pm + 7pm, Hamer Hall, Melbourne Love Actually in Concert will tour Australia and New Zealand in December 2023— head to the event's website for further details and tickets.
After launching with an immersive, multi-sensory exploration of the works of Van Gogh, The Lume is now displaying its also-impressive second exhibition Monet & Friends Alive at the digital gallery's permanent home at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC). Taking visitors back in time to 19th-century Paris, it celebrates the paintings of impressionist icons from Monet to Renoir, and Cézanne to Manet. As with its predecessor, the exhibition presents its artworks via supersized projections splashed across its sprawling surfaces, and paired with a curation of tastes, aromas and sounds. Here, that means you'll be able to wander over a bridge and right into a recreation of Monet's famed 1899 work, Bridge Over a Pond of Water Lilies. Other interactive experiences include a studio space where visitors can have a go at creating their own replicas of Monet's best-known paintings. Further tapping into the French bohemian spirit is The Lume's own take on a 19th-century Parisian cafe, Cafe Lumiere, which will serves up a menu of small bites, share plates and desserts to enjoy after your artistic adventures.
So, you've been tasked with planning a standout date for you and your main squeeze, but you can't decide between a romantic dinner or a stroll through a gallery. Well, why choose one when you can have both at once? Digital gallery The Lume is building on the success of its recent Valentine's dinner and launching a new weekly dining series fusing food and art. Running Friday and Saturday nights from April 14, Dining à Deux invites you to enjoy a three-course French feed set against a backdrop of immersive art from the gallery's current French impressionism exhibition. [caption id="attachment_896841" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dijana Risteska[/caption] You'll feast on dishes like duck à l'orange, beef cheeks with creamy Paris mash and chocolate soufflé, while the works of Monet and his contemporaries float around you in the form of giant moving projections. There are two dinner sittings each night, with tables set for two and tickets coming in at $145 per person. Or, step things up a level and nab a front-row table for $160 per person. Drinks are available to purchase separately.
Yesterday afternoon, Melbourne hosted a climate change rally and knocked it out of the park. Upwards of 60,000 people attended the march through the CBD, which according to organisers would make it the largest rally of its kind in Australian history. The demonstrators marched from the State Library to Parliament House, and were joined by the likes of Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, Greens Senator Richard Di Natalie and national treasure Paul Kelly, who led the crowd in a rendition of 'From Little Things, Big Things Grow.' The People's Climate March in Melbourne was the first of many set to take place around the country this weekend, with Australian's calling on their leaders to take a strong stand against climate change ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris next week. According to the Australian Conservation Foundation, a further 10,000 people marched through Brisbane this morning, while there's a demonstration scheduled for Sydney tomorrow afternoon. Here's hoping they can amass even bigger numbers. If there was ever a time to put the ol' Sydney-Melbourne rivalry to good use, this would have to be it. To find the closest People's Climate March near you, go here. And if you want to feel good about humanity, we've gathered some of the best social media reactions from the Melbourne rally, below. "Coal- don't dig it! Leave it in the ground, it's time to get with it!" Huge crowds at Melb #peoplesclimate march! pic.twitter.com/IHRG8mLm1L — Adam Bandt (@AdamBandt) November 27, 2015 'The largest climate change rally we have ever seen in Australian history' #peoplesclimate #COP21 #melbourne https://t.co/Rcs2IjuU58 — CAHA Inc (@healthy_climate) November 27, 2015 That's a great view #Melbourne #peoplesclimate march @Peoples_Climate 50,000 pic.twitter.com/MPAXtslZgo — Samantha Dunn (@SamanthaDunnMP) November 27, 2015 Pics from the #peoplesclimate march in Melbourne this evening. Organisers think they have 30,000. #PeoplesMarch pic.twitter.com/IA1zFib0om — Melissa Davey (@MelissaLDavey) November 27, 2015 Pretty sure this guy just won #peoplesclimate (via @350Australia) pic.twitter.com/dAN3TSEjjO — GetUp! (@GetUp) November 27, 2015
Before SXSW made its way Down Under, Australia was already home to an annual event filled with live tunes, plus musicians and industry experts chatting about the business. In 2025, BIGSOUND marks 24 years of serving up that exact combination, and also of making Brisbane the centre of the Aussie music scene for a spring week in the process. How is it celebrating nearing its quarter-century milestone? With quite the hefty lineup. Briggs, Tash Sultana and Blur drummer Dave Rowntree are just some of the talents on the program — and that's just at BIGSOUND's conference. There are two key strands to this Sunshine State event: getting an array of people talking about all things music, and enlisting as many Brissie sites as possible in turning the River City into a multi-venue festival heaving with gigs. The first part is where well-known names usually come in. The second is where discovering your next favourite act is on the agenda. In 2025, you can enjoy both across Tuesday, September 2–Friday, September 5. Yorta Yorta rapper and Bad Apples Music founder Briggs will be in conversation with Gomeroi musician Kobie Dee, digging into their journeys, while Sultana is on the bill fresh from releasing her Return to the Roots EP. As for keynote speaker Rowntree, he heads to Brisbane just as he releases his new photography book No One You Know, which is filled with behind-the-scenes snaps taken by the man himself. Also among the folks on the conference lineup: Mallrat, Elly-May Barnes and Josh Pyke, adding to the musos picking up the microphone in a different way; Darcus Beese, aka the first Black President of a UK major label and the executive who signed Amy Winehouse at Island Records UK; Music Supervisor Anne Booty, who has worked on Poor Things and Kinds of Kindness; plus SXSW Music Festival Director Dev Sherlock, Reeperbahn Festival's Senior Partnerships Manager Robin Werner and The Great Escape's Head of Music Adam Ryan. So far, the list of musicians among the 120-plus acts that will play 18 Brisbane stages includes WAFIA, KAIIT, Inkabee, Azure Ryder, The Southern River Band, Hatchie and plenty more — all following in the footsteps of Sultana, Flume, Courtney Barnett, Baker Boy, King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard and others at past BIGSOUND festivals. "BIGSOUND is about taking stock of where we are and imagining where we want to go next. At a time of rapid transformation in the music sector — across tech, touring, sustainability, and artist income — we want to amplify the value of meaningful connection. Between creators and audiences, between industry peers, and artists and the people who can take their careers to the next level. Whether it's onstage or over coffee, BIGSOUND is where new ideas and partnerships begin," said QMusic and BIGSOUND CEO Kris Stewart about 2025's lineup so far. "Curating this year's program has been such a joy — the artists we've selected reflect the incredible depth of talent in Australia, and each one is doing truly exciting things with their music. We're so proud of this group and can't wait to see them bring the Fortitude Valley to life in September," added BIGSOUND Co-Programmers Casey O'Shaughnessy and Katie Rynne. [caption id="attachment_907796" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dave Kan[/caption] [caption id="attachment_851424" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lachlan Douglas[/caption] [caption id="attachment_861894" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lachlan Douglas[/caption] [caption id="attachment_907800" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Simone Gorman-Clark[/caption] BIGSOUND 2025 takes place between Tuesday, September 2–Friday, September 5 in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane. For more information and tickets, visit the event's website.
Summer's still a way off, but spritz season is already in full swing at Richmond's Baby Pizza. In fact, the venue's serving up a fresh series of daily aperitivo specials to see you happily sipping through the rest of spring. From 4–6pm each day, this is your go-to for $9.50 cocktails — whether you're keen on sipping a classic Aperol spritz or a spicy passionfruit margarita. Part with $6.50, and you can grab a bottle of Peroni Red, or opt for a $7.50 glass of Other Voices pinot grigio. What's more, every aperitivo cocktail comes with a complimentary snack. Either stick with these light bites for a pre-dinner sip-and-snack session or follow it up with a bigger feed at baby — ordering from the regular menu packed with Italian eats, including some of the best pizza in Melbourne. Walk-ins are welcome, though you can make a booking online if you want to be sure of nabbing a table.
"Touring is the only job in the world, I think, where you are a professional and you drink," James Vincent McMorrow muses from a phone somewhere in Dublin. "If you were an accountant or even if you were an actor and you drank at the levels that some touring bands do, you wouldn't be able to function." Two years ago, he decided to give the bottle the boot. Not because he had an uncontrollable drinking problem, but because he wanted to "see what would happen". "At that point in my career, everything was on a really intense upswing and I was playing big shows. It's not that I wasn't enjoying [drinking], it's just that I didn't feel that I was in control of what I was doing. I didn't think I was doing it justice in the way that I wanted to." In a January 2014 Guardian interview, McMorrow identified a packed-out show at London's Festival Hall as a turning point. "The biggest show I'd ever played in this country... I got off stage and thought — did that go well? I don't know," he told journo Tom Lamont. At first, the sobriety inspired a sizeable dose of performance nerves. "I became incredibly aware of my hands and started making mistakes again," he recalls. "I used to think that you needed to drink to get out of your own way mentally and create. But it actually made me think from a much clearer perspective." CREATING POST TROPICAL When work began on second album, Post Tropical, the music flew thick and fast. "I had better ideas than ever before... I was much more ambitious." Where 2011 debut Early in the Morning was folk-ish and harmony-fuelled, Post Tropical sees McMorrow delve into new territory – R&B influences, dashes of Rhodes, electronica and intricate layering. There's hardly an acoustic guitar to be heard. The songs were assembled over the course of eight months and recorded "on a pecan farm half a mile from the Mexican border" — where the likes of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Animal Collective, Beach House and At The Drive In have laid down tracks. "It's the perfect place to make music... I don't think I'll record anywhere else again. I came for the equipment and stayed for the view," he adds, laughing. McMorrow sees putting together a song is akin to solving a Rubik's Cube. "Every time I look at it, there's a couple less red squares. Then I keep going and I take a look at the other side. It might go the wrong way, or it might get better. And one day, it's just done. I'll listen to it and there'll be nothing in it that doesn't make me happy." https://youtube.com/watch?v=jgE3AengS0A ON BEING YOUNG AND MUCH MORE SERIOUS The songwriting process wasn't always so intuitive for the Irish native. McMorrow remembers a younger and much more serious version of himself. "I think I went from trying to be a musician to being a musician and that was a very big change. I don't examine music anymore; I follow it where it leads me. I used to question — you'd worry about whether you were good enough, or whether you could do the things that needed to be done. But I don't worry about that anymore. I still challenge myself every day and push myself infinitely harder than I ever did, but I do it with a sense of knowing what I'm doing and how to get there." Back in his worrying days, he spent hours reading some pretty meaty literature. "I became really obsessed with people like John Steinbeck, F. Scott Fitzgerald, William Faulkner and the American idea — between 1900 and the 1930s and '40s. It's quite funny, because if I examine the books I read and where I was at musically, I can connect the dots quite quickly. I read a lot of heavy books like The Sound and The Fury, and because I was writing music there was a certain element: 'if I read these serious things then I want to write about serious things.'" https://youtube.com/watch?v=j0DvjgagJko ON GAME OF THRONES These days, however, he'll "read anything that's put in front of [him]". Even if the writing isn't quite up to scratch. "I just read the entire Game of Thrones, everything up to the point where it finishes," he explains. "I read it because I started watching the series and I got annoyed because it was ending, so I thought I'd read the book. But then I realised the books were really, really long and kind of weirdly written. I don't know if you've read fantasy novels before but they're kind of... they're not the most amazing writing in the world, even though the story is obviously compelling. And when I started reading them I didn't realise that [George R. R. Martin] hadn't finished the series. So I got to the last book and found out he had two more to write still!" Fortunately, he's moved onto Hans Fallada's Alone in Berlin, which he describes as "really beautiful". And McMorrow has a plethora of tour dates to keep him busy between reads. JAMES VINCENT MCMORROW TOUR DATES: Wednesday 21 May — Astor Theatre, Perth Friday 23 May — Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Brisbane Tuesday 27 May — Forum, Melbourne Thursday 29 May — Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House (Vivid LIVE) Saturday 31 May — Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House (Vivid LIVE)
Tavi Gevinson, the precocious pixie editrix, is finally manifesting her person on our shores. As a hugely successful teen blogger and founder of Rookie magazine, her entrepreneurial chutzpah is something of a phenomenon. Sydney Opera House Concert Hall will host Tavi's Big Big World, part of Ideas at the House, a program which presents conversations with influential personalities. She'll also be at the Melbourne Writers Festival. She's an old hand at public speaking, too, having already given a TED talk. Awash as the internet is with kids promoting their #personalbrands, it's cool to see someone so young found a publication like Rookie, a surprisingly down-to-earth and intellectual voice in the teen zine scene. Launched in 2011, it's festooned with the Tavi aesthetic, which, since her solo blogging days as a 13-year-old, has channelled '90s pop-goth and pretty pastels, movies like Ghost World and all the quirkiest developments of the fashion world. But it's Tavi's self-awareness and feminism that make her a compelling fashion commentator: never glossing over the fact that this is an industry which fetishises youth, she's all for female empowerment. We're looking forward to hearing her speak on a local stage. Book here (from July 12) to see Tavi speak at the Opera House on August 18, and here for her August 23 appearance in Melbourne.
Break out the bandannas and start practising your old-school R&B moves, 'cos those time-tripping throwback parties just keep on coming. We've scored recent visits from Usher, Salt-N-Pepa, Vengaboys and even Aqua – now, get ready for another musical blast from the past, as Bobby Brown, Young MC, Bell Biv DeVoe (Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, and Ronnie DeVoe) and Blu Cantrell head Down Under to deliver a sweet serve of nostalgia. The Bring That Beat Back tour is the retro music party of your wildest 90s kid dreams, hitting stages in Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney and Auckland this October. And it sees none other than Public Enemy membr Flavor Flav in the role of MC. Headlining this mammoth lineup is a group now known as RBRM (Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky and Mike), featuring four legendary hitmakers from the likes of New Edition, Bell Biv DeVoe and Bobby Brown. They'll be digging into their collective back catalogue to throw down time-honoured gems like 'My Prerogative', 'Every Little Step', 'Poison' and 'Rock Wit'cha'. Joining them on tour is gospel-driven R&B star Montell Jordan, who you'll know from hit track 'This Is How We Do It', as well as 'Get It On Tonite' and 'Somethin' 4 Da Honeyz'. And we'll hopefully all be belting out renditions of 'Breathe' and 'Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!)', when singer-songwriter Blu Cantrell hits the stage. Elsewhere in the lineup you'll be jamming out to nostalgia-heavy tunes from All 4 One ('I Swear', 'I Turn To You' and 'I Can Love You Like That'), and the Grammy Award-winning artist behind 'Bust A Move', Young MC. BRING THAT BEAT BACK 2019 DATES Friday, October 18 — Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne Saturday, October 19 — Eatons Hill, Brisbane Sunday, October 20 — Hordern Pavilion, Sydney Tuesday, October 22 — Logan Campbell, Auckland Bring That Beat Back tickets start from $99 — you can buy them here. Updated: August 2, 2019.
In Contagion, the most prophetic film of the 21st century so far, filmmaker Steven Soderbergh didn't just chart the outbreak of a deadly pandemic or introduce everyone to the term 'social distancing'. His eerily accurate thriller also delved into the quest to find a vaccine, too, so that life could go back to normal. And, that's the reality the world has faced since COVID-19 first emerged — with pharmaceutical companies and medical researchers around the globe working furiously to come up with a solution. Several vaccines have not only been created over the past year — much faster than the usual timeline — but have started being used in countries around the world. The latter is happening in places such as the UK and the US, where coronavirus case numbers have remained at enormous levels. In Australia, where the situation thankfully hasn't reached the same scale, the federal government has decided on a different approach. And today, Wednesday, January 6, Minister for Health Greg Hunt, revealed that doses should start being rolled out locally in early March. The Minister discussed the current plan in an interview with radio station 2GB, including revealing the change to the schedule — noting that originally the government was going to start administering the vaccine in the second quarter of 2021, then moved that up to late March 2021, and has now jumped forward to the beginning of that month. In recent weeks, as case numbers have been rising in Sydney and Melbourne, the original timeline received criticism. Vaccines need to be evaluated and approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration before they can be rolled out, with that process currently underway for multiple different vaccines — including from Pfizer-BioNTech and University of Oxford-AstraZeneca. Hunt also confirmed that the first round of vaccinations will cover frontline workers — particularly those working at hotel quarantine sites and international border checkpoints — as well as health workers and residential aged care facility residents. "That's the first round, and then we'll work through it in terms of age and other priorities — which are currently being finalised by the medical expert panel, but progressively working down in age and where there are other vulnerabilities in terms of disability or certain Indigenous age groups and others, then they'll all be identified," he said. As Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced in mid-2020, vaccines will be provided to every Aussie for free when they are rolled out. Australia currently has agreements to receive ten million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which will be manufactured overseas, and 53.8 million doses of the University of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, with production of the latter already starting locally. Both require two doses per person to be effective. Obviously, it's expected that the government will provide further details about how everyone will get vaccinated — and specific dates for the start of vaccinations — before the beginning of March. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in Australia, visit the Australian Government Department of Health website.
When you think of ghosts and ghouls you most likely think of rickety houses covered in ivy, or old asylums on misty moors. The oceanic paradise of Australia is probably the last place to come to mind. But with waters full of stuff that eats you, and often inhospitable lands teeming with things just as iffy, this land with a darker history than most really does seem the perfect home for things that go bump in the night. So, here is a look at haunted Australia, a list of ten haunted prisons, houses and townships. Reader beware. OLD MELBOURNE GAOL Completed in 1844, the Old Melbourne Gaol is one of the most famous buildings in Australia. Before closing in 1929, the prison housed dangerous criminals among petty offenders, the homeless and the mentally ill. Executions were undertaken, and at least 133 prisoners, including the infamous outlaw Ned Kelly (whose remains were later sent to Pentridge and recently exhumed) and Jack The Ripper suspect Frederick Bailey Deeming, met their end on the hangman’s rope. The Gaol is an imposing building, but despite a bloody history, it isn’t known for its hauntings — though the things are reported, the building is relatively quiet. Some believe Elizabeth Scott, the first woman to be hung at the gaol, still walks the halls. MONTE CRISTO HOMESTEAD Compared to the Old Melbourne Gaol, and most other buildings in the country, the Monte Cristo Homestead is a hive of ghostly activity. Finished in 1885, the double-storey late-Victorian manor sits on a hill overlooking the town of Junee, and claims to be Australia’s most haunted house. Now a museum, it has a bloody past — a caretaker was murdered in the 1960s, a stable boy burned to death, a maid fell from a balcony, a baby was dropped from a stairwell and a man was imprisoned in the dairy. With wall and floors practically running red with blood it’s not exactly surprising that people report seeing ghosts. Supernatural occurrences range from strange voices, phantom lights and invisible forces, to ghostly figures and animal mutilations. Hardly the best place to spend a night. JENNY DIXON BEACH In 1870 a coal schooner called the Janet Dickson ran aground during a storm along the central coast. All on board survived, but others in subsequent years weren’t so lucky. Before the construction of a lighthouse, more than 20 people were killed. The area is famous for its ghosts; there have been many reports over the years, including that of a woman in a flowing dress who walks the beach at night, and the legend of a phantom hitchhiker that haunts a nearby road. STUDLEY PARK Now a country club and home to Rolls Royce enthusiasts, Studley Park was built in the last years of the 19th century, and has had many different uses. A highly recognisable building, it served as a school for nearly four decades, and it was during that time that Ray Blackstone, a fourteen-year-old student, tragically drowned while swimming. Sadly, that wasn’t the only premature death to befall a resident of Studley Park; in 1939 the son of Arthur Gregory, a former director of 20th Century Fox Australia, lost his fight with appendicitis. Visitors to the area report feeling of being watched, and mediums have claimed the presence of several entities, including a soldier who could have called the place home when it served as a command school, and a young girl who was supposedly raped and murdered in a top floor bedroom. THE GUYRA GHOST In 1921 in the town of Guyra events that would come to be mirrored by a cult movie of the same name saw twelve-year-old Minnie Bowen apparently possessed by a violent poltergeist. What began as shaking walls and thrown stones led to the cottage being constantly surrounded by people and international interest. Minnie’s parents did all they could to calm the spirit, but try as they might they could not. Soon the young girl claimed to be possessed by the ghost of a sister that had died just a few months earlier. The terrors continued even when Minnie was moved from the house, but all of a sudden they just stopped. PICTON Founded in 1822, the small town of Picton would appear to have more dead residents than living ones. The tiny St. Mark’s church and pioneer graveyard is the playground of children often seen walking hand in hand. Legend has it the children are Blanche Moon, who was crushed to death by falling sleepers in 1886, and David Shaw, who died from polio in 1946. The old maternity hospital is one of the scariest places in town. Haunted by an unpleasant matron, visitors report hearing the cries of unearthly babies, and waking with spectral hands wrapped around their necks. There are many more stories to be told in the town of Picton. THE STREET WITH NO NAME Believed by locals to be home to inexplicable evil, the area in Sydney's Annandale has served as a dumping ground for numerous mutilated corpses, and is thought to provoke strange behaviour in children and dogs. The street with no name has its share of resident ghosts to go along with the horrific happenings, including that of “Jock”, a railway worker struck while attempting to rescue an injured animal from the same fate. CHANNEL 9 Studio 9 in Willoughby was originally a church that was built in 1858. The building had been converted into a music hall and in the late 1950s it, and the surrounding area and cemetery, was purchased by the future owners of Channel 9 Studios. A new television production centre was built atop the old cemetery, where it’s rumoured the bodies still remain. Perhaps an unusual setting for a haunting, the staff at Channel 9 believe that a World War I soldier called Charlie roams the corridors, and is responsible for many ghostly goings on. Perhaps Charlie’s body still remains somewhere beneath the foundations. THE TEA TREE GULLY HOTEL Named after the trees that thickly dotted the landscape on which it was built, the Tea Tree Gully Hotel was opened in 1854 and since then its walls have played host to horror. Staff at the hotel refuse to visit parts of it alone, complaining of bad atmospheres, whilst others have heard voices, seen lights flash on and off, and heard phantom footsteps all around. Like many hotels of its age this one has seen its share of death, with accidents, suicides and murders all taking place there. Several people have reported seeing and speaking to a cheeky girl in period dress, though no records mention her. ARADALE ASYLUM An abandoned psychiatric hospital preserved as if it were still in operation, the Aradale Asylum is a labyrinth of dead ends and dark passageways, many of which could easily hide a ghost. Made up of 63 buildings, the complex looks imposing, so much so that sceptics sweep aside all notion of paranormal activity. But so many reports of footsteps, loud bands and apparitions by visitors and staff add up.
Step out of the darkness and into the light of The Gaso's courtyard and its retractable roof for a New Year's Day shindig of glitter and mayhem. Closet NYD 2020 comes off the back of last year's sell-out soiree and is sure to be another big one. The openair party promises "Fitzroy's finest homosexuals for DJs" and plenty of dancing and debauchery for the LGBTIQ+ community. Kicking off at 2pm, you can soak up all that sunshine and stay smart in the heat with fresh fruit, sprinklers to shimmy in and a spritz to sip while the sun goes down. From sunshine to starlight, party into the night — if you can handle it after the big celebration the day before — with festivities continuing until 1am. Only final release tickets are left, so grab one before 2019 ends. Image: Closet Facebook/Evan Fowler.
