Among all of the dream jobs that everyone wishes they had, picking the globe's top stretches of sun, surf and sand sits up there with taste-testing new gins and trying out every bar and eatery in Tokyo. That particularly proves true whenever a new list of the world's best beaches is revealed — although, Australians can always pretend by heading to one of the high-ranking spots on our own shores. In FlightNetwork's just-announced lineup of the planet's best beaches, which ranks 50 idyllic locations, four Aussie spots made the cut. And, in news that will come as no surprise to anyone, the Whitsundays' Whitehaven Beach came in at number two. It's the latest accolade for the picturesque Queensland favourite, after it was named TripAdvisor's best Aussie beach earlier this year. Hyams Beach in New South Wales' Jervis Bay also made the top ten, placing eighth, while Western Australia was responsible for the country's other two top spots — with Lucky Bay at 18th and Turquoise Bay at 29th. If you're wondering which coastal oasis beat them all to first place, that'd be Grace Bay Beach in Turks and Caicos. A British Overseas Territory situated around 1,000 kilometres from Miami in the North Atlantic Ocean, it boasts warm Atlantic waters, its own barrier reef and sunny weather approximately 319 days of the year. The picks were made by more than 600 travel journalists, editors, bloggers and agencies, aka folks who work in the travel and beach trade, and therefore know their stuff. Among their other selections, Anse Lazio in Seychelles, Pink Sands Beach in the Bahamas, Navagio Beach in Greece, Baia Dos Porcos in Brazil, Playa Paraiso and Hidden Beach in Mexico, and Trunk Bay in the United States Virgin Islands all rounded out the top ten. Thinking about taking your own trip to Whitehaven Beach? Check out our Outside Guide to the Whitsundays. Via: FlightNetwork. Image: Damien Dempsey via Wikicommons.
Almost one year after their break-up, a film documenting the final chapters of alternative powerhouse LCD Soundsystem will premiere on January 22 at the Sundance Film Festival. Shut Up and Play the Hits, directed by Dylan Southern and William Lovelace, shows frontman James Murphy in the hours prior to the band's farewell show at Madison Square Garden. This will be combined with unbeatable footage from their epic ultimate performance, as well as Murphy's reactions and reflections on what has been an illustrious career. With a devotion to both the personal and performance aspects of Murphy's character, Shut Up and Play the Hits gives fans an intimate insight into the brains behind one of this generation's most innovative and critically acclaimed bands. The anticipation before the LCD's grand farewell is balanced with the sense of loss the morning after, giving viewers a complete experience on this emotional and artistic rollercoaster. On top of three studio albums and numerous Grammy nominations, LCD Soundsystem were able to forge a cult following which reflected their diverse sound combining disco and punk rock with a distinct indie tinge. Murphy was also the co-founder of DFA Records, home of fellow alternative favourites Holy Ghost! and The Rapture.
Twelve years after RuPaul's Drag Race first sashayed its way onto US television, viewers Down Under have finally been gifted a local version. Currently streaming via Stan, RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under is exactly what it sounds like — the hit series, still hosted by RuPaul, but featuring Australian and New Zealand drag queens. And, if you'd like to see more of this year's competitors, you'll be able to head along to the program's new live stage show. All ten of this year's drag queens will be hitting up Sydney's Hordern Pavilion, Melbourne's Palais Theatre, Perth's Crown Theatre, Brisbane's QPAC and Canberra's Canberra Theatre as part of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under Live on Stage. It too is rather self-explanatory, and it'll obviously have quite the cast when it hits the road this September. If you've been watching the TV series, you'll already know which contenders have been strutting their stuff for drag supremacy. The lineup spans seven Australians and three New Zealanders, including Art Simone from Geelong, Melbourne's Karen from Finance, and Sydney's Coco Jumbo, Etecetera Etcetera and Maxi Shield. Newcastle's Jojo Zaho and Perth's Scarlet Adams round out the Aussie queens, while Auckland's Kita Mean, Anita Wigl'it and Elektra Shock comprise the NZ contingent. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdcgf5I6Qb8&feature=youtu.be RUPAUL'S DRAG RACE DOWN UNDER LIVE ON STAGE TOUR DATES: Saturday, September 18 — Hordern Pavilion, Sydney Tuesday, September 21 — QPAC Concert Hall, Brisbane Thursday, September 23 — Crown Theatre, Perth Saturday, September 25 — The Palais, Melbourne Tuesday, September 28 — Canberra Theatre, Canberra RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under Live on Stage will tour Australia from September 18–28. For further details — and to buy pre-sale tickets from 12pm on Friday, May 21 and general tickets from 12pm on Monday, May 24 — head to the Live Nation website.
It's become an all-too familiar sight on the streets of suburban Australia: yellow oBikes, most likely missing a seat or pedal, lying semi-submerged in a canal, slumped against a tree or even, somehow, suspended halfway up it. The dockless bike system, which launched in Sydney in August last year, has suffered setbacks with stolen bikes and council restrictions. But love it or hate it, it looks like we're not about to see them go anytime soon. And if you thought the Singaporean-based juggernaut oBike was content to stop at just bikes, think again. 'oSkate' — a skateboard sharing platform in partnership with global deck brand EMillion — was announced last night during a swanky launch party at Sydney's Ivy Ballroom, with oBike CEO Iocus Finlayson naming Sydney as its primary test city. It will then roll out the new service across Melbourne and Adelaide in the following months. "Ease of mobility lies at the heart of our company" explained Finlayson to a gathering of the city's movers, shakers and social media influencers. "But the feedback we continue to receive is that people want greater variety in the way they get from A to B, and for many the oBike is just too cumbersome or takes up too much space on sidewalks and pedestrian thoroughfares. oSkate not only introduces a smaller, streamlined dynamic to the dockless economy, but we think a cooler one, too". Cooler? The jury's still out, but oSkate does solve a major administrative nightmare for oBike courtesy of Australia's unique mandatory helmet laws. "It's true that under Australian law you do require a helmet for bikes, but not for skateboards" confirmed Allens Linklaters Senior Associate Alex Mason. "Even so, we'd recommend one all the same if you can manage it. Safety should trump convenience, always". The company plans to roll out the first of its decks by June 1 this year, each of which will be fitted with the familiar wheel blocking mechanism that can only be unlocked via the oBike app (which itself will soon be rebranded as 'oMode' to keep in-line with the soon to be expanded transportation options). Finlayson also set out the company's rollout plan for the coming 12 months, some of which was met with more enthusiastic cheers than others. Chief among the popular announcements was 'oBoard' — a surf, boogie and stand-up paddle board service to begin operation next summer — as well as roller skates and rollerblades to supplement the oSkate program. Finally, 'oKick' will be phased in early 2019, offering unlockable running shoes to those eager to burn off a heavy night's drinking without ruining their beloved Louboutins.
This winter, a brand new free music festival is set to heat up the St Kilda shoreline, blasting away the chills with a jam-packed lineup featuring the likes of Hiatus Kaiyote, Adalita, Briggs and more. The inaugural Southside Live will descend on South Beach Reserve across two tune-filled weekends, from Friday, June 24–Sunday, June 26, and Friday, July 1–Sunday, July 3. The beachside stage will fire up with sounds from a diverse bunch of Aussie acts — soul-pop songstress Akosia, renowned Indigenous vocalist Emma Donovan with The Putbacks, RnB star Pania and post-punk outfit Pinch Points, to name a few. Mitch Tambo, Kaiit, Dallas Woods, Kira Puru, The Black Sorrows, Isaiah Firebrace and Freeds are also on the bill. Your ears aren't the only things in for a treat, however. The whole Southside Live precinct will be decked out like a wintry wonderland, with market stalls, neon art, food pop-ups and plenty of mulled wine to keep those cockles warm. Southside Live will run on Friday, June 24 (6–9pm), Saturday, June 25 (3–7pm), Sunday, June 26 (2–6pm), Friday, July 1 (6–9pm), Saturday, July 2 (3–7pm) and Sunday, July 3 (2–6pm). [caption id="attachment_806820" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Emma Donovan and the Putbacks[/caption] Top Image: J. Forsyth
It seems like only yesterday that we were freaking out over their Indiegogo campaign. Now, Australia's first cat cafe has officially stolen the hearts of the nation, raised sufficient funds, and set up a home on Queen Street, Melbourne ahead of their launch early next month. If a week or two is simply too long to wait, here's a teaser of what's to come. Meet Sherlock, Lotti, Lynx, Lopez, Waldo, and Braveheart — aka your new furry best friends. All adopted from the Geelong Animal Welfare Society, these beautiful bundles of pure happiness are the first cats to call the cafe home. Having only been in the city a mere day or two, Cat Cafe Melbourne have posted a little information about each on Facebook ahead of their upcoming launch. Pictured above is the youngest — and in our opinion, best named — kitten Braveheart. Not only is he the cutest little thing we've ever seen, he's also a bit of a battler. At just five months old, he's already suffered a bad infection that led to his right eye being removed. As the cat cafe owners rightfully point out, at least now "he gives a great wink!" From youngest to eldest, this is Lynx. A sedate seven-year-old, he's the type to snuggle up and relax with after a big ol' lunch. "He won't put up with the young ones," the Cat Cafe claim. "If you pick him up beware! He gives a big hug and smooches your face. You may require help to remove him." Then there's Lotti. Though she looks a whole lot like Braveheart, she's a little older and apparently gets a bit jealous of the attention afforded to others. "She is very demanding for affection ... and has an amazing purr that will melt your heart," the owners say. Of course the best thing about this place is that there's just too many cats to keep track of. Lopez, Waldo and Sherlock are the rest of the bunch that are currently slinking around the unopened space, but you won't know too much about them 'til you meet. Cat Cafe Melbourne doesn't have an official opening date yet, though the owners have stated it will be sometime in early July. The cats will also be separated from the official cafe space due to food safety regulations — no one wants a hairball in their latte, after all. If you want to jump in and have a play after your coffee, it'll cost you $10 for the first hour, then $5 for every additional 30 minutes. Stay tuned for an update on their opening, it's bound to be the purrfect cure to your winter blues. All photos via Cat Cafe Melbourne.
Mark your calendar: if you like free ice cream, as everyone should, then you have a date with a Ben & Jerry's store in April. Each year, the dessert brand chooses one day per year to give everyone a treat without paying a cent. In 2024, that day is Tuesday, April 16. If there's one thing this chain loves above all else, it's the obvious: ice cream in a huge array of ridiculously named flavours. It's the brand behind Chunky Monkey, Cherry Garcia, Phish Food and The Tonight Dough — and has been responsible for Liz Lemon Greek Frozen Yoghurt, Stephen Colbert's AmeriCone Dream and Schweddy Balls, too. But, to the delight of your sweet treat-loving tastebuds, on Free Cone Day it loves giving away free scoops just as much. The occasion is exactly what it sounds like: a day where your ice cream is on the house. It ran annually since 1979 until the pandemic, then took a break for obvious reasons — returning in 2023 for the first time since 2019, and now backing it up in 2024. Here's how it works: if you adore ice cream as much as Ben & Jerry's adores ice cream, then you just need to hit up your local participating store (which is most stores) between 12–8pm. You can choose whichever flavour you like, and you can also line up for a free cone as many times as you like within that eight-hour period. Free Cone Day is happening in both Australia and New Zealand — worldwide, too, in more than 35 countries — at Ben & Jerry's Scoop Stores. Last year, the brand gave away 970,000 scoops around the world, with 180,000 of those Down Under. This year, it wants to top one million free scoops globally, and also beat its Aussie and Aotearoa figure. In Sydney, you'll be hitting up Manly, Bondi Beach and Parramatta, for starters. Melburnians have St Kilda, Flinders Lane and Burwood East stores to choose from, while Brisbanites can head to South Brisbane. In Western Australia, Fremantle, Hillarys and Northbridge Scoop Shops are taking part. Ben & Jerry's also has stores in some Hoyts cinemas — so you might be able to join in when you're seeing a movie, such as at Hoyts Norwood in South Australia. Across Australia, these four spots aren't on the list, sadly: Adelaide Oval, Melbourne Zoo, Werribee Zoo and Healesville Zoo. Over in Aotearoa, options for a free ice cream include Commercial Bay and Ponsonby in Auckland, plus Cuba Street and the airport in Wellington. Free Cone Day runs from 12–8pm on Tuesday, April 16, 2024 at Ben & Jerry's Australian and New Zealand stores. Head to the brand's website for further details.
A massive, free digital art installation is set to takeover the skies above the Birrarung for five nights this October. Head down from 8pm between Wednesday, October 11–Sunday, October 15 to see the Yarra transformed with a symphonic sound and light installation. Created by audio composer Shaun Rigney together with light and sound experts LASERVISION, Sky Symphony marries Rigney's symphony Portraits of the Air with a unique display of lasers, lighting, water jets and a state-of-the-art projector. Portraits of the Air was recorded with Orchestra Victoria and conducted by Nicholas Buc. "I was thinking about a way of presenting the music and images when I saw LASERVISION's work on the internet. It blew my mind. They were making these astounding shows projecting lasers onto water screens. And I realised: our images are made of light and air and water … and here is a company using the same materials as their medium! I had to find a way to bring them together," says Rigney. Sky Symphony is a 12-minute installation which will play on loop every 20 minutes between 8–10.40pm. The Sky Symphony team reckon the best place to view the artwork is along the eastern end of Yarra Promenade, adjacent to Queens Bridge. Sky Symphony is supported by the Melbourne City Revitalisation Fund, granting funding for after-dark activities to all to give the night-time economy a hefty boost. [caption id="attachment_915903" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Joondalup, 2023[/caption]
If you were walking along the street, going about your normal day and happened to spot Timothée Chalamet, you'd likely stop on the spot in astonishment. First, the bad news: the real Little Women, Lady Bird and Call Me By Your Name probably isn't moseying around Melbourne at the moment. Now, the good news: if you head to the corner of Caledonian Lane and Lonsdale Street, you will spy a towering mural of him instead. You won't miss it, actually. You're not meant to — it's part of an eight-building piece that covers 615 square metres, all to mark the release of sci-fi epic Dune in Australian cinemas. The film was initially slated to release in 2020, but has been delayed multiple times due to the pandemic. Come Thursday, December 2, it's finally sending its sandworms and spice wars our way (and, yes, it's completely worth the wait). As Melbourne's new artwork is all about the movie, it also features other cast Dune members — Oscar Isaac (Scenes From a Marriage), Rebecca Ferguson (Reminiscence), Jason Momoa (Aquaman), Javier Bardem (Everybody Knows) and Josh Brolin (Avengers: Endgame) all included. This massive laneway piece took six weeks to create, with six Melbourne artists putting in more than 2000 hours of work and using nearly 1000 litres of paint. Sure, Sydney got a giant Squid Game Red Light, Green Light doll back in October — but who wouldn't rather a huge Timothée Chalamet? Melbourne's Dune murals are currently on display on the corner of Caledonian Lane and Lonsdale Street. Dune opens in Australian cinemas on Thursday, December 2.
As many a frustrated portrait painter knows, capturing an entire person in a single image is one of art’s toughest challenges. In response, Spanish designer and illustrator Alex Trochut has developed a new technique. He’s invented a way of including two different pictures on the same surface. One can be seen only when the lights are on; the other is visible in the dark. The fruits of Trochut’s work are on show in his new exhibition, Binary Prints, which explores the dual nature of some of the electronic music industry’s most famous faces. Last month, he told the creators’ project, ‘People are always a multifaceted polygon with many sides . . . Working on the duality and covering the two extremes of any spectrum creates a sequence, a change, a short narrative and hidden side that reveals what is not obvious behind the surface.’ So, we see James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem) illuminated in drowsy mode, yawning and scruffy-haired; then donning reflective glasses, a collar and tie once the lights are out. John Talabot appears concealing his face with his hands, as though seeking to block out the light, but peeking at us from the cover of darkness. Other DJs who sat for portraits include Caribou, Damian Lazarus, Four Tet, Acid Pauli and Lucy. ‘It was like a dream come true to be able to express myself through the artists that have fuelled my imagination countless times,’ Trochut explains. ‘Some connections were made in clubs, just by passing my cell phone to the DJ booth with a text on the screen saying: "Hi, my name is Alex, I'd like to invite you to a personal project, can I get your email?"’ Binary Prints made its debut at Barcelona’s Sonar Music Festival last month and is set to embark on an ongoing international journey to various galleries, art fairs and festivals. [via the creators' project]
Good Beer Week is back for its ninth year, taking over Melbourne and regional Victoria with a huge number of beer-related events running from Friday, May 10 through Sunday, May 19. And, this year, the annual craft brewing celebration is expanding to focus on live music, art and culture, too. It'll all starts with a free party at the Beer Deluxe Federation Square festival hub, where Melbourne's own high energy act Sugar Fed Leopards will help kick the festival off in its new direction. The following day, on Saturday, May 11, Moon Dog Brewery will host its own mini festival of music, art and beer at its new Preston brewhouse. Dubbed A Day on the Cans, the lineup includes British India, Ali Barter and Tumbleweed Watch, along with DJs, live street art and tattooing. A comedy festival will take over North Melbourne warehouse space The Third Day in a night of stand-up, brews and fine-dining — the latter two are thanks to famed Aussie chefs Matt Stone and Jo Barrett of Yarra Valley's Oakridge and Queensland's Balter Brewing, who just topped the GABS Hottest 100 List. Some more out-there entertainment includes East vs West, a collab between Reservoir's Hawkers Brewery and Western Australia's Cheeky Monkey. The night is part-zombie apocalypse immersive reality experience and part-brew-off, with plenty of beer-related prizes to be won. Plus, beer masterclasses will run out of the festival hub all week, this year aimed at both home-brewers and industry folk. And Boatrocker is hosting a full 'university program' at Whisky and Alement — punters can explore the world of wild ales and sour beers, learn how to pair beer with food and discuss the ins-and-outs of cellaring. Check out the full program here. As with previous years, many of the events are free, but ticketed events are selling out fast. Best get to scheduling out your week now.
Settling into a wellness experience shouldn't be a special reward; it should form part of your routine that keeps you feeling at your best. Now that EQ — South Melbourne's preventative wellbeing sanctuary — has been up and running since May 2024, they're introducing foundation memberships to make its mindful encounters a daily reality. EQ is jam-packed with holistic activities, offering everything from a hammam and saunas to a rain room, ice-cold plunge pools and a light and sound therapy dome. Meanwhile, its best-known experience, Signature Journey, is intended to foster a complete nervous system reset through a guided three-hour transformation. "Anyone can reset and feel rested once, but true transformation happens when you have the tools and structure to reset again and again and again — when you know exactly which tool to lean on, and when," says EQ Co-Founder and Director, Mia Basic. "We've launched memberships to make nervous system care a ritual, not a once-off treat." Alongside the full spectrum of bathhouse experiences, EQ hosts immersive breathwork sessions and movement-based classes like yoga and pilates. Plus, EQ Live offers a steady program of in-person workshops and events that deepen practice and connection. With two tiers of memberships up for grabs, dealing with daily stresses becomes much easier. Priced at $75 per week, the Foundation Silver Membership includes unlimited access to EQ's bathhouse, dome, breathwork and studio classes, while providing 50 percent off EQ Live sessions. Yet relaxation fanatics can upgrade to the Foundation Gold Membership for $105 per week, gaining unlimited access to all EQ experiences. "We believe wellbeing should be designed into people's lives, not left as an afterthought. These memberships are about making that possible at scale. They give our community the chance to integrate critical wellbeing practices into their day-to-day — to feel calm, energised and in control as a baseline, not a nice-to-have," says Basic. EQ is open Tuesday–Sunday from 8am–8pm at 5/22 Kings Pl, South Melbourne. Head to the website for more information.
In January this year, Internet freedom activist Aaron Swartz committed suicide while awaiting trial. Having downloaded millions of papers from digital academic journal archive JSTOR, he had been accused of computer fraud. His death caused outrage among those passionate about public access to information and inspired Internet inventor Sir Tim Berners-Lee to write, 'Aaron dead. World wanderers, we have lost a wise elder. Hackers for right, we are one down. Parents all, we have lost a child. Let us weep.' Now, in order to honour Swartz's memory, poet Kenneth Goldsmith is planning on printing out as much of the Internet as possible. Between July 26th and August 30th, he will occupy 500 square metres of space in Mexico City, where the piles of pages will be on display. Members of the public are invited to send in as many Internet print outs as they can. Length is not an issue. 'There are many ways to go about this,' the project's Tumblr pages read. 'You can act alone (print out your own blog, Gmail inbox or spam folder) or you could organise a group of friends to print out a particular corner of the internet, say, all of Wikipedia, the entire New York Times archive, every dossier leaked by Wikileaks for starters. The more the better.' Some argue that the concept promises to make a vital statement about our right to know; others are concerned about the potential environmental costs. A petition against the project has been started at Change.org. [Via PSFK]
With international trips off the cards for the next little while — even if a travel bubble with New Zealand does eventuate by the end of the year — it's time to throw the focus back onto the stunning scenes and world-class landscapes found right here on home soil. After all, this big ol' island of ours is brimming with enough natural beauty to give any international destination a run for its money. And now the folks at Tourism Australia have come up with a new way for you to scratch that domestic travel itch, without even leaving your front door. The organisation has just dropped an impressive new video series, tipping its hat to the unique sights, sounds and textures of Australia. The flicks really endeavour to engage your senses and make you feel like you're there, too, with the videos made using high-tech 8D audio — a sound engineering treatment designed for listening through headphones, which makes music and effects sound as though they're coming from every angle. Each of the six videos is themed around a different colour, evoking various emotions based on the striking hues of Australia's natural scenescapes. For example, the soothing Blue: A Moment of Joy mini-escape takes punters crashing through waves at Esperance in Western Australia, gliding over the sparkling waters of the Great Barrier Reef, swinging by Hervey Bay for a spot of whale-watching and frolicking with seals in South Australia's Baird Bay. [caption id="attachment_784598" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hutt Lagoon, Tourism Western Australia[/caption] The Magenta: A Moment of Freedom video envelops audiences in the romantic sunsets and vibrant tones of destinations like Hinchinbrook Island National Park, the Kimberley and Hutt Lagoon, while White: A Moment of Peace is a minimalist's dream, featuring calming shots of Lake Eyre's salt plains, Fraser Island's glistening sands and Mount Kosciuszko's slopes drenched in snow. Whether you're allowed to trek interstate just yet or you're simply planning for the day when you can, these virtual escapes should offer a good dose of domestic travel inspiration — no long-haul flight required. Check out all six video escapes at the Tourism Australia website, or via the YouTube channel. Top images: via Tourism Western Australia and Tourism & Events Queensland
Writers' festivals are getting more and more 'with it' these days. People wear shirts with hashtags on them, you're encouraged to live-tweet questions for authors on panels, and the events are no longer held at local library reading rooms, but cool back-alley warehouse spaces. The kind of place where everyone's wearing black-rimmed glasses and talking about Tao Lin. All this is old news now however, as the Emerging Writers' Festival has just announced the creation of the world's first exclusively online writers' festival to take place in February 2014. While writers' festivals once lamented the damning effects of the internet and digital technology on the written word, the Digital Writers' Festival will be a 12-day celebration of it. Digital publishing, eBooks, alt lit, fan fic, webcams and Twitterbots — the publishing industry and the nature of writing itself has transformed dramatically in even the past few years, and DWF is going to be a dedicated space in which to examine it. This also has a huge impact on accessibility. Do you live in the Northern Territory and always feel jealous when you see pictures of the Melbourne Writers' Festival? Maybe you live in Melbourne, but never felt quite cool enough to head along to the events. Perhaps you tried, but got lost looking for the event down a laneway? The DWF will be the first truly accessible festival for a vast array of people all over country, and more than that, the world. Admittedly it could all be a little confusing though. We talked to the new DWF Director, Connor Tomas O'Brien about what the festival will be and how it will all work. We talked on Twitter because that's what the cool kids do now, right? Right? The full DWF program of events and artists will be released in January 2014.
By this stage, most of us have come to terms with the fact that jetting off to USA or Europe is a seriously long slog, made worse by unavoidable (sometimes long, always painful) stopovers. But that European or American trip could soon become a whole lot more bearable, with Qantas not only working towards launching direct flights between the east coast and both London and New York by 2022, but beginning to run trial journeys this year. In October, November and December, the airline will pilot three ultra long-haul research flights, using new Boeing 787-9s. The aircraft will simulate two routes that are at the heart of Qantas' proposed new non-stop plan, which is called Project Sunrise, flying from New York and London to Sydney. That New York trip will mark the first world's first flight by a commercial airline direct from the Big Apple to Sydney, while the London jaunt will be the second time such a journey has been made. The last time the latter happened was back in 1989, when Qantas made the trek on a Boeing 747-400 with just 23 people on board. Don't go packing your bags, though — the aim is to gather data about inflight passenger and crew health and wellbeing, with only around 40 people making the trip. They'll be comprised of crew and Qantas employees, and they'll be fitted with wearable technology devices to monitor their monitor sleep patterns, food and beverage consumption, physical movement and use of the entertainment system during the flights. The results will then be assessed by scientists and medical experts from the Charles Perkins Centre. Pilots will also take part, working with Monash University researchers to record their melatonin levels before, during and after the flights, as well as their brain wave patterns and alertness — to help ascertain the best work and rest pattern when they're commanding those long-haul services. While spending nearly a day on one single plane is better than jumping on and off different vessels multiple times, it's not without its physical, mental and emotional toll — as anyone who has made the trip with Qantas from Perth to London knows, which is what makes this testing so important. Announcing the trial, Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce explained that, "for customers, the key will be minimising jet lag and creating an environment where they are looking forward to a restful, enjoyable flight. For crew, it's about using scientific research to determine the best opportunities to promote alertness when they are on duty and maximise rest during their down time." Back in 2017, Qantas first revealed that it was exploring non-stop routes from Sydney — routes that would eclipse those direct flights between Perth and London, which launched in March 2018. Since then, the airline has been pursuing the idea enthusiastically, putting out a call for aircraft that can handle the trip and widening their plan to include departures to and from Brisbane as well. In numbers, the planes will need to be able to handle more than 19 hours in the air (around 20 hours and 20 minutes between Sydney and London, and 18-hours and seven minutes from Sydney to New York). The airline has done its homework, analysing a decade's worth of wind and weather data to confirm the lengthy routes are actually possible. Now it just needs the aircraft, with Airbus and Boeing both pitching vessels (A350 and 777X) that are capable of doing the job. Qantas is expected to announce their decision, including whether the whole project will progress to making commercial flights, by the end of December 2019. Right now, the world's longest direct flight clocks in at over 19 hours, with Singapore Airlines flying 15,322-kilometres along its Singapore-to-New York route. Previously, the journey from Doha and Auckland earned that honour, taking around 18 hours to travel 14,529 kilometres.
Every film festival has its traditions. At the Sydney Film Festival, adding to its program just days before the curtain lifts is a tried-and-tested part of its annual cycle. First, the Harbour City's major cinema showcase reveals a few titles in April to start getting movie lovers excited. Then, it advises who'll be the focus of its big retrospective. Next, it drops its complete lineup in May, but it isn't actually quite complete. This year, closing night's film was unveiled after that. And, once the Cannes Film Festival takes place, SFF also throws in a few more picks from France's prestigious event. SFF 2023 starts on Wednesday, June 8, running until Sunday, June 19 — and the day before the fest kicks off, it has boosted its bill with nine more features. The huge drawcard: Anatomy of a Fall, a drama about an author (Sandra Hüller, Toni Erdmann) accused of her husband's murder, which just won French director Justine Triet (Sibyl) the Palme d'Or. She became just the third female filmmaker to earn the coveted prize after Jane Campion — the subject of this year's SFF retrospective — for The Piano in 1993 and Julia Ducournau for Titane in 2021. Also hitting Sydney after competing for Cannes' major prize are Club Zero and May December. Helmed by Little Joe's Jessica Hausner, the former stars Mia Wasikowska (Blueback) as a boarding-school teacher spearheading a conscious-eating movement. The latter hails from Carol director Todd Haynes, is led by Natalie Portman (Thor: Love and Thunder) and Julianne Moore (Sharper), and dives into a scandal. SFF has also added body-horror film Tiger Stripes, which is set in the Malaysian jungle and won the 2023 Cannes Critics' Week Grand Prize — and Inshallah a Boy, about a woman in Jordan who fakes a pregnancy because it's the only way she can secure her inheritance. Plus, from Cannes Directors' Fortnight comes Georgian feature Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry, about an autumn romance. Also from the Croisette: Anselm, Wim Wenders' (Submergence) portrait of artist Anselm Kiefer; and Four Daughters, which won Cannes' top documentary prize for its tale about a Tunisian mother and her missing children. And, while it screened at Sundance instead, The Persian Version — an Audience Award-winner at the Utah fest, focusing on Iranian American filmmaker Leila (Layla Mohammadi, The Sex Lives of College Girls), her romantic life and her mother Shireen's (Niousha Noor, Kaleidoscope) story before her — rounds out the new additions. SFF attendees, you'll now need to rejig your schedule. That's one of this film festival's annual traditions, too. Sydney Film Festival 2023 runs from Wednesday, June 7–Sunday, June 18 at various Sydney cinemas — head to the festival website for further information and tickets.
The salon is back. Not the hair salon (although that is very much back too, thank god), I'm talking Paris in the 18th century. Social gatherings where artists, writers and other enlightened folk could discuss big ideas without needing to stick within the guardrails of polite society. Admittedly, this could describe your last afternoon hit out at the pub. But a couple of Sydney-based curators and culture aficionados are bringing back the concept of the artist salon as it was originally intended — and to be a fly on the wall would be a pretty killer ticket. Susan Armstrong and Michelle Grey are the duo behind Arts-Matter. They curate events that bring together artists from various mediums — from painters to product designers to hip hop artists — and host them in intimate settings to spark conversations around society, creativity and cultural values. It all started in the first of Australia's lengthy lockdowns when restrictions were preventing people from accessing art in the usual means via tangible exhibitions, galleries and shows. So Armstrong and Grey took the unprecedented circumstances as an opportunity to try something a little different. "While there's always been incredible programming offered at our favourite museums, galleries and institutions, their events can sometimes be genre-specific — an artist talk at a gallery, or a music performance at a concert hall," explains Armstrong. "We wanted to provide people with a broader cross-section of the cultural arts." "Creativity thrives when silos collide, and many of us are interested in hearing interdisciplinary discussions with thought-leaders across the cultural gamut, from fine art to music, theatre, fashion, architecture, literature and film. We've also found that by hosting small salon-style events in private homes, guests open up and connect in a way that's not always possible in a public venue. Plus, you were allowed to drink while standing up, which was a big bonus!" Excellent point. In the year since Arts-Matter was conceived, Michelle and Susan have brought together an impressive lineup of Australia's most fascinating creative talent to speak and perform, including Genesis Owusu, Ben Quilty, Ngaiire, Tony Albert, Dinosaur Designs founder Louise Olsen, Ramesh Mario Nithyendran, and Rafael Bonachela. The pandemic has in many ways changed the way we experience art, from the emergence of virtual galleries that can get you a front row look at the great masterpieces to the increasing popularity of NFTs. But is digital the future for artist and art lovers alike? In a word: nah. Says Armstrong and Grey: "We've seen an explosion of promotion on social media — which gives viewers an intimate peek into both the professional and personal lives of the artists we love — and a whole host of digital and virtual shows and art fairs, but nothing beats human connection so we know everyone is excited to get back in touch with the physical world!" "In these troubled times art has the power to heal and unite, and at the same time it's also an important marker of history. Humans need art to express their individual and shared stories. Art and creativity can provide great catharsis for communities, and after almost two years of a global pandemic, we're all in need of a bit of emotional release." You can follow the future projects of Arts-Matter here.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single cafe operating in Melbourne cannot survive without a coffee-making gimmick. Stovetop Espresso's is — as you may have guessed — stovetop espresso, an Italian steam-based coffee produced by passing hot water pressurised by steam through ground coffee. It's tiny but fashionable, and it's a first on the Melbourne coffee scene. This cafe space, however, is free of gimmicks and co-owned by two brothers who are possibly the nicest people you'll ever meet. Their stovetop espresso is served on a monthly rotation of local guest blends. The house blend comes in two cup or four cup pots ($6 or $10 respectively). The menu has tasting notes attached, and 5 Senses have created a special blend for the cafe using beans ground specifically for stovetop extraction. There's also a Masala blend of Prana Chai ($4) and quality tea from sereniTEA ($3.50). The smell within Stovetop is so fantastic it's almost possible to get a caffeine high just by standing at the door. The menu is inventive but inexpensive; it caters to the 'special requirements' crowd without offering the dreaded spinach and ricotta combo. Think lightly fried sweet potato and chia balls topped with poached eggs, rocket and baba ganoush ($14, V GF), or spiced quinoa and sago porridge with almond milk, coconut flakes and toasted almonds ($9, V GF). If your beat is 'Where's the beef?', try a crisp, beef bourguignon pie with a puff pastry hat or a hearty sausage roll – the pastry chef, Alex, really knows his stuff. You can grab a house white, red or a Coopers Pale ($6) to drink at any time of day. Bottles of NZ Sauvignon Blanc and Barossa Valley Shiraz stand to attention behind the main service area and the usual spirits are lined up to order. Beers on offer include Peroni and Asahi and cider drinkers will happily discover that there's Coldstream Apple Cider ($7). The local uni crowds could go nuts here, and the well designed rustic interior — designed by Robert Bolitho from Piece in collaboration with Adrian Malarbi from Hoi Polloi — gives Stovetop a pre-loved feeling. It smells great and boasts the familiarities of home, with a square communal table and triangular-shaped rooftop. Get your quiche crowned with caramelised onion relish before it sells out.
Fresh from curating Laneway's gourmet food menu, acclaimed Longsong chef David Moyle will join Flinders Island residents for the inaugural Food and Crayfish Festival. Taking place across April 14 and 15, the weekend festivities will focus on a special long lunch, celebrating the wealth of fresh produce and ingredients available on the island. To cook up a storm, Moyle has invited fellow chefs James Viles from Biota, Mark LaBrooy from Three Blue Ducks, and Matt Stone and Jo Barrett from Oakridge Wines to join him in creating the April 14 beachside feast. In line with the festival's first theme —Mother Nature + Human Nature — the quintet will spend a week on the island visiting local producers, foraging and diving to create the perfect menu. "It is such a great treat as a chef to be able to cook dishes directly from the location and connected to the land you are standing on" Moyle noted. Because all great meals need a nice drop to go with them, sommelier Alice Chugg from Hobart bar and bottleshop Ettie's will join the chefs, matching their culinary delights with a selection of Tasmanian wines and beverages. Fish for the festival will come from the island's only crayfish fisherman, 74-year-old Jack Wheatly, who captures the ocean's bounty like his father and grandfather before him. Other celebrated ingredients to be incorporated into the festival include saltgrass lamb, wallaby and mutton bird. The exact beach location of the lunch will be revealed 48 hours before the event, taking into account the microclimate. Islanders will lend chairs from their own dining tables for the event, and the local 'Men's Shed' is crafting the long tables for the lunch. Open to only 100 'off-islanders', tickets for the lunch — which has a dress code of barefoot cocktail — are currently available for the grand price of $240. Flinders Island Food and Crayfish Festival takes place across April 14 and 15 on Flinders Island. Visit www.visitflindersisland.com.au for tickets and further details. Image: Kara Hynes.
Melbourne isn't short on Mexican joints — we've got a heap of good 'uns already on high rotation. But, still, it's set to get a dose of unapologetic neon-lit Tex-Mex when El Camino Cantina opens in the old Fitzroy Social (and Little Creatures) space on Brunswick Street next month. El Camino comes from Sydney where is has two outposts, along with another in Brisbane, and is part of Rockpool Dining Group, which also owns Sake, Rosetta, Munich Brauhaus, Burger Project and, of course, Rockpool Bar & Grill. This loud venue is made for casual dining, but it's also and over-the-top with giant cocktails, rock 'n' roll jukeboxes, lively Tex-Mex fare and sprawling 400-seat dining room and bar. Slushie machines signal big nights and brain freezes. El Camino's margaritas come in many renditions, including a tropical Red Bull flavour, which really says it all. Other options include a host of beers from near and far, and a collection of over 100 mezcals and tequilas. The food lineup is as fun and casual as the drinks. Think fiery buffalo wings, sizzling fajitas, plump burritos, soft shell tacos loaded with punchy flavour combinations and unlimited complimentary corn chips and salsas. It'll all rounded out with a solid selection of daily specials, including 10-cent chicken wings on Wednesdays (when you buy a drink), $2 tacos on Tuesdays, brunch on weekends and a weekday happy hour from 4–6pm. The venue will launch on Friday, June 14 with free tequila shots on arrival and $7.50 giant margaritas and 'chalices' of beer continuing throughout the whole weekend. El Camino Cantina will open at 222 Brunswick Street on Friday, June 14. Images: El Camino Cantina Manly by Tom Ferguson. CORRECTION: JUNE 13, 2019 — This article previously incorrectly stated that 10-cent wings were available on Tuesdays and $2 tacos on Wednesdays, it's the other way round. We've updated the piece to reflect this.
If you've long thought of Port Macquarie as one big waiting room for God, it's obviously been ages since you visited. It's true that Australia's sun-loving retirees have been digging in here for decades. The climate is the most liveable in the nation, with temperatures hovering at late 20s and early 30s in summer, but rarely slipping into single digits in winter. Plus, there are eighteen beaches (eighteen!), from friendly Flynns Beach to nine-kilometre-long Lighthouse Beach, where you can go on camel safari. But, more recently, Generations X and Y have been catching onto the salubriousness of this 44,000-person strong town, a four hour drive north of Sydney and six hours south of Brisbane. And they're moving in. In fact, Port (that's what the locals call it) is the fastest growing area in New South Wales. Luckily for you, the influx is bringing some serious hospitality experience with it. Here's how to spend a weekend in the area. STAY Port's many beaches make up its eastern coast, but along its northern edge runs the mighty Hastings River, which was the original home of the Birpai people. It starts 180 kilometres northwest in the Great Dividing Range and runs all the way into Port Macquarie. Today, the riverfront is home to Port's swankiest hotels. One of these is Sails Resort by Rydges, which scored a $15 million revamp last year. To sleep right on the water, reserve a water view king room or, if you're with friends, a suite. Either way, you'll be dozing in a signature king-sized bed, lolling about on spacious couches and crooning 'Ol' Man River' from your private balcony. The hotel pool, encircled with palm trees and dotted with private cabanas, is Baz Luhrmann's Romeo and Juliet-esque by night. The town centre is just a ten minutes walk away, but, to travel in style, grab a vintage bike or, even better, a paddle board from the lobby. (Yep, you can travel via river all the way). [caption id="attachment_562409" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Lindsay Moller Photography via The Stunned Mullet[/caption] EAT The restaurant that put Port on the gustatory map is The Stunned Mullet. In 2005, co-owners Lou Perri and David Henry moved into this 90-seater space, overlooking sweeping coastal views north to Point Plomer. In 2014, the duo earned their first Good Food hat, and kept it in 2015. Italian-born, Canadian-raised Perri has two obsessions: Australia's finest produce and the world's best wines, while Henry is busy turning Perri's selections into decadent dishes as executive chef. Freshly shucked local oysters arrive as an Asian-inspired flight — the first topped with white miso and shiitake pearls, the second with finger lime ponzu and the third with nam jim. Mains feature meat cuts fit for royalty, like Glacier 51Toothfish, whose name comes from its icy habitat: 2000 metres beneath sea level, off the southern tip of Heard Island, an Australian territory in Antarctica. Farmed closer to home in Orange is Mandagery Creek venison, here laced with Australian natives, like wattleseed, macadamia nut and lemon myrtle. Perri will jovially guide you through the international odyssey that is the wine list — trust his recommendations if you can't make up your own mind. Back riverside, still-water sunsets, tapas, art and live music are on tap at the Latin Loafer. Flop onto a camelback sofa with a mango chilli lime daiquiri in hand and be transported to South America. Nicholas Diaz, who co-owns the restaurant-bar with musician and music promoter Simon Leigh, specialises in generous tapas plates, ranging from moreish takes on classics — like salted cod croquettes and chorizo in red wine — to fresh inventions such as heirloom carrots with beetroot, smoked goat's cheese and almonds. Don't be shy to ask the waitstaff for a match from the exotic Spanish, Argentinian and Chilean wine selection. West of Port Macquarie, the Hastings River nurtures thousands of hectares of fertile land, where warm weather crops, like avocado and macadamia, thrive, and cattle and chooks have space to free range. Many local cafes are making the most of these Edenic surroundings. Among the most outstanding is Drury Lane Eatery, co-owned by Canadian-born head chef Drury Woolnough and partner, Kate McCarron, who've been getting to know local producers. Salmon smoked an hour's drive away is transformed into a bright salad with apple and lemon fennel dukkah, while leaves grown 40 kilometres upstream at Near River Produce make for a mean green breakfast, with beans, chilli and fried eggs. Book one of the outdoor tables in the leafy courtyard opposite Glasshouse Theatre. For invigorating ocean views, grab a seat at Milkbar — if you can get one. Locals roll up from Town Beach and cram into this friendly cafe to tuck into hearty dishes, from house-made baked beans with herbed goats' cheese to baked eggs with feta and spinach. In the unlikely location of Gordon Street, Port's best coffee is brewing at Social Grounds, which, with its graphic murals and dark wooden tables, feels like an inner-city cafe. Choose between single origin or The Story, a blend combining beans from Ethiopia, Sumatra, Colombia and Rwanda. The hand-scrawled blackboard menu is short but fierce — try the spiced poached eggs with field mushroom, haloumi, avocado, rocket and dukkah on sourdough. If you're road tripping to or from Sydney, take a break in Newcastle's West End with lunch at The Edwards. Co-owners Chris Joannou (yep, Silverchair's bassist) and barista Chris Johnston have turned this warehouse that was Joannou's parents' dry-cleaning business into a fun, unpretentious cafe-bar. Beer taps are made from steam presses, lights are made from tumble dryers and there's loads of space for ping pong matches, art exhibitions, live music and night markets. The cheese plate is a spectacular mountain of softs, blues, truffle-infused oil, berries, dates and breads. DRINK Port Macquarie's wine history is as nearly as old as the Hunter Valley's. The first vineyards were planted in the 1860s, but, while the Hunter expanded, the North Coast's winemaking scene fell into decline. That was until Cassegrain kickstarted a revival in the '80s. Drop by the stone-paved cellar door overlooking rolling vineyards to try the famous Chambourcin; Cassegrain was the first winery in Australia to grow this French-American variety commercially. Fifteen kilometres south, at Lake Cathie, Long Point Vineyard and Art Gallery serves up Agent Orange liqueur and refreshing ginger beer, which is brewed on-site among other interesting drops. The indoor gallery features temporary exhibitions by local artists, while in the landscaped grounds, you'll rediscover two escapees from Sculpture by the Sea. In restaurants and bars all over the North Coast flows a beer by the name of Black Duck. It's brewed right here in Port and, should you pop in, brewer Al Owen will happily take you on a tour, talk you through a tasting paddle and, if you're hungry, hand you a locally-sourced food platter. Don't be shy to give Murphy, the resident Great Dane, a good dose of love too. DO Starting at Town Beach and finishing at Tacking Point Lighthouse, the nine-kilometre Port Macquarie Coastal Walk takes in three beaches, several stunning lookouts and Sea Acres National Park, where the rainforest meets the sea. Conquer the whole length or drive to a particular point and walk a section. The 1.3-kilometre Sea Acres Boardwalk lifts you seven metres above the ground, into the canopy. To get to places you can't go on foot, join Port Kayak for an adventure. For seventeen years, local guide Mark has been taking visitors through mangrove ecosystems, along rivers and down freshwater rapids. On his daily two-hour discovery tour, starting at 10am, you'll meet water dragons, who'll even climb onto your boat, and an enormous flying fox colony. On the way into or out of town, swing by Ricardoes Tomatoes & Strawberries, where brothers Anthony and Richard Sarks have created a pick-your-own fruit kingdom. What began as a roadside stall serviced by an honesty box has turned into a mecca for growers and eaters interested in getting their hands dirty and knowing more about where their food comes from. The brothers will talk you through the ins and outs of hydroponics, before letting you loose among their immense greenhouses, filled with more than 30,000 plants across eight tomato varieties and five types of strawberries. Hungry? Stick around for a tomato-fuelled bite at Cafe Red. And if you're keen to unleash your inner Picasso while on holiday, keep your eyes peeled for an Eat Sip Paint pop-up, hosted by Paint the Town Port. You're provided with a paint, easel, nibbles and courage-giving glass of wine, while local artist Aimee Pelley, talks you through creating an artwork, step-by-step. LET'S DO THIS; GIVE ME THE DETAILS By car: Port Macquarie is about four hours north of Sydney, about six-and-a-half hours south of Brisbane and about twelve hours north of Melbourne. By plane: QANTAS and Virgin Australia fly between Port Macquarie and Sydney (65 minutes), Brisbane (85 minutes) and Melbourne (three hours). Jasmine Crittenden travelled as a guest of Destination NSW. Images: Peter Saw (unless otherwise specified).
After a successful launch in 2014, the Port Phillips Mussel Festival is back for a tasty, tasty second year. The streets of South Melbourne will come alive with music (including an Elvis impersonator, if you're into the King), seriously good food and drink and, of course, an abundance of mussels. Joining the party are some of the region's top chefs and restaurants, including St Ali, Mr Lawrence at the London, Dandelion and Acland Street Cantina. All the South Melbourne Market restaurants will be there too, with Claypots Evening Star, Paco y Lola, Köy and Simply Spanish getting creative with their regular menus for the event. So if you're any smidge of a foodie, or are simply keen to treat your tastebuds to a royal feast, get down to the South Melbourne Market and sample mussel paella, wok-cooked drunken mussels, artisanal ice cream, Gerry's doughnuts, and a real good time.
UPDATE Monday, November 1: Immigration Museum has reopened following the latest lockdown, with tickets available now. For more details on Victoria's current restrictions, see the Department of Health and Human Services website. It's something of a universal truth: growing up can (and probably will) be awkward as hell. But even if those days are far behind you, a big dose of comfort comes from the fact that everyone else has been through it, too. You can dive into a whole bunch of these real-life coming-of-age tales at the Immigration Museum's new Becoming You: An Incomplete Guide exhibition. You'll laugh, you'll cry and you'll probably experience plenty of vicarious mortification, as a diverse group of 72 Aussies share their own stories of growing up and making the leap into adulthood. It's a nostalgic trip back in time, as well as a moving celebration of shared humanity. Discover compelling tales and angsty memories from everyday folk, and also from a cast of well-known identities — including AFL footballer Jason Johannisen, writer Alice Pung, comedian Osamah Sami, drag queen Karen from Finance, fashion designer Jenny Bannister, model Andreja Pejic and more.
Located on the first floor of the original Fitzroy Post Office is Cream Melbourne — an absolute hair institution. Owners Lee Scott and Richard Tucker have been serving the eclectic Fitzroy community for the past 20 years, remaining always relevant with their simple yet effective ethos: 'Let's make it work'. Scott and Tucker, with their team of experts, strive to create a welcoming space in which clients are able to achieve their hair goals. Cream is all about passion and diversity while continuing to be at the forefront of technical skill and innovation. Blow-dries start from $72, while more complicated dos are $108 and up.
Once you find your perfect Melbourne barber, everything else in your life will just fall into place. Alright, that might be a bit of an exaggeration but we still think it is mighty important to find folks who know how to expertly trim a beard, give you a clean shave or simply cut your hair exactly how you like it. You'll walk away feeling fresh and pretty, just like all the people who get makeovers from Jonathan Van Ness in Queer Eye. But it's not all about the end product — looking fabulous. You head to the barber for a bit of self care and pampering, finding inner calm when that hot towel wraps around face or when you feel the sharp blades skim across your chin. But we've all been to places that don't give you the perfect close shave. Or they drape a funky smelling towel over your face instead of a fluffy and clean one. That's why we created this list of the best barbers in Melbourne, to ensure you only get the best experience possible. Recommended reads: The Best Hair Salons in Melbourne The Best Spas in Melbourne
In Stay of the Week, we explore some of the world's best and most unique accommodations — giving you a little inspiration for your next trip. In this instalment, we take you to Monte Pacis in Lithuania, an outrageously grand monastery that's been partly transformed into a luxury hotel. If you're planning a big European getaway this summer, think about spending a few nights here. WHAT'S SO SPECIAL? It's a 17th century monastery located on a gorgeous lagoon surrounded by nature — need we say more? THE ROOMS The 13 rooms and apartments at Monte Pacis are decorated in baroque style, each complete with a minibar and private bathroom. Large canopy beds sit in rooms with double-vaulted ceilings and chandeliers dripping from large wooden beams. Ornately decorated and grand in scale, it feels more like a royal castle than the home of monks. And with so few people staying here at one time, you are almost guaranteed peace and quiet. FOOD AND DRINK The restaurant at Monte Pacis is known as one of the very best places to eat in the Baltics. It offers a four- or six-course tasting menu that changes seasonally (notably, much of the produce comes from the monastery grounds). Head chef Raimundas Dambrauskas is known for creating challenging dishes that rival Michelin-starred restaurants. On the booze front? The team has won awards for the extensive wine list, with some wines coming from other monasteries in the region. Be sure to add the (very) reasonably priced wine pairings onto your tasting menu experience. THE LOCAL AREA The hotel sits on the bank of Lithuania's Kaunas Lagoon, where you can swim and sail during summer and take wintery walks in the colder months — you might even be able to walk across some of the frozen parts. If that sounds too risky, you can simply stick to some of the many hiking trails that wind around the protected forests. The local city of Kaunas must be explored too. In 2022, it was named the European Capital of Culture thanks to the abundance of galleries, festivals and dining venues. There's stacks going on in this little known city — both ancient and modern. Next time you go gallivanting around Europe, be sure to add Lithuania to your list of must-visit countries. THE EXTRAS When staying at Monte Pacis, you are surrounded by history and tradition. That's why it's imperative you take a tour of the monastery and its grounds — seeing how monks, both past and present, use the space while marvelling at all the baroque artworks. The hotel's residents even have access to the historical literature library and spiritual literature room. Either attempt to read something from the shelves or bring your own book to enjoy within the staggering space. 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.
Melbourne's small-but-mighty Kappo has closed it doors for good, though the owners, who also run fellow Japanese hot-spots Izakaya Den and Hihou, aren't done with the Flinders Lane space just yet. Today, they've announced plans for the site's next calling, Master Den's Poppu Uppu — a Japanese-style hot pot pop-up. Opening on Wednesday, June 20, for a limited time, the eatery is set to gift Melburnians with a truly winter-worthy dining experience, riffing on Japan's traditional 'nabemono' comfort food. Each hot pot arrives at the table, is filled with aromatic broth and left to simmer, before proteins and veggies are added gradually to cook, right there in front of you. The DIY bowls are finished with handmade noodles, crafted by udon specialist — and Izakaya Den head chef — Yosuke Furukawa. And the Master Den's Poppu Uppu team has created signature versions of classic Japanese hot pot varieties to cosy up to this winter. A Hokkaido-style 'seafood nabe' features a light miso broth, to be loaded with local mussels, Tasmanian salmon and perhaps a few Harvey Bay scallops; while the shabu shabu might see you adding succulent pieces of wagyu rump, topside and sirloin to a rich, konbu-flavoured broth. You'll also spy a clever range of snacks, including coffee-cured salmon sashimi and sansho pepper edamame, plus a cameo appearance by sister restaurant Hihou's famed fried chicken. Of course, that Hihou connection also translates to a pretty standout drinks offering. There'll be crafty cocktails — including a negroni-style number dubbed the KITANO Beat — a tight, but on-trend selection of wines curated by award-winning sommelier Raffaele Mastrovincenzo, sake and craft beers, all chosen to complement the various hot pot broths. Find Master Den's Poppu Uppu at 1 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, from Wednesday, June 20.
When it comes to a fried chicken burger, Colonel Sanders has nothing on the chefs of Melbourne, who, lucky for us, know just how to prepare a damn fine piece of poultry between bread. Across the city, you'll find tender pieces of chicken coated in a variety of herbs and spices, and drizzled in sauces from blazing hot to garlic and herb-filled ranch. Whether you're after a 2am snack, a hangover cure of salty protein or just a big ol' bite to fill your hunger needs, some moments call for a deep fried bit of bird. We've journeyed everywhere from Chapel Street to East Brunswick, to put together this list of the best of the bunch. Sometimes, there's nothing that can fill your belly quite like a chicken burger.
How often do you think about the Roman Empire? So asked the much-memed question of 2023, as no one could avoid. With Gladiator II reaching cinemas to give 2024 one of its big blockbusters for the year, another query, also Roman Empire-related, springs to mind: how often do you think about Ridley Scott's 2000 epic Gladiator — the film that won five Oscars, including Best Actor for Russell Crowe as general-turned-arena combatant Maximus — whenever you're thinking about the Roman Empire? The first Gladiator is that influential. For more than two decades since its release, the swords- and sandals-heavy movie has proven an enduring pop-culture touchstone when it comes to contemplating its specific chapter of history through a Hollywood lens, and just in epic cinema overall. Are we not entertained? Audiences the world over were at the turn of the century, so it has never been surprising that talk of a follow-up has been buzzing since 2001. How a second feature would play out has shifted, changed and evolved several times since — Nick Cave even wrote a script — but the film that's transporting viewers back to the Colosseum still boasts exactly what it always needed: the now-octogenarian Scott at the helm. Audiences should be thankful that the iconic Alien, Blade Runner and Thelma & Louise filmmaker has added another Gladiator flick to his resume, returning to one of his hits again as he last did with the Alien realm with Prometheus and Alien: Covenant (and that he's continuing to be prolific, helming his fourth film of the 2020s after The Last Duel , House of Gucci and Napoleon). Paul Mescal (All of Us Strangers), Connie Nielsen (Origin) and Fred Hechinger (Thelma), three of Gladiator II's stars, aren't just grateful that Scott is behind the camera on the film; speaking with Concrete Playground when they were in Australia for the movie's premiere in Sydney, the trio couldn't have been more inspired by their time working with the director. "Basically I want to be like Ridley when I grow up. That's the root of it for me," Mescal shared with us. Nielsen described returning to one of Scott's sets, and stepping back into the Colosseum in particular, as feeling "like I was coming home". And Hechinger summed up the enthusiastic trio's communal sentiments about collaborating with the filmmaker, when asked what they had each learned from him at the end of our chat — which sparked eager answers. "I know this was your last question and you had a minute, but clearly if you asked this at the beginning of the interview, we could have talked the entire interview for five months about all the things that we learned from him." [caption id="attachment_979923" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brendon Thorne/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures[/caption] As Lucius, Mescal is Gladiator II's focal point, with the Aftersun Oscar-nominee, plus The Lost Daughter, Carmen and Foe talent, leading his first Tinseltown blockbuster just four years after the Irish actor became a global obsession courtesy of Normal People. He slides into Crowe's (The Exorcism) shoes in terms of starring in a Gladiator picture, and also into Spencer Treat Clark's (Salem's Lot), who portrayed the same character as a boy in the first film. Lucius' path is familiar, too, taking him from military command to slavery and fighting for his life in front of Roman crowds. As Gladiator viewers know, his mother, aka Nielsen's Lucilla, has seen this situation occur before as well — but this time, it's Hechinger and Joseph Quinn (A Quiet Place: Day One) as sibling Emperors Caracalla and Geta who are lording over the empire, rather than Joaquin Phoenix (Joker: Folie à Deux) as her brother Commodus. Scott's knack for casting remains exceptional with Gladiator II, which also boasts Pedro Pascal (Drive-Away Dolls) as Roman general Marcus Acacius and Denzel Washington as power broker Macrinus. Mescal ensures that Lucius is a determined, devoted and unflinching leader, whether he's literally guiding an army or battling as a gladiator — and also warm, vulnerable and open. Nielsen, who has featured in everything from the Wonder Woman films and Nymphomaniac to TV's Boss and The Following between stints as Lucilla, keeps unpacking how women, even those seen to have some influence and status, can sometimes only be permitted to inhabit a certain space in their worlds. And for The White Lotus, Fear Street and Pam & Tommy alum Hechinger, playing Caracalla means being hedonistic, ruthless, reckless, power-hungry and blood-thirsty opposite not only Quinn but also Caracalla's pet monkey Dundus. With Mescal, Nielsen and Hechinger, we also discussed the present-tense nature of Scott's sets, finding space for Lucilla's political instincts, stepping beyond Crowe's shadow and turning in unpredictable performances — alongside unpacking male psychology, Gladiator II's rallying against the control of the one percent and the devil-may-care abuse of power, and more. On What Nielsen Was Most Excited About in Returning to the World of Gladiator After More Than Two Decades Connie: "The fact that this is a mature woman of experience and of intellectual weight. You don't see many women like that in the theatre kind of ever. And so the way they wrote her, they really made her, yes, the heart and the big mother in the film, but they also made so much space for her political instinct and also for her dreams. You don't really see that much, and so it was very exciting to see and expand on a woman that I played as a young girl." On Mescal Always Being in the Moment Despite the Pressures and Responsibilities of Following in Russell Crowe's Footsteps Paul: "You feel a sense of pressure and responsibility with every single film that you ever make — this being different in the sense that Gladiator, the first Gladiator, is absolutely adored, as it should be. Russell is absolutely adored for that performance, as he should be. But the idea of legacy or pressure is a fundamental problem — it's directly in conflict with trying to carve out your own performance. You can't really lean into it all that much, because the words used to describe the first one and Russell are applied over time, and with the act of making the film — Gladiator II or any film — it has to be utterly present-tense. You have to go to work and build it beat by beat, block by block, day by day. And Ridley's sets are wonderfully, wonderfully present-tense. There's no time to breathe or think about the past or think about the future. You are carving out your own plot of land and desperately trying to protect it." On How Hechinger Crafted a Hedonistic, Ruthless, Reckless and Utterly Unpredictable Character Like Caracalla — and One of a Pair Fred: "I think you want a genuine feeling of danger and ..." Connie: "Unpredictability." Fred: "... Unpredictability. I guess it's a little bit of a conundrum. How do you craft unpredictability? But I think you have to put so many things in there that you can find how to get out of your own way, or at least you have enough tools and elements that you not only surprise others but yourself. What Paul is speaking to in terms of Ridley's set is a true gift in that regard. He's building an environment that is utterly convincing, and also hurtles forward whether you interact with it or not. So the urgency and the full-body need to be heard, and to carve some space, as Paul was telling you about, I think really mixes with my character and all the characters in the film. You have to reckon with the space and there's no shortcut for you. You realise on other sets how many shortcuts are built in, and sometimes the disservice to the work that that does. I think, in this case, there's a real challenge every day — and that as an actor is a gift, because if you're playing someone who's impulsive and dangerous, the environment matches that level of danger and sense of possibility." Connie: "And also Fred, you weren't getting any rehearsals, really." Fred: "Yeah, there is no rehearsal. I mean, Ridley doesn't do rehearsals." Connie: "So you guys basically had to make up a lot of choices prior to even coming to set." Fred: "Joe Quinn and I did work closely on certain aspects of their brotherhood. There's a quality to their relationship that is a double act — at least in public they are. And so some of those Colosseum days felt like we were preparing for the Colosseum. We were preparing for a public thing. We're thinking 'how do we as a duo speak to Rome today?'. And so that it mirrored the story in a lot of ways there. And then I would say that the private side of them, that dynamic was something that was less prepared and spoken about with Joe — but implicitly by not talking about it, we were sort of secretly preparing the opposite side of it, in terms of the public and the private of their relationship." Connie:" I think for the rest of us, who were sitting around and watching them start up this whatever dog-and-pony show you guys are doing that day, I was like 'that is so cool'. It was really cool for us to watch. You guys had really worked hard to get things ready and I just love that. It's so professional." Fred: "Thank you, it means a lot." On What It Feels Like to Step Into Scott's Colosseum — for the First Time and When You're Returning Connie: "For me, it was so strange. It really felt like I was coming home. I know this place — what is it called, the prodigal daughter, returning to daddy's home?" Fred: "I felt — I think I said this to you in person — I felt that Connie was such a leader to all of us. I do remember this first days when you were talking about the experience of returning to the Colosseum, what the Colosseum was like then versus now. It not only made us feel more comfortable as people on the set, it also was really intelligent in terms of continuing to build the world for us. I think it was really creatively generous and additive." Connie: "Well, also because the first Colosseum was kind of like golden and bronzey just very sort of sun-drenched and gorgeous. And this one had a lot of red and black, and a lot of soot, a lot of homeless people at the arches outside of it. There was just a completely different set this time. And so it was both home, but it was also very clear that Ridley had told the story that 18 years had passed since we last left the Colosseum in Gladiator. And that was just very impressive for me to watch how all of the tools that he as a master plays on. And no one tells you. You have to really look. And when you're looking, you realise 'oh my god, he's playing on that and that thing', and it's like he's this master weaver." Paul: "100 percent." Fred: "I really think it's the time. It's the end of an empire. It's where greed goes to die. My first conversation with Janty Yates, our costume designer, I said to her 'I want Caracella to feel like rotting gold'. And when you looked around ..." Paul: "It felt that way." Connie: "It was rot everywhere. Social rot." Fred: "Yeah." On Mescal's Determination to Unpack Male Psychology in His Roles — and to Find Warmth, Vulnerability and Openness While Playing a Gladiator Paul: "I think it's this whole conversation about actors being transformative, which I think is so important, but it's also like if you look at painters that you really admire or any other form of artist, there is a template in the form that we admire about, say, van Gogh or Vermeer or something like that. We're not asking them to change their style every time. Acting is slightly different if you're wanting to play different characters, but there is something that I'm drawn to in terms of the complexities of male psychology. Like, what is it about the way that we think is as young men in the world? That ultimately feels like, when I'm acting, that's my job to kind of allow an audience into to our psychology. And I think when you're playing somebody who is brutalised and uses violence as a weapon in order to survive, that's one thing, but I think that you would grow tired of that as an audience if that was two-and-a-half hours of somebody expressing their life through violence. And I'm glad that you referenced that there is vulnerability there, because all of that anger isn't a means of being — it's a symptom that is built from the hurt that he's experienced. And also it's a fun lens to get to play with. Like, how are you trying to let that version of the vulnerability creep through? So I think the kind of performance style that I'm interested in, both in doing and watching, is not when you hit an audience over the head — you're trying to slowly invite them in to be suspicious or curious about what's going on underneath the surface for every character I play, and it was no different with Lucius." On Whether Gladiator II's Class Clashes Make It Feel Like a Movie for the Moment Connie: "I think it's more subtle than that. I think I can understand why there is this experience of it, because we inevitably mirror ourselves in the stories that we watch. I also know that for sure this was part of what Ridley was playing on but. But as always with Ridley, it's very subtle. I think that this is universal. It doesn't just belong to this moment. It belongs throughout history, that we consistently have to work at achieving that balance. I think maybe when I was younger, when I was like 20, 30, even 40, I still believed that we were moving towards universal democracy. When Tiananmen happened, I thought …" Paul: "That's surely going to be a moment." Connie: "For sure, that's going to be freedom for so many people. And then now we're in the position that you don't feel like we're consistently moving towards that universal freedom. And I would even say that international rule of law has really taken a step back over the last five, six years, seven years. And so I think that it's understandable that people read into it. But I do think it's subtle and I also don't think it's the main cause of the film." Paul: "I agree." On What Mescal, Nielsen and Hechinger Learned From Working with Ridley Scott Paul: "The thing that always strikes me about Ridley is if Ridley decided to never make a film again, he will go down as one of the greatest. But the thing that has struck me on a daily basis is that he could be so entitled as a man and a director, and he's one of the least-entitled people I know. His appetite for work ..." Connie: "Is total." Paul: "... is total. And I think as much as I have enjoyed everybody else that I've worked with, it's something that myself and everybody else included would probably say — that everybody else's work ethic pales in comparison to what he brings just innately as a human being. So to get to watch that from somebody in their 80s is exactly what I would dream of having when I'm — basically I want to be like Ridley when I grow up. That's the root of it for me." Connie: "For me, I look at him as a teacher at all times. I remember on the first film, I came on set in England, we were shooting the Germania battle, and I walk on set and I'm seeing 3000 soldiers on this giant open field that has literally been created by cutting and burning trees. Of course, completely sustainably. And I asked him 'but how are you going to make sure that the audience understands that Russell is coming from behind the enemy lines? How are you going to make sure they understand that?'. And then he was just like 'alright, let me show you'. And he just showed me how all of the battle cameras were turning from left towards right. And then he said 'with all of these cameras where I am filming Russell galloping behind the lines, I am sending that camera from right to left. Intrinsically people will understand that this is what's happening'. He also just drew up a diagram in three seconds and described exactly what it would look like from cut to cut to cut, like that, off the bat. When we were on stage at a screening in London just a few days ago, he started describing how he was building, for example, an action sequence that involved baboons. And the way in which he described his choices, going from 'oh, I once met that one little baboon and that baboon had alopecia' — and the creativity of his brain, and then followed by his ability to then create a way of doing it, which literally did not exist probably technically before. But he's leaning on the amazing people that he hires, and who are able to read into what he's trying to create. Then he is able to describe probably better than anyone what it is that he wants. He's able to say to me 'say that line' and I say it. And he's like 'no, not like that. Give me another line'. I'll come up with another line, and he's like 'no, too much description. Go there. Say it this way'. I'll come up with a line where, I'll go for that third time or fourth time, it'll be the right line. 'Okay, keep that line'. You just are willing to bend over backwards for him and come up with 20 different lines. I'll have written out literally 20 different versions of what I'm trying to say, and he will tell me which one that will work, and he will then, with the greatest respect, incorporate it." Fred: "His work ethic is an expression of his infinite love of cinema and the collaborative act of movie-making. I just think seeing Ridley on a film set is like is like seeing the most-perfect combination of the two." Connie: "He's like a conductor." Fred: "He shares his love in the most-infectious way. And it's funny because I know this was your last question and you had a minute, but clearly if you asked this at the beginning of the interview, we could have talked the entire interview ..." Connie: "Yep." Paul: "Just like that." Fred: "... for five months about all the things that we learned from him. He teaches a million things every day and the things that he teaches you, sometimes he doesn't even need to tell you. They're just happening. He lives through action." Connie: "But also he's amazing at actually directing without judging, which is a unique difference. He's not judging what you're doing." Fred: "Yeah." Connie: "He's directing from this open space." Fred: "Conducting." Gladiator II opened in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, November 14, 2024. Images: © 2024 Paramount Pictures.
If you and your partner have a little (or a lot) of pent-up energy, and you're looking for a different outlet to help ease it, here's an option: Melbourne's axe-throwing joints Maniax is hosting Valentine's date-night sessions from Friday, February 11–Friday, February 18. The Elizabeth Street and Abbotsford venues are doing two-hour public sessions that'll cost you and your other half $110 in total to hurl hatchets — and will let you do something different to mark the occasion. Also, that price also includes a beer, wine or canned spirit each afterwards to celebrate. For the uninitiated, Maniax gives you the chance to very safely throw a hunk of sharpened steel attached to a flimsy handle, and compete with your partner and/or friends to see who has the most Viking blood coursing through them. Chuck those axes, sink a bullseye, and then calm down after all the hatchet-lobbing excitement with a drink with your significant other.
Lately, the world has seen all sorts of weird and wonderful shoe creations, from sneakers made from recycled ocean plastic to beer-proof kicks to those chicken-and-waffles-inspired Nikes. But this latest sneaker design find might just be the strangest yet, with some bright sparks in Amsterdam crafting a shoe with soles made from chewing gum collected from the city's streets. Dubbed Gumshoe, it's a collaboration between companies Gum-tec and Publicis One, plus local shoe brand Explicit Wear, and it's out to stomp all over The Netherlands' costly chewing gum problem. Apparently, the country's streets rack up around 1.5 million kilograms of the stuff each year, creating the second biggest litter issue after cigarettes. The Gumshoe sole features a special kind of rubber crafted from used gum that's been recycled into a sustainable material. They're available in black or hot pink, with a map of Amsterdam stamped into each sole. On Gumshoe's website, Mustafa Tanriverdi, from Marketing and Investments, Amsterdam Metropolitan Area said, "with these shoes, we take a step closer towards gum-free streets and at the same time create awareness amongst gum users without being preachy." If you fancy a pair of gum-based kicks for your own feet, head over to the Explicit Wear website. Via Designboom
We're about to slide speedily into winter — and if that's put you in the mood for a wardrobe shakeup, well, you're in luck. The treasure trove of vintage threads that is the Round She Goes Fashion Market returns to Melbourne this month, taking over Coburg Town Hall on Sunday, May 7. This time around, the ever-popular market is treating shoppers to more than 55 stalls heaving with quality pre-loved designer fashion, vintage pieces, retro accessories and handmade goodies. And as always, there'll be a whole stack of affordable items in the mix, with prices starting from $10. Get your stylish self along from 10am to score covetable finds from big-name labels ranging from Prada to Phillip Lim, and from Balenciaga to Bianca Spender. Grab yourself a bit of Gucci, score some Christian Dior, and splash out on threads from Romance Was Born, Jean Paul Gaultier, Mister Zimi or Gorman. There'll be specialty coffee and baked treats from Coffee on Cue to fuel your rummaging, too, and entry costs $4.
For almost a quarter-century, Jamie Oliver has been sharing his culinary tips with audiences worldwide. This November, he'll dish up a chat about all that time spent in and around kitchens — on-screen, by releasing recipe books and thanks to his stint in the restaurant business — at Sydney Opera House. The Naked Chef, Oliver's Twist, Jamie's Kitchen and Jamie's Comfort Food star is heading back Down Under for an Aussie-exclusive discussion, returning to the Harbour City after selling out a talk at the same venue in 2015. Back then, Oliver brought his Food Revolution with him, and cooked up a storm live while making his Opera House debut. This time, he's in conversation with Melissa Leong about the 24 years since The Naked Chef first hit television — and all the pukka cuisine he's whipped up since. "Every time I visit Australia it feels like a big old hug — it's a real home away from home for me and I'm so excited to be back this year for this event." said Oliver, announcing the chat. "I can't wait to sit down with you all for good chats about good food and good times, have a laugh, and take some questions from the audience. And, it is such a privilege to be at the Sydney Opera House, what a setting. I hope to see you there." While there's clearly no shortage of topics for Oliver to touch on when Saturday, November 11 hits, when he takes to the stage in the famed venue's Concert Hall — the British chef has those two-plus decades of TV shows, those 70-plus eateries in 22 countries, and oh-so-many recipes to mention, for starters — this once-off event is timed around two specific things. Firstly, he's launching a campaign about creating "a happier, healthier world through the joy of food". And secondly, he's just released his new cookbook 5 Ingredients: Mediterranean. Attendees at this Sydney-only talk will also learn what keeps Oliver inspired and motivated, why he loves cooking so much and about his passion for getting in the kitchen. He's the latest big-name chef discussing his career onstage in Australia this year, following on from Israeli chef Yotam Ottolenghi, Oliver's fellow Brits Marco Pierre White and Nigella Lawson, and viral recipe queen Alison Roman. Jamie Oliver in conversation with Melissa Leong will take place in Sydney Opera House's Concert Hall on Saturday, November 11, 2023 — with ticket pre-sales fro 9am on Wednesday, August 23, and general sales from 9am on Thursday, August 24. Images: Jamie Oliver Enterprises / Paul Stuart.
When 2019 began, Qantas was named the safest airline to travel on in 2019. Now that the year has almost reached its midway point, the Australian carrier has also been named one of the best airlines in the world. While it was pipped for the top seven spots, Qantas came in eighth at Skytrax's World Airline Awards — after placing 11th in 2018, 15th in 2017, ninth in 2016, tenth in 2015, 11th in 2014, tenth in 2013 and 15th in 2012. Emerging victorious was Qatar Airlines, followed by Singapore Airlines in second place. While that's a reversal of last year's results, the carriers placed in the same positions back in 2017. For those planning overseas trips sometime soon, this year's top ten is rounded out by a cross-section of international companies, with Japan's ANA All Nippon Airlines coming in third, Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific taking out fourth spot, Dubai-based Emirates at fifth, Taiwan's EVA Air sitting in sixth, China's Hainan Airlines placing seventh, Germany's Lufthansa at ninth and Thai Airways coming tenth. Among other local airlines, Virgin Australia nabbed 25th spot, Jetstar sits at 53rd and Air New Zealand pops up at 16th. Jetstar also placed sixth on the best low-cost airline list, behind winner AirAsia — with other gongs awarded for best cabin staff (Singapore Airlines), cleanest airline (EVA Air), best business class (Qatar), best economy (Japan Airlines) and most improved (Philippines Airlines). Now in their 19th year, the Skytrax World Airline Awards are based on an online survey, which ran from September 2018 to May 2019. Participants from more than 100 nationalities took part, with over 21 million entries received — because if there's one thing that's synonymous with air travel, it's telling everyone how you feel about your trip afterwards.
In the on-screen sea that is the never-ending list of films and television shows constantly vying for eyeballs, Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby have frequently proven gem-dappled treasure islands. When the immensely funny New Zealand talents have collided, their resumes have spanned four of the most endearing comic hits of the big and small screens in the 21st century so far, aka Flight of the Conchords, What We Do in the Shadows, Wellington Paranormal and Hunt for the Wilderpeople — and now, with HBO Max pirate parody Our Flag Means Death, they've given viewers another gleaming jewel. The brainchild of writer, showrunner and executive producer David Jenkins (People of Earth), this show was always going to swashbuckle its way into streaming must-see lists — and into comedy-lovers' hearts — based on its concept alone. The inimitable Darby stars as Stede Bonnet, a self-styled 'gentleman pirate' and a great approximation of Flight of the Conchords' Murray if he'd existed centuries earlier. Meanwhile, Waititi dons leather, dark hues aplenty, an air of bloodthirsty melancholy and a glorious head of greying hair as Edward Teach, the marauder better known to the world as Blackbeard. While the latter is a household name — pop culture has been inserting him into stories for decades: Ian McShane played him in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Hugh Jackman did the honours in Pan, for instance — Bonnet will be a new discovery to most of Our Flag Means Death's audience. Also a real-life figure, he left his life of wealth, privilege and comfort to rove the oceans. That's a scenario that this ten-episode comedy has plenty of fun with, complete with Bonnet's onboard library decked out with classics and summer linens-filled auxiliary wardrobe. In its first three episodes, Our Flag Means Death establishes its fish-out-of-water situation — or its tale about a ruffled shirt-wearing aristocrat seemingly out of his depths while sailing across treacherous waters, to be more accurate. Bonnet is not one for the usual pirate stereotypes, and that takes some adjusting to by his crew. Among those with him on the Revenge: Lucius (Nathan Foad, Bloods), his righthand man and official scribe; Buttons (Ewen Bremner, First Cow), a seasoned seafarer and source of advice; Black Pete (Matthew Maher, Marriage Story), who constantly claims to have worked with Blackbeard; the fire-obsessed Wee John Feeny (Kristian Nairn, aka Game of Thrones' Hodor); and the initially secretive Oluwande (Samson Kayo, Truth Seekers) and Jim (Vico Ortiz, The Sex Lives of College Girls). Scene-setting and ensemble antics abound in the series' opening instalments, including a run-in with a British navy captain (Rory Kinnear, No Time to Die) with ties to Bonnet's past, and another a fellow pirate captain-turned-bar owner (Leslie Jones, Death to 2020) and one of her husbands (Fred Armisen, Los Espookys). But then Blackbeard arrives, taking over the Revenge with his first mate Izzy (Con O'Neill, The Batman) — and Our Flag Means Death starts becoming a rom-com. From the outset, it's already a gloriously inclusive and emotionally astute comedy. Bonnet wanting his crew to be in touch with their feelings, rather than simply solve everything with swords and violence, is one of the aforementioned ways that he bucks expectations. But that trend deepens and grows as its two key swashbucklers gravitate towards each other, riding the waves from adversaries to co-captains to potentially something more. From its first trailer, Our Flag Means Death delivered answers to questions that no one knew they had, such as "what'd happen if Waititi and Darby played pirates?" and "what if Waititi and Darby played pirates alongside Spud from Trainspotting and Hodor?". Now that the results have played out across an entire season — all of which is available to stream in Australia via Binge and in New Zealand via Neon — it's sweeter than a bottle of rum to a buccaneer (or oranges to fend off scurvy, which definitely get a mention in the show). Smartly, Our Flag Means Death doesn't just satirise pirate archetypes. It isn't content with finding easy laughs at the whole 'gentleman pirate' caper, either. Instead, it's a comedy about plundering one's own depths to find out who you really are, where you truly belong and who should comprise your chosen family — whether you've been set up for a life of luxury, you're the world's most fearsome scourge of the seas or you're simply roving the oceans with them. When Waititi's Blackbeard steps into the story, meet-cute and all, less of its focus resides upon its other supporting characters. When you've got comedic greats such as Waititi and Darby bouncing off of each other — as they do from episode four onwards, and with pitch-perfect comic chemistry — you let them have the spotlight. Still, subplots that flesh out the remainder of the Revenge crew's histories wholeheartedly link in with Our Flag Means Death's focus on reinvention and rediscovery, and its open heart. Relationships are laid bare, and secrets, too. In the process, cliches are dismantled, correct pronouns are used, and everyone helps build a thoughtful and sincere comic caper. Indeed, add Our Flag Means Death to the list of delightful sitcoms that beam with warmth, even when it's soaking cat flags (yes, that's a pirate banner adorned with a feline) with blood. Stellar talent doesn't always equate to a must-see, something special or both, of course; however, Our Flag Means Death ticks all of those boxes — and the who's who that is its guest and supporting cast also includes fellow Conchords alum Kristen Schaal, Big Mouth's Nick Kroll, Arrested Development's Will Arnett, and Aussies Claudia O'Doherty (Sarah's Channel) and Angus Sampson (Bump). With Waititi also helming the pilot and executive producing, his winning ways with TV comedies continue, too, after a top-notch few years that've included the What We Do in the Shadows television spinoff and Reservation Dogs as well. Ahoy, streaming lovers — let Our Flag Means Death sail into your queue right now. Check out the full trailer for Our Flag Means Death below: Our Flag Means Death's first season is available to in Australia via Binge and in New Zealand via Neon. Images: Aaron Epstein/HBO Max.
In 2011's Le Havre, Aki Kaurismäki explored Europe's refugee crisis in his trademark way: with empathy, a droll sense of humour and a bittersweet outlook. He tackles the same subject with the same approach in The Other Side of Hope, although you could never accuse the Finnish filmmaker of simply retracing his own footsteps. Rather, the writer-director steps from a tale of transition to one of acceptance. It's a shift that not only reflects global events over the past seven years, but also comes with a much-needed message. What the world needs now is compassion, Kaurismäki posits — an idea that applies when asylum seekers arrive in prosperous nations searching for better lives. The Other Side of Hope begins when Syrian refugee Khaled (Sherwan Haji) hops off a boat in Helsinki. Looking for a new home far from Aleppo, he just wants the chance to start afresh, however Finland proves far from welcoming. Meanwhile, leaving his wife and his old salesman life behind to enter the restaurant trade, Waldemar Wikström (Sakari Kuosmanen) requires help getting his new business going. Both men are fleeing their respective pasts, but Wikström's plight can't compare to Khaled's, and the film doesn't claim otherwise. Instead, after Wikström spies Khaled hiding behind his eatery, the movie shows how an act of kindness shapes their intertwined fortunes. In other hands, a parade of cheesy cliches would ensue, but Kaurismäki isn't any other filmmaker. There's a reason that he's considered Finland's best living auteur, and why his movies receive widespread international attention. While they're the kind of plaudits that every director dreams of, no one views the world quite like Kaurismäki. He fills his frames with characters that wear their eccentricities on their sleeves, yet couldn't be more relatable. He shows people struggling with all types of problems, both commonplace and more extreme, while still banding together because it's the right thing to do. Further, he charts life's ups and downs without avoiding its sorrows, but never removing optimism from the equation either. Indeed, there's a word that sums up his work perfectly: humane. Another word springs to mind: absurd. It's evident when a fight quickly turns into a job offer and when salted herring is served up as sushi, two of the movie's wry, hilarious developments. From its deadpan humour to its rockabilly soundtrack, The Other Side of Hope is often offbeat, albeit in a very specific way. Kaurismäki isn't trying to make an over-the-top comedy — instead, his film recognises how odd everyday existence really can be. It's why his cast turn in portrayals that seem naturalistic as well as a little detached, whether the world-weary Kuosmanen is grimacing through a poker game or the scene-stealing Haji is relaying Khaled's background with a calm demeanour. Lensed by Kaurismäki's regular cinematographer Timo Salminenn, the movie's visuals operate in the same manner as the performances. Every shot overflows with lifelike detail, with smoke hanging in the air and pain oozing from a stranger's glare, yet every image feels like it has been meticulously arranged. It's the same sensation that great still-life paintings evoke: of not only capturing reality, but capturing the artist's unique perspective along with it. Of course, The Other Side of Hope isn't a static image frozen in time. Observed with the same compassion it champions, and proving as earnest as it is amusing, the film is an intricately composed portrait brimming with melancholy, sincerity and worldwide relevance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asR1B7NrhQQ
Looking to shake things up with a bit of spicy teamwork fun this Valentine's Day? Well, seek and you shall find. Literally. Couples-focused sexual wellness brand We-Vibe is here to make things a little interesting, with a good ol' sex toy scavenger hunt you can tackle with your boo. Yep — this Saturday, February 12, the label is hiding five of its signature We-Vibe Sync couples vibrators in secret spots around the city. Pleasure-seeking sleuths are invited to track them down using clues posted to We-Vibe's O Diaries blog that morning. Find one of the blue vibrators and you'll win yourselves an entire year's supply of sex toys, totalling a cool USD $1000 — obviously, the V-Day prezzie to trump all others. The hunt kicks off at 9am and will run for 48 hours. And you should word up your overseas mates, too — We-Vibe's also hosting similar scavenger hunts in 12 other international cities this weekend, including Paris, London, Singapore, Barcelona and New York.
Across the second half of 2020, Melburnians have become accustomed to wearing face masks, with donning the coverings made compulsory back in mid-July. Now that Victoria's COVID-19 restrictions are continuing to ease — and with the state now hitting 37 days without any new cases, too — rules around covering your face have been slowly changing as well. In big news, they'll no longer mandatory in all indoor circumstances from 11.59pm on Sunday, December 6, with the Victorian Government loosening the requirements significantly. Back on Sunday, November 22, the mask rules loosened in outdoor situations — so you no longer needed to wear one outdoors if you can maintain social distancing. Now, when tomorrow hits, you will only have to don a mask at all in certain scenarios. You will always have to carry one with you, though — that's still mandatory. Premier Daniel Andrews made the announcement about masks as part of his latest press conference, where he unveiled a whole heap of other changes — but changes to face mask requirements was one of the big ones. You'll now just have to wear them in specified crowded spots, with wearing them otherwise moving to "recommended, but not mandatory". First and foremost, Victorians will still be required to keep wearing masks indoors at shopping centres, and in retail stores inside shopping centres — including department stores, electronics stores, furniture stores, hardware stores and supermarkets. You'll also need to keep wearing them at indoor markets. So, basically, if you're shopping indoors at a large and busy establishment, you'll need to mask up. Masks are also still mandatory on public transport, and when using ride shares or other commercial passenger vehicles. That's hardly a surprise, given that social distancing is difficult in these situations. On that topic, you'll have to wear a mask when you're in a large crowd of people you do not know or where QR codes for contact tracing haven't been used. And, if you've been diagnosed with COVID-19, are suspected of having it, or you're a close contact of someone with it, you must wear a face covering if you're leaving the house, even if you're going to the doctor. https://twitter.com/VicGovDHHS/status/1335377715319492609 In general for everyone else, though, the new guidelines state that "face coverings are recommended, but not mandatory, when leaving home and physical distancing cannot be maintained". Premier Andrews noted that "while masks are no longer mandated in most circumstances, the evidence is clear wearing a face covering makes a real difference in slowing the spread of the virus — so masks continue to be recommended indoors or outdoors when distancing can't be maintained". If you're still wondering where to grab a mask, we've put together a rundown of local companies making and selling them. For more information about the status of COVID-19 and the current restrictions, head over to the Department of Health and Human Services website.
Op art, the playful successor to pop art, is reminiscent of the eye-fatiguing Magic Eye craze of the '90s. It never really took off in Australia, but one little-known Oz exponent of op art, John Vickery (1906-1983), was a major fan. He worked primarily as a commercial artist but in his spare time enjoyed the optical dazzle of alternating stripes and undulating patterns. A selection of Vickery's most optically outrageous paintings are on display at the Victorian College of the Arts until March. This is the person whose artistic legacy and altruistic bequest led in 2003 to the establishment of the John Vickery Scholarships, which provide two third-year students with financial support to assist in the often costly practice of producing work for final assessment. A man who created visual magic and is remembered through the act of helping struggling young artists make ends meet — surely, worth a look in. Go play with your own sensory perception and enjoy the oscillating black and white stripes as they come alive between your eyes.
He took home this year's best director Oscar thanks to his enchanting monster romance, and now he's in the spotlight at the Spanish Film Festival. That'd be The Shape of Water's Guillermo del Toro, with the fest celebrating his 2006 Academy Award-winner Pan's Labyrinth as its closing night selection. Of course, on its stop at Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, Palace Brighton Bay, Kino Cinemas and The Astor Theatre from April 19 to May 6, the country's long-running celebration of Spanish-language filmmaking has plenty of other delights amongst its 25-film program. Marking its 21st year in 2018, that includes opening night's The Tribe, a street-dancing musical comedy inspired by real-life Spain's Got Talent winners, plus No Filter, this year's Spanish box office smash about a woman who can't stop speaking her mind. Other high-profile highlights range from screenings of Pixar's gorgeous Coco — in case you missed it in cinemas late last year — to a who's who of Spanish talent in historical epic Gold; to Loving Pablo, which features Javier Bardem as Pablo Escobar and Penélope Cruz as the journalist who falls for him. Fans of both actors can also catch them in Jamón Jamón — which, released back in 1992, was actually Cruz's first film. It plays as part of a four-feature retrospective dedicated to filmmaker Bigas Luna, alongside his fellow hits Golden Balls and The Tit and The Moon. A documentary compiled from the late director's video diaries, Bigas x Bigas, will enjoy its Australian premiere to round out the program strand. Plus, in the kind of curation that every film festival could benefit from, the Spanish Film Festival will also showcase the work of emerging Spanish female directors. While Summer 1993 actually played at last year's fest as well, the charming delight is getting another spin, with Málaga Film Festival hit Julia Is, Spanish Civil War-focused The Bastard's Fig Tree and the Goya-nominated The Open Door also on the bill. In addition, Melburnians get an extra pick thanks to doco Singled [Out], which was partially shot in Australia by the Melbourne-based Mariona Guiu and Barcelona-based Ariadna Relea.
What's your age again? Old enough to remember when blink-182's classic lineup of Tom DeLonge, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker were initially together — and old enough to be excited that DeLonge has now rejoined the band, too. If that's you, then you will have been mighty excited about the above news, as well as the fact that the trio is hitting the road on a huge world tour, including heading to Australia. To the surprise of no one, blink-182's upcoming trip Down Under has been getting a huge response, even before general tickets to its February 2024 shows go on sale. So, also unsurprisingly, the band has just added extra gigs in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. [caption id="attachment_873239" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jack Bridgland[/caption] Melburnians can now choose between Tuesday, February 13 and Wednesday, February 14 at Rod Laver Arena; Sydneysiders can opt for either Friday, February 16 or Saturday, February 17 at Qudos Bank Arena; and Brisbanites have Monday, February 19 and Tuesday, February 20 at Brisbane Entertainment Centre to pick from. Well, assuming you nab tickets quick smart from 1pm on Thursday, October 20 local time — or hop on the Live Nation and Spotify pre-sales at 1pm on Wednesday, October 19. That feeling you get when a decades-old band either reforms its beloved lineup and hits the road, or tours your way with a huge history behind them, kickstarting all those nostalgic old memories? If you're blink-182 fan, you clearly know the right words for that: well I guess this is growing up. DeLonge, Hoppus and Barker — with Rise Against in support — will start their Australian run in Perth, then head to Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. For three decades, blink-182 have been the voice inside punk and rock fans' heads, especially in the late 90s and early 00s thanks to albums Enema of the State and Take Off Your Pants and Jacket. Now that they're back together after DeLonge left the band in 2015, blink-182 are also recording new music together, with single 'Edging' out now. Expect to hear everything from 'Dammit', 'Josie' and 'What's My Age Again?' to 'All the Small Things' and 'I Miss You' live, though — and yes, the latter feels oh-so-apt right now. BLINK-182 2024 AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND TOUR: Friday, February 9 — RAC Arena, Perth Sunday, February 11 — Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide Tuesday, February 13–Wednesday, February 14 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Friday, February 16–Saturday, February 17 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Monday, February 19–Tuesday, February 20 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane Friday, February 23 — Spark Arena, Auckland Monday, February 26 — Christchurch Arena, Christchurch Blink-182 will tour Australia and New Zealand in February 2024. Live Nation and Spotify pre-sales start at 1pm on Wednesday, October 19 — and general sales from 1pm on Thursday, October 20 (all local time). For more information, head to the Live Nation website.
This winter, Melbourne's surfside diner is embracing a new passion — premium Gippsland lamb. Overlooking the breaks of Urbnsurf, Three Blue Ducks is adding a slew of meaty menu additions, as it invites you to raise a fork for Lamb Month. From Friday, July 22–Monday, August, 22, the restaurant is firing up the barbecue and the spit to showcase a stack of new lamb-based creations at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Head in to feast on plates like the pulled lamb and mashed potato cakes with poached eggs and harissa yoghurt; spiced lamb ribs teamed with burnt eggplant and tabouli; and barbecued lamb starring celeriac, hazelnuts, radicchio and lashings of Bodriggy stout gravy. What's more, to wash the new specials down, Three Blue Ducks has teamed up with mates at Abbotsford brewery Bodriggy, offering their oatmeal stout as the perfect wintry lamb pairing. Three Blue Ducks is open for breakfast Friday to Sunday, and for lunch and dinner Wednesday to Sunday.
Take an intimate walk alongside the mind and brushstrokes of David Hockney, who has been touted as one of the world's most influential living artists. David Hockney: Current has been curated by the National Gallery of Victoria in collaboration with Hockney and his studio. The exhibition features over 700 works and amalgamates a variety of different mediums, including painting, digital drawings, photography and video. Hockney has been known to work on iPhones and iPads as well as canvas, making him an incredibly intriguing and versatile artist. The exhibition will also display his largest artwork, Bigger Trees Near Water, which is comprised of 50 oil on canvas panels. If the treat of an expansive gallery exhibition doesn't excite you, rest assured there's still more on offer — the NGV will also be holding a range of programs that delve into the themes of the works and Hockney's artistic career throughout the duration of the exhibition, which runs from November until March 2017. Image: Wayne Taylor.
Think about Byron Bay, and a quiet coastal town with stunning beaches is no longer the only thing that comes to mind. Hemsworths pop up, plus other celebrities. So does the New South Wales spot's stint backdropping TV shows. Fancy leaning into the locale's luxe side? Enter its first-ever five-star hotel, with Hotel Marvell opening its doors on Tuesday, August 1. It boasts Marvell in its name, but Marvel Cinematic Universe fans will have spotted the spelling difference. No, even with Chris Hemsworth virtually synonymous with Byron Bay of late, this new place to stay has nothing to do with superheroes. Instead, this new addition to Marvell Street features 24 rooms and suites, the town's first rooftop bar and pool, and onsite restaurant Bonito. Owners Scott Didier and Scott Emery have gone lavish, aiming to give holidaymakers a one-of-a-kind stay. "Hotel Marvell is designed to offer our guests an extraordinary experience like no other. From the exclusive rooftop bar and pool with breathtaking views to the Bonito restaurant showcasing the finest local ingredients, we have crafted a haven for those seeking refined luxury in Byron Bay," said Emery. "Our passion for Byron Bay and our belief in the potential of this incredible destination inspired us to create Hotel Marvell. We want to offer our guests an unparalleled experience that combines the beauty of the surroundings with the luxury of our accommodations," added Didier. The 24 spots to slumber include 16 hotel rooms, six suites and a pair of two-bedroom rooms, all equipped with private balconies. Guests will sleep on Bemboka & Eadie linens, hit up the mini bar stocked with locally sourced products, make coffee from their in-room Nespresso machine, and take in the Byron Bay vibe and surroundings. Keen on room service? That runs from 11am–8pm. For a dip, head to level three — and for a bite beyond your room, to Bonito, which features chef Minh Le (ex-Spicers Peak Lodge, The Byron at Byron, The Foraging Quail) at the helm. His menu heroes seafood and plant-based cuisine, as well as his own heritage. On offer: organic sourdough with house-cultured miso butter, oysters in a Japanese dressing and Hiromasa kingfish glazed with spiced soy sauce Harley Graham of Harley Graham Architects is responsible for the hotel's look, which skews tropical, warm and colourful — complete with plenty of greenery and a pedestrian laneway. Unsurprisingly, a night at Hotel Marvell doesn't come cheap, starting at $600 per night for a hotel room. If you're keen on a suite, that'll set you back at least $780. Find Hotel Marvell at 4 Marvell Street, Byron Bay from Tuesday, August 1 — head to the hotel's website for further details and to make a reservation. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
If there's a single universal truth that people of all denominations can agree on, it's that first dates are awkward as heck. What to wear? When to meet? Whether to reveal your dorky side or pretend to be cool? Should you spontaneously burst into flames right then or wait until you get home? It's a complicated equation to balance. There's one thing you shouldn't worry about though, and that's the venue. We've got you covered on that one. There are plenty of factors that make a venue ideal for a casual first date. After years of field research in the form of many, many awkward dates, we believe the magic sweet spot is somewhere between rowdy and stuffy, and between day and night. They have to serve food so you have something to stuff in your mouth and stop yourself from babbling, and, ideally, the venue should have that certain je ne sais quoi that's both buzzing and intimate. It's a tall order, but we've enlisted some help from American Express to uncover the least awkward places in Melbourne to take a casual date — where you can also tap and earn some points from that Amex you just signed up for. Now all you have to do is swipe until your fingers bleed and make it to the second date with your dignity intact. Got yourself in another dining situation and need some guidance? Whatever it is, we know a place. Visit The Shortlist and we'll sort you out.
