Hiking through forests and swimming around coral reefs can be great fun, but some of the best adventure holidays include those with close and personal wildlife experiences — and that doesn't mean just looking at birds in trees or visiting a zoo. This kind of epic getaway will have you witnessing exotic animals in their natural habitat, getting as close as you can without causing them any harm. To help you get on one of these trips, we teamed up with a bunch of local and international tour providers who curate experiences for animal lovers especially. Read on to find your fave and book your spot through Concrete Playground Trips. A HUMPBACK WHALE ADVENTURE This is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of travel experience. Adventure lovers will spend seven nights in Tonga, diving around the island almost every day. Each day, you'll follow the lead of Jono Allen — the ocean photographer, environmental scientist, marine megafauna guide and filmmaker — as he takes you to a series of different dive spots. Every year, thousands of magnificent humpback whales migrate from the freezing feeding grounds of Antarctica to Tonga's warm, azure paradise to mate and give birth. You're not totally guaranteed to see these majestic sea creatures, but this place'll be your best bet. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_899178" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Red Charlie (Unsplash)[/caption] FIVE-NIGHT LUXURY SERENGETI SAFARI This Tanzanian trek takes animal lovers to some of the country's most famous safari destinations, including Rift Valley and the Ngorongoro Crater. You'll traverse savannah grasslands in a 4WD car with only a couple of other tourists. Here, you've got an ideal vantage point for spotting zebras, leopards, giraffes and all other kinds of native wildlife. You'll also stay in incredibly glam accommodation along the way. Specifically, the Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti, Arusha Coffee Lodge and Grand Melia. It's guaranteed that you'll safari in total style on this Serengeti tour. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_893317" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Colin Meg (Unsplash)[/caption] 10-DAY BORNEO WILDLIFE EXPEDITION Borneo is a bucket list travel destination for so many nature lovers. People flock to this part of the world for its wild rainforests, rugged coastline and traditional villages full of friendly locals. Fantastically, this 10-day tour takes you to all of Borneo's best bits, including an orangutan sanctuary where you can get up close with the intelligent creatures. You'll also cruise along the Kinabatangan River, chill out on the stunning Manukan Island and get a taste of city life in Kota Kinabalu — spending your nights in luxe resorts, hotels and lodges. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_895302" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Western Australia[/caption] SWIM WITH WHALE SHARKS ON THIS NINGALOO REEF GETAWAY Swimming with the whale sharks on Ningaloo Reef should be at the top of everyone's travel hit-list when visiting Western Australia's Coral Coast. Exmouth is the gateway to the world's largest fringing reef — the iconic Ningaloo Reef — and that's exactly where you're headed on this exclusive three-day adventure. You'll enjoy a full day here, diving headfirst into the pristine aquatic wonderland that's home to dolphins, manta rays, turtles, humpback whales and, of course, the much-loved gentle giants: whale sharks. Spend the rest of your days at your own leisure. Our hot tips? Hitting up the iconic Cape Range National Park, home to native wildlife and epic walking trails. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_899180" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Juli Kosolapova (Unsplash)[/caption] CROSS THE SOUTH GOBI DESERT BY CAMEL This isn't the usual two-hour camel tour you'll find Down Under — it is altogether more epic. You'll spend 11 days trekking around the largest desert in Asia, all from atop your humped steed. Wake up, jump aboard and explore Mongolia's Gobi Desert with local guides. This part of the locale is rich in mineral resources, diverse flora and fauna, thousands of unrevealed dinosaur fossils and rare paleo findings, as well as stacks of historical and archaeological sites. And seeing them via camel just makes your trip that much more unique and fun-filled. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_899177" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jorge Tung (Unsplash)[/caption] LUXURY SAFARI AROUND KENYA This seven-day tour takes adventure travellers to some of the greatest national parks and conservation reserves in Kenya. You'll see lions, elephants and rhinos in their habitats as they thrive in protected areas — a true must-do experience. Each night will be spent in a different luxury lodge located close to the wildebeest migration routes — meaning guests will likely get the chance to see these astonishing wild animals close-up (say, while having brekkie or swimming in their private plunge pool). If an African safari is on the cards this year, consider this exclusive offering from Concrete Playground Trips. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_899195" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nick Dunn (Unsplash)[/caption] SMALL GROUP FULL-DAY TOUR OF KANGAROO ISLAND Kangaroo Island is one of the top places to visit in Australia — and this tour will let travellers see some of its cutest and most rare wildlife. Start the morning with a cuppa and some homemade treats with fellow travellers before walking along koala-filled paths by the beach. After you're fuelled, you'll be taken to a series of natural sites that'll have you right up close to wallabies and sea lions. Watch pups nursing or playing in the surf, see old bulls bearing the scars of territorial disputes and learn about their unique breeding biology. The trip even includes lunch at a private bush camp, where you'll dine on locally caught fish and drink plenty of South Australian wine. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_899184" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 2H Media (Unsplash)[/caption] EXCLUSIVE GORILLA TOUR OF UGANDA Live your Gorillas in the Mist fantasy (sans scary poachers) on this seven-day primate tour in Uganda. You'll trek around the rainforests keeping your eyes peeled for all kinds of primates — think chimpanzees, monkeys and the almighty gorilla — and even jump aboard a river boat for a day. Throughout the animal-filled getaway, travellers will stay in Rushaga Gorilla Camp, Simba Safari Camp and the Isunga Lodge — each surrounded by nature and wildlife. It's one of the greatest ways to explore this part of the world. BOOK IT NOW. Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips in destinations all over the world. Top image: Hu Chen (Unsplash).
As another summer begins, it'll be time for the NGV International to show off the latest edition of its annual Architecture Commission. Launching Monday, December 6 (until April 2022), this year's winning design is made up of two parts: a vibrant pink pond that's meant to nod to Victoria's inland salt lakes, and a body of Indigenous plants. The installation is called Pond[er], and hails from Melbourne-based architecture firm Taylor Knights in collaboration with artist James Carey. Their work will see patrons wander through a series of interconnected walkways and accessible platforms and, with one of Pond[er]'s main purposes being to provide somewhere for gallery visitors to cool off, you'll be able to step right in and wade through the water. The installation is also designed to reflect upon the environment in various ways. By filling the pond with pink-hued water, the piece is designed to get people thinking about its scarcity and importance. And by using Victorian wildflowers among its plants — which will bloom at different times throughout the installation — it also aims to inspire visitors to contemplate just how fleeting and precarious our natural environment can be. [caption id="attachment_840623" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tom Ross[/caption] Top Images: Derek Swalwell and Tom Ross
Melbourne often goes in waves with its international influences on dining. From Mexican taco trucks to Spanish tapas to Korean barbecue, there are no limits to our cravings for international cuisine. One craze we cannot ignore any longer has to go to the land of the free and home of the brave, with American style platefuls still popping up left right and centre. Yes, American-inspired food and drink is not new to Melbourne, but boy do we love it right now. Whether you're craving dude food like Philly steaks and curly fries, want to snuggle into an American-style diner or simply won't settle for anything short of some southern Gumbo, there's a place for you here. Fourth of July celebrations were surprisingly abundant this year, and so the masses have spoken: USA is A-OK. So when you've got the urge for something from the States without the 22-hour flight, here's where you should head. Po' Boy Quarter The permanent residence from the team behind Creole food truck Gumbo Kitchen is perfect for those looking for southern comfort food. The po' boys, popular New Orleans street food, are filled with fried shrimp, deep-fried catfish or pulled pork — and you can’t go past the gumbo. Fantastic for those looking for a big feed on a budget as well, they often have drink and food specials (just keep an eye out on their Facebook page). The bar out the back, Huey Long's, has also recently started stocking craft beer from Louisiana for authenticity. They also serve great American style cocktails; rye mint julep served with crushed ice in pewter cups will be our go-to beverage the second the weather warms up. 295 Smith Street, Fitzroy, (03) 9419 2130, gumbokitchen.com.au The Beaufort This nautical dive bar is all about the booze, boats and buns — we're assuming of the hamburger nature — and if you can have more fun at a bar while keeping your clothes on, we'll eat our hat. Ike's Rack Shack is where it's at for delicious ribs. The tasty bits of meat and bone are covered in a salt and pepper rub and smoked overnight, then glazed with a Bulliet bourbon and maple syrup concoction. If you've got room for desert they’ve also got a bourbon caramel-topped walnut and vanilla sundae — along with apple pie, of course. 421 Rathdowne Street, Carlton, (03)9347 8171, thebeaufort.com.au Meatmother The dedicated folk at Meatmother are up bright and early to get slabs of beef brisket, pork and ribs to smoke over oak for 12 hours before they reach your lips. We recommend getting the meat tray to test out their days work, and adding a side of either chipotle slaw or mac and cheese. As for drinks, they offer a great selection of both American and Australian craft beers, bourbon and cocktails. With rusty meat cleavers adorning the walls, this isn't a prime choice for vegetarians (as the name suggests). But, if you like your meat to fall apart and full of flavour, you can't go wrong here. 167 Swan Street, Richmond, (03) 9041 5393, meatmother.com.au Big Boy BBQ The motto at Big Boy BBQ is 'Slow Food… Fast', meaning that their meat is generously rubbed with spices and slow cooked for up to 16 hours, but they can still dish them out quick sticks once orders start coming in. It may be 'fast food' but the meat is actually low fat, and low carb meal options are available. Give 'The Dorothy' a go: Kansas style saucy beef brisket with pickles and coleslaw. Another great thing about Big Boy is that they have BYO for only $1 surcharge per person. You can find these guys in either Caulfield South or Hardware Lane if the desire for shredded tender meat grabs you at a moments notice. 764 Glen Huntly Road, Caulfield South, (03) 9523 7410 and 27-31 Hardware Lane, Melbourne, (03) 9670 9388, bigboybbq.com.au Le Bon Ton Brought to you by the boys who have already proven they can nail Mexican food with Chingon, Le Bon Ton is another place serving up the New Orleans-inspired goods. The chicken wings smoked over cherry wood for two hours have been described as smokier than Keith Richards (we're assured that's a good thing). Also worth a stab is the 12-hour mesquite-smoked pork shoulder — it will change your life. We're also not about to argue with Sierra Nevada on tap, and for those after a serious cocktail there is the 'French Quarter' with Martell, Bulleit rye whiskey and sweet vermouth, with lashings of bitters and Bénédictine liqueur. And then there's the homemade pies for dessert: pecan, chocolate cream, banana cream and apple. This will be a food coma well deserved. 51 Gipps Street, Collingwood, (03) 9416 4341, lebonton.com.au Fancy Hanks Bar-B-Que If you're craving a big hunk of BBQ meat to get you through this winter, you should definitely drop by Fancy Hank's. 16-hour pulled pork shoulder for $6 per 100g or beer can chicken are popular items on the Bar-b-que menu, available at The Mercat Wednesday to Sunday. Add a side of 'Rosanne Cash' potato salad or some traditional cornbread and you won't need to eat for days. They also have happy hour between 4pm-7pm on Fridays with 2 for 1 on-tap beers. Also, what the hell is a pulled pork sundae you ask? You'd better get down there and investigate. The Mercat, 456 Queen Street, Melbourne, (03) 9348 9998, fancyhanks.com.au Miss Katie’s Crab Shack Previously known as Dr Juicy Jay's Crab Shack (and originally started by the Chingon boys), Miss Katie's is all about the American-style cooked blue swimmer crab. There is no holding back when it comes to these crabs — you just gotta grab a bib and hammer, and get stuck into these delicious crustaceans. The seasonal jambalaya, a paella-like dish with rice, seasonal vegetables and a selection of meats is created depending on what looked good at the market that day — just ask the staff for details. For those not so in favour of seafood there's KFC (that’s Katie's Fried Chicken), and vegetarians have not been forgotten here, with the sweetcorn and sweet potato burger doing the trick. The Public Bar, 238 Victoria Street, North Melbourne, (03) 9329 9888, misskatiescrabshack.com Bowery to Williamsburg For those looking for a taste of the USA in daylight hours, this cafe will take care of your bagel cravings. Channeling the industrial NY Subway station, this cafe pumps out Padre coffee all day, and something a little stronger for the afternoon crowd. The breakfast pastrami bagel is a hard one to pass up, a with fried egg, jalapeños, shmeer and rocket to get your day off to a great start. More recently they have added po' boys to their menu and some incredibly irresistible cronuts — that's a croissant crossed with a doughnut for the uninitiated. 16 Oliver Lane, Melbourne, twitter.com/bowerytowilliam Trunk If we're going to include a diner on our list, we think it should be Trunk. While Trunk's restaurant section is slightly more serious business, Trunk's New York-style diner is for those looking for something a bit quicker and light hearted. Try the Breaking Bad Dog: a bacon-wrapped hot dog with mustard, ketchup, fresh tomato salsa and jalapeños. Add some Wagyu chili fries to the order and you're laughing. Plus, you can never go wrong with a dessert menu only consisting of Sundaes — the salted caramel with toffee peanuts and caramelised popcorn for us, thanks. 275 Exhibition Street, Melbourne, (03) 9663 7994, trunktown.com.au Nieuw Amsterdam Ex-Cookie owner Michael Roszbach has opened a New York-inspired eatery and late night bar, and it doesn't disappoint. Serving food for lunch and into the night, the fare is decidedly American, with Gritz Fritters and a New York clam chowder filled with leeks, bacon, potatoes, clam veloute. Of course, with all things American that can be found in Melbourne, there is a pit grill to satisfy the carnivores amongst us, with lamb ribs and pork belly chops to boot. Pumpkin doughnuts and peanut butter waffles beckon us for dessert — but then again, so does the bar. An impressive list of Negronis and a 'NY Sour' with rye whiskey, cognac, lemon juice, egg white, and an absinthe rinse could be just what the doctor ordered. 106-112 Hardware Street, Melbourne, (03) 9602 2111, nieuwamsterdam.com.au Belle's Hot Chicken We know this is number 11 of the list, but we thought Belle's Hot Chicken — which has recently opened, replacing Belle's Diner — was worth of a mention on this list. The Gertrude Street diner is set to close mid-July and reopen to exclusively serve Nashville-style fried chicken. They'll be plating up their spicy-coated chicken with sides of fermented pickles, hot sauce, slaw, and potato salad in August. Their focus is to do one thing and do it really well — and we're volunteering ourselves to be their test crowd. 150 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy, (03) 9077 0788, bellesnightlunchdiner.com Po' Boy Quarter images thanks to e1cam1n0 via Instagram. View all Melbourne Restaurants.
Archer's restaurant at Melbourne Marriott Hotel Docklands has partnered with several independent Victorian distillers to host a monthly whisky tasting and dinner experience in its main dining room. Following a sold-out whisky dinner in May, the team has decided to revive the concept for three more monthly events. The series kicks off on Saturday, September 2 and will be hosted in collaboration with Morris Whisky — a local distiller that's been around since 1859. This will be followed by Timboon Distillery on Saturday, October 7 and Chief's Son Distillery on Saturday, November 4. Each of the three evenings will see guests tuck into a one-time-only menu designed by Archer's Executive Chef Ryan Flaherty (The Fat Duck and Stokehouse), made to be paired with a selection of whiskies curated by the distillers themselves. The four-course meal with matched whiskies comes in at $130 per person and can easily be followed by more good times in the hotel's main bar, Ada's — which boasts its own whisky cart that gets rolled around each evening. If you want to claim a spot at Archer's monthly whisky dinners, head to the restaurant's website.
With the Australian Centre for the Moving Image's major 2023 winter exhibition Goddess, the Melbourne cultural institution is going big on an essential topic: how women are represented on-screen. For six months from Wednesday, April 5–Sunday, October 1, the venue's new world-premiere showcase will pay tribute to formidable ladies in cinema, femininity across screen history, and what female talents have represented — and been forced to deal with — about the society around them. And, thanks to a new one-day conference with Geena Davis as its headline speaker, all that musing on representation, equality and diversity won't just be gracing ACMI's gallery spaces. Announced to celebrate International Women's Day, Being Seen on Screen: The Importance of Representation will run on Goddess: Power, Glamour, Rebellion's opening day. Davis will take to the stage to speak as part of a range of discussions, on behalf of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media — which the Academy Award-winning actor founded in 2004, and has been working to create gender balance in the industry for almost two decades now — and as the exhibition's lead ambassador. [caption id="attachment_891918" align="alignnone" width="1920"] GabboT via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] In addition to the rare opportunity to hear from Thelma & Louise, Beetlejuice, The Fly and A League of Their Own star Davis herself live in Australia, the Melbourne conference will also feature Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media President and CEO Madeline Di Nonno and a heap of Aussie talent. The latter includes 52 Tuesdays and Good Luck to You, Leo Grande filmmaker Sophie Hyde, journalist and TV presenter Jan Fran, actor Pallavi Sharda and casting director Anousha Zarkesh, as well as 2023 Australian of the Year Taryn Brumfitt. Goddess itself is quite the drawcard, of course, whether or not you head along on opening day. Both a massive and a landmark exhibition, it's set to display more than 150 original objects, artworks, props and sketches, all championing oh-so-many talented women and their impact upon cinema. [caption id="attachment_882193" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn, 2020, Margot Robbie, © Warner Bros. Image courtesy of LANDMARK MEDIA / Alamy Stock Photo.[/caption] That lineup covers costumes that've never been displayed before, various cinematic treasures, large-scale projections and other interactive experiences. Silent-era sirens, classic Hollywood heroines, unforgettable femme fatales and villains, Bollywood stars, women in China and Japan's cinematic histories: they're all being given the spotlight. Goddess will also dive into provocative on-screen moments from Hollywood's silent days through to today that've not only left an imprint, but also played a part in defining (and altering) what's considered the feminine ideal. Think: Marlene Dietrich in 1930's Morocco, Pam Grier's spectacular Blaxploitation career, Tilda Swinton in 1992's Orlando and Margot Robbie via 2020's Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). Plus, Mae West's sky-high heels from 1934's Belle of the Nineties, costumes worn by Davis and Susan Sarandon in 1991's aforementioned Thelma & Louise and Michelle Yeoh's fight-ready silks from 2000's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon will also feature. [caption id="attachment_882194" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Blonde Venus, 1932, Marlene Dietrich. Image courtesy of PARAMOUNT PICTURES / Ronald Grant Archive / Alamy Stock Photo.[/caption] The list goes on, clearly, spanning Anna May Wong, Marilyn Monroe, Laverne Cox and Zendaya as well. And, expect everything from Glenn Close's Cruella de Vil in 102 Dalmatians to the Carey Mulligan-starring Promising Young Woman to get time to shine. Goddess will pair its wide-ranging display with soundscapes by Melbourne-based composer Chiara Kickdrum, and also feature a sprawling events program complete with late-night parties, performances and talks — and film screenings, of course. ACMI has also just revealed further details about those other activities, including in-depth monthly curator tours of the exhibition, which'll take place after hours and dive deep into the showcase. [caption id="attachment_882188" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Britt Romstad, 2022, photo by Phoebe Powell. Costume: Kitty (Elaine Crombie) costume, Kiki and Kitty, Australia, 2017, designed by Amelia Gebler, courtesy of Jetty Distribution Pty Limited. Backdrop: Marilyn Monroe on the set of Some Like It Hot, photo by Don Ornitz, © Globe Photos / ZUMAPRESS.com. Image courtesy of ZUMA Press, Inc. / Alamy Stock Photo.[/caption] There's also a music program called Goddess Nights from late May, which'll focus on three femme-centric live music lineups with performances by DJ JNETT, CD, POOKIE and Ayebatonye — and a curated range of food and booze put together just for each evening. For film buffs, movie series Divine Trailblazers will focus on contemporary actors at the height of their powers, while the Goddess Sundays is all about on-screen personas. So, the first includes Angela Bassett's Oscar-nominated performance in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, fellow Academy Award contenders Michelle Yeoh and Jamie Lee Curtis in Everything Everywhere All At Once, Cate Blanchett also earning that description for Tár, Viola Davis in warrior mode in The Woman King, Filipino actor Dolly De Leon stealing every scene she's in in Triangle of Sadness, and Leah Purcell writing, directing, producing and starring in The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson. And, the weekly Sunday afternoon lineup includes Marilyn Monroe in Some Like It Hot, Pam Grier in Jackie Brown, Daniela Vega in A Fantastic Woman and more. After showing in Melbourne for its premiere season, Goddess will then tour internationally, taking ACMI's celebration of women on-screen to the world. Goddess will display at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Federation Square, Melbourne, from Wednesday, April 5–Sunday, October 1, 2023. For more information — including about Being Seen on Screen: The Importance of Representation on Wednesday, April 5 — head to the ACMI website. Top image: Thelma and Louise, 1991, L-R Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis, © MGM. Image courtesy of Moviestore Collection Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo.
Here's something that 2023 has that 2022 didn't: a Golden Globes ceremony. In his opening monologue, this year's host Jerrod Carmichael addressed the reasons why, including the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's historical lack of diversity. He also unpacked why he was asked to take to the microphone: "because I'm Black". Sparkling dresses, gleaming tuxedos, almost every famous face ever, plenty of shiny trophies going to worthy talents: that was all a part of the 2023 Golden Globes, which handed out its gongs on Wednesday, January 11 Australian and New Zealand time. So were frank speeches about the state of the industry, and the paths that many of this year's award-winners took to getting the accolades they deserve. When Ke Huy Quan said that "for so many years, I was afraid I had nothing more to offer" — chatting about the gap between starring in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom as a kid to making Everything Everywhere All At Once in 2022 — there really shouldn't have been a dry eye in the house. When his co-star Michelle Yeoh spoke about the surprise she garnered when people in the US discovered that she could speak English, the anger was palpable. Yeoh and Quan are just two of this year's Golden Globe winners, emerging victorious from a hefty list of nominees. Covering big- and small-screen contenders, they had ample company. And, among award recipients and presenters alike, the important and entertaining moments kept coming, such as Colin Farrell thanking Jenny the donkey from The Banshees of Inisherin, Elvis' Austin Butler asking to be played off to 'Suspicious Minds', Wednesday's Jenna Ortega telling everyone to watch 1962 French New Wave classic Jules and Jim, and Carmichael apologising "as a gay man" to Jennifer Coolidge in response to The White Lotus' second season. Also among the highlights: Carol Burnett Award-recipient Ryan Murphy giving 2022 Globe-winner MJ Rodriguez, the first trans woman to score a Golden Globe, a moment of recognition to make up for last year's lack of a ceremony; Volodymyr Zelenskyy's beamed-in speech; Steven Spielberg talking about finally being ready to dive into his own past directly after flirting with it across his filmography; Coolidge's mile-a-minute run-through of her rollercoaster career, and saying she'd come back for more American Pie; and Quinta Brunson's shoutout to Bob Odenkirk. Next stop for winners of the Golden Globe's film categories: the Academy Awards. Is Australia's own Cate Blanchett set to win her third Oscar, after picking up a Globe for Tár? Can Bollywood gem RRR keep winning fans everywhere it goes? Will 2023 keep being Yeoh and Quan's year, as 2022 was? These are your new questions. Amid all of the above, if you're wondering who and what else nabbed Golden Globes this year, the full rundown is below — and you can also check out our picks for the 15 winners you can watch right now: GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINEES AND WINNERS: BEST MOTION PICTURE — DRAMA Avatar: The Way of Water Elvis The Fabelmans — WINNER Tár Top Gun: Maverick BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE — DRAMA Cate Blanchett, Tár — WINNER Olivia Colman, Empire of Light Viola Davis, The Woman King Ana de Armas, Blonde Michelle Williams, The Fabelmans BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE — DRAMA Austin Butler, Elvis — WINNER Brendan Fraser, The Whale — WINNER Hugh Jackman, The Son Bill Nighy, Living Jeremy Pope, The Inspection BEST MOTION PICTURE — MUSICAL OR COMEDY Babylon The Banshees of Inisherin — WINNER Everything Everywhere All at Once Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery Triangle of Sadness BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE — MUSICAL OR COMEDY Lesley Manville, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris Margot Robbie, Babylon Anya Taylor-Joy, The Menu Emma Thompson, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once — WINNER BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE — MUSICAL OR COMEDY Diego Calva, Babylon Daniel Craig, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery Adam Driver, White Noise Colin Farrell, The Banshees of Inisherin — WINNER Ralph Fiennes, The Menu BEST MOTION PICTURE — ANIMATED Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio — WINNER Inu-Oh Marcel the Shell with Shoes On Puss in Boots: The Last Wish Turning Red BEST MOTION PICTURE — NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGE All Quiet on the Western Front Argentina, 1985 — WINNER Close Decision to Leave RRR BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE Angela Bassett, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever — WINNER Kerry Condon, The Banshees of Inisherin Jamie Lee Curtis, Everything Everywhere All at Once Dolly De Leon, Triangle of Sadness Carey Mulligan, She Said BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE Brendan Gleeson, The Banshees of Inisherin Barry Keoghan, The Banshees of Inisherin Brad Pitt, Babylon Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once — WINNER Eddie Redmayne, The Good Nurse BEST DIRECTOR — MOTION PICTURE James Cameron, Avatar: The Way of Water Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once Baz Luhrmann, Elvis Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans — WINNER BEST SCREENPLAY — MOTION PICTURE Todd Field, Tár Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin — WINNER Sarah Polley, Women Talking Steven Spielberg, Tony Kushner, The Fabelmans BEST ORIGINAL SCORE — MOTION PICTURE Carter Burwell, The Banshees of Inisherin Alexandre Desplat, Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio Hildur Guðnadóttir, Women Talking Justin Hurwitz, Babylon — WINNER John Williams, The Fabelmans BEST ORIGINAL SONG — MOTION PICTURE 'Carolina' by Taylor Swift, Where the Crawdads Sing 'Ciao Papa' by Alexandre Desplat, Guillermo del Toro, Roeban Katz, Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio 'Hold My Hand' by Lady Gaga, BloodPop, Benjamin Rice, Top Gun: Maverick 'Lift Me Up' by Tems, Rihanna, Ryan Coogler, Ludwig Göransson, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever 'Naatu Naatu' by Kala Bhairava, M.M. Keeravani, Kala Bhairava, Rahul Sipligunj, RRR — WINNER BEST TELEVISION SERIES — DRAMA Better Call Saul The Crown House of the Dragon — WINNER Ozark Severance BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES — DRAMA Emma D'Arcy, House of the Dragon Laura Linney, Ozark Imelda Staunton, The Crown Hilary Swank, Alaska Daily Zendaya, Euphoria — WINNER BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES — DRAMA Jeff Bridges, The Old Man Kevin Costner, Yellowstone — WINNER Diego Luna, Andor Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul Adam Scott, Severance BEST TELEVISION SERIES — MUSICAL OR COMEDY Abbott Elementary — WINNER The Bear Hacks Only Murders in the Building Wednesday BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES — MUSICAL OR COMEDY Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary — WINNER Kaley Cuoco, The Flight Attendant Selena Gomez, Only Murders in the Building Jenna Ortega, Wednesday Jean Smart, Hacks BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES — MUSICAL OR COMEDY Donald Glover, Atlanta Bill Hader, Barry Steve Martin, Only Murders in the Building Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building Jeremy Allen White, The Bear — WINNER BEST TELEVISION LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION Black Bird DAHMER — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story The Dropout Pam & Tommy The White Lotus — WINNER BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION Jessica Chastain, George and Tammy Julia Garner, Inventing Anna Lily James, Pam & Tommy Julia Roberts, Gaslit Amanda Seyfried, The Dropout — WINNER BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION Taron Egerton, Black Bird Colin Firth, The Staircase Andrew Garfield, Under the Banner of Heaven Evan Peters, Dahmer — MONSTER: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story — WINNER Sebastian Stan, Pam & Tommy BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A LIMITED SERIES, ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION Jennifer Coolidge, The White Lotus — WINNER Claire Danes, Fleishman Is in Trouble Daisy Edgar-Jones, Under the Banner of Heaven Niecy Nash, Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story Aubrey Plaza, The White Lotus BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A LIMITED SERIES, ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION F. Murray Abraham, The White Lotus Domhnall Gleeson, The Patient Paul Walter Hauser, Black Bird — WINNER Richard Jenkins, Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story Seth Rogen, Pam & Tommy BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL-COMEDY OR DRAMA TELEVISION SERIES Elizabeth Debicki, The Crown Hannah Einbinder, Hacks Julia Garner, Ozark — WINNER Janelle James, Abbott Elementary Sheryl Lee Ralph, Abbott Elementary BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL-COMEDY OR DRAMA TELEVISION SERIES John Lithgow, The Old Man Jonathan Pryce, The Crown John Turturro, Severance Tyler James Williams, Abbott Elementary — WINNER Henry Winkler, Barry For further details about the 2023 Golden Globes, head to the awards' website.
2023 was the year of the Matildas. Here's hoping that 2024 will be as well. Australia's national women's soccer team made history on the pitch and on TV screens at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, and inspired the word 'Matilda' to be chosen as the Australian National Dictionary Centre's 2023 Word of the Year. The squad's current aim: making it to this year's Paris Olympics, with two matches standing between them and playing at the games. The Tillies competed in three qualifiers in Perth in October and November 2023, winning all three. The next step is a two-match fixture against Uzbekistan, which will determine whether the Aussies score one of the Asian Football Confederation's two places in Paris. First up, on Saturday, February 24, the Steph Catley-led squad will play at Bunyodkor Stadium in Tashkent. Then, they're coming home to take to the pitch at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne on Wednesday, February 28. If you'll be in Melbourne on the second date and you don't already have tickets, you've missed your chance to head along live. But, as always, 10Play and Paramount+ are your destinations — plus Network 10 on regular TV — to watch from home. As for the squad, Sam Kerr won't be playing after injuring her ACL at a training camp for Women's Super League team Chelsea, which is why Catley will wear the captain's armband. Familiar names abound from there, including Mackenzie Arnold, Mary Fowler, Alanna Kennedy, Ellie Carpenter, Caitlin Foord, Kyra Cooney-Cross, Katrina Gorry, Hayley Raso, Emily van Egmond and Tameka Yallop. Cortnee Vine will sit out the games for personal reasons, while Michelle Heyman rejoins the squad for the first time in six years. The Matildas are hoping not only to get through to the Olympics, but to best the 2020 games' fourth placing, which is the team's best result yet. In the qualifiers, Japan will play North Korea in two matches on the same February dates, with the winner securing the other Asian Football Confederation spot. Whatever happens against Uzbekistan, the Tillies will hit the turf again in April, thanks to a friendly against Mexico in San Antonio in the US. Matildas Final Paris Olympics Qualifying Matches vs Uzbekistan: Saturday, February 24 — kickoff at 8pm AEDT / 7pm AEST / 5pm AWST Wednesday, February 28 — kickoff at 8pm AEDT / 7pm AEST / 5pm AWST The Matildas' final Olympic qualifiers take place on Saturday, February 24 and Wednesday, February 28 — and you can watch via 10Play and Paramount+. Images: Tiff Williams.
What's better than Ability Fest, Australia's most-inclusive music festival, returning for another year? The fully accessible event, which launched in 2018 as the brainchild of 2022 Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott, taking its setup and live tunes to two spots around the country. The fest started in Melbourne, which is the only place that it has called home since — but in October 2024 it'll play both the Victorian capital and its Queensland counterpart. Melburnians, you have a date for your calendar. Brisbanites, so do you, for a music festival that's arriving in the River City for the first time ever. And for folks everywhere else, you have two locations to choose from if you're keen to book a weekend away to head along. [caption id="attachment_963996" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Chloe Hall[/caption] Ability Fest will first unleash its 2024 lineup — which hasn't yet been revealed — on Saturday, October 19 at Alexandra Gardens/Birrarung Marr in Melbourne. Then, the following week on Saturday, October 26, it'll make its Sunshine State debut at Victoria Park/Barrambin in Brisbane. "First and foremost, Ability Fest is a ripper festival at its core, but with the added plus that it can bring people of all abilities together," said Alcott about bringing the event north. [caption id="attachment_963997" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Glenn Hunt[/caption] "We'll have a completely accessible venue with elevated viewing platforms, pathways, quiet zones and sensory areas, ensuring that everyone has the ability to have an unreal day." "Gaining the support of the Queensland Government means we get to share our passion for great music and good vibes with the Sunshine State, and offer an inclusive and incredible festival experience for every single person," Alcott continued. [caption id="attachment_963992" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Ian Laidlaw[/caption] The Brisbane festival will cater to around 5000 people, and Ability Fest is committed to being financially accessible during the current cost-of-living crisis in both of its stops. Accordingly, tickets will only cost $60 plus booking fee, and carers will receive complimentary entry. The fest is also lowering the age of admission to 16 so more folks can head along. "For many Australians, the cost-of-living crisis has created significant financial strain. We believe that music has the power to unite communities, bring people together and lift our spirits, especially during challenging times," said Alcott. [caption id="attachment_963990" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Chloe Hall[/caption] From the get-go, Ability Fest has been carefully designed to be completely accessible and as inclusive as they come. It features ramps and pathways for easy access, Auslan interpreters working alongside the artists, and elevated platforms to give everyone a shot at seeing the stage. Plus, there's also quiet zones, dedicated sensory areas and accessible toilets. While dishing up primo live tunes and music experiences to Aussies of all abilities, the not-for-profit fest also raises money for the Dylan Alcott Foundation, with 100-percent of its ticket proceeds going to the organisation. Ability Fest 2024 Dates and Venues: Saturday, October 19 — Alexandra Gardens/Birrarung Marr, Melbourne Saturday, October 26 — Victoria Park/Barrambin, Brisbane [caption id="attachment_963995" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Chloe Hall[/caption] [caption id="attachment_963991" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Chloe Hall[/caption] Ability Fest 2024 will hit Melbourne and Brisbane in October 2024. Pre-sale tickets will be available from 12pm AEST on Wednesday, July 10 (register online), with general tickets selling online from 12pm on Thursday, July 11. Head to the festival website for more details.
When Parasite became a smash that just kept winning awards — including Cannes' Palm d'Or, Sydney Film Festival's annual prize and a heap of Oscars — news arrived that the best film of 2019 would also get the TV treatment. So far, that hasn't come to fruition, sadly. But another stone-cold South Korean thriller masterpiece is now on its way to the small screen: Park Chan-wook's Oldboy. 2024 marks 21 years since the Decision to Leave, The Handmaiden, Joint Security Area, Thirst and Stoker director gave the world the first screen adaptation the Japanese manga of the same name — and also a middle chapter to his Vengeance Trilogy, following 2002's Sympathy for Mr Vengeance and preceding 2005's Lady Vengeance. Now, after an American movie remake popped up in 2013 directed by none other than Spike Lee (Da 5 Bloods), Oldboy is making the leap to television. Just as with the US flick, the TV show will be in English. "Lionsgate Television shares my creative vision for bringing Oldboy into the world of television," said Park in a statement, as reported by Variety. "I look forward to working with a studio whose brand stands for bold, original and risk-taking storytelling," he continued. Park will produce the series, adding another small-screen effort to his resume alongside 2018's The Little Drummer Girl and 2024's The Sympathizer. Park's Oldboy kicks off in 1988, when Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik, Big Bet) gets too drunk to attend his daughter's fourth birthday, even ending up at the police station. He doesn't get home from there, instead becoming imprisoned in a hotel room for 15 years by kidnappers intent on keeping him alive. When freedom finally comes, so does a bloody revenge quest. "Park is one of the most visionary storytellers of our generation, and we're excited to partner with him in bringing his cinematic masterpiece to the television screen," said Lionsgate Television's Executive Vice President and Head of Scripted Development Scott Herbst about the new TV show. While there's no word yet about how closely the storyline will adhere to the original — and nothing on casting, either, or when the show will release — Herbst also advised that "this series adaptation of Oldboy will feature the raw emotional power, iconic fight scenes and visceral style that made the film a classic." There's obviously no sneak peek yet for the Oldboy TV series — but find the trailer for Park's film above and Lee's film below: The Oldboy TV series doesn't yet have a release date — we'll update you when more details are announced. Via Variety.
If you listen carefully, you might just hear the sound of a light- to medium-bodied red wine sloshing around a glass. That's because the world's favourite celebration of pinot noir is finally returning, with the news Pinot Palooza will make its comeback in just a few short months. In its 10 years of life, the Melbourne-born wine tasting festival has become a global affair, with an estimated 65,000 tickets sold, worldwide. But once COVID hit in 2020, it saw the popular event shelved for two-and-a-half years. Now, that hiatus is finally over, with a huge tenth-anniversary edition of Pinot Palooza set to hit Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney and Auckland in 2022. The comeback tour kicks off this autumn, returning to the festival's homeland of Melbourne with a couple of wine-filled days at Port Melbourne's Timber Yard from May 6–7. Brisbane Showgrounds are up next, hosting Pinot Palooza from May 20–21, before Sydney gets its shot on June 17 and 18. The festival then crosses the ditch for its Auckland edition from October 15–16. While the wine-sipping fun will play out similarly to before, across three sessions at each event, there is one big new addition in store — a dedicated Tasmanian hub set to showcase a curation of wine, spirits, cider and cheese from over 20 top Tassie producers. As always, you'll spend your event session swirling and sampling a huge array of pinot noir from across Australia, New Zealand and the world. Word is, over 70 winemakers are coming to the party. Also like before, there'll be pop-up bars and food stalls to keep you busy in between sips, with favourites Burn City Smokers, Taco Truck and Nama already confirmed for the Melbourne edition. Pinot Palooza 2022 will hit Melbourne on May 6–7, Brisbane on May 20–21, Sydney on June 17–18 and Auckland on October 15–16. To nab tickets or find out more, jump over to the website.
In NGV International's Federation Court stands an imposing sculpture in a solemn pietà pose. At seven metres tall, Gone (2019) by Kaws is the world-renowned Brooklyn-based artist's largest bronze sculpture to date. It's part of the gallery's Kaws: Companionship in the Age of Loneliness exhibition, which you'll be able to get up close and personal with on Saturday, February 22. The gallery is hosting a one-off mass meditation right underneath the giant bronze sculpture. The morning will kick off at 9am with a meditation led by A-Space founder Manoj Dias — suitable for all levels of experience — which'll be accompanied by a live musical performance. After that, you'll get exclusive access to the exhibition from 9.45am. Explore Kaws' vivid murals and distinctive, pop culture-inspired characters before the rest of the riff-raff are let in at 10am. You're probably familiar with the artist's reinterpretations of iconic figures like Mickey Mouse, Snoopy and The Smurfs, all reworked with those signature Xs over the eyes — and you'll get to see them all here. Tickets will set you back $40, which includes meditation and access to the exhibition. [caption id="attachment_742493" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kaws, What Party (2019) photo by Tom Ross[/caption] Top image: Kaws, Gone (2019) by Tom Ross.
When your nine-to-five plays out like a well-oiled machine, it can sometimes feel like each week is a little same-same. But Melbourne is brimming with a fine bounty of things to experience and explore each and every day. So aside from casual laziness and a little lack of inspiration, there's really nothing stopping you from squeezing some adventure and spontaneity into your schedule. We've teamed up with Mazda3 to help you celebrate the little things that bring a sense of adventure to life. Shake things up, as we give you seven different detours to take each week in Melbourne. From Monday to Sunday, enrich your everyday with one completely achievable activity that inspires you to take the scenic route as you go about your daily routine. This week, eat the best pizza in the world, go barefoot bowling and try out a float tank. Plus, we've got your future detours sorted for the new few weeks here. All require no more effort than a tiny break from the norm — what's your excuse for not trying them all?
The premise of Between Two Ferns couldn't be more simple. Zach Galifianakis interviews other famous folks, all while sitting in the middle of two leafy plants. Staged to look like a no-budget community television show, it's purposefully silly and surreal, whether Galifianakis is nattering with Natalie Portman, Brad Pitt, Justin Bieber, Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama. Starting off as a short film, then becoming one of Funny or Die's hit webseries over the past decade, the wholly improvised show satirises the Hollywood publicity machine by making fun of the polished promotional chats that are so common whenever a big star has a new movie or TV series to plug. In its latest incarnation, Between Two Ferns will jump on another trend, turning its anarchic antics into a Netflix film. If you're wondering just how the Between Two Ferns concept can sustain a whole movie, there's a story to go with it. Embarrassed by the viral mockery he received when Will Ferrell uploaded his original series, Galifianakis — well, the show's version of Galifianakis — tries to track down a heap of celebrities in attempt to restore his reputation. That involves hitting the road, sitting down with everyone from Paul Rudd to Keanu Reeves and Tessa Thompson, and even momentarily killing Matthew McConaughey. Calling Jon Hamm an idiot and getting propositioned by Chrissy Teigen are also on the agenda. The list of high-profile figures making an appearance goes on — and includes Brie Larson, Peter Dinklage, Benedict Cumberbatch, David Letterman, Adam Scott, John Cho, Chance the Rapper and Rashida Jones. Based on the just-dropped trailer, all of the above folks are in for a rather ridiculous experience — as are Netflix viewers, too. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjljgkCQv5c&feature=youtu.be Between Two Ferns: The Movie hits Netflix on September 20. Image: Adam Rose.
Nearly two years ago, the Village Belle Hotel — a St Kilda institution built in 1890 — announced that it was gearing up for a mega makeover. That process, conducted to the tune of $15 million, is now done and dusted. And the results are open for business. Given that the hotel is heritage-listed, many of its features are protected, but there have been a few significant additions. Next time you head in for a drink, look out for the Garden Bar, the Balcony Bar, the Public Bar and the Doulton Lounge, which is open until late. In the kitchen, you'll find Mat McCartney (The Lake House, Daylesford, Chateau Yering) in charge. He's been busy sourcing local and sustainable produce to create a refreshing and ever-changing, yet accessible, menu. Current dishes include eggplant tofu with goats curd, ash bread, crispy kale and grilled vegetables; handmade pumpkin tortellini with sage beurre noisette, Persian fetta, spinach and pine nuts; and crema Catalana, which is like a crème brûlee, but with a thinner crust and a dash of extra zing, thanks to addition of orange rind. There's also a new cocktail menu to mark the revamp. Among the signature concoctions are the vanilla margarita, the belle-ini (with white peach reduction and sparkling wine) and the lemon meringue cocktail (with house-made lemon curd and meringue infused with Licor 43 and Agwa). The Village Belle Hotel is at 202 Barkly St, St Kilda. Opening hours are Monday to Wednesday, 9am to 1am; Thursday to Saturday, 9am to 3am; and Sunday, 10am to 12am. For more information, visit the pub's website.
Google's self-driving car has already brought widespread automated-automobiling one step closer. Now, a UK town has announced plans to establish a driverless public transportation system. Milton Keynes, home to about 40,000 residents, and situated approximately 87 kilometres northwest of London, will soon host a fleet of 100 self-driving pods. Each has the capacity to carry two passengers, as well as luggage, and can travel up to 19km per hour. Electronic motors provide power and, at first, the pods will travel in their own lanes. These are likely to be dispensed with once passengers have developed the confidence to travel driver-free. A smartphone app will facilitate the reservation and payment of journeys, which will take place between the Milton Keynes train station and various locations in the town centre — about 1.6km away. Each trip is expected to cost 2 GBP ($3.44), with total revenue to amount to 1 million GBP after 12 months. The system will begin its test run in 2015. Initially, just twenty pods, featuring joysticks or steering wheels enabling human intervention, will be used, with all 100 expected to be in full swing by 2017. The trial period will last five years, at a cost of 65 million GBP. Driverless pods have been used at Terminal 5, Heathrow Airport, since 2011. During the past two years, a fleet of 21 vehicles travelling along a 3.8km track has transported more than 700,000 passengers. The difference with the pods planned for Milton Keynes is that they will not have the advantage of an installed guideway. Instead, their technology is closer to that utilised in self-driving automobiles, dependent on a combination of GPS, sensors and HD cameras. Via the Independent.
With mountains to the west, beaches to the east and pretty Tuggerah Lake on its doorstep, the little Central Coast town of Wyong has adventures for everyone and every season. Set up home base at the Mercure Koonidah Waters Central Coast and follow our guide to the area. Start your day whale watching from a windswept headland, spend your afternoon horse riding through rolling paddocks and drift into the evening with a dreamy sunset over the Great Dividing Range. Along the way, there's a milk factory-turned-cafe (and pub), an old-school Italian restaurant and a bunch of other eateries to explore. Wyong lies just 80 minutes' north of Sydney, which means you don't have to spend too much of your precious weekend stuck behind the wheel. EAT AND DRINK You'll eat well in Wyong, with restaurants here drawing on fresh produce sourced from the Central Coast and the farms just beyond. But first thing upon arrival, how about starting with coffee? Head to the Milk Factory, on the idyllic banks of Wyong River, a couple of kilometres west of Wyong. Built in 1906, this rather epic property still produces food of the best kind: chocolate and cheese. It's also home to a cafe — where hearty eats include brioche French toast with berries, pecans and maple syrup — as well as a friendly pub. Come back at lunchtime for classics like Wagyu rump or a pulled pork burger with slaw and smoked barbecue sauce, accompanied by a craft brew — be it a Mountain Goat from Melbourne or a Murray's from Port Stephens. Another option is to jump in your car and drive southeast for 20 minutes to Wamberal, where you'll find Lotus Cafe. This airy, sun-filled spot does Toby's Estate coffee and decadent dishes like breakfast coconut panna cotta with mango puree, seasonal fruit and granola. Say yes to a Nutella hot chocolate afterwards — that's the whole point of a winter weekender. By the way, the beach is just a stumble away over the dunes. Back in Wyong, book a table at Osteria A'Mano for dinner. This top-notch Italian restaurant occupies a beautifully restored 1914 building, with original timber floorboards and tiles. Head chef Alessandro Cigola oversees the creation of traditional dishes featuring fresh, premium-quality produce sourced from nearby. Start on duck liver pâté with red wine jelly, sour cherries and pickles, followed by homemade fettuccine with lamb ragu, mint and pecorino. All pastas, breads and desserts are made from scratch, while the featured Italian and Australian wines area all made "the old way". Another option is Karinyas, within the Mercure Kooindah Waters. Here, the emphasis is on simple yet creative combinations, driven by local produce. Think scallops with burnt butter and local macadamia nut sauce and duck breast with cauliflower puree, asparagus and sour cranberry jus. There's also a long, long wine list, big on local drops. The Hunter Valley is just an hour's drive away, after all. DO If there's one surefire, environmentally friendly way to warm up on a cold day, it's got to be a bike ride. The Tuggerah Lakes Cycleway begins just six kilometres from Wyong in Chittaway Bay then follows the foreshore for a peaceful 12 kilometres before reaching The Entrance. Don't have your own bike? Hire from a self-service station — there's one at The Entrance visitor's centre on Marine Parade. Once you've conquered that, your next stop is Crackneck Lookout on the coast, around 20 minutes' drive southeast of Wyong. Anytime between May and August is ideal for whale watching. Moreover, this spot doubles as a stop along the three-kilometre Coast Walking Track, which stretches to Bateau Bay in the north and Forresters Beach in the south. Meanwhile, on Wyong's inland side lie vast expanses of state forest, conservation area and national park. Among them is the TreeTops adventure park in Ourimbah State Forest, where you can ride the world's longest roller coaster zip line, a one-kilometre adrenaline rush at canopy level. There are also three high ropes courses, covering more than 100 obstacles, from ladders and bridges to tunnels and cargo nets. For scenery, the Watagan Mountains — around an hour's drive north — are particularly spectacular; immerse yourself in rainforest on the Circuit Walk or valley views at Monkey Face Lookout. Alternatively, if you're keen to get in the saddle, then give Peppercorn Park a call. The good folks there will happily take you on a trail ride around the stunning property, just ten minutes' north of Wyong, in Jilliby. Adventures begin at $70 for a 90-minute beginner's journey, and lessons and overnight treks are available, too. SLEEP To surround yourself with nature without resorting to a tent — book a sleepover at Mercure Kooindah Waters Central Coast, a golf resort and spa encircled by wetlands and bush. If you're travelling in solo or duo mode, sleep over in a King Room; if you're with buddies, there are one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, all of which come with golf-course views. The resort also knows how to settle in for the winter — they provide giant Jenga (and other board games), which you can enjoy on the terrace while toasting equally oversized marshmallows made by the chef in-house. Mulled wine or Baileys-infused hot chocolate complete the winter idyll. Don't forget to make the most of the facilities. Among them, you'll find two pools, tennis courts, a gym, barbecues and a day spa. Go to the AccorHotels website to book your stay in Wyong, and to discover more of regional NSW, swing by Visit NSW.
Malthouse Theatre's production debut Because the Night isn't just a one stage, one cast situation. Rather, this envelope-pushing immersive theatre show unfolds at each audience member's own whim, staged across 30 custom-built rooms within the historic Malthouse building. As a spectator, you're invited to adventure through the play's fictional world at your own leisure, following along with the main storylines as they're played out by the actors, or heading off to unearth the secret rooms and hidden stories that lie just beyond the periphery. The production itself reimagines the famed story of Hamlet, though set in some 1980s wood-logging town in the lead-up to its annual winter solstice carnival. Tensions arise after the king dies, the workers revolt and secrets about the nearby ancient forest are revealed. The tale's brought to life by two rotating casts, starring the likes of Keegan Joyce (Cloudstreet), Nicole Nabout (Good Muslim Boy) and Belinda McClory (Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again.) There'll be two shows held nightly (6pm and 8.30pm, Tuesday to Sunday), each featuring a different six-strong cast performing to an intimate audience of just 60. Images: Pia Johnson
Thailand's floating cinema blows its drive-in counterparts out of the water. Designed by Beijing-based architect Ole Scheeren, the Archipelago Cinema and Six Senses Resort hosted the final screenings of the Film on the Rocks Yao Noi Festival early last month. Moviegoers were transported by boat to their floating seats, which were situated on a raft-like apparatus in the Nae Pi Lae lagoon of Kudu Island. Opposite the seats, and nestled in between two looming rocks, was the full-sized, floating screen. Scheeren describes the atmosphere of his cinema as "a sense of temporality, randomness, almost like driftwood. Or maybe something more architectural: Modular pieces, loosely assembled, like a group of little islands that congregate to form an auditorium." All components of the floating cinema were composed of recycled materials gathered by local fisherman, who previously used it to build floating lobster farms. The cinema is indeed recyclable itself: after the festival, it is set to be dismantled and donated to the Yao Noi community for use as a playground and a floating stage. [via Architizer]
If you're lucky enough to score tickets to Meredith Music Festival in any year via the event's ballot, one of Australia's best fests awaits no matter the lineup. 2025's roster of acts is characteristically impressive, however. On the just-dropped bill: TV on the Radio, Atarashii Gakko! and Perfume Genius, for starters, as well as Thee Sacred Souls, Pa Salieu, HAAi, Bar Italia, Colin Hay and Mildlife. And, there's still more where the came from. Folk Bitch Trio, Saya Gray, RONA. and Omar Souleyman are on the lineup, too. So are Dames Brown, Radio Free Alice, Sam Austins RP Boo, Wax'o Paradiso, Florist and Jack J. Add in Drifting Clouds, Dr Sure's Unusual Practice, Central Australian Aboriginal Women's Choir, Mouseatouille, Brown Spirits and Lazy Susan on MC duties, and expect a jam-packed three days across Friday, December 5–Sunday, December 7, 2025. [caption id="attachment_1017126" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sumner Dilworth[/caption] How is the fest crew describing this year's event? "One of the best places on earth to spend a weekend, the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre has been natured and nurtured and then natured again, for the singular purpose of hosting the time of your life," organisers advise. So, expect "a permanent and purpose-built underground wunderland that provides optimal conditions for rarefied reverie", as well as to get "lost in music, lost in one another, for three days and two nights of Sup'ed up saucery". 2025 marks the beloved festival's 33rd year, with this three-decade-plus tradition taking over its namesake Victorian locale to kick off summer. The first round of the ticket ballot for the three-day BYO camping festival opened in July and ended on Monday, August 11, 2025, but you still have a chance to enter. The second round is now open, and you've got until 10.33pm AEST on Tuesday, August 19, 2025 to put your name in. So, book that long weekend, go in the running for tickets, then cross your fingers that you'll be spending a trio of days at The Sup with Tunde Adebimpe and company. [caption id="attachment_1017128" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cody Critcheloe[/caption] Meredith Music Festival 2025 Lineup TV on the Radio Atarashii Gakko! Perfume Genius Thee Sacred Souls Pa Salieu HAAi Bar Italia Colin Hay Mildlife Folk Bitch Trio Saya Gray RONA. Omar Souleyman Dames Brown Radio Free Alice Sam Austins RP Boo Wax'o Paradiso Florist Jack J Drifting Clouds Dr Sure's Unusual Practice Central Australian Aboriginal Women's Choir Mouseatouille Brown Spirits Lazy Susan Meredith Music Festival returns to Meredith from Friday, December 5–Sunday, December 7, 2025. To put your name in the second round of the ballot to get your hands on tickets, head to the festival's website before 10.33pm AEST on Tuesday, August 19. Meredith Music Festival images: Chip Mooney, Leah Hulst, Ben Fletcher, Chelsea King and Steve Benn.
Years of travelling back and forth between Jakarta and Melbourne cultivated an affinity for Australian culture for Le Bajo founder and owner, Jason Gunawan. After successfully co-running Bali's famous Potato Head Beach Club, he was about to depart on his next venture before the pandemic hit. Labuan Bajo was set to open on Flores, an Indonesian island known for its Komodo dragons, as well as a diverse sea life of manta rays and turtles. But as the project had to be postponed further and further, Gunawan was determined to not let nearly nine months of planning go to waste. He decided to bring part of the concept to North Melbourne instead, in a spacious garage home to a collection of old-school Mercs and Porsches. Seeking the help of hospitality friends and northside neighbours, Gunawan reached out to Kantaro Okada, owner of 279, to open Le Bajo with him. "Forced to stay in Melbourne, I decided to work with Kan, who has been in the industry for a few decades. We swapped ideas and decided that, with a mutual appreciation for Japanese food and culture, we would open a sando bar," says Gunawan. With a concept locked in, the team set to work sourcing old farm and corner store furniture — gathered in the midst of Melbourne's 2020 stage-four lockdown. Wooden countertops, chairs, glass cabinets and cupboards were given a new life. Inspired by the disappearing milkbars of Australia, Gunawan took the opportunity to make Le Bajo a place to reminisce about Australiana. Retro hand-painted signs, lamps and thrifted ornaments fill the cafe, offering it an old-time aesthetic that feels both familiar and quaint. Lush plants also line the space, further transforming this industrial venue into a welcoming abode. "We wanted it to be a friendly place that everyone is welcome — just like a milkbar," says Gunawan. "The vintage furniture gives the space warmth, so it doesn't feel like a cafe that just opened up; we want to feel like we've been here for 30 or 40 years." And while the menu has its nods to Australian classics, such as milkshakes and milk coffees, the food at Le Bajo is otherwise distinctly Japanese. The team roasts its own coffee and bakes its own shokupan bread — a much-loved fluffy milk bread that is cut thick for sandos and toast. "Japanese people are very particular about every single component of their products," Gunawan says. "Every step: the produce used, the precise ingredients and even the packaging. We bake our bread in-house so it has a certain softness and sweetness to it — there's nothing like it." One of the venue's most sought out items, the fruit sando, is a triangle of vibrant fresh fruits and whipped cream wedged between two slices of cloud-like bread. For more savoury options, the spicy cod roe toast or spicy tako sando are two house favourites. For a complete food experience, Gunawan recommends the morning set, a staple breakfast originating from Negoya — a city in the Chūbu region of Japan where many of the staff at Le Bajo are from. "This set is a combination of toast, potato salad, boiled egg, yogurt with homemade jam and a batch-brew coffee," Gunawan explains. "It offers a savoury and sweet flavour combination that you can mix and match across the plate." To drink, Le Bajo has a rotating origin coffee menu, and proudly roasts its own beans for a batch brew. This coffee is light in body and tea-like, but packs a caffeinated punch. There are also Japanese sodas on offer, made with housemade peach and strawberry jams — making it a perfect palette refresher. With the importance of community at the forefront following Melbourne's lockdowns, Le Bajo is also home to a coffee and car meetup every Saturday between 8–10am for car enthusiasts and coffee lovers alike. "Melbourne is a second home to me, and I want Le Bajo to be a home for everyone — from our North Melbourne locals to travellers that come all the way from Geelong on the weekends to visit us. We are very grateful." Find Le Bajo Milkbar at 8–14 Howards Street, North Melbourne — open from 7.30am–4pm Tuesday–Friday and 8am–4pm Saturday–Sunday. Images: Julia Sansone.
The Alliance Francais French Film Festival is back for another year, ready to celebrate the best in French cinema. Returning to select Palace locations around the country, this year’s program is packed with exciting goodies, including dramas, comedies, docos, kids' films and an entire stream dedicated to movies about the First World War. With almost 50 movies on offer — most of them Australian premieres — it’s shaping up to be one of the festival’s most exciting years ever. Of all those titles, we’ve selected five that you absolutely owe it to yourself to see. BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Lea Seydoux (Blue Is the Warmest Colour) and Vincent Cassel (Black Swan) star in this sumptuous adaptation of the classic French fairy tale. An enormous French-German co-production, the film’s trailer is absolutely packed with gorgeous visuals, and appears to have a darker edge than the animated Disney version we all know and love. The last couple of years have seen a bunch of big budget Hollywood “reboots” of fairy tale stories, most of them not very good. Here’s hoping the French (and the Germans) can get it right. GIRLHOOD Aged just 36, writer-director Celine Sciamma first caught our attention with Tomboy, a tender coming-of-age story about a 10-year-old girl pretending to be a boy. Her follow-up, Girlhood, belongs to a similar genre, although this time her protagonists are a little older. The film explores the dynamic between four reckless teenage girls as they struggle to pave a future for themselves in one of the poorer parts of Paris. The film has received a ton of buzz on the international festival circuit, and we can’t wait to check it out. THE NEW GIRLFRIEND When it comes to sexually provocative cinema, no one does it better than director Francois Ozon. The man behind such films as In the House and Swimming Pool, Ozon has made a career out of titillating pulp, and his latest film looks to be absolutely no exception. A story of death and deception with some cross-dressing thrown in, The New Girlfriend has been described as a mix of Hitchcockian thriller and Almodóvar-style sexual comedy. It should probably go without saying, but this one’s for adults only. SAINT LAURENT Last year saw the release of Yves Saint Laurent, the first in a pair of competing biographical dramas about the legendary French fashion designer. Unfortunately, that film was pretty bloody awful. But we’re holding out hope for this alternate version, which competed for the Palme d’Or at last year’s Festival de Cannes and got much kinder notices from critics. TOKYO FIANCEE Finishing off our list with something a little lighter, romantic comedy Tokyo Fiancee has drawn comparisons to Amelie — and presumably not just because their protagonists have the same name. The film concerns a young French woman obsessed with all things Japanese, who decides to book herself a one-way ticket to Tokyo. Once there she finds work as a French tutor, only to begin a relationship with one of her students. The film is one of the favourites of festival patrons David Stratton and Margaret Pomeranz. And really, who are we to argue with them? The Alliance Francaise French Film Festival is on around Australia in March. Catch it in Sydney from March 3-22, Melbourne from March 4-22 and Brisbane from March 13 - April 1. Check the festival website for the full program.
Pop a cork of your finest wine because the Grampians Fine Wine Festival is back, and it's safe to say this month-long festival is the most exciting event in any wine enthusiast's calendar. With wine tastings, trivia nights, vineyard celebrations and progressive lunches galore, there's no shortage of excitement for lovers of the grape. This October, sip and savour the best of Grampians / Gariwerd wine country, known for its cool-climate shiraz, historic cellar doors and boutique family-run vineyards. With more than 160 years of winemarking heritage, this year's festival celebrates that legacy with a dozen standout experiences. Highlights include a three-course progressive degustation lunch at Pomonal Estate starring a selection of gourmet dishes paired with hand-crafted wines. And if you're wondering what a progressive degustation lunch means? It's a tour of multiple wineries with gourmet dishes at each stop. As part of the Grampians Fine Wine Festival, you are also invited to a five-course degustation dinner headed by their in-house chef. Test your pop-culture knowledge with Mrs Smith's Trivia on Thursday, October 9 or round out the month with OktoberBEST (Sunday, October 26), a festival very akin to Oktoberfest, but with a wine twist. Meanwhile, wine buffs can explore a vertical shiraz tasting at Mountainside Wines, and sparkling fans can tour Seppelt's historic underground Drives for a sparkling and street-food dining experience. Finally, beware of Black & Ginger's Wine Shed as there's been a murder, one you'll have to solve along with a hefty glass of shiraz (Saturday, October 18). Pricing varies per event, so make sure to head to the Grampians Fine Wine Festival website to find out more about what's on offer this October.
One is best known as the chef and co-owner behind former South Yarra Turkish restaurant Yagiz, and the other for his involvement in Italian pizzeria i Carusi II. Now, Murat Ovaz and Serge Thomann are pooling flavours and inspiration for their new joint project, a Mediterranean-inspired eatery in the heart of Southbank. Chessell & Clarke has taken over the space last home to Square and Compass, reimagining it with a bold fitout of marble, mahogany and maroon leather led by Flack Studio (Sydney's Ace Hotel). It's a multi-layered, colourful nod to Italy's architecture icon Carlo Scarpa, with room to seat 50. Debuting with a daytime-only menu with plans to add a dinner service in May, the venue's embracing a range of influences. Its culinary direction is driven both by the Turkish flavours of Ovaz's heritage and the Italian cuisine that's been honed by Head Chef Frank Berardi (The Melbourne Club) over the years. The end result is a simple yet lively menu heroing freshness and a splash of creativity, which works just as hard at breakfast as it does at lunch. And it's all showcased on porcelain plates foraged by Ovaz himself from local op shops. There's a Middle Eastern riff on PB & J featuring date syrup and tahini, Turkish-style eggs done with brown butter and hung yoghurt, and a brekkie roll that pairs apple and cabbage slaw with house-cured roast pork belly. You'll find a brioche burger teaming harissa lamb with a red onion and mint marmaletta, gnocchi dressed in a honey-roasted parsnip purée, and house-made pork and gremolata snags matched with salsa verde and saffron caramelised onions. Vegetarian options abound; think: prosecco-battered zucchini flowers stuffed with lemon ricotta, plus quinoa-crusted chickpea patties served with a cashew cream. Also, the deli bar is brimming with a hefty array of fresh salads, dips and sweet things. Coffee comes courtesy of Piazza D'Oro, soon to be complemented by a vinous offering that'll trip through Australia, Turkey, Italy and France. That's launching next month alongside Chessell & Clarke's incoming dinner menu. Find Chessell & Clarke at 31 Chessell Street, Southbank. It's open daily from 7.30am–3pm, with hours to extend in May. Images: Hugh Davison.
Feeling Women's World Cup withdrawals? That's understandable. After a glorious month of stellar football across Australia and New Zealand — the globe's best women soccer players all playing in our time zones, too — the competition is over for 2023. Want to keep the Matildas love going after the squad's historic fourth placing? You can watch a rousing docuseries about the team, get excited about Brisbane's upcoming statue commemorating their efforts and throw Sam Kerr some love to win the Goal of the Tournament. The Matildas won four of their seven games across the series, but you already know which one was home to the squad captain's nominated strike: the semi-final loss to England. And, we know that you saw it, because that match became the most-watched Australian TV event since 2001 and likely ever (ratings body OzTAM's records don't go back that far). Kerr is Australia's only nominee for the Goal of the Tournament, competing against nine other ace strikes. The winner is decided by public vote, which is where you come in. Get clicking, keep spreading the green-and-gold joy — it's that easy. Voting is open until Tuesday, August 29, via the FIFA website. If you're a Matildas supporter, you'll rightly think that there's no other goal as stunning among the contenders — but Kerr does have some impressive company. England's Lauren James, Japan's Mina Tanaka, Spain's Aitana Bonmati and The Netherlands' Esmee Brugts are all vying for the prize as well. View this post on Instagram A post shared by CommBank Matildas (@matildas) FIFA clearly know what Kerr's strike means to Australia, describing it as "the goal that made a nation erupt" and "a dream realised, the physical, tangible embodiment of hope". No, adults sadly can't enrol at Kerr's just-announced football academy for Aussie kids — girls and boys — to follow in her footsteps, but we can do our part to give our hero this accolade. .@samkerr1's out-of-this-world strike 🚀🌏#Matildas #FIFAWWC #TilitsDone pic.twitter.com/CRvBO1PonE — CommBank Matildas (@TheMatildas) August 16, 2023 To vote for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup Goal of the Tournament until Tuesday, August 29, head to the FIFA website.
Perhaps you've spent some time this year building a Lego bouquet. Or, if you're a Melburnian, you might've made a trip to a Lego recreation of Jurassic World. Whatever interactions you've had with the plastic building blocks of late — including picking up some Lego and IKEA storage boxes, meditating to the sounds of jumbled bricks or signing up for a subscription service during lockdown — you may not have thought about one inescapable fact: that all that plastic is the stuff of environmental nightmares. Lego itself hasn't been ignoring the obvious. Back in 2018, it committed to using sustainable materials in all its core products and packaging by 2030 — and it started by producing a range of sustainable pieces made from plant-based plastic, called bio-polyethylene. The next step: making its bricks from recycled plastic. And while the company isn't quite ready to start selling sets made from recycled materials in stores, it has just unveiled its first prototype bricks. The new blocks are made with PET plastic from discarded bottles, and mark the first that've been made from a recycled material to meet the brand's quality and safety standards. It took some work to get to this point, though, with materials scientists and engineers spending the past three years testing more than 250 types of PET materials — and hundreds of other plastic formulations. One of the trickiest things to nail (and one of the most important): getting the bricks to clutch together. In a statement, Lego said that "it will be some time before bricks made from a recycled material appear in Lego product boxes". From here, it'll keep testing and developing the PET-made bricks, before deciding whether to move into the pilot production phase — with this process expected to take another year at least. And if you're wondering about the plastic used in the new blocks, it has been sourced from US suppliers, with a one-litre plastic bottle providing enough raw material for ten 2 x 4 Lego bricks. For further information about Lego's sustainability plans, head to the brand's website.
Food, fashion, crafts and more — South Melbourne Market's got it all. For 150 years, 'the village market' has been a quintessential part of the Port Phillip community and a favourite market for locals and visitors alike. There are over 145 traders currently housed here, covering just about every cuisine, style and niche that you could possibly think of. There's also a year-long calendar of live music, exhibitions and family activities keeping the place feeling lively and full of surprises. While South Melbourne Market is definitely a market full of joy, one trader, in particular, is the happiest. That'd be Happy Place, which when opened by popular nutritionist Lola Berry in 2014, caused a bit of a stir with its commitment to delicious seasonal food and juices. Specialising in healthy on-the-go meals and fruit and veg smoothies, everything tastes just as good as it looks.
In a week already brimming with restaurant closures, yet another famed Melbourne eatery has called it a day, only this one's got nothing to do with wage theft. According to The Age, much-loved Chinatown restaurant Shark Fin House has been forced to shut its doors after fears surrounding coronavirus saw a huge dip in customer numbers. Despite the restaurant's 30-year history, co-owner and co-founder Gabriel Chan revealed they'd had no choice but to shut last Sunday, with diners seemingly too afraid to eat there. He told The Age that an 80 percent drop in customer numbers meant more than 50 Shark Fin House employees had been laid off and that it's highly unlikely the restaurant will be able to reopen. The restaurant's sibling venue Shark Fin Inn is also under threat of closure due to dwindling numbers, with Chan calling for support from locals to help it survive the coming weeks. Food writers Gemima Cody and Sofia Levin are rallying diners in an effort to fill the Bourke Street restaurant's dinner service on Monday, February 24, though dropping by any time for a feed will help make a difference. Of course, the Shark Fin restaurants aren't alone in their troubles, with plummeting patron numbers across the board prompting calls for diners to wise up and steer clear of misinformation surrounding coronavirus. As the ABC explained, "there are no reports of human-to-human coronavirus transmission in Australia: There's no sign anyone is catching it from anyone else." Politicians are also encouraging Melburnians to support their local Chinese restaurants, with Federal Parliament's first Chinese-born MP Gladys Liu telling The Age, "I will be going out this weekend in Box Hill and Glen Waverley to make sure that people know that it is safe." Victorian Minister for Health Jenny Mikakos also took to social media to remind everyone that Chinese restaurants across the state are open for business and safe to attend, saying, "the fact is that all Victorians that have been affected by the new coronavirus have recovered and are no longer contagious." And City of Melbourne councillors enjoyed a lunch in Chinatown earlier this week, with a Facebook post from Lord Mayor Sally Capp saying: "All the expert advice shows there's no increased risk from coronavirus in Melbourne. Keep coming to the city to support all the amazing businesses we have here." https://twitter.com/JennyMikakos/status/1227461526589788163 Within the industry, restaurateurs are also rallying support for each other with David Zhou from Oriental Teahouse and David's Restaurant telling Concrete Playground: "We all need to support each other where we can to minimise the impact of the challenges we face.The facts are out there, so if you have a favourite Chinese restaurant, the time to go visit them is now." To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. Image: Chinatown by Josie Withers for Visit Victoria
Melbourne is adding a new note to its musical score with the opening of High Note, the latest venue from Crown Ruler. Located within the historic confines of the Northcote Theatre, this fresh addition to the inner-north scene aims to be more than just another music bar — it's a hub for creativity and collaboration. The guys behind this space are Jamie Bennett, founder of Crown Ruler; co-founder of Hope Audio, Umut Turkeri; and James Clarke, CEO of Bolster Group. Their combined CV boasts Melb faves like Sun Cycle and Duke St Block Party, and even collabs with international platforms like the UK's NTS radio and Potato Head Bali. With High Note, they're bring their dream of a permanent venue to fruition — this is Crown Ruler's first foray into bricks and mortar. High Note's ethos is all about versatility. You can swing by for an after-work drink or immerse yourself in a deluge of music. The venue's program is as eclectic as Melbourne itself, showcasing everything from familiar tunes to uncharted sonic territories. Oh, and here's a cool little nostalgia hit: vintage Altec horns that once called the Sydney Opera House home now reside at High Note, thanks to Turkeri's touch. Bennett says that High Note's goal is to be a spot where the community can come together, and to serve as a melting pot for Melbourne's creatives. "We wanted to create a diverse community-focused venue to suit High Street's many moods," he advises. "This is a special spot for people to meet and connect, the type of which doesn't currently exist here in Melbourne." On the drinks front, expect a curated drink list that boasts Aussie beer, wine and cocktails, plus some non-alcoholic standouts including cult-fave Pocari Sweat. The opening weekend festivities from Friday, October 20 promise to kick things off with a bang, with a string of DJs spinning all weekend. On Saturday, October 28, the venue will host live performances as part of The Eighty-Six festival. When its doors officially open, High Note will add another jewel to Northcote's crown of cool, and we wouldn't have it any other way. See you on High Street. High Note opens at 220 High Street, Northcote on Friday, October 20 — operating 4pm–1am Tuesday–Friday and 1pm–1am Saturday–Sunday.
If you could only choose one word to sum up Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, 'intense' would fit. It's also a term that describes Mike Ehrmantraut, the ex-Philadelphia cop who became a fixer for Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito, The Boys) and Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk, Lucky Hank) in their criminal endeavours. As played by Jonathon Banks for over a decade between the two shows, the private investigator, hitman and security head was one of the Breaking Bad realm's formidable forces. In a franchise where no one characterisation ever fit anyone — it all started with a high-school chemistry teacher who became a methamphetamine cook, after all — Mike could also be one of the deservedly acclaimed saga's most vulnerable figures. Ask Banks what it's been like to move on from Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul after such a lengthy stint — and after featuring so prominently in two of the best shows of the 21st century — and he first brings up another stretch that's worlds away from award-winning crime dramas. "It wasn't quite a decade that I spent in Melbourne and Sydney, and in Auckland in New Zealand at one time, with Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar — and a failed production that I directed of Grease, way before you were born," he tells Concrete Playground as we start to discuss his latest project, darkly thrilling new Apple TV+ sci-fi series Constellation. Banks is best-known of late for his time as Ehrmantraut; with five Emmy nominations and a 2023 Screen Actors Guild Award nod for his efforts, rightly so. But as bringing up his theatre background makes plain, there's so much more to Banks than his now-iconic recent part. Emmy love came his way back in the 80s, too, for his breakthrough role in crime procedural series Wiseguy. Before that, he has everything from spoof movie Airplane! and Gremlins to the Eddie Murphy (Candy Cane Lane)-starring 48 Hrs. and Beverly Hills Cop on his resume. Since then, there's barely a TV show that hasn't benefited from his presence, including beloved comedies Community and Parks and Recreation, while his movie appearances are as varied as Horrible Bosses 2, Mudbound and The Commuter. Constellation sees Banks star alongside Noomi Rapace, who is no stranger to famous characters herself thanks to Lisbeth Salander in the original Swedish The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo films. Here, the show's two biggest names trade illicit dealings for astronauts, plus the fact that venturing into the heavens, then trying to come back, might have consequences. Rapace plays Jo Ericsson, who is at the International Space Station when the series begins, returning to earth after a tragedy. As Henry Caldera, Banks is a former space traveller who has been there, done that, also weathered a disaster above our pale blue dot and now has ISS residents oversee his quantum physics experiments. Doing double duty as Bud Caldera as well, Banks similarly steps into Henry's fellow ex-astronaut twin's shoes. At the heart of Constellation is the search for truth, with the series joining Apple TV+'s many mysteries, a genre that the streaming platform keeps gravitating towards (Criminal Record, The Changeling, The Crowded Room, Hijack and Monarch: Legacy of Monsters are just some of its efforts of late that also fit the bill). As its narrative twists, turns and plunges into conspiracies, it's also a series about grappling with the full reality of being alive, facing mortality and confronting the enormity of the universe. And, as well as being stellar all-round, it's home to Banks' latest great performance — or, to be accurate, performances. Constellation premieres on Wednesday, February 21 — and in the leadup, we explored the series with Banks, including its place in his filmography and, to get here, the process of farewelling Mike Ehrmantraut. "Mike was a great character, but you've got to leave Mike behind. Mike's got to go away," he notes, as Breaking Bad viewers knew going into prequel series Better Call Saul. What that means for Banks, what appeals to him after playing Mike and his take on Constellation also featured in our chat. [caption id="attachment_757254" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Better Call Saul[/caption] On What Banks Was Looking for After Over a Decade in the Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul World "I'm pretty open. You know, I wouldn't mind playing a fop in a restoration comedy, as far as that goes. But I think with Constellation, Michelle MacLaren [who was one of Breaking Bad's executive producers and directors, and also a director on Better Call Saul] sent me the script, which I totally was bewildered by when I read it the first time. Then, because I wanted to work with Michelle and definitely Noomi — I very much respect Noomi's work — so then I'm all in. And then I get to meet Peter Harness [Constellation's creator] and I get to meet the other actors, and it's been a joy. It's been really good." On Taking on Dual Roles in Constellation — and Preparing to Step Into an Astronaut's Shoes "Well, one's bad and the other one's worse. Henry is driven by the power, and the need and the ego to succeed. The other one wallows in self-pity, and is arguably more talented and more intelligent than his brother, who has been successful. It's fun. I approach it with the respect. When I was very young, I thought these people, their intelligence — which is indeed, they are so intelligent. They're also motor geniuses physically, in what they go through and what they're faced with. So, my first take on it is, I try to do it with respect, and respect to who they are — and I hope I pull that off in some small way." [caption id="attachment_941930" align="alignnone" width="1920"] El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, Ben Rothstein/Netflix[/caption] On Banks' Knack for Playing Both Formidable and Vulnerable "It's in all of us. It's in you. It's in me. But if I can call on those emotions and bring them forth a little bit easier than some people, how lucky I am to be able to do that? And how lucky I am to have the chance to be able to do that? I love being an actor. It's the only thing I ever wanted to do — ever, ever — as long as I can remember." On What Banks Makes of His Five-Decade Career "Pretty nice, huh? Pretty lucky. Beyond lucky. I'll tell you what happens: I am 77 years old, and it becomes a huge reflection on a lifetime. I can out-poor most people when I was very young, raised by a single mum back when there wasn't that a lot of that around — or at least to my knowledge. And I am stunned at my good fortune in my life, about how well I'm treated. And I try, and I do remind myself, that all of us have moments when we feel down or whatever. I think Noomi — who fights about where and what, and where she comes and where she ends up — is trying to be a good person, which makes it such a pleasure to be around her. And you watch Michelle, with her daughter. Michelle is a force of nature that's coming at you. She is so involved in trying to do a good job. And what's fun is with her young daughter, when her young daughter goes 'mummy can giraffes dance?' and it just stops her, and there she is dealing with the child, and all that energy goes, turns and becomes the loving and the nurturing of a child. Now I'm telling you that because that's what I'm surrounded by all through this project. How many people get to experience such a thing in their life? You've got to pay attention to it. Because most of us would recall bad things that have happened, times we've been hurt, times our heart was broken, times we were broke, times we were hungry. But for me, the reality is — god, I sound like a maudlin asshole — I've been gifted. What can I tell you?" [caption id="attachment_941937" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Breaking Bad, Ursula Coyote/AMC[/caption] On Revisiting Mike Ehrmantraut Again If the Possibility Came Up — and Making More Constellation "I love Mike. But you know what, we were left with the mystery of Mike. We have been left with that taste. For me, it's like reading that good book that you never want to end. I remember reading Les Miserables and getting about 40 pages from the end, and going 'no, no, I can't, this can't end' and starting it all over again. And now I'm going 'no, you can't do that'. I think it's time to let Mike go. As far as Constellation, I'm all in. Let's do it. Let's just keep doing it." Constellation streams via Apple TV+ from Wednesday, February 21. Read our review.
Reckon your pup gets a bit lonely sometimes? Well, now you can find him a bunch of new mates with just a few swipes of your phone. It's all thanks to a clever new smartphone app, which helps dog owners to connect their pooches with other local doggos and dog communities. Created by Queensland University of Technology business student Josh Fritz — who came up with the app when he moved to Brisbane, adopted a cavoodle called Quincy and wanted to find him some buddies — PatchPets works a little bit like Tinder. Users create a personalised profile for their pup, and then use the app to find and network with other fur parents in their area, based on location. You can scroll through photos of local hounds, check out their details and get in touch with their owners to set up doggy play dates. To keep you informed about your pooch's possible new pal, profiles feature information about which vaccinations each dog has had, whether it's been desexed and what their all-important Instagram handle is. Got a particularly picky pupper? You can even filter the results by dog breed and size. PatchPets also comes loaded with plenty of other nifty features, including a directory that lists pet-friendly businesses nearby, plus real-time dog park maps — allowing you to see when four-legged friends are hanging out at your local park. No more rocking up to the park for a play sesh, only to find there's no one else there. And, you can use the app's message function to join group chats with your dog's new mates. Having launched in May, PatchPets has already clocked up over 5000 users — which means your doggo will be totally spoilt for choice in the friends department. PatchPets is now available to download for free, for both iOS and Android, from the iTunes App Store and Google Play. Images: QUT Media
UPDATE Thursday, June 17: Melburnians will soon be free to travel around Victoria, with the 25-kilometre travel restrictions lifted at 11.59pm tonight, June 17. Check out the latest information on the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services website. You can also find more figures and graphs on its Victorian coronavirus data page. Is the open road calling your name? Are you itching to break out of your bubble to soak up the sounds and sights of somewhere else? Well, luckily for those itchy feet, Melbourne's got a whole swag of day-tripping options right on its doorstep — delivering quaint townships, stunning regional scenery and a healthy dose of Mother Nature, all within just a few hours drive of the CBD. Luggage and overnight stays not required. Whether you're in the mood for a picnic in the mountains, or fancy trekking through some lush rainforest, there's never been a better time to get outta town and explore some of Victoria's finest locales. Fill up that petrol tank, jump in the car and check out these day trips from Melbourne. [caption id="attachment_770976" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Robert Blackburn for Visit Victoria[/caption] DANDENONG RANGES For a nature-filled day trip merely 60 minutes out of the CBD, steer that car towards the Dandenong Ranges — an outdoor playground steeped in natural beauty and cloaked in majestic forest. You can indulge in some tree appreciation exploring the varied foliage of RJ Hamer Arboretum, before the adjoining Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden wins you over with its coloured blooms and impressive views. Nearby, Kalorama Lookout offers primo panoramas across the Dandenong and Yarra Ranges, while the dense mountain ash of Sherbrooke Forest make for a stunning bushwalking backdrop. Here, you're never too far from a picture-perfect picnic spot, nor a local venue slinging top-notch supplies to match — like the much-loved Mt Dandenong Bakery & Patisserie. Or, settle in for a cosy feed and some local wines by the roaring fire at Sassafras' Ripe Cafe. How far? One-hour drive. [caption id="attachment_770980" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Josie Withers for Visit Victoria[/caption] BRIGHT As the gateway to some of the state's most popular ski resorts, the picturesque hub of Bright is a familiar stopover for many. But, surrounded by waterfalls, rivers and bushland trails aplenty, there's no doubt it's also a worthy day trip adventure in itself. Test out your kayaking skills on the Ovens River running through nearby Porepunkah, or experience a local stretch of the scenic Murray to Mountains Rail Trail, either on foot or bike. You'll also find a stack of other walking tracks weaving through Bright and surrounds, ranging from easy 45-minute meanders through to the 11-kilometre Wandi Walk. Be sure to keep an eye out for furry residents along the way, too. And of course, no day of High Country appreciation is complete without a visit to the famed Bright Brewery, to sample some of its award-winning craft beers. How far? 3.5-hour drive. [caption id="attachment_755969" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Garry Moore/Visit Victoria[/caption] WILSONS PROMONTORY Home to stretches of rugged coastline, idyllic walking trails and remote bushland, Wilsons Promontory offers up 50,000 hectares of day-tripping goodness. It's a dream destination for any nature-lover, with a range of itineraries and bushwalks to suit all fitness levels. Favourites include the 3.8-kilometre trek between Darby River and Tongue Point, and the 7.4-kilometre Mount Bishop walk, which'll have you climbing to a rocky summit for memorable views across the Prom's west coast. Or, give those quads a bit more of a workout, tackling the two-hour return climb up Mount Oberon to see Tidal River from high above. How far? Three-hour drive. [caption id="attachment_692246" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mitchelton Estate[/caption] NAGAMBIE Venture 90 minutes north of Melbourne and you'll happen upon Nagambie, with its namesake lake hosting all variety of watersports and water-based pursuits throughout the year. If the weather's too brisk for canoeing or swimming, take in its beauty from dry land with a picturesque stroll up to nearby Jacobsons Lookout. Or, get the blood pumping hiking through ironbark forest on the Melville's Lookout Track. When it's time for a tipple and lunch, this cool climate wine region will leave you spoilt for choice, with renowned wineries including Mitchelton Estate — a stunning destination boasting architectural landmarks, an Indigenous art gallery, day spa, hotel and more. Elsewhere, you can hop on a Goulburn River cruise; visit the town's Black Caviar statue; or enjoy tastings, tours and waterfront views at Nagambie Brewery and Distillery. How far? 1.5-hour drive. [caption id="attachment_709573" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Visit Victoria[/caption] DAYLESFORD A 90-minute drive from Melbourne, Daylesford scores plenty of attention for its mineral springs and spa resorts. But you'll find countless other reasons to spend a day exploring this charming town and its surrounds. There's no shortage of natural beauty to soak up out here, from the romantic Wombat Hill Botanical Gardens — built atop an extinct volcano — to the Lerderderg State Park with its famous gorge and abundance of rugged hiking trails. Wombat State Forest is brimming with opportunities for cycling, walking and koala spotting, or you can lock in an afternoon of paddleboats and picnicking at the stunning Lake Daylesford. And come lunchtime, Wombat Hill House (casual sibling to the legendary Lake House) is your go-to for plump toasties, pastries and sourdough pizzas. How far? 1.5-hour drive. [caption id="attachment_770979" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Michelle Jarni for Visit Victoria[/caption] CASTLEMAINE Packing rich history, stunning scenery, a thriving arts scene and access to a whole smorgasbord of outdoor adventures, the Goldfields town of Castlemaine is a day tripper's delight. The La Larr Ba Gauwa Mountain Bike Park boasts 34 kilometres of world-class cross-country biking, as well as a historic oak forest peppered with walking tracks and picnicking spots. Otherwise, you can break a sweat by tackling the scenic Goldfields Track on foot or bike, as it ambles through Castlemaine and on towards Bendigo. And, when that appetite's sufficiently piqued, experience some top local produce with a visit to food, art and retail precinct The Mill. You'll find everything from Shedshaker's renowned craft brews to sourdough loaves and fresh pasta courtesy of Sprout Bakery. How far? 1.5-hour drive. [caption id="attachment_770981" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Visit Victoria[/caption] FRENCH ISLAND For something a little different, bypass the familiar terrain of mainland Mornington Peninsula and treat yourself to a day trip across to French Island. Set in Western Port Bay, a 15-minute ferry ride from Stony Point, this 170-square-kilometre natural beauty is home to striking coastline, untouched bushland and the rugged wildlife haven of French Island National Park. You'll find a range of walking and cycling tracks kicking off from the Tankerton Foreshore Reserve, offering the chance to spot scores of sea birds and other critters in their natural habitat. In fact, the island boasts the most significant koala population in the entire state. The charming French Island General Store & Cafe is a winner for lunch or afternoon tea. And you can amp up the homeward journey by swinging past Peninsula wineries like Quealy and Willlow Creek Vineyard on the way through. How far? One-hour drive + 15-minute ferry ride. [caption id="attachment_812720" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Delatite Winery, Victorian Wine Industry Association for Visit Victoria[/caption] MANSFIELD A diverse taste of Victoria's high country awaits you in Mansfield, with its breathtaking scenery, abundance of nature experiences, and top-notch food and drink offerings. Soak up sights of rolling alpine hills and quaint countryside on two wheels or by foot — highlights include the dreamy views from atop The Paps Lookout, a jaunt along the local section of the Great Victorian Rail Trail and a cruisy ride on the town's dedicated cycling trail. Right in the heart of Mansfield, local gems like The Produce Store cafe and bistro, and Ros Ritchie Wines Cellar Door make a strong case for an afternoon spent wining and dining. And drivers and passengers alike will enjoy the sweeping vistas and gourmet cheese platters of nearby Delatite Winery. How far? 2.5-hour drive. Image: Dandenong Ranges via Adrian Mohedano for Flickr.
Summer is all about long nights, lazy days, cold bevs and occasionally finding a fun competitive activity so intense it brings out your inner Lleyton Hewitt. Friendships have been broken, reformed and strengthened through the tried and true method of a tournament — and everyone's game faces are all the stronger when there are beers involved. This summer, it's not just about the beach. Challenge yourselves to playing something slightly unique (think trampoline dodgeball or Finska), and rediscover your inner competitive fiend. Grab your Hahn slab, nine of your best mates and give one of these competitive games a crack — time to blow into a conch shell and assemble your team. MINI GOLF Not necessarily groundbreaking, mini golf has been around for heaps of your childhood and teenage birthday parties. But it's gotten a whole lot more fun now that you can putt along, beer in hand. Gather some mates, head to Holey Moley and see who can stay on par — or go so over it's comical. A bit of putt-putt always makes you remember how playing tiny golf with tiny clubs is actually not that easy, but at Holey Moley you'll be distracted by beloved pop culture references — like The Simpsons' couch or an Iron Throne made of nine-irons. And when you're on your seventh hit over par, just remember it's the winner who should buy the next round of bevs. Where? Holey Moley Golf Club in Melbourne (CBD), Sydney (Newtown) or Brisbane (Fortitude Valley). [caption id="attachment_649153" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Finska.[/caption] FINSKA For something a bit different, look to the Scandinavians. Finska is a game modelled on the ancient game kyykkä, which the Finns created and still take very seriously to this day (there are world championships). A lighter, less serious version, Finska can be easily purchased online so you'll be playing a casual game with your mates in no time. With the tagline, "defeat friend and enemies with strategy, skill and a lump of wood", the game has you basically throwing a cylinder of wood at other numbered wooden things. Trickier than it might seem in the description, though, a game can quickly turn into a riot, so you'll need a large area in which to Finska. Winning is an exact science (50 points only, if you go over you lose points) so you'll also probably need a few beers to keep you and your mates hydrated until that happens for someone. Where? Buy online from Australian Geographic and then find a large park, such as Princes Park in Carlton North, Melbourne; Centennial Park in Sydney; or Robelle Domain in Springfield, Brisbane. TRAMPOLINE DODGEBALL It does sound like a Ben Stiller movie, but it's actually an excellent time. Trampoline parks are already a prime throwback to your childhood days, but you can up the stakes further by incorporating a game of dodgeball. Basically, it's dodgeball with soft balls with the added benefit of feeling like you're flying — you're also getting a huge workout at the same time without even realising it. Take your mates out one by one and/or deal with your recent break up in a healthy way. Patch up your skinned knees afterwards and head out for some bridge-mending beers. Where? Trampoline parks are popping up all over the place. Try BounceInc in Essendon Fields, Melbourne or Sky Zone in Alexandria, Sydney and in Macgregor, Brisbane. CROQUET Not just for the lords and ladies of yonder years, croquet is having its moment in the sun as a low impact/high fun sport (another one that involves hitting stuff with wooden things). To play the noble game, all you need is the ability to wrangle a mallet in one hand while sipping a drink in the other — as well as some medium level of hand-eye coordination to get the balls through the hoops. It's generally a very relaxed afternoon spent in nice grassy surroundings (no golf swings over here, everything is below the knee), so head along on a lazy Sunday. Where? Try Elwood Croquet Club in Melbourne, Coogee Croquet Club in Sydney or Stephens Croquet Club in Yeronga, Brisbane QUIDDITCH Yeah, you heard us. There are leagues across the nation (and the world) that have arisen from J.K. Rowling's famed series about children who do magic and use owls as postmen. If you've always fantasised about your letter from Hogwarts, read up about the rules of Quidditch IRL, then find a big park, a bunch of mates who are in for a good (if silly) time, a broom and off you go. The general gist of the thing here is that you're obviously not flying, you're running around on the ground (so it's a pretty good workout) and the snitch is an actual person with a ball in a sock attached to their pants. It sounds ridiculous, but as far as tournaments go, it's one of the most fun — beers only increase the helpless laughter. Where? BYO broom and find a park, such as Edinburgh Gardens in Fitzroy, Melbourne; Sydney Park in Newtown, Sydney; or Roma Street Parkland in Brisbane's CBD. [caption id="attachment_649152" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kan Jam.[/caption] KAN JAM Basically, a terrible name for a super fun time, Kan Jam (aka throwing Frisbees in garbage bins) is nothing if not a) utilitarian and b) cheap. All you need is a bin and a Frisbee and at least two people to play. The aim of the game is simply to throw a Frisbee and get it into the bin 50-feet (about 15 metres) away with the help of a 'deflector' teammate. Perfect for beaches, parks or any public space where the bins are mobile and clean enough, Kan Jam might just be your jam this summer. Where? Head to your favourite beach and either commandeer some of its bins or, if you want something a little more sanitised, buy the official Kan Jam online here. GIANT CHESS Much like physical tournaments, mental tournaments can intensify swiftly — especially when it's hot. Ever the game of strategy, chess can be less cerebral when there's an enormous chessboard and you can play as a team. Suddenly, the quiet, solo game becomes a rowdy whole crew activity. Wait for a warm day, find yourself a giant public chessboard and get pawning and rooking. You may want to save any bevs until after you've checkmated, though, so your strategic thinking skills remain on point. Where? Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney all have their own respective giant chessboards. Find chess in Melbourne at Swanston and Little Collins streets, in Sydney at Nagoya Gardens in Hyde Park and the Fortitude Valley Markets in Brisbane. Challenge your mates to a game of friendly competition and, no matter who wins, celebrate your successes with a round of Hahn.
After its hugely successful inaugural event last year, Melbourne Design Week has returned in 2018 with another massive program of local and international design innovators. Presented at the National Gallery of Victoria — and various other Victorian locations — from March 15–25, it'll feature more than 160 inspiring exhibitions, talks, studio tours and industry-led events that'll take you into creative overdrive. Here are five you can't miss. [caption id="attachment_659331" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Geronimo[/caption] VISIT AN EXHIBITION It wouldn't be Melbourne Design Week without a host of exciting and innovative exhibitions to check out. Much-loved home-grown designers Ben Landau and Lucile Sciallano explore the future of ceramics through 3D printing in Ornament is Fine, while Designwork 02 features solo exhibitions by design leaders Dale Hardiman and Elliat Rich at the Sophie Gannon Gallery. Acclaimed Amsterdam-based architecture practice Experimental Jetset are showcasing in a retrospective large-scale installation, Superstructure, that explores the link between graphic language and the city. LA Artist Jihan Zencirli — better known as Geronimo — will take over Hub Furniture's Abbotsford showroom with thousands of balloons for her installation Diminishing Elation. Geronimo's designs are known worldwide and have featured on Oprah and in a Kanye West concert. For the Melbourne exhibition, the colourful balloons will be 100% biodegradable. [caption id="attachment_659331" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Medibank Place[/caption] JOIN A TOUR Go behind the scenes with Victoria's top design innovators at Open State, presented by Open House Melbourne. By giving the public access to some rarely seen spaces, including artist studios, research facilities and manufacturers, you'll get a glimpse behind the curtain of where some of Australia's best design work happens. Highlights include tours of the award-winning Medibank Place, Hepburn Wind — Australia's first community owned wind farm — and the Glenn Murcutt–designed Australian Islamic Centre. You can also peek inside some of the city's best design showrooms on the Denfair Design Loop. Each showroom — Jardan, Cult and Tait are three of the total 15 participating — will have an in-store exhibition curated especially for the event, responding to the theme Celebration of Material. [caption id="attachment_659330" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Designing the Body Forum[/caption] LISTEN TO A TALK One thing that's common among (many) designers is they love to talk about their work. And for Melbourne Design Week 2018, you'll hear from some of the foremost thinkers and makers working around the world today. Design expert and Dezeen editor-in-chief Marcus Fairs will make a one-off appearance, in a talk titled Designing a Better World (Wednesday, March 21), discussing how design shapes the world. On a smaller scale, Designing the Body Forum (Monday, March 19) will feature a round-table chat with biomedical engineers and artists discussing everything from prosthetics to edible perfumes and the future of condoms. A discussion on the role of language in the formation of cities and communities, Experimental Jetset MABF Symposium (Thursday, March 15) — a key talk at the Melbourne Art Book Fair — features Experimental Jetset in conversation with a board of writers, designers and academics. Blak is the New Blak (Friday, March 23) presents Australian First Nation female designers and how they're leading the charge to include indigenous cultural design and design principles into fashion. And High Density Happiness: Future Proof Apartment Living (Saturday, March 17) considers the 'Australian Dream' and how we might better design homes for the future. TEST YOUR VOCABULARY AT A CROSSWORD FESTIVAL The Melbourne Art Book Fair (March 15–18) returns for its fourth year with its latest offering of book launches, panel discussions and some of the finest printed matter available today. It'll take over the NGV's Great Hall with more than 150 stalls, but this isn't just a great opportunity to add to your book and zine collection — the fair includes a host of free zine-making workshops, talks and tournaments. A standout is Word Alert! (March 16–18), a three-day crossword festival held the NGV Forecourt. Held in partnership with writing school The Good Copy, the event will feature cryptic crossword workshops, a clue booth (where you can have your name turned into a cryptic crossword clue) and a spelling bee (where the winner get a dictionary). There'll even be a crossword tournament, complete with live commentary, that will culminate in a final showdown on Sunday. EXPLORE FUTURE MELBOURNE IN VR If you're interested in what future Melbourne might look like, head along to Brunswick Town Hall on Friday, March 16. And no, you won't be handed an iPad packed with renders — instead, you'll be given a VR headset. Virtual Moreland Workshop will explore and visualise the future design of the inner-north suburbs using virtual and augmented reality technology. You'll have a chance to have your say, too, so if you'd rather the neighbourhood's future didn't involve more oBikes — let them know. Melbourne Design Week is an initiative of the Victorian Government's Creative State strategy and is presented in collaboration with the National Gallery of Victoria. To check out the full program and register your interest for events, head to ngv.vic.gov.au/melbourne-design-week.
If you believe that bigger is better, then it has been more than a decade since Melbourne boasted one of the most important claims to fame in the country. From 1991 to 2005, the city was the home of Australia's tallest building — but soon, after temporarily losing the crown to the Gold Coast, everyone will be looking up again in the Victorian capital. Thank a just-approved 323-metre, 90-storey tower for thrusting Melbourne back to great heights, with the giant structure destined to change the skyline at Southbank. Called One Queensbridge, it'll form part of the Crown precinct, and will feature a six-star hotel with 388 rooms, 708 residential apartments and the kind of other reasons to drop by (most likely shops and restaurants) that have been dubbed "visitor attractions". The development will also see Queensbridge Square get an upgrade that includes landscaping and new cafes, a new bike strip installed on Southbank Boulevard, and street furniture and additional trees placed along Queensbridge Street. And as for the building itself, it has been designed by WilkinsonEyre, who got the gig by winning an international design competition. Don't expect to see the massive complex towering over the city just yet, though, with construction not expected to start until 2018 — or finish for five or six years after that. Until then, Queensland's Q1 will keep winning in the big building stakes, with Melbourne's Eureka Tower in second spot.
For Queenslanders, Bundaberg Rum is the nectar of the gods. To its most devoted admirers, it is known as 'sugarcane champagne', a colloquial fan term that Bundy has now officially co-signed in a new 'sparkling' beverage the distillery is releasing in partnership with Uber Eats. The creation is called Maison de Bundy's Blanc de Cane, a faux-pretentious riff on champagne house nomenclature, and is an alcoholic ginger beer made with white Queensland cane spirit and Bundaberg Ginger Beer. Not to be confused with the Dark 'n' Stormy, this drop doesn't actually contain rum per se — rather, white cane spirit is the base spirit used to make rum. The resulting beverage is super sweet, extremely easy to drink (4% ABV) and is best served cold on ice with a squeeze of lime. The good news for rum fans and Bundy collectors: They're giving the stuff away for free. This Friday, June 10 and Saturday, June 11 at Leonards and Dawn in Brisbane, The Civic Hotel in Sydney and The Sporting Globe in Melbourne (the Richmond location), you can turn up, show bar staff the Uber Eats app on your phone along with proof of ID and you'll get a free 640ml bottle. The bad news? Maison de Bundy's Blanc de Cane comes in an extremely limited run of one thousand bottles so you'll want to set your alarm. It will be available in the aforementioned venues from 5pm on Friday until they're all gone. There are people out there who will line up for these like BTS fans lining up for concert tickets. One thousand Maison de Bundy's Blanc de Cane will be available across selected Australian venues. Just show your Uber Eats app and proof of ID to claim a 640ml bottle this Friday, June 10 and Saturday, June 11.
Nestled in leafy suburban Kew, Adeney Avenue is the last place you'd expect to find a bustling cafe. But for locals, this former milk bar has been given a new lease on life as Adeney Milkbar Cafe — a special little place that brings new meaning to homely hospitality. The project of siblings James and Cat Laskie, Adeney has so far remained somewhat of a neighbourhood secret. Situated in a quiet residential area, very close to schools and facing an expansive outdoor park, it's the perfect local hangout for those in the know. The pop in, come-and-go-as-you-please atmosphere is welcoming to both regulars and first time visitors. It's the kind of gem you'd hope to discover on a Sunday drive. The cafe's fit-out has been approached with a consistent and thoughtful eye, from the pot plants in the window to the ivy-drenched outdoor area. With lots of natural light, it's an enticing spot to while away a free weekday afternoon, or a place to settle on a Saturday with the little ones in tow. An impressive line up of reading material to peruse over a balanced, nutty coffee ($3-4.50) seals the deal. While service is sometimes inattentive, such distraction is made up for by generous servings that are carefully presented using extremely fresh, high quality ingredients. Stalwarts of a great cafe breakfast will feel right at home with the avocado, feta and mint on wholegrain sourdough ($12) — one of the best on Melbourne's scene, without the exorbitant price tag. Similarly, the porridge with poached pear, raisins and pistachio ($11) is a hearty option and perfect for winter mornings, and a selection of smoothies ($7) also triumph, hitting the perfect balancing point between sweetness and health. At lunchtime the menu continues with simplicity, accented by dishes such as the Thai salad with chicken ($18), proving a draw card if you feel like a step outside the norm. With simple food and cosy surrounds, Adeney Milkbar Cafe has mastered the communal vibe. You could sit in the comfort of your own home, but — if you're lucky enough to have this as your local — you'd be silly to miss it. Come over, stay a little longer and settle in. You'll be well looked after.
Every dog loves the beach, but perhaps your pet pooch would like to do more than just paddle by the shore and sprint along the sand? Did you ever think about that? Well VetShopAustralia certainly have, and to get them on the board, they're holding their annual Surfing Dog Spectacular in Noosa this weekend, March 5-6. If you've ever dreamed of hanging ten with your four-legged bestie, this is your chance. So, do you actually need to know how to surf in order to teach your dog to do the same? Nope. In a free, Saturday morning clinic designed to teach pet owners how to get fit, have fun and strengthen their bond with their beloved canine, former tandem surfing world champion and professional dog trainer Chris De Aboitiz will teach you everything you need. Plus, if you don't have a hound of your own, you can even take to the waves with one of his rescue animals. If watching rather than participating is more your style, then head along on Sunday afternoon instead. That's when you can witness the best of Australia's surfing dogs in action, showcasing new manoeuvres and competing for the grand VetShopAustralia Surfing Dog Spectacular title. Part of the Noosa Festival of Surfing, the event celebrates its fifth year in 2016. If you've skipped it previously, don't make the same mistake again. Just think: if you can get your furry friend to stand on a surfboard, you're one step closer to making an all-dog remake of Point Break a reality. The VetShopAustralia Surfing Dog Spectacular takes place from March 5-6 at The Spit and First Point, Noosa. For more information, visit their website.
Since the first jabs started being put in arms around Australia at the beginning of 2021, two words have monopolised the discussion about the country's COVID-19 vaccine rollout: AstraZeneca and Pfizer. They're two of the companies with jabs approved for use in Australia so far, and it's their shots that folks who've been vaxxed to-date have been receiving. But from September, a third company's vaccine will be available to everyone rolling up their sleeves. On Monday, August 9, Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration gave the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine approval to be used in Australia. As announced in a press conference by Prime Minster Scott Morrison, the TGA "has given provisional approval for the use of Moderna for Australians aged 18 and over." In its own statement explaining its decision, the TGA advised that "the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine has shown strong efficacy preventing symptomatic COVID-19 and severe COVID-19 in clinical trials." Elsewhere around the world, the vaccine has also received approval or authorisation to use in emergency situations in countries such as United Kingdom, Canada, the European Union, the United States, Switzerland and Singapore. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (@TGAgovau) has provisionally approved Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine for use in Australia.https://t.co/Yr7dj0G0ja pic.twitter.com/Kp0EMpck7V — Australian Government (@ausgov) August 9, 2021 Partly funded by a donation from the one and only Dolly Parton, Moderna's vaccine is actually the fourth to get the nod in Australia, following AstraZeneca, Pfizer and a jab from Johnson & Johnson — the latter of which hasn't been included in the country's vaccine rollout so far. Like the Pfizer vaccine, the Moderna jab is an mRNA-based vaccine. So, it uses a synthetic genetic code called RNA, which tells the cells in our bodies how to make the coronavirus' unique spike protein. Then, once our bodies have done just that, making the protein that's encoded by the mRNA vaccine, we're able to recognise the spike protein as being foreign to our system and launch an immune response against it. Two doses of the Moderna vaccine are required — and while the AstraZeneca jabs are recommended four–12 weeks apart, and the Pfizer jabs three weeks apart, Moderna's should be administered within 28 days of each other. Wondering what that the Moderna approval means in terms of boosting Australia's vaccine ability (because actually getting a jab isn't particularly straightforward as part of the country's slow-moving rollout)? The Prime Minister advised that Australia will be adding 25 million doses of Moderna to the 125 million doses of Pfizer and 53 million doses of AstraZeneca that are already part of the vaccine campaign. "We will have ten million of the Moderna doses arriving before the end of this year. The first one million doses is on track to arrive next month and will go to pharmacies. Then we will have three million in October, three million in November and three million in December," he said. With the addition of the Moderna vaccine, the Prime Minister also noted that he expected that 70-percent of eligible Australians would be fully vaccinated by the end of 2021 — the threshold at which the second phase of National Cabinet's National Plan to transition Australia's National COVID Response is set to kick in. At that stage, which applies both when Australia reaches that figure and each state and territory does as well, restrictions will be eased on folks who've had the jab, including around lockdowns and border controls. Lockdowns are expected to be less likely, low-level restrictions will still help minimise the spread of cases and assist contact tracing, inbound passenger caps for unvaxxed returning Aussies will be restored to previous levels and more vaccinated returning Aussies will be allowed to come home. For more information about the Therapeutic Goods Administration's approval of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, head to the TGA website.
At some point in the near future, when television production returns to normal, Taika Waititi will be writing, directing and executive producing two new animated Netflix series based on Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Yep, if you were wondering what the Jojo Rabbit Oscar-winner is up to next, they're a couple of things on his slate. Right now, though, he's turning his attention to another Dahl favourite — and enlisting plenty of pals. Across ten episodes, James and the Giant Peach with Taika and Friends sees Waititi team up with a whole heap of famous talent to narrate the beloved book. If you've ever wanted to hear the Boy, What We Do in the Shadows and Hunt for the Wilderpeople read to you, then here's your chance. If you've always wondered what would happen if his Thor: Ragnarok stars Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson and Cate Blanchett voiced James and the Giant Peach characters too, well, that's on the agenda as well. Also lending their voices: Liam Hemsworth, Jojo Rabbit's Roman Griffin Davis and Archie Yates, plus other big names such as Meryl Streep, Benedict Cumberbatch, Cara Delevingne, Mindy Kaling, Lupita Nyong'o, Billy Porter, Gordon Ramsay, Eddie Redmayne, Ryan Reynolds and Olivia Wilde. Four episodes are currently available via YouTube, with new instalments added each three times a week — at 3am on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays in Australia, and at 5am in New Zealand. And if you're wondering why, the aim is raise funds for COVID-19 impacted charities, especially those helping seriously ill children and medical workers in vulnerable areas of the world. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJNSg_oMrOQ
If you happen to have an outfit in your wardrobe that's the same shade favoured by Squid Game's guards, here's a piece of advice: it'd be best not to wear it to St Kilda Beach on the morning of Tuesday, December 10, 2024. A huge 200 people will already be there in that exact attire, with Netflix sending a continent of pink guards to the sandy patch of Melbourne to remind everyone that the hit series' second season is on the way — and soon — in an eerie fashion. When season one proved a massive success, the creepy Red Light, Green Light doll from the show towered over Sydney Harbour. Ahead of Squid Game's second season, the Victorian capital is getting in on the action. If your morning routine involves hitting the beach in Melbourne, you'll clearly have plenty of company — not just from the guards, but from others keen for a glimpse at the pop-up. And if you're located elsewhere in Australia, expect to see photos all over social media. Netflix is promising "a true Aussie takeover", all to celebrate Squid Game season two sliding into your streaming queue on Boxing Day. It might be wise to avoid wearing green tracksuits to St Kilda at the same time that the stunt is taking place, too, to avoid earning the pink guards' attention. Up at Sydney's Luna Park, you'll have another chance to get some IRL Squid Game action — without any murder, of course — when an immersive experience hits the tourist attraction to get you playing Red Light, Green Light from Monday, December 16, 2024. Three years have passed since Squid Game became an award-winning Netflix sensation — for viewers and, in the show itself when new episodes drop, for Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae, The Acolyte) as well. Audiences and Player 456 are alike are in for a new round of life-or-death matches when the streaming smash finally returns, although only the series' protagonist will be fighting for survival again while on a quest to shut down this chaos forever in season two. No one watching should ever want Squid Game to end; however, the show itself will wrap up in 2025 with season three. First comes the long-awaited second season to end 2024, though, where Player 456 is back in the game with new fellow competitors for company. Netflix has been dropping multiple early looks at season two, including a teaser trailer to kick off November — and it finished off the month with a new glimpse at what's to come. As the show's protagonist dons his green threads once more for the new season, his new fellow competitors are wary of his motives. Also part of the recent teases: Lee Byung-hun (The Magnificent Seven) as Gi-hun's nemesis Front Man, plus Wi Ha-joon (Little Women) also back as detective Hwang Jun-ho. For season two, Gong Yoo (Train to Busan) also returns as the man in the suit who got Gi-hun into the game in the first place; however, a show about a deadly competition that has folks battling for ridiculous riches comes with a hefty bodycount. Accordingly, new faces were always going to be essential — which is where Yim Si-wan (Emergency Declaration), Kang Ha-neul (Insider), Park Sung-hoon (The Glory) and Yang Dong-geun (Yaksha: Ruthless Operations) all come in. Check out the full trailer for Squid Game season below: Squid Game's pink guards are taking over St Kilda Beach in Melbourne on the morning of Tuesday, December 10, 2024. Keep an eye on Netflix's social media for more details. Squid Game season two streams via Netflix from Thursday, December 26, 2024. Season three will arrive in 2025 — we'll update you when an exact release date for it is announced. Images: No Ju-han/Netflix.
For the tail end of winter, The Westin Melbourne's ever-popular, cheese-themed high tea series is set to become even more indulgent than usual. The aptly dubbed High Cheese will score a full truffle makeover, serving up an elevated, truffle-infused menu from August 1–31. This brie-lliant culinary situation is yours to enjoy daily (11am–8pm) in the hotel's Lobby Lounge. The limited-edition truffle lineup clocks in at $140 per person which will see you tuck into an elaborate spread by celebrated cheesemonger Anthony Femia (of Maker & Monger) and Westin Executive Chef Michael Greenlaw. Expect the likes of a baked le Duc Vacherin with shaved truffle on top and specialty sourdough for dipping; alpine cheese scones teamed with Gippsland jersey butter; and the L'Artisan Grand Fleuri brie layered with sautéed mushrooms and leeks in Oloroso sherry, and finished with even more black truffle. Dessert-style treats include stracciatella paired with a Four Pillars negroni marmalade, as well as the famed walnut praline madeleines filled with whipped comté, now teamed with extra truffle and fresh honeycomb. To match, there'll be free-flowing Jing teas, Vittoria coffee and hot chocolates. Plus, there's a curation of vino from South Australian winery Bird in Hand, if you'd like to accompany that truffle-laced cheesy feast with something a little stronger. Rather not leave the house? This year, High Cheese can also be enjoyed from the comfort of home, in the form of a high tea hamper delivered via Providoor.
You'll have the chance to sample some of New York's best pizza, without forking out a cent for plane fares, when Brooklyn institution Di Fara Pizza pops up in Melbourne this month. Heading Down Under as part of Melbourne Food and Wine Festival's 'MEL&NYC' series — which coincides with the NGV's MoMa exhibition — the famed pizzeria has over 50 years under its belt. Still headed up by the original owner, Italian-born Domenico De Marco who opened the pizza joint back in 65, and his family. Daughter Maggie will be taking the reins for the one-off lunch on Sunday, July 29, recreating the Di Fara experience at West Footscray's own neighbourhood haunt, Harley & Rose. Local pizza chefs Josh Murphy and Rory Cowcher will join her in the kitchen to whip up an exclusive feast of snacks, salads, desserts, and of course, those perfectly blistered New York-style pizza slices. Tickets to the Di Fara Sunday lunch will set you back $73, with five sittings available. And, if you prefer a more casual sort of pizza feast, try your luck popping into Harley & Rose on Friday, July 27 from 4.30pm or on Saturday, July 28 from 11.30am — those iconic Di Fara slices will be available to go or to eat in.
In 2014, the ultimate celebration of French cinema in Australia will mark its silver anniversary with one of its most impressive programs yet. Lighting up Palace Cinema locations around the country, the 25th annual Alliance Francaise French Film Festival has film-faring Francophiles covered, with light-hearted comedies to searing dramas, as well as hat-tips to two of France's most legendary filmmakers. The festivities kick off on opening night with a screening of Nils Tavernier's inspiring sports drama The Finishers, followed by a post-film cocktail party. Other big tickets include the bloody Palme d'Or-nominated epic Michael Kohlhaas, Bruno Dumont's lauded biopic Camille Claudel 1915 and the Monaco-set espionage thriller Möbius starring The Artist's Jean Dujardin. Lighter options can be found in the festival's romance and comedy streams. Stylish indie ensemble 2 Autumns, 3 Winters has garnered plenty of positive buzz internationally, while Bright Days Ahead offers something for the older crowd, recounting the tale of a newly retired senior who strikes up an affair with a much younger man. Patrons can also preview the works of France's future filmmaking elite, with a program of short films from renowned Parisian film academy La Fémis. At the other end of the spectrum, fans of the classics might enjoy a retrospective of the works of new-wave pioneer Francois Truffaut, including his medium-shifting masterworks Jules and Jim and The 400 Blows. Closing night serves up another iconic slice of French cinema, in the form of Jacques Tati's wonderful 1958 comedy Mon Oncle. For the full Alliance Française French Film Festival program, visit http://www.affrenchfilmfestival.org/ https://youtube.com/watch?v=_0ENuOOgY2Y
There are some things best left to the 90s, like those pukka shell necklaces and over-plucked eyebrows. But one thing that's here to stay is 90s RnB, especially teamed with good food, delicious cocktails and some of the most iconic 90s looks. If you're ready to relive your youth — or you'd rather re-do it — every Saturday this summer The Boatbuilders Yard at South Wharf will host new 90s RnB Mixtape Saturdays, beginning Saturday, November 13. Moon Dog Brewing are in charge of the 90s-themed drinks list and to say it's authentic is an understatement. Think a fizzy lime and Midori combination, lemon and Blue Curacao and plenty of other specialty cocktails on the agenda. There's even a seltzer-filled post-mix machine. Plus, a Smirnoff Ice or Passion Pop is promised on arrival to really bring back that hit of nostalgia. Food-wise think potato skins, tacos and sloppy joes so you can pretend you're eating in the cafeteria in your favourite 90s high-school rom-com. Apart from those aforementioned cocktails, of course. DJ Joey Lightbulb will be on the decks, and apparently, song requests will be taken, so dig out your old mixtapes for inspiration. Tickets are $65 per person and bookings are recommended to secure your spot at on one of the two, two-hour sessions held from 12-2pm and 2.30-4.30pm each Saturday afternoon. Don your Mytiko pants, finest beige Masseurs and hypercolour t-shirts and get ready to boogie like Y2K is imminent. For more information and to secure your spot at 90s RnB Mixtape Saturdays, check out the website.
Sibling and neighbour to Carlton's new boutique hotel Zagame's House, Lord Lygon is a 50-seat wine bar that's putting the flavours of Victoria front and centre. It's heroing top local produce and booze throughout with chefs Chris Bonello (Vue Group) and Michael Tse (Rockpool, Vue de Monde) heading up a kitchen offering, which holds its own against the venue's forward-thinking wine list. Expect a share-friendly menu of drinking fare, starring lots of fresh, clean flavours. You'll find snacks like an oozy whole baked wheel of camembert infused with garlic and thyme ($24), and fall-apart bourbon and coke lamb ribs ($18), while larger plates include a wagyu sirloin matched with mustards and watercress ($39). And many an after-work grazing session awaits with a lineup of cheese and salumi primed for mixing, matching and snacking. Offering stacks of options to sip in or take back to your hotel room, the vinous selection is the work of head sommelier and winemaker Marcus Radny. You'll spy a solid spread of organic drops and plenty flying the flag for our small-batch producers, too, with a twenty-strong rotation of wines available by the glass. Settle in with something like a South Australian Sigurd riesling or the Quealy '71 Rows' pinot noir from the Mornington Peninsula. Stay tuned, also, for a program of educational sessions and tasting events, covering cocktails, charcuterie and wine. Images: Parker Blain.
You'd be hard-pressed to find too many Melbourne cafes that have been kicking on for a whole decade. But it seems there's just no stopping Hardware Société — the CBD gem that's gearing up to celebrate its tenth birthday. The petite Hardware Street haunt is something of an institution, its creatively charged brunch fare and top-notch coffee known to pull some pretty hefty queues, any day of the week. Now, to mark the big 1-0, co-owners Di and Will Keser have opened the doors to a second, roomier venue — spread across a whole 255-square-metres — in Katherine Place. This time around, the design work takes its cues from Denmark, teaming rattan, leather and timber finishes with the likes of marble Wrong X Hay London lighting and a palette of pastel pinks and greens. The upsized kitchen space allows for an expanded food offering, too, with an all-day brunch menu on offer from 7.30am daily. Hardware Société's signature innovative flair shines through a new suite of certain hits, from lobster benedict teamed with citrus hollandaise on a black bun, to seared tuna mille-feuille with scallop tartare, yuzu aioli and a 64-degree egg. Old favourites like the chorizo baked eggs are sticking around, alongside classic French dishes like duck au vin and croque madame. It's all matched with Padre specialty coffee — vital for pre-work sessions — or you can dial up the decadence with a tap brew, wine or breakfast cocktail. But perhaps the most exciting addition to the Katherine Place store is Hardware Société's newly minted Friday knock-off sessions — roll in from 5pm for after-work drinks and clever snacks, like charcuterie, lobster and prawn brioche buns, and jamón and manchego croquettes. Images: Peter Tarasiuk.
If there's one word that can sum up much of 2022's television landscape so far, it's this: finally. After longer-than-anticipated delays due to the pandemic, plenty of excellent shows made their way back to our streaming queues. That includes sublime crime-thriller spinoffs, time-travelling comedies and 80s-worshipping sci-fi hits — and glitter eyeshadow-strewn teen chaos, everyone's favourite hitman-turned-actor and savage explorations of America today, too. They're the shows that we all missed for years, and eagerly welcomed back like old friends. Spanning mind-bending animation and explosive takes on superheroes as well, all these long-awaited returnees arrived with two pieces of good news. Firstly, they made a comeback. Secondly, they proved worth the wait. So did a heap of series that arrived for their latest runs exactly when they were supposed to — following up last year's ace seasons with this year's. Basically, when it comes to already-great shows dropping more episodes, the first six months of 2022 have well and truly delivered. More will follow before the year is out — but now that we're at the halfway point, here are the best 15 returning TV shows that reunited with our grateful eyeballs between January and June. BETTER CALL SAUL Saul Goodman's name has always been ironic. As played so devastatingly well by the one and only Bob Odenkirk, the slick lawyer sells the "s'all good, man" vibe with well-oiled charm, but little is ever truly good — for his clients, as his Breaking Bad experiences with Walter White and Jesse Pinkman demonstrated, or for the ever-enterprising law-skirting attorney himself. That truth has always sat at the heart of Better Call Saul's magnificent tragedy, too, and has made the prequel series one of the best shows of this century. Viewers know the fate that awaits, and yet we desperately yearn for the opposite to magically happen. But now that the series' final season is in full swing, we're pushed well past the point of hoping. Professionally, the earnest, striving, well-meaning Jimmy McGill is gone, ditching his real name and his quest for a legitimate career, and instead embracing his slide into shadiness. It isn't over yet, but Better Call Saul's new season has explored the fallout from this concerted life change — and from all that's brought Jimmy to this point. It hammers home what's to come as well, given that it opens on Saul Goodman's Breaking Bad-era home being seized by the feds; however, the show still has much to cover in the lawyer's past. With his significant other Kim Wexler (the simply phenomenal Rhea Seehorn, Veep), he's seeking revenge on their former boss Howard Hamlin (Patrick Fabian, Black Monday). Meanwhile, his ties to the Salamanca family and their drug empire — to the psychotic Lalo (Tony Dalton, Hawkeye) and ambitious-but-trapped Nacho (Michael Mando, Spider-Man: Homecoming), and to ex-cop Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks, The Comey Rule) and Los Pollos Hermanos owner Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito, The Boys) — are drawing attention. Tense, intelligent, heartbreaking and just exceptional: that's the result so far, as it always has been with this astounding series. Better Call Saul is available to stream via Stan. BARRY Three seasons into the sitcom that bears his name, all that Barry Berkman (Bill Hader, Noelle) wants is to be an actor — and to also no longer kill people for a living. That's what he's yearned for across the bulk of this HBO gem, which has given Saturday Night Live alum Hader his best-ever role; however, segueing from being an assassin to treading the boards or standing in front of the camera is unsurprisingly complicated. One of the smartest elements of the always-fantastic Barry is how determined it is to weather all the chaos, darkness, rough edges and heart-wrenching consequences of its central figure's choices, though. That's true of his actions not only in the past, but in the show's present. Hader and series co-creator Alec Berg (Silicon Valley) know that viewers like Barry. You're meant to. But that doesn't mean ignoring that he's a hitman, or that his time murdering people — and his military career before that — has repercussions, including for those around him. One of the most layered and complex comedies currently airing, Barry's third season is as intricate, thorny, textured and hilarious as the first two. Indeed, it's ridiculously easy to see how cartoonish its premise would be in lesser hands, or how it might've leaned on a simple odd-couple setup given that Anthony Carrigan (Bill & Ted Face the Music) plays Chechen gangster Noho Hank with such delightful flair. But Barry keeps digging into what makes its namesake tick, why, and the ripples he causes. It does the same with his beloved acting teacher Gene Cousineau (Henry Winkler, The French Dispatch) as well. With visual precision on par with Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, it's also as phenomenal at staging action scenes as it is at diving deep into its characters — and, as every smartly penned episode just keeps proving, it's downright stellar at that. Barry is available to stream via Binge. Read our full review. GIRLS5EVA When it first hit streaming in 2021 with an avalanche of quickfire jokes — as all Tina Fey-executive produced sitcoms do, such as 30 Rock, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Great News and Mr Mayor — Girls5eva introduced viewers to its eponymous band. One-hit wonders in the late 90s and early 00s, their fame had fizzled. Indeed, reclaiming their stardom wasn't even a blip on their radars — until, unexpectedly, it was. Dawn Solano (Sara Bareilles, Broadway's Waitress), Wickie Roy (Renée Elise Goldsberry, Hamilton), Summer Dutkowsky (Busy Philipps, I Feel Pretty) and Gloria McManus (Paula Pell, AP Bio) had left their days as America's answer to the Spice Girls behind, barely staying in contact since the group split and their fifth member, Ashley Gold (Ashley Park, Emily in Paris), later died in an infinity pool accident. But then rapper Lil Stinker (Jeremiah Craft, Bill & Ted Face the Music) sampled their single 'Famous 5eva', and they were asked to perform backing vocals during his Tonight Show gig. Jumping back into the spotlight reignited dreams that the surviving Girls5eva members thought they'd extinguished long ago — well, other than walking attention-magnet Wickie, who crashed and burned in her attempts to go solo, and was happy to fake it till she made it again. That's the tale the show charts once more in its second season, which is filled with more rapid-fire pop-culture references and digs; the same knowing, light but still sincere tone; and a new parade of delightful tunes composed by Jeff Richmond, Fey's husband and source of music across every sitcom she's produced. One of the joys of Girls5eva — one of many — is how gleefully absurd it skews, all while fleshing out its central quartet, their hopes and desires, and their experiences navigating an industry that treats them as commodities at best. The show's sophomore run finds much to satirise, of course, but also dives deeper and pushing Wickie, Dawn, Summer and Gloria to grow. Obviously, it's another gem. Girls5eva is available to stream via Stan. Read our full review. STARSTRUCK It's official: after a dream of a first season, Rose Matafeo's rom-com sitcom Starstruck worked its magic a second time. In season two, it makes viewers fall head over heels for its 21st-century take on dating a famous actor all over again. It's also official for Matafeo's (Baby Done) Jessie, who is now dating Tom (Nikesh Patel, Four Weddings and a Funeral), the celebrity she had a one-night stand with on New Year's Eve, then navigated an awkward will-they-won't-they dance around every time they ran into each other in London. But this next batch of six episodes poses a key question: once you've enjoyed the wild meet-cute, ridden the courtship rollercoaster and been bowled over by a grand romantic gesture (see: Starstruck's The Graduate-style season-one finale), what comes next? It's the stuff that rom-com movie sequels might cover, except that for all of Hollywood's eagerness to rinse and repeat its most popular fare, this genre is sparse in the follow-up department. Season two picks up exactly where its predecessor left off, with Jessie and Tom's bus ride segueing into a WTF realisation — as in "WTF do we do now?". That's a query that Jessie isn't ready to answer, even though she's made the big leap and missed her flight home. So, she avoids even tackling the situation at first, and then eschews fully committing even when she's meant to be in the throes of romantic bliss. Basically, it's messy, and the kind of chaos that rom-coms don't show when they end with a happily-ever-after moment. Like everyone, Jessie and Tom endure plenty. In the process, this gem of a show's second season is light but also deep, a screwball delight while also sharp and relatable, and still filled with fellow romantic-comedy references. And, as well as continuing to showcase Matafeo at her best, it remains a rom-com that's as aware of what relationships in 2022 are really like as it is about how romance is typically portrayed in its genre. Starstruck is available to stream via ABC iView. Read our full review. ATLANTA Atlanta's third season hit with two pieces of fantastic news, and one inevitable but not-so-welcome reality. Dropping four years after season two, it's one of two seasons that'll air this year — and it's as extraordinary as the Donald Glover-created and -starring (and often -written and -directed) show has ever been — but when season four arrives later in 2022, that'll be the end of this deserved award-winner. The latter makes revelling in what Atlanta has for viewers now all the more special, although this series always earns that description anyway. Just as Jordan Peele has done on the big screen with Get Out and Us after building upon his excellent sketch comedy series Key & Peele, Glover lays bare what it's like to be Black in America today with brutally smart and honest precision, and also makes it blisteringly apparent that both horror and so-wild-and-terrifying-that-you-can-only-laugh comedy remains the default. Actually, in the season-three episodes that focus on Glover's Earnest 'Earn' Marks, his cousin and rapper Alfred 'Paper Boi' Miles (Brian Tyree Henry, Eternals), their Nigerian American pal Darius (Lakeith Stanfield, Judas and the Black Messiah) and Earn's ex Vanessa (Zazie Beetz, The Harder They Fall), the lived experience of being a Black American anywhere is thrust into the spotlight. Paper Boi is on tour in Europe, which results in an on-the-road onslaught of antics that repeatedly put the quartet at the mercy of white bullshit — racist traditions, money-hungry rich folks looking to cash in on someone else's culture, scheming hangers-on, brands using Black artists for politically correct PR stunts and culinary gentrification all included. And then there's the standalone stories, all of which'd make excellent movies. Proving astute, incisive, sometimes-absurd, always-stellar and relentlessly surprising, here Atlanta examines the welfare system and in its inequalities, reparations for slavery, and the emotional and physical labour outsourced to Black workers. Atlanta is available to stream via SBS On Demand. Read our full review. UNDONE Returning for its second season three years after its first — which was one of the best shows of 2019 — the gorgeously and thoughtfully trippy multiverse series Undone is fixated on one idea: that life's flaws can be fixed. It always has been from the moment its eight-episode initial season appeared with its vivid rotoscoped animation and entrancing leaps into surreal territory; however, in season two it doubles down. Hailing from BoJack Horseman duo Kate Purdy and Raphael Bob-Waksberg, it also remains unsurprisingly concerned with mental illness, and still sees its protagonist caught in an existential crisis. (The pair have a type, but Undone isn't BoJack Horseman 2.0). And, it deeply understands that it's spinning a "what if?" story, and also one about deep-seated unhappiness. Indeed, learning to cope with being stuck in an imperfect life, being unable to wish it away and accepting that fate beams brightly away at the heart of the show. During its debut outing, Undone introduced viewers to 28-year-old Alma Winograd-Diaz (Rosa Salazar, Alita: Battle Angel), who found everything she thought she knew pushed askew after a near-fatal car accident. Suddenly, she started experiencing time and her memories differently — including those of her father, Jacob Winograd (Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul), who died over 20 years earlier. In a vision, he tasked her with investigating his death, which became a quest to patch up the past to stop tragedy from striking. Undone didn't necessarily need a second season, but this repeat dive into Alma's story ponders what happens in a timeline where everything seems to glimmer with all that its protagonist has ever wanted, and yet sorrow still lingers. Once again, the end result is deeply rich and resonant, as intelligent and affecting as sci-fi and animation alike get, and dedicated to thinking and feeling big while confronting everyday truths. Undone is available to stream via Prime Video. Read our full review. HACKS In 2021, Hacks' first season quickly cemented itself as one of 2021's best new TV shows — one of two knockout newbies starring Jean Smart last year, thanks to Mare of Easttown as well — and it's just as ace the second time around. It's still searingly funny, nailing that often-elusive blend of insight, intelligence and hilarity. It retains its observational, wry tone, and remains devastatingly relatable even if you've never been a woman trying to make it in comedy. And it's happy to linger where it needs to to truly understand its characters, but never simply dwells in the same place as its last batch of episodes. Season two is literally about hitting the road, so covering fresh territory is baked into the story; however, Hacks' trio of key behind-the-scenes creatives — writer Jen Statsky (The Good Place), writer/director Lucia Aniello (Rough Night) and writer/director/co-star Paul W Downs (The Other Two) — aren't content to merely repeat themselves with a different backdrop. Those guiding hands started Hacks after helping to make Broad City a hit. Clearly, they all know a thing or two about moving on from the past. That's the decision both veteran comedian Deborah Vance (Smart) and her twentysomething writer-turned-assistant Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder, North Hollywood) had to make themselves in season one, with the show's second season now charting the fallout. So, Deborah has farewelled her residency and the dependable gags that kept pulling in crowds, opting to test out new and far-more-personal material on a cross-country tour instead. Ava has accepted her role by Deborah's side, and is willing to see it as a valid career move rather than an embarrassing stopgap. But that journey comes a few narrative bumps. Of course, Hacks has always been willing to see that actions have consequences, not only for an industry that repeatedly marginalises women, but for its imperfect leading ladies. Hacks is available to stream via Stan. Read our full review. ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING Born out of the world's recent true-crime and podcasting obsessions — and the intersection of the two in the likes of Serial — Only Murders in the Building boasts its own version of Sarah Koenig. In this marvellous murder-mystery comedy, she's called Cinda Canning (Tina Fey, Girls5eva). As viewers of the show's impressive and entertaining first season know, though, she's not the main focus. Instead, Only Murders in the Building hones in on three New Yorkers residing in the Arconia apartment complex — where, as the program's name makes plain, there's a murder. There's several, but it only takes one to initially bring actor Charles-Haden Savage (Steve Martin, It's Complicated), theatre producer Oliver Putnam (Martin Short, Schmigadoon!) and the much-younger Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez, The Dead Don't Die) together. The trio then turn amateur detectives, and turn that sleuthing into their own podcast, which also shares the show's title. In season two, the series returns to the same scene. Yes, there's another killing. No time has passed for Only Murders in the Building's characters — and, while plenty has changed since the series' debut episode last year, plenty remains the same. Viewers now know Charles, Oliver and Mabel better, and they all know each other better, but that only makes things more complicated. Indeed, there's a lived-in vibe to the program and its main figures this time around, rather than every episode feeling like a new discovery. Among the many things that Only Murders in the Building does exceptionally well, finding multiple ways to parallel on- and off-screen experiences ranks right up there. That applies to true-crime and podcast fixations, naturally, and also to getting to know someone, learning their ins and outs, and finding your comfort zone even when life's curveballs keep coming. Only Murders in the Building is available to stream via Disney+. Read our full review. EUPHORIA From the very first frames of its debut episode back in June 2019, when just-out-of-rehab 17-year-old Rue Bennett (Zendaya, Spider-Man: No Way Home) gave viewers the lowdown on her life, mindset, baggage, friends, family and everyday chaos, Euphoria has courted attention — or, mirroring the tumultuous teens at the centre of its dramas, the Emmy-winning HBO series just knew that eyeballs would come its way no matter what it did. The brainchild of filmmaker Sam Levinson (Malcolm & Marie), adapted from an Israeli series by the same name, and featuring phenomenal work by its entire cast, it's flashy, gritty, tense, raw, stark and wild, and manages to be both hyper-stylised to visually striking degree and deeply empathetic. In other words, if teen dramas reflect the times they're made — and from Degrassi, Press Gang and Beverly Hills 90210 through to The OC, Friday Night Lights and Skins, they repeatedly have — Euphoria has always been a glittery eyeshadow-strewn sign of today's times. That hasn't changed in the show's second season. Almost two and a half years might've elapsed between Euphoria's first and second batch of episodes — a pair of out-of-season instalments in late 2020 and early 2021 aside — but it's still as potent, intense and addictive as ever. And, as dark, as Rue's life and those of her pals (with the cast including Hunter Schafer, The King of Staten Island's Maude Apatow, The Kissing Booth franchise's Jacob Elordi, The White Lotus' Sydney Sweeney, The Afterparty's Barbie Ferreira, North Hollywood's Angus Cloud and Waves' Alexa Demie) bobs and weaves through everything from suicidal despair, Russian Roulette, bloody genitals, unforgettable school plays, raucous parties and just garden-variety 2022-era teen angst. The list always goes on; in fact, as once again relayed in Levinson's non-stop, hyper-pop style, the relentlessness that is being a teenager today, trying to work out who you are and navigating all that the world throws at you is Euphoria's point. Euphoria is available to stream via Binge. RUSSIAN DOLL Getting philosophical about existence can mean flitting between two extremes. At one end, life means everything, so we need to make the absolute most of it. At the other, nothing at all matters. When genre-bending and mind-melting time-loop comedy-drama Russian Doll first hit Netflix in 2019, it served up a party full of mysteries — a repeating shindig overflowing with chaos and questions, to be precise — but it also delivered a few absolute truths, too. Fact one: it's possible to posit that life means everything and nothing at once, all by watching Natasha Lyonne relive the same day (and same 36th-birthday celebrations) over and over. Fact two: a show led by the Orange Is the New Black, Irresistible and The United States vs Billie Holiday star, and co-created by the actor with Parks and Recreation's Amy Poehler, plus Bachelorette and Sleeping with Other People filmmaker Leslye Headland, was always going be a must-see. Here's a third fact as well: after cementing itself as one of the best TV shows of 2019, and one of the smartest, savviest and funniest in the process, Russian Doll's long-awaited second season is equally wonderful. In glorious news for sweet birthday babies, it's also smarter and weirder across its seven episodes, this time following Lyonne's self-destructive video-game designer Nadia and mild-mannered fellow NYC-dweller Alan Zaveri (Charlie Barnett, You) as they tackle another trippy problem. After being caught in a Groundhog Day-style situation last season, now death isn't their problem. Instead, time is. It was an issue before, given the duo couldn't move with it, only back through the same events — but here, via the New York subway's No 6 train, Nadia and Alan speed into the past to explore cause and effect, inherited struggles and intergenerational trauma. Russian Doll is available to stream via Netflix. Read our full review. PHYSICAL Lycra-clad ladies of the 80s and 90s making their mark in a ruthless, consumer-driven and male-dominated world, all by getting active: as far as on-screen niches go, that's particularly niche. It's also growing. Back in 80s itself, Flashdance did it. Starring a fantastic Kirsten Dunst, the sadly cancelled-too-soon 2019 series On Becoming a God in Central Florida did as well. For three seasons from 2017–19, GLOW similarly stepped into the ring. And since 2021, Apple TV+'s Physical has, too. What a feeling indeed. Now back for season two, the latter sports a staggering lead performance, a superb supporting cast and a complex premise unpacked with precision, as well as a pitch-perfect vibe and a killer 80s soundtrack. Season one of Physical didn't quite see Sheila Rubin (Rose Byrne, Irresistible) get everything she'd ever fantasised about. Rather, it followed the San Diego housewife as she pursued something she didn't even know she wanted until her endorphins kicked in at an aerobics class. Now, she's the star of her own fitness tape — and spruiking it, be it in supermarkets or by hosting public aerobics sessions, has become her life. But while she's in control of every exercise move she makes, earning the same power in her relationships, and in business, isn't as straightforward. She's still stuck in a rut with her husband Danny (Rory Scovel, I Feel Pretty), to put it mildly. She's still caught in a torrid affair with grim Mormon business developer John Breem (Paul Sparks, Castle Rock), too. And while she starts leaning on her wealthy and supportive best friend Greta (Dierdre Friel, Second Act) more, she's also unable to shake the engrained notion that needing anyone's help is a sign of weakness. And then there's the help she hopes to get from fellow aerobics instructor Vinnie Green (The White Lotus scene-stealer Murray Bartlett). Physical is available to stream via Apple TV+. Read our full review. STRANGER THINGS Finally back for its fourth season after a three-year wait (yes, finally), Stranger Things ventures beyond its trusty small-town setting of Hawkins, Indiana, and in several directions. It keeps its nods and winks to flicks and shows gone by streaming steadily of course — but expanding is firmly on its mind. Once again overseen by series creators The Duffer Brothers, its latest batch of episodes is bigger and longer, with no instalment clocking in at less than an hour, and several at flat-out movie length. Its teenage stars are bigger and taller as well, ageing further and faster than their characters. The show has matured past riffing on early-80s action-adventure flicks, too, such as The Goonies; now, it's onto slashers and other horror films, complete with new characters called Fred and Jason. And with that, Stranger Things also gets bloodier and eerier. That said, it's still the show that viewers have loved since 2016, when not even Netflix likely realised what it had unleashed — and no, that doesn't just include the demogorgon escaping from the Upside Down. But everything is growing, as Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown, Godzilla vs Kong), her boyfriend Mike (Finn Wolfhard, Ghostbusters: Afterlife), and their pals Will (Noah Schnapp, Waiting for Anya), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo, The Angry Birds Movie 2), Max (Sadie Sink, Fear Street) and Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin, Concrete Cowboy) all visibly have. Eleven, Will, Jonathan (Charlie Heaton, The Souvenir Part II) and Joyce (Winona Ryder, The Plot Against America) have branched out to California, and Mike comes to visit. Back in Hawkins, Dustin, Lucas, Max, Steve (Joe Keery, Free Guy), Robin (Maya Hawke, Fear Street) and Nancy (Natalia Dyer, Things Seen & Heard) have a new evil to face. And, as for Hopper (David Harbour, Black Widow), he's stuck in a Russian gulag. Yes, things get chaotic from there, Kate Bush and Metallica needle-drops included. Stranger Things season four is available to stream via Netflix. Read our full review. THE BOYS In savage and savvy caped-crusader satire The Boys, it has been evident since episode one that Homelander (Antony Starr, Banshee) is a fraud. He's America's favourite superhero, as well as the leader of top-tier supe crew The Seven — and he uses his public persona as a shield for his twisted ego, soul-devouring insecurities, arrogance and selfishness. As instalment after instalment of the show passes, his sinister true nature keeps burning. In The Boys' third season, Homelander may as well be America's most recent ex-President, complete with unhinged rants and an at-any-cost desperation to retain control. The comics that this series is based on were actually published from 2006–12, but the show they've spawned is firmly steeped in the polarised US of the past six or so years. Subtlety hardly comes with the territory here, and yet it doesn't make The Boys any less potent. The in-show alternative to Homelander's psychopathic, egotistical, world-threatening existence: the ragtag gang of vigilantes that shares the series' name. Led by cynical-as-fuck Brit Billy Butcher (Karl Urban, Thor: Ragnarok), they remain intent on bringing down The Seven and Vought, the all-encompassing company behind it, as always. About year has passed since season two, however, and Hughie (Jack Quaid, Scream) now works with congresswoman Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit, Where'd You Go, Bernadette) at the Federal Bureau of Superhuman Affairs, countering misbehaving superheroes the legal way. That involves overseeing Butcher and fellow pals Frenchie (Tomer Capone, One on One) and Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara, Suicide Squad), but this wouldn't be The Boys if their battle was that straightforward. It also wouldn't be The Boys if everything that followed wasn't wild and OTT to a jaw-dropping degree, oh-so-astute about popular culture and consumerism today, brimming in blood and Billy Joel songs, and always biting deeper — and sharper. The Boys is available to stream via Prime Video. Read our full review. SERVANT Ted Lasso is the Apple TV+ series that's been scoring all the praise and love for the past few years, and rightfully so — but the platform's M Night Shyamalan-produced Servant is also one of its winners. Perched at the complete opposite end of the spectrum to the warm-hearted soccer comedy, this eerie horror effort spends the bulk of its time in a well-appointed Philadelphia brownstone where TV news reporter Dorothy Turner (Lauren Ambrose, The X-Files) and her chef husband Sean (Toby Kebbell, Bloodshot) appear the picture of wealthy happiness, complete with a newborn son, Jericho, to fulfil their perfect family portrait. But as 18-year-old nanny Leanne Grayson (Nell Tiger Free, Too Old to Die Young) quickly learned in Servant's first season, there's nothing normal about their baby — which, after the tot's death, has been replaced by a lookalike doll to calm the otherwise-catatonic Dorothy's grief. That's how the series began back in 2019, with its second season deepening its mysteries — and Leanne's place with the Turners, even as her own unconventional background with cult ties keeps bringing up questions. In Servant's third season, the household is once again attempting to pretend that everything is normal and to also keep Dorothy unaware of the real Jericho's fate, even with a flesh-and-blood infant now back in her arms. But in a slowly paced series that's perfected its unsettling and insidious tone from episode one, serves up a clever blend of atmospheric and claustrophobic thrills mixed with gripping performances, makes exceptional use of its setting and also features Rupert Grint in his best post-Harry Potter role yet, there's always more engrossing twists to rock the status quo. Servant is available to stream via Apple TV+. RUTHERFORD FALLS Mike Schur sure does have a type. If you're a fan of Parks and Recreation, The Good Place, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and The Office, though, that won't be new news. And if you watched the television producer and writer's great first season of Rutherford Falls as well, you will have spotted all his usual touches at work — which doesn't change in season two. By no means is this a criticism. His various different series feel like siblings, not clones; they share similar traits, but there's so much about their individual personalities that remains distinctive. Here, the fact that Rutherford Falls is a show deeply steeped in a Native American community gives it a wealth of avenues to go down, as well as plenty that's purely the sitcom's alone. Also crucial: the influence of co-creator and showrunner Sierra Teller Ornelas (Superstore), and the strong commitment to exploring the treatment of First Nations peoples in America today. Rutherford Falls' latest batch of episodes follows one of its characters running for local office, for instance, which is a scenario that Parks devotees will instantly recognise. And yet, what that means in a small town that's struggling to address the colonial impact upon its original inhabitants, the Minishonka Nation, is always its real focus. What everything means here is filtered through that lens — including teenage aspiring mayor Bobbie Yang (Jesse Leigh, Heathers), enterprising CEO of the Minishonka Nation casino Terry Thomas (Michael Greyeyes, Firestarter), cultural centre head Reagan Wells (Jana Schmieding, Reservation Dogs) and her best friend Nathan Rutherford (Ed Helms, Ron's Gone Wrong). It's noticeable that Helms is no longer the show's anchor, too. Indeed, the already smart, funny and warm series spends its excellent second season showing how Nathan wants to de-centre himself from hogging the town's limelight, and puts that idea in motion itself. Rutherford Falls is available to stream via Stan. Looking for more viewing highlights? We picked the 15 best new TV shows of 2022, too. We also keep a running list of must-stream TV from across the year so far, complete with full reviews. And, you can check out our list of film and TV streaming recommendations, which is updated monthly.
